HUGE Combined Makeup Haul: Sephora, Mecca, Beautylish

Its been a couple of months since I did a beauty haul and I have so many things to show you that I've picked up lately. With holiday limited edition products being released as well as end of year exams I've had a lot of reasons to shop - yes exam stress is the best reason to shop!

I'll start off with what I picked up from Sephora! I went to check out the new Sephora Broadway store when I was procrastinating from studying and picked up a few items I've had my eyes on for a while. Firstly is the Cover FX Custom Blot Drops. After seeing Tati's review of this product a couple of months ago I knew I had to have this to try and tame my oily-ass skin this summer. After stalking Sephora in the city so many times I finally found one left in stock at Broadway - hooray! I also picked up the Commodity Cocktail Kit which have ten mini fragrances. I've been spraying myself every time I walked into a Sephora trying to pick which fragrance to buy so I was excited to find this kit so I can try them all! I was also excited to see Sephora Australia had updated their Beauty Pass rewards and are now offering little samples in exchange for points, so I was happy to take home a mini Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Mascara to try.

I also placed an order from Beautylish because by some miracle they had the Anastasia Modern Renaissance Palette back in stock and I couldn't wait any longer to get my hands on it! I have another one of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Eyeshadow palettes and the quality is AMAZING! Can't wait to play around with those gorgeous burnt red shades! (So many exclamations! Can you tell I'm excited?! - also sorry friends but it seems to be out of stock again *sad face*) I also picked up the Becca Blushed With Light Palette. I've been meaning to try some of Becca's blushes and didn't want to buy the Jaclyn Hill palette since I already owned Champagne Pop so I was super excited to see this palette released.

 

Finally, I hit up Mecca and grabbed a few holiday releases. Of course, I could not help but get my hands on the Hourglass Surreal Light Palette. I got the ambient lighting palette last year and love it so much! Not only did I want to pick up the palette because I love the product, but the packaging is so beautiful and as a makeup collector I needed to have this in my collection. I also got the Sun's Up Face & Body SPF Duo which is such good value and perfect coming into summer! As a 'translucent white' I need all the SPF 50+ I can get. I also love the little neoprene bag it comes with which will be great for beach days. Finally from Mecca I picked up the Ciate Kiss Collective holiday gift set which includes three minis of their Liquid Velvet lipsticks in the shades Wonderland, Pin Up and Starlet. Unfortunately it is no longer available online but definitely worth seeing if there are any left in store. I love the texture of these liquid lipsticks, they have a moussy formula and are super comfortable on the lips.

So that's my huge *cringe* haul! I'm not planning on picking up anything else for myself, its definitely time to think of presents for my friends and family!

xx Cat

Best of 2016: Skincare Finds

The end of the year is approaching... can you believe it?! It's been a pretty exciting year for beauty and for me I especially got excited about skincare and figuring out not only the best thing for my skin but also how different ingredients work and what is the best way to solve any skin problem. I wanted to share with you not just my regular favourites, but the products I have discovered this year that have made a huge difference to my skin and that I really, really enjoyed using.

My philosophy about skincare is that you should enjoy using it. Skincare should be part of a ritual of treating yourself every morning and night so you can feel super confident in your own skin.

For reference, I'm 21 years old and my skin is oily-combination, prone to blackheads. I don't experience many breakouts, mostly just congestion on my cheeks and chin. I also love my skin to look glowy and radiant and I am most concerned about unevenness in my skin tone. So these products are what I've found work best for me!

1//
Undoubtedly my favourite skincare find of the year was the Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Face Butter. I initially didn't think this product would be for me or suit my oily-combo skin but I was so wrong! Of course the hero ingredient is Argan Oil which features in all of Josie's products and in combination with aloe and shea butter my skin feels gloriously soft. I loved this during winter as it is intensely hydrating but not thick and absorbs into the skin really well. I just love how this feels on my face and I really enjoy applying it even though it doesn't have a particular scent. Overall, whether you're super dry and looking for a big hit of moisture or oily and want to keep your skin looking glowy and fresh I would definitely recommend trying out this moisturiser. I would buy again and again.

2//
I actually started using this product last year, but only here and there so I didn't really notice the difference. However, after using the Ren Wake Wonderful Night Time Facial consistently, I can easily say this is my absolute favourite chemical exfoliator I've tried. With both lactic and glycolic acids as well as a variety of hydrating ingredients, whenever I use this as night, I'll wake up the next morning and my skin is incredibly smooth and so radiant! I use this around 3 times a week in conjunction with a AHA/BHA toner once a day as well as a more intense physical exfoliator once a week in order to keep my skin consistently even and bright!

3//
A really surprising discovery for me this year was the Bare Minerals Skinlongevity Vital Power Infusion (basically its a serum!). I was super excited to try the Bare Minerals skin care range when it launched in Mecca earlier this year and out of all the products I have tried from the range this is the most impressive, becoming a staple in my AM skincare routine. I love that it is so thin in texture and absorbs into the skin super quickly as well as being really refreshing which is perfect for the morning. One of the top ingredients is niacinamide which is great for both brightening the skin and reducing the appearance of pores. When I apply this serum in the morning under my moisturiser, my skin looks bright and stays moisturised all day!

4//
Finally, this year I stepped away from my favourite Origins masks and found a new favourite, the Swisse Manuka Honey Detoxifying Mask. I absolutely love this mask, particularly for my oily-combo skin. Using once a week does wonders for helping remove congestion around my nose and chin and drawing out all those annoying blackheads. It is also fantastic for helping balance out any oil production in the t-zone. The main ingredients are charcoal and kaolin clay which are both very detoxifying but also quite drying. I would recommend prepping the skin with a hydrating mist toner before applying the mask. I find using a detoxifying mask once a week helps immensely with keeping my skin consistently clear.

That's it! As I mentioned before I didn't include everything I use in my everyday routine or boring stuff like my favourite cleanser etc. just products that make my skin feel AMAZING every time I use them.

What are some of your ultimate skincare products?

xx Cat