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Archive of ‘Makeup and Beauty’ category

23
Feb
2013

What I’ve been buying

categories: Beauty, Makeup and Beauty, Nail Polish

Hi All!

So I am not one to do “haul” posts, not sure why as I enjoy reading them. Maybe it’s the shame of the money I spend? Or the fact that I don’t often buy a lot of products at the same-ish time. Anyway, this is a bunch of stuff that I bought or received in the week prior to the wedding so I thought I would do a little haul post for you to show you what I got! . I’m not going to do a seperate photo for each product as it’s a waste of space on wordpress and makes the post longer to load but please let me know if this kind of way works with one photo at the top? Or do you prefer a separate photo above each piece of text?

1. L’oreal nail polish in Rebel Blue and Jordana nail polish in Smooth Blue.

So these two nail polishes were bought in my pre-wedding search for the perfect blue nail polish for the big day (yes I know, instead of a french mani I opted for bright blue nails). The Jordana is a mid-blue creme whilst the L’oreal is a shimmery slightly darker blue that also has a little bit of a more dusty tone to it. In the end the L’oreal was what I went with and it perfectly matched the blue hydrangeas we had everywhere. Also the L’oreal formula was excellent and really good at not chipping even without topcoat. The L’oreal was $10.95 for a measly 5 mL (:() and the Jordana was $3 for a full size.

2. Maybelline Baby Lips Color in Rose Addict

I love the original clear babylips lip balms cause they smell great and are decent at keeping my lips moisturized so when I saw that a range of tinted versions had been finally released in NZ I had to grab one. In a rush I just picked up the Rose addict shade which provides a very slight strawberry pink tint to the lips. Smells amazing (as to be expected) and I am keen to grab a couple more. I think this was on special for about $4.

3. L’oreal Infallible 18hr Liquid Foundation in the shade Classic Ivory

Okay so this product and the next one are the two foundations that I picked up on advice of my friend who helped with my makeup for the wedding. I loved this foundation because it felt incredibly light on the skin, had an SPF coverage, provided good medium coverage over any of the red pigmentation on my skin and lasted AGES without budging. It blended really easily into my skin and was quick to apply as well. This was $40-$50.

4. Thin Lizzy Flawless Mineral Foundation in the shade Oriental Doll

Although I will do a little post on my very basic wedding day makeup, this was the second product I used on top of the liquid foundation above. This just gave me that little bit of extra coverage for a truly flawless look and also set the liquid foundation so the combo lasted perfectly all day (12 hours and perfect foundation the whole time up until I went to bed!). I think this was around $49.

5. Trilogy certified organic rosehip oil and Trilogy Hydrating mist toner

These two products were gifts from my friend who uses this range a lot. I have never tried this brand mainly due to price so was super excited to give them a go! I won’t say too much here as I think I will do a little review of these products and how I use them.

6. Pure Fiji Hydrating Body Mist in Mango infusion and in Coconut Milk & Honey

My brother went to Fiji for a month or so prior to the wedding and came back with these goodies for me! Again, I haven’t tried any Pure Fiji products before but I am absolutely in LOVE with these, especially in this hot weather! I don’t think I can choose a favorite scent as they are both gorgeous and I love spraying them all over me when I’m dying of heat. So perfect for summer!

7. Daisy by Marc Jacobs (50mL)

My incredible generous mother bought this for me as a wedding day perfume. This was one that I have been wanting to get for FOREVER and I adore it’s gentle floral scent that smells fresh and girly but still elegant, was absolutely perfect for the wedding. I think this is my signature scent that I will have to keep buying forever! I believe this was $130 from Life pharmacy. Thankyou Mum!!!

8. Elizabeth Arden Green tea with Cherry Blossom

This was another perfume I had been wanting since I tried it when it was launched here in NZ. My dad and step mum grabbed this duty free earlier and were saving it for my birthday but I got it a week early yay! Another lovely fresh and floral scent that smells a bit sweeter than Daisy. I also adore the packaging of this perfume (hence it’s extra picture haha). I think from the pharmacy this is around $70. I always want to keep pretty perfume boxes but then my small place gets full of rubbish and I’m trying to be a little more clutter free haha.

So those are all my amazing goodies that I got recently. Aren’t my friends and family amazing? And I’m not buying any more makeup for a while haha (except those Maybelline Vivids which are now out and I NEED desperately! Oh and the new Euro collection from OPI….uh oh)

21
Feb
2013

SampleBar Glam Pack for February 2013!

categories: Beauty, Makeup and Beauty

Hi All!

So I received the February Sample Bar Glam Pack on the 19th (bit later than normal) and here are the things it contained! The theme of the box was valentine’s day (even though it arrived afterwards) to provide some tools for pampering and to turn a few heads.

1. Tooth Spa in Fresh Orange

So this first product is a full size organic, all natural tooth paste by a NZ company trying to provide an alternative to the more typical toothpastes full of fluoride and other chemicals (I personally have no idea whether chemicals in toothpaste are actually harmful in any significant way to our teeth). I think this is a really cool idea, especially for people who do try to cut down on the chemicals they are using. I haven’t used it long enough to test it at all in terms of how well it works but it smells lovely. The taste is a little odd, orangey but there’s a bit of an odd slightly salty taste in there too. It doesn’t foam which feels strange at first. Cool product concept but don’t think I would repurchase at $15 for 70g.

2. Heart shaped toe seperators

Pretty self explanatory, perfect for a pamper session. For some reason I haven’t already got any of these so quite happy to get some. These are $3.99 from samplebar.

3. Lash Card

Another full size product, with 10 lash cards (individual mascara shields for those pesky little smudge marks on upper eye lid when we apply our mascara). Again I think this is a really cool idea for a product but I generally don’t have a problem with mascara application, probably because my stupid eyelashes are so tiny. Regardless these will definitely be given a go.

4. Flirty Little Secret Firming cream with pheremones

So this is from a brand called Booty Parlor (never heard of them) and it’s a body lotion with some added shimmer and bronzer along with firming action and pheremones (seems a bit odd…?). This was a 5mL sample so hopefully enough to use on both my legs or something. Full size (135mL) this is $67.99 so luckily I don’t feel super desperate to repurchase.

5. ModelCo Shine Ultra Lip Gloss in StripTease

This is the other full size product and I LOVE this! I love when makeup products are included in the glam packs and this lip gloss is a great one. I haven’t tried ModelCo products before but this lip gloss makes me want to. It smells incredible (like sour fruit lollies) and has a beautiful nude shimmer. Doesn’t feel too sticky and I love the doe foot applicator (as well as the mirror on the side making application on the go super easy. Great product! To buy these on SampleBar they are $19.

6. Shiseido Skincare night moisture recharge enriched

This was a 10mL sample of the night cream and I have a feeling this will go a long way as the cream is super moisturizing! I love this feel of this, smooths into my skin without feeling greasy or heavy. Love skin care products so glad this was included in this month’s box. Unfortunately the full size is $85 so unlikely I will repurchase in my current state but maybe one day once I’m rich!

All in all, I was pretty pleased with this month’s box. The toothpaste would be great if the taste was little less odd and I don’t think the lash cards are that useful for me personally but the lip gloss and the night cream were great and there was nothing I really didn’t like. I was happy that there were 6 products in total and only two of these were little samples. At the moment I am trying to decide whether to continue my subscription or put $25 a month into a product I really want so I need to decide quick about next month but this box was one of my favorites since joining.

Click here to take a look at the Sample Bar website or Here to view my first post explaining what this subscription service is

24
Jan
2013

January’s Sample Bar Glam Pack

categories: Beauty, Makeup and Beauty

Hi All! So I hate being one of those people who apologizes for a lack of blogging, especially with such a small number of readers. This blog is a source of fun and escape for me so when I am not enjoying it or when it starts to make my life more stressful time wise I see no reason to try forcing out rushed posts. I needed a bit of a break and had zero motivation to blog due to stresses in other areas of my life so blogging has been sparse and I hope that won’t be the case much longer! Anyway, here is what I received in last week’s Sample bar glam pack! I hear there is a new subscription service being launched in NZ soon so now I am torn as to whether I should pay for both, swap over or stick to sample bar hmmm.

This months box was based around the theme of jet setting or holidaying over the summer period and I was fairly happy with what we received this month although I would love a makeup product/sample to be included.

1. Steamcream: The first full size product included this month was the multi-award winning steamcream which comes in a variety of very eye-catching and cute little tins! I have seen a couple of other designs which were very cute but have to say I was very pleased to get this English design! I think a lot of people thought this would be like a multipurpose balm product but it’s definitely a beautiful lotion/moisturiser that can be kept in the handbag and used where-ever. I love the scent of lavender (but I am sure some won’t) and find the cream to be beautiful on the skin without being too greasy. The 75g tin costs $29.95 (yay for getting our $25 money’s worth!). I’m already thinking of ways I can repurpose this tin…

2. Twistband in neon green: So this is apparently some hyped up elastic accessory from the states that can be used as a hair tie or as a wrist accessory. I think I must be missing something because this looks like it could be made in a 6 year old’s craft class… Don’t get me wrong, the snag free elastic is snag free, it holds my hair up rather well and looks cuter around my wrist than a crappy little black hair tie for sure but I’m not sure I really get the hype around it. Oh well I am always in need of more hair ties! These are $2.95 individually.

3. Air Repair eye cream: I am a sucker for eye creams! I am not sure why but I love trying new ones out so I was excited to see one included and full size too yay! This is a super hydrating eye cream with aloe, allantoin, vitamin C, green tea extract and cloudberry seed (what?) but don’t ask me what all of those do. It feels soothing on the eye but I haven’t used it long enough to get a clear idea on how it works. This is $17.50 for the 15mL tube.

4. Hil Cook Solution Buds: A two pack sample of cotton buds which can be fiddled around with in order to release make up remover solution into one end which can then be used to remove any makeup accidents or smudges. A cute and useful idea for when on the go or out away from trusty make up remover and cotton balls but at $12.99 for 20 I am not sure I would spend my money on the pack.

5. Le Tan SPF 30 Coconut Lotion: Last up is another favorite! I love the coconut smell of this sunblock/lotion so was pleased to receive a mini sized tube to take with me this weekend to the Coromandel. I’m not sure if this counts as sunblock or not but I use this happily on my body to give non-greasy SPF protection that doesn’t feel or smell like sun block. This is $5.99 for the little 35mL size that fits perfectly into my handbag.

So that’s it for this month! Overall pretty happy but hope to see some makeup next month. The only things I would maybe buy again would be the eye cream as it’s not too expensive, the coconut lotion and if I could afford more steam cream I would buy it in a flash for its divine scent but most of all the tins!! I need more!

Talk to you soon

19
Dec
2012

12 Nail Polishes for Summer!

categories: Makeup and Beauty, Nail Polish

Hi All!

I always get excited when a new season arrives as I love searching through my nail polish and picking out the ones I think are well suited! Summer is my favorite nail polish season as I am a sucker for bright creams and tan-improving shimmer shades. This month I couldn’t help but also include a few neons as they have been a raging favorite this summer and although I normally don’t wear any neon at all I do enjoy a pop of it on my nails So here are 12 of my favorite colours for summer

Butter London: Slapper and OPI: Fly

First up is my favorite shade to wear in summer – a beautiful bright teal that makes my skin look tanned (not an easy feat may I add) and is bright but also a little bit different. I know these both look identical but they aren’t and I honestly couldn’t choose just one! It’s a problem, I know 😉 Slapper has more green than fly which is a tad dustier and more blue toned. Both are stunning colours year round but even more so in summer with floral dresses and beachy hair waves. It always makes me feel a little bohemian chic (my favorite style especially for summer). Both have great formulas that are perfection in two quick-drying coats.

OPI: A Roll in the Hague and Butter London: Macbeth

These are two of my favorite brights that I have been looking forward to sporting for the summer. A Roll in the Hague has been a favorite all year and is an ideal bright orange for summer. It is the right colour and tone to avoid looking halloweeny or clashing with my skin tone. Macbeth is a gorgeous pink-toned bright red (much more of a bright red than the picture would suggest). I admit I mainly got this for the name (so sue me, I’m strange) but it is a gorgeous red for summer and looks lovely on the toes!

Essie: Fiji, Essie: Knockout Pout and OPI: Kiss Me On My Tulips

Aside from teal blues which are my go to colour shade I love a nice pink polish during the summer and here are 3 I see myself using a lot this summer. Fiji is a beautiful pale pink that is great for a more demure and polished look. This pale shade again does wonders for my pale skin. Knockout Pout is a beautiful salmon pink that has a touch of coral. Not a neon but still bright and beautiful. Lastly Kiss Me On My Tulips is the hot pink of the bunch! I love this, especially on the toes, and it feels very summery to me (although it did hail from a spring collection). All of these are beautiful and formula applications are easy for Knockout Pout and Kiss Me On My Tulips whilst Fiji (being such a pale shade) is a little fussy that requires a few careful coats to get the beautiful, even pink colour. It’s worth it though

Essie: Beach Bum Blu and OPI: Cozu-Melted in the Sun

I am a cream girl when it comes to nail polish but I do love a good shimmer every now and then. Beach Bum Blu is a beautiful light blue shimmer that creates a foil-like effect and is rather mesmerizing in the sun. The OPI is a beautiful bronze/peach/rose-pink shimmer metallic that looks gorgeous with a tan and comes to life in the summer sun. Both of these are pretty sheer and require a few coats to get an opaque colour however the Essie is fairly easy. The OPI on the other hand I find slightly harder to apply nicely as it is very watery and doesn’t want to stay on my nails

Orly: Glowstick, Kleancolor: Neon Orange and L.A. Girl: Hyper

So last up here are my 3 favorite neon nail polishes for the summer. Orly Glowstick is one that was released this year and creates an eye-searing yellow highlighter shade when applied (2 sheer coats) over a nice, opaque white polish. This is my favorite of the neons as the yellow is a perfect, bright shade. Kleancolour is a great, affordable brand here in NZ with a lot of shops selling their shades for around $3 so when I saw this neon orange I picked it up straight away! If you can put up with the notorious smell of these nail polishes from Kleancolour the colour is great and the neon is satisfyingly crazy bright. These polishes consistently impress me with their opaque formulas and despite being a neon this was no exception with two coats (no white base coat) providing the perfect neon orange. Last up is the L.A. Girl neon pink. This is the least neon of the 3 which although VERY bright, doesn’t quite have the same painfully luminescent quality that the others do. The thing I adore about this polish however is that in ONE coat it is opaque. Super easy to get neon (ish) pink nails and no fussing around with a white base coat which I like.

So there are my 12 nail polish picks for Summer here in NZ! Hope you are all enjoying the last month of 2012 (no matter what the season). Please leave any of your summer essential nail polish colours in the comments as I love hearing what other people reach for this time of year The only question for me is which should I wear first?

18
Dec
2012

December Sample Bar Glam Pack

categories: Beauty, Makeup and Beauty

Another month, another Sample Bar Glam Box. After the improvements in last month’s box I was excited to see what this month’s would include and I wasn’t disappointed! I was also pleasantly surprised to receive my box before a lot of other New Zealander’s as the other times I have always got mine at the last moment. Here’s what was included this month in a box themed towards a night out with products that are supposed to help with a day full of work and then night life.

1. Ulta3 Nail Polish in the shade Honolulu (Full Size 13.5mL): I was excited to see a nail polish included being a self-confessed nail polish addict (as well as being happy to see a brand I haven’t come across here in NZ) however was a little dubious as I don’t think I have worn yellow nail polish very much, if ever. This shade is a bright sunny yellow that is sheer on the first coat but two would suffice for even coverage. I was happy with the quick drying formula and surprised with how much I like the colour. Also, this colour is PERFECTION for summer! There were a variety of shades in everyone’s boxes so I am excited to see what everyone else got! Price: $4.99 (these are all the prices to buy on samplebar)

2. Instant Le Tan in Le Can (Full Size 45mL): This was one product that I thought although a nice one to try was a little repetitive after the bronzer gel that was in last months box. For someone who doesn’t really use fake tans very often I’ll have to work hard to make sure I use up both of these products. Otherwise this product seems like an easy to apply quick tanning option that may come in handy and has a lovely smell of vanilla (I LOVE vanilla scents!). Price: $11.00

3. Show Stoppers Fashion Tape (2 nude strips): I didn’t really get what these were, being a little dim at times, but these are two double sided tapes that can be used with slightly daring or dangerous clothing to keep certain bits and bobs contained haha. Although this is a problem I don’t come across very often being a stay at home 21 yr old nanna and not having much “up there” to keep contained this does sound like it could come in handy on a rare night out. Price: $19.95 for a 24 strip pack (nude and black available).

4. So Susan Fairy Lash Mascara (Full Size): This was my absolute favorite this month as I love to try new mascaras and was glad for a full size. This month there were 4 potential So Susan products so I am looking forward to seeing what other people got and their opinions on them. I tried this mascara straight away and loved it! Firstly I think the packaging and the name is cute which always helps haha. This mascara gave my pathetic lashes volume AND length which made me very happy as I have difficulty finding a mascara that does this for me. I was very impressed The one downside was that during application I got mascara on my top lid which I don’t normally do. This might just be me finding the brush a little hard to use or maybe the formula was a little wet to start off with but after a little practice I got the hang of it. Price: Ranges from $15.99-$38.50 for the various makeup products but I don’t know how much the mascara specifically is

5. Scarlett and Greene’s Skincare Range (3 sample sachet’s): So this is a little booklet with three small sample sachets of their skincare products (probably only enough for one use). I don’t know if everyone got the same samples but I got the Come Clean cleanser and makeup remover, the Bare All breakout control wash and the Under Cover natural moisturizer with SPF15. I haven’t tried any of these yet but I like that the cleanser is soap free as I have sensitive skin, I like the natural oils and extracts that are in each product and I like the SPF in the moisturizer. All are made for young skin and are New Zealand made. I’ve never heard of this range but would be interested in purchasing the full size moisturizer and cleanser (I don’t get breakouts so the Bare All product isn’t really useful for me). Overall I like the little booklet with a few samples but sachet samples do annoy me a little as one use is never really enough to judge a product. Price: Full size products are between $28.95 and $30.99 which seems pretty expensive compared to my usual skin care products.

(thought I would include a picture of the booklet because I thought it was a cute idea)

So there are the products in this month box. I keep trying to decide whether I think it is better than last month’s and I think I would have to say it’s better for me personally but it isn’t a big difference at all. I’m excited to see what comes next month!

Let me know what you thought if you received a box this month

Click here for my original post on the Sample Bar Glam Packs

Also, these boxes were paid for in full by me and all opinions are my own and not sponsored or influenced in any way.

29
Nov
2012

Taking care of my cuticles!

categories: Beauty, Makeup and Beauty, Nail Polish

Hi all

Thought I would chuck up a quick post on my favorite products for cuticle care! Since stopping biting my nails I have become more than a little obsessed with nail polish and keeping my nails in good condition. These are 4 of my current cuticle care products, all of varying price and quality. The only other product I want to buy is Lush Lemony Flutter which I know is one of the most popular nail care products but $20 is a little expensive and I rarely go to a Lush store. Anyhow here are the ones I do have I apologize in advance for the rather decrepit state of these but they often travel around and my handbag is not a gentle environment stuffed with books, nail files and goodness knows what else.

First up is another huge favorite on the internet, Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream. This is one of my favorites and the reason why I don’t bother with lemony flutter. This cuticle balm (not a cream as in the name, much more of a solid oil based product) is moisturizing without being overly greasy and I love the scent! It smells like fresh lemon juice, subtle and citrusy. This is a handbag staple for me. Also a little goes a long way so despite the slightly higher price tag compared to the others I think the value is still pretty good. My only negative for this product is the lid can be a pain in the ass to get off and sometimes it is hard to get enough product on your finger to rub on the cuticles.

Orly’s Cuticle Oil is another product I would repurchase as soon as it runs out. This is what I tend to use when I am doing nails at home or putting oil on near all my nail polish stuff as it’s not so easy to carry around in a bag. This is just a liquid oil which has a brush like any of their other nail care products, making application very easy and hassle-free. I love the smell of this, a soft and sweet citrus scent! And its great for massaging into the nails and cuticles, providing quite long lasting moisture. I believe this retails for around $9 at places like Farmers which I think is quite reasonable as I have had this for ages and use it all the time but it is still half full.

Badger Cuticle Care Balm: This is a similar product to the Burt’s Bee’s in that it is an oily formula in a tin that is easy to chuck in the handbag. The differences for me are that this product is a little less solid and more oily which means I feel it moisturizes better but also is greasier so I tend not to use when on the go/in a rush. It is a lot easier to get product out as it is a slightly softer texture. I love this brand as all their balms are full of organic ingredients! Keep an eye out for one of their products coming up in November favorites! I would rate this above Burt’s Bees purely because it is cheaper and yet bigger in size. Also I think I slightly prefer the smell (a fresh, lemongrass scent) however it is a lot stronger so maybe not so great for those sensitive to strong smells. Definitely recommend giving this or any of their other products a try.

Last up is the newest addition to my cuticle care range: Sally Hansen Cuticle Cream. I picked this up as it was only $8 from the local postie plus. This is definitely a cream, not a balm and I like that it isn’t to greasy and feels quite moisturizing. The smell is pleasant and not too strong and there are lots of oils and what nots to keep the nails healthy.However, of all 4 this is my least favorite and the only one I probably wouldn’t bother getting again. Firstly this was pretty much the contents of the pot when I opened the packaging and to me that is a pretty pathetic amount of cream (whereas the Lemony Flutter cream despite being expensive has a lot more product and would last a lot longer). Its possible I got a dud but who knows. Secondly I prefer some of the other organic products over this as they feel better on my skin in the long term whereas the moisturizing qualities of this wear off pretty quickly. Lastly…well I probably have enough products and don’t need one that I don’t think is quite up to the standards of the other three (might save up for Lush instead). Not a bad product, just not a favorite.

Overall Winner? It was tough to choose between top three but in the end I think the Badger Cuticle Balm is the best value for money! The tubs are only around $10 which is very reasonable considering the large size, great quality and use of organic products.

I have next month a full nail care post with some of my favorite products e.g. base coats, cuticle removers etc in case anyone is interested

What do you use for cuticle care?

22
Nov
2012

November Sample Bar Glam Pack

categories: Beauty, Makeup and Beauty

Hi all!

Middle of the month means the new Sample Bar Box (okay actually it’s a bit after the middle of the month but mine was one of the last to arrive, luckily its contents were worth the wait). This month had a them around Glow seeing as it is pretty much summer. I was pleasantly surprised with this month’s box as the previous launch box was okay but not mind=blowing yet I was much happier with this month’s products.

If you are in NZ and want the details of Sample Bar Box just click on over to my previous post

The first product and the only full size one is this Trilogy Self Tanning Instant Bronzing Gel. I have never used Trilogy products but have heard good things. Normally Bronzers/self-tanners terrify me a little so I’m looking forward to see how easy this is to work with. I also like the fact it uses natural additives as the active ingredients and includes aloe vera for moisture and hydration as well as Vitamin E.

This full size product costs $35.90

Possibly my favorite thing in the box is this 45g sample of Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner by Lush. I have never really bought Lush products despite loving them from afar yet lately I have been picking up/been given a few things so I was so happy to see something else to try! This is supposed to be used in the shower but to be honest so far I have just used it like a moisturizer and it is amazing! Smells delicious (cocoa butter with a little rose) and feels amazing on the skin. I will find it hard to resist purchasing this once the sample runs out.

Full size (225g) is $39.90

Okay so when I saw a Marvis toothpaste sample in the box I was a little disappointed I mean I just grab the cheapest at the supermarket and that is the extent of my toothpaste market research. However! This is actually another favorite along with the body conditioner which was a total surprise to me haha. I am ecstatic with the scent (Cinnamon Mint) which smells exactly like the Cinnamon mints from Eclipse. I am in love with this and the fact it’s from a fancy Italian brand makes it even better haha.

The full size (75mL) is from $14.50-17.50 and I am seriously tempted to buy full size but in the end it is jut toothpaste and I may have some difficulty convincing Edd this is worth it…

Next up is a very cute mini Lipstick from the brand Savoir Faire which I haven’t heard of before (ah the joy of beauty boxes!). The shade is perfect for summer as its a nude brown colour that is quite flattering for me. The size is perfect for shoving in my over stuffed makeup bag.

The full size price for these lipsticks is only $9.95 which seems quite cheap!

So last up is a sachet sample of Bump Eraiser which apparently removes ingrown hairs (as well as preventing them) and will also moisturize and exfoliate, perfect just prior to using the bronzing gel. Sounds like a good product but I don’t think one small sample will be quite enough to judge it’s effectiveness. We shall see!

The full size price is $27.50 for a 30mL tube.

All these products can be purchased on the Sample Bar website in case you missed out on the box or want to grab any of the featured products.

All in all I was really happy with this months box. All were from brands I don’t normally buy from and I thought value for money was very pleasing to the wallet or the boyfriend haha. Let me know what you thought If you are subscribed!

13
Nov
2012

First experience with MUA

categories: Beauty, Makeup and Beauty, Nail Polish

Hi All!

So this is basically a haul post and first impressions/review of this mountain of MUA products I received last week. A couple of weeks ago this UK based makeup company had a Halloween sale where if you spent over ten pounds you received three free gift products. Needless to say that was all the convincing I needed to place my first ever order with them and try out a bunch of their products. This brand of makeup is known for being low in price but pretty high on quality and considering a lot of their products are between 1-4 pounds it was hard to resist. Anyway, here is what I got and what my thoughts are so far

First up here are the 3 gift products they were giving away. First up is their trio eyeshadow in Smoke Screen. These three shimmery shades are rather gorgeous and very pigmented. I don’t often do extreme eye looks but I’m looking forward to trying this combo on a night out. Second was one of their 1 pound nail polishes in shade 8 which is a rather nice pink-toned red. I haven’t tried this yet so not sure what the quality is like. Last up in the gifts is an eyeliner (not a lip-liner like I first thought) in the shade Bright Orange. This is so smooth and pigmented! I was pretty surprised. Now I just have to figure out how to use it in an eye look…I don’t normally rock orange liner but this is such a nice product I feel I have to try!

Blusher in Shade 4 and Mosaic Bronzer in Natural Glow
So the first two products I chose were a blush and a bronzer (I actually have never owned a bronzer, weird right?). The blush was £1 and is a small size but a gorgeous pink colour with some peachy undertones that I was looking for coming into summer.There’s a bit of fallout when I apply this and its not hugely pigmented but I love the colour and for me a subtle and buildable blush is better than a highly pigmented one purely due to lack in application skills haha. The Mosaic bronzer (£2.50) is in the shade Natural Glow and has a mix of pink, brown, taupe and gold shades that blend to create a nice subtle bronzer that luckily works well on my skin tone. Keen to start using this to bronze up a little over the summer.

Gel Eyeliner in On The Move and Mega Volume Mascara in Black Waterproof
I have never tried gel eyeliner before so decided to grab one of theirs for £3 in the shade On The Move. Seriously, this colour is gorgeous! A stunning rich brown with copper shimmer throughout it. Seems really pigmented but I haven’t tried this for a whole day so unsure as to how well it will last. Comes with a little brush tucked away in the lid. The mascaras on MUA are £3 and I was interested in giving one a go so decided on the Mega Volume Mascara (waterproof). I’ve used this a couple of times and I like it a lot but it’s not mega volumising on my lashes. For me it gives my lashes really nice definition with little clumping and provides a little bit of extra length and volume but not to any dramatic extent which is kind of what I was hoping for. Definitely still a mascara i’ll use up quite happily but could have done a bit more volume wise.

Undressed 12 Shade Eyeshadow Palette
Last up for the eyes is probably the product I was most excited to try. This is the undressed eye shadow palette which is a teeny £4 for 12 amazing neutral shades! This palette contains quite a few close dupes for some of the Naked shades with the shimmers being amazingly close from what I can tell but the matte shades are definitely less pigmented despite being lovely colours. I love the variety of shades in here with a dark metallic navy, a rich golden shimmer to pale pinks and champagnes. Absolutely stunning! Below are some swatches of some of my favorites on the palette but you can also see a great review here.

Left to Right: Shades 8, 9, 7, 6, 12, 1

Hot Lips Lip Balm and Nail Varnish in UR FAB
Next are two of the products I chose from their Love Hearts range which I thought was such a cute concept! I grabbed one of their tinted lip balms in Hot Lips which is a stunning hot pink that gives a pink flush to my lips that looks pretty natural. Not hugely moisturizing but cute right? The nail polish I chose after putting every single on into my basket was UR FAB which is a warm pink colour. Not sure how to describe it but pretty close to the photo really. These were £2 each.

Lipsticks in Shade 3 and Shade 1
Okay up to my last products finally! These are my favorites in tie with the undressed palette. These two lipsticks were £1 each. I expected rather little for such a tiny price tag but I seriously adore both of these. Shade 1 is the rich red which has a bit of a pink tone to it once on my lips and shade 3 is a gorgeous hot pink that is almost neon. These aren’t drying, are hugely pigmented and last a decent time on my lips without much bleeding into the lines around my lips. Tempted to get all 16 of these lipsticks for such a small price but I’ll resist for the moment haha!

Shade 1 and Shade 2 Lipsticks

Well there is my pretty extensive “haul” from MUA and there’s so much I love and not much I don’t so overall I was pretty pleased! In NZD this came to around $50 including the shipping so not too bad considering the huge amount of products I got. In England MUA is known as a pretty amazing brand but I think people overseas and here in NZ/Australia should definitely look into their products especially some of their eyeshadow palettes and their lipsticks. No more shopping for me that’s for sure!

08
Nov
2012

October Empties

categories: Beauty, Makeup and Beauty

Hi All!

So I don’t normally do empties posts and to be honest am still second guessing this but I enjoy reading other peoples and what is a blog good for if I can’t try things out? I don’t use heaps of makeup and beauty items so this is less of a monthly empties and more a every couple of months or so but we’ll see how it goes

1. Health Basics Nourish Nail Polish Remover: This is my go to nail polish remover because it is cheap (around $3) but works well. Contains acetone which is a must for me as I don’t want to spend forever trying to scrub off my polish but I don’t find it super drying and just make sure I moisturize my hands and cuticles after. Repurchase? Yup!

2. OPI Top Coat: So I liked this for a while but as you can see there is a bit left that is almost impossible to use and bubbles like crazy once I get it out anyway. Before it went bad I found it did a fine job but considering its $25 price tag I think their are better alternatives. Repurchase? Nope.

3. Aveeno Intense Relief Hand Cream with Colloidal Oatmeal: I was so sad when I finished this! I thought this handcream was perfection. Extremely hydrating and not at all too greasy. One of the few handcreams that would last me through all sorts of handwashing and dishes and still leave my hands feeling hydrated. No fragrance but that means it was perfect for my sensitive skin. At around $8 it’s reasonably priced so I will definitely repurchase.

4. Lucas PawPaw Ointment: Everyone and their Great Aunt knows about this miracle product. Although I go through phases with this pawpaw ointment I always have one on hand and lately it has become another handbag essential. Although there are other brands I personally love this one and don’t care particularly about its criticisms so long as I feel it works for me. Repurchase? Already had a spare one lined up!

5. Revlon ColorStay Liquid Liner: This was okay but not my favorite eye liner. I find others a bit easier to use like the Maybelline Liquid precise (or something) so a repurchase is probably not on the cards.

6. Garnier SOS Repairing Hand Cream: So in case you haven’t gathered I love hand cream. I get eczema especially when I’m stressed and my hands often get very dry and red. So a good handcream that won’t cause further irritation is an essential. This one was fine, cheap at around $4 but the moisture wasn’t super long lasting and with a few out there I like better (see above) I probably won’t bother repurchasing.

7. Pantene Pro-V Night Miracle Leave On Cream Serum: I don’t use many hair products if any at all other than shampoo and conditioner but this is something I bought on a whim, as you do, and it was pretty good. Using it as an overnight leave in serum, especially on my dry ends, made them a bit more manageable in the morning but it was nothing mind blowing. Repurchase? Maybe if I see it on special but will probably try something different instead.

Well that’s it! Let me know what you think of these posts and whether they are worth doing? I know some people will have no time for beauty blogs but I enjoy tuning out from life to indulge in some shallow beauty posts 😉

Hope you are all having a lovely week

xxx

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