A Collective Beauty Haul

It's been a good while since I treated myself to a good old fashioned haul, and with my birthday just gone, I had the perfect excuse. I picked up a few items that I'd been meaning to repurchase as well as some others that I've had my eye on for quite a while.

Sephora Australia

I'd actually never purchased from Sephora online before but even if I hadn't been given a Sephora e-gift card for my birthday (thanks, Jesse), I still had a trusty $10 birthday voucher, plus the chance to accumulate 2x Beauty Pass Points on my next order courtesy of Sephora. It was the perfect excuse.

Huda Beauty Liquid Matte Lipsticks in "Trendsetter" and "Cheerleader"
I'm such a fan of these lipsticks! The formula is lovely if not a little too liquid-y for my liking; they still dry down fairly quickly to a matte finish, however, and only one coat is needed for fully opaque coverage. The shades I picked up are gorgeous! Cheerleader is a pretty muted red and Trendsetter is a lovely brown nude (it looks MUCH more brown in my (terrible) swatch photo below).
On a somewhat related note, is the Huda's Desert Dusk Palette worth getting?

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick "Lolita II"

This lipstick, you guys! It has barely left my lips since I've gotten it. Lolita II is an amazing terra cotta nude as opposed to the original Lolita which is a much more rosy pink nude. We all know that I'm all about terra cotta shades. The formula dries fast and doesn't budge throughout the day - it took me 2 showers and the removal of my entire forearm's worth of skin to completely get rid of the swatch. I've found that it does make the lips feel pretty dry, but nothing a good lip balm can't remedy.

Benefit It's Potent! Eye Cream
This is my favourite eye cream. I've tried many-a-product and I just keep coming back to this. I've found nothing that matches this in terms of moisturizing my dry lids, which get flaky if they are not moisturised liberally enough (gross), which is my main concern at the ripe old age of 23. I have noticed that with daily use, the few small fine lines that I do have underneath my eyes are visibly reduced, which is not something that I've noticed with any other eye creams I've tried.

BECCA x Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter in "Champagne Pop"
I'm a terrible beauty blogger in that I'd not yet tried Champagne Pop until now. Gold highlighters don't usually look amazing on me, but this one somehow manages to give me the most beautiful warm, sun-kissed glow. The formula is lovely - it's so finely milled and "creamy" and a little bit really does go a long way.

MECCA
I didn't have any vouchers or gift cards for MECCA but it just so happened that MECCA's beauty loop box (I was level 1 at the time) came out right before my birthday.. and then there's the free birthday gift, so of course, I had to have a sneaky MECCA shop.

Too Faced Born This Way Loose Setting Powder

I'm already obsessed with this powder! I've always been a pressed powder kind of girl (on the rare occasion that my dry skinned self even uses a powder) but this really is amazing. It's a silky translucent powder that works wonders to set my face. It leaves my skin feeling so very smooth and looking flawless.

Too Faced Papa Don't Peach Blush

I'm such a fan of the Sweet Peach Palette so I had to pick up the same-smelling blush from the collection. The colour is amazing but be warned that it is a shimmery (not chunky and glittery - shimmery) formula if that's not what you're in to. It gives off a beautiful, luminous, peachy, glow that leaves me looking lightly flushed and healthy looking.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in "Dim Infusion"

I have "Diffused Heat" (a more pink hue) in my collection already but I was after something a little more subtle and "Dim Infusion" is exactly that - it's a lovely muted coral colour that compliments my blue eyes beautifully. The quality of these blushes are amazing; The powder is very finely milled; I love how smooth and silky it feels, while still remaining incredibly pigmented and it also has a luminescent finish, giving off a beautifully soft, gentle glow without being sparkly.

NARS Sun Wash Diffusing Bronzer in "Laguna"
This one was actually a repurchase for me (I mentioned it back in June's beauty favourites). It is the most natural looking bronzer that I've used with a purposely sheer (but definitely buildable if desired) formula. It's perfect for those who, like me, prefer a more minimalistic approach to bronzer. The colour is almost identical to the original (much loved) Laguna, minus the shimmer.

Mecca Cosmetica Enlightened Illuminating Balm (Free birthday gift)
I haven't had the chance to play around with this a whole lot yet, but I did wear it to a daytime Melbourne Cup event. It is a warm pinkish beige colour that is quite subtle. It did feel a little sticky on my face as many cream products do but even so, it did not budge throughout the whole day. I think it would be lovely as an inner corner highlight.

MECCA Cosmetica Lip De-Luscious in "Peach Shimmer" (Free beauty loop gift)

"Peach Shimmer" was a limited edition shade for MECCA's 20th birthday, but you can still purchase from the original Lip De-Luscious line. This is such a nourishing lip balm! It works to condition my lips leaving them soft and hydrated while giving off a beautiful shiny peach tint. This balm is also rated SPF25 - which I can always appreciate.

Priceline

My Priceline haul consisted of all  tried and true, re-purchased products. Plus I had a $5 birthday voucher to spend. Every penny counts, my friend.

Swisse Deep Sea Hydrating Mist Toner

This mist is my new favourite thing now that the weather is warming up. It sprays such a fine, evenly dispersed mist that is so refreshing on a hot day. It also contains an impressive list of natural ingredients that nourish and tone the skin, leaving me with a healthy-looking radiance.

Reef Dark Tanning Oil
Now that we're actually getting some sunshine, I've been using this almost every day on my lunch break. The formulation helps to promote a natural tan whilst also hydrating and leaving your skin smelling all coconut-y and delicious. I chose to purchase the "dark" offering, which contains no SPF (because YOLO), but they have oils of all different SPF ratings.

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 x2 (no longer available online)

These things sell out fast, so I picked up two. I use it before my usual moisturiser, basically how you would use a serum, and let me tell you: the hype is real! It has quite a thick consistency but the product quickly absorbs in to the skin without leaving any sticky or unpleasant residue behind. It just leaves my face feeling soft, moisturised and plump. This has honestly been a life saver for my dry, flaky skin. I ran out and couldn't repurchase for about 2 weeks (again, ALWAYS sold out) and my skin really did notice it's absence.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel
I love, love, LOVE this moisturizer - I will forever repurchase. It's got such a clever gel formula that continuously releases moisture throughout the day without going too far and leaving the skin looking oily. It has such a refreshingly light and non-sticky texture that my skin slurps right up. My dry patches have been getting the nourishment they need and my skin looks supple.

Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+
I absolutely love rosehip oil. It's the ultimate skincare ingredient if you ask me! I apply 3-4 drops after my shower, before moisturiser every night and mix 2-3 drops in to Neutrogena's Hydro Boost every morning. The improvement to my skin since using rosehip oil is insane! It works to moisturise dry skin without leaving any oily trance of its existence and it leaves my skin feeling so soft and healthy. If I skip the rosehip oil for any reason, I can always notice it's absence. I always pay extra for the Antioxidant+ version of Trilogy's rosehip oil - it's more than worth it, trust me.


Left to right
Mecca Cosmetica Enlightened Illuminating Balm, Too Faced Papa Don't Peach, BECCA Champagne Pop,
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Diffused Heat, NARS Laguna, Kat Von D Lollita II, MECCA Cosmetica Lip De Luscious,
Huda Beauty Trendsetter, Huda Beauty Cheerleader