BEST OF BEAUTY 2015

Hi everyone!

Welcome back to my blog! Confessions of a Make-Up Addict has been reformed into my beauty diary xo - a new fun project for me to work on and continue what I loved so much about COAMA. There was no huge reason to change my blogs name, seeing as I'm continuing in the same direction. But after last year, I feel like I am in a completely free and less stressed headspace, and I wanted the blog to reflect that, if only that it was just a name change.

I've missed blogging and writing all about beauty - and also missed all you guys! I hope we can continue our fun journey of being beauty addicts and discussing our love for it all together :)

Moving on - my first post of 2016 is all about my favourite products of 2015! After last years favourites, I really narrowed it down this year and kept it 90% products that I discovered last year, with only one rolling on from the previous year. I definitely enjoyed many more products during 2015, but I really want to keep this purely to the products that I felt deserved the spotlight over the year.

Let's get started! Keep reading to see what products I have looooooved this year!

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfecters Pressed (Moonstone, Champagne Pop & Opal)

It goes without saying that 2015 was the year of highlighting, with strobing being all the rage. I definitely bought into this trend way more than it was necessary, but of all highlighters that I own, my Becca highlighters take the cake. I turn to them constantly, they go on beautifully and really just bring that extra somethin' somethin' to your face. The formula is incredibly creamy and silky, and I have never had an issue with chalkiness or chunky powder. 

I own three - Moonstone, Champagne Pop and Opal - and of all of them, Opal is definitely my favourite. Closely followed by Moonstone and Champagne Pop. Opal is a gorgeous beige tone shimmer, Moonstone is a very finely milled white (it's definitely more of a 'glow from within', rather than straight white highligter) and Champagne Pop is a peachy gold tone. I would definitely recommend any of them for any looking for a highlighter that will really bring that glow and luminosity for both day and night.

I brought mine here from Adore Beauty, and Champagne Pop from Sephora US. However, they are now all available from Sephora AU for $58AU (even Champagne Pop woo!)

Maybelline FitMe Dewy & Smooth, BareMinerals Complexion Rescue & Maybelline FitMe Concealer

Yes I know I don't have the packaging of Compleion Rescue - this is all I have left of it :( - but that should tell you just how much I loved it this year. How much I loved all three items this year! 

Maybelline FitMe Dewy & Smooth is 100% my HG drugstore foundation - it is incredible. The formula, the finish, the colour range, lasting power. I love every little single thing about it. I cannot say one bad thing about this foundation, and I highly recommend it for those with drier skin and for those after a luminous finish. 

The FitMe concealer has been a must have for covering any blemishes I've had throughout the year. It does have a little more coverage than the Age Rewind which is nice because it does help to really hide those pesky little spots without making it look cakey and obvious that I am trying to hide them.

The BareMinerals Complexion Rescue is definitely coming up on HG status for me too. I cannot imagine a makeup desk where I can't have this in my reach. It has sheer coverage, but it really helps neutralize my skin and even it out, as well as hydrate and keep it smooth and clear. This was my saving grace in the winter season, and I will be repurchasing once I'm completely out for sure.

Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara & Anastasia Beverly Hills Browiz in Soft Brown

Oooooh the Lash Sensational is absolutely incredible for a drugstore mascara! I am partial to a few drugstore brands for mascaras, though I haven't stuck it out with them for as long as I have with the Lash Sensational. It really helps fan out my lashes, while giving volume and separation and really all the good things you need in a mascara. My only qualm is that it does transfer quite easily, so I do wear a different mascara on my bottom lashes, but I'm not too fussed about that. Not going to stop me buying it again or anything ;)

And the only product to make it to this list from last year, the ABH Browiz in Soft Brown. I have only gone through two this past year, and I use it every single day for my brows. I won't drone on about it - you can click here to read what I love so much about it there :)

MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation, Anastasia Beverly Hills Eyeshadow Single in Morocco & Too Faced Dark Chocolate Soliel Bronzer

I never thought I'd like powder honestly. I have drier skin, that tends to look cakeier the more products that are loaded on it. 2015 was definitely the year where I learned to use less full coverage foundation, and instead for a more flawless complexion, use a light dusting of the Studio Fix powder over top. Again, I can't say enough good things - this powder truly takes my foundation to the next level. With a setting spray, it's even better. I carry this with me all the time and always use it for touch ups!

The ABH eyeshadow in Morocco - uuuugh its the perfect eyeshadow. I use it alllll the time. I use it to line on my lid and under my eyes, blow it out into the crease. It's just beautiful. It its a perfect warm toned red/brown, and it really brings out the honey tones in my own eyes.

And finally, the Too Faced Dark Chocolate Soleil Bronzer has been my go to bronzer especially when I am tanned. Again, it's very warm toned, almost with a red sunburnt undertone, but the formula of the Too Faced Chocolate Soleils are amongst my faves - they blend out so incredibly well and look very natural in my humble opinion. Not to mention they smell like chocolate - its really just a delight to smooth it out into my face.

And that's all I'll be mentioning today! Like I said, there are plenty more products that I really have loved and used all year, however these are the stars of the year if you will. Definitely the stand outs for 2015!

What were you favourites for the year? What are you excited to try in 2016?

Until next time...

xxxx

in between blogging, you can find me here!

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DUPE ALERT: too faced better than sex mascara VS covergirl flamed out masacara

Hey guys!

Today's post will just be a quick little comparison post between two mascaras - one that is one of my all time favourites and the other which is relatively new in my beauty regime, but that I have been loving nonetheless.

I want to take the both of us back to when I first laid my hands on the Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara - not only was the packaging destined to be one of my favourites of all time (#pinklife) but the product inside was incredible. This mascara volumises, seperates and lengthens almost as good as my holiest of holy grail mascaras (Dior Diorshow, holla!), plus its pretty decently priced, even in Australia, for a higher end mascara.

Enter the Covergirl Flamed Out mascara.. When I first got my hands on this, I had heard basically nothing about it. I've only ever tried the Lash Blast mascara before, and let's just say it didn't work out well, so I wasn't sure if I would have a great experience with this. However, upon opening the mascara, I noticed the brush was extremely similar to the Too Faced mascara. After using it for about a week, I was convinced that I had possibly found a very close dupe for the ever coveted Better Than Sex mascara.

But you can judge for yourself..

This is a close up of the brushes. Too Faced Better Than Sex is on the left and Covergirl Flamed Out on the right. You can see just how similar the two wands are - both in an hourglass shape, being thicker at the sides and dipping in at the middle, and both are also bristle brush wands, which I personally prefer.

In terms of formula, at first they were a little different. In saying that though, generally most mascaras I have tried are wet at first and change as they dry out. These mascaras followed the same pattern, and as they dried out they became alot more similar. In the photos below, you can see how similar they both apply:

Covergirl Flamed Out Mascara

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

Too Faced Better Than Sex (left) and Covergirl Flamed Out (right)

You can see with both the mascaras that they add a ton of volume to your lashes and seperate pretty well with minimal clumping. Honestly, if I didn't know myself that there was a different mascara used on each eye, I would just assume that the product used was exactly the same. I will say though, that after wearing them on my eyes like for this for 5+ hours, the ONLY difference I noticed was that the Too Faced mascara smudged under my eyes, whereas Covergirl stayed put. Something to think about..

You can find the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara here at Kit Cosmetics for $31.95AU

You can find the Covergirl Flamed Out Mascara here at Priceline for $14.95AU

Hope you enjoyed the comparison, and maybe found a good alternative mascara to use instead of spending double on another ! ;)

What do you think? Are they similar enough for the Covergirl mascara to be a 'dupe'?

Until next time....

xxxx

in between blogging, you can find me here!

instagram: http://instagram.com/beautybybek

twitter: https://twitter.com/bekaaturner

review: too faced natural eye palette

Hey guys!

It feels like forever since I have actually sat down to do a blog post for you guys! Usually, I do five posts a weeks Monday to Friday, but unfortunately due to university, work and internship commitments, I have little time to photograph and write posts which sucks because I do really miss it. But, until I have more time, I will be sticking to three posts a week - Monday, Wednesday and Friday! This is just because I would rather give you guys three great posts rather than five mediocre ones. Of course, I am nearly always available on my social media networks, which are always linked below at the end of my posts :)

So todays post will be a review on one of my all time favourite palettes. Some of you will know from my earlier posts that I am generally a neutral eye girl - I don't think I wear eyeshadow enough to warrant having one with crazy colours! This is, alongside of my Urban Decay Naked 1, my most used palette. It is just simply perfect for everyday, and is appropriately packaged for travelling as well!

Read on to see swatches and my thoughts on the shades!

I won't lie - I adore all things Too Faced. They are 100% one of my all time favourite brands, and I think they are reasonably priced for a high end brand. They are great quality, and you also get a decent amount of product considering the price you pay. This palette is no different!

Like the majority of their other palettes, it comes with these three cards that give you different ideas for an eye look incorporating the palette. These are great, especially if you are a beginner and are not sure what colours should go with which. 

The shades themselves!

How beautiful do they look.. So gorgeous, you can tell its a neutral eye palette but it also has a little bit of a twist with the shimmery pinks and gold. It's a mix of mattes and shimmers, with the palette focusing on the shimmers this time. The majority of them are opaque and pigmented, but I have to say I was disapointed in one particular shade with how it applied. But aside from that, I am impressed and nearly all shades apply like butter!

And here are the swatches!

First column:

Heaven: A matte white highlight shade. This does take a couple of swipes to build up the colour

Silk Teddy: A shimmery light pink, another highlight colour. Very subtle!

Nude Beach: Seems to be a light pink with pink and silver glitters. I'm a bit disappointed in this shade, as it really only swatches glitter and it fallout goes everywhere!

Middle column:

Velvet Revolver: A very cool toned matte brown, so cool that it's almost grey - a great transition shade

Push Up: A dusty pink shimmery shade

Honey Pot: A gold shimmery shade. This shade and Push Up go on like butter!

Last column:

Sexpresso: A dark cool toned matte brown shade

Erotica: A dark brown shade with gold shimmers

Cocoa Puff: A warmer brown shade with subtle shimmers

I've said it before and I'll say it again - how freakin' amazing is Too Faced! If you are just beginning your makeup journey, this would be your perfect palette. Yes it costs a little more, but its easy to travel with (it's virtually unbreakable), plus it has no scary shades and can be used everyday.

I'm not 100% sure if this version of the palette is still readily available - Too Faced actually re-released this palette this year, and replaced Nude Beach, Velvet Revolver and Cocoa Puff with new different shades. The new shades are still pretty much identical to the ones in this palette though, so I'm not sure of the reasoning behind changing them.

Unfortunately, I can't find it online at the usual Australian stockists (it's temporarily unavailable), and I assume that's because this new version will soon be arriving and taking its place. You can find Too Faced cosmetics here at this website www.kitcosmetics.com.au , and they should hopefully have this palette in stock soon. Their palettes usually range from $50-60AU.

Have you tried this palette? What are your thoughts?

Until next time...

xxxx

in between blogging, you can find me here!

instagram: http://instagram.com/beautybybek

twitter: https://twitter.com/bekaaturner

top five thursday: mascara edition

Hey guys!

Todays edition of Top Five Thursday is going to feature my favourite mascaras! This is a product that I am very guilty of hoarding, I have so many tubes that I switch between on a regular basis. But the five that I'm featuring today are the ones that I always go back to, mainly because they are all exactly what I want in a mascara.

My preferences for my lashes changes depending on what look I want to do. Usually, I prefer my lashes to look full and voluminous, but there is the rare occasion that I will want them to look super long. The five I will be talking about are my favourite voluminous mascaras, as that is generally what I will reach for on a frequent basis.

I'll be keeping this short and sweet, as I have spoken about some of these in previous blog posts. Read on to see what I love about these mascaras!

Products pictured (l-r): Dior Diorshow Mascara, L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara, Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara, Model Co Fibre Lash Extension Mascara

1. Dior Diorshow Mascara

This is the only product in my collection that I am sure is a holy grail for me. To say that it is the best mascara in the world is an understatement - basically, I will always repurchase this no matter now much it costs. I have written a full review on this mascara here, so I won't drone on about it. It is just the best mascara in the world for giving my lashes volume without ever clumping. Seriously, I could put layer upon layer of this on my lashes and it will just keep making them bigger and better. Plus, this wand is amazing. It is huge and grabs every single lash. You can buy it in Australia in select Myer and David Jones Stores for around $51-52AU.

2. L'Oreal Vouminous Million Lashes Mascara 

I have to say, I think that L'Oreal make the best drugstore mascaras. Honestly, I have about five, and there is not one that I do not like. I just really enjoy this one, because like Diorshow it grabs every single lash, and really seperates and thickens at the same time. It has a plastic brush, which I generally don't like, but this doesn't affect my opinion at all. This is just a really fantastic drugstore mascara. I did buy it in the US for $8.99US (from memory), but this is available in Australia at most drugstores like Priceline for $27.95AU.

3. Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

This mascara is amazing, and well priced for a high end mascara. It has an hourglass shaped bristle brush that really curls my lashes up and makes them long, black and voluminous. So impressed with this, especially given that in the US it is cheaper than the majority of drugstore mascaras in Australia. Even here, the price really isn't outrageous. Basically, if you are looking for a high end mascara that isn't going to blow your budget and that is really good for volumising your lashes, look no further! You can find this in Australia at Kit Cosmetics (part of Mecca Cosmetica) for $31.95AU.

4. Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara

Otherwise known as THE BEST drugstore mascara for making my lashes look amazing yet natural at the same time. When I first purchased this, I accidently picked up the brown shade and couldn't be bothered to take it back for exchange - I am so glad I didn't. This is perfect for everyday wear, it just goes with everything and as I said, my lashes always look amazing but never overdone. I featured this in my Spending Ban/Project Pan post, and it really is almost out. But I will be repurchasing this 100%! Again, this is available in most Australian drugstores like Priceline for $24.95AU.

5. Model Co Fibre Lash Extension Mascara

As someone who is scared to use false lashes, I usually look to a fibre extension mascara to give my lashes that 'false lash' effect. This is the best one I have found thus far! I have a review on it here, and I also compared it to the Too Faced Better Than Lashes which is more than half the price and really not as good as this one. To read a more thorough review on this, click through to that link. I just really like this, it gives an amazing amount of volume and really thickens your lashes to the point of almost being falsies. You can buy it in Australia at Woolies for $21.45AU (there's a sale every couple of weeks), but otherwise you can find it here on the Model Co website for $19.95.

And that's it for this weeks edition of Top Five Thursday! Mascara is one of the few items I really couldn't live without, and I love all of these mascaras (plus more) to really make my lashes look amazing.

What are some of your favourite mascaras?

Until next time....

xxxx

click here to read last weeks edition of top five Thursday

in between blogging, you can find me here!

instagram: http://instagram.com/beautybybek

twitter: https://twitter.com/bekaaturner

tutorial: easy chocolate smokey eye

Hey guys!

After yesterday's first impression on the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette (click here to read a overview of the palette and all the shades), I really wanted to do a tutorial to show you the versatility of the shades! At first, I was planning to do a rusty brown smokey eye focusing on the colour Amaretto, but unfortunately the colour didn't quite show up like I expected. So I changed it up, and decided to do a brown smokey eye instead!

The best thing about this look is that you don't really need the exact shades in this palette to get the same look! You can easily grab different warm toned browns and champagnes from other palettes and easily recreate this. Obviously, I did want to try to do something a little different, but sometimes its good to go with what you know and give you guys something that doesn't require too much technique or pricey palettes.

So if you want to know how to get this look, keep on reading ;)

First of all, I look the colour Salted Caramel, which is a lovely, very warm toned brown, and blended this into and above my crease. I love to put transition colours above my crease, as I do have smaller eyes than I would like, and this gives the impression that they are more round and large.

After blending Salted Caramel out, I took the shade Marzipan which is a yellow toned shimmery champagne colour, and put this all over my lid, focusing most of the colour on the inner third. This didn't quite show up as much as I wanted, so later on I did wet my brush with setting spray and went back over the colour to make it more pigmented and intense.

After I did that, I dipped into the colour Amaretto and pressed this into my outer V and up to my crease. Unfortunately, even after going over it a couple of times, the colour really wasn't showing up as I had hoped. To intensify it, I took the colour Semi-Sweet which is a matte deep brown, and pressed it over where I put Amaretto, and also into my crease.

I then took Salted Caramel again on my blending brush and went along the edges so that it softened the look.

And then of course I took my MAC Pro Longwear Concealer and crisped up the egdes. I really get messy with my eyeshadow, so I usually need this step to clean it up so that it looks more put together.

After finishing the rest of my makeup, I touched up the eyes. I wet my brush, and went back in with Marzipan to intensify the colour. I also put this on my inner corners. I also touched up the outer V with Semi-Sweet, and then light pressed Amaretto over the top so it did show some of that rusty brown, and blended it out with Salted Caramel once again. I then put White Chocolate (the matte white highlight colour) and placed this on my browbone.

After those steps, I blended both Salted Caramel and Semi-Sweet under my lash line and tightlined with black eyeliner, lined my waterline with a nude eyeliner and added mascara. I was going to add liquid liner to line my lid and create a little cat eye, but I preferred the soft feel this had to it.

And the look is complete!

As you can see, this really gives the eye definition and opens them up to look big and rounded. You can really wear this look anywhere, as I don't think it's too harsh or dark to be considered a night time look. I would wear it out to coffee, or out on a date with my partner - it is just so super easy and takes no time to create! I teamed it with glowing skin, a soft contour and nude lips, which is my personal preference for an eyeshadow look! But you could easily pair this with a bolder lip and more dramatic contour as the eyes are really smoked out with no harsh colours or edges.

Although I wish I had a different look from this palette for you guys, I know this is something that would suit most skin tones and eye colours. But it does show you how well the colours all work together from this palette, and how seamlessly it all fits together.

If you would like to see a bolder look with this palette, please let me know! I am more than happy to create more looks with this for you, and do something more dramatic!

Products used:
Bourjois Happy Light Primer
Bourjois CC Cream in #32
Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation in #53 Light Beige
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NW20
MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Light
Maybelline Fit Me Shine Free Foundation Stick in 330
Nars Laguna Bronzer
TheBalm's Cindy-Lou Manizer (as blush)
TheBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer (as highlight)
Revlon Colorstay Eyebrown Pencil in Blonde
Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara
Rimmel Kajal Kohl Eyeliner in Black
Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeliner in Nude
Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette - White Chocolate, Salted Caramel, Marzipan, Semi-Sweet & Amaretto
OCC Lip Tar in Hush

Until next time...

xxxx

first impression: too faced chocolate bar palette

Hey guys!

I am so excited to finally bring you today's post. I have literally kept my hands off the shadows in this palette since I received it, as I wanted this to be a true first impression of the shades and their quality. I have only opened and closed it, and let me tell you.. this looks and smells good enough to eat. Without further ado, let me introduce to you today's blogpost and highly anticipated first impression...

The Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette!

Oh gee.. I literally love all things Too Faced. There is not a product from them that I have disliked, and I always remember them for their packaging. Check out how cute the box is that the palette comes in! It reminds me of a Willy Wonka chocolate bar, and I feel it is so perfect and girly. I can't even bring myself to throw away this box, because its too pretty!

When you first open the box, you get the palette and also these index cards, which basically have three looks using shadows from the palette and how to recreate them. This is pretty typical from Too Faced, with every eye shadow palette they come out with, they usually include some inserts with looks. They are helpful if you're not sure what to create on your own.

And then of course, the palette..

If any of you are waiting on this palette, I'm going to give you a tip. When you first open it, inhale deeply. Smell that? Oh yea, thats chocolate. If you know the smell of the Too Faced Chocolate Soliel Bronzer, basically imagine that times 10. The smell is just incredible, that it makes me want to eat the palette. It makes sense, seeing as it is made with cocoa!

Also, check out that packaging. Again, Too Faced hits the nail on the head. The palette is shaped just like a chocolate bar! The shadows are housed in tin packing, which opens and closes pretty easily. I think its magnetized, rather than the Urban Decay Naked 2 & 3 for example, where the tin actually locks when its closed. Because of that, I'm not sure how great this would be to travel with, but the packaging itself is sturdy.

Once open, you can see the palette has quite a sizeable mirror! It's definitely big enough to be able to do your whole eye look with. You know how some mirrors are just so tiny, and you just cannot use it to do your eyes? Well, there will be no problems with this one! The palette itself comes with 16 shadows, ranging from pinks, reds, violets, browns, neutrals and whites that are all different textures; some are matte, some have shimmer and others are glittery. Overall, it really sticks to the chocolate theme, and focuses on the neutral shades, with a couple of colourful shades to mix things up.

The shadows themselves are great - they have pretty decent colour pay off, and all go on like butter. Really, they are very seamless; they all work really well together and compliment the other shades in the palette. I can see how easy it would be to create looks with only this palette, you can see that it has been designed so that no other shadows outside of the palette need to be used.

First row (l-r) - Gilded Ganache, White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Black Forest Truffle, Triple Fudge

Gilded Ganche - A deep brown shade with gold shimmer throughout

White Chocolate - A matte highlight shade

Milk Chocolate - A mid tone cool brown shade

Black Forest Truffle - A dark brown with what looks like pink shimmer throughout. Similar to Blackheart from the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

Triple Fudge - A matte dark brown shade

Second row (l-r) - Salted Caramel, Marzipan, Semi-Sweet, Strawberry Bon Bon, Candied Violet, Amaretto

Salted Caramel - An very wam toned brown. Very natural and neutral for the crease

Marzipan - A champagne shade

Semi-Sweet - A deep red, warm toned brown

Strawberry Bon Bon - A matte baby pink

Candied Violet - A purple shade with pink glitter

Amaretto - A rusty red, shimmery shade. This was the shade I was most excited about, especially when I swatched it and saw the sheen after it was applied. Beautiful shade!

Third row (l-r) - Hazelnut, Creme Brulee, Haute Chocolate, Cherry Cordial, Champagne Truffle

Hazelnut - A neutral, warm toned shimmery brown shade

Creme Brulee - A shimmery gold shade

Haute Chocolate - Similar to Hazelnut, except cool toned

Cherry Cordial - A red shade with a hint of shimmer. The shimmer didn't really translate when I swatched it on my arm

Champagne Truffle - The other highlight colour in the palette, and is a shimmery white shade

Overall, do I think you need this palette? Um yes! Especially if you are a fan of neutral shades, I would definitely recommend giving this a try. It is pricey, but its Too Faced - they're a highly reputable brand and you know that you're getting both quality and quantity for the price you pay. I have heard that people are comparing this to Urban Decay Naked 1, and saying that they are quite similar. I really don't think they are. They are both neutral palettes, and particular shades are similar, but I don't think that they are so similar that you can only pick one or the other.

I got this from www.beautybay.com , and I believe I paid $69.80AU for it. However, for Australians, this is available on www.kitcosmetics.com.au (which I wish I knew before) for $68.95AU, and if you spend over $75 you get free shipping. I would recommend going through them rather than BeautyBay, only because the palette comes from Australia itself, and they are a little more helpful if you have an issue. In the US, this retails for $49USD in both Ulta and Sephora.

I could harp on about this palette forever! I am such a neutral eye girl, and this palette really fulfills that need, plus it throws in a couple of colourful shades to really amp up any look. So glad that I brought it and that I finally own it :)

Stay tuned for tomorrows post - it will be involving this palette ;)

Until next time...

xxxx