February 2015 Favourites

So, I've only really gotten back into caring about what products I was using in the past month because prior to that when I was in the worst of my morning sickness and exhaustion period I really didn't care about anything!

During February I found that I was gravitating the most towards all of the following products:

* The Body Shop Shea Body Butter - Now I have an ever growing belly I've been slathering this stuff on every day to make sure I don't get any stretch marks again throughout this pregnancy. I managed to be lucky enough to not get any last time so fingers crossed!
* Cowshed Lazy Cow Soothing Bath & Shower Gel - Hubby was kind enough to buy this for me one day from Sephora on one of his lunchtime walks (he works just around the corner so lucky me!) and when he saw that it contained essential oils of jasmine, chamomile and sandalwood he thought it would be a good thing to try and calm me down at night when I wasn't feeling so good. The scent is very strong and took a little getting used to but I am totally in love with it now.
* Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream - This has been hands down my most favourite BB Cream of all time so far. It goes on nice and smooth and the coverage is great. It's also quite matte too which I really like and it makes a great base for those days when I just can't be bothered wearing foundation but want my skin to look more even.
* Kosmea Australia Replenishing Moisture Cream - I have been using this of a morning as I find the Rose scent soothing. It's a lovely, light cream that makes my skin feel nice and moisturised for the day. 

 

* Sephora Contour Eye Pencil in Black Lace - Hubby scored again by taking another trip to Sephora and buying me one of their 'Best of' gift sets which contained around 8 of their best selling products. This eye pencil was in it and I have used it exclusively ever since, mainly because it is waterproof and therefore does not budge for at least 8 hours on me which is a pretty big event considering I have the worst hooded eyes in history and am usually lucky if an eye pencil stays put for up to two hours.
* Sephora Nail Lacquer in Pole Dance - This was another product in the 'Best of' set and I have worn it exclusively on my toes for over six weeks now and am a bit obsessed with it. It's such a gorgeous, deep, burgundy red that looks really elegant in my opinion. It wears pretty well too and takes quite a long time before it starts to chip.
* Sephora Hydrating Powder Blush in Romantic Rose - Yep, another goody from the 'Best of' set that I have developed a deep love for. It's such a flattering, natural pink shade that is so easy to apply and blend out and it has helped me on many days to not look like the zombie that I really felt like.
* Beesline Beeswax Jelly - I have been using this on my lips at night before going to bed and love how soft they feel in the morning when I wake up. It's got no scent that I can identify which has been great on my worst sick days and I've also found it great for any dry eczema patches that pop up now and then.
* Benefit Lolli Tint - I have been using this stain on my lips prior to applying any lipstick or gloss as it means I am left with a nice pink stained lip at the end of the day. I'm not really a huge fan of using it as a cheek stain as I find it a bit too fiddly to blend out before it sets but it's definitely a winner for the lips.
* Bourjois Volume Glamour Max Mascara in Noir Max - This is a great mascara for lengthening and thickening the lashes and I have been using it every day lately.
* Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer - I don't think I really need to say very much about this concealer as every man and his dog probably knows about it already. All I'll say is that it has been my saviour on many mornings when my poor under eyes were not looking so fresh and is a product that I would hate to live without.
* Ulta3 Colour Me Pretty Lipstick Crayon in Pretty Nude - So here is yet another lipstick crayon product on the market and one that I've really grown fond of. It doesn't have any taste or scent at all and is nice and smooth to apply. It gives quite a good colour payoff and leaves a lovely glossy shine on the lips. Nude lips have been my favourite lately as they make me feel put together without having to make too much of an effort with the rest of my makeup.

So those were my favourite products over February.

I'd love to know what products you've been enjoying over the past month or so?

Have a great week.

Michelle xx

Blue Eyeshadow - Yay or Nay?

The other night we went out to dinner and I was inspired to do a blue eyeshadow look as the dress I had on had some bright splashes of blue through it.

I know most people associate blue eyeshadow with the 80's but I really like it and I think that if the colour isn't too heavy it can look quite pretty so long as you keep the rest of your makeup subtle.

For this look I busted out my 120 pro-palette and did a blend of the three blue shades I have circled below. The palest shade on the top row is what I applied all over my lid, with the first light blue shade on the second row applied to the centre of my lid. The darker shade on the second row is what I blended into the outer corner and into the crease.

The rest of the products I used to complete this look were as follows:

 

Face:

* Avon's Ideal Shade Souffle Foundation in Ivory

* Mirenesse Touch On Concealer in Golden Cream

* Physicians Formula Transluscent Pressed Powder

* Bourjois Bronzing Power in Fair to contour

* Bourjois Blush in Rose Pompon

Eyes:

* Bourjois Volume Glamour Max Macara in Noir Max

* Mirenesse Seamless Velvet Shadow in American Star (Shimmery cream shade to blend the blues together and highlight my brow bone)

Lips:

* Nude by Nature Lipliner in Chique

* Mirenesse French Kiss Lip Cocktail Lipstick in Bellini

 

What do you think? Would you brave blue eyeshadow or do you think it should be left to the 80's?

Have a great day!

Michelle xx

Bourjois Blush in Rose Pompon

Last time I was at Priceline and felt like treating myself I spent a lot of time at the Bourjois stand as it is always so colourful and eye catching. All of those cute little pots of goodness really scream out to me.

So, it was no surprise when I couldn't pass up getting myself one of their cute little blush pots on this occasion in the shade No. 37: Rose Pompon.

This is such a lovely little blush and it blends so nicely on my skin. This shade is a peachy/pink kind of shade that is so versatile and wearable with almost anything. I've been veering towards more versatile shades lately as time has not been on my side for the past month and I've been loving any makeup items I can almost use without thinking.

These blushes contain a very small amount of shimmer that gives the cheeks a lovely little glow. It also means you can skip a cheek highlighter too which is another great time saving bonus. It's quite pigmented too so you only need one small swirl of the pot with your blush brush to get a nice amount onto the cheeks.

(Bourjois Blush in Rose Pompon)

This is the first time I have tried one of their blushes surprisingly. I've used many other products from this brand before that I've been happy with and this blush is no exception.

Has anyone tried one of these in another shade?

I hope everyone has a great week!

Michelle xx

Face of the Day - Using some old favourites

I only realised the other day how long it has actually been since I did a face of the day and put my big mug on the blog for all to see. I always want to show my face of the day but by the time I've put my makeup on in between stopping no less than 20 times to make sure my toddler isn't burning our house down in another room, then trying to remember to get some photos before we rush out the door, then trying to remember what products I actually used when I come to write it all down is a bit of a mission and a half these days.

This look is one that I wear quite often as I am a huge fan of a purple toned eye. I feel that purple seems to suit me more than most other shades and paired with a white or cream shadow it also makes me look a bit more awake than I really am too! I was also on a mission to use some of my older products that had been forgotten about on this day as well.

Here is what I used for this look:

* Mirenesse Absolutely Firm Treatment Primer
* Bourjois  Healthy Mix Serum Foundation in Vanilla mixed with a little bit of the Models Prefer Illuminizor in Illuminate to brighten my skin
* Napoleon Perdis The One Concealer under my eyes and over any blemishes
* Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Matte Finishing Veil in Translucent
* Australis Bronzing Powder in Golden to contour and Prestige Mineral Bronzing Powder in Pure Shimmer to highlight

* Clinique Quick Blush in In-A Rush Blush
* Avon Glimmersticks Brow Definer in Tawny
* Clinique High Impact Eye Shadow in Sugar Sugar all over the lid with CK Intense Eyeshadow in Merlot blended into the outer half of the lid and into the crease
* Camouflage Colour Skin Crayon as a liner - This doesn't have a shade name but is a browny/purple colour
* Almay Intense I-Colour Volumising Mascara in Midnight
* ASAP Pure Mineral Lip Pencil in Two as a liner with MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in How Darling

This is a nice subtle workday look for me that doesn't take much thinking and is pretty quick to do.

What looks have you been loving lately?

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!

Michelle xx

November 2013 Favourites

So, I usually don't worry about posting about the products I used the most during a month because a lot of the time I mix things up so much that I tend to forget what I have loved more than others.

But, the month of November was just so hectic that I don't even really remember much of it and I found myself really using the above products practically every day because it meant that there was less for me to try and think about when I was getting ready.

Anyway, here is a break down of the products that kept me sane during the month of November.

Face
* Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation in Vanilla - I have had this foundation tucked up in the back of my makeup cabinet for ages and finally cracked it open last month and instantly fell in love. I can't believe how gorgeous and lovely the texture is of this foundation and the coverage is perfect for my skin.
* Nude by Nature Soft Focus Illuminator - I found this to be the perfect partner for the Bourjois foundation when I wanted a bit more of a glow to my skin.
* Savoir Faire Cconcealer in Light - I've been really needing a bit more coverage under the eyes lately as sleep has been eluding me and for some reason I've had a lot of breakouts around my chin area since the weather has warmed up. This concealer blends perfectly with my skin tone and gives just the right amount of coverage.
* MAC Blush in Formal - This was a recent acquisition during November- in the Stroke of Midnight Lip & Cheek bag I reviewed a few days ago and I've just loved how versatile this pink is and how well it blends onto my cheeks to give a nice healthy glow.

Eyes/Brows
* Elizabeth Arden Colour Palette - I think I have shown this before a very long time ago. I always seem to break this old faithful out when I'm in a hurry because the two Graphite and Platinum eyeshadow shades gives a great quick and easy eye look that goes with practically everything. The blush in Sunblush makes a great bronzer too when I really want to get out the door quickly.  
* Calvin Klein Intense Eyeshadow in Aqua Shimmer - I seem to gravitate towards green eye makeup when the weather warms up and I just love this shade blended into the crease lightly to brighten up the eye area when I really feel like just going back to bed.
* Bobbi Brown Lash Glamour Extreme Lengthening Mascara in Black - This is one of my favourtie all-time mascaras and I always break it out when I want one that I can rely on without wondering whether it will be halfway down my face by the end of the day.
* Mirenesse Inside Out 27Hr Eye Kohl in Osiris - I love the shade of this eyeliner as it's a dark gunmetal grey and therefore not as intense as black. These eyeliners are great and I have every shade but I don't recommend using them on a very hot day as they can get extremely soft which makes them a bit harder to apply accurately.
* Ardell Brow Defining Kit - If you saw my recent review of this product it won't be any surprise as to why this has become a daily necessity for me. I just love it.
* Models Prefer Brow Highlighter - I've been using this mostly as a highlighter for the inner corners of the eyes to wake me up a bit more and it's definitely grown more on me for use as a brow highlighter too when I'm in a hurry. It also makes a great cheekbone highlighter in a pinch too.

Lips
* Models Prefer Ultra Lipgloss Pencil in Perfectly Polished - These pencils are so easy to apply when in a hurry and give a really great amount of colour on the lips.
* MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in How Darling! - You would have seen that this was only a recent aquisition for me during November and I have been obsessed with the milky pinkness ever since.

Hair/Body
* Evodia Coconut & Lime Fragrance Roll-On - I thought I would hate this when I got it as I'm normally not the biggest fan of fake coconut scents but when we flew to Tasmania for our holiday I took it due to it being nice and small to fit into my makeup bag and I kind of became a bit obsessed with it.
* Schwarzkopf Dry Shampoo - I received this to trial from Beautyheaven and can't get enough of it. I just love the fresh scent and it makes my hair feel really nice and clean in between shampoos.  

So those are the products I loved and lived with during the month of November.

What were some of your favourites during the month?

Michelle..

FOTD - My Attempt at a Wearable Blue Eyeshadow Look

Howdy everybody. I've decided I'm going to try and make a really good attempt at posting more FOTD's from now on.

I usually always have such good intentions of doing this whenever I get ready but then most of the time I'm in such a rush and completely forget to photograph myself before I leave, or, I usually forget to keep out the products I use and then can't remember what they were afterwards!

The other day I felt like wearing a blue eyeshadow look and ended up with the below finished product. It was actually quite basic and quite a wearable look for the day I thought:

Once I broke down what I used to create this look I realised there were a lot of Mirenesse products for some reason. This was a total coincidence and really wasn't intentional at all! Here is what I used:

Face
Innoxa Tinted Moisturiser in Nude Beige
Natio Mineral Pressed Powder in Medium Tan
Mirenesse Cheeky Blush in Russian Rose

Eyes
Mirenesse Seamless Velvet Shadow in Greek Goddess
Bourjois Smoky Effect Eyeliner in Dark Purple
Bobbi Brown Lash Glamour Mascara in Black

Lips
I mixed together my Napoleon Perdis Lip Patrol lipstick in Private Kiss and Mirenesse French Kiss Lip Cocktail in Bellini to create a really nice and soft pink shade.

I really like the Mirenesse eye shadows and wear them quite often. They are a lovely consistency and really easy to blend out. The blue shadow with purple liner was a combination I haven't tried before but really liked once it was finished.

Mixing different shades of lipstick is something I have been experimenting with a lot lately as well.

I also love days like this when my skin is behaving and I can get away with a bit of tinted moisturiser and powder and not worry about foundation or concealer. It doesn't happen very often but I certainly embrace it when it does.

I hope everyone has had a lovely weekend!

Michelle xx

My Favourite "Oh My God I'm So Late" Saviours

I'll admit it. I'm always late. BUT, I have a 'Get out of being late free' card as far as I'm concerned after having a new baby in March this year. No matter how organised I think I am, bub always has other ideas and yep, because of this, I'm always running late.

Because of this fact I have gotten into a bit of a makeup habit lately and have realised that there are a few basic products that I have been using practically every day because I know they are easy to apply, are good colours and get me out the door without making me even later than I usually already am.

These beauties are:

* A.S.A.P. Sheer Tint Moisturiser SPF15 - I have just realised that I left this out of the photo but if you want to see what it looks like I have reviewed it here. I am in love with this tinted moisturiser. It is so easy and quick to apply and it's just the best tinted colour I have come across as yet and gives a really nice even coverage.

* Australis Pressed Powder in Natural - Probably the best pressed powder I have ever tried and considering how cheap it was the best value too. It goes on so smooth and doesn't seem to crease in the fine lines of my face even after being on all day. I usually put this powder on top of the A.S.A.P. tinted moisturiser and that is usually enough to make my face look good to go.

* Clinique In-A-Rush Blush - I'm not sure if you can even still buy these but if you can I recommend getting one quick smart! This is the quickest and easiest and most convenient blush I have ever used. The blush is held in one end of the stick and the blush powder is pressed into the other end. You simply twist the end with the brush onto the powder to apply as little or as much colour as you want and then apply. So, so quick and easy.

* Bourjois Pump Up The Volume Mascara in Black - This is one of the best mascaras I have had in a while. It never goes clumpy or hard and makes my lashes look super duper long and thick. It's got a tilted brush so you can get right into the corners with ease. If I'm really in a rush a swipe of this on my top lashes is all I'll do to open up my eyes. Otherwise, two coats on the top and one on the bottom lashes will make my eyes really stand out.

* Clinique Colour Surge Eye Shadow Super Shimmer in Lucky Penny - This is a great colour that looks pretty just on it's own because of the slight shimmer and it borders on being kind of a pinky brown. I usually just apply some of this all over the lid and am good to go. Being a neutral colour you don't have to be so cautious when applying it so when time is of the essence this is the eye shadow I always reach for.

* Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm - I love this lip balm and always apply it first before applying any other gloss or lipstick. It's got a nice cooling effect and when applied it makes my lips feel hydrated and smooth for hours.

* Maybeline Colour Sensational Creme Gloss in Sugared Honey - This is an awesome lip gloss and has become one of my staples. It's a really pretty shimmery pinky plum colour that just about matches everything. It also stays on really well and never makes my lips feel dry or sticky.

Well, that's it for my favourite quick and easy "Oh My God I'm So Late" fail safe products. With the help of these beauties I can usually have a pretty decent face on in under 5 minutes. With a small baby who's sometimes screaming the whole time I'm trying to get ready just for the sake of it, I've really become to appreciate items like this that can save me time and even my sanity!

Does anyone else have any other products that are their favourite time savers?