July 29, 2012

Easy daytime smokey eye tutorial

Smokey eyes aren't necessary only for night time. The trick to keeping it day appropriate is to use softer colours, concentrate the darker shades on the lid rather than the crease, and blend blend blend.



Here is how I do my daytime smokey eye looks.

Products used
Too Faced Naked Eye Palette - reviewed HERE
SHE Gel Eyeliner in Midnight Black - reviewed HERE
Maybelline Great Lash LOL Mascara in Blackest Black - reviewed HERE.
Jordana Color Extend Eyeliner in Black

Hope you enjoyed this simple tutorial! Let me know what you think.

July 26, 2012

Guest post - Maybelline Colour Tattoos in Bold Gold and Bad to the Bronze

Today's guest post is by Joline from the blog Just Plain Delirious who shares with us her review of the Maybelline Colour Tattoos in Bold Gold and Bad to the Bronze. More info about Joline is contained at the end of the post.

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Today I have the infamous Maybelline 24 hour Colour Tattoo's in Bad to the Bronze and Bold Gold. I recently purchased them on my recent trip to Melbourne at Priceline for $11.95 each and ever since I got them... I honestly love them to bits!

L/R: Bold Gold, Bad to the Bronze

After hearing how they're so much similar to MAC's Paint Pots and also considered a dupe, by all means 'Why not try it?!' also, the price tag for these babies were quite cheaper than what I expected (as these are relatively new products to Australia AND how cosmetics from the US are usually inflated in price here - surprisingly these were reasonably priced!)
L/R: Bold Gold, Bad to the Bronze

Maybelline claims that these are:
  • Longest-lasting shadows
  • Super-saturated colours
  • Cream gel smooths on for vibrant colour that does not fade.
I couldn't agree anymore! The reason why I chose these two colours is because they're really neutral and pretty much the most wearable colours on anybody. I am a very neutral eyeshadow person (I'm not one for crazy colours.)

Here are some swatches
L/R: Bold Gold, Bad to the Bronze

They do not budge but I feel that my eyelids (which are naturally oily) will give a bit of shine without a primer (which I did not use), but with a primer and applying these cream shadows on, the effect is phenomenal and obviously the oiliness from my eyelids is eliminated. There was also a slight vibrancy to the colours and also despite the staying power, the shadows did not budge from morning to night, hence the 24 hour staying power. I would highly recommend this eyeshadow to anyone!

It comes in 10 vibrant shades and available at Priceline for $11.95AU! They should be available at other retailers around Australia, so keep a lookout for those as they just been introduced!

Love, J

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Thank you Joline! 
Joline is a nineteen year old university student from Sydney, obsessed with make-up and good food. On Just Plain Delirious Joline blogs about makeup, lifestyle, food and photography. She's always buying too much make up and constantly splurging on cosmetics (especially on items she doesn't really need!) Right now she is on the hunt for the perfect foundation and also madly in love with these new Maybelline 24 Hour Colour Tattoos which she has been using everyday since she got them. Don't forget to check out her blog.

July 23, 2012

DIY - refashion a short necklace

I've had this jade(?) necklace for over 5 years but I can probably count on one hand how many times I've actually worn it.

It was a gift from my uncle in Armenia, and while I absolutely love the stones I feel it's choking me everytime I wear it as the chain is too short.

Solution? Lengthen the chain!

There are two ways you can lengthen the chain:
  1. Take a chain you no longer use, cut in half and to the length you want, and attach each half of longer chain to each end of your short necklace.
  2. Buy chain by the meter from craft stores (they're around $2 a meter at Lincraft), cut to required length, take out the existing clasps/closures from the short necklace and attach to the craft chain, which you then attach to each end of the shorter necklace. 
I did the easy option 1.

It took me less than 10 minutes to do, and the result is that I now have a necklace that I can get more wear out of!


What do you think of this quick refashioning tip? 
Do you have any short necklaces you can lengthen like this?


July 19, 2012

Christine's top 5 drugstore lip products (Guest Post)

Note: This is a pre-scheduled post as I've got my hands full with this little guy.


Today's guest post is by Christine from MSodapop blog and she shares with us her top 5 drugstore lip products. For more on Christine read about her at the end of this post.




From left to right:
  1. Covergirl Outlast Smoothwear lip liner in Ruby is my go-to lip product when I want to wear a red lip. I don't just use it as a lip liner, but also as an all over lip color. It glides on smoothly to my lips and it's very pigmented.
  2. E.L.F. Glossy Gloss in Pink Candy is a really nice baby pink lip gloss. It is opaque and it is not sticky like some lip glosses tend to be, so if you don't like sticky lip glosses, definitely give this one a try.
  3. Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Pink Blossom is the one lip product that I always take with me on the go. It's a beautiful bubble gum pink tinted lip balm that is moisturizing and 100% natural. The combination of the color and the moisture revives my dull lips throughout the day.
  4. Wet n Wild Mega Last lip color lipstick in Just Peachy is a matte lip stick that has a nude pink peach color. My lips don't cooperate very well with matte lip sticks but I love this shade too much. I just put lip balm on prior to putting this on. If you like matte lipsticks, you should definitely give this a try.
  5. Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Creamsicle is probably a product that most of you, if not all of you, know about. I definitely love the Revlon lip butters because they're a lip balm and a lipstick in one. I love this shade in particular because it gives me a nice creamy nude lip.

Swatches

From left to right: Ruby, Pink Candy, Pink blossom, Just Peachy, and Creamsicle
 

Christine's nickname is MSodapop (pronounced Miss Sodapop). I'm sure there's a story there! She is 22 years old and has been blogging over at MSodapop since September 2010. 
To read more from Christine don't forget to visit her blog.

July 17, 2012

Illamasqua you've done it again!

Thank you everyone for your lovely comments, wishes and congratulations after my last post. We feel very blessed having little Luca in our lives. At only a few days old he is already a huge handful, but one gaze at his little face and we just melt. In terms of blogging, I'd prepared quite a few posts in advance which I'll be posting throughout the next couple of weeks... first up, it's Illamasqua time!
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Seriously, is Illamasqua capable of ever releasing a bad collection? Ever since I first discovered the brand, collection after collection has seen unique new shades, formulas and textures being released. This latest collection called Naked Strangers is no exception.


Illamasqua Powder Blusher in "Naked Rose"
This is possibly my favourite item from this collection. It's very different from the usual bright shades that I like in my blushers, but it's nowhere near dull. It's described as neutral beige brown but there's definitely shades of pink in there as well. Normally beige/brown based shades make my cheeks look dirty, but this just makes it look soft and pretty. $42RRP




Illamasqua Nail Varnish in "Swinger"
Described as a glistening platinum gold I'd have to agree with that description. It's gold, but it's cool toned. And the formula? Oh my. I got very opaque non-streaky coverage in 2 coats. I feel like I've got C3PO nails with this shade on. (and if you don't know who C3PO is, then you need to watch Star Wars, or at least pretend to your significant other that you have watched and loved all the Star Wars movies). $34RRP
Illamasqua nail polish in Swinger. Photo taken in direct sunlight, no flash.


Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in "Stranger"
The formula of this is INTENSE, no doubts about it. This is not for you if you want a sheer golden glow. This is for you if you want an opaque rich layer of platinum gold lips. I can't see me wearing this as an everyday gloss, but for a costume party? Yes please! $33RRP

Illamasqua intense lipgloss in Stranger. No flash.

Have you checked out this collection yet? Any stand out items?

Note: This is a pre-scheduled post as I've got my hands full with this little guy.


PR samples as per my disclosure policy

July 16, 2012

Introducing...



Luca Alexander
Luca = "Bringer of light"
Alexander = "Defender of mankind"

Born 12 July 2012
Weight: 4.57kg
Length: 56cm

We are both doing well and the husband and I are enjoying having this little man come crashing into our lives demanding all our attention. 
He might only be little but he's already got us wrapped around his little fingers.

July 09, 2012

40 weeks, 2 days and I'm still here

Today I'm 40 weeks and 2 days pregnant. Yep, that means the baby is 2 days past his due date and still no sign that he wants to make his appearance in the world. I am now completely over being pregnant and no longer freaked out about the impending labour and delivery process. In fact with every pain I keep hoping this is it! But no, still here.


As much as I love being pregnant, these last 3 weeks have been a drag. Especially since I've pretty much been confined to the house the whole time I've been on mat leave.

Remember how on day 1 of my maternity leave I injured my pelvis and couldn't walk for a while? Well I can walk now, but I don't trust myself to drive in case my swollen feet aren't fast enough to react to any emergency driving situations. With the husband at work during the day on weekdays and public transport not exactly the most reliable thing around I've been stuck at home most of the time.

On the plus side I have managed to draft a few blog posts in advance so I can schedule them for posting during the first month with bub while I figure out some kind of a routine. 

Here's my belly today at 40.2 weeks. In case you think it looks smaller than 2 weeks ago, that's because it is. At my last check up I'd lost a kilo and a bit, and the baby's head is engaged so there isn't much more of him sticking out. In total I gained 15kg during the pregnancy which isn't too bad I guess. About 4kg of it is the bub (that chunky little monkey!), the rest is me... and cheesecake.

Top 5 things I'm looking forward to after the bub is born (besides having the baby of course!)
- Being able to sleep on my stomach
- Being able to get out of bed without having to roll on my side first 
- Being able to eat sashimi and smoked salmon
- Being able to walk without going breathless after 10 meters
- Being able to wear waist belts!

And here are some pics of the nursery, especially for Anni from Haute and Stylish who is expecting her first baby in a few months. There're still things I want to do to it, but that'll be later when bub's home and I can think clearly what I want to do.

If you've made it this far, then please have your fingers crossed for me that I'll have the baby soon.

Next post is beauty related, I promise :-)

July 07, 2012

What on earth is a Kuu Konjac sponge???

When I did a post on my skincare routine about a month ago, I gave you a sneak peek at a new product I'd just started using. That product is.... a Konjac sponge by Kuu. I can hear you thinking "a WHAT by a WHO?"

Kuu Konjac French Red Clay Sponge

Well, I must admit when I was first contacted by the lovely people at Kuu wanting to know if I'd like to trial their Konjac sponges, my first thoughts were "what on earth is a konjac sponge?" What do you do with them? Even after doing a bit of research Googling where I found out that a konjac is a type of potato grown in Southeast Asia I was still confused... "so what do I do with it, do I eat it?".

No, you don't eat it. You use it to cleanse your face!

How Does KUU Konjac Sponge Work 
The KUU Konjac Sponge gently cleanses and soothes the skin by removing dirt and oil, naturally restoring the pH levels of the skin. Cleansing helps to stimulate blood flow and encourage new skin cells, revitalising the complexion without damaging the skin.  

The KUU Konjac sponge is highly absorbent in both water and oils and is excellent for thorough cleansing of impurities. The pH level of the sponge is an alkaline and has the function to break down dirt and neutralise acidic and oily areas.

After just one use you will feel the difference by cleansing with the KUU Konjac Sponge, your skin will feel revitalised and your skin care routine will have been transformed. {source}



I was sent 3 sponges.
L/R - Kuu Konjac Pure, Red Clay, Baby
  • Kuu Konjac Pure - ideal for all the family RRP $8.00 (I gave this one to my husband to try as he had childhood eczema which occassionally flares up during winter around his eye area). 
  • Kuu Konjac with added French Red Clay - suitable for mature and/or dry skin that needs rejuvenating. RRP $9.00 (this one I kept for myself as my skin needs rejuvenating!)
  • Kuu Konjac Baby - suitable for delicate baby skin RRP $9.00 (this one I've kept for the baby!)


Thoughts
  • The sponge is hard and dehydrated looking when dry, but is quickly "activated" by holding it under warm water.
  • Every morning after cleansing with my regular cleanser, I wet the sponge and gently massage my entire face with it then hang it to dry till the next morning.
  • You can put your regular cleanser on the sponge and wash your face that way, but if you do that it's recommended that you use only the tiniest amount of cleanser as the natural alkalinity of the sponge will make it lather up too much. 
  • Right from the first time I used it my face felt smooth and didn't have that tightness you get straight after cleansing.
  • It feels very smooth as you massage your face with it, not scratchy at all unlike with synthetic sponges. 
  • After 4 weeks of daily use the dry flakiness of my skin is completely gone. The dry eczema-y patches on my husband's eye area is also completely gone. 
  • The sponges last about 3 months with daily use, and when you're done with it you just add it to your compost as it's completely 100% natural. 
  • I will absolutely be purchasing more of these sponges when mine are no longer good. 

Some more amazing facts about the sponge.
  • 100% Natural
  • No Chemicals, Preservatives, Colours or Additives
  • Stimulates Blood Circulations
  • Sustainable & Biodegradable
  • Vegan Friendly
  • 100% Handmade

For stockists or to buy online make sure you check out the Kuu Konjac website.


Have you heard of konjac sponges before?

PR Sample sent for review

July 05, 2012

Guest Post - Do you look better with makeup?

Today's post is from the gorgeous Rachel who blogs over at Makeup by Rachel.  She is 21 years old, married to her best friend, and a stay at home mom to her favorite little guy on the planet, 1 year old son Pinny. Her blog is where she lets her imagination take the best of her, and she does the most amazing FOTDs as well as dramatic makeup and picture tutorials.
Over to you Rachel!


I am a new subscriber of Makeup and Macaroons, and it has quickly become one of my absolute favorite beauty blogs. It’s because of blogs like this one that I was inspired to start my own makeup blog. I was very excited when I found out Lilit wanted some guests posts, and I was only too happy to respond. I hope you guys enjoy this!

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Sometimes, I forget how much better I look with makeup. As a makeup artist, I obviously wear makeup quite often, and I just love how easy it is to look that much better! I always say, “Makeup enhances your natural beauty!”

People don’t know this about me, but I’m actually someone who doesn’t always wear makeup. In fact, I only wear makeup when I have to. If I’m having a day where the only place I’m going is to the park with my son, I’ll skip it completely. And even when I do wear makeup, it’s usually pretty basic. But even the basic makeup can make a huge difference.

So to show you the difference it makes, I applied makeup only on half of my face.


For the eye makeup, after priming my eyelids, I applied gold eye shadow on the entire lid. I then applied black eyeliner that went into the crease, and blended it out with some maroon eye shadow.


I applied foundation and used the same maroon eye shadow as blush. I finished off the look by applying a tinted lip gloss.

Here is my full face with only half of it made up:


I am all for going bare-faced, but there is quite a difference! Makeup makes your eyes look brighter, hides the bags under your eyes, defines your cheekbones, and gives you flawless skin.

What do you think? Is it worth the extra 10 minutes? I think so!

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Thank you Rachel for your amazing post. To see more of Rachel's FOTDs and tutorials don't forget to check out her blog, Makeup by Rachel!

July 04, 2012

Wet n Wild Megalast lipcolours

Remember my lippy haul from a few weeks ago? Well I finally got around to trying out two of the Wet n Wild lipsticks that I bought and here are some swatches and my thoughts on them both.
L/R: Wet n Wild Megalast Lipcolours in Dont Blink Pink and Mauve Outta Here

WHAT THEY SAY
Lips take center stage! This 4-hour, longwearing lip color leaves a semi-matte, crème finish in one stroke. Glides on easily with rich, velvety color that doesn't cake, feather, or bleed. Made with hydrating skin-care ingredients: Hyaluronic Microspheres provide extraordinary adhesion to lips, an exclusive polymer complex offers cushion-like feel and texture, and natural marine plant extracts Coenzyme Q10 and Vitamins A & E help smooth lips.


Wet n Wild Megalast lipcolour in Don't Blink Pink
It's a bright strawberry pink that is perfect for spring or summer. It felt drier on my lips than the other colour. Without a lipbalm underneath it just highlighted the dry flaky bits, but with some balm on I got a nice long lasting matte lipstick that stayed put till lunchtime. I will warn you though, this stained my lips like crazy. Even though the lippy had completely worn off, my lips were still stained the same colour. Some people might like that, as it means you can get away with not applying it as much. Me, I'm not a fan of stained lips and would rather they completely wear off.


Wet n Wild Megalast lipcolour in Mauve Outta Here
This is a toned down mauve colour that's perfect for autumn or winter. It's definitely creamier than Don't Blink Pink, and even without applying lipbalm first it didn't dry out my lips. It also didn't stain my lips the way the previous colour did. Even though they're supposed to be the same, overall I preferred the formula of this one better than Don't Blink Pink.


Swatches
Here are some swatches of the lippies in various lights. 


I bought them both from Crush Cosmetics for AUD $6.95 each.


Have you tried these lippies? 
What do you think of the colours?

July 02, 2012

Review - ghd AIR hairdryer

I'm sure you all know what a ghd styler is. But do you know what ghd stands for?

ghd = good hair day

And who doesn't want a good hair day? I had my last ghd straightener for over 7 years. It went traveling the world with me. It helped me look groomed at work. It helped me look glam when going out. It kept my dreaded cowlicks under control. And when it finally stopped working last year I didn't hesitate and invested in a newer model.

So when I was offered the opportunity to review the new professional hairdryer from the brand, ghd Air, how could I say no?
Image credit

Before I get to my thoughts on it, and some pics of my hair after having used the ghd Air, here are the product features.

PRODUCT FEATURES
  • Professional strength 2,100 Watt AC motor at 240v
  • Advanced ionic technology
  • Variable power & temperature controls, including cool shot
  • Ergonomic design for right & left handed users
  • Two concentrator nozzles 
  • 3m power cable


THOUGHTS
  • Buttons and switches are on the outside of the handle, which can take some getting used to. But on the plus side you won't accidentally change any of the settings as you adjust your grip. 
  • It has two heat and two speed settings - I ended up using the lowest heat, as the high heat was too hot even for my thick hair. I think it would be a godsend for people with really thick, curly hair. 
  • It's extremely fast at drying my hair. Normally it takes a good 15 minutes just to dry it, with this 5 minutes on low heat/high speed and I'm done. 
  • The coolshot button actually cools! And fast too. Perfect for giving a quick cool blast to set your style.
  • Two different sized concentrator nozzles means you can use the smaller one for the fringe and the larger one for the rest of your hair. 
  • It's heavier than what I'm used to, but the weight seems to be concentrated in the middle so you don't get that heaviness dragging your arm backwards. 
  • Surprisingly it's not loud - it's a more heavier dull noise, one that doesn't become annoying after a while. 
  • At $199 AUD I admit it is pricey, but that's pretty much what you'd pay for any professional quality hairdryer. And also if this lasts as long as the straighteners seem to last, that is not a bad investment at all.

HOW I USE IT
What you need to know about me and hairdryers is, I'm hopeless at using them to style my hair. Ok, maybe not hopeless, but my arm gets tired really quickly so all I end up doing is roughly drying all my hair then use my ghd straightener to style it. This generally means that straight after drying my hair is quite frizzy until the straightener works its magic.

So when I put the ghd Air to the test I used it just like I would use my usual hairdryer, i.e. roughly dry it and see what it does to the frizzies.


I didn't use flash in the pics because I didn't want to create any artificial shine, but as you can see even without trying to style my hair, my hair ended up smooth with very little frizz.


WHERE TO BUY
In Australia it retails $199 from the ghd Australia website. Or if you prefer to buy it from a salon you can use the Salon Locator HERE to find your nearest stockists.


Do you own a ghd styler? 
What do you think of the hairdryer?


Disclaimer: PR Sample sent for review

July 01, 2012

Help me decide - which bag to get?

I was browsing the Colette Accessories website and these two totes caught my eye. I want to be good and only buy one of them, but can't decide which one. Helllpppp...





More info about the bags are at the following links (PS: I'm not affiliated with the brand or their stockists).

Jersey Round Turnlock Tote
Barbie Gathered Ring Detail Tote


Which one do you like?

An army fit for winning a beauty war (Guest Post)


Today's guest post is by Candice from Your Review. She's a fellow Australian who spends her spare change on lipsticks and spends more time at Priceline than at home. Beauty is not her life, but it just makes life that little bit sweeter. She especially loves lip products and doesn't leave home without her trusty lip balms. 


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I was inspired for this post when I was procrastinating studying for an exam on WW1 and somehow happened to find myself on the home page of Lilit’s blog. When I saw her notice about guest posting I dismissed it almost immediately and instead sifted through other posts on her blog. Meanwhile, I was also reading through my notes and somehow the two topics of beauty and war became mixed up in my head (don’t ask me how). I started thinking about the possibility of writing a post about the products I would select to have in my beauty army should I ever be part of a beauty war!

Once again I dismissed the idea, but then realised I was in fact dying to give it a shot (two puns in the same sentence there!) So, this is the beauty army I have developed, and If I do say so myself, I think they would have a pretty good chance at defeating the enemy.

To get into a beauty army, products would need to display several of these qualities:
  • Convenience
  • Simplicity
  • Multi-tasking ability
  • Quality
  • Price
  • ‘Wow’ factor

All together they must:
  • Work in unity to create one gorgeous look
  • Have variety amongst them

The products that I personally would select for my beauty army are as follows…

Lucas Paw Paw Ointment – For those who have used this product and are aware of the magical properties that it has, I’m sure you would agree with me that this product is fit for the army. It ticks the boxes in convenience, simplicity, multi-tasking ability and price.

Garnier BB cream – This is another multi-tasking, well priced product that is convenient and simple. Whilst it’s not heavy duty with extreme coverage, it takes the place of a foundation and does a pretty reasonable job. It’s not flashy and is a basic product but every army needs a stable and reliable foundation (pun there too!)

Body Shop Strawberry Born Lippy Lip balm – This little beauty had to make it in here because it smells great, looks great and moisturises (at least a little bit anyway…). I can’t resist putting it in my beauty army.

Essence Eye Souffle in Pas Des Copper – This one wins the price award, as well as the quality too. This is a beautiful cream shadow that not only applies wonderfully but stays put all day (I don’t even need to use a primer). In terms of winning a beauty war, this one shadow can basically create a whole look and would knock every other shadow out of the ballpark!

Covergirl Lashblast length waterproof mascara – This one can be swapped around a little as mascaras are one of those products that differ according to personal taste – but it’s that one product that can make you feel a million dollars. With a bit of lengthening properties (wow factor) and a waterproof aspect (convenience), this one earns a spot in the army.


So there you have it, my very own beauty army. I think they work together to make a reasonably (simple) but lovely look, and the variety between them is pretty good. I think they’d have a good chance of winning the beauty war.

Now if only I could pass that history exam with this beauty loot…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you Candice!

If you'd like to read more from Candice including posts on fashion, jewellery and beauty don't forget to check out her blog, Your Review.

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