First Impressions: L'Oreal Brow Artist Plumper

I only picked up one product in the Priceline 40% off sale (talk about restraint!) and it was the L'Oreal Brow Artist Plumper in the shade 'Dark Brunette'. I was looking for a tinted brow gel and heard that the L'Oreal was a good affordable alternative to the Benefit Gimme Brow which has been a favourite of mine for a while. So, how does the L'Oreal compare?

Unfortunately, my first impressions of the L'Oreal Brow Artist Plumper weren't that great. When I first applied the brow gel I noticed that the formula is extremely wet and because the brush isn't as small as the brush on the Benefit Gimme Brow, it got a bit messy. Even after using it a few times, I still find application quite messy; especially when you try to build up the product. I also wasn't a fan of how 'crunchy' the gel was and that I could feel it on my brows all day.

I have continued to use this product because I really like the shade. 'Dark Brunette' isn't too warm and it's definitely pigmented enough to wear on its own for a natural brow look. I also like how it has fibres that give the brows a 'real' textured look, so even though my brows felt crunchy, they didn't look like they were.

Overall, unfortunately from my first impressions, I can't recommend this product. L'Oreal is really overpriced in Australia and while some of their products are worth the money, I don't think this is one of them. I will definitely be going back to my Benefit Gimme Brow in the future.

xx Cat

Review: L'Oreal Colour Riche Eyeshadow Monos

I had heard great reviews of these eyeshadow singles but it was only recently that I bit the bullet and picked up three shades.

Unfortunately, I have to start this review off on a sour note (don't worry it gets positive!). The reason I didn't buy into the hype as soon as they hit shelves, was because these eyeshadows come in at $19.95 each. I know L'Oreal is at the higher end of the drugstore market but I could never justify buying these full price. My rule of buying drugstore brands is to never pay full price so I recommend shopping around. If they aren't on sale at Priceline check out Target or Big W - do your research and you won't even have to wait long to get them on sale!

Now onto the actual product. These shadows are incredibly beautiful. From the shade range, texture and longevity I was incredibly impressed with their quality. I picked up the shades 106 Breaking Nude, 502 Quartz Fume and 201 Cafe St Germain and together they can create a simple everyday look or an intense smokey eye. The pigmentation of each shade was impressive and they blend  well. For those looking for an easy eyeshadow to work with but still looks great with minimal effort these monos are perfect.

Overall, while I do really like these eyeshadows I don't know if I would recommended them as my pick from the drugstore. There are so many great nude eyeshadow palettes on the market for around the same price as one shadow. However, my pick of the three shades would definitely be Cafe St Germain it is a very unique colour in my collection, a shimmery taupe that has a gorgeous reflex when worn on the eye.

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New In: At the Drugstore

The hardest thing about not having a job at the moment is being tempted by all the new releases to hit Australian shores (first world problems I know, but seriously...hire me). There are heaps of exciting new products popping up at the drugstore so I've complied a list so you don't miss a thing.

Maybelline is definitely my favourite drugstore brand and they have so many new products hitting the shelves. Firstly for the eyes, a twist on everyone's favourite black liquid liner, the new Master Graphic Liquid Liner is for those who love a bold liner look. Maybelline also brought their Pumped Up! Colossal Mascara to the Australian market. Maybelline have an amazing range of mascaras so if you're looking for something new to try, I doubt you could go wrong with this one.

More Maybelline products that have finally reach Aussie shores are the Dream Wonder Foundation. I tried this in store and it is very similar to the L'Oreal Nude Magique foundation. However, I did notice that the Dream Wonder foundation have a larger selection of pale shades which is excellent news for #whitegirls like me. I was also excited to see the Face Studio Master Hi-Light and Face Studio Master Glaze products on shelves too!

Finally from Maybelline are their Colour Drama Lip Colour lip pencils, which look like a thick lip liner and remind me of the Bobbi Brown Art Sticks. They have a nice range of colours and this is definitely a product I'm interested to try as it's quite unique to the drugstore market.

Revlon have added to their Photo Ready range with three new products. Firstly is their Prime and Anti-Shine Balm which claims to even out the skin's texture and minimise pores. Another new addition is their Airbrush Effect Foundation and finally is the Insta-Fix Makeup which comes in a convenient stick form. This range seems to be aimed at providing a long-lasting flawless complexion. A few retailers have a 3 for 2 promotion on this range at the moment which would be great to take advantage of if you are interested in trying these products.

One of the most exciting new releases that I have been waiting for to hit Aussie stores is the L'Oreal Colour Riche Exclusive Nude collection. There are a range of nude nail polishes and matching lipsticks inspired by some of Hollywood's biggest stars. I've already got my hands on some of the lipstick shades and I absolutely love them! The formula is quite sheer, but very moisturising and comfortable on the lips. I definitely recommend wearing a lip liner underneath to get more depth of colour.

From Rimmel is a new mascara release and the first mascara to be created by Kate Moss! The Kate Idol Eyes Mascara has a thick, curved wand that claims to add heaps of volume. Kate's line of lipsticks and nail colours are some of Rimmel's best products so if you're a fan of Rimmel mascaras I would definitely check this one out!

Finally from the drugstore are some new releases from Sally Hansen, one of my favourite brands for all things nail care and pretty colours! Firstly are two new 18K Gold products for nail care - the 18K Gold Hardener and the 18K Gold Cuticle eraser. Both products look fantastic for a DIY mani at home and I will definitely be trying these out!

Have you picked up any of these products recently? What's your favourite new release?

xx Catherine

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Review: L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau de Teint Foundation

A relatively new release from L'Oreal and initially had thought I wouldn't pick it up because the shade range didn't seem to include any pale shades that would suit me. However, I received a sample for this foundation with my Priceline payback voucher and after one wear I had to get my hands on it!

The foundation has a light to medium coverage which is really impressive considering the formula is very thin, almost water like. I like to use the Real Techniques Buffing Brush to buff this into my skin. Because of the thin consistency it blends in beautifully. The shade is a little too dark for me, however, because it does blend in so nicely it is quite forgiving in terms of colour match. I have the lightest shade available on the Australian market, 120 Pure Ivory.

I absolutely love the powder finish which looks so velvety and does wonders for my skin! It reminds me of the finish of mineral powder foundation in the way that it melts into the skin and looks better as the day goes on. This foundation also lasts a usual long day of uni which is fantastic considering I don't need to powder over it. It's one of my favourites to wear on a long day because it looks the most natural after a long day of wear.

Without foundation

One layer of Eau de Teint Foundation

The big flaw with this product is definitely the packaging. I think that the small glass packaging definitely does look really luxurious but it is incredibly inconvenient. Particularly because the foundation itself is so watery, trying to dispense product out of the bottle by pouring it out is not easy. I can definitely see a lot of product being wasted (and a huge mess!) if you aren't super careful when pouring out the product. A pump is definitely need and something L'Oreal should consider. I'm also confused as to why there is only 20mL of product as opposed to the usual 30mL. This annoys me a bit considering it retails for $24.95 in Australia.

I love the finish and staying power of this foundation, however, because of the inconvenient packaging I don't see myself reaching for it as often as I would like.

xx Catherine