The Monthly Roundup || January 2014

Wait, what? January is over? I can't be the only one who can't believe that 2013 is over, let alone January of 2014 is over. For me, January brought a lot of sunshine (and sunburn), swimming and celebrations (New Year’s Eve, my birthday & Australia Day). Next month both Uni and a new job start up so this is my last week of relaxation.

January Favourites

My most loved product of the month is the Eau Duelle fragrance from Diptyque. I got this for my birthday, and I love it so much. I'm going to attempt to describe the sent to you, but I strongly suggest reading other reviews online for a more accurate review. To me it smells of holidays in Bail, it's got quite a beautiful incense smell to it, combined with vanilla and musk. It's everything I look for in a fragrance, long lasting yet not overpowering.

Another present which I got for my birthday comes in second place on my favourites list. The Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers were gifted to me by my sister, and not one morning I have gone without them! The difference is quite amazing, some days I feel as though I've over done the eyes for every day wear (a very good thing).

The YSLRebel Nudes Glossy Stain in the colour Naughty Mauve (107) is next up on my favourites list for January. Whilst I haven't had that many opportunities to wear it, it gives my lips an amazing colour. I would describe it as a "my lips but better" base colour with the most lovely purple sparkles and sheen in it. Don't let that scare you, the purple sparkles are subtle enough for casual nights out. And let's not forget to mention the longevity of these stains and their weightless formula. 

A couple of things from BareMinerals finishes of my monthly favourites. I have been head over heels in love with the Original Foundation this month. It looks so flawless on the skin, is super quick and easy to apply and provides the perfect amount of coverage. My only problem with this is the lack of SPF, I'd rather it had none that SPF15. Also from BareMinerals is the Eyecolour in Nude Beach. Another gift I received for my birthday, this shimmery eyeshadow is so lovely. The colour is right up my street, and it's one of those one sweep wonder shadows, where you sweep the shadow on and nothing eels is needed to complement it. 

One non-beauty favourite this month would be my Sencha Mango green tea from T2. It's equally delicious served hot or cold, perfect for hot afternoons. The tea is flavoured only with real bits of mango, so the nutritional benefits of drinking green tea are not compromised.   

This Month in Blog Posts

One of my many New Years resolutions was to post on this blog more regularly. I feel although I'm doing OK, not as regularly as I had hoped. My goal is to publish a new post every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Some weeks I was able to manage this, and other weeks I failed a little.

This month I brought to you my super spot fighter post which details what I slap on when a breakout threatens.

The weekend pamper posts of this month featured my Christmas wish list and my nail careroutine.

My thoughts of the BareMinerals Original foundation can be found here and you can check out the makeup which I’ve been wearing on nights out here.

Finally, I did two posts on “How much my face is worth” each focusing on the skincare side of things or the daily makeup. 

The Makeup || Casual Summer Evening Makeup

On these hot nights my standard evening makeup look which consists of winged eyeliner and a bright lip can look a bit too overdone. A much more appropriate look is a natural looking lip and a bit of smudgy eyeliner. I've constantly been wearing this look for all low key events, and I even wore it on New Years Eve and on my birthday. 

I start of by priming my face with the Nude By Nature Mineral Airbrush Primer and I contour using the MAC Select Coverup Concealer in NW40 with the Real Techniques Duo-Fibre Contour brush. The Bourjois Happy Light Foundation in shade 51 is stippled across my face using the Real Techniques Stippling brush. The MAC Studio Finish Concealer is then used for concealing. A hint of blush and shimmery highlighter, MAC Pink Swoon and MAC Soft and Gentle respectfully, is then applied to my cheeks. A dusting of the Jurlique Citrus Silk Finishing Powder finishes everything of nicely. 

Eyes are next, and I start by filling in my brows with the MAC Eyebrows in Lingering. I take the Real Techniques Duo Fibre eyeshadow brush and swirl it around in the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze. I build this up quite heavily to make quite a smokey effect. Once all the edges are blended out I take an eyeliner pencil, namely the MAC Technakohl Liner in Graphblack and smudge it across the upper lash line. Next I take the same eyeliner and line both my water line and my tight line. I smudge a little into my lower lash line to get a super smokey look. I finish up with by curling my eyelashes with the Shu Uemura eyelash curlers and lashings of the Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara.
Finally lips, because I have gone for such a strong eye look, I need a subtle lip to balance everything out. My choice of late is the YSL Glossy Stain in 107, Naughty Mauve. This is the most amazing lip colour, it's nude based but it has a purple shimmer through it. It's impossible to describe with out it sounding gross. Simply put, it's the perfect nude for my lips, with out looking too brown and boring. 

X Suzy

The Weekend Pamper || Christmas Wishlist

I'm not one for asking for cosmetics for Christmas. Usually, I get a bit of cash to buy all the things I want. First up, is this set from Jurlique. I use all the products in it, and it's currently on sale for $160. Can we say bargain? Its got the beloved Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum in its large size, which retails for $160. Sorry what? So essentially, you get both the Herbal Recovery Night Cream and the Herbal Recovery Eye cream for free. Take a moment for that to all sink in.

The YSL Glossy Stains are a love of mine and I plan on picking up number 107, Naughty Mauve from the Rebel Nudes collection. A neutral lip product is severely lacking in my collection, this looks divine. A neutral lip with purple shimmer running through it does sound a little on the scary side however but I'm keen to give it a try! 

Finally my brush collection is a bit dismal. I would really love to pick up some more brushes from Real Techniques, I haven't tried any yet, can you believe it? If the Duo-Fibre Limited Edition is still around in my local Priceline, it's going straight into my basket. If it is out of stock however, I will grab the Expert Face Brush and the Powder Brush. I'm also lusting after the Stippling Brush, the one I am currently using is HUGE. As in too big for my face huge. 

Finally on my wish list is a pair of the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers. I am an everyday eyelash curler kind of gal, and so this is a necessity (not really) for me to pick up. However, I'm having difficulty deciding whether I should go for the new S-Curlers or the original version...

The Monthly Roundup || November

I feel like I've only just written the October roundup, but here we are at the end of November. Summer has hit and I've been at the beach and enjoying some sun. I've been big on the purchasing side of things recently (look out for a haul post coming soon), and a number of these new items have turned up in my favourites.

Monthly Favourites:

The most loved product of the month goes to the MAC Blush in Pink Swoon. I brought this at the end of October, and it actually didn't leave my cheeks during the night. I'm not a fan of wearing blush during the day, don't ask why, but I have been loving if on nights out. A very close runner up is the Aesop Control Gel, something I brought on the recommendation of Caroline Hirons. And it's absolutely amazing. I had a bit of a breakout at the start of the month, and thanks to this, it all cleared quickly.

Another favourite brought on the recommendation of Caroline Hirons is the REN Exfoliating Toner. This has been really nice to us on days that I haven't done a 'deep' exfoliation. And I do love that slightly tingling felling of the acid on my skin.

I have found the perfect eyebrow pencil. When I get my eyebrows tinted, they tend to fade fast in the inner corners. Which leads to blond at the start and brown towards the ends. In order to stop me looking like a creature with two toned eyebrows, I'll pencil this in with the MAC Eye Brows in Lingering. It's the perfect dark brown, with a touch of red, something that suits me. A daily essential.

The final favourite for this month is the Essie Nail Polish in Ballet Slippers. As my first Essie nail polish, this has earned the top place amongst all my nail polishes. It's perfect for every day, and gives that perfect I've just had a manicure look. The longevity of the nail polish isn't the best however.

This Month in Blog Posts:

Here’s all the lovely lotions and potions that save my skin during summer.

This month I was nominated for the Liebster Award!

Check out the usual combination of cheek products that I apply for evenings out here.  

My go to base of the moment is reviewed here.

Finally, two posts which go hand in hand are my Weekend Facial post and my Skin Treatments post.

Added to the Wish List this Month:

With Christmas around the corner, a few products have been added to the wish list. I tend to buy myself cosmetics with any Christmas money I get during the sales, rather than asking for something. First up, I have worked out what colour of the Rebel Nude Glossy Stain I would like, 107 if you’re interested. I also am after an oil absorbing primer and possibly a foundation... 

I’ve spotted this beautiful makeup bag at Country Road, something I’ll pick up in the sales. I’ll also grab myself a pair of these shoes while I’m there.

Finally, my liquid eyeliner is on its way out, and I’m looking for something to replace it with. theBalm Schwing Eyeliner is a possible candidate. I’m all ears for some recommendations!  

The Makeup || Evening Eyes and Lips

Following on from yesterdays post about my evening base makeup, I bring you my evening eye and lip makeup. This routine is (hopefully) a lot shorter to read than yesterdays. However, it's the one which takes the most time because I like to do a winged eyeliner look, which is notorious for taking FOREVER. 

I start by taking MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle and sweeping this all over my eyelid, right up to the eyebrow as a very subtle eye shadow. The focus is on the eyeliner and the lashes rather than the eye shadow with this look. 

Next I take the Rimmel London Glam'Eyes liquid liner. I draw a thin line as close to my eyelashes as possible. From about halfway along the lash line to the outer corner I draw the line a bit thicker. Finally, I wing the eyeliner out as though it would connect to my eyebrow from the bottom lashes. Then I join the wing to the top lashes. 

Whilst waiting for my eyeliner to dry, I will put the first layer of the YSL Glossy Stain in colour #11. It's important to do this in layers so that it lasts as long as possible. 

Once my eyeliner is dry, I will give my lashes a curl. Mascara follows, which comes in the form of the Maybelline Mega Plush for the top lashes. Only on the top lashes. If I use this mascara on my bottom lashes, I find that it's wayyyy to clumpy. I usually apply 2-3 coats of mascara here. On my bottom lashes, I use the Covergirl Clump Crusher. This is so much better for the bottom lashes because it's clump free. Who would've guessed? 

Once that is done, I will pop a bit of more of the Soft and Gentle in the inner corners of my eyes for an added highlight. Next, I swipe on a second coat of my YSL Glossy Stain.

Eyebrows are next, and I use the Nars Eyebrow Pencil in Panama to fill them in a touch. I also give them a quick swipe over with an eyebrow brush. Finally, I add a third coat of the Glossy Stain and I'm done! 

So there you have it, part two of my evening makeup ritual, hope you enjoyed it! 

X Suzy