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      Makeup

      Review: LORAC Mega Pro Palette

      I remember when the first photo of this palette surfaced in social media – people went nuts! I honestly couldn’t fathom the excitement over this product. It’s basically two LORAC Pro palettes in one – containing 16 matte shades (top rows) and 16 shimmer shades (bottom rows) but the range of colors seemed meh in pictures. However, the more swatches I saw online, the more intrigued I was to give this palette a try.

      After all, LORAC Pro Palettes 1 and 2 were such a hit for me, so this couldn’t be that bad, right?

      Read more

      Favorites, Makeup, Skincare

      November 2014 Beauty Favorites

      How crazy fast has this year flown by? I can’t believe December is here – the month I’ve been waiting for is finally here!
      I’m obsessed with Christmas. Have always been. And I’m so excited that I will finally be going on holiday NEXT WEEK! Can’t wait to share my travel diaries and culinary adventures with you guys.
      For now, let’s get into my beauty favorites for the month of November.
      I skipped October favorites because I really didn’t have much to share. I spent the whole month in and out of the hospital and getting used to nurturing my newborn bub, I didn’t have time for makeup and even skincare! Which was why I had a crazy bout of breakouts. Blargh.
      So, now that I’m much more settled and have adjusted well to my new life with Zayden, I’ve been able to spend more time playing with makeup and taking care of my skin.
      Last month was all about healing my breakouts and getting my makeup done on-the-go. Read on to see my favorites that really get the job done!

      Makeup

      L’Oreal Color Riche Lumiere Eyeshadow in 500 Gold Mania

      I bought this during the crazy 40% Priceline sale and oh – my – goodness I’m so glad I got this shadow. Seriously one of the prettiest gold eyeshadows I’ve ever encountered!
      I’ve been loving this eyeshadow for use as an all-over lid color. When I’m in a rush, I just swipe and blend this shadow on my eyelids and it looks like I’ve put a bit of effort in getting ready!
      This is a gel infused eyeshadow so the texture feels a bit more plush and a tad more “bouncy” than powder eyeshadows.
      I find that the best way to apply this shadow is to wet your brush or finger before picking up the shadow. It looks so much more vibrant and adheres on to the skin better when applied wet.
      The swatch on the left is a dry swatch, and the left is wet.
      How vibrant and beautiful is that?!

      MAC Face Kit by Rebecca Moses in Brown

      I’ve had this all-in-one palette for a while now, I think I purchased it last year at a Cosmetics Company Store outlet in Orlando. I love that those stores sell limited edition MAC goodies at such affordable prices!
      This palette or “face kit” comes with a powder blush (left) in shade Melba, four eyeshadows (Orb, All That Glitters, Smoked Sepia and Show Stopper) and two lip colors in Ravishing (top) and Myth (bottom).
      “All That Glitters” is my favorite MAC eyeshadow to date, and when I saw this palette I just had to have it because it had that shade and three other neutrals that can help me achieve my signature eye look (i.e. frosty champagne or gold all over the lids with a contoured crease and outer corners).
      Melba has always been one of my favorite MAC powder blushes too.
      The whole palette has a warm, coral tone to it but is perfect for any skintones or undertones.
      I’ve never actually touched the lipsticks but I love how they’re encased in a plastic cover that can open up and close to protect them.
      The palette also comes with a double ended brush – an eyeshadow brush on one end, a lip brush on the other end.
      This palette is perfect for traveling! Lately, I’ve been doing my makeup in the car – seriously don’t have time to do it at home. So this comes in very handy – four amazing eyeshadow shades, a very wearable powder blush and two lip colors (even though I’ve never used them!) and a double ended brush. Really helps save a lot of space when you can’t bring much!

      Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Crayon in Brown

      The Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Crayons are my favorite pencil/crayon eyeliners because they seem to be the only ones that work for my waterline.
      I’m a contact lens wearer and pencil liners that have a lot of oil content in them would usually end up making my lens cloudy and blurry because the oils from the pencil would transfer on to the surface of the lens. Incredibly annoying!
      So, this is the only one that’s worked well for me so far. And it lasts a long time too, up to 6 hours!
      I love the black shade too but lately I’ve been using this a lot just in the outer corners of my lower lashline (not the waterline) to make my eyes “pop” a bit more and it would seriously last all day. And I guess it’s pretty water resistant because I use eye drops during the day and this doesn’t budge.
      I can’t live without this baby!

      Too Faced Teddy Bear Hair Brush Set

      Eek! Just how adorable are these brushes?!
      These (especially the eyeshadow brushes) have been the only ones I’ve been using for the past month and a half. Seriously. I’ve forgotten about all my other brushes.
      It comes with a powder, all-over shadow, contour, liner and blender brush. It’s everything I’ve ever needed! I just wish it’d come with a blush brush though, that’s be really handy!
      The four eyeshadow brushes are the only brushes I’d ever need to create any type of eye look and all five of them are the softest brushes I’ve ever had. It’s so soft that I get sleepy every time I use the powder brush all over my face. It’s that soft.
      I’m also obsessed with the makeup pouch that it comes with!!

      Gucci Face Sheer Blushing Powder in 060 Pink Camelia

      This has been my favorite blush for the past two months.
      Click here for my full review of my recent Gucci purchases.
      Can we just take a moment to appreciate the beautiful embossing on that pressed powder blush?
      I ordered this online only a few days after it’s released in the States and back then there were no swatches of any of their products available on the Web, so ordering this shade based on the pictures on the official Gucci website was such a gamble!
      I’m so glad I got this shade though, it’s a medium cool-toned pink with a luminous sheen to it.
      Swatched on the left hand side is the swatch of the blush once blended, and the right one is a heavy swatch, built on a few layers. It does look very cool toned when swatched heavily but when applied lighthandedly on the cheeks it has a very luminous sheen to it that I don’t even need to apply a highlighter on top of it to add dimension to my cheeks.
      I am also in love with the Gucci Eye Magentic Color Shadow Quad in 030 Crystal Copper but I don’t really want to include it in this month’s favorites because I’ve only used it once, and as beautiful as it was I wanted to give it a few more tries before I can list it as a favorite!
      Click here for my review of all my Gucci purchases.

      Makeup Bag with Brush Roll by LauraKCreations

      This has been my go-to makeup bag for the past month. I love it so much!
      A makeup bag with a brush roll attached to it? Yes, please!
      This makeup bag is handmade by Laura from LauraKCreations on Etsy and there are lots of different patterns and colors to choose from! You can even order a customized one. Check out her store here.
      I can fit all my Too Faced Teddy Bear Hair Brush Set brushes here and there’s space for one more, so I usually put my blush brush in there. And the makeup bag itself is pretty spacious. Great as a weekender or on-the-go makeup bag!

      Skincare

      Proactiv Plus Pore Targeting Solution

      Don’t know how I could live without THIS.
      I’ve been a Proactiv user for years but had to stop using it when I was pregnant. Not because the Benzoyl Peroxide, but because it was way too drying for my sensitive skin. My skin was super duper sensitive during pregnancy.
      Well I’m glad I got the Proactiv Plus Pore Targeting Solution because this is the new version of the original Proactiv 3-step system’s “Repair Lotion” (third step). This newer version is much less drying, even the consistency of the lotion is much thinner and runnier than the original.
      This has helped heal my acne and skin congestions tremendously. I love that it’s not as drying as the original forumla. Such a lifesaver.

      Indeed Labs Hydraluron

      Even though the Proactiv Plus Pore Targeting Solution isn’t as drying as the original formula, it can still be a bit drying. Just occasionally though, especially when the weather is really dry. So, my skin has been a bit dry and tight lately, but it’s a combination of hormones and weather too!
      I usually resort to my Chanel Hydra Beauty Serum when I have terribly dry skin, but lately it doesn’t seem to work. So, I was browsing through moisturizers in my local pharmacy a few weeks ago and came across this product. I’ve heard a lot of hype about this product, so I thought I’d give this a try and my oh my, I’m obsessed!
      This hydrating serum has a gel consistency that is very tacky once applied on the skin, kind of weird at first but I got used to it after a while. It’s not supposed to replace moisturizer, it’s just a hydration “booster” for the skin. Ever since I’ve been using this (day and night), my skin has felt so much plumper and less tight/dry.

      Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate

      However, I’ve also been adding this gem to my routine. So the credit goes both to the Hydraluron and to the Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate.
      I love mixing this with my moisturizer. The current one I’m using is the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream and it’s been working wonders for my skin. My skin has never felt so smooth and problem-free!

      Santa’s Lip Scrub

      My skin isn’t the only thing that’s been really dry. My lips have been too!
      It’s been peeling a lot and this lip scrub has been my lip’s lifesaver!
      I love that it smells like Cherry Cola and when washed off, the taste and smell still lingers!
      Smooth skin. Smooth lips. Life is good!
      So what have you guys been loving this month?
      Were there anything from my favorites that you’ve tried? If so, let me know what your thoughts are!
      See you in my next post! XO
      Makeup

      Review: Rimmel Provocalips 16-Hour Kiss Proof Lip Colour

      Oh, my goodness!
      I am so excited to finally share my thoughts on these lippies! These are the most long-wearing and comfortable lip products I’ve ever tried!
      One thing about this that really sold me is the fact that it does not transfer!
      I haven’t been using much lip products lately because I’ve been so obsessed with my baby boy – I can’t stop kissing him! 😀 And I hate that my lip products, even tinted balms, always transfer on him. So I just stopped using lip products altogether – until I found this gem!
      It doesn’t transfer on skin, on clothes, on anything!
      Rimmel Provocalips
      Rimmel Provocalips
      Not too long ago Rimmel launched a #mykisslist campaign to find Australia’s most kiss-worthy celebrities and had people sharing their list of Top 5 celebrities they’d love to kiss the most.
      I had a hard time putting my list together – I honestly would only like to have Tom Hardy and Colton Haynes on my list. LOL!
      Numbers one and two were no-brainers for me,
      seriously had a hard time picking numbers three to five! LOL.
      Anyways… they had this campaign because they were promoting this line of product to be kiss proof liquid lipsticks. I was very skeptical, of course, but now I’m sold. I can testify that they truly are kiss, and budge, proof.
      Read on to see swatches and more of my thoughts on these lippies!
      Enjoy!

      Shades

      The product comes in a wide range of 8 shades. 4 everyday/wearable shades, and 4 brighter ones.
      L-R: Kiss Fatal, Play With Fire, Kiss Me You Fool, Little Minx, I’ll Call You, Dare To Pink, Skinny Dipping, Make Your Move

      230 Kiss Fatal

      Cool-toned, vampy plum. Perfect for fall!

      550 Play With Fire

      Dark, cool-toned, dark pink. Reminds me of the “Big Bang” shade from their Apocalips line. This will most likely be my Holiday Season go-to lip color!

      500 Kiss Me You Fool

      Bright, true red with warmer undertones. Such a fun all-year-long bright red!

      310 Little Minx

      Bright, fuschia, hot pink. I can never pull these shades off but for those of you who love bright pinks, this will be so flattering.

      200 I’ll Call You

      Cool-toned medium pink. One of my favorites!

      730 Make Your Move

      Brownish rose pink, a true MLBB shade. This is my favorite shade out of the whole line!

      700 Skinny Dipping

      Brown-based nude – funny how the name implies “nudity”. LOL.

      110 Dare To Pink

      Nude, pale pink. Honestly way too pale for me – I look like I have toothpaste on my lips, but this will look lovely on paler skin tones.

      Application

      Application is as easy as one, two, thr– no actually that’s it! Just two simple steps and a few seconds of wait in-between steps.
      Step 1 is the lip color (liquid lipstick) and the consistency is very runny upon application, so a bit of caution is required. This isn’t the type of lip product that you can just slather on without a mirror!
      Try to apply one thin layer first before building up because of the runny consistency. After a few seconds the lip color will turn a bit tacky and sticky. It will also feel like it’s tightening your lips a bit. It starts off looking very glossy but will turn into a satin-matte finish once it dries. This is your cue to apply Step 2.
      DO NOT attempt to apply Step 2 when the lip color is still wet and runny. You’ve been warned 😉
      The lip color is required to dry and feel tacky for Step 2 to adhere to it properly.
      Step 2 is sort of the “top coat” and works to shield the lip color so that upon contact, or if fading is to occur, it would occur to the “top coat” first. Step 2 also ensures your lips stay hydrated and helps avoid flaking.
      I personally didn’t have to reapply the lip color throughout the day, all I did was reapply the second step.

      Longevity

      I’ve read other bloggers’ reviews about this product and most of them say these last for only about 4 hours before they start fading, but in my experience they lasted for at least 6 before showing signs of fading. I’ve never had them on for more than 8 hours, so I can’t testify whether they’d really last as long as it was advertised to last for – i.e. 16 hours.
      The shade I’ve worn the most is Make Your Move (my favorite!) and it always lasts for at least 6 hours before it starts fading, and it still lasted even after meals and lip biting!
      Step 2 (the balm/lock-in gloss), however, disappeared after a meal, but the shade was still in tact with only minor fading. So incredible! So, Step 2 is used to protect the lip color and it works!
      The picture above shows the swatches of the lip colors after being removed by Bioderma. Obviously doesn’t work! I had to remove it with an oil-based eye and lip makeup remover (I used MAC). The color adheres well on the skin and lips.

      Price

      This product retails for $17.95 at Priceline. For something as kiss and budge proof as this, it’s totally worth it.

      Overall

      I’m so overly impressed with Rimmel’s recent slew of lip product releases. This one has got to be my favorite. Especially the shade Make Your Move!
      I’m giving this line of liquid lippies a 5/5 – it’s a no brainer!
      Have you guys tried these? Let me know what your thoughts/experiences are!
      ‘Til next time!
      XO
      Makeup

      UPDATE: @BeautyBucketeer 3k Giveaway!

      I can’t believe I forgot to publish this post last month!
      Anyway, I’m currently having a giveaway on Instagram to celebrate another milestone of having surpassed 3,000 followers. It’s insane and surreal to me that close to 4,000 people are interested in what I post!
      So here are the details of the giveaway:
      ONE WINNER will win all these awesome stuff! Plus tons of amazing samples 😉

      Prizes

      1. Apple iPod Shuffle 2GB (Pink)
      2. YSL Pure Chromatics Wet & Dry Eyeshadows in #1
      3. Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water (10.15 fl. oz. / 300 ml)
      4. Innoxa Line Defying Pressed Powder in Translucent Suede
      5. Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil (0.5 fl. oz. / 15 ml)
      6. Korres Greek Yoghurt Advanced Nourishing Sleeping Facial (0.68 fl. oz. / 20 ml)
      7. Benefit Cosmetics Watt’s Up Mini
      8. Laura Mercier Foundation Primer Protect SPF 30 (0.5 fl. oz. / 15 ml)
      9. Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer (0.16 fl. oz. / 5 ml)
      10. Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara (0.17 oz. / 4.8 g)
      And lots of awesome samples!

      Rules & Conditions

      1. Follow @beautybucketeer (geniune followers only, no spam/ghost/fake/giveaway accounts – these accounts will automatically disqualify).
      2. Repost this picture then tag @beautybucketeer and three friends and hashtag #bucketeer3k in the caption.
      3. One entry per person! (Bonus entries for my Bloglovin (1 additional entry) & GFC (1 additional entry) followers – no need to repost picture twice, simply specify your Bloglovin and/or GFC usernames in the caption!
      4. Giveaway will close on Monday, 1 December 2014 at 12:00 AM AEST (midnight Melbourne time) and the winner will be chosen randomly, to be announced a few days later.
      5. Accounts have to be public between 28-30 November, or else will disqualify as I won’t be able to verify the account.
      Thank you so much for your support, everyone! 
      Good luck! XO

      Update: Monday, 1 December 2014

      Winner was chosen through www.random.org.

      The random number was 100, and the 100th entry was @makeupwithjenny.

      CONGRATULATIONS @MAKEUPWITHJENNY!

      Big thanks to everyone who entered. There will be more giveaways in the near future so don’t worry!