The May Makeup Bag

May felt like a whirlwind for me, and I relied on a stack of beauty products to keep me looking somewhat presentable as I tried to stay awake without taking a nap everyday! While in Queensland I kept my makeup low-key as none of the family on my husband's side indulge in beauty products, but the other three weeks it was business as usual with a lot more concealer piled on out of necessity.

I'm still testing out the Morphe 35T palette despite receiving it as a gift for Christmas last year...some days I adore it, and others I'm frustrated that the shade in the pan is nothing like what the shadow actually looks like on my eyelids! I'm also fond of palettes with named shades which this lacks, but I still think this bad boy was worth the money and have been dipping into new colours almost every morning on top of my MAC Painterly Paint Pot. I've also been using my sample of Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara that came in a Beauty Loop box from Mecca Maxima - love how long those little tubes last!

Base seemed to be the usual suspects in May - I've repurchased my Rimmel Fix & Protect Makeup Primer and always have a tube of Rimmel BB Cream Matte on the go (both were originally PR samples that ended up in my permanent rotation, love when that happens!) I've moved onto a new pressed powder to use up, the Maybelline SuperStay 24HR Waterproof Powder* which gives a bit of coverage on top of my liquid base which I like. My saviour in May was definitely my Clarins Instant Concealer*, my pregnancy hormones are out of control right now and I'm spottier than I've ever been so layering this high coverage concealer is making me feel less self-conscious about my skin. It's still driving me nuts though!

I've been rotating my blushes fairly well recently but my most used shades in May were definitely from this Too Faced Love Flush Blush palette - I've been loving how pigmented they are and I have been trying out a denser brush laid on the side to apply them, and I'm digging the effect! How Deep is Your Love and Love Hangover might take the cake as my favourite shades right now...

Lips have been pretty low key as they've been quite dry and chapped (and I had a horrible pimple followed by a horrible cold sore all in the one fortnight - thanks weakened immune system!) I've been using balms but have also had a stack of nude/MLBB lip liners stashed in my bag for a bit of definition - the ones pictured are Savvy by DB and essence but a whole range of others were worn in May.

So that's my May makeup bag done and dusted! I'm looking forward to throwing some new things into my June makeup bag to spice things up a bit.
Emma x

*Provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

Anniversary Nails; Rose Cashmere with Razzle & Dazzle

When it came to choosing a nail colour for our anniversary weekend away, I knew I wanted to choose a feminine looking shade that would push me outside of my comfort zone a little bit. As soon as I saw Michele1218 wearing a chic neutral in this video I decided to go down that route...what I eventually decided on was much more pink in tone but I was still happy with the dusty nature of the shade and how the glitter made it a little more festive for our mini-break!

I'm definitely happier with how this looks on my newly applied acrylics, my nails are too weak to polish so I like to get clear acrylics and be able to enjoy my nail polish collection properly! I chose L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Le Vernis in Rose Cashmere, which is a dusty pink mauve crème that screams chic to me, almost like a grown up Barbie colour? It's pulling a bit more purple in these photos than it looks in reality, I definitely recommend checking out this L'Oreal range in store as most of my favourite shades come from this line and can be hard to capture on the fly!

I topped my last two fingers with a coat of Savvy by DB's Razzle & Dazzle which is way prettier on the nail than the bottle would suggest (check out this full mani I found online, it's stunning!) I love the way the fine gold shimmer and pink hexes tie in with the base shade perfectly, I can't wait to see what this topper looks like on top of other manicures, too!

When you wear a glitter accent, which fingers do you paint?
What is your favourite feminine nail shade?
-Emma x

Mum's Makeup Collection

Coming from a family who aren’t beauty crazed in the slightest, one must wonder how I became the way I am today. For the record, I’m blaming other beauty blogs for all the obsessions and temptations-good job,guys! My Mum, bless her, has a teensy makeup and skincare collection, the majority of which was bought by me or taken from my stash. She likes to wear a coloured liner once in a while, has just gotten hooked on blush, and uses an Avon lipliner as her tried and true lipcolour. Here is her stash!

 

 

This Savvy by DB blush was originally mine, but Ionce used it on Mum during a makeover and she laid claim to it. I can tell that beauty blogging has changed me, because my excitement at seeing her awesome pan hit was understood by nobody but me! I think this is her first blush, and I love the way it warms up her whole face. It kicks off quite a bit of powder but it is really cheap, and now that I know she will wear blush I can get her something a little pricier to use next time.

 

I bought Mum both of the essence palettes last year when she bemoaned her lack of eyeshadows, and she loves that they aren't crazily pigmented. It makes them easier to use for those who are new to applying eyeshadow, but they are nice enough for beauty lovers to enjoy as well! 

 

 

 

The Face of Australia Impact Curl mascara is one that I have gotten my whole family onto, it really opens the eye up and holds a curl well. The Aromatherapy Associates sample* is something Mum used while on the plane when she went overseas with Dad earlier in the year, and she said she likes the texture. Mum swears by the ultra-cheap Australian Lanolin Oil Night Cream, or indeed most other variations from the $3 Big W range. Her skin is baby soft, so maybe she knows something I don’t!?

What does your Mum keep in her beauty and skincare cabinet? I’d love to see your thoughts in the comments below (Mum is terrified that no-one will like the posts about her on my blog, so show her that isn’t true!)