New Beauty Releases

The tried and true products are still well-loved, but playing with the new kids on the block makes me so happy and excited about makeup and beauty again in a big way ('cause they've got the right stuff, babyyyy - points if you get the reference!)

Despite being deep into a Netflix-induced old school Gossip Girl obsession right now, I'm still totally up for trying out new things and the best way I know how is by taking a peek at the new beauty bits on shelves and slapping them on myself for a whirl! My cheeks have been glowing thanks to the new Sisley Phyto-Touche Illusion D'Ete* which is one of those awesome gel powders that fake a really healthy look (no real rays for this fair maiden!) and naturally I'm still stuck on the new Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blushes - the pictured Alezane shade is a serious stunner. I've been popping those over the new L'Oreal Infallible 24HR Matte Foundation in Vanilla* - annoyingly transfers easily but I quite enjoy the finish of this base so I'm sure use up the tube despite that!

New lip releases are a dime a dozen and since my drawers are stacked high I'm picky about what I'll try - the Carmex Green Tea Jasmine Lip Balm sounded too delicious to pass up, the Bobbi Brown Telluride lipgloss in Sunset* is gorgeous (see it in action here!) and may replace my old Nars lipgloss obsession, and the packaging of the new Lancôme Shine Lover Lipstick in Twisted Beige* is definitely the brands best yet. The sheer and shiny finish may not last the longest on my lips, but I like the colour a whole lot and as long as the weather isn't too hot I like toting this tube about in my handbag (not a fan of melted lip products!)

Twisted Beige, Sisley bronzing gel powder, Alezane, Sunset

I'm still loving the first three Urban Decay Naked palettes, but practising my smoky eye game with the fresh Naked Smoky Palette has been a lot of fun and I'm really glad I added it into my UD collection. Something I'm less chuffed about is the new Rimmel Wake Me Up Mascara* - at first I liked the pretty green tube, awesome cucumber scent and wet formula, but it takes what seems like an eternity to dry on my lashes and I always manage to get mascara all over my lids before it sets properly. I'd rather buy a few Rimmel nail polish bottles instead of this, a much better investment I think!

Rounding out the newbies? The Body Shop Italian Summer Fig EDT*, a jolt of strong figgy goodness that I've been wearing a ton of! I just saw in store that they have those cute little gift cubes in this scent for Christmas gift-giving - how perfect is that!? I have to pick up an early KK present this week so I'm going to hit them up for sure. 

 

Tried anything new lately?

What's your best $20 and under KK gift idea for a lady?

What lipgloss formula is your all-time favourite?

Hands up who got the song reference at the start of the post?!

-Emma x

 

 

*Marked products provided for consideration. Honesty, always!

Hauling New Releases

There have been quite a few exciting new products released onto the Australian market in recent weeks, and the other day I popped a few of them into my basket in an attempt to update my makeup stash! Brands like essence and Face of Australia regularly have new collections to sift through, but this time Maybelline joined the folds with some very cool new products.

 

When Maybelline discontinued my beloved Dream Matte powder, I think I felt my heart break just that little bit. I still have some backups stashed away, but am saving them for desperate times so decided to grab a pan of the new Maybelline Matte Maker mattifying powder to see if it is of the same quality as the original. The packaging is similar to the Rimmel Stay Matte but with a screw top plastic lid, but I’m already missing the addition of the sturdy plastic and large mirror that Dream Matte had. Will keep you posted on this one…

 

I posted a snap of the essence Dark Romance collection on my Instagram here, and showed restraint in only buying 3 pieces from the new launch. I couldn’t walk away from the Velvet Mousse Blushes despite there not being a tester, and I was pleasantly surprised with how they felt and swatched once I got them home. There are two shades available- 01 Painted Love and 02 Red Romance. I am yet to try them on my cheeks but they are already better than some of the other limited edition essence products I’ve bought in the past! I also bought the eyeshadow quad in 01 Mystery Glam, which I was drawn to primarily because of the wine shade in the top left hand corner. I’ve used this quad once so far (sweeping the taupe shade across the lid and the blue through the crease) and I absolutely loved the quality of the shadows!

 

Another dark and mysterious collection has popped up in Priceline from the budget beauty brand Face of Australia – The Dark Side nail polishes! I had seen posts on this nail collection and love the idea of it all being based on popular villains, and I have to admit that I was tempted to buy almost every bottle on the shelf…but I managed to select two shades that I just couldn’t resist. Jafar is an oxblood red that is so on trend this winter, and Wicked Witch of the West is a dark green crème that I think is so pretty! It was the swatches on the FOA blog here that really suckered me into this collection – Michelle from CosmeticCupcake is one of my favourite nail bloggers and she showed off this wintery nail selection so very well.

 

I had heard about the Maybelline Pure Pigments briefly a few months ago, but hadn’t seen them around many blogs and so they slipped from my mind until I spotted a new section on the Maybelline shelf at Priceline. I chose the shade Downtown Brown which swatches so beautifully! There were some nice brights as well as easy to wear neutrals, but considering I hardly ever reach for my loose pigments I didn’t want to buy too many in case they went to waste. The last things I grabbed in my haul were lip products – the new Nivea Fruity Shine Peach lip balm (peach!) and my first Revlon Matte Balm in Showy (not shown because it was in my handbag!) I’ve been sorting through my makeup recently and the amount of crayons and lip balms I have in my stash is unbelievable, but I just can’t seem to stop myself!

 Have you hauled any new releases lately? International blogging friends, what do I have to look forward to?

Emma x

*All of these products were purchased by me! Honesty, always.

Sugar Coated Candies

Sweet as sugar nails aren’t always my thing, if I’m going to be honest about it. You’re more likely to see my tips a shade of orange or a metallic deep blue (like my very favourite polish shade, L’Oreal Color Riche in LuxembourgGarden) than something pastel or baby pink. That said, when I was making a cheeky haul at Chemist Warehouse I saw the brand new Sally Hansen Sugar Coat display, and Cotton Candies leapt out at me immediately.

The perfect medium shade of pink, this definitely needs two coats to get the perfect ‘sugar crystal’ effect that you are going for. This feels a little different to the OPI Liquid Sands for me in that OPI’s formulation sort of glides on as per usual, before drying to a sandy finish. This is more like crystals captured in the polish itself, but ultimately the ideas are quite similar to one another. I really like the sweet and girly take that Sally Hansen has with their collection though, and I have my eye on the white variation which is something I never thought I’d go for.

The textured finish can be a little scratchy, particularly if you’ve not tried the OPI Liquid Sand formulas or the other textured finishes on the market yet. I find that this doesn’t last any better on my nails than regular polishes and still flakes off, but that happens with every one of my polishes so I know that it is my nails and not the formula to blame. I’ve heard great nail bloggers mention how hard wearing these formulas are, so I definitely think you should take my experience with a grain of salt. Having a textured finish to the nail is really on trend at the moment (and a little more natural than caviar on your nails…just sayin’!) and is a bit more subdued for those of you who don’t like ‘in your face’ nails and nail art. They are also crazily easy to apply, so they are wonderful for any little girls in your life who adore painting their nails! My nieces would be all over Cotton Candies!

Ultimately I’m a fan of this new release from Sally Hansen, and plan on picking up the white ‘Sugar Fix’ and perhaps the black ‘Lick-O-Rich’ as well. (Okay, I’m pretty much eyeing up the whole range because I really like the look of the minty ‘Sour Apple’ also – I have polish problems!) They are quite affordable at $9.95 a bottle and they are regularly on sale, so I highly suggest you check them out.

What colour appeals to you the most when it comes to textured nails?

 Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

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.

theBalm hits Australia! // collection, launch, photos

I was so excited to see that theBalm has reached Australian stores! I have purchased one of my theBalm items online and another overseas, and am happy to now be able to build up my collection of these great products closer to home (at David Jones!)

 My very first theBalm purchase was the Hot Mama! blush which I bought online. I find it really pigmented and only wear it every now and again, but I adore the slim cardboard packaging and beautiful imagery. Next up was the Meet Matt(e) palette, which was a gift from Chris (after much hinting) when we were in Thailand earlier in the year. I've grown to love matte shades as I am always complemented when I wear them! The first purchase from David Jones in Australia was the eyeshadow palette Shady Lady Vol.2, I am yet to try all of the shades but am happy with the ones I have used thus far.

The most exciting theBalm purchase for me was definitely the Mary-Lou Manizer, a beautiful champagne toned highlighter that has been on my wishlist for what seems like an eternity. When I popped into David Jones last week (before interviewing Michelle Phan!) I saw that they had a GWP running. If you made any purchase over $27.95 you received the Balmbini Vol.2 palette, which is on sale now for $49.95! I couldn't pass up this amazing deal, so I now own both of these beauties.

I will have full reviews (with swatches) of all of these coming up, so please let me know in the comments below which you are most excited to see!

Have you tried anything from theBalm?
Will you be visiting them at David Jones?

*All of these products were purchased by me. Honesty, always.