Beginners Guide to Makeup Brushes: Face

I absolutely think that makeup brushes are 100% necessary in everyone's makeup kit. Whether you're a makeup enthusiast, wear makeup everyday as part of your routine or just on special occasions brushes are a fantastic investment and there are so many affordable options. This post will take you through the basics of face brushes and an eye brush post will follow shortly!

//Buffing Brush:

For me a buffing brush is the perfect option for creating a flawless, airbrushed look with foundation. Can be used with liquids, creams and mineral powder foundations. Buffing brushes are usually dense with relatively short bristles and can be domed, flat, angled or pointed in shape.

To apply products with a buffing brush simply buff in the product using a circular motion.

My choices: Real Techniques Buffing Brush (from the Core Collection $18.00), Real Techniques Expert Face Brush ($9.00).

//Powder Brush:

Powder brushes, as the name suggests is for the application of powder products, including powder foundation, translucent setting powder and even for blush and bronzer. Powder brushes aren't as dense as buffing brushes and are usually more "fluffy" and have long, flexible hairs.

To apply products with a powder brush, simply pick up powder from the packaging and sweep over the face.

My choices: Furless Must Have Pro Powder Brush ($14.95), Models Prefer Large Powder Brush ($5.00)


//Blush Brush:

Blush Brushes are similar to powder brushes in the sense that their hairs are flexible and soft but can come in all different shapes - rounded, angled or tapered. They are great for the precise application of blush and bronzer.

To apply products with a blush brush, tap the blush into the product and then sweep up the cheek bones or over the apples of the cheeks.

My choices: Real Techniques Blush Brush ($9.00), Real Techniques Stippling Brush ($10.00)

//Contour Brush:

A contour brush is great for applying bronzer or even blush if you're going for a more precise application. Contour brushes come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and can be flat (think the NARS Ita Brush), angled or a tapered pointed brush.

To apply bronzer with a contour brush, dip the brush into the product and tap off excess. Start from the edge of the face, starting from the middle of the ear and follow the cheekbone for 2-3 cm applying the product in a straight line to create a contour. Blend upwards.

My choices: Real Techniques Contour Brush (from the Core Collection $18.00), Real Techniques Duo-Fibre Contour Brush (from Duo-Fibre Collection $20.00).

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If you like to experiment with makeup, even if it's not that often, having just these four face brushes in your makeup collection will make a huge difference and you'll start to see how much more precise your makeup application can be. However, if you're just the everyday girl and tend to stick with the same makeup look, I think you could get away with just a powder brush.

Real Techniques brushes are amazing quality for a great price and come in sets as well which makes them fantastic value - as you can see most of my recommendations are for Real Techniques brushes. I recommend purchasing Real Techniques from ww.iherb.com however, you can buy the range at Priceline in Australia.

I hope you found this post helpful!

xx Catherine

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Top 5 Lip Colours for Spring

While I have enjoyed experimenting with darker lip shades this past autumn and winter, I am beyond excited that the weather is warming up and I can bring out the corals again. There is nothing I love more than a bright coral lipstick! These are my top 5 lip colours for spring, ranging from super matte to glossy depending on your preferences. Unsurprisingly, most are coral shades!

// Maybelline Colour Sensational Vivids in 'Vibrant Mandarin' ($16.95)

Probably one of my favourite lipsticks ever! This is a orangy-coral shade that is so pigmented, super bright and a lot of fun to wear. The formula is really impressive for a drugstore lipstick and there is a reason these are marketed as 'vivid'. While this isn't a matte lipstick it is still really long wearing so it is perfect for the warmer weather.

Formula: Creamy formula with a satin finish.

// MAC Lipstick in 'Coral Bliss' ($36.00)

Coral Bliss is a beautiful peachy-coral shade that is perfect for both simple day looks and full-on night time looks. I love this shade on my pale skin tone and it is also one of those lipsticks that is really easy to wear and you can reapply without a mirror.

Formula: Cremesheen - medium opacity that can really be built up, beautifully glossy finish and moisturising on the lips.

// MAC Lipstick in 'Impassioned' ($36.00)

One of the latest additions to my MAC lipstick collection, Impassioned ticks all the boxes for a bright pink lipstick, mostly that it does lean somewhat into 'coral' territory. I have really been enjoying wearing pink shades lately but find that most pinks just do not agree with my skin tone and/or make my teeth look yellow. Impassioned has quickly become one of my favourite pink lipsticks because it suits me so well!

Formula: Amplified - super pigmented but still creamy and comfortable on the lips, slight glossy finish.

// Maybelline Colour Elixir in 'Petal Plush' ($17.95)

These new release glosses from Maybelline are so beautiful. This is such a perfect everyday shade because it is a perfect soft pink with shimmer through it and is so comfortable on the lips. I really wish these weren't so expensive because I think the price is really ridiculous - luckily Maybelline is always on sale somewhere and I would 100% recommend waiting until you can get these reduced.

Formula: Lip Gloss - a creamy, non-sticky gloss with high shine finish.

// Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in 'Pink Pong' ($24.00)

This is one for you matte lovers! Another pink shade that I think is really universal and looks great on all skin tones. I love this formula for a night out, not only because it is matte and bold but because it lasts so long even through eating and drinking.

Forumla: Matte Stain - a thin formula that dries super matte on the lips. Lasts a really long time on the lips and leaves a stain.

What colours will you be wearing for spring?

xx Catherine

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Top Five Cheek Products for Spring

Some of my favourite face products to add colour to my complexion!

// The Body Shop Honey Bronzer in 01 ($22.95)

From contouring to all over bronzing this bronzer is BEAUTIFUL. A lifesaver for pale girls as it comes in three shades and totally matte. I have been loving sweeping this all over the face for adding all over dimension to the face. The formula is really lovely - easy to blend and lasts all day. Oh! and The Body Shop has recently reduced all their prices in Australia which is such good news! This means the Honey Bronzer is now priced alongside most drugstore brands in Australia.

// Benefit 'Tints' ($55)

As mentioned in my August/September favourites post I have been reaching for my Benefit Tints a lot recently as for the amount of effort you need to apply them they look incredible! They have a very thin formula which you can apply by blending with your fingers or a stippling brush. The only downside of this product is that you have to work really fast with them or you will end up with stains where the product first marked the skin. When blended however, they give a beautiful natural, glowy flush that lasts all day! They really are perfect for spring as they remind me of flower petals!

// Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blushes ($36.95)

When it comes to powder blushes, the Tarte Amazonian Clay blushes have the most beautiful shades and amazing formula I have ever tried. They actually do last for 12 hours as well which is really great in the warmer weather. I cannot wait until Sephora opens in Sydney (just in time for Christmas too!) and I have access to all the Tarte products, it will be such a glorious day. I love the shade 'Natural Beauty' for a lovely natural flushed look, as well as the limited edition shade 'Unleashed' from the Rainforest After Dark Palette, a gorgeous mauve-y pink.

// TheBalm Cindy-Lou Manizer ($34.95)

The pretty pink cousin to everyone's favourite highlighter, Mary-Lou, Cindy-Lou Manizer is my favourite shimmery pink highlighter that is actually perfect as a blush for the tops of your cheekbones. The pink is perfectly subtle and gorgeous on pale skin tones and the shimmer isn't too OTT either which is one reason I didn't purchase Mary-Lou. I love layering this on top of my Benefit tints!

//Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso ($15.00)

If you haven't heard of this blush, you've probably been living under a rock (or maybe just don't keep up with cult beauty products). As a baked blush formula, this is gorgeous and soft making is a dream to apply and easy to blend. The colour is what really grabs me - the perfect coral-peach with just the right amount of shimmer and a shade that can be applied sheer or built up. This is the blush I reach for when I don't know what to wear because it just goes with everything!

NB: All links which have been included to the products are to Australian sites and prices are in AUD$.

Come back on Sunday for my Top 5 lip products for spring!

xx Catherine

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Lip Product Haul!

My absolute favourite makeup products to shop for are lip products! If I see a blogger or beauty youtuber talk about a lipstick and it catches my eye I will usually go out and buy it. My lipstick collection is something I'm really proud of and love adding to.

From Priceline I've picked up a few different lip products - from matte to glossy and lip balms.
Firstly, as a recommendation from Sarah at morethanadored.com I purchased the Savvy Long Lasting Matte Lipstick in 'Maui' ($6.99) as I cannot resist a bright orange coral! While the colour is beautiful and quite neon, I find the formula quite sheer and can be a little patchy once you try to build it up. Still I can't believe how affordable this range is from Savvy!

Next, I've been wanting to add to my collection of Australis Colour Inject Lipsticks ($12.95) and chose the shade 'Gangsta Rap' after seeing a swatch online. It reminded me of the Lime Crime shade 'Airborne Unicorn' which I was hesitant to pick up, especially if I didn't like how the light purple shade looked on my skin tone and this was a more affordable option. I love the formula of the Colour Inject Lipsticks too!

A lip product I had my eye on since their release is the L'Oreal Colour Riche Extraordinaire lip lacquers ($21.95), however, I waited until they went on sale to pick one up. I chose the shade 'Rouge Soprano' which is a beautiful watermelon red and it just melts onto the lips. As they are a lip lacquer, they have a lot more pigment than a gloss and last longer as well. This product is very similar to the Colour Elixirs from Maybelline - same texture, applicator and smell even!

And I just couldn't help buying the new Maybelline Baby Lips 'Electro Pop' balm ($3.95). These new additions to the Australian market look like the Baby Lips available in the US and I have the flavour 'Berry Bomb' which smells amazing. Unfortunately, these aren't available online yet, but I did purchase it from Priceline.

Target has also been on sale lately and with 30% of ChiChi I picked up two of their Stay on Lipliners, 'Lady in Red' and 'Status'. These are beautifully creamy and so insanely pigmented! I can't believe I got these for only $6.96. ChiChi is really fantastic value for great quality products and is often on sale at either Target or Myer. I also picked up the NYX lipliner in 'Natural' after I saw one of my fave Aussie Youtubers Katrina post on instagram saying it was a dupe for MAC's Velvet Teddy lipstick. NYX is rarely on sale in Target and unfortunately wasn't on this occasion but still a great price at only $9.95.

Finally, the last two items in my haul are from a brand I've been dying to try for so long. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it to IMATS this year where I was planning to pick up some lipsticks from Lime Crime. To make me feel better about missing the event I order a few lipsticks online anyway. I had also wanted 'Geradium' and I also ended up ordering 'Babette'. The price of the Lime Crime Lipsticks vary online, however, the cheapest I could find was on Australian online retailer Princess Polly. Each lipstick was AUD$22 and I only paid $5.00 for express shipping (it arrived the next day!)

L-R: Geradium, Babette, Rouge Soprano, Maui, Gangsta Rap, Lady in Red, Status, Natural.

I hope you enjoyed this lip product haul! I definitely have been loving playing with all these bright, fun colours :)

xx Catherine

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The Ultimate TLC for Stressed Skin

With any slight change in the weather my skin goes a little crazy. Throughout winter, my skin was much dryer than I had been used to, now with the weather getting a little warmer, I'm noticing more oil coming through during the day and a few more breakouts than usual. Not to mention the stress of uni assessments and generally busy life doesn't help the state of my skin either.

With desperate times comes desperate measures and pulling out a few new and well loved skincare products in my stash, I've come up with the ultimate pamper routine to rejuvenate stressed skin.

1// Cleanse

Surprise, surprise! I used my Custom Oil Cleanser from Pristine Oils to remove my makeup and cleanse. One of my holy grail skincare products, you can check out my review here.

2// Mask

I've really been into masks recently and to be honest, the only reason I pulled out the Biore Self Heating One Minute Mask* ($7.99) was because I would only have to leave it on for one minute! The mask itself is really effective at drawing out oil, dirt and impurities from your pores, which is something I associate with Biore because I've used their Pore Strips for ages. As the name suggests, when the masks comes in contact with water, it heats up leaving a really cool tingling sensation on your face.

3// Exfoliate

If you've read my latest monthly roundup post, you'll know that the St. Ive's Apricot Scrub ($9.99) got a mention. I felt like the Biore mask was really great at drawing out impurities, but even after rinsing the mask off, I could still see blackheads and whiteheads sitting on top of the skin. Going in with an exfoliator after using the mask really helped leave my skin super clean, soft and smooth.

4// Serum

I product I've been reaching for a lot lately is the Eco. Pigmentation Serum *($18.00). After suffering from a few breakouts I have noticed this makes a huge difference in reducing the scarring left behind. It's a bit of a wonder product really because it is also super moisturising, calms the redness in my skin and is also really effective at smoothing the overall texture of my skin. Definitely a product I recommend for skin that's had it a little tough.

5// Moisturise

As usual, I reached for my favourite night cream, the Natio Antioxidant Face Moisturiser ($17.95). I've talked about this product over and over again because it provides really rich moisture, without being heavy and just leaves my face feeling so refreshed. I'm a huge fan of Natio products and I would definitely recommend checking out their skincare if you live in Australia.

I promise after this pamper routine, although slightly lengthy, you will wake up the next morning with skin feeling soft, smooth and refreshed!

Products marked with * have been sent to me for consideration. My opinions are always honest!

xx Catherine

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My 'Go-To' Lip

It's crazy to think that only a year ago I owned one lipstick (and went through my mum's collection whenever I needed a red!). Now with a collection of close to 70 lipsticks, lip glosses and liquid lipsticks (oops!) I still pull out that first lipstick I owned whenever I'm stuck for what to wear.

Preppy by Australis is part of their Go Long Longwear lipstick range and is a mauve-pink nude with a matte finish. I remember buying this shade because of the name but it is and absolutely gorgeous nude shade for my skin tone making it my go-to lipstick for everyday.

I also love layering the NYX Butter gloss in Creme Brulee on top when wearing Preppy at night for an extra glam look and creating the perfect nude lip for a smokey eye.

Australis is available from Priceline, KMart and Big W. The Go Long Longwear lipstick range retails for $12.95.

NYX is available at Target and the Buttergloss range retails for $9.95. I'm not 100% sure if Creme Brulee is a shade available in Australia, but you can also purchase NYX online from crushcosmetics.com, beautyjoint.com and cherryculture.com.

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Intents Beauty FIRST GIVEAWAY!!

To celebrate the small but exciting milestone of my little blog reaching 10 000 page views I am hosting a giveaway to say thank you to all my lovely followers! I have collected a few exciting makeup bits as a way to express my gratitude for everyone who has supported my blog by reading and commenting. It has been such a fun project for me and I have absolutely loved being involved in the online beauty community <3

You could win:

For the eyes 

• Rimmel London Traffic Stopping Shadow Trio in 'Speeding'
• Essence Metal Glam Eyeshadow in 'Golden Eye'
• Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing Mascara

For the face

• ChiChi Mosaic Blush in 'Pink Peach'
• Benefit Hoola Bronzer

For the lips

• Rimmel London Kate Moss Lipstick in no.26
• ChiChi Lip gloss

plus a whole lot of other goodies and all in a cute little makeup bag from Typo!

To enter fill in the Rafflecopter form below: The only mandatory step is to follow Intents Beauty on Bloglovin' - if you don't have a Bloglovin' account it is super easy to set one up at www.bloglovin.com. Don't forget when you follow any of my accounts submit your username into the form so I can check you've entered correctly.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Unfortunately, this giveaway is open only to Australian residents.

Good luck!

xx Catherine

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September Violet Box

Violet Box is an Australian beauty subscription service and for $22.95 a month you receive 5-6 beauty products to sample.

// Scandalous Fabulously Flirty Dry Shampoo: $16.95

As I said in my Bellabox review, I love receiving hair products to try in my subscription boxes and I also can't live without dry shampoo so I'm interested to see how this one from Scandalous compares to my favourite Batiste dry shampoo.

// Foltene Nail Treatment: $29.95

We received another product from Foltene last month which I haven't really used but I definitely will be reaching for this nail treatment as my nails are naturally frail and brittle. I am also re-growing my nails after a very stressful couple of months have meant I've picked up my old habits of nail biting. I'm really excited to see how this improves the quality of my nails.

// Girlactik Eyeshadow: $23.00

I received the shade 'Pink Ruffle'. The pigmentation of this eyeshadow is crazy! A beautiful iridescent, pearly light pink and I think this will look gorgeous as an inner corner highlight or all over the lid - especially layered over the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in 'Inked in Pink'. I see a lot of looks using this shadow and I'm really excited to play with it.

// Starlooks Ultra Olive Gem Pencil $21.50

I have really been enjoying using pencil liner lately and smudging it along the lash line so I'm really excited to play with this liner especially as it is such a gorgeous olive green. The product itself is super creamy and glides on the skin as well as having gold glitter throughout. Definitely a colour I wouldn't have picked out for myself in a liner but I'm surprised at how much I like it!

// Polished London Nail Enamel $8.00

I received the shade 'Just Dusk'. This is such a gorgeous shade, such a 'me' colour and I really don't have anything like it in my collection! I will definitely be wearing this shade throughout spring.

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Another 5/5 box I received this month! Each item is something I'm really excited about and all the shades I got of the products are so beautiful. The value of this box was $99.40 which is so impressive, especially considering each of the 5 items was full size.

Violet Box really impresses me every single month and I definitely believe it is the best box on the Australian market. For only $8 more than Bellabox you always receive pretty much double the value and really exciting brands.This really is a subscription box for beauty addicts who already have a big collection.

Thinking of subscribing to Violet Box? Check out my review of previous boxes I've received:

Violet Box July Review

xx Catherine

P.S. I am really sorry about the photo quality being less than my usual standard. I don't have access to my DSLR at the moment. Will be back to regular photo quality in my next post :)

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September Bellabox 'Beauty Wardrobe with Gritty Pretty'

Another month, another Bellabox! Bellabox is a monthly beauty subscription service and for $15 per month you receive 5-6 beauty items to try. I love receiving my subscription boxes to try products that are new to me, whether its a brand I've never heard of or a product that I normally wouldn't try myself. Unfortunately, this month, subscribers didn't receive their samples in the usual blue and white polka dot box due to a 'wardrobe malfunction'. While I absolutely love the boxes and use them to store my nail polish I'm not overly upset about their absence.

This month's box was the fourth I have received from Bellabox and definitely one of my favourites!

// Sleek Makeup Eye Dust: $9.95

WOW! I was definitely excited to see this included in my box. I have quite a few Sleek products in my collection and I absolutely love their eyeshadows so I can't wait to try this pigment. I received the shade 'Eden' which is a gorgeous dark green shade.

// Salon Tan Professional Face Lotion: $19.99

It may surprise some people but I have never worn a fake tan in my life. In the winter I embrace my pale-ness and in summer I'm lucky that while I lather sunscreen on I still develop a nice natural tan. However, because I do take extra caution with my face and always wear a hat and SPF 50+ my face always ends up being a few shades lighter than my body. This product will be perfect for correcting that difference and something I'm really looking forward to trying.

// Klorane Quinine and Vitamin B Shampoo $1.37

I always love getting hair products in subscription boxes because apart from dry shampoo I never buy hair products! This shampoo smells sort of like men's cologne. It claims to leave your hair looking volumised and glossy as well as strengthening your hair - all things that I need! I think this is a great inclusion because while I know of the brand Klorane, I didn't know they had other products and if I like it I can buy it from Priceline!

// Bioderma Sensibio Mask $7.99

Another product I am so excited to see in my box! I love receiving new masks to try and I have really wanted to try something from Bioderma for ages.

// Gelogic Nail Enamel $9.99

I also love getting nail polishes in my box and I am really into the gel polish at home trend.  This polish doesn't seem to require a top coat so I'm interested to see how 'gel like' it looks. I received a black shade which is a staple in any nail polish collection.

There were two bonus samples this month; sachets of the Garnier Perfect Blur and Revlon Colorstay Foundation.

The September Bellabox is definitely a 5/5 box for me! I am excited about every single product I received in my box and the total value of the box was $49.29 which is incredible! Super happy to receive 3 full sized products.

* All prices stated are in AUD$ and is the value of the sample in the box, used to calculate the overall value of the box.

Thinking of signing up to Bellabox? Check out my reviews of previous boxes:

Bellabox August Review 'Sport Your Style'

Bellabox July Review 'American Beauty'

Bellabox June Review 'Iconic Beauty'

xx Catherine

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