Bite Beauty Begins Here

Like a lot of other beauty obsessives, the minute I knew I was going to the US, I began drafting my beauty wishlist.. it was a slippery slope let me tell you. At the top of my list was to delve into the world of Bite Beauty and I really wanted to make it to their lip lab in NYC. However in true holiday style, this all went out the window. I did buy the Agave lip mask which I've been loving but after I was given the huge lip set from Sephora from Christmas, I think I felt anymore lip product purchases was just excessive.

Enter Sydney Sephora, a giftcard from a gorgeous gal pal and working in dangerously close vicinity to Pitt St. I braved the lunch rush to check out Bite Beauty specifically and was disappointed by all the colours I had my eye on being out of stock. A week later and a second chance, we had success! 

Of all their formulas it was the Matte Creme Lip Crayons that caught my eye- a beautiful range of shades from nudes to bolds, on first swatch these just glided so easily on the back of my hand. Plus as I've mentioned before, I'm not one to shy away from a good ol' matte lip. Glacé had me straight away- trust. A beautiful dusty mauve, it was well and truly up my alley as a pinky brown tone. Then to even out the spectrum I thought a dark, bold shade would be a nice pairing. My pick- Truffle. A gorgeous vampy, deep brown, perfect for the upcoming Autumn trends and weather. 

Glacé & Truffle

I've worn Glacé all day at work, talking, eating, the lot and it's seriously comfortable for a matte lip and only needs a light reapplication. Now that I've used it a few times, the tip isn't as sharp which is disappointing and something I didn't really think about, because initially it was great for getting a super crisp line. I haven't given sharpening it a go yet but has anyone else found this or tried sharpening them? I don't want to do it and then ruin it entirely because that would just be devastation.

These retail for $30 at Sephora which when you think about it is more affordable than a lot of mid-range brands plus these are made with only good ingredients and are free from a whole lot of nasty chemicals and additives. That's Bite Beauty's aim if you weren't aware so bonus thumbs up from me!

Easy on the Eye(s)

Eye crayons and jumbo pencils seem to be emerging more and more on makeup shelves and counters from various brands- both more affordable and highend. One of the favourites which I'm sure no beauty blogger is unfamiliar with are the NYX jumbo eye pencils; they come in a huge range of shades from neutrals to brights. I think NYX were one of the first companies to really make this type of product so popular and since more and more companies are taking a page from their book. Eye crayons and jumbo pencils have been increasingly sneaking into a lot of my makeup and eye looks of late so I thought a blog post was in order! Plus on a recent peruse of priceline's website, I saw some new releases of even more eye crayons! Heavens!

May as well start with NYX as I've already mentioned them and I'm sure most people would have one of these in ther collection or are at least aware of them. I have two shades- the cult classic Milk as well as Iced Mocha, which I may or may not have purchased on two occasions because I didn't know the name and thought it looked right up my alley online. Well duh woman, that's why you bought it the first time! (Please tell me I'm not alone here..) Anyway these pencils are great as a base for powder shadows or just on their own as an all over wash of colour. They blend easily, are pigmented and don't crease on me. Plus as I mentioned before, the shade range of these is huge and because they're affordable, they're great for dress up occasions or if you are feeling adventurous and colourful!

Also from NYX are their Glam Shadow Sticks- a bit less creamy and not so much a base product but these sticks look great swiped over a bare lid or over a bit of matte or shimmer shadow to add some extra pizazz. I bought one of these when Target had NYX on offer and really like it. If you want subtle shimmer, this is not for you because it is more than apparent. They don't glide so easily over the lid as the Jumbo Pencils and definitely don't have the same creamy texture but nonetheless they're super easy to work with.

Next up we have Rimmel's offering; now Rimmel know what they're doing when it comes to eye pencils if you ask me. Their Scandaleyes range is fantastic- the pencils are creamy, super long lasting and are pretty good on the smudge proof front. When they brought out the jumbo Scandaleyes eyeshadow pencils I was on board. At the moment I only have one shade Bad Girl Bronze but that one shade gets a lotta love! Surprise surprise is a brown but it has some slight shimmer through it, I absolutely love it for a super quick, fuss-free smokey eye! Slap a bit on all over the lid, as messy as you want blend it out with your finger or a fluffy brush, do the same to your lower lash line and you're in business! As quick as that. Again with these, they're long lasting, creamy, pigmented and don't crease on me but I am always wearing eye primer or concealer as a base just to be sure. 

A few random extras to tag on the end- in my stash I've accumulated an eyeshadow stick from Sephora's own line which again, is a great base but sadly often neglected. Same goes for the Bloom Smokey shadow stick which has a brush on the other end that is really quite useless for this product. However it and the Sephora pencil are great for an evening smokey eye more due to the shades but they're not disappointing products. Lastly we have a Barry M pencil which I undoubtedly put in my ASOS shopping bag when I was wanting a bit of beauty therapy. Not a waste though, this pencil is similar to that of the Rimmel Scandaleyes and of course, standard me, it's a neutral bronzey colour. Perfect for everyday quick swipe eyes or darkened up for the evening!

Do you use eyeshadow pencils or crayons in your daily routine? Do you have some in your stash that you turn to? I'm seeing more and more brands launch their own Eyeshadow sticks/pencils so they must be catering to someone! 

Product Reviews | The Best of the Minis

When it comes to things that are miniature in size, I'm a complete sucker. Whether it's deluxe samples or products that come in a small size, I can't resist, they're just too cute! (An advertiser's dream right here..) I've been collecting some of the miniatures that I have either acquired or purchased with a future blogpost in mind to share my thoughts and maybe endorse a few purchases..

Let's start with Benefit's Porefessional ($53AUD) There's no denying this is a serious 'cult' product that receives glowing reviews and I was lucky enough to get this deluxe sample size as a freebie with a magazine I bought when I was in the UK. Surprisingly this size lasted me a good while seeing as you only need a small amount and a year later I purchased the full size, again whilst overseas. This product is great for filling in pores and giving you an all around smoother appearance. Not sure how much this does in terms of mattifying your t-zone though but I do enjoy using it as more of a targeted area primer.

Origin's Super Spot Remover ($19AUD) Not a sample size, just adorably small. This may seem pricey for a spot gel but man oh man is it worth spending a bit extra. This stuff is definitely my go-to when my skin is acting out, I just pop it on before I go to bed and in the morning my spots are definitely reduced in redness and size. This dries it out without making the skin around the area too dry and flakey. I think this may be my second or third bottle..

Kiehl's Ultra Face Cream (from $34AUD) and Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense (from $38USD) Both of these deluxe samples were gift with purchase of the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Serum as a little rejuvenating pack I think. For an oily skin gal like me, I think the Ultra Face Cream would be too heavy generally for everyday use but at one point my skin was looking quite dehydrated and flakey and this fixed it right up! Hasn't sold me enough to purchase the full size but a good product nonetheless and I scraped the mini jar dry. Daily UV Defense is still going strong and I put this on underneath my makeup when I know I'll be outdoors rather than inside at work all day. With an SPF of 50+++ it definitely has the tick of approval for Australia's hot, Summer days and I feel well and truly protected when wearing it.

Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer (from $25AUD) Hourglass, can you do no wrong?! Honestly, every product of theirs that I've tried, I've loved. It is quickly becoming one of my favourite high-end brands and this was no exception. This sample size came with my purchase of the Ambient Lighting Powder Palette and when I bought it the lovely assistant at Mecca Cosmetica slyly pointed out the free gift and told me I'd love it. Yep, she wasn't wrong. This primer is silky, radiant and beautiful and definitely gives my makeup lasting power for a long day at work and keeps my oiliness at bay as well as smoothing out my pores and general textural issues. And yes, I may have treated myself to the full size of this last week but in my defence I did have a voucher from Christmas to ease the blow to the bank account.

The luxury that is Chanel Mat Lumiere Foundation ($72AUD) This little tester is in the shade B30 which I was trialling along with B20. I have overcome my anxieties about approaching makeup counters for samples especially when I could be spending my pretty pennies on products that I end up not liking, which has happened all too often in the past! The lovely assistant at the David Jones Chanel counter helped to match me and suggested I try both B20 and B30 in natural light and see how they sat and oxidised on my skin throughout the day and wear. I thought I'd include this cute tester tube in this post purely for how adorable (and as it turned out, quite impractical) it is. Together with the Hourglass Primer, this is a winning duo and I decided to purchase the full size in shade B20 and then I can just use bronzer to warm it up when I need to.

Last but not least, Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara ($28AUD) This may seem like a gimmick and a completely unnecessary product but when you've got it, you can definitely see its necessity. I was lucky enough to pick this up at the Estee Lauder and Companies corporate store for a steal so I could justify the purchase. The minuscule wand is the perfect size for separating your bottom lashes without looking unnatural or clumpy. The formula is also non-smudging and long-wearing which is a must in order to avoid the sleepy panda look.

That's my wrap up of some recent minis that I've loved and as you've seen have influenced future purchases. These companies know how to rope you in!

Millie x