week in review

A random mix up of what I've been up to over the last week or so!

Gorgeous star cookies at my neices 6th birthday last weekend, which had a rock star theme. Stars hung from the ceiling and all the kids got their faces painted (I got a line of flowers up my arm) The weather was perfect and the party kicked on into the wee hours of the night with plenty of dancing and drinking (for the adults, of course!)

Been wearing these studs that are a cross between a cognac and champagne zirconia. Bought them a few weeks back when I visited the Queen Victoria Market, and since I usually wear my gold hoops it was nice to change it up a bit!

I was lucky enough to get tickets to ABC's First Tuesday Book Club taping with Jennifer Byrne (info here) and saw her interview Christos Tsiolkas. I adored his book The Slap, and it was interesting to hear him speak about the book, about writing and how it has changed his life. My best friend Candice came along with me and we had lunch at an amazing little place in Elsternwick (I'll be reviewing it soon) The above image is a blossom she plucked from a tree as we were walking. I'll be posting other photos from the day soon, because Candice looked amazing and I'll be showing you the makeup she had on.

Had an adventure to Doncaster and rocked my bug sunnies which were kindly sent to me from Fashion Addict...I think this is the longest a pair of sunglasses have lasted for me, so I am very impressed! I'm planning on buying some scarves from them soon too, and for all of my international readers the amazing Australian brand Face of Australia is online there for you to purchase too! Hop to it! Have also fallen back in love with MAC Ever Hip, which is on zee lips in the above image.

While at Doncaster, I spent the Westfield voucher I had kicking around at Mecca. A little Mecca hauling never goes astray, especially when it's my first real taste of Nars!
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So that is pretty much the highlights of my week, I spent a lot of time writing assignments and catching up on readings so it was nice to spend time with family and friends (and with Mecca Cosmetica)
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Scent of the week: Bulgari Rose Essentielle
Lotion of the week: Aveeno!
Colour of the week: Chocolate brown
Polish of the week: Coral from Kit and Sportsgirl
Song of the week: Nicki Minaj Super Bass
Book of the week: Heart of Darkness-Joseph Conrad
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Have you done anything exciting this past week, or bought yourself anything?
Let me know in the comments below:)
emmabovary x

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in 84 Epatant- swatches,review and EOTD

This little pot has stolen my heart with it's shimmering beauty, and I waited with baited breath for it to be released in Australia. The week that it did I headed into the city to swatch my heart out, though I already knew that the magnificent Epatant would be the first to come home with me. And yes, the previous statement makes it clear that I plan on bringing more into my makeup family;) Next up will be Ebloui I do believe. Pink Sith posted here about them, so I blame her for the lemming, but I digress.

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The new Chanel Illusion D'Ombre long wear luminous eyeshadows are a permanent collection (yay!) and are encased in classy glass jars with black gloss lids. The consistency is awesome, they are a bouncy cream gel style formula with plenty of shimmery loveliness. They claim to be long wearing and luminous, and I agree with these claims. 
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The shadows come in 6 shades, Epatant being a shimmering khaki green taupe that is flecked with gold.

 Glossy black box with product details

The two main ways the shadows can be used are outlined on the lid, I first used the shadow all over the lid but lately have been rocking Epatant as a liner (upper and lower)

You get a specially designed brush with your shadow, created to compliment these shadows. I find it to work perfectly with them for both a wash of colour or for use as a liner.

Cute little brush with cover to slip it into

A nice angle for liner as you can see. As you can also see, I couldn't wait to use this, so the brush is not perfectly clean.

Luxurious packaging of the shadows

Sigh

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Glides on so easily, the above image is a single light swatch. The colour is so deep, and the more you build it up the better it gets. As a liner it's stunning, and I think that it is my favourite way to wear it.

A slightly blurrier swatch to give you an indication of the shimmer factor.

Not the clearest photo, but you can see the effect it has on the eye.

Love Love Love this on the lower lashline. If a body part were to be included in my August favourites, my lower lashline would be it! 
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So far I've worn Epatant as a liner (top and bottom) more often than an all over colour, but I will continue to experiment and let you know how I go. I used this shadow with MAC Painterly paint pot as a base and found no creasing, so am a happy camper. I initially thought I wouldn't get a heap of wear out of this, but I have been reaching for it a bit and think it will serve me well. Looking forward to bringing new bouncy Chanel babies into my makeup family in the near future.
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Illusion D'Ombre's retail for $48 AUD and can be purchased from Myer, DJ's or wherever you normally get your Chanel fix from. Mine was purchased with my own cash from the Chanel counter in Bourke St Myer (Melbourne)
 Internationally, please check your Chanel site for more details.
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Have you succumbed to any of these little pots of beauty?
emmabovary xx

Rimmel FOTD

Lately I've been thinking about love quite a bit, and it has seeped into most facets of my life. I'm talking all sorts of love- family love, boyfriend love, camembert love (and oh what a love that is!) and naturally, cosmetic love. A product that I've fallen in love with is the Rimmel Match Perfection Cream Gel Foundation* which was sent to me a while back from Rimmel. Today I was inspired to paint my face only using products from Rimmel, and this is what eventuated.

My Rimmel FOTD

I scrounged through my makeup drawers to see whether or not I had enough to make an entirely Rimmel based look, and I was happy with what I came up with.

Some of my Rimmel Collection

You should not that there are some major players missing from the above image...where is the bronzer and blush??...

='(

My poor Rimmel bronzer hit the tiles during the week, may he rest in sweet cosmetic heaven. He was the second of his kind to join my makeup family, I'd already used one up once before. Find this to be really natural and affordable, and I will definitely repurchase. The silly little blush was purchased from Target and was wrapped so darn hard that I chipped 4 nails trying to get him out, and ended up giving up. I used NYX Peach as a replacement, it may be considered cheating but I was so frustrated!

Okay, on to zee eyes!

*The Max Volume Flash mascara in Ultra Black. This was my first time using this, and I am impressed!

*Eye Definer eyeliner in Jet Black, not as black as it could be but really nice nevertheless.

*Exaggerate Eye Crayon in Wild Thing was used as a base for my shadows, but I found it quite sheer and hard to work with.

*Colour Rush mono eyeshadow in #130 Tribute and oh she is a stunner. I love this shadow, the pigmentation is grand and the colour is unlike anything else in my collection.

*Colour Rush eyeshadow trio in Dreamy lacked pigmentation in the lower two shades, but I liked the top as a wash over my lid.

*Colour Rush eyeshadow quad in Bold Behaviour  is a gorgeous mix of shades, but for this look I only used the purple shade in the top left corner. I ran it through the crease before layering Tribute over it, which toned down the brightness and changed it quite a bit.

Now for zee lips!

 *Moisture Renew lipstick in #700  Nude Delight is my most opaque nude, and I usually use it as a base over pigmented glosses. For this look, I went au natural and layered a pink toned nude over the top instead

*Vinyl Gloss Mirror Shine lipgloss in Snog (at least I think it is, the tag is worn) The smell of this is weird but I've grown to really love it, it's a great gloss. My sister steals this every time I buy it, drives me crazy but makes me smile too.

Not the most flattering shot, but a realistic look at the shades

Really like the look of Tribute smudged on the lower lash line!

A better look at Tribute, and this is pretty much the only shot that shows any hint of purple!

I really like the direction Rimmel seems to be taking with their bright fun cosmetics, and getting the incredible Zooey Deschanel on board was a big win.

I have reviews of the foundation and mascara coming up, but if anything else here has caught your eye please let me know.

What Rimmel goodies have knocked your socks off?

emmabovary xx

(*The foundation was sent to me from Rimmel but it did not affect my opinion of it in the slightest, I promise. The single shadow was in a GWP if I remember correctly, and the mascara was a bonus for something too. Honesty, always.x)

IMATS tag!

Saw this awesome tag here, and couldn't stop myself! IMATS here I come!

 Image taken from IMATS site and is of Sydney IMATS 2010

1. Which IMATS are you attending?
IMATS Sydney 2011, and I am beyond excited for it! I'm going as part of the Australian Beauty Bloggers Weekend, where I will spend time with other beauty bloggers and shop up a storm at IMATS.

2. Have you ever been to IMATS before?
No, it's my first time at a trade show and my first visit to Sydney!

3. How are you getting there? 

Flying up there, which I am nervous about as I don't like flying. I've travelled quite a bit, but never could get used to the feeling of losing control.

4. Are you bringing anyone along?
Chris and I were originally planning a weekend away for the event, but now I am leaving him on his lonesome at home and heading there with Melissa, and am meeting the other blogger ladies there.

5. Is there anything else in the IMATS host city that you want to see?
Anything and everything! First time there and I'll hopefully have Friday to explore, so feel free to throw any suggestions at me!

6. What days will you be in the city that IMATS is in? 

 I will be there from early Friday to late Sunday, if flights go as planned.

7. Who do you want to meet?
I can't wait to meet inspiring artists, and learn new techniques to play around with. I'm also looking forward to spending time with Melissa, and soaking up the awesomeness that is Australian beauty bloggers!

8. What companies exhibits are you most excited to see?
Ben Nye looks to be great, and quite different to anything I've ever seen before. 

9. What products are you looking for?
I'm yet to write a formal shopping list (gasp!) but I know that I want to peruse MUFA, MAC, Inglot and pick up some Royal and Langnickel brushes. I know I will just end up picking up things that catch my eye though, but that is just how it goes.

10. How much do you plan to spend?
Hopefully not too much, but I have put away a few hundred to spend there. I have a feeling I'll be lugging a tonne of brushes back with me...and Inglot
palettes.

11. What do you want to get out of IMATS?
I'm going to change this question to "What do you want to get out of ABBW"
I want to lose some of the shyness that holds me back in life, and converse with the blogging ladies I admire.  I want to soak up every minute of beauty natter whether it be from the professionals or the bloggers, and not feel strange about comparing lipgloss attributes in detail. It's completely normal folks! And, of course, I want to enjoy the access to brands I wouldn't otherwise, and take home some goodies to keep the holiday fun going.
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Will I see you at IMATS? Tell me now and I'll have worked up the courage to say hi by September!
Or, if overseas, tell me what IMATS was like for you!?
I tag all of my lovely readers!
emmabovary xx

Dip your Fingertips into the Ocean!

OPI Turquoise Crackle over Sally Hansen Platinum

Last week I went out for the day with my Mum and Chris' Mum. Our main focus was nail polish, and between us we managed to arrive home with over 15 bottles. One of these was the Turquoise Crackle by O.P.I, (pictured above on Chris' Mum's hand) over Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails in Platinum

Sally Hansen-Platinum

Since her nails are in much better condition than mine and the polish belongs to her, I thought it right to have her model them for you. I'm sure her hands will feature quite a bit in upcoming weeks as she plays with her new shades.

I like the contrast between the icy white of Platinum and the deep sea blue of Turquoise, though the camera did not pick up the exact colour of the crackle. It's not as pale as it appears there, I would say the exact shade lies between the bottle colour and the nail colour in the above image. 

I am thinking of pairing this colour with a green or orange underneath, just to create a striking and unexpected contrast between the two. I really like this crackle colour, and am looking forward to playing with the other O.P.I shades she purchased. We're both still in the practising stage of crackle (yes, the official stage) so please be kind=D I'm just happy to have new textures to play with. It's the perks of becoming part of the family, right? ;)

Tell me, what crackle do you like most?

What colour would you pair with this crackle?

emmabovary xx

(This product was purchased by my boyfriend's Mum with her own moolah, and apart from me making her a coffee afterwards, she was not compensated for her involvement;) )

A Perfect Pink Duo

Forever on the search for a perfect pink lip option, I recently stumbled upon a combination that is a match made in heaven. My Essence affair continues with their Stay With Me lipgloss in 'Me & My Icecream', which I'm loving layered over L'oreal Colour Riche Serum lipstick in Freshly Candy (these products were also featured here, in my July Favourites)



Essence 'Me and My Icecream'



Swatch on hand

The shade does remind me of strawberry ice cream, and though I don't think this is crazily long lasting, it is decent and lasts the same length of time as my other glosses. On it's own it's slighly milky and looks very sweet, it's something you can put on without a mirror so it's great to stash in your handbag for touch ups. The colour isn't opaque, so I find this to be a great layering gloss for popping on top of a lot of my pink lip shades.



Sturdy packaging, note a sticker on lid



The applicator for this gloss is a bit strange, it has two round sections with a dip in the middle. It applies a good amount of product on your lips when you apply using the dipped section, which looks like this:



Gloss being applied

The reason I point this out is that it's close to being too far into your mouth, almost as if you are eating the product. If you tilt it, it's not really a bother though. I tend to use the end of the applicator more often than not, and it's a lot more comfortable than I thought the round tip against the lip would be. Something I dislike about it? That the shade name is only mentioned on the sticker on the gloss lid. I like my makeup to look as best as it possibly can, but I can't take the stickers off for fear of forgetting the shade names!



Freshly Candy swatch, Essence swatch, then them both layered

I adore L'Oreal's Colour Riche Serum formulation, but sometimes feel that they are just a little too creamy for everyday. I love the way 'Me & My Icecream' tones down the lipstick formulation, and makes it much more wearable. The duo still looks nice and creamy, though, which is nice. Sadly, I'm a silly beauty blogger and neglected to take a snap of myself wearing Freshly Candy on it's own, so will post this sometime soon for you. This is what the two pink products create together:



The finished look!

This look is great to pair with smoky eyes, but I've also worn it on lazy days with nothing but a sweep of taupe shadow on my lids. I'm really enjoying the Essence glosses, so much so that I've been picking a new shade up each week! They retail for $3.95, so it's really hard to resist! The L'Oreal lippies are $26.95 and are available where you usually buy your L'Oreal.

Have you tried something similar to this combo that I could try?

Have you tried either of this pink prodz?

emmabovary xx

Freeman Salt Body Scrub-Guava

 

I stand (and type) before you, a self-confessed scrub addict.

It's one of my favourite times of the day, that moment when I step into the shower and choose a scrub from the collection at hand. A recent acquisition that I burned through quite fast was the Freeman Salt Body Scrub in Guava, which is essentially large salt pieces suspended in a heavily scented gel. This is a formula unlike most of my other scrubs, which is perhaps why I found myself reaching for it constantly (and why it then featured in my last 'empties' post) I tend to favour scrubs that resemble sand in texture and are in tub form, but this squeezy tube was a nice change and worked well in the shower. A plus was the 'easily crumpable' packaging which meant I could get to every last bit of this stuff- I'm not a scrub waster, no no.



Clear scrub filled with salt pieces



A seemingly crappy image that better shows the scrubbiness of the prod



The scent wasn't terrible by any means, but I do think I would choose a different one the next time I buy this, as it wasn't 'wow' for me. The scrub was quite effective and left my skin pretty smooth, but I was annoyed by the ever-so-slight residue it left behind. I kept in mind, however, that it only cost me five buckaroos, and so was not deterred by this minor fault. I found that the salt was quite sparse in the gel, and I needed quite a bit for it to really exfoliate. You really have to work for your scrub and some may find that too much of a hassle. Here I will admit a dorky favourite feature:

The first part of myself that I scrub are my arms (no idea why) and the salt felt amahhzing when it hit my hand on the way down, when I was rinsing it off. Weird, yes, but ultra relaxing for unknown reasons.

Pros:

*Affordable and works well for it's price

*A range of nice scents to choose from

*The 'salt running over hand' factor

*Easy to use packaging that works in the shower

Cons:

*Packaging looks a little cheap

*Need to work for good exfoliation

*Salt pieces a little sparse

*Need to use quite a bit, therefore you burn through it fast

Freeman Salt Body Scrub in Guava retails for $5 AUD and is available at Priceline.

In the U.S I do believe it retails for $3 USD, and is available at some pharmacies/drugstores.

Overall I enjoyed using this, and though it's not my favourite scrub (I am loyal to my sand-scrubs!) I will be repurchasing. For it's price I think it's a winner, and would love to know what your opinions of it are- so do share!

emmabovary xx

July Favourites

I know I am super late with this, but I was never in the same place as all of the products in order to take a photo! Here is what I loved hardest in July.



July Favourites!



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Rexona Girl in Tropical Energy is pretty much my favourite deodorant, it smells incredible and keeps me comfy and dry throughout the day.

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Alpha-H Gentle Daily Exfoliant* is a product I'd never have noticed on my own, but am so glad to have used! Helps keep the flakies at bay and keeps my skin super soft without being rough. Review is here.

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Rimmel Match Perfection Cream Gel Foundation* in Ivory is ace. Have a review coming up, but suffice to say I'm loving this sick.

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Face of Australia liquid eyeliner* in Black is a product I used almost every day in July, and assisted me in my goal to master a liquid eyeliner. Easier to use than others I've tried, the brush tip was easy to wield after a bit of practice.

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Sportsgirl 'Get Cheeky' blush is the one I reached for most in July, I loved that it was more sheen than disco shimmer so could be worn all day and into the night. Review is here.

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Colour blocking with Orange and Pink- I have this combo on my tootsies right now, alternating OPI's 'In My Back Pocket' with Ulta3's 'Bo Peep'

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L'oreal Colour Riche Serum lipstick in Freshly Candy is crazily creamy, and was purchased when I first began reading Primped. Zoe Foster loved it, so I had to have it, and as always she chose a winner! Wear this quite a bit, it's a really great pink for me.

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Essence Stay with Me lipgloss is 'Me & My Ice Cream' is amaaaazing! I've spoken about my love for Essence before, and my biggest crush is on these babies. This colour works perfectly with Freshly Candy and they create the perfect combo to accompany a smoky eye.

So that is the round up of what I've been loving in July! Let me know if you've tried any of these products, or would like to see them reviewed.

emmabovary xx

*Marked items were provided for consideration for review, which in no way affects my opinion of them. Honesty always!

Viva La Colour with Kit Cosmetics!

I was lucky enough to be invited along to Kit Cosmetics to get my face made over, to celebrate the Mexican-inspired Viva La Colour collection they have instore. I went along with the beautiful Melissa , who has also blogged about the experience here. Kit is always one of my first stops when I visit the city, the staff are super helpful without being pushy and the range is kept fresh. The store stocks the Kit brand as well as other winners such as Mario Badescu, Smashbox and Too Faced. If you have never been into a Kit before, try and swing by- it's amazing in there!

Products in the Viva La Colour collection

My gorgeous MUA Caitlin was rocking a seriously bright face, including a fuschia lip using a lippy from the collection. I chose to incorporate bright eyes as well, but with a tangerine lip to mix it up a bit.


The empty Kit stand, as we were using most of the goodies!



My skin was cleansed-toned-moisturised before the fun began!



The base being applied.

I have the biggest lemming for the new foundation Caitlin chose for me, the new Mineral Liquid Powder Foundation ($44.95) I was matched to the shade Light, and I found that my flakies weren't accentuated and my skin looked great well into the night. Very impressed with the kabuki that was used, it was so soft I sighed when my foundation was being applied!

Colour was introduced

I was fascinated with the yellow that Caitlin had used on Melissa before me, and so we used that paired with the pink above, and lined the lower lashline with the purple from the top of the image. I don't usually choose purple for my eyes, so was happy that Caitlin had made me branch out.

'Wow Factor' eyeshadow



The completed look!



Caitlin, Melissa and Moi



A dopey face, but how bright is that shadow! Squee!



Flash made me super-shiny, looked much better in person. Was at home at this point, hence the change in lighting.

 

Caitlin and myself, in front of the gorgeous Viva La Colour stand

At the end of my makeover Caitlin asked what my two favourite products were, and wrapped them up for me! I chose the cheek and lip duo I'd been lemming for ages, and the Fire Lighter lipstick.


My beautiful gifts!



Fire Lighter and 'Pretty Cheeky' duo

Overall the whole experience was wonderful, and reminded me that bright makeup doesn't have to be scary and intimidating. With the right technique you can pull off looks you have always dreamed of, but you never know if you don't try! A big thank you to the EGPR beauties, Caitlin and the Kit team for having me.
emmabovary xx

*All images were taken with my camera and belong to me. I was a guest of EGPR and Kit Cosmetics for this event, and though I was kindly gifted two products it in no way affects my review of the experience.