the fourteenth journal
rhode pocket blushes, more new beauty and a wintery big three
Hello, hi there and a very warm welcome to the fourteenth edition of the journal! Thank you for coming back, we have some super fun beauty talk ahead of us.
By popular vote we have a try on of the Rhode Pocket Blush formula, as well as a look at all of the other new beauty releases going on.
We also go into detail on how to use forward shipping and of course my big three, very much inspired by trying to make it through winter.
Enough chit chat; let’s talk beauty!
Pocket Blush Try On
I asked, you voted - the Rhode Pocket Blush try on.
In case you missed it (I don’t know how) Rhode came out with their Pocket Blush, a balmy, glide on formula in 6 different shades. Of course I had to pick some up because they looked just so gorgeous, so let’s do a bit of dive into what they’re all about.
I picked up 3 shades, Freckle, Spicy Marg and Juice Box. Here’s how they look when swatched:
The formula itself is fragrance free, as well as containing peptides and tamanu oil to really glide onto the cheek. It melts into the skin for a natural glow finish and solid pop of pigmented colour.
Texture wise, this is all I wanted it to be. The swatches and try ons I’ve been seeing online look so juicy and perfect for that fresh cheek look. Freckle is a neutral peach shade that works as a lovely fresh flush, warming up the cheeks.
You can use them on the cheeks as well as the lips for a monochromatic look and of course Rhode thought of that, so there’s coordinating lip tints for that ultra glossy lip.
They are actually quite small in size which means they’re very cute but also still good value at $4.50 USD/gram or $6.75 AUD/gram. For reference, this is less per gram than a typical Nudestix, Makeup by Mario or Milk Makeup blush.
Overall, very positive experience and I just know I will be reaching for these again and again. The shade Toasted Teddy has been getting quite a bit of love online in the part week and I am very tempted to pick it up…
Let me know if you’ve tried this one!
What’s Up Wednesday…on a Friday
If you’ve never seen one of my What’s Up Wednesday videos, they’re a regular occurrence on my page and provides a space for sharing beauty knowledge, answering FAQs, ingredient explainers or even myth busting. This week we’re talking about forward shipping.
What is forward shipping?
Forward shipping is when you use an intermediary service to receive a parcel and they will then forward it onto you.
You simply sign up for the service and they will give you an address to use when checking out. Once it is received at their warehouse, you’ll get a notification along with photos to confirm it has arrived in good condition. From there you organise to have it sent to your own address.
Why would I use it?
So the main reason you would be looking to do this is because the retailer or brand you want to purchase from don’t ship to your country. I am in Australia and it can take a very long while for brands to start shipping here or being stocked in a retailer, meaning that in the meantime we have intense FOMO watching everyone else getting to play with beauty goodies (for example, Glossier only started shipping here last year).
It is not a cheap service, as you typically pay for the duties and import taxes for the product to be brought into the country, along with a handling fee and international shipping fees. As a rough example, on my last order I spent $50 USD on fees and shipping.
Which service can I use?
I do have one that I have used may times over and recommend, Shipito. I find their service to be quick, thorough and reliable. The shipping rates and times are quite reasonable and I’ve never had an issue with an order going to their warehouse.
Otherwise if you search ‘forward shipping service’ + your country, options should come up. I would recommend having a look at their reviews to ensure you’re not looking at a scam service.
TL;DR? Watch it here instead:
Hello New!
My goodness what a time it has been for beauty releases! It’s summer in the US which means the new launches are going to keep coming thick and fast, so let’s have a little look at all the fun newness coming our way.
Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Stix & Trace’D Out Lip Liner
So, Fenty took the Gloss Bomb gloss formula we love and turned it into a shiny lipstick formula in some truly iconic shades. They then took it one step further by bringing out creamy, long lasting lip liners.
These just look beyond gorgeous and I want them all.
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask Watermelon Pop
The iconic formula is now available in a fresh scent, watermelon pop 🍉 and my goodness it sounds yummy. I love how lush this is, I have been layering it on at night to help prevent that crusty lip feeling.
Anastasia Beverley Hills Blurring Serum Blush
Serum + blush = dream product. Which means that ABH had my full attention when they announced this serum blush formula. It’s a blurring gel-like texture and comes in 5 vibrant shades, formulated with niacinamide and just looks so pretty.
Fenty Skin Butta Drop Hydrating Body Milk
It’s another entry from Fenty because they’re absolutely slaying the game lately and it’s a lightweight body milk which just seems so dreamy. Kalahari Melon, Baobab and Coconut oils help to hydrate the skin and strengthen the skin barrier. There’s a light scent of bergamot and jasmine, which sounds really refreshing.
Bad Gal Bang Volumising Mascara in Blue, Brown and Burgundy
If there’s one thing I have been looking out for, it’s more coloured mascaras and thankfully Benefit came through with the goods. It’s their fantastic Bad Gal Bang formula now in an electric blue, rich brown and burgundy. This is a great volumising mascara and I love how easy it is to evenly coat the lashes.
Glossier in Mecca
After finally starting to ship to Australia from their own website in 2023, Glossier is now also available online at Mecca and in stores! As an OG Glossier fan, it is so exciting to be able to go in store to swatch and play with the new products, as well as stock up on some faves. If you want a few recommendations on where to start, I put together my top faves:
How about we have another vote so you can let me know what you would like to see me try next!
The Big Three
Ok, you know how you have your big three in astrology? This is just the beauty product version of that, and yes I think I’m pretty clever thank you very much. The Sun will be something that’s going on my face on the daily, Moon is for the nighttime routine heroes and Rising is for the newcomer or rising favourite of the week.
SUN: L’OCCITANE ALMOND SHOWER OIL
Whyyyy have I not tried this sooner, I am such a silly person. It’s a rich shower oil that you use like a regular body wash in the shower, going from oil to a milky texture. Because it’s oil-based, it is deeply cleansing on the skin and great for helping break down SPF and grime.
This has been levelling up my winter shower routine, helping leave my skin feeling soft and silky. It also smells gorgeous. Sign me up for the jumbo size ASAP.
Shop it here.
MOON: KESTER BLACK OVERACHIEVER BALM CLEANSER
An oil-based or balm cleanser is of course the very first step in my evening routine, no matter what. It helps break down makeup and SPF and grime so that the rest of my skincare routine can go hard and help to hydrate and support the skin.
This one is a super lush balm to oil texture, packed full of rich oils that help to moisturise and hydrate the skin whilst cleansing. I really enjoy the light, pleasant scent that feels somehow nostalgic.
Shop it here.
RISING: RHODE LIP TINT GUAVA SPRITZ
Alright alright alright, you already know I love this formula and that I’m a big Rhode fan but these new tint shades are so pretty and perfect for pretending it’s not the middle of winter here.
This guava spritz shade is super vibrant and I love how much it pops. I've been layering it with the Spicy Marg blush shade underneath for that perfect coral look.
Shop it here.
And with that, we’ve reached the end of the fourteenth edition of Morgan’s Skin Journal! If you’ve made it this far, I hope it means you’ve enjoyed it and would consider sharing with a friend who might like it. There’s so much beauty goodness to come in 2024 and I hope you join me for it.
I’ll play myself out with my song of the week and see you all for the next journal 🩵
Love, Morgan