New In | Maybelline Colour Drama Lipsticks

Things have been a tad lip-tastic here at chez Beautylocale, so apologies for two lip related posts in a row but I just can't help myself! I need want all of the lip products!!

The minute I saw these hit my computer screen when watching beauties in the Northern Hemisphere, I had been waiting (not so) patiently for these to hit Priceline's shelves. It would seem I definitely wasn't the only one either because the second the installations were put into the Maybelline stands, every single store I went into had bare slots. The struggle and devastation was real.

Not for long though! I finally got my eager little hands on one shade and then a few store attempts and days later, a second. Boy oh boy these were worth the wait my friends. Beauty bloggers and the like had sort of loosely thrown around the potential for being a Nars dupe and I have one of the matte lip pencils so I don't know if one makes me an expert but I would definitely say these are beyond drugstore quality and their $9.95 price tag.

Fab Orange & Red Essential

I got sooo many compliments at work and everyone was very shocked that it was a drugstore product brought to us by the gods of Maybelline and also that was so affordable! I posted a photo on my instagram showing how it wore from 9am to 7pm and that was no lie (check it out- @beautylocale). These are really creamy, easy to apply, comfortable to wear allll day long and they've brought out some beautiful bold shades as well as pretty nudes.

Maybelline have really hit the mark with this release and I will definitely be expanding my collection when I release myself from this semi makeup ban I've put myself under..

The swatches really speak for themselves, so if you've been eyeing off the Nars lip pencils but don't want to commit to that price point then head to your nearest Maybelline stockist asap!

Now on the Nails

I was thinking about future blog posts the other day and trying to think of things that I hadn't written about previously when I realised I'd never written a single word about nails.. NOTHING NAIL!? How could this be?? I'm no nail artiste however I do have a hefty amount of polishes and tend to paint my nails fairly regularly because I need to have neat nails for work.

Considering the weather is finally starting to brighten up and prove to be Spring, I thought it fitting to talk Spring inspired polish colours. (oooh how original of me.. I know, I know.)

Nails Inc Porchester Square, Sally Hansen Salon Manicure Mauve Along & Maybelline Super Stay in Rose Poudre

Moving on, I've pulled more neutral but fresh spring-y shades as well as bright, typically spring time shades. Seeing as I'm only really allowed to wear neutrals to work, the brighter shades have to be reserved for my toes for the time being but my blush toned pinks are treating me well!

Sally Hansen Salon Manicure in Jaded, Maybelline Super Stay in Hot Salsa, Rimmel Kate Moss in Hip Hop & Dior Wonderland.

What are your current favourites or polish shades that you like to bring out for the warmer months?

Brush Free Makeup

There comes in a point in my week, generally a Sunday when I do my weekly deep clean of my brushes then realise, oh wait I need to go somewhere and therefore need to do my makeup.. or even if I go to do my makeup in the morning, depending on how late I cleaned them, they're not always dry enough for me to be able to use. So came the dilemma but also the solution! After remembering Anna's Post from last year which had obviously been stored in my subconscious because I knew I'd be in this situation months down the track, I felt fairly confident that I could go caveman and have a good go at getting as close to the final effect I would've had with brushes.


So it began. By the way, I'm also considering the Beauty Blender a brush in this instance because it would generally be drying with all my other brushes.

Foundation- pretty obvious, no need for explanation here. My Chanel Mat Lumiere actually recommends using your fingers so that's a bonus that it does blend well. Recently I've also used the new L'Oreal Nude Magique and blended it in with my fingers and I really like the result as it is meant to be a liquid to powder formula so works well in this instance. Something heavier like Estee Lauder Double Wear I think I would avoid in this situation just because of the amount of blending it needs to look fairly natural and seamless. So, base- tick. Again, concealer is pretty self explanatory, I generally apply it with my fingers anyway to warm up the product and blend it in well- tick.

Generally I would go on to my brows next and this is where I may cheat only slightly because both my brow pencils by Maybelline and Hourglass have little spooly brushes on the end so they are still at my disposal. Not entirely sure how i could manage to do tidy brows completely brush free.. they would be quite harsh indeed. Next up, eyes. The obvious choice for this would be a cream product and no surprise I tend to use a Maybelline Colour Tattoo or Benefit's Creaseless Cream Shadow as they're both super easy to apply and blend in with your finger and I have a few different shades. To further intensify the lids, I like to apply either a shadow or pressed pigment because they can be patted on using your ring finger and will generally be quite neat. I like the L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows because they have a beautiful shade range and are so buttery to apply. Not as easy to do is a transition shade through the crease so I usually avoid this by just taking my base shadow a bit higher than usual. Eyeliner in the waterline or smudged out with my finger again on the upper lash line then mascara = eyes, tick!

Next is back to the base and bringing some colour back to my cheeks and face. As Anna explains in the post you can use the side part of your hand, below your thumb that connects to your wrist (I hope my overly scientific explanations are clear) to in fact contour because it's the perfect shape to fit in the hollows of your cheeks. So using either a powder bronzer or the Bourjois Bronzing primer I'll do that and then apply a cream blush using patting motions to the apples of my cheeks and drag it upwards towards the hairline for a more flattering look.

If it's a night time look, I'll apply some liquid highlighter like Benefit Sun Beam or a powder to the highpoints of my cheeks and under the brow bone. Finish with a spritz of setting spray because it's a bit difficult to powder and set your face without a brush, and that's it! It's actually quite easy, just make sure you have a makeup wipe handy because it can get a bit messy and you may run out of fingers if you don't.

Let me know if you have any brush-free tricks!

 Instagram- @beautylocale

Review | Maybelline Colour Elixirs

If you follow me on Instagram you'll already know I was pretty excited when these hit our shelves in recent weeks! After reading/seeing all the raves from the Northern Hemisphere beauties, namely Estee (essiebutton) who raaaaved about these and what Estee says, goes. I generally like her recommendations and trust them which really seems a bit strange to trust a complete stranger's opinions on products but whatever trevor.

These popped up in Priceline last week and they've been priced at $17.95 RRP but they had a $4 off lips deal when I bought these so I saved a few pretty pennies. I had a few minutes to spare on my way to work this said morning so I made my way to Priceline and there they stood in all their glory. This same week Bourjois launched their Rouge Edition Velvet which I'd seen on my Instagram feed and already they'd received mixed reviews and at $24.95 I wasn't overly impressed with that. Anna, of Vivianna Does Makeup, another blogger who I trust with my makeup spendings absolutely loves the Bourjois offering but I'm definitely going to wait for some kind of offer on them. In my mind I can't justify that much for a drugstore product regardless of how good it is. Anyway! Back to Maybelline.. So I stood at the stand doin' my swatches and found myself commenting on how pretty they were. out loud. in public. Didn't even realise I was doing it but luckily it was early morning so only a few other people were in the store. After swatching all the shades and ooohing and aahhhing I restrained myself to just two shades for the time being, I wanted to see how they actually went on the lips before shopping up a storm.

The low down:
I bought Caramel Infused and Raspberry Rhapsody, both super wearable for everyday and great for the  cooler months cos y'all know I like my deep lip shades if you've read my Autumn/Winter trends post. These wear beautifully on the lips, aren't overly sticky or tacky and you can build up the colour or have it as more of a sheer wash. They are lightly fragranced and it took me a few wears to realise what it was but to me it seriously smells like Armani Code perfume which I love so it doesn't bother me.

I'm loving these at the moment especially with their Dior-esque packaging of the acrylic with a lipstick outline inside- super cute and high end looking!

Caramel Infused, Raspberry Rhapsody

Friend's Faces | Evening Look

So my beautiful friend, Ainsley nominated herself to be the next appearance on my blog in terms of a makeup look and it just so happened that we had a 21st to go to so perfect opportunity! This was now almost two weeks ago I think but I've just been so busy at work and haven't had time to be bloggin'. It was a cooler evening so it definitely felt like Winter was approaching. Ainsley was wearing a mostly black outfit so I had free reign in terms of colour on her face. Her signature look is a simple winged eye and for the evenings she sometimes adds a little shimmer to the inside corner or all over the lid. I think doing a full glam makeup look was a bit out of her comfort zone but ah well, that's what best friends are for, right?

As it was quite a while ago, I can't remember the exact products I used and didn't get a chance to do a 'makeup mess' photo of all the products as I had to slap on my own face after hers. From what I remember for the eye base I used a mix of two cream eyeshadows, Benefit's RSVP and MUFE's #17 on the outer corner for darker definition. For eyeshadows I'm pretty sure majority was using the Sleek Makeup Storm Palette and a few random MAC shades where I fancied. Subtle contouring using MAC Harmony, a bold wing using Maybelline's gel liner, lashings of mascara and a fairly neutral shade on the lips. *As a face base I used Bourjois Healthy Mix which was Ainsley's own and a spritz of Fix + to set it all for the evening ahead!

Ainsley has her own YouTube channel which is travel based as in the past 2 years she's been a hell of a lot of places including a 6 month exchange in Bristol, England. Go check her out and SUBSCRIBE!

xx

A Few March Favourites

Can't believe we're in April already, this year seems to be speeding by which is both worrying and exciting because the end of the year has more exciting things for me to look forward to! Thought I'd share with you a few of my favourites that I've been enjoying not only throughout March but this year to date as I haven't done a 'favourites' post as such yet. I do often post my thoughts and mini reviews on my instagram (@beautylocale) if you prefer more tidbits and brief reviews/thoughts on products I've been using.

To prevent this post from being thousands of words long, I'll just give a short-ish review and try to make my thoughts succinct. Yeah good luck Millie, aka Queen of Rambling..

Alrighty first up I'll talk about the newest addition to L'Oreal's base range- Nude Magique which is a recent launch for us Aussies but I'm pretty sure was launched maybe even last year for the Northern Hemisphere. This is definitely receiving mixed reviews from what I've seen but I'm really enjoying it so far. I find it hard to get a foundation that I love, doesn't break me out/irritate my skin, is a good match and lastly doesn't make my skin extra oily. This is described as a liquid to powder formula which I've definitely found. It is a very watery consistency but when applied does turn to a more powdery finish but not cakey-powdery. I have shade #120 Pure Ivory which is the lightest shade in the range and a pretty good match for me. (For reference I'm a MAC NC 15-20). This has pretty good lasting power, doesn't break up too badly throughout the day and *touch wood* hasn't reacted with my skin.

The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette. *Insert heart-eyed emoji* Honestly I wish I could make that face in real life because everything would be communicated so much more easily. I was excited that they brought out a trio palette so I could get a taster for these powders as individually I think they run for around $62 and the palette came in at just over $100 from memory.. Absolutely love Dim Light for giving my skin that diffused look and evens out texture beautifully. Incandescent Light is a beautiful highlight shade for more evening type looks on the high points of the face without shining like a disco ball. Again from Hourglass is their most recent release- the Ambient Lighting Blush which I have in Dim Infusion, a beautiful coral with lighter tones marbled through it. No exaggeration I think I've worn this 99% of the days since I purchased it and I was not disappointed. Again there's a lot of mixed reviews on these I think mostly because of the huge hype that was created and so therefore I guess people have high hopes but I for one, am in love and want more. Oh dear.

Mario Basdescu Drying Lotion; I have heard so much about this product on YouTube and the like but since I found my holy grail Origins Spot Remover, I didn't think I needed it. I was wrong. I find this is really good for spots that I can feel lurking under the surface waiting to pounce whereas the Origins one I like more for spots that have already surfaced that need drying out. I like to apply the Drying Lotion to any spots or whiteheads that need aren't necessarily visible but I can feel and know will eventually come out. Anyway gross talk over, the stuff is good and very effective.

My Inglot Freedom Palette that I put together at the Bondi Junction store in Sydney at the end of last year. I wanted something that if necessary, I could throw in my bag and would have everything I need to do my makeup on the go. More and more I was finding myself having to do my makeup on the train, well at least my mascara if i had to run out the door. Now I have learnt to better manage my time but I still reach for this palette almost every day for an easy 'everyday' eye for work. The colours are all neutral, so right up my alley and I find they complement my eyes nicely. The quality is definitely comparable to that of MAC and Urban Decay and these run for around $10 each plus the palette but still well under the price point of MAC in Australia.

This past month I've really been loving lipgloss for everyday, especially at work I do a lot of talking so I find lipglosses to be a bit more hydrating and comfortable for a long day. No surprise, like every other beauty junkie I've been in love with the NYX Butter Glosses. I have a few shades, love them all and everything about them. In the past I've really not been into lipgloss much (Check out my lipstick tag, I wrote more on this) mostly because of the tacky feel and that overly glossy look it's just not for me but these have absolutely changed my mind. They feel really nice on the lips, very smooth not gritty and not tacky my lips definitely don't get stuck together when I'm wearing these. Continuing on the lipgloss chat, during Priceline's 40% off sale I picked up one of the new Maybelline ColourSensational High Shine gloss in 110- Mirrored Mauve. At first I wasn't sure about the smell but it's grown on me and now I'm just trying to figure out what it actually reminds me of.. definitely something sweet I'm thinking a soft drink or lolly but every time I wear it I'm still trying to pinpoint what it is!

I've also been really conscious of my hair looking a bit dry in recent months so I bought the L'Oreal EverCreme Deep Nourishing Masque to go with my shampoo and conditioner because I knew I loved those already and this is no different. I use this at least once a week depending on how many times I wash my hair and just leave it on for a few minutes after shampooing, rinse it out and that's it. It doesn't take 10-15 minutes like a lot of others do which is one of the reasons I love it so much. I can honestly tell a big difference in my hair, it's less frizzy and feels a lot softer.

Last of all is a perfume I've been loving which is YSL's Manifesto. I bought this for my mum last year when I was in Europe because she'd asked me to but there was no tester when I bought it so I just went on her word. Obviously I didn't open it before I gave it to her so had no idea what it smelt like but then everyday she wore it I was like I need that it smells sooo good! So, I put it on my Christmas wishlist and I was lucky enough to be given it. I just got a 30mL size becauseI had wanted to keep it in my handbag but the bottle is quite heavy and I didn't want to forget about it. I'm almost halfway through already, which considering how many perfumes I have on rotation at the moment is pretty impressive and a sure sign that I love it. It's top notes are bergamot and green notes with base notes of sambac jasmine, sensual woods and vanilla. That is probably quite useless sorry.. I just took it from the YSL website. If you're in a department store I advise you to go and give it a sniff!

A few little extras I'll throw in are some albums I've had on repeat on my ipod, in my car and on my laptop so I think I like them a little bit.. Beyonce's self titled album is amazing, I'm definitely not the first one to say it so I won't ramble on about it. Also, Pharrell's new album GIRL which I bought the other week off iTunes and I really like the whole album. It's quite different from the single 'Happy' which is the only song that's been released. There's cameos from Justin Timberlake and Alicia Keys and I've just really been enjoying it.

There are so many more but I won't keep rambling for now, I'll just reserve my thoughts for later down the track..

Regular posts on Instagram- @beautylocale

'No Makeup, Makeup'

I've seen a lot of this type of blog post and YouTube videos around but then when I watch them I'm just sort of left dumbfounded at how someone can think that packing 25 different products on your face is attempting a no makeup, makeup face. I understand wanting a natural look but I think that is different from what I consider this to mean. For me I try to have at least 1 or 2 'no makeup' days a week depending on how often I'm working obviously. It's good to let your skin breathe and just have a day off from packing on the makeup and I've found the more I do this, the more confident I feel to brave more than just the local shops with a bare face. I know that it's bad I don't feel comfortable without a full face of makeup or at least a foundation base but I guess that's just what I've become used to and how I feel more confident. In saying that, I am getting better.. slowly... but slow and steady wins the race, right..?

Anyway, my biggest issue is my skin because it is far from perfect but I do feel it is necessary to give it a breather and get some fresh, non-chemical, pore-clogged air. So on days like these I just prefer to avoid fluorescent lighting and large, magnified mirrors.. Obviously a walking advertisement for self-confidence but whatever, I'm getting there. So I like to avoid putting anything on the majority of my face, I'll just moisturise in the morning and probably pop on some type of pore-filling product, so either Benefit Porefessional or Innoxa Pore Vanishing Cream just to make things appear more even textured. Then I'll lightly conceal under my eyes, using a good colour-match to avoid stark light under-eyes that make you look worse rather than more awake. Then if I have any overly red or major little spotty pals on my face, I'll dab a bit of concealer over those and blend them in with either my finger or buffing brush to appear seamless.

Brows are a must for me. Whether I'm doing exercise or going to the shops, lunch whatever, I've become one of those girls who can't at least pencil in her brows before leaving the house. I naturally have very light and sparse brows so by filling them in even just a little bit I feel it balances out my face a lot more and just is more of an attempt when I otherwise can't be bothered. Always making sure that I don't go too dark especially because as I'm base-free so my face is quite pale. Then I'll just finish with lashings of mascara to detract from any other focal points happening on my face, generally my holy grail- Jordana Best Lash Extreme or I'm also currently using L'Oreal False Lash Architect which I'm enjoying. If I'm feeling a little lacklustre I'll line either my tightline with a black liner which is the most simple step yet makes quite a difference or my waterline with a nude liner to make my eyes appear wider and more awake.

Some lip balm or a tinted lip product, nothing too strong to overpower your bare face and that is what I consider to be 'no makeup, makeup'. Still have a few products on your face but at this point, this is the most bare faced I'll go in public..

Instagram - @beautylocale

The Wedding Face

Last week one of my beautiful friends, Michelle was attending a wedding and asked me to do her face for her. Of course I was more than happy to and she was also kind enough to let me photograph before and after and now she may be making future appearances on this blog
Her dress was a coral, lilac print and she wanted a purple toned eye to complement both her dress and lovely green eyes. For a Summer wedding I thought a nice soft purple eye would be appropriate and a few quick tweaks later on could take the look into the evening.

I started with Benefit's Porefessional Primer around the nose and a bit down the T-zone and prepped her eyes using Urban Decay's Original Primer Potion. As a base I used Maybelline 24hr Eye Tattoo in Barely Branded seeing as these things last for hours and hours. For the most part of the eyes I used a L'Oreal trio in 405- Stay Ultra Violet, Tease from the Naked 2 palette through the crease, Bootycall as a brow highlight and a touch of this iridescent LA splash glitter on the inner third of the lid for an extra touch of glitz and glamour! A small cat eye using Maybelline gel liner, a few lashings of Jordana's Best Lash Extreme and finally L'Oreal infallible eyeshadow in Purple Obsession smudged into the bottom lash line.

Brows were done using Wet n Wild Brow kit, some subtle bronzing around the edges of the face with MAC Matte bronzing powder and Nars Amour blush on the cheeks for a gorgeous pink glow.

As Michelle is slightly more pale than I am, I used her own foundation which was Napoleon Perdis Advanced Mineral Makeup liquid foundation and set her whole face using the Camera Finish powder.

A spritz of Urban Decay 'Chill' setting spray and voila! She was ready.

All of the brushes used were either Real Techniques, Sigma or Bdellium. I know this is a very brief rundown but I wanted to share this anyway. Maybe in the future I'll do a more step by step but usually I just wing it and make it up as I go along!