Chi Chi Dynamic Duo - Swatches

Mattes and Bronzes!

Chi Chi have a huge range of eyeshadow palettes out and I've always seen them around, but I've never really purchased anything from Chi Chi. This isn't because I don't like the brand - how can I not like something without ever trying it. I usually do my makeup shopping at Priceline and they don't stock it (or the ones I shop at don't stock it - I'm not sure about others) and the makeup section at target is always filthy and destroyed. Normally the Chi Chi 'Glamorous' palettes retail for $22.95 AUD and I'm sorry, but I think that is just a bit on the pricey side. I've got palettes from other brands that include a double ended brush for $10.00 AUD.

I had seen the palettes before and knew that if I liked them enough, I'd budget and get one, but I knew being the 'completist' I am (once I get one thing in the set I need to get them all even if there is one I don't like - I'm like the Slughorn of beauty) I'd have to get them all and then I'd be poor forever so I'd always just overlooked them, that is until now...

I went shopping with my bestie and fav cosmetic companion in the city last week and came across this set. It is one of the 'Dynamic Duo' sets that contain two of the 'Glamorous' palettes. In total there are 16 palettes. Now if I was to pay $23.00 for each palette thats $368.00 AUD and I don't think I can do that. The dynamic duo sets which contain two of the palettes retail for $30.00 AUD thats cheaper than buying two single palettes and with this, I purchased my first Chi Chi palettes. I got the 'Mattes' and 'Bronzes' palettes. You can find the entire list of palettes right here! 

EYE SHADOW COLLECTION: Chi Chi's collection of velvety soft, highly pigmented eye shadows are easily blended to create individual looks. They may be worn sheer or dramatic, wet or dry to reflect your mood or desire. CAUTION: The increased attention to your eyes may get some getting used to!!!

(Sorry about the photo quality, I didn't realise it was blurry until I uploaded it.)

There are a few sets of the dynamic duo ones 8 in total, so you'd think there would be each palette in a set. WRONG - some of the palettes have one that is already in another set eg, the Mattes palette is in two dynamic duo sets, so be mindful of that. I still think I'd buy all that I could of the dynamic sets and then get the ones that aren't in a set separately because I'm still saving money, but that is future Caitlan's purchase problem. 

First Impressions:

Packaging

 The packaging on these palettes seems pretty sturdy. I like the clean lines and simplicity of the design on the palettes.

One of the things I don't like is the applicator situation. In each palette there are two small double ended foam applicators. These things annoy the crap out of me and I honestly don't know anyone who uses them. I'm not saying a brush needs to be included I'd prefer no brush than these. I wonder if it would be cheaper if they weren't included.

One of the other downfalls of the palette packaging is that the shadows aren't named. I'm not saying they have to be, but it is easier when giving a review to be able to name the better shades instead of saying the 8th one across etc. Also, it makes it easier to see if there are any double ups in other palettes. Sometimes you just cant tell by looking at it if you already have that shade in another palette.

Just little things that ticked me off when inspecting the palette up front. I don't have many bad things to say about the shadows themselves its just purely packaging that was a let down.

 Swatches:

Mattes

KEEP IN MIND THAT I AM VERY PALE AND SOMETIMES THE CAMERA WON'T SHOW UP SUPER LIGHT SHADES ON MY SKIN

I wish there were names of the shadows so it would be easier for me to talk about them, alas there is not.

For a palette full of matte shades, I had high expectations. I wanted to like at least six of the shades (half of the palette) for it to seem like a good purchase to me. I saw some shades that I was really interested in and I'm glad with the turn out. Keep in mind too, these are with no primer on. 

All together the shades are pretty pigmented, it might not seem that way because I'm so pale and some of the shades don't show up in the photo. Please watch the video if you're interested in seeing them clearer. 

Some shades need a little more work than others and there was fall out on some shades, but not as much as I was expecting. I think for a palette of mattes this is actually pretty good and I would recommend it. I've not had a chance to use it in any looks yet so they might apply differently to the eye and I'm keen to apply them with some primer too. 

Even if you cant do any full looks with this palette, there are great shades to blend into the crease as transition shades, and also the two pale shades look like great brow highlights. 

Favorite shades: 6 - Dark chocolate brown

10 - Khaki green

11 - Navy blue

Bronzes

The bottom photo does not do this justice at all, it doesn't pick up any of the shimmer and glitter that these shadows have. Please watch the review video to see them at better quality.

Of the two palettes this is the one that I was most excited for. Warm, earthy tones, shimmer and sparkle - this is totally up my alley. 

There are only a few matte shades in this palette which I don't mind considering I have the all matte palette anyway and to be honest I don't wear that many matte shades anyway (well why did you buy that matte palette? because I want to start wearing them more).

I think this palette is 100% usable for daily looks, I wear shades like this every day I think they're beautiful and I think I'll get a lot of use out of this palette. I'm most excited to wear all the copper and gold tones, as we're coming into Autumn/Fall here in Australia and I love wearing these tones on my eyes in this season. I don't think there is a shade in this palette that I don't like / wouldn't use.

The third colour across doesn't quite show up on my arm in the photo (because I'm so pale), but it is a beautiful shimmer shade. I'm keen to check it out as a face highlight to see how it performs. 

Favorite shades: 5: Orange gold

6: Copper

9: Shimmery brown with purple undertones

10: Magenta berry

I'm sure I'll be doing looks using these palettes and now that I've started I will probably be having more blog posts in the future about the other 'Glamorous' Palettes by Chi Chi. 

Let me know if you've used these palettes or others in the range and what you think about them. 

Thanks for reading. 

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March Favourites

Products that I've used and loved in the month of March

Now if you've been reading my posts you'll know that I did some travelling during March. Some of these products are what I took with me and used and loved and continued to use when I returned, and some are old favourites that I've fallen back in love with, whilst some are brand new purchases that I've had an instant obsession with. If you'd like to watch my review, easy does it, I'll link it here.

 Head on over to it and leave me a comment that says you got there via my blog. 

If you'd like to read about the products, then you're in the right place. 

Rimmel London Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation.  I took this foundation away with me purely because it had plastic packaging and no pump that could be broken or cause leaking. I'm glad I did. I really like this foundation. It has a light to medium coverage that is easily build-able. I have the colour - 081 Fair Ivory - and to be honest it is a little light for me (not something I encounter frequently) however it matches my neck and jawline really well, its just the centre of my face where it is naturally tanned that it looks a bit pale, however with a setting powder foundation in my skin tone it is easily fixed and gives off a flawless finish. This foundation can be a bit drying (I'm guessing because it is a matte finish) but for those of you with oily skin, you might like this one, my face is like the Simpson desert so I usually have a moisturiser on underneath it and with that I don't have a problem. There seemed to be an ok colour range. If you're in the market for a new matte foundation, you might want to give this a go. 

Maybelline New York: Eye Studio Eyeshadow Quad: 05 Give Me Gold. 

I have had this product (and a few like it) for a few years and this is one that I've repurchased many times because I love it so much and I'm always out to recommend it. 

If you watch the video of my favourites, you'll see how I did my makeup using just this quad and the brush. 

The shadows blend well, there is some fall out but if you're careful then there won't be any. The shades in this quad are all shimmer / glitter shades. The orange gold colour reminds me a lot of the colour 'Halfbaked' by Urban Decay.

Real Techniques: Domed Shadow Brush

I've used this brush like I would any other makeup brush, however when I went away this was the only eye brush I took with me and it did the job! It didn't matter if I was pressing shadows onto my eyelid or blending them into my crease, this brush did it all. The brush is soft, yet dense so it really packs the colour onto the lid. The shape of it makes it great for getting into the crease. 

Australis Velourlips: Doo-Bai

It is no secret that these lip products are one of my favourites ever. If you've read or seen my Priceline haul post/video you'll know that I have instant love for this - one of the new shades in the collection. Basically I've been wearing it since I purchased it. I think it is the perfect shade for Autumn. The formula glides onto the lip effortlessly and dries to a matte finish almost instantly. They're long wearing and have great colour payoff. There is an almost berry scent to all of these, but I don't find it unpleasant, I actually quite like it. If you wear this lip product you'll be at ease the whole day not needing to worry about reapplying. I recommend this entire range but especially this colour. 

Sally Hansen Diamond Strength: Save the Date

I think I've mentioned this product on my blog before - but I don't think its been in a favourite. This is another one of the products I've fallen back in love with because it is finally seasonally appropriate to wear it again! Please excuse the state of my nails, I've been wearing this for two weeks now and only now has it started to show signs of wear and tear. The formula is fantastic you could even get away with just one coat, the colour payoff is that good. 

The finish to this polish is beautiful. The metallic shimmer catches the light and I am often asked what polish I'm wearing. I love Sally Hansen polishes and I'm excited to keep wearing this in Autumn!

So that was it, short but sweet these are the products I was obsessing over in March and well into April. Let me know what products you've been loving, in hopes that I try them and fall in love with them too!

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Priceline 40% Off Cosmetics Sale

Its the most wonderful time, of the year….

Priceline had another one of their 40% off cosmetics and I picked up a few things! If reading isn't for you, watch it here (:

But if you'd like to stay and read some more in depth thoughts or look at some nice pictures, welcome to my blog. 

I'm including in this "haul" post two other items that I picked up outside of the sale - literally three days before. I didn't know there was going to be a sale, if I did, I would have waited to get these items. So I'll start off with those.

First product is this bad boy - this is L'Oreal True Match foundation in R3-C3 Rose Beige. 

I bought is as a repurchase, it is one of my favourite foundations. I find the formula to be really good and it has quite a healthy look on the skin. I recommend this foundation (in your colour obviously) to
anyone. I'm keen to try out the 'True Match Lumi' as its meant to be aimed at dry skin, which is what I have! But that doesn't mean you aren't able to use the regular one. (:

Next product is one of my favourite powders for foundation or just to set - its the Australis Fresh and Flawless Pressed Powder. This is a powder foundation not a translucent setting powder (the only reason I make the distinction is that Australis have a separate setting powder). This is in the shade 'Natural' and I will be honest, I have so much love for Australis
Cosmetics, I've been using this product for at least 5 years but their colour range is not that great (yet - I say yet because I hope they're expanding). It is very much aimed at someone with a slight tan and onwards. I have quite pale skin but my face tans easily and I can pull off the lightest shade. That aside, this product is so nice and doesn't flake against my dry skin it sets my foundation and because it is a powder foundation it gives off an extra bit of coverage. This is such a great product and I think everyone should look into Australis Cosmetics.



On to the new products! The first one is a powder that I bought solely for the purpose of a contour shade. It is a powder by Savvy, the 'Natural Finish Pressed Powder' in the shade 'Tan'. I've used a heap of Savvy products before and I love their blushes so I thought why not give this a go. I still of course love and use my Australis Contouring kit, but I wanted to mix it up a bit and try this. I might try this powder also for 'body contouring' aka collar bone definition etc. Maybe.. The few times I've used this powder I've been really happy with the result. (:



Now we start the list of lip products. All up I purchased seven. It seems a bit much, but they only came from three different brands. So I guess thats not so bad?

Lip swatch and product packaging. 

The first of these is one of the new Maybelline 'Colour Drama' Lip pencils. I originally had my heart set on getting three of these, but two of the other colours I wanted were already sold out. Before I had even tested it, I knew I wanted to go back and get (at least) the others that I had my eye on, but now after having used it and experienced it I want to get them all. The formula is so creamy but not slippery. It stays for a long time on the lips and the application is so effortless and precise - great for beginners. I got it in the colour 410 - Fab Orange. It is a rich orange colour almost a red in some lights but when looking up close you can clearly see it is an orange. I think it would suit most skin tones and eye colours and would look stunning on someone with blue eyes.

Lip swatch and product packaging. 

The next product is from one of my favourite lines of lipsticks. It is one of the new additions to the Rimmel Moisture Renew range. They've come out with two new colours and I'm now on the hunt for the second one. I snagged up this one as soon as I saw it. It is in the colour '380 - Dark Night Waterl-Oops!' Now, I don't quite understand the name, but I understand that I am in love with the colour. It is a dark purple with warm undertones. Basically my favourite colour in the world. The colour pay off has some slight browny/plum hints and is perfect for the cooler months. The swatch picture I have is not quite true to colour the lighting was bad when I took the photo, so I do apologise for that. But if you like these lipsticks and love purple tones, go down to your local Priceline and swatch it.

Now finally on to the next lot of products. It is no secret that I like products by Australis, it is also not a secret that I love the 'Velourlips' range. So when I found out that they were coming out with five new shades and three of those shades were dark colours, I couldn't wait. So I purchased the five new additions to the range and couldn't be happier. The shades are:

Lip swatch and product packaging. 

Roma.
Standard 'bubblegum pink'. This one was a bit difficult to apply kind of 'chalky' but once you've applied it and know how the product works I think the finished result is fine. It is quite wearable too. I'm not often fond of bright pinks like this, but I think it has the right amount of pigmentation to make it work. It did settle into the lines of my lips a bit though, to be honest I don't really care, because my lips aren't super dry but I can see how that would be an issue for some people. This is very similar to other shades in the range so if you're not looking to 'double up' on any, you should swatch the pinks against each other and choose your favourite.

Lip swatch and product packaging.

Bar-Tha-Lona
Also similar to a shade already in the range but different in its own right. I found this a bit difficult to apply also, not due to pigmentation, that was perfect, the product just seemed a bit thicker and dryer than the others, I'm not sure if I got a bad one or what… Also another thing is the smell of this one in particular is different. I really like the smell of the whole Velourlips range but this one had an extra scent that was a little un pleasant. It wasn't bad enough for me to hate on anything, it was just a bit noticeable when putting it on. Once it was on the lips, I couldn't notice. I adore this shade I think it is gorgeous.

Lip swatch and product packaging.

Shang-Hi
This applies perfectly, not thicker or dryer, no chalky colour pay off and the scent is just like the originals. I love this. Its a nice rosey berry colour. Wearable all year round I think. This was one of the colours I knew I'd love. Its one of the first I grabbed. I think it would suite a lot of different skin tones and just in general is a fun colour.
The colour in the tube is a little darker than what it comes out like, but only just, the tube it looks more magenta and when applied its more of a fuchsia.
It will be getting a lot of lip time I can assure you of that.

Lip swatch and product packaging.

Buda-Pash
Easily a lot of peoples favourite. This is a very brown toned red. Perfect for Autumn. It would suit a lot of skin tones, however I find it looks stunning against pale skin as it makes the lips really stand out. (Finally a win for us albinos!)

The colour in the tube looks a bit scary, but once applied you see its not such a 'chocolate brown' its one of those dark 'oxblood' red tones that are super on trend. This was one I didn't think I'd wear that much, but now I've seen it, I can see myself gravitating towards this, especially in Autumn.

Lip swatch and product packaging.

Doo-Bai
If 'Shang-Hi' and 'Buda-Pash' had a baby, this would be the result. It is dark enough for that 'oxblood' feel but also has warm undertones of the magenta. This is my favourite colour of the new releases. I think it looks great against my skin tone. It goes with the colour of my eyes and makes my natural flushed cheeks look lovely. I've gotten so many compliments every time I wear this colour. It makes the shape of my lips look more plump especially my top lip which is quite thin with quite a defined cupids bow. I find that with this colour it just rounds everything out nicely and looks great. If you're looking for a dark lip colour this Autumn, please get this one. <3


So here you go, this is what I got in the Priceline 40% Off Cosmetics Sale. It wasn't a huge amount but I am already loving what I got. Comment down below what you got in the sale or what I should get next time. Thanks for reading.


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