SEASONAL CULL: Blushes...

Hmmm, this seasonal cull wasn't quite as productive as the first exercise, but while concealers and blushes are both vital makeup items, they're hardly comparable hey ♥ The spectrum of blush shade families, textures and finishes available is pretty much unlimited, and I for one delight in having lots of choices - hence the collection below ♥ But still I reckon it's worth reassessing every now and then, if for no other reason than to keep a mindful eye on storage space ... 

I started by sorting them into formulas and colours - first separating creams and powders, and then grouping them into pinks/purples, oranges/corals, and mauves/bricks/plums. Below are the creams, which I use when I want a more dewy finish, or as a base to boost the powder topping, and make it last all day. The lidless pots are by Lacura, and the Lip & Cheek Rouges are by DB Cosmetics. That Australis one on the far right is the last of the handful I bought when it was discontinued years ago, and it's STILL viable...

These are the two I decided to dispose of because I hardly ever wear them - the Lacura one because it's so very pale on my skin, and the Maybelline hue, well it just isn't quite right...

And here are the powders sorted into colour families...

I started with the corals and oranges - nothing pricey at all here, and more than enough to cover every need for this autumnal hue. Top left is NYX Ombre, and the bold trio in the middle is by Sleek...

I made up my mind to ditch the BYS Endless Summer palette as I've only ever used the middle pan, plus it's many years old. The two essence blushes are fairly recent additions, but again, the hues aren't quite flattering enough for my complexion, and the matt touch one has very little colour payoff...

Next up were the pinks and purples - without a doubt my passions, especially when wearing black/white outfits. Although I call myself a "warm", I'm actually a neutral, and can therefore wear some of these ever so pretty cooler tones. The purpley one without a label is by Real Purity, and was sent to me by a darling friend (♥), and I'd forgotten all about the Mirenesse one top left - found it in my work room on the "must swatch before reviewing" shelf, so I'll be giving that a go shortly (once I've swatched it lol). Top right beauty is by NYX, and the middle trio is by Sleek...

Couldn't bring myself to toss out very many here as they're all quite different, and equally gorgeous. However the essence blush up has seen better days, and I only ever wear the colour on the left side of the pan. The BYS palette is another ancient one, and well, it was time to say goodbye...

I tend to wear the mauves, plums and bricky reds more often in Autumn and Winter, although the mauves really have a place all year round. The one on the top right (no label, another gift) is the second untouched one I found on my shelf, and bottom left is the only Laura Geller makeup item in my kit, and it's divine - must explore this brand further! Bottom right is by Ulta3, my most treasured plummy cheek enhancer, next to it is a duo by BH Cosmetics, and the patchy looking one in the middle top row is NYX Ombre - seems to be have been moisture affected, but whatever I did wrong, it still lays down magnificently...

Could only give one the flick here - I do love the colours in this Maybelline pan, but it's just too shimmery, and gives me trouble in my EOTD photos because the particles always seem to spread up to my under-eye area, and accentuate my wrinkly bits...

I excluded these two palettes from the cull because they're indispensable - the big one by BH Cosmetics has such a fabulous assortment of shades, and the Hourglass one, well, besides being so beautiful, how could I throw away an Hourglass anything? ♥...

So there you have it - started with 40 in total (13 cream & 27 powder), and reduced them down to 32. Not quite the ruthless result I'd planned, but not a bad effort considering my fickle nature. I can't possibly label any one of these as my HG, but below are my personal faves and the ones I reach for most often - for their stunning colours, impressive pigmentation, and silky formulas ♥...

Haven't decided what I'll cull next - I'm torn between eye liners and foundation. I reckon the liners will be a breeze (thanks to Eye of Horus Cosmetics), but the foundations will be a challenge as there's so many I love ha ha ♥...

Take care of you,

kats xxx

P.S. Adding this to Ingrid's Monday Madness Link Up Party ♥ - the pick of the bloggers crop...

EOTDs: Catch up time!...

Didn't get around to uploading any EOTD's last month, but I have a pretty big stash put aside, and in various colours of the rainbow. So without further ado...

Was quite chuffed with how this turned out - I normally apply the lightest shadow shade on the inner corner of my eye, but decided this time to pat down the darker blue (from the Annabelle Haute Mer quad) on both ends, with MBA Cosmetics Silk FX Babybaby in the middle and underneath. I thought it would make my eyes look smaller, but I actually love the extra definition. Waterline was Eye of Horus Scarab Sapphire Goddess Pencil...

For my face I used Mirenesse Liquid Silk Foundation, Ulta3 Pretty Plum Blush, and Face of Australia Lip Quench lipstick in Ruby Delight (added bonus of SPF30)...

My pastel blue jewellery collection is the smallest of the lot, but I'll work on it this Spring lol...

A very special friend sent me a whole stack of her Colourpop eye shadows (eternally grateful hon ♥) - this is Tink (matte charcoal) & Liberty (the most fabulous metallic silver in my kit!)...

These shadows are amazing - the pigmentation and buttery texture is almost impossible to beat, and they blend with just a few strokes of a fluffy brush. Waterline is Eye of Horus Charcoal Obsidian Goddess Pencil... 

Mirenesse Liquid Silk foundation again (trying to actually finish a foundation - who me?), cheeks were Real Purity Frosted Orchid Powder Blush, and lips were Maybelline Matte Lipstick in Lust For Blush...

Dug through my retro jewellery box and was thrilled to find the acrylic "humbug" striped ring, and some earrings and a bracelet that I made over 10 years ago - confirmed my suspicion that I should never throw anything out lol...

For this look I decided to use ONLY Eye of Horus Goddess Pencils - Emerald Tabula & Scarab Sapphire. All these pencils are beautiful on their own, but I usually don't have enough time in the morning to let them set completely, and invariably cover them up with a matching shadow so the cream doesn't transfer to my hoods...

The green is such a good match for my eye colour, and the smudger on the end is excellent for blending before they dry...

Same foundation, cheeks were Laura Geller Blush 'n' Brighten in Berry, and that stunning red lippy is Rimmel The Only 1 Lipstick in One-Of-A-Kind...

Was lucky enough to find the matching emerald crystal earrings at Lovisa for a ridiculously low price...

And this last look is from way back in June, but too spesh to neglect - Too Faced Chocolate Bar Black Forest Truffle, with a dusting of Champagne Truffle over the top...

Still in awe of how much I'm loving browns and taupes and caramels! All to do with my lighter hair colour I reckon. Eye of Horus Bronze Amulet Goddess Pencil on the waterline...

Maybelline Super Stay 24hr Foundation, Ulta3 Pretty Plum Blush, and Maybelline Colorblur Cream Matte Pencil in Plum Please...

And a massive thank you shout-out to neurotichellfem for the change-it-yourself battery tip. This watch has been languishing in a box for months, but I managed to get it working again for less than $2. I also replaced the batteries in three other watches - hon, you've just saved me a FORTUNE! ♥♥♥

Will post another four looks before the end of the month - and keep an eye out for my September giveaway. It'll be a special one as it's my 3rd year Bloggiversary!

Take care of you,

kats xxx

EOTDs: MUA Cosmetics Teals...

About time I posted a teal theme hey - I do so love this hue, and thankfully, MUA Cosmetics features this pretty shade in quite a few of their collections, and of course, they're all different, which is I why I have to have so many palettes ha ha! Well that's my excuse anyway ♥ For this first look, I used the MUA Winter Forest Matte Collection, a palette I bought over 12 months ago - well two actually, one for me and one for a friend. I decided to let go of mine in one of my giveaways as I had quite a few of the hues in other sets, but the one I gave to my friend recently came back to me as she hardly ever used it...

Well I couldn't be happier about this return because I've fallen in love with it all over again and will be giving it a major workout this winter - how about those gorgeous caramels and greys? The lighter shadow I used is called Azure and the dark one, Aqua, and what a stunning couple they make...

I used Eye of Horus Teal Malachite Goddess Pencil as my base, which is why the Azure looks so deep and somewhat greener than in the pan. Using this crayon underneath gave both mattes a hint of sparkle so they didn't look completely flat, and I also used it on the waterline as well...

Face piccie was a horror as I still had the flu, so let's just move onto the jewellery - more turquoise than teal, but close enough...

This second look features aqua and purple from the MUA Poptastic palette. Used the same Eye of Horus Teal Malachite Goddess Pencil underneath, and on the waterline...

All the shadows in this palette are super shimmery, buttery and fabulously pigmented...

For my face I went back to my old HG foundation, Lancôme Teinte Visionnaire - it's such a perfect match for my skin tone, just wish it wasn't so darn expensive. Cheeks were a mix of Maybelline Master Glaze Stick Blush in Pink Fever and Real Purity Frosted Orchid Powder Blush. Lips were Makeup Revolution Make Me Magnificent...

And here are the accessories, featuring my fabulous new stretchy bracelet from Lovisa that matches one of my bling rings perfectly ♥

Take care of you,

kats xxx

EOTD'S: Purple - Colourpop Dare & Sleek Poptastic...

There's an old saying - "there's more than way to skin a cat". Love it because it reminds me there's usually always another solution to a dilemma, and I needed one for my decidedly sporadic EOTD posts. So starting this month, I'll be posting two at a time, and with a colour theme. And there's no better hue to start with than...PURPLE, and there's no better purple shadow in my kit than Colourpop Dare...

This fabulous eye shadow has starred in quite a few of my looks (examples here & here), and is it any wonder? She's just plain gorgeous - a pinky purple pigment with aqua sparkles, which combine to give an overall bluish purple result. Turns out a bit different every time I play, depending on the base I use - this one was Face of Australia Budgeproof Gel Eyeliner. It has no name on the container, but it's a stunning magenta-ish purple that seems to have been discontinued (sob!). On the waterline is Eye of Horus Teal Malachite Goddess Pencil ♥

Face was Maybelline Super Stay 24H Fresh Look Longwear Foundation (love it!), on the cheeks was Savvy Cheek & Lip Colour in Satin Magenta, and lips were my fave hot pink lippie, BOE Beauty Shocking Matte Pink...

And here's the jewellery I chose to go with the outfit...

This second EOTD features the other side of the purple fence - pink purple. I used to wear this particular shade nuance most of all, but now that my hair is not so red, I'm finding the blue purples are more flattering. Interesting hey? My skin is the same colour, and yet just changing my hair has taken me from favouring warm hues to the cooler ones. Both the purple and blue shadows are from the Sleek Poptastic palette ♥...

Once again I used the FOA purple gel eyeliner as my base, and on the waterline was Eye of Horus Scarab Sapphire Goddess Pencil...

My foundation was Mirenesse Liquid Silk, cheeks were Real Purity Frosted Orchid Powder blush, and my lippie was MBA Cosmetics Heliotrope...

Just as well I have some pinky purple accessories hey...

I'm so looking forward to putting together my next double eye look post - haven't decided what the colour theme will be, but I've quite a variety stashed away to choose from, and you know me, it's bound to be bold ♥

Take care of you,

kats xxx