Festive Five #4 - 5 Neutral Blushes to Wear with That Festive Lip or Smoky Eye

If you’ve logged onto YouTube lately, no doubt you’ve seen a barrage of ‘festive makeup tutorials’ following a similar principle – bronzer, shimmery eye and a big bold red lip! I’m not knocking this trend as its stunning and I love clicking on to watch a few of the videos (though Vlogmas gets my heart beating faster!) but I’m far more interested in what blush people choose to pair with their Christmas look! I’ve rustled up 5 of my favourite neutral blushes (most ended up being luxe brands, ooh la la) that I reach for if I’m wearing a bold lip or smoky eye.

1. Chanel Joues Contraste in Accent

One of the most revered Chanel blushes kicking around Instagram and blogs at the moment, I am so pleased each time I see a snap of it that I added this to my collection! Limited edition of course, this is along the same lines as Chanel Jersey so perhaps you could substitute with that if you’re interested in Accent.

2. MAC Poised

This was posted about here after I’d forgotten I owned this stunner, and it turned out to be one of the most used blushes in 2014 for me. It’s a nice easy to wear neutral that has really impressed me, and because of that I think I’ll be looking into more MAC blushes next year!

3. Dolce & Gabbana Caramel

This took a lot of hunting around for, and it surprises me that hardly any blog posts exist praising this silky smooth luxury blush. I ended up purchasing from ebay if memory serves, and though it isn’t my favourite neutral blush it is definitely a thing of beauty that I’m glad I own.

4. Chanel Joues Contraste in Jersey

This was the only blush I took along on our honeymoon – a serious thing for a certified blush fiend such as myself! I actually think I love this more than Chanel Accent and find it so pretty that I can’t get sick of wearing it. Definitely worth checking out if you are a fan of neutral blushes, or even Chanel blushes in general like I am.

5. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed

I couldn’t leave this out of a neutral blush line-up – it’s my all-time favourite blush and the one I wore on my wedding day. Need I say more!

 

 

 

 

 

Are you a fan of neutral blushes? Are you sick of the traditional Christmas YouTube videos, or are you loving them like mad this year?

-Emma xx

The Autumn Transition - Cheeks + Eyes

I can definitely feel the chill approaching despite some random hot days in Melbourne, and autumnal colours have begun to creep back into my makeup choices already. This season is probably my favourite of all, with the weather cool enough for boots and cozy knits but not as rainy and miserable as winter can sometimes be. Cracking out my fall makeup picks is something I adore doing, it is probably the season best represented in my stash anyway.

I love palettes, I just can't help but adore the ease of opening one lid for all of the shades I need and they often push me into pairing colours that I might not normally try. I threw some of my most autumnal MAC shades into my iPalette, like Mink & Sable, French Cuff, Outre and Satin Taupe.

 I really haven't gotten as much use from my Chanel Accent blush as I had first thought I might, but now that autumn has technically arrived I think I will enjoy this sheer and sparkly beige shade a lot more. Even if I use this as a highlighting sort of topper for Tarte Exposed, I will be a happy camper and have no regrets about this beauty coming into my blush collection. A direct comparison to my pricy Chanel love is the bargain Calvin Klein blush in Heather Shimmer, a rich shade that will be perfect at giving my cheeks a flush (and would suit my beloved leopard scarf too, non?)

More bargain blushes in this line-up, not intended but there you have it. LYLAS (love you like a sister) from the recent Australis Neon Crush collection is something you could probably still get your hands on, and is a beautifully large duo making it easy to mix shades or use either side individually. I quite like the matte shade for a nice berry toned burst on the cheeks. A cheapie that you most likely won't be able to nab (sorry!) is the Home Sweet Home Knits for Chicks shade from essence that is so pretty in the pan and equally as pretty on the cheeks!

This transition into autumn has spurred me on to use things that I haven't gotten much use from, and the much lauded Lorac Pro Palette definitely falls into that category! I continually see this in favourites posts and makeup looks, but I just haven't had much of a play with this and as yet it hasn't truly grabbed me. This season I'll be pushing myself to give this palette a red hot go!

I'm pretty tempted to add some new things into my autumnal stash (Revlon's new scented polish in Autumn Spice seems fitting, non?) but with the wedding coming ever closer we will have to wait and see if I can splurge on beauty or not. Pretty certain that MAC Cranberry  eyeshadow will be coming home with me as soon as I hit a Pro store though...

Do you feel inspired with the change of seasons?
Why is Melbourne in the 30's despite it being April?!

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

Rosy Accent

I've taken to doing my makeup in the bathroom while my beauty room is being organised, and have found the natural light in there to be really lovely at certain times of the day. As I went past the foundation and concealer stage I perused my blush options in my daily tray, and picked up Chanel Accent from the recent limited edition collection. I wanted a nude lip to go with my heavier-than-usual daytime eye look and picked up Rosy Future* from the newly re-released Revlon Super Lustrous lipgloss range, and wouldn't you know it, they are two peas in a pod!

I'm quite partial to a brown toned nude lip, I think that often people have a few that they will look like an 80's dance music model, but in reality brown tones are often really flattering in nude shades! For me personally, I think it gives a bit of an edge to a nude lip that makes me look a bit older and perhaps more professional, which is handy considering I'm often mistaken for a student while teaching at high schools!

I am still playing around with Chanel Accent and have not made my mind up about it - most of the time I wear it over the top of Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed to give a bit of dimension and shimmer to my cheeks, but then I get this strange feeling that I'm betraying the blush code by using Chanel as a topper rather than a main player. Does this happen to anyone else, or am I just that blush mad?

Couldn't resist throwing in this shot of my little helper Charlie, who sits at my feet or on the bath mat to watch me swirl my powders and smear my lotions on. He can't seem to work out mirrors just yet, and so seeing his eyes flick from me to my reflection is the cutest thing! 

 

 

A quick iPhone snap of me wearing Revlon Rosy Future and Chanel Accent. Complimentary, non?

What do you think about matching makeup? Love it, or hate it?

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

*Provided for editorial consideration. Honesty, always.

 

 

Daily Tray

You know you've read a great blog post when you drop what you are doing (which was cuddling Charlie with a hundred blog tabs open...) to make a move with your makeup stash. Reading Larie's musings and seeing the products she keeps out to use regularly inspired me to steal the idea and create a 'daily tray' for myself - the products I want to make dents in, need to test or want to enjoy for a little while. Every few days I can see this getting a wee shake up, but I think semi-regular posts with the new additions could be beneficial for me and something you would hopefully find interesting.



I've got some of my staples in there like my Rimmel Match Perfection Cream Gel and my Too Faced Shadow Insurance, but I also threw in items I haven't touch in months like Revlon Nearly Naked foundation and my Laura Mercier foundation primer. I decided that while I wait for my Urban Decay Naked 3 palette to arrive I would give the original version a rest and bring out Naked 2 for a play. I had forgotten how beautiful the shades in this variation are, and am glad that soon I will have the fabulous trifecta.

A new minty shade for my inner corners came into the daily tray from the essence Me & My Ice-Cream collection, as well as the bright coral gloss from the new Beauty Beats collection (amazing glosses by the way!) I'm not loving either of the mascaras but can't bear to throw them away just yet as they aren't the worst I've ever used, so they will be in here for a little while.

An important part of my daily tray? Products I need to use up or want to hit pan on! I've had NYX Peach for so long and as you can see it is on its way out, so I've been wearing it daily with another shade dusted on top to make it interesting but still get rid of the pan. The bit dip in the champagne shade of Dior Fairy Golds is actually really exciting me and I can't wait to see some shiny Dior pan for the first time in my life!

 

Product list:

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer

Revlon Nearly Naked foundation

Rimmel Match Perfection Cream Gel

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer

 

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

E.L.F. Coffee Bean single shadow

essence Always in My Mint single shadow

Dior Fairy Golds palette

Urban Decay Naked 2 palette

Maybelline Mega Plush mascara*
Revlon 3D Volume mascara

essence Hot Chocolate eyeliner

 

NYX Peach

Chanel Accent

 

Revlon Rosy Future lipgloss*

essence I'm A Groupie lipgloss

 

Clinique Dramatically Different + moisturiser*

Lush Lust solid perfume

Avon Bond Girls perfume

 

Colour Theory Bronzer in Sun Kissed (not shown)

 

***********************************************************************

 

Do you keep your main products out on show too?

How often do you dive back into your collection to find a treasure?

 

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

 

*Provided for consideration. Honesty, always.





The Birthday Face

Hip hip hooray, it was my birthday yesterday! Another year older and hopefully wiser as well. I had a lovely little day out with my family, and thought it important to share my 'birthday face' here to keep a record of the makeup memories. Every year my sister takes me out but keeps our destination a secret (some years it has been bowling, mini golf, fancy lunch, shopping spree etc) and no matter what we do I have an amazing time with her, so it is one of the main reasons I love my birthday so much. This year my niece Ella and nephew Hamish came along as well as Mumma Bovary, which makes the day even better! We went out for a nice lunch and I indulged in a bit of a shopping spree before we stopped off at Dairy Bell for a scoop of ice-cream!

I woke up in the morning to Charlie snuggles and a nice coffee made by Mister Bovary before he left for work, and spent the morning watching YouTube videos and reading Bel-Ami by Guy de Maupassant. Pretty perfect morning, right? The night was great as well, all of my family came around for pizza and my beautiful best friend Candice made the trip down from the country to make my day!

Products:

I took my time doing my makeup so it looked a bit spesh for my special day, and layered my foundation to cover any blemishes. I used my Urban Decay Naked 2 to create a daytime smoky eye with Pistol all over the lid, Busted in the outer crease and Foxy to highlight my brown bone. I then went in heavy with my essence Hot Chocolate liner as I wanted a thick line on my top lid, and I absolutely loved the effect.

I used my favourite Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed but topped it with a little bit of Chanel Accent to spice it up a little, and then dusted some Dior Amber Diamond on top of my cheekbones like I do everyday. Lips were finished off with my Kardashian Au Natural Lip Set for a layered glossy nude look.

The Face:

no such thing as too much bling on your birthday!

Mumma Bovary and I out for lunch!

I'll be posting about the gifts I receive for my birthday next, I received such thoughtful gifts but am hoping that mister postman delivers my Naked3 in time for the post, and so that I can enjoy its awesomeness.

Do you have any birthday traditions?
Is it just me, or is the act of buying yourself a birthday gift (or 5...) so much fun?!

Emma x