Beauty Favourites of 2013

Hi All! Happy 2014 and also it's my first post on this blog - this year! Hurrah! It's been a while and to be honest I've been lazy with blogging - so I'm gonna try and keep up since I do have some spare time right now.

Anyways... this will be a quick and sweet post! I've complied a bunch of beauty products in which I deemed to be my beauty favourites of 2013. I've seen many other bloggers who have done this post or in a video form, so... I thought I'd share my own version!

Summer Favourites

Yes, it's summer! And I've been waiting all year for summer... despite the fact that I'm kind of missing the winter chill but nevertheless, this means.. trips to the beach, endless days of sunshine (of course!), ice cold drinks and most importantly slapping on that sunscreen!

So... since summer in Sydney is getting pretty humid and sticky. Make up wise, I've been keeping it minimal and natural.. as usual! Here are a few things I use / carry along with me on the regular.

The Basic Lazy Face (Winter Routine)

Hi guys! I've been busy (as usual) so that's why I haven't been posting! Right now I'm free from the horrid exams, yay!

Also, I'll be heading to Melbourne next Wednesday so my blog will be quiet... not that it hasn't been quiet for a while!

Anyways... onto the post! Ever since Uni started for me this semester, I've been lazier at applying my make up (surprising? Yeah I know.) I haven't been putting that much effort into applying my blush, bronzer, lipstick etc. unless I have time and that I'm really bothered and by bothered if there's photos bound to be taken I'll probably put in that extra effort.

For those who know me, I try to keep my makeup as natural as possible, you'll never see me with a smokey eye or anything dramatic because...... let's face it... I'm not that spontaneous enough to wear it though I'm kind of a make up noob when it comes to looks!

Now a days it's just face and eyeliner and that's it! Oh and the brows too. I remember last year I put a bit of time and effort whilst getting ready but... 'nobody got time for that! Especially for the busy person I am now. (Or correction, lazy)

Anyways, since it's winter my face tends to get a little drier and I've been using a variety of BB creams and Tinted Moisturisers to allow some moisturisation for my face.

Today I'm just gonna show you some products that I've been reaching out for lately for my easy peezy lazy natural/flawless face look. (No self shots apparently but just images of products that I've been reaching out!)

I've been trying out this new Australis Matte Out Face Base* and I love how I can apply this on my T Zone and not have it getting all oily. I always tend to get an oily T Zone throughout the day and I love how it mattifies the T-Zone. This product swatches clear, so no - you would have purple streaks on your face nor do you have to blend it out! Staying power is mediocre though, I can get through a day but the oil control is quite excellent. It reminds me of those foundation sticks but it's in purple and has this floral scent. 

Rimmel BB Cream 9 in 1 - Not my favourite but I like how it has a primer already in it's formula and along other moisturising properties and goodness. This is a huge lazy face essential - just apply it and if you like, set it with powder! I would use this on days where I have work or just need some evenness on my face in a flash. If it's a special occasion like a party, outing or where I need my make up to last - I'll use my Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation (in which I should blog about real soon!)

In my case, I use MAC Mineralise Skinfinish in Medium to set my make up. But before that, I like to conceal any redness or blemishes with the Benefit's Some Kind-a gorgeous Foundation (in a Mini) in Medium which provides me with that natural flawless look. It's quick and easy. 

For the lips I use the Korres Lip Butter in Mango and I LOVE this stuff. It's so moisturising and gives my lips a little colour. Throughout the day, I apply my Bloom Watermelon Crush Lip Balm or any other lip balm I carry on my either the Korres Lip Butter or the Maybelline Baby Lips which is somewhere in one of my bags. 

As for eyeliner, it's nothing too special. I didn't take a photo but it's just a basic black crayon eyeliner and my Dollywink Liquid eyeliner. I haven't curled my lashes in so long or bothered to apply mascara now a days, so I've been uber lazy. 

Anyways, hope you enjoyed this post. A bit bland but it's what I've been sporting lately for my lazy look. Let me know if you ever go through a phase where you just use less makeup or what not! I want to know :) Shall see you REAL soon!

Love, J 

Disclaimer: Products marked with an * were sent for consideration but I was not obligated to review the item. All items posted here are purchased with my own money. 

The Hits and Misses with Australis.

No doubt, I love Australis products! I think they have improved a lot over the years and I have to say that there a few items from them that I use everyday, religiously. That being said, Australis has got to be one of my favourite Australian drugstore brands. They're affordable, good quality and also they have a nice selection of cosmetics to offer.


Undoubtedly I was lucky to receive many PR packages from Australis which I have previously blogged here! Check out my recent post on the Go Long Longwear Lipsticks or their Pout Pastes.

Anyways, here's my personal stash of Australis products which today I'm going to showcase my favourite and least favourite Australis products. I also use to own 4 other products that I didn't take a picture of but I'll include external images later.

I apologise for the low quality photos since my DSLR has been dying on me so I've been using my iPad 3 camera and also been tweaking the lighting on Photoshop. Don't worry nothing drastically changed! I'll start off with my favourite to my least favourite Australis items!

Australis Bronzing Powder - Favourite bronzer! I use it everyday and it's cheap, it's great and I think it's comparable to NARS Casino which I like.

Australis Lash Length Extensions Mascara & Australis Killer Curves Mascara - Without a doubt having short stubby asian eyelashes is annoyingly frustrating. Enough said, the Lash Length Extensions gives my lashes that little bit of length and separation. I use it every now and then in conjunction with my Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Mascara but this mascara is something I definitely recommend!

As for the  Killer Curves Mascara*, I love the separation and how it holds the curl of my lashes (that being said, they make my lashes look nice, but curls never last too long for me anyways).

I never thought in a million years that these two drugstore mascaras would do so much for the price you pay! Let alone, I've managed to finish the Killer Curves Mascara, sadly. But these two have to be my favourite drugstore mascaras and also for girls with short thin stubby lashes like me, I think these mascaras are something to look at!

Australis 10hr Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Bombtastic Bronze - I use this eyeliner everyday to tightline my eyes as well as an overall eyeliner. I actually have two, one for my everyday going out / uni bag and one at home in my make-up vanity. I adore this eyeliner and it's such a nice colour to complement any natural look. Did I mention it's long lasting as well!? Hence the '10 hour'.

Australis Body Sprays in Wild At Heart and Get Your Rocks Off* - All I can say is that this is an awesome thing Australis has brought out Body Sprays. I'm the type of person who would buy body sprays over perfumes any day! I still have the Chi Chi Body Spray in Passionfruit that my friend Lana gave to me for my 18th! (Thanks Lana! I still have a tiny bit left and I'm still savouring it!) Anyways, they're cheap - they smell great (I love both scents) and also they're heaps handy! I usually bring this with me to the gym and also pop it into my Uni bag or spritz a bit before I head out.

I gotta say Get Your Rocks Off is my favourite, it has a combination of berry, coconut, mango and apricot - which is why I'm drawn to it cause I love fruity scents! As for Wild at Heart I think it's more of a mature scent (not mature as in grandma mature) but more of a big girl mature. It has more of a 'punchy fruits, flirty florals and touches of lily, violet' scent.


Australis Go Long Longwear Lipstick* - I've recently blogged about this here, so you can check out how much I adore this lipstick. I think that sums up why, but in summary it's a really good lipstick but a tiny bit drying (hence the Matteness of the lipstick) but nothing a little bit of Lip Balm can't do.

Australis Curve Ink Eyeliner* - I like this eyeliner but I'm gonna say that I like my Dollywink eyeliner more cause I feel like the Dollywink has a 'tattoo' staying power as opposed to this eyeliner. It's not a bad eyeliner, don't get my wrong! But I'm gonna say that it's a really good liquid eyeliner (with precision) as opposed to many liquid eyeliner on the market. I personally think this is a little better than the Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner as the felt tip is much more thicker and the eyeliner itself is more opaque, as the Maybelline one has a fine tip (great to draw your eyeliner on) but the formula isn't waterproof and as opaque as the Australis one.

Australis Fresh and Flawless Pressed Powder - I know this has been raved about way too much but I know for a fact that it's supposedly a dupe for MAC's Studio Fix Powder. In which I think so, for a fraction of a price of a MAC Pressed Powder, I would say it's decent. But I prefer my MAC Mineralise Powder over anything right now.

I'm just going to put the Pout Paste and the Colour Inject Lipsticks here. First off, the Pout Pastes are okay, they're nothing too wow to me cause I'm a huge fan for glossies and anything thats simular to an OCC Lip Tar (if we can put it that way). I'm more of a long-lasting lip colour girl (which is why I love the Go Long Longwear lippies). But I don't think they're bad, I wish there was more variety but they don't really appeal to me. You can see the post where I review the Pout Pastes here for more of an in-depth review and my thoughts on them.

As for the Colour Inject Lipsticks, I feel like they're nothing too special. I know that they're $12.95 but at Sportsgirl I can get similar colours, similar quality and pretty packaging for $9.95. I think they're nothing too interesting to me but their lippies mediocre. I don't have anything bad to say besides the packaging, not a fan of their old fashion lipstick case packaging.

Last off, the last 2 items that I didn't take a picture of. I'll start with the Australis Make-Up Finishing Spritz - All I can say is that I'm not a fan of this spritz. It's suppose to be something like MAC's Fix+ (you know that concept with the whole, setting makeup thing) yeah, that didn't work for me. I felt like my skin was sticky and felt disgusting. I should really throw it away. Also, surprisingly it's their best seller... I don't know, I'm not sold! Sorry!

The other product which is really really dislike I the Australis Translucent Loose Powder I was a fan of it at first but after a while I noticed it left a white cast on my face and it was so fiddly and since it's Loose Powder, it went everywhere. I did use a small amount and noticed that I still had this white cast. I know a few people like this but I honestly didn't after a long while. So since then I chucked mine out. :(

Last product which I really dislike from Australis is their 3 in 1 Make Up Wipes - After purchasing them at a sale at Big W a while back, I honestly disliked them from the beginning. It was dry, it didn't have enough product in able to remove make up - Australis, please work something out with these wipes! That being said, I would prefer Face of Australias wipes, they actually do the job.

I hope this has given you an insight into my views on Australis cosmetics, overall I think they're a really fantastic Australian brand (who also does not test on Animals - yay!) and they have many things to offer. But that being said, there was some hit and misses!

Do you have any Australis products that I haven't listed that you adore? Let me know in the comments, I would love to know!

Also I have a blog sale going on so if you're interested in purchasing some things check it out!

Til Another Time!

Love, J

*Products marked with an asterisk were sent by a PR. All other products that were not marked were purchased by me. All PR Items has not affected my opinions or views towards this brand or towards this post. My loyality is to be honest with my readers. For more information please see my Disclosure Policy. 

Australis Go Long Longwear Lipsticks

Yes it's another Lip Product and yes it's from Australis! And... I am on a roll! But hey, it's a post I'm thrilled to share with you guys! Also, I'm on Mid Semester Break so I have some TIME to actually post some stufficles!

Anyways! I got these awesome lippies that have just been released by Australis! I'm a huge sucker for long lasting lippies - actually anything long lasting but particularly lippies. Anything that makes my life easier and also that being not to apply my lipstick so often is one.

I was heaps excited when I received this despite the fact that my mum pointed out that I already have enough lipsticks! (Let alone, my collection is huge - which is why I haven't been buying ANY make up lately)

Anyways, these are just as good as my favourite MAC lippies which I use religiously and adore so highly. And it's great to see Australis bring this range out, cause it's something that hasn't been introduced to their permanent line.

I tried out Easy Chic and Preppy on my lips on two different days and I already love the formula and colours of the lippies!

To these the two lippies out, I wore these lippies for a course of a typical 10-12 hour day. The longevity is quite good! I would say a good 4-5 hours of solid wear (and thats through light eating and drinking).

(Left To Right: Preppy, Easy Chic, Uber Cool & Trendy)

My awkward lip swatches, yes this is why I don't like doing lip swatches - also it was a bit difficult capturing this on an iPad but these will do justice! 

(Swatches Accordingly - See Below) 

• Trendy reminds me of MAC's Viva Glam Nicki but its a tiny bit more neon and drying then Viva Glam Nicki. It's definitely a summer rocking colour and great to wear for clubbing and festivals. Potential dupe!

• Uber Cool reminds me of MAC's Up the Amp, though I don't own it personally but I think MAC's Up the Amp is much more brighter than Uber Cool but I would say this would be a potential dupe. (Also I've been obsessed with dark purple lipsticks too! Also another favourite!)

• Easy Chic is light brown nude great for those who are afraid of going completely nude on the lips and want a subtle neutral colour. (One of my instant favourites)

• Diva is your classic and perfect matte red Lippie

• Glam would be the darkest of them all, it's this dark cherry colour great to wear with winter outfits. It has this vampy vibe when I wear it... Reminds me of Michelle Phan's Vampire Look she created a while back. 

• Boho is kind of a step up from Easy Chic with much more of a solid colour. To be honest the only difference between Rasy Chic and Boho is that easy chic was a little bit more sheer than Boho in my opinion.

• Preppy is a nice pinky nude? Well, Pastel Pink - reminds me of a Barbie Pink. It's that pastel pink that makes everything look girly. I particularly like this shade! If you need a pastel pink lippie in your collection this is one to look at!

• Ghetto is a solid burgundy colour which is great to match with winter outfits.

Despite the claims that it lasts up to 10 hours, I think that claim only lives up to it if you were to not do anything with your lips. But the lasting power starts to wither away after a while but compared to normal typical lipsticks they do really last a little longer.

Not sure if it's the matte-ness of these lippies that gives a little boost in lasting power but they're not really drying on the lips. Australis says that it's Enriched with Antioxidants, Vitamin E, White Tea Leaf Extract, Rosehip Oil & Mango Butter. Which is heaps good! Cause usually Matte lippies dry the hell out of my lips and leaving my lips flakey. This doesn't do that. In which, I did notice moisturising properties when applying the lippies. If you have dry lips prior to application, nothing but a little bit of lip balm can't do!



Other than that, the packaging is quite nice and also it's matte as well. Kudos to Australis for the packaging; it's sleek and also looks somewhat compatible to Macs Pro Long Wear Lippies. 

As for the colour range, I'm pretty impressed with the colours so far. They're pretty neutral expect for Diva, Trendy and Glam which are the unique odd few! But all I can say is that I love love these lippies so much!

They're available at stockists (Priceline, Big W, KMart, Target and also their website) and where Australis can be found. Also, they're $12.95! Which is reasonably priced! Australis also do not test on animals - so another kudos to them!

If you're after any neutral shades or dark, bright shades similarly to the ones above, check them out and swatch them! I'm already planning on what lippies to wear with my outfits already!!

Anyways, i'm gonna try and post as much as I can with the time I have despite the fact that I'm swamped with stuff to do all the time. Hope you enjoyed this post!

Til Next Time, 

Love, J. 

*Disclosure: These products were sent to me for review purposes. All my opinions are my own and are do not affect my thoughts - for more information please see my Disclosure Policy.

Australis Pout Paste

Australis has released their new 'Pout Pastes' not too long ago. Which to me seems to be like an OCC Lip Tar Dupe. If you love OCC Lip Tars and you're looking for an alternative, I think these Australis Pout Pastes is something to have a look at!

I was so excited when I got this trio in the mail a few weeks back but due to my ultra hectic schedule it has been heaps delayed and now I shall review it!

First off, I received three colours.

• Berry Me Kiss: Which is a rich and dark violet colour. Reminds me of MAC's Rebel but in a gloss form.
• Love Bites: A vibrant and blue toned glossy red colour. Just a classic glossy red colour which would be great for any occasion. 
• Pash Me Pink: A solid hot pink colour. Reminds me of a barbie pink colour - Great for everyday wear and such. 

Australis Says: A super high coverage pigment stain that provides an instant glossy pout. Available in three shades which can be mixed together to create your own shade!

Though, I personally haven't mixed the three shades together but that's handy and creative!

Anyways, I tried out Berry Me Kiss when I first received it and wore it to a dinner. The first coat of the shade was sheer but you can build up the glossiness to your liking with 2-3 applications.

I gotta say, I did love the texture of the gloss. It's not sticky nor messy and the gloss is super moisturising. It contains anti-oxidants to help prevent premature aging of lips (according to Australis).

On application it's really smooth, especially with the handy applicator (it's a plus as opposed to the OCC Lip Tars which you have to squeeze out product) and the longevity is quite average. Since I wore this shade to a dinner, I was constantly reapplying since I was eating and such but I would say it would've lasted on my lips for a good 2-3 hours.

 (Swatches: Berry Me Kiss, Love Bites, Pash Me Pink) 

As for the colour range for these Pout Pastes, I hope Australis introduces more colours like some Peachy and Nude tones. But for now, you can check them out at stores that stock Australis (or even so their website!) at Priceline, Target, Big W and also Kmart! They're $12.95 each so for the price, it's actually not bad!

(Swatches: Blended / Sheer) - Excuse the awkward hand swatches... LOL. 

I hope I can dish out more reviews, I've been lacking in posts for a couple of months and to be honest, I haven't been buying that much make up! Hahaha, Yeah I already have too much. But I got a few things to post from my US Swap with my friend Jill so keep your eyes out!

Til Then, 

Love, J. 

*Disclosure: These products were sent to me for review purposes. All my opinions are my own and are do not affect my thoughts - for more information please see my Disclosure Policy. 

New Found Love with Illamasqua and a Rant.

Hi guys! It's been a while..... I know. I've been 'relaxing' and also celebrating a bit since it is 2013! Crap, time flies so fast! A few minor and exciting things has happened over the new years break and all. As usual I'm ALWAYS on instagram (follow me if you haven't! @jolinemelina) more than me blogging away here.

Hopefully with the holiday time I still have remaining before Uni starts, I will try to post more often here. (Do you remember when I use to post often? Yeah, I've been lazy. But I do miss this blog!)

So... I was after a bright fuschia lipstick for a while since (I'm assuming) everyone's has been going crazy about MAC's Girl About Town (for some reason... considering it's summer and everyone likes bright colours? I don't know, but there's been a bit of a hype from what I've seen.)

Anyways, I actually wanted to get MAC's Girl About Town cause it would look so nice with my current MAC collection I have going on but, I was like... 'I think I'll try something from Illamasqua for once' so I did. I purchased this beautiful fuschia lippy in the Shade 'Corrupt' for $25AU. (I'm pretty sure for those who follow me on Instagram you would've seen me post this!)

Anyways, I've been wearing it every now and then cause the colour has that in-your-face fuschia which I'm not that flamboyant to wear on a daily basis. 

The formulation of this lipstick is quite dry (so you'll need a little bit of lip balm to have it applied on smoothly) considering that it's a matte lippy it has amazing staying power. I wore this lippy on a day out to the city and it was on my lips for a good 4-5 hours. When eating and drinking it didn't come off my lips completely but was still intact as opposed to many other lipsticks I've used. 

Packaging wise, the lipstick looks luxurious and elegant (well in my opinion). It's has this classic vibe to it (or is it just me?) and something a little unique to what I have (and what I have is mainly MAC lippies and Revlon Lip Butters). Would I repurchase another Illamasqua lipstick? Yes! Love the formulation!

Despite the fact that I dearly love MAC lipsticks, I think I've found new love in Illamasqua lipsticks. I usually get my MAC lippies from the US (cause the prices in AUS are ridiculous) and comparing MAC's AUS RRP of $36 and Illamasqua price (which has been lowered down due do the 'Fair Price for Beauty campaign') at a decent $25AU I think Illamasqua's lippies are quite good. 

I'm looking forward to trying more things from Illamasqua and I thought, since we're on the topic of Illamasqua. I would like to share with you my negative experience I had on Boxing Day. So if you want to read on, please read on if not you can stop here. LOL

So yeah, I wanted to share about my experience with Illamasqua (being a first timer with them) and also the Myer City Store in Sydney. I thought this would be somewhat relevant and I didn't want to make a whole seperate post and all... but here it goes. 

It was on Boxing Day whilst taking my relatives to go sight seeing around Sydney and I popped by the Illamasqua counter at Myer Sydney. Let me just say that - despite it being Boxing Day (you know people all going crazy over sales and SA's going nuts) the MUA at Illamasqua was really arrogant... I was after a few things so I told him but after how he addressed my needs and also what I wanted, he was so hesitant to not deal with my needs even though I'm there to pay for the products he represents, let alone he didn't seem like he wanted to help me at all. I was so frustrated but I continued to make a purchase since I needed some staples. (Urgh, End of Mini Rant)

Anyways, I really needed a new primer. I tried on the Stain Primer and loved it so I purchased that first. Not shortly after arriving home I found that my primer was 3 months expired. I called up Myer and also was hung up on three times since the call did not make it through to Illamasqua's counter. By the 4th time I finally got to someone at Illamasqua and the call cut off? I was so persistant at this point and also furious, I called for the 5th time and FINALLY someone answered me, I obviously told them about what happened and they said they will refund/exchange blah blah. You get the point.

The most annoying thing for me is that I had to go all the way back to Illamasqua (since there is only 1 counter in the whole of Sydney) and get a refund. I was going to get a new primer but since the MUA was being arrogant and also the idea that I might be copping another expired primer just put me off. Let alone, I cannot explain the countless times I've experienced such horrible customer service at Myer. Let alone, the Myer store at City (Pitt St). It really frustrates me because I'm there to give my hard earned cash to buy products that I wanna enjoy but get put off but crappy customer service. It sucks. Anyways, I'm done with this rant. I ended up sticking with one Illamasqua product which I'm so in love with now but I'm going to be forever put off by buying from the Illamasqua counter. I think I'll just do my Illamasqua shopping online.

End of Rant. 

Anywho, on a brighter side I'm glad I'm happy with my lippy now! Hope to see you guys soon in my next post!

Love, J 

A Long Awaited Inglot Haul.

Hi all! It's been way too long since I last blogged! I've been procrastinating in posts and also as usual being a huge busy bee. I've finally finished my second year at University and I've finally got myself a new car! I've been dying to post something but was still articulating and editing my images as well as finding the right time to post since my schedule has been jam packed considering that I've been given more shifts at work leading up to the busy Christmas Season. 

Anywho, to kick off my come back - I've been awaiting to post this Inglot haul which I kind of collected during August - Late September. Talk about a huge lag, I've finally compiled some things that I've bought and also being an Inglot virgin - no doubt I was highly impressed and I have to say that they're awesome. 

Their quality is amazing and also their prices are not surprisingly expensive. Compared to MAC. I would definitely go for Inglot if you're looking for that high end quality but don't want that huge price tag MAC offers. 

A few of the items were from IMATS earlier this year in August and the rest were pick ups whilst being near the Inglot stand at Bondi Junction. I'm not going to go into too much detail but just a little overview of the products. 

I didn't take an individual shot of the Matte Top Coat but I can say that the Inglot Matte Top Coat is the bomb diggity. Best Matte Top Coat I've ever tried. It lasts pretty well on my nails, roughly a week without chipping. 

I've been eyeing the Freedom System for a while (ever since my friend Lisa bought an 8 palette Freedom System at IMATS I was so tempted.) In late September, I finally got my hands on it and bought 2 eyeshadows just as a starter. I haven't decided on the other 2 colours to fill it with so it's blank for now, until I can find something unique. As you can see the chips and scratches on the eyeshadows I had a tough time trying to move them in and out of the palette. I'm a huge noob and knew that I can use the lid to shift them out. The brown eyeshadow is a bitch to move out of the palette so I literally need a bobby pin to crank that one out. The shimmery pearl shadow is a dream to take out of the palette only using the magnetic corner to gently shift the shadow out. Overall, this palette is great for travelling and I like the quad and the ability to switch shadows and stuffs.  

Swatches of 402 (Shimmer), 30 (Pearl)

The Flakie Polish in 203 was an awesome addition to my obsession with flakie polishes. I also picked this one up at IMATS this year. Bought it for $11 at IMATS. Awesome quality polish I have to add!

The Inglot lip glosses are my favourite, considering being a person who isn't a huge fan of lip glosses. I discovered 100 at IMATS earlier this year when I was after a nice nudey pink gloss. I instantly fell in love with the colour considering it was something I was looking for - as well as the awesome formula and irresistible strawberry scent. It's the type of scent you want to open up the lip gloss and sniff all day. I do that..... 

I have to say that the Sleek Creams are my favourite range out of their glosses. It glides on nicely and also has a pretty decent staying power. It's also moisturising so +1 for that too! 

Their formula is way better than any other gloss I've tried to date they're decently priced coming at $22AUD. 100 is a shade which I picked up at IMATS for $15. Best lip gloss ever. As for the Sleeks and Sleeks VLC - they're similar but obviously a different range. I found that the VLC's are much more on the shimmery/pearly side and also the Sleeks are more shimmer/metallic (If that makes sense).  I've used up half the tube of the 100 already and that's a new record for me. I'm one of those people who never finish lip glosses because I'm always switching around and stuff. Oh, and add my YSL Glossy Stain to the 'most used lip glosses' these two are my all time favs!  

The scents of these lip glosses are uniquely pleasant, as I mentioned.  I found that the Sleek Creams have this awesome strawberry scent which is irresistible compared to the Sleeks and Sleeks VLC which kind of have a plasticy scent - it's not a huge turn off but the Sleek Creams are much more desirable in scent. 

Swatches of 76, 100, 45.

That concludes my Inglot haul! I'm just finishing up with some more posts that I need to put together. I'll be back real soon so keep an eye out! In the meantime, let me know if there's any other posts you would like to see!

Be back real soon!

Love, J 

Hello YSL

It's been a long long time since I last blogged. It's almost 3 weeks for me (which seems forever for me). I'm not quite back yet but I thought I had to post something after not posting for 3 weeks! I haven't finished with my Uni Exams yet, I still got 2 more and I am free after Wednesday night! Til then, I'm looking forward to 3 months of holidays as well as looking forward to Stereosonic next Saturday, (insert other 'fun and exciting' things I'm planning to do) and also going to Swedish House Mafia's One Last Tour in February next year! (Thanks to the boyfriend for scoring us the Pre Sale Tickets and also getting the Arena Floor tickets! I literally screamed at work today when he called me that he got the tickets... I'm one huge SHM fan.)

Anyways, I'm not going to bore you any longer and so I'll cut to the chase and show you my new prized possession which I've been admiring so so much as well as itching to blog about! 

I'm madly in love with the Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Vernis A Levres Glossy Stain in Corail Aquatique (No 7). (Yes, that's a freaking long name for a Lip Gloss... but whatever! It's ama-zing!) 

After so much hype in the 'beauty community' I took the liberty of visiting the Myer store near my Uni and tried the gloss/stain out. I didn't really like it at first but after coming back to it and also going to a David Jones store trying it on a handful of different shades as well as contemplating on purchasing such an expensive lip gloss, I took the plunge and I splurged - after working so hard for the past 2 months of course I deserve to treat myself.... after spending so much on cosmetics already. I promise I'm not purchasing anymore make up for the rest of this year. I swear!

From the beginning I'm not a huge lip gloss person but recently I've been more and more interested and I think this lip gloss/stain has got me into lip glosses... Let's hope it remains that way!

Corail Aquatique is a nice pinky coral shade (which is my type of colour). It wasn't the exact colour I had in mind when I ordered it from StrawberryNet but after a few wears I adjusted to it and admired it since. 

The applicator is a pointed lip sponge which doesn't bother me, it applies on the lips quite lavishly and also somewhat evenly. At first, I couldn't help but kind of cringe a little when I open the lid to apply the lip gloss, since it has this strong alcoholic smell... the only kind of smell you would find with YSL Lipsticks (which I found) and probably also High End Lipsticks (from my experience) but it doesn't bother me cause to me it's such a beautiful and also luxurious product I've looked beyond it's flaws. 

That being said, there is one little flaw... It claims to last pretty long on the lips. That's only with the stain, which is probably a good all day wear (8 hours+) even with eating and drinking. As for the gloss itself, roughly once you start eating or drinking it starts feathering away and afterwards it kind of just sits on the lips (if you have dry lips, exfoliate them or wear lip balm first or else it will accentuate your dry lips!) and then you would reapply to have your lips looking lush again. Other than that I have no other issues. 

For me, I line my lips with my Make Up Forever Aqua Lip Pencil in 15C and then apply one generous layer of the gloss. That's pretty much my everyday/work lippie which I've been wearing often lately. 

Ever since I received it (probably nearly 2 weeks ago?) I've been wearing it everyday non-stop. My mum and also mummy-in-law love the lippie so much that my mum asked me to purchase one for her (since I purchased my one, it's been sold out/unavailable on StrawberryNet and a bunch of other websites online, but I do not want to pay the AUS RRP price for this so I just gotta wait :( sigh). Considering it's such a nice natural everyday shade, it will most likely suit anybody of any age. 

Here are some swatches. I apologise for not doing a lip swatch, my skin has been heaps horrible so I didn't want my DSLR to pick up the nastiness... LOL

But anyways, swatched from left to right is just how it is as a stain and how it is as a gloss. So hopefully that would give you an idea, of even better you can probably google better images of lip swatches and what not. 

Considering the RRP for this lippie at Myer & David Jones is $50. Purchasing off StrawberryNet was a breeze! It was really quick and also it was roughly the same price as the RRP in the States! (State is $32, I got it for $31.50 with free shipping! It only took 4 days to get to me) 

I really like this lip gloss/stain and maybe I might end up with another shade in the future. But in the meantime I'll be using my new MAC Viva Glam Nicki Lipstick (with my recent MAC Haul which I will post up soon) in conjunction to this gloss, for a somewhat long wearing lippy. I forgot to mention that... I kind of use the gloss to layer on top of other lipsticks to make my lippies last a little longer! (Works)

I'll be back soon with heaps of products to share with you and also reviews as well. After this horrid week of exams as well as slowly crunching away through my busy schedule - I'll be able to unwind and relax as well as post more on the blog! 

See ya'll soon! 

Love, J 

*This product was purchased with my own money. I was not paid or reimbursed in any way. I have not been paid by any respective companies mentioned and all my thoughts are my own. For more information please see my Disclosure Policy. 

Welcoming Spring with October Favourites

Apologies for the lack of posts because as usual, I've been hella busy! I've just got signed up for this new promotion at work (and I'm currently on 4 different marketing promotions at the moment) and it's crazy. Juggling Uni and also hours that are probably considered as full time work is no doubt stressing me out.

Anyways! So, I don't really do a monthly favourites post because it's just so hard for me to literally have a favourite every month... unless I was repeating myself.. Anyways, this month has been an exception I'm going to try and do a monthly favourites so if it's successful or so I'll keep posting monthly favourites from now on!

These are the products that I've been reaching lately ever since Spring started. Today I thought I'll do a post about it and also introduce just a few new products (which I've been meaning to review). I'm not going to go into too much detail because I'll be either saving them for a future review or they've already been reviewed.

It's quite a lot of favourites but hey, they had to be included in this post! I love love love each and every product and a few are just ones I've recently picked up as well... (at IMATS) 

First off the MAC Studio Moisture Tint SPF 15. Neglected for quite a while and thought I'll put it to use since my Garnier BB Cream (the new one for oily & combination skin) has broken me out with stubborn pimples. I bought this last year from the US and got it shipped to me via my cousin. Best Tinted Moisturiser I've used and it's so gooooood. Highly recommend it. 

MAC Blush in Peaches is something I purchased at IMATS this year, I paid the full AUS RRP which was $40 (I think) and I don't (really) regret paying the AUS price (considering I order my MAC via the US) but this time I didn't want to bother my cousin and trouble her sending items over and also I was in desperate need for a new blush and went away and splurged on this along with Margin which I don't really pick up that often. This blush gives me the nicest flush of colour and perfect for Work, Uni & Outings. (Review Here)

The Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Translucent is AMAZING. So cheap and also so good. Doesn't leave a white mask like my old Australis Ready Set Go Translucent Powder and also actually keeps my oily combination skin matte for a good period of time (by all means at least 5-6 hours, but I wear this from 8am - 6pm and barely any sleekness on my face) it's amazing and I highly highly recommend it if you're looking for a cheap translucent powder. (Review Here)

The next item is something I really adore and also something I picked up at IMATS as well. Well, I picked up Shade 100 at IMATS and bought the Shade 45 at Inglot Bondi Junction. These Inglot Sleeks/Sleeks Cream's are amazing. I find that the Sleeks Cream has a slighter better longevity but it's not that drastically noticeable. The Shade 100 is a perfect dusty pink nude colour (An in-depth review will be posted soon! (SO, I don't wanna go into too much detail!) as for the Shade 45 which I purchased for $22 at Inglot. It's an amazing and highly pigmented orangey-coral colour that I've been searching for. Shade 100 which I purchased at IMATS was $15 by the way. Today, I purchased a whole heap of Inglot products so keep your eyes out for that Inglot Haul Post real soon!

Moving onto the other items! I have here are the Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara which I've previously reviewed ages ago here. This mascara provides me with lashes that my natural asian lashes don't display naturally... This was a travel size and I'm willing to purchase the full size when it runs out. To be honest it's the best mascara I've ever used and very hard to find. It's almost comparable to Maybelline's One by One but instead it's a much more drier formula. 

Australis Killer Curves Mascara* was a miss for me when I first received it, I didn't really like it that much and didn't see much of a difference. But now since using it and also probably cause of the fact that my lashes grew a tad bit longer (due to applying lash serums for like a month?) my lashes are lengthened and slightly curled up. I love it to bits and I can't wait to repurchase this mascara. I always apply this mascara first before my Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara and both work like a charm! Definitely a good purchase if you would like to get your hands on one, it's under $12 (from what I remember)

Dollywink Liquid Eyeliner in Deep Black is something I recently got this week, giving that I've had it for a couple of days it's more than enough for me to give my input to this mascara. I won't go in too much depth since I'll save it for a review later but so far, I actually do believe it lives up to it's hype. Let's see how it goes in a couple of weeks and a month later on. So far so good. 

Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy Travel Size Perfume, I've recently bought the gift set (with a body lotion, shower gel, travel perfume & 100ml bottle) of this fragrance because I absolutely love it. As much as I adore the Marc Jacobs Eau So Fresh Daisy, Dot and also my Miss Dior Cherie by Christian Dior. None of them have the longevity like  Midnight Fantasy.

Lately I've been annoyed with having all these expensive perfumes and then not getting a really good run on longevity unlike Midnight Fantasy. Despite the price tag for this (it's like so so cheap now) you don't need to spend so much on fragrances just to smell good! This was such a bargain grabbing the 100ml gift set for $49 at Priceline. It's going to be my everyday scent but it won't be my signature scent.  

Last but not least, Make Up Forever Aqua Lip in 1C this is a nice nude lip pencil which I use nearly everyday (when I remember to lip line or feel like it). It's a great multipurpose nude lipliner for any lipstick you're planning to wear. I'll be writing a review on it real soon as well. 

Hope you enjoyed by 'favourites' this month. This was more of a 'Welcoming' Spring Favourites post. Stay tuned for more 'favourites' posts in the future!

Love, J 

Products marked with '*' were sent by PR for consideration, all other items here were purchased with my own money and I was not reimbursed in anyway. For more details please see my disclosure policy. 

Korres Colour Lip Butter in Mango

Much love for this lip balm and also it's been popping up quite a bit around the blogging community. I'm not a fan of lip balms in a pot, it's quite unhygienic and the fact you're dipping your finger in is kinda annoying cause your fingers get dirty. 

Nevertheless, kudos to Korres for making this lip balm in a pot! They're a Greek Cosmetics company and I'm highly impressed by this lip balm and also along with all the other European made/branded cosmetics that I've tried in the past. European cosmetics and all are prettttty good. So huge kudos to the Europeans!

I love this Lip Butter it's so cute. So cute that I don't care that I have to dip my finger in and apply this product all over my lips cause it does a wonderful job quenching my lips and also smooths my unbelievably dry lips out.

What Korres say about the Mango Lip Butter - "Rich in precious nutrient substances, mango fruit is a particularly sought-after ingredient in contemporary cosmetology. Mango butter melts at body temperature and is easily absorbed by the skin, leaving a pleasant sensation. Thanks to its moisturising and healing properties, mango butter is often found in beauty products that are designed to naturally prevent moisture loss. Even in extreme conditions, such as heat-waves, severe cold, prolonged exposure to the sun, or time spent in dry, ventilated spaces, mango butter protects lips effectively and offers a healthy shine." (More can be read here about Korres Lip Butters)

I picked this up at a local Cosmo Cosmetics store for $9.95, I've tried them prior to purchasing a handful of times but I didn't want to pay $9.95 for a lip balm and also I already have a bunch of lip balms at home. But I couldn't resist the sleek packaging and also the tinted coral colour from this Mango Lip Butter.

I love coral lip colours! I was going to get it on ASOS but couldn't be bothered to wait a week and also it was around $12 online but yesterday before Defqon, I picked this up at Stocklands Wetherill Park and brought it along with me to Defqon! Kept my lips hydrated throughout the day!

Look at the cute poster! 

What I love:

• Instantly lips are hydrated 
• Lips feel soft
• There's no sticky residue 
• Lip Balm doesn't run all over the place unlike that feeling like Papaw Ointment or Vaseline 
• Has a tint of colour (depending which one your purchase)

What I don't love:

• Dipping my finger into the jar to get the product
• Doesn't last that long on the lips (but it's lip balm so it's typical)

Have you tried Korres Lip Butters? If so what's your favourite!? If not, are you going to try them!? Til next time!

Love, J 

*This item was purchased by myself with my own money. I was not paid or reimbursed for this post, all my opinions are honest. For more information please read my disclosure policy. 

My Little MAC Lipstick Collection

No doubt I love MAC Lipsticks and also I'm easily suckered in for their sleek black signatured MAC packaging.

I'm kinda aiming for a whole 'MAC' collection I have going on cause I just want a whole uniform set (if that doesn't sound weird at all). I'm currently in the dilemma of deciding whenever or not I should go get a peachy NARS blush (Luster, is the one I have in mind) or Warm Soul from MAC. I'll wait til IMATS for the verdict.

Anywho a few weeks ago I ordered from MAC Lippies and also a Select Cover Concealer (not pictured/mentioned in this post) which I got my cousin Lila to send over. Everything pictured is the MAC Lippies I currently own. Velvet Teddy is one I got last year but I added to this post anyways.

Yay, they're all freshly made this year! Hehehe. 

Awesome how Costa Chic is the freshest outta the lot. 

It was made in June 2012 (Hence 6 (for June) and 2( for '12) - Thought I'd share this little tip with you guys! (I think this only applies to MAC products not sure about the other brands) 

Swatches corresponding to the lipsticks in order above. 

Swatches:

Crosswires, Morange, Freckletone, Costa Chic, Velvet Teddy and also lip swatches below. 

I know Freckletone, Costa Chic & Velvet Teddy don't really show up here but in real life you can notice the difference (depicted on the arm swatches). I think it's the lighting - definitely that makes it look the same. Anywho, if you're interested in those colours just swatch them yourself at a MAC Counter!

My favourite out of all of them would have to be Freckletone. It is a Lustre so it's heaps sheer but it's buildable. It's a perfect nude and it's my go-to nude lately. I wear Freckletone to Uni and sometimes if I feel girly or feel like changing my look a bit I would go with Costa Chic. I love how lipstick can add a little touch to your face and also lighten up your complexion and can go with whatever outfit you're wearing. 

I'm also glad I got brand new lippies even though they're not drastically different in colour but I'm satisfied. Considering I got them at US prices compared to AUS is a good deal. I haven't really given Morange a spin but whilst in Melbourne this year I was dying to get my hands on it now it's just meh to me.

I was wearing Topshop's Firecracker which is a near dupe for it and I literally wore it for most of my Melbourne trip. I can't wait to wear Morange sometime soon it's an awesome loudmouth orange. I'm thinking of getting MAC Rebel next if i'm not afraid to pull off a bold purple and maybe add the infamous MAC Russian Red considering I already have a YSL Red Lippie.

Let me know any other wonderful MAC lipstick colours you like!  

Love, J 

  

Tag: How Much Is My Face Worth?

It's a tag that has been circulating for a while, I thought I'll do it. I wasn't really specifically tagged but thought it'd be heaps fun to do. It's interested to read what other beauty bloggers have and how much of their money has been spent on products! Note: I don't use all these items all at the same time but they are part of my daily routine.

Brushes: 

Real Technique's Foundation Brush - $9.99 

Sigma Angled Top Kubuki Brush F84 - $16 

Sigma Large Powder Brush F30 - $15

Face: 

Make Up Forever HD Foundation in N123 - $42

MAC Fix+ - $27

Benefit Porefessional - $30

Smashbox Photo Finish Travel Size Primer - $16

elf Contouring Blush & Bronzer - $6 

Rimmel Stay Matte Translucent Powder - $10 

MAC Select Cover Up Concealer - $15

Eyes:

Naked 2 Palette - $50

Maybelline One by One Mascara - $15 

Australis Lash & Brow Extender - $11

Australis 10hr Waterproof Eye Pencil in Bombtastic Bronze - $10

Essence Brown Pencil - $3

Skin Food Waterproof Eyeliner in Black - $13

Urban Decay Primer Potion - $24

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze - $10

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler - $20

Skincare/Lips:

Bioderma Crealine H20 Cleanser 250ml - $19.95* 

Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Moisturiser - $39 

MAC Lipstick in Freckletone & Costa Chic - $29

Maybelline Baby Lips - $3

Altogether: $414 Australian Dollars 

Crap! That is heaps! Take into consideration that some products I've purchased from the US, eBay and all and maybe cheaper than the Australian RRP. Also, the ones I've put in italics are the ones I use from time to time or not so often. Lately this is what i've been using. I hope you found this interesting and if you decided to do this tag let me know! I would love to check out your tag! 

Love, J

*Disclaimer: Product marked with * has been sent for consideration and has not been included into the final total amount. All amounts shown are the prices purchased during the time of purchase. 

Winter: Keeping It Simple

Lately, after being encouraged by the boyfriend and also lack of motivation... I finally joined the gym. I've been going everyday except Thursday this week because I was just lazy and I had my monthlies... That being said, I haven't been bothered with much make up because obviously it's the gym!

I've kept my make up simple when I go to the gym and also out and this is mainly what I wear out for the past week or so considering it's winter. If i'm going to the gym I will only apply my MAC Studio Moisture Tint for that little bit of coverage - considering it's a tinted moisturiser it won't do damage in terms of clogging pores and all. If I'm going to work or just out and not to the gym AT ALL, I will apply my MAC Studio Fix or my Lancome Photogenic Lumessence Foundation. I do try to do without it but I feel insecure with just a bare face considering my face is near to flawless with blemishes and redness (I'm not going to be anymore modest here) but saying that...

I've been using Clinique's Anti-Blemish Solutions (Clarifying Lotion & Moisturiser) after my 'fail' attempt to clear my blemishes with the 3 Step Kit which I reviewed and mentioned in a previous post. Despite how they're miniature and that they are sample sizes they have done much needed justice for me to see improvement. I am so so happy that this Anti-Blemish system actually works! I'm waiting for my paycheck and enough balance in the bank account to actually purchase the kit which is $117. I'm also hoping there a gift with purchase going on with Clinique (fingers crossed it's real soon!)

My current go-to mascara right now is Maybelline's Great Lash Lots of Lashes Mascara. I love it and I shall declare it my current HG mascara. It actually gives me existent lashes and also provides volume and length. I do switch around with this mascara and my Chanel Inimitable Intense Mascara as well as my Australis Killer Curves one which I love for a clean simple look.  

As for brows, I've been digging this Essence Eyebrow Designer Pencil in 02 Brown which I picked up at Melbourne for $2.95 at Target. So far awesome eyebrow pencil to finish off the look. 

My NARS Highlighter in Albatross is something I simply adore. Most days it's just highlighter for me. I've been lazy with bronzer for contouring and also blusher so it's highlighter all the way for me. 

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze is a favourite, I've been using it everytime I go out ever since I purchased it from Melbourne. So much love for this product and perfect for any occasion - work or going out! (There will be a guest post on Makeup & Macaroons on my review on this real soon! So keep a lookout!)

The Etude House Baby Doll Puff just to blend out the tinted moisturiser/foundation. Love it! 

My Garnier Roll On Depuffer i'm on my 3rd one of this and I can't live without it. I love this to death and I always have one handy due to the fact that I always get puffy eyes. 

Face of Australia's Sheer Gloss Crayon in Sundae sometimes when I'm in a rush I just apply this chubby crayon on my lips for an on the go neutral lip. Especially for the gym, it acts like a lip balm and colour for me. 

There were some more essentials like my everyday eyeliner and other foundations, but I kept it simplified and also mainly the products I've been reaching out to the most. 

What are your winter essentials? 

Love, J