Purple Pull

My latest lipstick fixation is Dose of Colors Love Potion, after seeing it featured in MakeupByAlli's January Favourites and a separate video by Marlena of Makeup Geek. It's $16 on the Dose of Colors website and while international shipping is available, the cheapest option is $12.75. Unwilling to pay a further 80% of the cost of the lipstick to ship it over to Australia (at least for now), I do what I always do when I'm hit with a sudden wishlist addition: examine my closest alternatives and try to make do. I picked out the existing purple-leaning lipsticks in my collection, steering clear of more vampy berry and wine shades that I was very much into last winter.

l-r: Revlon Gumdrop, Australis Lick the Icing, Lime Crime Airborne Unicorn, Revlon Berry Haute, Maybelline Hot Plum, Australis Limited Edition 1

From swatches I've seen online, Dose of Colors Love Potion seems to be a neon pastel violet. It's like a bright Barbie pink with a good dose of purple. MakeupByAlli said it resembled the colour of a "berry smoothie", which I thought was a neat description. I'm a fan of purple lipsticks in general and I can't stop buying pink lipsticks, but surprisingly, it doesn't look like I have anything exactly like Love Potion. Or even close to it.

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Gumdrop is a sheer muted lavender, almost greyish compared with the others, with silver sparkles. Australis Colour Inject Mineral Lipstick in Lick the Icing is a bright lilac pink. Lime Crime Airborne Unicorn is an opaque medium purple that's relatively blue-leaning and cool, not much pink/red to it. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Berry Haute is a muted grape crossed with berry pink, slightly brownish. Maybelline ColorSensational Vivids Lipstick in Hot Plum is the odd one out here, being a bold hot pink with strong fuchsia tones. Australis Colour Inject Mineral Lipstick in Limited Edition 1 is a dramatic, somewhat vampy grape that leaves a reddish berry stain.

While I might not have a dupe of Love Potion among my purple lipsticks, one of the advantages of having a lipstick problem is the ability to come up with something close through mixing colours. To my eyes, Love Potion is like a combination of Australis Lick the Icing and Lime Crime Airborne Unicorn. I've tried layering the darker shade on top of the lighter one (dabbing on a touch of Face of Australia Sheer Gloss Lip Crayon in Cupcake for slightly more pink as Airborne Unicorn can be a bit overpowering) and the result has me satisfied I can live without Love Potion. More than anything, my pull towards purple lipsticks has been well and truly reignited. They're a bit unconventional and can be harder to wear than your usual pinks, reds or corals, but I find them bold, unique and a lot of fun, plus strikingly pretty when you find the right one.

Porcelain Doll Pink

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blushes are oft-raved about but somewhat difficult to acquire outside of the States, so when I spotted Dollface on a local blog sale, I couldn't resist the opportunity to add another Tarte blush to my stash. I already have the neutral Exposed and was eyeing more coral offerings like Tipsy or Blissful to potentially purchase next, but took a chance on the pink Dollface, swayed by good reviews I'd read on various blogs and MakeupAlley.

l-r: e.l.f. Pink Passion, NARS Angelika, Laura Mercier Rose Desire, Tarte Dollface

Tarte Dollface is a light-to-medium, slightly cool pink that imparts a rosy flush. There is a slight sheen to the finish but it applies and appears mainly matte. e.l.f. Studio Blush in Pink Passion is brighter, lighter and more blue-toned. NARS Blush in Angelika is more red with silver sparkles. Laura Mercier Second Skin Cheek Colour in Rose Desire (from the Lingerie Eye & Cheek Palette) is extremely similar, I would say a near dupe, maybe just a touch more fuchsia and fractionally lighter.

I wish I could be more excited about Dollface, but I find my enthusiasm significantly dampened by the fact I have three other blushes in my collection that are nearly identical (Pink Passion, once on the cheeks, gives pretty much the same effect as Dollface, despite looking sufficiently different in the swatch). More problematic is the fact I find pink blushes generally harder to wear for my skin tone than peaches and softer corals. I always feel that they demand an absolutely flawless base to look good, otherwise the colour can emphasise any redness in the face and appear a bit patchy and not perfectly blended. Unintentionally overdoing it can result in a ruddy look suggestive of skin in distress rather than a sweet, "doll-like" flush.

I'm also not convinced by the "12 hour" wear claims. Maybe I'm just using it too lightly, but I don't find Dollface to last significantly longer than the majority of blushes I own. After 4-5 hours it's faded and by the end of the day (around the 10 hour mark), I can't detect much left on my cheeks. The texture of Tarte blushes is on the dry, hard side as opposed to more powdery and soft like Illamasqua or theBalm, though the pigment of Dollface is looser and much easier to pick up on my brush than Exposed, the surface of which has seemingly sealed, though that might just be the one I have.

A definite plus to the two Tarte blushes I've tried is once applied, they impart a kind of lit-from-within radiance to the complexion, which is generated free of any shimmer or dewiness. The shades are mainly matte but they remain brightening rather than dull and flat. The blushes also meld very naturally with the skin, as if the colour is coming from underneath, as opposed to sitting on top.

Bright Like Juliet

I first heard about Antipodes Juliet Skin-Brightening Gel Cleanser from Michelle of Eat Paint Sniff Glue all the way back in October 2012, but only managed to pick one up during the post-Christmas sales a few weeks ago. Both Myer and David Jones were having 25% off full-priced Antipodes products, so I bought this cleanser for just under $25, which I thought was reasonable for a 200ml bottle. While Antipodes seems to get a decent level of attention on blogs, I haven't heard much about this cleanser except from Michelle and Cherie and wasn't sure whether my skin would like it or how it'd perform. I've generally enjoyed the Antipodes products I've tried so far, so I had high expectations.

Antipodes Juliet Skin-Brightening Gel Cleanser

After using it for a few weeks, I feel I've definitely had misconceptions about the product. Firstly, I expected little to no foam, but it actually produces a not insignificant amount of lather, especially with warm water and freshly washed hands. Secondly, I expected my skin to be left plump and balanced afterwards, with no signs of dryness or feeling stripped. Actually, I found it's no different to most regular foaming cleansers, in that if I don't moisturise within a few minutes of washing my face, I absolutely feel some degree of tightness and my skin craving hydration. Thirdly, I expected this to smell amazing, with the description on the bottle promising "a refreshing fragrance of green apple and cardamon", but after a while all I detect is the faint smell of soy sauce combined with a whiff of cough medicine. A little bit odd, not exactly pleasant, but subdued enough to not be an issue.

I've been using this basically every weekday in the mornings to wash my face, believing it to be a gentler and less harsh option than a normal foaming cleanser from say, Dove or Bioré, but at the same time more effective than simply splashing cold water onto my face. I like the ritual of properly cleansing my face in the mornings to get my day started, wake me up a little, take off any remnant creams, serums or oils that I've slapped on the night before and begin with a fresh, bare canvas for my moisturiser and makeup. Even with near daily use, it barely looks like I've used up any product, so I imagine the entire bottle lasting a long time.

Though it has a few ingredients that sound very appealing and skin-benefiting, like kiwi seed oil, Manuka honey and their trademarked "Vinanza Performance Plus" (which combines kiwifruit seed and grape seed extracts using a natural process that involves only water), I'm not wowed by how this leaves my skin feeling after I've used it. That is, after I pat my face dry with a washcloth and all the water has evaporated off my face a couple of minutes later, it starts feeling taut and craving moisturiser. Maybe my skin's just on the dry side right now and this is designed more for normal or oily/combination skin. I also don't feel it's done anything particularly noticeable in terms of skin-brightening. I'll continue to reach for this in the mornings instead of only washing my face with water or using a cream cleanser, but to me, it's more or less a slightly gentler version of a standard foaming cleanser from a cheaper brand, with some nicer-sounding ingredients and a unique scent.

January Favourites

January was about dealing with bad skin, refocusing on a skin care routine centered around one star product, finding an incredibly effective solution to my makeup brush washing woes, revisiting a popular hair treatment after becoming more experimental with my shampoo, finally figuring out how to properly apply a blush I wanted to love, a somewhat underwhelming Australian Open, and lots and lots of Lush bath indulgence. Amid all that, I also managed to sneak in a short beach getaway with friends on the Australia Day long weekend, kicking off the year on a high note.

January 2014 Favourite Products

In the midst of my paranoia about whether my makeup brushes could be causing my skin problems, I started to apply my foundation with clean fingers instead. I picked Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow as my preferred base. I remember when I purchased this foundation at Bloomingdale's during my New York holiday in late 2012, the girl at the Benefit counter mentioned that she'd previously used MAC foundations that constantly broke her out, but once she made the switch to Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow, her skin has thanked her ever since. The silky, fluid formula is kind on slightly dry skin and feels extremely lightweight. It creates a natural, satin finish that subtly brightens and perfects the complexion, and holds up well in terms of oil control.

While I'd normally conceal any spots or areas of redness after with either Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Sand or Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in Classic Beige (030) using a Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush, I decided to go back to an old favourite in Bourjois Healthy Balance Unifying Powder in 52 Vanille. I've been alternating between much pricier powders in the form of Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light and Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder in N°20, but returning to the Bourjois was a revelation. This stuff is seriously good. A light dusting of this over the Benefit foundation, pressed, not blended on with my Too Faced Power Pouf Brush successfully pulled off the illusion of damn good skin, when the truth was anything but. It's very smooth and soft in texture without being powdery, mattifies without looking flat, and provides an extra, finishing boost of coverage.

I've already detailed the routine I stuck with which helped my skin to recover from a bad state, and I attribute Sukin Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil to most of its success. It's reached the point where I'm reluctant to switch things up and use another of my many face oils, lest the good work be undone. I'm super pleased with how this seems to work magically overnight to restore the skin, replenish its suppleness and give back much-needed hydration, and generally balance, nourish and protect the skin. I would say I previously had oily/combination skin, with my T-zone shining like a beacon in many a picture taken with flash, but consistent use of face oils over the past couple of years have definitely helped my skin regulate itself better.

I had the luxury of having the house to myself for a week in January, which meant being granted the space and time to indulge in some self-pampering and try some of the bath bombs from Lush gift sets I'd purchased during the post-Christmas sales. I snapped up some pictures on my Instagram (Fizzbanger and Lord of Misrule Bath Ballistics here, The Christmas Penguin Bubble Bar and Dragon's Egg Bath Ballistic here) of the explosions of colour, froth, confetti, glitter, oils and scents triggered by dunking these into water. Out of the four I tried, Lord of Misrule was my favourite. Dipping into the water felt so silky and moisturising, I enjoyed the green exterior revealing a wine-coloured centre, and the rich, calming, sensuous fragrance lingered in my bathroom the day after.

Speaking of Lush, I've been using their Shower Jellies, bars of Fun and even shower gels to wash my hair over a normal shampoo from the likes of Pantene or L'Oréal. It adds an element of novelty and play to the usually dull, tedious routine of hair washing, and I find it leaves my locks very clean (but not dry or brittle) and stretches out the time between washes as my roots don't become oily as quickly. My ends can become slightly dry however, so I've been regularly reaching for my Morrocanoil Hair Treatment to condition my ends, squirting one pump into my hands, rubbing them together, then working the product into semi-damp hair, concentrating on the lower half of my tresses. It helps hair to dry faster, and leaves it smoother, less frizzy and shinier.

If you're after a brush cleanser that takes the agony out of brush washing, look no further than Daiso Detergent for Puff and Sponge. Using the tip I learned from Michelle, I squeeze a bit of this out into a small measuring container filled about a third of the way with lukewarm water. Immerse the head of the brush into the container so it's touching the base and circulate it around. It takes about 10 seconds for a freshly washed brush to emerge from murky waters. Life changing. I washed 36 brushes in less time than I would have taken for about 10-15 employing my old method of Johnson's Baby Shampoo and my palm.

My last favourite for this month is theBalm FratBoy blush, which I was determined to make work after seeing it pop up repeatedly on some of my favourite blogs. Despite initially not loving the shade on me and finding it much too similar to Australis Paparazzi Perfect High Definition blush in Screen Siren for my liking, I persevered and it finally paid off. The best way I've found to apply this blush is to use a soft, fluffy brush like Real Techniques Multi-Task Brush or Ecotools Blush Brush (from the Alicia Silverstone 5 Piece Brush Set), lightly dab the brush into the pan, take off most of the colour on the underside of the wrist, then sweep from the centre of your cheek that aligns with your pupil, along the cheekbones, to the top part of your ear (an amazing tip from Lisa Gregory). The result is so much better than the ruddy mess that happened each time I was applying the blush straight from the pan and struggling with the placement. It peps up the face and imparts a very springtime-appropriate, warm peachy-pink flush with a touch of coral.