My Current Cheek Rotation ft. Hourglass, Too Faced, MAC + more

Over the last few months I tried to push myself out of my Chanel Joues Contraste blush rut (my love for that product is strong, you guys!) in an effort to rotate through my large blush collection. These are the products I've primarily reached for through that time and I have to say that I've been enjoying it - but that I'll always return to Chanel for a good blush rush.

Blushes and palettes are two of my favourite things, so it makes sense that I adore the idea of a blush palette! My current favourite and most used palette is the Too Faced Love Flush Blush wardrobe and I've worn each colour at least once over the last little while. The other blush palette is the Hourglass Ambient Light Blush Palette which I took up to Queensland for our week away, and I'm happy to say that while there I used all of these shades at least once as well. I really like the glowy effect that the Hourglass cheek powders give to the skin and I think those who like a natural but luminous finish would really appreciate these. It kind of takes the need for highlighter away which I like during the day, but I amp up the glow for any special occasion or night out with TheBalm's Mary Lou Manizer, which deserves all of the hype it receives from the beauty community.

Something different that I've been popping on my face lately has been bronzer - I go through stages with wearing bronzer and the lead up to our 'beach holiday' (which ended up being a bit chilly if I'm honest!) I was wearing The Body Shop Honeycomb bronzer every day in excitement for a week away. I love how light and easy to apply this product is, I use it to sculpt my cheeks (which I really need right now, pregnancy puff is real!) as well as give overall warmth to my pale complexion. Two other blushes that have been getting some love are neutrals (surprise, surprise!) Benefit Dallas boxed blush is super pigmented and though I always try to use a light hand with it I always end up buffing it afterwards to tone down the colour. It's a gorgeous though and that perfect bronzer/blush combination shade that I adore. A more pink-toned neutral is MAC Poised which is a staple of mine, it's just an easy colour to throw on if you don't want to put much thought into pairing shades or matching a certain makeup look. 

What cheek products are you currently loving?

Emma x

essence Love & Sound Collection

On my last shopping jaunt with Mumma Bovary I spotted the new essence Love & Sound collection on the shelves at Priceline - naturally I made grabby hands for a few bits and pieces and thought I'd share what I chose and my initial thoughts on them! Limited edition blushes are a natural choice for the #blushfiend in me, and the unique eyeshadow shades really tempted me as well. I also restocked my favourite daily eyeliner, the essence Long Lasting Eye Pencil in Hot Chocolate as my current one is almost empty.

essence Long Lasting Eyeliner in Hot Chocolate
I've spoken about this eyeliner a whole lot on the blog, and stand by my love for the deep chocolate cream shade - the price tag of around $3 also cements my love for it! I wear it most often smudged into my upper lash line for some subtle definition, and it's something I buy back-ups of regularly in case essence lose their minds and discontinue this amazing eyeliner range.

essence Love & Sound Eyeshadow in Glastonberry
This immediately grabbed my attention and I was quick to throw the last pan into my shopping basket - I was also tempted by the peachy colour, but I'm currently trimming down my makeup collection so didn't feel it was a 'need', just a 'want' so I left it aside. Glastonberry immediately reminds me of Angela from Caffeine Induced, so imagine how weird it was to hop straight onto her blog after the shopping trip to see that she has just bought the shade, too! It's a wearable yet pigmented wine colour with a brown tone to it that just makes my eyes pop - I've been throwing it over a champagne shade everyday since I bought it and it's rocking my world right now. Spoiler alert: it will definitely feature in my next Currently Loving post!

essence Love & Sound Multi-Colour Blush in Sunset @ Centre Stage
Limited edition? Tick. Ombre? Tick. Stunning? TICK! I didn't even think twice about this one, the ombre blush formula from essence is of such high quality for the price tag and the colour seemed a bit different to most of my shade thanks to the plum tones of the first shade section of the pan. I did wonder if it would be similar to my essence Blush Up Powder Blush in Heat Wave or Pinky Flow, but I'm happy to report that they are quite different (comparisons are below for you!)

Heat Wave, Sunset @ Centre Stage

Heat Wave, Sunset @ Centre Stage, Pinky Flow

Each shade strip of Sunset @ Centre Stage

Heat Wave individual shades swatched // Sunset @ Centre Stage individual shades swatched

Heat Wave swirled together swatch, Pinky Flow swirled together swatch, Sunset @ Centre Stage swirled together swatch

I'm really pleased with my choices from this collection and think I'll get a lot of wear from them - other than these bits I was only really tempted by the mauve lipstick, but that was sadly sold out. Here is the rest of the collection if you're interested! I think I'm looking forward to the new Brit-Tea collection that should be out at Target any day now a little bit more (it's yet to be released at mine, has it hit yours?)

Later in the week I'll be posting a makeup look using these new Love & Sound products, so look out for that if you're interested!

Hope you're having a wonderful day!
-Emma

*I personally purchased these products. Honesty, always.

Current Blush Rotation

As a self-proclaimed blush fiend I have my fair share of cheek colours, but lately I seem to be rotating the same handful of shades and formulas leaving all others by the wayside. Soon I will attempt to branch out into my collection (perhaps a blush challenge is in order?) but for now, these are the blushes that have been gracing my cheeks.

TOP: Alezane, Golden Sun
BOTTOM: Jersey, In Love

Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blushes in:
260 Alezane
280 Golden Sun
80 Jersey
55 In Love

The Chanel powder blush formula is easily my favourite on the market, and I can even say that Chanel blushes are my favourite beauty product - period! Nothing gives me a thrill quite like adding a new shade to my collection and I've been using my very favourite Jersey (a neutral) as well the coral In Love that Mister bought me for Christmas. Recent additions to the mix are the new Fall 2015 shades which deserve their own post, the shimmery Alezane and Golden Sun. They are so easy to apply, the rose scent is addictive and I highly recommend trying them out if you are a sucker for blushes like I am.

Max Factor Crème Puff Blush in 10 Nude Mauve
Physician's Formula Argan Wear Ultra-Nourishing Argan Oil Blush in Rose

I was apprehensive about these two initially as drugstore blushes find it hard to compete with the likes of Chanel and co, but lo and behold these two hold their own and I'm proud to say I'm a big fan of them. Nude Mauve is my perfect work shade and it brightens my face up with ease, and Rose steps up to the plate when I'm craving a pretty flush of pink for something different.

As you can see, neutral and nude blushes practically rule my makeup life right now! I think I need to dive into my blush drawer and sift through some pans to make room for these new Chanel beauties, but as a blush fiend a clean out is such a hard thing to do...

 

What shades are in your current blush rotation?

What is the best drugstore blush, and which is the best high end you've tried?

-Emma

Collective Haul - Mid 2015

I've fallen off the wagon when it comes to posting hauls...not only have I neglected to post about my kinda recent Colourpop haul, I haven't even touched on the glorious U.S honeymoon haul that happened at the end of last year! I think I'm going to round up a post on that as a way to prepare you for some upcoming reviews (and because I want to share the pretties!) but for now, here is a collective haul of what I've bought recently.

 

My obsession with tea knows no bounds, and I was excited to find this new Kromland Farm Organic Rooibos Caramel Tea on our weekly grocery shop. I found out about the Madame Flavour Tea Treats Mint Choc Rooibos when a friend posted about it on Facebook - she was not joking when she said it tasted amazing!

Not only am I addicted to tea this winter, I'm also addicted to adorable mugs! Despite having an overflowing mug cupboard as it is, I couldn't resist these patterns at Kmart when I went out shopping with my sister. The black and white is so chic and the watermelon one makes me happy - because of both the print and the fact that it holds HUGE amounts of peppermint tea for me!

I've tried to stop myself from accumulating more polishes but am currently working one a 'one in, one out' policy which seems to alleviate guilt a wee bit. The W7 'Red Debris' glitter screamed Christmas to me, and the Essie Ruffles and Feathers is a back up of the bottle I received in a PR parcel - I love it enough to need a back-up, trust me on that one! I found the Sensationail Gel Polishes on sale for $5 at Target and couldn't help but pick them up to add to my gel nail stash. I chose the shades Coral Sunset, Pink Chiffon and Pink Daisy. I also picked up one of the new Rita Ora for Rimmel shades (not pictured); that collection is seriously stunning by the way!

On the makeup front I'm doing quite well at choosing quality over quantity - I picked up two new Chanel Joues Contraste Blushes from the new Fall/Autumn 2015 collection (post up soon!) along with the Covergirl Full Lash Bloom mascara. I also grabbed the new Fragrance Mist of Britney Spears Curious (seen here in my Favourites!) and my sister picked up a tube of my beloved La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo + during the Priceline 40% sale.

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I've really been focusing on reducing my stash and seriously thinking about products before purchasing them and it seems to be working quite well for me. We have a few upcoming weekends away planned that we are saving for and it's a great excuse to shop my own stash more often which is more enjoyable now than it has ever been! We're also heading overseas in 6 months and my ideal plan is a big Bath & Body Works haul...a reasonable dream, right?!

 

What have you bought recently?

What tea should I buy next?

-Emma

 

Autumn Orange Kick

As soon as I saw Liz from Beauty Reductionista post about her current orange obsession "Winter Orange Kick" I was inspired to pull all the orange from my makeup drawers and go to town. I find that my pale skin generally allows me to play around with oranges quite easily (peach can be slightly more challenging) so this is just a selection of the orange products that I have.

my orange autumn kick!

I'm not too fussed on tone when it comes to orange - I love a great bright orange for nails and lips, but for eyes I'm happy with a lighter orange or a burnt sienna shade - like Jardin or Cannes in the Too Faced A La Mode Eyes Palette. Cheeks are an area of the face I love to deck out in orange tones - at the moment these two essence blushes are what I'm reaching for! Wool-D You Cuddle Me? from the Home Sweet Home collection is a great mix of pale orange with a hot pink pattern, and the ombre blush trend is one I'm happy to be a part of with I <3 Summer Break from the Beach Cruisers collection- the ability to mix a custom colour is so much fun!

I do love a good bright orange - my favourite is hands down the Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous which I wore in this makeup look back in November (looking at that post makes me want to wear Sally Hansen Kook-A-Mango so bad!) I love the formula of the Maybelline Colour Elixirs and prefer light colours like Breathtaking Apricot over the darker reds and purples - I generally like a matte finish if I'm wearing deeper shades. I have to admit that the Revlon Lip Butters are very unloved in my stash, and despite loving the colour of Peach Parfait the gritty feel of it does tend to drive me crazy when I wear it...

The most loved product from my current autumn orange kick? My beloved Maybelline Master Glaze Blush Stick in Coral Sheen, which is a gorgeous bright burst of cream blush for the cheek that is hard to beat now that the weather has turned a bit miserable. I think that nothing beats a nice bright blush on a grey day, it tends to perk up my whole complexion and I'm looking forward to working in pops of colour with my dark day-to-day autumn/winter wardrobe.

{Jardin, I <3 Summer Break, Wool'd You Cuddle Me?, Breathtaking Apricot
Peach Parfait, Rendezvous, Coral Sheen}

Are you on any sort of colour kick at the moment? I have to admit that I'm admiring a whole lot of purple at the moment which has never happened before, but since it's generally just for my eyes I have to say that orange is still pipping it at the colour post. Would love to know of your favourite orange beauty products!?

-Emma x

 

Addicted to Blush Tag (#blushfiend)

I recently decided that there was a distinct lack of blush love on here considering my status as a #blushfiend, and so when I saw the gorgeous Kat from Kitsch Snitch had created a blush tag I was all up on it! Blush is definitely my favourite thing in the beauty world and I had a blast rifling through my rather large blush drawers to pull product for this tag. These answers will definitely change for me as time goes on - sometimes the life of a #blushfiend is fickle, ya know?

What colour blush suits you the most?
I think peach tones suit my skin tone the most, despite it not being my favourite blush shade to wear (neutral wins that, with ease!) I find I receive more compliments when I wear peach tones and it seems to photograph relatively well also.

- peach tones suit me best -
Clinique Cheek Pop 'Peach Pop*'
 Chanel Joues Contraste ' 76 Frivole'
Chanel Joues Contraste '55 In Love'

Pressed/cream/loose blush?
The majority of my blush collection is definitely pressed powder blushes - I find them the easiest to work with, and it takes a really good cream formula for me to want to try it out! I recently bought the new MUFE HD Blush and I've heard it's a great cream formula, so I'm looking forward to testing that out.

YSL Crème de Blush '6 Rouge Passion'
Topshop Cream Blush 'Head Over Heels'
Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush 'Exposed'
Illamasqua Powder Blusher 'Naked Rose'
 

Favourite shimmery blush?
I tend to favour Satin finishes in general, but sometimes a nice fine glitter or shimmer doesn't go astray and I like the glow it adds to my face on 'good skin' days. My most recent favourite is MAC's Warm Soul blush which I picked up on my honeymoon, but more glittery favourites are Chanel Pink Explosion (like a satin finish with fine glitter mixed in) and the MAC Mineralize Blush in Hand-Finish. I think the MAC Mineralize blush range is the best way to dip your toe into shimmery blushes if you are unsure of them!


MAC Mineralize Blush 'Hand-Finish'
Chanel Joues Contraste 'Pink Explosion'
MAC Mineralize Blush 'Warm Soul'

Favourite matte blush?
I actually had trouble finding a good range of matte blushes in my collection - most were satin finishes when I looked at them properly! The best matte blushes that come to mind are from Illamasqua - the pigmentation is insane and the colours are usually pretty awesome, so even though I don't wear them very often I'd have to say they are my favourite matte offering!


Illamasqua Powder Blusher 'Naked Rose'
Illamasqua Powder Blusher Duo in 'Lover/Hussy'

Favourite cream blush? 
As I mentioned, cream blushes have to be pretty darn awesome to catch my eye and these two releases certainly are! The YSL Crème de Blush range is an old favourite and the Powdery Rose shade is everything, but the brand new Maybelline Master Glaze Blush Sticks have impressed me and I really wasn't expecting them to!

YSL Crème de Blush '2 Powdery Rose'
YSL Crème de Blush '6 Rouge Passion'
Maybelline Master Glaze Blush Stick 'Just-Pinched Pink*'
Maybelline Master Glaze Blush Stick in 'Pink Fever*'

Favourite drugstore blush?
It's not until you complete a tag like this that you notice trends in your makeup drawers - it seems I have a weakness for high end blushes! These BYS Blush Trios are definitely the best quality 'drugstore' blush I've tried - the pigmentation is stellar, the lasting power is akin to a Myer branded blush and the shades are exciting and varied! The are affordably priced at around $5-6 and they are worth so much more in my eyes. Gorgeous!

BYS Blush Trio in:
On The Brightside
Coral Me In
Endless Summer
Heart Skipped a Beat

Favourite high end blush?
Easiest question in this tag by far - my beloved Chanel Joues Contraste collection took a while to kick off it must be said, but once the ball began rolling it took over my blush love! I used to read posts like this by Pink Sith and swoon over the idea of owning one, but never understood just how amazing they were until Mister bought me one for Christmas a few years ago. My collection has grown fast since then and shows no signs of stopping, Chanel JC's make me so happy!

Chanel Joues Contraste Blushes in:
80 Jersey
76 Frivole
55 In Love
64 Pink Explosion

Favourite bright blush?

I'm not afraid of a good whack of colour in a blush, so I had quite a few to rifle through for this question. I ended up choosing the bright shades that get my heart racing as they haven't been something I reach for too often lately (I'm all about the neutral cheek right now!) The most wearable bright shade is definitely my Chanel JC 'Pink Explosion' which was my first Chanel blush, and I love the way it brightens up my whole complexion when I apply it with a Real Techniques Stippling Brush. Actually, that is how I apply all of my bright blush shades!



BYS Blush Trio 'On the Brightside'
essence Beauty Beats Blush 'Groupie at Heart'
Chanel Joues Contraste 'Pink Explosion'

Biggest blush disappointment/regret?
I've spend years trying to understand the Nars blush phenomenon (perhaps I just haven't tried the right shade?) and the hype surrounding the Bourjois Blush Pots, like this one in Rose D'Or. I had to scrape away a thick layer to get my swatch to show up (and it was gorgeous once I did, for sure!) but so much effort for a blush that keeps hardening up is not worth my time. The worst blush I've ever purchased is definitely the essence Bloom Me Up Blush Stick '01 Chaising Lacy' - not only is the name spelt strangely which irks me, the texture is terrible and pills on my skin no matter what I try, with hardly any pigment to speak of. I just had to swatch you to explain it well - it looks like an arm rash, am I right?

Bourjois Blush '34 Rose D'Or'
essence Bloom me Up Blush Stick '01 Chaising Lacy'

Bourjois swatch, essence swatch

Best blush packaging?
I can appreciate many different blush packaging, but I'm not sure whether or not I have a favourite in this regard...I love how clean and clear Illamasqua pans are but hate breaking my nails opening them, I love my Chanel JC's (which I keep in their boxes) but it's hard to quickly distinguish the blush shade, and other brands have their pro's and con's as well. As long as it is relatively pretty and keeps the product safe, I'm usually a happy camper!

What's on your blush wish list?
I am looking at trying some of the Colourpop Blush line, and also really want to hunt down the MAC Pro Longwear blush 'Make You Mine' which I neglected to buy in America and now really regret it. I always wait with baited breath for a new Chanel blush release and the upcoming Crescendo looks pretty interesting...the new Bobbi Brown Blush Trio's also look utterly delectable to me!

Number 1 holy grail blush?
I have to stay true and choose my wedding day blush for this question - my beloved Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush 'Exposed'! I also snuck in my other HG blush because I'm a rebel like that...the stunning Chanel JC 'Jersey'!

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush 'Exposed'



Tarte Exposed, Chanel Jersey

 

I would love to see everyone I follow complete this blush tag, it's so refreshing to think about your collection as a whole and it's made me pull out old favourites from my drawers to play with! That being said, I would especially love to tag Vita, Norlin, Ling, Sleep and Water, Tracy, Monika and Liz! Feel free to leave any blush recommendations in the comments, too - I would love to know what your favourite blush is, and which is the worst you've ever tried!

-Emma x