10 Beauty Products I Can and Cannot Finish

With brighter days now that it's spring time over here, I feel more motivated to clean out my drawers and tidy up my room to help liven up the atmosphere while the sun shines through. It's no wonder they call it 'spring clean'! Cleaning my drawers allowed me to find all sorts of items that I had forgotten about and also made me realise how often I use the makeup and skincare products that I have. In these past couple of months I was able to finish a number of products and I had thought about writing another 'empties' post but why do that when I can do something a little different... talk about the products that I know I can finish and those that I just cannot!   Let's start with the 10 items that I can finish, and here's proof:  

Not all 10 items shown, only my recent empties - more can be seen in my previous empties post

1. Liquid eyeliner Easy peasy Japanese-y! Liquid eyeliners are my one true love. I tend to feel incomplete without that single line above my top lashes - the one thing that I think makes the most difference compared to not wearing any makeup. Happy to go without the rest but liquid eyeliner, I need youuuuu, and lots of you. I finish these off really quickly, not only because I use them almost daily but because the pen ones only have around 6 mL.   2. Eye makeup removers and wipes Without these in my life, would I even bother applying makeup? Using regular face cleansers aren't enough when it comes to removing waterproof eye makeup for instance. I need the good stuff that gently and effectively removes all traces of makeup. I've gone through bottles and packets of these and I'm always keen to stock up whenever there are sales. Besides using facial wipes to remove my face makeup, I use them to spot-clean my brushes too.   3. Cotton pads, tips To assist with the removal of makeup, of course. They're also great for fixing up any mistakes :)   4. Lip balms I apply lip balm at least 3-4 times a day, and times that the amount of days in a year... yep that's how much I use lip balm - basically, a lot. It's as though my lips depend on it because a day without lip balm = chaos. I get dry, cracked, flaky lips, a nightmare for some. I don't have a favourite brand but I generally stock up on Maybelline Baby Lips and Nivea ones.   5. Body lotion, hand cream For someone who has dry skin, moisturising creams are a godsend. Need I say more? I feel so uneasy when my hands, elbows, knees feel drier than a desert. I guess everyone would but even that feeling I get after drying my hands from washing them makes me feel uncomfortable unless I apply hand cream straight away. Weird, right?   6. Foundation and BB Cream Medium-coverage ones especially! A big confidence booster when my blemishes are covered to a point where it doesn't look too obvious or caked-on. I've gone through a couple in my lifetime and the ones I have now are starting to finish up too.   7. Concealer These typically come in small tubes and when there are plenty of blemishes to cover, it's all gone before I know it.   8. Face and body wash The only way to really remove dirt within the skin and exfoliate is to use face and body wash. When they're used daily, I can't see how they CAN'T be finished.   9. Shampoo and Conditioner Reasons why I can finish these products: Water on its own won't cut it, the greasiness will still prevail. Conditioner keeps my hair in top condition :D   10. Perfume and deodorant I'm aware that it can be quite rare for people to finish a bottle of perfume but trust me, it's possible. As seen in my empties post, I finished a 50mL bottle of perfume and I have gone through many aerosol cans of deodorant. Not because I stink (or maybe I do *sniffs*), it's because I was once obsessed with spraying on lots of deodorant as a teenager. It made me feel cool and grown-up, okay.     Now moving onto the ones that I cannot, let me show you my current collection of each:  

1. Lipstick/gloss/pencil  

  Impossible to finish any of these no matter how hard I try. Actually to be honest, I've hardly tried. I'm reaching for lip balms these days, tinted lip balms to be more precise. My mum on the other hand doesn't use lip balm as she never has dry lips! Hence she's able to go through many tubes of lipstick. There was a phase where I was really into using lipglosses and then that died out. Everything else I just use occasionally since none of the above help with my dry lips :( I don't think I have that many lip products but it's not like my collection is getting any smaller (and I kinda want it to so I can feel less guilty about buying more).     2. Blush  

  I've never hit pan on any of them let alone finish any! Plus I rarely use blush due to my naturally flushed cheeks. Only on special occasions and photos for my blog. Whenever I do though, I only sweep a tiny bit. The blushes themselves are pretty to look at and have photogenic packaging (that Physicians Formula heart one in particular!) and as a result of my lack of use, they ain't going anywhere. Looks like they're stuck in my drawers unless I decide to give them away or something.     3. Pressed or translucent powder and bronzer  

  I know many girls out there rely on face powders to set their makeup however I'm the complete opposite. With dry skin that's prone to flaking, I don't feel the need for powder, in fact I find that powder tends to enhance my dry areas and so I'd rather use a setting spray or blotting sheets when my face needs mattifying. For contouring I use the bronzers and contour palette and just like blushes, I sweep a very small amount. My bad for not showing a picture of them all opened - I swear they'd all look pretty close to brand new. Best example is that Rimmel Bronzer with a clear lid that still has the star pattern on the pan.     4. Pencil eyeliner and brow pencil/products  

  Close to impossible for me to finish these, I can use the same ones for decades. Sharpening them decreases their size a little but no matter how much I use them, I can't seem to make them decrease to a size that deems them unusable or 'finished'. Same thing goes to my colouring pencils that I used as a child, which I still have by the way.     5. Nail polish  

  They dry up on me before I get the chance to finish the whole bottle. And besides, the brush applicator doesn't even reach the bottom for you to finish entirely. I can chuck out old ones and replace them with new ones but to be completely done with a bottle of nail polish? Uh...     6. Eyeshadow  

  Ah eyeshadow, another photogenic beauty product that I seldom use. I'm always so tempted to buy new ones for their pretty packaging/colours whenever I go shopping and then when I think about my collection, temptation is no where to be found. I haven't hit pan on any eyeshadows and I haven't finished any single one let alone a duo, a quad or a palette. Don't even get me started on my 88 shadow palette that I've had for years... which almost looks brand new.    Just this week I bought more eyeshadow palettes... what. What happened to no temptation, Jen?

... Yeah about that... review to come!

  7. Hair spritz and serums

 

  You can only spray so much out of a x mL bottle. For me, getting through one bottle takes forever, same with serums where you only need a couple of pumps of product. It's unfortunate that I get lazy using these sometimes :/     8. Primers for face, eyeshadow and lashes  

  Don't know why these are never-ending for me when I use them ALL THE TIME! I've had a backup eyeshadow primer for a few years now... and I'm no where near the end of my current one. I forgot to include my lip primer in the above photo, whoops.     9. Mascara  

  I have never finished a whole tube of mascara. Yes, the formula goes funky or dried up but there's still product on the wand which can be used, thus doesn't technically count as being finished... you know what I mean?     10. Many packet items i.e. samples and face masks  

These are just my samples. I have about the same amount of face masks

  Samples and face masks themselves are easy to finish but I can't finish many samples and face masks, like when I have an overload of them! Sometimes I'm too scared to use samples for my face 'cause there's no expiry/manufacture date on them which isn't helpful for knowing how old or new they are! I have really sensitive skin too and to me it's not worth taking the risk. Same with using face masks where I could get an allergic reaction from them anytime. The only difference here is that they have a manufacture and expiry date which I tend to forget about anyway. There are times where I feel like putting on a sheet mask so I go to look for them in my drawers, then I see that many of them have already past their expiry date! It feels like such a waste when I have to chuck them out :(   So, now that you've seen what I can and cannot finish, I'd like to ask you a questjen or two:

Which beauty products can you finish? 

Which can't you finish?

I wonder if there's anything similar or different~

FOLLOW ME ON BLOGLOVIN'

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @THEQUESTJEN

Disclaimer: Most products were purchased with my own money, some were provided or gifted. This is not a sponsored post, nor am I affiliated with any of the companies in this post.

My August Empties

Ah, the first week of September has gone by and over here we've said good bye to winter and hello to spring! I felt that August flew by pretty quickly (as most months do for some reason) and after finishing one product in this month, I was motivated to finish some beauty/skincare products in August that were around three-quarters empty without 'wasting' them or using them excessively. Basically, it was a month where I realised how much stuff I had that were almost empty and sitting in my storage where I could have easily finished them and freed up space. Or samples that I could have used instead of leaving them unused/to expire. August was my month of finishing as many products as I could to allow me to write up an August empties blog post. And now I'm here doing just that!

This is my first time writing an 'empties' blog post which is pretty exciting... and I am proud to say that I was able to finish.... 10 products this month! It's not heaps but it's definitely the most I've ever finished in a year let alone a single month haha. That's because I'm usually going onto a new product after one is just about to run out but never really finishing it. I don't know why I do that... maybe it's got something to do with hoarding?

Yay, all empty

Let's start with the first product I finished in August - a bottle of perfume:

Covet by Sarah Jessica Parker

I think it's rare for anyone to finish a bottle of perfume, especially if the size is 50mL or more. My mum has a pretty big perfume collection (she loves getting new perfume) yet she has never finished a bottle and has only disposed old perfume. I have around 6 full-sized perfume bottles and this was the first one I've finished... and I plan to finish my others before I go and buy more perfume, because I don't really see the need to have so many (though I'll gladly accept them as gifts hehe).

I've had this perfume since 2010 and I used it for school and uni as it has such a light, refreshing and floral scent that's perfect for daily use. I purchased it because it was on sale for about $20 and although I wouldn't say that it's amazing, it was still a joy to use. I'm happy to have finally finished it after 3 years, it's time to say good bye!

Repurchase? Nope, because I like to try new perfumes instead of using the same one. Or unless it's the absolute best, which it isn't.

Keep the packaging? Yeah, why not :) It's a pretty purple bottle with the crystal-like flower lid! Plus it won't take up too much space in my cupboard, no problems.

MeMeMe Flawless Cream Foundation in 03 Honey Lush 30mL

It's supposed to have a lid but it had a crack in it so I chucked it out. I've had this since April last year so it took me about a year and a half to finish this foundation. I didn't use it daily (I don't wear foundation all the time) but this was the foundation that I reached for the most. I received this in a small goodie bag at an ABBM event and I'm glad that I got the chance to try this foundation - it was a good colour match for me and really did give me that 'flawless' look! However by the end of the day my face wasn't left feeling as moisturised as it was at the beginning due to my dry areas being seen again. I guess that's what a cream foundation is - between a liquid and a matte foundation, thus not giving me enough moisture that I need for my dry skin.

It may not look empty in the picture but trust me, it is completely empty:

 I ended up sticking a brush into it and scraped off the foundation on the sides!

What I liked about this bottle is that I could unscrew the lid to get every last drop of this foundation without any of it going to waste. I hate bad packaging that leads to wasted product because it makes me feel cheated that I can't easily open it up and use what's remaining! That's how I feel about my Urban Decay Primer Potion... I know there's heaps of product left in it. I'd have to saw-open the tube if I wanted to get more out :(

Repurchase? I don't think I will because I like to try new foundations and I'm still searching for the perfect foundation for me. This isn't perfect but it was good and I was happy that I managed to finish it :)

Keep the packaging? Haha, yep. I've decided to fill it with my other foundation which is in a glass bottle as is poured out (the Revlon Colorstay one). I like the pump mechanism!

The bottled items

These all had roughly a quarter of product left and I was eager to finish one which I've had for 2-3 years and one that had already expired! I know I could've chucked out the one that was expired but it seemed fine to me so I didn't bother.

Maybelline Total Clean Express Eye & Lip Makeup Remover 70mL

If you read my Maybelline NY Haul Post, you would have noticed that I bought a new bottle of this. It's one of my favourite makeup removers and it's so cheap when it goes on sale for half price! I happened to finish this one in August and about a week later there was a 50% off sale so of course I grabbed one - such perfect timing. I think I've had this makeup remover for 6 months or maybe a little more than that, I don't quite remember when I purchased this xD I got through makeup removers pretty quickly I reckon!

Repurchase? Yes! And I already did hehe. I like it a lot.

Keep the packaging? No need :) *chucks it into the bin*

Simple Kind to Eyes Eye Make-up Remover 50mL

This is the makeup remover that I've had for 2-3 years and I think it's the travel size version... I'm not quite sure. The reason for having this product for so long is because it's just not my favourite eye makeup remover or one that I'd use often or at all. It's not like the Maybelline one where it has a dual-phase (two layers) formula and so this very gently removes eye makeup. It's perfect for people with extremely sensitive skin (not me) because it doesn't irritate at all... in fact, it feels just like water.

It removes eyeshadow and it claims to remove 'even waterproof makeup' but I don't think that's true at all... it couldn't remove my eyeliner or mascara. It required a lot of rubbing and in my opinion, I don't think that's suitable for someone with sensitive skin... all that pulling and tugging can't be good for delicate skin, right?

Repurchase? No, but I would recommend it to people with extremely sensitive skin and need something as gentle as water to remove their eye makeup.

Keep the packaging? No thanks, good bye *chucks it in the bin*

Avene Gentle Milk Cleanser 50mL

This was a product I received in one of those monthly beauty boxes and I was happy about it because I had heard such lovely things about Avene but never had the chance to try their products. Their products are perfect for people with sensitive skin like me!

I started using it early last year and unfortunately I was unable to finish it before it expired in November 2012, however I decided to continue using it as there didn't seem to be anything wrong or different with it. It took me a year and a half to finish it and the bottle doesn't actually look see-through when it's all finished - I ended up filling it with water and using it as a diluted cleanser which actually looked like milk :)

It has a thin, creamy consistency and there are no exfoliating beads or anything potentially too rough for delicate skin. I reckon it could even be used on babies - that shows how gentle it is. It left my skin feeling nice and smooth but seeing as my skin's sensitivity is not all that high up, I am better suited to something that gently exfoliates to remove all impurities like dirt, oils, flaky skin and makeup.

Repurchase? I'd consider it in the future but for now I'd like to try other brands and face cleansers that are suitable for sensitive skin.

Keep the packaging? Nope, say hello to the bin!

The squeeze-tube items

Lucas' Papaw Ointment 25g

This is my second tube and it's taken me over a year (maybe two years) to finish this! I only use a tiny bit on my lips daily and I also use my Maybelline Baby Lips which means that I wasn't constantly and consistently using Lucas' Papaw Ointment. I always take this with me when I go travelling because it's multi-purpose as it's used for boils, burns, chafing, cuts, cracked skin, insect bites and more. It's an Australian product and I'm not sure if most people are familiar with it... anyway, it's fermented carica papaya, a fruit.

Repurchase? Yeah, I have no reason to not repurchase it ^^

Keep the packaging? What for? :P Seeya later!

Guinot Nutrizone Lift Nourishing Body Cream with Firming Effect 10mL

This was a sample that I received in the ABC (beauty conference) back in 2011 so I've had this for two years but only used it and finished it in August 2013! It's particularly used for dry areas such as the elbows, heels and the knees. Though I didn't really notice a 'firming effect', it was pleasant to use. I can't describe the scent except by saying that it's fruity but I don't know what type of fruit!

Repurchase? I have a feeling that Guinot products are pretty high-end for skincare products so I may pass for now.

Keep the packaging? Unnecessary, bye!

The one-time-use packet item

La Glace France Q10 acneique Therapy Mask 40mL

This was easily to finish hehe, I purchased a face cream from Sasa and as a freebie they gave me a pack of three of these Q10 acneique therapy masks. I don't have acne-prone skin but I decided to try this out anyway. After the 20 minutes of use that it suggested, I could feel my skin starting to become a little irritated so I washed my face right afterwards. In the end, this mask did nothing good for me... what a shame!

Repurchase? Good thing that I didn't purchase it in the first place... no good for my sensitive non-acne-prone skin! But for those do have acne-prone skin, maybe give this a try? I have the La Glace toner and face cream and they're pretty good :)

I've got two left... if anyone wants one or both, let me know 'cause I have no use for them!

Keep the packaging? Uh no!

Skinvitals Eye Brighten Anti-Dark Circles Brightening Invigorating Cloth Eye Treatment Mask

The lovely Mandy sent this to me along with a whole stack of other goodies as a care package and I decided to give this anti-dark circles eye treatment mask a try. I never expect much from eye creams/masks claiming to be anti-dark circles/under eye bags because I don't think it's that easy to make them disappear for good. For me it depends on the amount of sleep I get, my diet and how well I remove my eye makeup hehe (panda eyes anyone?) It left a very cool, soothing sensation and I enjoyed using it :)

Repurchase? Likely to purchase this if I see it in the shops. It may not do a lot but I like how it feels on my under eye area.

Keep the packaging? Maybe just so that I remember the name of this mask... so yes I probably will!

 Coles Make-up Removal Pads 80 Pack

I think this is a product that I use more than makeup remover or any other product that I own xD I always stock up on these when they're on sale and although Coles is already a 'cheaper than competitors' brands' brand, some of their stuff is better than their competitor brands! If you didn't know, Coles is an Australian supermarket and they have their own brand where their items are noticeably cheaper than other brands and have a 100% satisfied 100% money back guarantee.

These makeup removal pads were good and I can't remember the price but they're definitely cheaper than the more well-known brands that produce these. I found these better than the Swisspers ones because those ones had cotton wedged between the pad and when I removed my makeup with them, the cotton would come through and stick to my lashes! It was really annoying and the cotton would irritate my eyes. However these Coles ones didn't do that and were perfectly fine for removing makeup.

Repurchase? Yep!

Keep the packaging? Haha no, I'm not that much of a hoarder :P

That's all of my August empties and my thoughts on each product. I really enjoyed writing this post and I hope it was enjoyable to read. Perhaps it's inspired you to finish off some products that you've had for years and/or are close to empty, or to start using products that you've had hidden in your drawers!

Questjen of the week:

What was the last product that you finished?

And no, I'm not talking about food or drink! Must be beauty/skincare-related!

❤ Jen

 

Maybelline NY Haul

Hey guys! I'm pretty excited about writing this blog post because it's about my recent Maybelline haul and I haven't written a makeup haul post in SUCH a long time!! I normally only purchase a couple of makeup products in a shopping trip which I don't deem worthy to be part of a "haul"... though I guess for a collective haul it'd be ok (I don't really like doing those but yeah).

All you beauty lovers around Aus, I'm sure by now you're well aware of the 50% off Maybelline's entire range at Priceline :D If not then get over there nowwwww, this sale is too good to miss!

The sale started on Thursday and will be on right until Monday the 26th of August so you've got about a week to shop it up. I went to Priceline on the first day of the sale at around 11 am (shops open at 9 am) and there was already a noticeable amount of lippies gone (I tweeted a pic) at the store I went to but that was ok because I still ended up picking everything I wanted :)

The shopping bag with the promo flyer and the 5 items I picked out

Firstly I was only going to buy two products and not bother getting anything else. At 11 am I went on my own and bought makeup remover and lip balm ($5.45 total) however I met up with a friend later on and told her about the Maybelline sale. She wasn't aware of it and was quite eager to make a trip to Maybelline (who wouldn't be hehe) so that was where we went and I ended up buying two more products! After that I decided to visit the Priceline Pharmacy near my bus stop (how convenient lol) and picked up another product xD Which totals to 3 separate trips to Priceline in one day!! I've never done that before, and I regret nothing.

Total spent = $30.35

It's not the biggest haul but I'm happy that I didn't over-splurge. I have my reasons for purchasing each product and I'll list them below each product:

Maybelline Baby Lips Loves Color (SPF 16) - Pink Lolita

RRP $3.95 AUD, now $1.97

I couldn't give this one a miss. When I found out about the sale, this was the first item I had in mind and not surprisingly, the first product I picked up at Priceline on Thursday. I have a few of the Baby Lips balms already and I absolutely love them. I prefer the ones that leave a tint because that way I don't need to apply a lip colour on top, which is why I've picked up this Baby Lips in Pink Lolita. I haven't used this shade before, however I know from reading reviews that it leaves a lovely pink tint to the lips. I'll definitely continue stocking up on Baby Lips ^^ For just under $2, it's a bargain!

Maybelline City Rescue Total Clean Express Makeup Remover, Eye & Lip

RRP $6.95 AUD, now $3.47

The second product that I picked up without hesitation. It's really cheap for a product that I'd use pretty much everyday. This is actually my second bottle and only a few days ago I finished my first bottle of this makeup remover (psst, I'll be including it in my August empties blog post coming soon!) thus this sale came at a very good time for me, hehe. Don't you just love it when you catch a sale at the right time? Better than purchasing something full price and then seeing that it's on sale the next day/week! When I finished my previous bottle, I was wishing that I had stocked up so from now on I reckon I will stock up on this makeup remover. You might be wondering, 'what's so good about it?'

... It has a bi-phase formula! Can you see the two layers with the line in the middle?

A bi-phase or a dual-phase makeup remover works more powerfully than a regular makeup remover as it can melt away stubborn, long-lasting and waterproof eye and lip makeup. The bottle must be shaken to mix the oil and water, and the combination of both makes makeup removing a breeze more than a chore by requiring less scrubbing than usual. I swear by bi-phase makeup removers and would never go back to ones with single-phase formulas. Effective and gentle without leaving any oily, greasy residue. Worth trying if you haven't already!

Maybelline Volum' Express The Mega Plush Waterproof Mascara in Very Black

RRP $19.95 AUD, now $9.97

The priciest purchase out of all 5 products and the one that I thought hardest about getting or not getting. It was difficult to make up my mind but my friend pressured advised me to give it a go to see whether I'd like it or not. And why not when it's 50% off. I've always been a fan of Maybelline's mascaras and I find that their new releases have been consistently praised or raved. I have the The Falsies mascara which is one of my favourites and I look forward to seeing how this compares to that. Basically my reason for picking this up was because I was curious. A want more than a need!

The aspects of this mascara that I find the most intriguing are the big fluffy-looking flexor-brush wand and the 'revolutionary gel-mousse formula' that gives 'no brittle feel'. I haven't read any reviews of this mascara yet which I suppose is a good thing as I currently have no expectations or any thoughts prior to trialing. It's best to be as unbiased and as clueless, so to speak, as possible.

Should I review this mascara or are there already plenty of reviews out there? Or have many of you tried this already? Let me know if you'd like to see a review for this.

Maybelline Color Sensational Color Whisper - 45 and 95

RRP $14.95 AUD, now $7.47

I finally got hold of some lippies from Maybelline's new line - the Color Whispers! I adore the slim packaging in comparison to their Color Sensational lippies (which are also really lovely but I find these to be a tad prettier). I originally picked up one and ended up getting another just for the sake of it. And it's pretty much the same thing as a buy one get one free sale anyway!

45 Who Wore It Red-er

Wow! When I swatched it in store I was extremely impressed. This shade is super pigmented and creamy. I'd say that this one is the most vibrant and dark out of all the shades available in Australia. It's not usually a shade that I would pick (I'm more of a neutrals/pink girl) but it was too gorgeous to resist! It's about time that I started experimenting with lipstick shades out of my usual, comfort zone. 

It's not an exact match of its packaging colour but it's close enough

It's a deep pink and has great staying power. Even after I wiped it off with a tissue, it left a faint stain of pink. Oh and I love how it's a creamy, glossy formula with no shimmer. I have a tonne of shimmery lipsticks and to now have a new, very pigmented, creamy, non-shimmery lipstick is a very refreshing addition to my collection.

95 Mad For Magenta

This one on the other hand is shimmery and much more translucent and sheer. Don't get me wrong, I love both pigmented and shimmery lipsticks but I tend to gravitate more towards the shimmery ones simply because I'm attracted to all things sparkly and glittery. I tend to pick lipsticks only based on their shade, texture and scent. I'll love a shimmery and a pigmented lipstick the same unless one is shimmery or pigmented to the extreme (moderation is key).

As for this lipstick, I'm glad that it is shimmery and sheer because as a magenta-shaded lipstick, it has a tinge of purple in it and I don't want the purple to come through too strongly... do you know what I mean? Sheer lipsticks allow for buildable colour and I want to be able to 'build' this shade to my liking. 1-2 swipes on my lips is enough for me :) It gives quite a natural finish.

Not the clearest picture, sorry! I blame the overcast weather for the low-quality pictures

I also want to add in that I really like the smell of these! It smells like vanilla - one of my favourite, non-overpowering scents. I am SO glad that I decided to pick up these lipsticks from the Color Whisper range because I can definitely see/feel the quality in them and now I can understand why they're highly raved about online. I have my friend to thank for my second and third Priceline trips where I was able to get a hold of these! Money well spent in my opinion - I love them a lot.

That's all to my Maybelline NY haul from Priceline - I know it's not a lot but I'm happy to have spent just over $30 and to have chosen these specific products. I can't officially say that I'm pleased with everything as I am yet to try the Mega Plush mascara! Hopefully I won't be having any regrets.

I would love to hear which Maybelline goodies you haul from Priceline! Please do let me know what you get and if there's anything you'd recommend (who knows, I may end up in Priceline again next week xD).

Questjen of the week (an easy one):

Are you a fan of Maybelline cosmetics?

I surely am and if you are too, high five!!

❤ Jen xx

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. All products mentioned were purchased with my own money. I am not affiliated with Maybelline. No monetary compensation is provided for this post. All opinions stated are my own and are 100% honest.  

 

Blog Meet at Media Makeup - Make Up For Ever

Hi all, today I'll be blogging about the February bloggers meet at Media Makeup where all of their makeup products are from the brand 'Make Up For Ever' aka 'MUFE'. It is a brand that is known worldwide and is actually the second highest-selling cosmetic brand in America. I hadn't had a chance to test out their products until this bloggers meet which was really exciting! I'll guide you through my day with the blogger girls of SA~

(If I could have a display like this in my home... that would be fantastic)

Media Makeup is in fact a makeup school where students can obtain Certificates through the range of courses that they offer.

I made sure that I arrived extra early as I didn't want a case of deja vu happening. If you remember my Beauty Conference post last year, the event was held at this exact place and I happened to arrive late!

This was my outfit by the way - a green polka dot dress:

(SNSD poster on my wall is always great inspiration for looking good)

We sat around a large table (same setting as a meeting) and Bec, the director of Media Makeup, introduced the MUFE brand by giving us some background information on how it all started and how it has become the brand it is today.

 What I love about blogger meets: 

it's appropriate and normal to have your phones out while someone is talking.

 We watched a promo clip of MUFE's Rouge Artist Intense Lipsticks

As well as introducing MUFE, Bec also spoke about the skincare line, Embryolisse and the brand for tools, Seki Edge:

We also got to have a look at some gorgeous false eyelashes by the brand 'Blync'

Next we got to see a makeup demo by Bec where she used one of the Media Makeup students as the model. A very gorgeous model too I must say :)

Firstly Bec removed the makeup that the model was already wearing

 And begun sharing techniques and tips for each step with applying makeup

While this was happening, MUFE products were passed around for us to swatch. Here are my swatches:

One of their most popular products - MUFE HD Foundation. Smoothes on so nicely on the back of my hand

Here is the finished look on the model. Strikingly bold eyes and ready for a night out!

Afterwards we had the chance to purchase any MUFE products with a 20% off one-day only discount for us bloggers but being the good girl that I am, I resisted and didn't make any purchases :)

We were lucky enough to receive a small goodie bag each though! It was very generous of Media Makeup.

 Consisted of two full-sized products and one small-sized one

 MUFE HD Cream Blush - a little goes a long way as it's super pigmented!!

MUFE Uplight Face Luminizer Gel. The samples were way lighter than the one I got. Mine is quite dark! Can you see how shimmery it is?

The cutest lippie ever! I prefer the shade in the tube more than the swatch :( That pale pink by itself won't look that great on my lips. I reckon it'll clash with my skin tone, so I'll make sure to use it with another lipstick.

I had an awesome time and I want to thank Media Makeup and Bec for having us once again for a blog meet. It's the perfect location too because it's central which makes it quite easy for us to find and make our way there. And of course, big thanks to the ABBM organisers for putting together this event.

Hope that there weren't too many pictures. I only selected the best and grouped them into collages where possible. Thank you for reading and I should be back with a new post next week if I'm not too busy with uni work. Fingers crossed :)

Questjen of the week:

'Try before you buy' - a must or are you okay with buying without trying?

Sometimes us beauty bloggers like to purchase products without testing beforehand so that we can do a full trial and write up a review in great detail.

My answer: It is not always a must.

Most of the time I purchase products purely because I am curious and want to try things out right after opening. Testers are great however you don't always get the most out of them i.e. they run out, someone's used them before, they may have been tampered with etc. Some products don't even have testers, such as mascaras. With foundation/concealers, it is definitely a must and I find that it is important to swatch!

♥ Jen xx