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! 

Jergens in Australia

As I'm sure you've already heard, Jergens has made its way down under! It's really exciting to see such a popular brand in the US land on our shores. I can only hope more foreign brands will make their way over! One of their more famous products, Jergens Natural Glow* is one I've heard many raves about from our American sisters. When offered the opportunity to try it, I couldn't say no! I was also sent the Original Beauty Lotion* which I was also keen to try.

L-R: Original Beauty Lotion, Natural Glow

Jergens Original Beauty Lotion* (250mL, $6.99)

I am not someone who is fussy with body lotions. As long as it does the job and smells nice enough, I'm a happy chappy. This, unfortunately, did not fit the bill. First of all, the smell is, in my opinion, very unpleasant. It's supposedly infused with "Cherry Almond Essence", but the scent is more reminiscent of that medicinal, cherry scent, but worse because it has a hint of chemical. Now, I'm really not a fan of that particular cherry scent to begin with, so I really quite dislike the scent. Speaking of chemicals, let's take a look at the ingredients. Some sort of alcohol is the third and fourth ingredients. Am I the only one that finds this slightly concerning? I also don't see any typical hydrating ingredients (that I recognise) except for glycerin and lanolin oil (which is quite far down). I think this definitely shows through in the performance of the product. The lotion itself is very light and gel-like. It absorbs quickly and gives instant hydration, the skin does look hydrated and feel soft and smooth (not that much 'glow' though) however I really don't see the long term effects. The next morning my skin will feel dry and I just don't feel like the lotion is hydrating deep down!

Jergens Natural Glow for Fair to Medium Skin tones* (221mL, $14.99)
This was the product I was most excited to try. Now I'm not really into the whole fake tan thing, my natural skin colour is good enough for me! I do, however, have some pretty horrendous sock and shoulder tans which I really wanted to even out! This gradual tanning product gradually builds up colour over several days. It's built into a moisturiser which I find much better than the Original Beauty Lotion. It has a thicker texture and smells a lot nicer - sort of vanilla, musky? I don't find it immensely hydrating but it does the job well. The colour aspect was interesting. I began to notice slight colour after maybe three days, and it gradually gets darker each day you apply it. Now, the colour looks very natural (no orange-ness at all) however it doesn't match my own skintone which is my fault really. My aim was to even out my tan but while the depth was similar, the colour was a bit off. This wouldn't be an issue if you were just using it normally for all over colour! The shade has a bit more of an olivey tone which I do think looks quite natural. The Fair to Medium is the lighter of the two shades, so I didn't get a tonne of depth from it. I do think it would be amazing for lighter girls! If you used it consistently, I really think you would get an amazing all over shade with it. I think once my sock tan etc fades, I'll use it to keep up my slight tan!

So overall, a hit and a miss. Personally, I wouldn't recommend the Original Beauty Lotion, however the Natural Glow is pretty awesome if you're in the market for something like that! Jergens is available at Priceline.

Have you tried anything from Jergens?

*Products sent for consideration.

Cheeky Gerbera

Aaah, the Stila Convertible Colours. They've been on my wishlist for what seems like years, and I finally got my hands on one in Gerbera, the token peachy-pink of the range. Despite not having it for long, it's already popped up on the blog a couple of times. I thought I'd share my full review with you guys now that I've had ample play time!

L-R: swatched, blended

I must say, the packaging of these Convertible Colours fits in pretty perfectly with Stila's bright and playful branding. The compact is slim and contains a handy dandy mirror, making it perfect for a handbag touchup. The casing is the same colour as the product inside, making it easy to spot in your collection, and has a pretty floral embossing on the top.

The Convertible Colours are creamy products designed to work on both the cheeks and lips. My primary use is as a cream blush. I find on the lips it's a bit drying, and can accentuate dry patches and lines in the lips. It's not the worst I've encountered in a cream blush on the lips by any means, but this particular shade can appear chalky on my lips, as well as being too pale for me. On the cheeks though, we are definitely onto a winner. The texture of the product is quite thick and creamy, and pigmented. Trust me when I say it doesn't take much to achieve the desired look. I know some people find the texture a bit sticky, which it can feel in the pan/on the fingers, but I find personally, when applied it melds well with the skin looking super natural, and lending a lovely glow to the cheeks. I typically apply it with the Real Techniques Stippling Brush and only need one tap for each cheek. It blends beautifully, and is just as nice applied with fingers. The lasting power is pretty good for a cream blush (in my experience), but typical in powder terms - around 5/6 hours wear time. You could set it with a powder to prolong lasting time.

Gerbera has always been the shade I've been drawn to. It's not the typical peachy-pink blush in my collection. It has quite a pastel, pink lean to it, with just enough warm peachy tones to suit my skintone. The slightly lighter shade gives a beautiful youthful glow that is so brightening and uplifting to the face. It also looks super natural! It's really just a pretty and easy blush shade.

I'm pretty infatuated with this blush, and there aren't many (if any) bad things to say about it! Given how many rave reviews I've read over the years, it does not disappoint as a blush! The Convertible Colours retail for AUD$34 at Mecca.

PS. I'm in New Zealand right now to celebrate graduating high school! I will be back on Saturday, so apologies in advance as I won't we able to read blog posts, or respond to comments (probably). There will still be a post going up on Thursday. :)

So Let Me Restart

Dermalogica has always seemed to be a brand I've admired from afar and while I knew about the Clear Start line, I never checked it out. It was mainly because I thought it would be quite expensive, but they actually aren't! The range is aimed at teens and young adults to help with skin concerns such as acne. When offered the opportunity to try a couple of products from the line, having acne-prone skin myself, I couldn't say no!

Top: Matte Moisturiser, Bottom: Overnight Treatment

L-R: Matte Moisturiser, Overnight Treatment

Both products are packaged in lightweight, plastic tubes and fliptop lids which I find quite practical and convenient. Each product has different coloured branding, yet maintains the same clean, minimalistic design which I think is quite cute and effective.

Dermalogica Clear Start Oil Clearing Matte Moisturiser* (60mL, $27.50)

I was both wary and excited to try out this product. When it comes to a 'matte' moisturiser, either it isn't really matte, or it's not moisturising enough. This was no exception and leans more to the former. It doesn't really give off a 'matte' finish (though I do use an oily serum beforehand) however it doesn't dry out the skin at all, or leave it looking/feeling tight/uncomfortable. I do find it quite hydrating, for a day cream that is, and I think it would suit normal - oily skintypes, dryer ones may need something a tad more powerful, but then again it isn't aimed at those skintypes. I find it sits really well beneath makeup and doesn't make my skin feel any oilier or greasier throughout the day. I wouldn't say it's amazing at controlling oil but it works pretty well for my skintype. It has a thin texture that absorbs quite quickly and feels very lightweight. The SPF15 is a nice inclusion but I don't think it's sufficient for outside wear and tear.

Dermalogica Clear Start Breakout Clearing Overnight Treatment* (60mL, $23.50)

I think of this treatment product as a serum, similar to La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo, which y'all know is an holy grail of mine. I've been using this every night for the past few weeks and must say, it works very similarly. I apply it after serum and before moisturiser. It has a lightweight, gel-like texture that feels like nothing on the skin really. It contains many acne-fighting ingredients such as salicylic acid and tea tree. It's very hard to discern the effects of a product like this. My skin has been pretty well behaved for the past few months and I do attribute some of that to the Effaclar Duo. My skin didn't really change much when I started using the Overnight Treatment, and remained rather clear, any breakouts healed quite quickly and they were mainly hormonal or stress related. I have to say I'm pretty happy with this product but I can't choose between it and the La Roche-Posay!

So overall, my experience with the Clear Start range has been a good one. The Matte Moisturiser is nothing extremely remarkable but it works very well as a day cream and underneath makeup. The Overnight Treatment is the type of product that is a staple in my collection and something that I find really helps keep breakouts at bay! Check the Dermalogica website for your nearest stockists!

(PS. My title is a song lyric, if ya know the song, ILY bae.)

*Products sent for consideration.

In the Glamazon

As you may know, through numerous mentions on the blog, I have terrible cheekbones. Not only are they not very prominent, but they're also quite low down on my face. Le sigh, I will forever be jealous of the glorious cheekbones owned by Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston. One product however that has been helping me achieve the cheekbones of your average joe (which is no mean feat in itself) is the Face of Australia GLAMAZON Contour & Highlight Kit in Leopardess. Reowrrr. 

L-R: Contour shade, Highlight shade

The packaging is a tad bulky, a bit thicker than need be, but there's no unnecessary brush or extra, wasted space. The compact clicks shut securely and even though leopard print can be quite tacky (IMO), I actually quite like it on this packaging. I think it's quite classy with the simple branding at the bottom. Not too shabs.

The powders themselves aren't too shabs either, and pretty amazing for a measly $9.95! Their texture is quite soft, but they don't kick up too much powder. The pigmentation varies between shades. The contour colour actually is rather pigmented, but not overly so which, when it comes to a contouring shade, is quite good! It's a little sheerer in a finger swatch but is much more potent when used with a brush. It's easy to build up to your desired opacity and due to it's slight sheerness it is easily blended, looking natural and effortless. The highlighter has a similar formula, if not slightly more pigmented. The shimmer isn't over the top, nor is it glittery or gritty. It gives a lovely glow, as a good highlighter should!

The contour shade has surprisingly become a staple in my collection. The actual colour of it is pretty much perfect for creating a natural shadow. It's cool-toned, yet not overly so that it appears grey, or dirty looking (provided you don't overdo it). It's also not too dark, nor too light, so I think it would suit a variety of skintones, building it up gradually. When used just below the cheekbone it really mimics a natural shadow and brings out what little cheekbone I have! The highlighter is also quite a natural shade, for my skintone that is. It's a bit more of a beige-y champagne that's not too gold or garish, quite simply a pretty glow!

If you couldn't tell, I really love this little duo. Not only are the formulas impressive, but the shades are appropriate for many skintones and give off a lovely, natural effect. This kit was limited edition, however it's still listed on the website so you may be able to find it at Priceline, Kmart and other Face of Australia stockists!