The Sculpting Cheek Palette

 

I know that it would take a tonne of people from Kim Kardashian's squad to transform my chipmunk cheeks into anything resembling a sculpted face, but this is as close as I've come with ease to having anything resembling cheekbones, so lets just let me indulge for a moment. When this product hit my desk I thought it was cute, but didn't think much more if I'm honest. I'm not one to wear bronzer everyday, I prefer my highlight more intense than the daily average, and trying to pry a Chanel Joues Contraste blush out of my hands is a task in itself - but I'm happy to report that my cheek look lately was done with a single palette, from the drugstore!

Kate Moss for Rimmel London has created this sculpting palette in 002 Coral Glow* that is adorably packaged, and actually brings the goods when it comes to pigment and lasting power. For my first few uses I neglected the blush shade and used the aforementioned Chanel pan, but during the second week of use I figured that if I liked the contour and highlight shade that much, I should probably give the seemingly plain blush a red hot go. It turns out that Rimmel know what they're on about when it comes to cheeks - the easy to wear blush colour is a winner and I featured it in my recent favourites post!

pretty neat guide on the back of the packaging

I knew I needed to dedicate a post to this when I caught myself raving about it to my Mum, sister and nieces when they asked what I was wearing, and a few have since bought it for themselves on my recommendation. I use the very tame 'day appropriate' highlighter first on the tops of my cheekbones (or where they would be if you could see them) and then the contour shade underneath the cheekbones. I'm not game enough for a full on contoured look like Kim K (and this shade has some slight shimmer so I'm sure diehard contour fans wouldn't approve anyway!) but this blends with almost no effort to give my face a bit of shape, and I take it up through my temples and the top of my forehead which warms up my very pale complexion without looking like Snooki circa 2009.

A helpful photo if you've forgotten where cheeks are...LOL

This palette gets two thumbs up from me, and if you follow me on Snapchat (emmabovaryt) I'm sure you've spotted this product quite a few times in my flat lays and get ready with me shots! It's a bargain at $16.95 and my niece sent me a Snapchat saying she scored it for half price at last week, so keep your eyes peeled at the usual drugstore haunts (Priceline, Woolworths, Coles etc)

Emma x

*Product provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

Models Prefer 'Glitz and Glamour' Highlighter

Hi. My name is Emma and I once was a highlighter-phobe...

 ...until this fell into my Priceline basket. Hallelujah!

This caught my eye when the beautyheaven girls were showcasing the new look Models Prefer packaging and prodz, and I'm ever so thankful to them for that. My main struggle with highlighters was that they were liquid, and cut unnatural lines thru the foundation coverage that lay before them. Glowy, amazing cheeks are what I wanted, but what I got was silvery streaky lines of bad skin above the cheeks. Not hot in any sense of the word. Lo and behold, the powder formulation is a winner for me.

I love my Glitz & Glamour!

Sorry for the halved image, poor Mister Christopher's face is chopped out.

I think that is the glowiest I've ever looked in a picture (at least in a positive glow kind of way) and I love it (the glow I mean) It's all thanks to Models Prefer.

*

I use a concealer type brush to apply this highlighter, and find it lasts well and doesn't look unnatural for day or night wear. As a blush it's pretty full on but to be honest, I really like that.

I like that you can choose shades and mix and match to your hearts content, I tend to use the two light pinks for highlighting if not just the bottom shade.

Swatched from top shade, clockwise, mixed at end

Same order but different view of wrist shade, which is all of the colours swirled together (which is how I use this as a blush)

The big kahuna, my perfect highlight shade. Sigh!

*

I love the sleek, sturdy and sexy packaging, and am wowed by the product. I can't recall the exact price of this, but I know I got change back from a $20 and it's worth so much more. Run, now, I want to see you glow!

emmabovary xx

August Favourites!

Had a quiet month with most of my time spent in the uni library or at home studying, and these are the products I used and loved most.

Face of Australia 'Outback Translucent' Powder* and Models Prefer 'Glitz and Glamour' highlighter were an everyday staple for me. The FOA powder is everlasting, I can't imagine ever finishing it despite using it all the time. I have a review of the highlighter almost ready, it's a lovely product.

Essence Palm Tree Party trio from the Return to Paradise collection, MAC Painterly and Shiro Cosmetics S.S. Anne loose pigment were eyeshadow winners for me this month! I use Painterly under every eyeshadow and it works well for me. I use S.S.Anne over a natural eye look to finish it off, and I love the shimmery, multi-dimensional effect it gives. From the Essence palette I've been using the third shade across which is a beauty in disguise- so so in swatches, this pops hard on the eye! It's a hard shade to describe, for me it leans brown, purple, grey and taupe all at once. Beautiful!

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation was a wonder for me this month, the original is my HG and this is just as good! Not very serum like, but great coverage and very moisturising. My Sugar Baby Vanilla hand cream was a bargain at $4.95 from Portmans, and the smell is incredible! Non greasy which was a must as I was (am still!) contantly typing on the computer.

Essence mini Colour and Go polish in Space Queen was popped over every other colour this month! I originally bought it to go over a navy for a galaxy inspired mani (post up soon) and loved the effect! A really pretty sparkle for over the top of other shades, but I'm also on the look out for a glitter fest polish to wear all on it's own. If you know of a great one, let me know!

That's it for August, did any of these products catch your eye?

emmabovary xx

(Face of Australia's translucent powder was sent to me for consideration for review from PR, but all opinions are honest and not influenced by that. Promise!)

Get Cheeky!

Oblivious to my connection with Sportsgirl cosmetics, I was surprised when I realised the other day that the bulk of my 'favourite' products come from the high street store. I'm not talking flash in the pan favourites, I mean deep down heart racing month after month favourites.

Favourite eye shadows? Sportsgirl

One of my top two lip gloss varieties? Sportsgirl

Favourite highlighter/blush? Sportsgirl

Almost every cosmetic item I've bought from the chain store has been a winner, and 'Get Cheeky!' is no exception. With all of the aforementioned products being discontinued (blush included) I decided it was time to hit up Sportsgirl for a alternate (the blush use is rationed, lest I hit pan, in which case I think my heart will shatter)

I'd seen this blush/cheek and eye shimmer before, and thought it similar to the favourite of old.

"Just one stroke of GET CHEEKY will perk your complexion up in an instant.

 A pearlescent mix of a light bronze, light pink and a plummy shade of pink, this can be built up and used as a blush or used as a highlight underneath another shade. Lasting power is great, and though it isn't as shimmery as the first blush I fell in love with it, it's up there in the shimmer stakes. I haven't tried it out on the eyes yet, so I can't comment on the 'eye shimmer' aspect of it all.

I use a blush brush swirled over all of the shades for my cheeks, and I've loved the effect it gives me. The compact is sturdy and cute, and the pattern is effective and nice to look at. Yet another winner for Sportsgirl in the 'awesome cosmetics' stakes, I'm happy to have purchased this. I'll be sharing some more of my Sportsgirl favourites in upcoming posts, so look out for them!
Get Cheeky! retails for $9.95 and is available at Sportsgirl Australia Wide
Are you loving Sportsgirl cosmetics?
emmabovary xx

Product was purchased with my own cashola, I have no affiliation with Sportsgirl (apart from loving them sick!)