Thursday, August 30, 2012

REVIEW AND SWATCHES: MAYBELLINE COLOR TATTOO'S

I was ecstatic when I realized that Maybelline Color Tattoo's had finally made their way to Australia and at such a reasonable price, under $10 no matter where your looking to buy them from! The thing you have probably noticed about these products and why they have been so hyped is how similar they are to MAC Paint Pots! Knowing how expensive MAC products are, I can totally understand why people get so excited over cheaper alternatives and I was actually really impressed with the quality comparison between these! In fact, I think I prefer these Maybelline Color Tattoo's to MAC Paint Pots, mainly because they are much more moist than a MAC PP which dry out on me after about a year. Color Tattoo's can be alone or can be used as a base for a powder eyeshadow. I wouldn't say these are an amazing eyeshadow primer so for best results, use these on top of an lid base. I find that the best way to apply these is a thin coat with your fingers to begin with then after allowing that to dry, applying another coat. As it is a cream product, wait until it's dry to open your eyes to prevent creasing. The colours I'm going to be reviewing are "Bold Gold" and "Tenacious Teal".
The swatch below is a couple of coats and the swatch above it the leftovers that were on my fingertip, spread out thinly.
45 Bold Gold is a gorgeous medium toned brassy-gold that look stunning as a quick wash over the lid and equally as amazing when paired underneath powder eyeshadow. It's more of a bronze color than a true gold but this makes it more wearable and I prefer the way it looks more brassy! When placed underneath any powder eyeshadow, it just brings more warm golden tones to the eyeshadow compared to if it was used alone. It gives a different dimension to the shadow and makes it feel like an entirely new colour, giving use to eyeshadows you wouldn't typically reach for. As Spring and Summer are approaching for everyone in the southern hemisphere, I can see myself getting so much use out of this Color Tattoo in particular. Mainly because it is so easy to quickly swipe this over your lid and gives you such a bronze goddess look that is perfect as simple makeup for the warmer weather. This colour has a very gritty texture because of all the amazing fine shimmer in it but this doesn't affect the application ability as it still goes on the lid quite smooth and creamy.
The swatch below is a couple of coats and the swatch above it the leftovers that were on my fingertip, spread out thinly. 
40 Tenacious Teal is an absolutely amazing aqua blue and is the exact colour of OPI "Teal The Cows Come Home" which I thought was interesting if you want your eyeshadow and nails matching! Of course This obviously isn't an everyday colour but it's great if your a makeup junkie who loves experimenting with colour and trying out new looks. The formulation of this one is a little smoother and creamier than Bold Gold as it is less gritty but despite this, it's still equally as glittery.

So those are my opinions on the Maybelline Color Tattoo's. Thanks for reading!

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

OOTD: ACCESSORIZED BY "WITH LOVE KIRSTEN"

Hey girls, 
As the end of winter is soon approaching, I have been getting my last uses out of outfits before Spring comes and it's too hot to wear them. I wanted to share with you all one of my favourite outfits for the colder weather recently and despite how sunny it looks in these pictures, it's still quite cold! I was actually freezing here! Sometimes in Winter it can seem hard to be fashionable but the key to overcoming looking drab in colder weather is accessorizing with many different pieces! This outfit would be pretty basic without all of the accessories from a company called "With Love Kirsten" I have used to achieve this look so keep reading to find out more about this outfit and all of the accessories. 
Sweater: Dissh
If winter wasn't coming to an end, I swear I would live in this! It is the softest and comfiest material and fit ever! Definitely worth the investment from Dissh for their amazing quality.

Jeans: Dotti
Something else that is totally worth the investment is from Dotti! I purchase a new pair of these every winter and they never disappoint me! The cut, shape and colour of these Jeans are amazing! I actually live in these during Winter.

Flats: Rubi Shoes
Basic coral coloured flats which match my sweater perfectly! Super comfortable and easy getting around in. Also really inexpensive from Rubi shoes for like $20 or $30!
I adore House of Harlow Inspired pieces and I completely understand why this design is the most popular because it's so chic and edgy. Perfect for dressing up a basic sweater like I have on and I love the gold accents. Click on the title to check out where you can purchase this necklace.
To me this clutch is more coral coloured than hot pink so it matched perfectly with my outfit especially because of the gorgeous gold accents including the gold clasp. This is an envelope style purse but still has a lot of space to hold things, I fit everything I need in there comfortably. Click on the title to check out where you can purchase this purse.
Another HOH inspired piece in the beauty Sunburst design. I love the little bit of "bling" that the fake diamonds add to the look and it's such a pretty design! Click on the title to check out where you can purchase this ring.
I love layering these rings together and they are so inexpensive! Yes you read that right, the belt ring is only 30 cents! Nice additions to your look when your already wearing a lot of jewelery as they are quite subtle and won't overpower what you already have on. Click on the title to check out where you can purchase these rings.
Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this outfit of the day and don't forget to check out With Love Kirsten for any of the accessories worn with this outfit.

Monday, August 27, 2012

REVIEW: BLOOM DUAL MINERAL FOUNDATION AND CONCEALER BRUSH

I am always on the look out for new and affordable brushes so was happy when I stumbled across this awesome Bloom Dual Mineral Brush in Target. I was in love from the moment that my finger tips brushed across the super soft bristles and I was positive that I was buying it once I looked at the price and saw that it was only $19.95! Considering your getting two different brushes in this one product, it makes it less than $10 a brush which is super cheap for us Australians! I have noticed that the quality is very similar to Artiste which is still quite affordable, but more expensive than this. It is such good quality, it's actually softer than some of my Sigma brushes. So I think it's safe to say that I pretty much love this brush duo to death and thought it deserved a review. So without further ado..here is what I think of the Bloom Dual Mineral Brush.
Foundation Brush
So your probably thinking...that is not a foundation brush. Usually you would be right as these shaped brushes are typically used for blush or setting powder but Bloom has a huge "Mineral Powder" range including mineral foundations. Brushes like this have been proven to be more effective when working with ultra-fine mineral powders than the stereotypical foundation brush which is usually a flat and stiff haired or stippling. I have had absolutely no problem with shedding from this brush and I find that it helps achieve a flawless finish by picking up just enough powder and evenly distributing it my the face. 
Concealer Brush
This is a much smaller and stiffer brush intended for the use of concealer as it provides a heavier coverage required to hide problem areas. For me, I think this is a little too large to be a concealer brush as it picks up way too much product and covers a larger area than needed. However, I have put it to good use applying foundation in places that my foundation brush doesn't reach like the sides of my nose and underneath my eyes. Similar to the foundation brush, I haven't experienced any shedding and have been really impressed with it's amazing quality that makes the brush extremely soft.

If you like the sound of this dual mineral brush and want to find out more about it, head on over to the Bloom website where you can buy it online or have a look out for it next time your at Target.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

REVIEW AND SWATCHES: AUSTRALIS LIQUID SHINE LIPGLOSS

Australis has some of my favourite products so when I stumbled across an interesting lip gloss of theirs I decided that I had to try it out! This product is a mixture between a very pigmented gloss and a liquid lipstick which makes it quite an interesting formulation and colour.

The shade I picked up is "Morocco" which is a natural dusty rose that can be built up to become a pigmented colour or lightly applied to give a subtle rosy gloss.

The formulation of this gloss makes it a bit sticky but nothing compared to MAC Dazzleglass' so it isn't too bad. It also had quite a pleasant scent which I enjoy because sometimes a plastic like lipgloss can make the product not worth using due to the smell.

I was really impressed with the quality of this product considering how affordable it is at $12.95 from Priceline, Target, Kmart, Big W and other chemists which stock Australis products.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

REVIEW AND SWATCHES: MAX FACTOR STICK SHADOWS

These Max Factor Smoky Eye Effect Eyeshadows were definitely an impulse purchase without much thought behind them apart from the fact that they were recommended to me by a few subscribers. Because of this I was a little worried as I like to research products before I buy them so I don't waste my money. Additionally I saw a couple of bad reviews on the Cover Girl versions of this after I had purchased so was very concerned that they would be a miss product. Fortunately, I have come to love these stick eyeshadows and really enjoy applying these high quality products. The aim of this product is a two step eyeshadow application for on the go when you want to apply your eye makeup quickly. The first step is a dome shaped coloured shadow which you apply all of the lid and the second step is a tipped darker colour which is to be applied in the crease. I'm just assuming that your supposed to blend the two colours together with your fingers so that there aren't any harsh lines.
The first shadow stick I picked up was "Pink Plume" which includes a gorgeous baby pink as step one to be applied all over the lid and a rich warm based brown as step two to be applied into the crease. These are such gorgeous colours and compliment each other really well to create a gorgeous eye look.
The second shadow stick I picked up was "Citrus Thunder" which includes a unique frosty olive green as step one to be applied all over the lid and a warm golden brown as step two to be applied into the crease. I don't usually wear green eyeshadow so I prefer the other one because I'm more likely to use it but I adore the golden shade in this stick.

Friday, August 24, 2012

REVIEW AND SWATCHES: JORDANA AND KLEANCOLOUR LIQUID LINERS

I prefer wearing gel eyeliner but when I noticed that my Chanel liquid liner was drying out I figured I should probably replace it because I like having a liquid liner on hand just in case. I was kind of relieved to see my Chanel liner drying out because it was horrible and not worth the money which is probably why I was relieved when it dried out. I decided to never again spend that much on a liquid liner and headed over to Cherry Culture to pick up some new inexpensive liquid liners. I know it's hard to tell whether a product is going to be a hit or a miss with online shopping and how inexpensive these products are so I thought I would share my opinions and let you know my thoughts on them.
Kleancolor 101 Washable Eyeliner
This is my favourite product out of the two and what I love most about this eyeliner is the consistency, it has such a thick formulation! I hate it when liner are really watery and wet so this one is perfect. I also really enjoy the dark pigmented black colour because one of the reasons my Chanel liner was so awful is because it had a grey tinge to it which this one certainly does not.
Jordana Liquid Liner
Unfortunately this liner was a miss for me. The main reason for this is because it is such a wet and watery formulation which makes application difficult and messy. It also gets in my eyes because it's really watery! It also has a slight greyness to it so overall just a product that definitely didn't work for me.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

REVIEW AND SWATCHES: JORDANA COLOR EFFECTS BRIGHT EYESHADOWS


I made my first Jordana purchase recently and I wanted to share my thoughts on them as well as swatches. I decided to try out this new brand because of how inexpensive their products are from places such as Beauty Joint and Cherry Culture. I must admit, I was a bit skeptical as I'm a believer in getting what you pay for and these are very cheap. For this reason I only picked up two different colours from the Color Effects Bright Eyeshadow range but I was pleasantly surprised to receive fairly good quality products. The pigmentation varies depending on the colours but the quality is definitely impressive considering how affordable these are! Something else you will notice is how unoriginal the names are...which has nothing to do with the product but I thought it was probably worth a mention because the names definitely don't give a good indication of the true eyeshadow colour.
02 Blue is a very vibrant electric blue colour with a fair amount of shimmer. The swatch really doesn't do this eyeshadow justice because it is extremely pigmented and when swatched is true to the colour in the pan. When applied to the lid, it looses a bit of pigmentation but using a good eyeshadow primer and layering can easily solve this issue.
06 Pink is a shimmery mid toned pink which I find is a little less pigmented than the blue one which I suppose just goes to show that the quality depends on the colour. 

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

SWATCHES: NEW NYX ROUND LIPSTICKS

My new obsession with NYX products is at it yet again when I accidentally on purpose picked up another five NYX Round Lipsticks. I am in love with all of these colours so wanted to swatch them and let you know about these new additions to my collection.
Starting off with Strawberry Milk which I have come to believe is the most popular NYX Round Lipstick as this was recommended to me so much by subscribers that I couldn't pass it up when I realized it was in stock this time. It is a gorgeous warm toned baby pink which is very similar to Saint Germain by MAC and Fetish Pink by YSL. A great basic every girl should have in their lipstick collection.
Narcissus is a slightly darker version of Strawberry Milk and therefore a little more wearable for everyday use. I always receive so many compliments when I wear this colour and it has grown to be one of my favourites that I constantly reach for.
Paparazzi is so similar to my favourite MAC lipstick "Lustering" as it is a dusty rose colour that is extremely wearable. It's one of those neutral colours that you can pull of no matter what eye makeup or clothes your wearing. A much cheaper alternative to MAC Lustering and they are very comparable.
Pink Lyric is a red based hot pink so it's easier to get away with wearing than a straight up hot pink but you still get the same effect. I adore this colour and have gotten so much use out of it because I am a lover of bright lips. If you prefer more neutral colours this probably isn't the best option for you though.
As the name indicates, Hot Pink is a straight up hot pink! The perfect colour for a Barbie Lip and something that really livens up a neutral eye. A very similar colour to Pink Lyric but they are slightly different and it's probably worth having both. 

You can check out my previous NYX swatches here and here.
What do you think of the NYX Round Lipsticks?

Monday, August 20, 2012

REVIEW: NEW FRAGRANCE SO...? BRIT


I recently did a review on the So...? Brit perfume on my channel and have been loving it so much I wanted to rave about it some more on here. So...? Brit is a perfume inspired by all things British from Kate Moss to One Direction and Vivienne Westwood to Labrinth. Of course the Olympics which were held in London this year probably also contributed to the idea of a perfume for everything British. 

The scent is a mixture of english rose, peony, amber, cranberry, powdery iris and vanilla gourmand. If it didn't sound like I was speaking english just then it's basically both a fruity and floral scent. I can definitely see myself wearing this very often as Spring approaches Australia as I love light scents like this when the weather is warmer. 

This scent can be purchased in a 100ml bottle for $24.95, a 30ml bottle for $14.95 and a 150ml Body Fragrance for $4.95. As you can tell this is definitely a very affordable fragrance line compared to designer perfumes such as Marc Jacobs and DKNY which you can get from Department stores.

Have you tried any of the So...? fragrances before?

Friday, August 17, 2012

REVIEW: NEW MAYBELLINE BABY LIPS GLOW!

Hey girls, 
Recently Maybelline released  a new line of Baby Lips called Lip Glows which consists of two new flavours/colours. There is something a little bit different about these baby lips though compared to all of the ones that have been released before these and that is that they actually have some sort of pigmentation. The most unique thing about this pigmentation is that the balm itself goes on clear but changes depending upon your natural lip pigmentation.
Think you've hear this all before? That's probably because the Dior Lip Glow Color Reviver Balm is the exact same concept and has been around for years now. Yep, they are even both called Lip Glows! The best thing about these new baby lips and what separates them from the Dior Color Reviver Balm is the price!  Just the fact that it's a Dior product means that the Color Reviver Balm retails for $55 whereas you can purchase Baby Lips for under $4. Yeah I think I know which one I would prefer as well! Unfortunately I purchased the Dior Color Reviver Balm before I was able to be saved by this affordable version so I might be doing a comparison between the two products in an upcoming blog post is some of you would like to see it!
Pink Blast
This is the more vibrant colour out of the two and it's hard to tell you whether the colour is nice or not because it really depends on your own lip pigmentation which means that the colour this turns varies from person to person. On me, this balm turns a mid toned pinky colour! I will probably show lip swatches in my comparison between these and the Dior Lip Glow Color Reviver Balm so you can get a better idea of how this balm works.
Baby Pink
The lighter shade of the two lip glows, this one develops on the lips as more of a lighter pink. Not my favourite lip colour look so I definitely prefer Pink Blast but this might be nicer on paler skin tones as it may contrast as darker and the Pink Blast may be too much for lighter skin tones.

Thank you so much for reading, I hope this was helpful. Look out for my comparison between these Maybelline Lip Glows and the Dior Lip Glow! 

Monday, August 13, 2012

SWATCHES AND REVIEW: MAYBELLINE EYE STUDIO EYESHADOWS

Hey girls, 
I have been loving mineralized products recently and these baked eyeshadows from Maybelline are no exception. I love everything about these and thought they deserved to be talked about so I'm here with swatches and a review for the four shadows I have from this range.
My overall impressions of this range is that they are very similar to MAC Mineralized Eyeshadows, I can even do a comparison between them like I did with the MAC MSF and the Revlon MFP which you can check out here. I have noticed a lot of drugstore brands attempting to recreate the MAC Mineralized products and so far it has been a very pleasing effort. These shadows have great pigmentation and really impressive quality due to the buttery formulation. The range also has a great colour selection, the only negative I have about the colours are that there aren't enough neutrals in the range but it's nice to have colours as a change from some collections which stick to only neutrals. Okay so onto the swatches of the four shadows I have.
20 Navy Narcissist- The solid colour side is a bright navy blue. The other side is a mixture of light blue, dark blue, pink and, black and a bit of white. When all of the colours are mixed together and swatched, it turns into a deep smokey blue.
70 Ivy Icon- This solid colour side is a shimmery olive green. The other side is a mixture of light green, dark green with a dash of gold. When all of the colours are mixed together and swatched, it turns into a slightly darker version of the solid olive colour next to the marbleized side.
10 Lawless Lavender- The solid colour side is a shimmery mid toned plum. The other side is a mixture of the plum shade and a goldish pink, swatched as a light lilac.
05 Carbon Frost- This one is my favourite because I can imagine myself creating a beautiful pink smokey eye with this one! The solid colour side is a smokey black with silver shimmer. The other portion of the eyeshadow is a shimmery champagne pink.

So that's what I think about these eyeshadows and some swatches of them so if you like any of these colours then you can head towards your nearest Target, Kmart, Big W, Priceline, Pharmacy or anywhere you know that sells Maybelline and check if they have these eyeshadows available for you to try out.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

AUGUST BEAUTY BLOGGER

 
The beauty blogger for August is Julia from her blog Julia's Fashion Minute and her YouTube channel juultje1992! I caught up with Julia and asked her some questions about blogging/vlogging, her style and favourite beauty products so keep reading to find out more about this talented blogger!
What inspired you to begin beauty blogging and vlogging?
I was inspired to blog by magazines. I wanted to share my opinion on style and beauty products with the world.  I actually had some failed attempts before I actually started, but now I love it more than anything in the world. I can’t imagine my day without writing a blog article. For vlogging I actually got inspired by my ex-boyfriend. He saw me watching a lot of makeup videos on YouTube and he was like you can do this yourself too! That’s when I grabbed my camera & started filming.

How would you describe the clothes you wear?
Comfortable and stylish. I especially love to wear pink, black ahnd white. For details I love bows, pearls, lace and leather.
How would you describe your makeup style?
I love to wear a subtle smoky eye and I love to keep my cheeks & lips pink and toned down.
 
When you’re not blogging or vlogging, what do you enjoy doing with your time?
I don’t know why but I love to spend my time watching TV shows. Or shopping of course ! I also read a lot of blogs in my spare time.
Beauty products you couldn’t live without and why?
My vanishing cream by Lush, High beam by Benefit & Super orgasm by NARS.
Because the Vanishing cream by Lush is one of the few products that doesn’t give me break outs but prevent it. High beam by Benefit is a must have and a life saver! Super orgasm by NARS is just my all time favorite  blush that goes with everything.

Do you prefer making videos or blogging?
Actually I prefer to blog, you can do it whenever you want. You don’t have to dress up or make sure the lighting is right and it takes less time than putting a video together. Don’t get me wrong I also love to make videos but I just prefer blogging more than vlogging at the moment.
 Thanks again to Julia for being my August Beauty Blogger! I seriously recommend checking out her informative blog and awesome YouTube channel.