Cheek Week // blushes that graced my face

I've been rotating the same group of cheek shades this month, now that I'm getting up early each morning for work the less choices the easier it is choose. Essential for work days are long-lasting, easy to wear shades, hence my cream-centric choices!

I picked up all three of the new Revlon Photoready Cream blushes when they launched in Australia a few weeks ago, and I posted a full photo-heavy post on them earlier this month! I've used the pale peach Pinched most out of the lot, and though it is a very pale colour I can get away with it if I build it up. Flushed is a nice pop of pink for these spring days, and Coral Reef goes really well with the gloss of the same name.

The longest lasting blush I own is the YSL Creme de Blush in Powdery Rose, which also happens to be my very favourite blush. The texture is second to none and I feel put together whenever I wear this shade. Though I hardly wear bronzer, I do go through stages where bronzer is an everyday appearance. I have been using the Clinique SuperBalanced Powder Bronzer, it's one of those nifty ones that you shave a fresh slice off each time you use it. I like the way it looks on my skin (I use the lightest shade) and it lasts well on my skin, as it absorbs oil and is mineral.

I am enjoying the fresh look that my cream blushes leave on my cheeks, but I've recently picked up a few new cheek products so will be switching them in in the next couple of days. The Clinique bronzer is staying in my everyday stash as I've been loving the healthier look it gives me, but I won't be bringing it to Sydney with me as it's just too bulky for light travel.

What has graced your cheeks lately?

Are you as obsessed with blushes as I am?!

*The Clinique bronzer was provided for review, which doesn't affect my opinion of the product. Honesty, always.

Missha Haul // Nails, Cheeks, Lips and Face!

I ventured out last weekend to have lunch with some other beauty bloggers, and afterwards my first trip to Missha was made a reality! With a whole bunch of beauty loving ladies in tow there was no way I could walk out empty handed, so here are the spoils of my day.

I wasn't intending on throwing this many items into my basket, but going shopping with beauty bloggers is a peer-pressure type environment and I had never tried Missha before!

 The ladies there are great at doling out samples, so I walked out with sachets of the BB cream as well as the BB cream base. I'll give these a go and they might feature in a 'trialling this week' post if you are interested.

The beautiful Vita took me over to the polish section and helped me pick out a gorgeous purple shade full of golden shimmer, and a shimmery mint green shade (of which a NOTD is imminent) The makeup remover was too cheap to pass up and I have been looking for a new one to try, I'm not very impressed with the Garnier one I'm using at the moment.

A haul just wouldn't be a haul for me without cheek products, and my obsession with cream blushes took hold when I saw that this duo in 02 was 50% off! A bright set of colours that I will be using as blushes, I'm really happy to add some cheery shades to my collection!

The packaging of this Magenta Pink powder blush is so pretty, a sturdy clear plastic creation with a nice design embedded into it. I see this shade as one that I could use all the time now that my NYX Peach is on the way out.

This was a complete 'lemming off a cliff' reaction to seeing this pretty colour SPK101 in Vita's basket, I threw it in without a thought. The packaging is very out there, but I love the geometric shaped lipstick bullet!

Magenta Pink, cream blush duo 02, SPK101 lipstick

 

Have you tried anything from Missha?

Are you ever given samples when out shopping?

I find Kit Cosmetics is great for samples, and YSL as well!

 

Coral Reef, Pinched, Flushed // Revlon Photoready Cream Blush // Swatches, Photos, Review

 The new Revlon Escapism collection by Gucci Westman saw the release of three creme blushes, as well as a slew of other beautiful products. Naturally, I was drawn to them like the proverbial moth to a flame, and here are the spoils. (I will also admit to picking up other pieces from the collection later in the week!)

 

 The packaging of these is nice and compact, a thick plastic pot with a screw top lid.

 

 From what I understand the most popular shades are definitely the latter two, brighter shades. I am happy to own all three, and have been wearing them all equally.

 Pinched is a pale peach shade that it very sheer, even on my palest-of-the-pale skin tone. I have been wearing this regardless, as I find the hint of colour to work well when I'm playing up my features with bronzer. Those with skin tones darker than mine might want to give this shade a miss, and instead pick up one of the more intense flushes from the range.

Coral Reef is a great match for the lauded Super Lustrous gloss of the same shade, and being a fan of coral colours in general this was a sure fire win for me. Though it appears super vibrant in its pot, it sheers out easily and creates a beautiful flush on the cheeks. I like wearing this with a slick of black liquid liner and the Coral Reef gloss, the look ties in well together and I find it flattering. 

Flushed is a hot pink shade that sheers out, just like the others, to a very wearable pop of pink on the cheek. Of all the blush colours I own, my pink shades get the most love and so this is a nice change from the baby doll pinks I generally go for.

See, I told you they could be sheered out easily!

I find these long-lasting so far (though have only worn them a few times each) but I have had a problem with Pinched fading on my cheeks in a patchy way (which you could only see if you were reaaaally close to my face) I have a feeling it didn't get on with my Dermalogica sunscreen, as when I've worn it previously I didn't have a problem.

I love the muted but bright shades that Gucci Westman dreamed up for this PhotoReady collection, and coming into the warmer weather of Australia means these should get a good run in my 'everyday face' bag.

 

Have you tried anything from the new Escapism collection?

What are your thoughts on bright cheeks?

 

*These products were purchased by me and I am not affliliated with Revlon. Honesty, always.

An Enchanted Eye Look // ft Clarins Enchanted Palette

I've been so obsessed with palettes lately, I love being able to create a whole look with one palette open in front of me. It saves space in my 'daily face' bag and when palettes are well put together is it generally easy to put together a flattering look. To put this look together I used the Clarins Enchanted Colour Quartet & Liner palette featured in yesterdays post.

I used the golden and purple shade on my lower lashline, and I must say I love the effect. It adds some colour to a look without being too over the top. I've been wearing the golden shade on my inner lower lashline with a lot of my neutral looks to work, I feel like it really brightens my face up!

On the lids is the golden bronze shade, and blended out some of the shimmery chocolate shade on the outer third. It's a subtle look, but the sheen makes it something special. To highlight, I used the palest shade from the palette. Of all of the shades in the Clarins Enchanted palette, the pale champagne shade is the least impressive. I have similar shades in my collection which are a smoother texture and have better colour payoff, but I'm still glad that it is included in the palette to have a highlighter option close at hand.

What do you think of these colours on the lower lashline?

Do you think this look is enchanting?

 

*This palette was provided for consideration for review. Honesty, always.

Clarins Enchanted Colour Quartet and Liner Palette // Swatches, Review, Photos

Clarins have taken inspiration from traditional Indian sari's for their new Enchanted collection, and seeing the eyeshadow palette design for the first time truly impressed me.

The outer casing has beautiful detail on it, matching the prints on the shadows themselves which I found to be a lovely touch.

One thing I don't covet is the inclusion of miniature brushes- many companies do this, and I know a lot of consumers would prefer a slimmer palette as they have brushes they prefer using in their collection already. Some may like to have these on hand though, it is just personal preference. The mirror is definitely a great inclusion,even if it is never used it is always handy to have an extra mirror around!

As you can see from my swatches the shadows are not incredibly vibrant, which I think lends to them being easy to work with and once they are on the eye, they are really nice and give enough colour. This palette is an example of something really beautiful, but also something you could get use from at work and on weekends- a win win purchase really!

The sheen of the golden shade from this palette is outstanding, I've been regularly wearing this on my inner lower lashline to add a bit of oomph to my looks, even when the look isn't created with other colours from this palette. Although the purple is sheer in swatches, it is so good for a lower lashline colour, ever since my Kit Cosmetics makeover I've been searching for this and now I'm content.

The shadows are quite shimmery and give a nice glow to the lids, though they are much sheerer than palettes I normally go for. I have a face of the day coming up tomorrow so do be sure to check that out. I haven't really delved into the deep chocolate liner in the palette yet, but that purple and gold have really taken a hiding over the past month!

 

The Clarins Enchanted palette retails for $55 AUD and is available from Myer, David Jones and Adore Beauty.

 

Do you find it hard to dip into beautiful palettes like this?

Have you tried Clarins makeup before?

 

 

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

 

Platinum Blitz Box from Hairhouse Warehouse // Unpacking and First Impressions

Now that I'm finally getting into taking care of my massive mane of hair, I was elated to see the annual Hairhouse Warehouse Platinum Blitz Box! Each time these boxes are released the ladies in my family go nuts for them, my sister in law in particular is addicted to them as she loves the chance to try new hair care for such a great value.

There are a few different choices with the Platinum Blitz Box, and they are easily identified by looking at the markings on the back of every box. If I could handpick a product to go in my box, I would definitely go for the RPR Make Me Shine spray, as it's a product I'd love to try and don't own anything like.

I received the Goldwell Color shampoo and conditioner, which I have gifted my sister as I am not colouring my hair right now and she colours hers regularly. The other option is the Goldwell Rich Repair set, which I assume is great for dry or damaged hair. I made a commitment to stick to my dedicated anti-dandruff shampoo so am not up for trying something new, but my sister is stoked to have these bad boys!

My Blitz Box came with RPR's Wax My Style, which Chris nabbed straight away to trial. He only does his hair when we go out on the weekends, so he hasn't had a chance to try it out just yet, but I'll get him to review it soon.

This Goldwell Extra Rich 60 Second Treatment is a fruity scented pink leave in treatment that is something I dived into when my Blitz Box arrived. I found it softened my hair, but will leave my full opinion for a proper review later on. I'm really happy to have this in my cabinet!

Also included is a travel crimper, which I am stoked to own! My niece's fight over the one crimper my family owns, and so I am elated to have a mini one of my own. I quite like the idea of crimping the lower layers of my hair to add volume, and some of the new runway looks see the bottom of the hair crimped into crazy town, and I'm looking forward to giving that a go! The comb is also something I am happy to have, it means I can evenly distribute my hair products and not have to brush my wet hair and damage it.

If you regularly get your hair done at Hairhouse Warehouse, this box is immediately worth it with the inclusion of this $20 salon voucher. It's valid for services over $100 and until the end of November. I'm tempted to go in and get some colour treatments to get the dark out of my ends, but we will see how we go!

 

The Platinum Blitz Box is awesome value, and though not all of the products are suited to my hair type I am pleased with the contents and would happily shell out $30 smackeroos for all of this loot. For $130 value, this is a good excuse to spice up your hair care. It's a limited edition deal, so run to snap up a Blitz Box if you're interested.

 

How often do you switch up your haircare?

Thoughts on crimping?

*This pack was sent to me by the company, which does not affect my opinion on the product. Honesty, always.

YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat // First Impressions, Photos, Brightening Guide

The majority of beauty lovers I know all favour a glowy, radiant finish with their foundations, even if their skin type is on the oily side. I've read quite a bit about Priceline style offerings, such as the Rimmel Wake Me Up and the Bourjois range, but the mac daddy of them all has to be the luxurious Le Teint Touche Eclat from my favourite beauty brand, Yves Saint Laurent.

Rather than basing this on a shimmer type of illumination, YSL followed in the footsteps of their best-selling Touche Eclat Radiant Touch highlighting pen and made the foundation glowy without sparkle. I like this because it means it can be worn day or night, and appears nicer in photographs than shimmery bases. In the few times I've worn this, I find it lights up my whole face and I can't help but smile when I see the effect. Now would be the perfect time to show you a picture of this, but the shade YSL provided me with is quite dark and I'd rather not show you the face I've been walking around the house with!

The coverage is medium and buildable, in my opinion, and the glow is instant! I personally like to powder my forehead when I wear these sorts of bases, in case people mistake the gorgeous gleam for the not-so-gorgeous type. Since I have only worn this around the house, I can't vouch for wear time or anything like that, but it feels quite lightweight on and I like the way it makes my skin appear.

I've had the Touche Eclat pen for quite a while, and my favourite place to use it is under my eyes each morning. I am lucky to not suffer from very dark circles under my eyes, but I think everyone needs a little pep up under their eyes to look really awake. I never get enough sleep (who does!) and find that this is a subtle touch that makes a world of difference to my overall look every day.

Demonstrated on the model are just some of the ways the Touche Eclat radiant touch pen can be used to highlight the features of your face. As I said I love to use this under my eyes, but the cupids bow and along my cheekbones are other places I love to pop this.

 

Both the foundation and brightener have the YSL watermelon-like smell which I adore, but if you're not familiar with it and are sensitive to scented products make sure you check it is okay for your senses!

 

YSL are holding a terrific competition which gives you the chance to win a full size Le Teint Touche Eclat foundation as well as the original Touche Eclat pen, so hop over here and fill out the super simple form to get your hands on these products!

 

After filling that out, be sure to download your voucher for a free sample of this new foundation, and be sure to leave a comment below letting me know what you think of it.

 

What sort of foundation do you normally buy?

Have you tried the famous Touche Eclat from YSL?

 

*This post was sponsored by YSL but my opinions are my own and not affected by this.