Beauty Look: Tom Ford Cocoa Mirage

I've wanted an eye color quad from Tom Ford for the longest time now and I finally took the plunge. It was hard choosing just one because I wanted them all. I knew if I was only to buy one it would need to be one I could use on any given day. Cocoa Mirage won my heart over as it was the least shimmery and I think it is easily workable for day or evening wear. I'm in love! 

Here's a look I created for a wedding I attended last week and the products I used are listed below.

Face

Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Fluide Foundation in Cashew

Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in no. 2

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure

Eyes

Tom Ford Eye Color Quad in Cocoa Mirage (all colors)

Tarte Tarteist Clay Paint Liner

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara

Ardell Demi Wispies Lases 

Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade in Chocolate

Lips

Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner in Eastend Snob 

MAC Lipstick in Plumful

Thanks for stopping by, Kathy xo 

Review: Tatcha Pure One Step Camillia Cleansing Oil

I used to be a fan of cleansing oils but have forgotten all about them as time passed by and new things have crossed my path. Tatcha's Pure One Step Cleansing Oil has really reignited my love for cleansing oils. I discovered Tatcha after stumbling across a Youtube video of the founder Victoria Tsai talking about her vision and purpose for Tatcha and was immediately intrigued (more like mesmerised). I did go a little bit crazy and purchased quite a lot of products considering I've never really heard of the brand before. If you are interested to see what I got in that haul click here. To find out my thoughts on the cleansing oil read more after the jump.

How I use it?

I know the name suggests that it is a one-step cleanser but I use it to remove my makeup at the end of each day and finish by going in with another cleanser (just to be sure all that daily gunk is gone!). If you however wear little to no makeup on a daily basis then this alone is enough. I especially wear quite a bit of eye makeup everyday and this product does a great job at removing all of it with ease. 

The Test

I don't really wear waterproof makeup so I thought I'd do a swatch test on the Urban Decay Cannonball Ultra Waterproof mascara and also two eye liners that I wear on a regular basis. 

You can see the serum-like consistency here. It's so thin that it just runs down my hand. 

Without any tugging or excessive rubbing the UD 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil came off like a dream and the majority of the mascara was gone. I was quite surprised that when I did this test the Dollywink Gel Eyeliner didn't completely come off. I didn't really have trouble removing it from my eyelids but on the hand it seemed to stay. It may have been that I've drawn a really thick layer which I don't usually do.

 

Review

Unlike other oils I've tried the Tatcha cleansing oil is really easy to rinse off. Once you add a little water it becomes milky, melting away all your makeup and washes away within a few splashes. The consistency is really lightweight almost like a gel/serum and it has a gentle floral scent. With some other oils like the SK-II one (a previous love), I found myself working a little harder to remove any residue. Most importantly my skin is left in perfect balance where it didn't feel stripped and did not feel or became more oily. I also really appreciate the pump packaging which is equally convenient and as it is luxurious. 

I also purchased a travel set which had a travel size version of the cleansing oil (find it here). It was perfect for my recent travels to the US and the best part is that it's refillable. 

Would I repurchase it?

Overall, I really love this cleansing oil and would likely purchase it again. However I just purchased the Boscia Makeup-Breakup Cool Cleansing Oil which is next in line for me to try after I finish the Tatcha one. I'm really interested in how it would perform as it is considerably cheaper at $28US for the same 150ml size. I will have to get back to you on that one. And in case you're interetested I purchased mine directly from Tatcha.com for $48US if you're living in Australia. Otherwise I saw it in Sephora US the last time I was there.  Tatcha is not available at Sephora Australia yet. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 

Do you use cleansing oils to remove your makeup? If you do, which is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below. 

Review: Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow

I've been lusting over this sculpt and highlighting duo for such a long time now. I've finally taken the plunge and purchased one after hearing/reading so many great reviews on it. I got mine off BeautyLish for $68USD if any of you guys from Australia wanted to get your hands on one. 

The packaging itself is just stunning and feels ultra luxurious. The outer-box has been well thought out, revealing the gorgeous rose gold palette inside. I feel so glamorous just from picking it up :P

 

Being a combination skin gal it's always a challenge to find a product that helps me achieve that healthy glow without looking like a grease ball by the afternoon. With this I can still use my favourite semi-matte to matte bases underneath and still get that look of almost dewy skin. Not to mention it lasts throughout the day without wearing off. I even wore this combo and forgot blush one day and my colleagues didn't think I look washed out at all. They couldn't even tell I wasn't even wearing blush until I told them. Which is a good thing. 

The bronzer/sculpting powder itself is very flattering on my skin tone. Its also not too dark which makes it easy to control. I absolutely love the highlighting shade as it isn't too gold or too pink and isn't too shimmery. I tried taking photos with me wearing the duo but my photography skills are still too amateur. The best I could do was with an iPhone selfie. Sorry it's a little blurry.

Ever since I received it in the mail I haven't been reaching for anything else. I will definitely be taking this on my travels to the States in the coming weeks. Now I really want to get an eyeshadow quad from Charlotte Tilbury but I'm not sure which to get first. Any suggestions? 

Rating: 5/5 

If you have tried Charlotte Tilbury cosmetics, which product is your favourite? I'm going to Hawaii, Las Vegas and Houston soon what can you recommend I pick up on my trip? 

Review: The Face Shop Chia Seed Sebum Control Moisture Cream

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a happy holiday with lots of love and lots of FOOOD! It's been such a busy time for me with all the celebrations and juggling crazy work hours. I'm really sorry I haven't posted for a while and this post was supposed to come up last week but I was very sick and drained of all life *sad face*. That aside I'm feeling much better now and back on track. My blog goal for 2015 is to do at least a post every two weeks but hopefully more :)

In this post I will be reviewing my most recent day moisturiser with a super long name from the FaceShop, the Chia Seed Sebum Control Moisture Gel. I don't usually purchase products without first  doing some research on them. On my way to pick up a replenishment of the Arsainte Ecotherapy Crystal Water Super Gel (Super Gel) also from The FaceShop this one caught my attention. Despite the long name it really screamed out at me. Chia seed? sounds good for you already. Sebum control? Yes please! And moisture? Take my money! For this review I will refer to this as the Chia Seed Gel since it is a gel rather than a cream and to make things easier. Excuse the bad photos as I have finished up the jar before taking photos and this was taken when I first bought it when the lighting was very bad. 

For evening use I prefer creams that do more than just hydrate but for the day time I'm always looking for something that will hydrate as well as keep my skin balanced throughout the day. The Chia Seed gel claims to do just that. So how well did it compare against a favourite of mine? Find out after the jump.

Review: YSL Rouge Pur Couture The Mats #210 Nude Accoustic

YSL's Rouge Pur Couture lipsticks are one of my favourite lipstick formulas of all time. I almost feel like they don't receive the attention they're worth as they aren't as pretty on the outside as the Rouge Voluptes. I purchased Rouge Pur Couture The Mats in #210 (Nude Accoustic) a couple of weeks back together with the ever so popular #52. 

Haul: Tatcha

If you follow me on Instagram/Twitter you might have already seen me post a photo of my Tatcha package which arrived today. I've been interested in the brand for quite some time now and I am so excited to try them. They recently had a family and friends sale which was the perfect opportunity for me to pick a few items I've been eyeing. I originally wanted the Kaiseki set which contains deluxe sample sizes of all the products Tatcha has to offer but they sold out so fast! *sad face* The beauty junkie inside me just wanted to try everything but I missed out so I went with what I originally wanted. Tatcha also offers complimentary international shipping for orders over $250US which explains why I did some major hauling (yes, I'm one of this people who would buy more just to avoid paying for shipping-bad habit!). 

What impressed me the most about Tatcha was the amount of care that has gone into the packaging which feels luxurious and elegant. Every item comes with its on leaflet which feels like a personal letter to the user. Read more on what I purchased and why after the jump!

Review: Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control

I mentioned back in June that I have been caught up on one of the latest beauty trends to hit Korea  -  cushions! In the last two years almost every Korean beauty brand has come up with some sort of cushion concept makeup, some offering many different ones to suit different needs. 

If you're not familiar with cushion compacts they are designed to be and easier and more convenient way to apply your base makeup. Perfect for a girl on the go. I can remember back when BB creams were the latest craze the idea was to pat and press on the product with your fingers and the puff in way mimics that action. 

My interest in cushions was sparked with IOPE Air Cushion XP which offered a more dewy finish. I really liked it but when I found out that Laneige was releasing the BB Cushion (Pore Control) I knew I had to pick it up knowing it's more ideal for oilier skin types or humid conditions.