Hello Sephora!

Sephora is finally making it's way to Sydney!! It was announced a few weeks ago that Sephora will takeover the current Esprit store on Pitt Street and be open by Christmas (construction's is already happening!!). This has been a long time coming and I am SO ridiculously excited!  Here's a review on a Sephora product in honour of the occasion :)  

Sephora's Contour Eye Pencil 12HR Wear

Sephora Countour Eye Pencil 12HR Wear

L-R: #4 Surfer Babe; #24 Surfer Babe

I own #4 Starry Sky and #24 Surfer Babe. These waterproof eyeliners contain 0.04oz of product and retail for US$10. However I bought mine in Bangkok for 480 baht (from what I remember...) which translates to about US$15 or AU$16. Australia's notorious for make-up mark-ups so I think when Sephora opens in Sydney, it'd sit closer to $15+ mark.

But these are fabulous eyeliners and I think they're well worth their cost! They give intense colour and are buttery soft, but still go the distance on oily lids. 

#4 Starry Sky

L-R: Flash; No Flash

#4 Starry Sky is intense glittery grey. It's actually rather similar to Smashbox's Shadow Liner in Chrome that I previously reviewed here. It has the same complexity with flashes of blue peeking through, but it's a touch lighter, leaning more towards silver-grey than dark-grey. 

Here's a comparison with Smashbox's Shadow liner.

L-R: Sephora Starry Sky; Smashbox Chrome

#24 Surfer Babe

L-R: Flash; No Flash

Deep teal is my all time favourite colour and I think this eyeliner really captures the intensity that I adore. The swatch above was taken near the side of the my wrist and it looks a bit strange in the photo but the colour is even more stunning and eye catching in person! This vibrant blue-green is marked as a shimmer but the particles are so fine that it looks more pearlescent on the lids. 

Not only are the colours beautiful, they are extremely long lasting if you give them a few seconds to set! I can easily wear these from day to night because they don't budge. Look at the same swatches from above after a very firm swipe with a make-up wipe!

Verdict?
Colour/Pigmentation: Good. Gorgeous, vibrant, multidimensional colour. Intensity is very buildable.
Lasting Power: Good. If you let it set first (just a few seconds!), it will stay waterproof, last the distance and wont transfer. Surfer Babe lasts better than Starry Sky.
Formula: Average. Goes on buttery smooth with no crumbling or unevenness. However, because it's so buttery smooth, it does wear down very quickly and it's difficult to get a fine line. 
Packaging: Good. Standard eyeliner packaging. Easy to sharpen. Love how the colour at the end of the pencil is very true to colour.
Final thoughts:  I just want every single shade in this range! I really, really hope that they bring the 10 piece collections to Sydney! 9/10

I am so ridiculously excited about the arrival of Sephora!

xoxo
Have a glorious day!

Not A Fan Of...

Schwarzkopf Extra Care Ultimate Repair Express Mousse Treatment

Schwarzkopf Mousse Treatment, 125ml ($8.99)

I really do not like this. 

This is a leave in treatment with 3x liquid keratin and it's meant to repair your hair without overburdening it. You are advised to simply put 3-6 pumps into towel dried hair and comb through and leave-in. 

The only thing that I like about this product is its packaging. The black and gold packaging looks sleek, and it comes in a sturdy, easy to grip bottle. But that's about it. To me, this product is all looks, no substance.

The mousse formula is interesting and easy to use but the novelty of it wears off quickly and at the end of the day, you have a product that does NOTHING.

I have long hair that's coloured and often styled with heated tools. But if I follow the instructions and only put in 3 pumps of product, it still weighs down my hair and makes it slightly sticky and stiff. I get the same results whether I let it air dry or follow up with a blow dry.  

2 pumps of product

My hair can only handle about 2 pumps of product (see photo above). However at that amount, even though it doesn't weigh my hair down, it doesn't add anything either. It just leaves my hair with the product's sickly sweet scent, which I also happen to really dislike!

I should have known better and left the bottle on the shelf. I had previously tried the Repair and Gloss Treatment Spray from the same Ultimate Repair range and hated it so I don't know what possessed me to buy the mousse! I definitely won't be repurchasing or trying more from this range!

Summary

Positives

• Mousse formula, easy to use
• Sleek packaging
• Sturdy, easy to grip bottle

Negatives

• Does not improve hair condition
• Weighs down hair
• 3-6 pumps leaves hair feeling stiff and tacky
• Strong sweet scent (though admittedly, some people may like this)
• Opaque packaging makes it difficult to see how much product is left

Schwarzkopf makes some fantastic hair products but unfortunately this is not one them. Well, not for me anyway!

xoxo

Have a lovely day!!

Storage Solutions

The change of season is the perfect time to do a bit of cleaning so I thought it'd be appropriate to do a post on make-up storage.

So how do you organise all your make-up?
In a drawer? A make-up bag? A box?

Acrylic drawers seem to be the go-to make-up storage solutions for a lot of beauty youtubers but they aren't them most readily accessible. Every time I spot them on youtube I tell myself to get some but I haven't actually gotten around to ordering them online. Instead, I've been making do and I've come up with some interesting ideas I thought I'd share.

1. Bathroom Drawer Organiser 

Homemaker Clear Bathroom Drawer Organiser ($9.00, K-Mart)

This is pretty much just a mini acrylic drawer. I included this because it's a very accessible product since it can be found at all K-Mart stores but it's also quite pricey for its size. You can see a few small make-up products in this photo but I mainly use it for jewellery and hair accessories (they're just at the back!). 

2. Stationery Organisers

5 Drawer Plastic Organiser ($7.00, The Reject Shop)

I love visiting The Reject Shop to find budget storage solutions!

These aren't as nice as the acrylic ones and you can't see your products through this but the drawers are a great height and depth for make-up storage. It's also well constructed - the plastic is nicely finished (no odd bits or bumps), the drawers come out smoothly and overall the entire thing is quite solid. But I'm not a fan of the colours so I'll probably take a can of spray paint to it eventually.

2 Drawer Plastic Stationery Organiser ($3.00?, The Reject Shop)

There's also these small two-drawer ones that go for about $3 at the Reject Shop. Theywere originally pink but I spray painted them matte black. The finish of the plastic on these aren't that great and you can see some bubbles, bumps and dents through the paint but no one looks that closely at them and they get the job done.

2 Drawer Cardboard Stationery Drawer ($8/$10, The Reject Shop)

I also have cardboard stationery drawers like these. You often find the plastic, five drawer stationery organisers but I prefer these. They may not be as pretty or sturdy as the plastic ones but the drawers are higher and I can fit in bulkier products.

3. Glass Jar

Glass Jar ($4.00, local dollar store)

These are perfect for storing my lip crayons! I'm a bit obsessed with these lippies and I love how this simple jar not only works as a great storage solution but also turns my much loved crayons into a centrepiece of sorts! I added a cute purple ribbon around the neck of the jar and voila! Instant storage + decor piece!

Depending on what size and shape you get, you can store all sorts of makeup goodies like eye liners, lip liners, mascaras and even brushes!

4. Cereal bowl

Cereal Bowl ($2.00, K-Mart)

The shape of this bowl is perfect for holding lipsticks! It's pretty much the same height as most lipsticks and the flat base means you can tightly slot your lipsticks together. I think it's another great instant storage + decor piece and for only $2 a pop, it's a steal! This comes in a few other designs - there's also one made up of horizontal stripes and both patterns come in blue, stone, red and black colours. If you can find a clear one it'd be even better for showing off your lippies!

5. Recycled box

Sometimes it's just about compartmentalising what's in your drawer and old boxes can be just the trick to really neaten things up. My wallet came in this box but flip it around so the logo is on the bottom and voila you have another place to store stray make-up. I think colourful lippies look great against the back so right now it holds some random lip glosses but this would also be great for individual shadows and pots. Anything bright that will really pop out against the black.

6. Recycled Coffee and Candle Jars

Recycled Moccona 95g Coffee Jars + Candle Jar

These are just old jars that I cleaned out. The coffee jars are great sizes for holding brushes but a slightly bigger candle jar would be better. I did a very quick spray paint job on the coffee jars it's not the neatest or most  creative but the black fits in with all my other make-up storage solutions so it works in an eclectic way. I'm actually waiting for a candle in a taller jar to finish so I haven't spray painted the one in the photo. That will soon go back to being a votive holder! 



And that's it! I probably will eventually put in an order for acrylic drawers but in the mean time, I'm having fun thinking of different alternatives!

xoxo
Hope you all have a great weekend and happy mothers' day for tomorrow!

April Favourites

April has been a very unhealthy month! Public holidays, long weekends, chocolate... It was all about junk food and late nights and my skin didn't appreciate it at all! To help keep breakouts at bay, I used a topical treatment which was effective but also created a few dry patches on my normally oily skin. In the end, the favourites of April were mainly guided by the changes in my skin condition. 

1. Rose-hip Vital Rosehip Oil (1.01fl.oz./30ml, $19.95 )

Rosehip oil's full of essential fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants and it does a lot of great things for your skin. It can help reduce the appearance of scars, burns, uneven skin tone, sun damage and more. For me, this has reduced my skin's oiliness and made it more supple. 

Last month, this was great as a dry skin saviour. I normally only use this at night (right before moisturiser) but I doubled up to really help the dryness. I dabbed a tiny bit on the dry areas in the morning and it really soothed my skin and reduced redness and any peeling. 

I've tried several brands, Trilogy, Sukin, Kosmea and now Rosehip Vital. They've all been great! The main thing you need to look for is that it is certified organic, cold pressed and deep orange in appearance.   

2.  Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Primer (0.85fl.oz./25ml; $15.95)

This primer is meant to hide wrinkles, pores and other imperfections and improve your skin's overall radiance. But this is my second tube and I still haven't noticed such changes upon application. 

So you may be wondering why this was a favourite in April. Well, that's because this silicone primer creates a great, smooth base. It added just enough slip to really help my make-up glide over my skin and not cling to dry patches. Just take care to avoid the eyes with this because the extra glide factor that it gives ends up translating to smudges.

L-R: Primer thickly applied; Primer blended out

In my opinion, this is a very basic, no frills primer that gives you a very smooth barrier between your skin and make-up. It makes a great base that everyone can use, unless they're allergic to silicones or very oily. I will definitely be reaching for this more over winter.

3. Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation in #857 Golden Tan (1fl.oz/30ml; $19.95)

For a while I was consistently using L'oreal's True Match foundation but it's not very compatible with dry skin. It clings and definitely accentuates dry patches. 

So I switched over to Covergirl's Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 foundation. It's a primer, foundation and concealer all in one and contains SPF 20 to boot. 

I have a lot to say about this foundation (I think it really is fabulous!) but I'm going to keep it short because I plan on doing an updated face base post for the cooler months and it will include a full review of this.

L-R: Flash; No flash

Here's a swatch. The two swatches above show what half a pump of product looks like and how it blends out. Hopefully if you look at the right side of each image you can see how flawless the finish is.  

I love this foundation and I think it's definitely worth all the hype. It's a full coverage foundation that lasts all day without looking/feeling heavy or clinging to dry areas. I still like to use a primer with this but, unless I want a really flawless look, I skip right over the concealer.  It's quick and easy to use and simply amazing. I'm already on my third bottle!

4. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in #415 Pink in the Afternoon ($7.00@ Cosmetics Fragrance Direct)

I absolutely adore this pink lippie by Revlon and I hate that it's discontinued. It's getting harder and harder to find but it's definitely still available at discount cosmetic stores and online. 

L-R: Flash; No flash

Pink in the Afternoon is very aptly named. It's the shade of pink that comes to mind when I think of an afternoon tea party. I picture a lush garden with ladies in gorgeous dresses, holding champagne glasses with lip imprints on the rim in this exact shade.

I can see it being a fantastic 'my lips but better' colour for some, but on my naturally deeper lips, it's noticeably different and comes off as a warm, rosy pink. It's a feminine, slightly peachy, pink creme lipstick that's non-drying and very easy to wear. Grab it if you can find it!

5. Australis Make-up Finishing Spritz (150ml; $14.95)

I love this mist! Not only is it hydrating and soothing with rose water and aloe vera, it also gets rid of make-up cake face and contains a fixative polymer to help your look last longer. It's also vegan friendly!

I mainly save this for summer and nights out but it got a bit of a work out last month. I used it before and after foundation in the mornings, and again in the afternoon just to refresh my make-up and keep everything moisturised. 

The only problem that I have with this is it's nozzle. It doesn't give off a fine mist and my current bottle is actually a bit clogged so it doesn't spray evenly either. However, I haven't found that to affect my make-up. I've been through several bottles of this and it has never caused any smudging or make-up runs. This is a great, budget buy!

5. VO5 Smoothly Does It Conditioner (300ml; $4.99)

In my last empties post, I briefly reviewed the 'Give me moisture' conditioner that's also part of this VO5 range. I shared how much I loved its consistency, ingredients, multi-functionality and most importantly, results. I hoped that this would be just as good but it's not. 

This is BETTER!

It's pretty much 'Give me moisture' on steroids. It leaves my hair feeling twice as soft and smooth and even less frizzy and puffy. It makes my hair effortless to manage and I actually didn't straighten or curl my hair in April because it looked so great on its own!

6. Organix Renewing Argan Oil of Morocco Light Penetrating Oil (3.3fl.oz./100ml; $24.99)

I bought this in early April and it's been a great addition to my haircare routine. Apart form this 'light' penetrating oil, there is also a standard and 'extra' penetrating formulation in this range. They're all meant to smooth and add shine to fine, brittle hair, just at different intensity levels. I went with the 'light' one to really reduce the the possibility of greasy hair. 

This is very easy to use and it absorbs quickly but I never use it on dry hair. I apply this on my towel tried hair from the mid lengths down to my ends and follow up with a blow dryer whenever I can. I find that the heat really helps to smooth everything out and make my hair feel nourished and soft.  I do still get results when I let my hair air dry but it just isn't as good. 

I get the best results when I use this after the 'Smoothly Does It' conditioner. When they're combined, my hair becomes so extremely silky and soft that I can't even feel the ends! I have layered hair and I can normally feel the different layers as I run my fingers through because the ends are naturally dryer and rougher than the lengths. But that is not the case when I use the two together! The final product is so silky that it just feels like I have long, continuous strands of hair with absolutely no layers. Amazing! 

7. FOCO 100% Pure Coconut Water (1000ml/500ml; price varies)

L-R: 1000ml carton; 500ml carton

This is what it says it it - 100% pure coconut water. There's a lot said about the health benefits of coconut water, and I do feel better when I have some before a workout, but I really just like how it tastes!

I've love fresh coconut juice and whenever I visited south east Asia, they became an integral part of my diet. This obviously doesn't taste like what you get straight out of the coconut but it comes pretty damn close! There's no added sugar and it's just naturally sweet and refreshing. I think they make a great alternative to packaged juices or soda. 

This particular brand is sold widely in Asian Grocers so it's pretty easy to find. And I really like how it comes two sizes - 1litre carton perfect for the fridge and a 500ml carton for travel. I always have several of both on hand so you can probably consider it an obsession!

xoxo
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!