Accidental Acquisitions

Better late than never

2010-01-06T14:15:00.002+11:00

I'm so lazy sorrrrreh, christmas and new year's was far too much to get my head around. But, I have found two new lovers I'd like to share.

Nars laguna bronzer, Nars gilda blush

Yep, that would be Laguna that has shattered. I haven't dropped it or anthing, I'm going to guess it was just rough delivery, but whatever, I can still use it. I'm still a little bit crushed (mind the pun) about it, but I've heard this might happen a lot with NARS bronzers? Anyway, I likey it so far. I steered away from purchasing it for awhile because I thought it would be too dark, well I have NO idea what I was thinking. Even in the gloomy cold depths of winter I think I will be able to pull this off.

My second new found love this christmas is NARS gilda. Yuummm. Such a great, flattering summer shade. I was really excited as I don't own a pure corally blush (mind you there is some pink through this.) It's matte, which I can go with either way. I'm 19 so I'm not too stressed about glitter yet. I think gilda is definitely underrated, and I'm hugely glad I picked it up. Was such a steal too. I think I paid around $25 AUS dollars when they retail for $62 I think it is. -Will not ever pay AUS retail again-

~

2009-11-29T22:33:00.001+11:00

Gucci eyes

2009-11-25T15:46:00.003+11:00

Could not possibly be more in love right now.

MAC refined MSF, Stila bronzer

2009-11-23T16:50:00.005+11:00

My new love. Definitely the last thing I'll be purchasing before Christmas (not willing to commit yet) other than presents for family etc. I'm not quite sure why I skipped it in Sugarsweet, but admittedly I've been lemming it ever since, so welcome home.

I also bought Stila sun bronzing powder in shade 02 sometime last week. It does look really dark and orange in the pan, but it does apply sheer and evenly, so I currently have no qualms about it. I probably could have gotten away with shade 01, but it's only just rolling into summer and I always underestimate just how tanned I will get. Anyway, I shall review both of these in more detail when Lindsay Lohan stops pumping her lips (never). I kid.

Things with wings

2009-11-20T22:47:00.003+11:00

Chox

2009-11-17T19:53:00.003+11:00

~

2009-11-14T13:02:00.001+11:00

You might need a tissue for the salivation.

Ins and Out

2009-11-13T12:28:00.004+11:00

INS!

Christmas Wishlists.
Seriously it's that time of year already! I love christmas jakhdfkjahsdo. I think it's mainly due to the thought of getting everything on my list, but in sheer reality, that never happens. I think this year I'll try and conserve my wishlist down to only a few makeup items, as I'm hearing next year will be quite exciting due to upcoming MAC collections!

Highlighters.
As soon as spring and summer start to roll around, I whip out the Benefit high beam, MAC vanila pigment or a MAC msf and hyperventilate a little. There's nothing more wonderful than glowy looking skin, especially in the warmer months.

Punchy lips.
I love a good bright lip in Spring. With a nude, bare face paired with a punchy lip, thy shan't go wrong!

OUTS!

Strawberrynet.com
Onnnly because I could spend my last pennies there. And that's exactly what I seem to do. So until the new year, be gone!

Heavy foundation.
This is just me, but I can't for the life of me wear a full face of foundation, my skin hates it. I love a light application of foundation on other faces, just not me. So for that reason, caked on, orange foundation has got to go.

Over-bronzing.
I don't understand? So many girls do this where I live, and you can't help but wonder if they got lost on the racing track somewhere. Those stripes are nasty, blend please.

Peach lips

2009-11-12T11:49:00.002+11:00

Cute for summer.

Mario Badescu Skincare

2009-11-11T11:49:00.005+11:00

About 3 or 4 months ago now I had a terrible breakout. And the bout of junk food didn't help either, so upon hearing and reading so many raves about this range from so many sources, I decided to give it a shot.
I got 4 products, being the drying cream, drying mask, buffering lotion and the healing cream.

Drying cream

It smells really bad. Kind of like a strong mustard? Iunno it'll freak you out for a bit but then you get used to it. This was my favourite product out of all the ones I tried. I felt like it did it's job sufficiently. However if you apply for too many days or too much at one time, you'll end up with a dry flaky patch, so beware. The only gripe I have with this is that it sort of stopped working after awhile. Since I haven't used it in about a month, if I apply a little bit now it works partially as good as originally, but the effect certainly died down for me. Boo.

Drying mask

This smells like rotten cigarettes to me, but again, you'll grow to deal with it. I'm not sure if this really worked for me. Upon advice, I applied some buffering lotion to cystic pimples (yuck) and then waited for it to dry, then put on the drying mask, leave for 15 mins, rinse with warm water, then apply more buffering lotion before moisturising. I mean I suppose it kind of worked, and I will still use it if I get another crazy breakout, but it's not on regular rotation for weekly masks for me. It dries really fast and makes your face feel tight, which I like. But I'm kind of on the fence with this one, I wouldn't say it's necessary and not anything a decent mud mask will do.

Buffering lotion

It was okay. Nothing to rave home about. You need to shake the bottle up so the white stuff sitting on the bottom is completely incorporated into the liquid on top. I think this aswell as the drying cream if applied too many times really dried out my skin, and left an ugly mark where there had been a blemish before. It did work on SOME of my deep, sore blemishes, but not on others. So I didn't really have time for it to be picky and choosy as to which pimple it wanted to dry out and which it didn't.

Healing cream

I liked this for soothing out the stupid dry patches the other products left. It's thick and creamy however I'm not sure about how much healing it was doing. None of the products particularly sped up the drying/healing process immensely. I'll still use this from time to time with the odd monthly pimple now, and it kind of calms the inflammation in ways.

Overall
If it came down to it, I would purchase these products again, because I do feel like they made a significant enough improvement in my skin during the time when it was at it's worst. I'm finding these products are lasting me for ages, and especially with the Australian retail of these, they would want to. My only gripe with these products are, and it's mostly my fault, is they were almost too drying. Mind you, I did purchase 3 out the 4 products to dry out blemishes. So next time I will take that into consideration and up my skins moisture levels if I were to use these full time again.
I think Mario Badescu skincare is sold in Kit stores in Australia, and on their website. I'd suggest maybe looking into purchasing these from the States, just because it's a lot less expensive than Australian retail. I think www.kissandmakeupny.com online store sells mario badescu and ships worldwide, however I don't reccomend getting liquids shipped, I've had the buffering lotion spill out on me.

I would reccomend these products to people who are at their wits end with their skin and want to try something new. I wouldn't reccomend these products for continuos everyday use, especially with sensitive skin types. Keep it as minimal as you can!

Tiny

2009-11-09T15:08:00.003+11:00

A few little purchases from a little while ago. I just had a mini freak out, I left the pigment open for about 10 seconds after I took the picture from my incoherent webcam, and my kitten jumped up half on the window sill, with her back paws resting right up against it, tilting over. I snappled that pigment up quick smart though!

NARS desire blush, MAC love rock, MAC lovely lily pigment

I think I made a post a few weeks back on Desire?

Anyway! I purchased MAC love rock blush a few weeks ago from a lovely voguette, and she threw in the pigment as an extra (might I add it's more of a lilac colour, my webcam is silly.) I haven't gotten around to using either of them yet :/ I bought Love rock as sort of a novelty purchase. I just think it's so cute. Although the marbelized side looks kind of glittery, not sheeny. Kinda chunky. Steeeeeeel prretty but.

I've got another pigment coming in the mail which I'm sort of excited about! My other half however is not. Sad face.

All swept up

2009-11-09T14:58:00.005+11:00

S-s-sideways.

Sweetheart

2009-11-08T14:56:00.004+11:00

For some reason, lately, I've become flustered by sweetheart necklined dresses. And I love that in these pictures, the girls didn't choose to eat a big bowl of giant rack and decide to let their's hang out. Thank you.

Products I'd never give up

2009-11-07T20:15:00.002+11:00

Well, when it comes down to it, I'm sure I could live without these. But I'd smother them all over my face first.

1. Concealer.
Because I don't wear foundation, ever, concealer is my lifesaver when I do decide to wear makeup. I'm quite liking MAC studio finish concealer at the moment, but I'm a little skeptical that it will be a little cakey now that summer will be here in less than a month. Really great at hiding any redness or blemishes I'd rather not let hang out for all to see. I think everyone should have concealer in their stash, just because to wear a full face of foundation daily (to me) is just unrealistic, so concealer can just hide small imperfections, and let your natural skin show through.

2. Blush.
Blush is my favourite type of make up. I can't get enough. I think blush kind of brightens and livens the face up moreso than if you weren't to apply any. I have probably 4 or so blushes that I wouldn't give up for anything. Namely, NARS orgasm, Benefit coralista, NARS luster and NARS desire. I think all minus Luster is pretty dupable, but the colours all work greatly for sprucing up a bare face!

3. Highlighter.
Whether it be for the cheekbones, brow bone, inner corners or the cupids bow, highlighter brings out the best of everybodys face. I love the look of dewy skin so I'll sometimes mix either Benefit high beam or MAC vanilla pigment into my moisturiser, or just spot highlight individual areas to make me look glowy without much effort at all. I'm so glad I learnt about highlighting, it makes such a huge difference to an otherwise flat, matte boring face.

4. Bronzer.
Whether for contouring or lightly brushing over the face, bronzer is essential for me. On the days when I'm feeling a little dull or tired, a few sweeps of bronzer makes me look healthy and rejuvinated, as no one likes a ghostly pale face for everyday. I like Benefit Hoola bronzer because it's a matte brown with absolutely no orange or red tones in it whatsoever, which makes great for contouring. Everyone should own a bronzer.

Welcome to the dark side

2009-11-05T19:23:00.007+11:00

So I think since MAC brought out their Style Black collection and Illamasqua their Dystopia collection, everyone has gone a little gaga over dark lips.

Not so sure about the jet black lipstick and bare canvas face. But I love a deep plum in the depths of winter.
Shame it's almost summer. Ha!

Two

2009-11-04T14:15:00.003+11:00

I want more lipstick now.

Break out the sparkle

2009-11-03T12:49:00.002+11:00

I stumbled upon a whole page of these looks at various different fashion shows back in summer 07/08 in an old magazine, I think from Zambesi and Fashionassassin.
I find it kind of cute in a totally unrealistic over the top way.

Ellis Faas

2009-11-02T14:02:00.000+11:00

Is anybody not completely smitten and inspired?

Yes please!

NARS desire

2009-11-01T10:18:00.000+11:00

Photo courtesy of makeupalley.com

Wow. So bright. I really didn't expect it to be so. I was kind of thinking maybe a duller raspberry shade of pink, but no, it's a bright as bright can be barbie pink blush.
I can't seem to get enough of NARS blushes lately. Orgasm was my first and I thought (since I payed retail - stupidly) that I won't need any more until it runs out. I think I have about 5 or 6 different colours now, and it kind of saddens me that they all don't get used regularly. Desire might be different :)!
It's a totally matte barbie pink. I was kind of sceptical because my skin is olive toned and can get quite tanned during the peak of summer. I'm probably in between an NC25 and NC30 right now, but during summer I'll get to about an NC35. I thought this blush would be really suited for those amazing fair skinned beauties, that would look like they've just been running out in the cold.
Alas, I've found it quite addicting. I think it would suit magnitudes of skin tones, it's not fiddly or requires special needs whilst applying, just a light hand and good blending.

I think this is the closest image I could find that would closely represent how Desire shows up on a similar skin tone to my own. Pretty huh?

I would say if you're after baby doll pink cheeks, definitely check this out!

P.s My cat has been eating cob webs lately, that's bad right?

One for the road

2009-10-28T14:23:00.000+11:00

Because I couldn't resist.

The reverse french?

2009-10-24T10:21:00.000+11:00

I actually thought my friend was trying to gross me out upon my asking "what're you upto?" and to her reply "trying out the reverse french."
It's much nicer than it sounds, trust me.

Plus everything looks better on Dita.

Anyhow, I'd seen and heard of these seemingly classic 1940's nails, but thought it would be an interesting mix up from the usual solid and pastel spring colours I seem to fall into around this time of year.

Everytime I stumble upon a new picture of them, I think I adore it even more. However it's definitely a little bit too fiddly and time consuming than my lazy self can commit to.
Alas I hope someone other than models at Dior can prove me wrong.

Hangover makeup

2009-10-22T14:43:00.000+11:00

You danced until dawn and drank the bar dry. Now you'll probably need some serious help to try and reverse the hangover cure.
These few tips are just tricks I find work for me and help perk up my tired face after a few too many red cordials. Ha.

Skin
Alcohol is a major deydrator to skin. Therefore you'll need to try and replenish it to the best of your ability.
I start off my cleansing my face thoroughly, because God knows I did not get rid of the makeup on my face last night. If you can, try and do a gentle exfoliation like Lush angels on bare skin. Because of the essential oils in this product it will help balance your skin's pH levels so it doesn't become erratic, break out and punish you for not cleansing last night.
Apply a generous application of a rich face cream. This will help to counteract the dehydration effects of alcohol.

Makeup
Try not to succumb to the wants of packing on a heavy foundation. It will cake and flake and won't look very flattering. If you can get away with it, just use concealer where you think it's necessary eg. blemishes and tired eyes (duh), but if you're not comfortable in going practically bare faced, a tinted moisturiser will suffice.
Because you might be looking a little worse for wear, be interested in products that 'luminize', 'brighten' and 'highlight' as this will inject light into the high areas of the face.
Something like YSL's touche eclat will do the trick for undereye brightening, to help minimise dark circles. Also Benefit's highbeam liquid highlighter will help brighten up the complexion overall.

To perk up the face, I like to use a blush like Benefit's coralista. It gives a nice pinkish flush to the cheeks, whilst still looking natural.

I don't usually apply mascara the next day, just to give my eyes a bit of a rest, but if you must, a light application of something like Maybellines full and soft mascara will do the trick to open up and define the lashes/eyes. A flesh (or white) coloured eyeliner can do wonders on the waterline to awaken up tired peepers.

Lastly use a hydrating lip balm to condition your lips. A red or pink tinted lip balm would be choice.

And try not to be too grumpy!

MAC for halloween

2009-10-21T14:59:00.000+11:00

Lovely.

"Hi, I always look this pretty"

2009-10-20T14:44:00.000+11:00

Alexander Wang can do no wrong. Say hello to the prettiest bed hair you've seen.

Please wear this sometime.

Sweet dreams are made of these

2009-10-20T14:18:00.000+11:00

MAC creme d'nude lipstick, NARS luster blush, Benefit high beam, Lancome #3 highlighting (due fibre) brush.

Minimalistic yet fresh make up makes me happy. I kinda sorta can't explain how much I thoroughly adore and enjoy NARS luster blush. There's a reason why it's in the top 3 ratings of all NARS blushes on makeupalley. With a whopping 90% buy again rate. It's so easy to use, so fool proof just because it is a sheer, soft easy colour to work with. Francois Nars you own my heart.

A big thumbs up to heavenly and glowy makeup, ladies.

Your mother was right

2009-10-18T21:32:00.000+11:00

1. “Stop eatting junk food.”

“A diet high in refined sugar or flour may be linked to acne,” says Katie Rodan, associate clinical professor of dermatology at Stanford University School of Medicine. A recent study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that people who replaced processed carbohydrates, such as white bread and sugary cereals, with foods high in protein and whole grains developed fewer breakouts. The reason? “High-glycemic foods cause your blood sugar to rise, triggering a surge of insulin. The insulin stimulates oil-producing hormones called androgens, leaving you with pimples,” says Leslie Baumann, professor and director of cosmetic dermatology at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine.

2. “Don’t smoke.”

Really, does anyone need to tell you that smoking is bad? But what you may not have considered is that besides the obvious health risks, smoking will make you look older. “Every time you take a puff, you’re inhaling toxins, which induce free-radical damage-that means wrinkles and sagging over time-and constricting blood flow, which makes skin sallow,” says Rodan.

3. “Get your hair out of your face!”

There’s a good reason to keep your hair from constantly hanging over your skin-it can carry oil from the scalp. Add styling products to the mix, and breakouts are more likely. If you wear bangs (which by the way, can also hide breakouts), shampoo them daily or every other day, and keep any styling products oil-and-silicone-free.

4. “Don’t bite your nails.”

Gnawing is not only unattractive: It also makes nails weak and prone to peeling and splitting; it can cause infection, since even a minor cut around the nail provides a gateway for bacteria; and it may lead to lasting injury. If you got a real addiction, consider hypnosis or even psychotherapy-compulsive nail biting could be a sign of chronic anxiety.

5. “Stop picking at your skin!”

“Squeezing moves the contents of the pimple laterally, which increases inflammation, redness, and swelling, and can cause scarring,” says Patricia Wexler, associate clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. Plus, once you start aggravating the area-and this is key-the zit will take longer to heal.

6. It’s past your bedtime!”

“Sleep deprivation causes stress, which can aggravate all skin conditions, including acne, eczema, and psoriasis,” says Karyn Grossman, a dermatologist in Santa Monica and New York City. “Sleep is also the time when your body repairs the damage from the day, and interrupting that process will slow down cell turnover.”

7. “Get off the phone!”

Resting your chin or cheek against a phone-cell or old-school-can lead to breakouts, whether or not the phone is clean and bacteria-free. “Just leaning your face against it can cause friction, occlusion, and heat, all of which can make you break out,” says Rodan. If your chatting habit is too ingrained to shake, consider a headset.

8. “Always wash your face before you go to bed.”

Letting skin marinate in makeup-not to mention a day’s worth of oil buildup-can lead to clogged pores and zits, especially if you’re prone to acne. At the very least, swipe your face with a premoistened cloth designed to take off makeup as well as dirt.

9. “Eat your vegetables!”

Replacing Cheetos with carrots can actually fight wrinkles. No, really. “Eating fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants can help protect the skin,” says Grossman. Scientists have found that an antioxidant-rich diet can enhance sun protection, thereby fighting wrinkles.

10. “Don’t rub your eyes.”

The skin around your eyes is among the most delicate anywhere. “The occasional gentle rub is probably fine,” says Grossman. But if it’s aggressive, it can be trouble. “You can irritate the skin, making it red and swollen, and break little blood vessels there, leaving you with red marks that could be permanent, and if so, would only be treatable with lasers,” says Grossman. ”If you do it all the time, you could possible even cause stretching and loose skin.” Besides kicking the habit, using a cream with a peptide and retinol could help.

NARS orgasm VS MAC dainty

2009-10-18T15:14:00.000+11:00

I thought I might do a little comparison blog post about NARS orgasm blush and MAC mineralize blush in Dainty, because I love them both oh so much. Apologies in advance for dodgy webcam pictures, I've lost my camera software and I got a new computer a few weeks ago.

MAC Dainty, NARS Orgasm

Firstly I'll say that I am probably a little bit bias when it comes to NARS blushes Vs Anything. I really can't fault their blushes at all. But in saying that, I am really smitten with MAC's mineralize blush in Dainty.

Colour wise (in the pan) they're basically the same, it's hard to tell them apart. I'd say they're both best described as soft peachy pinks with gold shimmers/flecks. Soft in that neither of them are shockingly bright.

Oww, isn't she pretty! I really like MAC's mineralize everythings and anythings. The texture is really smooth and easy to apply and blend accordingly. What I'm not so impressed with (in comparison to orgasm) is the pigmentation. I mean, it'll do the job just fine, no worries, but if you're not blessed with milky skin, you might have to work that little bit extra to get that 'glow'.
In terms of packaging, it's nothing special. Just MAC's usual black container.
Price wise, this little gem costs $43AUS.

My NARS love affair began like all love affairs should, in summer, about a year ago. It was my first NARS blush so I kind of have a soft spot. A lot of people complain about the glimmer/shimmer in Orgasm and I can't say I'm one of them. I don't mind having shimmer on my face, but what I do mind is looking like a 1980's disco ball. I find that if I buff it out enough it's really not a problem, but in saying that, if you have a dislike of shimmer, you should consider something maybe like, DAINTY!
The pigmentation of NARS blushes is insane, I don't need to explain, I'm pretty sure everyone knows.
I'm not so much in love with the price tag. $62AUS. $62. Sixty two. But I guess that's why I love online shopping and buying mine for around $40 from America. I cheat!

This swatch is totally useless. This space looked empty. Googling shall give thy better swatches!

All in all, I'll give a thumbs up to both blushes. Bravo MAC and NARS for continuing to damage my wallet. I will say, if you have one, it's not totally and completely necessary to have the other, you're not missing out on some major difference, but I'm a blush fiend and that is my defense.
If I had to pick only one to purchase over and over, it would be Orgasm. Simply because the lasting power and colour payoff is better than Dainty's. But other than that, I really can't split them. Or I don't want to. I don't want to! :)

Oh my!

2009-10-17T21:31:00.001+11:00

Scuba Steve

2009-10-16T23:23:00.000+11:00

You're embarrassed for me

Killer legs

2009-10-15T22:00:00.000+11:00

So much leg envy

Lace

2009-10-13T13:03:00.000+11:00

Spring has sprung.
(Elle Macpherson Courtesy bra & knicker set)

Flowing

2009-10-12T19:38:00.000+11:00

Pretty innit?

Right now I think I'm craving long, luscious, flowing locks more than ever. The length is fortunately already there. The luscious and flowing lacks considerably.
So I am going to make it my mission this summer to fight the frizzies and tame the mane.

My weapons of choice?

Matrix Biolage Ultra Hydrating Shampoo

Matrix Biolage Fortetherapie Strengthening Conditioner

Also along with the Matrix biolage heat styler leave in conditioner and the Paul Mitchell Super Skinny serum, with little to no heat on my hair.

I'm going to cross my fingers extra tight and hope my hair looks as good as this in 6 months time.

When in doubt

2009-10-11T21:29:00.000+11:00

Better a red face than a black heart.

Favourites

2009-10-11T11:37:00.000+11:00

Elle macpherson bra, OPI hopelessly in love, Return to Tiffany heart tag necklace, MAC hue lipstick.
And you.

2009-10-10T21:05:00.000+11:00

It's the old case of, 'keep your head up gorgeous, because there's people who would kill to see you fall' right?