May 31, 2011

May FOTD Challenge - Barbie

Some of my new followers might not know this, I'm taking part in Sara-May's FOTD Challenge where for every day of the month of May Sara-May does a different themed FOTD, e.g. Cleopatra, Punk. I decided I would take part whenever I could, and today's look, Barbie, is the last look of the challenge. I'd like to thank Sara-May for organising this challenge as it gave those of us taking part a great excuse to be creative with our looks during May.

Back to today's look, Barbie. After doing a fairly unwearable look last week, Cleopatra, this look is one that can be toned down to be more wearable.


To make this look more wearable, either stick with the brightly coloured eyes and do a neutral / nude lip, or make the eyes fairly neutral and wear the bright lips.



I guess when I think of Barbie I think of bright pinks and blues, and that's what I based my makeup colours on. I know... not a very creative interpretation, but as I mentioned, I was looking for something a bit more wearable. That and also long days at my day job meant I was too tired to really throw myself into this look like I have been with the previous looks.



FACE
Foundation: Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse in Nude - this gives me flawless base, though somewhat heavy and too matte for my liking.
Powder: MAC MSFN in Light/Medium
Cheeks: W7 Blush in Baby Pink

EYES (I used the Urban Decay Ammo Palette for this)
Lid: Shattered (bright aqua)
Highlight: Polyester Bride (sparkling white)
Liner: Australia Black Pencil liner with UD Oil Slick (glittery black) smudged over it
Mascara: Maybelline The Falsies

LIPS
Lime Crime lipstick in Countessa Fluorescent
Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in Indulge

I hope you enjoyed the FOTD challenge that I took part in, I will do a wrap up post on the weekend of all the looks I created as well as show you some of my favourite looks from the other PLAYERS.

Let me know what you think of  my Barbie interpretation, as always your feedback and comments are most valued!

May 30, 2011

I've been interrogated

Hi all, just a quick note to say that I've been interrogated on Tiffany's blog Will Work For Makeup so if you'd like to know how many lipsticks I really own, head on over HERE. A huge thank you to Tiffany for featuring me in her blog. If you haven't checked out her blog yet, you totally should because when I first discovered Will Work For Makeup a couple of months ago my only regret was "Why didn't I discover it sooner!?!"

I'm having trouble commenting on some people's blogs (Blogger acting up) and Tiffany's is unfortunately one of them so I'll use my blog to send a huge thank you to everyone that commented on the post there, your kind words and follow mean A LOT to me.

One of the comments from Carla just made me laugh out loud! "....her name reminds me of The Lord of the Rings, I'm sure there was a gorgeous looking elf called Lilit somewhere." LOL. Next dress up party I get invited to I'm getting long fake ears and going as an elf!

Thanks everyone

Lilit
xoxo

May 29, 2011

Lipstick Love of the Week - YSL Rouge Volupte #11 Rose Culte

The Lipstick Love of this Week is from YSL, my first ever YSL to be exact. And oh my... if I could afford it, I would buy every single colour of the Rouge Voluptes.


The one I have is called Rose Culte (#11) and it's a bright rose pink colour with reddish undertones.


Words cannot describe how creamy this lipstick is, it just glides on lips, you barely have to touch it to your lips, it's super hydrating, and despite me thinking this wouldn't last long due to the creaminess, it does! This one lasts me through 2 cups of coffees before needing a touch up. It wears off nicely, leaving a soft rose stain on the lips. L.O.V.E.

I haven't worn lipliner in this pic, you can see slight bleeding around the edges but this can be avoided with a good liner.


I've found that if I keep my eye makeup soft, i.e. no eyeliner, like in the pic below, I can get away with wearing this during day time.



In this photo below I'd worn during a dinner out, and I think with the heavier lined eyes it looks a bit too dressy and formal. I much prefer it with a messier fringe and softer eye makeup.



As I mentioned earlier, if I could afford it I would buy a lot more of the YSL Rouge Voluptes, but they are incredibly expensive here. I think they're around $AUD55 at Myer/DJs (which as per today's currency converter equals $US58 or GBP 35 or Euro 41) so yes, it's very very expensive. I bought mine at a discount cosmetics store for $AUD20... I wish they had more colours, as I'd definitely be getting them all!

Have you got any YSL Rouge Voluptes? What do you think of this colour?

Review - Natural Compatibles Concealer in C4

Don't you love discovering new makeup brands? I know I do, so when I was asked if I'd like to review anything from the Natural Compatibles range, of course I said yes! There are a range of products in this line for lips, eyes, face, cheeks, etc.

When my package arrived, and with it some information brochures, I was surprised to find out that the brand  has been around for 17 years in Australia. I had never heard of this brand before, and I thought I was a makeup junkie!

After a little research I discovered that Natural Compatibles is sold mainly in salons. I went to their website to search of stockists near me, and none of the locations within 20km radius of my home were places I normally go to. No wonder I hadn't heard of them before. Mystery solved. I don't get facials or ever have a need to enter a beauty salon (I'm a DYI person), therefore the chances of finding this brand for someone like me are very slim.

But now that I have discovered it, here is my review of their concealer. But first lets see what they have to say on their website.



Perfect Touch Concealer ($AUD30) delivers a fast drying and superior staying power concealer with precise application. The unique spring-loaded action ensures the applicator is always loaded up and colour-ready, providing seamless application.

The gentle sponge tip enables easy application with precision around the delicate eye and contour area, and the gentle tapered tip allows for perfect application in even the smallest of places. All Perfect Touch Concealers are designed to be used on any part of the body and have a sensational staying power.


It comes in 5 colours - click here to see them.


I was sent the colour C4 which is slightly too light for my complexion, although when winter is well and truly here and any remnants of a summer tan are gone this might be perfect for me.



What I thought of it
  • At first I thought the actual part where the concealer is stored was too small, but upon using it I noticed that you only need a tiny amount for good coverage, so the size is not an issue.
  • The sponge tipped applicator collects just the right amount of the mineral concealer to do both under eye areas.
  • The applicator makes it very easy to be precise in applying this to your under eye area, however I preferred to then use my finger to blend it in.  
  • It lasted the whole day without any creasing or going into fine lines around my eye area.
  • I found that when I initially applied it, it looked slightly powdery, but after about 30 minutes when my skin's natural oils started to come out the concealer blended in better. See the pics below (click to enlarge). 


Would I purchase it?

To be quite honest, I would say no. But before you start blaming the product, it's not the product's fault. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this concealer, the fact that it's not widely available at places near me means it's inconvenient for me to track it down. 

I don't buy my makeup from beauty salons, mainly because I feel a bit intimidated, I generally buy them from department stores, pharmacies and discount cosmetics stores (oh and online)... basically in places where I can browse freely without feeling obligated to make a purchase.

As far as I can tell Natural Compatibles is available in Australia only. Their website has a nifty little store locator tool that you can use to find a location near you, and if you do, I strongly encourage you to check it out.

Have you tried or heard of Natural Compatibles before?

Disclosure - this product was sent to me for review purposes. I am not affiliated with the brand and I was not paid to write this review.  All opinions are mine.

May 28, 2011

Piratey nails by OPI

There's this tiny little pharmacy in Sydney airport that has the best collection OPI and Nicole by OPI polishes. Whenever I'm travelling anywhere I find myself doing a little detour via this pharmacy to pick up an OPI or four... this time it was no different. I had a quickie work trip up to Brisbane this week (hello my Brisbane Blogging Buddies!), and with a little bit of time to kill before boarding I stopped at the pharmacy and returned with...

The Pirates of The Caribbean mini nail kit.



I was initially eyeing off the colours Planks a Lot (2) and Stranger Tides (4), but since I've never (EVER) finished a bottle of full sized polish I thought I'd get the mini kit and try the other two colours as well. The mini bottles are still a good size at 3.75ml and to be quite honest I don't think I've ever finished a mini bottle either.


  1. Skull & Glossbones - a lovely neutral bone/ivory colour. A perfect go with anything colour.
  2. Planks a Lot - a purpley / mauvey colour. This will be my favourite winter shade for sure.
  3. Sparrow Me the Drama - a lovely and creamy warm pink colour.
  4. Stranger Tides - the colour just reminds me of the sea on a cloudy day, a kind of dirty pale green colour.
The colours aren't anything special or unusual that I haven't seen in some form or another before. In fact I probably have dupes of all of these colours, but I really like them none the less and can see myself wearing them a lot.

I've applied 3 coats in these pics, as 2 was too streaky on my nails. 

No flash - direct sunlight

Have you bought anything from this collection? Are you going to?

May 25, 2011

Cheap dupes for Benefit Hoola and Too Faced Pink Leopard

The other day while browsing at discount cosmetics store Cosmo Cosmetics, two products caught my eye.

They suspiciously looked like dupes of some other famous products, Benefit Hoola Bronzer and Too Faced Pink Leopard Bronzer but at a fraction of the cost. Did I need any more bronzers? No. Did I want to buy those little gems and test them out myself and then tell you all about it? YESSS.


Both products are from discount UK cosmetic brand W7 and they cost me AU$9.95 each. See end of post for details on where to buy these from.



Both products come in a square cardboard box very similar to the Benefit blush/bronzer cases. They even come with the same style of (useless) brush.

The first thing I did when I brought these home is pull out my Benefit Hoola to compare to W7 Honolulu.


Honolulu is slightly darker and warmer toned than Hoola, but my god the pigmentation and smoothness is ah-may-zing! It blends like a dream... though I must warn you to use a light touch as it's very very pigmented.


Considering Hoola is sold here for AUD$51 and this is less than AUD$10, this is a fantastic product you can't pass up. It's especially good for people who find Hoola a bit too ashy for their skintones. I absolutely love Hoola, it's what I use to contour, but in summertime it's actually too light for my skintone, so I'm really really glad I found Honolulu.

The next possible dupe is Africa, which in my opinion looks to be a good dupe for Too Faced Pink Leopard. Now I don't actually own Pink Leopard, so I'm going only based on pics I've seen online.

Picture on the right of the Too Faced bronzer was taken off Google Images


Not being able to show you Pink Leopard and Africa swatched next to each other, I can't really say how good a dupe this is, but judging Africa on its own merits it's a beautifully pigmented, smooth and finely milled highlighting powder. It's marketed as bronzer, but it's definitely too shiny and too light to work as a bronzer.... see swatch below.


Funnily enough when I brought these home, I noticed that Nicoletta from Nicoletta's Beauty Space had also bought and reviewed the same products, so check out her blog for more pics and where to buy them in UK (Savers?).

In Australia I've seen W7 at discount cosmetics stores like Cosmo Cosmetics, Gloss, Groove and also online at http://www.fashionaddict.com.au/ I bought mine at Cosmo Cosmetics in Parramatta (Sydney), but there's also a Cosmo store at Wynyard station. If in doubt, google where to buy W7 and lots of websites come up.

What do you think of these dupes? Do you own any of these dupes or even the original versions?

May 23, 2011

May FOTD Challenge - Cleopatra

As you know, I'm taking part in Sara-May's FOTD Challenge for May. Today's look is Cleopatra!

I had so much fun doing this look using only the makeup and accessories I already owned.


My inspiration was of course Elizabeth Taylor in the movie Cleopatra, and the aim was to have heavily defined brows, thick eyeliner squared off at the ends, and blue (lapis lazuli) eyeshadow all over the lid.



Makeup used

FACE
Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse Foundation in Sandy Beige
M.A.C. MSFN Powder in Medium
Chic Australia Bronzer in Banksia Bloom - used as contour and bronzer

EYES
M.A.C. Tilt eyeshadow all over lid up to brow bone
Inglot eyeshadow in #428 in crease
Australis Black Eyeliner Pencil - used as eyeliner and to darken brows.
Maybelline The Falsies Mascara


LIPS
M.A.C. Lipstick in Pet Me Please (l/e)


ACCESSORIES


Gold scarf used as a headpiece - by Sportsgirl (last season's)
Diamante/gold necklace used on forehead - Forever New
Earrings and leopard print/gold necklace - Diva

This is definitely not a look I would wear outside the house. In fact this was yet another look that I did that made the husband ROFL, but I enjoyed doing it anyway.

Let me know what you think, as always I appreciate your feedback on these crazy looks I've been doing!

To find out more about the challenge go HERE
To see who else is doing it go HERE

May 22, 2011

Lipstick Love of the Week - Wet N Wild Nouveau Pink

According to Google analytics, my top 5 posts of all time are all about lipsticks. I love stats like that, it lets me know what you enjoy reading. The lipstick challenge that I did last month was also popular. I then asked some of my Twitter buds what they think of the idea of doing a weekly lipstick post? Basically feature my favourite lip product from the past week, which I will post on a Saturday or a Sunday. And the response was a big fat YESSS.

So I give you... Lipstick Love of the Week no. 1


This week I've been loving Wet N Wild Silk Finish lipstick in Nouveau Pink 511B.


This is my first Wet N Wild lipstick, as the brand isn't readily available in the shops here in Australia. I bought mine from Crush Cosmetics (I swear I should buy shares in that website, the amount I spend there!) for $4.95AUD. Bargain!

It is a super creamy, highly pigmented bright colour that feels very silky on the lips. In terms of longevity, I'd compare them to the NYX round lipstick formulas, in that you'd need to reapply every 4hrs or so.


I absolutely adore the colour, despite it being a bright pink, as long as the rest of the face is kept fairly neutral I find the colour highly wearable.

Here's what it looks like on.


Have you tried Wet N Wild lipsticks before? What are some of your favourite budget pink lippies?


PS: Have you entered my giveaway yet?

B.F.F Link Love

Hi all, I just wanted to let you know that I've joined the Australian B.F.F (Beauty and Fashion Friends) Network organised by Tammerly from Pink Diva Beauty. What this means is that on a fortnightly basis I will post links to other members' blog posts, which is a great way to explore new blogs. If you are based in Australia and are interested in joining, there is a link below. In the meantime, here is the first post.


Tammerly from Pink Diva Beauty is holding her first Makeup Masterclass...and you’re invited!

Emily’s Anthology shows you how to achieve a modernised flapper makeup look inspire by the art of Burlesque makeup.

Angie from An Obsession With the Fabulous discusses her favourite budget makeup buys.

Lilit (that's me!) from Makeup and Macaroons channels Twiggy in a 60s mod inspired FOTD.

Annica from HauteandStylish helps you identify your skin tone and colours to enhance your appearance.

Clare from CClareBear provides a detailed review on the new Benefit B.Right Radiant skin Care Range.

Emily from MelbGirl tells us about Melbourne fashion label Nique and their new store opening.

Join the B.F.F. Network
I'd also like to give a quick shout out to Maja who had given me an award on her blog, thanks Maja! Maja does great product reviews in English and Slovenian, so do check out her blog.

For more great links, don't forget to check out my Link Love tab on top of the page.

May 20, 2011

Minty nails

Lately I've been completely obsessed with minty nail polish, admiring them from afar on celebrities' nails or on other beauty blogs, never game enough to try it myself thinking it's a fad and I'll get over it. But I didn't get over it... what I did instead is researched all the various minty shades available (and there are many!) and chose the one that appealed to me most...

...China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint.



You'll have to excuse the horrible condition of my cuticles. I envy those girls who have beautifl smooth hands but the cold autumn air in Australia coupled with my laziness means I haven't been taking care of my hands and cuticles much.



I have been wearing this colour almost non stop  for the past 3 weeks. That is unheard of for me as I usually change my polish every 3 days and don't re-apply the same one I'd been wearing  the days before.


The colour is so gorgeous, it's a  lovely pale minty shade that's not too scary to wear even in a corporate environment where I work. And it what I've noticed is when I wear blue jewellery with it, the colour seems to change more towards aqua than minty green, as shown in the above pic.


I used soft flash in this pic and the minty green shows better than in the pics before.

I only own a couple of China Glaze polishes and this one like my two others is a dream to apply. I get lovely opaque non-streak coverage in 2 coats only. It dries super fast, and stays on my nails around 3 days without any chipping. Love it!

Is it a fad? Maybe. Do I love it? Definitely! I can't wait till summer as I this is definitely one for the warmer months.

Do you love mint nailpolishes?

May 19, 2011

Meeting Illamasqua's founder and my favourite Illamasqua lipstick

If you're a regular reader of my blog you'll know how crazy I am about Illamasqua. Ever since I discovered it a few months ago thanks to my obsession with reading beauty blogs, I have become enamoured with the brand. I would even go as far as credit them for my venture into bolder lipstick colours. Yep, there, I said it.

My tiny little Illamasqua collection... it needs to grow for sure!

So last week when Christabel from The Makeup Mole emailed me asking if I'd like to join them for a cocktail night in honour of Julian Kynaston, the founder of Illamasqua, I fell off my chair! Then I picked myself up and replied in a ladylike manner that I would love to join them.

I didn't get a chance to glam up much because I went straight after work, I only got a chance to freshen up my lipstick - wearing what else, but Illamasqua Corrupt, my favourite!

Illamasqua Corrupt

But this wasn't about me, or my lipstick, this was about meeting Julian!

Julian is tall. Very, VERY tall. And very friendly and easygoing. When he arrived he came and sat right next to me. Inside my head the thoughts were along the lines of "OMG OMG, he's sitting next to me, what do I say?" But luckily I managed to control my inner squeaky voice and have a somewhat decent conversation with him.

Oh my god it's the founder of Illamasqua - quick, take a picture!

Some of the goss I got from him included:
  • They're venturing into the fragrance market. Yeay :) They will include flowers that only bloom at night (how very Illamasqua). I'm guessing it will be dark, maybe a floral oriental smell. Can't wait!
  • Illamasqua is the fastest growing privately owned cosmetics brand EVER
  • They are firm supporters of the S.O.P.H.I.E. Foundation.
  • Oh and expect more racy names for their products - remember MILF? Wanton?

And here is me below with my lovely blogger friends, Clare from Clarebear and Adeline from Through Beauty Eyes.

Clare, Adeline and I

It was a great night and a fantastic opportunity, making me realise how lucky I am to have been given the chance to meet Julian.

Have you tried Illamasqua yet? What are some of your favourites?

May 17, 2011

May FOTD Challenge - 60s Mod

This is part of Sara-May's FOTD challenge, where we create themed looks for the month of May. The look for today was "makeup from another era". I was tossing between 60s mod and 20s flapper makeup, but in the end I decided on 60s mod. Reason being that this makes me face my two biggest fears - thick winged eyeliner and concealer lips! For a great take on flapper makeup, check out the look that Emily of Emily's Anthology did today.

Anyway, here is how my 60s mod look turned out.


The key emphasis was on the eyes, with a mix of black and white, deliberately spidery eyelashes, and nude lips.




This would have looked great with false lashes, but I've never used falsies before (in fact I'm quite freaked out by them), so instead I wiggled my mascara in a deliberate smudgy clumpy manner to get this effect.


FACE
  • MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation in NC25 - this is the lightest foundation I own, and I needed a fairly light base
  • Bourjois Healthy Mix concealer in Light Radiance
  • MAC Melba Blush - very lightly brushed along my cheekbones.

EYES
  • White eyeshadow all over lid up to browbone - I used UD Polyester Bride
  • Black eyeshadow used on top of eyeliner and high up in the crease - I used a random cheap black that I own, I don't know what brand it is as the labels have rubbed off, but I have a feeling it may be Jordana.
  • Black pencil eyeliner - I used Australis in Black. This look would have worked better with liquid liner, but I don't own one anymore as I don't generally use it, so I used a pencil instead.
  • Maybelline The Falsies Mascara

LIPS
  • Innoxa Matte Lipstick in Peaches and Cream - I've never worn this lipstick on its own, I mainly use it to tone down the colour of dark lippies.

HAIR
I teased my hair at the crown (though I probably should have gone higher), wore a thick black headband and did a sideswept fringe.


I actually quite enjoyed doing this look. I didn't find the thick black eyeliner as scary to do as initially thought... maybe because I used pencil (with black shadow on top) instead of liquid eyeliner which was easier. And as for the lipstick, I still wouldn't wear it on its own as in real life it seriously gives me concealer lips, but I think it turned out ok in these pics. Maybe if I was going to a 60s themed party I'd wear it.

To read the rules of the challenge go HERE.
To see who else is taking part in the challenge click HERE.

Let me know what you think of my 60s mod look, as usual I appreciate and value your comments! xo

May 15, 2011

New peachy blush and lippy - comparison and swatches

As you've already guessed by now I love peachy colours. I know it's autumn here in Australia, and normally I'd go for cooler colours right about now, but I refuse to accept summer's over (as I sit here wrapped in a blanket with the heater on full blast), and these two goodies that I bought not too long ago from Crush Cosmetics remind me of warmer days.


They aren't exactly new releases, and I've seen them on many blogs before. The blush is limited edition from Sleek avior la peche collection, called Pan Tao. The lipstick is by Barry M, called Peachy Pink (147).


Despite looking scarily orange in the pan, the blush comes out beautiful and soft. But before I get to the swatches I thought I'd show you how it compares to my other favourite peachy blush, Illamasqua Lover.


L - Pan Tao, R - Lover

In the pan the difference looks huge, swatched they're only slightly different.

L - Pan Tao, R - Lover

Pan Tao is slightly more red toned than Lover, and in my opinion the difference is enough for me not to regret buying a would-be dupe.

I also compared the lipstick to a couple of other peachy lipsticks I have, just to check on the dupe factor. The lipsticks I compared them to were Illamasqua Obey and Inglot #104.

L/R - Illamasqua Obey, Barry M Peachy Pink, Inglot #104
 Here they are swatched.

L/R - Illamasqua Obey, Barry M Peachy Pink, Inglot #104
In terms of formula, both Barry M and Illamasqua are similar in that both are matte. However Illamasqua Obey is probably 2 shades lighter, maybe a winter version of the Barry M one. In terms of colour, Inglot #104 (when are they going to name their colours instead of numbering them?!) is the closest to the Barry M one, however this is a creamy satin formula with a tiny bit of frost in it. So I'd say they're maybe 80% dupes.

Do you like peachy colours? What are some of your favourites?

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...