Favourite Products!

The Skin Wardrobe Must Haves

My must-haves from The Skin Wardrobe? Good question!

It’s no secret that I have fallen, hook line and sinker, in love with The Skin Wardrobe, a Kiwi-owned business that imports Scandi Beauty.

To think this all started when The Skin Wardrobe Catherine got chatting to a mutual friend, Melissa at the school gates (thank for the intro Melissa!). Catherine subsequently reached out via Insta to say hi and ask if I’d like to try a blush brush! The rest is history. Fast forward, I own a substantial amount of the range (some gifted, some purchased myself). I reach for The Skin Wardrobe products on the daily.

Here’s my The Skin Wardrobe Must Haves…

Side note, I tried to pick my top 5 products, but couldn’t… So here are my top 11 instead.

the skin wardrobe must haves (more…)

Pin It

Lou Loves – July 2017

 

Chanel Perfection Lumiere VelvetChanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet (Smooth Effect Makeup SPF15)

I don’t want to love this coz it was $90 for bloody 30ml. Shiiiit. This makes this item one of the most expensive items of makeup I’ve ever bought. 

This foundation was, fessing up time, an emotional “make me feel better purchase”.  I’ve been a bit down in the dumps lately.  I didn’t expect to love, love, LOVE it… But I do.  It’s perfect for my oily skin. Did I mention it goes on like velvet? This pricey liquid foundation delivers a stunning sheer to medium coverage. Great news: It’s totes buildable so it’s great for me for day wear as well as a night out. Brace yourself for this next comment: It’s the best foundation I’ve ever used. My skin looks flawless.

Chanel perfection lumiere foundation review
Foundation on my mug. Taken in my car, coz, you know, lighting is always better in the car.

Brownie points deducted for alcohol being in the ingredients list, not a huge amount, but potentially unnecessary, so worth a mention. Also it’s quite fragranced: I love the smell, personally, but this could put some off. As for the SPF, who the hell relies on sunblock in their foundation these days? Not me. That’s why the folk at Skinnies invented their sungel.

Will I be replacing this foundation when it, gulp, runs out? Hell yes. Bring on Duty Free I say.

Note: If you’ve got normal to dry skin, I’d check out Chanel’s Vitalumiere. I received a tester of this: Gorgeous, but when push came to shove, the lady at Chanel’s counter suggested that Perfection Lumiere would be better on my oily skin. She was right.  My Mother-in-law text me last night from Duty Free saying “I need to get a foundation, what should I get?” I sent her in Chanel’s direction. (more…)

Pin It

Lou Loves – June 2017 Faves

I was going to write a full on, full noise blog post for Lou Loves – June 2017.  But life in the last week has been CRAZY busy and I’ve been zooming around the North Island. Subsequently I had no capacity to sit down and write a post (well, I did, but I prioritised my family life)! So here’s a video. Again.

Now, I have worked REALLY hard to not say ummmm. I also tried really hard to look at the camera more. I tried really hard to not talk too fast. 

How did I do?

Products rambled on about in this vid

(more…)

Pin It

Lou Loves – April

Cough. I skipped my March Faves… I don’t reckon anyone noticed (anyone?!) Here’s April’s Loves. Let’s not sweat the small stuff…

Elf Brow Kit

ELf Brow Kit dark

I’ve mentioned this product before, nearly 100 years ago. This is a cheap and cheerful brow kit that I got from Kmart for the pricely sum of ten Kiwi buckaroos (good price, yes, but it’s only US$3 if you bought it in the States… Grrr). There’s a brow wax in the kit and a powder. The idea is to set your brows in place with the wax, which is coloured, then touch them up with the powder. Bugger the powder, that’s unnecessary faffing around.  There’s four colours: Ash (good for blondes), Light, Medium and Dark. I’m a darkie… So I’m dark.

How does it work? I shape my brows with the dark brown wax, using my Billion Dollar Brows brush and I’m done, I don’t even bother applying the powder on top.  The wax formula is pretty grippy and sticks around all days on my brows, which is slightly miraculous as I have oily skin and struggle to keep makeup on my face post lunchtime.  

If you are too far to get into Kmart in person, hop online to iHerb – you’ll get this cheaper than Kmart ($4.36 at the time of writing this post) however, you’ll pay shipping on top. By the way, the brow kit comes with it’s own brush, but it’s shit (IMO). Invest in a good one – ELF do a specific, standalone, brow brush which is cheap and temporarily decent. I say ‘temporarily’ as the one I bought lost it’s shape after a few months and went floppy and it went to Beauty Heaven (in the bin). I recommend getting a decent one. Which brow brush tickles my fancy? Glad you asked. Keep reading. (more…)

Pin It

Lou’s Faves – February

I’ve been in two minds about writing this blog post as I’m mindful I haven’t done my usual favourites post for 2016, yet alone January or February.  Frankly, I’ve been experiencing fatigue on writing these monthly favourite blog posts, so I think I needed a break. My mojo is back though, have no fear!  So, sod the backlog: I’m abandoning that otherwise we’ll never get back on track. Here’s Lou’s Faves for February!

Replenish Wonderlift Serum by World Organics

world organics wonderlift serum
This is organic botox. I pat this serum on all over my face morning and night after cleansing and toning, including on my under eye area. It’s a one hit wonder for replenishing and renewing skin. I can bloody SEE the difference after nearly 6 weeks of using this premium organic anti-aging product.  My buddy Philly got some a couple of weeks ago and she reckons she can already see fine lines slightly abating.  #winning.

This  serum feels like a super luxurious product – and to be frank, by a country mile, this is the best serum I’ve used. Ever.  I’ve got a quarter of a container left and I’m getting anxious: This is a no brainer for repurchasing. LOVE.

Price: $75 or $60 (Jasmine Club members – click here to find out about Jasmine Club, it’s a cracking deal)
Available from: Click here (more…)

Pin It

Lou Loves – November Faves

It’s that time of the month – again! This time… I’ve mixed things up. 

This month’s beauty and foodie favourites is a video. Hell. I was so nervous when I pushed the publish button on this one… You have no idea. I had (and still have) mega butterflies in my tum.

Look, this video. It’s a bit amateur. I don’t know how to edit videos (so I didn’t). I’m quietly proud, that said, that I figured out how to do an intro cover title page thingymajig. Oh,  I need lighting, I need a microphone, I need a remote control doofer thingy so I can zoom in and out. But it’s a start!  Let me know what you think!  Thumbs up, or thumbs down? 

Note: I hope you don’t aren’t lying in bed next to someone reading this. You might accidentally press ‘play’ on the vid and wake them up. I get in trouble when I do that.

(more…)

Pin It

Lou Loves – October Faves

Here’s my October round up of things that are floating my boat!

Ketz-ke Lace Core Tank

Ketz-ke Lace Core Tank

I wasn’t going to mention this singlet in this month’s faves simply as I featured Ketz-ke’s trackies in a faves blog post a few months back… I didn’t want anyone to accuse me of being in bed with Ketz-ke and being on commission! I’m not! I adore this singlet and it’s been thrashed by me for the last two months and, out of everything in my wardrobe, this is at the top of my Love List ATM. So there. By the way, it’s officially a ‘tank’ not a singlet. But I’m a kiwi, and I call it a singlet.

This is essentially a simple black singlet (95% rayon, 5% spandex) that has a feminine lace trim detailing at the bottom which makes it the PERFECT layering singlet. I particularly love wearing it with tops that are probably verging on being slightly too short. Whack this singlet on underneath a top that’s too short and your problem is eliminated as the singlet adds length. It also totally dresses up a plain singlet and a pair of jeans. I love items of clothing that can make a quick transformation.

I bought my singlet from Willow in Rotorua. Locals: Donna has these singlets in as base stock and if she doesn’t have your size, she’ll get one in for you (next day delivery). Alternatively you can buy these online. I’m dead keen on getting the white one for summer… Price NZ$59. (more…)

Pin It

Lou’s faves – August

I’ve had to work really hard to cull this list down to ‘just five’ products for Lou’s Faves – August. It’s been months since I did one of these posts (on account of my blogging holiday which was crucial to allow me to ‘defrag’). Subsequently there’s a bunch of stuff I’m itching to share with you – so restraint was required! Here’s what made the cull.

 Radiant Vivid Shimmer Brick – Makeup Revolution

Radiant Vivid Shimmer Brick - Makeup Revolution

Spoiler alert… This is headed for my Favourite products of 2016 blog post!

This shimmer brick was an impulse purchase back in June, while I was watching the Brexit drama unfold on the telly. After half a bottle of red to drown my sorrows (I’m first generation Kiwi, both my parents are Brits) I realised the value of the pound was falling plummeting against other currencies. This made it an opportune time to go shopping. Bloody ASOS had crashed, so I had a mini spend up (NZ$60) on Makeup Revolution’s website. Little did I know Beauty Bliss, here in En-zed, is a stockist. Opps.

I’ve often eyed up Bobbi Brown’s shimmer brick but the NZ$66 price tag makes my bum pucker, particularly as I don’t really need it. When I spotted Makeup Revolution’s  shimmer brick version, I thought it looked like a good dupe and, for $5.40 I was willing to give it a crack.

Oh. I’m so glad I got it.  I’ve worn the shimmer brick most days since it arrived and it’s seen my much loved MAC Soft & Gentle highlighter be banished to the back of my cupboard.  How do you wear it? There’s a few options. I generally sweep a small blush brush through all five shades on the compact and dust it lightly on my cheekbone, where the light usually hits the face. The result is a gorgeous glow and I look more alive (as opposed to knackered after six hours sleep which is all I get far too often). I also wear it just as a blush and, get this, as an eyeshadow. Yup, I pack the colour (a mix, or sometimes just one shade) all over my eyelids, on top of an eye primer. Next, I sweep a matt brown colour through my crease: Good to go!  Sorry, no picture of me wearing it, I can’t get a photo that does it justice. You’ll have to trust me! 

Tip:  If you have laughter lines/crows feet/wrinkles like me, make sure you pop this just on the cheekbones, not too high up under your eyes. Light sparkly products attract light – and attention…  I dunno about you: But I don’t want to be drawing extra attention to ‘dem lines.

I’ve got my eyes on this palette next from Makeup Revolution. (more…)

Pin It