Daniel Sandler - Water Colour Creme Rouge Blusher - Review and Swatches



It's not often I get so excited about a blusher. The search for that natural, lit within healthy flush of colour seems an endless task. But luckily for me, I have found the perfect blush for my fair complexion and it's not necessarily the one I would have thought. Firstly, my criteria for blushes. They have to be pigmented, easily blended, easy to apply, wear well and have the finish I am after.

Now these creme blushers from Daniel Sandler are super pigmented (tick), blend seamlessly (tick), easy to apply - I use my finger tips (tick), last all day (tick), and lastly have a natural finish on the skin (tick). 





The shade which gives me the most natural flush of colour is the Hot Pink, which looks scarily bright in the pot. But alas, when you blend it out, it creates the most lovely "I've just been walking briskly" kind of effect.




In Natural light L-R - Heavy Swatch and then blended: Soft Pink, Hot Pink

 
 


I purchased these off ASOS for $30.68 and they also offer a shade in Soft Peach.. which I may look into investing in....


What is your favourite cream blush?


Ellen Rozalia xx



**Disclaimer: All products mentioned were purchased with my own money and my opinions are entirely my own.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder - Review and Swatches


The hype surrounding this product has lead us to believe it's the the Holy Grail of powders. It's claimed to make the skin appear as it would in it's named shades, dim light etc. and to blur imperfections without cakeiness. So obviously, with my face powder obsession and it's pretty packaging, I had to check them out.


I started my endeavour with the limited edition release Ambient Lighting Palette (purchased from Mecca Cosmetica $95 AUD- now sold out). Now this palette contains (L-R) Dim Light, Incandescent Light and Radiant Light. Wanting a a powder to set my make-up I used the Dim Light, because who wouldn't want skin that appeared as it did in Dim light..? Sadly, it's much too yellow and orange for my pale skin.



This lead to me buy Diffused Light (Mecca Cosmetica $62 AUD). This is lovely all over as a setting powder an doesn't appear to go cakey and also lasts during the recent brutal summer days here in Australia. What I will say is that I'm dubious about the "imperfection blurring" claims. Yes they are nice, finely milled powders. Yes they sit lovely on the skin. But I didn't find that they helped eliminate imperfections or redness in my skin. They did add a luminosity, but if you were after a powder to add coverage or the like, this isn't for you.

In natural light L-R: Dim Light, Incandescent Light, Radiant light, Difussed Light

So with that out of the way, I will say I applied the Diffused light all over my skin with the Real Techniques Multi-Task brush and used the Contour brush to place Incandescent Light along cheek bones as a highlighter.


What are your thoughts on this hyped-up product?



Ellen Rozalia xx


*Disclaimer: All products mentioned were purchased with my own money and all opinions are my own

Luxe Splurge - Aromatherapy Associates


As you may have seen in my luxury Christmas wishlist, these were definitely top of my list. After seeing the likes of Lily Pebbles and Vivianna Does Makeup rave about these bath and shower oils, I was literally torn whether I should splurge or keep the moola in my bank account. Needless to say that 20% offer sealed the deal and I bought it. Was it worth it? Did I regret my decision? I can decisively say they are worth every scent!




Now you may look at the bottles of pure essential oil heaven and think "7.5ml isn't a lot...", but what I quickly discovered is a little goes a lot way! A tiny capfull of this 3ml Inner Strength sample included, filled the bath with wonderful aroma, as well as the entire bath room and I could even still smell it on my skin afterwards.







So what did I end up buying? I purchased the Indulgent Bath & Shower Oil Ritual and the Ultimate Collection. I then received the Little Bell and samples free with those purchases. You may also be pleased to know that they are having a sale on at the moment and the Ultimate Collection is down from $103.80 to $88 (plus an extra 10% off your first order- FIRST10). 


Ellen Rozalia xx


*Disclaimer: All items were purchased with my own money and my opinions are my own.

Happy Skin = Happy Ellen



I'm always striving to make the most out my skincare. So when purchasing the full size products of the Happy Skincare Program, review here, I thought I'd add a few extras which I had been curious to try out. And I'm very happy I did!






The latest addition to the 100% natural Happy Skincare line is the "Perfectly Happy" Anti-ageing cream. It's a light liquid moisturiser that sinks into the skin making it feel hydrated, but never oily. I personally love the smell of frankincense, sandalwood and pink grapefruit that it has and I find it very uplifting to use.

I apply it after using the Cloud 9 Cleansing balm, "Tickled Pink" Perfecting Toner and sometimes in combination with the "Good Vibes" Omega Facial Oil. I also haven't had any breakouts on my oily, acne prone skin, and my skin feels hydrated and "plumped".





I also added the 'TLC' Intensive Repair oil into my little shopping cart. They claim it helps reduce stretch marks; and as the festive season hasn't been too kind, I thought it would be a great one to try out. One common misconception I often face, is that Oils are, well, oily *bear with me*. Now this is a combination of oils, but this lovely concoction sinks into the skin and doesn't leave that oily feel or finish on the skin, unlike other products such as BioOil. Plus it works! I've already seen a reduction in the appearance of my stretch marks and they are fading nicely.



So definitely loving these two little gems and can not recommend them enough! If you are wanting to give them a try without committing to the full size products, they do a Super-Sized Sample pack for $15.95 (free Australian Delivery + redeemable for use on future purchases).


Ellen Rozalia xx

*Disclaimer: All items were purchased with my own money and my opinions are my own. 

New Year Beauty Resolutions


The festive season is upon us and I decided to take a little break from blogging to revive. The lull made me think about the year to come and what changes I want to make in my life.

So of course I thought it would be fitting to think of some Beauty Resolutions, which I will endeavor, to fulfill.. and off we crack!



    1. Brush Cleansing. I've fallen into the rut too many times this year to "put off" cleaning my brushes and going perhaps a little bit longer than desirable in between washes. It's all too easy to use a brush, pop it back in it's little jar and forget its dirtiness. My solution? The dirty jar. The jar which will hold all my used and waiting to be cleaned brushes and hopefully will scream "wash me!".
    2. Cut back on spending. It's all too easy to fall into the "hyped product" trap and lust after the next great thing, but sadly they aren't usually as great as they claim. This year I'm going to try to make the most of what I have and use the same products in new and inventive ways. Time to start a beauty budget. Wish me luck?
    3. Get organised. This may mean upsizing in the storage department, but make-up that is tidy and in order is always easier to reach to, put back in place and most importantly find when in a hurry. Seriously thinking about purchasing the IKEA Alex...
    4. Organise a Spa Bar. I saw a "how to" by pinksofoxy on Youtube and thought what a great way of putting some lush products together for when you're desperate for a little TLC. With everything in place and easy reach, it minimises wasted time when you could be doing better things... like soaking in a bath with a mask on.



    That's all I can think of at the moment, but I'm sure I'll think of many more as we work into 2014.

    Do you have any New Year Beauty Resolutions?

    Ellen Rozalia xx
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