Summer lippy selections! [Cruelty Free]

Quick - before the season's over here's my summer lip post!

Now, I haven't been following the S/S 2016 trends all that closely but for me personally this summer has been all about the extremes when it comes to lip colours.  I'm either choosing soft and sheer washes of colour or crazy bright lips - oh, okay there has been the occasional nude lip thrown in but not enough to warrant more than a passing mention! It's all about colour for me, so I've been favouring pinks, mauves and corals.

I'm really enjoying the bright lip, defined brow combination for an easy pulled together look whether it's been for work or an occasion, whereas a sheer lip with just a hint of colour has been the perfect pick-me-up for a 'rush out the door' situation  - you know, when the weather's just too hot or humid for me to bother with much more yet I don't want to be completely barefaced. 

So here's my little lippy wardrobe sharing my recent favourites. They're all unabashedly pretty, optimistic 'summer fun in the sun', and not too be taken too seriously shades - and all bunny friendly too of course!

Going in order from left to right (or gloss to matte) these are:

• The Body Shop Flavoured Lip Gloss (Watermelon) - The flavour/scent reminds me more of honeydew melon actually but that's beside the point.  I like wearing this alone for that hint of watermelon pink colour with a lot of juicy shine.  Summer's just got to be the best time to wear a juicy gloss!  The handy tube makes it one of those pop in the pocket and go lip options, and this gloss is also a great moisturising formula. 

• Essence Sheer & Shine Lipstick (11 All About Cupcake) - I look at the new Sheer & Shine range more as tinted balms than lipsticks and they're perfect for a low key lip. I've been enjoying two shades as they've got just the right depth of tone to add a bit of flush to my lips rather than washing them out. Don't be fooled by the vibrant looking lipstick bullet above because All About Cupcake is a very sheer and natural coral pink on the lips. 

• Essence Sheer & Shine Lipstick (07 Sparkling Miracle) - The bullet looks like a deep blue toned mauve but again it swipes over the lips with a sheer wash of flattering pinky mauve and I like having the cooler alternative to All About Cupcake.  

• Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick (Rosé) - This warm pink lipstick is a longtime favourite for spring/summer and I reach for it whenever I want a bright but warm pink lip.  It's just the right balance of playful yet grownup enough for me to get away with at the office too. 

• Too Faced Melted Lipstick (Melted Fuchsia) - Melted Fuchsia is a knockout punch, vibrant blue toned pink but I love it.  It instantly brightens up my face and I really don't need to do much else to look like I've made an effort.  It's more of a playful weekend choice for sure - the slight candy scent adds to the fun - and deserves to be seen during the day!

• Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick (Muse) - This is a bright coral but the most sophisticated choice of the bunch because of its matte finish.  I feel slightly retro in this lipstick and it's great paired with a groomed brow for a polished summer face.

Here are all the lippies swatched in the summer sun (of course!) in reverse order from above:

Muse, Melted Fuchsia, Rosé, Sparkling Miracle, All About Cupcake, Watermelon

I obviously like my corals and pinks!

What lip colours or finishes do you favour in summer?



(All products purchased by me.)

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.)

Repurchased.

I enjoy reading monthly/seasonal beauty favourites posts - I really love them! I've even considered getting my act together and posting my own monthly favourites. But then - I started pondering about what are my perennial - you know, recurring - favourites? In my fickle existence as a beauty consumer and blogger what are the things I loved enough to repurchase? Monthly favourites will come and go as the seasons change I guess but what are the makeup items I felt drawn to come back to?

So...I wrote a list of those things.  It's not a very long list and I'm not surprised at all, because as I just said, I am FICKLE.  And here they are laid out in that deliberately 'nonchalantly' messy manner in the picture below.  These are the things I've repurchased.  Now I'll share why - for me - each of these are worth going back for seconds (or thirds, or fourths?!) ...

Clockwise from the top:

• MAC Satin Lipstick (Rebel) - Rebel is the only MAC lipstick I've ever repurchased and it's all about that amazing vibrant pink-plum colour which inevitably pops up as a winter staple in my lipstick wardrobe - when I'm not reaching for a deep red that is!  As everyone will tell you, this looks a heck of a lot more scary in the tube than it does on the lips. Actually I don't find it scary on the lips at all because the bright pink undertone keeps this from being a complexion draining colour and it gives life to my pale face in winter. It's one of those shades I'll leave alone for a few months but every time I "rediscover" it, it's not for a one-off wear because I end up wearing it for several consecutive days afterwards! While it's not scary it does make for a statement lip, so if you're a little nervous about this one it also applies beautifully when blotted on the lips, for a flattering berry stain.

• Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer - When I first starting using this I liked it...but then I grew to love it because it seems to work under everything! This primer glides across the skin and I only need half a pump to get enough to work the T-zone or a full pump to prime the whole face.  It tones down the redness, provides a silky base for my makeup and eliminates any dry patches, especially in winter.  It's a luxury product but I managed to make my first bottle last a year so I think I can budget for it.

• Wet 'n' Wild Color Icon Trio (Walking On Eggshells) - I remember working so concertedly to finish my original trio during my 'Beauty Diet' last year and it was then I realized just how versatile this little palette was.  Walking On Eggshells is a very wearable warm trio of colours that all worked just as easily as standalones as they did worn together in different combinations. Besides that, the silky, shimmery (not frosty) finish on the shades is also something that I have a real weakness for - be reassured that I don't take the shimmer onto the brow bone though! These shades don't crease at all either and yes, they blend like no one's business.  I can't fault this at all and being a drugstore product it's a steal too, even at the higher price in Australia!

• Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer - I know that I've repurchased this product more than a few times!  Even after straying to other similar products I've returned because this pen does it all for me: brightens, conceals and highlights at a fraction of the price I used to pay for my YSL Touche Eclat I was obssessed with years ago, and to be honest this little pen gives much better coverage.

• Revlon Just Kissable Balm Stain (Honey) - I haven't quite finished my first crayon but I already have the backup waiting in the wings, and it's all about the colour again with this product.  Whereas MAC Rebel is a statement colour, Honey is the most easy and versatile colour for my lips and it seems to go with absolutely everything from bare to smokey eye looks so I have it lounging around in my bag ready for whenever it's needed. If a lip colour has to go everywhere with me I know it's a good one and a solid favourite!

Now for some nonchalant swatches of the eye and lip colours. From left to right:

Walking On Eggshells, Honey, Rebel

What makeup items have you repurchased?  Please share!

Until next time...

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?

  

 

October's farewelled products

Yes I'm late again and I'm mildly freaking out because as I write my October empties post my bag's already filling up with NOVEMBER empties! No more time to waste then - let's get into it!

 

 

Skin care

 

107) Olay Fresh Effects Refreshing Make-up Removal Cloths (20 cloths) - I think these were my only skin care purchase overseas, because makeup wipes were the only thing I ran out of!  I liked the fresh scent and they did a reasonable job of removing light makeup at the end of a long day.  I've no need to either rant or rave about them and I'll stop right here because the Fresh Effects wipes aren't available in Australia.

 

108) Maybelline Makeup Remover Eye & Lip (70ml/2.4 fl. oz.) - I bought this again for travel because it's the smallest bottle out there.  It does a good enough job for a drugstore makeup remover (gentle but effective on waterproof makeup, blah, blah, blah...) so I'm sure I'll buy some more in future.



 

 

109) La Clinica White Brilliant Intensive Correction Hydrating Night Cream (10ml/0.35 fl.oz)* - I found a sample tube in my drawer to finish up.  See last month's post for my thoughts on this.

 

110) La Clinica Gly C Refine Microdermabrasion Facial Scrub (100ml/3.52 fl.oz)* -  I'm a fan of this facial exfoliant and I'm onto a second tube because it smoothes my skin without any irritation.  See my full review here.

 

111) Hourglass No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil - A luxury indulgence I spent my birthday $$$ on last year and I made it stretch for months because I used it as an occasional overnight lip treatment.  It was superbly effective as a lip moisturiser although I don't know whether it is quite as effective an anti-aging product as it claims (perhaps because I didn't use it night after night).  Still, I'd probably buy this again as a luxury treat because I'm not over my love affair with all things Hourglass!

 

 

Hand and body care

 

112) Palmer's Cocoa Butter Moisturizing Body Wash (400ml/13.5 fl.oz)* - For those of you who are chocolate freaks like me you might appreciate the fact this smells like you're washing yourself in hot chocolate - if you're not then, well, you get what I'm saying.  This was fabulously creamy and foamy and I loved using it particularly in the depths of winter.

 

113) ECO. Body Women's Personal Body Wash (100ml)* -  I used this fresh herbal scented, antibacterial body wash as a post workout pick me up.  See here for my full review.


 

 

114) Dirty Works Supreme Cream Body Butter (300ml)* -  If I didn't have the massive stash of body butters that currently lurk in my bathroom cupboard I'd buy another tub of this tomorrow because I was hooked on the salty sea air scent and the tub lasted for ages - of course it did a decent job of moisturising too.  This is a summer holiday in a tub of body butter I tell you!  Read my full review here.

 

115) Natio AUM Purifying Body Scrub (150ml/5.1 fl.oz) - Usually I love everything from Natio but this product was equal parts enjoyable and frustrating.  The creamy formula was one of the most moisturising body exfoliants I've tried but the irregular shaped granules were impossible to squeeze out of the tube.  I had to twist off the base just about every time - that 'convenient' flip top lid was just for show! It was too annoying for me and I'll probably stay away for that reason alone.

116) Nivea Rich Nourishing Body Lotion (75ml travel size) -  I'm pretty sure this is the last of my travel empties! I enjoy that age old Nivea scent but this lotion took a lot of rubbing in before the milky film disappeared into the skin.  Maybe I'm just getting too impatient but I want that happy balance of a rich moisturiser that absorbs quickly and this one wasn't quite quick enough for me.


 

 

117) Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners Hand Therapy (25g/0.9.oz) - This is yet another wonderfully rich hand cream from my C & E stash.  Silky and easily absorbed.

 

118) OPI Expert Touch Lacquer Remover (30ml/1 fl.oz) - I bought this mini bottle when I couldn't find the full sized version at the store.  At the risk of repeating myself like a sound loop, this formula is my favourite from the OPI range.

 

119) L'Occitane Pivoine Flora Hand Cream (30ml/1oz) - This hand cream was heavier on fragrance but lighter on moisture, with a more watery texture than I've come to expect from L'Occitane.  I found it okay - and it would be perfectly fine for normal skin - but my dry hands need a richer formula for more lasting hydration.

Okay...Now I'm ready to take on that Sephora haul post!

 

 

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

 





Beauty wishlist shopping and first impressions

I haven't done a beauty shopping post in aaaaages! AAAAAGES!!!
 

Haul posts are few and far between for me this year because of my beauty diet (my "2 makeup items out for every new item in" thing) and while this looks like one big haul it's all of my collective shopping efforts over the last few months.  These are items I've been selectively shopping for from my beauty wishlist as rewards for sticking to my beauty diet - PLUS two birthday gifts thrown in.  My sneaky husband checked out my wishlist didn't he!

 

So this is quick run through of the wishlist items I ticked off my list and some first impressions.  Me being me, I've organised products by category.  Lordy, I do like to sort things...

Face

I bought these two Hourglass items on separate shopping expeditions:

 Veil Mineral Primer had been on my wishlist from the beginning and I actually ended up buying this out of genuine need (I know, that sounds ridiculous doesn't it for a beauty blogger/hoarder!) because I didn't - did NOT - have a backup primer in my collection.  So yes, I've been straight into this bottle from the moment I bought it and so far it's not too bad.  I'm finding this performs differently under different bases and, sure it reduces redness, provides a smooth base for makeup so there's no dry patches and holds everything there for the day, but I don't find it consistently controls shine the way I expected it to.  It's a good but not HG primer so I can see myself researching the subject of primers again once I finish the bottle.  Don't get me wrong here - I really do like it, I just don't hands down loooove it the way I'd expected to. I don't know, maybe my expectations are too high because of the price ($79AUD) or because I'm still a primer newbie.  I'll let you know if I change my mind about this of course!

My Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure is my most recent buy and a recent addition to my wishlist too.  I'd fallen in love with these at first sight on social media, then heard they were overhyped, then decided I did want a glowy blush after all so onto the wishlist they went! I was always thinking I was going to go for one of the brighter shades like Radiant Magenta but swatching instore and my autumn/winter state of mind convinced me that Mood Exposure may not look inviting in the pan...

 

...but it's really something else on the skin.  This apparently brown swirl translates to a very natural looking glowing autumn plum on the skin and perfect for the colder months.  The warmth of this shade works with my yellow undertones and doesn't make me look bruised as cooler plum shades can. 

 

 Eyes

My husband surprised me with the tube of Chanel Le Volume De Chanel mascara as one of my birthday gifts!  I was intrigued by the hype around this mascara - I normally avoid spending $$$ on mascara because of the shelf-life - but after using this a few times I do get what the fuss is about.  I love the soft, rubbery brush, the creamy formula, the instant volume and the softness of my lashes. 

I developed an obsession with cobalt eyeliner a few months ago and after a bit of research and some swatching Lancôme Artliner 24H in the vibrant shade Sapphire went straight to the top of my wishlist.  The colour is a true vibrant cobalt blue to satiate my obsession and it glides on with the precision felt tip and the waterproof formula stays on ALL DAY through all activities.  There are so many other gorgeous and unusual shades in this line that I wouldn't mind buying at some stage - if I can convince myself that I am proficient at using liquid eyeliner.  I'm not bad but I still can't excel at the winged flick! Hmmph.

Lips 

 

These two lip colours look like they were always meant to be together.  It's just one of those wonderful coincidences:

Tom Ford Lip Color in Pink Dusk was another birthday present from my thoughtful man.  I'm a little surprised by how nude this is and not pink at all in my book but I do like how it looks on me as it doesn't wash me out like some beige nudes can.  It's that wonderful TF creamy lipstick formula that I love so much too so of course I'm happy with that! I can never have too many of these lipsticks. Really.

I was originally after one of Ellis Faas' Hot Lips wands but treated myself to Glazed Lips (L308) instead because of the flattering nude sheen.  I've worn this a few times now (yes over TF Pink Dusk too) and while I obviously like the colour and shine I don't know that I necessarily love the twist up mechanism and the brush tip dispenser - I still end up twisting just that little bit too much so it ends up flooding the brush and making for a potential mess.  I need to play a bit more with this product I think.


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So that's everything I've shopped for since April! My latest temptation is Guerlain's Terracotta Sun Celebration Bronzing Powder and Blush 30th Anniversary Edition if I can empty two more makeup items in time.  I may have even missed this already!

If you want to see a detailed review and swatches of any of the items featured here please let me know in the comments.  I've avoided it here because it would have ended up a very longwinded post.  This was supposed to be a quick run through but you know how it happens...

 



My 2014 luxe beauty wishlist!

Hi again!

 

As you'll very likely know by now I'm on a self-imposed beauty diet this year, and the reward for every two makeup items I finish will be the purchase of one luxury or high end makeup item from my wishlist.  The purpose is to stop my makeup collection from increasing further, largely by preventing impulse buying by sticking to my wishlist. 

 

Now for the fun part:  the wishlist! I took my time poring over 'best of beauty' posts, watching high end makeup YouTube videos, and going back over my own mental wishlist of things I've been curious to try or favourites I simply want more of, trying to cover every possible type of makeup item I could possibly (and impossibly?) want to buy over the next 9 months or so (until I head overseas again).  As you can see from my collage above, the list is long, but that's because it covers everything and even offers multiple choices in products such as lipsticks and blush - I'm trying to anticipate here!  I've listed them below by category:

 

Base products

• By Terry - Touche Veloutee Enlightening Concealer Brush
• Dior - Diorskin Nude BB cream 
• Guerlain - Meteorites 
• Hourglass - Veil Mineral Primer SPF 15 
• Kevyn Aucoin - The Sensual Skin Enhancer 
• Kevyn Aucoin - The Celestial Powder 
• Laura Mercier - Loose Setting Powder

Cheeks

• By Terry - Blush Terrybly
• Dior - Rosy Glow Healthy Glow Awakening Blush
• Guerlain - Terracotta Bronzing Powder
• Hourglass - Ambient Lighting Blush
• Kevyn Aucoin - The Sculpting Powder
• NARS - Powder blush
• YSL - Rosy Blush Collector Face Palette (Spring 2014 collection)

Eyes

• Chanel - Illusion D'Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow
• Chanel - Le Volume De Chanel Mascara
• Lancôme - Artliner Sapphire or Amethyst
• YSL - Pivoine Crush Ombrés 5 Lumières Eye Palette (Spring 2014 collection)  

Lips

• Chanel - Glossimer
• Ellis Faas - Hot Lips Lipstick
• NARS - Schiap Semi Matte Lipstick
• Tom Ford - Pink Dusk Lip Color

Now it's time to get my act together and focus on using up my first two products! Just in case you're interested in those, the products on my must finish hit list are (in no specific order):

 

MAC Lipglass - Viva Glam VI

MAC Lipglass - Sizzlepeach

MAC Lipglass - Zazoom

Models Prefer Ultra Lip Gloss Pencil - Perfectly Polished

MAC mono eyeshadows - Vex and Shale

Maybelline - Age Rewind Concealer

L'Oreal Bare Naturale Blush

MAC Powerpoint Eye Pencil - Bordeauxline

Bloom - Eyeshadow Base

Estee Lauder - Crystal Cherry Lipstick

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick - Temptation

Tom Ford Lip Color - True Coral

Wet n Wild Eyeshadow trio - Walking on Eggshells

Bourjois - Volume Glamour Ultra Curl Mascara

Lancôme - Hypnose Doll Eyes Waterproof Mascara

 

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What's on your beauty wishlist this year?