Hi all,

So the Red Earth show bag that I purchased a couple weeks ago from my local Royal Show contained a couple vouchers to spend on the website, so having adored all the products I got to test out from the show bag, I knew I had to snatch up some more goodies, and bought something for a friend of mine too! (Hence there being two illuminating skin fluid's in the photo below)

Secret Potion Illuminating Skin Fluid in Pearl

I picked up the Secret Potion Illuminating Skin Fluid in "Pearl" which is described on the website as a "white illuminator". I have pale skin and didn't want to risk getting "Magician" - the most popular shade from Instagram and the most frequently used in all the YouTube reviews that I located for this product. That one was described as a "soft gold" and I feel it'd be more suited to more medium to dark complexions.

Swatch of Secret Potion Illuminating Skin Fluid in Pearl

Face 'n Glow' Sparking Loose Powder

Another free item (YAY) that came with my purchase was the Classic Line Kohl Eyeliner Pencil in "Steel Brilliance". The colour is a coal black with silver shimmers throughout it which makes it incredibly unique! I was SO surprised with the pigmentation. It was creamy and effortless to swatch.

I couldn't help myself. Although I was slightly dubious about whether my purchase of Candy K and Koko K was worth it, I took the plunge and bought the two Kylie Matte Lip Kit shades I knew for certain I would love.

I have quite a pale complexion and I am always drawn towards brown, warmer toned nudes as opposed to cool toned pinks and mauves as I feel like they compliment both my skin and eye colour, which is what inspired my recent purchase.

Dolce K
Like I assume many of you would relate, I have been adoring the 90's brown lipstick trend. My younger self would squirm at the thought as her perception was that brown lipstick closely resembled the appearance of rubbing chocolate all over your mouth.
Dolce K was one of the first original releases, and I'm disappointed I was hesitant about purchasing it for such a long time. It's a lovely cool toned light brown, not too dark on my pale skin and contains just a hint of a warm tone so that it doesn't wash me out completely and make me look like a zombie.

Formula
Similar to the review I did on the other Kylie Lip Kit shades I purchased, the lipliner for Dolce K doesn't disappoint. It's smooth, creamy, pigmented, blends perfectly with the liquid lipstick, and is easy to sharpen.

Dolce K Lip Liner

This lipstick doesn't look drying, and doesn't flake, but it can look clumpy and cracked if you apply too many layers. With all these Kylie Lip Kits (including Exposed which I swatch below), I strongly recommend adding one or two very thin layers to the lips and that's all. I have found they look the best and most "natural", particularly if you're planning on overdrawing your lips with the lip liners, which I should mention is very easy to do.

Demo - Dolce K on the lips in different lighting

Dolce K Lip liner and Liquid Lipstick in natural light

Swatches: Dolce K (Left) Exposed (Right)

Exposed
Exposed, commonly described as an orange, warm toned nude is by far my favourite of all the lip kits I have bought so far. As you can see from the swatches below, it comes off more orange than brown, but I find that it's just the perfect shade to not wash me out or look too dark and daunting!

Formula
The product is virtually identical to its predecessors. The great thing about Exposed however is that it does not look dry or flaky on the lips in the slightest which is fantastic as that's typically the case with lighter, matte liquid lipsticks. Therefore it's easy to get away with not applying any lip balm underneath as the liquid lipstick won't dry you out!

Exposed Lip Liner

Longevity
With both Dolce and Exposed, they do come off when eating - I believe this is because I lick my lips constantly when eating (which I ought to stop doing). Even if you don't lick your lips, the product will slide off when eating oily foods.

Demo

Exposed Liner and Liquid Lipstick in natural light

Overall if you'd love to step outside your comfort zone and opt for a brown lipstick and are a fan of cooler tones, then Dolce K will be perfect. On the other hand, if you're pale and love warmer toned nudes, absolutely opt for Exposed as it will be your new favourite liquid lipstick. For darker complexions, the colour is likely to look more fluorescent and brighter but if you like browner/orange toned lipsticks then by all means give it a go.

Hope this has helped you all in some shape or form, and don't forget to check me out on instagram @australianbeautyblog for more beauty related pics!

Lexy xxxx

I was surprised that this was included in the box - a Colgate Optic White High Impact White Toothpaste in a 21g size. I love this stuff as you can literally see results within days! But... is it really suitable for a beauty box?
A 25ml bottle (which is TINY) of Klorane Shampoo with Quinine and B Vitamins is also in this parcel, which claims to be designed especially for weakened hair as it strengthens the keratin, helps restore thickness and maintains healthy hair growth! Sounds perfect as I have extremely weak hair due to bleaching!
 A Rituals Cosmetics Fortune Oil in a 20ml bottle is another new addition. This is to be used in the shower as the oil transforms into a rich hydrating foam  to leave the skin delicately scented.

Hope this helps you in deciding whether you want to pick up The Winter Edit 2016 of The Parcel by Marie Claire! Personally I wish they would increase the amount of higher end brands in these kits (as I believe that they used to include items from Benefit and so forth) as although Garnier and Nivea are great and affordable, it's not really what I desire from a more luxuriously branded beauty box. I've already signed up for the whole year but if the boxes keep continuing in this pattern I won't be renewing again.

ALSO don't forget to check out my instagram @australianbeautyblog where I post frequently!!

Love Lexy xxx

I bought the palette because of the versatile and beautiful shades. The palette comes with both matte and shimmer shades, ranging from neutral shades perfect for the crease and lid, and glitter shades for more dramatic looks.

Top row shades (left to right): Artemis, Beaches & Cream, Luna Middle row (L->R): Cosmopolitan, Sora, Frappe

Bottom row (L_>R): Insomnia, Mars, Aphrodite

Swatches


As you can see from the swatches, all have impressive pigmentation. Beaches & Cream is a very neutral shade so it's no surprise it didn't show up too pigmented on my arm. Mars however was pretty difficult to build up when swatching, perhaps it's because I didn't use any base or primer on my arm. I should mention that Insomnia is a duochrome and has reflects of blue/green under different light!

Look I created using the palette

I did this look pretty rushed so I know it's not the best - I used a mixture of Mars (in the crease and as a base) and the duo-chrome shade Insomnia packed on top!

Overall I love this palette and will definitely be using it much more in the future! I can't wait to experiment more with the shades and create a multitude of everyday and night looks!

Follow me on instagram for more frequent updates on my latest beauty buys! @australianbeautyblog - instagram.com/australianbeautyblog

Lexy xxxx

Hi everyone! I thought I'd review and demo this mascara in a post because it's pretty incredible and great value for money.

The Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara in the shade which I have called 'Blackest Black' retails at $21.95 from Priceline, and can also be purchased from Chemist Warehouse for around the same price!

As you can see, it has been well loved!

Applicator
The applicator is a perfect size in my opinion, and bends slightly to accommodate the shape of a lashline. I find it easy to apply product to the root of the lashes right out to the end, and leaves your lashes with a lovely curl with minimal smudging! It's also extremely easy to put it on the lower lashes, doesn't clump them together and separates and lengthens them nicely!


Demo
As you can see from the photo, this mascara gives a LOT of length. It separates lashes wonderfully and doesn't clump regardless of how many coats you do which I LOVE!

It gives a very black payoff and definitely does intensify the colour of natural lashes as any mascara should but the downside to this mascara is that after the initial coat, it doesn't do much in terms of volume.

Before

After a couple applications on top lashline

Longevity
This mascara lasts ALL DAY, doesn't crack or flake in the slightest and leaves your eyelashes curled the whole day! It will smudge if you rub your eye area though.

Rating:
Pros:

• Affordable
• Very dark colour
• Great at lengthening lashes
• Doesn't clump - Great at separating lashes
• Amazing for bottom lashes
• Doesn't crack or flake
• Lashes stay curled all day

Hey!

I bought the Kat Von D Tattoo Liquid Eyeliner in Trooper from Sephora when they had 3 days of free shipping because I heard it being raved about incessantly, and of course I was curious!
The product claims to have high-pigment, be waterproof and claims that it stays put all day with a fade-, melt-, crack-, and run-resistant finish.

It has a brush tip as you can see below, which facilitates control over the thickness and shape of your line, which is something that I definitely admire in an eyeliner. The tip feels exactly like the Maybelline Master Precise tip but unlike the cheaper alternative, does not have a "thinner" or "thicker" side, so you do need to have an element of control when using this eye-liner as it can get messy if you don't take your time to draw the line to the thickness you want. 

The brush tip

Pigmentation
I heard from other reviewers this eyeliner was completely matte black, but as you will be able to observe by the swatches and demonstrative photo below, the product still has a very very slight shiny finish that tends to reflect light very easily. I've used other eyeliners that have been more matte black than this one as well so I thought I'd mention it.

Swatches, top - one stroke, bottom - a couple strokes to create a thicker line

The pigmentation was also a slight let down when trying out the product, as I found myself having to go over the line a couple times to get the line to be the intense black colour that I wanted. Nevertheless the product comes out very easily and has MUCH better pigmentation than cheaper alternatives but isn't the darkest on the market. (I found the Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Eyeliner was slightly darker than this for example)

Lasting Power
The product lasts reasonably well when wearing it for many hours. Of course, to maintain a really dark intense colour you'd want to reapply after maybe 4 hours as it fades the tiniest amount, but other than that the eyeliner still looks really amazing after hours of wear and doesn't crack or flake at all!


Waterproof
The product doesn't smudge either which is a major tick in my books. You have to rub quite hard to get the product to move anywhere without water which I love!

As for being waterproof - this product definitely gets a tick from me. Water won't make the liner budge at all!

Rating
Pros:

• Doesn't smudge, flake or crack
• Is waterproof
• Easy application
• Can achieve a thin precise wing easily
• Lasts all day

Feel free to follow me on instagram where I post relatively often - @australianbeautyblog!

Lexy xxxxxx

L'Oreal Paris Super Liner Waterproof Gel Eyeliner 2.8g Packaging

Information about the product and instructions on how to apply

The "High Precision Brush" that comes with the gel, and what the gel looks like

Review:
I'm highly impressed by this eyeliner. Below I will critique the information of the product mentioned on the back of the box.

Color Result: As the back of the box claims, the long lasting waterproof gel eyeliner does indeed have an intense colour result. It's black, probably not to the extent of Rimmel's "Exaggerate Liner" for example, but it's still a dark shade.

It also claims to last 24 hours. I can vouch by saying that I have worn it for around 12 hours and it's still looked amazing by the end of the day, so it's lasting power is pretty darn good.

L'Oreal Paris Super Liner Waterproof Gel Eyeliner, applied using the high precision brush provided

High precision brush that is provided: 

As you will see below, it's virtually impossible to draw a sharp wing with this brush as it's too big and rounded. If you don't mind not having a crisp wing then the brush shouldn't bother you but I seem to often make mistakes or smudge the product when drawing the wing (you can notice this in the photos of my eyes below - woops). However, I've found it easy to apply the product to the rest of the eyelid using the brush. (Does anyone know any affordable gel eyeliner brushes to recommend me as well?)

Waterproof/Smudgeproof: When wearing the product I splashed my face with generous amounts of water and impressively, it didn't come off or smudge. Despite saying that, when I proceeded to rub my eyes with water, the product did smudge and became patchy, so I would say it is waterproof but not if you're going to be aggressively rubbing your eyes with water. But who really does that anyway?

The gel is also smudge-proof if you aren't rubbing it with water, so you never need to worry about looking like a raccoon if you scratch your eye a couple times.

Easy to remove with eye make up remover: I use a waterproof eye make-up remover by Nivea which seems to do the trick since it's reasonably difficult to take it off using my normal make-up remover.

In summary:

Pros:

• Pigmented
• Doesn't dry on your eyelid straight away so you have time to alter your mistakes etc.
• Comes with a brush
• Gel is easy to apply (glides onto your eyelid seamlessly)
• Nice packaging
• Waterproof 
• Smudge-proof
• Lasts all day

Cons:

• The brush provided is too big and rounded to draw accurate wings
• Gel will smudge slightly if violently rubbed using water (this probably won't affect you anyway)
• Bit overpriced
• Gel could be darker in colour