Foundation rotation

I can't explain why, but lately I've had a fascination for foundation. I want to try them all. But now I have something like 7 or 8 foundations, I only have one face, is this really necessary?! Anyways, I've been leaning towards a few lately so I'll give you a bit of a rundown...

L-R

Maybelline Super Stay Foundation

Rimmel 25 Hour  Lasting Finish

L'Oreal True Match

Rimmel Match Perfection

Maybelline Super Stay

So this one is the newest to my collection because apparently I could not resist the recent 50% off sale at Chemist Warehouse. I bought this 'blindly' - what I mean by that is that I didn't do any research on it or look at any reviews of it beforehand. But luckily, I'm liking it so far. Some have said that it's a cheaper version of Revlon Colorstay and I think for the most part I do agree. It applies very well and doesn't feel overly cakey. It probably doesn't have quite as much coverage as Colorstay though, but I'm okay with that. It still is medium-full coverage with good lasting power, although I get a bit shiny by the end of the day. I'd rate it an 8/10.

Rimmel Lasting Finish

Alright, where do I start? I really want to love this. I'm trying so hard. But you know what they say, you can't force love. I read so many great reviews (especially on Beauty Heaven) and I was like omg I need this foundation. I just don't get excited about it. It feels very thick and it takes me time to apply and blend it because of how thick it is. The coverage is medium-full, but its kind of...flat. I find it boring, if that even makes sense. It makes my face feel tacky for a while after applying. It's also not particularly buildable as I did notice caking at the end of the day on the areas I tried to cover more. Funnily enough, I actually think it looks better at the end of the day (when its not cakey) when its had some time to wear into my skin. So maybe if I wanted this to look good, I'd put it on and go for a run? Hmm. I'll use it up, but I doubt I'll repurchase. 5/10

L'Oreal True Match

This is my favourite foundation right now. I bought it because I know Lauren Curtis raves about it, and shes always got a flawless base. It dries to a semi-matte powder finish, but the thing I love most about it is how light weight it feels, how easily it applies and that it's buildable! I haven't worn this for photos yet so I'm not sure how the SPF holds up under flash photography, but other than that, I'd rate it as a 10. 

Rimmel Match Perfection

I've had this for some time, but I find myself reaching for it on my days off when I want a fresh look without too much makeup. It's light coverage which gives a really natural glow. Initially when I got this foundation, I didn't like it but now its one of my favourites. The only downside to it is that it doesn't have the best wear time, so for that I rate it a 9/10.

Do you have any of these foundations and if so, what are your thoughts on them? I'd love to hear your feedback in the comments below. 

Foundation Rotation

Do you ever find yourself neglecting certain products, because you have too many of them and you just never get around to using them? I'm like that with foundations. I have about six and several BB creams, so some sit around collecting dust. I've decided that I'm going to try and use each one for a period of several weeks, just so they actually get used. Here are my recent picks...

Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation

Arbonne Perfecting Liquid Foundation

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation

Rimmel Stay Matte

I've used this in a previous FOTD if you want to see how it wears. This foundation is great because its so cheap but still delivers full coverage. The texture is thick and mousse-like, but still blends really easily. Wear time is good, but I find it can rub off pretty easily. As for matte-ness, it seems to maintain oil control well but I don't really have oily skin...so I'm not the best person to ask. I wore this for about two weeks in a row, as I took it on a week long trip away and kept using it for a while after.

Arbonne Foundation*

I have reviewed this previously. I wore this foundation every day during my two week placement. It's medium coverage, very light on the skin and easy to blend. It also lasts all day without a primer. I can't really fault this foundation on its performance, it gives a slightly dewy finish that lasts all day for a fresh faced look. The only drawback is the price, its about $55AUD, from memory.  

Rimmel Match Perfection

I did not like this foundation initially. It's very watery and runny. It also smells like shampoo. But with time, I have found myself liking it. It's great for light coverage to even out skin tone and it also gives a slight glow. It covers some redness, but it won't hide blemishes. My skin is generally pretty good so it's fine to use, but for bad skin days, this wouldn't be enough. Without a primer, the lasting power of this is not great - I'd say about 4-5 hours later, its worn off. I've been wearing this all week and probably will for a little while. Again, this foundation is relatively cheap (I bought it on sale, 50% off for $9!!) so I'm happy with it.

I think this method of rotating foundations is a good way for me to use some of my less-used foundations. I'll probably switch to wearing some of my BB Creams (of which I have 5, 1 unopened though) so stay tuned! 

Do you try and rotate products too?

*product was provided for consideration and has been reviewed in accordance with my disclosure policy

NOTD featuring 'For Audrey'

If you're into nail polish, you may/will/should know about China Glaze's gorgeous Tiffany blue - For Audrey. I recently purchased this and am in LOVE. It is amazing, a must-have for your collection! 

It's a beautiful colour on its own, but I jazzed it up with some glitter and polka dots!

Rare right hand shot! Normally I don't post pictures of my right hand as my left hand looks better but it turned out alright this time!

The tools I used (L-R)

Orly Bonder base coat

China Glaze 'For Audrey'

Ulta3 'Lily White' for the dots

Rimmel I Love Lasting Finish 'Disco Ball'

Seche Vite Dry Fast top coat

What are your thoughts on 'For Audrey'? 

Rimmel Lasting Finish lipsticks - Temptation, Heather Shimmer & Drop of Sherry

These were pretty much the first lipsticks I bought when I started becoming interested in lipstick! At $9.95 each, it wasn't a huge loss if they didn't suit me.

L-R: Heather Shimmer, Drop of Sherry and Temptation

They are sooo pretty! L-R: Temptation, Heather Shimmer and Drop of Sherry. The last one looks like a hybrid of the first two :) Temptation is very pigmented! Heather Shimmer and Drop of Sherry are slightly frosted.

Temptation

Heather Shimmer

Drop of Sherry 

All these lipsticks have a vanilla cake like smell to them which doesn't translate to the lips. The formula is slightly drying and seems to last about 2-3 hours. Heather Shimmer is the one I've probably used to the most out of these 3. I actually haven't worn Temptation anywhere because I feel like I'm not brave enough to wear such a bold shade of red!

What are your thoughts on the Rimmel lasting finish lipsticks?

Five minute summer face

Hey all! 

What products do you use when you're in a rush to get ready? For me, it depends on what season it is. In the warmer months, I use a minimal amount of makeup (its just going to sweat/melt off anyway!). Here are some products I use...

Rimmel BB Cream in Medium - $12.95

Sleek blush in Rose Gold - $5.99

Rimmel Extra Super Lash mascara - $12.95

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Birthday Suit (250) - $9.95

Rimmel BB Cream in Medium - on the left it has been blended out and it seems to blend well with my skin, although my face is a different color. This product claims to prime, moisturise, minimise pores, conceal, cover, smooth, mattify, brighten and protect (phew!). I'm not sure about the priming ability as I've never used a face primer before (don't laugh!) but it gives pretty even coverage although my skin is fairly blemish free. Sometimes I do add powder over the top though. This product also contains SPF 25 so you've got the added bonus of protection against the sun! One thing to be mindful of is that it may take on an orange tint - I have noticed a few people saying this in reviews. I haven't experienced this though.

Sleek blush in Rose Gold - yes I know I've mentioned these blushes before but I absolutely adore this colour. Its a peachy/coral blush with a hint of pink that adds a healthy glow. 

Now next to the swatch of the blush (on the right), I've swatched Birthday Suit. This is my go-to 'nude', its a very wearable caramel frosty lipstick with a hint of orange. I've swatched it next to the blush to show you how nicely they go together (well, I think so anyway). The colour is true to the tube. I adore this lipstick and am ready to repurchase this!

Some days, if I'm looking super tired, I'll add some concealer to hide dark rings and add a bit of black eyeliner to give my eyes some definition.

Feel free to share your favourite 'safe' products that you use when you're in a rush! :)

My 10 drugstore favourites

In no particular order...

1. Sleek blushes
They are about $6-7 (AUD) and you get 8g of product in a compact rectangular case with a mirror. MAC powder blushes are 6g and don't have a mirror so I think I prefer the Sleek casing.
These blushes are incredibly pigmented. Warning - they can become addictive! I use them daily and my MAC blushes have been pushed aside for these guys.

Here are some pictures I have used on other blog posts

Sunrise (left) and Honour (right) - refer to my previous post for more info if you are interested in these two!

Sleek blushes: Sunrise and Honour 

Above: Honour 

Above: Rose Gold - said to be a dupe of NARS Orgasm blush

 Cases

If you're interested in Sleek, you can buy their products from their website.
http://www.sleekmakeup.com/



2. Milani Press Powder
I bought this for $5.75. I guess I've never really been a pressed powder girl before but I love this. It gives a flawless coverage on its own and is great for shine control. It comes with a handy mirror and sponge. I also find it is long lasting. It has 10g of product so its probably going to last me a while.

I bought this from beautyjoint.com




3. L.A Girl Pro Conceal
A fantastic concealer for $2.50. Again, concealer wasn't a product I paid much attention to but this changed my beauty routine. I use them almost every day to cover areas of redness. It has a creamy consistency to it and the brush tip applicator can be used to blend but I prefer to use my fingers.

I bought this from beautyjoint.com



4. Ecotools Brushes
Not only is this brand pocket friendly, they are doing their bit for the environment. Their products are 100% cruelty-free (as their website says) with recycled aluminium and bamboo for the handles. 1% of their profits go towards environmental organisations, so not only will you look good but you feel good too!
If you're ever used one of their brushes, you would know that they are incredibly soft. I use a kabuki brush of theirs for when I use mineral powder foundation and sometimes I find myself just aimlessly rubbing the brush on my face, because it feels so soft. Please tell me I'm not the only one...?

Their prices vary depending on which brush/set you buy, but they can be purchased from Priceline as well as on their website.

This eyeshadow brush costs $4 on ecotools.com

5. Face of Australia Liquid Eyeliner

I bought this for around $9 quite a while ago and this is the third time I've repurchased it. It makes liquid eyeliner application really easy with the precise tip. I always get compliments when I use it to do a winged eyeliner look. A great tool to have in your makeup kit for doing a dramatic look.

I bought this from Big W.



6. MUA eyeshadow palettes
I have two of these so far and they are amazing. They are about 4 pounds on the MUA website. Talk about value for money! There has been a lot of hype about these lately and rightfully so. 12 eyeshadows at an affordable price. I want them all. 

Here are the ones I have

Above: The Undressed palette - read more about it here

Above: The Dusk til Dawn palette - read more about it here

7. Rimmel Extra Super Lash Mascara
$12.95 for this, pretty cheap (in Aus!) for a mascara. Nothing too fancy, but it does the job for daily wear. The brush is good and so far I haven't experienced clumping. 

Rimmel products can be bought from Big W, supermarkets such as Coles and Bilo, Target and I'm sure there are other stores too.




8. NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss
Soo shiny! Bought this one for $5.49 and its generous with its 11ml of gloss. It pretty much gives you everything you want in a lipgloss - shine, colour and its not all gooey and sticky. Super cute tube too.

The colour above is Spongecake. 
This can be bought from beautyjoint.com



9. Ulta3 nail polish
$2 polish. What more can I say? The formula is excellent quality, the brush is small but that can be forgiven. You get 13mL of polish which is quite a lot. The colour range is also great. With a base coat and top coat, they last me about 5-7 days. 

Above: the colour 'Jade'

Above: the colour 'Bouquet'



10. Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick
These are $10 and are one of my most reliable lipsticks. Great colour and lasts about 4 hours on me. I have quite a few of these and will continue to repurchase.

The colour above is Birthday Suit.
Again, Rimmel products are widely available in Australia.


Well, this concludes my list! What are some of your drugstore faves?

Experiments with lipsticks of the wrong shade (for me)

If you're anything like me, a large percentage of your beauty buys are either online or inspired by something you've seen online. I have fallen victim to buying quite a few things online and they turn out to be awful for me. Lipsticks seem to be a particular issue for me, so I have a bunch of them sitting around doing nothing but collecting dust! 

Today I thought I would try to mix them with other lipsticks to see if I could make these shades more wearable.

First up is NYX Round Lipstick in Tea Rose. I bought this one online after having a look at a few swatches. It's a shame the colour doesn't work for me because I really like the creamy consistency. I expected it to be a bit more peachy pink but it is more pink than anything else.

Yikes. You can probably see why I can't/don't wear this! Bubblegum pink doesn't suit my skin tone. That, and I don't have the confidence to pull off crazy shades anyway.

So I have tried to mix this with a darker colour to make it a darker berry pink, something I am more comfortable with. I have added Rimmel Lasting Finish in Temptation. I don't use this Rimmel one much either, it's a nice red but probably too blue toned for me. Mixing them together produces a deeper pink.

Sorry about the blurry photo! But the main thing here is just that this pink is a bit more in my comfort zone. This colour is something I'm much more likely to wear.

Alright, moving on. This one is Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipstick in Coral Desire. The lipstick itself is a gorgeous pale coral but when swatched - what?! Where did the colour go?! 

Yes I smeared my lips in vanilla frosting here. No, not really, but that is how Coral Desire turns out. I don't fancy wearing white frost on my lips, to be honest.

Again, I have mixed it with another lipstick that I don't use too much. I have added Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in Sienna, a chocolate brown. This translates to a bronzey shimmer.

I actually really like this combination. It is something I can definitely wear and not be paranoid that I have alien lips.

What are your thoughts on mixing lipstick shades? Do you do it too?

No such thing as too many pink polishes!

I'm a bit of a nail polish fan, my collection stands at about 40 at the moment. I noticed that I seem to have a few pink shades that are quite similar. Similar, not the same!

Google Images

Yes, the above photo fits perfectly with the theme of this post. This is how I feel in regards to pink nail polishes.

This is my collection of pink/fuschia nail polishes! Not huge I guess, but you can see a lot of them are quite similar (not the same!). 

Starting at the top and going clockwise - 

Rimmel I Love Lasting Finish - 'Hot Shot'

Essie - Big Spender

Orly (Mini - from the Viva collection) - Fiesta

Jordana - Hot Pink

Essie (Mini - from the Bikini So Teeny collection) - Off the Shoulder 

Ulta3 - Bouquet 

OPI - Strawberry Margarita 

OPI - I Lily Love You

Don't ask me to pick one favourite! My top 3 would probably include: Orly - Fiesta, Jordana - Hot Pink and Ulta 3 - Bouquet.

I've added a few photos I've taken in the past of my nails wearing some of the above shades.

Above: watermelon nails! The pink I have used here is Orly - Fiesta, a gorgeous bold pink. The green I have used is Essie Mojito Madness, if you were curious, and the gold was from a nail art kit. 

Above: Ulta3 - Bouquet, a bright fuschia that matched the sari I was wearing (to a formal function). Like my clutch?

Above: Cupcake nails! Done with OPI Strawberry Margarita and a nameless cheap white polish.

Above: Marble nails - using Jordana - Hot Pink (because of the pearl in the polish, it came out a lot lighter with marbling) and a red polish by Jordana.

Above: Essie - Big Spender - a bold fuschia with no shimmer.

What are your thoughts? Do I perhaps have too many pink based polishes? What colour nail polish are you obsessed with?