About every 6 months or so I tend to have a rummage through my small makeup collection and try to use items that I’ve neglected or get rid of them entirely. It can be difficult to decide what stays and what goes, but it’s a task that does need to be done or else I would be holding on to unused, expired products. I think this clear out was pretty substantial, so I thought I would show you a run down of the products and why they are getting the boot!

I’ve now had this Elf Contouring Blush & Brozer Duo for about a year and a half, and I think I’ve only reached for it 3 times. Each time I was pretty disappointed. I didn’t exactly have high hopes for this, but I’ve never found myself wanting to use it. I decided both of my Essence Highlight Powders were ready to go simply because they were both chalky and odd highlight shades. I tried using them as eye shadows, but have things that work better. I used to get a lot of use out of the Rimmel Match Perfection Blush but haven’t done so in quite some time as I’ve found blushes I like much better now that I am more confident wearing blush.
As for bases I decided it was time to get rid of Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation, Revlon Colorstay Whipped Foundation and Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Compact simply because I haven’t used either for about a year and have no interest in doing so again. I have continually tried to use The Body Shop Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream, but no longer think it is worth attempting to use up. It is too dark so I was using it to mix into light foundations. It does not contain any SPF like other BB creams do, and it tended to get very oily for me. 
The Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Concealer has been a part of my collection for quite sometime. I still really enjoy it, but think it’s time to say goodbye and repurchase! And the same goes for the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer, which I have already replaced actually. I’ve also decided that even though I love my Clinique Even Better Concealer it must have long passed it’s expiry. Plus always putting my finger in the pot is starting to get gross. I nearly finished the pot however! And lastly I’ve had the Benefit Erase Paste for nearly 2 years now and I never truly fell in love with it so I decided it’s likely time for it to go!
What products have you thrown out recently? Why did you decide it was time for them to go?
I have 2 more posts in this series I was thinking about doing (lips and eyes). Would you be interested in seeing those too?

When we were in the US, I made a point to go to Ulta and have a wander around. Ulta carries some brands I can’t easily get a hold of here, and lets admit I have a little bit of a makeup addiction I need to indulge in from time to time. My intention was to buy the Lorac Pro Palette but when I was swatching the shades in that palette, this one actually ended up catching my eye. It’s not what I thought I was going to pick up, but I’m really happy I was a little impulsive and went for this little beauty. The Lorac Unzipped Gold Palette has 10 shadows, all of which are stunning. 

I love that there is a mix of mattes and shimmers and the palette. All of the shades are so beautiful, and I knew instantly that I would be able to get lots of use out of these colours. It also comes with a mini Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer, which is always nice to have included in a palette. I really like the formula of this primer, it keeps my shadow on fairly well on my oily lids, but I still have too much love for NARS Pro Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base. The formula of the matte shadows definitely outshines the gorgeous shimmers because they blend amazingly and are so pigmented. They are a little powdery, but as long as I tap my brush before I apply, it’s totally fine. The shimmers are absolutely stunning, but there is a lot of fall out (as I expected) so I do my base last when I use these shadows. Simple fix, but it a little bit of an annoyance.

I love that I can use this palette to make so many different kinds of neutral looks. I used 6 shades to create this look (Unwind & Unedited in the crease, Unleased on the lid, Unlocked as an inner corner highlight and Unafraid on the lower lash line). I like that a combination of Unwind and Unedited are perfect for filling in my brows, which I’ve done in this look also.

Do you own this palette or are you going to pick it up? Let me know your thoughts on it!

I’ve been wearing this tonal makeup look a lot over the last couple months. Although all the products used are in the same colour family, this makeup doesn’t seem matchy. It’s very simple to do, works well for everyday but feels more adventurous than my usual neutral eyes.

The star of the show is definitely Make Up For Ever Artist Shadow in M600, a matte cool pink-brown shadow. I like to layer my Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded on the lid and inner corner before applying the shadow. It is a creamy pale beige with a hint of pink and I find using this before shadow allows a bit of shimmer to peak through. The rest of the face is matte, so this step brings some focus to the eyes.

I warm up my complexion with some of The Body Shop Bronzing Powder in 01 which adds a natural glow to the face without being orange or containing any shimmer. This is hardly even detectable on the cheeks but it does pair really nicely with Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in Exposed. This nude pink blush pairs so well with any look because it appears to be a natural flush. I can’t stop wearing this blush, and it pairs so wonderfully with this eyeshadow because it’s the exact tone, only a few shades lighter.

Lastly, a swipe of a tinted balm is my lip product of choice. I recently picked up NYX Butter Lip Balm in Brownie and think I’ve worn it everyday over the last 3 weeks. It smells delicious and offers a slight colour payoff, but keeps my lips feeling hydrated in this cold weather. It also happens to perfectly match this lip and eye combo!

Do you ever wear tonal makeup? How do you feel about these nude pink shades?

I’ve always loved trying new foods and flavours. I’ve heard so many great things about matcha green tea over the last few years – a great taste and so many health benefits to having only a teaspoon of matcha green tea powder in your daily diet. So naturally, I wanted to give matcha powder a shot and see if it is worth the hype.
I decided to try out the Kiss Me Organics Matcha Green Tea Powder and was initially amazed by the amount of product I received. This package is 113 grams, which will last for a long time at the rate I’ve consumed it so far. Next (and most importantly) I was thrilled to realize it has some really great properties to promote better skin. It also is effective at increasing energy which is something I need a lot of help with as I hope to reduce my caffeine consumption this year. The thing I was most skeptical about was taste. But I was not disappointed!
Personally, I make a smoothie using this powder. I find that it tastes the best and is really great as a quick, easy breakfast. In the blender I will combine about 1 cup of almond milk with 1 teaspoon of matcha powder, 1 whole frozen banana and the juice of a 1/4 lemon. I was adding about 1 tablespoon agave nectar when I first started making smoothies but have recently deemed this step unnecessary as I really enjoy the flavours regardless! I’ve also added vegan protein powder into the mix and it was delicious! I’ve also used this powder in conjunction with honey, coconut oil and cinnamon to make an antibacterial and exfoliating mask and found it to be refreshing and soothing on my skin.
I’m sure there are so many other ways and reasons to use Kiss Me Organics Matcha Green Tea Powder. If you’ve tried it before let me know your thoughts!


This is a sponsored post. Some of the products reviewed were sent to me, but as always my thoughts are entirely honest.

As we’re now into the New Year, I thought I’d round up for you my top posts of 2014. If you didn’t get a chance to see them yet, these are the posts that were my most popular all year!