New Favourite Nude Nails! My Nightly Craving - Gelish #579 Swatches

I was all set at my recent nail appointment to go for a deep and shimmery grey polish over the top of my clear acrylics, but then the lady next to me pulled out a few nude shades and my eyes clapped onto this grey/brown/pink/lavender nude concotion and I was all "excuse me, what number is THAT!?" I googled the number from the swatch stick at the salon and it turns out that My Nightly Craving was released in 2013 in the Under Her Spell collection, which was full of cozy cream shades that scream winter. Perfect for the rainy grey weather Melbourne is experiencing this week!

This is my first time using a Shellac/Gel/Gelish type product over false nails, and I have to say that not having to sit and wait an absolute age for them to dry has already won me over! They're also a lot shinier than a standard polish with OPI topcoat, even Mr commented that they looked fancier than normal so that's a win. Something to note is that the colour does seem to fade/change a little over time, which was also noted in this blog post I came across in my searches. It doesn't really phase me as it just seems to be a tad more brown-nude than the pinked lavender greige kind of nude it began as, and I like both of those nude variants anyway! If you're going to be scrutinizing your nails though, the shift of pink and brown may drive you a little insane.

 

It was hard to capture just how beautiful this shade is, so it's worth having a look if you have access to Gelish where you are. The colour change is a bit of a pain but no-one looking at my nails has noticed it and the compliments have been rolling in. I'm very tempted to pick up a full bottle of this next time I'm out shopping...

Emma x

Salon Melbourne, Part One

Truth be told I'm pretty pumped for Salon Melbourne this weekend. It's been so long since I've been able to attend a beauty event and I'm craving some quality time with fellow beauty lovers - something that Salon offers alongside some shopping opportunities and inspiration galore. Although it (funnily enough!) targets salon owners and workers more than beauty bloggers, I still find that I learn a lot from spending the day there and always walk away feeling inspired. I'm planning on attending on Monday (10am-4pm) but it is also on Sunday (9am-6pm) if you can't work in a weekday jaunt.

my favourite advertisement at Salon Melbourne 2014 - Dermalogica, you rock!
love the crowds and checking out all of the stalls (2014 Salon)

I had a good scroll through all of the events for Monday and mapped out the main presentations I wanted to see - a lot of the education sessions are quite focused on things like hair cutting technique and how to use certain machines in a salon and that would definitely go over my head, so I'm sticking to things I can use in my day-to-day beauty life like these ones:

Mastering This Seasons Bold Lip with Ali Price (Launch Pad Stage, Monday March 2nd, 11-11:15am)
I am all about the bold lip in theory, but lately I've been reaching for my nude lip colours and 'Kylie Jenner-esque' shades so I'm hoping this will broaden my current lipstick horizons...

Beauty for EDITORIAL & Commercial with Kryolan & Rachel Montgomery (Main Stage, Monday March 2nd, 12-12:20pm)
This sounds like it will be really interesting, and hopefully I'll pick up some new makeup tips too. I am yet to try anything from Kryolan and don't really know where to begin with the brand, so this should show me some of their wares.

Magnifique Music Artists Vs. Movie Stars (Main Stage, Monday March 2nd,12:30-1:15pm)
I love the idea of a sneak peek into the creation of fictional characters, so this sounds like it will be fun to watch. I'm imagining Avatar-esque creations, but I could be totally wrong!

 

Klara Cosmetics, 2014 Salon Melbourne

What is another reason I adore Salon Melbourne...

SHOPPING!
I'm hoping that this weekend will re-spark a 'sensible' love of shopping for me once again, as I seem to be lacking in shopping skills lately...I went to the Exhibitor section of the site to see what possible haulage was in my future...
Crown Brushes
I always like the pick up some affordable makeup brushes at shows like this (IMATS too, always good for a brush!) and this year I want a new blush brush and some more shadow brushes - perhaps something for foundation application, too?
FABY
I just posted about FABY for my Valentine's Day manicure and I really want to see the full range of colours that they have!
Girlee Cosmetics
I always check out Girlee when I hit up Salon (check out the custom Girlee palette I hauled last year!) and I'm thinking of getting my hands on an icier version of Urban Decay Verve eyeshadow from the Naked 2 palette...
Kester Black
Have never seen these in person, only on Cosmetic Cupcake and they look so good!

my haul from Salon Melbourne 2014

So that is the end of my excited ramble...;)
Part Two of this post will show you what I get up to at the event and what I buy on the day, but in the meantime I'll be popping bits and bobs up on Instagram if you're interested.

If you've never been to this expo before or want some more practical tips, check out this recent post Norlin wrote - very informative!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
-Emma

*I attend Salon Melbourne as a media guest, but have not been compensated for this post. I just can't wait for the expo!

Hens Night Nails - Oh What A Knight from the Gelish Once Upon a Dream Collection

Considering the amount of time I spend (as a beauty blogger) thinking about nail polish, you would think that I would come prepared to my hens night nail appointment, right? Yet there I was, standing with the Gelish swatch board at my favourite nail place not knowing what I was going to do. I was planning on working my makeup style around my nail colour, and wanted it to look good against the gold bar detailing on the black peplum dress I was wearing that night.

wearing a replacement ring as my engagement ring is off getting resized and buffed for the big day!

I had originally wanted a nice shimmery forest green or maybe a bright coral orange colour to really pop against the black, but as soon as I saw Oh What A Knight on the swatch board I was drawn to it like moth to flame.

It's a strange mix and I can't quite pin down the exact colour - some descriptions say it is copper, at times I definitely see rose gold in there, but it has also got a really nice cooler tone to it which works well with my pale skin tone. The bright yellow golds they were offering me were just too extreme and would have looked terrible on my hands! I also got them to layer a silver glitter over the top of both middle fingers as an accent, in hindsight I probably would've liked the extra glitter on all 10 fingers!

I had an amazing time at my hens night, we hired a party bus to take us around the city and it was so nice not to have to arrange a taxi at the end of the night! My feet were aching the next day from all of the dancing I did, I stayed at the parentals place for the night and the French toast cooked by my Pappa the next morning was the cherry on top for me!

 

I'll leave you with two snaps from early on in the night - would love about the best hens night you've ever been on?

 

Emma x

on the bus heading into the city!

with Mumma Bovary having some food before we left

 

A Mint of Spring

I'm well into my 'at home gel nail' phase after purchasing my Sensationail kit, and in my recent Salon Melbourne haul I picked up my first Gelish colour gel. I really wanted to add a pale mint green to my relatively small gel nail offering, and after looking through the crazy amount of Gelish nail swatches on offer I ended up throwing A Mint of Spring into my basket. 

In the bottle it appears a light minty colour, but on the nails it is a tad more teal than I perhaps originally wanted. It is definitely a spring shade, but I threw caution to the wind and chose it for my long weekend away in autumn anyway!

 Shown is 3 coats, though 2 would probably have been fine.

I treated myself to the lastest edition of Elle Australia which served as a great back drop for my hastily snapped nail post, don't you think? Emma Watson is making me crave some major winged liner with my minty fresh nails!

 

I bought my Gelish A Mint of Spring for $17 and it is definitely the brightest in my gel collection to date!

 

What mint shade do you swear by?

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

Salon Melbourne 2014 - experience, make-up + haul

I begrudgingly rolled out of bed this cold Melbourne morning to head into the city for Salon Melbourne, exciting but craving less chill in the air. Having gone previous years I knew what to expect, and needless to say I was pumped for a day of new knowledge with Carly by my side.



 I wanted to put more effort into my makeup for this special event, but reality got in the way (in the form of extra snuggles with Charlie and swiping on a bright lip at the last moment...check this post for details on that) so I ended up rocking the Clinique Neutral Territory 2 palette and my beloved Tarte Exposed blush along with my bright coral lip.

 

Carly buying her hair extensions!

I was quite impressed with the Redken stand this year - a popcorn machine (evidence of me chowing down is above) and a claw game style machine full of colourful Redken samples that I wasn't talented enough to win. Another interesting exhibitor was Klara Cosmetics, which were promoting their Kiss Proof Lips and beautiful looking line of lip products.

Having one of the Klara Kiss Proof Lips applied (matte formula)

the beloved French skincare - I love my Bioderma, Nuxe + Uriage <3

the madness that was the Lime Crime stand

one of the best parts of experiences like this - the amazing and inspiring body art (from Melbourne Polytechnic)

Watching Lorna Evans style some up-do's on stage was definitely one of the highlights of Salon for me - something Lorna said about inspiration really stuck in my mind as I perused during the day. She was 'knitting' a wild and very beautiful hairstyle on a model and mentioned to the crowd that a look like this wasn't for her clients - they were not going to walk in and request this for a night out. This sort of look was for her, to keep her inspired and in turn inspire her clients (and in my opinion, it would also highlight her natural talent for hair at the same time) I realised that I think about makeup in beauty in much the same way, and when I create crazy bright eye looks or an icily sculptured look based on a YouTuber, it is to keep my creative flow pumping and gives me a chance to enjoy the sheer beauty of makeup products.

Food for thought, right?

Lorna Evans inspiring the crap outta me

the effervescent Michael Brown teaching me that it isn't only shimmers and brights that can create beauty - matte taupes and browns can be so stunning!

totally losing out at the Redken sample machine

Klara Cosmetics rocking it on the Launchpad Stage with Klara herself

was so tempted to get a Tangle Teezer - so cute and bright!

exploring the Eye of Horus makeup brand for the very first time

one of my very favourite skincare brands had some strong messages for Salon attendees

Klara Cosmetics, again!

I walked into Salon Melbourne knowing that I wanted to pick up some nail supplies since I have begun doing my own gel nails at home with my Sensationail by Nailene machine. I nabbed Carly's loot so that you could have a peek at two hauls in a single post - don't say I don't love ya, okay?

Carly's haul:
Crown Brushes buffing brush
Artiste Lint-Free Nail Wipes
Lime Crime Geranium lipstick
Klara Cosmetics Kiss Proof Lips 06 (free sample)
Colour Club Winter Affair
Girlee Cosmetics 4pan Palette (shades below)
Hair Extensions + care products from Amazing Hair

in love with the Lime Crime bag

Girlee Cosmetics in Mulberry Satin e/s, Pink Glow Illuminator, Dubonnet blush and another e/s I've forgotten the name of

Geranium!

I am pleased as punch with what I brought home from Salon Melbourne - all things I've been lusting over for a while with some random fun things thrown in for good measure.
My haul:
Crown Brushes shader brush and shadow brush
Gelish Fantastic Four Essentials Pack
Gelish Polish in A Mint of Spring
Colour Club Winter Affair
Colour Club Harp on It
Klara Cosmetics Kiss Proof Lips (free sample)
Artiste Lint-Free Nail Wipes
Girlee Cosmetics 4pan Palette (shades below)

A Mint of Spring

Absolutely swooning over these two

Girlee Cosmetics Mulberry Satin e/s, Grenadine blush, Golden Glow illuminator and eyeshadow I can't find the name of- I promise that Carly and I didn't mean to grab so many identical items, it just happened!

Klara Cosmetics and my Girlee palette swatched (I blame the Grenadine blush purchase on Liz!

I had a wonderful time at Salon Melbourne once again this year. The event provides a great opportunity to socialise with likeminded beauty lovers and industry professionals while also being really inspiring for me as a beauty writer. I'd love to know if you've been to events like this, and what you think of my haul products!

 

This is how I felt after walking around Salon Melbourne all day - exhausted!

 

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

 

*I was invited to Salon Melbourne as a guest of PR, but all opinions are honest as always.