January 2017 Favourites

Inspired by the monthly favourites YouTube videos (guilty pleasure!) and in an attempt to maintain consistency with leisure pursuits, a favourites blog post was conceived. 

January has been a chaotic month associated with the changing dynamics of personal relationships and lifestyle habits. However, it ended with a bang and throughout the month, I found myself experimenting with various beauty (and non-beauty) products to elevate my look in a manner most accomodating to the Australian summer. 

Mecca Cosmetica To Save Face SPF50+ Superscreen (40 ml RRP $40 at mecca.com.au)

Starting off with the important goods, sunscreen.

Firstly, I love the sleek black minimal packaging. Secondly, how nicely it applies onto the skin. Thirdly, the added skin benefits like antioxidants, pycnogenol and vitamin E. Moreover, it acts as a nice primer underneath makeup.

In the past, I’ve slapped on some basic SPF50+ sunscreen and called it a day. But having loved this sunscreen, especially in January, I’m actually considering making it exclusive with this one. Besides, I’m a firm advocate for effective skincare products.

Philosophy Take a Deep Breath Oil-Free Oxygenating Gel Cream (60 ml RRP $50 at mecca.com.au)
I received this gel-cream as a deluxe sized sample with the Philosophy cleanser I bought earlier last month. This is such a beautiful product to use especially on hot summer nights. On first encounter with the skin, it feels so luxuriously cooling and refreshing. A gel-cream that actually lives up to its name, as if it’s telling my skin to “Take a Deep Breath”. My skin feels a lot more oxygenated albeit I’m not sure how it feels to have more oxygenated skin. I’m a total addict and have been applying this on every morning and night.

M.A.C Lipstick in Velvet Teddy (3 g RRP $36 at M.A.C)
On various occasions I played up my eyes a little too much, so it was necessary to adopt a less-loud or nude lip. Enter the M.A.C lipstick in Velvet Teddy which has been my favourite nude to date. I love the texture and formula of this lipstick, how it wears throughout the day and most interestingly, if I’m stuck deciding which lip shade I should wear, I subconsciously reach for this one. 

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Bacca (3 ml RRP $35 at mecca.com.au)
I received this deluxe sample in my beauty loop box (Level 2 if you’re wondering!). I’m familiar with liquid lipsticks but have yet to be acquainted with Stila’s offerings, until I tried Bacca. This shade is so me! Such a beautiful deep raspberry matte that is perfect for a night out on town. The formula isn’t as drying as its counterparts and it lasts substantially well on the lips. I’m definitely interested in checking out the full sized sticks when I finish this sample.

L-R: Stila's Bacca, M.A.C's Velvet Teddy 
(Please excuse the bad swatches!)

Loreal Infallible 24H-Matte Foundation in 24 Golden Beige (35 ml RRP $29.95 at Priceline)

Having combination skin, this foundation is a godsend for the summer days. I saw myself using this non-stop for its finish and longevity until I had to remind myself, I have other foundations to play around with. The foundation claims to be of a medium texture and coverage, with a matte finish. I can’t argue with those claims.

Mon Purse Pouch ('Design Your Own' classic pouch starting from $99)
I feel that suede is such an understated leather (finish). Personally, it looks really luxurious in black, synonymous with the soft look of velvet. I couldn’t resist designing this pouch from Mon Purse when they had 20% off site-wide. It is equipped with a pale pink interior and gold monogramming of my initials on the exterior, adding a nice personal touch.  This pouch is surprisingly practical and versatile; I’ve stuffed it with all of my essentials and have used it for various occasions. Definitely a favourite for many more months to come!

Lovisa earrings (RRP $9.95 at Lovisa) 
I finally embraced hoop earrings when I gravitated towards these obnoxiously oversized gold ones. Go big or go home.The bigger the better right?! I’m kidding. Quite frankly, I’ve never been a fan of hoop earrings but for some reason, I couldn’t resist the look (or should I say the size) of these. They make such a huge fashion statement; perfectly paired with minimal dressing and makeup. Definitely not for the faint hearted and oh-so-hazardous as well (wouldn’t want anything to get caught in these!).

Film La La Land
In all honesty, I was quite skeptical of this musical/comedy/drama. But I gave it a shot and fell in love. The chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone’s character is so tangible; I enjoyed watching their relationship blossom and unravel itself. Not to mention the music and singing which is aurally beautiful. I found the film to be very moving and thought-provoking, something I quite admire in films. I would definitely revisit this film in future. So much love.

Woolworths Banana Bread

I’ve had this sudden urge to eat banana bread and drink iced coffees for breakfast every single day. It’s a strange food affair; 100% indulgence. The thought of its consumption, just gets me excited to start the day. It’s moderately flavoured and filling, hitting the right sweet spot. I can attest that I don’t see myself halting the consumption of banana bread any time soon.

Maybelline August 2016 Haul

Sometime in August, Priceline had a 50% off sale on Maybelline products.
Being the person that I am, i.e. someone who has FOMO and refuses to pay recommended retail price (RRP) for drugstore makeup, I took this opportunity to try their latest offerings, as well as repurchase some old favourites.

Maybelline Dream Velvet Foundation in 75 Natural Beige (30 ml RRP $22.95)
I bought this online with my sister's order, so I was reliant on online swatches to select the most fitting shade. Upon trying the foundation, I thought the shade was a tad dark but it ended up being a decent match for the upcoming season. I think the shade range is a bit confusing; I highly recommend you swatch in store for an accurate match.

The foundation itself had a consistency akin to buttercream frosting; admittedly I really liked it. The finish was pleasantly matte; hydrating and cool on my combination skin. For the first time ever, I omitted the setting powder step in my makeup routine. After an hour or so, my face got oily and the foundation started to disintegrate, smearing everywhere. The foundation emphasised most, if not, all dry patches or bumps on my face; a very unsightly look. For that reason, I don't recommend this foundation.

Maybelline The Falsies Push Up Drama Mascara in Blackest Black (9.7 ml RRP $21.95)
Failure to resist the cute pink and red tubular packaging, prompted me to purchase this mascara. I have enough mascaras to last me the next two years or so. First impression-wise, I found that a few quick strokes elongates the lashes well. However, I like to take my time loading the mascara onto my lashes, and unfortunately, with this mascara, I ended up with clumpy spider lashes. There's only so much thin Asian lashes can handle.

Maybelline Master Concealer in Light (12 ml RRP $15.95)
Light/Medium would suit me better nevertheless, the Light shade is adequate for brightening/highlighting the under eye area. Great coverage and longevity; product doesn't crease or feel heavy. A little goes a long way with this one. I will definitely repurchase this product when it runs out.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 20 Sand (6.8 ml RRP $14.95)
This is a repurchase for spot concealing. I used to wear the Medium  shade but I found 20 Sand to be a better match. I can't find any faults with this concealer plus, it's supposedly a (cheap) dupe of the Nars Creamy Radiant Concealer!

Maybelline HyperSharp Wing Liquid Liner in Black (0.5g RRP $17.95)
Another repurchase (my third one I believe!). I really like how sharp I can make my wing liner  look and it's easy to use. You can also make your liner thick or thin depending on how you hold the pen liner itself.

Maybelline Color Blur Lip Pencil in 25 Cherry Cherry Bang Bang (1.3g RRP $17.95)
I remember perusing an article about drugstore makeup that you should buy, and taking note, I jotted this lip pencil (and shade) down. I have no regrets about this one, because I ended up enjoying the lip pencil very much. I love the warm cherry shade and how creamy pigmented it really is. I don't use the smudger end on the opposite side as I'm not into the ombre lip trend.  Having said that, I'm a sucker for bold matte reds, so at 50% off of its RRP, it's a lip product worth considering.

Swatches of the Master Contour Palette (Medium Deep)

Maybelline Master Contour Palette in Medium Deep (10g RRP $19.95)
I really didn't need another blush or bronzer added to my collection, however I liked the convenience of having a contour palette housing a bronzer, blush and highlighter. The contour shade is a bit warm for my liking, but it is definitely workable. The blush shade is similar to Nars Orgasm Blush, yet it differs by being less pink. I enjoyed using the highlighter shade; it imparts a warm glow to the high points of my face. Overall, it was a decent palette, best snagged under a sale.

Lust for Longchamp

A Longchamp Le Pliage Tote Review

I consider myself to be a makeup enthusiast but lately, there's no denying my real weakness lies in handbags and luxury accessories. After curating my handbag collection for quite some time, I felt there was room for an affordable chic handbag to be added to the collection. A practical minimalist bag in which I could throw in all of my day's essentials without having to worry about it getting beat up. Sure, I could pull out my existing shoulder totes for that purpose. But let's be real, I've been lusting the Longchamp Le Pliage nylon tote (short handle version) after trying out my mum's and sister's shoulder totes. I am a short handle handbag type of girl, after all. 

I picked up the Longchamp Le Pliage nylon tote (short handle/"medium"/black) at the QVB store in Sydney for $139. There were a plethora of colour and size options available in store, as well as other lines. I found that the navy option complemented the brown leather straps quite well but I ended up selecting the black colour, as black would fit in with my wardrobe selections a lot better.

(First image: The Longchamp logo can be observed from the anterior flap of the bag

Second Image: Bag details are embossed on the posterior part of the flap)

The bag comes folded flat in a compact size and can be opened up to its true form. 
There are two brown leather handles as well as an embossed leather snap flap and accents on either side of the bag. The handles are comfortable enough to be worn in the crook of my arm or hand held when the bag is filled to its capacity. In desperate times, I am able to carry the bag as a shoulder bag because the handles aren't too small. However, I'm not partial to this look. 

The body is of a durable, water-resistant nylon material with one main zipped (yes!) compartment and an interior wall pocket (can fit a small card). 
The size of the main compartment is great - it can fit so much, e.g. my 1L bottle of water, a long chunky cardigan, a large compact umbrella, A4 documents and even my 13 inch Macbook Pro. In regards to the interior wall pocket, I find that to be useless. Maybe I'll stick my Opal card in there. 
I can understand that some may dislike the main (basic) compartment of the bag; to rectify that, you could easily add a bag organiser or pouches inside. 

Still plenty of room left for other bits! I may, or may not carry a pair of GAP jeans around. 

I found that the bag is extremely light-weight for its size; which is great because I'm not carrying the extra weight of the bag when it's stuffed. Moreover, if you don't intend to carry much, the bag may appear slouchy and lacking structure due to the minimal amount of things inside it. 

Pertaining to maintenance, it's a low maintenance bag that is easily cleaned with a wet wipe. 

I can view myself using this tote as a carry-on or even as a weekend bag (change of clothes and basic necessities). Another great idea is to fold the bag neatly up and pop it into your current handbag or luggage as a spare bag.

Having used the bag extensively, I am in love with it! It has definitely generated substantial value and usage to my lifestyle. I'm aware the style is a really popular choice, having seeing a relatively high number of females carrying this bag (not so much the short handle version). So, if you're seeking exclusivity, perhaps you may consider another alternative. 

The Longchamp Le Pliage bag is a great addition to a casual ensemble, perfect for those seeking versatility and practicality whilst oozing logo-free minimal style. With many colours and size options available, you'll be spoilt for choice.