Haulin' from iHerb // E.L.F. makeup + Celestial Seasonings Tea

Anytime I pop onto iHerb I can't help but haul! I had a bit of cash sitting in my iHerb rewards account, and my lust for some Celestial Seasonings Tea pulled me into a haul that gradually grey into an 8 piece wonder that I am very happy with. I thought I'd shade what I purchased with you, as both of these brands are hard to come by in Australia and it is always nice to know where you can get your hands on rare goodies.

I stuck to only buying 4 boxes of tea, despite wanting pretty much every variation they had on the site. I've only ever seen the Sleepytime Vanilla and regular Sleepytime tea at my local Woolworths, and so I decided that since the much lauded Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride was sold out (naturally!) I would get two fruity teas to use iced, and two to use warm on cold nights with milk. I waited until I tried all of the teas before writing this, so I feel comfortable giving my opinion on which of these are worth the purchase.  

Tangerine Orange Zinger is, to put is simply, utterly delicious. I sweeten this ever so slightly when making ice tea, and Mister Bovary and I love gulping this down after a nice long walk on a hot night. The Acai Mango Zinger is also lovely iced, but the citrus is always going to win in an ice tea stakes for me. I am yet to have a full cup of these hot, but from the sip test I'd say the Tangerine also wins this round.

For milky tea lovers, or those who go weak in the knees for chai, we have the Sweet Coconut Thai Chai and the Bengal Spice tea, both of which I have with a dash of Blue Diamond Almond Milk and a hit of sugar or honey before bed. I find the Bengal Spice too spicy for my taste, and so generally reach for the coconut instead. I don't think I would buy the Bengal again, but I must say I adore the packaging of this one most of all. The Sweet Coconut Thai is a tad too spicy once I reach the bottom of my cup, but I think I would repurchase this one as it takes sweetness well and is a pretty unique flavour.

I couldn't haul from iHerb without hitting up their extensive elf inventory, and I narrowed my basket down to these four pink beauties. I have always wondered about the liquid HD blushes that are around, and the elf HD blush in Headliner is so affordable that I was happy to buy but was not expecting much from. I was pleasantly surprised, this blends well and is very pigmented, and I can't realistically see myself using up the whole tube in this lifetime. I have my eye on some of the other shades now, and also plan on picking up another of the baked blushes too. I chose the shade Peachy Cheeky and I absolutely adore how glowy this makes my cheeks look.

When I ordered the Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Pink Lemonade, I was expecting a pale pink ballerina type shade. You know, like pink lemonade? Instead I was greeted with a metallic deep pink shade which I was none too pleased about until I popped it on and took a photo. I actually really like it, and don't have a shade like it in my collection which is a good thing. One negative is that I had to wind it up a crazy amount before I could use it - you can see how it arrived in the images above, and below is how much I had to wind it to get any out! Seems like such a waste of plastic and even though elf is cheap I feel a bit ripped off.

Wearing elf Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Pink Lemonade

Yep, that's me.

I'm yet to try the St Lucia cheek duo that is an obvious Nars Laguna/Orgasm take off, so I'll have to get back to you on that one. A friend of mine swears by it though, and she has very good taste in makeup so I took her word for it despite not loving the Nars originals very much anyway.

As many of you may know, if you use a code on iHerb you can grab some pretty awesome discounts and a portion of the payment goes towards the code owner - if you feel like topping up my iHerb rewards account and being my herbal tea pusher, pop this code in BEJ649 for money off your first order - $10 off orders over $40, and $5 off your first order if it is less than $40. Considering that iHerb have supplements, health foods, yummy teas as well as cosmetics, be warned that your basket will probably fill up quickly!

Have you ever ordered from iHerb?
What tea brands do you think I should look into next?! What should I buy next from elf?!
Emma @ emmabovarybeauty
iHerb code: BEJ649

 

 

Rosy Accent

I've taken to doing my makeup in the bathroom while my beauty room is being organised, and have found the natural light in there to be really lovely at certain times of the day. As I went past the foundation and concealer stage I perused my blush options in my daily tray, and picked up Chanel Accent from the recent limited edition collection. I wanted a nude lip to go with my heavier-than-usual daytime eye look and picked up Rosy Future* from the newly re-released Revlon Super Lustrous lipgloss range, and wouldn't you know it, they are two peas in a pod!

I'm quite partial to a brown toned nude lip, I think that often people have a few that they will look like an 80's dance music model, but in reality brown tones are often really flattering in nude shades! For me personally, I think it gives a bit of an edge to a nude lip that makes me look a bit older and perhaps more professional, which is handy considering I'm often mistaken for a student while teaching at high schools!

I am still playing around with Chanel Accent and have not made my mind up about it - most of the time I wear it over the top of Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed to give a bit of dimension and shimmer to my cheeks, but then I get this strange feeling that I'm betraying the blush code by using Chanel as a topper rather than a main player. Does this happen to anyone else, or am I just that blush mad?

Couldn't resist throwing in this shot of my little helper Charlie, who sits at my feet or on the bath mat to watch me swirl my powders and smear my lotions on. He can't seem to work out mirrors just yet, and so seeing his eyes flick from me to my reflection is the cutest thing! 

 

 

A quick iPhone snap of me wearing Revlon Rosy Future and Chanel Accent. Complimentary, non?

What do you think about matching makeup? Love it, or hate it?

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

*Provided for editorial consideration. Honesty, always.

 

 

blush week 03

Getting into a blush rut can be frustrating when you have as large a blush collection as I do. They taunt me and feel neglected as I continually reach for my Chanel powders and beloved Tarte Exposed, and so when I was reshuffling my Daily Tray I pulled out 5 bright shades to get myself back into loving my blushes once more. I may throw a different shade in between these, but will wear all 5 of them in the coming week or two and then report back with some snaps to share with you.

 

I told you they were bright! I don’t know what made me reach for my crème blushes, but I suppose they are lovely to use in summer to create a dewy cheek look with ease. I tend to use my Real Techniques Stippling Brush to apply all of these blushes, and save my NP Set blush brush* more my more muted powder blushes. I just bought the gorgeous Savvy Cheek Balm in Blissful Blush for $3 from Priceline after seeing it in their most recent catalogue, and I’ve already used it and recommend you grab one to try it out! It’s really pigmented and in such cute wind up style packaging.

I remember my excitement at grabbing the Revlon Photoready Cream blushes, and the shades Flushed and Coral Reef worked much better on me than the pale and sheer Pinched which I sort of regret buying. I haven’t used these in so long, but I know that Tine from Beautyholics Anonymous likes them and I trust her opinion, so back into the rotation they go for me!

 

I adore the YSL Crème de Blush formula, but this bright pink Fuschia Temptation is so strong that I have to be careful about what looks I use it with lest I look like a clown. It is such a happy shade and I’m looking forward to wearing it soon! I’ve only got 3 of the YSL Crème de Blush’s, I look forward to the day a new shade in this formula enters my collection. The lonesome powder blush in my week of cheek is the MAC Archie’s Girls blush that I hunted with all of my might – Prom Princess, from the Veronica section. This is a brilliant colour and I am so happy to bust this out again, I think it will look great with a nice glossy magenta lip.

Now for the swatches!

 

The cream blushes look really dewy, but most dry down to a powdery finish which I top with Maybelline Dream Matte powder anyway. They still give a great glow to the cheek, but mattifying them helps them last longer and tones down the shine on my face during the heat of Melbourne.

Which of these shades would you wear first?

What blush shades do you return to all the time? (I’d love to check them out!)

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

The Daily Tray 02

My daily tray has been shaken up and as promised I have taken a few snaps to keep you up to date with the products I’ll be focusing on now. Coral and pink are the main trends right now, with my blush and lip obsession becoming very apparent as I struggled to whittle down my choices. I’m really enjoying diving into my stash to enjoy some of my beautiful but unloved products, and this is what I’ll be reaching for.

My regular Rimmel foundation holds its ground, but is joined by my Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream* which has great coverage and is quick and easy to apply – perfect for hot days! I’ve kept my Maybelline Instant Age Rewind in there for dark circles, and my Maybelline Dream Matte Powder is kept in my purse for touch ups throughout the day. I didn’t realise how many Maybelline products I love until I took this shot!

A plethora of lip options, about which I am simultaneously elated and ashamed…Pink lips will be thanks to Maybelline Color Whisper in Mad for Magenta* and Petal Rebel*, with my gloss option being the Pretty in Punk Sportsgirl liquid lip colour. Coral lips will be a common sight too, with essence 24 Just Georgeous (yes, George, just like Pappa Bovary!) and Groupie at Heart being staples over the top of Maybelline Peach Blossom Color Bloom. I also threw in MAC Kiss & Don’t Tell from the Archie’s collection, and my Revlon Pango Peach for no-brainer lip days, with my Colette Hayman Coconut lip balm to keep in my bag (EOS eat your heart out!)

Eyes will of course be centred around Urban Decay Naked 3 palette which arrived last week (hurrah!) and I’ve been absolutely loving the stunning shades inside! I still have Dior Fairy Golds out because I am yet to hit pan, and I need to feel that pan rush – fellow beauty lovers, you know what I’m talking about, right?! Too Faced Shadow Insurance and TheBalm Put a Lid on It* are my primers, and the essence Hot Chocolate eyeliner will always be in the daily tray for me – a firm favourite! The essence Ticket to Paradise cream eyeshadow in 01 Dive With Me to the Island will be my minty kick now, and Revlon Lash Potion my lash-coater of choice.

Cheeks are my weakness, okay? (no, not those cheeks!) Savvy Cheek Balms in Blissful Blush and Heavenly Highlight join my YSL Fuschia Temptation in the cream blush stakes, along with Revlon Photoready Cream Blush in Flushed and Coral Reef. My damn NYX Peach is still kicking around and joins MAC Prom Princess from the Archie’s Girls collection as my powder shades for the time being.

Phew, this lot should keep my entertained while I wait for the Dior Trianon collection to hit the counters. What makeup are you playing around with at the moment?

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

*Provided for consideration, but placed in the daily tray with honesty!

TheBalm Instain - Strawberry Toile

To a blush obsessed beauty blogger, it doesn't get much better than being able to trial a new blush formulation in a stunning shade! As soon as TheBalm Instain in Toile* hit my desk I threw it on my cheeks, and loved how pigmented but blendable the strawberry coloured powder was. I applied it using my Real Techniques Stippling Brush (as I do with most pigmented blushes) and layered it a little bit and found it easily buildable, so it would definitely work for those who only like a sheer shot of colour on their apples, too. Here are the other products I used to complement the strawberry shade Toile!

TheBalm describes this as a strawberry colour, and try as I might I couldn't find a lip shade with the name strawberry in it. Days like these I wish I owned Revlon Strawberry Suede let me tell you now! I decided to choose my lip shade on colour alone and so the Covergirl lipperfection Jumbo Gloss Balm in Coral Twist* made the cut (these feel so nice on the lips, have you tried them yet?) The rest of the look was pretty simple, and I was impressed that I only used 7 products and about 7 minutes to finish this look!

 Anytime I use a beautiful bright blush it negates the need for a detailed eye look, so after applying TheBalm's Put A Lid On It eyelid primer* (which I had never even heard of before I received it!) I hastily scribbled the champagne shade of my Revlon Colorstay Smoky Shadow Stick in 201 Torch all over my lid, and then used the amazing deep brown shade as a liner on the outer third of my upper and lower lashline. The dark shade of this has actually snapped off (not happy Jan...) but I still use it as I love the shade that much - this speaks volumes I think!

 My inner corner highlight was mint (as usual!) with the essence Me & My Ice Cream 03 Always in my Mint marble shade. My plan is to use this wet sometime this week to see how vivid I can make it - things like this can be highlights of my day, seriously! Base needed to be simple for a hot Melbourne day so I used my favourite BB cream, the Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream*. To top off the look I used my new Revlon Lash Potion mascara which I bought at half price last week and I'm enjoying it so far.

So there you have it - a strawberry blush-centric easy makeup look that anyone could do!

TheBalm Instain blushes retail for $26.95 AUD and you can buy them here!

What do you base your makeup looks on - the eyes, the lips or the cheeks?
Have you tried much from TheBalm?

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

*Provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

 

Grey + Coral - when winter and summer collide

The coral cheek trend has been a bit hit with me for quite a while now (BYS Endless Summer blush trio is the best for coral cheeks!) but now I'm adding a coral lip into my easy summer repertoire. As I think I've mentioned before, come summer time I pack away my lipsticks and bring my lipgloss stash to the front of my collection. Bright and summery glosses like this essence Beauty Beats Groupie at Heart gloss are great to brighten up the face. I also adore the MAC Archie's Girls Kiss and Don't Tell lipglass which is similar but more sticky (in a good way) than this el cheapo option. Since the essence gloss doesn't last very long, I layered it on top of my Maybelline Colour Bloom in Peach Blossom so that colour remained after the glossy effect wore off. Was very pleased with the result! 

In an unexpected wintery twist, I have been using quite a few grey and silver polishes lately, For this mix I chose a base of the nails inc Leather Effect polish* in Old Compton Street (which I am sad to say Charlie has now chewed the top of so the leather lid doesn't look so fresh, cheeky little puppy!) I then dabbed a bit of Sinful Colors Diamonds are Forever on the tips of each nail, and I have to say this cheap silver glitter is something my collection was in desperate need of! I threw a few coats of top coat on to try to get rid of the leather effect and was almost successful, but next time I think I will just use a grey crème and be done with it. I much prefer the other nails inc formulas, the leather look for nails isn't really my thing. I think perhaps I will appreciate the different texture in winter when leather and faux fur are floating my icy boat.

 

Adore the silver glitter tips! The other silver polish I've been trialling is the chrome finish Push & Shove* from the new OPI Gwen Stefani collection, and it is pictured above.

this is my 'wow I love coral and grey' face! note the grey throw rug behind me in this shot - it is my best buddy for couch naps!

 



Are you a fan of coral lips? Are grey tones your thing at this time of year or do you stick to traditional brights in summertime?

 

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

 

*Provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

The 6 Best Bronzers for Fair Skin

Summer has arrived in Melbourne! I'm currently slumming it with Charlie in front of the air-con with all of the blinds drawn, and thought that it was the perfect time to bust out some of my bronzers. Does summer get you in the mood for bronzing it up, too?!

So as a self-proclaimed blush junkie, bronzer isn't a consistent part of my makeup routine if I'm honest. However, around this time of year both of my sisters head on summer holidays and come back looking uber brown, and since I am crazy-pale at the best of times, sitting next to them can make me look like a ghost if I'm not careful. I need a touch of bronzer to warm up my complexion since actual tanning is a no-no for me, and these are what I'm working with!

The easiest powder for me to wear is probably the Clarins Accent Face Powder thanks to the sheer formula, pale shade and dash of peppy pink to bring it into blush territory. Next up for the pale and sheer reasons would be The Body Shop Honeycomb bronzer, which it a tie for my very favourite bronzer altogether. Not only is it cute and compact, it blends like a dream and can be used as a contour thanks to the matte formula.

Now for an opinion that many won't agree with...let's talk about Nars Laguna. I see people rave about this all the time on blogs and YouTube, and am happy to say I got this adorable little travel size for free back when Mecca Maxima first opened the doors in Melbourne Central. As you can see, I've used it enough to hit pan on it, but if I have to be totally honest I'm just not a huge fan of this! It doesn't blend as nicely as most other bronzers I own, the colour isn't anything spectacular and as we all know, Nars rubber packaging gets super filthy in a flash! This is something I wouldn't personally purchase, but others seem to love it so take that with a grain of salt.

Another hyped up bronzer that I'm testing out is the beautiful Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel which is one of the only cream bronzers in my stash. I am yet to try this under my foundation as Estee/EssieButton recommends, but so far it seems easy to blend and the colour is pretty lovely for my skin tone. Plus c'mon, it is Chanel for crying out loud - stunning!

The most shimmery of the bronzers I own (and the most affordable at $11.95!) is definitely the Face of Australia Pressed Bronzer*, which I use sparingly on the top of my cheekbones for a subtle bronze glow. I don't see this as being the same as any of my other bronzer-type products, and use it more as a bronzed up highlighter than anything else. The top nod for my favourite bronzer (tied with The Body Shop number...) is the beautiful Clinique Superbalanced Bronzer* (the grinder version) which is the best for me in terms of colour, blendability and finish. I do see how frustrating the large packaging would be to travel with, but ultimately the other factors more than make up for that and my love for this bronzer holds strong.

And now for the swatch!

 

What are some of your favourite bronzers?
Are they a daily staple in your routine, or do you only bust them out occasionally too?

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

*Provided for consideration, which doesn't affect the bronzed up love. Honesty, always.

The Possible Resolution

Isn't it the right time of year to be thinking about changing up the routine and being better when it comes to skincare and makeup? I've been thinking about how I could enjoy my stash more effectively in the new year, and I've come up with some things I'd like to work on - I'll be calling them a 'possible' resolution as I don't want to jinx anything, and I know how lazy I can get.

Cuticle oil will be a big part of 2014 for me, as using my extensive nail stash just isn't as enjoyable knowing that I have some ragged borders for the pretty shades. I've got a bit bottle of Kit Cuticle Oil in my drawer and my plan is to have a little nail box in the lounge room so that I can slop on some oil while watching Breaking Bad each night. I tend to do my nails in the lounge room so that I have TV or YouTube to watch as they dry - is this a common trait? I also really want to use up a lot of my body lotions this year, as I tend to chop and change between scents and never end up finishing a whole tub/tube.

one side natural, one side straightened!

I think that most bloggers resolve to use less of their heat stylers when a new year beckons, but for me I pledge the opposite. More effort into hair care and styling will be a task for this lazy lady, but the feeling I get when my long hair is straightened/curled and looking good is well worth the extra time it takes to tend to it. 

I have been thinking about this next goal and can't seem to put my finger on what it is I wish to achieve with it. Perhaps to be at peace with my makeup collection is what I yearn for right now? During December I had a few main products I used over and over again, and seeing dents form in eye shadows and tubes begin to thin out was quite a thrill for me. I tend to 'rotate' my products too often, but perhaps being able to strike a happy medium between loving all of my eye shadows and using some up can be met this year?

some new press samples I am going to trial - which should I choose first to fit in with my Guinot
cleansing milk?!

A goal I am sure about is the effort to double cleanse my skin each night. For the most part I already do this, but my skin reacts quickly when the effort falters and I am left with a pretty unhappy canvas to apply makeup on. I had been using the Shu Uemura cleansing oil* (green variant) but it didn't agree with my skin so I am thinking of returning to a nice thick cleansing balm eventually. I've got my bottles of Bioderma from the Priceline 40% sale but they are reserved for refreshing myself on non-makeup days and for eye-shadow switches mid way through the day, so I'm not even considering using them as a first cleanse (to take makeup off before double cleansing is okay though)

Have you pegged any goals for the new year?
I quite like the 'new' feeling I'm enjoying right now, like a spring clean for my mind.

Emma x

 

Manhattan Blooms

I am such a sucker for a beautiful fragrance, and a few of the products I've been using lately definitely tick the 'smell awesome' criteria box for me. The obvious product to smell amazing is a perfume (whoda thunk it!) and the latest bottle to hit my stash is the latest Taylor Swift perfume, Taylor. A lovely Christmas gift from my sister in law, it was initially the cool 70's retro luxe bottle that saw this jump on my wishlist, but the scent was the real hook in the end. Fragrantica mentions notes like lychee, tangerine and vanilla orchid, but ultimately this reminds me of Britney Spears Curious with a touch more class (note: I have a fond spot for Curious as Mister Bovary bought me it when we began dating, so this similarity is a very positive thing for me)

Another good scent experience comes by way of yet another sister in law - some Manhattan Dusk melts for our oil burner. Mister Bovary has a serious melt/candle addiction, and these were down to $1 so they were thrown in with my sister-in-laws Dusk haul while we were out shopping together. They smell of bergamot and rose damask, and I love the pretty pale blue colouring so much.

A surprisingly impressive scent is the new Maybelline Color Bloom lip balms which are not yet available in Australia, but were purchased in Bali as part of my Christmas gift from my dear friend Carly. These balms smell sweet and go on clear before blooming into colour on your lips, staining them a nice sheer shade. I adore the clean lines of the packaging for these, elated to have two new lip products to play around with this summer. I have Pink Blossom and Peach Blossom, the hot pink being my personal favourite.

Last but not least in the amazing scent stakes is the latest body moisturiser obsession of mine - Lush's Sikkim Girls*! I received this tub at the Lush Cruelty-Free Christmas event and have been rubbing in the heady jasmine scented lotion every night before I hit the hay. It does leave a bit of a residue but smells so good - the scent is described by Mister Bovary as 'a mix between a Lush store and a hippy'.

 

What scents have you been swooning over?

 

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

Latest Haul - the Priceline edition

Am mini-hauling so often that I can't keep up with the posts to show you the goodies! All cheapies so the guilt isn't too immense, but still.

The trend for me seems to be getting multiple things of a certain sort - a stack of glosses and plenty of blush! Priceline had not yet put the essence Beauty Beats collection out when I got friendly with a sales assistant who kindly let me rustle through the delivery box from out the back. I chose the obvious collection stunners in the bright blush and shimmering powder, but also bought the pale pink gloss and the mint sparkle - too cool to say no to! I later went back for the purple shadow and the mint too, which I've been using as an inner corner highlight hence it's disappearance from this shot. Two of the new long-lasting lipsticks came home with me to as the formula is seriously stellar, and at $4.10 who can resist!

 Yet another lip formula that I am a fan of is the Models Prefer Runway Shine lipglosses, and so I added to my collection (and almost rounded out the set...) with 3 more shades. If you haven't tried these already you should swatch them, Catfight is a Barbie pink and my favourite and these three are really lovely as well. Top the baby haul off with two new blush shades from Savvy (another el cheapo brand!) and my stash is well and truly invigorated!

 

Have you picked up anything from Priceline lately, or have you been good and have just bought gifts for loved ones?

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

 

 

Minty Fresh

I have a feeling you might be sick of hearing about how amazing Dior eyeshadows are, but the Fairy Golds palette has honestly been on my lids 99% of December and so it makes sense that it is featured in this face of the day. The main excitement for this look was the inclusion of a mint inner corner highlight, but sadly the photos are still from my iPhone and I still haven't been able to capture the effect all that well. I've been popping a little bit of essence Beauty Beats I'm Backstage single shadow on every morning because I think it looks really cool - close enough to pale champagne to look normal because it is sheer, but just that little bit cooler.

 

Illamasqua Sophie* is such an amazing blush, shimmery but looks glowy on the cheeks so I don't technically need to bother with highlighter. I dusted on a little bit of essence Return to Paradise shimmer powder anyway, and topped off the shimmer with some NYX Peach powder blush. Sounds like a lot of powder right? Good blending saves the makeup crazy mood every time. I am trying to use up the NYX pan and find that dusting a little bit on can alter the colour of the blush underneath and it helps use up the pan. I'm quite sick of the shade on its own, so this is how I plan on getting rid of it.

 

Base was the usual, and I've been using the Revlon 3D Volume mascara for a little while now but I'm not totally impressed with it. It's a bit too wet for my liking and the look isn't all that good on my lashes. Something that I have been impressed with more so is the Too Faced Shadow Insurance which has served my lids well (though it could also be attributed to the Dior awesomeness that is Fairy Golds)

A nice and easy look that is very wearable, but is lots of fun to apply in the morning is often the key for me. I'll try my best to capture the mint pop and pop it up on Instagram soon (@emmabovary)

 

I'd love to know what shade you use in your inner corners?

 

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

Daily Tray

You know you've read a great blog post when you drop what you are doing (which was cuddling Charlie with a hundred blog tabs open...) to make a move with your makeup stash. Reading Larie's musings and seeing the products she keeps out to use regularly inspired me to steal the idea and create a 'daily tray' for myself - the products I want to make dents in, need to test or want to enjoy for a little while. Every few days I can see this getting a wee shake up, but I think semi-regular posts with the new additions could be beneficial for me and something you would hopefully find interesting.



I've got some of my staples in there like my Rimmel Match Perfection Cream Gel and my Too Faced Shadow Insurance, but I also threw in items I haven't touch in months like Revlon Nearly Naked foundation and my Laura Mercier foundation primer. I decided that while I wait for my Urban Decay Naked 3 palette to arrive I would give the original version a rest and bring out Naked 2 for a play. I had forgotten how beautiful the shades in this variation are, and am glad that soon I will have the fabulous trifecta.

A new minty shade for my inner corners came into the daily tray from the essence Me & My Ice-Cream collection, as well as the bright coral gloss from the new Beauty Beats collection (amazing glosses by the way!) I'm not loving either of the mascaras but can't bear to throw them away just yet as they aren't the worst I've ever used, so they will be in here for a little while.

An important part of my daily tray? Products I need to use up or want to hit pan on! I've had NYX Peach for so long and as you can see it is on its way out, so I've been wearing it daily with another shade dusted on top to make it interesting but still get rid of the pan. The bit dip in the champagne shade of Dior Fairy Golds is actually really exciting me and I can't wait to see some shiny Dior pan for the first time in my life!

 

Product list:

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer

Revlon Nearly Naked foundation

Rimmel Match Perfection Cream Gel

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer

 

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

E.L.F. Coffee Bean single shadow

essence Always in My Mint single shadow

Dior Fairy Golds palette

Urban Decay Naked 2 palette

Maybelline Mega Plush mascara*
Revlon 3D Volume mascara

essence Hot Chocolate eyeliner

 

NYX Peach

Chanel Accent

 

Revlon Rosy Future lipgloss*

essence I'm A Groupie lipgloss

 

Clinique Dramatically Different + moisturiser*

Lush Lust solid perfume

Avon Bond Girls perfume

 

Colour Theory Bronzer in Sun Kissed (not shown)

 

***********************************************************************

 

Do you keep your main products out on show too?

How often do you dive back into your collection to find a treasure?

 

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

 

*Provided for consideration. Honesty, always.





The Birthday Face

Hip hip hooray, it was my birthday yesterday! Another year older and hopefully wiser as well. I had a lovely little day out with my family, and thought it important to share my 'birthday face' here to keep a record of the makeup memories. Every year my sister takes me out but keeps our destination a secret (some years it has been bowling, mini golf, fancy lunch, shopping spree etc) and no matter what we do I have an amazing time with her, so it is one of the main reasons I love my birthday so much. This year my niece Ella and nephew Hamish came along as well as Mumma Bovary, which makes the day even better! We went out for a nice lunch and I indulged in a bit of a shopping spree before we stopped off at Dairy Bell for a scoop of ice-cream!

I woke up in the morning to Charlie snuggles and a nice coffee made by Mister Bovary before he left for work, and spent the morning watching YouTube videos and reading Bel-Ami by Guy de Maupassant. Pretty perfect morning, right? The night was great as well, all of my family came around for pizza and my beautiful best friend Candice made the trip down from the country to make my day!

Products:

I took my time doing my makeup so it looked a bit spesh for my special day, and layered my foundation to cover any blemishes. I used my Urban Decay Naked 2 to create a daytime smoky eye with Pistol all over the lid, Busted in the outer crease and Foxy to highlight my brown bone. I then went in heavy with my essence Hot Chocolate liner as I wanted a thick line on my top lid, and I absolutely loved the effect.

I used my favourite Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed but topped it with a little bit of Chanel Accent to spice it up a little, and then dusted some Dior Amber Diamond on top of my cheekbones like I do everyday. Lips were finished off with my Kardashian Au Natural Lip Set for a layered glossy nude look.

The Face:

no such thing as too much bling on your birthday!

Mumma Bovary and I out for lunch!

I'll be posting about the gifts I receive for my birthday next, I received such thoughtful gifts but am hoping that mister postman delivers my Naked3 in time for the post, and so that I can enjoy its awesomeness.

Do you have any birthday traditions?
Is it just me, or is the act of buying yourself a birthday gift (or 5...) so much fun?!

Emma x