My Mecca Wishlist

I've been curbing quite a bit of my spending lately, and so 'wishlist' and 'lust-haves' are the terms of the month(as opposed to 'haul') I only discovered Mecca Cosmetica and Mecca Maxima last year, but the love has most certainly blossomed between us. I think that it's not so much the stellar brands and knowledgable staff that do it, but more that the whole concept makes my obsession with beauty loot seem completely natural! I spent a break at uni perusing the Mecca Cosmetica website, and thought I'd share my cravings with you. Enjoy!Blush is my new fave thing, and this one from Stila is irresistible. Candy conversation hearts, in blush form? Be still my beating heart and flushed cheeks! Available March 7. Ltd Ed.

This NARS Tainted Love set is so pretty, it's quite obvious that pink is my thing right now and so I'd love to overload on it with these prodz. Set contains Angelika gloss, Angelika multiple, and Schiap polish. $135. Ltd Ed.

I had a makeover at Mecca Maxima and these peel pads were used on me...my skin has never felt that soft! I was hesitant at first ('peel pad...?') but these weren't harsh or drying on my skin. I received a sample that I am yet to use, but if all goes well I think I will purchase these. $135 for a 30 day supply in travel sachets. Sherbet inspired fragrance? Comme des Garcons you have me enthralled! It's probably for the best that the one I want most (Rhubarb) is unavailable. Want to sniff these and see if the idea works. $69 for 30mls. Rhubarb, Peppermint, or Cinnamon. Having a love affair with Clinique at the moment and it feels so good. This set is adorable! It's the Ltd Ed Pretty Day Into Night Looks set, and will set you back $80.

That concludes my Mecca wish-list (for now)

Lemming anything from Mecca?

emmabovary xx

Keep Cup

I have been lemming one of these for so long, and have only yesterday succumbed to buying one. A cafe at my uni had them for $9 (usually $12) and so Candice and I got busy choosing possible colour combinations. This is what we came up with, my keep cup in all her beautiful glory!

I chose a small white cup, pink band for the middle, pink lid and turqouise for the topper. I thought at first it was too much pink, but I'm loving pink atm so whatever! The turqouise reallys spices it up, too. I looked online for more info on these babies but found nothing official, I know uni cafes often have them, as well as regular cafes. The choices are up to you, there are heaps of colour varieties and you can mix and match to your hearts content. I'm thinking I will buy a bright orange and yellow one next, for peppermint tea days.

A lot of places also offer cheaper coffee if you present a keepcup, which is a great bonus! I know I personally go thru quite a few coffee cups on any given day, so just thinking about how many I will be saving makes me feel good.

The pink band around the middle has options that the person taking your order can mark with a permanant texta, but I've never seen anyone utilise this feature. The options are the usual with coffee-capp, latte,FW,long or short macchiato or espresso, sweetener, sugar(and how many) low fat/soy milk, strong, hot, doppio, weak, decaf, organic, chai, tea, hot choc, and mocha.

Keep Cups keep barista's happy as it fits under their machines, the environment happy as you reduce paper cup usage, and they make you happy with their cuteness and lightweight design. $9 well spent!

emmabovary xx

Steal My Kisses!

Rimmel Vinyl Gloss in the shade 'Steal My Kisses' is the third in my Vinyl Gloss collection, so it is safe to say I am a fan.

Packaging: My tube is slightly different to the image above, the font is different and the lid of mine is a deep deep purple/mauve with slight red/pink shimmer. Sturdy hard packaging, with a great lid that doesn't let any gloss escape. Clear tube means I can see when I need to repurchase, which I love. Doe foot applicator makes it a dream to apply.

Taste: Nada.

Smell: I have heard that many people hate the smell of this, but I love it! Not sweet but not medicinal either, I find it hard to describe. If you have an aversion to scented gloss, sniff a tester of this before you shell out your coins, just in case.

Texture: Super smooth and easy to apply, no mirror needed. Not ultra-sticky, but enough to make it cling to lips, and last longer than a slippery/high shine gloss.

Aesthetics: 'Your lips but better', with a dusty pink tint. I took some shots of this on, but the camera doesn't pick up the shade properly, and posting the pic wouldn't do this gloss justice.

Reapplication: I find it longer lasting than some other glosses, but still need to reapply quite a bit throughout the day. Nature of gloss, I suppose.

Repurchase: Most certainly.

I have this in 3 shades, the first being similar to Steal My Kisses (the name escapes me) and the second is Clear, which I find great to wear over a bright red or coral lip.

My sister stole my first ever Vinyl Gloss from me, and is addicted to it more than I. She said that so far it's the best thing about me being obsessed with beauty prodz =D






Have any of you tried this gloss?Also, I was wondering if my lovely readers prefer an overview of my thoughts in a review, or if you prefer the broken-down version I used in this post? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

emmabovary

All My Stuff

Saw this in Shop Til' You Drop's March issue and thought it was a cute idea!

Fashion

Jeans: Straight leg,mid blue.
T-shirt: Weekenders from K-Mart- cheap and I love them!
Shoes: Black wedge booties.
Watch: Big gold round-faced DKNY
Sunglasses: In desperate need of a new pair!
Swimsuit: Bright one-piece
Dress: Vintage blue floral I nabbed on ebay
Bag: Foley & Corinna mid-city in black pebbled leather
Designer: ^^ or Marc Jacobs.

Beauty

Lips: Maybelline's Coral Crush, or anything wine coloured

Mascara: Clinique High Impact

Bronzer: NARS Laguna

Shampoo: Still searching for something great=(

Hair Prod: Dry shampoo!!

Bodywash: I prefer something with a bit of grit (a scrub etc) but Radox Cranberry is deliiicious and creamy.

Moisturiser: Right now I'm using Clinique, all of my faves come from them.

Perfume: Juicy Couture Dirty English, but am loving Paco Rabanne One Million on Mister Christopher, he smells amazing!

New Discovery: OPI black shatter by Katy Perry

Nail Polish: Loving pinks right now, haven't found the perfect one yet. Hot pink suggestions ladies?

Lifestyle

Candle: Dusk's Osaka

Workout: Walking

Luggage: Kate Hill red snake style

Gadget: iPhone, when it works;)

Online store: bookdepository and shopbop.

Car: Mazda 3/6. And VL's.

Stationary: Live for my Target diary, its lovely and just like a Filofax only cheaper.

Flower: Jonquil

Book: Book Thief, and anything by Simone de Beauvoir.

CD: Notorious B.I.G

Drink: Blood orange soft drink

Bargain Haul!

After working every day last week, all I wanted to do today was wander around my local Westfield and relax before heading into work tonight. I'm so glad I did, I found bargains galore!

*Two 'weekend' t-shirts from K-Mart, $5 a piece. I live in the coral one in the above pic, so today I grabbed it in baby pink and a turquoise shade. Super casual and great to throw on with jeans. Am always told I look thin when I wear it, too, so the loose fit must be quite flattering. I have been eyeing this 'Through Thick and Thin; in bookshops in the city where it was $35, but it was $7.99 at QBD today!! I adore Gok Wan and his shows on Foxtel, so will be an interesting autobiography to read. The two little geisha girls were $2.95 at a homewares store called Raging Earth, Mum chose the white one for herself and I bought the purple for my sister. Too cute!

The Rimmel & Australis eye shadows and palettes at the bottom of this picture were $1.00 a peice from K-Mart. I probably didn't need any of it, but I thought at that price why not. Some of them are doubles that I plan on giving to my bestie Candice,as she has a limited make-up collection and these sorts of colours would look beautiful on her. The other items are from Target:the lipgloss is a Rimmel Vinyl gloss that I love, I've just about finished mine up so bought this for $2.98 from a clearance bin. The two purple tubes of Rimmel lippy are in Plumful which is super dark, and Rose Sorbet which I am yet to try. These were $3.48 each. The little Rimmel square next to them is a blush in Pink Rose which I bought for $3.00!

I plan on swatching and reviewing these soon, so check back if you are interested and let me know what you'd like to see first. What have you hauled lately?

emmabovary xx

Lip Balm Love-Softlips

Happy Valentine's Day =D Today marks the end of my Lip Balm Love Week- I hope all the lovely ladies reading this have got their lips ready for today, whether you be kissing a cute guy or the spoon as you dip into a tub of ice-cream (my vote is for cookies and cream, btw)

I have been roadtesting quite a few balms this week, but found I always came back to my HG, ultimate, cannot-leave-the-house-without balm, Softlips!

The lovely Zoe from Softlips kindly sent me a tube of their new Chai Latte flavour from the organic range they are promoting, and she also threw in a double pack containing Cherry and Coconut Cream. I am coco-crazy for the Coconut one, but the Cherry grew on me as time went on,too. I like the chai stick, but found the scent to be very faint, if ever I caught a whiff at all. Since trying these I have purchased the Raspberry one and the Gelato vanilla, too. Utterly obsessed, and talking everyone I know into buying these.(FYI, you can get these at most Pricelines and supermarkets, and you get change from $4. Win!)

Packaging: As I stated in my Burt's Bees post, I love skinny balm tubes. These fit in my pocket when I'm out without hassle, and though they balm itself begins quite square after a few uses it rounds itself out and is the perfect shape to use.

Taste: Little bit sweet, but not that crazy-sweet artifical type that makes you want to eat your lips off.

Smell: Apart from the subtle scent of the Chai variety, these really do smell like their descriptions! Coconut Cream would be my pick for summer, but this week I have been rocking Cherry and Raspberry quite a bit.

Texture: So ridiculously smooth to put on, and they make my lips tingle just a little, in a pleasant way. Also must be noted that these contain SPF20, yay!

Aesthetics:Not much shine, just soft lips all the way. I found these great in the mornings, I put some on and get busy with the rest of my makeup. By the time I get to my lips they are supple and primed for whatever colour I'm wearing to glide on effortlessly.

Reapplication: These last really well. The 'wet' feel remains as well as the 'soft' (hence the balms name) which makes these perfect for me.

Repuchase: As you can probably tell from the raving about Softlips above, I have and will repurchase these, again and again and again. Although I did receive 3 free of charge, this in no way affects my opinion and I promise in all honesty, that I think these are the bomb=D

So there we have it, Lip Balm Love Week is over and the overall champ is Softlips. I hope you all enjoyed reading my opinions on all of the lip prodz, it was nice to have themed posts that really spurred me on to compare what I own. Hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day, love to all,emmabovary xx

Lip Balm Love-MOR Lip Delight

I was lucky enough to win a MOR Lip Delight in Rosebud in the Beauty Blogger auction that Hannah from Counter Obsession hosted a few weeks back. I placed bids on a few things, and won a lip pack, donated by Mel from Ampersand Mel. I will be reviewing the other items in the near future, but for now will focus on MOR's lip tin.

Packaging: Absolutely adorable packaging, this balm comes in a sturdy tin that is a beautiful pink colour, and has gold imprints all over the lid. Though not the most hygienic balm method, it does gather 'oohs and ahhs' when you whip it out of your handbag. It must be noted, however, that I often find it hard to get the lid of this baby open.

Taste: Nada, plain and lovely.

Smell: As the name rosebud suggests this has a rose scent, but it's not as traditional as I was expecting it to be. It reminds me of lollies a little bit, too. Great mix! (Mister Christopher would like to add that he thinks it smells like 'a flower from Grandma's garden'. Very eloquent=))

Texture: Lightweight and smooth, I have to apply a few layers to get that 'wet' feeling.

Aesthetics: Doesn't give any shine to the lips, but makes them appear really smooth.

Reapplication: Find I have to reapply every now and again, but as with most of the other balms I reviewed I think this is not that they aren't soft or hydrating, but that I want that 'wet' feel. So if that isn't as big an issue to you, the results for reapplication will be different.

Repurchase: The tin is so stunning that I am planning on buying this for my Mum and sisters, and possibly my bestie, too. Look away if you're reading this, Candice!

Hope all you lovely ladies have a lovely Valentine's whether you are single or shacked up! I will be reviewing my favourite lip product tomorrow, and sharing some of my favourite Valentine's themed things, too.

Love, emmabovary xx

Lip Balm Love-Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer

Am a fan of Burt's Bees as a brand, and was properly introduced to them via the Liptember promotion they held last September. They placed stands with their Rhubard lip shimmers at Priceline checkouts, and for a ten dollar donation you could get one with all proceeds going towards The Royal Women's Hospital.I loved the idea of it all, so threw one in with my haul that day. Fell in love, hard.

Packaging: Skinny yellow and red tube. Love that it's tall and slim as it fits so well if I'm going out and only have a small bag, and takes up less room in my makeup stash in my everyday handbag. Perfecto!

Taste: From most of the Burt's Bees range I get a little 'organic' taste..I know this is not a technical term, but hope you all know what I refer to when I say this. Not offensive in the slightest in this product.

Smell: None of that smell that the Burt's Bees balm I reviewed the other day has, which I'm happy with.

Texture: Silky, but the shimmer particles make it a little more gritty. This makes it stick to my lips a lot better, but is not too gritty as to make it uncomfortable. Absolutely LOVE the feeling of this balm, so nourishing and is like a treatment and lip colour in one!

Aesthetics: A stunning shimmery berry-ish colour, I think the name Rhubarb sums it up really well as it is unique and darker than your 'strawberry' sort of shades. Not too sparkly, makes lips look super healthy and gives enough colour to wear all by itself.

Reapplication: Lasts for ages and ages on me, and is a lip product that I rely on for this.

Repurchase:As my raving would suggest, this is a HG product for me. I would repurchase till the cows came home, and want you to try this for yourself!

Lip Balm Love-Nivea Fruity Shine Cherry

Bought this as I had heard so much about it being a 'cult' balm, and that the cherry version was the bomb. With raves like that, how could I not!

Packaging: 4.8 gram tube, white base with red cap. Case has subtle sparkles running throughout, the only thing that puts me off the packaging of this is that I find the lip falls off in my handbag=(

Smell: Faint cherry smell that isn't overpowering in the tube or on the lips. Lovely!

Taste: Nothing offensive here either, doesn't taste like anything which I like.

Texture:Silky and super slippery. Slipperiest balm I own, actually. Quite moisturising, but not my HG if my smackers are chapped and painful.

Aesthetics: Gorgeous sheer red sheen that is great to wear on it's own (would be great for Valentine's day!) Subtle shimmer runs through this.

Reapplication: Quite long lasting, and because it stays slippery my need for the 'wet' feel on my lips is satiated.

Repurchase: I think it will take me quite a while to get thru this tube, and

emmabovary xx

Lip Balm Love-Burt's Bees Lip Balm

Burt's Bees lipbalm claims to be soothing, nourishing, hydrating and replenishing. I have to say that it does tick these boxes, and is a super hydrating balm.

Packaging-4.25g tube, yellow case and red lid. Covered in writing and two cute little bees=) Not the sleekest design but cute and easy to find in the handbag.

Smell- I can't quite put my finger on the smell of this, but it's 'organic-y', if that makes sense. I'm not a fan of the smell, as it's evident while on the lips as well as in the tube.

Taste-No real taste, just a feeling that's linked with the smell of it when on the mouth.

Texture-Super soft but sticks to the lips well. Feels like it's really penetrating my lips, thank heavens, as many balms neglect to do this.

Aesthetics-No shine or shimmer, would be good to use under a lippy.

Reapplication-Softness lasts quite a while on me, but doesn't stay wet on the lips for as long. You have to push down super hard when applying as the stick is pretty sold, which is a tad annoying.

Repurchase-While I love how smooth this makes my lips feel both short and long term, the smell turns me off. I'm interested to check out the other Burt's Bees range of balms, but if the smell is consistent throughout I will just use this one and deal with it.

emmabovary xx

Lip Balm Love-Blistex Strawberry Lip Balm

Have had this for so long and find that while I don't use it regularly, when my lips are aching it does help.

Packaging:'Regular' sized tube, amount not specified on tube, deep pink colouring with white accents. Not the most exciting packaging, but it's nice.

Smell:To me, it smells like those bubblegum's tape I used to get as a kid, where you wind it out from a round container. Awesome.

Taste: Super-sweet! Problem with this is I'm constantly licking my lips, and needing to reapply. Doesn't feel great on the tongue, but it's not edible so I should probably just stop eating it...

Texture: You need to apply quite a bit of pressure with this balm, and it feels quite thick once it's on. Feels quite smooth, soothes my lips but sometimes isn't strong enough to take all the pain away.

Aesthetics: Nothing in terms of sheen or shimmer here, it's a good hardy balm that's not made for it's looks but for the job it does. Also worth mentioning that it has an SPF 16.

Reapplication: Can go quite a while in between applications due to it's thick nature (unless you can't resist eating it either..whoops!)

Repurchase: I hadn't realised how long this one had been sitting, and since it contains sunscreen it's going in the bin. Might repurchase...I'm not sure whether or not I am fussier than others when it comes to lip balms but I want perfection. This isn't perfection for me, though it is a good product.

(My 'so close to perfection' lip balm is coming up later in the week.)

emmabovary xx

Lip Balm Love-Nivea Light Kiss

I purchased Nivea Light Kiss on a whim at Priceline, with the idea of a 'light kiss' sounding quite appealing. The product itself,however, is not so appealing. Below I share my thoughts:

Packaging: Shimmery white tub, blue accents,10ML,screw top lid. Cute packaging, but not hygienic when you spend all day sticking your fingers in the tub to reapply.

Smell: A creamy, vanilla-esque scent, quite subtle and not overpowering.

Taste: Horrible. And when I lick my lips my tongue feels strangely numb, in a bad way.

Texture: When swiping this onto my finger it felt super-smooth, but once it hits the lips it balls up. I have to smoosh my lips together over and over to get the product evenly applied. It starts out gritty but once you work it in it smooths and feels silky. I get a cooling sensation from Light Kiss, and it is not sticky at all.

Aesthetics: A milky sheen, unless you've really worked hard to smooth it in with your lips. Once you do, it''s a subtle sheen to your lips that's quite nice.

Reapplication: I have tested and tested and tested this balm, trying my hardest to make it work.It lasts no longer than 3 minutes on me before I am in desperate need of more balm. While my lips are softened due to it's fast absorption, I like more moisturization on the outer layers of my lips and this doesn't provide that. Another things to point out in this category is that the milkyness of Light Kiss makes it hard to apply on the run- I don't want to be stuck with random milky lips, and don't always have access to a mirror when reapplying.

Repurchase: No thanks.

Lip Balm Love Week

Welcome to Lip Balm Love week here at emmabovarybeauty HQ. In order to gets your smackers kissable for your Valentine, some maintenance is necessary. As well as giving your kisser a once over while brushing your teeth, lip products such as balms, glosses and lipsticks are great ways to keep them looking beautiful. Some of the products I will be reviewing in the lead up to the big V day include:

Nivea Light Kiss

Burts's Bees balms and lip shimmers

Softlips

Maybelline's Baby Lips

(among many others)
To fit them all in I may have to post more than once a day, so I hope that doesn't drive you guys nuts, and that you enjoy reading my thoughts on these products.

First up will be Nivea, and will hit the site when I head home from the baptism I am attending tomorrow=)

Hope your weekend is going well!

Love emmabovary xx

Follow Friday

A look at the posts that were my favourite this week

Jess from All I Want is Everything hosts a great blog sale, and has a great December/January favourites video that's worth checking out!


Elise from Blush is the New Black has her first Youtube video, which is one of the cutest I've seen in a long time!


Jacie at You've Got Face gives rave reviews for an affordable lippy...


Lilit at Makeup and Macaroons has me lemming for an Inglot palette, and Jade from Jade Musing isn't helping either...


Jen at My Funny Valentine is holding an Urban Rituelles giveaway for Valentine's Day- get amongst it!

Emily at Emily's Anthology shows us the most beautiful FOTD (which I am attempted during the week and failed at terribly!)

Do you have any great posts to share?

FOTD 'Basic & Rushed'

I hit the snooze button a few too many times yesterday morning as I was lost in a fantastic dream. I woke to a text message from Mister Christopher's Mumma saying she'd be around in ten to pick me up, as we were going out for coffee (and Maybelline Baby Lips hunting...) I threw on my new Cotton On shorts with a plain black singlet, and jumped into the bathroom to fix my face. I was naughty last night and went to bed with wet hair, but when I looked in the mirror it was voluminous and wavy. Win! So that was my hair done.

Here is the basic, rushed FOTD for your viewing pleasure=)

Products Used:

*Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion*

*Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation no.52

*Maybelline Finish Matte Powder in Light Beige

*Revlon Colorstay Under Eye Concealer in Light/Medium

*NARS Laguna Bronzer*

*Rimmel 3 in 1 Powder Blush in 'Autumn Catwalk'*

*Clinique Colour Surge Eye Shadow Quad in Strawberry Fudge (Light beige across lid and copper in outer corner)*

*Softlips in Cherry*

*Maybelline Color Sensational in Coral Crush

*Items not purchased by moi...didn't realise how many prodz I use regularly that I was lucky enough to receive sans cash!

Again, apologies for the iPhone quality images, the camera is hopefully on it's way. Oh and the brows...growing them in preparation for a Benefit Brow Bar visit. And the Baby Lips hunt was not successful=(