A few of my favourite things: November

November has come and gone so fast! This month was a stressful one indeed, with the completion of my final exams and finally getting started on my blog. Nonetheless, I did have a few favourites this month that have really been of great use to avoid the zombie look during exams!

1. Freeman Apricot Facial Creamy Scrub

I have been loving this scrub ever since I first tried it! It smells amazing, just like apricots and I find that most scrubs that contain apricot kernel oils work best at exfoliating the skin and giving you a radiant complexion. I use this scrub 2-3 times a week and notice immediate brightness after use. The plus side? It works well with all skin types!

2. Dior Hydra Life BB Cream

I'm not really one for foundations. If you have good enough skin that doesn't need a lot of coverage then why use one? So when BB creams began to take over the beauty world I was the first to hop on to the bandwagon! I love everything that BB creams stand for - radiance, moisture, flawless complexion, light and easy to blend. Ever since the release of BB creams, I have been trying and testing many in hopes of finding the perfect one. So far I have been using the Dior Hydra Life BB cream which looks to be the most promising. Whilst it being on the higher end of beauty brands and sightly more expensive than others, it works wonders on me and delivers to its claims.

3. MAC Matte Lipstick in No Faux Pas (Limited Edition)

With Summer here, the bright lipsticks have come out to play! I recently got this lipstick from the Mac Heirloom Mix collection. What I love about this particular lipstick is that it is matte, so it provides a long lasting wear. No matter how much you drink, eat or talk, it stays put! It is not drying on the lips and gives your makeup look a pop of colour - perfect for summer!

4. The Body Shop Lip and Cheek Doll (Limited Edition)

To be honest, I got sucked in to buying this because of the packaging. How cute is it!?? Not only is this cute though, it is an amazing stain. Once applied to the lips or cheeks, it leaves an immediate red stain that wont budge unless you use makeup remover. If you are using this as a cheek stain, I would suggest that you work fast because of its staining power. Its very light weight and I personally like this more than the Benetint from Benefit. I got this for free during the 3-for-2 special that is currently running, so you might want to hurry up and get yours now as it is limited edition!

5. The Body Shop Lip Scuff

Due to my new found love for matte lipsticks, it has been taking a toll and drying out my lips. So I have tried numerous lip scrubs but none work as well as this one does. It smells quite minty and as soon as you apply it, it smoothes away the flakey dry bits off your lip and moisturises at the same time. What more could one as for in a lip scrub!

6. NYX Love in Paris Eyeshadow Palette - Let them eat cake

This eyeshadow palette reminds me a lot of the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette with a mix of neutral and rose gold shades. I love these colours for summer and can be paired with a bright or nude lip! The palette has a variety of matte, satin and shimmer shades, making it very versatile.

7. Real Techniques Contour Brush

My most recent make up obsession is all about contouring! If done correctly and not too heavily, it can really give a face some definition. I found the contouring video by Pink Peonies very helpful and learnt a lot. Click here to watch the video. 

I have been loving this contour brush from the Core Collection kit along with my Smashbox Halo blush in Bronze. I got my RT brushes from London a few months ago. However, do not despair my dears! I have found an amazing brand that is currently retailing the Real Techniques Core Collection kit in South Africa for R250! Golden Rose Cosmetics is a make up brand that has become increasingly popular with make up academies and artists in the country. Their website is currently under construction but if you would like to purchase the brushes from them, kindly contact: 0835427352. 

8. L.A. Girl Gel Eyeliner

I am useless at applying eyeliner! Always end up looking like a panda or raccoon.. I was quite skeptical about trying gel liner at first and decided to try out an inexpensive one in case it was not the easiest application. But boy was I wrong! I find gel eyeliner so much more easier to apply than liquid liner. It goes on smooth and doesn't run down my eyelashes like some of the liquid ones. Even more amazing is that this affordable eyeliner is one of the best quality gel liners that doesn't dry up so fast. Make sure to get your hands on one of these bad boys that retails for R59, 99 at your nearest Dischem.

Coffee Kisses,
N. 

Review: Revlon Colourburst Lip Balm Stains

For a long time, I have been in search for a lip product that would stay put all day long and require no touch ups. Numerous products have been released that claim to have so and so many hours of wear, but there's the rare few that actually do hold true to its claims. The Revlon Colorburst Lip Balm Stains are definitely one of those from the rare gems!

(L - R) Sultry, Unapologetic, Whimsical and Elusive

I have 3 matte balms (Elusive, Unapologetic and Sultry) and 1 lacquer balm (Whimsical). The matte balms are highly pigmented, super creamy and non-drying. This is one of the reasons why I love them so much as most of the matte lip products in the market can be very drying and flakey on the lips. On the other hand, the lacquer balm is more glossy and less opaque than the matte balms. I find that they don't particularly stain the lips as well as the matte balms do. I love the whole chubby crayon concept that these colorburst balm stains have. It makes application so much more easier! The outer packaging is somewhat true to colour, but when applied on lips, it may look different. These balms all have the minty smell when applied at first, but go away after a while. I personally like the scent, but it may bother some people.

Whimsical can be described as a berry tone, with a slight purple tint to it. What I don't really like about this one though is that it does have chunky glitter that shows up distinctly on the lips. The matte balms are AMAZING! Elusive is a cooler toned pink that may not suit darker skin tones. On lighter skin however, it would be the perfect pinky nude or a MLBB (my lips but better) shade. The reason I got Sultry in the first place is because I thought it would be the perfect "Kylie Jenner lip colour" that is currently going viral around the world. Sultry is a very 90's shade but slightly more on the pink side. I love this colour for days when I don't want a bright or bold lip! The last colour has got to be the perfect summer lip colour - Unapologetic is a bright coral pink that will suit almost all skin tones. I did find this balm to be more patchy than the other two and did tend to stick to dry areas on my lips. I blotted the patchy areas with my fingers and found this to work well with making it look much more smoother. If you do have dry or cracked lips and still want to wear this gorgeous colour, a good lip scrub would help!   

Lip Swatches:

Revlon ColorBurst Lacquer Balm in Whimsical

Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Elusive

Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Sultry

Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Unapologetic

Coffee Kiss Rating: 8 out of 10

These balms are currently on special at Clicks for Buy one get one free!! Get yours soon before the offer ends!

Kisses,
N.