My Collection: M.A.C Lipsticks

How beautiful is the picture quality up in hurr?! So beyond happy with my new camera, which is a Canon EOS Rebel T3i (EOS 600D) for anyone who might be wondering. To celebrate, I thought I'd show you guys my modest M.A.C lipstick collection, though it is ever growing. I have five M.A.C lippies, all different finishes which makes for an interesting comparison.

L to R we have Pervette - Glaze, All Fired Up - Matte, Viva Glam Nicki 2 - Amplified, Plumful - Lustre, Mystical - Cremesheen. I'm going through these beauties in the order I got them, starting with Pervette!

Pervette I'll preface this by saying that I'm 99% sure that this lipstick is actually fake, and not real M.A.C. I purchased it a couple of years ago when Target randomly sold M.A.C for a little while. Since then, they've had signs up saying that any M.A.C cosmetics bought from there could be counterfeit. However, this is a good fake, in that the packaging is spot on and doesn't have any of the usual giveaway signs. The only thing that gives this product away is the smell, in that rather than smelling like a sweet dessert as M.A.C is typical for, it has a strange, slightly chemical smell. Now, this isn't a colour I would ever go for either, I just got it because I was so excited that Target had M.A.C, and this was the only lipstick left. It isn't terrible, but it applies quite patchy, sticks to dry bits and the colour doesn't do anything for me.

All Fired Up This one holds a special place in my collection because it's the first real M.A.C lipstick I ever bought myself. It's a bold, matte colour that draws attention, and in doing so draws all the moisture out of your lips. This is to be expected from a matte lip colour, but this is the most matte lipstick I've ever seen, to the point that is is difficult to apply. When trying to slide it across your lips there is significant friction which prevents a smooth application, but with a colour like this it is generally wise to use a lip brush anyway. I find this colour to be a lot more blue-toned than it is showing up in this picture, I'd describe it as a hot pink, but in most light it could easily be mistaken for a red lipstick. Its dryness and boldness make it a little difficult to wear, but for a truly matte lip colour it can't be beat.

Viva Glam Nicki 2 This colour I bought during a phase when I decided that light purple/lilac lipsticks really suited me, so I went and splurged on a M.A.C one. I'm not saying this lipstick isn't lovely, because it most definitely is, but I should have just stuck with the Sportsgirl one that I fell in love with in the first place. The formula of this is really creamy and gorgeous, however it does slip around a bit and the staying power isn't amazing, in saying that though, the pigmentation is crazy considering how light the colour is compared to my natural lip colour. I do love this, but it was a complete impulse buy and I wouldn't re-purchase it if it disappeared.

Plumful This colour is a cult fave among beauty bloggers world wide and for good reason. It applies really easily, feels nice on your lips and is a great mix between bold and neutral, it's essentially a step up from a 'My Lips But Better' shade due to the purple undertones. If your looking for an easy to wear purple - this colour might just be your new favourite. As I mentioned in my beauty haul, my friend Grace picked this one up for me at duty-free, which is awesome because I mightn't have got it otherwise.

 Mystical This colour could definitely be described as Plumful's ginger sister. They have a similar base colour, but where Plumful leans purple, Mystical goes orange. I picked up this colour because I knew I had to have one of the lipsticks from the Alluring Aquatics range and this one called to me the most. The packaging of this is super gorgeous, and the colour follows suit. It's a really natural colour that I adore, has pretty decent staying power, and is light on the lips. What more could you ask for?

So there you have it, all my M.A.C lipsticks, though I expect my collection will continue to grow quite rapidly, this blog makes me want to buy so many makeup products! Let me know if you like this kind of post, looking at my collection of certain brands or product types. My new camera is inspiring me to take a lot more photos and want to work on my blog heaps more, so expect lots of content, even if it's just picture posts. 

I also just created an instagram for this blog, so check that out @georgialeebeauty for updates in between posts.

talk soon
xx

Mini-Review: GlamGlow ThirstyMud Hydrating Treatment

If you're a part of the beauty community, chances are that you've heard of this face mask, or its predecessors, like the YouthMud Treatment. A few weeks ago in Mecca Maxima I was checking out this mask, the GlamGlow ThirstyMud Hydrating Treatment and one of the ladies that works there offered me a sample which I quickly agreed to, at AUD$75 it's unlikely I'd ever buy this, especially without trying it first.

This mask claims to provide "instant extreme hydration" and uses "super" technologies to achieve these results. As I mentioned before it's $75 for 50 grams of product, I received a small sample in a little lip balm-sized pot and after one use it doesn't look like I've touched it at all, so I believe the 50 gram size would go a long way.

This product looks a little like peanut butter but texturally it feels like a face cream, and is able to blend right into the skin. It smells very strongly of coconut, which is nice however once the mask is on your skin, it can get a bit overwhelming and made me light headed.

There are two suggested uses for ThirstyMud: the day use and the night use. The daytime use is like a typical mask, put product on, leave for 20 minutes, wash product off. I went for the night time treatment, so I applied the mask and then slept with the product on my face. It's easy to apply and work with, though no instructions mention how much product to use and how thickly to apply the mask so it's a bit of a guessing game.

After application this is what my face looked like. It's a thin formula, but very wet, even if you can't see it, you can definitely feel the areas where it has been applied. As I mentioned before, the coconut scent got a little overwhelming so I did find it a little difficult to sleep with this on but next time if I avoid the area under my nose I don't think it'll be such an issue. 

When I woke up the next morning, all the product had absorbed into my face but you could definitely feel that it was still there. It made my skin extremely hydrated, to the point where it was like I was in a humid climate and my face felt almost sweaty to the touch. After washing off this residue my skin did feel pretty amazing, very hydrated with no dry patches. I would mention that this effect didn't last as long as I hoped it would, the following day I was back to having little dry spots, which I thought would disappear for a few days at least.

In the dead of winter I think this mask would be ideal, especially if you have a special event where you need to wear makeup and don't want it clinging to dry patches on your face. Do I think it's worth the price tag? Not exactly. While I do think it's a nice product, I know I would struggle to spend that much on something that wouldn't get used all the time and would ultimately disappear. In saying that, if you can get your hands on a sample, it's definitely worth trying, the effects of this mask were more instant than any other one I've ever tried. Plus it's always fun to try out super hyped up products to see what all the fuss is about!

I'm looking to try more masks, so if you have any suggestions leave them in the comments below!

xx
talk soon

P.S. Guess who got a new camera?! Next blog post will feature some quality photos!

Massive Collective Beauty Haul June 2014

Let's just take a minute to appreciate the sheer volume of products in this haul, it's ridiculous. As the title suggests, this is very collective, this is several month's worth of products, there is no way I bought this all in one go. I think some of this stuff has been featured on my blog before, but I wasn't sure if I'd shown certain things , so I just grabbed all the stuff I have that is even remotely new. Okay, enough blabbering, let's get into it!

Miscellaneous Beauty Products

I've been on a serious hunt lately for the perfect moisturiser. I was loving the First Aid Beauty Daily Face Cream, but David Jones stopped stocking the brand, plus it's on the pricey side so I've been searching for a cheaper alternative. Initially I was looking for a moisturiser with SPF, because as an über pale individual, it's important for me to protect my skin. First I purchased the Garnier  Skin Naturals Moisture Match Illuminating Light Lotion for normal skin with SPF 15 which smells divine but is a little sticky and doesn't absorb quickly enough for my liking. Next I tried the Swisspers Naturals Aloe Daily Moisturiser with SPF 15 but I had similar problems, it left that sticky/greasy feeling on my face which I absolutely hate. I finally realised that pretty much anything with SPF was going to give me this gross feeling so I picked up the Neutrogena Naturals Multi-Vitamin Nourishing Moisturiser which doesn't have sun protection, and I love it. It smells lovely and absorbs super fast which is perfect because I get impatient waiting for my moisturiser to absorb before I put on foundation. Obviously it isn't good that it doesn't protect from the sun, but I think during winter it should be alright, plus I spend a lot less time in the sun now that I've finished school.

Besides my quest for the perfect moisturiser I also picked up some other random odds and sods, including the anatomicals the seven deadly sins melon body scrub. I'd seen this brand on ASOS and been very intrigued, and now it's available at Target! I looooove melon scented products, plus I'm nearly out of my exfoliator. My addiction to delicious scented body wash has continued with the Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash which smells like Splice ice creams and takes a significant amount of self-control to not taste test. I also bought the Original Source Vanilla Milk and Raspberry Shower Gel which legitimately smells like lollies - strawberries and cream to be specific. Again, I'd like to eat it.

Finally got around to buying and trying the Batiste Dry Shampoo in the scent 'Floral and Flirty Blush', it smells good, but the name is oh so tacky. I got the Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs because I've heard lots of good things about it, and my pale splotchy legs could use a little bit of help, I bought the shade 'Light Glow'. Repurchased a favourite scent The Body Shop White Musk Libertine Fragrance Mist, I've talked a lot about this one, I used to have the perfume but I opted for the fragrance mist this time so that I could douse myself in the scent.

Face Products

I picked up this Rimmel Match Perfection Light Perfecting Radiance Foundation from Chemist's Warehouse on sale, because I've gotten so pale that all of my foundations are too dark for me. So far I like the colour, but I'm not sure about the formula, I think I need to figure out a better application technique than buffying it in with my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. Ages ago I took a trip to Kmart and picked up two e.l.f Blushes in Mellow Mauve and Pink Passion. These colours are absolute polar opposites but I love both of them. I'm constantly on the hunt for the perfect bronzer, so in my search I picked up this lol Bronzing Powder, it's a little orange-toned for my liking, but it still does the job. During the Priceline 40% off sale I bought the australis Blush BFFs in Truth or Dare, it's a blush duo that has a pretty coral colour and a sparkly pink. In my swatches they look very similar, they're not as similar as they look but they do compliment each other well. In the same sale I also picked up the ModelsPrefer Perfect Canvas Mattifying Primer because I heard good things about it on reddit, I can't say I've tested it that extensively, so I'll have to give it a proper go soon, I feel like face primers are a bit of a gimmick.

Eye Products

Covergirl Clump Crusher is a favourite mascara, so I repurchased it to have as a backup when I finish using the mascaras I have on the go now. Last month I got ready for work, did a full face of makeup - foundation, eyeshadow - the works. I kept looking at my face thinking something looked weird but I couldn't pick what, until I got half way to work and realised I'd forgotten to put on mascara, such a rookie error. To save the day I picked up the Maybelline One by One Mascara in Blackest Black.

Sometimes the YouSave Chemist at my local mall has random high end makeup for sale, and I'm never sure if it's actually real or a knock-off but it's cheap enough that I pick it up anyway, as I did with this Elizabeth Arden Shimmer Cream Eye Shadow in Bronze Beauty. It's a super dark brown, so I haven't tried it on my eyes yet, but next time I go out I reckon I'll give it a go. After having a lot of luck with a Bourjois foundation I figured I'd try one of their eye shadows, the Colour Edition 24H Cream to Powder Texture Eye Shadow in Merveille d'argent. There was no tester out for this product, and I've got to say that I find the texture of this a little weird, but I have to give it a proper test to find out if it's any good.

My lovely best friend Grace brought these two nail polishes back from Thailand for me, and I love the colours. The purple is a glossy finish, while the blue is more matte.

Tools

Real Techniques has been on sale at Priceline lately, so I picked up a few. I got the orange Foundation Brush to apply my contour. It's nice and thin with a good angle, which has been working well for me, because I find it hard to get a sharp enough line with my contour, my whole cheek often ends up muddy, but this brush has been helping a lot. My boyfriend bought the Silicone Eyeliner Brush for me after I said I wanted to try it out, because I've heard a lot about it online, and I find bristles on brushes always stuff up my eyeliner. I got the s Shading Brush because i'm always looking for more eye shadow brushes, I'm addicted! I picked up this blending sponge from the Gloss Shop at QVB because the idea of a sponge really intrigues me, but I can't figure out how to use this properly, because when I wet it, it seems to retain too much water! I'll get there I'm sure.

M.A.C Products

These beauties get their own section in the haul! Grace picked up the Lustre Finish Lipstick in Plumful for me at duty free on the way back from Thailand and I love this colour, it'll be perfect for winter! Again with the chemist, there was this random M.A.C Blushette in Barbara-Ann which has the cutest vintage Hawaiian Beach Boy-esque packaging. Cream blushes scare me a little, but I'm excited to try work with this pretty coral colour. I got an email the other day saying that the Alluring Aquatics collection had gone on sale, I went and had a look as soon as I could! I picked up an Extra-Dimension Eyeshadow in Fathom's Deep which is a really pretty shimmery purple, which will hopefully make the green in my eyes really stand out. I also got a Cremesheen Lipstick in Mystical which is a red-toned 'my lips but better' shade. I love this packaging so much, the wet-look is so eye-catching and gorgeous. My picture sucks so I suggest you look it up online.

Lip Products

I've gone a bit lip product mad lately! These first two bright colours are the Savvy by DB High Shine Lip Lacquer in Bright Lights and the Ultra Matte Lip Colour in Icon also by Savvy. These two were really cheap, and I thought their price was a good chance to try some bold colours without breaking the bank on a risky colour. L'Oreal Paris Glam Shine Balmy Gloss in Fall For Watermelon has an adorable name and is a nice tinted balm, I picked this one up in the Priceline 40% sale, and while I like it, it's not one that I have reached for all that much. Ever since hearing EssieButton rave about the Maybelline Colour Elixirs I've been dying to try them. I picked up the colour Blush Essence, a safe, pink colour. I'm not the biggest fan of gloss, but this one isn't too sticky luckily. This Australis Velourlips Matte Lip Cream in Ma-Li-Boo caught my eye and I had to buy it. It's literally fluoro pink, which is so bloody bold, but every time I've warn it I've received lots of compliments which is always nice. It has absolutely ridiculous lasting power, to the point where it's difficult to get it off with make up remover, it's intense.

There has been lots of hype surrounding the new Revlon Balms and I totally bought into it, no regrets. I have three matte balms and two lacquer balms, I think the colours of the matte balms are absolutely gorgeous (you can see them in the second lot of swatches). My mum got me the lacquer balm Demure for Easter and it's the prettiest natural colour, however I find Flirtatious a little difficult to wear because it's quite dark. I picked up Elusive from Chemist Warehouse for half price and I absolutely adore this colour, it's so wearable and classy, a definite go-to colour for me now.


Phew! That was a post and a half! I hope you guys enjoyed it, I think I'll make future hauls a little smaller and more frequent for sure. Let me know if you want more full reviews of any of this stuff. Another palette profile coming soon, along with some other fun posts. I hope June is treating you well, and that anyone facing uni exams right now is smashing it. Also, can I just say how excited I am for when Sephora opens here, I'm already saving!

xx
talk soon

Collective Clothing Haul

Guess who has been constantly shopping for the last few months? This guy. So today I have a pretty decent sized haul for you guys, and this is only the clothing side of it! Keep your eyes peeled for a beauty haul soon. As I said, this is very collective, I bought this stuff piece by piece over the past couple of months. Let's get into it!

Woah I'm triplets! As you'll know if you read my May Favourites post, stripes have been a favourite of mine lately, and these shirts have been a big part of that. This shirt is from Jay Jays and I liked it so much I got it in all the different colour combos, black and white, black and grey and navy and white. Stripes are just classic and this shirt is a nice weight for the slight chill that has arrived (finally). These are also a super reasonable price, something like two for $20.

Moving onto jumpers, I've bought a few because I realised I had no cute ones for this winter! The first one is a standard sort of sloppy joe style but I think the print is really cool and different. It's actually from the men's section of Cotton On, but I thought the print was so funky I had to have it. This second jumper is part of an ASOS order I got last month during a 25% off sale they had. The Snoopy print is so retro, I love it, plus it's so obnoxious but in the best way possible. The final jumper is from Jay Jays, I had a 30% company discount during May that I took advantage of. I like that this is a little more toned down but still interesting and the wool is really soft and nice.

You guys might know that around a month and a half ago I went down the south coast for a few days on a family holiday and I went to the op shop while I was there, so I'm finally getting around to showing you guys what I got. The black dress on the right is from the brand Design Studio and it's super oversized and very very black. I actually wore this to a party, but I wore it open as a sort of jacket with a little skirt and top which looked quite nice. The long sleeve top in the centre top picture is from the brand Rosy Lane and it is just so comfy and nice, good for around the house or the days at uni where I don't feel like putting in too much effort. The top underneath this is a pretty purple and blue floral print crop top. In true op shop style it's actually part of a matching set, but the skirt is super fugly. The bottom t-shirt is referencing Hey Hey It's Saturday which is fun.The last dress is my favourite thing I got, it has a sheer black layer with the patterned overlay which is really cool and I've never really seen a dress like it, plus it has pockets! The brand of this one is Sandra Steiner. All of this stuff came to around $10-$15 which is just insanely cheap, everything started off at around a few dollars but they had a 50% off sale at the charity store which was amazing.

These two dresses were also part of the ASOS order I placed and I love them both so much. The left one was a little bit of a gamble, because typically the waist line of a dress like this wouldn't hit right with my proportions, but this is a perfect fit. I love that it's a sheer dress over a black slip and the slip is a little shorter, so it's a bit more *saucy* but without having to show anything off. The second dress I purchased because I'm on the hunt for a perfect little black dress and I really like this one. It's actually from the maternity section of ASOS, so it's a little big, but because it's a swing dress that doesn't matter too much, it does need to be taken up a little, but my crafty mother will sort that out in no time!

These shoes are my new babies, I love them so so so much. They give me a fair bit of height, but they're so comfortable and I can walk in them without breaking my neck which is great. They're definitely not everyone's style, my brothers hate them, but I think they are really cool. This little clutch is from Colette by Colette Hayman, and technically I bought it while I was on a no-buy, but I saw it and I had to have it. I figure it'll come in handy for parties and when I go out, because it's a manageable size but has plenty of room for all my stuff.

So that's it for the haul! I'm planning on buying a new camera within the next week or two which is super exciting but also scary! But that means the photos around here should be a lot better very soon, which is definitely something to look forward to. With that, I'll love you and leave you, beauty haul very soon!

xx
talk soon

May Favourites 2014

I completely skipped out on my April Favourites, so this month I was certain I would do a favourites post. I actually struggled picking my favourites a little bit, because I haven't been wearing a lot of makeup this month, but I still managed to pull some stuff together! There are some repeat favourites here, but that just goes to show that they're really great products.

Denim Jackets are a massive trend right now, and I am loving it, I feel like you can throw a denim jacket on over anything, and it'll look good. Mine is by Lee Cooper from Big W and was ridiculously cheap, something like $35. I love the way it fits slightly oversized so it can be super casual or more dressed up. My only problem is that I can't wear it with jeans!

You can't walk two steps down the street without seeing someone wearing stripes. Legitimately within two minutes the other day I'd seen at least 5 people wearing stripes, and I'm totally buying into the hype. My stripy shirt is from Jay Jays and it is crazy comfortable, like wearing pajamas. I have this exact top in two other colours as well and I've been wearing them as much as possible without being a serial outfit repeater.

This simple calico bag is from Typo, one of their $2 charity bags and I adore it. It's huge so I can put heaps of stuff in it and I've been using it pretty much every day. I love the scientific plant print, it reminds me of those vintage botany books, so simple and pretty.

You guys know I love my Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation, but I've found that it's getting a little bit too yellow toned for my skin at the moment, so I've been on the hunt for a more pink based alternative for a while now. I found my perfect match in this Rimmel Match Perfection Light Perfecting Radiance Foundation in the shade 010 Light Porcelain a.k.a. white as hell. Obviously it's pretty new to me, but I haven't had any issues breakout-wise, the lasting power is good, and obviously the colour match is better. I'd say the coverage is pretty similar to the Bourjois foundation, light to medium. It takes a little while to dry which can be a bummer if you're in a rush or just impatient like me.

I've been testing a new lash combo this month and I've really been liking it. I found that I just wasn't able to get a good curl in my lashes and they were looking really flat and boring so I went back to an old favourite Maybelline The Falsies Flared in Blackest Black. This was my first favourite mascara, and I can see why - it gives great volume and a lovely curl, something that was really missing from my previous, more natural mascara look. The second part of this combo is Too Faced lashGASM Mascara which I've been wearing on my bottom lashes. The wand of this product is really thin so it's perfect for applying the formula to those wispy little bottom lashes, plus The Falsies is just too thick for that purpose.

I am a lazy, lazy person when it comes to nail polish removal so the Be Yourself Dip & Twist Express Nail Polish Remover is my best friend when it comes to that job. You just whack your nail into the little pot which is filled with nail polish remover soaked foam, and it takes all your polish off for you in like two seconds. Waayyyyy more efficient than plain, old nail polish remover.

I've already mentioned this as a favourite before but the Essie Fast Dry Topcoat is still amazing. It dries super fast and seems to keep my nails from chipping which is awesome. Mostly the drying thing though, I hate waiting for nails to dry.

Repeat product number two Nuxe Rêve de Miel Lip Balm. This stuff is the shiz. My lips have been so dry and horrible this month, and this product has been saving them. I just put on a generous amount before bed and when I wake up my lips are super smooth and soft.

My hair is pretty frizzy naturally, so this month I've been using this Garnier Fructis Instant Detangler to help me get the knots out, as well as to smooth it down a little. I also tried out a sample of argan oil from some random brand, which I would put in my hair while it was damp, and then I'd plait my hair and sleep on it and when I woke up, my hair was both smooth, and had a nice wave in it, so that's another favourite.

My skin has been equally as dry as my lips this month, but I hate super hydrating moisturisers during the day as I think they're too heavy, so I've been relying on this Sukin Moisture Restoring Night Cream to quench my thirsty skin while I sleep. Sukin is a really natural brand that doesn't have any harmful chemicals in their products, plus it smells really lovely, sort of sweet and natural, it has a tonne of great things in it, like aloe, cocoa, shea and vitamin E just to name a few.

Fragrance-wise I've been loving this Body Shop White Musk Libertine Fragrance Mist. As the name implies, it's a musky scent, floral and sweet. As I mention in my 'What's in my Travel Makeup Bag' post, this fragrance holds lots of good memories.

Finally this is the book I read this month You Had Me at Hello by Mhairi McFarlane, it's one of those sort of typical love stories but a little bit different, it's not super predictable which is good. It isn't even that this book is a favourite, but more the fact that I managed to finish a book this month! Completely unheard of with uni and work, but I did it.

So that's my favourites for this month. I have a haul coming up very soon, so keep an eye out!

xx

talk soon