March Favourites 2015

Hello! It's that time of the month again where I share what I've been loving this month. 

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind concealer

I wanted this concealer for the longest time but I thought it was fairly expensive for a drugstore product. But I was lucky enough to pick one up on sale in Target for a 1/3 of the price. It is a very pink toned concealer and it makes my face just glow! I love it, its perfect for highlighting and it use it along with my Australis contour kit. It also helps to reduce puffiness around the eyes and covers and redness or dark circles. 

You can purchase this here

W7 Naked Nudes palette 

This is the my perfect everyday make up palette. I like using neutral colours for work days and this palette just makes it so simple for such a look. For only $5 these shadows are very pigmented, I like using the palest colour for highlighting my brow bone and I use a combination of the two lightest colours all over the lid and blend the darkest colour into my crease.This is a good palette for anyone who is on a budget as well. 

You can purchase this here

Renewing Argan oil of Morocco Penetrating Oil

As you will know from my previous favourite's post I love retaining as much moisture in my hair as possible. I like using this oil on the ends of my hair to help relieve any dryness and to help repair my split ends. I used to have a balayage done on my hair but dyed it back dark a few months ago and I find the blonde still comes through making my hair really brittle at the ends. This oil has really reduces how dry my ends are and it leaves my hair smelling amazing.For a small bottle this is pretty expensive I got mine in Boots back home on sale for €6 but it cost $24.99 in Priceline here in Perth, I'll probably wait until a sale is on before I buy it again.  

You can purchase this here

Neutrogena Hydroboost Water Gel

If you read my post about what I got in my Bella Box you will know how much I loved this sample. I loved it so much that I went and bought the full sized version. This just leaves my skin feeling so soft and has eliminated all the dry skin I had around my nose. I'm so sickened though as I was using it the other night and knocked the pot onto the floor loosing half the gel in the process :(

You can purchase this here

Benefit Hervana Blush

I got this blush a few months ago and I've been using it a lot this month. Benefit makes the best blushes in my opinion. I also have Sugar Bomb and I love it. Hervana is a combination of four different colours but when you mix them all together it gives a nice pink flush on the cheeks. It goes perfectly with a pink or nude lip. I love the packaging, it's actually improved since I last bought one of Benefit's blushes, it used to have a lid that comes off completely but this one is attached. You also get a mirror and a mini blush brush with it. I like the fact that it's a matte blush and doesn't contain much shimmer. It is on the expensive side at $51 but I like to think of it as an investment. 

You can purchase this here

 Sorry about the lack of swatches this week I completely forgot but if you would like me to post any to my Instagram let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading,

Colleen x

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Mini Essence Haul

Hello! I've picked up a few things from the Essence range over the last few weeks and thought I'd share what I've bought. Who doesn't love a cheap and cheerful make up haul??

'Soo Glow' Highlighter

I picked up this highlighter after I seen YouTuber Brittney Lee Saunders post about it. It's a cream to powder highlighter in the shade 'Bright Up Your Life'. I love this so much already, it leaves such a nice dewy finish on the skin, it does have a little bit of shimmer in it but it's barely noticable on the skin. I've never used a highlighter like this before but I've been using it nearly everyday since I got it and I can't fault it!

Metal Glam Eyeshadow

I got this eye shadow on sale for $3 in Target and I really like the metallic colour.I got the shade 'hello goldie' and as you can tell from the name its a bronze/gold colour. It's not the most pigmented eye shadow in the world but it is definitely buildable. It's the perfect colour for Autumn as well.

Individual Eye shadows

Peach Beach

Strawberry Ice Cream

I really have a thing for metallic/shimmery eye shadows recently. I like this pink colour it's called 'strawberry ice cream'.  I use it for the inner corner and depending on what kind of look I'm going for I'll put it all over the lid as a base. This pastel orange colour is called 'peach beach', it's a nice transition colour and I use it in the crease of the eye. These are more summery colours but I'll probably use them to add a bit of glitz to a night time look.

Lip Liners

If you didn't know already Essence do the most amazing lip liners, Satin Mauve is my all time favourite! They just glide onto the lips they're so soft. I got the colour 'In the Nude' and its goes perfectly with my nude 03 Kate Moss for Rimmel lipstick and I recently got Velvet Teddy by MAC so I think the two will go really well together. I also picked up the colour 'Red Blush' because I did have it before but lost it on a night out. It's perfect for both MAC Russian Red and my red Kate Moss lipstick in 06. The best thing about these lip liners is the price they are only $2!!

 Long Lasting Eye 'Pencil'

This isn't an actual pencil you sharpen its a twist-able eyeliner pencil. I needed a new eyeliner for using on my waterline and I like the fact that I don't have to sharpen this. I got the colour 'Black Fever' and as you can see from the swatch it is a really strong black colour and it's really soft making it easy to blend. 

'Good Girl Bad Girl' Lipstick

Essence has a new limited edition range called 'good girl bad girl' and this lipstick is part of the range this shade is called 'It Wasn't Me'. To look at it you would think it was black in colour but when you swatch it you get this lovely dark plum colour. I usually don't wear lipstick this dark but I thought I would try something different and it's a really nice colour to have in my collection for winter.

That's the lot! If you know of any other good make up products that are purse friendly leave a comment and let me know :)

Thanks for reading,

Colleen x

Products I Regret Buying

Hello everyone! So this blog post is about some products that just didn't work for me. I'm not slating any brands or anything like that because I actually love a lot of stuff from these companies. Sometimes it's just hit or miss when trying new products!

Essence 2 in 1 Liquid Eyeliner

First up is this double-ended 'thick and thin'  liquid eyeliner pen from Essence. I love almost all Essence products but I definitely wouldn't purchase this again. The reason being is that it just dried out so quick! I used it all of twice and it was great but then when I went to use it again it all I got was this faded line! The thick end didn't dry out as such but it just didn't give a great line, this however could be down to how I apply it not so much the eyeliner itself. This is cheap and cheerful product so I'm not losing out on big money or anything but at least I'll know for future reference.

E.L.F Eyelid Primer

Next is this E.L.F eyelid primer, I never really used E.L.F products before because there hard to get in Ireland. I got this because I bought the under eye setting powder and it was amazing! Unfortunately this just wasn't as good, first of all it almost looked dried up in the packaging, the consistency reminded me of Tipp-Ex (white out). When I put it on my eyes I was left with an unwanted shimmery finish which is no good if you want to use matte shadows because it shows through some colours. I will say that it did make my eye make up last a little bit longer but overall I wasn't impressed with it.

NYX Illuminator

I got this NYX illuminator thinking it might be a dupe for some of MAC's products, but it definitely wasn't! It just added nothing to my make up, you couldn't even notice it on my skin, I'm not sure if I got the wrong colour for my skin tone or if I'm just not using it correctly but it definitely is not worth the money (around $18). It just didn't give any sort of glow or shimmer on my skin.

Savvy Concealer

The last product I regret buying is this concealer by Savvy. I found it to be really 'cakey'. I went for the lightest colour in the collection and as you can see from the swatch it's quite dark for a light colour. I found it began to break down on the skin after an hour or two and looked quite  'bitty'. It wasn't an expensive product but I was fairly disappointed because I own a good few Savvy products and they're all really good quality.

Thanks for reading,

Colleen x

How I spent my Sunday - St Patrick's Day Parade, Leederville

Hello! I decided to do another how I spent my Sunday post! This week I went to the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Leederville, Perth.

The girls and I waiting for the Parade to kick off

Due to the fact St. Patrick's Day isn't a national holiday in Australia the Parade was held two days before rather than on the 17th of March. This was my first Parade in Perth as I usually go to the Irish Day at the races. I was really impressed with the Parade I thought it was going to be quite small and over pretty quick but it went on for around a half an hour. 

I took a few photos as you can see, it featured local G.A.A clubs, Irish dancers and a few marching bands. As well as the main man himself, St. Patrick, carrying a real snake! It was so nice to see so much of the Irish community from Perth coming together dressed all in green.

Once the Parade finished everyone gathered on the oval we're there was a number of stalls selling homemade goods and food. I met up with a few of my friends and we ended up going to The Garden in Leederville which is a really nice wine bar. The atmosphere was really good in there and we didn't struggle to get a table for once! They had also opened the gates into the Leederville hotel next door so you could wander freely between the two. I ended up being very boring and heading home early enough! Early starts for work are killer lately! :(

In The Garden

Anyways that's it! I have a post coming soon about products I regret buying so stay tuned :)

Thanks for reading,

Colleen x

Clothing Haul - Valleygirl, Paperscissors, Dotti and Lovisa

Hello everyone! I spent my morning doing a bit of retail therapy :) Here's a few pics and a description of my purchases. Hope you enjoy! 

|| Basic Tank Top - Valleygirl $9.95 ||

Most of the clothes I got where from Valleygirl, I picked up this top because I absolutely love the colour burgundy and it's the perfect colour for Autumn/Winter. This is a tight fit and I got it to wear with high-waisted skirts and trousers. Sorry the picture isn't great the lighting in our house is terrible!! I forgot to mention this top has a panel cut out at the back as well. 

|| Woven High Neck Camisole - Valleygirl $4.95 ||

I already own this top in black but of course I left it Ireland when I was packing! I don't really wear much yellow but I like the fit of this and I recently picked up a plain black midi-skirt that this would go really well with. I did plan on wearing this to work but now I've taken a picture it's a bit see-through which might not be appropriate. Also it was priced at $6.95 on the tag but when I checked the receipt I got it for $4.95 so an absolute bargain!

|| Layered Woven Top -  Valleygirl $9.95 ||

I recently bought this top in grey, and if you follow me on Instagram (@lipstickwanderlust) you can see what I paired it with. I really love the impression of having a chiffon blouse worn underneath. It's basically two tops for the price of one! The woven part is quite heavy too so it can be worn in colder months as well. It's very reasonably priced as well which is a bonus. 

|| Fitted Blazer -  Valleygirl $39.95 ||

I love a good blazer and I picked this one up because a lot of my blazers are either printed or brightly coloured. This is the perfect colour for work and it goes well with jeans, printed trousers or fitted skirts. I'm not sure if you can tell in the picture but it's a pale pink/nude colour, also ignore that fact that it needs a good iron it was taken straight from the bag. 

|| Ribbed Midi-Dress - Paper Scissors $15.99 ||

I tried on a similar dress to this in TEMT last week but they only had it in black, so when I seen this today in Paper Scissors I thought the grey would be nicer. It has a half polo neck and is a ribbed material. I think this will be perfect for a night out with a leather biker jacket and heels or for a more casual look with some sandals. 

|| Printed Trousers - Dotti $39.95 ||

Again if you follow me on Instagram you would know I am OBSESSED with printed pants!! I just love them for work, I feel a bit more dressed up with minimum effort when I  wear them. This pair will go perfectly with either the burgundy top from Valleygirl or with the blue layered top. I've also included a close up of the print because I didn't think the original picture done it justice. I bought these pants at a discounted price as Dotti was having an offer of $20 off the original price.

|| Earrings - Lovisa 3 for $10 ||

These are a non-clothing item but I thought I'd include them anyways. I've been meaning to get new earrings for months now and I wanted something inexpensive because I rarely wear them anymore. These were such a bargain 9 pairs for $10 and they're actually better quality than I expected. My favourite pairs are the rose gold hearts and the gold bar pair. 

And that's it!

Thanks for reading,

Colleen x

How I Spent My Sunday - Sculpture by the Sea

Hey everyone! Today's blog post is a little bit different, I thought I would share some pictures from my weekend and tell you a little about it. 

Niamh and I, as you  can  see it was a very windy by the beach!

On Sunday I went to see the Sculpture by the Sea annual art event at Cottesloe beach here in Perth. I went along with my boyfriend and a few friends. 

 If you live in Perth and haven't been yet it's definitely worth the trip! It features very impressive large artworks dotted on and around the beach. This was the opening weekend so it was very busy which made it difficult to take a decent picture but I'll share some of the pictures that I took anyways. 

After we had taken in all of the amazing artworks we decided to go to the Cottesloe Beach Hotel for a few drinks. I had never been there before but it had nice views of the beach and the food was so good! When the Sun started to set took a trip into the back of the hotel where the Beach Club is located and it has such a nice atmosphere. Everyone in there was extremely well dressed so we felt a little bit out of place in our casual gear! But I would really like to go back there some Sunday again and dress to impress also :)

You can learn more about the Cottosloe Beach Hotel here.

Hope you enjoyed this blog post.

Thanks for reading,

Colleen x

What's in my Bellabox?

I recently re-subscribed to Bellabox, for anyone who doesn't know what Bellabox is it's a monthly subscription that's filled with different hair, make up and skin care samples. When you sign up you can edit your profile to say what kind of products you prefer and they try and send you products that are similar to your preferences.My February Bellabox arrived during the week so I thought I'd share with you my first impressions and thoughts on the samples I received. 

Essie Nail Polish

First up is an Essie nail polish in the shade 'Truth or Flare' which is a blue/grey colour (it looks slightly darker in the pic).  I've never used Essie nail polishes before so I'm looking forward to trying it. Unfortunately I couldn't swatch it as I still have shellac on my nails from my birthday recently. Also just to mention the nail polish was actually a regular full sized bottle not a sample size so I was really impressed with that.

Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion

I have actually used this before and I didn't mind it but I wouldn't buy it again. It's more or less for dry skin and is fragrance free. It doesn't really leave skin feeling particularly soft and can take awhile to sink into the skin. If you suffer from dry or chapped skin it might work well for you but it's not for me I'm afraid.

Indio Multi V Serum

I tried this last night it's a gel based serum with tiny micro-beads mixed in it. I didn't really think much of this to be honest and my eyelid felt really sore straight after I used it as if something was jabbing into it. It says that this retails for $139 for a measly 30 ml bottle! I definitely recommend saving your money, there is nothing special about it as far as I can tell. The description says it's packed full of vitamins A,H and F but I'd rather take a multi-vitamin!

Indio Cleanse

This is from the same brand as above and I actually really like this! It is a cream cleanser that you work into the skin to remove make up and then use a damp facecloth to remove it all from the face. I used this to remove my make up this evening and was really impressed with the results. It breaks down the make up completely and it all came off on the face cloth after one good scrub. I even used my micellar water after just to see was there any residue left and it came up completely clear. This is actually more affordable than the serum, its $48 for a 200 ml bottle which is pretty good. I think I might get it once I use up all of micellar water. 

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel

I tried this after I used the cleanser and I liked how my skin felt afterwards. I had some dry skin around my nose and I noticed a small improvement after I applied it. This is available from both Priceline and Chemist Warehouse for $24.99. Once I've used up my sample I might buy it if I am impressed with the results. 

As well as all these samples my Bellabox included a bonus Keratase Paris Nutrituve Nectar Thermique which is a heat styling protective agent. I haven't tried this yet but if it's good I'll do a mini review of it on my Instagram (@lipstickwanderlust). As well as this I also got a copy of ELLE magazine.

Overall I wasn't really delighted with my February Bellabox I would have preferred more make up or hair products to be honest and I thought my profile reflected
that but I'll have edit it again maybe. I hoping next months box will be a little bit more exciting.

You can subscribe to Bellabox here

Anyways, thanks so much for reading,

Colleen x