Colder Weather

While all you lucky people in the northern hemisphere are embracing the warmer weather, winter is steady creeping in down under. So I'm doing the only logical thing, and piling on the layers - clothes and make up! I just use the changing seasons as an excuse to mix up my make up

I've loved experimenting with Collection's Lasting Perfection Foundation, it reminds me a lot of revlon colorstay as it dries pretty quickly leaving a relatively matte finish but with 100% better packaging, a thicker consistency and minus the smell.

 L'Oreal Brow Artist, Mac Woodwinked Eyeshadow, Bobbi Brown Eyeliner, Benefit They're Real, Benefit Hoola, Collection Concealer, Mac Painterly Paint Pot, Mac Craving Lipstick

The packaging is great - it's literally all you can ask for a foundation container, glass bottle, simple design, and a pump! I don't ask for much in my foundation packaging - looking at you Mac and Nars and every other brand that still sells plastic bottles bottles without pumps!

As far as shades go, it's a little hard. There's only a handful of shades, and they all look the exact same in the frosted glass bottles. The names are also a bit misleading. Mine is 'cool beige' but I'm not entirely sure what's meant be 'cool' since it's definitely got a warm undertone… Anyway I just picked up the number that corresponded to the concealer shade that suits me and I got a pretty good match

I should also say it definitely oxidises a fair bit once it's fully dried, for my shade that works quite well, however it's something you should be aware of when trying to find your shade in store.

 I'm still clinging to the idea of summer and resisting swapping my bronzer for blush - although I have toned down the amount of shimmery bronzers - sadly. I adore Mac Craving Lipstick - although I'm probably going to feature this in another post as I can't wait to ramble about it

Along the theme of transitioning to winter - I always know when winter has come when my breakfasts turn warm. I just can't stand starting the day with something cold when it's freezing outside. My absolute favourite at the moment is this delicious, filling and oh so easy Apple Cinnamon Oats.

It's just some oats, popped into the microwave with water for a few minutes and some yummy slightly cooked apples! I just chop up half an apple, liberally sprinkled it with cinnamon, add a splash of water and cook. I've cooked the apples in the microwave (when I was in a crazy rush) and also in the oven, honestly they taste about the same but using the microwave means less washing up! Oh and I also throw in some extra cinnamon into the oats, but that's just because I love cinnamon

Let me know if you like these posts with a jumble of things in them, I personally love reading longer posts with lots of different elements!

Craving

My daily make up is usually ridiculously quick and simple but hopefully leaves me looking like I put a lot more than the minimum amount of effort required to look presentable in. I think I owe most of that to the lipstick though.

You might have noticed but I often don't wear lipstick, or anything on my lips actually. I'm just not a lipstick girl… not that you'd know that by looking at how many lip product I own, lipsticks are just so tempting with their beautiful colours, but once I buy them they sadly never get used. But in Dubai I fell in love with mac's Russian Red, wearing it almost every day I was there, so, convinced I was now a lipstick sort of girl,  I couldn't resist the mac counter in Sydney and somehow walked out with Craving.

Honestly, it's made me look at the rest of my lipsticks completely differently, I have so many lovely colours I just never wear. I think I just feel too 'dressed up' if I have lipstick on - makes no sense I know. But since getting craving i've been wearing it almost none stop.. possibly 5 days in a row which is completely unheard of for me!

On the rest of my face I just have Laura mercier tinted moisturiser, the Balm Bahama mama, Benefit they're Real, Collection lasting perfection concealer, L'Oreal brow artist, ChiChi Nudes palette

I love this lipstick liberally swiped on, but my favourite way to wear it is dabbed in the middle of my lips and smudged/smeared out so it's a lighter weight. Craving is my first amplified finish and it's amazing - creamy, pigmented, reasonably long lasting and it just wears beautifully throughout the day! I hate high-maintenance lipsticks, I just can't be bothered having to constantly reapply but it leaves a subtle stain once it's worn off which means I can put off reapplying! 

At the moment I'm sticking to a little bronzer for some slight contouring and skipping the whole blush and highlighter, but I don't see that lasting too much longer. As soon as I start having to wear a coat on a daily basis I can't resist piling on the highlighter to try and keep my skin looking really 'alive'.

I made use of my ChiChi Nude palette sweeping on a light shimmery shade and then layering on the mascara. I got the palette in Brisbane on a bit of an impulse as the colours were buttery soft and pigmented when swatched. On reflection it's not a particularly great palette as all the colours have a distinct silver, cool undertone but I can't complain as it was a bit of a bargain. And the streamlined packaging means it's great to throw in your bag for a weekend away.

Since getting craving I've been much more experimental with my lip colours, and I already know another amplified mac lipstick will be mine in no time at all!