L'oreal Colour Riche Moisture Matte Lipstick Review: Glamor Fuchsia & Red Valentine

Are you one, who likes the finish & longevity of matte lipsticks but hate the dry feeling and application of them?

This range of lipsticks may interest you.

Earlier this year L'oreal came out with their Moisture Matte lipsticks. I was very interested in trying these out as I am a fan of Matte lipsticks (but ones that aren't too drying). I was lucky enough to be one of the first people at my local store to try their tester, since they were new i applied them straight to my lips. I absolutely loved them. But I was too indecisive on the colours and didn't want to pay $21.95 at the time.

The application was smooth. It didn't drag along my lips and accentuate the dryness of them which is never a good look. These lipsticks contain Jojoba oil which assist with the moisture side of the lipstick.

I quite liked the finish as it appeared Matte, without looking dry (thanks to the jojoba oil) and lipsticks last quite a long time. I did find that I had to touch up after eating, which is quite standar for most lipsticks anyway.

Here in Australia we have 8 shades available. I picked up two of them.

Glamor Fuchsia & Red Valentine

Swatches taken with flash on

These lipsticks retail at $21.95, but Priceline currently has a Buy 1 get 1 free offer on all lip products which ends on the 11th May. It's the best time to get them as I find it's hard to get L'oreal for a good price here.

I definitely recommend them and I will most likely be purchasing more colours!

Review: Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation - Golden Tan 857

I was so excited when I heard that the highly raved about, Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation, was available in Australia, and better yet, available in my shade! This never happens. I'm a MAC NC40-42 & I can never find a drugstore foundation in Australia that matches me. Not even Revlon Colorstay. So of course, even though I didn't really need it, I picked it up anyway.

What Covergirl describes it as: All-in-one foundation with a long-lasting formula that fuses primer, concealer, and foundation in one easy step! The 3-in-1 formula provides a flawless look that lasts all day long.

 Just like every other beauty product I'm looking at trying, I read and watch many reviews before I go ahead and buy it. The 2 things that really got me to decide that I wanted it was 1. The colour apparently matched my skin tone really well and 2. Everyone was saying how amazing it was.

Let me start by telling you how my skin usually is when I wear foundation in general.
I have very oily skin, particularly around the nose. I use an oil free mattifying primer before & a translucent powder after to set the foundation. Within 2 hours my T-zone will already start to get oily & by the afternoon when I look closely in the mirror, I can see that my foundation has kind of melted off.

The first time I used this, I applied this foundation without a primer & without a setting powder so I could really see how it held up. (I was going out to dinner later that evening so I brought a powder just in case).

Application: It was really easy to work with and blend. I didn't use any concealer cause I wanted to see the coverage. I have dark acne scars on my cheeks so I did 2 layers to get a fairly full coverage. Even though I applied 2 layers, it wasn't cakey at all!

Finish: I loved the finish of it. It was fairly matte, but not so matte that I looked dull and flat. It looked quite natural & the colour was really good. I find it really hard to find a foundation that isn't too yellow, too pink or too orange. Thumbs up to that.

How it held up: Remeber how I said I was going out to dinner that first time? This is where it really sold me - I went to a Korean BBQ for dinner so you know, it was quite hot & steamy & I was worried that my face had melted off. I got out of the restaurant & look in the mirror and the foundation had not budged at all. Wow! If it was my colorstay or sheer glow foundation it definitely would have happened. After wearing it for a good 6 hours, I got home looking just like I did when I left!

I'll have to see how this holds up when Summer comes though, but for now, I am loving it!

What I like about it:

• Easy to blend and apply
• Not cakey
• Great coverage
• Doesn't slide of my oily face
• Great price rrp $19.95, I got mine on sale for $15 from Priceline
• Great staying powder
• Nice, Matte finish
• The foundation has a pump!
• Yellow undertone that isn't too yellow like MAC
• You don't need to prime or set with a powder

What I don't like about it:

I can't really think about what I don't like really. The colour range is quite small. I believe we only have 6 shades available, Golden Tan being the darkest **thank you for bringing this shade to Australia** Anyone with really light skin or anyone with a deeper skin tone may have trouble finding a shade.

I'm not really a big fan of the packaging. Looks kind of cheap (not a big deal) but again, the pump really helps.

Would I recommend this: Of course! I am loving it so far & if you have oily skin like me, This may impress you too!

Well done Covergirl, I've never really been attracted to the brand in the past, the only other thing I've tried was a mascara, but you have definitely won me over with this foundation!

I hope this review was helpful. Let me know if you would like photo of it on, but I figured everyone has different skin tones & skin types so I wasn't too sure if it'd make it anymore helpful. I tried to do a comparison between my other foundation shades but the photos were just not working out.

I'm so happy that I have finally found the perfect everyday foundation!

Let me know of what you think about this foundation.

Michael Kors Selma Review part 2: What's in my bag?

I thought I would do a 2nd part to my Michael Kors Selma review, by showing more detailed photos as well as showing what fits inside the bag, which also doubles as a "What's in my bag" post. I was pretty rushed with my last post so I didn't really include that many photos. I hope this post will be able to help you more with what the bag looks like! **warning: this post is photo heavy**

 Front view of the bag without the long strap.

 The Base of the bag

Base studs of the bag have "Michael Kors" engraved.

I can fit quite a few things in this bag & it's not even completely full yet. But with what I have in here, it's making it quite heavy. So I try not to bring too much with me. 

• In the back pockets I have my I-pod & Mobile, Blotting sheets & Bandaids in zipped pocket
• Front pockets have Tic tacs, Hair ties, Bobby Pins & Usually some lip products
• I can fit my I-pad, Cosmetic Pouch, Wallet, Sunglasses, Dry shampoo, Hand Cream & Tissues in the main area, allowing room for other things too. I would probably just pop a cardigan in on top.

Here's a photo to show you the main things I have in my bag, not including some of the random bits & pieces. Again, I could fit more things in there if I wanted to.

This is what the inside of the bag looks like when it's empty:

 Back of the inside Contains two open pockets, one zipped pocket & a D ring for your keys

Front of the inside: 2 even sized pockets

Just a couple more photos to finish off this post:

I love the detailing of this bag. "Michael Kors" is engraved on the gold bits of the handle as well.

I'm loving this bag more and more. Definitely worth the money and like I said in my previous post, It can be dressy and classy when held in the crook of your arm, or worn with the long strap for a more casual look.

Unfortunately, Macy's doesn't ship Michael kors bags to Australia anymore :( I don't know why, but I found out when I was looking at the Hamilton bags I wanted. I believe there is now a store in Sydney? But for anyone else who is interested and has access to this bag, I recommend going in and seeing how you like the size. It'll be different for everyone.

I hope this post was helpful! Thank you for reading,

Check out my main review on this bag here:

Michael Kors Selma Review

xx

Essence Lip Liner Review

These lip liners by Essence have become one of my favourite lip products and they are something I will definitely keep repurchasing. Surprisingly, after years of being into beauty and makeup, these are the 1st lip liners I've owned... what? Yep, Pretty much couldn't decide on what MAC shades I wanted etc so I basically just never got liners and just lipsticks.

For the price of these ($1.75 but I got them for $1.05) I just went ahead and grabbed a few. I also recently bought another 2 darker colours for winter.

The application is ridiculously good. I didn't even use a heavy hand to swatch these, but the colour pay off was just amazing. In fact, I basically just used feather strokes for the red liner, that's how pigmented they are!

What I like about these:

• They are super creamy
• They are pigmented and provide an even coverage
• They have a nice variety of colours
• The price - they are only $1.75! (Priceline & Target)
• The colour shows up on my pigmented lips, as they do on my arm

They make my lipsticks that look too pale on me or that are a bit too sheer look amazing! (Now I can use those abandoned lipsticks that didn't look right without a liner). They can also be worn by themselves or with a lipgloss on top.

(L-R)

Femme Fatale, Red Blush, Soft Berry, Satin Mauve, Honey Bun, In the Nude, Cute Pink

As I said earlier, I didn't even swatch these with a heavy hand. How good is the colour pay off?!

I mentioned in my Priceline haul, I'm fairly new to Essence. So far, I have been really liking their range. Let me know if there is anything else I must try. So far I have some of the eyeshadow quads, all the cream shadows, 2 of their mascaras, some lip gloss and of course these liners.

xx

Essence Nail Polish Swatches & Review

I mentioned in my May Favourites, that I absolutely loved these Essence nail polishes, so I thought I would do a post including swatches of the Essence nail polishes I currently own.

Each swatch has 2 coats of nail polish on them. You can see in the photos that most of them are quite opaque and provide a nice, non streaky application.

What I like about them:

• They have a flat brush, similar to OPI
• The application is smooth and non-streaky
• They have a nice, creamy formula making them quite opaque
• They last a decent time before they start to chip (with top coat)
• The price - They only cost $2.75 here in Australia, available at Priceline & Target

They have a pretty decent colour selection. I mainly bought pastel colours because I already have so many bright, bold China Glaze nail polishes already.

125-Absolutely Blue

I love this colour!It looks like it could be a dupe for China Glaze's secret periwinkle, which I was actually going to order until I found this shade.

05 Cafe Ole

This has become my favourite/go to nude polish

149 Hello Marshmellow!

A pretty, soft lilac colour, with a hint of shimmer.

146 that's what I mint!

Finally, I have found the perfect mint green nail polish. Colour is on point and the application is perfect.

This colour is more to the mint/green side then what it shows in the photo.

142 grey-t to be here

I actually found this in the Priceline bargain bin for only $1. I really like this colour, I don't own anything like it. Unfortunately, I think it has been discontinued.

08 Peach & Cream

I wanted to love this one so much, Such a pretty colour from the bottle. Unfortuntely this one was quite watery or runny compared to the rest. It was harder to work with and after 2 coats, it was still quite sheer.

132 Break Through

The only dark polish I own from Essence, it's a nice bold purple.

These nail polishes are definitely worth checking out. I reach for them more then my China Glaze & OPI, and the price point is great. Very happy with the colours & application for most of the.

I also own the Essence Quick Dry top coat, which is pretty good as well.

I will most certainly be buying more, so I'll definitely post more swatches as I collect more. 

Review: Michael Kors Selma

I ordered this bag online, when Macy's had their 20% off friends and family sale. I got a pretty good deal on it which even included free shipping!

I first saw this bag when Rachel (checkinthemirror) posted her one, in white on instagram. Nikkiphilippi then got the black one, I loved it so much I knew I had to get my hands on one too!

Shipping to Australia took about 10 days in total, It was packaged nicely in a box, with all the plastic around it and it included a dust bag too.

I really needed a new black handbag, as all of mine were faulty in their own ways, so I thought it would be a good idea to invest in a good quality one. 

This bag is made of Saffiano Leather, it is extremely high quality and durable.

What I love about the bag:

• Classy Design, It will go with any basically anything. I love how it has a long strap, which can be more practical for carrying it in the crook of your arm and also it can give it a more casual look.
• It's a good size. Not too big, not too small. It fits all your essentials and it will also fit an iPad. (I'm only 5'2, so for me it's a good size) I use it on days when I don't need to carry my life around with me. The neverfull is good for that.
• It has internal pockets! One side has a zip pocket with two additional ones to hold your mobile etc, the other side also has two pockets. This makes organizing your bag so much easier. Big thumbs up to that!
• It has pegs on the bottom, for when you need to put your bag down, it won't ruin the beautiful leather.
• The long adjustable strap, makes this bag more versatile, I personally love long straps on my bags, so it makes it a good change from using my LV Speedy. 
• Because of the quality of the Saffiano Leather, it will always look nice and new.

I purchased it in the Black Saffiano Leather with Gold Hardware. It's available in a variety of colours, including tan, white, yellow, green, pink, navy. I've also seen that they have some duo toned ones too!

 Black intierior, monogramed with the MK logo

Pockets, It also features a clasp which you can put your keys on.

There's not many things I don't like this bag at all, Maybe that it's a little on the heavy side, but to me, that just shows that it's sturdy and well made.

Overall, I highly recommend this bag, very impressed with the quality. For the price it is extremely worth it. It is only a fraction of a Louis Vuitton bag, but still is high in quality and also has alot of features. Luckily, it is available at Macys and Bloomingdales, which always seem to have coupon codes!

This was also my first Michael Kors purchase and it has definitely made me want more. I'm eyeing the Michael Kors Hamilton in Saffiano Leather - Cadet. Mmm. But for now, I will continue to make the most out of this bag :)

Update: I have done a 2nd part to this review showing more photos & what I can fit inside. Post can be found through the link below:

Michael Kors Review Part 2: What's in my bag?

xx