Let me first apologise for my slackness when it comes to monthly favourites. I haven't posted one since March. But, I guess you could also see this as a good thing because I wanted to wait until I had products that I really loved. Thanks June!

To kick things off, I'll talk about Essie Island Hopping nail polish. I'm definitely a sucker for Essie nail polishes and I've been looking for a colour like this for a very long time. I own lots of red and purple nail polishes but I was looking for something where the two colours combined, a little muted and more washy. I saw this in Priceline and instantly knew it was what I needed. It's perfect for any time of the year in my opinion, so just know that you'll see me using it quite a lot.

A foundation that I fell head over heels with recently is the Avon Luxe Silken Foundation*. I don't think I can really express how much I love this foundation. It just works so damn good on my oily skin. I did an entire review on the Avon Luxe range which you can read here. I give you all of my thoughts on the foundation but I basically think it will work incredibly no matter your skin type and it feels so lightweight - ah perfection.

Now this product has been a holy grail of mine for what seems like forever. I always go back to it. It's the Maybelline Colour Elixir in Caramel. I love how it looks freshly applied, it has an amazing scent, fades nicely and just works with every outfit and every makeup look. The whole Colour Elixir range is amazing, but I definitely think you have to swatch Caramel next time you're in Priceline.

For months on end my highlighter routine consisted of Benefit Cosmetics Watts Up, which I then set with the highlighter from the Face of Australia Glamazon Duo. Both of these products are holy grails. But, I introduced the Becca Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfector Opal (Pressed)* into my routine and haven't been able to go back. Opal is stunning. I've actually had it sitting in my drawer for a while so I have no idea why it took me so long to try it. It's a gorgeous shade that so far from what I've heard looks great on everyone. I have a whole post on Becca Cosmetics Opal as well as a comparison of the Pressed, Poured and Liquid formulas which you can read here.

Moving onto skincare, there are two products that have definitely transformed my skin. The first being the Philosophy Cream Cleanser*. I took this cleanser with me to Europe and my skin did not break out, at all. That's after 24 hours on the plane, both to Europe and home from Europe, changing climates - everything. My skin reacted so lovely with this cleanser. It foams up and lathers quite a bit and feels incredible on my skin. My skin also didn't dry out or become overly oily. It just left my skin so happy.

The second skincare product I've been obsessed with is the La Roche Posay Serozinc* Spray. It's essentially magical water in a spray bottle which you use as a toner. Not only is it insanely refreshing but it's really helped lessen the amount of oil that my skin produces. I also find it really great to help my rosehip oil sink into my skin, so in a way this product has also helped reduce my redness. I've also been trying a couple of La Roche Posay products in conjunction with Serozinc which I also love, so I'm thinking of doing an entire post on the three shortly.

Last up, I have to talk about a candle. This particular candle, oh my. It is none other than Glasshouse Fragrances Tahaa*. If you don't own this candle, then I really feel like you don't know what a real candle is. Tahaa is the perfect combination of caramel and vanilla, which is something I really appreciate during the cooler months. You can find it in David Jones so PLEASE go in store and give it a whiff. It's one of those scents which you can smell even when you put the glass lid on or after you've blown the flame out, hours later. It lingers and it's gorgeous.

What were some of your June favourites?

*Products marked with an asterisk have been provided for editorial consideration. For more information, please read my disclaimer.



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Revlon is an old favourite of mine when it comes to foundations. As someone with super oily and not the nicest skin in the world, I feel like their foundations really work well with me. 
I was so excited to hear of their Revlon Colorstay 2 in 1 Compact Makeup and Concealer*, so of course I had to try it out and share my thoughts.






Price wise, this foundation is $34.95AUD. You can purchase it from Priceline here.

Personally, I feel like this range, or these particular 9 shades aren't really suited for my olive skin, especially during summer. If you're not olive though, I think there's a pretty good chance that you'll find an amazing match! Just keep in mind that the shades of this foundation are definitely darker in the pan. If you can, I'd suggest going in store and having a play with swatches. The closest shade to me is probably 220, which will be good during winter.

Although I currently don't have a match, I still put the foundation to the test. I applied it using the little sponge provided and I actually really like the sponge! It's really handy and I love that it isn't a little puff because they're really hard to keep hygienic. The puff and the mirror inside makes this product extremely handy for you travellers out there or people who love to touch up during the day.

The formula of both the foundation and concealer is incredibly smooth. The foundation itself is probably a teeny bit smoother than the concealer, but they're very close.

I'd say that this provides me with a medium coverage. In terms of how it feels, it's not completely weightless, but it isn't heavy either. Just feels like hey there's something there, but by no means is it intrusive.

Longevity wise, I trialled this for 6 hours and it looked pretty good. I am oily so there was some shine and I did have to blot, but I think for a compact foundation, it's pretty good and you can always touch up again.

What do you think of this product?
Do you personally like to touch up your makeup during the day? Or, do you just apply once and go for it?
*Products marked with an asterisk have been provided for editorial consideration. For more information, please read my disclaimer.
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Becca Cosmetics is a brand famous for bringing out the gorgeousness within our skin. Their products are great for natural luminosity, and that all out YASSSS highlighter glow that we love. 
A couple of weeks ago I was incredibly lucky enough to receive this incredible PR package from Becca which contained every shade from their new Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation* range. Ever since, I've been using this foundation like crazy. 
What I think is super interesting about my love for this product is that:

1. I am extremely oily and this product is all about luminosity 
2. It's summer here in Australia, so I'm even shinery currently than usual

First up, I think I have to address the packaging. I thought that it would be a regular pump foundation but wow I was wrong. It's closely related to a perfume dropper bottle. You twist the lid, a button pops up. You press that button to collect product in the little dropper and then press the button again to dispense the product. I really enjoy this because I can really control how much I want, exactly. I also think that if you do freelance makeup, this would be great to have in your kit because it's really hygienic this way. 

The formula is intended to provide 'water-light coverage in every luminescent drop'. One thing that I love about this foundation is its flexibility when it comes to coverage.

The Becca The One Perfecting Brush provides light coverage. Unfortunately, as amazing as The One feels, mine was shedding extremely so I had to switch it out for my trusty beauty blender. I'm sure if you had a similar foundation brush that you love, it would also provide a lighter coverage.

Using the beauty blender, I created medium coverage which you see in the picture below.

There are eight shades in the Aqua Luminous Perfecting range which I think is a pretty job well done. Ash from the beauty collection and I decided to pop our swatches side by side so you can really see how the shades adapt to your own skin colour. To see the full range swatched on lighter, pink undertone skin, make sure you go over to Ash's blog post of the full range here.
My particular shade at the moment is medium and during the cooler months, I'll probably be a beige or a mixture of beige and medium together.

My skin 

Left to right: Fair | Light | Beige | Medium | Tan | 

Warm Honey | Dark Golden | Deep bronze

Left image is my skin | Right image is Ash's skin 

Shades (from left to right): Light | Beige | Medium | Tan

Personally, I find this foundation is pretty incredible. I think it's also a great learning curve for myself and other oily skinned makeup lovers out there. Just because something is intended to add an extra glow to your skin, do not be afraid.  Whenever I wear the foundation, I easily get a good 4 hours before I need to blot. By the time I say to myself I need to blot, that's only a little bit of oil on my nose which quickly disappears. All in all, I can definitely wear this foundation for a solid 9 hours.

I believe the coverage is great because of its flexibility. The finish that it gives your skin makes it look like you were sent from the heavens. It gives the right amount of glow in all the right places. Even as someone with oily skin, I still receive compliments whenever I wear this foundation.

Becca Cosmetics Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation is available here for $68AUD.

What do you think of this foundation?

What's your favourite Becca Cosmetics product?

*Products marked with an asterisk have been provided for editorial consideration. For more information, please read my disclaimer.

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Everytime I hop on Ry Cosmetics, I stumble across more products that I really want to try.  Today, I'll be testing out the Gorgeous Cosmetics Base Perfect Liquid Foundation & Gorgeous Cosmetics #037 Foundation Buff Brush. 
This post and these products are quite exciting to me for two reasons. 

1. I haven't used anything from Gorgeous Cosmetics before 
2. I am actually going to be using a brush to apply my foundation today, instead of a beauty blender - I've used a beauty blender religiously since having my first one back in 2013

Let's look at the Gorgeous Cosmetics #037 Foundation Buff Brush* foundation brush first. It looks and feels like a flat top kabuki brush. As a point of comparison, I'll compare it to my Sigma F80. The Gorgeous Cosmetics #037's bristles cover a wider space and it is slightly more bouncy. It feels very smooth on the skin and after washing, there was no shedding.
Now for the Gorgeous Cosmetics Base Perfect Liquid Foundation in 3N-BP*. One thing that I must mention straight away is that there is an abundance of shades in this range. I really was tossing up between 3 of them and luckily picked my perfect one! 
Another thing that I really appreciate about this foundation is the packaging. The lid is really sturdy and it definitely doesn't seem like the kind of foundation lid to pop off and make a mess. Also, this foundation has a foundation pump. Honestly had to underline and bold it because that just makes me really happy. 
The foundation itself smells a little bit like a floral moisturiser. The texture first appears to be in between a mousse and cream, but once you apply the foundation to the face it is more towards a cream texture. To cover my face, I used one and a half pumps to achieve a medium coverage, but you can definitely build it up to full. 
The foundation feels like a moisturiser when first applied but dries to the touch quite quickly. You do have a bit of time to play around with this foundation and I found that the #037 brush applied it quite flawlessly/
Because I'm oily, longevity of this foundation was probably around 6 hours (at pristine condition). After the 6 hour mark I just needed to touch up with some powder to remove my oiliness. The coverage however did last very, very nicely.
Overall, I'm really impressed by both the brush and the foundation. I'm curious now to use the brush with my other foundations and see whether it'll be reached for a long side my beauty blender, or even replace it! 
These Gorgeous Cosmetics products are available from www.ry.com.au  The Gorgeous Cosmetics Base Perfect Foundation can be found here for $55 The Gorgeous Cosmetics #037 Foundation Brush can be found here for $49 
Have you used anything from Gorgeous Cosmetics before? Are you a brush or beauty sponge application kind of makeup lover? 
*Products marked with an asterisk have been provided for editorial consideration. For more information, please read my disclaimer.



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I'm not going to lie and tell you that I carry a makeup bag around with me, because I don't. I am the type of girl that prefers to carry either only my wallet, the tiniest bag or pouch with me because I hate carrying too many things! However, when I do feel like being a little bit fancy, I will opt for my Michael Kors Sutton. But, even then, I probably won't carry a makeup bag, because that means more to carry!! Ah the struggles.
Well anyway, I thought I would create a post about what I would carry with in me in my make up bag if I chose to use one. Hopefully if you don't mind carrying a make up bag around with you, you'll like some of my I-don't-want-to-carry-too-much tips. 


First off I guess we need a makeup bag right!? The one I would reach for is my Zoeva Pouch that came with my Rose Golden Luxury Set V2*. If you'd like to go and stare at how gorgeous the brushes are in that collection, I have a full post about them here. Not only is this pouch stunning, but I feel like it's light and is also quite cushioning so it would protect the goodies that I place inside.
Most likely I would already have my foundation on my face, but as a back up or for touch ups I would probably pack my Lancome Miracle Cushion in #4*. This is a pretty light coverage foundation but can be built up. It can also work as a primer or for touch ups. Again, for more juicy deets, you can read the full post here.
When it comes to powder, my usual preference is loose powder. However, we're talking about a makeup bag here! Firstly, I don't want powder flying all over the place. Secondly, I don't want to have to carry around a brush. The product I actually used to carry with me in my bag when I worked (so horrah actually a product that's been in my makeup bag at one stage), is the Mac Cosmetics Blot Powder Pressed in Medium Dark. This is a blotting powder, but that's probably all me and my oily face would need throughout the day. It's also got one of those little sponges inside so the brush problem is solved.
Sometimes during the day I can find my blush fading, so I guess it would make sense to carry around a blush. I would choose one of the Benefit boxed blushes. The one I've started using in the last couple of weeks again is the Benefit Cosmetics Boxed Blush in Sugarbomb which is super pretty! It isn't the most pigmented blush, but I think that's good. If I'm out of the house and I have a couple spare minutes, if I accidentally pack my blush on too much... well, that isn't so good. This one is definitely forgiving and it also has a teeny brush inside - so again, brush problem solved.
Lip wise, honestly I just go for browny-pink shades 99.99% of the time I apply makeup. It would therefore mean that packing a bold red or berry would not make sense at all! The colour I love reaching for in a rush is Laura Mercier's Creme Smooth Lip Colour in Rose*. This product actually does get chucked in my bag for touch ups already and I love it. I don't need a mirror or anything, so it is super handy.
Now the last two are probably a bit of a stretch, but I guess I would use them if I was going to an event or somewhere special and I wanted my eyes to stay on point. 
Covergirl's Bombshell Liner* is so teeny and cute. It's felt tip and gets the job done! 
Last up is Eye of Horus' Temptress Eyeshadow Palette*. I would mostly be reaching for the lighter colour to pop all over my lid to add back that pop just with my finger. At the same time, I feel like this palette is really blendable so even if I wanted to use my finger to add a tiny bit of definition, all would be sweet. 
What do you carry in your makeup bag? Or, what would you carry in your makeup bag if you chose to use one? 
*Products marked with an asterisk have been provided for editorial consideration. For more information, please read my disclaimer.



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*Products marked with an asterisk have been provided for editorial consideration. For more information, please read my disclaimer.



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Cushion foundations have been on my radar for quite some time. I've been super curious about them but all of the ones I previously wanted to try were way too light for my skin colour. 
About a month ago I went to the reveal of the new Lancome in store displays at Bourke Street Myer. An incredible thing about these new displays is that the common problem of being colour matched incorrectly, has been solved. The mirrors have lighting on the sides which can be adjusted according to your skin colour and the time of day you would be wearing the foundation for example day, evening or during work, as well as intensity of the light.
A little goodie we all received for attending the event was their new Miracle Cushion foundation and what do you know, because of this new display technology, I finally have a cushion foundation that matches me.
Today's post is going to tell you about my experience using the Lancome Miracle Cushion* in Shade 4.

For starters, this foundation smells lovely. It has the typical rose Lancome scent and what's interesting is that I usually don't like rose scented products, but the Lancome one, I don't know why but I love it. One other thing I want to quickly mention is that this foundation is labeled as being dewy, hydrating, weightless and provides glow, as well as being SPF23. 
As the name suggests, when you press the little applicator sponge into the product, it is of a cushiony and bouncy texture. The amount of product it dispenses is based on the amount of pressure that you use. 
Yes this product claims to be dewy and yes I am oily, but wow this is definitely lightweight. When I touch my face there is a teeny bit of stickiness but nothing that cannot be solved with a tiny bit of powder, which I would always have to use anyway. 
This foundation can be applied as a primer for a heavier foundation, used as your only foundation, or used on top of the foundation you applied earlier. The packaging makes this product incredible for popping in your bag because it is not going to spill anywhere and you don't need a brush.  The coverage is definitely light but can be built up to medium, or heavy if you really pack it on. I personally think that I would find myself reaching for this in the day time, especially when I'm in a rush. 
Lasting power wise, on my oily skin it isn't too fabulous. Probably a good 4 hours before I start to feeling 'uh oh', but as mentioned earlier the packaging makes it easy to take with you to re-apply. I think it would be more suited to skin types that aren't as oily, but definitely don't cross it off your list if you are oily. I think you should try it out in store and see how it goes, because this is definitely a time saver product.
Have you tried any cushion foundations or Lancome foundations before?
*Products marked with an asterisk have been provided for editorial consideration. For more information, please read my disclaimer.



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Arbonne is definitely a brand that receives lots of chatter online. Despite what I've heard about Arbonne and their selling techniques, I have infact also heard that many of their products are incredible. As a quick disclaimer. I did not receive these products from an Arbonne seller but infact the PR agency that takes care of Arbonne in Australia. I honestly couldn't pass up this opportunity because of hearing so many reviews online - I had to try them for myself.
First up we have the Perfecting Liquid Foundation SPF 15*. Unfortunately, this shade wasn't really a match for me. But somewhat luckily, it was a perfect match for my mum. She's worn it on a couple occasions now and she loves it. She's usually afraid of liquid foundations because they feel quite heavy but she says that this one feels nice and light on the skin. For additional reference, my mum has normal skin.
Lip products wise, I was sent the Smoothed Over Lipstick in Rose*, Glossed Over in Calla* & Lip Liner in Tulip*. All three of these swatch gorgeously as you can see from the swatches below. My favourite would hands down have to be the lipstick in Rose. It was the first product I swatched and I couldn't get over how SMOOTH this was. This swatch literally took no effort at all and the colour is so stunning. Definitely can't wait to start wearing it really regularly.
Here come Arbonne's eye shadows in both Sand* and Suede*. Both of these also swatch very smoothly. They are buttery, but probably not quite as buttery as the shadows in UD Naked palettes. Sand is a gorgeous shade that I definitely know I can get lots of usage out of, but Suede isn't really something for me. It's a little too warm for a base for me but I can definitely see this colour looking better on some different shades of skin.
Overall, if you're the type of person who loves trying one thing from a brand before fully committing to a full blown haul and you're curious about trying Arbonne, I would definitely suggest their lip products. 
Have you tried Arbonne before? If so, what's your favourite product?
*Products marked with an asterisk have been provided for editorial consideration. For more information, please read my disclaimer.
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Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Foundation* and Concealer* have very big shoes to fill. We all know that I'm obsessed with TruBlend, so you could say that my expectations are fairly high. Today I'll be letting you in on my first impression of these two products and whether Ill keep using them or not.

The first time I tried to squeeze some of the Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Foundation I noticed that it was slightly separated, so on second attempt I decided to give it a shake. This formula is of quite a runny consistency but when you apply it to the skin it takes a little more work to buff it into the skin flawlessly. I opted for my Beautyblender - of course.

After applying it, the coverage was fairly matte and I noticed that the colour wasn't quite right for me. Perhaps in the winter when my skin goes a little lighter! The formula does not cling to any of my dry patches and feels very, very soft to touch. In other words, it's a very nice lightweight formula and you can't feel it on your face. The coverage is I think maybe slightly more pigmented than TruBlend so maybe closer to the full coverage end of medium to full coverage (if that makes any sense at all).. The longevity of this foundation was great too. I wore it for a few hours, no sweaty oily patches or fading to report on here! If only this was my colour, then I would probably wear it one day and TruBlend the next to just add some variety into my life, ya feel?

The Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Concealer is quite a nice change up from my usual Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer. This is definitely a better under eye concealer when it comes to looking more natural, especially during the day time. It doesn't crease under my eyes and one thing I love is the applicator. It's as if it's an applicator for lip gloss so you're able to place it exactly where you want and buff it in again with a beauty blender (or a brush if that's how you roll). I'm going to keep using this concealer during the day time because it feels incredibly light under my eyes and looks fab! It also makes my under eye area feel really smooth which is very naice.

Have you tried Covergirl's Ready Set Gorgeous Range?

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Revlon Nearly Naked was the first affordable foundation I found to work with my skin. Up until this product, every single foundation I tried felt like wet paint on my skin. Whenever I would hug someone, I would be worried that my foundation would transfer onto them, or that my foundation would simply slip off my skin during the day because of so much oil. This foundation, changed all of that. It is so so so light weight, to the point where you forget that you are actually wearing foundation. There are a lot of different shades and although I have oily skin, my friend has dry skin and she also loves this foundation. It provides medium coverage and is definitely buildable.
Sometime late last year I was sent the Covergirl Tru Blend foundation. Usually when I'm sent foundations I feel really skeptical and kind of like 'that won't be for me'. The first time I used this product I really wanted to put it to the test. My family and I were going out to dinner and we were walking to the restaurant which was about 30 minutes away. We also walked home and when we were there, the restaurant was hot so I was sweating a little bit inside too. When I came home I looked in the mirror and holy $#!* this foundation still looked perfect on my skin. I wasn't sure if it was a fluke so I tried it against the next day and oh my gosh was it not a fluke OR WHAT! From that moment forward I put Revlon Nearly Naked on the back burner. One thing that I love more about this foundation is that it has a pump and I find that to be very rare for a good drugstore foundation. I've tested this foundation as well when I go out clubbing and have had photos taken and there isn't any white cast either. This foundation is probably somewhere between medium to full coverage and is also buildable. 
If I were to recommend one or the other, I would definitely recommend Covergirl Tru Blend. But if you've tried it before and didn't like it, try Nearly Naked because that is incredible too.
What is your favourite oily skin foundation?

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By far my most favourite foundation would have to be the YSL Fusion Ink Foundation*. I knew from the very first time I used it that the formula was magical and I had to share it with you all. If you're someone that skims over reviews really quickly, let me tell you. If you have oily skin, want a matte foundation that actually WORKS, then you need this. 
This glorious foundation doesn't just apply great and last, it looks flawless, whilst also feeling fantastic on the skin.  
Quick information spill; 

• YSL Fusion Ink Foundation* is intended to provide 'flawless matte coverage'
• Comes in 14 shades and is SPF 18
• The shade that I have is #BR50
• In Australia it is $85 for 25ml of product 
• It is available from Mecca Maxima, Myer and David Jones 

For starters I of course have to mention the gorgeous packaging. The YSL Fusion Ink Foundation comes in a stunning glass bottle with a gold cap. It is very simplistic, but I think that's what makes it so gorgeous.

When it comes to application, you can see from the above photograph that this product does not come with a pump and is not just a bottle that you tip upside down. The YSL Fusion Ink Foundation infact uses the YSL Touche Eclat Pen Applicator.

The formula of this foundation is very very very thin and watery, has a slight fragrance and a little amount goes a long way. I know that $85 is on the expensive side for a foundation, but I believe that because of this formula and using such a small amount, this product will last you quite a while without running out.

The first time I used this foundation, I applied it with my fingers as suggested. The coverage was light to medium. The second time I used this foundation, I used my trusty beauty blender and the coverage was more in between medium and full coverage.

How does this foundation feel on my face? Incredibly light weight. Once it sinks in (which is quickly), it feels silky and smooth. I was very lucky because the shade BR50 matches me perfectly.

Did I use a powder? No! And guess how long this baby was matte on my face for? An entire 6 hours with no shine... You heard me right. In summary, this a perfect foundation for anyone with oily skin. This foundation does cling to a few of my dry spots, so if you do have very dry skin this might not be the foundation for you. I've been told by a couple of my blogger friends that they have dry skin and this worked wonderfully for them because they used  a really good moisturiser and primer - so don't cancel it out! Just make sure you get a sample before you fork out the $$.

Have any of you tried the YSL Fusion Ink Foundation or any other YSL foundations?

What is your current favourite foundation?

*Products marked with an asterisk have been provided for editorial consideration. For more information, please read my disclaimer.

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