Free Samples

I love free samples, they're great 1. Because they're free. Duh.  but 2. Because it means I get a chance to try out new products before potentially spending a large amount of money. 
My fave is Clinique, they have a huge and wonderful range of products BUT they're not cheap.  However if you know it will be worth the splurge its different.  My best example of this is my moisturiser.  I couldn't find one that didn't cause a reaction until one day my mum gave me the sample bottle of Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion.  It was bliss, so for my Christmas she got me a full size bottle.  Like I say, its not cheap BUT it lasts about a year and it didn't give me any problems and to this day, still hasn't.  Go ahead ask as the beauty counters.  Tell them the problem/s you have i.e. sensitive skin, super dry, really oily and let them find the right product and hopefully a sample.

This is just an example of the gift with purchase offers clinique have, you usually have to spend over $60 but look at the number and range of products you get FREE!!

Check it out here

The Purple Power Makeup Brush set from Furless.com

So for my first product review I have decided on the brush set that arrived in the mail this morning.  I haven't had a chance to use them yet but i was just so excited by what I recieved that I couldn't wait.

Firstly, when they arrived they were wrapped like this

 Pretty special I thought, so I carefully unwrapped the paper to discover a beautiful purple pouch

 On the inside was a rather lovely selection of 7 brushes.  I had my doubts when I ordered them, they were only $29.95 and I do have the old school view that natural bristles are better, softer, last longer etc etc etc...

However... These are vegan brushes and I have a fair number of brushes of various types and I think I'm safe in saying these are possibly the softest I currently own.  If I hadn't been at work I may have sat brushing them up and down my face for most of the day.  I can't speak for their functionality...yet... but if they are half as easy to use as they are soft I'll be laughing.  Also, less than $30....and in a cool purple colour and a nice case that isn't a brush roll (I hate those, they annoy me, the flap that serves to protect the brushes inevitably gets in my way and i can guarantee that at least one of my brushes will have been smooshed into a strange shape by the rolling)
The set consists of:

• Large Powder Brush
• Angled Contour Brush
• Foundation Brush
• Angled Fluffy Eyeshadow Blending Brush
• Fluffy Eyeshadow Brush
• Angled Liner Brush
• Small Eyeshadow/Concealer Brush
• Lip Brush

The lip brush comes with a really awesome cover too.  I found (on the Furless website) this YouTube review, its long an waffly but if what if i haven't said enough, this chick sure will. Purple Power Brushes review
Also Worth mentioning is that if you spend more than $80 on the Furless site at the moment, you will get these brushes free.

Get your brushes here

The birth of Makeup and Smell the Coffee

I LOVE MAKEUP.  There I said it.  I have a ridiculous amount of makeup.  I had a big sister, she never taught me how to use it, so most of my experience involved trial and error.  Then the internet came along and suddenly there are people all over the world teaching me how to do smokey eyes in 7 different colour variations.  Others offering reviews on a massively expensive eye shadow pallette that you can't get in Australia anyway... most of it made me sad.  So I decided to start this blog.  I will review ordinary products you might find in any chemist as well as the more high end luxury items.  I will of course be reviewing items that are easily accessible in Australia, even if  by post.  I will also keep you all updated on my amazing makeup finds, either because they are wonderful or well priced or hopefully both.  If I get time I also fully intend on having some step by step tutorials or the picture by picture kind.  I find these easier to follow than a video but also I think they give a better idea of where you're headed for the final look.  With that I hope everyone who reads my blog either learns something or gains something or simply enjoys the read.