First Impressions: L'Oreal Nude Magique Blur Cream & MaybellineSuperstay Better Skin Foundation

Hi everyone! Sorry about the lack of posts in the last couple of weeks. I have been going through some personal issues and have had an extra job thrust upon me. As a result, I got a bit sick & have not been up to much. Sorry again. I will try more to be regular! 

My time away has been spent wisely and I have a couple of posts ready for you already, so keep your eyes peeled!

Last week I decided to try some samples I received in the mail & in a magazine. Thanks to Priceline sister rewards, I received L'Oreal Nude Magique Blur Cream and as you all would know, I love the L'Oreal Revitalift Magic Blur cream so of course, I was very excited to receive this one! I then bought the September issue of Cosmopolitan Australia & found a Maybelline Better skin foundation. I was glad I received this because Maybelline's foundation products are hit & miss.

L'Oreal Nude Magique Blur Cream:

Price: AU$26.95 US$11.99

Size: 25ml 

Shades: 1) Light-Medium 2)Medium-Dark

Let me just start by saying I like this better than the Revitalift Magic Blur. I feel as though it does more having a tint to it & fills the pores rather than blurring them. As I did both of these products on the same day for a first impressions, I only primed half of my face to see how the foundation fared without a primer & to judge how well the primer worked. It made a difference & definitely prolonged the wear of the foundation. The feel of the primer is very silicone-like, which these days you pretty much expect that. I also went into the store and honestly didn't find a difference between the shades, it tends to alter to your shade, so maybe stay safe with that, but I don't feel as though it matters. My face was quite red and this made majority of that disappear and blurred the imperfections and filled in my pores making me feel like I didn't need as much foundation. I found a very small amount of this went a long way. I felt as though my skin had a healthy glow. The foundation slid on beautifully without being too slippery & the foundation colour wasn't altered by the primer. Overall I give this product a 10/10. Very impressed!

Maybelline Superstay Better Skin Foundation: 

Price: AU$21.95 

Size: 30ml with pump

Shades: 8 

In the sample, I received the shade "21 Nude/beige doré" which came with just the right amount of foundation to use for one layer, plus extra for problem areas. This shade has beige undertones so was a true nude, not the right colour for  me, but it worked fine just for the day. The foundation has a nice thin consistency & spreads well. It melds well with a primer, concealer and no products were affected by the foundation. It doesn't oxidise and powder doesn't change the colour, provided you have the right colour. It settled in my pores on the non-primed side so oily girls would definitely need a primer. The finish is semi-dewy when first applied. I had a busy day of shopping and running around, so it was the perfect day to test the wear of the foundation. As I said earlier, I only primed one side of my face to test how the foundation last with or without a primer. After wearing this for 4 hours, the foundation has started to rub off on the non-primed side & is looking oily - definitely would need to bring a powder with you. After 9 hours, you could still tell I was wearing foundation, but it really wasn't doing much. On the non-primed side, there was practically nothing left on my face and the other side was hardly there. I wouldn't call this a long-wearing foundation or a full-coverage foundation. I had many people ask me if I was hot in the shops because my face was oily & trying to get the foundation off of my skin. It broke me out and a week later, I am still dealing with the pimples caused by the foundation. Honest opinion: don't buy! It was awful. There are much better drug-store foundations that last better and don't break you out. Overall I give this product a 3/10 because the consistency is beautiful and it doesn't oxidise. Other than that I actually hated this product. 

So there you go! I hope this was helpful & if you had any other experiences with this product, feel free to leave comments down below of how it worked/didn't work for you! 

Until next time,

-Beauty Geek

What's On My Ipod: Top Played Albums

Hi Everyone! Last blogathon post for the week, now before you get out the kleenex, I promise I will be back, as always, on Tuesday!

I thought I would do something different today, it being Saturday and all. Here is what albums I have been listening to.

1. Sheezus - Lily Allen. This album is great. It has had much controversy, sure, but it is a great mix of songs and makes me feel good.

2. X - Ed Sheeran. I know I have already mentioned this in a previous post, but I just can't get enough! If you haven't checked out the musical genius that is X, you need to get to it, STAT.

3. Bangerz - Miley Cyrus. Before you say anything - don't. I love Miley as a musician, yes she makes questionable choices, let's accept it, move forward and start to appreciate her musically. This album has a song for every mood and truly feels like a story.

4. Mechanical Bull - Kings Of Leon. I just love them. Not a bad word to say.

5. Prism - Katy Perry. Holla out there to all my Katy cats. Can Katy do any wrong? I don't think so. This album tells a great story and a few songs are heartbreaking (by the Grace of God - nearly cried). 

6. Paradise Valley - John Mayer. I love John Mayer, I will always love John Mayer and I would probably react much the same (not really) as a Directioner would when seeing Harry Styles were I to ever meet him.

7. AM - Arctic Monkeys. These guys know their stuff. This album is just greatness. 

8. The 1975 - The 1975. WOW. Love it. Smooth vocals, you can just hear and feel the emotion. Chilling.

9. The New Classic - Iggy Azalea. I am not a Hip-hop rap fan by any means. I only like few other artists of this genre, but Iggy. This girl is easy to listen to. Love her sound.

10. Meet the Vamps - The Vamps. Oh boys. You have won me over. Great album.

There we have it! I know it's a little different, but I figured, hey why not! I hope you enjoyed it. Leave me some music to listen to down below. 

Until Next Time..

-Beauty Geek x

Cleansing: Why your skin needs it.

Hi everyone! Today, I thought I would talk about the importance of cleansing and the steps you need to follow in order to achieve the best skin you possibly can!

I have read many girls of late on various websites, beauty groups and pages talking about using face wipes as a method of cleansing. Now to clarify, I am not talking about the dry facial towelette wipes that can be used in conjunction with your cleanser and other face products to help to provide a sanitary way of cleansing, no. I am talking about pre-packaged facial wipes that you buy in the supermarket. 

These wipes have their place, and when used appropriately, there is no harm. However majority of these wipes are too course for the skin and can irritate the skin. This isn't really the problem though, the problem is that the girls are using it as their ONLY method of cleansing. As a beauty therapist, this makes me shudder, ESPECIALLY if you are someone who wears makeup. I can guarantee that this isn't an effective way of cleansing the face. Now, I'm not trying to offend anyone, but I am truly trying to help. While on the topic of ineffective cleansing, I have also heard multiple girls using eye make-up remover as a method of cleansing. This doesn't cleanse the skin.

Facial wipes were not designed for cleansing the face, nor were they designed to help the time poor. They were designed to remove your makeup, sure - but not to cleanse your face. Facial wipes are simply wipes saturated in an eye makeup remover. The reason that this is an ineffective cleanse is that the ingredients in eye makeup remover are often an oil in water emulsion that helps to dissolve makeup, but not cleanse it from your face. That is what a cleanser is designed to do.

Whether or not you would like to spend a lot of money on facial products is completely up to you. I am not telling you what you should or shouldn't do, I am simply offering my knowledge. If you can afford it, however I would suggest you visit a Beauty Therapist to get your skin analysed and to use the products that will work best for your skin type & condition.

As to the order of what to use first, here it is! I have had so many girls ask me what order to use their products in, so I thought that I would kill two birds with one stone in this post! First is the eye makeup remover - now this is important whether or not you are wearing eye makeup, because the pores around your eyes are much finer and require special care. This can also be used to remove lip makeup. An oil-in-water emulsion is recommended for proper removal, used on damp cotton pads. Next, comes any pre-cleansing products, which are available in some skin care ranges, remember not all ranges have these, so don't stress. Now if you don't have a pre-cleansing product, this is the part where you cleanse twice if it is night time, or just once in the morning. Cleansing both morning and night is important as majority of your skin's rejuvenation happens while you sleep, so the skin needs to be cleansed to remove any debris. Next comes a toner/lotion - whatever you call it, these days most do the same thing, being that they rebalance the skin's natural pH and they prepare the skin for the next step. This is followed by an exfoliant - side note: you only need to exfoliate once a week, any more is too much. I would recommend that the day you exfoliate is also the day you apply a face mask, as exfoliating helps to remove the dead skin cells and allow the mask to penetrate the skin better (the mask is the next step, by the way, this should also only be done 1-2 times per week). Now comes any serums you may have, keeping in mind that most vitamin C serums can have a bleaching affect when worn under sunlight - which is why they are recommended for night use (another reason cleansing in the morning is important). This should be followed by an eye cream - now same goes here as for the eye makeup remover, eye cream is specialised for the eye area due to the smaller pores of the area and the more sensitive skin, moisturiser can cause milia (white heads) under the eyes due to it being too rich. Moisturiser is next, and for day wear this should be followed by a sunscreen. Sunscreen is important, as the sun speeds up the process of ageing, not to mention causing various skin cancers.

There you have it! Just to reiterate that I am not trying to offend anyone! I am truly trying to help & thought that my professional opinion & knowledge may help to inform you of a few things I have learnt. If you disagree, that is fine, but keep in mind that I do know what I am talking about & everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Plus, I understand that skin care is not always affordable, checking out the ingredients often helps and if you would like help with cheaper priced cleansers, let me know in the comments & I will do a post about it! 
Until Next Time ..
-Beauty Geek x

Home Remedies: Skin & Hair

Hi everyone! I thought as part of my blogathon, I would tell you a few home remedies! Tried & Tested, I promise!

Body Scrub: I make up this nice body scrub once a week and sit in the bottom of the shower to apply the scrub before turning on the water to wash it off. This particular scrub is extremely moisturising, and so good its almost like a body mask and scrub in one. This is great for so many reasons: Firstly, the cleanup is so simple because you can just wash it down the drain as you shower normally, second because it's so inexpensive & can be made out of ingredients you will likely already have, thirdly because it is not very time consuming - adding only a couple of extra minutes before you shower. So what you will need is: Honey (I use manuka honey), an oil (I use sweet almond because I have it for massages, but Jojoba oil or even olive oil - extra virgin - will do the trick!), sugar (I use raw sugar because that's what I have but as long as its about the same size, it will work) and Sea or lake salt (because of their larger size). The amount you will need will vary depending on the surface area of the body, as well as how much of the body you are doing, but basically as much salt that I do, I use half as much sugar, I really don't measure the honey - so just use as much as you think, remembering the more you use the more moisturised you will be - and I only use a small amount of oil mainly to mix the ingredients and increase the spreadability. I mix it in a small metal bowl and add the honey, sugar and salt and leave for about 1-2 minutes to allow the sugar to become sticky and add the oil right before I use it so that it doesn't dissolve the salt. I then sit in the bottom of the shower and start with my legs and exfoliate towards the heart to help the lymphatic system. I basically grab small amounts and rub over the area until all that's left on the area is the stickiness of the honey and move on to the next area. I would never use this on my face because the mixture is just far too coarse for the skin on the face. I also avoid the neck. Once you are finished exfoliating, you may sit there for an extra couple of minutes to allow the honey to sink in or you can wash it off immediately. I recommend that the drier your skin is, the longer you leave the honey to sit, just keeping in mind that you may get cold (as you are likely naked) sitting in the bottom of the shower without the water running. When you shower, just wash as normal, not scrubbing too hard, as you have already scrubbed the skin and then moisturise. Trust me, your skin will feel amazing!

Face Mask/Scrub: I do this particular mask once a week and shake it up adding or removing ingredients depending on my skin's needs. The main ingredients are generally the same, being sugar, honey, jojoba oil and my dermalogica daily microfoliant. I use, again manuka honey, raw sugar and jojoba oil (because it's moisturising), but the microfoliant can be substituted for finely ground up oats. Now these are the main ingredients of which will be in each face mask, but there are things you can add to modify to your skin type and conditions. Bananas: I'm sure if you have previously done a home-made mask, you have already discovered banana. It is a great anti-oxidant and helps to tighten the skin, provide moisture, increase blood circulation, stimulate collagen production (win!), as well as soothing properties - so it is really good for any type of skin! Clay: I'm sure your local beauty therapist, chemist, pharmacy, beauty wholesaler or somewhere near you sell clay. I get mine from New directions and they come in bulk. I use a white clay - which is great for young skin and a green clay (for spot treatment) - which is good for detoxifying the skin. I add this when I feel as though my skin needs a little something extra. Clay has so many benefits on the skin, but mainly it is just excellent at pulling out impurities. If you would like to know more about clay and what type to use, please comment below & I will give you more information! Cucumber: This is a must! It is anti-inflammatory, hydrating, full of vitamins making it nourishing and an anti-oxidant, and also helps to balance out the skin tone. Citrus: orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, etc these are all great astringents for oily skin and can be added occasionally to balance out the oil in your skin! These work best in toners! Now that you know the basics, you can start to figure out what your skin needs - and if you are unsure of your skin type, I have previously posted about how to tell your skin type. I start with any dry ingredients and add them to a stainless steel bowl, so I add sugar, microfoliant (or oats), and honey (because it won't mix until you add oil). I then add in any extras I feel my skin needs that week, again I really don't measure anything, I just add relatively equal amounts of everything, remembering the face area isn't that large. If I'm adding in any fruit or anything, I quickly buzz it in my smoothie maker (because it doesn't take 10 years to clean) and then add to the mixture. Once I am satisfied with the ingredients, I massage into my face and decolletage (to exfoliate) and then leave on for between 10 and 20 minutes. I apply my mask after cleansing and toning my face (I use Dermalogica products: eye makeup remover, precleanse, special cleansing gel and multi-active toner) and follow my mask with an eye cream and a moisturiser and sunscreen (if leaving the house). You could eliminate the sugar to use solely as a mask, however I like the results you get from combining the two steps together. I remove my mask with a warm, wet face washer (face towel).

Hair mask/Treatments:

Apple Cider Vinegar: mix with equal parts water to the vinegar. I use apple cider vinegar as a rinse before shampooing to help to remove any build-up created from too much product use. I do this about once a month and simply pour over my head in the shower and slightly massage through. It also helps to smooth down the hair's cuticles and balance the pH levels!

Coconut oil & Honey: Is there anything honey can't do? Seriously, invest in some manuka honey! Coconut oil - if you haven't yet discovered the amazing ingredient that is coconut oil - google it, once you're finished reading of course. I use pure extra virgin coconut oil and get it from a health food store. coconut oil is rich in fatty acids and protein, so it helps the hair to be shinier, moisturised and improve the texture. Honey is just amazingness that helps to stick down cuticles, nourish and moisturise the hair! I use on second-day hair before conditioning in the shower once a week, although I imagine you could use it as often as you so wish. I use about six to eight times the amount of honey than I do coconut oil - eg for every half teaspoon of coconut oil, I use about 3-5 teaspoons of honey. You really don't need too much as it is very emollient. I also add about 15mL of water to help mix and spread the product. I lather as much on as I can all over and wrap up in cling wrap for 15mins to half an hour. I then rinse thoroughly and follow with conditioner.

Olive Oil & Eggs: warning: if you don't like the smell of eggs, this is not for you. I use about 50ml of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and two eggs, mixed well and apply best I can to all of my hair and then wrap in cling wrap and sit for 20 mins, rinse in COLD water to avoid breaking the eggs up. Egg white helps to rid the hair of excess oil, egg yolk helps to strengthen hair due to its high protein content, and EVOO helps to moisturise the hair and prevent breakage for brittle hair. Warning for very light blondes: this may alter the colour of your hair & a toner would be needed to refresh the colour afterwards. 

Lip Scrub: you will need sugar and coconut oil and a baby toothbrush. Sugar provides a gentle exfoliant, coconut oil helps to moisturise and spread the product and a baby toothbrush is gentle and helps to scrub the product on your lips. I use about a quarter of a teaspoon of both coconut oil and sugar and place onto the toothbrush and gently move over my lips. This is an amazing scrub!

That's it! Thanks so much for reading my post! I hope you enjoyed it! Stay tuned for more posts this week.

Until next time..

-Beauty Geek x

I Have Been Nominated For A Liebster Award!

Hi everyone! I have been nominated for a Liebster award by the ever so lovely Grace from lovejunkiibeautique. I am so Excited! I am new to the blogging world and I had to read the post to understand what this means - but before I start, I would like to again thank Grace! Please check her out! 

Once I Checked out the post, I quickly discovered it is a way for bloggers to get to know one another, which is of course a fabulous idea! The only rules being:
-   You must link back to the blogger/s that nominated you
-   You must answer 11 questions given to you by the blogger that nominated you
-   You must nominate 5-11 bloggers and give them 11 questions of your choice – and they must have less than 200 followers
-   You cannot nominate the blogger who nominated you
-   You must let the bloggers you choose know that you nominated them and provide a link to your post so that they can see the rules & questions
Grace also stated 11 facts about herself, so I will too! Enjoy!

1. What is your biggest challenge when it comes to blogging? My Biggest Challenge when it comes to blogging is paying attention! I often blog on my lounge room floor with the TV on in the background and more often than not, I find myself watching TV instead of blogging – oops!
2. What else do you do besides blogging? I am a qualified Beauty Therapist & when I’m not blogging, I’m working at the salon pampering & beautifying my lovely clients, or I am at home pampering and beautifying my family. Unfortunately, this often means I miss out. I also have a promotional twitter account in which I promote beauty bloggers, but they don’t know it’s me mwahahaha..
3. Do you travel often? If so where have you gone? If not name places you would love to visit! I have traveled most of Queensland, I have been to New South Wales and Melbourne and am going to Sydney later this year! In terms of leaving the country, I have been to Vanuatu and New Caledonia on a cruise in 2011 and it was amazing! I love travelling and cannot wait to travel the world. Some of the places I want to go are: Europe, Egypt, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Thailand, Spain and to Kenya!
4. What is your favourite season and why? For a second I thought season as in TV shows.. I need to get outside more! I would have to say probably spring for the weather, but I hate it equally due to Hayfever.
5. What shows do you like to watch? Far too many to be considered healthy. I love Hart of Dixie, Man vs Wild, Man vs Food, The Big bang theory, The L word, Californication, Pretty Little Liars, Girls, The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, The block (Australia). Oh dear I should stop before this starts to look too sad.
6. All time favourite movie? The book of Eli. Fabulous Movie. Seriously, watch it!
7. Do you speak any other languages? Any you would like to learn? No, but I am actually learning Spanish. I use Duolingo which is available in the app store, and am still wrapping my head around feminine and masculine words.
8. What do you find attractive in others? Honesty and kindness.
9. What is your pet peeve? Unnecessary noise. I have to leave the room.
10. What is a beauty product you can't live without? Eeek. Just one? Solely because I have been using it FOREVER, my Maybelline Baby Lips in cherry.

Eleven Facts About Me:
1. I help out beauty bloggers and they don't know it's me - go me!
2. I love coffee.. far too much!
3. I love animals so much! I have had so many pets in so many species over the years!
4. I am a bit of a know-it-all and really don't mean to be. I just like helping people and happen to know a lot of useless & useful information.
5. I am only 19 and am a fully qualified beauty therapist and own my own car.
6. I am a perfectionist. It even annoys me.
7. I am a grammar Nazi. Sorry, but learn the difference between the different your and you're and their, there and they're. Please.
8. I have a short attention span and I don't mean to, but if I'm not interested, I'm already not listening. I often have to force myself to pay attention. I should really do something about that.
9. I spend far too much money on makeup that I really do not need. You don't even want to know how many different foundations I have *SIGH*.
10. I am very good at procrastinating. Like VERY good :(
11. When I'm home I stay in my PJ's - yes I do shower. I'm lazy, not dirty.

The Bloggers I'm nominating for the Award are:
- michellezulick.blogspot.com
- beautythink.org
- beautyasti1.blogspot.com.au
- everydayingrace.blogspot.ca
- curvygirlfashionblog.wordpress.com
- meganlucyb.blogspot.com.au
- littlefreecloset.blogspot.com.au

Your 11 questions are:
1. How & why did you get into blogging?
2. What do you like to do in your spare time?
3. What are your favourite movies & TV shows?
4. Where have you traveled to in the world? Where would you like to go?
5. What are the attributes that you look for in a partner or friend?
6. Who are some of your favourite bloggers?
7. What are some life goals you would like to achieve & what goals have you already achieved?
8. What guilty pleasures do you have?
9. If you could be any animal what would you choose & why?
10. If you were only allowed to purchase one makeup/beauty brand for the rest of your life, what would you choose?
11. Beauty tip you swear by.

I would like you to also state 11 facts about yourself! Thanks so much again for nominating me & I look forward to reading your posts! When you have posted please tweet me the link to @shannikajade so that I can read your posts!
Until next time..
-Beauty Geek x

Top 10 L'Oreal Products

Hi everyone! As promised, more blogs coming your way! One a day this week loves! After the huge success of my previous Top 10 post, I thought I'd bring you another! This time, it's my top 10 L'Oreal products! Yay! 

So I personally feel that as a drugstore brand, L'Oreal hits the mark, every time! Here is a short collection of my Top 10 L'Oreal Paris products!

1. L'Oreal True Match. Okay, I know this product gets mentioned all the time & if you're reading this, you have probably already discovered this wonderful foundation. It has such a thin consistency, so it is easy to blend into the skin and you can get any level of coverage by simply layering the foundation to achieve your desired result! I'm not entirely sure about other country's packaging, but here in Australia, it comes in a glass bottle with a pump - which I love, as it really helps to measure the product that you're using. This foundation is truly amazing. (To be honest, I love most of L'Oreal's foundations, this just happens to be my favourite). This will set you back AU$29.95 and is available in 10 shades in Australia or US$9.99 and is available in 24 shades in the US. 

2. The rest of L'Oreal's Foundations. As mentioned above, I love all of L'Oreal's foundations, True Match just happens to be my favourite. The Lumi Magique, Infallible, nutri-lift and Eau De Teint foundation are all great foundations. All worth the money, ranging from AU$17.97-$39.95 with each having between 6 & 9 shades in their ranges. In the US, prices range between US$9.99-$14.99 with each having between 12 & 15 shades in their ranges. I personally own the infallible, nutri-lift and Lumi Magique, and my sister uses Eau De Teint  so I can guarantee all are great foundations!

3. L'Oreal Lumi Magique Highlighter pen. This is great for under the eyes to brighten up the area! A great pen as a highlighter! In Australia, it comes in 3 shades and will set you back AU$27.95, in the US it comes in 4 shades and will set you back $12.99. 

4. L'Oreal Revitalift Magic Blur cream. This is great for those days when putting on makeup seems like such an effort, yet you also don't want to look horrible. This blurs pores and imperfections to keep the finish of your skin smoother and more even in colour! I love this cream, yet I feel it is overpriced for how much you get. It will cost $24.99 in both Australia and the US.

5. L'Oreal Nude Magique BB powder. OOH girl, I love this powder. I find it odd that it has shades, as to me I feel as though it is a translucent powder, however it does come in 2 shades in Australia. I am one for loose powder majority of the time, but this powder has quickly become a drugstore favourite, it provides a velvety finish - win. This will set you back AU$26.95 and I tried to find it on US sites, but I can't. If you're from the US and know where to find it or any price information, please leave comments below for others to find it. 

6. L'Oreal Nude Magique BB blush. This gel blush is so great for no makeup- makeup days. This is a universal blush that adjusts to your skin's pH levels to provide the perfect pink for your cheeks. It will set you back AU$22.95. Again, I can't find a US price for this product, however I do know they sell it on the boots website.

7. L'Oreal False Lash Butterfly Wings mascara. This mascara has two sides to the wand and gets those outer lashes perfectly to wing them out! Love it! It will cost you AU$25.95 and comes in regular and waterproof versions, it will cost US$8.49.

8. L'Oreal Superliner Brow Artis Brow Pencil. This pencil is great! I'm not really a brow pencil kinda gal, but this one is so great. I like to use it when I'm in a hurry. This pencil has a wax side, colour side and a little brush to comb through the brows. It comes in 3 shades: blonde, brunette and dark brunette. In Australia it will set you back AU$22.95 or US$9.61.

9. L'Oreal Glam shine balmy gloss. I do believe these are called La Laque in the US. These are so great! So moisturising, shiny, long lasting, pigmented, creamy, opaque greatness. Seriously, check them out!!! These will set you back AU$16.95, again not sure of US pricing (SORRY).

10. Last, but not least the Infallible eyeshadows. OH.MY.GOD. These are so pigmented & last very well. These are very high quality eye shadows and very invaluable to have as part of every girl's makeup kit. I am unsure of how many in the range due to each store picking and choosing what they will sell, but the basics are always great to start with. They will set you back AU$19.95 or US$7.99. 

These are only some of the products I love, as I said in the beginning, L'Oreal can do no wrong! Best drugstore brand ever. I didn't mention my Lumi Magique primer, mainly because I did mention it in my previous Top 10 post, but It is most certainly a favourite of mine and will always be a part of my makeup kit! Leave your comments below for others as to your opinions of the products to help the out with your personal experiences. Please nothing nasty, nasty comments will be deleted. 

Thanks everyone, stay tuned this week for more posts!

-Beauty Geek x

Top 10 Favourite Products!

Hi everyone! Today, I thought I would do a  top 10 favourites post! This will be a mixture of hair, face and makeup. Some are things I have tried & tested for years and couldn't live without, some are newly found loves that I wished I had always used. Without further ado, here are my favourite products at the moment:

1. Primer: L'Oreal Lumi Magique Primer. I could not possibly say enough about this primer. Dupe for the Chanel Illuminating makeup base. SO moisturising, one pump does the trick. You can wear under your foundation, mixed in with foundation or use as  highlighter. I wear one pump under my foundation, as well as half a pump mixed in with my foundation. I find that when it's used as a highlighter, it moves your foundation and looks silly. It comes in a 20 mL bottle, which I feel is a great size - I have had it for 2 months and not used it all! In Australia, you can get it for $29.95, although in the US, you can get it for US$10.99. I do believe that in the US, it is called "magic Lumi".

 2. Foundation: Chi Chi Fabulous & Flawless. This foundation has been doing the rounds in the beauty world. It literally makes your face look like you have put a filter on it. It is a velvety, beautiful foundation. It is so easy to blend & gives a medium coverage, but you can build it very easily to full-coverage. It is very very easy to choose a shade, it lists the undertone on the box. There are only 8 shades, however I feel it reaches a few types of skin, probably going no darker than an Australian tanned sort of skin, or maybe an Asian olive-toned skin, so that is a downside. It comes in the standard 30 mL sized bottle. The bottle itself is quite nice, being glass & it has a pump - win. You can pick this up in Australia for $29.95, or in NZ for $35.

 3. Powder: Napoleon Perdis Camera Finish Powder Foundation. Great setting powder! So worth the money. Creates a beautiful finish! Especially for those events where you will be photographed & want to look your absolute best. It can be used wet or dry, or so I was told by the lady who helped pick it out. I tried it wet and I found it less than satisfactory, however when used as a setting powder, it is very mattifying, yet somehow glowing. It comes in 10 shades, and is great for those with yellow or olive undertones, not so much fair skin. In Australia, it can cost you an arm & a leg; however it lasts a very long time - I had mine for 9 months before I had to replace it.  It will cost AU$69.00 or US$45.00 - I know so unfair. 

 4. Bronzer: Rimmel Natural Bronzer. Now I have heard many people have been very disappointed with this product. I have personally found it to be great for both contouring and bronzing for my skin tone. I like it because it has absolutely no shimmer, so it is quite nice looking when blended well. It comes in two shades and in very cheap packaging, yet for the price you pay, you just can't complain. It will cost AU$15.95 or US$3.99.

 5. Blush: Napoleon Perdis Mosaic Blushing Powder. This has a beautiful mix of highlights and natural-toned blush. It will last ages and ages and has gorgeous packaging - as everything Napoleon Perdis does. Again, it is quite an expensive product, but the quality is excellent, very buttery and so easy to blend, not overly powdery on the face at all. It will cost AU$60.00 or US$45.00.

 6. Highlighter: Chi Chi Wall of Shimmer. Dupe for Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks, which is great because in Australia drugstore product pricing is often the price Americans pay for High-end makeup (sad face). These are beautiful highlighters, ultra pigmented, very buttery, excellent quality products. In love with these highlighters, especially the natural one. Gorgeous, girly packaging. It will cost AU$19.95.

 7. Concealer/corrector: Napoleon Perdis The One Concealer. I personally do not use this as a concealer unless I am using the Sheer Genius foundation, as I find it is not very compatible with brands other than Napoleon. I use it as a dark circle corrector, similar to the Bobbi Brown corrector in light peach. A little goes a very long way, and I feel that for the price, I most certainly got value for money! I have had my The one concealer for over a year now and I have only used half of it - I wear full-coverage makeup everyday. When used as a corrector, I place it on top of my foundation, under my concealer, otherwise I would normally place it under my foundation. It will cost AU$39.00 or US$29.00.

 8. Concealer/eye brightener: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Concealer. A great drugstore concealer! I use the lightest shade and it just opens up my eyes and also can be used as a cream highlighter. Great Product. Maybelline is rocking the drugstore concealers!! Best when blended with your ring finger. It comes in 4 shades in Australia, or 6 in the US. It will cost AU$18.95 or US$9.99.

 9. Hair: John Frieda - Everything!! I have used many hair products from John Frieda over the years of my many hair colours, health states and lengths and I have never been let down by any item! I use the John Frieda precision foam colour & have for two years now and I can't say enough. It is so easy to use, gives such great coverage, so much value for money and it takes ages to fade! I also use the Radiant Red hair care range - LOVE. The shampoo is so beautiful, it foams up so much and is moisturising without adding any product build-up to the hair. The conditioner helps to keep the redness in your hair, and I must say it works! I only use the colour conditioner once per week because I love their after colour conditioner - which is the same you can get in the foam dye box. It makes your hair feel and look amazing! So worth a try! It will cost AU$13.39-$14.99 (Discount Chemist Warehouse) or US$4.97-$11.97 (Walmart).

 10. Face: Dermalogica range. I had a lot of trouble with my skin and I have finally found my HOLY GRAIL staple facial products! I have combination/oily skin and use many of the products in the grey coloured range. I use the precleanse (AMAZING!), special cleansing gel, Daily Microfoliant, Multi-Active Toner, Skin Refining Masque, Active Moist, Total eye care and I have also previously used some body products, being the exfoliating body scrub and the body hydrating cream. I just love this brand and would love to expand on the products I own. Skin care is definitely something I really don't mind spending money on, especially because the active ingredients are in a higher percentage, better quality ingredients, more concentrated formula, meaning you need to use far less, and it will last a long time! You should only be able to get this from either Dermalogica's website or your local Beauty Therapist. Buying online from anywhere other than Dermalogica will not guarantee it is the actual product, it could be a knock off; however each to their own. To get started, I recommend a starter pack, you get all the main products you need for your skin type and can build on it from there! It will cost AU$45-$73.50 or US$34-$52.

There you go! My Top 10 Favourite Products. These products are tried & tested and I would never recommend anything to you guys that I feel is an inadequate product. All products listed, I have been using for a bare minimum of 2 months. I have been using Dermalogica for 2 years and most products on here for around that amount of time. I hope you found this helpful - go check them out!

Until next time,

-Beauty Geek x