A great base for a pale face

So if you haven't noticed already, I'm pretty damn pale. Because of this, I used to find it really difficult when it came to my base make-up but over the past few years I've found a few bits and pieces that really work for my pale complexion! I know a few fellow pale people that struggle with finding a decent foundation or whatever so I thought I'd make this post to give you guys some ideas of what might work for you!

1. Sunscreen: Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense - SPF  50 PA+++ ($65.00 AUD)

First and foremost in any pale persons (or anyone's in general, really) make-up routine should be sunscreen, especially for those of us who live in places such as good ol' sunny Australia. To keep the freckles in check (I love my freckles but I would rather my skin not get any more sun damaged) I use the Kheil's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense SPF 50+ sunscreen. I've been using this sunscreen for the past few months and it's honestly the best I've ever tried! I have very sensitive skin and with previous sunscreens I either broke out in a rash (real attractive, I know) or the sunscreen was great but had an oily texture to it, which doesn't feel all that fantastic. But this sunscreen is incredibly light and non-greasy! Whilst it is very expensive, I've found it does a much better than job than every drugstore sunscreen and other high-end sunscreens I've managed to try over the years so it's definitely worth the investment. 

2. Primer: Too Faced Primed and Poreless skin smoothing face primer ($39.00 AUD) 

Next step to ensuring a fantastic base is of course, primer! You can really use any primer that you like (or none if you prefer) and I've recently been using this Too Faced Primed and Poreless skin smoothing face primer. This is similar to Benefit's POREfessional, though much cheaper, and I feel as though it does a much better job when it comes to actually keeping my make-up on through-out the day instead of just ensuring my pores are smooth. 

3. Foundation: Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation SPF 15 ($68.00 AUD) 

Foundation is usually the most difficult step when it comes to finding a great base routine for us pale people. Over the years I've tried so many foundations and every time I tried a drugstore foundation I broke out or got a rash (again, super duper attractive- thank you sensitive skin) and when it came to more expensive foundations they were usually more yellow based than pink based (which is what I need). Nearly a year ago now, I had my make-up done for a university ball and I tried the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation in the shade Porcelain (as pale as you can get... typical) and I've never looked back. This foundation really is like a second skin, it's incredibly light, easy to blend and if you want more coverage you can easily apply more layers on top. I would recommend this foundation to anyone, but for those of you with pale skin, definitely check this one out!

4. Concealer: NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer ($35.00 AUD) & Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Clearing Concealer ($35.00 AUD)

Concealer is something that not every one needs but something I find myself reaching for on a daily basis. I'm actually currently looking for a new under-eye concealer to try (if you have any suggestions please let me know) but for now I'm using the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in the shade Vanilla. This is a fantastic under-eye concealer and does a decent job at covering those charming under-eye circles without creasing but I've recently decided that the shade might be a little to yellow for me! I think I might have to give the next palest shade a try. For blemishes I use the Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Clearing Concealer and have continuously used this stuff for years. This is a very blend-able and build-able concealer that is perfect for covering those spots and dots.

5. Powder: Chanel Natural Loose Powder ($71.00 AUD)

Powder is something many people don't need in their make-up routine but it's something I use on a daily basis so I thought I would mention it any way. I was lucky enough to receive my current powder as a very generous gift for Christmas and have been loving it! The Chanel Natural Loose Powder is very light weight and sets my makeup perfectly. I never have to touch up my make-up throughout the day and have found this works wonders when trying to prevent foundation or concealer creasing.

6: Blush, Bronze & Highlight!

Last but not least is bringing a little bit of colour back into our pale complexions! I'm more of a blush and highlighter girl myself but Tayla (who's pretty much just as pale as me) loves using a bit of bronzer to have her skin looking a little warmer! She likes to use either The Body Shop Honey Bronzer Bronzing Powder ($22.00 AUD) in shade #01 or the NARS Laguna Bronzing Powder ($49.00 AUD). For highlighter and blush, I regularly like to use The Balm's Mary-Lou Manizer ($34.95 AUD) and a NARS powder blush in the shade Sex Fantasy ($39.00) which was unfortunately a limited edition shade but there are plenty similar to it in drugstores and other high-end brands.

I hope some of my fellow pale pals will have found some new products to try and please recommend any that you think I might like to try myself!

Thank you for reading, love Maddie ♡♡♡

Brand Loving: NARS

Way back in March I made a post all about my favourite Too Faced products, which you can read here. It turned out to be a very well received post so today I thought I would make a similar post but focus on a different brand instead- this time being NARS. Whilst I haven't tried a tonne from the brand, I wanted to share what I have tried and loved with my fellow make-up junkies.

Like my Too Faced post, I wanted to start by mentioning the packaging of NARS products. I love the matte black and white design that is used religiously throughout all their products- It looks expensive, feels expensive and doesn't break or get damaged easily. The only problem I have with the packaging is how easily it gets dirty. It's a constant battle to keep any NARS product clean, I'm sure many of you will agree with me on this!

Base Products:

The NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer has been repurchased by me many times. For me, this concealer does the whole job- it covers spots, blemishes, under-eye circles and redness. The formula is very light, blend-able and doesn't crease throughout the day. Like most NARS base products, the colour range is fantastic with shades for those of us with pale skin and for those of you on the other end of the spectrum with darker skin! Now at $35 (thank you Sephora for finally coming to Australia and forcing makeup stores such as Mecca Maxima to match the American pricing) it's a concealer I really think you should try at least once, I promise you won't be disappointed! 

Face Products:

Possibly one of the most highly coveted and highly recommended bronzers of all time, NARS Laguna (AUD $49) is a staple in many makeup junkies daily routines. The bronzer itself really is as good as everyone says it is. The colour pay-off is amazing, it's blend-able, build-able and has fantastic lasting power. Personally, I think Laguna is slightly too dark for my skin tone, but on Tayla (who is only very slightly tanner than I am) it looks amazing! I think it's simply a matter of getting the shade to work for you, I haven't experimented with it nearly enough (I very rarely wear bronzer) but I'm sure I can make it work one day.

I think it's pretty clear by now that I love blush. Along with lipstick, it's my favourite product to buy and try and I think it's because it's a pretty 'safe' product. Unlike foundation, concealer and primer, I know my skin won't react weirdly to trying out a new blush (99% of the time anyway) and it's always fun experimenting with different colours and finishes. One of my all time favourite blushers is the NARS Sex Fantasy blush (AUD $39) which was a part of the limited edition Final Cut collection (so it's no longer available, sorry!). Sex Fantasy is a beautiful dusty, matte pink that suits most make-up looks and would definitely suit most skin tones. 

Recently, NARS released the Virtual Domination palette as part of their Christmas collection. As soon as I noticed that Sex Fantasy was one of the blush shades included, I knew I would have to have the palette in my greedy hands. The palette includes one highlighter (Miss Liberty), three different blush shades (Deep Throat, Sex Fantasy, Final Cut) and a full sized Laguna bronzer. As most limited edition NARS products seem to, this palette sold out very, very quickly and I can't find it available online anywhere. Luckily, both Miss Liberty (the highlighter) and Deep Throat (top right blush) are part of the permanent collection (along with Laguna of course) so if you missed out on the palette, you can still pick up a few of the shades! 

Lip Products:

As I mentioned earlier, I love collecting lipsticks and NARS lipsticks are definitely some of my favourites. I've mentioned all three of my NARS 'regular' lipsticks (AUD $35) on the blog before so I'll link you to those posts so you have a little more 'in depth' information. The first I purchased was Scarlet Empress (you can read my post featuring it here) which is a lovely deep berry shade. The next was Red Lizard (you can read my post featuring it here)  which is a classic matte red shade, perfect for any occasion. Finally, I purchased Niagra (you can read my post featuring it here) which is a gorgeous pink toned coral, perfect for every day wear. All in all, NARS lipsticks are all very high quality with great lasting power- I would definitely pick one up to try if you're in the market for a new lipstick or two.

If you like matte lipsticks, you should really check out the NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in the shade Volga, a deep aubergine shade (now AUD $35).  Like the previous lipsticks mentioned, this has also been featured in a blog post before, which you can read here. As the name suggests, this lipstick is seriously matte, with incredible lasting power and colour pay-off.

Last but certainly not least is the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil (AUD $34) in the shade Red Square. These have been popping up everywhere online for about a year now and they seem to only continue to grow in popularity. My sister recently picked up Red Square which is a beautiful, bright orange toned red and I've been really, really impressed. The colour pay-off is ridiculous for a pencil (I find pencils usually aren't as pigmented), the formula isn't too drying despite being matte and they last for ages. I can't wait to pick up a few more shades in the near future!

What's your favourite NARS product? I hope this post was at least a little interesting/helpful for my fellow makeup addicts or for those of you wanting to try something from the brand!
Thank you for reading, love from Maddie xo

MAC x Rocky Horror Collection Lipsticks

When I discovered that Mac would be doing a Rocky Horror Picture Show collection I knew I would not be able to resist buying something. What I didn't expect was that I actually liked nearly the entire collection for once! I'm not the biggest fan of limited edition collections and normally don't bother buying them (the only limited edition product I have ever purchased before now was my favorite NARS blush, Sex Fantasy, from their Final Cut collection) because you can't buy new ones when they need replacing or when you want to recommend them to other people. In saying that, I didn't buy the entire Rocky Horror collection because I really don't need that much makeup and it obviously gets very expensive! I was lucky enough to get a hold of the two lipsticks I wanted, Frank-n-Furter and Sin.

Frank-n-Furter (AUD $38.00) (named after Dr. Frank-n-Furter of course) was definitely the most sought after and most popular product in this entire collection and it's pretty obvious why. This lipstick is actually perfect, in my opinion anyway. Despite being a matte formula, it is very, very easy to apply and unexpectedly creamy. Mac matte lipsticks are notorious for being very drying, and I have to agree, but the formula of this one seems a little different as it's noticeably less drying and easier to apply because it's slightly creamier (I even had to wear a lipliner with this because I think it would bleed if worn for a long time without liner). Whatever you've done with Frank-n-Furter Mac, you've done it right! The colour itself is everything you'd expect the most popular lipstick shade in a Rocky Horror Picture Show collection to look like. It's a very pigmented, dark, berry toned red that would match every skin tone and is the perfect autumnal shade (despite it being a sweltering spring here in Australia). 

I also picked up Sin (AUD $38.00-limited edition / AUD $36.00) which is actually part of Mac's permanent lipstick line. I had been meaning to pick up Sin for a long time and upon discovering that it would be a part of the collection, it was the perfect opportunity to buy it (pretty much perfect Rocky Horror collection packaging and all). Sin is also a matte shade and the difference in the formula of Frank-n-Furter and Sin is very noticeable. Like majority of the other Mac matte lipsticks, Sin is pretty drying when worn for an extended period of time and gets a little difficult to apply because it pulls on the lips slightly. In saying that however, this lipstick is very pigmented and will last for hours without reapplying. The colour itself is a very deep plum/purple (I'm terrible at descriptions, can you tell?) and would definitely suit most people. It's the perfect sultry lip colour, I wold definitely recommend this for those of you that love a good dark lip!

I know a lot of people were interested in the Rocky Horror Picture show collection so I hope you enjoyed this little post! 

Thank for reading, love Maddie xo 

My favourite lipsticks for Spring/Summer

As the heat in Australia continues to rise I've found it more and more difficult to wear my typical bright pink or bold red lipstick on a daily basis. When wearing a bold lip colour I feel as though it's going to melt straight off of my face (despite knowing that it won't, the lipsticks I wear are very long lasting) but I can't help but opt to wear a more neutral lipstick in this weather, so I'm writing today to share the lipsticks I think are perfect for Spring and Summer!

1. NARS Satin lipstick- Niagra ($35 AUD)

This is without a doubt, my current favorite lipstick. I never imagined I would love a coral shade so much as they usually don't look the best with my pale skin, but this shade is actually perfect! Niagra is a pink based coral, which is why I find that this looks better on me than the regular orange based corals. Like all NARS lipsticks, the lasting power of this is pretty amazing, though as a Satin lipstick instead of a matte, this one does need reapplying throughout the day. The application itself is very smooth and hassle free whilst the lipstick is really moisturising and comfortable to wear! 

2. MAC Lustre lipstick- Lovelorn ($36 AUD)

I have three well-loved MAC lipsticks but this one is without a doubt my favorite! It's difficult to describe the shade of Lovelorn as it's pretty much the perfect pink for me. It's not too dark, not too bright and not too pale- it's just right. I would even go as far as to say that this is a very wearable Barbie pink. Just like most MAC lipsticks, this one is a little drying, despite not being a matte lipstick, but I've found slathering some lip balm or a lip treatment on before hand counteracts that problem easily. 

3. Bobbi Brown Sheer lip colour - Rosy ($44 AUD)

As the name would suggest, this is a sheer lipstick in a lovely 'Rosy' shade. Whilst I do think there are many better alternatives to spending $44 on a sheer lipstick from Bobbi Brown (such as choosing one of the many options available from the drugstore) I did find it very difficult to find one in this particular shade. I was also lucky enough to have a friend send this to me from overseas, so it was much, much cheaper than the $44 you will be paying here in Australia. I like to wear this lipstick when I need a little more colour on my face so I tend to just dab some on to create more of a stain before applying the lipstick thoroughly, also ensuring the longevity of the lipstick.

Just a small post for today! Sorry for the lack of posts lately, I haven't been able to write anything semi-interesting (I'm not even sure if this post will interest any of you) and I've been having problems with the lighting in our new house and my camera (which you will surely be able to tell from the photo in this post). Hopefully I'll get back into the swing of things soon!

Thank you for reading, love Maddie xo

More of my favorite bloggers everyday makeup!

Well I never imagined I would be writing another one of these posts! In my original post (you can read it here) I got in touch with Kailey from Mermaidens and Annika from The Pineneedle Collective to learn about their everyday makeup routines and I never imagined that the post would become so popular (currently our second most popular post, just behind our post about meeting Benedict Cumberbatch)! I thought I would make this a bit of a series as I personally love hearing about my favorite bloggers everyday makeup routines and I'm positive a lot of you will too!

Kate Gabrielle / Illustrator, business owner, cat mom & personal style blogger at Scathingly Brillaint

Photo supplied by Kate ♥

If you're part of the blogging community there is no doubt that you've heard of the beautiful Kate from Scathingly Brilliant. Ever since I first discovered Kate's blog I've been obsessed with her amazing outfits and the inspirational interior of her apartment/rooms! Kate currently runs three online stores; Flapper Doodle, which specialises and 1920s art and stationary along with Sweet and Lovely which offers an adorable selection of art and handmade goods and finally Your Fan Club which provides anyone with fan club badges and patches from almost any fandom. 

Here's what Kate had to say about her everyday makeup routine; "I'm not really good at doing makeup so I like to keep my routine pretty simple. I'd love to learn how to do complex eyeshadow shading and I'm flirting with the idea of trying false eyelashes but for now this little routine is perfect for me! it's quick and easy, and the eyeliner and swipe of bright colour on my lips are just enough to make me feel polished without working on my face all morning". Kate's signature simple look never fails to leave her looking flawless and I'm sure those of you who don't like to wear too much makeup would love to re-create Kate's everyday makeup!

Photo Supplied by Kate ♥

These are the steps Kate takes to achieve her everyday makeup;

"I start with LUSH skin drink, since I have really dry skin. I've tried so many moisturisers over the years and this one works the best with my super dry sensitive skin. If my skin is looking kind of uneven I'll mix some LUSH jackie oats colour into the lotion. It adds just a teeny tiny amount of colour, which is perfect for evening out my complexion without adding a thick layer of makeup.

Then I apply Josie Maran concealer on my dark circles. Sometimes I'll put on a swipe of white or light peach eye shadow (I haven't found a brand or colour that I really love yet) or just skip right ahead to eyeliner. I like to go for a dramatic 60's inspired cat eye, and I tend to go a little overboard with the eyeliner! I like NYX liquid black liner at the moment. It dries matte and has a nice thin brush, perfect for getting that perfect flick at the corner!

My go-to lip colors are NYX Butter lipstick in Little Susie and Urban Decay Streak. When I'm out and about I'll usually touch up the color with NYX butter lip balm in Parfait. Little Susie is my all-time favorite though, it's just the perfect shade of reddish pink (or pinkish red?) and NYX butter lipsticks are one of the only ones that don't dry my lips out by the end of the day." 

Photo Supplied by Kate ♥

Connie Li / Nineteen year old university student and personal style blogger at Itsconnieyeah

Photo Supplied by Connie ♥

I first stumbled upon Connie's blog after discovering her on Instagram (I have seriously 'met' so many of my favorite bloggers thanks to following them on Instagram and vice versa) and I instantly knew that this girl had a passion for fashion and enjoyed experimenting with her personal style! Connie's blog has grown to be one of my favourites and I'm always excited to read her latest outfit post and fawn all over how amazing she looks in literally every photo! When asked to describe her everyday makeup look she replied with "Hmmm that's tough! I've never tried to define my makeup look but I guess a matte face with bold brows and colourful features? If you're looking for an adjective then 'matte and funky'". I feel as though Connie described her everyday makeup look amazingly and I couldn't have thought of anything more appropriate than 'matte and funky'!

Photo Supplied by Connie ♥

This is how Connie likes to do her everyday makeup;

1. I start off by dotting the Almay Truly Lasting colour foundation over my whole face and buffing it in with my Real Techniques buffing brush.

2. I conceal with the Maybelline Fit Me concealer if my skin needs that extra coverage.

3. Next I do my brows with an angled brush. I’ve been loving the Anastasia dip brow! Stuff stays on like nothing else. For powder I use the Dolly Wink brow duo: nothing extraordinary, it does what it’s supposed to do.

4. I go into cheek stuff next: using the Real Techniques contour brush with my NYC sunny bronzer, and then a fluffy brush to apply blush (which today is Tarte’s Amazonian clay blush in Fantastic).

5. Then I do my signature blue winged eyeliner using Lazuli by Lime Crime.

6. I then set my makeup with the Maybelline Fit Me powder on my Nude powder brush.

7. Last but not least is LIPSTICK!! This part excites me more than words can explain. I absolutely adore all the Lime Crime Velvetines (obviously), but today I went with an old fave- the Australis velourlips in the purple shade!

Ps: I only do mascara for special occasions.

Photo Supplied by Connie ♥

I just wanted to say a huge thank you to both Kate and Connie for sharing their photos and information with me! Thank you both so much, I hope you both liked the post! ♥

Thank you for reading everyone and I apologise for the lack of posts lately, I just haven't felt too inspired and all that jazz, hopefully I can publish blog posts more regularly!

Cream Cheeks

I've never really been all that into using cream products on the daily. Up until recently I much preferred powder blush and highlighters as I found that they lasted a lot longer on me and were much easier to apply. But recently I've been using two cream products on my cheeks and I have really been enjoying the way they feel and look!

The first is The Body Shop's Radiant Highlighter which I picked up in the first place because of the pink colouring of the product- I'm pretty predictable when it comes to that kind of thing. This highlighter is gorgeous, the formula is very light and easy to blend (I usually use my fingers) and melts into the skin perfectly, even when used over powder products. The shimmer within the highlighter itself is very subtle giving more of a natural 'glow' than anything else. When I want to glam things up a little bit more, I simply set this with a powder highlighter (I've mentioned this in a post here) and it works like a charm. This product can also be mixed with your foundation or primer to create a beautiful 'all over glow' that doesn't leave you looking like a disco ball- which is always a good thing!

The second product is the 3 Concept Eyes cream blusher in the shade Baby Peach. This was the first product I've tried from 3 Concept Eyes and so far I'm not disappointed! This cream blusher has an amazing silky and light texture that blends into the skin flawlessly. I don't find it too heavy and it builds and layers very smoothly. The colour pay-off isn't crazy (these blushers are like this on purpose) which means all of the shades look very natural and provide some 'healthy' colouring to the cheeks. The lasting power of this is pretty amazing but if you want it to last all day and night I would recommend lightly setting it with a similar coloured powder blush. 3 Concept Eyes is not a common brand here in Australia (as it's a Korean brand) but I picked up this blush from a teeny tiny Korean makeup store in the city (I'm sure there are many stores/stalls similar to this dotted around the country) and it can easily be purchased online. 

What cream products do you all like to use on your cheeks? Thank you for reading, love from Maddie xo

My favorite bloggers and their everyday makeup

So I've only been blogging for about a year and a half now but reading blogs is something I have done for years. I'm really excited that two of my all time favorite bloggers agreed to participate and help me out with this post, which is all about my favorite bloggers and their everyday makeup! I want to thank these lovely ladies for helping me out with this post and allowing me to use some of their photos and information. I apologise if this is a rather long post, in the future I may make this kind of thing a series of posts instead!

Annika/ 22/ Australian university student & fashion blogger at The Pineneedle Collective

Photo Credit: Donut we all?

The Pineneedle Collective is one blog that I have been continuously reading over the years and Annika's makeup is always flawless in literally every photo. Annika is currently studying a bachelor of science in Sydney and has a passion for dressing exactly how she wants to dress- her blog is "a great mash-up of those two worlds". Annika describes her everyday look as an "almost-but-not-quite-50s-pin-up-look (just subtler)" and I think that small sentence perfectly describes her pin up inspired makeup!

A sneaky peek into Annika's makeup bag- the perfect OP-shop find!

Annika's everyday makeup routine:

1. Annika begins her makeup routine by moisturising her face with a sorbolene-based moisturiser.

2. She then primes her face with whatever she can pick up from the chemist- she is currently using Prime Magic's Camera Ready primer. 

3. She then conceals using Maybelline's Fit Me concealer in the shade #120 and finishes off her base with Maybelline's Fit Me foundation in the same shade. 

4. Annika will then use a Junjian Cosmetic Co. eyeliner (from Chinatown) to create a fierce cat-eye, she likes to use eyeliners that are very pigmented with a stiff brush!

5. We can't forget the mascara! Annika uses the Maybelline Volum' Express: The collosal cat eyes mascara.

6. To finish things off Annika usually wears one of the Lime Crime Velvetines in either Red Velvet or Wicked.

Photo Credit: A Picnic in my Backyard & Spellbound by Space

Kailey/ 20/ Ice-cream enthusiast, illustrator & personal style blogger at Mermaidens

I'm sure most of you have heard of Kailey's personal style blog, Mermaidens, by now. If you haven't you should head on over right after you read this post and I guarantee you will be sucked into Kailey's whimsical personal style and beauty posts in an instant! I've been a reader of Mermaidens for just over a year and half now after I discovered it when we bonded over our love for the Too Faced Perfect Flush Blush on one of my Instagram posts (Instagram has introduced me to so many amazing bloggers and artists, it's ridiculous!)

This is what Kailey had to say about her everyday makeup look; "My everyday makeup generally centers around concealing under eye bags, using bb cream to even out my skin tone, and waking up the eyes with mascara and eyeliner. I genuinely never get sick of cat eye flicks and think it looks good on everybody! I also really, really adore lipstick - I think it's really transformative and I love the "art" of applying it. For a long time, bright reds, corals and purples were my go-to lip colours- but lately I've been gravitating towards peachy, softer lipsticks for a subtler look that just so happens to match my hair…! <3 (plus I'm in love with the smell of this one by Topshop! It reminds me of those soaps for kids that had toys suspended in them for some reason?!)"

Some of Kailey's everyday makeup items via Instagram

Products Kailey uses for her everyday makeup routine (in order of application):
1. ELF lip plumper and primer
2. EOS lip balm in Summer Fruit
3. Laura Mercier Undercover pot concealer
4. Benefit Porefessional primer
5. Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream
6. Too Faced Perfect Flush Blush in Candy Glow
7. Benefit High Beam highlighter
8. Laura Mercier Eyebrow pencil in Blonde
9. Chanel Blanc Eyeliner
10. NYX Liquid Eyeliner
11. Tarina Tarantino Glitter Eyeliner in Glitter Mist
12. Covergirl Bombshell Volume Mascara
13. Topshop Whimsical Lipstick (Kailey is pictured wearing this above) or MAC's Ruby Woo lipstick (Kailey often wears red lipstick and Ruby Woo is her favorite!)

Photo Credit: #ShareACoke

Now that we've had a little snoop at what Annika and Kailey use to achieve their flawless everyday makeup looks, I just wanted to thank them both again for participating and helping me out with this post. I wanted to post something a little different to the usual posts you'd find on here and I can't thank Annika and Kailey enough for helping me create this (hopefully) amazing post!

Thank you all for reading and a huge thank you to Annika and Kailey!
Love from Maddie xo

Some old makeup favorites

I've been sifting through all my makeup a lot recently, with a short trip away to Byron Bay and the promise of moving into a new house sooner rather than latter when I stumbled across a few bits and pieces that haven't gotten the love they deserve in recent months.

The Stila In The Light Palette ($62 AUD) is one of my all time favorite eyeshadow palettes. I will admit, I've used it more than some other items mentioned in this post over the past few months but I still want it to get used a bit more. I've deleted my original review for this (along with all the posts I made before January of this year) so I will give you all a quick rundown. This palette has ten amazing shades: 

Bare- a matte ivory shade, as you can see this is my favourite base shade.

Kitten- Possibly Stila's most famous eyeshadow, a beautiful champagne shimmer shade that I've even bought as a single shadow so I can use this every day without getting the entire palette out (which is why it hasn't been getting as much love lately). 

Bliss- a matte beige with strong pink undertones, I love to use this shade in my crease.

Sunset- a shimmery red based pink.

Sandstone- a fairly light matte brown shade.

Bubbly- a very light gold shimmer, basically the gold version of Kitten.

Gilded Gold- A matte brown shade with golden shimmer throughout. 

Luster- A dark aubergine shade with golden shimmer throughout. 

Night Sky- A blue shimmery shade.

Ebony- A matte black shade.

All ten of these shades are incredibly pigmented and very easy to blend and apply. I've found these shadows will last an entire day without primer or a cream base, though the shimmer shades do have a bit of fall out if these aren't used. The palette also comes with a Smudge Stick in the shade Damsel, a dark brown, that is not available to purchase alone. I honestly think this palette is perfect for anyone that likes to experiment with a range of neutral shades (as all of the shades would match any skin tone) or for someone that is just getting into makeup and wants to treat themselves to a palette that will enable them to do a range of different looks.

Next is a MAC Sheertone Powder Blush ($41 AUD) in the shade Pink Swoon. As you can probably tell, this blush got a lot of lovin' back in the day. I bought this blush way back when I only used mineral foundation, mascara and occasionally a little eyeliner so adding blush into the mix was a big step for me. Being a sheertone blush, Pink Swoon doesn't come off as dark and bright as you'd imagine, and is actually a very build-able shade. I actually ended up taking this one away to Byron Bay with me, and I've been using it every day since I've 'rediscovered' it. It's quickly becoming something I reach for very regularly. Unfortunately, this blush has been discontinued (why would you do this to me MAC?) so I'm going to try and keep this one for as long as possible!

And last but not least is the Too Faced Candlelight Glow Highlighting Powder Duo ($43.95 AUD). I've mentioned this product in a blog post before (you can find it here) but I haven't really been using it since I published that post due to discovering new highlighters that I've been trying out (let me know if any of you would be interested in a post about highlighters?). I've been using a cream highlighter lately and setting it with my usual matte, transparent powder really wasn't cutting it for me, so I decided to use a little bit of this to set the cream highlighter instead and it works like a dream. Obviously, I want to be using as little of this product as possible because I'm already wearing highlighter, but this highlighter isn't particularly shimmery so I've found it does the job perfectly! 

What are some of your old favorites? 

Thank you for reading, love from Maddie xo

Plum purple and wine red lipsticks

Tayla and I often get asked what lipsticks we're wearing when we are out and about, so I thought I would share some of our favorite wine red and plum purple lipsticks for those of you that may be curious!

NARS just know how to do a good lipstick and Scarlet Empress ($39 AUD) was actually the first NARS product I ever purchased! To me, Scarlet Empress is the perfect mix of dark red, pink and purple which looks gorgeous on it's own but a lot bolder and striking when a lipliner is used underneath. My personal lip liner of choice is the Bareminerals Marvelous Moxie lip liner in the shade Electrified. This lipstick is very creamy, sheer and has pretty amazing lasting power on it's own but like most lipsticks, a lip liner will keep it on a little longer! 

I've managed to find a pretty accurate dupe for this NARS lipstick (which seems to be a little difficult to come across these days) and it's the Rimmel Matte Finish by Kate Moss Lipstick in the shade #107 ($12.95 AUD). I've used this lipstick for years and I constantly go back to it. It is quite drying and can get a little flakey, but the shade and lasting power of this lipstick is amazing! I would definitely pick this one up if you wanted to try something similar to Scarlet Empress (though it is slightly darker because it is a matte shade) but didn't want to fork out the $39 for a lipstick.

Another lipstick that is pretty damn similar to the first two mentioned above, is the Lipstick Queen Sinners Opaque Lipstick in the shade Wine Sinner (AUD $26.95). As the name would suggest, this is a wine coloured lipstick- though it has similar undertones to the two previously mentioned. This one definitely has a nicer formula than the Rimmel lipstick (because it's not matte) but it is a little more expensive. Unlike Scarlet Empress, this lipstick does not need a lip liner to last for a long time, though it does need one to prevent bleeding.

The last wine coloured lipstick I will be mentioning today is one of the Lime Crime Velvetines (which have been mentioned on this blog before) in the shade Wicked ($26 AUD). You guys know the drill with these liquid lipsticks. They're incredibly pigmented, long lasting and becoming very popular. I've been using the Velvetines for a few years now and am yet to come across something of the same quality for a similar price. This shade in particular is the perfect example of a dark, wine red.

The second NARS product I wanted to mention is the Pure Matte Lipstick in the shade Volga ($40 AUD). Before Tayla purchased this beauty, I'd seen photos and swatches of it floating around the internet and I knew I would eventually get my hands on it. I would describe this as the darker, matte version of Scarlet Empress. The colour of the two is pretty similar but Volga is slightly deeper with a lot more purple than red or pink. Being a matte lipstick, this is a little drying but it does last for hours with no fuss!

Not really a plum purple but I wanted to include the Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss lipstick in the shade #04 ($12.95 AUD)! The only way to describe this lipstick is dark purple because it really is plain and simply, a dark purple lipstick. I love the Lasting Finish by Kate Moss lipstick line and Rimmel really hit the nail on the head with this creamy, pigmented and affordable shade!

Let me know what plum purple and wine red lipsticks you love!
Thank you for reading, love from Maddie xo

Three beauty bits I've been loving

I missed the opportunity to write up a seasonal favourites post for Autumn, so I thought I would write up a quick little post about some of the beauty bits I've been loving.

I recently had the opportunity to have my makeup done for a university ball, and the foundation the lovely makeup artist used was the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation in the shade Porcelain (as pale as you can get... typical). Naturally I headed back a day or two later to pick it up for myself. This foundation is incredibly light and has a very natural, dewy finish. It lasts all day and night with a good primer (I use the Hourglass Mineral Veil) and the shade selection Bobbi Brown has is amazing, this is the first foundation I have ever used that matches my skin perfectly and I would recommend this to people wanting a very light coverage or if you have sensitive skin.

Another item I picked up was the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette which I've been eyeing off for quite some time now. At $95 it was definitely something that I wanted to be sure about and I was lucky enough that the makeup artist used this for both my base makeup and eye makeup for the ball. The palette includes the three shades- Dim Light which is described as a "neutral peach beige powder that blurs imperfections and highlights the complexion", Incandescent Light (this is currently my favorite of the three) which is "an opalescent pearl powder that brightens the complexion with a celestial glow" and the final shade is Radiant Light "a sun-kissed golden beige powder that enhances the complexion with believable, subtle warmth". I've definitely been getting my money's worth out of this palette so if you're in the market for some new highlighters, eyeshadows or powder, be sure to have a look at this multi-functional palette!

I have a thing for blush. I just can't resist a good peach or pink blush and I've been wanting to try this one for months. This is the Hourglass (I've been loving Hourglass lately, can you tell?) Ambient Lighting Blush in the shade Ethereal Glow. Hourglass have gotten very popular in recent years due to their amazing powders (as I forgot to mention earlier) so when these new blushes launched I knew I would love them! Ethereal Glow is described as "a cool pink blush fused with Ethereal Light for a moonlight luminosity". Like all Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders, this blush is very light and easy to wear. The colour pay-off is fantastic without being too pink and I think Ethereal Glow is a perfect blush for everyday wear that would suit a range of different skin tones. 

What have you been loving lately?
Thank you for reading, love from Maddie xo