KISS AND MAKEUP | Haul + Thoughts

 

I feel as though I need to start this post with a reintroduction because it has been MONTHS since I last posted (since early February to be exact). 2020 has really been a very unforgiving year for all of us and my brainpower and mental state could only manage to cope with so much and unfortunately, it meant my blog got put on the back burner. It's not to say that I still haven't been buying new things and trying new products, because I still love doing that but I just haven't been able to think about posting about them! I have been doing the odd posts on Instagram and I am now slowly trying to get my groove back and create some new content.

So my first post back in a while is a classic CM style post, a beauty haul from a brand new New Zealand online beauty retailer, Kiss and Makeup who just launched in July. They kindly offered me a gift voucher to spend on their website, so I'm here to share my experiences and the products I bought.

RECENT EMPTIES | JULY - SEPTEMBER '19 [Playing Catch Up!]

As I have mentioned in my previous posts, I am playing a major catch up on my Empties posts from essentially the last 6 months! They have just flown by and I just didn't get round to writing about all of these pretty great products that I have finished up as of late. You will notice a lot of my favourites but some new ones thrown in that I have been testing.

URBAN DECAY | Naked Reloaded Eyeshadow Palette - Review + Swatches

I have started something quite dangerous with the Urban Decay Naked Palettes... as soon as a new one comes out it instantly jumps to the top of my wishlist. This results in me buying pretty much all of them as they come out which is dangerous because I know they won't stop bringing out different iterations and I will be overrun with more eyeshadow than I could ever need in my lifetime! Despite this, I still love all of them that are released and love the quality of the shadows so I know I won't be disappointed. The new Naked Reloaded Palette can be considered as the replacement of the OG Naked Palette that kicked off the phenomenon.

ADORE BEAUTY | Haul + Reviews

When Adore Beauty contacted me asking if I'd like to spend some money on their site, I was extremely excited, not only because I love shopping, but I love discovering new online beauty retailers. Adore Beauty stocks a whole load of different brands, covering all your beauty needs. They're Australian based but ship to New Zealand for free, which is an absolute bonus and a rarity these days! They also offer Afterpay - if you are anything like me, this is a godsend (and also slightly dangerous).

I tried to order a good cross-section of hair, skincare and beauty to really experience all they have to offer and was very surprised by the generous gift with purchases and samples that can be included with your orders. Read on to see what I got and my thoughts on the products.

EMPTIES | May + June 2019

If you missed my latest post (The Comeback Cass - read it here), you will know that I took an unintentional break from my blog for a few months there. I mentioned in that post that I have a bit of a backlog of Empties and other reviews to get through and I still want to post them as they're still relevant and will hopefully be helpful to you. There are a lot of familiar products on this list from May and June but a few new products that I really loved and want to rave about!

THE COMEBACK CASS

I feel like I need to reintroduce myself. Hi, my name is Cass, I turn 30 next year (wild!) and I live in Auckland, New Zealand. I started my blog way back in 2013 and since then have posted over 1,000 blog posts and probably 4x the amount of photos. I love beauty and makeup, and that is where this…

URBAN DECAY | Naked Cherry Palette - Review + Swatches

You will know by now I am a sucker for every Naked palette that Urban Decay release. I am not so fussed about the other palettes they bring out from time to time but I know I am always going to love the Naked varieties. The Naked Cherry Palette was released last year and I have been using it a lot of the past few months since I got it for Christmas.

BELLABOX NZ | April '19 - #NoFilter Unboxing + Thoughts

We are going a bit back in time as I realised I hadn't posted the bellabox NZ April* unboxing and I had all the photos ready to go, but it only got shared on my Instagram. While you can't get this box anymore, it will give you an indication of what was inside and the sort of products you can expect to receive from this awesome monthly subscription service.

EMPTIES | February, March + April 2019

Ok wow, I am seriously behind on my Empties post so it is time to get on top of it! This is a huge load of products that I finished from February to April and I thought I would lump them all together as there are a few double ups of my favourite products as you will see below!

BELLABOX NZ | Blissful Beauty May '19 - Unboxing

May's bellabox* has arrived and inside it is packed with a great mix of skincare and makeup with the theme 'Blissful Beauty'. I am a little late to the party posting this but I thought I would still like to share as it is again another outstanding box filled with goodies!

SEPHORA + CHEMIST WAREHOUSE AUS | Haul + Swatches

For my birthday in early April, I just so happened to be in Brisbane and of course, I had to head into Sephora and do a little beauty shopping! It is always a treat to see brands that we can't get here that easily and I just love the whole shopping environment that you get with Sephora. Big news for us Kiwi's - Sephora is finally going be opening a big store on Queen St in Auckland later this year and I can't wait! My haul from Australia features just a small taste of some of the brands you will be able to get at Sephora when it arrives.

COLOURPOP | Zoella Brunch Collaboration Haul + Swatches

It is always exciting when two things you enjoy combine - that happened when blogger/Youtuber Zoe Sugg a.k.a Zoella teamed up with one of my favourite brands Colourpop. Zoe was one of the first Youtubers I started watching way back in the day (I think when she was well below 500k subscribers!) and is one of the very few OGs I still watch to this day. She has built a serious empire for herself and teaming up with amazing brands such as Colourpop just makes it even larger! The Zoella x Colourpop Collection is inspired by one of my favourite activities - brunch, and it is packed with a great variety of products and some of the cutest packaging.

BELLABOX NZ | March '19 - Runway Ready Unboxing + Thoughts

I am a little behind on my monthly bellabox* unboxing so I will be posting both March and April quite close together. I still wanted to share the March box even though you can no longer get it as it gives you an idea of the variety of brands you can receive from this subscription box service.

RECENT EMPTIES | December + January '19

I have been pretty slack when it comes to getting these Empties posts up, and even though it is nearing the end of April I still want to share my thoughts on all of these products. I find reviews of people's empty products the most helpful as they should have a pretty clear idea of how the product worked for them and if they'd use them again. So without further ado, here are my thoughts on a whole bunch of beauty products.

ESSIE | Valentine's Day 2019 Collection + Swatches

I realise that Valentine's Day is very much over, but I still wanted to share this gorgeous essie Valentine's Day Collection* with you all as it's still available in New Zealand stores and really we should be celebrating love every day! I don't think I've ever seen essie do limited edition designs on the bottles themselves, so this collection is a super unique one and if you are an avid essie fan, it is one you won't want to miss.

VESTIGE VERDANT | New Day & Night Creams + Micellar Cleansing Water

I've introduced the luxury organic skincare brand Vestige Verdant on my blog before back in November 2017; it was my first experience trying their products and you can read more about them here. Since then, they have been expanding the brand further with new products being added to the line; the Pure Brilliance Micellar Cleansing Water, the Absolute Hydrance Day Cream and the Complete Recovery Night Cream. The new products are welcomed additions and are ones that I am sure a lot of people would love to add to their skincare regime. 

NEW IN BEAUTY HAUL | Covergirl, Marc Jacobs, Pixi + Lancome

It has been a while since I have done an old school haul post, so I thought I would share a few things I have acquired over recent months and share my thoughts on them as I have been using them over this time. Even though I am lucky to get sent a variety of different products to try, I still love buying beauty and makeup products and always get a thrill when I peruse the beauty isles (both online and in stores!)

BELLABOX NZ | February '19 - Unboxing

The latest bellabox has just arrived at my door and should be on its way to all the subscribers too! The February box is themed 'Sun Kissed' and contains some exciting brands that haven't been included before.

RIMMEL LONDON | Stay Satin Liquid Lip Colour - Full Collection + Swatches

Back in March last year I reviewed the Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Lips*, and now they've released a brand new Satin formula of the same line with a bunch of shades available. I was kindly sent the full range of shades that are available here in NZ to try out and swatch for your all.

DESIGNER BRANDS | New Palettes + Retractable Eyeliners - Review + Swatches

I have always loved affordable makeup, of course, I love luxury products but my bank account doesn't, so I tend to always go for the 'drugstore' brands. In all honesty, I think some of these brands have some stand out products, and they definitely shouldn't be overlooked. Designer Brands is what I would classify as a 'drugstore' brand that is sold in pharmacies here in New Zealand and Australia. It's an Australian brand and has been around for ages! Their range is vegan and cruelty-free and basically, all of the products are under $30, if not under $20. They recently released some new eyeshadow palettes* and liners* that are well worth checking out.