Mini-review: January Favourites! (Part 2)

Part 1 was getting lengthy, so here are the last couple of favourites for this month:



Essence Maximum Definition Mascara: Inside the tacky metallic orange packaging is a solid mascara that gives decent volume and definition with nearly no clumping. I wore this yesterday for work, then forgot to remove it before we went to the Australian Open in the evening, and there was not a smudge or flake in sight when I got home at midnight. It's as black as any other mascara I own, and has a fairly small, conical rubber brush that does a pretty good job at coating every lash. $5.50.

Illamasqua Cream Blush (Seduce): I've used nothing but cream blush since I purchased Illamasqua's Rude a couple of months ago, so it was time to get a second colour. Illamasqua describes this as "warm rose pink" but I'd tend to call it more of a raspberry. Excuse the terrible photo. I'll try and get a proper review with some swatches up soon. Like Rude, this goes on without a problem, blends easily, and stays on. Suffered the same test yesterday and passed with flying colours. I love this colour with a minimal make-up look, because it gives my face a pretty glow. $28 and worth every cent.

Mini-review: January Favourites! (Part 1)

Sorry for the neglect, lovely readers! January has been chock-full of running around, sweltering heat, and planning for my study abroad application! Nevertheless, I did have time to buy some great products, so here's a quick run-down of my favourites:



Models Prefer Moisture Lust Lipstick (Peach Ice Tea): This is a scary orange in the tube, but one sheer swipe gives a glossy wash of peach. It is buildable, but I doubt you'd reach full opacity. The formula is fairly moisturising, and looks good for about 2 hours on me. From memory there are about six colours. Psst-- the new range also includes a clear lip liner for those who don't want to shell out for the big-brand version. $11.99 for the lipstick, $7.99 for the liner.

Essence Stay With Me Longlasting Lipgloss (My Favorite Milkshake): Lovely creamy pink with no shimmer and enough pigment to even out your natural lip colour. Here's the kicker: this is far more moisturising than any lip balm I own! It lasts three to four hours and moisturises the whole time. That's a miracle for me, as I'm usually reapplying balm every hour or so. It comes in another couple of light pinks with slight shimmer, a coral/red and a deep purple-pink with insane glitter. Go buy one. $3.95.

Yes To Carrots Lip Butter (Sweet Fig, SPF15): Grabbed this on a whim when I lost a couple of my Burt's Bees lip balms. With SPF15, it's a great option for summer, and although it does leave a bit of a white cast, it's nowhere near as bad as the Burt's SPF version (which is only SPF8). Really good sturdy balm for everyday use. Comes in another four or five flavours, one of which is also SPF15. $5.99.

Sukin Nourishing Lip Treatment: I've been using this at night for the past couple of weeks. It's quite thick so stays on really well, if you can stop licking it off! Vanilla scented and flavoured. $7.50-$7.95 depending on the store.

Look of the Day: 60's Christmas Party

Sunday night I attended my work Christmas party. Every year they do a great job choosing a theme, and this year was no exception: 60's and 70's! As you can imagine, there's a huge range of styles, from mod to hippie to disco, but being the vintage fan I am, I chose to go with the early 60's Mad Men-esque style. I was a little nervous doing this look because I don't usually wear lipstick, but it turned out great!



Face:
Illamasqua Skin Base in 02 mixed 1:1 with Illamasqua Matt Primer
Illamasqua cream concealer in 115 (under eyes and lightly on blemishes)
Almay Smart Shade pressed powder in 010
Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Rude

Eyes:
Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Hollow
Almay Liquid Eyeliner Pen in Black
Essence Gel Eyeliner in Black
Clarins eyeshadow in black (old version of the Graphites quad) to set liner
Revlon Photoready 3D Volume mascara in Blackest Black

Lips:
Models Prefer Ultra Lip Gloss Pencil in Dare to Wear

Nails:
Revlon Top Speed nail enamel in Fire

Overall, it was a great night! All of my friends from work dressed up, and the company did a really nice job theming the venue. Turns out we all know the words to 60s/70s music better than the current stuff!

I'll be back soon with reviews for some of the products I used for Sunday's look!