An Easy, Glowy Makeup Look ft. Colourpop and Drugstore Brands

My day-to-day look has gotten just that little bit 'standard' lately, you know? I've taken to snuggling under the doona for a few minutes longer in the morning and skipping eyeshadow, which is something I'd never thought I'd say! Rather than feeling freed about it all though, I've felt less put-together during the day and I feel a general lack of creativity in my life so back into the slap I've returned! It was Mumma Bovary's birthday last week and we went out for lunch and a spot of shopping before a big family pizza night, and this is the easy and glowy makeup look I ended up with after a chilled out session at my beauty desk.

The base was super simple - I wanted to use up this Missha B.B. Boomer which is basically a radiance primer, and I layered up some of my well-loved Revlon Whipped Crème Foundation. I'm glad to have used a sample in this makeup look, a nice piece of evidence to show you in my #LaidBackSampleChallenge

I'm pretty much obsessed with my Max Factor Crème Puff Blush in Nude Mauve - I barely reach for any other blush these days (excluding Chanel and that new Physician's Formula one which is diviiiiine) I've also been hammering the Colourpop Highlighter in Wisp as my 'special occasion' cheek - it's the fastest way to turn my workday cheek to a party cheek ;)

Eyes were easy and glowy for a relaxed lunch; a dab of Revlon Photoready Eye Art in Topaz Twinkle (just the shimmery crème shade, no glitter) with my usual essence Hot Chocolate Eyeliner and NYX Silky Cashmere for underneath the eye. Lips were a mix of Colourpop Lippie Stick in Brink and Maybelline Colour Drama Lipstick in Nude Perfection*. I can't believe I still haven't posted my Colourpop haul for you all to see...or my honeymoon haul come to think of it! I adore reading haul posts but have been feeling funny about writing my own if I'm honest...

 

with Mumma Bovary for her birthday

Do you like reading haul posts?

Have you tried anything from Colourpop yet, or are you tempted?

Emma x

 

*Provided for consideration. Honesty, always.



Maybelline Colour Elixirs | Breathtaking Apricot, Fuschia Flourish and Caramel Infused

I was perusing Priceline before work the other day when I felt my breath catch in my throat. There in all its glory was a full stand of the highly anticipated Maybelline Colour Elixirs, which I had been impatiently waiting for. Since I’m used to waiting an eternity for new product releases to launch here in Australia, I jumped at the chance to grab one of these via a friend who has family in America a few months ago. I chose Breathtaking Apricot as it seemed the most popular shade from the blog posts I had read, and it is a lot more pink than the name ‘apricot would suggest’. Once it hits the lips it becomes this muted neon cross between orange and pink, and I actually really like the shade that eventuates but find it a little less easy to wear than if it were a straight pink or orange. I actually didn’t see this shade on the Australian display, perhaps it isn’t one of the shades made available to us (eBay always makes it possible though!)

I was immediately drawn to Fuschia Flourish, thanks in part to Estee from Essie Button who is one of my favourite YouTubers and is a fan of the shade. It’s a gorgeous bright pink shade that goes on evenly and I feel like it’s the sort of colour that really brightens up my face. I was checking out the blush and rose toned shades next but something about them didn’t hit the mark for me, but when I laid eyes on Caramel Infused I knew I had to take it. It’s along the lines of a MLBB shade with a nude edge and I find it really wearable and pretty. My natural lip colour does affect the colour a bit which makes it appear more pink-toned than in the arm swatch, but it’s still discernable as MLBB when on.

 

 

 

 

The feel of this is quite cushiony as I’ve seen it described, and it’s a soft and tacky kind of finish which I can detect while I’m wearing but it doesn’t annoy me. The colour is easy to apply and you can mix it around with other shades or blot it down, and I find it lasts okay for a glossy lip product. I’m definitely going to consider picking more of these up, but for now I’m really enjoying these 4 beautiful elixirs!

 

Have you tried the new Maybelline Colour Elixirs?

What shade do you have your eye on?

Emma x 

YSL Gloss Volupte in 104 Prune Organdi // Photos, Swatches and Formula Review

Each time I hear that YSL are releasing a new lip formulation I become giddy with excitement. Easily my favourite brand for lips (one of my favourite brands overall too!) I have at least one colour from most of their formulas and I must say that the new gloss release from the brand has me giddy with excitement! 

I was kindly sent one of the new YSL Gloss Volupte's in the shade 104 Prune Organdi, which is a vampy selection from the line-up. Also in my parcel was a collector edition Touche Éclat which I was smitten with, though I'm still using my previous YSL pen so it remains a look-but-don't-touch for the time being. Check out that sexy print on my highlighting pen, wahooo!

Back to the point of this whole post - the delicious and addictive gloss! I am a big gloss lover, this year more than ever so this release was perfectly timed for me. I don't think Prune Organdi would have been my first choice if I had bought this at the counter, every time I head to swatch these (lunch break ritual baby) I gravitate towards the stunning corals and baby pinks on show. My wishlist has a few shades on it from the 24 available, and I must say that I prefer these over the Volupte Sheer Candy, which is a bit too sheer for my liking.

In the 24-strong range there is 3 different finishes, and I am definitely gunning for the Iridescent finish (of which Prune Organdi belongs) and the Pure range which contains less shimmer than the others. The Golden releases feel a bit too gritty on my lips if truth be told, and I've seen other beauty bloggers comment on this so I know it isn't just me.

I adore the packaging of these, not only do they look pretty on my desk they also slip nicely into my makeup bag and aren't overly bulky. I don't know if everyone will like the mixing of metals at the top of the tube, but I think it freshens things up a wee bit!

Prune Organdi is a vampy purple toned plum with subtle cool shimmer, and once it hits my lips it takes on a lovely brown tone which nudes it up a bit for me. I can see this getting a helluva lotta wear in winter when I'm all about the wine shades and deep eyes! The wear time of these babies is pretty decent too, despite them not being at all sticky - they wear evenly, which is supremely important to me in a lip formula.

check out my lemon-less lemon tree!



is it sad that I am used to this price for high-end lipsticks...?

little bit of Charlie butt with your YSL never hurt nobody

Overall I give a big round of applause to YSL for once again hitting it out of the park with a lip release - it's like they do it in their sleep now, isn't it? I'm in the process of talking my dear friend Carly into dipping her toe into the world of high-end lips (all YSL all the time) so I'll keep you updated on that one ;)

 

In a nutshell - beautifully creamy glosses in stunning shades that are worthy of at least a swatch from all of you!

 

The new YSL Gloss Volupte lipglosses retail for $49 AUD and are available wherever you usually stalk your YSL goodies (Myer, DJ's etc)

 

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

 

*Provided for consideration, but as always all thoughts are my own. Honesty, always.

A Coral Moment

A definite inspiration for my makeup choices come from outside influences. Seeing a product on a fellow blogger can really spark up an interest for me and it isn’t long before I am hooked onto the need to own the particular formula or shade. Luckily for me, when I spotted some bright coral shades on Estee of Essie Button fame, I had the exact products she wore tucked inside my desk drawers. A big fan of the Stila Convertible Colours, I originally purchased Gerbera after hearing about it on Belle Lumiere. See what I mean about #beautybloggerproblems! The bright orange shade is so wearable but isn't a sheer wishy washy sort of orange, and I find this works best when applied with either a flat paddle foundation brush or my Samantha Chapman for Real Techniques stippling brush. I am yet to try the Stila CC’s on my lips and I doubt I ever will, nor do I see myself applying my blush with my fingers anytime soon, but it's nice to know I have the option!

Estee paired the beautiful orange cheek with one of my favourite lip products, the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable balm stain in Rendezvous. This is definitely one of the best and brightest shades, so naturally it isn’t available in Australia and came to me by ye olde eBay. Seriously stunning and worth tracking down, this is easily buildable and I wear it sheer sometimes, but mostly I layer it up to make a bright pout and it lasts (and fades) really nicely on me. Sometimes I forget how nice it is to pair shades together on the face, so was pleased with how the two stand-out products tied a whole look together for me.

 

How often do you tie in your cheek colour to your lips? What do you think of coral for cheeks?

Chanel Troublant // Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss #68

 

The new Chanel 2012 Fall collection saw me drooling. I succumbed to only one item, and that is the beautiful plummy brown pink gloss that is Troublant. The packaging has me smiling as well, it is weighty (as you would expect a $50 gloss to be) and sleek black which is sitting pretty in my makeup bag as I type.

 

 

 

This is my first purchase of this formula and I am loving the triangle tapered tip on the doe foot applicator- I despise brush tips with glosses, and was so glad to see this applicator. It applies the gloss evenly and the creamy texture really glides over the lips.

 

 

 

I never thought a pink/brown shade would suit me, but I feel like a million dollars when I wear this. It's plummy enough for winter but I can see myself wearing it all through the year, and it lasts a few hours on me which I love. It fades evenly and leaves a bit of colour behind, and is sticky enough to grip the lips but isn't overly tacky (in my opinion) I am head over heels for this shade and formulation, I think it is definitely worth trying on in store.

 

Troublant is available at Chanel counters now for $50 AUD for a limited time.

What do you think of this shade?

What is your favourite Chanel product?

 

 

Recreating Myself // My Wildcard Entry for #BBU12

In terms of makeup, I switch up my look all the time. Some days are bright pink lips, other days it is bright green eyeshadow, but the one look I am afraid of, I decided to tackle for Sara-May's Makeup Utopia Wildcard. For those of you who are unaware, Makeup Utopia are hosting a Beauty Bloggers Conference in September and have 2 wildcard spots available... and I want one!

I present to you, my take on a 'dark and vampy' FOTD!

I used matte shades for the eyes as it is something I don't do often, and it forced me to work at blending a lot more than I normally would as well.

I used theBalm's Meet Matt(e) palette for my eyes, with Matt McDonald being the star player! I blended the edges out with Matt Gallagher and used Matt Chung as the hightlight. The lips were courtesy of MAC Plumful, until I thought of something vampier in my collection...

The new Nars Pure Matte lipstick in Amsterdam fit the vampy bill perfectly!

Whilst most of the other Wildcard entries are full on looks, I thought of this challenge as a way to recreate my way of thinking, and stop fearing certain looks! Makeup is all about having fun (after all, it washes off!) and so I'm grateful for this challenge, which has taught me to try all the looks in my head, and not fear new things!

What new things will you try this week?
What look are you most afraid of?


What do you think of my Wildcard attempt?!

MAC Asian Flower- Swatches, Photos, Review, FOTD

When my sights are set on acquiring something, I become obsessive about it. I saw Asian Flower on Nancy here and could not stop thinking about from that moment on. Each time I was at a MAC counter I would enquire about the shade and its release date, but the SA's never knew what I was talking about ><  Then I stumbled across it on counter, and never looked back!

The new Sheen Supreme formula from MAC is housed in a tube unlike the other lipstick offerings from MAC. This Sleek tube is cold to the touch and looks great in my lipstick holder. A word of warning though, this is a tube you really have to pull on to be able to open, you have to be careful not to hurt your lipstick or have it go flying out of your hands.

The Sheen Supreme formula is very moisturising, and because of that I don't find that it lasts for a long time on my lips. It lasts for a reasonable amount of time, though, so I'm still a happy camper.

A creamy lavender shade, I thought Asian Flower might not work with my pale skin tone, but I find it flattering most of the time. Sometimes I find myself falling in love with a product despite it not 'suiting' me- it's just like falling in love, sometimes it just clicks, ya know?

Asian Flower has enough of a pink edge to make it something I reach for quite often.

******

Would you wear this sort of shade? What are your thoughts on lilac lipsticks? How have your dealings with the MAC SA's been in the past?