My Everyday Makeup Bag

//For Touch ups

• Benefit Hello Flawless Powder

I love this one because it is so finely milled and is the perfect colour for my skin tone, which I normally have difficulty finding in powders. It is perfect for touching up on the go and also super convenient because it comes with a little brush and sponge so there's no need for me to carry around another brush!

• Essence Tribal Summer Blotting Papers

I always like to use blotting papers before I re-powder my face as it makes sure product isn't building up on top of oil and create cakiness. These ones are very convenient and affordable. I'm sure Essence stock blotting papers in their normal range as well.

//On the Lips

• Maybelline Baby Lips

Lip balm is an absolute staple and I love the Baby Lips range from Maybelline. I always carry a tinted one as well as a regular one just in case I've forgotten to pop the lippy I'm wearing into my bag so I can still pull my look together with something on my lips.

• Revlon ColourBurst balms

I'm absolutely obsessed with these and have both the matte and lacquer balms in my collection. I like carrying these around because they are so easy to apply without a mirror and are also quite moisturising on the lips. At the moment I have the lacquer balm in 'Coquette', a gorgeous bright pink and my favourite matte balm in 'Elusive' which is one of my favourite everyday shade.

//Just in Case

• Garnier SOS Repairing Hand Balm with Shea Butter

Hand cream is an absolute must and this one is my favourite as it smells great and has the thickness and intensity I need. My hands often get very dry so I like to keep them moisturised a lot and it also helps keep my nails long and healthy.

• Nail File

I'm a bit obsessive with filing and shaping my nails, so of course I carry a file with me at all times! This is one I just picked up from the supermarket.

• Hair elastics and bobby pins

I'm one of those people that always has the hair tie you need in times of crisis. Mostly it makes me feel good and I like to be prepared.

p.s. How cute is this little makeup bag from Benefit?! It has one of the Benefit girls saying 'I know more about makeup than you because I grow the stuff!' I'm obsessed :)

What beauty items do you like to carry on a daily basis?

xx Catherine

Makeup and Skincare Haul

I had this week off uni and did a little bit of shopping picking up some new beauty items.

//Makeup

I've been looking for a lightweight foundation or tinted moisturiser for a while now but I really didn't know which one I wanted to try and if the products that had a light coverage were going to be too dewy. I eventually decided to go into Mecca. I always go into Mecca when I have a beauty conundrum because the staff are always so amazing and helpful. I didn't go in with any expectations and was recommended the Dr Dennis Gross CC cream. After I tried it on my face I absolutely loved the finish - it wasn't completely matte but had a nice natural finish and didn't feel at all too wet on my face. I'm really impressed so far and will give you a review after I've given it a good test run

Target was having a bit of a beauty sale and I decided to go in to get some lipsticks from Maybelline, but all the ones I wanted were sold out :( I ended up choosing the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in translucent as I've heard so many great things about this powder and it was 30% at around $9 so I had to buy it!

//Skincare

I had to repurchase some of my daily skincare items as conveniently all my skincare products are running out at once. My first repurchase was the Sukin Hydrating Mist Toner which I have been loving, especially now as my skin is becoming drying into the colder weather. I also wanted to get some more rosehip oil as my little sample size from Kosmea was running out. Kosmea isn't stocked at Priceline so I picked up the Trilogy Rosehip Oil instead. Finally, I picked up the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water to see what all the fuss is about.

Finally, after finishing all my bath ballistics from Lush I couldn't stand the thought of not having a bath without one so when my sister went into the city I got her to pick some up for me. I chose three that I hadn't tried before - Butterball, The Secret Garden and Blackberry. I also got a container to house them in called the 'Pillar of Fizz'. I thought it was a great storage idea to keep my bath ballistics near the bath without worrying about the packaging getting wet.

Let me know if you've tried any of these items. Also I've just put an order through crushcosmetics.com.au so be expecting another haul soon!

I hope you enjoyed this post and have a beautiful week <3

xx Catherine

Sick Day Saviours

The last week and a half have been quite stressful with loads of assignments and of course coming down with a cold in the middle of it all. When my skin gets chronically dry and lips are always cracked, these are the products that add little bit of comfort when I resemble something of a walking viral plague.

1. Bio Oil - the ultimate saviour - I think it should be a staple in everyone's skin care stash. A few years ago I struggled with really dry skin for about 2 weeks, having to apply moisturiser almost every few hours to stop my face from being in pain. The only thing that helped regain moisture into my skin was Bio Oil. Since then I reach for it in any time of need. I like putting it on my lips and around my nose as it keeps them moisturised for longer than vaseline or papaw and is more comfortable.
2. Lucas' PaPaw Ointment - I carry this around like a baby when I'm sick. When I don't want any lip balm that is scented or tinted this is exactly what I reach for. A cult product that you would probably find in most handbags.
3. Natio Antioxidant Face Moisturiser - I featured this product a few times and it was in my February favourites. It smells like green tea so even the thought of putting this on my face is soothing. I like using this in the evening to really refresh my skin overnight. This is a really affordable product too and I find all the skincare from Natio is fantastic.
4. Kosmea Rosehip Oil - Recently I've been putting a little bit of this on before I put on my moisturiser and I go to bed. It has really helped with added a little bit of extra moisture and I wake up feeling that my skin has really been replenished overnight. After struggling with a lot of breakouts earlier in the month, this has also helped with scarring and surprisingly, I have noticed a reduction in the size of my pores!

And finally, the best way to keep warm and relax when you're sick is to take a bath! I love having baths and bath ballistics or bubble bars from Lush just make having baths so much more fun. And it goes without saying, snuggle up in bed and watch as many episodes as you can of your favourite tv show! 

I hope you all had a fantastic Easter weekend and keep these tips in handy as we come into winter and the cold and flu season.

xx Catherine 

Review and Swatches: Ulta3 Lip Paint

I recently picked up two shades of Ulta3's new lip release 'Lip Paint'. These retail for $5.95 and are available from selected pharmacies. After recently falling in love with there moisturising and matte lipstick formulas I was super excited to try these. I have the shades Expressive Fuchsia and Radical Red.

First of all I adore the packaging. I think its really cute and looks like a little paint tube. The lid screws on properly so you won't have any trouble throwing these in your handbag. The only thing is that the colour of the tube is not the true colour of the product so swatching is a must!

The formula is actually much less liquid-y than I was expecting which made application very easy. I was expecting something similar to the Rimmel Apocalips which I find gets quite messy, but along with the firm doe foot applicator the product was very easy and 'no-fuss' to apply to the lips. This is probably the best part of the product because with such bold colours and glossy finish you definitely want a perfect application. The product does have a minty smell, similar to the Revlon Balm range which I personally love but may not be for everyone.

Finally, both colours were absolutely gorgeous and bright. Expressive Fuchsia is a gorgeous blue-based pink and I think it would look fantastic on darker skin tones. Radical Red is again a blue-based shade and a red that I don't have anything similar to in my collection. I love the glossy finish of these as well and I recommend two layers for complete opacity.

Overall, very impressed with these liquid lipsticks and the fact that they are so easy to apply means I'll be reaching for them often. I also really want to get my hands on the other shade Manic Mauve.

Hope you enjoyed this review and let me know if you've tried any of the Ulta3 Lip Paints.

xx Catherine

p.s. I hope you all have a fantastic Easter and long weekend!

Spring Inspired FOTD

 

I wore this look out to a friend's birthday the other night and absolutely loved it! I was inspired by my new hair colour which is much lighter than my natural hair so I decided to go with something more along the lines of spring trends despite it getting colder down here in Australia.

$20 Makeup Challenge

I have been planning this post for a while and am so excited to finally share it with you! The $20 Makeup challenge is pretty self explanatory - create an entire face of makeup with products that cost less than $20 combined. It is definitely harder than it seems, especially in Australia where its difficult to find a drugstore foundation for $20 or less. However, there are quite a few affordable options available in Australian stores and I have chosen products from four different brands to showcase them. I've got little reviews for all the product as well!

Weekly Beauty Edit #4

1// Sephora Comes To Australia!

Probably the most exciting news of the week, and if you've been living under a rock, makeup giant store Sephora is set to open a store in Sydney in 2015. This is very exciting for all beauty lovers and will hopefully allow Australians to access some cosmetics and skincare brands that are hard to get in Australian stores. The big question will be of course the mark up on prices and how much extra will Australians have to pay? This is also particularly interesting news following the news early in the year that Sephora opened its shipping option to the UK and although there seemed to a shipping option to Australia, it was a mistake. In any sense, the fact that Sephora could open a physical store in Australia by next year is very very exciting!

2// NYX Stand Opens in Target Rhodes

While NYX has been stocked in Target stores since last year, a stand has finally popped up in my most frequented Target shop - a moment I've been waiting for since the first release! The Rhodes store is one of the smaller Target stores so hopefully this means NYX stands will be rolling out to all stores. If you missed my post earlier this week, NYX is currently 3 for 2.

3// Essence Eyebrow Designer

I picked this up for an upcoming post and it's one of the best eyebrow pencil I've ever used. It is quite a firm, waxy pencil and not very creamy but I find that creamy eyebrow pencils are very difficult to work with to create a natural looking brow. I got the shade Blonde and is only $2.50 available from Priceline and Target - definitely to best value beauty item I have picked up in a while, I much prefer it over my Revlon eyebrow pencil which was ten times the price.

4// Lips Lips Lips

I have gone a little bit crazy this week on buying new lip products - the official count is 10...oops! All from the drugstore I'm excited to try some Ulta3 products as well as the new Essence lip glosses and a Sportsgirl lipstick.

5// Chi Chi Glamorous Colour Kit Nudes

Another absolute BARGAIN I recently picked up. This entire gift set comes with 2 Chi Chi eyeshadow palettes - including the Nudes palette which I've been dying to try - as well as a bronzer, blush and 2 lip glosses. It was on clearance for $15 and with another 25% off it came to $11. This is amazing value as the palettes alone are $22 RRP.

Catch up if you missed any of my posts this week:

• FOA Screen Siren Nail Polish Review
• Drugstore v High End
• Style Stories - an inside to my style

I hope you have a lovely week and don't forget to check for new posts on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

xx Catherine

Style Stories

Oooh a fashion post how exciting!! I thought I would give you guys a little look inside my wardrobe and share some of my fashion and style preferences. I'm not a huge fashion person and buying expensive designer items is definitely not one of priorities. However, I am obsessed with beauty and makeup and of course have a natural tendency towards fashion and enjoying putting together fun, interesting outfits.

I can't leave the house without?

Some sort of handbag that is of a reasonable size! I absolutely love big handbags and going out to clubs is the worst because I hate clutches and tiny little bags like I want to be able to fit a water bottle, jacket, makeup bag, diary etc...

I would never wear...

Short shorts...I have learned the hard way that my legs just aint built for that.

Most recent purchase?

I bought a pair of black trouser/leggings from the Cole's 'Mix' clothing range. They were only $14 and omg they are so comfy and are surprisingly good quality. Never thought I'd be buying pants from the supermarket! I also bought 2 necklaces from Lovisa - a funky, multicoloured one with beads and tassels as well as a very chic one thats long and has a knot at the end. I absolutely love Lovisa for costume jewellery and they always have sales.

Favourite fashion basics?

Definitely my Levi's - I wear them most days and they are just so comfy and fit my body shape so well. My other favourite basics are sandals for summer and boots for winter. Both style of shoe are so versatile with almost any outfit, pants, skirts, dresses.. everyone definitely needs a good pair of sandals and a good pair of boots.

I can't live without?

Again, my Levi Curve ID jeans. I had so much trouble with jeans until I found these ones. They are an amazing fit for curvy girls 100% my no.1 fashion love.

Friends would describe my style as...

A lot of people say my style is that of a typical law student - I usually get quite dressed up for any everyday occasion, particularly uni! Friends definitely would describe my everyday style as smart casual and my girlfriend once described my fashion choices as 'young corporate'.

My most embarrassing fashion purchase was...

Oh god sooo many... I think the worst was when I went through a stage of really being into second hand clothes and thrifting but I just really wasn't that great at finding good items, I remember picking up this corduroy jacket which was beige and had a floral print oh it was so awful and it was handmade too and just had the ugliest zipper. I really don't know what I was thinking.

I am inspired by...

I am inspired by my favourite female role models, mostly Stevie Nicks and Debbie Harry. Both amazing musicians and front women their styles are both very different but also so interesting and unique. I love Stevie's hippie, boho style which inspires my love for all things floral and patterned. And Debbie Harry's distinctive mod style has definitely inspired most of the silhouettes in my wardrobe - short tailored skirts and dresses with monochrome prints and cropped shirts.

Check out this great article about Stevie Nicks' style.

What did I wear to my high school formal?

For my year 10 formal I wore a beautiful vintage, 50s style dress which I absolutely love and to this day is my favourite item in my wardrobe. For my year 12 formal I wore a gorgeous floor length coral coloured dress with these incredible multi-coloured satin wedges! I was definitely a bit more daring but with the extra weight I gained in year 12 it was probably the wrong choice.

Year 10 formal with my lovely friend Charlotte 

Year 12 Formal

Hope you enjoyed this fashion post and learned a little bit about my style :)

xx Catherine

3 for 2 NYX

If you've been wanting to try some NYX products which are now stocked in Australia in Target stores, they have a 3 for 2 sale going on at the moment. The NYX stands are often quite empty, so get down to Target ASAP to make the most of this sale. The stores I find are usually well stocked are Burwood and Bondi Junction.

My top picks from NYX are the Butter Glosses, Jumbo Eyeshadow Sticks and powder blushes.

Let me know if you pick anything up !

xx Catherine

Drugstore v High End

For something a little bit different I decided to try to do a look using only drugstore products and then try and recreate it using only high end products. I chose to do a bronze smokey eye, with a red lip and highlighted face. I also used mineral foundation in both looks.

Drugstore

High end

I wanted to show how drugstore products can be used to create very similar effects for just a fraction of the price. Although I do love my high end products, if you're someone who isn't willing to spend a lot of money on cosmetics, which is totally reasonable, you can still create beautiful makeup looks with budget friendly products. 

My advice - its all about the application. Drugstore products applied with care and the right tools can create really fantastic results. I think having a good set of brushes is key and there are definitely a lot of affordable options - my brushes of choice are the Real Techniques brushes.

Let me know which look you prefer!
xx Catherine

Face of Australia Limited Edition Screen Siren Nail Polish

I could not go past these limited edition nail polishes from Face of Australia who have recently released the 'Screen Siren' collection featuring four nude shades and three beautiful bright shades. I picked up the nude shades 'No Angel' and 'Travilla'.

These lasted so well on my nails and definitely win the non-chip award out of my drugstore nail polishes. With my Ulta 3 top coat they lasted a good four days without chipping! I was also very impressed how the high shine finish of these polishes also lasted throughout wear. The polish itself is quite easy to apply with a regular sized brush (unfortunately not as easy as the Essence nail polishes) and come up opaque in 2-3 coats as suggested on the packaging.

No Angel is a gorgeous pink based nude

Travilla is a more grey based nude

I absolutely love wearing nude shades on my nails as I think it is so sophisticated and this limited edition collection has come out just in time for autumn/winter where understated, sophisticated nails are very on trend. They are fantastic not only for everyday where because they really lengthen your fingers but add real sophistication to any outfit.

I was pretty interested to learn that the 'Screen Siren' collection was inspired by Marilyn Monroe, with each shade name having a specific meaning. For example, Travilla was the name of the costume designer who designed her famous white dress that blew up when she stood over the subway grate.The product description on the Priceline website states:

"Marilyn Monroe famously slept in the nude. As an ode to her, we have come up with four perfect nudes to suit any skin tone".

There are also three bright colours inspired by Marilyn's love of bright costumes and makeup which I am very tempted to go and add to my collection.

Overall I am super impressed with these polishes. The shades, wear time and glossy finish prove that these polishes are of excellent quality and for less than $5 they are a must have!

Available from Priceline for AUD$4.95.

Hope you have all had a beautiful start to the week!
xx Catherine

NEW! Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm - Review and Swatches

Finally! These much anticipated new Colorburst Matte Balms from Revlon have hit the Australian market.

I am absolutely OBSESSED with these! They are the most comfortable matte lip products I have ever tried and so super easy to apply. Being a balm they are not the most opaque lip products but because they are quite thin, colour can be built up and I found that you could build them up without the product clumping or clinging to any dry patches. 

They are extremely long lasting and through a full day at uni I only had to reapply after I ate lunch. They are however quite drying on the lips after wear for a couple of hours. 

I love the crayon type packaging and pointed top which makes it very quick and easy to fill your lips in neatly which is usually an issue for me. They do have a mint scent and leave a slight tingling on the lips which some may dislike but personally I love the mint scent.

Complex

Elusive

Sultry

Unapologetic

Definitely a must have if you are a lipstick fanatic (like me!) or are looking for a comfortable matte lipstick. They retail for $17.95 and all Revlon lip products are 2 for 1 at Priceline until Monday 7 April so now is a fantastic time to try these out.

Have a beautiful day and remember how beautiful you are :)
xx Catherine

What's on My Face? #2