Natural Supply Co Gift Guide

I'm curled up on the couch enjoying my day off with Charlie (my Cavalier!) and have spent an untold amount of time scrolling through the Natural Supply Co swooning over how lovely everything looks. This isn't a sponsored post or indeed even one that the lovely owners of the online store know about, but this blog was born from my passion (cough, obsession) for shopping and it's been a while since I've perused an online store to window shop. I actually finished my Christmas shopping back in November but am keeping an eye out for bargains just the same, and here are the best products I spotted at the Natural Supply Co!

Bite Beauty 5 Night Fix For Lips ($19.95)

I think this is such an adorable gift, it contains a deluxe mini Whipped Cherry Scrub Stick (genius idea by the way) and a deluxe mini Agave Lip Mask which is something I've always wanted to try. The jar it comes in is pretty adorable for gifting, too...

Lanolips Lemonaid Lip Aid ($15.95)
I actually have a tube of this and adore it - it really does have that lemonade tang to it and it's a lip balm type of product that is gifting worthy in my opinion. I hardly use this in winter as the balm becomes quite hard in the cold, so it's perfect for warmer weather like we Australian's are currently enjoying (okay, enjoying may be a strong word...)

Murchison-Hume Counter Intelligence All-Surface Spray -Original Fig ($13.60)

Now this may be the housewife in me coming out, but I'd love to try out this well-renowned cleaning brand! If you have friends or family who have just moved into a new place this could be perfect as part of a little cleaning pack for them, I love trying luxe cleaning products and fig sounds like a nice festive scent for December/January cleaning!

Kester Black Nail Polish - Forest ($20)

Swinging back around to beauty, I just had to include a shade from this Australian polish brand! Naturally I chose the Forest shade, such is my love and obsession with owning all the green polishes!

Lavanila Body Butter - Pure Vanilla ($19.95)

I've never tried this brand before but see it constantly on blogs and YouTube videos, and the scents are supposed to be delicious. Despite having enough body lotion and butter to sink a ship I'm always tempted by more, and the scent description for Pure Vanilla sounds lovely (though not pure vanilla...?) "The perfect vanilla, the Pure Vanilla scent combines a warm blend of Madagascar vanilla, heliotrope and soft freesia"

Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil - Tulip (36.95)
I am a true fan of Bite Beauty and am currently turning my beauty room upside down to find my beloved Peche matte lip crayon and it's driving me crazy. I'd love to try more of their stuff and this 'soft cherry red' colour looks very pretty indeed, and would make a delightful gift for a sister or Mum!

Frank Green SmartCup ($29.95)

I'm really lusting over this, the colour combination is stunning and I take coffee to work from home everyday so this would be so handy for me. I'm currently using Keep Cups (which I love!) but I want to share the love around with my Moccona Caramel Coffee, ya know?!

Nilly & Booth Mandarin Chamomile Organic Cleansing Balm ($40)
I've saved the best for last - I've heard so much about this skincare brand and this cleansing balm sounds like just the ticket for any skincare enthusiast - I know it's on the top of my wishlist! I finished up my Clinique Cleansing Balm which is a basic staple, and now I want to try a more indulgent balm and this fits the bill perfectly.

How is your Christmas shopping going so far?

Are you feeling festive or burnt out after a long year?

Which product from this gift guide tempts you the most?

-Emma x

*Not sponsored or organised with the company in any way. Just a bit of fun to scratch my shopping itch, help with gift ideas and also kind of write myself a wishlist haha!

Australian Beauty Stars

Australia Day is upon us once more, and I thought it an appropriate time to sit down and pull out some Australian products from my stash to share with you all. I will be honest and admit that I don’t really think of where a brand is based when making a decision to purchase, so I am glad to see so many stellar Australian brands that have crept into my collection.  Here are some of the Aussie beauty stars in the Bovary household!

 

Bronzers:

Napoleon Perdis Blush Patrol

Nvey Eco Nourishing Bronzer in Oasis*

Face of Australia  pressed powder in Bronze*

My favourite from this bunch would have to be the Face of Australia offering, as I adore the sleek and slim compact. The colour is quite shimmery, so a light hand is recommended to get that world renowned Aussie beach babe glow!

Face and Eyes:

Sportsgirl Get Cheeky Cheek & Eye Shimmer

Face of Australia blush in Hello Dolly

Sportsgirl Get Cheeky in Rose

Nvey Eco eyeshadow in 162*

Sportsgirl Shady Lady eye colour in Prom Night

Face of Australia Liquid Liner in black

Face of Australia Loose Powder in Outback Translucent*

My favourites include the FOA liquid liner and loose powder, they are seriously hard working and so easy on the purse that it is quite hard to believe.  

Lips:

Lanolips Lip Ointments in Apples, Lemonaid, Mulberry* and  Sunshine

Sukin Nourishing Lip Treatment*

Grown Alchemist Watermelon & Vanilla lip balm*

Face of Australia lipstick in Malibu Barbie

Lipstick Queen lipstick in Saint Red*

I am loving all of these nourishing lip products this summer, but Malibu Barbie is such a happy shade of pick that it takes the cake!

 

Indulgences:

Urban Rituelle Organic Hand Cream with lemongrass, lemon myrtle, grapefruit and eucalyptus

MOR hand cream in Cassis Noir

Endota Spa Lemon & Organic Sugar body scrub*

Sukin Wellbeing Body Oil*

Urban Rituelle Cotton Candy perfume*

The Sukin Wellbeing Oil is so amazing, I am hoping that they decide to cancel its status as ‘limited edition’ and keep that baby on the shelf forever. Massage oil, moisturiser, hair tamer, it seriously does it all and smells brilliant. The Urban Rituelle Cotton Candy is finally back out in a 100ml bottle, I have been clutching the purse sized spray that I bought and not wanting to waste it, and am so happy to now have this to clutch instead.

 

Skincare:

Sukin Facial Moisturiser*

Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist

Grown Rose Absolute, Ginseng & Chamomile Facial Toner*

The Jojoba Company Antioxidant Serum*

Australis Make-Up Finishing Spritz*

The Jojoba Company Intense Recovery Balm*

Simplicite One Step Exfoliating Cleanser*

Simplicite Plant Gel Cleanser*

Of course Jurlique had to be mentioned when writing about great Australian brands, they have products of such a high quality with beautiful packaging, and I love the indulgence they bring to my beauty routine. Sukin are also an amazing low cost brand, I recommend them to people all the time and love their clean packaging and affordable skincare.

 

Did you know that all of these products were true blue? If you are a fellow Aussie, I would love to know how you are spending today (or the public holiday on Monday!) If you are one of my beloved International readers, I am curious to know what your perceptions of our country really are? Would love to hear from you in the comments!

*Marked products were provided for editorial consideration. Honesty, always.

red lip wardrobe

I frequently use the 'but I'm a beauty blogger, so it's research' excuse when confronted with questions about my growing cosmetic collection. Here I whip it out again, to make up for the fact that the above is but a selection from my red lip wardrobe.

When I look for a red lip, I don't stick to one formula or texture. I have glosses, sheer reds, coral-toned reds, brick reds and those in the spectrum between. I do find that I need to warm up the rest of my complexion when I wear some of these shades, and I generally use a bronzer like Nars Laguna to do so.

The truer reds in my collection would be 'Screen Siren' from Vani-T and Revlon's lip butter in 'Candy Apple'. I tend to base looks around them when I wear them, as they are quite strong on their own. The Serge Louis Alvarez '#27' is a blood red gloss with lots of intense shimmer, it really is a beauty and one I'm so glad to have in my collection. Nars 'Amsterdam' is the newest addition to the red lip family, it is deep and vampy and the formula is divine.

I was a bad blogger and totally neglected my mini Nars glosses when taking these shots. The shades Babe and Misbehave are stunning, and I can apply them without a mirror but am also able to build them right up on the lip as well. I adore the Nars gloss formula (regular line, not keen on the Larger than Life range though the colours look good)

My favourite product from my red lip wardrobe is definitely MAC's Viva Glam Cyndi lipstick (now sadly discontinued) which is a Lustre finish and is coral-toned, which makes it so easy for me to wear day in and day out. I will be heart broken when Cyndi leaves my life, but for now I am enjoying her but alternating with other red shades like MAC's Hot Tahiti. That, my dear blog readers, is the beauty of having a red lip wardrobe!



Spring has Sprung!

While the other side of the world is settling into fall trends, we here in Australia have stepped into spring! Living in Melbourne, I am used to experiencing four seasons in a single day, but still greet the beginning of a new season with a smile. I feel as though my makeup mindset is reinvigorated, and this is what I see as 'spring makeup' from within my collection.

 A palette of pastels and sweet shimmers have got me excited about makeup again! I've been loving healthily glossy lips and pink tones of every description.

*Revlon Minted nail polish is a sweet minty pastel green shade that I fell in love with at first sight. I'm planning on doing a mani with this under the new Pink Breast Cancer OPI shatter.

*Ulta3 Bo Peep is a sexy hot pink shade. I love the Ulta3 formulation and this is one of my favourite colours from them, I love it under a glitter polish.

*Kit Shop Loves Sunset featured in this mani, and is a muted yet bright coral orange shade designed by my favourite magazine Shop Til You Drop.

*Revlon's Super Lustrous balm in Peach Crystal smells amazing, and leaves a super subtle tint on my lips, and lots of glossy goodness. Review here

*MAC Dollymix blush is so scary in the pan, but I love it on cheek when I sheer it out enough. A nice pop of colour for everyday.

*Lanolips Sunshine is in my spring set despite being loved all year round. A super moisturising formula, this colour is amazing.

*Whole Lotta Honey is the last shade I would've chosen from the launch of Clinique's glossy crayon, the 'chubby stick', but when I won this I fell head over heels. It's the perfect MLBB (my lips but better) and it perfect to pair with a bright eye or cheek.

*I purchased the Clarins Cream Colours from a blog sale ages ago, and have only recently gotten use from them. I use them as layering shades underneath other shades to bring light to my eyes- they act in a similar way to the next product...

*Face of Australia, yet again, hits it out of the park. I have most of the shades in the Mini Mousse range (discontinued) and this is in my top 3 shades. Magic Mist is a neutral sort of minty green shade that is amazeballs under neutral shadows as well as greens.

*MAC Painpot in Chilled on Ice is from the Cham Pale collection, and is a crazily shimmery base that I use for bright eye looks. This looks great on it's own with a bright pink lip and a slick of black liquid liner. Since this is discontinued, I would suggest the Bare Study paint pot as a less shimmery but still beautiful substitution.

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ONTO THE SWATCHES!!

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Even though the weather has not been very 'spring-like' lately, I've been enjoying playing with these new textures and shades. Have any of you tried these products and have an opinion to share, or tips?

What looks do you lean towards in spring time?

emmabovary xx

(Please note that all items were purchased by me except for the Clinique Chubby Stick which I won from Clinique on Twitter and the Shop Loves Sunset polish which was free with coupon in conjunction with Shop Til You Drop and Kit Cosmetics.

All opinions are mine, honesty always. x)

Holiday Make Up Bag 'Weekend Away' edition

I went away with Mister Christopher this past weekend for our 3 year dating anniversary. We went to Rye, and despite it being winter the weather was really nice! This is the loot I took along with me for the 3 night stay, it may seem a lot but I love playing around with different looks when I have the time.

THE LOT

I tried to get some organisation going in there, but as soon as the case lifts it all jumbles around.

THE BASE PRODUCTS

Illamasqua Concealer

Face of Australia Primer

Face of Australia translucent powder

Bourjois HealthyMix Foundation 52

Clinique foundation

THE CLEANERS

Mini versions of Benefit's new range

THE PEEPERS

Clinique E/S Strawberry Fudge Quad

MAC Painterly Paint Pot

Estee Lauder Orange Pop

Australis palette in Frock and Roll (used here)

Napoleon Perdis eye dust in StarDust

Face of Australia Mousse shadow in Magic Mist

THE SMACKERS

Softlips balm in Chai Latte

NARS Carthage

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy

MAC Dazzleglass in Baby Sparks

Revlon Super Lustrous in Pink Pop

Revlon Super Lustrous in Coral Reef

Lanolips LemonAid

MAC Ever Hip

Clinique Citrus Rose

Clinique Chubby Stick in Whole Lotta Honey

Savvy lip crayon in Cafe

Jack Black balm in Vanilla and Lavender (reviewed here)

THE CHEEKS

Sleek Blush in Rose Gold

Essence Highlight Powder in Famous Flamingo(shown here)

Lacura blush

NYX Peach

Stila Gladiola

W7 Bronzer/Highlight

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So as you can see from the display I've made of my makeup case lid, I brought heaps to play with while I was away! Admittedly not all was used, but that's the pleasure of driving to your holiday destination- no excess baggage fees!!

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Scent of the weekend was Guerlain Champs Elysees for moi, and a David Beckham for Chris.

All that was in Chris/ toiletries bag was deodorant and a roll on concealer!

If you'd like to see me review any of the above products, let me know and I'll send them to the front of the queue. Hope you had a great weekend, I'm back to reality now and drinking coffee by the boatload!

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emmabovary xx