Prime, Glow, Glitter

All right, let's finish up with the last of the recently purchased products.

Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base

Rating: 7/10

The only reason I bought this was because pre-Christmas, Bobbi Brown were having a free full size highlighter with $80 purchase. On top of that, American Express had a $20 cashback offer on purchases of $80 or more on the Bobbi Brown website. So basically, I could get two full size products worth $165 for $65.

I picked the Vitamin Enriched Face Base as I couldn't bring myself to buy more makeup, and reviews online were generally positive. I'd seen it featured in a few YouTube videos as well, but ordinarily would never bring myself to pay $85 for a moisturiser/primer. I do enjoy the citrus scent and the packaging is suitably luxe (though the jar is now plastic rather than glass), but in terms of texture and performance, it leaves me underwhelmed. It's quite thick and while not greasy, sits on the heavier side of creams. I don't notice it doing anything in terms of improving the application or wear of my foundation. I prefer more serum-like/liquid, lighter-textured products for priming, like Eve Lom Flawless Radiance Primer or the Too Faced Hangover Primer, which help meld the foundation and produce a translucent luminosity to the skin. The Vitamin Enriched Face Base reminds me more of a thicker night cream than a daytime moisturiser that doubles as a primer. A little bit does go a long way, so even with regular use, the jar should last a while.

Bobbi Brown Highlighting Powder in Afternoon Glow

Rating: 8/10

This was the free product that I selected with my Vitamin Enriched Face Base. I've always been curious about Bobbi Brown highlighters, but they're so eyewateringly expensive that they never seemed worth the money. Afternoon Glow is a beautiful, ethereal pink highlighter that appears to have a white pearl sheen on the skin. The way it sits on the skin is a testament to its quality, in that you can't detect product sitting on the skin and it doesn't emphasise texture or appear dry and chunky at the end of the day. The texture is similar to MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinish, Anastasia Beverly Hills Amrezy highlighter or Laura Mercier Face Illuminator, in that it's not super creamy or densely pigmented (like Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors, theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer, ABH Sun Dipped/Sugar Glow Kits), but more on the drier side with no fallout. I have tried it with numerous brushes and I like Real Techniques Setting Brush best for more precise placement, and Real Techniques Blush Brush for a more seamless, all over glow. If using the Blush Brush, I prefer to apply highlighter before blush, so I can blend my blush into my highlighter with less obvious demarcation between the two.

Marc Jacobs See-quins Glam Glitter Eyeshadow in Topaz Flash

Rating: 10/10

I basically never buy single shadows, especially those that cost $36 a pop, but when I saw these featured on Instagram and in YouTube videos, I knew they were something special. I literally have nothing to complain about when it comes to this elegant glittergasm of an eyeshadow. It is simply perfection. The multicoloured glitters are everything, it's so festively sparkly, there is no pesky fallout, it's easy to apply with the fingers, it glimmers all day and all night. Limited edition for the holiday — I would advise checking these out if you haven't already ASAP.

Current Makeup/Skin Care Menu #5

It's winter in Australia, so a traditionally very lazy time of year when it comes to makeup. That, or I've reached the stage where I'm favouring a more pared down routine, reaching for the same products each time without inclination to mix things up. Sort of like Steve Jobs and his same outfit every day. If it's working for me now and it saves me the time and effort having to decide what to use on a daily basis, then I'm happily sticking to the same old. At least until the weather starts warming up.

Pixi Glow Tonic
Can I flatter myself by saying I was an early adopter of this stuff? Of course, recommended by Caroline Hirons back in the day when it used to come in a rectangular bottle with a pump. Though it's been 5 years since I first started using it, I haven't been completely loyal ever since. But that's more because I'm not that disciplined when it comes to toning and exfoliation in general. However, I started using this regularly a few months ago and I'm converted again. It makes a BIG difference to my skin when incorporated into my daily regime. I cleanse with an oil, wipe this all over with a facial pad, follow with a hydrating toner (see below), then slather on moisturiser mixed with a couple drops of rosehip and avocado oil. The condition of my skin has been smooth, supple, hydrated, relatively blemish-free (still human, so not totally immune to the odd spot), without signs of flakiness or dryness typical of the season. I've since purchased 2 bottles as backup, so you know I'm not messing around.

Ingredients: Water/Aqua/Eau, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycolic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Leaf Extract, Aesculus Hippocastanum (Horse Chestnut) Seed Extract, Hexylene Glycol, Fructose, Glucose, Sucrose, Urea, Dextrin, Alanine, Glutamic Acid, Aspartic Acid, Hexyl Nicotinate, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Biotin, Panthenol, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance (Parfum), Caramel, Red 4 (CI 14700).

Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Chamomile and Lavender
I wanted a simple, inexpensive but effective hydrating toner to follow Pixi Glow Tonic, and this newish release popped up on my radar. I've always been curious about the Mario Badescu sprays since they're quite affordable ($10 for 118ml, $17 for double that amount) and seem to be decently reviewed. I know this is basically just water with a minuscule amount of other things thrown in that may or may not have any real benefit to my skin, but so far, I'm enjoying it. I haven't had any reaction to it and it's a nice mist of calm hydration following my morning and evening cleanse. The scent isn't as dreamy as I'd hoped with the promise of authentic lavender (I don't really detect any sweetness or earthiness to it, it's more of a harsh/cold herbal scent), but I don't have any major complaints.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water, Eau), Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Water, Propylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Leaf Extract, Silver Citrate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Benzophenone-4, Triethanolamine, Zeolite, Sodium Sulfate, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, CI 60730 (Violet 2).

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer - Radiance
The news of Laura Mercier exiting the Australian market reminded me to actually start using the Laura Mercier products I have. I haven't bought a heap from the brand over the years, but the quality and performance of the products I have tried have consistently been excellent, so it's a real bummer they've decided to pull the plug. I think I read recently that Meghan Markle just used this primer on days when she wanted to boost and brighten her complexion, but not wear a full face of foundation, so naturally I started to mix a bit of this into my foundation every day. Not only does it add very natural but effective luminosity, but it's a bit of a thicker consistency and accordingly, bulks up my lightweight, more liquid foundation (Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum) so that it adheres to my skin better and has greater longevity. The only thing is that patches of gold shimmer in the primer can be apparent if you don't thoroughly blend the primer/foundation concoction into your skin, so a bit of extra care needs to be taken for a smooth, streak-free result.

LA Girl Cosmetics Glide Gel Eyeliner Pencil in Very Black
I needed a replacement for my beloved but long discontinued Savvy by DB Luxury Liner in Shimmering Slate, and this was inexpensive but well reviewed. I don't love it quite as much as the Savvy by DB, but it's definitely up there. It's nicely black, long lasting, smooth but not too melty, and as its name suggests, glides on and doesn't tug at the eyelids whatsoever. It's also much easier to remove at the end of the day than the Savvy by DB, which is a big plus.

Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes in Lots o' Latte
I feel like I've been sleeping on this for years, though it's been sitting in my makeup drawers all this time. It's literally the only eyeshadow I've been using every single day. There's something so liberating about slapping this on without thought and being done. It takes <1 minute and there's no primer involved, no brushes (which will later have to be washed), no careful, time-consuming blending (just use your fingers to fade out the edges a bit). The satin taupey/browny/mushroomy shade is deep enough to add definition, but not so much that you have panda eyes in the daytime. There's also not that much shimmer or glitter that a lot of eyeshadow crayons have, which seems more fitting with winter when a more subdued matte look might be preferable.

Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes in Lots o' Latte

Real Techniques Blush Brush
Every now and then, you learn something truly revolutionary through a YouTube makeup video or tutorial. That occurred to me recently when I saw Mariah Leonard's Glass Skin Foundation Routine. Basically, she advocates using a big fluffy brush like the Real Techniques Blush Brush, then using a very light, delicate touch with your highlighter powder, and applying the product in large circular motions around the cheekbones and browbone, then dusting your brush across your forehead, down the bridge of your nose, and chin. The main points are to ditch your usual highlighting brush which is much smaller and produces a more precise, concentrated placement, and instead, go big (both in the brush, and in the placement on your face), and go soft (use way less product than you think you need, and be conservative in your dips into the highlighting powder). The result is a much more natural look where you're just glowing all around but the product isn't so obviously sitting on your face.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Amrezy Highlighter
Speaking of this new technique, I've been using the Real Techniques Blush Brush with the massively hyped Amrezy highlighter by ABH. I bought this almost immediately when it launched on international online stockists (for reference, I used Cult Beauty). I learned my lesson from the last time ABH launched highlighter singles (still lamenting missing out on the So Hollywood Illuminator), so there was no way in hell I'd repeat the same mistake. At first, I wasn't sure if the hype was justified as while I liked it, there wasn't anything in particular that blew me away. Until I started adopting the big brush/light dip approach. Then ... I understood. This produces a beautiful highlighted effect that doesn't look crusty or scaly on my skin and isn't too dark for my skin tone. The texture is very finely milled but it's powerfully illuminating without being glittery or chunky. It's also highly pigmented, so a small amount goes a long way. The pan will last a lifetime.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Amrezy Highlighter

l-r: theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer, Fenty Hu$tla Baby, Becca Moonstone, ABH Amrezy, Charlotte Tilbury Highlight (in Beauty Glow)

For comparison purposes, theBalm, Becca and Charlotte Tilbury are the most similar to each other, with a paler, more pink/beige-toned white gold. The Fenty Beauty Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter in Hu$tla Baby is more similar to the Amrezy highlighter, but leans more peachy gold as opposed to yellow gold. However, both share a more pronounced, reflective shine.

Little Glow Pots

I don't know about you, but my highlight craze won't let up. I've accumulated so many highlighters now that my collection could last several lifetimes. My newest obsession has been cream highlighters in a pot. One day, I just found myself returning to an item that has been on my radar for YEARS, rms Living Luminizer. I've heard about this product virtually since I started blogging in 2012, but could never justify the price tag. Even today, at $55, I still can't bring myself to spend that much on a tiny pot of mainly solidified oils and beeswax. I started the hunt for potential dupes and remembered seeing something very similar to the Living Luminizer at Priceline in the form of Luma Illuminating Highlighter. Soon enough, I found myself buying the Luminous Light shade for $26.95. Then my friend gave me her unloved Mecca Cosmetica Enlightened Lit From Within Illuminating Balm, so suddenly I had two of these babies.

Luma Illuminating Highlighter in Luminous Light

What drew me to purchasing Luma Illuminating Highlighter was how incredibly similar its ingredients list was to rms Living Luminizer. Observe:

rms Living Luminizer
Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, and may contain [+/- Titanium Dioxide CI77891, Mica CI 77019]

Luma Illuminating Highlighter
Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Beeswax (Cera Alba), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Pearl Powder, Tocopherol, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxide (CI 77491)

Same first three ingredients, which surely means they're basically the same thing. The Luma has additional jojoba, sweet almond, grape and soybean oils, along with "pearl powder" and Vitamin E, while the rms has just the addition of rosemary extract.

They also both contain 5 grams of product.

Mecca Cosmetica Enlightened Lit From Within Illuminating Balm

I wasn't able to locate a full ingredient list for the Mecca, but their website mentions it contains jojoba oil, coconut oil and castor seed oil. It's a smaller size to Luma and rms at 3g. To the touch, it feels slightly thicker than the Luma, but applies very similarly and has more or less the same effect on the skin. They're obviously different shades, in that Luma Luminous Light is more of a pink-toned, whitish colour, and the Mecca is more peachy/rose gold. The Luma Illuminating Highlighter does come in two other shades, Moonlit Ivory (more champagne) and Golden Glow (more of a darker bronze). The main difference between the Luma and Mecca I find, apart from the colour, is that the Mecca is quite strongly scented. The smell whacks you in the nostrils as soon as you open the lid, and still smells once you swatch it or apply it to the face. I was instantly reminded of the fragrance in Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream, though I haven't used that BB cream in years, so that comparison might not be super accurate.

l-r: Luma Illuminating Highlighter in Luminous Light, Mecca Cosmetica Enlightened Lit From Within Illuminating Balm

I picked Luminous Light over the other two shades Moonlit Ivory and Golden Glow because it was the one that popped most on my skin. It's borderline whitish if applied too heavily or if the edges aren't blended well enough, but the shade does predominately appear pearly with an angelic soft pink tinge. I thought it might be too similar to Benefit High Beam, but when I compared them, I found High Beam to be even more dramatic and brightening. High Beam is a liquid highlight, so it's more versatile in that you can use it under foundation, mix it with your base, or use it over your foundation as you would a traditional highlighter.

The Mecca Enlightened Lit From Within Illuminating Balm is less contrasting with my skin and much closer to my natural skin tone. In that respect, it's more muted and subtle when applied, though still gives plenty of glow. It's a bit tackier in texture compared with the Luma and I feel looks oilier, which reinforces the dewy effect. I use both everywhere I'd normally place highlight, i.e. on the cheekbones, down the bridge of the nose, under the browbone and on the cupid's bow.

The appeal of these cream pots is that they're on a different level than powder highlighters when it comes to looking natural and blending into the skin. Most of the powder highlighters I have derive their glow from shimmer particles, whereas these cream ones offer more of a sheen with no detectable shimmer. As I apply them with the fingers (though they can be applied with a synthetic brush or sponge), the warmth of my fingers helps to seamlessly blend the product into the skin. Unlike a lot of powder highlighters, you can't see any demarcation between where you've placed your highlight and the rest of your face. The cream texture also makes layering easier if you want a more pronounced effect, whether that means multiple layers of the cream highlight or layering a powder highlight on top of the cream. I often find at the end of the day, a powder highlight can look like it's sitting on top of the skin, and look chunky and dry, but no such thing occurs with these cream pots. If anything, it softly fades away, as one of the downsides to cream formulas is they tend not to last as long as powders. For the natural, undetectable, ethereal glow they provide, that's a tradeoff I don't mind.

Best of 2017

I haven't been inspired to do a yearly favourites in a couple of years, but felt motivated to put together something this year. Maybe because it dawned on me I've now been blogging for 6 years (craaaayyy, even with the significant drop in posts from 2016), maybe after reducing my exposure to a relentless reel of influencers' monthly favourites, hearing about what people have been enjoying and reaching for is genuinely interesting again, maybe because at the end of the day, I still just really like makeup, skin care, candles, fragrances, the whole shebang. I had a look through my blog posts, Instagram, and stuff lying around at home, and picked up the following 11 products as my standouts of 2017.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Abu Dhabi
Might as well say it. This is my favourite lip colour. The shade is perfection to me for a natural, beautifying, effortless pout. I even bought a backup because when you've found the one, you don't ever want to be without.

Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lipcolor in Seduction
A close second to Abu Dhabi, Seduction is a touch pinker and darker. Very similar texture, application and feel on the lips, which is to say it's soft, velvety, and gives the polish and relative longevity of a matte without sucking all the moisture from the lips. Full review here.

Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer in Bronzer
Haven't stopped using this since it came into my life. I went from skipping/total disinterest in bronzer for at least half a year (only using blush or a bronzer/blush hybrid like NARS Madly or Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in Nude Mauve) to using this with my Charlotte Tilbury Powder & Sculpt brush daily. It's so smooth, virtually blends itself, the shade isn't too dark so it's tricky to work with but pigmented enough that definition is easy to achieve. The colour is just the right mix of warmth for that summery, healthy glow and shadow for a believable contour.

Clinique Cheek Pop in Nude Pop
Just the perfect, everyday, neutral peachy-nude blush. The cheek equivalent of NYX Abu Dhabi. Goes with everything, instantly lifts a dull, tired complexion and makes you look fresh and alive. Creamy, non-powdery, satin texture that looks lit-from-within. Works a treat with the Morphe E4 patted up and down the cheekbones and onto the apples of the cheeks.

Nudestix Magnetic Eye Color in Night
This is one of those somewhat boring, unsexy products that I use all the time and haven't encountered a better version of. A fat, jet black, matte crayon like this is a great tool for monolids since it can draw a thick line quickly. I first do a winged liner with a fine, felt tip/brush eyeliner like Maybelline HyperSharp Wing Liquid Liner, then use this when I want to thicken and even out the shape my eyeliner from the inner corner to the beginning of the wing, giving the appearance of more rounded, larger eyes. The staying power is absolutely phenomenal. On the couple of times I've been naughty and slept in my makeup, pretty much everything is gone the morning after but this.

Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow/Liner in My Two Cents
I've been eyeing Charlotte Tilbury Eyes To Mesmerise in Bette for forever, but why would I spend $44 (not even including shipping) on it when I have My Two Cents? This is the perfect shimmering goldy-bronze on light-to-medium skin tones. On days I wear contacts, this is my go-to cream shadow paired with Rimmel ScandalEyes Shadow Stick in Bad Girl Bronze. I even picked this My Two Cents/Bad Girl Bronze combo for my eye makeup to an interstate wedding. Never fails.

l-r: NYX Abu Dhabi, Revlon Seduction, Clinique Nude Pop, Benefit My Two Cents, Physicians Formula Bronzer, Nudestix Night

Laura Mercier Fall in Love Illuminator Collection
I've been meaning to do a review of this for ages, but since it was limited edition from late last year, I felt there was kind of no point. I thank my lucky stars every time I use this that I took the plunge and purchased it, because usually I shy away from expensive items. This houses 4 of their highlighters in the shades Indiscretion (rose gold), Addiction (more conventional yellow gold), Devotion (an icy purplish shade) and Seduction (bronze). I usually go for Indiscretion or Devotion, as Addiction is a bit boring to me (still beautiful though) and Seduction is way too dark for a highlighter (great for eyeshadow/workable as shimmery bronzer). They are a drier, more gelée type formula (what I recall/imagine ABH So Hollywood to be like), and don't emphasise skin texture or pores. They don't go on extremely blinding at first instance, so can be built up to desired intensity. Best of all, I really do like that there's a bit of glitter in the mix. I just think it makes the shades that touch more interesting and eye-catching.

l-r: Indiscretion, Addiction, Devotion, Seduction

Tarte Tartelette in Bloom
At the beginning of the year, I was debating between Tartelette in Bloom and Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance. The latter was sold out, so deciding which to buy came down to the one that wasn't out of stock. I ended up buying Modern Renaissance at the tail end of the year thinking I *needed* it, and now I can definitively say I prefer Tartelette in Bloom. Why? Simply, the colours. In the mornings when I'm doing my makeup for work, I don't really gravitate toward bright/dark pinks, reds and vibrant oranges. The rest of Modern Renaissance is also cool-toned (read: muddy and dull on my lids). But almost every shade in Tartelette in Bloom is flattering, office-friendly and foolproof. It's a complete palette with smooth, pigmented shadows that are a breeze to blend. Full review here.

Too Faced Hangover Primer
A fairly recent find given I only bought this in September, but I think I've finally found the primer for me. I don't think it does much in terms of oil control or improving longevity of your base, but it does create a more moisturised, plump, soothed canvas for your foundation to go on. On good skin days, coupled with this primer, my skin looks positively glowing and baby smooth. The coconut scent is delish, it's a pleasure to use and feels like a treat on the skin.

Crabtree & Evelyn Spiced Earl Grey Hand Therapy
Truly one of my favourite discoveries of 2017. The travel size lives in my makeup bag. I loved the tester so much in the shop I also bought the 100ml, but gifted that my mother. I'll have to resort to eBay to replenish my stock since this was sadly limited edition from last Christmas. I wish they would bottle the scent in a perfume. The smell is exactly as the name suggests. I didn't think earl grey in a hand cream could be done this right, but I'm happy to be proven wrong.

Gucci Bloom EDP
My current scent obsession. I can't even remember the last time I purchased a 100ml bottle of perfume (from a department store at that, not even Priceline/Chemist Warehouse/online), but it's a testament to how much I lurrrvee it. I also have the body lotion and rollerball, so I can live out my dreams and douse myself in the stuff. It's a somewhat old fashioned white floral that's been reimagined in a modern way. I like that it's not too dry or green on my skin, with a certain sweetness and creaminess that's been missing in other white florals I own (Estee Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia, Kai perfume oil). The dreamy ad campaign with Dakota Johnson, the millennial pink bottle, I'm a sucker for it all.

Essence 50% Off Mini Haul

Priceline had a 50% off cosmetics sale last Thursday and Friday, and though I tell myself that I should eliminate all impulse cheap makeup purchases and focus on quality vs. quantity, I couldn't resist buying a few things, mainly from Essence. The limited edition stuff always hooks me in because it's just so affordable and a part of me always hopes the products will exceed my expectations. In the sale, I ended up buying a back up of my favourite NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Abu Dhabi, an Essence top/base coat, two Essence Soft Contouring lip pencils in Sucker For Grey and Going Steady, Essence Illuminating Face Cream Gel and Essence Bronzing Brick Powder.

Essence Illuminating Face Cream Gel in 01 I Don't Care Cause I'm Flawless

The Essence Illuminating Face Cream Gel fascinated me because it comes in a weighty glass bottle and it's made in Italy. Fancy. It retails for $7.15, so at 50% came to $3.60. Pretty unbeatable for a 20ml bottle. There were no testers so I was taking a gamble, but I figured the stakes weren't exactly high, so why not. It claims to have an "awaking effect" and a lightweight creamy and gel-like formula. You're meant to apply a small amount on the fingers and distribute evenly onto the face.

The pump bottle doesn't have the most sensitive dispenser so you're basically stuck with a full pea-sized amount each time. It has the consistency of a non-sticky, comfortable-feeling moisturiser (think MAC Strobe Cream), perhaps a touch more fluid and easier to spread. Blended out, it's surprisingly subtle. I was expecting more of an overt shimmerbomb. To be honest, I couldn't really detect any noticeable difference to my complexion when I applied this before my foundation. As a potential primer, I felt it degraded the performance/wear time of my base as it was like adding another layer of moisturiser. If the glowy effect is there, it's not as pronounced as something like Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Moonstone or even Laura Mercier Foundation Primer - Radiance. However under bright lights, you can detect the silvery shimmer particles on your skin. I like this for the novelty factor given its affordability and it could also serve as an understated liquid highlight, but I already have better products that do what it purports to.

Top to bottom: Sucker For Grey, Going Steady

Top to bottom: Colourpop Lumiere, Essence Sucker For Grey, Essence Going Steady, NYX Ruffle Trim

Essence Sucker For Grey

I noticed these new Essence lip liners and had to pick up two, given they were ONE DOLLA at 50% off. The colours also really appealed to me and seemed very current/on trend. I've never tried Essence lip liners, but I've always heard good things about them. They're a bit of a harder texture and not as creamy or easy to blend as other brands, but I guess that contributes to longer staying power on the lips. The good thing with lip liners is you can get lots of precision in the shape of your lips, but also control the opacity. I usually don't colour in my lips completely with the lip liner, but prefer to draw a few strokes then blend with my finger to get a fresher, stained appearance.

I absolutely love Sucker For Grey, a medium pinky-mauve that reminded me a lot of my favourite Colourpop lip liner in Lumiere. I compared the two and Lumiere is lighter and more pink (also a much nicer, creamier texture). Going Steady is your typical brick red/medium-to-dark rosy nude that seems super popular right now. I'm not the hugest fan of these colours, but they are fairly universally flattering. On the lips, Going Steady is reminiscent of NYX Lip Lingerie in Ruffle Trim, though when swatched together, Ruffle Trim is lighter and more nude (however does oxidise on the lips like most liquid lipsticks so is darker in real life than when swatched).

Essence Bronzing Brick Powder in 01 Feel the Fun & Catch the Sun

Bronzing Brick Powder on cheeks, Sucker For Grey on lips

Finally, we have the Bronzing Brick Powder. These to my eye are an obvious rip off of Bobbi Brown Brightening Brick. I always wanted to get the pink shade but at $75, hale no. Obviously the Essence dupe likely can't compare in terms of quality, but as there was no tester, I wanted to give it a shot. There was also a Brick Blush Powder, but it was sold out at the time I bought the bronzing powder. I actually went back to buy it post-sale because it's much more similar to the pink Bobbi Brown Brightening Brick I wanted.

I've been using my Zoeva Luxe Sheer Cheek brush and swirling it around in the pan to get a mix of all the colours, then applying this as I would a bronzing powder to my cheeks/cheekbones in an upward sweeping motion. The colour isn't completely brown and there is a peachiness/pink to it so it can used as a blush/bronzer hybrid, like NARS Madly. There's also an interesting light grey tone to it that makes it unique. It's not dark enough to produce a really pronounced contour, and you do have to build up the pigmentation depending on your personal preference. It's not glittery (which I wouldn't have minded as I'm going through a glitter phase), but more just shimmery. However, the shimmer can have a tendency to sit on top of the skin, especially when applied in conjunction with the Illuminating Face Cream Gel. The overall effect can get a little powdery, though nothing a spritz of MAC Fix+ or Smashbox Primer Water etc. can't fix. Wear time is average, bordering on poor, but I guess you can't expect the world of something that cost $3.43.

Current Makeup Menu #3

It's been almost nine months since my last makeup menu post, so I'm long overdue for an update. Ever since I moved to my own place a year ago, I've been more or less sticking with a few select products for months at a time to do my makeup in the morning. The main reason is that I no longer have a mirrored wardrobe, so I don't have immediate access to my entire makeup collection (housed in two 4-drawer storage units on a shelf inside) when I'm doing my face. I have to put aside a few products in a separate, smaller Muji organiser which I keep on my dresser beside the mirror on my bedroom wall. The upside to this is I've finally used up products I never thought I'd finish, like foundations, but the downside is less variety and the old saying, "out of sight, out of mind". Having said that, here are the current products I've been really enjoying and reaching for lately.

For face, I've recently returned to Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum (in 52 Vanille) and I'm so glad I picked this up again. The shade match is almost bang on (I've previously used 53 Beige clair on its own, which was always too dark, and then mixed it with 52 Vanille to lighten it), which is crucial given the previous foundation I'd been trying to use up (Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream in 33 Rose Beige) was too dark and pinky brown. I appreciate that the foundation is yellow-based and illuminating, without being greasy. It's natural and skin-like, but also gives your complexion a translucent glow that brightens and corrects unevenness and dullness. The lasting power or adherence to the skin could probably be better, but it's an ideal everyday "drugstore" foundation that is top notch in quality.

Speaking of Bourjois CC Cream, I'd previously been mixing it with a bit of Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Moonstone in an attempt to lighten the foundation and inject some extra luminosity. I don't know what it is about the formula, but it is truly the best liquid highlighter I've mixed with a base. Other products can appear overly glittery or chunky upon closer inspection, or get oily after a couple of hours and start to break up on the skin or slide off during the day. But the Becca almost has primer-like properties while containing the most refined shimmer, giving the skin an undetectable but effective glowy boost. Previously swatched here.

I asked my friend to buy the Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer for me while she was on a recent holiday to the US since it's always sold out at Priceline (plus it's $30, no thanks). I opted for the shade Bronzer rather than Light Bronzer just because I'd read that it was slightly more cool-toned and darker, which I thought would suit my skin tone better. I have been absolutely adoring this bronzer. It's everything I hoped for and more. Incredibly smooth, soft but not powdery, easy to blend, not too pigmented that it's hard to work with, but pigmented enough so that it actually shows up and does something without much effort. I love the colour, I love the scent, it's a breeze to apply and blend with my Charlotte Tilbury Powder & Sculpt Brush, I've been reaching for it nonstop since it arrived and I can't imagine wanting to use anything else for a long time.

In the last Priceline 40% off cosmetics sale, I purchased one of these Revlon Colorstay Creme Eye Shadows in 710 Caramel. It's a little lighter than Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze and the texture is much smoother, thinner and more emollient. You need to apply quite thin layers on the eyes and build up the colour. I've been enjoying this as a standalone eyeshadow (though I do have to use about 3-4 layers for my desired opacity, and even then, I always use a darker eyeshadow closer to the lashline for added definition), as well as an eyeshadow base (I just apply one layer and blend out with my fingers). The aspect of these that was most surprising but pleasing is that they're loaded with fine shimmer that's really sparkly and eye-catching under bright lights and reminiscent of more high end cream shadows like Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow. The price point is very reasonable too ($14.95 for 5.2g, so I only paid $8.97 during the 40% off sale).

I overlooked this Nudestix Magnetic Eye Color in Night for a while after a friend gave it away to me ages ago, but recently realised I reach for it almost every day. It is JET black, velvety matte, has astounding lasting power and once set, does not budge. Truly a quality product and worth the money. I use it mainly to fill in my eyeliner once I draw the shape in with a finer felt tip/brush eyeliner (I've been loving Maybelline HyperSharp Wing Liquid Liner), since it is a thicker/chubbier tip so not as precise as a conventional pencil liner. The fact it's so high performing has made me realise when it comes to eye makeup, a reliable, truly black eyeliner is an absolute essential.

Lanolips Banana Balm

Finally, we have a bit of a novelty item in Lanolips Banana Balm Lip Sheen 3-in-1. I swatched this in David Jones and was captivated by the old school banana lolly scent and the pink sparkles against a pale yellow gloss that reminded me of Glossier Birthday Balm Dotcom. The downside is that the colour is on the light side and does give a whitish cast, but if you apply a small amount and/or lay down a colour first, that can easily be overcome. In any event, the scent and the glitter has me sold.

l-r: Lanolips Banana Balm, Revlon Caramel, Physicians Formula Bronzer, Nudestix Night

l-r: Revlon Caramel, Physicians Formula Bronzer, Nudestix Night