June 26, 2014

7 days of lipsticks

In the interests of trying to use up my ever expanding collection of lipsticks before they go bad, I've been trying to wear different lipsticks each day. After all lipsticks are meant to only have a shelf-life of 12 months and I've had some of mine for, well, 12 months times about 3. I know, I know, #firstworldproblems. Here I've documented the shades I've worn over the course of a week. You'll have to excuse the quality of the pics as they were all taken with my iPhone (and some you might have already seen on Instagram).

Here they are in more detail.

June 24, 2014

Sigma Warm Neutrals Eyeshadow Palette - Review & Photos

A girl can never have too many neutral eyeshadow palettes. And maybe shoes. I've lost track of how many neutral palettes I own now, and I've just added a new one* to the collection. It is the Sigma Warm Neutrals Palette which is available through an Australian retailer Redefining Beauty.

June 21, 2014

theBalm blush in Frat Boy

Heaven knows I don't need another blush, I have a tonne of them! But this is a blush I'd been eyeing off for a while so when I saw it come up at a blog sale I had to get it.

I am of course talking about theBalm blush in Frat Boy.

June 18, 2014

Winter flushed FOTD

It's this lipstick. I feel like every time I wear it, it makes my whole face look flushed like I've just come in from the cold. Which is why I decided to name this post Winter Flushed. And well, after all it is winter here in Australia, but we're lucky as our winters our quite mild. No icy freezing conditions here, the temperature in most major towns rarely goes below 10C (50F) and as you can see leaves are still mostly green.

June 16, 2014

Benefit They're Real! Push Up Liner review

Benefit cosmetics are soon launching an innovative new product which they claim will make your eyeliner worries history! I was very lucky to be one of the few to try this and review it here on the blog.
benefit push up liner they're real review

What is it?
It's the new Push-Up liner from the They're Real! range (remember their famous mascara of the same range?). It's a gel liner that's in the shape of a pen. So what's new I hear you say? Well, the gel is inside the pen, it's one of those twisty pens that you wind up the end to get the product out. It takes a few turns to actually get any product to come out the first time (or activate it, as the Benegals call it), but once activated one twist gives you enough product for one eye.

Why is it easy to use?
Firstly, it does take getting used to. But, once you've got the hang of it then it's fool-proof. Why? It's the tip, it's a flexible rubber which makes it easy to press really close to the lash line in order to draw a line. Also, because it dries very quickly there's no risk of smudging it as you apply. I would recommend that if you get this, draw a few lines on your hand to get the hang of how it works before you apply on your lash line.

Pros
  • Once you get the hang of using it, it's quite easy to do a perfect line
  • A nice, deep black. 
  • Don't need a separate brush to apply with
  • Dries quickly / doesn't smudge / waterproof
  • Lasts all day
  • Applicator design means gel won't dry out 

Cons
  • Takes some getting used to
  • Pricey - for $35AUD you get 1.5gr product. Most gel liners that come in a pot are double that size, but you are paying for the innovative packaging here, and the 5 years of research that went into making this. 

Available at Myer from 27 June 2014.


What do you think of this liner? Are you going to try it?


*PR Sample

June 15, 2014

EVOHE Repair Intensive - a miracle wonder product you need to know about

You know I like to keep things simple when it comes to skincare. I hate layering creams over lotions over serums over oils over... stop, I can't concentrate anymore! I generally want 1 product to moisturise my skin, and that's it. In fact if there is 1 product that does the job of many other products, then even better! Well ladies and ladies (I don't think there are gentlemen reader of M&M), here is that 1 product that you need to know about.


June 13, 2014

Sachajuan Intensive Hair Oil Review

It's no secret I've been on a mission to get my hair healthy. While I'm still using coconut oil as a pre-wash treatment, I felt that I needed something more, like a leave-in treatment to keep on restoring health to my dry locks in between washes. So when I was contacted recently to see if I'd be interested in trying anything from the Sachajuan range I jumped at the chance to try the Intensive Hair Oil.

First things first, what or who is a Sachajuan? Well, it's a cult Swedish brand created by Sacha Mitic and Juan Rosenlind who are leading hair professionals in Stockholm. The brand has been around since 2004 and it's now finally available in Australia.

What is the Intensive Hair Oil?
It's a leave-in treatment oil that contains Argan Oil and Sea Buckthorn Oil. Not only is it meant to treat hair but it also leaves hair glossy and tames flyaways. It's also very lightweight, and absorbs into my hair almost immediately.

Does it work?
Yes. I'm not commenting on any long term treatment effects of this oil as I've only used it a handful of times, but based purely on its ability to tame flyaways and make my hair glossy then the answer is a Yes. To use, I simply apply a small amount to my palms and distribute to hair from mid-length down. I use it on dry hair after I've straightened my hair to add shine, but you can also use it on wet hair.
My hair with Sachajuan Intensive Hair Oil applied lightly over it. 
Where can I get it?
You can get it online from the Sachajuan website for $50AUD. They are also sold in various salons, which you can find out through their website. Yes, it's pricey, however that's how much I'd paid for my old bottle of Moroccan Oil which was the same size as this, and it lasted me 3 years so it's cost effective.

What else should I know about it?
The smell, it's quite strong. The first time I tried this oil I had a cold so my nose was blocked and I couldn't smell a thing. The next time the smell just hit me, but in a good way. I quite like the almost masculine scent, which lingers for a few hours, but it may not be everyone's cup of tea.

Have you heard of the Sachajuan range before? Have you tried anything from them?


June 11, 2014

How to fill in sparse brows with Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade

Before buying the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade I used to outline my brows with a pencil and fill them in with eyeshadow. But now that I've tried this gel, I don't think I'll ever go back. For one thing this is smudge proof. And another plus is it lasts all day. There's no risk that by evening my brows will be smudged at best, or completely disappeared at worst. If you'd like to read my review of Dipbrow it's HERE, and below is how I fill in my brows using the Dipbrow pomade.

Note: I apply it with Ecotools angled eyeliner brush as it's stiff and thin enough to get a precise line.

As you can tell from the photo above I have fairly sparse brows. Blame it on years and years of over plucking, blaming it on genes, blame it on my mum, whatever... the point is they need filling. I feel that for my face shape the best brow is one with a high arch towards the outer half of the brow and that's the shape I try to fake with my brow products.

The main steps as displayed above are simple:
  • Line below the arch
  • Line above the arch
  • Fill in the blank bits with upwards strokes
  • Clean up any mess with either a concealer or a cream/white eyeshadow (optional step - if you have a steady hand you won't need this step). 

And here's a quick before/after shot for you to see the difference next to each other. 



What do you think of the ABH Dipbrow pomade? Have you used it yet?

June 09, 2014

Eye of Horus Isis Sun Goddess Palette Review

I'd heard of the Eye of Horus brand before but never had a chance to try it until now. When a PR sample was offered to me to try out, of course I said yes. Hello, it's an eyeshadow palette. And it's the perfect mix of goldy-bronzey shades. And the name? Very exotic.


June 08, 2014

Maybelline Nude Lippy

Believe it or not there used to be a time when I only ever wore nude lipsticks. I even used concealer on my lips to completely wipe out my natural lip colour before applying a nude lipstick so the lippy didn't come out too dark. Yep, I used to be THAT afraid of any colour on my lips. Then somehow, well thanks to blogging, I discovered my love for bright lipsticks and completely forgot my nudes.

Recently I saw the newly released Maybelline nude lipsticks at my local chemist and I don't know what it was but decided that I must own one of them. The colour that appealed to me most was Tantalizing Taupe but there were 6 shades in the range.

Maybelline ColorSensational lipstick in Tantalizing Taupe

June 06, 2014

Behind the scenes at Makeup and Macaroons

I've been reading beauty blogs way before I started blogging myself. And I remember thinking back in the day how my favourite bloggers must have a wonderful home office set up where they have a blogging station, all the products they're going to blog about neatly organised on shelves, maybe even a fancy mirror in the background somewhere so they can check themselves out while trialling new things.

Now that I've been blogging for 3+ years I know that the reality is most likely very different. At least for me it is. I thought I'd give you a glimpse into my reality that is blogging with a toddler in the house.

Let's have a look at the photo that I posted above, but zoomed out. Oh look, it's my son! Lining up his matchbox cars on my desk.

June 03, 2014

Girlee Cosmetics Haul and Review

I first discovered Girlee Cosmetics back at the International Makeup Artist Trade Show (IMATS) in Sydney back in 2012. I'd bought their Velvet Primer and Creme Foundation and completely fallen in love with both, but the problem was I didn't know where to buy them when they ran out, because their website at the time only sold to wholesale customers. Well my dears, I'm happy to say they now have an online store for regular retail customers, which you can access via HERE. I was also lucky to be sent some press samples from the range as well, so here is my review of the collective of goodies. Note that those marked with * are samples.

June 01, 2014

Rimmel ScandalEyes Waterproof Eyeshadow Stick in Blamed Blue

As a huge fan of the Rimmel Scandaleyes eyeliners (I have the colour Nude, it's a must have), I thought I'd give the Eyeshadow Sticks a try as well, especially since my local chemist had a sale on them. I got the colour Blamed Blue, which is sort of a metallic mid toned blue with teal undertones.

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