High-End Concealer Battle // Worth the Splurge?

Considering I'm a massive makeup collector/hoarder its unsurprising that my concealer collection has grown *slightly* out of control. However, I have been enjoying rotating these different concealers depending on what look I'm going for. I wanted to start by saying I enjoy using all of these, however, some stand out more than others. I've also included the shade I use for reference. I would describe my skin tone as fair, with neutral to warm undertones.

// Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer

Pros:

• Medium-full coverage
• Lightweight, thin formula
• Easy to blend
• Long-wearing
• Limited creasing under the eyes
• Sets to a matte, velvety finish, so you don't need to set with a power
• This concealer has the perfect sized applicator that dispenses just the right amount of product - magic!

Cons: 

• Can be a little more drying, particularly if you have drier skin.
• Will need to layer the product to get a fuller coverage.

My shade: Fair Neutral (Light Warm is similar but more yellow)

// Too Faced Born This Way Concealer

Probably my least favourite (sorry Too Faced!)

Pros:

• Light, thin formula
• Easy to blend
• Hydrating
• Great for a more natural look

Cons:

• Coverage is quite natural, so doesn't work very well on dark circles
• Formula is too thin and hydrating to cover blemishes
• The packaging can get quite messy with product spilling out the top
• Not very long-lasting and prone to creasing under the eyes

My shade: Very Fair - This shade is quite similar to my skin tone, so not great for highlighting. If you are fairer than me you might have trouble finding a shade.

// Tarte Shape Tape Concealer

Apparently one of these is sold every 26 seconds!

Pros:

• Very high coverage
• Thin formula that doesn't feel thick or cakey 
• Blends easily
• Limited creasing under the eyes
• Long-wearing 

Cons:

• Giant applicator can dispense way too much product! Not too much of an issue but make sure to scrape off any excess
• Only available in Australia from tarte.com so you will have to try and shade match yourself using swatches online.
• I found that this concealer doesn't layer well over other correctors/concealers, which you don't necessarily need because the coverage is so high!

My shade: Fair - The lightest shade out of all these concealers. Perfect for when I want a really highlighted look.

// YSL Touche Eclat

Pros:

• The formula is so light and thin its pretty much undetectable on the skin!
• Beautiful for highlighting and perfect for brightening under the eyes
• Blends easily
• Super versatile - can be used all over the face including to highlight under the brows and to define the lip line.

Cons:

• Not cruelty free
• Incredibly expensive! I spend a lot of money on makeup but the price of this makes me cringe a little.
• This is not really a concealer, the formula is targeted towards brightening so needs to be layered over something else as it won't actually cover anything on its own.

My shade: No.2 (I could definitely go a little lighter for a more highlighted look)

//Bobbi Brown Corrector

Not necessarily a concealer, but I thought I would include this because I find this to be the BEST option for dark circles.

Pros:

• Think colour theory - peach/orange shades are opposite blue/purple on the colour wheel - so it is amazing at counteracting darkness under the eyes.
• Easy to blend
• You only need a small amount of product 

Cons:

• Not cruelty free
• The formula is very thick and creamy so it's essential that you take your time to blend this in properly.

My shade: Light Peach. There are two different undertones - peach and bisque. Bisque is more pink toned perfect for neutral to cool skin and peach is more salmon toned and works better on olive and warm skin.

So who comes out on top?

My favourite is definitely the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer. However, if you're a full coverage fan, Tarte's Shape Tape has a similar thin, lightweight formula with that extra coverage! Also if you do suffer from blue or purple darkeness under the eyes, a corrector is the best way to go.

What's your correcting and concealing routine?

xx Cat

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

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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Brand Focus//Tarte

Tarte is fast becoming one of my favourite makeup brands ever. From the first sweep of blush across my cheeks, I knew it would be a long love affair. Now with Tarte available on Australian shores my hot little hands have got hold of some amazing products from the line.

As I mentioned above the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blushes are of incredible quality and easily my favourite product from Tarte. My first Tarte blush was 'Natural Beauty' which is a classic rouge and absolutely gorgeous on pale skin tones! I love using this with a heavier eye look as it gives a natural flush. The other Tarte blushes in my collection are all limited edition which is very special but unfortunately you probably won't be able to get your hands on these shades unless they are re-released. In the Rainforest After Dark Palette is 'Unleased' a lovely muted, rosy nude and the Pin Up Girl Palette has five shades: Breathless, Embraced, Whimsy, Bashful and Irreplaceable. These blushes truly do last 12 hours which is fantastic for those who need their makeup to stay on through long days at work!

One of my favourite new finds from Tarte are their eyeshadows. I have been drooling over the new Tartlette palette on instagram but of course, it hasn't yet landed in Australia. Lucky I've already had a chance to try out their shadows in a few of their limited edition palettes I've got so I can tell you that I highly recommend picking up the Tartlette palette when it comes in stock in Sephora.

On high rotation for me at the moment is the 20 pan eyeshadow palette from the Bon Voyage Holiday Set. The matte shades are incredibly creamy and just a dream to apply. They are probably one of the best matte eyeshadow formulas that I have ever tried. They also last so well on the lids, which is quite a feat on my super slippery eyelids. The shimmers are also beautiful and shades apply true to pan. From gorgeous, every neutral shades to a dark forest green and deep navy this palette is a dream come true - a smooth and long-wearing dream.

Tarte definitely do eye products well because their mascaras also meet the mark. I have fallen in love with Lights, Camera, Flashes which is surprising because I usually hate mascara wands with plastic bristles. At first I wasn't impressed and mostly just ended up with mascara in my eye but once I figured out the two-step system I found this mascara gave amazing long and voluminous lashes - and it's as easy as using one side of the wand then turning it around and using the other side! Whilst Lights, Camera, Flashes has been in my makeup bag for a while, I've recently been trying the Gifted mascara which is beautiful for length, whilst still looking natural and the Lights, Camera, Lashes is somewhere in between the two.

I haven't tried too many of the Tarte lip products however I do recommend their LipSurgence Lip Tints. I have the shades 'Elite' a lovely peachy-coral and 'Romantic' a rosey-nude. These are similar to the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable balm stains with a creamy, moisturising formula whilst still packing a punch in terms of pigmentation. I also own one of their LipSurgence Lipgloss in 'Visionary'. I'm not much of a lipgloss girl so I don't reach for this very often but its slightly too sticky for me to wear this on its own.

Finally, the product that started my Tarte obsession was the Amazonian Clay Airbrush Foundation. Whilst I used to be obsessed with mineral makeup, this product has sat in the back of my draw for a while. I'm glad I pulled it out again because the finish of this foundation is like unicorn babies have licked your face and left magical, buttery skin behind. I buff this foundation in using the Airbrush Finish Bamboo Foundation Brush.

Tarte is available from Sephora in Sydney. Browse the Tarte collection here.

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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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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