11/29/2013
The Week #82
The Week in Instagrams @nanawintour: *Exquisite macaron tower in the Block Arcade, Melbourne. *Mecca Maxima's 'Beauty to Go' section-just like a smaller Sephora #heaven. *Dinner at Orleans last week-that chicken waffle is amazing! *Crazy cat-lady sunglasses in Sportsgirl. *Jeff Koons at the NGV. *A visit to the new Chanel boutique, again, amazing. *Cupcakes from Little Cupcake. *Zara+Tank=One happy girl. *I visited the Regent Theatre to watch King Kong. This is easily one of the most stunning theatres, ever. *'S' is for Sophie and obligatory selfies. *Gorgeous Christmas decor in Crabtree & Evelyn. *The Cult Beauty Wishlist.
Must-Watch of the Week: I'll be honest, my YouTube subscription box hasn't been given a glance-over in the last week. However, I did watch some movies on both my flights to and from Australia. First up, Mademoiselle C about Carine Roitfeld and her invention of CR magazine. I didn't know an awful lot about Carine but it was so fascinating to watch her work and see how appreciated and admired she is by the fashion industry as a whole. I also watched Burton and Taylor starring Helena Bonham Carter as Liz Taylor. Again, I don't know an awful lot about Liz Taylor so I really enjoyed this one although sadly I didn't get to see all of it.
11/27/2013
Cult Beauty Wishlist
If Cult Beauty was a real store it would be an absolute treasure trove of all the greatest, harder-to-find brands and products. While it isn't physically 'real', thankfully it exists online and in the UK. The founders source the best products from some of the world's greatest brands and have them all in one easy place so you can buy or make wishlists to your heart's content. I am yet to personally shop on Cult Beauty-one day soon I will! In the meantime though I have compiled a wishlist of all the bits and pieces sitting in my cart..
Anastasia Clear Brow Gel I actually don't own a brow gel and have considered getting the Mac one from time to time. Brow gel is something worth spending a bit more money on if you want to avoid crispy brows. The Anastasia brand is known for their brow products so this would make a welcome addition to the beauty routine.
Aesop Parsley Seed Facial Cleansing Mask This is described as a lifesaver for those times when your skin's looking angry and congested. The clay draws out any impurities. It is said to be perfect for balancing oily/combination skin as well. If you're after a new face mask then you should definitely check out Aesop's.
Dr Bronner Castille Mild Liquid Soap So you're probably all thinking liquid soap is a somewhat bizarre inclusion and I completely agree. These organic soaps are popular among the beauty set for brush-cleaning. At the moment I use whichever shampoo and conditioner I have in my shower to clean my brushes. Using something like this means you can disregard wasting your hair products.
11/25/2013
The Melbourne Makeup Bag
I'm currently in Melbourne as you read this which means I am probably doing a combination of shopping, drinking amazing coffee, taking loads of pictures and behaving like a lovestruck tourist. Today I thought I'd talk you through what is in my travel makeup bag. Believe it or not this is quite minimal for me. Aside from some skincare bits and my eye brushes this will be it. On holidays I tend to wear less makeup anyhow. This is a more streamlined version of what I use daily in other words.
Palettes and Powders With palettes I try to take ones that are relatively flat so that they fit into my makeup bag more easily. The Hourglass palette and my Mac quad are multi-use. My favourite Benefit blush Coralista is coming even though it's not so travel friendly, it's my go-to Summer blush right now.
Eyeshadows While I have my eyeshadow quad I also packed my two favourite neutrals, All That Glitters and A Natural Flirt. Eyeshadow is something I don't fuss as much with on holidays so these blendable, subtle wash of colour shades are perfect.
Primers Standard. My travel-sized Hourglass primer is coming because it has the best lasting-power and my Benefit one is close to running out. I may be eyeing up the Laura Mercier counter looking for a replacement primer. Watch this space..
Pencils My two Rimmel pencils are so easy for everyday makeup, a quick swipe along the lashline and a little bit of smudging with a brush or finger has you sorted. The flesh-toned pencil is for the waterline and my pink-lip pencil is what I pair with my brighter lipstick.
11/21/2013
The Week #81
The Week in Instagrams @nanawintour: *Reading an essay on Maxi Skirts and feeling nostalgic. *A palette standoff in a Wicked face of the day. *The best packages come in Bobbi Brown bags. *Britney came to visit! *I'm in the December issue of Teen Vogue! No cover stories or features (yet...) but it was pretty surreal seeing this nonetheless. *Another afternoon spent in the Emerald City-get yourself to Wicked this weekend if you are yet to see it. *Getting excited for Christmas with these seasonal beauty collections. *A preview of Monday's post. *Christmas at Bobbi Brown's. *The gorgeous stage setup at Wicked-it's totally not obvious I enjoyed it is it?
Must-Watch of the Week: If you haven't yet done so you need to check out Lily's Christmas Gift Guide video. It is a beauty lover's dream, so don't be surprised if you come away with a wishlist for yourself as well of course for your beauty loving friends and family. There are some beautiful products to be found here like the Jo Malone sets or the Nars Guy Bourdin palette.
11/20/2013
November Favourites
I know this is a super early time in the month to be posting about favourite products but I wanted to get this up before I go away. The main reason being I knew I'd probably end up writing about products I bought and owned for less than a week on my return-#bloggerlogic. This month's favourites is a slightly unusual mixing of products but you should definitely notice a theme here..
Bourjois Bronzing Primer, available here. Dubbed the alternative to the Chanel cream bronzer and it certainly delivers. While this is a bit too dark for me to use all over my face it works well underneath bases to add a touch of warmth to your skintone. It is incredibly easy to blend so you aren't left looking noticeably orange. You can wear this alone or as a primer which makes it perfect for lazy makeup days.
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder, limited edition. This palette has only been in my possession for a week but given it's being used daily it deserves a mention. You can read full ravings here but this palette has highlighting, setting makeup and subtly bronzing the complexion all covered. Each of the powders is designed to add a soft-focus effect to the skin and masks imperfections in the process. The palette itself is sold out now but all these powders except for the highlighting shade are available separately so you can always pick up one of those.
Korres Lip Butters in Jasmine and Pomegranate, available here. These are fantastic for keeping your lips hydrated and silky smooth during the Summer months. If you're wearing matte lipstick, or any lipstick actually, these are great to apply beforehand as they make your lips that much smoother. These are also deliciously scented and subtly tinted so they're the ideal no-makeup day companion.
11/18/2013
Christmas at Bobbi Brown's
Christmas is just over a month away. The streets are already beginning to look a lot more glitzier, decorations are around every corner. Don't lie to yourself-you are excited. This is also the time of year when all the beauty Christmas collections arrive in store. If you're after glamour and sparkle then you need to visit Bobbi Brown..
You all know by now that I think the Bobbi Brown Corrector is a lifesaver so I had high hopes for their Christmas collection and it doesn't disappoint.
Long Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Black* These work in the same sense as the jumbo eye crayons that have been popular this year. This shade in particular is one that is perfect for any smoky eye looks and it also works nicely as a liner slightly smudged out. Once this is on your lids it does not budge, even without primer which says something given my lids are prone to creasing any eyeshadows, cream or powder quite easily.
Nail Polish in Siren Red and Chrome* The perfect Christmas nail combination, simply use the gold glitter as a feature nail or as an accent over the red polish. I haven't used Siren Red yet but will definitely be pairing it with the glitter next month. Chrome is such a gorgeous champagne-gold glitter. It is easy to apply and doesn't have the excessively gritty texture that some glitter polishes can have.
High Shimmer Lip Gloss in Pink Sugar and Candlelight* I received one of the glosses from Bobbi's Valentines themed collection earlier in the year and was thoroughly impressed by it. These glosses are pretty similar to that one with a touch more shimmer. Their non-sticky formula mean these don't feel uncomfortable on the lips. These glosses are quite sheer so they can be easily worn over lipsticks as well. I like pairing these with matte lipsticks as they make those feel more hydrating on the lips.
Sequin Shimmer Brick Eye Palette* Bobbi Brown's shimmer bricks are always one of the first things I head towards when I'm in their store. They're sparkly, colourful and just so beautifully packaged. This eye palette contains a range of neutral shades. The sparkle is quite subtle, think Mac 'All That Glitters' so these colours are perfect for both day and night. I wore the two pinker shades yesterday with some loose glitter and it looked so pretty! This would make a great Christmas gift.
-The Bobbi Brown Christmas collection will be making its way into stores this week. What are your favourites from the collection?
*PR Samples
11/15/2013
The Week #80
The Week in Instagrams @nanawintour: *Leandra wisdom in book form. Looking forward to finally reading this. *Flowers in Palmerston North on a day trip last weekend. *Sweet treats at Bluebells Cakery on Wednesday. *The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette which I speedily snagged and subsequently have made a beauty staple. *Sometimes all you need is a cup of tea and Gilmore Girls. *Some of Mecca Cosmetica's pretty Christmas products in store. Definitely go have a sniff of the Diptyque and Tocca candles!
Must-Watch of the Week: If you're after something beauty related to unwind with this weekend then you cannot pass up Anna and Lily's fourth Beauty Chatter video. Each month they film a video answering all our pressing beauty questions and often throw in some of their beauty must-haves as well. This month's one had me jotting down a lot more products than usual. Now if you're after something cute then this video of Zoe and Darcy shopping at Boots will be guaranteed to make you smile.
11/14/2013
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette
Hourglass has been one of my favourite brand discoveries from the last year. Their Brow Sculpting pencil and Veil Mineral primer are staples in my makeup bag these days. The latest release from the well-loved brand is their Ambient Lighting Palette and after seeing this getting the love online I knew it'd fast become a pre-Christmas present for myself.
The palette contains three Ambient Lighting powders and also comes with a 5ml tube of their primer. If you're unfamiliar with these powders they are designed to blur imperfections, colour correct and highlight. They are velvety-soft and add a soft-focus effect to the face. The packaging of the palette is very sleek and won't take up much room in your makeup bag at all. This palette is going to be perfect to take when I'm traveling later in the month.
The three powders included are Dim Light, Incandescent Light and Radiant Light. Dim Light is my favourite of the bunch. Used as an all over setting powder this will keep your makeup in place all day without looking noticeably chalky or cakey. It leaves your skin looking pixel perfect. Incandescent Light is the limited edition inclusion and is the most glowy, making it perfect to use as a highlighter. I like to sweep this along my cheekbones with a duofibre brush and also as an inner-corner highlight. Radiant Light was the powder I thought I'd get the least use out of but so far I've been wearing it just as much as the other two powders. If you're paler like me then this bronze shade will be perfect for you. It adds the ideal amount of warmth to the skin and is much more subtle than a bronzer like Laguna from Nars.
It is safe to say I'm really pleased I picked up this palette. If you've been thinking about trying the Ambient Lighting Powders for a while then this is worth the investment. Mecca have this in stock on their website at the moment but I'd act fast if you want one of these. Sephora sold out and I know Mecca in Newmarket have as well. It is well worth the search if you do manage to track one down.
11/13/2013
The Reading Pile
The end of the year seems to mark the time when all the brilliant books arrive in the shops. November is no exception and this bevy of tomes will have all your Summer reading and baking needs sorted...
Bonkers by Jennifer Saunders, available here. When I heard Jennifer was writing a book I was excited. If you're familiar with her work on both French & Saunders and Absolutely Fabulous then you'll know she is an incredibly gifted writer and a gem when it comes to comedy. Each chapter focuses on a specific time period or memory and is retold through Saunder's witty prose. If you're a fan of her work then you will enjoy this a lot.
Bluebells Cakery by Karla Goodwin, available here. There were some other recipe books that took out the most aesthetically pleasing award-but they have now been knocked off their pedestals. Bluebells Cakery is home to the best cakes and sweet treats in Auckland hands down. Karla's cookbook contains all her most popular recipes along with step-by-step guides to icing techniques and even a guide to throwing the perfect high tea. This would make such a lovely gift for someone who loves baking. This book is simply beautiful and the recipes are all easy to follow. Definitely check out the Vanilla cupcakes. They are divine.
These cupcakes are also amazing too!
11/11/2013
Beauty Staples #1
It is so easy to form a bit of a security blanket with beauty routines. Let's be honest though, plum red lipstick looks a little out of place in Summer as does an overly bronzed complexion in Winter. Now it's holiday time and there's a more time to spend having a proper hunt through my makeup drawer and bag finding new products to use and giving the everyday makeup routine an overhaul.
Bourjois Bronzing Primer, available here. This bronzing primer was receiving high praise from some of the porcelain beauty bloggers overseas so I was keen to try this out. It is compared to the Chanel Bronze Universal but is considerably more affordable. I've been using this every day underneath foundation or tinted moistursier-not so much as a primer but more so to add a bit of warmth to my face. This is super easy to blend and it doesn't leave your skin looking orange or obviously bronzed.
Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle Highlighter is a step I tend to skip when I'm rushing about. Given I use a lot of matte products though it is perfect for adding a glow rather than a sheen to the face. This powder is so subtle and has only a touch of shimmer to it. Swipe this along your cheekbones and above your cupid's bow to add radiance and a bit of something-something to the complexion.
Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla This concealer is unrivaled at the moment. Given that the shade is such a perfect match to skintone. This works wonders at both concealing blemishes and under-eye circles. While it is a thick concealer, the creaminess ensures it doesn't crease or look too caked on.
11/08/2013
The Week #79
The Week in Instagrams @nanawintour: *The Bluebells Cakery cookbook has arrived and it's fantastic. Stay tuned for a review next week. *The Mac Eyeshadow Collection. *A Halloween flashback. *Pretty flowers that I wanted to take home with me. *The Beauty, Body and Haircare stash on trial this month. *Sharing the love for Cupcakes and Cashmere. *I treated myself to a new haircut thanks to a Flossie voucher. *Some visual diary inspiration after culling my magazine collection. Not a fun affair might I add.. *More Bluebells cookbook prettiness. *Yesterday's face of the day essentials. *A pretty new Frankie diary that I won over on Twitter. *Some Lush Christmas goodies that arrived. Post coming soon.
Must-Watch of the Week: Aside from the stray Kardashian episode (#noshame), I don't watch an awful lot of TV during the semester. Well now that I am on holiday I've been getting back into Gilmore Girls, the first season to be exact. It's witty, features a ton of pop culture references and has the best characters. What more do you need?
11/07/2013
Rimmel Scandaleyes
It's no secret that I love eye makeup, more so if it's sixties inspired like in this editorial. Winged liner, dramatic lashes and of course shimmering metallics on the eyes are what dreams are made of in the makeup world. Well Rimmel has you covered with their new Scandaleyes* releases.
Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara This mascara is the ultimate for fluttery, Alexa Chung-esque lashes. The wand is an hourglass shape which means that it coats each of your lashes individually. It really makes your lashes look fuller and dramatically enhances them. One thing I did notice was that it didn't hold a curl in my lashes but if you use an eyelash curler first then you should have no problem with this. It does not smudge or go flaky and is pretty water resistant too.
Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Stick in Bad Girl Bronze Clinique released eye crayons earlier in the year which are very similar to these, just with a heftier price tag. This shade is very similar to Mac Bronze but in pencil form. It is a coppery-brown with gold undertones throughout. The eyeshadow sticks are so easy to use. I draw this fairly neatly up to the crease and then blend it out with a fluffy brush. You can also use your fingers too if you're on the go. This colour is really long-lasting as well. I'll definitely be picking up more of these.
Rimmel Scandaleyes Thick and Thin Liner Winged liner is something I tend to steer clear of. If I'm honest, eyeliner rarely makes its way onto my upper lashline. I'm just so clumsy and don't like having to take all my eye makeup off to fix it. Well those days may soon be gone. This liner has a felt-tip style nib. The thickness of your lines really depends on how you angle the pen which means you have more control over the amount of liner you apply. As always winged liner does take a bit of practice, I still cannot do it perfectly the first go. This liner certainly makes it a lot easier though!
*PR Samples
11/05/2013
Brilliant Blogs, Edition 14
Last time I did this post I talked about Nouvelle Daily, a blog that hits the beauty, fashion and lifestyle nails on the head. Today's blog though is definitely the Queen of all the above. I bring you Cupcakes and Cashmere blog..
I was first introduced to Cupcakes and Cashmere by my friend Hannah and since then I have been hooked. Cupcakes and Cashmere is penned by Emily Schuman and is her place to document all the things she loves. It's a fashion, interior and baking-lovers dream in short. Emily updates her blog most days with posts on home decor inspiration, fashion, sweet treats and more. If you're on the go then you'll like Emily's blog because her posts aren't too wordy and always contain beautiful visuals.
Images via Cupcakes and Cashmere blog
11/04/2013
Mac Eyeshadow Collection
It's no secret that I love eyeshadow so naturally I have tried eyeshadow from a few brands in my time. I always come back to Mac's eyeshadows though. They really beat out everyone else for pigmentation, shade range, longevity and of course being so easy to blend. There's been a few requests to blog my Mac eyeshadow collection, lipstick is coming soon. I have a mix of neutral eyeshadows in pans and containers, I'm in the process of building a Mac palette but more on that another time.
Here's what colours are in my collection..
These are all my Mac eyeshadows. I also use the Mac 217 and 239 brushes to apply these.
Amber Lights A peachy-brown with shimmer. This shade is a bit frightening in the pan and even on its own but it works well with All That Glitters and really makes it appear more vibrant.
A Natural Flirt, limited edition This shade was part of a Christmas collection last year. It is similar to All That Glitters but is more champagne toned. These colours look perfect on their own or dressed up with loose pigments and glitter if you're going for a more dramatic eye look.
All That Glitters This colour is described as a beige with gold-pearl. This colour is easily my most used eyeshadow and probably will end up being the first one that gets completely used up. It's one of those colours you can just swipe over the lid, do a little bit of blending with and be done. If you've not seen this colour before go to a Mac counter, swatch it and be prepared to add it to your basket.
Bronze If you're familiar with the Eclair paint pot then this is a similar shade. Bronze has more gold and shimmer to it than the cream version though. It looks stunning on brown eyes in particular and works well with a subtle smoky eye.
Handwritten This matte brown is both the only matte eyeshadow I own and probably my least used. I use this on my eyebrows usually but since buying a brow pencil I haven't used it very much. If you've got darker brows this may be a better powder to use than the likes of Charcoal Brown or Omega.
From left to right: Naked Lunch, Woodwinked, All That Glitters, Trax and A Natural Flirt
11/02/2013
Melbourne To-Do List
So it's November, the month that officially feels like Summer now that holidays have begun and I can start counting down to my overseas trip to.....MELBOURNE! I leave exactly three weeks from now and I am so excited. I've been to Melbourne a few times over the years, both on solo trips and with my family. Every time I just seem to fall more and more in love with it. There's just something about Melbourne, and I promise it's not the fact that the shops are way better, although it certainly helps.
Anyway, I started making a list of things I want to do and places I want to go in Melbourne. If I've left anything out or you have any recommendations let me know. I'm always looking for new places to explore when I'm there.
Here's what's on my Melbourne to-do list so far:
-Visit ACMI, Melbourne Museum, National Gallery of Victoria and the Arts Centre. How touristy of me. Whilst I'm in Melbourne though the museum has a James Bond exhibit on which I want to check out and the Arts Centre has an exhibit of costumes from the likes of Dame Edna and Kylie Minogue that I'd like to see. Props to one of my friends for letting me know about these exhibitions.
-Melbourne Central, home to Mecca Maxima, Kikki K and basically every shop I love. Mecca Maxima is a bumped up version of the traditional Mecca store. I won't be surprised if I'm in there within 24 hours of touching down.
-Bourke Street,Chapel Street and Chadstone. Again, more retail destinations but once that can't be missed. David Jones, Myer, Topshop and Zara. Do I need to say any more?
-Burch & Purchese, the Lindt Cafe and Hopetoun Tearooms. I've been to the latter before and loved them so much. Lindt is actually right across the road from where we're staying, it'd be rude not to go there.
-Visit Camberwell Market, St Kilda, the Queen Vic Market and the gardens (can't remember the name!). Again, standard touristy things-well worth doing though.
-Aesop and the Chanel Boutique. I only found out recently that Aesop is an Australian brand so I really want to visit one of their stores. The new Chanel boutique opened yesterday and is the flagship Australian store. Four levels of Chanel, heaven.
That's about it for now. I'm sure there's plenty of things I've forgotten. I'm planning on taking my blogging camera as well as some film ones so there'll definitely be photo posts on my return. Don't forget to leave your Melbourne recommendations in the comments below! x
11/01/2013
The Week #78
The Week in Instagrams @nanawintour: *Reese's dark chocolate peanut butter cups are pretty darn good. *Study snacks on Tuesday afternoon. *I do like lists. *Starbucks and Pencil Skirts=Love. There's something about pencil skirts that just makes me feel.. together. *The results of a Mag Nation visit. *October Favourites lineup.
Must-Watch of the Week: If you've been reading this blog for a while you'll know that Tuesday's used to be my favourite day of the week because of new The Carrie Diaries episodes. Well the second series has started up again and if the first episode is anything to go by it's going to be just as good. Carrie is living in New York for the Summer with Walt and it starts there with all the craziness unfolding. PS-Her wardrobe is just as fabulous this season. If you're in New Zealand you can watch episodes on demand here.
Product of the Week: This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray, as boring as that may sound it actually is a useful thing to have handy if you're a little bit stressed or sleep deprived. Spritzing this blend of lavender, vetivert and wild chamomile onto your pillow and sheets will have you feeling calm and ready to rest in no time. I would be lost without this product-it even comes with me when I travel.
Must-Read of the Week: Conde Nast announced this week that they would be ending their internship programs *insert all the sad faces here*. Leandra and Isaac both blogged about this and unpaid internships. Maybe it's just because I'm exploring internship options at the moment but I found these different takes on the issue both make for interesting reading.
Added to the Wishlist: There's been some great new launches lately, from this to today's lustable offering, the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette. Three face powders that are said to leave your skin looking flattering and pixel perfect. Each of the powders take care of bronzing, highlighting and setting your makeup so this is one handy little palette to have in your collection. It hasn't landed on Mecca's shelves yet but here's hoping it does soon.
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