For years I was devoted to kohl pencils and when I tried making the transition to liquid I could never quite get the hang of it and I had so many complaints; too watery, not waterproof, not pigmented enough, stung my eyes, hard to use, oh I could go on for days. Now a few years later I’ve stopped hating on liquid and actually find myself reaching for it over gel.  Which liquid liner stopped me hating them you ask? The Australis Curve Ink Liquid Liner was to blame but my true love affair with liquid liner came about when I tried the Physicians Formula 2 in 1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum AKA my favourite liquid liner.

Physicians Formula 2 in 1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum Packaging

The packaging of this is streamlined and easy to use. It isn’t bulky which means you can get a good thin line. The lid does have a “spring” kind of closure which some people may find annoying but it means the cap goes on nice and tight but is still easy to remove. I didn’t have any problems with the applicator drying out but I know some people have.

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If I were to rename this foundation it would be called “The Best Foundation For Dry Skin, Ever” This foundation is my favourite, yes you read me right my favourite and holy grail foundation, if I need my makeup to look great 99.9% of the time I’ll be wearing this; so I thought it was finally time I wrote a review.

Bobbi Brown Luminous Moisturizing Foundation

The packaging isn’t terrible but it isn’t amazing either. I prefer it over some other foundation bottles as I can see how much product I have left but it lacks one of the main features I like in my liquid foundations: a pump. You only need the smallest amount of this foundation so by using the “pouring” method you end up dispensing far, far, far too much product. If this came with a pump it would be so much better, the MAC pumps however do fit the Bobbi Brown bottles so it is a good idea to purchase one as in the long run it’ll save you more money as you use less products.

This foundation gives the perfect amount of coverage, I’d class it as medium but it is easily build-able. It hides redness, minor breakouts and discolouration well without being the slightest bit cakey. It looks (and feels) super natural on and blends into the skin with ease rather than sitting on-top of it and looking like a mask. If I want to I can skip concealer with this foundation because it gives enough coverage but I l still like to conceal my breakouts and dark circles.

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In Australia it is no secret that makeup is expensive, very expensive. Want a foundation from a brand like Revlon or L’Oreal? You are looking at anywhere between $30 to $50 and high end brands go for up to a hundred!  So when a good deal comes out full of great products for a great pass I can never pass it up. I bring you the Adore Beauty Best of the Best Samplers.  If you aren’t an Aussie don’t fret and think this post isn’t relevant to you because it contains mini reviews on all the products, most of which are available globally.

Adore Beauty Best of the Best Makeup & Skincare Sampler. For $34.95 you get Benefit They’re Real! mascara 3g, Napoleon Perdis Auto Pilot Pre-Foundation primer 15ml, St Tropez Skin Illuminator 30ml (full size),  theBalm Hot Mama! 1g  Bioderma Crealine 20ml, Lanolips Rose Balm Intense for Very Dry hands 25ml,  Philosophy Purity Cleanser 30ml.

Benefit They’re Real!

My second favourite mascara (and believe me I’ve got a lot of them!) this gives you great length and great volume. I’ve been asked whether I’m wearing false lashes whilst I’m wearing this, which to me says great mascara! My only issue is that it is a little clumpy, but I can live with that as the positives far outweigh the negatives.

Napoleon Perdis Auto pilot Pre-foundation Primer

This is kind of an Aussie cult favourite. Although Napoleon Perdis is known for using private label cosmetics there is no denying that this (or the Face Of Australia Face Base Primer which contains identical ingredients) works a treat. It is one of the best moisturising and soothing primers I have tried. It almost acts like a moisturiser (if you have oily skin I would say you could just get away with this) so it makes makeup glide on extra smooth and evenly.

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I don’t know about you but I don’t feel like myself if I don’t have some kind of beauty product on my lips, almost like I’m naked. So it only makes sense for me to review one of my favourite, holy grail even lip products. I bring you YSL Glossy Stains or if you wanna be all fancy Yves Saint Laurent ROUGE PUR COUTURE Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stain.

YSL Glossy Stains from left to right: 17 Encre Rose, 13 Rose Tempura

The packaging is true to YSL form. Luxurious, gorgeous and classy. AKA it makes you feel like a million bucks when you use it and you feel like you’re an “it” girl. The clear rectangle on the product allows me to easily see what shade I am using and how much I have got left.

YSL claims these offer “a lightweight texture, which immediately melts onto lips” and that they deliver “intense glossy color for an extremely long-lasting shine” can I stand by those claims? Oh yes I can.

The formula is everything you want in a lip product and it is a perfect hybrid of a gloss, stain and lipstick. Just the right amount of gloss so your lips don’t look dry, just the right amount of stain so that it lasts all day and the perfect amount of lipstick so that the colour looks rich and luxurious. The formula isn’t sticky or drying which means ultra comfortable wear.

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They were the product on everyone’s face, on the pages of every magazine and they were the product that every beauty editor loved and now they’re back! The Revlon Skinlights Illuminators were an avid favourite for beauty lovers across the world and when they got discontinued back in 2007 just about everyone who was a lover bought as many as they could and basically stock piled on them. They were so incredibly popular that they now cost as much as a whopping $170 on ebay. Say hello to the new version, the Revlon PhotoReady Skinlights Illuminators. If you are unsure of how to apply illuminator & what it is make sure to check out the how to guide!

Revlon PhotoReady Skinlights Illuminators from left to right: 400 Bronze Light, 200 Pink Light and 100 Bare Light

Drugstore brands really tend to lack in the illumination department and if you want one you usually have to go the high end route. Whilst a few drugstore brands do them it is always great to have variety.

The shimmer in these is nice, perhaps a little too much shimmer for my liking and not as fine as I would love but it isn’t bad and it still works well at achieving my desired effect. The shimmer catches light perfectly, giving you supermodel looking cheekbones.

Revlon PhotoReady Skinlights Illuminator Swatches from left to right:  400 Bronze Light, 200 Pink Light and 100 Bare Light. Top: unblended, bottom: blended.

What I completely adore about these illuminators is that they come in three shades. Unlike many brands which have a “one shade fits all” theory these come in 400 Bronze Light (great for darker skin tones, much like NARS Laguna Illuminator,  200 Pink Light (beautiful on fair skin, just a touch pinker than Benefit High Beam) and 100 Bare Light (great for all skin-tones, especially medium skin)

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I’m not a lip-gloss fan. Yes you read me right, I don’t like lip-glosses. Give me a gorgeous lipstick, lip stain or tinted lip balm any day over a shiny gloss. I dislike the look most of them give, the fact that they lack pigmentation but mainly that they feel uncomfortable on the lips. When I do stumble across a lip-gloss I don’t hate it is pretty shocking.

The packaging is much like your standard lip-gloss but of course with that gorgeous Dior edge that makes you feel like a million bucks when you use it or pull it out in public. (The packaging kind of makes me think of the 1965 Sitcom I Dream of Jeannie) I generally prefer lip-glosses in squeeze tubes as they are more hygienic but I can deal with that minor flaw.

Dior Addict Gloss from left to right: 643 Diablotine, 433 Dèlice,
553 Princess and 343 Spring Ball.

Dior claims these lip-glosses contain crystalline particles which means that the microbeads in the lip-glosses line up to give the lip-glosses ultimate reflection and make the lips “shine like a mirror” giving them a strong, bold shine. I don’t necessarily think these lip-glosses make my lips shinier than any other lip-gloss. They also claim the lip-glosses contain hyaluronic acid to plump and hydrate the lips. I did notice these hydrated my very sensitive and dry lips really well unlike most lip-glosses which usually leave my lips dry, peeling and irritated. I don’t know about plumping but my lips did look a little larger but that’s probably because of the light reflecting properties.

The recently reformulated lip-glosses now come in 24 shades with three different finishes; sparkling, pearly and pure. Glitter, shimmer and frosty finishes are just a few of the things I don’t like in my lip products. Cream, satin and matte are my preferred option or you can end up looking a little ’80s. The shades that I was sent are from the “Be Iconic” collection they are sparkling finishes and I found them way too glittery for my liking. If glitters not your thing, give the four shades a miss.

Dior Addict Gloss Lip Swatches from left to right: 643 Diablotine (Sparkling Melon Pink) 433 Dèlice (Sparkling Peach) 553 Princess (Sparkling Carnation Pink) and 343 Spring Ball (Sparkling Peachy Pink)

Pigmentation wise, they aren’t going to give you intense colour pay off, in fact they’ll give you barely any colour pay off at all. Most of the shades look identical on the lips so I don’t think there is a need to buy all four. Diablotine has some pigment and colour to it but the rest apply very sheer, which is somewhat disappointing but then again if I wanted a strong pigment I’d go for a lipstick, not a gloss.

The formula is spot on. Not sticky just smooth, creamy and hydrating aka what I look for in a gloss. It doesn’t settle into lip lines or cling onto dry patches (which I have many of) and applies super smooth and evenly. It can be worn alone or over lipstick (if the later you will want to clean the brush after application or it will change the colour of the product)

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Benefit is renowned for their concealers (think Erase Paste and Boi-ing, neither of which I have tried) almost as much as they are for their tints. When I started to see hype building up around the product from the US I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it, so when I was invited to the Benefit Fake Up Launch back in February I got a wee bit excited.

I am super fussy with my concealers so I couldn’t wait to see whether this one would “wow” me. Out of the 50 odd billion concealers I’ve tried I’ve only ever liked three; Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer, Maybelline Fit Me and L’Oreal True Match Stick concealer have been the only ones I have loved.

Benefit makes some pretty big claims with this new baby! They claim it hydrates, feels comfortable, is silky, long lasting, lightweight, crease-proof and that it conceals dark circles. To me that instantly makes me think “Perfect Concealer Alert!” but is it? Let’s uncover the mystery….

Coverage wise, it is a little sheerer than I would like my concealer to be. I like to be able to put it on, tap with my finger tips and be done with it. To fully cover my dark circles with the Fake Up I usually need to apply around 6 layers which is an awful lot, but as it doesn’t turn cakey after so many layers and the end result still looks natural I can live with it.

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L’Oreal Shine Caresse Lip Colour (Australia) L’Oreal Color Caresse Wet Shine Stain (America) L’Oreal GlamShine Stain Splash (England) are all the same product, very confusing I know but L’Oreal have marketed them differently in every country.

These are one of the most hyped up products in the blogosphere and whenever a product gets a lot of hype - I am skeptical. You see; people seem to fall head over heels for new drugstore releases but I always seem to be the one who ends up hating them or thinking that they aren’t as great as they are cracked up to be. Take the Revlon Lip Butters or Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains; sure they are nice but they didn’t exactly make me jump with joy, neither were extraordinary but they weren’t bad either. Since many people claim these are an “exact dupe” for the YSL Glossy Stains I got a little excited, I tried one once and fell in love. They could maybe even be classed as my favourite lip product of all time but the expensive price tag? Not so much.

L’Oreal Color Caresse Wet Shine Stains from left to right: *186 Berry Persistent, 187 Intense Fuchsia, *188 Coral Tattoo, 183 Pink Resistance, 182 Pink Perseverance, *185 Lilac Ever After, 193 Eternally Nude.

The lipstick/gloss hybrid really feels nice on the lips. Silky, smooth, hydrating and soft. Perhaps a bit stickier than the YSL and resemble more of a gloss than a shiny lipstick but it still works and they still feel great on the lips

Generally speaking I am not a fan of glossy lip products. Give me a matte, satin or cream finish any day but not glossy. I have preferred lipstick over glosses for as long as I can remember; but for some reason I actually really love the finish of these. Not gross and tacky looking but healthy and shiny, I feel the finish could be enjoyed by anyone A+

L’Oreal Color Caresse Wet Shine Stain applicators from left to right: *186 Berry Persistent, 187 Intense Fuchsia, *188 Coral Tattoo, 183 Pink Resistance, 182 Pink Perseverance, *185 Lilac Ever After, 193 Eternally Nude.

The packaging really goes above and beyond what I would expect from a drugstore brand. These are sleek and look super luxurious with their rose gold packaging. I also really like the applicator of the product. The small hole in the center means you don’t constantly need to dip the wand back into the product which to me is a plus. Not to mention the “tear drop” shape means you can get a precision application. Overall though I still prefer YSL in terms of the packaging and applicator.

Yucky, plastic smelling lip products aren’t my favourite (are they anyone’s?) so the fact that these smell quite pleasant is great. The scent is in my opinion identical to the YSL Glossy stains (a sort of wine, rich scent) but maybe a touch less strong.

L’Oreal Color Caresse Wet Shine Stain swatches from left to right: *186 Berry Persistent, 187 Intense Fuchsia, *188 Coral Tattoo, 183 Pink Resistance, 182 Pink Perseverance, *185 Lilac Ever After, 193 Eternally Nude.

Pigmentation wise they could be better. The more natural, nude coloured shades are very sheer. The brighter/deeper shades are better but still on the sheer side which to me is a bit disappointing. *There are a total of 12 shades in the range (6 for UK and AUS customers) YSL easily wins again with full pigmentation and a great shade range.

The staying power of these is fantastic. They last around 6+ hours straight, the glossy effect does fade a little and the colour wears down to a stain. After eating the colour goes uneven and removal and re-application is necessary. The longevity of this product unfortunately makes it extremely difficult to remove and has previously made my lips peel and also become sore and irritated. Not good.

My issue with these is how they apply, if you are someone who likes to put on your lip colour in a quick second and then walk out the door I can guarantee that these aren’t for you. They apply really unevenly; the colour is all over the place, bright in one place and sheer in another. You need to apply around 4 good coats so that the uneven colour isn’t so obvious. I have found the key to application with these is that you need to smile whilst you are applying them. Overall I don’t want to spend 10 minutes carefully applying it so that it doesn’t look terrible and YSL easily wins again.

L’Oreal Color Caresse Wet Shine Stain in *186 Berry Persistent on the lips. Note the uneven colour and the very dark patches where the colour has clung onto the dry patches.

Next of all my other gripe is that although these aren’t necessarily drying; they cling onto dry patches on the lips like mad, even ones you didn’t know you had. Even if you exfoliate + apply lip balm before it still manages to find a dry patch to cling to. I am not a fan at all on how they apply and look on the lips so this is the real deal breaker for me.

Whilst there are a few similarities between the YSL Glossy stains and the Shine Caresse glosses they are far from being dupes. The YSL may be more expensive but I would rather pay the hefty price tag for something I know I will use almost every day than something I’m not going to use as often (or at all)

L’Oreal Shine Caresse Lip Colours retail for $23.95 at Priceline, Select Pharmacies and most major department stores in Australia. $10 in the United States (trades under L’Oreal Color Caresse Wet Shine Stain) at most drugstores and £7.99 in the United Kingdom (trades under L’Oreal GlamShine Stain Splash)

*The shades 186 Berry Persistent, 188 Coral Tattoo and 185 Lilac Ever After were sent to me for consideration, other shades were purchased by me. The three shades mentioned trade under Australian and British names: 402 Milady, 200 Princess and Lolita 101. The other shades mentioned are to my knowledge not available on the Australian or British market.

This post contains a product/sample which was sent to me for editorial consideration (products are marked with *) in accordance with my disclosure policy, this does not alter the honesty of this review or the blog, all opinions stated are honest and my own.