Wish list: Now I'm home

I've had enough time now to sit down and browse through some blogs. And I think my wallet wishes I hadn't! There's so much I need to catch up on beauty wise, and it couldn't come at a worse time... when I don't have an income!

1. Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette            2. Benefit lollitint
3. L'orel Paris False Lash Butterfly Wings mascara             4. MAC lipstick in Saint Germain  
 5. Nars blush in Gilda

I must have been living under a rock for a month because I have only just noticed the Too Faced Chocolate Bar eyeshadow palette. This is seriously pretty! I really love how the 2 highlight shades are bigger, because I end up using up the highlight shades way quicker than any other. The shade range is beautiful. You can never have too many neutral palettes, right?

Lollitint came out a while back now, and I have had a chance to look at it in store. It's gorgeous! I think it's the perfect shade for a tint. Light pink with a hint of lavender. I have one benefit tint, which I don't really use, but I think I would get a good deal of use out of this.

I confess, I'm someone who doesn't throw their mascaras out every 6 months. I throw them out when they start drying up and not working as well as they used to. I'm at a point where most of my mascaras are getting to that stage, so I'm starting to look at a new mascara. This one really caught my eye. I have seen an add for it, and I really wish they wouldn't use fake lashes to advertise mascara! The plastic wand is the type I like, and I love the idea of the winged brush.

I wish I bought more MAC lipsticks overseas, but there weren't any that stuck out as something I needed. Until I got home and decided I need more light pinks. Saint Germain seems like the perfect pink to fill the (rather small) void in my lipstick collection, it just sucks that they're so much more expensive in Australia! I might need to look up some dupes!

Lastly, as you saw in my previous post, I've fallen in love with Nars blushes. A trip to Mecca is in order I think, but I've had a look online and Gilda really stuck out to me. I love orange toned blushes, peaches and corals are my favourite.

My first Nars blush (and bronzer!)

Nars blushers have always been something that I've looked at in awe, and have never been able to justify buying. Even overseas, where they were a little bit cheaper, I couldn't bring myself to pay £22.50 (which is $40 at the moment) for one blush. Really, I can count the times I've been into Mecca on 1 hand... what's the point of swatching something you know you're never going to buy?

Then along came Sophie from Born to Buy with a giveaway, and I was lucky enough to be the winner! I decided that although I wanted to play with my new presents ASAP, that it was easier for both of us if she sent it to my home in Australia, rather than all the way to the UK. After a few months, I had almost forgotten about it, so when I came home one of the first things I did (after cuddling George of course) was rip open my package! Along with a bunch of amazing products (including a lovely UD palette and beautifully scented Créme de Rose lip balm), was a mini Nars duo of Orgasm and Laguna.

Although it is mini, I really don't find it hard to get into the product at all. I usually use a Thin Lizzy brush as my blush brush, as it's smaller than a kabuki, but big enough to cover my cheeks. I don't find I have a problem getting at the blush, and never accidentally get any of the bronzer. The packaging is really sturdy and sleek. The mirror is a little bit pointless in such a small product. Even if I was traveling I would have better mirrors to use, but it's does make the product seem a lot nicer than if it wasn't there.

In the shade

In the sun

Orgasm really is worth the hype. It's so soft and so easy to blend! The colours are absolutely perfect for me. Pinky peach, with gold shimmer. It's not as pigmented as I was expecting, but I prefer that with a blush... there's nothing worse than accidentally putting on too much blush and looking like a clown! It's buildable, so you can get a nice subtle wash of colour on the cheeks, or go for something a bit stronger.

In the sun

Natural Light

With Flash

As for Laguna, I am a real rookie when it comes to bronzers. I can't get them right. I'm super pale, so whenever I use one I feel like I've just got dirt on my face. However, I have used laguna once as a bronzer, using my Real Techniques setting brush and it didn't turn out too bad. Like Orgasm, it's really easy to blend, which I hear is the key to getting bronzing right.

So, would I pay $45 for a blush? You betcha! I'm not in any hurry to drop that cash on one blush just yet, but I will for sure sometime in the not too distant future!

What's your favourite Nars blush? Or product? Do you think they're worth the money?

Wish list: High End

I'm definitely more of a drugstore brand kind of girl. I'm still not totally sold on the idea of paying $40 for a blusher when I can get away with paying $10 for a decent one. I do love my MAC lipsticks, but I'm yet to actually purchase one myself. I wouldn't mind owning a few more high end products, if only for the satisfaction of actually owning them (but I bet I'll find how much better they are and be a total convert!!)

1.  MAC Studio Sculpt foundation      2. MAC Soft and Gentle Mineralize Skin Finish

3. NARS Madly blush    4. Illamasqua Rude cream blush

5. Nars The Happening Palette

MAC Studio Sculpt foundation - I've been using the Bourjois Health Mix as my only foundation for a while now. I love it so haven't found that I need anything else, but lately I've been toying with the idea of getting a foundation with more coverage. I'd love to try out a high end foundation! I have dry skin, and a friend of mine who also has dry skin recently bought her first MAC foundation, and was recommended the Studio Sculpt, and says she loves it, so I think I might have to give it a go! I'm not sure I want a foundation where I have to use my fingers to apply (I've seen a lot of reviews about this, and they all say brushes don't work) so maybe I'll have to look into getting a Beauty Blender as well.

MAC Soft and Gentle Mineralize Skin Finish - This has been featured on a previous wish list, but it really is something I need to add to my collection. I've been using the MUA shimmer kisses bronzer as a highlight a lot, and I'd love something that blends better and doesn't smell cheap and nasty.

NARS Madly blush - I first saw this on Mishelle from Mishelle's Sleepy Time's blog, and I think it's a lovely colour! I have a lot of pink blushers, but no more neutral toned ones yet.

Illamasqua Rude cream blush - Now that I've got a stippling brush, I'd love to try out some cream blushers. This colour is a lovely peachy coral colour that would be perfect to start with, as it wouldn't look too scary while I get the hang of applying cream blush.

NARS The Happening palette - I first noticed this on a wishlist posted by Sarah from More than Adored, and oh my lord it's beautiful! I would love to try orgasm and laguna, and the shadows are perfect, especially the bottom 2 shades! What's more, it would be excellent for traveling! All I'd need to bring is this, some lippy, mascara and foundation and we'd be all set (that is, for travelling while I'm working in the UK)

Have you tried any of these products before? What did you think?

What's at the top of your high end wish list?