Olive Green and the Power of Compliments

Years ago when I was an undergraduate at university, I walked into an afternoon tutorial on an average Wednesday rugged up in a big scarf and with my bag heaving with a new stack of library books. The lady running the tutorial at the time is a local author and she stopped speaking to compliment my makeup and ask me where I was heading after class! The quickest and most simple compliment (I was heading home to read after class!) stuck with me for all these years, and subsequently every time I wear olive green or khaki eyeshadow I'm reminded of that moment and it makes me smile. It also reminds me that if you think a nice thought while out and about, it's often worth saying something to the person, it could make their day! I often throw quick (genuine!) compliments if I see someone wearing something lovely and some may think me strange, but I'm happy to take the risk so that they have a chance at that lovely feeling that I had years ago. Here are some of my favourite olive toned shades that I love to wear (not including the MAC shade I was actually wearing for that tutorial, Mink & Sable!)

-MAC Cosmetics 'Grand Entrance' from the Intriguing Scarlet Warm Eyes Palette (MAC Passions of Red collection, 2008)

-Chanel Illusion D'Ombre '84 Epatant'

-Prestige Total Intensity shadow 'Bewitched'

-Inglot Eyeshadow Pearl '419'

-Lancôme Ombre Hypnose 'Erika F'

-Colourpop Super Shock Shadow 'Hammered'

-Rimmel Exaggerate Eye Crayon 'Urban Camouflage'

Swatches! MAC, Chanel, Prestige, Inglot, Rimmel, Colourpop, Lancome

Have you ever given someone you don't know well a compliment? Or have you been given one yourself?
Are you a fan of green shades like the ones I've shared today?
-Emma 

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

The May Makeup Bag

May felt like a whirlwind for me, and I relied on a stack of beauty products to keep me looking somewhat presentable as I tried to stay awake without taking a nap everyday! While in Queensland I kept my makeup low-key as none of the family on my husband's side indulge in beauty products, but the other three weeks it was business as usual with a lot more concealer piled on out of necessity.

I'm still testing out the Morphe 35T palette despite receiving it as a gift for Christmas last year...some days I adore it, and others I'm frustrated that the shade in the pan is nothing like what the shadow actually looks like on my eyelids! I'm also fond of palettes with named shades which this lacks, but I still think this bad boy was worth the money and have been dipping into new colours almost every morning on top of my MAC Painterly Paint Pot. I've also been using my sample of Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara that came in a Beauty Loop box from Mecca Maxima - love how long those little tubes last!

Base seemed to be the usual suspects in May - I've repurchased my Rimmel Fix & Protect Makeup Primer and always have a tube of Rimmel BB Cream Matte on the go (both were originally PR samples that ended up in my permanent rotation, love when that happens!) I've moved onto a new pressed powder to use up, the Maybelline SuperStay 24HR Waterproof Powder* which gives a bit of coverage on top of my liquid base which I like. My saviour in May was definitely my Clarins Instant Concealer*, my pregnancy hormones are out of control right now and I'm spottier than I've ever been so layering this high coverage concealer is making me feel less self-conscious about my skin. It's still driving me nuts though!

I've been rotating my blushes fairly well recently but my most used shades in May were definitely from this Too Faced Love Flush Blush palette - I've been loving how pigmented they are and I have been trying out a denser brush laid on the side to apply them, and I'm digging the effect! How Deep is Your Love and Love Hangover might take the cake as my favourite shades right now...

Lips have been pretty low key as they've been quite dry and chapped (and I had a horrible pimple followed by a horrible cold sore all in the one fortnight - thanks weakened immune system!) I've been using balms but have also had a stack of nude/MLBB lip liners stashed in my bag for a bit of definition - the ones pictured are Savvy by DB and essence but a whole range of others were worn in May.

So that's my May makeup bag done and dusted! I'm looking forward to throwing some new things into my June makeup bag to spice things up a bit.
Emma x

*Provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

Glowy Natural Makeup Look with YSL, MAC & Too Faced Bon Bons Palette

I've been absolutely smashing my beloved Too Faced Bon Bons palette lately, so last week I snapped a few pictures of my mug and the products I used for this easy, natural everyday makeup look. I've been using the Bon Bons palette as my go-to as I adore the mix of matte shades with the shimmery options, and the crease shades really suit my complexion so it's a one-and-done kind of palette for me!

EYES
~MAC Painterly Paint Pot as my eye base
~Too Faced Bon Bons Palette (Molasses Chip all over the lid, Malted in the crease, Satin Sheets for my inner corner and Divinity for my brow bone)
~essence LongLasting Eye Pencil in Hot Scorch
~Max Factor Masterpiece Glamour Extensions mascara

FACE
~Rimmel Fix&Protect Makeup Primer SPF25*
~Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Éclat foundation*, which really does give that glowy base that so many beauty girls love!
~MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural 
~Maybelline Master Hi-Light Hi-Lighting Blush in Coral* 

LIPS
~MAC Prolongwear Lip Pencil in In Control*
~essence Velvet Mat 23 Lipstick

 

I've been loving simple looks like this lately, but have also been pushing myself back into bright lips so perhaps my next makeup look will have a bright lip front and centre...any colour recommendations to inspire me?

-Emma x

 

*Marked products provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

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.

Shopping my Stash

I've been working diligently on using up some of my staple products over the past few months, but I get antsy every now and again and bored of wearing the same exact look day in and day out. With the hopes of some new makeup hitting my collection over the Christmas season I decided to hold out on buying something new (touch wood!) and instead turn to my own makeup collection - that's right, I shopped my own stash!

As my long-time readers will know I'm a true #blushfiend, and so shopping my blush stash is usually a pretty exciting endeavour for me. It never fails to bring a smile to my face when I revisit an old cheek love of mine, truth be told. I first hauled Cream Soda from the MAC Archie's Girls collection in early 2013 (see the haul post here!) and find it funny that it looks so pale in the pan (even for me!) but on the cheek it makes me look so healthy, and is definitely pigmented enough once you build it up. I admittedly travel through stages with this shade where I wear the heck out of it before returning it to my makeup drawers, and the same can be said for the palette you see above...

I've never fallen head over heels for the Lorac Pro Palette in the way that everyone else in the beauty community seemed to, but I can still appreciate the nice mix of textures and Garnet sure is a showstopper shade in my collection. I keep giving it a go in the hopes that it will grow on me, so we'll see how I go with it this time around. Any tips on colour combinations you use with this one?

Another eye colour I've shopped my stash for is the stunning Chanel lllusion D'Ombre cream eyeshadow in Epatant, once again a product that falls in and out of use with me but that I love using with a matte chocolate shade through the crease for a great 'peppermint chip' eye look (see my representation here if you like!)

Lastly I went for that cliché holiday red with the Revlon Balm Stain in Adore (original post here) which is a gorgeous deep red with a minty kick that I adore. Mumma Bovary wears this shade quite a bit and inspired me to pull mine back out from the Revlon lip drawer and give it yet another whirl as I get myself pumped for Christmas.

When did you last shop your own stash?

Has anything from the 2015 holiday collections caught your eye?

Are you already pumped for Christmas?

-Emma

Haul // Surratt Beauty, H&M, MAC and more

My hauling habits have definitely changed over the past few years; when I once coveted and brought home every little thing I liked the look of, I'm now more sensible and think about if I would actually use the item, and how much I actually want the item as well. I'm sure I'll stumble again as time goes on but I'm enjoying shopping a lot more now, and being selective in my choices means my collection has never been more exciting to me! I recently spent some time in the city for meetings and tacked a round of shopping onto the end of it, and I thought I'd post a collective haul for you all.

A few homey bits made the cut, including a gorgeous foil Kikki K print, H&M Marble Tray and a bronze basket that I plan on using as my 'new product' stash holder on my desk. I also bought some new pens from Kikki K and the pink version of my beloved 'dog scarf' from Ishka - because one dog scarf is just not enough, my friends.

Bits from the new essence Brit-Tea collection made it into my shopping basket as well, and I found some Avene skincare on sale at Chemist Warehouse that I thought would be great to try after I use up my La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+. A trio of Coco-Cola flavoured Lip Smackers were too cute to resist and I finally found the MAC Make You Mine blush I've been searching for since JemOrJerrica started using it in her makeup videos - lemming finally satisfied! Did you know that they've opened up a freestanding MAC counter in Melbourne Central, and that it sells pans just like the Chapel St Pro Store does? I just found that out and am very happy about it!

The crowning glory of my haul? This stunner from Surratt Beauty... 

After reading Liz's post on this silky smooth Surratt Beauty Artistique Blush beauty I knew I had to pick it up. After missing the shade Ponceau online when it sold out, I went to the Myer Melbourne Mecca Cosmetica counter to swatch it and I was immediately sold! Naturally I'm trialling it for a full review so be on the look out for that post soon.

Have you hauled anything fun lately?
Have you changed your hauling habits too?
-Emma

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

Getting Back Into MAC Lipsticks

It's been a while since I've given much love to my MAC lipstick collection, which reminds me that I've never actually shared the extent of my MAC lip stash with you...is that something you would be interested in seeing? I am by no means a MAC fan girl and haven't bought from their infamous limited edition collections in a long time, but somehow I have accumulated a rather large lot of the shiny black tubes and some of the colours I have are pretty fabulous if I do say so myself! I recently found myself reaching for these 4 MAC shades and it feels quite nice to be shopping my stash.



For some reason I always forget how bright and pink Lustering is until I open that cap - it's a pink that gives off a watermelon vibe but throws more of a berry tone when I wear it. I think it will work really well when I'm all rugged up this coming winter as it's quite a brightening shade - it's not my favourite shade but I'm going to try and make it work!

A true favourite of late is the rediscovered Hot Tahiti - a literal favourite as shown in my recent favourites post. It's the wearable daytime red that I've been wearing to work a lot lately, it's a terracotta toned red but because it's a glaze finish it's really easy to wear. I think I'm going to have to dedicate a makeup look post to this soon!

One of the best MAC shades I've pulled out of my acrylic drawers is Party Parrot - not only is the shade name awesome, it's the only matte lipstick I own from the brand and I had to hunt it down back in the day (posted about that here if you're interested!) It's a bright red-pink and definitely one for the brave days.

 

Finally, the beautiful MAC Plumful. This one gets a spin more often than all of my other MAC lip products and it's definitely one of the more widely popular colours I have from them. It's a really pretty plum (funny that!) with a lustre finish, which doesn't add much to the lasting power of this but it wears off evenly so it doesn't bother me much at all. The mauve tones that are really popular right now can be hard to wear but I think Plumful is a great transition shade to work your way up to channelling Kylie Jenner lips...

 

Lustering, Hot Tahiti, Party Parrot, Plumful

What is the best MAC lipstick you own?

Are you a MAC fan girl, or are the constant limited edition collections too much for you?

-Emma

The Weekend Vibe



Is there anything more delicious than a lazy Sunday morning? I can’t think of anything I enjoy more than a cheeky sleep in, a big (and I mean BIG!) mug of coffee and nothing on the agenda for the day but tidying up the house, watching Catfish with Mister and perhaps a sneaky trip to Masters! Often I’ll roll around on the Sunday bare-faced, but other times I feel like playing around with makeup (or we’re heading out to the local café for breakfast and I need to look alive!) I’ve been really enjoying throwing my new and shiny products in with old staples to simultaneously put a dent in some pans and spice up my routine for the weekend! Here is my weekend face…

 

 

A major trim fringe occurred during the week by the way– still a bit springy but I’m loving the way it frames my face differently than before I had it chopped! So back to the makeup – I’m still working on my bottle of Illamasqua Skin Base (which is part of my Project Use It Up) and I’m getting a bit frustrated that I can’t see how much more I have to go before it’s done, but I’m persisting and teamed it with my forgotten tube of Maybelline SuperStay 24HR Concealer – this stuff really packs a punch when it comes to coverage! For eyes I went with my current go-to team: Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze + MAC Jaunty + MAC Coquette – long-lasting and a fallback when I’m focusing on the blush colour over all else!

I picked up the Hourglass Ambient Blush Palette when I first hit up Sephora in Las Vegas, and I was so excited about making the purchase that the kind sales assistant opened up each and every palette so that we could select which variation of the marbled blush shades would best suit me (Sephora, I heart you big time) When I landed in Australia I promptly avoided using it as I sometimes get this crazy fear of disappointment - #beautybloggerproblems? It turns out I had nothing to worry about, the quality of this blush formula is insane (see Radiant Magenta in my 2014 Favourites here) and I’m loving the way Incandescent Electra is a glowy and easy to wear orange shade for me.

What is involved in your perfect Sunday? Does it pain you to think about the weekend on a Monday, or does it help you push through the week like it does for me?

-Emma xx

Currently Obsessed : Golden Peach with MAC

Reorganising my daily drawer for what seems like the millionth time and I stumbled upon an eye combo that I hadn’t tried before, and thought I’d put it to the test.  I’ve been relying on my neutral shadow palettes to create easy-to-wear eye looks lately and this is a lot peachier than I’m used to, but I’ve found it to really brighten up things and I actually wore this shadow combo every day last week!

 

MAC Rubenesque

I bought the MAC Paint Pot in Rubenesque at a CCO (does that stand for cosmetic company outlet?) in Las Vegas and flashbacks of watching Miss Glamorazzi beauty video’s back in the day resurfaced and made me drop it into my cart. It’s a warm peachy shade with lots of fine golden shimmer that doesn’t apply as smooth as my Painterly Paint Pot, but it’s of a smoother quality than the other shimmery Paint Pots I own so I will give it a star for that. It can turn a bit of an unpleasant orange on me if I layer it up too much thanks to my pale skin, so for this look I’ve left it light and then went back in with my MAC powder shadow in Retrospeck.

MAC Retrospeck

I acquired Retrospeck in the Royal Assets : Warm Eyes palette from a blog sale and it’s something that I have loved from day one. It’s a bit too ‘blonde’ and golden for me at times but I still wear it often (that’s love, right?) and when it hits Rubenesque magic happens and it creates a gorgeous eye look that I can’t get enough of.

What is your favourite eye combination? What MAC Paint Pot do you swear by?

-Emma