How to perfect your lipstick | Pictorial

 Sometimes just chucking on a lipstick isn't going to cut it, especially with some formulas that like to make their way over your face, or does that just happen to me?
I've found that applying my lipstick this way, using different lip liners & doing it in different layers helps it to stay put & last a lot longer, too. This is not something that I do everyday but when I have time & I'm wearing a bolder lip colour I like to spend a bit more on the lips.

1. Line just outside of your natural lip line with a lip liner that is close to your natural colour if you prefer a fuller lip.
Tip: If you're going for a nude lip, use a colour slightly darker than your lipstick.
2. Apply your lipstick of choice. It doesn't matter if you don't cover up the liner completely as we'll be going over that again. Make sure to really press your lips together to work the lipstick in.
Tip: Use a lip brush with the first coat which helps the lipstick to press into the creases of the lips, helping it to last longer.
3.Go over your lip line again with a liner that matches your lipstick colour. I do it after because you can see where else you need to fill in to get your desired lip shape & it kinda locks in the edges of the lipstick.
4. Blot with a tissue and reapply, either from the bullet or with a brush.
Tip: You can also hold one layer of a tissue against your lips and press a loose powder to set the first layer & reapply.
5.With a flat concealer brush, fix any edges if needed. Make sure to keep wiping it off so you don't transfer lipstick everywhere and remember to blend out the concealer.
Tip: Use a slightly lighter concealer which will also help to highlight.
6. Sweep a cotton bud in the inner rim which will take off any excess lipstick that will probably transfer onto your teeth. Alternatively, pucker your lips and pull your index finger from inside to out and it will do the same.

Products Used

 Nyx lip liners in Mauve & Pinky, Maybelline Colour Vivid in Vivid Rose, Real Technique concealer brush

Finished result

 I find this method works best for bolder colours, or different formulas such as Sleek's pout paints as the liquid is harder to stay put.

Thanks for reading! I hope these tips where helpful. You can mix up the order you apply which lip liner but I don't find much of a difference.

xx

Pretty Purple & Pink | FOTD

Hi dolls! The other week I was wanting to play with some of my purple eyeshadows. I had a vision of pairing it with a pop of pink in the center of the lid & peaking out from the edges of the purple. This is what I came up with & I hope you enjoy it.

 Products

Eyes: Firstly after priming with the Smashbox Photo Finish lid primer I applied the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Inked in Pink to the center of the lid & Nyx Base in White to the inner & outer corners, meeting in the crease. Over the top of the pink base I used MAC's Swissh eyeshadow, and in the outer corner & going into the crease MUFE #92 & also adding it to the lower lash line. I also added MAC Parfait Armor into the inner corner blending it up into the crease. I applied the highlight which is from the Too Faced Pretty Rebel palette in Dainty & then blended Totally Fetch, a hot pink above where #92 ended. I finished off with Kat Von D Trooper eyeliner & a few coats of mascara.

 Face: For my base I used NARS Sheer glow foundation in Punjab, Stila Highlighter Duo in Kitten, Benefit Hoola bronzer & Illamasqua blush in Hussy

Lips: MAC Hue

Thanks for looking! How do you like to pair pink & purple? xx

Last haul for a while! Holiday buys

I like to think that I'm all shopped out for a while.... now that I have basically anything I've ever wanted to add to my collection there is no need to buy anything for a loong time. Everyone was right about shopping in the US, everything is so cheap! Except there's one little thing that is not mentioned to often and that is service tax, a % charged on top of your purchase, for those who didn't know. But in the end that doesn't really matter too much because everything is much cheaper than home & it's just like if the GST wasn't included in our products.

So anyway, in almost each place we visited I went to Sephora more than once. My Fiancee didn't mind once he found out they had free Wifi so that was good to keep him happy while I shopped, and in some places where wifi was harder to find, he actually asked if we could find Sephora which is something I never thought he would say! So we both won. I also enjoyed visiting MAC on a few different occasions and loved what most of the drugstores had to offer. So let's stop blabbing & get into it!

**Disclaimer: Sorry for the huge post with lots of photos. Everything bought was paid for with my own money & over a period of 5 weeks. I'd hate to come off bragging which I'm not because I'm just so happy with my new goodies!

 Palettes: Wet n Wild Going into the Wild, Too Faced Pretty Rebel, Smashbox Masterclass Palette #2. I was kinda hoping that Urban Decay would have released a new palette that caught my eye, unfortunately not but when I saw the Too Faced & Smashbox palette I knew I had to have both. The Smashbox one wasn't a hard decision as it was I think $59 when it's worth around $269. Perfect for traveling & in a makeup kit.

 

Single eyeshadows & bases: MAC Swissh, Aquadisiac, Steamy, Parafit Armor, All that Glitters, Nylon, Naked Lunch, Woodwinked, Embark. MUFE #92, Urban Decay Last Call, Revlon Diamond Lust in Plum Galaxy, Stila Smudgepot in Kitten, Maybelline Colour Tattoo's in Inked in Pink, Electric Blush, Barely Branded, Bad to the Bronze.

I didn't plan to buy that many single eyeshadows, but they slowly crept up on me, especially as most times I visited MAC I bought one or two haha. I'm soo glad I bought MUFE #92 which I didn't buy until last minute, and I decided to get more of the colour tattoo's instead of paintpots because they are very comparable.

 Eyeliner & mascara: Jordana Best lash extreme, Maybelline big eyes mascara, Maybelline Mega Plush Lash, Benefit They're real, L'oreal voluminous smoldering eyeliner, Forever 21 Love & Beauty Shadow Stick, Tarte Amazonian clay waterproof gel eyeliner & brush, Maybelline Colour Tattoo Pure pigment in Never Fade Jade (forgot to include it with others) Kat Von D Taboo liner set, Sephora Deco daze glitter eyeliner

Lip Products: MAC lip pencil's in Cherry & Lasting Sensation, Top row: MAC Angel, Snob, Impassioned, Ruby Woo, Maybelline Vivids Vivid Rose; Bottom row: Creme d' Nude, Please Me, Candy Yum Yum, Girl About Town, Maybelline Vivid Fuchsia Flash. MAC Snob lipglass, Nyx Butter gloss Peaches & Cream, Rimmel Show Off Lip Laquer in Apocalyptic, Nyx Glam Gloss Aqua Luxe in The Last Party, Buxom Full on lip polish in Katie, YSL Glossy lip stain #19, EOS Lip balms, Sugarfresh lipbalms. Also forgot to include the Too Faced la creme in Juicy Melons

Brushes: Sonia Kashuk brow brush, Real Techniques Stippling & Expert face brush, Lash & Brow comb, Eye Shader brush. MAC 168, 239, 217, 268, Eco Tools Bronzing brush

 Blush: Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 hr wear in Frisky, MAC Melba, MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Dainty, Stila Convertible colour in Petunia, Illamasqua Hussy, Benefit tints in Cha Cha, Sunbeam & Posie, NARS Torrid & Sex Appeal

Bronzer & Highlighters: Sonia Kashuk Undetectable in Rich Bronze, Benefit Hoola, Stila ALl over shimmer duo Kitten, The Balm Mary Lou-manizer, NARS The Multiple in Cocobana

 Foundations, concealer & powders: MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in light, Revlon Colorstay Whipped, L'oreal True Match, MAC Face & Body, YSl Touche Eclat, NARS Sheer Glow, L'oreal True Match powder, Benefit Erase Paste, Revlon Colorstay concealer, Benefit Fake Up, MAC Pro-longwear concealer, Clinique Airbursh concealer.
I think it's safe to say I wont be needing any more foundations or concealers in a long time! I thought I may as well stock up since a) most are not readily available & b) they are double the price.

 Setting Spray & Powder: MAC Fix +, Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray, MAC Prep & Prime, Benefit Porefessional + mini & That gal, Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer

 Nail Polishes: Julie Nail Colour Cabana Boy, Wet n Wild Fergie Tonight's Gonna Be A Good Night, Sally Hansen Instadry, Essie Pop Art Pink, Tart Deco, Bikini So Teeny, O.P.I Koala Beary. So I didn't go too crazy with nail polishes, as it was quite hard for me to decide on colours so it was a bit overwhelming. I do wish I bought a bit more O.P.I, I got this one as a backup because it's one of my faves!

 

 Perfume: Ni Amore XOXO, Brittney Spears Believe, Vera Wang Princess, Chloe.
I will be doing a more detailed post on my perfume collection which is now never going to run out haha as well as separate reviews on these ones.

Brush Cleaner- So I wish I had a look at the one from MAC but by the time I remembered I was after a brush cleaner it was a bit late but I found the Sephora brand brush cleaner & bought a few because they were quite small & cheap haha.

 So from the first time we visited Sephora I signed up for their club card... which was such a good idea because over 5 weeks I ended up earning over 600 points lol. I was also able to get a 'birthday gift' which was the Sugar fresh lip balms up with the other lip products, and at the end I used up most of the rest of my points with the MUFE sample pack. One happy customer =)

So umm I said there would be a lot & I think I delivered on that statement- and in case you're wondering I packed light but had to buy a smaller bag anyway, & kept all the powders in my carry on so I knew I would be handling them safe- especially as a (cheap & old thank god) blush broke in my beauty bag!!

Oh and to let you know, I think I stuck to my wishlist pretty well- considering that I didn't list everything I wanted, but I think I bought 7/10 items as I found some to be overwhelming or found other things instead. I also wish I went to Inglot!! But, no regrets! (I've also ordered a couple of limited edition palettes but that will be it!!

Finally- pat yourself on the back even if you scanned through everything I had written, & please let me know what you're most interested in hearing about first, but I will eventually get around to reviewing everything!

Take care loves
xx

Lip Inventory 5: Mauves, Berry & Wine

I am slowly getting through my lipstick collection!! I wish I had posted brand by brand but I've almost finished it so there's no point in starting again. Also as I have bought many new lip products since I've started some aren't included in the older ones. And I'm planning to buy many more in a few months time ;)
 I also timed this badly as Autumn is just about finished here in the Southern Hemisphere, but hope it will be helpful to others later in the year!

Firstly, the colours I'm describing can get a bit too confusing between each other so I hope this helps a bit to those who are wondering about the differences.
 Mauve is a pale lavender-lilac colour. I think of it as a very My Lips But Better (MLBB) colour as it is fairly close to my natural lip colour.
Berry colours are closer to claret, burgundy or deep purple tones, as obviously berries come in a lot of different colours, these are the hues I am referring to.
Wine is a dark shade of red,as I'm sure you would probably be aware of.
These are just my views on these colours, I hope it makes sense! The deeper colours are very suited to Autumn & Winter, but the lighter ones can be used all year around because they go with lighter eye looks as well.

Mauve

 L-R: Nyx round lipstick in Tea Rose, Bloom Honeysuckle, Australis Colour Inject lipstick in Samba, Boogie Woogie

Wow, these are all almost identical! If I had to downsize I would probably keep Honeysuckle (I decided I need to wear it more now!) & maybe Samba, I can't choose between the two Australis colours.

 

Tea Rose has a very creamy, satin finish, and is a mid toned pinky mauve. It is not very long lasting but easy to apply. Honeysuckle is a soft pink leaning towards mauve and has a non-drying matte finish. It smells similar to MAC's lipsticks. Samba is another muted pink colour with mauve undertones & has a moisturizing satin finish, Boogie Woogie is almost the same as Samba except slightly darker on my lips.
I'm thinking maybe the pigment in my lips (although I don't have much) brings out the mauve tones of all of these lipsticks. Anyway, if you love understated, neutral lips I'm sure any of these colours would be suited to you!

Berry & Wines 

 L-R BYS Longwear lipstick Lip Service, Maybelline Color Sensational Party Pink , Milani Berry Rich, Kate by Rimmel 09, Bite Beauty Rhone, MAC Rebel.

Lip Service is a purple toned wine colour, similar to Party Pink (pink but, seriously?) which is a darker berry colour with a magenta tinge.  Berry Rich is a richer red wine colour, Kate '09' is deeper & darker than Berry Rich & with both wine & berry tones, Rhone is very similar to Kate 09 except slightly more coloured & Rebel is a slightly aubergine, very dark berry colour which can come off a bit magenta some times.

 I'm sure I could easily downsize as a few of these are very similar, I'd probably keep Party Pink, Berry Rich, Rhone & Rebel although I do like the other two colours they are just too similar.


Let me know what your favourite deeper colours are!
I'm going to move onto another part of my collection soon so please stay tuned to find out what that will be!
xx

Check out the previous posts here: Pinks | Reds | Oranges & Coral | Nudes

Edgy Emerald FOTD x2// Bh Cosmetics Day & Night palette

Hey gals <3
Both of these FOTD's are so old it is not funny! The first look is from back when I bought the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Edgy Emerald & I wanted to test it out, but I love the whole look together and still wanted to post these.

Look 1

Pretty much just wanted to show off my good hair day :P Didn't do anything to it!

I love wearing light greens with pink cheeks & lips so I kept the hues similar! I know yet again these are spring makeup looks.... that I had probably done last spring, way too long ago. Oh and while I'm lovin my hair in these pictures, yesterday I changed my hair, after having the same colour & style for soo long.

~Products~
Face: The foundation at the time was a whole lotta mixture so there's probably no point mentioning it, but for the rest I used a Dior Bronzer Sample, MAC Lightscapade, Nyx Stick Blush in Tulip, Jordana Blush in Coral Sandy Reef. This combination was quite random as I usually match both the cream & powder blushes to each other.
Eyes: Maybelline Color Tattoo in Edgy Emerald, Bh Cosmetics Day & Night palette [pictured, light aqua on lid, green in crease]. Tan colour to blend out crease. Maybelline Master Precise eyeliner

Lips: Revlon Balm Stain in Lovesick

Look 2
This was inspired by Shaaanxo on youtube from a GRWM (Get Ready With Me video) where she did the same colour placement. Excuse that the eyes are not symmetrical, especially with the eyeliner! If you ever feel afraid to rock bright eyeshadow, stick it to the lid or lower lashline only and use neutral colours everywhere else :) My under eye highlight looks way too bright, went a bit crazy with the lilac concealer! Oh and I am enjoying the light waterline with the darker lower lash line, kind of feels a bit more mod to me!

 ~Products~
Face: Same thing about the foundation, Nyx Cream Blush in Glow, Face of Australia blush in Outback Primrose (before I gave it away obviously lol), (same bronzer & highlighter as always)
Eyes: Day & Night palette; Reddish Brown [crease], Dark brown [lower lashline], Same light green as FOTD above [lid], Pixie Epoxy & then random ebay pigment over lid [pictured]. Nyx JEP in Milk [waterline], Maybelline Master Precise eyeliner + NP Set liquid eyeliner.
Lips: Nyx Lipstick in Narcissus, Nyx lipgloss in LaLa

I'm glad I can finally get this post out of my drafts haha, so good to clean that part up! And although once again this type of look is posted in the 'wrong' season, it's nice to be inspired by / inspire others! For those of you in the spring time, I definitely would recommend Edgy Emerald as a lid or lower lashline colour! As you can see I think different shades of pink compliment green nicely.

And I'm sorry for the messy/ jumbled pictures, Nowadays I am trying to keep them more consistent. :)

Thanks for looking xx

Way Overdue-- Empties, Products I'm Getting Rid Of.

Wow it has been forever since my last empties post especially as I am meant to be on "project empty" still.... but unlike some who have empties every month, it takes me forever to use up products, even if I try to use more than usual! Especially now that I have been using other newer products that have become my favourites, it has been harder to stick to it. But now I have saved up a collection that I probably could have done a few empties ago, anyway, I'll get this big lot out of the way and try to make it more regular. I will try to keep this as short & sweet as possible!

Empties

Mascara/ Eyeliner: Maybelline XXL Extensions, Covergirl Lash Blast Length, Bourjois Volume Glamour Ultra Curl, Essence I <3 Extreme Volume, Maybelline Master Precise eyeliner.

Most of these are all really old, and some I haven't used forever although they haven't even completely dried out, still! I just thought it was about time I got rid of them so I could use my newer ones. Ahh and when I finally opened my back up of the Master Precise eyeliner it felt so good to rediscover why I loved this eyeliner because the old one had almost dried up completely.

Eye Products

 Coastal Scents Gel Eyeliner in Gold & Plum: They have dried out and I can't be bothered trying to restore them as they were nothing special lol so I'm throwing them out. Might repurchase other colours one day.
Essence I <3 Stage eyeshadow base: Completely finished this, and would probably re-purchase but I have heard they are discontinuing it. I wont be able to get my hands on it before then! Never mind because I am using other primers that I like.

Face Products

Face of Australia Face Base Primer: As you can see I cut it open to get every last drop haha. I really need to repurchase as I have used this for ages and <3 it but using another primer at the moment. Really good as a hydrating base. I think they have changed the packaging to something purple now!
Models Prefer Anti Aging Undereye Concealer: In the end I used this as a concealer for blemishes. Not light reflecting at all so I thought it was better for this purpose. Would not repurchase simply as there are better under eye concealers out there. I did like it elsewhere but, and kinda wish I didn't run out so fast :S
Australis Fresh & Flawless Fdtn: Bought years ago, used as a mixer with other foundations. Wouldn't repurchase.
Avon True Luminous Oil Control Makeup Base: I swear this bottle was never ending lol but completely used it up, mixed in foundation, had a nice pinky glow. When I originally bought it I thought it was a primer which it definitely is not. Quite nice but probably wouldn't repurchase to try other ones.
Revlon Photoready Fdtn: I did like this foundation but since discovering Rimmel Wake Me Up I wouldn't buy it again.
Models Prefer Illuminizer: Much the same as the Avon one but a cream not a liquid. No repurchase.
Studio Direct Concealer: (light) Bought randomly on eBay, shade too light so I used it under foundation before discovering it as an under eye concealer. Might buy again one day but trying out other concealers for now.
Physicians Formula Mineral Glow Pearls in Beige Pearl: Hit pan majorly as you can see, but couldn't be bothered finishing it completely to start using my Bourjois bronzer. Be aware this isn't exactly a bronzer as it is very light & glowy, but nice on the cheeks. I used it under Nars Laguna. Probably wont repurchase.

Face/Body Products

Skinstut Cream Cleanser: Swapped between this and my DMK Milky Cleanser which both have the same idea. It was good but not outstanding, & if I needed to I would repurchase.
 Lux Exfoliating Body Wash in Pomegranate & Palm: Love everything about this, I like the idea of an exfoliating body wash as it isn't too harsh to use everyday. The smell is amazing. I finally bought this again after a break.
St Ives Apricot Scrub in Invigorating: Would never use this on my face like I used to (way too harsh) but good for deeper exfoliation. Might re-buy but want to try others.
Cotton Body Wash: Used after finishing the Lux one, got in a set so I used it to get rid of it.
Wella Bio Touch Colour Protection Intensive Mask: Hard to tell if it really worked due to different factors, but was still nice. Wont buy again so I can try other colour saver masks.
Fiji Hydrating Body Lotion: Will keep bottle to reuse for traveling, got it as a gift & mixed it with other moisturizers.
Vintage Collection Rose Luxury Hand & Nail Cream: Another gift, perfect size for the handbag. Came in a set so I have a few other similar ones to use next.
Lush Lip Scrub in Bubblegum: Although not finished, chucking out as it is well and truly past expiration and has gone too hard to dig out... even though I found it go hard after the first couple of uses. Probably buy again but in another flavour. But I could just as easily make my own scrub lol.

I have also used up & replaced my Shampoo/ Conditioner & moisturizer/ mist many times since my last empties post....  hello obviously since that was in September haha.

Products I'm Getting Rid Of
I was going through makeup that I never wear, and that I had similar colours to already and preferred them over these... and I came up with a whole bag-full that I gave away to my brothers girlfriend (She wears only a little bit of makeup, maybe I should have told her to choose what she wanted, she was joking that I was giving her a makeup intervention :P)

 Face- Garnier Roll on, Nyx Taupe blush, Clinique Fresh Bloom in Peony sample, BYS Natural Shimmer brush, BYS Shimmer Pearls, Sportsgirl Lets Get Cheeky blushes, Face of Australia blusher in Outback Primrose, Dior Terra Bella bronzer sample, Australis blush in Rosy Cheeks.
There are a few products here from project empty, some that I haven't used in forever like Taupe blush (other alternatives, I can always buy again later down the track) & also some that didn't work for me... the garnier roll on is a good product, I just wanted something lighter for under the eyes.

 

Eyes: BYS eyeshadow palette in Black Steel, No name e/s duo, Ulta 3 e/s quad in purr like a kitten, Kate Reflect mirror eyes, BYS baked e/s, Bourjois Smoky eyes Rose Vintage, Face of Australia matte e/s primer, Mary-kate & Ashley all over shimmer in honey, BYS shimmer powder in Pink rose, Beauties Factory e/s in 453,  NYX e/s in nude, T'estimo e/s, 2 no name e/s, fake MAC e/s, NYX ultra pearl mania in Ocean Blue Pearl, Face of Australia e/s Jasper, Fake MAC mineralize e/s.
 Again I already had heaps of similar colours to these... or just forgot about them. Some I had bought and only used a handful of times.

Avon Glimmersticks e/l in Starry Night, Nude by Nature black e/l, Avon Super Shock liquid e/s, BYS liquid Silver Glitter e/l.

Lips: Mirenesse l/g, David Jones l/s in Sunburst, Covergirl l/s in Kiss, random lg, L'oreal Color Riche in electric fuchsia, Nyx l/s spellbound, L'oreal  Studio secrets in coral, Elizabeth Arden in Pink Punch,

Brushes: Essence of Beauty contour & highlight, Manicare Foundation, Manicare double ended, Model's prefer blending.

Nails: Orly in Sheer Peche, Essence in Cest La Vie, Rokk96 (price attack) in Toasted Almond.

Hallelujah, I'm happy I finally got this done, it's surely been a long time coming! And I promise I will post more regular, smaller empties. 

Have you ever gone through your stash and gotten rid of products (Read: given away. I couldn't bare to throw all of this out) you haven't used in a while or didn't like? It's very liberating, haha! I have certainly already filled the gaps that these left behind, however :P
xx