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...

SEASONAL CULL: Concealers...

Haven't talked too much about concealers in the past, nor created a different blog category in years. And given that Spring is the perfect time of year for a clean out, I'm kicking off this brand new series with a reassessment of my concealer collection. I reckon most gals will admit to hanging onto a whole lot of unnecessary clutter, and I am 100% guilty of first degree hoarding, especially when it comes to make up...

I do my best to keep similar items in the one place, but I was a trifle embarrassed when I gathered together all of the above cover-up tubes and sticks for the photo - crikey I don't even remember buying half of these! So where to begin? Well I started by putting aside the ones I'm currently using, swatched the rest to determine which ones were still viable, and then split them into "these colours don't work" and "potentials" - this meant I could toss quite a few upfront, and lessen the headache of what to keep...

Above are the ones I ditched, although I did check the coverage before they landed in the bin just in case the formula was a good one, and all I needed was a different shade. I find that yellow-based concealers work best for me, and these are all quite pinkish, so out they went, which left me with the ones below. Already a major improvement, but now for the acid test - which ones actually do what I need them to do?...

Everyone's concealer needs vary - I don't have dark circles, but I do have pigmentation that I absolutely MUST disguise, particularly around my lipline, plus I find that my foundation (any foundation!) simply doesn't stick to the centre section of my nose. Haven't been able to figure that one out yet. It's not like I touch it throughout the day - even by the time I finish my makeup, somehow or other it's gone! So I need something that will stay put to disguise my freckly flaws in this most central part of my face. I also have spider veins around my nostrils, which always show up as reddish patches in photos, so once again I need 100% coverage. I'm fortunate that I rarely get blemishes - probably once or twice a year a pimple rears its ugly head, so a concealer that's a good skin tone match and is dense enough is all that's required to deal with those pesky eruptions...

And lastly, I have huge under eye bags - I manage to disguise them in photos with the right lighting and using the camera flash, but if you saw me in real life, you'd say "oooh yeah, they're real bad!". So I also need a concealer a few shades lighter, which I then apply to the area beneath the bags that is in shadow in an effort to diminish the bulges (thanks Wayne Goss!). It really makes a difference, but takes a bit of practice because you have to be very precise, and can't blend it out or else the whole effect is lost...

In summary, here is my criteria:

• 100% coverage of dark pigmentation
• Long lasting
• No creasing around the eyes
• Exact skin tone match
• Plus a 2 or 3-shades-lighter skin tone match
• As natural as possible
• Readily available
• Reasonably priced

So here's my assessment of the 14 potentials, from left to right - I've highlighted the best... 

CROP Natural Concealer Pencil - Medium & Light (RRP $16)

Love these - excellent coverage, the pencil format makes these perfect for outlining and dotting onto spots or pigmented areas. I use the light one around my lips and the medium for touch ups on the rest of my face...

Rimmel Hide the Blemish Concealer - Ivory & Soft Honey (RRP $10.50)

Good coverage, tends to crease a bit in oily areas, not quite the right shades for my colouring...

Maybelline Master CONCEAL Camouflaging Concealer - Light/Medium (RRP $15.95)

My most recent discovery - this stuff is AMAZING! Perfect shade for me, barely any creasing, total coverage. No wonder this is almost always out of stock at Priceline. Only yesterday I managed to find the Light version, which is why it's not in the above photo...

Maybelline FIT Me Concealer - Light & Sand (RRP $14.95)

Very good coverage, however it does crease a little, doesn't seem to last all that long either, but it comes in a wide colour range...

Rimmel Match Perfection Skin Tone Adapting Concealer - Natural Beige (RRP $13.95)

This has a brush applicator which I like, but the coverage isn't enough for my dark spots, and I find it tends to go on a bit streaky and creases after an hour or so, only 3 shades available...

SAVVY Liquid Concealer - Light (RRP $4.99)

The cheapest of the lot, and while it's a good colour match, it's too sheer for my needs...

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Full Coverage Anti-Aging Waterproof Concealer - Light (RRP $38)

Holey guacemoley, this is the bomb! Yep it's $38, but I have never EVER found a concealer that doesn't crease, covers EVERYTHING, and lasts all day, but this is it. I bought Light which is very very light and too pale for anything but my eye bag diminishing trick, but I've just ordered the medium from Sephora. You will not believe the coverage! The tube has the tiniest nozzle I've come across, and at first I thought it was a manufacturing fault because it's a struggle to dispense even the smallest amount. But it's intentional - you only need (literally) a microscopic quantity. I swear if you want full coverage, no creasing and all-day longevity, then this is the concealer for you. I figure the tube will last me 3 times longer than anything else, which makes it totally affordable...

NATIO Natural Cover Concealer - Skin Tone 2 (RRP $14.95)

Sponge applicator, pretty good colour match, but seems to stay shiny even when it dries so you'll need a setting powder. Creases quite a bit, only two shades available...

Rimmel Wake Me Up Anti-Fatigue Effect + Radiant Glow Concealer (RRP $14.95)

I can't find the shade name on the tube anywhere, but I'm guessing it's Classic Beige (there's only three to choose from). Reasonable coverage, but not enough for me and doesn't build up evenly, contains teeny little sparkles for "illuminating" the under eye area, but I need to disguise rather than accent...

ModelsPrefer Argan Infusion Liquid Concealer - Light (RRP $9.99)

This is thicker than most of the others of its kind, covers redness very well but creases under the eyes, doesn't last more than a few hours, and there's only two shades in the range - it surprised me though, it's a lot better than some bigger brand names...

Face of Australia Lasting Finish Concealer Stick - Neutral (RRP $9.45)

Again only comes in two shades. I was using this primarily around my lips before I discovered the Crop one that I prefer. Creases when applied under the eyes, medium coverage, blends well though...

So after this major Spring clean, here are my keepers, and my HG's ♥♥♥:

You've no idea how GOOD I feel after doing this! I've reduced 24 products down to five, and freed up a whole bunch of space in my kit. I plan to repeat the process with my foundations, blushes, eye shadows, eye liners and lip products so watch this space - I admit the lippies will be my greatest challenge, but I figure if I do it gradually by shade families, it won't be quite so painful lol...

Do you do a seasonal cull of your makeup, or only your wardrobe?

Take care of you,

kats xxx

P.S. Linking this to the always brilliant Ingrid's Monday Madness Link Up Party ♥...