Illamasqua Neutral Palette

Illamasqua have been bringing out some amazing collections, and the Human Fundamentalism collection was no different. They seem to be taking on new challenges, with this collection and the new Naked Strangers collection managing to make everyday wearable shades exciting again!

This is my first quad from Illamasqua, I have a few of their single shadows but I love the portability of having these complimentary shades sitting side by side.

I like the Illamasqua packaging overall, though I think that I sometimes risk chipping a nail when opening their clasps.

I am elated that Illamasqua named the individual shades within the palette, there is nothing worse than trying to rave about a shade that has no name, or is identified by numbers (Inglot, I'm looking at you ><)

As you can see the colours in this make for a terrific smoky eye, but I have been wearing them toned down and they have fared well for me.

The colours are nicely pigmented, and though I had to swipe over Obsidian twice I find it hard to work with super-pigmented black shades, so I am a happy that this is a shade this blogger can work with.

Full sunlight so you can see the beautiful texture of Vintage.

I love these shades *sigh*

So far my favourite look with the Illamasqua Neutral palette has been to lay Vintage as a shimmery wash over the lid with Wolf in the outer V and along the lower lashline, with Stealth to blend out and highlight. Obsidian is something I like having in my collection for a night out, as I have a distinct lack of nice black shadows in my collection.

A heads up for my fellow Australian readers, this palette is on sale at the moment at Myer instore and online here, it usually retails for $78 AUD and is now $62.40!

Do you wear these sorts of neutrals?

Which shade is your favourite from this palette?

*This product was provided for consideration, which does not change my opinion of the product. Honesty, always.

Stars and Darkness

The other morning, MAC's Stars and Rockets eyeshadow was staring up at me whispering 'use meee, I promise I'll try and be flattering!' and so I decided to give it a shot!

I find purples hard to work with as I don't feel that they suit me very much, but I was quite happy with the duochrome sheen that Stars and Rockets gave my eyes. I used it all over the lid (and along lower lashline) with Fyrinnae's Princess of Darkness on the outer v for some depth. I am head over heels for both shades, they are really beautiful.

Products Used:

Bourjois Healthymix Foundation #52

Maybelline Dream Matte Powder

MAC 'Stars and Rockets'

Fyrinnae 'Princess of Darkness'

MAC 'Nylon'

Urban Decay Virgin

Australis Lash Length Extension mascara*

essence gel liner in Midnight in Paris

BYS Brow & Eye pencil

Covergirl blush in True Plum

essence 'me&my icecream' gloss

How do you wear purple eye colours?

Do you like this look?

*This product was provided for consideration. Honesty,always.

positive reviews, negative results

I don't tend to post reviews on products I'm not fond of very often, but think that I might begin to. I find it interesting to see what people dislike just as much as what they like, and so here is my post on my least favourite body scrub to date. Remember that the opinions are my personal ones, and you might like the aspects of this scrub that I don't, so feel free to share thoughts with me in the comments!

The Burt's Bees Cranberry & Pomegranate Sugar Scrub was released last year, and it won awards from both Marie Claire and Beauty Heaven in 2012. I was so excited to win this from the Burt's Bees twitter page as I had heard so many rave reviews of it, and I got stuck into it as soon as it hit my doorstep.

The scrub is a mix of cranberry sees and pomegranate oil in a sugar crystal and shea butter formula, which leave the skin feeling moisturised when you hop out of the shower. The problem, however, is that I feel as though I am cocooned by a layer of slime that I need to scrub off after using this. My skin feels soft, but when I scrape my nails across my skin (this is gross,I'm sorry) I'm left with a nail full of residue left behind by the scrub. I'm not sure if this is how some people prefer their scrubs, but I am definitely not a fan and don't feel clean after using this.

My main issue is with the cranberry seeds in this scrub, which litter my shower and drive me absolutely crazy. They do work well at scrubbing, but it would take more than that to calm my current cranberry seed rage! Again, the fact that this has won so many awards suggests that others like the cranberry seeds and moisturising formula, so maybe it is just me.

The scent of the scrub is of a strong daquiri, and takes my mind to a bar each time I crack the lid of this. All good in theory, but when I get home from work a daquiri is not something I need, and so I found the scent to be too overwhelming for me.

I suggest that you have a sniff of this before you purchase as it is quite strong, and despite it not being something I like personally I am confident that others will fall in love with the sweet scent. The moisturising aspect of this scrub is commendable, but for me the seeds and residue are too much for this to be worth purchasing in the future. Quite a few of my favourite body products are from Burt's Bees so I think this was just not the right product for me, so I'm contemplating picking up this in the other available scents just to see how I go (it comes in Mango & Orange and Honey & Shea)

The Burt's Bees Cranberry & Pomegranate Sugar Scrub retails for $29.95 AUD and is available from Adore Beauty here, Priceline and Myer stores, as well as anywhere you find normally find Burt's Bees products.

Have you tried the Burt's Bees sugar scrub range?

What sorts of body scrubs do you favour?

*This product was won in a Twitter competition and so was not purchased by myself, which in no way changes my review of the product. Honesty, always.

My Current Routine

I will happily admit that I am a snooper, and love seeing what is in the cabinets and handbags of others. I usually squeal when Natalie posts over at The Mustard Jumper, and when she posted this I was riveted, and decided to follow suit. Here is the products I'm using right now, but keep in mind that I change up my makeup and skincare frequently!

Face

01. Cleanser:  Environ AVST Cleansing Lotion

02. Toner/lotion: Environ AVST Moisturising Toner

03. Cream/moisturiser: Environ AVST1 Moisturiser

04. Facial Mask: Jurlique Intense Recovery Mask + Sukin Purifying Facial Masque

05. Exfoliator: Soap and Glory Greatest Scrub of All + Alpha-H Gentle Daily Exfoliant 

06. Make-up remover: Face of Australia Gentle Make-Up Remover (review) + Alpha-H Cleansing Oil

Body

07. Shower gels/soaps: Lush Glogg, Kiehls Coriander Body Wash, L'Occitane Cherry Princess Pearlescent Shower Cream

08. Body lotions/creams: The Body Shop Moringa Body Butter + Sukin Hydrating Body Lotion

09. Nails: Essie 'Nice is Nice' (review) + Darling 'Hot Diggity'

10. Body exfoliator: Burt's Bees Cranberry & Pomegranate Scrub + Botani Spirulina Salt Scrub (review)

11. Foot cream: -

12. Lip balm or lip treatment: Korres Jasmine Lip Butter (review)

13. Perfume: Thierry Mugler Angel EDT (review) + Kim Kardashian for Women

Hair

14. Shampoo/conditioner: Garnier Fructis Sensitive Anti-Dandruff Shampoo + random conditoner sample sachets I am trying to use up before I buy my beloved Terax Crema.

15. Mask or other treatments/products: Moroccanoil, Girlz Only Dry Shampoo, John Frieda Frizz Ease

Make Up

16. Foundation: Bourjois Healthymix Serum, Clarins Ever Matte Liquid, Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse.

17. Powder: Maybelline Dream Matte Powder + Clarins Ever Matte powder.

18. Blush: Benefit Dallas, essence Swirlpool, YSL Creme de Blush in Powdery Rose

19. Mascara: Australis Lash Lengths

20. Lipstick/lipgloss: Natural Compatibles 'Berry', essence 'me&my icecream'

21. Eyeshadow: MAC 'Jaunty' eyeshadow (review), L'Oreal Infallible in 'Sahara Treasure', Femme Fatale Cosmetics 'Poison' pigment.

22. Eyeliner: essence gel liner in Midnight in Paris

Many of these products were sent for consideration and I am in the process of trialling them for this blog. Honesty, always.

A Bright, Nicki Minaj inspired look

Chris was sweet and bought us tickets to the recent Nicki Minaj Melbourne tour, and I decided to brighten it up for the night! I went for a bright lemon and lime inspired look with a dramatic winged liner, with MAC''s Viva Glam Nicki to really contrast with it.

I love the way the eyes are really bright, and though this photo isn't the most flattering (thanks iPhone!) I think it shows how much the colours really popped against my pale skin.

A shot of me sitting in Hisense Arena waiting for Nicki to show her pretty face!

Nails of the night, alternating with OPI Did It On 'Em from the Nicki Minaj collection and essence Viva La Green.

Products Used:

Bourjois Healthymix Serum Foundation in #52

Maybelline Dream Matte Powder

Benefit Dallas Blush

BYS Brow & Eye Pencil in Brown*

Ardell Clear Brow Gel

Femme Fatale Cosmetics pigment in Poison*

MAC eyeshadow in Bitter

essence gel liner in Midnight in Paris

MAC Viva Glam Nicki lipstick

Do you like these sorts of bright looks?

Who is your favourite band or artist?

*These products were provided for consideration which in no way affects my opinion of them. Honesty,always.

YSL Creme De Blush #05 Fuschia Temptation

I am head over heels for YSL in general, but it was this range of cream blushes which ignited the spark in my heart for the brand.

I adore the packaging that these blushes come in, the little gold topped glass pots are very sturdy and I think they are really beautiful.

The blush is a cream to powder formula, and I would describe the finish as velvety but still very natural on the skin. It is a very buildable colour, and looks beautiful applied sheerly or layered on for a stronger look (which is how I prefer to wear this shade)

I like to keep my YSL products in their original packaging, not too sure why but they sure look pretty all lined up!

I love the way that these resemble ltitle creamy cups of colour, and they smell fresh and fruity, but in a subtle way that isn't too overpowering for me.

#05 Fuschia Temptation is a bright pink shades which leans on the cool side, and gives a nice flush to the cheeks.

I decided to compare this to the other shade I have in this formula, which is #02 Powdery Rose. It is a warm pink shade that is absolutely amazing, and my favourite out of the two.The reason for the texture of Powdery Rose is because I apply this with my Royal & Langnickel stippling brush. I find that dabbing it into the pot and then pushing it into the cheek works well, and I finish by buffing it out with the same brush to get the perfect flushed look that lasts all day long.

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Unblended swatches of the two shades.

Blended swatches of the two shades.

The Creme de Blushes were limited edition last year, but I recently saw one of the shades available at a Myer counter so they may be repromoted soon. You can purchase this shade along with others at Strawberrynet here, the price there swings between $35 and $40. From memory Chris paid $65 for Powdery Rose at Myer and I purchased Fuschia Temptation from Strawberrynet for $36. If I had to choose one blush formula to use for the rest of my life, it would be this one, no doubt in my mind. I love Fuschia Temptation and though Powdery Rose is my favourite shade, I still think this is a must have!

Have you tried the YSL Creme De Blush range?

What is your ultimate blush formulation?

Serum Sampler!

The idea of trialling petite sized serums is a very exciting one, and so when Adore Beauty contacted me and told me about their new (and limited!) Serum Sampler Set, I was elated. I was sent the pack which contains 5 petite serums, and today I am showing you the contents of the pack. I would love to provide reviews on each of these serums but it takes quite a while to trial each one, and I didn't want you to miss the opportunity to try this sampler out so I will just be providing some serum overviews for you at this point!

The Serum Sampler Selection.

SK II Facial Treatment Essence (30ml)

This facial essence promises radiance and says that it helps to maintain the skin's normal renewal cycle, which all sounds very promising. It also mentions that it balances the skin's PH levels and sebum secretion, so the oily and dry bits of your skin come out happy with this. I love Cate Blanchett in the television ad for this product, and am looking forward to trying it!

Lancome Genifique Youth Activator (7ml)

This says that it is based on gene science and stimulates the skin's production of youth proteins. Being 21 I don't think this is aimed at me, but I am up for warding off aging and it says it will make my skin cushiony soft- I like! It also mentions that it will help with skin tone and texture. I think I have another of these samples lying around so it will be good to give this a red hot go!

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster (7ml)

Like a vitamin for your face, or so it says on the pack! Promises to help smooth out lines and wrinkles and prevent them appearing in the future, which sounds great for the little lines appearing around my eyes! I know I'm young but I would like to stay looking fresh for as long as possible, so this stuff should be good for me.

Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant + (2.5ml)

I am a fan of rosehip oil in general, and Trilogy is an excellent brand so this is a welcome addition to the sampler pack. This is certified organic and 100% natural, and great at moisturising deep into the skin, which is a must-have in winter! I will be gifting this little sample to my sister as I have this already, and she is having a bit of trouble with dry skin at the moment, and this should do the trick!

Alpha-H Liquid Gold Prep & Prime (10ml)

This water-based fluid says that it will leave skin plumped and luminous, and refines pores and dissolves cell build up. I like that it had a mattifying effect, and doesn't contain filler ingredients. It notes glycolic acid as a primary ingredient and says that it will improve the overall appearance of my skin. I have a full size of this that Alpha-H gifted me that I am yet to use, so when I do open it this will live at Chris' house with my travel skincare.

Subtle Energies Facial Blend (10ml)
This 'aromatic' facial blend says that it gives a youthful glow by providing rejuvenation, and that it is great for normal to dry skin types. The blend includes the oils of mogra, sandalwood and Indian Rose, which sounds like a very lovely mix! I've not heard of this brand before so am excited to see whether or not this can help my winter dryness.

I think that sampler packs like this are a terrific way of dipping your toe into new products without too much commitment, and I am excited to be able to try out all of these brands.

The exclusive Adore Beauty Serum Sampler retails for $29 AUD and can be purchased here. The pack arrives with a discount code for 10% off of any serum within the pack, so once you have chosen your favourite you can save a bit of cash! Shipping from Adore Beauty is $5.95 AUD.

Have you tried any of these serums?

What do you think of the idea of a serum sampler?

*This serum sampler pack was provided for consideration for review from Adore Beauty, which in no way affects my opinion of the product. Honesty, always.

from my red lip wardrobe- Russian Red

Red lips have been gracing my face more and more lately, and the Russian Red lipglass was something I didn't know existed until quite recently. A permanent MAC product, the recent MAC Fashion Sets collection opened my eyes to some of the brands most popular shades.

I was contemplating picking up the Russian Red lipstick (still am,really...) when this popped up in a blog sale, and I knew that the lipglass was meant for me. The formula is a little bit sticky, which makes it last longer than more slippery glosses. I think it is a fair trade, and though I have to reapply after I eat or have a coffee I'm still pretty happy with the longevity of this lipglass.

I find that the cherry red colour of Russian Red suits the glossy look, and brightens up my NC15 skin tone really well. I think this would suit most skin tones, it is quite a neutral red colour and a great addition to my red lip wardrobe.

Do you own Russian Red in any form?
What sort of red shades fill your red lipstick wardrobe?

*This product was purchased by me and I am not affiliated with MAC. Honesty,always.