Review - Notoriously Morbid Duo Chrome Loose Eyeshadows

Hiya Everyone :-)

Hope everyone is doing well today.  So, my review today is another foray into the world of indie cosmetics.  Through Makeuptalk (I really should stay away from that place......), I found out about an Indie brand called Notoriously Morbid, which people seemed to love.  I quickly jumped onto their website, and after a teeny tiny look around, I placed my first order.  I requested eye safe duo chrome eyeshadows only, and this is what they sent.



 L - R Wayward Son, Look Upon Me, Evil Eye, It's the Riche, Lizard on a Window Pane, Bad Juju, Walking on Sunshine

 

 

Wayward Son

Ingredients

Titanium Dioxide, tin oxide, silica, mica, ferric ferrocyanide, magnesium stearate, lauroyl lysine

 

Wayward Son is an icy blue with a bright green duo chrome.  The powder is very light and kicks up a lot when applied with a dry brush.  This powder really needs a sticky base to look its best, as I had trouble with it applying to the skin.  This is a really beautiful colour.

 

Not lip safe, vegan

 

Look Upon Me

Ingredients

Manganese ammonium, pyrophosphate, mica, titanium dioxide, iron oxide, tin oxide, carmine, magnesium stearate.

 

Possibly my favourite of the dusts I received.  Look Upon Me is a cool-ish mid tone brown with a lavender purple duochorme.  This looks and applies stunning.  While it was still a light powder, it didn't fly around as much as Wayward Son.  The pigmentation was nice applied dry without a primer, but I did it would be extraordinary applied with either a base or wet.  Love it, love it, love it!

 

Evil Eye

Ingredients

Titanium dioxide, tin oxide, silica, mica, carmine, Red #40, magnesium myristate, magnesium stearate.

 

Evil Eye is a  dusty pink with a muted light green duochrome.  It is a lovely wearable pink, that can be worn with the fear of the colour making the wearer look sick.  Pigmentation wasn't fabulous, but once again, apply wet or with a primer, the colour would have much more impact.

 

Its the Riche

Ingredients

Mica, titanium dioxide, yellow #5 al lake, palmitic acid, hydrogenated polyisobutene, preservatives, tin oxide, iron oxide, silica, synthetic flurophylogopite

 

Its the Riche is a mustard yellow with a slight pink duochrome.  I didn't find this dust to be very pigmented, and it was fairly dusty - not my think at all.  That being said though, I don't wear yellow eyeshadow, so its more personal preference than anything else.

 

Vegan

 

 Lizard on a Window Pan

Ingredients

Titanium dioxide, mica, magnesium stearate, magnesium myristrate, tin oxide, iron oxide, carmine

 

My other favourite of the colours I received.  Lizard on a Window Pane is a cool toned taupe-ish brown, with a muted green duo chrome.  I think that applied perfectly dry, but the intensity could be upped with a primer, or by applying wet.  This is such a beautiful shade, and I would happily wear it to work

 

Bad Juju

Ingredients

Mica, titanium dioxide, carmine, iron oxide, ultramarine, magnesium stearate

 

Holy crap on a cracker, this dust is B E A U T I F U L.  You may well ask if its so beautiful, why isn't it one of my favourites..... this is purely due to wearability.  Bad Juju is a rusty red (colour of the dirt in the Australian Outback), shot through with a lavender duo chrome.  This dust was very pigmented applied dry - so much so that my skin was stained after I removed the colour (less than 5 minutes of wear on the swatch), so that may be something to consider.  I wish I could wear this colour, but it just looks horrible on my colouring.

 

Not lip safe

 

Walking on Sunshine

Ingredients

Manganese violet, mica, titanium dioxide, tin oxide, ferric ferrocyanide, lauroyl lysine

 

Yes another gorgeous shade - seriously I got zero duds in the colours I received.  Walking on Sunshine is a beautiful mid tone violet purple, with an aqua duo chrome.  I don't know if its because I received this dust in full size, but the product does seem to be denser in texture than the sample colours I received - and in my opinion all the better for it.  Walking on Sunshine applied smoothly, and had lovely pigmentation.

 

Overall?

The overriding feature in all the dusts I received (besides Walking on Sunshine) is that the powder is very light and can be a bit messy to apply - however this isn't uncommon with eyeshadow dusts.  Like most dusts, the pigmentation, longevity and creasing can be improved with the use of a good eyeshadow primer (Walking on Sunshine would look awesome applied over a black base I think.... mental note to try that).

 

I do prefer my Inglot Pigments to these, but that probably isn't a fair comparison as the above shades don't pretend to be pigments.  That being said, I really liked the colours I receive and the formulation's, so much so that I have subscribed to the Notoriously Morbid Vanishing Cabinet monthly subscription. 

 

I think this company produces really interesting and unique products that are harder to come by in the "commercial" cosmetics world - and at a great price!  I would highly recommend checking them out.

 

Available at Notoriously Morbid

Urban Decay Perversion Mascara

Hiya

Hope everyone is having a great Saturday.  Its a lovely Spring day here on the West Coast of Australia.

Today I have a review of the Urban Decay Perversion mascara sample that came as a gift with purchase when I purchased the Vice 3 palette from the Urban Decay website.

Ingredients

Aqua (Water/Eau), Synthetic Beeswax, Acacia Senegal Gum, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax (Cera Carnauba/Cire de Carnuba), Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Polybutene, VP/Eicosene Copolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Potassium Sorbate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Soluble Collagen, Myristic Acid, Arachidic Acid, Behenic Acid, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Oleic Acid, Mel (Honey/Miel) Extract, Sodium PCA,Hydrolyzed Elastin, Glycogen, Serine. [+/- (May Contain/Peut contenir): CI 77499 (Iron Oxides)].

Packaging

The mascara is housed in a sexy little gun metal style plastic tube, with lilac writing on it.  It looks really stylish.  I kinda squirm when I read that I just wrote that - but there is no other word to describe it.

The wand is made of natural bristles and is a very full style without any bells or whistles (I hate those torture style spiky wand ends, such as on Benefits They're Real) - this is my favourite style of wand.  

Formula

The formula is neither overly wet nor dry.  It felt very smooth and almost creamy going on and captured lashes easily.  The formula built up volume nicely without any clumping after two coats.  However, I think the formula could begin to clump with further coats.  

I wear this mascara for approximately 12 hours during the day, and don't have any issues with smudging or flaking.  I also wear contact lenses, and I don't find the mascara irritates them.  It also didn't slide down my face when I got a little teary.

I found it removed fairly easily in the shower using my Alpha-H Triple Cleanser.

What Did it Look Like?

Please excuse my retinol irritated skin, and 15-week-old-baby-lack-of-sleep bags!

Bare Lashes

One Coat - top and bottom lashes

Two Coats - top and bottom lashes

Overall?

I really liked this mascara.  It gave my average lashes volume and length without clumping, smudging or flaking.  It wore well over a 12 hours period, and my lashes didn't look sad or pathetic at any time.  I would buy this mascara again, and would certainly recommend it my best friend.

Where to Get it?

The mascara is available from Urban Decay for $22USD.  Note to anyone in Australia - Urban Decay does not ship to Australia - I used MyUs freight forwarding service to ship my Urban Decay purchase.

The Makeup Addict Tag

Howdy!

I saw this tag on Sample Himes blog yesterday, and I thought it sounded made for me!.  The tag was originally created by Tales of a Pale Face - and the below image has been copied from her blog.

 

 

1. Which product do you still keep buying more of despite having plenty in your collection?

Hmmm..... honestly it would be a toss up between eyeshadows and lip products...... but I guess since lip products have a limited life, they'd have to win.  I have more lip products than I can possibly use in this, and the next lifetimes.  And its not even like I'm a really bad hoarder who can't throw things out!  I'm constantly going through my collection and getting rid of less loved stuffed.  First world problems right there.

2. What's the one product you couldn't live without?

My Miguhara BP cream.  This stuff is just phenomenal.  Its a beautiful silky smooth primer which makes my skin look flawless.  I received samples of it in various Memeboxes, and have been using it sparingly because its hard to find online.  I recently received a full sized one in the CoffeeBreakWithDani collaboration Memebox - happy days!

3. Favourite makeup brand?

Seriously? That's almost like asking me to pick my favourite child.  Hmmmm.... if I absolutely had to pick one, it would be Urban Decay.  Their eyeshadows, eyeliners and lipsticks are brilliant.

4. How big is your makeup collection?

My husbands answer to that would be too big!  Even I have to admit I have a stupid amount of makeup - I'm a Financial Controller for a living, so its not like I'm making any money from it.  However, I'm not going to try and make an excuse for my makeup - I am a makeup collector, and I am at peace with that - ha!

5. And how do you like to store it?

Unfortunately, I haven't yet figured out how I like to store it.  Currently I have it split between a 3 tier train case, a 3 drawer bedside table, and a little 3 drawer desktop storage drawer (great things comes in 3 apparently lol).   I would love to be able to have a room just for makeup - but in a 3 bedroom house with 2 kids, that's pretty unlikely :-).  - thats going to be a prerequisite for the next house I think!  Each time I get it just so, I buy more makeup and have to rearrange the whole thing - there's those first world problems again.

6. How many items of makeup have you got in your handbag at the moment?

I actually cleaned out my bag last night, so I only have the Makeup Forever Aqua Lip pencil in 3c, and a Laura Mercier lip gloss in a shimmery nude colour.

7. If you could raid another blogger's stash, who would it be?

Given she seems to acquire absolutely everything, it would have to be Temptalia

8. How long does your usual makeup routine take and how many products do you use?

Given I get ready for work with a 3 year old, and a 14 week old in the morning, I don't have the luxury of a heap of time.  Probably 20 minutes start to finish.  I do my lippy in the car on the way to work (when stopped at traffic lights - not while actually driving lol) after I've finished my coffee.

I somehow manage to get a full face on in the morning - including contouring and eyebrows.  I have no idea how many products..........lots

9. Have you ever bought makeup knowing you wouldn't use it?

Probably eyeliner sets - especially colourful pretty ones.  But in reality, I know there is only so much eyeliner I can go through.

10. Tag a few other makeup addicts to do the tag! 

I tag whomever reads this!

First Impressions - Impulse Cosmetics Opaque Matte Lipsticks

Hiya Everyone

Thanks to Makeuptalk, I have recently taken the leap into indie cosmetics.  I really should stay off of that website - I am waaaayyy to easily led into spending money - haha.

One of the posters  on the "Down the Indie Rabbit Hole" thread mentioned they really loved Impulse Cosmetics Opaque Matte lipstick - count me curious as I love matte lipsticks.  I don't think I even finished reading the posters sentence before I was browsing Impulse Cosmetics' website.

On the website, the lipsticks can be purchased in either bullet, palette  or sample form - which I think is a great idea as it encourages people like me to order up and try different colours without making the commitment to a full size product (mind you, full size is only $6.99USD, which is really inexpensive by Australian standards). 

Anyway, I purchased sample sizes of Platonic, Pretty Please, Two Timer, Dementia, Dahlia, Medusa and Pandora.  The samples are packaged in a clear plastic clam shell, with the name written on top.  You get a decent amount of product in the samples, which retail for $2.45USD.

Everything I purchased was a sample size, so its possible that the full size product may perform differently to the samples (like mascara samples always seem too!).  I can't speak to wear time for any of these colours, as I applied them, took a picture, and removed them straight away.  However, from the way they felt on my lips, I am sure they will have a decent wear time - they aren't the least bit slick or slippery.

Just a note on how I swatched these: - 

• Applied with a lip brush to bare lips;
• No lip liner was used - which is kinda obvious lol;
• Each colour was applied, removed, and then the next colour was applied, so by the end my lips were getting chapped, and there was a little bit of colour bleeding around my lips.
• All photos were taken in the shade under my patio, because it seemed to give the most true-to-colour result, except two timer which was in sunlight.

L - R Platonic, Pretty Please, Two Timer, Dementia, Dahlia, Medusa & Pandora

Platonic

Platonic is a lovely muted neutral pink shade.  It applied easily with my lip brush, and was nicely opaque with a single application.  This product felt creamy on the lips, and had a slight sheen. B+

Pretty Please

Pretty Please is a blue-ish based red, which looked absolutely beautiful in the shell.  I had a hard time loading my brush with this colour, as the formula appears to be quite dry.  It took multiple layers to reach full opacity.  Though the lipstick felt creamy once it was on my lips, it did feel very heavy.  Although the formula definitely felt drier, I don't think it emphasised the fine lines on my lips.  I love the colour, but I'm not in love with the formula.  B-

Two Timer

Two Timer is a more neutral based red, which once again looks beautiful in the shell.  Two Timer was creamier, easier to apply, and more opaque than Pretty Please.  The product felt creamy, though heavy once applied.  A

Dementia

Dementia is a purple based red - though it looked like a pink leaning purple in the shell.    The consistency of Dementia is much the same as Two Timer.  Dementia was easy to apply and was opaque in a single layer.  Once again, the lipstick felt heavy and creamy once applied.  A-

Dahlia

Dahlia is a brick red.  Similar to Pretty Please, I found this lipstick to be quite a dry formula, and multiple layers were required to get full opacity when using a slip brush.  As with all the others, this lipstick felt creamy any heavy on the lips, and had a slight sheen. B-

Medusa

Medusa appears to be a brown-based red in the shell, but applies more maroon.  Medusa applied easily with a lip brush, and was opaque in a single layer.  Creamy and heavy with slight sheen A-

Pandora

Even though I was a teenager in the 90's and did the whole dark brown lipstick thing, the colour of Pandora in the shell scared even me.  It looked VERY dark brown.  However it applied a blackish purple - completely not my colour, but I won't hold it against it!  

This was another colour with a dry-ish formula, but unlike the others that built to full opacity, I found Pandora remained quite patchy.  Once again, it felt creamy and heavy once applied. C

The Verdict

Overall, I am really impressed with Impulse Cosmetics Opaque Matte lipsticks.  The heaviness and dryness of some of the colours doesn't particularly bother me, as that seems to be par for the course with most matte formula's (such as Wet n Wild Mega Last).  Your lips need to be in good condition, or the formula could be problematic.  None of the colours, to me, were a true flat matte, with most having a certain amount of sheen.

As I mentioned above, these lipsticks may perform differently in the full size, as I only purchased a sample sizes - particularly in relation to dryness.  

I can see myself buying full sizes in Two Timer, Dementia and Dahlia once I'm through the samples.

Available from Impulse Cosmetics.

Unboxing - Lip Monthly August 2014

Hiya Everyone

Today I have an unboxing - or I guess really an unbagging - of the August 2014 Lip Monthly Bag.

Lip Monthly is a monthly subscription service that costs $10USD per month, plus shipping to Australia.  I believe there will be 3 - 5 full size lip products sent, plus an extra which may or may not be lip related.

The bag is sent between the 10th and the 15th of each month.  For some reason, international bags are shipped from Chicago to Canada, before being on forwarded to their ultimate destinations.  My bag arrived today (9/9/14), so it took somewhere around a month to get to me.  However I received an email last week saying as of September, my bag will be shipping directly from Chicago - yay!

So, onto the unbagging!

This months bag included  a blue make up bag, 4 full size lip products, and the bonus item is a Pixi Lid Last Shadow.

The first item is the Jesse's Girl Glow Stix lip gloss in Glam.  

The gloss looks really pretty in tube, but is swatches clear, and is just meh for me.  I don't layer gloss on top of lipsticks etc, so this is a miss for me.

Next is the City Colour Cosmetics Lip Balm in Ultra Pink.  It contains vitamin E and feels quite moisturising.  The colour is really pretty.  I wouldn't described this as Ultra Pink - seems to me to be a more coral leaning pink.  It has a lovely shiny finish, but its definitely not going to stay on the lips very long.  Happy with this product.

Next is the City Color Magic Balm which is a ultra sheer lip balm which is supposed to be great for chapped lips.  It feels lovely and rich when swatched.  This will be a good one to chuck in my handbag

The last (thankfully - it'd be nice to have some variety!) is yet another City Color cosmetics product.  This time its a Be Matte lipstick in Phoebe.  I love matte lipstick, and this colour is a lovely natural shade of pinky-mauve.  I'm looking forward to wearing this - big hit!

The last item is the Pixi Lid Last Shadow stick in Gentle Gold.  This swatches onto my hand smoothly, and after a good hour on the back of my hand it still has not budged - even though I've washed my hands with anti-bacterial soap!  Not sure how it will go on my eyes (I've hooded eyes), and I'm not sure that gold is really my colour, but this seems to be a pretty good product.

Overall, I'm quite happy with my first bag from Lip Monthly.  My only criticisms would be that 3 products from one brand is too much, and I two very sheer products, and two similarly toned pinks - I'd like more variety.  I was nice to receive brands that are not readily available in Australia.

I guess I'll see what Septembers bag brings before deciding if this is a subscription service worth keeping.

Neova Reveal Exfoliator (20% Glycolic)

Hiya Everyone

I've said it before, and I say it again - I absolutely love glycolic products!  My initial love for glycolic products started with Alpha H, and has now been expanded to include Neova.

Important Information

Name:     Neova Reveal Exfoliator (20% Glycolic)

Size:       59ml/2.0 fl oz

Cost:       $42.00USD from Futurederm

What is it?

Per Neova's website: - 

A new, high-performance glycolic exfoliator that rids dead surface cells from skin’s surface to reveal a healthier, more vibrant and even toned appearance. A perfect bi-weekly booster that prepares the skin for maximum penetration of treatment products to follow.

Fades visible signs of photodamage

• Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Refines skin texture and clarity
• Reduces the appearance of pore size
• Suitable for all skin types

Ingredients

The Product

The exfoliator is packaged in a white tube with a grey cap, and is about the size of most hand creams I have.  The packaging itself looks very "serious" - there's nothing pretty and there's no faff - its neat functional packaging.  However, from a scientifically based brand like Neova, I wouldn't expect anything else.

The exfoliator is a clear gel consistency, and its neither particularly stiff nor overly runny - to me, it feels similar to aloe vera gel.  It spreads easily onto the skin.  I use an amount about the size of a peanut m&m.

With this sort of product, it's really important to follow the directions precisely, or you could end up damaging your skin.  The directions say to apply it evenly over a cleansed face, neck, décolletage, and the back of the hands.  Leave for 3-5 minutes and then rinse thoroughly and pat dry.  The exfoliator can be used once or twice a week - or as the skin tolerates.

As with any product that removes a layer of skin (and in general really), the use of a broad spectrum SPF is recommended to prevent skin damage.

How'd it Go?

I have reasonably sensitive skin.  I am prone to eczema, so I have to be careful of what I put on my face.  I have used this product 4 times now, and the first time I used it, it was a battle to keep it on for the full 5 minutes, as it was incredibly uncomfortable on the skin - similar to a prickly burning feeling - I was all but dancing on the spot until I could rinse it off my face!  However, which each subsequent use, that feeling is fading.  While it still isn't comfortable, its no longer difficult to keep it on for 5 minutes.  I would recommended doing a patch test before slathering this all over your face.

Although my skin is on the sensitive side, I haven't had any adverse reaction to using a product with such a high glycolic percentage.  My skin is quite red for an hour or so after I've washed it off, but then it fades.  I definitely wouldn't recommend using this before heading out!   I've also  had some pealing along my nasolabial lines the first couple of times I used this product, but that hasn't recurred since.  

After washing the gel off, my skin feels ever so slightly irritated.  However, my understanding is one of glycolics functions is to trick the skin into thinking its been injured by mildly irritating it.  This irritation triggers the production of collagen to assist in the healing process.  Collagen production = anti-aging benefits = yippee!!!  Immediately after removing the gel, my skin feels really smooth, and the appearance of my pores is diminished.  My complexion is more luminous since using the gel.

Oh, I have also been using it on the back of my hands as recommended, and I don't think my hands have ever looked better.

The Verdict?

Love, love, love it!  This has skyrocketed in my stash to be a holy grail product.  I'm so pleased that when I bought this from Futurederm, they were having a 40% off sale, so a snagged a back up.  For me, $42USD is a lot of money to spend on one product, but I will buy this again when I run out, whether there's a sale on or not.

Beauty Tips the Internet Has Taught Me

Hiya everyone

I'm back!  It must be a least 3 months since I last posted.  In that time, I gave birth to my second daughter and have been coming to terms with life with a new baby and a 3 year old!

Anyway, to get back into the swing of things, I thought I would do a post on beauty tips the internet has taught me - be it Youtube, blogs or web pages.  

Back in the 90's when I was a teenager, the internet wasn't like it is today.  Back then, I don't think there were beauty blogs, and there certainly wasn't Youtube.  To get any sort of beauty information, I had my older sister and magazines.  But today!  Geez, I don't think there is anything you can't find out on the internet - in any field.  I even connect my treadmill to the internet and have a virtual walk anywhere in the world (using iFit) - complete the terrain modulations.  I have spent the last week walking through US national parks - and I live in Australia!  Anyway, I digress......

The Importance of Acids in Skincare

I love acids for the skin - specifically AHA's and Hyaluronic

AHA's include glycolic and lactic acids (among others).  Essentially, I believe AHA's work by removing the dead skill cell skins which not only make your skin look dull, but also reduce the effectiveness of other skincare.

Hyaluronic acid is a humectant that can hold 1000 times its weight in water.  It is an excellent moisturiser and really plumps up the skin.

I will not be without these two ever - full stop.

Don't be Cleansing Lazy

I'll admit it - I haven't always been consistent with cleansing my skin at night - my bad.  I didn't realise the damage I could be doing to my skin by not cleansing every-night - whether I had worn make up that day or not.  

As the skin ages, pores don't "snap back" the way they used to.  If a pore is clogged with crap (makeup/sebum/general gunk) and isn't cleansed out asap, after time, the pore will begin to stretch and not "snap back".  Sagging pores are one of the many signs of ageing skin.

Korean Skincare is Awesome (though kinda complicated)

I love Korean skincare - initially introduced to me via Youtube (Memebox reviews by Coffee Break with Dani), I have since expanded beyond Memebox and have been sampling all sorts of goodies.  I particularly love sheet masks and sleeping packs.

The products themselves are a bit different to those typically available in Australia (i.e. a toner has a moisturising component, rather than being astringent), so that's taken a bit of time to get my head around.  Additionally, the average Korean womans daily skincare regime can include more than 10 steps.  If you are interested, Skin and Tonics has an excellent summary of the Korean skin care regime, which is linked here.

Priming the Skin

I remember reading years ago, a quote by Napolean Perdis, which was "To not prime is a crime" (or words to that effect).  At the time I though it was kinda naff and was an attempt to sell more product.  I was wrong!

Watching Youtube, I would see all these You-tubers priming their skin before applying their foundation.  After a while, I figured there must be something to this.  I gave it a try and my skin has never looked better while wearing foundation.  My pores are less obvious, and the longevity of my foundation has increased.

Priming the Eyes 

Similarly to skin priming, I haven't looked back since I started priming my eyes.  Not only does priming increase the longevity of the shadow and decreasing creasing, it also intensifies the colours themselves.  

If an Eyeliner is Not Long Wearing and Budge-proof, I don't Wanna Know it!

So much so, that I have thrown out/given to family any eyeliner I previously owned that don't meet both these criteria.  Life is too short for eyeliner that likes to go for a walk off the eyes - period.

One Eyeshadow brush is not Enough (well at least not for me)

For years I got along quite nicely using one eyeshadow brush (sponge tip), and I made that work.  I could both apply and blend colour really effectively.  However, having my eyes opened to the joy of the blending brush has made that task so much easier - I've never looked back.  That fact that I've know got overt 60 brushes (whole face) is a whole different story.........

My Makeup Collection is Not Insane

Well, combatively speaking to other makeup collections I see on Youtube.  The fact a reasonable number of Youtubers make a living through makeup, I am willing to completely overlook haha.

More a Confirmation than Anything

Makeup and cosmetics in Australia are an absolute rip off!!  A Mac lipstick in the US is about $16 - there they are $36.  Likewise, a Revlon lipstick is $6 in the US, while they are $25 here.  

The Australian dollar is $.90 roughly (as of today) to the US dollar - so currency isn't a factor.  I know some things are more expensive in Australia, but I don't believe for a second that they are so significant that the price is justified being doubled.

Also Nyx just launched in Austrlia at Target - some of the lip products are $15!  The most expensive Nyx product I have seen on CherryCulture for Nyx is $7 - and that's for Nyx's top of the line lipstick that Target doesn't even carry! Oh, and don't even get me started on E.L.F ($8 for the eyebrow kit!) grrrrrrrrrrrr.

I'm sure there are more things I could write here, but this is all I can't think off right now. What beauty stuff has the internet taught you?

Have a great day!

Labour & Makeup????

Happy Sunday morning to everyone!

 

As I type this, I am 38+3 weeks pregnant.  I'm still working full-time (from home) and am all round pretty uncomfortable and grumpy waiting for my youngest arrival.

 

Even though I'm still working, I find it very hard to concentrate on work - my mind wanders about everywhere.  Mind you, I think that because my baby could arrive at any stage, I'm find it hard to concentrate on anything.

 

So my mind got to wandering about what, if any, makeup I'll be wearing when the day finally arrives.

 

When I had my eldest, I went into labour in the early evening and went off to hospital sans doing anything to myself (no makeup, hair piled on top of my head in a bun), because frankly I was in too much pain to worry about faffing about with makeup.  The most important part of that day was the safe arrival of my daughter.

 

I treasure all those first pictures with her and my husband as our new little family.  But, there's no getting over the fact though that I was pale as a ghost in those photos after giving birth - its really quite strenuous and tiring (couldn't be a greater understatement if it tried)

 

I have packed a BB cream and mascara for my hospital bag so when I have visitors I'll have a bit more colour in my face.  But I'm thinking while I'm waiting to go into labour, even if I'm not going anywhere during the day, just to put a light BB cream and some mascara on each day, so I'm not completely bare - that way in those first few pictures, I won't look so ghostly.

 

Even as I type that, I think it sounds really vain - but its not.  I don't usually go down the shop unless I have foundation/BB cream and mascara on - I've done it for so long I almost don't feel like myself if my face is completely naked when I leave the house.

 

All that being typed, if I go into labour in the middle of the night all bets will be off.  All efforts will be towards getting dressed, getting my eldest to my parents on the way to the hospital, and getting to the hospital in time - makeup and what I look like will be the least of my worries!

 

Have a great day!

 

 

Ruby Wing Color Changing Nail Polish - Rose

Hiya

I'm a bit of a nail polish hoarder - I've got about 60 odd bottles which probably isn't too bad really.  And up until recently, I ONLY had O.P.I nail polishes.  I'm trying to make myself stop being such a nail polish snob and try some other brands.

My first foray into nail polishes that aren't O.P.I are the Ruby Wing Color Change nail polishes (I have spelt it per the bottle).  I love a gimmick - and a nail polish that changes colour in the sunshine is right up my ally.

I was quite surprised with how drastic the changes can be.  Todays review is an example of a fairly drastic change.

Important Info 

Name:   Ruby Wing Color Changing Nail Polish

Shade:   Rose

Size:     15ml/0.5oz

What is it?

A nail polish that changes shade when exposed to the sunshine/UV - which is a bit different to the usual heat activated change.

 

The colour change is from a soft pink to a deep rosy shade.  Rose is part of the Champagne and Cupcakes collection.

 

This shade is also scented.  I've never really understood the theory of scented nail polishes.  Once it dried it smelled okay, but the smell was completely gone the next day.

 

Packaging

The glass bottle is rectangular shaped, and the brush handle is circular shaped gold.  The Font on the bottle is really pretty and whimsical.

 

 

 

 Picture courtesy of www.rubywing.com 

First Impressions

The brush was a good width and nicely cut making application easy.

The particular formula I used was of the micro-glitter variety.  The polish applied evenly without any patchiness.  The glitter did bunch up every so slightly at the tips of my nail, but nothing that was noticeable once it levelled out.  
 

Was it Any Good?

The colour change was really dramatic and happened almost instantly when exposed to UV - I was expecting it to take a couple of minutes, but it must have been less than 15 seconds for a full colour change.  The change back from dark to light, took longer - I think a minute or so.

In the pictures below, only 1 coat was applied - so I'm not sure if that's why my indoor shade isn't as rosy as the picture from the Ruby Wing website.  I'm not too fussed though, because I like the light pink shade I got.

 

I'm not 100% sure about wear time, as I removed it after 2 days to reapply my missing gel nail.  I have fairly weak nails, and wore it for 2 days without any chipping - and that's with a single coat with no base or top coats applied.  I don't know if the colour change aspect would be inhibited by a top coat - wish I'd thought to test that!

I think the only thing I would do differently in the future is the try and paint my nails in the sunshine where possible, so I can see how the darker shade will look.  Light colours are much more forgiving for an uneven application - but darker colours less so.  My theory is if I can make it look nice when darker, it'll look nice light by default.  This shade looked nice enough indoor, but I could see a little messiness when the darker shade was visible.

 

Oh, please excuse the different colour nail polishes - the day this polish arrived I had lost a gel nail, so I took the opportunity to try it out on a single nail.

 

 Indoor - window lit

 



Outdoor - direct sunlight 

Rating

4/5

 

Where Can I Get It?

I bought mine from EBay, but the polishes can also be purchased directly from Ruby Wings website.

 

 

Hanskin Bio Origin Royal Ampoule BB SPF 30PA++

Hiya Everyone

I had always hated BB creams - at least the ones I would buy here in Australia.  They seemed pretty pointless; the coverage was rubbish, the finish was rubbish, and I'm pretty sure it took me longer to apply them, than how long they actually stayed on my face.

Enter Asian BB creams...... now these are products that have coverage, lasting power, and a great finish (at least the ones I've just anyway).  My first foray into the land of Asian BB creams was the Liole Triple the Solution BB cream, and I absolutely love it.  I have been using it consistently for well over a year, and I haven't' finished it yet.  I think it cost me about $20 for a 50g tube off of Ebay, so it was definitely a great buy.

Anyway, I digress.......  today's review is of an Asian BB cream that is a little different - it comes in the form of an ampoule and dropper - the kind of packaging you'd normally see for a serum.  I was intrigued........
 

 

Important Info 

Name:   Hanskin BIO Origin Royal Ampoule BB SPF 30 PA++
Size:     35ml
Price:    $51.02USD from www.koreadepart.com

What is it?

Description from the Memebox information card
 

Hanskin's famous Royal Ampoule BB cream is packed with rich nutrition from royal jelly extracts and it lightly glides over your skin when applied, leaving a visibly silkier, brightened complexion.

Oh, if you're wondering what PA++ means, its a ranking system of how protected your skin will be from long term damage caused by UVA rays.  The more "+" the product has, the greater protection for your skin.
 

Packaging

I received a 5ml sample of this, so I can only speak to the sample packaging - though the picture of the full size product (with the exception of the shape, which is more pear shaped) I've seen seems to be pretty much the same thing.

This BB cream comes in a eye dropper form, with the product itself contained in dark purple sturdy plastic.  The packaging itself is luxurious looking and would look really nice sitting on any vanity.

Unfortunately, I don't think an eye dropper style packaging is the best for this product.  While it is a lot thinner than the average Asian BB cream, the eye dropper just doesn't seem to work - perhaps it's cause this is a sample size?  I think a squeeze tube would work a lot better - functionality over flashy.

I found that rather that expelling the BB cream out of the eyedropper, I actually have to wipe the sides of the eyedropper on my hand to get any product.

I have also found that the bottle got messy really quickly (2 uses) - I'm one of those anal people that keep their makeup really clean, so this irritates me :).

 

 

 

 

First Impressions

As noted above, this BB cream has a thinner consistency than other Asian BB creams I've used.  It has a lovely silky feel, which glides onto, and blends into the skin effortlessly.  My skin felt really velvety after application.  This BB cream did not feel the least bit sticky, and my skin felt like it had nothing on.

The colour match was really good for my skin - I'm light/medium on my face, but significantly paler on my inner forearms where the below was swatched.

Oh, I should probably add that I applied the BB cream to my face with my fingers.

Dabbed on my skin, and once blended.

 

Was it Any Good?

The texture and feel of the product was lovely, but it was missing the one thing I really look for - coverage.  The information on the Memebox card does specifically state to apply to the face, and then add extra to areas that require more coverage.

I'm not the sort of person who puts on one layer or product, and then will add layers until I'm satisfied with the coverage - I don't have time for that getting ready for work/going out with a toddler running about.  The coverage needs to be there from a single application.

I also found the product started to break down on my nose at around the 3 hour mark (not set with powder).

Despite this, this BB cream still runs rings around any BB cream I've purchased from Australia - but the coverage was just too sheer.  My husband even remarked that he wasn't used to still being able to see my freckles when my face is "done" - he didn't know I was trying a different product - he just came out with it. 

If you like a sheer BB cream, or are happy to build layers of product until you are satisfied with the coverage, then I think you'll really like this BB cream.  If you're time poor and like medium to full coverage, you might want to give this one a miss.

 

Rating

3/5