Base Compare

Well, first things first. I have too many makeup bases. I didn't used to, in fact i'm not quite sure what happened.. I used to use one up then go buy another but now I hear something or see something talking about a shiny new foundation or a cult fav and somehow here it is... Well in  attempt to stop this I thought I would take the time to compare some of these for you and also try to control my own base-addiction so I won't be buying anymore until I finish at least 6 of these. I'll note how much has already been used in the post below too.

Foundations

So my collection of Foundations includes; Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum (bought start of this year), Bourjois Flower Perfection Foundation, Illamasqua Skin Base, L'Oreal Eau De Teint, NYX Matte but not Flat Foundation, Korres Vitamin Foundation, and Rimmel Stay Mate Foundation.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum - This have been my everyday foundation since the start of the year when I found it on special, it's a great match for me once it's buffed out even though on the swatch below it looks quite dark. I would repurchase this but probably wait till there was a sale again as it was good but not the amazing foundation that people had raved about.

Texture: Liquid 

Finish : Dewy

Opacity: Sheer, buildable

Wear: 6- 8 Hrs

Rebuy: Only on sale

Why I haven't finished it:  It's nearing on empty, maybe a month use left

Bourjois Flower Perfection Foundation - I got a sample of this once and it was so god damn amazing I went and bought the full product full price and then tried it at home and was...deeply disappointed, it was not the smooth flawless coverage from the sample. it was thick, heavy and cake-y and I hated it but never threw it away because I still hoped one day I would find that one thing that could make it work. I would take it out every few months and try again and no luck, until last week! I finally found the one way this can be applied and look amazing - a damp beauty blender! With it you can get a very covered look but it won't feel heavy or look like you have a face full of foundation on. Success!

Texture: Liquid 

Finish: Matte

Opacity: Very Heavy

Wear: 8- 12 Hrs

Rebuy: No, too difficult to work with

Why I haven't finished it: Stopped using it due to difficulty of use.

Illamasqua Skin Base - shade SB02 - I love this foundation, it's amazingly pigmented for very little product. It's very pale and a little hard to use  if i get a but of sunlight but that's not usually a concern. But the biggest problem is the packaging which is so hard that it's very difficult to actually get any product out as it's more cream then liquid. 

Texture: Cream 

Finish: Satin

Opacity: Medium

Wear: 5- 8 Hrs 

Rebuy: Yes, if the packaging was changed

Why I haven't finished it: I save it for special occasions and the packaging is hard to use on a daily basis

L'Oreal Eau De Teint - shade 120 Pure Ivory - I've been keeping an eye on the advertised space in Priceline for weeks and lucky me it showed up just the Priceline 40% off sale came around so I snatched it up. Been using it everyday since then and I'm very much in love, it's so light and feels like there is nothing on my face. It's so effortlessly easy to blend and feels lovley, soft , and smooth to the touch.

Texture: Super Liquid

Finish: Satin

Opacity: Sheer, buildable

Wear: 6-8 Hrs , wears away well

Rebuy: yes

Why I haven't finished it: I just bought it

NYX Matte but not Flat Foundation - 04 Creamy Neutral , I picked this up last November when NYX first arrived at my local Target. I wanted to like this as the color match for me was quite spectacular however it did something no other foundation or bb or cc or any other kind of base ever has - it found dry patches on my normal/oily skin. Madness!

Texture: Cream/Mousse

Finish: Matte

Opacity: Medium

Wear: 4- 6 Hrs 

Rebuy: No

Why I haven't finished it: It's the first and onyl foundation to ever cling to supposed dry bits on my screen so it doesn't look good. Might try the beauty blender on this.

Korres Vitamin Foundation - I got this is a special package along with a few Korres lip balms which are also awesome and for most of last year this was my go-to-foundation and was the one I picked to take with me to Melbourne. It's very good and long lasting foundation that is great at controlling shine and it's too bad that it's been discontinued as I do feel that it made my skin look better.

Texture: Cream 

Finish: Dewy

Opacity: Medium

Wear: 6- 8 Hrs 

Rebuy: Yes, but discontinued

Why I haven't finished it: I got new foundation (Illamasqua) that I was eager to try and this fell to the back of the drawer.

Rimmel Stay Mate Foundation - I picked this one up at the Priceline 40% off last November and it was probably a mistake since it's quite similar to the NYX Stay matte but not flat, it feels heavy and although the coverage is great I don't really feel comfortable in it. This one however does not stick to apparent dry patches like the NYX.

Texture: Mousse

Finish: Matte

Opacity: Medium/Heavy

Wear: 4 - 8 Hrs 

Rebuy: No

Why I haven't finished it: It turned out to be si thick and heavy it didn't feel comfortable on the skin, another one for the beauty blender.

BB & CC Creams 

This collection of Foundations includes; Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream, Ponds Flawless Whitening BB Cream, Nivea BB Cream, Garnier Oil Free BB Cream, Revlon Photoready BB Cream and the Watsons Collagen BB Cream.

Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream - I saw on this some blogs and various youtube channels and it seemed to get a lot of love, I got shade 33 which is a smidgen too dark and I have worn this twice since purchase because I fell in love with the L'Oreal Eau De Taint.

Texture: Liquid

Finish: Dewy

Opacity: Medium

Wear:  4-6 Hrs

Rebuy: probably not, it's nice but I still like my Ponds BB cream better.

Why I haven't finished it: Just bought it

Ponds Flawless Whitening BB Cream- This is my favorite bb cream as it's a great match, it's a little thicker and ashy like an asian bb cream but is so much more easily available. I've gone through 2 of these and will almost certainly repurchase it again and again.

Texture: Liquid/Cream 

Finish: Satin

Opacity: Medium, buildable

Wear: 8- 12 Hrs 

Rebuy: Yes, have before

Why I haven't finished it: This one has been in rotation between the Bourjois health mix and is almost finished, maybe a week or two left.

Nivea BB Cream - A gift from mum when she went to Poland hence the crazy unreadable text, and i love the smell of it as it has that comforting Nivea smell but oh gosh the color is so wrong, it might as well be bright orange!  I tried it on a stay at home day to see how it lasted and it did okay, the texture reminds me of the Dove tinted moisturizer I used to use as a teenager.

Texture: Cream 

Finish: Matte

Opacity: Medium

Wear: 4-6 Hrs

Rebuy: No

Why I haven't finished it: It's the wrong color, probably going to give this away.

Garnier Oil Free BB Cream - This was my first ever brand of bb creams, I used the regular before the oil control version came out and then switched over, it's cheap and works quite well. There is really nothing wrong with this bb cream but for my skin the Ponds bb cream is much better for basically the same price.

Texture: Liquid 

Finish: Dewy

Opacity: Sheer, buildable

Wear: 6- 8 Hrs 

Rebuy: No, have found better matches since but I have re bought it in the past and gone through at least 3.

Why I haven't finished it: Found better color matches and better lasting products.

Revlon Photoready BB Cream - This was largely a purchase made at the spur of the moment due to excitement at seeing a new BB cream (when i bought this there was maybe 3-4 or the maker, not like 30 that there are now) and I probably didn't need it but id recently finished another bb cream and obviously felt that there a gap of some sort. It's not horrible but it;s very sheer and doesn't control oil at all, so this would be amazing on someone with dry or normal skin and a good complexion. While my complexion is much improved since I was a teen my forehead can get a bit oily especially on hot summer days.

Texture: Cream 

Finish: Dewy

Opacity: Sheer

Wear: 4- 6 Hrs 

Rebuy: No

Why I haven't finished it: It's so sheer and hardly build-able and terrible at oil control so it fell to the back of the drawer.

Watsons Collagen BB Cream - Another present from mum, this one from Singapore and it;s amazing. Probably better then my Ponds bb cream but it is almost impossible for me to get, it's a better texture and coverage but does harden a little in cold weather and needs some heating in your hands but is perfect in summer. If it was easily available I would get this BB cream and no others.

Texture: Cream 

Finish: Satin

Opacity: Medium

Wear: 8- 12 Hrs 

Rebuy: Yes

Why I haven't finished it: I'm so close to finishing it, if i do it will be gone and I will never find it again. That makes me sad. Has maybe a month or so left in it.

Rainbow Tag

The Colours of the Rainbow Tag has been making its way around so, I thought I'd give it a go, and also it's my birthday today :) So a rainbow tag seemed wholly appropriate. Hope you are all having a great day too.

 Red:

Illamasqua Deamon eyeshadow - a gorgeous deep matte red. Goes on and stays smoothly  on for ages, an impulse buy from Illamasqua, one i am totally happy with and i love using it with the gold Maybelline eye tattoo/

Orange:

Korres Lip Butter in Mango, i had no idea what to do for orange until i looked through my photos. and duh! of course it would be this, my first ever Korres lip butter was a magical and wonderful experience and i always keep this in my makeup bag.

Yellow:

Lush Brazed Honey face mask, i don't get a lot of masks from Lush because of the time restriction but they always feel great and i haven't had a bad experience with any, but this one if probably my favorite, it's a great detox mask and a pretty reasonable ex foliation mask too.

Green:

A England St George nail polish, perhaps the greatest gem in my entire collection, and I'm not usually a fan of green, my photos of this nail polish don't even do it half justice. It has a depth of color that i have never seen in any other polish and it has a beautiful multicolor shine in sunlight.

Blue:

Lush's Calm liquid eyeliner, I no longer use this as much as i used to as it is approaching it's expiry date which i find terribly depressing because for the price i would like it to last longer but for a colored liner this is unparalleled by anything else i have tried, Great for a pop of color when your makeup is a bit drab.

Indigo:

Lush's Sweetie Pie shower jelly, is on this list because i had nothing else i really liked in this color, and the scent on this thing is absolutely amazing, i was a body spray in this scent. However as a soap it's not awesome and really hard to use, but if you put it in the fridge it's quote awesome for hot days.

Violet:

This was a no brainer, it's right in the name Mac's Star Violet, my lust product for the longest time i love it still, it's a beautiful color perfect for lid or transition colors and even though it looks a bit red in this photo it does lean more toward a violet plum. Looks great paired with bad to the bronze eye tattoo.

Pink:

There was alot of contenders for the pink section, but my most loved and missed shower gel from Lush, called Rose Jam is a missing part of my heart. It was gorgeous, it was love at first scent and it was limited edition. I pray this comes back, it smells like the condition cream Ro's Argan Body Conditioner.

Multicolored:

My Maybelline eye tattoo collection has grown significantly since i bought tenacious teal on a whim, these are great bases or their own eye shadows. Although the formula has a bit of variation I'm still quite fond of the colors i have and would happily purchase some of the other colors out there, assuming Australia ever gets them. My top 3 would be bad to the bronze, tough as taupe, and pomegranate punk.

FOTD: I like my new eyeshadows

My 2nd FOTD! yay, since everyone was so encouraging the first time around i wanted to do another of these posts, in addition i just wrote up my pre-birthday haul post and really wanted to try it all, i think it turned out pretty well.

Products Used:

face:

Illamasqua Hydra Veil

Illamasqua skin base foundation in 02

Illamasqua Hollow pigment (contour)

Illamasqua Rude cream blush

Korres Wild Rose concealer in WRC3

Rimmel Stay Matte translucent powder in 01

eyes:

MAC Rubenesque paint pot (base an inner lid shadow)

L'Oreal Infallible in Naughty Strawberry (outer lid)

MUA Dusk till Dawn dark purple shade (crease)

Essence Long lasting Eyeliner pen (black) (top lid liner)

Urban Decay Bootycall (brow highlight)

Urban Decay Blackout (top lid, inner line)

MUA intense color eyeliner in snow white (highlight at eye corner)

Maybelline The Falsies black mascara (top lashes)

L'Oreal telescopic (bottom lashes, the brush is easier for small lashes)

brows:

Models Perfer retractable brown pencil in medium

lips:

Maybelline 445 On the Mauve (base)

NYX soft matte lip cream in Antwerp (layer on top)

Travel Supplies

So i haven't really traveled much since getting into the whole makeup thing so i thought it might be fun to share the stuff that i decided to take along with me, what i thought counted as essentials for my time away.

So here is the list of what i packed:

Base

x MUA Matte Perfect Primer

x Korres Ginger & Vitamin Foundation

x Garnier Oil free BB cream

x Ben Nye Luxury Powder in Cameo

x Essence Breaking Dawn Shimmering Powder

Eyes

x Naked 2 Pallet (essential neutral eyeshadow for any occasion)
x Maybelline Eye Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze
x MAC Star Violet eyeshadow
x Models Perfef Eyebrow Pencil in medium
x Essence Long Lasting eye pencil in teal
x Essence Long Lasting eye pencil in brown
x Maybelline "The Falsies" waterproof mascara
x Napoleon Perdis mascara (don't which one because the name has faded away)
x Face of Australia black gel eyeliner

Lips
x Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stains in Honey and Crush
x Australis Long Lasting Lipstick in Foxtrot and Oogie Boogie
x Korres mango lip butter

Blush
x NARS Blush in Deep Throat
x Illamasqua blush in Rude

Brushes
x Real Techniques Duo Fiber Blending brush
x Real Techniques Blush Brush
x Real Techniques Buffing Brush
x Real Techniques Blending Brush
x Eco Tools eyeshadow brush
x Urban Decay double sided Naked 2 brush

Lush

x Godiva Shampoo Bar

x Fresh Farmacy cleansing bar

x Godmother soap

x Butterball bath bomb

Other

x Moo Goo Full Cream moisturizer

x Swisspers cleansing wipes

x Paw Paw ointment

x Antispeptic cream

x Bandaids

That seems like a huge list having typed it up but I'm pretty confident that everything there will be useful, if not I'll do an updated post with what was most useful and what wasn't useful at all. What beauty stuff do you pack when your going away?

My first FOTD! uh-oh

Hmm i kind of really didn't want to do this, all in all i don't like posting pictures of my face on here as much as i can help it. But i wanted to be a little braver and i was quite happy with how this look came out and I've been trying a few different things over the past few days so why not be a bit brave and share. 

My idea behind this looks was an autumn/winter but still natural kind of feel. 

Hmm not sure what my hair is do up there, weird sort of whirly thing.

Products used:

MooGoo Full Cream Moisturizer (base)

Korres Ginger & Vitamins Foundation (LF1) spf 10

Korres Concealer (WRC3)

Korres Eyeshadow (White 02) as a brow highlighter

Face of Australia budge proof gel liner in brown

Essence - All about Matt compact setting powder 

Essence brow kit (dark brown shade) to fill in my brows

Urban Decay - Naked 2 eyeshadow (Snakebite) (YDK)

Illamasqua Cream Blush (Rude)

Australis Lipstick (Foxtrot)

hmm i just realized i forgot to use mascara....my bad

Anyhow i think it turned out well, next time i will probably spend a little more time on my brows and blend the eyeshadow more on the right (stage right) eye. In that respect taking these photos is actually quite useful in that i see things i didn;t notice or didn;t pay attention to on my face/mirror. Live and Learn.

A Touch of Black Magic

This here is the rest of my Strawberry Net order, and an order id almost given up hope for; my black magic soap order that i made back in July finally turned up.

So here is the stuff:

(from Strawberry Net)

Ultraflesh, Perfect Pinks mini lipstick set;

Not sure why but this part of the order was beautifully gift wrapped; at least the lipstick set and the Korres in iridescent pink wrapping paper. Not sure what i did to deserve that but thank you Strawberry net.

Ultraflesh, black magic eye set; contains 6 lipsticks in smalls size; there are three shades and each comes in a matte and sheer type. The mac and lip butter are in the photo for a size comparison. (This pack also comes in red shades)

This is so cool; it was a freebie too due to the fact i ordered using their mobile site. This travel set is pretty awesome; it's like a swiss army knife of makeup; the top layer has a black matte eyeshadow and a shimmery black eyeshadow with gold glitter. The second layer has a gel eyeliner in black and a brush for application, and the third layer has two mascaras.

Korres Lip Butter in Quince;

I don't know what "Quince" is but i love the color, the texture on this one appears a bit thicker then on the wild rose or mango version. Has anyone else found this to be the case?

(from One Hand Washes the Other)

Everything here was packadged in such a lovely way; perfectly wrapped. Included a handwritten thank you, a wax sealed (wax sealed!) evvalope with my invoice and a whole pile of stickers plus a candy.

Large Size Black Magic Soap Bar;

I suspect this will be somewhat simmiliar to my HG facial cleanser Lush's Fresh Farmacy so I'm pretty keen to have a go at this as it's gotten awesome reviews from everything i have found. 

perfume samples;

in Honey Crisp & Jack in  Black and two solid perfume sample in Vanilla and Tea Rose Mimosa

(i should point out that i only ordered one of these sample (the honey crisp) and the rest were freebies included in my order, i suspect this may be due to their current 18-20 day turn over) but still awesome. Makes the month+ wait a little less painful.

Let me know if you have a review preference :)
Enjoy your weekend

Korres & Strawberries

Not really a haul and not really a review; a little of both i guess. All thanks to the awesome strawberry net and their (still going, still tempting) free shipping deal.

Since i got that mango lip butter for my birthday I've been quite interested in Korres, but again they are so very expensive here for a brand that isn't really high end but not really drugstore either. Thus i didn't wasn't to buy anything at KIT or at Myer but still wanted to try some more stuff, as well as add to my lip butter stash. So Strawberry net;s free shipping gave me the best excuse to try some stuff. Since i wasn't sure what i wanted i got this pack; Wild Rose Triple Benefits Color Collection (Limited Edition) found here.

The pack contains;
1 x Wild Rose 24 Hour Moisturising & Brightening Cream (For Normal & Dry Skin) 2ml/0.07oz
1 x Wild Rose Instant Brightening & Illuminating Mask 4ml/0.13oz
1 x Wild Rose Brightening High Coverage Concealer - # WRC3 (Beige) 1.5ml/0.05oz
1 x Wild Rose Brightening & Long Lasting Foundation - # WRF3 2ml/0.07oz
1 x Wild Rose Sheer Lip Butter - # Red 6g/0.21oz
1 x Sunflower & Evening Primrose Eye Shadow - # 10S White 1.8g/0.06oz
1 x Cosmetic Bag

I felt this was a good try all pack since it comes with a bit of everything including a full size lip butter and full size concealer, plus cosmetic bag which is so pretty.

Here's a closer look at the stuff in the boxes;

Wild Rose is a bit more dark then the mango version and much more on the red toned edge where as mango was more orange, i like them both. This one feels just as nice and seems to have the same lip softening effect as the other. Plus it smells quite nice (still like the mango scent better though).

The concealer was a big reason for why i choose this pack over the other one i was spying; I've been after a new concealer for a few weeks now but nothing really appealed to me so this was a good chance to try something new. Also smells lovely. Haven't tested it out properly run so this will likely be a review later in the month.

This small eyeshadow is super cute, it looks like a little chocolate square and the color is a white slightly silvery color that makes my boyfriend think of "mithril" (aka lord of the rings). Looks like a good highlight or inner corner color and a great test for the brand.

The other items were a sample of their foundation, wild rose brightening cream and a wild rose mask. Looking forward to testing these, the mask and foundation in particular.

Plus since it was my first time buying from them i got the mini Stilla eyebrow pencil.

(Seriously tiny, smaller then my little finger)

If their free shipping is still going in two weeks i might break down and get one of these; 

Have you tried Korres?

Most Reached for August

These items will probably not be a surprise to anyone who has kept even a passing watch on this blog this month, as 4/6 of these got a review this month. I like that actually, i feel like I'm on top of things. So following are the items i reached for most this month;

Korres Mango Lip Butter: Reviewed Here This gives me ultra soft lips and i this, more then anything else has convinced me that lip balms actually serve a purpose. I would buy these again, in fact i have the wild rose version on it;s way to me now (Thank you free shipping strawberry net). There hasn't been a day since i got this that i have not used it at least once a day, usually more.

Haus of Gloi Bubbling Scrub in Satyr: Reviewed Here Love the smell but i especially love the consistency,  this is the perfect amount of exfoliation for me without leaving behind any graininess (yay bubbles). The scent is great and very friendly, the product seems to last a good deal longer then i expected and i am happy to try more of these, as well as other Haus of Gloi products.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stain: Reviewed Here I love this due to the long lasting color, especially the stain which means it's no big deal if i forget to reapply my lipstick. I use this everyday sometimes on it;s own or under a different color and then i have a nice fading effect during the day. I don't love the dryness this causes to my lips which might explain lip balms showing up in my repertoire.

Emotional Brilliance Sophisticated Eyeshadow: Reviewed Here The easiest most long lasting eyeshadow i own, the application is a breeze and cuts down morning makeup by a good deal of time. It lasts hours upon hours, probably up to 18 hour with little to no wear and it's a beautiful color to boot.

Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Oil: Since i started dying my hair with the bright pink my scalp seems to have gone very very dry and this is the best way that i have found to deal with that; even just a small amount mixed into my conditioner or directly on the head works wonders and the next day i have no issue with itching or anything ekse that dry scalp can cause. I worried that it might be a bit harsh and too strong but i have had no ill effects and i would totally recommend it if you have similar issues.

Lastly my now almost empty A'kin Pure Radiance Rosehip Oil, this was used literally everyday (well evening technically) and being new to the world of beauty products i have started experimenting with different moisturizers to see what works for me and im totoally sold on this; it applies smoothly and seems to have real results when it comes to my skin feeling hydrated and healthy the next morning. I'm not 100% on the smell so i will look at some different varieties when this one finished any day now.

My (Current) Top Three Lipbalms

Until the past few weeks i was never a lip balm person, i didn't really see the point; not much color pay off and it lasts maybe a minute, give me a lipstick or a stain anytime. Incidentally i have a similar issue with lip gloss but we can tackle that another day.

My transition from a no lip balm person to a person who can name the top three that i want to use has been subtle; in the course of perusing various makeup blogs and videos i learned that it's a good idea to apply it before lipsticks and things to smooth out your lips. (who knew?) so i bought one and wasn't too impressed.

But i did not give up, i continued to search around for something that might suit me, after all lip balms for the most part aren't a huge expense so some experimentations is easily done. It took a few weeks of trail and error (mostly error) until i found one that worked for me, found it by accident to be honest with you.

I bought a double pack of the Maybeline baby lip balms (i find them okay but nothing special, not our Australia version anyway. Can't speak about the other US version that admittedly looks much better) and received as a free bonus a Blistex Banana and Berry Shake limited edition lip balm. Wow. This thing smells absolutely amazing, i just want to start eating it. Plus it's SPF 25 (25!)

#3 Blistex Banana & Berry Shake

I like this one more then others i have tried because

a) the smell (it's quite strong so not for the faint of heart) and b) it does not leave a greasy or waxy feeling 

c) it does not leave a layer of film behind when it dries and lastly

d) it's SPF 25 which is amazing on it's own.

Sadly it seems to have been a limited edition but i will try other Blistex products and see how they compare.

#2 Nivea Pure and Natural Milk and honey

I love milk and honey and when i saw this pop up on a few blogs i knew i had to go and try it; it did not disappoint. It's a heavier balm then the Blistex and much lighter in fragrance but it feels like it gives great for the lips, especially for use at bed time. It's a soft honey flower scent more then actual honey but it;s still quite soft and comforting. It feels very rich and moisturizing, it does leave a slightly waxy feeling behind but it's got a lot of slip and so it doesn't bother me at all.

#1 Korres Lip Butter in Mango

This is probably not a surprise to a lot of people; but this product is crazy good at one thing, not even something i had seen mentioned when i looked at other reviews; this product makes your lips soft. I mean amazingly almost freakishly soft, it doesn't last a huge amount of time on the lips and the color is nice but doesn't last long enough to have a great impact but who cares when it makes your lips so damn soft. I can almost understand the price tag these things get ($16.00 at Myer or KIT Cosmetics). Now to find a cheaper seller of these. It's very light and smells amazing also. The tub is quite cute too.

So that's my current top three; I've recently put an order in to Haus of Gloi for some of their lip balms and have high hopes. I will let you know :)

What's your favorite lip balm?