Maybelline New York 'Bricks Bronzer'

Most people that know me know that I am not a big bronzer user. I have fairly pale skin and most bronzers just look too orange for me or are virtually impossible to blend on my skin tone. Most of my bronzers have now become eyeshadows and very rarely get used for their original purpose.

This Maybelline New York Bricks Bronzer is a bit of an exception. It gives such a pretty golden glow that isn't too orange and it's light enough to blend in with my fair skin without looking streaky or like I've got a bad fake tan. I do also love using it as an eye shadow on those days when I don't have much time as it gives a nice nude eye look without any fuss.

The bronzer itself doesn't work as a contour for me but I've found that sweeping some of it over my forehead, temples and cheeks gives me a little lift so I don't look so deathly pale.

The highlighter section is made up of a few small 'bricks' that alternate between a pale pink, a darker pink and a shimmery beige. You could use just one square if you were after one of the specific shades (and had a small enough brush) but I like to just sweep my regular brush over all of them together to get a really pretty glow.

I've also been trying out sweeping my brush over the entire pan catching the shimmery shades as well as the bronzer shade all together and using it in place of my regular blush and I find this works really well to give me a nice and natural looking glow on days when I don't want too much colour on my face.

The powder blends nicely and doesn't seem to have any smell at all that I can determine.

You only need to use a very small amount of it for each application as it is highly pigmented so it will literally last forever.

I like the compact plastic case but just wish that it had a mirror built into the lid rather than being see-through.

Overall though, I am a big fan of this bronzer and will continue to use it regularly. For the cheap as chips price tag you really can't go too wrong.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Michelle xx

***This product was sent to me for review but my opinions are completely my own***

Talavou Naturals Glo - A Bronzer With a Difference

I received this Bronzer a little while ago in one of the monthly sample boxes I subscribe to (I think it was Bellabox??). At first I was a little disappointed because loose powder products scare me a little because of how messy and hard to apply they can be sometimes. Fortunately, this one ended up growing on me and becoming my go-to bronzer this summer due to just how lovely it looks on the skin.

There wasn't all that much information on the product card I received with this so I went onto the Talavou Naturals website to find out a little bit more. Talavou Naturals are Australian owned (always a big bonus!) and are a family business dedicated to producing natural makeup products.

Here is a little bit about their Glo powder from the website:

'Feeling pale, but don't want the 'fake brown' look?
Try Glo!
Not your average bronzer!
A glitter-free pink based blend to help achieve a light natural radiant glow all year round.
Works like a bronzer with a hint of rose.
Excellent for light & medium skin tones.
Dust all over face and neckline.'

I must say that this is probably the best bronzer I have used in a while as far as how it suits my pale skin tone. It blends really easily onto the skin and although I do sometimes make a little mess in the bathroom after using this, I can forgive such a small annoyance when I get such good results without looking like I've got brown racing stripes on my face.

If I'm in a hurry I can easily use this as a quick blush and it even makes a great eyeshadow too. I get so excited when I find multiple uses for a product!

Talavou Glo also has absolutely no scent that I can detect at all so for those of you who prefer unscented products you will like this one and there isn't the slightest bit of shimmer which I love.

See below for some swatches:

(Talavou Naturals Glo - Regular light)

(Talavou Naturals Glo - With flash)

(Talavou Naturals Glo lightly blended into the skin)

I always love discovering new Aussie brands and am definitely keen to try some more products from this company now.

Has anyone else tried Talavou Naturals products before? If so, what did you think?

Michelle xx

Review - Australis Bronzing Powder in Golden

I think I have achieved the impossible! I have finally found a bronzer that a whiter than white skinned girl can actually wear without looking ridiculous.

Everyone, meet Australis Bronzing Powder in the shade Golden:

What the product claims:
'Australis Bronzing Powder gives skin a sun-kissed glow in an instant with this ultra-fine tinted pressed powder. Light-reflecting minerals provide an instant airbrushed appearance and the compact includes a mirror and applicator sponge, ideal for creating a wash of colour on the face or décolletage. Australis Bronzing Powder is available in two shades: Sunkissed and Golden.'

I decided to be brave and pick this up a while ago when I was browsing in Priceline because when I had a bit of a swatch fest this one seemed to be the best one I could see for someone as white as me. I've always been absolutely terrified of bronzers due to the fact that when other pale gals I have known have used it they have looked awful. There really is no other nice way to say it. There's nothing pretty about having two orange racing stripes heading up the side of your face when you use a bronzer that doesn't suit your skin tone.

Up until I purchased this little beauty I had been using a pale golden/brown eyeshadow I had as a bronzer as it seemed to work perfectly for me. Ever since I have pretty much used product on a daily basis.

(Left: Blended out, Right: Swatched)

As you can see from the above photos, this is a light golden bronzer that is very fine without having a heap of shimmer. It is extremely easy to blend out and buildable so it is impossible to put too much of this on your face at once. I usually find I have to do at least two or three applications of this bronzer before I really notice it on my face which shows you how fine a powder this is.

I'd love to know of any other bronzers out there that someone with ivory skin and freckles like me can get away with using without looking like a tiger. Any suggestions?

Michelle xx

Review - Australis Paparazzi Perfect High Definition Blush in Poser

First up, I really need to apologise for the fact I haven't been posting much lately and also for the fact that what I have been has been a bit sporadic as well. My CPA exam for this semester is coming up on the 2nd May and I have officially hit panic/stressed-out mode and am not coping well with concentrating on anything other than studying right now. I always get like this a couple of weeks prior to my exams and I guess it's my way of getting in the exam zone so that I feel prepared enough on the day.

Therefore I have to admit that I won't be posting too much at all over the next couple of weeks until this exam is over and I can do other activities again without feeling guilty (at least for a couple of months until the next damn one starts!)

Anyway, onto the main reason for this post, the Australis Paparazzi Perfect High Definition Blush in the shade Poser.

What the product claims:
'Australis Paparazzi Perfect Blush is a multi-coloured palette, formulated with light reflecting and balancing photochromatic pigments allowing for instant camera-ready photos. The technology blurs pores, fine lines and other imperfections. The formula is also enriched with jojoba and grape seed oil to lock in skin moisture.'

Isn't it pretty? I just love the marbled effect of this blush which was one of the main reasons for me purchasing it. It's almost in that 'too pretty to use' category as far as I'm concerned.

I have to say one thing straight up about this blush and that is it is the most pigmented product I think I have ever come across. When I first brought it home I got all excited and decided to have a play with it and started applying it the same way that I do with my other powder blushes and I ended up with the darkest cheeks you have ever seen. It was hilarious! I have since learnt that you only just have to touch your blush brush to the product in the softest manner to get the right amount of product to apply.

It also has a very subtle shimmer to it which I like as it works to help highlight the cheekbones.

The above photo is taken with a flash and gives a pretty good indication of the colour of this blush. On the left is a swatch of all the colours together and on the right it has been blended out.

I didn't realise until I got this baby home that it was so dominantly brown and have since decided to use it as a bronzer/contouring powder rather than a blush which is suits me better because of my pale skin. It's really easy to blend out as long as you don't apply too much, otherwise it can make the face look a little dirty.

Frankly I think I will die with this product. There is no way I will ever hit pan on this as the amount you have to use is so miniscule. If I was part of the product development team at Australis I'd be expecting a bit of a berating from management because if they develop too many more of these types of products Australis will most definitely go out of business because we just won't need to replace anything ever again!

I'm definitely interested in trying one of the more pinker shades and then I will be set for blush for the rest of my life!

Has anyone else tried one of these blushes yet?

Michelle xx

Personal Makeup Tutorial - Blush and Bronzer Tips

So here is my second instalment where I am giving all the tips I learnt from the personal makeup tutorial that I did last Sunday.

Today's post will be all about applying Blush and Bronzer.

Bronzer
* Bronzer is normall applied prior to your blush and the best tool is a Kabuki brush as the large soft head can be used to give a wide area of coverage or squeezed to just give a little bit.
* First, and the most obvious tip is to use a bronzer that is suited to your skin tone. If you're pale like me you don't want to use a deep dark bronzer as it will just look ridiculous. There are a lot of different shades out there so it's best to find one that suits you so that you don't end up looking like you have dirty streaks up the side of your face.
* The places that benefit from the use of bronzer are the hollows of the cheeks, the outer corner of the eye up to the temple, the top of the forehead and below the jaw line. Bronzer used in these areas gives depth to the face and also creates a subtle warm glow.
* When applying bronzer in the hollow of the cheeks, the best way is to use a sweeping motion upwards towards the hairline and level with the centre of the ear. Sweeping upwards concentrates the colour along the bottom of the hollow as this is where the brush hits first. Sweeping downwards will concentrate the colour along the top which won't look right and will clash with your blush.
* The same upward sweeping motion goes for the triangular area between the outer corner of the eye and the temple and along the top of the forehead.
* A small amount brushed under the jawline will give the illusion of a more pronounced jaw and will also minimise the look of a double chin (for those of us who may have one, cough, cough....)
* When applying bronzer, less is always more. It's best to start off with a very small amount and then build up your colour from there. If you do happen to do any too dark patches you can use the foundation brush or sponge you just applied your makeup with (without adding any extra foundation) to gently pat over the darker areas until the level of colour you want is achieved.

Blush
* After contouring the face with bronzer you'll want to add a bit of colour to the face by using a blush. Most pale girls like me suit blushes that are more in the pink colour spectrum where those of you who have warmer complexions can get away with using darker plums and pinky-brown colours.
* Using either a slanted blush brush or a regular brush, you want to start over the apples of the cheeks at the mid point under your eye and blend out towards the hairline just above the ear. 
* If using a cream blush, it's best to pat the blush on with the fingers first or apply with a small flat blush in a patting motion before blending out.
* A cream blush also benefits from being set with a tiny amount of powder blush in a similar hue or a non-pigmented translucent powder. This gives it longer staying power and stops any patches from forming.
* Again, when applying blush, less is definitely more. It's much easier to apply more if you need the colour deepened than it is to remove any if you apply too much. You can also use the foundation brush or sponge trick over the top if you do apply too much and need to reduce the amount of colour on your cheeks.
* Remember, you're after a healthy rosy glow on the cheeks to lift and brighten the face. Clown cheeks are a big no-no!

The last three brushes in the below picture are normally used for bronzing and blushing:


(Foundation brush, Highlighting brush, Concealer Brush, Slanted Blush Brush, Kabuki Brush, Blush Brush)
Next I will go through everything I learnt about the eyes and eyebrows.

If you missed my first post which was all about achieving the perfect makeup base the link for that is here.

Hope everybody has a wonderful week.

Michelle xx