Top 5 Winter Skincare Picks

As we are currently in the midst of winter here in the Southern Hemisphere, I decided that I would share a few of my favourite skincare products with you. As the weather has gotten colder, my skin has started to dry out and become more sensitive. These are the products that I have been using recently to help combat the dryness of my skin.

Beauty Essentials Smooth Night Cream is a lovely rich, overnight moisturiser. It is enriched with Evening Primrose Oils and Wheat Germ. This night cream is fairly thick, and once applied, makes my skin feel extremely soft and nourished. When I wake up about 10+ hours after applying this and my rosehip oil, my skin still feels hydrated and smooth!

Bioré Nourish Moisture Lotion is my all time favourite day time moisturiser. This moisturiser is so lightweight, but still remains hydrating and nourishing. It gives my skin the most lovely glow, which is greatly appreciated due to the dryness of my skin. It also contains a SPF of 15, which helps to protect my skin from the sun - which is still around, even in winter!

ECO. Certified Organic Pure Rosehip Oil* has been helping to brighten and hydrate my skin. I mix this rosehip oil in with my moisturiser, and apply it at night time. Being rich in vitamin C and essential fatty acids, it has effective hydrating, healing and regenerating properties.

NAT. IBR Snowflake Eye Cream* is an eye cream that is enriched with 'IBR Snowflake'. I have been applying it morning and night. This eye cream is described as being a "botox alternative" treatment, and since i've started using it, I have noticed that my under eyes are much more hydrated and less puffy.

Nude by Nature Super Anti-Oxidant Foaming Cleanser (discontinued) is my current favourite cleanser. I regularly use the Bioré Combination Skin Cleanser, but I have found that it is too harsh for my skin during the colder months. I decided to give it this cleanser another go, and I have fallen in love with it! It is a gel formula, which foams up slightly, and gives my skin a deep cleanse, whilst remaining gentle on the skin. Unfortunately I have heard that this cleanser has been discontinued, so I am on the look out for a new gentle cleanser.

Those are my favourite products to combat dry skin in the winter months. If you have a similar skin type to me, i'd love to hear about your favourite products. A girl can never have too many skincare products, right?!

Eila xo

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. Products marked with a * were provided for consideration, but as per usual, all opinions & thoughts are my own. All other products were purchased with my own money.

Review & Swatches ♡ Maybelline SuperStay 24hr Concealer

Hello my loves!

Today's review is on the Maybelline SuperStay 24hr Concealer. This was the first concealer that I ever purchased, when I was about 15 years old. Since i've been using this concealer for so long, I decided it was about time for me to post a review on it!

This concealer is said to last for 24 hours without transferring, whilst providing natural-looking coverage to help conceal undereye darkness, imperfections and flaws. 

The texture is very thick and creamy, and quite drying. I find it to be too heavy and prone to creasing if used on my under eye area, but I do like it for concealing face blemishes. The formula sets very fast, and I find it to be quite difficult to completely blend in.

This concealer is so pigmented, and has amazing coverage! Also, I do have to agree with it being long lasting. I never wear my makeup for 24 hours straight, so I can't test that claim, but I can say that it lasts all day long on my skin.

I'm not exactly impressed by the shade range of this concealer. There are only three shades available in Australia; Ivory, Cream, and Deep Beige. I own the shade Ivory, which is the perfect colour for extremely pale skin tones (like me!). I am so happy to find a concealer range that has such a pale shade, but unfortunately they only cater to pale to medium skin tones, so darker-skinned girls will have to miss out on this one.

The packaging of this concealer is nice, but nothing extravagant. It has a clear plastic bottle, with a white lid. The concealer is applied with a doe foot applicator. 

The Maybelline SuperStay 24hr Concealer is widely available in drugstores/chemists around Australia. It retails at $14.95 for 5.5ml of product.

Overall, I do enjoy using this concealer. I would recommend it to any fair-skinned beauties looking for a blemish or face concealer. It is intensely pigmented, has great coverage, and lasts all day long.

Eila xo

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. All products were purchased with my own money.

OOTD & Review | ft. 6ks

Hello my loves!

Today I wanted to share a review & OOTD featuring clothes from the website 6ks. 6ks is a global online retailer for women's clothing. What I love most about this site, is the fact that they have affordable prices as well as global free shipping!

Metal Collared Chiffon Blouse* - $24.99 AUD

The first item I received, was a plain black chiffon blouse with gold metal collars. I think that this shirt is the perfect basic item, and I love the detailing on the collars. The only thing I would recommend, is to choose a larger size than normal. I got a size Medium, and I usually wear a ladies 8/10 AU. This shirt just fits, but it is slightly tight over the bust. If you have a larger chest area, I would definitely recommend going up a size.

I paired this shirt with a pair of high waisted dark wash denim jeans from the brand Country Denim, and my studded black boots from Therapy Shoes. I decided to spice up this outfit with a bright pink lipstick, the Essence Longlasting Lipstick in Colour Crush.

Letter Printed Loose T-Shirt* - $19.99 AUD

I have seen countless items of clothing across tumblr that feature this Alexander Wang inspired, 'Parental Advisory Explicit Content' logo. When I saw this t-shirt on 6ks, I knew that I needed it in my closet!

I styled this casual t-shirt with a pair of black ponti pants from the brand Billions & Trillions, and my studded black boots from Therapy Shoes, and my leather jacket from Ice Fashion. 

Overall, I am so impressed by the clothes I got from 6ks. They took just over 2 weeks to be delivered to Australia, which I find to be a decent shipping time. I will definitely be ordering off 6ks again, and I would recommend their company to anyone who is looking for cheap, yet fashionable clothes.

Eila xo

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. Products marked with a * were provided for consideration, but as per usual, all opinions & thoughts are my own. All other products were purchased with my own money.

Review & Swatches ♡ Wet n Wild MegaLast Matte Lip Covers

Hello my loves!

Today's review is on a range of extremely affordable lipsticks, the Wet n Wild MegaLast Matte Lip Covers. This lipstick range contains 26 shades, which I find amazing for such a cheaply priced brand.

I own three of these beautiful lipsticks; Think Pink, Just Peachy, and Pinkerbell. Think Pink is a pretty pale pink, and is one of my all time favourite lipsticks! Just Peachy is a warm peachy shade, and Pinkerbell is a bright pink with yellow undertones, and has been compared to MAC's Viva Glam Nicki Lipstick. 

These lipsticks are described as having a "semi matte, creme finish", which I completely agree with! They provide a long wearing, matte formula, which contains no shimmer. I find that these lipsticks can be slightly drying on the lips, but they are much more comfortable if I apply a thin lip balm before lipstick application. Please note that lip balm application will make them appear less matte than they truly are.

The Wet n Wild MegaLast Matte Lip Covers have intense pigmentation, and are very long wearing. They claim that they last for 4 hours, but I would have to say that they can last even longer on me, as long as I don't eat or drink. Otherwise, they will start to fade after the 4 hour mark, and require retouching.

The packaging of these lipsticks is pretty average. The lipstick is stored in a black plastic case with a clear lid. My only complaint is that the bullet doesn't twist all the way down, so you have to be careful when recapping. Oh well, I can't exactly complain for such a cheap product. 

901B Think Pink | 903C Just Peachy | 968 Pinkerbell

These lipsticks can be purchased at most American drugstores, but unfortunately they can't be purchased in store in Australia. I bought mine off BeautyJoint for $2.75 USD each, here.

In conclusion, I am a massive fan of these Wet n Wild MegaLast Matte Lip Covers. I'm not usually a fan of matte lipsticks, but I really enjoy wearing these. They have incredible pigmentation, lasting power and a great formula, all for such an affordable price! I will definitely be purchasing more shades soon! 

Eila xo

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. All products were purchased with my own money.

Review & Swatches ♡ Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters

Unlike every other review that I have posted on this blog so far, today's post isn't going to be completely positive. As much as I love telling you guys about my favourite products, I also think it is important to share products with you that I haven't enjoyed as much. 

That leads me onto today's review. I want to share my opinions on the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters. If you've been watching YouTube and reading blogs for a few years, you will know about the hype surrounding this product. So many beauty bloggers and vloggers adore these lip butters, but I want to tell you guys why i'm not a huge fan of these. 

My first peeve with this product, is the amount of shimmer that they contain. Personally, I prefer lipsticks that have a creamy consistency, and do not contain any shimmers. I'm not sure if it is just the particular shades that I have, but they are packed full of shimmers. If I look closely at my lips while I am wearing one of these, my lips look like a disco ball! I simply cannot stand that amount of shimmer being on my lips, as it just looks and feels gritty.

I also dislike the way they feel on my lips. The formula is just so thick, which is definitely not helped by the shimmers that they contain. I find these to be pretty uncomfortable to wear, as I feel like I have just spread a thick balm over my lips. Also, I that I find that they melt very easily.

Another issue I have with this product, is the price. These retail for $21.95, for 2.55g. This places them at the higher price range of the drugstore, which I wouldn't mind if I adored the product. For a product that I do not love, I do not want to be paying that much!

Moving onto the positives, I really enjoy the quilted packaging. They are housed in semi-translucent coloured packaging, which matches the shade of the actual lipstick. There is also a clear window at the top of the case, which allows you to see the actual lipstick shade. This would be extremely helpful for anyone who has a large collection. 

I also like the shade range offered. There are 20 different shades, ranging from light nudes to bold reds. Even though I am not a huge fan on the shimmery formula, I do have to commend Revlon on their extensive shade range. It is much more impressive than the majority of drugstore lipstick ranges.

I own three shades of the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters; 025 Peach Parfait, 050 Berry Smoothie, and 090 Sweet Tart. Peach Parfait is a peachy brown colour filled with chunky shimmers, Berry Smoothie is a medium pink berry colour, and Sweet Tart is a bright warm pink shade. These lip butters have an extremely faint sweet scent, which fades after application.

L-R: Peach Parfait, Berry Smoothie & Sweet Tart

Swatches were taken with three swipes of each lip butter.

Some neutral aspects of this product, are the lasting power and pigmentation. Personally, I do not wear these very often, but I do recall them lasting a few hours on my lips. They do wear off with eating or drinking, so reapplying is necessary. Also, for being a balmy consistency, they do have decent pigmentation. They certainly aren't as pigmented as a lipstick, but I would say that they offer more colour payoff than a tinted lipbalm. 

Overall, i'm on the fence about the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters. I adore the wide colour range and packaging, but i'm not too impressed by the actual formula. I wouldn't recommend these to my readers, unless you prefer shimmery lipsticks. If you do own this product, i'd love to hear what you think about it!

Eila xo

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. All products were purchased with my own money.

Review and Swatches ♡ Inglot Eyeshadow Palette

Hello my loves!

Today, I decided to put together a review and swatch post on my beloved Inglot Freedom System 5 Eyeshadow Palette. I put together this palette whilst I was at Sydney IMATS 2013, and because i've been loving it ever since, I decided it was time to finally post about it on my blog.

If you've never heard about the Inglot Freedom System Palettes before, basically you can purchase different sized empty palettes to fit their pan blushes, powders, eyeshadows, eyebrow wax or powder, lipstick, or a combination of each. I have the Freedom System Palette 5 Eyeshadow Square, which I filled up with five Inglot eyeshadows.

This palette costs $14 AUD, and the eyeshadow refill pans cost $10 AUD. There are five different finishes of eyeshadow, AMC (2.7g), Pearl (2.7g), Matte (2.3g), Shine (3.2g), and DS (2.5g). I think that the price is amazing for the quality that you get. In comparison, a MAC eyeshadow pan costs $26 AUD for 1.5g of product.

The Freedom System Palette is strong and sturdy, and has a frosted translucent lid that shuts with magnets. The actual eyeshadow pans are also magnetised, so they are extremely easy to put in the palette. I think that this palette looks so modern and sleek sitting in my acrylic makeup storage.

I adore these eyeshadows! They are so pigmented, soft, and so easy to blend. I have four out of the five different finishes, and I have to say that I love them all. To be completely honest, I prefer my Inglot eyeshadows over my MAC eyeshadow!

L-R: DS 461, Shine 31, Pearl 397, Matte 390 & Matte 360

To sum up this review, I absolutely adore my Inglot Freedom System Eyeshadow Palette. The packaging is lovely, and the eyeshadows are pigmented and buttery. For the price, you can't beat it! I will definitely be putting together more of these palettes in the future, and I would definitely recommend them to anyone! 

Eila xo

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. All products were purchased with my own money.

Review ♡ Sportsgirl Butter Dream Vanilla Body Butter

The product that I will be blogging about today, is the Sportsgirl Butter Dream Vanilla Body Butter. I have been using this body butter for quite a while now, so I decided it was about time for me to review it for you!

As the name suggests, this is a vanilla scented body butter. It is no secret that I am obsessed with vanilla scented products, and quite frankly, I adore this body butter! It does have quite an overpowering scent, which I do not mind, but I dislike that I am unable to wear a perfume alongside this body butter, as the fragrances would compete with each other. If you are sensitive to fragrance, I would not recommend this product for you.

The formula of this body butter is outstanding! It has a very thick texture (as you would expect from a body butter), but is not greasy. It soaks in nicely, and keeps my skin feeling moisturised and supple. It also contains beneficial ingredients such as Shea Butter, Apricot and Coconut Oils.

This product can be purchased from Sportsgirl stores and from their website here. I bought mine quite a while ago, when it cost $9.95. Since then, they have repackaged the product, and it now costs $12.95 for 200g, but I do believe that the formula has stayed the same.

Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for an affordable body moisturiser, and who doesn't mind intense fragrances. I enjoy using this product, and will definitely repurchase in the future.

Eila xo

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. All products were purchased with my own money.

Review & Comparison ♡ Skin79 BB Creams*

Hello my loves! Today's post is going to be a review and comparison between two popular Skin79 BB Creams that I recently got from PinkyParadise.com. The two BB creams in question, are the Skin79 Super Plus Triple Functions Green BB Cream* and the Skin79 The Oriental Gold BB Cream Plus*.

As I am a very pale person, and most BB creams only come in one shade, in the past I have never had much luck with BB creams. I have previously only tried out Western-style BB creams, which have always been far too dark to match me, and have acted more like a tinted moisturiser, rather than a proper BB cream. After hearing some rave reviews on Skin79 BB Creams, I decided to give them a go!

Skin79 The Oriental Gold BB Cream Plus*

This BB cream is slightly too dark for my skin right now, as we are currently in winter, and my skin is ghostly white. I think that it will be a better match for my skin tone during the summer months.

The Oriental Gold BB Cream Plus comes in a fancy gold pump bottle, which contains 40g of product. It retails for $27.99 from PinkyParadise.com. I am not a huge fan of the pump mechanism, as I find it to be quite messy and slightly wasteful of product. What I do love about the packaging, is the adorable little raspberry coloured cheek/lip stain and the mirror that is housed in the top of the lid. This makes it ideal for travel, as you are basically getting two products in one!

This BB cream has a thicker texture, but is extremely easy to apply and blend out. I enjoy using my fingers to apply the BB cream, but I do prefer using a brush for the cheek tint, as it is very pigmented and I am scared of applying too much! This BB cream also contains SPF30, and gives my skin a natural glowy finish. If I powder the BB cream, it easily lasts all day long on my normal to dry skin. This gives me a comfortable light to medium coverage.

Skin79 Super Plus Triple Functions Green BB Cream*

I was super excited to try out this BB cream, after hearing the gorgeous Sally Jo raving about it in one of her YouTube videos. What excited me the most, was hearing that it is ideal for extremely pale skin tones. After testing it out a few times, I can say that this is the lightest coloured BB cream I have ever encountered. At the moment, it is a great colour match for me.

Anyway, onto the other important aspects of the product. This BB cream comes in a generous sized pump bottle, which contains 40g of product. I got mine from PinkyParadise.com, where it retails for $29.99. I know this is quite pricey, but for the amount and quality of product that you get, I think that it is a reasonable price. This BB cream is housed in a bright green coloured pump bottle. I really like the packaging, as it is extremely mess-free to use. My only issue with the packaging is that I am unsure as to how well it would travel, as the pump lever may get accidentally pressed down if it is stored in a makeup bag.

This product has quite a thick texture, but it blends out easily on my face. My preferred application method is with my fingers, as I find that it really helps the product to melt into my face. This BB cream contains SPF30. On my skin, this BB cream has quite a dewy finish, which I love. I would definitely recommend adding some powder over the top, especially if you have oily skin, to aid in the longevity of the product. I can easily wear this BB cream all day long, without having to touch up. This BB cream provides me with a nice light to medium coverage, depending on how much I build it up.

L-R: Skin79 The Oriental Gold BB Cream Plus & Skin79 Super Plus Triple Functions Green BB Cream

Skin79 The Oriental Gold BB Cream Plus (Lip and Cheek Tint)

In conclusion, I am loving both of these BB creams. For a one-shade-only product, they both work pretty well on my pale skin. I adore these formulas, and the gorgeous glowy and radiant finish they have. If you are light skinned and prefer a dewy-finish, then you definitely need to check out these BB creams!

Links:
Skin79 Super Plus Triple Functions Green BB Cream 
Skin79 The Oriental Gold BB Cream Plus

Eila xo

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. Products marked with a * were provided for consideration, but as per usual, all opinions & thoughts are my own.