Holiday 2015: My Haul

Everyone loves holiday season, but I bet you that beauty addicts love the holidays more than anyone due to the super exciting limited edition releases.
I've been shopping up a storm recently picking up some of the beautiful products from the Holiday 2015 releases from a range of different brands and I am going to share them with you today!

There were two holiday palettes this year that I knew I absolutely had to get my hands on and didn't hesitate for one second when purchasing them.

The first was the incredibly gorgeous Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Palette. I was so disappointed to have missed out on the blush palette released for Holiday last year that I wasn't going to risk it with this beauty! Since making the order from net-a-porter almost a month ago I have been getting so much use out of this palette. I love being able to try a variety of the Hourglass Ambient lighting powders and the exclusive highlight shade is incredible! You can also purchase the Ambient Lighting Edit from Mecca Maxima, Mecca Cosmetica and mecca.com.au for $117, but stock is extremely limited.

Top row (L-R): Paloma Contour Duo, Laguna Bronzer. Bottom Row (L-R): Robotic (LE), Blasphemy (LE), Luster, Dolce Vita.

The second palette I purchased is part of the incredible NARS X Steven Klein collaboration. I was so excited to get my hands on the One Shocking Moment Palette because of its amazing value! For $100 you get the contour duo in Paloma, the cult classic Laguna Bronzer (with more product than the full size compact!) and four blushes - two limited edition and two permanent shades. The NARS face powders are amazing quality and if I haven't been reaching for my Hourglass palette I've been getting good use out of this one! I especially love the contour shade which is the perfect tone for my light complexion. The NARS X Steven Klein collection is available at Mecca Maxima, Mecca Cosmetica and mecca.com.au.

Last year I indulged in a few Tarte holiday sets and this year I wasn't overly excited by many of their releases. I have more than enough eyeshadows and I already had the blush palette from last year so I wasn't anxious to get my hands on those. However, on a complete whim I came across the Stroke of Midnight Brush Set when I popped into Sephora to pick up a replacement beauty blender. After one look at the packaging and the fact that I was also impressed with the value for money - 5 brushes for $59!! - I quickly added one to my basket. This is such a gorgeous set and being the brush collector I am, I am super happy to have added these to my collection!

L-R: Complexion Brush, Eyeshadow Brush, Buffer Airbrush Finish Foundation Brush ($48 value!), Fluffy Blush Brush, Concealer Brush.

Finally, I picked up a few limited edition lip products because I cannot help myself when it comes to lipsticks (and pretty packaging!).

The first lip product I picked up was from the MAC Holiday collection, which I was really impressed with this year and managed to be extremely restrained! In the end I chose the matte lipstick in Please Me. I absolutely adore the purple metallic packaging and chose Please Me because pink lipsticks are my absolute favourite (although I was so tempted by all four shades)! Available in store at MAC or online at maccosmetics.com.au.

The second lip product I picked up was from Jeffree Star's holiday collection. I have never been interested in Jeffree Star's lipstick range but when I saw swatches of the shade Doll Parts I knew I had to have it! I ended up purchasing mine from beautylish.com and I can't wait to try the formula!

And finally for my huge holiday haul are more liquid lipsticks! When I saw this adorable Eternal Love Liquid Lipstick Set from Stila I couldn't help myself! I've had my eyes on the shade Beso for ages which comes in the set and I also love both the limited edition nude and deep berry shades that are included as well. The formula of the Stila liquid lipsticks are extremely long wearing, however can be quite drying on the lips so I prefer to apply really thin layers using a lip brush. Unfortunately this set looks like it is sold out online but pop into your nearest Mecca store if you want to get your hands on it.

So that's it for my holiday haul! I would LOVE to know what you have picked up from all of the holiday limited edition collections - let me know in the comments :)

xx Cat

MAC 'Nordstrom Naturals' 15 Pan Palette

I'm so excited to share with you a very exciting addition to my makeup collection. Ever since I started watching beauty videos on Youtube, completing a full MAC palette became a distant dream. That dream eventually became a reality when last week I received the Nordstrom Naturals Palette in my letter box. Nordstrom was exclusively selling the palette which was a collection of their top 15 selling eyeshadows. I couldn't resist the amazing value of the palette at only US$85! So I decided to use hopshopgo to get the palette shipped to me all the way in Australia.

THE PALETTE

(From L-R)

Top Row: Vapour, Honey Lust, All That Glitters, Saddle, Mulch

Middle Row: Ricepaper, Amber Lights, Woodwinked, Wedge, Brun

Bottom Row: Omega, Satin Taupe, Embark, Beauty Marked, Carbon

The reason I was so drawn to this palette was because all of the shades were ones that I had heard so much about and read many positive reviews on. Classic shades like Satin Taupe, All That Glitters and Woodwinked were shades that I had swatched in MAC stores and had on my wish list for ages! Once I saw that Tati from GlamLifeGuru had mentioned it in one of her monthly favourites videos I could no longer resist and started researching how I could get it shipped to Australia!

After finally getting to play with these beautiful shadows I've been loving Satin Taupe all over the lid, Vapour as a highlight under the brows and Wedge in the crease for a really simple, understated pretty eye look.

USING HOPSHOPGO

I ended up deciding to use the forwarding service offered by hopshopgo because they are affiliated with paypal and I always feel much more comfortable using paypal when purchasing online. I also decided to go with hopshopgo because they also offer a purchasing service which I needed as my credit card never seems to be accepted on international sites as well as the fact that they can also consolidate your parcels for you as well. 

In terms of costs, the fee for the purchasing service is 10% of your order. For shipping, the fees will be determined on the weight of your parcel as well as whether you want to pay extra for an express service. My parcel was within the minimum weight bracket so I ended up paying US$28 for international tracked shipping. The parcel took 6 business days from when I paid for the shipping. Shipping itself took only 3 business days but there was a delay in shipping my parcel from the warehouse.

Another great benefit of using hopshopgo is that you can store your parcel/s in their warehouse for up to 30 days for free. This is handy if you need to wait for your next pay cheque to pay for shipping or want to place another order and then consolidate your packages. Overall I found hopshopgo to be really simple and efficient to use and I would definitely recommend using their forwarding service.

xx Cat

Sweat-Proof Summer Makeup

It's gets pretty hot during summer in Australia. I'm not talking just warm enough to walk around in pretty dresses or cute shorts, but an average day usually includes being drenched in sweat as the wall of heat hits you. This is definitely not good news for the longevity of your makeup. Luckily there are a few great products that make wearing makeup wearable during the hottest times of the year and also actually stays on your face.

The worst thing I could possibly think of on super hot day is wearing a thick layer of stuff on my face, which is why a light weight foundation is a great option for warm weather. I like the Chi Chi Super BB Cream [$22.95] which gives decent coverage and evens out the skin tone. Another great option is MAC Face and Body Foundation [$49.00-$60.00], which is practically undetectable on the skin, has an amazing finish and can be built up for a fuller coverage without the cakey-ness.

Oh and of course a primer underneath your foundation will also help extend the life of your makeup look. I like Benefit's Porefessional [$53.00] to fill in pores and Laura Mercier Foundation Primer [$45.00] to lock in moisture.

Although I do prefer a fresh, dewy glow for a summer look, I definitely don't want to look either oily or sweaty. The line between 'glowy' and 'sweaty' is a fine one so setting your base with a powder is a must. My favourite this summer has definitely been MAC Mineralise Skin Finish Natural [$49.00]. This does everything you want from a setting powder - gives a flawless finish, sets your foundation in place and doesn't look cakey or powdery at all.

For the eyes, again a primer will help colour stay on your eyelid and not migrate into the crease. The NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk is a great base for powder shadows to stick to. However, I usually opt for a cream eyeshadow like the Maybelline Colour Tattoos which are also really easy to apply. And if you're looking for a long lasting blush, something like the Benefit Cheek Stains will stay on all day, or if you prefer a powder the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour blushes, really do last well, even in the heat.


xx Catherine

Follow me!

Bloglovin' 

Instagram @intentsbeauty

Twitter @cathsintents

Youtube

Essie Button made me do it!

As someone who spends a lot of their spare time blogging, I also really enjoy reading other blogs and watching beauty gurus on Youtube to get inspiration and learn about new products. One of my favourite beauty bloggers is Estee from EssieButton. While I mostly keep up to date with her videos on Youtube I recently came across one of Estee’s blog posts where she shared the products that she was inspired to buy from other bloggers. This made me think of how many products I’ve bought because of watching EssieButton!

1// The Body Shop Honey Bronzer

This beautiful bronzer comes in three different shades, which is fantastic because the lightest shade is fantastic for those with really pale skin. It is perfect for a subtle contour but my favourite use for this bronzer is to sweep it all over my face and blend it with whatever blush I’m wearing to give my face a little extra colour.

2// Maybelline Colour Tattoo in ‘Bad to the Bronze’

I already owned a few of the Maybelline Colour tattoos before I heard Estee rave about the shade Bad to the Bronze. I rushed out to get it and it has been my go to everyday ‘all over the lid’ shade or base for a smokey eye. I 100% recommend the colour tattoos – probably the best value drugstore eyeshadow.

3// Almay Intense i-colour smokey-i Kit

I had forgotten about this one but remembered seeing how gorgeous the colours were and then when I went to check it out at Priceline it was on sale! These shadows are so smooth, apply easily and blend out beautifully. This is definitely one of those products I wouldn’t have picked out without hearing about it otherwise.

4// Tarte Amazonian Clay 24 Hour Blush in ‘Natural Beauty’

This is one of my favourite blushes in my collection. The colour is gorgeous and leaning towards red gives such a natural flush of colour on my pale complexion. I also love that this blush is super long lasting, blends out beautifully and gives a beautiful natural finish - not too shimmery, not too chalky. I definitely want to get my hands on more shades of these blushes and hopefully when Sephora opens in Australia they will be in stock.

5// MAC Lipsticks in ‘Lady Danger’ and ‘Plumful’

Some of the newest additions to my MAC lipstick collection but ones that had been on my wish list for ages after seeing Estee rave about them on her Youtube channel. It was definitely love at first application for both of these lipsticks. Plumful is one of the most beautiful lipsticks I’ve ever worn, as a lustre formula it is moisturizing, glossy and makes the lips look full and plump. I love wearing this with an everyday makeup look. Lady Danger is everything that a bright lipstick should be – pigmented, super matte and extremely long lasting. I wore this to a recent blogger event I attended and not only did I get a few compliments but I didn’t have to worry about it coming off when I was eating or drinking. Not to mention it is such a beautiful orange red shade. So in love!

6//Tarte Amazonian Clay Airbrush Foundation

Another Tarte product I picked up because I absolutely love mineral foundation and was intrigued to try a high end one. This leaves the most beautiful airbrushed finish (as promised in the name) and just melts into the skin. I love how it blurs out my skin, feels completely weightless and provides a good base for blending powder products on top. I really enjoy wearing mineral powders as a base and this is definitely a good one!

That’s some serious money I’ve put down because of Estee! Which of your favourite bloggers are your biggest enablers?

Xx Catherine