Australis Ready 2 Mingle Review and Swatches

Ready 2 Mingle is a set of 5 mini versions of some of Australis' best selling products. Included are two Colour Inject Lipglosses (Lambada and Burlesque), a Conceal Correct in Tan and a loose powder eyeshadow and cream eyeshadow, both from the Double Deckey Eye Duo in Cosmic Rays. All in little mini tubes, housed in a purse friendly box.

On the far left, the lipgloss in Lambada is a gorgeous pale warm pink lipgloss. It is slightly more pigmented than it is showing up in the swatch. It has good lasting power for a gloss, but this is most likely because it is very sticky and thick. I am very impressed with the colour, as it's hard to find a pale pink that has a warm enough tone not to wash me out.

Next is the lipgloss in Burlesque, a muted raspberry shade. This one looks mega shimmery in the bottle, but it doesn't translate on application. It is a lot less sticky than Lambada, while still maintaining a good 3+ hours of wear time. Out of the two lipglosses, I lean more toward this one, because the colour is so pretty and the texture is much, much nicer.

In the middle we have the Conceal Correct in Tan. This is a very yellow toned concealer which is way to dark for me. On the back of the box, it does say that it comes with the concealer in Light, but all of the ones I could find had the same shade of concealer. I'm not too sad about it not matching my skin tone, because it really hasn't impressed me much. In the swatches above, you can see that even on the relatively smooth skin of my forearm it seems to settle into even minute lines and make them much more visible.

Second from the right is the powder eyeshadow from the Double Decker Eye Duo in Cosmic Rays. It is an intensely shimmery beige shadow, that looks much more pink than in the swatch above. I'm a big fan of this shadow, as it looks gorgeous on. My only complaint is the packaging. It comes in the same tube as the rest of the minis with the same doe foot applicator, which makes for very messy application and a lot of waste. Pulling the applicator out of the tube never fails to result in a cloud of shimmer dust and you really can't get away with using it to apply the shadow.

Last we have the other component from the Cosmic Rays Double Decker Eye Duo, a dark brown cream eyeshadow with a semi-satin finish. I was very hesitant about this one when I first swatched it, because the colour is intense. I've since played around with it, and found that it has a fairly nice texture that is easy to blend and sheer out. It dries slowly, giving you plenty of time to work with it, and once it is dry it stays in place well. I would still recommend using it over a good eyeshadow primer if you are someone who suffers from oilier eye lids, like myself. 

At around $14.95, this set is pretty reasonable and overall good quality. Australis have included some really great colours, with the exception of the concealer, and I have been getting some good use out of it.

Overall Score: 7/10

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream Review

Today's review is on the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams in Antwerp and Milan. They are applied like a lipgloss, pigmented like a lipstick and dry completely matte. They are difficult to define, to say the least, but are great for us matte look lovers.

Antwerp is a bright coral pink. Milan is a bright mauve toned pink.

Both are very creamy in texture and glide onto the lips. After application they dry to a velvet looking matte finish. Once dry, they retain no moisture, similar to a lip stain. This can take up to ten minutes, but once dry they are tough to move and will not transfer. They are incredibly long lasting, with around 4 hours wear time before needing touching up.

One thing to note before wearing them is they will accentuate any dryness, so exfoliating and moisturising the lips with balm before applying is advisable. Dry spots on the lips also tends to cause flaking and cracking after a couple of hours.

Overall Score: 7/10

July Lust List

Another month, another wishlist. I am sad to report that I didn't end up buying anything from my June Lust List post. Very good for the budget but a little bit sad for me. Oh well. This month's post may well suffer the same fate, but this month I'm lusting over some much more budget friendly bits and bobs.

Clockwise from left they are:

• Real Techniques Starter Kit - I bought the Core Collection a couple of months ago and love them more than it is appropriate to love a set of brushes. I really want to get the Starter Kit because I've been hearing great things about them to, and am pretty sure I would love them too.
• Revlon Lip Butters in Candy Apple and Creamsicle - I basically want the whole line, but these two look so gorgeous.
• NARS Larger Than Life eye liners in Via Veneto and Rue Bonaparte - I'm in the market for pencil liners that will stay well on my water line, and these have pretty great reviews.
• Bourjois Bronzing Powder - aside from the fact that it won me over because it was shaped like chocolate, I am sick of looking like a ghost and think this could be my remedy.
• Maybelline Color Tattoos in Tenacious Teal and Bad To The Bronze - I already own Tough As Taupe and Bold Gold and love them (you can see my review and swatches here) so am keen to acquire some more. As well as these two shades, I will be keeping my eye out for Pomegranate Punk also.

Be sure to let me know what's on your wishlist this month!

Maybelline Color Tattoo Review | Tough As Taupe and Bold Gold

Maybelline Color Tattoos are cream eyeshadows, similar in concept to the MAC Paint Pots. The collection includes a range of bright and eye catching colours to be used as an eyeshadow base, or for stand alone wear. They have been generating quite a bit of hype since their release in the US and UK earlier this year. Originally they weren't rumoured to make their Aussie debut until the end of this year, but thankfully Maybelline released them here at the beginning of the month.

The Target I got them from stocked five shades. I picked up Tough As Taupe and Bold Gold. The other shades available were Tenacious Teal (a bright shimmery blue), Painted Purple (a bright purple with subtle shimmer) and Audacious Asphalt (a shimmery black). I'm not sure how many of the 10 shades are available here, but I know that there are more than the five I tracked down.

Tough As Taupe is a highly pigmented grey taupe colour. When applied it is much darker and grey than it appears in the pot, but can be sheered out in to a beautiful and wearable taupe.

Bold Gold is much, much brighter than it appears here, with a very true yellow gold appearance. It is very shimmery, both in the pot and when applied, and catches the light beautifully. This one is definitely not for the faint of heart or those looking for a subtle gold shimmer.

Their formula is quite thick and somewhat on the dry side. That said, they can be sheered out and blended fairly easily, as long as you work quickly. On the lid, once they are dry, they are impossible to budge, even with vigorous rubbing. 

The biggest drawing point of the Color Tattoos is the wear time. I have very oily lids and watery eyes that can crease any eyeshadow within a couple of hours. These, however, I can wear for more than 8-9 hours without primer and have absolutely no creasing or fading. No other eye product I have tried has lasted as well as these do on me.

The one draw back to the Color Tattoos is the lack of everyday wearable colours. For me, Tough As Taupe is the only colour I can realistically wear to work. I understand that their aim in developing the current line was to create daring and bold colours (and boy did they do it well), but I hope that once seeing how popular they have been, they might consider releasing some more shades.

I haven't been able to find a full list of stockists, but I know that they are available at Target and Priceline for around $11.95. I was shocked to see how reasonable the pricing on these was compared to the US and UK, where they sell for the equivalent of about $7 (don't get me started on the triple priced Revlon Lip Butters). Next I'm hoping to hunt down Pomegranate Punk and Bad To The Bronze.

Overall Score: 9/10

EOTD: A Makeup Blast from the Past and Seven Year Anniversary

Yesterday was my Fiance and I's 7 year anniversary. I haven't really shared anything too personal on here yet, and thought now might be a good reason too. Let me start by telling you a little about our history. 

We went to the same high school from the start of Year 7, but didn't meet until we were both 16, at a mutual friends birthday. That night, I instantly had such a crush on him. In the months that followed, we talked a lot, and got to know each other. After some shameless flirting on my part, I plucked up the courage to tell him how I felt, which was enormous for me to even consider. So, one day at school, I managed to catch him while he was alone, and told him that I really liked him. His response... "Oh, okay". I was crushed! Not to mention humiliated. That night, after completely avoiding him out of shame, I found out through his good friend that he felt the same, but was too shy to tell me.

It wasn't until at least a week or more later that said friend had managed to convince him to ask me out. Which he tried to, for 5 days, but was thwarted each time by interrupting friends and my disappearance from my usual lunch spot (I had no idea he was looking for me). By the time he had finally asked me out, so many people knew he was trying to, that we actually had an audience of people secretly watching, waiting to see if it would finally happen.

So, we had a bit of a rocky start, but from there on out it has all been smooth sailing. He is my best friend and the love of my life all rolled into one. I've not met anyone else who gets me quite like he does, and who loves me so unconditionally. Every day I'm inspired by his compassion, kindness, determination and drive. 

I can't even begin to convey how lucky I feel that my life has been touched by him. When he asked me to marry him, it was the single most amazing night of my life. I cannot wait to marry him, and all of the memories of our relationship that have been swimming around in my head this week just make me even more excited to spend the rest of my days with him. I love him with all of my heart.

One of the memories I have been thinking about a lot this week was of our first real date. We went to a concert for a band that I loved and he hardly knew, and had the most amazing time. That was the night we had our first kiss, in among the crazy screaming crowd. Not the most romantic of settings, but it felt like time stopped. To this day I still remember that kiss as clear as day.

So, as an homage to that amazing night and the start of our relationship seven years ago, I decided to recreate the eye look that I wore. Back then I wasn't nearly as into makeup as I am now, but I remember fretting about how I would do my make up for days leading up to it. I still remember the look I wore, and associate it so strongly with that night. The thing I remember most about the makeup was a dark teal/green pencil liner that I used under my eyes. The reason I remember it so well is because it was a major player in my makeup repertoire back then, and I always felt incredibly adventurous when I wore it. I have a few photos from that night, none of which show my makeup too well, but from the look of it I also had a penchant for heavy black liner and a tonne of mascara.

Here is my recreation:

I don't think this makeup look is, or was, all too flattering for me and it makes me realise why I rarely use mascara on my lower lashes anymore (hello spiders legs). Still, it's fun to look back and reminisce about some of my best memories.

Does anyone else associate particular makeup looks and products with events in their lives?

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation Review

It is not sheer. Nor does it glow. Poor naming decisions aside, NARS Sheer Glow foundation is amazing. It pretty much been my daily foundation since I finally took the plunge and bought it in the shade Deauville. This is a big deal for a foundation addict, such as myself.

It’s gives light-medium, but buildable coverage, with an incredibly natural finish. Once applied, it would be hard to tell that I’m wearing foundation at all, were it not for the evened out skin tone and covered blemishes. The name implies that the foundation gives a ‘glow’, which in foundation terms usually means a dewy finish, or some sort of sheen. Sheer Glow has neither, but it does give an overall effect of very healthy, smooth skin.

I get about 8 hours of wear time with this, before it starts to become a little bit patchy and faded. On the oilier parts of my face, it does start to move at around the 6 hour mark, but stays put with blotting and/or a little powder. Without this extra step, once oiliness occurs, the foundation becomes a little less than flattering, so I wouldn’t recommend it for those with oily skin.

It is quite a pricey foundation, with an RRP of $42US for 30ml. The only official stockist in Australia that I’m aware of is Mecca Cosmetica, where it retails for $68, if you are interested in having it colour matched with your skin tone. I bought mine from HQhair for around £29.50GBP plus £2.99 postage (about $50.25AU).

Aside from the price, the only major downside is lack of pump. For the amount of money you pay, it would be nice to get more than just a bottle that you unscrew and pour. It leads to a whole lot of mess, and I find that the foundation tends to bleed down the spiral on the screw cap and out the bottom of the lid.

Overall Score: 9/10

Face Of Australia Sheer Gloss Lip Crayons Review

For the last month or so, I have been seeing these Sheer Gloss Lip Crayons from Face of Australia all over Twitter and Aussie beauty blogs. I love a lot of the Face of Australia products and these have been getting great reviews, so I couldn't wait for them to be released.

Well, they hit the shops at the start of June and I was quick to get my grubbly little hands on them! They come in a pack of three crayons which costs a grand total of $14.95. Before they came out I had heard that the pack would cost this, and to be honest, I didn't really believe it. Face of Australia have very competitively and reasonably priced products, but I just thought that there was no way all three would be less than $15. I figured that maybe they would be sold separately for $14.95 each, so I was very pleasantly surprised to walk into Priceline and find that it indeed was the price for all three. To those of you reading from other countries (especially the US and UK) this price might not seem all that exciting, but when one Revlon Lip Butter costs $21.95AU (around $21.76US and £14.06GBP) or an OPI or Essie polish costs $20AU (around $19.82US and £12.81GBP), to get three decent lip products for $15 is amazing value. Good on you, Face of Australia.

The packaging is simple colour matching plastic with a handy wind up applicator, which means no sharpening! Woohoo! I don’t know about the rest of you, but any time I have to sharpen one of my pencil products, I break them. This actually applies to normal lead pencils too, so I love love love that these are wind up. The packaging itself doesn’t appear to be incredibly sturdy (although I’ve had no issues with them breaking), and the length of the packaging makes them slightly less handbag friendly than your average lippy, but neither of these things big is any real downfall in my opinion.

Each of the crayons glide on easily with a unique liquidy gel-like texture that is neither sticky, nor thick. They impart a sheer tint of colour, with a very glossy finish initially. As time goes on, this high gloss finish does fade down to a moderate sheen. 

The colours last fairly well for how sheer and glossy the crayons are, however, regular reapplication is needed to maintain the colour and finish. I was able to get around 2 hours wear with all three, before I felt the need to reapply (and I am a lip licker).  When I let the colours go for even longer, they simply faded off, without becoming dry or patchy.

Macaron is a sheer, watermelon pink, which leans a little bit red. This is one that I'm looking forward to wearing in summer.

Sundae is a nude brown colour. Having seen swatches of this one, I was looking forward to trying it out. Unfortunately it did not suit me much at all. My lips are quite pigmented, which made Sundae look much to brown for my very pale and yellow-toned complexion.

Lastly, we have Cupcake, which sits somewhere between a pale and medium pink. I have to admit, this colour was the one I was least excited about, as I've been moving away from pink lips lately. I absolutely love this baby on, though, and have been wearing it regularly.

Face of Australia did not disappoint with these Sheer Gloss Lip Crayons. No word yet as to whether these will be sold separately at some point, or if different sets will be available.

Overall Score: 8/10

ModelCo Fibre Lash Mascara Review

When I first saw the ads for the new ModelCo Fibre Lash Mascara, I was intrigued by the concept. It's a two part formula applied in three steps that claims to give the effect of false lashes without the need for all the fussing. Probably the most exciting and unusual part of this product is the use of little fibres, intended to add volume and length to the lashes. When I saw that May's CLEO magazine came with this mascara, I couldn't help but pick it up!

The version I received with CLEO came in double ended, black, plastic packaging. From what I can gather, the actual one that you can purchase comes in a two separate shiny mascara tubes. Much prettier but slightly less convenient.

On one end is the Extension Mascara. The brush is quite a large, old fashioned, wire and bristle brush. Some   might be a bit unenthusiastic about this brush, but I love a good wire and bristle brush. I find they work best on my lashes to separate and curl.

On the other end is the much more exciting Lash Fibres brush. A long, thin, bristle brush used to apply the little lash fibres.

Above is a picture of my natural lashes, for reference.

Step 1: Apply a coat of the Extension Mascara. This step will ensure that the fibres stick to the lashes.

Step 2: Apply a coat of the Lash Fibres. If you are after a lot of volume, I would suggest concentrating a lot of fibres on the mid-lengths of your lashes. If you are after length, then concentrate the fibres on the ends. If, by chance, you are after both volume and length, go crazy and absolutely cover your lashes with the fibres, as I have done in the picture above.

Step 3: Apply a final coat of the Extension Mascara. This coat should cover the fibres, align them with the natural lashes and pull them up and out, creating extra length. I was surprised at how easily the fibres were covered. Now, how about a comparison:

The picture above on the left, is of my natural lashes. The one on the right is of my lashes after the above three steps. As you can see from the above picture, the lengthening capabilities of this mascara are pretty good. I would say good enough to rival many of the lengthening mascaras I have tried. It does pretty well to add body to the lashes too, however, I definitely wouldn't say that it meets it's claims of giving the look of false lashes.

There are also a few small things I didn't like about this mascara. The main one is the price. At $48AU it's incredibly expensive. I doubt I will be purchasing this one when my free on runs out. After a couple of uses, I also noticed that the fibres infiltrated the mascara, resulting in clumping and a somewhat messy finish.

Overall, I think this is a decent mascara that would be great for anyone after a product that works to lengthen lashes without the need for false lashes. For me, it doesn't quite do enough to make me willing to pay such a hefty price.

Overall Score: 6/10

EOTD: A Black and Silver Night Out Look

I thought I might share an eye look that I love doing for a night out with you today. It's a bit of a classic in terms of dramatic eye looks.

I love the look of silver and black together, and because the look doesn't have any colour to it, it goes well with pretty much any lip colour my heart desires. 

For the look, I used the pale silver in the MUA Starry Night Eye Shadow Palette you can see here, black from the Sleek Oh So Special Eye Shadow Palette you can see here and Prestige Liquid Liner in black.

L'Oreal Base Magique Transforming Smoothing Primer Review

A couple of weeks ago I got a sample of the L'Oreal Base Magique Transforming Smoothing Primer. I was really excited to try it, as I'd heard some great things about it, and I'm on the hunt for a new primer.

The L'Oreal website describes it as a "transforming smoothing primer that instantly smoothes pores and creates an even surface, so that you get a more flawless make-up result that lasts. The silky, lightweight formula glides onto skin and minimises the look of pores and fine lines to transform your skin surface."

I've been using it for about a week and a half now, and I have very mixed feelings about it. I'll section this review into the different things I want in a primer, as well as the claims made by L'Oreal.

The length of wear: My foundation did not budge all day with this primer. Probably the best thing about this primer is the staying power. Usually when I get home from work my face has kinda faded and/or slid a little, even with most primers. Not with this.

Smoothing: This primer claims to mask pores and fine lines, so that foundation goes on smoothly. I have some issues with large pores and was hoping that this primer would help to stop them from showing and prevent my foundation from settling in them. It did cover some of my smaller pores really well, but seemed to do very little for the ones I actually wanted to minimise. I tried layering it thicker and thinner, applying it with a brush and my hands, stippling it in, swiping it on and patting it on, and nothing worked to stop my foundation from settling in the pores on my nose. This was a big let down, given that it was designed to help smooth over pores, and that most other concealers I have tried do it better than I felt this one did. As for fine lines, I don't really have any yet, but sort of tested it out on the back of my hand where I have some tiny just visible lines and it covered them really well. They were almost invisible even without foundation over the top.

Finish: It has a sort of matte texture when applied, with a really nice and smooth finish (over areas without pores). It feels velvety to the touch. 

Oil control: At the moment (because Winter is approaching) my skin has been normal to dry (it is quite oily in summer), so I only really need a small amount of oil control through my t-zone. Because of it's matte texture, I sort of expected this primer to be sufficient, if not good, for my oil control needs right now. I was wrong. The outside of my face, where I'm not getting oiliness right now stayed lovely, but every day by lunch time my nose was an oily, shiny mess. To check that it wasn't just my skin acting up, I followed up a couple of days using a different primer and then no primer, and I had no issues with oiliness anywhere. I went back and used the Base Magique, and it happened again. It was a bit bizarre.

Packaging: Because I was using a sample of this, I got it in a cute little squeeze tube, but the full sized product comes in a little pot. For those with concerns about hygeine, the packaging may not be ideal. 

Overall, this primer isn't for me, and I won't be buying it. That said, I don't think it's a bad primer, it just doesn't suit my skin type and needs. How long and well this made my foundation last makes me desperately wish it had worked better for me. If you have skin more toward the dry end of the spectrum, small to medium pores to cover and no tendency for oiliness, I think this primer could be amazing. 

Overall Score: 7/10

120 Eye Shadow Palette Review

I bought a generic 120 eye shadow palette off of Ebay recently and thought I would review it for everyone. I had heard that some of these palettes were the exact same products sold by Coastal Scents and Manly, but without the branding. 

I bought this for $5.39 plus $6.49 postage from the seller Agro-Store based in China. That's a total of $11.88, which, at that price, I figured I would take the gamble. A fair warning, the seller has upped the price to $19.99 plus $2.88 postage since I bought mine, which equates to almost double what I paid. If you shop around on Ebay, you can find them as cheap as I did, but please pay attention to feedback ratings if you are thinking of buying one, and read some of their feedback. I also didn't really have any contact with the seller, because I had no real issues to address with them, so I can't comment on their customer service at all.

Packaging

The palette comes in a black matte plastic case with no writing or markings on it. It isn't the most impressively sturdy feeling plastic, but it isn't flimsy by any means. 

The eye shadows are housed in two plastic shelves, stacked one of top of the other, that can both be completely taken out of the outer packaging. It did have little ribbons that stuck up out the side of each shelf to help you remove them from the packaging, but mine both fell off the first time they were pulled. You can also take the top shelf out and sit it on the lid, as shown in the first picture above. The lid has little brackets to stop the shelf from sliding, but it won't hold it if the palette is tipped too far vertically. Both layers come with a little plastic sheet to protect the shadows and prevent any powder from migrating all over the rest.

The Eye Shadows

As you can see, the colour selection is pretty great. The top layer contains whites, greys, silvers, blacks, green and blue glitters, purples, pinks, reds, as well as neutrals and browns.

The second layers has a heap of teals, blues, greens, yellows, golds, peaches and oranges. The far right column of this layer are all a mix of two colours. You may also notice the second from the left and the far right in the top row are a little broken.

Pretty much all of the eye shadows have been incredibly pigmented. I was very surprised by just how pigmented they were. The palette contains mostly matte finishes, but includes a good share of metallics, shimmers and glitters. I have found that the consistency of the shadows does vary. Some are very creamy, some are very softy and fine while a few others are a bit harder and drier. As a result, it varies from shadow to shadow as to how easy they are too work with, or how long lasting they are. Overall, I have found them very easy to apply and blend, and haven't experienced many issues with them moving or fading (I do always use a primer, because I have oily eyelids).

Below is a photo of a few of the shadows swatched onto the back of my hand. They are SO much more pigmented than they look in this photo.

Overall, I really like this palette. Especially when you consider the price. I can't compare them to the Coastal Scents or Manly palettes, as I don't own one of either, but I am very, very happy to have bought this.

You can see some of the looks I have created using this palette here and here.

EOTD: Blue Shimmer Cut-Crease

Just a quick EOTD today. I'm really into the look of a cut-crease eyeshadow looks at the moment, so I decided to try it out. 

For those who haven't heard of a cut-crease before, it is simply where you use different colours on the lid (in  above I chose white) and crease (I chose shimmery blue), with a very defined border between them (usually at the crease). The result is a kind of dramatic and eye-catching look.

Oh, and apologies for the hideously under-groomed brows. They are well and truly due for a waxing.

May 2012 Lust List

The one problem with reading all of the amazing blogs I've come across (especially since I started blogging), is that I have been experiencing some very serious cases of product envy. There are so many products that I'm crushing on this month, that it was hard to narrow it down to a respectable number for this post. For this reason, I went with a few things that I've had my eye on for a while. Some of these products are ones that have been on my mental wishlist for more than a year.

Clockwise from left to right:

• Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush - this brush is supposed to be amazing and give a completely flawless and natural finish.
• Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Compact Foundation - a cream foundation that I've heard nothing but good reviews about.
• Vivienne Westwood's Naughty Alice - I have been meaning to pick this perfume up for a long, long time. I absolutely adore the smell.
• Revlon Colourstay Lipglosses in Sunset Peach, Gold Dust and Papaya - the colourburst range in general seems to be pretty consistently good, especially for drugstore products, and I would love the get my grubby little hands on these glosses.
• Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder - A lot of products, but in particular bronzers, show up incredibly orange on my skin. One day, I went around the entire makeup department at David Jones and swatched every bronzer I could find. This was the ONLY one that didn't look orange on me.
• YSL Touche Eclat - I need all the brighting and highlighting I can get some mornings just to look remotely awake.
• China Glaze in Traffic Jam - I absolutely love berry shades at the moment. I'm pretty sure I already own at least 2 polishes in similar shades, but I just can't help but want this one.

And there you have it. A select few of the multitude of products I'm lusting over this month. Leave a comment and let me know what you have on your wishlist at the moment.

EOTD: Tropical Punch

On my doorstep when I got home tonight was the no name 120 shadow palette I bought off of Ebay, just over a week ago, for a grand sum of $11.88 including postage. I figured that for that price, it wouldn't really worry my too much if some or most of the palette was a dud. I had heard that they were exactly the same as the Coastal Scents and Manly palettes, but without the branding on them. I can't attest to that, as I don't own a palette from either of those brands, but I was definitely pleasantly surprised! The shadows seem pretty pigmented and some of the colours were so insanely pretty (even though there are about four of the same shade of forest green).

Once I'd given the palette a good once over, I truly couldn't wait to use it, but had so much trouble picking out colours (did I mention there are 120?). I decided to do something fun and colourful, because I've never really owned some of the out there colours that are contained in the palette. This was the end result:

I used a pastel yellow for the lid, lime green for the outer crease, teal for the inner, hot pink for the outer end of the lower lash line, purple for the inner lower lash line and a shimmery white for the inner corner. I lined with Prestige Liquid Liner in black and used Maybelline Falsies mascara.


Let me know what you think!

EOTD: Grey and Blue

Today's EOTD was created using some of the products in yesterdays haul post. I would describe it as the mullet of eye looks - business on the top and party on the bottom... Ahhhh, I'm such a dork. I'm truly sorry for that terrible joke.

Here's what I used:

• Face of Australia Matte Eye Primer
• The light grey from the Yves Saint Laurent Duo Eye Shadow Powder Duo #81, all the way over and slightly above the lid
• Prestige Liquid Eyeliner in black applied thinly, with a slight wing, which I then blended out
• Face of Australia Eye Definer Pencil in Marine below the lower lash line
• Modelco Fibre Lash Mascara

EOTD: The Blonds SS12 Runway Inspired

A bit of a fun one for you today, inspired by The Blonds Spring/Summer 2012 runway look at New York Fashion week. It's a little bit Egyptian meets I Dream Of Jeannie.

It turned out a lot messier than I would have liked, and I don't think I'd ever wear it out, but I was in the mood to do something a bit out there. Oh well. I gave it a go.


Let me know what you think!

EOTD: Black Out

I usually go for more neutral make up looks, but tonight I was in the mood for a bit of drama. The eye that resulted is black on black and only really appropriate for a big night out.

Heavy, dark makeup really doesn't suit me, because it makes my already small eyes appear even smaller and withdrawn. I tried to counter act that by elongating the look beyond the outer edge of my eye and not blending too far up toward my brow. I'm not sure how well it worked, but I still kinda liked how my eyes turned out. One thing I would have liked to add is some big false lashes, but, alas, I had none.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think, and if you would/do rock a heavy eye look like this. 

EOTD: Lana Del Rey Inspired Eye Look

Until some recent research, I didn't really know much about Lana Del Rey. She hasn't really been big here in Australia, that I'm aware of. What little I did know about her was that I LOVED her makeup. She seems to walk a fine line between the heavy looks of the 60's with the bohemian flair of the 70's. Her eyes are always played up with maximum effect. Today's eye of the day was inspired by her look. 

Here are the products used for the look

From left to right:

• The pale beige/pink from the Wet N Wild Greed Eye Shadow Palette
• Prestige Cosmetics Liquid Liner in Black
• The two browns (mixed) and black from the NP Romance Set

Let me know what you think!

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Review

Happy Easter everyone. I hope everyone had a lovely easter weekend. I'm so excited to share this post with everyone today, because I'm reviewing one of my favourite lip products - the Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil. I currently only own it in the shade Damned (sad), but have previously used it in Bolero and one other that I am blanking on. Basically, this product comes in the form of a big pencil, and is designed to be used under lipstick or gloss, or as a stand alone product. Personally, I love using it on it's own!

It has a lovely creamy texture when applied, with a semi-matte finish. Surprisingly it doesn't dry out too much with time, even though it is matte. It also has great really good staying power. Take a look at Damned on:

Damned is a deep purple/red berry shade. I wasn't able to get a picture without the light throwing a lot of blue, but the colour of the pencil, when applied, stayed fairly true. It's probably only slightly more red in real life.

The only issue I have with this product is it can be hard to get a crisp edge. For this reason I would recommend using a regular lip liner in a similar shade to line the lips first, if you are going for a defined edge. I should also mentioned that I haven't sharpened the pencil yet, so I don't know if it is easy or painful to sharpen. 

Overall Score: 9/10

Has anyone else tried the Velvet Matte Pencils? Let me know what you thought, or if you would consider buying them.