Recapping the year - 2013

Can you believe that the year is almost over? Is it just me, or are the years going faster and faster the older you get? Well,  I won't dwell on that and instead I'll do a quick recap of my year 2013. Here are 13 random things that I posted about in 2013.

1. I started the year 6 months post partum and trying to lose the baby weight. Link to post HERE.  

2. And told you why I, a bright lipstick lover, hardly ever wore bright lippies anymore. Yes, my little boy had something to do with it! Link HERE. 

3. I showed you my quick beauty tip to looking more awake. Link HERE.

4. I did a post on how I fill in my sparse eyebrows. Link HERE.

5. Then asked you to guess which look cost me $100 and which cost $300. HERE. 

6. I went back to work after having a baby, and trying to see how this whole work/life balance thing would work. Link HERE. 

7. I gave you the lowdown on different mascara wand types, and what effect each has on your lashes. Link HERE.

8. Then I did some nail art and show you how in this tutorial. Link HERE. 

9. I shared my recipe for low fat tiramisu, and yes, it is full on deliciousness! Link HERE.

10. I caved and I bought MAC RiRi Woo. Link HERE. 

11. My son turned 1 year old. Link HERE.

12. We took a family holiday to Europe. Link HERE.

13. And finally, I shared my everyday contouring routine. Link HERE.

So there you have it, that was my year 2013 according to the blog. I'm looking forward to a fantastic 2014, especially all the new milestones that my son (who is almost 18months now!) will be reaching. Here's hoping that your year was a good one, and that next year will be even better!

Happy New Year everyone!

Femme Boulevard: NYE Makeup

Hi ladies, with the end of year being just 3 days away we decided for this month's Femme Boulevard we would do a New Years Eve look. This year for NYE we're having a small get together at our place, so I'll be keeping my look sparkly but not over the top. If there ever is a time to wear sparkly makeup, it's NYE don't you think?

Here's the look that I'll be doing, a glittery smokey eye with glossy lips.

Products used

Bobbi Brown Old Hollywood Collection

Before I start my blog post I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish all my readers a Very Merry Christmas! I wish you all the best for this joyous time and beyond! I can't believe Christmas is here TOMORROW, and the thing I'm most looking forward to is seeing my 17 month old son's face when he opens his presents in the morning. He's getting toys, clothes and more toys and that's just from the hubby and I. He's going to be one spoilt little monkey tomorrow but I wouldn't have it any other way. What are you looking forward to tomorrow? 

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Would you believe I've never tried Bobbi Brown makeup? Shocking, I know! Their gel eyeliners are legendary (and have also been on my shopping list for a while now) and their complexion products have a reputation as being some of the best in the industry. Well I now finally have the chance to trial some of their products when I received a lovely surprise package containing 3 items from the Old Hollywood Collection which is available at Bobbi Brown counters now.

They just ooze glam and sophistication, don't you think?

How to wear purple lipstick no matter your skintone

A lot of people I know are too scared to wear purple on their lips. They're worried they might look sick, or worse, like a corpse. And some of their worries are justified as purple is a cool shade and if you're not careful it can drain your face of colour. Me however, I love purple lipsticks! Since Pantone has announced Radiant Orchid as the colour of 2014, I've teamed up with 2 other purple loving ladies to give you our top tips on how to get away with purple lipsticks whether you're fair, medium or dark complexioned. 

My beauty confessions

I read a lot of beauty blogs, I read a lot of beauty magazines, and look I even have a beauty blog of my own so it goes without saying that there are certain things that I know I shouldn't do when it comes to taking care of my hair, skin and nails... but... I still do it. So what beauty sins do I commit? Plenty! 

Here are my confessions.

Palette Crazy (SPONSORED)

I think you have all figured out by now  how crazy I am about a good eyeshadow palette. I once travelled to 6 cities in 3 countries to try to track down the original UD Naked Palette in Sephora (read all about it HERE). I have quite a few palettes and most get a good rotation, with my Lorac Pro and Laura Mercier Luxe Wardrobe being my latest favourites. But do you think owning so many palettes is enough to curb my appetite? Nope! Not at all. Here are the latest palettes I'm lusting after. I think if there was a Sephora in Australia I'd go broke! Although considering the palettes I want are all around the $50AUD mark I guess it won't break the bank.

(PS: You'll see my list is missing the Naked 3 - that's because so far it's not doing it for me so I'm unsure if I'll even get it).

1. Anastasia Beverly Hills She Wears It Well palette 

2. Lorac Pro To Go Eye and Cheek Palette

3. Kat Von D True Romance Palette

4. Tarte Amazonian Clay Eye and Cheek Palette

5. Sephora Collection It Palette in Smokey

All these are palettes that are available in Sephora, and currently the only way you can get them if you're in Australia is through Tarazz. In case you haven't heard, apparently Sephora has banned purchases being sent to parcel forwarding addresses (read about it HERE), however as Tarazz is not a parcel forwarding address this does not affect them. In fact the Sephora website itself points back to Tarazz for Australian purchases.

Personally I've never used a parcel forwarding service as it's seemed too cumbersome, I have however made a couple of purchases via Tarazz and been extremely happy with both the service and speed of delivery. Their shipping fees are on the pricey side, but they are comparable to parcel forwarding services plus they give us access to brands not available in Australia, such as Tarte, Anastasia Beverly Hills and Lorac, so I can't really complain. Please note that not all Sephora brands are available through Tarazz, e.g. NARS and Urban Decay, but that's due to a licensing matter.


Competition Alert!!!
Did I mention Tarazz is also currently having a 12 days of Christmas giveaway where you can win different beauty prizes every day? Head on over HERE and enter!

What are your current favourite palettes? Have you shopped via Tarazz before?

*This post is sponsored by Tarazz

Ding Dong, Avon calling

When I got my first proper grown up job I used to work with a girl who did Avon on the side. Each month she'd come around with the latest Avon catalogue and we'd sit around the lunchroom and write our orders down. Then a fortnight later my little Avon haul (not that I called it a haul back then, I wasn't into this whole beauty blogging lingo back then!) would arrive. I mainly ordered lipsticks. Surprise, surprise. Then when I moved on from that work place I lost touch with my Avon lady and never actually found another one so no more Avon for me... until I was sent a generous package by them.

The products that I gravitated towards were of course the lipsticks. Yeah yeah, I'm predictable, I know! The 2 colours I'm showing you today are my absolute favourite of the Ultra Color range which contains a total of 18 shades (which you can see HERE). They're both very creamy, very pigmented and while their lasting power isn't exactly the best they feel so great on that you won't mind reapplying.

L/R: Very Violet and Hibiscus

5 Looks With The Lorac Pro Palette

The Lorac Pro Palette would have to be one of my favourite eyeshadow palettes. While the shades are fairly natural you have enough selection of colours and finishes to create a variety of looks. Here are 5 ways that I wear it, of course for the creative ones out there there are a multitude of looks you can come up with.

Laura Mercier Luxe Colour Wardrobe - my early Christmas present

When the husband asked me what I wanted for Christmas I didn't hesitate in saying I wanted the Laura Mercier Luxe Colour Wardobe. I'm a s*cker for a good palette, and this one looked perfect! Unfortunately it was initially sold out but luckily they got more stock in so the husband snapped it up for me from David Jones. Yay. And because he knows I couldn't wait until Christmas, he let me have it now. Thank you honey!

So is it as perfect a palette as I thought it was? Oooh you bet it is! I am absolutely IN. LOVE. WITH. IT. It's a dual decker palette that contains 8 eyeshadows, 2 blushes, 1 bronzer/shimmer powder, 3 cake eyeliners, 1 pencil eyeliner and 3 brushes which are actually useable. Plus it comes in an elegant brown case. So lush.

Rediscovering an old favourite - Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara

A few years ago the only mascara I used to use was Max Factor False Lash Effect in Black. It was (and still is) quite perfect for me - adds lots of volume, lengthens, curls and doesn't flake off. But then when I started blogging I also started trying lots of different mascaras and just forgot about this. Also truth be told, at $25AUD this is at the higher end of the "drugstore" mascaras so whenever I needed a new one I went for Maybelline or CoverGirl which were around $10 cheaper. But a few weeks ago when Priceline had their 40% off all cosmetics sale I thought I'd revisit my old favourite.

And?

And it's still great! The thick wand and plastic bristles still give lots of volume, still adds lovely length and doesn't make my lashes crunchy. The the only thing I don't like about it is that it needs to be "aged". What do I mean by that? This mascara is slightly too watery when you first use it, so normally when I buy it I open the tube, use it a couple of times then leave it for a week or so. During that "ageing" time it gets thicker and coats my lashes much better than when new.

Wearing 2 coats of Max Factor False Lash Effect in Black

So will I repurchase? Yes of course, but only when on sale. Because I can't guarantee that next time I need a mascara ones in the $10-15 price point won't grab me first.

Have you tried this mascara? Thoughts?

Radiant Orchid: Pantone's Colour for 2014

If you follow me on Instagram (@lilitsblog) then you probably saw how excited I was about Pantone announcing the colour of 2014 as Radiant Orchid. Pantone describes Radiant Orchid as having pink, purple and fuchsia undertones. Those are gorgeous shades so expect to see more shades like that creeping into the beauty and fashion world next year.

If you've ever browsed my archives then chances are you've noticed I love pinks, purples and fuchsias! In fact I did a "face of the day" post using purple tones just a few days ago. Over the next few days I'll go through my makeup stash and do a round up post of all things "Radiant Orchid", but in the meantime here are some radiant orchid things for inspiration.

The pictures starting from top left are:

• Image of orchids via HERE
• Lancome Rouge In Love lipstick in Violette Coquette
• Illamasqua nail varnish in Velocity
• Make Up For Ever blush in Lavender 9
• MAC Cremesheen Glass in Japanese Spring
• Clarins Eye Quartet Mineral Palette in Violet
• Image of Mila Kunis via HERE

PS: If you'd like to know how Pantone selects the colours of the year you can visit their website HERE.

Do you like this colour that Pantone has chosen for 2014?

Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick Worn 2 Ways

When it comes to getting ready in a hurry you can't beat the convenience of crayon eyeshadows. This particular one from Laura Mercier, called Caviar Stick, is a favourite in the beauty world and having had a chance to try it out* I can see why! Besides the choice of gorgeous colours it comes in, it's easy to apply, you don't need brushes and can easily blend with your fingertips. But best of all, it's super super long lasting. I tend to stay away from creamy eyeshadows because I have semi-hooded lids and they tend to crease on me, but this one has no creasing whatsoever.

The colour I have is Sugar Frost, which is from the mini Caviar Eye Stick collection ($45 for 4 shades from David Jones) which I wear 2 ways.

Femme Boulevard: Makeup Look Inspired by...

This month's installment of Femme Boulevard is a great one! The theme is "Inspired by..." and the idea is to do a makeup look based on someone that inspires us, whether it's a celebrity, a blogger/youtuber or a MUA. I decided to do a look inspired by all the gorgeous makeup artists that post their creations on Instagram. More specifically, 2 of my favourite follows are @anastasiabeverlyhills and @motivescosmetics who feature various MUA's creations using their respective cosmetics.

The specific look I tried to recreate here was this gorgeous pale purple look by @evettexo

Essie Bikini So Teeny

A quickie nail post from me today featuring a colour that I'm really really loving right now. It's Essie's Bikini So Teeny which I believe is from Summer 2012 collection but it's still available at the shops. I picked it up a couple of weeks ago at the Priceline 40% off cosmetics sale. Bargain! The colour is a gorgeous milky blue with lilac undertones. I've read in some reviews that the formula is too runny but not for me! I'm wearing 2 coats in these pics and I got opaque coverage.

On nails: Essie Bikini So Teeny
Necklace by: Lovisa
Photo from an upcoming post on Makeup and Macaroons 

What's your favourite polish by Essie?

*contains affiliate link

Everyday contouring 101: Step by Step tutorial

I've had quite a few requests to do a post on my contouring routine. I contour my face pretty much every day, it takes me about a minute and I'm left with slimmer face, higher cheekbones and a slimmer nose.

Chances are if you search for how to contour on Google or Pinterest you'll be left with lots and lots of images of women with brown and white stripes on their face. Those aren't your every day run of the mill contouring, but more like something to do for special occasions. It  does make such a huge difference to the face, yet if I'm being honest it also looks scary to do! This tutorial isn't that special-occasion contouring, rather something anyone can do with a little matte bronzer or a powder a few shades darker than your natural skintone.

3 of the best Aussie brands for lipsticks

It's no secret that I love lipsticks. Whilst brands such as MAC and Illamasqua will always have a place in my collection, the majority of my go-to lipsticks are made up of these three brands: Australis, Innoxa and Chi Chi. And it wasn't until recently that I realised all 3 are very purse friendly and all are Australian brands. So yes, here I am helping Australia's economy one lipstick at a time.

What's in my makeup bag: Office edition

I love having a sneaky beak into people's makeup bags, so I thought I'll let you peek into mine. More specifically this is the makeup bag I take to work with me. On all other days I usually have my 16mth old son with me so I carry his nappy bag around, and between his bottles, snacks, nappies and powders there's no room for a makeup bag. On those days I just carry a compact mirror and a lippy with me. Enough chit chat, let's look inside shall we?

Some goodies from Illamasqua's Christmas 2013 collection

Can you believe Christmas is just weeks away? Yep, me neither! One of the many many good things about the Christmas is seeing the brands' holiday collections. Today I have 3 things to show you from Illamasqua's Christmas collection. Long time readers will know how much I love the brand, and the fact that they brought down their prices in Australia to make them comparable to the rest of the word just cemented my love for them. Their products never disappoint, and these 3 are no exception.

Get FAT lashes with... baby powder!

I have a very simple little trick for you to get big fat lashes on the cheap... one that I used to do all the time when I was younger, i.e. when I did not work, didn't have my own money to spend on good quality products. And this trick is... using baby powder to fatten your lashes! That's right, baby powder!

All you have to do is apply a single coat of mascara, while it's still wet dab some baby powder on your lashes with a Q tip, then coat with another layer of mascara. As easy as that! The fibres of the powder will cling to your wet lashes, thickening them up, while the 2nd layer of mascara will seal it all in place.

1. My bare lashes
2. Wearing a single layer of mascara
3. Baby powder and a Q tip
4. Applying baby powder to my lashes
5. My lashes topped off with a 2nd coat of mascara after applying the baby powder.

So why baby powder? It's hypoallergenic, so if some was to fall into your eye it won't do any damage besides the initial discomfort.

What do you think of this little trick? Have you tried it? Would you?

Beautiful cheek products from the Curtis Collection

I must have been living under a rock because up until recently I hadn't heard of the Curtis Collection by Victoria, an Australian boutique cosmetics brand. That's quite surprising as the entire collection looks right up my alley! From highly pigmented bright lipsticks to baked blushes that give a beautiful sheen to the cheeks, these are definitely the sort of products that would catch my eye! So when I was contacted recently and asked if I'd like to sample anything from the range I didn't say no*.

My top 5 contour products

I'm a huge fan of contouring, in fact I contour my face pretty much every day. Without contouring I have a fairly round face, but with a bit of matte bronzer my face is slimmed down and helloooo cheekbones! Anyway, here are my top 5 contour products (one of which needs replacing stat!). The reason I have 5 on the go is because I interchange them depending on the season, and whether I have a tan or not.

WIN a David Jones goody bag or one of 2 x $50 gift vouchers (AUSTRALIA ONLY)

To celebrate the launch of Ultimate Beauty Gift on 11 November 2013, I've teamed up with David Jones to bring you an amazing giveaway.

But first, a bit about the Ultimate Beauty Gift. If you spend $250 or more on Beauty at David Jones (online and in store on or after 11 November) you will receive your exclusive cosmetic bag filled with products from cult beauty brands such as SK-II, YSL and Philosophy.

The exclusive gift, valued at $258, contains:

• Lancome Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate 7ml
• SK-II Facial Treatment Essence 30ml
• OPI Nail Lacquer 15ml
• Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv Age Renewal Eye Cream 5ml
• Philosophy Purity Made Simple 3-in-1 Cleanser 30ml
• Jurlique Replenishing Foaming Cleanser 30ml
• Napoleon Perdis Mascara 4.5ml or Duet Makeup Remover 26ml
• Ella Baché Gommage Délicat 20ml
- Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Éclat 3ml (must be redeemed at counter)
• Clarins Beauty Flash Balm 30ml
• Clinique Moisture Surge 15ml
• Circa Home Soy Candle 60g
• David Jones Beauty Cosmetic Bag

These are all fantastic products, and they're decent sized too! I've heard so many good things about the Lancome Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate, I really should give this a try. And you can't go wrong with anything from SKII - hey, if it can give us luminous skin like Cate Blanchett then SIGN.ME.UP!

Now, did I mention that this bag is only available while stocks last? Well, last year's one actually sold out in less than a week so you'd better get in quick when it launches on 11th November. If you need some inspiration on what to spend on to get your free gift, here's my wishlist or feel free to browse their beauty pages HERE.

GIVEAWAY

Up for grabs are:

1 x David Jones Ultimate Beauty Bags valued at $258

2 x David Jones vouchers for $50 each

That's right, there will be 3 winners. Three winners will be picked via random.org in Rafflecopter, the first winner will receive the goody bag, and the following 2 will receive the gift vouchers. The giveaway is open from 6th November 2013 until 25th November 2013. The winners will be contacted via email and announced on the Rafflecopter form on this same page. 

To ENTER

All you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form and leave a blog post comment below telling me:

 "What's your favourite product from the David Jones Ultimate Beauty Gift and what would you like to see in future Gift Bags?" 

That's it! Of course there are additional ways to enter as well, such as following and sharing this giveaway via social media. All details are in the Rafflecopter form. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway



One per customer while stocks last. Not available in conjunction with any other offer. ^In one transaction, excludes Gift Packs. Samples may vary.**Valued by David Jones

*Sponsored

Why yes, I did get myself some Velourlips

I did not mean to get myself another lip product. But then I saw these at Priceline. Then I swatched them on my hand. Then... ummm.. I kinda had to buy it. The colour I swatched was the most perfect neon coral, suitable for the warmer months. And the velour-like finish was unlike anything I already own.

Australis Velourlips in Rio-D

My eyebrow essentials

Eyebrows are one of the most important features on a face - I'm sure you've heard that a million times before. And it's true. They can really frame your features, make your face look slimmer or wider, younger or older, depending on the brow shape. When I was younger I used to pluck my brows till they were very skinny - it was not a good look. It made my round face look even rounder. So now I've embraced the thicker brow, and these are the tools that help me get them. PS: If you want to see how I fill in my brows, HERE is a tutorial I did a few months back.

Tweezers - I pluck and shape my own brows, so good tweezers are essential. I like ones with a slanted tip as I find they grip fine hairs better. This particular one tweezers I've had for around 5 years - there's no brand on it, but I bought them from Price Attack for around $20 and they still stock these.

Brow pencil - When it comes to eye brow pencils, my preference is for really dry formulas. Why? Because it's easier to draw a straight line with. Plus a creamier formula could run or ball up on your brows, and you don't really want that. My favourite is the Rimmel Eyebrow pencil (I use 004 black/brown) which I've been repurchasing for the past few years (Rimmel, you'd better not discontinue this!). The brush on the lid is also pretty useful!

Powder eyeshadow - If you've seen my brow tutorial then you know that I like to go over the pencil with some powder eyeshadow, it makes the brows look much softer and natural. I prefer a neutral brown colour a couple of shades lighter than my hair. This is Inglot matte eyeshadow in #363. There are specific brow powders available, but I've never seen the need for them as a powder eyeshadow will do as long as you find the right colour.

Small brush - I use a small lip brush (by Royal Langnickel) to fill in my brows with the powder eyeshadow, but some people might find a brow brush with a pointy tip easier to use. Personally I can't seem to work with the pointy brow brushes, hence I use this lip brush as the stiff bristles make it easy to pick up just the right amount of powder to fill in my brows.

Concealer (and concealer brush) - Concealer is important to clean up any mess after filling in the brows. I use this Lumi Magique by L'Oreal concealer as it comes with its own built in brush, so it makes cleaning up any mess easy and quick, but any concealer and concealer brush will do.

What are some of your eyebrow essentials?