A Reductionista Gift

There is nothing better than arriving home after a stressful day to find a sweet parcel on your doorstep!

I recently won the 'End of Summer' competition over at Liz's blog, and I was ecstatic as I'd been lusting over the two Maybelline Color Tattoo shades since I first saw them on her blog! I snuggled up on the couch with Charlie to unwrap the goodies, and lo and behold the bag was bursting with lots of extra beauty treats for me! It's like Liz dived into my mind and said 'this is exactly what Emma would love!'

Even Mister Bovary was amazed by how these two shades look in the pot and in swatches - truly captivating and I can't wait to dip into them properly and see what sort of looks I can create. Sunwashed Sky is more cool toned and has amazing pigmentation, and Shimmering Sea flashes gold as you move and takes my breath away. I can't believe Maybelline didn't release this everywhere - crazy I tell ya!

A Canadian friend brought me over some Sonia Kashuk bits about a year ago but I hadn't tried any of their lipsticks, and this Sheer Fuchsia shade is totally up my alley and something I can get a lot of wear from. The Moonstone cream eyeshadow swatch literally stained my arm and was so hard to budge (it took me micellar water, oil based remover and a good go at my arm with a loofah before it was completely gone!) so I can only imagine how it will last on my lids! Last but not least is the St. Tropez face lotion (I need a bit of glow before I hit Hawaii!) and the gorgeous Annabelle Blush 48 - a wearable shade which is something I actually need in my overflowing collection of neutrals and megawatt brights!

 

Thank you so much to Liz for a great competition and some lovely extras - you really brought a smile to this beauty lovers face :)

 

I'm signing off now to go and have lunch and get my nails done, because tomorrow I am getting married!

 

Emma x

 

Wedding Makeup Inspiration - The Bridal Trial

It's only a few days until the big day and I've had my bridal trial, which I booked in for before my kitchen tea to kill two birds with one stone. I brought in a few Pinterest and Instagram snaps to show my gorgeous makeup artist Renee at Inglot and told her to go to town!

I really liked how subtle this look was

the metallic finish is stunning but that liner doesn't do it for me

this was to show how I wanted a neutral blush and lip to tie in with it

general vibe down pat

I told the makeup artist to choose whatever she thought would suit my eyes and said I wasn't afraid of a bit of eye makeup, but when it came to the blush I brought out my beloved Tarte Exposed to match it to something in the store. I think on the day I may still choose Exposed for my blush...After the wedding I'll be sure to post details of what we ended up going with on the day, if you're interested :)

I was actually quite nervous when I was in the chair, though I trusted Renee completely as she has been doing my makeup for years and is always my first choice. I guess I realised that this was a practise run for what is essentially the most important makeup of my life? Sounds quite dramatic but I can't ever see myself paying for photos and a videographer like this again, haha.

with Mumma Bovary!

 

with my beautiful maid of honour, Candice

I think we will make some slight adjustments to the products used on the actual wedding day (I know the lashes will be different...) and I'm tossing up on switching the golden cheekbone highlight to a more champagne tone...would love your thoughts?

I don't even know what lip colour I am wearing on my wedding day, how terrible for a beauty blogger!! I want something neutral/nude and probably matte so it lasts longer in between touch ups...any ideas?

 

Not long now!

Emma x

Baby Lips Electro Neon Lip Balms from Maybelline New York - Now Out in Australia!

The buzz around these gorgeous tinted balms is pretty insane, and after trying them out for myself I can totally understand why! The Maybelline Baby Lips Electro* ($3.95) range feel a lot silkier and smoother than the original Baby Lips here in Australia, and the tint on them is more noticeable on the lips than what I had expected, which was a pleasant surprise.

 

My pick of the three is probably the watermelon flavoured Pink Shock, which is bright on the lips from the very first swipe. All 3 smell delicious but the best by far is Oh! Orange!, which smells just like a Lip Smacker I had back in the day and it totally brings me back in the best way. The berry flavoured Berry Bomb is a full-on purple in the tube but on the lips gives a nice natural flush to the lips that I think makes this one the most wearable for those afraid of colour.

Even though these feel nice and silky smooth on the lips, I don't find them to be much of a moisturiser compared to my overnight lip treatments. The stain left behind with Pink Shock is a bonus, but these are easy to apply without a mirror and are a nice easy balm option if you feel like injecting a bit of colour into your makeup look. 

 

 

Are you planning on picking one of these Electro lip balms up?

Which shade tempts you the most for $3.95?

 

Emma x

 

*Provided for consideration. Honesty, always.



Hens Night Nails - Oh What A Knight from the Gelish Once Upon a Dream Collection

Considering the amount of time I spend (as a beauty blogger) thinking about nail polish, you would think that I would come prepared to my hens night nail appointment, right? Yet there I was, standing with the Gelish swatch board at my favourite nail place not knowing what I was going to do. I was planning on working my makeup style around my nail colour, and wanted it to look good against the gold bar detailing on the black peplum dress I was wearing that night.

wearing a replacement ring as my engagement ring is off getting resized and buffed for the big day!

I had originally wanted a nice shimmery forest green or maybe a bright coral orange colour to really pop against the black, but as soon as I saw Oh What A Knight on the swatch board I was drawn to it like moth to flame.

It's a strange mix and I can't quite pin down the exact colour - some descriptions say it is copper, at times I definitely see rose gold in there, but it has also got a really nice cooler tone to it which works well with my pale skin tone. The bright yellow golds they were offering me were just too extreme and would have looked terrible on my hands! I also got them to layer a silver glitter over the top of both middle fingers as an accent, in hindsight I probably would've liked the extra glitter on all 10 fingers!

I had an amazing time at my hens night, we hired a party bus to take us around the city and it was so nice not to have to arrange a taxi at the end of the night! My feet were aching the next day from all of the dancing I did, I stayed at the parentals place for the night and the French toast cooked by my Pappa the next morning was the cherry on top for me!

 

I'll leave you with two snaps from early on in the night - would love about the best hens night you've ever been on?

 

Emma x

on the bus heading into the city!

with Mumma Bovary having some food before we left

 

Current Favourites - October 2014

I'm at the stage where I need to do another beauty room tidy in order to appreciate the whole of my stash, but for now these are the products that are knockin' my socks off!

I'm all about playing up the eyes at the moment, and my neutral palettes have been loving the limelight. I'll forever love my Urban Decay Naked Palette (need new singles of Virgin + Sin!) but the Nars And God Created the Woman palette is already a firm favourite, too. A nice little sweep of my NYX Retractable Eyeliner in Silky Cashmere on my lower lashline seals the deal - highly recommend it!

Now that my focus has turned to perfecting the neutral eye look, I've been loving fuss free balms and tints on my lips most days. The Chapstick Cake Batter Lip Balm is out of this world delicious (I'll be real for a moment, cake batter tastes way better than actual cake!) and the new Maybelline Baby Lips Electro Neon Lip Balms* are so much more pigmented than I thought they would be!

Perfume has been quite the rushed affair lately, I seem to be slapping the snooze button a few too many times (shall we blame the stress of wedding planning on my sleep cycle?) I can't stop reaching for my Ralph Lauren Midnight Romance* perfume - it's a nice but slightly sexy fruity floral and a note I can suss out is raspberry. Another sweet option is kept in my handbag in case I forget to apply anything before I leave the house - my beloved Urban Rituelle purse spray in Cotton Candy.

Skincare has been the usual, I'm a bit scared to change anything in my routine as the wedding looms (I currently have 3 blemishes that have taken residence on my face and I don't want any more to join the party!) Lancôme Dreamtone* is seriously heavenly and working at kicking the pigmentation on my cheeks to the curb, and le bod has been loving the Victoria's Secret Amber Romance that was in my latest skincare post.

What are you currently loving?

Emma x

*Provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

The 5 Body Moisturisers You Must Try

For a while there I was really neglecting my body moisturiser, choosing to jump straight into my PJ's at night rather than dose up on some much needed moisture on the bod. Now I'm back and being a good beauty blogger (but hiding from our puppy Charlie who loves annoyingly licking lotion from my arms!!) These are the five body moisturisers in my arsenal that really come up trumps.

1.The Summer One
Evodia seem to excel at making summery, delicious smelling scents. This Mango and Pink Grapefruit lotion* is perfect for a hot summer day because it sinks in with ease, providing light hydration without feeling dense or heavy on the limbs. It's not incredibly moisturising but I find that summertime negates the need for heavy moisture all the time for me.

2.The Luxe One
I'm not sure what it is about L'Occitane, but I'm yet to try a mediocre product from the brand! I adore their Almond range immensely (the shower oil is my everything!) but this Pivoine Flora Beauty Milk* is all about the peony and since they will be in my wedding bouquet, my love for this stuff has grown lately! It sinks in SO fast, and smells luxurious and pretty all at once.

3.The Trendy One
You've surely noticed the hype around 'oil' at the moment - whether it be for face, skin or the bod, more brands are coming out with oil based products all the time. Garnier sent me a bundle of their new goodies a while back, and holy goodness they have impressed me. The Garnier Nourishing Oil* is a quick and easy way to inject moisture in a speedy way, but my bet is still on the scrub from this range to fly off the shelves fastest (it's amazing!)

4.The Lazy Gal's One
The idea behind the Lush Ro's Argan Body Conditioner* is pretty cool - slather it on after washing your bod in the shower (think of it as the hair conditioner for the skin) and then rinse off. I love the idea that it negates the need for a separate moisturiser after your shower, but I'll be honest and say that I use the teensiest bit as an intense body butter instead of its intended purpose and love how strong the scent is (and how long it lasts, too!)

5.The Best One
Desert island quality, this one! Victoria's Secret Amber Romance Body Lotion is other worldly and something I already have a backup of - the scent couldn't be any better for me, with rich crème anglaise and amber mingling together to create a warm and sexy vibe that slays me every single time.

As you can clearly see, unscented moisturisers just aren't my thing (ha!) so if you like a nice scented body moisturiser, I'd highly suggest trying out these 5 stunners!

Emma x

*Products provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

Roller Coaster

My lemming for Essie's Mojito Madness is still going strong, but I've bought myself a wee cheap green polish to tide me over until I hit the US and get to run into Sephora for the first time ever. I mentioned it briefly in this haul post and am pretty happy with the quality and opaque nature of essence Roller Coaster!

Roller Coaster is a mid-toned green that has the most subtle green sparkles, and though I could've done with another coat in these shots it applies with ease (I am a fan of fat wide brushes like the essence ones!) It's not the perfect Kelly Green/Starbucks shade that I can't get out of my head (seriously, look at the Essie swatched...) but it will do for now.

I like my nail polishes to generally have a bit of kick to them, and this definitely fits the bill in that regard! For a mere $2.75 I don't think you can go wrong with these essence polishes, they are always great value and an easy way to satisfy a strong lemming for a specific shade. 

Emma x