July Favourites



I didn't think I had much to bring to the table in regards to monthly favourites for July, but the work essentials made me smile and I thought that alone deserved their inclusion into this post. I fell back in love with an old favourite scent, found some accessories that made me feel a million bucks and had a staple makeup routine down pat for the weekdays!

I have decided that it is official - I have an obsession with fragrance mists! I have quite the collection happening (would you be interested in a collection post for them?) The latest in my stash is Britney Spears Curious. This one really pulls at my heartstrings - it was the first perfume Mister bought me many years ago and just one sniff takes me back to those early-dating butterflies (mushy though that may sound!) I actually really like the smell of most Britney scents I've tried - sweet and celebrity aren't a turn off for me when it comes to perfume it seems!

Another love of the month (and beyond) has been my collection of Chanel Joues Contraste Blushes; here I've showcased Jersey and In Love, but most of my shades have been in the rotation for a while now and my love for them only grows with each use.

When it comes to my daily face, I've been doing well by using my Laura Mercier Sweetheart Lip Glace which is part of my Project Use It Up (which is going terribly, in case you were wondering!) It's an easy thing to swipe on for work and it keeps my lips in nice condition without being high maintenance. I've also been using my L'Oreal Infallible 24HR Matte Foundation* daily and am loving the finish it gives my skin - I recently finished up my Revlon Colorstay Whipped Crème Makeup and this is what has taken that place in my daily drawer.

I've also come to appreciate my Napoleon Perdis Crease Brush more than ever, it's always been in use but perhaps this is the first time I've singled it out as a favourite? It's the perfect shape for applying and buffing colour into my crease and I love how easy it makes any eye look. A lifestyle favourite for my has to be my iPad, and more importantly the reading apps I have on it (iBooks, Kindle etc) I was recently sent Sex, Lies, and Cruising* by Cathryn Chapman and I really enjoyed it! It made me yearn for a cruise and I can't wait to read the follow up novel which is out in October: Love, Drugs, and New York. I also love that it was written by a fellow Australian!

More lifestyle favourites, a bit of a change from the usual for me! I've been smashing the Eclipse Spearmint Mint's lately, they aren't too spicy for me and the flavour is addictive - a bonus is that they stop me from snacking so much throughout the day! I've been loving little pouches lately to help with handbag organisation and while I lust over a Mimco design, I'm content (for now) with my little cheapie from Cotton On in the blue/leopard colourway. On the accessory front I've become interested in earrings once more - the golden discs have been my go-to for special nights out and the sterling silver shepherd's hook style balls have been my favourite for weekdays!

I hope August is shaping up to be a lovely month for you thus far - I'm laid out with a cold but am taking the self-imposed house arrest as time for redecorating and clearing out some unwanted bits and pieces so it isn't all bad. Do you have any tips on how to let go of possessions around the house? I would love to know!
Emma x

*Products provided for consideration but are honest favourites!

The Beauty Scenario Tag

Although not technically tagged for this beauty scenario tag, I’ve been reading quite a few of the responses from other bloggers lately and Larie’s post in particular spurred me to jot down what I’d do if these crazy situations ever happened…

1. You have to get rid of all of your foundations and only keep one high-end and one drugstore; which do you keep?

I was shocked when I realised that I don’t really dabble in high-end foundations or bases…what kind of beauty blogger am I?! I think Illamasqua Skin Base is as high-end as I’ve ever fallen for (I like YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat but it’s a bit too glowy for my skin) My drugstore option would either be Revlon Colorstay Whipped Crème Foundation or Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3in1 Foundation. Actually now that I’ve thought about it, I’d rather just keep those two drugstore options instead!

 

2. You go for an interview, and the lady interviewing you has lipstick on her teeth. Do you approach the subject or ignore it completely?

I think I’d gauge the situation and the individual before making this decision – I’m often the one running after people who’ve left the bathroom with their skirt tucked up to let them know, but other times I feel too intimidated to mention little things like lipstick on teeth. I always let my friends know though, so there’s a plus for me ;)

3. You're not feeling yourself and need a pick-me-up lipstick. Which do you go for?

I think right now I’d probably go for my Maybelline Color Drama Velvet Lip Pencil ‘Fab Orange’ as it’s my current obsession, but more often than not I’ll play around with my eyeshadow to perk myself up before I reach for a lipstick.

4. You go back in time for a day to your teenage years; how would you do your hair or makeup differently?

I never wore makeup throughout high school, apart from the occasional foray into a smudge of black liner on my upper lash line. I had great skin until I went to uni (ironic, dontcha think?) so I never really felt the need to wear anything – I do wish I’d worn mascara more often, and taken advantage of clear skin with long lashes for a prettier look. Hair wise, I’ve never really been into it and not much has changed!

5. You ask your hairdresser for a shoulder length Pixie Lott haircut but they hear wrong and give you a pixie cut - what would you do?

 A) Smile, say thank you, call your mum and cry hysterically

B) Cry in the chair and things get awkward

C) Complain to the manager and demand a refund

Real talk – I would have lost my bananas!! I did have an unfortunate too-short haircut around year 8, but I brought a picture into the salon and all so I am totally to blame for that mess. Round faces with chubby cheeks like mine often don’t suit short hair – mine definitely doesn’t!

6. Your friend surprises you with a 4-day city break and you have one hour to pack. Which 'Do it all' palette do you pack in your makeup bag?

What an awesome friend – bit late notice though missy! I’d probably forgo a whole face palette and just stick a thin shadow palette and a Chanel blush into my bag rather than going for something like the LauraMercier Lingerie Palette…though it might be nice to push myself out of my comfort zone and get more use from that!

 

7. Your house has been robbed. Don't worry, everyone is safe, but your beauty stash has been raided. What's the product you really hope is safe?

My Chanel Joues Contraste blush stash better be unharmed or so help me…that collection is a true labour of love!

 

8. Your friend borrows makeup and returns it in awful condition. Do you:

 A) Pretend you haven't noticed

B) Ask them to re-purchase it

C) Secretly do it back to their makeup

I give away makeup more regularly than I lend it out, though I do let people use stuff at my house if they’d like to (or I’ll do their makeup for them more often than not!) I would

I don’t think I have any friends who’d do something like that, especially the ones that know me and my beauty obsession well, but it does irk me when people swatch my makeup before I’ve taken pictures of it! #beautybloggerproblems

----------

I love the way that random tags force you to think about things in a different way, crazy as the questions may be. I have a newfound protective spirit over my Chanel JC’s and an appreciation for great drugstore makeup bases now!

-Emma

Addicted to Blush Tag (#blushfiend)

I recently decided that there was a distinct lack of blush love on here considering my status as a #blushfiend, and so when I saw the gorgeous Kat from Kitsch Snitch had created a blush tag I was all up on it! Blush is definitely my favourite thing in the beauty world and I had a blast rifling through my rather large blush drawers to pull product for this tag. These answers will definitely change for me as time goes on - sometimes the life of a #blushfiend is fickle, ya know?

What colour blush suits you the most?
I think peach tones suit my skin tone the most, despite it not being my favourite blush shade to wear (neutral wins that, with ease!) I find I receive more compliments when I wear peach tones and it seems to photograph relatively well also.

- peach tones suit me best -
Clinique Cheek Pop 'Peach Pop*'
 Chanel Joues Contraste ' 76 Frivole'
Chanel Joues Contraste '55 In Love'

Pressed/cream/loose blush?
The majority of my blush collection is definitely pressed powder blushes - I find them the easiest to work with, and it takes a really good cream formula for me to want to try it out! I recently bought the new MUFE HD Blush and I've heard it's a great cream formula, so I'm looking forward to testing that out.

YSL Crème de Blush '6 Rouge Passion'
Topshop Cream Blush 'Head Over Heels'
Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush 'Exposed'
Illamasqua Powder Blusher 'Naked Rose'
 

Favourite shimmery blush?
I tend to favour Satin finishes in general, but sometimes a nice fine glitter or shimmer doesn't go astray and I like the glow it adds to my face on 'good skin' days. My most recent favourite is MAC's Warm Soul blush which I picked up on my honeymoon, but more glittery favourites are Chanel Pink Explosion (like a satin finish with fine glitter mixed in) and the MAC Mineralize Blush in Hand-Finish. I think the MAC Mineralize blush range is the best way to dip your toe into shimmery blushes if you are unsure of them!


MAC Mineralize Blush 'Hand-Finish'
Chanel Joues Contraste 'Pink Explosion'
MAC Mineralize Blush 'Warm Soul'

Favourite matte blush?
I actually had trouble finding a good range of matte blushes in my collection - most were satin finishes when I looked at them properly! The best matte blushes that come to mind are from Illamasqua - the pigmentation is insane and the colours are usually pretty awesome, so even though I don't wear them very often I'd have to say they are my favourite matte offering!


Illamasqua Powder Blusher 'Naked Rose'
Illamasqua Powder Blusher Duo in 'Lover/Hussy'

Favourite cream blush? 
As I mentioned, cream blushes have to be pretty darn awesome to catch my eye and these two releases certainly are! The YSL Crème de Blush range is an old favourite and the Powdery Rose shade is everything, but the brand new Maybelline Master Glaze Blush Sticks have impressed me and I really wasn't expecting them to!

YSL Crème de Blush '2 Powdery Rose'
YSL Crème de Blush '6 Rouge Passion'
Maybelline Master Glaze Blush Stick 'Just-Pinched Pink*'
Maybelline Master Glaze Blush Stick in 'Pink Fever*'

Favourite drugstore blush?
It's not until you complete a tag like this that you notice trends in your makeup drawers - it seems I have a weakness for high end blushes! These BYS Blush Trios are definitely the best quality 'drugstore' blush I've tried - the pigmentation is stellar, the lasting power is akin to a Myer branded blush and the shades are exciting and varied! The are affordably priced at around $5-6 and they are worth so much more in my eyes. Gorgeous!

BYS Blush Trio in:
On The Brightside
Coral Me In
Endless Summer
Heart Skipped a Beat

Favourite high end blush?
Easiest question in this tag by far - my beloved Chanel Joues Contraste collection took a while to kick off it must be said, but once the ball began rolling it took over my blush love! I used to read posts like this by Pink Sith and swoon over the idea of owning one, but never understood just how amazing they were until Mister bought me one for Christmas a few years ago. My collection has grown fast since then and shows no signs of stopping, Chanel JC's make me so happy!

Chanel Joues Contraste Blushes in:
80 Jersey
76 Frivole
55 In Love
64 Pink Explosion

Favourite bright blush?

I'm not afraid of a good whack of colour in a blush, so I had quite a few to rifle through for this question. I ended up choosing the bright shades that get my heart racing as they haven't been something I reach for too often lately (I'm all about the neutral cheek right now!) The most wearable bright shade is definitely my Chanel JC 'Pink Explosion' which was my first Chanel blush, and I love the way it brightens up my whole complexion when I apply it with a Real Techniques Stippling Brush. Actually, that is how I apply all of my bright blush shades!



BYS Blush Trio 'On the Brightside'
essence Beauty Beats Blush 'Groupie at Heart'
Chanel Joues Contraste 'Pink Explosion'

Biggest blush disappointment/regret?
I've spend years trying to understand the Nars blush phenomenon (perhaps I just haven't tried the right shade?) and the hype surrounding the Bourjois Blush Pots, like this one in Rose D'Or. I had to scrape away a thick layer to get my swatch to show up (and it was gorgeous once I did, for sure!) but so much effort for a blush that keeps hardening up is not worth my time. The worst blush I've ever purchased is definitely the essence Bloom Me Up Blush Stick '01 Chaising Lacy' - not only is the name spelt strangely which irks me, the texture is terrible and pills on my skin no matter what I try, with hardly any pigment to speak of. I just had to swatch you to explain it well - it looks like an arm rash, am I right?

Bourjois Blush '34 Rose D'Or'
essence Bloom me Up Blush Stick '01 Chaising Lacy'

Bourjois swatch, essence swatch

Best blush packaging?
I can appreciate many different blush packaging, but I'm not sure whether or not I have a favourite in this regard...I love how clean and clear Illamasqua pans are but hate breaking my nails opening them, I love my Chanel JC's (which I keep in their boxes) but it's hard to quickly distinguish the blush shade, and other brands have their pro's and con's as well. As long as it is relatively pretty and keeps the product safe, I'm usually a happy camper!

What's on your blush wish list?
I am looking at trying some of the Colourpop Blush line, and also really want to hunt down the MAC Pro Longwear blush 'Make You Mine' which I neglected to buy in America and now really regret it. I always wait with baited breath for a new Chanel blush release and the upcoming Crescendo looks pretty interesting...the new Bobbi Brown Blush Trio's also look utterly delectable to me!

Number 1 holy grail blush?
I have to stay true and choose my wedding day blush for this question - my beloved Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush 'Exposed'! I also snuck in my other HG blush because I'm a rebel like that...the stunning Chanel JC 'Jersey'!

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush 'Exposed'



Tarte Exposed, Chanel Jersey

 

I would love to see everyone I follow complete this blush tag, it's so refreshing to think about your collection as a whole and it's made me pull out old favourites from my drawers to play with! That being said, I would especially love to tag Vita, Norlin, Ling, Sleep and Water, Tracy, Monika and Liz! Feel free to leave any blush recommendations in the comments, too - I would love to know what your favourite blush is, and which is the worst you've ever tried!

-Emma x