Megan Naik x Colour Pop

Colour Pop is a fairly new brand to me, I discovered it through watching Youtube and reading bloggers recommendations. When I saw the Megan Naik collection I was instantly in love with the colours and thus my first ever Colour Pop purchase happened. 

Honestly I think the packaging is adorable considering how cheap these products are. I love the holographic Colour Pop logo and the simple white packaging. Each item feels sturdy and very great quality despite the $5 price tag. The 4-quad collection is $20 which in my opinion is incredibly cheap. A lot of 'drugstore' products in Australia aren't very cheap at all and you can pay up to $20 for a single eyeliner from Loreal. I purchased this quad alongside two shades of Lippie Stix, which I will review soon. 

The formula of these shadows is incredible! They feel so smooth and creamy to the touch but have a powder finish. I have never owned or experience anything quite like it and I love them. They blend so easily, last a long time and have amazing pigmentation. These shadows don't crease on me either, even without an eyelid primer which is rare. The only misgiving I've had is with the shade Farah, it does have great staying power but I noticed after removing swatches from my arm that the colour stained a little. 

Left to Right: Onai, Lectra, Farah, Amira

I'm honestly so blown away by these amazing shadows and I've already made an order for more colours! What do you think of Colour Pop products?

Australis Velour Lips Matte Lip Cream

Australis is a brand I have never really tried many products from or heard much about from other Australian beauty bloggers but I saw these matte lip creams in a drugstore recently and was intrigued.

These lip creams are strangely scented and I'm not the biggest fan of it, but they apply rather smoothly and look flawless on the lips. I purchased mine in the shade Pa Ree which I thought could be a possible dupe to the Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Pure Hollywood since it is next to impossible to get them in Australia. 

Pa Ree swatched

The colour is a nice nude, good for people with pale skin. It's not a colour I would wear everyday and I would like to mix it with something that has a bit more colour to it. The colour did turn out much lighter once on my lips so that is something to keep in mind when considering this product.

Pa Ree swatched on lips

Have you tried the Australia Velourlips range or Anastasia Liquid Lipsticks? If so, let me know what you think of them below.

Clinique Acne Blemish Solutions

Clinique is well known and loved for their skincare. I have problematic oily skin and purchased this in hopes of taming it. First of all, you get a huge bottle and amount of product for the price. This cleansing foam is designed to remove makeup, cleanse, and reduce the appearance of acne. I never used it as a makeup remover as I think it is much too gentle for that. I used 2 pumps, which come out as a foam, and my first impression was how awful the smell was. It smelt like straight up chemicals and bad stuff so I was a little hesitant to put it on my skin. 

I used this in combination with my Clarisonic in order to really cleanse my face properly. It did it's job, it cleansed well and my face always felt clean after use but the product simply didn't wow me. After weeks of use I never saw a reduction in my acne and it never unclogged my pores as it claims to do so, in fact I started developing blackheads after using this. I wouldn't recommend this for people with sever acne and oiliness as it is simply too gentle. This is a product that should be targeted to people with dry/sensitive skin types and acne. I believe there are way better (and cheaper) alternatives to this cleanser that work the same, if not better. I've moved on to cheaper and better things, such as the Bioré Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser for less than half the price.  Have you tried the Acne Blemish Solutions range?

Nars Audacious Lipstick in Bette

After hearing quite a lot of rave reviews on the Nars Audacious Lipstick range I took the plunge and purchased the shade Bette ($44). It is a great dark vampy red, definitely a bold choice and not one I will reach for too often but I don't own anything like it in my collection. The packaging is stunning and I love the magnetic closure, Nars embossing on the bullet, and matte black finish.

Nars Audacious in Bette

I do prefer the Audacious packaging to the regular Nars lipstick packaging as it does seem more worthy of the money spent. As I mentioned before, I heard a lot of good reviews on this range and so naturally I had high hopes. Unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations.

Bette swatched

Bette wasn't as creamy and smooth as I had expected it to be, and therefore it applied rather patchy. As some of you may know I suffer chronically from chapped lips and Bette did not help the situation. It clung to all of my dry patches, so I would recommend exfoliating and moisturising them before applying the rest of your makeup. I also found the formula to be quite uncomfortable and drying on the lips. 

Bette swatched on the lips

It's so unfortunate because I really do love the colour and I was looking forward to trying more neutral shades in the range, which got me thinking, perhaps this is just a fault with the darker shades or maybe I just got a dud. Despite all the negativity I've had surrounding the application of this product, I will still use it and I will look into other colours in order to compare formulas. I'm hoping to get my hands on Raquel soon.

This is definitely a disappointing product for me, which shades have you tried and loved/hated?

Dior Kingdom of Colours 2015: Lady

Dior Lady is my new holy grail. It's limited edition and part of their 2015 Spring collection so get it while you still can! Honestly the perfect pink/beige/nude with full opacity in just 2 coats! The formula is so creamy and the brush is slightly rounded which makes for a super easy application. I didn't apply a top coat and so far it has lasted 3 days without a single chip as you would expect from a $39 bottle of polish.

Everyday Makeup Items

The products I use for everyday makeup don't chop and change too often. Once I incorporate something into my bare essentials routine it usually stays there for quite a long time, mostly due to the fact that I'm so pale I've never found a foundation or concealer that doesn't look orange so I stick to what I know. And what I know is Asian BB creams.

My love affair with Asian beauty started after seeing images on Tumblr. I ordered a few products online and things just went from there. I haven't found a foundation yet but since July last year I've been using Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream as my daily base. I have the shade 13 which is the palest and it's absolutely perfect for my skin tone. Because it is a BB cream it doesn't have great lasting power or great coverage so I do use a fair amount of concealer and powder to set it in place. It's quite pricey for a BB cream but I'm willing to fork out the extra cash for all the skincare benefits, SPF of 42 PA+++ and the perfect colour match. 

From left to right: BB cream, swatch, blended

For concealer I managed to find one that's as close as possible to my skin tone and it's the Maybelline Super Stay 24hr Concealer in Ivory. Honestly, when it says 'super stay' it really means it. This concealer lasts a long time and gives great coverage but I hate it. The product creases on me, it sets before I have time to blend it in completely and it oxidises throughout the day to a slightly orange tone. Definitely will not repurchase.
I tend to use any old powder, as long as it's translucent. I was using my Revlon Colorstay Aqua Mineral Finishing Powder but then I discovered the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders and it's been a little neglected. This isn't the best product to use on oily skin like mine but it has a nice cooling effect when applied and sets everything in place.

Lastly I have my mascara, blush and lip products. These three things are less permanent and are always being switched around, but the ones I always tend to go back to are the Maybelline One By One Volume Express mascara, my Revlon blush in the shade Softspoken Pink and the NYX Butter Gloss in the shade Tiramisu.
What're your daily must-haves?

Review: MAC lipsticks

As seen in my Mini Beauty Haul, I purchased two MAC lipsticks and they are the first MAC products I've ever owned. Obviously, I had high expectations from such a well known high-end brand and I was not disappointed. First off, the pigmentation is phenomenal and one quick swipe was enough to coat my natural lip colour in pinky goodness.

L to R: Angel, Pink Plaid

The formula of these lipsticks is incredibly creamy and smooth, and they glide on like a dream. They have a nostalgic scent to them, I'm not sure what it is but it reminds me of when I used to play with my mum's makeup. Honestly I am just so happy with these two colours as 'starters' to my collection, they're perfect in every way for me personally.

MAC Angel

I can't wait to add more stunning colours to my now growing collection of MAC lipsticks, and hopefully I'll try out different products as well. What are your favourite MAC lip colours?

Review: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder

I feel like 2014 was a big year for Hourglass, and I personally like the looks of a lot of their products. Their Ambient Lighting Powders are designed to mimic different types of flattering lighting for your skin and they come in a multitude of shades. They are quickly gaining cult status and a loyal following. I have the shade Ethereal Light which is supposed to give your skin a 'moonlit glow'.

I swatched all of the shades in Mecca and found that this was the one which was most flattering for my pale skin tone. These powders are beautiful, they don't contain noticeable amounts of shimmer but they do give a pretty 'glowing' appearance. When swatched heavily they can look a bit daunting but once they're blended out over foundation they make your skin glow (not shine). I have oily skin and find that I can use this as a setting powder instead of my regular powder and it doesn't leave me looking shiny. 

In terms of longevity, it may need touch ups throughout the day, especially if you tend to get oily like I do. The formula of the powder is so soft and buttery that it simply glides on, and they aren't highly pigmented so you won't end up looking like a disco ball. The packaging is stunning and sturdy, as it should be for the price, the only downside is that it seems to be a magnet for fingerprints and can get dirty quite easily. 

Overall I rate this product highly and it's quickly becoming one of my favourite things to reach for while doing my makeup. I received mine as a Christmas gift but they can be purchased online or in store at Mecca priced from $59. 

Mini Beauty Haul

Damage was done. Indeed.

First stop was at Myer and I immediately made a beeline for the MAC counter. I've never purchased any items from MAC before and I've been eyeing off a few lipsticks. The first one I picked up was a frost lipstick in the shade Angel ($36), which is a really beautiful natural pink. The second lipstick is a matte formula, in the shade Pink Plaid ($36), which is a slightly darker natural pink. They are very similar but they were both so beautiful and striking in their own way that I couldn't go with only one.

Next stop was Mecca Maxima, my favourite store. I only picked up two things from here as they were out of stock of the Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara and won't get anymore in for a few months (sigh). As soon as I walked into the shop, the cutest cat makeup bag (Catseye London $19) immediately stood out to me. It's the perfect size for travelling and I'm sure I'll get a lot of use out of it. The next thing I got was by Origins, and it's their Ginzing Refreshing Eye Cream ($39). I've been wanting to try this since I first heard about it from a few YouTubers, and since my Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado is coming to an end I figured I would treat myself.

The last place on my spending spree was a store called Provincial. They're predominately known as a furniture store, however, they sell the most amazing natural soaps I've ever come across. My favourite marshmallow line has been discontinued and replaced with one called Marshmallow Velvet ($8). I'm just glad that the scent is the same! These soaps last a long time and lather well with the scent lingering on your skin for hours after your shower.

What have you been spending your money on recently?

Review: Nuxe Rêve de Miel Ultra-Nourishing Lip Balm

If you're anything like me, a sufferer of chapped lips, then you will have a hugely unhealthy collection of lip balms. I've been involved in an endless search for a good product that will taste good, smell great and most importantly hydrate and repair any damage done.

The first time I heard of Nuxe Réve de Miel was while I was watching one of my favourite Youtubers, HelloOctober. She mentioned that it was the only product she used to hydrate her lips and comes with such a huge quantity that it can last up to 6 months. For me, that was simply unheard of. It sounded like a dream product for my suffering lips. 

This lip balm contains ingredients such as shea butter, honey, beeswax, and a ton of precious oils (sweet almond/grapefruit/vegetable/soybean/lemon) and Nuxe claims that its "rich and melting texture restores suppleness and comfort to damaged lips."

I'm not entirely sold on that statement. I've been trialling this product for over a month, using it multiple times a day and here are my impressions of it.

Pros:

It is thick and very balmy

It does hydrate minimally

It soothes sore lips

Cons:

I dislike the scent (to the point where I almost didn't want to use it)

Instead of absorbing into the lips it just seems to sit on top and create a barrier

It doesn't fix my chapped lips

I would recommend this lip balm to people with moderately dry lips as it does provide some hydration, but for those of you with severe chaps like me I believe Christian Dior Creme de Rose is a much better option for instant hydration (and a pleasant smell). 

If you are interested in purchasing this product I got mine from Adore Beauty but I also believe it can be purchased at Priceline stores throughout Australia.