February Collective Haul

Celebrating a ‘last hurrah’ of sorts, sharing some of the products I indulged in during February. March saw me begin my post graduate diploma at university, and subsequently the bulk of my spending money has been put to textbooks and a stack of new stationary to keep me on track.

Though I’ve heard negative reviews of Strawberrynet and their policies, the lure of finally getting my hands on a Jouer item was too tempting. A ‘saved search’ within my ebay account, it was Ingrid from Miss Glamorazzi that had me hooked on getting their powder blush in ‘Blossom’.  I have previously bought a YSL Crème de blush from SNet before and so when I saw #6 Rouge Passion was available, in the cart it went. The formula of theses is literally the best I’ve ever used. The CK shadow was a GWP and I chose a light neutral, as you can never have too many of those.

I am big fan of the Girlz Only dry shampoo which is available at Target for $2 per can, and when I spotted one for deep brown hair I knew that I needed to try it out. I am still using the original formula, but when I get around to trying this I will let you know how it goes. When Big W had their cosmetics sale, I popped a couple of the Maybelline City Rescue Total Clean Eye & Lip Makeup Removers to try out, and one to give to my bestie to try. Quite happy with how it is performing thus far!

There isn’t much better than receiving samples from high end beauty counters, so when my local YSL lady showed me the new Rouge Volupte Shine sample blister packs, I was over the moon. I have my eye on the shade Nude in Private but have held of purchasing until the weather cools down and I can bring out my lipsticks again. The beautiful Ulta3 set was a wonderful pharmacy find, and I’m excited to bust out the bright shades soon.

My love for Chanel Joues Contraste blushes seems to be growing, and I added the limited edition 76 Frivole to my collection at the beginning of February. A beautiful light apricot shade, this contrasts heavily with the bright Pink Explosion which was my first Chanel blush shade. I have only used this a handful of times, but am very glad to have it in my blush drawer.

Despite earlier mentioning holding off on lipstick purchases until the weather becomes bearable again, here I present my Maybelline Vivid collection (along with a cheeky Sportsgirl sale lipstick) I chose Neon Red, Vivid Mandarin and Hot Plum as they were shades I think I will get the most use from during the cold and grey winter months (which is when I like to wear bright lips most!)

Clockwise from bottom left: MAC Gentle, Chanel Frivole, YSL Rouge Passion, Jouer Blossom, MAC Poised

Just to further highlight my blush madness, I threw the new cheek shades of mine into a single shot, purely for swooning purposes. The bottom MAC shades were from this MAC haul, which I shared with you last week.

So there you have it, the stack of beauties I added to my cosmetic collection during February. Have you bought anything nice lately?

 

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?

january favourites!

I really enjoyed these products this month, some of them were recently acquired around Christmas time and others were just a result of appreciating the things I already had.

Have been trying to take better care of my skin lately, and have enjoyed using this L'Occitane Immortelle Precious Night Cream* to really hydrate my mug. Have a full review coming up, but suffice to say I'm happy with it.

Now that Melbourne is heating up for summer, I've been reaching for my 'tropical holiday' fragrances. Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess was last years release and I bought it for a steal at the Estee Lauder staff store. It's coconutty and fruity and makes me wish I was on a deserted island. This is Chris' favourite on me at the moment, he loves it. My Thierry Mugler Angel ETD* (review here) is breathtaking, always.

I've been absolutely obsessed with my Bioderma Crealine H20* lately, as the heat has wreaked havoc on my 'can't decide if it's oily or dry' face. It's nice and gentle, and makes me feel a little more French every time I swipe my makeup off.

*

I adore the L'Oreal Infallible shadows, and this shade was one Chris bought me for Christmas. Sahara Treasure is a shimmery neutral shade that is stunning and very wearable. I wore this over my MAC Painterly paint pot with lashings of mascara more than half of this month. For night, I slicked on some liquid liner with it.

I have been loving cream blushes lately, and this YSL Creme de Blush in 2 Powdery Rose is my very favourite. I apply it using a Royal and Langnickel stippling brush, and it sets to a powder finish and smells like watermelon in the pot. I really regret not picking up more of these, but was elated to find them on Strawberrynet for a mere $36 compared to the RRP of more than $60 that I paid. Link is here, hop to it!

I am a massive advocate for MAC paint pots, I use one every day (usually Painterly) and this month I've been daring by adding a few darker looks into my usual faces. I've used MAC Dangerous Cuvee from the Cham Pale collection (haul here) as a base for most of them, it's stunning.

It took me a while to warm up to the new Revlon lip butters,  but now that I know I just need a good lip scrub before I use them (lips are acting out atm) I'm loving them all. Creme Brulee is one of the few nudes I like, it's really easy to wear and suits both the dark and super bright eye looks I've been wearing lately.

Ah, the Naked palette. Seen a million times, and I go through stages where I'm bored of it. I've been using it every day this month, and have highlighted the standout shades. Virgin as a highlight, Sidecar or Toasted as a wash over the lid, and Darkhorse in my crease. The beginning of a lemming for Naked2 may have begun...

What products are your favourites this month?

Have you tried any of mine?

(* denotes items provided for consideration for review, which doesn't affect my love for them or their place in my favourites this month. Honesty, always.)