Opinion | YouTube Sponsored Posts: What’s the big deal?

Good morning class,

Disclaimer – this is not some stupid suck-up-to-my-favourite-YouTubers-post. This is my honest opinion about something that really irritates me. 

Today I’d like to chat about something that grinds my gears. I spend a fair amount of my free time watching YouTube videos. I watch beauty, vlogs, reviews and challenges. I think that YouTube is a fantastic base for people to release their inner creativity. I wish it had been more of a thing when I was younger, although I’d imagine there’d be some pretty horrifically embarrassing videos out there of me if that were the case.

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Haul | Collective Drugstore featuring; Maybelline New York, Colourpop, Gerard Cosmetics

Haul Za Cosmetics Colourpop Gerard Shaaanxo Essence

Good morning class,

Prepare yourselves… I’ve done ALOT of shopping lately. This is not, I repeat, IS NOT the last haul post. I have at least 2-3 more hauls coming to the blog this week (and probably next week). So, I hope you like hauls because that’s what you’re getting!

I decided to post hauls rather than reviews at this stage, because they’re what I like to read/watch the most so hopefully you’re all similar in that respect.

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Gerard Cosmetics Lipstick Haul + Review + Giveaway ♥♥

Gerard Cosmetics Swatches 1995 Underground Buttercup Giveaway

 

Good morning class,

It’s my BIRTHDAY TODAY! Woohoo! Although I don’t know why I’m celebrating because I’m basically an old woman now.

Today I want to share with you my Gerard Cosmetics haul. If you want to buy some of these products check out the range here

They have fantastic sales and discount codes running all the time, so follow their social media for updates! They often have free shipping which is the ultimate winner for me!

I picked up 6 of the lipsticks in their range (one for the giveaway and 5 for me). I got the shades 1995, Underground, Buttercup, All Dolled Up and Cherry Cordial + an extra Underground for you guys because I assumed that would be the colour I’d love the most (I was right!).

I was unbelievably excited for this order to come. The swatches online looked so good, the packaging is gorgeous and I’d ordered lots of nude/neutral shades which I’m loving at the moment. It did take about 2 weeks and the tracking doesn’t work properly for us in NZ which sucked because I was being super impatient. I just wanted to swatch them!

Finally the order came, packaged quite well with an information card + discount code for my next order. Quite impressed. The only downside was that the lipsticks don’t come in any packaging like plastic wrap or a wee box – this sort of freaks me out a bit. Although when I opened them for a look they all look untouched (+ I promise the giveaway one has been untouched as well!).

Here are the swatches;

Gerard Cosmetics Swatches 1995 Underground Buttercup Giveaway

 

I have found all the lipsticks apart from Buttercup to be well pigmented. Buttercup is quite light and not pigmented enough to cover my natural lip colour. So I’ve been using it over the top of a nude lip liner which is worked okay. (Although I actually left Buttercup in the car and it melted and got a little bit deformed – hopefully you can’t tell in the pictures though). Don’t get me wrong, I love the shade of Buttercup and it looks great over a lip liner but the pigmentation is definitely not consistent.

As for the formula as a whole, it’s quite a matte formula which i like and it’s smooth and creamy to apply at first, although I find it gets quite drying on the lips and my lips looked a bit gross after a day at school because they were just SO dry. They’re not those lipsticks that you can just keep re-applying over the top, you actually have to take the lipstick off, put a bit of balm on and then reapply. Which is admittedly a bit of a pain, but the colours are SO gorgeous that it’s worth it.

The packaging looks gorgeous but it is quite tinny. It’s not quite as luxurious as I imagined, however for the price you pay for the lipstick + the look of it, it’s still fantastic in my books. I love the way it’s like a mirror (although that makes it hard to take photos). They look great on display and are easy to find in your bag.

Although these lipsticks aren’t super long-wearing, they do feel nice on the lips at first application. The colours (bar Buttercup) are super pigmented and creamy, they are just awesome colours, the packaging does LOOK gorgeous, they’re super cheap, they do free shipping and many of them have matching lip glosses (which I want to try next!) Overall, all things considered, these lipsticks are awesome for the price! I probably wouldn’t buy them full price (although I hate paying full price for anything), but when you’ve got a discount code I think they’re a good product especially with the range of colours. I recommend them!

My personal favourites are all of them. I LOVE Underground, it’s such a different colour. One I don’t have in my collection but it looks super flattering on the lips. I am OBSESSED. 1995 I thought would be way too dark for me, but in fact it looks perfect. Makes me feel like a 90’s kid again. All Dolled Up is the perfect Candy Yum-Yum alternative. It’s a Miss White sort of colour. Cherry Cordial is AMAZING and it’s my FAVE I think. It’s so flattering on my skin tone and perfect for autumn. Buttercup is a nice almost glossy finish, perfect for over the top of a lip liner.

Gerard Cosmetics Swatches 1995 Underground Buttercup Giveaway

 

Check out my Facebook page here for a chance to win your very own Underground lipstick by Gerard Cosmetics + I’ll probably chuck some extras in there. Super easy to enter just find the giveaway photo and tag 3 friends in it to enter! Make sure you like my Facebook page to ensure you’re in the draw. ❤

Have you tried any Gerard Cosmetics products? I want to try Shaaanxo’s lipgloss next! What do you think of them? Are there any that are on your wish list now? Let me know!

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April ’15 Favourites! My favourite products from February/March/April ♥

ZA cosmetics XO beauty lashes MAC Lightscapade

 

Good morning class,

Today I want to chat to you about some of my FAVE products from February, March & April (because I’ve been slack with favourites posts)!

I’ve been sent, gifted and purchased lots of items over the past couple of months (as usual, I’m a shop-a-holic!) and here are some of the products that I am absolutely loving and using almost every day!

Face

ZA Cosmetics True White Plus Liquid Foundation

I have absolutely been obsessed with this foundation (and another one of the ZA ones which isn’t mentioned today). I received this one from ZA themselves and wanted to have a good try of it before I talked to you guys about it. I take a while to “get in” to foundations and I like to really test them out before I decide if I like them. Luckily, this one passed all the tests and I am in love!

I’m planning on doing a full review of three of the ZA foundations – coming soon, so I won’t rant on too much about it now. What I will tell you is it’s super pale (which is good for fair skinned people),  it’s super duper brightening, it is a good coverage – not too heavy, not too light – and it applies really nicely! One of my new faves!

(You can buy this at Life Pharmacy in NZ or click the title to find other stockists in your area – super cheap stuff!)

Australis Fresh & Flawless Powder

Okay guyyys, you know I’m obsessed with this stuff. I know it, you know it, but I felt bad about leaving it from my favourites because I love it so much! I feel like those of you who haven’t yet tried it NEED to be reminded about how amazing it is. I have written an entire blog post on it here and I even gave some away! (It’s her favourite now too, I’m sure!)

So, if you haven’t felt the love and bought this $10!? powder and had a wee play around then you’re really missing out!

(You can buy this wonderful stuff at Kmart in NZ and Australia – not sure about other parts of the world)

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade

Alright. I’ve had this for forever. And I’ve loved it. It’s nice and light and fantastic for pale skin. HOWEVER, recently, I found a new use for this godsend. Most of the time, I can never find a concealer light enough to highlight under the eyes. I always want to achieve that Shaaanxo bright eye look but it never works because I’m too pale as it is. BUT lately I’ve been setting my concealer with a touch of this Lightscapade powder and then putting a bit of the Australis powder on-top to set my whole face and it gives me this amazing bright under-eye glow which I LOVE. I know it’s a highlighter, and it’s a bit sparkly and all that jazz. However I find that by putting a dash of normal powder over-the-top it counteracts the sparkles and leaves me with just the brightness. Worth a try if you have the product already! I’d been dying for the Bare Mineral’s powder in Well Rested that Shannon uses but I think this could be a good alternative until then?

L’Oreal Lumi Magic Pure Light Primer

This is another one of those products that I’ve had for forever but “forget” to use for ages. I’ve just started using it now and I am in LOVE!

I don’t know why I never got into it ages ago. It’s what I imagine MAC Strobe Cream to be like, however it’s way cheaper! It’s so brightening and feels delightful on the skin. It looks indescribable. As in, I just tried to think of something in looks like but mind blanked. It looks like reflective white glue but doesn’t feel like glue to apply – if that makes sense. Either way, I am loving it! Praise the lord I started using it again too because I just ran out of my tried and true Mac primer. A+ from the teacher herself!

Moisture Mist Bronzer

This one was gifted to me by a friend and I am LOVING it. If you want a more in-depth review with swatches and the like – let me know! For now I’m just going to talk (verbal diarrhea-style) , as that’s what I’m good at and that’s what we’re here for.

So this is the perfect colour for someone pale, and I think it would also work for most skin tones. It’s got a bit of shimmer in it, but it’s subtle. It applies nicely with a bronzing brush and it’s easy to blend. It’s fine and it’s in nice sturdy packaging. I love the Moisture Mist packaging actually! Really easy to open and it’s got a nice big mirror. It will be getting a lot of use!

Trilogy Vital Moisturizing Cream

I literally just ran out of moisturizer before my friend gave this to me and THANK GOODNESS IT’S AMAZING because I kind of hate buying moisturizer. It’s so hit and miss, and it’s expensive and it’s not exciting to buy like a lipstick or eye shadow is. However – if you’re like me and hate buying moisturizer then save yourself the drama and buy this one! It’s everything I love in a moisturizer. Super creamy and moisturizing (of course), smells delish, not oily, natural and all that jazz. I have found my holy grail! This is weird, but I also like the lid. It’s made with a thin coating of metal on the outside and it’s just nice and luxurious when I’m opening it in the morning. It’s ALSO got Rosehip oil in it which is a BIG GOLD STAR from me! Rosehip oil is amazing stuff for the skin and great on pimples and scarring. I’ve noticed my skin has been looking amazing after weekly use of this moisturizer God.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

You guys KNOW I love this concealer! Holy Grail. Nuff said.

I’ve talked about it before here – go read why x

ZA Beauty Sponge

I’m planning on talking all about this one very soon in a blog post- but for now I’ll let you know that I LOVE it. It’s more dense than the beauty blender, but it’s cheaper and it’s bigger (which I like). Personally, I LOVE this. I find it so easy to use, and very comparable to the beauty blender. Check it out. x

Eyes

xoBeauty Lashes

I have a few pairs of these gorgeous lashes made by the gorgeous Shannon Harris or Shaaanxo and I LOVE them! They’ve got a nice thin band which means that you can’t see them and they’re not as obvious. They’re easy to apply, and there’s lots of different styles! Plus I’m all about supporting Kiwi businesses! Especially when the owner is such a genuinely nice person. Check it out here

Essence Lash Princess mascara

I went shopping with my friend and we went exploring to parts of Auckland unknown and found a goldmine of Essence at a Farmers store. SCORE! I hadn’t tried Essence before because they don’t have it at my local Farmers, so I picked up this mascara and an eyeshadow as I was incredibly poor that week. I chose this mascara because I THINK I heard Sally Jo talk about it, and it has a cool name. Princess? I love princesses! Anyway, it’s a comb brush and it’s perfect. I LOVE comb brushes because they separate my lashes like no tomorrow! All I want in life is separated lashes. My lashes are already pretty long so I don’t need length. This mascara is good. Especially if you like combs. And it was like $6.

Billion Dollar Brows brow pencil

I received this from a friend and I’m in love!! It’s got quite a large applicator, and you can’t sharpen it or anything so I can’t use it for a really defined brow – but it works well for an everyday sort of brow. IDEAL that it has a spoolie brush on the end. 5 gold stars!

Colourpop Super Shock Eyeshadows

Okay guuuuuuys, guys, guys, guys. You KNOW I am obsessed with Colourpop… do you need me to explain further or can we just be happy with the fact that Colourpop will always be in my favourites? PS fave shadows at the moment include; Bubbly, Tassle, Get Lucky, I Heart This. xo

ZA Cosmetics Eyeliner Pen

Seriously. Why don’t more people rave about this thing? It’s probably the best eyeliner pen I’ve ever used. Either that or I’ve just become really good at doing winged liner. But I think it’s actually just the best liner I’ve ever used. Nice wet formula, but it dries really fast. Easy to use, cheap, cheerful. BUY MEEEE.

Lips & others

Colourpop Lippie Stix & Pencil in Wifey

Okay, this maybe isn’t my FAVE shade of lippie stick and pencil in the Colourpop range ( I’m not sure I can pick a favourite), however it’s been my most worn this month! I am just loving the bright pink, and it wears really nicely throughout the day. (The kids absolutely love it too!).

Pink Sugar Sensual Perfume

Delish! This perfume is one of those ones I used to own ages ago but only recently repurchased. It reminds me of drinking and being 21. It brings back good memories plus it smells like sugar and pink and lollies and happiness. If you ever see it round, have a sniff.

Sparkly Phone Case

You guys know me. I am obsessed with sparkles and glitter. This phone case is the coolest of the cool. It’s see through and it has glitter and stars inside that move around like those kids cups you could get where the glitter would move around between the outside and the inside of the cup. If that makes sense? I bought mine for $5 free shipping off eBay. Have a look!

That’s it for my favourites this month. I don’t want to do any more talking! I’m sorry there’s only been one post a week for the past two weeks. I have all these ideas and posts ready, but I’m never home when there’s good light for photos for you! Plus school is busy at the beginning of the term. Either way, there will be PLENTY of posts coming + two giveaways in the next week or two I promise!

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FOTD – Face of the Day ♥

Good afternoon class,

Ooooh how exciting – my first ever FOTD!!  ♥ I’m not super amazing at doing my own makeup but I do enjoy having a bit of a play around now and then. I think the thing I find most difficult about blog posts such as these is the fact that I am not only terrible at taking photos (especially eye makeup ones) but I also have a crappy iPhone 4S (PLEASE help me convince my boyfriend to let me buy the 6 – for the love of God!). So, I apologize in advance that I’m not a beautiful model/makeup artist however some Plain Janes or Average Joes like myself (or anyone really) might be interested all the same.

I’m going to show you a select few selfies that made the cut, as well as some (average) photos of my eye makeup and then tell you all the products I used and in which order. Hopefully it all works out okay, and I’d love any constructive criticism on not only the look but the products I used or the way I took the photos. Lemme have it!

Face of the day

FOTD before

Here’s a before pic…

FOTD

FOTD – January 2015

…and here I am after!

Excuse the messy bedroom but here we have it…. drum roll please… my face of the day! You may think that I’m going out clubbing or to a wedding or a special event… alas, I was just watching Shaaanxo on YouTube and felt like having a play around. The only place I’m going today is most likely the supermarket, and no I wouldn’t recommend this one for school (if you’re a teacher or student) mainly because of the excessively long lashes. Continue reading