July purchases

July was a great month for bargains with all the mid-year sales around. Yes, I kept my eyes open to all that was out there on offer and this post is a collective of pretty much all my shopping throughout the month.

After all of the shopping since finishing my Project 10 Pan in April I admit that at the moment I'm feeling a bit jaded and just damn well shopped out!  A good indication is all the online stalking I've been doing lately but not adding anything to cart.  Apart from one lipstick I've got my eye on (YSL's Forbidden Burgundy) as reward for completing my lipstick ban, I feel like taking it easy with the beauty accumulation for a little while again - until I get that sudden urge for that special something.  There's nothing worse and more wasteful than joyless consumption. Alright, enough of my philosophizing and guilt, here's a rundown of what I bought...

Essie polish minis

At $5AUD each these were too good a deal to pass up...

The Resort Collection - Aka the Fair Game Collection released in 2011. Shades are Fair Game (blue/grey shimmer), Your Hut or Mine (coral pink shimmer), Lion Around (candy pink shimmer) and, haha seriously, Da Bush (green/grey creme).

Brazilliant Summer Collection - Also released in 2011.  I bought this just for Brazilliant itself which is a hot orange with a subtle shimmer. Also in the cube are Smooth Sailing (icy periwinkle blue), Super Bossa Nova (fuschia shimmer) and Meet Me at Sunset (hot orange creme).

Crabtree & Evelyn

 I bought the Crabtree & Evelyn hand care products in two separate trips to the store - both times during a 40% off deal.  I usually stop by there for gifts but ended up gifting myself this time.

Pomegranate Deep Cleansing Hand Wash - One of my little indulgences is using something a little more luxurious than a drugstore hand wash in my bathroom. I'd seen this in my first trip to Crabtree & Evelyn but didn't buy it, then kicked myself, then went back for it!

Pomegranate Ultra-Moisturising Hand Therapy - Pardon the pun in advance but I bought this hand cream not only because it's soothing and smells lovely but because it goes "hand in hand" with the pomegranate hand wash, hehe!

Lavender Age Defying Hand Remedy - This was the original buy. A no brainer for me because it promises "younger-looking hands".

Real Techniques makeup brushes

 These brushes weren't on sale but I bought them out of curiousity (aka under the influence of beauty bloggers!) and because they are so ridiculously soft. I'm no makeup brush guru but I'll let you know how I go with these...

 SJP Lovely & Lanolips

Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker - I'm not a fan of celebrity fragrances generally but this fragrance is the exception and it was on sale!  It's soft and powdery and reminds me of spring so I'm getting in early.

Lanolips Lip Ointment (Rose) - A spontaneous buy just because I love the natural pink colour of this rich balm.

 That is all.

Vita :)

 

OPI: Skull & Glossbones

After yesterday's riotous haul today's polish of choice is so utterly tame!

I wanted something subtle for last week's work mani so Skull & Glossbones fit that brief perfectly.  S & G is one of OPI's Pirates of the Caribbean collection and in retrospect I wish I'd bought this and the other interesting neutral grey/green On Stranger Tides in full sized bottles rather than the mini collection.  As if I'd finish these anyway?  Gotta laugh at the unlikeliness of that happening these days.  Anyhow, getting back to describing S & G, it's the perfect soft grey creme, or the perfect pale greige actually.  Neutral but not really that tame, and nice and opaque in two coats.  I got extra good mileage out of it last week too, although I find polish does last a bit better on short nails for some reason!

Full sun

Shade

 

Until next time.

Vita :)

Nail polish haul!

Well Hello :)

This is another quickie haul post I had up my sleeve.  A good friend at work (and a follower) went on an overseas holiday to Malaysia and Europe and did some polish hauling for me.  My instructions were to surprise me so she and her new husband got right into the spirit and these are the little gems they brought back for me.  Amazingly this lot set me back a total of $15AUD - awesome shopping Stacy!!!

Here's the entire haul just thrown onto my bedspread...

Now for some more bottle spam up close...

Color Combos L - R:

  CMT 303, CBL 118, CBL 103

Essence L - R:

Let's Get Lost, Make it Golden, Time For Romance

I have two of these Essence polishes already so I think that's a hint I need to consider a giveaway!

L-R:

Kleancolor - Funky Yellow

Eleanor - ENP059

Sephora - 65

L - R:

Sasa? - 07

Splash - Glow in The Dark 2

OMG a glow in the dark polish?  Slightly insane but so much fun.  Stacy's hubby chose this one!

Clearly, I need to catch up with my swatching.  Decisions, decisions...

That's it for tonight's madness.

Vita :)

Glitter skittles

Today's post is a quickie - because I don't have much to say...

We had a glimpse of winter sun last weekend so I had some fun with my new nubbins and had a little glitterfest!  One quick coat of a different glitter polish on each nail added just enough sparkle to take the aqua blue Pacific Fever to another level of pretty.

Here's the result using T.B.N Glitter 908 on my index/pointer finger, Essence Make it Golden on the middle finger, Aisai 50 on the ring finger and OPI Rainbow Connection on the pinky:

 

 To give you a better view of the different effects I've added some close up shots of the individual nails:

T.B.N - Glitter 908

Milky iridescent glitter.

Essence - Make it Golden

Gold hex glitters in a sheer gold shimmer polish.

I could have done with an extra coat for a more even glitter coverage.

Aisai - 50

Blue hex glitter in a clear base.

Love the glassy finish of this polish - my fave.

OPI - Rainbow Connection.

A rainbow mix of different sized glitters.

What's your favourite?

Until next time.

Vita :)

My winter palette: Plums, berries and wine

I'm a fan of classic makeup shades and I'm really embracing the wine and burgundy lips that are trending at the moment.  I'm not much of a bronzer wearer - I embrace the pale! - so I've always turned to the darker lip shades in winter because I find they're a flattering contrast to my paler winter complexion.   And of course that translates to the nail colours I choose too.

Blackened reds, berries and plums just look so right in winter worn everywhere really so this post is dedicated to my love of these shades.  I've had a little fun diving into my own collection and I'm sure I could have posted even more but these are the makeup items I found whilst doing a 'power shop' of my stash! Stand by for lots of swatching...

Lips

Presented and swatched from left to right:

• MAC Satin Lipstick (Rebel) - Is it berry? Is it plum? Is it beet? MAC has described it as a midtonal cream plum.  I don't know how to best describe it but I love this deep but vibrant shade of lipstick so much this is my second tube.  Click here for my original rave.
• Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick (Wine With Everything) - A classic deep wine creme finish lippy.  I've had it for ages and just rediscovered it when I was going through my stash a few months back. A good shade to replicate the burgundy thing happening with lips at the moment.
• Revlon Colorburst Lipstick (Raspberry) - A semi-sheer raspberry shade.  A nice light daytime red for winter with its cool undertones.
• Bloom Lip Gloss (Tint) - Looks burgundy in the tube but translates as a sheer berry on the lips.
• L'Oreal Glam Shine Reflexion Gloss (Sheer Cassis) - Not very sheer really, but a rather opaque plum gloss with a hint of shimmer and sparkle.  I like it layered over lipstick for added impact with an evening look.

Eyes

Presented clockwise from bottom left and swatched from left to right:

• MAC Shale - I've been using this eyeshadow so much this winter I'm surprised I haven't yet hit pan.  It's such a versatile, almost neutral mauvey-plum which I'll use subtly as a crease accent or more dramatically all over my lids.  Definitely on high rotation at the moment and I can see myself getting a backup in future.
• MAC Cranberry - One of my newer MAC's and I bought it when I was going through a complete berry obsession at the end of autumn/fall. It's described by MAC as a reddish plum with a pink shimmer but it looks more warm toned to me, with a tendency towards copper rather than pink.  It's an after dark eye colour for me, and I'll wear it toned down so I don't look red eyed anchored with a strong black liner, some dark shadow and a truckload of mascara!
• L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow (Burning Black) - Wow! A blackened burgundy eyeshadow and another one for daring after dark looks or it can be used as an eyeliner. Very pigmented so a light hand is needed or it can be a nightmare to blend out.
• MAC Powerpoint Eyeliner pencil (Bordeauxline) - My go to plum eyeliner pencil because it contrasts with the green in my eyes.  I use it every other day as an alternative to brown or black.  Looks great partnered with Shale.

Cheeks

• NYX Mosaic Powder Blush (Plummy) - This is the sole plum blush I own and probably only because it's not too plummy or dark!  I swirl all of the colours in the pan together for a very natural flushed cheek look.  However, and this is a significant however, the powder has a really strong "chalky" smell which makes me want to look a bit closer at the composition of it. 

Nails

Presented and swatched (terribly, sorry due to bad lighting) from left to right:

•  Revlon Autumn Berry - Deep plum/burgundy with a subtle gold shimmer.  Even though it's a very dark shade the gold shimmer lifts it out of being too vampy.  It was one of the first ever polishes I swatched on this blog (see some cute amateur swatching here ) and I think it's worthy of a reswatch once my nails grow out of their current nubbin stage.
• OPI Bogota Blackberry - A rich blackened berry shimmer. I'm pretty sure it's in OPI's core line.  My idea of the perfect deep red polish.  So, why the hell haven't I swatched this one on my nails???
• OPI Bastille My Heart - From one of OPI's chicest collections, La Collection De France.  It's a dark berry red creme with a very subtle shimmer.  Again, I NEED to wear this one!!
• Australis Vampy - Another berry shade.  Vampy is a bit of a peculiar name for this shade because it's a pretty berry red creme, with a hint of glitter.  I'll need to wear this one on a sunny day to show you how cute it actually is, but still seasonally appropriate for colder weather!

Is there anything here that takes your fancy?

Until next time.

Vita :)

Ulta3: Pacific Fever

When I did my guest post on Aussie polishes Ulta3's Pacific Fever got the most attention of the four shades modelled in a skittle mani.  It obviously deserved a post of its own - and here it is!

Pacific Fever is an ocean blue/green with a subtle green fleck shimmer.  It's been aptly named and reminds me of the clear blue waters surrounding a tropical  island....off I go again with my silly descriptions!  Just so you know where I'm going:   I think this is very much a vacation colour and would look beautiful as a summer pedi.  Not bad for $2.25, huh?

Oh yeah, welcome back to my nubbins.  I had a double break last week so it was time for the chop!  This is two coats of colour with no top coat.

Natural daylight (indoors)

Lamplight

Until next time.

Vita :)

Orly: Chocolate Martini

I was able to get a few more Orly minis a little while ago and here's the first one I've chosen to share with you.

Chocolate Martini is not actually chocolatey in colour as the name suggests but is more of a coppery bronze highlighted with golden flecks.  And it is utterly beautiful especially as it sparkles in the light.  I wore Chocolate Martini to work last week and, among other things, I loved the surprising versatility of it as it worked well with orange, nude and red lipsticks - not that I go around holding my hands up to my lips all the time!  I applied this in two smooth coats and had no difficulty with the little brush.  It's pretty durable too and I got through the week with only minor tip wear.

I believe this polish is only available in the mini range which doesn't bother me as a polish whore but means a backup would be required if you really love it...

Sun

Shade

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Vita :)

My first B.B. cream experience: Missha M Perfect Cover B.B. Cream

I've finally jumped on the blemish balm (B.B.) wagon and bought my first tube of B.B. cream about a month ago.  I'd been reading about the now not so new wonder makeup/skincare product for about a year and eventually caved.  I wanted to see whether all the fuss was justified - you know, all those claims about a multi-tasking balm that does everything except actually apply your base for you with its all in one moisturiser, primer, foundation and sunblock formulation!  I'm a lazy person when it comes to base so it makes sense I should try at least one of these.   Better late than never I'm telling myself...

Do not ask me why but I did my research on Wikipedia(!) and discovered the leading brands were Asian brands including Missha, Skin Food, and The Face Shop.  Not for any particular reason I've chosen to try out Missha's version first.

Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream
 No. 21 (Light Beige)

According to the Missha Australia website M Perfect Cover B.B. Cream is promoted as one of Missha's "best" products.  It "...makes your skin tone clean and natural by concealing blemishes with excellent skin coverage.  It is a multi functional makeup creme with blocking UV rays, whitening and wrinkle care effects and simplifies makeup formalities.  Its moisturized application...makes sleek skin tone while supplying moisture and nutrition at the same time."  Really sounds like it does the lot, doesn't it?

Very simply the B.B. cream is applied after your basic skin care and then set with a dusting of powder.  I've only just started using this product so I haven't used it for long enough to do a full review on the whitening and wrinkle care properties but I thought I'd share my early impressions.

The cream is quite thick and rather scarily grey looking when it's first dispensed and I was a bit afraid the cream would make my skin look grey but it blended out easily and evenly with a completely natural and slightly dewy result.  It's dispensed via a pump top and I've found that one pump is ample to cover my entire face.

I'm lucky that I don't suffer with blemishes but I do have some sunspots on my cheeks I'm self conscious about and I found the B.B. cream significantly reduced their appearance without masking my skin.  It also offers good coverage for my undereye circles so I can skip the concealer there too.  I like the slightly dewy look the B.B cream worn alone gives me but I did find I needed a light dusting of powder to make it last through the day.

I've read some people have experienced reactions to the B.B. cream but I've not had any issues with clogged skin or breakouts so far and I actually found it felt rather more light textured than some other foundations on my skin.  I'm always gonna love skincare with built-in SPF too and this is SPF 42 PA +++.

To finish up here are some quick before and after shots of the cream in action.

Before:  you can see some little sun spots on the back of my hand
and the skin is quite matte and dry

After:  sunspots almost gone, and my skin looks more luminous

(but it still looks like my skin)

Have you tried B.B. cream?

Missha M Perfect Cover B.B. Cream retails for $32.90AUD.

That's all for now

Vita :)

Nail It! Show Off

I know that teal polishes were huge last winter and they don't seem to be around as much this year but I still love them!

This quickie post features a deep teal creme from Sportsgirl's polish brand Nail It!  I snapped up Show Off from Sportsgirl's bargain bin last year so it's unfortunately no longer available.  I do mean it when I say unfortunate because this was another lovely polish to apply.  Very smooth, with a lacquer-like shine.  Beautiful depth of coverage in two coats.  I wore this manicure unadorned for quite a few days just because I loved the shininess and vampy impact of it...

Outdoors cloudy conditions

Lamplight

That's all for tonight.

Vita :)

Gosh Rainbow take 2...

The last time I tried the perfectly named Rainbow flakie polish by European beauty brand Gosh I didn't do it justice at all (see my flake fail post here). 

This time I applied Rainbow over the dark blue Alkaline Blue and I was much happier with the result.  I know it would look even better over a high gloss black base but these pictures aren't too bad.  The flakie did soak up my top coat and for a perfect glassy finish one or two more layers of top coat would be needed to tame the texture.  Well, here's my second offering.  All pictures were taken in cloudy conditions so the effect is a little subdued...

That's all for now.

Vita :)