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!

Mad about Matte

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balms

I have an unhealthy obsession with lip crayons. I think it's an extension of my primary school obsession with twistup crayons but there is just something about them that makes me want to collect them all. And I have tried a lot! So ever since I first saw the Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm crayons on YouTube, I have been not-so-patiently waiting for their arrival in Australia. I've even gone into different retailers to ask about them multiple times! I was so excited to see the displays get rolled out a few weeks ago and now they are FINALLY here!

These were released at the same time as the lacquer balms and both ranges come in ten shades. I believe I showed great restraint by only purchasing four - 3 mattes and 1 lacquer.

Say hello to Elusive (matte), Unapologetic (matte), Standout (matte) and Vivacious (lacquer).

L-R: 205 Elusive, 210 Unapologetic, 250 Standout, 120 Vivacious

Here are some swatches. The top image shows the colours with one swipe and the bottom shows the colours more built up. As you can see they are quite pigmented and there's not much difference. 

Swatches L-R: Elusive, Unapologetic, Standout, Vivacious

The photo below shows how the swatches fared after one firm pass of a baby wipe. As expected, the darker colour performed much better. Unapologetic came off almost completely while Standout and Vivacious left a bit of a stain. 

Post baby wipe L-R: Elusive, Unapologetic, Standout, Vivacious

Colour Breakdown

Elusive (205): Cool, medium pink that's comes off as a light, dusty rose on me. It will suit a lot of complexions and is perfect for an easy day look.
Unapologetic (210): A warm reddish-pink that will lean slightly towards neon on some skin tones. Definitely bold, but nothing too scary. 
Standout (250): This neutral, berry red joins the ranks of great Revlon reds. This has the most matte finish of all three and is perfect for the upcoming cooler seasons.
Vivacious (120): Also a reddish pink but deeper and redder than Unapologetic. The shimmer in this lacquer shade isn't noticeable on the lips and it just gives off a nice sheen. Quite cool toned on my lips.   

The following review is only for the matte shades and not the lacquer one. That will come at a later date and probably as a comparison with a different lip crayon.

Verdict?
Colour/Pigmentation: Good. The shades I have are highly pigmented and go on smoothly without patchiness. Once coat is definitely enough. The shade range is also diverse enough that everyone will be able to find a shade to their tastes. 
Lasting Power: Good. Obviously these can't compare to the stains but they still last a good amount of the time. The darker shade - Standout - lasts the longest but I can get a good 5hours out of all of them.
Blendability: Average. They are soft and just glide on but they aren't really balmy to me. They do nothing for smoothing out chapped lips and like most matte finishes just end up emphasising them. You will need to thoroughly exfoliate. Some of the lighter shades will also emphasise fine lines but this isn't an issue with my three shades. 
Packaging: Good. I LOVE the gorgeous matte packaging! It's also quite solidly made i.e. the crayon doesn't move a lot inside the tube. Some crayons are too small for the tube and end up creating a mess because they get pressed against the rim as they're applied. These didn't have that problem. The lids also stay on quite firmly. Very travel friendly.
Final thoughts: I really love how these looks on my lips but I am not a fan of how much prep I need to do beforehand. I know matte finishes tend to emphasise fine lines and chapped lips but I thought this would be less of an issue since the crayon is called a balm. They're not balmy, and they're not as convenient as I hoped. 7.5/10


Give these a go! When applied on smooth lips, these look fantastic. Fantastic enough that I know I will be exfoliating and applying balm more regularly so I can wear these minty friends more often. 

An extra incentive might be the deals that are happening everywhere for these lippies. I know at the moment both Myer and Big W are offering 2 for $20 deals but the best place to go is Priceline because until April 7th they are having a buy one get one free sale on all Revlon lip products so you can get two for $17.95.

xoxo
Enjoy your weekend!

Love Me Some Lip Butters

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters

L-R: 090 Sweet Tart, 053 Sorbet, 027 Juicy Papaya

I think these Revlon lip butters are fantastic! They're soft and hydrating, very easy to apply, pigmented and buildable. They also come in a gorgeous range of colours and are very easy to get your hands on. They are pretty much fancy balms with a boost of colour.

L-R: Sweet Tart, Juicy Papaya, Sorbet

Image: LHS Flash, RHS No flash
Swatches (two layers) L-R: Sweet Tart, Juicy Papaya, Sorbet

090 Sweet Tart

This shade is a slightly warmer, girly pink that looks almost rosy. It's likely to suit a lot of different skin tones and make a great everyday lipstick, for work or play. Looks quite natural with one swipe, but can be built up for more of a colour pop.

027 Juicy Papaya

This was a later addition to the range. It's a soft coral orange that may lean more towards a pinky-coral when applied to more pigmented lips. Colour is only slightly buildable as it is  pretty much sheer. Natural looking and definitely not a statement lip colour.

053 Sorbet

Another later addition to the range. This is a cooler, brighter, fuschia pink. It's the most pigmented of all three shades. The colour intensity is definitely buildable. It begins quite sheer but can be layered until opaque and bold. It also has the best staying power.




Verdict?
Colour/Pigmentation: Good. Majority have very buildable colour intensity. Leaves your lips looking shiny and plump.
Lasting Power: Average. I can't get these to last any more than two hours but that's pretty much expected for lip butters. 
Blendability: Good. Extremely soft and easy to blend into your lips. Blurs the lines on you lips.
Packaging: Average. I really love how it looks but it's not very practical. The colourful, quilted lids are gorgeous but far too long. It leaves only a tiny black base that's rather hard to grip when opening it. 
Final thoughts: I just love how easy and low maintenance they are. The lack of lasting power isn't an issue for me because I snack so often that I'm used to always having to touch up my lipstick anyway. This is my lazy day lippie. 8/10

xoxo
And that's it my lovelies!