The Daily Makeup Edit

It's been a loooong, long time since I've done any sort of "daily makeup" routine post on the blog, and seeing as I've stuck to a pretty solid routine for the past several months, I figured I should update you guys! This post will also serve somewhat as a September favourites as I haven't really been using or loving anything new, just the same old shiz! I think that will change in the coming months though as I've broken my spending ban (a pretty lax one at that) and made a Colourpop order, and I anticipate I will be buying a bunch more with the impending holiday releases! I'm pretty proud of myself though, I pretty much hadn't bought anything since the Sweet Peach Palette which was all the way back in May! Anyway, if any of y'all are OG readers, some of these products might take you waaay back into the archives! I should say, I don't necessarily wear this makeup everyday but this look is typically my go-to for work (without the eye products) or long days at uni!

The Best of 2015

Hallo humans! I'm finally getting around to wrapping up my favourites of 2015! I hadn't thought of what I would put in this post (was probably procrastinating lbr), but when I sat down to write up my list, there were quite a few obvious picks! I had quite a bit of trouble narrowing it down, and will probably throw in some honourable mentions too heh. I decided to go about picking the products I used and loved during 2015, not necessarily new products of 2015, though I did get quite a few of them last year. I'm also not mentioning products I got in the last couple of months, but you can catch up on those faves in my November and December favourites posts! Anyway, enough rambling, let's jump in before this post becomes 10000 years long!

Preachin' the Peachy-Pink // Behind the Frames

Today we have a very special post - a guest post by Sheri from Behind the Frames featuring her favourite peachy-pink products! This is some what of a 'colab' (as all da cool Youtubers would call it) as I've shared all of my favourite peachy-pink prods on Sheri's blog, so be sure to check it out! Sheri has to be one of my bestest blogger buddies and we've known each other for something like 2 years! It is so awesome to finally have her over on my blog and I promise you, we will meet each other in the flesh - ONE DAY. Anyway, enough of me - keep reading for your daily dose of Sheri charm ;)

Monthly Favourites // May 2015

HOW ARE WE BASICALLY HALFWAY THROUGH THE YEAR. THIS IS INSANE. May has been a hectic month for me. In my friendship group, May is, like, THE birthday month so pretty much every weekend I had at least one birthday 'do to attend (mine included! ;) )! While it was extremely fun catching up with everyone, it also meant I was super busy. Coupled with gift shopping, work, study and procrastination, there was little time left for blogging unfortunately! My blogging schedule has been all out of whack (kills me) but hopefully everything will be back to normal once I finish exams on the 10th! I've been trying to keep my bloglovin' feed contained, but it's so easy for the blogposts to just PILE UP! So, I'm trying to catch up on those too! Anyway, favourites-wise, as you guys saw, I've gotten A LOT of new stuff lately so I've been trying it all and not really using any one product a lot. I've rounded up the things I've loved though, but maybe haven't used them a tonne.

In the Spotlight // Napoleon Perdis

A type of post that I love reading, but have never done myself, is a "brand spotlight" post, where I showcase all of the products I have from one particular brand. Looking at my collection, I actually don't have a lot of products from many brands, brand loyal I am not! I do, however, have a few products from Australian brand, Napoleon Perdis, many of which I haven't properly reviewed on the blog. Now is their time to shine!

Monthly Favourites // April 2015

For serial doe, WHERE DID APRIL GO?!? I feel like I did nothing this month, study wise (oops). What with the Easter break, it felt like holidays and subsequently I watched a bunch of TV shows (more on that later) and movies (AVENGERS AOU!!!). But anyway, I have quite a few favourites this month so let's dig in!

Monthly Favourites // February 2015

Farewell February, you probably won't be missed. Half of February I was extremely anxious and nervous for starting university, while the other half was O-week and actually at uni! So far it's been pretty okay, can't say I've made many friendlies (*cough* typical) but there'll be plenty of time for that...right???? So now that I'm a uni student and all, I've sort of been getting back into the groove of daily makeup, and sussing out what's "appropriate". I've noticed that not a lot of people wear much makeup to uni so I haven't exactly been pulling out the bold lips or smoky eyes...but here is what I've been wearing a lot of! Also...it's Autumn now! Thought I'd get into the spirit with a knit background lel, even though I probably won't be wearing this till Winter - it's still hot as a mofo out there!

Guest Post // Top 5 Blushes

Well hello there readers of Shiwashiful! My name is Gabbie and I am visiting from thebeautybabbler. Tasha and I decided it would be fun to do a "guest post" to mix things up for our readers. It took a little discussion but we came to the conclusion that both of us have blush collection bordering on obsessive and that it would be fun to share our top 5!

Disappointing Products #1

Over my time as a beauty blogger, I've found plenty of products that I love and enjoy using, but I've also stumbled across some that I don't like as much. These are pretty scarce occurrences as I generally read a lot of reviews on any particular product I want to buy, or have heard in general whether a product is good or not. However, sometimes I buy into the hype and said products disappoint me, in other cases they didn't live up to my expectations or just simply didn't work out. This post has probably been long overdue and I actually had so many products I had to split it into two posts! Another will be coming soon and it actually features all lip products.

Sanctuary Spa Polishing Hot Cloth Cleanser

This isn't a terrible cleanser, and I do intend on finishing it - it cleans my skin effectively but just isn't as thick or creamy as I'd like it to be. It doesn't leave my skin feeling soft or moisturised, if anything slightly dry and craving the rest of my skincare. It's definitely nothing special and I wouldn't recommend it sadly.

Napoleon Perdis Auto Pilot Pre Foundation Skin Primer

One of the first primers I ever used, and I really actually don't notice this doing anything to be honest. I don't find it to smooth or improve my skin's texture, nor prolong the wear of my foundation considerably. If anything it's more of a moisturising primer, but that's why I use a moisturiser! Not worth the money in my opinion. Face of Australia makes a primer with practically the same ingredients if you're interested!

Indeed Labs Hydraluron

This has been hyped up beyond belief! I'm one of the minority who doesn't like this very much because it's an essential for a lot of people. I don't think it lived up to the hype because I really don't notice it doing anything significant for my skin. It doesn't necessarily make my skin feel good when I apply it, and when moisturiser goes over the top, it honestly doesn't feel like it's done anything. Perhaps it has helped the moisturisation of my skin, but not significantly. I just don't think I have the right skin type for this! If you have dry or dehydrated skin, perhaps it would make more of an impact.

Lush Grease Lightning

I've expressed in my review my indepth thoughts on this. I don't really think it's that effective. It is of course better than using nothing but it's just very gentle and not very potent. Also the packaging is a bit annoying, the pump is very hard to press and dispenses way too much product, mine broke anyways!

Stila Under the Mistletoe palette

This was a limited edition anyways, so I don't think you can buy it anymore. I was just very disappointed in the formulas of the eyeshadows (I do like the convertible colour included). I found them very sheer and not very long-lasting, even with a good primer. Very different from all the praise I've heard about Stila eye shadows!

Benefit Cha Cha tint and High Beam

On the whole, I was pretty disappointed in this kit to be honest (bar the lip gloss). My issue with these two very hyped and well loved liquid products is that they're so difficult to apply and blend! You definitely can't just stripe it onto the cheeks because the initial strokes will still be visible. I find Cha Cha tint actually not that long lasting, a bit drying on the lips and overall a hassle to apply. The colour is so pretty though! Besides application issues, High Beam is a bit too silvery-pink for my very yellow skintone, therefore coming off a bit ashy. I know a lot of people love these products so I was shocked when they just didn't live up to my expectations!

Benefit Coralista Boxed Powder

Well, my expectations were very high for this blush, so many people love and swear by it as their favourite shimmery peachy-pink shade. It just didn't work out for me! I actually find it to be quite sheer and on the whole a bit light, therefore it barely shows up on my skin as a blush. I will say though that the shimmer is beautiful, it lends an uber pretty golden natural glow to the cheeks. If I want any hint of colour to show up, I have to build it up. I've been using this more so as a layering blush or subtle highlighter.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation

Okay now, this product I actually did really like at one point, it was one of my go to foundations! I've since realised that it perhaps isn't totally matched to my skin type. It gives a beautiful dewy, natural finish to my skin but just doesn't last. I get shiny quite quickly with it, and I find it breaks up a bit around my oily areas. My biggest gripe with it though is how easily it transfers, especially when I get shiny. If I touch my face, it comes straight off. Really not the nicest thing! Also the shade 53 is too pale for me so I really haven't been using it much anyways. It is a lovely foundation though, just one I think works better on drier skinned peeps!

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

A much loved drugstore mattifying powder that has never really performed as well as I'd like. I find myself getting shiny around 3 hours after application, which is basically like I hadn't applied powder at all. I also find that the Transparent shade isn't really transparent, and can often make me look a bit pale. Clearly I've used it having hit pan, but I've since reached for other powders over this one.

Phew! That was a long post, I hope I didn't anger anyone with a few of my more controversial products. A lot of these just didn't work out for me, most likely due to my skintype or skintone, or I just had unrealistic expectations for them!

Do you agree or disagree with any of my picks?

The Lipstick Tag

I was recently tagged by Cherie from Cherry Picking, and Monica & Lin from Twoplicates to do the Lipstick tag. Lipstick is probably my second favourite makeup item next to blush, so when I saw this tag floating around I was very eager to do it, so thank you girls for tagging me!

Fun Fact (courtesy of my friend Tam!): In Medieval Europe, lipstick was banned by the church and was thought to be used as an 'incarnation of Satan'. Scandalous!

1. How many lipsticks do you own?

I was actually a bit afraid to count, but it's not terribly bad - about medium compared to other bloggers' tags I've read. I own 37 lipsticks and my total lip product number comes to 69 (excluding clear lip balms). Considering I only wear about three on any sort of a daily basis, it's definitely too much! Also especially in comparison to other 'normal' girls my age who probably don't even own any lipsticks! I will say though that a lot (basically the whole third row was from my Mum) were handed down, gifted or won in a giveaway so technically I haven't spent too much money on them! I would love to wear all my lipsticks, all the time but considering I'm still in school it's not really possible :S

2. What was the first lipstick you owned?

Apart from my huge Lip Smackers collection that I had when I was little, and the various lip balms along the way, my first lipstick was a hand me down from a GWP from my Mum. She only wears one shade of lipstick (dark red), so any other shade gathered in her drawers until I snatched them up! The first I really loved and started wearing from that bunch was Estee Lauder Signature Lipstick in Venetian Rose.

3. What is your favourite lipstick brand?

To be honest, I don't think I really have one, but if I had to choose it would probably be MAC. Just because, they have a huge range of colours and finishes where I think there is something for everyone.

4. What is your most worn lipstick?

Probably Essence All about Cupcake which is a great MLBB, pinky-nude shade that is slightly sheer, slightly glossy and very cheap!

5. What is your favourite finish?

Something slightly sheer (but still with medium pigment) with a lightweight and creamy texture that is slightly moisturising. Something like the L'oreal Nutri-Shine lipsticks or MAC Cremesheens.

6. What was the last lipstick you bought?

The last lipstick I bought was from my last haul, the Clarins Rouge Hydra Nude lipstick in the shade 04 Nude Caramel. I picked this up on a whim when I saw it for only $10. I have a review of it up here, but the formula is quite similar to the finish mentioned above, and the shade is a lovely peachy-brown-nude.

7. How many lip products do you currently have in your bag?

Well, considering I don't carry a handbag with me everyday, I can't really answer this question. I do, however, keep my Nivea Lip Butter in my pencil case at school. When I go out, I usually only take my lip balm and the product I'm wearing that day. I'm pretty good with clearing out my bag after - mostly because I'm so anal with my makeup collection, it all has to stay in the one place!

8. What is your favourite red lip colour?

To be honest, I don't wear red lipsticks very often but in my collection, my favourite has to be Napoleon Perdis Devine Goddess lipstick in shade Aphrodite. It's slightly lighter than it looks in the bullet (it's more like the shade you see in the bottom of the tube), but it's an amazing, bold blue-toned red that looks dayum stunning on. The formula is also super pigmented, but still creamy and long wearing.

9. How do you store your lipsticks?

I store my lipsticks in a drawer of my Keji 4 drawer set from Officeworks that is cheap, yet mimics other acrylic makeup storage. They lay flat and I'm really weird about having them 'tessellate' (I'm SUCH a nerd), hence why all the rectangular ones are at the front. As you can see though, the drawer is preeeeetty much full up so I think I'll be buying some sort of lipstick holder soon.

10. Which lipstick(s) are you currently lusting after?

Lots. Of the more high-end spectrum, I've got MAC Crosswires, the YSL Rouge Volupte Shines and the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils on my wishlist (and probably countless others that aren't springing to mind right now). On the more realistic side, I can't wait to get my hands on the Revlon Colorburst Matte Balms and the newly reformulated Rimmel Moisture Renew lipsticks.

Gee that tag was pretty fun! I tag Sheri, Vanessa, Yige, Lulu and Nhi if you haven't already done it, and anyone else who would like to!

The Standouts of 2013

Hello 2014! I hope you guys all had a happy new year! I cannot believe another year has been and gone, and it will probably take me a while for the fact that we are in 2014 to sink in. Anyways lets live in the past and take a look at my most favoured products from 2013! I haven't covered all categories as I didn't necessarily have a FAVOURITE favourite for every area. Despite that, I still had trouble narrowing things down so you're in store for quite a few products! Also, I haven't touched on tools or skincare, haircare, bodycare or nails. For tools, pretty much all Real Techniques and for skincare, check out my skincare routine posts here, here and here. Reviews have been linked where applicable! Let's jump in!

Face:

• Laura Mercier Foundation Primer
• Maybelline Dream Pure BB cream in shade Medium
• Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation in shade Light Beige
• Neutrogena Healthy Skin liquid makeup in shade Natural Beige

I find the Laura Mercier primer generally good at prolonging the wear of foundation and keeping it looking better for longer. My BB cream favourite was hard to choose, but I found myself reaching for the Maybelline a lot. Good colour, coverage and finish. Foundation wise, for a lot of the year the Bourjois was a go-to but I found the shade quite light towards the end of the year. I've used it by mixing with other products and a hefty load of bronzer. Lovely finish on the skin and a nice light-medium buildable coverage. The Neutrogena is pretty much a spot on colour and offers a good medium coverage with a very natural skin like finish. Not too dewy or too matte.

Cheeks:

• Models Prefer Desk to Date
• The Balm Instain Blush in Toile
• Essence Silky Touch blush in Natural Beauty
• Sleek Contour Kit in Light
• Jane Iredale Bronzing Powder in So-Bronze 1
• The Balm Mary Lou-Manizer

I am a self-professed blush junkie but these three were probably my most worn. I like Desk to Date for an easy, goes-with-everything light peachy pink, Toile for something slightly brighter but still natural and Natural Beauty for a bit of a 'nothingy' cheek - it's the perfect blend of a blush, bronzer and highlighter in one. For contouring my main favourite has been the Sleek (mainly just the contour shade), a nice brown that isn't hard to work with and creates a natural looking shadow. For bronzing all over the face, Jane Iredale has been my pick. A nice warm brown that is only slightly darker than my skintone and gives warmth and colour to the face. Highlighter fave is hands down Mary Lou-Manizer. It provides an amazing champagne-golden glow which I love.

Eyes:

• Essence I love Stage Eyeshadow Base
• Estee Lauder Pure Color Stay-on Shadow Paint in shade Halo
• Maybelline Color Tattoo in shade Bad to the Bronze
• MAC eyshadow in shade All that Glitters
• Essence Gel Eyeliner in shade BBC All Night Brown
• Napoleon Perdis Ultimate Nude Palette
• Lorac Pro Palette, particularly shades Taupe, Espresso, Gold, Lt. Bronze and Pewter
• Dolly Wink Eyebrow Powder in shade Dark Chocolate

The sadly discontinued Essence eye primer has been my most used and loved this year. My two favourite cream shadows were from Estee Lauder and Maybelline. Bad to the Bronze made the perfect single shadow eye look while Halo was both a great base and all over lid shade. All that Glitters was definitely a favourite - I love the pinky-beige metallic colour! Also discontinued is the Essence Gel Liner which I used quite often for both a winged liner and smudged on the lower lashline. The deep bronzy brown made for a perfect casual liner look. The Napoleon palette is filled with matte shades which I used both on their own or to accompany other eyeshadows. Also filled with mattes is the Pro Palette which contains a bevy of shades to create a multitude of looks! Also some of the best formulas were found in this palette. Pretty much the only thing to grace my eyebrows was the Dolly Wink powder - perfect shade for my black hair!

Lips:

• Essence lipstick in shade All about Cupcake
• L'oreal Nutri-shine balm in shade Nudy Coral
• Estee Lauder Signature Hydralustre Lipstick in Venetian Rose
• L'oreal Nutri-shine Lipstick in shade Pink Nude
• Estee Lauder Signature Hydralustre Lipstick in Soft Amethyst
• NYX Butter Gloss in shade Peaches and Cream
• Witchery Lip Gloss Wand in shade Blossom
• Nivea Lip Butter

All about Cupcake and Nudy Coral were probably my most worn lipsticks of the year. All about Cupcake being the perfect my-lips-but-better (and more pink) and Nudy Coral being a lovely tinted lip balm with the tiniest hint of colour. Venetian Rose is sadly discontinued but is probably the best peachy nude I've come across so far. It's not really nude but it's really the perfect neutral peach for my skin tone! Pink Nude is just a beautiful colour. It's got hints of pink and peach, with a neutral tone - lurve it! For the wearable purply-plum lip, my fave has to be Soft Amethyst. Lovely formula and really flattering! It's purple without being PURPLE. The NYX gloss has a lovely texture and the colour is just really lovely. The Witchery gloss however, is the lipgloss that got me liking lipglosses. Probably my favourite lipgloss formula yet (though the NYX is rivaling it) - thin, non-sticky and pigmented. The Nivea lip balm has definitely been my fave. My lips have been very fussy and lip balms that I used to love seemed to irritate my lips. The Lip Butter saved my lips and has been pretty much the only balm I've used since!

Fragrance:

• Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Camellia

This scent has definitely been my most used. It's light, summery and really nice for every day wear.

So that concludes my beauty favourites for the year that was! I will be doing a part two concerning more 'entertainment' favourites I guess you could call them, including favourite TV shows, books, movies and other varying ways to procrastinate.

What have been your favourite products of 2013?

Monthly Favourites | November 2013

Can you believe it!? We're at the end of the year and are knee deep in the holiday season! By the time this post goes up I'll be in my last Chemistry exam for the year, and have one more exam after - then I'm done for grade eleven! :O Pretty shocked and I am NOT ready for grade twelve, aaaaaaaahh. Anyways onto da faves. I don't have too many this month as I've been using mostly the same things as always (featured in previous favourites posts) and I didn't want to mention things again.

I've been really enjoying using the Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening toner which I will have a review up for after ample testing time. This is really nice and has filled the gap in my routine for a chemical exfoliator (though I am also using the Garnier Dark Spot Night serum, which could be counted as one). It's very gentle and feels like any other toner, no stinging or tight, dry skin after use. So far, I fell like my skin's appearance is brighter and a little more even, but only time and continual use will tell!

Olive oil has been featured on quite a few Beauty bloggers and vlogger blogs and channels. I recently ran out of my waterproof eye makeup remover without a replacement waiting in the wings. I wasn't able to buy another so I decided to try out some Extra Virgin Olive oil which is known to be rather effective as a makeup remover. I have to say, I really like it! It removes waterproof mascara really well, gently and my lids and lashes feel nourished after. It is quite oily (that's a given) but I wash my face immediately after so it doesn't bother me. I've put mine in an old Rosehip oil bottle so it's easy to use too!

A new addition to my concealer collection is the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser in the Brightening shade. I really don't have any brightening concealers as I've not really had the need for them. I don't have terribly bad dark circles at all, however I've had quite little sleep lately staying up and studying so I've noticed circles appearing. That and one of my friends said I looked like I'd been punched in the eye :P ...(thanks Tam !) Anyway! This concealer is very light and pink toned so it's very brightening - especially on my medium, yellow-toned skin. I tend to use it under my base so it's not too stark, but I've been enjoying it! There's no creasing and it is a nice thin, slippy texture that doesn't cake up.

My most used blush is still probably my The Balm Instain one, but a close runner-up this month is the Napoleon Perdis Cream Blush from the Instyle magazine freebie. It's a lovely natural pink that looks nice and dewy on the skin. It also applies fine over powder, though I usually top it off with translucent powder to try and make it last longer. I typically find that cream blushes aren't typically long lasting on me, but I still really like them!

I received this Essence Sun Club shimmer Bronzer in the shade Sunkissed (for Blondes) in a giveaway pack I won (thanks Sarah!). I was going to give it away as it was too light for my skin (as a bronzer) but I thought I'd give it a go as a subtle, natural highlighter as it is pretty close in colour to my skin colour. It then dawned on me that I could use this in a similar way to something like an Hourglass Ambient lighting powder - as a light finishing powder. The shimmer is quite fine and is really more of a sheen than anything, so it's totally suitable all over. I have been dusting this lightly mainly over the typical highlighting spots, and blending it all over the face. It offers a really nice soft focus glow to the skin, and makes me look slightly glowy - and overall I think it just makes my skin look better! I don't think I ever would have bought this on my own, so I am very happy I got to try it and get a taste of what an Hourglass Ambient lighting powder might look like (I wish!!!). It is definitely a good shade for those of fairer skin - it's very natural, rather light and not orangey at all!

Last up for lips is the Australis Colour Inject Mineral Lip Gloss in Bellydance which I won from Candice's giveaway (thanks hun!). I've actually been reaching for this on the daily. It's a lovely pinky-reddy-coral that is quite sheer. I apply it very lightly to give the subtlest hint of coral to my lips, but the colour can be built up to be a bit more noticeable (but no real opacity). It's not too sticky (has a thickness but not sticky) and very comfy on the lips. It also smells EXACTLY like Lipton Peach Ice Tea - love! A full review of this will be coming up soon!

Dark Circle Eraser in Brightening, Shimmer bronzer in Sunkissed, Cream Blush

A movie favourite this month too! I saw Catching Fire last Friday and by God was it GOOD! It was pretty dang perfect if I must say so. They stuck extremely close to the book which is EXACTLY what I want to see in a book-to-movie production. The new director was great - no shaky camera business that makes me feel motion sick :D. The casting was awesome, I LOVED Sam Claflin as Finnick and Jena Malone as Johanna! I just, the feeeeeeels were all there and it was amazing! I'm very excited for Mockingjay pt 1! This video pretty much sums up all my feels about the movie. I also saw Thor: The Dark World at the beginning of the month, and we all knew I would love that one. Please, it has Tom Hiddleston in it - love me some Sassy Loki. It was amazing too (maybe even my fave Marvel movie :o I dunno, but very close to the Avengers), lots of unexpected twists that had me SCREECHING in the cinema - a must watch!

Anyways, what were your favourites? Have you seen Catching Fire yet? If not, DO SO ASAP!

On trend, In style

Hi guys! As you guys may have seen through numerous blog posts and instagram photos, November's issue of InStyle magazine contains three full size Napoleon Perdis products! The magazine retails for $12.95, and the products are valued at $82, so that's a pretty darn good deal in my opinion! I hardly ever buy magazines, I'd rather read about beauty on blogs who often, in my opinion, seem more educated on the subject... Nevertheless, I couldn't pass up a deal like this!

The gift includes a cream blush, lipgloss and a mascara that don't have any shade names (aside from the mascara). Like Cherie mentioned, these products aren't available in the permanent Napoleon Perdis range and they seem to have mass produced these particular products for giveaway. This seems to lower the value of them in my opinion as you can't actually purchase them. However, three full size products for $12.95 is often better than you can find at the drugstore, and it doesn't hurt that they have the Napoleon Perdis branding. 

The cream blush is probably the main reason I decided to pick it up. My cream blush collection is very limited (excluding my lipstick-come-blush concoction, the only true cream blush I have is from Model's Prefer) and I really wanted to expand it. The packaging is pretty consistent with other Napoleon Perdis products (see below in a comparison to a palette from them). It is in a plastic/acrylic square compact. I can't decide whether the overall plastic packaging is tacky or chic...It seems, however, very cheaply made. The plastic creaks and doesn't feel very luxe at all. There is no clasp on the compact which thoroughly annoys me - it stays closed on the stiffness of the hinge, which over wear I expect will loosen. There's nothing stopping this from popping open and making a mess! It has the Napoleon medallion on the top and a pretty tiny, useless mirror on the inside.

The colour is a really lovely, wearable and natural dusky, tawny type rose-pink. It would pretty much complement any look and I think would go well with most skin tones medium and lighter. The texture is very thin and slippy, almost greasy feeling. It doesn't look greasy on though, giving more of a healthy glow to the cheeks. It isn't a cream to powder and is therefore also wearable on the lips, albeit a little drying and line accentuating. It isn't too pigmented and I feel that it is very easy to blend away entirely, but it is easy to build. I like to apply it with my Real Techniques Stippling Brush. Due to its sheerer nature and thin texture, I find it very short wearing. I wish it lasted longer but it wouldn't be hard to touch up, but the packaging is pretty inconvenient for that.

The lip gloss is actually really nice, and I like it more than I expected I would. The packaging is also not that great on this...It's aesthetically pleasing in a hexagonally shaped tube and a gold lid, but very badly made. My tube was fine but the suction thing that cleans the wand as you pull it out dislodged into the cap therefore causing the wand to come out LOADED with product. It's pretty ridiculous. I'm not the only one to have this problem either. Sometimes when I open the tube it will be fine but others not so much... The lip gloss itself is nicely pigmented, with a thick, slightly sticky texture - I would say to the same extent as the MAC Creamsheen glasses and therefore decently wearing. It has a sweet scent, sort of similar to the Maybelline Baby Lips in Antioxidant Berry (if my memory serves me well). The shade is a light nude-peach with a very fine, hardly detectable golden shimmer. It isn't too light for me and makes my lips look really nice actually. Again, a wearable shade that I think would suit most people and makeup looks. 

Lipgloss, Cream blush

The set also came with the Lashes to Lashes mascara but I'm yet to open it as I have others waiting in the wings, and a couple open already. From my understanding it seems like a pretty standard mascara, with a standard brush. Nothing fancy.

I'm happy with the set and will get use out of the products but I'm not a fan of the sucky packaging and seeing as these are coming from a premium brand, I expected better quality packaging. In my opinion, there's definitely a decline in the quality (of the packaging). The products themselves are nice, but nothing I would pay full price for. I would still recommend picking the issue up if you remotely like what you see. You can find out more about the products on InStyle's website.

Did you pick up the mag? If so, did you have similar issues with the packaging?

Monthly Favourites | March 2013

Today I have my March favourites to share and surprisingly, this month has not gone as fast as usual! These are the products I have been loving for the month.

First up I have a few skincare/body care things to talk about.

The Garnier Pure 3 in 1 Wash-Scrub-Mask has been quite a nice product that I've been using lately. Masks are products that my 'collection' are severely lacking so I picked this one up on a whim, having heard good things about it and it being on sale. I've been really liking it as a mask and a scrub! I find it quite purifying and has helped my skin a bit. I will have a more in-depth review up soon though!

For the bod, I've been slathering on L'Occitane's Ultra Rich Body Lotion. It's quite a light weight lotion but is intensely moisturising. It sinks in very quickly and by the next day them legs don't look quite so much like a dehydrated desert.... I'm sure I will be using this lots in the coming cooler months!

For my base, I've been head over heels for Rimmel's Wake Me Up foundation which has already received a rave here. I just love the finish of it and the oh-so natural glow it gives the skin. I've also been liking mixing it with my moisturiser to provide a bit of a sheerer coverage for daily wear.

For concealer I've been using Estee Lauder's Double Wear concealer in the shade light medium. I used to use this as my all over concealer but it has since become a bit too light for me. This past month I've been using it under my eyes and I really like it! It slight brightens the area and covers darkness. It doesn't cake, settle and isn't drying. I find it is much more long wearing under the eyes than on blemishes.

For lips I've been liking my EOS Lip Sphere in Summer Fruit which I'm actually so close to finishing! I find it's perfect for underneath lipsticks and the like as it is moisturising but has a thin texture so it doesn't mix with the lip product on top. I love the smell and taste too!

For when I do wear eyeshadow and want quite a natural look, the Napoleon Perdis Ultimate Nude Palette has been my go-to. Filled with matte shades, it has just been so easy to get that naturally enhanced look to the eyelids and the cheeks. I have a full review with swatches here.

On my cheeks has been a long-time fave, Clinique's Young Face Powder Blusher in Honey Blush. This is sadly discontinued but I absolutely love it for a natural but bright colour. It's matte so it's not obvious but it instantly brightens up my complexion.

A couple of random faves that I've been loving are:

The Comforting Vanilla & Jasmine Fragrant Candle from Kmart. On the dreary days of the month I've been loving this scent. Super warming to the room and very 'comforting'. Also can't beat the $3 price tag! I have quite a few of the candles from Kmart so I might just do a post on them.

I have been obsessed with this bracelet from Forever New! I love the rose gold and dainty studs with diamantes!

So those are my faves, what have you been loving for March?

The Ultimate Nude Palette

Today I have a review on a palette that I have absolutely been loving lately! It's the Napoleon Perdis Ultimate Nude Palette.

This palette contains a collection of matte powders. It has 8 matte eyeshadows, 2 highlighters, 1 bronzer and a blush all with a very neutral and natural tone. The cheek porducts are for the most part matte, they may contain a little shimmer but it's not very evident on the face.

The box also contains some how to's for day and night looks.

The packaging is quite simple but very sleek. It is made of sturdy plastic and the palette has quite a weight to it making it feel quite expensive. It closes very securely but I do wish it had a larger mirror.

I'll swatch the shades numbering them using the guide from the how to's.

L-R: 1, 2, 3, 4

Shade 1 is a light, creamy white. It is slightly chalky and needs a couple of layers to become opaque.

Shade 2 is a light pinky cream colour which has a similar formula to shade 1. Both shades though feel extremely soft.

Shade 3 is a yellow nude. It has a better formula that the two aforementioned shades being more pigmented and less chalky.

Shade 4  is a lovely nude shade with a slightly peach undertone. This also has a great formula being smooth and pigmented.

L-R: 9, 10, 11, 12

Shade 9 is a warm medium brown perfect for blending out in the crease as a transitioning colour. All of the shades on this side of the palette have lovely formulas. Incredibly creamy and have great colour payoff.

Shade 10 is slightly lighter that 9 and more neutral toned.

Shade 11 is a lighter pinky toned brown.

Shade 12 is the darkest shade in the palette and is a dark, cool toned brown,

L-R: 5, 7, 6, 8

Lastly, for the cheek products:

Shade 5 is the blush and it is a very natural shade. It's a warm peach that is very bronzy.

Shade 6 is a light creamy white highlight shade.

Shade 7 is a more yellowy-golden highlighter.

Shade 8 is the bronzer being quite a nice deep warm brown. It's not too orange and can be used for contouring or giving a warm glow to the face.

I really love this palette and have been reaching for it very often when I do choose to wear eyeshadow. It creates very naturally defined looks and it is a great stand alone product or a good addition to collections which may be lacking in matte shadows. The eyeshadow shades remind me a lot of those in the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette, though what the Ultimate Nude Palette is lacking in is a deep dark black shade. Other than that the selection is great. It contains shades for different skintones and even some can be used to fill in eyebrows. I also love that the highlighters aren't shimmery so they provide a very natural glow. This palette has definitely earned its place as a staple in my collection!