Glowy Natural Makeup Look with YSL, MAC & Too Faced Bon Bons Palette

I've been absolutely smashing my beloved Too Faced Bon Bons palette lately, so last week I snapped a few pictures of my mug and the products I used for this easy, natural everyday makeup look. I've been using the Bon Bons palette as my go-to as I adore the mix of matte shades with the shimmery options, and the crease shades really suit my complexion so it's a one-and-done kind of palette for me!

EYES
~MAC Painterly Paint Pot as my eye base
~Too Faced Bon Bons Palette (Molasses Chip all over the lid, Malted in the crease, Satin Sheets for my inner corner and Divinity for my brow bone)
~essence LongLasting Eye Pencil in Hot Scorch
~Max Factor Masterpiece Glamour Extensions mascara

FACE
~Rimmel Fix&Protect Makeup Primer SPF25*
~Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Éclat foundation*, which really does give that glowy base that so many beauty girls love!
~MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural 
~Maybelline Master Hi-Light Hi-Lighting Blush in Coral* 

LIPS
~MAC Prolongwear Lip Pencil in In Control*
~essence Velvet Mat 23 Lipstick

 

I've been loving simple looks like this lately, but have also been pushing myself back into bright lips so perhaps my next makeup look will have a bright lip front and centre...any colour recommendations to inspire me?

-Emma x

 

*Marked products provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

Bought in May

The first half of May saw some great restraint on my behalf, but the latter half saw a little more indulging on beauty products and I just couldn't help myself. I've tried almost everything I bought and am loving it all, so I'd say it was a good month overall for me and I found that jotting down my purchases helped nip some silly choices in the bud.

The NYX Love in Paris palette in je ne sais quoi has been a nice workhorse palette for me after I became obsessed with hunting down another NYX palette to sit alongside the one I received for Christmas. I grabbed 78 Vanilla Ice Cream from essence for an inner corner highlight, though I feel I am hoarding a stash of essence highlight shades for a rainy day that I am not sure will ever appear...

I've already raved about the gorgeous Maybelline Color Elixir's here, suffice to say I am pleased with these and content to keep Caramel Infused and Fuschia Flourish in my current lip stash to mess about with. I've been tempted to buy more because they're half price at Chemist Warehouse but have so far not made it into a store.

Sally Hansen Glam Fest should totally be renamed to something more circus-y, because that is all I can think about when I look at the silver mixed with the colourful glitter. Moth to flame, no chance of leaving the store without this one.

An awesome purchase in May was these essence Long Lasting Eye Pencils which you wind up and never have to sharpen. I've almost used up one of these in the Hot Chocolate shade and wanted to repurchase a back-up, and Hot Scorch and Berry Merry fell into the basket and have made me very content with my eyeliner options at the moment.

I succumbed to the lure of 3CE and selected one of their Lip & Cheek Creams while shopping with some fellow bloggers in the new Japanese store on Swanston Street. Swatches seem promising and I'm digging the packaging, it's all very kitsch Dior for me. I also picked up some Daiso blushes and a eyeshadow crayon while shopping with the girls, though as soon as I got home Mister Bovary was berating me for wasting money on cheap blushes when we know I prefer luxe brands. It's probably my only regretful purchase for May (but I haven't used them yet and they may turn out to be wonderful, I will keep you updated!)

The beautiful Ling brought back some YSL goodies I'd asked for while she was overseas. The famed YSL Rouge Pur Couture in 52 is something I'm scared to swatch, and the pure Gloss Volupte in 202 Rose Jersey is so pretty in the tube! Another winner was spotting the new Revlon Cheek Boutique and picking up 003 Mauvelous, easily the best shade from the launch. I also bought the Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick In Love with Ginger for half price after seeing it on a few blogs.

A little Mecca Cosmetica online splurge never hurt anyone ;)

 

I also bought a new little Muji storage and some house bits like photo frames and a bronze pear (it was a necessity okay?) and some Orly Cutique cuticle remover which I'm looking forward to trying! A few new pieces of clothing came home with me too but I'm yet to choose my yearly winter coat purchase - I'm thinking a nice navy one would be a good addition!

 

How much did you buy in May?

Do you find that keeping track of your spending helps curb your hauls?

Emma @ emmabovary

 

The Lip Product Addict Tag

I’ve watched so many of these videos on YouTube and decided I needed to join in the fun! It originally started with this video and just kept on rolling through my favourite YouTubers (check Jessica’s here, my favourite!) I couldn’t stick to just single product answers though, so settle in for some lip product musing!

 

Favourite balm/treatment?
I didn’t think I had this many favourites, you’d think having this many I’d have softer lips than I do! Before bed I like to use my Korres Jasmine Lip Butter which smells amazing and is thick and nourishing. During the day at home I’ll often use one of my Jack Black lip balms, right now my scent of choice is Black Tea + Blackberry but the Lavender is #1 in my books. I keep my Maybelline Baby Lips Energizing Orange in my handbag (cute packaging is a win!) and the one I couldn’t leave out was Carmex Moisture Plus – pictured is Sheer Pink Tint* but any of the varieties are loves of mine, even the original clear one.

Best eye-catching red?

Natural Compatibles ‘Berry’* really knocks it out of the park for me, it’s deep and bold and makes me feel like I can do anything when I wear it.

 

Best luxury& best drugstore?
Lately I’ve dipped my toe into some luxury lip products that I hadn’t tried before, but the luxury line I know best is from YSL and their Rouge Pur Couture in Rose Bergamasque is an incredible lipstick. For drugstore, the first line that came to mind was the Covergirl Jumbo Gloss Balms – they are pigmented, give a great satin sheen and are comfortable on the lips. Haute Pink Twist* is probably my favourite shade from the line so far!

Best MAC lipstick?
MAC Girl About Town is my favourite show stopping pink and I love to whip it out in the dead of winter with a cute beanie – I have a photo on my fridge of Mister and I and I have Girl About Town on, makes me smile every time. Viva Glam Cyndi is another amazing lipstick from MAC that is one of my favourite lipsticks – what can I say, the brand is good when it comes to lippies!

The most disappointing?
Illamasqua Maiden* is so opaque, it felt like I was applying acrylic paint to my lips. The colour in the tube looks really nice but the intense formula is just not for me with Illamasqua, sheer glosses and opaque lipsticks are definitely the way to go with this brand. The Rimmel Vinyl glosses are my sisters favourite but are disappointing to me because they go off so quickly! It isn’t a problem for her though because she always loses them before they turn…

Liner - yes or no?
Far too lazy to use lipliner – I think I only own a red and nude toned one, but I don’t remember ever using them.

Best gloss?
Dior makes the prettiest glosses, though I often wish they had more crème options as a lot of the shades I love have quite a bit of shimmer in them, which makes them a bit harder to wear. I also adore the Nars gloss formulation, though I’ve only tried the old version and not the revamped one so I can’t speak much about that. I bought a mini gloss pack from Mecca Maxima a few years ago and have loved it hard!

Something extra!

The lip products I’ve used lately! These are the tubes that have been kicking around in my Muji or in my handbag for the past little while – a beautiful Sisley Phyto Lip-Twist crayon in a gorgeous pink shade, a sheer red essence gloss and two of the new Maybelline Colour Elixir’s!

I hope you enjoyed my lip product addict tag, I would love to see your answers so feel free to copy + paste and link me up to your posts if you don't feel like writing it into the comments.

Emma x

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Favourite balm/treatment?

Best eye-catching red?

Best luxury and best drugstore?

Best MAC lipstick?

The most disappointing?

Liner- yes or no?

Best gloss?

Something extra!

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YSL Rouge Volupte 12 Forbidden Burgundy Makeup Look

There are times when a vampy lip is necessary to brighten up a drab day, and YSL Rouge Volupte in 12 Forbidden Burgundy was my vamp of choice most recently. Each time I lay eyes on the colour I think of Larie from Eye Heart It and this post from Making up 4 my Age, and I think my adoration of those two ladies brings my feelings for this lipstick up a few notches. Here is how I make a strong vampy lip wearable!

Anytime a deep red or burgundy lip comes into play I tend to neglect my blush for a liberal dusting of bronzer (bring on the #blushfiend shame...) and my bronzer of choice right now is the beautiful Colour Theory Bronzer in Sunkissed, which I bought from an Amcal pharmacy. Even though the brand is a lot more affordable than high end bronzers, I've found that this blends a lot nicer than the pricey powders I've tried! Warming up your features is important when wearing a dramatic lip, especially if you are very fair like I am.

I kept the eyes pretty simple with a wash of a pale shimmery shade from the Wet N Wild Comfort Zone palette and a tiny bit of MAC Mystery run through the crease. I rarely go without eyeshadow if I've got any makeup on, and a bit of subtle definition like this really makes a difference to the overall look. I think a nice champagne shade is a staple in most makeup collections, it is the easiest way to really brighten up the eye area.

I feel much more comfortable in a vampy shade like this than in a true red, and after I took these shots I blotted down the shine with a tissue and the colour lasted all day and well into the night (even after eating dinner with Mister Bovary!) This YSL Rouge Volupte formula is a bit slippery if you don't blot, but having the option to wear it both ways is definitely a great thing with deep wine shades like this. Blotting or dabbing on lip colours with fingers can make them much easier to wear!

Charlie Bovary, photo-bomber extraordinaire, sitting atop my new office couch chair!

Vampy lips for colder weather - I'm in! Do you find dramatic lip colours easy to wear?

YSL Forbidden Burgundy is a certified stunner in my book, do you agree?

 

Emma x

Getting Girly with YSL and Maybelline

Is it just me, or have a lot of YouTubers been rocking a pretty pink lip lately?! I adore the bright pink thing that Ingrid has going on in this favourites video, and even Estee from Essie Button has been getting into some pretty awesome pink lip action over here. This post proves that not only am I easily influenced by others, but that it is wonderfully invigorating to take inspiration from beautiful people and in turn dive into your stash to come up with some buried treasure.

A glossy pink lip has been on the menu for me for a while now, and seeing videos with pretty pinks involved has kept the trend strong. I am only just beginning to really appreciate the beauty of the Maybelline Color Whispers, and in particular the shade Petal Rebel* is totally rocking my world. It doesn't sink into lip lines and remains nice and glossy while keeping the pale pink pigment strong, which is a pretty mean feat for a light pink shade am I right?

A high end pink beauty that I've been pairing with my glossy lips is the YSL Crème de Blush in Fuschia Temptation. A lemming spurred on by the ever-inspiring Pink Sith, this appears quite a bit more fluorescent on me than it may on most thanks to my pale colouring. As you can see in the first image though, it is still very wearable and in my opinion, best applied with a nice stippling brush. As you can tell by the surface of my YSL pot, that is how I always apply my Crème de blush!

How do you go about getting girly with your makeup?
Is it just me, or is it quite hard to find a flattering pale pink lip product in a lovely formula?!

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

*Provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

Blush Week 02

Any time I feel as though I am in a blush rut, I set myself a challenge to use a different blush each day for a whole week. I find blush week really helps me to dive into my overflowing blush drawer to try shades that haven’t graced my face in a while. I pulled out a few favourites as well as some as yet unloved new shades for this second blush week round, and I hope you enjoy peeking into what I wore last week!

Prom Princess was the first to hit my cheeks, the mid tone pink berry Veronica shade from the MAC Archie’s Girls collection was well worth the hunt. I have been wearing Cream Soda from the Betty side of the collection more often than this pink shade, so I made an effort to put the satin finish onto my apples first off the bat. I tend to wear toned down lip shades when I use this so that I don’t look overdone, I prefer to keep this the star of the show with lots of mascara.

 

I really wanted to incorporate a cream blush into the mix this blush week, and the best cream blush I own is definitely Powdery Rose from YSL’s Crème de Blush range. I use the Samantha Chapman for Real Techniques Stippling Brush to apply this and I think it does a perfect job of blending it seamlessly into my cheeks. I think the benefit of cream blushes are definitely how great and seamless the finish can be if applied correctly, and the YSL pots are simply perfection for me, as I love that these are a crème to powder and don’t look too dewy without losing the glow.

Of course, during a blush week a moment of weakness is a definite possibility. I thought it would be a case of me reaching for Tarte Exposed (are you getting sick of me mentioning it yet?) but it turned out that L’Oreal The Muse’s Blush was what I gravitated towards without meaning to. The peach shade is really easy to wear and I love how large the pan is, I wish this Project Runway range was available in Australia but unfortunately I bought this from overseas (specifically from Lilladylife’s blog sale!)

Thursday saw me tired and with sore feet as I spent the day teaching and the night working retail, so I was pleased at the pretty flush that Laura Mercier’s Rose Desire left on my cheeks. I’ll be honest and say that I tend to reach for the eyeshadows in the Lingerie palette more than the two cheek shades that sit aside it, but now that I know how pretty Rose Desire is on my fair skin tone I think I will be wearing it a lot more often. Having said that, I will just drop in a mention of how amazing LM palettes are in general- very, very amazing. Highly recommend that you snatch up any you come across, as they sell out quite quickly (as Sleep and Water can attest to!)

Friday was another all day all night work day, and I leant on Rimmel’s Autumn Catwalk blush which is an old favourite of mine that is highly underrated. I’ve seen quite a few US bloggers/Youtubers mentions this line of blushes and I think that they are seriously impressive. The packaging is slimline and the colour of Autumn Catwalk is so lovely (I mix the three shades together, for reference) I am itching to get my hands on other shades from this range, perhaps I will turn to eBay or have a gander at ASOS as I know they stock some Rimmel goodies.

I had been chatting with Sarah from More than Adored and I managed to talk her into buying one of the Illamasqua Blush Duo’s* that I posted about here. I decided to take Ambition* out for a spin and wow, I had forgotten how pretty this shimmery blush is! I love the glow it gives my face and the muted berry tone of it is so pretty in pan and on cheek. I am pretty much a sucker for all things Illamasqua and this is a lot easier to throw on than some of the brighter shades, which my early mornings have appreciated.

To round up the week, I decided to take one of my brand new blushes for a spin! TheBalm’s Frat Boy is described as a peachy apricot and I think it is really pretty on the cheek. It reminds me of NYX Peach but perhaps a tad nicer on? I’m still undecided but either way I really like this, and the slimline pans the TheBalm are famous for really are awesome for storing and travel.

Are you as obsessed with blushes as I am?

What blushes have you been wearing lately? .

 

*Provided for consideration. Honesty, always

 

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?

 

beauty week at a glance #1

When I saw the concept of beauty at a glance on Larie’sblog, I knew it was a series I would love to install on the blog. After getting the A-OK from Larie (whose posts I adore whole heartedly!) I began snapping pictures of the main players for a week’s worth of makeup looks. This won't be a weekly series, but will occur when I feel like sharing some makeup shots with you. I hope you enjoy seeing what I wore during the week!

 

Monday:

Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel Bronze Universel, Tarte Exposed, Face of Australia Lychee Crush*, L’Oreal Metallic Lilac, MAC Moth Brown, Face of Australia Impact Curl, Barry M Toffee lipgloss.

Loved the combination of purple toned eyes with a flush of natural bronze cheeks! I am still getting the hand of the Chanel Bronze Universel, it is so unlike anything else I own. 

 

Tuesday:

TheBalm Mary-Lou Manizer, L’Oreal Metallic Lilac, MAC Moth Brown, MAC Sheen Supreme  Asian Flower, essence I like Candy gloss, YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat*, MAC Rosy Outlook, Poison Apple Apothecary White Rabbit (thanks Dee!)

Really loved this purple look, the lips didn’t compete too much with the eyes, which I think was thanks to the blush which tied it all together. 

 

Wednesday:

Sally Hansen Complete Care*, Illamasqua Freak*, L’Oreal Infallible Endless Chocolate, YSL Touche Eclat*, Rimmel Scandaleyes in Nude, Rimmel  Nude Delight, Barry M Toffee, Sportsgirl Give some Lip in Stardust.

Nude central today, I adore the L’Oreal Infallible’s and don’t give this chocolate shade enough love. Barry M Toffee is such a winner as well.

Thursday:

essence Asian Sensation blush, MAC Painterly paintpot, essence quad in Dreaming Under a Cherry Tree,  Inglot teal shadow, Urban Rituelle CottonCandy*, Maybelline Dream Matte Powder, Face of Australia Impact Curl mascara, Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous.

Was quite obviously trialling out the new essence products I bought on this day, and I ended up really loving the warm and pretty coral look. Rendezvous needs to come out in Australia, it is an amazing shade! For the eyes I used the taupe shade from the essence quad all over the lid, with the peach and the coral blended into the crease. The teal Inglot shade was a lower lashline colour to tie the look in with the dress I had on.

 

Friday:

Guerlain Champs Elysees, Revlon Balm Stain in Rendezvous, Face of Australia Impact Curl mascara, MAC Painterly paint pot, Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze, YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat*, BYS Fierce Fuschia, Face of Australia Loose Powder in Outback Translucent*.

Finally getting around to using my Color Tattoo, and am really enjoying the ease of it all. The Guerlain is my favourite perfume, such a stunning scent and I’ve gone through bottle after bottle of the stuff.

***

I really enjoyed taking some quick snaps after I finished my makeup in the morning, and I hope you enjoyed taking a peek into my beauty week!

*Marked items were provided for consideration. Honesty, always.