June 29, 2014

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet Review

(I wear the shade #10)

I am about to make the biggest call in the world right now... but I think I have found my HG foundation! I KNOW RIGHT!! I would like to introduce to you guys, the Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet! I was really unsure of this foundation just because I heard that it's not that great for dry skin but I decided to give it a try anyway because I've never found a Chanel foundation that I didn't like and honestly, this was no exception. I did find that I didn't need to set this foundation with powder as it set matte and powdery already on my skin but that just means that I finish doing my makeup in less time, who would complain about that? 

Pros:
  • Makes the skin look amazingly soft and smooth
  • Sets matte so I don't have to add powder
  • Smells lovely 
  • Perfect colour match for me
  • Makes blending my concealer a breeze because it does have such a nice, smooth finish
  • Didn't emphasize pores or dry patches
  • Wears really nicely throughout the day
  • It does have some SPF (I still always use more sunscreen on top because I live in Australia)
  • Feels super lightweight and like you're not wearing any foundation at all
Cons:
  • Expensive 
Overall thought: As you can see, I couldn't think of anything bad with this foundation other than the price, hence why I think that it is my HG foundation. If you see the photos below, you can see how smooth my skin looks and this is with no photoshopping on my behalf! It just gives such a lovely finish to the skin and I am absolutely OBSESSED with this foundation! (10/10)

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June 23, 2014

Zeusy Bear!


I can't believe how big this little guy has grown! As cheeky and naughty as he is... I can't imagine my life without him :) He just turned 5 months old so next month this poor boy is getting neutered! Hope you guys enjoyed this update! Sorry it's not a proper post but I just started working at MAC and still doing freelancing so it's been super duper busy! Normal posts will be resuming ASAP :)

x

June 18, 2014

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick Review



Man on man do I love these little babies! These are the new (relatively) Bourjois lip product that applies a bit glossy but then dries down to the most beautiful matte velvet finish. I bought this when I went shopping with one of my best friends who is obsessed with dark reds at the moment, just like me! I think it has something to do with the weather... but boy weren't we glad to walk into Priceline that day.

What they claims:
"Its soft, melting texture glides on to the lips and turns into a matt, velvety and incredibly light colour. Lips are left smooth and soft as velvet. Enriched with evanescent oils, it’s incredibly sensuous formula provides a soft, second-skin feel, without drying or fading lips."

Pros:
  • Affordable (if you can get it like I did when Priceline had their special and it was only $10 for 1)
  • Long lasting and wears beautifully
  • Very comfortable to wear, not drying at all 
  • Gorgeous vibrant pigmentation 
  • Easy to work with and apply
Cons:
  •  If it's not on special, it is quite pricey in Australia (like every other makeup products) 
  • Not a great range of colours, it is mostly reds
  • I personally don't like the scent
 Overall thought: I absolutely adore these! I just wish that they came in a wider range of colours because all the shades were very bright and none that were just a bit paired down so I could use it daily. Great for people who wants to wear reds everyday though because I swear all the colours were just varying shades of reds. I would definitely repurchase these if I run our or if Bourjois came out with more colours. 10/10

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This is the stain that is left on the lips after you wipe off the product:
  
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You can see below that even though they apply kind of glossy before, they do dry down to a beautiful matte velvet finish.

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June 16, 2014

Rough Guide To Circle Lenses

***Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I bought these contact lenses myself. Please don't take my word on circle lenses for gospel, I am not a professional in this field and my eyes will be different to everyone's eyes so please wear them at your own risk.***

This post is for my lovely and beautiful Lisa from COCOBELLA BALLERINA who requested a post about my circle lenses! Here you are darling, I hope you find it helpful :)

I've been wearing circle lenses for about 3-4 years now and I must say that I can not live without them. I actually feel really strange without them and I don't think I look as nice without them, sadly enough! When I first started wearing contact lenses I ordered from www.pinkyparadise.com but after 6 months or so, I found a better website, a website that I still order from to this day. That website is www.honeycolor.com! The great thing about Honey Color is that they do free express shipping all over the world if your order is more than $99. Considering when I order, I order 4-5 at a time, that's perfect for me and frankly, I'm always surprised at how quickly it gets to me (within a few days). Another great thing is that Honey Color has the best prices I've seen on circle lenses and they offer those cooling eye drops which I adoreeeee!

For those of you who don't know what circle lenses are, they are contact lenses which you can get plano (no prescription) or with prescription that are bigger than the size of your actual iris, making your eyes appear more doll like. They come in various different sizes from a slight enlargement (14mm) to larger enlargements (15mm and up). They also come in hundreds of different styles, my favourites are the ones that have the darker limbal ring (darker edges) because to me, they look the most "natural" (please... who am I kidding!).

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As with anything, there are risks involved in wearing circle lenses such as:
  • Okay... Let me start with the biggest one, I'm not trying to scare you but if you get a defective pair of lenses, it can cause blindness or permanently damage your eyes. This is why it's so important to get your contact lenses from a reputable and trustworth seller and hence my disclaimer up top. 
  • For my Americans out there, it is not FDA regulated
  •  Abrasions or scratches to the cornea
  • Decreased oxygen to the eyes because the contact lens is not only covering your iris but also the white parts of your eyes
  • Because you're not getting them from an optometrist, it is not fitted specifically to your eyes, this is why it can cause not only discomfort but can also damage your eye
 Because of these risks please always ensure that:
  • Get your lenses from a reputable seller
  • Soak your contact lenses in contact lens solution for a full 24 hour before putting them into your eyes
  • Wash your hands before you touch the lenses (I mean.. duh!)
  • Check the water content of the contact lenses, as a general rule for me, the more water content it has, the more comfortable they are for me
  • Don't wear it for more than 8 hours at a time and if it's your first time, try wearing it a few hours at a time and build up the time 
  • Change your contact lens case every 3 months 
  • Most circle lenses say they last for a year but if you wear them every day like I do, I change it up every 6 months or so just to be safe
  • If you feel any sort of discomfort/light sensitivity/blurred vision/redness that doesn't dissipate within a minute or two, TAKE THEM OUT STRAIGHT AWAY! You  may have gotten a defective pair. What I do is, soak them in a fresh batch of contact solution for another 24 hour and then try them on again, if they are still uncomfortable, they are definitely either defective or just doesn't fit your eye correctly so please don't wear them again
  • Make sure you put them in the right way
YAY! 

 NAY! You can see that the edges of the contact lenses sort of flare out, that's when you know you gots to turn that baby over.

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As I mentioned before, I do order 4-5 at a time so these are my current 4 pairs that I'm wearing at the moment.





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I hope that was helpful for some people! I really don't mean to scare anyone but they are the facts and I know the risks when I wear my contact lenses. I have been very very lucky that my eyes aren't particularly sensitive to anything so I've never really had a problem with wearing them but please please please be careful! You only have one pair of eyes so please take care of them and if you ever feel unsure about a product, just don't wear it and contact the seller. Enjoy ladies (and maybe gents..)!

June 13, 2014

Sneak Peek of K Luxe Lashes (Mink Eyelashes)

Last week, I had the privilege of sitting down with my talented and beautiful friend, Kassy Wong from Creations By Kassy, as she received her samples for her mink false lashes line. I was totally awed at the luxurious lashes that were before me and it definitely didn't take me long to start trying them on myself.

For those of you who are new to the mink lashes phenomenon, they are, in my opinion, the most gorgeous, natural and softest false eyelashes on the market today. Even though you are wearing a full strip, you honestly don't even feel like you are wearing anything and goodness are they comfortable! Another plus side to mink lashes is the fact that you can wear them up to 25 times! Who else TRIES to preserve your false lashes, but then find that it has contorted itself to the ugliest shape and it just doesn't look or feel as good and comfortable anymore after the first use? I definitely did! When I first started wearing false lashes, I did try to save them for another day but found that they just didn't look great anymore, so from then on, I threw them out after every use, which can definitely add up money wise. Kassy was sweet enough to give me a pair to try out and I've worn them at least 4 times since she gave them to me and they are still in perfect condition! The lash band didn't go all wonky, it is still comfortable, beautiful and best of all, I think I really can use them up to 25 times at the rate that I'm going.

So... without further ado, I'd like you introduce you guys to K Luxe Lashes! They are 100% mink lashes which are hand tied/hand arranged and are 100% cruelty free. The website for the lashes is unfortunately still in progress but I just couldn't contain my excitement anymore because as far as I know, K Luxe Lashes will be one of the first companies to bring these beautiful lashes to Australia! For those of you interested, I will definitely keep you guys updated on how the website is going and when you guys can make the purchases. The prices for these lashes will range from $30-$39.95 :)

Pros:
  • So unbelievably soft
  • Natural looking, even if you pick the thicker/longer styles
  • You can use them up to 25 times, providing you take care of them
  • So many different styles to choose from which makes the versatile
  • Feels so light on
  • Luxurious
  • Very easy to put on as the shape of the band contours to your eyes
Cons:
  • More pricey than normal false eyelashes
  • You will still need to clean off the lash band after every use
  • Although you can technically put mascara on them if you so wish to, it will lessen the lifespan of the lashes
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I decided to do 2 makeup looks with the pair of lashes that I got given so that you guys can see how gorgeous they look and how versatile they are. (FYI, I got the "Elizabeth")

Bright Lip:


 Smokey Eyes:


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June 8, 2014

L'oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Review

I have heard so much hype about this mascara that when I saw it on sale at my local chemist, I couldn't NOT buy it! I'm not sure whether it's still available now, but for the Perth ladies, go to the Chemist Warehouse in the city if you were wanting to try this mascara for $10!

What they claim:
"Voluminous® Carbon Black Volume Building Mascara is uniquely formulated to resist clumping, soften and build lashes up to 5X their natural thickness with 2X the intensity of your regular black shade. -The unique maximizing formula quickly thickens and builds lashes in a single application for a full and dramatic look. -The Volume Maximizing Brush thickens lashes evenly and smoothly, leaving them soft with virtually no flakes, smudges or clumps. Clump-resistant. Fragrance-free. Ophthalmologist-tested and allergy-tested. Suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers."

Pros:
  • Volumizes (7/10)
  • Lengthening (6/10)
  • Definitely one of the blackest mascara I've tried
Cons:
  • Not available normally in Australia (I KNOW RIGHT!)
  • I found this mascara smudges on me when normally, even when I don't wear a waterproof formula, mascaras don't really smudge on me
  • Even though it claimed not to clump, you can definitely see some clumping on the 2nd coat
Overall thought: Maybe I had too high of an expectation for this mascara but I didn't really love it. It did volumize and lengthens but it didn't really volumize as much as I thought it would and it definitely started to clump on the 2nd application It's not a bad mascara by any means but it's just not my favourite. My HG mascara at this point in time is still the Lancome Hypnose Waterproof!
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No mascara:
 
1 coat:
2 coats:

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P.S: If you see that your comment has been deleted, please don't be offended! I accidentally deleted a whole bunch of your lovely comments when I was trying to delete the spam comments :(

June 5, 2014

MAC Fluidline Brow Gelcreme - Dirty Blonde + How I Do My Brows


I know... I know... I am not a blonde. So, why did I get this you all ask? Frankly, I don't really like my brows to be, POW, in your face. It's always been my personal preference to have lighter eyebrows just because I think I don't look that good in dark eyebrows, it's just a little jarring for my complexion. I do think that the ends of my brow could be darker, but I am trying out the Anastasia Dipbrow for that so I can compare the two products.

Now, the MAC Fluidline Brow Gelcreme has always been a formula that I wanted to try out just because it's been hyped SO much, and the longevity is something that I am truly attracted to, being that I live in Australia. So you can imagine my excitement when I walked past my local MAC and saw the Brow Gelcreme sitting there looking all pretty on the counter!

MAC claims:
"Long-wearing waterproof gel in a pot for giving precise definition to brows. Applies smoothly, sets quickly for the ultimate well-groomed brows. Fills, lengthens and shapes for subtle to dramatic looks."

I'm not quite sure on the waterproof claim but this thing is definitely long wearing. From the moment that it sets in the morning, to the time I get home at night, it looks exactly the same, which is awesome for me because with Makeup Artistry, I can work up to 14 hour days. It is definitely smooth, pigmented and definitely does the claims of filling out, lengthening and shaping my brows pretty dark perfectly. 

Pros:
  •  Awesome longevity
  • Pigmented
  • Pretty sure this pot will last me a lifetime 
  • Smooth to apply 
  • Easy to use 
  • Sets in a good amount of time - It's not too fast to the point you can't work with it or fix mistakes.
  • Easy to make a crisp line
Cons:
  • Colour is a bit too warm for me - I prefer cool toned brow products
  • I personally prefer harder textures (Shu Uemura H9 pencils) because it's harder to overdo
  • Because it's so pigmented, it may be easy to put on too much
Overall thought: I do like this product, don't get me wrong, I just don't think that it is a HG item for me and to be completely honest, I find pencils easier to use on myself. This is however, great to use on my clients and makes sculpting their brows a breeze and in such a short amount of time. 8/10

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Now, onto how I use this for my brows! I'm not that great at tutorials, sue me, but I am trying hard! I decided that it would be easier for me to just do a step by step in photos rather than writing because sometimes, words can be too open for interpretation and please... ignore the state of my brows right now, I'm trying to grow them out to see whether I like it bushier or not and at this point, I am leaning towards not... I feel like a sasquatch.

Products needed: 
  • MAC Fluidline Brow Gelcreme
  • MAC #266 Brush
  • Spoolie

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