Thursday, June 26, 2014

June Bellabox


Hey Beauties,

This is my first ever subscription box blog post and I'm excited to share with you all what i got in the June Bellabox. If you aren't familiar with subscription boxes you essentially pay a certain amount each month for Bellabox its 15AUD each month and you get a variety of sample sized beauty products to try. There are so many different type of subscription boxes available and Bellabox actually offer other boxes that aren't beauty based. 

Anyway this months theme of the box was iconic beauty and was based around beauty icons such as Marilyn Munroe, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly and other icons. There were many different brands involved in this months box, a few being ones i really wanted to try out and was hoping id get, we also got a free june issue of Instyle Magazine. Read on to find out what i got in my box.

Rrp: $13.95AUD
Garnier BB Cream: I actually kind of knew i was getting this from all the photos people had posted when they received their boxes. My mum actually raves about this BB cream and swears by it so I'm actually quite excited to try it given that my first experience with BB cream which was the Maybelline Pure BB cream was not a good experience. Although now i have the ChiChi Super BB cream which i love, I'm excited to try out this and see how it goes on my skin.


Rrp: $62 AUD for 50mL
Indio Clear Moisturiser: Ive never actually heard of this brand before received this which is one of the upsides of receiving a subscription box, you get to try brands and products you have never heard of or wouldn't normally buy. This moisturiser is said to be for oily and blemished skin which is fabulous for me and its also hydration balancer which is great for winter.


Rrp: $6.99AUD for 300mL
Herbal Essence Naked Shampoo and Conditioner: Herbal Essence naked is the new to the shampoo range and is said to wipe away the dirt and grime from your hair and reveal its natural beauty, hence why its probably called naked. I actually love Herbal Essence shampoos and conditioners because not only do they smell soooo good they actually make my hair super soft and shiny, more than my Organix shampoo and conditioners. So I'm excited to try these out


Rrp: $7.68AUD for 225mL
Vaseline Healthy Radiance Body Moisturiser: This is said to be the first anti-aging moisturiser for your body. It smells divine and i am all for super soft skin. I can't help but always think of Vaseline brands just as their petroleum jelly that i used to use as a lip balm when i was younger hahaha. 


Rrp: $29.95AUD for 15mL
Loreal Base Magique: This was one of the products i was hoping i would get! I love loreal products and have been eyeing off this primer for so long but i didn't want to spend 30 dollars on a primer and it not work hence why i haven't purchased it yet. So I'm super glad i get to try this and see how it goes plus look how super cute the packaging is, its like a lip balm except for your face.


Rrp: $50AUD for 50mL
Nutrimetics Instant Radiance Beauty Balm: I haven't heard one bad thing about nutrimetics ever, i used to own a few of their blushes and bronzers and although the bronzer was not nice, the blush was to die for so I'm glad i get to try a bit of their skincare products. This beauty balm is said to leave your face radiant and and give it an instant boost. Im a little confused as it says to put it on before your makeup so i think its a primer in a way, but ill have a play with it and see.

So thats what i got in my June Bellabox. This is my second bellabox as my first one wasn't very good as i think i kind of got my left overs haha. You can sign up for a bella box here
That is all for today beauties, i hope you enjoyed this post.

Love always,
Beauty with Claire.

Inbetween blogging you can find me here:
Instagram: @beautywithclaire




Tuesday, June 24, 2014

The Great Highlighter Debate


Hey Beauties,

Ahhh highlighters, where do i start?. They make you shimmer and sparkle and give your face dimension like you wouldn't believe. There are pink highlighters, white with gold fleck highlighters, cream highlighters, powder highlighters i understand how highlighters can be a daunting experience especially if you are new to highlighting, so i thought id do this little blog post all about highlighters and my do's and dont's with highlighters as well as my thoughts on my little highlighter collection.

L-R: E.L.F Gotta Glow, Stila Kitten Highlighter Duo, Nyx Radiant Finishing Powder,
Essence Metal Glam, Australis Highlights, Benefit Girl Meets Pearl, Benefit Sun Beam,
Benefit Watts Up, Benefit Highbeam

Highlighters are one of my favourite beauty products because they are so versatile, although they may not be for everyone. I personally have to be very cautious with highlighters as my skin has the tendency to go oily by the end of the day, and oil + highlighter = not a pretty sight. Highlighter is usually put on the highs of your cheek bones, your forehead and down your nose as well as just above your cupids bow to make your lips pop, that being said there are no real rules to highlighting and its the sort of thing like most makeup steps you can customise to suit your own look. As i have combination/oily skin i actually only put highlighter on the highs of my cheek bones, my brow bones and the tiniest bit on my cupids bow, although sometimes when I'm feeling game enough i put highlighter on my forehead and down my nose as well if I'm going for a dewy look, although i usually just use a lighter concealer for that. 

Powder Highlighters


So this photo actually looked a lot better before I uploaded it onto this post, that being said i think you can get the main idea of the colours. I don't particularly have many high end highlighters in general before i can't justify spending 30/40 Dollars on something that i may not use everyday, that being said i am lusting after the Nars Albatross Highlighter.

E.L.F Gotta Glow: I think this was my first ever powder highlighter and if you have used E.L.F blushes before you know that sometimes the quality is a bit hit and miss, meaning that this 'blush' (its actually under the blush section) is actually quite chalky and flakey compared to my other E.L.F blushes which I was honestly a little disappointed about. That being said it still does that job and is an amazing cream colour with gold flecks through it, its supposedly a dupe for the Nars Albatross Highlighter which is partially why I've been holding off from buying Albatross. If you're unsure about highlighters i definitely recommend getting this to give it a try as its about 8AUD dollars from Kmart, or 3US dollars off iherb.com.

Nyx Radiant Finishing Powder: So in the first photo it looks kind of all jumbled up, thats because it was smashed and i had to reset it, its actually supposed to look like this but it still does the job. You can tell by the swatch that its very translucent as you can barely see it. It does have the tiniest hint of shimmer to it and i actually am able to use it on my forehead and nose without it making me look oily and disgusting by the end of the day. Im actually considering repurchasing this so i don't have a smashed one because i absolutely love it.

Essence Metal Glam Highligher Powder: Ahhh i love love love this highlighter. Im pretty sure when these were released that they sold out within a few days because they were something ridiculous like 5AUD dollars! I love Essence products and this is no exception. Although i did smash it accidentally, i have now reset it and its as good as new. Its supposedly a dupe for theBalm Mary Louminizer which is a cult favourite highlighter and I'm still yet to purchase, but right now I'm happy with this one. It also doubles as a perfect day wear eyeshadow.

Stila Kitten Highlighter Duo: Stila Kitten is an absolute cult favourite and classic and this is no exception. I actually won this in a competition and I'm so glad i did. To begin with i was a little confused because by the name 'Kitten' i thought it would include the notorious Kitten eyeshadow colour but in a highlighter form but it actually doesn't, its just variations of the Kitten eyeshadow. Needless to say it comes with two colours, one a light pink and the other a champagne colour. Both amazing colours and can be doubled as eyeshadows as well as being worn alone or mixed together.

Cream Highlighters



Australis Highlights in Pearl: This was my first cream highlighter i ever purchased and ironically i purchased it just before christmas when i received more cream highlighters. This is actually a beautiful pink pearlescent shade and it glides on effortlessly. I actually haven't used this highlighter in awhile and it was actually featured in my June spending ban post. When i do use it i usually put it on after i have primed so by the time i have done my foundation it still gives a dewy look but nothing drastic.

Benefit Highbeam: This is another cult classic and I'm so glad i got a little sample size to try in a kit i got for christmas. Its similar to the Australis Highlights but it has more of a pearl colour or tinge to it i guess. I usually just dab this onto my cheek bones after i have done my blush for a perfect shimmer during the day. It also lasts all day which is a bonus!

Benefit Girl Meets Pearl: This is similar to high beam but has more of a golden tinge to it. Its perfecto for a bronzed summer look so lately this has not been getting the loving it should

Benefit Watts Up: I actually can't get over how cute this mini Watts up is! Its so tiny but i can tell its going to last me forever, i absolutely love this colour its the perfect mixture of pearl, pink and gold and just goes on no matter what time of the year. Im definitely going to purchase the large one once I've finished this little baby.

Benefit Sunbeam: This is probably one of my most neglected highlighters out of them all, my friend gave it to me and honestly i don't think I'm tan enough to wear it, maybe in summer but we will have to wait and see. Its a dark gold than Girl meets Pearl but still a beautiful highlighter, i may actually try this one out soon!

Thats all my beauties, i hope you enjoyed this post. If you have any requests or thoughts feel free to leave a comment below.

Love Always
Beauty with Claire

In between blogging you can find me here;

Instagram: @beautywithclaire

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

The quest to find a Beauty Blender dupe

Hey Beauties,

So as the title of this post suggests I'm on the search to find a Beauty Blender dupe. If you don't know what a BB is, well its essentially a sphere shaped sponge that will rule your beauty world. The BB has a suede touch feel to it and comes in a a few colours, such as purple, black, white and hot pink, i of course chose hot pink. After much umming and ahhing and listening to everyone rave about this pink sponge i caved and brought one from here which is probably the cheapest I've seen for a two pack considering for just one BB if i was to purchase in Australia it would of cost me up to 30AUD.
Okay ill stop talking about the BB and start talking this possible dupe.

L-R. Original Beauty Blender, Kmart Blending Sponge. Both wet.

So i was making my way down the makeup aisle in Kmart (favourite place) when i stumbled upon what appeared to be an exact replicate on face value of the BB so i brought it of course even though i am on a spending ban but seriously it cost me 4AUD dollars so it barely broke the bank. Plus i needed it for blogging sake right?. I got all excited thinking that this could possible be a dupe for the expensive sponge that rules my life and my makeup. But I'm sorry to break it to you girls this 'blending sponge' was so far from a dupe its not even funny, i was actually quite sad when i used it for the first time. It was this hard sponge thing that I'm 99.9% sure has something in the centre of it and i want to cut it open to see if it does. I wet it as per usual with the BB and it swelled to a humongous size as you can see in the photo above. I then went to apply my Chi Chi Super BB cream as i would normally and i honestly had to stop half way through doing my face it was that bad.



After i had finished doing my face with my original BB i decided to inspect what the difference was between the BB and the Kmart Blending Sponge. As you can see in the picture above that the BB is quite poreous and looks all bouncy and like a sponge should look on face value, whereas the Kmart Blending Sponge has no pores whatsoever and doesn't look bouncy at all or sponge like. In fact i felt i may as well have been wiping a cloth on my face. My makeup just sat on top of the sponge and when i tried bouncing it on my face the sponge just kept picking it up and then place it back without blending it or helping it settle into my skin. 

Overall the Kmart Blending Sponge is definitely not a BB dupe at all and my quest to find a BB dupe for all those ladies that don't wanna spend a ridiculous amount on what is essentially a sponge shall continue.

Love Beauty with Claire
x

Inbetween blogging you can find me here:

Instagram: @beautywithclaire

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Anastasia Beverly Dipbrow Pomade Review


Hey Beauties!
Today ill be reviewing and talking about the infamous Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade, wow thats a mouth full. Anastasia BH is new in the eyebrow section for me anyway but i do believe she has been around for many years and caters to the stars for all their eyebrow needs. I actually have been using Benefit Brows a Go Go for over a year but i quickly ran out of the pomade so when Dipbrow came into my knowledge i immediately read up on it and decided i needed it in my life, needless to say that was a feat in itself considering its always sold out on every site i have look on. So when Beautybay.com started selling it i brought it within it being on sale for a few hours.



I have quite full eyebrows although i do have a massive gap in my left eyebrow due to an incident between a 7 year old Claire and the corner of a glass cabinet, needless to say the glass cabinet won. So my aim is always trying to fill in that gap as much as i can to achieve fuller eyebrows and Dipbrow helps tremendously! Its a waxy formula that quite thick and easy to work with and its also waterproof. Before using it i read up a lot on how people used it and how much people used etc and everyone said that you only need the tiniest bit which i thought was a little silly but all the reviews are true, you literally need to lightly dab your brush in to do a full eyebrow. 

I won't go into too much detail on how i actually apply this product as i am doing a full blog post on my brow routine in the coming weeks. In my opinion Dipbrow totally lives up to the hype and is definitely worth the money, that being said Anastasia BH site is worth a look as she has many other brow products that all look amazing! Below I've put a photo that shows all the different colours available for the DipBrow Pomade, which i brought Dark Brown as i have dark brown hair, although it is a little darker than expect but its nothing major. You can buy Dipbrow from Beauty Bay as well as many other sites if you just google Anastasia BH.

Image is not mine.


That is all my beauties, 
i hope you enjoyed this post and keep an eye out for my brow routine blog post coming soon!
Love Claire,

Inbetween blogging you can find me here:

Instagram: @beautybyclaire

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Skincare Routine

Hey Beauties
Today is all about my skincare routine as i thought id let you all in on what i use daily and how and when i use it. I must admit i never really was into skincare much until the beginning of this year, i mean i moisturised at night but never the morning because it would make my skin way too oily for me to handle. Ive always envied my mum for her skin, she's only just started getting wrinkles and she often gets mistaken for being 40-45 years old! Hopefully this post helps someone of you unsure about what moisturiser to use etc. I hope you enjoy

L-R: St Ives Apricot Scrub, Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water, Garnier Moisture Match Mattifying Cream,
Sukin Rosehip Oil, Nivea Q10 Eye cream, Nivea Regenerating Night Cream

St Ives Apricot scrub: So i have been using this scrub since i hit puberty which was about 11-12 (i was an early bloomer) and i will probably continue to use this forever! Its been around for ages and i haven't heard a bad thing about this scrub. I use this in th shower to wash off my makeup as well as exfoliate my face.

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water: I use this after i have washed my face in the shower, i just use this to take off any of the makeup i may have missed when scrubbing my face as well as take off my eye makeup as i find it gentle enough to use around my eyes. I even have a backup of this which speaks volumes!

Sukin Rosehip Oil: This is new to my skincare regime due to one of my favourite beauty bloggers Bek raving about this. I have oily skin and the first time i used this i think i didn't rub it in enough as it made my skin feel greasy, but now i only use two drops at night and i rub it in thoroughly and let it soak in for about half an hour.

Nivea Q10 Eyecream: Im still unsure about this product, i have horrendous eye bags and i feel like i already have crows feet and I'm only 20!. That being said i do notice a little difference with my under eye bags when i put this on. I put this on after Rosehip oil and i rub it in quite well making sure I'm being delicate with my eye area.

Nivea Regenerating Night Cream: This is quite a heavy night cream i found but i still enjoy it and best of all i wake up in the morning and it doesn't make my skin oily which is great!I put this on after half an hour of putting the Rosehip oil on my face

Garnier Moisture Match Mattifying Cream: This is my morning moisturiser as i need a mattifying moisturiser otherwise my face is oil city during the day. This is such a lightweight moisturise and for $10AUD you can't go wrong with it. This moisturiser comes in different formulas for different skin combinations as well.

L-R: Formula 10.06 Pores be Pure Mud Mask, Nivea Deep Cleansing System
Formula 10.06 Pores be Pure Mud Mask: ahhhh i love this mask so much. I originally brought the little sachets from Priceline and i immediately needed to have this full size. I use this twice weekly on wednesday and sunday. It leaves my skin feeling super smooth and soft and clear.

Nivea Deep Cleansing System: I got this for free from coles when i spent 25AUD or more on Nivea products which i thought was easily enough done. This is a nifty little cleansing tool that i use every second night to give my skin an ultra good clean. That being said my skin doesn't feel cleaner wether i use this or not because my face scrub is sufficient enough

So that is all my skin care beauties, i hope you enjoyed this post!

Lots of Love
Claire

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

June Spending Ban



Hey Beauties!
As the name suggests this month I'm doing one of those things only crazy people do, a spending ban. Ive chosen to do one this month because A. i got a speeding fine that i didn't expect. B. its my sisters birthday. C. end of semester aka going out and partying. So i have lots of reasons that i need to save and not spend all my money on makeup! As part of my spending ban,  I have shopped my own makeup collection and I'm attempting project pan, which is essentially using up products to the pan. Below are the products of what i have shopped and chosen to incorporate into my daily routine which i had once forgotten about until now. I hope you enjoy!



Benefit Hellow Flawless Oxygen Wow: I actually haven't had this foundation for a long time, I've only had it a few months and now its nearly running out! Im going to try to finish this by the end of this month because i really want to try a new high end foundation and i only ever have one high end foundation at a time.


Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream: Ive already done a review on this product here. That being said i do enjoy this BB cream although it does part on my face and go weird by the afternoon which is bit of a downer, needless to say I've nearly finished this.

ModelsPrefer Perfect Canvas Mattifying Primer: Im kind of sad that this primer is near the end because honestly i quite enjoyed it as a mattifying primer, I've already done a blog post about it here if you want to know my thoughts on this primer fully.

Australis Highlights: I honestly forgot i even owned this highlighter. I think i brought it before christmas last year before i got makeup for christmas, so i was glad that i have had a chance to try incorporate it back into my daily routine seeing as its also nearly finished as well.

Benefit Stay don't Stray Eyeshadow Primer: I got this in the Love Potions christmas set Benefit brought out and I've loved it so much, i mainly used it to prevent my Boi-ing concealer from creasing as i find it creases on me quite a lot. That being said i totally forgot i owned this because i have had an influx of eyeshadow primers lately that this one took a back burner.

Benefit Highbeam: This is probably one of the most talked about highlighters in my opinion and i certainly know why! It gives such a beautiful luminous glow and its not too powerful in a sense. Perfect for a quick pick me up and swipe on the cheek bones to give a healthy glow

Benefit Posietint & Benetint: Ahhh i love these little guys, sadly I've forgotten about them as of late. I mainly use them to put on my lips because i can never seem to blend them perfectly on my cheeks. That being said I am going to try use them on my cheeks more often because who doesn't love a cheek stain that stays all day, am i right?



Benefit Cabana Glam set: I totally forgot i owned this set and its so beautiful! It has Hoola Bronzer, Some kind-of Gorgeous foundation which i haven't used, Three eyeshadows in 'Peach Fizz', 'Bronze Buzz' and 'Cocoa Pizzaz', it also had a little PosieTint which i gave to my mum because i already had one. Im actually considering de-potting this stuff and putting it in a Z-Palette cause the packaging is so bulky although it is so cute.

Nyx Soft Matte Lipcream: I brought this thinking it would be like Australis Velour Lips, needless to say its nothing like that. I absolutely love this colour 'Tokyo' but its staying power is useless, I've chosen this because i figured the colour is too beautiful to just leave it and never use it.

ModelsPrefer Ultra Lipgloss: Ahhhh this colour is simply amazing its called 'Crowd Pleaser' and its a vibrant hot pink. I honestly forgot how much i loved this lipgloss, its a lipgloss that has the staying power of a lipstick. Plus hot pink is my favourite colour, look out on my instagram for some sneaky pics of this colour!

So that is all, everything i have shopped from my own collection and will attempt to either hit pan on it or start using it more regularly. At the end of the month i will do another blog post with a wish list of items I've lusted after this month as well as how i went with my spending ban

I hope you enjoyed this post
Lots of Love
Claire