Thoughts on Empties

Hello loves!

I've only really been into trying out and comparing makeup for around 2 years, and this is literally the first time I've ever re-purchased a product. My Ralo Brilliant Lash Mascara is almost ready to be tossed away and I must say, I almost had a little panic when I discovered this! As a result, I hurriedly dashed off to get a new one! This is a really wet mascara and can't be applied too hastily (tried that - big mess), but it's so beautifully lengthening and defining that it's totally worth the faff! If you haven't tried it, it gets a huge thumbs up from me.

Another thing that I recently ran out of was the Catrice Re-touch Light-reflecting Concealer. Now I really did like this! It was so easy to apply, it covered up blemishes, redness and under-eye circles, and it felt like there was nothing on my skin. However, I'm not going to repurchase this. It finished so quickly, and I've had other concealers that lasted much longer and only cost half the price! If you're looking for an affordable concealer pen, then I recommend this one, but I'm much happier with my longer-lived stick concealer.

Lastly, I've been using the Clicks Skin Essentials 3 in 1 Facial Wipes, and I've nearly gone through a pack of them. These wipes are excellent; they're gentle, remove all my makeup, and have a pleasantly fresh scent. These are supposed to cleanse, tone and remove makeup, but I wouldn't use them in place of skincare products. They're also really inexpensive and remove waterproof eye makeup in just a few swipes.

Have you tried any of these products? Let me know :).

Until next time xx

"Beat the Winter Blues" Makeup Look

Hello lovely people!

I absolutely LOVE this kind of look for when I'm feeling down and need a little pick-me-up (this happens frequently in winter because I can't stand the cold!).  So this is what I like to wear to beat the winter blues:

• Catrice Re-touch Light-reflecting Concealer in light beige on any spots or scars
• Beauty Treats Love Crush Bronzer in 02 on the cheeks and eyes
• Ralo Jumbo Eyeliner Pencil in Cocoa along the upper lash-line
• Ralo Brilliant Lash Mascara
• Wet n Wild MegaLast Lipstick in Sugar Plum Fairy with a bit of clear or pink gloss over the top.

So for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere, just hang on a little longer! Spring is around the corner :)

Does anyone else love a bright lipstick to perk up their mood? Let me know!

Until next time xx

Clicks and Dischem Haul

Hello lovelys! So another haul... typical me.

First up from Clicks is this Wet n Wild H2O Proof Liquid Eyeliner in the shade Black Brown (I meant to pick up the black one, but didn't check the label... oops). This stuff is seriously waterproof and needs a good oil to remove. I'm still getting used to the brush, which is like very hard felt.

Then I also saw this Clicks brand duo-fibre Mineral Brush - I've been looking for something like this for a while, so I am really glad that I came across it!

As seen in my previous post, I was seriously attracted to this Wet n Wild Walking the Red Carpet palette (which I think is a fantastic purchase).

 I saw this Beauty Treats Love Crush Bronzer at Dischem and I thought I'd give it a try. It just looks so cute and it was really inexpensive.

After looking for a good orangy-coral for a little while, I finally found the Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid Lipstick in the shade Vibrant Mandarin. I'm soooo excited to try this out for spring and summer!

And lastly, back to Clicks, I purchased two of the Wet n Wild Megalast Lipsticks in the shades Sugar Plum Fairy (which is a lovely pinky-purple) and Rosebud (a pretty pink).

I hope everyone is having a great Sunday :)

Until next time xx

Catrice Gel Eyeliner Brush Review

Hello there! 

Am I the only one who hates using the brushes that come with the lids of liquid eyeliners? I have very curly lashes on the outer corners of my eyes and find that the brush always deposits a whack-load of product onto my lashes, which I absolutely can not stand! So I though it would be a good idea to pick up an eyeliner brush that won't sit the little liner bottles all day and have excess product all over it.

Seeing as it's really affordable and I'd never tried a Catrice brush before, I picked up their Gel Eyeliner Brush.

This is a double ended brush with an angled side and really fine side. I've tested it out quite well now and I'm really impressed with it! I like the fine side for liquid and gel liners, as it's really precise, while I enjoy using the angled side for using eye shadows and subtle, smokey liner. The angled side would also be amazing for filling in eyebrows.

This is a fabulous purchase and great value for money that I think everyone should have their brush collection!

Please let me know in the comments below if you have any brush recommendations for me! I'd love to give some others a try :)

Until next time xx

Quick and Easy Out-the-door Face

Well, hello there! Today I thought I'd share my favourite super-easy, polished yet minimal look with you. I stumbled across this combination of products over the passed few weeks while I was writing exams. I needed something really easy and fast to put together, but I still wanted to look like I'd made some effort. Ya know what I mean?

After moisturising my skin, I took some of Catrice's Re-touch Light-reflectiong Concealer in 020 Light Beige and applied it to any spots (which were quite numerous) and under my eyes to hide my exam-time darkness, and blended it in with my fingers. I chose this particular colour becuase I wasn't looking to highlight, just to conceal, and the Light Beige is very close to my skin tone.

This is going to sound a little strange, but I then used the Ralo Professional Eyeliner Pen to fill in my eyebrows. If you remember my Mini Ralo Haul, you'll know that I found this eyeliner really sheer and not as black as I would have wanted, but this makes is great for filling in the little gap in my less-full brow. Besides for the little gap, I really don't have to do anything to my super-bushy brows.

Next I used the Catrice Made to Stay Inside Eye Highlighter Pen in the colour 010 In the Mood for Nude. I applied this in the lower waterline to make me look more awake and bright-eyed.

I then used Ralo's Brilliant Lash Mascara, which I think is just fabulous. I sometimes spent the whole day at university with exams, so I wanted a mascara that would hold a curl all day and not smudge under my eyes, and this one did the job really well. I'm sure any waterproof mascara would work well too.

And lastly, I just went for a bit of Dischem's Aloe Vera Lipbalm.

This look takes me about 5 minutes to put together and I really think it's a good one for when you're in a rush.

Let me know if you decide to try this look, or what your quick and easy staples are!

Until next time xx

Nail Polish Love

Aloha! I picked up a new nail polish the other day! That's saying quite a lot for me. Although I love wearing nail polish, I don't tend to wear it very often as I'm usually busy freaking out about something or other. Anyway, so when I do wear nail polish, I usually just choose a colour from my little stash at home. We know I'm a sucker for pretty much anything from Catrice, and I'd been spying the Ultimate Nail Lacquer in the colour 46 Berry Potter and Plumbledore (chuckles! Catrice products always have such cute names!).

Isn't it just the prettiest colour?! I'd describe it as a purply-berry with a duochrome blue shimmer (although the blue doesn't pick up so well on camera). The brush is quite thick, which makes it really easy to get an even layer all over the nail. I applied one coat on my nails and I'm happy with the opacity of the shade. If you want to give this one a go, I got mine for R44.95 at Dischem.

Unitil next time xx

Catrice Lashes to Kill Volume Mascara Review

Hello loves!

After purchasing Catrice's Lashes to Kill False Lashes Volume Mascara, I just had to review it (yep, it's that good!).

I find the formula is neither wet nor dry, but somewhere in between. This mascara has little fibres that help to thicken and lengthen the lashes. I've applied one coat to my top lashes, wiggling the brush at the roots and then pulling through to the tips of the lashes. 

I think this mascara is freakin' fantastic! It not only lengthens the lashes and adds a tonne of volume, but it separates beautifully. It's also quite versatile, as you could do a really thin little layer for a sweet, natural look, or really pump it up for a false lash effect. I find that it's not difficult to remove at all. The only downside I've found is that when applied to the bottom lashes, it tends to do a bit of a panda-eye as the day wears on.

So be sure to try this one out, it's a winner!!!! I got mine at Dischem for R67.95.

Until next time!

Budget Friendly Beauty Haul!

Let's get real: there are tonnes and tonnes of beauty products that I'm just itching to try, but I'm on a student budget. I recently picked up a few things that are totally inexpensive.

From Ralo, I got the BB Cream Professional in the colour Light (which is surprisingly dark for the lightest shade of the bunch!) and one of the Trio Eyeshadow Shimmers in number 36. This trio has two really pretty browny-taupe shades and a dark grey. I've used the BB Cream a couple times and I think I like it! I love the how the finish is super velvety and non-oily.

The Maybelline Baby Lips line recently launched in South Africa (can I get a "whoop whoop"?). I've heard so many good things about these lip balms on YouTube and other blogs, and they are soooo inexpensive that it totally couldn't hurt to try one! Unsurprisingly, I got the red one, which is the colour Cherry Me. Can we just appreciate how amazing this thing smells?!?! Ooohhh my gosh! It reminds me of cherry-flavoured Fizz Pops! Who wouldn't want their lips to smell like that all day?!

Lastly, I went a bit Catrice crazy (oops). For my horribly oily skin, I decided to try the Prime and Fine Pore Refining Anti-shine Base which boasts that it is "mattifying, longlasting and oil-free". I'll have to give it a go the next time I wear foundation. Once again, for the oilyness I have to put up with, I picked up the Prime and Fine Eyeshadow Base. I'm super excited to try this out and see how it lives up to claims of fixing eyeshadow and making it waterproof. I also thought to try the Gel Eye Liner Brush. The bristles feel really soft and look like they will create super fine lines. You know me, what's a beauty haul without some mascara, right? Of all the mascaras I've tried, the Catrice ones have been my favourites! I thought I'd try the Lashes to Kill False Lashes Volume Mascara with Lash Extension Fibres (what a mouthful!). Mascara is my favourite thing ever and I've never tried a fibre one before, so I'm one very very excited girl. Finally, I've joined the lip balm crayon crew with the Pure Shine Colour Lip Balm in 050 Cherry-ty. This balm legit smells like vanilla, which is my favourite scent.

After that huge ramble, I now have some products to test and I'll probably return with some reviews.

Until next time xx

Pick of the Day: Purple Liner

Recently, I have really been loving to wear purple eyeliner. My favourite at the moment is the Wet n Wild Mega Liner in Plum, which I like to wear in quite a think line across the lid with a little flick at the end to help elongate my eyes. I picked up this little guy at Clicks for R39.95. Despite the low price of this liner, I think it's great quality. The colour comes out dark, with a slightly metallic sheen, and the fine brush is perfect for creating that winged-out effect (for some reason, the purple colour picked up better when I had my eyes open).

For a more smokey, evening look, you could always add a bit of liner on the lower lash line or waterline. Don't forget to add some drama to the lashes for killer eyes!

Some other purple liner-ish products to try are

• Smudge Waterproof Gel Eye Liner pencil, from Clicks (about R30 the last time a bought one).
• Wet n Wild Color Icon palette in Petal Pusher, from Clicks (R89.95) - the shadows can be used with a fine, wet brush to create a liner.
• Catrice Absolute Eye Colour mono in Don't Lie, Lac!, from Dischem (about R35) - again, use a small brush to apply this as a liner.

Please let me know what YOU are loving at the moment in the comments below.

Until next time xx