February Faves

Hello lovelies!

February is coming to a close (autumn is approaching!), so it's the perfect time to share my favourite products of the month with you.

I have been absolutely loving the Batiste dry shampoo. I like this little mini one because I can just pop it in my bag and take it anywhere.

The one product that has literally saved my skin is the Warming Mineral Mask from The Body Shop. It heats up when it comes into contact with the skin and it leaves my skin feeling so refreshed. Any redness is diminished and blemishes are left much smaller and less angry.

The UBU Blender Baby sponge has completely changed the way foundation looks on my skin. I've fallen in love with this sponge, as it just blends foundation and perfects the skin effortlessly.

Moving on to makeup, my two must-haves this month were both Catrice products: the Camouflage Cream concealer in the shade 020 light beige, and the Pure Shine Lip Balm in 020 Rusty In Peace. The concealer is so so creamy and easy to use, and the yellow hue makes it really good for covering any redness. The Catrice lip balms are the most hydrating lip products I've ever tried, and this shade is one of those your-lips-but-better colours.

Sticking to lips, I've been drawn like a magnet to the Catrice Long Lasting Lip Pencil in 030 Berryson Ford; it's a lovely berry shade that works really well under a dark lip colour and is also really lovely when used all over the lip with a gloss on top. I think this shade is going to be my go-to colour this autumn and winter!

I was pleasantly surprised by the Get Big Lashes Volume Boost Waterproof mascara from Essence, When I fist tried this product, I though the wand was way too big and I ended up getting mascara all over my eyelids. Now, after giving it another chance, I've really come to love it! Being very careful when using the massive wand, this mascara yields mightily thick, voluminous lashes and also adds quite a bit of length. Also, it definitely lives up to being waterproof and smudge-proof.

Lastly, I've been totally infatuated with Catrice's Ultimate Nail Lacquer in shade 24 The GlamoureX Factor. It's a beautiful, metallic, champagne-y gold, but it strikes me as such an unusual and sophisticated colour.

What have been some of your favourite products this month? I'd love to hear your recommendations!

Until next time xxx 

What's in my Makeup Bag: Stage Edition

Hello! Happy New Year!

This year has kicked off with a bang for me, as I've been rehearsing around the clock for a season of dance performances! So I thought I'd share with you the makeup I wear for stage.

For foundation, I've been wearing Ralo's BB Cream in light, which I apply with a sponge. I like this for stage because it's really buildable and has good coverage. If I have any pesky spots, I cover them up with the Catrice Coverstick Concealer in 020 Natural Beige. I then apply the Healthy Balance Powder from Bourjois in the shade 53 Light Beige with a duo-fibre brush.

For cheeks, I use a combination of Wet n Wild's Coloricon Blusher in Heather Silk and the Love Crush Bronzer from Beauty Treats in the shade 02, applied with a small blush brush.

Moving onto the eyes, I first prime the lids with the L.A. Girl Pro-primer H.D. Eyeshadow Primer (what a mouthful!) in Nude. I like to keep an eyeshadow palette in my makeup bag so that I have some options to play around with. At the moment, I'm enjoying the Wet n Wild Coloricon Palette in Walking the Red Carpet. I particularly love to use the warm brown with golden shimmer all over the lid, the darkest brown in the outer corner and crease, and the white as a highlight (applied with a small shader brush). Next up, you gotta have that liquid liner for stage! So I've got the Paris Collection Liquid Eyeliner in black. If I wear mascara, it'll be the Ralo Brilliant Lash, but on a big stage with bright lights, I'm more likely to wear false lashes (a.k.a. the bane of my existence). Though they're not pictured above, I use the Eylure Naturalites Double Lashes.

Lastly, we have lips. Red lipstick is a must, but I've been into a slightly darker red recently, so I like to apply Rimmel's Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in the shade 01 all over my lips, and then daub a bit of Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipstick in Black Cherry over the top.

If you perform on stage, please let me know what's in YOUR makeup bag!
Until next time xx

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

Over-night Makeup Bag

Hello everyone! Today I though I'd share with you what I pack in my makeup bag when I'm not at home. I don't always pack the same things, but this is the standard amount and types of products that I take with me.

I don't wear foundation every day, but I have some scars and spots that I usually want to hide; for that I use Catrice's Re-touch Light-reflecting Concealer Pen in the colour 020 Light Beige. Then I have the Prime and Fine Eyeshadow Base also from Catrice. For eyeshadow I like to take a palette so that I have some options to work with. Here I took with me the Wet n Wild Walking the Red Carpet one, and I just had a little shading brush as well. I took Ralo's Jumbo Eyeliner Pencil in Coco and the Catrice Lashes to Kill Volume Mascara. Lastly, I had with me a mineral brush to use with the Beauty Treats Love Crush Bronzer in the shade 02 (this is great because it works as a bronzer and a blush!).

That's it! I like to keep things really simple when I go away, just so that I don't have to pack a whole lot of stuff.

Let me know what you pack in your over-night makeup bag :)

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

Ralo BB Cream Review

Hi Sparklers!

So seeing as I've had it for a while now and feel like I've given it a good go, I think it's high-time I reviewed Ralo's BB Cream (which I talked about in THIS haul). This product claims to be all-in-one perfection, containing primer, foundation and concealer, to moisturise while having a non-oily, silky matte finish, and it contains sunscreen.

I really want to like this BB cream, but I just can't. Yes, it does leave a beautiful, light-weight, silky matte finish, it has great coverage and it doesn't budge all day. I wore it to the Mothers' Day Concert at the Zoo, which was really hot for May, and it lasted through a whole afternoon of sweating in the sun. But every 4 out of 5 times that I wear it, I end up with little bumps (the non-whitehead variety) on my skin, usually on my forehead or along my jaw-line. I already have fairly acne-prone skin, so I seriously do not want anything to make it worse. And these little bumps take ages until they go away. I think maybe it's the sunscreen that annoys my skin, because I've never had a problem with Ralo's foundations/face products before.

Anyway, so if you have sensitive, irritable, or moody skin, give this one a pass.

Until next time xx

Today's Picks: Favouite Makeup Items

These are my favourite makeup items of the moment! I feel like these products work well together and alone, so let's get down to the details.

This is my Long Lasting Liquid Foundation by Ralo. Ralo is a South African cosmetics company that make really high quality, affordable (and I mean super affordable) products. I have to rave about this product! It's quite a light-weight, medium coverage foundation that comes in a plastic bottle with a pump, and it lasts on the skin absolutely all day! It's really easy to blend into the skin with fingers or a brush and leaves a beautiful, natural finish. It also has a really lovely, light scent. I have oily skin and I find that I hardly ever have to touch up this product. The shade range is awesome for darker skin tones (seeing as Ralo is a South African company, the foundations cater well for African skin). However, people with fair skin my struggle to find a match - I wear the Ivory shade, but my skin tone is more of a Mediterranean light olive. I will point out that not all of the shades are available online. Anyway, some shades can be found here.

This little trooper is my Catrice Cover Stick in the shade 020 Natural Beige. This product has a thick, creamy consistency and is great for covering spots, scars and redness. I would not use this under the eyes, as it creases quite badly. Click here to see Catrice products online.

Two of my more recent purchases! When I saw that Clicks was now stocking Wet 'n' Wild products, I had to try some! First on my list was the Color Icon Petal Pusher Palette. This stuff is gorgeous! Going from top to bottom on the left and then the right, the colours are a slightly pink-toned matte white, a matte lilac, a matte darker purple, a sparkly blue-toned purple, a super shimmery pale pink, a beautiful nude-ish mauve, a glittery deep plum, and a sparkly black. So many looks can be completed with this product! I love wearing the mauve all over my lid, and the plum and black shades work wonderfully as liners as well.

Next we have the Wet 'n' Wild MegaImpact Mascara. This mascara is simply gorgeous! While it's not the blackest mascara, it coats each lash evenly, adds length and volume, and (best of all) it separates the lashes like no other mascara I've tried. I love how full and defined my lashes look when I use this. The wand is quite fat, but the formula is pretty dry, so I don't have any trouble when applying the mascara. For an every-day, all-purpose mascara, this one is fabulous! Check out Wet 'n' Wild products here.

Ralo again! Need I mention how much I love this brand? This is the 5 Colour Eye Shadow in number 20. Ralo's eye shadows are absolutely amazing! I've tried so many of them, and they are all creamy, blendable, pigmented and long-lasting. I like this little palette the most because it has great every-day colours and can also be used for a more dramatic, colourful look. From left to right, we have a white, baby pink, taupe, dark grey, and cool-toned dark pink, all of which are shimmery. I specifically bought this palette to replicate a look by Kayleigh Noelle on YouTube! Here are links to Kayleigh's channel and her makeup look. This Ralo palette can be found here. I'm also going to mention that ALL of Ralo's 5 Colour palettes have beautifully coordinated colous.

This next friend of mine is my absolute staple, every-day favourite lip gloss. Meet the Woolworths Lips Plump & Pout Gloss in the colour Apricot Smoothie. This shiny gloss has a thick consistency and the colour is a lovely nude-peach with a little bit of gold sparkle. It's one of those tingly glosses with a menthol type of feel and a pleasantly sweet scent. Most (if not all) of Woolworths beauty products are approved by Beauty without Cruelty. Product info on this gloss can be found here.

This product I have dubbed the "Queen of the Lipsticks"; I don't think I can express in words how much I love it! This is the Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in number 01. The colour is a lovely, cool-toned dark red that, in my opinion, is perfect for any season. The product is creamy and ultra long-lasting with a pleasant scent. I've worn this lipstick through meals and it only had to be ever so slightly touched up. Also, the packaging is gorgeous! A sleek, black, sturdy tube with a little pop of red, who wouldn't love that?

Out of all of my blushes, I think this one is the most versatile. This is the Ralo Blusher in number 6. It's a classic pink colour that can be built up from a slight, rosy flush to a dramatic, dark pink. This is my favourite blush for stage (I dance) because I can get that great, dark colour out of it. I can't help but appreciate this beautiful packaging! The little black strip with silver writing and snowflake detail is so pretty, and the pan makes a very satisfying "snap!" when closed. I don't think this particular blush is available online, but check out some of the others here.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my favourite makeup products. I'd really like to know if anyone has tried these items! Leave me a comment telling me what you think of them if you have. Until next time!