Mint and White Heart French Manicure

Long time, no blog. Feels like I start every post with something along those lines and a promise to post more frequently from now on. No such promise this time, I will do the best I can to post more often but I will most likely fail to do so. 

The upside to being absent for so long, I have plenty of photos of nail designs that I can now share with you. Instead of lumping them all together in one post, as I have done previously, I thought I would give more detailed explanations of each design in their own separate posts.

This first design is using three polishes, a white (Orly White Out), a minty green (Orly Gumdrop, is slightly more minty in person) and an optional glitter polish I used Wasabi. I can't remember the brand name of the glitter polish, but if anyone needs to know I can search it out for you.

I start with basecoat as always then apply a few coats of Orly Gumdrop, you can use any colour you prefer. Then using the white polish draw to semi circle shapes at the tip of the nail overlapping in the centre, creating the heart or lip french. This shape of french is very easy to do because the brush does most of the work for you. You may need to do two coats of the white if the colour underneath is showing through. You could stop here if you want to, but I chose to continue and using a dotting tool and the same white polish I added a few white dots along the line of the heart tip.

You may see in the photo I added a few rhinestones, which you may like to do also, although I prefer the design with out. At the time of this manicure I had on some very grown out acrylics which I was being lazy about removing so I added the rhinestones to disguise the acrylic nail which was most obvious on my ring finger.

I know that was a very rambly explanation, so if you have any questions do not hesitate to ask.

Pink and Rose Gold

Orly Je'Taime and Orly Rage

So, it seems I have been a little obsessed with changing my nail polish this week.

I loved the Orly Luxe polish I used in my last post so much that I couldn't wait to try out its sister Orly Rage, a lovely rose gold colour. I paired it with Orly Je'Taime for a pretty girly manicure.

Orly Je'Taime is semi sheer, but I don't mind this because it is quite a nude pink anyway.

I chose to add dots of O.P.I Kiss me on my Tulips to give a bit of colour to the manicure. I also added pale pink rhinestones on my ring finger.

What's your favourite nail polish?

Yellow and Gold Manicure

Orly Hook Up and Orly Luxe

I have bought quite a few new nail polishes recently and I wanted to try some out so now there are two manicure posts this week.

Today I am wearing Orly Hook Up the yellow colour and Orly Luxe the gold.

Hook Up is quite a sheer yellow. In the photo I am wearing three coats and you can still see the whites of my nails through it. It also has a sheen to it.

Luxe is a beautiful gold colour. It is pretty much opaque with one coat but I always do to coats for good measure. It is everything I have ever wanted in a gold polish and I have wanted one for a while. I always bought a silver (shine) and rose gold (rage) version at the same time. Its great to do an accent nail in the colour of your jewellery fr a subtle matching manicure.

I have to say I was a little disappointed with Hook Up's opacity but I could always put a base of white underneath. But the disappointment is over ridden by the awesomeness of the Luxe polish.

Manicure Monday: Accent Nail

Orly Goth and Orly Rio

I have been slacking in my blog posts for a week or so now but I've been very busy with work since doing a deal on GrabOne. I'm not sure if I will be able to keep up with three posts a week but we will see how I go.

On my nails at the moment I am wearing Orly Goth and Orly Rio on my ring fingers.

As always I used a base coat. Today I used Orly Nail Defense.

The goth colour is an opaque black with small silver glitter pieces in it. It looks more glittery in the bottle than it does on the nails. Because the black is opaque the glitter doesn't show through too well. Also as with any glitter polish it is hard to get the glitter evenly spread over the entire nail. For me most of the glitter stays near the cuticle. The finished look is a fairly subtle glittery black. From arms length you can barely see any sparkle but up close it looks a little like the night sky. If you are looking for a lot of glitter you would be better off going for a plain black and then adding a coat of clear glitter polish over the top.

Because I can never just have plain nails, I had to do an accent nail. I chose to use Orly Rio because t is just a beautiful colour. It is a pinky purple with a little bit of a duo chrome look to it. It is gorgeous and bright and a happy colour.

Both colours were opaque after two coats. As with all Orly nail polishes I have tried the finish is not as shiny as other polishes like OPI. I think this is because they are designed to be used with a top coat. This is fine for me as I always use a topcoat. The top coat I used is Orly Polishield which claims to fuse with the nail polish to make it last longer. I find this top coat gives great shine and makes my nail polish last at least 10 days.

I love accent manicures for when I am being lazy or in a rush. There are endless colour combinations and I don't think I will ever get bored of it.

This is what's on my nails this week. What are you wearing?

F.O.T.D Friday: Purple and Gold Eye

Purple and Gold Eye

I started by applying the DB Moisturising primer with my hands.

Next I applied Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Buff with a Real Techniques Buffing brush.

Next I filled in my eyebrows using the Rimmel eyeshadow in Dusk with an angled brush and then set them in place with the LA Colors clear mascara.

Next I placed LA Colors Loose Eyeshadow in Sunshine all over my lid.

I then applied LA Colors Loose Eyeshadow in Radient to my crease with a fluffy brush and blended it out.

I then highlighted my brow and inner corner with a yellow toned highlight colour.

Next I applied La Colors Eyeliner in White under my lower lash line as a base for the purple.

Then using a damp pointed shadow brush I applied a purple shadow on top of the white liner and blended it out a little bit.

Next I tightlined my eyes with a black eyeliner pencil.

I then applied Revlon Growluscious Mascara to my top lashes and Maybelline Great Lash to my lower lashes.

I then went back to the skin and powdered my face with Rimmel Stay Matte.

I then bronzed/contoured my face with the LA Colors pressed powder in Cocoa.

I then applied a pale pink blush.

Then onto the lips I lined my lips with LA Colors lip liner in Pinky and topped that with LOL lipstick in Kiss Kiss.

Next I went back and lined my waterline with a black pencil before applying false eyelashes. I then blended the lash band by applying Maybelline Gel liner in Blackest Black.

And here is the video if you want to watch how I applied it. Please excuse the bad editing, singing and weird faces that I make at the end of the video.

Whatever Wednesday: 40 Beauty Questions Tag

Here is a video of me doing answering the 40 beauty questions. This is a little bit of a slack post but I can never decide what to post about on Wednesdays. Hopefully I will find more inspiration next week.

Manicure Monday: Nude and Dotty

After 14 days of wear

Before I get on to this weeks manicure I wanted to show how my last manicure went. The photo on the right is my manicure after 14 days. It is a little grown out and there is some chipping on both of my index fingers. but overall I would say it has worn well. I could easily fix up the corner of my index fingers and it would still be an acceptable manicure if I was in a rush. The manicure stayed relatively chip free until around day 10 when the index fingers chipped. I did not take any extra care of this manicure, I left it as it was when I finished it.

Nude and dotty

Today's manicure is fairly simple although it requires patience.

After I had removed my old polish, I quickly manicured my nails before applying basecoat.

Next I applied two coats of Revlon Nude Chic to all of my nails. This colour is actually slightly pinker than in the photos.

After letting this dry at least 90%, I made a vertical line of dots down the centre of my ring finger using a dotting tool and pink and white nail polish. You could choose any colours that you prefer.

I then continued to fill my entire nails with vertical lines of pink and white dots. I did two pink dots in each column. I tried to make it random but a lot of my pink dots ended up in line diagonally.

I chose to only do the dots on my ring finger because I lack patience and couldn't be bothered to do it to all my nails, but if you have the time and you like that look, then you could.

It is important to make sure that the dots have completely dried before adding topcoat because if they aren't they may blur and the finished product will not look as crisp.

I think this is a great way to add something interesting to a nude manicure. It doesn't take much skill although a steady hand can help, but so long as you take your time, anyone can do this.

F.O.T.D Friday: Navy Blue Intense Eye Tutorial

Intense Navy Eye

This F.O.T.D. is a little different, normally I will be doing my make up for work or going out somewhere and choose to document it for my blog. This time I was bored and thought I'd have a play doing something more intense.

I started the same way as last week applying the Designer Brands Moisturising primer with my hands.

I then applied my Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Buff with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush.

Next I sprayed my face with the Australis Finishing Spray and pressed it into my foundation.

You could powder your face at this point, I forgot so I didn't do it until the end but I used the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Transparent.

I then applied the darkest colour from the Revlon Illuminance Creme Eyeshadow in Electric Pop to my lid and blended out the edge into the crease.

I then applied a bright blue eyeshadow to my lid.

I then took a slightly deeper blue and blended it in the crease and outer V to act as a transition colour. I chose to build up the colour with this look, so that I didn't go too dark too fast.

I then blended the edge with a clean fluffy brush.

Next I added an even darker blue to the crease and outer V. I went back into the transition blue and blended the top edge.

I then used a black with blue shimmer in the crease and outer V into the outer edge of the lower lash line.

I then used the same shadows under the eye.

I added under eye concealer to help shape the lower shadow. I used Wendy Hill's A Good Nights Sleep.

I also highlighted my inner corner with a pale blue.

I then went on and filled in my brows before coming back to smudge a covergirl black pencil liner into the lash line. I smudged over it with the black with blue shimmer.

I then lined my waterline and tightline with Maybelline Gel Liner in Black.

I then added Revlon Growluscious Mascara.

I foinished the face with my LA Colors Contour Powder and a pale pink blush and also a highlight.

I then wore a nude lip using L.A. Colors lipliner in Nude, Wendy Hill lipstick in Au Naturel and a nude gloss from Models Prefer.

Please watch the video to see exactly where I placed the eyeshadow. Sorry it is a bit long but feel free to skip throught to the bits you want to see.

Whatever Wednesday: Skinfood NZ Cleans All Review

This is an empty product review of the Skinfood New Zealand Cleans All Cleanser. I hauled this about a month ago and just finished up the bottle so I thought it time to give it a review.

You may think 1 month isn't very long for a cleanser to last but this really is a Cleans All. I use it in the morning, to remove my make up at night and then also to do my second cleanse to make sure my skin is clean.

I really do love this cleanser, before I started using it I had been using quite active cleansers to combat my acne but this left me with dry patches but still oily and spotty. On top of this my skin is always dehydrated because I never drink enough water. So I set out looking for a gentle cleanser just to use in the morning when I don't need a powerful cleanser. I got this and fell in love with it and it is now the only cleanser I use. I do still use other exfoliaters every now and then.

It leaves my blemishes feeling calmer my skin is clean but not dry and tight. I find my moisturisers absorb better into my skin instead of just sitting on top. I can genuinely say I would re purchase this product because I already have. Often I say I would re purchase a product only to be beaten by curiosity or pretty packaging and I end up buying a different product. But I love this cleanser so much I bought a new one as soon as I finished my first bottle. I get it from The Warehouse for $12.99.

I'm not saying this is a magic cleanser that will get rid of all your blemishes, but it definitely soothes mine and I feel like the pimples I do get are smaller and disappear more quickly as well as not being as deep.

Because this is an all in one product I find myself never skipping out on washing my face. I used to be terrible at keeping up with washing my face especially in the morning because it would dry out my face, but now its so easy to use just one product and my skin actually feels nicer and any sore pimples I have hurt less.

At $12.99, why not give it a try even if you only use it as your morning cleanser or make up remover.

Here is a video of me rambling about how much I love this product, I think it shows I genuinely love this product. Sorry its not edited but its under 10 minutes.

Kmart New Zealand Haul

There is no Manicure Monday post this week because I have been struggling to do my manicures on a Sunday because everyone is home and I don't want to be anti social and lock myself away doing manicures. So I have given myself a week off from manicure post and I will hopefully now be able to do my manicure posts during the week and schedule them for the following Monday.

But fear not, I have still got a little something for you, I went shopping today at Kmart and I thought I would show you what I got.

I got myself two boxes of tissues for $1.20 each because I am always running out of tissues. I also bought a mega towel for $12 which is not pictured.

I got some facial cleansing wipes to clean make up off my hands after I apply my make up. These were $3.

I got a LOL lipstick in the colour Kiss Kiss which is a purply pink colour. It was $4. Expect to see a review, or at least a photo of this and the other lipstick I bought.

I got a BYS lipstick in Half Time Oranges which is an orange colour. This was $2.75 I think. It was regularly $5.

And finally I bought some lashes, a 2 pack for $7. I am wanting to get in to wearing lashes more often but I don't want to shell out $20 for a pair of lashes unless it is a very special occasion. I will try these out and let you know what I think.

I also got a 5 pack of lashes for $5 from the $2 shop. I will also try these out and see which lashes are better.

Here is a video, which has swatches of the lipstick and also shows the towel I bought. Sorry in advance for the sniffing, I was really trying to figure out what it smelt like.

F.O.T.D Friday: Pink and Purple Eye

Pink and Purple Eye

I did this make up for work, it is quite natural, but a little different with a bit of purple thrown in there.

I forgot to take a before photo but if you watch the video you can see my beautiful no make up face.

I started off with the Designer Brands moisturising primer because a few of my spots were a little dry and this primer helps to stop my foundation clinging to them.

Next I applied Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Buff using the Real Techniques Buffing Brush.

I then sprayed my face with the Australis Make Up finishing spray and buffed it into my foundation a bit to make sure my foundation was blended well.

Next I applied a pale shimmery pink to my eyelid and then a bright purple shadow into my crease and outer V, I then blended it. I also applied a small amount of the pink to my brow bone. And defined my lower lash line by applying the purple to the outer corner of the lower lashes.

I then did a thin, slightly winged liner with my Maybelline liner.

I drew in my eyebrows using the Rimmel Eyeshadow in Dusk and then set them with the L.A. Colors clear mascara.

I set my foundation with the Rimmel Saty Matte Powder in Transparent.

I contoured with the L.A. Colors pressed powder in Cocoa.

I applied a pale pink blush to my cheeks and highlighted my cheeks with a skintone shimmery shadow.

On my lips I am wearing L.A. Colors auto liner in Nude and Wendy Hill Lipstick in Au Naturel, as well as a little bit of a nude Models Prefer Lip gloss.

Here is the video, if you want to watch me ramble on whilst I apply my make up.

Whatever Wednesday: 12 Personal Questions

1. What do you order at Starbucks?

I don't go very often but when I do, I love the white chocolate or caramel frappuccino. I get the one with no coffee and whipped cream on top. I hate coffee and I don't really like hot drinks.

2. What's one thing in your closet that you cannot live without?

Cardigans, I dislike my upper arms, so I love that cardigans cover me up, and if its a dressy cardigan then that's extra good.

3. What's one thing that most people probably wouldn't know about you?

I have quite a weird personality. I am painfully shy, so I appear quiet and anti social to most people. But around my boyfriend and family I am as loud and weird as possible.

4. Name one thing you want to do before you die?

Number one thing is to have children.

5. What's one food you cannot live without?

Potatoes. I like them fried, baked, boiled but most of all MASHED!!!

6. What quote/phrase do you live your life by?

Everything's going to be okay. I tend to worry and stress quite a lot, so I like to take a second, breathe and tell myself everything is going to be okay. Then I come up for a solution to the worst case scenario. For example if I end up with no money, its okay, I have family to stay with. This doesn't always help me but I try. Also, if you don't have anything nice to stay don't say anything at all.

7. What's your number one most listened to song on iTunes?

I don't have iTunes on the computer I'm using at the moment, but I'm guessing something from Elton John or maybe Six60.

8. What kind of style would you define yourself as having?

I don't really have any style. Maybe casual or girly?

9. What's your favourite number?

If I have to pick one, it would be 14 because it's my birthday but all the numbers are great.

10. Name two hobbies?

I love watching YouTube videos, I can spend hours browsing videos. My other hobby is my job, I love doing manicures and beauty treatments to make people feel better about themselves.

11. Name two pet peeves?

Snoring when I am trying to sleep. If it was a constant noise it would be fine, but the loud then the quiet of snoring frustrates me. but then also when the snoring stops I think the snorer has died. Pet peeve number two would be people that hide behind the internet, if you wouldn't say it to someone's face, don't say it over the internet.

12. What is your guilty pleasure?

I have no pleasures that I feel guilty about, although I am kind of addicted to Dr Pepper and the caffeine keeps me up all night because I am caffeine sensitive.

Manicure Monday: Nail Care Routine and Nail Art Tutorial

Pink and green nail art

To make up for missing last weeks Manicure Monday, today is a double whammy. I am doing a step by step nail care routine and also a nail tutorial for this look.

First off, let's start with nail care.
Step 1: Trim nails with nail clippers. You only need to do this if you are wanting to shorten your nails dramatically. Make sure not to cut your nails too short.
Step 2: Using a fine grit nail file, file your nails to remove sharp edges and get the exact nail edge you want. This is the point where you can make your nails round, square, pointy etc.
Step 3: Remove excess cuticle. See the video for my rant about what you can use to soften your cuticles.
Step 4: Trim off any hang nails.
Step 5: Buff your nails to remove ridges if you have any. You can skip this step if you want to.
Step 6: Remove any oil from your nails using a cotton pad with nail polish remover on it. This is an important step because if oil is left on the nail, the nail polish will not bond with the nail and it will not last.

Now on to the nail tutorial.
Step 1: Apply a base coat. This will help your manicure last longer and prevent staining.
Step 2: Apply the colour you want for your border all over your nail. I chose O.P.I. Kiss me on my Tulips. I only needed one coat to get the opacity I wanted. If you need to apply two coats, go ahead and do that.
Step 3: Make sure your border colour is dry and then go in with your middle colour. I chose O.P.I Fly. Apply this like you did the first colour but leaving a 2 to 3 mm border of your first colour at the cuticle and side walls. Let this dry and then apply another coat to reach your desired opacity.
Step 4: You can at this point choose to leave it as it is or make a full border by painting your first colour on the tip of your nail as though doing a very thin french manicure. I chose not to.
Step 5: After making sure your nails are at least 90% dry, apply a top coat. Then once it is dry, your manicure is complete.

I would like to add a little disclaimer about the video. This is the first time I have ever recorded myself on camera and you may notice I stumble over my words and ramble quite a lot, so please do not judge. Also the pink does not show up true to colour in the video, it is an almost neon pink. The photo does it more justice.




The files I used in this video are here. And here is the buffer and cuticle pusher.

F.O.T.D. Friday: 3 and a half minute make up

This post is a little different than my usual make up looks, I haven't been wearing a lot of make up lately so I thought I would show you what I do when I'm  rushing to get ready and want to look a little bit more put together.

Before and After

I timed myself when I was doing this and it only took me three and a half minutes. I started by buffing in some Maybelline Dream Matte powder to blur my blemishes, reduce my redness and make sure I'm not looking shiny.

I added a little blush to my cheeks, you could skip this step if you want to or swap it out for bronzer if you prefer.

Next I ran LA Colors clear mascara through my eyebrows to set them in place, sometimes I fill them in but if I'm in a rush I skip it.

I am wearing Maybelline Great Lash Mascara on my lashes which is a great mascara for everyday because it doesn't add too much volume.

I finished with a little gloss on my lips.

This is just my base look. You can add to it if you have extra time. Sometimes I will start with a BB Cream instead of moisturiser, or add some concealer before the powder.

The best way to do a quick make up look is to decide what is most important to you. If you love flawless skin, start by perfecting your skin with concealer and powder then just add mascara, but if you want your eyes to pop, start with your eyes then finish with a dusting of powder and run out the door.

A great way to make your make up look like you put in some effort is to wear a bright or dark lipstick.

No Mirror Make Up

Before and After - No Mirror Make Up

I missed my Manicure Monday this week so I thought I'd do something fun for Whatever Wednesday. I have attempted the no mirror makeup challenge and I filmed the process so you can see that I didn't cheat.

Other than almost poking my eye out, the finished look was nowhere near as bad as I was expecting.

Close Up

I wanted to do a full make up look to really test my blind make up application. I am wearing foundation, concealer, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, brow powder and mascara, blush, contour, setting powder and a red lip.

I could have done with a little more coverage over the blemishes on my chin and my eyeliner didn't really line my eye but I think it could be fixed up to be a passable makeup look. Especially if you squint and don't get too close.

This was really fun to do, it was quite exciting not knowing how it would turn out. You should give it a go.

F.O.T.D. Friday: Awake makeup

Somedays I wake up and I am shocked by what I see in the mirror. On this particular day I was feeling a little under the weather and very tired.

I wanted to make myself feel better and look more awake so out came the makeup.

Before and After

On my scary face days, when I want to look my best I always reach for my Revlon Colorstay Foundation. In this picture I am wearing Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Buff with Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in light on top. I am also wearing Rimmel Match Perfection 2 in 1 Concealer and highlighter in Ivory.

On my cheeks I have contoured a little bit with L.A. Colors Pressed Powder in Cocoa. I have a little bit of both colours from my Wendy Hill Cheek Duo in Riviera as my blush. I have also highlighted with shimmery champagne coloured eyeshadow that I also used on my eyes.

On my eyes I have a winged cut crease kind of look. For a closer look at my eyeshadow have a look here in my Revlon Mascara review. I used a champagne shadow all over my lid then used my Rimmel Mono Eyeshadow in Dusk in the crease in a winged shape. Whenever I am feeling tired I always do a winged look on my eyes to make sure they look open and not down turned at the outside. I also have a little liquid liner on my top lash line.

On my lips I am wearing L.A, Colours Lip liner in Pinky and Designer Brands Lip Gloss in Strawberry Sorbet.

Whatever Wednesday: Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara Review

I have been wearing this mascara for a couple of months now and I am really pleased with how it works. I bought mine from a little makeup shop for around $12 and accidentally picked up the Waterproof version.
I have to say that this is not the best waterproof mascara, it is waterproof enough that it is annoying to get every last bit off when removing your makeup but it still smudges when in contact with water. I have the colour blackest black.

Before and After

You can see from the photos that this formula lenthens, thickens and also adds a little curl. If you look at the bottom two phots it looks like my lashes are shorter with the mascara on buyt this is because my lashes have flicked up. I did not curl my lashes in these photos.

As this mascara gets older I have noticed it starts to clump more, but I have had it for at least 2 months, probably longer.

The staying power of this mascara is quite good, although I have noticed flaking. The flaking usually only happens on days that I have found myself touching my eyes. I have also noticed that because it makes my lashes so long and curled that sometimes my lashes hit my brow bone and the mascara smudges onto my brow,which can be quite annoying if you don't notice this until the end of the day.

I believe that this mascara is supposed to have ingredients that improve lash growth, I can't say that I have noticed this in my self but then again I haven't been looking out for it.

Overall this is a great mascara if you want lots of volume and length. Its great when wearing a full face of makeup, I think it is a little much to wear by itself on days when you wear no makeup except mascara.

Manicure Monday: Colourful Gradient Nails

Colourful Gradient

I haven't had much time to play around with my own nails recently,so for today's post here are the nails I did on my friend.

The photo doesn't really show the manicure off, it looks much nicer in person.

As always I started off with a base coat on all nails.

On the pointer and pinky fingers I painted the whole nail with a pale blue then sponged a layer of purple over two thirds of the nail concentrating the colour intensity at the free edge of the nail. Once this was dry I sponged a purply pink colour onto the tip of the nail.

On the middle finger I painted the entire nail a bright pink colour then sponged an orange onto two thirds of the nail, again focusing the intensity of colour on the free edge of the nail. I then sponged a yellow polish onto the tip. This gradient was the least obvious and great for a more subtle look.

On the ring finger I painted the entire nail yellow then sponged a fluorescent green nail polish over two thirds of the nail focusing the intensity of colour on the free edge of the nail. I then sponged the same blue I had used for the base colour of the pointer and pinky fingers on the very tip of the ring finger nail, because of the green underneath it gives it a minty green look.

I then painted all the nails with a clear glittery polish and a top coat to seal it all in.

New schedule

For the past little while I have been posting everyday, but I found this a little hard time wise and also idea wise so I have decided on a new schedule.

Schedule.

Monday will be the obvious Manicure Monday which will be posts about manicures, maybe nail polish reviews. Basically all things nail related.

Wednesday will be mainly reviews and anything that I think doesn't fit in with Monday or Friday's themes.

Friday will now be Face of the Day, which will be all about makeup. There may be mini reviews on the makeup I have used in a look or just tutorials.

Hopefully I can keep up with this schedule.

What have I done?

Fringe

Yesterday I was browsing Pinterest and came across a pin about cutting your own fringe. This inspired me and I decided I wanted my fringe back, if you look here you can see I have had a fringe before. My fringe had grown out to just longer than my mouth.

Cutting my fringe meant I cut off most of the highlights in my fringe but I'm okay with the colour of it.

I've never really been sure if I like myself with a fringe, so why did I do it again? Why not? I usually have my hair in a ponytail pinned out of the way anyway. Its nice to have a fringe for something a little different.

I probably shouldn't have done it myself because it's not exactly straight, but I don't think that it's obvious.

I've never really been overly attached to my hair, probably because my hair grows quite fast. Hair grows back so nothing is ever permanent, so why not experiment. That't my philosophy anyway and why I ended up with pink and blue hair last year.

Mr. Men Manicure

Naked Nails and Orly White Out

I was wearing my Mr. Happy T-shirt the other day and I thought it would make a great, easy manicure. Turns out it is a great idea but not so easy.

I started with a base coat and then painted all my nails white using Orly's White Out.

Mr. Men Manicure

This is where the hard part started. I painted all of the characters using acrylic paint. It was very difficult to mix the exact colours and the colour is definitely off on Mr. Skinny on my pinky finger.

I painted on each characters shape and then outlined in black and added eyes mouth and hands.

The hands where very difficult to do and they didn't turn out how I had hoped.

Because the design was a lot harder than I thought, I decided to cheat on my right hand and just right Mr. Men which is still quite hard to do with your left hand.



Overall I am happy with how they ended up. Close up there are obviously mistakes, but I think you can still tell what I was aiming for and practice makes perfect.

 

Mr. Men Manicure

Mini Skincare Haul and First Impressions

I bought two new skin care items yesterday and I thought I would haul them and let you know what my first impressions are. There will most likely be full reviews in a month or so.

I bought Skinfood New Zealand Cleans all which is a cream cleanser that removes makeup and is safe on the eyes. It is a natural based product with aloe and manuka honey. I love manuka honey on my skin and this is what drew me to it.

It has a essential oil smell to it but it is not a strong smell as though it is just the smell of the ingredients not an added fragrance.

I have used this to remove my makeup and it did a good job although it did struggle a bit with removing my waterproof mascara.

It is a cream product and left my skin feeling clean but not stripped dry.

You can rinse it off your face with water or wipe it off with a cotton pad.

So far I am liking this product.

I also bought Nivea Visage Shine Control Mattifying Gel Cream. This is a moisturiser. I bought this because I have never seen a gel cream before and have never tried a shine control moisturiser.

This has quite a strong smell, which puts me off a little bit because fragrances sometimes break me out, but I'm giving it a go.

It says on the packaging that it has UVA filters but there is no specific SPF on the product. This doesn't bother me much because my makeup that I wear on top generally has an SPF in it.

I have only used this once but it felt very moisturising on my skin and my skin was left feeling soft after the product was absorbed. I wouldn't say it made my face completely matte but it was definately less shiny than when I use my Neutrogena Oil Free Moisturiser.

Skinfood New Zealand Cleans All and Nivea Visage Shine Control Mattifying Gel Cream

So far I am happy with both products and I will update in a month or so how they went for me.

Rimmel Glam'Eyes Mono Eyeshadow in Dusk Review

Today I am reviewing the Rimmel London Glam'eyes Mono Eyeshadow in the colour 033 Dusk. I use this mainly as a brow powder.
You get 2.4 grams of product in this eyeshadow and it also comes with a sponge applicator which is actually not that bad. It has a thin end and a fat end, if I am in a rush I occasionally use the thin end to fill in my brows.

Before and After Natural Brow

In the top photo, the left brow has been filled in and the right has not. I think it gives quite a natural not over drawn look. Most of the time I set my brows with the LA Colors Clear Mascara and my eyebrows last all day. Even when I use the eyeshadow alone I have no issues with my brows disappearing through out the day.

In the second photo is my Rimmel Eyeshadow in Dusk and the angled brush I use to fill in my brows. I have been using this powder almost every day for at least a year, if not longer, and as you can see, I have barely made a dent in it.

033 Dusk Swatch

On the right is a swatch of the eyeshadow on my hand.

It is quite pigmented.

Dusk on the lids

On the left is the eyeshadow on my eyes. I have applied the  shadow on my lid then blended it into the crease in a winged shape. I have also applied a little under the eye, then liner, mascara and inner corner highlight.

This is an easy way to do a daytime smokey eye. It adds definition to your eyes without making it look like you tried too hard.

This is a great versatile eyeshadow. It can be used all over the lid, just around the lash line or in the crease and best of all because it is matte it can be used as a brow powder. I find it good as a brow powder because I can build up the colour, keeping them more natural for the day time or darkening my brows for a more dramatic eye look.

Tag: Would You Rather Beauty Edition

I've seen this tag floating around the internet, so I thought I would give it a go.

If you haven't done it yet give it a try.

1. Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lipglosses or lose all of your palettes and eyeshadows?
Most definitely palettes and eyeshadows. There is nothing wrong with a basic eye and bright lip. And you can always use liners as cream shadows.
2. Would you rather chop off all your hair or never be able to cut it again?
This is an easy one for me, I only cut my hair once every 6 to 12 months so I am no stranger to dry, split ends. I would never cut my hair again.
3. Would you rather have a coral cheek or a pink cheek?
I think Coral because it goes with more things but I wear both.
4. If you had $1000 to spend, would you rather buy clothes or makeup?
If I had $1000 I would spend it on a mixture of both among other things, but choosing just one it would be makeup. Even though I don't need another $1000 worth of makeup and I really could do with new clothes.
5. Would you rather apply lipstick as eyeliner, or eyeliner as lipstick?
Eyeliner as lipstick because there is no way lipstick would stay on my eye and eyeliners come in so many colours i'm sure i'd be able to find one that would suit as a lipstick.
6. Would you rather only shop at MAC or Sephora?
I have never shopped at either and have never owned any MAC products. I'm not exactly sure what Sephora is but I think they sell more brands, so I'm choosing Sephora so I have more options.
7. Would you rather only use one eyeshadow color or one lip color for the rest of your life?
One lip colour. A pinky, nude lip goes with everything.
8. Would you rather wear winter clothes in summer or summer clothes in winter?
I'm going with summer clothes in winter, because I live in New Zealand, specifically Hamilton where it never snows, so I'm not going to get hypothermia in my shorts and t shirt. But I would overheat wearing jeans and a jumper in the summer. Plus I can always layer my summer clothes if it gets really cold.
9. Would you rather have dark nails or bright nails all year round?
Always going to be bright.
10. Would you rather give up your favorite lip product or your favorite eye product?
Lip product. I quite like my lips so I wouldn't mine just putting on a balm but I feel my eyes need more products to make them pop.
11. Would you rather only be able to wear your hair in a ponytail or a messy bun?
Now this depends, if doing a messy bun is second nature to me then I would choose the bun because I think it looks more done but purely because I suck at hair, I have to choose a ponytail because it's what I do most days and its easy.
12. Would your rather never be able to paint your nails again or never use lipgloss?
If you know me then you know that I love nail polish. Between my nails and lipgloss its obviously nails. 
13. Would you rather shave your eyebrows and have none at all or sharpie them in everyday?
I have to say sharpie them in. Although a black sharpie would look stupid with my pale skin and light hair, perhaps I could dye my hair dark or find a lighter sharpie? Also using the sharpie everyday you would pick up tricks to make them look more natural. Maybe if you have a really fine sharpie, you could draw them inn hair by hair.
14. Would you rather live without makeup or nail polish?
This is the hardest one for me because I loooooove nail polish. If I'm allowed to tint my brows and lashes, I could give up the make up. I would have to give up the makeup because I cannot give up nail polish although it would suck for special occasions.

Revlon ColorStay Before and After

I just wanted to update with a before and after photo  for the Revlon ColorStay foundation.

In the first photo I am wearing nothing but moisturiser.
In the second photo I am wearing Revlon ColorStay foundation in 150 Buff applied with a Real Techniques buffing Brush. You can see it has covered all the redness in my skin.
The third photo is my Revlon ColorStay and Buffing Brush.
The final photo is my completed makeup. I have not used any concealer only contour, blush. highlight and my Maybelline Dream Matte Powder.

Before and After

Check out my full review here.

Inexpensive, Easy, Silver Eye

I wanted to have a play with makeup today but I already had my basic day makeup on. Just face makeup, mascara and eyebrows. So I thought I thought I would have a play with eyes.

I wanted to give silver makeup a go because I have never really worn a silver eye before. Looking through my collection I noticed my only silver makeup was from quite inexpensive brands, so I decided I would try to make an inexpensive eye look.

What I did
I started with my Jordana Quickliner in 05 Silver Lining and put this all over my lid and under eye blending out the edges with a cotton bud.
I then applied LA Colors Shimmering Loose Eyeshadow in SE11 Snow White everywhere I had applied the silver liner and blending the remaining product on my brush up to my eyebrow as a highlight. This worked well because it is a sheer white shimmery shadow that looks silver over the liner and just acts as a highlight over bare skin.
Next I lined my tightline and waterline with LA Colors Eyeliner Pencil in P602 Brown-Black, then also lined my upper and lower lash line before smudging the liner into a winged shape with a cotton bud.
I then applied more of the Snow White shadow over the liner to blend it all together.
I then reapplied my current mascara, Revlon Growluscious.

The Cost
Jordana Quickliner in 05 Silver Lining - around $2. I bought mine from a $2 shop but you could replace this with any silver liner.
LA Colors Shimmering Loose Eyeshadow in SE11 Snow White - $5 from The Warehouse
LA Colors Eyeliner Pencil in P602 Brown-Black - $5 from The Warehouse
Total Cost Only $12!!!

Silver Eyes

I thought this eye look would be good to keep in mind for times when you are caught with out your full makeup collection. Perhaps you are staying with someone and have only brought face makeup and mascara. This is really quick and easy and looks great with just lip gloss or a glossy lip balm.

Rimmel BB Cream Review

I have been on the look out for a cheaper, everyday alternative to my Revlon Colourstay Foundation for quite awhile and when Rimmel released its BB Cream here in New Zealand I new I had to give it a try. I have always been impressed with all the Rimmel products I have tried and the price is great.

I bought mine from The Warehouse for around $18 in a buy one get one half price sale, I also picked up the Hide the Blemish concealer for half price.

I believe there are 2 colours, light and medim. I chose light and the colour is maybe half a shade too dark but this works well for me because my chest is darker than my face and neck, so I just make sure to blend the BB Cream down my neck. If you are any lighter than me you will probably find this too dark.
It claims to be a 9 in 1 product. Primes, moisturises, minimises pores, conceals, covers, smoothes, mattifies, brightens and helps protect. I shall address each claim.

Primes - For me there are two types of primers, those that moisturise the skin making sure your makeup does not cling to dry patches and those that mattify the skin making your make up last longer and minimising pores. The product does not cling to dry patches but I wouldn't consider this a long lasting foundation.

Moisturises - This is definitely a moisturising product. I have used it with no moisturiser underneath and my skin still felt moisturised.

Minimises Pores - I'm not sure if it minimises pores but it does not exaggerate them. My pores look smaller with this BB Cream than they do when I use my Revlon Colourstay with no primer.

Conceals - As you can see from the pictures, this BB Cream conceals my more minor blemishes wonderfully. It does struggle a bit with my gigantic blemishes which even my full coverage concealers struggle to cover up. I would definitely wear this without concealer on a daily basis.

Covers- To me, concealing and covering are the same thing.

Smoothes - This BB Cream smoothes over any dry patches without clinging to them and also helps to moisturise them.

Mattifies - I did not find the BB Cream mattified my face at all. Perhaps this is because I have oily skin or on't leave it long enough to set. But I would never wear this without setting it with a powder, although this is personal preference as I never wear any liquid with out a powder.

Brightens - I would not have described this BB Cream as brightening but I don't really have any areas that I want to brighten. It did leave a dewy glow on my skin.

Protects - The BB Cream has an SPF of 25, which I think is pretty good for daily wear.

So, although it claims to be 9 in 1 I feel it's more like 6 in 1. For me the priming it does is the same as moisturising, concealing and covering are also the same thing. I don't find it mattifies or brightens my skin.

This BB Cream doesn't have a claim on how long it lasts on the skin,but on my combination oily skin I have to blot or powder every couple of hours and this will vary depending on your skin type and shine preference.

Lets get on to the photos. I'll start off by saying front on photos do not flatter my face at all but I wanted to show the product in the nest way possible. The first photo is my naked moisturised face, you can see I have a few large red spots on my chin and quite a few smaller red spots all over my face as well as freckles.

Photo 2 is after applying only the BB Cream using my Real Techniques Buffing Brush. The BB Cream has covered my less obvious spots and has significantly reduced the redness in my giant spots. It still lets my natural skin and freckles show through which I like.

In the third photo I have filled in my eyebrows, added mascara, under eye highlighter, powdered my face, a little bit of blush and applied lip gloss to show you the finished product.

Rimmel BB Cream Before and After

The BB Creams i have tried in the past have been more like tinted moisturisers that give little to no coverage. This BB Cream is more like a foundation that has the benefits of moisturiser. This has become my daily face makeup although I do still use my Revlon Colourstay when I need my makeup to last with out touch ups. I am really pleased with this BB Cream and would definitely repurchase.

Things I have done recently.

Here are a few photos of makeup and nails I have been doing recently.

Nail Art

Recently I have been decorating my salon room and I finally got to put up my manicure table up, so I spent quite a while playing with nail art and I thought I would share what I did.

Maybelline Dream Matte Powder

Maybelline Dream Matte Powder claims to give air soft matte perfection and to not clog pores. Maybelline says it will magically match the skins texture and never settle in to lines. You get 9g of product for around $20.

I have the powder in light. This powder has a slight shimmer when you look at it in the pan but this is not noticeable on the face. I think this is why it gives a more natural glowy finish to the skin. The Dream Matte powder does not give me the same matte finish that my Rimmel Stay Matte does, but it gets rid of my oily shine and leaves the skin with a glowing finish. It definitely does not last as long on the face as the Rimmel powder and I have to retouch every few hours depending how hot it is and what I am doing.

I don't really have lines on my face so I can't say wether or not it settles into lines, I can say however that on close up it does settle into my pores making them look larger.

The packaging is much better than the Rimmel powder. It is still plastic but has a hinged lid that locks into place it also has a swivel out mirror and powder puff underneath which makes it ideal for carrying in your bag for touch ups.

The powder gives a fair amount of coverage. During the day I will wear it with some concealer under the eyes and it blurs imperfections enough for a daytime look. It lasts slightly better over my Revlon colorstay foundation than over bare skin.
I have not had any issues with breaking out whilst using this product.

Overall this powder gives a more natural finish than the Rimmel Stay Matte but does not last as long on the face. The packaging is excellent which makes up for it being slightly more expensive. If you are looking for a powder that leaves the skin completely matte I don't think this is the powder for you but if you want a more natural finish light coverage powder foundation then this is great. I don't think I could choose between the Rimmel and the Maybelline because they both do different things for my skin. If I was forced to choose perhaps the Rimmel with a highlighter. But then I really do like how natural this powder looks I just wish it lasted a little longer on my face. All in all I recommend trying this product because its only $20 and is a great setting powder.

Dove Nutri Oil: Before and After Photos

This is a follow up post to my review of Dove Nutri Oil which you can read here. At the time I didn't take any photos for you to see the difference. I can tell you that I like the product, but I thought I would let you make up your own mind by seeing my before and after photos.








I know the colour and angle of the photos are different but I had a hard time getting them to look similar, I hope you can still see the difference.

Before and After

In the first photo I have shampooed and conditioned my hair and then let it air dry with no styling products. I have also pinned my hair in the position I want it to dry in. My hair is frizziest in my top layers where the hair is shorter so has less weight and it has also been highlighted more often.

I start by squirting two pumps of the oil into my hands and spreading it all over my hands then i rub it through my hair avoiding the roots. Then if I need to I will apply more one pump at a time. I used about four pumps today as the weather is quite humid. When I am finished I will use what ever is left on my hands to smooth down any frizzies near my roots.

This oil is so lightweight that I can apply as much as I want. If my hair is being particularly unruly I will reapply the oil throughout the day when I need to and it does not get greasy.

I highly recommend you try this product, its inexpensive and works well.

2012 in Facebook Profile Pictures

I thought it would be fun to look back over my profile pictures for 2012 and see how I have changed in one year.  I only had 5 profile pictures last year so I thought I'd share them on here. I have cropped out any other people that were in the photos just in case they don't want their faces all over my blog.

Why don't you have a look back over your year in profile pictures?

Manicure and Tutorial

This is what I have on my nails right now, it's really easy so I thought I would share it with you.

Step 1. Always start with clean freshly manicured nails and remove any grease from the nail plate with nail polish remover

Step 2. Apply your favourite base coat to protect your nails and make your manicure last longer. I am using O.P.I Nail Envy.

Step 3. Pick two nail polish colours, they can be contrasting or complementary. You can even use just one colour. I have chosen Orly Purple Crush (pink polish) and O.P.I Fly (blue-green polish).

Step 4. Using a thin nail art brush and a black acrylic paint brush two stripes onto each nail in a cross shape. The crosses can be different on each nail or the same if you prefer. You can use black nail polish for the crosses if you have it. If you want really crisp lines you can tape off your nails in the cross shape. I don't use tape because your nails must be completely dry before putting tape onto the polish.

Step 5. Apply your favourite topcoat and enjoy.

Don't worry if your crosses don't look perfect close up, I always look at my nails from arms length and if they look good from there I'm good to go.

OOTD - 11/01/2013

Since finishing my studies and not yet finding a job, I am leaving the house a lot less than I used to. I've decided that I am going to make an excuse to dress up at least once a week. By dress up I mean get out of my pyjamas and put on a bit of makeup. 

I'm posting my outfit of the day posts here so it will hopefully make me keep my promise to myself.

I am wearing a dress and belt that I bought from The Warehouse, the dress was on sale for about $10 and the belt I bought ages ago but it was definitely under the $20 mark.

My necklace was given to me by my parents for my 21st birthday.

The top middle picture is of two rings that fit together that I got from Silvermoon.

The bottom middle picture is of my bow ring that I got from Farmers.

My hairs is just yesterdays curls that I did with an ordinary GHD straightener.

On my face I am wearing Revlon Colorstay Foundation with Maybelline Dream Matte Powder over the top.

I am also wearing blush, highlighter and a little bit of contour.

I have run a matte brown eyeshadow through my brows.

I have a variety of light shimmery shadows on my lid with a small amount of black pencil liner on my outer corner and in my tight line. I am wearing Revlon Growlucious mascara.

On my lips I have a nude lip liner, lip stick and lip gloss.

The middle photo is a blurry before shot. I put it in there to show that I naturally have very light eyebrows a funny shaped face and not the best skin. Thankfully you can't see how bad my skin really is in the photo.

This is my first outfit of the day, hopefully there will be another post next week if not sooner. Expect to see much of the same outfits because I really don't have many dressy clothes.