What I Got for Christmas 2013

Hey Guys

I figured I should share with everyone what beauty related items I got for Christmas this year. I did quite well this year, most of the beauty related items I received I had chosen myself for my boyfriend to give to me. We don't usually do surprises and rather just let each other know what we would like for our presents. This will be a short post, my camera is having a few problems at the moment so no pictures sorry! But hopefully you get the idea.

Skincare:

Clarins Daily Energizer Cleansing Gel

I have developed a love for Clarins ever since discovering the Clarins Lotus Oil, while they can be a little pricey they feel absolutely fantastic to use on my skin. This is just a gel cleanser that I hoped to use to take off my makeup and to use occasionally as my morning cleanser.

Nivea In-Shower Rich Body Lotion

I already own this Nivea in-shower body lotion in the normal skin version, but I asked for the very dry skin version although I don't have extremely dry skin but in an effort to put in the extra moisture I lose from shaving my legs regularly during the summer.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse OR

This is an absolutely stunning bottle of multi-purpose dry oil than can be used on the face, body or hair. I am not sure whether I will be using this product on my face, but I do plan on using it on my body and the ends of my hair. The bottle contains glitter/shimmer particles throughout and the main reason I purchased this would be because of how it looks, I did read some positive reviews on it, but I could not resist owning this shiny glitter filled oil.

Aesop Parsley Seed Masque

I had read lots of reviews on this and was dying to buy it, and when my skin took a turn for the worst, I put it on my Christmas list. It is the most expensive face mask I own but by golly! I have only used this twice but it does make my skin feel so much better! I try to only use this once a week and a small amount as I do find it is quite drying.

Aesop Control Gel

Like the Parsley Seed Masque, I put this on my Christmas list when my skin was just continually getting worse and worse. I did buy another spot gel in the meantime so I have not yet used this product. I am trying to use up the last of an old tube before I open this, lets hope I can keep it up for the last little bit of my other one!

Makeup:

Real Techniques Your Eyes/Enhanced Starter Set

I already have fallen in love with the Samantha Chapman, Real Techniques brushes, I only owned the core collection (mainly for the buffing brush) before this Christmas. I only had a cheap set of eye makeup brushes and I just kept finding that they would not pick up enough pigment, and I found that my fingers could do a better job of picking up the colour. So far I am loving every brush in this set, and I use most of them daily. They pick up colours so much better and they are really not that expensive to purchase off iherb, Australian prices are just ridiculous in comparison to the US prices so I would recommend buying them off a US seller.

Real Techniques Your Finish/Perfected Blush Brush

I had to buy a blush brush as I had been using my contour brush previously for blush and bronzer, but found it ended up mixing the colours too much on my cheeks. I am in love with this brush though, I tend to have a heavy hand in terms of blusher but this just seems to apply just the right amount for me.

Real Techniques Your Base/Flawless Expert Face Brush

I think I may of found a new winner for my foundation brush. It is only early days so far, but I have been picking this up for my base rather than my beloved buffing brush. It seems that this just gives more of a flawless and blended finish, but that could be because it is a new brush vs an older much loved brush. I will have to see how things pan out in the future with this one.


I also am waiting for some of my Christmas presents to still be delivered, I asked for a Pixi eyeshadow palette and also a teasing brush, so I am just hanging out for those to arrive in my mailbox! I really regret not buying the Real Techniques Powder Brush, so I may have to have a little look on eBay and compare the prices.. Now these were only my beauty related gifts as I was quite spoilt this year but I don't want to bore you with talk of my other presents. Sorry again about my camera having some malfunctions. Hopefully it should be fixed by my next post.

What did you guys get for Christmas this year?

Love Liz xx

Priceline Skincare Haul

Hey Everyone

So between the 26th December to 1st January 2014 (how strange is it to write that) Priceline have had a Pink Dot Sale, this includes a whopping 40% of Skincare valid sadly only between the 26th-28th December. I had received a Priceline gift card amongst my many presents (spoilt this year, thank you everyone) and was planning on buying online but did not realise that it could only be used in store. I was going to the movies based in the shopping centre so after the movie (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, highly enjoyed watching this!) I rushed into Priceline praying that they still had some of the items I was after. Thankfully they did and as per usual I did end up spending more than I had planned. So here is a quick look at my skincare haul!

My Priceline Skincare Haul

La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water

I purchased this in both the 50g and 300g size, the 300g size is better value for money but I like to carry this around in my makeup bag and the larger size is just all kinds of inconvenient. I love this water and the fact that it has so many usages, I originally received it in a Lust Have It! box. I use this to set my makeup and refresh it during the day as well as to just cool my face down during a hot day or just to help take off my makeup at the end of a long day. I probably prefer this bottle to my Avène one as it costs less and I believe the La Roche-Posay have a better designed bottle. The 50g retails for $8.99 AUD but I paid $5.40 AUD, and the 300g bottle retails for $21.99 AUD but I paid $13.19 AUD.

L-R: La Roche-Posay 300g Thermal Water and La Roche-Posay 50g Thermal Water

Bioderma Sébium H2O Purifying Cleansing Micelle Solution

I have been waiting to purchase this much raved about pre cleanse/makeup remover until it was a better price as I just wasn't willing to part with $29.99 AUD for a 250ml bottle. I am excited to try this stuff out when my other makeup remover is finished with. I will be interested to see if its worth paying the extra for it, I did only end up paying $17.99 AUD for the bottle though.

Avène Cleanance K Cream-gel

I recently started reusing this cream gel after my skin took a turn for the worse, I had stopped using this for a while in favour of Alpha H Liquid Gold and Clarins Lotus Oil, but I found my (second) tube while organising my skincare and have been enjoying using this on my skin every other night, I am also plan to try using this during the day as well and see how my skin handles that. This is a strange cream gel that exfoliates using BHA's and AHA's but it does not dry out the skin and rather can be used instead of a moisturiser. When you first use this it does have a bit of a sting to it, particularly if you do not regularly use products that contain AHA's, but that soon goes away. I find that although this is strong it does calm down my skin rather than aggravate it and cause more problems. This retails for $24.99 AUD for 40ml but I purchased this for $14.99 AUD.

Avène Cleanance Soapless Gel Cleanser

I finished this bottle after a couple months of use, it is a pretty plain face wash but it does the job and is not irritating or drying at all. I was not going to repurchase this but after seeing it on special I could not resist! I like to have it as a last resort in case my skin goes haywire from new and strange products, I know that this will calm it down and keep it under control. The 200ml bottle retails for $27.99 but I purchased this for $16.80 which is a great price as this lasts forever!

Skin Doctors Oil Control Cleanser

I have quite oily skin so I thought a cleanser aimed at controlling oil would be beneficial for my skin. I have not really heard much about this brand but I have seen the T Zone line in catalogues and on the shelf before, I am interested in seeing how it performs. This 150ml bottle retails for $29.99 AUD but I purchased this for $17.99 AUD.

Skin Physics Derma Sonic Power Cleansing Brush for Face and Body

This probably the thing I was most excited for out of my purchases! It takes a whole 24 hours to charge before use so I am still waiting to use this baby. I have previously owned the Olay version of the cleansing brush which I did enjoy but it broke after a couple months use. I was interested in purchasing a more expensive model but just could not shell out the $150+ to purchase the much loved Clarisonic. This retails for $99.99 AUD in Priceline but looking on the website it is $149.00 plus shipping! I paid only $59.99 AUD for this which is much better than the $99.99 or the $149. I cannot wait to try this out tonight, just need to do a bit more research on best type of cleansers and all to use with it.

I cannot show you the actual brush as it is still charging sorry!

Lanolips Lemonaid Lip Aid

This was not a sale item but I had been meaning to purchase this for a while after seeing it on UK blogs, so I caved and put it in my shopping basket. I do not really need another lip balm but this claims intensely hydrate chapped lips, which mine have been lately. I like that this is in a tube rather than a tin, which is cute but inconvenient as I have been finding lately. This retails for $15.99 AUD.

So there is another one of my Priceline Haul's. Did you guys pick up anything during the sales? I am planning on uploading what I got for Christmas post but I just have to organise it all first for you. Hope you guys all had a good Christmas and have a happy New Year!

Love Liz xx

Oh How You Make Me Blush

Hello Again!

I have been working a lot lately but I still have time for makeup, there is always time for makeup. In this post I will be reviewing a few cheek products I have purchased recently. I have a huge blush collection already but it is one of my favourite products to buy, I just feel like the right blush will make your whole look complete, and there is just so many beautiful choices (I am very partial to coral colours in particular). So here are the products I will be reviewing for you today:

L-R Clockwise - Sleek Blush by 3 in Lace, Covergirl Clean Glow Blusher in 100 Roses, Bourjois Paris Blush in 54 Rose Frisson, and Australis Crème Colour in Flirtatious Pink

Sleek Blush by 3

I had read many reviews for the Sleek Blush by 3 palette in Lace, but wasn't sure how to get hold of the brand in Australia, I ended up caving and purchasing it for $17.99 AUD off eBay (I bought of the seller I linked, they had great service, posted quickly and no problems whatsoever. I do not regret my decision at all, this is a great little palette, the colours are gorgeous and so pigmented! You really only need to apply a small amount of colour otherwise you will end up looking a bit clownish. This palette includes shades Crochet, Guilpure and Chantilly.

L-R: Crochet, Guilpure & Chantilly

Crochet is a stunning orange matte shade. I must admit this absolutely terrified me in the pan, but with a light hand it can look absolutely stunning and more of a coral pink than just scary pumpkin orange.
Guilpure is a pink and gold shimmer shade. This is my least favourite shade in the palette, which is a shame as I think that this looks absolutely stunning in the pan. It is just all that shimmery glitter, while gorgeous it does accentuate my already large pores, and nobody wants to see that. If you have perfectly acceptable pores (I envy you) and love shimmer then this would be a shade for you, but sadly anyone who does not want to accentuate their pores, I suggest that you steer clear of this blush.
Chantilly is a deep pink but not quite red matte shade. This is my favourite and most used shade out of the three. As with the other blushes, this is highly pigmented so only swipe a little on your brush, otherwise you will end up with much more blusher than necessary.

I think that this palette is great quality (with a liong wear time on my oily skin) and at a great price (although we have to pay slightly more to purchase this in Australia, as per usual!). This was the only Blush by 3 palette I was interested in purchasing but I would definitely look into purchasing their single blushers, I have also heard good things about some of their eyeshadow palette's and their much loved Face Contour Kit.


Covergirl Clean Glow Blush

I purchased the Covergirl Clean Glow Blush in shade 100 Roses during a sale in Big W, after doing some online research I can see that this comes in two different shades, 100 Roses and 110 Peaches, I would have bought the peaches shade if this was offered at the time of purchase! The 100 Roses shade is 3 colours, a light pale pink, medium beige pink and a deeper wine red. This blush was designed to be a 3 in 1 product, with claims you can use the colours separately or mix together to make a whole new shade. I usually just mix these together as I find it too niggly to try and separate the colours. On me, this is not very noticeable, but mainly just a natural looking flush to the cheeks. I will try to use this more in the future, but if considering to purchase it I would pass, it just sadly isn't that exciting, the wear time needs improving and, the packaging is fairly plain and quite bulky. This retails for $12.95 AUD.

L-R: Light Shade, Medium Shade, Darkest Shade & All Shades Mixed

Bourjois Paris Blush

I purchased the Bourjois Paris Blush in shade 54 Rose Frisson during Priceline's 40% off cosmetics sale. This is probably one of the more expensive blushes I have purchased as this retails for $20 AUD. This is a baked blush that comes in a very cute compact with a mirror and includes a small blush that fits on top of the blush, Bourjois offer 12 shades in this range. Shade 54 Rose Frisson is a pink blush that is ever so slightly shimmery, it also has a smell of roses which I believe is common with Bourjois Paris products. I love this blush and would love to expand my collection as they are of a high quality and last quite a while on my oily skin.

Swatch of Bourjois Paris Blush in shade 54 Rose Frisson

Australis Crème Colour Blush

This is a 2 in 1 crème colour blush/lip product that I purchased at Kmart for $9.95 AUD in the shade flirtatious pink. The shade I purchased is quite a nice but very pigmented dusty pink. I do not own any other cream blushes so I was interested in trying it out on my oily skin. I used two different techniques to apply this, my fingers and using my real techniques buffing brush. I found it quite hard to blend with my fingers and much preferred using my brush to apply this. It does feel quite strange on my face, I have to be careful not to over apply and end up feeling like I have sticky cheeks, using a setting powder does tend to help if this does occur however. It does not last as long on my skin as powder, but still has a long enough wear time to get me through the day. I will hopefully be purchasing more cream blushes to add to my collection but I believe that this was a good place to start.

Swatch of Australis Crème Colour Blush

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and I wish everyone a Happy New Year!

Love Liz xx

New on My Lips

Hey Guys


I just want to say that it is so great to see so many people following me on Bloglovin! Well today I want to share with you three new items that I have been enjoying on my lips, I must admit I am late to the party with these so you have probably already read many reviews, and possibly even have these in your own stash so apologies to anyone who is sick of these.

Nivea Lip Butter & 2  Rimmel Apocalips

Nivea Lip Butter

I only purchased this Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla & Macadamia recently at Kmart while picking up some more cotton balls, I had been meaning to purchase this for a really long time but always forget about it, I saw that Nivea products were on sale and could not resist. I am so glad that I didn't, this smells delicious and I cannot get enough of it. This goes on clear but gives the lips a little bit of shine and a whole lot of moisture. Nivea says this is how the product works:

NIVEA Lip Butter Vanilla & Macadamia is formulated with NIVEA's own Hydra IQ deep moisture technology which helps to restore and maintain soft and healthy lips and shea butter which protects the sensitive lip skin against the elements. With mild almond oil, NIVEA Lip Butters help to condition and calm even very dry lips for long-lasting moisturisation.

Nivea Lip Butter Tin

 I really love this, it leaves my lips feeling soft and hydrated and not at all heavy or greasy with product. The only con is that it is not all that hygienic being in a tin versus a stick, however I love the look of the tin a lot more to be honest, and this is still great to pop in my handbag for reapplying. This retails for $5.96 AUD but can often be found on special, I will definitely consider repurchasing when I am done getting through this huge tin!

Rimmel Apocalips

I am so late to the party with this it is almost not worth reviewing, but I love these so why not. I purchased the Rimmel Apocalips in Big W during a 40% off sale, in shade 600 Nude Eclipse and shade 501 Stellar.The Apocalips are considered a lip lacquer rather than a lipstick or a lipgloss, if you have tried these then you will understand. They are wet like a lipgloss but have the pigmentation and vibrancy of a lipstick. They can be built up from a sheer shade to a bold full colour, these come with a doe foot applicator in built, a lip brush may be necessary to touch up the edges though (if you are as heavy handed as me that is).

Swatches: Top - Stellar, Bottom - Nude Eclipse

Stellar is a bright and beautiful pinky red, this a LOOK AT ME colour. I love this for a bright pop of colour in summer, particularly with a monochrome outfit (which is most of my wardrobe).
Nude Eclipse as the name implies is a nude beige colour. I prefer this to be worn sheer rather than the full bold colour as it does kind of clash with my skin tone when opaque.

I have found these to have quiet a long staying power, even while eating and drinking. They are a satin finish which dries down to an almost matte finish. Only problem I had with these occurred when I had not prepped my lips (which I do with a lip scrub and then moisturising balm), so try to make sure your lips are moisturised before applying. This retails for $15.95 AUD but you can often find this on sale for cheaper ($11.16 currently on offer at Priceline, making it quite a good buy).



It is getting very close to Christmas now, anybody else super excited and counting down the days?

Love Liz xx

Test

Been having problems with  Bloglovin updating my posts!

Sorry

Love Liz xx

I Spy With My Little Eye...

SOME NEW PRODUCTS!

Hey Everyone

As you may be able to deduct from the title, this is my product review of some of the latest eye products that I have purchased. Some of these I have had for a while and others were tested just for this post (sorry for still having it in the packaging).

Hyper Glossy Liquid Liner by Maybelline New York

This is a liquid liner available in 2 shades, black and brown (I own black) which claims to be smudge proof and ultra glossy. This is extremely high gloss and does come with a very thin but flexible and not at all stiff brush which is helpful for creating the perfect flick. I am still mastering the skills of the cat eye, but this liner creates a much more fine and precise line than I can get with a pencil, so hopefully with more practice I will be able to master the feline flick! I will continue to enjoy using this liner. This retails for $9.95 AUD, I purchased mine at Priceline in the 40% off Cosmetics sale, however it is currently retailing for only $6.95

Swatches of Liquid Liner

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips

Physician Formula Nude Shimmer Strip Palette

Physician Formula Nude Shimmer Strip and Swatches

This is a 'custom eye enhancing shadow & liner' palette that can create an everyday nude look or a more dramatic look when applied wet. When applied dry this is quite a sheer palette and only a few of the shadows show up on my eyelid, however it does give a much more intense look when applied wet, shades can also be built up to create a less dramatic but still noticeable nude eye. The brush that comes with this is pretty useless, however it does fit into the small shade strips which some brushes would struggle with. All shades are shimmer, but do not have too much fallout fortunately. The darkest black shade does make a decent liner with the help of an eye liner brush, and the lightest shade can work to be a highlighter under the brow bone. I was a bit disappointed with the sheerness of the shadows and as a result would not repurchase, however it is great if you are looking for a just a wash of shimmery shades to create some nude eye looks. This retails for $24.95 AUD but I purchased this during the Priceline 40% off Cosmetics sale. 

Swatches of the Physicians Formula Shimmer Strip

Max Factor Wild Shadow Pot

Swatch of Max Factor Wild Shadow Pot in 35 Auburn Envy

This is a single eye shadow pot from Max Factor in the shade 35 Auburn Envy. This is an absolutely gorgeous shimmery bronze/copper shade that looks fantastic in both the pot and on the eye. It is very buttery soft and extremely easy to use. I use either a brown or slightly pink base shadow underneath and use this either all over the lid or blended into the crease for a simple but sexy eye look. This retails for $12.95 AUD but I purchased this when it was first released in Priceline with $7 off the new range. 

Swatch of Wild Shadow Pot on my arm

Max Factor Wild Shadow Pencil

Max Factor Wild Shadow Pencil in 05 Caramel Rage

This is a 2 in 1 product from Max Factor, it can be used as both a gel shadow and a liner, I purchased this in shade 05 Caramel Rage (if you haven't guessed by now my favourite shades are brown, bronze, coppery, nude colours) which is a golden brown shade. In my opinion the pencil is too thick to be applied as a liner as it does apply in quite a thick line and is very pigmented, however a pencil sharpener may be able to fix this problem. This does work beautifully as an eye shadow, particularly on days when you have to be ready quickly, just a swipe and a bit of blending with a fluffy brush and tada beautiful eyes! My one con to this great product however is that it is in a pencil form, so I will need to dig out my jumbo pencil sharpener rather than just being able to twist up the product for more. This retails at $12.95 AUD but like the Max Factor Wild Shadow Pot, I purchased this for $7 off RRP during the release at Priceline.

Swatch of Max Factor Wild Shadow Pencil on my arm and paper

Essence Lashes Go Wild Mascara

Essence have a huge range of products released in Australia and some of their products I absolutely adore nail art express dry drops, quattro eye shadow in 05 to die for, and all about matt compact powder to name a few. This mascara was a bit of a let down for me however, they have no fewer than 15 mascaras in their range and I have heard great reviews about quite a few of them. However I picked up this mascara on a whim in the Priceline 40% off Cosmetics sale, mainly because the packaging reminded me of Eyeko Mascara, the brush inside does look a little like the Eyeko Curvy Brush Mascara. This product was a little lost on me, no matter how much I try I just cannot successfully use the brush. The product gets all over my face and the lashes that it does manage to coat are all clumped together and spider leg looking. This is a bargain for $4.25 AUD, however I will be looking at trying another of the essence mascaras next time. I still love the brand and you cannot get better value for money with their range!

Essence Lashes Go Wild Mascara and Swatch

Revlon Lash Potion Volume & Length Mascara

I purchased the Revlon Lash Potion Volume & Length Mascara in the non waterproof formula in shade 001 Blackest Black. I just have to say I absolutely love the packaging of this mascara, the purple and blue green colours just makes me want to stare at it and avoid using it in order to keep it forever clean. Not only do I love the packaging however but I also love using this mascara, I have very small lashes that do not stand out at all, it does what it claims to and does provide some much needed volume and length to my puny lashes without clumping. It also has a big thumbs up for me for not irritating my eyes whilst I am wearing my contact lenses! I would definitely consider repurchasing this after I have used this up, but I am terrible at sticking to one product and always want to try the latest thing. This retails for $21.95 AUD but I picked this up during Priceline's 40% off Cosmetics sale.

Revlon Lash Potion Volume & Length Mascara - see what I mean about the packaging!

Obviously I went a little overboard in the latest Priceline 40% off Cosmetics sale, I believe I spent almost $200 AUD (after having put myself on a spending ban, whoops!).

Love Liz xx 

Exams Are Over = Time for More Blogging

Hey Everyone

So exams are over and I have been working like crazy trying to earn enough money for Christmas gifts. I am looking forward to blogging more, but I do not have another day off until Christmas day so it may not be until the New Year that I can really start up my blog! 

So today I will be doing a few reviews of products I have been buying up lately (there has been a lot of spending, so I am now banning myself from buying any more until hopefully when Uni starts back up again next year), I will try to schedule some so that its not a billion reviews at once and then nothing for another week. 

Some of the items I want to review for you are a few eyes, lip and cheek products, which I will split into three posts.

A preview of the eye reviews

A preview for the lip reviews

A preview for the cheek reviews

Are you guys ready for Christmas this year? 

Love Liz xx