I wrote this post in early December and figured I had better post it relatively soon otherwise I would have to wait another year!
I hate endings. Even happy endings. Yep, you heard me, I even hate happy endings. I can't stand finishing a movie, nor can I stand finishing a book. And finishing a beauty product? Well we may as well organise a beauty product funeral. I just get so attached to the beauty product, it's beyond ridiculous.
So it saddens me deeply to inform you of these beauty products that I finished last year year. It's a miracle I did finish them to be honest, because I am someone who if they notice their lipstick is starting to run out, they will stop using it. Yes, I will stop using it completely because I don't want it to run out. I'm not just talking about those products that have been discontinued, the ones that you will never be able to replace. Even the most common items (I'm talking the PawPaw creams and Nivea Lipbalms) that can be replaced with two dollars and a short walk to the chemist I can't bear to replace.
I cannot believe the amount of people that are participating in the project ten pan (or something like that) as finishing ten things would just be so utterly distressing. Ahhh, I think I need help.
Last year I tried to get over this insanely unreasonable, ridiculous fear (Is it a fear? Kind of!) and I tried to use some products up. Not only did I do this to get over my silly fears, but my beauty loot was getting a little out of hand. I needed to clear some junk out.
So, with great misery I present to you my empty products for this year. I think i might cry!!! (Just kidding!) There really aren't that many things because, well, it's so scary, but here's what I do have.
Okay, okay, maybe I didn't finish anything other than shampoo, soap and toothpaste. I know, it's terrible but I just can't help it. Actually no, there was one product that I did finish and that was because I had help from my friends. That was, drum roll please....
My impulse body spray in Summer Splash. That is the only product I finished.
How about you? Are you like me and hate finishing stuff, or are you one of those people who love the feeling of hitting pan?!
Australia day has always been a day of music for me, listening Triple J's hottest 100 countdown. This year the weather was nice and warm like a real Australian summer and there was celebration all around.
I wanted to do a special kind of post on popular makeup and beauty items that are special to Australia but the only thing that I could think of that was especially well know as an Australian product was Paw Paw ointment, and I have already written a review on it!
I then decided to do it on a bronzer, but by the time I had thought about it it was much too dark to get any half decent photos.
I went out to the Australian day parade which was absolutely wonderful. We watched the fireworks which were absolutely incredible and it was the perfect way to finish off the day. Just brilliant!
I hope all the Australian's had an enjoyable day, and you know, everyone else who is reading this and not from Australia!
Dancers from the Brazilian community in the parade
This is a very long review so I have made the key brush names in bold and underlined, so should you just want to know about one of the brushes, you don't have to search through the whole, incredibly long review!
As I mentioned in my Savvy haul post , I recently bought a set of six Savvy brushes for $3! Yes, fifty cents for a brush, I think that is a pretty good deal, even if the brushes are useless. Thankfully, they're not.They came in a little case which I use to store them.
I haven't tried them all that much, but I have been using them where possible in order to post this review as quickly as possible. I myself am not really that good with brushes and at first wasn't entirely sure what each of the brushes were for. With a little bit of research and asking around, I soon understood how to use each of the brushes. Embarrassing? Yeah, but you won't tell anyone, will you?
The first of the brushes that I used was the foundation brush. This was partly because I had used another foundation brush before and therefore knew what to expect with this one. It is (or should I say was) the softest brush I have ever come across. I spent about five minutes just brushing it across my face with no product on it, it was just that amazing. Eventually I forced myself to actually use it, and I applied my foundation. It was a little streaky and uneven, but with a little time spent blending it all worked out to be perfectly fine. I used the same foundation that I do everyday (my Innoxa liquid foundation) but found that with the brush my skin looked even more flawless and had a higher level of coverage. I personally would only use the brush to apply my foundation at night or on special occasions because I feel that it made it more obvious that I was wearing foundation, it looked less natural and more 'airbrushed', I suppose. I personally find that I have to wash my foundation brushes every time I use them, so I washed it and left it to dry. It didn't recover very well. No longer is it so lovely and soft. Sure, it's soft and beautiful but not amazing like it was before. The bristles kind of clump together as well which is awfully disappointing. It still works very well and feels lovely, but I guess I am disappointed that it didn't return to its former self after washing.
On the end of the foundation brush was a concealer brush. The concealer I currently use (which is not amazing for covering blemishes but wonderful for under eye circles) has a little sponge applicator which I use to dab the concealer onto my skin, and then I usually pat it in with my fingers. Well, I shall never ever go back to doing it like that, this brush is amazing. I have never used a concealer brush before so I cannot compare it to anything, but I love this brush. It is absolutely wonderful. The only problem is that I have to wash the brush every time I use it. Because I am lazy (and it seems to take forever to dry!) I avoid using it as much as possible. Oh how I love this brush!
The next brush is the blush brush, at least, I think that is what it is meant to be used for. You see, I always used a rounded brush for blush, and this one is a lot flatter than I was used to. I looked online for a blush brush and came to the conclusion that it is just personal preference. Some people like round, some like flat, some like big, some like small, it just depends. Anyway, this blush brush holds a good amount of product. I find that I gently dab the brush on my blush and then blow the excess away, which gives me the perfect amount to apply. It leaves a flawless finish which is quite impressive. I will continue to use this brush for blush.
On the other side of the blush brush is the bronzer/contouring brush. This is the brush I was most looking forward to as I actually don't have an angled brush like this one. What I really liked about this was that it wasn't coloured. This allowed me to see how much product I had applied to the brush which was in fact, incredibly useful to know. It prevented me from brushing the product on my face only to find that I looked like some terrible fake tan job. It was angled just enough to allow it to be the perfect shape to apply product into the contours of my face. I really, really love this brush.
Next we have the eyeshadow brush which I use to apply shadow over the lid. It is a little too big for my liking, but I personally like really small eyeshadow brushes. It is lovely and soft and doesn't irritate the eye area whatsoever, I just find that the application can be a little messy because it is a little too big. I do quite like this brush as the quality and feel of it is very good, but I still prefer some of my smaller eyeshadow brushes. This brush looks very similar to the eyeshadow brush that Ecotools has.
Last and definitely least is the angled eyeshadow brush. This was the brush that I really wasn't impressed with at all. For a brush that is supposed to be used on the eyes, it is the roughest, more coarse brush of the lot. It irritates my eyes so much and I find the the bristles are too spiky. The angle is a bit pathetic to be honest. Once again it looks very similar to the brush Ecotools has, but I haven't used the Ecotools one. I expect that it would be a lot better than this one!
Overall there were some good and bad things about these brushes. Of course, the price was wonderful, and I would buy them even if they weren't on special. I didn't like how there was a brush on each end though, because it meant I wasn't able to stand them up in a container like I do with all my brushes. That annoyed me a lot, actually. None of the brushes shed at all which I was really impressed about considering it is such a cheap brand. I would pay full price for this brush set. I'm not sure exactly how much they cost full price, but I know it is relatively cheap. As for paying three dollars, I am so glad I found this little beauty!
Foundation brush - 7
Concealer brush - 10
Blush brush - 8
Bronzer/Contouring brush - 8
Eyeshadow brush - 6 (it's a very good brush but too big for my personal preference)
Angled Eyeshadow brush - 3
If I have made a mistake with any of these brushes (ie. used it for the wrong thing!) please let me know. It may change my opinion completely!
I popped into the Chemist really quickly the other day, and of course I wasn't going to leave without having a little look at all the makeup. Instantly this lipbalm caught my eye - Maybelline Baby Lips Limited NY Fashion Edition in Protecting Berry.
"What on Earth?" I thought to myself. I hadn't heard anything about a Limited edition one. Surely I would have heard even the tiniest of whispers about it, especially as I spend half my life reading beauty blogs!
I bought it on sale for three dollars thirty, and then as soon as I got home I looked it up on the Internet (yesterday). I struggled to find anything, until I typed the whole name (which is very, very long) into google. The first thing that popped up was another blogger who also said that she hadn't heard a whisper about it and just happened to stumble across it. That is the only thing I could find whatsoever! So, I decided to get this review out there for others with the same experience.
The packaging is similar to the others in the range, however this one features three colours - black, white and pink. It has a pink lid, the same shade as the Anti Oxidant Berry, and a black wind up bit at the bottom. I have to say, I think this is my favourite looking one of the lot.
The smell is incredibly similar to the Anti Oxidant Berry one. I found it very difficult to describe how they are different, but I have come up with a way. Don't laugh until you've read the whole thing, because I think it will help you understand.
Okay, you know those Chupa Chup Lolly pops and how they have the strawberry flavour, and then the strawberry and cream flavour. They both smell and taste the same, but different. You know what I am talking about? Well, the Anti oxidant berry lip balm is like the Strawberry and Cream lolly pop, and the Protecting Berry lip balm is like the Strawberry lolly pop. Do you get it? I hope you do!
My little collection - you can see how it stands out!
Anyway, like the other baby lips, this is incredibly moisturising. This one feels a little creamier than the others, but I'm not sure if that is because it is brand new and I have had my others for a while now. This one has SPF 20 like all the others and gives a juicy, glossy finish to the lips.
It has no colour or taste which is also the same as the others. This lipbalm is no different to any of the others, except that it is Limited Edition. The only thing I would change about this is the colour of the lid - I would make it black. The reason for this when I have them standing up in the container (which is how I store them) I cannot tell which of the two are which as the lids are the same colour. Other than that, it's pretty much perfect.
It lasts for a long time on the lips and doesn't dry them out at all. You all know how much I love my Baby lips, I give this product 10 out of 10!
How the lids look when being stored - which one is it?
I have decided to update all the horrible photos from my older posts. I cannot believe I ever posted them, they are absolutely dreadful. The colours are awful and it is so embarrassing!
Anyhow, as you can imagine this is quite a lengthy process - taking photos of ALL the products I reviewed, and then uploading them onto the computer (my computer is so slow so this takes forever!). I've updated about twelve so far and it is taking forever!
So, please bear with me as I try and fix this all up. Hopefully it won't affect my usual posting too much!
If you're interested and have time, check out some of the older posts. It's amazing how much better my posts have become as time has progressed, they are sooo much better than when I first started!
I had never ever tried applying foundation with brush, but when my Mum passed this unwanted brush on to me, of course I had to give it a shot.
I always apply my liquid foundation with my fingers. Everyone I know does the same. In fact, I don't think I can name one person who I am aware of using a brush to apply their foundation (I'm going to start asking people, I'm curious to see how people do it!)
I wasn't really sure how to start to be honest. Do you fill up your brush and slap it on, or do you use a tiny bit and apply it to small sections at a time. What on Earth do you do? I personally put a bit of foundation on my hand. I dipped my brush into it and then applied it to different sections of my face. It was really bizarre applying it like this to be honest. It sounds so stupid but it was just...weird.
I think I will be sticking to applying foundation with my fingers, but there are some advantages of using a brush. I wouldn't bother buying it, I'd rather buy a damn good lipstick for the same price!
Advantages:
- It gives a better coverage
- It provides a more flawless finish
Disadvantages:- It requires a lot more foundation in order to cover the face. I think because it gets soaked up into the brush.
- Streaks/line marks can occur relatively easily
- It requires a lot more time and effort to apply. You can't slap it on like your fingers because you will end up with a streaky mess
- It means that you have wash it out after you use it - more time and effort (gosh I am so lazy!)
So how good was the brush? My goodness is it soft! I just want to rub it on my face it feels so lovely. It's also quite firm and sturdy, not flimsy. It seemed to soak up a lot of product, however I think that is just what a foundation brush does. It did leave streaky marks on the face, so extra care in blending was essential, but it wasn't too difficult. I know that online reviews mentioned that it was streaky, so I'm not sure if that is something that occurs with every foundation brush, or if it is just this one.
I washed it and there was absolutely no shedding whatsoever which I am really pleased about. It took about a day to dry, and then once it was dry the bristles kind of clumped together. I smushed it around a little and found that they quickly returned to their prior self.
I don't really know what else to say...what else can you mention about a foundation brush? Unfortunately as this is the first time I have ever used a foundation brush I have nothing to compare it to, however I'll give my Savvy foundation brush a shot and see if there are any significant differences.
I'm not going to rate this product, because I don't feel as though I have enough experience with foundation brushes to rate it accurately. I have listed everything I can about it, so hopefully you can get some sort of idea what it's like!
I did it. I bought it - the Lush Bubblegum lip scrub. It's Pandora's fault, she made me! (Thanks Pandora, so glad you recommended it!)
It's everything everyone has been raving about, it's just incredible. It smells gorgeous, tastes so good and does the job in a mighty fine fashion!
As I went to buy it the lady at the counter alerted me to the fact that they just got new stock in as it is the product that just sells out all.the.time. She warned me that it was very addictive and that I would be back very soon. She is right, it is very addictive and I most definitely shall be back.
I am really impressed with the amount of product you get. Before I bought it I felt as though it was such a tiny jar and that I would run out of product after a couple of uses, thus making it not at all worth the money. Well, the jar is completely packed with product, but that is not the point. I hadn't realised how little product you need in order to do the job, it will last me AGES!
At first whiff it is a little too strong for my liking. I mean, I do like the smell but it is a little too chemical smelling and strong to be really appealing. Never fear, when you apply it to your lips and lick it off, the smell isn't nearly as strong. Mentioning licking it off, my goodness. It's amazing. The taste is bubblegum sugar (thank goodness, how weird would it be if it tasted like carrot cake or something!) but not ordinary bubblegum sugar...I think that they must put in some secret ingredient to make it so amazing.
Speaking of ingredients, it only contains four - Castor sugar, Organic Jojoba Oil, Flavour and Colour. It wouldn't be overly difficult to make a lip scrub, but I can guarantee it wouldn't look and taste as good as this little beauty.
For my first Lush purchase, I'm impressed. I have never really been all that interested in their products, other than this one and the lip tints, but I think I will have a better look around and consider buying some more.
I really love how on the bottom of the pre packaged products it has a little sticker showing who made the product. In my case Umesh made me my lip scrub on the fourth of January this year. So cool!
I managed to get a lot of my friends on to this product too. It was passed around the circle and not one person didn't immediately fall in love, declaring that they were going to go out and buy it as soon as possible! I think that is a pretty good outcome to be perfectly honest. Now in the meantime I have to keep a close eye on it, a lot seems to be used up that I don't recall using....hmmmm.
I give this scrub 10 out of 10. Sure, I don't really need it but now that I have it, I love it oh so much.
I don't consider my hair to be particularly difficult to handle. Sure it's long and can get into the most horrific knots you will ever see, but generally it is pretty good. Still, after using the two dollar supermarket shampoo for years, I found that it just wasn't cutting it. It was time for me to switch to another shampoo and conditioner.
The awful lighting in my bathroom
As you walk down the supermarket aisles you are greeted with a lot of options. Why did I buy Herbal Essences? Three reasons:
1. It was the cheapest option
2. The colours were very eye catching
3. I had seen a lot of magazine advertisements and they had worked their advertising magic - I wanted it!
I purchased the red one, Long Term relationship in both the shampoo and conditioner. It was love at first sight! I used that for about a year perhaps, and then found that it wasn't really working anymore.
I don't know, that probably sounds really stupid that it was brilliant for a year and then useless after that, but that is truly what happened.
I then moved onto the pink one, Dangerously straight, and found that it worked magnificently. About a year later, it ceased to work. What?!
So, still wondering what this was all about, I moved onto the orange one, None of your frizziness, and of course, found that it was brilliant.
It hasn't been a year yet (!) and it is working well, although I am currently using Dangerously straight for shampoo and None of your frizziness for conditioner. It seems to be effective so far.
I've had a look around on their website, filling in their little questionnaire to determine which product is best for me. Apparently I want the blue one called Hello Hydration. Well, when stops working I'll give this one a shot. Before you know it, I will have tried every single one of them!
Would I recommend this product? Absolutely! They smell amazing, work so well (for a year at least, haha!) and I have the giggles every time I have a shower. Seriously, have you read the back of those bottles, it's so clever and entertaining.
I might have to try their leave in conditioner and split end protector. I'll swap to a new product every year.
If you have tried this and found that it no longer seems to get your hair clean, I would suggest swapping to another product in the line. Maybe it is just time for a change...
I give this product 8 out of 10, after all it really should work for longer than a year!
A little while ago I reviewed the beauty section of the Girlfriend magazine December issue. It became my fourth most popular post, so I figured a lot of people liked it. I then made the decision to make it something I do every month. I decided to title it 'The Monthly Report.' I enjoy doing these kinds of reviews as they are something interesting and different from my usual beauty product reviews. I love reading magazine reviews and haven't been able to find enough out there on the Internet, so if others can benefit from this it would be wonderful.
I have always loved the magazine issues that come out in Summer. They are so much more interesting than the winter ones. Better fashion, better beauty and better all round articles. The January issues of Girlfriend magazine in 2009, 2012 and 2011 were just incredible, so of course I was looking forward to this one. The January issues prior to 2009 didn't stand out as a highlight so much, but after that it was amazing. I don't know what it is, but there is something about the January issue that just makes it better than all the other issues of the year. What a wonderful way to kick off the new year.
This months cover was much, much better than the December issue. Still, that wouldn't be hard. It featured Nina Dobrev and a purple and lime green colour scheme. I think it looks gorgeous.
The beauty section (called Pretty Girl) began on page 115 and showcased this month's trend..."Freshly squeezed." According to Lauren Carter, the new beauty girl who wrote everything on this page, "This summer, it's all about juicy shades of orange - from tangy tangerine and pretty peach to the punch of pink grapefruit. It's like a dose of vitamin C for your digits, lips, cheeks and eyes -except waaay more fun." Hmmm...what orange stuff do I have? Orange shampoo, orange nail polish...that's about it. At a push I suppose my bronzer could be classed as orange...no, it really couldn't. On that page were lots of pretty pictures, including a gorgeous looking YSLRouge Volupte lipstick in Extreme Coral and Rimmel London Kate Moss Lasting finish lipstick in 12 lipstick (phew, what a mouthful!). A picture of two models wearing bright lippie in a colour that I would call neon orange, and a model wearing an orange dress and neutral makeup. Once again they have done something weird like that. Talking about tangerine makeup picturing a model not wearing that. Hmmm.
Turning the page we come to the two most dangerous pages of the whole magazine... our "Beauty fix," with all the latest and greatest products. Naturally I want them all, hence why they are so dangerous. We have some new "Mozi" lipbalms in six "delish fruity flavours" all for $15.95. We hear of the new BYS false lashes - more than 50 different styles in the range -, some fake tan that doesn't smell, nail art pens, new mascara, and my personal favourite - scented nail polish. I don't own any scented nail polish, but don't you worry, it won't be long before I do. Cassandra asks "How do I get smooth, silky, shiny, not-a-strand-out-of-place hair? I've tried everything including an (extremely messy) olive oil home-remedy, but nothing seems to work. Help!" To summarise the answer (which is in fact exactly the same amount of words as the question, "Shampoo, conditioner, serum, straightener." Boring.
Page 118 revises the first page of Pretty Girl, with more orange makeup. To be honest, nothing on this page really grabbed me. I'm pretty sure orange makeup is not my thing.
For our beauty school feature this month we have "How to wax your legs." I don't know about you, but I thought this was pretty self explanatory, especially as they were explaining how to use the strips where you peel of the backing to reveal the wax, stick it to your leg, then rip it off. It's not rocket science. Anyhow, I didn't feel it was necessary to go into too much depth about this page...
The major feature for this month was Sunscreen and why it was important, what it does, how much to apply, the importance of SPF, and what to do once you have already burned yourself. To be brutally honest, I found it rather boring. I would much rather hear about cool new hairstyles, new and interesting makeup looks, someone's HG beauty products...anything but sunscreen. I love my sunscreen but I think it is interesting as talking about toilet paper. Essential, but boring as heck.
The last page of Pretty girl is the beauty editor's blog page. Girlfriend's new beauty editor LC titles it this month as, "Burning with Shame." She spends the whole page talking about how she got sunburnt, despite the fact that this month's feature was about the importance of wearing sunscreen. I found this to be an annoying post (would you call it a post?) to read, it just irritated me. if I was her I would have found something else to talk about, something less irritating and more interesting. I probably sound awful, but I'm not going to lie. I'm still trying to warm to this girl but it's not going so well.
So there we have it. A disappointment to say the least. What is going on? These sections of the magazine used to be several pages of amazing gold, but now it's just a couple of pages of nothing really. I hope it gets better I really do, but after two duds it's not looking promising.
Despite the fact that I consider myself a bit of a bargain queen, I rarely have luck with the one dollar bargain bins. You know the ones I am talking about, the ones full of the green lipgloss and the poo-brown nail polish. The ones full of the black lipsticks smushed all over the yellow eyeliners. Yep, those bins. However, I was in luck the other day when I managed to find this little beauty - an Australis Nail polish in the shade Dusk.
It cost me two dollars and it was a two dollars I am very glad I gave up. In the bottle it looks nice, but on the nails it is beautiful. I love this polish.
From a distance it looks just like a pale, glossy polish that gives a nice sheen to the nails but really isn't anything special. But you know what, that is what's special about the polish. It's not in your face but gives you nails this gorgeous colour and shine. As for close up, it is just beautiful. I personally would describe it as a sheer bronze/gold colour with a shimmery/pearly shine. It is beautiful.
As for the lasting power, this is the most long lasting nail polish I have ever come across. It lasted two weeks with minimal chips. In fact, you could argue that there were almost no chips at all (almost). I wore it at the beach, I did general housework, I opened and shut several fiddly makeup items that requred significant nail involvement...all for two weeks without a problem. I don't know about you, but I think that is incredibly good.
It boasts a one coat colour, which I personally wouldn't agree with. The nature of this polish is quite sheer anyway, so I think two coats are minimal. It is supposed to be high shine which I very much agree with, and a streak free formula which I am not so sure about. My nails have lots of ridges in them naturally, so they are never all that smooth, but I think there was a bit of streaking but not to an extent that it bothered me.
There was one bizarre thing that occured though, when it did eventually decide to chip, rather than chipping at the end of the fingernail, I began getting chips at the base by my cuticles. What on Earth? Occasionally that happens with my other polishes, but not to this extent. Maybe because it lasted so long, when the nail grew out a little it exposed the polish ends and thus resulting it chipping in weird places. Whatever it was, it only occurred after about two weeks.
Another odd thing, was while I was in the shower and around about the two week mark, one of the nails actually starting peeling off (the polish that is, not my actual nail! Yuck!) and I was able to peel the whole nail's worth of polish off in one go. Never had that happen before!
A good representation of the colour
So, would I recommend this polish? Absolutely! If the other colours in this range are that good, then I'll buy every one of them! Dusk is a particular new favourite of mine, a colour I don't have but really love.
As a girl on a budget, I really have to think about my beauty purchases...I research and analyse every product before I buy it, considering whether I shall use it, how I will use it, when I will use it, how long it will last, how popular it is, etc.
I'm usually a pretty good judge of what to buy and what not to buy but there is now one product that has me truly stumped.
Lush Bubblegum lip scrub.
On one hand, I have heard the most amazing reviews in the world, and on the other hand I have heard the worst. I think this is one of those products that you either love or hate. Good for the lovers, bad for the deciders (like me) who are totally stumped.
I decided to make a list of the pros and cons. It got me nowhere.
Pros:
- It smells like happiness in a jar
- It comes in the most adorable jar
- Hello?! It's lip related!
- It contains sugar (one automatic reason to run to the shop and buy it)
- I haven't any lip scrubs
- It's from Lush and I don't have anything from Lush
Cons:
- It's ten dollars
- There isn't that much
- It is just sugar and oil
- It isn't a product I have really needed until I saw it
But it's gorgeous and calling my name. But it's a bit epensive for oil and sugar. I am literally so torn, it is unbelievable. I know that if I attempt to make it myself either it won't work, or it will taste awful (I know, how can sugar taste awful, you ask - trut me, I'm sure I could stuff up like that!)
So, what do I do? Have you tried the Lush Bubblegum lip scrub? Or any of the Lush lip scrubs for that matter? Is it worth buying?
A little concerning that when talking on the phone, rather than doodling stars and hearts
this is what I end up drawing...hmmmm!
Well, I love this blog. I really do, but I have been thinking, and wondering, and contemplating...
I have been thinking for a while now that I would quite like to incorporate a bit of fashion and jewellery into this blog.
You see, I love all things beauty more than I love fashion. Don't get me wrong, fashion is wonderful but it's the makeup aisle that I love more than the clothing racks so therefore it was only natural that I developed a beauty blog rather than a fashion blog. Another things was that when I was first starting out with blogging (not that long ago!) I wasn't confident that I would be able to write good makeup reviews, let along talk about fashion and jewellery. Well, since seeing other people's blogs I've realised that very few people judge you - they either do or don't like your taste and keep to themselves if they don't.
I personally think by blogging about a larger variety of things, I would make this blog more interesting and exciting. I think makeup and beauty reviews would still me the main focus, however I would touch on several other things too. I would appreciate constructive criticism on any outfits I came up with (I'm not that confident when it comes to fashion and love any opinions (constructive and supportive of course!).
Well, that's what I think, but I want to know whether you guys would like that or whether it just doesn't interest you. I realise that is a bit of a nasty question - no one likes to tell their best friend that she looks like a pavlova (aka. not a good look) when she asks, and no one likes to tell their artistic friend that you hate that painting she gave for your birthday, so I have made a poll where I would love you to vote. That way you can remain anonymous and say what you really think!
Sorry about the background, for some reason it was really
difficult to get an accurate colour in the picture
I have only recently discovered how good BYS lipsticks are, and I now have three. I have heard them being compared to NYX round lipsticks, but I myself cannot comment on this because I have never used a NYX lipstick. I have also heard this particular shade being compared to Mac Hue (which I also have not tried).
Champagne Rain is the newest addition to my collection, and gosh is it good! It is this gorgeous pinky/nude colour that is perfect for every look whether it be everyday or to pair with an out-there eye. In the tube it looks more brown than pink, but I found that when applied to the lips it looked much more pink. However, whilst it is perfect for me and suits me well, I can guarantee it won't look good on everyone. This is one lipstick that I have had several comments about whilst wearing it, all of them positive. My Mum in particular was really in love with this lippy, so I guided her to Cheap as Cheaps! Because the lipstick was only three bucks she was happy to give it a shot. Unfortunately it didn't go well...it looked dreadful.
This is definitely one of those lipsticks that you have to be careful about. It has the potential to give you concealer lips and make you look dead. I suggest you give it a shot, but consider the fact that it might not suit. Try and get it on special (for about two dollars) but the most I have seen them being sold for is five dollars (I got mine for three).
Okay, time for me to stop rambling and get on with the rest of the review.
The texture of this lipstick is the kind that sinks into the lines on your lips and accentuates the dry, flaky skin that you might have on your lips. I personally apply a lipbalm, usually Nivea Light Kiss, and I find that it makes the lipstick appear a lot smoother. The application is a little lengthier than other lipsticks I have, and a little difficult to get right, but I personally feel as though it is very worth it.
The lasting power is alright, a couple of hours without eating and drinking, but you have to reapply after eating or drinking. When it wears off it comes off nicely, unlike the BYS lipstick Sassy Salmon.
This swatch is very true to colour
When I apply it, I find that using my fingers or a brush is a lot easier and provides a better finish to the lips. I pat the colour in to make it last longer and stick on my lips a little better. It also makes it look less like lipstick and more like natural colour.
So, this colour is one of my favourites, but unfortunately it requires a bit of effort to put on. Still, it's very worth it and I give it 7 out of 10.
I have included a photo of swatches of my three BYS lipsticks. The review for Sassy Salmon and Coral Kiss can be seen here.
1. What is the most beautiful looking perfume in the world?
2. What is the most beautiful smelling perfume in the world?
3. What is the all round best perfume in the world?
If you answered Daisy Eau So Fresh by Marc Jacobs, you would be correct.
I was so incredibly lucky to get this from Mum and Dad for Christmas this year. I have been obsessively drooling over this perfume for SO.DAMN.LONG it is quite unbelievable. You see, it's as if I have some kind of fear of spending large amounts of money in one shot. Spending fifty dollars in one blast? Scary as hell. So of course, this little beauty really isn't all that cheap, and that is what has put me off getting it for so long. Don't laugh, it's not funny! Haha.
I am so pleased with this present, it is ridiculous. I can spend half and hour literally standing there admiring the bottle. As for the fragrance, gosh, it is better than I remember when raiding Myers for all their testers. So damn good.
Not only did I receive this 75mL bottle, but it came as pack. In that pack, was a teen tiny 4mL bottle (travel sized) and a body lotion with the fragrance in it. Oh my, how amazing.
I'm going to attempt to describe the fragrance. It's like a grown up version of a fruity, flower, sugar hit. It is super sweet and beautiful . It's fun and exciting but still sophisticated. It is so bubbly, feminine and gorgeous. It kind of smells like a soap (in a way that I really love) and it doesn't have a huge amount of 'oomph' that makes people go "Oh my God, what scent are you wearing!" but it is just beautiful and pleasant. It is definitely my scent. Okay, a little more fruity perhaps, and then it would be my scent.
Okay, after I massacred that, I'm going to give you their description of Daisy Eau So Fresh. I'm sure you shall appreciate a much more technical, accurate, understandable description!
On the Daisy Eau So Fresh website it says: "Vibrant, charming, whimsical, Daisy Eau So Fresh is the spirited new version of the original Daisy. It transports you to a place that is happy and sunny." Transports you it does! "Daisy Eau So Fresh is a bright, floral, fruity fragrance. It radiates with a sunny and sparkling energy. A whimsical yet elegant fragrance with playful notes of crisp raspberry, sensuous wild rose, and deep warm plum." Yum.
Now for the bottle - isn't is so feminine and romantic? The rubber flowers cover the top, in the colours pink, white and one yellow one. I like the shape of the glass bottle much more than the original Daisy. It is more elegant and classy.
Even though it is an Eau de Toilette, I feel as though it lasts all day with no trouble. It really has 'stages' of the fragrance that it moves through after time. The first few minutes aren't that great. After that, it is super fresh and sweet, with the fruity side of it being the most prominent. After a few hours, the floral bits really kick in and become more noticeable. At the very end, it smells more woody and musk smelling (my least favourite stage of the fragrance).
The bad bit? The price. It is quite expensive which, as mentioned before, was really off putting.
Now onto the body lotion. It comes in a pale pink, 75ml plastic tube (the same size as the large fragrance bottle) with little daisies splattered on it. I use it as a hand cream because I haven't any others, and I think my hands deserve a little pampering! It would also get used up much to quickly if I used it on my body. It would be a waste to put such a gorgeous fragrance onto my legs!
It is a light, colourless lotion that isn't greasy and is reasonably moisturising. The fragrance isn't nearly as strong as the perfume (of course!) so it is a good alternative when you still want to smell gorgeous, but you don't want it to be too strong. When I first tried it I thought the fragrance was the perfect match in terms of how it smells in comparison to the perfume, but now I feel as though it smeels a little bit different.
The little travel size bottle is oh so cute, with a little pink flower sitting on the top. It doesn't have a spray in it, it is just an open top which I am not really a fan of. Because of its tiny size it is really easy to take around with you, gosh you could keep it in your pocket!
I am going to have to give this fragrance 9.5 out of 10. I want to give it ten, but a bit more fruit and a little less floral would have made it the ultimate fragrance. Other than that, I cannot complain.
The little travel sized (4ml) fragrance featuring one flower
I think this is my best (and longest!) review I have ever written. Not because the content is particularly good (though saying that I'm pleased with the outcome) but because of the feelgood factor whilst writing this. I am sure other bloggers will understand me when I say that writing this has made me incredibly happy. Here, lying on my bed with my laptop, Florence and the Machine (my most favourite band of all time) blasting out their newest album Ceremonials (particularly the song Heartlines, which is the most inspiring, empowering, incredible song I have ever heard), writing about something I love. I think I'm going to cry! Happiness does weird things to me...
You can see the reflective parts of the bottle!
What a pretty box...definitely a keeper!
If you are interested in Florence's song Heartlines, it is below. Give it a chance, it gets better as it goes along (if that is even possible).
Bronzer and I haven't always been best friends. When I was first starting out with makeup, I had very little idea about where on Earth bronzer was supposed to go, let alone whether I was interested in using it to contour my face or give me a healthy glow. I have advanced a little since then, and I have a little more information about what to do with bronzer, and I can safely say that bronzer and I get along quite well.
I had heard good things regarding this product prior to purchasing it, so I was expecting a lot. It is very large in size (Hence why it is called a Jumbo bronzer!) and has a pretty pattern of the sun and stars. Much like the Savvy blush I reviewed, I found that it crumbled quite easily. Too much brush swirling, and you end up with a powdery mess.
The bronzer itself isn't nearly as pigmented as the blush. The swatch below needed to be done twice because one swatch didn't show up. I quite like the fact that it isn't too pigmented, because it allows for such easy blending and gives a gorgeous, natural colour.
The shade really suits me and doesn't make me look muddy. It is completely matte so it is good for contouring, but I also use it to give a nice glow.
The lasting power of this bronzer was really good. When it wore off I swear there was still a hint of colour, so I personally didn't feel it necessary to reapply at all.
I really like this bronzer. I only have two others, so admittedly I haven't really tried too many to compare it to. Despite this, I think for the bargain price (even full priced it is still a bargain) it is so worth it. It is the best bronzer, the biggest bronzer and the cheapest bronzer. A damn good bronzer I say! I give this product 9 out of 10.
L-R: Revlon in Deep Bronze, Savvy in Teracotta, Maybelline in Forever Warm
