Cutting down on beauty purchases seems like the type of thing every beauty obsessed girl says she'll do... but never gets around to. Since my birthday passed and I had an excuse to check some things off of my "To Try" list, I picked a few things up, tested them out, and now I'm ready to give you guys a sneak peek at some products that will surely be featuring on the blog in no time!
While buying lipsticks and eyeshadows is usually what ends up happening, we can't forget to focus on the tools that make application a breeze! There were two things high up on my list, the Beauty Blender and the MAC 217 brush. I must say, it took me way too long to test these out. Applying foundation with a damp Beauty Blender gives the prettiest finish and really does give an airbrushed effect. The only issue I've had with it is that some of my foundations have stained the sponge which really bothers me, but there really wasn't any way of knowing which liquid foundations would do that more than others. Other than that, the Beauty Blender is awesome! Alright, now don't get me started on the MAC 217. Honestly, if you need a "do everything" brush, then this one is probably your best bet. Great for a wash of colour all over the lid and Iincredible for blending in eyeshadows. Highly, highly recommend this!
Onto the beauty products. The eyeshadow loving girl inside of me is finally out and was looking to expand her horizons. While a Naked palette was very tempting, I thought the Naked Basics would serve me well especially because I needed more matte eyeshadows to work with. This really doesnt disappoint and it gives you the versatility you would want in a palette. Next is another Amelia Liana recommendation: Sephora's Cream Lip Stain in 01 Always Red. If you're looking for a matte red lip that will not budge, even when you're eating pizza (I know from experience...), then you've found your new best friend! Perfectly vibrant, smooth, lightweight and incredibly long lasting. This. stuff. rocks!
Last two things were thrown in on a whim, but mostly the Urban Decay Triple Threat Eyeliner Set. You know how the checkout at Sephora always gets you with the cute minis and special offers, and this time was not exception! I was browsing around and this little set caught my eye instantly. It seemed perfect because I'm not a huge eyeliner person so getting a smaller size and getting three very useful shades (Black, Grey and Navy) was a no brainer - had to get it! I've used the navy shade so far and I loved how smooth the pencil was, as well as the pigmentation being through the roof. Last but not least, the Elizabeth and James Nirvana White perfume. I had been wanting this since I first took a whiff of it while walking around Sephora but I really wasn't looking to buy a full sized perfume just yet, so the rollerball seemed like a good idea. In hindsight, it's probably not the best value for money but it is really convenient. In a few months time I'll most likely be trading it in for the full size!
That's it for this years round up of birthday beauty purchases. Really didn't go too crazy but in reality, I think I bought myself enough early birthday presents for them to count! Anything new beauty wise you'd like to recommend? You know I'm always open to suggestions!
My makeup wishlist is a never ending page of new lip products and amazing releases that I see in Sephora. No kidding, I walk into the store and I leave, with nothing in hand, but lots of things in mind ;) So, here are some things I'm dying to get my hands on!
I've really been getting interested in Dior makeup products and I definitely want to dip my toes into their luxury brand waters. My Sephora wish list could probably consist of every product they offer (the bb cream is an honourable mention!) but these eyeshadow palettes are seriously gorgeous! Rosy Tan is probably one I would wear most often but some of their other ones, like Incognito and Styish Move, would be incredible. Plus, can we just take a moment and appreciate the fact that their packaging is worth every penny *swoon*
It's no surprise that I love a good multitasking product and this new release by YSL is just calling my name. There are so many fun and fresh colours for Summer and I think these would be great to keep in your purse for touch ups when your makeup has started to come off and you need a midday pick-me-up. Rose Frivole looks like a shade I'd definitely choose. Have you tried these yet?
I knew I wanted this when I saw the release pictures online but in person, oh man, I was seriously tempted. It is be-au-ti-ful, no joke. Sure it's shimmery but for summer, isn't that what you want? I know my eyeballs will be glistening and sparkling with this beauty, and I am more than okay with that! Sephora doesn't seem to have it in stock just yet since this is part of the Summer 2014 collection but you should be able to get your hands on it at a Bobbi Brown counter in the meantime.
In all honesty, the packaging was the first thing that got me. I saw the white and black bottles together and the gold accents and nearly had a mini heart attack. Sleek and pretty - but then I got a whiff and I was in love! Nirvana white is definitely more my style with floral and musky notes, while Nirvana Black was a bit strong for my liking. I think this may be my next scent of choice once my beloved Vera Wang Princess comes to an end (I will always love that perfume!)
Reformulated, no nasty smell like before, and gorgeous shades that have gushing! Getting to finally swatch them made me so happy and I already know the shades Tasmania and Salamanca are on my radar. Tasmania looks amazing over another wishlist lip product, NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Lodhi, and Salamanca will be a perfect pop of colour for days when the rest of my makeup is pretty bare. I thought I'd like these once I saw the release pictures, and I was certainly right.
I never paid attention these polishes when they were first launched but I went in and had a look around last week and now there's a spark. The range is incredibly varied, with cream finish polishes and all sorts of different effect polishes that would be amazing to experiment with. (I tried on the Transformers Top Coat in Reactive over Essie Find Me An Oasis and it was gawjus!) If you want to venture out from the typical polish offering, these are the best place to start - just look at these!
This isn't a new product or something I'd never seen before but it has seriously been on my list for a solid year now! I would always hear about the Evian Facial Spray people used and honestly, I thought it was a waste of time if you wanted something to have any benefit on your skin, but this Caudalie offering is a dream! It's refreshing, smells divine and it's multipurpose (toner, serum and has amazing natural oils that are great for your skin!) I think I'll need to finally cave and grab the mini bottle they have on the way to the cash register (can we all agree that this is the walk of death for our wallets - so many cute mini things! Ahhh!)
After seeing both EssieButton and ViviannaDoesMakeup raving about this, it deserves a spot on this list. I love a good lip balm but if it promises to moisturize my lips AND give me a customized subtle pink tint perfect for my face, then I'm sold. It's almost like a mood ring, and I think we can concur that those were pretty cool back in the day. And of course, like I stated previously, the packaging!!!! I can't get enough of looking at Dior's products!
There ya have it folks, a peek into what I'm currently craving from Sephora. There are so many other things but if we're being honest, I would probably just say "one of everything, please?"
Congrats, you've made it half way through the week, and as a congratulatory present I've got a new makeup review that will blow your mind. Cream blush.... it's either too powdery or extremely creamy which then leads to greasy cheeks and sometimes even acne - no thanks! I was looking around Sephora as one normally does and I was looking for a cheek product that wasn't a powder, provided a blowy pink stain, was long lasting and hopefully didn't feel too heavy on. I know - my requirements for products are quite hefty, but how else am I supposed to find the best product for me? I'd heard so much about getting a healthy, rosy glow from Benefit's Benetint and was initially going to look into that one but when I realized how inflexible application was (I left the store with streaks on my cheeks....), I made my way to the Josie Maran counter where I was introduced to a little friend with a massively long name... the Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelee in Poppy Paradise. No surprise here, this was on my list because I saw it on Vivianna Does Makeup and I thought ok, let's give this a whirl.
At first the concept kinda freaked me out. It's a gel so when you stick your hand in the pot it feels like really stiff jello and it's like a water based balm. It is so hard to explain the texture in writing, I didn't even realize this! When you swatch it on your hand it seems like it basically stains your fingers more than your actual skin but I wasn't put off by it and took it home with me to play around with a little more. Solution? I've been applying this was a small, dense duo finer brush by Lancome and it works perfectly. It gives the nicest rosy flush without going over board. As you can see in the swatch above, the left swatch is when the product is applied heavily and the left is when you blend it out a bit. I think that's what I love the most about this product - you can customize how much colour payoff you get just by blending it in the right way. This beauty is made up of 50% water so it feels super lightweight on your skin and it definitely does keep your cheeks hydrated if that's a concern of yours in the winter time. Lasting power was pretty great on me but that all really depended on what foundation I had on while trying it out. Oh, that's another note. As with any other cream or gel cheek product, you have to apply it to your skin directly or onto a liquid or cream foundation.. not a powder! The Cheek Gelee performed much better on top of powder compared to other cream cheek options I've tried in the past but for that flawless "I'm-just-blushing-from-within" look, it's best applied on top of another liquid or cream base.
This range comes in 5 other shades - ranging from red to corals to even a warm, bronzer type shade! It retails for $29 CAD at Sephora, which although this little pot is quite small, the amount you need to get glowing cheeks makes you waste almost no product at all. Overall, I'm really pleased with this purchase and I think it would be great for anyone with any skin type who wants a long wearing, stain on the cheeks! (This may be appearing in an upcoming makeup look... maybe even tomorrow *hint hint*)
Any other cream cheek products you're in love with? I'm still debating on whether the Stila Convertible Color will be next on my list - Gerbara is definitely a shoe in for my perfect shade #peachypinkaddict
