L'Oreal Blue Reef + Darling Harlequin

Like most beauty bloggers, I am a magpie when it comes to pretty and sparkly things. When L'Oreal gifted me some of their new Colour Riche nail shades, Blue Reef* really stood out to me.

A dark teal creme polish, this was very opaque after one coat but I applied another as I like to do two coats of all of my polishes. The wide brush with these mini polishes is brilliant, I find them easier to use than regular polish brushes.

Never one to leave a nice manicure alone, I brought out one of my favourite glitter topcoats, Darling's Harlequin*. It's a mixture of small and large silver hex in a clear base, and is great because it looks good on such a wide range of nail shades.

Absolutely love this combination, it lasted quite a while on my nails and is something I think I will wear quite regularly as well.

The whole Color Riche Le Vernis range really appeals to me, I'm yet to use up a whole bottle of regular polish so the smaller sized bottle suits my needs (having said that, I can see myself finishing this whole bottle up and will be buying a replacement when that happens.) I have my eye on a few other shades from the collection (there is a purple with gold shimmer that is calling my name!) so I will be showing more of these here soon.

L'Oreal Color Riche Le Vernis are 5ml and retail for $6.95 AUD and are available from Target, Priceline, Pharmacies and anywhere else you find L'Oreal.

Darling polishes retail for $18.95 and can be purchased here.

Are you addicted to accent nails as well?

What do you think of these colours?

*These polishes were provided for consideration but my opinions and love for them are honest. Honesty, always.

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Anniversary Haul // Burberry, Illamasqua + Bioderma

Chris and I celebrated our anniversary almost a month ago, but I still thought you'd like to have a gander at what I bought during our weekend stay in Melbourne CBD.

Picked up a bottle of Bioderma Crealine H20 as I had finished my bottle and missed it terribly. One of my very favourite beauty finds, I've reviewed it here if you want to see my thoughts on it.

I stopped by the Illamasqua counter in Myer on Bourke St and fell in love with the new Naked Strangers collection. They really have the best imagery, the brand can do no wrong in my eyes. I've reviewed this Naked Rose blush here.

After watching Zoe Foster knock out a smokey eye in two minutes over here, I knew I needed to pick up the MAC paint pot she used. Constructivist is nice and easy to work with and blend, nice chocolately colours like this always remind me of Zoe!

More lipsticks is not what I need, but I can never stop myself with Face of Australia as they are so damn cheap. Trying to branch out with red lip shades to see what I suit best, and this ruby and orange toned shade seemed nice. Have a post on these coming up!

Chris usually buys me jewellery for anniversarys, but this year I hadn't stumbled upon anything I liked enough to choose so we avoided the shiny stuff this year. I think having my engagement ringAs we passed by Burberry the MUA asked if I'd like a free makeover, and Chris urged me to try the things I'd had on my Burberry wishlist!

Pale Barley eyeshadow was numero uno on my Burberry wants list, and I am so happy to finally own it! I have a Burberry specific post coming up soon with swatches and photos! The MUA used the Golden Brown eyeliner on me and I loved the way the colour defined my eyes and went with Pale Barley. The Copper Lip Mist was a free GWP on the day, which was a big surprise for me! Free Burberry isn't something that occurs often. The MUA also threw in a ton of fragrance samples (mostly male scents for Chris, some of which I have stolen) and was generally amazing at her job.

The Burberry part of this doesn't really count as a 'haul' as it was Chris' anniversary gift to me, but still thought I'd show it! Here is one of the photos from our weekend together.

I had such a great weekend away, Chris has had some health problems lately and we have been pretty stressed out so this getaway was needed! I am yet to get the engagement party photos from the photographer, but when I do would any of you be interested in seeing some of them in a post?

I picked up a few other items over the weekend but this was the main beauty stuff.

What do you think of my haul?!

hitting pan

For a beauty enthusiast, there is nothing more bittersweet than glimpsing that shiny pan as you sweep your brush across a product. I've fallen in love with many products over the years, and hitting pan is the proof of my affection.

I am a huge advocate for Sportsgirl cosmetics, and most of the pieces I buy from there fall into my 'favourite' pile quite frequently. It is no surprise that two items I have hit pan on are from this Australian chain store! Prom Night eyeshadow is a sheer and shimmery champagne colour that I use as a base or highlight on my eye, or sometimes on its own over the lid for a simple eye look.

My NYX blush in Peach has been well loved, and it is because it works well with so many looks that the pan is showing. It is quite a warm-toned pink and very pigmented, and though its name may lead you astray it is not a peach shade at all. I plan to purchase another shade from the NYX powder blush line when this is gone, but I know that one day I will buy another Peach pan.

Sportsgirl 'Get Cheeky' is a sheer blush that I use as a highlight more than anything. I find it looks great when dusted over NYX Peach, among many other blushes in my collection. It adds a glow to my face without being overly glittery or shimmery, and that is why it works so well for me.

Urban Decay's Virgin eyeshadow is the best highlight shade I have used, and I often use it to blend out shadows when the lines are too harsh. It is a cool pale beige shade that works perfectly with my skin tone. I was very excited to hit pan on my first shadow from the original Naked palette, and I know that soon I will hit pan on Sin as well.

MAC's Retrospeck shadow is a bleached blonde neutral shade that I often reach for on lazy days when I can't be bothered really doing my makeup. It is a little chunky but I still find it really easy to work with, and will be buying a pan of it for my MAC palette when the pan in this holiday set is finito.

The pan on these have grown since these photos were taken, and I must say I am looking forward to using them up and bidding them adieu.

How do you feel when you hit pan?

Naked Rose by Illamasqua // Swatches, Photos, FOTD

Naked Rose is a neutral beige pink powder blush from the new Naked Strangers collection, which has some of the most stunning imagery I've seen Illamasqua create thus far. I have a few bright blush shades from the permanent Illamasqua line, but as soon as I saw this muted shade I whipped out my purse and made it mine.

The Illamasqua powder blushes are all pigmented and soft, so you only need a small amount for a full flush of colour on the cheek. I find this blush a great flush of neutral pink for cold mornings, but I think I could get a lot of wear from this colour all year round.

The packaging of this is the same as all others from Illamasqua, it sits in nicely with the rest of my Illamasqua collection and the clear top means it is easy to recognize when I'm doing my makeup in the morning.

Illamasqua blushes last really well on my skin, I find they don't fade easily and blend nicely on the skin. I considered purchasing the cream blush from the Naked Strangers collection, but read some reviews saying that it was quite sheer so I thought this pink toned powder blush would work better for me.

I find that Naked Rose works really well with my pale skin tone, and I tend to use it for most looks without having to think about matching it up with rest of the makeup. I tend to use a really small amount and blend it right out to make sure I don't overdo it, I usually wear my blush quite heavy but this blush in particular can quickly go from barely there to full on, so it is best to work with a light hand.

Face: Bourjois 123 foundation in 51

Eyes: Maybelline Lash Stiletto mascara

Lips: Clarins Lip Perfector in 01 Rose

(Please disregard the jumble behind my in the FOTD, I took this photo in the spare room which is still filled with 21st and engagement gifts!)

I purchased this blush from the Bourke St Myer counter for $42 AUD.

*This product was purchased by me. Honesty, always.

get some long lashes

Though my beauty collection spans all spectrums when it comes to price range, the one thing I hate to spend big bucks on is mascara. Though there are some high-end mascaras that have captured my heart, I am not willing to outlay cash on them as regularly as you need to with mascaras, and so I turn to drugstores aka Priceline for my lash fix.

Australis have recently come out with a massive range of 'all-sorts' of mascaras, and I was sent the Lash Length Extension to trial. I tend to swing between lengthening and volumising ones, and I think that this one is best suited to day events or work days. I am quite lucky in the lash department in terms of length, and this mascara really worked to stretch them out even further. It doesn't have as dramatic an impact as Lancome's Hypnose Doll Eyes, but I really like the way it defines and separates each lash.

The LLE is a fibre formula, which means rather than using a makeup remover you simply wet your lashes and the fibres slide off in your fingers. I use a makeup remover before hopping in the shower, sliding off my mascara and then cleansing. I find that this has resulted in much less irritation to my eyes during the removal process, which keeps my lashes in tip top condition. This lasts all day long as well, and does not flake or smudge on me.

One eye with, one eye without. Can you tell which is which?

If you are a fan of fibre/tubing style mascaras, this is an excellend budget option for you. Those looking into trying one out should give it a go before outlaying moolah on high-end offerings, to make sure you like the style!

What are your thoughts on fibre or tubing mascaras?

It is so hard to go back to a regular mascara after using this, if my lazy self is totally honest!

Australis Lash Length Extension retails for $11.95 and is available at Priceline, Big W, Kmart, Target and selected pharmacies nationally.

*This indeed was sent to me, but my reviews are always honest.

bold wrath, baby

Since subscribing to amazingly brave beauty blogs like Silhouette Screams, I have gained confidence in my makeup style. I quite like to head out for coffee with Chris with a crazy makeup look on, he thinks it is pretty cool and I think so too!

I began this look with no real idea in mind, but had my new Femme Fatale Cosmetics set out before me and just winged it (literally!) I swatched the shadows here.

I have hardly had Poison off my lids for the last couple of weeks, and I wasn't sure if Wrath Baby would mix well with it but I ended up really loving the pairing. I think the way I winged out Wrath Baby and used both shadows on the lower lashline really tied the look together- what do you think?

Admittedly it is quite dramatic, I think I need to start trying out some neutral looks to show you all soon! If you are a bright eye fan, the best tip I can think of is to bolt the look down with some dark liner and plenty of mascara. It seems to make even the scariest look more wearable!

Pairing bright eyes with bright lips isn't my favourite, so everything else I used was quite toned down for this look. I used Urban Decay's Virgin as brow highlight and MAC's Nylon for my inner corner highlight.

What do you think of these colours together? Do you like the winged out Wrath Baby? I will definitely be wearing this look again, I really like it and Chris did as well!

*These shadows were provided for consideration, which does not affect my feelings about them.

Femme Fatale Cosmetics

As soon as I found out that a indie cosmetics company Femme Fatale Cosmetics was based in Australia, I knew that would be a hit with the beauty blogging community. The colour range is quite good for a new company, and all of these shades have impressed me immensely.

As I've mentioned before on this blog, I value the importance of supporting small businesses, and having a high quality indie cosmetics company on my doorstep (Brisbane, actually!) is an easy way for me to help out a Australian business woman. I love the imagery associate with the company, it is fiesty but still pretty and I think it suits the colours of the cosmetics well.

Poison is without a doubt my favourite shadow from this bunch, and from my whole indie cosmetics collection if I am to be truthful. The shimmer isn't overpowering and the colour is the most beautiful chartreuse shade that I am head over heels for. I've seen this shade in the sale section of the FFC site, but I hope that doesn't mean that the shade is discontinued! If you want to see Poison in action, check out my Nicki Minaj inspired FOTD here.

All of the shades that I swatched were intensely pigmented and very easy to work with. The shimmery shades were finely milled and very pretty.

Poison, Wrath Baby

Poison, Wrath Baby, Ignite

Ignite, Crusader, Wisp

Crusader, Wisp, Mysticism

I've gotten quite a lot of use from these, and find that they are really easy to blend, which is what I need in my bright shadows. Crusader was the most sheer, and Wisp is great layered over darker blue shades to add some dimension. Apart from Poison, my stand out shades are Wrath Baby and Mysticism, I have nothing like them in my collection so it was nice to try something new! I have a FOTD up tomorrow using some of these FFC shades, so be sure to look out for that. There will be a lot more FFC on this blog from here on out, I know that for sure.

Which shade are you loving most?

Do you support indie companies?

*These shadows were a review pack sent to me, but I have bought from FFC before and loved them from the start. Honesty, always.

Bioderma Crealine H20

Bioderma Crealine H20 is something I first heard of when I went to the Rae Morris brush launch way back in September last year. Rae told us how hard it was to get a hold of, but said that it was something all makeup artists swore by and was worth the hunt. Not long after that, I went to the Australian launch of the Bioderma brand. I am so happy that this amazing product is now readily available in Australia.

A micellar formula, this cleansing water is hypoallergenic, free from perfume and gentle as anything. Normally I see 'gentle' products as lacking results, but this is not the case with Bioderma's Crealine H20. The micelle's act like a magnet and capture dirt, oil and makeup without disturbing the balance of your skin, and so the Crealine H20 is perfect for all skin types. The best thing about this is that there is no need to rinse it from your face, so it is excellent for travel and lazy days.

I know a lot of people approach the Bioderm Crealine H20 as though it were a makeup remover, but it is so much more than that. It isn't super fast at taking off eye makeup etc, and I treasure this stuff too much to waste it on getting the bulk of my makeup off at night. I like to use a regular (read:cheap) makeup remover (right now I am using the Face of Australia remover) to get the makeup off before going over my face with a cotton pad soaked in Crealine. I also sometimes use it when I get up in the morning before I apply my moisturiser to start with a clean state, or when I get home from work if I can't be bothered doing a full cleanse yet. I'll be an honest blogger and say that if you are ever nodding off and can't be bothered cleansing 'properly', this is the almost guilt-free way to do a lazy cleanse. I wouldn't do this lazy cleanse regularly, but sometimes it happens!

I was gifted a bottle of this by the company, but have since repurchased for $39.95 (250ml) from Creelman's pharmacy on Bourke St in Melbourne. I missed it when it was out of my beauty routine, and find it worthwhile and a must-have. I spend so much on makeup for my face, and use that fact to justify the high price tag for this baby.

For a long list of stockists in Melbourne and Sydney, click here. For those elsewhere in Australia, you can email through your order to this address:

contact@cosmetifrance.com

and they will ship it to you free of charge.

Have you tried Bioderma Crealine H20?

What is your night time skin routine?

*I was provided a bottle for review, but have since repurchased and will continue repurchasing!

A Bitter Pop

My obsession with all things lemon and lime continues with this green eye look! I wanted something bright but after pairing MAC's Bitter with another bright here, I thought I would try it out with something a little bit different.

I concentrated Bitter on the innermost part of my eye, and took MAC's khaki shade called Mink & Sable to the outer V and blended them together. I really liked the pop of colour, and it wasn't as in your face as some of my other bright looks.

When I next attempt this look I am going to try to break up the two colours with a third in the center and taken higher above the lid, to stop it from being such a stark transition from bright to the khaki green shade. To see more of Mink & Sable, see my MAC shadow collection post here.

What do you think of this look?

What colour would you use between these two to break up the look?