Late to Vamplify

Trust me to hop back onto the crazy MAC train only to forget how fast it moves and fall back off onto my backside! I received this limited edition Vamplify gloss a while ago now and began testing it out immediately, and probably should've rushed my official review post instead of dithering about with it as a permanent fixture in my everyday makeup bag. I mentioned this gloss in my October Favourites and also took it along for my Anniversary Weekend Away, and it has become a staple gloss for work that I'm really enjoying.

The Vamplify collection was released alongside the new shades of Pro Longwear Lip Pencil and even though I was initially most excited about the lip pencils, the gorgeous nude brown shade of Anything But Demure* and the comfortable formula soon won over my heart. I find the slight stickiness helps it adhere to the lips for a decent amount of time for a gloss and I definitely agree with MAC when they mention the high pigment levels in this product - it seriously packs a punch, and I think I'd be too scared to wear a bright shade from the Vamplify line, truth be told!

The elongated doe foot is easy enough to use and I think the packaging is reminiscent of old-school MAC, I once had some long slim tubes of gloss like this but the new formula is infinitely better and definitely worth looking into. Most of my glosses are sheer and silky (Nars old glosses, essence glosses, MAC Cremesheen etc) so having this longer wearing one in a nude shade is perfect for the party season for me - I'm free to go crazy with the eye looks and have this as a fall back option if I don't feel like going for a lip liner. Having said that, I've also worn this over various nude/brown liners to extend the wear and it has worked a treat. I love the Vamplify font and design and think MAC would do well to extend the line of these and create even more wearable shades, as I know I'd be in line for that! Anything But Demure is described by MAC as a 'mauvey nude' but I see quite a bit of Kylie Jenner-esque brown in it personally.

Do you prefer a bit of stick in your gloss, or are silky gliding glosses more your style?
What is your go-to lip when your look is centred around the eyes?
I've got my eye on a few of the holiday lip gloss sets MAC have out at the moment, perhaps Santa will indulge me this year with one!
-Emma


*Product provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

September Beauty Favourites

September passed me by quite quickly this year, and it may be cliche to say but I really cannot believe it's already October! Even though we're enjoying the first nice bursts of spring weather here in Australia I'm absolutely loving all the fall videos on YouTube and am dreaming about Bath & Body Works opening in Australia (not long now!) so I can load up on pumpkin spice errrthang! I wasn't sure if I had enough to post a favourites this month but when I looked around I realised I had a stack to talk about, so here we go!

Skincare was a major thing for me this month - not only am I lusting over Paula's Choice skincare and all of the luxe brands I want to try out at Mecca, I needed to dive into my own under-sink stash to save my skin this month! I'm not sure what I reacted to but my face broke out in a major way - cystic acne and small whiteheads on my chin and cheeks, which was painful and put me in a grump. I reached for my Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel and it's a strong one, which suited my situation perfectly. Team that with my beloved La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo and my skin is finally getting back to normal.

I'm so surprised whenever I meet someone who doesn't own a Travalo perfume atomiser...seriously, they are amazing! Mine is filled with Vivienne Westwood's Flirty Alice* at the moment (blog post here if you want to read the notes!) and I love freshening up during the work day with a quick spray. Something I've been spraying on liberally at home is the Bath & Body Works Vanilla Bean Noel Fine Fragrance Mist that I bought in Hawaii - it's a must for any vanilla lover out there, I really hope they bring this one out in Australia as it would be a best seller for sure.

I had my fringe trimmed so wore it down for the majority of the month, and Batiste Tropical Dry Shampoo was a life saver to fluff it up and stop it from separating. I've also begun using the new Tresemme Perfectly (un)Done Wave Creating Sea Foam for Soft Waves. I've so far only used this on dry locks (the directions are to use it damp but I'm a rebel, ha!) but love how soft yet subtly defined my wavy hair becomes when I use it. I'm also rather enamoured by the packaging and colour of this stuff, and bought another piece from the range that I'm currently testing alongside this, so I might have to report back.

I had a few stressed out/lazy eyeshadow-free days this month which is so unlike me, but on the days I was my usual self I busted out my Clinique Neutral Territory 2 Palette which is so beautifully blendable that it takes my breath away each and every time I use it! It does all the hard work for you and the colours are so stunning, it makes me want to invest in more Clinique makeup to be honest. I'm also still loving the Glastonberry shadow single from the new essence Love & Sound Collection that I posted about here and used in this makeup look. For a bit of glamour I've turned to Colourpop's So Quiche which definitely deserves its own post someday - it's grown up glitter done in the best possible way.

Cheeks have stuck to Max Factor's Crème Puff Blush in Nude Mauve despite all the gorgeous blushes staring at me from my drawers, something about it is so effortless and easy to wear and I just can't seem to get enough. I'm currently trying to use up this Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream* since I've had it for quite a while, but I'm definitely going to repurchase this as the pigmentation and finish is even better than some foundations in my drawer (I know right? Madness!) The most recent addition to my makeup drawers is the MAC Vamplify Lipgloss in Anything But Demure* which immediately surpassed any expectations I had for such a pigmented gloss - the colour is divine and it feels so lush on the lips, I'm so impressed by this and I didn't actually think I would like it as much as I do.

I'm really excited for the month ahead, and have a whole lot of exciting things in the pipeline that should make it a great month for me! Mister Bovary and I celebrate our first wedding anniversary at the end of October and have a fun Melbourne staycation planned that I am beyond excited for, so I'm planning to read up on travel packing posts soon to make sure I don't overdo it as I normally would! Feel free to leave links below if you've posted something, or if you've seen a post around that has helped you curb your overpacking habits.

Much love!
Emma