Beauty Favourites: March 2015

March has been such an exciting month for me and I'm so excited to share with you some of my beauty favourites! As well as starting back at uni for the year I've also started a new beauty-full job which is absolutely a dream come true. In this post I'm sharing a lot of new products that I've never featured before on my blog both high end and drugstore!

I've been absolutely loving using the Duo Fibre Face Brush from Real Techniques for absolutely everything! It's such a versatile brush perfect for blending foundation, using powder, sculpting the cheeks or for both cream and powder blush. Definitely one you should add to your collection - I have two, one for powders and one for liquids/creams. Get the Duo Fibre Brush Set at iherb.

For foundation, I've been gravitating towards my Bourjois Healthy Mix which is absolutely gorgeous, leaving a natural satin finish. I reached for this foundation again as my skin has been a little dehydrated and being stuck in aircon all day meant I wasn't getting as oily throughout the day. However, I definitely do need to wear a primer underneath to get some extra wear time.

Speaking of primers, I can't go past the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer. I've had a bit of a love affair with Hourglass products recently and I am continually impressed with the quality of their products. The Veil Mineral Primer is perfect for me as it neutralises redness extremely well and provides a beautiful smooth base for foundation. I also love using this under the eyes before I apply concealer to really add extra brightness. Overall such a fantastic product and so worth the money.

A new product that I tried during March which I absolutely fell in love with was the Max Factor Creme Puff Blush. These are new releases from Max Factor and have a striking resemblance to the Hourglass Ambient Blushes. The quality of these blushes are absolutely beautiful and they blend like a dream! I have been reaching for this blush over anything else because it gives a gorgeous sheen and looks absolutely seamless on the cheeks. Definitely a product to pick up - I loved them so much I grabbed all the shades! Also for cheeks I've rediscovered my Benefit Hoola Bronzer which was sitting a little unloved for a while but such a classic matte bronzer for contouring and warming up the face.

My go to look throughout March was definitely natural eyes and bold lips. I fell in love with the Tartlette Palette as soon as I knew it existed and having it in my hot little hands the first day it was released in Sephora was probably the most exciting makeup purchase I've ever made. The shadows are gorgeous - so pigment, soft and easy to blend and the shades are everything you could ever need for a neutral eye look. Without a doubt the best matte shadows I've ever used and honestly I love creating looks with just this palette but it is the best palette to have to accompany all your other shadows. I love wearing Caregiver all over the lid, Natural Beauty in the crease, Bombshell wet as a liner and Super Mom as a brow highlight - perfect neutral eye! Available at Sephora.

And to pair with that neutral eye - I wore bright pink lips constantly this month! The Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Pink Pong is my go to for a long lasting, matte finish that is going to last all day. I also recently added to my collection the Bobbi Brown Artstick in Hot Berry which is basically the same gorgeous bright pink shade but is much smoother on the lips and leaves a satin finish and is also a little easier to apply. If you're looking for a bright pink lip definitely check out those two because they are universally flattering.

March has been the month of skincare discovery for me and I've completely switched up my routine with some really amazing results (a skincare routine is coming soon!).

The first couple of products I've been obsessed with are from Origins which is stocked at Kit Cosmetics and Mecca Maxima. My first favourite is the Checks and Balances Face Wash which is great for balancing out oiliness and dehydration in the skin which is exactly what I've been suffering with. It's so refreshing and my skin feels so soft and clean after using it. I've also been enjoying the Make a Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Moisturiser which I put on in the morning. It is fabulous under makeup and injects so much moisture without feeling heavy at all - a new staple for me! I also love that Origins uses natural ingredients and is free from parabens - also they smell incredible!

My other skincare favourite has been the Maracuja Oil from Tarte which is absolutely heavenly. I love facial oils and this one is the best I've tried. I apply at night my patting it over my moisturiser and I have noticed such a difference in the brightness of my skin since using it. Available at Sephora.

I hope you have a wonderful April and enjoy the Easter break!

xx Cat

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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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Benefit They're Real! Push Up Liner - Worth the Hype?

There was a lot of hype surrounding Benefit's latest release and newest addition to the They're Real! range and I just couldn't help myself so I picked up the Push Up Liner.

Its a little bit fancy and pretty innovative but a new application method means that there is going to be some getting used to. I don't believe this product makes applying eyeliner any easier than felt tip liners and I've never tried to apply gel liner with a brush before so I can't comment on how it compares to that. However, I previously had no interest in using a gel liner and this product did make me want to try to use a gel formulation.

The formula itself is quite dry. It balls up, flakes off, clumps my eyelashes together and creates a bit of a mess. Unless the tip is completely clear and you twist up *just* enough product it can be difficult to create a smooth line. I think the biggest issue I have with this product is that it does create a bit of mess trying to wipe the excess product on your hand or tissue. It's difficult and fiddly but when you get it right...it all comes together.

Even the first time using this product, the final look has been pretty impressive if I say so myself. This liner is super black, matte and looks so bold on the eyes. It is really great for creating bold looks, and much faster too than using a felt tip liquid liner. I love doing big flicks or wings with this liner because it is much quicker and easier than using my Maybelline Master precise. However, doing really thin lines, close to the lashes was a bit more difficult.

Whilst the product is marketed to get in really close to the lash line, I had quite a bit of trouble doing so. When I did get in close to the lash line, the product clumped my lashes together which became an issue later and started smudging under my eyes.

Overall do I think it's worth the hype? Yes. It is innovative and definitely a game changer in terms of gel eyeliner. The packaging is cute and the price point reasonable. There are a lot of issues with using this product but as I have mentioned, I think a new type of application is bound to need some time getting used to. The final looks you can create with this product is well worth the effort in my opinion, especially if you are already comfortable with applying eyeliner and love bold looks. However, I don't think this is the first eyeliner you should buy as I think it's a bit tricky for makeup beginners.

I was also lucky enough to be the week 2 winner of Benefit's They're Real! Liner competition on instagram. Here is my Push Up liner look.

I was so excited to win and here are all the goodies I received in my prize pack! So excited to have the whole They're Real! family as well as the Porefessional products.

In other Benefit news, a few weeks ago, Benefit at Myer Sydney City held a meet up for a few Australian Beauty Youtubers. Of course I went along and had a chat to all the lovely girls. Benefit always throw a good party!

All photos from the event courtesy of Benefit Australia and can be found on their facebook page.

Have you picked up the Benefit They're Real! Push Up Liner yet? What are your thoughts?

xx Catherine

Brow Envy: Perfect Brows in 3 Easy Steps

The trend for brows this A/W season is to elongate brows rather than making them too defined. If your brows are naturally arched draw attention to that and add a highlight on the brow bone. Getting perfect, on-trend brows is super easy and you'll be creating brow-envy with these three easy steps.

1// Benefit Brow Bar

My visits to the Benefit Brow Bar in Myer Sydney City are always so fantastic that its the only place I will go to get my monthly brow wax and the occasional brow tint. Although I really like my natural brow shape and it suits my face well I definitely find it necessary to have them waxed to keep them looking neat. I've also started getting my brows tinted which is a great way to add a warmth of colour into my brows where I've found products that have warm tones tend to look orange/red and definitely does not suit me. I've gone on about it many times but the staff at Benefit are beyond wonderful and I will be going there always!

2// Essence Eyebrow Designer Pencil

The best brow pencil I've ever tried and for $2.50 a must have! The pencil isn't too creamy so you can create really natural looking brows and because it is quite waxy, will hold all those stray hairs in place. I use the shade 01 Blonde which is the only lighter shade I've found that doesn't look red! Such a fantastic product and a must-have in my everyday routine.

3// Benefit Gimme Brow Tinted Brow Gel

Benefit do brows well and the Gimme Brow tinted brow gel is, in my opinion, the most revolutionary brow product on the market. It is the easiest way to keep your brows neat and tidy on an everyday basis. The fact that the gel is not only tinted but has fibres so its a great way to fill in sparse areas on your brows. The little brush which is used to brush the product through your brows resembles something of a tiny mascara wand and is perfect for creating a really natural brow look.

Cara Delevingne brow queen

xx Catherine

Mini Weekend Haul

This weekend just gone was a little 'holiday' for me. I took the weekend off work and stayed with my girlfriend and we had the loveliest time going out, heading to different markets, brunching and most importantly getting through a lot of TV shows! On Saturday we went to Glebe markets and then headed into the city to get our eyebrows done at Benefit. We both got a little spend-y and here are a few of the things I picked up.

Vintage Jacket

I picked this up at Glebe markets and it took me all of five seconds to realise I had to have it! Markets are definitely hit & miss and sometimes I just can't justify spending money on people's old clothes. However, this jacket was so cute and so me and for $15 I knew it was a good deal.

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer

I had a pretty generous sized sample of this primer and after testing a few different primers I found this one to be the best for my skin. It is fantastic for smoothing out your skin before applying foundation and really makes a huge difference to the wearing time of your foundation. With this underneath my foundation and the NYX Matte Finish spray on top my foundation doesn't budge! I picked this up from David Jones for $45.

Benefit It's Potent! Eye Cream

I have been trying to reduce the money I've been spending on makeup and in the last month I have been quite successful! However, this means I am itching to get my hands on new skin care. While I was getting my brows done the brow technician did a little mask with this product under my eyes and I was so impressed! I picked it up and will let you know how I go with it :)

So just a mini haul for you today and a catch up on my weekend! I hope you enjoyed this post and I wish you all a fantastic week <3

xx Catherine

FOTD: Bronze and Bright Lips

This look was inspired by my new lipstick from Shanghai Suzy "The Gossling Lippie" which is an amazing bright orange. I love orange shades and this was is such a nice glossy formula. 

I recently received a new bronzer to try and it was so shimmery I tried it on my cheeks inside and absolutely love the result! 

Read more to see the products I used :) 

FOTD: Arctic Monkeys Concert

Last week I went to see my favourite band live, The Arctic Monkeys. My outfit was pretty standard - band shirt and denim jacket, so I thought I would do something really exciting with my makeup. Something about this event screamed a red lip to me, so I paired a classic red lip with a winged liner and long lashes. Read on to see how I got this look!

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

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.

What's on My Face? #2

Weekly Beauty Edit #3

Hello beautiful people! Unfortunately last week I didn't post my usual weekly beauty edit as I was sick and very uninspired in terms of beauty. I have organised to have regular posts on Monday, Wednesday and Friday as well as a Weekly Beauty Edit or other special post on a Sunday. This doesn't mean that I won't be posting on other days but you can be sure that new posts will be uploaded on those four days. Enjoy all my favourite beauty things from the last week and look out for my upcoming March Monthly Roundup!

1// Celebrity Makeup Tutorials
This BuzzFeed is the best makeup tutorial master list I have ever seen!  Featuring some of my favourite beauty Youtubers like Lisa Eldridge, Shannon Farrell, Tanya Burr and Pixiwoo this will give you so many makeup ideas to try.

2// Revlon Matte Lip Balms
One of the most anticipated new lip products has finally hit the Australian market. I recently picked up four shades at Priceline where they are currently 2 for 1! I definitely recommend them so get down to Priceline and try them for yourself. I have a full review and swatches coming up this week,

3// Benefit Brow Bar
Finally visited the Benefit Brow Bar again for my way overdue eyebrow wax. As always I had an absolutely amazing experience and although their services are quite expensive there is no one else I trust with my precious brows after being burnt numerous times.

4// Chatting with Chloe Morello
Probably the most exciting part of my week was getting to have a good chat with Australian Youtuber Chloe Morello at her recent YSL beauty workshop. While I didn't attend the actual event I was at Myer for the Autumn Racing Fashion Showcase but went past the YSL beauty stand before I left and Chloe was still there and chatting to people. I was so happy to get a chance to talk to her and tell her how much I love her videos and appreciate her efforts to make beauty inclusive for all. She was so sweet as usual and remembered me from when we met at the Benefit Lollitint event! We also chatted about the YSL Rogue Volupte lipstick I bought in No. 1 which she said was one of her favourites. Chloe is definitely such a role model for me and its so fantastic that she does events and gets out from behind the camera. Check out her Youtube channel here.

5// Maybelline Fit Me Concealer
I'm absolutely loving this concealer I picked up from the Priceline 40% sale. It is fantastic under the eyes to conceal dark circles as well as highlight without noticeable creasing. I've been wearing this on an everyday basis and is super creamy and easy to wear. Check out my guide to concealer here.

xx Catherine

15 Minute Makeup

It seems like time is always of the essence these days and to have an hour to sit down and do your makeup seems like an impossible luxury . However, looking great doesn't have to take a super long time. With the right tools and products you can be glammed up in the smallest amount of time. This is a look I wore for a night out with friends.

Read on to see how I did this look 

How to Hide It: Guide to Concealer

A few people have asked me lately for my recommendations on concealers so I thought I would put together all my knowledge about concealing and my favourite products into one post. What I have found is that its unlikely one concealer is going to fulfil all your needs - so I have broken down this guide into 3 different problem areas - Blemishes or pimples, under eye circles and redness/. For reference, I have an oily skin type - therefore I am susceptible to frequent breakouts and suffer from redness.

1// Blemishes

Unless you are very blessed with blemish free skin, you'll most likely want a concealer to cover breakouts or subsequent scarring. My main tips are:

• Use a concealer with a waxy or cream consistency - I often have trouble with liquid concealers 'sliding' off my blemishes. 
• Create a concealer 'sandwich' - start first by dabbing powder on your blemish, then concealer, then powder again. This really helps concealer to last all day. Make sure you are using very thin layers of product so that it doesn't become cakey.
• Choose a concealer colour that is as close as you can find to the colour of your foundation - to hide a blemish you'll want it to blend in.
• I like to use a small concealer brush and apply product by 'dabbing'
• If you are applying product on active acne - for example a pimple where the skin has broken - use a brush that you can wash straight away or a cotton bud. You really don't want bacteria from active acne staying on your brushes or even into your product that will just transfer onto your skin again.

Currently I am using Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer. This product is oil free and is two toned so I can perfectly match the colour to my different foundations. The recommended retail price is AUD$49.00 so fairly pricey, but it is a product that will last a long time.

My drugstore recommendations are: Bourjois Happy Light Concealer AUD$19.00 or Essence Match2Cover! Cream Concealer $4.25 - the only issue with these concealers is that they have very limited shades, this is particularly a problem for those with darker skin tones.

2// Under Eye Circles

As a uni student, I often hang around a lot of people who haven't had enough sleep and under eye circles are the biggest giveaway. Fortunately for me (and the fact I am such a grannie and go to bed super early) I rarely get discolouration under my eyes. However, I still like to use a concealer under my eyes to highlight.

• The main cause of under eye discolouration is a lack of moisture - fix the problem from the source by focusing your face moisturiser in the under eye area or even use an eye cream.
• Because of the dryness in the under eye area, thick, waxy concealers are going to be too heavy and crease like crazy. Use a liquid or moisturising cream concealer.
• Apply in an upside down triangle shape and blend
• Sometimes the best way to blend in the concealer underneath the eyes is just with your fingers - super easy! I also like to use a small domed brush like the Real Techniques duo-fibre eye brush.

My favourite high-end under eye concealer is Benefit Fakeup Concealer AUD$35.00 and for my drugstore pick I like Maybelline Fit Me Concealer AUD$14.95. I am currently using both these products and definitely recommend! Benefit's Fakeup is super interesting because the concealer is surrounded by a hydrating layer with Vitamin E and appleseed and is really moisturising and doesn't crease at all. For a drugstore product, Maybelline's Fit Me has a decent amount of shades, doesn't crease on my skin and is fantastic for lightening up the under eye area.

3// Redness 

Although I don't technically use concealer to hide the redness on my face, I do use specific foundations to conceal it. I found the best way to hide redness and discolouration is to build up the coverage of your foundations in the areas where you have issues with redness.

• Using a stippling or dabbing motion to build up coverage works best as it doesn't tend to create cakey-ness.
• Start in the middle of your face when applying foundation - this is usually where the skin is going to be most red, particularly around the nose and chin - then blend outwards. This makes sure that you have the coverage on the areas you need and you're not putting too much product where you don't need it - saves product and looks natural!

I have been loving the Clinique Redness Solutions foundation AUD$50.00 as it has excellent coverage and definitely colour corrects redness. However, as I mentioned in the tips above, using any foundation and simply by adding more coverage in the areas where there is redness will help conceal those problem areas.

Hope you found this post helpful and have a beautiful day :)

xx Catherine

Weekly Beauty Edit

I've put together five beauty and fashion favourites from the week so you can get your quick fix before the working week begins again!

1// Benefit Lollitint

I purchases this at the pre-launch and was so excited to use it as it is an absolutely gorgeous colour. So with high hopes painted it on my cheeks and well...there's nothing to really describe what I had done to my face - my cheeks were so purple I thought I may have started turning into a blueberry, Willy Wonka style. Luckily I read a couple of reviews and watched a few tutorials (as you should when you spend $55 for a product) and found that you could create a really natural, flushed look with this stain by first painting the product on a stippling brush and then dabbing it onto your cheeks. TA DA! It worked and I was so happy because it created a look which was everything I had hoped for in the product. As a stain it really lasts all day, so I wore it everyday to uni this week.

2// Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

I've really enjoyed using the Real Techniques Brushes but the Expert Face Brush has impressed me the most so far. I have used it with both my Kate Somerville CC Cream which is a very moisturising product as well as my MAC Matchmaster Foundation which is thicker and creates a very matte look. The brush worked so well with both these different products, blending them into the skin seamlessly and I was able to cover my entire face quickly.

3// Essence XXXL Shine Lipgloss 

This lipgloss claims to be ultra shiny, moisturising and non-sticky. It meets all these claims and for less than $3 exceeds all my expectations. So far I've picked up the shades Bright Side of Life - a beautiful coral with gold glitter and True Love - a berry shade with silver glitter. The glitter isn't chunky or gritty at all and these have amazing pigmentation. Although they don't have the staying power of the NYX Butter glosses I am so impressed with these especially for the price. If you don't have these, you need them!

4// Denim Jacket

I've done a bit of shopping lately picking up fashion staples going into autumn and winter. I got this Lee Cooper denim jacket from Big W for only $35 and I am in love with it! Its such good quality, especially for the price, feels comfortable on the skin, fits well and is nice and sturdy. I practically haven't taken it off this week wearing it with black skirts or colourful dresses and boots and I think these looks will be my staples throughout the colder months.

5// Oscars 2014

As the awards season comes to an end I was super excited to watch the red carpet of the Oscars. Although in my opinion there weren't any incredible fashion moments, a few of my favourite looks were, of course Lupita Nyong'o looking as stunning as ever, Angelina Jolie with an beautiful beauty look and finally Cate Blanchett who I am absolutely obsessed with - she is the epitome of class.
The popular beauty looks on the red carpet definitely reveal some of the hottest trends going in the spring/summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Peachy nude, matte lips and classic black liquid liner were very popular and lucky the weather in Australia is still warm enough for peach lips!

Hopefully the Weekly Beauty Edit will be a regular post every Sunday so please let me know if you liked this post. I've also added a Google Friend Connect button to my side bar so you can follow me on Google + if you don't have a Bloglovin' account.

See you soon,
xx Cat ^.^

Stay All Day - Long wearing makeup look

With uni starting again next week, I'll be back to the daily grind - attempting to juggle study, work and social commitments. This usually means long days, many hours in the car and maybe physical activity (although pretty unlikely tbh...) and I need my makeup to look fresh and last all day. I actually wore this look for a law revue rehearsal, dance class and then all night long when I went out clubbing.

Flawless Base; by Benefit

Another weekend, another trip to Benefit! Mum and I visited the Brow Bar for a wax and tint and then headed over to the beauty counter where some of the lovely staff treated us to a mini makeover/makeup lesson. I absolutely love visiting the Benefit counter because the staff are always so amazing and friendly.

I wanted to focus on complexion and try some products to create a really flawless base. The product I tried on my face was the Play sticks 3-in-1 foundation, concealer and powder. WOW! Just with one layer applied with a paddle type foundation brush it created the most flawless, full coverage base that looked liked it just melted into my skin but didn't feel like I was wearing such a full coverage product.

Look how much a difference a brow tint makes!

Since I just bought a new foundation last week, and the Play sticks are on the more pricey side, I decided to buy the Hello Flawless pressed powder instead since I was desperate for a new pressed powder! I have been using the Australis Fresh & Flawless and I was surprised that it didn't work for me considering it is widely reviewed as a great product, but even the lightest shade was way too dark and orangey for me. This shade is "I Love Me Ivory" which is a much better match for my skin tone. This is also beautifully finely milled and just takes the shine off without looking cakey - everything you need in a powder!

Although you're paying a little extra for Benefit products you're definitely getting a fabulous quality product in cute, sturdy packaging (I love how they close with a magnet) and it even comes with both a little brush and a sponge which is a really nice touch!

Overall another amazing experience at Benefit. I was super impressed with the products that created a truly flawless base. The Play stick has definitely gone on my wish list and I'm thinking of ordering it on the Benefit website to save some money.

xx Cat ^.^

FOTD: Tanya Burr Inspired Look

I was inspired by this tutorial uploaded by UK MUA Tanya Burr on her Youtube channel. I think this is a perfect eye look for everyday and you could definitely mix up the lip colour with whatever you feel like that day!

On-the-go Mascaras

Its amazing how quickly I accumulate mascaras. There are so many to try and I have to hold myself back before buying like ten different ones every time I go to Priceline!

Here are the mascaras I currently have open/am using:

Maybelline Mega Plush Volum' Express (Waterproof)

• waterproof mascara...*shudders* I really can't stand waterproof formulas but sometimes you just need them and I hate that! This one is ok, I definitely wouldn't repurchase though as I'm sure there are so many others to try that I would like more as well. It does make my lashes very 'plush' and full but nothing much in terms of length. This is the oldest one I have going and its nearly empty/dried up so at least I can throw it out soon! 

Photo sourced from: www.maybelline.com.au

Revlon Lash Potion by Grow Luscious

• Mentioned this one as my favourite product in January so I definitely am loving this one! Smaller brush than the Maybelline, beautiful formula that isn't super wet and makes my lashes look so long and full. Love! Definitely one I will repurchase.

Lancôme Hypnôse

• My favourite mascara ever! So great I won't even bat an eyelid when paying over $50 for one tube. The smallest brush of the three it creates amazing length and definitely the easiest formula to work with.
• I also have sample sizes of the other Hypnôse mascaras - Drama, Star and Doll Eyes. Each different one has a really interesting brush (photos* below!) and I also layer these on top of the original to create the most amazing lash looks ever!

 

*photos sourced from Nordstrom: these are the best photos I could find of the different wand types

Benefit They're Real!

• I also wrote a review of this one recently and am really coming around to it. Separates the lashes and adds amazing length.

I think I'm actually doing pretty well with only 3 full size and 4 smaller sized mascaras at the moment! 

I hope you enjoyed this post and if you're in the market for a new mascara gave you a good idea of what to try next.

xx Cat ^.^

OOTD: Uni

I really love wearing something different to uni everyday - from pretty dresses, classic jeans and tshirt combo or just throwing together some of my favourite pieces. I've had this skirt for so long! I love the pattern, length and its so easy to wear with heaps of different tops and shoes.

outfit

• Top and skirt by Cotton On
• Sandals and bag from Sportsgirl
• DKNY watch

I've been loving wearing mineral makeup lately because I find it so much more comfortable to wear in hot weather than liquid foundation and I don't get nearly as much oil coming through when I wear it. I also like that its a bit lighter in coverage which is perfect for wearing at uni - also much quicker to apply in the morning!

face

Quickie Review: Benefit They're Real! Mascara

Everyone and their mum has this mascara which can even be seen in sale statistics - They're Real! was the no.1 selling mascara at Myer in the 12 months ending July 2013. I have received a deluxe sample size in the past but just gave it to my sister because I really don't like plastic bristles on mascara wands. After receiving another sample from Benefit the other week I decided to give it another go.

Image sourced from http://www.jennasuth.com/2013/05/free-benefit-theyre-real-mascara.html

I love the way this mascara makes my lashes look. It creates amazing length and curls really well too. It also gives just the perfect amount of volume and is super easy to build up when applying more than one coat. I also love the little ball at the end of the wand which is actually really useful for using on the bottom lashes.

Although this is undoubtedly a fantastic mascara and a lot of people swear by it, I really just can't get over the small plastic bristles. While I'm impressed with the result I don't see myself ever purchasing the full size of They're Real mascara as I feel like I can get the same effect with other mascaras and don't have to put myself through the trauma of using tiny plastic bristles.

Note that mascara is definitely a product that works specifically for different people - so if you prefer plastic bristles I'm sure you will fall in love with this mascara!

xx Cat ^.^