It’s fair to say that these two items featured here, are pretty much consuming the beauty world right now. Bloggers and Vloggers worldwide are raving about these recent releases! Yip – I’m talking about the Limited Edition BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Rose Gold & BECCA The One Perfecting Brush.
I headed in to APOTHEKA (previously known as Glamorpuss Cosmetics) located at 16 Osborne St in Newmarket, to get my hands on these two gems, which believe me is no small feat, as they are selling out faster than you can say new release NAKED palette! We know all to well, when something becomes the hottest ticket in the beauty industry, unfortunately it also means it will eventually get to ‘sold out worldwide’ status, especially when one of the items is ‘Limited Edition’. So, if you’re based in New Zealand and are trying to track these down – head to Apotheka as they still had some in stock when I was there. Or if you’re not based in Auckland, check them out online: Apotheka. Aaaanyway, I just thought I’d start by telling you where you can get these right at the beginning of this post, for those that are already well aware of these beauty gems, but are struggling to track them down. Now, on to the all important BECCA products…
I want to start with BECCA’s “The One Perfecting Brush” as this is such an exciting new beauty product! A brush that can do the work of 10 makeup tools gets a huge thumbs-up from me! This brush replaces: foundation, powder, contour, bronzer, stipple, blush, fan, and concealer brushes, kabuki, and sponge. It’s basically the ‘swiss army knife’ of makeup brushes. At first I was like “woah – this is a large brush, how the heck is this going to do the work of all the different sized brushes I would normally use?”. But you soon get the hang of it, and it does do an absolutely brilliant job, as it contours to your face at any angle, perfectly! And you can go straight from applying liquids, to applying creams, to powders, without having to clean the brush between application. It’s made with high quality goat hair, so it’s non-porous and there’s no product wastage through absorption. I could go on and on about how it works (and you know how I love to ramble when I get excited about a beauty product), however when I was first checking out “The One Perfecting Brush” I came across this You Tube video by BECCA Style Director – Kerry Cole, and it was pretty much the deciding factor as to whether I needed this brush (oohhh and I needed this brush!). So go ahead and check it out, as Kerry explains what this brush does and how, perfectly.
The other BECCA product that is flying out the door and into the hands of beauty gurus worldwide, is the Limited Edition Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Rose Gold (basically the most beautiful, ethereal, shimmering highlighter I’ve ever seen). I am utterly obsessed with highlighting products, and anyone that knows me will confirm this obsession. When I’m creating a makeup look, the icing on the cake, so to speak, is a luminescent highlighting powder swept over the cheekbones and the bridge of the nose. Now what you don’t often find in a highlighter, and what sets this particular one apart from the rest, is its rose-gold hue and appearance of finely ground crystals. There are many highlighters on the market that have the basic silver, gold or bronze base tone, but a true ‘rose-gold’ highlighter – not so common. The other unique aspect with this BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector is that unlike the traditional pressed powder method, which simply mixes and compresses dry ingredients, this unique process blends pigments with proprietary liquid binders, resulting in unparalleled, creamy application with balanced colour dispersion. It’s been described as crushed gems in powder form, and I couldn’t agree more!
Rose-gold kisses and Becca wishes xx
Ange
Gurlinterrupted
A Girl Interrupted By Fashion, Beauty & Anything Pretty That Catches My Eye
Ok so I don’t have acne, although if I did, this new Blemish Control primer has the ingredients to treat it. Nor have I ever had really bad problem skin, however I do indeed get the odd breakout now and then (why does this always happen right before a big event?) so I’m well aware of that sinking feeling of wanting a flawless makeup look, but knowing that any makeup I apply is probably going to make my skin look worse in the long run by further clogging up my pores in the bid to cover up blemishes and breakouts.
Whilst on the topic of Smashbox, they’ve released another fabulous new collection with their Always Sharp Waterproof Kohl Liners. I swore I would never use the term “game-changer” (many years in a marketing team, repetitively hearing, and admittedly using this double-barrel descriptor will do this to a girl), however I really can’t come up with a better term to describe Smashbox’s new Always Sharp Waterproof Kohl Liners (especially the colour ‘Bare’)!!
So I say ‘new on my beauty counter’, and yes this is a new tin of Steam Cream that I’ve received, but no it isn’t the first time I’ve tried it. Many beauty bloggers will be talking about Steam Cream right now as it’s fairly new arrival here in NZ, however it’s been collecting many a beauty award over in the UK (including the 2010 UK Beauty Insiders Choice award) where it was formulated, and I’ve actually been using it for a couple of years. So what is this Steam Cream all about? Well, other than the fact it comes packaged in the most adorable tin (there are a number of different designs available and they make quite the collectable once you’ve used all the product) it’s the process for making Steam Cream that gives it a point of difference. Taking its name from the boutique French process in which it is made – raw ingredients are fused together using a shot of bubbling hot steam, thus ‘Steam Cream’ (rather than mixed artificially using chemicals). It happens at a speed which defies most traditional cream making methods and gives the finished product a unique texture. Steam Cream contains ingredients such as Orange Flower Water, Almond Oil, Cocoa Butter and much, much more, all of which gives Steam Cream an absolutely heavenly scent. Plus all ingredients are from sustainable sources and its 100% cruelty-free.
Well, safe to say Trilogy needs no introduction. Even with their new-look packaging design, Trilogy is instantly recognisable. I for one am more than familiar with their skin care line, of which is nothing short of magnificent. What I didn’t know until very recently is that they produce Botanical Body Wash.
Ahhh the ever-fabulous MOR. As if their exquisite spa, beauty and personal care range wasn’t enough, they then dazzled us with their 2013 Holiday Gifting Collection, and now they’ve released a limited edition ‘tantalizing tangerine Pantone 178’ Destination Summer Collection!
Weleda has released a 100% NATRUE certified (yes natrue, not nature) natural hair care line, and each product in this range is free of SLS, parabens, preservatives and artificial ingredients. I have been treating my hair to the new OAT shampoo and conditioner for dry and damaged hair and it’s pretty darn good. The scent is lovely and the result – super lightweight, shiny hair. It took a little getting use to the shampoo not lathering up (as most do) but this is probably due to Weleda’s holistic approach, where no artificial ingredients are used, and it’s the artificial ingredients that generally cause the foaming. A fabulous range – definitely worth trying!
In need of a luxuriously creamy, long wearing, hydrating lip liner that won’t flake, feather or fade? Look no further – these Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Precision Glide Lip Liners are absolute perfection. They glide on effortlessly, define and contour lips, and the icing on the cake – they contain a unique waterproof, non-drying formula infused with ingredients that make lips feel moisturised and conditioned, with the added benefit of a liner that has staying power like no other. They even feature an automatic component with an ergonomic grip (which actually really helps to trace lips with accuracy) and it’s complimented with an innovative, flexible lip paddle and sharpener duo, ideal for precision application and evenly blending colour onto lips.
The world of alphabet creams welcomes a new player – ModelCo’s BB Plus. This all-in-one daily skin perfector has a beautiful consistency and gives a healthy, glowing, flawless finish. With the combination of serum, moisturiser, primer, foundation and sunscreen, BB Plus covers blemishes and imperfections, maintains hydration, assists regenerative processes, corrects signs of dullness or fatigue, all whilst protecting the skin from UV rays. BB Plus is available in two shades, light to medium and medium to dark, suitable for all skin complexions and types.
Oh how I do love to paint my nails, but oh how I detest removing nail polish! Maybelline has has the answer with their soon-to-be-released acetone-free ‘Express Remover’ which erases nail polish in just one dip. Maybelline’s Express Remover comes in the form of a cute black & pink pottle which contains a foam centre that you dip your finger into, turn once or twice, and viola – nail polish gone! I know there are other similar products out there that claim to do the same, but quite honestly this is the best one I’ve tried to date! If you love playing with nail colour (especially the gritty, glittery ones that are a pain in the butt to remove) then you are gonna love Maybelline Express Remover. There’s not really much more to say on this little gem – it just works!!
With rising concerns for damage caused by harmful UV rays it was only a matter of time before a cosmetics brand saw that UV protection needed to become a focal point when creating foundations. Shiseido has done exactly that with their reformulated Suncare Foundation range. Not only does it help provide strong UV protection preventing skin damage, it also offers optimum foundation coverage for a natural flawless look. Water and sebum resistant, it provides a freshly applied look that lasts for hours, making it ideal for any summer occasion. The packaging, a beautiful combination of bright blue and yellow, screams summery and sporty and is available in three different forms:
