L'oreal True Match Blush

 

  

Colour: 145 Rosewood

I've always been a bit of a blush girl - in fact, if I could only have 3 make-up items to wear for the rest of my life, blush would definitely be one of them. This L'Oreal blush was a bit of an impulse buy for me - Priceline was having a 40% off all cosmetics sale, and I was on the lookout for a nice coral or light babydoll pink blush. So of course the one I ended up coming home with was neither of those - it was L'Oreal's True Match Blush in Rosewood, which is a gorgeous earthy rose perfect for warming up the complexion in Winter. The colour is actually quite similar to Bare Mineral's Blush in Thistle, which used to be one of my favourites! There is a little bit of shimmer when you swatch it but it's barely noticeable so there's no fear of looking like a disco ball shattered on your face.

The only issue I have with this blush is that it's not very pigmented, but it's quite buildable so I haven't had too much trouble with it. My favourite way to apply it is using the Real Techniques Buffing Brush (which comes in the Core Collection) - I pack on the blush and then press the buffing brush onto the apples of my cheeks and then along my cheekbones. Then I buff the formula into my cheeks to blend it out - if I need more colour, I just press more on.

The Lowdown: A lovely, natural rose-brown blush perfect for adding some warmth to your cheeks on those cold winter days. Is fairly easy to build up if you want more colour and blends very nicely as well.

L'Oreal True Match Blushes are available from Priceline, Kmart, Target, BigW and selected pharmacies and supermarkets. It retails for $25.95 AUD.

 

L'oreal Color Riche Nutrishine Balm

Colour: 02 Nudy Coral

I've been playing around with lip products a lot in the past couple of weeks, which will probably be reflected in my upcoming product reviews. I've always been big on coral lip products - there's just something so naturally girly about them and they complement most make up looks and outfits.

I bought this sometime at the end of last year but only just broke it out a couple of weeks back - and I've been wearing it regularly since. The product promises 'nourishment like a balm but shine like a gloss' and yep - it delivers! It glides on like a dream and provides good moisturisation for my perpetually dry lips. The only downside to the product is that the colour is quite sheer and doesn't last very long - but given that the product is a balm, I didn't really expect it to do either and to be honest, the fact that it isn't an opaque colour just means that lazy applications are a breeze.

The colour that I have (02 Nudy Coral) comes out a little more orange in the photos than it actually is in real life - although it is definitely a coral, it has more pink in it than traditional coral lip products. It's one of those lovely colours that you can just throw on when you can't figure what else to wear!

The Lowdown: A great 'no-brainer' lip product - good moisture, nice shine and just enough colour to lift your look.

L'Oreal Color Riche Nutrishine Balms are available from Priceline, Kmart, BigW, Target and selected pharmacies and supermarkets for a RRP of $22.95 AUD.

Maybelline Color Sensational High Shine Lip Gloss

Colour: 090 Electric Shock

The last time I got this excited about a lip product, it was probably when I tried the Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss. I'm not normally a fan of brights (only because I'm not brave enough to wear them!) but this colour is so beautiful, I might have to break a few rules and wear it more often!

The application was perfect - it glides on beautifully, which is actually quite a rarity for my lips. I have super dry lips that don't want to look nice no matter how much water I drink or how much moisturiser I put on them (this may or may not have anything to do with the fact that I'm a huge chatterbox!) This is one of the only lip products I have in my arsenal that doesn't stick to the dry flakes and sink into the cracks on my lips. The consistency was fantastic - I got a really nice, even colour and colour payoff was also great as well.

Wear time was surprisingly good for a lip gloss - I'm used to having lip glosses that disappear after a couple of sips of water, but this stayed on long after I had my morning drinks and lunch. Once the glossiness has worn off, the product actually leaves a sort of stain on your lips that lasts for much longer than your average gloss. I did find that towards the end of the day, some of the colour on the inner parts of my lip started to fade, leaving me with an ombre-ish look but it was hardly noticeable and easily fixed with a re-application.

I have this gloss in 090 Electric Shock, which is a bright, hot pink colour with blue undertones. It is very similar to the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Sweetheart (which I'll be reviewing soon) but it has more pink and less blue.

[EDIT] I forgot to mention that I do apply this over a lip balm - when I normally do this, I end up with less colour intensity and once my lips start getting dry again, things start to get a little complicated. With this particular gloss, there was no change in colour intensity and it provided adequate moisture for my lips throughout the day without the need to reapply lip balm. Win!

The Lowdown: A bright, girly hot pink with a fantastic formula that glides on easily for an even application and the best part - it holds its own through mealtimes.

Maybelline Colour Sensational Lip Glosses are available from Priceline, BigW, Kmart, Target and selected pharmacies and supermarkets and retails for $15.95 AUD.

Face of Australia Concealer

Image source: Priceline.com.au

I haven't had much of an opinion on face concealers in the past because my skin is usually pretty good if I eat well and I rarely get major breakouts. But I'm human, and it happens, so when it does - I want a good concealer on hand. I bought this stick concealer quite awhile back and have been using it for a couple of months...I just never got around to actually posting a review of it!

My main concerns when I first bought the concealer was the lack of shades and the possibility that the creamy consistency would lend itself to cakiness. Turns out, I had nothing to worry about on both accounts! Although this concealer is only available in 2 shades (Neutral and Warm,) it blends so well and it really sinks into the skin quite nicely so that after I apply a setting powder over the top, the effect is flawless. In the past, some of the creamier concealers that I've used get a little greasy towards the end of the day with my oily skin, and you almost get a separation of the concealer from the rest of my skin so that you can really tell where I've applied concealer and where I haven't - needless to say, not the most attractive look. Fortunately, this Face of Australia concealer holds really well and I've had no issues with it sliding around my face during the day.

I'd say the coverage is probably medium - it's enough to cover up redness and pigmentation, but won't completely erase major blemishes. A nice trick that I've discovered to tackle this issue is to rub my finger over the concealer stick and dab it a couple of times on the blemish without blending. I'll let the concealer sit there for a couple of seconds while I conceal other areas and then come back to it, blending the concealer into my skin with gentle patting motions. This works quite well for larger, raised blemishes.

The Lowdown: Medium coverage concealer - creamy consistency, blends well and doesn't become greasy throughout the day. Guaranteed a repurchase from yours truly once my current one runs out!

Face of Australia Concealer is available in 2 shades and you can purchase it from Priceline, Kmart, BigW and selected pharmacies for a RRP of $9.45 AUD.