November 28, 2012

L'Oreal Miss Candy - Color Infallible Eyeshadows

A few days ago I posted about the L'Oreal Miss Candy nail polishes. Today I have 3 Color Infallible eyeshadows* to show you and yep, they do look yummy enough to eat!

I'm a huge fan of the L'Oreal Color Infallible eyeshadows. I own quite a few of them and none of them have disappointed me. HERE is a link to previous reviews. They are all incredibly pigmented, long lasting,  and best of all they don't crease on my eyelids.
l'oreal color infallible tender caramel sassy marshmallow naughty strawberry
l'oreal color infallible tender caramel sassy marshmallow naughty strawberry

The colours I have today are:
  • Tender Caramel - My favourite shade. Think Satin Taupe but warmer. Ever since I got this I've been wearing nothing but this on my lids. It's perfect worn on its own, or with a darker colour in the crease for an effortless smokey eye look.
  • Sassy Marshmallow - Icy cool pale blue with lilac chrome finish. I'm yet to wear this as colours like these tend to give me an Ice Queen look so I really need to work out how to wear it!
  • Naughty Strawberry - A fuchsia pink eyeshadow which looks scarier in the pan than when swatched. I'm yet to wear this too, as I'm worried it might make my sleep deprived eyes look even more bloodshot and tired than they already are!
L/R: Tender Caramel, Sassy Marshmallow, Naughty Strawberry

The colour I'm really lemming after is Innocent Turquoise which the model is wearing in this L'Oreal ad below. So I'm guessing a trip to Priceline is in order.

Worth noting: For some unknown reason L'Oreal has released the Color Infallible eyeshadows under different names in different countries. WTF? (Or as Phil Dunphy says WTF = Why the Face?). For example in Canada the colour "Sassy Marshmallow" is renamed "Sassy Chamallow". There is a great comparison list of these shadows and the different names they go by HERE.

These are AUD $19.95 each wherever L'Oreal is sold. 

Have you tried L'Oreal Color Infallible eyeshadows yet? What's your favourite colour?


*PR Samples

November 26, 2012

Weekend FOTD

The weather was so beautiful here in Sydney on the weekend, maybe even a little too hot. On Saturday we just chilled around the house (with a bit of grocery shopping in the morning... and OMG the shops are just crazy busy now, I guess it's Christmas shopping time!). On Sunday we were invited to a friend's place for BBQ. I knew wearing heavy makeup would just melt in the heat, but I still wanted to look good so this is the look I did - flawless base, shimmery eyes, stained lips.



Products used

Face
  • Makeup Forever HD Foundation in #120 - I've reviewed this foundation in the past and really didn't like it then. But I need to review it again as now I love it! So stay tuned for an updated review and why I now love this foundation.
  • MAC MSFN Powder in Medium
  • Illamasqua Blush in Tremble

Eyes
  • L'Oreal Color Infallible eyeshadow in Tender Caramel* - all over lid
  • MAC e/s in Retrospeck - highlight
  • MAC e/s in Sketch - Crease and lashline
  • Benefit They're Real Mascara - this was part of the She's So Jetset* kit reviewed HERE.

Lips
  • Korres Soft Touch Lip Pen in Pink - this was a freebie with a Strawberrynet purchase. First time I'm wearing it, and loving it so far.  

I had my hair up in a messy bun, which is pretty much how I wear my hair now because my little boy is now at the grabbing stage, and since I'm already losing my hair after pregnancy I don't want him to pull any more hair out. And look how much he has grown. He's 4.5 months now, and oh so squishable :)
Obviously whatever was on the ground was far more interesting for my little one than the camera


How was everybody's weekend? Hope you all had a great one!

*PR samples

November 22, 2012

Neon pink lips - yes or no?

Now that the weather is warming up here in Australia you can't set a foot in any shop without being confronted by neon. Neon clothes, neon shoes, neon accessories and of course neon makeup. I don't think I can get away with wearing neon eyeshadows but neon lipsticks are a whole different game.
Lips: Innoxa Lovely Lips in Pink Peony. Necklace: DIY

In these pics I'm wearing Innoxa Lovely Lips lipstick in Pink Peony. I'm a huge fan of the Innoxa lippies. They are so incredibly pigmented and long lasting. This particular colour is much more vibrant in person than it looks in the photos. I've had this colour for a few months now and I remember going to about 4 different Priceline stores before managing to track it down as it was sold out everywhere! At AUD $14.95 it's definitely a great buy!
Innoxa Lovely Lips Lipstick in Pink Peony


Some neon pink lippies (and glosses) to try
- NARS lipstick in Schiap
- Rimmel Kate lipstick in #20
- OCC Lip Tar in Nylon
- Lime Crime in Countessa Fluorescent
- Sleek Pout Paint in Pinkini


Will you be game enough to wear neon pink lips this season?

November 18, 2012

Lancome Rouge In Love: take 2

I've already blogged about my love for the Lancome Rouge In Love lipsticks before, but I wanted to show you how the same colour can look so different on someone with a different complexion to me. 

Ebony
My friend Ebony is here today doing a guest post reviewing Lancome Rouge In Love in Rose Boudoir (Click HERE for my review of the same shade).

First, a bit about Ebony including a pic so you can see how completely different her complexion is to mine. Ebony blogs over at The Four Of Us . She's a massive coffee addict who loves makeup, beauty therapy, photography, reading, shopping, road trips, swimming, cooking/baking, scrapbooking, sewing, and knitting/crocheting. Isn't she stunning? Well, over to you Ebony!


_________________________

It is actually thanks to the lovely Lilit that I purchased this lipstick. I saw her rave review on her blog and just KNEW that one of these amazing tubes of magic had to go on my wish list. A little side note about that Wish List of mine though; it's generally the 'I-want-it-right-this-second' List. So I set off to peruse through www.strawberrynet.com, but for weeks there were no colours that took my fancy.

Until they re-stocked.

And then I was tossing up between Rouge In Love, Corail in Love, or Rose Boudoir, looking at swatches online and wanting them all at once, but finally settling on the stunning and vibrant rose-pink shade that is Rose Boudoir. 
lancome rouge in love rose boudoir
lancome rouge in love rose boudoir
Lancome Rouge in Love lipstick in "Rose Boudoir"

Oh my.

The gorgeous bold colour aside, the texture is truly just amazing! From first swipe, I was in love. The lipstick feels so incredibly lightweight and moisturising on my lips, and I am a big fan of the shine it also offers.

I applied this lipstick at 9am, and it lasted beautifully through two cups of coffee and lunch, before I needed to reapply. And I must say, even as the colour slowly wore away, the rose-tinted stain my lips were left with was also beautiful. 

I am most definitely a fan of these lippies, and my only dilemma is; what colour do I purchase next?

__________________________


Thanks Ebony! Yep, the lippy looks so different on you. It looks much more vibrant and striking. That's how I want it to look on me!

To read more from Ebony don't forget to check out her BLOG or follow her on TWITTER.

November 16, 2012

L'Oreal Miss Candy - nail polishes

Every once in a while I'll see some promo pics of a new makeup collection and it just makes me feel happy. Like a kid in a candy store happy. The images from the L'Oreal Miss Candy Collection fall into that category. Gives you a sweet tooth just looking at it!

The L'Oreal Miss Candy Collection is limited edition for Spring/Summer 2012. Readers from the northern hemmisphere (hello!) have most likely seen this already, but it's only now coming to Australia since we're about to head into summertime! I have 4 Nail Varnishes* to show you today from Miss Candy, and they look good enough to eat!

Milkshake in LA, Riviera Lavender, Monaco Rose, French Riviera L'oreal
L/R: Milkshake in LA, Riviera Lavender, Monaco Roses, French Riviera
L/R: Milkshake in LA, Riviera Lavender, Monaco Roses, French Riviera

L'Oreal Colour Riche Nail Varnishes
  • Milkashake in LA - A gorgeous milky pink colour. Goes on totally opaque in 2 coats.
  • Riviera Lavender - A creamy lavender/purple. It's the perfect pastel shade for those shying away from pastels. Totally opaque in 2 coats.
  • Monaco Roses - Sophisticated rose pink, not too girly, not to barbie, just right! Requires 3 coats to get opaque coverage.
  • French Riviera - This cool icy blue shade is my favourite and I can see myself wearing this quite often in summer. Unfortunately it's quite transparent and I needed 4 coats to get the opaque coverage of the above swatches.

The nail polishes retail for AUD $6.95 each wherever L'Oreal is sold. Available December 2012.





What do you think of these colours? Will you be checking out this collection?



*PR Samples

November 13, 2012

How to determine your skin's undertone and the Nutrimetics Colour Wardrobe

Do you know what your skin's undertone is? Are you cool or warm? Or neutral? If you're unsure there are a few simple tests you can do right now to determine your skin's undertone.


Test 1 - the vein test
In natural light look at the inside or your wrists and forearms. See the veins there? Are they green or blue? If they're blue you're cool toned. If they're tinged green you're warm toned. If it's hard to determine if they're blue or green you're probably neutral.

Test 2 - the jewellery test
Do you look best in silver or gold jewellery? If unsure, ask a friend! If you look best in silver, you're cool toned. If you look best in gold, you're warm toned. Can you wear both with ease? You're a neutral!

Test 3 - the black/white test
What colour clothes look better on you? White or cream? Black or brown? If you look best in black/white then you're cool. If you look good in cream/brown then you're warm. Can you carry off all these shades? Then you're a neutral!


Nutrimetics Colour Wardrobe
So why is it important to know what your skin's undertone is? Because wearing shades that complements your skintone will make you look fresher, healthier and more vibrant. And for this reason Nutrimetics has launched a colour wardrobe of cosmetics for cool and warm skintones. Today I have some products* to show you from the new range which can be purchased from their website.

Nutrimetics Hydra Brilliance lipsticks
These are super creamy and highly pigmented lipsticks which come in 26 Cool and Warm shades. RRP AUD $25


Champagne (W) - creamy warm beige colour perfect to pair with a smokey eye
Geranium (W) - warm brick red colour, pair it with a winged liner for a modern pin up look
Bourbon (C) - cool browny plum shade, perfect autumn colour


Colour Impact Eyeshadows and Pure Touch Blush
The eyeshadows come in 24 shades, and similar to the lipsticks there are colours for Cool and Warm complexions. And best of all they can be used wet (for an intense look) or dry (for a wash of colour). The blushes come in 4 matte shades and retail for AUD $25. They eyeshadows are AUD $20.

Rosewood e/s (C) - this is a soft shimmery lilac colour and is my favourite of the lot. It's quite pigmented and great worn all over the lid.
Forest e/s (W) - this particular shade was quite chalky and required multiple attempts with the brush to get it to show up. Pity, because I really liked the olive green shade.
Fawn e/s (W) - even though this hardly shows up on my skintone, it is a great matte cream shade which can be used to blend out harsh lines.
Sienna blush (W) - this swatches very different to how it looks in the pan. In the pan it looks ike a dusty rose shade but swatched it's much warmer, almost bordering on orange. I'd say this would be better used as a bronzer and to contour, than as a blush.


Back to the Cool and Warm thing
So what happens if you wear makeup that doesn't suit your complexion?
Left: The normally gorgeous Jennifer Lopez looking decidedly sallow and unhealthy looking in cool shades. Right: Looking gorgeous and glowing in warm shades.


Do you know what your skin's undertone is? 
Do you pay attention to it when getting dressed and putting on makeup?



*PR Samples sent for consideration

November 12, 2012

DIY roundup #3 - jewellery made from food!

I'm longing for the days when my 4 month old boy will take long daytime naps so it will give me some time to get back into DIYs, but in the meantime I've been bookmarking these fantastic ideas for the future. They are jewellery made out of edible things!

1. I absolutely love this statement necklace from pistachio shells made by Natalie of Creme De La Craft. Click HERE for her full instructions.


2. This DIY has to be seen to be believed. It's a neon necklace made out of... wait for it... beans! It's made by Rinchen from High On DIY and full instructions are HERE.


3. Got some pasta in your pantry? How about making this fabulous necklace from penne? It's made by Wilma from the blog By Wilma, and full instructions are HERE.


4. Still want to make more pasta jewellery? How about making earrings from farfalle pasta? This is from Honesty WTF blog and full instructions are HERE


5. Got any pumpkin seeds left over after Halloween? How about making this pumpkin seed necklace like Sabrina did? Full instructions HERE.


Well I hope this has inspired you to make your own jewellery and if you give any of these DIYs a try let me know how they turn out!

November 10, 2012

Guest Review - NARS Makeup Removing Water

Today's guest post is by Nicole who blogs over at Bagful of Notions. She is an ex-pat who moved from Eastern Massachusetts to Melbourne, Australia in late 2010. Her love for makeup began at the ripe age of five-years-old when she happened upon her mother’s Clinique electric blue eyeliner. Makeup counters later became hallowed grounds during her college days, as she would peruse the counters before commuting home from a long day in class. When Nicole isn’t tinkering with makeup brushes and powders, you can usually find her galavanting all over Melbourne’s CBD, searching for the next best ballet flat or building up her foodie profile with her husband Scott.
In addition to her blog, she can also be found via twitter and instagram.


NARS Makeup Removing Water
nars makeup removing water

It's late, you just got home and all you want to do is kick off your shoes and fall into bed. But wait, your face is still covered in makeup and the last thing you want to do is wake up with yesterday's remnants smeared across your face. Bed head is bad enough, but day old makeup is even worse.

Run to your nearest NARS counter and plunk down $45.00 AUS / $28.00 USD for NARS Makeup Removing Water (200ml). Before giving this a go I was worried, because I wasn't sure if my skin would freak out. Thankfully nothing horrible happened.

So, what do you need? Grab a cotton swab or pad and a little bit of energy to wipe off your makeup. Your skin will feel refreshed and will thank you for taking the time to perform a bit of necessary cleansing. This potion is scent-free and is gentle enough to use on your eyes; believe it not, it even removed Chanel's L'impatiente!

Francois Nars has released a much-raved about product and I will be forever grateful.

Looking for a cheap and cheerful alternative near you? Check out these options:
  • Avene Micellaire 3 in 1 No-Rinse Formula 200mL for $23.99 AUS -- I really love their Thermal Spring Water; it helps to freshen my face before applying makeup.
  • Bioderma Sensibio H20 a.k.a Crealine -- the holy grail in the makeup and fashion worlds. I ordered a couple of bottles via ebay. It helps when the girls over at Cafe Makeup and Sasha of LLG have both given this French budget-friendly cleanser a big thumbs up!
  • YSL, Lancome and Caudalie Micellar Waters are available for purchase at Sephora or your nearest counter.
-----------------------

Thank you Nicole! 
Don't forget to head over to Nicole's blog for product reviews, looks of the day and much much more.

November 09, 2012

New favourite lippy and FOTD

Everyone knows I love bright lipsticks, but with a little 4 month old boy that loves being carried in my arms super bright lipsticks are just no longer an option. Not unless I want to have red smudges all over his face! So lately I've been going for colours that are a little bit more subdued but ones that still stand out. Enter my current favourite lipstick, #16 by Rimmel Kate.

I'm a huge fan of the Rimmel Kate lipsticks and this one is no exception. It's very creamy, long lasting, and above all wallet friendly. This particular colour is a muted bubblegum pink that instantly brightens up my light/medium complexion and doesn't make me look too OTT done up. The colour reminds me of a more subdued and wearable version of Viva Glam Nicki.
rimmel kate lipstick 16
rimmel kate lipstick 16
Wearing Rimmel Kate lipstick in #16


Here's how I like to wear it, with soft golden brown smokey eyes and neutral pink cheeks.


The rest of the products used in the above pic are:
  • MAC Studio Sculpt foundation NC25
  • MAC MSFN Powder in Medium
  • Benefit Hoola bronzer to contour cheekbones
  • Illamasqua blush in Naked Rose
  • Too Faced Natural Eye palette - Honey Pot (lid), Erotica (crease), Silk Teddy (highlight)
  • Jordana eyeliner in black
  • Maybelline Great Lash LOL mascara in blackest black
  • Rimmel Kate lipstick in #16
Clockwise from left - Benefit Hoola, Too Faced Natural Eye palette, Illamasqua Blush in Naked Rose, Rimmel Kate #16


Have you tried the Rimmel Kate lipsticks? 
Any favourite colours?

November 06, 2012

Easy apple cake recipe with only 4 ingredients!

This is possibly the easiest apple cake you could ever make. I found the recipe on Laylita's Recipes and I just had to try it. Not only is it yummy, it is also very very low in fat. It works out at 15gr fat for the whole cake. So if you cut it into 8 slices it works out at less than 2gr fat per slice. Win!


Ingredients
  • 3 apples - I used fuji apples but you can use granny smith if you prefer a tart flavour
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup plain flour
  • 1 cup sugar - I used brown sugar but you can use white if you prefer


Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 200C (400F) 
  2. Peel and roughly chop the apples
  3. Mix the eggs, flour and sugar in a bowl using an electric mixer until the batter is smooth
  4. Fold the chopped apples into the batter
  5. Pour into a small cake tin - mine's a 20cm round tin
  6. Bake in oven for 20mins at 200C, then lower temperature to 160C and bake for another 20mins until golden.
Note: This is a very moist cake and you might need to adjust the temperature/time to suit your oven to make sure it's thoroughly baked. To test if it's done insert a toothpick in the middle, if it comes out clean it's done. I had to bake mine longer than was recommended in the original recipe as otherwise the middle was still not baked thoroughly.


Serve with a side of vanilla ice cream for a decadent dessert, or have it as is with a cup of nice tea.



Enjoy!

November 04, 2012

NARS - The multiple in Palm Beach

Now that the weather has been warming up here in Australia I've started dreaming of beach holidays. But since we don't have any plans at the moment to go anywhere soon the best way to get that beach holiday glow is by using NARS The Multiple in Palm Beach*
nars multiple palm beach
nars multiple palm beach

NARS The Multiples are described as:
  • Multi-function stick for eyes, cheeks, lips & body
  • Effortlessly glides on with creamy texture
  • Offers sheer, mistake-proof color
  • Instantly creates shiny accents, contours or highlights on skin
  • Renders you a flawless, luminous complexions

Palm Beach is a rich golden bronzey colour which would look great on olive skinned girls (or boys!). It's very creamy and very easy to blend. I prefer using my fingers as the warmth of my fingertips melts this onto my skin better than any sponge can. It has a slight shimmer to it, but it's not so overly pronounced as to make you look like a shiny disco ball. At the moment Palm Beach is still a tad too dark for my pasty coming-out-of-winter skin but once I have a bit of a tan I plan on using it all the time to contour and bronze my face.

nars multiple palm beach
nars multiple palm beach


So how do I envisage myself wearing NARS Palm Beach? Sipping cocktails by the beach of course!
Pics from my last holiday in Vanuatu

NARS The Multiple in Palm Beach can be purchased at Grays Outlet for AUD $42


Have you used any of the NARS Multiples?

*PR Sample



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