Review | Stila Stay All Day Liquid Eyeliner

 Stila Stay All Day Liquid Eyeliner in Black

Hi lovelies! So recently I have been taking a break from my daily black liquid eyeliner. However after this purchase my love has been firmly rekindled. The problem I had with a lot of cheaper liner options was that they began to fade or flake throughout the day. 

About Face | Wicked Games

Hi lovelies! This look has been all I've been rocking lately. Annoyingly my skin has been really sensitive lately, so I've been sticking just a little concealer wear I need it. 

Review | Models Prefer Slanted Liner

 Models Prefer Slanted Liner $9.99

Hi lovelies! I've always loved winged eyeliner and over the years have tested many brands' options. I tend to favour liquid formulas, as I find them the fastest to work with. Models Prefer is a brand that I am not super familiar with, but I was in the mood for something different last time I ran out of eyeliner. 

Winter Essentials | Purple Lipstick

 Top to Bottom: Revlon Matte Balm in 'Shameless' MUA Luxe Velvet Lips in 'Kooky' Sleek Matte Me in 'Fandango Purple'

Hi lovelies! So whilst referring to a shade of lipstick as essential is a little extreme, I am really loving a purple lip in the cooler weather. It makes for a nice alternative to deep reds. I also like the range of variety you can get. 

Review | Face of Australia Contour Kit

Hi lovelies! Continuing on with my reviews of the new Face of Australia products here is the Glamazon Contour and Highlight Kit in Leopardess. I love contouring and it's now a part of my daily makeup routine. I think like filling in your eyebrows you don't realise what a difference it makes until you start doing it. 

Review | Maybelline Colour Sensational Lip Colour and Lip Gloss

 Maybelline ColourSensational Lipcolour in Coffee Craze, Maybelline ColourSensational Gloss in Iced Chocolate

Hi lovelies! I think I need to preface this post by saying that I am in no way a lover of nude lips. I also as a general rule don't enjoy wearing lipgloss. To be honest I am not even a fan of sheeny lip balms. Which is why finding these two products from Maybelline was such a pleasant surprise. 

When I first heard Anna mention the ColourSensational glosses I have to admit I tuned it out a little bit. Bizarrely I have always been more comfortable in a strong matte lip colour than a nude gloss. When Priceline were having a 40% off cosmetics sale her words I decided to take her advice and pick one of the glosses. 

I was safe and opted for a creamy nude in the shade Iced Chocolate. And you know want I absolutely love it. The level of pigmentation is great and the shimmer in the tube doesn't make itself known on the lips. I tend to apply a layer and then pat it into my lips for a subtle sheen. 

To go with the gloss I also chose one of the ColourSensational Lipcolours. My one is in Coffee Craze and it makes the perfect companion to the gloss. I have also been wearing it by itself and find that it mutes out my natural lip colour just enough to make it a nude, but not so much that I look like a corpse. These lipsticks are really comfortable to wear and the balm like texture makes me think I will be getting a lot of use out of this in the upcoming cooler weather. 

The need for reapplication every few hours is still something I am getting used to, however the subtle colour means a mirror isn't necessary. Despite the above pictures, I have been veering away from my usual liquid liner and opting for a smokier look day to day. Both products are a great to pair with a smokey eye, for a pared down everyday look. 

Whilst I am still firmly a red lipstick girl at heart I can definitely see myself picking up a few more of these lip glosses in some more nude shades for a bit of variety day to day.

If these lip glosses can convert even the staunchest of matte lip lovers then they must be something special. I bought mine in store at Priceline, but they're available here and here. 

Have you tried any of this range? What colours would you recommend?

Jess x 

Review | NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder

Hi lovelies! I apologise for showing you such a well loved product but I completely forgot to take photos of this one before getting stuck into using. I discovered filling in my brows relatively late in the game. Looking back on photos of myself pre-brow now causes me to cringe slightly. 

Like lipsticks I am a bit of a hoarder when it comes to brow products, I tend to switch up what I use based on how much time I have and how much other makeup I am wearing. I always fill in my brows even if I am wearing no other makeup. However with the NYX eyebrow cake I tend to prefer wearing it when I have other makeup on my face. My preferred look recently has been a simple matte eyeshadow, strong brows and a strong lip. 

I originally bought this product on a whim, I was sceptical when it arrived that, although labelled as blonde, the colours would be a much too much. I was pleasantly surprised though. First I run the clear wax over my brows with the angled brush included. This has been great during the humid summer in Brisbane as it provides a base for the powder to stick to. It also keeps my unruly brows in place. 

I then run a mix of the two colours, although I tend to favour the upper colour through my brows with my own angled brush. After a quick brush through with a spoolie I am all done. I find the colour lasts until I am ready to take it off at the end of a long day. 

If you enjoy a well defined brow I would highly recommend this little kit, it makes travelling so simple as well. It is available from selected Target stores in Australia or online here for only $9.95. 

What are your favourite brow products?

Jess x 

Review | Lime Crime Velveteen in 'Pink Velvet'

 Lime Crime Velvetine in 'Pink Velvet'

Hi lovelies! Recently I picked up the new shade from Lime Crime's Velveteen Range. I've really enjoyed the other two shades from the range and wanted to see if the new shade matched my expectations.

About Face | Satin Taupe

Hi lovelies! Back when I first became interested in the whole beauty side of things, all that anyone could talk about was Mac. Now my skin is extremely sensitive and does not get along at all well with their skin products, however over the years I have built up a stash of eyeshadows. And lipsticks, but I think it's more than a stash of those. 

Review | NYX Matte Lipsticks

 NYX Matte Lipsticks (From L to R) in Merlot, Shocking Pink, Alabama and Indie Flick

Hi lovelies! Another day, another lipstick review. I have resigned myself to a complete lack of control whenever the words matte and lipstick are combined. A website I used to shop on quite frequently was Cherry Culture, and when they sent me a code for 20% off my purchase, I couldn't resist.  

They stock a myriad of American drugstore beauty brands including Jordana, Milani and most excitingly NYX. Target have also recently started stocking the brand so for immediate gratification purposes I would head there. 

I picked up four shades from the Matte Lipstick range. I have heard many postive reviews for these lipsticks over the years and I'm glad to say that they live up to their reputation. Whilst they aren't quite as matte as my favourite Illamasqua or Mac formulas these are very similar in finish to the Kate Moss for Rimmel Matte Lipsticks. I find them very creamy and comfortable to wear, with a good lasting time of around 4 - 5 hours. 

I'm so pleased that NYX is now stocked in stores as I will be able to get a more accurate idea of the shade range. Swatches of these lipsticks can take a bit of searching and the swatches on Cherry Culture are not the most accurate. Hence why I ended up with two shades (Alabama and Merlot) that are very similar. I do wear shades like this a lot during the cooler months however so they wont be going to waste. 

My favourite picks were definitely Indie Flick and Shocking Pink. A vibrant orange-red Indie Flick definitely reminds me of So Chaud by Mac. And Shocking Pink is a great blue-based pink that is almost neon. 

I highly recommend checking out these lipsticks in person as for the price the quality is fantastic. 

NYX Matte lipsticks are available online at Cherry Culture or at selected Targets for $12.95. For a full list of NYX stockists in Australia check out this wonderful graph from Tried and Tested. 

Will you be picking up any of the shades?

Jess xx

Review | Benfit's Gimme Brow vs. Australis' Tint My Brow

 From L to R: Benefit's Gimme Brow in Light/Medium and Australis' Tint My Brow in Blonde

Hi lovelies! It's a double post from me today as unfortunately Erin has gone and caught tonsillitis for her 21st birthday. Whilst she's recovering you get the pleasure of reading about my addiction to all things eyebrow related. You may not know, but I work at a cafe which means horrifically early mornings. Whilst I don't usually bother with much makeup for work, I do feel a little bit naked without my eyebrows filled in. In order to gain a few extra minutes in bed I was on the hunt to a speedy brow routine that I could do whilst half asleep. 

Review | Lime Crime Velvetines

 Lime Crime Velvetines (L to R) Suedeberry, Red Velvet

Hi lovelies! How many red lip products can I buy before it's classed as an addiction? Or am I well and truly past that point now? The Lime Crime Velvetines are the latest addition to my collection and it's love. 

They meet all the criteria that I want in a lipstick: matte finish, long lasting and bold colour. Now I'm new to Lime Crime as a brand. After all the scandals revolving around the company I was a tad wary. However temptation outweighed the potential negatives and I am so glad it did. I've never tried any of their more "traditional" lipsticks so I can't comment on those, but the Velvetines are fantastic quality. 

Review | Japanese Brow Pencil

🍌

Is it Wednesday already? This week is flying by so quickly. So, I've been thinking, seeing as it is new to me, I should share what I've been doing with brows of late. I've been trying this medium brown brow pencil that I scored in Daiso (a cheap $2.80 Japanese store) and have been really impressed with it. I thought that perhaps at that price it would just be something I would use to experiment with the whole 'filled in brow' concept but the product itself is actually fairly great.

It is a fairly accurate colour for my hair and wears for a surprisingly long time which is normally at least a twelve hour wear. It conveniently comes with its own little spooly brush on the other end and a spare lid. Also, I am a big fan of pencil products that are self-sharpening. Nothing annoys me more than having to sharpen product when you're in a rush or the feeling of a blunt tip against my skin.

If you, like myself, have never ventured into the world of brows, it's totally not worth being afraid and is quite addictive once you get going. 

All in all, if you see this product around (probably not likely) it is much more impressive than its price tag. However, when I do run out I will probably be searching for another brow product so if you know of any that I should hunt down and try let me know in the comments.

See you on Sunday!

Erin xx

Review | Hourglass Rouge Opaque in Raven

Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Raven

 I am in love. And not with a boy, but with a lipstick. My life is not at all sad... This is a purchase I have been contemplating for a long, long time, ever since I saw these lipsticks released overseas. 

Finally they've made their way to our stores and I couldn't wait to get my hands on one. If you've been reading the blog for a while then you'll know I'm no stranger to a red lip. However I have several requirements that any red must meet before being allowed into my ever-growing collection. It must be matte.  It must be pigmented. It must be long-wearing. This new formula from Hourglass passes with an A+ in every category. 

Beauty Buys

I'm headed off to the beach today, but before I left I thought I'd share my recent beauty purchases with you all. 

Head and Shoulders Sensitive Scalp Care Shampoo and Conditioner
I don't suffer from dandruff, however my skin is liable to react to anything and everything. I thought I'd share this hair combo with you because this is the first shampoo and conditioner my scalp is able to tolerate. For any sensitive skinned girls out there I'd really recommend giving this one a go, and it won't break the bank either. Besides being very gentle the conditioner is very thick and works a treat at moisturising my blonde hair. 

Illamasqua Precision Ink in Abyss
Although 'precision ink' is really just a fancy term for liquid eyeliner, this is a fantastic product. I am no stranger to liquid eyeliner, wearing it on a very nearly everyday basis. I've always been a big advocate of the L'Oreal Super Liner, but was always annoyed that it tended to get a bit flaky at the end of a long day. This liner checks all the boxes: it's easy to apply when half-asleep in the morning, super black, and doesn't budge. Also with Illamasqua reducing their prices in Australia there isn't a big price gap in between the L'Oreal and this anymore. 

Sleek Lipstick in Amped
This is a properly nice lipstick. I never thought I would be a huge fan of such a cool pink on my skintone, but I love how this looks and have worn it regularly since its arrival. That's why I purchased a cheaper alternative to give the colour a test. The quality of the product surprised me though. Sleek's matte formula is up there with the likes of Illamasqua and MAC, pigmented and very long wearing. Although Sleek can be a bit difficult to get your hands on in Australia, their website ships internationally and their shipping rates are really reasonable. 

Australis Double Decker Eyeshadow in Supernova Casanova
I picked this last one up on a whim when it was on offer in Priceline. I love copper eyeshadows and thought this would be great for a sparkly bronze-y eye. The concept of this product is that they give you a cream eyeshadow to use as a base and then a pigment to press over the top. My advice? Just forget about using the cream eyeshadow, it creased on me within 5 minutes. The pigment however is fab. Super sparkly and pretty. As with any loose eyeshadow it's a bit of a fiddle to apply and some glitter will end up on your cheeks. But once that's cleared away you're left with a sparkly eye that wears really well. Loverly. 

What have you been buying beauty wise?

Jess xx