What a Makeup mess - Updated!

Since organising my makeup stash, I have found a better way to do it so I thought I would quickly post a photo.

I found a cutlery draw at the shops for two dollars, and even though it's not my favourite colour in the world, it allows for a more organised makeup draw. Unfortunately it doesn't hold as much makeup as my previous storage idea, but it looks better and is less cluttered.

I now have to find somewhere for a whole basket of lip products and my 48 eyeshadow palette. Hmmm...

What a makeup mess!

Sometimes when I have a busy week, my makeup draw can get a little out of hand. Okay, a lot out of hand. This week it got so out of hand that I was disgusted with myself. It was so bad, I am embarrassed to post this picture up. So why am I going to? Because I am proud of how I have fixed it up. It is SO much better now that I have fixed it up. Thank goodness, because it couldn't really get much worse!

Before the great clean-up

 I didn't even know that it could ever get so bad. I had so much trouble trying to find stuff in there, that I ended up playing 'whatever makeup you pick out with your eyes closed is what you will wear' every morning. Needless to say, it inspired me to clean up the disgraceful mess.

I decided that I really needed to go online and have a look at some makeup storage ideas. Seriously, I needed help. I wanted an organised system, that would allow me to find things quickly and easily.

Well, this is what I came up with, and whilst it isn't exactly what I wanted, it is definitely better than what I had before!

At the very back are some spare hair ties, a backup moisturiser and more lip balms (yes more!). In the top left box is all my face products - foundation, blush, concealer and bronzer. The next box on was really whatever I couldn't fit anywhere else, and included more lipbalms, Lucas' Papaw ointment, gel eyeliner and Physicians formula pearls of perfection. Under the blue thing, is my DB 48 eyeshadow palette. The blue thing itself was actually for holding pencils, for I filled it with my eyeliners and lip liners, and the small brushes that I owned that would fit in there. The two green baskets contain lipsticks, lipglosses and lip balms. The spotty blue box in the bottom right is the rest of my eye products - shadows and mascaras (oh, and a brush).

So there you have it - it is much better than before that is for sure, but it is still not amazing. Until I think of a better idea, this is how I shall have it.

By organising this, I also found out that I have lost my Nivea Strawberry lip balm, which is funny because I never use it and in theory it should be in the draw. That's rather frustrating...

 Anyhow, I am glad that it is all sorted out because now I can actually find things!

Exhibit Lipgloss - 02 Watermelon

This was a lip gloss that I bought very cheaply on an impulse. I saw it sitting lonely on the shelf and decided to just get it. I'm glad I did though, because it is really lovely.

I am actually quite pleased with the size of it but I know that my friends hate it. It is thirteen centimetres long (my other lipgosses are only about eight) and it means that there is quite a lot of product included. It has a little hole in it at the top so you can hang it off your keyring, but I wouldn't do that.

It is this very bright pink colour but it applies on quite sheer and only has a slight hint of pink. It looks so beautiful and glossy, although it is a little thick in texture. I personally like it but I know others would find it to be too thick. Then again you can easily control how much you put on - if you don't want it on thick, don't put much on!

It smells nice, not really like watermelon but a nice sweet smell all the same. It is a little on the plastic smelling side but I consider it to be not too bad.

I usually wear it by itself but it looks lovely over a similar colour of lipstick. It's a shimmery kind of colour and has tiny golden flecks of sparkly (but they are not noticeable on the lips). I love wearing it because it make my lips so glossy and they just slide around!

As for its lasting power, it's not amazing but not one of the worst I have ever seen. It does kind of soak into your lips a little which is nice. It isn't drying either which is good. I will be wearing this more often!

I give this product 7 out of 10.

Look how big this lipgloss is!



How much is your face worth Tag



Whoops, I forgot to include the Savvy lipgloss!



I saw this tag floating around, so I decided to give it a try. 



What you do is calculate how much your face is worth, by adding together how much each of the products you wear everyday are worth (not including skincare products - like moisturisers, cleansers etc.)

I calculated how much they would cost if I bought them at full price, and how much they actually cost me when I bought them on sale!

I took a picture of all my products and it looks like a massive amount, but I assure you, it really isn't! Yep, it really does look as though I slap a whole heap on, but that is so not what I do!

It was shocked to see how much I had saved! If the
product has a * next to it, it means I don't wear it everyday but I still use it very often.

FULL PRICE - based on what I have seen them selling for in local shops or what I have found online
Face
Hamilton Everyday face tinted sunscreen - $12.95         
*Innoxa Foundation - $30
*Physicians Formula Pearls of Perfection - $12.95
Rimmel London Recover Anit Fatigue concealer- $12.95
BYS Blush - $4.95

Eyes
Maybelline Eyestudio Eyeshadow - $16.95
Maybelline Sky High curves mascara - $7.99
Beauty Style eyeliner - $4.95

Lips
Nivea Light Kiss (as primer) - $2
Maybelline Baby Lips - $3.95
*Savvy by DB lipgloss - $5.95

Total - $115.59

WHAT I BOUGHT THEM FOR - on sale or freebies

Face
Hamilton Everyday face tinted sunscreen - $12.95         
*Innoxa Foundation - $1.50
*Physicians Formula Pearls of Perfection - $12.95
Rimmel London Recover Anit Fatigue concealer- $12.95
BYS Blush - $1

Eyes
Maybelline Eyestudio Eyeshadow - FREE
Maybelline Sky High curves mascara - FREE
Beauty Style eyeliner - $3

Lips
Nivea Light Kiss (as primer) - $2
Maybelline Baby Lips - $3
*Savvy by DB lipgloss - $3

Total - $52.35

Well, I think we can safely say that it pays to look around for sales and bargains (excuse the pun!). I saved a heck of a lot of money!

Anyone who wants to do this tag, go for it! I would love to see what products you guys regularly use and whether you have saved much money during the sales!

Physicians Formula - Pearls of Perfection

I wasn't really sure what these translucent balls were for, because my Mum gave them to me, so I looked up some reviews on the internet and found lots of different responses. Some said it was wonderful for setting makeup, others said they only wore it by itself. Some hated it more than anything, and some said it was one of their favourite products of all time. Some even said they crushed up some of the balls and used it as an eyeshadow! Well, it left me feeling a little confused, to say the least.

I decided to try it out in as many ways as possible to see which was the best for me. I tried it first of all by itself. I wasn't too impressed to be honest - it gave a little shimmer and sparkle, but wasn't incredibly amazing. It didn't look horribly powdery like some of the other products do, and it doesn't feel like you have dipped your head in a bucket of chalk but it really didn't do much at all.

I then tried it as a way of setting my makeup and found that it was actually pretty good. I may have been imagining it but I really felt as though my makeup lasted longer when I was wearing this. I also like the subtle glow that it gives you.

I didn't crush up one of the balls for the eyeshadow, but instead used the loose powder that had gathered at the bottom. It was gorgeous! It looked to be this golden, glowing colour that was still natural and beautiful! I loved it! It is definitely my favourite way to wear this powder, however I wouldn't buy it just for the use as an eyeshadow.

When dusting it over my face, I had to be careful not to apply that much because I really didn't want to end up looking like a cheap disco ball!

I really liked this product, but I probably wouldn't go and buy it again because it really isn't something that I consider to be essential. Saying that, however, I do wear this almost everyday just because I have it and figure that I might as well wear it!

I personally quite like the packaging, although I know a lot of people find it really ugly. I think it looks a bit classier than other products because it doesn't have the coloured yellow plastic with metallic writing or anything outrageous like that.

I wouldn't go out and buy this product, because like I mentioned I can survive without it, but it is relatively good and I definitely don't hate it. I give it 6 out of 10.

This photo captures what they look like in the sun and in the shade
Win win!

Beauty Style Eyeliner - Innocence

I bought this product as I was rushing through priceline. It was in the bargain bin with a $3 price sticker on it, and I thought, "What have I got to lose?"

It is a matte white colour and I use it in the inner corners of my eyes and along the lower waterline to brighten my eyes up. It is not the most amazing, long lasting, creamiest, good quality pencil, but then why would it be for $3? It does the job and I'm happy using it until I hear of a better one (I do have my eye on the NYX jumbo pencil in Milk...Has anyone used it? Is it any good?)

It needs to be slightly warm in order for easy application, but I just draw a little bit on my hand first and find that it does the trick. It stays put if you don't rub your eyes (unfortunately I do!).

I really love how it has a sponge on the end aswell because it allows for easy blending and smudging. There is nothing worse than terribly harsh lines. It also means that if you are in a rush and get it a bit wobby, it can be easily fixed with the sponge on the end.

I like to have it blunt, because if it is too sharp it hurts to apply, and by having it blunt I get a thicker line with little effort. The colour is very pigmented.

I wouldn't purchase it again, but it is pretty decent taking the price into consideration. I think the only major problem is that it really isn't all that long lasting.

I give this product 6 out of 10.

The sponge to smudge

Perfume favourites

I currently have two perfumes that I am desperate to get: Daisy Eau So Fresh by Marc Jacobs and Be Delicious by DKNY.

I have had my eye on this for what seems like hundreds of years. I mean, have you seen Daisy Eau So Fresh by Marc Jacobs? The bottle is just so beautiful with the flowers clustered around the lid. Ahhh, it's amazing. As for the smell, well, it is not as incredible as the bottle, but it is still very lovely and very much within my tastes. The only problem? It is $145 for 125mL! On the website it is described as "A reinterpretation of the original Daisy fragrance, Dasiy Eau So Fresh is a floral, fruity fragrance with key notes of raspberry, wild rose and warm plum." Ahhh...

Be Delicious is not as pretty as Daisy Eau So Fresh, but it smells even better. It is described as, "a refreshing scent in an iconic apple-shaped bottle tempts you to take a bite out of life. A sophisticated blend of apples, exotic flowers and woods creates a fresh, juicy scent that can only be called delicious," on the website. I disagree with the wood part, but hey, it doesn't really matter does it? I love it all the same! It is 3.4oz (apparently that is 96 grams!) and is in this funny looking sphere thing. It costs $75 for about 100mL so it is a bit more affordable! I don't like the style of the packaging at all, but the smell is gorgeous.

So, both of these perfumes are on my Christmas wish list, and even if I don't get them, just going for a shopping trip at Myers where I can smell a couple of testers will keep me happy!

What are your favourite perfumes? Have they been favourites for a while, or are they new to your nose? I hope that if I get these I can do a proper review about the scent!

Savvy by DB - Lip Jewels, Pink Diamond

Savvy is a really cheap brand here in Australia, and I bought a lipgloss from it ages and ages ago. It is from the lip jewels lipgloss range, in the colour 'Pink Diamond.'

The smell of this lipgloss is just aweseome -it smells sugary, like lollies. It has no taste (which is probably a good thing!) but the smell is really great. Having said that, it would definitely be too much for those who are not really into scented products. Fortunately, I am.

It isn't the slightest bit sticky, it just glides on nice and smoothly and feels brilliant on your lips. It has the slightest hint of a pinky colour, and is slightly shimmery, but not too much. It really works for me and suits my lip colour really well. I wear it almost everyday, because I go for natural makeup and this compliments and works with that.

The applicator allows you to apply just the right amount of product really easily. The only complaint I have is that some of the product seeps out onto the rim where the lid is screwed in, which means that there is a little bit of wastage.

The formula is perfect - smooth and creamy and not sticky. If I was to change it, all I would do is make it a little more pigmented. Otherwise, it's perfect. I have to give this 10 out of 10!

I really must try some more of their products, because if they are anything like the lipgloss, I would be very impressed.



You can see where the lipgloss leaks onto the rim -
I cleaned it before I took the photo though!

Rimmel London - Anti Fatigue Concealer

This concealer was the first concealer that I ever got. Because of this, it wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, and I wasn't all that impressed, that is until I realised what you were supposed to use it for and found that it was in fact actually very good!

I had intended on using it to cover pimples. Not knowing much about the makeup world, I thought a liquid concealer would be good. It wasn't. I needed a concealer in a stick. Because of this little misunderstanding, this concealer found its way to the back of my deep, dark makeup draw never to be seen again...until I was giving the draw a good clean out and accidentally stumbled across it. I examined it, reading that it was an 'anti fatigue concealer.' Aha! It was like a light bulb switched on in my head. It was for dark circles under the eyes! What an idiot I had been!

I can now say that it is a good friend of mine - so good that its lid is cracked, the label has been completely worn away and I don't know what the shade is (I think there are only two shades anyway).

In summer when I have a bit of a tan I find that it is a bit light for my skin tone, but in winter it is very good. It stays on my skin for a long time, especially if I set it with a translucent powder. Sometimes I feel as though it is a little to cakey and obvious on my skin, but then again, concealer is thicker than foundation, and it's purpose is to conceal so I can't really complain.

It has a good, creamy texture and is easy to blend into the skin. Rubbing it in is no good, but if you pat it in with your fingers it works wonderfully, and I also found that using those eyeshadow sponges (do you know what I'm referring to? Those cheap dodgy ones you can get in eyeshadow palettes) actually help blend it in too!

I give this product 8 out of 10.

OId or New - 2012 or 2002 - Mag 5

Today's magazine is the Dolly September 2003 issue, with the lovely Delta Goodrem on the cover.

Page 101 is where the beauty begins, and this page is packed full of things to talk about.

Our trend alert is mauve, and it is recommended for wearing on the eyes, nails and lips. It is described as 'as step up from pink but not as out-there as punk purples.' It is also supposed to suit most girls. For the eyes they say to only apply the shadow on the lid, no further than the crease. For the lips they suggest you go sheer and glossy, and for the nails, apply two coats.

Also on the page, is Kelly Rowland's must have product (mascara), and that her favourite makeup look (natural). There is a list of new products that have entered the beauty atmosphere, including lip, fragrance and eye related products.

It then moves on to what your favourite eyeshadow colour says about you. Actually, I'm not sure if they mean favourite colour in general, or eyeshadow colour, but it is on the beauty page so I shall assume they mean eyeshadow colour! I'll list it here.

Red - The power colour, you are ready for anything. It helps you overcome your fears.

Orange - You're wise and enjoy living life to the full. It helps make your relationships balanced.

Yellow - You're full of sunshine and happiness. It helps you focus and make intelligent decisions

Green - You're calm and can handle things well. It helps you be thoughtful to everyone.

Blue - You're a confident person. It helps you communicate effectively.

Violet - You are connected to who you are. It puts your mind and body in harmony.

White - You're peaceful. It helps you deal with things differently; you see the bigger picture.

Yeah, I think they were referring to your favourite colour in general. Well, they did put pictures of eyeshadow. I don't know!

It then had a little bit about how to put on pencil and liquid eyeliner. I agree with their instructions.

104 was the most exciting page though, because it was 'trend spotter - all the wild looks that rocked Australian Fashion week.' There were six looks:

1) Retro glam at Sass and Bide - Shade brown eyeshadow onto lids and line lashes with black eyeliner, then use mascara or false lashes. Rub pink blush onto apples of cheeks and use pink gloss on lips.
2) 20s at Gabriel Scarvelli - use false eyelashes and apply a line of charcoal grey. Baby pink blush and matte lipstick Pain nails with pink polish and white polish on tips.

3) Pastel at Third Milennium - Colour eyelids in aqua and draw a thick line underneath eyes. Tip ends of lashes with mascara. Creme, pink blush onto cheekbones and glossy pink lipstick onto lips. Crimp ends of hair and backcomb crimps.

4) Mauve at Fashion Assasin - Colour eye area in beige and then shade mauve shadow from outer corners to eyebrows. Line eyes with black liner. Make a big quiff with hair.

5) Electric blue at Marcs Baby Doll - Aqua eyeshadow on lids from lash line to crease of eye. Flick colour out to side. Shade blue liner out to side and along lash line. Create a fake beauty spot with liquid eyeliner. Blue mascara. Pink blush on cheekbones and pale pink lipstick.

6) Red at Billion Dollar Babes - False red eyelashes and red mascara. Mauve eyeliner down bottom. Bright pink blush on under eye area and cheekbones and bright red lipstick.

I don't know about you, but no way would I try red eyelashes with pink blush under my eyes and red lippie. Oh my! Not would I go the full on blue-eye look.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the whole 'Old or New - 2012 or 2002' series of posts. I did, but I am saving the best for later on. I have a whole new idea where I use my magazines for beauty purposes, and hopefully it will be just as fun, if not even better!

Old or New - 2012 or 2002 - Mag 4

Today's magazine is the August 2001 issue of Girlfriend magazine. Not sure who is on the cover....?

Page 35 is all about "what's hot (in beauty) - the latest products that'll have you shining like a star."
Dual NYC Princess Power compacts are cool, as is Caboodles eyecatcher glitter eyegloss and Timmy Hilfiger's new cosmetics range. I don't know about you but I have no idea what they are talking about.


Page 35



Apparently honey is cool in the makeup industry and is being used more and more often in makeup products. Tea tree oil has been proven to 'zap blemishes' and Stila lipstick is all the range. The star product (the product mentioned by several celebrities) is the Origins Ginger Body Scrub for 58 bucks!

On page 37 we see what's hot and what products "will give everyone else hair envy." Sounds exciting!

Making your own DIY hair combs (or in other words, sticking sequins to hair combs) are pretty cool and the morning after hair look is great to be rocking. (Do I sound hip, cool and groovy yet? Haha) Dramatic red hair is pretty cool and Girlfriend's expert tip suggests that to have straight hair free of bumps, kinks and bed hair after a good nights sleep, cut the leg off a pair of pantyhose and then use it to tie the hair in a ponytail on top of your head. Sounds...interesting...

For the next couple of pages, makeup artist extraordinaire tells us all the makeup looks everyone should know according to their hair colour. I shall simplify it all here

Redhead
Base - Use moisturiser and a creamy yellow-based foundation (too bad if your skin is not yellow based!)
Eyes - Apparently redheads "look fabulous with a sort of 'windburnt' look." (Not sure what this means.) Use concealer, put a subtle pink shimmer over the lids and sweep a shimmery white shadow over the top. Finish with black mascara.
Cheeks - Use a cream or gel blush to continue the windburnt look
Lips - A reddy pink colour will complete the look, don't use lipliner and finish off with a red or clear gloss

Blondes
Base - "Aim for a peaches and cream complexion" use creamy foundation and stay away from pink toned beiges. Dab on T-Zone and not on cheeks or hairline
Eyes - "Think Gelato" - pistachio wash on eyes, white highlight on brow bone and taupe browshadow
Cheeks - Peach coloured blush on cheekbones
Lips - Peach lips and lipgloss

Brunettes
Base - Tinted moisturiser, yellow based foundation, NOT pinky beiges
Eyes - Golden colour on lids, highlight brow bones, dark espresso colour in the crease, espresso shadow along bottom lash line
Cheeks - Use bronzer for a bronzed look
Lips - Bronze lipstick with a bronze lipgloss on top

So there we have it girls! That's how you should have worn your makeup in 2001! Some parts I agree with, others not so much. I won't include all of the photos because it takes me SO long to upload them all, but I will show the page with all the products you are supposed to use.

Old or New - 2012 or 2002 - Mag 3

Another Dolly magazine today, but this one is from January 2004 with Guy Sebastion on the cover.

Our first 'Trend Alert' is on page 71 and is frosted makeup. It shows a picture of Christina Aguilera with a lilac coloured frosty eye and pale lips. I quite like how her makeup looks. It advises that you keep the focus on one area, either the eyes, cheeks, nails or lips. I myself don't mind a bit of frost but I don't know how everyone else feels about this. I'd love to know your opinion on this one - are you a fan or are you someone who is happy for it to stay in 2004!

Next page (page 72) has a bit of a crazy product - lipsticks that change colour. You see, when they are in the stick they are coloured a dark blue, orange and hideous green. According to this magazine they change colour when you apply them to your lips. I would hope so!

They are advertised as so:
"Freak your friends out with these Nutrimetics mood magic colour change lipsticks. They transform into sheer red, pink and berry tones with the heat of your skin. Cute!"

On the same page is says that coral, peachy and mango orange nails are in (fine by me) and that to find your perfect blush colour you should just take note of the colour or your cheeks after exercising (sounds like good advice to me). It also has an article on how to fix sunburn...



A horrid photo of the colour changing lipsticks!


Apart from those freaky lipsticks, I think this page is pretty relevant to modern day times!

Page 74 talks about going for the natural, "I'm-not-trying" glow. It 'loves' nude lips with a hint of sheer gloss, tinted moisturisers and sheer bronzers and flushed cheeks. It sounds like a look I love.

Not bad for a magazine seven years out of date!

Oh, I have to show you this advert too, I just love it!

Old or New - 2012 or 2002 - Mag 2

Today's magazine is the September issue of Girlfriend from the year 2000! It is my oldest magazine and so I am very excited to have a look at this one! It has Jennifer Love Hewitt on the cover (apparently!) and back in the day, also came with some hair chopsticks!

It had very little in it in regards to beauty but there were two pages that I could find, however there were several advertisements about beauty.

The first page we shall look at is page 33 - 'Little treasures.' It has all the coolest, "super-cute" accessories available. Well, they are definitely not "super-cute" anymore. Baubles and hideous beaded hair ties have fallen out of trend and I'm not predicting that they will be coming back! Definitely stayed in 2000!

Next is pages 34 and 35, 'The colours of Spring.' Now, it showed six different makeup colours that were 'in' which I consider to be a heck of a lot. I mean, how many more makeup colours are there?! It said that Pink, Coral, Tangerine, Aqua, Purple and Bare were the coolest makeup colours. I think we can safely say that some of these colours never fell out of trend whereas others we said goodbye to (purple lipstick, I don't think so!) I think the natural makeup look is always going to be popular and will continue through 2012.

Because this was an awfully short post, I have decided to show you an advertisement from back in the day!



I like this Lipsmackers add!



Old or New - 2012 or 2002 - Mag 1

Let's start with a Dolly magazine from February 2004 featuring Christina Aguilera with what I consider to be possibly the worst hair I have ever seen. (Sorry to those who consider this hairstyle to be attractive, but honestly, it's not my thing!)

Right, on page 70 we have a 'Trend Alert!' This trend alert I found to be rather amusing. I'll share it with you now...

"Lashes are big right now and we mean that literally. Long, fat blacker-than-black lashes are an easy way to up your glam factor and have been spotted on every celeb from Hilary to Avril. Start by curling your lashes with an eyelash curler. Squeeze gently, hold for a few seconds and release. To get really black lashes it's better to apply two thinner coats than one clumpy thick one. Put the mascara wand at the root of your lashes then wiggle and roll the brush upwards to get an all-over coating. Let your lashes dry for a minute, then repeat. Apply to your lower lashes gently the same way. To make your eyes really stand out, line them with black liquid liner, keeping it as close as possible to your lash line."

Well, I don't know about you guys, but isn't this the way you ALWAYS do your mascara? I wonder how people did their mascara before they became aware of Dolly's technique?! I find this amusing, because honestly, it is how I always wear mascara! I think we all know that this is not just applicable to 2004, but has carried on over the years!

Moving on, we come to page 74 where we find another 'Trend Alert!' Yay!

This one is hair related, and it connects to Christina's hair on the cover. Basically it says that obvious, thick black streaks in blonde hair is in. (Or in Christina's case, black streaks in white/grey hair!) I personally am not a fan. I think this is one trend that (thankfully) stayed right in 2004! I like the subtle streak but this is ridiculous!

So there we have it for our first post in the 'Old or New - 2012 or 2002' series (do you call it a series? I'm not sure...) Hope you enjoyed and had a bit of a laugh!

Old or new - 2012 or 2002?

I have some exciting news...I have hit 20 followers! It's pretty exciting for me, and I'm sure all of you who have thousands of followers are having a bit of a laugh, but it's still exciting! Anyway, to celebrate I am going to try something different.

I've had an idea - I'm not sure if it is going to work, but I know it is going to be fun all the same!

I have 165 teenage magazines. Yes, I collect them, from Op-shops, from books stores, from anywhere really. I have 31 magazines from the years 2000-2004 (including 2004) and I think it would be really fun to have a look through some of them and see what their beauty pages contained and see if there was a slight chance that their beauty advice was relevant for 2012 - will they make a comeback in 2012? Will they start a trend? Yep, it's going to be ridiculous and I hope to find some shocking looks inside.
I'll just post pictures of the magazine pages to show you some of the beauty from back then, so we can all have a laugh!

I hope you enjoy this and that it turns out okay! I am only going to do five because it gets a bit repetitive.
I also have another really fun idea to do with magazines but it won't be doing it for a while until I'm sure it is going to work...stay tuned, and enjoy the next five posts!

Ulta 3 Nail polish - French Pink

I bought this because I wanted a replacement for my Maybelline Salon Expert Nail polish in 'Born with it.' I personally really like the Ulta Nail polishes, so I was pretty sure that even if the colour wasn't a perfect match up, it would be a polish I would wear anyway.

It is a light, natural pink that I think would suit everyone. It goes on well (as all my Ulta polishes do) but unlike my others it changes slightly in colour when it dries. It becomes slightly darker.

This one had a stronger smell to it than most of my others, but I couldn't care less - I expect all nail polishes to have a strong smell.

I don't think I like this colour as much as I liked my Maybelline one, but I think I am just being picky. They were pretty close but I myself could spot the difference.

I love how natural this colour is. You can only tell that I'm wearing polish because it is glossy and evens out my nails, covering any white spots and the white part at the top of the nail (what's that called again?).

I wore it on my fingernails for 6 days before it started to chip. This is just like all my other Ulta polishes. I did wear a top coat though, so I'm not sure how it would have gone without one.

I give this polish 8 out of 10.



Ulta3 - French Pink



Maybelline Salon Expert - Born with it



Ulta3 - French Pink



Maybelline Salon Expert - Born with it

Napoleon Perdis NP Set

Today's review is the NP Set  Lash and Dash, which includes the black mascara and lip gloss palette.

In my excitement I actually put away the mascara and only took a good look at the lip gloss (who can blame me, I am a total lip product lover!) I later on found the mascara, gave it a go and decided to do a review on it.

The lipgloss is in sturdy little packaging which is simple yet classy. It has three colours, (none are named) all of which at first glance I believe would suit pretty much anyone and are not all that outrageous. It comes with two brushes (on on each end). The brushes are okay, but they are not amazing. I really like the mirror that is included, because not only is it useful for applying the lipglosses, but for applying the mascara too.

Not sure what happened on the right, but at least you can
get an idea of the colours

The lipglosses smell sweet and yummy. They all have the same scent. I thought they would all be reasonably vibrant in colour, however they are all super sheer and when on the lips there isn't much variation in the colours, which is why I didn't take any photos of how they looked on my lips (all quite similar) The red gloss does give a bit of a stained look which is a nice subtle hint of red. I included swatches on my hand which indicate how sheer these glosses are.

Pink, Orange, Red

These lipglosses aren't my favourite because they are quite sheer, but they aren't too bad. Had they been a little more pigmented it would have made all the difference. They were slightly sticky on my lips and slightly drying but nothing that couldn't be fixed with a good lip balm. I give the lipglosses 6 out of 10.

The mascara on the other hand, was much better. I know others hated the size of the brush, but I myself loved it. Because it is so small it is super easy to carry around, and it is great for applying mascara to those tiny lashes on the inner corners of your eyes. It is non clumpy which is something that I really look for in a mascara, and goes on smoothly. It stays on well and doesn't flake off too much. It isn't waterproof which isn't great for me, but others who are fine with that will like it. When you take the wand out of the tube, there is no excess mascara you have to wipe off, so it is really good. I was way more impressed with the mascara than I was with the lipgloss! I give the mascara 8 out of 10.

Maybelline Eye studio Eyeliner - Brown

  Don't you love freebies?! I got this eyeliner out of a magazine in the colour brown.

Let me tell you a little secret...I am terrified of gel and liquid eyeliner. Why? Because no matter how hard I try, I cannot master it. I have read so many ways to apply it and watched more videos than you can count, but it never EVER works. Ever. But, once again I tried my hardest to create something that I could actually go out in public wearing, and believe it or not I am relatively happy with it.

 I applied a little of the gel to my upper lash line with severe difficulty. Yep, I spent ages and ages trying to make it neat, straight, thin and as close as possible to my lashes. I think I did pretty well considering the trouble I normally have. I am aware that you can barely see it, but for my first shot (okay, maybe fourth or fifth shot!) it looks alright. I now want to try building it up and making it a bit more obvious so that my eyes are a little more defined.


By the way, the spot at the back is actually a freckle -
not the eyeliner!



The brush that comes with the gel is actually pretty good. Its bristles are stiff so that you can make a nice line with it. Usually the brushes that you get with the product are awful, but this one was the exception.

The gel itself is odd, it's not overly pigmented and doesn't glide on nicely. It kind of goes a bit powdery, but I think that is because I didn't really have much product on the brush. It works well enough though, and (once you can master it) looks good. I know that you can get it in blackest black as well, and I have heard that it comes in charcoal and eggplant (grey and purple) but I'm not sure if you can get them in Australia (I haven't seen those colours myself).

Okay, this is NOT the best picture (all the colours are funny)
 but you can see the eyeliner.
I am not wearing any mascara (obviously)



No mascara, no eyeshadow.
It appears as if there is no eyeliner, but as the above photo
indicates, there is.



The eyeliner is waterproof and really does stay on your eyes all day. The only problem with this is that it is hard to get off if you make a mistake while applying it (like me!). I am a waterproof fan so this really suited me.

Would I purchase this again, or recommend it? I don't think I would spend money on it (it is actually quite expensive in my opinion) but as a freebie I consider it to be worthwhile. If it was cheaper I would buy this. I think I am going to give this product 7 out of 10.

*I might be using this eyeliner in some upcoming posts, so hopefully when I get better at applying it you can see what it looks like when I do it a bit thicker!