Haul // Estee Lauder Corporate Store #3

Talk about a throwback post if there ever was one! It's been a looooong time since my last Estee Lauder Corporate Store haul (2+ years actually) - not that I ever went there often but going to the corporate store actually reminded me of my early blogging days funnily enough! My mum actually got a membership thing through her work which means she can go whenever she wants, and I was able to sign up too so now I can go whenever too?! That could be dangerous... If you guys are unfamiliar with it, the Estee Lauder Corporate Store is where they sell any excess or limited edition Estee Lauder owned brands' products at a discounted price. You can usually go by invitation only, but I'm not completely sure on the rules! Even though I can now go whenever, I doubt I'll go a lot because I don't believe they get new stock that often! Also, randomly, since watching Beauty News's video about how old their makeup is, I was paranoid that this stuff would be super old (since it's excess stock), but I actually checked and everything was made last year so still pretty new!

Empties #16

It's empties time again! As per the usual, I've got a heap of skincare and almost zero makeup but hey, at least I'm using up my products! Not much more to say in this intro, so let's dive in!

Skincare // Current Cleansers

It's been a while since I've outlined any sort of skincare routine on the blog, so over the next few weeks I'll be going over all the skincare I use day and night! Now, I use a lot of cleansers. So much so that if I were to put these in my day/night routine posts, they would be so long! So, I'm dedicating an entire post to them. I'll be sharing with you the products that I use to remove my makeup, cleanse and exfoliate my skin!

Colour Families // The Rusty Reds

You guys may or may not know, but I have a bit of a thing for colour coordination - especially when it comes to makeup. I like the whole monochrome thing of keeping all elements of a makeup look in the same colour family - it's highly doubtful you'll see me mixing warm and cool tones! So, the idea of starting somewhat of a 'series' on documenting my makeup collection through colour family sort of came naturally. I mean, here's an OG post of my colour coordinating makeup skillz. So, hopefully I keep this series up because I do love organising shiz by colour. The first fam I thought I'd showcase are the rusty reds aka super warm, orangey, terra cotta reds that have been super trendy of late, and are perfect for the current autumn/winter weather! Shockingly enough, I thought I'd have more products but turns out it's basically all lip products. Any eyeshadows I thought would fit are a bit too orange, though using various shades in the Morphe 35O palette can achieve a rusty red eye look. 

Battle of the Balm Cleansers

As I've mentioned a few times on the blog, cleansing balms and oils are my favourite way to remove my makeup and cleanse my face! I couldn't live without them! I've experimented with a few cleansing balms in the past, namely from The Body Shop and Lush (Ultrabland is an HG!). I have two new additions to the collection though; Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm* and Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm, both of which I've been wanting to try for ages! Since these are the two I have on rotation, I decided to put them head to head in a comparison post - I mean they basically have identical packaging too!

Dem Cheeks be Poppin' Some More

My dream would be to have a bouquet of Clinique Cheek Pops...wouldn't that be just SO DARN PRETTY?!? Alas, two will have to do me! In case you missed it, I added another Clinique Cheek Pop to my collection - Fig Pop - while I was in the US. Unfortunately it seems we won't be getting this shade in Australia. A couple more shades have been introduced here recently (Pink, Melon, Pansy and Rosy) but I don't think we'll get the full line up, which is a shame as there are some gorgeous shades! Anyway, we all know I absolutely adore this formula of blush given how many times I've raved about Peach Pop, but I figured I'd share some swatches of Fig Pop! (plus it's an excuse to take photos of these CUTIES). 

The USA Haul // High End

Aaaaand now for part two of my USA haul - all da high end shiz! Looking over my purchases, I actually don't think I bought that much...heh *scoffs*. I mean, obviously it still cost a buttload but I feel like I didn't go CRAY, especially considering I didn't end up getting any eye products, or that many face products (lips dominated y'all, MATTE lips). While I was over there, it felt like a lot (I went to Sephora in every city...MULTIPLE TIMES) but I only bought 2-3 things each trip (can't bear to hand over a wad of cash that big...what's up with atms not giving out notes bigger than 20s???). Anyway, enough rambling, of course there's still enough here for a haul! Like I mentioned in my drugstore haul, I didn't end up buying everything I mentioned in my wishlist, such as the Cover FX Custom Cover Drops or Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye Palette because the drops are actually cheaper here (on PMstudio) and I can get KVD from Sephora online for the same price (saved me lugging it home in my already very full bag). Also, Burberry Pale Barley was sold out everywhere! :( Same with both of the other highlighters I wanted - Laura Geller swirly highlighter and turns out the Anastasia highlighters aren't available instore anymore (Y U LIE MACYS???). So I was let down a few times but it saved my wallet I guess!

What's In My Travel Beauty Bag(s)?

So I leave tomorrow for my three week trip to the US! I feel like I've been waiting forever for this trip to come, and now that it's here, I feel so unprepared! Why must I procrastinate in every aspect of my life?? I'm pretty sure I've never shared with you guys what products I've taken travelling in the past, usually it's nothing exciting, especially makeup wise as I'm never really bothered much in that department! I figured this trip I'd put more effort into my face as I'm going to some big cities (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Denver!). I tried to pack light, especially considering I'll be buying a WHOLE LOT while I'm there, but I may have overdone it on the skincare... :P My excuse is that my skin is actually pretty good right now and I don't want to mess it up! Plus I'm gone for three weeks so I cant just switch it up for an off week, y'know? Also, ignore the weird lighting in these photos. It was raining pretty heavily today! Plus, my camera decided to start acting up and basically died. Just before my trip of course!! I had to wipe the settings and I have no idea what they were to put it back to what it was lol. Ended up being a bad connection between the lens and the body which a quick clean fixed (for now...). 

The USA Wishlist // High End

Well guys, this time next week I'll be in the United States of America (or on the plane there at least!)! As promised, I'm following up my drugstore wishlist with my high end one! This one, as you can see, is a bit more crammed :P No doubt this is going to be a very expensive trip - especially with the horrendous exchange rate at the moment! Anyways, let's dig in! 

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!

Monthly Favourites // September 2015

September actually went by at a reasonable pace for me! It's been jam packed with a bunch of stuff and I've been suuuper busy with my new job and a BOAT LOAD of assessment that is due very soon which I am stressing out about and quietly crappin' ma pants. ANYway, that is why I've been a tad bit absent on the blog and I might slip back to one post a week for the time being but come November, it'll be full steam ahead as I am free and clear of Uni! Favourites-wise, I was actually strugglin' a little to come up with a handful of products. I've been using a lot of old faves mainly to try and use them up, and since I haven't hauled in a while - I was feeling a bit stagnant! I did gather some products I've really been loving though, so let's jump in! And also come pay day...I'll be haulin' ;)

TAG // Addicted to Blush

If there's one thing you probably know about me, it's that I love me some blush. Being (probably) my favourite item of makeup, I've amassed quite the collection! The only thing from stopping me buying up a storm, is that my drawer is pretty much full to the point where I can't close it...(lol jks, that ain't stopping me). It's only fitting, of course, that I do the Addicted to Blush tag created by Kat! Thank you to the lovelies Lena and Jennifer for tagging me, and keep reading for my answers!

Monthly Favourites // March 2015

March was a pretty busy month for me! It was basically my first month of uni where I actually started doing work, though...let's not talk about how I'm so behind on readings and should get back to doing the assignment that's due tonight! Favourites wise, I was actually grasping! Well, that's a bit extreme, but a lot is the same from last month. While I did get a boat load of stuff mid-month (thaaaanks Obsession!) I've been slowing starting to try things and wanted to test them out for a bit longer before I declared any faves! Though, there are definitely some gems in that bunch! Let's get stuck in here though!

Obsession 2015 Blogger Event

Hey guys! As you may have seen from Instagram and the like, this past weekend was the first beauty blogger event in Brisbane; Obsession 2015! I was extremely lucky to attend, and I thought I would do a post on my experience, and also the ma-HOO-ssive goody bag(s) we were fortunate enough to receive! Please don't take this as bragging, guys! I just thought it would be fun to share what we got, and if you spot anything in particular you would like to see reviewed, please let me know! I'm pretty much going on an unofficial spending ban because LAWD knows, I have enough skin/hair/bodycare to last me the next year + lel.

SP-EYE-CY

I'm SO imaginative with that title aren't eye I ;) I've been ranting and raving about the Clinique Colour Surge Eye Shadow Quad (now All About Shadow Quad) in 102 Spicy for long enough that I figured I should probably review it and show you guys some swatches! I actually think this shade has been discontinued (ooops, don't kill me!) since it's not on their website, and I bought it from the Corporate store, but I'd figured I'd still review it because the shadow formula has actually become one of my favourites! Plus, the shades aren't that unique so you could probably find some similar ones elsewhere.

Dem Cheeks be Poppin'

Arguably the cutest blush, with the most repetitive name; Clinique's Cheek Pop Blush Pops certainly made a splash in the beauty community with their release last year. The general consensus is that these have a very unique, almost cream-like formula, and of course, you can't go past the adorable gerbera embossing. I managed to pick up Peach Pop at a discounted price and here are my thoughts...

Monthly Favourites // January 2015

The first monthly favourites of the year! Surprisingly, January actually felt like a real month, like actual, whole days have passed and it hasn't just "whizzed" past. Maybe I'm in denial that it's actually, currently 2015? Regardless, let's chat about the products I've loved! A lot of these are quite "minimal" makeup bits because I guess you could say my skin needed a bit of a detox after wearing so much makeup during December! Me chowing down on sugary foods probably didn't help either...

The Best of 2014 // Makeup

Kiddies, it's time for the big 'un. The pinnacle and summation of 2014, documented in makeup products. I didn't want to make this post too long, and really tried to pick the products I used and loved most throughout 2014. I also didn't want to repeat anything from 2013's favourites, so products like the Dolly Wink Eyebrow Powder or Lorac Pro Palette which I used and loved immensely, haven't been included. Speaking of 2013's faves, looking back, while a lot I still like, others I've completely ignored. Funny how opinions change! Also, APOLOGIES for the slightly grainy/off photos, the weather was shitty this day, and I had to edit the crap out of them! BUT anyways, I've done reviews for most of the products, so they'll be linked where applicable!

Lots o' Latte

Despite the surgence in popularity of all things chubby and stick-like, this is my first eyeshadow crayon product! These, along with lip and cheek crayons have been popping up all over the place. Clinique have definitely got the chubby stick thing down, and today I'm sharing their Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes in the shade Lots o' Latte.

L-R: Swatched, Blended

The packaging is exactly like Clinique's lip chubby sticks; a twist up crayon, the colour of the packaging the same as the product inside. The only difference is that instead of a pointy tip, it has a rounded one. One thing I'm a little saddened by is that the writing is the kind that rubs off really quickly. Despite not having it for that long, pretty much all the writing has already rubbed off!

Onto the formula though, I've heard quite a few raves about these, so I was expecting something good. The shadow is creamy and applies easily, not at all stiff or dry. It still maintains it's stick form easily though! The pigmentation of the shadow is actually not that opaque - hence the 'tint' name (I guess?). Its medium pigmentation allows for super easy blending, but it's also easily built up to a good opacity, like in the photo above. I think it's slight sheer quality really helps its useablity - so easy to slap on and go, since it's not so 'in yer face'. The staying power, however, is a little lacklustre. Like a lot of cream shadows (bar the Estee Lauder Stay On Shadow Paints), these tend to crease fairly quickly when worn alone. Lasting power is better with primer underneath, however the 'sandwich' effect really prolongs this baby come night time. Layering it between a primer and a powder shadow helps it stay on for hours and hours with little creasing. 

Lots o' Latte is a bronzey-taupe shade, that really is a staple for me. Very much in the same vein as Maybelline Bad to the Bronze, which you guys may know is a product I reach for all the time. The Clinique shadow has, however, pushed BttB aside. The convenience of the stick form, slightly creamier and easier to blend shadow is just much more to my liking. It really fulfills the one-shadow, swipe and go job well.

While the Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes is an amazing product, it's nothing groundbreaking in the cream shadow world, to be honest. I still feel the Estee Lauder cream shadows have a better formula, but the ease-of-use of the Clinique (and this particular shade) makes it great for everyday. The Chubby Stick for eyes retails for AUD$35.

What's your favourite eyeshadow crayon?

Monthly Favourites // November 2014

I'm back from New Zealand chickas - just in time for my November favourites too! I had a really amazing time, and don't worry peeps, I will have a couple of posts about my trip up soon! But anyway, here we are at the last month of the year. Christmas is well and truly upon us (oop, still need to put the tree up) and then BAM it's a new year. I feel like I say this every month...so I'll stop. On with the faves!

Dermalogica Clear Start Breakout Clearing Overnight Treatment*
I've been pretty happy with this product this past month! Read my review to learn more about it but it works very similarly to the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo which you guys know is a holy grail of mine! It's essentially a serum type product that helps clear and prevent breakouts. My skin has been pretty well behaved and I'm sure I can attribute some of that to this product!

Sleek Contour Kit in Light

I don't mention this product a tonne, mainly because I tend to use others over it. I took it with me to NZ and I must say, it's been a rediscovery! I've been loving the bronzer mainly. The shade is pretty amazing, it's not too dark, it's matte and it has a warmth yet it's not too red or orange. It works extremely well in warming up the face while giving slight contour and dimension! The powder itself isn't overly pigmented and blends well! I should really give this guy more love :P

MAC Mineralize Blush in Warm Soul

This is really a classic shade in the beauty community, and I finally see what all the fuss is about! It's truly beautiful. Warm Soul is a golden/peach/bronze shade that looks natural and really goes with any look, giving the cheeks warmth, colour and in general a very polished look! The formula is super lovely too and gives off a slight glow.

Clinique Chubby Stick for Eyes in Lots o' Latte

I also took this to NZ and it served me well indeed. The convenient crayon form came in handy for slap dash application and while it's pigmented, it's not overly so meaning it was easy to just draw on, blend and be out the door. It's very hard to overdo it! The shade is a really pretty light bronzey-taupe that is the perfect one shadow shade.

Estee Lauder Pure Colour Intense Kajal Eyeliner in Blackened Black

I've already declared my love for this liner in my haul post, but I do think it's reached holy grail status. This stuff LASTS on the tightline like no other. It's creamy and pigmented, a deep black shade. Not only does it not smudge down on the lower lashline like pretty much every other eyeliner I've used, but it also stays on the tightline, barely fading throughout the day! Pretty impressive stuff!

Real Techniques Blush Brush

This guy is a constant favourite of mine, but I took it on my trip to NZ as pretty much my only powder brush. It does it all! Powder, bronzer, blush, highlighter... I especially love it for bronzer though. The tapered tip helps get a slightly more precise and "contour-like" placement, while the sides of the brush blend it out softly.

So that concludes what may be my last monthly favourites of 2014! :O I'm undecided on whether I'll do one in December, since I'll be doing a yearly favourites. We'll see if I find anything outstanding during December then!