Rimmel The ONLY ONE lipstick review

Rimmel has launched a new line of lipsticks called The Only One. Why such a name? Because it's meant to be the only lipstick you will ever need as it will meet all your needs from a lippie. That's a pretty big claim, but does it deliver? Well, it depends what you're looking for in a lipstick, really.

Colours L/R: 110, 200, 510, 600, 120, 700

The lipsticks are all very pigmented with intense colour pay off, you don't need to swipe the lippies several times to get them to show on your lips. They're also super creamy and very weightless, it almost feels like you're wearing a balm instead of a lipstick. The formulation reminds me a lot of the YSL Rouge Couture line of lippies which retail for, oh I don't know, maybe 10 times the price of these ones. So I'd say in terms of colour and formulation, these lipsticks definitely deliver.

What it does not deliver is longevity. Because it's so creamy it comes off pretty much at first contact with coffee cups, food, cutlery, etc. So if your list of demands from a lipstick includes lasting power, then this is not your Only One. But if you don't mind reapplying your lipsticks every few hours then you can't go past these little beauties.

See below for lots of pictures and swatches of the colours I have.

I got my brows tattooed!

You might remember from an earlier post that I was thinking of getting my brows featherstroke tattooed. My own natural brows are very patchy from years of overplucking, and I was getting sick of filling them in each morning. When you see the state of my natural brows you'll know exactly why I HAVE to fill them in. The solution? Feather stroke tattoo, which I got done recently.

Here's a before/after photo for your viewing pleasure before I get started on the post. Please note this is picture heavy.

Picture source (@la_belle_parra)

This type of tattoo is designed to mimic real hair and look really natural, so you don't get the solid coloured brows that can make you look like Morticia Addams. It's semi-permanent, meaning that it's not going to last forever so there's no risk that I'll be 80 yrs old with grey hair and super dark arched brows. This type of tattoo lasts anywhere up to 5 years, depending on your hair and skin type.

I've had a lot of questions from people about the process, so I thought I'd do a blog post about my experience. Just remember these are my opinions based on my experience, if you are considering getting feather stroke brow tattoos I suggest you find a reputable salon that does it and ask for a consultation so they can give you more in-depth answers.

Pixi Beauty product review

A little while ago I was sent some goodies from Pixi Beauty. Pixi Beauty isn't that well known in Australia, at least not to me, however their UK store delivers worldwide, and they also stock them at Sephora Australia if you happen to live near one. Today I'm showing you 3 items which really stood out for me.

September Top 5

Hello lovelies.

September was a bit of a tough month for me. I caught tonsillitis, twice. The baby grew out of the newborn stage, which means no longer could I rely on marathon naps lasting 3hrs, and the 3yr old suddenly turned into a threenager and required constant attention. But did this mean I stopped wearing makeup? Hell no. Except maybe on some of the sick at home days. But what it meant is I stuck to boring old, but very trusty, neutral shades to get me through the tough times.

1. Zoeva Rose Golden Eyeshadow Palette - new addition to my makeup family and I love love love it. The colours are pigmented and amazing quality, with no fall out. And best of all, all the shades are wearable and application is a no-brainer, any shade even just quickly applied on the lid will work.

2. LA Girl Matte Pigment Glosses (Colours pictured here are Dreamy & Playful)- these are the kind that you apply like a gloss and they dry to a super matte budge proof finish. These are the best type of lippies to wear when you have young kids as they won't transfer onto them (if you're like me and constantly cuddle and kiss them).

3. Illamasqua Blush in Naked Rose - my trusty favourite, it's a neutral rose pink that is not over the top and gives just the right amount colour to my cheeks. I'm sure you can tell from the pan that this gets a lot of wear!

4. Rimmel 60 Second Nail Polish in Lose Your Lingerie - this soft pink polish hardly left my nails all month. Why? Dries super quickly, laps about a week without chips and goes with absolutely any outfit I wear.

5. Carmex Original Lipbalm - See point number 2. Those super matte lippies are also super drying on the lips. Not to mention the fact being sick also dries out the lips. I've been using the original Carmex for years and years as I find this is the only lip balm that actually moisturises my lips without simply masking the dryness.

What have been your favourites in September?

L'Oreal Color Riche Nail Polish in #857 Chantilly Lace

I adore the look of crisp white nails, but some white nail polishes can make it look like you dipped your fingers in liquid paper (remember those?). I was so glad I found this one from L'Oreal called Chantilly Lace, as not only does it not look like liquid paper, it's also fairly long lasting (5 days no chips). And these cute little bottles are such a perfect size, as I tend to use up these polishes before they go clumpy or dry out.

I'm wearing 3 coats in these pics because I like a really opaque look, but I think even 2 would be enough.

Do you wear white nail polish?

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara Review

There's so much hype about this mascara isn't there? Not surprising, considering the big claims it makes.  But does it deliver?

The box it comes in claims that this mascara gives 1,944% more volume! That's a big claim! I wouldn't say I thought my lashes were 1,944% more volumized but it certainly did make them thicker, blacker, and longer. I can't give you a percentage, coz how do you even work that out people?

Some updates and stuff

ON LIFE
Firstly, apologies for the long unexplained absence. Actually I'm sure you can guess the main reason for my absence. BABY. Make that BABY + TODDLER! We're still trying to get the hang of going from a family of 3 to a family of 4, and boy that little bundle of baby makes life that little bit more busier. Baby Lola is 12 weeks old now, I know, where's the time gone? While she's generally a pretty chilled baby, sleeping and eating pretty well, trying to balance that with an extremely active 3 year old boy means one tired mamma here. So yes, that's the main reason I've been a bit MIA here, though from time to time you've probably caught me on Instagram (@lilitsblog).


ON BLOGGING
The other reason for the absence is... I'd lost my blogging mojo. I started this blog 5 years ago as a hobby. It was never meant to be my career, or my main source of income. That's what I have a proper paying corporate job for (yes, boring, boring but that's what pays my bills). My blog is purely meant to be an outlet for me to talk makeup with like minded individuals instead of boring my husband to tears over how many nude lipsticks a girl should own. But lately it just seems like everywhere I turn there are articles on how to increase blog traffic, how to monetise your blog, how to sell advertising space. Aaaaghhh. STOP! And this of course made me feel like I should be doing more with my blog too, which in turn started stressing me out because I didn't actually want to turn it into my career but felt like with my high stats I really should, otherwise I'm being taken for a ride. Again, aaaghhhh. STOP! So I've decided if I'm to continue blogging without feeling like it's a massive chore, then I should just blog about what I want to blog about, not feel obligated to any company, not feel like I need to pimp it out on all kinds of social media to increase traffic, and definitely not feel like I'm being taken for a ride because I'm blogging about a PR sample for free (after all, this is a hobby and the fact that I get sent free makeup is a privilege not an entitlement). Oh and stop reading articles titled Top 10 Ways to Make Money From Your Blog.
*Of course there's nothing wrong with wanting to monetise your blog or turn it into your career, I'm purely taking about how it's not right for me. 


ON HAULING
So ummm... I've been hauling. Online hauling to be precise. You see in the newborn days there are a lot of sleepless nights, which means nights spent surfing the web at 3am while feeding your baby for the 4th time that night. And surfing the web almost always leads me to online shops so as a result I've ended up with some orders from Luxola (Zoeva Palettes and a brush), Belle Bambi (LA Girl Matte Glosses) and Mecca Maxima (Too Faced Better Than S*x Mascara). I might review them over the next few weeks so keep an eye out for it.


ON BROWS
So I've decided to get me some brows. I've got really scraggly brows from years of over plucking which I constantly fill in every morning. I've decided to save myself 10 mins each morning and get my brows feather stroke tattooed. Now before you freak out and think colour blocked Morticia Adams brows, feather stroke tattoos look more natural as they're drawn to mimic hair. I'm booked in for a consultation later next month, and will be getting the tattoos in early November (the place I chose were booked out until then, surely it's a sign that they're good?!). And of course I will write all about my experience here on the blog... unless they turn out horrible, in which case I'll go into hiding for 3 years until they fade. And in case you want to see what feather stroke tattoos look like, here's a before/after pic from Lana Tarek Brows. They're not the ones I'm going to for my brows as they were too far for me to travel, but the place I chose had excellent portfolio of their work as well.

Source: https://instagram.com/_lanatarek/

Well, that's it from me for now and thanks for hanging in there! I know this was a mega post but I felt like I had to provide this update before normal blogging resumes.

Xx

Makeup look with Zoeva, DB Cosmetics and L.A Girl

Recently I've been on a bit of an online shopping spree. Blame it on Instagram. First it was the DB Cosmetics Contour Kit (which I blogged about HERE), then Zoeva Cosmetics eyeshadow palettes kept popping up on my feed. And the icing on the cake was the L.A. Girl Matte Flat Finish Pigment Glosses which had me reaching for my wallet. I've been extremely happy with my purchases, and have been reaching for them almost daily. And lo and behold, here's a look I came up with.

Pretty much my standard look really, fresh skin, neutral eyes and bright lips.

DB Cosmetics Contour Kit Review & Swatches

Yes, I have a lot of contour palettes. And yes, I know contouring is no longer cool - it's all about strobing now (and seriously, can we just call it highlighting already?), but this was one contour palette I couldn't pass on and not just because it was less than $10!.

I first spotted the DB Cosmetics Contour Kit ($9.95!) on my Instagram feed. It wasn't available in stores yet, but you could do a pre-order online and of course I did just that. When it arrived, my only regret was not ordering 2 of them as I think these will sell out quickly.

Bobbi Brown Telluride Eye Palette Review

You know I love a good neutral palette, in fact I probably have far too many and I doubt I'll use any of them up in the foreseeable future. But when I was offered a PR sample of this Bobbi Brown palette  I couldn't say no, because you know, neutral.

She's here...

If you follow me on Instagram then you probably already know this... but I wanted to take this opportunity to formally introduce my little girl, born 2 weeks ago!

This is Lola Evelyn, born 16 June 2015 weighing 4.38kgs and 51cm tall.

A few hours old

Two weeks old and already has the duck face down pat!

The 2 products helping me fake a good night's sleep

Before we get started on the product review, there are 2 things you need to know.
a. I have an almost 3yr old son that still comes into our bed at night.
b. I'm currently 9.5 months pregnant (aaaghhhhh!!!!)

Those two things combined mean that I have been sleeping pretty badly lately! The 3yr old snuggles to me so tightly (burrows into me more like it), that if I'm not careful I'll fall off the edge of the bed. And the pregnancy bit means I get up a thousand times a night for bathroom breaks. So to say that a good night's sleep hasn't been happening for me lately is an understatement. And it showed. On my skin, under my eyes and just all over.

I was this close to going to the shops and buying my favourite Maybelline concealer which helped me fake good sleep after I'd just had baby #1. But then after rummaging through my stash I came across these 2 products I was sent a while back from Physician's Formula and thought I'd give them a go. And what do you know, they're great!

Lipstick Tales: Laura Mercier Creme Smooth Lip Colour in Dry Rose

I'm a huge fan of Laura Mercier, but so far I've only ever tried their eye products (the Luxe Colour Wardrobe which I reviewed HERE is till a favourite!). I was recently sent one of their lipsticks to try out, and oh my, it's delish!

The Creme Smooth Lip Colour in Dry Rose is hydrating, it's creamy, it's pigmented and it's long lasting. Everything you'd want from a lipstick wrapped in an elegant case. One swipe is enough for full opaque coverage, and you don't even need a lipliner with it as due to the pigmentation it's easy enough to get a nice sharp outline to your lips.

36 week belly update

Aagghhhh.... I'm now just a little over 36 weeks pregnant! That's 9 months to those of you not in the know when it comes to pregnancy countdowns. When I was pregnant the first time around I did fairly regular belly updates, but this 2nd time the last time I did one was at 29 weeks! The major reason for that is that almost all my spare time is spent with my son who at 3yrs old still demands a lot of attention. And by the time he goes to sleep at night I'm too tired to do anything productive.

I'm still working full-time, but this is my last week at work then I'm off for 12 months. Working full-time this late into my pregnancy was probably not such a great idea, but I'd rather have that extra time off to spend with the baby than take leave early and sit around at home waiting for her to arrive. Oh and in case you haven't read any of my previous updates, it's a girl! Yes, we'll have a pigeon pair. Why do they even call it that, a boy/girl sibling?

Besides being constantly exhausted, aching all over (yes, back pain and rib pain made a visit to me early on at around 16 weeks and have stuck around), I'm also feeling a lot like a whale and miss my previous flexibility and fitness levels (don't get me wrong, I was never that fit to begin with, but I could at least walk further than 10m without huffing and puffing and needing to stop to take a rest!). One of the hardest things has been not having the energy or the flexibility to play with my son.

So far I've put on a total of 17kgs, and really I don't even want to think about it. I eat relatively healthy but the weight has piled on. I put on pretty much the same amount during my first pregnancy and lost most of it fairly easily so I'll worry about it later.

Enough about me, the baby - she's doing great! Touch wood everything is developing perfectly with her. She's a chunky little one, already weighing in at 3.5kgs (her brother was also a chunky one, what can I say I make big babies!) And apparently she has a lot of hair already, so I'm keen to see what she'll look like. My son has my eyes, but his daddy's fair curly hair. I do wonder if this baby will just look like a girlier version of my son or look completely different. Only time will tell.

Thanks for reading! And thanks for your continued support of my blog. xx

Brows brows brows - favourite brow products

A few years ago if you'd asked me what's the one beauty product I can't live without, I probably would have said mascara. Now it would have to be eyebrow pencil. Why? Because nicely done brows will really frame the face, giving it definition, making eyes look bigger and even slim down the cheeks. And well, because I have really yucky and patchy brows from years of over plucking, so a good brow product is absolutely essential for me.

Here is what I have on rotation. All of them purchased with my own hard earned cash, and repurchased over and over and over again.

Physicians Formula "Ooh La la Sexy Eyes Trio" Review

A while back I was sent a very generous goody bag of new Physicians Formula products but I am yet to tackle it properly and see what's inside. I blame the fact that at 8.5 months pregnant my energy levels are at an all time low. But I did manage to take a quick peek inside the goody bag and this eyeliner trio caught my eye, so I thought a review is in order!

What is it?
The Physicians Formula Sexy Booster Ooh La La Sexy Eyes Trio (phew, mouthful!) is a trio of eyeliners designed to help you create a variety of eye looks. They're also hypoallergenic, dermatologist tested and safe for sensitive eyes. The eyeliners come in a little carry case. You get:

• A felt tip liquid eyeliner to help you create a cat-eye flick
• A kohl kajal eyeliner for dark and dramatic looks, works also perfectly on inner rims
• An automatic eyeliner pencil for every day looks

A dupe for Lime Crime Utopia? Yeah, close enough!

Excuse the somewhat long and unexplained absence. We had no internet for a couple of weeks, then we went on a mini getaway to the Blue Mountains and before I knew it it was 3 weeks since my last post! Oops.

In other news, I'd been meaning to do a comparison post of the Lime Crime Velveteen in Utopia with the Savvy Ultra Matte lip colour in Icon, as I had a sneaking suspicion they might be dupes. So here it is.

Swatched side by side they're close, but not perfect. Icon is definitely more purple based whereas Utopia is warmer. However worn on the lips, and given enough time to dry on the lips, they're actually pretty darn close! In the lip swatch below I'm wearing Icon on the bottom lip with Utopia on top. I'm sure if you look closely enough you can tell the difference in shades, but to just a passing observer the difference is negligent.

Shopping my stash FOTD #1 - Featuring Sleek and MakeupGeek

Every once in a while I like to dig into my makeup stash and dig up something I haven't used in a while. Last weekend I re-discovered some old favourite Makeupgeek eyeshadows that were gathering dust, and a bright matte Sleek lipstick I used to wear a lot but then neglected for a while.

Makeup Look with some new Urban Decay and Bare Minerals purchases and a quick 29 week belly update

A few days after Urban Decay finally hit our shores I thought I'd go down to my local Mecca Maxima store and check it out. Blog research, you know. I definitely did not have a shopping list, and I sure as hell had no intention of ever getting the UD Naked 3 palette. But you know what, I got it, and it's awesome! I always assumed that the rose-gold tones in Naked 3 would not work with my complexion, that they might make my eyes look bloodshot or tired but in fact they're very versatile colours and surprisingly work well even with my dark features.

Besides the UD Naked 3 I also picked up another Bare Minerals lipstick, this time in the colour Fly High. I've become quite a fan of these lippies as they're super creamy, moisturising and surprisingly long lasting. Plus they're reasonably priced ($26) for the quality you get.

Here's a simple look that I did today wearing both new products.

The Makeup Framer

You know how sometimes makeup is just too pretty to hide in your draws and you want to show it off? Well, here's an idea of how you can show off your pretty eyeshadows - in The Makeup Framer!