The Review || Napoleon Perdis Love Birds Collection

I was having a casual day wandering around David Jones when I first laid eyes on this gorgeous bag from Napoleon Perdis. I had to have it, just because it looked so pretty. I didn't care if the products were gross, the beauty of the bag justified the price. It's been released as a Valentine’s Day Gift Set, I know I'm a little late to write this post...

The art on the front of the bag has been done by an Australian artist, Felicia Aroney, of two Australian Fairy Wrens. It's too nice to use as a makeup bag and I would never, ever fill it! I use it as a sort of "essentials bag" as I mentioned in my “what’s in my handbag post”. It's filled with makeup bits, mints, hand sanitiser, and so on.

Included in the set is a nail polish and a lip gloss, both named White Swan. Strangely enough, the colours of the two products are quite different. The lipgloss is one which is AH-MA-ZING, in the tube it looks like a clear, pearly gloss, but it’s got a fantastic purple glow to it, very similar to the YSL Glossy Stain in Naughty Mauve. It’s a tad on the sticky side, and the lasting power isn't great, but what do you expect from a lipgloss? The nail polish is also a favourite, the colour is the most perfect lilac, really opaque and shiny. Someone asked me if my nails were shellac whilst wearing this. I've rocked it on my fingers and not suffered too badly with chipping, enough to earn a tick from me.

If you spot this set floating around on shelves anywhere, swatch the lip gloss, grab a bag and march over to the till. Or pop it into your shopping cart if you are browsing online. You won’t be disappointed. 

X Suzy 

The Weekend Pamper || What's in my bag?

"What's in my bag?" videos are my favourite to watch. There's something about having a good old snoop inside someone else's handbag which intrigues me. A woman's handbag is kind of a life line, and I feel as though you can make a pretty accurate judgement based on her handbag. A big oversized bag filled with everything makes me think that this girl is prepared for every situation. Tiny bags conjure thoughts such as "low key" and "streamlined". I fall into the first stereotype, I'm into the big bags. I envy those who carry so little on a daily basis, but I think of to many questions like  "what if I get a sudden blood nose? I'll need those tissues then" and "what if I get caught in the middle or a tornado? I'll need a hairbrush and some lip balm then".

On to the contents of my bag. I don't tend to carry around that much makeup, I'm not a fan of re-applying makeup during the day in public. The only product I regularly reapply is the Lanolips Lip Colourin Rhubarb (has anyone else noticed these have disappeared off the shelves? I'm praying there only reformulating it...). Some days I find my lips to be super dry so I need the Lanolips Lemonaid Lip Ointment on hand because the Lip Colour just won't cut it. If it's going to be a long, hot day I'll pop the JurliqueCitrus Silk Finishing Powder into my bag for some touch ups. Generally I don't bother however. I also keep the Jurlique Jasmine Body Cream in my bag purely because it's tiny, it works great as a hand cream and as a body cream. Hand sanitiser is another must, currently I'm using the Jurlique one. Just in case I do encounter that tornado I do keep a mini hairbrush, some hair ties and bobby pins in my bag.

Beauty bits aside, you'll also find tissues, Band-Aids, my dairy, iPhone, iPad, wallet, glasses and a water bottle lurking in there. If it's a uni day then a document wallet and a couple of note books join the party. I go between three bags, a brightly coloured embroidered bag from Bali which could fit the entire kitchen sink in, a large black leather bag also from Bali and a medium light blue leather bag which I brought from the leather markets in Italy. I'm looking for a cute backpack and a smaller bag. I aspire to be able to carry around less junk.

What are your handbag essentials?

X Suzy 

The Makeup || The Summer Face #1

Summer is my favourite season of the year. I love the sun, the beach and swimming.  It's also the time of year which my skin is looking the best; I think it's something to do with the salty water from swimming so much leading to less foundation applied.

Following my morning skincare routine, I apply a good dollop of the Clinique Super CityBlock SPF30. This acts as both a primer and a sunscreen. Next I use the BareMinerals Original Foundation SPF15 in Fairly Light (yes, I'm talking about it again) with the Real Techniques Duo Fibre Face Brush. Recently I've been leaving my forehead bare, I don't have any blemishes there at the moment. Under the eyes and around my nose I take some more foundation on the Real Techniques Setting Brush to build up the coverage a little more. On blemishes I use the MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW20 for a tad more coverage. Final step in the base is to powder with the Jurlique Citrus Silk Finishing Powder. Amazingly this doesn't make my face too dry, as you would expect from using two powders.

Colour wise I use MAC's Sheertone Blush in Sincere, standard. Also standard is a crimp from the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers followed by the Maybelline Full N'Soft mascara. Eyebrows are filled in with the lovely Eye Brows in Lingering from MAC and finally my lips are usually sporting the Lanolips Lip Colour in Apples.   

And that's what I usually slap on in fifteen minuets before running out the door. What has your go to make up been recently?

X Suzy 

The Makeup || How Much is my face worth in makeup?

My skin care total came to a rather shocking amount of $443. I'm hoping, praying, that my makeup comes to a lesser amount. I've decided to calculate what I'm currently applying makeup wise on a daily basis. Of course I have the option to change up my makeup as I please, just as I do with skin care. So here we go:

My current favourite base for daily wear is the MAC Prep and Prime BB Cream which comes In at $42. On any areas such as under eyes and blemishes the MAC Studio Finish Concealer ($32) is used. MAC's Sheertone blush in Sincere ($41) is used to sculpt and bronze up the cheek bones. The final step in the complexion stage is powder, and I favour the Jurlique Citrus Silk Finishing Powder ($45). Eyes follow with a swipe of the Maybelline Full N'Soft Mascara ($15) for everyday wear and my brows are filled in with the MAC Eyebrows in Lingering ($30). The Lanolips lipgloss in Rhubarb is my favourite daily lip colour and is a total bargain at $15. 

The total cost of my daily makeup comes in at $220. I'm glad it's a smaller amount than my skincare, which is almost double. But still, when you add everything up together, it's a bit of a shock. Let's not count up all the tools as well! I hope you enjoyed reading this mini series here on my blog, it's been quite an eye opener for me. 

How much do you think your face is worth in makeup? 

X Suzy 

The Makeup || The Winter Face #1

My makeup philosophy is very much 'Yeah, I rolled out of bed looking this good.' I strive to find the look that is both polished, concealing, yet natural. To get this natural look I use a good tinted moisturiser or BB cream, a swipe of a natural looking mascara, a touch of bronzer and a hint of lipgloss. 

Base:

After the conclusion of my morning skincare (missed it? read the post here) I start of with the MAC Prep & Prime BB Cream in light plus. It seams as though people either hate this or love it. I'm firmly in the love category, I find provides the perfect amount of coverage, hiding all my blemishes but letting my freckles shine through. Look out for a review soon.  Do be careful with your blending technique, like to blend it out with a dual fibre stippling brush, it can look a bit odd blended with the fingers.

Next I tap on some of the MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW20 onto the blemishes that haven't been quite covered by the BB cream. Sometimes my nose and under eyes can use some more concealing so I pop on some of the MAC Select Cover-up Concealer in NW20. To set the base, I use the Jurlique Citrus Silk Finishing Powder. This is an AH-MAZ-ING setting powder that is so fine and doesn't go cakey or chalky at all. And it smells delicious - bonus points! 

Colour: 

For a bit of colour in the cheeks, I brush on the MAC Sheertone Blush in Sincere as a bronzer. I find that most bronzers look too dark on me, and this blush is just perfect - a good two in one. 

Mascara is up next, and my choice is the Maybelline Full 'N Soft Mascara in the non waterproof formula. I really hate using waterproof formulas because they are such a pain to get off at the end of the day. This mascara gives me a really natural looking lash which I love for during the day. As I mentioned before, my lashes are already full and quite long so during the day I just look for something to give me some colour on my lashes otherwise I look like I've put false lashes on for the day, which is sooooo not me. 

And finally, lips. I'm a lipgloss kinda gal but having said that, I hate sticky lipglosses, which is almost all of them. *Sad face*. But there is a solution: enter Lanolips. I absolutely love the Lanolips Lip Ointment with Colour SPF15. They tick all the boxes for me, they aren't sticky, long lasting(ish), moisturising, protective AND really pigmented! I have both the colours Apples (pictured) and Rhubarb. I pop Apples on in the morning to add a bit of colour into my complexion. I'm not a fan of whipping out the mirror and reapplying, so Rhubarb comes in handy. Rhubarb is a neutral 'my lips just better' and handbag staple which I can slap on without a mirror on the go.  

There you have it, my go to daily makeup that I have been wearing throughout winter. I hoped you enjoyed it! 

X Suzy