Essence Stay All Day Eye Shadow

It's no secret how much I love Essance as a brand, but recently I picked up this little beauty for about $5.95.

It reminds me a bit of the Maybelline Tattoo Colours (I know that's not their full names, but its what I'm calling them) but its a thicker cream based product and goes on smoothly and easily, blends reasonably well. I always find with the Maybelline colours I have to pat them on to achieve good colour, but with this one I can swipe it on, I use my finger because its easier.

See, creamy formula.This colour is called Steel the Show, and sadly the only one that my local Target seems to have.

This is not a great swatch but it is a really lovely metalic grey, gun metal kind of colour.

It does exactly what it says, lasts all day, I have no issues with any creasing or colour disapearing and I didn't use a primer of any kind!

 I've been teaming this with a black gel liner and a (also Essence) highlighter in the inner corners.  (which I will be reviewing soon)

All in all for $6 you can't go wrong!

Makeup Course Week 10

This week was 'makeup for photography' which sounds quite vague to me, I know the principles of makeup for photography, I can read books you see, but what exactly was I going to do? well, I decided to do something reatively normal, an everyday look, but the eyeliner wasn't playing ball, for the love of makeup, it just didn't sit right, the more I tried the more I couldn't get it right, but at the same time, couldn't work out what was wrong, my model, Sarah said she had no idea what I was talking about...but I knew....so I took my frustrations out with colour....

Sarah's before:

Then Sarah after much annoyance at things not going right and then the green liner being chunky and yuck... tisk, why is the teal gross? Its the best colour!!!

Annnd my fave pic of the night:

And another which is good but very pasty... crappy lighting....

All in all I have heaps of fun, as I always do, I think though I should stick to some 'safe' looks for a while... :)

Thanks Sarah!!!

Face on Australia Sheer Gloss Lip Crayons

Face on Australia Sheer Gloss Lip Crayons

 

What they say:

Lip colour has never been so fun and sweet with Face of Australia's NEW Sheer Gloss Lip Crayons.  These wind-up lip tints are smooth, moisturizing and smell like vanilla!

Treat your lips to mouth-watering moisture and a hint of shine. In 3 super delectable shades these lip crayons are also infused with a vanilla scent.

Features & Benefits

• Sheer gloss colour that is moisturising & non sticky
• Glides on smoothly
• Light-as-a-feather lip tints
• Convenient wind up applicator

Basically, its a chunky crayon style lippie.  I hear they are a brilliant knock off of a Clinique Chubby Stick, I wouldn't know, I've never so much as tried one...

They come in a pack of 3, a nude colour 'Sundae', a pretty pink 'Cupcake' and a redish pink 'Macaron' .

 These are HYPER moisturising, like amazingly so, almost too much, when I wear lip balm to bed, I wake up feeling kinda greasy feel around my lips, these do this after a few minutes. 

They do have a cute vanilla scent, but sadly this comes with a weird 'taste' like lippie sometimes does.  The colours are brilliant and very functional for everyday.  They crayon side of things makes they super easy to apply and the wind up capability is great because I can NEVER find a sharpener when I need one.

 

All in all, I actually really like them, my lips feel like they are being nourished while I'm wearing them and the colours are fab for any situation AND the price? Fab.

 

RRP $14.95 and available from Face of Australia stockists (if you can find any left, they're pretty popular.)

Brush Hauling

 Anyone who knows me will tell you I'm a makeup brush whore.  I love them, I lust after them, and I cannot get enough!!! Partly because hat to have to clean them often but dirty brushes are gross and partly because I'm constantly searching for that one Holy Grail brush to complete my life collection.  I buy all kinds of brushes, a bit like my philosophy on makeup, I believe that if you limit yourself to only higher end brushes, you miss out on some fine ones.  Anyway, having seen a bit about them, I decided to bite the bullet and purchase these babies:

Aren't they soooo pretty, I've used the powder one so far and I love it, I will eventually get around to using them all, I have at least washed them all already.  Yes I wash brand new brushes, who knows where they're been?

So far I can tell you they're super soft and I LOVE the nifty stand thing...SO clever.

Frugal Fridays on Makeup Utopia

My next series of articles for Makeup Utopia is one names 'Frugal Friday' my basic aim is to show that a small price tag, does not necessarily mean its shit.  We pay a premium for many 'drug store' brands here, brands like Revlon are pennies in the US compared with the prices here, but we do not question the quality the same way we might something that costs us on par here. 
I often get very surprised looks in class and conversations with people when they go on an lengths about this $40 product of that $25 product and I say 'Yeah, but Essence (for example) have a version of it, that I think is just as good but for $5'  Seriously, I get open mouth stares and comments like 'So you don't care what brand of makeup you buy?'. Its not that I don't care, I believe if a product does its job and lives up to its claim and is $10 why shouldn't I?  If its crap and $40 I won't use it either.  For me, its more about how I use it that what it cost, who's name is on it, or the packaging.
So, join me in the challenge, we're set up a forum with fab space for discussion, feel free to comment below or join us over there.
I did have a FOTD using only (except foundation) products under $10, but the photos were taken on my phone and for some reason, no matter how I try or what I do or what I see when I open them, they will not stay the right way up....infuriating.