Showing posts from January, 2015 — CassandraMyee | NZ Beauty Blog

Showing posts from January, 2015

MOST LOVED | January '15

MOST LOVED | January '15 - Smashbox, Rimmel, Anastasia, Urban Decay, MAC - CassandraMyee

We've almost into February, so to round out the first month of 2015, here are a few things I really loved during the month. I found it quite hard to really nail down on the products that I was into, due to the fact that I had a big clean out and I've been making an effort to use different products each day I put on makeup. But these few items have been stand outs from the month of January...

INSTAGRAM ROUND UP | January '15

INSTAGRAM ROUND UP | January '15 - CassandraMyee

January kicked off as quite an exciting month, mostly down to the fact that I got an iPhone 6, and it was love at first sight! Because of that my Instas have improved a lot in the overall photo quality compared to my previous phone (Samsung Galaxy S3; still a great phone, don't get me wrong!), and I love the quality of the camera and the phone in general! So here are my Instagram's from January...

EMTPIES | January '15

EMTPIES | January '15 - CassandraMyee

The first month of 2015 is now coming to an end, and I bet like most people, I still can't get out of the habit of writing 2014 for everything! But anyway, with the end of the month always comes Empties and this is a feature that I will be continuing with this year, because it's a great way to review products I've used right to the very bottom; or alternatively, have thrown out because they were awful slash really old. This month there is a lot more makeup items than other months, as I've been really making an effort to use what I have, and I also had a bit of clear out (but more on that at the end of the post).

NYX | Butter Lipsticks - Review + Swatches

NYX // Butter Lipsticks | Review + Swatches - CassandraMyee

I won't lie to you; I'm easily influenced when it comes to beauty buying. One rave review by my favourite blogger or Youtuber will have me straight onto a particular website and ordering that item right away. Not only that, but I love trying out new makeup products, especially lipsticks! So with Makeup By Alli's swatch and review video of these NYX Butter Lipsticks, I was practically sold on them as soon as I watched it. It has taken me a while to actually get my hands on them though, but thankfully a couple of months back Cherry Culture had their annual 40% sale (see the haul here) and had a lot of the shades in stock (half the time they were all out of stock), so I got my hands on five of them...

MUA [MAKEUP ACADEMY] | Baked Trio Eyeshadow in Innocence - Review + Swatches

MUA [MAKEUP ACADEMY] // Baked Trio Eyeshadow in Innocence | Review + Swatches - CassandraMyee

Over the past couple of weeks I have been giving my makeup collection a big old sort through and changing things out from my 'everyday' stash to give some love to other items that may have got a bit neglected. While doing this, I came across this MUA Baked Eyeshadow Trio that had not had a lot of use, but that quickly changed when I realised how nice it was!

BORN PRETTY STORE | Lashes + Lip Lacquers [Discount Code]

BORN PRETTY STORE // Lashes + Lip Lacquers [+ Discount Code] - CassandraMyee

We all know I am a lover of eBay for finding super cheap gems in my series Cheap eBay Finds, so when I was contacted by Born Pretty Store to feature a few items I was excited to try the website out and see what I could find. It is very similar to eBay, with an emphasis on nail supplies, and beauty things, including makeup items (that aren't all just disgusting knock offs). I was asked to pick some things to try and was also given a discount code for you all to use that will be at the end of the post.

THE WEEKLY POST COLLECTIVE #039

THE WEEKLY POST COLLECTIVE #039 - CassandraMyee

This week was a little bit more special than the rest on CM as I celebrated a pretty big milestone in my blogging career (can I even call it that?), but the rest of this weeks posts remained to the norm. There was an unboxing of a particularly different sort of subscription box, a haul and of course, some product reviews as well.

AUSTRALIS | Eye + Lip Products - Review + Swatches

AUSTRALIS // New Eye + Lip Products | Review + Swatches

A couple of months back I was luckily sent a goodie bag packed with Australis products to try out, and I blogged about some of the base products (see them here) and today I'll be sharing some thoughts on their eye and lip offerings. Some of these products are relatively new to the Australis line up and others have been available for a little while now.

URBAN DECAY | Naked 2 Basics Palette - Review + Swatches

URBAN DECAY // Naked 2 Basics Palette | Review + Swatches - CassandraMyee

The Naked range of palettes from Urban Decay is always going to be winners in my book. My Naked Basics palette has got SO much love over the past year and it's the best matte palette I own. I knew that as soon as I could get my hands on the newly released Naked 2 Basics, I was going to love it, and I wasn't wrong...

MY 500TH POST

If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen my little hint that something pretty big was happening this week on CM... well here it is MY 500TH BLOG POST!!
Yep, you read that correctly, today marks the day that I publish my 500th post onto CassandraMyee, and I can't quite believe it. I onl…

NOTD | Essie Sand Tropez + OPI Gaining Mole-Mentum

NOTD // Essie Sand Tropez + OPI Gaining Mole-Mentum - CassandraMyee

Neutral shades with an added bit of glitter to them are always some of my favourite manicures and these two polishes, from two different brands (Essie and OPI) were almost made for each other!

BEAUTY JOINT | Haul #006 + First Impressions [Feat. Wet N Wild, e.l.f., NYC + Jordana]

BEAUTY JOINT // Haul #006 - Wet N Wild, e.l.f., NYC + Jordana - CassandraMyee

The only way to do Boxing Day sales is online in my opinion. So while perusing my favourite online shopping sites, I landed on one of my faves for makeup, Beauty Joint and they had 20% off everything! I already had a few things I wanted to get, but also ordered a few extra goodies as well, because when on Beauty Joint I can't really control myself!

A BEAUTIFUL MESS | Happy Mail December '14 - Unboxing + Thoughts

A BEAUTIFUL MESS // Happy Mail December '14 | Unboxing + Thoughts - CassandraMyee

Around these parts, beauty subscription boxes are the norm, but I've discovered a new subscription service that is absolutely unique, featuring another thing that I love - stationery. A Beautiful Mess (an incredible blog that you should all follow!), have branched out their empire and introduced a monthly subscription box service called Happy Mail that arrives packed with stationary goodies, from cards, postcards, stickers, prints and more.

THE WEEKLY POST COLLECTIVE #038

THE WEEKLY POST COLLECTIVE #038 - CassandraMyee

Another Sunday, another Weekly Post Collective. This week was a mixed bag on CM; there were cheeks, there were eyes, nails, lips, and a couple of subscription boxes too. So if you are spending this Sunday lying around in the sun, you might want to catch up on some of the posts you may have missed.

SMASHBOX | Full Exposure Travel Palette - Review + Swatches

SMASHBOX // Full Exposure Travel Palette | Review + Swatches - CassandraMyee

Everyone needs a versatile and compact eyeshadow palette which is easy to travel with, and this mini sized version of the larger Full Exposure Palette from Smashbox is a complete winner, with ample quality and a pretty stellar shade range.

LUST HAVE IT | Women's Beauty Box December '14 - Unboxing + Initial Thoughts

LUST HAVE IT // Women's Beauty Box December '14 | Unboxing + Initial Thoughts - CassandraMyee

I think you would have all seen this coming if you read yesterday's post in which I shared my end of month review for the LHI November Women's Beauty Box*. Today I bring you the December Women's Beauty Box* (yes, I do realise it is January. these boxes always tend to run a month behind), and give you some initial thoughts on the products inside.

LUST HAVE IT | Women's Beauty Box November '14 - End Of Month Review

LUST HAVE IT // Women's Beauty Box November '14 | End Of Month Review - CassandraMyee

Last year's Lust Have It posts definitely got a little out of sync, with the late delivery of the boxes, to my late receiving of them and my late posting; everything just got a little messed up. But now that it's the New Year things will be resuming as per normal, so here is my end of month review for the November '14 Women's Beauty Box* (full unboxing and initial thoughts post here) and tomorrow I'll be talking the December box.

MAC | Heirloom Mix Collection - Pigments, Blush + Lipstick - Review + Swatches

MAC // Heirloom Collection - Pigments, Blush + Lipstick | Review + Swatches - CassandraMyee

MAC know how to do kick ass collections; from the Proenza Schouler Collection (here), the Osbournes Collection (here), each year they bring out dozens of beautifully packaged and limited edition collections that make any beauty lovers heart flutter. The 2014 Heirloom Mix Collection released for Christmas is just as incredible, and when I was in the States (see the haul here) I managed to resist buying the whole lot and settled on these three goodies from the collection.

NOTD | Essie Find Me An Oasis + On A Silver Platter

NOTD // Essie Find Me An Oasis + On A Silver Platter - CassandraMyee

Essie, Essie, Essie, could you make two more beautiful nail polish shades? I've had one of these on my wishlist for a very long time and I finally found it while I was in the US and I got it on my nails as soon I possibly could!

NARS | Virtual Domination Cheek Palette - Review + Swatches

NARS // Virtual Domination Cheek Palette | Review + Swatches - CassandraMyee

Oh NARS, you certainly know how to bring it in the palette department. This incredible Virtual Domination Cheek Palette was released as part of their Christmas collection for 2014, and really the whole collection looks equally as amazing. Whilst away in the States in November (see the haul here) I made a beeline for this palette as soon as I walked into Sephora and I am so glad I nabbed this!

THE WEEKLY POST COLLECTIVE #037

THE WEEKLY POST COLLECTIVE #037 - CassandraMyee

There was a lot of prettiness on the blog this week, if I do say so myself. There was a beautiful blush palette, some great summer essentials and a pretty impressive dupe... check out the past week of posts you might have missed this week.

SUMMER SERIES #002 | The Fragrances

SUMMER SERIES #002 // The Fragrances - CassandraMyee

If there's one thing I love collecting other than makeup, it would be perfume. I've been a lover of fragrance long before I got into makeup and can still remember the first perfume my dad bought back for me duty free (it was Ralph Lauren Cool by the way, and I still have it!) Perfume is an instant happier booster for me; the scents, the bottles, the packaging, it all equates to a very happy Cass. These are a few perfumes I've been loving recently and I've been using a lot over the summer period.

LINDEN LEAVES | Rosemary + Cypress Shampoo, Balm Mint + Tangerine Conditioner

LINDEN LEAVES // Rosemary + Cypress Shampoo | Balm Mint + Tangerine Conditioner Review - CassandraMyee

If you're a fan of natural hair care, then look no further than this gorgeous shampoo and conditioner duo from Linden Leaves*. You all know I'm a huge fan of the NZ made Linden Leaves products and have been lucky to try out a number of their skincare items and these two products are on par with the rest.

NEUTROGENA | Foot Cream, Hand Cream + Body Oil - Review

NEUTROGENA // Foot Cream, Hand Cream + Body Oil | Review - CassandraMyee

I find Summer is the time when my skin gets extra dry, whether it's from swimming in the sea, boating activities, or simply being in the sun a little too long; all these factors contribute to some pretty dry skin. I was recently sent these three body care products from Neutrogena to try out and they make for some lovely pamper treats to combat that dry skin.

HOURGLASS | Ambient Lighting Blush Palette - Review + Swatches

HOURGLASS // Ambient Lighting Blush Palette | Review + Swatches - CassandraMyee

Let's be honest here, anything housed inside a shiny gold case has gotta be pretty special, right? Well the new palette offering from Hourglass, takes luxe makeup products to a whole new level and I am absolutely in love. I've touched on this briefly in my Most Loved December, but here is my full review of the beautiful Ambient Lighting Blush Palette.

NOTD | L.A. Girl Ombre Nail Set in Girl's Night Out

NOTD // L.A. Girl Ombre Nail Set in Girl's Night Out - CassandraMyee

L.A. Girl have nailed it with this Ombre Set, because I think that this particular manicure is perfect for Summer! It combines five different super bright shades to create an amazing ombre effect with minimal effort.

MAKEUP REVOLUTION | Awesome Metals Foil Finish Eye Shadow in Magnificent Copper

MAKEUP REVOLUTION // Awesome Metals Foil Finish Eye Shadow in Magnificent Copper - CassandraMyee

I love a good cream eye shadow; I always find myself reaching for the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad To The Bronze, you just can't go wrong with it. I didn't think cream eyeshadows could get much different until I tried one of the Awesome Metals Foil Eye Shadows from the affordable UK brand Makeup Revolution.

THE WEEKLY POST COLLECTIVE #036

THE WEEKLY POST COLLECTIVE #036 - CassandraMyee

This week was an extra special one as we welcomed in 2015; how crazy is that?! I will admit that I barely made it to midnight (not due to excessive alcohol consuming, merely a very busy day at work!), but had a nice celebration ringing in the new year. The posts kept rolling and I looked back on the month of December, as a well shared some posts that were the most read of 2014 on CM.

ZA COSMETICS | Gel + Liquid Eyeliners - Review + Swatches

ZA COSMETICS // Gel + Liquid Eyeliners | Review + Swatches - CassandraMyee

2014 was a good year of makeup discoveries and getting the chance to try out a lot of different beauty brands. Za Cosmetics was one of those brands and the products I've used so far have really impressed. I was recently sent a few of the Gel Eyeliners* and Liquid Eyeliner* to try out, and one of these in particular has become a total favourite of mine.

CAROUSEL COSMETICS | Lipsticks in Bite Me + Tint - Review + Swatches

CAROUSEL COSMETICS // Lipsticks in Bite Me + Tint | Review + Swatches - CassandraMyee

Carousel Cosmetics might be quite a foreign brand to all of you, but let me introduce you to it, because it deserves a lot of love! Carousel was started by the lovely ladies who run the online beauty store in NZ, Beauty Bliss. They stock lots of well known brands, such as Lime Crime, Sleek, NYX, e.l.f. etc, and I've talked about them a few times on CM before. I was sent two of the Carousel lipsticks to try out, and if you are interested in more Indie style makeup brands, or just like to try some new brands, this will be right up your alley.

TOP 5 MOST READ OF 2014

TOP 5 MOST READ OF 2014 - CassandraMyee

Now that is is officially 2015 (I was barely getting used to saying 2014), I thought I would look back on the past year on CM and share the top 5 most popular and most read posts from 2014. I published a total of 340 posts (!!!) over the course of twenty-fourteen, which is a heck of a lot of photos, editing, writing, posting etc etc, but I have enjoyed doing it SO much. I don't think I can really put into words how much I love doing this and I'm beyond excited to see where this little blog will go during 2015.