Empties! March 2016

Hey there! I'm getting rid of more empty stuff and sharing my thoughts as per usual...

Skin care

Jurlique Purely White Skin Brightening Cleanser (80g/2.8 oz) - I bought this tube Duty-Free on my way to Singapore last year because I'd forgotten to pack a cleanser so decided to splash out on a luxe one. This foaming cleanser did feel quite velvety and luxurious but I didn't notice any significant brightening effect and Jurlique is off my purchase list these days.

SODA & Co Lip Balm (Orange Splash)* CF - These little balm pots are so much fun and I liked the orange/cocoa scent of this one.  I have a cocoa pot to get through and I'll consider getting some more in future once I dwindle my backlog a bit.  The formula is lightweight and melts upon touch with the fingertips so it's like applying melted butter to the lips.

Hand and body care

Bath & BodyWorks Maui Shea & Vitamin E Shower Gel (88ml/3 fl.oz) - These B & BW products were another old vacation purchase tucked away for a rainy day which finally came as I work through my stash of non CF products.  The shower gel lasted quite a while as I didn't need to use much to get a healthy soft lather and I enjoyed the summery floral scent.

Bath & BodyWorks Maui Shea & Vitamin E Body Lotion (88ml/3 fl.oz) - This was a nice consistency for a body lotion as it was easy to rub in yet substantial enough to provide lasting moisture for my skin.

Avon Nail Experts Rose Cuticle Balm (11.5g/0.406 oz) - This cuticle balm has been long discontinued so I won't go on about it.  It did the trick and smelt like - guess what? - roses!

Crabtree & Evelyn La Source Hand Therapy (25g/0.9 oz) -  I enjoyed the summery marine scent of this rich hand cream.

Hair care 

Moroccanoil Clarify Clarifying Shampoo (250ml/8.5 fl.oz) CF - Damn I love this shampoo! Not just because it deep cleanses buildup from my hair but because the scent is AMAZING! Have Moroccanoil thought to bring out a fragrance because if they haven't they need to! I will definitely buy this again.

Cosmetics

My progressive tally in my 2016 Makeup Use Up is increasing oh so slowly:

8) Max Factor Masterpiece Glamour Extensions 3-in-1 Volumising Mascara (Black)* - Damn I wish this was a CF product because this has been my favourite mascara in recent times. It volumized and defined my lashes and the reverse cone-shaped brush was perfect for getting right down to the base of the lashes for separation and creating a fan-like effect. Sad. So sad.

9) Tom Ford Concealing Pen (02 Light Medium) - This was so expensive for such a meh product.  Would not repurchase even if I could. 

10) Rimmel Colour Show Off Lipstick (110 Pink Gossip) - This bright pink matte lippy is now discontinued.

I'm done and dusted for another month!

(Products marked * were provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)

My travel makeup bag: What I packed and what I actually used...

I've been back from Singapore three weeks already(!) but my travel makeup choices are still fresh in my mind so for once I'm sharing my travel makeup bag contents with you.  I was aiming for the barest minimum I could get away with packing this time, because you know how it goes, you - well, me - might pack for every possibility then only end up using a small core number of items anyway...

I thought I did a pretty good job of pared down packing this time around yet I still didn't use everything and I also had some disappointments in my smallish selection.  So as you've figured, this post is about what I packed, what I did/didn't like and what I didn't even use!

Face

I was never going to go overboard with my base products and I know the Singapore climate can get pretty steamy at times so I stuck to the basics so as not to have to worry about my face melting off.

I didn't want to bother with glass bottles so opted for a stick foundation this time and had a winning combination in Revlon Photoready Insta-Fix Makeup (140 Nude)* set with a little Rimmel Lasting Finish Powder Foundation (002 Soft Beige)*. After initial struggles with it, I've finally found the best way to use the Rimmel powder is as a topper, and the foundation stick and powder combination stood up to the humidity while still looking natural.

Benefit's The Porefessional was my primer because of the small tube - well yes I was all about cramming in as little as possible this time - and because it works to blur the dreaded pores on and around my nose.  I used the teeny Benefit Stay Don't Stray for the first time (ever!) as my eye shadow base and found it pretty darn good as an eyelid brightener as much as a effective base for holding my eye makeup in place so that was a daily staple.  On the other hand - and I'm not sure why - Benefit's Ooh La Lift didn't really get much use and I only used it once to brighten the under eye area after I realized my rather expensive Tom Ford concealer wasn't cutting it. See below for my thoughts on that product - I forgot to include it with the base products so it's with eye makeup stuff.

For colour I used Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Medium/Deep Matte Bronzer for the occasional bit of after-dark contouring and a little sweep of the very soft Bourjois Rose Pompon blush for the daily dose of cheek colour.  I've had that blush in my drawer forever so it had its inaugural outing on this trip.  It's very soft and needs to be built up so it was good choice for avoiding the obviously made up look - I don't want to look like I've tried too hard on holiday!

Eyes

Again it was all about low-fuss low key items so I chose the very compact neutral Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics for my every day eye makeup - I personally prefer this slightly cooler, more muted palette over the original Naked Basics - and packed my favourite L'Oreal Infallible Hourglass Beige shadow which came in handy to add a touch of shimmer for evening eyes.  I like a little bit of pencil liner for daily definition and Face of Australia's Brown Eye Definer was a no-brainer choice because I use it just about every day anyway.

Now for the disappointments. Tom Ford Concealing Pen (Light/Medium) was something I'd stashed away for a worthy special occasion and it just completely underwhelmed me.  I didn't like the sponge applicator and the shade was too dark to do anything to brighten my under eye area - I don't know how the hell I got sold into making that mistake! The other disappointment was Kevyn Aucoin's The Volume mascara. I packed this because it's a tubing mascara, perfect for humidity, swimming and so on...but the brush...I think it's the brush...maybe it's the rather dry formula too?...did nothing to deposit enough mascara to volumize my lashes. They were tinted more than voluminous. Ugh.

Lips

I tried to cover all the possibilities, within reason, for a week's worth of lip choices (I only chose 6 items and most of them were minis, hah!) and you know what? This is where I actually over packed!

I was so sure I would need a red lip option that I packed two - Tom Ford Cherry Lush Lip Colour and the very vampy Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick (Icon) - and yet I wore neither! Nude or mauve pinks were the winners - rather than reaching for the obvious red I ended up wearing bareMinerals Marvellous Moxie Lipstick (Speak Your Mind) topped with another bareMinerals Marvellous Moxie Lip Gloss (Show Off) for my evening lips, while Chanel Glossimer (119) or The Body Shop Flavoured Gloss (Coconut) were easy daily choices.

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So that was my vacay makeup bag:  mostly good choices, some bad, a few unnecessary things, but I'm satisfied to have used most of what I'd packed!

Do you travel light when it comes to makeup or do you like to plan for all the possibilities?


(Products marked * were provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)

July's farewelled products

Oops, I'm just a little late with last month's empties so I'll get straight into it...

Skin care

78) Garnier 2in1 Express Eye-Makeup Remover (125ml) - This works just as well as any biphase makeup remover and I'm partial to purple so the purple tinted solution did win me over! Did it strengthen my lashes? I don't really know.

Hand and body care

79) Lemongrass & Ginger Aromabotanical Hand Soap (300ml/10fl.oz) - I really enjoyed the zesty freshness of this hand soap and the generous sized bottle lasted quite a while too.

80) Salus Eucalyptus & Rosemary Purifying Body Scrub (250ml/8.46oz) - This gel scrub smells strongly of eucalyptus but I personally find that scent very invigorating so it was a pleasure to use. Bamboo and pumice granules did an excellent job of exfoliating my skin without too much vigorous rubbing, and aloe soothed and moisturised my skin. In short - excellent spa quality stuff that I can see myself repurchasing in future!

81) The Body Shop Body Butter Duo (Sweet Pea) - This has been discontinued so I won't get into it too much. The sweet pea scent was subtle and not too distracting. On the minus side the supposedly lighter formula 'normal skin areas' formula took much longer to absorb than the 'dry skin areas'.

82) L'Occitane Dry Skin Hand Cream (30ml) - If you're a regular visitor here you may have seen this before.  This is simply one of my favourite extra-emollient hand creams that I particularly favour in the cooler months when my hands need extra TLC.

Hair care

83) Original Mineral Conquer Blonde Silver Shampoo (250ml/8.4fl.oz) - I've already bought another bottle of this purple shampoo because:  it keeps brassiness under control in my (back to) blonde hair;  it's the same brand my hairdresser uses;  it's free from parabens and other nasties;  and it's not tested on animals.

84) Original Mineral Fine Intellect Conditioner (350ml/11.8fl.oz) - I've repurchased this too because it boosts my fine hair and for all the other reasons I've listed above.

85) Marc Anthony Coconut Oil & Shea Butter Deep Nourishing Conditioning Treatment (50ml/1.69fl.oz)* - I got 5 or 6 uses out of this sachet on my short-medium hair for weekly in-shower hair treatments.  I loved the coconut scent and my hair was deeply conditioned without being weighed down.

Cosmetics

86) Savvy By DB Concealer (Light)* - This concealer did a great job of covering up blemishes although the light shade was not really light enough to brighten the under eye area which is the area I mostly use concealer for.

Fragrance

87) Tom Ford Velvet Orchid EDP (.05fl.oz/1.5ml) - A typically heavy, noirish, complex TF fragrance although perhaps just a little smoother than Black Orchid?  Top notes: bergamot, mandarin, Succan absolute (purified rum extract) and honey. Middle notes: an imaginary accord of black orchid blended with notes of velvet orchid, which gives the perfume its name; Turkish rose oil, jasmine and a new accord of purple orchid that grows in the wilds of southern Brazilian coast, orange blossom, rose absolute, narcissus, hyacinth and heliotrope. Base notes:  Peru balsam, myrrh, labdanum, sandalwood, suede and vanilla.

88) Penhaligon's of London Peoneve EDP (.05fl.oz/1.5ml) - I adored this fresh, natural spring floral scent and took to liberally dousing myself with the small vial.  It's not complicated, just pretty, as demonstrated by the simplicity of the notes.  Top note is violet leaf; middle notes are jasmine, rose and peony; base notes are vetiver, musk and cashmeran.

And behold the month's samples...

So there you have it until another month flies by!

(Products marked * were provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)

Autumn's beauty empties...

For various reasons (travel, family illness, life etc) my blogging schedule has been out of whack over recent months and it obviously saw me lagging in posting my monthly empties too - to the point where I was half-way through May and still hadn't done the March and April posts so figured I'd might as well carry on accumulating empties for the entire Autumn season and get them all out of the way in one rather LARGE post!  

For the sake of your sanity (and mine) I'll keep the reviews light and to the point - having said that, if you want to know more about any individual product just ask away in the comments and I'll let you know what you need to know.  Okay - here we go!  The fear is real...

Skin care

23) Kirkland Daily Facial Cleansing Towelettes (30 towelettes) - The second last pack in a bulk box from Costco.  More greasy than refreshing. Will not repurchase.

24) NIVEA Daily Essentials Refreshing Facial Cleansing Wipes (7 Wipes) - An impulse buy at the Target checkout one day and I took the pack away on our Queensland holiday.  Nice average quality wipes, with a hint of the NIVEA scent that I enjoy.

25) Swisspers Naturals Cucumber wipes (5 wipes) - I bought this on holiday after I ran out of the NIVEA.  There was nothing remarkable about these so I won't repurchase.

26) Garnier Clean Sensitive 2 in 1 Gentle Make-up Remover (200ml) - I bought this on sale at Priceline.  Not as effective as other waterproof makeup removers I've tried and for whatever reason I was always squeezing out far too much and flooding my cotton pads.  Will not repurchase.

27) Maybelline Makeup Remover Eye & Lip (70ml/2.4 fl. oz.) - Now this is one of my favourite drugstore makeup removers and it's a repeat purchase after the finishing the Garnier.

28) Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Cleansing Foam (30ml travel size) - Another miniature product in my holiday luggage.  I'd forgotten (and was happy to be reminded) how luxurious and velvety this foam cleanser feels. 

29) La Clinica Gly C Refine Facial Cleansing Wash Gel (200ml/7.4 fl.oz)* - Despite containing glycolic acid and Vitamin C this gel cleanser was gentle enough for everyday use and lasted for months. 

30) La Clinica Perfect Complexion Sunscreen Lotion SPF50 (75ml/2.63 fl.oz)* - Very high SPF without being greasy and can be used on the face and body. I have the backup ready!

31) La Clinica Gly C Refine Vitamin C Ultra Serum (30ml/1.05 fl.oz)* - This serum provides a very immediate "tightening" effect on the skin and demands an application of moisturiser afterwards.

32) Essano Rosehip Treat Your Skin Pack*  - I took this pack away on my holiday and really enjoyed using all the products.  I've since purchased full size versions of the body lotion and cleanser.  See here for my full review.

Hand and body care

33) Miller & Moore Moisturising Shea Butter Body Wash (150ml) - This was part of a gift pack I received from a friend. It smelt faintly like NIVEA and did a suitably gentle job of cleansing in the shower.

34) Mario Badescu A.H.A. Botanical Body Soap (236ml/8 oz.) - An exfoliating body wash gentle enough to use every day.  I will repurchase to keep my goosebumpy skin under control.

35) Aesop Geranium Leaf Body Cleanser (50ml/1.7 fl.oz) - One of my leftover souvenirs from the Tokyo Park Hyatt last year which came in handy for another trip! It's a very refreshingly green and mandarin scented gel body wash although I don't know if I'd actually fork out the big $$$ for a full sized bottle.

36) Palmer's Cocoa Butter Skin Therapy Oil Rosehip Fragrance (150ml/5.1 fl.oz)* - A quickly absorbed moisturizing oil with an almost dry oil feel. My only issue was the supposedly no mess bottle still ended up oily so I kept it in its box between uses.  See my full review here.

37) NAT.Body Hand Cream (100ml)* - My bedside hand cream.  A milky formula but surprisingly moisturising and kept the eczema under control on my hands. See my full review for this and the NAT.Body Cuticle Treatment Serum here.

38) NAT.Body Cuticle Treatment Serum (15ml)* - Very effective at moisturising my cuticles and the smallest pump dispensed enough oil to do the cuticles on both hands.

39) Love Soap Handwash With Organic Lavender & Meadowfoam (200ml) - This is formulated for children but I used it to wash my own sensitive skinned hands.  Very gentle and scented with lavender oil.  Will repurchase.

40) OPI Expert Touch Lacquer Remover (120ml/4 fl.oz) - A regular appearance in my beauty empties.

41) L'Occitane Arlesienne Velvet Hand Cream (30ml/1 oz) - This really did feel velvety textured on application and the rose, sweet violet and saffron scent is delightfully floral.

42) Crabtree & Evelyn Nantucket Briar Hand Therapy (25g/0.9 oz) - I'm yet to come across a scent I haven't enjoyed yet from Crabtree & Evelyn's hand therapy range.  

Hair care

43) Nak Blonde Plus Shampoo (1 litre/33.8 fl. oz) - I use purple toned shampoo to keep my hair from looking too warm or brassy.  This gigantic bottle lasted me many months and I quite frankly got bored with it!

44) RPR De-clorinate My Hair Shampoo (200ml/7.04 fl.oz) - I used this once a week to remove product buildup and refresh my hair.  It was effective but I'm loving the Moroccanoil version I'm using now a lot more so I won't repurchase.

45) John Frieda Sheer Blonde Highlight Activating Enhancing Conditioner (250ml/8.45 fl.oz) - A good drugstore conditioner although I honestly don't know if it enhanced the blonde in any way.

46) Original Mineral Maintain The Mane Shampoo (50ml/1.7 fl.oz travel size) - This is the same stuff my hairdresser uses so I bought the smaller sized bottles to take away on holiday and try before committing to the full size.  Yes it's good salon shampoo.

47) Original Mineral Maintain The Mane Conditioner (50ml/1.7 fl.oz travel size) - As above.

48) Original Mineral O & M Original Detox Shampoo (50ml/1.7 fl. oz travel size) - I used this deep cleansing shampoo to wash my hair after swimming pool sessions during our holiday.

49) & 50) Aesop Classic Shampoo & Conditioner (50ml/1.7 fl.oz) - Yet more travel souvenirs that came in handy.  Very nice and luxurious but I'd still think hard before buying the full size products because of the price.

51) Schwarzkopf Essence Ultime Crystal Shine Conditioner (50ml/1.7 fl.oz) - I bought this conditioner on holiday when I ran out of those I'd packed.  It was just okay and not particularly moisturising so I won't repurchase.

Cosmetics

52) Blinc Eye Shadow Primer (Light Tone)* - An excellent eye shadow primer which smooths and brightens the lids, and securely anchors eye shadow through anything.  See my original review here.

53) Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer (30ml) - I grew to really love this primer as the perfect everyday base which performed well under any foundation I applied.

54) Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer (01) - My favourite drugstore concealer.

55) Silkygirl Magic BB Powder Foundation (01 Ivory) - I bought this from a drugstore in Singapore a couple of years ago and it gives fantastic, long lasting coverage for a powder product. 

56) INIKA Mineral Mascara (Black)* - This was okay but not great.  It took multiple coats to get any reasonable volume and didn't dry down 100% so was prone to smudging.

57) The Body Shop Super Volume Mascara (Black) - Another okay mascara.  I didn't bond with the brush so I probably won't repurchase this either.

58) Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Liner (Perversion) - I usually love these liners but this one was a huge disappointment.  The pencil core disintegrated, became crumbly and fell out so I sharpened it down to nothing.

59) Essence Matte Effect Eye Shadow (Blockbuster) - I generally love Essence eye shadows but their mattes are their weaker performers. I persisted with this as a browbone shade for quite a while but finally decided enough was enough with this chalky shadow. 

60) Revlon Lip Gloss (Nude Lustre) - Sadly this formula has been discontinued.

61) Chanel Glossimer (83) - I love the pigmentation of these glosses. I'm pretty sure this particular shade has been discontinued though.

62) Tom Ford Lip Color (True Coral) - This was my first TF lipstick so it will hold a special little place in this makeup addict's heart.

63) Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer (Rhubarb) - A great drugstore lip balm that provides a good hit of shiny colour.

Fragrance

62) Jimmy Choo Blossom EDP (2ml/0.06 fl. oz sample)* - Very fizzy, fruity and fun!  Top notes:  citrus and red fruits, including raspberry;  mid notes:  sweet peas and roses;   base notes:  sandalwood and white musk.

63) Prada L'Eau Ambree EDP (10ml miniature) - The last little bottle of one of my favourite scents and I fell in love with it all over again.  The top notes are Cedrat Lemon, Mandarin and Neroli;  middle notes are Benzoin, May Rose and Gardenia; base notes are Amber blended with Patchouli, Vanilla and Opoponax.

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If you made it all the way to the end I applaud you for your tenacity!  

Until my next, considerably shorter post...

(Products marked * were provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)

Tag: Addicted to blush

I was tagged by my sweet Melbourne blogger friend Emma (aka emmabovarybeauty), and a self-proclaimed #blushfiend, to do the Addicted to Blush tag and the timing was ripe!  From a regular person with a meagre/normal collection of around 4 or so blushes when I started blogging in 2011, I now have in excess of 30 so I'd say that qualifies me as a blush addict, or to put it much more nicely, a #blushfiend! 

Now onto the questions and there are some toughies in there...

 

 

What colour blush suits you the most?

 (clockwise from top left:  theBalm - Hot Mama!, Tom Ford - Love Lust, Physicians Formula Happy Booster - Natural, Canmake - CL03, Face of Australia - Outback Nutmeg, Bloom Sheer Colour Cream - Coy, Smashbox Blush Rush - Chiffon , Revlon Photoready - Coral Reef)
 

I'd have to say any variation along the coral to peach spectrum because those shades add colour and warmth to my face and I don't look too dolly cheeked - and as you can see above I have no end of choices available in that colour family! I'll always gravitate to those colours first when I'm shopping for a new blush.  In spite of that...in my heart I would have loved to say bright pink because those blushes always look so pretty but in real life it just ain't happening baby!
 

 

Pressed/cream/loose blush?

Can I choose two out of the three options here?  I love pressed blush for the ease of application especially on bleary eyed mornings, when I'm getting ready for work before the sun comes up but then on the other hand I love cream blushes for how they give luminous life back to my sometimes flat and dull cheeks - cream blush gives me a very youthful dewy look.  If cream blush wasn't quite so fiddly I'd probably lean more towards the cream and I am collecting cream blushes more and more so once I have completely mastered the art of cream blush then you'll have to ask me again!

 

 

Favourite shimmery blush?

 (Left to right:  Physicians Formula Happy Booster - Natural, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush - Mood Exposure)

 

In terms of shimmery blush choices, after sitting around being admired more than used for the longest time Physician's Formula Happy Booster in Natural has recently become an almost daily favourite for adding that naturally peachy glow.  Also I have to mention the plummy Hourglass Mood Exposure for the cooler months as I'm picking it up again. 

 

Favourite matte blush?

 (Left to right:  Illamasqua Powder Blusher - Naked Rose, Laura Mercier - Fresh Peach)
 

Now this matte blush seems to be just about everyone's favourite but, honestly, the one I reach for most consistently is Illamasqua Naked Rose for just the lightest wash of dusty pink on my cheeks - and it literally does take the lightest pat of the brush into the pan to pick up enough colour. Just to add something different from everyone, Fresh Peach blush in my trusty old Laura Mercier Lingerie palette is also a favourite pat and go shade.

 

Favourite cream blush?

 (Left to right:  Bloom Sheer Colour Creams - Shy, Coy, Tint)
 

I'm going with my little trio of Bloom Sheer Colour Creams because they were my first cream blushes and they feel so emollient on the skin without being too slippery, providing just the right amount of colour for a natural glow - even that scary old pot of Tint on the right translates to a soft berry on the cheeks. Of course I have to single out one favourite from the trio of favourites and that has to be the peach toned (of course!) Coy seen below...

 

 

Favourite drugstore blush?

(Left to right:  NYX Mosaic Powder Blushers - Rosey, Plummy)

My NYX Mosaic blushes in Rosey and Plummy are my favourites because of their versatility and also for the ease of getting a multi-dimensional look just by swirling the brush around the pan.  After consistently using Plummy over the past few years I always knew I would have to buy more from the Mosaic range and Rosey hasn't disappointed either. 

 

Favourite high end blush?

(Tom Ford Cheek Color - 01 Love Lust)

 

Tom Ford's Love Lust is a favourite not just because it's from Tom 'freaking' Ford but because the colour is a beautifully wearable peach shot with a subtle golden glow.  I hoarded this for ages (because of the Tom 'freaking' Ford factor and being too pretty to use blah, blah...) but once I started wearing it I realised this really is a quality blush from the velvety texture to the flattering warm glow it gives me.  It's too pretty NOT to use!
 

 
 

Favourite bright blush?

 (Revlon Photoready - Coral Reef)
 

Hmmm...I like blushes which may look deceptively bright in the pan but translate more softly on the skin and Revlon's Photoready cream blush in Coral Reef does just that.  I like applying this one with my fingers to melt the colour into my skin.

 

Biggest blush disappointment/regret?

(MAC Powder Blush - Immortal Flower)
 

I feel terrible knocking a MAC blush (of all things!) but MAC Immortal Flower was a disappointment because it just does NOT show up on me! It's extremely pretty in the pan but even for the once blush-shy me this is not enough.  I don't know...maybe I should try it again in the depths of winter?

 

Best blush packaging?

 (YSL Flower Crush Palette - Rosy Blush)
 

I'll interpret that as meaning the most attractive packaging and for me it was definitely YSL's Flower Crush Palette Rosy Blush from the 2014 Spring collection - I mean, just look at it *sigh*.  Those of you who've known me long enough will know just how obsessed I was with getting my hands on it and I don't regret it for one second.  And, yes, I have used it!
 

 

What's on your blush wish list?

I have two picks on my wish list:  Stila's  Field of Florals Convertible Color palette (hopefully on its way to me) and any of Milani's Rose Powder blushes.

 

Number 1 Holy Grail blush?

Ooh that's a toughie and I'm not going to stick my neck out that far - I'm still looking for that one perfect blush!! Until then I guess I'll have to keep collecting ;-)

 

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Does anyone care to answer that last question?  What's your number 1 HG blush?

  

 

Hawaii Beauty Buys: The Luxury Edit

 

I've been very sporadic in my posting lately (if you follow on Twitter then you might know there have been some family health dramas taking up my time and energy) so this is another better late than never post from me.  I'm finally in the mood to get back on with the lighter, more fun side of my life and what better way for a beauty blogger to get happy than photographing lots of new makeup courtesy of a big overseas makeup haul!

I think I left the best of the vacation shopping posts until this last instalment - the best value for money perhaps? I don't know about that because I wasn't comparing the $$ but I do know I had a lot of fun buying all of these products which for the most part are not yet readily available in Australia - until Sephora opens it's doors in Sydney next month anyway! I actually did most of my beauty shopping in Sephora - Yeah baby!!! -  so let's start there! Now why on earth am I channelling Austin Powers?!?...

Sephora

• Urban Decay Naked2 Basics - I know the original Urban Decay Naked Basics palette was a bit of a love it or leave it item depending on how colour obsessed you are (I guess?), but being a bit of a neutral girl in my everyday life, I was in the love it category.  The cooler toned option of 2 was on my radar from the moment it was released so I bought this as a 'must have' item for my little UD collection. 
• Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion - I've used up a couple of sample sized tubes and found it did the job well enough so I basically threw this into my basket!

 

 

• NARS Audacious Lipstick (Grace) - Just look at that black minimalist packaging and of  course the now almost mandatory embossed bullet. After seeing all the buzz on Instagram a NARS Audacious lipstick was also on my wishlist to try because I'm all about high pigment lipstick.  I confess I don't own a NARS blush but now I do own a NARS lipstick! I chose Grace as it's a bright pink coral and very promising as a perfect shade for summer statement lips.

 

• Bite Beauty Luminous Crème Lipstick Duos (Vivid Violet/Palomino & Neutral Lychee/Musk) -  I've been a fan of the moisturising Luminous Lip Crème formula since buying my first (and only until now) Bite Beauty lipstick last year and these lip duos are a cutely portable, more affordable way of trying other shades from the range. I love how Sephora have all those irresistible little items lined up along the way to the counter for the last minute impulse buys - It's the beauty equivalent of the candy stand at the supermarket checkout!

 

 

• Give Me More Lip - Sephora Favorites - Oh my, I walked around and around this one because the idea of getting 17 new lip products in one hit felt pretty extravagant after all my discipline earlier this year.  Ah well, it's 17 sample sizes and a heap of them are products I'd not tried before but seen raves about (Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear lipstick, Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie lipstick are just two worth mentioning) so why not?  It's becoming pretty clear my beauty obsession is leaning a LOT more heavily towards lip colours these days, hmm?

 

• Stila Pretty Pick-Me-Ups lip & cheek set - Another on the way to the counter grab!  This little set contains two mini versions of popular Stila products that I didn't have:  the much obsessed about Peony Convertible Color Dual Lip & Cheek Cream and Guava Lip Glaze.  It's taken me a long time to 'get' cream cheek products but now that I do I'm in love with the healthy, youthful glow they give to my middle aged old cheeks and I can't get enough of them!

 

• Sephora Outrageous Prisma Chrome mono eye shadow pots - I found these two shades (Outrageous Metallic Grey and Outrageous Metallic Lilac) in the discount bin for $5 each and, being typically indecisive, bought them both! Since getting back from my trip I've read raves about these wet/dry metallic eye shadows so can't understand why they've been discontinued unless it's only these shades? 

 

And the samples...

After all that shopping I qualified for Sephora Beauty Insider signup so I received my free samples, mini Bare Minerals 5 in 1 cream eye shadow as a points perk and MUFE birthday gift on the spot. Not having regular access to Sephora made this a bit of a big deal for me so it makes me excited for when Sephora expands in Australia and...finally comes to Melbourne.  Hurry up, will you?

 

Neiman Marcus

 

 

I really should say this was the "Tom Ford beauty counter at Neiman Marcus" because that's what I zeroed in on and where I had an impromptu makeover while the SA wooed me with the above products - and the rest, hah! If there was one additional thing I should have bought at the time but didn't was the TF Eye Primer Duo. We decided to go for a hike up to Diamond Head Lookout later in the afternoon and while the rest of my face melted off in the sweaty heat my eye shadow was FLAWLESS! If only I'd had time to get back to that counter.  You know how it is, wise after the fact *sigh*.

So I ended adding these products to my Tom 'freaking' Ford collection:

• Tom Ford Lip Color (31 Twist of Fate) - This coral lipstick is from TF's Fall 2014 collection and given that we don't get many of the LE releases in Australia I didn't hesitate after trying it on at the counter. It's more subtle than TF's True Coral and looks equally put together yet in a low-key way.
• Tom Ford Ultra Shine Lip Gloss (07 Peach Absolut) - The SA used this as a complimentary topper for the lippy and...I don't have any TF glosses in my collection...and this looked perfect...so...yes.
• Tom Ford Concealing Pen (02 Light Medium) - Being the concealer addict I am I was all up for trying this newish release and it was on my luxe beauty wishlist so I can now check that one off! 

 

Macy's

Yes I found this at Macy's! The Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette has been around for some time and I'm a latecomer to exploring the brand per se so...I had that first sniff of the cocoa powder shadows, had a little swatch - these are velvety as opposed to buttery and well pigmented - and was convinced I had to buy me a palette!

After my first use I'm already impressed because the shades build and blend well, and with all of those complimentary colours I was able to create my own look very easily without too much deliberation.  There are three eye makeup looks included in the Chocolate Bar pamphlet but just looking at the palette I can see a multitude of looks in the making.  Lots of playing to be done with the Chocolate Bar and I can understand the raves it gets.

Well that's enough shopping for now perhaps?

If you'd like any more detailed reviews or swatches please let me know in the comments!