Makeup Empties #5

I was having a major clean out in my room the other weekend and I realised I became very close to throwing my precious bag of empties out. Since the bag was getting pretty full, I decided it was time for another Makeup Empties! 

LAURA MERCIER Foundation Primer - Hydrating

This took me ages to finish! The tube has a pretty big 50ml. A nice primer but I prefer the original Foundation Primer from Laura Mercier. Foundation does not last quite as long with the hydrating as it does with the original formula. 

MAC Strobe Cream

Still a favourite before makeup moisturiser/primer. I have repurchased and will most likely continue to do so. 

CHANEL Hydra Beauty Flash

I loved using this as a primer, it is hydrating and seems to smooth my skin texture. Will probably repurchase but it is on the pricer side at $100 for 30ml. 

URBAN DECAY All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray

I really like using this to take away any powdery finish on my makeup. It helps give me that dewy look that I love at the moment. It also helps my makeup last all day. Already repurchased. 

BURBERRY Sheer Foundation

I feel like I have had this foundation for ages (and honestly, I think I have). A lovely light and luminous foundation with a great shade match (I was the second lightest shade which never happens). I didn't really like the bottle though, it was hard to get the remaining product out of and felt awkward to hold. 

LOREAL Nude Magique Cushion Foundation

This was the first time in a long time that I was not disappointed or just outright hated a 'drugstore' product. Overall this was a nice light and dewy foundation. Only problem was it had a tendency to turn a little orange on my fair skin. 

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

I still adore this powder and have already repurchased (and half used) it. 

LAURA MERCIER Tinted Moisturiser

I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with this. Some days I was in love with it and others I really didn't enjoy it. Probably won't repurchase it, I just found it a bit blah. 

LANCOME Miracle Cushion Liquid Cushion Compact

I adored this foundation. Super easy to use and left me glowing. I will repurchase when I get around to it (one day). 

BY TERRY Terrybly Densiliss Concealer

A pricey but lovely concealer for the under eye area. I found it hydrating and it covered my dark circles quite well. Probably won't repurchase.

GIORGIO ARMANI High Precision Retouch

This concealer surprised me by how effective it actually was. The colour was odd but it did a great job at concealing my under eye area. The very fine brush was also really nice to pinpoint application. May repurchase one day. 

TOM FORD Concealing Pen

This concealer is possibly the biggest waste of money ever. It is the worst concealer I have ever tried. The applicator sucks (it has a little sponge on the top), it doesn't actually conceal and is just plain horrible. I hate.

BOBBI BROWN Corrector

This is a much hyped about product which is very good at concealing dark circles in conjunction with a concealer. A good product but I found it could be a little thick and crease on me. 

DIOR Diorskin Star Concealer

This concealer wasn't bad but it also wasn't amazing. An okay everyday concealer. I won't repurchase. 

DIOR Hydra Life BB Eye Cream

I enjoyed this product when I first used it. I found it good at softening my dark circles but not being too heavy. This isn't fully empty but it is way too old now. The colour has changed and it has a really strong off smell.

LOREAL Brow Artist Plumper

This was slightly too dark for my brows but good when I wanted a quick groom without having to fill in my brows. Not quite empty but it has gone clumpy (like an old mascara). 

BENEFIT Gimme Brow

Love! Already repurchased.

ESTEE LAUDER Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara

This was a freebie with a magazine. It was okay. Nothing amazing and honestly I was glad I hadn't paid the retail price. 

MAYBELLINE The Falsies Volum' Express Mascara

This mascara was much better in my memory or maybe I have just used great mascaras since first using this about 6 years ago. Won't repurchase. 

CHANEL Illusion D'Ombre - 82 Emerveille

I adored this cream eyeshadow and it lasted ages. Emerveille is a pretty champagne beige. Will repurchase. 

CLINIQUE Almost Lipstick - 39 Shy Honey

This isn't really even close to lipstick. It is a very lightly tinted lip balm that sadly isn't really that moisturising. Won't repurchase and not even sure if Clinique still makes these. 

What have you finished up lately?

Chanel Energies et Puretes de Chanel Collection - Spring 2017

Another day, another pretty Chanel collection...

The lovely ladies at the Chanel boutique actually caught me unaware with this collection. I had seen promotional images on Instagram but didn't realise it was being released in Australia so soon. I got to be the first person to play with the testers and spent a good twenty minutes oohing and aahing over everything. 

Again, apologies for my less than stellar photography, I need some lessons - stat!

PLISSE LUMIERE DE CHANEL ILLUMINATING POWDER

I am seriously powerless to resist a highlight at the moment. In the past they were something I could easily leave behind. Not anymore!

The pleated pattern of this highlighter is inspired by Japanese 'washi' paper and is very pretty to look at. In the photo above it looks almost blurry but this is actually just the pattern. The Plisse Lumiere de Chanel is a light, slightly pinky gold shade with fine shimmer. It is nicely pigmented for a highlighter and easy to blend out. I adore! Look at it! How could you not?!

LES 4 OMBRES MULTI EFFECT QUADRA EYESHADOW - 292 JARDINS ECLATANTS

Did I need another neutral eyeshadow palette? No. Did that matter? No. The shades in this palette are gorgeous and you can create a whole eye look using the one palette. I especially love the shade in the bottom left corner - it is sooo pretty! Impressed with the quality of this palette too. All the shades are perfectly pigmented and buttery soft. This palette is actually very similar to Codes Subtils from the Coco Code collection. No wonder I was drawn to it!

LES TISSAGES DE CHANEL BLUSH DUO TWEED EFFECT - 100 TWEED CORALLINE & 110 TWEED CHERRY BLOSSOM

The blush fiend in me was super excited to see these blushes. Years ago Chanel had these Tweed Effect blushes and I have one from then (which I used to use ALL the time). Whilst they have a sparkly overlay, they actually have a satin finish with no sparkles. Once you have used them for a while you end up with the two shades divided down the pan (hence the 'blush duo'). 

Tweed Coralline is a soft coral with a golden sheen and Tweed Cherry Blossom is a slightly cool pink-red. Both are highly pigmented which is actually a little bit of a pain. A very light hand is needed when applying, if you want a soft, diffused blush (like I do). They can be a little difficult to blend out on the cheeks, I sometimes have to go back in with some powder on a fluffy brush to blend. 

ROUGE ALLURE GLOSS - 27 VIBRATION

I got caught up in the moment when I decided to purchase this lip gloss. Not because there is anything wrong with it. I just don't wear lip gloss very often and the shade is a little more coral than I like. Vibration is a bright pink-coral with slightly warm undertones. It pulls quite orange against my cool skin. 

ROUGE COCO SHINE - 124 ROUGE LUMIERE

The Rouge Coco Shine formula is one of my favourites. Rouge Lumiere is a sheer, cool red with very fine shimmer. This shade looks gorgeous on, a sheer take on the classic red lip. I love. 

LE VERNIS - 552 RESPLENDISSANT & 584 BLEU PASTEL

Funny story - my Mum recently found out how much a bottle of Chanel nail polish retails for. She was shocked and then told me off for spending that much on nail polish. I also got a slap on the hand (haha!) and she is now plotting if I will notice if she sells them off (yes, I will notice).

Resplendissant is a cream red shade with a slight coral tinge to it. Bleu Pastel is a pastel baby blue shade. Neither shade have shimmer (though the photo above makes it appear that they do). I haven't tried either of these shades yet, I've been lazy and haven't painted my nails in weeks if not months.

There you have my picks from the latest Chanel collection. I highly recommend all the powder products I have featured and the Rouge Lumiere lipstick. The collection has been out for a few weeks now. So if there is something you like the look of, don't wait too long! 

Have you picked up anything from the Chanel Energies et Puretes de Chanel Collection?

366 Days of Lips - 2016 Results

Back at the start of 2015 I decided to keep a record of every lip product I wore for the whole year. I managed to do so and I posted about it here. 365 Days of Lips has become a habit for me, I have been keeping records for 2017 too! 

Note - 2016 was leap year, hence the 366 Days of Lips. 

Keeping a record has actually helped me clean out my stash. I can't justify keeping lipsticks I have not worn in over 24 months. Especially since so many are getting a bit old (probably really old but I just don't like to admit it). 

I didn't realise until I started this post but six of the ten lipsticks are from Chanel. Can you tell where most of my money goes (and why I am always broke haha)? 

1. CHANEL Rouge Coco Stylo - 202 Conte

This lipstick is perfect for a lazy day when I want to look polished but not like I have put too much effort in. Conte is a pretty nude-pink and the formula is hydrating and feels lovely on the lips. 

2. CHANEL Rouge Coco Stylo - 208 Roman

I love this fuchsia pink. Again love the formula and the hydrating feeling it gives. This shade is quite pigmented. The only downside is I seem to always get this one on my teeth!

3. BOBBI BROWN Art Stick - Bright Raspberry

This matte berry lipstick is a favourite for its colour and wear time. It is also really comfortable on my lips and not drying. 

4. CHANEL Les Beiges Lip Balm - No. 10

This was my most worn lip product for 2015 and it made the top 5 again for 2016. Honestly, I am surprised how much of this is left. As I said last time, this is perfect for days when my lips are dry and I am lazy (which is often). 

5. CHANEL Rouge Allure Ink - 150 Luxuriant

I adore this formula of lipstick, I am surprised only one made it into the top 10. This is gorgeous pinky-red, it is a liquid lipstick but does not dry down fully matte. It is comfortable to wear and lasts well. 

6. MAC Lustre Lipstick - Lovelorn
Another product that made an appearance in the 2015 edition. This soft pink lipstick is a favourite for a more natural look. Look how little is left! It is almost time to give up on it (and put in the Back 2 MAC bag).

7.  CHANEL Rouge Coco Shine - 116 Mighty
Another lipstick with a balm feel. Also another pink lipstick from Chanel. Another lipstick on the sheerer side that gives my lips colour but does not feel heavy or too made up.

8. LIPSTICK QUEEN - Frog Prince
Honestly, I purchased this because of the gimmick behind it. It is not actually a green lipstick - on contact with skin/lips it transforms into a pink shade that is meant to suit you perfectly. Not sure if that is true but it does become a very pretty pink. The texture is similar to a lip balm.

9. CHANEL Rouge Allure - 166 Indemodable
This is a more pigmented formula from Chanel with a satin finish. Indemodable is berry-pink that I find really lifts my complexion. I still love the case that the Rouge Allure lipsticks have - a click to release tube. I feel so fancy using it. Haha!

10. CHARLOTTE TILBURY Hot Lips - Bosworth's Beauty
Another pink lipstick! Who would have thought?! This is a Matte Revolution formula from the Hot Lips collection. I thought this shade was going to be too pale but it is perfect. The Matte Revolution formula is my favourite from Charlotte Tilbury.

What did I learn from this experiment in 2016? I like pink lipstick, actually I love pink lipstick is probably more accurate. I wear a lot of sheer formula lipsticks but I also like my bold matte shades. I also need to cull even more lipsticks from my stash. I have a lot of unloved MAC ones that are really getting on in age (like 3+ years). If they can stay in my stash and get that old, they obviously are not being used!

I actually really like keeping my 365 Days of Lips record. It is like a diary for my lips! I highly recommend giving it a try - especially if your lipstick stash seems to be getting out of control. 

What was your favourite/most worn lip product for 2016? 

Chanel Coco Codes Collection - Spring 2017

"Black, white, beige, gold, red. Lucia Pica, Global Creative Makeup and Colour Designer for CHANEL, reinterprets the iconic colour codes of CHANEL. A palette of unexpected shades that invites women to follow their instincts and invent their own codes." - Chanel.com

I love it when Chanel releases a collection with a gorgeous blush as the centrepiece. It makes me pay attention instantly (and open my wallet). The Coco Codes Collection was released in early January but you know - I'm lazy and have only just found time to share some pretty pictures on here. 

Apologies in advance for my less than spectacular photography. I just couldn't.

COCO CODE BLUSH HARMONY

This really is the star of the collection. This blush palette features four shades - white, beige, gold and red. It is really up to the user as to what shade you get - I prefer to mix all four evenly but you definitely focus on one half if you wanted to. All four shades blended together gives you a pinky-peach colour with soft shimmers. The texture of this blush is gorgeous - smooth and velvety. It is easy to blend and wears well throughout the day. This is limited edition (of course!). 

LES 4 OMBRES - 278 CODES SUBTILS

I love eyeshadow palettes but really don't wear eyeshadow enough to justify purchasing them. This one however, I could not resist. The shades are just perfect and exactly what I love in an eyeshadow palette. All four shades work well together and create a very pretty eye look. The texture of the shadows is fantastic - smooth and easy to blend. Pigmentation is also really good and not powdery. This eyeshadow palette is limited edition (and I believe it has already sold out at a lot of counters). 

STYLO YEUX WATERPROOF - 931 NOIR PETROLE & 932 MAT TAUPE

My love affair with the Stylo Yeux eyeliners continues. I just adore the formula of these and could not resist adding these two new shades to my stash. They are smooth and easy to apply and last all day on my eyes. 

Noir Petrole is a deep olive-black with a soft shimmery satin finish. Mat Taupe is a matte, dark brown-taupe shade. I believe the former is limited edition whilst the later is permanent. 

LE TOP COAT - BLACK METAMORPHOSIS

This top coat is a sheer black that you apply over another nail polish to change the colour. This plays into the idea of 'creating your own code'. In the promotional photos for this collection, the model is actually wearing the Blanc White polish with this top coat. It transforms the polish into a gorgeous grey. I haven't tried this yet but I am intrigued by it. This is also limited edition. 

Overall, another lot of Chanel products I am very happy to add to my stash. But then am I ever unhappy with Chanel? Nope. I think this collection is very well put together and the products all work together. There was also lip products in this collection

The Chanel Coco Codes Collection is available now on Chanel counters. If there is anything you want to pick up, don't wait long!

Have you picked up anything from the Coco Codes Collection?