♥ I'm A NARSissist ♥

So a few weeks ago I was privileged enough to be contacted by a NARS representative and asked as to whether I would like to be sent a few goodies for being a loyal customer and writing a blog post on their products! Of course I said yes, I mean common free NARS? Yes Please! 

Aside from that I think its great that NARS gives back to their fans and I was more than happy to be sent some things! I was really impressed by what I received so I thought I would share my thoughts on the two items I was lucky enough to receive! 

The first product I received was a satin lip pencil in the shade Mandore which is one of two new limited edition satin lip pencils in their fall collection. On the NARS website it's described to be a 'cranberry' which I think is a perfect summery of the gorgeous, deep red. Rich in pigment and the ever so creamy formula makes application extremely easy especially with it being a crayon form with is perfect to throw in your bag. I love how long wearing this product is and once the actual product has worn off it leaves a gorgeous stain which I think is fantastic for extended periods of time. I will definitely be rocking Mandore all through December as it's the perfect shade for the Christmas season! Unfortunately December will be the start of summer in Australia however I refuse to wear bright summery shades and I will be rocking gold's and red's and my good ol' Christmas jumper throughout the festive month!

(Sorry, my gold nail is barley visible)

The second product I was kindly sent by NARS was the 3.1 Philip Lin nail polish in Gold Viper which again is a part of their gorgeous fall collection. First off, how freakin cute is the packaging! Some serious quality packaging right there! Honestly, I'm not a huge nail polish girl due to the fact that It always looks messy and I resort to removing it a few hours later. This polish however surprised me so much! The brush is perfect for easy application and really does fill the whole nail without going everywhere (and I have tiny nails!) The actual finish of the polish would have to be described as gold foil, it literally looks like it's been dipped in gold! I absolutely love this polish and it's so perfect for the festive season! I have to say though it does tend to chip with the more coats I apply! I feel when I only apply one or two layers it lasts a lot longer and has a better hold however once I apply three or four it really does start to chip with no effort.

All in all I'm extremely grateful to the PR at NARS for kindly sending me these two gorgeous products as a thank you and I'm so grateful! I will definitely be rocking these both throughout December as they are perfect for Christmas! 

Sarah xx

♥ November Favourites ♥

Hey everyone! All I'm thinking right now is whaaaaaat! how is it November already? This month has flown by so fast, particularly having just graduated seven days ago so everything this month has been so rushed. 

I realised I have neglected my blog once again and I sincerely apologise, however, I am now finally done with school and I will be posting twice a week on a Tuesday and Friday. So, I realised I've never done a monthly favourites post and its been something ive always wanted to do so I thought why not start! 

bareMinerals Prime Time Foundation Primer - Neutralizing 30ml ($29 AU)

This month I just haven't been able to put this stuff down!. I first become aware of this product through watching one of shaaanxo's videos (if you don't know her you definitely need to check out her channel). Being a girl whose struggled with hyper pigmentation and redness, this primer has been my saviour in evening out my skin tone and preparing my skin for a flawless base especially in this heat where my face has been super red!  Plus, its only $29 which is amazing for a 'higher end' product, I will definitely be trying out more of bareMinerals primers in the near future! 

NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray - 60ml ($14.95 AU)

I've had this one for a while now but this month I've been reaching for it more than ever especially due to it being freakin 37 degrees on a daily basis! I really like how this product keeps my makeup looking fresh and flawless throughout the day! I honestly don't see any mattifying finish, maybe because I'm just super oily, but it keeps my makeup looking perfect (and not as oily) for a long period of time which is a must for this weather! 

theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer - 8.5g ($34.95 AU)

This has been my holy grail highlighter for a number of months now and I still find myself constantly reaching for it on a daily basis. I just absolutely love how healthy it makes my face appear and I really enjoy using gold toned highlighters as oppose to pink or beige just because it suits my skin tone a lot more. This highlighter is so beautiful and gives off a natural radiant glow without looking chunky or over the top. I have also been applying this to my brow bone more frequently as of late, and I just love how it brightens my eyes and makes my brows look  a lot more shaped and crisp and it kind of pulls the look all together when I'm going for a super dewy finish. 

(I totally forgot to include this in the main picture of my favs!)

NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder - 9.4g ($4.07 AU)

When I first bought this I didn't think id actually get much use for it however this month it's made it's way into my daily routine! I absolutely love using this to bronze up my cheeks, neck and forehead before I contour as it gives my face a gorgeous natural bronze. For the small price of $4.07 this stuff is amazing and is perfect for summer and spring when you want a bronzed look.

Essence I ♥ Stage Eyeshadow Base - 4ml ($5.10 AU) 

This little gem was discontinued for ages but essence FINALLY decided to bring it back and I'm so glad they did! Although when I'm not tanned it can look a little too orange and appear as more of a cream shadow, it makes for a perfect base and doesn't crease or clump. I also love how easy and smooth it is to blend out.

Loreal Skin Perfection Corrected Correcting Serum - 30ml ($29.99 AU)

This little baby is another product I bought because of Shaaanxo ( I buy most things she loves!) I had previously been using the Simple rich moisturiser for a good year as my pre makeup moisturiser however this has totally won me over! I think it's way more suited to pre makeup as it plump's and adds moisture to the skin without adding extra oil which is great if you have oily skin like myself. I love how this makes my skin look and it really does make the application of my foundation SOO much easier. High recommend ladies! 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade Chocolate - 4.0g ($15.10 AU) 

One of my best friends bought this little beauty for my birthday in September and I'm totally sold! After using the elf eye brow kit for a good six months and while it is a good drugstore option, I found that it looked a bit chunky at times. I'm so thankful to finally own this product and it has totally changed the way my brows look! I'm totally obsessed with this stuff and the colour lasts so well in hot weather conditions. 

MAC Velvet Teddy Matte Lipstick - 3g ($36 AU)

Velvet Teddy has been on everyone's hit list for the past few months and although purchasing this in July I'm still totally obsessed with it! After seeing Brittany Saunders (check out her YouTube she's absolutely hilarious) using this I decided to pick it up for myself and it's just such a great nude. I would describe it as the perfect Kylie Jenner lippie and although spring is typically all about corals and pinks I've been religiously rocking Velvet Teddy for the past four months! 

That's all for my monthly favourites, stay tuned for Tuesday for my next post. 

Sarah x

♥ Australis AC ON TOUR Contour & Highlight Kit ~ Review ♥

Hey beauties!

After seeing so many people on Instagram going insane about the new Australis AC ON TOUR contour and highlight kit (c on tour? I see what you did there Australis haha!) I decided to pick it up for myself! It's absolutely crazy the resemblance between this and the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit which is the obvious reason as to why everyone is so excited! With the ABH Contour Kit priced at AU $70.00 and the Australis costing AU $16.95 this product is already a winner in my eyes! I think its quite unusual for this much hype to develop around a drugstore product so I just had to see what all the fuss was about and I'm SO glad I did!

The Australis AC ON TOUR contour and highlight kit can be purchased either on the Australis Cosmetics website or in Priceline, both these locations however have been sold out since it's release so keep an eye out for when they restock! A major plus about this product is that it's NOT a limited edition which I had initially thought, which is fantastic because now we can all get our hands on this little gem! I have been playing around with this palette a few times now so I thought I would do a review for you guys for anyone who is considering purchasing this and would like to see swatches and my thoughts! 

(Sorry about the grubby marks)

The packaging of the Australis contour and highlight kit is really simple and features gorgeous pink and black exterior. I think the packaging is quite sturdy despite it being plastic. Something which I love about the packaging is that Australis has included a little 'how to' guide on the back showing how to apply the contour and highlight shades, this is great for beginners and is a nice little touch.

 The Australis Contour and Highlight Kit do not have names for the contour and highlight shades however use numbers instead. I'm honestly not too bothered about shade names as most drugstore products use numbers and for the price of this baby I'm not going to complain!

The top row includes three highlight shades; the first being a matte pink/cream toned powder which I have been using to set my makeup and it doesn't do a bad job either! Obviously It's not something id reach for to powder my face everyday but for travelling its pretty useful to have. The middle shade is my favourite of all three highlight shades, a matte yellow toned powder (also referred to as a 'banana' powder) which ive been obsessed with for setting my under eye concealer as it brightens the eye area and makes me look more awake (I'm currently rocking the Godzilla look due to year 12 assessment haha!) The final highlight shade is a shimmery warm beige highlight which gives a gorgeous natural glow when applied to the cheek bones, I actually really love this highlighter!

The bottom row features three contour shades which are all matte. The first contour shade is a really warm brown which I love to use for bronzing up my face. The middle shade has to be my favourite contour shade due to the grey undertones. As a pale girl It's really hard finding a contour shade which doesn't look muddy and orange so this shade is perfect for creating a really natural looking shadow! The third shade is an earthy toned reddish brown, this will probably be the shade I get the least use out of. 

The AC ON TOUR contour and highlight kit is amazing for the price and the quality really surprised me! Both the contour and highlight shades blend seamlessly and are so versatile for different skin tones. This would also be a great palette to take travelling or for beginners as it essentially includes a face powder, under eye setting powder, highlighter and three bronzer's, what's not to love! This palette is extremely pigmented and so I would recommend being light handed and slowly building up the shades as they do blend beautifully.

 I HIGHLY recommend you pick up this palette if you have the opportunity! Well done Australis you've got my approval! Let me known down below If you've tried the Anastasia one and how it compares!

Sarah xx

♥ My Mini NARS Collection ♥

Okay, I'm officially addicted to all things NARS! As a long time lover of MAC I never thought I'd fall in love with any other brand however one thing led to another and one NARS purchase turned into two then three, and BAM! NARS is my new favourite brand! 

The following is my current small NARS collection! I really hope to purchase more from NARS as I'm constantly impressed by the quality, the shades, the collections and just about everything else they have to offer! Unfortunately I live 2 hours away from the closest MECCA MAXIMA so having access to NARS is most difficult especially as I do not go up that way often! 

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in MONT BLANC ~ $59.00 for 30ml

I had wanted to purchase this baby for absolutely ages however the price seemed a bit much for me. Thankfully MECCA MAXIMA had their amazing price drop and the price for sheer glow didn't seem nearly as scary and so I made the plunge (into my pockets)! Before purchasing sheer glow I was obsessed with Revlon Colourstay and swore by it, however after talking to a nice girl at MECCA she explained kindly that it looked quite cakey and orange on me! I then got matched to sheer glow and tried it on in store and immediately fell in love with the gorgeous medium coverage, dewy finish and the fact that it matched me perfectly! This is my current favourite foundation and really love the healthy glow it offers! Despite having oily skin I don't find the dewy finish a problem at all! My only complaint about this product is the fact that it does not come with a pump and I totally forgot to pick one up in store when I went! I will definitely be picking up one next time I go! 

 NARS Blushes ~ $39.00 for 4.8g 

Super Orgasm ~  This was my first ever NARS purchase which hooked me onto the brand! This blush is absolutely gorgeous, it's described as 'peachy pink with gold glitter'. I really like wearing this blush out on special occasions as the gold looks stunning when the light reflects my face! It's quite an intimating blush on first glance however it gives such a gorgeous glow and the colour is quite subtle compared to the other NARS blushes. This one is definitely more of a going out blush rather than an everyday blush due to the amount of glitter however if I do wear it out to the shops I get so many compliments! 

Deep Throat ~ I am so glad I picked up this cult favourite because it's now my go-to everyday blush! I can see why everyone raves about deep throat (don't you just love the awkward names!) Deep throat is described as a 'sheer peach with shimmer'. Its definitely a gorgeous peachy pink shade however the shimmer is very subtle which I think is perfect for everyday wear! Deep Throat really compliments my pale skin which I find hard sometimes as many blushes are just too much and make me look like I just peed my pants and am blushing severely! I love the gorgeous glow Deep Throat gives to my skin and these blushes seriously stay on ALL DAY and don't budge!

Swatches ~ Super Orgasm (left) and Deep Throat (right)

And there you have it, my small but growing NARS collection! I am totally obsessing over NARS and would LOVE to try out some more of their range! Especially their lipsticks, Laguna bronzer, highlighters, concealers and some of their brighter blushes! THANKYOU NARS for being amazing!

Have you tried anything from NARS?  Let me know your thoughts down below! Thankyou!

Sarah x

Makeup Of The Month ♥ Natural Makeup

I'm dusting off my keyboard and brain storming new ideas! That's right, you heard me, I'm back in business! 

After many months of abandoning my blog due to year 12 school work, I'm finally able to return to what I love most, blogging! And to start fresh I thought what better way than to start a new series called 'Makeup Of The Month' This mini series will see a new look each month from vampy goddess to a sexy sultry look!

In each look I will be listing all the products I used along with the steps to how I achieved it! This month I created a gorgeous neutral look which is perfect for an everyday basis. So keep on reading if you want to see how I achieved this months look!

Step 1: Primer - Of course the first step to creating a flawless base is primer. For this look I used the Bareminerals neutralizing foundation primer all over my face to even my skin tone and smooth any imperfections.

Step 2: Foundation - As I wanted a fairly matte finish for this look due to the fact I have crazy oily skin, I used the Covergirl 3in1 stay fabulous foundation in 810 which I applied with my Real Techniques buffing brush. 

Step 3: Concealer - Next I took my MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NC15 and created a triangle shape under my eyes to highlight, I then pattered it softly into my skin with a damp beauty blender. To set my concealer I used my favourite drugstore under eye powder, the Elf HD under eye setting powder. 

Step 4: Face powder - Of course I set the rest of my face using my holy grail face powder,  MAC Studio Fix in NW13 with the Elf kabuki brush. I made sure to go easy with the powder however as im going for a very natural look!

Step 5: Cheeks - For bronzer I used my holy grail Benefit Hoola Bronzer which I lightly applied on the hallows of my cheeks. For blush I used my favourite natural everyday blush, Nars Deep Throat, and then to finish off my cheeks I added some of the gorgeous Mary Lou-Manizer from The Balm for a gorgeous glowy finish.

Step 6: Eyebrows -  For eye brows I used a great drugstore eye brow kit, the Elf eye brow kit in medium and I just used the gel to shape and fill my brows. A great tip which im obsessed with doing is cleaning up my brows with a concealer. For mine I used the LA Girl Pro Conceal in Classy Ivory and I simply just put this on the lower part of my brow to give it a cleaner looking appearance.

Step 7: Eyes - The eye look is ever so simple as I only used three shades and they were all out of the Lorac Pro Palette. Firstly I took cream and applied this all over my lid, then with a fluffy blending brush I applied taupe to my crease, finally finishing off with a dab of nude on my inner corner to brighten up my eyes. I then completed this eye look by applying two coats of Benefit they're real mascara. 

Step 8: Lips - Finally to finish the look I used MAC Velvet Teddy which I think goes absolutely perfect with this look!

And we are done! I hope you enjoyed this months 'Makeup Of The Month' post and keep an eye out for next months!

Sarah xx

Arab Inspired Make-up Look! ♥

Hey lovelies! So I decided to create an Arab inspired make-up look because i'm just so in awe of Arabic make-up! It's seriously just so beautiful and luxurious and I thought it would be fun to try a new look!

~ Face ~

Foundation ~ Covergirl stay fabulous 3in1 outlast foundation - 810 classic ivory

Concealer ~ Bourjois healthy mix concealer - 61

Under eye setting powder - Elf high definition setting powder

Face powder - MAC studio fix powder - NW15

~ Cheeks ~

Bronzer - Benefit hoola bronzer

Blush - Urban Decay naked flushed

Highlighter - Urban Decay naked flushed

~ Lips ~

Lips - Revlon just bitten kissable balm - precious

~ Eyes ~

Eye brows - Elf eye brow kit - medium 

Eye primer - Elf eye shadow primer - sheer

Eye shadow - UD Naked 2.. tease (crease) busted (lid) 

Eye shadow - MUA palette in Glamour Nights..matte white (brow bone and inner corner)

Eye liner - Maybelline master precise liquid liner

NYX jumbo eye pencil - Milk

Chi Chi Hollywood starlet palette - blue shade

Mascara - MAC zoom fast black lash

Lashes - Glam eyes kelly lashes

Sarah x 

Let me know what you think!

The Lipstick Product Addict Tag

So I saw a tag my cousin KaBOOM! Cosmetics  did, and it was called 'The Lipstick Product Addict Tag'. I thought this looked like a pretty nifty tag seeing as I just LOVE me some lip products and yes, I am pretty much a self confessed addict! I hope you enjoy reading about my favourite and not so favourite lip products! Here it goes!

Favourite Treatment/Balm 

I'm gonna be a bit boring here but you honestly can't go past a good ol' fashion lip balm. My absolute favourite lip balm of all time is the Nivea lip balm in Pearl Shine. However to be honest with you I pretty much obsess over all Nivea lip products! They are moisturising, smell good and make your lips ever so luscious!

Best Eye-Catching Red

I've tried a few classic red's in my time so far, however, for me I prefer a deeper red. Something berry toned that appears to be a tad vampy! My favourite is the Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick in 09.

Best Luxury & Best Drugstore 

My favourite drug store lipsticks would have to be a toss up between the MUA Make-up academy lipsticks and the Rimmel Kate Moss lipsticks. Both are extremely high quality for the small price you pay which is great when you don't feel like splurging!

My Favourite high end lipstick would have to either be my MAC Snob lipstick or the Clinique high impact lipstick in Rosette.

Best MAC Lipstick

(Unfortunately) I only own one MAC lipstick...(cue tears)...so again it would have to be the MAC Snob lipstick! I just love how creamy and luxuries the MAC lipsticks feel!

Most Disappointing 

This is a 'no brainer' for me, it would have to be the Australis velour lips matte lip cream. After purchasing Ma-li-boo and having a nightmare of a time with it, I do not think I'll ever be purchasing any other shades! I will definitely be doing a review on this product very soon!

Liner: Yay or Nay?

I'm honestly not a huge liner lover, but I do use them a lot when I go for darker looks as it's a must for me! I love the Prestige lipliner in Garnet and the Australis lipliner in My Fair Lady.

Best Gloss

I've never been a huge fan of gloss as it always gets stuck in my hair! Ugh annoying right! But i have to say I really do enjoy using the Elizabeth Arden High Shine Lip Gloss in Maple along with the NYX Butter Gloss in Peach Cobbler. I find these aren't sticky at all and give a nice subtle shine to the lips!

Something Extra 

I have to say without a doubt my FAVOURITE type of lip product are the lip crayons! I absolutely love lip crayons, I love applying them, I love the look of them and I think they are just so fun! My favourites are the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Twilight and the Seventeen Lip Crayon in pink (it has no printed name or number on it!)

Sarah x

Feel free to do this tag ladies! I tag Emily from FaceBodyHairByEmilyBrand

UPDATE

Hey guys! I'm so sorry I've been so slow with posts lately, I'm literally under a mountain of school assessment! I've currently got four posts in draft's that I'm still writing so I should have them up this week! I did really hope to have a certain updating schedule but I'm not sure if that's going to happen as I never know when I'm going to be flat out! I will try however be a bit more consistent!

Sarah x 

Make-up Of The Day With Two Lip Choices

Hey everyone!

Today I will be doing another MOTD (make-up of the day) look!

I was inspired to do a look which could be worn with two very different lip colours.

 Look one: Pretty Pink Lip

In this look I used the Chi Chi Lipstick in Super Socialite 

It's just the most gorgeous, creamy pink tone which goes perfectly with a smoky eye.

Look two: Classy Pink/Orange Lip

So for this lip colour I used the NYX Butter gloss in Peach Cobbler 

 I'm currently obsessed with this colour! It looks amazing with so many eye looks!

Other products used:

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation - 810 Classic Ivory  

Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer - Classic Beige 

MAC Studio Fix Powder - NW15

Benefit Hoola Bronzer

NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder - Blonde

ELF eyelash/eyebrow clear mascara

NYX Jumbo eye pencil - Milk

Chi Chi glamorous classics palette 

Maybelline HyperGlossy liquid eyeliner

MAC Zoom fast black lash mascara

Glam eyes false lashes - Kelly lashes

NYX matte setting spray

Sarah x