Hello Gorgeous!

...Gorgeous Cosmetics that is!

A couple of weeks ago I picked up my first Gorgeous Cosmetics eyeshadow, Mint Julip, on sale at Zuza in Melbourne.  (My make-up is actually stored in a Gorgeous cosmetics case my husband gave me for Christmas a few years ago, but until now I had not tried their products!!)

I've just checked out their website http://www.gorgeouscosmetics.com.au/ and Gorgeous Cosmetics is actually an Australian brand founded by qualified make-up and hairdresser David McConnell.  There are a number of stores located in Melbourne & Sydney.

 I wore Mint Julip yesterday and it held up extremely well in the heat with minimal creasing by the end of the day.  Now, that's not bad considering I never wear a primer or base on my eyelids!  Mint Julip is a very wearable warm green shade with a gold shimmer throughout.  I thought a warm green would work well with my green eyes without overwhelming them.

Here are a few pix of the product packaging and my first attempt at an EOTD:

 What I used:

• Mint Julip brushed all over lid and blended in to crease
• Chanel white gold eyeshadow from 24 Interferentiels quad in inner corner
• MAC Powerpoint eye pencil in Hand Forged on upper lid
• Maybelline Lash Discovery mini-brush waterproof mascara in Very Black

It ended up with a very subtle, wearable result I think.

Before I go, a random photo of the green shell bracelet I wore yesterday.  This is another great gift from a friend.  She brought it back from Fiji:

I'm off to a very prolific start with my blog as I'm taking advantage of the last few days I have at home before my son resumes school and I head back to work!

That's all for now. 

Vita :)

A hot summer red: OPI on Collins Ave

Hi!

I bought OPI on Collins Ave back in 2009 when it was released as part of the South Beach collection.  It is a hot orange-based red creme.  Very bright and not for the colour-shy but it's also office-appropriate as it has that smart retro feel about it.  This is the colour I wear when I want to wear a va-va voom red and it's fantastic for summer pedis too.

Now for something from my photo archive.  I took my photos of OPI on Collins Ave a few months back last spring when I was building my picture collection for my blog.  My nails were a little longer back then.  Hopefully they'll be back to that length again soon:

Full sun

Outdoor shade

Flash

That's all for now.

Vita:)

My first China Glaze swatch: For Audrey

Hi!

After craving - I mean lemming - it for months I was excited to finally get my hands on For Audrey and even more excited to try it out!!

It did not disappoint.  The coverage was great and I could probably make do with a single coat if I'd been better with my application.  Suffice to say two coats and I was definitely done.  The colour was everything I hoped it would be and you'll see I did the totally unoriginal shot with the Tiffany box just to make me happy.
 This creme eggshell blue really is a great colour to wear in summer now that we're finally getting that scorching weather here - 40C (104F) today.  Best bit - I scored compliments from my girlfriends at lunch!!  Anyway here she is...sorry I couldn't contain my excitement even though she's been seen many times before...

Outdoor shade

Indoor lamp - most colour accurate

Great colour match with the Tiffany packaging!

 I did take some pix in full sun but the colour looked too washed out so I didn't post any.

Until my next post.

Vita :)

Some goodies from last weekend

Hi

Ever since I've been following blogs China Glaze is one brand I've seen posted everywhere and one brand that I did not own.  Of course, that makes me very curious about the fuss...

Anyway, I was shopping with my husband and son last Saturday at a local shopping centre and what did I spot?  A full stand of China Glaze! After the 'OMG!' reaction I was hoping that For Audrey would be there and I was in luck.  For Audrey is widely blogged to be the perfect Tiffany box blue, which makes sense given that it is named after Audrey Hepburn, star of 'Breakfast at Tiffanys'. I love Tiffanys (my engagement & wedding rings are Tiffany) and have kept all my Tiffany blue jewellery boxes so I have a sentimental reason for wanting that shade.  I also bought a bottle of Grape Juice, a purple shade full of silvery glassy flecks simply because I like purple.  Two bottles cost me $20AUD which is very reasonable.

Well, the next day we were at the Chinese/Vietnamese Lunar Festival in Victoria Street Richmond when I spotted some cute little nail polishes selling at 2 for $5 so I picked up two of those. The first shade is a silvery lilac, the other a deep burgundy/purple.  The brand is Crystal Dior - a play on Christian Dior I think!  They are manufactured in Thailand and I don't know anything else about them. 

Naughty me!

Left to right:  Grape Juice, For Audrey, J18, 07

I haven't tried any of these yet.  I hope to wear For Audrey this weekend. 

That's all for now.

Vita:)

Summer pastels: Revlon Minted

Hi!

Pastel colours are everywhere this summer in clothing and makeup.  One of the pastel nail colours that interested me was mint green, so I bought Revlon Minted as an affordable way to try out the trend.  I've loved Revlon for years and have to confess to owning...(pulls a face and cringes)...a ridiculous number of bottles!!  No, I can't bring myself to cough up the exact number yet but I have been buying and accumulating Revlon colours for twenty years so you can just imagine...

Minted was released last spring and is still readily available.  It's a creme colour that reminds me of mint gelato so it is definitely appropriate for spring/summer.  Enjoy the pix and don't look too harshly on my short nails:

Full sun

Flash



Outdoor shade

That's all for now.

Vita :)

Some beautiful Xmas presents: Part 2

Hi again!

Now I thought I'd show a special little something I got from my husband .  Of course he knows my taste, so among other things, he bought me this beautiful little gold bag tag from YSL.  I'm not 100% sure on this but I believe it was a limited edition for Xmas 2010.

This lovely gold tag opens up to reveal a mirror and a lip palette consisting of two subtle lip colours.  One is a pink lipstick and the other a pearl lip gloss.  As you can see below I've already dipped into these and they are very quiet, understated colours:

Just ignore my middle-aged skin in this pic.  Next time I promise I'll swatch on the inside of my arm.  Beside that little distraction you can see that these colours are tres chic!  I LOVE YSL but that is a whole other story...

Until the next post

Vita :)

Some beautiful Xmas presents: Part 1

First of all, wishing you a happy Australia Day!!! Yes, we had a little barbecue for lunch today...

I thought it would be nice to show off some of the lovely girly gifts I received last Xmas. 

These objects of beauty were all given to me by a very close friend and her lovely daughter.  They'll remain nameless but they know who they are!!  Naturally we need to take a closer look at these.

First up the keyring from Georg Jensen - minimalist, chic, gorgeous!

Now, an extremely clever piece of jewellery.  This piece is a flexible metal rope which can be worn as a bracelet or around the neck.  I've worn it and it makes a great statement piece.

And last but not least the nailpolish.  Full credit to my friend's daughter who selected the shade for me.  She knows my taste!  Apparently, she was so determined to get this she had to trawl through a few stores until she located the elusive bottle.   Here is Revlon Autumn Berry and some swatches:



Gratuitous bottle shot



Flash

Indoor lamp 



Outdoor shade

As you can see this is a lovely plum/brown colour with a subtle gold shimmer shot through it.  I actually wore it as a mani-pedi out to dinner at Taxi in Melbourne earlier this month and it coordinated beautifully with my outfit.

That's it for now!

Vita :


My first NOTD: OPI La Paz-itively Hot

Hmmm, we're almost two thirds of the way through summer and the weather has only been teasing us.  One good hot day, followed by several wet, humid days.  Nothing too inspiring so I have to create my own summer inspiration.

Anyway I wanted to wear something that screams 'SUMMER' to me so I searched for the truest hot pink I could find.  The winner in my collection is....La Paz-itively Hot!


Direct sun





This is a beautiful glossy hot pink with a hint of irridescent blue shimmer and sunlight really picks it up.  Got lots of compliments from the girls at the office today too so it seems to work under the fluoro lights as well.

I've had this colour forever and only tried it now.  I actually remember ordering it from the TV Shopping Network (TVSN) years ago before David Jones & Petra stocked OPI.  My research tells me that this colour was launched in 2002 as part of OPI's South American collection.

For the sake of comparison here's a pic in the shade:

That's it for today.

Vita :)

How did it get to this?

Bathroom cabinet

And this.....

In the wardrobe!

On bathroom benchtop

and this...! At least the makeup's in a makeup case...

Looks like someone needs to make a quick trip to Ikea for a Helmer (or two)!

Trust me, it's taken a few years to accumulate.  After a fairly plain, vanilla childhood - although I do recall wearing hot pink and orange skittled nails at seven - I moved on to the obligatory electric blue eyeliner as a teen in the eighties, and started my fascination with collecting makeup. 

I actually bit my nails for most of my child and teenage-hood and used nailpolish as my method of giving up the habit.  Well that worked!



That's it for now...

Vita :)

Hello, my name is....

Revlon - Tropical Teal

Hi!

After viewing other blogs for a number of months I've decided to take the plunge myself - as you do!!  I'm yet another one of those nail and makeup obsessed women.  For a long time I believed I was somehow unusual and kept my passion a dirty little secret but now I'm going to finally let the cat out of the bag!

My nail polish and makeup collection has been growing for many years and I guess by sharing it with you I can justify it better.

Shortly I will post a few pix of my currently hideously disorganised collection to give you some idea.

Thanks for now.

Vita :)