NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream - Istanbul

So even though I love living in Australia, when it comes to makeup sometimes we just can't compete with our American and British counterparts. Sure, we have some killer products from brands Face of Australia and Australis that are exclusive to Australians only, but it doesn't really make up for the gazillions of other brands we can't get hold of (or if we can, they are twenty times as expensive). 

However, sometimes a very special thing happens whereby a brand makes it to our shores, like when Essence came onto the Target scene, and we go crazy (as is to be expected). This happened very recently for me when NYX decided to make itself comfortable on the shelves of Target once again.

I eagerly went out swatching all the products and came home with this little beauty, the NYX Soft matte lip cream in Istanbul. This is one of those products that I have had my eye on for so damn long, practically since I started this blog, and now I finally own it is is just magical!

Though no amount of online photographs and swatches will ever be as good as swatching a product in real life, I knew this was the shade for me from the beginning. An incredibly beautiful warm toned pink, this is perhaps one of the most wearable and flattering shades that I own. 

In terms of the formulation, NYX wasn't wrong when they called it a soft matte lip cream. Soft, matte and creamy it most certainly is, though the addition of 'slightly drying' could have been included in the name just to make it that bit more accurate. This is of course to be expected with a matte lip product, but it is a little frustrating because I can't really wear it everyday because my lips get all gross and flaky! When you are actually wearing the product it is really comfortable and you can easily forget that you are even wearing anything. 

This does accentuate any dry areas you already have so a good lip balm needs to be lathered on prior to application. This is so easy and fuss free to apply, it literally requires no special attention. I find the lasting power of this to be amazing...once it has dried it withstands eating, drinking and general wear and tear for a couple of hours. 

This has a lovely fragrance, almost like a cake or baked goodies type smell. Having said that, it isn't too overpowering and therefore probably wouldn't bother someone who is sensitive to smells too much. 

I'm really fond of the simple but effective packaging. The tube is coloured in accordance to the product so if you own a whole heap of these you can find the shade you are looking for in an instant. The top of the wand is matte black (reflective of the nature of the lip product, obviously) and it comes with a doe foot applicator (my favourite). It also makes that satisfying 'thwop' sound when you pull the wand out of the tube at the right speed (does anyone know that sound I am talking about, it happens most often with sticky lipglosses!). 

Perhaps the only disappointing thing about this is that the prices are significantly higher than they are in America (of course, always is the way) which didn't occur with the introduction of Essence to Australia. Still, they're hardly expensive, it is more that I am just bitter about the fact that we have to pay so much more than everyone else! This cost $12.95.

I am so looking forward to purchasing some more products from NYX...I have a feeling this brand is going to be my new favourite!

I give this product 8/10.

Monthly Favourites - November

I know that basically everyone has said this, but seriously...it's December! What the heck? Amongst all the stress of end of year exams and never ending assignments I simply lost track of time and now I'm faced with December and I'm not ready for the end of the year!

Nevertheless, there is nothing I can do about it now except look back on my favourites for November! Now, I'm kind of cheating considering that two of these products were also my favourites for last month, but I guess that just shows how much I really love them!

Eyes: This month I definitely rediscovered an old favourite that was lurking in the back of my collection, the Face of Australia liquid liner in black. This is just so darn easy to use, is pigmented and lasts all day, it has no faults!


Lips: I was so very excited when I heard the news that NYX had landed on Australian shores, and I definitely haven't been disappointed! I purchased a soft matte lip cream in Istanbul and it is the most perfect, wearable pink shade ever. My only problem is that it is quite drying (which of course is a given when it comes to matte lip products) so I sadly haven't been able to wear it everyday, but I've given it a damn good shot!

Nails: No surprises here...yep, another red. I can't help myself. Red polish is my 'thing.' This time it's Revlon's top speed polish in Fire. Quick drying, excellent formula, beautiful shade, what more could you want?

Face: The Garnier BB cream has been my absolute saviour this month. I've been so exhausted, therefore sleeping in which results in basically no time to get ready for school. I can slap this on with such ease and it takes no time at all and makes the biggest difference to the appearance of my skin. I am so in love with the version for oily skin, I wear it every day.

Other: Lastly is a pair of shoes that I purchased this month, a beautiful white pair that I got from Target. I think they were about $15 and I just love them! Admittedly they're not the most comfortable but I only wear them when I'm hanging out and about, so I don't need to do much walking in them.

Well, they're my November favourites (which really are so much like my October ones!) and I feel that at this rate, before you know it my December ones will be out too! My goodness!

Haul - Sportsgirl, Colette, Temt, Target, Priceline & more

So I'm really not a spender but the combination of exams from hell and holidays kind of lead to, uh, this wonderful assortment of treats!






































First up, scarves. I purchased three scarves that I am absolutely in love with, for such cheap prices!
1. A black and white one with the word 'Love' printed on it from Sportsgirl for $5 down from $25
2. A black and white one with sugar skulls and hearts printed on it from Jay Jays for $2.50 down from $15
3. A blue/purple and white one patterned one from Jay Jays for $2.50 down from $15

Next I went to Colette and spotted a heart ring for only $2 down from $4, and a necklace that was initially $6 but on sale for $3. I typically purchase and wear silver jewellery so it is a nice change to go for something gold.

I then went to Target and found a simple black summery dress for $15. It really is nothing fancy but it's perfect for those days where you can't be bothered to plan an outfit but you still want to look nice. It can also be dressed up with a belt, colourful accessories and heels if need be. I particularly love the slight detail at the back.

I then found myself in Temt purchasing a shirt that was on sale from $20 down to $10. I wish I had owned this shirt when I was doing work experience in a Speech Pathology clinic because it is so classy...I love it!

A new 'super' Op-Shop opened up a couple of days ago so Mum and I went down to check it out. Apart from the fact that it is absolutely enormous, it was a little disappointing because it was quite expensive in comparison to other Op-shops. There were some beautiful shoes, but I'm not willing to spend $30 or $40 on secondhand shoes (even if they have only been worn once or twice)!

I did find some things though, a gorgeous gold bangle for $4 and a belt to wear with my black dress for $2.

Last but not least, I went to Priceline because I was absolutely dying to buy one of the Face of Australia Carnivale polishes. I bought the shade 'My Island home' for $6 (normally I wait for sales but I just couldn't this time!) and hopefully I'll get some more soon. I also saw that the Sally Hansen polishes were going out cheap so I got an Xtreme wear polish in the shade 'White On.'

I'm really happy that I splurged on these lovely things...hopefully I can hang out until the after Christmas sales when I have a bit more money to spend, and there are more amazing bargains!

Essence Colour and Go Nail polish - Do you speak love?

I go through phases where I'll be absolutely obsessed with a particular makeup product. I've just come out of an infatuation with cream blushes and now I've been wanting to pick up every nail polish I come into contact with, which is weird because I've never been a real polish girl. It does have something to do with the fact that companies are continually bringing out beautiful, affordable polishes that simply knock me off my feet (ahem, Face of Australia, cough cough) but still, I have a bad feeling I'll end up with an enormous, unused collection by the end of this...

Nevertheless, I am here with a completely seasonally inappropriate polish, 'Do you Speak love?' from Essence. I first spotted this on a beauty blog and decided that I was mine because it was gorgeous and I (surprisingly) owned nothing like it. At about $2 or $3 it is so affordable, and all my experiences with Essence polishes have been positive ones.

This is no different to any other Essence polish. It has a beautiful creamy, non-streaky formula and allows for complete opacity to be achieved in only two coats. I love the wider brush as it means the nail can be coated in two or so strokes.

This beautiful vampy ox-blood shade has catapulted itself into my favourites already and I get the feeling, despite that I should have worn this all through winter, that it will be on my nails all holidays!

Beauty rules you should totally break

There are a lot of rules in life. Some of them are official, like, you know...the road rules. Others are unofficial but polite, like walking to the left on the stairs (seriously people, it's not that hard!) and then there are some that should never have existed in the first place and are meant to be broken. There are so many beauty 'rules' that in my opinion should not be compulsory!

Always wear mascara on your bottom lashes
Never in my life have I worn mascara on my bottom lashes. It looks simply ridiculous on me and it smudges and flakes like nobody's business. Many times I've felt as though I'm doing it wrong but seriously, that's one rule I am happy to break (although I acknowledge that this isn't the case for everyone).

Throw your mascara out after three months
Now I'm no expert on this (but if you are feel free to yell at me about what I'm going to say next) but I totally think you can make a mascara last longer than three months. In fact, my Covergirl Lashblast Length mascara has been going for over a year now (which is quite remarkable considering I literally use it everyday) and it still works like a charm. When it gets gloopy, smells funny or changes colour then sure, I'll swap to one of the million others in my 'backup' pile but until then, I'm not saying sayonara to my best friend just yet.

You can only wear the shade of red lipstick that suits your skintone 
Who made this rule, because they clearly didn't know much about the logistics of red lisptick wearing! There are no rules when it comes to lipstick shades, it's about whether you feel confident! For me, I'll go a blue or red toned lippie, bright or subtle, but I won't venture into the darker, more vampy colours just yet. It's not about the rules, it's about what I like.

Pale skin is something to be ashamed of
I hate this rule, I absolutely hate it. I am white as a ghost and 99% of the time I love it! Sure, a bit of a tan in summer can be quite attractive and healthy looking, but there is nothing wrong with being pale either...it certainly beats oompa loompa orange! Be proud of your paleness!

You can wear either warm or cool toned eyeshadow
Oh my gosh. Biggest load of rubbish ever. I am personally drawn to warmer tones anyway but it doesn't mean cool toned, like a cool taupe for example, is off limits for me. Like the red lippie, wear whatever you feel pretty in!

You must always powder
No, no, no. Powder isn't for everyone, it's for the girls with oily skin who find that by the end of the day their makeup is nowhere to be seen for it has been replaced with an oil slick. For the girls with dry skin, embrace it ladies! Use dewy foundations and rock the glow (glow, not oily mess) because we sure have trouble with it!

Eyes or lips
Okay, so I get where this is coming from - it can be a little overkill when you've got a crazy smokey eye and attention-demanding lippie on when you pop down to the grocery shops, but thick black liner and a red lip can look stunning and in my opinion combines both a strong eye and a strong lip.

You can't wear dark shadow in the day
Seriously, there's not much to say about this one but you can wear whatever you want. I've seen girls walking around in what looks like pyjamas, I'm fairly sure you can wear a dark brown shadow and get away with it!

Certain shades go with certain seasons
I totally fall into the trap of thinking that you can only wear makeup shades that correspond with the time of the year that it is. When I was drooling over a gorgeous ox blood Essence polish the other day, I nearly didn't get it because we'd just come out of winter and pastel shades for Spring were more appropriate. What was I thinking? I ended up purchasing it and I tell you, nothing is going to be stopping me for showing off my new dark red nails!

Never pluck above the eyebrow
If I followed this rule, it wouldn't be good. My brows are, to say the least, a little crazy and so I do everything in my power to keep them lovely and full but neat at the same time. Plucking both above and below the eyebrow is very important for me!

Cut your hair every "insert a short time period here"
I don't remember the last time I got my hair cut. 6 months ago? A year? I don't know but for the time being, it seems to be doing alright. Of course, the time between cuts differs for everyone, but to save money, effort and get lengthier locks, postpone you next cut until you actually need it.

You have to use brushes to apply your makeup
Although decent brushes have drastically changed my makeup routine for the better, you can get so much done using just your fingers. Especially for those who are just starting out with makeup, don't let anyone tell you brushes are the only way to go.

So there are the beauty rules that I love to break and recommend you consider breaking too!

Revlon Top Speed Nail Enamel - Guava

So lately I've been really getting into nail polish and I think that is all down to the fact that I keep stumbling across ridiculously cheap but good quality polish. I spotted this little beauty from Revlon (one of their Top speed polishes, even better!) for only $3 and in such a lovely colour too!

To be honest with you, this is just about the most perfect pink shade I can possibly think of. Unlike this disaster in a bottle which actually appeared to look nice in the photos but in real life was horrendous, this translated beautifully from the bottle onto the nails and then in the pictures too.

I love Revlon's top speed line so much. Yes, I am hopelessly impatient (especially after having become accustomed to all these fast drying polishes) but it no longer matters because this takes about two or three minutes to become dry to the (gentle) touch.

I've found with all Revlon's polishes that they are beautifully creamy, non streaky and fairly chip resistant. The brush allows for easy application and the bottles aren't too bad to look at.

For $15.95 they aren't exactly cheap, but I've had so much luck finding them discounted that maybe you can too! I know that Priceline has some select shades for $5 at the moment, and there are loads at my local Target stores (although many of them are pretty shocking shades) so if you're interested try searching there because they are definitely worth it!

Q&A - Life

Here I am to answer some more questions that you asked when I was running my giveaway. The questions in this post are questions about life.

1. Where is your favourite travelling destination?
Cambodia was my favourite place that I have ever been, but it is hardly a regular travelling destination that I go on! Darwin was another amazing place I've been. I especially liked swimming in the waterfalls at Litchfield National Park. In general I like to travel places that involve road trips and the coastline.

2. What is your biggest pet peeve?
People who sniff instead of using a tissue. It honestly drives me crazy. Also, when people yell to me from across the other side of the room instead of just walking over to me. I'm not sure why this bothers me so much but it does!

3. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
I am so boring but I would honestly stay right here in little old Adelaide.

4. Do you have any weird food combinations?
Sadly I don't but when I was tiny apparently my absolute favourite thing was warmed pineapple juice. Disgusting!

5. What's your favourite school subject?
Biology is my favourite, closely followed by English. Maths and Chemistry are the other two I will be studying next year in year 12 but they're not my favourites.

6. What are you plans for once you finish school?
At this point in time, I want to volunteer overseas for a couple of months, then return to Australia and study Speech Pathology at University while working a part time job. I want to cross off a few things from my bucket list...all those things you hear about in stories like road trips, watching storms on the beach and learning languages (I want to learn sign language!).

7. What has been your favourite age to be?
Well I'm only 16 so I haven't got too many ages to choose from...when I was 12 that was a good year because I was in my last year of primary school which I absolutely loved and I didn't have a care in the world. 16 (this year) has also been a nice age because I'm old enough to look after myself in almost everything (except for driving, hanging out to get my P plates!) but being in year 11 has been pretty stressful at times. I imagine it only gets worse in year 12 and then uni!

And there we have it, another Q&A post down. The last one will be next week, another one full of beauty related questions.

Target Haul - NYX, Revlon & Essence

Dear Target,

I love you. No honestly, when it comes to makeup your deals are starting to rival Priceline's, not to mention the fact that you now have American brand NYX (excellent strategic decision on your behalf by the way...I certainly make the special effort to go to a Target store for brands Essence and NYX). Recently I went for a bit of a wander around in the hopes of picking up some cosmetics...and I did. This is what I bought:

Revlon Top Speed Nail Enamel in Guava
So remember when I was in Tasmania and I visited your store and found these wonderful wonderful bargains? Well you didn't tell me that you have just as amazing ones in Adelaide too! In Tasmania I grabbed a Revlon top speed polish in a gorgeous red shade called Fire and I adored it and decided I needed more from that range. Luckily for me, today I found another stunning shade - Guava - that was also a top speed polish...and get this, it was only $3! Amazing!

Essence Clear Lash and Brow Gel
So this isn't overly exciting, because, well, it's a clear gel...but this is the third or fourth one I've gone through this year and it's an everyday staple a girl's just got to have.

Essence Colour and Go Polish in Do You Speak Love?
After spotting this amazing ox blood shade on Mateja's blog, I decided that I needed to buy a completely seasonally inappropriate polish because it was just beautiful. My favourite nail polish shade is red too, and upon discovering that I had nothing like it I figured it was an absolute crime not to own this shade. So, here I am, holding a polish of wonderful quality that cost only $2.75.

NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Natural
I have wanted this forever. FOREVER. The only reason I never purchased it was because I was too stingy to pay for postage from America (which always turned out to be more than the actual blush itself). Of course, upon its arrival at Target I knew it would be mine. Normally I wait for sales but I was so darn excited I forked out $11.95 for this gorgeous cream blush. How very exciting!

NYX Soft matte lip cream in Istanbul
So apparently the cream blush wasn't enough...If I'm honest with you though, the soft matte lip creams are also products I have had my eye one for so long now. Istanbul seemed like the most beautiful shade ever so I picked it up for $12.95. It's not super expensive but I've become accustomed to paying minimal prices for everything ($3 polishes and $5 lipsticks!) so this was a big deal! You had better be good, matte lip cream!

Summer sandals
Last but not least I tried on this lovely pair of white sandals because I own no summer shoes whatsoever and loved the look of them. For only $14, I'm really happy with my purchased.

So there you have it...see how awesome you are Target? I'll definitely be coming back!

MUA Sheer Finish lipglosses - Just in case & Too much fun

Lipglosses aren't really my thing. I think I've only ever come across one gloss that I actually really enjoy using (naturally one that is discontinued)...the rest are just a pain to use.

I was however, really excited to try these out when I won them in Dawn's giveaway from over at See it, Swatch it, Love it (at the beginning of this year...yes I am a little late with this review!) MUA is a brand I don't think you can access easily here in Australia and so it was an exciting opportunity to see what all the raving was about! I had also tried their High Intensity Gloss and thought it was absolutely brilliant, so I had high hopes.

First up, let me tell you about the scent...it's incredible. Think dentist-appointment-inducing sugar scent mixed with an extra shot of red frogs and lollipops. So okay, that may not be for everyone but it sure beats a scent-less product.

The packaging is fairly stock standard for a squeezy tube lipgloss, although it does leak a little. It has a slanted applicator that allows for easier use. I'm not a huge fan of these types of glosses, I much prefer those with a wand and doe foot applicator. Nevertheless, as for style and packaging of these, it's fairly similar to every other gloss out there.

Next comes the gloss. Well, it's everything a gloss is renowned for and meant to be...juicy, supremely shiny, sticks to your hair and glues your lips together. Which is exactly why these glosses and I aren't really friends.

These glosses, as the name suggests, are quite sheer. You can tell that there is slight colour, however on the lips (despite that one is pink and one is red) they look very much the same. They are glitter and shimmer free and have quite a thick consistency.

I don't like these because I just don't like glosses in general. However, if you do get along with the good old gloss then I am sure that you will like this just fine.

I give this 6 out of 10.

NOTD - Revlon Top Speed Nail Enamel in Fire

You can never have enough nail polishes in your favourite shade (in my case, red). For $3 and in a fast drying formula, who would walk past this little Revlon bargain?

I managed to purchase this from Target in one of their bargain bins. I'll never know how this little beauty ever made it there, because this polish is just awesome.

This is a beautiful fire engine red that is glossy and demands attention. I only need two coats for it to be completely opaque, and it honestly dries so quickly. This lasts four or so days until it started to wear slightly around the edges, and slight chipping occurred after that.

The formula is so lovely to work with, not at all streaky. The brush allows for ridiculously easy application.

Removal is nice and easy (there is nothing worse than having to spend hours taking off a polish!) but my only annoyance with this is that it does stain a little if you don't use a base coat.

This usually retails for around $15.95 (in my opinion any nail polish, no matter how good it is, should not cost that much). I am a huge fan.