PRODUCT REVIEW: ESTEE LAUDER COURREGES MAKEUP COLLECTION

To coincide with the (European) summer of 2015, Estee Lauder has launched a limited edition makeup collection called Courreges, which has been made in connection with the French Clothing Brand. The collection includes 13 pieces, and here are my thoughts on some of them;

What I Say:

The Courreges Estee Lauder collection is described as a “pop-timistic 13-piece limited edition line that marries the floating-on-air feeling of an embellished Courrèges mini dress, and the punched-up precision of Estée Lauder’s progressive product design, seen through the Courrèges lens. The formulations were designed to be surprising in their lightness, in their sensorial delivery, their translucency, reflectivity, and in their pop-y palette. They are an invitation to have fun with color, texture and special effects while defying the confines of nostalgia by creating a look that is wholly of today.

Common for all the products is that they are housed in stunning and simple white and silver packaging, which is very different from Estee Lauders usual gold packaging, but it is absolutely beautiful. 


Super Lashes

I have to be completely honest and admit that I am rarely using false lashes. Firstly because I am hopeless at applying them, and secondly because being pregnant (currently almost 39 weeks as I write this), my nights are spent at the couch, drained after spending the day chasing our 22 month old boy around – so hardly the time or the place. In saying that, these full and long lashes look absolutely amazing and will take your eye makeup to the next level. I will definitely keep these ready for the next time the perfect occasion to wear them strikes! RRP: $52.00



Super Gloss in Rosy Future

This lipgloss comes in a super stylish packaging with a silver pointed tip that makes precise application a breeze. To dispense the gloss you simply need to pump once or twice. The Super Gloss is only available in one shade, Rosy Future, which is a beautiful fuchsia pink colour saturated shade with a high gloss that looks that looks stunning on the lips, both for day and night time use. And it has a good long wear of several hours and feels incredible on the lips too, light and non-sticky. Oh, and it smells fantastic too! I absolutely love it and wish that it wasn’t a limited edition product, and that more shades were available! RRP: $42.00


 Ultra White EyeLiner in Lunar White

I always wear liquid eyeliner, and I have been for as long as I can remember, but usually it is either dark brown or black, so this Ultra White shade is quite different for me, and certainly one I have to get used to. I think it would probably be more suitable for wear during spring and summer (as the collection is initially intended). The eyeliner is easy to use and the fine tip draws a super fine colour saturated line in just one swipe. The formula is thick, yet it dries quickly and stays put for hours! RRP: $42.00


Iridescent Ball Highlighter

This white plastic ball contains a highlighter with a powder gelee consistency. It is suitable for use on the cheeks, or any other area of the face you’d like to highlight, including cheek bones, and under the brow bone, and it gives a beautiful but subtle look with just the right amount of sheen, without being too shiny or glittery. It is easy to use, both with your fingers, but certainly also with a brush, and thanks to the round ball container it is also easy to take in your handbag for touch-ups on the go. RRP: $42.00


Lip + Cheek Ball in Ultra Pink

This gloss cream has the consistency of a light gel, and it can be used to add both a tint to the lips as well as a natural stain to the cheeks for a natural rosy glow. The shade Ultra Pink actually looks bright red in the gorgeous silver ball, but once applied it applies sheer, and is far from that bright or dark, although you can of course build up the colour as it is so pigmented. And I love the fact that you can use it on both lips and cheeks, and again, the round ball packaging means that you can take it with you on the go too! RRP: $42.00


Eye Amplifier in Aqua Silver and Black Silver

These mono eye shadows come in two shades, Aqua Silver, which is a blue-ish grey shade, and Black Silver and in a round white compact, with a clear twist off lid. The eye shadows have a nice sheen without being too shimmery, and they blend extremely easily, and have a very high pigmentation, so while you can apply then with just a wash of colour, you can also build up the intensity, and even more so if you apply them wet! They last extremely well, even on my greasy eyelids, so even in the end of the day they look freshly applied and have not creased into fine lines, which is rare for me, so I wish that there were more colours available and they weren’t limited edition! RRP Each: $42.00



Illuminations Face Powder

This is a powder illuminator that comes in a white compact with a clear screw lid. The powder give the skin a lovely shimmery sheen and a healthy glow, without being too shimmery, although, you do have to be careful not to be too heavy handed or it can turn out almost metallic looking on your skin. The soft powder is easy to apply with a large brush to the cheeks, and brow bones or anywhere else you’d like a nice glow, and it is very fine, so it still looks natural on the skin, and doesn’t emphasise pores of fine lines. It also has a good wear, with next to no fading. RRP: $52.00


Also available from the Courreges Collection:

• Lip Visor: A lip gloss: RRP: $42.00
• Eye Glide Pencil – Available in Silver Streak – RRP: $36.00
• Kabuki Brush: RRP: $65.00
• Hair Mascara: RRP: $52.00

Overall this is a beautiful collection, and all the products I’ve tried are so easy to use and so lovely to wear. My favourites would have to be the Super Gloss, the Iridescent Ball Highlighter, the Lip + Cheek Ball, the Eye Amplifiers and the Illuminations Face Powder… yep, 5 favourites out of 7 products, that’s not bad is it, but just goes to show that it is a lovely collection. But then again, I have always loved the products from Estee Lauder for their high quality, and this new modern Courreges collection is no exception.

But don’t forget that this is a limited edition collection, so make sure to check out the products at your nearest store now, so you won’t miss out!

*Some products may have been provided for consideration, but would still be reviewed in accordance with my Disclosure Policy.


Twitter | Facebook | Bloglovin | Instagram |

PRODUCT REVIEW: LUST HAVE IT JULY 2014

The other day the *Lust Have It June box arrived at my door step, here are my thoughts; 

 

Product Review: Violet Box March 2014

Another month has gone by, - can you believe it, we are already three months, a quarter into the new year, and a month into autumn! And yesterday the *March Violet Box arrived at my door, here are my thoughts;

What They Say:

Violet Box brands promises to every month include 4-6 premium beauty and lifestyle samples from well-known and trusted Australian beauty brands as well as exciting new International brands, one in particular is a revolutionary product currently trending in New York and has been featured in Vogue and on the Today Show!

RRP: You can subscribe to Violet Box for:

1 month – $22.95

3 months - $66.00

6 months - $130

12 months - $250

Available from Violet Box

What I Say:

As per the usual, the Violet Box arrived in a narrower sized black matte box, with the magnetic closure and a purple ribbon – and while this box is very simple in look, I do prefer the simplicity of it and have kept quite a few of them to store small things such as jewellery etc.

Anyway, this is what was in the March Violet Box…

Love Those Lashes New Silk Strip Lashes – Full Size (RRP: $14.95)

These lashes claims to be reusable up to 15 times and come in a protective case to store them in. they come with the glue and can be cut and shaped to fit eye shape and size. I have to be honest and admit that I am not the biggest user of false lashes, as with a baby it is rare that we go out to special occasions where I feel they are suitable, and for everyday wear, I struggle as it is finding time to do my makeup!! In saying that, these are nicer than by far the majority of false lashes that I’ve come across lately, and they do look quite natural, so I look forward to trying them out. Now I just need to find a babysitter, LOL!

Starlooks Gem Pencil – Full Size (RRP: $19.50)

This eyeliner has a metallic finish, and as claimed it has a very soft and creamy finish. In fact it truly soft that it can be used as both eyeliner and eye base claimed.

Left as an eyeliner, and right is blended

I got the shade Amethyst, which is a metallic dusty pink/lavender shade, which is lovely, but firstly I generally prefer darker eyeliners, such as taupes, browns and blacks (I’m quit conservative with my makeup), and secondly, unfortunately I am at the age where I find that the use of intense glitter finishes is not of use.

Sinful Colors Nail Polish - Full Size (RRP: $4.95)

I’ve previously received a Sinful Nail Polish in some box, sorry cannot remember which one, so as such it doesn’t excite me that much, as I do like trying out new brands. But in saying that, another nail polish added never goes astray, and the colour I got, GoGo Girl, is a lovely bright red, so I will definitely be using this one.

Acorelle Skincare Serum –Sample Size, 2ml (RRP: $58.00)

I have never heard of this brand before, so this does excite me, plus the fact that I love love love serums and I am always on the chase for great ones. This one is perfect for my skin, claiming to fight signs of ageing due to the high contents of powerful anti-oxidants. The sample is unfortunately very tiny, and I would have loved to see a larger sample to be able to use it for a little longer to see how it performs, but nonetheless, I am still looking forward to testing it out.

Mineresse Vevet Lip Lift Moisture Shine Lipgloss – Sample, 1.5g (RRP: $39.95)

This lipgloss claims to have a plumping effect due to the included micro-collagen, and it not only has an instant plumping effect, it is also working long-term as an anti-ageing lip treatment. I got the colour 47, which is a lovely pinky-coral shade, which is perfect for everyday casual wear. I have heard a lot about this lipgloss, so I look forward to seeing how it performs.

So there you go, this was the contents of the March Violet Box. With the inclusion of the lashes, the nail polish and the eyeliner, the box does contain three full sized products, but rarely wearing false lashes, not being able to use the eyeliner, and the nail polish being ‘old news’ I am not too excited about these products, and consequently I am unfortunately I am not quite as impressed with the March box as I have been with previous month’s boxes, including the February box which contained two full sized Be A Bombshell products.

I am sadly more excited about the two samples, the Acorelle Serum and the Mirenesse Lipgloss, but again, as they are only samples, they do not make up for the cost of the box.

In saying that, again, I will make use of both the lashes and also the nail polish, and I am sure I can find a good home for the Starlooks Eyeliner, so these products are not a completely waste, but if you wear false lashes more frequently than I do, and are a little more experimental with your makeup than little old conservative me, then I am sure you will love this months box. But as Violet Box generally goes from strength to strength and has impressed me every month since launch, I am not too upset with this, as there also has to be products included to suit every taste and style.

*Product was kindly provided for consideration, and has reviewed in accordance with my Disclosure Policy.

What do you think of the products of this month’s Violet Box? Did you get this months’ box too? What did you think? And if not, would you consider subscribing?

And of course, as always, if you’d like to see an in-depth review of any of products in the box, leave me a comment below..

  

February Favourites 2014

I have not done of these posts before. But I really like reading other beauty bloggers favourites posts. And trialling a fair share of products every month, while I genuinely love by far the majority of the products I trial, there are obviously products that I for one reason or another like more than others, and that I continue to use after a trial period, or keep going back to – and so I thought that it was time that I started doing a monthly favourites post too.

And yep, I am a little late, very late actually, posting the February post, but moving house and our internet provider stuffing up so now almost three weeks after moving in, we are still without internet in our new house (plus for the almost three weeks prior to that while we were living in a holiday house), explains all of that. And as I’ve had the post ready to go live, I thought that I’d go ahead and post it, even in spite of being almost a month late!!! So without further ado, here are the products that I have continuously reached for during February..

Neutrogena Rapidly Clear Blackhead Eliminating Daily Scrub*

I have always struggled with my skin breaking out, but luckily have managed to get it under control. Well most of the time. Having recently moved house, twice in a month, and the stress that came with it, and add to that we also in the process of getting a new house designed, has stressed my out skin a bit. Actually probably a little more than I like, as my skin has gone bonkers this last month. But I have found some help in the Blackhead Eliminating Daily Scrub from Neutrogena. This scrub is so gentle that it can be used daily. The small exfoliating beads helps remove dead skin cells, while the salicylic acid, helps clean deep down every pore removing excess dirt and oil, leaving my skin feeling less greasy, and simply soft and smooth.
RRP: $13.99 (125ml) - Available from Priceline and supermarkets

Palmer's Purifying Mask*

To further help clean my skin, I have also been relying on the Palmer’s Purifying Mask a few times a week. This mask contains kaolin clay to help draw out impurities and purify the pores, and after leaving it on for just 10 minutes, my skin free from all the excess oiliness that is otherwise plaguing it at the moment, and it is left looking healthy and smooth. Yet at the same time it also contains among others cocoa and shea butters, vitamin E and sweet almond oil, to help moisturise and nourish the skin. Used regularly, it simply helps makes my makeup stay put for longer without sliding off my face. It comes in a handy tube, and has the most gorgeous scent floral scent

RRP: $9.99 (120g) - Available from Priceline and supermarkets

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer*

With all the breakouts, this past month I’ve also been relying on the Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer. The concealer is a unique two-toned concealer that allows you to custom-blend your own perfect shade to match your skin. And it easily covers redness, blemishes and age spots. And as it is so pigmented you only need to use so little, which also means that the result is very natural. And my combination skin also loves that it is an oil-free formula that stays put all day. Not cheap, but worth every cent!

RRP: $49 – Available from David Jones and Adore Beauty

Wella SP Color Save Mask*

I usually get my hair coloured at the salon 3 to 4 times a year. And I hate it. Well, I love the result, that’s why I keep getting it done, but I hate actually getting it done. I have very long and thick hair, and usually have very fine strands of hair coloured throughout my hair, which makes it look quite natural, but it is a process that takes several hours, and that’s what I hate. So I’ll do anything to protect the colour and prevent it from fading too quick and that’s where the Wella SP Color Save Mask is so brilliant. It not only helps keep my hair looking healthy but this hair mask has been created to protect coloured hair providing long-lasting colour brilliance and care against fading. It also includes UV Filters to shield against sunlight damage, beeswax for increased shine and olive leaf extract for its colour-retaining benefits, and of course, not forgetting ingredients to  moisturise and protect the hair from drying out.

RRP: $34 - Available from hair salons

L'Oreal Luminosity Code BB Cream*

I love multi-tasking products and this Luminosity Code BB Cream from L'Oreal is no exception. It is not only a BB Cream that helps cover imperfections, but it also works to helps to even out the skin tone. It contains Lumi-Gen technology, which is designed to regulate the skin’s pigmentation so the skin is more even day after day. The BB Cream doubles as a moisturiser and it is oil free and extremely lightweight has well as it is non-comedogenic, so perfect for my combination skin for wear on a hot summers’ day for a casual outing. It only has a very light coverage, but it is enriched with pearlescent light reflectors, so it leaves the skin with a lovely healthy glow, without being too shimmery or making the skin look shiny. And it is perfect to be used in combination with the Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer. The cream has a gorgeous gentle floral scent, and as a as an added bonus offers protection from harmful UV rays.

RRP: $29.95 –Available from Priceline, variety stores, selected pharmacies, department stores and supermarkets

Schick Quattro Papaya & Pearl*

I have to be completely honest and admit that I normally use an epilator to shave my legs, although I don’t use it under my arm pits, as I’m way too much of a chicken to do that. But moving house, I completely forgot to pack the epilator with the stuff I was taking with me to the holiday house, and that’s where this new shaver from Schick came in so handy. It has a whole four blades for a closer and smoother shave, and the tip is enriched with papaya and pearl to leave the skin feeling so incredibly soft. It comes with a handy suction cup holder for the shower and it has a cute coral colour. And I have to admit that I do love the smoothness of shaving my legs with a blade, especially now that it is still warm and I generally wear skirts or dresses, - the shave just doesn’t compare to using an epilator…. So I may just give my epilator a little holiday for a while..

RRP: $11.99 - Available from Priceline, variety stores, selected pharmacies, department stores and supermarkets

Palmer's Natural Bronze Instant*

I love summer and feeling the sun warm up my body, but having a baby means that this summer I’ve been less outside and in the sun than I normally am. That means my legs are somewhat paler than they usually are at this time of year, and that’s where the Palmer's Natural Bronze Instant is so brilliant. It is not only an instant tanner, it is also a self-tanner that gradually builds up a nice and natural looking tan, so it looks like I too have spent the summer at the beach.

RRP: $9.39 (250ml) - Available from Priceline, variety stores, selected pharmacies, department stores and supermarkets

Advanced Cosmeceuticals Magnifibres Brush-On False Lashes*

Once upon a time I had long lashes. No so anymore. These days I am so envious of my little 9 month old boy, whose lashes seems to grow longer and longer by the day. But lucky there is help to be found. These Magnifibres Brush-On False Lashes from Advanced Cosmeceuticals is brush on false lashes in the shape of a mascara wand. Simply apply a coat of your normal mascara, then follow by applying the brush with the cotton wool-like fibres onto your lashes, and finish off with a final coat of your normal mascara – and you are left with an incredible false lash effect, with lashes that are both longer and has more volume, yet looks natural. Perfect for someone like me who has not yet mastered applying false lashes! But I do have to admit that I did worry using the Magnifibres on my sensitive eyes, as they easily get irritated and water, and I feared that it would drop particles into my eyes, but I had no need to worry as that has not been the case. Combined with the casual look of the BB Cream, these Magnifibres takes my everyday makeup look to a complete new level.
RRP: $59.95 – Available from select stockists, or from Advanced Cosmeceuticals

FAB First Aid Beauty Lip Therapy*

During summer my lips always get so dry from the sun and from air conditioners too, but this summer, the Lip Therapy from FAB has come to the rescue. This little wonder product has kept my lips soft and hydrated, and after a day of sailing which resulted in chapped and dried out lips from the wind, it got my lips back to top shape in no time. It has a lovely fresh minty smell and feels cooling on the lips, and what’s even better is that it contains absolutely no chemical nasties, including no parabens or colourants.
RRP: $12.95 (14.8ml) – Available from Priceline

So there you have it – some of the products which I have particularly loved using in February. And stay tuned… I will be posting about my March favourites before you know it!!

*These products were kindly provided for consideration, and have been reviewed in accordance with my Disclosure Policy.

Have you tried any of these products? Or any you’d love to try? Did you discover any new products in February?