Top 3 Mondays; Lipsticks

So while browsing through Zoellas blog recently and noticed that she has been doing little weekly blog posts about her "top 5" products and thought it was a really fun and interesting thing to do, just little blog posts between larger ones. So of course I have decided to incorporate this into my blog but instead of doing 5 products I will be doing my top 3! every week, so stay tuned!
If you haven't already seen her blog I definitely recommend that you go do so!

So to kick start this week's Top 3, we have Lipsticks!
If you haven't already noticed I have a slight addiction to lip products, especially lipsticks so narrowing it down to 3 was quite difficult but I decided to go with my top 3 most used lipsticks that I find myself always grabbing for.

(Left to Right; Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in '103', LimeCrime Lipstick in 'Poisonberry', Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in '107')

 Okay, So first up we have my everyday favourite "nude" colour, this is my second tube of this lipstick as I use it so much. 103 is a pretty soft pink that's a sort of my lips but better colour, and when I'm not going for a bold lip this is what I will always wear. I really love the consistency of the Kate Moss lipsticks for Rimmel, especially the ones in the red tubes (Satin Matte's?) they last really well on the lips and just feel so smooth and not drying at all. (Can we mention that all Rimmel Lipsticks smell like lollies?!)
Definitely a good colour for a wide variety of skintones, I'd say anywhere from very fair skin to a medium skintone (I'm between an NC25 - NC30) any darker and the colour might seem a bit ashy.

Next up we have one of my all time favourites lipsticks, I am in absolute love with Limecrime's 'Poisonberry'! Its a beautiful metallic purple which fades on my lips to a beautiful fuchia that stains my lips and lasts for a very long time. I find myself using this colour a lot more now that it's winter here in Australia, it's not the typical colour most people would wear but I almost always get compliments whenever I wear it. If you're bored of your typical reds and hot pinks definitely give this a go.

 And Finally we have my all time favourite Red, again from the Rimmel Kate Moss line. '107' is the most beautiful dark red lipstick I have ever worn, it just compliments my skin tone so well and looks so gorgeous, a definite twist on the classic red. I think this shade of red just looks amazing on everyone. It looks darker in the tube than on the lips, It looks like a deep berry red on my lips and does not bleed outside my lip line at all!. As I said above, I really love the consistency of these lipsticks!

So there you have it!
Don't be shy and leave me a comment on your favourite lipsticks or lip products! :)
xoS

March Favourites!

It's that time of the month, the time to go over and recognize those products I've been loving and sharing them with the world.

This month has been a mixture of extreme heat and extreme rain. No in betweens, just extremes, great right?

I thought I'd so something a little different this month and also include a music, book and perfume favourite at the very end, let me know what you guys think about that.

Foundation and concealer have been key this month as my skin went through a mini freak out. I broke out like crazy and was left with some not so pretty scars. This month I rediscovered my love for the Revlon Photoready foundation, I've had this for a while and I go back and forth with it, I really love the colour selection and the coverage but some days I feel like it can look cakey. However this month this foundation has been my holy grail, I haven't worn any other foundation and I really like how it blurred those pesky imperfections.

Teamed with this foundation I have also been using my Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer. I've been using this for highlighting under the eyes and on those spots that need extra coverage. Now you might think that this concealer would highlight the imperfections but I found it helped hide them perfectly.

To finish and set the foundation plus adding that extra bit of coverage I've been using the Australis Fresh and Flawless powder. I love this powder, it's always in my purse for touch ups, It's got really good coverage, sometimes I wear it on it's own and it makes my skin look amazing. The only downside would be the colour range isn't very big, so if you're pale or darker that I am you wont find a colour match. Maybe Australis will expand the selection eventually as it's one of their best selling products and it's very comparable to the M.A.C studio fix powder.

On my lips I've switched to darker berry tones and I've pulled out one of my all time favourite lipsticks, 'Forever Red' from W7 cosmetics! It's a beautiful deep berry with silver sparkles, and it suits all skin tones, I literally have used this colour on all my friends and it looks amazing.

On the eyes this month I've been using gold tones, especially the colour 'Galaxy' from this Playboy 'Ultimate Sultry Smokey Eyes' palette. I just brush it over the lids and blend it softly into the crease, apply liner and mascara and I'm done.

For skincare this month I've loved the 'Byphasse Make up remover solution'. It's not oily and removed even waterproof make up, it doesn't irritate my eyes and my skin feels soft and refreshed when I use it. You don't have to rinse your skin after using this but I always cleanse my skin anyway with my Avene clearance gel cleanser.

For Perfume this month I've found myself going for one of my all time favourite perfumes (it's becoming my signature smell, I use it ALL the time) One Directions 'Our moment' perfume. Whenever I wear this I always get compliments on how good  I smell, I really like that I can wear it during the day and night, it's perfect for all year round. I'm super excited to try out the new 'That moment' perfume that they're releasing soon, I hope it smells just as good.

Take a look at the hilarious commercial for it below;

My book favourite this month has been Vampire Academy, I reread the entire series in preparation for the movie (hilarious, go watch it), although in my opinion the books are way better. I fell in love with Rose's antics and Christian all over again. A very good series, have a read if you already haven't.
I also recommend reading, Divergent and the Maze runner series, both have been made into movies so keep an eye out!

Lastly here are the top 5 songs I've been listening to non stop this month;
(click to hear the songs)
5 seconds of summer - She looks so perfect
Rixton - Me and my Broken heart
Dan + Shay - 19 + you and me
McFly - All about you
Daughtry - Waiting for Superman

Hope you've had a great month, here's to April!
xo Sam

February Favs!

Hello!

It's that time of the month again! time for some favourites!

February seemed to fly past! I can't believe we're already in March! Seems like this year is going to fly by, it'll be 2015 before I even know it.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves now, lets take a look at what products I've loved this month;

(From left to right; Rimmel Salon Pro Kate Nail Varnish in 'Rock n Roll', Sally Hansen complete salon manicure in 'Plums the Word', Tanya Burr Lip gloss in 'Champagne Toast', Maybelline Master precise liquid liner, Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in '107', Maybelline The Falsies mascara, Nivea lip butter in 'Caramel cream')

I've really been loving nail polish in February, I stopped getting shellac nails and started painting my own and there's been two colours I've been wearing non stop which have been getting me into the Autumn/Winter season that has begun to hit Australia. Two colours that scream winter to me are reds and plums, they are basically all I wear on my nails other than a neutral colour every now and then. 

Rimmel has really been on the ball recently and I've been obsessing over their products but I have usually over looked their nail polishes but once I saw the beautiful rich red colour from their Kate moss line I couldn't help myself. The colour is called 'Rock n Roll' which I think suits the varnish perfectly, it's the kind of colour I'd imagine Demi Lovato wearing while rocking out. I think Rimmel did an amazing job with their polish as it look like gel polish while it's on and the brush is very similar to the Sally Hansen brush, (looks like a paddle) which I love as it makes painting your nails easier. It's definitely worth adding to your collection, I'm thinking about trying out some more! 

The second polish is from the Sally Hansen complete salon manicure line, it's called 'Plums the Word' which as you can probably guess from the name is a beautiful Plum colour. I really like this colour it's a bit unusual but it just looks amazing on the nails, it's plum but more of a grey plum so it sort of just goes with anything you have on. The brush on the complete salon manicure line is just great, as I mentioned above with the Rimmel polish which is very similar, it looks like a paddle which makes getting an even coat of polish easy peasy. A really good colour to add to your winter nail polishes if you don't already own it.

I've been going pretty simple on the eyes this last month just a winged eye liner and mascara and the two products which have helped me achieve the look I wanted were; the Maybelline the Falsies mascara, which if you haven't tried I really recommend it! I can't rave about it enough, I always get compliments on my lashes when I wear it, and the Maybelline Master Precise Liquid liner which is possibly the best liquid liner I've ever used. It's a felt tip liner and has a super fine tip so that you can do thin or thick lines. It makes doing a cat eye super simple and if you want to go super crazy and do some detail work around your eyes it's great for that too!

The last three products are for your lips (mwah!) and they're what I've been using on mine. 

Nivea recently came out with their very own lip butters which come in quite a couple scents, including a non scented one for those of you who have a reaction to scents. I picked up the caramel cream scent which just smells absolutely divine! I can't really explain the scent other than it's sort of what I imagine butter beer to taste like. I usually put this on before bed as it can give of a white cast on your lips if you use a bit too much, which is really the only downside as I find this very hydrating.

The next lip product is a gloss from the Tanya Burr line (Champagne Toast), which I have a full first impression review on my blog, check it out if you haven't already. It's just a beautiful gloss with a slight colour that just looks amazing and is not sticky at all. It's been on my lips constantly this month and I've gotten loads of compliments on it, did I mention it smells like strawberries and cream? Yum.

If I wasn't wearing my Tanya Burr Lipgloss I've been wearing my Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in '107'. A Beautiful deep wine red, which I think would suit many different skin tones, it's matte but not drying and just feels great on the lips. It also smells like lollies when you apply it which makes reapplying a dream. A great colour to have for this coming winter season!

So those were my Feb Favs! I hope you enjoyed reading about them.

Leave me a comment on your favourite products!

xoS

Mini Chemist Warehouse Haul

So today after work I stopped by the Chemist Warehouse just to have a browse and repurchase my favourite concealer (Rimmel Wake me up), but of course being the beauty junkie I am, I didnt leave with the thing I came for. 

(For those of you who aren't from Australia or have simply never heard of the Chemist Warehouse, it's basically a store that sells prescription medicine, make up, skincare, vitamins, protein powder, etc. at a discounted price.)

(yes I went outside and took this picture in the gloomy rainy weather)

So first up on the list of things I picked up was this 'Soin Du Visage - Byphasse - Solution Micellaire'

This brand I'm pretty sure is new to the Chemist Warehouse as I've never seen it before, It was in the isle that has all the acne treatment, Cetaphil, QV etc. Its a gentle make up remover that does not need to be washed off, it's supposed to be good for sensitive, dry or irritated skin. I think this just might be a dupe for the Bioderma, so I'm excited to try it out and see how it compares. This was $10 dollars for 500ml or 16.9 fl.oz (You can pick up Bioderma from Priceline now here in Australia but it's quite expensive.)

The next thing I picked up was these Paris Hilton lashes which I never even knew existed. They were around $5 dollars and there weren't that many different types at my Chemist Warehouse. I picked these up as they were the most natural ones they had (the others had glitter or were different colours). Just from my first impression they seem to be those plasticy lashes which I generally don't like as they tend to be difficult to get into shape. (I usually use Ardell or Red Cherry lashes).

I of course picked up my favourite concealer! I use the shade 'Soft Beige' if anyone is wondering.

And Lastly but not least I picked up my favourite face wipes! these are the only ones I like that don't drag across the skin and are soothing and gentle, even on my contact lens wearing eyes! They are also about $1 cheaper than the other swisspers wipes for some reason, but seriously check them out if you haven't.

xoS 

Ps keep a look out for my February favourites within the next few days!

January Beauty Favourites 2014

I don't know about you, but January flew past for me! One minute it was here and the next it was over! Anyway I know this post is a bit late, but hey! I've been busy :)

So let's get into it! Here are my January Beauty Favourites;

(From L - R; Australis Colour Inject Lipstick in 'Gangsta Rap', Revlon Lip butter in 'Juicy Papaya', Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation in 'Soft Beige', Avene Thermal Spring Water, W7 Light Diffusing Concealer, Rimmel Scandaleyes waterproof pencil '012 Bronze', Australis Velourlips Matte lip cream in 'NY-Cee' & 'TOK-I-O', Bourjois blush in 'Golden Rose/Rose d'Or', Ben Nye Blush in 'Victorian Rose', Maybelline The Falsies Mascara in 'Black Drama')

Let's Start out with the Rimmel Products!

First up is the Wake Me Up Foundation.

I love this foundation, it gives me a radiant glow and I find it lasts well and I don't need to powder it on my dry skin. It perfects my imperfections and I get a lot of compliments on my skin when I wear it. I find that I haven't worn much foundation during January as it was way too hot here in Australia but on those days when I did, particularly on work days, I found it lasted at least 5-6 hours. Now this foundation does have specks of glitter in it, but I find that like the Revlon Photo Ready foundation you cannot see the sparkles unless you are under direct sunlight and have someone staring at your face up close!

The next Rimmel product I've been loving is the Rimmel ScandaleyesWaterproof pencil in 012 Bronze.

Boy is that a mouth full! Anyway, I've been loving this on my waterline instead of black, or all over the lid for a bronze smokey look. I find that the pencil really lasts a long time and I still have it on at the end of the day.

Nothing much else to say really. 

Check out the swatch below!

Now you'll probably get tired of hearing me rave about this but the next favourite is from Avene and it's their Thermal Spring Water spray. I love this stuff, I use it on hot days when I need a pick up, before bed, after my shower, after I remove my make up. It's just a great spray. I'm not quite sure what it is about it but it really helps my skin brighten up and feel refreshed!

Australis has been releasing some really great products recently, and I've added quite a few to my collection. Good Job! But of course being the lip junky that I am, I have 3 lip products that have made it into my favourites for this month!

Let's start with the Colour Inject Mineral Lipstick in 'Gangsta Rap'

I love the Australis Lipsticks, they're moisturising and have gorgeous shades (and they're cruelty free and an Aussie brand!) so when I saw this beautiful purple lipstick I just had to have it. Purple Lips are really on trend at the moment, I find anyone can wear a purple lip, as long as you have confidence and find a shade that suits you!

Gangsta Rap is a great shade in my opinion as it's purple but not too purple (like the Tok-i-o shade) so it's great for those who don't want to fully commit but still follow the trend! 

I find that it's a gorgeous summer colour that I've been rocking for most the month unless I was wearing what I'm about to talk about next.

The next two lip products from Australis are their brand new Lip Velours! These babys are AH-MAZING, they're matte,really stay on for hours , albeit they are a bit drying on my lips. There is a nice selection of colours ranging from nudes to pink, red and purple, so basically a colour for everyone, you can even mix the shades! I find they don't transfer too much so they'd be perfect for Valentines day *wink wink*.

Once again good job Australis!

The only other thing I have worn on my lips this month is from Revlon and that is their Lip butter in Juicy Papaya. A gorgeous peach shade that Tanya Burr featured in her favourites that I immediately went out and bought. (PS check our Tanya Burrs Lip and Nail collection on feelunique.com) 

Below are some swatches of all the lip products mentioned!

(From L-R; Juicy Papaya, Gangsta Rap, TOK-I-O, NY-CEE)

For Mascara I've been loving the Maybelline the Falsies. It just makes my lashes look amazing, its really great and I recommend you try if you already haven't.

For undereye concealer I've been loving the W7 light diffusing concealer. It has a peach undertone that cancels out any darkness and really highlights under my eyes! Not to mention the packaging reminds me of the YSL Touche Eclat, however this concealer only comes in one shade, so if your dark skinned this will look ashy.

And Finally the last two favourites are blushes!

I've been loving pairing these two together for a beautiful glow this month. The first blush is from Bourjois and its one of their little round pot blushers. I've had this blush for ages and I love wearing it out, it just gives the prettiest glow on the cheeks. It's a light rosey pink with gold running through it, fitting as it's name is 'Golden Rose'. It's a gorgeous colour that would suit anyone with a fair to medium complexion.

The other blush is from Ben Nye and from my professional kit. The shade is 'Victorian Rose' (Can you tell I've been loving rose blushes this month? ha!) It's just the perfect, just flushed colour for my cheeks and I just wear it a lot to be quite honest. Ben Nye blushes are highly pigmented though so if you do decide to check them out, remember to apply with a light hand!

(Top - Bottom; Golden Rose, Victorian Rose)

So there you have it, my January beauty favourites!

I hope you enjoyed, let me know what you're favourites were!

xoS

Eye of the Day. - Bronze Smoke.

Hi Guys!

So yesterday I posed a picture on my private Facebook of my eye make up and some friends of mine asked if I could do a blog post and say what I used to achieve the look!
So here it is! :)

After applying some foundation to my eyelid, I used Rimmel Scandaleyes waterproof pencil in '012 Bronze' all over my lid. I then used a blending brush and buffed out the edges.

I then got my MAC eyeshadow in 'Twinks' and buffed it into the Bronze so that it wouldn't budge and softly blended it up into my crease.

After that I grabbed my Bronze pencil and ran it along my waterline and slightly under my lash line and buffed 'Twinks' on top to set it.

After that I used my Maybelline Gel Eyeliner in Brown and lightly lined my lashline before smoking it out with 'Twinks'.

After that I applied some Maybelline 'the Falsies' mascara to my top and bottom lashes and Voila! you are done!

This is my go to smokey eye when I am in a rush, takes less than 5 minutes to do.
xoS

Let's talk beauty! - Collective Haul

Hello Loves!

Hope you're all having an amazing day!

So I have hauled some new items this past week or so and I thought I'd give you all a mini Review and let you know my thoughts on them!

P.S Most have been used as I just couldn't help myself, sorry for the not so great swatches too! I'm new to this! :)

(Left to Right: Gangsta Rap, Forever Red, 107, Chestnut)

Let's start off with Lush!

LUSH
This is my second time buying products from lush and I have to admit I am completely hooked! If you live in the Sydney Area of New South Wales you can access a Lush store in Parramatta or in the Queen Victoria Galleries! I think there is one at Bondi Junction too but I haven't been to that one.

Last time I went to Lush I only bought a Fresh Face Mask - Catastrophe Cosmetic
The mask was a funny blue-grey colour with chunks of blueberries and let me say that mask is AMAZING, my favourite out of the both I've now tried. If you have very sensitive acne prone skin it will be your best friend.

Background on the Fresh Face Masks.
- They have a cute sticker with the date it was made as well as the date it expires and who made it.
- They have to be stored in the fridge but the ladies at the store have assured me they can last up to 12 hours outside a fridge.
- They can be quite messy to remove as they have "Fresh" pieces of fruits, seaweed etc in them.

This time around I was recommended to try the BB Seaweed mask, which has little bits of seaweed in it, not the most appealing but definitely worth a try. Now one thing I love about Lush is that the sales assistants help you and try out the products on your hand and give you background on each product, they're all really friendly too!

As you can see I have used this mask already, I couldn't resist at all.

What  Lush says about this product;
"Relaxing, reviving, mineral-rich mask to cleanse, soften and beautify. Fresh nutritious seaweed, cleansing kaolin, antiseptic honey, calming aloe vera and rose absolute makes this a great mask for everyone"

This mask didn't really help with any active breakouts like Catastrophe Cosmetic did however it does not state anywhere that it would do that, but it was a nice relaxing mask that hydrated and softened my skin which I like.
I give it: 4 out 5.

The second product I was recommended by the girl helping me at Lush was the Herbalism Fresh Facial Cleanser.

When I first saw Herbalism my first thought was What is that? how does that even work?

Basically you have to pinch about a blueberry size amount of this moss like product into your palm, add a few drops of water until it creates a past and then rub it into your skin. I have to admit the smell of this cleanser is horrible...very "Herbal" Haha.

What  Lush says about this product;
"Herbalism is made with 100% natural ingredients. It will help with spots, grease, and calm troubled skin."

The girl at Lush raved about this product that even my friends we're telling me to purchase this product. This is apparently the miracle product that cleared up her friends skin that was apparently horrible. But what worried me was the fact she said most people get breakouts at first and then it all clears up, now when I went to college the beauticians had a debate whether it's true that it "has to get worse to get better" which to be honest I don't believe. If its making it worse then it's not helping... something is up. Even if it clears up after a while.
However I found this did not break me out so far but it's not helping with my current breakouts either, I'll have to keep y'all updated on what happens.

Quick note; This product does not need to be refrigerated and lasts 3 months.

Overall: 3 out 5.

W7 

I first discovered W7 Cosmetics at the Chemist Warehouse, I was pulled in because all the make up was priced at $5 AUD which was surprising. I have used quite a few of their products which are now staples in my collection, this includes a foundation, a bronzer, their highlighting pens and of course their lip products.
Now I don't know much about the brand but I do know that it is based in the UK so it is not an Australian brand, I'm not sure where else you can get these products or if they're available all over the world.

Now I have to say their lipsticks are my favourite products, for $5 dollars you can get amazing quality lipsticks, some of which I like more than lets say Revlon or Maybelline. They have a variety of shades available as well as different finishes, I really like their Matte lipsticks!
Now anyone who knows me, knows I am more often than not rocking a Red Lip, I own more reds than any other colour actually, so it's no surprise I picked up two more.

Forever Red is a lipstick I have owned before and it my favourite darker red to wear, its a mix of pink and red so its a berry colour which I've found to be flattering on all of my friends even though we all have different colouring. It has tiny flecks of what appears to be silver glitter in it, however once on the lips you can't see or feel anything, it feels very smooth and velvety. It Lasts a decent amount of time too, as long as you're not eating any greasy foods.

Chestnut is not a colour I've had before but I picked it up because I thought it was similar to the Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 107, however this is more of a red where as 107 is a bit more of a berry.


Again, it is very smooth and velvety in its finish, it doesn't feel drying at all, I think this colour would be perfect for a night out in winter. (Even though we're heading into summer here in Australia). I think this colour would flatter many skin tones as well, the only thing I've noticed with both these Lipsticks is that they can feather out after a while so make sure to wear a lip liner if it bothers you.

Overall: 5/5

AUSTRALIS

Australis is an Australian brand that I absolutely adore, I use a lot of their products in my professional kit and my private collection as they're so affordable and great quality.
This time around I was inspired by Perrie Edwards from Little Mix and her Purple Lips in their new music video 'Move' so I was looking for a nice purple lipstick close to the shade she wore and the closest colour at Big W I found was 'Gangsta Rap'.

It is a gorgeous shade, not as purple as the one Perrie wore, a bit more wearable. It comes in the Australis signature pink and black packaging which looks adorable on your desk, or in your handbag. As you can see I have already been using this lipstick, it's a beautiful shade all year round and I have gotten endless compliments at work which is always nice.

I find this is quite hydrating on the lips and feels nice, it has quite a long lasting finish too, it lasted on me about 6 hours before I ate and then it wore off.

Overall: 5/5

Fresh and Flawless Pressed Powder

I needed a new powder after my last powder (Rimmel's "Stay Matte") broke and I decided to give this a go as I have heard many good reviews and many people say it is comparable to the Mac powder. I am in love with this powder, it has good enough coverage to wear on its own, it doesn't break me out and it can be used to set your foundation and add that extra amount of coverage without looking cakey.
However my complaint is that there is not a big colour selection, 3 colours, all of which look very similar, paler people or anyone darker than me will not find their shade. My colour match was 'Darkest Brown' and let me tell you I am not that dark, NC25 inWinter and NC30 in summer for reference.
But other than that, this is a great powder.

Overall: 4/5

RIMMEL

I have had a love affair with Rimmel for awhile now, their latest products are on the ball! But their gems to me have been their Kate Moss Lipsticks, especially the Lasting Finish in the Red tubes (which by the way, how adorable is the packaging!). They are a velvet finish, more on the matte side, not drying and super duper pigmented! I cannot rave enough about these and I own many of them.
107 has been beauty blogger and youtuber Zoella's favourite for awhile now. I have been on the hunt for ages but it was always sold out so you can imagine my happiness when I finally got my hands on it! I have also been wearing this colour non stop, its a beautiful dark berry red that will suit many people! If you don't already have your hands on it, what are you waiting for? Did I mention it smells like lollies! mmm...

I give these Lipsticks: 5/5

MODEL CO.

The final thing I picked up was the Model Co. Fibre LashXtend Mascara in black. Chemist Warehouse has a sale on right now where you can buy one and get one free for $15 dollars. Total bargin.
I haven't had a chance to try this one out yet but stay tuned for a review soon!

And that is the end of my very long haul & review.
Stay posted, Stay Positive

xS