Peachy Boost

I first heard of the Bourjois Color Boost Glossy Finish Lipsticks from Sandra back in June and soon enough, they started popping up everywhere. I didn't know if I wanted to cave and buy my 327th lip crayon, even if one of my favourite brands was producing it. When they were released in Australia, I resisted buying one immediately, but with 25% off Bourjois this week at Priceline, I caved. I already had tried all four shades and knew that Peach on the Beach (04) was my clear favourite.

The Bourjois Color Boost Glossy Finish Lipstick is more or less identical to the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains in packaging and size, maybe just slightly shorter in length. The actual product inside is surprisingly quite different. The Revlon crayons are hard and drier in texture and relatively transfer-proof, while the Bourjois is very emollient (kind of oily, even), soft and glossy, almost like it's melting upon contact with the skin/lips. Although it's sheer in the sense that it doesn't apply opaque like a traditional lipstick, it's still really pigmented. While it claims to have a "bare lip sensation", it feels more like a creamy lipstick coating the lips rather than something closer to a balm stain that sinks into the lips and is weightless.

Peach on the Beach is a pinky coral that is borderline neon. The more you apply, the greater tendency it has to settle into lip lines, so I normally blot once and then press my lips together to blend. If I don't want a full-on lip, I dab a small amount on the centre of my lips and then blend out with my finger for a subtler look. It imparts a reddish pink stain when it's taken off, though nothing like the crazy staining properties of some of the darker, brighter Revlon shades. It purports to be waterproof and provide 10 hours of "comfort and hydration", but those claims are ambitious to say the least. There's SPF 15 which is a bonus.

I thought I'd surely have something close to identical to Peach on the Beach among my vast peach/coral lipstick collection, but pleasingly, nothing was an exact match. I pulled out Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick in Melonade (180), Maybelline ColorSensational Vivids in Shocking Coral (910), Australis Colour Inject Mineral Lipstick in Honky Tonk and Sportsgirl Pout About It! Lip Colour in Fruit Tingle to compare.

l-r: Bourjois Peach on the Beach, Revlon Melonade, Maybelline Shocking Coral, Australis Honky Tonk, Sportsgirl Fruit Tingle

The Bourjois is clearly the most sheer and glossy of the bunch, but still pigmented. It's more peachy and 'wet'/glossy look than the rest, and also the lightest, almost with a pastel tone. Revlon Melonade is more orangey red and significantly darker. Maybelline Shocking Coral is more watermelon pink, redder, bolder, more intense. Australis Honky Tonk is the closest colour match, though slightly darker, more opaque, less glossy and sheer. Sportsgirl Fruit Tingle, like Melonade, is more of a fiery orange, but matte.

Though I'm becoming more selective about any new lip product purchases I make because of the insane number of lipsticks, lip crayons, lip butters, lip stains, tinted lip balms, lip glosses etc. that I have, the Bourjois isn't an unwelcome addition. I still enjoy the jumbo lip crayon look for the child-like novelty of wielding a fattened pencil, and the emollient, spreadable texture makes it easy to sport a summery slick of bright-yet-pastel colour.

Convertible Convert

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Cream of the Crop

Along with matte eyeshadows, my other obsession lately has been cream blushes. This isn't anything new, in that cream anything (eyeshadows, blushes, highlighters) have always appealed to me, but the other night I suddenly felt like I absolutely needed one of those Stila Convertible Colours. In a feeble attempt to resist the urge to buy, I pulled out and swatched all the cream blushes and multipurpose products I had, trying to convince myself that I could do without Gerbera or Lillium.

It's no secret that I'm partial to pinks and peaches and any combination of the two, but I was a little surprised at the overall lack of colour variation in my collection and how similar a couple of the shades were (namely Australis Crème Colour in Flirtatious Pink and Bloom Sheer Colour Cream in Coy). Just goes to show that when it comes to cosmetic purchases, most of the time we're drawn to the same things over and over again.

My favourite is NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Natural (CB02). I bought this from a stall at the Chinatown night markets in the middle of last year. It's a medium, warm pink with a creamy, strongly pigmented formulation that's neither too thick nor greasy and slippery. Because of its excellent colour payoff, you only need a very small amount to blend onto the cheeks. I like to use this with my fingers, an Ecotools Baby Kabuki (for a more airbrushed flush) or a Real Techniques Expert Face Brush for slightly more precision.

I also really love Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Zygomatic, an impulse buy that I haven't regretted. It's thinner in consistency and more emollient than the NYX, which makes it easier to blend with the fingers, however it's also less pigmented. It's the most muted and neutral of the blushes I have, and the one I reach for when I want a more nude, dusty pink colour to the cheeks and to add soft definition to my non-existent cheekbones.

On the other side of the spectrum, I have the most vibrant cream blush in my collection, a bright orange from the Revlon Multi-Use Palette. This one distinguishes itself from the other five in that the colour isn't dusty, pastel or otherwise muted. It actually goes on relatively sheer but with 2-3 layers, provides more of an enlivening, summery pep to the cheeks close to Benefit Cha Cha Tint. It's much drier in texture and almost matte. However, it comes in such a tiny, inaccessible square that I almost never find myself reaching for it.

Bloom Sheer Colour Cream in Coy was on my wishlist for a few months before I finally caved. The pastel peachy pink colour was the main attraction, along with the packaging and lavender scent. This one is closest in texture and pigmentation to the NYX Rouge Cream Blush, if a tad drier. On my cheeks, I've always found the colour to be too strong and not that flattering with my skin tone, so I kind of gave up on it. Coy fares better on my lips as a warm, nude-leaning pink.

Australis Crème Colour in Flirtatious Pink was the first cream blush I ever purchased over a year ago. While swatching my blushes, I didn't anticipate it would look almost identical to Coy, as Coy always seemed distinctly more peachy to me. I find Flirtatious Pink to be much more wearable, perhaps because it's a touch more pink and rosy. Funnily enough, it's also scented with lavender like the Bloom and more or less identical in shape and size. It's a little bit drier than the Sheer Colour Cream but about the same pigmentation.

I bought Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blush in Pinched (100) from Rite Aid on my New York holiday as I wasn't prepared to spend $26.95 on it in Australia. The other two colours (a bright coral and fuchsia) seemed a bit too intimidating for everyday wear, so I opted for the safe choice — a light peach with fine gold shimmer. The texture with this one was more air-whipped/mousse-like than the thicker, creamier, emollient formulations of the other cream blushes I have. It required several layers to be built up to decent pigmentation, but the major problem with Pinched is that the staying power is close to zero. There's almost no point in wearing it unless you only want it to show up for 2 hours, so in that respect it was a major disappointment.

In sunlight

l-r: Revlon Pinched, Illamasqua Zygomatic, Australis Flirtatious Pink, NYX Natural, Bloom Coy, Revlon Multi-Use Palette

In a way, I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with cream blushes. As much as I gravitate towards them for being easier to blend and apply with the fingers, and for a more natural flush that sinks into your skin and gives a touch of dewiness, they can end up being trickier to work with than powder blushes or cheek stains. A good brush goes a long way in diffusing product seamlessly and naturally. I also find that generally, creams don't last as long on the skin as powders. Depending on the texture, it can be difficult to get just the right amount, perfectly blended without any patchiness, and for that reason I often skip cream blush for powder. However, there's something more modern, seemingly effortless and versatile about creams that will always keep me returning to them with renewed interest.

Rubenesque Rundown

I remember first being introduced to MAC Paint Pot in Rubenesque in one of Nic from Pixiwoo's videos. It made her eyelids glisten with such an eye-catching, subtle but multifaceted orangey-gold sheen that I was compelled to made a note of the name of the product so I could check it out and hopefully purchase it later. I'd always been drawn to the MAC Paint Pots because of the ease and versatility of cream eyeshadows, but with the Maybelline Color Tattoos a much more affordable alternative, I couldn't bring myself to spend $35 on one. Painterly had always been the shade I was most tempted by, but I rationalised that such a colour would barely show up on my lids and only act an an eyelid primer more than anything. Rubenesque was yet another US purchase I made (that trip really was about fulfilling 95% of my makeup wishlist), setting me back $18.50 rather than almost double that had I bought it in Australia.

l-r: Wet n Wild Comfort Zone Eyelid shade, MAC Rubenesque, NARS Enchanted, Prestige Champagne, Urban Decay Chopper

MAC Rubenesque is described as a "mid-tone frosted golden peach with gold and pink pearl". There's only a hint of pink, and it's not as frosty as some other eyeshadows that I have in that the predominant shimmer isn't white or silver. To my eyes, it's more of a sheer peach with a gold overlay. This is one of those colours that looks beautiful when swatched, but falls flat when I apply it. It just doesn't work with my eye shape and skin tone. It took about three layers for the pigmentation to be built up to a light wash of slightly orangey gold. The formula of the Paint Pot itself was smooth, blendable and creamy, but it appeared a little drying on the lid and not as emollient as other cream shadows I have, notably the Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow/Liner.

Compared to similar shades I have, there's nothing that's an exact dupe. Interestingly, the left "Eyelid" colour of the Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Collection in Comfort Zone is nearly identical to Urban Decay Chopper from the Naked2 palette (Chopper is slightly more intense in pigmentation and metallic in finish). Both colours are more copper compared to the lighter goldish peach of Rubenesque. Prestige Champagne is sheerer and more of a browny peach with less of a pinky-orange undertone and missing the gold sheen that runs through Rubenesque. NARS Enchanted, actually a cream blush, is surprisingly the most dissimilar. It's a lot more vibrantly pinky peach with the addition of crazy glitter shards.

I wanted to love Rubenesque, but since I bought it, I've barely touched it. I think this would look better on those with fairer skin and a visible crease/socket for an everyday, brightening look. The only way I'd imagine getting some use out of it is as a base for gold, copper or bronze eyeshadows, or maybe even as a highlighter.

January Favourites

I don't know what's been up with the weather this past month. From extreme heat to non-stop rain, I've come down with something in the past few days that I haven't managed to shake, even with lemon and honey, Panadol and baths with eucalyptus oil. Coughing hurts my throat, my voice sounds like death and my mouth feels dry and scratchy. Needless to say, I haven't been terribly enthused with makeup in my current state, though I do have a few standouts from the past month that comprise my January Favourites.

l-r: Benefit Sugarbomb, Rimmel Soft Beige, Laura Mercier Twilight Grey, theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation
I've been meaning to buy this foundation for ages after reading not a single bad review. I managed to nab this for just under $10 due to the 50% off Revlon, Maybelline and Rimmel sale at Chemist Warehouse. I was tossing up between Soft Beige and the shade down, True Ivory, but I found it hard to tell the difference between them. Soft Beige is warmer and more orange/yellow than True Ivory, which is more olive-toned, but they seemed more or less the same darkness when I swatched them alongside each other.

In the end, I chose Soft Beige, which turned out to be a mistake since it's way too dark for me. The first couple of times, I didn't use that much product and I had my neck covered, so I didn't notice just how hilariously wrong the shade is for me until I had my hair up and was wearing a scoop neck top. I started to mix it 50/50 with Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in 52, which is too light for me, and the two turned out to be the perfect combination. The thickness and coverage of the Rimmel mixes with the more fluid, satiny Healthy Mix to form an ideal everyday foundation.

Benefit Sugarbomb
My favourite discovery for the month. Sugarbomb made me believe that a blush could be genuinely easy to wear and work effortlessly with my skin tone. Full post here.

Laura Mercier Eye Colour in Twilight Grey
I've used this consistently since receiving it in Sue's giveaway parcel at the beginning of the month. So pigmented, smooth, easy to blend and with minimal fallout. I use this with my default Maybelline Bad to the Bronze or the purple colour in Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio in Silent Treatment.

theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer
I've come to appreciate this powder highlighter tenfold just recently. I found the trick is to forget about brushes. Use your fingers. The texture is so blendable, soft and almost creamy, and it's so luminous and pigmented, that using the fingers gives the best result. You get better control, you don't overload on product and it blends more seamlessly into the skin. This is a much stronger highlighter than the more subtle Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow All Over Radiance Crème, so it's my pick for when you need that extra glow and lift.

Clarins Multi-Active Night Youth Recovery Cream
I bought this as part of a Clarins "Renewing" Set on Boxing Day, which also contained a Gentle Foaming Cleanser (100ml), Toning Lotion with Camomile (125ml) and Beauty Flash Balm (30ml). I use this at night mixed with a couple of drops of Josie Maran Argan Oil and/or Antipodes Divine Oil. It feels refreshing and intensely hydrating, without being greasy or heavy. It's gently perfumed with an uplifting, soothing scent. The pin hole opening is hygienic and ensures that you have control over the amount that comes out each time. This is the first skin care product I've tried from Clarins and I'm definitely keen to try out more.

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.