Winter beauty and skincare essentials

Hey beauties,

This post is going to be a long one as i decided to combine both my winter beauty essentials and my winter skincare essentials. I generally have combination/oily skin in most seasons apart from winter where my skin goes dry and feels tight in a way (if that makes sense). So i actually need to change what skincare products i use and even what makeup i use. This post will be split into beauty and skincare, so read on to find out what my essentials are!

Skincare Essentials:

Lip Care:

Winter is notorious for drying peoples lips out, mine included. This is due to going from hot and cold, so pretty much one extreme to another as well as the wind generally dries lips out. I literally always have lip balm on me no matter what, i kinda feel naked without it. Im constantly putting lip balm on when I'm not wearing lipstick. But this winter my lips have been feeling super chapped no matter what i do, luckily Chapsticks Night Repair has been my saviour so has Lush Cosmetics Bubblegum Lip scrub which scrubs away all the flakey bits. I lather on the Night repair just before i go to bed and it soothes my lips over night.

Moisturisers and Face Masks:

Winter is when i overload on facial moisturisers and start using heavier nightly moisturisers and more hydrating moisturisers. BioElixia Eye Brightening fluid has changed my life, it literally makes my eyes less puffy and more bright which i love, i have a full review available here so jump on over to read my full thoughts on it. I was also sent IndeedLabs Hydraluron*  which is a hydrating serum that is said to penetrate the skins surface to provide lasting hydration, i use this every second day after i shower to provide my skin with that extra bit of hydration that it needs during winter. As for the face mask, i love love love Formula 10.06 face masks and i think this one is the best I've used. It brings out an impurities and helps clear your pores and it leaves my skin super soft and clear.

Body Lotions:

Im a sucker for soft skin no matter what time of the year, and i literally have raved about SugarBaby's Hello Hamptons hand and body cream in Coconut and Vanilla so many times, purely because its amazing. Its something like $12.95AUD which is pretty cheap and it leaves my skin so soft and amazing. It also smells so heavenly, definitely worth taking a look at. Even though its also a hand cream i also love the Dirty Works Hand Cream which contains Cocoa Butter and Jojoba Oil and it smells heavenly. I have only recently started using it and i must say it makes my hands super soft and i haven't had any dry cracked hands this winter which i must say is due to using this hand cream.

Miscellaneous Skincare:

So these two products aren't even skin care really but i thought id include them. Marc Jacobs is notorious for his amazing perfumes which always smell like flowers and generally have a flowery name to them. I literally always have one or two Marc Jacobs perfumes that i rotate but lately I've been finding myself reaching for Lola more often. I find its a beauty winter perfume that smells flowery and musky but more winter based (if that makes sense), if any one has Daisy which is quite a summery scent this is the winter version of that which is more of a winter scent. Last but not least for skincare is the Face of Australia Instant Tan, this was raved about in one of Lauren Curtis's earlier videos and i understand why. I actually generally don't tan in winter because who wants to be standing around waiting for your tan to dry in the freezing cold, but this tan has made me want to tan all winter. It dries so quickly but it is easy to work with and leaves you with a beautiful golden glow. By the time i have finished tanning I'm actually able to jump into my pi's without having to worry about it going streaky thats how quickly it dries. Perfect for winter.

Beauty Essentials:

Foundations:

As i said earlier after discovering the Face of Australia tan i have found myself tanning more in winter which is perfect because it means i get to use my baby aka Loreal True Match more often. I love love love this foundation, it leaves me looking so flawless and amazing and i find it even makes my pores disappear! I have it in the shade N2 Vanilla which is a little dark for me in winter but perfect for me when in summer or when i tan. Loreal True Match used with Australis Fresh and Flawless in Darkest Brown is the perfect tan combo. Fresh and Flawless is one of my holy grail powders and it probably will continue to be no matter what. 

Eyes:

So in winter for my eyes I'm all about that waterproof as i generally get caught in rain and i don't enjoy looking like a panda, but then again what girl does? The Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow is waterproof which is perfect for winter as i always know that even if my face does get wet at least my eyebrows will still look flawless (priorities). I've also found myself using the Nyx Wonder Pencil in Light for my water line to help me look awake and fresh which is perfect for winter as my eyes generally look dull, this combined with Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded is literally all I've been wearing this past month on my eyes. Its literally the perfect combo for winter and it stays all day which is even better.

So those are my beauty and skincare essentials for winter. I hope you enjoyed this post and feel free to leave your thoughts in a comment below.

Until next time..

Love always,

Beauty with Claire

xx

Inbetween blogging you can find me on instagram:

@beautywithclaire

*Although i was gifted this product, i provide my honest opinion and would never post about products i don't full believe in. 

ChiChi Super BB Cream

Hey Beauties,

As the title suggests todays post will be about ChiChi's Super BB Cream. A little about ChiChi, its an  Australian based company that was established in 1997. They sell everything from foundations and concealers to perfumes and body lotions, as far as i know its only available in Australia and New Zealand but lets hope it will soon be available globally, it is also a cruelty free brand (yay). Now to the BB cream, if you are a returning reader you will know I'm a bit dubious about BB creams as my first experience was far from fabulous, it was a bad, patchy, oxidised experience. In all honesty i don't actually understand BB creams, my impression is their just a better version of a tinted moisturiser. In comes ChiChi's Super BB Cream, i actually purchased this as one of my all time favourite blogger  beautybybek has always raved about this and seeing as i had a gift voucher for Myers i thought i had nothing to loose so i purchased it. Needless to say it was one of the best decisions I've made and its changed my whole perspective on BB creams. Read on for my thoughts and a review on the Super BB Cream.

I purchased this in Light because lets be honest I'm so pale even when i tan my skin just doesn't hold tan no matter what. So this Super BB Cream is said to be super moisturising, multi benefit, anti ageing and is said to contain more than 14 essential skin conditions agents. It contains anti-wrinkle collagen and Caviar extract. So all in all thats a lot of things for a BB to contain and claim to do probably why it is called Super BB Cream. When i first put it was on i was expecting it to oxidise and go patchy like every other BB Cream i have tried, but surprisingly i looked in the mirror at the end of the day and it was still as perfect as when i first did it expect i was a bit oily which i expected given i have combination skin. 

I find it super moisturising to the point where if i plan to use it i don't actually moisturise in the morning as i feel like i don't need to, this has also eliminated a little bit of the oil i have on my t-zone at the end of the day. This leaves me feeling radiant and has quite a dewy finish which i like as if i don't feel like a dewy finish i can just put a bit of Stay Matte by Rimmel on and it turns matte. Overall I actually thoroughly enjoy this BB Cream and find it super moisturising and perfect for winter as my skin has a tendency to feel dry and tight in winter. I definitely recommend picking one of these up if you're in Australia or New Zealand, they are available online, and in Target or Myers for approximately $22.95AUD.

So that is all for now,

until next time..

Love Always

Beauty with Claire

xx

Inbetween blogging you can find me on instagram,

@beautywithclaire

Battle of the Concealers

Hey Beauties,

Today ill be giving all my thoughts on the concealers i own. As i have stated many times before i have horrendous dark circles and they are the bane of my existence. So I'm like many other girls that are probably trying to find the one concealer thats going to solve all our problems. Some girls may have found it, some maybe still searching for it. Read on to see if I've found 'The One' concealer.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer:  I had high hopes for this, so many high hopes that were sadly cut down. This concealer is said to wake you up and make you look awake i guess but it does nothing for me. It doesn't even cover my bags or dark circles or anything. I can't say much about this because i just don't think it does what it says its supposed to do. So i now use it as a a cream highlighter when i can be bothered.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer: This is in the shade 'Light 10' which is a still bit too dark for my under eyes although it does blend into my skin well and 'fits me'. This is supposedly a dupe for the Nars Creamy Concealer which i can't comment on because i don't actually own it. Overall i thoroughly enjoy this concealer and it hides my dark circles well and it doesn't crease. Although its not the 'one'

Benefit Boi-ing Concealer: This was my first high end concealer i ever owned and i loved it for about a year when i was naive about concealers and didn't wanna try any other ones. I was loyal to it but not so much anymore. Its supposedly industrial strength but it creased something shocking on me and didn't cover my dark circles well. I found using a eye primer underneath helped prevent it creasing but still. I now use it as an under eyebrow highlight and to clean up my brows.

MAC Pro-Long Wear Concealer: Well this is a cult favourite and I've had a bit of an odd run with this. Firstly i smashed it within a week of having it, and thats when i realised how good it was and i needed it back in my life. I was matched with NW20 which i don't think suits me well although it covers up my dark circles it doesn't highlight at all. I do love this concealer a lot and it is one of 'the ones' for me but next time i repurchase I'm definitely going to get NW15 as i believe that it will be a little better of a match for my skin.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer:  Ahhhhh i love this concealer oh so much. It highlights my under eyes as well as conceals my dark circles. This is purely amazing and rivals high end concealers out there. This doesn't crease and its oh so easy to use. I can't really say much more but its amazing and if you want a good drugstore concealer this baby is for you.

So there you go, i have the two of 'The One' concealer that will solve all my concealer wishes. If you're in the same boat as me with dark circles for days then i definitely recommend looking at Mac Pro Long Wear if you're in the market for a high end concealer or Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer if you're in the market for a drug store concealer. 

I hope you enjoyed this post, if you did let me know in the comments!

Until next time..

Love Always,

Beauty with Claire

x

In between blogging you can find me on instagram:

@beautywithclaire

Shanghai Suzy Lipstick Swatches

Hey beauties,

This is just a quick little post about the lovely Shanghai Suzy Lipsticks that i was so kindly sent to consider and try out. Shanghai Suzy is a Melbourne based company and was only launched in August last year, owned by a former model who i must say is extremely beautiful, these lipsticks are $12.95AUD and all i can say is wow. I was sent 9 lipsticks in total which is the entire collection, all ranging in colour from dark plum to neon coral and baby pink. I haven't used these much so i can't give a review but below are swatches of the colours i received and their names.

Shanghai Suzy Lipsticks: 

Miss Sophia 'Lilac'

Miss Amy 'Baby Pink'

Miss Simone 'Baby Coral'

Miss Maxima 'Burnt Orange'

Miss Sarah-Jane 'Neon Coral'

The GOSSLING Lippie

Miss Melissa 'Hot Pink'

Miss Tegan 'Cherry'

Miss Kitty 'Black Plum'

As you can see these lipsticks are amazingly pigmented and are beautiful colours. They are all matte lipsticks apart from the Gossling lippie which is a nourishing lipstick. 

They are available to purchase online here and you won't be disappointed.

Thats all for now beauties until next time..

Love always,

Beauty with Claire.

Inbetween blogging you can find me on instagram

@beautywithclaire

Products I Regret Buying

Hey Beauties,

Well today is an unusual post for me as i usually don't enjoy being a negative nancy on my blog, but i feel that this post will enable readers to tell me their thoughts on the products and if they have encountered the same problems as i have which has lead me to dislike these products. The products featured in this post i have spent countless times trying to make work as I'm not one to just give up on a product. So these products are well and truly tried and tested and i have found to have not worked for me. Read on to find out what products I regret buying.

Maybelline Baby Skin Primer: This is a silicone based primer and seeing as i have oily skin this just makes me look like a hot mess. I have reviewed it before here so i won't go on too much about it. Its supposed to erase your pores but in all honesty it does nothing to my pores. I find it doesnt even prolong the wear of my makeup either. This product may be good for people with normal/dry skin as silicone based primers generally work for them better but its just a hot mess for me.

Nude by Nature Mineral Primer: I actually haven't used this primer in forever and i used it the other day and i realised why i hadn't used it in forever. The smell is horrendous and it literally lingers all day whilst on my face. It has a chemical smell to it and its so overbearing and unbearable.

Maybelline Fit me Stick Foundation: Ive actually gave a review on this product and the product below here and not much has changed. This product still dries out my face and separates on my skin. I understand its supposed to be anti-shine but there is anti-shine and then there is drying out my face. Ive tried the Baby Skin primer with this to see if it would counteract the dryness but nothing worked. It just made my skin look scaly and separated on my skin before the day was out.

Maybelline Pure BB Cream: This product isn't pictured cause I've actually given it to my mum because she loves BB creams. This product once again separated on my skin and made me look so scaly it was a joke. I have tried every single primer i owned with this product and nothing seemed to work. I was so disappointed in this product.

Smashbox Photo Finish Lip primer: I got this in a try it kit that Smashbox released and all i can say is I'm glad i tried it before i brought the full sized product. I mean it helps my eyeshadow last all day which is the purpose of the product but the consistency of the product is weird. Its rather thick and gluggy (is that a word?) and its actually quite drying. Im not sure if i got a dodgy one or what but its just not the right consistency.

Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara: I also got this in the try it kit and i had high expectations. I love mascaras and i can't live without them. This mascara has a straight thick brush with no curves or bends in it. The brush in fact kind of reminds me of Benefits Badgal Mascara wand. This mascara doesn't make my eyelashes any longer or gives them any volume at all and in fact by the middle of the day it goes all flakey and rubs off quite easily which is a big no no for me with mascara.

Nivea Q10 Eye Cream: I brought this because my mother uses this and she doesn't have dark circles which i assumed was because she used this product. After using this product i realised my mum just doesn't have dark circles at all because she's one of those lucky people that have amazing under eyes, I'm unfortunately not that lucky. I had high hopes for this product and it just crushed them. It doesn't hydrate my under eyes or reduce my under bags at all i actually felt like using this was silly because it didn't do anything. Thankfully i was sent some amazing eye creams and serums so i will no longer be using this eye cream.

So those are the products i regret buying, if you have any similar experiences with the products mentioned above or have had wonderful experiences i would love the hear them! So feel free to leave a comment below.

Until next time..

Love Always,

Beauty with Claire.

Inbetween blogging you can find me on instagram:

@beautywithclaire

Top 5 Winter Lipsticks

Hey Beauties,

So today will be all about my Top 5 lipsticks that I'm wearing this winter. Winter is usually seen to be dark and dreary which don't get me a wrong it is, but people often wear more darker colours as well, unless you're like me who wears black all year around. Anyway I've actually found myself reaching for darker colours this winter but also bright pops of pink and orange because i am a woman who likes to change it up. Read on to find out my favourite winter lipsticks. 

L-R: Maybelline 'Plum Proper', Sportsgirl Pout about it 'Love Bite', Sportsgirl Pout about it 'Violet Crumble',
MAC Amplified lipstick 'Saint Germain', Maybelline Color Whisper 'Petal Rebal'

Maybelline Lipstick in '942 Plum Proper': Okay so i don't actually know what type of Maybelline lipstick this is because I've had it for that long the writing has rubbed off. Anyway this is the perfect plum for people who don't wanna go too dark that it looks gothic. I actually brought this years ago in Melbourne when i wanted a plum lipstick and I've only just rediscovered it. Its such a beautiful colour and I'm going to search and see if its actually still available.

Sportsgirl Pout About it in 'Love Bite': This is the perfect dark red for winter and any time of the year in fact. I kind of strayed away from this colour because i didn't think it suited me but i wore it once whilst working and the rest is history. This is my go to lip colour when I'm unsure what lipstick i want to wear. Plus its only 9.95AUD from Sportsgirl so you literally cannot go wrong.

Sportsgirl Pout About It in 'Violet Crumble': I finally have this baby in my hands and I'm so happy. This colour literally sells out every time we have it in store so when it was restocked i jumped on it. Its such a beautiful purpley/pinky colour and i think it is a warm toned lipstick in a way. Plus the name is violet crumble which reminds me of chocolate mmm.

MAC Amplified Lipstick in 'Saint Germain': When i walked into MAC i didn't intend on walking out with this baby but I'm honestly so glad i did. Its such a beautiful pink and perfect for a pop of colour. Pink is without doubt my favourite colour, i actually plan to have most things in my lifestyle pink haha so this is a perfect addition. It goes beautifully with almost any outfit and because its not matte it doesn't dry out my lips during the day.

Maybelline Color Whisper in 'Petal Rebal': This soft pink lipstick is super perfect for those days when you're unsure about what lipstick you want to wear. The name Color Whisper means that its not supposed to be as full on as a normal lipstick but instead a hint of colour. When i first got it the colour was kind of funny and i found i had to keep swatching it until the colour appeared properly, but as i have used it the colour gets more beautiful. Definitley a perfect addition to the lipstick collection.

Those are my top 5 winter lipsticks and as you can see they vary in colour quite a lot. I hope this post has helped you find the perfect winter lipstick shade.

Until next time..

Love always,

Beauty with Claire

Inbetween blogging you can find me on isntagram:

@beautywithclaire

June Beauty Favourites

Hey Beauties,

This is a little different than last months post which was a May monthly haul, which i have decided won't be happening every month because i may not necessarily buy many things in a month. June has been a massive month for me and not a very good one either so I'm honestly glad to see June go. That being said i was also on a spending ban this month so I've been reaching for products that i picked out when i shopped my collection at the beginning of the month which you can read about here. That being said shopping my collection at the beginning of the month didn't work very well because i like to change up what i use daily. Read on to find out what i was loving this month.

Beauty:

Models Prefer Perfecting Canvas Mattifying Primer: So I've actually spoken about this primer a lot on my blog, and it was actually involved in my product empties post which i actually underestimated how much product was left. I have found myself reaching for this primer every day without a doubt. I still am prone to getting oily during the day, only in the t-zone but i use it all over my face as well as it just makes my face feel super soft. 

MAC Studio Fix+: I honestly only brought this product because i had a gift voucher and i wanted to try something i wouldn't normally buy. That being said i am loving this spray, although at the start i was a little confused at to what the purpose of it was. I find that it helps stop my makeup looking cakey and it also prolongs the wear of my makeup i find and keeps me looking fresh all day.

ChiChi Super BB Cream: I was a bit apprehensive when i brought this but seeing as i have seen copious amounts of people raving about it i thought id give it a shot. Im glad i did, this BB cream is purely amazing. This is literally what i have been wearing nearly everyday during june. Its super moisturising which is perfect for winter and it leaves you looking flawless.

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow: Ive had this baby for awhile and i have found myself lately to have been overlooking it quite a lot but I've fallen back in love with it again. I honestly just wish it had better staying power, because i find after a few hours its rubbed off or gone oily (in summer). Regardless this foundation is perfect for winter and it makes me feel like I'm not wearing anything at all.

Maybelline Instant age Rewind Concealer: This is a cult drugstore favourite and seeing as its winter and I'm at my palest because I'm too lazy to tan because its cold this is actually the only concealer i have that matches me properly whilst highlighting as well. It doesn't crease on me and it lasts all day. I will always love this concealer.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade: I won't rave on about this product too much, as I've already done a review here but this product will always be in my daily routine along side my benefit brow products. This is the perfect pomade to help conceal the gap in my brows as well as helping me achieve killer eyebrows.

Skincare:

Sukin Rosehip Oil: This is another product i won't talk too much about as i have already posted my thoughts about it here but this is honestly my saviour from dry winter skin. It makes my skin super hydrated and look amazing when i wake up i feel like I'm sparkling.

Chapstick Night Repair: This little guy deserves a medal, he's saved my lips from being super dry this winter. I was actually talking to my manager about this today and how i told her she needs it for night because its amazing. I layer this on before going to sleep and i wake up with baby soft lips. Its a winter must.

So thats all my June favourites and what I've been using the most.

If you have any thoughts or questions feel free to leave a comment below.

Until next time..

Love always,

Beauty with Claire.

Inbetween blogging you can find me on instagram:

@beautywithclaire