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AUS BEAUTY BLOGGER.

Hi all,

Recently I went to the Royal Show in my city and for those of you who are unaware, available to purchase are "showbags" which are essentially bags full of goodies sold at a significantly lower price than the price you would pay if you bought all those products separately.

This year, Australian brand Red Earth, released a showbag for $25, packed to the brim with a bunch of unique makeup items that I couldn't resist but to try.

Red Earth pride themselves on the high quality ingredients used in all of their products and promote natural, everyday beauty. I will hyperlink all of the products mentioned below so you can check them out in store (I believe they're sold in David Jones in Australia and on their website)!


First up is the Colour Flash Velvet Mineral Blush in the shade "09 Sunset Glow". This blush, as you can see from the swatch below, is a pinky/coral powder. This illuminates the skin wonderfully as it is not filled with chunky glitter pieces, but instead contained finely milled shimmers. It's extremely pigmented and long lasting, and the shade is so versatile that I'd recommend it to everyone.



Next is the Colour Rush Baked Eye Shadow Duo. I chose the duo called "Green Flash" which is a lovely shimmery olive/khaki green and champagne shade.


From swatching, the olive shade is reasonably pigmented (yet not as good as higher end eyeshadows), but the lighter champagne colour definitely needs to be layered and built up in order to give off more colour. I think this would be an impeccable colour combination for people with brown eyes in particular!

They had run out of black eyeliners, so instead my other option was to grab the Perfect Line Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in mahogany. I didn't object to this as I've never owned a liquid eyeliner other than black!

This product is so opaque and dark that the mahogany can almost pass as a black, but it looks less harsh and is suitable if you want a more "natural" looking eyeliner.


However the product isn't waterproof and came off reasonably easy when i rubbed it with water. It's only around $20 RP and there are plenty of other alternatives around this price range which do a better job if you're looking for something waterproof. Longevity wise - it doesn't last as long as my TheBalm Schwing Eyeliner which can easily handle 12+ hours. This lasted about 7 hours before it started to fade and crack.

This showbag was truly the gift that kept on giving... The next item was the Pure Colour Hydra Luxe Lipstick in "Daisy" which is described as a cream/dark nude. This lipstick is incredibly comfortable on the lips as it has more of a cream/sheen finish rather than matte. I am not one to really steer towards lipsticks with shinier finishes but this one is just the right shade to add a flush of colour to the lips and has a semi-glossy finish so it's definitely not too shiny if that's what you're worried about.


Lastly, the Lip Wonder High Shine Lip Plumping Pencil in "Candy Love" was another inclusion in this bag. I'm not really a fan of the shade so I think I'll most likely be giving it a sharpen and passing it along to my mother. Nevertheless, I have never seen a lip liner so glossy and shiny and as smooth as this. It's literally like a lip gloss in pencil form.


The bag also came with a scarf however I thought I'd focus on just the cosmetics this time!


Go ahead and check out Red Earth's website and instagram for more products because I am REALLY impressed so far and I absolutely love supporting Australian brands!

Check me out on instagram @australianbeautyblog too!

Lexy xx
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The cult favourite highlighter "Mary-Lou Manizer" by theBalm was definitely not an impulsive purchase, but rather when I saw the restocked stand overflowing with a plenitude of these little boxed beauties, I snatched one up and all of my friends did too!



Formula
The best way I can describe Mary-Lou is by stating it has a "creamy" texture. In comparison to Mac's Soft & Gentle which is essentially quite a dry powder, Mary-Lou glides on the skin effortlessly, giving you a wondrous glow to the skin. I wouldn't say it looks completely natural on my pale skin as it does have a gold undertone to it (as you can see on the swatch below), but if you have a medium skin tone it would look absolutely phenomenal!

Also, the product's finish is more shiny and glowy than it is glittery and does not contain any chunks or specks of glitter at all in comparison to Soft & Gentle which has more of a glittery finish. This factor also helps Mary-Lou look a little more natural on the skin. 

Packaging
The packaging is flawless. It comes in a reasonably sized compact with a crisp mirror included as well. It's an impeccable size to just pop in your handbag if you want to top up your shine throughout the day.

Swatch of theBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer Highlighter
One swipe of your brush on the product (I use a Real Techniques Setting Brush) is enough to cover your entire cheekbone. However, I commonly enjoy going overboard with my highlighter which means I've being using it up rather quickly!

Lasting power
I have to say the lasting power on this product isn't too impressive. I have quite dry skin to begin with so it's not as if my face is oily and causing the product to break up, but it virtually completely disappears within a couple hours. Of course it's beyond simple to re-apply but for $30 you expect something with a little more longevity.

Overall I'd give this a 4 out of 5 stars - It's pigmented, has a lovely gold undertone and isn't glitter based so it looks like you're glowing from within and is perfect for everyday wear!

Don't forget to follow me on instagram @australianbeautyblog for more updates.

Lexy xx

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Hi!

MAC lipsticks are among my favourites and I always reach for them no matter what the occasion! I am a massive fan of nude lipsticks in particular so I thought I'd swatch and review my absolute favourites, as well as show how each of them look on the lips on paler skin as some of these lipsticks give off a completely different colour on different skin tones.
From left to right: Kinda Sexy, Velvet Teddy, Spirit, Mehr
Kinda Sexy - Matte finish
The first lipstick I'll talk about is Kinda Sexy. It has a matte finish and is a peachy nude. It isn't so light however to make you washed out so I think it's perfect for anyone looking for a pinkier neutral nude!
Kinda Sexy
Swatch of Kinda Sexy
As this is a matte shade and is lighter than my natural lip colour, it CAN tend to look and feel a little drying on the lips so I highly recommend wearing a lip balm under this shade! This is one of my ultimate favourites alongside Velvet Teddy (as you will see below).

Velvet Teddy
I completely understand why this is such a cult favourite. Velvet Teddy is the perfect nude and I ALWAYS reach for it because it can never go wrong. It is more on the browny side than pink as you'll be able to see from the swatches, but it honestly looks different on every single person I've seen try it.
Velvet Teddy - As you can see it's been very loved hahaha
Swatch of Velvet Teddy

Even though it's a matte finish, it is not drying in the slightest. If you're someone who's never really tried any nudes and is confused about what to get, I highly recommend snatching this beauty up!

Spirit - Satin finish
This is a typical 90's nude colour. It's a medium dark brown (NOTE: it IS darker than Velvet Teddy) so it is definitely not too daunting a shade for those who want to try out a darker nude lipstick!
Spirit
Swatch of Spirit
It's a satin finish so it's very very creamy and doesn't feel dry on the lips at all! Nevertheless, I have found that satin finishes do not have an extensive lasting power and come off very easily if you're eating food (which I always am - woops) so be careful!

Mehr - Matte finish
Mehr is a beautiful pinky/purple matte lipstick that somewhat resembles Kylie Jenner's lip colour in this photo. I never used to stray away from my everyday nudes but I've been reaching for this when I go to more special occasions or dinners.
Mehr
Swatch of Mehr

I'm not wearing any lipliner in the photo above but I think that it's a great idea to invest into one with a brighter shade like this. I don't own it.. yet - but Whirl - a lipliner by MAC cosmetics - seems like the ideal shade to match Mehr. 

An absolutely amazing dupe for Mehr is 'Whipped Caviar' by NYX! Whipped Caviar also has a matte finish. Be aware the pigmentation of the NYX substitute is worse than Mehr and definitely doesn't last as long!
Top: Mehr by Mac
Bottom: Whipped Caviar by NYX
I hope this was insightful in some way, please feel free to leave a comment on what your favourite shade is and any other lipstick recommendations for me!

Remember to check me out on instagram where I post more frequently - @australianbeautyblog

I hope you have a lovely day wherever you are!!

Lexy xxxx
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Hey everyone! And Happy New Year! Recently I was fortunate enough to win this palette in a competition (conveniently when I was searching for a palette with a range of red - brown shades as they've been a recent obsession of mine), so I thought I'd swatch and review it.

The Morphe 35O Palette retails at US $22.99 from the official Morphe website, but can also be purchased from MakeupNet when they have it in stock. It comes with 35 shades, as suggested in its name, which are widely diverse, ranging from dark brown mattes, to light glittery champagne shades.

Morphe 35O Palette (With camera flash)
Majority of the shades are matte, but some of the glitter shades in the palette are noteworthy! As you can see below, a couple of them are insanely pigmented and creamy and look absolutely STUNNING when packed on the eyelid!

Swatches of the most pigmented and creamy glittery shades

The palette includes a wide variety of transition shades that blend so beautifully and effortlessly into the crease, and can be built up as much as you want to get the intensity of the colour you desire!

However, the pigmentation of the remaining shades vary. As you'll be able to see in the swatches further down below, the lighter shades are the weaknesses in this palette, but nevertheless I continue to use the plain white shade for setting my eye-shadow primer.

Swatches:
First (top) row of shadows (left to right)
Second row of shadows (left to right)

Third row of shadows (left to right)
Fourth row of shadows (left to right)
Fifth (bottom) row (left to right)
I've already used the palette to create a peach eye look, dark brown smoky eye and a dark red/orange smoky eye. The shadows last all day (when using an eye primer) and seem to only crease a little bit.

Overall I LOVE this palette and can see myself using it for a long, long time. I would highly recommend checking out the Morphe website and ordering yourself one of their palettes, whether it'd be the 35O or otherwise.

I hope this has helped you decide whether you want to pick up one of these beauties! Feel free to leave me a comment of your thoughts or hit me up on instagram!

Lexy xxx
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Helllo world! Happy New Year to all, at last 2015 is here! I'm feeling positive about the year to come as well as apprehensive for the change I'm going to experience by going to Uni! *shudder*

Anyway I'm just here to do a quick review on an eye cream I've been using for over a month as it seems that's a reasonable testing period to formulate an accurate and sincere review. The product is "[A'kin] Purely Revitalising Lifting Eye Creme" (by Purist).
The front of the packaging
Description of the eye creme
As described on the packaging, the crème naturally combats the signs of ageing by lifting and revitalising the fine skin around the eyes. It claims to smooth wrinkles and brighten the eye area.

Now I by no means need any product to combat any sort of sign of ageing because I'm only 18, but that doesn't mean the genetic mishap of my fathers deep ingrained wrinkles beneath his eyes, which apparently formed in his youth, do not need to be attended to. I often find when applying concealer that no matter how expensive the product, it settles comfortably for the night within the little creases under my eyes. Not to mention the dark circles that gain me daily complements of, "You look so tired, Alex!", "Restless night?", and "You feeling okay? You look sad." - because somehow dark circles equate to sadness, right?

15ml bottle
Review:
Pros:
  • The consistency isn't too thick and is easy to gently tap into the skin and absorbs quickly.
    The appearance of the cream
  • Smoothing wrinkles: After a month of applying the product every morning and night, I have noticed that the lines under my eyes have decreased slightly. They are not as deep and prominent as they once were, prior to my non-eye-creme using days. 
  • When applying concealer under my eyes, all products still crease slightly- which is normal for me since the wrinkles were not completely eradicated, only minimised - but the creasing of concealers has lessened immensely which is an overall positive result since commencing the use of this product.
  • Extremely moisturising.
Cons:
  • Brightening eye area: The area is by no means brighter than the initial darkness that I began with, so unfortunately that feature of the cream didn't have any effect on me.
  • Only diminished the appearance of under-eye wrinkles/lines to a small extent.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆
2/5 stars.

The product has only slighly decreased the appearance wrinkles/lines under my eyes and has moisturised the under-eye area to prevent severe creasing of concealers which are the products' only admirable features. Otherwise, it's an average product probably not worth the $29.99 value from Priceline (which is now on sale for only $20 if you'd like to try) but I wouldn't rush to buy it.

xo
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After emptying my Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid Eyeliner, I was looking for a new substitute to use on a night out. Subsequent to searching endlessly on dozens of makeup websites, I discovered Maybelline's "Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner" in the colour "Blackest Black" which had overall positive reviews so I decided to pick it up and decide whether I liked it myself.
Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner in Blackest Black - Packaging and bottle

Application
After experiencing numerous eyeliner pen/tip styles such as brushes and thick felt tips over the large timespan I've been using liquid eyeliner,  I can definitely say that this was the easiest to apply of them all. With the reasonably sized brush tip, the ability to control the angle of wing you desire, and how thick you want the line to be is facilitated. (See photograph below) If you're a beginner with liquid eyeliner, I would undoubtedly recommend this product for you! It'll make learning how to apply liquid eyeliner and the different styles you can try much easier! If you're more experienced and would like a more dramatic and thick eyeliner look, I'd probably steer away from this product for the reasons I'll explain below. In saying that, this is great for every day application if you're searching for something that can be applied quickly and flawlessly.

Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner in Blackest Black thickness/quality

Quality
Upon my first application, the line on my eyelid appeared quite faded, with the product appearing a greyer colour in contrast to the expectations suggested by its name "Blackest Black". Following using the product on multiple occasions, the felt pen turned out began to grasp more black from the bottle, so don't let the first impression discourage you.

To achieve a dramatic look, multiple coats of the product must be applied unlike Rimmel's "Exaggerate eyeliner" which had an overall thicker consistency.

Contrary to the packet saying it's "100% Smudge Proof", and it, "wears all day", I noticed that if you even lightly rubbed your eyelid the product would immediately come off or become patchy. Over the period of the day, the product can fade, and I've noticed that it leaves a faded black or light grey residue. Although it claims to be waterproof, it is extremely easily removed with water.

Summary:
Pros:
  • Quick and easy to apply - great for everyday application
  • Easy fixable if you make mistakes
  • Nice small packaging (looks like a pen)
Cons:
  • Comes off easily
  • Fades over time (Needs re-application throughout the day)
  • Requires multiple coats for darker shade
  • Not waterproof (though it claims to be)
  • EDIT: After using it for less than a month, the colour payoff from the pen has faded COMPLETELY and now the product comes out as an extremely pale grey. Therefore it's lifetime is very short.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
3/5 stars.

Great for daily application, probably need a product with a thicker consistency for a night out.

EDIT:  After I'd been using the product for about a month, I noticed the liquid doesn't come out as black any more and instead is a pale grey. Very unimpressed with how quickly the product went from innovative to practically useless. Perhaps the one I bought was faulty but there is definitely a lot of product left so the problem isn't that it's empty. Just thought I'd mention it!

Hope this helps you decide whether you're interested in purchasing the product!
Feel free to follow me to see more beauty product reviews.

Alex xo
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Welcome to my insignificant abode of nonsense! My name is Lexy, I'm older than 10 and younger than 20, and from AUSTRALIA! (Or 'Aus' as stated in my URL, not sure if I regret that yet.) Here I'll be reviewing a variety of beauty products I purchase. I unashamedly admit that the frequency of my makeup purchasing expeditions has been exponentially increasing since I began to acknowledge the pleasurable sensation that accompanies turning myself from a generous 2 out of 10 to a charitable 6... and a half... on a good day. Make-up makes me feel at ease with my appearance and myself as a whole. My intention of wearing it isn't to attract the opposite sex, but in saying that, if it does on a rare occasion - well done to me!

I'm not immersed in riches as of the present so it's improbable that a large portion of products bought will be from the high end. If I suddenly find myself submerged in a bath (or preferably 10 baths full) full of $100 notes, then that option could be arranged. Otherwise, products reviewed will be of those only affordable to the desperately scavenging female population, scrounging for 50% discounted items within the darkest corner of Priceline. (The 'Boots' of the UK but I'm not sure of the US equivalent.. Walmart maybe?) No shame if you're sitting behind your screen sweating at the relatability of my proposition. Hell, I'm the woman in that situation pushing people out the way, tugging hair, and generally having fights over the last Rimmel mascara on the shelf. (Disclaimer: I do not support violence of any kind!)

Viva La Vida! If you'd like to follow my journey of honest reviews of products just follow me, subscribe to me, tweet me, +1 me..... wait..... what site is this?

Lexy xo
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About me

Hi there! This is my blog dedicated to reviewing the latest and greatest beauty products!

DISCLAIMER: All photography on this blog belongs to me.
I am not being paid or sponsored to review any products. All opinions are completely my own from experience.

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