Mid Year Makeup Favourites

Hey guys! I've definitely been missing you guys so while I'm on mid year holidays, I thought I would do a mid year favourites post. Kind of like a yearly one but half, hahaha and also because I've discovered some fantastic products this year so far that I really want to share with you.

Face

Dr. Jart Rejuvinating Blemish Base Silver Label BB Cream 

Oh mylanta. I have been obsessed with this product for the entire year so far. It is honestly the only foundation product I've used all year except for my Nars Sheer Glow twice for two formals because it photographs well.  I've even had Giorgio Armani foundation samples that I still haven't tried because this BB Cream is simply amazing. It completely trumps all the other foundations I've tried. I just love the ease and practicality of this product. It's so easy to apply with any tool, I prefer using my fingers or my beauty blender, it looks so seamless and natural on the skin. It doesn't look like you're wearing tons of makeup, just that you have really awesome skin! The coverage is also build-able, which is fantastic because you can use a tiny bit to get light coverage or you can build it up to get almost full coverage even. I usually wear it at medium coverage using about half a pea size give or take. If I'm in a pinch, it gives great brightening under the eyes too or even when dabbing it on a blemish. It also has SPF 35 which is awesome and helps fight blemishes/redness with decent oil control. I love this product so much and it's all I ever use now, it's just legendary!

Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener in Light-Med Peach

I've mentioned this product before so I'm not going to go in depth. This is just my favourite under eye concealer and it's quite a light formula which I like and it's peachy undertone is great at correcting dark circles. I can't wait to get the new packaging of a doe foot applicator when I'm finished. 

MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC30

Again, another staple of mine. Still my favourite concealer. It just is fantastic at covering blemishes but still looking natural. 

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Dark

And once again, a staple of mine. Just such a fantastic natural powder that gives a really nice finish. However, not the best if you want really good oil control. Hence, I've been starting to use the next product quite a lot. 

Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in Beige Medium

Great powder for more oil control. I will still need to blot throughout the day but it's much better oil control than my MAC one. It looks pretty natural however, the finish isn't AS nice as the MAC one. Well you can't have everything can you?

Bobbi Brown Blush in Nude Peach

My all time favourite blush, I talk about this all the time so I'm not going to go into it too much. I just love how it's the perfect balance between peach and nude, matte and shimmer, and sheer and pigmented. 

MAC Cremeblend Blush in Something Special

I've been getting back into this amazing blush in the cooler months and because my skin has been clearing up. Cream blushes weren't usually my best friend because of my combination-oily complexion and blemished complexion. But as my skin produces less oil in the cooler months, I like to wear this blush when my skin is on the clearer side. It's a really pretty colour, a little more peachy than the Bobbi Brown blush but still very natural and it's easy to use. I just apply it with my fingers and then blend it out in a dabbing motion with my beauty blender and wah la! Natural cheeky flush!

MAC Cream Colour Base in Hush

Still my favourite highlighter, love how natural it is! However, I am in the market for a cream highlighter because I want more oil control. So do you guys have any recommendations for a powder highlighter that gives a natural glow, I don't wanna be a disco ball haha. 

Benefit Hoola Bronzer

Still my favourite Bronzer as well, I love it!

Lucas' Paw Paw Ointment

This is a topical product that I like to put on my skin before/after makeup. I usually dab a bit on dry patches before I put on my makeup and after on any dry patches I missed that were accentuated by the makeup. 

Urban Decay DeSlick Makeup Setting Spray

I've been using this as a setting spray instead of MAC's Fix+ and it has helped my makeup last so much longer. I spritz this before and after I do my face makeup, however, if I want more oil control, I instead spray it before I apply my makeup and after I've applied all my cream/liquid products and then I apply my powder products over it. 

Eyes

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Still a fantastic eye primer, I've been using this for ages!

Nars Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base

I started using this eye primer at the start of the year. I quite like it but I'm still not sure if it beats UDPP. 

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow in Cement

One of my must have products, such a fantastic eyeshadow base for evening out the skin tone and it's also fantastic on its own. I usually wear this to school on its own because it's the perfect shadow for my skintone so that it doesn't look like I'm wearing eyeshadow but my eyes are brightened. Great for a no makeup makeup look. 

MAC Paint Poit in Bare Study

Another one of my must have eye products. Probably my favourite champagne toned cream shadow. I've tried a few and every time I come back to this one. The colour and formula is just fantastic. Unfortunately, the staying power isn't effective enough for my super oily eyelids so I still need to wear a primer underneath as I have to with every cream shadow. 

MAC Eyeshadow Quad - Naked Lunch, All That Glitters, Satin Taupe, Quarry

Even though I have quite a few fantastic neutral palettes, I always come back to this quad for my weekend eyeshadow looks (I don't wear much eyeshadow to school). Naked Lunch is a great classic champagne colour that looks amazing on the eyelids. I usually pair it with Quarry, which is a gorgeous matte neutral purple that adds a subtle purple to the eyes, or Wedge for subtle definition which I will mention down below. All That Glitters is a really nice warmer champagne shade, an 'almost' gold colour, kind of haha. I wear this more often in the evening with Satin Taupe, which is a beautiful taupe colour. Often I like to wear satin taupe on it's own all over the lid for a simple and soft smoky look. 

MAC Eyeshadows - Wedge, Brule

Wedge is my favourite 'blending' colour. It's one of those basic light brown matte shades. If I ever have a more dramatic look that needs to be muted, I blend with this shade to tone down all the frostiness. I also love this as subtle definition for Naked Lunch when I'm going for a really natural look. Brule is my all time favourite highlight colour. It's really velvety and pigmented, and it's a satin finish, so there's not shimmer but it has a sheen so it's not completely flat. I usually pair this with every eye look and for school I just sweep a bit under my brow with my finger for added brightness. 

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette - Blackout

I've never really loved how my eyes looked with black liner because it just seemed so dark. I love really natural makeup so black liner has always felt over the top for me, especially with my dark eyes, brows, lashes and glasses, it just seemed too much in my opinion. And then I found this great technique for applying powder as a liner from a video gossmakeupartist did on dailymixtv on YouTube. The technique is just to push the eyeshadow into your lash line with an angled eyeliner brush, which I find super fast and easier than applying powder eyeshadow with a gel liner 'dragging' technique. The look is really soft but still adds definition and an ever so slight sultry tone from the softness. I personally haven't used the two Naked palettes THAT MUCH except for the two formals this year, but that isn't saying the two palettes aren't great, as a whole I just haven't really used them that much this year so far. 

Too Faced Natural Eye Collection Palette - Sexpresso 

After that eyeshadow eyeliner technique discovery, I wanted to try it for a more neutral brown as well. I used this shade with the same technique and I love it for daytime. Again, it's really soft but gives added definition to your eyes and makes your lashes look a little thicker without undermining them. And again, is really quick and easy to do and I've been wearing this eyeshadow as eyeliner so much!

Urban Decay 24/7 Gilde On Eye Pencil in Demolition

I'd also been getting into pencil liner for most of this half year and I've been loving it. This is a fantastic brown colour that is really easy to apply. If I want a more natural look, I usually do a really thin rough line and then I smudge it out a bit with a cotton tip. The formulation of these are fantastic. I did also start tight lining with this and it generally stays on pretty well and creates a natural look. But I'm still a little iffy when tight lining so I've been leaning more to the eyeshadow eyeliner technique recently. 

Ardell Brow Sculpting Gel

I've been seriously slacking on my brows and I really don't care hahaha. I actually really like the natural, a bit messy & thick brow look. And I know this is terrible in the beauty world, but to people who don't care much about the beauty side of things (my parents, guy friends) it looks so much better and more natural. Every time I've filled in my brows, it felt like the face was too made up and I didn't like that. When it comes to makeup, I wanna just be me and hence, why I like natural makeup. I actually feel more uncomfortable with a cake face of makeup. So to the point of this product, if I'm going to some special event, I've just used this to ever so slightly shape my unruly brows a little better. 

Covergirl Clump Crusher Mascara by LashBlast in Black Brown

OH MY GOSH I LOVE THIS MASCARA! I've only used this mascara all year so far, what a shocker for me hahaha! It fixed the one issue I had with the original Lash Blast Volume (my previous favourite mascara) which was clumping. It still gives pretty good lengthening and volume (I wouldn't say as crazy as other mascaras I've seen) but it still DOESN'T SMUDGE on me and can look natural or a little more dramatic. And it's funny because as soon as it starts smudging often I know that it's time to throw it out. I'd say the tube lasted about 4-5 months. It couldn't push the 6 months mark cuz it was just smudging every time so I bought a new one and it's smudgeproof once again! Yay! This is now my all time mascara and I'm hoping to get the waterproof one when I go to America, simply because whenever I cry, I just happen to be wearing mascara. 

Lips

Nuxe Reve de Miel Honey Lip Balm

This is probably, other than burt's bees simply because it's a more practical packaging, my favourite lip balm. My best friend got it for my birthday when she went to France at the start of the year and I absolutely love it. It's an incredibly luxurious formulation and lasts so long on the lips. It has a great finish that is mostly matte but feels very velvety. Just simply fantastic. The only down size is a not very portable pot packaging however, I don't think the formula would be as good if it was in a stick form. 

Lush Honey Trap Lip Balm

Another fantastic lip balm that definitely does rival the former, but has a creamier finish and doesn't last as long, but it still lasts so much longer than most lip balms. Also, it smells absolutely amazing, just like white chocolate, honey and a bit of mint. 

Burt's Bees Honey Lip Balm

I've been trying some more of the Burt's Bees lip balms, such as the nourishing mango and replenishing pomegranate ones which I love too, but my favourite of the year so far would be this one. This one has a bit more sheen than the original beeswax one but isn't as glossy as the other two mentioned. Just a generally great great lip balm and I prefer this scent of the original minty scent which is often overwhelming in my opinion. 

Nivea Repair & Protection SPF 20 Lip Balm

This is the lip balm that I usually use on going out in the day because it has SPF, especially in the warmer months or on days when the UV is quite high. Generally not bad lip balm and it's one that I've always repurchased. 

Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Hibiscus

Okay now moving into the coloured lip products. Still, my all time favourite lip product without question. Not going to talk about it too much because I've mentioned this a lot before. It's just a fantastic formulation, great finish and natural colour and easy to apply without a mirror. 

Maybelline Pink Glow Mixed Berry Lip Balm in Pink Blast

This is one of those lip balms that appear clear but change to give a kind of bright colour based on each person's unique lip chemistry. It gives a really nice natural medium fuchsia pink. The only downside is Maybelline lip balms have a really watery consistency and they don't wear off very nicely, but I love this for a fuss-free tint of colour. 

Revlon Lip Butter in Sweet Tart

I've been getting into more natural fuchsia lip colours and this one is really nice. I usually apply it really lightly because I think it's too dramatic when it's at thick application. It also leaves a hint of a stain that is quite natural. 

So they're my mid year makeup favourites. It's quite a lot for you guys to read hahaha. I'm currently on mid year school holidays which is why I'm posting this and because I've been missing this. Anyway, hope you guys liked this post and have a nice day!

March Randomo Favourites

Hey y'all! So this does not guarantee that I'm coming back because I have a busy term ahead of me, but I thought I might post something for you guys. I kind of wanted to film this as a video because I think it would be more fun however, I'm trying to lay low for a bit, and this is easier haha.

Also I feel that it has not become customary with beauty gurus at the start of every favourites video to say the speed that they feel the month went by. Now I know this isn't a beauty/fashion favourites video but I might as well say my perception of the month speed. March went by pretty slowly for me because I had a lot of SACs (School Assessed Coursework) so I was quite busy and there was a bunch of intense studying sessions, however the Boys' Formal at the end of the month was actually a nice end to the month.

Music
So March has been a super shuffle month for me! Now super shuffle is a term I use when there isn't a specific playlist or album I've been listening to so I just end up shuffling all the music on my iPhone and it makes me feel very nostalgic and listen to a bunch of songs I've loved over the time. Of course I'll skip songs that I don't feel like listening but it's really nice to listen to a bunch of varied songs I know I've always loved but may have slightly neglected.

I also loved Macy Maloy (even though I always love her music) because she pre-released acoustic versions on her Youtube channel of some new songs on her EP 'Heartback' that came out a day ago, but I spent March learning the new songs and playing them over and over and I did covers of the new songs on my soundcloud in celebration of her EP release. Now I know I already have her EP however if I do April Randomo Favourites, it will definitely be mentioned (along with Max Schneider and his awesome band, little cheeky sneak peak guys!).

TV Shows
SUITS SUITS EVERYWHERE! It has been a Suits crazy month for me and I watched through both seasons already. I love quite a bunch of USA Network shows and this month I found out two mates of mine love Suits and since I love White Collar we decided to 'swap shows', so I agreed to watch Suits and they agreed to watch White Collar. And now the three of us are always discussing who's classier, Neal Caffrey or Harvey Specter? I think in the end for me it's Harvey Specter, however, whenever Neal is on screen, he is still nonetheless an explosion of class, whether he's in a suit, his pjs or a black turtleneck sweater when he's about to rob a museum. On the other hand, I think I still slightly prefer White Collar over Suits though because White Collar is more of a show about arts and history and 'international intrigue' where as Suits is more hard and fast corporate law.

I've also been re-watching Full House seasons 2 & 3 because I felt like watching some of the earlier seasons. My top two favourite shows are Friends and Full House and I'm always re-watching one or the other on the side, so I guess I might mention to you guys each month which one I watched that month and which season(s), if you guys are curious.

Movie
A movie that really 'moved' me this month was The Help. I can't believe I didn't watch this movie earlier. So I watched it because it was an extension movie viewing for English and I thought 'Emma Stone, always wanted to watch it so why not?'. Oh wow boy was that an incredible movie. As someone who grew up in Australia, I was not quite informed about American history and it actually really shocked me how the minorities were treated, it just made me speechless. Now I know Australia does have history with a similar but smaller scale problem which is also shameful. The issue is quite personal for me, not because I'm African-American but because I am of a non-white race and racism is more of a personal issue, now I'm not saying we should have a pity party for me because there is no way what I've experienced is a fraction as severe as historical occurrences but it's still something that I'm strongly against and I really recommend this movie to at least give you some perspective. Knowledge is power people.

Book
Now I don't have a wider reading book to tell you guys about because I didn't do much wider reading in March however, I was very 'moved' (again) by the play I'm currently studying in school called Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose. It is an absolutely amazing play and probably one of my favourites, it just has many resonating and striking messages to the audience that are all very important to society. It touches so well on a multitude of complicated issues and is thematically and theatrically very dense and impressive. I really recommend this play again for some perspective at least, it isn't a long play, it's less than 100 pages, or you could even watch the 60s play that's on YouTube or download the audiobook on Audible.com that actually has Jeffrey Donovan (Michael Westen from Burn Notice) who reads for Juror 8, but nonetheless, experience the play because it is brilliant!

Food
For food shtuff, I've been really liking the Macro Original Potato Chips that are organic and gluten free so that's always nice, but I just think they taste very good, they're super crispy and some of the chips are actually HUUUUGGEE! And I just think they're super yum!

Also, with the weather slightly getting cooler, I pulled out my French Earl Grey Tea from T2. This is one of my favourite teas and I just started drinking it more, yeah that's about it haha.

People
So this month I've been watching a lot more beauty videos and starting to catch up on old videos that I've added to my 'watch later' playlist so there hasn't really been one specific YouTuber that I've been singularly obsessed with however, I've been watching a lot more essiebutton. I've always loved her blog and videos and I love her personality, sometimes I feel that if I knew her in real life, we would be best friends. She's just the best.

And then in real life, shout out to my two mates Calvin and James who are guys who love Suits as mentioned before in the TV Show category.

App
My favourite app of the month was Dropbox. Now I've had Dropbox for a while so it's nothing really new for me however, in March I just seemed to embrace it a lot more and use it for transferring files/work from my iPad to my Mac and vice versa so that was quite a handy techy thang.

Events
My event favourite for this month was definitely the Year 12 Boys' Formal and I'm thankful that I was invited to go. It was a lot of fun and a great way to end the 1st term.

I've also been really loving rehearsals for the School Musical. I was lucky enough to get a role as one of the three backing singers for the main character's songs as well as getting a couple small solos of my own on one of the songs. This is really exciting for me because I've never actually sang solo before, or even been on an individual microphone before so I'm really thankful that the casting teachers actually thought I was good enough. The rehearsals have been really fun and exciting for me because I'm still an ensemble/chorus member so I get to sing and dance in the big group numbers. Musicals are actually a love of mine and I use to want to be on Broadway because I just find performing so much fun!

Well yeah, those were my March Randomo Favourites, I hope you guys liked it despite it being quite word heavy and rambly, not uncommon with me haha. I can't guarantee any more posts soon however, I did miss blogging while I was on hiatus so this has been nice. Love you guys and I will hopefully talk to you guys later!

Day 10 — Current fashion/style you like

My style is a funny mixture of many different things. I'd say in a nutshell it is a sort of classic style with girly, preppy, quirky, casual and edgy elements. I'm not specifically on trend but it can be a bit trendy at times simply by coincidence. 

It's actually quite funny because every time I go overseas I get into a different fashion item and then coincidentally once I get back home that fashion piece happens to be trending everywhere. It's quite funny and annoying to be honest haha. That happened with floral prints, varsity jackets and cowboy boots. 

But I like to mix various styles in an outfit with different pieces. For example, I love my classic skinny jeans and a white t-shirt that often I pair with a khaki statement jacket that has a tasteful amount of gold studded detailing and then a pair of brown cowboy boots. Or sometimes a floral singlet with my signature navy blazer. It's all very mix and match. I don't really shop for a generic thing, when I see something I like, I can feel it, it's a very instinctual experience for me. That's why I have a lot of scattered styles, I just see something and I know it'll work for me. 

But some of my fashion inspirations are definitely Emmy Rossum, Rachel Bilson, Lauren Conrad and Alexa Chung. I love Whitney Port's style but I've always found it a bit too out there for me. 

Fashion Wants: Keds

I've been really eyeing Keds lately and have been in slight despair that they're rare to find in Australian stores.
 
I've always loved the Authentic Vans and have usually worn them with more casual/sporty outfits and they are super comfy! However, the thicker heel of Authentic Vans has made them difficult to wear with dressier/more girly outfits. I want a pair of cute 'tennis shoes' that you can wear them with both jeans and dresses/skirts and that has a larger shoe selection than Vans Lo Pros.
 
Ergo, I have turned to Keds, and these are the six that I particularly fancy.

Fashion Wants: Keds by amymakeup08 featuring keds shoes

Keds shoes / Keds floral shoes / Keds shoes / Keds shoes / Keds colorful shoes / Keds shoes