The Lipstick Tag

I was nominated by the lovely Priyanka of twinxNtrax to do the lipstick tag.  I think there a few different versions of the lipstick tag going around as I've done a similar tag before.  This particular tag gave me an opportunity to answer some of the more pertinent questions about favourite shades so I had a bit of fun doing it the second time around!

[Source]

How many lipsticks do you own?

I should be totally honest but I don't want to scare anyone.  I'm a horrible hoarder of all things beauty so I'll say around 100.  However, I only have 15 on current rotation.

When you were a child did you use your mother's lipsticks?

I remember playing with my mum's Revlon lipsticks.  Pink Foil was a typically 1970's pink frost and there was a red creme lipstick I can't remember the name of.

How old were you when you bought your first lipstick?

I bought my first lipstick in my late teens.  Prior to that I was all about the eyes with only a touch of Bonne Bell bubblegum lipgloss rolled over the lips.

What is your newest lipstick?

The latest lippy purchase was my L'Oreal Pink Fever lipstick bought on vacation.  Click here for post and swatch.

What is the most expensive lipstick you have ever bought?

I splurged earlier this year and spent $65AUD on a Tom Ford lipstick as a birthday present to myself!  Click here for post.

And the cheapest?

I've spent as little as $2AUD on a deep burgundy no-name lipstick and received lots of compliments whenever I wore it.

What's the most bizarre thing you have done with a lipstick?

Applied it to my ex-husband's lips...

If you had to recommend a lipstick what brand would you recommend and why?

Department store:  MAC simply for the vast range of colours and finishes.

Drugstore:  I'm loving Rimmel lipsticks at the moment because they are reasonably priced and have fantastic pigmentation, with on-trend colours.

Pink or red?

Depends on my mood.

Favourite pink?

NYX Louisiana is a richly pigmented hot pink creme which really makes a punchy impact.  Essence Like a Lady comes a very close second and it's almost a dupe although I slightly prefer the more blue-toned fuschia pink of Louisiana.

 

Favourite red?

When I wear red lipstick its because I want to make a statement.  Rimmel's Temptation is the perfect warm-toned red for me.  This semi-matte lippy is very bright and wearable all year round.

Favourite nude?

Rimmel's Undressed is a recent favourite of mine.  This warm nude is just the right depth to define my lips and avoid washing out my NC20 complexion.

Favourite dark shade?

MAC Party Line is a berry shade which is quite deeply pigmented but still suitable for daytime wear.

L-R:

  NYX Louisiana, Rimmel Temptation, Rimmel Undressed, MAC Party Line

I tag anyone who wants to do this!

That's all for now.

Vita :)

I'm not exactly shattered...

...by the performance of OPI's latest addition to its shatter polish line.

Gold Shatter was the shatter shade I'd been waiting for and had such high expectations for.  However, instead of wide open chasms this polish dried with barely visible hair-line cracks over my base of Orly's Entourage. 

Here's a single picture of the result:

It frustrates me how inconsistent these polishes can be.  I haven't given up though and I'll keep working at it until I get a good result that's worth posting.  I'd read somewhere the shatter polish needs to dry out a bit and thicken up to provide a better shattered result so I might try that.  

Maybe a thicker coat of the shatter polish would give a better result?

Any ideas from you lovelies would be greatly appreciated!!

Vita :)

REVIEW: Essence - Stay With Me long lasting lipgloss

Those of you who've followed me for a while know that I have a 'thing' for Essence cosmetics because they're good quality and so ridiculously affordable.  Here's another little gem of a product from Essence that I wanted to share with you.

About a month ago I bought two Stay With Me lipglosses to try because they claimed to be long lasting - and (truthfully) because the summery colours were irresistible!  At $3.95AUD each it wasn't going to be a costly disappointment if they didn't quite live up to their name.

 trendsetter (top)
my favourite milkshake (bottom)

What I like about wearing these lipglosses is that, yes, they do last well on the lips without migrating or fading within minutes but best of all these long-lasting glosses don't feel tacky or sticky at all on the lips. My lips feel smooth and moisturised as these have the texture of a glossy balm. 

The shape of the applicator is interesting and a bit unusual to me.  It's hour-glass shaped rather than the traditional doe foot.  The applicator shape fits the lip contour perfectly and I can roll the applicator over the lips to deposit the gloss neatly on my lips instead of applying with the usual swiping action. 




Swatched on my hand - L-R:
trendsetter
my favourite milkshake

I've also taken the plunge and taken a picture of trendsetter on my 45 year old lips (warning!) to give you a better idea of the coverage and glossy finish:

Pros:

-well pigmented bright colours with a high gloss finish (6 in all)

-gloss doesn't migrate

-lasts up to a few hours

-feels smooth and not sticky on the lips

-hour-glass applicator makes application easy

-well priced at $3.95AUD

Cons:

-Limited availability for Australian readers as Essence is currently only retailing through selected Target stores

Would I buy this again?

Absolutely.  I have a few more shades I 'need'!

Until next time.

Vita :)

Orly: Entourage

Here's another glittery, almost vampy polish - stunning in real life but *sigh* it was so hard to capture in pictures!

For some reason Orly's Entourage actually reminds me of raspberry jam.  It's a very deep plum jelly base with a generous smattering of silver glitter.  I applied three coats to get good depth of colour and coverage.  I think this looks great on its own but because of the sheer jelly base it would also be a good layering polish.  As with my first Orly experience, this polish was very smooth and easy to apply.

Full sun

Lamplight

Outdoors shade

Are you an Orly fan?  What's your favourite Orly shade?

That's all from me tonight.

Vita :)

What my nails wore to work: Rokk 96 - I'll be Frank

This is my office manicure from last week and yet another polish from my vacation mega-haul (see the original post here to refresh your memory)...

I'll be Frank is a deep, vampy polish which has that glow from within quality.  It's a burgundy/plum base with gold micro-glitter which gives it an insane warm glow in the sun and under incandescent light. The formula was easy to control, with smooth application and full opacity in two coats.  My manicure held up for four days before I got some minor chipping so I was also satisfied with the wear of this.

I loved wearing this shade although it probably doesn't flatter my hands so much,  making them look a little on the pasty side.  See what you think - I've put up a lot of pictures in this post to admire the beauty of this polish:

Full sun

Outdoors shade

 

Lamplight

I've one last shade from the Rokk 96 to try, which is the polar opposite of this - a soft pink creme!

That's all for now.

Vita :)

REVIEW: Vacation beauty favourites

I always inevitably overpack beauty products when I travel.  It's my compulsion to be prepared for any beauty situation - the daytime look, the evening look, the 'no makeup' look, the... Well, if you're a beauty buff you'll know what I mean.  Yes, I do venture out into the world with my own natural face on show but I prefer to use a bit of subtle colour when I can, sometimes because I feel like I need a pick me up (tired anyone?) but mostly just for the fun of it!

Out of the 1 kg or so of beauty products I packed here's a mini review of the ones I used the most:

Face

Invisible Zinc Tinted Daywear (50g) - I wore this facial moisturising sunscreen every day to protect my skin from the intense North Queensland sun.  I found I only needed a light application of this as a base because it made my skin really dewy (read 'greasy') if I was too generous! I overcame the shine problem by using this in place of  my regular moisturiser (I'd been inadvertantly moisturising twice by using the tint over my usual moisturiser - oops!) and lightly dusting my MAC powder over my T-zone.

Sportsgirl Get Cheeky Cheek & Eye Shimmer (Summer Blush) - A big shout out to Jerry from Silhouette Screams who'd commented on my blog about this blush/highlighter and got me curious -  and now hooked on it!  I loved using this multi-tasker as a blush, highlighter and an eyeshadow.  Quite honestly, I probably didn't need to pack my MAC Shroom eyeshadow because the highlight in this pan is almost a dupe!  For a swatch and a full review check out Jerry's recent post here.

MAC Select Sheer Pressed Powder (NC20) - I used this fine pressed powder to control shine without masking my face.  It's one of my beauty staples.

Eyes

L'Oreal Extra-Volume Waterproof Mascara (Black) - I love wearing mascara every day and I needed something waterproof to hold up to all the swimming.  This mascara has a gigantic brush and gave me very fat, very waterproof lashes.  The formula is so budge-proof it takes a bit of effort to remove even with waterproof eyemakeup remover as I found out after I'd applied two coats to go out to dinner!

MAC eyeshadow (Shroom) - I brushed this cream satin shade alone over my lids most days for my 'natural' bright-eyed look. Fab formula, super smooth, no creasing as with all MAC shadows so it stood up to the heat with no problem. 

Maybelline Stylish Smokes palette (Charcoal Smokes) - I decided to pack this silvery grey palette instead of an expensive palette so I wouldn't be heartbroken over any breakages or crumbling shadows.  I used all the shades in the palette to create perfectly fine smoky eyes for dinner dates.  For a drugstore product this performed quite well, blending smoothly and giving enough oomph for an evening eye.

Swatched Left-Right:  
MAC Shroom,
  Maybelline Charcoal Smokes - Brow bone, lid, crease, outer corner

Lips

MAC Lipstick - Three MAC Lipsticks covered all my lipstick needs from dawn to dusk (pictured bottom left to top right): 

Cosmo - warm nude creme for a natural daytime lip

Crosswires - cremesheen formula coral for a hit of colour and shine

Impassioned - Vivid, almost neon coral-pink for a summery statement lip

  

Essence glossy lipbalm (berry sorbet) - sugary scented, raspberry pink shimmer gloss worn alone just for fun.

Australis Mint Condition Lip Gloss (Mrs Mellonwellons Melons & Meow With Your Mind) - I wore these SPF30 glosses most days to protect and shine up my lips.  They were rich and provided medium wear without being too sticky.  Mrs Mellonwellons Melons is a richly pigmented coral, good for a flush of colour on the lips and Meow With Your Mind is a very soft shimmery peach I wore when I just wanted to be completely low-key and natural.

Lip colours swatched Left to Right:
Top Row:  MAC Cosmo, Crosswires, Impassioned
Bottom Row:  Essence Berry Sorbet,
Australis Mrs Mellonwellons Melons & Meow With Your Mind

What are your must-have vacation cosmetics?  

Do you overpack when it comes to beauty too?

  I'd love to hear from you.

Until my next post.

Vita :)

Blog award: Tell Me About Yourself

Happy Sunday to everyone!

I was nominated for the Tell Me About Yourself award by the lovely Grace from  Make-up CRAZY - Thank you!  Grace has a creative (and budget-friendly) take on make-up and has done some great FOTD's on her blog.  She also loves pink lipstick - just like me!  Be sure to check out her blog.

Seven Random Facts About Me:

1. When I was small I told everyone I wanted to be a botanist(!), then I wanted to be pharmacist, then I wanted to be a psychologist...

2. I actually completed my Honours degree majoring in Psychology, but no, I'm not a psychologist

3. I'm a teddy bear by nature and I just want to be liked by everyone

4. If I had my time over again I would have trained in the beauty industry

5. I was terrified of thunderstorms when I was a child

6. My favourite thing to do on a Sunday is:  Nothing!

7. My favourite season is summer - cool clothes, sun, swimming, fresh fruit, bright colours, long days...

Seven bloggers I nominate for this award:

I nominate these lovelies in no particular order!

Julia from Polished Pony

 

Cat from The Khromazone 

Ling from The Best Beauty Blog  

Polish Amor from Polish Amor

 

Liz from Beauty Reductionista

Kristy from The Polish Haven 

Vintage from Vintage Makeup

 

Thanks for reading - and check out these worthy blogs!

Until next time.

Vita :)

My first tape mani

 Hi!  Sorry I've been MIA for a few days but with good reason - my son's end of year school musical production and yet another interstate business trip.  I was too busy and just too tired to write anything! Anyway, onto today's post...

I've seen lots of bloggers work magic using sticky tape to dress up their mani's with absolutely amazing results.  This is my first attempt at a full tape mani using gold polish to embellish my last posted Orly Green with Envy.  I applied a single coat of Inglot's gold flakie 205 all over the nail. After this was dry I taped each nail on the diagonal and applied two coats of Zoya's antique gold Richelle on the exposed half of the nail.

Here's the result:

The gold polish is a wee bit streaky but it's not too bad for a first attempt.  What do you think?

Until next time.

Vita :)

Orly minis: Green With Envy

Hello!

This is another first for me - Green With Envy is the first Orly polish I've ever worn.  From all the reviews out there in the blogging world and Makeup Alley this shade is a favourite and I'm not surprised.  This is a flatteringly cool toned green which leans towards turquoise in certain light.  I applied three coats and the polish dried to a superbly smooth glossy patent finish.

This is an on-trend shade for our southern spring/summer:

Outdoors shade

Full sun

Natural light indoors

I was impressed by the smooth application of the Orly polish and I'm glad I've got four more Orly minis to try!

That's all  for now.

Vita :)

BK: Glitter Silver

Here's a lovely polish with a slightly off-kilter name.

This is the first BK polish I've tried and it was instant love.  BK's Glitter Silver isn't quite silver but more of a white gold micro-glitter polish.  It's quite a sheer formula but after three coats my nails were opaque and blingy in an understated way.  This was actually my first back to work mani and it wore beautifully all week with zero chips.  Better still, this removed with no effort at all, unlike most glitter polishes which require copious amounts of remover.

See the beautiful shimmer...

Indoors lamplight

Full sun

Outdoors shade

 

 Have you tried BK polish?

Until next time.

Vita :)

Vacation Haul Part 3 - beauty odds & ends

I hope you're not sick of seeing my vacation hauls! 

Considering my OTT nail polish hauling I was really restrained when it came to my beauty purchases and I only bought three products over the two weeks - largely because I overpacked in terms of the beauty products I took from home!  I bought these few bits and pieces because they tempted me with their summery scents and colours.

Left to right:

Evodia Pink Frangipani Body Lotion (200ml/6.8fl.oz) - This lightly perfumed lotion really smells of summer with its softly floral pink frangipani scent.  I actually bought this out of need because my skin craved a bit of extra moisture after being out in the sun and I loved how quickly the lotion absorbed and how the scent remained true on my skin.  I'm wearing it on the back of my hand right now and it's one of those irresistible scents I can't stop myself from sniffing. 

Pacifica Waikiki Pikake Solid Perfume - I have to laugh a little because this perfume is a Hawaiian Jasmine & sandalwood, made in the USA.  It's an addictively sweet tropical themed scent and I just thought the packaging was really cute and so easy to carry in my purse - a cute girly purchase! 

L'Oreal Color Riche Lipstick (Pink Fever) - This shade has only recently been released here in Australia and I bought it as a random purchase because I'm a fan of L'Oreal Color Riche lippies and also because it's a great creme pink shade suitable for summer. 

Pink Fever swatched:

Well that's all of my vacation beauty spending laid bare.  I'll do one last vacay-themed beauty post on my vacation beauty favourites soon.

Until next time.

Vita :)

Kleancolor: Vegas Night

Glitter, mmmm...

Vegas Night is one of the three Kleancolor polishes I hauled last month (click here for original post).   This polish is predominantly blue glitter with some purple glitter thrown in for good measure, floating in a translucent black base.  I applied three coats layered over Revlon's Black Lingerie (black creme) as a base.  The finish is a bit rough textured because I didn't flood this with top coat, only using a single coat of OPI RapiDry.

Both pics taken indoors in natural light:

What do you think?

Vita :)

OPI: Rising Star

Happy Friday!

Here's the last of my vacation manis.  I packed a few mini OPI bottles for my trip - Rising Star was the only one I got around to wearing.  Rising Star is from OPI's glitterific 2010 Burlesque Collection and is a metallic coppery gold.  This glamorous shade sparkles in the sun with its smattering of glass-fleck and is bling for the fingers (and my toes)!

Full sun

Shade

Just for fun, here I am doing my best hand model pose on the Empress of Uruguay, the world's largest amethyst geode.  This was at The Crystal Caves in Atherton, Far North Queensland:

For reference here's the full geode which is over three metres/eleven feet tall!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Vita :)

Vacation Haul Part 2 - jewellery

I forgot to pack any jewellery for my vacay - big mistake!  It ended up being a great excuse to look out for some interesting pieces though. 

Weekend markets are always a treasure-trove when you're being "touristy" and I bought some pretty locally made jewellery at the Port Douglas Cotters Market ("Cotters Market" means the goods sold are made by the stallholder). 

I really loved this adjustable silver ring inlaid with turquoise & freshwater pearl and I bought the freshwater pearl earrings to match:

I also got these bangles from the market for a total $10AUD:

During our first week away I picked up these pieces at a clothing and accessories boutique in the sleepy beach-side town of Mission Beach:

I consider these as my souvenirs and I know I'll remember our holiday whenever I wear them.

Thanks for looking.

Vita :) 

Rokk 96: Silver Screen

Happy Wednesday to everyone - I've made it half-way through the working week and I'm surviving so far...

Here's one of the mani's I sported on holiday from my megahaul.  I bought three Rokk 96 polishes from Price Attack and I had to wear Silver Screen first because it screamed summer and water to me. Silver Screen is a glittery, shimmery metallic blue polish comprising loads of silver micro-glitter in a blue base.  The result is a blingy standout mani which looks amazing in bright sunlight.  I must admit I had a bit of trouble with the consistency of the polish when applying because it was a bit goopy and tended to drag, however the wear was outstanding and it did not budge until I was ready to take it off.

Full sun

Outdoors shade

Rokk 96 polishes retail at around $7.95AUD each.

That's all for now.

Vita :)