HOURGLASS AMBIENT LIGHTING BLUSH

This is a scheduled post. I'm currently on holiday in Hong Kong & Singapore, so things will be a little slow here in the meantime. I promise to catch up on everything as soon as possible, and will definitely be back with lots of hauls and travel pics to share! 

As you can probably tell, I've been on a roll with Hourglass. Since I was going to splurge on the Ambient Lighting Powder, I decided to add this to the bag! These Ambient Lighting Blushes, just like the powders, have been much raved about in the blogosphere, so I just could not resist. Have you tried these? What did you think of them? I'm interested to know! ;)

The texture of these Ambient Lighting Blushes are much like the powders. It's finely milled, lightweight and does not wear powdery on the skin. The finish is super natural - it's the perfect combination of colour and highlight, giving depth and dimension to the face without the need of additional highlighter. 

Jump for swatches!

HOURGLASS AMBIENT LIGHTING POWDER

Yes, I've given in to the craze! I was hesitant to jump on the bandwagon initially, mainly because I was pretty happy with what I have (Rimmel Stay Matte Powder is still very much loved - and well priced) and didn't buy into the hype given it was simply a finishing powder. But this stuff is amazing! It really is! So let's get into it! ;)

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder promises to 'capture, diffuse and soften the way light is reflected on the skin, brighten the appearance and conceal imperfections'. The formula contains something called 'photoluminescent technology', which are particles that refract light and create a more translucent and natural finish, as oppose to traditional powders that use opaque pigments and can often make the skin appear flat.

The shade that I have is Dim Light, which is a gorgeous neutral beige with peachy undertones. When I first swatched this at the counter, I thought it was WAY too shimmery, but once blended out, it leaves a beautiful soft glow on the skin. The powder itself is super fine, and almost undetectable once applied - even in photography!

Jump for a side-by-side comparison!

MY INFLIGHT ESSENTIALS & ROUTINE

Guess what! In about a weeks time, I will be flying out to Singapore & Hong Kong! I'm not staying too long in Singapore, but am beyond excited because I've never visited this wonderful place that promises nothing but good food and lots of shopping. I have pretty much planned out everything I'm going to pack, as you do when you are anticipating a holiday getaway! So let's talk inflight essentials!

We all know how exhausting a long haul flight can be, so it's all about taking care of the skin when I'm on a plane. As soon as it takes off, I whip out Neutrogena Cleansing Towelettes to remove my makeup, then double cleanse with Bioderma Crealine H20 Solution (I will be buying a travel size for the flight). I think Bioderma is extra crucial when I'm travelling, as it does not require any rinsing and is super gentle on the skin.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask (which I will be putting in a small jar) is the best way to treat the skin without any hassle. It applies like a thick hydrating cream and dries clear, so no one can tell that you are doing a mask while you have it on - which is good when you are sitting next to a stranger! I generally slap a generous amount of this stuff on my face, along with Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment and Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips (yeh, it sounds weird), then settle down for a couple of movies and possibly a nap.

BOURJOIS ROUGE EDITION VELVET LIPSTICK

Bourjois never ceases to amaze me, and they've done it again with their latest release of these Rouge Edition Velvet lipsticks. Liquid lipsticks are nothing new - I initially expected them to be somewhat similar to the Rimmel Apocalips, but the formula of Bourjois Rouge Velvet lipsticks are a step above, and I'm absolutely obsessed with them. Let me explain!

There are 8 shades available in the range, and I picked up 04 Peach Club and 07 Nude-ist - probably the 2 most tamest/boring colours from the collection. The majority of range consists of bright reds and oranges, which is very spring appropriate, unless you live down under that is! Though I'll be sure to pick out more of these when warmer weather comes back around.

The intensity of the colours are incredible, and you can easily achieve an opaque finish with just one swatch. The formula is smooth and easy to apply, unlike a lot of other liquid lipsticks (I'm thinking OCC Lip Tars) which can be thick, sticky and hard to spread out. These velvet lipsticks last almost all day long, and does not bleed or dry out my lips as time progresses. It does take a good makeup remover to clean off at the end of the day, as the brighter shades (such as Peach Club) will leave a stain on the lips.

FAVORITE HAIR PRODUCTS

I use a good handful of hair products in my routine. It doesn't mean I'm any better at hair styling - I have incredibly fine and limp hair that is an ongoing struggle to work with - but it does allow me to keep things 'under control'. I haven't included any shampoos or conditioners in this post (mainly because I just couldn't decide), but there's still quite a few products featured so bear with me!

HAIR TREATMENTS

Moroccanoil Treatment & Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Dry Oil

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse is relatively new to my routine, but I've been using it a lot and it's a much loved addition to my collection. It more or less feels the same as Moroccanoil - it's easy to spread, does not weight my hair down, and leaves it soft and smooth. Both are also great in speeding up the drying process when applied to wet hair.

Lush Roots Hair Treatment
I was a little hesitant about including this - I don't love the smell of it - but it's a great mask to help add a bit of lift and volume to fine hair like mine. The results are not drastic on initial use, but it improves when applied on a regular basis. I've heard a lot of good things about Lush Hair Treatments, if you have any recommendations, please let me know! ;)

HAIR PREP

Tresemme Keratin Smooth Heat Protection Spray

I've gone through numerous bottles of this, it's my absolute HG heat protectant spray. I'm not fussy - all I need is something that protects my hair against heat styling tools, and this does just that, at a very reasonable price. I'm also a little addicted to the smell of this stuff!

Bumble and Bumble Thickening Hairspray
Not many 'thickening' or 'volumizing' products have an effect on my fine limp hair, so I was really skeptical when I first tried this. I finished my first travel size version back in January, and have since bought the full size bottle because it actually works! I spray this to the roots of my hair while it is still wet, and after a good blow dry, my hair is instantly fuller and has more body - LOVE!

HAIR STYLING

Liese Frizz-Free Styling Milk
I picked this up randomly on my trip to Hong Kong last year. It was hot and my hair was getting all frizzy from the humidity. Liese Styling Milk tames frizziness without wearing heavy, it also helps sculpt the ends of my hair after I style it with a heating tool. It pretty much works on the same basis as a sculpting cream, but with moisturising properties!

L'oreal Elnett Satin Hairspray
I've been using this for a good couple of years now, it's perfect for holding down flyaways or keeping curls defined without feeling like there's any product there. The overall result is very natural, and it keeps my curls all day long!

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

REVLON COLORBURST LACQUER & MATTE BALM

I have never been too impressed by lip crayons/balms I've tried in the past (i.e. Clinique Chubby Stick - I know, it's me), I don't find them particularly moisturising, and the pigmentation is a real hit and miss. I honestly thought I would give Revlon Colorburst Lacquer/Matte Balms a pass, but seeing them on a buy 1 get 1 free special the other day, I decided to take the plunge. So here I go again! ;)

One of the 2 goodies I picked out is the lacquer balm, in 115 Whimsical. It's a deep, pinky purple when swatched on my dark pigmented lips, though I've seen it wear a lot lighter on other bloggers. There's a lovely shine to the finish, and despite a high amount of glitter in the bullet, it does not transfer too much when worn. Like most lipstick/lip balm hybrids, the colour applies quite sheer, but can be easily built up for more intensity. I don't find the formula very hydrating, but it's comfortable to wear and lasts about 3-4 hours on me. 

I can't find anything to fault with Whimsical, though I must admit I was not super wowed by the range so far - that is, until I decided to try the matte balm in 210 Unapologetic.

NEW SKINCARE LOVE

I can't believe a week has flown by. It's been particularly stressful at work these past couple of days, I made my first major presentation yesterday, which thankfully went very smooth - I feel like a big weight has been lifted off my shoulders! I do apologise for not being able to drop by lately, I'll be catching up very soon! ;)

Now that winter is fast approaching (for those of us who live down under), my skin is acting up again - it's breaking out, dehydrated, oily and irritated all at the same time. I have skincare staples that I go back to (see post here), but have also discovered a few new products I've been really loving recently. Some of the items featured are cult faves, so it's nothing new, if you have tried any of them let me know what you thought!

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Dry Oil
I only discovered this not so long ago after the range popped up at the local drugstore. I've seen Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse in a lot of blogs but never really understood what it is used for - until now. I use rose hip oil from time-to-time on my face, but this can be used all over the face and body (including cuticles), as well as on hair! It's not as thick as my usual rose hip oil either, so it's relatively easy to spread. I've been applying this on my face, elbows, knees, the ends of my hair - pretty much anywhere that needs a little added moisture - and it's been such a miracle worker. Did I also mention that I'm addicted to the smell? It's divine!

Eve Lom Dynaspot (Acne Treatment)
My longtime favourite for acne treatment has been Mario Badescu Drying Lotion. However, with my sensitive skin at the moment the formula is simply too harsh and drying. I haven't tried anything from Eve Lom, but this was highly recommended by a colleague so I thought I would give it a go. Dynaspot consists of botanical ingredients such as fennel, chamomile, tea tree oil and yarrow extracts, so the formula is relatively gentle yet still effective against unwanted blemishes. The results are not as dramatic as Mario Badescu, but it's probably the next best thing without being overly drying!

CLINIQUE CHEEK POP IN BERRY POP (03)

How cute are these new Clinique Cheek Pops? Even the name is adorable! I've always been a fan of simple, clean packaging, and Clinique gets it so right with the clear acrylic snap compact. The daisy pattern on the blush itself is simply beautiful - hence the image overload - I'm almost hesitant to ruin the design!

EMPTIES

It's been a while since I've done an empties post. I don't have a whole lot of finished products this time round, and even these took me months and months to collect (which probably tells me I should stop jumping between so many different things), but let's keep it short and sweet! ;)

Lancome Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector
This combined with Lancome Genifique is the ultimate skin corrector duo. Within the first few weeks my skin was brighter, smoother and more radiant. Now don't expect dramatic, life-changing results - the effect is only subtle - but it's a great little booster if you often wake up to dull skin like me. I do feel that half way through the bottle the results were becoming less and less visible, probably because my skin was getting use to the formula (or the dosage of chemicals). I still loved this formula up until the last drop, but for the time being will try out something different.
Repurchase? Maybe.

Michael Todd Intensive Organic Cream Eye Treatment
I use this eye treatment both day and night, and it nicely moisturises without wearing too thick or oily. The lightweight formula absorbs quickly into the skin, and has worked well for me during the warmer, more humid, seasons here in Sydney. However building up to the colder months, I feel that I need something slightly heavier - like Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment - as my skin can get very dry and flaky. I would recommend this all year round if you have oily skin, it doesn't wear greasy and hydrates very well!
Repurchase? No.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation in 103 True Ivory
This just fell short on my top 5 list (see here), but drugstore-wise, it's only second to my much loved Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation. Rimmel Wake Me Up appears quite shimmery when you initially pump the product out, but as you blend, the foundation leaves a soft radiant finish which does not wear shiny or oily on the skin. Despite the creamy consistency the coverage is light, but can also be easily built up. It's a very natural wearing foundation, so it's ideal for everyday use!
Repurchase? Yes.

CURRENTLY LOVING

Lipgloss edition! In a bid to stop myself from buying more makeup - which despite many failed attempts, I will continually keep trying - I've set a mission for myself to rediscover my ever-growing, forgotten stash. Instead of using the same old everyday products, I've been switching things up on a daily basis the past few weeks, and happened to stumble upon these buried goodies - so I thought I would spread the love!

I know both of these look practically brand new, and truthfully, were very rarely used despite sitting in my makeup drawer for some time now. It's actually quite satisfying to add these back into my 'favourites' or 'currently loving' list, because at least for the time being I don't feel the need for new gloss! And I've mentioned this many times before, but when it comes to lip products I'm partial to lipsticks, but once in a while I do crave that lip plumping shine that only comes from a gloss!

I purchased NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Beige sometime last year after hearing nothing but great reviews about it. I did like it at first, but wasn't as wowed as I though I would be, so after 3-4 uses I stashed it away. But after rediscovering it, I'm loving Beige a lot more than I ever did before. The formula sits very comfortably, and does not draw attention to lip lines which often happens when I wear gloss. The pigmentation is not too intense, allowing your lip colour to faintly seep through to give a more natural finish. The only thing that I dislike, which I find with a few NYX products, is the sickly sweet and artificial cherry scent, but it luckily does not transfer onto the lips.

ILLAMASQUA CREAM BLUSHER IN ZYGOMATIC

Zygomatic is a blush I knew I would love even before purchase, or before I actually swatched it at the counter. It's a GORGEOUS pinkish beige, one of those shades that seems to suit any and every given occasion. It wears on the more natural side, and gives my skin a soft touch of colour without ever over doing it. I'm completely obsessed with how beautiful this is, but I'll let the swatches speak for themselves!

Illamasqua makes absolutely amazing blushers, and I'm especially a fan of their cream based products. Before stumbling upon this, I never really 'figured out' cream blush, all the other ones I've tried had a tendency to apply unevenly on my dry and dehydrated skin. But Illamasqua cream blusher applies like no other - it's ridiculously smooth and blends out effortlessly without looking patchy or uneven. I do generally use a stippling brush, but it wears just as well when applied with fingers.

REVLON PARFUMERIE SCENTED NAIL ENAMEL

Sorry for being MIA lately, I have contractors in the house doing renovations and they keep knocking out my internet lines!

Revlon Parfumerie Scented Nail Enamel is nothing that new (I believe the range was released a while back in the states), but since these polishes only very recently hit our Australian shores, I thought I would post about them anyways!

I'm not the biggest fan of Revlon's nail products, but what initially caught my attention is the packaging of these - I really like the rectangular bottle design with the round knob at the top, it definitely stood out against the regular Revlon nail polish bottles! More importantly though, the formula is simply amazing! I only need about 2 coats to achieve a full opaque finish and it applies with no streakiness. It also wears a good week before I started to notice some very minor chipping, and I think I could have gotten away with 2 weeks if I was a little more careful.

Wintermint - from swatches I've seen in the blogging world, this seems to be a very close dupe to Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream (which I don't actually own - so correct me if I'm wrong). I like the pairing of the mint green with the blue glitters, though it's not something I would usually go for.

I have to admit I've never been big on scented nail polish, the concept still seems strange to me, but I guess it's a thing now! Wintermint, as the name suggests, definitely carries the scent of mint, and as for Italian Leather...it honestly does not smell like leather - I don't know how to describe it though! The scent does linger on about a day or two after the formula dries, but it's not noticeable unless you have your nails real close to your nose, so I don't mind it so much.

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!

TOP 5 CONEALERS

Concealer is like magic to me. It gives the illusion of flawless skin and makes us look wide awake even though we've stayed up till 3am the night before. It is a MUST in my makeup routine. No matter how late I am running, or even when I want to keep things minimal, I've got to slap on some concealer. I don't leave the house without it either, it's what I grab the most throughout the day when I'm in need of a touch up. I've trialled many concealers, and the following 5 are products I would repurchase in a heartbeat…at least till I find something better. Let me know what some of your favourite concealers are! I would love to know! ;)

Bobbi Brown (Under Eye) Corrector in Light to Medium Peach
I know this isn't technically called a concealer, but it sort of works on the same principle. I haven't come across another product that lives up to this when in comes to covering up dark circles - so trust me, this one is a miracle worker. The corrector itself looks a little peachy in the pan, but this helps cancel out dark blue underneath the eyes, eliminating the appearance of dark circles instantly. I've gone through tubs of this, which probably means I shouldn't stay up so late more than anything, but if you are a night owl like me, Bobbi Brown Corrector will work very well for you.

Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in #2
I went through a phase where I only used this concealer and refused to try anything from another brand - it's that good! Laura Mercier Secret Concealer is somewhat on the thicker side, it has great coverage and is one of the few products that can be used when my skin is dehydrated without accentuating dry areas (under the eyes or all over the face). It doesn't wear cakey, and is easily blendable and great to work with. However, because of the creamy texture, I would recommended dusting some finishing powder on top to keep it lasting longer.

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NC25
I think this one has been very hyped up about, and I can definitely understand why. MAC Pro Longwear Concealer is the ultimate product for hiding imperfections, the coverage is amazing - I believe the MUA said it would even work on moles! I don't use this all over my face though, only on the worst pimples or scars because it does wear quite thick and can look somewhat heavy. You really need the tiniest amount of this concealer, it goes a long, long way. I've had my tube for a while now but have barely made a dent!