Maybelline: Illegal Length Mascara Review

Hey there! It's finaaaaaally school holidays (woo!) so I've had a chance to catch my breath and I'm going to try and get a few more blog posts up. To get the ball rolling, today I am reviewing Maybelline's Illegal Length Fibre Extensions Mascara.  

This is the first ever fibre extension mascara I have used, appose to normal mascaras that just coat your lashes with black, this mascara also consists of small fibres which build up on your lashes to add physical length. In the beginning I wasn't too keen on this mascara as I was applying it too close to the lash bed so the fibres were irritating my eyes throughout the day. But I have since learnt to mainly focus this mascara on the ends of my lashes. It is definitley a lengthening mascara, so I like to use it in conjunction with other mascaras (at the moment I've been using it with Revlons Lash Finder) just for that added ompf of length!

 It looks very black on the lashes, doesn't flake and I don't have any problems with smudging wooo! But the only downfall is its doesn't hold a curl well, which is something that I really look for in a mascara. In terms of the brush it made of real bristles which I really like, so it does a good job of separating the lashes. To be honest, I probably won't buy it again, just because I am now keen to try more lengthening mascaras. I don't think it is the best of mascaras in the world, but for it's inexpensive price I would recommend it!

 Side note: I have completely moved away from using waterproof mascaras, and my lashes have loved me for it. They are no longer as dry as they were anddddd it makes removing eye makeup 100 times easier!

I hope you are all enjoying your holiday break and I shall have a new blog post up very soooooooon! 

Ashleigh xo

Everyday School Make Up

 Hey there! Here is a quick run down of all products I slap on my face at seven in the morning before I spend seven hours tediously gaining an education, five days a week. Enjoy!

After I’ve done my morning skincare routine, I use my daily moisturiser the Simple Clear Skin Oil Balancing Moisturiser. Once that’s all soaked in the rest is history…

Garnier BB Cream- I use the combination to oily skin, I like this because it does has a great coverage for a BB cream, but doesn’t appear to be thick. Depending on the season or if I’m fake tanning etc. I mix the medium shade and light shade together accordingly, to get the perfect match. The lasting power is also quite nice, but it does fade on my cheeks which is why I also go in with my concealer…

Bobbi Brown Corrector- I use the shade ‘Light to Medium Bisque’ to conceal the dark circles under my eyes, (the ones I get from all the late night ‘studying’… ). I have plenty of good things to say about this product; great coverage, great consistency etc. But the downfall is it is quite pricey for such a small amount of product and you haaave to set this bad boy with a powder or it will crease like no tomorrow. If my dark circles aren’t too bad one day, I’ll just use my Maybelline Dream Lumitouch Highlighting Concealer, which is as cheap as chips and does a great job!

MAC Mineralize Concealer-this is the concealer I use on the tops of my checks when I need a bit more coverage or on any particularly stubborn blemishes. I do like this concealer, but I probably won’t be buying this again. It doesn’t have a greeeeeat coverage which is kind of a must for concealer… although that’s why I like it for school, because it isn’t too thick. It really just up to what you are looking for in a concealer, I know of people who love it and some who don’t but I personally didn’t think it was worth the price tag.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural- as you can see I do love this product very much and unfortunately it’s on its last legs. It sets everything perfectly and controls oil without making the face look flat. This is the second one of mine and I will have to run out and grab my third very soon!

NARS Laguna Bronzer- this is hands down the BEST bronzer I’ve ever used. Definitely a Holy Grail product and a staple in millions of other girl’s makeup bags as well! I use it to contour when I want it to look a bit more natural and then to just bronze up my whole face, usually with the typically ‘3’ brush motion. I highly highly highly recommend this bronzer to everyone, it’s worth every dime! (Side note: even my super pale friend loves this bronzer, so it’s great for girls who have struggled to wear bronzer in the past, it won’t look muddy or orange I promise)

Benefit Dandelion Brightening Face Powder- this product is basically a blush and highlighter in one, it looks absolutely radiant on the skin and very natural too. It’s very soft and flattering on the cheeks, adding a very subtle but healthy touch of colour to the skin.

 Maybelline Falsies Mascara- I must apologies, I somehow forgot to take a closer photo of it, my mistake! Anywho, this just brings everything together, makes me look more awake and I do love big eyelashes I must say. This holds a curl well and I don’t have to worry about looking like a panda halfway through the day!

And there we have it folks, that is what I wear to school on a daily basis! For some this might seem like a lot but to others it might seem like hardly anything, personally I am quite content with the finally product and I promise it doesn’t actually take too long! If you are interested in what brushes I use then I have a separate post here!

 I think I’ll stop yakking on now but if you have any questions about anything or are up for a chat, please comment or email me: ashsbeautybag@gmail.com (even if it’s just school related)! I hope you are all having a lovely day and have fun at schooool!

Makeup Products Finding A New Home

Hey there! This is a post that is pretty much in direct reference to my previous post, 'Makeup Confession', about cleaning out my makeup and not hoarding products that I never really use. I went through my makeup collection as promised and have picked out a handful of products that (for whatever reason) go untouched and will be given to a couple of my friends. There were a some 'if, buts and maybes,' over a few products that narrowly missed out on making this post, so I will be keeping a close eye on them and try to use them over the coming weeks to get my final opinion on them. Anywho I will stop yacking on and get started on the products and why I no longer want them! :)

NYX Rouge Cream Blush in (left) 09 Orange & (right) 05 Glow

I had heard some great reviews on these cream blushes and because you can't get NYX blushes here in Australia, I went a little bit crazy and bought three without even swatching them whilst holidaying overseas. I think the main reason why I haven't gotten on well with these blushes is because I have quite oily skin and their staying power isn't very good. When I applied these to my cheeks it honestly just reminded me of when I had acne on my cheeks in my younger years. They are quite greasy (not good for my oily skin at all) and seemed to just amplify the imperfections of my skin. I can't say it's specifically this cream blush to fault as these were the first kind of cream blush I have ever tried, I just dont think I am much of a cream blush kind of gal! A friend of mine is keen to try out some NYX products so I thought they might better off in her hands. As I said I did by three blushes, so I am hanging on to one of them; 'Natural,' just to give it a few more goes and see if I can make it work for my skin a little better. Side note: to increase the saying power of these blushes you can always set them with another powder blush, although to me that just seemed a little bit relentless and applying the cream blush in the first blush seemed a little pointless if I was just trying to cover it up.

Bobbi Brown Diamond Dust Shadow in Snowflake

Before I jump in I just want to point out that this eye shadow is no longer available from Bobbi Brown as they were from a collection with two other shades a few years ago I believe. It is basically a very icy white shadow that is really chunky/flaky. I guess that shouldn't exactly be a surprise considering the name of the product! I thought it would be a great inner highlight but it just doesn't look that great, it doesn't adhere well to the skin and the fact that is is so chunky is a turn off for me. 

Napoleon Perdis Colour Disc in #20

I love a lot of things about this eye shadow; the pigmentation, the texture, the packaging ect. It was actually a birthday present to me last year from my brothers girlfriend who was a training makeup artist for NP at the time, so whether or not these were available to the general public I am unsure (sorry), but I do know that the packaging overall has changed! So the only reason I am passing this eye shadow on is because blue is not my colour... at all, what. so. ever. I can't see myself pulling off a blue eye shadow look in a million years! Hence, I am giving it to someone who I think may actually be able to pull off a blue eye. I do however, have three other colour discs in more wearable colours which I do love and adore!

Napoleon Perdis Ultra Pearl in #27

Much of what I said before about the colour disc does for this product as well! Somehow it has an even more luxurious texture; so smooth and blends like a dream. To be honest I was a bit on the fence about getting rid of this eye shadow, because it is so lovely, but I have a friend in mind who I know will get a lot more use of it than I! I have more golden eye shadows than I need, and this one is just that little bit too yellow for my liking! That being said I wouldn't mind coming across this formulation of eye shadow in a few different shades!

Garnier Light Brightening Eye Roll On

Essentially this product is supposed to brighten under your eye (surprise surprise) and reduce the appearance of dark circles. To be blunt; I couldn't notice a difference when using this, actually it might just land it's way in the bin because it isn't really a product I would recommend for anyone. However, (it's not all bad news) I have used another Garnier roll on treatment for under you eyes which is tinted and uses caffeine I believe to immediately reduce dark circles/puffy eyes, and I really did enjoy that. So if you're interested, definitely give that one a go, its called the Garnier Anti-Dark-Circle Eye Roller.

Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm in Passion

Somehow I managed to get this product confused with the Revlon Just Bitten KISSABLE BALM STAIN (which I looooooooooove)! This however is not something I would recommend at aaaaall, its basically just a pink texta/marker to draw on your lips! I only used it about twice, but I am told they dry out super quickly as well, I really urge to not bother with this product at all, ever! (Promise me you wont?)

NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in 05 Brunette

I also bought this whilst I was holidaying just to try something new, because I had never come across something like it before. It is two different shades of brown (basically just eye shadows) and then a little pan of wax used to set your brows. I already have thick eyebrows and when I use something to try and fill them in or anything, I just look ridiculous! I was chatting to a friend and she was telling me how she was looking for a new brow product, so I just thought I should pass this along to her, as I struggle to see myself wearing it outside the confinement of my bedroom. I really have no comment on the quality of the product as I don't have any experiences with comparable brow powders and I only used it a handful of times (sorry, I know that is really not even a slightly helpful)!

There we have it folks, that is the first of my makeup clean outs! If you are interested in reading the post 'Makeup Confession', I will link it HERE! All in all, I think the people I am giving these products too will be happy to receive and it is actually quite a nice, refreshing feeling to pass these on!

I hope you are all having a loooovely weekend,

Ashleigh xo

Makeup Confession #personalpost

Hey there! Now I’ll apologise in advance if this kind of post doesn’t appeal to you, it’s not my typical sort of post but it is definitely something I wanted to share with you all. This is beginning to sound like it’s something super serious diary entry but it really isn’t that big of a deal. 
Basically I started collecting makeup about two years ago, I had been interested in makeup for A LOT longer than that, but because of my young age I didn’t have the finances to, let’s say, ‘support my obsession’ until two years ago. At the time I will admit, I was really naive and had the mindset ‘the bigger my collection, the better my collection’ so over time I’ve accumulated a ‘larger than your average’ makeup collection. In saying that I am merely comparing it to the amount of makeup my personal friends outside the blogging/YouTube world have, in comparison to many YouTubers my makeup collection would well… not even compare. I guess what the funny thing is that it was watching all these big Youtubers with HUGE makeup collections two years ago that made me want to collect as much as them, but now something inside me has changed and I am almost cringing when I watch some of the makeup collection videos that in the past I would have loved. I don’t want to spend my money (and on a bigger scale; my life) collecting 50+ blushes that will sit in a drawer collecting dust for years. I want to spend my money travelling, helping others and spoiling the people I love. Don’t get me wrong, I am sure there are many people in this world who can do all of the above and own 50 blushes, but I personally can’t see myself having the best of both worlds (at this point in time anyway). By no means do I think makeup is a waste of money, nor will I stop purchasing it, but I am definitely going to start shopping more wisely and have the mindset of QUALITY OVER QUANTITY. 

I think this has kind of been in the back of my mind for a while but what has really persuaded me to make this post was Jenn Im from ClothesEncounters. She didn’t directly make any statement like what I have just made, but from observing her and her showing her own makeup in a few of her videos, she just seems to have a good amount. Not a million different eye shadows and blushes, just the select few which she enjoys and then the most variable product in her makeup was a few different shades lipsticks. I think I am starting to get overwhelmed a little bit in the midst of my own collection – ‘so much makeup so little time’. I even find myself for some unknown reason holding on to cosmetics which I genuinely don’t use or even like, probably because in the past I thought it made my collection look good, but in reality it’s just collecting dust. So I am going to do a clean out of my makeup and ship the products I don’t particularly enjoy to my loved ones, because they will probably enjoy them more than I do!

Source: weheartit.com

Sorry now I am just waffling on and on! Basically to do this in a quick summary:

1.       I am going to reduce my makeup purchasing, minimalize my impulse purchasing and do a bit more research in to products prior to purchasing  to limit the chance of me being disappointed in them or wasting money

2.       I will clean out my makeup, passing on unwanted items to a new home

3.       Focusing on using the products that I have!

4.       Opt for QUALITY over QUANTITY

I assure you my makeup collection isn’t actually that big, but for me I am just starting to find it a little overwhelming I suppose. Also, I don’t want to come across as hypocritical when I post future hauls and all, because I by no means am saying am never buying anymore beauty products, the purchases made will be more thought through and will get used regularly!

I hope this didn’t leave the wrong impression but it probably does seem a bit weird coming from a beauty blogger, buuuut I guess I am a bit of weird beauty blogger (& that’s how I like it)! Please leave your thoughts below, as I would love to read and reply to them all :D

I hope you all are having a lovely weekend!

Ashleigh xo

Chanel Poudre Universelle Compact

Natural Finish Pressed Powder in 20 Clare – Translucent 1

Hey there! I’m going to be completely honest with you here and admit, I was conned into buying this product initially for the brand (consumerism at its finest). It is definitely one of the most expensive single products of my makeup collection but, I justified the expensive price tag by ensuring it was a staple makeup item that I would definitely get daily use of (plus it’s Chanel!)

 Pros: Let’s just get this out of the way, the packaging is gorgeous. It is timeless, chic but at the same time very practical. It comes with a mirror that covers the entire inner face and (before I used it) the printed ‘CHANEL’ in the actual powder was a very luxurious touch. The product itself is very good; in terms of a translucent powder it doesn’t leave the face chalky or looking very flat. It is very finely milled, as you would expect, so it applies easily and evenly to the skin. It is great at controlling shine and has a commendable lasting power. You also get a fairly reasonable amount of product in the pan, having a net weight of 15g (in terms of a reference a MAC Mineralised Skin Finish Natural is only 10g)

Cons: The most obvious con and possibly the only one would have to be the hefty price tag. There a million and one powders on the market that do the same job as this product for a fraction of the price. I don’t exactly believe that it was worth the money but at the same time I don’t regret buying it as it was a very luxurious  product that I know I will use. This may seem obvious but it might be worth mentioning that as this is a translucent powder it doesn’t provide any coverage.

The Verdict: If you are looking to buy a good translucent powder and have the cash to spend then I would recommend this one, or if you are looking for a versatile Chanel product that you will definitely use then this would be a commendable choice. On the other hand, you could definitely save yourself a few dollars and buy a cheaper setting powder and put the extra change away for a rainy day. This really isn’t a must-have product and I don’t see myself repurchasing it in the future but all in all, it does its job very well and I am a sucker when it comes to Chanel! 

Ashleigh xo

Another Little Drugstore Haul

 Hey there! Let's face it, it was inevitable this was going to happen, I even foreshadowed it in my previous haul. The sales were just too good for me to resist and before I knew it I found myself back through the Chemist Warehouse doors trying to juggle these products to the counter- did I mention it was 50% off all cosmetics?

Unfortunately somehow I've already managed to misplace the receipt so unfortunately I won't be able to give you the prices exactly, but I'll give you the rough amount. 

Revlon Colorstay Nail Polish in 300 ‘ Bare Bones’ – the name give a pretty good indication of the colour, it is a very light mushroom/off white colour. I've been on the hunt for a colour like this for quite sometime and when Estée aka Essiebutton (I'm her biggest fan) mentioned this in one of her videos a just knew I had to get it! Sale Price: AU$8-ish

Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Velvet - this was definitely an impulse buy, but I've used these lip balms before and really liked it. Sale Price: AU$1.50-ish

Maybelline Color Tattoo in 05 Too Cool- these crème eye shadows/bases are very versatile and really do stay put all day (maybe not 24hrs as it claim but still...) I own a couple others but I wanted one that I can used on more of a regular basis, and this icy white could definitely be used as a brow bone highlight or as a bases for an array of eye shadows. Sale Price AU$4-ish

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant- I will just tell you right now that the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream original is a miracle worker and I do often used it on my chapped lips when they are at their worst. This little tin will be more convenient for when I'm out and about so I'm sure I'll get plenty of use of it. Sale Price AU$5.00 

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Lovesick- I've heard plenty of people recommend these little beauties so I thought I should just give them a try. Sale Price AU$8-ish

Maybelline Dream LUMItouch Highlighting Concealer in 002 Nude- I've been looking for something to brighten up my under eye area and Zoe aka Zoella gave this little product a lot of praise, so I'll test it out and hopefully it does the job! Sale Price AU$4-ish

Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eye Pen in 01 Blackest Black- This was the most expensive product of this shopping trip but I have been meaning to try out some new liquid eyeliners, I wanted one with a greater staying power and with a bit more precision. This one seems to tick all the boxes and I am excited to try it out. Sale Price AU$15-ish 

(Left to Right) Revlon Balm Stain in Lovesick, Revlon Liquid Eye Pen, Maybelline LUMItouch Highlighting Concealer, Maybelline Color Tattoo in Too Cool

That is aaaall (for now), but please let me know in the comments what are your favourite drugstore products? 

Ashleigh xo

What I Got For Christmas 2012!

Hey There! I hope you all had yourselves a very merry Christmas. I just wanted to share a few beauty related gifts I received over the festive season. I have already tried out all of the products (because I’m way too impatient & couldn’t resist) and so far I am more than happy with all of them. In saying that, before I do broadcast a review on any of these products I will definitely need to get more use out of them to get a thorough and accurate opinion. Without further ado; here are the gifts along with a quick blurb that came with the products:

The Benefit ‘Perk Up And Away!’ Gift Set:

Posietint (Full Size 12.5mL) – A poppy-pink tinted lip & cheek stain

Dandelion (Full Size 7.0g) – A brightening face powder

Watt’s Up! (Full Size 9.4g) – A soft focus face highlighter

The Porefessional (Tester  7.5mL) – Pro balm to minimise the appearance of pores

MAC Lip Pencil in ‘REDD’

Bobbi Brown Corrector in ‘Light to Medium Bisque’

Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector for Combination to Oily Skin in ‘Medium’ (40mL)

(From Left to Right) Garnier BB Creme 'Medium', Bobbi Brown Corrector 'Light to Medium Bisque', Benefit Watts Up!, MAC 'Redd', Benefit 'Dandelion', Benefit Posietint

Taylor Swift ‘Enchanted Wonderstruck’ (100mL) – Containing notes of wild berries, pink poppies and passion fruit as well as white musk, vanilla and blonde woods.

Chanel ‘No. 5’ (100mL) – Containing notes of aldehydes, ylang-ylang, jasmine, bergamot and musk, although this perfume is incredibly hard to pinpoint an exact description as it is just a classic

Marc Jacobs ‘Daisy Eau So Fresh’ (Travel Size 20mL + 15mL Refill) – Containing notes of grapefruit, berry, pear, litchi and green notes

(From Left to Right) Taylor Swift Wonder Struck Enchanted, Chanel No5, Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh

I was so overwhelmed with all of these gifts and I can tell you they made me one very happy girl! I was probably most excited about receiving the Chanel No. 5 perfume as it is just gorgeous and I was very upset when my last bottle ran out, as well as the Garnier BB Cream, the Bobbi Brown Corrector and the Benefit Watt’s Up!

Please comment down below and tell me what your favourite Christmas gifts this year, I would love to hear from you! 

 Ashleigh xo