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***

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

Maybelline Master Glaze Blush Stick in Just Pinched Pink

Hello there! Remember me? Yep, I've been on a little blogging break again due to having a very hard time with this second pregnancy and losing interest in pretty much everything that required a little bit of effort other than my work (unfortunately I still need to earn money to pay bills no matter how much of a hard time I'm having :-()

Without going into too much of a long-winded complaint session, my entire face became covered in a hybrid acne-cross-eczema blend about three months ago (aren't hormones wonderful things??) and due to that I'll honestly admit that I have been a bit depressed because I am unable to leave my house without spending half an hour applying the thickest foundation on earth just so I don't feel that everyone is staring at me wherever I go. It's extremely painful too and nothing seems to be helping.

I've also had an issue where my pelvis separated around 4 months into being pregnant which means that every week since then the simple acts of walking, sleeping and just moving about in general have been getting harder and harder and more painful than I can possibly describe to the point where I am about as active as a 90 year old. This happened to me last time with my first son but not until the last month so it's been a big shock to the system to have happened so early this time around.

Anyhoo, enough of the whinge session and onto the point of this post which is to have a bit of a rave about my latest blush love, the Maybelline Master Glaze Blush Stick in Just Pinched Pink.

I bought this blush a little while ago at the supermarket (technically it's a staple purchase if you can get it with your groceries, right?) because I was desperately after a blush to try that wouldn't make my poor skin look drier and flakier than it already did and that was only a very subtle shade so I didn't look like death warmed up or a clown with my already cakey enough foundation.

This blush has definitely ticked all the boxes as far as what I was after in a new cheek product at this sensitive point in time.

It comes in a wind up stick formulation and Just Pinched Pink is a really pretty pastel pink shade that suits my pale skin quite well. I love to sweep this on straight from the stick and then blend it out with my Becca 'One Perfecting Brush' or my fingers depending on what mood I am in. It dries to a lovely satin-like powder finish but doesn't accentuate any of the lumps and bumps that are currently on my face which is just wonderful in my opinion.

Any powder blushes I try to use on my skin in the state that it has been in just seem to settle into the dry, itchy patches which makes my skin look ancient and I also have to be very careful with what shades I use as so many clash with the extra redness currently in my skin as well. This has made me so grateful that I can use this blush without any issues.

It also lasts practically an entire day without fading which is also great as I am way too lazy to do touch-ups throughout my days at the moment.

Here are some swatches of this wonderful product:

Maybelline Master Glaze Blush Stick in Just Pinched Pink - In natural light

Maybelline Master Glaze Blush Stick in Just Pinched Pink - With flash

Considering this blush can be picked up for around $15 I don't think you could go wrong in picking one up. I keep eyeing off the other shades in the range now but am just waiting until I can have this baby in another 4 weeks when hopefully my skin will start to recover and go back to normal!

Have you ever had a simple product that kind of 'rescued' you like this one did for me?

I hope everyone has a great week!

Michelle xx

FOTD - A Subtle Everyday Blue Eyeshadow Look

The other day I was feeling a little flat and decided to have a bit of a play with my pro-palette to create a pretty but subtle blue eye look.

Blue eyeshadow is always something I get nervous wearing but I am slowly starting to find certain ways to make it work without making me feel like I've stepped out of the 80's.

This look is very subtle and a nice way to add a pop of colour to the eyes for an everyday look without looking too overdone.

The eyeshadow shades I used are circled below:

On the top palette I used the two pale cream shades blended together all over the eyelid to start, then I applied the light blue shade on the bottom palette to the outer corners and blending into the centre of the lid. I then took the slightly darker light blue and added a little more colour transitioning out towards the outer corner. Then I took the darker blue and blended it very carefully into the crease as well as using it to line below my eyes. I then took the gold shade on the bottom palette and added this to the centre of my lids and blended everything like there was no tomorrow. I then finished the look off by lining the top lids with the black shade.

Here is a breakdown of all the other products I used for this look:

* Napoleon Perdis Sheer Genius Liquid Foundation in Look 2.
* Savoir Faire Concealer in Light
* Physicians Formula Translucent Powder
* NP Set Shimmer Highlight Duo in Peach/Pink

* Ardell Brow Defining Kit
* Almay Intense i-Colour Volumising Mascara in Midnight for my top lashes
* Bobbi Brown Lash Glamour Extreme Lengthening Mascara in Black on my bottom lashes

* Maybelline Master Glaze Blush Stick in Just-Pinched Pink
* Face of Australia Lip Quench in Pink Champagne

What do you think? Can blue eyeshadow be an everyday shade?

I hope you are having a great weekend!

Michelle xx

March 2015 Favourites

March has been a bit of a mixed month for me. My skin has just decided it doesn't agree with pregnancy and has gone absolutely crazy breaking out all over the place and no amount of foundation or strategically placed concealer is making me feel much good right now.

In an effort to take some of the focus off my horrid skin I have been opting for more brighter products on my eyes and lips so here is a quick round up of a few of the products that have been on high rotation during the past month.

1) Australis Conceal & Correct 4-in-1 Concealer Corrector Palette - This little beauty has been a bit of a life saver for me lately as it contains two concealer shades (a light and a darker one), a green shade to combat redness and a lilac shade to brighten up dull areas and dark circles. It's so handy to have all these products in one little pot and until my skin calms down I'll be getting a lot of use out of this.

2) Maybelline Master Glaze Blush Stick in Just-Pinched Pink - I picked this up on sale at Coles a few weeks ago and just love it. It's such a pretty light pink shade that suits my skin tone perfectly and makes me look a lot fresher and more awake than I feel most days. I do plan on doing a review on this in the near future so stay tuned.

3)  Clinique Face Compact - This was in the last Clinique gift with purchase I fell for which I wrote about here and the lazy girl in me has been using it almost every day since. The two eyeshadow shades are just so easy to throw on without any thought and the blush is also a great everyday shade.

4) Mirenesse Inside Out 27hr Eye Kohl in Isis - I have been loving this pretty shade of blue as a pop of colour underneath my eyes when I am wearing nothing but a nude or cream shade of eyeshadow. It just seems to brighten up my eyes without much effort required at all.

5) Clinique Chubby Stick Baby Tint in Poppin' Poppy - This was another product I got in the last Clinique gift with purchase and although I wasn't very impressed with it initially, I have really grown to love it. It's a great little balm to swipe quickly over the lips when I want a teeny hint of colour and it is surprisingly moisturising too.

6) Face of Australia Sheer Gloss Lip Crayon in Macaron - After being so disappointed in the last FOA lip crayon I purchased in Peach Parfait which I recently reviewed here, I ended up rekindling my love for this pretty pink one instead. It's a great shade to wear for a little bit of a pick-me-up when I'm not wanting a full-on opaque lip.

7) Cherry Brown Lipstick in Hot Pink - I recently reviewed this lipstick here and have been wearing it quite a lot when I don't want to do much with the rest of my face but still want to look awake. It's a shade that just automatically makes you feel better when you're wearing it.

So, that's it for the products that I have reached for the most during the last month.

What products have you been reaching for the most lately?

Michelle xx 

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

I'm Back With A New Lip Gloss Love! Maybelline Colour Sensational High Shine Lip Gloss in Gleaming Grenadine

Hi Everyone! Again, I am so sorry for my long absence but things just got so hectic in my life that it was an unfortunate necessity.

After I posted to say I was still alive last week I must have jinxed myself because our little man decided to bring home a mild case of viral meningitis that he was lovely enough to pass onto his father and I.  So, after spending a day in the hospital last Friday with my husband on a drip and strong pain meds, then vomiting and being in pain from head to toe myself for three days straight, as well as having to beg my parents to come around to pack up our kitchen for us because it was being replaced this week and neither hubby or I could barely stand up and then also having to beg the other grandparents to look after the little man (who got over his virus quicker than you could blink!) because we just didn't have the physical ability to, I can honestly say with total gusto that this was the week from hell.

Life seems to be slowing down a bit again now and we are all on the mend so hopefully I can get back to blogging and start to get through the HUGE backlog I have got going on now.

Anyway, back to what I wanted to tell you about today which is this new lip gloss that I have been getting a lot of wear out of (pre-virus of course). The Maybelline Colour Sensational High Shine Lip Gloss in Gleaming Grenadine.

I received this gloss in the March 'Her Fashion Box' and was excited straight away because I have had a few Maybelline lip glosses in the past which have always performed well.

The Maybelline Colour Sensational High Shine Lip Gloss is a wax free formula that guarantees an ultra-clear shine and a luminous lip. It is infused with honey nectar and has superior colour saturation to give a luscious smooth feel.

The shade I received, Gleaming Grenadine, is a bright pink which almost borders on looking red. It applies quite sheer at first but can be built up to give a really nice, bright colour on the lips if you so wish. It's a super shiny lip gloss but isn't too sticky or gluggy which I like.

I've been wearing this gloss a lot lately as it's such a wearable shade that instantly brightens the face without going overboard. The gloss is nice and smooth to apply and has a fruity kind of scent and taste which isn't too overpowering in my opinion.

The one little problem I seem to have is that it can sometimes settle in the lip lines, especially if I am lazy and apply it to dry lips. I usually try to remember to apply it over a lip balm and this generally gets rid of this problem.

Has anyone else tried one of these glosses yet?

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Michelle xx

Simple Shopping Trip FOTD

So the other day we were going out for a bit of retail therapy (gotta love end of financial year bonus time at hubby's work!) and I decided to do a very simple look that would last the day without any fuss.

For some reason I seem to always gavitate to purple eyes as it's the one shade I can work with quickly without looking like a clown. Since buying my 120 colour pro palette a few weeks ago I vowed I'd try to get more creative with my eye looks but I haven't even broken the plastic off of it yet, eeek! To tell you the truth, I love colour on other people but I'm scared to death of trying it for myself. I will eventually though, I promise!

Anyway, here is the simple look I went for:

                     

Face:
Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in 115
Australis Paparazzi Perfect Blush in Poser

Eyes:
Clinique Colour Surge Eyeshadows in Plum and Lilac (the two purple shades on the right of the palette
B Collection by Bloom Shade & Line Eyeliner in St Mark's Square on the top and bottom lash line
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Lash Extending Treatment Mascara in Black

Lips:
Revlon Colourburst Lip Gloss in Hot Pink

And that's it! I've been trying to minimise using powders and concealers too much lately due to my skin being a bit sensitive after I was sick with the flu for so long so a light foundation is all I've been putting on lately.

Do you have a certain shade or combo that is your 'safe' look like I do?

Michelle xx