June Favourites

Once again I dropped off the face of the earth for the past week (I blame a combination of uni holidays and new video games) but I'm back with a June Favourites post. Can you believe that the year is already halfway gone? Can you believe I'm saying the same thing as I do every month? Apparently I'm still not understanding the concept of time. Anyway, I'm off up north for the next week, but I've written plenty of posts before I leave, so you won't be left hanging again!

The goods

First up is Benefit Hervana. The name of this makes me thinks of angels singing which is precisely what happens when this applied to my cheeks. This soft pink blush is a true god-send ;). If you are a pale girl, I think you may need this one in your life. Or just get it for the smell. Mmm so fruity!

Numero due is a very neglected eye shadow of mine from Bourjois called Beige 08. This is just your basic pale shimmery colour, very useful for highlighting and other random acts of shimmer. The formula is smooth and easy to work with. Love!

I have had this Z Palette filled with Inglot Eye shadows for agessss now but I have been using the matte brown shade in 357 like no one's business these past couple of months. It is a very neutral sort of matte brown, but wow does it make blue eyes pop. See the look in video form here!

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy is my current holy grail "my lips but better" lipstick. A sheer pinky/peachy wash of colour that just makes my lips look like nice lips! I wear this nearly every day right now, all of my other lipsticks have been left forgotten in their drawers. If you want to get something from the Chanel makeup line, I recommend you jump on this train.

Ooh la la

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy, Benefit Hervana, Bourjois 08, Inglot Eyeshadow in 357

A couple of months back at Priceline the cashier randomly gave me a Bourjois gift with purchase mascara, even though I was buying shampoo. It is called the Bourjois Volume Glamour Max Mascara. I decided to open it up and give it a go, and wow did it blow me away. I like three things in my mascara - 1. It cannot flake. 2. It needs to lengthen. 3. It needs to separate my lashes. And this did all three amazingly! I am so impressed with this mascara and I will probably repurchase it in the future :)

Amazing lashes!

If you like your bath products to smell like a delicious baked treat, you need to check out L'occitane Almond Shower Oil. This is probably the most luxurious feeling product that I own. This is what I imagine the queen or Oprah uses in their bathroom. It feels so beautiful and decadent and it make you smell like heaven. It'll be hard to go back now that I've tried this treat!

I have been looking for a good eye cream for what feels like years. I get really dry under eyes, and as you all know if you put concealer on dry under eyes, you're going to have a bad time. When Kit Cosmetics had a promotion to trade in an old beauty product for a free Origins Eye Cream, I jumped on the chance to try Plantscription, and I have been so so happy with the results. Using this twice a day has made creased concealer a thing of the past for me. I actually left this in my lounge room the other day and forgot where I put it so I reached for the Dermalogica one I had been using beforehand - big mistake! My under eyes felt so dry, and my concealer creased like a bitch! So yeah. This is some holy grail stuff. Will purchase forever!

I don't have any photographs of my non beauty favourites sadly but they can be summarized in the following three points:

• Game of Thrones is over for another year, kill me now because I can't wait a year for season 4.
• Animal Crossing on 3DS is probably the most addicting thing I have played since the Sims 2.
• I successfully baked french macarons. They had feet and everything. Masterchef right here!

What were your favourites this month?

Mishelle

Priceline Free Skincare Goodie Bag!

I'm sure that all Aussie beauty lovers would be aware by now that Priceline does these free goodie bag promotions several times a year now :) I got the makeup one earlier this year, and I couldn't resist grabbing the skincare one too when it was released this week.

As always to receive the bag you had to spend $60 on skincare products. I decided to pick up a couple of Dr Lewinns products. I have never tried Dr Lewinns before however they lovely Amy from Bottled Beauty said she'd been loving their products lately, and when I read the bottles the ingredients looked really impressive. I decided on the Reversederm Tri-Collagen Accelerating Serum and the 4 Fusion Cleansing Oil (sorry this doesn't appear to be on Priceline's website, so no link!). I have been looking to add a good serum into my skincare routine and I have never tried a cleansing oil before, so I can't wait to try these out!

Now onto the free goodies!

Dove Visible Beauty Body Lotion, Vaseline Dry Skin Lotion, Dr Lewinns Bio Care Oil, Beauty Essentials Sorbolene Cream and Dermalex Skin Treatment Cream

Biore Combination Skin Balancing Cleanser, Puretopia Whisk Away Creamy Cleanser, Nude by Nature's Super Anti-Oxidant Foaming Cleanser and Sanctuary Spa Body Scrub

Avene Thermale Spring Water, Palmers Daily Calming Facial Lotion, Aveeno Positively Radiant Eye Illuminator and Formula 10.0.6 Down to the Pore Strips

Swisspers Cucmber Facial Wipes, Sample of Palmers Evertone BB Cream in Light, Skinvitals Hydraflex Mask, Palmers Lip Balm Sunscreen Stick, Nivea Fruity Shine Strawberry Balm, Chapstick SPF 30 and Yes to Blueberries Cleansing Facial Towelettes Travel pack

The reason I love these bags so much is that you get full sized products for free. I think spending the money to get these bags when they come out is money better spent than sample subscription boxes. I also love the fact that all of these products could be used by most skin types! But that's just my opinion, I'd love to know what you guys think.

Will you be picking up this skincare goodie bag?

Mishelle

Project Pan Update #2

I have another update on how my project pan is going today!

I absolutely love the Palmer's Purifying Mask. It says that it draws out impurities, tightens and cools your skin, which I would say is exactly true. I always reach for this when my skin decides to break out, it really helps to get rid of pimples, as they tend to look a lot less inflamed after using this. Think of it as a pimple treatment that doesn't dry your skin out. I'm sad to have finished this one up, I will be repurchasing in the future when I have used up all of my other masks :)

Bioderma Crealine is the best makeup remover I have ever tried, hands down. It's a shame that they charge so much for it in Australia, as it is such an amazing product. I think I might try out the new Loreal Micellar Water next time, hopefully it is as good as this!

I was using the Garnier Body Summer Gradual Tanner constantly in summer and I just used up the last little bit this month. This is a great gradual self tanner for pale girls like me, it definitely made me about two shades darker, just enough. This smells like apricots too, yum!

I don't mind this Sally Hansen Nail Polish Remover, I just don't think it's as good as the Cutex one.

I have been using the Australis Fresh and Flawless Powder for ages now. It doesn't keep me as matte as Rimmel Stay Matte but it also looks less powdery too. I think this is still probably my favourite powder that I've tried so far.

I finished up two Sally Hansen Mega Shine Top Coat's, I love this stuff, it isn't as glossy as Seche Vite, but it does pretty well. I am still searching for my holy grail top coat!

I love this light shimmery blue, Loreal Color Riche French Riviera. It's a shame the bottle is so tiny as I used it up very quickly! I will probably repurchase this in the future :)

I have a big mini of Benefit Girl Meets Pearl, but I am trying to use up all of the samples I have laying around. This is a beautiful highlighter, I just have so many that I don't really get reach for this super often!

I was given a sample of this Glow by Dr Brandt Ruby Crystal Retinol Hydracreme as I interested in buying the full size. When I first put it on it made my face kinda red, but about 10 minutes later my skin felt and looked amazing. I'm still not sure if I will get the full size!

There are several other skincare products I am getting though using up, but I have made no headway when it comes to makeup sadly :( makeup takes forever to use up! I am getting there with a few foundations but there is no way I could ever finish up even one blush. I have bought a few new nail polishes since I updated with you last but still no makeup.

All in all this project has been a success so far in really curbing my spending but it's taking a really long time to use things up!

Have you ever used up a piece of colour makeup (eye shadows/blush etc) up?

Mishelle

Winter Wishlist

1. Louis Vuitton Monogram Map Scarf - I saw one of scarves recently and the beauty of the design completely captivated me. I'm thinking of saving up or asking for this for Christmas. Love.

2. Nars Train Bleu - One of the loveliest vamp lipsticks I have seen. Now that I discovered HqHair's free shipping getting Nars is a lot cheaper thank goodness! Here is the image that convinced me I need this.

3. Chanel Moon River Eye Shadow Stylo - I saw a review of this on Daria's blog, it looks amazing with her blue eyes. Sadly it appears to be sold out on Nordstrom :(

4. Caudelie Beauty Elixir - I have heard so many good things about this product. You can use it as a toner and a makeup refresher I believe, and to be honest I want to see what all the hype is about. I don't want to break my spending ban but Escentual are having a sale. What to do?!?

5. Ren Glycolactic Mask - I am currently on a huge face mask kick and people won't stop talking about these Ren masks. This one is chemical exfoliant based. Count me in!

6. Ren Clarifying Clay Cleanser - This one was recommended to me by a makeup artist from Mecca. She says that it has worked wonders for her skin so it's on my list to try!

7. Michael Korrs Blair Watch - I have a silver watch, bracelet and bangle combo that I wear every single day. I am feeling that I need to invest in a gold watch for days where I have gold hardware on my outfit. This one looks so lovely.

8. Mac Lipstick in Angel - I apparently don't already own enough neutral pink lipsticks :P

9. ASOS Spiked Headband - I love spiked headbands but hard or metal headbands hurt my head :( this soft one fixes that problem for me :D

10. Boohoo Studded Toe Flats - The spike obsession continues! These shoes are too cute.

11. GHD IV Styler - My hair straightener died recently and I think I want to replace it with a GHD. GHD's in Australia are ridiculously overpriced. I can't believe that I can get one online for $150 when at my local salon they are charging $250. I think I will just buy one from the UK and use a UK plug converter.

12. ASOS Chain Wrap Necklace - A lot of people have been wearing these necklaces lately and I love them. Chunky chains look good with everything, and this one is a good price!

What is your favourite brand of hair straightener? Do you think I should go with GHD?

Mishelle

My Velvetine

I have been aware of the brand Lime Crime for ages now, ever since I saw a girl rocking neon blue lipstick at a party many moons ago. Whilst she was very lovely, I kind of put Lime Crime in the "no go" box, and the rumours that surfaced about the creator of the brand made it stay there for a long time. However, since they launched a lip product called "Velvetines" a while back, I had heard nothing but praise for the formula. When I happened upon them in store, I couldn't resist.

The Velvetines are a liquid lipstick that dries to a matte formula. They only come in two shades at the moment, I went one named Suedeberry. Suedeberry, contrary to it's name is a bright orange based red. I would like to start out by saying the packaging of this is beautiful, and well thought out. I love everything from the frosted glass of the tube to the metallic lid topped with a unicorn, which I believe is one of the main motifs of the brand.

Unicorn on the lid!

The formula of this is wonderful. It applies with a doe foot applicator and dries to a matte finish. These also wear very well, I do find that I need a touch up after eating but otherwise I noticed very little fading throughout the day. The matte finish is a little drying, but it is only comparable to other mattes lipsticks I have tried.

A bit of advice on application - the first time I wore this I applied one layer, let it dry and then applied a second. This resulted in the product cracking on my lips. The way it has worked best for me is to apply one layer, and quickly touch up any uneven spots before the product dries. It generally applies very opaquely, I'm just a bit useless when it comes to getting things perfect the first time.

The only complaint I do have about this product is the smell. It smells sickly sweet, which personally makes me gag. Luckily the smell fades as quickly as the product dries, in under a minute.

It does look like velvet :)

If you love a matte lip, I would recommend giving these a go. I really like this product and I have been rocking it a lot lately. I also thought the price was quite reasonable, I picked this up for $22.

What are your thoughts on this brand?

Mishelle

Come-Along-Pinks

I have been so busy lately that it has actually gotten to the point where I am running out the door each morning and applying my lipstick on the bus. Due to this I have managed to accumulate an unnecessary number of lip products in my makeup bag - all of them pink and sheer. So if you are looking for some easy to wear lip colours, read onward! 

The stash

First up we have the Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfecter in Rose Shimmer. These are the perfect cross between a gloss and a balm. They make your lips feel well moisturised and glossy for quite a long time after application, which is more than I can say for some lip balms. Rose Shimmer is a milky pink, but to be honest it doesn't give much of a tint. If you don't usually like lipgloss, I think you'd like this.

Next we have a Mirenesse Lipgloss in some sort of coral colour. I got these lipglosses forever ago, and the packaging has since worn off. These are super opaque and long lasting for a lipgloss. They smell amazing too, like fake cookies and cream.

I received this Carmex Moisture Plus Balm in Sheer Pink in a Bellabox some time ago, and it's probably the most used product I ever got from them. For a lipbalm it definitely imparts a decent amount of colour on my lips. I guess it smells kinda of menthol-ish? Either way, an amazing handbag product.

I don't think I can say anything that hasn't already been said about the Revlon Lip Butters. Let me just say, yes I agree they are great every day products, sheer and easy to apply. Peach Parfait is a peach with golden glitters and Pink truffle is a plummy brown.

Essence All About Cupcake was given to me by Jen and it is such a nice lipstick for such a good price. It smells kinda fruity and has great opaque coverage on the lips. I don't feel guilty about carrying this around either as if I lose it it won't hurt my wallet very much!

Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfecter in Rose Shimmer

Mirenesse Lipgloss in ???

Carmex Moisture Plus Pink Tint

Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait

Revlon Lip Butter Pink Truffle

Essence Lipstick All About Cupcake

I also wanted to give a special mention to Chanel Rogue Coco Shine in Boy - which has already been reduced to a nub due to overuse. It is currently missing in action! :( I hope I haven't lost it. Especially considering how much it cost :(

Oh and the bag is by Fossil!

What lip products do you keep in your purse?

Mishelle

Furless Brushes

Today I am finally getting the chance to talk about Furless Brushes. I'm sorry that this review has been a long time coming!

I will start off by letting you know a little bit about the brushes. Furless are an Australian Vegan brush company, which means that their brushes are synthetic. The handles are a beautiful navy blue with a golden ferrule. These brushes are extremely soft while still being dense enough to apply and blend the products with ease. I purchased a brush set called the Must Have Pro Set which contains 20 brushes. Shall we dive in?

Let's start off with eye brushes. 

Pro7E - This is a large domed blending brush. This brush is perfect for going into the crease and blending your whole eye shadow look out. I reach for this almost every day for this purpose. I have also used it for contouring my nose!

Pro8E - This one is your basic flat shader brush. It is on the larger side of flat shaders I have tried, however it is great to pack on those lighter colours all over the lid. If this was a bit smaller it would be perfect for me personally.

Pro4E - This one is a smaller, angled version of the Pro8E. The angle is very useful for applying eye shadow in the crease. I like the overall size of this more than the Pro8E and I tend to use it more often.

Pro2E - This one is a flatter blending brush. I'm not going to lie, I don't use this brush a whole lot. When it comes to blending I just prefer my blending brushes to be a little bigger and more domed.

Pro3M - This round ended pencil brush has captured my heart, truly. I have never had a brush like this before and now I can't live without it. It's dense, domed shape is the easiest way I have ever found to apply eye shadow to the crease. If you like to smoke it up you need this one. I absolutely love it!

Pro3M, Pro2E, Pro4E, Pro8E and Pro7E

Next we have some precision brushes.

Pro6E - This is a bent eyeliner brush. These type of brushes are designed to make it easier to apply your eye liner, personally I find little difference between this and a regular eyeliner brush. If anything I think this design is just not for me.

Pro2M - This is a multi purpose precision brush. I love these kinds of brushes when I am creating a precise eyeshadow look, it is especially helpful for small placements of colour. You could also use this as a lip brush or for precise concealer application :)

Pro6M - This one is a tiny pencil brush. This brush is the best brush for using eye shadow as eyeliner. I use this to push eye shadow very close to both my upper and lower lashlines. I haven't had a brush like this before and I use it all the time now.

Pro7M - This angled eye liner brush is a must have in everyone's collection. I have 3 of these from different companies and I use them all for the same thing - filling in my eyebrows. The smaller size of this brush is very useful for a more precise look.

Pro1L - This one is your basic lip brush. Nice and dense so it picks up a lot of product.

Pro1L, Pro7M, Pro6M, Pro2M and Pro6E

Next up we have the lash and brow groomer and 2 concealer brushes.

Pro1E - Is it bad that I didn't own one of these before I got this kit? I have no idea why not! This super  useful to both comb out your brows and to de-clump your lashes after a mascara mishap.

Pro4M - This flat concealer brush is amazing for spot concealing. It is also great to get into hard to get to areas on the face, like around the nose.

Pro1M - This domed ended concealer brush is one of my very favourites from this kit. I use this to blend out concealer under my eyes and it performs the job flawlessly. So much love for this brush, I am thinking about getting another one individually just to have a backup.

Pro1M, Pro4M and Pro1E

Next up we have blush brushes and a powder brush

Pro2F - This pointed contour brush is amazing for applying pigmented blushes. The reason I use it for that is because it is kinda fluffy at the end and dense at the base, so it picks up just enough product and then blends it out effectively.

Pro5F - This one is an angled contour brush. I use this one for everything from cream blush to powder bronzer. This is very similar in application to the Pro2F except it has an angle.

Pro3F - This is a massive powder brush. Extremely soft, but not super dense. As it is so large, I don't find it super great for buffing powder into the skin, it's better for a light dusting of powder.

Pro3F, Pro5F and Pro2F

Now we have some foundation and stippling brushes.

Pro1F - This is a traditional angled foundation brush. When I have used these kinds of brushes in the past I have hated them, but oh my this one is amazing. This blends foundation like no other. If you want a full coverage application of foundation you need this brush. Love love love.

Pro4F - This is a flat top foundation brush. Holy moly, this brush is amazing. If you want a flawless foundation application you need this brush in your life. Between this and the Pro1F I am pretty much set for life. It creates such a flawless finish. Love.

Pro6F - This stippling brush is beautiful for cream blush. I frequently use it to apply and blend out cream blush. It is less dense that the Pro4F so I don't think I would really use it for foundation. 

Pro6F, Pro4F and Pro1F

Lastly we have a fan brush

Pro5M - This is a fan brush. I have never had a fan brush before, but it is really nice for applying highlighter. It is quite dense for a fan brush to it doesn't apply product super lightly, which I thought might be better for a fan brush? This one isn't a favourite to be honest.

Pro5M

Now you can purchase these as a set or you also have the option of purchasing them individually. If you already have a LOT of brushes you may chose to pick up a couple of these individually. My top 6 brushes are the Pro4M flat top foundation brush, the Pro1F angled foundation brush, the Pro1M domed concealer brush, the Pro4E angled eye shadow shader brush, the Pro3M blunt pencil brush and the Pro6M small pointed pencil brush.

These are amazing brushes. I feel after purchasing this kit I have no desire to spend money on more brushes. I was tossing up between getting this set or a set from Sigma but to be honest I am so glad I went with Furless, as I have had not so much as a single hair shed from these babies. I love that they are an Australian company. If you can get your hands on them, do it. You will not regret it. The Must Have Professional Brush Kit retails for $149.95

If you want to get your hands on there you can find their website here.

What is your favourite makeup brush brand?

Mishelle

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