Beauty HAUL - MAC, Clinique, Maybelline

       

Hi beauties

Boy have I missed blogging. My apologies for not posting in a while, I've been crazy busy with university, BUT I've done quiet a bit of shopping over the past few week so I've made it up to you because I have a 3 part haul series. This first haul will focus on all things beauty related.

NARS Eyeshadow in Ondine

I absolutely love NARS products, they're so luxurious and my friend recommended I purchase their eye shadow, specifically this colour. I have used it as you can tell and I absolutely love it, I'll be posting a review soon so keep an eye out for that.

Maybelline 24hr Color Tattoo in Inked Pink 55

I don't often use cream eye shadows but I just love the colour payoff with the 24hr Color Tattoos, they're very pigmented and fairly well priced. Maybelline has just come out with four new colours to add the the colour tattoo range because we are now in Spring here in Australia and I loved the look of this so I thought I'd give it a try.

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NC20
Now I don't own a lot of MAC products, but I was after a new concealer and I really wanted to try the Pro Longwear because I've heard almost every YouTube guru talk about it. I decided I'd just go out into store and buy it, even though it's pretty expensive it was one of those products I had to have!

Maybelline Color Whispers in Petal Rebel and Pink Possibilities

I know the Color Whispers have been out in stores in the USA for a while now however they're just been released in Australia so I had to have them. They have released some beautiful pink colours for summer and I like Maybelline's lipsticks because they're very hydrating soI thought I would change it up a bit and start wearing brighter colours for summer so they were a must have item!

Clinique All About Shadow for Eyes in Graphite and Daybreak **

Now Clinique is one of my favourite skincare brands and recently they got in touch with me and introduced me to some of their new Make-up launches, one of them been the All About Shadow for Eyes. They sent me these two colours last week and I have to say I'm very impressed with the pigment. I will have a blog post coming on them in the next week & a tutorial.

Lush Rehab Shampoo, Retread Conditioner, Snow Fairy Shower Gel and Cosmetic Warrior Fresh Face Mask.

I went a little crazy at Lush, to say the least. Normally when I go into their store I'm pretty good and I only purchase a face mask because they're my absolute favourite but I was after a new Shampoo/Conditioner and I've heard fabulous things about their products that I thought I'd give them a try and to add to it they have a Limited Edition Shower Gel that I had to purchase because It smells amazing. I hope their products are as good as I've heard because If they are, I'll be back doing more damage then I already have.

That's Part 1 of my haul series, the next one will feature all things Fashion. I'm excited for the next haul because It'll be my first ever fashion related post on here.

**Clinique products were sent to me, they were not purchased with my own money.

                                                          

REVIEW: Clinique Moisture Surge Intense

Hi beauties,

I thought I'd do a mini review of one of my holy grail skincare products, this moisturiser is absolutely amazing! I used to have very dry to dry skin and I can safely say that ever since I started using this product it has changed my skin forever, goodbye ugly dry patches!

As someone who has suffered with dry skin for years, I've tried every moisturiser you can think of, weather it was drug store or high end and I could never find the right one. I was at a Clinique counter at Myer over a month ago and decided I'd make a purchase from there because they were having a gift with purchase and you can't not buy anything, am I right?. 

I spoke to one of the girls at the counter and she recommended this moisturiser so I purchased it. What I love about this product is that it is 100% fragrance free which for me is the most important thing when it comes to a moisturiser. It's very soft on the skin, has no smell to it at all (which I prefer) and it is so ridiculously moisturising. I've never used a product that has moisturised my skin as well as the Moisture Surge.

I've used this moisturiser for over a month and it has helped hydrate my skin, like it is intended to do, I've never used a product like this. I will repurchase this for many years to come because it has done wonders for me. If you have issues with dry skin, I highly suggest giving this moisturiser a try, it'll change your life.

Have you tried the Moisture Surge before? What are your thought on Clinique? Comment down below if you have any recommendations for dry skin?

Dupe: NARS Oragasm

Hi beauties

I'm not much of a blush person, I prefer my bronzer's but I heard a lot of hype about the NARS Orgasm blush so I decided to purchase it. I always wanted something from NARS, I just love their packaging so when I made this purchase I was over the moon. A few weeks ago I was at Priceline and I found myself at the Models Prefer counter, I must say they are one of my favourite Australian Drugstore brands. I saw their blushes were on sale so I thought I would give them a try because the packaging reminds me of NYX and we can't get NYX in Australia and also they haven't disappointed me in previous purchases.

I hadn't used the Models Prefer blush till about two weeks after purchasing it and once I used it I was surprised at how similar it was to NARS Orgasm. As you can see from the photos above, especially the swatch on my hand Orgasm and Desk to Date are very similar, they obviously aren't identical. Desk to Date is a little more pigmented, it has less shimmer then Orgasm however the texture is almost identical.

I'm not good with applying blusher so I prefer the NARS over Models Prefer because it is less pigmented so when I use it I don't end up looking like a clown. I also prefer the packaging from NARS, it's very slim and fancy looking as oppose to Models Prefer. On that note however I don't mind the MP blusher and I think when I improve on my application skills with blush I will probably purchase the Desk to Date over Orgasm because it's more affordable especially in Australia.

There is an obvious price difference, NARS blushes can be purchased as MECCA Cosmetica in Australia for $45 or you can buy them for cheaper online, I brought mine on Kiss and Makeup NYC for $29, which is considerably cheaper. Models Prefer is sold exclusively to Priceline, so that is where you can purchase the product and the price for Date to Desk is $9.99.

Let me know your thoughts on this dupe? Have you tried Models Prefer? What are your thoughts? And do you have any good dupes for NARS Orgasm or any other high end products?

Skincare: Current Evening Routine

Hi beauties,

Today's post will be my last instalment of my skincare routine. I won't bore you too much and write about my skin and what issues I have with it, if you want to know about that have a read of my morning skin care routine because I mention it in that post. As promised here is my evening skincare routine.

Cleanser - Emma Hardie, Amazing Face Cleansing Balm

I absolutely love this product, I don't know where to start. I have three holy grail skincare products and this is definitely one of them. I purchased it on feelunique and it's absolutely amazing. It's such a great cleanser, I used it with a wash cloth, it's very smooth on the skin and it has helped smooth my skin immensely and give it that extra moisture that it needs. My skin was quite dry until I started using my current face products.

Clarins - Gentle Exfoliating Toner

I adore this toner because it's a two in one, it tones and exfoliated, bascially kills two birds with one stone. If you want to know more about this product go and read my morning skincare routine in my previous post. 

Clinique - Moisture Surge Intense, Skin Fortifying Hydrator

As I mentioned above I have three holy grail skincare products and this baby here is No.1 on my list. I was in Myer as the Clinique counter looking for a new moisturiser and I came across this amazing product. I asked the lady at the counter about it and she suggested it to me once I told her my skin issues, which you can read more about in my morning routine post. This has helped my skin get back the moisture that it needs, I find that my skin is no longer as dry as what it was, I would actually go as far as to say that it's now more combination then dry. If you have similar skin issues to me, I definitely suggest trying this moisturiser, you won't be disappointed.

Clinique - Repairwear Laser Focus, Wrinkle Correcting Eye Cream

I don't often use an eye-cream, truth be told I've only used one once before, but lately I've been noticing a bit of problems under the eye area and I've started using one just to prevent wrinkles in the near future. I haven't used a lot of eye creams, so I can't say that much about it except that I have noticed a small difference with slightly lesser wrinkles

Let me know if you've tried any of these products and your thoughts on them, I would love to know. If you have the same skin issues as me leave a comment down below and suggest some products that worked for you and maybe I can give them a try.

REVIEW: Covergirl Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Polish

Hi beauties

For today's post I will be reviewing the Covergirl Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Polish (WOW! that was a mouth full). I've never tried any Covergirl products and I'm not a big nail polish person but I was in Priceline a few days ago and I saw the nail polish range was on sale, so I decided to purchase it because the colour range caught my eye and the packaging was gorgeous.

I must say I'm very impressed, first of all the colour range is really good and the price range is fairly decent for Australia. It costs $6.95 full price, I purchased it for $2.95 on sale. To begin with, the colour pay off is amazing, especially the light colours, as you can see in the photo above. That was with two coats of polish and one top coat. That was a big A+ for me because normally for colours that light, I usually need to apply 3+ coats.

I was a little disappointed with the nail polish because it chipped really quickly, within two days, however I do find this to be the same with every nail polish unless it's shellac, so it must be my nails. Overall I'm very pleased with the product, Covergirl did a great job. All you nail polish freaks (God knows there a lot of you) should definitely try the range out if you already haven't. 

Skincare: Current Morning Routine

Hi beauties

Today's post will be all about skin! In the past month I've gradually been changing my skincare routine as we are pretty much out with winter in Australia and spring is just around the corner (hooooray!) With winter basically out of the way, cold days gone, I've started using a lot of gentle products on my skin and made my routine a lot simpler. This is part one of my two parts, this will feature my morning routine.

Overview

Before I tell you about what skincare products I use I'll give you a bit of background on my skin. I have dry to very dry skin (depending on the season) and my skin is quite sensitive. I break out more often then I would like. Please keep that in mind when you continue to read on because what works for me may not work for you, everyone's skin is different.

Cleanser - Origins, Never A Dull Moment

I've been using this cleanser for the past three months and I'm very satisfied with it. It's very gentle on my skin, it's smells amazing (I'm all about smell) and it does not break me out, which is the main thing for me. You can purchase this at Myer, as far as I'm aware that's the only store that stocks Origins in Australia.

Toner: Clarins Gentle Exfoliator and Brightening Toner

If you have sensitive skin then you need to invest in a exfoliating toner. I purchased this from Myer too, Myer just has everything. My skin is so sensitive, whenever I would exfoliate it would not only worsen my breakouts but it would be painful because every scrub I used was not as gentle as I needed it to be. So, thanks to Caroline Hirons , I decided to invest in this amazing product. Not only does this product work as a exfoliator but it tones my skin too. I absolutely love it, I can use it even if I have breakouts because it doesn't worsen them and it most definitely is not a painful process like it was when I was using a exfoliator on it's own. 

Serum: Hydraluron

I love this product! I was introduced to this product by Caroline and I have to say it's amazing. It very smoothing on the skin, it tightens it a little too and it's one of the only serums I've found to actually work. Thanks to Pixiwoo for having Caroline Hirons on their channel. This product has only recently made an appearance in Australia, you can purchase it at Priceline. I'm so pleased with Priceline, they're stepping up their game and stocking a lot of good products that can't be found in Australia.

Moisturiser: Clinique Moisture Surge - Extended Thirst Relief

OMG! That should say it all. This moisturiser is especially designed for people with dry to extra dry skin. This particular one is specifically designed for the morning. It is so hydrating, it has a very smooth texture to it and it's very soft on the skin, something us dry skin girls need. I absolutely love this moisturiser, it's very hydrating. If you have dry to extra dry skin I recommend giving this a try, you'll be amazed! Like the above two products, you can purchase Clinique at Myer or Terry White Chemist.

So that's my morning skincare routine, the products are listed in the order in which I use them. I'm very pleased with everything I use, it works well for me and hydrates my skin which is the most important thing, if you have dry skin you'll understand. The more hydrated your skin is the better your makeup looks on you. As you can see it's very simple, I only use four products, I try to use as little as possible during the warm weather.

REVIEW: Maybelline Mega Plush Volum Express Mascara

Hi beauties

I know I've been MIA for a while but work and uni have just been crazy. I have a little more time on my hands now so I though I better get back into posting regularly. For today's post I will be reviewing the Maybelline Mega Plush Volum Express Mascara. I've tried a lot of Maybelline products and I must say they are pretty good especially their foundations, blushes and the 24hr colour tattoo's (which I adore) however I've never been a fan of their mascaras. I've tried every mascara from maybelline that Priceline has in stock or has had in stock and I've always found myself to be disappointed with them.

Recently Priceline had 50% off Maybelline sale, normally this mascara retails for $19.95, I paid $9.97 for it. I thought I would stock up on some products and while I was at the shops I remembered my mum telling me that 'a mascara in a green bottle' (great description mum) is really good, she was very happy with it. I figured I'd purchase it since it was 50% off and if I didn't like it I would give it to mum since she did. I have to say I am very impressed!! The mascara gives my eyelashes great length, it's lightweight so it doesn't feel too cakey on my eyes and most of all it didn't smudge at all - AMAZEBALLS! I was a little disappointed though, the mascara has a lot of build up on it, every time I used it I have to wipe it with a tissue and that just wastes time, especially if I'm in a hurry.

Overall I'm very satisfied with the mascara and I highly recommend purchasing it, it's worth the money for sure. It gives great volume and length. It's one of the best Maybelline mascaras that I've tried by far.