Mecca Cosmetica: Acai Addict

açai

aˈsʌɪiː,asʌɪˈiː/

noun

A South American palm tree producing small edible blackish-purple berries.

 

Just thought I'd get that little definition out of the way before I post this polish from Australian brand Kit Cosmetics at Mecca Cosmetica's limited edition Acai collection.  Besides Acai as a name for this gorgeous coloured polish makes sense to me now!  Acai Addict is a warm purple cream polish with a highly reflective lacquer finish.  Two coats glided on perfectly and I can't find a thing to fault with this polish - aside from a single wayward hair on the brush.  This is a universally flattering winter polish and not surprisingly a best seller from the collection.

 

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Thanks for looking as always!



A gift, a prize, and a freebie...

 This post is simply about some beauty items I've been lucky enough to receive lately with no spending required.  I've had a bit to be grateful for this month...

The Gift:

Max Factor Max Effect Mini Nail Polish - Fantasy Fire

The lovely Emma of emmabovarybeauty gave me this precious little polish as a thank you gift but I'm taking the opportunity to say thank you right back Emma!  Fantasy Fire has appeared on many blogs because of its incredible flash of colour - in various light the sparkles change from red to gold to green to blue! You can see the rainbow multi-chrome in the bottle and now I've tried it I can tell you it doesn't disappoint on the nails. As a matter of fact I'm wearing it right now and yes, the NOTD post will be coming soon!   I just hope the pictures do it justice.

The Prize:

theBalm Overshadow mineral eyeshadow - Work is Overrated

I put in a spur of the moment entry on a Twitter comp run by theBalm Australia and the next day I found I'd won! Isn't that the best feeling - reminds me of when I put a dollar in a poker/slot machine and it spewed out $100 (a random act with a great result and I knew to walk away)!  Anyway back on to the topic of makeup I don't have a heap of products from theBalm nor do I have a heap of mineral eyeshadow pots so I was happy to win this one to try.  Work is Overrated is described as a "shimmering pink champagne" and looks very bright and light, very Marilyn Monroe to me.  This eyeshadow can be applied wet or dry and the shade's also suitable to use as a cheekbone highlight.  I'm a fan of pale shimmery shades both as highlights and washes of colour so I know I'll get a lot of wear out of this.  A quick wash over the lid, a slick of eyeliner and mascara and I'll be done!


The Freebie:
 Kit lip Glaze - The Shop Shade

The freebie is courtesy of a current promotion with the November issue of Australian Shop Til You Drop magazine and Kit cosmetics.  Kit and Shop magazine have collaborated to produce a lip glaze shade called appropriately "The Shop Shade" which actually translates as a hot raspberry red.  The lip glazes are a recent addition to the Kit line so I was keen to try one.  The finish is very pigmented, with a glassy shine and non-sticky.  I'm loving the colour too!


The Swatches:
Left to Right - The Shop Shade, Work is Overrated, Fantasy Fire

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Australian readers interested in the Kit Lip Glaze offer can check out details here.

That's it for now.

Vita :)

Kit: Dive In

So, here's the polish I wore to work this week.

I previously used Kit Cosmetics Dive In for a skittle mani as featured in a review on Australian nail polish brands (see my post on Emma's blog here ) and I thought this colour deserved to be in the spotlight in its own right because it's such a lovely cornflower creme.  Cornflower and periwinkle are some of my favourite polish shades - I'm always drawn to them and I was actually a bit obsessed with snapping them up because they've been so hard to find in Australia until only recently.  Now I see Essence and Revlon also carrying similar shades and - yes - I've bought them all! Onto the pictures of Dive In...

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That's all for now.

Vita :)

REVIEW: July's farewelled products

There are so many empties posts around this month!  I love reading them so I think it's really fantastic.  Just to add to the growing list, here's mine.  And...Ta-dah!!!  After seven long months I've finished my lipstick ban so I'm showing off the evidence. If you like seeing worn down lipstick stubs then read on...

Skin care

67) Garnier Clean Sensitive Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes (25 wipes)
These were lightly sudsy, waffle weave wipes with just the right amount of makeup remover. Suited for dry and sensitive skin as they don't contain perfume or alcohol, these wipes were just what my winter irritated skin needed. They're not as large or as wet as Olay wipes but I liked the way they left my skin feeling clean and comfortable with no tightness at all so I didn't need a night cream if I felt lazy. No fancy flip top packaging but I like these enough to repurchase in future.

68) Shiseido Benefiance Revitalizing Emulsion (15ml/.5 fl.oz travel size)
I found this little glass bottle lurking in my travel toiletries bag so I decided to use it up in a token effort to declutter the bathroom (even if the bottle was labelled 'Best before June 2014'!) . This product is super rich so I didn't need to use much at all to moisturise my entire face and neck and I think it would actually be a bit too heavy and greasy if we weren't in the heart of winter. On the plus side I personally loved the luxe fragrance. On the minus I found it a bit of a PITA trying to coax the product out of the tiny opening - you can't squeeze a glass bottle! If the full sized product is packaged the same way then I personally wouldn't purchase it simply on that frustrating basis.

69) Olay Gentle Foaming Face Wash With Aloe - normal/sensitive (100g)
I bought it because it's cheap and gentle and I usually like to suds up my face a bit in the shower. Tick, tick, tick! Oh yes, it doesn't take a lot of rinsing off either so all in all I'd repurchase this especially as it's a good size for travelling without being too mini.

Hand and body care

70) Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser (500ml)

I've been using this as my body cleanser for a few months now and rather than being bored of it I've fallen totally in love with it because my skin's never felt better. I no longer suffer dry or itchy skin and my keratosis is now virtually gone.  This is my HG body product for dry, sensitive, goosebumpy skin.  I love it and have already repurchased a third, and fourth bottle so expect to see a few more of these empties through the year!

71) OPI Original Polish Remover (120ml/4 fl.oz)

It's been relabeled and repackaged in a sleeker bottle but this is the same stuff I rely on to remove all that nail polish I constantly apply. This is my sixth - and definitely not the last - empty bottle for the year.

72) SHE Sheer Brightness hand cream (75ml/2.5 fl.oz)

I'm just going to restate what I wrote about this hand cream in my previous hand and nail care post around a month or so ago:  To be honest this tube was my last handbag staple just because it was at the top of the hand cream stash! I bought it for the youth preserving properties and the list of magic ingredients include Vitamin C, Antioxidants, Pomegranate and Vitamin F. It absorbs quite well and leaves my skin soft, but the essential oil scent is a little heavy for my personal taste.  Repurchase?  No.

73)  L'Occitane Ultra Rich Shower Cream with 5% Shea Butter (75ml/2.5 fl.oz)

I had this sitting in the shower for an age and I finally decided to use it.  It is lovely, creamy and frankly indulgent as a showering product, and is faintly scented of coconut.  Oh bloody hell (sorry), I love this too and would repurchase just to spoil myself!  Maybe I can alternate with the Cetaphil hmmm??

Cosmetics

So here they are - my last two lipstick empties, plus a bonus empty lip gloss tube - sound the trumpets!

74) Kit Lip Gloss (Fully Loving It)
I wasn't expecting to finish another lip gloss quite so quickly after completing the lip gloss ban but this is my sixth gloss done for the year. I couldn't get enough of this gloss because of the MLBB colour and uber shine. And of course this particular shade's been discontinued. Ain't that always the way...

75) MAC (Crosswires)
I decided I really, really, roolly loved this lipstick when I was millimetres away from finishing it, although I know I have raved about this coral lipstick before. I'm a little sad it's gone and I would seriously consider buying another tube for spring/summer because I'll say it again, it's the perfect summer coral!

76) Rimmel (Asia)
My MLBB mauve cream lipstick and so long lasting - it's no wonder they're called Lasting Finish! Toward the end of my lipstick ban I was wearing this shade every day and it still took an age to finish. I would consider buying it again at some point in future because it's a flattering everyday shade but honestly after wearing it day in day out I'm not in a hurry to wear it again for a while!

So these were my empties this month - thanks for reading.
Now I'll get back to reading yours!

Vita :)

Spring lips in Autumn...

What the heck is going on here?  We're officially in Autumn down here in Melbourne and now I'm wearing spring blossom colours.  Perhaps it was being under the influence while wearing the Japanese pastel polishes but I just couldn't get enough of soft pink and mauve lip colours last week.

Now I think I understand why it's taking me forever to finish 5 lipsticks.  I'm such a lip colour whore!  I've been trying to concentrate on only wearing the 5 colours I nominated to complete my lipstick ban (here)  but I got bored and veered way off track, delving into my stash for something completely different and out of kilter with the season to boot.  It's nothing shocking in the context of the greater universe but I still feel as if I've been rebellious.

Sportsgirl - Pout About It! lip colour

(Beauty Queen)

I bought this lipstick (my first) from Sportsgirl last year and it sat in its wrapper until last week.  Beauty Queen is a creme finish lipstick and feels buttery on my lips. This slightly plasticky scented lipstick goes on with a bit of sheen but this wears away after a while to a semi-matte finish. The soft baby pink shade is probably as light as I'd dare to go on my lips without washing me out.  I loved wearing it with a greyed-out purple smokey eye.  Beauty Queen is still in Sportgirl's lipstick line - I think?!

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick

(453 Pinkerbelle)

I've always loved blue-toned pinks and mauves on my lips so Pinkerbelle is a 'me' lipstick shade.  It's a mid-toned pink with a slight blue undertone - you know, one of those shades that makes your teeth look whiter.  I bought it a few years from a chemist discount bin.  I'm pretty sure it's been discontinued which is disappointing because it's a really flattering shade worn alone on my lips and also looks fabulous topped with a mauve gloss like...

Kit Lip Gloss

(Fully Loving It)

Just look at how thick that lip gloss is oozing from the tube!  It successfully balances the level of thickness, wetness and pigmentation.  It feels substantial on the lips but not at all sticky.  I wore this mauve shade on its own and over the top of Pinkerbelle.  It's the only Kit lip gloss I have but now I've rediscovered it I've added it to my handbag as my 'go to' MLBB lip gloss.

The swatches:

L - R:

Beauty Queen, Pinkerbelle, Fully Loving It

Have you ever rebelled against the season with your makeup?

Until next time.

Vita :)

NOTD: Kit - Get Going

Here's another one for the purple & lilac lovers out there!

I've had Kit's Get Going sitting in my stash for about a year.  This is a bright (almost neon) shade of lilac creme with a faint glass-flecked shimmer.  Very girly this one!  Not exactly winter appropriate either but the sun was shining so I wanted something bright and cheerful on my nails.  This is two coats of colour with top coat.  The Kit polish seemed to soak up the top coat so the finish was more satiny than glossy, but I liked it anyway.

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Kit polishes retail for $15.95AUD and are available from Kit stores and Myer stores around Australia or online here.

I hope the sun's shining wherever you are!

Vita :)

Freebie alert for Aussie girls: Kit nail polish

This is a quickie post to let you know - just in case you don't already cos it came out last week - about the freebie deal in this month's issue of Shop Til You Drop magazine.

Shop mag and Kit cosmetics have collaborated to produce a limited edition free nail polish shade called SHOP Loves Sunset, described on Shop mag's website as a "creamy blend of lolly pink and peach".  I've picked one up myself and I think it's a pretty accurate description although I've not had the chance to wear it - Yet!

If you love Kit nail polish then pick up the May issue of Shop Til You Drop and head down to your nearest Kit store!

That's all for now.

Vita :)

Feeling grey: Kit nail polish - Down Low

Hi!

Okay, I picked this polish from my photo file for my latest post because it matches the grey skies at the moment.

I own a couple of bottles of nail polish from Kit cosmetics.  Kit is an Australian beauty store which stocks brands such as Origins, Too Faced, Smashbox just to name a few, as well as its own line.  Down Low is the first colour I bought from the Kit line last year and the only one I have tried so far.  Kit describes this as a cool grey.  I describe it as a concrete grey creme.  The coverage was smooth and slick in two coats and the wear was good.  It lasted a full working week with minimal wear.  It's the only true grey polish that I own.  What I like about this colour was that while it's technically neutral it still has a little edge and attitude about it.

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Kit polishes retail for $15.95AUD. 
Check out their website here:  http://www.kitcosmetics.com.au/

That's all for now.

Vita :)