Wednesday, November 4, 2015

October Favourites

Favourites time, and this month I've really been excited about my discoveries. Before I launch into the post, you may have noticed a little change with the blog. I've decided to increase the size of my pictures from 640 x 424 to 800 x 530 pixels. I'm all about moving with the times when it comes to image quality, kind of like upgrading to HD if I were on YouTube. It's also a challenge to myself to produce as good an image as I can, especially with swatches, since there's nowhere to hide when the picture is larger. Hopefully the bigger images are a welcome upgrade and don't cause any blog formatting/display issues (please let me know otherwise!). Back to the products ... three of them I purchased in the US, one from the city Sephora a couple of weeks ago, and another I'd only recently started using prior to my trip. All have been on high rotation throughout the month, with a good portion destined to be permanent staples.




Fresh Soy Face Cleanser
I've been favouring this as a morning cleanser over numerous other options (Radical Hydrating Cleanser, Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm, Lush Angels on Bare Skin, Innoxa Super Sensitive Crème Cleansing Milk). It has an unusual but refreshing, clean scent of cucumber. It's kind of foaming, but not overly so. I like that you can use a small amount and apply it to wet skin and it feels gel-like and calming on the skin, rather than liquidy and easily diluted. It doesn't leave the skin feeling dry or stripped, but gently and effectively cleansed and balanced. I wish Fresh were available in Australia!


Maybelline HyperSharp Wing Liquid Liner in Black
Already raved about here, but there's been no loss of enthusiasm with daily use in the past few weeks. This stuff really gets you a precise, sharp line, and is easy to manoeuvre with a little practice. The tip isn't floppy and doesn't fray, the ink stays black and pigmented, and depending on how you position the liner, you can get a quick, thick line, or make very fine, incremental adjustments. I'm genuinely impressed that a "drugstore" brand like Maybelline has produced a liner that's on par with the best I've used from higher end (Stila) or harder to find Asian brands (Dolly Wink, Creer Beaute).


KIKO Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in Rosy Brown (05)

KIKO Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in Rosy Brown (05)
When I stumbled across a KIKO store in Las Vegas (Fashion Show Mall), I couldn't contain my excitement. It was the last shop I expected to see, but needless to say, I was thrilled and through the entrance in 0.02 seconds. Mainly so I could buy a backup of my beloved Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in Golden Brown (06). I also wanted to stock up on the Glamorous Eye Pencil in 401, but it appears they tragically discontinued it? (The shop was only selling colourful shades at a discount, which signals to me they're trying to get rid of remaining stock.) I tried to get over that disappointment by focusing on my newly purchased Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in Rosy Brown, a rumoured bang on dupe for By Terry Ombre Blackstar Cream Eyeshadow in Misty Rock (I defy you to read this post and disagree). Dupe or no dupe, Rosy Brown is amazing. It's a taupey, mauvey, rosy, browny, silvery concoction that's highly metallic, extremely pigmented, long lasting and super quick and easy to whack onto the eyelids in the morning rush. Granted, I don't think every single shade of the Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadows is as brilliant as Golden Brown or Rosy Brown, but those two are absolute standouts and well worth having in your collection.

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara in Black/Brown
I've wanted this mascara for ages, but wasn't prepared to shell out $28 for it in Australia. At $10.50 USD though, I could consider it (still wasn't cheap at around $17). I did berate myself for buying the wrong shade (I grabbed Black/Brown mistakenly, not realising there was a solely black shade which I would've preferred). But I kind of don't mind that I bought Black/Brown, as it's less severe when defining my lower lashes, giving a more natural, daytime-appropriate look. The tiny wand is designed to coat, separate and elongate each lower lash for maximum effect. Best of all, the formula keeps smudging, transferring and flaking at bay. I wore it to a wedding (makeup on at 9am, home by 1am the next day) and barely had to do any work cleaning up any smudging on my lower lash line that I regularly have to with other mascaras.






Kat Von D Metal Crush Eyeshadow in Thunderstruck
I do not buy single eyeshadows unless they're dirt cheap or exceptional. This thing of beauty falls under the latter category. As soon as I swatched it at Sephora, I was sold. It was the most stunning shade I'd laid eyes on. The pictures aren't doing it justice, especially as they were taken on an overcast day with no direct sunlight. But basically, Thunderstruck is a warm, pale gold with the most incredible peachy-pink shift. Trust me on this. And in case you're thinking I'm actually using it as an eyeshadow ... no no. This is a highlighter for me, all the way. One of the most gorgeous highlighters ever. It's not shimmery, it's not gritty, it's not pore-emphasising, it doesn't leave you looking greasy. It's so pigmented, finely milled, smooth and creamy in texture. It just gives you a polished, ethereal sheen. Love, love, love.

23 comments:

  1. Lucky you, managed to get your hands on Kiko. Rosy brown looks stunning and definitely looks a lot like Misty rock, I have Misty rock, phew :( . I have always wanted to try the Clinique Bottom lash mascara as somehow I find I just cannot apply mascara on my lower lashes properly.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It does take patience and a steady hand! Sometimes it ends up a total disaster, especially if the mascara wand's large, but the Clinique one is really itty bitty :) I do want to try one of the By Terry crayons but they are just soooo pricey! Luckily the KIKO one seems very similar. I wish they'd open up stores in Australia!

      Delete
  2. I adore the look of Kiko Rosy Brown, so pretty! Your photos are as beautiful as ever, you have such a talent! :D xx

    elizabeth | ”Ice Cream” whispers Clara | bloglovin follow for follow
    Follow for follow on instagram :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's such a good neutral and exactly what I'm after in cream stick eyeshadow. And thank you so much! :)

      Delete
  3. Great picks!! I had a sample of the Fresh soy cleanser and I really liked it.. Too bad, Fresh is not available in Germany :/ so I haven't repurchased it yet.. I might ask my sister to get me the full size in Singapore as she's traveling to Germany soon.
    KIKO eye shadow sticks are amazeballs! I have Rosy Brown too, but my all time favorite is number 04 ( I forget the name xD ). They have a nice beige champagne shade too ( I believe #7 ) which I love using as tear duct highlight.
    And OMG that Kat von D mono eye shadow!! No wonder you're using it as highlighter! so pretty *_*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wish Fresh were more readily available outside of the US! I'd love to try more of their products. They are really expensive though, hence why I only bought this small size cleanser, haha.

      Yes, the KIKO eyeshadow sticks are sooooo good, especially for the price! I don't have 04 but I did swatch it and I guess I didn't like it as much as I did 06.

      Thunderstruck is one of my most favourite recent discoveries. It was pricey ($30 for just 2.8g of product) but for the quality and the shade, I can stomach it ...

      Delete
  4. I recently tried that Maybelline eyeliner as the master precise one dries out too quickly! Hoping this would last longer, so far so good!

    Nhi | Miss Blushaholic

    ReplyDelete
  5. GORGEOUS LAYOUT + PHOTOS! And I too wish Fresh was available in Australia- I would love to try the Lychee Sugar? fragrance. I'm quite annoyed with myself at passing on the Maybelline deal- I resist all non-waterproof mascaras but I've heard nothing but praise for that duo. Talk about a good release...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Omg there's a kiko store in Las Vegas?!? MUCH EXCITE. I just realised that I'm doing basically the same US trip as you did haha! LA, San Fran, Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon! Any recommendations? :) I'm also super excited to check out Fresh, though my wishlist is overflowing at this point :P

    Tasha // shiwashiful.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Lovely favorites and that eyeshadow is too gorgeous for words. I was about to pick up that eyeliner but didn't want to wait in such a long line for one item so now I might go back to try it.

    Jackie | fashionxfairytale |

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'd love to get my hands on some KIKO stuff. Ughhhh too pretty.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Fresh Soy Cleanser and Clinique bottom lash mascara are my holy grail products! The Kiko eyeshadow shade is so gorgeous. We don't have Kiko in Canada either and hope I will get to try those.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I adore the Clinique bottom lash mascara, it's amazing and so tiny!

    xx, A Little Dose of Makeup

    ReplyDelete
  11. The fresh cleanser is such a great product, I've been using it for a while now and I love it.

    Kelly // Perfect Shade of Mauve

    ReplyDelete
  12. Such awesome picks. Your pictures are stunning and I have fallen in love with that Kat Von D eye shadow and it will come in very handy as a highlighter. I shall buy the Maybelline eye pen plus that Kiko eyeshadow stick has a lovely smokey brown shade!

    Chaste & Beautiful

    ReplyDelete
  13. Kiko's Rosy Brown looks amazing! I've been constantly hearing amazing things about this brand. They should really expand so everyone could get their hands on them!

    http://chrissiereviews.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Love the bigger image - I always find myself saving files in a larger file/dimension and let the computer resize it as fit. That said, I need that Kiko eyeshadow stick - I can't believe I passed on it last time I saw it ;-(

    Stephanie | theFantasia.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Rosy Gold is so pretty! I wish we had Kiko here. Not that I'm a big eyeshadow stick user though, but I might make an exception for this particular shade :-)

    ReplyDelete
  16. I have yet to get my hands on one of those kiko eyeshadow sticks. I've been loving the ones I got from Gosh ( which is similiar to Kiko, but falls into the category of drugstore band ). The shadow is gorgous and reminds of Girly from Too Faced ( although it doesn't have the same green reflects that girly has)

    I've been contemplating getting cleansers like the one you presented to add into my morning routine. My only concern is SLS, but apparently some cleansers actually don't have it...I'm thinking about ordering one from Skinfood but I am not sure yet.

    Take care :3

    ReplyDelete
  17. I think you just made my day that there is a Kiko store in Las Vegas. I will definitely be hitting that up next time I'm there! Lovely round up of favorites :)

    Cindy // www.cindyhyue.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. My favorite bottom lash mascara has got to be the Innisfree Skinny Microcara Mascara. The wand is absolutely tiny and so easy to use on my short bottom lashes. It's usually pretty cheap on Amazon, though I'm not too sure about the shipping fee to Australia.

    And man, I guess I totally missed out on some great eye products from Kiko the last time I was there in NYC.

    ReplyDelete
  19. YAAAS. Kiko stick eyeshadow is the best! I have 5 shades courtesy of the lovely Pam from Jade in the Palace from a swap we did some time ago and it's brilliant! I totally will be ordering more things from them in the future! Also I think I gotta check out that eyeliner, I've got a holy grail but I'm always open to trying other brands that cost the same or less than my current one. I'm very happy with your new layout, the photos are lovely! I've always liked large clear pristine shots, they just make me feel so relaxed and happy!

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...