Chanel Rouge Coco Ultra Hydrating Lip Colour

402 Adrienne / 416 Coco / 426 Roussy / 440 Arthur / 452 Emilienne

I recently got this little sample set containing five of the new Chanel Rouge Coco Ultra Hydrating Lip Colours. I was really excited to try these lipsticks after reading Lily Pebbles' review on them. There are a whopping 24 new shades - wouldn't it be lovely to try them all.

The idea behind this range is that each shade is named after a lover, friend or someone who knew 'Coco Chanel' intimately. I knew straight away my favourite shade was going to be Adrienne - my perfect nude. It has a rosy/mauve undertone which ensures it doesn't wash me out (as some nudes do). I went to David Jones in a break between University today and purchased this lippie - my first ever Chanel product. The photo above really does not do the colours justice as it is overexposed but the rest of the colours are as follow; Coco is my second favourite, a really beautiful orange-red (and one of the most popular colours I assume, as it was sold out at two Chanel counters in David Jones), Roussy is what I'd call a Barbie-pink, but when applied to the lips it was a really pretty raspberry pink (this was the less opaque and least shiny shade that I tried), Arthur is a blue-based red shade and Emilienne a plum-purple that I actually really like on the lips. I was surprised that even the darker shades lasted well on the lips, considering their hydrating formulas.

I used to love a bold matte lip but more recently I have been much more low maintenance when it comes to lip products, which plays a big role in why I love these lipsticks so much. The texture is extremely creamy and soft on the lips, with a lot of shine. They are so easy to apply, even the darker colours. You can apply a semi-sheer coat or build it up for a more opaque, yet super shiny finish. They are not at all drying, I actually feel like they contribute to hydrating my lips. You know how you always link a scent to a memory or thought - well these have quite a strong scent and I love it! I can't pinpoint what it reminds me off but it makes me think of a classy, sophisticated woman.

I've really been loving higher-end cosmetics. Although I'll always be a sucker for bargain cosmetics, I can actually see the quality difference. So let me know below what your high-end makeup recommendations are?

Priceline Make Up Sale Haul

This week, the mid-week post is up a day early so that I could share with you beauties what I got from Priceline, while you still have time to shop the sale. I tend to go a little crazier with skincare sales than I do with make-up, but I wanted to grab a few new bits this time. I am excited to try all of these new (and some loved) products and will report back with reviews soon!

1. Max Factor Facefinity Primer (SALE $19.17) 

2. Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder 53 Light Beige (SALE $12.00) 

3. Max Factor Creme Puff Blush 05 Lovely Pink (SALE $13.17) 

4. Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick 745 Burnt Caramel (SALE $11.97) 

5. L'oreal Colour Riche Moisture Matte Lipstick P502 Cherry Crush (SALE $13.17) 

6. Maybelline Color Tattoo 70 Barely Branded & 35 Tough As Taupe (SALE $7.17 each) 

7. Maybelline Color Drama Velvet Lip Pencil 110 Pink So Chic (SALE $5.97) 

8. Maybelline Brow Drama Dark Brown (SALE $7.77) 

9. Maybelline Fit Me Concealer Sand (SALE $8.97) 

10. Bourjois Contour Edition Lip Liner 02 Cotton Candy (SALE $9.60) 

11. Essence Lip Liner 05 Soft Berry (SALE $1.20) 

12. Essence I Love Stage Eyeshadow Base (SALE $3.06) 

13. L'Oreal Color Riche Nail Polish 107 Beige Bohemian (SALE $4.77) 

14. Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Polish 270 Street Flair & 100 Top Coat (SALE $10.17) 

What did you get from the sale? Leave a link to your hauls below and I'll be sure to check them all out. See you Sunday!

Top 12 Drugstore/Priceline Products

As most of you beauty-fanatics probably are aware, Priceline is having one of their massive 40% off sales next week, the 24th & 25th - this time on cosmetics. Today I have collated my top 12 (I couldn't keep it to 10) drugstore (or pharmacy/Priceline for us Aussies) products, which I definitely recommend you check out on Tuesday and Wednesday.

BOURJOIS HEALTHY MIX SERUM FOUNDATION (light beige)

This was the very first proper liquid foundation I fell in love with. It provides a medium coverage with a dewy finish. I love this foundation for the natural finish, yet still good coverage. 

L'OREAL NUDE MAGIQUE EAU DE TEINT

This foundation got a lot of mixed reviews when it first came out, but I loved it as soon as I tried a sample. It is a super thin liquid-y foundation that dries to a powder finish. I find this foundation works best when applied with your fingers. I think this is the only foundation available from Priceline that is similar in formula to the new NARS All Day Luminous Foundation (with a different finish). The only negative is the really limited shades available, I got the lightest shade even though my skin is medium/olive toned.

MAYBELLINE INSTANT AGE REWIND ERASER

One of my staple under-eye concealers, which I have repurchased many times. I love the applicator, the great range of shades available and the smooth and easy to blend formula. 

MAYBELLINE FIT ME CONCEALER

My go-to concealer for spots or redness. This concealer has a doe-foot applicator similar to the NARS Creamy Radiant Concealer. It is creamy and works well to cover any blemishes without highlighting it.

ESSENCE SOO GLOW CREAM TO POWDER HIGHLIGHTER (look on the bright side)

Not an OMG product, but definitely a great product for the price. A cream formula, champaigne highlighter that once applied, has a powder finish. Works great on both the cheekbones and brow-bone.

MAX FACTOR CREME PUFF BLUSH (10 nude mauve)

A recent addition to my stash, which I quickly fell in love with. I reach for this on a daily basis now. It gives a really nice (quite sheer) colour to the cheeks. I will be picking up more colour this week!

MAYBELLINE BROW DRAMA

An old faithful. I have a few brow mascara's but this one is definitely my favourite. It has a weird wand that once you get used to it, works really well. I use it alongside my Brow Wiz and it adds a little extra colour and sets my brows in place for the day. 

RIMMEL SCANDALEYES 

A pigmented, liquid eyeshadow that can be applied in under a minute. I apply this straight from the tube on my lid and smudge out with my finger… apply mascara and you're done! 

MAX FACTOR MASTERPIECE TRANSFORM MASCARA

After first trying out the Roller Lash mascara from Benefit, it instantly reminded me of this Max Factor mascara. It doesn't provide the curl but it is super volumising.

ESSENCE LIP LINER (wish me a rose)

I really love all the products I mentioned here, but this one is for sure my favourite. I own and adore all the colours and I wish they would bring out more. I use these to fill in my entire lip and apply a clear lip balm on top. They are so creamy and do not 'pull' at your lip at all when applying.

RIMMEL EXAGGERATE FULL COLOUR LIP LINER (eastend snob)

This product is raved about on the internet as a dupe for the Charlotte Tilbury lip liner in Pillowtalk. While I cannot vouch for whether it is a dupe (I will be able to soon though - yay), it definitely does make your lips look fuller. I love the twist-up packaging (no sharpening and wasting product), it does seem a little too creamy and can be hard to apply at times.

L'OREAL COLOR RICHE (Eva's nude + Jennifer's nude)

The idea behind these lipsticks are genius, a nude for every skin tone. These have a creamy, semi-sheer consistency. The packaging is quite luxurious. 

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara Review

I sometimes get complimented on how 'long' my lashes are, which is great, but I struggle with mascara because of this, in addition to how straight my lashes are. Straight lashes don't hold a curl very well, and any type of lengthening mascara just leaves me with mascara marks all over my eyelids. I have given up on curling wands, because I found they put a dent in my lashes rather than a nice curl, plus have you seen those horrifying images of the girls that get their lashes pulled out! 

The is where the Benefit Roller Lash mascara comes into play. I was lucky enough to be one of the first Aussies to get my hands on this, gifted at a recent blogger event. The official Australian release date is April 11. I wasn't expecting to be blown away by this mascara, as I've used Benefit mascaras before and don't get me wrong I liked them, but they weren't worth the incredible hype or price tag. I'm more of a drugstore mascara gal. However, I must say I am pleasantly surprised!

Claims:

If there is one thing Benefit likes doing, it is creating hype around new releases. Here's what they have to say about the Roller Lash mascara. This is the mascara that hooks, lifts and curls. It is targeted to girls with short lashes, straight lashes and small eyes, because the brush fits all eye shapes and sizes, catches every lash and curls the lashes. The Roller Lash mascara claims to provide lift and curl that lasts for 12 hours. The rubber wand is inspired by hair rollers, as it is meant to grab even the finest, tiniest lash and provide that curl. The mascara is not waterproof and comes in an ink black shade. 

My Verdict:

The packaging is gorgeous, as with any other Benefit product. One thing I really like is the length and the rubbery texture of the 'handle' (the pink bit), this ensures the mascara applies easily and comfortably. On first impression, the wand reminded me of both the Max Factor Masterpiece Transform mascara and the L'oreal Telescopic mascara. On closer inspection the Roller Lash is definitely much more curved than the straight wand on the Telescopic Mascara (making it much easier to apply), with smaller 'hooks' than the Masterpiece Transform wand (which means it really grabs every lash to coat it). I applied the mascara as instructed, with a 'hook and roll' motion. I got the wand close to the lash root, and rolled upwards. This method works really great, and I could see a visible difference in the lift of my lashes. Call me crazy, but this mascara real does curl your lashes. However, I cannot yet vouch for the amount of hold it gives in regards to the curl, 12 hours seems a bit of a stretch. 

So what did I dislike - I did find the mascara to clump a little bit, which is something I am not a fan of,  the mascara is also definitely not smudge-proof. Overall, this is a great mascara for girls with naturally long lashes looking for something to add a curl and lift and give that wide-eye effect. I applied one coat and it gave a really nice natural effect, Roller Lash is great for a day-to-day mascara.

Are you going to be picking up one of these to try when they are released? See you Wednesday for the next post! 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder and Modernist Eyeshadow Palette Review

I am a total bargain hunter at heart, something I'd never admit to my 'deal-hunting' mother. More recently, however, I have been buying a few more luxury beauty items, and it feels so good! 

Luxury cosmetics brand Hourglass, is a brand I have heard many International beauty bloggers rave about, and I can see why. Firstly, the packaging is gorgeous and the products, ranging from eyeshadows, to blush and highlighters, look like works of art. Using these luxurious products really makes you feel like a million bucks. 

The first Hourglass product that made its way into my possession is the Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light. I originally wanted to purchase the palette with three powders, but after swatching the shades, and not being a lover of anything shimmery on my face, I knew I would only use Dim Light. I did not upload any swatches of the product because it is really hard to capture the light, but I love using this powder to set my foundation as it gives my face a glowing and luminous effect without looking shimmery. The colour is described on the Hourglass website as; "A neutral peach beige powder that blurs imperfections and highlights a radiant complexion with the perfect balance of warm and cool tones". This powder retails for AU$59.00, which is really pricey for a setting powder/ highlighter. In my honest opinion this product is not really worth that price tag, but if you have some extra cash and would like to treat yourself then it is something that's really nice to have. It does not make a drastic difference to a make-up look but rather subtly compliments your skin. 

The second product I picked up on a total whim when I headed to Mecca Maxima for a refund. I had 10 minutes before I started work and just grabbed the shades that appealed to me, of-course that would be neutrals. This is the newly released Hourglass Modernist Palette in Infinity, featuring five warm, neutral shadows. This is absolutely the most beautiful make up product I own, it retails at a whopping AU$76 (that's $15 an eyeshadow!!!). So is it worth it - I have read so many reviews online saying the eyeshadow doesn't blend well and has a lot of fall out, however that is not the experience I have had with this palette. I have worn this eyeshadow almost every day since making the purchase. My favourite look is to apply shadow #2 all over the lid, with shadow #4 and #5 in the crease (depending on how intense I want the look). I apply the beautiful shimmery shade #3 (which is my favourite out of them all) in the outer half/three quarters of my lid and use shadow #1 to highlight my inner corner and brow bone. I really cannot recommend this product enough!

So far I absolutely love Hourglass and their luxe products. I am very tempted to pick up a second Modernist Palette this pay day. And I'd like to eventually try their highly coveted Veil Mineral Primer. What are your thoughts on these products - worth the moola? 

Shopping No Longer Needs To Be Your Cardio

6 Reasons Shopping Online is Awesome! 
1. CONVENIENCE - You can shop anywhere, any time, looking however you want! There are no rude/judge-y shop assistants to make you feel uncomfortable... No waiting in line or dealing with crowded stores (if you are an introvert like me, this point will really appeal to you). Finally, shopping online allows you to try on the items in the comfort of your own home. We all know how off-putting the unflattering lighting and mirrors in the change rooms can be.

2. TIME - No pushy sale assistants equal no one leading you to make rash decisions. I love shopping online because you can take your time making your purchase, sometimes I spend minutes on a site adding things to my cart and then just closing the browser. The only downside is when you return to the online store to find out the item you decided to get is sold out! 

3. RESEARCH - I don't think I've ever bought something online without doing some form of 'research'. This can be anything from searching for reviews to just looking up images, sometimes that might even be hash-tagging #riverislandboots on Instagram to see how they look on actual people.  

4. DISCOUNT - There are always discount coupons to be found somewhere on the internet.  I highly recommend any University students reading this post, to sign up to Unidays for a variety of online  discounts. 

5. SECURITY - Paypal is seriously the best thing to happen to online shopping addicts. I have had a handful of instances where something went wrong with my order and Paypal has always refunded my money, or sorted out the situation. I cannot stress enough how important it is to use Paypal for online purchases. 

6. DELIVERY - Getting mail is fun! It's always exciting could become addictive waiting for a parcel to come!

Favourite Online Shops for Fashion 

Asos Australia - Asos is a great place to shop online because they have such a big variety of options. The downfall is that the sizing on Asos is hit and miss, and you have to pay for returns. I highly recommend always sizing down in the Asos own brand of clothing. If you often shop at Asos you can become a premium member (for a small price) which allows you free express delivery and free returns. Asos also stock some great European beauty brands, such as Bourjous, at great prices (which are often included in sales!).

The Iconic - The biggest bonus to shopping at The Iconic, is the free, super-fast shipping and FREE returns! They stock a range of well-known brands, from the really affordable to the more pricey. For ridiculously  affordable clothing I definitely recommend the label, Zalora. There is often a coupon available for the website here: http://www.theiconic.com.au/coupons/ .

Urban Outfitters - This american website sells some really great clothing, home-wares and beauty products, and often at a great price as there season's discounts align with the Australian start of season. They also offer free shipping to Australia for orders over $50 and $5 returns. P.S You can use your Unidays discount!

Favourite Online Shops for Beauty 

Urban Outfitters - See above (I always get my Anastasia products here).

Beauty Bay / Feel Unique / Luxola / Make Up Geek - These stores all stock International brands, with free shipping if you spend over a certain amount. Make sure you sign up to the mailing list's to be notified of  frequent promotions and discounts.

What do you think of online shopping? Are you an addict, like me, or do you prefer, like Carrie Bradshaw, for shopping to be your cardio. If you know of any great online boutiques I'd love some recommendations!