...::[Beauty]blogged::...

Naaaaaails!

2012-02-20T17:10:00.000+11:00

My dog decided to debut his arse on my blog

Hai.

Just a quick NOTD featuring one of my most fave colours in my collection (teal/turquoisey-coloured Chamon Nail Pop) and a new addition, L.A. Girl Glitter addict in Nostalgic. I'm not usually one for accent nails but I was desperate to use my new glitter polish and didn't want the removal process to be too much of a biznitch.

I effing love this mani. Combines one of my fave colours in the whole entire world, as well as glitter. Well done, team.

Rah.

Speck-tacular!!!!!!!1111!1!!

2012-02-15T21:29:00.000+11:00

PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY

You all know how much I love glitter and sparkle. I adore it. Always have. When I was a kid, I remember finding a string of sequins in my mum’s button container (wut), and being completely and utterly fascinated by it. I fell in love with it tbh. I was a strange kid. Tip of the iceberg, my friends! Anyway, I stole it and still have it to this day.

COOL STORY, BRO.

Anyway.

Flakie polishes have always enthralled me for obvious reasons. Not so POWINYOURFACE as regular glitter, but still pretty as pie (pie can be pretty). When Australis came out with a flakie, I made a beeline to Priceline. Then I fell in love. When I slid its deliciously subtle sparkle onto my nails, I fell deeper. And then when I removed it… <333333333333333. It was a big moment. Why? It wasn’t an absolute bitch to remove. It just came off like regular polish! Yay!

Sparkly nails - the INCREDIBLE STRESS of removal = happy Ange.

Here are some spectacularly (ha!) shitty close-ups of Speck-tacular. See the multicoloured bits? They make my heart sing.

*sigh*

If you want subtle sparkle on your nails, enjoy jazzing up darker colours (this stuff works best on dark polishes) or think glittery nails are childish (GO TO HELL), this is a must-buy.

GOGOGOGOGOGOGO!

Models Prefer Brush Cleaner - YAY OR NAY?

2012-02-09T13:24:00.001+11:00

After hearing oodles of positive reviews and raves on the Napoleon brush cleaner, I knew it had to be mine. Then when I heard it was $40, I decided it wasn’t to be. I mean, I’m all for spending $$$ on good prodz, but spending $40 on a brush cleaner seemed a bit cray to me. NO OFFENCE TO THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BOUGHT IT.

When I was in Priceline a little while ago (I’m always in bloody Priceline), I noticed that Models Prefer had a brush cleaner of their own. And it was on sale. Hooray! Being quite the fan of MP, I thought it was worth a shot. Even if it was shit, spending $10 on a crappy product wasn’t going make me shed any tears. Here it is:

I’ve been using this for a good few weeks and I’ve gotta say, it’s pretty damn good! However, it ain’t perfect.

YAY!

It works. The instructions say to spritz your brush a few times and then wipe the crap off on a tissue. I feel that I need to do this twice in order to get everything off. Not a big deal. As long as it works, right?

The bottle is pretty big. I imagine this’ll last me quite some time. Good.

I feel like it revives my brushes. It seems to get them looking a little fluffier and a little better. Plus, they feel soft afterwards.

It’s cheap. Good for the tight arses and good for the people who don’t want to spend a lot on something to clean their makeup brushes.

NAY!

The smell. I really don’t like it. It’s a mixture of strong alcohol and vanilla. It’s sickly. Gross. Ick. Ew. I have to hold my breath when I spritz it and that's saying a lot because vanilla is one of my fave smells. This shit should come with a nose peg.

All up, I like this stuff. Yeah, it’s not perfect but for $10, it’s good enough. It does what it’s supposed to and that makes it a winner imo.

Anyone else tried the MP brush cleaner? What about the Napoleon one? Any other faves out there?

EMPTIES! HOORAH!

2012-02-07T15:01:00.000+11:00

Olay Body Wash with Spa Exfoliating Ribbons (douchey name)

This was okay. ‘Twas refreshing and creamy, but didn’t really exfoliate too well. It did make my skin feel softer though. Still…meh. May repurchase later down the track.

Lush Snow Fairy

Powered through this! It smelt sooooo good and made my bathroom smell like lollies all day long. Plus, the smell lingered on my skin. Yum. Shame it’s LE and exxy. Would repurchase in a heartbeat.

Carmex Moisture Plus

This was a decent balm but the combination of mint, tingle and faux-caramel was odd and unpleasant. This was a freebie from the ABBW and I won’t be buying it on my own.

Nivea Pure & Natural Milk & Honey balm

This ain’t anything spesh so I won’t be buying it again.

Pure Therapy Intensive Moisture Repair Gel

Another freebie from the ABBW. I expected this to hydrate really well, but it didn’t. No better than my normal lotion, really. No to buying this.

Durra Rose Water

Love this stuff. Cheap (under $3!) and effective. Will repurchase.

L’Oreal Studio Professional Anti-Shine Mattifying Primer

So ridiculousy exxy for a ‘drugstore’ prod. It didn’t do much for me so I won’t be buying it again.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover

Liked this. Will repurchase later down the track. Probably.

BONUS ROUND!

i.e. shit that should’ve been chucked out a looong time ago

I clean out my makeup pretty often so I have no idea how these managed to slip by. Anyway, here’s some old shit that I’m gonna be chucking:

St Ives Mineral Clay Firming Mask

This isn’t that old but it’s def past its use-by date. I won’t be repurchasing as it doesn’t do much for me. Out you go!

2 x CG Smoothers liners in Indigo and Violet

God, these are old. Not even made anymore. Ta ta!

Jordana Kohl Kajal Liner in Sapphire

Probably the oldest of the bunch. Adios!

Revlon Pearlised liner in Teal Flash

OLD AS TIME. Pretty but yeah, old. See ya!

BYS glitter mascara

Old and shit. Laterz.

Limited Edition Australis goodies

2012-02-04T13:53:00.000+11:00

I’m a big fan of Australis. Big fan! It’s definitely my fave Aussie brand. By far. Anyway, I wanted to show you a few Limited Edition goodies that I got sent a little while ago. Let’s start with the nail polishes:

Vampy and Flip Flops

ZOMG. The colours themselves are pretty, but what makes them EPIC is the fact that they have glitter in them. GLITTER! We all know my feelings on glitter. Now, these were a bitch to properly capture on camera so my pics are extra wonky. In fact, they're terrible. Sorry.

w/ flash

See how the glitter appears kinda flake-like when you look really, really close? Preeeetty.

Like always, the formula of these is great. Smooth, even and glossy. I’ve got a bunch of Australis polishes in my collection so it’s pretty safe to say that I’m a fan.

Now to the lippies! Here they are:

hustle (lighter IRL) and hula

Nice, yes?

Now, I’m not a big lippie fan but I can def appreciate these. Again, great formula. Smooth and pigmented. That being said, I do find that I need to exfoliate my lips and get them super hydrated before wearing hustle. No biggie for me, but if you have really dry lips, you may want to give it a pass. Here’s a bad phone pic of me (I'm a narcissist) wearing hustle, a colour that weirded me out when I first saw it, but then promptly fell for. It's a light coral nude:

What a goose

Hope you enjoyed! :)

FYI: These babies are available 'til July. The polishes cost $7.95 and the lippies are $12.95.

P.S. I was sent all these prodz by PR but I actually bought Flip Flops a week or so ago on my own, so now I have two. MUHAHAHAHA. Greedy.

Newfound love! Revlon nail polish

2012-02-01T15:18:00.000+11:00

You may remember that I went to a big Revlon sale a little while ago. A couple of the things I picked up really sucked (I’m looking at you, Beyond Natural Cream to Powder shadows), but the nail polishes I bagged are amazing. Totes exceeded my expectations! Yay.

Here are most of the polishes I picked up at the sale (the other one was given to my mum):

Top 2 are Rock Star and Gold Coin

Bottom 3 are Fierce, Girly and Princess

Reasons why they’re awesome:

1. They’re stupid-pigmented. In some cases (Fierce and Princess), you only need one coat to get complete nail coverage and a great punch of colour. Ridonk.

2. They have a fab formula. Smooth! Even! Just perfect, really. Their formula is definitely on par with exxy brands like OPI, Orly and Essie. In some cases, even better. Honestly. They just glide on so perfectly. /gush

3. They have nice colours. And a great range of finishes. Glitter, shimmer, matte, suede and crème. Good times.

Here are some glittery swatches for the sake of showing you some glittery swatches. Please excuse the shoddy and rushed paint job. And the state of my hands. And the bad photography.

Pretty? Pretty.

In all honesty, I never ever bother checking out Revlon’s polishes when I head to Priceline. Sure, my eye may veer slightly when I catch a glimpse of something glittery (ILOVEGLITTERRRRRRR), but I don’t really bother checking out the stand too much. I can safely say that the next time Revlon stuff is on sale, I will be making a beeline to their nail polishes. LIKE I NEED MORE. *sigh* Oh well.

In short, Revlon polishes are good. I like them. A lot. Go check them out.

The end.

P.S. I just Googled ‘Revlon glitter polish’. OMG. This is the beginning of something beautiful…

15 things that make me happy about losing 15kgs

2012-01-27T13:04:00.000+11:00

1. My double chin has pretty much disappeared. Woo for having one chin! FINALLY. FYI: One chin = good.

2. My collarbone is starting to make an appearance. Haven't seen that bastard for quite some time.

3. My jeans are loose. I enjoy this.

4. I feel fucking awesome. Mentally and physically.

5. I have ENERGY OVERLOAD. I'd probz be able to run a marathon right now.*

6. I’m more confident and I hold my head a little higher when I'm out and about.

7. People are noticing and it makes me feel good when they point it out. Thanks Mum!

8. I feel better about myself when I look into the mirror.

9. I’m now 25kgs away from my ultimate goal, rather than 40. YOWZA!

10. I don’t break out nearly as often as I did. I’m convinced that my weight loss has helped immensely, as well as my skincare.

11. I don’t get as puffed out when my dog decides to start bolting on our walks.

12. I'm now experimenting and trying foods I never would've dreamt of trying. I find this fun.

13. I’m happier. And proud.

14. I know I’m on the way to finally getting healthy.

15. I’m getting closer to be able to wear nice clothes. I WANT TO WEAR NICE CLOTHES, FFS!

* Nah.

Models Prefer Highlighter in Fame & Fortune

2012-01-24T13:06:00.000+11:00

Today I’ll be rambling about the Models Prefer highlighter in Fame and Fortune, which I’ve been using nearly everyday since I got it on Boxing Day. Pro tip: NEVER go shopping on Boxing Day. People are fucking insane. Anyway, here it is:

See the mess? I purposely didn’t clean it up so I could show you just how messy this little bitch can get. While the colours are nicely pigmented, they are crumbly as hell. Lightly touch a slightly pointed brush into any of them and you’ll leave a nice little crater. Fun! See the coppery colour on the right? That crumbling happened all by itself. I didn’t stab at it and I didn’t throw it around so I have no idea why it’s decided to completely fall apart. Wait, that’s a lie. I did stab at it (near the top) but the giant crater at the bottom happened all on its own. Swear. P.S. MP shadows are crumbly too.

Annoying crumbling aside, the pigmentation is pretty decent. Proof:

Nice, yes? The pearl shade is a tad chalky, but once it’s blended, it’s all good.

Now, the two darkest shades are quite the anomaly. In a highlighter anyway. Why are they there? Who would use colours that dark as highlight? Me confused. The good part? They make for great lid colours. Both of them. Good times.

All up, this little highlighter/shadow quad is nice and pretty decent to use, but it doesn’t really do too much for me. I enjoy it and I use it but once it crumbles away into nothingness, I won’t be repurchasing.

If you’re down for some crumbling highlighter goodness, you can bag this for a nice ‘n’ easy $10 at Priceline.

My thoughts on Glossybox

2012-01-20T17:14:00.000+11:00

Sup!

A Glossybox made its way to my door yesterday thanks to the lovely Amanda who sent it over so I could check it out.

Now, I’m not subbed to any sample boxes. While I think they’re a really cool concept, I know that 90% of the samples would just add to my beauty clutter and get lost in the sea of beauty bits that fill my dressing table (and drawers). Fun? Yes. Useful? Not sure.

Here’s a not-so-great pic of what was inside…

Temporary Aussie-themed tatts

Hilarious. Obvs to celebrate Australia Day. Will refrain from making any more comments just in case I piss anyone off.

Nivea Rich Nourishing Body Moisturiser (30ml)

Tiny but handy. I appreciate getting bits like this ‘cause they’re good to keep on my desk and/or chuck in my bag. I’m not too fussed on body lotions and Nivea doesn’t really excite me so this wasn’t too thrilling a get.

Sheer Cover Nourishing Moisturiser (30ml)

One of the two things that piqued my interest. Was keen to give this a go as it’s oil-free (yay) and has an SPF of 15 (more yay). I’ve used it a couple of times and it seems okay. It smells like sunscreen (and continues to do so until I wash my face) but makes my face look a tad on the greasy side. And not in the way it usually does when my skin gets oily throughout the day. You know when you use a heavy facial sunscreen and it kind of gives you that greasy glow? Yeah, that.

Sheer Cover lipgloss in Pink Praline (full-size)

Tbh, meh. I’m not that big on lip stuff so this didn’t excite me either. It gives my lips a pretty-yet-subtle colour but it didn’t wow me.

Kosmea Daily Facial Exfoliant (20g)

This also piqued my interest. I really like my current exfoliant but I’m really keen to try this out. I’m especially excited as it can also be used as a mask. May try it tonight! Let me know if you want a review.

Mirenesse Tight Liner Hydra Gel Liner in Sapphire (full-size)

Ah, yes. I got one of these in one of my ABBW goodie bags and didn’t like it. At all. I think I remember some girls saying that they were fans though.

2x $25 vouchers for theiconic.com.au (not shown)

These didn't interest me purely because I'm not down for shopping atm.

...

All in all, it was fun and exciting to get a pretty box filled with samples sent to my door, but to be brutally honest, the contents underwhelmed me. I’m sure there were some girls who were giddy with excitement when they realised what they bagged but I sure wasn’t.

Would I sub to Glossybox? Judging by this box alone, nah. The things in this month’s box didn’t really get me going, hey.

Thoughts?

Updated skincare routine!

2012-01-14T14:24:00.000+11:00

Here it is:

Hope you enjoyed! :)

Cool shit from 2011

2012-01-06T16:42:00.002+11:00

Totes wasn’t gonna do a post like this but I haven’t blogged in a while and thought WHY THE HELL NOT!

Here’s a pic of the stuff I loved in 2011:

Sorry for the crooked pic. Apparently I'm not capable of using a camera.

Haus of Gloi’s Twice is Nice perfume oil

I’m not gonna rave about this again because it’s been done. Numerous times. Fave scent of 2011 and probably my entire fucking life. Love you, Twice is Nice.

Models Prefer

This brand hasn’t yet let me down. It’s cheap, Aussie and awesome. The number one stand-out is defo the Crease brush, which I use obsessively. Everything rocks, though.

Dove Original Antiperspirant Deodorant

Boring but necessary. Discovered it in 2011 and will continue to use it fo’ lyfe. Keeps me from getting sweaty and smells nice. Plus, it’s dry. No more sticky pits. Hear that, Nivea?

Premium Spa with Organics Australia Lemon Butter Salt Body Scrub for Dry Skin

Best. Scrub. Ever. It’s not only ridiculously invigorating and FRESSSH but also leaves my skin silky-smooth. Big 2011 fave.

Shadow primers

Ah, shadow primers. I heard about them many times previous to 2011 and thought they were a complete and utter joke. “People spend money on fucking eyeshadow primers?!” was a common retort to various YT tutorials featuring them. Hype got the best of me and I bought my first tube of Too Faced’s Shadow Insurance and, well, the rest, they say, is history.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover
I started using this stuff last year and absolutely adore it. It offers exceptional coverage (which, if you're like me, you really want) and gives a nice, matte-velvet finish. The only bad thing? The shade selection sucks (in Oz)! I have two tubes and neither matches me perfectly. Such a shame considering this is the best foundation I've ever tried.

Seche Vite/painting my nails

Bought a bottle of Seche Vite early last year and haven’t looked back since. I painted my nails faaaaaaaaar more often in 2011 because this stuff just makes the process so much easier.

Blush

For some reason, my liking for blush completely exploded into a full-blown obsession in 2011. Not sure why. I now have enough blush to fuel a blush-fuelled car. For a year. Possibly two. Yeah, they exist.

Glitter polish

I adore you. You’re a bitch to take off but I enjoy you far too much to care. Kinda. Faves include China Glaze’s Glam (pictured) and Nova and Milani One Coat Glitters in Blue Flash and Silver Dazzle. Amongst many others.

Benefit BADgal Lash

Used it for the first time last year and very much enjoyed it. Such a good mascara. For me, anyway. Gives me humongous lashes which I enjoy. Shame about the stupid pricetag.

Taft Styling Powder

Had to include this despite the fact that I haven’t been using it recently. This stuff gives me that tousled, messy and voluminous look that I like but also leaves a hardcore residue which is a bitch to get out. My scalp seems a little worse for wear atm so I’ve been giving it a miss these days.

Bloom/Boost lipbalms

Remember when I proclaimed Nivea Essential Care was my HG lip balm? Things have changed. This stuff rocks. A little more exxy than Nivea but meh.

Additional mentions…

Healthy stuff

I only recently got my shit together with regards to getting healthy but far out, am I enjoying it. Feel so much better. Both mentally and physically. Probably my main 2011 fave. ;)

Blogging community

I started blogging back in March (I think?) of 2011 and boy, has it been a fun ride. I have met some incredible people, been to some fun events and have learnt so very much. Good for the heart and soul.

Twitter

Twitter is the bomb.

Online shopping

I did more more online shopping in 2011 than my entire 26 years put together. I blame blogging. And bloggers. And stuff.

What blew you away in 2011?

Christmas Haul + Sale Bits

2011-12-29T16:46:00.000+11:00

Hey guys!

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas/fun holiday season!

Just wanted to show you the beauty stuff I got for Christmas, as well as a few bits I picked up from the sales.

Here’s the gift portion:

Too Faced Beautiful Dreamer kit

Ahhhh, so happy I got this baby! Love it. I haven’t yet used the mascara or the bronzer/blush duo (even though the duo was one of the main reasons why I wanted this pack) but the shadows are lovely and the gloss is pretty cute. Plus, Too Faced’s packaging is awesomeness.

Here’s a pic of the two compact thingies so you can suss the shades:

The Body Shop Delipscious tinted lip balm

Love this. Quite a lot, actually. Gives a beautiful, soft pink tint to my lips and is a pretty good balm, too. It does smell like zinc though. A tad odd…

Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf (part of a gift set)

One of my most favourite smells ever. I usually stick to this scent during the wintertime as it’s a little heavy but I’m so not waiting 'til June. In fact, I’ve been spritzing myself with the stuff since I ripped it open. Good times. If you like sweet scents but don’t like the ultra candy-sweet ones ala Britney, Flowerbomb is perfect. It’s a grown-up sweet scent and pretty damn sexy. Yummo.

And now onto the stuff I got at the sales. Not too much as I’ve already got shitloads of stuff and really didn’t need much more. Here's a pic:

Models Prefer Brush Cleaner

I’m too much of a tightarse to pay $40 for the apparently-awesome Napoleon one so this’ll have to do. Hope it’s good!

Models Prefer highlighter in Fame & Fortune

Been eyeing this for a fair while and thought it was a good idea to pick it up since it was on sale. Really pretty and glowy, plus it applies nice. Smooth. Butter-smooth. Cheers to Models Prefer!

Australis Pressed Powder and Savvy by DB bronzer

Boring but necessary. They’re both backups of things I’m currently using. Can you believe all Savvy prodz are $3 at Priceline atm? Good stuff.

Bloom/Boost lip balms in Banana Buzz and Tropical Storm

I had a couple of these sent to me a while ago and loved them. A lot. Bloom was around 20% off at Myer and David Jones so I needed them. Yep, needed.

3 Apivita Propolis masks

Ha! If you read this post, you’re probably surprised I bought these. Well, I used the second half of the sachet a little while ago and didn’t encounter any extreme dryness like last time so I’m pretty sure the scaly skin was due to something else (don’t know what). This stuff works to keep my oil in check so it’s a big winner imo.

Lush’s Snow Fairy & Snow Globe soap (not pictured)

Snow Fairy smells like lollies. I appreciate that a hell of a lot. Both these were 50% off and I’m currently kicking myself for not buying 10 bottles of Snow Fairy and a kilo’s worth of Snow Globe. Fail.

What beauty loot did you score for Christmas and at the sales?

P.S. Have a wonderful NYE and I wish you all the best in 2012! Stay safe, healthy and happy. :)

Haul + something that sucked

2011-12-22T15:28:00.000+11:00

Hey guys!

Here's a vid of me talking about some recent purchases and a product that sucked the big one:

Aaaand some swatches of the things I mentioned in the vid:

Bye! xx

Link Luuurve

2011-12-21T11:04:00.000+11:00

I haven’t done a Link Lurve post in quite some time! It's about time for another, don't ya think? Here are a bunch of spectacular posts (and blogs) that I've been adoring lately...

This post by the ever-hilarious Julie is such a winner! If you enjoy getting a lil rowdy during the festive season (or all year round - no judgement) and want to prevent yourself from feeling like absolute death the next day (we’ve all been there), this post is a must-read.

If you need help with mastering fake lashes and gorgeously tousled hair, dempeaux is your gal. Her posts here and here make both tasks seem so darn easy. I tried applying fake lashes the other night (w/ help from her post) but failed abysmally. Still, if you’re not a spaz like me, I’m sure you’ll succeed.

Ohh, Nancy. I am so incredibly jealous of this girl’s makeup skills. Her eye looks are always impeccable and stunning. I secretly hate her. No, I don’t. Well, maybe a tad. :P Check out her Holiday Cheer EOTD for an eye look that’s just perfect for the holiday season. Or anytime, really!

Makeup storage/organisation vids and posts are my crack. Along with what’s in my bag vids/posts, of course. Guess I’m just a big ol’ snoop. Michelle’s post is good for a spy and totes makes me want to completely reorganise my makeup. I like.

Suzanne recently posted on a shadow that I’m totes lemming atm. LOOK HOW FUCKING AWESOME IT LOOKS ON HER! So jelly that I don’t have blue peepers. Damn you and your pretty eyes, Suzanne.

Really enjoyed this post by Natalie. It really made me stop and re-think my whole process regarding samples from PR companies, reviews and all the accompanying jazz. Great, thought-provoking read.

(VERY) Last Minute Stocking Stuffer!

2011-12-19T22:25:00.000+11:00

I don’t know about you guys, but I love Christmas. The decorations, the carols and the all-round jollyness of people makes me incredibly happy. Plus, I squeal when I see Santa at Westfield.

Buying presents for people is another big reason why I adore the season. Yeah, it's a bit stressful but I love finding stuff that my mates and fam will love to unwrap. And wrapping said presents? Um, WOO!

For those of you in Oz who may be a tad unorganised and haven’t yet bought all your pressies, I’ve got a nice little stocking stuffer for the chicks in your life. Here it is:

That there is Bloom's Classic Mini Nail Polish Collection. Isn't she lovely? She includes four mini polishes in the shades Millie, Kim, Edie and Toni. Delightful!

This set is pretty damn perfect as it’s got a great range of shades that most girls enjoy rocking on their digits. Plus, they’re work-friendly! There's also a 'Fashion' set available which is best if you’re buying for a girl who likes to work brights and unique shades.

My personal faves in the Classic set are the creamy taupe (Kim) and the deep maroony red (Millie).

Here’s Millie on my nails (let's ignore the dodgy application):

Mmm...vampy!

Nice, yes?

Bloom's polish formula is smooth, superdooper shiny (no topcoat required!) and seems to wear the same as other decent polishes I’ve tried. I wore this for about 3 days before I started seeing dreaded chipping.

Now to the important stuff! Each set costs $24.95 and each polish sits at a tidy 9ml. Perfect for a stocking stuffer, a lil gift for a friend or KK. Nice one, Bloom.

You can grab some Bloom goodness from Myer or online.

Pics were taken from the Bloom website as my packaging was a tad crumpled/looked like arse. This polish set was sent to me by a lovely PR company but as per usual, no B.S.

BOOK REVIEW! The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

2011-12-15T12:52:00.000+11:00

Okay, so something a little diff from the usual beauty chitchat. I wrote a couple of book reviews in the very early days of [BEAUTY]blogged and I think it’s time for another. Tell me if you want more or if you don’t want me to talk about books ever again. Without further ado, here’s the amazing novel I’m reviewing today:

First off, let me tell you that I adored this book. The theme was so magical (lame) and special and I enjoyed it more than I ever thought I would. Anyway, enough rambling!

The Language of Flowers centres on a young girl, Victoria, who’s had a pretty shitty upbringing. Being thrust from foster home to foster home, her unsavoury experiences have left her with a hardened exterior and a misanthropic view of the world. In short, she's deeply unhappy, doesn’t trust a soul and is really fucking angry. The beginning of the book marks the day she is emancipated and leaves a rough-as-guts girls home for those who are unadoptable (that’s totes a word), a place which she has pretty much grown up in.

The book shifts from the present, when Victoria is 18, to back when she was a child, around 9. The past bits delve into her less-than-favourable opinion of her social worker and the world in general, as well as her relationship with Elizabeth, a woman who was to be her adoptive mother and the only person that Victoria kindasortasomewhat trusted and became close to loving.

As an adult, we watch Victoria leave the girls’ home, become homeless and then find a small-but-rewarding position at a florist. There she begins to bloom (ha!) and reignite her passion for the Victorian language of flowers. Her transformation is slowwww (as hell) but noticeable. I’m not gonna lie - Victoria often frustrated me/pissed me off with her shithouse behaviour and lack of civility but I can’t really blame the girl for being such an angry bitch.

Anyway.

While on a trip to the flower market with her florist boss, Renata, she meets a guy who changes everything. And it's not like they fall deeply in love and everything's all rosy (ha!), I just don’t wanna give too much away. I’m sooooo mysterioussssssss.

While I thought Diffenbaugh’s writing was pretty damn exceptional, what I enjoyed most was the whole language of flowers thing. I’m not even a flower fan, but I adored the idea that each, individual flower held a meaning. It just really struck a chord with me. Not really sure why. It just felt special and kinda romantic.

The ending, for me, was a slight let-down. It felt a bit rushed and it all came together a little too quickly and neatly for my liking. Still, the novel is beautifully written and the story is the kind that makes you want to skip meals in order to get more reading-time in.

Also cool to note is the fact that the back pages of the book include a dictionary of flowers. The perfect finishing touch and a very, very pleasant surprise! Can you tell I'm totes in love with whole flower thing?

All up, I highly recommend this book and am happy to have this sitting on my bookshelf. Totes a new fave.

TL;DR - Amazing book. Go read it.

Any thoughts? Want to tell me what you’re reading and loving atm?

Most Reached For... PART THREE! Random bits

2011-12-09T14:39:00.001+11:00

The final instalment of my most reached for stuff – nail polish, fragrance and other miscellaneous bits and bobs. Take a squiz at the nail polish:

Glam by China Glaze

My fave glitter EVER. This polish has a clear base with a bunch of pinkish glitter of all diff sizes. It looks stunning over all sorts of bases and I adore it. If I want glittery nails – which is often – this is absolutely one I most reach for. FYI: it photographs shit.

Milani One Coat Glitter in Blue Flash

Another most-reached for glitter polish. I love that it’s turquoise (one of my fave colours!) and the fact that it’s glittery. The end. Staying power is good, too.

Basket Case by Orly

Such a fabulous crème, mid-tone pink. It’s sexy, fresh and just plain gorgeous. In fact, I’m wearing it on my toes right now.

Lollypop Lilac by Ulta3

This colour is stunning and my fave Ulta3 shade. I always find myself picking this baby out from my sea of polish so I can slap it on.

Peek-a-boo by Australis/unnamed Chamon shade

I’ve grouped these together because, while different tones, they’re both a lilac crème that I love to wear often. It's like my version of a neutral.

Sweet pea by Australis
I adore minty nails so this gets a tonne of use.

Unnamed Chamon (teal/turquoise)

I love this colour to death and I’m wearing it on my nails atm. It’s a total summer colour but I wear this all throughout the year, rain, hail or shine.

Seche Vite top coat

Every time I paint my nails, I use this stuff. It makes the whole painting-your-nails experience a trillion times better because it gives you dry nails within minutes. Sheet marks are a thing of the past!

And now for the other random things:

Haus of Gloi Twice Is Nice perfume

I'm OBSESSED with this scent. It’s all I wear. Unless I’m changing it up with a bit of Troika, which isn’t that often. I’ve raved about it here, if you wanna read more about my love for it.

Models Prefer Crease brush

WHICH I FORGOT TO INCLUDE IN MY PIC! *sigh* This brush is epic and I highly recommended everyone grab it. It’s the bomb at blending shadows, putting on a cheek highlight and dusting a lil powder under the eye. I use it every single time I put on my face. In fact, I have two.

Garnier Clean Sensitive 2in1 Makeup Remover

My ultimate fave makeup remover because it works well, is gentle and can be used on my entire mug, as well as my eyes. Use it everytime I need to rip off my makeup.

Simple Kind to Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser

In my experience, this is the best cheap moisturiser on the market. I use it constantly! If you want details, I've reviewed it here.

Australis Make-Up Finishing Spritz

I spritz myself with this all day long. When it's hot, when I need a pep-up while working/writing and when I'm just feeling blah...whenever, really. I love it and will continue to buy it.

Schwarzkopf Taft Styling Powder

Nothing else gives me the height, volume and messy look that I enjoy, quite like this prod. I use it every few days and it’s definitely my most reached for hair-related item. It also helps to soak up oil/mattify/work as a dry shampoo. Win.

That's all, folks!

Hope you enjoyed. :)

Skin, weight and health update!

2011-12-07T15:58:00.000+11:00

Hello!

I thought I’d update you on my weight loss and all that getting healthy jazz.

Last Sunday marked my 6^th week into my new lifestyle and I couldn’t be prouder of myself. That may sound corny and a tad narcissistic but I don’t care – I’m damn proud! All up, I have lost a total of 10 kgs. Honestly, I’m beside myself with excitement and happiness. I feel the best I have in a long time and I see improvements in how I feel, every single day. My energy is still up, I feel lighter on my feet and my clothes are a little comfier to wear. HOORAY!

All the sunshine, lollipops and rainbows aside, it’s still a tough ride. Some days I feel like going to the supermarket and buying everything that mentions the word ‘chocolate’ in it and some days, all I want to gorge on is fruit and veg. I’ve had a few slip-ups (one such instance involved KFC), but I don’t consider them failures because even if I eat a few too many bits of cheese or I eat a little more ice-cream than I planned, I’ve still improved a mammoth amount. It actually amazes me just how shit I feel when I eat crappy stuff. After eating the KFC, I felt bloated and extremely lethargic. It was an eye-opening experience, knowing just how bad my body reacts to shitty food. And to think I felt like that ALL THE TIME and thought it was normal. Eek.

10 kgs down and I still am yet to see a real difference in my appearance. Others can see improvements but I honestly don’t. That being said, I didn’t really expect to see much of a diff so early in the game. I’m a big girl so I think it would take a 15kg or so loss to really show on my bod and for me to go down a size. Same thing with my skin. I think I’ll need to lose a significant amount (although I’m in no way discounting my 10 kg loss!) in order for my hormones to balance out and get my skin looking good.

As for skincare, I’m still using my Retin A and savouring every last drop of the homemade serum that was made for me by the remarkably sweet, friendly, helpful and intelligent Sarah/dempeaux. I still use my Rio Rosa Mosqueta rosehip oil and my Simple Kind to Skin Light Moisturiser, as well. My cleanser has changed thanks to Suzanne, who recommended I give Dermaveen a shot. It’s very gentle but works far better to clean my skin than Cetaphil ever did. Cetaphil just isn’t for me, hey. Plus, the stuff smells like almonds/marzipan. Looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove.

Anyway, I think that’s all I have to say. I’ve got some pics of my skin below. Sorry about the different lighting – I don’t get it.

Still not pretty but improving. Slowly! To compare, check out the first lot of pics here, the second here and the third here.

Any words of encouragement (or questions) will be greatly appreciated!

Adios! xx

Most Reached For...PART TWO! Face & Lips

2011-12-06T20:53:00.000+11:00

Howdy!

As you can see, this one’s gonna be on face and lip stuff. Here’s a pic of my shiz:

Eh, another shit pic. My apologies.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover

Without a shadow of a doubt, my fave and most worn foundation (everyday use). The stuff glides on like butter but gives me a 100% matte finish. Plus, the coverage is the best I’ve experienced. HOWEVER, E.L. really need to get their shit together when it comes to shades. I've got both Very Light and Creamy Ivory (they're both supposed to be the same shade but diff. tones, if that makes sense) and neither fit me 100%. BAH.

Covergirl Aqua Smooth

Some of you may think it’s weird but I don’t often leave the house without foundation. I just don’t feel comfortable without having at least a bit of coverage on my red and zitty skin. This stuff is what I use when I take my dog for a walk, go out for some milk and go to my gran’s for a casual dinner. It covers extremely well but doesn’t have the best wear in the world. Still, it’s damn good! One of my fave cheapie foundations. P.S. If you look at the compact closely, you can see the reflection of my arm and scruffy bun. Good times.

BYS blusher in Coral

One of the blushes in my rotation for daily use. Pigmented, glowy and just plain pretty. Naice.

Natio blush in Peach Glow

Also in my daily rotation, but probably the one I reach for the most out of the main three. It’s a true peach with a subtle glow.

Australis Paparazzi Perfect blush in Flash It

The last blush of the three, and the one that’s the most matte. This leans more on the terracotta side, with a teeny hint of peach.

P.S. If you wanna see swatches of these blushes, click here.

Savvy by DB Jumbo Bronzer in Terracotta

Not sure why they bothered giving this a shade name as it’s their only bronzer. Anyway, this gets daily use. It’s completely matte and it great for not only warming up my face, but also contouring (which I pretty much never do – naughty). Fab bronzer for a fab price.

Lip balm (not pictured)

9 times out of 10, lip balm is pretty much what I stick to when it comes to my lips. At the mo, I’m not being too loyal to anything but my faves include the Nivea Original in the dark blue tube and the freebie I got from Cherry Culture. Funnily enough, I don’t have the Nivea one atm, and the CC one is long gone (I savoured that sucker ‘til the very, very end). God, it was good.

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Pink Blush

This pretty baby pink/candy pink lippie is easy to wear and suits what I often wear on my eyes (brown stuff) so it’s the lippie that gets used most.

Australis Colour Inject Mineral Gloss in Disco

Same sorta colour as the Rimmel lippie, but kinda reminds me of watermelon. But pink. Also kinda fluoroish. Kinda. Not really. Does that make sense? Prob not. Anyway, it’s an easy colour to wear and when I feel like putting gloss on, it’s usually this.

Australis Pressed Powder

A cheapie that gets daily use. It's awesome. Ta daaaa!

Any thoughts?

Most Reached For...PART ONE! Eye stuff

2011-12-02T14:49:00.000+11:00

Hi! The heading is pretty self-explanatory so let's just get into it. Here’s a pic of the stuff I constantly reach for when it comes to my eyes:

Excuse the slight blur. Photography isn't my forte.

Inglot Freedom System 5 palette including Pearl 423 (brown), Matte 366 (coral), Pearl 407 (light coral/peach), Pearl 404 (gold) and AMC Shine 11 (neutral).

These shadows are pigmented, super-blendable and buttery smooth. I use all of them very regularly, bar the coral, which is used only when I wanna change things up from my usual neutral eye.

Australis Eyeshadow Primer

Have reviewed this epic product here. Not only does this stuff work incredibly well, but it’s also cheap. Use this stuff on a daily basis, no exception.

Covergirl Liquiline Blast in Blackfire

You can tell I love this, yeah? Use it every single day because it’s smooth, jet-black and stays on. Much love.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Another fab shadow primer. It’s over double the price of the Australis one, but it’s got more product in it. In all honesty though, I won’t be repurchasing as the Australis one is cheaper, easily available to me and works just as well.

Eyeko Graffiti Eyeliner pen in Black

Before I got my Maybelline Eye Studio gel liners, this was used every single day, without fail. It’s 100% black and stays on til the wee hours. Highly recommended if you're after a good liquid liner.

NYX single shadow in Sparkle Cedar

Love! I use this daily as a base shadow and to help me blend. And on days I can’t be arsed, I just do a wash of this all over the lid. Best taupe ever.

L’Oreal Infallible/“Infaillable” shadow in Endless Chocolat

Oh, the love I have for this. My fave way to wear it is slapping it all over the lid for a gorgeous, darkish wash of colour. It goes on creamy and and stays on throughout the day and night, even without a primer. Really suggest you girls give these a try, especially this stunning chocolatey/bronzey shade.

Benefit BADgal Lash mascara

I toss up between using this and the mascara below. This gives me big, fat lashes and doesn’t clump. Worth the slighly exxy pricetag.

Covergirl LashBlast Volume

I deemed this my HG before I tried Benefit BADgal. This works nearly as well imo, and I’ve bought it about 1000 times. Both this and the Benefit one are amazing.

That’s it, guys! Hope you enjoyed.

Next on the agenda is my face shiz – blush, bronzer and foundation.

Experience with the Apivita Propolis Mask

2011-11-28T16:59:00.001+11:00

I think I may have found a prod that works to soak up the oil on my skin and stop me from looking like a hot mess by mid-morning. The product in question? Apivita’s Propolis mask. Here’s a pic of ½ the duo (the mask sachet is cut/perforated in two so you get two uses!):

Shithouse pic courtesy of my dead digital camera and my Samsung Galaxy S

I think the consistency of the mask is worth noting as it’s like no other mask I’ve used before. It’s like a semi-opaque chocolate-coloured jelly with bits of stuff in it. Very eloquent, Ange. The stuff looks a bit like grass. That’s all I can say about it, really. Whatever the hell it looks like/actually is (uhh, maybe it’s propolis?!), it felt really nice and cooling on my skin. When it came off, my skin felt fresh and soft, but that’s not really diff to my experience with other masks.

HOWEVER, the next day (and the one after!), when I put on my makeup and set out for the day, I didn’t get nearly as oily as I usually do. Not even close. Was it the mask working its magic? Perhaps. I’d like to think so because that means I’ve finally found something that works on oil. Woo!

So, fellow oily gals, check this thing out because I think it may be quite good. Quite.

Adios!

P.S. Let me know what works on your oily mugs.

MAJOR UPDATE: It’s been nearly a week since I used this mask and when I put my face on yesterday, my skin was a mess. It was so incredibly dry that it was scaly. Even my under-eye area was a dry mess. What the fuck. I've never had anything like that happen to me before. Since I’ve used nothing else new recently, I’m pretty much certain that the mask is to blame. *sigh* Back to the drawing board…

Christmas wishlist (beauty edition). Come ooooon, Santa!

2011-11-27T17:17:00.000+11:00

Snow Globe by China Glaze
I love glitter polishes. I need more. This one especially. COME TO ME.

Too Faced Beautiful Dreamer set
Saw this at Kit and died a little. In a good way. I want this. The quad and blush/bronzer duo is to die. Plus, look at that damn bag! NEED YOU.

Prada Candy
I've been using my Gloi stuff for a while now and I adore it. However, this perfume needs to welcome itself into my life. It smells sweeeeeeet and sosososo good. WANT.

Mac Cremeblend blush in Brit Wit and Something Special
Brit Wit is a weird-toned blush (imo) but I feel like it would look interesting on the mug. Something Special is just a plain pretty peach. The texture and look of these is nice. Real nice. NEED MORE CREME BLUSH.

Sleek blush in Rose Gold, Pomegranate, Pan Tao and Life's a Peach
Shit, these look good. I was *this close* to buying Rose Gold and Pomegranate from CrushCosmetics a few weeks ago but backed out when I realised I already have enough blush to last a decade. Whatevs. SLEEK PLZ.

Too Faced Cheek and Lip Color in Prim & Poppy
Was all set to buy this stupidly-good creme blush a couple of weeks ago but they were out. Bastards! I also need this. Can you tell I'm becoming a creme blush fiend? GIMME.

What's on your Christmas beauty wishlist?

Collective haul! WOOT.

2011-11-18T15:40:00.000+11:00

I made another video. Enjoy the awkwardness and the hilarious screen-cap!

Here are some pics of the goodies.

Byeeeeeeee!

PRODUCT REVIEW: Taut Gold Standard Collagen Orange Drink & Taut Gold Standard Collagen Infusion Mask

2011-11-10T10:52:00.000+11:00

Hey peeps!

Today I have a review on a couple of prodz that really impressed my mum/guinea pig – Taut’s Gold Standard Collagen Orange Drink and Taut’s Gold Standard Collagen Infusion Mask.

Here’s the golden duo in all its glory:

The mask claims to penetrate the skin and dramatically tone, hydrate, revitalise and brighten. It's suitable for all skin types (including sensitive) and claims to work wonders on ageing skin. It can also be used on younger mugs, too.

The drink claims to provide a big ol’ dose of concentrated collagen (13,000mg worth) and get the skin looking plumper and just plain better. And younger, too, of course.

Okay, let’s start with the masks. You’re provided with 5 cloth masks in the box which are completely saturated in goodness. We all know there’s nothing worse than bone-dry cloth masks (and makeup wipes!) so the fact that they’re almost dripping in product is fab. Here’s a pic of the back of the box so you can check out exactly what these masks promise:

My mum’s a bit of a cloth-mask fan so she adored these. She said they felt incredibly lush and hydrating and she loved to rub the mask down her neck and along her décolletage after she had it on for 15 mins (the sit-time for these is 7-10 mins but mum enjoyed these a little too much).

Here are pics of her forehead before and after using the mask:

As you can see, her skin looks hydrated, healthy and fresh after using the mask. Plus, her lone forehead wrinkle looks slightly less pronounced. WINNER! She thinks these would be especially fab for a pre-event pep-up. I concur.

Honestly, I cannot tell you how much my mum enjoyed these. Since she finished her box, I will more than likely buy her another as a nice, little stocking filler for Christmas. I’m sure she’ll be stoked.

Now, onto the orange drink. Here’s a slighly crappy pic of the back of the box:

Let’s start with the taste – it’s not bad, according to mum. It’s definitely orangey (duh - it’s got orange juice in it!), but there’s also something else which she couldn’t pinpoint. It's also got a very slight tinge of bitterness. She was a bit nervous about how it would taste (and so was I!) but all-round, she didn’t mind it at all. Phew! Oh, and she also fell in love with the packaging. She said they reminded her of ol’ skool medicine bottles. Cute.

As for the results, I couldn’t tell you. She drank it as directed, as well as using the masks, and her skin does look better, but we’re not sure if the drink made an impact. Still, she can’t deny that her skin looks better after using both these products.

All up, she adored the masks and enjoyed the drink, but thinks she’d like to stick to the masks on their own. She told me to HIGHLY RECOMMEND the masks to my readers. Can you tell she’s a fan? Oh, mother.

If you’re interested, you can purchase these goodies at GNC stores across Oz. The 5-pack of masks sits at $44.95 and the 8-pack of drinks sits at $84.95. You can find more info at www.taut.com.au.

Thoughts?

P.S. These prodz were provided by a lovely PR company. However, this fact didn't impact on my review. Mum and I speak the truth!

MAC's Fix+ vs. Australis' Make-Up Finishing Spritz

2011-11-09T14:02:00.000+11:00

Today I’m going to be comparing two ‘refresher sprays’. Well, that’s what I’m calling them anyway! Let's welcome the contestants:

Okay, so let’s start with the Australis Make-Up Finishing Spritz. I’m not going to ramble too much about it as I’ve already reviewed it here.

Now, while this stuff claims to keep your makeup on for longer, it doesn’t. At all. I don’t really know how it could considering it’s made up of Aloe and Rose Water (and other bits and bobs). However, that’s not what I bought it for. I bought it to refresh my skin after I put on a full face of makeup, to give me a hydrating boost during the day and to just plain cool me down when the sun is being a relentless bastard. For these uses, this stuff rocks. It also helps to piss off little flaky bits of skin when I have healing blemishes and get me looking fresh and non-cakefacey. Good stuff. The bottle you see above is my fourth so for me, it’s clearly a winner. It’s not a miracle spray but it works just fine. Plus, it’s cheap. $15 for the full-size, 150ml bottle. As for the smell, it’s okay. Not my fave smell in the world but it’s fine. It’s subtle so even if you don’t like it, it’s not too POWINYOURFACE!.

FYI, this is what Australis says about the stuff:

What is it

A light breathable spray that can be used anywhere anytime. The mini hydration-saver-mist provides an invisible shield over the face that sets make up perfectly for that ‘big’ night out and acts as an invisible barrier against temperature and environmental changes throughout the day. Formulated simply with rose water and aloe vera to maintain moisture and soft and supple skin.

Why we love it

Keeps your make-up in place all day! Revitalises and hydrates your skin on a make-up free day as well as allowing for fewer trips to the bathroom for retouching. A handy on the go revitalising pick me up! This fine mist is non-irritating and safe for all skin types.

Now to MAC’s Fix+. In Oz, this stuff is $27 for 100ml. Nearly double the price of the Australis stuff and 50ml less. Boourns. Let me start with the smell. I love it. Apparently it’s because of Sugi, which I discovered, through the power of Google, is a Japanese cedar. Interesting. Scent is a total individual thing but the smell of this stuff rocks my socks for some reason. Fix+ refreshes my face but it also feels heavier/less watery than the Australis spritz. Maybe because it’s got more goodies in it? I don’t know. Despite it’s slight ‘heaviness’, it feels nice on the skin and also successfully peps up my mug, makes me look less powdery and keeps the flakies at bay. I also like to spritz my foundation brush with this stuff before I put on my foundation. Not sure if it makes any diff but I enjoy doing it. Now, I’ve also been told this stuff works really well to ‘foil’ shadows and make them more vibrant but I haven’t tried that myself so I can’t say much about it. I also know that people spritz this on before and after makeup for a dewy finish. Must try that also. All in all, I like the stuff.

Here’s what MAC has to say about it:

An aqua-spritz of vitamins and minerals, infused with a calm-the-skin blend of green tea, chamomile, cucumber, topped off with the fresh, natural, energizing scent of Sugi. Adds radiance. Finishes makeup. Skin drinks it up.

In conclusion (essay stylez), while I do like the Fix+, I think the Australis Make-Up Finishing Spritz will do me just fine. It’s cheap and effective - can't argue with that. Who knows though, I may change my mind later down the track. If I do, I’ll let you know.

So, what do you think? Are you a Fix+ lover or does the Make-Up Finishing Spritz rock your boat?

Update on losing kaboose, getting healthy and clearing up my skin

2011-11-04T13:59:00.000+11:00

Gyme? What's a gyme? ...Ohhhh, a gyme. I love you, Homer.

I haven’t updated you all on my weight/skin issues for a while. First there was the madness that was the ABBW and then I had some health issues that really fucked up my shit.

So, how am I going? Good! Now. The ABBW proved to be dangerous when it came to eating healthy. Picture a hotel room with an abundance of chocolate, chips, cheese and fizz. Eek. Was insanely fun though! Love the #sweetnsalty girls and all the other beauty babes I met. Once the incredibly fun madness was over, I continued to eat like shit. Then I ran into a health issue that scared me shitless which then, in turn, made me eat even worse. Guess I was trying to make myself feel better. Fail.

The result of eating like shit? I put on nearly all of the weight I had lost previously. Foolish. Oh well.

I’m now wrapping up my 2^nd week of changing my lifestyle and eating habits and I feel fucking awesome. I have an insane amount of energy and I just plain feel good about myself. Nice change from wanting to beat my head against the wall for eating Maccas. The other week I lost 3kgs. Some of you might think that’s way too much but for my size, it’s pretty normal. I have aaaalot to lose. Hopefully when I weigh myself on Sunday, I’ll have lost a bit more.

Some days are hard and some days are easy as pie (mmm...pie). I just keep reminding myself how great I feel, where I want to be and what I want to get out of it i.e. good health, better skin and a wardrobe filled with nicer clothes.

I'm basically eating low-GI and have completely cut out bullshit like Coke, fast food and copious amounts of crap like chocolate and chips. Oh, and I've cut down on my coffee intake, too.

As for my skin, it’s okay. Some days I feel like I see improvements but then a few more zits crop up and BAM!, I feel crap again. Woe. Btw, my routine has changed. This is what I’m now using:

Cleanser: Cetaphil (so boring and meh - not a fan)

Treatments: Retin A 0.05% and a homemade Kinetin and Niacinamide serum made by the lovely Sarah aka dempeaux

Moisturiser: Rio Rosa Mosqueta rosehip oil and Simple Kind to Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser

Here are some pics of my skin. There’s no real diff compared to these pics but I've made it a habit to attach new pics every time I update. Sorry about the different lighting. I was standing in the same spot for both pics but it’s a real bitch to get the lighting exactly the same. *sigh*

So, there it is! If you’ve made it this far in this mammoth post, I applaud and thank you. Cheerio!

Hello Kitty!

2011-11-03T15:00:00.000+11:00

The other week, I got a pleasant surprise in the mail. By pleasant, I mean WOOOOO!!!!11 OMG YES!!!1 RU SERZ?!?! WOOOOO!!1!. Here’s a clue:

Pretty big clue, huh? I got some Hello Kitty cosmetics!

Now, I’ve gotta admit, I’m not one of those hardcore Hello Kitty fans. You know those chicks that cart around Hello Kitty bags, phone covers and other cutesy bits and bobs? Not me. Not my thing. TBH, I’m not really a fan at all. However, I am a total sucker for cute packaging and let me tell you, the packaging for this new range is just damn adorable. Cuteness to the max. Take a squiz at my lil' pile:

You can’t deny the cute!

Here are some swatches if you want an idea of what the prodz are like before you go out and buy.

1. Mate (how it’s spelt!) & Kiss lipstick in Bollywood

2. Shine & Kiss lipstick in Violetta

3. Lip balm in Kawai Kiss

4. Magnetic Lip Gloss in Baby Lip

1. Blush in Venise

2. Eyeshadow in Desert Dore

3. & 4. Shadow duo in La Dame Au Camelia

5. Diamond Stars Roll-On Glitter for Face & Body in Angel Rain

Top black swatch is the Kohl liner in Black and the bottom swatch is the Pretty Eyeliner (liquid liner) in Black.

Initial thoughts on the stuff I’ve tried so far?

* The Intense Kohl pencil is amaze. Very smooth and very black.

* The Pretty Eyeliner is awesome! It’s not only superduper black but also stays put all day long. BIGTIMEWINNER.

* The Mono Eyeshadow in Desert Dore is pretty. Great as a highlight (along the brow bone and/or on the cheeks) or as an all-over wash on the lid. I’ve been using it on my cheekbones as a highlight and I’m loving it. P.S. My cam sucked at showing just how pretty this is in natural light. Apologies.

* Both the Shine & Kiss and Mate & Kiss lippies are gorgeous. Great pigmentation and smooth on the lips. However, the Mate & Kiss lippie in Bollywood isn’t matte. It’s not as glossy-looking as the Shine & Kiss but it’s defo not matte. Just so you know…

* The Magnetic Lip Gloss in Baby Lip is just plain lovely. The colour is stunning but my stupid cam didn’t pick it up well at all. It’s a peachy-pink gloss with mostly gold shimmer and other coloured flecks. So much love.

* The Lip Balm is not only a great balm (moisturises well!) but also has a great punch of colour. Plus, the tin is incredibly cute. I imagine these will be a big hit.

* The Blush in Venise is just dandy. I looove the colour (totes me) and the formula is unbelievably smooth and blend-friendly.

From what I can tell, this range has some real treasures. You must go and swatch immediately! Immediately.

Prices range from $9.95 - $14.95.

Available now at selected Priceline stores. Call 1300650981 for stockist info.

Are you a big Hello Kitty fan? Are you planning on buying anything from the range?

P.S. These products were sent to me by a lovely PR person. Oh, and if you’re thinking this is all a big brag post, it’s not. I just thought you guys would like to see some swatches and hear some thoughts before you go out and buy. That’s what we beauty bloggers like to do, right? Right.

Shopping the stash

2011-11-02T11:27:00.000+11:00

I haven’t shopped my stash in ages. I keep buying and buying and I’ve gotten to the point where I kinda have no bloody clue what I’ve got. I did a little clean-out the other day and came across some pretty pigments I bagged a couple of years ago that I had completely forgotten about. I got them around Christmastime from good ol’ Target and truth be told, when I got them, I pretty much put them in my makeup storage tower thingy and then forgot about them. Well done, Ange. Well done.

Here are some swatches for the sake of pretty photos.

Aren’t they lovely? So glad I came across them!

The point of this post? I wanted to show off my find. The other point? To ask you all about shopping your stash. Done it? Do it every now and again? Need to do it? What beauties have you come across when shopping your stash? Discuss!

PRODUCT REVIEW (x2!) - Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Make-up Remover and Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes

2011-10-28T15:09:00.001+11:00

Today I’m reviewing a couple of beaut products: the Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Make-up Remover (ingredient goodies include aloe and cucumber extracts to soooothe) and the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes. Let’s get into it!

Oil-Free Eye Make-up Remover - 112ml for $10.99

Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes - 25 towelettes for $7.99

Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover

The good?

This stuff just melts eye stuff off. Melts! I just place it on my eye, lift it off and everything is gone. It’s a bit mindblowing to see how well it works.

It doesn’t leave an oily residue. I don’t mind a residue too much (my fave eye makeup remover leaves one), but not having one is even better. My eye area felt super-clean and fresh after using this.

It doesn’t irritate my eyes. Now, this is an individual thing but speaking for myself, this didn’t irritate or sting my eyes at all. I’ve used some so-called ‘gentle’ eye makeup removers that have stung me senseless when I got them into my eye. This didn’t do that.

The not-so-good?

Nada! Truly.

Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes

The good?

They’re massive. This is an awesome thing. Having a big ol’ wipe is hella handy for getting absolutely everything off your mug. P.S. I've posted a pic below so you can see just how big these are!

They remove makeup pretty well. I’m not going to lie and say this stuff removes 100% of my makeup, but it gets pretty damn close. I don’t think I’ve ever met a makeup wipe that removed everything 100% anyway. Oh and btw, Neutrogena claims it removes 99.3% of makeup. That’s certainly an interesting percentage…

They’re quite soft. They’re not the softest wipe I’ve ever used but they’re definitely not the harshest.

They don’t irritate. Again, this is a total personal thing – it all depends on your skin and eyes. For me, these were gentle on both my skin and eyes and didn’t break me out.

They’re moist. I cannot stand dry makeup wipes. Bloody pointless. These have a substantial amount of moisture so they’re fab to work with.

The not-so-good?

The cloth felt a tad harsh on my eyes. This isn’t really new for makeup wipes – most of them aren’t that great for le peepers. The cloths themselves are soft, but they can be a little scratchy on the eye if you’re not ultra-careful.

Here's a pic to show you how massive the cloth is. The Neutrogena one is sitting underneath a wipe from another brand. See how much bigger it is? Perfect.

All up, I’m besotted with the Oil-Free Eye Make-up Remover (purchase worthy!) and the wipes are great and may be a future purchase as well.

Any thoughts?

P.S. I received these from a PR company. However, as usual, no B.S.

Top 5 Blushes

2011-10-27T13:19:00.000+11:00

Heylo!

I’m going through a bit of a blush phase atm so I thought I’d blog about the 5 blushes in my collection that I enjoy the most. I’ve got some pics for you below. P.S. Apologies for the ridiculously small numbers. Just click the pic to see them better!

Natural light

More natural light

W/ flash + a tad blurry

1. Flash It – Australis Paparazzi Perfect High Definition Blush

This is my newest acquisition and I wear it constantly. It’s peachy with a hint of beige and a sprinkling of terracotta. I think it’s lovely. I'm pretty sure it would suit most skintones, too. Yay! Gives a nice, natural flush to the cheeks.

2. Shoot to Thrill - Australis Paparazzi Perfect High Definition Blush

I bought this on a whim because I decided I needed a pink blush as I didn’t already have one in my collection. This baby looks scary as hell/clownesque in the pan but on the cheeks, it transforms into a beautiful, soft wash of pink. Love it. I prefer wearing this when I have a little less on the eye.

3. Coral – BYS blusher

After hearing constant raves about this blush from other bloggers, I just knew I had to have it. I’m a big, big lover of peachy cheeks. This blush is not only cheap as chips ($4!), but it’s also highly pigmented and just plain stunning. As you can see, it does have a bit of a pearly finish, but it doesn’t have sparkle or shimmer. If you like your blush to stand out on your cheeks, this is a winner.

4. Peach Glow – Natio blush

When I first bought this and slapped it on, I was less than impressed. It just didn’t have the punch that I wanted. Fast forward to the present day and this is now one of my most fave blushes ever. This stuff gives a gorgeous, very natural flush and adds the perfect amount of peach to your cheeks. This one’s especially great for those of you who don’t want anything overbearing in terms of colour but still want a subtle wash of pretty.

5. Unnamed – Natio Mineral Blusher

Now, this stuff is really, really sparkly when you first apply it, but when you blend it out, about 98% of the shimmer fades and you're left with a beautiful colour and just the right amount of sheen. My pics didn’t really pick up the colour too well but it’s a soft pink with a hint of dusty rose. Really beautiful and especially lovely for the colder months. P.S. I've searched for these everywhere and can't find them. Weird.

So, there they are – my 5 fave blushes.

Have you tried any of my faves? What are your blush superstars?

Pre-event mug prep

2011-10-22T12:01:00.000+11:00

Oh, hi! Good to see you again.

Today I’m going to be talking about a pretty cool prod – the Bioxidea Miracle 24 24 Hour Face Lift. It’s basically a cloth mask that claims to revitalize your skin and get it looking all lush and wrinkle-free for up to 24 hours (max results can be seen around 4 hours in). And apparently, regular use is said to improve crappy fine lines permanently. Nice.

I tried this baby on my mum as I have perfect skin that doesn’t need improvement whatsoever. Lies. However, she does have more wrinkles than me so I thought the results would show up better on her than they would on me.

So, does this stuff work? Well, yes and no.

Firstly, mum loooved the feeling of it. She said it smelt good (I concur) and felt super-lush on her skin. Very pampering, she said. The actual mask had plenty of product on it so it was nice and moist. Plus, the cloth was a great size. I’ve tried some other cloth masks that I had to tear in certain places so it could sit properly – very annoying.

Mum kept it on for 30 mins (it says to leave it on for 15-30) and when she took it off, her skin was super-soft. She also felt that her mug looked plumper, a tad more even and a bit glowy.

As for helping out with her fine lines, we didn’t really see any diff. I took some pics at various intervals (she wasn’t too enthused about that) but no changes really showed up on film (hence why I haven’t got any pics in this post). Still, mum said she was quite impressed despite the lack of improvement with regards to her fine lines.

All up, this stuff is great if you want to give your mug a bit of a pep-up and make it feel softer before a big event, but if you want to help with the fine line sitch, one mask might not cut it.

If you’d like to try this stuff for yourself, a pack of 3 costs $49.95 and can be found in selected Myer stores, selected Priceline stores and a few pharmacies. You can also buy on the official website at www.bioxidea.com.au if you like a spot of online shopping (who doesn’t?!).

P.S. I received this from a PR company but there’s absolutely no BS in this post. Okay? Okay.

Anyone tried this stuff or another prod from the range? How do you prep your mug before a big event?

Hairy Maclary...no more!

2011-10-14T13:29:00.000+11:00

De-fuzzing. It’s not something we tend to talk about with reckless abandon but it’s something every girl deals with. Personally, I’m a shaver. I can’t be arsed heading out to get waxed and laser is a little too exxy atm. Still, I’m okay with shaving. Doesn’t really bother me.

During the ABBW, we had the pleasure of listening to a talk by Larisa Alexander, CEO of TriShave. I really enjoyed her speech. She was incredibly passionate and enthusiastic about her brand and it really spoke to me. Now, I’m not gonna lie – I’ve never heard of the brand before. Pretty unfortunate considering I’m now in love with the 2 women’s prodz I received. Here they are:

Pink and purple! Weeee!

Let’s talk about the Shave Crème first. This is a 3in1 prod as it cleanses, conditions and moisturises. It’s got goodies like rose and tea tree oils so it prevents irritation and keeps skin looking good. This prod is a major standout. I usually use soap lather to shave (naughty) and while it works fine, this works so much better. The crème really grabs onto the fuzz so it gives you a much smoother and better shave. When I used just plain soap, my legs and underarms would be hair-free, but they weren’t that soft or that great to look at. I’ve been using this stuff since I got it (a few weekends ago) and my skin looks loads better (not as irritated and red) and feels much, much softer. More supple. Just lovely, really. Once I finish my tube, I’ll definitely be buying another. This is now a shower staple. P.S. You can really smell the tea tree oil. It’s not overpowering, but you can definitely smell it. May be an issue if you're not a fan.

How to use it: Moisten skin with some good ol’ H20 and slap this stuff on. You don’t need much! Oh, and it doesn’t foam as it doesn’t have soap or soap substitutes. Nice one.

Next, the UV Body Defense Post Shave Moisturiser. This stuff is fragrance-free, hypo-allergenic and even has SPF 30+ (both UVA and UVB filters)! LOVE THIS. Such a good and handy prod, especially since summer is coming up. This stuff has goodies like Evening Primrose oil, Vitamins A and E, as well as Shea Butter. It’s pretty concentrated (but not thick) so a little goes a looong way. I even use this on my arms (which I don’t shave) as well as my legs and other bits. Another good thing? It doesn't leave any sort of icky residue. It just sinks in and dissapears! Perfect. However, don't be fooled - it moisturises really well. Again, this is another prod totes worthy of purchase.

How to use it: Slather it on!

Here are some pics for your viewing pleasure:

3in1 Shave Creme in blob-form

Rubbed in

Post shave moisturiser in blob-form

Rubbed in

The UV Body Defense Post Shave Moisturiser is $14.69.

The 3in1 Shave Crème is $8.50.

For stockist info etc., head to www.trishave.com.au.

Anyone love these goodies as much as I do? How do you de-fuzz?

Stuff I'm loving atm!

2011-10-11T15:12:00.001+11:00

I made a vid about it. Check it out! P.S. Great preview shot, no?

And here are the Inglot swatches I promised. The fourth pretty much matched my skin colour.

Adios!

Videos? Yay or Nay?

2011-10-07T16:09:00.000+11:00

Oh, hello!

I made a pretty shitty video the other night (was my first shot!) and it got me thinking... should I do more? Sometimes I think people are a little sick of reading a big wall of text and want something a little different.

Now, let me make it clear that the quality of my videos will suck. I use my webcam because my digi cam has horrendous sound/major volume issues. I won't be doing tutorials though. Just random stuff likes monthly faves etc.

Anyway, let me know what you think!

And if anyone's up for a good laugh, I've posted my shithouse video below. It's bad. I'm aware of that. Also, if you've read about my IMATS haul, expect repetition.

Cheerio!

Not a fan...

2011-10-07T16:00:00.000+11:00

I’m back with some things that I’m not a fan of. Things that were disappointing. Things I wouldn’t buy again. Things that were shithouse.

Dermalogica Clearing Mattifier

Bought this for my super-oily skin. Claims to work on oil reduction, keep makeup intact and clear up zits. Didn’t live up to any of those promises. I don’t hate the stuff but I’m definitely not buying it again or recommending it to anyone. That sounds a tad unfair but it just didn’t do anything for me. It may work if you have only a slight issue with oil, or get oily just in the T-zone.

Lancome Hypnose Drama

Didn’t buy this stuff with my own cashola, I got it at a PR event. Now, this is my first high-end mascara and most likely my last, given its performance. I expected a WOW!!!!11 factor and it just didn’t give it to me. Don’t get me wrong, it works just fine. It separated and lengthened and all that jazz, but it definitely isn’t worth the hefty price tag. There are far cheaper mascaras that absolutely kick this ones arse (WUT UP, COVERGIRL LASHBLAST VOLUME!).

OLAY Body Wash w/ Spa Exfoliating Ribbons

Lame name aside, I was excited to give this stuff a whirl. Only used it a few times (hence the nearly-full bottle) but I can safely say that it sucks and I will never repurchase it. It didn’t have nearly enough ‘micro beads’ to give me a decent exfoliation. I didn’t expect scrub-like results, but I did expect softer skin. Nah. It’s fine as a body wash alone but that’s beside the point – it didn’t do what it said it would. Boo for you, Olay.

Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Eye Roller

Not only did this stuff irritate the shit out of my eyes, but it also made no diff to the fine lines. And if you’re thinking I put it too close to my eye, I didn’t. No matter how far down I slapped this stuff on, it always managed to creep into my eye and cause havoc. Bastard. This may work for someone else and not irritate them, but it certainly didn’t work for me. The only plus? The balls felt nice*. Cooling. Lush. Lovely.

Have any of you tried these prodz? What did you think? What’s disappointed you lately?

* Uh, lol.

Budge-proof eyes. Well, eyeshadow. You know what I mean!

2011-10-04T15:14:00.000+11:00

Once upon a time, there was a girl called Angela who didn’t believe in eye primers. She just thought they were another useless gimmick. Total BS. Crap! Etc.

One day, Angela got her hands on Two Faced’s Shadow Insurance and everything changed. Whenever she used the stuff, her eyeshadow didn’t budge. It was pretty epic.

A couple of weeks ago, Angela attended a wonderful weekend called the ABBW. During the course of the weekend, she bagged an insane amount of goodies. One of the goodies? The Australis Eyeshadow Primer. “Pah!”, she said. “Sif this is gonna work.” See, Angela was always a big fan of Australis but she didn’t really think their shadow primer would work. Not sure why, really. She just didn't. How wrong she was…

I hope you enjoyed my story. I know, I know – I’m a literary genius.

Anyway, this stuff is awesome. I cannot even believe how well it works. I’m pretty sure it works just as well as the Shadow Insurance. But of course, it’s loads cheaper. WHY OH WHY DID I BUY SHADOW INSURANCE BEFORE I TRIED THIS. I blame bloggers. Yes, you. Naughty minxes.

To show you how well it works, I took a few freakish-looking pics of my eyes. No making fun of my sub par shadow technique! The first pic was taken in the morn’ and the second was taken in the evening. I’d say we’re talking about 6 hours of wear. P.S. You may need to wear some sunnies before checking out the ‘after’ pic. Major oil-slick/sexy pore action.

Photography skillz

Before

After

Crappy photography skillz aside, my shadow is the same. I hope my pics show that.

Now, I’m pretty sure this baby works just as well as the Two Faced version but I’m tempted to do a proper comparison. Would anyone be interested? Lemme know!

Anyone tried this? Did you love it as much as I did? Hate it? Discuss.

Mmm, sweet stuff...

2011-10-01T13:05:00.000+10:00

Pic taken from official website as my bottle looks pitiful.

My obsession for Haus of Gloi’s Twice is Nice warrants a post. Yeah, it does.

Every time I smell it, it makes me crazy. In a good way. It is probably the most amazing thing I’ve ever smelt in my entire life. True story.

Here’s how Haus of Gloi describe it: Sweetest offerings of opulence! Buttery sugar cookie, with shavings of creamy coconut and topped with toasted almond slivers!

How I describe it: OHHHH, GOD, YES. Also: sweet! Soooo very sweet. The key scent I get whacked with first is almond cookies. Amazing almond cookies. The best in town. I can kinda smell coconut but mostly sweet, almondy goodness. If you’ve smelt sweet almond oil before, it’s kinda like that but about 2000x better. God, it’s good.

As for lasting power, it’s got it. I was in Glassons a few weeks ago and one of the girls who worked there stopped me and demanded I tell her what perfume I was wearing. I couldn’t even smell it on me but apparently it was still working its magic after about 3 hours of slapping it on. Bless you, Twice is Nice.

If you’re down for sweet scents, you need to try this stuff out. It’s imperative. Do it. Do it now. NOW, BITCH! I didn’t mean to call you bitch. I love you all.

In conclusion, while I wait for another 3 bottles of this sweet, sweet goodness to arrive at my front door, I bid you a good day.

P.S. It's $12, people! Goooo! Go now!

PRODUCT REVIEW - Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Toner

2011-09-30T17:16:00.000+10:00

You may or may not know that my face is fucking annoying. Well, more specifically, the skin on my face. To add to its plethora of issues, I’ve recently been encountering a hell of a lot of oil. Seriously – I'm talking total oil-slick within one hour of stepping outside. Really attractive stuff.

When I received an email asking me if I’d like to try one of the new oil-control Kiehl’s prodz, I pretty much jumped with joy. The range has a bunch of impressive-sounding ingredients such as Antarcticine and Imperata Cylindrica so it sounded like the goods. I chose the toner (I enjoy toners!) so if you're interested to know what it was like, keep on readin'.

How much is it? $28

How much product do you get? 250ml

The good?

It refreshed my skin. I’m aware that pretty much all toners do this but hey, it had to be mentioned. My skin felt refreshed and super-squeaky clean after I used this. I must say, it wasn’t as refreshing as other toners I’ve tried in the past. Didn’t give me that much-needed morning pep-up. Boo.

It removed oil. When I swiped this stuff on, my skin looked instantly mattified. It didn't last though. More on this below. Double boo.

It didn’t dry out my skin. Being an oil-control prod, you'd think it’d dry out the skin but low and behold, it didn’t. Good stuff. P.S. This stuff is alcohol-free (explains why it didn’t dry out my mug!), oil free (duh), pH-balanced and doesn’t have any evil parabens, silicones or fragrances.

The packaging. It’s important, I tells ya! I like it. It’s pretty.

The not so good?

It didn’t help clear up/control the oil. Really unfortunate. I had high hopes with all the mention of cool ingredients and impressive stats (apparently it’s supposed to ‘balance’ skin in a mere week!) but I can safely say it didn’t have any affect on my oil whatsoever. That being said, I have a major oil problem so if you’re only slightly oily, it may work for you.

The smell. It reminded me of the liquid I used to put in my Nebuliser (asthma shiz) when I was a wee, wheezy kid. In other words, not good. Still, I’ve smelt worse.

The price. $28 is pretty hefty for a toner. But hey, if it had worked, it wouldn’t have been an issue.

...

All up, I won’t be buying this stuff. It didn’t help my oil sitch, it smelt a tad funky and it wasn’t as refreshing as I like my toners to be. Quite the shame considering I’ve become quite the Kiehl’s fan.

Anyone tried this? Or anything else in the range? Thoughts?

IMATS Haul

2011-09-29T14:35:00.000+10:00

Hello!

I’ve been a horrible blogger. Sorry! Hopefully this post will get me back into the swing of things and I'll start posting regularly again.

Last weekend was awesome. The ABBW was something I’ll most likely never forget. It was not only fun as hell but also motivational, inspirational and just plain cool. Unfortunately, I hardly took any pics so please refer to some other, better bloggers if you want the scoop on the awesome weekend.

As part of the ABBW, all attendees scored tix to IMATS. Woot! It was incredible but also very overwhelming. Crowds + chicks pushing and shoving for makeup = eek. Still, I managed to have a great time and score a few bits and pieces. If I hadn’t been so exhausted on Sunday, it would’ve been great to go back and pick up some other things I wanted. Dang. Anyway, without further ado, here are the goodies I picked up from IMATS:

Did you miss my crappy photography? You so did.

MAC Fix+

Been wanting this for a while. I believe it was 20% off at IMATS so I got a nice, little saving (not sure how much I actually bought it for, though!). I used it today after I slapped on my slap and it was fine. It gave my skin some moisture and pepped me up a bit. I also enjoyed the smell. We’ll see how it goes, yeah?

Mehron Face Smoothie

I like using a brush for my foundation but I’d heard so many good things about the Beauty Blender that I thought I’d give the cheaper version a go. Haven’t used it yet but will defo blog about it when I do. This was $10. Yay.

Inglot 5 palette

Inglot has been on my list for a while. Everyone and their freakin’ dog has been raving about their shadows so it was just a matter of time before I had their goodness in my hands, as well. Truthfully, I could’ve bought 20 shadows but managed to settle for 5. The pigmentation and smoothness of these shadows is fucking amazing. I was drowning in swatches (seriously – I had them up to my elbow before a lovely girl took pity on me and handed me a makeup wipe) but managed to buy myself 5 perfect shades. Wore a few of them today and I’m a little in love. Oh, Inglot. <3 I paid $42 for this lil palette. Or $44. Can’t remember. Whatevs.

Girlee Cosmetics pigments + sealant thingy

I’ve never heard of this brand before but they had some ridonkulously beautiful shadows. Yes, I’m a shadow-fiend. I bagged the shades HD Bronze, Screaming Pink and Gold Bronze. Crazy-pigmented and gorgeous. They were my first purchase and I cannot for the life of me remember how much they were. Must try them out soon! Oh, and as for the sealant, it basically intensifies the shadows. I saw it in action and it was an instant purchase.

Crown something-something brush

I have no idea what the name of this brush is. I don’t really care. I bought this because Anita convinced me it was the shit for applying liquid foundation. If it doesn’t work, I’ll be sending her an abusive tweet. This was $20.

I also picked up a Ben Nye makup sealer and a few cream blushes from Mehron (a pressie for someone) and managed to lose them all, bar one of the blushes. Epic fail. I was so keen to try the Ben Nye stuff! Balls.

As for regrets, I really wish I hadn’t walked away from those MUFE Aqua Creams. They were bloody amazing. Fail. So much fucking fail. ANYWAY.

Any thoughts on my lil haul?

PRODUCT REVIEW - Milani One Coat Glitter Polishes

2011-09-10T16:35:00.001+10:00

I love glittery stuff. LOVE it. Anything that sparkles, shimmers or even kinda slightly almost sometimes catches the light and glistens needs to be mine. When I saw the Milani One Coat Glitter polishes, I had to have them. Are they any good? Yes. Yes. YESSSSS. Yes.

Such a good photo.

How much are they? US$3.99 at Cherry Culture atm.

How much product do you get? 13.2ml / 0.45 fl

The good?

They’re glittery! Duh, right? These babies are super sparkly and just bloody gorgeous. I’ll post some pics below so you can see the awesomeness. Ignore the fug nails, shoddy paint job and horrifically-dry cuticles.

You don’t need a base colour. Woo! Cuts the whole making-your-nails-glittery process in half. Winner.

Great staying power. With a top coat, this polish lasts for about a week. This is pretty phenomenal in my eyes.

The removal process doesn't make you wanna die on the inside. Removing glitter polish is a bitch but these are a hell of a lot easier to whip off. Not as easy as regular polish but not nearly as bad as other glitter polishes.

Price. They’re cheap! Hoorah!

The not so good?

They dry to a matte-finish. Now, this might be fine for some but I don’t really like matte. Even if you put a top coat on, they still stay a tad matte. Well, not as shiny and glossy as other polishes, anyway. While I don’t like matte-finish nails, these are so damn pretty that I kinda don’t give a shit.

The name is B.S. One coat glitter? No. The first pic below shows you what they look like with one coat. Not pretty. Slap another coat on and it’s perfect, though. No biggie for me.

Availability. For those of you in the States, I hate you (not really) because I’m pretty sure you can get these in plenty of places. For Aussies and other peeps from around the globe, I think online is the only way to go.

And some pics for you:

All in all, I love these and am totes glad I bought them. If you’re into glittery nails, I really recommend these. Go forth, fellow glitter-lovers.

If All My Makeup Dissapeared...

2011-09-07T14:12:00.000+10:00

There was a ‘If all my makeup disappeared’ tag floating around YouTube a little while ago and I thought I’d get on it. From what I can see, it’s basically ‘10 things you always use/need/obsess over’. So, without further ado, here are 10 things I’d totes re-purchase if all my makeup disappeared (NOOOOOO!!!!11!1!).

Estee Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover in Very Light

I’m liking this foundation! It feels creamy, gives a matte finish and covers pretty darn well. If you only have a few blemishes or marks, you’ll pretty much get a flawless finish. The shade ‘Very Light’ is a tad too light for me but the next shade up is far too dark. Boourns. At least I can use bronzer… Would definitely re-purchase if it disappeared.

Natio blush in Peach Glow

I love my BYS blush in Coral but I find that I reach for this one far more often. It’s just such an easy colour to wear, with its lush yet soft peachy tone. Well done, Peach Glow.

Savvy by DB Bronzer in Terracota

I love this! I love the colour, the fact that it has absolutely zero shimmer and the price. I think it was under $10. Bargain! Plus, the thing is bloody huge. Win.

Australis Pressed Powder in Natural

Another love. Cheap and good. Uh, yeah.

Covergirl LashBlast Volume (not pictured)

Love this stuff! I find it really hard to stray from this mascara and when I do, I always go back to it. It just fucken rocks.

Prestige Browliner in Taupe/Australis Eyebrow pencil in Light Brown

I love these equally. They both work awesomely, they’re both the perfect colour for me (although the Prestige one is a smidgen darker) and they’re both pretty cheap.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

How the hell did I manage without you, my love? This shiz is the shiz. When my makeup is sliding off my face and my skin is oily as hell (I don’t know wtf is up with my skin anymore. Frankly, I’m sick of its bullshit.), I can, at least, be happy to say that my shadow is perfect. Yay.

Covergirl LiquilineBlast in Blackfire

I enjoy this a lot. It’s smooth, very black and well-priced. I also like Prestige’s Waterproof Automatic Eyeliner but I prefer this just a little bit more.

Eyeko Graffiti Eyeliner Pen in Black

Loving this. So effin black and the staying power is fab. I’m still finding it a little hard to work with the extra-fine nib (lack of skillz) but I’m getting there. So far, this defo earns a re-purchase status.

Lancome shadow quad in Blondette Fatale

Goddd, I love this. I scored it from a Lancome event about a month or so ago and I’m in total love. I can do both my brows and eyes with it. Genius! If I were to go on holiday and had limited space for eye and brow stuff, I could definitely live with just this quad alone. This baby has two matte shades (taupe and dark brown) and two magnificent shimmers (pinky champagne and bronze). I die. Shame it’s nearly $100. *gulp*

So, what 10 prodz would you immediately re-purchase if they went missing? Anything you just couldn’t live without?

Revlon Top Speed Fash Show

2011-09-05T21:02:00.001+10:00

This past weekend, my unstylish self was allowed to attend/invade a fashion show presented by ACP's 30 Days of Fashion and Beauty and Revlon Top Speed. I felt ~~heaps glam~~ shit while I watched the insanely tall and insanely long-limbed models stride by me. Honestly, I was in total awe. Ahh, to be a model...

Alyssa Sutherland, Sarah Stephens and Heidi Harrington-Johnson were there, too (mega-babes) as was superstar MUA, Elsa Morgan. Oh, and the fash director of Cosmo, Nicole Adolphe was the MC. Nice.

Anyways, I took a few piccies for you. They're not that good. Soz.

The show pretty much reiterated that great, big blocks of obnoxiously bright colours are totes in for the upcoming season and that being a model means you look stupidly-hot in everything. Also: turbans. Totes in. I want one. Oh, and suede, sky-high heels and wedges in bright shades. Lovely.

Now for the Revlon Top Speed polishes. Here’s my little collection:

I’ve tried the yellow (Electric) and while the colour is the shit (would look extra amazing on someone tanned/dark skinned), the formula seems a bit wonky. I can’t really explain what makes it wonky. It’s just a little hard to work with. I’m going to play around with the other colours, suss out the formula a bit more and write up a NOTD/review in the future. Stay tuned!

So, my summer to-do list:

wear bright colours on my mug and bod
get taller
slap a turban on my head at every opportunity
grow obscenely-long legs
wear heels I can’t walk in

P.S. If you saw anything you like/want/need in the above pics, the clothes are by Seduce and Dotti and the shoes are by Lipstik and Siren. Oh, and the clutches are by Olga Berg.

Another thing: The Glam Vans are coming! WTF is a glam van? It's a van that gives peeps free mini-manis and free Top Speed polishes. Woo! Go here for more info on dates and locations.

Cheerio!

Skin/Weight/General Crap Update

2011-09-02T11:24:00.000+10:00

Sup girlies!

Thought I’d update you on my skin and weight and all that getting healthy shiz.

I’m not gonna lie – it’s been fucking hard. Changing my eating habits/style from bad to good has been a massive challenge. I haven’t been making the best decisions this past month but I’ve definitely improved. Yay!

I find that weekends are the hardest/worst. Too much alcohol + drunk 4am meals at Maccas + hungover meals at Maccas the next day = bad. Plus, I just tend to eat crap. Naughty me.

In terms of exercise, I’ve been okay. I take my dog for a walk twice a day and I hit the treadmill every once in a while (READ: not enough). The issue I have with exercising is the fact that I get a really severe burning sensation from my ankle and along my calf about 5-10 mins after I begin. I’ve been having this issue for years and don’t know wtf it is! I’ve tried stretching beforehand but it’s made no diff. A friend told me it was some sort of lactic acid issue. Anyone got a clue on how I can help this problem!? Plz.

The good news is that I’ve lost 5kgs! WOOT. The bad news is that I can’t really tell. Lolz fail. I’m a big girl so I guess that’s no real surprise. Hopefully the next 5 will show. My rings feel looser, though! Woot? Woot.

As for my skin, it’s still bad but it's improved. I’ve been using my Rio Rosa Mosqueta oil religiously (fucking love the stuff!) and every now and again, I use my Kiehl’s Overnight Biological Peel. I also use my MD Formulations Face and Body Scrub once or twice a week. Big thanks to Tara for giving it to me! I've posted some pics of my skin below. And yes, I have a towel on my head.

Here's my last post so you can compare.

Anyway, that’s all. Hopefully next time I update you I’ll be a size 10 and have perfectly clear skin. Ha! No.

Have a good weekend, kids!

Empty Shit

2011-08-30T15:18:00.000+10:00

Some empty shit to show you. Hooray.

L’Oreal Revitalift Wipes: I enjoyed these. They smelt nice and worked well. Good on the eyes, too. The end.

JemmaFIJIGLOW: I’m ashamed at how fucking old this bottle is. I got it as a freebie from CLEO about 5 years ago. Maybe more. Probably more. Gosh. Anyways, I really liked this stuff! It smelt yummo (frangipani!) and hydrated my skin really well. It was my first dry body oil experience and it’s well and truly hooked me. I really want to try another one since Jemma stuff isn’t available anymore. Anyone have any recs for me?

Airwick Ribbon of Luxury Candle in Vanilla and Cashmere: Firstly, lol @ cashmere. Gimme a fucken break, Airwick. Anyway, I hated this candle. As you can kinda see, it didn’t burn evenly/properly so heaps of the wax is leftover. Plus, it didn’t make my room smell at all. Epic fail. Will not be straying from my beloved Glade candles ever again.

Covergirl LashblastVolume: Love this stuff! I’ve been using it for years and once I use up my other mascaras, I’ll defo be repurchasing. If you haven’t yet tried this, you must.

Face of Australia High Definition Liquid Eyeliner: Another love. I reviewed it here, if you’re down for a little read. It works well and I love the packaging. I wish all liquid liners were shaped like pens. *sigh* I’m loving my Eyeko liner at the moment but I’ll probably repurchase this in the future.

Schwarzkopf Push-Up Volume Shampoo: Loved this stuff. I felt like towards the end of the bottle, it stopped giving me the amount of volume that it used to (or maybe I’m insane) but I still like it a lot. Will repurchase.

Palmer’s Gentle Daily Cleanser: I’m not really sure why I decided to buy this. I think it was the mention of ‘milk proteins’ and Aloe and all the other lush-sounding stuff. This cleanser was fine but not for me. It worked okay but it didn’t feel as lush and creamy as I thought it was gonna be. Won’t be repurchasing this one.

Have you tried any of my empties?

Summery NOTD

2011-08-20T16:37:00.000+10:00

Hello!

Here's a NOTD featuring Basket Case by Orly. A really lovely colour. However, the formulation is kinda crappy. A tad streaky and not as opaque as I want it to be. Still, it's nice and will no doubt get plenty of use in the summertime. I'm sure it'll go perfectly with my ~~deliciously sun-kissed~~ sunburnt and sweaty skin.

Yay or nay?

Cheapies that are blowing my mind

2011-08-19T16:23:00.000+10:00

It’s always fun/unexpected/bloody good when cheap stuff is awesome, right? Right. Here we go!

Rimmel lippie in Pink Blush

This was cheap as chips (under $10!) but has great pigmentation, good staying-power and smells like candy. Sweet, sweet candy. The colour is damn pretty, too.

Sugarbaby Roll-On Fragrance

Yeah, I’ve spoken about these before but they’re that fucking awesome that I wanna speak about them again. DEAL WITH IT. Not only do these smell remarkable but the scent lingers well after you roll it on. Such a win for $9.95.

L’Oreal Infallible shadows

Did anyone notice that these are actually labelled ‘Infaillable’ and not ‘Infallible’? WTF, L’Oreal? Anyway. These are fucking phenomenal! I bought Endless Chocolat and Burning Black and I am positively in love with both. Incredible pigmentation and they don’t even crease (that much). Use a lid primer and they’re budge-proof. I believe these retail at around $20 but I bagged them at Big W when they were on sale for about $13. MONEY WELL SPENT. These are highly recommended, guys.

Eyeko Graffiti Eyeliner Pen

I was sent this and I’m loving it! Not only is it 3000% black (yep, 3000%) but it doesn’t move. Seriously. When I first got it and swatched it on my hand, it wouldn’t come off. The nib is superfine and precise so you might need a lil practice working with it but it’s totes worth the effort. Aussie girls, this baby is $10.95 at Crush Cosmetics.

Taft Styling Powder

If you remember this post, you may be thinking that I’ve lost the plot. I fucking hated this stuff when I first tried it but I now use it every second day because I love it so much. I’ve found that it works best if you put it under the top layer of your hair rather than directly on the roots. It pumps up the volume instantly and gives me that (really) messy look that I enjoy rocking. If you’re looking for something to really plump up your hair and mess it up (in a good way), this is perfect. I can't remember exactly how much this was but I think it was around $10.

BYS blush in Coral

A $4 blush with ridonk pigmentation. What’s not to love? If you’re into your peachy cheeks, I really suggest you pick this up. They have a bunch of other colours, too! Hoo to the ray.

Models Prefer quad in Smoking Hot

Good pigmentation and really lovely shades. I especially love the slate and the black. The white is a tad chalky but hey, for under $10, I’m totes okay with that.

Haus of Gloi oils

HOLY EFFIN CRAP. These all smell stupidly good (Twice is Nice is almost orgasmic) and are just the shit. No words can describe just how amazing they are. If you haven’t tried Haus of Gloi, I really recommend that you do. Really. Really really. Also, really. P.S. I believe these were AUD $12.

Thanks for reading, peeps!

Top 5 Tag

2011-08-18T20:29:00.001+10:00

Rah! It’s a tag!

Beverages:

1. Skim Mocha. Duh.

2. Water. Boring but I like it.
3. Maccas Coke. Wtf do they put in it?! It’s addictive…
4. Vodka. Ohh, yes.
5. Beer or cider. I’m cheating.

Snacks:

1. Grain Waves. Preferably Original or Sweet Chilli.
2. Pears. But they have to be hard. Soft pears can ggf.
3. Mint Slice Pods. THIS IS WHY YOU’RE FAT.
4. Carrots. Best veggie ever.

5. Carman’s Muesli Bars in Original. Down with sultanas!

Apps:
1. Twitter. ADDICTED.
2. Angry Birds. ADDICTED.
3. Noom. Good for reminding me that I need to exercise and track my meals.
4. Colornote. The phone version of post-its. Handy.
5. I don’t have a fifth. Suggest something?

Movies (too bloody hard to do my ultimate top 5 so these are just some of my faves):

1. Jumpin’ Jack Flash. Keepin’ it ol’ skool.

2. Shaun of the Dead. YEAAAH, BOI!

3. Kick-Ass. This is sitting on my desk so I had to include it. Love it.

4. Next Friday. Brings on memories from high school and is fucking hilarious.

5. Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Hilarious (imo) and I love Jason Segel a little bit…

Books:
1. The Lost Boys by Sam de Brito.
2. Air Kisses by Zoe Foster.
3. In My Skin by Kate Holden.
4. Playing the Field by Zoe Foster.

5. Mamamia by Mia Freedman.

Do it! Plz?

Are you age-appropriate?

2011-08-17T10:38:00.000+10:00

Howdy!

Do you guys think about makeup in terms of age appropriateness? Do you care? I certainly don’t. Fucked if anyone’s gonna tell me what I can and can’t rock on my own mug, whatever age I may be. If I ever get to the age of eighty, I’m pretty sure I’ll rock glitter on my lids if I want to. Sure, I’ll probs look a fruitloop but hey, it’s my prerogative. P.S. GLITTER FO’ LYFE.

I understand that some things look less flattering on older peeps (e.g. shimmery shadows on droopier lids) but it pisses me off that some people have these staunch rules that they like to enforce on others. And it’s not just makeup either – it’s fashion, too. For e.g., this really pisses me off. Some of the articles are fucking ridiculous. Too old to have long hair? Too old to wear dark tights with light shoes? Too old for bright nail polish? GTFO.

Tell me - am I alone on this? Do you guys subscribe to the whole age-appropriate rules when it comes to your makeup? How about fashion? Let me know!

We Be Haulin'

2011-08-10T16:08:00.000+10:00

Just some stuff I’ve bought and been sent. Let’s go! P.S. The photos are crap. Soz.

Was sent a bunch of Limited Edition Australis goodies (available til the end of August). My faves are the polish in Today’s News (pink) and the lippie in Necessary Accessory (pinky red). Although the Love Me, Leave Me lippie is also pretty fab. Look out for them in future posts!

I was also sent the kit polish in Carnaval Citrus. I have nothing like it in my collection so I’m pretty darn excited to give it a whirl!

Lastly, I got a Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Oil-Free toner. Suuuper excited about this one as I’ve noticed my skin is being a right oily bitch atm. Very keen to see if it works! Also, how cute is the blue bottle? Look out for a review on this one, too.

Now to the stuff I bought with my own moolah.

I went to this nail place in Bankstown the other weekend with a bunch of bloggers and pretty much lost my mind. I easily could’ve dropped bigtimemoney but tried to refrain from going completely ape-shit. Here is my lot of sparkly China Glaze. IN. FUCKING. LOVE.

And to my pretty Orly, OPI and Essie ones.

Be still, my beating heart.

And lastly:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance. Always tried to tell myself that eye primers were a bunch of baloney but I’ve tried this baby a few times since I bought it and it keeps my shadow immaculate til the wee hours. Woo!

Seche Vite. I can’t usually be arsed with top coats but since this one gets my nails dry in minutes, it’s worth the extra step.

And a couple more roll-on perfumes by Sugarbaby. I LOVE THESE SO MUCH! The Pomegranate is a new buy and is phenomenal. Must get my arse back to Myer and buy more. So much love for these things.

That’s it!

Didn’t wanna start blogging again with a haul post but hey, better than nothin’, huh?

Hope you enjoyed! :)

ECO TOOLS - Y U NO LIKE ME?

2011-07-28T22:21:00.000+10:00

Dear ~~John~~ Eco Tools,

It seems abundantly clear that you hate my guts. I’ve heard such wonderful things about your brushes but I’ve now tried two of them and they’ve both sucked arse. I’ve attached a pic for your perusal:

Let’s get into things with my first purchase - the bronzer brush. You bastards made this thing look so damn alluring in the packaging. So lush and so lovely. Deceit! Lies! Betrayal! Okay - it is really soft but it’s also far too dense. I don’t understand how anyone could use this for bronzer. Or anything else, for that matter. Me no get it. Plus, $17.95? Really?

Now to the foundation brush. I bought this last week and was positively buzzing with anticipation on the car ride home. You see, even though you fucked me over with that whole bronzer brush debacle, I still gave you a chance. I’m nice like that.

Anyway, when I finally got back to my humble abode, I ripped off the packaging and went from mega-excited to mega-traumatised/angry/irritated. Firstly, the whole thing felt really light, flimsy and just plain cheap. Not good, E.T. Not good at all. And the bristles… oh GOD, the bristles. They felt shit. Really shit. Almost like plastic. No, definitely like plastic. They make a sound when I run them over my hand. A sound! A plasticy sound. What the bloody hell?

Overwhelming disappointment aside, I still gave it a whirl. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be but it was still pretty mediocre. At best. You stuffed me around, yet again.

So, what? Did I trample on an endangered plant species and piss you off? Have I not made a big enough donation to Save the Whales? WHAAAT DID I DOOOO?!

P.S. You suck.

Yours sincerely,

Cray Cray McGee

Lil Haulio

2011-07-27T21:17:00.000+10:00

Suuup.

Just a few bits and bobs I picked up recently...

Super BB Cream by Skin 79. My GOD, how I've been itching to try a bloody BB cream. Did I buy into the hype? You betcha. I bagged this sample from the chick at my local Asian beauty store (she's sweet as damn pie) when I asked about the best coverage BB cream. Boyyy, was I excited about trying it and boyyy was I dissapointed when I used it.

Look, the stuff feels and smells lovely and while it did give me a nice, dewy glow, it also gave me about 0.02% coverage. Not what I'm after, hey. If this BB cream is the one with the most coverage, I can't imagine what the others are like. I suspect these are for those girls with near-flawless skin who just want to even things up a little. Lucky biatches.

Australis Paparazzi Perfect Blush in Shoot to Thrill. I’m not super-keen on sporting pink blush (I’m more of a peach girl) but I couldn’t pass up the pretty. Fingers crossed it suits my mug.

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Pink Blush. More pink. A gorgeous, babydoll pink to be exact. This was both very pretty and very cheap (on sale for about $7 at good ol' Priceline) so naturally, I had to have it.

Eco Tools Foundation Brush. All I’ll say is… :S I shall expand on this in a future post. *sigh*

My Beauty Diary Masks in Aloe and Natto. I’ve seen these masks crop up in dozens of blogs so I thought I’d finally give them a try. I was recommended the Aloe and blindly picked out the Natto (wtf is Natto!?) one on my own. God knows what the hell it does. Hope they're good!

Fin.

PRODUCT REVIEW - St Ives Olive Cleanser

2011-07-26T11:38:00.000+10:00

I must admit that I don’t exactly find myself brimming with excitement when it comes to this brand. It just seems a bit…blah. That being said, I ended buying one of their cleansers a little while ago and I’ve gotta say, I’m bloody impressed. Let’s get into it, shall we?

How much is it? $10

How much product do you get? 200ml

The good?

The packaging. I love anything with a pump so this is a win. Plus, I think it looks nice. Double win.

The consistency. This is a gel cleanser that forms a really nice lather when massaged into my face.

The smell. I don’t love it but I find that it’s refreshing in the morn’. It smells… fresh. Seriously, guys – I’ve smelt the thing about ten times and I still have no idea how to describe it. What I can say is that it definitely doesn’t smell like olives. Maybe a little plant-like? I suck.

The way it makes my skin feel. This stuff leaves my skin feeling super-clean, fresh and invigorated. Perfect.

The price. Tis cheap.

The not-so-good?

It’s not eye-friendly. Meaning: it stings like a bitch when it gets in them. No real biggie, though. Not many cleansers are chummy with le peepers.

And some pics for you:

...

All up? I really like this cleanser! It’s not a miracle/HG prod but it’s damn good. I’ll most likely re-purchase it in the future.

P.S. I just took a gander at the MUA listing for this stuff and heaps of peeps are hating on it. Eek. Common dislikes include the icky smell and the ‘residue’ it leaves. I literally just used this stuff and I swear it doesn’t leave a residue. *head scratch*

Any St Ives fans out there?

Curing My Acne Part One

2011-07-23T13:34:00.000+10:00

You probably already know that I have shitty skin. If you haven’t read this post, you won’t know that my acne is caused by stuffed up hormone levels and a high level of insulin caused by PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). I think I may write a post on this in the future but in the meantime, you can find a great one written by the awesome Michelle here.

While I’d do nearly anything to help clear my skin, I’m still terribly worried about getting on the Pill (despite being told that it's my best bet). While my gynaecologist (tmi? haha) continues to sing the praises of Diane, she's also informed me that getting healthy/losing arse will also make a massive difference on it’s own. I can't think of a better way to get the ball rolling! Now, I've tried losing weight many, many times in the past couple of years but I figure that if I go public with it (via my blog), it'll keep me motivated and on-track so I won't fail. Hopefully, anyway. Must dedicate myself!

Being the first post in documenting the benefits of healthy eating when it comes to helping out my skin, I figure I should put up some pics of it in its current state. Here I am, sans make-up, in all my spotty glory:

Not pretty, huh?

I'll also be following the advice, eating plans and exercise tidbits from these books (I've learnt that low GI eating is probably the best way to go):

I think I’ll stick to monthly posts and updates. Fingers crossed this works. Wish me luck!

P.S. Please let me know if you have any tips or book recs! :)

5 Things I Enjoy Doing On Rainy Days

2011-07-22T23:52:00.000+10:00


Where is this?! I'm in love.

I fucking love Sydney's weather right now. Gloomy, drizzly days and nights filled with thunder and lightening. Best. Ever.

As I sit here on Friday night (I turn into a hermit in the Wintertime), I couldn’t be more excited by the prospect of spending a rainy weekend at home, reading books and drinking hot, caffeinated beverages.

Anyways, enough rambling. Here’s 5 things I like to do on a rainy day/night/weekend:

Read: I’m talking books. There is absolutely nothing (NOTHING!) better than being snuggled in bed with a good book while the rain beats against your window. Just thinking about it makes me oddly happy.

Re-organise stuff: I’m obsessed with de-cluttering and re-organising. It's my thing. I’m thinking I may tackle the top drawer of my dressing table aka my crap bucket this weekend. Exciting!

Write: Combining two of my greatest loves = perfection.

Pamper myself: I enjoy pampering myself at home so much more when it’s raining outside. I don’t know why but I do. Yay for DIY facials and shoddy-looking manis!

Have a solo* movie-marathon: Does this really need explaining? Grab a snack, plant your arse on the couch and veg out for hours on end.

* This dude is allowed to join me.

What do you like doing when it’s pouring outside?

Cheap Thrills + An Exxy Treat

2011-07-21T09:28:00.000+10:00

So, I guess this is kinda like a haul post/cheap things that are good. Plus, an exxy thing. A bit of mishmash post, I suppose. I'm a mishmash kinda girl. Here we go!

Glade candles

I’m aware that these aren’t glamourous (at all) but I kinda don’t give a shit. I’ve bought the Apple Cinnamon one before (love!) but French Vanilla is the new buy (which is totes weird as I’m a vanilla fiend). Vanilla doesn’t seem like it’ll have as much punch as the A.C. but we’ll see. They’re currently on sale at Woolies (so luuuxe, dahling) for $5.

Sally Hansen 18 hour Lip Treatments

I scored these from Kmart for 25c each. 25c! I couldn’t believe it. They feel really nice on the lips – almost creamy – and are on the sheer side. Plus, they have a short doe-foot applicator which I like (a lot easier to work with) and the packaging looks space-like. Very cool. These are a win, imo. Gotta love random clearance bargains!

I <3 SPICE

Got this from Target for $5. It has heaps of recipes for yummy, spicy stuff. That’s all there is to say, really.

Models Prefer Nail Polish in Café Latte and Eyeshadow Quad in Smoking Hot

Been wanting to try this brand for quite some time now. The nail polish was around $4 (on sale) and is decent. Quick-drying, nice formula and a short, fat brush. The quad is something I’ve been eyeing for a while (clearly I’m off my shadow ban). Pretty good pigmentation for the price and the colours themselves are divine. I want more. MORE! I also picked up their crease brush (forgot to include it in the pic) and it works really, really well. Impressive stuff. The quad was around $7 and the brush, $11. Everything on sale, yo!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover

I was recommended Double Wear by a couple of you when I asked for foundation recs. I’m aware this isn’t the one I was recommended but I thought this would be a better fit for my sensationally spotty skin. I’m yet to try it but I have high hopes. Fingers crossed. P.S. This baby was $68.

Thoughts? Comments? Abuse?

Hair Shiz I've Been Using

2011-07-20T09:48:00.000+10:00

First up, I wanna apologise for being a shithouse blogger. I’ve been absolutely swamped with work and despite what my resume says, my time management skills suck. Forgiveness plz. Anyways – back to the post.

Here’s what I’ve been using on my hair recently:

Schwarzkopf Push-Up Volume Shampoo

After the disappointment of Ultimate Repair, I must admit that I didn’t really expect much from this stuff. HOW WRONG I WAS. I freakin’ love this shampoo! It smells like juicy apples and pears, makes my hair mega-soft and shiny and gives me a bit of oomph. Well – I think it gives me oomph. Might just be a psychological thing. Who the hell knows. Regardless, I love this and once I finish the masses of shampoo in my bathroom cabinet, I’ll be purchasing it fo’ sure.

Schwarzkopf Deep Nutrition Intensive Care Mask

Me likey. I don’t use this often (because I’m a lazy bitch that can’t be arsed) but when I do, it gives my hair epic silkiness. Plus, it smells good. Not a miracle product by any means but decent enough.

Schwarzkopf Taft Full On Styling Powder

I was with my Mum when I bought this stuff. I pretty much squealed when I saw it (I’ve really, really been wanting to try a hair powder) and then ran over to show her my awesome find. The uttered something about there only being a pic of a dude on the box and I shushed her with ramblings about her not being ‘cool enough’ to understand ‘cool stuff’. I tried this once (on freshly washed hair before stepping out for the day) and it resulted in a near heart attack. It turned my hair from soft and shiny to staticy, flat, greasy-looking and just plain weird. It was the oddest thing ever. Luckily, I managed to get it back to semi-decency with a lot of brushing, dry shampoo and screaming. I’m going to give this a few more chances and use it in other ways before I do a full review. Stay tuned.

Activance Hair Stimulant

I’m pretty sure you’ve read about this stuff on every single Aussie beauty blog in existence (I reviewed it here). I like this stuff. A lot. It makes a visible difference to my hair, stops it from falling out and smells like sexy boys. The end.

Samy FAT HAIR Thickening Spray

When I proudly showed this stuff off in a haul, I was swiftly deflated by a few of you who informed me that it (and other stuff from the brand) sucked. Major sadfase ensued. Anyways, I soldiered on and have now been using it for a couple of weeks. It seems to work pretty well! It gives my hair a bit of lift and some roughness at the roots. By ‘roughness’ I mean that effortlessly sexy just-rolled-out-of-bed look. As you all know, that's totes me.* The only thing I find annoying is the fact that I can’t spray it on and go as I have to wait for it to dry. Still – no biggie. Review soon.

* Not.

That’s all, folks!

What hair stuff are you using at the moment? Any new discoveries?

NOTD feat. Eyeko

2011-07-12T12:22:00.000+10:00

I was sent a few little bits and bobs from Eyeko recently and when I spotted this polish, I whipped off my dark blue nails and slapped it on in a flash. Here are a couple of pics of the aptly named 'Nude Polish' by Eyeko:

The polish formula is nice and smooth and dries pretty quick. As you'll see in the pics, the polish is a little on the sheer side with a two-coat application. Also, I apologise in advance for the horrific state that my nails and hands are in. Tut tut.

w/ flash

Natural light

A perfect, peachy pink nude. Lovely!

Any Eyeko fans out there?

Bedside Table Reads

2011-07-11T10:34:00.000+10:00

Here's what's sitting on my bedside table...

No clue why Zoe's book are foggy. A book ghost, perhaps?

Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff by Richard Carlson

FUN FACT – I was once a tad obsessed with self-help books. I used to (secretly) trawl the self-help section at Borders and pick up self-help titles all the freakin’ time. Yep – massive loser.

Anyway, I’ve now given away 99% of the books from back then but have kept a few gems including this one. This book gives good, solid advice/reminders when it comes to not giving a fuck about random B.S. One of my fave pieces of advice is #16: ‘Ask yourself a question – will this matter a year from now?’. It sounds corny as hell but I find that if I constantly keep this in mind, it works as a good reminder to not give a shit about crap that I shouldn’t be giving a shit about. 9 times out of 10, I realise that the stuff I’m stressing about won’t even matter in a week, let alone a year. While I don’t read this obsessively every night (that would just be plain weird), I like to pick it up every now and again.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

This is not my kinda book at all (I believe it’s about supernatural shit). I received this book ages ago (for free!) when I signed up to some publishing company’s email newsletter. Anyway, I thought I’d at least attempt to read it and if I don’t enjoy it, I’ll give it away to some Twilight lover/loser. No offence to any Twilight fans but you guys are pretty lame.

Maximum Security by Karen Farrington

ANOTHER FUN FACT – I’m obsessed with prison (culture, gangs, violence, drugs, loyalty etc.). Since I watch prison docos on Nat Geo and Discovery like nobody’s business, when I spotted this, I had to have it. So far, so awesome. Plus, it was like $6. Win!

Amazing Face by Zoë Foster

I could write a whole post on Zoë and how much I fucking adore her. The way she writes is so effortlessly awesome and I’m pretty sure she could make any topic entertaining and hilarious.

Now, while I love looking at makeup books, I don’t tend to pick them up because I find them a little pointless. However, being the massive Zoë fan that I am, I had to pick this one up. I’ve nearly devoured it all and I’m loving it. She gives great advice and tips with Foster-style humour and fun. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Will review soon.

Playing the Field by Zoë Foster & Air Kisses by Zoë Foster

I’ve read each of these approximately 500 times and if you’re interested, I’ve written short reviews here. I believe Tara has just finished Air Kisses and she’s the reason I’ve pulled these babies down from my bookshelf - she reminded me how much I love them. Will be re-reading these as soon as I’m done with everything else.

What’s on your bedside table/reading list? Any recommendations for me?

Love At First Sniff

2011-07-06T16:03:00.000+10:00

Y’all know how much I love my Nivea Essential Care, right? Well, these new Bloom/Boost balms are shaping up to be my new faves. For realz.

When I received the press release for these, I kinda wet my pants. Nothing full on - just a trickle. I love Boost and I’m pretty much obsessed with lip balm so to me, this was a match made in heaven. Plus, Bloom is an Aussie icon. Hello!

I was lucky enough to receive two scents: Watermelon Crush and the new love of my life, Tropical Storm. I challenge anyone to sniff Tropical Storm and not drool/have a scent-induced orgasm. It smells soooo daaaamn gooood. I honestly can’t stop sniffing it and slathering it onto my lips. It's love, I tells ya.

Sweet, fruityness aside, these balms are awesome when it comes to making your pucker soft and lush. They’ve got Vitamin E, Beeswax and Jojoba Oil so they’re buttery smooth but don’t leave a waxy residue. Truth be told, I don’t really mind a waxy residue (hence my love for Nivea Essential Care) but for those of you who abhor it, this stuff will make you totes happy. Oh and if Tropical Strom and Watermelon Crush don’t float your boat (you're totes cray cray), there are a bunch of other flavours in the range including Strawberry Squeeze, Berry Bang, Mango Tango and Banana Buzz. I can assure you that every single one smells phenom (I've sniffed them all) and I’ll be grabbing Banana Buzz and Mango Tango very, very shortly.

I’ve posted some pics below. You’ll notice that instead of the normal cylindrical shape that balms tend to come in, these are like squashed cylinders/ovals. While adorable and very stand-outy from the hoards of other balms, I find this shape is awesome as it fits perfectly along the line/shape of my lips. Take a look:

BTW, they’re $6.95 (bargain alert!) but if you head to the Bloom website here and sign up, you can download a coupon and get two for $10 at David Jones and selected Myer stores til the end of July. Perfect.

Unfortunately, it’s just Aussies who can order online and buy in-store. Sorry to my international girls!

Aussie girls – get on it. These are cheap and very awesome – quite the rarity.

PRODUCT REVIEW - Rio Rosa Mosqueta

2011-07-04T13:55:00.000+10:00

A couple of months ago, the peeps behind Rio Rosa Mosqueta (rosehip oil) tweeted their followers and asked if anyone wanted to try their product. Being the avid rosehip oil fan, I jumped at the offer. Imagine my surprise when a full-sized bottle turned up on my doorstep! Imagine my double-surprise when I realised how freakin’ amazing the stuff is.

How much is it? £10.49 or $15.60 (Aussie)

How much product do you get? 20ml

There is a larger size available.

The good?

The texture. It’s a little lighter and thinner than other rosehip oils I’ve tried and I like it. It’s easier to smooth around my face and massage in.

It’s super-hydrating. This stuff hydrates my skin better than any other rosehip oil I’ve tried - fo’ real. When I first tried it and noticed that it was thinner/lighter, I thought it’d fail at giving me a solid moisture-boost. However, low and behold - it rocked my socks. This stuff definitely blows the other brands out of the water in terms of hydrating power.

It sinks in/dries super-fast. This stuff sunk into my skin faster than every other brand I’ve tried – even on those occasions when I was a tad heavy-handed. Plus, no residue. It sinks in, dries and it’s gone. SO MUCH WIN.

It’s 100% natural. Now, most rosehip oils are organic/natural so this isn’t really new but I still consider it a plus. This stuff is free of perfume, parabens, paraffin and chemicals.

The packaging. It’s larger than all the other brands I’ve tried and I like it. It’s sturdy and just a tad cute.

It’s starting to fade the bad stuff. I’ve been using this for about a month now and I've already noticed slight differences with regards to my acne scarring. Good times.

The not-so-good?

Availability and shipping. Now, for those of you in the U.K., shipping is cheap as chips but for those of us in Oz, the States and elsewhere, shipping is a flat £12.77. For Aussies, that’s around $19 and for those in the U.S.A., $20. The shipping costs more than the actual oil itself (the 20ml version)! That sucks big time.

This isn’t a bad point but I found it a little odd that ‘rosehip oil’ was not mentioned once on the box or on the bottle itself. It’s only referred to as ‘the pure oil of Rosa Mosqueta’. Of course, Rosa Mosqueta Oil is Rosehip Oil but I think it’d be worth slapping on the box anyway.

…

All up, I absolutely adore this stuff but the ridonk shipping is a major put-off and will most likely prevent me from buying a bottle. However, if I find that I'm really missing it once it runs out, I may fork out the moolah for it. We'll see...

For those of you in the U.K., I urge you to give this stuff a shot because you definitely won’t be disappointed. Plus, it’s pretty well-priced for you guys (lucky ducks). For non-Brits, it’s your choice if you’re willing to fork out nearly $20 shipping (for Australia and U.S.A.) for a $16 (approx.) product.

For more info on Rio Rosa Mosqueta, click here. If you’re up for buying, click here.

FYI: While they’re not currently sending out samples, they will in the future so @RioRosaMosqueta is defo worth a follow.

P.S. I was not paid for this post – samples are available to anyone (providing they have stock).

Empties - Round Two!

2011-07-01T15:00:00.000+10:00

Yep, more empties. I think I was overly keen to upload my first empties post that I didn’t realise I had a whole bunch of other shit that was near finishing. Nevermind! Here’s what we're dealing with:

Clearasil Ultra Pimples + Marks Lotion

Clearasil has never really piqued my interest but when I spotted this stuff, I thought I’d give it a shot. This lotion was good - it completely sunk into my skin, felt light, smelt yum and didn’t leave a residue. As far as treating zits and marks, it was just OK. I'm pretty sure I'm going to re-purchase this in the future but just not right now (I've got a stack of other acne stuff to get through).

Schwarzkopf Ultimate Repair Shampoo

I was sooo excited when I spotted this range at the Schwarzkopf re-launch a little while ago. While my hair isn’t too damaged, the idea of 3x Liquid Keratin sounded awesome. This stuff smelt like Jaffas (YUM!) but as far as giving me perfect hair... nah. Don’t get me wrong – it left my hair soft and shiny but the results weren’t as spectacular as I thought they were gonna be. I wont be purchasing this.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Fresh

I reviewed this stuff here. This prod is win and I will always have it in my artillery.

LUX Shea Exfoliating Scrub

I just talked about this product in this post. This scrub/body wash is an effin winner and I'll no doubt buy it again.

Maybelline Mineral Power Powder Foundation

I bought this last Summer when the thought of slapping on my MAC Studio Fix Fluid made me want to curl up in a sobbing ball of anxiety. This stuff is OK – pretty decent coverage (I’d say medium) and a very light feel. I’ll probably re-purchase for the days where I CBF with liquid foundation and my skin doesn’t look too shit.

Sugarbaby Island Flower De Luxe Roll-On Fragrance

I bought this in bulk when I discovered it and wore it all throughout Summer. I love the fact that I can easily cart it around and roll-on a sweet, coconuty smell when I feel like re-living the days where I could leave the house without looking like the Michelin Man. I will definitely re-purchase.

Garnier Clean Sensitive 2 in 1 Gentle Make-Up Remover

I've mentioned my love for this stuff in quite a few posts. My replacement is already in use.

Max Factor Xperience Foundation

I bought this aaaaaaaaaaaages ago but only just finished it. I don’t really like it – the coverage is medium (at best) and it’s just… blah. Won’t be re-purchasing this one.

Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips

I’ve been buying these for years and I love them. I cannot tell you how much satisfaction I get when I rip this sucker off my schnoz and study the little balls of evil it just ripped out. Pore strips fo’ life.

Haus of Gloi sample vials in Imp and Who Needs Love?

A MASSIVE thanks to Suzanne who sent these to me. HOLY EFFIN SHIT DO THESE SMELL GOOD! Both were amazing but Who Needs Love? had the best staying power EVER. As soon as my damn pay makes it's way to my bank account, you'll defo be seeing a Haus of Gloi haul. Ohhh, yeahhh.

That’s all, folks!

I Need Recommendations! Pretty Please?

2011-07-01T13:41:00.000+10:00

Hi guys!

I need advice with a foundation recommendation and thought asking my blog peeps would be the best way to go because you guys know your shit and are generally pretty damn awesome.

So, I'm getting a little over my MAC Studio Fix Fluid - can anyone recommend a good, full-coverage foundation that's under $70? It would be great if it were oil-free, too.

Thanks in advance, lovies! x

NOTD

2011-06-29T14:16:00.000+10:00

I was in Hot Dollar the other day and found myself gravitating towards the stack of L.A. Colors polishes (yet again). I've always oohed and ahhed over their cheap prettiness but this time I finally picked one up. The shade I got is called 'Morning Glory' and is a deep purple/grape with blue and purple shimmer. It didn’t turn out as shimmery and awesome as I thought it’d be but it’s still pretty nice.

Pretty colour aside, I must say that the formulation is a tad craptacular as it needed 3 coats to get a streak-free finish. You’ll also notice that I have some wear on the tips of my nails - I only applied the polish a couple of nights ago! Poor form. Take a look:

Flash


Natural Light

As you can see, my camera picked up the colour as navy in natural light. Soo many photos taken and soo many fails. Y U FAIL ME, TECHNOLOGY?

Anyway, I have now satisfied my L.A. Colors curiousity but probably won't buy another. Nah, I'm lying. I probz will. I'm a sucker.

Smooth Operator

2011-06-28T12:23:00.000+10:00

Winter is a bitch. It’s bloody freezing, everyone puts on 20kgs (maybe that's just me) and our skin gets crusty and gross. ‘Crusty’ certainly conjures up some rank images, doesn’t it? Ugh. Let's move on.

I’ve got myself a little process of ridding myself of croc-style skin on my bod and getting all lush and sexy (sexy may be pushing it). Here’s what I do/use:

Shower time!

Heavy-duty sugar scrubs are great but they’re also fucking irritating and messy as hell. I don’t know about you but I’m not a fan of standing around naked (pre-shower), slathering myself with sugary slop and getting it into every single crevice of the bathroom. Instead of causing myself scrub-related grief, I use LUX’s Shea Exfoliating Scrub w/ Shea Butter and Caramel, an exfoliant and shower gel in one. It’s not as full-on as a thick, sugar scrub but because I use it a few times a week, it still manages to exfoliate my skin really well and get me super-soft. Plus, it smells like sugary sex. This stuff is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. On the days I bypass the LUX stuff, I use Bathox’s Milk and Honey Bath Foam & Shower Gel, which, coincidentally, is also HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. It hydrates my skin like nuts, gets me extra soft and also smells like sugary sex.

FYI: The LUX scrub/wash is about $6 and the Bathox bodywash is $2.50.

Lotion up

I’m a two-timing whore when it comes to my body lotion. The first of the two that are blowing my mind is Vaseline’s Cocoa Butter Deep Conditioning Body Lotion with Cocoa Butter (duh) and Vitamin E. I’ve been using this stuff since the Summertime and it smells goooood (coconuty and chocolately), moisturises really well and sinks in pretty damn fast. Plus, the smell lingers. Win! The second is a fairly new discovery and it’s the Kiehl’s Crème de Corps. I can see why this stuff is one of Kiehl’s cult prodz. It’s rich, hydrates those extra dry bits and sinks in super-fast. Loving this stuff sick. While both of these rock, I must admit that the Kiehl’s one is a tad better. It’s just so damn rich and lush but not greasy or wet and icky. It’s a tad pricey, though. *sigh*

FYI: The Vaseline lotion comes in a couple of sizes but the massive one that I have is 750ml and is $11. The Kiehl’s comes in a bunch of sizes and the prices range from $16 for 75ml to $98 for 1L.

So, that’s what I use to get my bod feeling soft during the shittily-cold Winter months. How do you prevent your skin from crusting over (ew) during Winter?

PRODUCT REVIEW - Simple Kind to Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser

2011-06-24T13:04:00.000+10:00

I’ve tried a bunch of moisturisers and I’ve gotta say, from my experience, it seems like the cheapies are the way to go. This review is going to be on my most favourite moisturiser so far, Simple’s Kind to Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser.

Top photo!

How much is it? Approx. $11

How much product do you get? 125ml

The good?

It feels really light on the skin. I don’t really mind a heavier moisturiser but I do prefer it to be lighter and this stuff is win.

It moisturises superbly. Superbly! Despite it’s lightness, this stuff hydrates like there’s no tomorrow. Even the driest bits of flaketastic skin are quashed with this stuff.

It sinks into my skin within seconds. Okay, maybe not seconds but close enough. Plus, it doesn’t leave any sort of residue.

It’s cheap. That is all.

The not so good?

It’s not oil-free. Even though I don’t have sensitive skin, I do have a lot of acne so I prefer to use stuff that doesn’t have oils in it. However, this stuff doesn’t break me out nor does it leave any oilyness on my skin so it’s not too much of an issue.

It doesn't have an SPF. Silly.

...

I love this stuff and will definitely buy it again. It feels good, works well and is cheap. What’s not to love? Well, I guess the fact that it's SPF-less. Poo.

I would think it would be okay to use on most skins but like I said, it’s not oil-free so I don’t know if it'd be the best option for the girls with sensitive or very oily skin.

P.S. For comparison reasons, I feel like this stuff is verrry similar to Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion… but better. Oh, and heaps cheaper.

Anyone tried this? What did you think?

Things That Sucked (imo)

2011-06-21T13:11:00.000+10:00

+ Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector

It always sucks when you when you fork out the moolah on something shithouse. Here’s my list:

L’Oreal Studio Secrets Anti-Shine Mattifying Primer - It doesn’t keep shine at bay and it doesn’t keep my makeup on for longer. Fail. I believe this is just silicone in a bottle so it feels all soft and lush when you slap it on but it doesn’t do anything more. It’s not so bad that I’m going to chuck it but I won’t be re-purchasing.

Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector (finished this ages ago so the bottle is gone) - I expected miracles from this product (and I don’t usually buy into the hype) because the marketing made it seem like it was the product for pigmentation. It was pretty exxy ($89) and all it did was make my skin really soft. That’s great and all but I can get the same effect from something a hell of a lot cheaper. I was told that I’d probably need to buy a second or third bottle to see good results but I’m not willing to buy more of something that may or may not work. P.S. It also left an oily film on my face.

Savvy eyeliner in Ivory – Look, I wasn't expecting this $2 liner to be superduper awesome but it was really quite crappy. I bought this because I wanted to see if white liner made me eyes look brighter/better. It didn’t and this pencil sucked. The pigmentation is pants and it tugged on my waterline. Into the bin, you go.

Benefit’s the POREfessional - I bought this and ranted in my haul post about how awesome it was and how very excited I was that I bought it. *sigh* Look, it does work but it wears off far too quickly. There’s a reason why the counter chick told me that I should chuck it in my bag 'in case' I needed a re-apply during the day. This isn't a massive disappointment because it does work but I'm not a fan because it doesn’t last and needs to be re-applied and I truly cbf. For those of you who don't mind a few re-applies during the day, it may be worth a shot.

Thoughts?

I Heart Priceline

2011-06-20T19:35:00.000+10:00

Priceline has a massive sale on atm (I think it's about to end, though) and while I could've gone insane and spent all my money, I only ended up buying a few things. Poo. I kept putting stuff in my basket (mainly shadows and skin stuff) and then putting it all back again. This went on for about 40 minutes. Seriously. I'm weird.

Anyway, I remained strong (and boring) and didn't buy any shadows or other stuff (which I now kinda regret) and just bought a few staples and one newbie item that I've been eyeing for a while.

The Batiste Dry Shampoo and the Garnier Clean Sensitive Make-Up Remover are my staples. Love them both. However, the Batiste wasn't on sale. Bastards.

The newbies are the FAT HAIR Thickening Spray (the thing I've been eyeing off) and the L'Oreal REVITALIFT wipes. I bought the wipes because I remember Suzanne telling me they were good but I'm pretty sure I didn't buy the right ones because she said they were in a red packet. Fail.

The FAT HAIR Thickening Spray is the thing I'm excited about. I have flat, thin and limp hair so hopefully this shiz gives me some oomph. Will report back.

I also bought some deoderant and other boring shit.

Anyone tried the FAT HAIR stuff? And Suzanne, I got the wrong wipes, didn't I?

Nivea Lip Balm DUEL!

2011-06-18T13:31:00.000+10:00

This duel is brought to you by my love for Nivea lip balms.

Here’s who we’re dealing with:

On the left we have Essential Care, my HG lip balm. I’ve ranted about it enough on this blog so I’m not going to ramble on again. It’s the shit, though. Ingredients? Vitamin E, Jojoba Oil, Shea Butter and Provitamin B5.

On the right we have Pure & Natural in 'Milk & Honey'. When I saw these balms, I got excited. Real excited. Particularly when I spotted the Milk & Honey one (I believe the other was Chamomile & Calendula). I love anything milk and honey, especially body lotions and shower gels. As soon as I bought this, I ripped it open and furiously slathered it onto my lips. I’m pretty sure the chick who served me thought I was a freak/imbecile. Whatevs.The ingredients in this one include Jojoba Oil, Organic Shea Butter and Honey and Milk extracts. It’s also 100% free of preservatives and other bad shiz.

What do I think?

The first thing I noticed was that the Pure & Natural, while lovely, was nowhere near as buttery or nourishing as my beloved Essential Care. I mean, it was still soft and kinda buttery, but compared to E.C… nah. P&N was also a pretty, caramel colour (doesn't transfer a tint on the lips, though) while E.C. is just plain white-ish. Take a look at P&N:

The second thing I noticed about P&N? It had a scent (which I was hoping for). The scent is pretty similar to most of the other milk and honey prodz I’ve tried (kinda caramelesque) but a lot more subtle. There’s something else in there, too. I’ve been going crazy trying to pick out what is to no avail. Soz. E.C. just smells like straight-up moisturiser. Nothing outrageous/special, though. Just a very soft and light scent.

Lastly, P&N tastes kinda sweet. I like this. E.C. also has a taste to it but it’s not sweet. Licking E.C. off my lips is like lightly licking moisturiser off someone's face. Sexy stuff.

All up?

While I enjoy the smell (and taste) of Pure & Natural, I won't be re-purchasing. It's nice but I just don't think it's as buttery or moisturising as Essential Care. Boourns.

By the way, both balms are just under $4.

P.S. I used the powers of the Internet to research the ingredients of both balms as neither have the ingredients listed on the tube and their outer-packaging has long gone.

Has anyone tried these? Thoughts?

Kiehl's Down Under

2011-06-18T11:22:00.000+10:00

This post is specifically for my Aussie girls.

I’m not usually down for re-hashing press releases on my blog but when I received the one about the Aussie Kiehl’s website/e-store launch, I thought it was pretty effin awesome and think you guys will agree.

Kiehl’s has just launched their Aussie-based website and e-store and along with their permanently lowered prices, Kiehl’s is also offering:

Free shipping during the month of June (usually $10 Australia-wide)

Free samples with every order

Free gift wrapping

Aaaand, if you buy something (no matter the cost) during the month of June and enter lipglossblog into the special code box, you’ll receive a free Kiehl’s lip gloss! They’re worth $27. $27! Just sayin’.

Cool, no? Everyone loves free stuff. Everyone.

If you’ve ever wanted to try Kiehl’s (or re-stock your supply), now is the perfect time. Head here for your online shopping hit.

P.S. I’m not being paid for this post nor should you expect this blog to turn into one big press release – that ain’t ever gonna happen. I just think this is a great deal, yo!

Happy shopping!

Partial Shopping Ban Update

2011-06-15T15:14:00.000+10:00

Back in April, I decided to go on a partial shopping ban (you can find the post here) because of the stupid amounts of shit that I own. So, how have I been going?

Good! Thanks for asking.

I haven’t bought anything on the ban list! Woo! Well, okay - that’s a slight lie. I banned myself from buying primers but I ended up buying Benefit’s the POREfessional (expect a review soon!) a little while ago. That totes doesn’t count, though. It’s not a primer primer, it’s a pore thingamajig. Ha!

More importantly, I have successfully refrained from buying shadows. This is pretty major because eye shadows are my love. Oh and while I did put lip glosses on my ban list, they’re now off. I don’t have that many and since I’m trying to get into wearing subtle hints of colour on my lips, I figure it’s best that I’m allowed to buy them. Sneaky stuff.

On a non-beauty note, I also gave up buying magazines which I thought would be an immense challenge but turned out to be the easiest thing ever. I was always a big mag-whore and used to buy a stack of them every month without fail. However, in the last year or so, I found myself getting bored with the content (is it just me or do they just re-hash the same ol’ shit, over and over?) and the ridiculous/pointless articles. Anyway, I haven’t bought a mag in a while so... GO TEAM!

P.S. Just in case you missed it, here's my first empties post.

Is anyone else on a shopping/spending ban? How's yours going?

Link Lurve

2011-06-13T15:51:00.000+10:00

Tumblr stylez

My first installment of LINK LURVE! Here are some awesome bloggers and their awesome posts:

Suzanne does a wicked FOTD here. Go pester her to do more.

Michelle shows off an epic haul. I may or may not be planning to rob her house.

Lexi makes me want to try being creative with my nails with this post (how awesome do her nails look!?). If only I wasn’t shit/impatient…

Tara and I share a like/addiction for candles and this post makes for good candle-envy. WANT.

I looove the look of a fat bun a la Carrie Bradshaw. Julie shows us a cool (albeit a tad complicated) way of achieving it. Need to try this, ASAP!

Jade gives us the low-down on the popular EOS balms (minus the B.S.).You gotta love a no-nonsense blogger!

...

These are all great posts/blogs so make sure you check them out!

Peace.

The Lipstick Tag

2011-06-11T15:16:00.000+10:00

I was tagged by Deerest (is that even your name?! Sorry if it’s not!) at the beautifool. Here are a few pics of my pathetic lippie ‘collection’ (I use that term verrry loosely) including some swatches:


No flash

Flash

No flash

Left to right: Rimmel's 'Delicate Pink' (a light, peachy pink - not as bright as the camera makes it seem), Australis' 'Tropicana' (this is actually a hot pink but the camera picked it up as slightly red - fail), BYS' 'Lilac Crush' (part of a double-ended duo w/gloss), BYS' 'Baby Doll'.

When you were a child, did you use your mother's lipsticks?

Hell yes! My Mum was always amazed at how perfectly I could slap it on without the use of a mirror. Clearly, I was a child-genius.

How old were you when you bought your first lipstick?

I was in primary school and it was pink.

Pink or red lipstick?

Truthfully, I’m not a lipstick person at all. I want to be but I don’t think it suits me. I’m currently giving it another go, though! That being said – pink. I think I’d look like a low-rent hooker with a red pout.

The most expensive lipstick you have ever bought?

Uh… lol. The most expensive lippy I bought was like $12. All class.

And the cheapest?

Like $4? BYS, baby!

What's the most bizarre thing you have done with lipstick?

Let’s keep this clean. My best friend in high school and I used to have this book that we would write letters to each other in (mostly ramblings about our raging hormones) and we would sign each letter off with a lipstick kiss. So much fail.

If you had to recommend a lipstick, which brand would you recommend and why?

Oh, dude. I really have no place recommending lipstick brands but if I have to... BYS or Australis. They’re cheap but good.

I have to tag 3 people but I have no idea who to choose. I tag whoever is up for it.

5 Slightly Weird Things About Me (sorta beauty-related)

2011-06-08T20:56:00.000+10:00

Here we go:

1. I hate putting gels/sticky creams on my face and despise the way they feel on my skin. DESPISE. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. A tonne of acne treatments are in this form and while they may be legendary, I can’t deal with the feeling - it makes me want to scratch my face off. Has anyone tried that Benzac AC cream from the pharmacy? I FUCKING HATE THAT. It doesn’t dry so it just sits on my face like a sticky layer of evil. Ugh.

2. I’m obsessed with cotton buds (I use them to tidy up icky/messy eye makeup etc.). I have them in my bathroom, on my dressing table, in my car and in my bag. I always check my handbag stash before I leave the house because I know I'm going to be lost/anxiety-ridden if I haven't got at least one on me. I'm insane.

3. I wash/de-germify my hands a lot (for skin reasons). I wash my hands before I cleanse, before I do my makeup (even if I’m using brushes and not at all touching my face) and between slapping on a mask and then washing it off. If I've accidentally touched something like a light switch on the way back from cleansing and before slapping on a moisturiser or treatment, I’ll wash my hands again to avoid a germy face. I guess I just don’t wanna make my skin worse with the addition of germs and bacteria. This is totes normal, right?

4. This isn't too weird but I can't sleep unless my lips are smothered in balm. Even if I'm all warm and snug in bed and about to nod off, if I've forgotten my balm and it's not on my bedside table, I'm up and out of bed in a flash. You'd think I'd keep a lip balm on my bedside table at all times but hey, I'm not that smart or organised.

5. After I finish putting on my makeup, I kiss my reflection in the mirror. I’ve been doing this for years and it’s become a bit of a kooky habit.

Do you guys have any weird and wonderful beauty-related habits? Spill!

P.S. That last one was totes BS.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Priti NYC

2011-06-07T15:31:00.000+10:00

I’m a tad obsessed with nail polish so when I was contacted by a lovely, Priti NYC PR girl, I was priti, er, pretty damn excited. Priti NYC is a toxin-free/eco-friendly brand that stocks polishes free of toulene, dibutyl phthalate and formaldehyde (all carcinogenic yet common ingredients found in most nail polish) as well as other goodies. If you're after more info, click onto the Priti NYC website.

The shade I received was ‘Cornflower’ and I bloody adore it! It’s a deep, blue shimmery shade - perfect for Winter. I also received a sachet of Soy Nail Polish Remover.

How much is it? $17.95

How much product do you get? 12.6ml

The good?

It’s toxin-free. I honestly didn’t realise how much evil shit was in nail polish. It’s a little unnerving to think that we’re exposing our bods to this stuff every time we swipe on a new colour.

The brush – it’s fat! I love fat nail polish brushes as they coat the nail evenly and are a helluva lot easier to use.

The formula. It's smooth, pigmented and dries really quickly. Love that.

The colour/finish selection is awesome. There are over 100 in the range and that includes everything from cremes to metallics to glitters.

The not-so-good?

The price. For some of you, $18 may seem pretty reasonable for a quality polish but for me, it’s quite steep. It’s cheaper than OPI, though.

The lasting power. This stuff lasted about 3 days before chips started to appear, about the same time-length as my cheap polishes. It's not bad but I honestly have $3 polishes that last just as long. P.S. I don’t wear a top coat so I imagine it would probably last a little longer with one on.

Here are a few pics:

The colour is phenom, no?

W/ flash

No flash

And the Soy Nail Polish Remover? When I opened the packet, I found the cloth was bone-dry. Pretty sure I got a dud.

...

All in all, I think it’s a nice, quality polish/brand with great intentions. However, at the moment, I can’t justify the pricetag. That’s not to say that I wont re-purchase in the future. I’ve spotted some glitters and metallics that may just need to be mine.

If you're down for some Priti NYC, click here for stockist info.

What do you think of non-toxic polish?