VanityMakeup ♥

new blog, finally!

2011-09-24T18:41:00.000-07:00

hellotherenicci.blogspot.com - NEW BLOG.

xxx

Hi.

2011-01-06T10:12:00.001-08:00

Love Package: Etude House

2010-03-18T14:28:00.000-07:00

Bonsoir, my lovelies.
I received a package in the mail from a super sweet girl in the Philippines.
Please let me know if you want a review on any of these products.

Everything came in this cute, but bright makeup bag.
First she sent me two backups of my favourite Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals BB Cream which of course, I love.
Next I got an eyeshadow duo from 4U2 in 'Happening', which is a shimmery pinky-beige and a medium bronze colour.
All the rest of the items I got are from Etude House, which is a Korean brand but they now have stores in Sydney and the Philippines (that I know of, there's probably heaps more elsewhere).

I got the Speedy Total Mineral Base in shade 2, which is a 3-in-1 product - sun block, makeup base and foundation. I must say, I haven't been so pleased with a product (especially one for the face) in a loooong time. This does what it claims: Has a SPF 41 and PA++, provides a nice moderate medium coverage, doesn't break me out and by the end of the day I'm hardly oily. Miracle product I tell you!
It also comes with a pump at the end of the tube which is a bonus for me.
Next is the Glossy Lips Lipstick in 'BR301'. Cute packaging, right? The colour is cute too - it's a midtone pink, although it appears darker on the camera.
Then is the Soft Touch automatic lipliner in '07' which again looks darker on the camera due to bad lighting on a rainy day but basically it's a nude pinky brown. I can see myself using this a lot because most of my lipsticks are this shade.
Next I got a nail polish in 'BR301' and it's just a satin finish medium pink.
Haven't gotten around to trying it yet. Maybe this week since my nails are chipped like crazy right now. Haha.
Last but not least is two mini tubes of the Precious Mineral BB Creams in shade 2. I love how it has a keyring attachment on it and I've actually got one on my phone right now. The colour is pretty good for me and the finish is definitely matte once it's put on which is amazing.
So that's what I received, I hope you like it and stay beautiful girls!
Please comment and tell me if you've ever tried Etude House or BB creams before.

♥

Review: Barry M 'Pinkie Gold' Lipstick.

2010-03-13T00:09:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

Today I’m going to be doing a review on this Barry M lip paint in ‘Pinkie Gold’.

As you can see in the picture I’ve taken above, this lipstick is a light-medium pink, with golden shimmer through it. I have medium NC30 skin and this compliments me rather well. This lipstick is something I can wear by itself during the daytime, but it’s also easy to glam it up with lip gloss for the night wear.

I love the fact that it’s moisturising and pigmented at the same time. The lipstick goes on so smoothly and evenly, so it’s a dream to work with. I think that the golden sheen on the lipstick gives a 3-dimensional look to the lips, which is a look I desire.

Ever since I got this lipstick a few months ago, I’ve been using it at least 3 times a week - from this week though, I’ve started putting it in my makeup bag for touch-ups throughout the day as it doesn’t last more than 4 hours. It’s a lovely soft mauve-y pink that I imagine would be flattering on a lot of people. It can be played up with a pink or purple gloss or played down with a creamy nude gloss. It’s lovely either way.

The packaging is a very sleek, black tube and instead of it being the typical round casing, it’s almost ‘square-ish’, if that makes sense. There is no scent to the lipstick, which is a plus for me.

Here is a quick overview of the pro’s and con’s.

Pro’s:

Versatile colour.
Moisturising and pigmented.
Convenient packaging.
Non-fragranced.
Lasts very good.

Cons:

The gold to the shade, may make some looked a little washed out.
Barry M is very hard to find outside of the UK.

Overall, I recommend this lipstick and can’t wait to try other Barry M products.

I rate this 4.5 stars!

♥

TAG: 40 beauty questions.

2010-03-09T13:37:00.000-08:00

Hello my lovelies, today I'm going to be doing the 40 Beauty questions tag. I had been tagged on youtube prior to this but was a little hesitant to make a video on it since I myself, am not very fond of videos that consist of all talking.

So I'm doing this instead.

SKINCARE

How many times do you wash your face daily?

Two times, at night and day.

-What skin type do you have? (dry,oily,combo)
Oily skin. No wait, probably combination since I'm only oily on my t-zone.

-What is your current facial wash?
Ulittlebeauty foaming cleanser.
-Do you exfoliate?
Not a lot. Maybe once every week or two, unless needed.

-What brand do you use?
I use the Ponds antibacterial exfoliating cleanser - makes my skin feel so soft, and it's not very harsh.
-What moisturizer do you use?
Clean and Clear advantage moisturizer.

-Do you have freckles?
Nope.

-Do you use eye cream?
No, I don't feel I really need one.

-Do you or did you have acne prone skin?
I do, and I'm going to try the Clinique acne solution 3 step system this week.

-Did you ever have to use Pro-activ?
No, according to reviews, it doesn't seem like something I want to try.

MAKE-UP

-What foundation do you use?
Maybelline clear smooth extra powder.
-How about concealer?
For everyday use, ELF concealer.
For full coverage, MAC studio finish.

-Do you know your undertone color?
Warm. Yellow based.
-What do you think of fake eyelashes?
I think they look great, but I'm fine with just a mascara.
-Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months?
Yes I do. I use a lot of mascara anyway, so they usually run out withing 3 months anyway.

-What brand of mascara do you use?
For everyday use, Rimmel Glam Eyes but for weekend use, Lancome Hypnose. I do change it up a lot though.

-Sephora or MAC?
Sephora because we don't have it in AUS. But if I were in the US, i'd probably go with MAC.
-Do you have a MAC Pro-card?
No.

-What makeup tools do you use in make up application?
Artiste and Ecotools mostly.

-Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes?
Yes; Urban Decay Primer Potion or MAC Paintpots.
-For the face?
None.
-What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)?
Love neutral beige colours. My favourite is the SAVVY 'Bisque' mono.

-Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?
I usually prefer gel, but I carry a pencil with me for touch ups while traveling though.

-How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?
Never have. Don't line my waterline.

-What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?
I used to love them, but I much prefer pressed eyeshadows.
-Do you use mineral makeup?
Used to, but I haven't found a reliable one yet.
Looking to try the Elizabeth Arden Pure Finish next.

-What is your favorite lipstick?
At the moment, Bourjois sweet kiss in 'Beige Elegant'.

-How about lipgloss?
Don't wear lipgloss.
-What is your favorite blush to use?
San San Shimmer Blushes.

-Do you buy your makeup on ebay?
Hardly. The only makeup I've purchased on ebay was the 120 eyeshadow palette at the end of 2008.

-Do you like drugstore makeup?
Yes, there are some great items you can find!

-Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets)
Don't have any.
-Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?
Next year I'm going to be doing Cert II in makeup services.
-Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?
Not anymore. I use to be when I first started wearing makeup.

-Name a makeup crime that you hate?
When you can see a huge foundation line at the jaw line because it isn't blended in. Or when people use too much makeup that it looks cakey. *cringes*

-Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick,eyeshadow) or neutral ones?
Neutral, always.

-Which celebrity always has great make up?
I love korean actresses.
-If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item,what would you use?
Powder.

-Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?
Yes I could, but I rarely do.
If I'm at home I always do though.

-Do you think you look good even without any makeup on?
hmm, 'okay' I guess.
I hate my oilyskin though ._.
-In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line?
Probably MAC. Apart from their foundations that make me break out, everything else is very good quality.

-What do you think of Makeup?
It's an amazing hobby to have. I love it <3

♥

My social accounts.

2010-03-04T03:18:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

So I've been asked this by a few people and it's why I have so many social accounts.
Well to be honest, I don't know. Haha!

I had a formspring comment saying 'y the f**k do you have so many website things its so annoying and confusing' and basically to anyone else who was finding this confusing, you don't have to follow them. ^^

Just to keep things clear, basically anything with the word 'vanity' in it, is my beauty related accounts,
and if it's 'NicciMaree', it's all personal accounts that friends know about. (:

I'll give you a list of my accounts now - and these are pretty much the only ones I use frequently.

Beauty Related:

Youtube
Fashion Blog
Makeup Blog
Lookbook
Twitter

Personal Related:

Youtube
Blog
Formspring

---

I don't use dailybooth or flickr and stuff anymore.
Myspace is more for my school friends now, and it bores me anyway so I only log in for checking updates.
Facebook is for family and friends.

And yes, that is all.
Oh and if you have any of the following social account above, please comment with a link so I can check it out. :D

x.

Rimmel Haul

2010-02-23T23:31:00.000-08:00

Hello, :)

Today I have a little Rimmel haul which I posted a video about on Youtube, but since some of my followers may not be subscribed to my channel, I decided to post it on here.

First of all, I got this eco-friendly makeup bag from Target which was on sale for $6.50 - I couldn't resist. It's made of cotton, and polyester on the inside.It fits SO MUCH. I'm really impressed with it and never expected it to fit that much.
Moving on..

I saw a newspaper ad for Malouf Chemist saying there was a 4 for $10 deal on any selected Rimmel products, so I went to take a peek realising that by 'selected products' they pretty much meant the whole Rimmel display.

I picked out:

The rimmel recover brightning primer,
Which is does a great job of giving your face a bit of a pick-me-up in the morning under your foundation. The packaging is very small though, but you don't need a lot of product at all really.

Cool Matte mousse foundation,
which I bought because of the 'non-transferable for 16hours' quote on the jar, although of course it didn't last that long - probably only 5 hours in this summer heat.

Extreme Definition eyeliner duo in '003 Trendsetter',
which is a very lovely, lasting eyeliner that is perfect for carrying in your purse, since it contains both a white and a black liner in the same pencil.

Glam Eyes mascara,
is something I got mainly because of it's cute packaging, but alas, the product itself is very good indeed! I purchased 'black brown' for everyday school use and it provides me with long, slightly volumised and separated lashes. I love how it gives me that done-up 'polished' look to my bare school makeup face.

So that's that,
Please tell me what your 3 favourite drugstore items are? I'm always keen to hear those.

x

MAC Haul.

2010-02-20T00:13:00.000-08:00

Hello my lovelies.

So if you've watched my latest makeup collection, you would have heard me saying how I wanted to start collecting more MAC products instead of impulse buying with a lot of drugstore items that I may not have done my research on and therefore having it not work for me and collect dust in my makeup vanity.

I have since then sold many unwanted products and am now going to buy based on how high it's been rated, as opposed to how irresistibly cheap the sales are.

And if you haven't seen my latest makeup collection, you can do so here.

Anyway, I decided to do a swap on makeupalley with a lovely girl from the US but instead of an average 'swap', we done a custom purchase for each other.

And here is my makeupalley account for those who have one also: Click! :)

Here are the items I received from her...

MAC Studio Finish concealer in 'NC30'.As you can probably see, I've managed to use it a few times already and I'm really loving it. It's the most opaque concealer I've ever used and when I wear this, I feel I don't need to wear as much powder - just enough to set it.
Next time I purchase it though, I'm going to have to buy one a couple of shades lighter as this is the same colour as my skin.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in 'Medium'.
I've heard about a million reviews on this product, almost all of them positive, so I was extremely keen to try this as I'm a big fan of powder foundations to keep my 'oilies' at bay. I must say, I'm impressed! It gives my face a really gorgeous glow and looks completely natural. You don't get that 'powdery' look with this and it makes you look like you've got flawless skin. I'm sold.
I need to get 'Medium Plus' next time, but because it's quite sheer it isn't that noticeable.

MAC eyeshadows in 'Cranberry' and 'Romp'.I was only supposed to receive the concealer and powder in the package but she was incredibly kind to add two extra eyeshadows for me - isn't that so sweet of her?
Cranberry is a pretty self explainatory shade, it's basically a pretty ruby colour. I remember everytime I was browsing the MAC website, my mom would tell me how much she loved that shade - and now that I have it, she's been using it everyday!
Next is Romp. A mid-tone brown with golden shimmer running though it: definitely my favourite out of the two! Although I must admit, I've never actually heard of this shade before.. it should be put into the spotlight more often.

On a slightly different note, I wanted to show you these cute little hair bows I bought from Cosmetics Plus for $3.95.
I love them so much! <3

Thanks for reading.
♥

My Daily Skincare Routine

2010-02-13T19:51:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone.
So I've have a whole heap of requests to do my skincare routine but I've been postponing it for the longest amount of time because I never really found a promising routine, until now.

This is the routine I use for night time - I can't use moisturizers and oils in the morning because I already have extremely oily skin as it is, so every morning I just wash my face.

Firstly, I cleanse my face with the Ulittlebeauty all washed up foaming cleanser. I stick to foaming cleansers now because they aren't as harsh for my sensitive skin and are very light.Ulittlebeauty is an Australian brand and they don't test on animals!
The cleanser is soap, fragrance and paraben free and contains extracts of Witch Hazel, Rosemary and Calendula.

The product is available in David Jones, Terry White and Priceline stores for around $20.

Once I've finished washing my face, I take a cotton round and dampen it in the Ponds Acne Expert pore conditioning toner.I love this product because it's gentle and it also takes off any oils or makeup that the cleanser didn't. It refreshes my face and contains Salicylic Acid to help prevent breakouts.

You can buy this in any department and supermarket store in the Philippines for around P125.

Now because I have acne scaring on my cheeks I use the infamous Bio Oil to help them fade.I put a little onto my fingers and massage it into my face.
PurCellin Oil is the breakthrough ingredient in this product and it doesn't break me out so I'll do a full review on it once I've finished the bottle and tell you how the results are.

This can be found in any major stores and chemists for around $13.

Once that's done I use my Clean & Clear advantage pimple control moisturizer to keep my skin hydrated. Just because you have oily skin doesn't mean you shouldn't moisturize! This product is oil-free and I like the fact that it's not too thick and absorbs into the skin pretty quickly. It also contains herbal extracts and salicylic acid.

This moisturizer came with the Clean and Clear Advantage Pimple Control 4-step Regime. You can buy the set at priceline and target for around $27

And last but not least is a product I've been faithful to for years: the Benzac AC water based acne gel.
This is the 10%, which is the full strength one. I use this because when I break out, I put this on and by the next day my skin will be significantly better. You can also get 2.5% and 5% strengths.

The active ingredient in this product is benzoyl peroxide, which is an acne aid agent.
You can purchase it at any leading chemist for about $13.

So that's my skincare routine at night, I hope you found this somewhat useful.
:)

Mini Review: Barry M Lip Gloss #9

2010-02-12T00:25:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,
Welcome to my first mini review!
I decided to start doing 'mini' reviews instead of full ones because,

a) I don't have a lot of time because of school (I'm doing quite a few certificate courses, so I have to work extra hard to get them). And,

b) I'm not very good at full reviews. :) Haha.

Anyway, this mini review is on the Barry M lip gloss in '9'.
Now first of all, let me just say that this is the only lip gloss I own now. I hate lip glosses because of their potential stickiness but this one isn't sticky at all which is SUCH a major bonus.

As you can probably see from above, there is quite a a large amount of glitter packed into the tube, which I was a little 'iffy' about at first, however it doesn't feel very noticeable on the lips and your lips wont look like you've sprinkled red glitter on them. In fact, they are actually quite sparse.

As for the colour itself, wearing it alone gives you that nice 'I've just been eating cherries' look, but this can be easily intensified into a dramatic lip by adding a bright rep lipstick underneath it.

The scent of this smells like cherries which I find very pleasant, although it may be a little too overwhelming or even a little fake for some. Again that's a personal preference.

Compared to many other lip glosses, the Barry M one takes the cake for the way it feels on the lips. They seem to just 'glide' on the lips and for a non-sticky lip gloss, they last for an incredibly good amount of time. Another not to add would be that it almost feels moisturizing on the lips once the lip gloss does start to wear off.

The packaging is quite simple which is something I'm not used to, as I always seemed to get sucked in by how high the product gets rated on the 'cute factor'. Haha! The tube may be simple, but by no means is it ugly. It is infact very stylish and it fits into my makeup bag without any hassle at all.

All in all I would definitely say that I'd purchase this product again in a heartbeat and I'm going to be trying more of the shades!

I got this lip gloss from Crush Cosmetics and it's $10.95 AUD , which is not bad considering how great it is.

:) Hopefully you liked this review and tell me,
How many mini reviews do you want a week?
1? 2?

Whatever it is, leave a comment below.
♥

Collective Haul + Mini Reviews.

2009-10-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Today I have a collective haul from today and yesterday.
So today I bought two things from target, a brush and hand sanitizer.

Cosmetica Short handle bronzing brush - I love this brush! It's small, soft and they all come in a little zip lock pouch. After being so gutted from noticing Artiste was sold in Pricelines, except in my town, I was so happy that manicare had launched Cosmetica for Target stores. The brushes are very similar and around the same price range - Artiste is just a little better imo.
Cosmetica are having a 20% off sale too.

NO-GERMS hand sanitizer - This is the first time i've noticed this so I don't know if it's new to Target or not, but it's made in the US, so it might be available there too. The packaging is silver and pink and in a small thin bottle, and it's a spray not a gel, which I might like a little better. This cost me $4.12

I also went to Chemist Warehouse because I heard they were having more sales, so I checked it out. :)
I got 5 things from Face of Australia, all were being cleared out for $1.99 ea.
I got:

Concealer in 'Neutral' - Very similar to my maybelline one, except a little more cool toned which I think is good because it corrects my blemishes & circles better.

Blush in 'Mocha' - When I was in the store looking at it, it reminded me of MACs Mocha blush, which i've been wanting for ages. When I was at lunch I took the sticker off the back to see what it was called and, alas, it is also mocha. ^^
I like this a lot.

Eye definer in 'Taupe' - I've been looking for a light brown eyeliner for a while to look more natural than a white one, and i'm glad to have found this. It's not the most pigmented, but it does the job. It's kind of a brown/grey colour and is more 'crayon' like, as apposed to a kohl.

'Bronze' Face illuminator - Kind of the same concept as NARS multiples in my opinion. This is a beautiful bronze colour and will be great on the cheeks.

'Highlight' Face Illuminator - A pale shimmery colour, think of Stila's Kitten eyeshadow. Great on the cheekbones.

-----------------------

Then yesterday I went to Cosmetics Plus and bought three things:
VOV liquid eyeliner - This was only $4.95 and it's great! It's a felt tip and is a dark black. The packaging is cute too. ^^

NYX 'White Pearl' eyeliner - This was $3.95 and I don't really like it. I thought it was white, but it's kind of an irridescent silvery white. Nyeh. ><

BYS '#1 Natural' eyeshadow trio - For $3.95 you can't go wrong. It contains a cream colour, light and dark taupe. I like it because it's easy to travel with.

Then at Kmart, Bourjois products were on clearance because they aren't being stocked there anymore. There weren't many products left though, and it was hard for me to find ones that were not tested or opened. But I did manage to find these three (all for $3):

So Delicate LipCream 'Rose' - I've wanted to try this for so long! It has so many good reviews. At first glance this product appears to be a gloss, but on reading the packaging and application you discover it's a matte lip cream. I am completely converted. I have 'Rose Poudre', which is a dusty rose colour.

Liner Clubbing Liquid Liner in 'Bronze Dancefloor' - Brilliant product; got to be one of the thinnest brushes i've seen! It's perfect for those thin lines. Although it's not a bronze like the name suggests - it's an olive green with bronze microshimmer. Makes my eyes stand out.

Sweet Kiss 'Beige' Lipstick - This feels like sheer satin, yet provides a significant wash of long-lasting colour, longer than most lipsticks/glosses. And it does not dry the lips either - really like this. The moisturising must be due to the argan oil. There is a slight fragrance to this product, similar to many French cosmetics, but i haven't found it to be irritating.

So that's my collective haul.
♥

OPI Present.

2009-10-14T00:54:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

This is just going to be a quick post, but I wanted to show you something that I had received in the mail.
So I recently won 1st place for Sarah (The Polished)'s nail polish giveaway.
I got to choose three nail polishes of my choice from the given website - there was OPI, China Glaze, Zoya, Essie etc. But I got three OPI polishes, they're my first ever!

I got:
Done out in Deco - A greyish lavender wet shine creme with no shimmer. Its unique but conservative and sophisticated at the same time.

Barefoot in Barcelona - gorgeous shade of nude pinky-brown.

Pink-ing of you - A milky pink shade. It makes my nails look very "clean."

Thanks again Sarah!
♥

Target haul.

2009-10-12T23:28:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone :)

Today I'm going to show you my Target haul from a few days back.
Not only were chi chi having a 25% off sale, they also had items marked down to $5.
So that made each item $3.75.

I got two eyeshadow dusts (pigments) - one in 'Calendar Girl' and one in 'Shop-a-holic'.
Overall these pigments are GREAT. They are finely milled so there is no fall out and the colour swatches exactly the same as it looks in the container.

Calendar Girl: Shimmery neutral beige, great for the lid.

Shop-a-holic: Grey/brown/purple taupe colour. Unique colour. Great for the crease.

I then got three blushes, all with their own velvet pouch.
CUTE!

And the blushes themselves are realllllly good and oh so pigmented.
'Sex me up': A rosy mauve shade, perfect for med-dark skintones.
'Love Machine': Warm coral colour, fairly matte.
'Love you long time': The lightest of the three. Pretty pink with gold reflects, reflects aren't very visible on the face though.
I then got 'Captured Effortlessly' Lipstick which is a creamy mid rose colour.
I absolutely adore the packaging!
Then the target own brand where having a 40% off sale so I bought their Sensitive skin wipes for $2.99 and Lip butter for $2.49
I wasn't very fond of the smell of the lip butter, so i went back to find a different one.
I came across Goodvibez which was also 40%, so I only paid about $2.90 for it.

It's in pomegranate - one of my favourite scents! ^^

Oh, and the Napoleon Perdis Jet Black mascara was a free gift I got with the october issue of Madison.
And lastly, I bought this Australis Cheek duo in 'Rosy Bonze' at Priceline for $12.95
Great everyday colour!
Thanks,
♥

Mini priceline haul

2009-09-20T02:29:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

I done a little bit of shopping at Priceline today :)

There was this Revlon nail polish on clearance for $3.
It's my favourite nail polish EVER :D Non-streaky, cream formula and one coat is opaque.
Savvy was having a deal - buy two products and get a free brush set. I couldn't pass it up :P
So I got two eyeshadows in 'Peach' and my favourite, 'Bisque'.
Peach was recommended to me from a subscriber who said it was the eyeshadow version of the BYS 'natural' shadestick and as you all know, 'Bisque' is my go-to colour - and I now have three of these! If you take a closer look at 'peach', you can see a pink spot where I swatched it.
The color is infact a peachy gold colour, very similar to MACs rose pigment when swatched dry.So here is the brush kit.
It's small which I like because I can carry it in my purse for touch-ups.
It's a bright pink and made of silk on the outside and then silver on the inside.
It also comes with a blush, shadow, crease, lip and sponge-tip brush. My favourite is the shadow brush - very sturdy and soft!
It also has a clear zip compartment where I have put in my blotting sheets, small eye/liner brushes and also a sponge.
That's all :)
x.

Super great haul :D

2009-09-11T03:45:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!
Another haul :D

So first I went to target and found some great shoes on sale!
They were selling lots of heels and boots and were marked down drastically because noone was buying the bigger shoe sizes (I'm a 9 or 10 for reference).

I got these for $5.86 each! *Faints* They were normally $40 ea! :D

I am one happy girl.

To send to the Philippines, i bought this Rimmel party pack for $2o.
Some more books for school, from the Cristina Re line (Great things she has).
And these are the boys - the girl books weren't as nice. They have horses and other things on it >.< And this environmental calico bag with i'm inlove with!
This cost me $5.
Priceline was having 20% eyes and face products so i got the new 'Creme eyeliner' in a brown color (cant remember the name and too lazy to get it, lol).
I paid $10.36 for it and want all of them!
At Chemist Warehouse, I looked through the clearance rack and found some really cool asian revlon products for $3.

I got the moisture shine in '05 Dusk'.
and the Moisturestay lipcolor in 'Perfect Pink'.
This was sealed so i kind of impulsed on this - i don't usually go for lipglosses but i was like 'ah, why not?' so I bought it. Turns out it was a LOVELY lipstick. I'm inlove.

An the packaging is so much nicer than australian/american packaging!I was looking through the liner section of the clearance rack and saw these Urban Decay 'brow beaters'. *Faints again*.

They were $3ea and hello, its Urban Decay! UD is non existant in AUS! :O
So I grabbed two. They're really nice too - i got them in 'brunette bombshell'.
One side is the wax, the other is colour and it comes with a brow groomer.Then they had a big bowl with TBN nail polishes (Totally beautiful nails) and they were $2.50ea, or 2 for $4.
I got one in 'Purple Rain' and 'Pewter'.
2 coats and my nails are opaque - sold! :)

Then at Cosmetics Plus I got a nail art brush for $5.
Hope you all had a great day! :D
♥

Mini Haul + Swap from US.

2009-09-04T22:55:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!
Today I have a little mini haul + swap to share with you.

So Ledy and I organised a swap and I received mine today, thanks! :)
(I will send yours in a couple of days).

First I got the MAC slimshine in 'Love Stem Rose' - very flattering on me.

An Ecotools powder brush which is PERFECT for cheek products.

And 2 ELF cream eyeshadow duos in 'Butter Pecan' and 'Olive'.
Thanks Ledy!

______________

Also at Priceline yesterday I bought the Maybelline Mineral Power Set for $27ish.
It's brand new in Australia (Everything here arrives so much later than US ):

It comes with:

Concealer
Kabuki
Powder Foundation
Finishing Veil

And I needed new wipes so I got these because they're the green tea ones except I didnt notice that I got the exfoliating wipes, so these ones are the rougher ones - they make my skin smooth so I guess it's not that bad. Great for lazy people like me.

These were $5.

♥

New Goodies :)

2009-08-10T22:30:00.000-07:00

So on Sunday I entered a singing competition and won first place.
The judges only expected adults to enter so the prize I won was a bottle of wine - but I also got this really cute bracelet!
And a card from the Mayor.

Today I also ended up getting the MAC Mineralize quad in 'Fashion Patch' from the Colour Craft Collection.

♥

July Favourites

2009-08-01T00:59:00.000-07:00

Here are my favourites for July.

Maybelline Mineral Power Powder Blush:
I still remember, I got this as a gift from my brother for christmas. He bought me the lightest colour, 'Soft Mauve'. I loved it and used it every single day but then my mom started loving it and so I didn't end up using it until just recently (My mom put it in her makeup draw, so i finally got round to taking it back and giving her another blush in my makeup collection she preffered). It is very pigmented but still looks very natural too.

Rimmel Long Lasting Lipstick in 'Airy Fairy':
Raved about by youtube gurus Fafinettex3 and xteeener - I just HAD to get it. But unfortunately for me, I looked everywhere but couldn't find it until the point where I started thinking it was only available in the US.
A few months later I was shopping at Priceline and had a look in the clearance bin - I saw Rimmel lipsticks for $2ea so I decided to get one of each shade. Then I saw Airy Fairy and instantly grabbed two. SUCH a pretty colour.

Chi Chi Smokey Palette:
I've been really into smokey eyes and these colours are just so handy because they all pair up really well together.

Savvy Eyeshadows in 'Bisque' and 'Cafe Latte':
My everyday eyeshadow combination now consists of these two colours. They are perfect and only cost $3 ea.
MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow Duo in 'Fresh Green Mix':
This, i guess you could say, is more or less my everyday 'going out' night shadow. Greens just make my eyes go BAM and I always get compliments when wearing this.

Skin Food Mushroom Multi Care BB Cream:
SPF20. Anti-aging. Whitening agents. Need I say more? Okay then..
This reduces any redness, specifically around my nose and blemishes. Moisturises my skin (I use this at my primer now). Doesn't break me out. And Doesn't make me oily.

Bourjois Compact Powder:
I'm #73 for referrence. I love the packaging of this and it makes my face look flawless.

Artiste Contour Blush Brush (#19):
Very soft and dense brush, I use this to buff in my face powder and it is much better than my Remmington one.

Last but not least, my Lancome makeup bag. All my other makeup bags are too small for travelling, but this one is the perfect size. Isn't it gorgeous?

What are your favourites this month?
♥

Love from the US.

2009-07-02T23:32:00.000-07:00

I am so excited. I just got a package in the mail from Spankadelic aka Trinh - we swapped for some things on her blog sale.The three things that I wanted were the:

Skinfood Mushroom BB Cream in 'Shade #2'
MAC Mineralize eyeshadow duo in 'Fresh Green Mix'
MAC Paintpot in 'Girl Friendly' (Fafi Collection).

I love all three of the products.

She gave me some extras which were so sweet!

Laneige pore trouble spot essence
Sephora lip tube in 'Bronzed Beauty'
Simply Naturals pigments in 'Creamsicle' and 'Torch'
MAC mini lipglass in 'Suave Muave'

Here's the swatches of the Simply Natural's pigments, on the top is Creamsicle and on the bottom you'll see Torch.

♥

A little bit of everything.

2009-06-30T23:15:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
Yesterday i picked up some things (like always), but luckily i didn't go too crazy.

At JayJays I picked up this oversize plaid bag.

It was only $10! RRP $30.

At Priceline I grabbed this Covergirl Clean Pressed Powder for $5 on sale. It smells like baby powder and roses though, pretty strong - however i'll experiment with it a little and see how it works.
I grabbed the July issue of Instyle.And it came with an Avon Ultra Rich 24k Lipstick in 'Natural Gold'; it's absolutely gorgeous and has real gold in it, who wouldn't want it?

Here's a picture of my EOTD - using the La Pensee palette that I got from Yumeko yesterday:

And last but not least, here is the picture of me wearing my new necklace as requested.
It hangs pretty low, but nevertheless i still like it.
♥

Package: April 2nd

2009-04-02T00:09:00.000-07:00

Today i got a package from Mary in Canada. I'm really happy with what i got.

I was originally meant to get 5 MAC eyeshadows, but she got me a load of extras which i thought was so so so sweet of her.
I got the POSH crease brush duo - i love them both, especially the bigger one.
And the eyeshadows i got (from top to bottom) are:

Scene (Satin)
Dove-feather (Veluxe)
Aria (Satin)
Orb (Satin)
Beauty Sleep (Velvet)

I also got some samples from her.

Issey Miyake L'eau D'issey EDP
Chanel Chance EDP
DSQUARED she wood EDP
Dior Fahrenheit EDP
Elizabeth Arden Mediterranean EDP
Chanel Chance Body Satin Cream
Biotherm Cleansing foam, softening lotion and intense moisturizer
Kiehl's Herbal Shampoo

Thanks Mary and thanks to my readers.
♥

Haul: March 21st.

2009-03-21T01:06:00.000-07:00

I love Priceline. Only problem is, they make me spend too much money.
And for some reason, my words are underlining and i can't stop it. Lovely..

I loveeee Formula 10.0.6 -
I bought their Keep me clean purifying facial wipes ($7.99) and their Seriously shine free mattifying oil-free moisturizer ($9.99).

I bought two more Sugarbaby KISS'n TELL lipsticks in 'Pass On' and 'Peck on the Cheek'. I'm not going to open them just yet because i may want to give them away or swap them - we'll see.

Priceline had a big carton near the counter where they had a promotion claiming that if you spent over $50, you can pick a product in the carton. There were things like:

Covergirl Totes
Sally Hansen Set (Cosmetic bag, nail polish and lip plumer)
Pretige Cosmetic bag and palette
Bourjois Concealers, mascaras and tinted moisturisers
Garnier Fructis Shampoo
Hairbrushes

etc etc..

As much as I love Sally Hansen, bourjois has really good products so i picked the Anticerne pour petils martins concealer - boy, was that a mouthful or what!

My favourite foundation as you all know is still the 2GLO by natural glamour mineral foundation.
I went to the 1st Priceline store in my town to buy another palette since i had hit pan and they had all sold out! I was freaking out a little since these were limited edition christmas palettes and they weren't coming back (they have the permanent loose powder for $40, but i like pressed powders better because they aren't messy lol). I then went to the 2nd Priceline and they had three left - knowing me and my addiction to splurging money on makeup, i bought all three; I know, I know.

But it gives really good coverage and covers any blemishes and natural dark circles really good.
In the picture below i am wearing just the foundation all by itself.

NOTD: Teal Glitter

2009-03-17T23:23:00.000-07:00

Yay! first nail of the day - hopefully plenty more to come for you all.

The top photo is in the light and the bottom one isn't.

Colours I used:
1. N-tice clear coat (1x)
2. Satin Blue-Green (1x)
3. Revlon clear top coat sealant mixed with MAC 'Jewelmarine' Glitter Brilliants (4x)
4. N-tice clear coat (1x)

Yay for seven coats. =P
It was a bitch to take off though lol.

Review: Nivea Visage Young 'Be Beautiful' tinted moisturiser

2009-03-02T23:39:00.000-08:00

This is my first review on my blog so i hope I did okay ^.^

My review:

Because it's summer i needed something with a light, breathable coverage so I opted for this tinted moisturiser.

Like I said, it is light coverage, but that's what i was looking for in the first place - it also acted as a good moisturiser/primer for my foundation to give a little bit more glow to my face.

If i'm going to run errands and dont feel like wearing makeup i can always dab a bit on my cheeks for a slight bronzed look or even add blush on top of that to brighten up your face even more.

I have a really oily t-zone and i did end up getting a little bit oily in those areas but all the good covaerage foundations have done that too. I just blot and its all good again.
This costed me around $10AUD for a 75mL bottle which is quite convenient.I will be purchasing this again, as it is very versatile.

It is NON COMEDOGENIC: does not clog pores.

SKIN COMPATIBILITY

DERMATOLOGICALLY APPROVED.

Product: 4 out of 5
Packaging: 4 out of 5
Quality: 4 out of 5
Overall: 4 out of 5
Price: ~$10AUD @ Priceline
Would I buy again?: Yes

And Here's what it says on the back of the bottle:

Is NIVEA VISAGE YOUNG be beautiful! Tinted Moisturiser the right product for me?

Yes, if you have normal or combination young skin.
Yes, if you want beautifully radiant skin without make-up

How does it work?

The oil-free formula provides your skin with instant moisture and is quickly absorbed.
Skin refining tinted pigments adapt to your natural skin tone and visibly beautify your complexion without clogging pores.
The special texture leaves your skin feeling noticeably softer and smoother.
An UVA/UVB filter systemhelps protect from the sun's radiation.

The Result:
Your complexion looks naturally radiant and even. Your skin feels fresh and soft.

Hope I did alright on the review =P
One a different note, I ended up decorating that book i showed you all.
It reminds me of Japan, Hehe <(^^,)>

I covered it in my cute sticky tapes.
My favourite is DEFINATELY my piggy tape :)
This took me a longgg time and patience (which I dont have much of) but it was well worth it!

Lipswatches: Rimmel's 'Lasting Finish Lipsticks'

2009-02-27T22:59:00.000-08:00

So im currently inlove with my new Rimmel Lipsticks, hence why i bought 4 more today.
These were all the colours in the clearance tub that I could find. They don't say Rimmel on the lipstick tube, only on the barcode and with the classic rimmel crown embossed on top. I'm pretty sure these were the old packaging, perhaps?

Anyway, here are the lipswatches..

'020 Pink Shimmer'

'028 Celeb'
'202 Crush'

'002 Candy'

'070 Airy Fairy'

'006 Pink Champagne'

Pink fish TLC dupe.

'272 Frosted'

Hope you found this helpful.
And hopefully my photography was okay - these were my first lipswatches =P

Bitten by Yumeko!

2009-02-23T03:01:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,
Today when I got home from school I had a package, waiting for me and i had a big idea of who it was from.

I recently swapped with the lovely Yumeko and requested for two things in particular, the crown jars and a KATE gel eyeliner - but she went out of her way to get me some extra things too! Thanks girl!

She even made the packaging cute; look at the tape!

And here's what she got me..

There's the crown jars I requested, canmake quad [i believe] and Claire's Clip-on Earrings which i LOVE! (How did she know I didn't have my ears pierced ;P).

I heard all the raves about the KATE gel liners so i had to try one out - and they're right, the brush is perfect for gel eyeliner! I have found my new staple! The colour is BK-3.

She also got me two gel eyeshadows in BR-2 and BG-1; they stay on all day long!

Here's a quick FOTD using my new items.

Will do an EOTD soon so you can see the close-up.

Thanks again girl, if you ever need anything give me a buzz.