Monthly Favourites - November

It's December, which is ridiculous. I'm sure every man and his dog will express the speed with which this year has flown in their monthly favourites, so I'll spare you from hearing it again. November marked the last of my uni exams and the successful completion of my first year of university! To celebrate, this blog was resurrected from the dead and I'm slowly getting back into the swing of posting.

It was darn easy to pick monthly favourites for November because I haven't shared any favourites with you for months.

Eyes: Without a doubt, buying the Makeup Geek starter palate on a whim at 1am one night was easily one of my better decisions. It comes with 9 standard shades, almost all of which I feel are appropriate for a starter kit. I would have loved to see more browns instead of purples, however I have been getting use out of all of them. The pigmentation is amazing, palate set up (that allows you to remove the pans with ease) and the cost is pretty good. A clear winner.

Face: After all the raving about the Hourglass products, I really wasn't convinced. For a powder that cost so much and barely showed up, my student budget wasn't having it. Then Model's prefer came out with a dupe and I jumped on the bandwagon. I adore this powder, it is amazing and I have mine in the shade Photo Ready.

Lips: As I stated in my haul here, I didn't even know that this range of glosses existed until I purchased one. I cannot recommend the Rimmel Oh My Gloss range enough, despite only owning one shade (Glossaholic). It is perfect in every way.

Nails: I must admit, these polishes came as a little bit of a disappointment however I had to include them because they are the only polishes I've worn all month. It is the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel polish in Get it Bright and the corresponding gel topcoat. I expected super good wear out of this and I found it to be relatively similar to all my other polishes. I'm going to keep persisting but it hasn't won me over yet...

Other: I have never been a fake tan person but the Australis Tinted Let's Go Steady Gradual Tan Body Moisturiser (what a mouthful!) is incredible. Incredible! I lather this on daily for about three days in a row and I have a natural but clearly enhanced glow to my skin. It smells fine, is so freaking easy and looks bloody amazing. I love this product.

Book: I've added in a new category because books are such a big part of my life. This month I read one of my favourite books of the year - Blood and Guts by Richard Hollingham. It is a brief, albeit absolutely fascinating, history of surgery and developments through areas like heart surgery, transplants, plastic surgery and the brain. It is gory, gruesome and overall absolutely mind blowing. This book made me so, so appreciative of the current medical practises, and in awe of the brilliant minds who came before us, discovering new ways to improve surgical techniques and the comfort of their patients. An incredible book for a science-lover.

Collective haul - Face of Australia, Essie, OPI and more

Over the last couple of month I've managed to acquire some wonderful stuff for some ridiculously good prices so I thought I'd share my bargains with you all...

Kmart has actually been my best friend in the beauty department lately. I purchased the Nivea Lip
Butter in Caramel Cream (and oh my gosh it smells divine!) for only two dollars. They're obviously no longer stocking Face of Australia which is a major disappointment however it did mean I was able to pick up three of their lipsticks, each for four dollars. I grabbed some seriously beautiful shades, my favourite being Forbidden Fruit and the other two including Power Surge and Pink Champagne.

When Priceline had their 40% off sale I actually didn't go too crazy but I did get two Australis products - an Australis concealer which I am so freaking disappointed with, and the brow tint which thankfully makes up for the crappy concealer. If any of you have actually tried the concealer let me know because it's probably one of the worst I've ever come across...

Essie has captured my heart with its amazing colour range and incredible formula so I was tempted with this beauty, Limo-scene. I adore the colour (which is why it made it into my March favourites) but sadly, as is often the case with white polishes, the formula isn't great.

Now that Priceline is stocking OPI polishes I've found myself souring the bins for good bargains. A lot of the shades they have a pretty unappealing but the shade Nomad's dream caught my eye. I don't usually go for the frosty kinds of polishes but this one is damn gorgeous. I also grabbed some hairspray, and the reason it is so exciting is because I've never owned hairspray in my whole life...I know right!

My favourite concealer is the Face of Australia stick concealer in natural so I had to repurchase it recently when I ran out, and while I was there I grabbed their illuminating stick in When in Rome which I highly recommend you look into because it's super pretty.

There is a Chemist's Warehouse near me and they always have really good deals, so I couldn't resist when I saw the highly raved about Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in my shade for only $9. I've been really impressed with it so far.

Of course, Priceline is always calling my name with good sales and in one of the million occasions that I set foot in the store, I managed to come out with a Models Prefer Lip Crayon in the shade Raspberry Ripple and an Essence lipstick in the shade Love Me. I'd never taken any notice of the Models Prefer lip crayons but for $2 it was a worthwhile purchase.

Last but not least is a totally unexpected purchase, a Sportsgirl lipstick. I have never ever owned any Sportsgirl makeup but have seen fairly positive reviews about their stuff. I was in Sportsgirl and I think something must have been mislabelled because I purchased their lipstick in the shade Doll Face for $0.98 and I really like the bold shade!

L-R: Raspberry Ripple, Forbidden Fruit, Power Surge, Pink Champagne, Doll Face, Love me

 So there you have it, my recent additions to my beauty stash. Let me know if there are any products in particular that you would like to see a review on. I've been really slack with my posting but I promise I'll try my best to write about anything you're particularly interested in!

L-R: Raspberry Ripple, Forbidden Fruit, Power Surge, Pink Champagne, Doll Face, Love me

Monthly Favourites - March

Hello dear friends, it has been far too long. Yep, I disappeared for ages but I'm kind of back, at least I'm here right now with a post full of lovely things. It seems that since my last post I started a new job, found myself living the Uni life and also got myself a boyfriend. It's been absolutely wonderful but ridiculously busy at the same time. I've missed blogging but sadly it has to be the first thing that's put on hold. Nevertheless, I'm here with a bunch of new, really cool stuff.

Face: I don't know about you but I am a sucker for glowy face products, making highlighters and illuminators really difficult for me to resist. Face of Australia is probably my favourite 'drugstore' makeup brand so when they came out with some cream illuminators I knew I was going to grab one. The shade I snapped up is 'When in Rome,' a stunning champagne that is neither too brown nor too pink. It suits my skin tone magically and it just livens up my face. I love this stuff!

Eyes: I've never really been a primer girl but lately I've had no choice because my eyeshadow has been creasing like crazy. I don't even really recall how I acquired this product (it was one of those that seemed to just magically appear in my drawer one day) but gosh it's good. Even though it is a tiny little tube it is going to last me forever because you need only the smallest little bit of product. 

Lips: This was a real bargain lipstick because I grabbed it for $4 at Kmart (I think they are no longer stocking Face of Australia because the whole brand was reduced so much). Anyhow, this is the most perfect red in the world. Yes, I know I know, I'm changing my mind about the perfect red every week but this is a stunning cool toned red that I've been rocking non stop since I got it.

Nails: This is kind of a funny products to have in a favourites, but hear me out. I actually don't like this polish much at all. The formulation is crappy, it requires at least 5 coats to get even close to being opaque and it's expensive! But, the reason I included it is because I love the shade and I've been wearing it all month, despite its many flaws. Basically, don't buy this Essie polish because it is a waste of your money, but you can admire the pretty colour because it is lovely!

Other: I was super lucky to be sent a body scrub from aussie brand Sugar queen body scrubs. I'm in love! I got sent the flavour Lemon Cheesecake which is just incredible (and a bit dangerous really because I just want to eat it). They have a whole bunch of other wonderful scents like Warm Sugar Cookie and Pina Colada which I highly recommend you checking out because they are amazing. Also, look at the beautiful packaging! I just love love love it! Check out the website here.

So these have been the lovely things in my life lately. Sorry again for going AWOL, but sadly I think it might start happening more and more often. It's a real shame because I love blogging but unfortunately I just have so much else on. Let me know if you have any tips for balancing it all!

Monthly Favourites - January

2015 is in full swing and I am thrilled to say that it is already one thousand times better than 2014 was! January was a freaking huge month for me - at the end of December I got my Ps, I received my ATAR (98.5 out of 99.95), I got into my Speech Pathology course and I caught up with all the people I love over the month and for my 18th birthday party. All in all it was a pretty amazing month to kick off the year with!

But alas, now for the favourites!

Face: I don't know what it is (probably all the junk food I've been inhaling lately) but my skin is the worst it has ever been. Ever. I have been breaking out so much all over my whole face and even foundation hasn't helped much. Of course, my tendencies to pick spots until they become disgusting great scabs that can't even be covered by makeup doesn't help, but agh, it's so frustrating! Nevertheless, those spots that can be covered I've been using the Face of Australia stick concealer for because I think it does a magical job. Mine's a bit busted because of all the travelling it's been doing, but it does the job.

Nails: This was such an easy pick, and when I think about it if I had done a 2014 favourites post this polish would have won the title for the year: Essie's polish in Mamba. It is the most perfect nude pink that is so flattering and subtle yet classy. I love the formulation of this polish (it is the first and only one I've tried from Essie) and gosh, it is just wonderful!

Eyes: Like the nail polish, if I were to make a 2014 favourites the Max Factor Wild Mega Volume mascara would have taken the prize for my top mascara. I use this every.single.day. and it was no different in January. For someone who has never been interested in volumising mascara, this has made me change my mind...

Lips: When I realised that I'd not even mentioned this product on my blog I was astonished because this lipstick is perfection! I'm not even sure why I was compelled to pick up the Rimmel London Matte Finish Lipstick in 107 but it was the best decision ever. This is the most incredible dark wintery red/berry shade that I just adore - you can tell how much I love it because I have been wearing it all summer even though it matches none of my summery outfits! Don't quote me on this, but I think it might be Youtube star Zoella's trademark lippie and I can totally see why. Get it.

Other: For the other category I was going to choose a particular book but in the end I just decided to go with books in general. Since being on holidays I have rediscovered my passion for books. I honestly don't know how I survived 2014 not reading anything because books are what keep me alive and well. It has been such a luxury sitting outside in the hammock delving into good literature. 

I recently wrote a post on my most beautiful book covers if you are interested!

Well there they are, my favourites for January 2015. I hope the rest of the year continues to be as wonderful as this month has been!

NARS Blush and Bronzer Duo in Orgasm and Laguna

NARS is one of those brands that for a Priceline kind of girl, is wayyy out of reach. Though all of their products appear to be absolutely stunning and are raved about by anyone who has been lucky enough to get their hands on them, they kind of cost a small fortune compared to your brands like Revlon and Maybelline. I was super lucky to win this Laguna and Orgasm duo (yep, they also have some pretty risque names!) and I have been loving it ever since.

Starting off with the packaging, although I love the simplicity and classiness of the matte black packaging and white print, it looks absolutely filthy in no time. I tried so very hard to keep mine looking fresh but in no time at all it had foundation fingerprints and blush all over it. The photos are quite deceiving because this is actually a mini version of the duo, so much so that I can just fit my brush into the pan.

Let's start with the blush first: oh.my.lord. It's easy to become all caught up in the hype when the whole world is raving about something, which is why I start to get very doubtful about a product and whether it really is that good. Well, in this case I am happy to join all the fans out there because NARS Orgasm has catapulted itself into my new favourite blush. It is a gorgeous mid toned, rich pink shade with a sheen of gold that just makes you glow. You know that mermaid blue shade with the gold sheen? Well this is simply a pink version of that. It is absolutely freaking stunning. I still can't quite understand why I love this so much because I've actually never been a fan of shimmery blushes, but this is just gorgeous.

And then we have Laguna. You didn't think anything could get better after NARS Orgasm, right? Well apparently it can. Laguna was the bronzer that taught me that it wasn't my useless skill in application that made me hate bronzer, but the fact that I'd simply not found the right one yet. This bronzer isn't too orange toned and doesn't at all look dirty or muddy on my face. My face has been perfectly contoured since this incredible product came into my life, and I have been enjoying life as a bronzed babe who looks like she's just come back from a summer holiday. I love this stuff!

It's a big call, but I think this has to be a holy grail product for me because I've been completely bowled over with how incredible it is. I have worn both the blush and bronzer non stop since getting it and I can't see that changing at all. One thing specifically that I was really impressed with is that at the end of the day it still looks like you applied it only moments ago, the lasting power is incredible. Of course, just my luck that to purchase this in Australia it costs $56 but I have a feeling that when this runs out, it will be a splurge that I am willing to make.

Those of you who have tried this out for yourself, do you love it as much as I do?

Monthly Favourites - November

It's December, which means that it is the last month of 2014, which is actually beyond my comprehension. I honestly cannot believe that it has come to the end of this crazy year, but in all honestly I am actually relieved!

My November favourites are, in my opinion, a special bunch. I discovered some new makeup, continued to love old favourites and found an Op-shop gem that I've been loving.

Face
My face favourite is a bit of a funny one this month because I've still not formulated an opinion on the product despite it being basically the only face product I've used! In early November I purchased the Maybelline Better Skin Foundation in Priceline's 40% off sale, totally sucked in by all the hype I had seen on some of my favourite blogs. I've used it quite regularly since and somehow still not come to a conclusion whether I like it or not. I will do a review on it eventually but I feel like I need to come to some kind of decision about it first!

Eyes
It's really no surprise that the Naked palette is my favourite for this month - the moment I got it it was love at first sight. This palette is the most perfect combination of golds and browns, my two favourite eyeshadow shades. It does have a bit of fallout which is actually really quite frustrating (I never remember to do my eye makeup before my face makeup) but it's worth it because every shade is stunning!

Lips
I know, I know, I really am cheating here with another product from last month's favourites, but I'm simply telling the truth! I am completely obsessed with the Revlon Matte Balm Stain in Elusive, it is perfect! This is my go-to product when I'm feeling lazy or don't know what to wear. It is already faded and worn from being stashed in my handbag among all the other crap I carry around! If you are a fan of the original balms by Revlon or love a matte lip product, you absolutely have to try these out.

Nails
Pink and red shades are always my go-to nail polish colours but for some reason I just felt like going with a gold polish. One of my favourites is Revlon's polish in Creme Brulee (a poorly named but beautiful colour). It's a toned down gold shade that is subtle but still absolutely beautiful, quite a tasteful, classy shade.

Last but definitely not least is the other category. On one of my regular Op-shopping trips I spotted this sequinned clutch from Betts for only $4! It was such a bargain and I just adore it, having used it so many times! It's perfect for a night out with some gold jewellery and adds the perfect amount of glamour to anything!

November was certainly one of the most stressful months of this year with my final high school exams and the end of year celebrations but it was a good one and I am glad that December has arrived in preparation for what will hopefully be an amazing year in 2015!

Burts Bees Radiance Night Cream with Royal Jelly

I'm going to say it: this night cream is the bee's knees. Oh lord, yes I went there with that horrendous pun but in all seriousness, it truly is a wonderful night cream. 

I was recently given the opportunity to try out some of the new Burts Bees skincare products and after having looked at the press release, I was immediately hooked. Believe it or not, I'd actually only owned one Burt's Bees product myself (the Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream) but had stolen a lip balm of my Mum's and used something from a friend and knew it was a brand I was be a fan of. It's one of those brands that also has cult products that everybody knows about too, so I was sure I couldn't go wrong with their skin products.

I received a moisturiser and toner and the moisturiser has made it into an absolute staple in my skincare routine. I've decided I cannot go without a night cream anymore because they have that extra bit of moisture and are just so luxurious. I love waking up to the most beautifully soft skin!

The first thing I noticed about this moisturiser is the texture. It's kind of reflective of most body butters I've tried, although perhaps the slightest bit softer. Despite this, it doesn't feel overly thick on my face and soaks in really well (however this could be because I've had stupidly dry skin lately). It is, however, a night cream and I don't think makeup would work well over the top because it would probably slide around a little bit.

The next thing I became aware of was the fragrance. I am one of those people who love scented products, particularly for the body, but when it comes to the face I steer clear. All the additives and strong scents are too much for the skin on my face and it just all ends badly. This night cream isn't completely scent free but has a lovely fresh, slightly honey based scent that seems so natural and hasn't caused any problems.

Though it claims to be a 'radiance' moisturiser, I've not personally noticed any difference in my skin but that's probably because I've been unbelievably stressed out with school work and have not been taking care of my skin, diet or anything really of late! In terms of the ingredients within it, royal jelly is obviously the big one! Apparently "Royal Jelly is one of the world's most nutrient-rich substances ...and offers many skin benefits."

I absolutely love the little glass jar the product is kept in, I think it is classy and just the loveliest thing to have on your dresser. For a retail price of $39.99 (although it's currently on sale at Priceline) it is one of the more expensive moisturisers I've tried, but I do love it. I'm not sure I'll repurchase it while I'm on a student's budget (aka. no money whatsoever) but I am really enjoying this product! Burt's Bees, I'm impressed!

Monthly Favourites - September

I haven't done a favourites post in such a long time so I really enjoyed looking back at the products I had on high rotation last month or two.

Without a doubt, my most used favourite of all was, of course, the Urban Decay Naked Palette I asked a friend to bring back for me from her holiday in America. Having wanted this for so freaking long, I have used it non stop since. I recently did a review on this including my favourite shades from the palette.

For my lips favourite, it was kind of unexpected. I owned 6 Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains  when the matte versions came out and for some strange reason I just didn't feel compelled to look at the matte ones (I know, what was wrong with me?!). I was at Chemist Warehouse when they were having one of their 50% off sales and saw that they had the balm stains down to less than $10 so I figured I would try one out. I picked up the shade Elusive, a beautiful everyday pink shade and I've not looked back - I love it! I'll be doing a review on it soon.

For the face category it was an easy choice, going with Arbonne's Got You Covered Mineral Powder Foundation. I layer this on top of Garnier's BB cream and the two paired together work magically. They give the perfect amount of coverage and the Arbonne powder ensures that they last all day. I love the smooth satin finish it gives to the skin without looking powedery or cakey.

For nails this was a little harder to choose but eventually in the end I had to go for Revlon's polish in Siren, a stunning bright orange that is so summery and happy! I wrote a NOTD post on it and so many people seemed to like it too!

Last but not least is my 'other' category, and for September it had to be a new addition to my hair care products, the Garnier Miracle Oil Brushing Express Heat protectant. I never use straighteners or curlers so I didn't use it for its heat protecting properties, rather found that it was a gorgeous lightweight oil that helped my the damaged ends of my long hair. It made my hair silky and smooth, smell great and easy to brush through. I think it is under $15 as well so it is really worth giving a try.

Well there are my favourites for September, a bunch of products I am so excited about continuing to use over the next couple of months. Most of them are brand new to my collection as well and some weren't products I had planned on purchasing.

Have you tried any of these products?

Rimmel London Match Perfection Blush in Light

Rimmel match perfection blush. Can you see the appeal? The gorgeous crown imprints coloured in glorious shades of pink? If you don't want to run out and purchase this at the mere sight of it then you are lying to yourself. It's gorgeous.

That is exactly what I did when I saw it for $8 at a shop called Cosmetics Fragrance direct. I'd seen it on blogs before but it didn't really catch my eye until I saw it in person, on sale, and having tried only one Rimmel blush before thought it would be a great idea. I will note that the Rimmel blush I had tried previously was the Rimmel 3 in one blush in Spring Flower which I was not at all impressed with and hoped that this blush would be the opportunity for Rimmel to redeem itself.

When I first opened it I hesitated putting my brush in it because it was just so pretty! Nevertheless, eventually I came around to the idea of, you know, actually using it. Anticipating amazing things, I started applying it on my cheeks and...nothing. There was no colour whatsoever...

And if I'm honest with you, it's not gotten any better since. This blush literally has no colour payoff, none at all. In fact, you could easily use it as a translucent setting powder without anyone questioning its authenticity as a setting powder.

Since I can barely see it when it's on (even after layering and layering and layering that I would never ever do with a normal blush) I can't really judge its lasting power...I guess it doesn't really matter because since you can't see it in the first place, you'll never notice its absence.

I have wondered whether one of the darker shades would be a little better, but I'm pretty darn pale so it's not like I'm giving it hard conditions to work for.

I will say though, as I mentioned I love the packaging and think the imprint and three colours are just gorgeous. It certainly sucked me in, much to my disappointment.

After having tried two blushes from Rimmel that were absolutely hopeless, I certainly won't be purchasing any more.

Do I have the worst luck ever or have you also had similar experiences with Rimmel blushes?

The night time routine I wish I could follow...

I've been watching a lot of get ready with me and night routine videos on youtube and have been astonished to find that other people's lives appear to revolve around beauty and unrealistic glamorous routines. Honestly, these youtubers appear to spend hours on social media, making ten cups of tea and carrying out lush beauty treatments after they get home from work/school. I myself arrive home with exhausted eyes and change from my wrinkled school uniform into pyjamas and school socks, dump my ten kilo bag on the floor and collapse ungracefully onto my unmade bed in a bellyflop whereby I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

I was thinking though, if I lived in a perfect world, had nothing to do but pamper myself all day everyday, I would have an elaborate night time routine whereby I undergo a ten stop process to moisturise, soothe and freshen from head to toe. This is what I would do...

Face
- Clean & Clear Morning Burst Facial Cleanser
- Arbonne RE Advanced Regenerating Toner
- B liv Shrink and tighten serum
- B liv Off With Those Heads serum
- Luminesce Night Cream
- Blistex Lip Conditioner

I'm already pretty good with my skincare and never go to bed wearing makeup however it usually stops at the simple steps of a quick cleanse followed with some moisturiser. Ideally I would chuck in a few other treatments too.

Body
- Luminesce Essential Body Renewal moisturiser
- My New Skin balm
- Bio Oil

In terms of beauty, my body is easily the most neglected area because I just forget! I have some great products listed above, I just need to use them more often and consistently!

Hair
- Vitamin E formula mascara
- Salon Confidential R:04 Repair Ends Mender

Last of course is hair, another area in which I am rather careless. My hair is in desperate need for moisture and focus on the split ends. I also won this lash treatment in a giveaway and feel that I should probably put it to good use because who wouldn't want better looking lashes?

But....I just can't see all of this happening! Life is too jam packed with a million other more important things to get done before completely crashing and I just don't think I could squeeze in this elaborate routine too.

For now I guess I'll be sticking to my dodgy ways...

Arbonne Got You Covered Mineral Powder Foundation - Ivory

Mineral foundations are as familiar to me as tightrope walking (ie. not familiar to me at all). When I think of powder foundations I have visions of powdery old ladies smelling of roses with wrinkles full of cakey foundation that smears on your gorgeous black dress as they come to give you a kiss. Of course, this is all based on my imagination for I have never actually tried a powder foundation in my life, but prior to receiving the Arbonne Got You Covered Mineral Powder Foundation I really didn't have high expectations.

As usual when it comes to things I have judged before trying, I was wrong, really wrong. This stuff is kind of great, though it did take a bit of experimentation for us to be friends.

When it first arrived I decided to slap it on as I would a normal foundation, though because it was a powder I simply assumed I would need to apply it excessively and with careless abandon...A word of advice - don't do that. As you might expect, it looked awful. My visions of wrinkly grandmas came true and my face was a fluttery mess of strangely coloured splotches where every time I moved my face powder would burst into the air like a mini explosion of skin coloured confetti. It was bad, my god it was bad.

Nevertheless I can be persistent and chose to be more sensible in my application the second time around. With care and a steady hand I was able to create a respectable base that I could walk out of the front door wearing. I found that there were a couple of issues though:
- It wasn't terribly pigmented. Now I'm not a huge fan of full coverage foundation (I only wear it for special events) however I like a little bit to cover my blemishes. This didn't really do the trick though and I ended up using so much more concealer than I normally would to compensate.
- It didn't last very long. After a couple of hours I felt like I didn't have anything on my skin at all which obviously isn't ideal in terms of practicality. I expect all powders are like this because they can't possibly have the staying power that liquid foundations do, but I was a little disappointed.

A little disappointed in the outcome I chose to give it one more crack and use it in conjunction with my favourite BB cream. It's perfect! I always struggled with oil control and coverage with my BB cream. It was a little too light when my skin was having a bad day and after a couple of hours my T-zone felt a little greasy but these products are a match made in heaven. The Arbonne powder adds a little more coverage that looks so natural but also keeps my face matte throughout the day. I also think when combined with the BB cream it lasts significantly longer, so the performance of both products are amplified when used together.

On another note, I just love the packaging of this product because as is the case with all Arbonne products, it's beautiful and classy, sleek and practical. There is a net that prevents too much powder coming out but isn't too controlling that it doesn't let anything through. The screw top lid and clear bottom looks attractive and is very practical.

I can tell that this is going to be a staple product for my everyday routine although I'm not sure that I will repurchase it, simply because I am a poor high school student with no money to pay $53 for a powder. Still, I really like this product and would repurchase it if I could!

Model Co Glow Baby Glow Bronzer

Say hello to the most enormous bronzer you will ever encounter. This is seriously almost as big as my head, and I love it!

I was lucky to receive this when I won Amy's Giveaway from over at Bottled beauty. I was really excited about having another bronzer because that is an area in my collection where (believe it or not) I don't actually have that many. What I wasn't anticipating was the unbelievably enormous size of it! It's half the size of my head!

Packaged in a bronze case with metallic gold writing, it certainly gives off the glowing goddess beachy vibe. It's really simple and contains no real detail or decoration which I think works perfectly and makes it really effective. It has one of those wonderful latches that you simple press and it opens, making it easy to open when you are in a hurry or your nail polish is wet.

Imprinted in the powder is a simple pattern of lines extending outwards in a circular motion. This pattern disappears within 5 or so uses. The bronzer is a lovely light brown shade that isn't too orange. I think there is nothing worse than an orange toned bronzer, but I really had no trouble with this bronzer. It contains some very fine golden shimmer all throughout that does catch the light when you are in direct sun. Ideally for me, the bronzer would be matte however it doesn't make it unusable and certainly still looks gorgeous on the skin, it just needs to be used more as a way of warming up the face than actually creating contours.

It is quite pigmented and does need to be used carefully with a light hand, though it's pretty easy to work with if you know what you are doing. It is reasonably long lasting and will stay the duration of the day although I apply it quite lightly in the beginning and therefore it can be quite hard to spot by the end!

Unfortunately the pan that would normally be glued to the rest of the packaging has fallen out and it often makes the lid jam when I am trying to close it. I don't think it's that the packaging is poor or faulty in any way, in fact I expect that happened when it was bouncing around in the back of a postage van!

I really love this bronzer and have been getting so much use out of it. I can't see myself ever finishing it because it is just so hilariously huge, but it's a lovely shade that works really well with my pale skin.

L-R: Model Co Bronzer, Savvy by DB Jumbo Bronzer,
Maybelline Bronzer, Revlon Bronzer

Essence Ticket to Paradise Shimmer Powder in Tropical Heat

I have a real problem resisting Essence's limited edition products. Though their permanent range is pretty good, their limited edition ranges are just that whole lot better and the fact that I know within weeks they will be gone forever makes me buy things I don't really need. I still long for that blush they brought out in their Cherry Blossom collection that I never picked up...Seriously though, who could blame me for this purchase - it is so darn gorgeous!

In my opinion, highlighters are those products that always get forgotten in a makeup routine despite that they are perhaps the most beautiful makeup products of all. A bit of golden shimmer on the cheekbones can honestly make the world of difference yet I will be the first to admit that I simply forget to put some on or just don't have time to make the effort. I've been wearing it a lot more regularly since buying this wonderful highlighter though!

The most obvious aspect of this product is the stunning flowery imprint in the pan. Following the 'Ticket to Paradise' theme, it was basically the print alone that convinced me I had to own it. The remaining packaging is Essence's standard practical but moderately poor quality clear lid and black base. It's not awful but it's not top of the range either.

It's a strong golden toned shade, leaning much more on the orange gold spectrum than the white gold one. It's quite pigmented but can be used lightly if desired, or built up to be quite strong. I personally like it quite subtle, especially as it does have that deeper golden tone, but that is because my skin is so pale. I find warmer highlighters to be much more versatile and user friendly compared to cooler silver based ones, but that may be down to my colouring and overall makeup preferences (I feel the same way about eyeshadows too).

I actually like using this as an eyeshadow, or even as an inner corner highlight because it is subtle but still enough to really glow on the skin.

This sits well on the skin and blends out well. It lasts almost an entire day, though not if it is particularly hot or I'm sweating more than usual! I like to wear this in the summer months and my Essence Twilight Breaking Dawn Highlighter in the cooler months because I feel a deeper more golden tone is more suitable for summer, and a lighter white gold better for winter.

I'm really pleased I purchased this, because I know it would have been one of those products I would have regretted not buying! I can't recall exactly how much this cost, but I believe it would have been $5 or $6 which is super affordable.

I really like this product and give it 8/10.

L-R: Ticket to Paradise, Twilight