Collective Haul | From Sephora US, Priceline, Mecca and Daiso and Much, Much More! | The Lipstick Hub

Happy Leap Year Day! Get ready for this haul because it's huge. It's basically everything I got in the month of February. Grab some popcorn and put on some relaxing music. I'm going to have to go in order of shops because there is way too much here for one big pile dump, after stating what I got, I'll do a little mini review for you guys.

Forever 21: Two Clear Acrylic 9 Lipstick Holders, a Holographic Card Holder and a Handbag.
The lipstick holders and the handbag are really nice, I do wish that the lipstick holders had levels though so the back ones could be on display as well. The holographic card holder is a little fiddley because it can't hold a lot of cards and it's very stiff. You have to play around with it for a little while. All in all, the lipstick holders are definitely worth checking out and I'm in love with the handbag.

Sportsgirl: Marble and Rose Gold Phone Case and a Lip Chalk in Fist Date.
The phone case is so pretty, really on trend at the moment which is probably what drew me to it. The Sportsgirl lip chalk is something I wanted to try out since they came out, I don't expect them to be like Jeffree Star's Velour Liquid Lipstick or the Colourpop Ultra Mattes. They do state that it is a matte lip cream, so I expect it to be like the Nyx Soft Matte Lip Creams. They do dry down a lot which is nice and don't tend to transfer too much. They also have a very sweet medicine smell. The smell is very pungent so if you don't like fragranced products, stay away from these, otherwise they are very nice.

Daiso: Three Mix Cheek Powders and a Charcoal Peel Off Mask
I haven't yet tried the peel off mask but I really hope that it meets my expectations, this basically the product I'm waiting for Biore to release. The mixed cheek powders were one of my Hidden Gem's in Feb so if you want my thoughts on them you can go to this post.

Colette by Colette Hayman: Cat Ears Headband
There's not much to say about this because it isn't a beauty product but nonetheless I felt it deserved a spot in my haul. It's absolutely gorgeous with the silver sparkles in the gold trim. I definitely feel like these will be making an appearance.

Lime Crime: True Love Velvetine trio and the Bae Bouquet (Perlees trio)
These were Valentine's Day sets so they are limited edition, you can buy the Perless individually. The Perlees that came in the pack were Mirage, Third Eye and Lady. All metallic creamy lipsticks. They are incredibly unique and definitely suited the theme. The velvetine's are limited edition shades and aren't sold individiually at this moment. The colours are beautiful and again are well suited to the theme. Swatches are provided below.

The left column are the Perlees from top to bottom: Mirage, Third Eye and Lady.
The right column are the Velvetines and the Sportsgirl Lip Chalk from top to bottom: Saint, True Love, Cupid and First Date

Dabry St Pharmacy: Mini Australis Velourlips Take Me Travelling Set in Nudes and Pinks
I was so thankful when I found this set because I didn't know it exsisted until after the holiday sets had finished but thankfully I had managed to get my hands on the last set. The set includes Mil-a-no, Hon-o-loo-loo, Ho-Chee-Min, Los-Angel-Es and Lun-Dun.

Woolworths: Montagne Jeunesse Cucumber Peel Off Masque
I've bought plenty of these and have mention these repeatedly, including on Instagram and on my blog, I freaking love this stuff but this one is huge, the normal one I get is 80mls and the one in this haul is 175mls.

MAC: Lipstick in Diva
I didn't want to get a whole lot at MAC, the reason I did go is because of a little blog post that will be coming up soon, so stayed tuned for that. I got Diva because, A. I only really like matte finishes from MAC but I don't mind Satin, B. I wanted a different colour to some of the other colour's I've gotten from them which are a lot of pinky-nudes so I thought Diva was a nice change of scenery.

With flash

Without flash

FB: Stila Eternally Yours Liquid Lipstick Set of 6
So the Eternally Yours set came out around Christmas time at Mecca and I didn't even know that they were out so I missed out on them because they seemingly never restocked them again. But I finally got my hands on the set from a lovely lady on Facebook.

Kmart: Four Body Mists, Love Pamper Face Mask in Peach, Botanical Choice Deep Cleansing Peel-Off Mask, Australis Take Me On Tour Contour Kit, Be Indulged Summer Pop Eye Palette
So apparently I was really into face masks because I bought two more from Kmart. I haven't tried them yet but I'm really excited. I was pretty interested in the eyeshadow palette because the colours are hella neon and I want to see if they compare to some other palettes I own. I got the contour kit because I wanted something that I could just quicky take on the go. The body mists however were amazing, they smell delicious. I've currently got 4 and I hope they release more. Keep in mind they are very strong and sweet smelling so if that isn't your thing, I'd probably stay away. Though if you do like that kind of thing, for $4 each you really can't go wrong.

Sephora US: Cinema Secrets Pro Starter Kit, Too Faced Beautifully Blushed and Bronzed, Kat Von D liquid lipstick in Requiem, also a bunch of samples.
I got the Cinema Secrets makeup brush cleaner pro starter kit because Shaaanxo talks about it a lot and this one comes with a tin that you can use for the cleaner. Speaking of youtubers, I got Requiem because NikkieTutorials always talks about KVD's Requiem and it looks stunning on her. I got the Too Faced pack because it is the cutest thing I've ever seen. It comes with two mini blushes, two mini bronzers and a mini Flatbuki brush which is perfect for contouring or blusher and it's genius. Some little samples I got were the Giorgio Armani lip maestro, Laura Mercier candleglow soft luminous foundation, Smashbox insta-matte lipstick transformer (I can't wait to see how this preforms), Becca aqua luminous perfecting foundation. I also got a little surprise which I wasn't expecting, it was an envelope full of 5 samples of perfume. So that was a cute little surprise.

Chi Chi: Meet The Girls Fragrance Collection, Soft Matte Lip Cream Collection, Glitter Eyeliner Gift Set, Spices Eyeshadow Palette, Liquid Lipstick Collection, Lip Liner in Glamourama (Not Pictured)
I didn't know that Chi Chi brought out two fragrance collections but apparently the one I got after Christmas was Meet The Girls 2, this is the first one. I will be giving my mum Peach and Mango because it's her favourite but I'm absolutely in love with the others oh my lord. I was so excited when I saw that Chi Chi had soft matte lip creams because they are so much nicer than their liquid lipsticks, they aren't completely matte but if you dab them with some tissue paper they do turn matte and they are so nicely formulated, I definitely need more of these asap. I still got the liquid lipstick collection because while they aren't my favourite formula, I still like them and they're mini so. I did stock up on my Chi Chi glitter eyeliners because they are so nice that I need back-ups incase I run out and they don't sell them anymore. Lastly the Spices palette, I wanted something to use for some Autumn looks  and this definitely speaks Autumn to me, Shaaanxo loves this palette and now so do I. I did forget to include the lip liner in this photo which I apologise for, it's a lovely pinky-red shade that just stood out to me. I've always wanted to get the rest of the Chi Chi lip liners based off the two I already own so I was pretty happy when I saw this shade.

Mecca: Kate Somerville Hydrating Firming Mist, UD Oil-Control Setting Spray, Josie Maran Pure Argan Milk 10ml, Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Palette, Nars Steven Klein Killer Heels Lipstick Set, UD Gwen Stefani Blush Palette, Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lip Gloss in Hypnotist, Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Rosa, Too Faced Melted Chocolate in Chocolate Milkshake, Too Faced La Creme Color Drenched Lipstick in Unicorn Tears, 2x Josie Maran Samples and 1 Kate Somerville Sample
Woah that was a lot to get through, so most of the things were stuff that I hadn't tried before but that I wanted to like the Josie Maran stuff, the Bare Minerals lip gloss, the Stila liquid lipstick and the UD stuff. I have tried the All-Nighter setting spray from UD but I wanted the oil-control one for my oily skin. The Kate Somerville mist is a top up because I got a decent sized sample of it from Sephora US and I fell in love with it. I did get all the new stuff as soon as it was released because I'm insane like that apparently

Priceline: Models Prefer Finale Make-up Setting Mist, Savvy Lipstick Kit, Savvy Mineral Baked Blush, Savvy Ultra Matte Lip Colour, Essence Blush Up Powder Blush, Maybelline Color Blur's in I Like To Mauve It, Partner In Crimson and Pink Insanity, Maybelline Super Stay Lip Liner in Rosewood, Rimmel Kate Moss Nude Collection in the shade 45, Revlon Mascara's in Blod Lacquer and Lash Potion, 3x Australis Banana Powder, Face Of Australia Calypso Bay Nail Lacquer in A Mermaid's Tail, Sinful Colors Nail Polish in Love Nails, Essie Winter Collection, Natural Glamour Bronzed and Beautiful Collection

I already did a review on the Natural Glamour Bronzed and Beautiful Collection which you can read here. Model's Prefer actually came out with a couple other things that I also wanted as well but were never in stock so I'll have to see what I can do about that later. The Essie Nail Polishes were absolutely perfect shades for me, I'm definitely digging the white, gold and maroon trends this Winter and Autumn. I was so happy to find the Essence blush because it's been discontinued for a little while and I'm a sucker for ombre blush. Speaking of blush, I totally didn't expect the Savvy Baked Blush to be a blush, I definitely thought it was more of a baked eyeshadow, it's probably what I'll use it for anyway. The Savvy Ultra Matte Lip Colour I've already tried on and I wasn't that happy with it I don't exactly know why, and I'll definitely be giving it another go in the near future but I just can't place why I wasn't happy with it. However the Savvy Lipstick Kit, I was more than happy to get my hands on again because I am in love with the Savvy mini lipsticks and never want to run out on those. I picked up the Revlon mascara's because I heard they're being discontinued and I didn't want to miss out, and almost every store I've been to haven't had them in stock so better grab them while you can! The other nail polishes I got, I got because they are perfect mermaid colours for some up coming events and the FOA one was only $1. The Rimmel lipstick I got because they bringing in other collections and I didn't want to miss out on it, plus again they're never restocked so I grabbed it while I saw it. The Maybelline Color Blur's I was so happy about because I've literally been waiting for them ever since Shaaanxo did a video on them and now they're finally here! I also picked up the lip liner because it looks like that perfect mauve, Kylie Jenner, brown nude shade that I, and mostly everybody else, am obsessed with. Now the Australis Banana Powders weren't intentional but grab what you can right? My family members did help out with those, so I'd like to thank them as well.

That concludes my haul guys, I hope you enjoyed it, let me know in the comments or on Instagram if you did! I know it was long but if you guys made it till the end, comment "Unicorn Tears" on my Instagram photo of the collective haul photo 😘

Thank you for bearing with me and I can't wait to do another one of these. I do have more things coming in the mail that I'll be doing posts about very soon.

Autumn Makeup Look/Tutorial | The Lipstick Hub

Hey guys! Today I thought I'd share with you my Autumn look seeing as Autumn is a mere few days away now. I think this look has the perfect mix of orange and brown tones without being to over powering or glamed up for the people who want a pop of colour without the extra steps.

So without further ado, here's the video, hope you enjoy it.

List of products used:

• Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Foundation
• Boe Beauty Pressed Powder Compact
• Anastsia Beverly Hills Contour Kit
• Sleek Blush By 3 Palette
• Loreal Brow Artist Plumper
• Lime Crime Venus 1 Palette
• Kat Von D Shade and Light Eye Palette
• Benefit They're Real Mascara
• Dose Of Colors Matte Lipstick in Teddy (From the Dare to Dazzle trio)

It's very easy to recreate and if you want to smoke out the eyes some more, go for it. If you do recreate it, tag me on Instagram or share a link down below!

Real or Fake? Korean Beauty Trend, Peel Off Lip Paints | The Lipstick Hub

So you want to buy an Asian beauty product on eBay or maybe on a website that has very little english, how do you know if it's a real or a fake. Here's a few handy tips to figure out if it's a real or a fake product.

1. Look at the brand, Monomola (a brand which I got in my Bellabox) is the real deal. Whereas Romantic Bear, isn't the real deal, you'll find Romantic Bear on eBay or Aliexpress more than anything. Monomola actually have their own website.

2. Packaging, packaging is everything. Monomola came with a box, and has a metallic, reflective tube. Romantic Bear doesn't have that reflective packaging. Romantic bear also doesn't list the product code and expiry date on the top. The fake label also doesn't cover all of the product, it leaves a white line before the lid. There are more packaging differences but these are the main ones.

3. The actual product itself, many of Monomola's reviews are genuine and the product works great. However upon some research of Romantic Bear, there have been many negative cases of reactions on the lips to the product. It is quite gory so if you are sensitive to that certain genre, maybe don't look it up.

4. The price, Monomola's price on Bellabox's website is $10. However you can get Romantic Bear for as cheap as $1. While it is a bargain, lower pricing can give away that it is a fake. The brand is able to put it on eBay for so cheap because it was cheap to manufacture.

These are just little things to be aware of when purchasing products from foreign countries.

Hidden Gems #5 - Dose Of Colors Baked Highlighter in Pearl Dust | The Lipstick Hub

For this weeks Hidden Gem I've chosen to talk about the DOC Baked Highlighter in Pearl Dust. They came out with three baked highlighters and they were highly anticipated but the other two they came out with, the more golden colours, became the more popular products. I would definitely say that this particular shade is still probably more popular than last week's Hidden Gem but I still say that it deserves more recognition than it gets.

Pearl dust is a very pinky-silvery highlighter that is absolutely perfect for pale skin tones. This is definitely one of my holy grail products. I did mention this product in my IMATS haul post because that's where I bought it. The colour is absolutely stunning and is a must have for any pale person. I definitely reach for this more than I reach for my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders or my Mary-Lou by The Balm.

The packaging is pretty sturdy, the lid kind of clicks into place. It does feel a little fragile but I can live with that. I like that the lid is clear because I can easily see it when going through my collection. It doesn't feel too heavy but it's not the lightest product in the world either. You do get a fair amount of product in it, you get 8g which I think is a pretty good amount, it's about the average. Same as the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector.

If you go to IMATS or you want to order online I would definitely recommend checking this out because I'm not kidding, it is the perfect pale skin tone shade. It is a little on the pricer side but then again the Shimmering Skin Perfectors are $60 AUD so...

Sleek Highlighter Palette Review | The Lipstick Hub

Recently Sleek finally hit Australian target stores so I picked up a few things, including their liquid lipsticks, eyeshadow palettes and the Solstice highlighting palette.

The highlighting palette really caught my attention because it has such unusual shades in it. The palette comes with 4 shades in it, 1 cream highlighter and the rest powders. It also comes with a brush but I probably wouldn't use it. The colours range from purple based to yellow based so it's really strange. I'm not quite sure if it's going to suit my pale complexion but we'll see I guess.

The palette itself is really quite beautiful with it's reflective bronzey-golden packaging. It's also really small so it's great for travelling. It comes with a plastic sleeve that has the shade names on it but it also has the shades written on the back.

So let's get into swatches shall we?

L-R: Ecliptic, Hemisphere, Subsolar, Equinox

I have to say I really am quite impressed with the palette. Ecliptic is the cream shade and I probably wouldn't reach for it that much but it is a beautiful bronzer/highlighter shade. This palette is definitely very versitile in which it would suit a lot of different skin tones. Hemisphere is probably the shade I was most looking forward to swatching and it pretty much exceeded my expectations. Subsolar isn't as yellow as I thought it would be which is definitely a good thing, I'm still not sure if it'll suit my skin tone however. Lastly Equinox isn't as warm toned as it looks which is definitely a good thing for my skin tone, however it may disappoint some people because it isn't as it looks.

I will definitely be picking up some more of their highlighter shades because they are absolutely beautiful and incredibly pigmented. They do have some instructions on the box that show you what you can do with each highlighter shade, but each to their own. You could definitely create a lot of different looks with this palette. It might be worth checking out if your local target stocks them.

School Makeup Sorted! | The Lipstick Hub

Wearing makeup to school can be a little tricky, especially if your school doesn't allow makeup or if you're just starting out. These products are going to give you the most natural look on a very cheap budget.

First thing first, concealer. This was probably the first thing I put on in the morning, I mainly used concealer to cover up under eye bags (which was a big problem in high school). I would also use concealer to cover up acne and scarring or just really pronounced freckles on photo day. The first concealer I'm going to mention is for your under eyes. It's the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer, which you can get from Priceline. This is a really creamy concealer that covers up my under eyes perfectly. For acne I would use a pencil concealer because liquid concealers don't tend to stay on zits for as long and do have as much coverage. The one I'm recommending is the Crop Natural Concealer Pencil which you can get at supermarkets.

So now that you have concealer blotches all over the place, blend them out till your fingers hurt. Then you're going to add a powder foundation on top, so that you can set your concealer, making it stay longer, and so that the concealer looks a little more seamless without looking like you've put full on foundation on. The one that I've found that works really well for $2 is the Boe Beauty Pressed Powder Compact. You can buy Boe Beauty at Big W.

If you want to add a little more dimension to the face without having a full on contour, blush and highlight trio going on, I would stick to just using a bronzer. Keep it really light if you don't want to look cakey, and want to keep the look natural. There are plenty of bronzers to choose from, from plenty of brands but if you're on a budget I would highly recommend the Essence range, with each collection they bring out they'll generally bring out a bronzer too so keep your eyes out at Priceline and Target.

The next thing I was obsessed with doing every morning is my brows, I couldn't fill them in properly but I wanted them to stay in place, so I ended up sticking with a brow mascara. It has fibres in it so that your brows look a little more fuller and its a gel so it'll keep your brows in place, during crappy weather, sport or whatever else you'll be doing. The one I use is the Essence Make Me Brow, it's so cheap but an incredibly good product.

I could never not wear lip products during school but as one that banned makeup, I could only really get away with lip liner as it was the most natural product. You could use lip balm because moisturising your lips wasn't a sin but I like to add a little colour to my lips. Of course I would only wear nude lip liners, the two I used the most were the Chi Chi lip liners and the Essence lip liners. You can get Chi Chi stuff at target, Chi Chi can be a little expensive so I'd probably wait for target to have a sale on them which they do a lot.

That's my full face of makeup for school, on a budget. I hope this helped you guys out, let me know if there's anything I should add to the list or any products you could would like some advice on.

Real (Fake) Techniques Ebay Brushes Review | The Lipstick Hub

Ah Ebay, a place well known for selling fake crap to unsuspecting buyers. Not all of Ebay is crap. Not all of the fake stuff on there is crap too.

Recently Real Techniques came out with a Bold Metals collection, each brush cost around $60-70 AUD which is ridiculous in my opinion. I was so excited when I went to IMATS last year because I knew that RT would be there and I could get the brushes on a discounted price. Well that was bollocks so I scrapped that idea real quick.

Then I found out that iHerb, a place that sells authentic RT brushes had a set of three bold metals for about $70, I was totally sold on them because that was such a good deal. But in the nick of time someone on Facebook had posted a link to this set of Fake Real Techniques brushes. It was quite obvious that they were fake but they had the set of 7 for $7 AUD including shipping. It had piqued my interest for sure.

I got the 7 piece instead and I was not disappointed. These brushes are so fluffy and dense they are prefect for so many different reasons. My favourites are the 100 (gold big fluffy brush), the 301 (copper flat brush), the 300 (copper tapered brush) and the 201 (silver eyeshadow blending brush). I personally have no idea what the hell to do with the 301 brush which is shaped like a triangle but ya know.

There are quite a few things that give these away as fakes, first they are getting shipped from Hong Kong. Secondly, they are plastic, not metal. The brushes also have crooked numbers and logos on them. Lastly, the colours on the hairs are a lot more faded than the real ones.

I still wouldn't change my decision, these are great brushes, look nice on the vanity and are way more than a quarter of the price.

12 Things To Keep In Your Handbag/Work Drawer | The Lipstick Hub

I've gathered a bunch of things that you should absolutely keep with you in either your handbag or work drawer. These things will keep you from looking drowsy or will just generally help make your life easier.

1. Sunscreen - This is a must keep in your handbag if you are anything like me and will burn easily because you were born with Snow White skin. I keep a little 35ml tube in my handbag at all times and it doesn't take up much room at all.

2. First Aid Cream - I keep this in my handbag because it comes in handy so often. The one that works for me is the Guardian pharmacy one because its the only one that works for mosquito bites for me. It also works really well for rashes, small burns and cuts.

3. Tweezers - When those nasty hairs show their ugly faces, you need to be prepared.

4. Nail Clippers - Same with hang nails, chips or splits. You need to be prepared for that because some of them hurt way too much to just wait until you get home to get rid of.

5. Nail File - If you're going to keep nail clippers in there you'll probably also need a nail file to keep things clean and crisp.

6. Eyelash curler - As these things can be chunky, I'd probably just keep it in the work drawer. If your eyelashes need a bit of an uplift to make you look more awake, an eyelash curler can be your best friend just before a meeting or lunch date.

7. Makeup Remover Towelettes - Bit of lipstick on your chin from lunch? No worries. Didn't wear a water proof mascara on a rainy day? No worries. Makeup remover wipes have got your back bro.

8. Compact Mirror - Who cares about looking vain when you need to look good. Keep that brow in check and carry a mirror with you so you know when something is out of place.

9. Lip Balm - Chapped lips can come at anytime, the weather could dry them out or they might look a bit worse for wear at the end of a day. Always carry lip balm.

10. Rollerball Perfume - You never know when you might need a touch up and no one likes to carry a full bottle of perfume around. People also don't tend to like it when you spray in public, first of all, there are asthmatics and second, they might not like the smell of what you're wearing anyway. Carry a rollerball.

11. Lip and Cheek Tint - For an extra little wake me up at the end of the day, some lip or cheek tint can make a world of difference to your appearance.

12. Fancy Earrings - Have an impromptu meeting or lunch date that you weren't prepared for? As well as the lip/cheek tint, having a nice pair of earrings can also make a world of difference to your look.

Hidden Gems #4 - Daiso Mixed Cheek Powders | The Lipstick Hub

This week's Hidden Gem are the Daiso Mixed Cheek Powders. The Mixed Cheek Powders are really shimmery blushes that come in quads. I initially heard of these from MessyDownUnder on Youtube and I had to pick these up. So far I have only gotten 3 of them, I'm not sure if there are more but you should definitely check them out.



The reason they are my Hidden Gems for this week is because for $2.80 I have never seen such, pigment and highlight from a cheap blush. Either using the colours individually or mixing them together to make a beautiful glowly pink, they look fantastic on the skin. Not to mention the packaging is hella cute. I mean its not Sugar Pill or Lime Crime packaging but its cute. (Pro tip: There wasn't anything on the back of the blushes, so I taped the packaging to the back of them so I could remember what shades they were).

I did first buy the 'Cute Color' one, which is the one with the red bow and my god I fell in love instantly. The next day I went back to Daiso and picked up some more. That's when I saw the 'Pink Color' one and the 'Magic Color' one. The Pink Color one is very similar to the Cute Color one except that it is more pink toned than the Cute Color one which is more coral toned. I was however taken back by the Magic Color one. It looks freaking stunning. I am a big believer in purple blushes so when I saw this one, I was pretty much a living heart eyes emoji. The perfect combination of pinks and lavender's had just fallen into my hands.

If you see these in store. Pick them up immediately. Though I definitely wouldn't recommend using a highlighter on top of these, they have enough shimmer as it is.

Sorry Guys!

Sorry guys, I just wanted to update you guys saying that I won't be able to upload today's Hidden Gems and possibly Thursday's post. I will hopefully be posting them on Friday. Please forgive me haha, I'll talk to you guys then and thanks for understanding.

Natural Glamour Bronzed and Beautiful Collection Review | The Lipstick Hub

In a recent Priceline catalogue they showed a product that looked oddly similar to the Too Faced bronzer wardrobe, it's by the brand Natural Glamour so I thought I'd test it out. The product retails for $40, though apparently valued by the supplier for $230. I've never heard of the brand Natural Glamour so I don't know how true that is.

The bronzer book has 6 shades in it. Starting from the top, going clockwise, we have Contour and Highlight, Hint of Pink, Radiant Glow, Safari Sun, Sun Kissed Glow and Forever Summer. The shades are beautiful and I do think they would suit a lot of different skin types. The are a little less pigmented than I would have hoped but it is quite buildable. I would probably skip the blush and highlighter when wearing these as they are quite shimmery and a couple are a little pink based. All in all I really do like the product, I've never heard of the brand but I was really surprised by this. If you see this in your local Priceline, give it a go for sure.

Please excuse the FitBit haha. The shades are in the order, listed above.

Beginners Guide to Makeup | The Lipstick Hub

In today's post I'll be showing you how to do a very natural, basic makeup look, tell you some application tips and tell you guys any tips and tricks of the trade. I've also got a little glossary of terms at the bottom of the page so you know some makeup terminology and can understand beauty guru's during their videos.

In this video I do a very basic look just to show you guys how you may apply makeup and some products that are very easy to use and are hella affordable. In no way do I claim to be a beauty guru or expert, this is just something I thought I'd throw together to make your lives easier.

Application of makeup:

• For foundation I would definitely recommend a 'stippling' motion when using a foundation brush or makeup sponge. Stippling is first applying the foundation in circular motions across your skin and then dabbing the smaller areas to buff it out and make it look more blended and even. When applying foundation you should always add some to your neck and ears as well, don't directly apply some, just dab the excess on those areas, this is to avoid getting a harsh foundation line.When matching foundation to your skin tone, always use the bottom of your cheek on your jawline. This will give you the most natural skin tone rather than going with the back of your hand.
• For winged eyeliner, if you want it as even as possible but need some assistance, you can use Shadow Shields or you can use some good ol' Scotch Tape, just be sure to stick it to the back of your hand a couple times before putting it under your eye. When using the eyeliner, whether it be liquid, pencil or gel, start from the wing, bring it to the outer corner of your eye. Now that you have the wing, start from the inner corner and then connect it to the wing.
• When applying liquid lipsticks start with your bottom lip and do not smack your lips together, this will help prevent smudging, flaking and an uneven application. Instead do one lip at a time and let it dry before moving on to the next one.

Tips and tricks of the trade:

• Let your mascara dry first before wiping it away with a cotton bud.
• Use concealer around the lips to clean up the shape of your lips or any bleeding (which means the lipstick is sinking into the lines around your mouth).
• When doing your waterline eye makeup, using a makeup sponge to pull down your under eye area will prevent makeup coming off.
• Using translucent loose powder on top of your lipstick will mattify it.

Glossary of terms:

• Baking - to let loose setting powder set on the highlighted areas of your face.
• Low-end or drugstore products - products that come from brands that are typically on the cheaper side, and come from places like chemists, Priceline, Target, Kmart, Big W etc.
• High-end or luxury products - products that come from brands that are typically on the more expensive side, and come from places like Myer, David Jones, Sephora, Mecca etc.
• Feathering - in terms of lip products, when something feathers, it comes off the lips in small flakes, similar to bleeding.
• Tight-line - the opposite of the waterline, the line beneath your upper lashes.
• FOTD/MOTD - Often used in hashtags, Face Of The Day or Makeup Of The Day usually refers to your makeup look for that particular day.
• MUA - Make Up Artist.
• Dupe - A similar product to said other product, usually on the cheaper side but not always.

The Perfect Lipsticks for Valentines Day

I have selected 10 11 (One more was added by accident while I was taking photos, however it does make a very lovely Valentine's day lipstick colour), lipsticks to match you on your special day/night. Now it doesn't matter if you don't have a date on Vday, you could always rock these colours on some other date night or maybe an office party.



1. Sugar Pill's Matte Lip Colour in Nurse - Last year I got my hands on Sugar Pill's new lipsticks and let me tell you, never have I ever put on such pigmented lipsticks. The two colours are on this list because they are bloody perfect for a date night. The red shade, Nurse, is such a true red. It does lean more towards a blue based red but honestly it is that perfect Ruby Woo but not Ruby Woo red.



2. Sugar Pill's Matte Lip Colour in Girl Crush - They described this as a magenta colour and I don't really know if I'd call it magenta but it doesn't matter to me. It's the pink shade that every little girl wants to smear all over their lips. The pink is darker than the pink on the packaging but it's such a unique shade in my collection that I just had to include it on the list.



3. Rimmel's Moisture Renew Lipstick in 240 Tower of Mauve - This was the extra lipstick that wasn't supposed to be on the list because it was this week's hidden gem but it truly is a nice colour to wear on a date. The perfect moisturising nude shade that's really pigmented, the only downside is that it isn't kiss proof.



4. Essence lipstick in Sparkling Romance - Doesn't the name just scream Valentine's Day? While it's not the most pigmented lipstick on the planet, it leaves a really nice sparkle on the lips that completes whatever look you're rocking.



5. Kat Von D's Limited Edition Studded Kiss Lipstick in Gold Blooded - This is a pure red lipstick that's is more yellow based, but also includes gold specs throughout it. While it was limited edition from her recent christmas collection, if you have it, I would definitely consider pulling this one out for your date.



6. Chi Chi Viva La Diva Lipstick in Fashion Police - Chi Chi lipsticks are perfect when you need to pick up a certain lipstick shade last minute, not only because you can buy them in store at target but because they are also very cheap. Out of all the colours I own I chose this one to swatch for you guys because it's so different from the rest I listed. Its very much a coral based pink that would go perfectly with a bright pink blush.



7. Tanya Burr's lip gloss in Macaroon - This was part of her christmas advent calendar but it is the most beautiful subtle pink lip gloss. Not to mention it tastes and smells like delicious sugar cookies! I didn't include a lot of lip glosses because I don't like the formula's and they aren't kiss proof but if you hate liquid lipsticks and normal lipsticks, then this may be the perfect choice for you. And if I had to include any lip gloss formula, it would definitely be this one.



8. Dose of Colors Limited Edition Dare to Dazzle Trio in Corset - For those of you who aren't loving the bright shades and want to tone it down... a lot. Then the Dare to Dazzle trio is litterally the best thing that you could choose for Valentine's day. Corset is the more plum-y purple dark vampy colour in the set and has red reflects in it. Every colour in the Dare To Dazzle Trio is metallic so keep that in mind. They are also the matte liquid lipstick formula.



9. Dose of Colors Limited Edition Dare to Dazzle Trio in Scarlet Lace - Again it's a very blue based red but this time it has purple reflects, it's very similar to Jeffree Star's Hoe Hoe Hoe colour from his Christmas collection but if you're looking for a unique red to stand out this Sunday, then definitely check this shade out.



10. Dose of Colors Limited Edition Dare to Dazzle Trio in Teddy - This is pretty much the only brow on my list except for maybe the Rimmel one if you count that. But this brown is again a unique shade from all the other brown shades, asides from being metallic it has red and gold reflects in it. And it might even be one of my favourites out of this entire list. If I don't wear it on Valentine's Day specifically, I'll wear it on a different date night that's for sure.



11. The Balm Meet Matt(e) Hughes liquid lipstick in Sentimental - This is probably my favourite on the list. It's not the typical 1920's red it's actually a very hot pink that in some crappy lighting, could be passed for a red. It's very blue based and literally smells like mint choc chip ice-cream. Also for those of you who don't know, lip products with mint in them tend to plump your lips more because of the tingly feeling on your lips, you'll notice quite a few lip plumping products have a minty smell to them.



I hope you guys enjoyed the list and maybe found something to wear on Sunday. Comment down below what was your favourite on the list or maybe you've found your own shade to wear. Let me know if I should have added anything to the list or anything I should look out for. Anyway I'll talk to you guys on Monday xx

Chi Chi Nail Polish Review

Recently for the Christmas collection, Chi Chi released a whole bunch of nail polish sets, including the two that I got the Glamourous one and the one I mentioned in a previous post, the Paris set. I tested one of the shades from the Paris set already but I thought I should do a full on review of these nail polishes because they really don't get enough recognition.

From the Glamourous set I decided to use this kind of bronze-y gold sparkly colour. The colour is called Go Go Girl. The colour is really quite beautiful and doesn't have huge chunks of glitter in it which is really nice.

I applied the Sally Hansen 2-1 base and top coat, as a base. Then two layers of the Chi Chi nail polish and then a layer of Essie's No Chips Ahead top coat. It dried pretty quickly but the nail polish could still get moved around, which it did. I do have to say that the nail polish is super pigmented and that after two coats, I can't see anything underneath it.

I would definitely say that you should give these a go, for $5 a pop, or $20 for a set of 8, they are cheap as hell for bloody good quality.

Hidden Gems #3 - Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick 240

Okay so first things first, I'm actually pretty sure this product is discontinued but they definitely need to bring it back. This Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in 240 Tower Of Mauve is such a perfect mauve-y brown nude colour I freaking love it to death.

Shall we start with packaging? Okay, its bloody beautiful. it has this chrome purple colour that is just too pretty to pass up. The lid is a click on one and it's pretty sturdy.

The reason I do think that this lipstick should make a come back is that is is the perfect on-trend Kylie Jenner colour right now. And for those people out there that are hating the liquid matte lipstick trend or just in general hate matte lipsticks then this is perfect for you. It is perfectly moisturising and creamy. However the lipstick doesn't slide around and it stays on all day long even through food.

Swatch without flash

If you have this lipstick sitting in the back of a drawer or your friend has it and doesn't want it anymore or you find one on ebay. Grab it. It's definitely one of the first things I reached for when making my Hidden Gems list and it's on here for a reason.

Swatch with Flash

Skincare Products For Different Skin Types

These are a list of skincare products that work very well on my skin type (combination), but you may not know which ones to use for what problem or when to use them. So I've compiled a list of good skincare products and specified when they should be used and for what.

1. The St Ives Blemish Control Apricot Scrub
This should be used for extremely dry, flaky and acne prone skin. It should be applied after cleansing the face. Typically face scrubs are only to be used once a week, depending on your skin type, because it damages the skin. If your skin is always dry and flaky, try more hydrating methods before using this twice a week.

2. Montagne Jeunesse Peel Off Masque in 'Cucumber'
To be used for normal to oily. Peel off masques can be quite intense however this one is quite gentle on the skin. It's super hydrating and will leave your skin feeling healthier for days. I would recommend using this one once every 2 to 3 weeks, but it won't harm you to use it once every week.

3. Manuka Doctor Apipurifying Facial Peel
This should be used for normal skin, to oily, congested skin. It works fine on combination skin but it does leave a sheen affect of the face that feels smooth. If you have dry skin it would probably be best to leave the skin alone from peel-off masks as that can make it worse. The peel off affect really helps with the congestion, helps clear out hard to reach dirt. This one can be used once a month, it's a little on the pricey-er side compared to the other two but it's feels like a pampering product, which can be quite nice when you want to treat yourself.

4. Clean and Clear Essentials Oil Control Toner
For normal skin, I wouldn't really use toners when my skin is feeling particularly oily because I feel like it intensifies that and it doesn't help oil-control at all. It does make my skin feel more clean though, if that makes sense,

5. Crop Daily Facial Moisturiser
I would say this is for normal to slightly dehydrated skin. It's great for someone whom might just be experiencing some light dryness or someone who's looking for a vitamin hit to the face. It's not super hydrating but it does have a nice feel to it, you could definitely use this daily.

6. Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash (Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub)
This face wash is definitely for acne prone skin, it can be for any skin type but I'd say it suits combination skin more adequately. Its quite a gentle wash/scrub, so if you have sensitive skin I'd say it would work for you as well. Would probably use it about once a week.

7. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel
The product says its for combination to oily but its more for combination to dry as the product itself is quite oily and leaves a sheen on the skin. This can be used as a daily moisturiser or, what I personally use it for, little touch ups throughout the day. I definitely wouldn't say its dramatically different from any other moisturiser though.

8. Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub
This scrub is definitely for oily, hydrated skin more than dry skin. This scrub can be really harsh so I wouldn't recommend it for sensitive skin types, I also wouldn't use it more than once a month.

9. Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash
Not in anyway similar to the previous oil free acne wash scrub listed above, though this is for acne prone skin, it is suited more towards oily skin types. Typically to be used once a day. This wash is nice and gentle so it won't hurt your skin at all.

10. Swisse Bioactive Nature Oil
The bioactive nature oil can be used for dehydrated, very dry skin with acne scarring or normal scarring. However, there are definitely better oils for those kinds of problems with better results, such as rosehip oil or jojoba oil.

11. Glamglow Thristymud Hydrating Treatment Mask
This is a very hydrating mask which is great for dehydrated skin, the mask will pretty much hydrate instantly. It is on the more pricey-er side but for such effective results, I'd say its worth it. To be used whenever you need an instant hydrate (is that the correct terminology? Whatever, you know what I mean).

12. Clearsil Daily Clear Superfruits Refreshing Wash
My god, I swear by this stuff. It's suited to every goddamn skin type and works wonders. To be used daily, I use it at night and it's definitely something thats worth checking out. Its just makes your skin feel fresh with a nice fruity smell. 

Top 5 Best Drugstore Palettes

My personal top 5 best drugstore palettes and why they are the best! These are in no particular order, I love them all equally for different reasons.

1. Bh Cosmetics Galaxy Chic – This palette may look cheap, even though they did change the packaging from the original, it's worth the money. You can't really buy Bh Cosmetic stuff yet in store, at least not in Australia but you can order from their site. I would consider this “drugstore” because it's so freaking cheap. Bh Cosmetics is one of those companies that always have sales on, whether it be free shipping, free palette with your order or just a certain percentage off on the actual palette itself. I have a couple palettes from Bh Cosmetics but this one is by far the best. The pigmentation is unbelievable. They are so buttery and blendable, the perfect pop of colour. The colour range ranges between blues and purples to more warm tones like oranges. It has 18 shades and isn't that heavy of a palette, it also comes with a decent sized mirror, ideal for travelling with. This palette is truly like no other. Though if you're a mattes girl, I probably wouldn't grab this one. Another one to check out from Bh Cosmetics is the Carli palette as well. 
2. Wet N Wild “Embrace Obscurity” - I wasn't really into all that Frozen stuff but this would have been the perfect Elsa palette. Combining matte and shimmery blues, purples and a white, I had to grab this palette. The packaging is quite cheap but what it lacks in packaging it makes up for in pigmentation. I wouldn't have even thought about this palette until I saw a photo of someone swatching it, I was mesmerized easily. It was limited edition I believe but you should definitely check out some of Wet N Wild's other palettes if they're half as good as this. Wet N Wild also recently became accessible to Australia as Sephora online now stock them.
3. Essence “All About Roses” - Essence recently brought out an entire new collection of eyeshadow palettes which are gorgeous, though my favourite one has to be the Roses one. It's exactly the colour scheme you'd thought it'd be, pinks, browns and some whites. The packaging is pretty similar to other palettes they've come out with before but it feels very sturdy, it doesn't feel like if you dropped it, it would break. I wouldn't recommend testing that though. For the price these are absolute gold mines, the Roses palette has such an amazing colour range but I'd also recommend the Grey's palette as well.
4. Nyx S130 Wicked Dreams - This palette is really versitile, that's what comes to mind straight off the bat. The packaging feels a little cheap but it comes with a decent sized mirror and a lid that clicks in. It's perfect for travelling with because it has 24 different shades to choose from. It somewhat annoys me that the palette is randomised and the colours aren't in any particular order but I can look past that. It has tons of warm tones and pops of colours, it has a nice mixture between mattes and shimmers. All in all if you're looking for a palette that could create tons of different looks while travelling, have a look at this one. 
5. Lucky last the Chi Chi Oasis palette - I could have picked any of the Chi Chi palettes because they are freaking amazing but I had to go with the Oasis palette because the colour range is so nice. The palette ranges between a shimmery white, a matte black, purples, blues, greens and a couple of warm tones. The packaging looks cheap as it always does but I do like that with the Chi Chi, Essence and Wet N Wild palettes, is they have a clear lid so I can see the colours more easily and I end up using them more.

The New Mini Smashbox Full Exposure Palette Review

In Mecca the other day I saw they had two sets of mini Smashbox Full Exposure Palette. Each of them had different shades in the palette, one was more cool tones and the other was more warm tones. I do have to say that I don't like the packaging, it's great having something so small and slim to take travelling but to me, it has this cheap, plastic feel to it. I just feel like the palette looks and feels like it was made in some cheap-o factory.

The mini palette has 4 shimmer shades and 4 matte shades. I thought this would be a great idea to try out the Smashbox palettes. 

The shades already had fallout everywhere when I opened it for the first time, and you can see on the mirror that two shades have already left an imprint on the mirror. The palette didn't come with a plastic protector over the shadows which kind of annoyed me because I like my brand new palettes to be pristine. 

The shadows were crooked when I opened it which also makes me think that the palette is quite cheap looking. I would think a palette that cost me $35 from a well-know high end brand. The photo above is quite literally how it looked when I first opened the palette. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. I've used a couple of things from Smashbox before and haven't had a problem but this was extremely disappointing.

The swatches disappointed me as well. Both the shimmer and the matte shades felt like they were made of chalk. They aren't very well pigmented at all. It took quite a bit of back and forth to get some colour onto my arm.

When wiping the shades away, the shimmer shades pretty much just got moved around on my arm, the colour went away but the glitter went everywhere.

If you were thinking about picking this palette up, I'd give it a miss. :(