High End Holy Grail Happenings!

If you are a makeup junkie like me, you probably can relate to my constant hunger to look at, touch, try out, and BUY new makeup ^_^ ; but no matter how many new products come to the market, there will always be a few that hold a special spot in your life and you have to buy them over and over again. And when that product falls in the ‘high end’ category, it validates that ‘ride or die’ status even more! I’ve come up with 6 high end holy grail products that I’ve either repurchased or will definitely buy again when I run out. (I did not include any foundations though because that deserves a post of its own!)

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#1 MAC Pro Longwear Concealer {20 USD/32 AUD}

I don’t even know how many bottles I’ve repurchased of this, I love it sooo much! Which reminds me I’m almost about to run out of my current bottle. This concealer has been part of pretty much all my makeup looks since like forever. I use the shade NW25 for my under eyes to correct and cover my dark circles (and trust me they are bad!). It does such a fab job! I do have a couple of other shades as well that I keep in handy. Three things that I love: 1) High Coverage – you only need a small amount 2) Shade range: something true for most MAC products! 3) Longevity – it’s called ‘Pro Longwear for a reason and you can also use it as an eyeshadow base because its so long wearing! The only con is that the pump squirts out too much product but I can live with that!

#2 Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light {45 USD/59 AUD}

When these powders came out, there was a huge hype in the beauty community, and let me tell ya, there was a legit reason behind it. These powders create that extra oomph you need when all your makeup is done. They literally tie everything together. My holy grail is the Dim Light. It’s a finishing powder so you are meant to apply it all over your face after you have done your makeup. It gives this blurred illusion to your face and and subtle angelic luminosity, like you’re lit from within. I’ve got so many of my friends hooked on this powder and I always get compliments on how glowy my skin looks every time I wear this. It’s pretty pricey but I’ve already hit pan on my first one and I purchased a new one!

#3 MAC Fix + {22 USD/27 AUD}

Well I think everyone and their mothers should have this or already have this product sitting on their vanity! This is such a versatile product. It can be used just before putting any makeup on to prep the face, it can be used after your makeup application to stop your makeup from looking cakey, it can be used to wet your brush to get more color payoff from an eyeshadow and 10,000 other things! The traditional Fix Plus has now become a part of the prep and prime series but it’s still the same thing!

#4 Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler {20 USD/29 AUD}

I’ll just put it out there – my natural eyelashes suck! They are wimpy and straight and not all curlers can handle that! On top of that, I have a tendency to pinch my eyelids with eyelash curlers and oh boy that hurts! The Shu Uemura curler is epic! It lives up to its popularity in the beauty community and does a really good job at tackling my stubborn straight eyelashes without me hurting myself. I’ve repurchased this product couple of times already and when you buy it, it comes with 1 extra band. One con is that you can’t buy the refills of the bands, so when you’ve used up both, you have to buy a whole new eyelash curler!

#5 Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz {21 USD/34 AUD}

If I had to choose one product among all the products I’m mentioning today, it will probably be this one! A lot of you might agree that brows take a lot longer than some of the other areas of the face; but you don’t always have the time to do an elaborate brow especially when you’re going to work or school and you’re running late (story of my life!). Enter Anastasia Brow Wiz to make your brow struggles so much easier! I love how small and thin the tip is so you can precisely carve out a shape. You can draw small ‘faux’ hairs with it. The formula is really nice and not super harsh, super dry, or super soft. It comes with a really nice spoolie on the other end which makes it even more travel friendly.The only thing is, it doesn’t have a lot of product so I run out of it all the time!

#6 Becca Shimmering Skin Perfecter Pressed in Opal {38USD/46-60 AUD}

Some of you might think ‘How the hell can a highlighter be a Holy Grail!’ especially for someone who loves to glow and collects so much makeup. Well in my opinion something can be officially called ‘Holy Grail’ when you tend to reach for it the most among all your highlighters. I think 8 out of 10 times I go for Becca Opal. The formula is sooo buttery and smooth, I can’t even! I think the shade Opal is very versatile – girls who are light medium to medium dark can use it. But those of you who are either fairer or darker, fret not, Becca has you covered! They’ve got few other beautiful shades like Moonstone, Topaz, and Rose Gold that caters for other skin tones!

And that concludes my High End Holy Grail Happenings! What are some of your favorite high end makeup?

XOXO

Met Gala 2015 Outfit and Makeup Hits!

Just like each and every year, the 2015 Met Gala Red Carpet was a spectacle not to be missed! I’m fascinated by different cultures and their art and lifestyles and this year’s theme, China: Through the Looking Glass’ made me sit up and really anticipate the Red Carpet event. It was just fascinating to see the beautiful interpretations of China in the outfits donned by fashion icons of today! I’m not a fashion expert or anything but I love fashion and makeup and I thought I’ll talk about my favorites for this years Met Gala! Just a little warning: this will be a long one!!

FASHION: HAUTE COUTURE

Hands down, the belle of the ball was Rihanna for me (and no, I intentionally didn’t compare to her to the Disney Princess but come to think of it, Belle did wear a toned down version of Rihanna’s gown!). Her outfit choice was unconventional and a bit avant-garde even, but I think the Met Gala is an event where you can go all out! And come on, we are talking about Riri here!

source: vanity fair

source: vanity fair

She is wearing a couture piece by Chinese couturier Guo Pei. It’s a handmade gown made by one woman and it took 2 years to finish! That’s epic! It’s especially commendable that she is one of the few celebrities who chose to wear a Chinese designer. Riri just looks magnificent in this gown and she carries it off so beautifully! In my opinion, only Riri could pull this off! Her dress was subject to jokes and some criticism but that is expected when someone chooses to be different.Two thumbs up to Riri for going all out and capturing the essence of this year’s theme!

A  close second in the unconventional department is Zendaya! This 18 year old starlet is wearing a custom Fausto Puglisi gown with red, black and white which goes hand in hand with the theme.

source: yahoo

source: yahoo

Zendaya has shown in the past that even though she is young, she has impeccable taste in fashion and this look tells us no different. It’s high fashion, beautifully structured and the headpiece amps up the look even more! Way to go Zendaya!

FASHION: SEXY

Now let’s look at some sexy ladies steaming up that red carpet! I think in addition to the China theme, this year it was all about the sex appeal. Sheer, revealing silhouettes, sexy cut outs, crystals and feathers: it was all about that hot bod baby!

source: mirror.co.uk

source: mirror.co.uk

Kendall Jenner is wearing a Calvin Klein jade-green crystal gown with lace up details on the side that flaunts some side boob adding a va-va-voom factor to the outfit! I love it when celebrities wear different colors other than your traditional blacks, whites or nudes (not that those colors don’t look good). This green is beautiful and to be honest, I feel Kendall looks beautiful in any silhouette because she has such an amazing statuesque figure. After all she is an upcoming super model!

Kim Kardashian chose to wear a white sheer/see through Roberto Cavalli gown with heavy crystal embellishments and a matching white feather train. Well, we’re no stranger to the fact that Kim K likes to bare it all, now and then. I think after she gave birth to North, she has really worked on her figure and she looks stunning as ever so why shouldn’t she flaunt it! According to her, this outfit was inspired by a Bob Mackie gown worn by the evergreen Cher in the 1974 Met Gala.

Beyonce: Queen B never fails to amaze whether it’s her voice, dance moves, or killer bod! She is donning a Custom Givenchy Haute Couture gown which is completely see through with multicolored crystals placed strategically all over the gown. She arrived late to the event but still managed to steal the show!

Rosie Huntington Whiteley is a stunner always! She is wearing a one-shouldered champagne gown by Atelier Versace. The gown has cut outs both on the front and back with some sheer panels and it has tiny diamantes all over. I just love how the gown sits on her body, the cutouts and silhouette creating this beautiful flow.

Jennifer Lopez: I’ve got a massive weakness for this woman. She’s in her mid forties but she manages to outshine celebrities way younger than her. She is wearing classic JLO, a beautiful sequinned Versace dress with sheer panels that show off her sexy curves. A lot of people criticised this look saying it was skanky (for lack of a better word), and not age appropriate referring to the sheer panels on her hips and boring and too literal referring to the sequinned dragon motif wrapping around the dress. I totally disagree with these comments. I feel this dress really captures her style perfectly and she is known to flaunt her body so I don’t find the sheer panels inappropriate at all. The red is amazing as well and the beautiful ombre effect at the bottom. End of the day she is gorgeous, period!

So these are my fashion favorites. There were countless amazing ensembles in this year’s Met Gala but this post is already super long so I’ll stop right there. Let’s move on to Makeup!

MAKEUP

MetGalaMakeupFaves

So here are my Top 6 Makeup Looks. Of course some of the fashion favorites overlap with the makeup favorites because some people are just perfect!

source: getty images

source: getty images

Rosie Huntington Whiteley: She’s all class with that sleeked back hair and glossy dark lips. I really love the contouring and highlighting in this look. Her cheekbones are beautifully sculpted out (even though they are naturally amazeballs), there’s a right amount of bronzer and she is glowing. Eyes are kept minimal to complement the dark lips, with some warmth through the socket, a little bit of liner with a small wing and lots of lashes. Her lips are glossy which actually tones down the look further because sometimes dark matte lips look a lot more bold than a glossy one.

Adriana Lima Instagram

Adriana Lima Instagram

Adriana Lima: I think many were shocked by this supermodel’s look this year. Where Rosie was wearing a more classic approach to darker lips with minimal eyes, Adriana went all out vampy with lots happening on both the eyes and lips. Might scare a lot of people but for me it’s perfect. She’s a fierce vixen wearing a dark smokey eye with lots of cool tones like black and silver, dark defined eyebrows, and a sexy burgundy matte lip that has been perfectly applied. Talk about sexy!

source: popsugar

source: popsugar

Rihanna: this girl never stops impressing me. Yes, her look’s super minimal but that’s what I like about it. It’s all about the skin and keeping it minimal so that it doesn’t take away from the gown, with the addition of those awesome eyebrows. Her skin looks flawless and beautifully bronzed. I like that there’s still a little bit of drama with the eye liner, wing and lashes but the lips are just the right shade of nude (perfectly matches her skin). The eyebrows are the highlight of the look and I just love that it’s unconventional just like the gown. The eyebrows are reminiscent of Riri’s recent cover in Harper’s Bazaar China.

source: yahoo

source: yahoo

Cara Delevingne: I think this look is classic Cara. She often wears a grungy look and I think it really suits her features and personality. It’s a classic grungy, black, blown out smokey eye with some gold highlight at the tear duct to open up the eyes. There’s some warmth on the lower lash line as well. And of course, her famous thick bushy brows! Rest of the skin’s been kept minimal: glowy skin, subtle pop of coral-pink on the cheeks, and uber nude lips! Sort of the opposite of Rosie’s look.

source: getty images

source: getty images

Beyonce: my favorite part of this look is the eyeliner. Just love the curvy wing and how it is extended quite far: this elongates the eye and makes them look ultra sexy. I like the contrast of a minty-silvery shimmery shadow on the lid and warm tones through the crease. It’s kept soft with the light glossy pink lips which actually matches the pink jewels on her dress. The skin isn’t my favorite part of this look but come on it’s Queen B, she looks spectacular always! And the high ponytail rocks!

kendall-jenner-beauty-met-gala-2015-ftr

Kendall Jenner: The best thing about this makeup is how fresh and youthful it is. Kendall is wearing a green gown and she has dark hair, so the right decision was to keep the face simple as can be. Just some shimmery champagne eye shadow, winged liner, lashes, and glossy nude lips! She’s already got beautiful striking features and the subtle makeup complemented that and kept her looking youthful and not overly mature.

Phew we’ve finally come to the end! I know this was a long post, I’m sorry about it but I had soo much to say about these captivating ladies! If I had to choose the showstopper, it would definitely be Rihanna. But Number 1 in the more wearable category would be Rosie Huntington Whitely. Both her gown and makeup were fabulous!

Till next time loves! XOXO

March Favorites 2014 !

marchfaves

marchfaves2

 

 

 

Helloo my bunnies!

So the weather change has really gotten to me and now I’m sick at home, bored and lonely :/ Really wasn’t feeling like putting any makeup on my face so thought it’s about time I actually do a monthly favorites post! I think of doing this every month but I never get around to do it but here I am today!

MAKEUP!

LORAC PRO PALETTE: this palette has been around for awhile now and has been one of the  most hyped palettes ever. Unfortunately you can’t get it here in Oz…I went above and beyond to get my hands on this….more like my Aunt in Canada did….cuz it was sold out in all the sephoras! Anyway it’s been over a year that I had this but this past month I’ve been reaching for it soo much! 16 eyeshadows- 8 matte and 8 shimmery….all neutral shades, very buttery and pigmented…a little powdery in my opinion but overall a perfect a go to palette especially since the packaging is so thin! Really convenient to travel with!

HOURGLASS AMBIENT LIGHTING POWDER IN DIM LIGHT: I’ve got the limited edition palette that actually has three shades but the Dim Light is a permanent product….and its AMAZEBALLS! Seriously when you apply it after your foundation and concealer, it just finishes your makeup so nicely…kinda like blurs imperfections and makes your skin look flawless and glowing from within…it’s just beautiful…can’t describe it….you gotta try this first hand!

L”OREAL NUDE MAGIQUE EAU DE TEINT: new product to hit the Australian drugstores….it’s a really nice lightweight foundation …very liquidy but very easy to use…it has a silicony feeling to it and its just melts into your skin….it’s a really nice texture…it’s recommended to use your hands to apply which works fine and is very quick but I feel when I use a buffing brush (Real Techniques Expert Face Brush) I can get more coverage.

REAL TECHNIQUES MIRACLE COMPLEXION SPONGE: I love this sponge! It’s a close dupe to the beauty blender in less than half the price….I haven’t really closely compared the two sponges but all I know that I love this sponge…the shape of it is amazing and it applies foundation flawlessly.

BOURJOIS BEAUTY FULL VOLUME MASCARA: omg this mascara has become holy grail! Shout out to my friend Farah for recommending this! It creates so much volume to my wimpy lashes…it’s quite unbelievable! The wand is quite standard nothing to fancy but I think that’s what works best!

MODELS PREFER INFINITE COLOUR EYE PENCILS: already done a review on these pencils…awesome stuff…check it out here: https://lovecraftnwitchheart.wordpress.com/2014/03/27/mini-review-models-prefer-infinite-colour-eye-pencils/

NYX BLUSH IN PINKY: just a nice pinky rose color…its not entirely matte has a slight sheen to it when you swatch it but on the face it looks matte….just a good everyday blush that I’ve been using a lot especially for work.

MAC SIMMER BLUSH LE: it’s a limited edition blush from the MAC Tropical Taboo collection so I was a bit hesitant to include this but I’ve been using it a lot this month…it’s quite similar to NARS Orgasm and Deep Throat maybe slightly darker.

MAC GEM OF ROSES LIPSTICK LE: another limited edition product from way back…..but I love this lipstick…my go to lipstick for work…a really nice rosy nude with a lustre finish

 SKIN AND HAIR

CETAPHIL GENTLE SKIN CLEANSER: so this one’s for all skin types and it lives up to its name…it’s a very gentle cleanser…it doesn’t lather up or anything but don’t be fooled by that…it actually cleans very well but of course don’t expect to clean off all your makeup…it works best after you’ve actually taken off your makeup.

CETAPHIL MOISTURISING CREAM FOR DRY SENSITIVE SKIN: I’ve also been loving this moisturiser…I’ve got very dry skin and it just gets dryer with the change in weather but this product has really kept my skin hydrated…I also moisturise my hands with it aswell…it’s a very good moisturiser and it’s not greasy or sticky at all…LOVEEE IT!

GARNIER MICELLAR CLEANSING WATER: okay so this is apparently the drugstore dupe for Bioderma which I’ve never tried because it’s super expensive…so when this came out I wanted to give it a shot and I really like it. It’s pretty good at removing all my makeup…definitely needs a bit more when it comes to removing mascara and the thicker foundations i.e. Estee Lauder Double Wear but for the price it’s pretty good…I think its about 12 bucks for the 400 ml bottle compared to Bioderma which is about 40 bucks for a 500 ml bottle.

SCHWARZKOPF (yes I had to stop and check the spelling a couple of times) EXTRA CARE NORMAL BALANCE LEAVE IN TREATMENT: i really like this product for its price. Again shout out to my friend Monica for recommending this…it makes my hair very soft…I use it right after I shower on wet hair and my hairs feels really soft after its dry….pretty good and it’s just 7 bucks!

TONI & GUY NOURISH RECONSTRUCTION MASK: this is actually a really hydrating mask for your hair…It’s a creamy texture and smells pretty good….I do go a little overboard with it because my hair’s just soooo dry it’s like the Sahara! I just leave it on for 5 minutes after I shampoo my hair and then rinse off…and it works quite nicely…again good for the price!

After all that rambling I’ve finally managed to reach the end of this post…I did wanted to include some miscellaneous favorites but I’m sure you’ve had enough by now so until next time!  XO XO

 

 

Fragrance Favorites: Nicki Minaj Pink Friday and Minajesty (new) !!

minajestynpinkfriday

Hi my bunnies!

I finally got some time off everything and I couldn’t delay on a post any longer! I’m no fan of Nicki Minaj but I’m in love with her perfumes! Now word of caution for you guys who don’t like sweet fruity/floral scents: this is not for you…but I on the other hand am all for fruity and florals! Some people hate the bottles and I will admit they are very inconvenient especially the HUGE head! I don’t necessary find them tacky looking though…i just think they are fun and just nice to have in your perfume collection. So today I’m reviewing Pink Friday (original) which came out a while ago followed by two different special/exclusive editions (smells almost identical)…and I’m also reviewing Minajesty which just came out very recently. I got it today but I’ve been smelling it in store from last week….so let’s get started:

PINK FRIDAY (eau de parfum/100 ml/ AU$89)

pinkfriday

TOP NOTES

Carambola (Star Fruit)/Italian Mandarin/Blackberry

MIDDLE NOTES

Lotus/Star Jasmine

BASE NOTES

Musk/Vanilla/Wood/Pear/Caramel

For me, the Caramel and Italian Mandarin notes really stand out at first and as it settles down the Jasmine notes come through…together its just a really nice combination with a bit of floral, fruity, and toffee scents yet quite soft and not in your face sweet. It does have a slight muskiness to it which is great because you can wear this perfume both during the day and night. Longevity and Sillage is very mediocre, which I feel is the case for most of the celebrity perfumes.

MINAJESTY (eau de parfum/50ml/AU$59)

minajesty

TOP NOTES

Red Berries/Lemon/Peach

MIDDLE NOTES

Magnolia/Frangipani/Orchid

BASE NOTES

Tonka Bean/Vanilla/Musk

At first whiff its like a burst of tropical fruits! I find the dominant scent is of passionfruit and pears yet there’s no passionfruit in it so it must be something else. It also has a citrusy smell mixed with the fruitiness. I could properly sense the transition of notes in this perfume. It moves onto the floral notes but quickly changes to a creamy scent that I’m guessing is coming from the vanilla and tonka beans. The fruitiness is constant but it just smells yummier when the vanilla and tonka beans come out. This is a full on summery day time scent! Just reminds of sipping a fruity cocktail in a tropical island! Longevity and Sillage is still pretty mediocre which lets both the perfumes down.

Overall I’ll rate both the perfumes 3/5 – even though I’m in love with the scents…the longevity and sillage is not good at all considering that they are both eau de parfums. Yet I will say they do fall under my favorites especially for summer (its summer in AU!!)

XO

info on perfume from: http://www.fragrantica.com

nickiminajcollageribbet

Fragrance Favorites: Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Eau De Parfum

Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy

Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy

Hi Sugar Plums!

I know I’ve been MIA for the last few days and I apologize for that. I’ve been so so busy with uni, assignments, work, trying to stay fit and trying fitting in all my other daily chores in my schedule! To make up for my absence I’ll hopefully have a couple more posts up by tonight!

Since I own a lot of perfumes and I’m always buying more, I figured I will start a series called Fragrance Favorites  and review perfumes that I love and recommend! Anyway, without further ado let’s get going with the highlight of this post, which is one of my favorite perfumes of the moment: Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy! 

I’ve seen this perfume around but I never really wanted to purchase it until I heard mouldyfruit talk about it in one of her favorites videos. I loved the packaging and she mentioned it was a ‘sweet’ smell. I’m a sucker for anything sweet! The only problem was the pricetag! It costs $145 (AUD) for the 100ml bottle !!! I’m a poor uni student on a budget and since my love for makeup and perfumes knows no bounds, I always have to keep myself in check and look for specials sales and deals. So I opted for a 30 ml bottle at first. As I started wearing this perfume, I got so many compliments from complete strangers. People were asking me what perfume I was wearing. I didn’t realize this perfume would have such an impact, so when I saw that the 100ml bottle was reduced to $69 in Priceline, I was ecstatic!!! The sale should still be on till the 11th of September so if you’re in Australia, you can still get this perfume for a steal!

Packaging:

I really like the packaging. Its quite heavy and feels expensive. I love the fuchsia colored ribbon and just love all the gold bling!!! (You  can see some close up shots in the collage above.)

Notes:

This perfume is often characterized as a floral fragrance but when you break down the notes, you will see that there is a blend of various different elements.

According to fragantica.com , the notes are as follows:

Top Notes: wild berries and mandarin

Middle Notes: honeysuckle, gardenia, and jasmine

Base Notes: amber, caramel, vanila, sandalwood, and pralines

* (top notes comes first, then middle notes, and finally settles into base notes)

Personally, when I first spray this perfume, I right away pick up a citrus scent which I’m assuming comes from the mandarin.

It quickly moves onto the floral scent and I could primarily smell the jasmine.

Finally it settle downs to predominantly the caramel scent.

I can’t stress how beautiful this perfume smells. I will say it’s more of a daytime perfume. It’s youthful and very chic. Not overly girly though, yet still feminine. I just completely love it!

Longevity:

My only complain is the longevity of the perfume. For the price, you would expect it to stay on longer especially since its an eau de parfum. It’s however has a medium longevity. It doesn’t go away instantly but it’s not long lasting either. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to test the sillage (scented trailed left behind) of the perfume, but according to other users, it’s also moderate.

Hope you guys enjoyed this post and are convinced enough to try this perfume! Till then XO!