Maybelline Dream Cushion Foundation Review

I was lucky enough to receive this foundation to review as part of the Beautyheaven trial team and I have to admit I was really excited when it turned up.

I have never used a cushion foundation before and must say that I was a bit baffled at the start as to how to best apply it but once I worked that out I fell totally in love! I still don't really understand the whole reason for the cushion bit so if anyone can shed some light on it for me that would be great :-)

This foundation comes in a sturdy, plastic compact that has a built in compartment for the sponge that is included when you first lift the lid. You then lift this little compartment to get to the 'cushion' which contains the liquid foundation inside.

I decided to use a beauty blender to apply this foundation the first time I used it and it worked wonderfully. I just dabbed it into the cushion a couple of times and that was plenty of coverage for my entire face.

I received the shade 10 Ivory and it is an absolute perfect match to my skin tone. This foundation has great coverage over all areas of the face and can be built up over any spots that may need a bit extra. It blends onto the skin flawlessly and has a very subtle scent that is almost undetectable once it is applied. It also contains an SPF 40 which I just love because it gives you that extra protection when out and about in the sun.

Each day I wore this foundation it was over 35 degrees so it was a great test as to how well it lasts. Except for a little bit of wear due to intense sweating after running around for the day, this foundation seemed to hold up extremely well and actually impressed me with how well it performed in such conditions. It has become my go-to foundation lately when I want good coverage but don't want to have to spend a super long time achieving it.

My only gripe is that I really would have preferred the sponge compartment to have been on the bottom of the container and not on the top because it can get a little annoying to move it out of the way every time you want to use this product. Especially when I hardly ever use the sponges that are included with products like this so I ended up removing it straight away so it would stop falling out every time I opened the lid. 

Other than that though I think this foundation is excellent and would definitely purchase it in the future.

Has anyone else tried this foundation yet? Does anyone know what the purpose of the cushion bit really is?

Have a super day!

Michelle xx

Beautyheaven Best in Beauty Awards 2014

Australian votes reveal best beauty products of 2014

Last week the Winners of the Best in Beauty awards 2014 were announced by leading Australian beauty website beautyheaven.com.au. Nearly 2000 votes from across the country were submitted for most loved and effective beauty products, showing what is really in makeup cases and bathroom cabinets of Australia.

The beautyheaven Best in Beauty awards show top beauty products Australian women simply can’t live without from a huge range of price point and brands, ranging from the most expensive Crem de la mer by La Mer to the most cost effective Ulta3 nail colour. Overall, Benefit and Garnier swept up the most awards with three products each in the make-up, skincare and hair categories. 

Commenting on the awards, Olivia Mackinnon, Hair Editor of beautyheaven, says: “A record number of people voted in this year’s Best in Beauty awards, picking out products that are consistently reliable and essential to beauty regimes. The Best in Beauty awards help men and women across Australia determine the crème-de-la-crème of what is out there, discovering the hidden beauty essentials of others along the way!”

There are over 60 winning products across 12 categories, chosen from over 1,100 nominees. There were some recognisable names which held onto their titles from last year’s Best in Beauty awards including Benefit Hoola as Best Bronzer and ghd eclipse as Best Straightener, as well as some new names including Morrocoanoil Original Treatment claiming Best Hair Treatment and Dr. Lewinn’s Day Cream winning Best Day Moisturiser.

Olivia Mackinnon, Hair Editor at beautyheaven.com.au, adds: “The Best in Beauty awards are about establishing and rewarding cult products, so it makes sense that some of the winners are those that have made their way into the hands and hearts of consumers and win time and time again.”

beautyheaven members submitted reviews and gave products star ratings for their favourite nominees, with an additional secret ballot to reveal the most highly regarded products in each category. Everyone across Australia is encouraged to join the conversation to express their opinions on the winners, nominees and runners-up using the hashtag #bhbestinbeauty.

Makeup

Best Eyeshadow - Maybelline NY Color Tattoo                    

Best Eye Line - Maybelline NY Master Precise Liquid Liner

Best Mascara - Benefit They’re Real Mascara

Best Lashes - Ardell Lashes #120     

Best Lip Line - Innoxa Invisible Lip Shaper

Best Lip Gloss - Lanolips Lip Ointment with Colour

Best Lip Plumper - Mirenesse Velvet Lip Lift Moisture Shine

Best Lip Balm - Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Balm

Best Lipstick - YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick       

Best Blush - M.A.C Blush      

Best Brow Product - Benefit Gimme Brow   

Best Bronzer - Benefit Hoola 

Best Illuminator - YSL Touche Eclat 

Best Concealer - Maybelline NY FITme Concealer  

Best Foundation - Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Makeup        

Best BB Cream - Garnier Skin Naturals Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream

Best Primer - L'Oreal Paris Base Magique Primer   

Best Make-Up Tool - Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler   

Best Make-Up Remover - Garnier Skin Naturals Micellar Water

           

Skincare        

Best Exfoliant - Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant       

Best Face Mask - Biore Self Heating One Minute Mask      

Best Day Moisturiser - Dr. Lewinn’s Day Cream Moisturiser

Best Night Moisturiser - Nuxe Creme Prodigieuse Nuit       

Best Age Management Product - Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Syncronized Recovery Complex II

Best Spot Treatment - La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+]    

Best Eye Treatment - Strivectin Eye Concentrate for Wrinkles       

Best Wash/Cleanser - Cetaphil - Gentle Skin Cleanser        

Best Face Wipes - WOTNOT Facial Wipes  

Best Toner - Sukin Hydrating Mist Toner      

Best Skin Care Device - Olay Regenerist Advanced Cleansing System     

Best Skin Tone Corrector - Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+           

Best Treatment Product - Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil      

Hair    

Best Hair Treatment - Moroccanoil Original Treatment        

Best Shampoo - Fudge Clean Blonde Shampoo      

Best Conditioner - Aveda Invati™ Thickening Conditioner   

Best Hair Colour - Garnier Olia Hair Color    

Best Curler - muk Haircare muk Curl Stick  

Best Straightener - ghd eclipse          

Best Dry Shampoo - Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk  

Best Hair Dryer - Philips Pro Dryer   

Best Styling Product - Wella System Professional LuxeOil Reconstructive Elixir   

Best Hair Accessory - Lady Jayne Bun Styl'r

To see a full list of winners across all categories please visit:

http://www.beautyheaven.com.au/hair/hair-treatments-masks/best-in-beauty-2014-winners-announced-13622

What do you think? Did any of your favourites make the list? Are there any products on there that surprise you?

Have a great week!

Michelle xx

So...? Sinful Body Spray - The Power of a Scent

I received one of the So...? Sinful body sprays recently as part of a loyalty status gift from BeautyHeaven and I just love it. I will definitely be going in and trying out all of the other scents in the So...? range now as there are many more different ones that I never knew about.
This scent is a little bit sweet but also a little bit warming (if that makes sense) and it's not overpowering at all like some other body sprays can be.

I used to be a big fan of the original So..? perfume when I was a teenager many years ago and used to get some as a present from my mum now and then but pretty much forgot all about it once I started trying out other perfumes.
Receiving this spray has brought all those teenage memories back and I tend to feel a little giggly whenever I put this on which means I start the day on a happy note. This is certainly not a bad thing!

It's amazing when you think of the power that certain smells can have over us. There are some smells that I just can't go near anymore because they remind me of a time when I was sick and they instantly make me feel unwell even if I'm feeling fine and then there are others that always make me feel instantly good just by smelling them. I guess this is how the whole basis for aromatherapy was formed many years ago.

 It would be interesting to know what certain smells do for everyone else too.

My Beautyheaven loyalty goodies.....

I was extremely fortunate to receive my Beautyheaven loyalty status goodies in the mail today after only achieving the purple status at the beginning of last week. I wasn't expecting it for ages as most other members have said it has taken them up to 6 weeks to receive theirs.
Oh well, I couldn't wait to open to package and see what I received. Here it all is:

1) A 50ml So...? Sinful body spray (smells divine!)
2) A 50gm MOR Belladonna Body Butter (This is wrapped up so nice I don't ever want to open it!)
3) Three samples of A.S.A.P. products. Each sample containing a 5ml Daily Exfoliating Facial Scrub, Sheer Tint Moisturiser and Gentle Cleansing Gel, so that's 3 of each one!
4) Lastly, four 4ml samples of Sundari Sandalwood Cleanser.

All in all a nice little surprise I must say! Can't wait to try everything out now :-)