BYS Blush Trios - Budget-friendly and Packing Punch

These days, you don't have to spend a fortune to find good cosmetics - whether they be in terms of quality, colour selection or staying power, the competition at the lower end of the market is heating up and you definitely can find value for money if you know where to look (and thankfully they are not too hard to find either!).

One such product comes from BYS. Their latest release is a collection of blush trios and being a sucker for palettes, I thought I'd give them a try.

My previous foray with BYS until this week have only been their nail polishes. I've now discovered that they has reformulated and revamped many of their makeup offering and have a full line of cosmetics ranging from foundation to blushes, lipsticks, eye shadows and liners.

BYS Blush Trios

There are four trios in this collection. From top to bottom L-R: Coral Me in for a coral pink/red based trio, Endless Summer a peachy pink collection, On the brightside, a collection of vibrant pinks and Heart Skipped a Beat for some dusty pale pink and lilac shades.

The one that landed on my desk to swatch for you today is is the bright and vibrant palette aptly called "On the Brightside".

First up, I have to say I adore the shades of this palette, they are beautiful bright colours that are perfect for making cheeks pop. On the left of the palette is a berry pink with micro shimmer that looks beautiful on its own and gives skin a glowy sheen. The middle shade is a matte hot pink and the right shade a cooler matte pink. Blended, the three shades come together nicely to create a pretty warm pink shade that gives skin a healthy sheen (left swatch below).

BYS Blush Trio- On the Bright Side: blended, shades from palette L-R on NC30 skin in natural light

The packaging is a sturdy albeit thin black plastic case with a clear top window to show the colours underneath. Inside sits three large (and I mean LARGE) colour rectangles in your chosen colour palette (you won't be running out on these for a very long time let me tell you!). These trios don't come with a travel brush but isn't missed as most included brushes are pretty useless and thrown out by me anyway.

Texture wise, the shimmery berry pink was very creamy whilst the matte shades were more powdery but are not too crumbly and easily picked up by a soft and dense long hair makeup brush (I use white goat hair brushes for my blushes and my favourite is the MAC 168 contour blush brush). Blending and layering of the colours was a cinch and helped to correct any accidental mistakes of over colouring cheeks.

 The pigmentation is amazing - all three shades deposit good colour with a single sweep over cheeks and you definitely need to be light-handed to avoid looking too like a tart rather than a naturally flushed goddess.

These blushes are also very lasting - I had them on my cheeks in the morning and at the end of the day in the office, the colours are still going strong!  I'm definitely impressed by these BYS blush trios. They are easily truly stand up well against pricier products on the market.

The colour offerings are all very versatile and will take you from morning to night without the need to touch up (unless you want to strengthen the colours at night). At the price of $6.95 per trio palette, you can afford to collect them all!

Stay tuned for the next post where I do a look using entirely budget-friendly products.

BYS Blush Trio 8gm - RRP $6.95 each from K-Mart, selected pharmacies, Ice Accesories, Cosmetics Plus or online at FashionAddict

Review: Estee Lauder Sea Star Bronzing Blush

It’s summer in Australia and that means lots of sun and warm days. And even though I stay away from the sun as much as possible (hello premature aging and sunspots?) and go to lengths to hat up and wear longer sleeve linen tops when out in the full sun, I do want a bit of that sun-kissed look.

And this can made easier with little dusting of bronzers that safely give you that glowing colour. My current favourite has been a compact recently released by Estee Lauder for their Summer 2011 Bronze Soleil collection.

Estee Lauder Sea Star Bronzing Blush

This isn't so much a true bronzer as a highlighting blush with a hint of bronze and the very reason why I love it more than the plethora of bronzers out there; the bronzing blushes still give you the sun-kissed look with a more pink natural but isn't too too stark or contrasting against skin, especially if you've been heavy handed.

This bronze coloured compact is big but isn’t bulky as it’s quite slimline so it's quite easy to slip into the makeup bag for on-the-go use and touch-ups.

The product inside is as pretty as a picture - a ripple-look of sandy bronze to depict the sandy shores and a pink starfish with a plum-pink overspray highlight off the side of the compact. I had trouble using the product the first time because I hate ruining the overspray from the starfish when you wipe across it.

Shade-wise, the beige bronze has micronised gold particles and on it’s own is a great illuminator just gives me the highlighted look on temples, across the bridge of nose and along the cheekbones.

The pink starfish also has micronized gold particles and is a light warm pink that just lights the cheeks up with a healthy glow.

Mixed together, it looks its best and gives a warm peachy pink with a golden glow under the sun.

And as to be expected, the pigments is finely milled and colour payoff is outstanding, lasting all day long with a soft and feather-light texture against skin.

in natural light on NC30 skin, no flash

Lilpil Says: A go-to summer bronzer blush for a radiant glow that looks good in every light, day or night.

RRP A$75 online and at Estee Lauder counters now. It is a limited edition so catch it whilst it’s still available this summer.

This featured product was provided for consideration.

Becca Lip & Cheek Crèmes: Tuberose, Geranium, Rosebud

Today I have a review on another crème based product. This time it's a lip & cheek crème from Becca, an Aussie owned cosmetic icon founded by make-up artist Rebecca Morrice.

Becca aims to create flawless natural looks for every women regardless of their age or ethnicity - from the fairest to the darkest complexions and impressively carries 34 concealer and 30 foundation shades in its line up to match every skin colour!

Becca Lip & Cheek Creme - 3g 

L-R: Rosebud, Tuberose, Geranium

I tried my first Becca lip & cheek crème over a year ago and have been a fan of them ever since.

The first thing you'll notice when you see these is how small in size they are, the compact is about double the size of a 20-cent piece and doesn't look like there's much content inside. The mirrored compact is encased in a brown rubberised exterior with a stainless steel disc with the Becca name imprinted on it. 

In natural light

• A dense creamy texture and highly pigmented, each swipe is quite strong in colour. You really need to dot very sparingly if using fingers on brighter colours to avoid looking too flushed. Thankfully they are incredibly easy to blend so even if you do end up with too much colour, it can easily be toned down.
• Has a smooth creamy consistency and is easy blending  - a must if cream blushes are to give natural finishes. And these one tick all the boxes as it achieve looks just like you own natural flush because there is no sheen or shimmer in the finish, just beautiful flattering colour. 
• I love using a synthetic cheek brush (MAC 192 cheek brush which is  very similar to a large concealer brush) to apply this to cheeks because it's even easier to blend the product into skin. 
• Lasting-power wise, they easily survived the 8-hour day and more. I have to admit these beat Illamasqua by a couple of hours. My cheeks still look flushed and freshly applied even at night so those who find cream blushes doing the disappearing act will love these becca blushes. 
• As a lip tint, I found the creamy formula quite sheer on my brownish tone lips and shows up my dry bits as well as drying them out after an hour. Besides, it seems quite wasteful to use what little bit of it (only 3g of goodness here in each compact) as a lip product as you use more per application for lips than cheeks.

The Shades

• Rosebud is a soft ballet pink. It reminds me of the budding cherry blossom flowers that are starting to bloom on the streets as we head into spring. This looks like a natural flush of pink on fairer skin and gives just a slight hint of colour for warmer complexions for the barely there look.  
• Tuberose is my favourite shade of the three and I wore it everyday for almost a month last summer. It is a coral pink shade that is universally flattering on all skin tones. 
• Geranium is a rich brick red shade. Scary on the pan and it can be too bright on cheeks on fairer skins so only dab the tiniest amount for use as a little goes a long way. This shows up well on the deepest skintone and on me, looks like I'm flushed with fever if I'm not light-handed enough.

Tuberose immediately reminds me of Illamasquas Dixie and so I decided to do a side-by-side comparison below.

Dixie and Tuberose.

In the pan they look very similar save for the difference in texture. When swatched you can see that Dixie is sheerer due to the gel finish with a slight sheen, and tuberose has a more pink base. But when worn on the face, one could be mistaken as they are very similar in shade and tone once blended out.

Becca's lip & cheek crème  is a real winner as a cheek product but is no dice as a lip colour - they should be renamed to just cheek crèmes as the formula is amazing on cheeks and one of the best I've ever tried. 

Have you tried any products from Becca before? What are your favourites?

RRP A$46 at selected David Jones stores, selected chemists and AdoreBeauty online. Check here for your nearest stocklist.

If you are in Melbourne, Zuza in Melbourne Central currently have 50% off all their Becca products so pick them up for a steal. 

Illamasqua Cream Blushers: Seduce, Rude & Dixie

I've been a little obsessed with blushers lately and have been wanting to find the right shade to convey my mood in this chilly winter weather. My lovely enabling friends, Maddy, Jess and Tine over at twitter tweeted on and on about Illamasqu's cream blushers last month and they have on my wishlist ever since.

So when I finally had a chance to try them out, I knew I would not be dissapointed.

Illamasqua Cream Blusher

L-R: Rude, Seduce, Dixie

Now Illamasqua is known for their superior pigmentation, amazing quality and performance and these cream blushers are no exception. In fact they probably rank right up there with Becca (review on those soon here) and NARS.

• Love the sturdy, albeit slightly bulky curved packaging of the product and the clear window from the top lets you easily see the colour inside which speeds up the shade selection process when you need to dig around your makeup stash. 
• Has a beautiful texture - non-sticky or tacky, it's thin, almost gel-like feel that goes on like a dream and blends very easily with fingers. It's slightly oily to the touch at the start but once blended out, that oily feeling disappears. 
• The colours can look scary in the pan and swipes opaquely but fear not because of the texture, it blends out rather sheerly for buildable colour and with its dewy finish, will give you that natural lit from within pop of colour all day long. 
• You wont find any glitter or shimmer here, it's just glorious pure matte pigments. 
• Did I mention the staying power already? amazing for a cream blush stays put all day long. It also smells faintly of sweet biscuits in the pan but not detectable when applied to skin. 
• Now fingers works well for 95% of the situations but if you want to take it up to the next level, a cream blush brush will make it 100% fool-proof. I used the MAC cream blush brush #192 (a flat synthetic mid size brush with stiff long bristles - will have to try it with a concealer brush which is softer to see if it gives the same beautiful results) 
• These can also work as lip colours - just swipe and lightly pat over conditioned lips for a lush tinted look. It is lightweight enough and I didn't experience any feathering with it. 

Dixie - A red tone rose pink that resembles that natural flush on my cheeks and is the perfect winter time shade. This is the lit from within pink on my NC30 skin. The shade is very universal and would flatter all skintones. It also comes up as a nude pink colour on my medium pigmented lips.

Seduce - A neutral medium plum raspberry/rose that comes up as a natural stunner on cheeks and universally flatter all skintones.

Rude - A corally pink that adds a fresh pop of colour would make the perfect Spring shade or any time you want to brighten up the face.

Top-bottom: Unblended, blended (flash lighting)

ingredients listing

Have you tried any of Illamasqua's blushers yet? What colours are your favourite?

PRP A$42 | US$26 for 4g (that will last you forever with these babies)
Available at Illamasqua counters in selected Myer stores or in limited colours selections at Myer Online.
This product was provided for consideration.

Review: NARS Blush Duo in Albatross & Torrid

I'm very late to the NARS bandwagon I must admit.
I've always admired their products from afar and have picked up their makeup tools (namely their amazing eye brushes such as the #12, #13, #14 and #15 brushes) but haven't really ventured into their makeup other than with their iconic NARS Laguna bronzer.

That said, it was only time before I would eventually dip my fingers into their cult favourites that are raved about by thousands across the world. Today I'm doing a review and swatch on a NARS blush duo (so I can kill 2 birds blush with 1 stone review, so to speak).

NARS Duo - Albatross & Torrid

• This is is blush and highlight powder in one handy compact. The product is encased in a rubbery-texture case that makes it prone to picking up dust and hard to keep clean, all of which I'm not a real fan of, but hey it's signature NARS packaging and I doubt it will change anytime too soon.

See how dirty the case gets?

• Torrid is described by NARS as a coral shade with shimmer. To me, it was a medium coral peach colour with fine golder flecks of shimmer that creates a glow on skin and would sit very well with warm or cool skintones by adjusting the amount of colour applied onto skin. 
• Albatross is a pale golden sheen that can be used to highlight cheeks, brow bones, the bridge of nose and any other part of your body really  - it can look slightly frosty if you are heavy handed, but extra blending work with a small brush will diffuse the frosty look. This looks amazing 30 minutess after application when the product has settled on the skin - it gives it a soft ethereal glow to any skin tone. 
• NARS formula as you would expect is amazingly fine and pigmented, the powder just melts and fuses with skin within a few strokes with a blush brush (I use the MAC 131 duo fibre brush or the Bobbi Brown blush brush). This blush set will not give you blotchy results and if it does, you are doing something very wrong. 
• Lasting power is pretty good on my combination skin but it does fade slowly in the afternoons and a touch up is required if I was heading out after works. 
• both powders come in 5g pans and will last you a long time even with everyday use as a little goes a long way. I say this could easily last me years since I like changing blush shades regularly. 

Swatched on NC30-35 skin

Two of NARS much hyped and loved colours have been combined into a single compact, I can't see how you can go wrong with this limited edition duo.

RRP A$85 at Mecca Cosmetica or US$40 at Sephora (they may be out of stock but it is currently available at Stawberrynet for US$39 with free shipping).  

iNouvi D36 Cheek Colour Swatches Part 2

So here's the highly anticipated final batch of the iNouvi blusher swatches.

colours are not as dark/bright in real life in the pan as the photo suggests

swatched using a brush on NC30 skin

swatched using a brush on NC30 skin

My top colour picks

• entice (a fine shimmery deep peachy pink)
• mink (a cooler brown than sandal - great for contouring or as a bronzer)
• berry (bright pink with hint of peach)
• aura (light beige pink with simmer for highlighting)
• dusk (matte coral/red shade)

I hope you enjoy these swatches. If you have any questions, just ask away.

Be sure to also check part 1 of the blush swatches here.

iNouvi D36 Cheek Colour Swatches Part 1

Here are the blushers I picked up from my iNouvi haul.

blush in Entice with Ingredients on box

First Impressions

• wasteful clear plastic dome shaped packaging - these will need to be depotted when I find the time. 
• most are lovely matte shades - perfect for muted looks. 
• other colours have fine shimmer particles that would brighten skin & not cause freaky shimmer city and can be easily buffed away for a more polished look. 
• finely milled and silky texture makes it easy to build up to required depth of colour.
• don't be scared off by the pigmented colours on the pan, it applies quite sheer for soft natural looks. 

applied with a brush on NC30 skin

applied with a brush on NC30 skin

My top picks from this batch

• sandal (matte brown/bronze that is great as a bronzer)
• clay (warm beige with hint of peach that would be great as a contour powder for lighter skintones)
• pink (natural flushed pink hue)
• future (muted rose pink)
• blush (cooler tone rose pink)
• lumina (shimmery beige highlight) 
• dolly (bright coral red)

Check out here for the last batch of the blusher swatches. 
Be sure to also check out the iNouvi lipstick swatches : -)

Review: MAC Petticoat mineralize skin finish (MSF)

MAC In the Groove collection was released in Australia on Monday 07/26 but I wasn't even aware until Wednesday, by which time, the coveted Stereo Rose MSF (that's mineralise skin finish for those not accustomed to acronyms) was sold out nation wide (I was told later that it sold out in David Jones and Myer Melbourne by Monday lunchtime and nationally by Tuesday lunchtime - I had no chance of picking one up really).

So as consolation, I picked up Petticoat MSF to take home with me.

Petticoat is essentially a light rosy pink shimmer powder with burgandy, bronze and gold veining running through. Application wise, depending on whether your powder has alot more veining of a particular colour, you can get a few shades from this one product (talk about versatility). Below are 3 swatches of the product: the typical blended colour, another where I picked up more of the burgundy/bronze pigment and the third where I mainly picked up on the rosy pink shimmer colour. 

 Petticoat blended, more bronze veining, more pink powder on NC30 skin

 
On skin: as a blush, I find Petticoat overly shimmery/frosty on my skin and accentuated all my pores and skin imperfections (as do all other MSFs). Layered on top of other matte peach blush or bronzers with a light hand using a duo fibre brush (eg. MAC 187 or 131 brush), it gives the right amount of glow and gives me that radiant awake look, especially after an hour or so when it has settled down on the skin - perfect for hiding the fact I didn't get enough sleep the night before.

I didn't initially love the colour, but have fallen head over heels with it over the last few days after figuring out how to layer with it  other blushes so I will definitely be giving it plenty more of my love.

In the Groove have quite a few pretty items in the collection, so I may go back to pick up a few items later, namely New vibe duo blush and By Candlelight MSF.  If you haven't checked it out yourself - run, don't walk to a MAC counter as the popular items are selling fast (I heard that the Jazzed Lipstick is going out like hotcakes and almost sold out as well).

Rating: 8.5/10 RRP A$46/ US$28

Review: Scott Barnes Posh Blush Palette

Scott Barnes is one of those inspiring makeup artist who started life in New York as a fashion photographer and quickly moved into makeup artistry. He is famous for making J.Lo look amazing by creating the signature "lit from within" glow look.  He launched his own cosmetics lines and his items have been coveted by celebrities and fashionistas alike for their versatility and wearability from catwalk to work.


So when I recently saw a palette from him available for sale online, I was just too curious to pass it up especially since I love blush. More so when they are in any shades of pink or peach.

The Chic Palette in Posh is a trio of 3 pink hued blushes that are meant to work together to give you the sculpted look. In the pan these pinks look mightly bright and scary. Thankfully they are quite sheer in making is goof-proof so you cannot over-apply.

The contour shade is a cotton pink colour that is a little too cool on my skin. The blush colour is a medium pink with a hint of peach which is just gorgeous.

The 3rd colour is highlight is a shimmery pale pink that would serve as a great highlight for face or eyes.  Both contour and blush shade are a sheen finish and sit beautifully on the skin while the highlight colour is slightly chalky in texture and I find looks best when applied with a duo fibre brush. This blush did give me the lit from within glow when I lightly built it up using the aformentioned brush. I'm really loving the look and have been using this blush this week.

The generous pan sizes are quite large and the sleek slimline packaging makes it easy to throw into any makeup case without taking up too much space. Whilst I like all 3 colours, the cotton pink and highlight are slightly too cool on my skin and I would only use the mid-tone pinky peach blush colour with only one of the other colours on my cheeks, and not all three at once in any of my looks.


Rating: 8/10 (They would have received a higher rating if I could use all 3 colours all at once)