Face of the Day: Soft Winged Liner

I finally got around to playing with my Stila in the Light Palette that I purchased in Melbourne. I have become particularly fond of the formulation of their Smudge Stick Eyeliners, and the inclusion of Damsel, a dark matte brown has had me putting down the black eye liner in favour of this softer shade.

In formulation of the Smudge Stick is very workable for a minute or so after application, so I've been taking an angled liner brush and diffusing it out into a soft winged shape. I then took the colour Luster on a detail brush and blended it over the top, to both set the liner and create a seamless finish.

Face: Garnier BB Cream in Light, Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer in Brightener, Essence Fix and Matte Translucent Loose Powder, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light, Prestige Sunbaked Mineral Bronzing Powder in Pure Shimmer, Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flushed Blush.

Eyes: MAC Painterly Paint Pot, Stila in the Light Eye Shadow Palette - Bare, Kitten, Bliss and Luster, Stila Smudge Stick in Damsel, Dior Diorshow Iconic Extreme Mascara, Australis Tint my Brow in Blonde.

Lips: MAC Lipstick in Angel.

I think the Stila Smudge Sticks are my favourite pencil eye liners that I've tried. They are quite similar to the Rimmel Scandaleyes ones I have tried, but there is something special about the colour selection that Stila has in their range. I want to collect them all!

What is your favourite eye liner? Pencil, gel, brands? I'd love to know.

Mishelle

theBalm Bahama Mama Bronzer

I do believe myself to be a woman of simple needs. All I truly need to be happy is a little bit of sun, surf and sand. Given that I grew up the beach, I do love the aesthetic of bronzed glowing skin, and my bronzer of choice for the past six months has been the Balm's Bahama Mama.

Bahama Mama is quite dark and cool toned in the pan, and the colour applies very pigmented. However my method of application involves only a light touch of the pan using a fluffy angled brush that blends the colour flawlessly on my face. The reason this method works so well is that this powder blends so flawlessly into the skin. As the finish is matte, I use this as both a bronzer and a contour shade, and it works very well for both purposes.

Bahama Mama

(Please excuse the eczema on my neck)

I love this bronzer. The application of this powder and it's ability to seamlessly blend into my skin makes it an absolute delight to wear. The colour lasts all day on my skin and it would be suitable for a lot of skin tones, from very light (like me!) to medium-dark. I have worn it at least 4 times a week for 6 months and there isn't a visible dent in the powder so I'd say this is going to last me a very long time! I continue to be impressed by the quality of the Balm's products.

Do you like to wear bronzer? What is your favourite product from the Balm?

Mishelle

Burberry Eye Shadows in Pale Barley and Rosewood

Y'all honestly have no idea how much I enjoy a good eye shadow. One of my most coveted beauty purchases in my makeup history was two Burberry Eye Shadows in Pale Barley and Rosewood. You are going to have to forgive my inability to make words in this review because I can't even with these eye shadows. They are perfection.

The gunmetal packaging, embossed with the signature Burberry check is a piece of art in itself. The luxurious quality doesn't stop at just the packaging though, as the formulation of these shadows is exceptionally soft and pigmented. The application of these is flawless, they blend seamlessly onto the eye in a beautiful, natural way that does complete justice to the Burberry aesthetic.

Pale Barley and Rosewood

Burberry Rosewood

Burberry Pale Barley

With the addition of these two eye shadows to my collection I find myself strangely satisfied with my eye shadow collection. The quality of the Burberry shadows is unmatched among those I've tried (except perhaps for my Tom Ford Quad, but that another review coming). If you love eye shadow, these are the cream of the crop. Get your hands on some, you won't regret it!

Have you tried any Burberry Beauty products? What is on your wish list from the brand?

Mishelle

Stairway to Skincare

After a lot of experimentation, trial and error I have something exciting to say! I am finally happy with my skincare routine. Over the past two years I have tried a plethora of different skincare products, and let me tell you it has been a rough and spotty road. But these past few months my skin has been the best it's ever been and I am so happy for it.

Back Row: Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Toner, YSL Manifeso Perfume, Lush Tea Tree Water Toner, Bioderma Sensibio H20.

Middle Row: Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair, Aum Jojoba Oil, Aesop Camellia Nut Hydrating Cream, Indeed Labs Hydraluron, La Roche Posay Athelios XL Sunscreen.

Front Row: Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm, Origins Plantcription Eye Cream, Lush Charity Pot (this is standing in for Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Day Cream, I've run out), Laura Mericer Body Souffle in Almond Coconut Milk.

I have three additonal products which I store in the bathroom, which are Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel, The Body Shop Sumptuous Cleansing Butter and Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant. I also have a small selection of face masks and treatments that change depending on my needs.

In celebration I decided to seek out a storage solution for my skincare. In Howard's Storage World, I hit the jackpot - the Vinea Spice Step! It is a tiered rack designed for spices but it fits skincare bottles just fine. It is made of metal and feels very sturdy!

I'd love to know what your holy grail skincare products are, and how you store them in the comments!

Mishelle

Skinny Tan Review and Giveaway!

As you are probably aware by now my natural skin colour is a lighter shade of pale, so it's no surprise that I enjoy faking a nice bronze glow (especially on my legs). I was contacted by Skinny Tan a while back asking if I'd like to review their range of tanning products, which claim to combine fake tanning with the benefits of an anti-cellulite lotion. I've been putting them through the ringer over the past couple of months and now I'm ready to dish to you the good, the bad, and the streaky on these products.

First up, let's talk about the developing tanners. Skinny Tan sent me two different kinds to test: Their Seven Day Tanner and Skinny Legs Tanner. The Seven Day Tanner is in a squeeze tube bottle and it results in a very natural, even, golden tan. Now just a warning, when you first apply this with the mitt, it is going to look all kinds of streaky. However, when you wash it off in 5 hours time, it leaves a beautiful, even coloured tan behind. Secondly, Skinny Legs is a spray tan that comes in an aerosol can. The colouring shocked me at first, as where the Seven Day Tanner is very bronze, Skinny Legs is very red. The first day when I applied it, my boyfriend asked me if my legs were sunburned :/ However, the next day the redness in the tan had vanished and it left a very dark tan on my legs. Skinny legs lasted a long time but the colour match was just not suited to my skin tone.

Before 7 Day Tanner

During

After (Grumpy Boyfriend makes an appearance!)

Secondly I was sent two other tanning products from Skinny Tan which are the Gradual Tanner and the 24 Hour Bronzer. The Gradual Tanner is actually the only product I wasn't as impressed with because the tan didn't develop as evenly as the other tans in the range. However, it is a good option to top up a tan that is fading. The 24 Hour Bronzer is an instant bronzing body cream. This crea, applies best when used section by section, as once it dries if you go over it again it tends to make your tan streaky. Once you've figured out the application, it is a good instant bronzer.

The Instant Bronzer

Skinny Tan also sent me these Tanning Mitts, one regular sized and one mini one. The mini one was super useful for tanning my face and getting to those hard to reach areas such as behind my ears. The mitts completely avoid getting any of the tanner onto your hands.

Overall I have been happy with the results I found using the Skinny Tan range. The product I would repurchase is the Seven Day Tanner, which I really enjoyed.

I have also generously been given two prize packs for my readers containing each of the products that I have reviewed here today!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rules for the giveaway:

1. There will be two winners, chosen at random
2. Prizes were provided by Skinny Tan
3. Prizes will be shipped out by me
4. Spamming the giveaway widget will result in disqualification
5. This giveaway is open to Australian residents only

Good luck :)

Mishelle

John Frieda Root Awakening Shampoo and Conditioner

I own a very small collection of hair products in comparison to the rest of my beauty stash, and it's rare that I show loyalty to shampoo and conditioner. However, for the past few months I've been using the John Frieda Root Awakening Shampoo and Conditioner and I have really, really been enjoying the results.

I have naturally dark blonde, very oily hair. However, because I bleach my hair to a light blonde, it pretty much completely dries out my hair, except for at the roots. My hair is also very fine, so I'm not a huge fan of products that weigh down the hair too much. These products smell strongly of peppermint, which is very pleasant and refreshing in my opinion. The shampoo creates a rich lather that really cleanses my scalp of oil and helps it to stay cleaner. Since using it I have been able to go from washing my hair every second day to every third day! The conditioner also leaves my hair feeling very soft and shiny. I alternate it with a purple conditioner to keep my hair nice and blonde!

My second day hair :)

I think a lot of people struggle with the combination of having oily roots and dry ends in our hair. That is why when I saw these products I had to try them. On the bottle John Freida say that this duo is for dry scalp and breakage prone hair, and I'd say that description is very accurate. The duo are effective and if you also struggle with oily roots and dry hair, I'd highly recommend giving these a try. I love a product that does exactly what it says on the bottle!

What are your favourite shampoo and conditioner?

Mishelle

The Body Shop Chamomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter

I have tried a lot of cleansers in my time. The days of harsh foaming cleansers and abrasive scrubs are long gone in my life now, as I've turned to gentler pastures. One amazing discovery in the past few months has been the Body Shop Chamomile Balm Cleanser.

I would like to start out by saying that this cleanser has two of my favourite qualities in a product:

1. It is reasonably priced

2. It is thoroughly effective

I had been wanting to try out a balm cleanser without forking out for the famed Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm, so I went ahead and picked this one up. The texture of this is a super soft, buttery balm. It has such a beautiful texture that is very soothing on the skin. Just a reminder - my skin type is normal but it is also dehydrated.

I use this cleansing balm in the evenings as part of my double cleanse. Firstly I go ahead and remove the majority of my makeup with Bioderma Sensibio Micellaire Water. Then I will go to the sink and massage the Chamomile balm into my skin, and it really cleans the makeup out of my pores. It manages to make my skin feel so clean, but at the same time very nourished.

This first experience with balm cleansers has been an entirely positive one and I will definitely repurchase this after I have finished this tub. I have recommended this to friends and family and they have also been so happy with the product, which I think speaks for itself. If you haven't tried balm cleansers, and you'd love the feeling of an oil cleanser without the mess, I'd highly recommend giving one a try.

What is your all time favourite cleanser?

Mishelle