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?
I recently ordered two new brushes from iHerb and it got me thinking that i had never shared my favorite brushes with you, most of the makeup i show off on this blog wouldn't go anywhere with out these my favorite brushes;
1. Lust Have It Kabuki Brush
This arrived in a Lust Have It box maybe two or three months ago and it instantly replaced my older Chi Chi kabuki brush and this is probably my most used brush next to the Blush brush. It's eco-friendly and like all of these its a synthetic brush. I find it does a great job of buffing in my face powder which is its main purpose in my arsenal.
2. Real Techniques Enhanced, Shading Brush
I love this brush for blending out eyeshadow on my crease, i have a few similar brushes but i like this one the best as it is the softest one and doesn't require a lot of effort to make ti do it it's thing.
3. Eco Tools Angled Eyeliner Brush
I like using this brush for my powder eyeliner but more commonly i use this for filling in my eyebrows. Among my two other angled brushes this one is the best width and the individual hairs don't tend to bend as much as the others so it's stiffness is a real plus.
4. Models Prefer Smudge Brush
I picked this one up recently to get the Priceline Makeup Bag and i have come to like it alot, it's stiff but not so much that it hurts, it's great for blending eyeshadow or eyeliner.
5. Real Techniques Perfect Blush Brush
I bought this because it is so incredibly soft, i have a lovely Eco Tools blush brush that lies abandoned since i got this. it's nicely tapered so i feel like
6. Real Techniques Perfected Stippling Brush
I bought this on iHerb because it (like the other RT brushes) are stupid expensive and its main purpose is dealing with liquids; as in liquid foundation or bb cream if i don't feel like using my hands or for cream blushers. It's quite good and gives me a very nice and even coverage.
7. Chi Chi Double Sided Eyeshadow Brush
This one i picked up probably about a year ago when i desperately needed new makeup brushes after i first started getting back into my makeup and for actually placing eye shadows i find this to be very good. It picks up both powders and creams easily and can be used for both patting the eyeshadow on or blending it onto the lid. I like that it's double sided as it means i don't have to go rummaging for a second brush if im just doing a two color eyeshadow look and it's flat edge makes it good for multiple uses including eyeliner, eyebrows, applying concealer and even as a lip brush.
8. Eco Tools Bronzer Brush
This one i bought got for my birthday last year when i was staring out with bronzer and although i still feel like it's not really my thing a lot of the time, this brush helps alot and i love the feeling and heft of it. Not a subtle one.
So those are my go to brushes which i use basically everyday and i really like and would recommend all of them, though i have to say the sheer softness of the RT brushes probably makes them my favorite and i hope they bring out some more, especially a lip brush would be nice or a domed rather then angles kabuki. What are your favorite brushes? Post a comment below :)
It's been a while since I did a haul post but I know a lot of people have been curious about the current Beauty Bag that went on sale today at Priceline, so I though I would do a bit of a haul post as well as list some of the items included so people can make a better choice if they want to pick it up.
Now the deal is that you spend $60 on selected brands, in this case Rimmel, Revlon, Models Prefer, Nude, Manicare, Burjois, Kiss, Natio, Australis, EcoTools, Sally Hansen and Savvy. Not the biggest range but decent, especially if you have a few things you might need to pick up anyway. In return you will receive a bag full of stuff worth $220 (supposedly) in value, almost entirely consisting of full size items from those ranges themselves.
So let me note that when I pick up the Priceline beauty bag, for the past 3 years (I picked up the skincare beauty bag before I was ever really "into" makeup) I usually split it with a friend or in this case my mum. We have both similar tastes but different needs so it's fairly easy to split it up between us and means no one goes home with something they really don't like. For this reason not all the items from the bag will appear in the photos because mum already took them home, but I will list them anyway.
I also want to point out that at the moment Priceline has a lot of sales specifically on Revlon, Rimmel , Nivea and Burjois. (The Burjois lipsticks which are usually $21 are currently all $10)
So, to qualify for the $60 buy in, mum and I purchased the following items;
I always enjoy seeing how other people deal with storing/handling their makeup stash, therefore since i have recently reached what i feel might be the zenith of what one of my drawers can hold it seemed like a good time to share.
My makeup used to fit into my side of the bathroom cabinet but shortly before i started blogging my collection was...overflowing into my boyfriends side of things, so after doing a bit of research i picked up a clear plastic set of drawers from Officeworks, i believe it cost around $20 and also came in white.
So the first drawer contains my eyeshadows and blushes. The ones visible here are;
Essence Cream Blushes (2) | Burjois Blushes (2) | Essence Powder Blushes (1) | NARS blush (1) | BD Blush (1) | Revlon Eyeshadow Set (1) | Prestige Eyeshadow Set (2) | Chi Chi Eyeshadow Pigments (1)
There is also a Australis red eyeshadows set underneath the Revlon.
Second drawer is for all things lipsticks, lipgloss, lipliner, eyeliners, mascaras and those sorts of things. The lipsticks that live here are ones that are currently out of my main rotation or are too dark or too something for everyday wear. Here is what we can see;
Drawer 3 is th one that I'm looking to change up, my house and bathroom is quite tiny so I've been trying to think up a better way to store these. For now however my brushes and random nick-nacks live here.
Here we have
Real Techniques Blush Brush (1) | Eco Tools Brushes (6) | Chi Chi Brushes (2) | Random Unknown Brushes (4) | Burjois Puff (1) Essence Eyebrow kit (1) | Essence Gel Eyeliner (1) | Korres Eyeshadow (1) | Essence eyebrow brush (1) | Ecotools Brush Travel bag (1)
Lastly we have th Foundation and Powder drawer that also takes whatever is too weird a size for the other drawers.
Lush Emotional Brilliance Collection (8) | Chi Chi Translucent Powder (1) | Essence Concealer (1) | Burjois concealer (1) | Physician's Formula Face Powder (3) | Chi Chi Kabuki Brush (1) | Foundation Sponge (1) | Revlon Powder (1) | Garnier BB Cream (2) | Covergirl Blush (1) |Burjois Flower Foundation (1) | Watsons BB Cream (1) | Essence Eyeshadow Set (1) | Essence Eyeshadow pigments (2) | Burjois Primer (1) | BD Primer (1)
Annnnnnd..... last but not least is my main lipstick stand and my lip balms next to the case. The one i currently use the most; Lancome Rose Defile, Revlon Soft Rose, Lipstick Queen Medieval, NYX Saturn and Tea rose, Mac Creme de la Femme, Rimmel 21, and two random Revlon colors in caramel and plum.
The lip balms sitting there are Haus if Gloi Spun Sugar and Korres Quince and Wild Rose.
So that's most of my stuff, there are other bits and pieces that float around the house, lip balms especially and a few other favorites in my purse/makeup bag. S
o if you see anything you wanna know more about drop a comment, or if you have another cool storage post/video i would love to see it!
Hmm i really should have expected that my next post would be a haul what with the birthday and stuff; still two hauls in a row makes me feel much richer then i actually am. ^^
However as all of these things were birthday presents from various friends and family and my wonderful boyfriend i am extremely grateful and feel very lucky to be the recipient of so much love and affection. Thank You.
So the only reason I'm showing these off is because they will all be reviewed (in the fullness of time) so consider this a little preview i suppose.
So here is the haul:
Essence "Ready for Boarding" Nail polish Set in 01 sending you kisses, 02 beauty on tour, 03 exits on your right, 04 via airmail! and 05 destination sunshine.
Essence "Ready for Boarding" Peel Off Base Coat in 01 carry me home
Essence "Ready for Boarding" Eyeshadow Palette in 01 beauty on tour
Essence "Ready for Boarding" 2in1 kajal pencil in 02 via airmail
Essence "Ready for Boarding" Lip and Cheek Cream in 02 beauty on tour
Essence Clear Eyelash and Brow Gel
I had the option to get the cosmetics bag too but it felt kind of flimsy despite being ultra cute, so i opted out, i have so many from Lust Have it now anyway.
Burjois Blush in Lune D'or (the NARS Orgasm dupe which btw, turns out it's not too shiny for me) Speaking of which, there is currently a 10% off voucher on their website right here which can be used in stores at Priceline
Rimmel Sun Shimmer Maxi Bronzer in 001 Sun Kiss ( i was lured by the pretty shimmery waves, they disappeared after one use)
Korres Lip Butter in Mango (so in love with this, unexpected)
OPI in Pirouette My Whistle
ecotools Bronzer Brush (this thing is amazing)
Real Techniques Blush Brush (this is possible the softest thing i have ever touched)
Australis Intense Eyeshadow Palette in "You Beauty"
Lush "It's Raining Men" Shower Gel (the liquid version of their Honey, I Washed the Kids soap)
and last but oh so totally- not-least are also from Lush, from their Emotional Brilliance Line (first looked at here) and they are; Success (silver eyeliner), Calm (blue eyeliner), Sophisticated (taupe/bronze/pink eyeshadow) and Perspective (a taupe/pink lipcream).
All in all it was an awesome day topped off with Waffles at the Pancake house (mmmmm), so next post up later this week will be about the Revlon Lip Stains and after that it's anyone's guess, but if you have a preference for anything that you see in this post just give a shout.
I was not too sure if i should do the traditional Monthly favorites, but after considering it i don't really think that's the right name. Especially since my favorites don't change that quickly but i do like to try different things when a product ends so i figured i would rename it a little. So here are the products i reached for the most last month:
Garnier BB Cream: (In Light) : I like to use a light "foundation", and so i don't often use my heavier foundations, and day to day this is my most reached for product, it's easy and does an awesome job of evening out my skin without making it look like a mask.
Physician's Formula Face Powder: (also in Light) This is usually my second step, i like to make sure my foundation doesn't move around and since my skin is a little bit on the oily side i feel much more comfortable with this on as well, it's pretty good but maybe a touch too yellow for me so after it's done I'll probably try another face powder.
Eco Tools Blush Brush: Bought at the start of the month this has since replaced my old yucky spiky blush brush and i can't believe i ever thought it was any good, this thing is a dream of cloudy pillow-y softness and i never want to go back.
Burjois Flower Perfection Primer: I usually forget about primer but it's sometimes necessary just under my eyes and this is the one i reach for most; it's a silicon based primer and feels incredibly soft and works well for my needs. It works well with the Garnier BB cream but works like a dream with it's matching Burjois Flower Perfection foundation which is a little too heavy for daily wear for me.
Maybelline Eye Studio Color 24hr Tattoo: (Pomegranate Punk) I fell in love with this shade via this post and it's been my go to almost every single day since i got it, and it's prompted me to a be a little more creative with my color choice for eye make up too.
Face of Australia Lip Crayon: (In Sundae): I got the three pack along with every other Australian blogger (so it seems) but never reviewed it because i gave the bubblegum pink shade away to mum. I really like it as an everyday wear lippy. For me it's totally the longed for "my lips but better". I love the faint vanilla smell and it goes on super smooth. Until the Revlon Lip Stain crayons arrive this is my go to color and i highly recommend it. If you can still find it, it appears to be a limited edition set. Mine however may be cursed as before i reorganized my makeup it fell onto the floor about 5 times and the lid is cracked on the other side. It was weird because it was the only thing that would fall out.
Plus a non-makeup item: a little present from my boyfriend and my brand new wallet featuring the so-lovable Yoshi. It's super cute, along with my pink hair and non standard wallet i now feel very un-boring and funky. A change is as good as a holiday right?
Firstly i need to start with a thank you to my dear boyfriend who was a complete champion about driving almost two hours to Cannigton as until next week they seemed to have the only Priceline carrying the two new (to Australia) Essence collections; Season of Extremes and 50's Girls Reloaded and i couldn't wait that long. But as you can see i only got one of the lipsticks so i might need to keep an eye out next week. So Thank You!!!!
So as far as i can tell the collection came out Tue/Wed , and i went in on Thursday an already almost half the stock was gone, and it's a trend edition so they won't usually be getting any more in. Blah!
Back to the fun stuff;
Probably the most exciting part of this for me the 50's Girl's Reloaded stuff!
The colors maybe aren't that exciting but i was sold by the awesome retro design and just the fact i have seen nothing like this...ever. The pretties i got are;
"03 come on board captain" eyeshadow (almost perfect match to the two nail polishes) a brave step for me, my eyeshadow preferences have (since getting into this whole makeup-pretty-thing) has leaned towards safe neutral colors - brows, creams, coppers, and the occasional gray.
So a bright navy blue is a big step for me. Also not completely sure how to do these colors together but im sure the result will be good...or hilarious. It's pretty nice and sturdy, plastic case with a nice big mirror in the compact but no brush so not really sure how good that is, i guess you can just open it at dinner and admire yourself if the conversation gets dull?
The lipstick is and the red nailpolish are "01/02 Back to the 50’s"
These are basically the 50's bombshell colors; they are pretty stunning vivid bright and just scream at you to put them on. I did kind of want the other lipstick more so I'm a little afraid of the brightness on this thing; scared of clownface-ness. But they look so pretty it might just help me overcome my fear.
The red nail polish is pretty sexy, it's in the realm of your basic standard every woman red but it's certainly got a lot more pop to stand out, so although red nails are a little traditional I'm quite looking forward to trying this out. (For the record i have only ever worn red/red nail polish once before in my life).
The other two nail polishes are "03 I’m a marine girl", and "04 love me tender". Marine girl is a very deep blue with a hint of shimmer but nothing that's going to blind passersby. It goes on very smoothly, the brush is a little long for my liking but it worked okay. It was a thick one coater for me and seems to be holding on pretty tight, no chipping yet. (Btw the purple-y stuff on my ring finger is from the extremes collection down the bottom of this post)
"04 love me tender" is an interesting color; judging by the bottle it is somewhere between silver and gold, a kind of champaign kind of color which i can't wait to try, maybe once i finish writing this I'll swap them over. I'll post back later with a pic, hopefully it doesn't lean too far silver.
Tha's it so far for the 50's collection, till i can get that other lipstick and do some swatches, maybe?
I didn't go quite as crazy with the Extremes collection, mostly because i had very similar colors already and was already spending way too much money there. The whole collection was separated into pastels and brights and judging from what i got i was leaning more towards brights that day.
These ones are in photo order; "02 Brightsmates", "03 We are all bright" and "04 just the nude of us" and at $5.50 these were individually more expensive then anything from the other collection and this is actually a little pricey for Essence.
Looking forward to trying the taupe/nude color as i have nothing even vaguely similar. My other issue however is something i realized when i got home; i don't quite know how to store these? They don;t fit in my nail polish box and fall over if i put them in the fridge with my higher end polishes??? Help?
This was a .... not greatly thoguht out purchase but it was cheap ($2.95) and the color was visible halfway across the store it calls itself "Tickled Pink" but if it was up to me it would be renamed "Fuck off Pink". I have a couple of neons i've picked up recently but it's been too dark and cold and rainy for them, so this one might have to wait for warmer weather but right now it blinds me every time i look in the nail polish box. Never tried this brand so don't really have a lot of thoughts about it yet, might do some research and see what other people think.
Last but certainly not least this time is my pretty new Blush Brush (and friends)
Although i was originally tempted by the angled blush brush i saw this and had to have it, it was only $5 more then th angled brush i was holding in my hand at the time and i was staring at them both going ummm and ohh when my boyfriend pointed out that a) the ecotools were a much better deal and b) the brushes were much much softer. So ecotools won.
Now here is somehting that never occured to me when reading blogs, until i was actually writing one (now); i wanted to take out the brushes and play with them as soon as i got home; but it was already dark and i wanted to take a nice unopened picture to post here. So i had to wait till this morning as i don;t have a lightbox or any space for one. That was a weird experience but something to keep in mind.
I'm quite excited about this brush; as it's replacing a fairly awful brush from a brand called "Miss Makeup" that i bought when i was 16 and my google-ing now tells me either no longer exists or never existed and the brushes i have from the brand traveled to me via wormhole from the universe of terrible brushes.
I look forward to a much less painful makeup routine in the morning, now that i think about it this terrible brush might have been responsible for some of my breakouts in years past as it is very prickly and irritating on the face. Oh what a fool i was to put up with it for so many years!
So now off to play....or rather make raster images for my dads company :(
OH! almost forgot, this may of no interest to anyone but me but on the off chance theres a history/geek girl out there who wants a shiny new game to play i have recently come across "Crusader King;s 2" from face value a standard rts like game about ruling Europe (and who doesn't enjoy that) in the early middle ages, the fun lies in the fact that most of the game is played through interacting with your court and family;
I played for a few hours last night and my firstborn daughter and heir turned out to have the traits "homosexual", "ambitious" and "arbitrary" and then proceeded to try usurp my crown. Now why is this interesting you might ask? Because there's a Game of Thrones mod. As in you can play one of the houses; Starks, Lannisters etc
Plus the game has absolutely hilarious ads;
(There are eight of these ads, one for each sin plus an extra one about piracy)
