Unsung Hero - Elf Blush Brush

I don’t often sing the praises of brushes, if they do their job I’m happy but I’ve found a gem and its super affordable and I need to tell the world.

The Elf Blush Brush is one of my go to brushes but awkwardly not for blush. The synthetic hairs are super soft plus are so easy to clean and apply powder products like a dream.

Because of the tapered point of the brush it applies powder precisely and I use it everyday for setting my under eye concealer. The point gets right in there and the powder is perfectly distributed so I don’t have to layer until it starts looking all cakey up in there.The shape of the brush is also perfect for contouring since you can get your product right under your cheekbones while the shorter fine sides of the brush help blend away the edges to avoid that awful sharp line. Add the fact that it is perfect for precision blush application and blending and I’ve run out of praises to sing.

I love this brush and frankly for the three things I use it for, I’m sort of hankering for three of them! And for $8 at Kmart or around the $3 mark on iHerb I wont be breaking the bank.

NYX haul

During a (not so recent) sale on NYX at Target I thought I’d treat myself to a few new products and pick up some gifts for a friends birthday.

For myself I picked up another NYX gloss in Dolly Pink, a super bright pink colour. I already have and love the cult classic Beige so thought I’d add one more to my collection. Even though I don’t mind it too much the scent of these is really strong and won’t be for everybody. I grabbed two of the NYX soft matte lip creams in Antwerp and Monte Carlo. I think ill do a full review on these after I’ve had more of a chance to play with them. Last thing I got for myself (I was so good!) was the NYX powder blush in Peaches I have already gotten so much use out of this baby and it is a winner! The perfect pop of perky pink (say that 5 times fast) Peaches is definitely a suits-everyone shade I would recommend. The colours of the blushes for some reason don't show 100% accurate in the photo (sorry guys!) so have a swatch if it doesn't look up your street and you might be surprised. A couple of the presents I picked up were the NYX Love in Paris Palette in Be our Guest Maurice for my violet loving friend and also the powder blush in Mocha which I thought would suit her olive skin tone.

So that’s it! I think I was pretty good; my only regret was not buying some Butter Glosses. I love the one I have so much but they didn’t have the shades I wanted in stock/ I was trying not to go too crazy and buy them all.

Are there any amazing NYX products I’m missing out on? I’m thinking about making a beautyjoint order as a treat for myself soonish (if I don’t get guilty and close the tab again!) so I’d love some recommendations!

Review: Essence Blush Up!

I had heard a lot about the Essence Silky Touch Blushes and was browsing an Essence stand thinking about picking one up when my eye was caught instead by the Essence Blush Up! Powder Blush in Heat wave  I haven’t seen a gradient blush as stunning as this in the ‘drugstore’ before and was really impressed by the size of the pan for the cost, for $6.45 I had to make it mine. That being said, I didn’t have very high expectations but I was blown away by the quality of this blush! The colour is amazing, it might look a little intimidating but a swirl of the orange and the pink together gives the perfect pop of colour on the cheeks or you can use one colour or the other. The pigmentation is great but when picked up lightly can be really subtle and blends really well. Blushes don’t last on me through the day no matter what and this was no exception but I don’t mind a cheeky touch up during the day.

Essence has nailed this one and delivered a taste of high-end makeup into a super affordable product.

I would definitely recommend this blush and I’d love to know any other amazing Essence products I’ve been missing out on!

April Beauty Favourites

This months favourites consist of a few new finds but are mostly the result of trying to get some use out of the products I already have.

My favourite base duo this month has been Nars Sheer Glow (standard I know) and my new Flat top Kabuki Brush I got from Bosa Beauty (but I think it’s a pretty standard kind of foundation brush and any brand would do the trick). I haven’t always gotten on with Sheer glow, mainly because I felt like it highlighted the dry patches I didn’t know were there in the first place. But it is my PERFECT match in colour (Siberia for all the pale faces out there) so I always come back to it. My revelation this month was using it over the Loreal Lumi Magique Primer, which solves the problem of cakiness (mostly) and gives an amazing glow to the skin. Maybe I need to try using a tiny bit of Sheer Glow and endlessly buffing it in? Let me know if you know and love this foundation how you make it work.

This month has been one of long essays and late nights and subsequently my under eye circles have reached new heights (depths?) of darkness. To combat this I revisited the Australis Camouflage concealer. Another product that I hated initially it works a treat if you know what you’re doing! I use it in the darkest points under my eyes after my normal concealer, with a precision brush ( I use a brush I think is meant for lips) dot on the tiniest amount of the concealer exactly where you want it, then using a small domed brush, like the Real Technique Deluxe Crease Brush  tap and blend the product (quickly) into the skin. The key with this product is moving quickly, it is super tacky and when it sets, it sets! Now I know how to handle this concealer I love it! A tap of powder over the top and it stays all day.

In an attempt to embrace Melbourne’s autumnal weather I’ve been cracking out an old favourite for the cheeks, Rimmel Lasting Finish Soft Colour Blush in Genuine Plum I love how this blush suits my fair skin but with a plummy lipstick or gloss it would compliment anyone.

For lips I’ve been loving Revlon this month, the Colourstay Matte Balm in Standout has become my go to for a bold lip. It reminds me of a favourite, Macs Russian Red but is so much easier to apply and has crazy lasting power. I’ve worn this baby to work and out to dinner and it still looks perfect until the moment I Bioderma it away. For low-key days I’ve gotten back into my Revlon Lip Butters particularly the shade Juicy Papaya. The name is fun, its super pretty and fades evenly, it’s a winner for sure.

Skincare wise I’ve been trying out lots of new things recently so I think I’ll do a separate post on the hits and misses.

Has anyone else found any old favourites this month?

Or come around to something you thought was a dud?