BYS Glam Glitter: Dazzling

Well hello there lovelies!  Yes, a live post from me while I'm on vacation because I just had to squeeze in one more for the year!  I'm struggling with super slow WiFi so I apologize in advance if I don't get around to getting many more posts up or replying to your comments as quickly as usual :p

I wanted to share my latest embellished mani courtesy of BYS' Dazzling from their Glam Glitter range.  Dazzling is a wild combination of giant holo green hex glitter swimming together with loads of smaller silver holo hex glitter and tiny silver holo glitter in a green tinted polish.

Now I've read some negative reviews of this polish:  poor glitter coverage, impossible to get the large glitter pieces out of the bottle and slow dry time issues.  I don't know whether the formula has recently improved or I have the power of positive thinking but in all honesty I was able to overcome all of these issues.  I applied two coats over my blue S-he Stylezone base (from my last post), and was able to fish out the larger hexes with a good swish and twist of the brush.  I basically persisted until I picked one up, even though I admit that sometimes it took more than a few dives into the bottle with the brush.  Dry time issues were overcome with two coats of quick drying top coat, which also served to smooth out the finish.  The final result was a rather pleasing 3D effect - kind of oceanic I think!

All pictures were taken in indirect daylight:

What do you think of this combination?

Until next time.

Vita :)

S-he Stylezone: 290 (and I'm going on vacation!)

I'm writing this post in the middle of packing for our family trip - I wanted to cram in one last post just in case I don't get another chance to post over the next few weeks.  I've been so busy I haven't scheduled anything to post automatically either this time.  What can I say? Sorry. My bad. 

Today's post is starring the vibrant metallic blue polish non-descriptively labelled 290 by S-he Stylezone.  This was the first experience I've had with this brand and it was all good, resulting in the perfect blue manicure in two easy coats.  Not too much else to say really other than I LIKE IT!  I'm keeping this one on for our vacation...

Sun

 Shade

And finally, this is where we're headed - Noosa Beach, Queensland:

[Source]

Normal posting will resume after 12th of January 2013.  

Speak to you lovelies soon!

Vita :) xo

Ruby Kisses: Red Romance

I hope you've all had a merry Christmas and/or happy holidays!

I'm sharing my Christmas mani with you and it was a simple one too this year - no nail art, no embellishment, just the polish speaking for itself.  I wore metallic raspberry polish Red Romance from a brand I've only just been introduced to, Ruby Kisses.  Ruby Kisses is a budget US brand and in the roundabout way things happen I actually received this all the way from Slovenia via a polish swap!  Red Romance was an obvious pick for Christmas as this raspberry red also has holo bar glitter and a subtle smattering of microglitter mixed in.  The formula was a little on the gloopier side so it was a little difficult to control, so I very carefully applied my two coats of colour.  I would have liked to see some more of the bar glitter shining on my nails too, to give them a more tinsel effect but it was a very subtle take on glitter and suitable to wear in front of the older family members with no questions asked!

Sun

Indoors natural daylight

Before I go, for those of you who haven't seen it on Twitter, here's a picture of our family's Christmas tree and lights decorating the window:

Until next time.

Vita :)

My jumbo lipstick pencil collection (NARS, Missha, Models Prefer, Australis)

I have a bit of a 'thing' for jumbo lip pencils.  To some degree I'm sure it's the inner child in me coming out because they remind me of the giant blue pencils I used in the classroom when I was learning to write! But seriously, I love them because they're the perfect two-in-one product for those of us (like me!) who sometimes have trouble colouring within the lines when slicking on the lippy.  I line and colour in with my jumbo pencils and I'm good to go! I have all bases covered with my small collection as I have semi-mattes through to glossies.

Let's have a little look at my collection, plus I've included some swatches of course!

Left to Right:

Models Prefer Lip Gloss Pencil (Drama Queen) - I've raved about the Models Prefer line of jumbo lip gloss pencils before (see my original review here) and I still love them because of their creamy, glide on but incredibly pigmented formula.   Drama Queen is a sparkling raspberry red, and my pick for my Christmas Eve lip.

Missha Soft Crayon Lip Rouge (BE01) - I actually think these pencils are also worthy of a full review because they are also a fantastic product.   The formula is a super soft, creamy velvet which imparts loads of colour.  The result is a sophisticated semi-matte lip look.  These babies also come with their own sharpener included. BE01 is a rich caramel and great for everyday wear, and is an office-appropriate choice. 

NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil (New Lover) - My one luxe jumbo pencil.  I do love this but honestly, I believe the formula is not noticeably better than my lovely drugstore pencils from Models Prefer.  I'm still curious to try NARS' Velvet Matte Lip Pencils based on all their rave reviews but I think I would have to absolutely looooove the shade to justify another Velvet Gloss pencil purchase.  That said, New Lover is indeed a very pretty shade for the summer season as it's a flattering mid-tone pink with a warm shimmer - I'll probably throw this in my bag for my upcoming beach holiday.

Models Prefer Lip Gloss Pencil (Perfectly Polished) - This is the humble pencil that started my love affair with these!  It's no wonder I have more than one and my only wish is that Models Prefer would expand their colour selection.  Perfectly Polished is a golden infused caramel and another easy to wear shade for day or night with its high sheen, non sticky finish.

Australis Show Stopper Gloss Stick (Fairy Floss) - I bought this pencil to add a true pink to my selection but unfortunately this happens to be my least favourite of the lot.  For one, I think the slightly neon candy pink is just a little too pink for me (I keep having visions of neon zinc cream on my lips, which can't be good).  The other issue is the formula is not quite as pigmented as all my other pencils, it applies a little unevenly and also feels sticky.  A bit of a fail for me unfortunately :( 

Top to Bottom (and swatched in the same order):

Drama Queen, BE01, New Lover, Perfectly Polished, Fairy Floss

Have you tried any of these products?

Are you a fan of jumbo pencils?

Until next time.

Vita :)

Lime Crime: Parfait Day & Crema de Limon (and celebrating International Polka Dot Day!)

Hi again! I hope you're not getting too overloaded as the Christmas holiday season draws ever closer. 

Today's Lime Crime manicure features two more yummy looking shades from their Les Desserts d'Antoinette collection.  Parfait Day is a perfect cotton candy pink and Crema de Limon reminds me of lemon sherbet.  I'd always planned to wear these two shades together and then I received a fun invitation I couldn't refuse from new online nail blog So Nailicious to participate in International Polka Dot day.  The idea is to commemorate this cheerful design by wearing a polka dot mani and sharing it via Instagram or Twitter.  Yes, I've tweeted this simply cheerful mani today :)

Application was a creamy dream with both of these polishes and I got smooth base colour coverage in two coats, before adding my polka dots in the reverse colours, then finishing with a top coat to smooth over the surface.

All pictures were taken in natural shaded daylight:

To finish here's a picture of some nail wheel swatches to show you the individual shades before and after being polka dotted!

Happy Polka Dot Day! 

Vita :)

OPI: Goldeneye

If you're a gold foil lover this is THE polish for you (in my almost humble opinion)...

Goldeneye is another of the luxurious polishes from OPI's Skyfall collection and this one is OTT luxury all the way - albeit it in 3 coats!  Goldeneye is a dense mix of ultra-fine glitter, almost like ultra-fine gold flakies which builds up to full opacity in 3, perhaps even 4 coats depending on how much you load up the brush.  The multiple coats weren't a problem for me as this polish dried pretty quickly after I finished with a quick dry top coat and the result was - big time BLING!  In certain light it appears my nails have been coated in rich yellow gold foil and I got lots of attention wearing it.  It's another great pic for the holiday/party season. 

Outdoors shade

Outdoors sun

Indoors

Enough bling for now!

Vita :)

EOTD: Satellite Dreaming Rock Chick

I can't believe it's been two months since my last EOTD.  Time's been streaking by especially over the last month.  As evidence of that I actually took these photos probably a month ago too and have only got around to doing the post now.  Onto my 'Satellite Dreaming Rock Chick' look, inspired by MAC's purple Satellite Dreams eyeshadow and loads of black liner and mascara.

I haven't worn eyeliner on the waterline for years - probably not since my 20's yikes! - and I was in the mood to experiment with my Urban Decay 24/7 liners. Whoa Nelly!  It's such a different look for me and it changes the appearance of my eyes drastically. Black liner on the waterline and outer lower lash line, along with loads of mascara makes it all about unapologetically emphasizing the eyes.  They look so much more intense - and just a little more "rock chick" maybe?

Apologies for the unruly, uncombed eyebrows - I didn't notice until after I'd uploaded the pictures...

What I applied and where:

• MAC Satellite Dreams brushed over lids and on outer lower lash lines
• MAC Shale on outer corners
• MAC Phloof! on inner corners of the lids
• Urban Decay Ransom on outer upper lashline
• MAC Deep Truth blended out over Ransom
• Urban Decay Perversion on lower waterlines and outer bottom lashlines
• Several coats of black Diorshow mascara on upper lashes (I personally avoid mascara on my lower lashes because it gives me a 60's Twiggy look and that's not what I was aiming for here!)

Shades used clockwise from left:

Urban Decay 24/7 liner -Ransom

Urban Decay 24/7 liner - Perversion

MAC - Phloof!

MAC - Shale

MAC - Deep Truth

MAC - Satellite Dreams

Have you tried wearing eyeliner on your waterline?

That's all for now.

Vita :)

Spam post feat. OPI - The Man With The Golden Gun

This is my first spam post and it took weeks in the making (not that I'm complaining)!

The star of this post is OPI's 18KT gold leaf top coat The Man With Golden Gun.  This decadent top coat was recently released together with the current Skyfall collection.  There was no way this little duck could resist the temptation of wearing real gold leaf on her nails, and since trying it for the first time I fell in love with the luxe speckled effect it added to my manicures.  As a result I've been adding this gilt top coat to almost every mani I've been wearing lately, using either one or two coats depending on my mood.  Now I can share my small, slightly haphazard collection of spam pics with you taken over the last few weeks.  I think this indulgent top coat has the ability to lift any base polish except of course gold!

China Glaze - Electric Beat

(My favourite combo)

Wet n Wild - Ferguson Crest Syrah

Lime Crime - Once In A Blue Mousse

OPI - The Spy Who Loved Me

OPI - It's All Greek To Me

What's your favourite combo?

Until next time.

Vita :)

REVIEW: Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Eventone Age Spot Hand Cream

I've yet to meet a Palmer's skin care product I don't like so it shouldn't surprise anyone that my latest handbag hand cream is from Palmer's Eventone range.  The Eventone range of products is specifically formulated to target dark skin spots and discolouration and being conscious of keeping my own age spots at bay I had to try this out to see for myself.

There seems to be something about me unwittingly buying award winning beauty products over the last few months cos this hand cream has won the Readers Choice Award for best hand cream at the Australian Beauty Awards 2012. 

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Eventone Age Spot Hand Cream (60g)

According to Palmer's this hand cream combats the signs of ageing on the hands with its combination of sunscreen to protect the skin from sun damage, and a mix of skin lightening ingredients to fade existing spots. 

The key skin lightening and brightening ingredients are:

• Liquorice Extract - to inhibit the overproduction of melanin (pigment)
• Soy - to restore luminosity by preventing pigmentation from UV exposure and protecting the skin against free radical damage
• Synovea - a skin lightening agent
• Vitamin C - to increase cell turnover rate and reveal brighter skin

The other key ingredients are targeted at keeping the hands soft:   Vitamin E for skin hydration and - of course - cocoa butter to diminish water loss and keep skin supple.

What I notice when I use this hand cream is how incredibly thick the formula is (see above) straight out of the tube.  However, although it's very thick it's also very quick to rub into the skin, almost instantly as a matter of fact.  It does feel a little heavy, almost like a barrier cream on the skin at first but it eventually completely absorbs and is totally non-greasy, leaving my skin feeling noticeably softer.  The scent is a pleasantly subtle white lily (although I think I can just detect a hint of cocoa - or is that wishful thinking?).

My spots haven't totally disappeared but they have subtly reduced and I also like the idea of wearing products on my hands with inbuilt sunscreen at this time of year.  I also like the handbag friendly size (60g) and the purse friendly price ($7.99AUD).

Pros:

• Skin lightening ingredients to fade existing pigmentation
• Sunscreen protection against further ageing caused by UV rays
• Vitamin E and Cocoa butter to hydrate the skin
• Very rich so a little goes a long way
• Quickly absorbed, non-greasy formula
• Subtle floral fragrance
• Handy size for stashing in your bag
• $7.99AUD for a 60g tube

Cons:

• Feels slightly tacky on the skin immediately after application

Would I buy this again?
I would definitely buy this hand cream particularly for the summer months when my hands need added protection from the sun.

Until next time.

Vita :)

Lime Crime: Peaches ♡ Cream

Now onto another change of pace manicure-wise!

Today I have something completely different for you, something I would normally hesitate to wear:  a neon pastel peach!  Peaches ♡ Cream is another one of those wonderfully "intense" pastels from Lime Crime's Les Desserts d'Antoinette collection.  I really didn't know what to expect and this is one bright pastel! I nearly expected it to glow in the dark because of the strong neon leaning (LOL!) - alas no after dark glow, but it certainly does make my normally anaemic looking hands suddenly appear tanned!  The formula was a little thicker than most of the polishes in this range so I took extra care with application (read applied it s-l-o-w-l-y) and ended up with an even veneer in two coats.

Now just look at those "tanned" looking hands - I don't need a beach holiday, I just need Peaches ♡ Cream on my tips!

Sun

(this picture is the most colour accurate)

Shade

Indoors

What do you think of this neon pastel?

Until next time.

Vita :)

OPI: The World Is Not Enough

 Happy hump day!

In the midst of all the pastel and glitter NOTD posts I've been doing lately I've also been slowly working my way through wearing my OPI Skyfall collection purchases.  Now these babies are too gorgeous for merely swatching - I've had to indulge myself with the pleasure of wearing them and I had the ultimate selfish pleasure of wearing The World Is Not Enough for an entire week!

OPI describes TWINE (Hehe! What a funny acronym! Yes I'm easily amused...) very simply as a "rosy silver" but I find their description far too simple for what I think is a complex beauty of a shade.  In certain light this looks rather more of a taupe foil but in the sun this springs forth with a multi-dimensional sparkle waaayy beyond basic rosy silver! I can even see hints of green sparkle in this polish.  In terms of formula this is a little on the sheer side so I needed to apply three coats to get an opaque finish.  It was perfect in every other way though and easily lasted all week with minimal tip wear being the only sign of a week-old mani.  Now without any further rambling here are my little pictures - trust me you need to see this IRL to appreciate the full beauty of this particular polish!

Sun

Shade

That's it for tonight!

Vita :)

A typical week's worth of makeup?

What does a typical week's worth of makeup look like for me?  How many individual makeup items do I actually use in seven days?  That's what I was wondering one day when I had a little too much time on my hands... 

Of course that makes for a good makeup blog post so I set about finding out, dutifully writing down everything I wore over a seven day period - Monday to Sunday.  I figured it was going to be a pretty small and boring post because I was in a little bit of a makeup rut but it turned out not to be so boring after all - being this time of year it's been all about office lunches, parties and special dinners - all in all it was a more colourful week than I expected!

Now, this is a bit of a makeup porn post - lots of product shots coming up - but it's not a favourites post per se.  There are lots of items I use for varying reasons, not necessarily because I love them best.  You'll see what I mean as I go through the list.

I'm going to start with eye makeup because that's what I actually apply first, rather than my base.  I managed to use 16 different eye makeup items which probably isn't a lot for some of you but it's quite a variety for me!  That 16 comprised 8 eyeshadows, 5 eyeliners and 3 mascaras:

Here's the rundown on what I wore on my eyes:

•  L'Oreal Shadow Minerals (10 Gold) - I dug this out to use as a warm lid shade to counter a cool blue accented eye I wore for an office pre-Xmas lunch.  I don't love this eyeshadow at all because of all the fallout and it literally disappears from my lids halfway through the day.  The good news is it's been discontinued.
• Revlon quad (Tickled Pink) - You can see this eyeshadow quad is on its way to finished.  I've been wearing the last remaining shade everyday as an inner highlight because I'm on a mission to try and kill it before the end of 2012!
• MAC (Phloof!) - I wore this as an inner corner highlight (instead of Tickled Pink - yikes!) for my Saturday night eye.
• MAC (Shale) - I love this neutral grey-purple shadow and wore it as a crease colour a few times during the week.
• Essence (Cappucino, Please!) - A staple browbone shade, a real workhorse neutral, and I wore it nearly every day.
• MAC (Deep Truth) - I wore this deep blue as a crease shade twice, stretching my colour boundaries for a colourful smoky eye.
• MAC (Tempting) - This golden brown shadow was a crease shade for me a few times during the working week.
• MAC (Satellite Dreams) - I wore this purple shadow all over the lids on Saturday night.
• MAC Powerpoint (Bordeauxline) - this plummy liner's a staple and a favourite of mine.  I used it a few days during the week.
• MAC Powerpoint (Handforged) - I used this gold liner one day as a lower lash liner to contrast blue liner on the upper lid.  I've had it for an absolute age, love it and ration how I use it cos it's no longer available :(
• MAC Powerpoint (Duck) - Another staple I used a few times during the week because this grey-brown is the perfect everyday liner.
• Urban Decay 24/7 Liner (Perversion) - I don't normally wear inky black liner but I wore this for a Saturday night rock chick look.
• Urban Decay 24/7 Liner (Ransom) - A lovely violet-blue liner that I wore for a pop of colour when I went out for lunch with the girls.
• Christian Dior Diorshow Mascara (Black) - One of my all time faves of the luxe mascara variety, I wore this a few times for a feathery, defined lash look.
• Maybelline Lash Stiletto Waterproof Mascara (Black) - This coated my lashes on the days I exercised after work.  I hate the prickly brush but refuse to waste it because the formula itself is a pretty dependable everyday waterproof mascara.
• Bourjois Volume Glamour Ultimate Curl Mascara (Black) - I wore this a few times too just to mix it up a bit.  I've been enjoying this creamy drugstore mascara because it thickens my lashes with no clumps and makes them reach for the sky!

Eyeshadows shown clockwise from left:

Tickled Pink, Phloof!, Shale, Cappucino, Please!,

Deep Truth, Tempting, Satellite Dreams

Eyeliner shades from left:

Bordeauxline, Handforged, Duck, Perversion, Ransom

My base routine is a little more, erm, routine I guess and I varied it very little over the week.  I generally keep it very simple during the working week and will try to get away with as little as concealer, powder and a little cream blush if I can:

• L'Oreal Bare Naturale Powdered Mineral Foundation (Light Ivory) - My mind changes about this product constantly but now I just want to finish it.  I wore it on the days I felt I needed more coverage and a bit of extra SPF.
• Nyx Mosaic Powder (Plummy) - I swirled my blush brush in this a few times during the week for a natural flush.  It has a weird chalky scent but I do love the natural shade I get on my cheeks.
• L'Oreal True Match Blush (125 Nude Pink) - This literally sits on the border of nude and pink and I wore it to work because it's so easy to wear and again looks natural on me.
• Bloom Sheer Colour Cream (Shy) - I can see I don't like wearing bright cheeks much (at least on that particular week!).  This soft pink cream came out to play on my cheeks on those days I didn't bother with any foundation.
• Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch highlighting concealer (02 Nude) - I wore this every day to cover up my under-eye circles.  I love this product and I'll tell you that again and again...
• No. 7 Vital Enlightening Highlighter Powder - I managed to wear highlighter once during the week on Saturday night.
• theBalm Sexy Mama Anti-shine Translucent Powder - I wore this colourless, one-size-fits-all powder every day to keep my skin looking cool rather than slick.

Blush shades clockwise from left:

Plummy, Shy, Nude Pink

I very nearly managed a different lip colour for every day of the week but not quite because I wore an old Revlon lipstick on a few consecutive days, trying to finish it for my November empties!

• Wet 'n' Wild Lip Liner Pencil (666 Brandy Wine) - This is my lipliner of choice so it was the only lipliner I wore during the week.
• Chanel Extrait de Gloss (51 Insouciance) - I wore this creamy nude lip gloss over Rimmel's Undressed once for a work-appropriate lip. 
• Revlon Colorburst (Raspberry) - This sheer red was another work-appropriate pick for the start of the working week.  
• Revlon (Pinkerbelle) - I wore this lipstick on three days because it was down to the stub and I just wanted to FINISH IT! I didn't quite make it for November - because I got bored and needed a change from blue-toned pink lips - but it's in the bag for the December empties!
• Rimmel (Undressed) - I wore this to work one day partnered with the Chanel gloss.  It's one of my favourite daytime lip combinations (see here).
• MAC (Gem of Roses) - I wore this subtle blush pink for a weekend daytime lip.
• Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain (Smitten) - I wore this bright raspberry pink to a pre-Xmas office lunch when I was in the mood for OTT eyes and lips.

The lipsticks from left:

Raspberry, Pinkerbelle, Undressed, Gem of Roses

(see here for a closer look at Smitten)

So, to get to the point of this long-winded exercise I used 30 different colour products over seven days.  Is that a lot?  Or simply average? I don't really know - this wasn't scientific in any way - but in any case it kept me occupied for a week!

How do you think you compare?

I'd love to know! 

Until next time

Vita :)