Blush Crush: Benefit's Coralista

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Hey beauties,

I'm back with another blush crush. This time I'm loving Coralista by Benefit.

Coralista is a gorgeous corally pink. It gives me a bright sunny look (which I need as the weather is unpleasant at the moment!).  There is some shimmer but not too much, just enough to give the cheeks a gorgeous glow. You can build definitely up the intensity but as I'm pale I use a light hand. I really think this is a blush that would be flattering on sooo many skin tones too. Really that about sums it up; it's just a fabulous blush..

Applied heavily on the left & lightly on the right.

Here is this baby in action!

Do you have a current blush crush? I would love to know, I always love blush recommendations!



xxx

NOTD: Wild Berry

Good Afternoon gorgeous girlies, 

I am currently sporting this brand new polish which is Wild Berry by Ulta3. Yes the name of this nail polish is Wild Berry... personally I don't think it hits the spot but name aside I like this polish. It's a blue based grey which applied beautifully. It was smooth and just needed two coats. It's a wintery kind of colour so perfect for this time of year and unfortunately especially appropriate today where the weather is miserable. It's one of those non black colours which I love and need more of in my life! I find it has a bit warmth to it which is flattering and I have even managed to rack up some compliments so go Wild Berry!

What is currently on your tips? 

I am planning on a bit of a nail polish shopping spree soon so would love your suggestions on some new colours to get!

:)

NOTD: Karpati Dito nail polish

This is the latest nail polish to join my collection. I found it buried in a discounted bin and had to have it! Admittedly I bought it for the bottle rather than the colour. I have never really seen anything like this before and couldn't resist giving it a whirl. It's by an Australian brand Karpati and the colour is in Lily Crown. 

As great as the packaging looks it does have it's faults; once you open it you can't put it down, the brush and handle is not long enough, the lid doesn't screw on very tightly and the solid packaging colour makes it hard to see that actual colour of the polish. 

I have never come across this brand before, after doing some research on their website (and being bombarded with  an unnecessary amount pictures of the founder!) I found out that their nail polishes are free of unnecessary chemicals including toluene, formaldehyde and Dibutyl Phthalate, which is a big plus however the nail polish itself was rubbish. It may have something to do with the pale colour but it was thin and runny and I needed way to many coats to get a decent result. 

 

This was the only colour left but I would be interested in trying some of the other colours in the range if I came across them but there is no way I would pay $22 for them. Props for creating a safe nail polish in a unique bottle which differentiates itself in the market but I think there needs to be a lot of tweaks to make this polish worthwhile. 

What are your thoughts on this style bottle? Have you used one like this before?

x Imogen 

Product Rave: Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator

Hi there lovely readers, 

I have recently started 2 new jobs so I have busy busy busy and become a bit slack with blogging lately but I am back with a long overdue rave/review. It's for Estee Lauder - Idealist Even Skintone Iluminator and I have been wanting to do this post for ages now because it's amazing!

Estee Lauder claims the product drastically reduces the look of uneven skintone; redness, acne marks, dark spots and discolouration. They describe it as an intensive yet gentle oil-free serum with Triple-Optic technology which instantly illuminates the skin for instant radiance. The serum is comprised of comprehensive, anti-spot ingredient, powerful antioxidants and soothing anti irritants to combat the signs of uneven skin tone making it appear clearer, even-toned and radiant. Sounds pretty good to me!

The illuminator is a light, pale coloured serum which has a delicious citrus scent and comes in lovely simple packaging with a convenient pump pack which is sanitary and means less waste. I have been using this product for about 6 weeks now and I have to say I am impressed. I apply the product both morning and night after cleansing. Once it has sunk it I just apply my usual moisturiser over the top and I'm done.

I am fair skinned and I do have quite of bit of redness in my skin. I found that shortly after using this product my skin tone looked great. It felt smoother, even and healthy as well as appearing brighter and luminous. I do think it also helped fade spots a bit quicker than usual too but luckily for me I have good genes and spots aren't a major concern for me.

The serum itself has a luminescent pearly sheen to it which I really loved as it makes my skin radiant and glowy without the dreaded shimmer. I am not sure if this is a long term effect of using the product rather than the product itself but either way I am happy. My skin is dry so I love the pearly glow of the serum, which I tried to capture in the photos below, but for those with oily skin I'm not sure if this would be the perfect product as it does add extra sheen which you might not want. Having said that I would suggest checking it out and making up your own mind.

I stopped using the product for about the last week to see if I noticed a difference in my skin and I did. My skin didn't look as glowy and fresh and appeared a bit duller so I'm a convert!

The serum has only been officially released in Australia for about 2 weeks now and although it is pricey I would definitely recommend checking it out. I think serums are an important part of any daily skincare routine and this has definitely ticked all my boxes. I think I have discovered my new staple! Next on my list to try is the Night Repair serum.

What are your thoughts on serums? 

Happy hump day!

Imogen 

x