Maybelline: One By One Volum’ Express Mascara Review

One By One Volum’ Express Mascara 

I am going to try my best and make this review a bit short and snappy because I am absolutely overwhelmed with homework/study that I should be doing right now! I bought this mascara back in January I believe (it was featured in my first little drugstore haul), mainly because it was on sale and I knew my well loved 'The Magnum' mascara was slowly reaching the end of its days. (P.S. you can check out a review of that mascara  HERE). I was hoping the One By One mascara would be a good replacement, but unfortunately I was sadly mistaken. I am just going to come right out and say it, I reeeeaally DO NOT recommend this mascara!

 The main reason why I don't like this mascara is because it smudges and flakes worse than anything I have ever used. In it's defence I am used to using waterproof mascara, (until recently I found out how detrimental that is to your lashes) but still the fact that I cant last a day a school without this causing panda eyes is a bit unforgivable. I also don't like that wand (although now I am just getting fussy with personal preference), it does do a great job of separating each individual lash, but the wand is so flimsy and rubbery that it was just annoying and unpleasant to apply. I won't go into too much more detail on the wand, as you can see the shape/size of it in the picture below, But I am sure some people out there really like wands like that, I know some of my friends do. It definitely lengthens the lashes quite well but cannot hold a curl to save it's life! The one thing that I do like about this mascara is that it comes off at night extremely easy, but like I said, it doesn't have great longevity in general. 

Overall I think that there a million and one other mascara options out there in the same price range that do a much better job than this one, (black smudging and flakes under your eyes is never a good look in my books!) I think I might just pass this mascara along to my sister, because I have got a fresh tube of the Maybelline Falsies mascara just waiting to be used! I am usually a fan of Maybelline mascaras, so I was quite surprised with how much I didn't like this one. 

Anywho, thats about all from my end! I hope all is well where ever you may be & have a lovely day!

Ashleigh xo

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

My MAC Eye Shadow Collection

Hey there! This post is pretty self-explanatory, here is my MAC eye shadow collection. I thought I had better get this post up sooner rather than later because I am thinking about depotting all of these bad boys and putting them into a couple of quad palettes. In Australia these retail for $33.00, so they aren't exactly the cheapest eye shadows on the block, but I do highly recommended them particularly for getting neutrals so you know you’ll get your money’s worth of. In saying that, there are plenty of cheaper dupes for these colours; it’s really just up to you.

Top Row, Left to Right:

Honey Lust (Lustre), Naked Lunch (Frost), Brule (Satin), Yogurt (Matte) Crystal Avalanche (Veluxe Pearl)

Bottom Row, Left to Right:

Amber Lights (Frost), Satin Taupe (Frost), Handwritten (Matte²), Woodwinked (Veluxe Pearl) & Cranberry (Frost).  

OUTSIDE NATURAL LIGHTING
Same As Shown in Previous Photo:  Top Row, Left to Right:

Honey Lust , Naked Lunch, Brule, Yogurt, Crystal Avalanche

Bottom Row, Left to Right:

Amber Lights, Satin Taupe, Handwritten, Woodwinked & Cranberry  

INSIDE NATURAL LIGHTING

My favourite finish of eye shadow would definitely have to be Veluxe Pearl, they are just so soft and velvet-y, but unfortunately they don’t have a wide colour range in that finish so the next best thing would have to be the frosts in my opinion. My least favourite eye shadow I own would definitely have to be Cranberry, even though it is absolutely stunning in the pan, it really doesn't suit me (something I should have thought about before I bought it).

Below is a picture of my four favourite eye shadows. From left to right they are:

Naked Lunch, Woodwinked, Satin Taupe & Brule

From Left to Right: Naked Lunch, Woodwinked, Satin Taupe & Brule

Fun Fact: The First ever MAC eye shadow I bought was when Brule when I was 14! I chose it because I was so overwhelmed with all the colours and I thought a highly reecommened  neutral was the best way to go!

What was the first MAC eyeshadow you purchased?

Ashleigh xo

Cyber MAC Lipstick Swatch

Hey there! I am so excited because this bad boy finally came in the mail today...

It's MAC's gorgeous lipstick in CYBER, which I have been lusting over for quite sometime now, but everytime I went to my MAC counter they had been sold out! Due to my impatience I gave in and ordered it online!

Its described as a 'deep, dark, reddened purple' so it definitely gives of the 'dark-purple-almost-black' vibe. It has a satin finished, so it isn't drying on the lips, but in saying that, it will transfer whilst eating/drinking. It has a lasting great lasting power (up to 3+ hours) and fades evenly, so it won't go all gross and patchy as some lipsticks do.

Below is a swatch of the lipstick when it is applied lightly & smudged out (right) and also when it is applied thickly (right). 

As you can see it is an exceptionally well pigmented lipstick and I understand if this isn't particularly everyone's cup of tea. Personally I adore this lipstick and I can't wait to wear it out, but I may need to reserve it for the colder months or for certain nights out! I find that it needs to applied with a lip brush (I use the detail brush from Real Techniques) for the cleanest application. I'm sure I'll feature this in an upcoming Face Of The Day, so you'll be able to see what it looks like on the actual lips!

I'm slowly starting to build up my lipstick collection, so if you have any recommendations please leave them down below! I hope you are all having a great week!

Ashleigh xo

January Favourites

Hey there! This is pretty much self explanatory but basically these are the eight products/tools that I have been using non stop throughout the month of January. I would like to apologise in advance for the dodgy-ness of the photos, I tried my best and took these photos a couple of times, but the sun just didn't want to come out. I try not to use flash usually, but i guess this is the exception. 

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfecter BB Cream for Oily Skin

As some of you may know I received this BB cream for Christmas and it’s basically the only thing I’ve worn on my face since. Unfortunately I came to the realisation that the medium is too dark for me so I’ve gone out and purchased the light/clair shade as well, so now I can mix the two and get the perfect shade. In a nutshell; this BB crème is amazing, it has good coverage, leaves a nice dewy look to the skin (which you can always powder), reduces you pore size and has agents that work to reduce and heal blemishes. So unlike wearing a foundation that will often cause you to get more pimples or worsen your acne, this will do the opposite and reduce their appearance both short term (through the coverage of the cream) and long term (the working agents). I’ll definitely be doing full review on this in the very near future, so stay tuned!

Neutrogena Rapid Clear Blackhead Eliminating Daily Scrub

I am absolutely in LOVE with this facial scrub. I've always had trouble with blackheads but have never found a great face wash specifically targeted for them. I'm not saying this has removed every blackhead from my face, but it definitely has been a huge help in reducing their prevalence and overall I've had less breakouts this month.  It has small orange exfoliating beads that leave you skin feeling zesty and fresh which I love, but they aren't too harsh so you can use it on a daily basis. I would only recommend this for those with normal or oily skin, because it may be a bit drying for some. 

The Magnum Volum’ Express Waterproof Mascara

Basically this is the perfect summer mascara. It lengthen an curls your lashes well, but isn’t too dramatic so you can wear it every day. It is also waterproof so it won’t sweat off in the hot sun nor is there any fallout or flakiness. I have a full review HERE if you are interested.

Cosmetica Manicare Rounded Blending Brush

I'm sorry that I won't stop banging on about this brush, but I do love it. I use it everyday under my eyes to blend out my Bobbi Brown Corrector and it works a treat. If you want to know any more about this brush its all in my everyday face brushes post HERE, but I do highly recommend this brush!

MAC Powder Blush in Fleur Power

As you can see this has been a very well loved product! It is the perfect dusty rose blush for my skin tone and is a little bit muted so I can wear it every day and it will go with anything. I've only had this for a year so the fact that I have hit pan that much already, goes to show how much I really do love it. I think it is a great basic blush for any collection and I'll be quite sad when I finally use it all up. 

MAC Eyeshadow in Naked Lunch

This isn’t just a January favourite; this is an every day, every night, all year round favourite. It’s basically just a beautiful light champagne colour and I absolutely adore it. Naked Lunch is so fuss free and looks great with a nice light matte brown in the crease during the day or something more dramatic like MAC’s Satin Taupe at night. I must say this colour is fairly similar to Sin out of Urban Decay’s Naked palate, so you probably don’t need both, but this is definitely my most worn eye shadow.

Carmex Classic Lip Balm
I'm not too sure where I would be in life if I didn't have this little pot of gold. Its perfect for the hot (over forty degrees Celsius) weather we've had this past month and is the remedy to any chapped lip. It goes with me everywhere so its a little battered on the outside but it still works like a gem!

Rimmel London Kate Moss Lipstick in #16 

I recently purchased this lipstick in my recent drugstore haul which you can check out HERE if you are interested. I have worn this non stop; to work, out shopping, to two birthday parties and a few gatherings... I just can't get enough of it. It is a bright pinky coral and has a great lasting finish, this has definitely been my summer obsession.

Left to Right: MAC Blush in Fleur Power, MAC eye shadow in Naked Lunch, Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick in #16

I hope you all had a lovely January, unfortunately it means now my summer is slowly coming to an end and I'm back at school! Anywho, enough from me, what have your favourite products been this January?

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