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!

Smashing Shadow Liner

Smashbox Waterproof Shadow Liner to Go in Chrome

Chrome; 2.67g/0.094oz ($29.95@ Kit Cosmetics)

This is a two-in-one eyeshadow and eyeliner, with a built-in smudger on one end. This can be applied thickly or smudged out, making it a very versatile product that's perfect for creating smoky looks of different intensities. There are 6 shades in this range and I own the colour Chrome. 

Chrome is a shimmery, dark grey and under the right lighting, a bit of stunning blue comes through. Here are some swatches showing how different applications of the shadow liner looks. The left image is without flash, while the right image is with flash. 

L-R: Chrome built up, Chrome in one layer, Chrome smudged out

It's just so gorgeous and eye catching! And apart from the fascinating colour, this also truly stays put and does not budge. Once it sets, nothing is going to remove it except for oil based make-up removers. 

Here's the same swatch after a few rounds with a makeup remover wipe. As you can see, not a lot has changed!

No flash

And here it is after some aggressive scratching. Unfortunately I accidentally deleted the no-flash image and in the photo below, the colour's actually a bit washed out by the flash. But you can still see how I mainly just managed to irritate my skin.

Flash

I love this. It's a bit hard to smudge so I don't often use it as an eyeshadow but it's great as an eyeliner. You wont get precision out of this but you will get intense colour that practically glues itself to your eyelids. Chrome is perfect for nights out. It's sweatproof and waterproof and a great, eye-catching alternative to the more traditional black. 

Smashbox Waterproof Shadow Liner to Go in Chrome

Verdict?
Colour/Pigmentation: Good. Gorgeous multidimensional colour. Shimmery too.  
Lasting Power: Good. Definitely waterproof. I have oily eyelids but this still stays put and doesn't transfer (even when I run my finger over it!). 
Formula: Average. Applies smoothly and evenly without any crumbling. But it's a bit difficult to blend given its excellent waterproof qualities. You must work quickly and putting a primer underneath helps.
Packaging: Good. I love my chunky pencil/crayon products so this is right up my alley. Easy to grip. Convenient smudger at the end. Lid of the eyeliner also fits on the other end like a marker.  
Final thoughts:  This is completely budgeproof and the colour just has so much depth to it! The only slight concern is that the actual product inside the pencil can break and fall out. But I popped the section back in and it still works fine. 8.5/10

xoxo
Thanks for reading! 

Not A Fan Of...

Rimmel Scandaleyes Flex Mascara

Black, 12ml ($16.95)

This is going to be quick because I know with 100% certainty that this mascara is not for me. As someone with straight lashes that stubbornly point down, the word 'flex' should have set off warning signals and sent me running in the opposite direction. I need a mascara to freeze curled lashes in place, not add lycra flexibility! 

Since this mascara isn't waterproof, I only ever use it as a second coat (over lashes that have already been curled and set with a layer of waterproof mascara). It does a good job darkening and thickening my lashes but unfortunately, it does an even better job making my lashes droop. No matter how curled my lashes are, if I add this on top, they will immediately go back to pointing down. It's so frustrating! 

Apart from failing to hold a curl, another issue is the massive brush it comes with. Hopefully the photo below gives you some idea of how big it is. It makes it difficult to reach the shorter lashes in the corners of your eyes and things can get messy really quickly.  No matter how large your eyes are, I just don't think anyone needs a brush this size! 

This mascara is only for someone who has naturally curled lashes and just wants to add a little oomph. It'll add volume without making your lashes look or feel stiff and it wont cause clumping. If that's not you, I strongly recommend giving this a miss.

Summary

Positives:

• Adds volume
• Lashes stay soft 
• No clumping

Negatives:

• Absolutely DOES NOT hold a curl
• Easily smudges 
• Slight flaking
• Massive brush

xoxo

Have a beautiful day!

March Favourites

The products I've been reaching this month reflect how I'm still not ready to accept that Autumn is upon us. I'm still desperately trying to cling on to the remnants of the summer so my go-to look has mainly involved a bronzy glow with statement coral lips. Here are seven of my most used products in March. 

1. Models Prefer Infinite Colour Eye Pencil in Midnight Gaze (1.2g, $8.99)

These Infinite Colour pencils are amazing. They come in 12 shades, glide on smoothly, have great colour payoff, are waterproof and don't smudge or budge. Midnight Gaze is a brownish black eyeliner with tiny speck of gold running through it. This shade went perfectly with the soft, warm eye look I'd been going for.

2. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Bronze (0.4oz/10.3g, $72.00)

This ended up in heavy rotation because of just how effortlessly it created a bronze glow. I'm naturally quite tanned so I only want a hint of colour from my bronzer and this fits the bill. However, like the name suggests, it's quite shimmery so I tend to use this more at night. This is a beautiful bronzer and highlighter. 

3. Essence Sun Club Shimmering Bronzing Powder in 20 suntanned (9g, $5.35)

This smells like coconut and I love it! Once again, I like how it's not a super pigmented bronzer so any colour it adds is very subtle. This shade looks natural against my skin and not orange or dirty. This product also contains shimmer but it's far more subtle and wont give you a disco ball look.  It's great for daytime wear. 

Here's a swatch of all the products so far. The image on the left is with flash, while the right is without flash.

L-R: Midnight Gaze, Midnight Gaze built up, Bronze Shimmer Brick, 20 Suntanned

4. L'oreal Revitalift Magic Blur (30ml, $24.99)

I've been a bit lax with my skincare lately so a few tiny bumps have appeared. While it doesn't do much for oil control, the pinkish white cast from this product really helps hide/blur imperfections.

5. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in 025 Sweetheart Valentine (2.7g, $17.95)

Like I said earlier, I've been going through a coral phase but unfortunately the shades that I like aren't the most flattering on my lips. They are usually too light and don't do a good job hiding fine lines. Since I can't help what I love, this stain has been my solution. I use this to stain my lips first before applying a coral lippie over it. This helps by filling in lines, and injecting more pink and warmth so the coral shades are more wearable. It lasts pretty much all day so I only have to touch up the coral lipstick on top.

6. Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in 420 Coral Pop (4.2g, $16.95)

Out of all my coral shades, this was the one I reached for the most. Without Sweetheart Valentine underneath, this shade is too pale and bright on me and really emphasises my fine lines. However, with the stain, I get a gorgeous pinky coral that pops against my bronzed eyes and cheeks. 

Here's a swatch of the lippies and how they look layered. Once again, the left is with flash while right is without flash.

L-R: Sweetheart Valentine, Coral Pop, Coral Pop layered over Sweetheart Valentine

7. Dessert Essence 100% Organic Jojoba Oil

I only got this halfway through March but I really like it already. I use this to remove my waterproof mascara and it's been super effective. Even the most stubborn waterproof formula just glides off. I've also started to notice that my lashes look lusher!

xoxo
And that's all my favourites for March! Here's to a fantastic April!