US Make Up Swap with DazzleLikeGlitter!

This time last year, Mandy from DazzleLikeGlitter and I did a swap - and we did it again! :) It's such an exciting thing for us because we specifically send each other things from brands that we can't get in our own country - so last year, she sent me loads of stuff from Cover Girl, Hard Candy and NYX that you can check out here :) She's such a nice girl, and she ALWAYS chooses things that I end up loving so I'm always up for a swap with her!

So this year we kind of put in a few "requests" so to speak, as well as left some to each other's intuitions ;) So here is what she got me - I was spoilt rotten!

Left to Right..

- Milani Baked Blush in Rose d'Oro

- EOS Lipbalm in Strawberry Sorbet

- Hard Candy Fox in a Box in Spicy & Sweet

- Milani Liquif'eye Metallic Eyeliner Pencil in Black

- Wet n' Wild Eyeshadow Trio in Silent Treatment

- Hard Candy Nail Polish in Beetle

I tried a few things out after I filmed the video, and I absolutely ADORED them! Rose d'Oro is a dupe for MAC's Stereo Rose MSF, and I applied it at night so I couldn't really see the colour yet but it looked pretty from what I could see ;) The Milani Liquif'eye is undoubtedly THE best pencil eyeliner in the world, it literally does not budge off your waterline, it's mad! I also layered the Hard Candy Beetle on top of my new OPI Honk If You Love OPI, and it literally looks exactly like it does in the bottle, as multi-dimensional, chrome-y and sparkly - SO cool!

So thank you SO much Mandy for doing this swap with me - you got me some AMAZING things that I am so happy to have in my collection :) I cannot wait to try the rest and tell you guys about it! If you ever do swaps with people in the States I'd definitely recommend any of the things Mandy got me! ;)

You can check out what I got her from the UK in her video here! :)

Have you ever done a swap?
What's your favourite "foreign" make-up brand/product?

<3yu

A Bronzer Phase

A year ago, I don't think I knew what bronzer was! Recently I've been going through a bronzer phase, lusting after bronzers left right and centre! I kinda got this idea from Tiffany, who did a post on her favourite bronzers - I'm 99.9% sure her post is what triggered my bronze lust!

Before I show you the wishlist, I'll show you my collection.. because of my late start on this wonderful tool, my collection is quite lacking..

Clockwise from Top: Rimmel Sunshimmer Bronzer, CANMAKE Bronzer/Foundation, CANMAKE Shading Powder

Rimmel Sunshimmer Bronzer in Medium Matte

This has been my go-to bronzer for the past month or so - it has a slight pearlescent finish (NOT matte :P) that makes it great for a soft contour. The pigmentation isn't superb, but it's not so bad that you can't get any colour - it's right inbetween, which makes it a no brainer bronzer.

CANMAKE Bronzer/Foundation in Copper Bronze 02

This has almost a yellow tone to it, which makes it more of a tanner for me. If a foundation is a bit light, or if I've fake-tanned a bit much, I can dust this over my face and it brings my face back to the right colour. Handy, but I don't reach for it too often.

CANMAKE Shading Powder in 02

This is my favourite matte bronzer, that I use mostly for a sharp contour. It is so finely milled and pigmented, and works great with a MAC 109.

Hard Candy Baked Blush in Bombshell (left)

This one is more of a copper-toned blusher, in that it has a sheen to it, so it can't really be used as a contour, but it works as a bronzer on the cheeks. It's great for a sunkissed look, but sometimes I find it a bit difficult to pull of because of the reddish tones.

MAC MSF in So Ceylon (right)

This is another blusher-type product, but definitely no good for contour. It has more of a pink to it than Hard Candy Bombshell, which makes it a bit easier to wear. That being said, it has the same purpose of giving me a sunkissed look, or for subtle cheeks when I have a lot going on with my eyes/lips.

L to R: CANMAKE Shading Powder, CANMAKE Bronzer/Foundation, Rimmel Sunshimmer Bronzer, Hard Candy Bombshell, MAC So Ceylon.

I think my two favourite bronzers are the CANMAKE Shading Powder and the Rimmel Sunshimmer Bronzer - those 2 I will more than happily repurchase!

So what am I missing?

The first on my wishlist is the Chanel Soleil tan de Chanel - the infamous cream bronzer. This is mainly for the fact that it's cream, and for its multipurpose functions i.e. as a base, to darken foundation, etc.,

The second is NARS Laguna. I'd like something that's not completely matte but not completely shimmery, and I love the NARS blushers so much that it wouldn't make sense not to try the bronzers!

There's a tie in third place, and that's between Benefit's Hoola and Dior's Original Tan. They are both quite matte, but the thing with Dior's Original Tan is that there are lighter shades that I could use for a subtle contour, where as Hoola is a pretty standard contour, like my CANMAKE Shading Powder - that being said, it's hard to miss out on a raved-about bronzer like Hoola!

What is your favourite bronzer? Any other bronzers that should be on my wishlist? :)

<3yu