The It Cosmetics 'Naturally Pretty' Palette

Ohh matte shadows, how I love thee so. Sometimes I just don't feel like shimmer and crave a matte eye; I don't know what it is but I'm really drawn to matte products and the look of them. I've got quite a few single matte eyeshadows from various brands but I've never found a complete palette with the right shades, right formula and just all round the bomb.com until now. It Cosmetics isn't really a brand that's readily available in Australia but of course I've seen it mentioned on YouTube, blogs and the like. I trawl through Instagram all day, errday (@beautylocale if you were wondering) and when I saw this beauty pop up on Shameless Fripperie's feed I was all over it. Scrolled through the comments and saw she bought it from PM Studio in Waterloo, Sydney and it was mine. I didn't physically go to the store, I decided to just buy it online and pay a small shipping fee but they also stock some other hard to find brands as well like Make Up For Ever, Cover FX, Viseart and lots more. 

Within a few days it arrived and that was it. I was hooked. Karima (Shamless Fripperies) posted a video on her first impressions of this which I didn't even watch before I purchased however I did read a couple of reviews, had a look at more close up photos and asked no more questions. I can't find it on their site at the moment but from memory this came in under $50 which for 14 shadows and a pearl transformer is incredibly well priced. I used the palette non-stop for at least a week which is unlike me; with new products I often use them once or twice, alternate and come back to it every few days but this was glued to my morning face routine. Even after months of using this palette I reach for it almost everyday if not for a complete look then for matte shades to run through the crease.

Top Row

Bottom Row

The colour selection is so versatile and great for day and night. The shadows themselves are phenomenal and beautifully pigmented; super easy to work with and blend like a dream. I never thought of reaching for orangey and more red toned shadows (rather than a cranberry) but I surprise myself at how often my little MAC 217 gravitates to Sunrise and Sunset. With the 14 shadows, comes a larger 'Pearl Transformer' which is meant to transform any of the matte shadows to a shimmer. I'm not 100% sold on the transformer, I've found it changes the colour as well as adding shimmer so it's not what I always want but I do like it for a brow and inner corner highlight. 

You can see from the photos how well loved the palette is considering a lot of the IT stampings have disappeared but I just can't rave enough about how good this palette is and the shadows themselves. The only thing I'm not such a big fan of is the felted packaging because it's already got grimy fingerprints on it and I haven't really travelled with it that much at all. Because it's a material cover, it does pick up anything that's on your fingertips but I can work past that. 

Blurred Lines

Pores. The bane of most womens' existence unless you've been blessed by the angels with perfect skin that is. However, to aid those of us who need a little blurring assistance, beauty companies have launched an abundance of 'blurring' primers to fill pores, blur imperfections and prep your skin for a flawless base. This is a big task for one little product and some have been able to fill the task for my skin and others have given it a good go but have just underperformed.

I've tried a mix of affordable and high end primers that claim to blur imperfections and any fine lines. Here are my brief thoughts on those that I have tried, keeping in mind I do have combination skin and I am quite conscious of the pores next to and on my nose. Ain't nobody got time for foundation sinking into those crevasses on your face and looking like a hot mess!

Ps. Yes I also cringed at the title of this post but I just had to do it. #sorrynotsorry 

The Good:

Hourglass. I swear if I paid myself every time I wrote about this little gem I'd be a squilionaire. However, to avoid boring anyone that's read any of my previous posts I won't repeat myself. It's fabby fab fab. Go to Mecca or your equivalent (Sephora, Space NK etc) and get a tester or just try it on your hand and introduce yourself. Get acquainted quickly because the love affair will be intense. FYI this is bottle number two if you were thinking this looks a little too fresh.

Benefit Porefessional- Again a product I feel needs little introduction but I like to use this in conjunction with my Hourglass Veil as that does more for general smoothing then Porefessional swoops in and fills in any pores and creates the base I wish I had. Does great things for maintaining oil as well but I prefer to just use this on my nose and the areas beside it.

Body Shop Instablur- I bought this one on a bit of a whim; I was perusing the site for new body products and Instablur was being advertised on the home page at the time- obviously as it was newly released. I hadn't heard much about it at all so I did a quick google and read maybe one or two reviews and thought I'd try it out, why not?! At the time I bought it, it was $28.95 which is still half the price of Porefessional but now they've lowered their prices, it's only $21.95- a steal! This product does wonders for mattifying, pore filling and general smoothing of my base. I also find it works perfectly with Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet whereas that + Hourglass Veil is not such a good time. Once again I recommend heading into a Body Shop store and trying this out on your hand, it will look instantly better! Plus they advertise this as an Instagram filter for your face. You don't have to tell me twice! Now that the product has been out a few more months and they've done PR for it, I've seen a lot more positive reviews from beauty bloggers worldwide if you want to know more.

The not as Good:

L'Oreal Magic Blur-  I actually squealed a little when I saw this finally hit the shelves in Priceline. Bloggers in the US had been raving about this product for months and months before we even saw a glimpse of the range. However, it must be different. For starters our packaging is very different and from what I can tell from videos and photos, so is the consistency and texture. I found this was ok in terms of smoothing pores but did absolutely nothing for controlling oil, maybe even made this look a little worse..

Innoxa Skin Perfecting Pore Vanishing Cream- Why you got such a long name for?? I made this purchase on hearing it was a great drugstore alternative to Porefessional which I already owned so more wanted to do a comparison. From memory this is like a third of the price of Porefessional so would be a great more affordable option. It is slightly thinner than Porefessional, still skin toned and does an ok job of filling in pores but like the L'Oreal, I feel it did more bad than good for controlling oil in my T-Zone.

I'm not saying either of those products are horrendous, they're just not as good and therefore don't get reached for as much. Which are your favourite 'blurring primers'? Have you tried any of these?

New in | NARS Audacious Lipsticks

You know you have beautiful friends in your life when an after work Mecca swatch session becomes a mental note for future birthday gifts. This was the case for me when one of my work pals turned up with that familiar eggplant shade of shopping bag and handed me makeup heaven from MeccaCosmetica. Inside contained the new Nars Audacious lipsticks. Two of them in fact. You can imagine the internal silent squeals at my desk. They happened. Anyway she knows how grateful I am and all the feels so let's crack on with the beauty.. crack..?

Barbara & Fanny

Nars' most recent launch of their Audacious lipsticks and liners created quite a kerfuffle in the beautysphere I must say. I'm not sure if it was because they got a total revamp in packaging, stamping the lot or if a new Nars launch is just that exciting. I think it may be a little of column A and a little of column B. The range was launched with 30 shades each named with a womans' name so added excitement points if one of them is yours! There's nudes, oranges, reds, pinks, vampy, they've launched them all so there's something for everyone.

On an Instagram trawl I'd spotted the shade Fanny but we all know that sometimes in photos colours can look a little off, especially for lipsticks and blushes. Not in this case; I flipped over almost every lipstick I thought was close in colour until I found her- Fanny; a beautiful deep raspberry shade I would say but not too wintery, it's definitely wearable in all months.

Barbara

The second shade she chose was Barbara-a beautiful brown toned nude, right up my alley! Apparently she wanted to get my Anita which we'd both admired in store but was told that Anita was a popular gal and sold out. Doesn't bother me, Barbara is a beautiful lady! I was worried it was going to be too nude on my pale skin but no issues whatsoever, it's perfect.

L- Fanny, R- Barbara

These lipsticks glide on, feel super comfortable on the lips and are easy to reapply. They retail for $44 each from MeccaCosmetica.

A Beautylishious Birthday

It was recently my birthday and I didn't really have anything major on my wishlist, but I had been eyeing off a few naughty beauty splurges that I just couldn't bring myself to make; however my darling mother was kind enough to spoil me for my birthday! 

I thought I'd do a quick post while all the products are looking pretty and fresh before I let loose and go to swatch town. 

First of all, Wayne Goss. A makeup God- when he launched this line of brushes I was like need. want. must. The way he explains that they've been crafted and the craftsmanship and talent that has gone into each brush I just wanted them in my life. I'd been looking at adding to my brush collection with some more mid-range brushes but when my birthday came around, these came to mind. I didn't want to go for the full set- either face or eye because there's always a brush or two that don't tickle my fancy or I just don't need so I chose to purchase them individually instead. (I didn't leave the choice up to my mum by the way so these weren't a surprise.) I see the point in investing in good eye brushes because I feel they can make a difference in application whereas I'm quite content with my current range of face brushes.

Brush 06

"Brush 06 is great for blending! With a bit of curve, it can blend multiple colors or pull eyeshadow out or up toward the brow."- Beautylish site

Brush 19

"From blending out kohl pencil, depositing shadow and defining the crease to concealing under eye circles, Brush 19 does it all."- Beautylish site

In saying that I see more value in investing in eye brushes, I did also choose a couple of face brushes but not face base if that makes sense. I went for a fan brush as well as a blush/multi-taskting all rounder brush.

Brush 15

"Highlight the tops of cheekbones, brow bones, and cupid’s bow. The thin shape can also create a really sharp, defined line when contouring cheeks." - Beautylish

Brush 11

"Soft enough for applying any powder product—bronzer, blush, or highlighter—over foundation without disturbing it." -Beautylish site

I haven't put any of these brushes to use as of yet, I've been waiting to take my photos, do the post and I just like to look at them and swirl them on the back of my hand.. I posted these on Instagram and captioned the photo describing these as angel's feathers. It's a stretch because I've never felt an angel's feather but these are seriously that soft and just feel amazing. Another thing I did notice was how lightweight these are; some brushes can have really heavy handles but these are super comfortable in your hand and just feel so special.

In addition to Wayne Goss' brushes, I also wanted to join the Charlotte Tilbury phenomenon. I've followed her on instagram and drooled over her makeup range via instagram and beauty bloggers alike and come birthday time, I was on a serious #feelinspendy vibe. These bits were more a gift to myself  (bar the makeup brush) but you know, sometimes you just gotta treat yo'self! (wise words spoken by a lovely Lush assistant on a recent trip. Complete sidenote sorry about that). 

I didn't want to go too mad initially and buy the whole range; well of course I wanted to but my pockets would have cried sweet, sweet, glittery tears, so I just bought two bits that I've heard only good things about and felt I too, needed in my life. 

Surprise, surprise I went for the Filmstar Bronze & Glow. A contour and highlight palette that exudes old hollywood glamour and will undoubtably give me a chiseled looking bone structure. Thank you for your time. Much enabled by YouTube beauty gurus but I place no blame. Even on first opening of the packaging there was love. 

To go with this palette, my mum bought me the Powder & Sculpt Brush which is purely based on Anna (ViviannaDoesMakeup) using it quite a bit in her video tutorials. Then last but not least, I bought one of the Colour Chameleon Eyeshadow Sticks in Bronzed Garnet. A quick and easy swipe, blend, done jobby; the shade of this pencil is a gorgeous warm brown catered to a daytime look for green eyes- hey presto, that's perfect for me! Used it the other day and love it. 

With so many beautiful goodies added to my stash, I should be right for the next.. I'd say week. Just kidding, I'm not that bad but I am very excited to now start using all of these things.   Let me know what's on your highend wishlist because I always like to add to mine!

Ps. Had a great experience shopping with Beautylish, postage was fairly standard for US to Australia, delivery was via courier so very speedy and you get a lovely handwritten note with your purchase plus I also got a Korres freebie! Highly recommend!!

With so many beautiful goodies added to my stash, I should be right for the next.. I'd say week. Just kidding, I'm not that bad but I am very excited to now start using all of these things.  

Let me know what's on your highend wishlist because I always like to add to mine! 

Spring Scents

Every morning, I look at my collection of perfumes and choose one depending on my mood, the weather oustide and the season. I'm not one of those people to wear the same scent every single day, I definitely have some I wear more than others but I prefer to alternate and change it up a little! For Winter, I tend to reach for more rich, warm fragrances whereas now that it's Spring and warming up, I have found myself (surprisingly) reaching for more light, florally fragrances. Whoda thunk it?! These are the top four that when I looked at my stash caught my eye and are definitely some of my most loved. I'm not even going to try to explain how these smell and the different notes etc but I'll add what the companies say they contain.

Jo Malone Wild Bluebell Cologne - I bought this in Harrod's, London last year and stood there for so long with the assistant helping me to choose just one cologne. If you've been to a Jo Malone counter before you'd know it can be a little overwhelming with being presented so. many. choices. They're all displayed on perspex stands that have the main note like, woody, citrus, floral, spicy etc which does help a little. Anyway I ended up with Wild Bluebell which I thought was a beautiful light scent for the warmer months as I bought it at the beginning of my European holiday. 

Wild Bluebell falls under the 'Light Floral' category and is described as- Vibrant sapphire blooms in a shaded woodland. The delicate sweetness of dewy bluebells suffused with lily of the valley and eglantine, and a luscious twist of persimmon. Mesmorising. 

Love, Chloe EDP-  I did something I'd never done before with this perfume... I bought it on a whim. I was browsing Boots Pharmacy in London, again last year, and as I was passing the fragrance cabinet the sales assistant was marking down the perfumes. I was looking for something specific, I can't remember what it was but then I saw this perfume was discounted to £17. £17. I was like :| I asked the lady if it was nice/similar to the original which I've worn for years and do love and she said it was nice but not too similar. I needed a perfume for my trip and this went immediately into my already very full shopping basket. This perfume is one of my favourites and I reach for it a lot a lot. Almost everyday but as I said, I like to chop and change. Whenever I wear this people always say it's a very 'clean' smell and soapy has been mentioned as well. I'm not bothered, I like to smell clean! I found out that this has been discontinued so scoured the internet and bought a new 100mL bottle before they all disappear! However I've seen a lot around on the internet on trustworthy sites if you're interested. 

 It's described as: a celebration of radiant, generous and spontaneous femininity. A contagious beauty that is free and graceful. This fragrance is inspired by the intimacy of the beauty ritual. It is a fine, powdery scent. Light, sensual and iridescent with talc and rice. Notes: orange blossom, pepper, hyacinth, iris, lilac, wisteria, heliotropine, musk, talc, rice powder.

Prada Candy L'Eau EDT- Again an overseas purchase- I tend to wait to buy fragrances overseas because they're cheaper and I sometimes worry about authenticity when purchasing fragrances online. I bought this at a Sephora after I'd sniffed a million and one others and I preferred the EDT of Candy rather than the original. It's lighter and a bit more fresh so therefore not as overpowering. I only bought the 30mL but this has lasted me quite a while. I wore it around Europe so now when I wear it, it takes me back to the Greek Islands and European summer which makes me one happy lady. I love how a scent can attach to a memory and stick in your mind! This is probably about as sweet a perfume as I'll wear as well. 

They say: Combining freshness and joie de vivre, Prada’s latest fragrance evolved from the concept of a fictional young female character, Candy. Alluring and unexpected, pleasure-seeking and enigmatic, the many facets of Candy’s personality reflect the range of notes that form Prada Candy L’Eau. A trinity of white musks, benzoin, and caramel is heightened by the presence of citrus and Oriental floral notes to create a vibrant ensemble. Zestful, elegant, and indulgent, the spirit of the fragrance lies in Candy’s optimistic view of the world.

Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb EDP-  I think this will be one that most people have heard of/use/love or are obsessed with. It's just one of those scents, ya know. Two of my best friends in highschool used to wear this and they just smelt absolutely amaze so I had to jump on the bandwagon and have it to! This is now my second 100mL bottle and I love coming back to it in the warmer months. The thing I like about this perfume is that I feel it smells slightly different on everyone, which I know is often the case with perfumes as it reacts with peoples' skin differently but not always. This on me and this on my best friend are so, so different. I find this to be a fairly warm floral, again quite sweet without being lolly water sweet. I do always get compliments when I wear this and as I said it seems to be a crowd favourite with a lot of beauty obsessives!

They say: This floral explosion releases a profusion of flowers that has the power to make everything seem more positive. Magically evocative notes immediately awaken your deepest senses, giving you the impression of living life in your own secret garden, away from reality. Sambac jasmine, centifolia rose, 

cattleya orchid, and ballerina freesia bloom on a base of patchouli.

What are your favourite go-to perfumes for the warmer months? From this blog post do you have any recommendations for me?

Goldwell Elixir

I did try to take a photo of the actual oil then realised it was clear and just the bottle is gold.. derp.

With Summer around the corner, often things can get a little dry and frizzy from all the heat and beaching and swimming that us Aussies enjoy. However, I just have to say AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FO' DAT! So I've found a product that will be helping me combat frizzy, dry locks this Summer so things remain looking sleek and chic.

Goldwell's Elixir* is a beautiful, lightweight hair oil that has a nice scent and doesn't leave your hair feeling weighed down and greasy. Plus it's a bit of a multitasker so if you're someone who just can't be bothered too much with your haircare routine or you don't want to be spending a lot of money on various products then this could be the one you need. Unlike a lot of other much loved products on the market that have only one oil in them, Elixir is a combination of Argan Oil which we all know is the new 'it' thing in the beauty world, together with Tamanu Oil which has protective qualities. The combination of the two provides your hair with intense shine, silky soft to touch and is great for anti-frizz- well hello, I think you've answered my prayers hair angels!

I like to use this more on towel-dried hair before I quickly 'blow dry' it. I use that term loosely because really I run my fingers through and wave the hairdryer around until is dry enough for me to leave the house and look semi respectable. Applying the oil before hair drying also works as a heat protectant but sometimes I do double up with my TRESemme Keratin Protect spray for added protection.

As I mentioned before this one is a bit of a multitasker, so you can also add a drop of the Elixir into any other hair treatments you may use for a bit o' extra silky smooth and as well as a finishing product. So once you've dried your hair and maybe things are looking a little frizzola and bouffy post-dry; rub a pea sized amount through your palms and gently over your hair avoiding the roots. This will calm things down more and protect against the frizz which for me, is a necessity.

The Goldwell Elixir retails for $34.95 which is cheaper than a lot of the other salon products that aim to do a similar thing. You can purchase it from Goldwell salons.

*I was kindly sent this product for review however all opinions are truthful and my own and this post is not compensated.

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?