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?

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain Gift Set in Adore - Shades: Cherish, Darling, Rendezvous, Adore & Lovesick

The Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Romantic made it into my 2013 Favourites as my favourite lip product of the year. If you've read my blog for a long time, you may be away that this is a huge deal because I live for lip products. I reckon if it came down to it, I would put my love for lip products ahead of my love for chocolate, they are just that good. Needless to say, I own about a billion lipsticks/lip crayons/lip balms so to select a winner means it must be a pretty good product. You can imagine that when I managed to acquire five Kissable Balm stains for a measly $20 I just about had a heart attack and died. A single balm stain retails for $17.75 and I got five for $20! TWENTY DOLLARS!

I had seen another blogger (I can't for the life of me remember who it was) write a post about the same amazing deal they found at Priceline so I made it a mission to have the same luck. When I got to the store I was bitterly disappointed because it was sitting on the shelf under a $40 price tag. This, of course, is still a very good price, however I wanted an amazing bargain, not a mediocre one. Still trying to remain hopeful I asked the lady to scan it for me just in case...Luck was on my side because she chirped out that it was "only $20, what an excellent deal!"

And what an excellent deal indeed, for I now have a beautiful range of shades that I know for sure will get a lot of use. I love that within this set they included a light pink, coral orange, lavender, deep red and hot pink. This would make the most perfect gift for a beauty lover because it contains such a wonderful assortment of beautiful quality lip products. It's also packaged beautifully, as you can see in the above photos. Revlon really did a magnificent job with this one.

The shades included within the set are as follows:

Cherish: A beautiful light baby pink, I imagine this would be the least frightening of the lot for someone new to lip products. It's bright enough to be noticeable on the lips, but certainly not too overpowering.

Rendezvous: This was the one I was most excited about, a stunning bright orange shade that despite its somewhat frightening nature, is actually very wearable and striking.

Darling: A lavender based light pink, as though Cherish has had slight purple tones mixed into it. My first instinct was to liken it to Revlon's lip butter in Gumdrop, however I found Gumdrop to be way more purple toned. Darling is a lot more wearable...in fact, I think even I can pull it off (and purples look horrendous on me!)

Adore: A deep dark rusty red, almost entering oxblood-red territory. Having loved Romantic so much, I imagine this will be a favourite of mine in the future.

Lovesick: I'm not going to keep this shade for myself because from swatches online I've found that it is so similar to Smitten (which I already own) so I've decided to keep it for a giveaway which you can enter here. As far as I am aware, it is a beautiful hot pink, bright blue toned berry kind of shade.

All of the shades have their distinctive strong minty fragrance. When I first purchased a Revlon Balm Stain I really did not like the minty scent at all, but with such regular use I have grown to simply accept it as opposed to hating it.

I love that all the Balm Stains are packaged in colours corresponding to their shade. It makes it so much easier to identify the shade you want when you are rummaging through your collection. 

The chunky, almost childlike nature of the products makes them so fun and friendly. I do have a fondness for lip crayons, being my favourite type of lip product surpassing lipsticks and balms, but these with their bright colours, sturdy lids and silver twist ups are just lovely.

The lasting power of these balms is incredible. These can endure eating, drinking and hours of wear without fading in the slightest. I don't know what kind of damage they must be doing to my lips but they last all day without fail. This is my favourite aspect of the product because I can be lazy and apply it once in the morning and not think about it for the rest of the day. The only time it frustrates me is when I purchased these five in a pack and wanted to try them out all at once (which totally didn't work because once I'd applied the first one I couldn't scrub it off to try out the others!).

Surprisingly, I don't find these to be drying at all. I forget that they are on my lips and I go the entire day without feeling as though I need to reapply anything. If you do find these drying it is easily solved by a simple swipe of a lip balm over the top.

I've swatched all the Revlon Balm Stains I own (so these plus Romantic and Smitten) so that you are able to make comparisons should you be interested in purchasing any of them. I think that Adore and Romantic are very similar - I imagine only the hardcore beauty lovers would be able to tell a difference between the two!

L-R: Smitten, Rendezvous, Cherish, Darling, Adore, Romantic

L-R: Cherish, Darling, Smitten, Rendezvous, Romantic, Adore

All up, I am so excited about this bargain and I know I will be getting good use out of them all. I give them 10/10, I honestly can't fault these!

I would love to know if you have tried any of the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm stains and which shades are your favourite!

If you've never tried one of these, or don't own the shade Lovesick then be sure to enter my giveaway here.

B.liv by Cellnique Off With Those Heads Sebum Gel and discount code

*Just before I begin this review, I will let you know that there are some before and after photos of blackheads and my nose, so if you're not into the idea of seeing that then click out! I will say though, the results are pretty impressive...

Blackheads have been my major skin problem since the very beginning of time. Occasionally I get a pimple or two but it is blackheads that seem to be a permanent fixation on my face, and one that I've never been able to do anything about.

I was contacted by a skincare brand I had never heard of called B.liv. B.liv is a brand that focuses on skincare, particularly problems like blackheads, large pores, dryness and acne. They don't test their products on animals

I was asked to provide some information regarding the nature of my skin. This is what I responded with:

"I went to your facebook page where I saw a description of combination skin - In some areas of your face it can feel tight after washing; it can be flaky, look dull or feel rough. And in other areas, typically the T-zone, your skin looks shiny, feel greasy and is prone to pimples and blackheads. This is what I feel my skin is like. I have blackheads, particularly on my nose, though I wouldn't describe my pores as terribly large. My skin isn't sensitive though it goes dry and can flake when the products are too harsh and drying. I get small blemishes from time to time, though never at all like acne. My skin does scar and I do have marks from past blemishes."

I was matched up to three products that would either help get rid of or manage my skin problems or prevent further problems in the future. It sounded amazing but I must admit, so many brands these days claim to have miracle skin products that I really didn't have much faith that they were going to be life changing.

I used the three products for a month and then compared before and after photos, and my goodness am I amazed.

"Off with those heads" is a clear sebum gel that extracts blackheads without having to painfully squeeze them out. Apparently it softens whatever is clogging your pores thus clearing them out. It is made of ingredients that keep oil under control.  It also claims to stop blackheads from ever appearing again once having gotten rid of them the first time! On the packaging it said that it would only take 14 days to work but I found that I needed to use it for a solid month to notice results.

Basically I just applied the smallest amount of gel, probably smaller than a pea size, on my nose morning and night. It felt lovely on the skin, soaked in straight away and caused no problems under my makeup. I thought that perhaps it would result in my makeup fading or sliding off more quickly but there was no noticeable difference whatsoever.

I maintained my usual skincare routine, cleansing at night and applying moisturiser twice daily. Over the four weeks that I trialled the product I didn't notice any real difference but then when I came to write this post and compared the before and after photos I realised how wrong I was. This product is incredible.

As you can see from the photos, the results are very impressive - almost all of my blackheads have been cleared completely. Of course I do still have a couple that won't budge, but the majority of them are completely gone. I will mention that I found the product to certainly soften the blackheads making them easier to extract physically, so I did help the product out with a bit of squeezing here and there.

I stopped using the product once having seen the results and unfortunately, unlike it says on the packaging, you do need to keep using this product otherwise they will come back.

Not only is the product itself simply awesome, but I love the packaging and general style of all the B.liv products. The packaging is classy looking but still fun, the products are practical (I love that they have pumps) and the names of all the products are so creative.

I am actually quite astounded at how well this product really did work for me because rarely do I come across a product that matches what it claims to do!

I would purchase this without any hesitation because it worked so effectively and was so easy to use, comfortable to wear and simple to slip into my current skincare routine.

It can be purchased from the B.liv website here, for $49. Shipping world wide is free and you receive a sample product for each product that you buy. Admittedly, it is quite an expensive product, especially as you only get 15mL of product, but after 4 weeks of use I am not even close to having used it all up.

For all who are interested, I have a code that you can type in that gives you 30% off products from their website, valid until June 30 2013. That code is BLG30A

I am so impressed with this skincare brand and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to test out some of their products. I give this product 10/10.

Keep an eye out for some more reviews on their products!

Maybelline Baby Lips - Pink Lolita

I have another addition to my Maybelline Baby lips collection, though this time I really do feel that I have a legitimate excuse - it is tinted!

Yes, tinted baby lips have finally made it to Australian shores, and about time too! Whilst I adore my other Baby lips balms, since the beginning I have been dying to get my mitts on the American versions without success, but it doesn't really matter because we now have Australian versions.

Even though I felt terribly guilty adding yet another baby lips to my already excessive collection, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to test out a tinted Baby lips.

The perfect warm, juicy, mid-toned pink shade, Pink Lolita has already made its way into my top lip balms. Though I have noticed it being slightly drier than the other balms in the range, the gorgeous tint that it gives makes up for it.

I love the packaging colours of this particular balm. The two shades of pink match the name and shade and just look really great. As always, the large text covering the majority of the balm is eye catching. Like all the others in the range, the size and convenient twis up nature of the products is just wonderful. I have had problems with it twisting up when I am carrying it around in my pocket, thus squashing all the product up so I am extra careful to wind it further down now.

The formula is pretty moisturising, though like I said it is slightly drier than the others in the range. I find that the tint is just enough to be noticeable but not too over the top...in fact I could probably get away with wearing it at school (which has a no-makeup policy). The tint lasts me a couple of hours at least, though with lots of eating and drinking does wear off more quickly.

It has no distinct taste but smells quite sugary and fruity. It has a different taste to all the other flavours I own.

I already have intentions of purchasing another tinted balm in the range, though I haven't quite yet decided which one. I'm thinking that Cherry Kiss (a peachier toned balm) might be the way to go but who knows, I'll probably end up getting them all. For less than four dollars I guess I can do that if I really want to!

My love for the Maybelline Baby lips balms carries on and I cannot tell you how pleased I am that Australia has finally caught up with America in terms of getting tinted balms! I will be using this on a regular basis!

Inglot Freedom Eyeshadow Palette - 07 and 406

Before we get into this post, let's just take a moment to remember this special occasion - I am touching Inglot eyeshadows, and they are mine!

Okay, can you tell that I'm just a tiny little bit excited? After a spontaneous trip into the city after my friend shouted praises regarding the Inglot eyeshadows, I returned $31 short but with the most gorgeous looking eyeshadow palette you shall ever see and my poor friend had a phone filled with excited text messages:  "You have just received a text from the proud owner of two Inglot eyeshadows." Me, lame? No!

Inglot is one of those brands, like Mac, that I had always dreamed of but never actually considered purchasing anything from because they are just so expensive here in Australia. As I decided to make it a birthday present to myself I figured I could splash out and have a bit of a treat. I was actually pleasantly surprised at how much it cost in the end, it was cheaper than I had initially thought.

First up is the gorgeous packaging. I don't think I've ever seen an eyeshadow palette so beautiful, I think it is better than NARS, MAC, Chanel...yes, I really believe Inglot takes the cake in this department! The magnetic translucent cover has the brand name imprinted in black type. It is just so darn lovely!

As the eyeshadow system is a 'freedom system,' you get to choose everything from the shades you wish to include as well as how many shades you wish your palette to hold. You can get a 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 20 and 40 spot eyeshadow palette, each costing different amounts. I paid 11 dollars for a 3 spot eyeshadow palette, and ten dollars per shadow. Obviously I am yet to completely fill my palette, but for now this will do me just fine.

The shades I chose, 07 and 406 are just stunning. Naturally I was drawn to these both because they are golden neutral shades, but I figured that I may as well spend a bit more money on something that I know for sure that I will use regularly

The pigmentation of these shadows is very impressive. I have no problem building up a good level of colour when applying these. They blend seamlessly and their pearly/shimmery finish is just stunning. I can't really explain how perfect these shades are - they are MY shades, they have my name all over them!

Their lasting power is excellent, although without a primer I do experience just the slightest creasing by the end of a long day. This really doesn't concern me all that much.

The only bad thing I can say is that the woman serving me was adamant that I couldn't purchase a three spot palette and only fill two of the pans, she said I had to have three shadows or I had to purchase a spot palette. I'm sorry lady but do you want my money or not? On a side note, totally irrelevant, her makeup was actually horrific. It seemed as though she blindly picked out about twelve different shades, none of them matching whatsoever, and then proceeded to slap them carelessly on the strangest places all over her face (bright red glitter above her eyebrows?! I'm not sure about you, but I think that is terrible for promoting Inglot because she just looked so terrible, I was almost put off from purchasing their makeup!

Other than that, these Inglot shades are just incredible, and if you are like me and felt that they were always too expensive to justify purchasing, I would recommend you rethinking it because they are so worth it!

I give these beautiful shadows 10/10, and I shall certainly be going back soon to fill my palette completely (which I am sure the sales assistant will be pleased with!)

Alina Professional Step One Foundation Primer

This is my second ever primer, so as outlined when I reviewed my first ever primer, I have limited knowledge when it comes to primers and I'm not really able to make comparisons between too many of them. Despite that, I've come to realise the importance of them and the magical qualities that they do have, all thanks to this Alina professional One Step Foundation Primer that I was so lucky to be given to try out.

The main, and perhaps most important quality that I think of primers having is the ability to extend the wear time of your makeup. Whilst I've never really had a problem with disappearing foundation or eyeshadow, there is no denying that by the end of an eight to twelve hour day your makeup does not at all resemble the fresh look that it once did. It is worn out, faded, smudged, smeared and in some cases completely gone whether you like it or not. Primer doesn't prevent this from happening completely, but it does (this particular one especially) extend the life of your makeup for up to a couple of hours longer, before the signs of wear begin to show.

This primer in particular was outstanding at doing such. I was blown away when I came to take off my makeup at the end of a twelve hour day, including at 60 minute moderate intensity gym session, only to see that the majority of my makeup was pretty well in tact. I think that is amazing.

Another thing that primer does is create a good base for your foundation. Prior to ever trying primer I was highly skeptical of such, being unable to imagine how it would be able to do so. I'm now completely convinced that yes, primers DO create a better, smoother base. The results with my foundation and concealer are visible. Yes, perhaps I am imagining it, but if you tried this out I expect you would imagine it too!

Other positive points about this is that it feels lovely on the skin and soaks in right away. It also says on the box that it can be used on the face, eyes, neck and lips - not just the face like the majority of primers I have come across. The packaging is, in my opinion, perfect. It's classy and simple but looks quite expensive and professional.

I love this primer so much, but I will only be using it on special occasions or nights out because it costs $39 (a big step up from the Face of Australia one which costs $11.95, though admittedly is not as good as the Alina one) and I'll turn to the Face of Australia primer for more everyday type situations.

It can be purchased from the website Makeup Australia.

I give this primer 10/10.

Catalina Geo Skin Cover - Rose Beige

Apologies for the grotty sponge!

Catalina Geo is a brand that I had never heard of, but if their products are anything at all like this foundation that I was given to try out, then it is a brand that I believe should be much more well known, because this is amazing.

When I receive products to try out for free I am very aware of the importance of remaining fair and unbiased, completely honest and quite critical of the product itself. I don't like it when I am reading a review and it is apparent that the author has been swayed by the fact that it was free, because I'm not completely trusting of their honesty regarding the product. I can promise you that the compliments and praises about this product that I am about to give below are my complete honesty - I think this product is amazing.

I initially thought it was a cream foundation until I read the box it came in and discovered it wasn't. It is described as a 'moisturising cover that conceals skin blemishes, freckles, broken capillaries and other discolourations while prolonging the life of your makeup.' It also says, 'Before applying foundation pat on to cover skin problems as needed.' I guess you could consider it more of a concealer. In saying that, when it comes down to it you could describe it as a foundation or concealer because I certainly used it as both.

This 'skin cover' is thick and creamy, applied with the sponge that comes with it. I get the impression it is aimed at older women as it is of a very high coverage and is quite thick as opposed to a light, sheer base. Having said that, I used this on my teenage skin and found it to give a beautiful flawless finish covering faded marks from old blemishes and even current blemishes too.


When using the sponge, I used the product as more of a foundation, typically applying it just on my chin to cover up old blemish marks. I don't like using it as a foundation all over my face simply because the coverage is so high and that is not a look that I particularly like when I don't feel I need my skin to be completely covered up. As it is a thicker product, all over the face can feel a little bit too heavy. It gave a smooth, seamless finish and blended in with the rest of my face where I used only a BB cream. I then used my concealer brush to apply additional product on any other areas of concern, like pimples and slight redness around my nose. Once again I found the high coverage product perfect for the job, and I was incredibly impressed with its lasting power. This lasted all day in terms of covering redness and faded spots, although did need to be applied a second time on the worst of my pimples. I wouldn't recommend it for use under the eyes because I find it too thick, but I guess if you felt you needed a super high coverage there then this would be suitable.

The product comes in a silver compact consisting of a mirror and two sponges (only one sponge fits in the compact at a time). The sponge is of an excellent quality and gives a good finish to the skin. It does soak up a lot of product though, so if you want to make this last as long as you can I would recommend using brushes. The product does have a fragrance that I'm not terribly keen on, one that you might imagine your grandma smelling like - a heavier powdery floral based scent - but by no means would it stop me using this product, or loving it for that matter.

As you can tell, I am a huge fan of this and I use it almost every day, paired with my Maybelline dream lumi touch concealer for under my eyes. It is fairly pricey in my opinion, coming in at $40.50, so that is why, when I can, I use my Face of Australia concealer as an alternative, but this is certainly better at covering my blemishes. It comes in 8 shades and can be purchased from the website Makeup Australia.

I would give this product 10/10 as a concealer, and 7/10 as a foundation.

Face of Australia - Lip Crayons

This is the last review I have to complete on the products I purchased in my latest haul, and it is a very good note to finish on.

I don't recall the first time I heard about this product (although there is a 99% chance it was in a blog post) but from the moment I saw them I knew I had to get them. I had been looking at the Clinique chubby sticks for ever but knew I would never be able to justify paying so much for them, and had an inkling that at some point another brand would come out with a cheaper alternative. I did not however, not expect it to be cheaper by so much!

Clinique Chubby Sticks (please correct me if I'm wrong) retail in Australia for $35. Yes, you read that correctly. These Face of Australia ones come in a pack of three that retails for $15. Yes, you read that correctly too. Honestly, the difference between these is $30 per single product, isn't that absurd?! Even if they had charged $15 for one I still expect I would have purchased one. Thankyou Face of Australia.

The first thing I am going to mention is the awesome packaging. The chunky clunkyness (not a word but it should be) of these little beauties is so likeable, I could just hold them in my hands all day. They are like toys for grown ups and they look so damn pretty. The colours and the twist up end and the pretty little pictures combined with the lovely looking font makes for one incredible product. Gosh, the packaging is almost more exciting than the actual product (almost).

When I first purchased these I was most excited about Cupcake and Macaron, not so much about Sundae. I thought that Cupcake would be the one I would use the most although I didn't actually expect it to show up on my lips considering they are reasonably pigmented. This is in fact true, but it still makes a considerable difference and does make my lips appear a juicy pink. Macaron enhances my natural redness and Sundae is surprisingly lovely. It's not an awful brown like one might expect, but a gorgeous natural looking colour (although you do want to go easy on the application).

Guys, I could sit here all day and ramble about every tiny detail but I still don't think I would be able to tell you how great these are. Cupcake is the first lip colour that I have used consistently (without the break of any other colour) for two weeks straight. These are the first products that I carry around in my bag without fail (yes all of them).

They are beautiful, subtle yet buildable tints of colour, all three of the shades are gorgeous, they are moisturising and even smell nice too. They last a pretty decent amount of time, give a juicy looking finish and have a fun wind up mechanism which eliminates any inconvenient sharpening. There really isn't much more that I can say except...wow.

I tried to give you lip swatches but they don't show their real beauty. Hopefully you can get some sort of idea of how they show up on the lips though it really does differ from person to person. (By the way, my lips aren't as funny looking in real life, it appears as though my camera loves taking pictures of my lips at most unflattering angles!)

I'm so pleased with these amazing little products, I am going to give them 10 out of 10. They are everyday hints of colour that are glossy looking, moisturising and so easy and fuss-free.

Top to bottom - Flash, No Flash
Left to right - Macaroon, Cupcake, Sundae

Essence lipstick - Red Carpet

Yes, I am back with another Essence lipstick, but I must say, I think it is rather fitting considering my Essence poll just finished and many of you said you were Essence fans.

I had actually never taken an interest in this particular shade until I saw it on Tegan's blog 'Tegania's thoughts' when I was going through some of her older posts the other day, and decided that it was something that I had to have.

It appeared to be an amazing, bright warm toned red colour that looked absolutely gorgeous on her, and I hoped that if I was to go out and buy it, I would look the same.

Whilst I don't feel as though I can pull it off as well as she can, I am pleased with my purchase.

Like my other two Essence lipsticks, I bought it for the tiny cost of $3.95. It has the same smell as all the others - a sweet marshmallow kind of smell - and the packaging has changed colour accordingly (I love the way the Essence lipsticks do that!)

As usual I am pleased with the pigmentation of these lipsticks, although in this case it is a bit different to my other two. Red Carpet is a lot more pigmented and is unlike 'In the Nude' and 'All about cupcake' in that you can't just carelessly slap it on with the confidence of it looking incredible - because this red lipstick requires some effort. Despite this, it suits me just fine and in fact the increase in pigmentation is just how I wanted it.

I'm not really a red lipstick person by nature, so I can find it a little scary when I try pulling one off. This lipstick can be applied like a stain, which is the way in which I typically wear it. I just apply it and blot with a tissue and it still gives a tint of red, but it's not too 'in your face.'

I, as with the other two lipsticks, have been remarkably surprised and very much impressed by the amount of time that this 'stain' stays on my lips. I found that I can eat and drink and there is still colour left behind, though when I eat it's usually only a sandwich, and by drink it's just water. Still, I find this to be good staying power.

These lipsticks when freshly applied are glossy and make your lips look really juicy. After about an hour they do become a little drying, but a quick swipe of gloss or lip balm freshens it up and gives your lips that little bit of additional moisture they require.

Once again Essence has really impressed me, I give this 10/10.

My ever growing collection!

All about cupcake, In the Nude, Red Carpet

Red Carpet, All about cupcake, In the Nude

Essence Lipstick - In the nude

Back in April I posted about another Essence lipstick in 'All About Cupcake' and it didn't take long for it to become one of the popular posts on my blog. I was really glad about that, because it deserves to be - these lipsticks are great!

These lipsticks cost $3.95 at Target but I would pay so much more. I love the fact that the packaging matches the shade of lipstick, and that there is no possible way for the cap to catch on the lipstick as you try and put it back on (I'm talking about you BYS lipsticks!) They have a sweet marshmallow kind of smell that I find pleasant and are the perfect size to carry around with you.

Essence, in case you haven't heard the hype, is relatively new to Australia, only sold at Target but so worth checking out. I can basically guarantee that when you get to the stand you will look down on it (I always do despite the fact that I know the products are good) because the some of the packaging looks cheap and childish, and because 99% of the time the products have been smushed everywhere, but if you can sort through the lipgloss covered eyeshadow to where the unopened gems lie, it is so worth it.

The formula of these lipsticks is really sheer and no-mirror friendly. By this I mean it is very safe to apply without looking at a mirror - you can really trust it to look great despite the fact that you probably haven't kept within the lines! This of course does have a lot to do with the shade, but a lot of it is because it is quite sheer. Normally I would not approve of sheer lipsticks, but these seem to be just right in terms of pigmentation. You can wear these daily, and even the brighter colours are appropriate because they are more of a stain as opposed to an opaque 'WOW' kind of formula.

These lipsticks are very moisturising, although after prolonged wear they do end up being quite drying. I personally find that I eat or drink it off before it gets the chance to dry out, but with another swipe over the top it immediately fixes the problem. It makes your lips rather juicy and gives them an appropriate amount of sheen.

I am constantly reminding myself of the fact that these lipsticks only cost four dollars yet are so good. I am always skeptical of terribly cheap makeup, and sometimes it is for good reason, but Essence is yet to disappoint me.

If you are new to lipsticks, looking for a sheer(ish) colour or simply want to test out a new lippie, I would seriously suggest you make your way to Target and check this out. This particular colour is the perfect nude colour that won't make you look dead but will instead make your lips look healthy and plump.

I give this lipstick 10/10.

Maybelline Dream Matte Powder - Cream

I purchased this as part of a deal where I could buy three Maybelline face products for thirty dollars. I posted about it here, but basically I ended up buying a foundation, concealer and powder all for ten dollars each. I actually saved a total of  $28.85. This powder usually retails for (what I consider to be a ridiculous price) of $18.95. Whilst I really like this powder and think it works so well, I would not spend almost twenty dollars on it, especially as it is one of those products you don't even see!

The reason I bought this as part of the deal in the first place was because I had heard endless - no literally, endless - reviews raving about how amazing it was and that it was their holy grail product and that they would never ever change. I figured it had to be pretty good, which it is, but I won't be joining the 'I love Maybelline Dream Matte Powder more than my life' party any time soon. I do think that it may have been my ultra high expectations though too - I mean, how much can a powder do really?

Apparently it gives a light to medium coverage but I'm not convinced, which is absolutely fine with me because I had the intentions of putting it on top of my liquid foundation anyway. I picked up the lightest shade in Cream which, when swatched, does appear to be a ghostly white but doesn't even give the slightest hint of a white tinge on the face. I wouldn't wear it on its own if I was looking for coverage, but for a powder over a foundation it is perfect for the job.

I am impressed with how it feels on the face. Some powders settle into your lines or feel terribly chalky and disgusting, but I don't even notice if this is on. When my little cousin was doing my makeup (Oh how fun that was!) she went a little over the top with the powder yet still it felt perfectly fine.

My favourite part though, is that it does what it says and keeps your face matte. There is nothing worse than an oily face at the end of a summers day, but this little beauty does a magical job of keeping your makeup and skin completely shine free.

I kind of took it for granted though with my regular foundation because I had never really had much of a problem with oil. It was when I got my Garnier BB cream that I realised how good this powder actually was. The Garnier BB cream made my face the oiliest mess I had ever seen, but somehow this powder managed to keep it matte all day, which is practically a miracle.

I must also mention the amazing packaging. I was not expecting the bottom to slide out and reveal a mirror and applicator so that was quite magical! But seriously, I love the packaging and find it so handy, although I prefer to apply it with a brush as opposed to the powder puff supplied.
So yes, I really do love this product but I can't seem to understand how it got quite so much hype. Unike a lipstick or eyeshadow palette, you can't actually see the product when it is on your face, which in my eyes makes it kind of...well...boring. No doubt is it a product I am so glad to have but it's just one of those boring essentials that doesn't excite me too much (and I do think $18.85) is too much.

I give it 10/10.