Time with a good friend ...

It's strange after you leave school, you're starting a new life really and all the school socialising from past years come to a close. This is all good of course, it's life and it's getting out there in the real world and living your life but sometimes it's a little lonely ... I mean I have plenty of people to talk to and there's my family and my wonderful boyfriend but occasionally you really miss the friendship groups of your school friends.

Whenever I get the opportunity to catch up with someone from school I do, it's good for me because it's someone different to be with and have a laugh with. We may not all get to hang out as much any more or do things as a team but we are still in each other's life to a certain degree.

Last week I got to spend the day with my best friend Juanita, we do this every so often, get all glammed up and head off to take pictures of each other, so much fun!!! :)  This time was extra special because she's just had her braces taken off and looks amazing (she always has), she also allowed me to do her makeup for my portfolio (practice makes perfect) and best of all we had such a great time together.

We headed off to one of the local beaches in the area and posed and strutted for the camera, haha :D we even grabbed a ladder from her dad's shed and used it as a prop ... did we get some strange looks? You bet we did haha, but we didn't care, as long as we were having fun.

The theme of one of the photos was like opposites, we each wore the same dress from Romwe.com, Juanita in the black version and myself in the pale pink. The contrast with her blonde hair and my dark hair worked great and we were very pleased with the photos.

The weather was absolutely perfect, we have the best winters in the world here in Queensland, I mean look at that water!! :) and the day was perfect.

Remember to make time for good friends because they are a wonderful refreshing change to everyday life :D

NEW Sigma ‘Extravaganza Face Kit’

18K Gold Brushes anyone?

Ok, now I know that this kit won’t be for everyone .... but ‘WOW’, isn’t it pretty :)

I think that this face kit would be great for the girl that has almost everything and is wanting some ‘luxury’ in her makeup bag. With four face brushes that have 18k gold plated ferrules and natural bristles they come together with a deluxe carry case which is perfect for travelling and they just scream LUXURY!!! :)

Brushes included:

F90 – Fan Brush

F92 – Blush Brush

F94 – Kabuki Brush

F95 – Powder Brush

Of course you will have to pay for these babies and that price is $210.00 which makes them a little out of reach for the average teenage girl wanting to buy a few good brushes, hehehe but something we can all dream about.

Visit Sigma Beauty HERE for great makeup brushes.

Maybelline 'Fit Me' Foundation and Pressed Powder

Recently I've been using the Maybelline 'Fit Me' range Foundation and Pressed Powder in shade 125.

Packaging:


Let's start with the packaging shall we, the foundation is packaged in a glass bottle that looks pretty sleek but I personally find it a bit difficult to get the right amount of foundation out, the formula is quite thin so I tend to tip too much out, a pump would have been a great inclusion for this foundation. The packaging on the pressed powder I found was great, it contains both a mirror and sponge applicator underneath the powder compartment and the lid is 'see through' so you can see what's in there :)

Foundation:

This is a sheer to medium coverage foundation that applies smoothly and I find it doesn't 'cake' over time. It's great for dry to normal skin types and even without using a primer it gives a lovely finish without accentuating large pores or inconsistencies. You can also build up the coverage by layering without it looking 'built up' and it will still feel lightweight. I find it blends really nicely and allows your skin to show through yet still be covered. You can apply it with your fingertips, brush or sponge and still get a nice finish.

There are quite a lot of shades to choose from, I find the shade I chose is a little dark for me right now so I may get the lighter shade as well, that way I can also mix the two shades for when my skin 'tans' a little in the summer. The foundation also contains an SPF 18 which is a great bonus :)


As with most foundations, if you have dry skin you should work on that first by moisturising before applying your foundation and if you have oily tendencies, perhaps a foundation geared towards your skin type would be a better purchase. I have a combination skin so I do find I get a little oily on my T-zone through the day but nothing a little powder can't fix and probably nothing more than I do with some other foundations, although it could be the humid weather we have been having lately too.

I do find that this foundation changes colour slightly in the beginning so if you can 'test' it and let it 'oxidize' for a while before purchasing that would be great so that you get the right shade. It doesn't change too dramatically on me but each person is different.

Pressed Powder:

I have no problems with the pressed powder, I've been using it quite a lot and have found it to be light and easy to use. It applies smoothly and evenly and is a great tool to use for my T-zone when it gets a little oily. As with the foundation, there is a great range of shades to choose from. I do prefer to use a brush with mine instead of the sponge as I like the finish better but the sponge is a good thing to have for touch ups when you're out and don't want to be carrying too much around with you.

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Overall, I think for the price you pay you are getting a pretty good product, these are not marketed as 'high end' or as 'full coverage' and will not suit everyone. Like anything, if you can try it before you buy it you shouldn't be disappointed. This is not my 'favourite' but it does the job :) The only downside would be the size of the product itself, I would have preferred it a little bit bigger.

** Unfortunately I couldn't take my own photos because my camera was being stubborn, the photos in this post are the property of Maybelline.com.au

NEW 'Make Me Up' Travel Edition Brushes by Sigma Beauty

The next new product to be launched by Sigma Beauty is the 'Make Me Up' Travel Edition kit. You may remember the wonderful 'Make Me Up' kit that came out earlier this year that contained 12 full sized brushes in a multifunctional container? Well this is a 'Travel sized' edition of that.  

This kit has 7 fun sized brushes chosen from the 'Essentials Kit' and comes in four colour combinations - 'Make Me Blush' (Coral), 'Make Me Classy' (Black), 'Make Me Cool' (Aqua) and 'Make Me Crazy' (Purple).

Brushes included are:

E30 - Pencil Brush

E40 - Tapered Blending Brush

E55 - Eye Shading Brush

E65 - Small Angle Brush

F30 - Large Powder Brush

F40 - Large Angled Contour Brush

F60 - Foundation Brush

You know, I wasn't too sure if I would use travel sized brushes because I really love my original Sigma Brushes and take them wherever I go (just ask my friends, they love me for it, hehehe :)) but after trying out 'The Cities Collection' and enjoying the convenient lightweight size of them I think they are amazing, I find myself using them all the time at home and will definitely be taking them when I sleep away from now on :)

Travel sized brushes are designed to help keep weight down while traveling and they take up less room in your suitcase/bag, the handy container will protect the brushes from damage and also provide a convenient place to put them on arrival. They are also a great 'starting set' for young girls just getting in to makeup, they are easy to hold for small hands and have all the basic brushes you need and it's a super Christmas Gift idea.

Make Me Blush - Coral

Make Me Crazy - Purple

Make Me Classy - Black

Make Me Cool - Aqua

These great kits sell for $59.00 each and you can find all Sigma Brushes HERE

*  Photos property of 'Sigma Beauty'

October Lust Have It and Beauty Boxes ...

October is almost over, where did it go????? So here's a quickie post on the October Lust Have It and Beauty Box (now known as Glossy Box) and what I like in them.

Lust Have It

This month we were treated to five products

1.  Genifique Youth Activator by Lancome x 2 Sample tubes

I'm trying out the 'Youth Activator' but it's not really a product I would buy just yet as I'm only young so I don't really think this is a product for me, may even give it to my mum.

2.  Cream Blush by Lime Lily Cosmetics, mine was in the colour 'Temptation'

I like this, the colour looks dark but once blended it works well and you can use it on your lips as well, bonus!!

3.  'Honey I washed the kids' soap by Lush

Love this!!  It smells so devine :D

4.  Collagen Orange Drink by Taut

This was a surprise to get in the box, I would never purchase this product myself but I guess some people would.  It's important to read instructions and contents before sampling things like this because you may be allergic.  This particular product contains 'shark cartilage' so anyone who has an allergic reaction to seafood should defs stay clear!

5.  The 'Resistance' Range by Kerastase x 6 sample sachets (2 of each)

These samples contained 2 each of 'Bain De Force Shampoo', Ciment Anti - Usure Treatment (Conditioner) and 'Ciment Thermique - Reconstructor Milk'.  It did take a bit to understand what the last two were exactly but that's no biggie.  Love these, especially the 'Reconstructor Milk' which I'm actually considering purchasing.

Beauty Box (now called Glossy Box)

Four samples were in this box along with a 'Beauty Treat'

1.  John Frieda Full Repair Full Body Shampoo and Conditioner

A good sized sample tube of each, I quite like the feel on these on my hair so there's no complaints here. There was also a $4.00 off voucher with any 'John Frieda' purchase from Priceline.

2.  Shiseido Sheer Matifying Compact Foundation

Firstly, this is just so CUTE!!! I love getting samples that look like this :D  Haven't really had a chance to trial it and it's not quite my colour so I'll let you know if I love it at a later stage. This also came with a complimentary 'make-over' voucher that can be redeemed from any Shiseido counter.

3.  Garnier Body Intensive - 7 Days x 2 sample sachets

A body lotion that's designed for dry skin, this product feels lovely on and does what it says.  No problems with this one :)

4.  Calvin Klein Frangrance - CK Shock for Her and for Him

We received two sample bottles of each, I can't say I was in love with these at all, unfortunately they are not my kind of scent but nice samples anyway.

Beauty Treat - Biotherm 'Aquasource Moisturiser'

This was a great sample size, I've been using this since I got it and am liking it a lot :D  This also came with a 'free sample' voucher redeemable from Myer which I will probably make use of next time I'm there :D

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So this month was pretty good for samples, there were only a couple of disappointments, mainly the orange drink and the youth activator (only because I'm young).  I will get both boxes again in November.

Beauty Box is now known as 'Glossy Box' which is an overseas sample box company so hopefully that experience will reflect in the contents of the Australian box, not that I've been disappointed yet.  So next month there will be no Beauty Box.

Bella Box also started up this month, I missed the first shipment of this one but will order the November box to see what it is like.

I Love This Box is another sample box starting in November so it should be an interesting month.

As I don't intend getting 4 boxes each month I will decide which of the first two boxes I intend to keep - Lust Have It or Beauty/Glossy Box.  I will then narrow my choices between 'Bella Box' and 'I Love This Box' over the following three months - sample city here I come hahaha!! :D

GIVEAWAY - Sigma Beauty ...

I'm having a Giveaway on my YouTube Channel :D

For a chance to win either:

Your choice of two of the Bare, Flare and Dare eyeshadow pallets
$50.00 Gift Voucher
$20.00 Gift Voucher

From Sigma Beauty, just check out the video and follow the instructions!!!

This Giveaway closes on 1st November, 2011 (Australian time) and you can enter once a day.

GOOD LUCK!!!!! :)

INAZ Cosmetics and How to use Loose Pigments

I was recently fortunate enough to receive a selection of INAZ Cosmetics eyeshadow pigments.  INAZ Cosmetics are known for their bold and vibrant colours and I must admit, I wasn't disappointed!! :D These pigments are beautiful to use and very pigmented :)

They have a beautiful array of colours to choose from both matte and shimmer and also sell blushes and primer. INAZ sell directly from their Facebook Page for the time being because they are still in the 'setting up' stages here in Australia.

Blush

Like any loose powders/pigments they can get a little messy but that's just the way things are, be patient and be careful and they work wonderfully.  There was a little 'scoop' enclosed with the package which I found helpful but I still would have preferred a 'sifter style' lid and there were some helpful instructions as well.

Yes you will need to use an eye primer with them as you do with any loose pigment/powder, INAZ do have a primer but I personally found this a little oily on my skin.

These pigments can be used with many mediums so you can have fun playing around with them for different purposes and to acheive different looks.  They are ideal for those that love bright colours and they are very reasonably priced.

INAZ AUSTRALIA SPRING PROMOTION...
10 grm pigment pots 3 for $45 (includes p&h)
20grm mineral blushes 2 for $50 (includes p&h)
2.5grm pigment pots 7 for $30 (includes p&h)


Check out their Facebook Page HERE 


Using Loose Pigments/Powders:
Pigments and Powders are not just for eyeshadows, they can be mixed with other mediums to make different things.  


Some mediums are Inglot's 'Duraline', MAC's 'Mixing Medium' or even make your own using one part glycerine to 3 parts water .... easy!!!


Here is a small list of things you can use them for.


Cream eyeshadow - mix with a drop or two of medium, mix with other colours to make an original colour
Eyeliner - mix with a drop of medium or even water to the right consistency
Blush - mix colours to make an original blush colour add a medium if youwant a cream base
Lipgloss - mix with a clear lipgloss or balm to make your own original colour
Hair Streaks - mix with hair wax and apply to your hair for a temporary effect
Mascara - mix with a clear mascara to make an original colour
Nailpolish - mix with a clear nail polish/varnish and shake really really well to make your own original colour
Tinted Moisturiser or Sunscreen - mix a bronze shade with your fav moisturiser or sun cream for a wonderful soft dewy look


So next time you grab for your pigments or powders, think of all the other possibilities you can use them for :)


I hope you found this post useful.

September Loves ...

I can't believe September has come and gone already, my school holidays are over and I've got about  7 weeks of school left forever!!!! :D ... I feel so old

There's a few things I loved in September, number one on my list would have to be the 'School Holidays' hehe! :D

Then secondly is my Ipod :D .... that's probably because I wasn't having to study too much and could have it in my ears! Yep, laying in the hammock on a warm sunny day listening to my fav music is something that I really loved in September! :)

Another thing I'm in love with is 'Mother' energy drink! ooo there is nothing like a refreshing boost of energy on a lazy day :3

I also really like my Estee Lauder Double Wear stay in place foundation in Ecru that I bought and mentioned in my Show and Tell video. It matches my skin tone EXACTLY, goes on smoothly and gives me perfect coverage, I also got this really cool sample pack as a freebie when I purchased this and I'm in LOVE and I mean LUURRRVVEE with the Estee Lauder perfume  - Sensuous Nude. It smells AMAZING, almost fruity but not quite, very lovely  :D

A few other things i have really been liking this month are my mini sample size 'Hypnose Doll Eyes' mascara by Lancome in 'So Black' that I got in my September LustHaveIt sample pack as well as Kerastase Hair Elixir (again - sample size) it makes my hair really soft and less fuzzy than normal. Pretty sure you can get the Elixir from selected Stefan Salons in Australia.

I've really been into smells this month, and so I have been addicted to wearing my Playboy Parfum deodorant in ' Play it Spciy'. it has a really unique smell, one of those smells you have to keep sniffing because one sniff is never enough :D I liked it so much I went and bought it's partner 'Play it Sexy'... I like this one too, but not as much  :) You can buy these easily enough in Woolworths for about $4.65.

I bought a lot of new stuff in September but I need time to use them for a while to really know if I like them or not so next month's list should be a bit longer than this one :)

IMATS Sydney 2011 - Show & Tell and Sydney Stay

IMATS (International Makeup Artist Trade Show) was in Sydney over the past weekend (24^th and 25^th September) and it was held at the ‘Sydney Convention Centre’ at DarlingHarbour.

IMATS is brought to this country by ‘MakeupArtist Magazine’ and this is the third year that it’s been held in Sydney, apparently this year there were twice as many tickets sold to IMATS as last year so hopefully next year that figure will double again and IMATS will just keep getting bigger and better!

I had a wonderful time, I was there all day Saturday and a couple of hours on Sunday! I was so happy that I got to meet ‘PurseBuzz’ and some lovely girls from YouTube, some bloggers and some of my subscribers, it was great to meet everyone :) I also saw ‘Pursebuzz’s’ demonstration and caught ‘Napoleon Perdis’’ Keynote Speech at the end of Day1.

I did some shopping and bought a few brands that I haven’t tried before, I don't think I went overboard with my purchases and I tried to focus on brands that I hadn't tried before and weren't over expensive!!!! 

So first up I bought myself a delux brush belt from 'Designermakekuptools.com' for $17, down from the regular $26.95 and a pack of 3 'Beauty Pods' for about $20, down from $30.

I bought a S.I.L.K 'Flat top Kabuki' brush from 'Royal & Langnickel' for $6.00 because I really liked the density of it, I'm not sure of the original price of it as on their site it's sold in a pack.

Next up I visited the 'Temptu Pro' booth and grabbed myself a 'Pro Transfer Delux Workstation' (Temporary Tattoo Kit) and 'Matte Sealer', I can't lay my hands on the receipt for this right now but it was defs cheaper than on the site!

I then headed over to 'Inglot' which is a brand that I've wanted to try for some time. I wasn't disappointed, the pigmentation of their line is wonderful and they had a discount going of 30%, needless to say this was also a very popular booth.

I picked up a 'Highlighting Powder' pallet, 'Pressed Powder', 'Duraline', 'Face and Body Illuminator', 'Eyeliner Gel', 'Body Sparkles' in No 65, a four piece 'Freedom Blush System' and a five piece 'Freedom Eyeshadow System'.  Somehow my eyeshadow system seems to contain a colour I didn't pick out myself, the middle one, could of been a mix up at the booth so that's something to keep your eye on next year.  All this cost me about $200 plus they gave me a 20% off voucher for next time I shop online at their store.

Ben Nye is a brand I've heard a lot about and really wanted to try so I picked up the 'Media Pro HD Sheer Foundation 18 Colour Pallet' which cost $65 and they were also giving out free samples so I got one in 'Fair' and one in 'Bella'.  Unfortunately on my trip home to sunny Queensland the temp must have got too hot for my Ben Nye and a couple of the colours melted a bit :/ but they are all good now :)

Next up was 'Illamasqua' and 'OCC' (Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics).  I bought a 'Cream Foundation' in CF133 for $20 and two Lip Tars in 'Trollop' and 'Stalker', hehehe .... nice names!!! :D The Lip Tars were $14 each.

So all in all I'm happy with my stash of goodies, I would have liked to have seen some better discounts for us Aussie ladies because we really do pay a lot for our cosmetics here but I'm happy with what I got and that I came home with plenty of money too!!  The variety of booths was decent and the Student Competition was really interesting to see progress through the day.  

I didn't go to IMATS with any preconceived ideas on what it would be like, being in Australia IMATS is pretty new here and needs time to develop and grow into something sensational and something that meets our needs downunder.

My Weekend in Sydney .....

I flew out of Queensland on the Friday morning on a gorgeous sunny Spring day and arrived shortly after lunchtime to beautiful sunny Sydney, I was picked up from the Airport by my Uncle who was hosting my friend and I for the weekend.  Later in the day we met Katie at Central Station and settled her into the apartment too.  My Aunt joined us after her work and we all enjoyed getting to know each other a little better.  That night we went out for Thai food and saw some of the sights of Sydney like the Opera House and Harbour Bridge which we didn't climb but there's always next time. The 'Chinatown Night Market' was next on the agenda where we had a great time soaking up the atmosphere before heading back to the apartment for some chatting 'til late.

Up bright and early on Saturday, struggled to look half decent for a full day of IMATS where we met other YouTubers, Bloggers and Subscribers, it was so much fun! :D Watch out for my IMATS #2 video which will be up soon.

Other youtube and blogger girls I met at:

Kate - http://www.youtube.com/user/KatiieKhaos
Lucy -- http://www.youtube.com/MissPixieLulu
Alee -- http://www.youtube.com/user/aleesang
Jen - http://www.youtube.com/user/meejmuse
Dom -- http://www.youtube.com/user/DOMMsmiles
Reese - http://tropicofbeauty.com/
Pearl -- http://www.youtube.com/user/pearlbeauty1020
Rosie -- http://www.youtube.com/user/RJAD07
Shell -- http://www.youtube.com/user/shellbarbie
Sarah - http://www.youtube.com/user/alllldolledup
Samm - http://www.youtube.com/user/simplysamm762 

By the end of IMATS we were exhausted, my feet were 'KILLING' me (flat shoes next year) and it was raining so we caught a bus back instead of walking and spent the rest of the day meeting some of my relatives, going through our goodies, listening to Uncle's exciting stories and resting our feet.

Up again on Sunday which was again grey and raining and we decided we wanted to have a look for a couple more things at IMATS so we went back for a short time.  While waiting for my Aunt and Uncle to meet up with us for lunch we accidently wondered into an 'out of bounds' area (not quite sure how that happened :/) and proceeded to get lost,  I can't believe security had to come and find us in the bowels of the building ....   After our 'rescue' we headed to 'Westfield' for some late lunch after which Katie headed home and I continued the day with some more shopping.  

My Aunt and I came across a little store called 'Blush Cosmetics', I think they were opening a new store and they handed me a little bag with some samples inside which was really sweet and I'm looking forward to trying out.

 Sunday evening was spent relaxing and watching a DVD and listening to funny of stories of when my mum was young o_O

Monday I was up at 5.00am for an 8.00am flight back of sunny Queensland ..... what a wonderful weekend it was in Sydney, all too short and I just can't wait to visit again and see more of this great City.

My goodies from my weekend minus a ring I bought myself :)

September 'BeautyBox' and 'LustHaveIt' packs

Beauty Box

So September brought with it the first ever 'BeautyBox' for Australian girls, I was impressed as soon as I saw the package which was a streamlined black box with 'BeautyBox' embossed on the front and tied in a bow with a real pink ribbon, I ain't throwing this box away!! :) This itself came in a pink box for mailing so overall the packaging was wonderful.

Inside the September box was:

1.  Marc Jacobs 'Oh! Lolo!' perfume samples x 3
2.  Sally Hansen 'Everyday Strength Medium Nail File
3.  Playboy 'Play it Spicy Body Spray'
4.  Shu Uemura 'High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil' - removes makeup instantly

Bonus Gift - Yves Saint Laurent 'Beauty Sleep' - helps to smooth and plump the skin :D

I really like the perfume samples and the body spray which is good for teens and am still trying out the other products.  I will definitely get the October box and just take it month by month with my subscription.

Lust Have It

This is my second LustHaveIt, in the box for September was:

1.  Lancome 'Hypnose Doll Eyes Mascara'
2.  Pure Fiji 'Coconut Milk Shower Gel'
3.  Kerastase 'Elixir Ultime' - Oil treatment for hair, use it wet or dry to nourish and protect.
4.  Urban Rituelle 'Flourish Organics Hand cream'
5.  Nicole by OPI 'Ultimate Trend Setter's Lacquer in 'Give me the first dance' (silver) and 'Prized Possesion' (purple), these are both mini bottles.

I'm definitely enjoying the mascara in this pack, in fact I LOVE IT!!! :) It makes my lashes all big and beautiful :D and the hand cream is really good too, the other products are still being trialed.  I thought there was great variety in September's box and will sign up again for another month.

And here's a little snapshot of my painted pinky nail using the Nicole by OPI 'Ultimate Trend Setter's Lacquer in 'Give me the first dance' (silver) :) don't laugh at my pinky, honestly it's not this chubby it's just that it's not used to modelling and the nail is pretty short atm ;) hahahahaha

This is with two coats and probably isn't the best photo but the polish is very silvery with almost a 'glittery' appearance but not glittery, if that makes any sense????

Urban Decay Primer Potion - Depotting!

My Urban Decay Primer Potion appeared to be running out, running dry or both which was a little disappointing as it costs about $32.00 in Australia and it can be very hard to find/buy.  I felt I didn't really get a lot of use from it??  Anyway after some googling and searching I found out that you can depot it, YAY!!

So I grabbed a sharp knife and very carefully cut the bottle in two places ..... wow, I was amazed at how much product was actually left in there, and to think I was about to throw it away O_O you see the little applicator that comes in the Urban Decay bottle doesn't reach the sides of the bottle properly so you can't get it out!!!  I had a small glitter jar that I cleaned out thoroughly and put all the potion in and then labelled it. It even looks better now because the Urban Decay label rubs off and looks awful. So if you are having the same problem with your's, this is all you have to do and if you don't trust yourself to cut it open, get someone to help you.

Old Urban Decay Primer Potion

Cut the bottle open in the centre and at the base

Scoop out the potion with a small spoon end or toothpick

Place potion into a clean jar that has a lid

** I also heard that you can also heat the bottle for about 1.5 - 2.0 mins in the microwave and pour the potion out but I'm not sure how good it is to heat the product up?

August loves ...

A little late I know but with QCS, assignments and assessments taking place over the past few weeks it's better later than not at all :/

Just a few things I was loving in August, the first being my BBCream from Skin79, I've mentioned this one in an earlier post but now that I've used it for a few weeks I can honestly say I really do love it.  It's light on the skin and doesn't give too thick coverage which makes it great for school.  I love the packaging and overall I'm just really pleased with it, the only thing I find is that it doesn't last all day.

Another thing I've been grabbing for lately is my Sunsilk Weather Protection and Shine Serum, with the change of seasons seems to come a change in weather and it's been a bit windy lately so this has really helped keep my hair in check and also helps keep it shiny.

I received my first 'Lusthaveit' box in August too, I haven't tried all the products in it yet but the ones I have are great.  I've listed it here because I love getting surprises so that itself is a LOVE for August!!! :))) I've done a separate post on the August 'Lusthaveit' box.

Maybelline 'The Falsies' mascara, I've also mentioned this before but that's ok :) It makes my eyelashes so long and luscious that I can't not mention it :)

I really enjoyed using the 'Clinique makeup remover' over the past couple of months but found that it really wasn't any better than the Neutrogena Oil Free Makeup Remover I've always used so I'm back to using my faithful Neutrogena one, it's much cheaper and does a great job of removing everything easily.

My 28 neutral pallet from Sedona Lace has been a daily got-to for me, it's so easy to use and has a great variety of shades for any natural kind of look, once again perfect for school so I have defs have to list it here :)

August 'Lust Have It' Box

For anyone who hasn't heard yet, there is a new 'sample box' around and it's Australian which is wonderful for all us girls down under.  The 'Lusthaveit' box is pretty much the same as the 'Birchbox' overseas, it's a once a month sample box that costs $14.95 including delivery and contains very generous sized samples of well known products.  What a great way to sample products that you wouldn't normally go out and buy or are just too scared to pay for something you may not end up liking!  In the August box I received five samples which I'll list below.

1. Dermalogica - Daily Microfoliant
2. BioEffect - EGF Serum
3. Burt's Bees - Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme
4. Naked Tan - Goddess Bronze
5. Mirenesse - Velvet Lip Plumper

Bonus - Giorgio Armani - Code Sport fragrance (nice for father's day :))

I think this is pretty good value, if you check online for sample prices you will find on ebay alone samples average around $5-7 each for just a tiny fragrance vial.

I've only had this for a couple of weeks so as I use these products over the next month I'll include them in my favs if I really like them.  Check out the 'Lusthaveit' website if you're interested in receiving one of these sample boxes each month or even if you want to try it for one month.

IMATS Sydney 2011

I’m so excited, I’ve got my tickets booked, I get to go on a plane for the very first time, I get to see Sydney and I get to go to my very first IMATS :)

Yep, I’m talking about the Sydney IMATS 2011, it’s brought to us by ‘Makeup Artist Magazine’ and will be held on the 24^th and 25^th September at the Sydney Convention Centre at Darling Harbour. If you don’t know what IMATS stands for it means the ‘International Makeup Artist Trade Show’ and it is the perfect opportunity for professional and up-and-coming make-up artists to learn about the latest products and techniques on the market, stock their kits and meet other like minded people.  It’s not only for people in the trade though because anyone who has a love of makeup can attend this wonderful two day event and buy products that are hard to find in Australia hopefully at a reduced price. 

This is the third Sydney IMATS to take place and each year it’s bigger and better than the year before. We are pretty privileged because IMATS is only on in America, England, Australia and Canada so if we want to keep it here in Australia we need to spread the word so more people know about it and attend so that each year it will be better than the last.

There will be some great Speakers such as Napoleon Perdis, Rae Morris, Donna Mee and Pursebuz from YouTube just to name a few and there will be some great demonstrations taking place along with the Student Competition, this year’s themes are ‘tribal’ and ‘mythological’. There’s also a makeup museum where you can see some great ‘special effects’ sculptures and designs from film and television and if you’re looking at studying makeup artistry in the future there’s plenty of Academies showcasing their courses.

Just some of the exhibitors that will be there are Crown Brushes, Napoleon Perdis, Naked Cosmetics, Inglot, BodyFX, Mehron, Ben Nye and Makeup Forever just to name a few and MAC will have a stand there as well.

So I’m going to be there all day on Saturday and maybe catch a show or two on the Sunday, the doors open at 8.30am Saturday and 10.00am Sunday, so if anyone else is going and you see me there don’t be shy, come up and say hello cos I’d love to meet you and I know quite a few other Youtube Girls will be there (just look up IMATS Sydney 2011 on Youtube to see some other videos), so hopefully I’ll get to meet some of them. I’ll be making another video after IMATS letting you know what it was like and I’d love to include some other people in there. 

So yeah if you see me there, come up and say hello, I’ll be the one with the camera :)