THE LIPSTICK TAG

I know this tag is long gone and dusted, but I've always wanted to do it and since I'm kind of in a rut about what to post I thought I would just go for it. It's also another excuse for me to ramble on about lip products so why not! ;)

How many lipsticks do you own?

Lip products are my ultimate weakness, so I own a heck of a lot….definitely somewhere in the 3 digit mark. But hey, who's counting right?!

What was the first lipstick you owned?

I honestly cannot remember. I think one of the first official lipsticks I bought (by that I mean something not from Lip Smacker) was MAC Blankety. Absolutely terrible colour on me, but I loved it back in the day!

What is your favourite lipstick brand?

YSL hands down. The Rouge Volupte Shine range is probably my favorite lipstick formula of all time,  though Tom Ford Lip Color also holds a dear spot in my heart.

What is your most worn lipstick?

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Liberté, followed closely by YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in 12 Corail Incandescent - both had to be corals of course! Swatches can be found here.

What is you favourite finish?

Anything that has a balmy, slightly glossy finish. I crave a matte finish once in a while too.

What was the last lipstick that you bought?

Revlon Colorburst lacquer & matte balms, as seen in my previous post!

How many lip products do you currently have in your bag?

2 tinted balms, 1 gloss and 2 lipsticks. I always make sure to bring a red lipstick with me, it's kind of my 'secret weapon' when I need to jazz things up a little.

What is your favourite red lip colour?

I recently fell in love with Giorgio Armani Rouge Ecstasy in 400, but my most worn red lipstick to date is Maybelline Red Velvet. It's on the darker side, but it applies quite sheer so you can build up the intensity to your liking.

How do you store your lipsticks?

I store the majority of my lipsticks in my The Makeup Box Shop makeup organiser unit (as pictured above). I also have 2 lipstick stands to house my high end products.

Which lipstick are you currently lusting after?

Anything from TOM FORD! I would also like to try a few more lippies from Burberry. Oh and I'm always welcome to more YSL in my collection.

If you've done this tag, let me know or put a link down below so I could drop by and have a look. And if you haven't, please do this tag! Thanks so much for reading! :D

PRODUCTS I REGRET BUYING

I've been wanting to give this a go for a while now, so here it is! I only have a good handful of products this time round, but it's bound to be a growing stash (unfortunately). I guess that's the life of a makeup addict! :P

(Please note that these comments are based on personal preference and skin type, so the following products may react completely different for you.)

NARS Night Series Eyeshadow Palette
I don't think I gave this a great review when I first purchased it, as much as I adore NARS, this palette is one of my biggest makeup regrets (considering how much it cost). More than anything it is WAY too glittery, and though I love me a good glitter eyeshadow, too much of it does get out of hand. The dark shades in the palette also wear all too similar (i.e. black and almost black), so there's not a great deal of versatility in looks you can create with this, at least not to my experience!

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation
It's frustrating with this one, because a lot of people seem to love the formula but it just does not agree with me. I have dry/combination skin that can often get dehydrated, and I find the foundation accentuates every dry spot on my face, drawing attention to unwanted flakiness and lines. It doesn't wear particularly long either, and disintegrates on my skin well before the end of a normal workday. I think Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua is probably more suited to people with normal skin, though I'm still holding out that I can make it work somehow - it's such a waste otherwise!

Physicians Formula Bronze Booster
I actually thought this was quite cool at first. I don't have anything against the shimmery bronze pearls, but the fact that they are packed into this shallow tub makes it somewhat difficult to use. I know I lost about 4 pearls just on initial use! The pigmentation is also more on the subtle side, so you really have to stick your brush in there to load a good amount of product and I make a mess every time - but then again it could just be me and my clumsiness!

MY TOP 5 LUXURY LIPSTICKS

This was difficult. As much as I love drugstore makeup (see related post here), I do tend to splurge when it comes to lipsticks. I adore high-end brands, and even though I know sometimes it really just comes down to packaging, I'm a total sucker for the allure of a 'luxury' product. I'll probably change my mind on these once the new spring/summer collection is out, but for now, here are my top 5 picks for luxury lipsticks!

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Liberté
An oldie but definitely a goodie. I don't know if you can see clear enough in the second image (at the top), but the bullet is twisted all the way - I've almost used this one up! Liberté is a beautiful soft coral that can be worn for any occasion. It applies quite sheer, so it wears a little pink on me due to my natural lip colour. Though not moisturising, the formula literally glides onto the lips and sits very comfortably without been drying. I have yet to repurchase the exact same lipstick (because I never finish anything) but Chanel Liberte might just be the one!

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in 12 Corail Incandescent
I could never do a favourites lipsticks post without throwing YSL in there, I LOVE this brand, especially the lip products! YSL Rouge Volupte Shine and Chanel Rouge Coco Shine are actually very similar in texture, but I do find that YSL has better lasting power and are generally more pigmented. Corail Incandescent is a gorgeous pinky coral that is great for brightening up any complexion. I've been sporting this one for most of the Aussie summer and I still can't get enough!

Jump for the rest of my picks!

BEST OF 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I hope 2013 will be filled with nothing but happiness and adventure for everyone, and of course, lots of new makeup! In retrospect, 2012 was quite good for me, I got to go to Japan, Hong Kong AND Thailand all in one year. Travel was definitely a big part of my 2012 resolutions, and I'm hoping to keep that ball rolling right into 2013! What are some of your new year resolutions?

So I know I'm a little behind (like always), but it's time to make a mention to those favorites of favorites, best of the best makeup products of 2012. Let's get right into it! :) 

Favorite Base & Foundation: Koh Gen Do Makeup Color Base & Aqua Foundation
Koh Gen Do didn't get on my radar till well into 2012. I only bought this base and foundation duo in October when I was in Japan, but these babies have since lived up to, and beyond, my expectations. Before KGD entered my life, Lancome Teint Idole Ultra would have taken the crown hands down, and they are both great long-wearing foundations, but KGD matches my skintone TO A TEE. Lancome Teint Idole Ultra also has a tendency to make me look ghostly in flash photography, whereas KGD wears natural on me all round. Definitely a WINNER.

Favorite Concealer: Lancome Long-Lasting Softening Concealer
I've used this concealer for quite some time now because it's absolute gold in terms of covering up those pesky dark circles. I've come across many concealers that work fine underneath the eyes, but on those days where I'm really deprived of sleep, most of them are just not enough. This Lancome concealer has yet to fail me on any occasion, and I'm praying that it won't, ever!

Favorite Finishing Powder: MAC MSF Natural
One of the things that keeps me going back to my MAC MSFN is how lightweight and natural it sits on top of my foundation. I only usually apply finishing powder on my T-zone area as oppose to my entire face, and MAC MSFN is tough against those zones - it's stays on me a good 4-5 hours before I have to blot away the oiliness, which is the longest wearing powder on me so far!

Favorite Highlighter: MAC MSF in Lightscapade
I've never been much into highlighters, I've always found it hard to get right and have had a tendency to turn myself into a shiny disco ball when applied carelessly. Lightscapade is very subtle and not at all shimmery, it gives me a natural glow and the finish is very soft - even when you tend to be a little heavy handed like me.

Favorite Blush: Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed
This one was kind of a no-brainer. Tarte Exposed took the blogosphere by storm in 2012, and there's really no question to why this little blush is so still popular. It is simply THE everyday go-to, and wears nicely across many, many different skintones. You just can't go wrong with this gorgeous neutral blush!

Favorite Eyeshadow Primer: Too Faced Shadow Insurance
I have quite a few go-to eyeshadow primers, and Too Faced Shadow Insurance has been THE ONE for me in 2012. It does all it promises - my eyeshadow does not crease, morning till night!

Favorite Eyeshadow Palette: Urban Decay Naked 2
I have to admit I was skeptical when I first got Naked 2, my opinion of it was that it didn't really differ that much from the original palette. But sure enough, I've proved myself wrong again. I've since used my Naked 2 a whole lot more than the original palette, it's an essential item in my morning before work routine!

My Essential Holiday Makeup

With only just DAYS now till my trip to Japan (SUPER excited!!), I'm all packed and ready to go. I'll be sure to shop like no tomorrow when I'm over there, so a practically empty suitcase is what I was aiming for. I've gone back and forth a bit on what makeup items to bring, and have stripped it all back to 12 essential products including: 

1. Urban Decay 24/7 Liquid Eyeliner in Smog 
2. Lioele Auto Eyebrow Pencil #2
3. Majolica Majorca Lash Enamel Glamor Volume On Mascara
4. Makeupshow Blush Brush H02
5. Makeupshow Powder Brush H01
6. Sigma Flat Angled Kabuki Brush F88 (not an absolute essential, but I love using this to apply foundation)
7. Lancome La Base Pro
8. Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24 Hour Foundation #2
9. Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Lipstick in Liberte #46
10. MAC MSFN in Medium
11. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed
12. Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler 

I’m sure many people would agree that when you’re overseas on a holiday, what makeup to wear on your face is probably one of the last things on your mind. I know a lot of people who would bare it all (face-wise) when on vacation, but since I practically look like a zombie in the mornings when I wake up, I need a little help to make myself photo-presentable. So here’s my 12-item holiday makeup routine!

To even further minimize luggage, you can easily opt for a tinted moisturizer or BB cream to avoid bringing a separate base and foundation. I’m sticking with my Lancome Teint Idole foundation because it's one of the longest wearing foundations I’ve come across, so I don’t have to worry about it coming off after a long day out. And with it's buildable coverage, I also use this as concealer.

I never powder my whole face and sometimes even skip it all together because I don’t like the cakey finish (or maybe I just apply too much lol). But a good powder definitely does make my foundation last longer, and that's definitely the key factor here!

(Note: Please excuse the difference in lighting, the sun kept coming and going.)

Whenever I wear eyeliner on it’s own without eyeshadow, I prefer to use brown over black as it makes the overall effect less intense and more natural. A great alternative to the UD liner is the Bobbi Brown gel liner – again long-wearing!

If I skip mascara, it’s like I almost have no lashes. And though not as severe, my eyebrows are pretty non-existent too. Lol. So I never leave anywhere with out defining my brows and putting on some mascara. I''ll probably be bringing back a whole suitcase-ful of Japanese mascaras, they do miracles for my lashes!