Tuesday 15 November 2011

Everyone loves a sale...

We all know I love Medusa's Makeup.  Currently they have a 'sale' of sorts on.
Just use the code 'rocknroll' at the check out to get your 15% off.  Not sure how long this code will be vaild for so just give it a try.

This is a great opportunity to try some of their great products at a reduced price!!!

Bellapierre; most certainly bella.

Mineral makeup isn't new, it is just suddenly readily available.  During one of my spending sprees on OzsaleBuy Invite or Brands Exclusive (I forget which one but all 3 regularly carry the products) I purchased a Bellapierre 'Get Started Kit', because it looked cool, and it seemed like a good buy for 4 products and 3 brushes. 
When it arrived I was excited, but when I opened the box and saw a DVD, it put me off, I mean, what the hell kind of product comes with an instructional DVD? Terrifying.

This evening I decided to bite the bullet and watch the DVD, most of it was promotional blurb, which is annoying, I've already bought the product, stop trying to sell it to me.
However I did get a helpful tip, use the concealer brush to do under the eyes first, really I thought, a powder concealer? hmmm...

So I followed the basic instructions; powder on brush, tap, buff etc WOW, I was amazed, not convinced by my opinion I did what any self respecting makeup fanatic would do....I did half my face and asked my mum for her opinion...she's not backwards about disliking many of the makeup looks I create, she is at least nice enough to say things like 'well, it wouldn't be my taste, but I suppose you can get away with it' or 'mm hmm' which I firmly believe is her version of "if you have nothing nice to say...say nothing" NOT THIS TIME this time, I got 'I agree, it looks good, come closer, yeah, its fabulous, I'll let you do my makeup with that sometime' Well, you can't get better praise than that in this house.

I have got some other things by the same company, some glitter and a liquid liner you can dunk in them to create any colour liner, eventually I'll try those, but in the mean time, I'm pretty happy with this lot. 

A few things worth mentioning; is that this kit is unlikely to ever be a 'just throw it on in the morning' type makeup, its too messy to do quickly, although, it doesn't exactly take ages.  I also believe there is a pressed version available for quick mess free application.  All details can be found on the Bellapierre website.

Finally just to give a further example of how much I liked how this looked, I took a heap of pictures to show but they all sucked due to bad lighting, but, I was willing to show my face....

Oh, and powder concealer... yes, it works, under eyes, blemishes all manner of sins, who'd have thunk it....

Picture courtesy of Bellapierre because my photos refused to load but I had to rave about this product.

NB: I've just checked the website, it says this kit retails for $200.... I DID NOT PAY THAT. So, if you're interested, keep your eyes open for the deals.  Now I know how good it is I will too, I'll post on my twitter if I spot a sale.

Monday 14 November 2011

Number 10.

I'm not naming names here, I don't name and shame in public....but recently I bought a lipstick I thought would be my number 1.  I'm constantly looking for the perfect red and I thought this was it.  I tried the tester then had to go to 4 different shops because they were all out. 
Brilliant colour, great finish, good price, BAD TASTE in my mouth. 
I love a long lasting lippie as much as the next slightly-lazy-likely-to-be-drinking-wine-and-therefore-forget/fail-the reapplying-process BUT why? oh why? oh why? do they have to leave such an awful taste in your mouth and the back of your throat?  I wore mine all night, I did have a few alcoholic drinks which no doubt made the staying power falter, and that in turn perhaps meant I consumed more lippie than normal, but surely when they develop lippie they expect this?  Are you seriously expected to wear BRIGHT RED lip stick just to stay at home and look pretty, don't talk...don't move, don't touch that glass...I doubt it, especially if it is advertised by a model particularly known for her partying...(I could make a statement about not putting lipstick up your nose, but you know, its too easy) anyway, when I got home I brushed my teeth TWICE and rinsed with mouthwash, it was still there...creepily creeping.


OK so maybe the trek to 4 different shops built this product up in my mind, and maybe I should give it a 2nd chance when I'm not out, or at least not out having drinks... maybe it  IS worth a 2nd try, that's just HOW MUCH I love this colour.


OK, sorry, rant over.

Jozelle Alginate & Vitamin E Mask

I was lucky enough to get to review a product for Makeupnet recently, it was a Jozelle Alginate & Vitamin E Mask.
Here's what I said:
The mask itself was easy to make up once you got passed the technical terms used in the instructions,  I’m a scientist so I understood them fully but sadly I do not have access to a still at home to use distilled water, so given we are on tank water I opted for cooled boiled water as this was the purest I could manage.  Given the basis of the mask and the warnings about seafood allergies I expected a seaweedy smell at the very least but was pleasantly surprised to find it was just really clean smelling, light and fresh.
Application of the mask was easy and quite fun too, it was lovely and cooling when placed on the face, once it started to dry it began to tighten but it was a gentle tightening feeling rather than something harsh like a lot of peel off masks.  We waited a little while and then peeling off the mask time.  This bit was fun in a creepy way.  On the inside of the mask it was visible where it had been, every pore and line appeared.  On my skin it felt smooth and lovely but the real magic was when I took it off my mother’s 60+, somewhat sun damaged face and the difference was visible immediately.  The skin appeared lighter and certainly visibly smoother, any redness had gone and I certainly believe a few of the lines,  I was amazed.  Needless to say I jumped onto the computer to see how much this mask would set us back, I was pleasantly surprised to see it was not going to cost an arm and a leg.
Sadly the following morning most of the magic hard worn off but the smoothness and the lack of redness was still visible.  Given the time this mask took to make up, apply and use I was very pleased with the results and will certainly be buying it in the future.

Yes yes readers, a little more formal than my usual rants about stuff I like, but remember, I was a guest in someone else's blog....
Anyway, it was an amazing mask, anyone who knows me knows I'm not selling my fake opinion...

Trying to be organised...

I do try to be organised and these babies help A LOT!
This is a Z-Palette, its a fully customisable palette with a magnetic base, it means you can de-pot your shadows and blushes and put them all in this one place(or in my case, 4 places).  They have a clear top so you can see your colours and they will hold about 28 MAC sized shadows but you can obviously place any size of shape of shadow in these, which means you can buy refills which are so much cheaper.  If the pans are not magnetic you will need some magnetic tape of paper, you can get them from the website of try your local craft store.

All the information and to buy them go to the Z-Palette website and international shipping is available.  For an extra 10% off, find these guys on Facebook and 'like' them. 

If you have even just a few eye shadows but you're sick of opening and closing them when creating a look, these are well worth looking into.

More Beauty on a Budget

DB is a relatively new, low budget brand but I LOVE IT.  I recently partook in an international makeup swap (as soon as I get my goodies, expect pictures! see what Glamtrotter says here) I wanted a good mix of brands, so I sent some beloved Furless brushes, some Chi Chi and some Australis, because it practically has Australia in the name (it was all going to the US) and some DB just to make it up to the dollar amount we had agreed on.  The feed back on the highlighter was phenomenal, Amber compared it with Benefit High Beam, which retails in Australia for around $50+ price range, the DB one was free with purchase, but nothing in the DB range is over $20.

Recently, I've been trying their eye makeup.
This palette came with a free eye primer so I can comment on its performance too.
These eye shadows are really pigmented.  I'm so in love with the pink I even wore it to work.

They're great and really really affordable.  (If memory serves me right they were abourt $6)

The eye primer is good, between the primer and the quality if these shadows my eye makeup manged a full work day and then some, so over 12 hrs.  It feels a little slimy on your fingers and I will admit it feels sticky on the lids at first, but then I'm used to UD Primer Potion and Too Faced Shadow Insurance so I'm probably being overly critical.  I couldn't find the price on a shadow primer but as the rest of the line is pretty cheap I think its safe to assume this will be too.  I personally have decided that this primer is wonderful for every day and I can preserve my UD and Too Faced for the times when I REALLY need a hard working primer.

On the whole you can't go wrong with these shadows.  They are priced well enough that even if you only want a specific colour for 1 night they it won't break the bank.

Makeup Sources

I have always believed that the source of makeup does not determine its quality, I've had some super expensive eyeshadows which lack pigment, and I've had some cheap ones that rocked socks... 
I refuse to believe that 'Drug-store' brands such as those you will find in your local chemist, Target or K-mart are of any less value to a makeup lover than the likes of MAC, Urban Decay or Too Faced.  I think they all have a place,  To be honest, if I gave up on the 'drug-store' brands I'd have nowhere to buy makeup locally (well almost). 

If I read in a blog 'I don't believe in drug-store brands' I close it.  In Australia, the difference between a Revlon lip stick and a MAC one could be as little as $10.  The truth is that makeup is expensive here, and with that I present "Kink"

Kink is sold at Coles, which means its easy to get and so totally goes down as 'grocery items' in your budget right?

At about $6 each and more often than not, on a 3 for 2 special (ooo free) that makes them incredibly affordable.  Sadly the 3rd picture of my nice neutral coloured eyeshadow in its packet didn't load BUT i have this:

Its a really nice neutral beige light brown (i don't like the work beige) with a hint of sparkle about it.  I love if for under any colour and as an all over lid colour for work.  Its simple, clean but with just a little shimmer.

Cheap and functional, perfect for an every day eyeshadow.  Check out Kink at your local Coles There is no way to write that and it not sound seedy.  Silly name, good product, check it out.

Limecrime Haul and Review

Firstly, unless you have had your head in the sand, you have probably seen HEAPS about Limecrime, probably because they are brilliant.
They are available from a few online stores but i chose to get most of my things from the Limecrime website.  They have some amazing colours of eyeshadows but also some rather unique lip sticks. 
Firstly they arrive in a cool box.  I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but if the cover is cool its OK right?
Excuse the blurriness, my camera only seems to make things blurry when the detail is required....

I bought 5 'Magic Dusts':
Troubadour; which is a lovely light teal sort of colour. 
Empress; which I can best describe as a sparkly lush 'Cadbury' dark purple.
Medusa; which is a sort of black shot with blue and silver shimmers.
Mirror Mirror; which is a true sparkly silver.
Twilight; which is a lovely sparkly lavender colour.


Again, sorry about the blurry but the colours should be clear enough.

I love these products, my only wish is that they had been around when I was younger and had more time to use them, I don't think my work would be too impressed if I showed up in Troubadour and Empress...although I might do it one Friday just for fun.

Another note about these products is they are all vegan and completely cruelty free.

If you like your colours, and experimenting with them, these are well worth a try, if you are looking for conservative makeup that won't offend your boss, please see my next post.

Not a Lip Gloss Lady.

I can't wear white, I always get it dirty, I can't get out of a car with my knees together, I said the "F word" ALOT so it probably comes as no surprise I'm not the girliest girl.  With my inability to act like a lady I have also grown to dislike lip gloss....I'm getting there, but I just can't take the sticky feeling, I CAN NOT un-stick my hair from it without looking stupid....I'm not a fan.... BUT THEN Furless came to my rescue.  We all know I can't rave more about their products, I send them to strangers in other lands (here's the proof) I share their posts on Facebook to advertise them to my international friends, I LOVE their products. 
Included in one of my orders was a lip gloss, a Pout Glamour lip gloss to be precise, I tried it- its free, can't hurt.  OMG its lovely, sort of minty and NOT STICKY!!!! It doesn't have a colour written on it but its lush.  Well worth a go...