The Gold Standard

Despite having more than 80 lipsticks at last count, I've only recently purchased my first one from Yves Saint Laurent. I've long admired these gilded bullets of magnificence, but at $55 a pop, I wasn't sure I could justify the splurge. Enter the utterly enabling environment of duty-free airport shopping, and the Rouge Volupté Shine in Corail Intuitive (15) was mine. As always, picking the shade was a difficult task, but Jennifer convinced me to go for something on the bright and peachy side.

l-r: Revlon Juicy Papaya, Lancome Blush Classique, YSL Corail Intuitive, Revlon Peach Parfait, Maybelline Mango Diamonds

I predicted I'd have a few similar shades to Corail Intuitive and it's no surprise that I absolutely do. The closest is probably Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya. It's brighter in tone, slightly more neon, and also thicker in texture and less emollient. Lancome L'Absolu Rouge in Blush Classique (337) is very similar texturally to the Rouge Volupté Shine, but distinctly more pink in colour and more shimmery. Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait is grittier in texture due to the chunky gold shimmer, and more beige/rosy in colour compared to the YSL, which is more orange/coral and slightly lighter. Maybelline ColorSensational "The Shine" Lipstick in Mango Diamonds (445) is darker yet brighter in tone, more red-leaning and not as sheer.

There's not much to fault with YSL Rouge Volupté Shine in Corail Intuitive. I'm a fan of the fruity, sweet scent, it has a sheer, lightweight, moisturising formula that glides on but doesn't settle into lip lines, it's not super pigmented making it ideal for everyday wear but can also be built up in intensity for a punchier look, it imparts the lips with a soft, plumped up sheen that isn't overly glossy, and then there's the packaging. I'll be the first to admit it was about 85% of my motivation to purchase. It's an object of art to be appreciated when placed on your vanity or retrieved from your purse for touch ups. Without a doubt, this is the single most glamorous lipstick in my collection.

For Your Benefit

When I made my trip to the States last year (i.e. makeup spending spree with a bit of sightseeing thrown in), it became apparent my purchasing decisions favoured one brand in particular: Benefit. The almost 40% price reduction between the US and Australia helped explain my enthusiasm — a boxed powder is $28 there (before tax), compared to a whopping $51 here. I couldn't stomach the idea of forking out that much for a single blush, so Benefit had largely been out of the question until I found myself in New York. Since then, I've progressed from Benefit virgin to owning a good chunk of their offerings. Such a stark turnaround calls for a moment of reflection about the best Benefit products I've come across so far. After careful consideration (serious bizness, yo), I've whittled it down to my top 5.

Now, it's safe to say I'm a sucker for Benefit's packaging. After all, the colourful, playful, retro shtick they have going on is so intrinsic to the brand's identity. It's not all about the exterior though — from my experience, their products generally do perform. Probably better than expected, given their advertising can seem a little gimmicky and prone to exaggeration, albeit in a tongue-in-cheek way (like the page in their Summer 2012 catalogue showing a 'before and after' comparison of a model wearing their Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation, but deliberately badly lit with messy hair and pulling a face in the 'before' picture, and airbrushed and glamorous in the 'after').

They're Real
My lashes are nothing spectacular but this mascara really left an impression the first time I used it. There's only so much mascara can do when you have short, straight lashes barely peeking through your monolids, but They're Real perseveres and even brings them to passable status. It's one of the most lengthening and volumnising mascaras I've encountered, while still being clump-free and defining. It also holds curl well and doesn't flake or smudge. I've been using the travel size that came with my full size mascara for an unsavoury length of time (tossing it any minute now, I promise), so at least I can say it's not one to dry out quickly. The bristles are quite stiff and spiky however, so it can feel slightly scratchy when you're using it, especially if you accidentally poke your eyelid.

Hoola
I have so much duplication and excess when it comes to my makeup collection, with multiple versions of products that have only minute variations, so you know Hoola is special when it stands alone. It's basically the only matte bronzer I rely on to contour my face. Yes, I have my Stila Sun SPF 15 Bronzing Powder (too orange), my Bourjois Délice de Soleil (surface has sealed, too hard to pigment on a brush) and my Napoleon Perdis Ultimate Contour Palette (I forget it's even there), but Hoola is miles ahead of them all. Ultra smooth and blendable, no shimmer, not too light or dark, I use it with my Real Techniques Multi-Task Brush to bring some much needed definition and shading to my plump face. This isn't something I bother with regularly, but when I do, it's never let me down.

Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow/Liner in Busy Signal
There's already a whole ode I've penned to this cream shadow, but I just can't seem to shut up about it. Benefit recently repackaged their cream eyeshadows, and while they retained some of the older shades (like Birthday Suit and Skinny Jeans), Busy Signal didn't make the cut. I'm not sure whether this means it's now discontinued, because that would be ghastly. Busy Signal is a delightfully rich, chocolatey, gold-flecked bronze. My preference is to wear it on the lower lash line (the staying power is unrivaled), but you could easily apply a wash of this over the lid, layering it to your desired opacity, for a simple, fuss-free smoky eye. It seems very close to MAC Paint Pot in Eclair from the Baking Beauties collection.

Cha Cha Tint
I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Cha Cha Tint, but I had to include it because when done right, you'll want to profess your loyalty and forsake all others. I find it very difficult to blend evenly — this includes when I'm trying to get it on one cheek first, and then ensuring both cheeks are the same. It sets to an unbudgeable stain so quickly that it's already too late when you're still in the process of blending it. If you haven't blended the tint out the way you want in 1.5 seconds, game over. I love the versatility of this product (it's underrated as a lip colour), the colour (very fresh, youthful and summery, one of the very few corals that I don't hate because it's too red on me), the way it melds with the skin rather than sitting on top. If only the application wasn't so challenging to perfect.

High Beam
One of my all-time favourite highlighters, probably second only to Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow All Over Radiance Crème. This is powerfully luminous but not gritty or packed with visible shimmer particles. It just gives this cool, pearly sheen that blends effortlessly into the skin (no Cha Cha Tint problems here). You can also wear this under foundation or mixed with your usual base, though I haven't tried that personally. I have a smaller size that came with my Go TropiCORAL Lip & Cheek Kit (4ml rather than the full size 13ml), but you really only need a very small amount each time, so thankfully there's no need to replenish my supply just yet.

l-r: Hoola, Busy Signal, Cha Cha Tint, High Beam

Lipstick Limit, Part 2

I acknowledge the rational part of my brain stopped functioning long ago on matters relating to makeup, but how I ended up buying 4 of the new Maybelline ColorSensational Vivids lipsticks escapes me. When I first saw swatches on Tram's blog, I was comforted by the fact no particular shade was calling out to me to immediately rush out to buy. I felt like I already had a lot of the colours in my existing lipstick collection. I convinced myself that I didn't need any of them. That I'd exercise restraint. But then gradually, they began popping up on the blogs I frequent. They looked so pigmented and bright. YouTubers were talking about them. I swatched them at Priceline to see what the fuss was about. They started looking awfully tempting.

l-r: Pink Pop, Fuchsia Flash, Hot Plum, Shocking Coral

l-r (top row, then bottom row): Pink Pop, Fuchsia Flash, Shocking Coral, Hot Plum

l-r: Maybelline Pink Pop, Australis Lick the Icing

I thought Pink Pop would be very similar to Australis Lick the Icing, but it's considerably warmer and darker, which makes it a lot more wearable. It's still a theoretically unflattering shade, but one that I was hopelessly drawn to. I probably wouldn't apply multiple layers straight from the tube as it can look jarring against my yellow-toned complexion, but I like this sheered out for a cool, pale but bright purplish-pink. This one has a silver pearl to it that I didn't even notice until I took off the lipstick and saw a load of shimmer left on my lips.

l-r: Maybelline Fuchsia Flash, Revlon Lollipop, Innoxa Pink Peony, MAC Chatterbox, MAC Viva Glam Nicki

Fuchsia Flash was the one shade that I felt I didn't have any dupes of in my collection. Surprisingly, Innoxa Pink Peony is quite close, though more pink and a touch darker. It's also more matte in texture. I keep forgetting I have this lipstick given how opaque and intensely pigmented it is — I really should show it more love. Revlon Lip Butter in Lollipop is a lot darker, nowhere near as bright and more purple with silver shimmer. Both MAC Chatterbox and Viva Glam Nicki are far more pink.

l-r: Maybelline Shocking Coral, Sportsgirl Fruit Tingle, Sportsgirl Rosie Posie, Revlon Melonade,

  Maybelline Mango Diamonds, Maybelline Coral Crush

Shocking Coral looked so pretty when swatched, though I was hesitant to buy it because of how many orangey-pinky-coral lipsticks I have already. It's closest to Sportsgirl Rosie Posie, though Rosie Posie is matte in texture and slightly more muted. Still, pretty damn similar. Sportsgirl Fruit Tingle, Revlon Melonade and Maybelline Mango Diamonds are all more orange, rather than pinky-red like Shocking Coral. Maybelline Coral Crush is darker and more orange-red, not as pink.

l-r: Maybelline Hot Plum, Revlon Smitten, Revlon Raspberry Pie, Australis Limited Edition 1, 

Lime Crime Airborne Unicorn

I was tossing up between Hot Plum and Vivid Rose, but since I'm on a purple/deep berry lipstick kick at the moment, I had to go with Hot Plum. It's very similar to Fuchsia Flash — they're basically the same colour but Hot Plum is a bit darker and a smidgen more purple. It's closest to Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Smitten, a shade I recently purchased during said "purple lipstick kick". Revlon Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie is darker, more of a berry red. Australis Limited Edition 1 is a dark grape. Lime Crime Airborne Unicorn is a cool-toned violet and clearly nothing like the previous shades, though it's so nifty to layer on top of any pink lipstick to make it instantly more purple. Hot Plum stains like crazy, which could be a good or bad thing, depending on what you're after.

l-r (top row, then bottom row): Pink Pop, Fuchsia Flash, Shocking Coral, Hot Plum

The only shade that I think is a standout from this range is Fuchsia Flash. The rest I probably could've done without, but being devoid of self-discipline, they're now the newest additions to my already out of control lipstick collection. Still, being relatively affordable (especially if you manage to get them on sale) "drugstore" lipsticks, they are impressive. I love how truly bright and saturated in colour they are. I've always favoured Revlon lipsticks, but Maybelline have really stepped up their game with this launch.

Girl in Blossom

It was a triumphant moment when I walked into a Priceline and saw both the blush and paper lashes I wanted from the Essence Cherry Blossom Girl Trend Edition in stock. I wasn't too keen on the eyeshadow palette in Dreaming Under a Cherry Tree as the only shade I saw myself wearing was the brown, and I felt I already had most of the lip crayon and nail polish colours. Granted, it's not like I have a shortage of peach/coral blushes like the one I picked up, but I couldn't help myself. And the paper lashes were a must.

l-r: light side, dark side, blended

I'm really pleased with the Asian Sensation blush. It's nicely pigmented, the texture is soft, smooth and not powdery or chalky at all. I'd probably be able to appreciate it more if I didn't already have so many similar shades (like NARS Deep Throat, Bourjois Rose Coup de Foudre, Benefit Coralista). The darker side is a bit too orange, the light side is very similar to Benefit Sugarbomb, but blended together, the balance is just right. The pretty embossed floral design is eye-catching and more attention to detail than I'd expect from something that only cost $5.95.

The false eyelashes in Hidden in Sakura Garden make the paper lash trend accessible and affordable. I've known of Paperself lashes for a while (as seen on Courtney and Jennifer), but I wasn't prepared to shell out $20 for something inherently frivolous and impractical. But $4.50? You bet. I don't know when I'd ever wear these, except maybe a special dinner or event. I was mainly curious to just try them out and see how they'd look, especially after being swayed by how well Kate wore them. Application was a little tricky, but it didn't turn out too wonky. They were slightly uncomfortable at first, but more just stiff rather than scratchy. I didn't have any issues with taking them off, and with care, they could probably last multiple uses.

Set to Shine

I'd never expected to win another giveaway so soon after Sue's, but I was lucky enough to win first prize in Amanda of Thai Tales's Christmas/150 followers giveaway as well! I was super excited to receive the Benefit High Flyin' Glosses set, which houses 6 x 6.5ml Ultra Plush lip glosses. The travel set is an ideal way to own every one of these new glosses from Benefit without spending a fortune in buying them all at full size. Each gloss is meant to be partnered with the boxed powder of the same name. I can't imagine myself getting through a whole 15ml tube, so I love that I can sample all the shades in these cute mini versions.

l-r: Coralista, Dallas, Bella Bamba, Sugarbomb, Hoola, Dandelion

Coralista was the only lip gloss that I'd already been exposed to, as a mini tube was featured in the Go TropiCORAL Lip & Cheek Kit. You can't go wrong with this summery coral shade. It's just the right mix between orange and red and I like that it's sheer and not heavy on the lips.

Dallas is the most pigmented of the lot. It's a browny rose that could almost pass as an extremely moisturising, slightly liquid lipstick. While more of a mature and conservative shade, it's also flattering and understated.

Bella Bamba is similar to Coralista in that both are very glossy and sheer with no shimmer, but rather than coral, it's a watermelon pink. Another shade that's tailor-made for summer.

Sugarbomb is a light pinkish brown with a lot of silver/diamond shimmer. In indirect light, it gives more of a frosted finish which I'm not the hugest fan of, but in sunlight, it has the prettiest sparkle and dimension.

Hoola is a golden nude with gold shimmer. It's the lightest shade of the six, but because of its sheerness, it doesn't wash me out like a nude lipstick might. It's close to being clear and really only gives a slight tint, but the gold shimmer adds something special.

Dandelion is a light nude pink with silver shimmer. Very sheer like Hoola with similar amounts of shimmer (Sugarbomb is the most shimmery), the pearly pink gives a very girly look.

l-r (first, second, third row): Coralista, Dallas, Bella Bamba, Sugarbomb, Hoola, Dandelion

While I'm not a big lip gloss girl, I feel like these six tubes have all my lip gloss needs covered. I love the variety of the set and how there's a good mix between levels of pigmentation, shimmer and colours, though overall the glosses lean more on the sheer and neutral (pink/nude) side. Each gloss is easy to wear, comfortable on the lips, moisturising and not sticky. There is a strong artificial sweet smell to these that I find quite cloying, but it's not a major complaint. Thank you Amanda for this lovely giveaway. I love reading her blog for reviews of Australian products and awesome nail art tutorials!

Summer in A Box

On the first day of my September New York holiday, I found myself at the Sephora in Times Square and spotted this Benefit Go TropiCORAL Lip & Cheek Kit on the shelves. It had two items that I was wanting to buy individually (Cha Cha Tint and Coralista), so purchasing the set was a no-brainer. Even though the products included are smaller sizes (Cha Cha Tint is 4ml, compared to the 12.5ml of the full size, Coralista is 3g while the full size is 8g), I figured I'd most likely never use up the larger sizes, so having a chance to sample both at a fraction of the cost was ideal. I managed to buy this in the US for around $30 — it retails in Australia for $59.

As with all Benefit products, a lot of care and attention to detail has gone into the packaging. The Coralista blush comes with its own mini brush which is adorable, though perhaps lacking some functionality. I never use the brushes that come with Benefit boxed powders anyway, but they're not too bad for travel. The kit also comes with "Tips and Tricks" cards attached to the top flap that provide instructions on how to use the included products. There's a mirror behind the cards (which I never realised until I was photographing the box for this post).

Cha Cha Tint straight from the bottle, then blended

A word of warning about Cha Cha Tint: BLEND QUICK. If left on the cheek for even 1.5 seconds, it'll leave a stain. I learned the hard way when I dotted it on my cheeks and didn't blend immediately. There was an orangey red blotch on both cheeks that I couldn't conceal with foundation or more blush. The best way I've found to apply it is to dab some from the brush directly onto your finger, then quickly blend it onto the cheeks straight after. Lots of coral/orange blushes can look overly red, but this one doesn't. It's the perfect summer tint for the cheeks.

I've mentioned High Beam a couple of times (see How Much Is My Face Worth? and October Favourites), so I won't go into too much detail, except to say that it lives up to the hype.

I didn't really have any expectations about the Coralista Ultra Plush lip gloss, but I found myself pleasantly surprised. I could've done without the inclusion of this gloss altogether, but it's sheer and inoffensive enough to wear casually without looking like you're obviously wearing lip gloss. It's not sticky and feels moisturising on the lips. It isn't very pigmented. It's more like a sheer wash of colour, leaving a warm orange tint to the lips with just a touch of shine. The only thing that bothers me is the sickly sweet scent it has.

l-r: Coralista, the stain that Cha Cha Tint leaves, Cha Cha Tint blended

The mark in the middle of my hand? That's what Cha Cha Tint looks like if you leave it on for just a few seconds. And it's impossible to get off without some serious makeup remover. Coralista is a glowy, slightly sheer, soft coral. It's much lighter in colour than Cha Cha Tint, and more shimmery. I didn't expect that it would swatch the way it does — it's lighter than how it looks in the pan and almost seems like a brightening powder that gives a touch of pinky orange if build up in intensity. I find it a bit too luminous as a blush. It has a tendency to enlarge the appearance of pores if applied to the cheeks. If only the shimmer were turned down a few notches, I'd reach for Coralista more to lift and warm up the complexion without looking overdone, as the colour and softness are exactly what I'm after.