Wednesday, January 25, 2012

REVIEW AND SWATCHES: MAC MINERALIZE EYE SHADOWS

Hey girls,
I have barely any of the MAC mineralize eye shadows but the ones I do own, I adore and love using so I figured I would do a little review on the shadows and share my opinions as well as introduce you to the very few colours I own. The whole concept behind the mineralize collection is having light weight cosmetics that feel really natural and like skin due to their fine pearl formulation.
I personally love these shadows because they have a variety of colours in them, always at least two making them very versatile. So they are great for saving time because you only have to use the one shadow for an eye look, money because you get to try a couple of different colours when you buy just one eye shadow and traveling when packing light and only bringing minimal makeup. The pigmentation and quality really varies from shadow to shadow so I will be sure to include that in the description for each one. In comparison to normal MAC shadows which are 1.5g, they are much larger at 2.2g. This factor does affect the price, costing $33AUD for a normal MAC shadow and $38AUD for a mineralize shadow but I do understand the price different because you do get a lot of product and different colours. 
 Fresh Green Mix: The biggest portion of the shadow is a gorgeous green with gold reflects while the rest is a marble design of a lighter green, gold and a smokey black. The overall pigmentation is quite impressive and shows up really well with no fallout!
The first swatch is the solid green side and the second swatch is the other colours mixed together.

Two To Glow: These colours are gorgeous, half is a bronze orange and the other half is a marble design of brown and baby pink. Unfortunately there is a bit of fall out with this product but the pigmentation is amazing!
 The first swatch is the solid orange side and the second swatch is the other colours mixed together.

 Bright Side Gallery Gal: One side is a gorgeous olive green with warm gold reflects and the other side is a gorgeous champagne colour which reminds me of Stila "Kitten". Pigmentation is amazing with no fallout!
 The first swatch is the solid olive green side and the second swatch is the champagne shadow.


 It's A Miracle: The main portion of the eyeshadow is a deep plum colour then there is a little section of gold. The plum is very pigmented with no fall out but the gold is an awful flaky glitter with no pigmentation and heaps of fall out.
 The first swatch is the plum shadow and the second swatch is the gold.


 Engaging: You can probably tell by the state of mine that I love this shadow, especially the gorgeous pinky nude side! I also really adore the deep gold colour for the crease but I need to use much less of it so it doesn't look like it's been used much but it has because I love this eye shadow to bits! These are very wearable colours and convenient to use to put together a full everyday eye look.
The first swatch is the solid marble gold side and the second swatch is the pinky nude.

What are your thoughts on these Mineralize Eye Shadows?

Saturday, January 21, 2012

REVIEW AND SWATCHES: MAC LIPSTICK IN LUSTERING

Hey girls,
Lustering from MAC is a lipstick I have been reaching for so often recently that I just have to talk about it with all of you! It is a stunning warm cranberry pink shade with a hint of red that is super wearable! I stumbled across this lovely lipstick when I was look for Girl About Town but decided on Lustering because I could tell I would get much more use out of it!
The fact that it's quite sheer and glossy makes use really simple and means you can apply it without much thought on the go and it will still look really lovely. This makes it a perfect lipstick to throw into your purse and have with you for easy application.
 
The formulation is a lustre so it's a very slippery consistency which some may not like but I really enjoy because I find them very moisturizing and they feel nice and smooth. When you wear this you can barely tell you have anything on as it's a very natural feeling.
 
Whats great about this lipstick is that you can wear it as a sheer wash of colour and gloss all over the lips or you can apply lots of coats to really build up the pigmentation and make it become more opaque. The first swatch is one swipe and the second is a couple of coats.
You can purchase MAC lipsticks in Australia from David Jones or Myer for $34.
Tell me if you own this lipstick or if your going to try it out!

Monday, January 16, 2012

REVIEW: MODIVA PROFESSIONAL CLIPLESS CURLING IRON

Hey girls, 
I have been playing around and experimenting for the past couple of months with the Modiva Professional 25mm Curling Iron and have decided to do a review on it. To all my fellow Aussie beauties I think you will be excited to hear, I have stumbled across not only a curling iron which is the same width the whole way through but it's also clipless (extremely hard to find, trust me..I know!) Keep reading to find more about this amazing hair tool and where you can purchase it!
It's clipless which means you have to adopt a fairly different method of curling but I find that it's much more simple and is more effective in curling your hair. Now that I have tried clipless I will never use another curling iron with a clip ever again!

The curling iron that I have been testing out is the 25mm barrel which is the middle option out of the three widths. You can go for a thinner barrel (13mm) for tighter, smaller curls or a thicker barrel (32mm) for looser more wavy curls. 

I do recommend the 25mm as your first curling iron just because it is so versatile and can create many different styles. For small springy curls you can wrap up smaller sections of hair and tightly, for everyday curls you can wrap medium sized sections around the wand and for big voluminous curls you can wrap larger sections, more loosely. Of course all of these looks are going to take practice to perfect but it's really fun playing around with it and learning all the different styles you can achieve with this one curling iron!
Some added features that make your overall curling experience feel less like a chore include the sleek ergonomic design with non-slip grip, 360 degree swivel cord, a solid tourmaline Barrel with ionic technology which provides many extra benefits for your hair and of course an Australian plug! (You would be surprised how many adapters I have!)

The Modiva curling irons heat up as hot as 210°C which cuts out so much styling time because you only have to hold your hair on the barrel for a short amount of time! Of course it will depend of the thickness of your sections and how hard to curl your hair is but I find that I have a whole head of curls in under 15minutes! I also love how long lasting the curls are, they remain perfect all day and still look great the next day which is amazing and super impressive!
Photo owned by Modiva Professional
I love the fact that when you buy your curling iron you also receive little extras that helps curl your hair like two clips for sectioning and a heat protectant glove so you aren't afraid of burning yourself while you curl your hair.

This is an Australian website so not only is there no need to convert prices and such but it also means free express shipping!
Although it is an Australian based company, it ships internationally! So this curling iron can be shipped to you wherever you live in the world within 5-10 working days! If your from Australia then you will receive it within 1-2 days and that's with free shipping, great deal right!

You can purchase this amazing curling iron from the Modiva website and it's the only place I have seen a curling iron that is clipless, the same width all the way through and available to ship to Australia! Definitely recommend checking it out :)

REVIEW: JOHN FRIEDA SHEER BLONDE "GO BLONDER" LIGHTENING SPRAY

Hey girls,
I have a review for you on quite an interesting and different product and it's the John Frieda Sheer Blonde Go Blonder Lightening Spray. If you have read my everyday hair routine then you would know how in love I am with John Frieda hair products especially the Go Blonder range now that my hair is back to being pretty light.
Promises To: Work with styling heat to gradually lighten and brighten for a natural-looking, blonder blonde in 3-5 uses.
Recommended For: Brassy or dull, colour treated hair.
Price: $18.99 RRP in Australia but you can buy it for much cheaper online and it may be more affordable where you live.
 
Formulation: It's a very liquidy consistency with a spray top. The spray top gives a very nice even distribution of the product.
Effectiveness: I have been trialling this product for about 3 or 4 months and I have actually noticed it has lightened my hair! Surprisingly it does slightly work but I would say you have to have naturally pretty light hair as well as quite light colour treated hair. I don't think it would be too effective on darker shades of blonde just because it doesn't seem to be a strong enough product to strip dark colours.
Uses: This product is very multipurpose and can be used to all over lighten your hair so you just spray all your hair with it, for highlights so you just spray selective pieces of your hair or for root blending where you spray your roots and it blends your regrowth better.
Quantity: The bottle contains 103ml of product and how long the bottle lasts is dependent on the length of your hair and what your using it for but you will get a fair amount of use out of it.
Scent: A really lovely and pleasant citrus scent, overwhelming at times but for the most part it's alright.
Packaging: A sleek bottle which is easily stored and I love how it has a really good quality spray top to apply the product!
Usage: You spray this product onto damp hair before blow drying and styling. The more heat you use on your hair after applying this product, the better the result.  Perfect for in between salon visits to freshen up your colour.
Where to purchase this: You can get your hands on this at pharmacies, drugstores, supermarkets and anywhere you know that sells John Freida products! Of course many online places also sell this product and probably for much cheaper than you can get it in stores.
Would I repurchase this: I have had such a good experience with this product so I will definitely be repurchasing it.
Overall: I think this is a really different and unique product, I haven't really seen anything like this before! I think it's a great concept and I like the results I have seen in my hair. I feel like this product is a great investment because the long term effects are to lighten your hair which means you could use it to cover regrowth, prolonging the amount of time you can go without re-doing your hair. Reducing bleach damage and saving money because you have to go to the salon much less. Definitely love and recommend trying it out!

Saturday, January 14, 2012

REVIEW: KAWAII COMPANIONS ICHIGO

Hey girls, 
This is a review on a super cute dress jewellery company called Kawaii Companions. The design I am going to be talking about is "ichigo" who is an adorable little strawberry character! Keep reading to hear more about it!
image owned by Kawaii Companions
What Kawaii Companions are all about:
Have you ever found the end of a rainbow?
Have you ever heard the trees whisper your name?
Have you ever visited an edible wonderland?
Welcome to the magical world of kawaii companions. Meet characters such as ichingo and sakura who live in sweetyland where everyone is made out of something delicious! Learn about the companions and become their friends!
 So this is the ichigo ring which you can purchase here and I am so in love with it! The quality is absolutely amazing, it is seriously so durable and well made! The three little diamonds for it's eyes and nose are glued down so well and the layers are well glued on top of each other giving a really cute three dimensional little character.
 I love that this ring is realizable so it will fit everyone's fingers and any finger you want it to! So the main thing is how adorable it is!!! Seriously, so cute!! I can't wait for more little characters to come out and I can imagine this would be such a great thing to collect!
The necklace is just as well made and durable as the ring and the chain is great also! It comes fairly long but you can re size it to be whatever length your comfortable with! I just adore the cute little green strip as it's feet and it's super cute little eyes as well as the beautiful pink diamonds on it! Seriously so cute! You can purchase the necklace here.
I am seriously obsessed with kawaii companions and can't wait for more characters to come out! If your interested in purchasing some ichigo check out the Kawaii Companions website!

Thursday, January 12, 2012

REVIEW: DR. LEWINN'S FIRMING EYE CREAM

Hey girls, 
I have a quite exciting review on the Firming Eye Cream from Dr. Lewinns and I have been wanting to review this product for a while now but I really wanted to properly test it out so that I could give it a really good in depth review. Choosing the right eye cream is really important but sometimes it requires you to try out a couple of products before you find one that works well for you. I hope my review helps you decide if this eye cream is worth trying out and assists you in finding your perfect eye cream.
 
Promises To: help re-hydrate and moisturise the delicate eye area. Dr Lewinn's Firming Eye Cream assists in smoothing out the appearance of fine lines and helps to reduce the appearance of puffy eyes. The aloe vera gel has a soothing effect on tired eyes. 

Keep in mind: Results may vary person to person due to factors such as age, skin type, severity of under eye damage and expose to the elements therefore my review is based upon my personal experience and reviews may contradict each other. Also, I know that I am young and wrinkles have not yet appeared but I use it as a preventative thing, not because I think I have wrinkles or anything like that.
 
Formulation: It is a sticky thick gel consistency which is great because it's a long lasting product but it makes it a little difficult to apply.
Price: $54.95 for 30g is expensive but this eye cream is to be used sparingly so it really will last you a pretty long time.
Effectiveness:
This is a firming eye cream so the main thing I was looking for was my under eyes to tighten up a little bit which I think I have slightly noticed happen, surprisingly enough I think it actually does do what it says! Something else which I noticed was that it reduced redness and puffiness if you use it in the morning, even better than the Clinique All About Eyes Serum does!
Quantity:You can probably tell by the picture that you don't actually get much product in there! Of course I have used some but even when brand new, the little tub was not full at all which is kind of disappointing because it is so expensive for such a small amount of product.
Scent: The scent is actually quite pleasant, it smells a little floral but mainly just like a cosmetic cream which is good because I always get put off using products where I have to plug my nose to be able to apply it, especially around the face.
Packaging:
The products comes packaged in just your basic little tub with an unscrew lid and a little divider underneath the lid.
Usage: It contains the ingredient mica, as a light deflector if daytime use is desired but you can use this at night time also. It doesn't matter so much what time of the day you use it, just be sure to use it once everyday. I do prefer day time use though because I feel a burning sensation under my eyes when I put it on after my toner and moisturizer at night. Perhaps reacting with the other products?

So overall, I was really impressed with this product because rarely do I find results similar to those promised on the bottle! If you looking for a new eye cream I would recommend this one just because my experience with it has been awesome! Keep in mind, it is an investment as it is so expensive but it will last you quite a while as you need such a small amount. It's great for not only reducing the viability of wrinkles but also preventing them! I would look into this product also if you are a lover of the Clinique All About Eyes serum because it has the same results in regards to de-puffing and reducing redness in the morning as well as the added anti-aging benefits.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

DOTTI FASHION HAUL

Hey girls,
Today I stopped by Dotti which is an Australian clothing store and I only picked up three things but I thought I would share them with you! I think they are gorgeous and I am so excited to style them and play around with wearing all of the pieces!!
 Everything I mention should still be in stores so if your interested in purchasing any of these items you should be able to find them. I also included a picture of the tag so that it might help if your looking for it.
The first thing is this gorgeous hot pink bandage dress with amazing strap details at the back! I am seriously in love with this and think that if it was paired with black heels and bangles it will look very put together! When I saw this, I had to have it! Usually I wait for things to go on sale if their expensive but I didn't want it to sell out so I bought it anyway! You will probably find my whinging when I see it goes on sale!

 This picture does not even slightly show how gorgeous this top is in person! It is a lovely black silk material that feels amazing against your skin and forms to your body beautifully! The design is quite baggy so I may pair this with a belt just to show my figure a little better but I also love the sleeves and how they hang! The pocked adds an adorable little detail and the neckline is a perfect height.

 I am so impressed with the quality of this top because it's made out of such a soft and smooth fabric but it wasn't even that expensive! I thought this would be a cute top for layering over a plain black or white top. I also got the black and gold version but I was wearing it when I was taking pictures but I'm sure you will see me wearing it in an upcoming YouTube video or OOTD.

I am so excited to wear some of these pieces and can't wait to play around with styling them with other pieces from my wardrobe! Of course if your interested in purchasing any of these items, they should still be in stores and I hope the tags help you find them.

Monday, January 9, 2012

TAYLOR SWIFT INSPIRED SUMMER CORAL EYE AND LIP TUTORIAL!


Hey girls,

I got a lot of positive feedback from my last FOTD/EOTD so I decided to do another one! This time it is really pretty and fun playing around with big bold lashes and a pop of colour on the bottom lash line and lips. It's kind of like a grey and silver smokey eye with hints of orange and bold coral lips. I'm using two of my 88 palettes, one is neutrals and the other is colour. Mainly using shades from my neutral palette but one from my colour. I know a lot of people have these palettes so if your one of those people, you will be able to recreate this look using the exact same colours but if you don't then just substitute colours from your collection that look similar to the ones I'm using. I was inspired by a look I have seen Taylor Swift wear on a few occasions and it always looks so gorgeous on her so I wanted to try it out! Since it's summer here in Australia, bright coral and neon colours are really popular at the moment to wear so I thought it would be fun to incorporate them into my makeup look. If you want to see the looks I saw Taylor Swift wear and was inspired by just scroll down to the end of this post where I included them. I am so happy with the way this turned out and I think it will be perfect for summer parties and events this summer break, I can't wait to wear it out!
So keep reading if you want to find out how to achieve this look...


The lashes are optional but the ones I used are Ardell Invisibands "Demi Wispies" in black. The eyeliner I used was Chanel Ecriture De Chanel Automatic Liquid Eyeliner and I just drew on some slightly winged eyeliner.
Step 1. Of course prime your lids then the first colour you want to take it the white circled with blue and wash that over the lid so that all the colours we put on top of it are more vibrant and show up better.
Step 2. Take the shimmery champagne colours circled with pink and red and pack them both onto the lid.
Step 3. Take the silver circled with purple and work that colour into the crease. Then take the black circled with orange and put that in the outer corners and bring it a little bit into your crease.
Step 4. Draw on your liquid liner then take the white circled with green and draw a line just above your liquid liner. I find that this step just brightens up your eyes and makes them look bigger and more awake.
Step 5. Apply mascara and false lashes or just mascara.
 In following the whole orange pop of colour theme, take an orange colour and using a tiny eyeliner brush, pack it with colour and apply is all over your lower lash line, underneath your eyelashes. This adds a beautiful pop of orange to the eye look!
Now for lips, just take any coral, peachy or apricot colour and it will perfectly compliment your eye look!

Saturday, January 7, 2012

MY EVERYDAY HAIR ROUTINE

Hey girls, 
This is going to be all the products I use on my hair on an everyday basis. I use a mixture of brands but this is just what I have found works for my hair the best to ensure it's strong, healthy and at the colour I want it.

Shampoo
So this might be really weird but I actually switch between three shampoos depending what I think my hair is needing at the time.
John Frieda Sheer Blonde Go Blonder Lightening Shampoo: I use this shampoo when I am in between colours and I really just want to make my hair feel a bit lighter and fresher. It doesn't bleach your hair obviously but you will notice it gradually become visibly lighter. I love the whole Go Blonder range and you will see a few more products from that collection as we progress through my routine.
John Frieda Sheer Blonde Highlight Activating Moisturising Shampoo: This is probably the shampoo I use most often, it's the one I go to when I am not using my other Sheer Blonde or Aromas shampoo. I just find that it nicely maintains my blonde hair, doesn't strip the oil from my hair but gets it clean looking. It has become my favourite everyday use shampoo.
Nak Aromas Argan Oil Shampoo: When I feel like my hair is becoming a little dry, maybe if I have used a lot of heat on my hair that week or I just got my hair re-highlighted and that stripped some moisture from it, I will use this shampoo. It's probably the most moisturizing out of the 3 but it doesn't do anything for my blonde hair so that's why I don't use it all the time, I like to focus on maintaining my colour. I feel like I have to get my hair done a lot less often if I use the lightening shampoos and such which saves money long term.

Toner
Schwarzkopf Blonde Toner: Since I have been blonde my whole life apart from about 4 months in early 2011...you can trust me when I say that I have tried a lot of toner! So I'm being serious when I say that this is an amazing toner for taking out brassiness in blonde hair for a more natural look. Not to sound conceded but on YouTube I get a crazy amount of compliments about the colour of my hair which is really flattering and I have put it down to this amazing toner! I switch up my shampoo's and conditioners so often and don't really use any other colour maintenance product except for this so I have put my hair colour down to this magical toner!

Conditioner/Treatments
If you read my review on the Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner you will know I don't love this conditioner but it was fairly pricey and I hate to waste money so I have figured out a way to save money with it! The Macadamia Hair Masque is very expensive costing $40 for 250ml and I hate using the Organix conditioner on it's own because I feel like it doesn't moisturise my hair enough. My solution to this problem is to dilute my Macadamia Repair masque with the Organix Conditioner, using up the Organix conditioner and allowing me to only have to use a small amount of the Macadamia hair masque, it's a win win. The Macadamia Deep Repair Masque is the best treatment I have ever used but I use it as a conditioner just because my hair is quite dry and I feel like it needs that extra boost of moisture.

Brushes
When I have my conditioner on in the shower, I like to brush through my hair with a wide toothed comb/Afro comb because it's super gentle on your roots and doesn't pull out any hair. I also like doing this because I don't brush my hair when I get out of the shower because your hair is so brittle when wet you really shouldn't be ripping through it with a brush. The conditioner makes it really easy to glide the comb through your hair further preventing any ripped out hairs or damage while making your hair manageable for when you finish showering.I love this step because it always makes my hair so soft and silky!
 
When my hair is dry and I'm styling or just brushing my hair out, I use DuBoa brushes because they are extremely gentle on the hair and minimize the amount of hair pulled out. The only downside to these amazing brushes is that they are $40 which is kind of expensive for a brush but they will last you forever as long as you don't drop them (they will shatter!!)

Leave In Treatments
John Frieda Frizz Ease Secret Weapon Finishing Creme: I love using this product to smooth down any fly aways and fluffiness that occurs when I curl or style my hair. It doesn't weight it down or make it oily so it's a pretty good product that is now included in my everyday hair routine when I style my hair.
Nak Aromas Oil: I like to put this in my hair after getting out of the shower and my hair is damp. Any products derived from the Moroccan Argan tree is extremely moisturizing and amazing for your hair.

Extras
John Frieda Sheer Blonde Go Blonder Lightening Spray: This is a super interested and unique product. I don't use this everyday but when I feel like I want my colour to look a little fresher I will spray this on damp hair and with the heat of your blow drier, it brightens your blonde hair! I only spray this on my ends because I like the ombre-ish look I have going on. It's a very subtle ombre look because it didn't come out as dramatic as I intended when I initially got it ombred. So it just lightens my ends and brings out the ombre look a little better.

So that is everything I do to my hair on an everyday basis! Do you use any of the products and what do you think about them?