WORTH THE SPLURGE // My Top Five Products Worthy of their Price Tag

Hey guys!

Having been a full time student and working as many hours as I could fit in with my schedule in order to save, I know what its like being on a tight budget. I used to want to just spend my money on the cheaper products from the drugstore, but as I've gotten older (and further into my makeup addiction), I've started to want to save a little more and spend it on something high end rather than blowing it in Priceline.

However, as we all know, being on a budget means you can only splurge every once in a while  - and its tough walking into Mecca or Sephora and realising that you can only pick one or two items out of the vast majority that you want to hurl into your basket. As such, I've compiled a quick list for five items which can possibly help you when trying to make that decision.

Read on to see what made the cut!

1. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette // $76

Yes, this has been spoken about to death but I legitimately use this pretty much every day I do my makeup. Considering you get three powders, which although originally intended to be setting powders, can be used for so many different purposes. For example, I use the first shade as a setting powder, the middle shade as a subtle highlight and the third to warm up my complexion. They're incredible - they blend out so well and look so subtle on the skin. Not to mention it's such great value for money - you get three powders for $ and ONE of these powders costs $ at Mecca!

2. MAC Lipsticks // $36

Take it from someone who owns way too many of these lipsticks - y'all need at least one in your life. I say that these are worth the splurge purely because they have such a wide array of shades and finishes, that there would have to be at least one for everyone out there. There is one for every skin tone, every preference, everyones favourite colour - you name it, they have it. I am personally a nude girl, and own way too many MAC nudes and pinks, but also have purples, pinks, red, maroons oh my goodness, there's just way too many to choose from (which is probably why I own so many!)

3. Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask // $34

Lawd, I have just started using this in the last week (check out my post here to read more!) but it's already become something that I will 100% be repurchasing. Besides the magic that it has done for my skin, it smells absolutely incredible - seriously, get down to Mecca and smell this now, and tell me that you can't bear to leave it behind - and feels so unbelieveably luxurious on my skin. It is a mask that can be used both as a 10 minute mask (although they do have a seperate mask made for that) but really it just feels like a really lovely thick night moisturiser, which is how I personally use it. Just trust me - get a sample (or purchase the tube, either or) if you have normal to dry skin, and I'm sure you won't be turning back!

4. Stila In The Light Palette // $49.90

Of all the eyeshadow palettes that I own, this probably my favourite. Don't get me wrong - I'll always love my Naked palettes, however, I've noticed more and more that whenever I use eyeshadow, I always go immediately to this palette. The shade selection is amazing, neutral and easy to blend and work with - plus it goes with every occasion and includes the cult favourite Kitten shadow. I definitely recommend it for all those neutral obsessed addicts and also for beginners or anyone looking to get value for their money! And I personally think Stila is really reasonably priced in Australia too, so you really can't go wrong.

5. Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade // $18USD

What did my brows do before this? I am OBSESSED with this stuff for my brows! I use the Anastasia Brow Wiz on an everyday basis, but this honestly makes my brows look so incredible that I will never be able to go without it. Its a moussey, creamy texture that makes it super wasy to sculpt out dem brows and make them look super duper amazing. Plus, you only need a teeny bit of product for each brow each time - definitely value for money, as it lasts forever!

And that's my take on what products are 100% worth their price tag! Do you agree with me, or do you think that there are some others that should have made the cut? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Until next time...

xxxx

in between blogging, you can find me here!

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MOTD // My Everyday Face Routine

Hey guys!

Oh boy - as you'll have seen, if you've read my earlier posts, my skin has been having a time of it lately. This in part due to Winter (allow me to link you here to find what skincare products I'm loving to beat that Winter skin), and also due to a variety of reasons. Due to this, I decided to find a new everyday make up routine that complimented my skincare and didn't harm all the good things those products were doing - I really wanted my makeup to work with my skincare to keep improving my skin.

As such, I went on the hunt - what base products (in particular) could I find that would help and improve my skin so that it wasn't suffocated under a caked on face of makeup to hide the flaws I was experiencing? And I accidentally stumbled upon the goldmine.. My official everyday makeup routine that has my skin looking amazing all the time, and isn't damaging my skin in any way shape or form. And I am going to share it with you today!

And here is the magic combination... Are you ready?

Bareminerals Complexion Rescue AND the Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation!

Y'all, I will never find enough good things to say about either of these products - I'm completely in love with both and I doubt I'll ever find a combo as good as this to get my skin looking its best. If you'd like an indepth review of both of either foundation, I'm happy to do so - however, this won't go into detail of each. Just how I use them, and a little bit of why.

I basically mix a squeeze of the Bareminerals Complexion Rescue with a pump of the Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation and apply with either a brush or my hands. At the moment, I find my hands the best way to apply the products to my skin, as the warmth of my hands really help to melt the product into my skin. I will always use a primer underneath (that's just me personally), and these just apply so well to give my skin that flawless once over while also keeping it hydrated throughout the day. The Complexion Rescue is marketed as a tinted hydrating gel cream while the No Foundation Foundation is formulated with mature skin in mind, helping it to hydrate and smooth the appearance of skin. I then use my Maybelline Fit Me Concealer on any spots I have - mostly on my chin - and my MAC Studio Fix Powder (another amazing find recently) lightly over my nose and chin, as those areas wear off easily on me. I don't use ANY other concealer under my eyes or on any other areas! Finish off with a light setting powder under the eyes, a 'lil bronzer, brown mascara and natural lip colour and I am ready to start the day!

And here's me after - still looking like me, without a huge amount of makeup on, but looking flawless and put together! PS this is just with natural lighting - no filters or edits whatsoever!

Neither of these are cheap, let me tell you. The Perricone MD foundation retails for $74 at Mecca alone.. BUT, I'd repurchase both of these products again and again when I run out no matter the price!

And that's it! As I said, if you'd like an indepth review on either of the products mentioned in this post, please let me know! I am more than happy to cover the amazingness of both products and how they can be incorported into your routine!

What are your current 'no makeup' makeup products? I'm always on the lookout for suggestions!

Until next time...

xxxx

in between blogging, you can find me here!

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collective haul #1 - sephora austrlia & mac

Hey guys!

During Christmas time, I was lucky enough to be given a couple of vouchers that allowed me to do some serious damage WITHOUT spending all of my own money! So this is for you friends and family - thank you for allowing me to support my addiction without breaking the bank, especiallt after Christmas time!

The two vouchers I was given was to Sephora and MAC - quite possibly two of the holiest of churches in the make up world. I will admit that some of these purchases did come before Christmas BUT I of course had to check out Sephora when it opened to know exactly what was in there, the layout and all that before I decided to go completely cray with my spending.

This will be a quick post, as I'll just be recapping what I picked up. Some purchases in both hauls were made before Christmas, but I've included everything from both stores that has been a recent purchase. If there is anything you'd like to see a more in-depth review of, I'd be happy to oblige!

First up, Sephora! Sephora AUSTRALIA! How crazy is it that we can actually say that now - Sephora has finally caught up, and now is actually something tangible in our country! I've only been twice, because it's in the city and I don't visit there very often but I had a ball each time I went. Not to mention the damage to my bank account..

In my first haul, I picked up a Sephora lipstick (although I couldn't tell you the name, can't find the bloody thing anywhere), Tarte's Amazonian Butter Lipstick in Angelic Nude, Tarte's LipSurgence Lip Tint in Energy and a sample size of the It Cosmetics Tightline Mascara! I've used them all, and definitely looooove the Tarte products the most. Angelic Nude has a permanent place in my makeup bag and Energy is such an easy colour to wear as it self adjusts to your very own lip colour. I also picked up the Elizabeth & James perfume in White Nirvana for my boyfriend to give me as a Christmas present!

I have my second haul to thank my Christmas vouchers for because wow, I literally spent $7 out of pocket with them! I picked the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask in Natural, Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, a sample size of the It Cosmetics CC Cream (review coming) and two of the Sephora branded masks - one in Rose and the other in Pomegranate. Again, impressed with everything in this haul EXCEPT the Bite Beauty Lip Mask. But that's a rant for another day.

From l-r: Prabal Gurung in Light English Red, Costa Chic, Sunny Seoul, Runner & Gunner

Now onto my MAC haul! I picked up two in a haul from the US and three with my Christmas voucher. The first three pictured were brought with my voucher, one from the LE Prabal Gurung Collection and two from the permanent line, and the last two pictured are from the US and are apart of the LE Nasty Gal Collection which has just hit Australian shores recently!

I do have another haul coming that is full of Black Friday and Christmas sale purchases - and that will probably make its way up early next week! In the meantime, if you like anything you see here and would like a more dedicated post, let me know in the comments!

Until next time...

xxxx

in between blogging, you can find me here!

instagram: http://instagram.com/beautybybek

twitter: https://twitter.com/bekaaturner

high end haul: mac, anastasia beverly hills & sephora

Hey guys!

First of all, I'm going to straight up apologise for the quality of these photos. It is absolutely disgusting weather in Sydney at the moment, and I just couldn't catch a break with the lighting. BUT I've been way too excited for this post, as well as being asked to do it, that I decided to forgo shitty lighting and photos and just get on with it.

Now not only is today's post a high end haul, it is also a review of the shipping service I used. I'd been going back and forth about ordering with another shipping service (I wasn't exactly thrilled with my last - see here), especially because makeup is just so incredibly expensive in Australia and because I attend university full time, I only work two days a week. I finally bit the bullet after speaking to Melissa from Loads of Lifestyle, and reading her post on the service she used. She gave such a glowing review I thought that I may as well try it - so I did! I'll first go through what I grabbed from MAC, Anastasia Beverly Hills and Sephora, and then give a quick overview of the service and my experience with them. Spoiler alert: I'm so damn impressed with the service, and everything that came with it!

If you've been like me, a bit indescisive about ordering through a shipping service, this is the post for you! 

First up, here's my MAC haul! I ended up mistakenly ordering two empty MAC palettes, and the wrong insert for it as well - oh well, I'm sure it'll come in handy soon! I also ordered two Pro Sculpting powders in Sculpt and Emphasise, a lip liner in Nightmoth, travel sized Fix+ and two lipsticks In Viva Glam II and Heroine. I've been using alot of these daily, and I love everything I picked up! It was so inexpensive as well, compared to the Australian site!

Next, I made a stop off at the Anastasia Beverly Hills website! I have wanted the contour kit forever, and Sephora was sold out at the time, so I just quickly grabbed it there. Instead of getting the original I ordered the one for light skin tones - although honestly, I think its exactly the same as the original contour kit.. But anywho, I've also been using this, and so far I love it! I'm also working on a comparison between this and the Australis Contour & Highlight Kit that I reviewed last week - it will be up in the near future!

And lastly, my Sephora haul! This was so nervewracking to order - all websites I ordered off either accepted international credit cards or Paypal so I ordered it myself, but Sephora is known for cancelling or rejecting orders with mail forwarding addresses. Luckily, it went through, which I was ecstatic about because I really wanted to get my hands on some things!

First up I ordered two limited edition Christmas sets - the Top Faced Melted Kisses Set and the Hourglass Ambient Blush Palette! These are due to hit Aussie shores on November 9, but let's be real, I'm super impatient and really the price was right. I've wanted to try the Too Faced Melted Lipsticks forever, and these are four travel sized ones which seems perfect for me - reality is, I'll probably never finish them, so this is a great solution to that problem. I've wanted to try Hourglass Ambient Blushes forever, and this was the chance to try three of them! Why wouldn't I jump on that? This is so gorgeous as well, I really don't wear blush that often, but these are a dream to use. Definitely want to get my hands on the original Lighting palette now. I'll be doing a quick review of it next week, so if you want to see swatches before purchasing it, don't worry I got 'chu!

After that ramble, I also picked up the Josie Maran Argan Lip Treatment, which has been on my list for over a year, the Tarte Power Pigment in Exposed and the Make Up Forever HD Foundation! They also included three samples - the CoverFX Cream Concealer, Elizabeth & James Nirvana White Mini Rollerball and the Soap & Glory Super Serum. The rollerball was taken off me by the US warehouse as it would delay the arrival of my items to Australia - no biggie though, but I still want to try it! I was so impressed with how quickly this order got to my US address - only two days!

Swatches of all lip products (bottom to top): MAC Viva Glam II, MAC Heroine, MAC Nightmoth, Too Faced Melted Lipsticks in Nude, Peony, Fuschia & Berry

Now onto my experience with my shipping service: holy cow, I am sososo unbelieveably happy! I used a service called Comgateway - you sign up with them for free, and are assigned a US address to which you can send all packges to and hold onto them for free for 30 days. Once all your packages have arrived, you can them combine then and ship them altogether. Shipping is a little expensive, but it does come with compulsory insurance, so I honestly didn't mind paying it especially considering that I didn't have to pay for signing up. I ended up paying $60 for shipping for all of this (which equaled 4kg with packing), and $1 was consolidation (combining packages). Consolidation is free for three packages and I ordered four, but $1? Pssh, take it!

I sent this all on a Wednesday, with an estimated date to be the following Friday, and it had arrived at customs two days after being sent! I then had it in my hands by the following Monday! That was a exactly two business days after it was sent that it arrived in my hands - and I only paid for standard shipping! Colour me impressed and absolutely so happy! I have made another order, which will hopefully be shipped tomorrow, and I'll test that arrival time again but either way a week is still a great amount of time for the package to arrive! Considerinf most packages from the US take 2-3 weeks, and sometimes longer, to arrive in Australia I practically cried with delight as I watched its tracking be updated and saw how close it was to me.

I did purchase everything myself with either my credit card or my Paypal, but incase you wanted to order from a place that doesn't allow international payment, Comgateway do have a 'Buy For Me' service in which they order everything for you and have it sent to your address for you. There is a fee associated with the service, but I'm not sure of how much that would be. I will try it out at some stage, but I'm considering I just ordered this lot as well as another 4.5kg currently on its way to me, it won't be any time soon. But I 100% recommend Comgateway! Cannot wait to shop with them more!

Let me know if you've been impressed (or unimpressed) with a shipping service you've used and why?

Until next time...

xxxx

in between blogging, you can find me here!

instagram: http://instagram.com/beautybybek

twitter: https://twitter.com/bekaaturner

you're so overrated #1: mac pro longwear concealer

Hey guys!

Welcome to a newer series on my blog - You're so Overrated! In this series, I really want to go through the products that I have been convinced to buy by various beauty gurus on Youtube, or rave reviews by other trusted sources, that I just don't think are all that. Not to say that they are bad products AT ALL, just a little disappointing for me considering how many people have loved all over it.

First up for this series is, sadly, the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer. I brought this be use everyone in the beauty world uses it and RAAAAAAVES about it. I was especially intrigued because it claims to be creaseless, and that is something I have an issue with every single concealer I used. So off I went and purchased this baby, which is NOT cheap in any sense of the word, and expected unicorns and glitter to appear once applying it on my face - needless to say, that was not the case.

I just want to reiterate that this is solely based on my experience with this product - and even then, its not a bad product at all. I just didn't think it lived up to its hype, and considering it worked so well for everyone else, I didn't see why it shouldn't be magical for me as well.

So why didn't I get on too well with this concealer in particular? The damn thing creases EVERYWHERE. In fact, its probably the concealer that creases the most out of all the ones in my collection. Maybe its because its too much coverage for my under eyes, or too thick compared to my Maybelline Age Rewind concealer, I'm not sure. But it just creases up a storm and really doesn't look good under my eyes at all. Another issue I have is the coverage, although I think this issue is personal preference. It's super duper high coverage, really I think it's way too much for me personally on an everyday basis. So I generally use it only if I'm going out somewhere, but I still don't like as much even then when compared to my drugstore concealers.

One more big issue is the packaging. You'd think for the price you are paying that MAC would give you a decent dispenser for this concealer. Nuh-uh honey. Because you only need the tiniest amount of this considering the coverage, you need the tiniest, teeniest amount of it possible to cover your under eyes and any other places you wish to conceal. But this pump literally has a mind of its own. Need just a tiny dot for concealing? Here, have a truckload! Because of this it makes it really easy to waste the product, because you can't exactly shove it back through the pump, and also to cake your under eyes with more than necessary, purely because you don't want to waste said product. But I digress.

Here's some shots of the concealer in action - please keep in mind that it is a shade lighter, as I generally get them light to easily highlight:

So, unfortunately, this product is (IMO) completely overrated. Out of all my concealers, my favourites are both my Maybelline Age Rewind and Fit Me concealers, and they are both a part of my everyday routine and also if I'm going out. If you are thinking about trying this concealer, I would definitely grab a sample if you can before making the commitment to buying it. As I said, it's not a bad concealer in the slightest - I will still use it and finish it up. It's just not for me, and didn't live up to the expectations that I had for it.

What are some products that you consider overrated?

Until next time...

xxxx

in between blogging, you can find me here!

instagram: http://instagram.com/beautybybek

twitter: https://twitter.com/bekaaturner

foundation friday: mac face & body

Hey guys!

If you don't follow me on Instagram, you may not know that I am officially started a new series on my blog! At the start of each week, I give you guys three foundation choices, and the one with the most votes will be reviewed each Friday! As you may (or may not) know, I am a foundation junkie and have a pretty extensive collection that will probably keep growing. I ain't ashamed - some people collect eyeshadow palettes, or blush, or lip products; I just happen to have a thing for foundation.

So even though its now Saturday (oops), this weeks first ever Foundation Friday will be on the MAC Face and Body foundation, which actually happens to be one of my favourite foundations (as you can see, I actually own two bottles, one for when I'm pale and one for when I'm tanned). When researching this foundation before actually taking the plunge and purchasing it, I saw that this was created especially for those who work with models on catwalks and under hot lights, and as per the name, is suitable to be used on both your face and body to even skin tone.

This foundation is super liquidy and lightweight, and its also waterproof - the perfect summer foundation, if you ask me. It will last through any sweating or water splashing! Plus, because it has been created with those working in a specific industry, you know that it will survive under any heat whether it be artificial or the full on Australian sun.

In terms of coverage, this foundation doesn't exactly cover too much - I definitely wouldn't say that it is a medium or full coverage foundation on myself at least. It can maybe be built up to a light medium coverage, but not much past there. I have blended this out in the photo below, using my ugly sore as a guide to how much this covers:

As you can see, you can still see my veins and the redness of my sore peeking through (although keep in mind, primer and concealer would be used in a normal beauty routine, which can help to cover those a little better). I basically love to use this foundation when I'm tanned as almost a skin tint when I have easy days, or days where I know I need it to last through heat and sweating. But this foundation is an easy favourite, as even though it doesn't have much coverage, it never cakes on my face, is super easy to blend and it ALWAYS matches my tan exactly.

Like I said - the most perfect summer foundation ever, and I would definitely recommend trying it out if you are someone who prefers a lighter coverage or needs something that will last on your skin through basically anything. It is on the pricier side, but you barely need any of it to cover your face (the above photos was only a light squeeze) so it will last forever. It is also available in two sizes, 50mL and 120mL, and you can purchase whichever will suit your needs best!

You can buy the MAC Face and Body foundation at any MAC Counter, or here online for $49AU (50mL)

Hope you enjoyed this review! Remember to keep an eye out next Monday where you can vote for next weeks contenders!

Until next time...

xxxx

in between blogging, you can find me here!

instagram: http://instagram.com/beautybybek

twitter: https://twitter.com/bekaaturner

mac lipstick dupes

Hey guys!

A couple of weeks back, I mentioned on my Instagram that I might have a couple of MAC lipstick dupes up my sleeve, and wondered if you wanted to see them. The response was an overwhelming yes! Which I wasn't surprised by - if someone told me that they had a few EXTREMELY close drugstore dupes for some of my favourite lipsticks ever that cost a bomb, I would for sure want to know.

I have a post here on my favourite MAC lipsticks here, if you'd like to read more on some of the colours I own. Honestly, from last count, I have 22 of them! I won't be writing a lot in this post - the swatches and colours will speak for themselves. Obviously they won't all be the exact same - the colour may be slightly off or the finish may be different, but these are all extremely close to the real deal IMO. 

Also, some photos are a little blurry/my lip swatches get a little sloppy. I'm sorry about that, but my lips were so sore by the end that I just wanted to get it on to show you and then take it straight off and take comfort in my favourite lip balm. But, I still believe that the colour is true in all of the photos - even if they are a little blurry.

Read on to see some great dupes and alternatives to some of your favourite MAC lipsticks!

Creme Cup VS Maybelline Colour Whisper in Lust for Blush

Creme Cup (left) & Lust for Blush (right)

MAC Creme Cup

Maybelline Lust for Blush

MAC Saint Germain VS Australis Mineral Inject Lipstick in Lick the Icing

MAC Saint Germain (left) & Australis Lick the Icing (right)

MAC Saint Germain

Australis Lick the Icing

MAC Syrup VS Maybelline Colour Elixir in Mauve Mystique

MAC Syrup (left) & Maybelline Mauve Mystique (right)

MAC Syrup

Maybelline Mauve Mystique

MAC Snob VS Maybelline Super Stay Lipstick in Perpetual Peony & Revlon Matte Lipstick in Pink Pout

MAC Snob (left), Maybelline Perpetual Peony (middle) & Revlon Pink Pout

MAC Snob

Maybelline Perpetual Peony

Revlon Pink Pout

MAC Betty Bright (LE) VS MUA Lip Boom in OMG

MAC Betty Bright (left) & MUA OMG (right)

MAC Betty Bright

MUA OMG

MAC Impassioned VS Revlon Matte Balm in Unapologetic

MAC Impassioned (left) & Revlon Unapologetic

MAC Impassioned

Revlon Unapologetic

MAC Viva Glam Nicki (LE) & Wet n' Wild Megalast Lipstick in Pinkerbell

MAC Viva Glam Nicki (left) & Wet n' Wild Pinkerbell

MAC Viva Glam Nicki

Wet n' Wild Pinkerbell

MAC Rebel VS Wet n' Wild Megalast Lipstick in Sugar Plum Fairy

MAC Rebel (left) & Wet n' Wild Sugar Plum Fairy (right)

MAC Rebel

Wet n' Wild Sugar Plum Fairy

And that's it! As I said, they may not be exact but hey - if you can get close without spending $36AU, that's a pretty good deal. I really hope you guys enjoyed this and found some dupes that you can go and use instead of breaking the bank!

Do you have any other MAC dupes you think I should find? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time...

xxxx

in between blogging, you can find me here!

instagram: http://instagram.com/beautybybek

twitter: https://twitter.com/bekaaturner