Australis Cosmetics "Cya Later Pores" VS Benefit POREfessional: Which is better?

A couple of weeks ago Priceline had one of their coveted 40% off makeup sales, and I picked up the new Australis "Cya Later Pores" Spot Primer after seeing it advertised on Instagram. I decided to test it out for a while before reviewing it, just so I could get a feel for the product. After a while, it dawned on me that it was so similar to my Benefit POREfessional, that it was almost uncanny!

Top: Benefit POREfessional  Bottom: Australis Cosmetics Cya Later Pores

The main differences between the two primers are only slight. The Australis version is slightly less thick - which actually makes it easier to apply - and is more neutral in color while also being less matte in finish. Oh, and the price! POREfessional retails for $53 in Australia, while the Spot Primer retails for only $16.95, and I picked this up for $6 on sale.

I actually like Cya Later Pores the most out of the two, but only just! It's a really good dupe for such a popular product, and for half the price, it's a total bargain!

Target 30% Off Makeup Sale: NYX & Essence Eyeshadow Review

Over the Easter weekend Target had a super good 30% off promo on all their makeup and some haircare brands, and of course I had to pick up some bargains! I purchased these eyeshadows from NYX (for $4.98 on sale) and Essence (for $3.50 on sale), both of which are pretty pigmented.

Taken in direct sunlight, no flash.

The top two NYX matte colors - Whipped Cream and Cupcake - are from their Hot Singles range. I bought these to use as bases, they are the most pigmented of the four and the ones I like the most. They don't have much fallout and can be packed on to look really opaque. Their packaging is so cute, too! 

The bottom two colors are from the Essence Metal Glam line that has now been discontinued, but the Target I went to had quite a number of colors in the range left. These are the colors Sparkle At Night and Are You Grey?. In the packaging they look like highly pigmented glitter shadows, and Are You Grey? brings all the glitter that it promises. Sparkle At Night is a bit more of just a black / greyish satin finish shadow. Not bad for $3.50, though!

Mini Illamasqua Haul - Mid Season Sale!

Mid season sales are always my downfall. No, wait - they are my biggest nightmare and vice all rolled into one. On one hand; working in retail, even the smallest "SALE!" sign sends people into over drive, and your once clean and beautiful shop soon turns into a disaster zone. On the other hand, being a consumer who just loooves to spend her money on pretty things she doesn't need, a mid season sale is a dream for me. So when a friend of mine in the beauty department a few floors down let me know that there was a huge discount on some usually pretty expensive items, I hopped down those escalators as fast as my legs would let me and scooped up a few things.

I got all of this for $45, and it would usually retail at around $110+. So I was pretty pleased! Everything was either half price or heavily discounted!

 Illamasqua Glamore Satin Lipstick - RRP$30 at Myer, purchased for $15 on sale.

I bought these two lipsticks for my kit, one in the color Glissade (left) and one in Luster. They are super pigmented and glossy, and really smooth to apply.

Illamasqua Intesense Lipgloss - RRP$30 in Myer, purchased for $2 on sale.

I grabbed this lipgloss in the shade Shoot because, why not!? I still cant believe I got a Illamasqa lipgloss for $2. Its a really cool true green colored gloss, and is amazingly pigmented and so long lasting, I think I need to get this in more every day wearable colors because I love it so much.

 Illamasqua Powder Eye Shadow - RRP$23 at Myer, purchased for $13 on sale.

Lastly, I grabbed this matte eye shadow in "Anja", which is billed as a "bright sky blue". I've been on the hunt for a nice blue shadow so I can fulfill all my Mimi Bobeck dreams, and this is just perfect!

Here is a swatch of all the colors (the shadow didn't show up well with my flash!). I am so happy with this little spree, now back to cleaning up the shop and snooping at our new summer stock!

Lush Products Review - September 2014 Addition

I recently just got a job at a clothing kiosk in Myer, so obviously now I am doing a lot more irresponsible and impulse spending at the other stores in my Center. I have been looking for a good cleanser to help with the redness on my cheeks, and something to help my scalp feel extra clean (ever since I moved back to Brisbane it has been feeling gross and dry from the heat!). I'm so glad that the Sales Assistants in Lush are so helpful and lovely, because I went in there a bit confused (with my even more confused partner by my side!) and looking a bit like a deer in the headlights.

I finally (with lots of the SA help!) settled on the Breath Of Fresh Air toner water, the Superbalm scalp treatment, and we picked up a bonus moisturizer Charity Pot (which is currently supporting an anti shark cull movement!).

The toner water is amazing, and really has improved my skin. It also makes my skin feel clean and fresh. I just bought the smaller size (RRP $9.95) to trial it, but I will certainly be buying a bigger size in the near future when it runs out!

The moisturizer is also amazing. Its really creamy and has a fresh cocoa smell! I recently used it on a new tattoo while it was peeling, and it really has helped it become more vibrant and soft.

The Superbalm on the other hand, is a bit of a mystery to me. I don't know if I am just not applying it right, or its the product itself, but it hasn't really done anything for my scalp!

Review: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Set in Pretty Piggy

Sally Hansen is a brand that I will forever adore, so when I read that they were releasing their own "gel look" nail polishes, I was really excited! The day they were released, I headed down to the MyChemist next door to my college and snatched this color up! The duo was only $16.99, with the polishes usually retailing separately for $16.95 each. The color is called "Pretty Piggy" (which I thought was so sweet!), and is one of the few colors that are included in a duo deal. With the promises of "no UV needed!", I had big expectations! And, as usual, Sally Hansen did not disappoint!

The application was easy, though you do have to wait a long time between coats. I applied two coats of the Pretty Piggy polish and one clear gel topcoat.

This was my nails after having the polish on for almost two weeks. They are still near perfect (aside from some chipping on the tips and nail growth), and the color remained really vibrant and true to the bottle color. The top coat really stops any damage to occur and keeps it really shiny!

Its really easy to remove as well, I have been using the Designer Brands Twist 'n' Go Instant Nail Polish Remover, which is so easy and quick to remove anything.

I absolutely love these polishes, and after using this color for a few weeks, I've decided I'm going to buy tonnes more of the colors! I don't even think I will be using many of my regular colors anymore, I'll just be sticking to the Miracle Gels. Priceline are currently having a sale on Sally Hansen products, so I am going tomorrow night before dinner with my partner to buy a whole bunch of more colors (I'm looking at you "B Girl" and "Pink Tank")!

Seriously, a 10/10 product. I really recommend it!

Lust Have It! Monthly Beauty Box: August Birthday Box 2014

I have been waiting anxiously by the post box for this months Lust Have It beauty box to arrive! This is my first LHI box, and my second beauty box I've received (I purchased a BellaBox a few months ago and was a little disappointed - it was pretty much all lip balm products and tiny samples of things Id never use), so I was very excited! I didn't realise it at first, but August was LHI's birthday month, so I was filled with joy when I opened it and realised that it was made up of almost exclusively full sized products in celebration! The whole box is worth upwards of $100. I purchased my LHI box using a $7.95 coupon, so it was really worth the value!

 
Inside the box I found:

• BioElixia Bodyshaper Stretch Mark Diminishing Cream - Full Sized - $39
• Essenzza Fuss Free Natural Facial Cleansing Wipes - Full Sized & Travel Sized - $6.95 and $2.50 
• Eleven Australia Miracle Hair Treatment - Full Sized - $24.95
• Marsk Eyeshadow Brush - Full Sized - $28.95 
• Bioderma Crealine H20  - Delux Sample Size - $29.99 for full sized

In addition, there were a whole lot of vouchers and coupons included. I wouldn't necessarily say I will use any of them, but I did gift some of them to my family and friends (so, I guess they came in handy!).

I can't even pick a favorite item from this box, seeing as I've used every single product multiple times.

The BioElixia cream hasn't really showed many results, but it does smell very nice and make my skin feel nice and soft. The facial wipes are my favorite product in the box, closely followed by the Mark brush (which has made its way into my regular rotation of brushes). Since using the wipes, my skin has improved ten fold! They smell pretty odd, but are really amazing! They are covered in little ridges to help you really get all your makeup off with ease. I was really pleased to see the inclusion of the hair treatment, as I had read lots about it and really wanted to try it. Ever since I have been using it, my split ends have improved, and my hair looks a lot more silky. Finally, the Bioderma was a nice addition as a sample (I have also always wanted to try it, but it is very pricey). I'm holding on to the sample to keep inside my makeup kit to use when I travel.

Overall, I am over the moon with this box, and can't wait for future LHI boxes!

November Feelings.

ASOS Wishlist.

ASOS have always been a staple shopping destination for me (it was actually the first place I ever online shopped when I was like 15), but as of recent, I've become totally obsessed with so many thinks they have in stock!! And since my birthday is coming up, I figured I'd make a master post so hopefully I can keep track of things I'm after this year. I've been lusting after this Barry M Natural Glow shadow pallets + their Sparkle Nail Polish. I've been trying to expand my make up routine and I think this pallet would be perfect! Shoes wise, I've been saving my pennies for these JuJu Babe jelly sandals and the ASOS ballet flats. And this ASOS brand western belt would be perfect, seeing as I'm a very big belt girl. My big splurge would be this Olivia Burton bee watch.


I've been after so many of their looks this season too, all these dresses and tops are on the site! Swoon! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can snatch most of this up with birthday $$. What are you lusting after this Summer from ASOS?

Review: Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat + Donut Nails.

 

Recently I stumbled across the new Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat range through another beauty blogger, and was dying to try it out. Im not huge on textured polishes (I tried their Sugar Coat range and was a bit put off), but having previously fallen in love with the OPI Liquid Sand range, I figured I might as well give Fuzzy Coat a shot. I searched and searched both online and in store, but with the new laws that have come in regarding nail polish shipping to Australia, I dubbed it near impossible. I then ventured into a Priceline, and found their whole range on sale! I rushed home to try it, and fell in love!

Kate Moss for Rimmel London Salon Pro in Cocktail Passion and Fuzzy Coat in All Yarned Up.

The dry time was quick and the application was smooth, a lot smoother than I have ever had with some of my bigger glitter polishes. It lasted a week before it began chipping, and I found it easy to remove (though I have read many reviews saying more than one coat is very difficult). It reminds me of donuts and I would recommend it to anyone!