3 products Series #3 PLUS…. a bit of Christmas Gift Inspo

Posted 13 December 2019

As the year draws to a close I sit at my kitchen bench with a cheeky Rose’ in hand and think about how on earth it will be Christmas in 15 days time! If you are anything like me the gift shopping is somewhat behind and that familiar panic of “what the AF am I going to get everyone” is beginning to set in. Have I got some inspiration for you! 

I’m not sure if I’ve made it clear to you in previous posts just how good I think Mecca is, not sponsored, I just think it’s bloody good! And this year ye old faithful has delivered in spades when it comes to gift giving. Popular brand Nars, has brought out a Studio 54 inspired range for yule tide celebrations. With mini lipstick and blush sets from as low as $33 there is bound to be something for your disco loving friends or family. If skincare is more your loved ones jam, then you should definitely check out the gift and travel packs from Sunday Riley and Drunk Elephant with minis of their cult favourites for you to try and of course fall in love with. If you are looking for well priced pressies for the office Kris Kringle, Mecca Cosmetica has got your back. There’s the nourishing hand cream cracker (I know right!) which is $22. The Daily Defenders pack which includes my friend, To Save Face SPF, and a glorious Lip De luscious for only $30. And then from Mecca Max there’s the Be Kind Highlighting Palette which has 6 luxuriously creamy highlighters to flatter any skin tone for just $30. Yes friends, Mecca is grand but I digress. On to the 3 products that are making their way into my regular use shelf this month. If you’ve come this far, good on you…. Read on for the goods.

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer

If you’ve seen my stories on FB or Insta you’ll know all too well that I do not wear a full face of makeup every day! However, well-hydrated skin paired with a reliable bronzer, such as the Chocolate Soleil, gives the appearance of someone who has actually given some sort of care factor before they leave the house. I am in favour of a matte bronzer when I’m using it to add warmth and nothing more. Too Faced however have thought of every human when producing these bronzers with a Gold (shimmer), Dark (for darker complexions) and Milk (obviously the opposite of dark) option to be able to suit every appetite. I use this bronzer nearly every day. You would be surprised the difference a good dusting over your cheeks, temples, nose and the jawline can make to your overall appearance it you are trying to look semi put together. In the last week I have suffered from some sort of gammy eye affliction. It unfortunately meant that I couldn’t apply any eye makeup. Not only did I not want to exacerbate the eye issue but you don’t want to infect your products with whatever may have been going on there. I had a huge weekend of special event makeups and weddings so couldn’t go makeup free but I found that a decent foundation, brows, my trusty bronzer and a bright lippie was all that I needed to look as though I knew what I was doing makeup wise. And did I mention it smells like Chocolate…. Tick!

Urban Decay Stay Naked Weightless Foundation

I’m the sort of person that if I get a sample of something I’ll try it. Doesn’t matter what it is I will gladly give it a go. I am also the sort of person that is cynical about whether I’m going to like it or not. Enter the latest foundation from Urban Decay. Now don’t get me wrong, I love a good UD eyeliner or lip liner, I even really like their liquid concealer (but that’s for another blog) and their setting sprays, for me anyway, are the best on the market! Personally though, I’m not a fan of a medium to full coverage foundation. It’s probably because I’m on the other side of 40 but I will always choose something light and dewy over something opaque and matte. But I had a sample of these new foundations and concealers and given I had a weekend full of work I thought I’d run the gauntlet. Wow! Yes you can build the coverage to be quite thick and to be honest it’s not going to be anything less than medium if you don’t thin it out considerably BUT the feel of this foundation was something else. It’s lightweight and powdery, it definitely didn’t feel thick and heavy. I used a beauty blender to apply it and it went on evenly and seamlessly which at 4.45am was kind of necessary. I didn’t have my correct shade so on different occasions I tried thinning it out with MAC strobe cream and the MAC Face and Body foundation. Either way, I ended up with a shade which was more than adequate, looked even and streak free and lasted all day long. It’s lightweight, waterproof and reduces the look of pores. And it did not oxidise in the slightest, which is more than I can say for the latest Hourglass foundation that I recently tried… can anyone say Oomper Loomper! I’m actually considering adding this latest edition from the UD family to my kit and that is some major kudos right there!

Mario Badescu Facial Spray Travel Set

Ok, ok. So I have to put one of the Christmas gift sets into this blog, but only because I actually think it’s great. Mario Badescu make good quality affordable skincare. Some of their products have a particular focus on acne prone skin which I really like and admire. The Facial Spray gift set comprises of 4 scents; Aloe, herbs and rosewater, Aloe, cucumber and Green Tea, Aloe, chamomile and lavender and Aloe, Sage and Orange Blossom. Each mist targets a different skin concern and smells delectable. These mists are great used prior to skincare and makeup and the travel size is great for throwing in your handbag for a quick skin wake up call during a busy, hot day. And at half the size of the individual bottles, the set is great value. I gifted this to myself this year because lets face it, you can never have enough facial mists in your life. Especially when you are facing the second heat wave in a month and we aren’t even half way through summer!

I had hoped to be able to debrief an additional product for you this edition but unfortunately due to the aforementioned gammy eye, I haven’t been able to try it effectively. I will keep you updated on my Mecca Max Over the Moon palette however and will try to get some videos done over the Christmas break. Thanks so much for reading in 2019 and I hope to see you back in the New Year.

I know this was a long one, but I really wanted to share the Christmas gift tidbits with you! As always if you have any questions or comments please feel free to get in touch here.

Have a very Merry and Holy Christmas and a deliriously Happy New Year.