The Maybelline Blushed Nudes Eyeshadow Palette is relatively new to us Australian's and it's quite exciting because we rarely get pretty looking eyeshadow palettes in the drugstore. Today, I wanted to do a swatch and review post so you can decide whether this palette is for you.



The Maybelline Blushed Nudes Palette* comes with 12 shades. They majority of them have shimmer, whilst a couple are matte. All of the shades look stunning in the pan and most of them swatch lovely too.

However, there are three shades in the top row of this palette that are a little gritty and provide less colour pay off. They are the 2nd, 3rd and 4th colours. The colour I find the most difficult is the silvery, grey shade which as you can see barely shows up on my skin.

When it comes to the bottom row, I personally think that it is almost impossible to flaw. I love all of the colours and the shades are quite smooth. They are also pretty easy to blend. I especially like the first bronzey shade and second last, shimmery maroon shade.

Using this palette to do a complete look is achievable. I like to use the last shade on the top row all over the lid, the second shadow on the second row in my crease and the last shadow on the bottom row to darken up the look. The first shadow in the first row is used right at the end to define underneath my brow and I am all set to go.

Even though I think that some of the shades aren't as pigmented as they should be, I still believe that this palette is pretty good. In Australia, this palette is priced at $25 and it's pretty accessible. If you're someone who loves to create cool toned makeup looks and wants to try a warmer palette, I think it's worth a shot. 9/12 shades are beautiful, so I don't really think that you could go wrong.

If you've been a reader of my blog for a while, you would've seen my review on the original Maybelline Nudes Eyeshadow Palette. You can read that review here. Comparing the two palettes, I think the Blushed Nudes palette is much nicer overall, has less fall out and the shades blend easier.

What do you think of the Maybelline Blushed Nudes palette?
What's your favourite rose gold, warm toned, eyeshadow palette of the moment?

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



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I am SO excited because it is Spring again here in the Southern Hemisphere. Spring is my favourite season because my birthday is in October and the weather is beginning to become so beautiful.

When it comes to lipsticks, I'm usually very boring. We all know that my everyday lip colour is typically a brown, mauvey, rose type of colour but as soon as a new season pops up, I become determined.

This post is for you mainly so you have some lip inspo but it's also a reminder and 'note to self' to actually be a little bit different with my colour choices. I know I still included one nude shade but I honestly can't help it.

NYX Lip Lingerie in Ruffle Trim is such a great matte liquid lipstick. It's the first one that I've ever tried and I think that it's my favourite formula too. It isn't the type of liquid lipstick that will stay on after eating so it does need a touch up. But, the longevity is pretty damn good if you're out and about. The formula is mighty comfortable on the lips and I think this is perfect for spring because if you leave the house for a few hours you won't have to touch up all of the time.

A super easy lip crayon with a great formula and lovely shade is the Covergirl Jumbo Gloss Balm in 290 Berries N' Cream. This is definitely the easiest to touch up on the go. The colour is a light, pink berry mauve shade with a nice glossy apperance. It makes lips look juicy and spring time fresh.

It's been a while since I've worn the Arbonne Creamy Lipstick in Rose*. It's a little like a neutral, rosey, purple type shade and I love it during spring and summer. It's still close to my comfort zone but slightly different. I think trying something super similar to a shade you love with a twist is a great way to begin experimenting with new colours for seasons.

Becoming a bit more bold now with choices, I've picked two Maybelline Color Blur* shades. The formula of these products is very, very, very, very smooth. I absolutely love this range and if you'd like to see all Maybelline Color Blur Matte Pencils swatched and reviewed click here. I ofcourse usually use the more subtle colours, but I picked out #15 Berry Misbehaved and #20 Orange Ya Glad. Both shades are stunning and bold but if you're scared like me, you can dull them down by blotting your lips with a tissue.

Last up, I had to include an Urban Decay Vice Lipstick. If you saw my review and swatches on 19 of the shades here, you'd know that I can't get enough of the Creamy formula. I decided on Wired*. It's a bright, coral, almost flurescent pink / orange colour and I think it will be stunning in spring.

Oh and to all of my Northern Hemisphere readers, if you'd like me to create a post of my 6 favourite lip colours for fall / autumn, let me know!

What are some of your favourite colours to wear during spring?


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



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The month of August flew by for me. Time keeps disappearing what seems like so quickly and I can't believe my birthday is already almost back around. Crazy stuff!

My August Favourites are a bit of a surprise for me because this time in July I wouldn't have dreamt of many of these products.




  
Last month I wrote a review on all of Benefit's New Eyebrow Products here and a couple of them crept their way into my July Favourites here. This month. a few things changed and I'm back to my beloved Gimme Brow*. But now, I have a new product which I love to use along side it which is Booki Brow's Trio Eyebrow Powder and Highlighter. This powder is the most smooth and luxurious eyebrow powder I've ever used, even compared to my Anastasia Brow Duo. The shade I use is Light Brown / Blonde and the middle shade is my perfect match. I first apply the powder and top it all off with Gimme Brow to set my brows down.

When it comes to lip products, I didn't own any of these products last month. They're all new to my life but I am definitely hooked. They're all liquid lipsticks and I imagined them to be drying, but they aren't. They feel like a comfortable mousse, yet last a long time on my lips too.

The three lip products are NYX's Lip Lingerie in Lingerie in 04 Ruffle Trim, ColourPop's Ultra Satin Lip in Alyssa and lastly, ColourPop's Ultra Matte Lip in Beeper. If I HAD to choose one, I'd probably say Beeper is my #1 favourite for this month when it comes to lips. But, I honestly love all three.

As we all know, waiting for our nails to dry is one of the biggest 'struggles' we have in our beauty routines. I'm usually quite good with not touching my nails but sometimes, I do nothing but ruin them in the space of 2 minutes. I've tried many products before to help my nail polish dry quicker in the past but none have worked quite as well as the Revitanail Instant Dry Drops*.

Unlike other products I've tried, Revitanail's is in what I can only describe as an eye drop packaging style. A couple drops later, I wash off the excess, and my nail is dry! Compared to other brands, the dry drops don't lessen the longevity of my nail polish or make my nails a weird texture. Virtually straight after using the dry drops the first time, I accidentally bumped my nails on the bench in my bathroom and I had no damage, at all.

These two hair goodies have been ALL that I have used. I posted a really large, in depth hair care routine post a couple months ago. Now, this is it. No elaborate steps at all. As soon as I hop out of the shower and slightly towel dry my hair, I apply a pea size amount of the L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil-In-Cream*. When I use heat on my hair, I also add in the L'Oreal Elvive Smooth Intense Heat Protect Cream*. Both of these products have resulted in my hair looking the healthiest it has been in years. Besides that, I can't believe how easy, accessible and affordable they are.

Last up is something that might seem quite random but I am entirely hooked. Welcome to my Bullet Journal. It's a lined diary from Kikki K which I have decked out to fit meee! If you don't know what Bullet Journaling is, have a quick Google or check on Pinterest. Essentially, you buy a diary and you customise it yourself. You know the feeling of when you buy a diary, love it for the first two months and then hate it? This gets rid of that! Instead of being told you have 3 lines to write about your Monday, you can honestly make it one page long or however long you want. It's so much fun and I just feel incredibly inspired and organised.

What were some of your favourites for the month of August?
Have you tried any of these products?
Do you like Bullet Journaling?

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



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July was an incredibly busy, yet fulfilling month for me. I got up to quite a lot at various blogger events and also had a few work interviews here and there. Aside from all of that, I also (of course), discovered and rediscovered some makeup goodies.


I'm really excited to include this product in my favourites because I actually misplaced it for around 6 months and finally found it early July! MAC Cosmetics Cosmo is probably my favourite lipstick of all time. For my olive skin, it's the perfect my lips but better colour. It's such a beautiful brown, pink, mauve colour and the formula of this lipstick is amazing too. I have never actually completely finished a lipstick before but I am certain that I will shortly, and it'll be this.

As you'd know, I love it when products surprise me. One product that I fell in love with this month is the Maybelline Master Fix Wear-Boosting Setting Spray*. If you read my full post here, you'd know why I love it. In a quick rundown, it doesn't have the nicest scent. But, it is amazing for my oily skin and I actually prefer using it over my Urban Decay De Slick spray now.

The entire Essie Winter Collection* has been a solid favourite of mine in July. It's basically all that I've had on my nails the entire month. The collection is limited edition and will stop being sold in Priceline's after the end of August. Don't worry, I have a swatch post coming very, very, shortly (this Wednesday). If you can't wait until then, my favourite shade is the gorgeous light, pastel purple called Virgin Snow.

Benefit has slayed the brow game with all of their new brow releases. I was lucky enough to get the range sent to me and I have a full review which you can read here. My two favourite products are Goof Proof* and Ka-Pow*. Goof Proof is perfect for a natural, filled in, day time eye brow look while Ka-Pow is perfect for a bolder eyebrow look. The formula of both products is incredible and since having them, I've ditched my previous eyebrow routine.

Last up and the newest product into my life out of the bunch is the NYX Blush and Contour Duo*. This small product should definitely not be underestimated. The brown contour shade is cool toned, pigmented and blends well. The blush shade is gorgeous and mauve. It's the ultimate travel product and I just love how easy it is to use.

That wraps up my favourites for this month.
What were some of your favourites?

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



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The Maybelline Master Fix Setting Spray* is a product that I was really sceptical about. I'm one oily skinned gal and I haven't found a spray that really works for me. I thought that there was no chance that this would be 'the one' for me, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Packaging wise, there is nothing too special here. Just a simple black spray bottle, some nice fonts and a pop of pink.

If you follow me on my Snapchat katina-lindaa, you would have seen me use this setting spray already. For those of you that don't, here is a few demo photos.

Application is really good. The spray is quite sparse and the product dispenses nice and evenly. I held the bottle around an arms length away from my face, shut my eyes and went for it. For a point of comparison, before the Master Fix Setting Spray the only other setting spray I've used from the 'drugstore' is Australis'. I really didn't like it because it felt harsh on my face and applied in one big blop. It was highly concentrated in one area and actually made my makeup last a smaller amount of time than usual. If you've been scared to try a setting spray from the drugstore because of bad previous experience, definitely don't let that deter you from trying this one.

Longevity and wear is amazing. Lately I've been using a combination of or switching between Urban Decay's All Nighter and De Slick setting sprays. I'm super surprised in myself to say this, but I prefer Maybelline's more. The original All Nighter doesn't do anything for me and the De Slick is good, but I still get super shiny and oily.

Using Master Fix I did have to powder my nose and t zone around 3 hours in. But after that I didn't touch it at all. I checked 10 hours later in total, and my makeup still looked amazing. No matter what foundation, setting powder, setting spray I usually use, when I leave the house I honestly have to powder every 2hours, at least.

To keep this review entirely honest, there is one tiny thing that I'm not too fond about and it is the scent. I'm not sure how to really describe it but it isn't my favourite! Luckily the spray sets super quickly and the smell doesn't linger.

Overall, I would definitely suggest this product. I thought it would be the 'eh' product from the Maybelline launches for the end of this year but I actually think it's my favourite.

You can pick up this product at Priceline for $15.95 here or in store.

What is your favourite makeup setting spray?

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

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I love July because it marks the beginning of a beautiful time where companies have new releases left, right and center. One of the most exciting releases in my opinion is the Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid* lip colours.

Vivid Matte Liquid is a part of the Maybelline Colorsensational range and I can definitely see why. Every single shade is incredibly pigmented and applies evenly. This isn't the type of situation where you have some great shades and a couple eh ones, they're all great.


Like many of you, the word 'matte' seems a little scary to me. Matte lip products and myself don't really go hand in hand, especially in winter. My lips crack like crazy and I'm always worried of lip products being flakey.  This is pretty much why I barely own any.

On the other hand, the Vivid Matte's range and I actually get a long really well. One thing that I really like about these products is that they are versatile. I've done a variety of swatches to help show this. But as you can see, you have a choice.

If you love the colours but you aren't a fan of matte lips, apply the product on thickly. The formula won't dry matte, and you can wear it as a very pigmented gloss. To try and achieve a matte lip look, I'd suggest applying a thin layer of the product. Even then however, I don't think that this product dries completely matte, so keep that in mind.

They feel quite smooth and nourishing on the lips, so there is definitely no dry flakiness to be seen. It's currently winter and you'd be glad to know they aren't settling in my lip cracks. I think that Maybelline is actually doing a really good job at making their matte / semi-matte products feel comfortable. For example, I also loved their Colour Sensational Creamy Mattes range, which they launched earlier this year. If you're curious about the creamy matte lipstick range, I have a full swatch and review post here.

One of the sad things about this product is transferring. For example, when eating I definitely encounter a fair bit of transfer trouble. At an event I was eating macaroons and the lip colour was moving around the place to my fingers and also the macaroon. You will need to reapply after eating or drinking.

My two favourite shades are 45 Posessed Plum and 50 Nude Thrill.

You can find the Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid Lip Colours in Coles and Woolworths. They are also currently being rolled out in Priceline. If you can, try get into Priceline and swatch them on your hands. See how you can pick either a matte or semi matte finish, and fall in love with the formula like I have.

What do you think of Maybelline's Vivid Mattes?
What's one of the most exciting launches for the next half of the year for you?

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



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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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Having oily skin is definitely no walk in the park. Even after using a 'matte' foundation I can look like a shiny disco ball hours later. One particular makeup 'struggle' that I go through is the creasing of eyeshadows because so many eye primers or bases just simply do not work for oily lids. 
Around September last year, I put together a post of my then ultimate eyeshadow bases for oily lids which you can read here. This post is a bit of a continuation or update if you will, with my now five holy grail eyelid primers and bases. 
Starting off with the newest of the bunch, My absolutely beloved Rimmel Magnif'eyes Eyeshadow and Kohl Liners*. I recently did an entire review and swatch post, which you can see here. In summary, this product is dual ended. One side is an eyeshadow whilst the other is an eyeliner. But in reality, both sides are incredibly smooth and can be used as an eyeshadow base. These can be worn alone or with eyeshadows on top. I can get around 5 hours without my shadows creasing. Out of all the products in this post, I'd say that these are the best for a really pigmented start to the eyeshadow look you're trying to create. 
The Body Shop Instablur Eye Primer*. It is a little bit on the pricier side at $23.95 AUD for a 10ml tube, but I think it's worth it. This isn't a miracle worker in terms of covering up redness or too many veins on the eyes for example, but it is a really great base for smoothing the eyelid for easy application. It also doesn't slide all over the place or get oily, which is a plus. The texture is also a little bit unique because it begins quite dry and then becomes smooth afterwards. Out of all of the primers in this post, I'd say it feels the most similar on the lids to an Urban Decay Primer Potion. 
Benefit Cosmetics Air Patrol* is still a product I don't see much talk about here online and it's quite sad, because it's a great product! I received it around October last year and have used it very often since. It's a thin, light foundation colour formula that dries instantly. When I first swatched it for my post here, I had to redo the swatch because it honestly dried so quickly before I could take a photo and smudge it out. This stuff, does not budge. Out of all of the primers, I'd say this is the best for longevity. 
Last up, two old favourites. The Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Sticks* and Maybelline Colour Tattoos. These two are more like creamy, pigmented eyeshadows which are great at not only increasing the impact of your eyeshadow, but also help with the longevity. Many types of coloured bases are problematic for my eyelids and create creasing, but not these two. They both go on the lids incredibly smooth and make a huge difference to my overall makeup look. For swatches of the LM Caviar Sticks click here and click here to see my colour tattoos swatched.
What eyelid primers do you love? What eyelid primers have you tried before that were absolutely horrible on your lids?
*Products marked with an asterisk have been provided for editorial consideration. For more information, please read my disclaimer.

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One product that I have been consistently in love with for years is the Maybelline Color Tattoos. Every single colour and texture that I've tried has worked very well for me and many shades are holy grails of mine.
I categorised this post into swatch and review, but I don't think there will actually be too much reviewing going on because like I said, I love these. 

What are your favourite eye shadow bases?
Are you a lover of Maybelline Color Tattoo's like myself? 
*Products marked with an asterisk have been provided for editorial consideration. For more information, please read my disclaimer.

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Here in Australia, March is the beginning of our Autumn. Or, the beginning of what is supposed to be Autumn I should say. We didn't experience cooler weather and it was down right hot. Many days the temperature was more than 30C or 86F. Until the end of the month, that's when Autumn finally kicked in.

One of my favourites for March was road trips. My family and I are lucky enough to be able to go overseas once or twice a year but the thing about that is that we don't even know what is in our own backyard! At the end of last month I went to Warrnambool with my boyfriend Rey and this month, the Barossa valley with my family. I'm so happy that I was able to spend some time exploring Victoria and South Australia! 
Because I was moving about this month, quite a few of my favourites are to do with convenience and are hot climate friendly.
The lip product I decided to take with me was of course my ever so trusty, Maybelline Color Elixir in Caramel. Everyone loves the Caramel Elixir right? It provides the perfect amount of coverage, with a teeny bit of shine and it also helps to slightly stain your lips as well. 
An eye makeup product that I seem to always bring with me when I leave my house is the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze. This should really be no surprise because I'm also going on about how great this is. It's just the perfect base, every single time.
A couple products that were absolute lifesavers during the heat were the Benefit Porefessional Matte and Benefit Porefessional Blot Powder. I did an entire post on how amazing these two products are which you can read here. But if you'd like a long story short, they're incredible and probably make the largest difference to my oil production out of everything I've tried before. 
The face base I loved using when I wanted to put a teeny bit of effort in was the Philosophy Tinted Moisturiser in Medium. It gives my skin a nice small to medium coverage. Just enough to help cover any redness and a few pimples, but still looks really natural. It's one of those great products if you think you're going to sweat because sweat doesn't make it run off, it just magically stays there. I'm planning on doing an everyday, quick and 'natural' looking blog post soon so keep an eye out for that. 
Although I didn't take this product on my road trip (out of the fear of melting), I've been using the Chi Chi Brow Pomade in Black Brown I honestly cannot get enough of this stuff. I personally haven't tried the Anastasia Beverly Hills one so I can't compare, but I have heard many people preferring Chi Chi's because it doesn't dry up as quickly. You only need the absolute smallest amount. I just dab a bit in the lid, move it around and apply with the slightest hand you've ever seen. It's perfect for really nicely defined nighttime brows. 
Fragrance wise, I can't get enough of the CK2 fragrance. It's a unisex perfume which I think is probably the perfect scent if you're a lover of fresh scents. It has all of these amazing and unique notes such as wood, citrus, wasabi (yep that's right, wasabi), rose and pebbles (yep, I know). For some strange reason, I feel like hats never work for me. They're either too big and drown my head or too small that it refuses to fit. A couple months ago I picked up this trusty Hat from Glassons and I kid you not, the absolute perfect fit. It looks great, fits well and also provides my face with the right amount of shade. 
Last but not least, a product that has well and truly made itself into my night time routine.The Scholl Velvet Smooth Night Mask is incredible. It's basically a thicker moisturiser for your feet. I know this might be a strange item for some of you, but honestly, do you ever think about your feet and how much they do for you!? I never really did anything for them, but since applying this everynight before I go to bed, when I wake up my feet feel smooth, hydrated and ready to go.
What are some of your favourites for the month of March? Are there some products that you're already falling in love with this early into April?
*Products marked with an asterisk have been provided for editorial consideration. For more information, please read my disclaimer.
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