2013 Quarterly Favourites: Summer Edition

I decided to do quarterly favourites instead of monthly favourites because I was finding I wasn't really enjoying doing the posts each month (however, I do love reading them).  For this post, I have found it a bit difficult to narrow down my favourites to ten (that was the number I set myself), but I feel that means these are all products which are genuine favourites of mine.  They will probably be favourites for many more months to come.

The top ten:

These are products I kept coming back to (mostly) everyday since the start of the year.  There are some recently acquired items and they're pretty special to have beat out some other items.

The Faves

Stila In the Light Palette:  I did a review/comparison post here of this palette.  Stila make some fantastic eye shadows (along with other items :)  I'm definitely keen to pick up another palette, most likely In the Know.

Nars Foreplay Palette:  Love these blushes.  The fuchsia one has been my fave this month.  See review here.

OPI Eurso...Euro:  This is a recently acquired nail polish.  I love the formula.  I love the colour and I love that my partner picked it out.  Check out a swatch here.

MAC Blot Powder Pressed:  I'll have a review on this sometime soonish.  I use it to set and touch up my makeup.  Just know, it gets the job done.  Very well.  Great for oily/combination skin.

Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream in 21: I cannot say enough about how much I love this BB cream.  It's amazing.  I wear this about everyday to work.  See review here.

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H in 005:  If I'm not wearing the BB cream, I'm wearing this or another foundation which I'm currently in love with.  I'll reveal the other foundation at another time.  I struggled for a long time finding foundations that match my skin and now I'm obsessed with finding more (even though I don't need anymore :)  I made a mini review about this here.

Revlon Lip Butter in Lollipop:  I love lip butters.  They're my kind of lipstick.  Pigmented and low maintenance.  I've been wearing lollipop a lot this summer.  I'll be posting a FotD soon with this as a star.

L'Oreal NutriBalm Tinted Lip Balm in Nudy Coral: Love. Love. Love.  This is pretty much a lip balm with the slightest amount of colour (emphasis on slight), but it is fantastic!  The subtle colour and shine is great for my work makeup.  I will be writing a post comparing this to YSL Volupte Sheer Candy.

Kosmea Skin Clinic Rescue Balm: I mention when I bought this I loved it as a lip balm; however, I have also seen firsthand it's ability to mend and fade scarring.  My partner cut his nose at work and it has scarred (even after attempts to avoid this during the healing process).  I told him to put the Rescue Balm on it just to see what would happen and what do you know? It has worked.  The scar is slowly, slowly fading, but it is so much better than it was at the start.  I was so mad at him (even though it was a complete accident) because in less than 3 months, we'll be getting married and there will be so many photos!

Finally, Etude House Missing U Hand Cream Harp Seal: This is the most adorable packaging I have ever seen.  I'm obsessed with seals and I couldn't pass this up.  It's supposed to smell like Green Tea (I'm not sure if it actually does, but I also cannot pinpoint what it smells like) and it's actually a pretty good hand cream.  It leaves your hands feeling really smooth.  I will keep this container forever!

Honourable Mentions: 

Okay, so I have cheated, slightly, and included three honourable mentions.  These were products that I have (a) fallen in love with recently, but the blogger world has been loving it forever, (b) loved it for a while now and have used it a lot more this quarter or (c) really like it, but it just narrowly missed the cut.

Honourable mentions

Bioderma: it seems that everyone has an opinion of this.  I thought it was overrated, but after using it for a while now, I cannot see myself without it.

Fine One One: See my review here.  I still love it.

Bellapierre Mineral Blush in Desert Rose: The swatch leans a bit too orange, but it is definitely peachy.  I adore peach blushes and this is a great everyday one.  It's really finely milled and applies extremely well.

Bellapierre Mineral Blush in Desert Rose

Desert Rose swatch

What were your favourites this month/quarter?

Weekend Haul

I have been so so good to avoid purchasing any beauty items; however, this weekend I decided to reward myself (by justifying the products)!  GWPs are an easy way to justify purchases as well as claiming they're for my wedding makeup.

My first stop was Priceline.  I had a voucher from my reward points and I couldn't pass up the Sally Hansen offer on at the moment.  I picked up two of the Complete Salon Manicure polishes: 220 Cafe Au Lait and 675 Mermaid's Tale.  The GWP included a Complete Salon Manicure in 540 Frutti Petutie, Diamond Shine Base and Top Coat, Diamond Strength Instant Nail Hardener and a Nail Shaper and Buffer.  Such a great deal!!  I also bought another Witch Blemish Stick, but I have to return it because it was dried out.

Here are swatches of the three nail polishes.  The formula is great!!  Frutti Petutie applied so creamy.  The other two were a bit sheer, but built up nicely.  I could have got away with 3 coats of Mermaid's Tale, but the glitter was all clumping at the top, so I added a fourth to make a more equal distribution.  The top coat did burn my finger a bit, which was weird, but it works really nicely.

Top to Bottom: 2 coats of Frutti Petutie, 4 coats of Mermaid's Tale, 3 coats of Cafe Au Lait

The next stop was Myer.  I had a $20 gift card from my Myer One points, plus I had a 10% off voucher for all beauty items.  I stopped by the MAC counter, but the customer service was horrible.  I've never had much luck at the Perth counter, so I end up purchasing items online.  However, the customer service at Lancome has always been stellar.  I've had a few samples of their Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation and I decided that I had to have it!  I really really love it because it matches my skin
perfectly.


My shade is the lightest in the range, 005 Beige Ivoire.  This has pink undertones, which I certainly look for in a foundation.  Foundations with too much yellow, make my skin look dirty and orange.  I also love the smell of this foundation!



A lady cut in front of me at the counter, which was lame; however, the Sales Assistant totally saw it and gave me two decent sized samples of some of their skincare products: Hydra Zen Nuit Neurocalm (Soothing Recharging Night Cream) and their well known Genifique Yeux (Youth Activating Eye Concentrate).  These samples eased the blow when I went to David Jones and found out Lancome has a GWP over there when you spend $75.

Swatch of the foundation:

It looks so natural blended in.  

The next stop was David Jones.  I knew I wanted to pick up one of the Mariah Carey OPI polishes and I was pumped when I found out there was an OPI GWP on at the moment.  I've been wanting to try the OPI Drip Dry formula and couldn't pass up the opportunity of receiving one for free.

L to R: 'Get Your Number', 'OPI...Eurso Euro' and Drip Dry

My partner was shopping with me and wasn't too thrilled at all my beauty stops during the day, so I let him pick out my polishes (so he was involved :).  He chose brilliantly!  Of the Mariah Carey collection, he selected 'Get Your Number.'  He also chose 'OPI...Eurso Euro' from the Euro Centrale collection.

Bottom to Top: 'OPI...Eurso Euro,' 'Get Your Number,' and 'French Quarter for Your Thoughts'

These are beautiful polishes and I love the Drip Dry (though, I think the 60 sec touch dry claim is a bit of a stretch).  They apply really nicely and I love the texture of the Liquid Sand.  I highly recommend you trying it out if you haven't already.

I really wanted to pick up the David Jones Sampler Tote after seeing other blog posts about it.  I knew immediately which one I wanted, it was just finding the best OPI Mini nail polish on offer.  In the end, I settled for a grey polish (French Quarter for Your Thoughts--swatch above) and I am so happy I did!  I'm going to have grey nails for my wedding and I have already purchased a grey polish, but I think I may like the OPI one better (at the very least, the formula is better).  I'll be sharing my wedding makeup ideas with you all in the not too distant future :)

The awesome contents!

I'm not going to go into too much detail about all the contents in the bag.  I was excited to receive another Live Clean Argan Oil.  I'd received a sample in one of my LHI Eco boxes and I really enjoyed it.  I'm in love with Kosmea and this rescue balm feels fantastic on dry lips.  Definitely try out this brand if you haven't already.  Their Rose Hip oil is the best I've tested so far.  I'm almost out of my Dermalogica Microfoliant and I was happy to receive another one.  I've been loving the Crabtree & Evelyn hand cream.  This was a brand I always lusted after when I lived in America.  I've used a bit of the David Jones pressed powder and first impression was I really liked it!

If you can, totally pick up this tote!  It's a pretty awesome deal with some excellent brands!

I'm excited to play with these more during my long weekend!

Favourites from the Year that Was (2012) + A Small Giveaway

Hey all!!  Sorry, it's been a while.  I sort of got caught up with the festive season, but now I'm back!  I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and start to 2013.  I wanted to give you a glimpse of some of my Christmas gifts because they are sure to be the content of some upcoming posts!  I also wanted to share my 12 favourite beauty products from this past year. 

This Christmas I received a lot of really great gifts from family and friends.  I now have some more Benefit, Stila, and Mirenesse products which I can't wait to share with you in the coming weeks.

Benefit Goodies

Heaps of other Goodies

Now, onto my favourite products of 2012.  It was quite hard to narrow down all the wonderful products I have encountered and loved this year.  To be honest, this has been the first year I have every really been interested in beauty products, so I've learnt a lot about what works best for me.


Makeup Favourites of 2012

L to R: Benefit They're Real, MUA Pro-Brow, Benefit Sugarbomb, Mirenesse Magic Touch Foundation, L'Oreal Color Riche, Revlon Lipbutter in Tutti Frutti

I cannot express how much I adore Benefit's They're Real mascara.  It is by the far the best mascara I've tried.  I love how it lengthens and curls my lashes instantly!  See my review here.

The MUA Pro-Brow kit is a relatively new purchase from Black Friday.  I haven't been too concerned with my eyebrows before aside from the occasional pluck.  However, this (super affordable) product has made me realise how good my eyebrows can look haha.  I'll definitely be using this in the years to come. 

You all should know by now how much I love my Sugarbomb blush from Benefit.  It looks great on my skin and I cannot wait to experiment more with my new box o' powders!  See my review of Sugarbomb here. 

2012 has been a year of experimentation with foundation.  I find it so hard to find ones that match perfectly with my skin.  Often times I feel as though foundation make my skin look 'dirty.'  However, I have found some foundations that fit okay.  My favourite (that is affordable; I really like Lancome, but alas) has been Mirenesse's Magic Touch Foundation in Vanilla.  I ordered a travel size and then was lucky enough to get a full size in my December Beauty Box!  Score!  I only need a bit of this and often mix it with Benefit's That Gal primer to make it a bit lighter. 

I have loved a lot of nail polishes this year, so this was a really tough choice.  I thought of OPI's THe Living Daylights and Femme Fatale's A Tisket, A Tasket, but ultimately I used L'Oreal's Color Riche formulas the best.  You honestly don't really need a top coat with these babies!  See my review here.

My favourite lip product was also a tough choice.  I have been exposed to many lipsticks and glosses and balms that I used a lot.  In the end, I settled with Revlon's Lipbutters.  My most used shade is Tutti Frutti.  So good for summer.  


Hair and Skincare Favourites of 2012

L to R: Cedel Blow Dry Faster, ONE Skin System Renewal Cleanse, Benefit Refined Finish Facial Polish, The Body Shop Seaweed Clarifying Toner, Clinique DDMG, Kosmea Radiance 24/7 Youth Boost

My favourite hair product this year was definitely Cedel Blow Dry Faster.  It is remarkable how quickly your hair dries once you use this.  See review here.  A close runner-up was Tresemme's Split End Remedy Shampoo.

I know I said ages ago that I would be posting about my skincare regime and I have not forgotten!  The following products will be a preview.  I was never really concerned with skincare until the second half of this year.  Since then, I have tried a lot of brands and products.  My favourite cleanser is ONE Skin System Renewal Cleanser.  It's a cream cleanser, it smells divine and it leaves your skin feeling clean and smooth.

I love exfoliating products.  I find that they feel like they're actually doing something whereas cleansers are so, you know, gentle.  My current favourite is Benefit's Refined Finish Facial Polish.  It has the perfect consistency in my opinion and leaves you skin looking bright.

 Toners have become a staple in my regime.  I've tried a few, but my favourite by far is The Body
 Shop's Seaweed Clarifying Toner.  It's amazing.  Plus, it has no alcohol in it!  And it leaves your skin feeling tingling fresh.

I'm quite picky when it comes to moisturisers and it seems often I'm too eager to dislike one rather than like it.  However, I feel in love with Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel the moment I used it.  It's geared towards Oily/Combination skin and it leaves your skin feeling soft.  My favourite part is that it also doesn't make my face red.  Most products turn my face red upon application, until they sink in, but this one doesn't at all.

Lust Have It Eco introduced me to rose-hip oil in the form of Kosmea's Radiance 24/7 Youth Boost.  It has definitely enhanced my skin since I've started using it. 


Now for a little Giveaway!  

I wanted to share some of my favourite products with you!  Included will be a Revlon Lipbutter in Strawberry Shortcake, a sample of Benefit Refined Finish Facial Polish and two bottles of your choice of L'oreal's Color Riche nail polish.  As a result of the nail polish, this giveaway will be restricted to Australian Residents only.  You must also be at least 18 years of age to participate.

L to R: Revlon Lipbutter in Strawberry Shortcake, L'oreal Color Riche Nail Polishes, Sample of Benefit Refined Finish Facial Polish

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!

October Favourites

Here are my favourite items from this past month.

1.  Witch Blemish Stick: I'm loving this stick.  I don't have too too much trouble with blemishes, but this has made my skin better.  At the first signs of a spot, I put this on and it really does reduce redness and helps it heal faster.  It's not immediate, so I'm still open to other products.

2.  CEDEL blow dry faster heat protector:  One of the things I hate is blow drying my hair; however, if I want to wear it down, I do have to dry it.  This product radically reduces the time it takes to dry while leaving it smoother and shinier.  I will definitely buy this again!

3.  Kosmea Radiance 24/7 Youth Boost: I received this in my Lust Have It! Eco Box.  My first experience wasn't too pleasant--I put too much oil on my skin.  Learning from that, I have grown fond to this product.  It makes my skin feel really smooth and has made it more vibrant and radiant.  I use it at night because I do find it to be a bit heavy.  I'm hoping it lasts a long time!

4.  OPI The Living Daylights:  I adore this nail polish.  It really is fantastic.  See a quick review of it here.  Be sure to get this while you can!

5.  Swisspers Blot-Off Oil Tissues:  This are a fantastic way to touch up your skin during the day.  Having combination/oily skin, I can use these to absorb the oil my face creates during the day.  They're easy to use and come in a cool carrying case.
 
6.  Benefit POREfessional:  I got this travel size tube in my She's So Jetset kit and to say the least, I love this primer.  I find it really does reduce the size of your pores.  It's not a perfect reduction, but far less visible.  If you're looking for a miracle product, this may not be for you.  I will have some before and after pictures as soon as I can.

7.  Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 16:  I really like these lipsticks.  I now own 4.  This colour is a bright pink.  I am looking forward to wearing it a lot this summer.   

Eye without any makeup

The amazing They're Real Mascara Brush

Eye with One Coat of They're Real and Benefit and Bourjois Eye Shadow Pot in 10

8.  Benefit They're Real Mascara:  This also came in my She's So Jetset kit (I highly recommend the entire kit).  I am completely in love with this mascara!  It is excellent!!  I love how it lengthens and curls.  I don't have anything close to it and I have quite a few mascaras.

9.  Bourjois Eye Shadow Pot in 10:  This is a beautiful eye shadow in a glittery champagne colour.  This is my go to colour of eye shadow and I love the shimmer this one possesses.  Totally worth a purchase if you don't mind glitter.

What were your favourites this month?