Bought in August

Another frugal monthly haul is ready for perusal, I did indulge in some drugstore bits but once again I kept away from the Myer counter and was content to cover my hands and arms in swatches instead.

The new Revlon Shadowlinks were definitely an impulse buy after a bad day, as was the Maybelline Chocolate Chip eyeliner – but I’d had my eye on the latter for quite a while so it was going to be mine sooner or later. I’ve got a bit of an obsession with Essie Mojito Madness after seeing it on Larie’s Twitter header, and I bought an essence polish in an attempt at quashing the lemming until I reach U.S shores where I can pick that shade up. I'll have a full post up on that another time!

I bought quite a few wedding related things this month, namely my wedding shoes (squeee!) and gifts for the bridal party as well as a few jewellery contenders for myself for the big day. Does anyone have an online jewellery store recommendation for me for blingy pieces? Would love some help in that department! As an aside, I’m thinking of posting some wedding related things up here, is there anything you’d like to know about at this point? Less than 2 months to go then it’s honeymoon time!

I saw the Revlon Playful Plum blush in the clearance section of Priceline and even though we’re coming into the warmer weather when I’d hardly wear a shade like this, I’m a fan of the Revlon cheek formula (see my post here) and decided to pick it up anyway. The half price Maybelline sale was the cause of the Colour Tattoo in Edgy Emerald, coupled with my obsession with the aforementioned green shade…green bags, green tops, green shoes, green makeup, greeeeeeen!

Mini set of Antipodes at 40% off? How could I say no!?

Cute jewellery pieces on sale from Colette and Equip

A few things  I picked up with the 30% off NYX sale at Target, and my beloved Covergirl Clump Crusher mascara finally went down to $10 at Priceline.

I splurged on some of my favourite Urban Rituelle Cotton Candy purse sprays while shopping at Forever New (full review is here) and some of the Juicy Couture Dirty English mini’s while buying Dad’s Fathers Day gift (Enrique Adrenaline!) – technically a male scent, this discontinued gem is my ‘signature scent’ for winter. My sister in law was so sweet to buy me this Nicole Richie No Rules bottle while we were out for coffee one day, and looking at it now on the screen I can see it was a scent-centred month indeed!

September might have a few splurges at the shops, but not too many...my second iPhone button just broke but I’m hoping it will hold out until we leave for our honeymoon. The rest of our cash is for wedding related activities – can’t wait for my hens and my kitchen tea!

Did you buy anything exciting this month so I can live vicariously through you?

I can’t wait for a big haul in Vegas, it is well overdue!

Emma x

The Decoy Purchase

At first I though I might be lemming the new Chanel Joues Contraste blush in Canaille because I haven't had a good shopping fix in a while. The colour is still quite scary in the pan but seeing it on Jessica from Jemorjerrica on YouTube made me want it even more. I decided to find an affordable lemming to test my crave to shop, and picked up the gorgeous NYX Paris in Love palette in Je ne sais quoi.

Mister Bovary bought me the Madeleine's and Macarons palette from the same line up for Christmas and I've been loving it lately, so I spent quite a while swatching all of the Paris in Love testers and thinking about not only what was pretty, but which one contained colours I could wear on a day-to-day basis. I thought I had curbed my shopping urge but then passed by my local Inglot, where I proceeded to swatch all of the blush pans that vaguely resembled Canaille. I almost caved in, but then common sense took over and I saw that it was a sign that my lemming for Canaille was still strong (and a little bit sad when you think about it)

As I write this I'm sitting having a coffee and doing some wedding planning, but my mind keeps drifting back to the Chanel counter. If I'm honest, it's not often that I put a strenuous amount of thought into a makeup purchase, so I'm finding this quite strange. Perhaps this is the poignant moment in my life where my makeup buying habits are changing, or maybe I'm spending too long thinking about a blush.

Emma x

NYX is at Target!

Imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon this pristine NYX stand while browsing at my local Target! I have tried a few things from the brand (their powder blush in Peach is my top pick!) and have always wanted to have a good swatch of the whole line, so I over them moon to see them in Target! I adore the gloss in Beige (which is really a lovely pink colour) and really like the look of those butter glosses too!

The prices are quite high compared to NYX online and overseas, and the range isn't as extensive either (a handful of blush shades as opposed to the whole range) but having a new brand in the market is still a lovely thing to see.

I've got the jumbo eye crayon in Milk (a plain white shade) but overall I've heard some pretty negative reviews of that so i don't think I'll get another. I do like the look of the softer coloured eye crayons that I've never seen before, so perhaps they will make their way into my stash instead.

I think the first things on my 'to try' list will be the cream blushes, another powder blush, the Love in Paris palette and some of the lip glosses. I'm going to try not to dive in too fast though, I have so many other things in my stash that are sitting unloved. All in all though, I am elated to see that we now have access to a brand like NYX! Hopefully these stands will roll out across all of the Australian Target stores so that we all have access to the new products! I also love that their are testers for every product, it means I can really look at the colours when I'm deciding to buy. I have my fingers crossed that the stands stay well stocked and neat, but we'll just have to wait and see.

What would you pick up first from this stand? Have you tried any great NYX products you would recommend to other readers?
Emma @ emmabovarybeauty x

IMATS Wishlist

 

IMATS is drawing closer and closer, and I thought it important to spend an evening in front of the laptop, perusing my future purchases and mapping out my IMATS plan of attack. Here are the fruits of the evening!

 

Illamasqua

At IMATS 2011 I purchased a few lip products from Illamasqua that I just don't get enough wear out of, so this time around I am hoping to pick up a new pressed powder, or perhaps a blush shade. Those are things I know I will get more use out of, and would be great additions to my cosmetic collection.

 

 Unii Palettes

I am planning on getting two or three of these empty makeup palettes to get me stuck into depotting and condensing my powders. I neglected to get one last year as they didn't have the colours I was interested in, and I'd rather not pay shipping for them when I know I can get them for a great price at the trade show.

 

Face Paint Set

I have been thinking about branching out into creative makeup and face painting. I have a whole bunch of nieces and nephews (11 if you include Chris' side, with 1 on the way!) and would love to be able to paint their faces for parties etc. I could end up being really terrible at it, but I'd love to give it a whirl anyway.

 

MAC

Though I have quite an extensive MAC collection as it is, I am lusting over the Mineralize Skin Finish Natural and perhaps Soft and Gentle to use as a highlight as well. Whether or not I can be bothered lining up at the busy stall remains to be seen, it really depends on my mood.

NYX
NYX is really hard to get a hold of (unless you resort to ebay) and I want to swatch a few of the powder blushes and give them a shot. I will definitely be buying Taupe to use as a contour shade, but I'd also love to pick up another pink shade now that I'm almost finished with Peach.

 

Embryolisse

I have heard so much about this brand and I am very, very excited to grab a few pieces. Now that I'm obsessed with skin care I like being able to switch it up depending on how my skin is acting, so I'm looking forward to this nourishing range.

Ardell
I have not yet successfully applied false lashes, and I'm hoping to pick up some Ardell (and maybe some other brands) to practise with. I have a few looks planned that really need the oomph that lashes give, so I can't wait to learn how to best use these!

Will I be seeing you at IMATS?
Have you tried any of these brands?

 





this past week

This week I've been rocking OPI From A to Z-urich on my nails, playing matchy-matchy (without realising it!) with my new wine coloured scarf. I'm about to paint my nails with some new Rimmel goodies, Lively Lilac with an accent of Disco Ball! My lips have been rocking Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy at work as I'm trying to say sayonara to the shade, but I've also been loving the new Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait De Gloss in Troublant.

 I've been spraying Urban Rituelle's Cotton Candy fragrance all week long, my boss and my mother have tried to nick it so far, it's such an addictive scent! I'm excited to be almost at the end of my Rimmel Match Perfection gel-cream foundation and my NYX blush in Peach, I've already arranged the blush replacement but am not letting myself touch it until Peach is all gone! My beauty issue this week has definitely been my flaky forehead, it makes it hard to wear foundation and hydrating masks aren't helping. Does anyone have a solution? And finally, the beauty product that has been giving me butterflies all week is my Kiehls Midnight Recovery eye cream, which is just so lovely I could cry.

Now please, make my day and tell me YOUR 'this past week' in the comments below!
Nails this week:
Next nail shade:
Most worn lip:
Most worn fragrance:
Products you are trying to use up:
Beauty issue:
Butterfly product:

hitting pan

For a beauty enthusiast, there is nothing more bittersweet than glimpsing that shiny pan as you sweep your brush across a product. I've fallen in love with many products over the years, and hitting pan is the proof of my affection.

I am a huge advocate for Sportsgirl cosmetics, and most of the pieces I buy from there fall into my 'favourite' pile quite frequently. It is no surprise that two items I have hit pan on are from this Australian chain store! Prom Night eyeshadow is a sheer and shimmery champagne colour that I use as a base or highlight on my eye, or sometimes on its own over the lid for a simple eye look.

My NYX blush in Peach has been well loved, and it is because it works well with so many looks that the pan is showing. It is quite a warm-toned pink and very pigmented, and though its name may lead you astray it is not a peach shade at all. I plan to purchase another shade from the NYX powder blush line when this is gone, but I know that one day I will buy another Peach pan.

Sportsgirl 'Get Cheeky' is a sheer blush that I use as a highlight more than anything. I find it looks great when dusted over NYX Peach, among many other blushes in my collection. It adds a glow to my face without being overly glittery or shimmery, and that is why it works so well for me.

Urban Decay's Virgin eyeshadow is the best highlight shade I have used, and I often use it to blend out shadows when the lines are too harsh. It is a cool pale beige shade that works perfectly with my skin tone. I was very excited to hit pan on my first shadow from the original Naked palette, and I know that soon I will hit pan on Sin as well.

MAC's Retrospeck shadow is a bleached blonde neutral shade that I often reach for on lazy days when I can't be bothered really doing my makeup. It is a little chunky but I still find it really easy to work with, and will be buying a pan of it for my MAC palette when the pan in this holiday set is finito.

The pan on these have grown since these photos were taken, and I must say I am looking forward to using them up and bidding them adieu.

How do you feel when you hit pan?

The Inglot Inventory: Peachy Keen

Forgive the cheeky university bathroom shots, it was the only opportunity I had to take pictures of this look after I forgot during the car ride in. I wear this dress quite often (see post here) and love drawing out the rich orange tones to use in my makeup.

 The BareMinerals concealer was used today, and you will notice on one of the blemishes on my forehead my skin looks darker, and frankly horrible. It's quite obviously not the concealer for me, but this is all a learning process :)

Face:

BareMinerals Foundation in Fairly Light*

BareMinerals Warmth (as bronzer)*

BareMinerals Concealer*

BareMinerals Mineral Veil*

NYX Peach blush

Face of Australia Powder in Outback Translucent*

Eyes:

MAC Painterly Paint Pot

Inglot Bright orange (from this palette)

Inglot AMC Shine 08 (champagne from this palette)

Mirenesse Tightliner in Black*

Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes

BYS Brow Pencil in Brown*

Lips:

Revlon Super Lustrous Gloss in Coral Reef

I snapped these so quickly as people were coming in and out, and I didn't think about reapplying my Revlon Coral Reef so you might notice that it has rubbed off quite a bit in these pictures. It's much more vibrant before you stuff your face with a toasted cheese sandwich and flat white from your favourite cafe!

What is your favourite orange cosmetic products?

Have you tried Coral Reef? It is a stunner!

Products marked * were provided for consideration but this does not affect my thoughts of them nor my choice to use them in my looks.

The Inglot Inventory: a champagne and purple FOTD

Earlier in the week I posted here about my efforts to utilise a set group of products from my collection in order to use some up or just get creative with them. Part of that bunch were my beloved Inglot palettes, which I crack out often but not often enough. Here is one of the looks I came up with using them! I will call this series The Inglot Inventory, I do hope you enjoy them!

Face:

-BareMinerals Mineral foundation in Fairly Light*

-BareMinerals Warmth powder (bronzer substitute)*

-BareMinerals Mineral Veil (light reflecting powder)*

-Face of Australia loose powder in Outback Translucent*

-NYX Peach blush

Eyes:

MAC Painterly paint pot

Inglot AMC Shine 08 (post here)

Inglot purple shade, unknown number (post here)

Mirenesse Tightliner in Black*

Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes

Urban Decay Virgin

BYS Brow Pencil in Brown*

Ardell Clear Brow Gel

Lips:

Sportsgirl Liquid Lip Colour in Wow!

The look was quite subtle with only a few pops of purple, but I was really happy with the look as I thought the champagne and purple shade went really well together.

A blurry one taken in the car but I think it shows the purple off well.

Purple shadow was from this palette...

And this is AMC Shine 08, oh how I wish Inglot would name their shadows properly!

What sorts of looks have you been wearing lately?

What shadows from Inglot do you think I should buy next?

*Products marked were provided for consideration.

a basket full o' makeup

This post here had me thinking about my beauty using habits. I tend to wake up in the morning bleary eyed and reach for whatever pretty my heart desires at that very moment. I decided to switch it up, and at the start of the week (which is a Wednesday for me!) fill up my tub on the counter with products I want to make a dent in. Here is what made it in this past week!

I threw in a few half-used items to see if I could finish some off, and some new items I'm reviewing to make sure I give them time to impress me.

base; Bourjois Healthymix, L'Oreal Base Magique sample
blush; NYX Peach (review here)

bronzer; Nars Laguna

Undereye; Smashbox Undereye Brightener*

Mascara; Lancome Doll Eyes (review here) & Clinique High Impact
Eyes; Sportsgirl Prom Night (pan hit, woohoo!), MAC Painterly Paint Pot, Ardell Clear Brow Gel, Mirenesse Tightliner*, BYS Brow pencil* & Rimmel pencil liner
Lips; Estee Lauder High Gloss in #11 Blush

I have almost used up both mascara samples and want to make good use of them before they have to be tossed, and the Smashbox concealer is just there to be used up as I'm not fond of it. NYX Peach and Laguna have been kicking around in my collection for quite a while and I'm looking to hit pan on them, if it's the last thing I do.

I don't even need to explain the Ardell brow gel, it's pretty ratty looking. I know that it is fine and that it is just my brow powder mixed into it, but it still grosses me out. The BYS pencil is something I'm trialling for review at the moment, and the Sportsgirl shadow is much loved but needs to be in cosmetic heaven now. Painterly is something I use every single day so it has a permanent position in the basket full of awesomeness.

My Bourjois Healthy Mix has been so good to me, and has lasted so long only because I had two on the go at once. I had one in my bag most of the time for weekends away or for when I was at Chris' place, but this one is finally about to bite the dust!

Laguna and Peach, respectively.

The L'Oreal Base Magique was a sample Chris got me, haven't used it enough to know whether or not I like it. The gloss was nabbed from Chris' Mum when she split up her travel set. Estee Lauder glosses are the bomb, and this one is my favourite shade. Boring in the tube, stunning on the lips!

My neutral Inglot palette...(review here)

...and my brights palette (review here)
I chose these two palettes because I adore them, and also because I don't reach for them as much as I should. I wear brights quite a bit, but thought that throwing them in would push me to create some nice combinations that I haven't tried out before. I was right! I have a stack of FOTD's to share with you in upcoming posts, all using these palettes with other shadows thrown in.

I think this is the sort of task I am able to stick to, I don't have enough patience to complete a set pan project. I think the fact that I have enough wiggle room to use other items from my collection makes this an enjoyable effort, and still gets my mind working in order to use these items creatively. I'm not trying to use all of them up (palettes,for example) but wanting to remember the things I love about my makeup collection.

Have you ever tried a project pan? How many makeup items have you hit pan on?

Would love to hear some motivation and your pan efforts!

Items marked with * have been provided for review or were in goody bags.

Blush Love: NYX Peach

The first twelve months of this here blog saw me hesitate from reviewing my most loved products, for fear I would not do them justice. Over the new year, I realised that I am not perfect, nor do you expect me to be (I hope!) So expect to see some kick ass products rocking this page, starting now, with my most adored blush.

 NYX PEACH

This was definitely one of my top products for 2011, as I used it at least 5 days out of each week. Considering how affordable this blush is, I am amazed at how long it has lasted. Surely I am about to hit pan on this?! The suspense is killing me!

This is quite a heavy swatch, which seems appropriate as I often wore this blush heavily. It's very buildable, so is excellent if you like a sheer look or heavy cheeks like moi, and it lasts all day long on my cheeks. I've seen others talk of broken packaging as it is made of plastic, but so far I've been lucky despite this going everywhere with me. It's a matte peachy pink shade that would suit a wide range of skin tones, in my opinion. I've seen it look quite peachy on others, but it's pretty darn pink on me.

I adore this blush and will be repurchasing, but before I do I'm going to use up some of my other blushes. When Peach is around, they get no love :'(

What is your one true blush love?

Have you tried NYX Peach?

Details!

I purchased this from a store in Spencer St DFO (Melbourne) but it is also available at:

*Crush Cosmetics here for $11.15 AUD

*Cherry Culture here for $6 AUD (but is on sale right now for $4.50!)

*Groove stores, or eBay

This product was purchased by me and is not sponsored by NYX, all opinions are honest, this blush really does rock. x

 

Have you entered my Botani birthday giveaway? Leave a comment on this post then scoot over and enter!