Spend The Day With Me (WOMF + OOTD)

I thought I would just do a nice picture-filled post for this Sunday because I had a nice day at my Grandparents house the other day and thought I would share it with you! I have included my makeup for the day and a bit of a outfit of the day as well, just to make it more interesting. Hope you enjoy the pictures and thank you to my Dad for taking them (except the makeup one, I did that). 

 I felt like going for a super bold vampy lip that day so I kept the rest of my face super simple. I started by applying my new Nars Sheer Glow in Siberia with my fingers and then a beauty sponge to really make sure it was melded into my skin. I did my eyebrows as I usually do with my Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Ash Blonde and a bit of the L'Oreal Brow Artist Plumper over the top. On the eyes all I did was add lashings of the Max Factor Masterpiece Transform Mascara, piece of cake. 

I warmed up my skin with my Body Shop Honey Bronzer, added some blush with the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in Exposed and some highlight with The Balm Mary Lou-Maniser. The most time consuming part of doing this look was lining my lips with the Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner in Ravish as accurately as possible then topping it with the matte MAC Lipstick in Diva. I finished off the entire look with a few spritzes of the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray to ensure longevity. 

I kept my outfit pretty simple for the day because we were just hanging out and going for lunch, nothing too fancy. Dad described my look for the day as 'a goth business man' but I actually really liked it. I just wore a plain Black Singlet with a Black and White Patterned Kimono from Cotton On over the top (I didn't get a photo of that, sorry) with my Jonie Jeans from Topshop. Because it was a bit chilly I wore my ASOS Trench Coat and my Hurley Black and White Speckled Loop Scarf over the top. On my feet I wore my $2 pair of K-Mart Loafer-y things which are surprisingly comfortable. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon

The Only Contour Kit You Will Need

As Australia Week* is drawing to a close, I thought I would review a product that I briefly mentioned in my previous Brand Focus: Australis post. This AC On Tour Palette is a product by an Australian brand (find out about it further in the last post) and *spoiler* it is amazing. 

Firstly, let's address the overall topics. The packaging is a sturdy plastic that attracts finger prints like nothing else. Despite this little flaw, the packaging is really good because it could be knocked around without effecting the products inside at all. For $16, it is quality. The powders themselves are super soft and buttery meaning that they blend seamlessly into the skin. Each shade is incredibly pigmented which, though good, makes you need to be very careful when applying the darker shades. It is quite easy to over do the contour shades on first application and make life very hard for yourself in the blending department. 

I'm now going to run through each shade and comment on them individually: 

Top Left - Pink Highlight 
This is a matte pink toned shade and though it is very beautiful, I don't really know what to do with it. Because I am incredibly pale this is not really light enough to highlight with around my face. I could almost use this as a normal (slightly lightening) face powder because it blends in so well. 

Top Middle - Yellow Highlight 
Ah the famous banana shade. Yellow powders work really well under the eyes because it counteracts any blue shades and brightens things up. Unlike the pink one, the yellow highlight still works on my very pale skin and it really does help with any darkness under my eyes. I would not use this powder anywhere else on my face because it would change my skin tone too much. 

Top Right - Shimmery Highlight 
A single shimmery shade in a otherwise totally matte palette, this is a welcomed addition. It is not overly shimmery, in fact I would call it more of a sheen than a shimmer. These are the kinds of highlighters that I use the most on my cheekbones so it is the perfect thing to have in this palette. In terms of shade, it is a peachy pink colour which is unlike any other highlighter I have but it looks quite natural on the cheeks. 

Bottom Left - Mid-Toned Contour 
This is my preferred of the contour shades because it is leaning on the warm side without being orange at all. It works as more of a combined bronze contour rather than a straight up grey which is perfect for me because contouring is not my strongest point. Blending this under the cheek bones and upwards gives a really natural look but also helps give that illusion of a more chiseled face. The perfect combo. 

Bottom Middle - Grey Contour 
A classic contour shade, this is probably the most frightening one for me. If you are really into that fake shadow under the cheek bones look this one is for you! It is really grey and can look so good if it is used properly. Unfortunately, I am still trying to master this look without making myself look muddy or dirty. 

Bottom Right - Warm Contour 
To sum things up we have a bronzer shade to add some warmth to the face. I can only use this sparingly because it is quite dark on my skin tone but it is still very nice. If you are of a medium to dark skin tone I'm sure you will really love this powder as a bronzer. 

Australis products are available at Priceline and other good stores in Australia, if you're overseas you can pick it up from their website HERE. I personally love this palette and think it is a great alternative if you can't afford the more expensive options. 


Australis ship internationally from their website! 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon 

*Australia Week is being written in conjunction with True Blue Migrations. 

Classic Aussie Pavlova Recipe

In honour of Australia Week* I am finally putting another cooking post up on this here blog! I'm revisiting a (technically New Zealander but hey, we're all in this together) classic Pavlova. 

This is a very simple thing to make, there's not many ingredients at all. All you will need is: 

- 12 egg whites, at room temperature

- Large pinch of salt 

- 3 cups (660g) caster sugar

- 6 tsp cornflour

- 2 tsp white vinegar

- 2 tsp vanilla essence

1. You will need to preheat your oven to 150°C. Line a baking tray with some non-stick baking paper and draw a 40cm circle on the paper, place the paper on the tray, circle side down. This works as a guide to make your pavlova round, I don't bother with this step as I use a round baking tray. 

2. The most time consuming and tiring part of making a pavlova is separating all the eggs, once you're done with that you're on the home stretch. I just crack the egg and move the yolk from one half of the shell to the other until there is no white left. I'm fairly confidant with it and I think that is the key, if you make a mistake there's no harm in only having 11 egg whites. That being said, I always crack the egg and separate it over a smaller bowl and then add it into the larger bowl with the rest of the whites, just in case. 

3. Use an electric mixer to whisk egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. 

4. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, whisking for 1 minute after each addition. Once all the sugar has been added, continue to whisk on high for 3 minutes until stiff peaks form.

5. Combine cornflour, vinegar and vanilla essence in a small bowl to make a thick paste. 

6. Add to meringue and whisk until just combined, the mixture should be glossy and have stiff peaks.

7. Use a spatula to spread meringue over the circle, smoothing the surface and sides. I like a rustic look with mine, so I don't worry about making it too perfect. Reduce the oven temperature to 120°C.

8. Bake for 2 hours - the pavlova should be dry to the touch. Turn off the oven and leave it inside to cool completely (I will cook the pav late at night and leave to cool overnight). When you are ready to serve, whip up some cream and serve it topped with your favourite fresh fruits. I went with kiwi fruits, mango and strawberries this time, but you could use any fruits you want. I really love it with all different types of berries and a shaving of chocolate. 

9. When you are ready to serve, whip up some cream and serve it topped with your favourite fresh fruits. I went with kiwi fruits, mango and strawberries this time, but you could use any fruits you want. I really love it with all different types of berries and a shaving of chocolate. 

Give this simple treat a try at home and tell me what you think. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon

*Australia Week is being written in conjunction with True Blue Migrations. 

Brand Focus: Australis

Mixing things up here for Australia Week* we have a beauty post about a good ol' Aussie brand. I'm going to give you an overview of the company itself before going into my three favourite products of theirs. 

Australis is a 100% Australian owned and produced, making it perfect for this week and totally fitting of it's name. They are also cruelty free (because, as they say, Australis *heart* Animals), which is one of the most important things to look for in a makeup brand. They are on the Cruelty Free list so you know it's legit and the cruelty free list is always a good thing to check out if you are unsure about the ethics behind a brand. 

They have high quality products, all of which are under $20. This may not sound cheap to those of you overseas but for us Aussies it is rare a brand is totally under $20. As a comparison, L'Oreal products are edging to the $30 mark. Australis is available in Priceline, Big W and a few other places here or there. You can also buy their products directly off their website where they ship to many different countries world wide, including both the UK and the US. 

Now for a quick run down of my three favourite products, it's not a full review or anything just a snapshot if you will. 

AC On Tour Palette 
This is basically a dupe of the Anastasia Contour Kit and it is awesome! There are three highlight colours, including a banana coloured one which is a big calling card of the ABH kit. There is also three contour shades in varying degrees of warmth. The texture of these powders is so buttery and they're super pigmented, everything you'd want in a contour kit and for only $16!

Velourlips
Australis' version of the liquid lipstick is a good one. They offer a huge variety of colours and they're so pigmented (I'm sensing a theme here) that when you swatch them on your hand it is not coming off for a good few hours, possibly days. They're super matte so you need to make sure that your lips are well hydrated to avoid that really sexy crumbly lip look. Though they can possibly look bad, if you're prepared they're the perfect thing to wear for a long day. 

Cray for Colour Eyeshadow Sticks 
I love a good eyeshadow stick and Australis offers such good quality ones that they rival the likes of Bobbi Brown in my books. They're creamy and blendable but when they set, they're there for the long haul. Also, lots of colours, pigmented blah blah blah. 

Australis is a great brand that I'm interested in trying more of so if you have tried anything please let me know in the comments below. Also, if you're interested in trying anything out you can go to their website HERE and have a look! 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon

*Australia Week is being written in conjunction with True Blue Migrations.

Australian Bucket List

This is a quick little wishful post for Australia Week* today! I just wanted to share some of the places that I would love to visit/things I would love to do here in Australia before my time is up. Hopefully it will give you some things to add to your bucket list too. 

1. Go Scuba Diving Off The Great Barrier Reef 
Mostly to see if I can find Nemo but also partially because it looks to beautiful. 

2. Visit the Quokkas on Rottnest Island 
Quokkas look so unbelievably cute and the fact that they can be found on only Rottnest Island gives them that exclusivity that makes them even more desirable. 

3. Taste Wine in the Barossa Valley 
They show this on all of those 'come to New South Wales' ads and it truly does look like rustic relaxation. 

4. Catch the Ghan Between Darwin and Adelaide 
My Mum has always wanted to do this so I would like to take her. 

5. Chill Out in Byron Bay 
Every person I've met from Byron Bay seems to chill and nice so it would be a good place to see one day. 

6. See the classic Uluru 
It is the right of all Australians I think. 

7. Dance in the Daintree Rainforest 
Rainforests are just cool. 

8. Go to the Melbourne Cup 
I love dressing up and, unlike all of the other things on this list, it is less than an hour away from my house so it is far more attainable. 

9. Sail the Whitsundays 
I've had friends do this and it looked so absolutely amazing! The water is so clear and the islands are so pristine. 

So there you go! Some things that I would like to do in Australia. What are some things you would like to see? Whether you live here or not, there's plenty of things to aspire to.

Lots of Love, 

Shannon 

*Australia Week is being written in conjunction with True Blue Migrations 

My Favourite Places in Victoria

Welcome back to Australia Week!* Now, I am lucky enough to have traveled around my home state quite a lot over the years, from camping trips to luxury get aways I have had a taste of it all. Obviously, I haven't been everywhere but I have been able to deduct my five favourite places to share with you all today. 

Phillip Island
We go to Phillip Island quite a lot because it is our favourite camping spot and our friends also have a beach house down there. It is about an hour and a half away from Melbourne and you have to go over a giant bridge to get onto the actual island. 
Two things to check out: Phillip Island is most widely known for the fairy penguins that live there so if you are going for the first time, the penguins are a must see. You go at night and watch all the penguins swimming to the shore and going into their burrows, it is quite a sight. Another place to check out is the Chocolate Factory which has an interactive exhibition sort of thing that tells you the history of chocolate and then some fun chocolate-y activities. This would be especially good if you have kids but I love it at my age too.

Mornington Peninsula
All of the other places I have mentioned are singular towns but this is a whole peninsula because I couldn't pick just one town. Every time we go down there we stay in a different town but they're all so close together that it doesn't really make any difference. 
Two things to check out: Sorento is the swankiest area on the peninsula and therefore it is by far the best place to shop. A Saturday morning is not complete until you've gone for coffee and a shopping spree at Sorento. The other place I think would be worth going to is the ever famous hot springs. People are always raving about how great they are and if you're looking for a relaxing afternoon, there would be nowhere better. 

Maldon
It is not the true Victorian experience unless one of the gold rush towns is included. There are plenty of options to choose from, with Ballarat being the most obvious, but Maldon is my personal favourite. It is a really small town with a lot of personality. 
Two things to check out: You must have a look at the main street because it is so quaint. It is full of antique stores, cute stores to buy scarves and other beautiful things and a lolly store. Once you're done with that, it is important to see some kind of gold rush history. For this I would suggest you go to one of the mines in the area and have a tour. It is always an interesting and enlightening experience to go into a mine and imagine what it would have been like as a miner. 

Dinner Plain
Moving from the beach to the gold rush to the alpine region, we're really doing a comprehensive tour of Victoria! Dinner Plain is a really fancy town that people stay in when they go skiing on Mt. Hotham. I have been lucky enough to go there twice with our friends, who used to rent a big house there every year for all the families. It is such a beautiful town, snow or no snow, because all of the houses match each other and it looks so rustic. 
Two things to check out: I mean, skiing is the obvious choice. You can either go up to Mt. Hotham, which is only a few minutes away by car, for the proper runs or you can to tobogganing or cross country skiing around Dinner Plain itself. If it is not particularly snowy, there are some beautiful walks that you can take around the mountains. Just make sure you're physically up to it because phew did we struggle one time. 

Euroa
This town is especially special for me because my Mum and her family actually come from there. There isn't many relatives left in town but it is still a very nice place to go and visit from time to time. Along with Maldon, Euroa is one of the most traditional Aussie country towns on this list so if you're looking for Australian culture, these are the places to go. 
Two things to check out: Euroa's claim to fame is that Ned Kelly robbed their bank back in the day. It may not seem like much but they really have been milking it all these years, there is even a sign on the bank proudly stating that it was once robbed. The bank with this sign isn't even the one that Ned Kelly robbed but that doesn't seem to matter. A trip to the main street must be taken in order to see this famous bank as well as the other stores and cafes the town has to offer. The second place is a slight cheat because it is actually in the neighbouring town called Longwood, where my Nan comes from. Longwood is about as small as a town can get (they literally just closed down their post office because it didn't have enough customers) but it does have an awesome gem museum. There are these really nice people who run the museum and also sell all sorts of beautiful gem stones. 

These are my five favourite places to travel to in Victoria! If you are looking to migrate to Australia please check out True Blue Migrations, they are a certified company who will aid you in getting a visa to this beautiful country. They have offices in both Melbourne and Perth to help you once you have made the brave decision to move! Please, if you are interested in this idea at all, get in touch with True Blue Migrations. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon 

*Australia Week is being written in conjunction with True Blue Migrations.

3 Australian Pop Culture Gems

Hola muchachos! Honestly, I felt really compelled to start this post with hola muchachos and it makes no sense because this is the start of Australia week* here on the blog, so it would be logical for me to start with g'day mate or something else typically Aussie (that I would never say in real life). Because I'm a firm believer in following your heart, I stuck with the Spanish greeting. 

ANYWAY this post is actually about some great pieces of Australian popular culture that not everyone may know about. 

Guy Sebastian 
I know Guy had some international success with his song Battlescars but he is certainly more appreciated here than anywhere else. Way back in 2004, I remember Guy (who had a massive afro) winning the first season of Australian Idol and he has been a household name ever since. He has had many the hit over the years so it is hard to pick my favourite but if I had to I would say it is 'Like It Like That'. I highly recommend that you check it out, even if you don't give his other songs a listen. 

Winners and Losers 
From music to TV, we have a show about four school friends who reconnect at a reunion and end up winning the lottery together. Odd, I know, but it is actually a really good show. They are up to their fifth season now and it has definitely evolved from the basic premise of the school friends winning the lottery to a more traditional drama/comedy hybrid about a group of friends and their respective families. The idea is a simple one but the execution is where the show shines. They manage to combine more serious subject matters (babies, cheating, explosions) with more lighthearted moments, making it seem more realistic. I'm sure there is somewhere on the internet where this gem can be found. 

The Sapphires 
In order to cover all the bases, we now have a film. I remember hearing that this had a bit of a run on the international film festival circuit but I wouldn't think any average person saw it. This film is based on a group of Aboriginal women in the sixties who formed a Motown group, The Sapphires, to perform for the troops in Vietnam. It follows them and their manager from formation through their tour and the story is really interesting. It stars Chris O'Dowd (Bridesmaids, The IT Crowd) as their manager and Deborah Mailman, Shari Sebbens, Miranda Tapsell and, another Australian Idol alum, Jessica Mauboy as The Sapphires. There is some singing in the film but it is by no means a musical, you can't expect a film about a musical group without a couple of songs. Next time you are looking for a film to watch this is definitely one to check out, it is totally appropriate for the whole family. 

Some Aussie gems to start of Australia week! I love these songs/shows/movie and I'm sure you will too! Stay tuned for more Australia themed posts every day this week! 

*Australia week is being written in conjunction with True Blue Migrations so if you are interested in speaking to some experts about moving to this beautiful country, please click HERE. I, personally, would do it for the pop culture alone. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon

Turn On Turns Up!

With Urban Decay finally landing in Australia, I just HAD to make a little purchase. On product I have had my eye on for a while is the 24/7 Glide On Lip Pencil in Turn On so, of course, it made it into my shopping cart. It is a beautiful deep pink/mauve shade that works perfectly with my MAC lipstick in Plumful. This combo has been my absolute favourite because the lip pencil gives it lasting power and helps prevent bleeding and smudging while the creme sheen finish of the lipstick makes things a little bit more comfortable. A great Autumn/Winter staple colour for the cooler months. 

In terms of formulation, this pencil is everything I would want. As the name would suggest, it glides on easily to make application a breeze. If I have sharpened this pencil well, it takes no time at all to get a nice crisp outline to my lips. Though it glides onto the lips, the pencil is still very matte. It is matte to the point that I would find it uncomfortable to wear on its own but that is actually something I look for in a lip liner. This is because it helps the pencil stay in place and if it wasn't super matter, it may as well just be a lipstick or a lip crayon. 

I'm on a bit of a lip liner kick at the moment so please suggest your favourites in the comments below! 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon

Monthly Round Up: March/April

The whole idea of this post is for me to sum up my month as a type of diary, covering some of the main things that have happened this month and some other bits and bobs. I'm basically going to create a monthly time capsule that will be great for me to look back on and will hopefully give you all an interesting insight into my life.

A Blog Update
You may have noticed that the layout around here has changed slightly and become a bit more professional. I'm not going to try and fool you into thinking I'm suddenly a HTML wiz, I payed a company for a blog template that I am really happy with. I feel as though it is far more pleasing to the eye now, with the 'popular posts' on the side bar and the header that moves with the page as you scroll down. I still want to work on it some more and add a little bit of my own flavour to it but for the moment I am in love with how much better it looks!

Intense Schooling
The first term of school has rounded up and we've just begun the second. Because I'm in the business end of school now, it's getting quite stressful. Every teacher is putting a lot of pressure on me (and everyone else) which makes it very hard to keep up with all of the homework, study and revision I have to do each day. On top of that I have been procrastinating massively and that certainly doesn't help. I had two weeks off which gave me some time to relax and take my mind off all things school. There is only so much a girl can think about history, psychology and all sorts of essays! 

Easter Fun
Last weekend was Easter so my Mum and I went away with friends to Blairgowrie for a few days. It was a really fun, relaxing time. Most of the weekend was spent out on the deck, listening to Smooth FM, shopping and singing at the top of our lungs. I got so spend time with our friend's kids, who are possibly the cutest things on the planet. Mika, who is three (and pictured in the top left instagram picture above), is convinced that she knows everything there is to know. We tell her something and she replies with 'I know that. I know everything.' Her father asked her a series of questions that went like this 'Is wood flammable?" 'no.' 'Is metal flammable?' 'yes.' 'Is paper flammable?' 'no.' Somehow she managed to get every single one wrong. Her know-it-all-ness is both adorable and frustrating. These kinds of experiences were very common over the course of the weekend and I had a really great time. 

Top 5 Favourite Songs of the Moment 
1. FourFiveSeconds by Rhianna, Kanye and Paul McCartney
2. Trouble by Iggy Azalea feat. Jennifer Hudson
3. Georgia by Vance Joy
4. King Kunta by Kendrick Lamar
5. Bills by LunchMoney Lewis

Top 5 Things That Happened This Month
1. I renewed my love for the fabulous soap opera that is Neighbours. I'm officially obsessed. 
2. I also binge watched the first season of Arrow because I was on holidays and I don't regret it at all. 
3. THIS recipe by Deliciously Ella totally stole my heart. It will certainly be a winter staple! 
4. JennyPurr has been my blogging master this month, I think I've read all of her posts in order to up my blogging game. 
5. My nails are back! After having fake nails over Christmas, my nails were wrecked for months. Since the beginning of April they have been growing really well and they're stronger than ever. Thank god. 

This was a fun little post to write and I will endeavour to do one every month. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon

Beauty Interview: Saida Cane

This month I am featuring the gorgeous Saida Cane as my Beauty Interviewee and I am very excited about it. I haven't been following Saida for the longest of times but in the couple of months I have been, I've been incredibly impressed at the content she creates and the professionalism of her blog (which has the same name she does, a very smart idea). She does a great mix of beauty, fashion and lifestyle with really clean photography that catches the eye perfectly without assaulting your senses. Her recent 'Let's Chat' post about internet hate was very insightful and with a blog as good as this, it's unsurprising she has over 1,000 followers and counting. 

Let's get into the questions! 

1. What is the first piece of makeup you remember owning?

I think the first was mascara, my mum didn't really let me wear makeup when I was younger but she let me off with some mascara because I always complained my eyelashes were pretty much non existent! 

2. What is the number one beauty product on your wish list at the moment? 

The Anastasia Beverly Hills contour palette - everyone is raving about it! 

3. How many different foundations do you own and which is your favourite? 

I just had a count and I have 8 foundations at the moment, my favourite is either the Nars All Day Luminous or the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua! 

4. What is the type of beauty product you hoard the most? 

Thats a tough one, it used to be foundation as I could never find the right one so I tried loads, but more recently it has to be lipsticks! 

5. How many steps do you have in your morning skincare routine? How about your evening skincare routine? 

My morning skincare routine is Cleanser, Toner, Eye Cream + Moisturiser. My evening routine is Cleanser, possibly a face mask, toner, serum, eye cream and moisturiser! 

Now there are ten this or that questions

1. MAC or Nars? Nars - I do love Mac lipsticks but I don't think I could part with my Nars foundations so would have to be Nars. 

2. Rimmel or Revlon? Rimmel, mainly because of the Kate Moss 107 lipstick! 

3. Mascara or Concealer? Concealer - I don't think I could go without it! 

4. Skincare or Haircare? Skincare for sure, I think my skin would seriously suffer without it but my hair can manage without a proper haircare routine

5. Purifying mask or hydrating mask? Purifying - I use my serums and moisturisers for hydration anyway so I think I prefer masks that purify if I had to choose! 

6. High end or Drugstore? I'd have to say high end, even though there are a lot of brilliant drugstore products, most foundations from boots etc irritate my skin and most of my favourite products in general are high end.

7. Blog or Vlog? I'd have to say Blog because I've never tried vlogging but I'd like to one day :) 

8. Hair up or hair down? Hair down, I can never do anything fun with my hair up and it's quite long so I prefer to do things with it down! 

9. Red or Pink Lipstick? Red, mainly because it suits my skin tone and features a lot more, I do love a pink lip though!  

10. Highlight or Contour? Contour, I don't always contour and highlight but when I do I find that contouring makes the biggest difference for me :)

Thank you so much to Saida for just replying to my emails, let alone actually going to the effort to send through her replies to my questions. Make sure you go and show her some love by following her on Twitter (HERE) and following her blog (HERE). 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon

A Brush Extravaganza

There has been three brushes that I have wanted ever since I picked up both my Real Techniques (post about them HERE) and Zoeva Rose Gold Sets (HERE), so I somehow convinced myself I needed 10 instead. In my defence, the new rose gold set is so pretty that I just couldn't resist and I WILL use the other brushes in the set even though I really only wanted one of them. I'm going to give you a quick run down of how I use each brush and my early impressions of them. 

104 Buffer
This is a nice large foundation brush that works to buff the foundation into the skin as quickly as possible. I just dot the foundation around my face with my fingers and then run the brush over the top in circular motions to buff it all in. This has a flat top and it's not as tightly packed as the Face Shape or the RT Buffing Brush so it is even faster to use and it feels really cool on the face. 

109 Luxe Face Paint
Actually, this is the brush I wanted originally, so I am very pleased to get it in my hot little hands. This is one of those rectangular-ish shaped contour brushes that is so hot right now. The bristles are tightly packed so that you can get a nice sharp line if it is desired or you can blend it out. I haven't tried this out terribly much yet because I'm honestly frightened of contouring but I think it will be a lot easier with a brush like this. 

126 Luxe Cheek Finish
A classic blush brush can never do you any wrong. It's not too large which I find can be a bit of an issue with some blush brushes. This makes it easy for me to apply blush only where I want it and reduces the risk of me accidentally getting it all over my nose. 

226 Smudger

This is a short bristled eye brush that can be used to smudge out eyeliner and add precise colour for a smoky eye. I personally find this the best to use under my eye, to apply eyeshadow quite precisely on my bottom lash line. It smudges the eyeshadow perfectly to give me that grungy look. 

228 Luxe Crease
This brush is basically the same as a brush that was included in the first rose gold set, it is a tapered brush to use in the crease of the eye. I like these brushes best to apply a colour in the outer v of the eye and then blend it into the crease because the tapered end and soft bristles make the whole process very easy. This is also the perfect brush if you want to try a cut crease but you're scared to go too hard core with it. 

234 Luxe Smoky Shader
A classic type of brush that I never had in my collection before, I am very glad to be adding a flat eyeshadow base brush to the family. This is just the perfect brush to pick up shadow and pack on the lid. I'm in love and I already want another one... oops! 

317 Wing Liner
Another one that featured in the first rose gold set, I am very happy to have another one of these brilliant winged liner brushes. Now I can keep one to use with powder and another to use with gel liners. 

322 Brow Line

Honestly, I haven't used this brush because I'm not really into using powders or pommades on my brows. Ain't nobody got time for that, I'm a pencil girl all the way. This seems as though it would be a perfectly adequate brow brush as it is very small and thin but the winged liner brush is thinner so I would be inclined to use that on my brows if I were to use one. This will probably just become a liner brush for me and I see it working very well. 

On top of that I picked up two other brushes that I have been wanting to try: 

129 Luxe Fan

I've seen Tati use these brushes all the time and they have always intrigued me so I decided to get one. I use this for highlight because it gives a really light application and can hit the top of the cheek bones perfectly. It has really soft bristles so it is a very enjoyable brush to use. 

221 Luxe Soft Crease 

I already have this brush from the original rose gold set but I wanted another one so that I can use them as often as possible. I use this for every eye look to blend colours into the crease and soften any harsh lines. If I use a purple or a very deep shade then I can't use anything else until I wash my brushes, so I have bought this one to keep relatively clean for more natural makeup looks. 

I think my brush collection is complete for a good while now, I have everything I would ever want! That being said, I would love to hear what your favourite brush is so please share in the comments below. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon

March Favourites

*Singing in the tune of Mulan classic* Let's get down to business, to share, my favourites. I'm in a weird mood today guys, prepare yourselves. 

QV Intensive Body Moisturiser 
We're starting with a real sexy product; a moisturiser for dry sensitive skin. Come at me boys. This stuff feels like Vaseline but it gets the job done. My legs can get extremely dry, mostly because I always forget to moisturise them, and this stuff always brings the skin back from the dead. I can only use it at night because it takes a while to sink in, though it is totally worth the wait. 

Avril Lavigne Forbidden Rose Perfume 
This was a Christmas gift that I was actually quite skeptical of because, well, Avril Lavigne hasn't been cool since 2009 (and that's being generous). Celebrity namesake aside, this perfume actually smells really good. It's a nice fresh scent that I am happy to wear everyday, which means I am going through it very quickly. It doesn't matter to me that much though because I'm just enjoying it while it lasts rather than trying to savour it. 

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Sand Dune 
I spoke about this product in my Sydney haul and explained that it was not the colour I intended to buy but then never spoke about it again. This was purely because I didn't really use it. I was disappointed that it wasn't the colour I wanted so I just gave up on it. Huge mistake. This is actually a really awesome matte nude base for under basically anything. It is long wearing and doesn't crease, perfect for all day wear. Sometimes I wear it on its own and just blend it out into the crease, other times I layer shadows on top of it. My personal favourite is to add this onto the lid and blend into the crease then press MAC All That Glitters on top, it is so beautifully simple. 

Max Factor Masterpiece Transform Mascara 
After receiving this in my The Parcel box I jumped straight into using it. Not because I didn't have other mascaras to use but because I could feel it in my bones that this would be awesome. As usual, I layer it on top of my Covergirl Clump Crusher and it adds so much length, volume, separation and makes my lashes look great (that's saying something because my lashes are pretty crappy). 

Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter in Lollipop 
This was featured in last weeks Autumn Lips (That Can Be Worn Year Round) post so I won't tell you too much past the fact that I have really been enjoying wearing this shade recently. It is a creamy deep pink that is certainly bold but also totally wearable. 

MAC Lipstick in Patisserie 
I can't believe I haven't raved about this lipstick more on my blog because it is basically the best thing since dinosaurs. No, not sliced bread. Sliced bread isn't old enough to depict how much I love this lipstick. Dinosaurs works much better. It is by far the best nude lipstick I have ever used and I have used some pretty smashing nude lipsticks. It is a peachy toned brown that is not too dissimilar from my actual lip colour, it just adds a little something something. On top of being a great colour, it has all of the other bells and whistles of a MAC lipstick. 

Netflix
Netflix is finally in Australia. My life is totally made. I've been binging on Arrow and adding a gazillion things to my list already. I'm honestly surprised I'm even writing this post since I've been trying to avoid all other responsibilities in order to sit on my ass and watch Netflix. 

I didn't think I had many favourites for March but it turns out I was totally wrong. I'm sure April will be no different. 

What's your favourite product from March? How much do you love Netflix? 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon