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

blush week 03

Getting into a blush rut can be frustrating when you have as large a blush collection as I do. They taunt me and feel neglected as I continually reach for my Chanel powders and beloved Tarte Exposed, and so when I was reshuffling my Daily Tray I pulled out 5 bright shades to get myself back into loving my blushes once more. I may throw a different shade in between these, but will wear all 5 of them in the coming week or two and then report back with some snaps to share with you.

 

I told you they were bright! I don’t know what made me reach for my crème blushes, but I suppose they are lovely to use in summer to create a dewy cheek look with ease. I tend to use my Real Techniques Stippling Brush to apply all of these blushes, and save my NP Set blush brush* more my more muted powder blushes. I just bought the gorgeous Savvy Cheek Balm in Blissful Blush for $3 from Priceline after seeing it in their most recent catalogue, and I’ve already used it and recommend you grab one to try it out! It’s really pigmented and in such cute wind up style packaging.

I remember my excitement at grabbing the Revlon Photoready Cream blushes, and the shades Flushed and Coral Reef worked much better on me than the pale and sheer Pinched which I sort of regret buying. I haven’t used these in so long, but I know that Tine from Beautyholics Anonymous likes them and I trust her opinion, so back into the rotation they go for me!

 

I adore the YSL Crème de Blush formula, but this bright pink Fuschia Temptation is so strong that I have to be careful about what looks I use it with lest I look like a clown. It is such a happy shade and I’m looking forward to wearing it soon! I’ve only got 3 of the YSL Crème de Blush’s, I look forward to the day a new shade in this formula enters my collection. The lonesome powder blush in my week of cheek is the MAC Archie’s Girls blush that I hunted with all of my might – Prom Princess, from the Veronica section. This is a brilliant colour and I am so happy to bust this out again, I think it will look great with a nice glossy magenta lip.

Now for the swatches!

 

The cream blushes look really dewy, but most dry down to a powdery finish which I top with Maybelline Dream Matte powder anyway. They still give a great glow to the cheek, but mattifying them helps them last longer and tones down the shine on my face during the heat of Melbourne.

Which of these shades would you wear first?

What blush shades do you return to all the time? (I’d love to check them out!)

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

March Favourites

March was a hectic month for me as I began my post graduate degree at university. All of a sudden it all feels real and the pressure is immense, but if anything it made me appreciate the stars in my beauty stash more than ever as I loved relaxing and enjoying them throughout the month.

I did play around with my eye shadows quite a bit this month, I loved a heap of deep chocolate shades (as seen in this look!) I used the Bad to the Bronze Maybelline Color Tattoo as a base quite often, and also on its own if I was feeling lazy. I couldn’t tear myself away from the Australis Curve Ink eyeliner*, jet black, long lasting and goes well with my Covergirl Clump Crusher mascara. I’m still in the habit of using YSL Touche Eclat No.2* under my eyes to brighten, it covers up late nights and energy drink fuelled bad behaviour really well!

Pink lips were it and a bit this month, seriously couldn’t get enough of the hot new Face of Australia shade Peaches & Cream, which isn’t very well named but by goodness it is probably the best shade they have ever released. As soon as I saw it on the shelf at Priceline I was like a moth to flame, and even Mumma Bovary said “Oh that is YOUR colour!” In the basket it went, and I’ve been wearing it a lot this month. Maybelline Juicy Bubblegum is another great pink that I find easy to wear, and since I’ve been favouring a glossy look I've been teaming it with one of my all-time favourite glosses, essence Me & My Ice Cream. Another obsession that I’ve been indulging in is a flashback to my younger days, where lip smackers filled my school dress pockets and I was never without one. This Strawberry/Kiwi Kool Aid scent is so damn good, and it reminds me of a scent from my childhood but I just can’t put a finger on what it is. Regardless, I’ve been loving these lip products silly this month.

 

The Face of Australia Face Base primer has crept back into my daily routine and I don’t really know why I stopped using it. Feels just like a moisturiser rather than a velvety finish primer, and from blog posts I’ve read it is actually the Napoleon Perdis primer repackaged and much cheaper! Surprisingly my most worn and most loved blush for March was Cream Soda from the MAC Archie’s Girl collection. Chris bought me this as I was upset about not being able to find Prom Princess (ended up getting it later) and I’ve worn this one more than PP! Another product that has jumped back into my daily routine is the grungy looking Prestige brow gel, I’d forgotten how much of a difference you can make to your face just by grooming your brows well!

 

Now that my brain is focused on university and all the joys that come along with it, I neglected to include my Dove Body Milk for Dry Skin* and the object of my nail polish love affair. L’Oreal Color Riche in Luxembourg Garden* has truly stolen my heart, it isn’t often that I reapply the same colour time after time but I have been aching to reapply this every single time I do my nails.

What would you love to try from this lot of favourites? What pink lip product do you swear by?

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

 

MAC Haul // Archie's Girls, Strength, Making Pretty and Apres Chic

Saving for a wedding and a house means that I have had to cut back on spending, and the area that has been affected the most has been my cosmetic cravings. I've still managed to grab some nice pieces lately though, through gifts cards and frugal spending in other areas of my life. Though not all are from MAC I've been shopping there quite a bit more than usual, so a designated MAC post seems necessary!

I knew I wanted to pick up a neutral blush from the MAC Strength collection, but hasn't decided which of the two choices to go for. When I failed to get any colour from my swatch of Taupe Shape, I tried on Poised and ended up buying that one. Though probably not a necessary purchase as I do have a few similar shades, I reasoned that I wear neutral blushes often and therefore justified it.

I assumed that MAC 3N lipstick from the stunningly beautiful Making Pretty collection would be sold out when I visited my local counter, so when I found out they had 3 left I made the impulse buy right then and there. A pretty and wearable shade in some pretty packaging, and the same amount as I would have spent on a high end lipstick anyway.

 

I was lucky enough to spend the morning with Desiree and Karyn last week, and a sneaky trip to MAC Pro on Chapel Street was squeezed in after brunch. Desiree seems to have this amazing enabling effect (ie everything she likes, I want) on both Karyn and I, so I walked away with the Gentle Mineralize blush and a travel sized Fix +. Very excited to try both of these out!

 

 

Having read the Archie & Friends comics growing up, I knew I needed to get my hands on a piece of the character themed makeup that MAC had released. Even though I was always a Betty fan, the Veronica blush in Prom Princess had my heart racing and I tried for over a week to get my hands on it to no avail. Finally tracked it down before lunch with some bloggers over the weekend, and I am now content to sit back and swoon over the beautiful bright shade.

(Prom Princess came out a bit more purple than true shade in this image)

 

 

The day before I managed to snaffle Prom Princess I was moping about it being sold out on the Doncaster counter, so Chris decided to cheer me up by getting me the Betty blush in Cream Soda and lipglass in Kiss & Don’t Tell. The boy definitely knows his way to my heart! Impressed by how much both of those products suit me, and I can’t wait to show you swatches soon.

I’d love to hear what shade you like most from my haul.
What do you think of my MAC's crazy collection turnaround?