First Impressions: Colourpop!, Fleur de Force and Physicians Formula

Hello beauty lovers!

I am very excited to write this post today as I have been testing some very affordable makeup items and Spoiler Alert: They are amazing!!!

I purchased three Fleur de Force Lip Glosses. They are such a nice consistency, thick but not gloopy, moisturising and so pigmented!! From top to bottom I have Written in the Stars, Seeing Stars and Starlight.

Out of the three, Starlight is less pigmented but still so pretty!! Its an awesomely wearable peach. All of these has a pleasant fruity scent but its nothing too offensive.

MOVING ON!

Colourpop! is fast becoming one of my favourite e-tailer for makeup. Seriously, they are amazing!!!

I don't love all the products but that may be because I have chosen some colours which don't suit me.

First up is my beautiful, gorgeous Where The Light Is palette by Kathleen Lights (a youtuber). I love this collaboration and I can not wait to get the sister quad which is called Where The Night Is. Each of the eyeshadows and lippie stix and lippie pencils are 5 USD each. The blush and bronzers are 8 USD each.

The shades from left to right are Glow (matte), Cornelius (matte), KathleenLights (pearlized), and Blaze (metallic). I am seriously in love with these. Glow is not quite as amazing as the other three (it is slightly harder and drier than the others) but it is still a really great eyeshadow. 

I didn't think I would ever love cream eyeshadows THIS much but I do. These combine the best of both cream and powder eyeshadows. Super strong pigmentation, lack of powder kickup (game changer!!) and stays put for 8 hours WITHOUT primer on my very oily eyelids. 

The lip products that I got are (from left to right) Button Lippie Pencil, Lumiere 2 Ultra Matte Lip, Lumiere Matte Lippie Stix, Frenchie Lippe Stix, and Frenchie Lippie Pencil.

I gotta tell you. I hate Button and Lumiere 2 (Sorry Kathleen) for the colour - they don't suit me and much too dark and I feel like I have aged 10 years when wearing these. Lumiere, and the Frenchies are so so so good. Highly pigmented and comfortable to wear. Thumbs up!

NEXT UP!

Physicians Formula has some of the best bronzers in the drugstore and I have been seeing some awesome reviews of their Shimmer Strips so I bought one on sale in Priceline (AUD 14.95)

It is a nice product, but it won't replace my current highlighters (Becca, Guerlain and Hourglass).

See my swatches below. The shades are quite powdery and I am not a huge fan. So devo.... Even applied lightly, this thing gives you a very strong highlight (almost frosty) effect. I wish the powders were more finely milled. Oh well.

Hope you like my first impressions. I highly recommend checking our Colourpop! as they ship to Australia and they are so affordable.

xoxo,
Cindy

Shu Uemura Shu:Palette - Review and Swatches

So here's the deal. I was really going to post a review of this palette weeks ago but I keep putting it off because the palette didn't wow me. Guys, this palette is good but it isn't AMAZING.

I have such high expectations from Shu Uemura eyeshadows so I wanted to make sure that I was being fair and testing all the shades and did various eyelooks with it.

The palette has varying quality from shadow to shadow. I find that the pigmentation and formulation of the metallics are generally good. But this is true from a lot of brands, is it not? The mattes are nicely pigmented but applies a bit patchy. The light shadows aren't powdery and blends nicely. I think this is a palette that you can not overdo and for that reason, it is perfect for the office.

I think these eyeshadows have that understated quality and works perfectly fine for daily wear. The one thing I absolutely adore about Shu Uemura shadows is that the powder is nicely pressed and you don't kick up a lot of excess when you dip your brush in. LOVE that about it. Keeps the palette nice and clean :)

The brush that comes free with the palette is atrocious. I'm not sure why it was included but it really doesnt work well with the shadows unless you spritz MAC Fix + on it to try and coax the product to get on the freaking brush.

So... all that being said. I'm not sure if I would have purchased it if I knew this was the quality I was getting. It was quite pricey (Over AUD 200 full price!!) and I would probably save that money to get myself two of Tom Ford's high quality quads.


 Swatches are shown below, in half sun and then inside with artificial lighting with no primer underneath.

Comparison with the same shade in the old packaging. 

L-R: Shu:Palette, Single (1st Gen) Shadow 

I also tried to play around with using Mac Fix + to intensity the shadows - to some degree of success.

Love,
Cindy xx

Collective Haul - Makeup and Skincare

Hello everyone! I am finally back on the blogging world and this time around I plan to be a little more regimented in my blog post releases. I hope you have all been well and as this is my first post in 2016: Happy New Year, and Welcome to A Girl's Guide To Makeup v 2.0.

I've been doing a bit of shopping over Christmas and New Year and I have a few things that I am excited to show you!

First up - Skincare

My fellow Australians : PRICELINE SALE!! Oh my. Lets get this post going shall we...

I recently finished my 500 mL bottle of Bioderma Sensibio H2O. My holy grail. My precious! I have strayed to other brands (Simple and La-Roche Posay) and this is hands down my favourite! If you would like me to do an in-depth comparison, let me know in the comments below :)

Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Night Pads Extreme. This has both glycolic and lactic acid in it, so I am imagining that it will sting a little on first usage. I'm currently using up my sample of Sunday Riley Good Genes (which is horrendously pricey) so when that runs out, I will be using these pads.

Nuxe Reve de Miel was recommended by Lisa Eldridge in her Favourite French Pharmacie Products video and when I saw it, I got so excited I almost bought two! Don't worry, I came to my senses :P

My colleague recommended that I try Rosehip oil to combat the signs of aging. I am excited to try this but I am sliiiiightly worried that it will make my skin congested. If you have tried this product please let me know. Apparently, this is the rosehip oil that is used by the Duchess of Cambridge... if its good enough for the Duchess, it's good enough for me!

Bioderma Hydrabio Legere was also a Lisa Eldridge recommendation and I am SO GLAD I picked this up. It has a pump, a locking mechanism for the pump and a cap. Seriously! Tick, tick, and tick. The packaging is SAH good for a pharmacy brand and at 40% off - this deal really can't be beat.

I tried the moisturiser today and it was lovely. I can't believe I have never tried this before! Bonus - this product is non-comedogenic. I suffer from teenage and adult acne and have oily skin so for someone like me, this is perfect!

Last but not least, I got myself some sunscreen! The boyfie LOVES to go to the beach and we go through our stash so quickly.

Makeup

Shu Uemura Shu:Palette. If you have followed me for some time, you will know that Shu Uemura is one of my original loves and remains one of my favourite brands. I missed the Maison Kitsune release last year because I found it to be TOO colourful (as much as I like to think myself adventurous, I am not!). When I saw this palette I couldn't resist!

The only item I picked up in the Christmas 2015 release is the Guerlain Palette Ors Et Merveilles. It is an eye and blush palette with both eye and blush applicators. I can't wait to try this and show you :)

What palettes and/or skincare items have you picked up recently? Let me know in the comments below.

Lots of Love,

Cindy xx

Crushing on: Shu Uemura Metal:ink Eyeliners

Babes,

Its been a while since I have blogged about beauty. To be perfectly honest, nothing has caught my make-up saturated world until the release of Shu Uemura Metal:ink Eyeliners!

All I could think of when I saw them in store was that I must have them all... I think it is time for me to purchase a select few and report back to you once I road test them.

As a side note, I have recently updated my blog sale to offer FREE SHIPPING on all orders.

I need to downsize and clear out what I dont use anymore. Help me free up some space, ladies!

xoxo

Cindy

New Blog Site

As you may have noticed, I have taken an extended hiatus from the blogging world. This is due to personal circumstances and also finding that my interest in makeup has waned.

I hope you have had a great time reading my thoughts, and I would like to invite you to follow my new blog - Cindy's Societal. I will be blogging about great places to visit/eat at/hang out in the greater Perth area as well as blogs about lifestyle, health and beauty!

A Girl's Guide to Makeup will continue to be live for blog sales and whatnot.

Stay tuned and please follow my new blog! :)

Love
Cindy

Additional Items for my Blog Sale!

I have some exciting news to share with you all! I have begin a massive cull of my collection in order to pare down and streamline. All I have at the moment are lists of the item sorted by brands - please email me personally if you are really interested in purchasing at cindygenit@hotmail.com.

LMdB (prices 50-65 AUD, usage is brand new to lightly tested for most):
Oscar de La Renta
City Girl
Modernist Merlot
Chinoiserie Azure
Blush Kaleidoscope
Bauhaus Eye
Bauhaus Lip
Enchantment Lip
Les Artistes Lip
Autumn Embers Lip
Red Rapture Lip
Aurora Lip
Pallid Incandescents
Violaceous Splendour
Golden Transcendence Lip
On the Coast 
Reviews:  
Part 1
Part 2
  Suqqu:

09 Usumoegi Tested 1x In Box 50 AUD

Face Colour Palette EX-02 BNIB 65 AUD

Ex 11 Sumiredama BNIB 55 AUD

Ex 13 Ginsudama BNIB 55 AUD

Ex 15 Hanazuki BNIB 55 AUD

Chanel:

Charming palette BNIB 50 AUD

Eclosion Us version palette BNIP 45 AUD

Mystere us version palette BNIP 45 AUD

Variation au version palette used once 35 aud

Harmonie du soir palette BNIB 50 AUD

Stupendous palette 95% 35 AUD 

Soho de Chanel blush 95% 35 AUD

Epatant Illusion d ombré 95% 20 AUD

Abstraction illusion d ombré 95% 20 AUD 

Illusoire illusion d ombré BNIB 25 AUD

Bronze rose bronzer BNIP 40 AUD

Bronze coral bronzer BNIP 40 AUD

Sable Rose bronzer BNIP 40 AUD

Sable Beige bronzer BNIP 40 AUD 

Tom Ford:

Lavender Lust quad 95% 45 AUD

translucent Pink pressed powder BNIP 50 AUD

Shu Uemura (vintage):
Midnight Winter Sakura palette 90% 15 AUD
Secret Luscious Rose palette 90% 15 AUD
Adorned Marguerite palette 90% 15 AUD
Fleur de Source palette 90% 15 AUD
Bundle discount: Get all four for 50AUD!!

Domestic Shipping:

Free standard shipping over 150 AUD, Free express shipping over 200 AUD for Australian customers. 

International Shipping:

Standard International Shipping is capped at 15 AUD, I offer a free upgrade to Registered Mail for purchases over 200 AUD.

Please allow three business days for me to pack and send. I have a 9-5 job and don't always have the time to run to the PO :)

Happy Shopping!!

xo Cindy

End of Year Giveaway - Winner has been Announced and Notified!!

As promised, I am posting a giveaway to thank all my wonderful followers for your support :)

The prizes:
1. Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire So Crazy! Perfumed Shimmer Powder
2. Chanel Limited Edition Le Vernis in Magic
3. Dior Addict Extreme in 536 Lucky (Sample size)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck and enjoy!

xoxo Cindy

Merry Christmas to You!

Hello everyone, merry christmas to all who are celebrating this festive holiday today.

I just wanted to give a quick update on my blogsale, I think I have purged most of my items currently sitting sad and unused. I hope that you guys have a look and browse and find something that you will enjoy. More will be added if, and when, I find things I no longer use.

I will be posting a giveaway soon to welcome 2014. Please stay tuned for that as well!!

xoxo Cindy

Holiday Collections 2013 - Hits and Misses

Its that time of the year again- the weather is warming up here in Australia and you can bet that we will have to put up with an unbearably hot 42 deg C on Christmas day! Honestly, if it wasn't for the Turkey and Trifle that we get on Christmas Lunch, you'd never know we are in the middle of this festive season.

Makeup. Yes! I'm back lovelies, and I have a lot to share with you! I have been lucky enough to be sent away on a work assignment to the US and that means that I had access to ALL THE BRANDS at a much affordable price. Yippee! As you know, I do love holiday collections the most and I am going to share my thoughts on what I did purchase and maybe this will help someone out there make a decision.

Lets start with the misses shall we?
Chanel
Completely underwhelming. This was a huge disappointment for me - I will be getting rid of that quint palette ASAP. The nail polish (Rouge Rubis) is excellent but one polish does not make a collection. The blush is so yawn as is the rest of the collection.

Dior
Ditto. What is with the really boring colours? Nothing I haven't seen before and I was very disappointed with the quality of the eyeshadows.

Luckily for me, there were far more hits this round than there are misses!
Guerlain
Love this collection. The packaging and the theme is superb and so exciting from Guerlain. I especially love the body and hair perfumed spray. If I had to pick one item from this collection, this would be it.

Shu Uemura
Shu Uemura never disappoints me when it comes to their holiday collections. The new silk smooth eyeshadows are super soft and very buttery; which was why the palettes came to me in less than perfect condition. However, nothing a few drops of rubbing alcohol can't fix. I highly recommend the Heart-Full Pink Parallel palette (I think? anyway, the pink palette!)

Le Metier de Beaute
Le Metier de Beaute knocked it out of the park with the release of three new kaleidoscopes; La Strada Eye Kaleidoscope, The Total Look Face Kaleidoscope, and Cheeky Chic Blush Kaleidoscope. Personally, I do not care for Cheeky Chic - however you MUST at least play with the Total Look face kaleidoscope. I mean, that baby is of superb quality and I can not recommend it enough to you guys. My second pick would be the new Hydra Creme lipstick in Cardinale - what a gorgeous bright pink!

NARS
The Guy Bourdin collection is so sublime, I want to cry. No, really. I do.
The must have item from this collection would be the Fling Lip Kit. I mean, that makeup case alone is worth the price of the set in my opinion. It is so... aargh perfect! Then there is the limited edition blush palette in One Night Stand and Cinematic Lipsticks (in particular, Last Tango, my personal favourite).

Hope you have enjoyed my post. Do tell us what you purchased recently - I love hearing from you!
I will be updating my blog sale page for my end of year makeup clean out. Please stay tuned if you are interested - it will be posted this weekend ;)

xx Cindy

July Empties

Hi guys!!

I'm back, finally, after a long hiatus. It has been a hectic month for sure, with work taking a significant amount of my time but I hope to be back in the blogging world this month.

Today I have a very belated post, I actually planned this to me my June empties but I didnt get around to it!

1. Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation in Sand Beige

I love this foundation!! I think this is my third finished tube and I have a backup at all times just so I never run out :) It has been two years that I have been faithful to this foundation (even though I have others that I use from time to time) and I will never not have this in my makeup collection.

2. L'occitane Almond Milk Concentrate

This is another old favourite of mine. This is my 6th tub of this body lotion and I can't get enough! I have tried other products from this line but I keep coming back to this. Its moisturising yet not sticky and it makes my skin super soft!

3.Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb

This travel version was a gift from a friend and I have since purchased a full bottle :) Its definitely a beautiful scent, very gourmand and very warm. I love wearing this in the winter months.

Hope you enjoyed my short post today. I have a few exciting things to share with you in the upcoming weeks, stay tuned!

xx Cindy

The Accessory Post - Chan Luu Bracelet in Natural Leather with Mixed Beads

Evening everyone, just a short post today to fill the lull in my blogging. I have been obsessed with my Chan Luu bracelet lately and have been wearing it everyday to the office. Here it is...

What have you been loving lately? Just a reminder that my blog sale is now live and there are some new products including limited edition/vintage Suqqu and Shu Uemura palettes. 

Cindy

2013 Blog Sale is now LIVE!

Hi everyone, 

I've been doing a bit of purging over the past few weeks, and I have accumulated enough items to update my blog sale page :) . You can also access the sale on the Blog Sale tab above. 

I have some other items that I am thinking of purging so please continue to check back over the next week or so. 

Have a good night and hope you enjoy!

Cindy x

Makeup for Autumn and a New Direction for the Blog

Happy Weekend Everyone!!

Just wanted to share a quick post about the makeup I have been wearing for this new season :) Obviously with the seasons being reversed here in Australia, the new collections coming out are more summer themed. While I have bought a few items, I haven't really had a chance to review them since they aren't appropriate colours for the fall. One of these days, I might just go "F*ck it" and wear them out anyway haha

• Chanel Harmonie Du Soir
• Guerlain Les Fauves
• Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill #28

• Guerlain Parure de Nuit (reviewed by Cafe Makeup here)
• Korres Coral 
• Chanel Sable Rose 

I realise the bronzer is not the most natural pick for everyone, but for me, it is a must. My body is quite tan all year round and having a ghostly white face for me is not an option.

I have started a resolution recently to limit my makeup purchases to what I will wear a lot, instead of just buying it because it looks pretty. From this point on, you will probably start to see a lot of old favourites making appearances in blog posts, with the occasional new buys. 

I've been having a secret relationship with beautiful handbags lately - that has also been helping me curb my makeup spending :) With that in mind, I've attached my latest handbag purchase... an Alexander Wang Rocco in Mustard.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and talk to you very soon!

Cindy x

May Empties

Hello everyone! 

It has been a while since I have blogged, sorry for the disappearance. It has been a tumultuous month for me at work and it could not be helped. 

Today I have a new post for you, and it is something I have been working on all month. With the number of products I try, it takes me a long while to actually finish a full bottle of anything, so this was truly a Herculean effort for my short attention span.

1. L'Occitane Amande Shaping Delight - I used this in conjunction with regular exercise to help tone my skin. I don't actually know if it helped significantly with shaping and contouring but I noticed an increase elasticity in my skin. I probably won't get this again. The product lasts a whole month with continuous use.

2. L'Occitane Delightful Shape - Ditto the comments above. Slightly tingly upon application and I hated the smell. Won't repurchase. The product lasts 2 weeks with continuous use.

3. Shu Uemura UV Under Base Mousse in Beige SPF 30 PA +++ - I love this stuff. Great base for foundation and gives a flawless finish. I love that it has SPF as well because I am really lazy about slapping on lots of products on my face :P A full bottle lasts about 2 months.

4. Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Repair Oil-Free Day Lotion SPF 15 - My favourite, light weight oil free moisturiser. It is one of the very few moisturisers that do not cause greasiness and never breaks me out. Holy Grail material. This lasted quite a while with everyday use - about 2-3 months.

5. Bioderma Crealine H2OSolution Micellaire - This is hands down the best makeup remover I have ever used. It takes one swipe to remove all traces of makeup and even better than high end brands. It took me 2 weeks to use this little bottle up.

Hope you have enjoyed this post... I honestly can't wait to do next month's empties. It feels so satisfying to use up all these items at once. 

Cindy xx

Nail of the Week - Chanel May (eventhough it is April)

Chanel May is the perfect neutral milky pink, with an unbelievably glossy finish. I wore three thin layers of this polish with Le Metier de Beaute 2 in 1 Top and Base Coat. After the first coat, I wondered whether I should just leave my nails as it was, because I really liked the nice sheer pink effect that the polish gave me. In the end, I decided I wanted to see the full potential of this polish and I am glad I did :)

Chanel May has a great consistency. Not too runny and not too thick. I could apply nice even layers quite easily and even if I didn't, the polish was great at leveling itself out to give you that salon finish.

What do you think about Chanel May? It is still available in some Chanel counters. If you are looking for a new neutral, bright (but not Barbie) pink, this might just be the polish for you!

xx Cindy

OB For Shu Uemura Spring Collection 2013 - Some swatches and my initial thoughts

I wandered into David Jones today to see the newly released OB for Shu Uemura collection. I was *almost* swayed to buy the new matte eyeshadows but there were no testers (they haven't been provided with any for this collection, how strange!!) so I decided to pass. The items I did pick up were either collector's items or items I knew I was going to use frequently. 

Here are the items I bought...

OB For Shu Uemura False Lashes - $25

Look at how beautiful these are. I really love Shu Uemura eyeshadows, they are of the highest quality and never feel heavy on the lids. I think both of them are going to look super cute, but not the most natural looking false lashes. Best to save this for the special occasions, I think!

OB For Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine in Princess Coral - $39

Princess coral was released with two other lipsticks in Orange Dream (true orange) and Sakura Pink (super bright bubblegum pink). This colour was the most flattering for someone as dark as me, and the orange shade was just to close to the matte orange lipstick I bought during Shu Uemura's Spring Collection release!

OB for Shu Uemura UV Underbase Mousse in Beige (POREraser) and BB Beige - $48

I never realised till I bought these two products that the under base mousse have different weights, depending on the type that you buy. The original version is simply called uv under base mousse. The ones I purchased are the POREraser version in Beige (light blue/yellow can, moon princess) and the BB version in BB Beige (green/blue can, forest princess). The POREraser version is much lighter and more aerated than the original mousse (reviewed here). It has SPF 35 PA+++ and has 50 g of product.  The BB version is much denser, but close to the original version. It has SPF 30+++ and has 65 g of product. 
 

 

I have to give you guys my honest review. I LOOOOVEEEEEE both of these products. They really give the perfect foundation finish every single time, not too matte and not too dewy. I feel that the POREraser is excellent at diffusing the look of pores, and it has just enough coverage to wear on the weekends when you need coverage from the sun and not wear a full face of makeup. The BB Beige is much heavier in coverage and a little more matte in finish, and it doesn't feel as weightless as the POREraser. However, I think that if you use this as a base, then you wouldn't need to wear as much foundation or wear concealer. 

The POREraser Beige mousse is slightly lighter in colour than the BB Beige. It doesn't make a difference to me because the colour difference is barely perceptible after foundation.

I know some people don't like to wear SPF in foundation due to the flash back effect in photos, but I truly don't care if my skin can look as flawless as they do when I wear my Beloved Shu Uemura Under Base Mousses :)

Bottom Line: I think I may need to hoard these.

Swatches

The foam on the left is the POREraser Beige. See how soft and runny it is? The BB Beige is so dense and it can truly hold its shape. 

L-R: POREraser Beige, BB Beige

L-R: POREraser Beige blended out, BB Beige blended out

The photo above is a pretty good colour representation for these two products. I think what is also evident is the coverage that you can get with the BB line of the UV Under Base Mousses. Both of these swatches are done with the lightest touch on the pump. If you have never used this product before, the pump will take a while to get used to. You need to pump out LESS than what you think you need because it is so easily blendable and spreadable. I think even that BB Beige blob I managed to get out of the can is too much... it definitely looks like I applied way too much of this product!!

The rouge unlimited in Princess Coral is a perfect juicy coral that is semi opaque with a beautiful (and I mean, beautiful!) high shine finish. Its very easy to wear and it makes the lips look very hydrated and healthy. I am not aware of any lasting hydration properties when the lipstick wears off but that's ok. We have lip balms for that :P It looks slightly patchy there in my swatch but I might have just put on too much. Honestly, it looks so amazing on the lips, I definitely recomment the Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine lipsticks from Shu Uemura :)

Hope you found this post helpful. Happy shopping!

x Cindy