Colours for Summer

If you're anything like me then the one thing you look forward to when the new season rolls around is switching up colour shades with makeup. While I am a lover of autumnal red wines and berries there is just something exciting about changing up those deeper shades to bright and vibrant pinks and reds and of course pairing those with new summer outfits, which I was dying to throw on once it started heating up and boy did it! 

I'm going to start of with two blush shades which I think are perfect for this time of the year, one an all time favourite and a new one which has quickly become a part of my daily Summer beauty routine. 

Mac will always be one of my favourite brands however, I usually have trouble with their blushers as most I find are quite 'dry' and hard to blend. While this is usually the case I finally found one that blends perfectly, isn't dry when compared to others and has a beautiful summery shade. This blush is in the shade Dollymix and has great colour pay off due to its high pigmentation, believe me when I say a little goes a long way. Dollymix is a deep candy pink with a slight metallic satin finish which provides a super lovely highlighted flush to the cheeks. 

Now if you read one of my latest posts you would know that I recently picked up the Hourglass Ambient lighting palette which I am now regretting as it has made me a huge fan of the brand and has  'forced' me into picking up another of their products. This time I purchased anAmbient lighting blush in the shade Diffused Heat...wow. This blush is so beautiful, the packaging to start with is a gorgeous antique gold which shines just as bright as the blush its self. Like the Lighting palette this blush is also from their Ambient lighting range and so it has a slightly noticeable amount of shimmer which adds a lovely pop of colour that provides a radiant glow to the cheeks. Hourglass is soon becoming one of my top favourite makeup brands. 

My go to look for Summer is having super highlighted cheekbones, while powder highlighters do the job I love combining them with these two products which are pink based creme highlighters. The first is Girl Meets Pearl by Benefit Cosmetics. This highlighter almost acts as a shiny golden peach primer as well as a creme highlight which I use in both ways. The image pictured is only a sample ( as a ran out of my full size) so I have been using this one just along my cheekbones. What I love most about this other than the cute packaging and perfect glow is it's very pretty strawberry scent. 

Left Benefit Girl Meets Pearl, Right Maybelline Instant Age Rewind

The second highlight i have been using is the Maybelline Instant age rewind under eye concealer in 'Highlighter'. This one is super pink in tone and very creamy with an almost satin finish to it. Out of the two i prefer the Benefit Girl meets pearl simply because the shade is more natural then Maybellines but both provide a super nice highlight.

And finally lips, because what really is summer makeup about then bright lip shades? I have a number of bright and vibrant lipsticks which would be perfect for this post but the more I thought about it the more I thought how annoying lipsticks can tend to be throughout summer due to their creaminess which I sometimes find annoying throughout the hot weather. So instead my top three summer colours are three of the Revlon Balm stains. Two are from the Just Bitten Kissable range which are in the shades Cherish and Sweetheart which both have a glossy finish. The third is from the colour burst range in Unapologetic and has a matte finish. What I love about these three products is that they are as pigmented as a lipstick but are a stain and last pretty much all day. They are also a lot less messy and easy to apply. 

Cherish, Sweetheart, Unapologetic

All three shades while in the same colour spectrum are all very different which is great for creating new looks. My favourite out of the three is in Cherish which is a very typical bubblegum pink with blue undertones. I find this is the most subtle of the three while still providing the perfect pop of colour. 

If you have tried any of these gorgeous sumer shades and loved them as much as I have then let me know in the comments. What are your go to summer makeup products?

Katie

you can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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Brunch with a Twist

I'm going to start this post off by saying that I am a self proclaimed foodie and spend a lot if not most of my money dining out at my favourite restaurants. Today was no exception. 

French Twist restaurant is by far my all time favourite restaurant within Brisbane and while the drive can be quite a nightmare the food and atmosphere is definitely worth it. Without this post turning into a strange restaurant review diary post I thought I would show you some photos of my day and let them speak for themselves. 

How was I supposed to choose between smoked salmon, prosciutto and haloumi?

Okay I may have over exaggerated that I spend most of my money on food, I also 'invest' in numerous white and cream tops, so of course I popped into Topshop after seeing the big pink SALE signs and falling for there marketing ploy purchased two tops the first a slightly curved, high neck crop with crochet detailing and a quarter length sleeve, geometric quilt top. Both have made great additions to my growing collection.

I thought todays adventures would be a great opportunity to extend my blog past simply 'beauty' related posts and start including fashion and lifestyle pieces. If you enjoyed this please let me know in the comments.

Katie

you can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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Beauty favourites of 2014

It's that time of year again to start fresh, create new years resolutions and most importantly find new beauty goodies to fall in love with. I have delved into my beauty drawers and spent quite a bit of time deciding which products were my absolute favourites of 2014 so that you can hopefully find some new favourites for this coming year. A few of these have been my favourites for a while and because of that I of course used and loved them most during the past year. 

The three eye products I have adored this past year have included the Too Faced Romantic Eye Palette, Maybelline Colour tattoo in 07 Barely Branded and Mac's mineralised eyeshadow due in Pretty and Prim.

I love the quality and creaminess of the colour tattoo eyeshadow, I love using this as a base for my eyeshadow it brings out and intensifies the colour onto so perfectly which I really like considering this is a drugstore product. The texture and application is smooth and even applies well over foundation which has been 'set' before hand. This has also been a perfect shade at highlighting my brow bone and inner corner, Mac's mineralised skin finish in Soft & Gentle looks super lovely onto of this particularly in the inner corner. This is the only Maybelline Colour tattoo that I have tried out so if you have tried other shades and loved them be sure to let me know!

Like any other mac eyeshadow, the mineralised eyeshadow duo in Pretty and Prim has stolen my heart with its gorgeous shade and application. I think I just honestly love the look of this eyeshadow, I can remember buying it and not wanting to use it less I ruin it or use it up to quickly. This eyeshadow includes two shades a rosy pink and a slightly metallic deep berry shade. These shades I find aren't as pigmented as I like when used dry but work beautifully when using a dampened brush, but of course mineralised eyeshadows are supposed to work better when wet. This used onto of barely branded works miracles. 

The Too Faced Romantic eyeshadow palette was one of the very first palettes I purchased and therefore has well and truly become one of my favourite products of all time, as you can clearly tell from the state of it! This product like most Too Faced eyeshadow palettes has 3 highlighting shades the first of which I have almost used up. I have used this palette so much in 2014 it is the perfect neutral palette for everyday use but also includes a deep black and purple which I have used to create a quick day to night look when going from place to place.  I love pairing the shades in this palette which the Mac duo.

My favourite cheek products of 2014 have been Benefit bronzer in Hoola and Nars blush in deep throat. I love love love, benefit Hoola more than any product I own. It is the perfect soft brown for fair skin for both contour and to bronze up the skin. This product isn't muddy or hard to blend but in fact blends seamlessly. I love using the bronzer with deep throat blush. This blush is very pigmented and applies smoothly and is super flattering for all skin shades, I find it gives my skin a very natural flush to my cheeks. This blush is a a very deep, warm shade which Nars describes as ' peach pink' with subtle gold glitter. 

I have three lip favourites for 2014 all by Mac (surprise surprise), two lipsticks and one lip pencil. The first in Creme Cup is my cult favourite lipstick, If I could only choose one lip product it would be this one and I would not be disappointed in the slightest. Creme cup is a pink based nude with blue undertones, which is super flattering with my natural fair skin as it doesn't wash me out at all. I've also included in my favourites the most perfect autumn/winter shade in Media which is a gorgeous deep red wine shade which doesn't look 'vampy' on fair skin. I love pairing this with my lipliner favourite in Talk that Talk from the RiRi hearts Mac collection which is a dark plum shade. I apply this either all over my lips or as normal outlining the lips before applying Media. 

While Mac holds my heart in terms of lipsticks, Nars face products will always be my favourite. The Nars sheer glow foundation is what first introduced me to Nars face products but my 2014 favourite is deffinetly the Nars creamy concealer. Firstly, what is great about this product is the huge range of shades available which is perfect for my skin shade as i always struggle so much with finding the right shade for me. I use two shades in Chantilly and Vanilla. This concealer is perfect at covering under eye circles, highlighting and decreasing the look of puffy under eyes. It is super creamy as the name suggests and last a very long time without creasing depending on which setting powder used. 

And finally, while not technically a makeup product but deffinetly beauty related is my Ted Baker Lewi floral printed wash bag.

I have a weakness for all things Ted Baker, but this wash bag is probably the most gorgeous one i have seen from past collections. While it's missing the iconic Ted Baker bow this wash bag displays a beautiful floral print in pastel shades (another weakness) with a stunning satin light blue interior. This wash bag fits pretty much all of the makeup I need for a trip away including brushes, which makes it the perfect size for traveling. 

Speaking of travelling this year I will be visiting America for the first time and am very much looking forward to it! What are you looking forward to for 2015? let me know in the comments.

Katie

you can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette review

I recently got my hands on the Hourglass Ambient lighting palette after seeing it a few weeks ago in Mecca Maxima and instantly falling in love with it. This beautifully packaged box is home to three gorgeous shades that illuminate the skin creating such a perfect glow to the skin. All of these shades are incredibly pigmented and super creamy with all three shades blending well into the other. 

This product is is very universal and can be used for anything from an under eye setting powder to a highlight or soft bronzer for a natural glow. I have been using the middle shade in Incandescent and the last shade in Radiant the most since I purchased it on both natural and tanned skin and have been loving both, but I thought I would do a small run down on each shade as they all well deserve it.

The first shade in Dim is a warm undertoned peachy-pink beige shade with a subtle shimmer. I like to use this product as either an all over setting powder lighting applied with a fluffy powder brush or as an all over lid colour. As an all over setting powder, Dim blends out perfectly into my skin tone, however I tend to use this more with a tan rather than with natural skin as this shade is to dark and doesn't blend as nice as I would like.  This product I found is excellent at creating a more even skin tone.

The second shade in Incandescent is my definite favourite out of the three, it is the perfect pearlescent      ivory beige highlight. I use this along my cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose and cupids bow with a fan brush or my Real Techniques contour brush. This product brightens my complexion and works perfectly and seamlessly with both my natural fair as well as tanned skin. There is the perfect amount of shimmer which doesn't seem overly cakey or look oily on the skin. What I love most about this highlight shade is that it creates a perfect warm glow, which is lovely especially for lighter skin tones.

Radiant, the third shade in the palette is a golden beige and the perfect colour to add a golden warmth to the skin tone without using a bronzing powder. I can see an incredible difference when using this with natural fair skin. This also doubles as a blush shade however I use it more to add warmth to my face by applying the powder to my cheekbones, temples, jaw line and down my neck. 

This product has become part of my daily beauty routine so i can deffinetly say that the cost of this palette was worth it. The Hourglass Ambient Lighting palette is perfect for creating beautifully glowing skin it's just so lovely I can't even explain it. 

Katie

you can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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The Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette review

Too Faced has forever been my holy grail in terms of eyeshadows, I always find myself reaching for them over others and so I thought it was about time to get my hands on the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette after seeing so many positive reviews. So as any other makeup lover would do, I hastily added it to the top of my Christmas wish list and was very pleased to have received it this year. 

What I love most about Too Faced eyeshadows is the pigmentation, and the Chocolate Bar palette is no exception. These colours are beautifully pigmented and creamy making them easily blendable with the perfect amount of neutral to rosy colours to suit all skin shades. Like most Too faced palettes this one comes with two highlighting shades in ' White Chocolate' and ' Champagne Truffle' which are larger than the other pans which is greatly appreciated as I always find myself using up these lighter shades quicker than the others. 

This palette has the perfect combination of matte, satin and shimmery finishes, with eyeshadow trends evolving from the classic all matte, this palette provides beauty lovers with the ability to change up they're look but still provides shades which are soft, subtle and still equally as beautiful as they're neighbouring sparkly shades. 

Other than the extraordinary pigmentation and selection of colours Too faced have also created this product with cocoa powder giving the palette the outside appearance of a Chocolate Bar but also the smell! I think this is such a lovely and unique idea for a makeup product and it has truly made me a lover of the brand and this palette. I will deffinetly be adding this product to my 2014 favourites. 

Katie

you can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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Perfect Summer hair and skin

With the heat rolling in it's all about hydrating to keep your hair and skin looking healthy...

With Christmas coming to an end and New years approaching the days have been getting hotter and dryer with some days being so unbearably hot I've found myself not wanting to leave my well conditioned house. With this extreme weather I have been thinking how much my beauty routine changes over the seasons and in particular this one. There's no more delving into my deliciously fragrant moisturisers or hair products that are almost edible but instead the only thing that i've been concerned with beauty wise is moisturising and nourishing. I thought this would be the perfect time to update you on how I keep my skin as well as my hair looking and feeling healthy throughout this incredibly dry and humid season. 

What I find the most difficult is finding relatively cheaper products which are going to provide my skin and hair with the nourishment it needs to 'survive' this season, most of the products I use are from mid to high range simply because I find that the quality is so much better and my money is well spent because the job is done well. My two loves throughout this time for my skin are Estee Lauder and Clinique skin care, separate they are wonderful, combined they work magic!

I use the clinique 3 step skin care range all throughout the year, it keeps my skin healthy clear and truly brings down redness and has decreased those nasty spots by quite a bit. However, throughout summer I desperately need a moisturiser which is thick, creamy and will sink into my skin to really hydrate. I have found switching out the clinique 'dramatically different moisturising' lotion for the clinique 'even better skin tone correcting' moisturiser a great help for hydrated skin while trying to stick within the same brand. This moisturiser is amazing, it takes a little while to sink in but it is incredibly thick and moisturises my face very well, the scent is also pleasant and fresh. The big bonus about this product is that is has SPF which is perfect, particularly if you sunburn as easily as I do. 

Body wise I like to apply the Lush ' Vanilla dee light' body moisturiser to my skin in the morning and night after I shower, it has a super lovely scent which isn't too overpowering. It has a thinner consistency so it spreads well across your skin and you don't need to use a whole lot. This is my favourite moisturiser to use on my body, its very hydrating and light on the skin which is great during the heat, I can't stand wearing a moisturiser which feels heavy or sticky on my body particularly when I'm outside in the heat already feeling gross from humidity. So this moisturiser is most definitely perfect for the hot summer months. 

In terms of hair I have been using a new shampoo and hair masque. Both combined work miracles. I have very curly and frizzy hair which can be very temperamental ranging from dry to oily. What I need most during this season is something that is going to really moisturise, nourish and tame frizz. I find these two products do just that. The shampoo I have been using is the renewing argan oil of morocco by Organix and the hair masque (which I have been using without guilt as a conditioner) is the macadamia natural oil deep repair masque. Both smell amazing but what I love most is they leave my hair so incredibly smooth, soft and shiny. 

After a week of using these products my hair was notably less frizzy and dry with my ends looking so much more healthy. I have also started to reuse my moroccan oil treatment in combination with these two products which has just made my hair that much better. I have to use this one through damp hair as as I said my hair can be oily so adding extra isn't going to help it any. This product adds extra shine to my hair, tames frizz and has deffinetly made a contribution to the healthiness of hair at the moment. 

All of these products have tremendously aided in rescuing my hair and skin from the weather this season. In honesty, I deffinetly recommend all of these products, while most are pricey as I mentioned before it is most deffinetly worth the investment. If you haven't tried out any of the Clinique products mentioned in this post I recommend checking out the smaller ml 3 step skin care that Clinique offers for a lower cost.

Let me know if you have tried any of these products and how you felt they helped out your skin and hair this season.

Katie

you can also find me on Instagram and Twitter.

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