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

5 Blushes I'm Currently Loving

What need is there to come up with a reason to wax lyrical about my recent blush loves? I don’t need much of a push to chatter on about my favourite beauty product, so I’ve rounded up the five I’ve been wearing in recent months to share with you all.

As I’ve mentioned previously, the bulk of my makeup stash has been packed away and unpacking it has fallen by the wayside as we busy ourselves with house renovations and setting up our first home together. The ‘lazy-day’ cheek shade that I’m sure you’ve all heard me rave about is the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed, which is a simply amazing rosy neutral that lasts all day and looks amazing on. If I feel like something a bit brighter that lasts all day, I turn to my Chanel Joues Contraste in Pink Explosion or Frivole. My only two Chanel JC’s, I have fallen in love with the formula this year and can’t wait to pick up the new shade Accent from the upcoming holiday collection. It’s meant to be a really pretty shimmery neutral pink shade, and from the limited promo images out there I just know I’m going to be picking it up when it launches in Australia. Okay, blush swoon over, back to the point of the post! (Moral of that tangent? Go and buy a Chanel JC!) 

The only cream blush I’ve been wearing lately is the newly released Ice Bomb crème blush from essence, the solo cheek shade from the Me & My Ice Cream collection. The gorgeous apricot shade blends like a dream, and though I’m upset that the packaging of mine has cracked, I’m still really happy to have picked up this bargain blush! The last and possibly most random blush shade I’ve been wearing is the MAC Mineralize blush in Gentle, a plummy pink shade with gold shimmer. I use a light hand with this as it has the tendency to make me look a bit too flushed, but the shimmery effect is really flattering on my cheeks.

What blushes have you been wearing lately? Any shades or formulas I need to check out?

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty x

Cheek Week // blushes that graced my face

I've been rotating the same group of cheek shades this month, now that I'm getting up early each morning for work the less choices the easier it is choose. Essential for work days are long-lasting, easy to wear shades, hence my cream-centric choices!

I picked up all three of the new Revlon Photoready Cream blushes when they launched in Australia a few weeks ago, and I posted a full photo-heavy post on them earlier this month! I've used the pale peach Pinched most out of the lot, and though it is a very pale colour I can get away with it if I build it up. Flushed is a nice pop of pink for these spring days, and Coral Reef goes really well with the gloss of the same name.

The longest lasting blush I own is the YSL Creme de Blush in Powdery Rose, which also happens to be my very favourite blush. The texture is second to none and I feel put together whenever I wear this shade. Though I hardly wear bronzer, I do go through stages where bronzer is an everyday appearance. I have been using the Clinique SuperBalanced Powder Bronzer, it's one of those nifty ones that you shave a fresh slice off each time you use it. I like the way it looks on my skin (I use the lightest shade) and it lasts well on my skin, as it absorbs oil and is mineral.

I am enjoying the fresh look that my cream blushes leave on my cheeks, but I've recently picked up a few new cheek products so will be switching them in in the next couple of days. The Clinique bronzer is staying in my everyday stash as I've been loving the healthier look it gives me, but I won't be bringing it to Sydney with me as it's just too bulky for light travel.

What has graced your cheeks lately?

Are you as obsessed with blushes as I am?!

*The Clinique bronzer was provided for review, which doesn't affect my opinion of the product. Honesty, always.

Missha Haul // Nails, Cheeks, Lips and Face!

I ventured out last weekend to have lunch with some other beauty bloggers, and afterwards my first trip to Missha was made a reality! With a whole bunch of beauty loving ladies in tow there was no way I could walk out empty handed, so here are the spoils of my day.

I wasn't intending on throwing this many items into my basket, but going shopping with beauty bloggers is a peer-pressure type environment and I had never tried Missha before!

 The ladies there are great at doling out samples, so I walked out with sachets of the BB cream as well as the BB cream base. I'll give these a go and they might feature in a 'trialling this week' post if you are interested.

The beautiful Vita took me over to the polish section and helped me pick out a gorgeous purple shade full of golden shimmer, and a shimmery mint green shade (of which a NOTD is imminent) The makeup remover was too cheap to pass up and I have been looking for a new one to try, I'm not very impressed with the Garnier one I'm using at the moment.

A haul just wouldn't be a haul for me without cheek products, and my obsession with cream blushes took hold when I saw that this duo in 02 was 50% off! A bright set of colours that I will be using as blushes, I'm really happy to add some cheery shades to my collection!

The packaging of this Magenta Pink powder blush is so pretty, a sturdy clear plastic creation with a nice design embedded into it. I see this shade as one that I could use all the time now that my NYX Peach is on the way out.

This was a complete 'lemming off a cliff' reaction to seeing this pretty colour SPK101 in Vita's basket, I threw it in without a thought. The packaging is very out there, but I love the geometric shaped lipstick bullet!

Magenta Pink, cream blush duo 02, SPK101 lipstick

 

Have you tried anything from Missha?

Are you ever given samples when out shopping?

I find Kit Cosmetics is great for samples, and YSL as well!

 

Ready for Boarding with essence // collection overview and haul

 My loves in life are  (mainly) travel and cosmetics, so essence hit the nail on the head for me with their Ready for Boarding collection.

The only thing that tempted me to buy this was the stunning slimline packaging that is reminiscent of a passport, but the shadows are too pale and shimmery for me and I passed on this.

The imagery for the whole collection is really attractive, the eiffel towers on the makeup bag are adorable and the overall idea of travel is an excellent theme. The collection contains creme blushes, an eyeshadow palette, a range of nail polishes, peel off base coat, wipes, luggage tag, makeup purse and some liners.

Of course it was the blushes which stood out to me the most, the beautiful creme finish lured me in and I couldn't walk away without both of the shades available. The polishes always tempt me but I'm running out of room to store my polish collection, so I showed restraint and only chose two colours.

 

The creme blushes come in two shades, a bright coral and a red-toned hot pink that is right up my alley for perfectly flushed cheeks. I never use my cream blushes on my lips so can't help you out with that side of these.

 

There is nothing I despise more than brands who don't come up with creative names for their products, so I applaud essence for taking initiative and thinking outside the square with their shade names! I think Beauty on Tour and Sending You Kisses are really cute and appropriate names for these blush shades!

Of course I had to choose the nail polish that matched my Beauty on Tour cheek creme, I love the idea of tying a look together like this, especially with this stunning coral orange.

Lovely bright colours to bring me into spring with flushed cheeks!

The cheek cremes leave a dewy look on the skin without a great deal of stickiness, I haven't worn them for a full work day as yet so can't say anything about lasting power at this stage.

 

I adore the idea of a travel inspired collection, and the bargain prices of essence collection means you'd be crazy not to pick up a thing or two to try out from this collection.

 

essence is available at Target nationally, and I'm pretty sure most of Europe also has access to this awesome brand.

 

YSL Creme De Blush #05 Fuschia Temptation

I am head over heels for YSL in general, but it was this range of cream blushes which ignited the spark in my heart for the brand.

I adore the packaging that these blushes come in, the little gold topped glass pots are very sturdy and I think they are really beautiful.

The blush is a cream to powder formula, and I would describe the finish as velvety but still very natural on the skin. It is a very buildable colour, and looks beautiful applied sheerly or layered on for a stronger look (which is how I prefer to wear this shade)

I like to keep my YSL products in their original packaging, not too sure why but they sure look pretty all lined up!

I love the way that these resemble ltitle creamy cups of colour, and they smell fresh and fruity, but in a subtle way that isn't too overpowering for me.

#05 Fuschia Temptation is a bright pink shades which leans on the cool side, and gives a nice flush to the cheeks.

I decided to compare this to the other shade I have in this formula, which is #02 Powdery Rose. It is a warm pink shade that is absolutely amazing, and my favourite out of the two.The reason for the texture of Powdery Rose is because I apply this with my Royal & Langnickel stippling brush. I find that dabbing it into the pot and then pushing it into the cheek works well, and I finish by buffing it out with the same brush to get the perfect flushed look that lasts all day long.

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Unblended swatches of the two shades.

Blended swatches of the two shades.

The Creme de Blushes were limited edition last year, but I recently saw one of the shades available at a Myer counter so they may be repromoted soon. You can purchase this shade along with others at Strawberrynet here, the price there swings between $35 and $40. From memory Chris paid $65 for Powdery Rose at Myer and I purchased Fuschia Temptation from Strawberrynet for $36. If I had to choose one blush formula to use for the rest of my life, it would be this one, no doubt in my mind. I love Fuschia Temptation and though Powdery Rose is my favourite shade, I still think this is a must have!

Have you tried the YSL Creme De Blush range?

What is your ultimate blush formulation?