So the Spring Edit 2016 of The Parcel by Marie Claire arrived this morning so I thought I'd promptly upload the full unboxing as I'm very excited about all of these products!
Nude By Nature Natural Mineral Cover (The full 15g size retails at $39.95) is a mineral loose powder foundation. I was given the colour medium which is too dark for me but I'll be passing it along!

 Finally, the last item in this Spring Edit parcel is a sample of the St. Tropez Self Tan Classic Bronzing Mousse. The full sized 240ml bottle retails at $59.99. You also get the applicator worth $11.99 too!
I would HIGHLY recommend getting The Parcel By Marie Claire Spring Edit 2016 as I'm sure I'll be using all of these items up! Hopefully future parcels stay similar to this as the quality of some of these brands are superb.

Don't forget to check me out on instagram too! @australianbeautyblog

Lexy xxx

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

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

Hi guys! So I bought these a while ago because I LOVE matte lipsticks and, not gonna lie, everyone was madly raving about these and I'm a very curious individual.

Candy K - Liquid lipstick and liner that comes in the box

I ordered Candy K on the second restock (which was AGES ago now) and I ordered Koko K and 22 a couple restocks after that. They came to about $60 each AUD including shipping but considering you get a lipliner and lipstick, that's cheaper than buying it from MAC.

The letter from Kylie that comes with every order

Koko K and 22

Formula
Liquid lipstick
The formula is quite thin but is still incredibly pigmented and glides on the lips very smoothly. After applying, it takes about 30 seconds to completely dry, and when it has it feels like you are wearing nothing on your lips at all! It's only drying in the slightest amount. I highly recommend only applying one layer though because it starts to clump and crack if you apply more than one.

The smell is quite strong and very sweet, it smells like vanilla icing in my opinion but you cannot smell the scent when it's applied on your lips.

Lipliner
I would honestly buy the lip liner by itself if it was sold separately. It's the CREAMIEST, most pigmented and easy to use lip liner I've ever used. The lasting power is pretty impressive as well, but I'm not sure if applying it under the liquid lipstick extends how long the liquid lipstick lasts.

It's easy to overline your lips too and I find that the high quality of the liner means that it's not too obvious when you overdraw. I've already used SO much of my Candy K lipliner because I love the shade and quality.

Lipliner - Top to bottom - Candy K (My absolute favourite), Koko K, and 22

The shades

Liquid lipstick - Left to right - 22, Koko K, Candy K

Candy K
I bought Candy K before any of the others because everyone was raging on about how it was the "perfect nude" and I can't help myself when it comes to matte nude lipsticks!
HOWEVER, when trying it on, I notice the colour was MUCH darker than your every day nude. Perhaps it's because I'm pretty pale but Candy K (the far right shade in the swatch above and the demo below) comes off as a dark mauve. Honestly, I'm not a fan. It's a very mature colour and as I have reasonably small lips, it makes them look shrivelled and my face look washed out. I also have noticed it gets progressively darker the longer it's on your lips. Yikes.. I rarely apply this one by itself because of how much I dislike the colour.

Nevertheless, the lipliner is the ideal pinky "your lips but better" nude shade and is what I thought the liquid lipstick was GOING to look like. I pair the lipliner with all of my nude lipsticks and it's wonderful.

Candy K lipliner and liquid lipstick - As you can see it comes off as a mauve rather than a nude on my paler skin tone

Koko K
I bought this on my second order as it's the lightest in the bunch and since I loved the formula of Candy K, I knew I still wanted to give a lighter lip colour a go.

This looks much better on my pale skin tone in comparison to Candy K BUT when using the Koko K liner and liquid lipstick, it's a bit too light for my skin tone as it's a vibrant baby pink and I'm not about that pale lip life. So these days I use the Candy K lipliner with Koko K liquid lipstick on top to create the perfect shade (because I paid all that money and feel like I need to use it up).

Koko K lipliner with the liquid lipstick on the top

22
What's to say about this gorgeous orange/red shade? The formula is just as pigmented as the other ones, and the shade doesn't look patchy when applying. Nevertheless, it does feel a bit dryer when applying as it doesn't apply as seamlessly as the others. This one is way more longer lasting than Koko and Candy though and is much more difficult to remove as well funnily enough!

22

Lasting power
Considering how much I paid, I expected these to last longer. When I kiss the back of my hand after the lipstick dries, there is no transfer which I love.

BUT essentially after eating the lipstick is practically gone. I do lick my lips when I eat though so I'm certain that's why they come off easier. 22 is easily the shade that lasts the longest out of all of these.

Overall, I don't really like these lipsticks when considering the price. I love the lipliner as I've stated before, and the liquid lipstick is very comfortable but I feel like these kits aren't worth the money and the shades (except 22) aren't really too impressive. Candy K is way too dark and Koko K is a tad too light. It's a shame and I try to use these as much as I can but I sadly find myself reaching for my Mac lipsticks much more.

I hope this helped some of you in deciding whether you want to give these a go!

Remember to follow me on @australianbeautyblog on instagram for more beauty related posts!

Lexy xxxxx

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

Hi everyone! Today the Autumn Edit of The Parcel by Marie Claire arrived at my doorstep, and as always I was eager to rip it open and see what was inside!

The Autumn Edit Packaging

Estee Lauder New Dimension Shape + Fill Expert Serum (30ml), RP $140

Gilded Cage Unleashed Lipstick in the shade '107' (3.5 g) (RP: $40)

 This was slightly dissappointing for me. The Gilded Cage Lipstick with its rich, pigmented colour was included in the parcel, and you had a chance to get one of three shades. Unfortunately for me, I got the shade that I definitely won't be using as it doesn't suit me. '107' is a rosy pink shimmery colour. The other possibilities were a gorgeous red or red/orange (which I ultimately wanted - but I'll be trying to purchase '22' - the Kylie Lip Kit in the upcoming days which is basically the same so we'll see how that turns out! I'll be posting a full swatch/review of every colour I have so far if I manage to get some at the next sale ;) ). Despite this, the quality seems wonderful based on the swatch I did on my hand!

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water 125ml (RP: $6.95)

 I wasn't surprised to see this in this edition as it's a cult classic, but as I just recently bought a massive bottle of it I was a little let down that this was a product included in The Parcel. Anyway - you can never get enough Micellar Water so I'll make the most of it!

O.P.I. Nail Lacquer 15ml in 'Embarca-Dare Ya!' (RP: $19.95)

 The Parcel is renowned for including O.P.I nail polishes, and this time I received an 'autumn' shade that I'm not really a fan of. It's called 'Embarca-Dare Ya!' and is a shimmery red//pink colour as you can see in this photo I found. I'll be handing it over to a friend of mine who I know will live and breathe for this colour!

MOR Emporium Classics Triple-Milled Soap in Blood Orange 180g (RP: $19.95)

 This is my favourite thing in the box - as soon as I opened it up, the waft of the blood orange scent encapsulated my suroundings. It smells WONDERFUL.

Overall it was a step-down from the Summer Edit which I also have an unboxing post about. Nevertheless, I'm more than happy to pass some of these items along to friends and family who I know will get more use out of it!

I hope you found this post useful in some way and that all of you have a lovely day!

Lexy xxx