MAC Eyeshadow Palate in Amber Times Nine AKA the biggest disappointment

This should have been the palate of all palates...My first ever MAC shadow, 9 in fact, all in beautiful shades I would get so much use out of and for a bargain (okay, heavy discount) of $65. Yet this palate has been such a huge disappointment. 

We'll start with the good things as this part will be short. As I mentioned, the shades, oh the shades. They are unbelievably beautiful and I knew as soon as I spotted this that I would get a whole heap of use out of them.

The packaging is lovely, and I actually quite like that they are smaller than the typical shadow size as I don't tend to use eyeshadows up terribly quickly. 

The price was an absolute bargain considering that single MAC shadows are $33 each. 9 MAC shadows for $65 seemed like the most perfect way to try out some highly raved about shadows that had been on my wishlist for a very long time.

And that's where all the positives finish.

This is undoubtedly one of the most poorly pigmented palates I have ever come across - I wouldn't pay $10 for it. There are three shades out of the entire palate that are visible on the eyelids; Georgia Peach, Cork and Aromatic. Notice that all of these are matte finishes.

The rest were hopeless. The lighter shades simply didn't show up on my skin tone, though I expect they might a little on darker skin. And then there were the glittery shades, poorly pigmented bases with chunks of glitter reminiscent of a child playing princess with those shoddy lip glosses marketed at 5 year olds. Honestly MAC, I know you must have good shadows because the whole world raves about them, so why did you muck this palate up?!

Furthermore, there were three shadows in particular that I was just bursting to try: Kitties (F), Creative Copper (L) and Don't Tell (L) which turned out to be the three worst shades. In fact, Don't Tell just makes me want to cry in despair for spending money on it. Sigh.

For the photos below, I swatched the shadow 2-3 times on my arm so as to make it as visible as possible.

There's really not much more to say about this palate except simply don't buy it. Perhaps and investment in two single shadows would have been wiser but at this point I've lost faith in MAC shadows. Please please please tell me if you have had any luck with this palate (or one of the other 9 shadow palates) because I really feel I must have received a dodgy one as so many people adore MAC shadows.

Priceline 40% off Haul and Skincare Bag

So as you all know, Priceline had a 40% off sale this week and I couldn't resist!

It had been a while since I last hauled some makeup and a lot of new and exciting things had come out since. Some of these purchases were planned, others impulse, however I don't regret a thing! All the prices listed below are what I paid with the 40% discount, so you can see I really did get some bargains!

Australis AC On Tour Palate - $10.11

This palate took the beauty world by storm and to be honest, it never really captured my interested however with 40% off I figured it would be worth giving it a go. 

Bourjois Aqua Blush in CocoriCorali - $13.80

I'd never heard a whisper about these but as soon as I spotted it I knew it was mine. I have no liquid blushes in my collection and this shade is absolutely beautiful. In summer I really don't wear a whole heap of makeup so this will be perfect for a light and natural bit of colour.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in 02 - $14.40

I've only read positive things about this, and naturally as a lip product it is up my alley! I was totally smitten with this gorgeous shade too.

Essence Liquid lipstick in Show Off - $3.06

I didn't realise how similar a shade it was to the Bourjois one that I grabbed, but I guess that's the colour I'm craving at the moment. For such a good price I'm hoping these liquid lipsticks will impress.

Lanolips Makeup Bag and Lipsticks - $19.99I didn't realise until I got home that this wasn't actually a part of the 40% off sale, so $20 is the regular retail price. I've never tried Lanolips but I've been in desperate need of a moisturising lip product, ideally with a bit of colour, and these seemed to fit the bill. I love the two shades that were included too.

Nude by Nature Brush Kit - $17.97For such a wonderful price I couldn't go wrong with these brushes. Nude by Nature is a brand I always walk past, however these brushes are so soft, and I'm always in need of more eyeshadow brushes. I'm really looking forward to using these. 

Rimmel Oh My Gloss in Glossaholic - $8.37

I'd never seen these before and bit the bullet, chucking one in my basket without giving it much thought. I am in love with the shade I grabbed, a beautiful milky pink with no shimmer. It is unbelievably moisturising, in fact so far it ticks all the boxes for my perfect gloss. 

Luma Illuminating Highlighter in Pearl - $14.97

Once again, I'd never seen this brand let alone the product before, but of my gosh is it beautiful. I own no cream illuminators despite them being my absolute favourite product of late, so it was a no brainer to take this home with me. 

Face of Australia Kajal Eyeliner Stix in Horus - $3.47

To be honest I think these eyeliners look absolutely ridiculous, and once you start to use them up would be incredibly impractical, however the stunning bronze shade meant that fell for it. For $3.50 I don't mind if this ends up being rubbish.

So they were all the products I picked up in the sale, and because I ended up spending a heck of a lot, the lovely lady gave me the Skincare bag that has been a part of one of their other deals. I am so grateful to her as it is a really amazing bag!

Housed in a clear black bag with copper handles, it's not my favourite bag ever however the products inside are what take the cake! I'm sure there are a million other posts about this so I'll just list the products I received. Note that some of them I was able to choose with the vouchers that it comes with.

I've listed the prices for the full sized products where possible.

Models Prefer Tan Remove Exfoliate Double Sided Body Wipes
Physiogel Daily Moisture Therapy Intensive Cream - $15.99
Suntivity Hydrating Face Lotion SPF 30
A'kin Pure Radiance Rosehip Oil - $19.99
Swisse Micellar Makeup Remover - $10.99
Le Tan Jet Dry Bronze Instant Tan - $14.29
Proactiv Deep Cleansing Wash - $31.99
Australis Tinted Let's Go Steady Gradual Tan - $19.99
Skin Physics DNA Reset Ultimate Rejuvination Cream - $69.99
SugarBaby Sugar C-Rush Coconut and Raw Sugar Exfoliating Body Scrub - $14.99
Touch In SOL Pure Dew Water Drop BB Cream - $39.99
Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion - $14.99
NIP Fab Skin Dragon's Blood Fix Plumping Serum (Sache) - $32.99
KLARA Reset Instant New Skin - $9.99
Skinny Tan Mini Mitt
Derma e Microdermabrasion Scrub - $29.99
Revo Lip Balm in Cherry
Nip Fab Skin Glycolic Fix - $34.99
Spot Medic - $9.99
Manuka Doctor Purified Bee Venom and Manuka Honey Skincare

Hello, It's me.

Hello hello hello.

It's been months, 7 months, yet here I am.

I have no explanations to give, and I'm not really going to apologise. I have officially completed my first year of a Bachelor of Speech Pathology, I have a boyfriend, I have a car, a job. Life has changed in a way that I never could have predicted.

I have grown up from a child to a woman and it has been amazing. In the midst of all of that, YouReview fell to the wayside. And I'm not sorry about that, I was just the way it needed to be.

But now I have three months holidays ahead of me and I realised that blogging was something I enjoyed, perhaps even missed. I have more beauty products to write about than one could imagine, and even more exciting they are more "grown up" than what little Candice used to blog about.

One lovely thing about this blog is seeing my journey with makeup. To think I used to sing praises about BYS lipsticks and now I'm in the realms of the MAC lipstick club...well, it makes me laugh.

Many of my makeup dreams have been fulfilled (haha) including the acquisition of the NAKED palate, Makeup geek eyeshadows, MAC eyeshadows and lipsticks, and a never ending collection of beautiful and varied lip products.

My oh my do I have a lot to update you on.

To those who stuck around, my goodness, I cannot thank you enough and I hope you enjoy the next couple of months here at YouReview.

And one more confession...since it seems like a fresh start, I have to confess that Candice is a pseudonym. Yep, I have felt guilty about this for sooo long but now I've acknowledged it, I can continue using it here on this blog. There are many reasons I do so and hope you all respect that. It was never to fool anyone or trick anyone...the internet can be a scary place for a 14 year old girl embarking on thing new craze called a blog.

So, welcome back and hopefully you are happy to see me again.

Much love,
Candice

Sportsgirl Makeup - Lips & Nails

Sportsgirl makeup is something I've never ever looked into. I'm going to take a wild guess and say that it's due to the fact that I never enter the store because I can't afford the clothing. The other day, however, I was compelled to enter when I saw a heap of makeup significantly reduced and figured it would be a good time to give their beauty products a try.

I'm going to be honest here and acknowledge that I have no idea how it happened, but I ended up paying $1 each for the lipsticks and $2.50 for the nail polish. Bargain! There were very few options in terms of colour selection because only a couple of shades were part of the sale but I think I did a darn good job with my choices!

First up are the lipsticks, and let me tell you, I am a huge fan. They are both matte shades, although I feel that the pink shade 'Doll Face' is slightly less matte than Starlet. Despite this they are both so creamy, easy to apply and so comfortable to wear. I love that they are both so pigmented and have a really good lasting power. The red shade 'Starlet' stains the slightest bit however staining isn't really a property of either of the lipsticks. I believe these retail at full price for $10 and I can tell you they are so worth it! Sportsgirl also has a really great shade range of their 'Pout about it lipsticks' so you really must get your hands on them if you live in Australia.

L-R: Doll Face, Starlet

We then have their nail polishes, and I can't speak on behalf of the entire range since 'Head Start' is the only one I've ever tried, but like the lipsticks it is of a magnificent quality. This will sound really strange (it's a weird beauty blogger logic) but I don't actually particularly like the actual shade, I was more interested in trying out the 'jelly formula' it claims to have. I really love the formulation of this polish and found that it was completely opaque in two coats with high shine. It also lasts really well - the photos in this post were taken three days after application, and as you can see there was minimal wear visible.

So, as you can see, Sportsgirl makeup is bloody great! I have seen a couple of Aussie girls praising the products in the past on their blogs but still didn't take the plunge and actually check them out. I recommend that you do, especially as they seem to be having lots of sales at the moment. It is totally worth your money!

OOTD - Boots & A Trench

It is with great sorrow that I come to acknowledge that the cooler weather is upon us and Winter is lurking just around the corner. I am a summer girl through and through so this realisation seriously is heartbreaking, so to ease the pain a little I thought I'd post an OOTD in an outfit that makes me feel like I've stepped out of a commercial. By the way, you have to find your commercial-esque outfit - you know, the one that makes you feel absolutely freaking gorgeous - because it will change your life.

Perhaps the only good thing about the cooler weather is the fashion that it brings...I for one am a huge fan of scarves, boots and coats. A good trench coat is, in my opinion, an absolute staple in everyone's wardrobe and paired with some heeled boots you're set to go. 

Unfortunately for you guys, this entire outfit (excluding only my earrings) is from the Op-shop (what can I say, 90% of my wardrobe is) but it's the staples themselves that you want to invest in, not the exact pieces.

A gorgeous coat is something that everyone needs in their wardrobe and I am in love with this one I got from a dodgy little Op-shop that I rarely visit. I seriously had to search through so much junk to come across this gem as well as doing a little bit of repair with the buttons, but for $9 this was such a good investment. 

The boots are another one of my winter favourites. These are just simple, black, lace-up boots with a little heel. They're really quite comfortable all things considered although one downfall is they've quickly become scratched and scuffed. Luckily, because they're black it's not too obvious.

We then have everyone's staple all year round, the comfy jeans. These probably aren't my most comfortable jeans but I like the dark blue denim so they'll do the job.

Add a black and white shirt, some silver jewellery and you have a complete outfit that (hopefully) makes you feel a million bucks!

Original sources of the clothing pieces:
Jacket: Regatta (Myer)

Shirt: Sportsgirl

Jeans: Cotton On

Boots: Target

Earrings: Lovisa

Necklace: Unknown

Watch: Unknown

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!

NOTD: OPI Nail Lacquer in Dutch Tulips

OPI is just one of those brands that I've always stared at longingly before moving on to the cheaper nail polishes. Though they have an incredible colour range and amazing reputation, I just couldn't justify spending $20 on them! Priceline started selling them for $10 and even then I was still a bit funny about paying that much for a nail polish, but when I got my first ever job on Monday I decided to buy myself a celebratory polish in the most gorgeous colour, Dutch Tulips.

I actually wasn't going to post this because I am so unhappy with the way that the photos turned out (it makes a cool toned polish seemed orange based!) but I was just so excited about the fact that I owned an OPI polish I couldn't resist! So here are some photos - if you consider buying the polish then check out other photos on google first!

So far I've been super impressed with the quality of this beauty, but it is still early days.

What do you guys think about OPI polishes? Worth the money?

Seeing Red - My pick of the Red Lipstick

Valentines Day is coming up, which means absolutely nothing to me, however all the red hearts and merchandise around the place means that I start to pull out my red lipsticks. I actually love wearing red lipstick (something I would never have said a couple of years ago!) so I thought I'd share my favourites with you!

When it comes to red lipsticks, I own all different kinds. Orange toned, deep oxblood, opaque, sheer, glossy, matte...you name it, I have it. Unlike my nude lipsticks, I don't have that one red that I always turn to, in fact, all of the ones in this post get their fair share of love!

First up are the orange toned lipsticks, the ones typically described as having 'warm undertones' that unfortunately, at times, can make your teeth look a little yellow.

The Essence lipstick in Red Carpet was my first ever red lipstick and I still think it is such a bargain. It costs around $4 and it is such good quality. It's got good pigmentation and is really moisturising with a glossy finish. I cannot recommend this lipstick enough!

Then we have one of my more recent purchases, an Australis lipstick (that I managed to snap up for $3!) in the shade Make a Wish. This is my most orange toned red, so much so that it could probably slip into the orange lipstick category it's so in the middle! I really love this one and have found the quality of the product to be excellent so far.

Last is a Revlon Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon, the most sheer lipstick of the lot. I love this one for a swipe of colour that is super glossy and feels so good on the lips. 

Then we have the true reds, those that can neither be described as warm nor cool toned. The first of these that I have is an Arbonne lipstick in Strawberry, undoubtedly my favourite red shade shown in this post. This is the most pigmented, intense colour lipstick that I own, it seriously steals the show. I actually haven't worn this terribly often because it is so opaque but I should because it's just stunning.

Then I have one of the Revlon Colour Stay Ultimate Suede lipsticks in the number 095. I was surprised that this lipstick is on the more sheer side, as evident in the swatches on my arm, but it still has great colour and looks beautiful. This is more on the matte side but is by no means completely matte. 

Last but definitely not least are the cool toned reds, or in my case, those a lot deeper in shade. I never used to appreciate darker reds because I found them to be quite intimidating but I really got into them last year and can't imagine life without them,

My absolutely favourite is Rimmel London's stunning lipstick in number 107. This is not a lipstick that is a secret in the beauty world, it's very, very well known and for good reason, it's incredible. A deep red with purple undertones, it's absolutely gorgeous.

Then we have one of the Revlon Kissable Balm Stains which I love, in the shade Adore. This is a deeper red with hints of brown, however it is still really beautiful and flattering. This is a very minty smelling lipstick which makes it stand out from all of the rest!

It is clear that red lipsticks are a favourite in my books, and I hope they are in yours too. I used to be so frightened of them but there are so many out there to play around with it's quite easy to find one that you're comfortable with.

Have you been wearing any red lipsticks lately? 

L-R: Essence Red Carpet, Revlon Wild Watermelon, Australis Make a Wish,
Rimmel 107, Revlon 095, Arbonne Strawberry, Revlon Adore