June 30, 2011

FOTD with OCC Liptars & Flormar blush

I took my new Flormar blush for a test drive last weekend, while also using another new addition to my makeup bag - OCC liptar in Divine.

L/R - Flormar blush #46, OCC Liptar Memento and Divine.

I picked up the Flormar terracotta blush in #46 last week (original post HERE) and while I loved the shimmery orange shade, I was too scared of how it would translate on the face. 

I decided to play with the colour on the weekend because I figured if it looks horrible then I'd have time to cleanse and start again. 


But luckily I was very happy with the result and the blush didn't look OTT. 


While in the pan it looked extremely shiny, on the face it actually gives a lovely subtle orangey glow. I decided I needed a bright lip colour to complete the look, so I went straight for OCC Divine which is a fairly recent addition but it ended up being too bright! I added a touch of OCC Liptar in Memento on top of it which I already owned and the colour ended up being exactly what I was looking for... bright, but wearable.



And here's a quick pic I took outside in daylight, where the colours look even more subtle and wearable.


All up I'm really happy with the Flormar blush, especially considering how cheap it was at $14.99. As for the liptars, I have a love/hate relationship with them. I love them for the great choice of colours, the pigmentation and lasting power, but hate the fact that they're a pain to apply as you definitely need a lip brush with them.

Have you tried OCC Liptars or anything from Flormar yet? 

June 28, 2011

NOTD - Folly by Sinful Colours

Despite the cold outside (Australia is now well and truly in winter!), I'm still loving bright colours on my nails.

Flash

Sinful Colours is brand I read a lot about on US beauty blogs, but I didn't think it was sold in AU so I didn't pay much attention to it. Until one day I was at one of those cheap discount stores looking for gift boxes when a Sinful Colours stand caught my eye! There wasn't much variety of colours available at that  shop, but the colour "Folly" instantly caught my eye. It was only $3.00 so of course I picked it up!

No flash


It's a fabulous bright pinky red, which applied very smoothly and gave a nice streak free opaque colour in 2 coats.

Soft flash

I used my favourite top coat, China Glaze No-Chip Top Coat and the colour lasted 5 days without chipping (though there was wear around the tips).


If I see more Sinful Colour polishes around I will definitely be getting them.

Have you tried this brand? What colours are you wearing right now?

Winner of the Blitz Box announced

Hi all, thank you for entering the Blitz Box giveaway which I was hosting for Hairhouse Warehouse.

There were 3 boxes to giveaway, and I selected the winner using Random.Org. The numbers chosen were...


Which matched up with these beauties!


Congratulations girls, I'll be contacting you shortly!


June 26, 2011

How to do a bold Lip - tips from Hollywood makeup artist Leslie Graham



Regular readers of my blog will know how much I love bold lipsticks. Instead of the usual Lipstick Love of the Week series, today I give you some tips straight from a Hollywood makeup artist on how to do a bold lip!

A collage of some of my bold lip choices

I've had the absolute pleasure of getting some tips straight from Hollywood makeup artist Leslie Graham, whose film credits include Twilight: Eclipse and Twilight: New Moon, The Tron Legacy, X-men 3 and Sucker Punch. Pretty impressive!


Left: Leslie at work on the Tron set
Right: some of her work from Twilight


Leslie Graham's tips on wearing a bold lip


  • Today’s current trend is a bright bold lip and a natural eye. 
  • To keep the eyes defined and add extra pout power to your lips with today’s array of fun, feisty tones simply use minimal eyeliner, a good coat of mascara on upper lashes only and a well defined brow. 
  • You can do this by keeping your eyeliner very close to the lash line or just inside the upper, inner lash line. This will enhance and add impact to your eyes without adding a lot of makeup or colour. It’s a way to bring your natural beauty out and bring focus to your lips. You will want a waterproof pencil to achieve this.
  • If you are going for that glam smokey eye keep lips more neutral keeping the impact on the eyes.
  • Unless it’s already a vibrant colour blot your lips with a tissue in between applications you’ll get extra punch with a 2nd swipe of the tube. 
  • With a bright lip a flawless complexion is essential!

One of the scary things about wearing a bold lip colour is the worry that it might bleed outside your lip line giving you that unwanted Luna Park smile. But no need to worry about that either.
  • There are two ways to keep your lips from bleeding your lip colour outside the lip line. 
  • The first is to use a primer to go right over your lips with a sponge. Alternatively, for lasting power you can press loose powder over your lips with a powder puff.
  • Another way to perfect this pout is to first apply a stain to give the lips a colour base. You can also use the stain to line any lip line gaps. Apply a bright colour over top with a lip brush. Use a proper lip brush for precise application, and be sure to fill in the corners of your lips. 
  • For extra impact dot the colour on straight from the tube in the centre of the bottom lip. Keep your gloss in your drawer - this look is not glossy; the moisture from the lipstick provides just enough moisture and shine.

And what's the perfect colour to wear on your lips right now? It doesn't matter, as long as it can be seen from the distance!




Leslie Graham

So how did I end up getting these tips from Leslie? Leslie has recently relocated to Australia, bringing her over 20 years' of industry experience to our shores, more specifically to her role as Program Director for The Makeup Technicians (TMT) School of Makeup in Sydney. 

I was lucky enough to be given the chance to pick her brains on makeup, and of course I chose my favourite subject matter, lipstick! I hope you found her tips useful, I know I did! My favourite is the blotting between applications tip, it's so simple, but so effective. Thank you Leslie!

And if you've ever wanted to take a makeup course, I noticed on the TMT's website I that they hold 1 day makeup courses for personal use, so if you're interested check it out.

Do you rock bold colours on your lips or are you a nude girl forever?

Disclosure: I'm not affiliated with TMT or Leslie Graham, and I did not get paid or reimbursed in any way to write this article. All photos except the first collage are from PR and I have permission to use them. 


June 25, 2011

Tag and my top ten products

Firstly I'd like to thank the lovely ladies behind Delyteful Speaks, Vintage Makeup, Her Royal Highstreet , Savvy Sidd Speaks and Power Femme for giving me various awards and tags on their blog.

I don't usually do these types of tags which require you to link to your 10 or so favourite blogs, only because I find it difficult to pick favourite blogs from all the ones that I do read. But if you're looking for some interesting reads check out my Blog Roll in the right sidebar, or my Link Love on top of the page.

So I hope the ladies that gave me these awards will forgive me for not following the rules, I will however post about my top 10 makeup items that I will be repurchasing over and over again.

My Top Ten beauty products

1. Maybelline Liquid Mousse Foundation - this is my HG foundation and has been ever since it was released a few years ago. Sure I stray sometimes and try out new brands, but I keep coming back to it. Full review HERE.

2. Illamasqua Blush in Lover - my most favourite apricot toned blush ever. No, make that my most favourite blush of all time, regardless of colour. Previously gushed about it HERE.

3. Benefit Hoola - I use this every day to contour my face, it's the perfect colour for my skintone. Previously posted HERE.

4. The Naked Palette - I went from country to country in Europe (no joke) to track this baby down, and was it all worth it? Oh yesss! Read about my obsessive pursuit of the NP HERE.


5. Covergirl Lash Blast mascara - my HG mascara, yet I haven't posted about it before! It seriously gives the most amazing volume, and is wallet friendly. 

6. MAC Impassioned Lipstick - I lusted after this for ages, not being able to find it at any MAC counters I visited until finally I tracked it down online. All I will say about this lipstick is L.O.V.E. Previously talked about my obsession HERE and HERE

7. OCC Liptar in Hush - I don't talk about this often enough, but believe me, I wear it often enough! It's the perfect pinky nude for me, and as an added bonus it's a great dupe for MAC Hue.



8. Illamasqua Nailpolish in Grab - the perfect bright pink nailpolish which looks great in winter and summer, spring and autumn. Previously wrote about it HERE.

9. Moroccan Oil - I talk about this constantly, and yes, I know that this isn't pure argan oil and it contains synthetic silicons but the reality is my hair is in the best condition it has been in ages since using this so I'm sticking with it. HERE is where this oil got the first lot of love from me. 

10. QV Face Night Cream - this is a chemist brand which was originally recommended to me by a dermatologist years ago. I've been using it as a winter night cream ever since. My post on my Skincare Routine contains a bit more detail about this.


    What would you put in your Top Ten?

    June 23, 2011

    New bargain beauty brand alert – Flormar Professional Makeup

    The only thing better than discovering new beauty brands is discovering new beauty brands that are wallet friendly.

    I was at Parramatta shops today, making my way from Myer to Priceline when my eyes caught on something colourful, something sparkly, something suspiciously looking like a makeup stall! Could it be? Yes, it was a new makeup stall called Flormar, and one that I had not seen in Australia before.

    You'll have to excuse the poor quality of these pics, they were taken on my phone.

    When I approached the stall all I could see where rows and rows of nailpolishes, a huge choice of lipcolours, and a pretty decent selection of eye and face products. I was literally overwhelmed by choice. I started swatching away before I even noticed the price, which started from $5.99. What The? These looked like great quality products, how can they be so cheap?

    At this point the lovely sales assistant came to my rescue. I started questioning her like crazy, but she patiently answered all my questions. I found out that Flormar is not a new makeup brand at all, it has actually been established in 1970 in Milan but now is made in Turkey and they have stores all over the world. It has just come to Australia, and according to their Australian website they have a store at Castle Towers and of course now in Parramatta. I do hope they open more stores because the products were just ah-may-zing. If you live near the area, you have to check them out.

    Like a good beauty blogger, I purchased a few things to try out. It’s called research…



    I’m extremely impressed with the quality of the products, and with this price you can’t go wrong. I bought 3 Terracotta face powders (they remind me of a certain brand’s mineralize face powders) for $14.99 each and a lipstick for $9.99.

    Here are some pics and swatches for you. I will use them in FOTDs in the future to show you how they look on the face. My camera had trouble focusing properly, I think the sparkles made it freak out!

    Terracotta Blush On #46

    Terracotta Blush On #41

    Terracotta Powder #20

    Long Wearing Lipstick #L16

    Have you tried anything from Flormar before? Will you be checking it out?

    For those of you around Parramatta, the stall is opposite Wittners shoes store on level 1 of Westfields.

    CLOSED: Hair & Beauty Mega Pack Giveaway - the Blitz Box is back!

    Do you know what's good about June being almost over? No, not because the first month of the Aussie winter is almost over, not because the snow season has opened up for all you snow bunnies out there. And not even because my birthday is now only 7 months away (come on January, can you come any quicker?). It's because the mid year sales are starting!

    And guess what fantastic bargain is in stores from TODAY???
    Image courtesy of Hairhouse Warehouse
    It's the Blitz Box from Hairhouse Warehouse! AND... there are 3 boxes up for grabs! That's right everyone, I've teamed up with the lovely crew at Hairhouse Warehouse to give you this awesome prize.

    Australia only I'm afraid.

    Instructions on how you can win one of these fantastic haircare packs is further below.

    But first I'd love to show you what's included in the box, because even if you don't win, this is a serious bargain you can't pass up on. The box retails for $34.95 but you get over $150 worth of items in here. And these are full sized salon items, not sample sized sachets. Brilliant!

    The amazing and must have Blitz Box contains:
    o Nak Aqua Shampoo 375mL ($21.95)
    o Nak Aqua Conditioner 375mL ($21.95)
    o Nak Detangling Spray 200mL ($21.95)
    o Mini Curling Tong ($24.95)
    o Models Inc Lip Gloss with Light ($12.95)
    o Tail Comb ($5.00 with the clips below)
    o Sectioning Clips x 4
    o Nak Care 4 Ends Leave in Moisturiser 200mL ($12.95)
    o Nak Treat with Care Conditioning Treatment 200mL ($12.95)
    o $20 Salon Voucher

    The Blitz Box goes on sale from today 23 June 2011 until sold out. It's available at Hairhouse Warehouse stores nationally. To find your nearest store (and there are over 130 of them), go to their website.

    I think this is extremely good value and will sell out fast. I mean, sometimes you can't even purchase a single shampoo for $34.95 let alone get a whole pack of hair and beauty products for that price.

    I received a box of it myself for review purposes, and I can't wait to try them out. I will write reviews as I start using them... but I will add that as I sit here typing away, I'm wearing the Models Inc gloss that came in the box and taking in the sweet fruity fragrance. Yummm. Also, the first thing I did when I got my box is open every single hair product and smell them, and I'm happy to report they all smell wonderful!


    HOW TO ENTER - it's simple, you don't even have to be a follower, but you must have an Australian posting address.

    • (Mandatory) Leave a comment below saying that you wish to enter  and leave your contact details, e.g. email, twitter, blog + 1 entry 
    • (Optional) Be a follower of my blog through public Google Friend Connect + 1 additional entry


    PLEASE NOTE
    • Entries close 5pm AEST 28 June 2011
    • The winners will be chosen at random using random.org 
    • There will be a total of 3 winners 
    • If you are under 18 please get a parent or guardian's permission as we will need your address to post these to. 
    • The items will be sent to you directly from the crew at Hairhouse Warehouse, which means I will need to pass on the winning people's details to them for postage. 
    • I will not be held responsible for any loss or damage along the way as I am simply hosting this giveaway. 


    GOOD LUCK!


    Disclosure: this item was given to me for review purposes. I was not paid for this posting, nor am I affiliated with the brands or company providing this product.

    June 21, 2011

    Hair update & current haircare products

    I had a hair cut last week. Even though I'd love to have long luscious locks, the reality is that my layers were getting out of control and the ends were quite dry. I asked for a shoulder length layered bob that's long enough for me to tie up, be able to wear straight or curled.  I've been going to the same hairdresser for a few years now and I'm lucky to have found someone who listens to me and knows what I want because the haircut I got is exactly what I was after.

    The last time I'd had a hair cut was in April, and I did a quick comparison of how much my hair had grown since then.


    The photo on the left is from a FOTD I did back in April. The photo in the middle is from a few days ago and the one on the right is how it looked on the day I got it cut. As you can tell it had grown quite a lot in two months, which is why I don't mind having 4cms chopped off my hair this time.

    Despite the dry ends (which are now all gone), my hair is the healthiest it's been in ages. Here are the products that I'm using on my hair currently. 

    Shampoo and Conditioner



    Organix Shea Butter Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner (approx $12 each): I'm generally not loyal to hair care brands and products, but these two I keep purchasing over and over again. Ever since I first started using them maybe around a year ago our house is never out of these two products. They smell absolutely divine and feel so luxurious to use. They make my hair smooth without weighing it down, and above all it's sulphate free. I've read mixed reviews about the Organix range, and having tried a few other varieties (Cherry Blossom, Coconut, Vanilla), the Shea Butter is my favourite by far. And I love that this is available at supermarkets.

    Aromas Shampoo and Conditioner with Argan Oil for colour treated hair (approx $22 each): Even though I absolutely love the Organix Shea Butter range, I like to alternate them with different brands as well. I bought these mainly because of my obsession with Argan Oil at the moment. It's a good shampoo and conditioner, but it's not nourishing enough for my thick dry hair. When I use these I end up using a lot more treatments afterwards (see next section) to nourish my hair.


    Treatments & masks



    Activance hair stimulant ($55aud): I received this one for review purposes in April and have been using it every day or every second day since then. My full review is HERE which I posted 1 month after using it. One of the claims of Activance is that it slows down hair fall and helps with hair growth. In the photo up top, the picture from April is when I first started using Activance and based on the photo of my hair after 2 months' use I'd have to agree that it's helped with the growth. As for hair fall, it is noticeably less although I still have some hair fall in the shower which is normal.

    Moroccan Oil ($49aud) & Babyliss Pro Argan Oil Restorative Hair Mask (approx $20aud): I did a full review of both of these HERE. All I will say is that these are fantastic at keeping my hair soft and silky. I think if I didn't use these my hair would have been more damaged and drier than it is now. I've had the Moroccan Oil for almost 6 months now and seriously the bottle is still 3/4 full. The hair mask is almost finished, so I'll be repurchasing it next time I'm near a shop that sells it.


    Styling products


    Schwarzkopf Strong Styling Hairspray (approx $8aud): I've been using this hairspray forever. It's a cheapie but a goodie, and when used lightly, this spray is non-crunchy and brushes out easily. But beware, if you use too much it will give you a helmet head. I mainly use it to control my fringe as otherwise it will just flop over my eyes.

    Agadir Argan Oil Spray Treatment (approx $20aud): I bought this a few weeks back because I loved the smell. It's too light for me to be used as treatment, it's probably better for those with finer hair. I actually use it as a shine spray - after styling my hair I spray a bit on my palms and run my hands through my hair. It makes my hair silky and the smell lasts all day. It's great at controlling frizz, especially on windy days. 

    The Body Shop Coconut Hair Shine (approx $14aud): This is a lovely balm that does as it says, it makes hair shiny. This is another product that I use to control frizz, but I mainly use it on the ends of my hair. Back when I had split ends this was great at concealing them (not repairing, just hiding). You only need a tiny bit as it will make hair oily if used too much. 

    What's your current haircare routine? Do you use any of the products that I do?

    June 19, 2011

    Lipstick Love of the Week - MAC Everhip

    MAC Everhip is a limited edition colour which was first released in the Liberty of London range about 2 years ago. Back then I wasn't that into peachy colours so I didn't get it. However ever since I heard they'd be releasing it again as part of the Fashion Flower range I knew I wanted it.


    Fashion Flower has been out in the US for a few weeks now, but it's only just being released in other countries. So ladies, if you're after this colour then keep an eye out for it at your local MAC counters soon. I couldn't wait for it to be released, so bought mine online from the US.


    It is a cremesheen formula, which are one of my favourite formulas from MAC. They are fairly long lasting and never dry.


    The colour is a warm wearable pinky peach which is perfect if you're just starting to get into bright lips. It brightens the face without making your lips the focal point, and looks great with peachy blushes like NARS Orgasm (which is what I've got on in the pic below) or Illamasqua Lover.



    Do you have this lipstick? or will you be picking it up?

    B.F.F. Link Love


    Image Source

    Hi all, here's the latest instalment from the B.F.F. Network... why the picture of Lipstick Jungle? Because I used to love that show about 3 beautiful women with great careers who were always there fore each other... the perfect B.F.Fs. I was totally devastated when the show was cancelled, although I have been hearing rumours that it might be coming back so if anyone knows more about this please add in comments. 

    Pink Diva Beauty covered 2011 Hair Expo Australia. Here Tammerly shares the exciting news and trends from the event.
    An Obsession With the Fabulous was recently asked to hold a styling session at World Square Shopping Centre in Sydney - see what Angie got up to.
    (Here's my link!) Want to do a super simple and quick smokey eye? Then on over to Makeup and Macaroons for step by step instructions.
    Annica from HauteandStylish reviews Maybelline's Volum' Express FALSIES Mascara and LOVES it!
    Bug from Bug's Beauty Blog tries out mineral makeup for the first time with a Bare Minerals trial kit but isn't completely impressed with the result...
     -------------

    I'm also going to give a quick shout out to a few other blogs that have kept me entertained lately, who are not in the B.F.F. Network. 

    • Vita from Making Up for My Age who does the most beautiful NOTDs, making me want to take better care of my nails & cuticles so they look as good as hers. 
    • Vintage Makeup who makes me jealous of her eyeliner skills and is one of the nicest people in the bloggersphere.
    • Sarah from Dempeaux who finds amazing vintage dresses and wears them with flair. 
    • Stacey from Add to Cart who not only has great photography and product reviews, but she cracks me up everytime I read a post from her. 
    • Priyanka from TwinxnTrax who has similar tastes in lipstick to me, and eggs me on via Twitter to buy more makeup than I need!

    June 18, 2011

    NOTD with Bourjois Anti-Choc No-Chips #15

    While at Priceline a few days ago I noticed they had a new range of nail polishes out. The first thing that caught my eye (besides the gorgeous colours on display) was the writing on the bottle which claimed to give you 10 days of no-chip wear. 



    I picked up a few colours and for the past week I have been wearing #15 with very pleasing results. 

    With Flash

    The application is smooth, and gives opaque coverage with two coats. 

    The brush is an angled brush which took me a while to get used to but now I find it so much easier to apply the polish without going over my cuticles. 



    The colour is a warm vibrant pink which depending on the light changes from fuchsia pink to a more warmer pink. I absolutely adore the colour, and it actually reminds me of my favourite MAC lipstick, Impassioned

    No Flash

    Now I know you're all wanting to know whether the claims of 10 days no-chip wear are actually true. Well, upon careful inspection of the bottle, you're actually meant to touch up any chips around day 3, which will give make the polish last longer. I, however, didn't need to. 



    Here's what the polish looks like on day 7, today. You can see the colour's a bit duller now, and there is wear around the edges... but no chips! I'm going to wipe it off and and paint a different colour on my nails today so I don't know how it would look around day 10, but based on the results so far I'm loving it. 

    Have you tried this range from Bourjois yet?


    June 16, 2011

    Step by Step: Super simple grey smokey eye

    I love a good smokey eye and over time and practice I've learned to really simplify how I do my smokey eye looks using only a few shadows and taking around 5 - 10 mins max.


    This super quick look is pretty much what I do on a daily basis, I just change the colours a bit but the steps are the same.

    Here are the 6 simple steps I follow.











    I hope you found this mini tutorial useful.

    Do you love a smokey eye? Have you perfected the look yet?

    LinkWithin

    Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...