The Grey Nude

I don't need much of a push when it comes to buying new lipsticks, and when the one you're lemming comes in at a measly $4.70 it's hard to feel guilty about the whole situation. I initially saw essence Come Naturally from the new nude lip collection on Angela's blog, and after subsequently spotting it on Sleep and Water I was sold hook, line and sinker! I had already purchased Cool Nude from the Nude Longlasting Lipstick release (seen in this favourites post) but I didn't think I would be able to pull off the purple and grey tones of Come Naturally....



Nosy Charlie wanted to know why I was taking so many photos of a tube of lipstick!

One thing I really like about the essence nude lipstick release is the packaging - the different tube colours make it easy to identify a shade in my overflowing stash and I think the embossing on the bullet itself warrants a higher price tag than the small sum these actually cost. The finish is satin and wears well, and being nude it doesn't give me any hassle as it wears off throughout the day, making it a wonderful work day shade for me. The thin black band around the tube is quite chic and the closure is really secure, which is worth noting if you often tote your lipsticks in a handbag pocket as I do.



essence 'Come Naturally'
essence 'Cool Nude'
Chanel Rouge Coco Shine 'Boy'
Lancôme Shine Lover Lipstick in '212 Twisted Beige'*
Colourpop Lippie Stix in 'Lumiere'

As in order above

to show the difference in finish and pigmentation

As it turns out, Come Naturally is a very wearable trend shade! The purple tones mix in nicely with the grey cast and I find the overall colour quite flattering on my pale complexion - it's neutral enough to wear with most any look, but is different and interesting at the same time. A lot of my nude lipsticks lean brown and the 'my lips but better MLBB' shades lean quite pink, so I feel like having this taupe shade really rounds out my neutral lip stash quite nicely. It's definitely a nice affordable way to dip a toe into the trendy pond of Kylie Jenner-esque/90's lips, that is for sure.

What do you think of neutral shades like this?
What neutral lippy is your all time favourite?
-Emma x


*Marked product was provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

essence Love & Sound Collection

On my last shopping jaunt with Mumma Bovary I spotted the new essence Love & Sound collection on the shelves at Priceline - naturally I made grabby hands for a few bits and pieces and thought I'd share what I chose and my initial thoughts on them! Limited edition blushes are a natural choice for the #blushfiend in me, and the unique eyeshadow shades really tempted me as well. I also restocked my favourite daily eyeliner, the essence Long Lasting Eye Pencil in Hot Chocolate as my current one is almost empty.

essence Long Lasting Eyeliner in Hot Chocolate
I've spoken about this eyeliner a whole lot on the blog, and stand by my love for the deep chocolate cream shade - the price tag of around $3 also cements my love for it! I wear it most often smudged into my upper lash line for some subtle definition, and it's something I buy back-ups of regularly in case essence lose their minds and discontinue this amazing eyeliner range.

essence Love & Sound Eyeshadow in Glastonberry
This immediately grabbed my attention and I was quick to throw the last pan into my shopping basket - I was also tempted by the peachy colour, but I'm currently trimming down my makeup collection so didn't feel it was a 'need', just a 'want' so I left it aside. Glastonberry immediately reminds me of Angela from Caffeine Induced, so imagine how weird it was to hop straight onto her blog after the shopping trip to see that she has just bought the shade, too! It's a wearable yet pigmented wine colour with a brown tone to it that just makes my eyes pop - I've been throwing it over a champagne shade everyday since I bought it and it's rocking my world right now. Spoiler alert: it will definitely feature in my next Currently Loving post!

essence Love & Sound Multi-Colour Blush in Sunset @ Centre Stage
Limited edition? Tick. Ombre? Tick. Stunning? TICK! I didn't even think twice about this one, the ombre blush formula from essence is of such high quality for the price tag and the colour seemed a bit different to most of my shade thanks to the plum tones of the first shade section of the pan. I did wonder if it would be similar to my essence Blush Up Powder Blush in Heat Wave or Pinky Flow, but I'm happy to report that they are quite different (comparisons are below for you!)

Heat Wave, Sunset @ Centre Stage

Heat Wave, Sunset @ Centre Stage, Pinky Flow

Each shade strip of Sunset @ Centre Stage

Heat Wave individual shades swatched // Sunset @ Centre Stage individual shades swatched

Heat Wave swirled together swatch, Pinky Flow swirled together swatch, Sunset @ Centre Stage swirled together swatch

I'm really pleased with my choices from this collection and think I'll get a lot of wear from them - other than these bits I was only really tempted by the mauve lipstick, but that was sadly sold out. Here is the rest of the collection if you're interested! I think I'm looking forward to the new Brit-Tea collection that should be out at Target any day now a little bit more (it's yet to be released at mine, has it hit yours?)

Later in the week I'll be posting a makeup look using these new Love & Sound products, so look out for that if you're interested!

Hope you're having a wonderful day!
-Emma

*I personally purchased these products. Honesty, always.

Chanel Joues Contraste in 88 Vivacite - Swatches, Photos, Review, Comparisons + Face of the Day

And to think that when I received my first Chanel Joues Contraste blush from Mister Bovary, I announced that it would only be a yearly purchase...introducing 88 Vivacite, my 4th Chanel JC.

I only heard about the new blush shades being released a day before I saw these on counter, and I really didn't have to think twice about it because I had a voucher with Vivacite's name written all over it! Two new powder shades were released alongside the Perfection Lumiere Velvet foundation, with the second being 89 Canaille which I was at first not tempted by, but now have on my wishlist after hearing Jessica rave about it in this video. 

Vivacite is a beautiful and bright magenta shade that is heavily pigmented. I apply this (and in fact apply each of my Chanel JC's) with the Real Techniques Stippling Brush, and a light tap is recommended to not disturb the powder too much. The colour blended with ease and lasted all day, which I expected with the experience of my other Chanel blushes in mind. It brightened up my face and left a matte finish that was still quite satin, unlike my Pink Explosion JC which contains silver shimmer that you can see upon swatching.

Being such a bright shade, I can imagine many beauty lovers being intimidated by the colour and tone of this blush. I've laid it alongside some similar shades from my blush drawers to give a comparison for you, and as you will see in my face swatch further down this can be worn with ease even on the palest complexion.

It is probably the most matte of the blushes shown here, but I think you can see in the face swatch below how it gives off a sheen to the cheek (I don't have any powder or highlighter on in this post, just Vivacite popped over my Covergirl foundation)

Other Products Used:
Covergirl Outlast foundation in 810
Too Faced Ringleader + Gangster (Pretty Rebels palette)
Rimmel Scandaleyes Rockin' Curves mascara*
Sisley Phyto-Lip Twist in 4 Pinky*

 

Chanel Joues Contraste blush in 88 Vivacite is available on counters now and retails for approx. $50 AUD. I highly recommend it for a beautiful magenta flush that brightens up the face, the Chanel JC formula really is worth swooning over!

 

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

 

 

*Marked items were provided for consideration.

Honey Jasmine

Sometimes I contemplate a new blush purchase for weeks, and other times I know from the moment the shade is released that I will be adding the shade to my collection. Initial posts about the All About Orange collection and Honey Jasmine had me sitting up in my desk chair, and as soon as it popped up online (Australia, why so delayed?) I plugged my card details in and grinned like a Cheshire Cat.

I truly regret not purchasing Fresh Honey when it came out with the Naturally collection, and I’ve sort of viewed Honey Jasmine as my consolation prize. It does require a little bit of effort to blend in nicely, but the way it looks against my pale complexion more than makes up for that flaw.

 

Described by Temptalia as “medium orange with subtle warm, yellow undertones and a barely-there satin sheen”, Honey Jasmine is darker and more red-toned than something like Chanel Frivole (which I also own and love) I can see this working on skin tones across the board as it is pigmented and seems to stand out on Christine’s cheeks, but as always it is all about what you feel comfortable wearing. I quite like wearing orange tones on my cheeks, so I am really pleased to have this in my collection.

cheeky Marc Jacobs Honey in the background ;)

 

What do you think of orange tones on the cheeks?

Do they float your boat?

What colour do you wear most on your cheeks? Vote in the poll at the top of this page and feel free to comment below to let me know!

 

BYS Blush Trio - 4 Blush Palettes to Drive You Wild!

 

When I saw these gorgeous BYS blush trios for $4.50 at my local discount store, I knew I had to take them all home with me. The RRP price is $6.50, and I would still happily pay that per palette, no problems. I love the idea of having three blush shades in one handy palette, and I love that the packaging is clear on top so that you can see which palette you are picking up at a glance.

 

The packaging, while feeling a little cheap, is still really sturdy and has the positive feature of being really slim so it sits in my blush drawer with ease. I have a stack of the BYS blush singles which I also like, but I really think they’ve stepped it up with such bright shades this time around! All you need is the Real Techniques Stippling Brush for these to all be wearable, and just remember that a light hand works wonders with blushes like this and you’ll be fine. I have been wearing primarily these for well over a month now, and am showing no signs of stopping!

My obsession with bright pink cheeks has meant that On The Brightside has really won my heart over. I would say that I wear all 3 shades from this one pretty regularly, including the matte coral pink and the shimmery paler pink as well. For dolly pink lovers (Chanel Pink Explosion, MAC Dollymix, etc.) this is a bargain.

 Endless Summer is the next shade in this line up, a beautiful trio of burnt coral oranges that looks great on pale skin and darker skin alike. This might be best suited to lovers for shades like Nars Orgasm, or other coral toned shades like MAC Springsheen.

 

I would have to say that my very favourite palette from the 4 available is Coral Me In, and it is all because of that shimmery centre shade. I fell head over heels for this pretty shade, and the shimmer is so beautiful when buffed into the skin with my stippling brush that I just can’t get over it. Signs of blush obsession, anyone? It really makes me look 'glowy' rather than shimmery, and we all love that!

The fourth and final palette to choose from is probably my least favourite, though I think it would be the most wearable for the masses if my guess is correct. Heart Skipped A Beat is a trio of paler pink shades, one with a nice plummy tone, one a candy floss sort of tone and a mid tone in the centre. I think they are still really pretty and have been wearing them quite a bit as well, but we have to pick favourites in this beauty bloggin’ biz, ya know?

 

All of that being said, I would highly recommend that you grab a palette or two if you happen to track them down. They are being released as we speak, with lots of shelves already full of the bright trios. While you aren’t getting Burberry quality silkiness in the formula (or the luxe packaging) these are much better than their price tag suggests, and I have had no problems with them being too chalky or powdery since I apply them with the best brush - Cough buy the RT stippling brush cough.

 

Which palette would you grab for first?

Do you prefer shimmery blushes to matte or satin finishes?

 

 

*I purchased all of these with my own money. Honesty,always.