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

************************************

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!!!!! :)

Steampunk 'Inspired' Costume

This is an ‘inspired’ look, I am not saying it’s exactly ‘Steam Punk’ because I know there are a lot of devoted people out there that would probably cringe looking at my attempt, hehehe I was just having fun getting the ‘look’ on a budget. Things to keep in mind are leather, lace, goggles, gadgetry, chains, clocks, keys, weaponry, victorian, industrial, ripped stockings, boots, bustles, jackets, corsets, nuts and bolts, belts .... once you start looking around it's amazing what you can come up with! :)

Goggles and Hat:


What you need:
Glue - I use 'PVA Wood Glue' for this kind of stuff because it's really strong and dries quick and it's non-toxic.
2 x toilet rolls (inserts)
Paint
Scissors
Decorative pieces eg. nuts, bolts, chains, clock faces etc
Old CD Case
Plastic rims from bottles or similar
Hat

Directions:

By using two toilet roll tubes or something similar you can make your own imitation steam punk goggles quite easily.

From the first roll simply cut out the shape you want for the base of your eye goggle, do this twice, once for each eye.

From the second roll cut off about ¾” and then cut down each side, the reason you cut it down the side is so that it can fit over the top of the inner goggle eye bases you cut out first.  Glue a small piece of cardboard in the slit to fill it in, allow to dry.

From an old cd case, carefully cut two circles to fit the outer goggle.  Place the outer goggle over the inner goggle eye bases and glue.  Glue the cd lenses to the outer goggles.

Find a plastic rim for your goggles, I used the leftover caps threads from cordial bottles for mine and they fit perfectly.  Paint them your desired colour. 

Paint the inner goggle eye bases and the outer goggles in the colours you want, try and contrast them a bit.  Once dry, you can attatch the plastic rims.  Allow to dry.

Now you can add all your bits and pieces to give it that ‘steam punk look.

I found a ‘halloween’ hat at spotlight, it was $4.99 less 25%.  I peeled of the skeleton badge that was on the front and painted it brown, leaving a band of black to suit the look I was going for.

Once I was happy with the hat I then attached the goggles to the top with glue.

Find some sort of strapping, remember, these are going to go on a hat so it doesn’t have to ‘work’ as a real set of goggles, I just used some faux suede fabric from an old skirt.  If you want to use them on your face, you may want to use some elastic at the back so they fit snuggly.

Add more bits and pieces until you're your happy with the look.

Outfit:

My old favourite ‘tulle’ skirt that’s done many of my looks 

Old brown skirt tucked up at the side and pinned, I tied an old compass where there was a hole in the skirt

Fishnet stockings

Grey/Brown combat style boots

White shirt

Jacket I bought years ago and really didn’t like but it works with this look

Crochet doily dyed brown placed on shoulder for effect and draped with faux suede strips of fabric and black lace

Elasticated belt – vintage

Glovelet made from faux suede fabric

Gun – Sam’s Warehouse - $2.00
Lantern - Garage Sale
Belt (army style) placed across body
Necklace - Diva
Necklace - Thrifted
Bracelets - Solid Rose and thrifted

I had so much fun putting this look together and was surprised when I started looking around how much I could use to get the right effect. I think the overall look came in under $10.00

You can see my makeup tutorial for this look HERE

NEW Sigmax Synthetic Collection!

Sigma have added to their range of synthetic brushes recently with five new brushes, it's always nice to hear there are more synthetic brushes abailable.  They have released one more large face brush and four small face brushes which you could almost say were miniatures of the larger ones.  I am in the process of trialing these new additions for a review which I will have on my Channel shortly.  In the meantime you can read what Sigma has to say about their new brushes below.

With its tapered design, the F86 is perfect for application of liquid, cream and powder products to precise areas on the face. The F86 is also an ideal contouring brush. It applies the perfect amount of product to the right areas for that flawless, sculpted look that every woman desires. This brush is revolutionary to the beauty industry and very unique in quality and design. It is the perfect addition to any makeup kit. The F86 will be sold individually for $16 or as part of the Synthetic Kabuki Kit (F80, F82, F84 and F86) sold for $56.

The new Synthetic Precision Kit contains the P80, P82, P84 and P86. The P80 is a small, flat top brush that is ideal to conceal blemishes, sun spots and small imperfections on the skin. It can be used to stipple concealer on defined areas, followed by precise application of setting powder.  The rounded P82 brush was designed to mimic your fingertips, making this brush ideal to apply eye shadow primers.  It can also be used for the precise application of highlight shades on the bridge of the nose, cheek bones and cupid’s bow. The small angled top of the P84 makes this brush perfect for precise contouring of the sides of the nose and contouring the hollows of the cheek bones. It can also be used to highlight the brow bone. Lastly, the unique tapered shape of the P86 brush is ideal for application of concealer under the eyes and in defined areas such as the sides of the nose, chin and around the mouth. This brush can also be used to perfectly apply concealer around the lips to prevent color bleeding. Each of these brushes will be sold individually for $14 or as the Synthetic Precision Kit (P80, P82, P84 and P86) for $49.

If you want to try out all of the synthetic must haves, the Synthetic Essential Kit is for you! This collection contains all eight face brushes specifically designed for a high definition, flawless makeup application. The shape, density and height of each brush were designed to complement the different areas and shapes of the face. The Synthetic Essential Kit has everything you need to achieve a perfect and flawless look!  It is now available from Sigma Beauty for $99.

Mermaid Inspired Tiara ... ☆ ♕ ☆

With Halloween coming up this month I thought I'd do a 'Mermaid' Hair and Makeup tutorial and I decided the look would be great with a crown or tiara. I went for an easy way for making mine that anyone can do, I'm not claiming to have invented this method, it's very popular in craft circles and has been around for years and years and a lot of people use it.

What you need:
Soft plastic file/folder or similar
PVA craft or wood glue (wood glue is excellent)
Pencil/Pen
Sequins
Glitter
Scissors

Using a piece of paper folded in half, sketch out half the shape of the tiara you want, cut it out then open it up and place it on your forehead to get the right fit. Once you're happy with it, place it on some plastic (I used an old school file) and glue it down. It's better to use a soft plastic file because cardboard will not be as strong and if you have one close to the sequin colour it would be best (I only had black :/).

Fill the paper shape in with glue, maybe do a section at a time so that the glue doesn't start to dry.

Grab yourself some sequins and glitter and start creating your design, it's easier to place the sequins using an old pencil with a tiny spot of glue on the end to pick them up with.

I covered mine all over in blue sequins, leaving a few out just to add interest and then sprinkled glitter over the top to fill in the gaps.

When your design is dry, check to be sure everything is stuck on properly and then go over it with another coat of glue, this will set clear but will give a bit more strength to it.  This is also the time you could add more glitter to your design if you want.

Once your tiara is completely dry, carefully cut it out.  You will find that because you used a plastic base it's easy to move and attach to your forehead with a little eyelash glue.

You can find my Mermaid Tutorial HERE, I don't adhere the crown to my face but it's easy to do just using a little eyelash glue.

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.

Wigs and Costumes for Halloween or Fancy Dress ...

Wigs:

So with Halloween coming up this month I thought I'd do a few fun looks, you know me I love to play dress-ups at any given time :D  After looking through the local costume shop I was a little disappointed in the range of their wigs, I already have two and these seem to be the ones that were in the shop!!!! So onto the internet I was, looking for some wigs. The ones I found on Ebay were going to take 1-2 weeks at least to get here so Online Stores were my next option.

Click to view makeup tutorial on this look

There are quite a few out there but the one I settled on was 'The Wig Outlet' which is an Australian based online store that sells a huge variety of both costume and fashion wigs and some accessories and they are reasonably priced too.

Anyway, I ordered and purchased two wigs and a pair of stockings from them, this was on Monday at about 10.30am by Tuesday (yes the following day) I had my items in my hot little hands before 10.00am!!!!!!  I was also really happy with the way the wigs looked, they were both true to the picture on the site which is always nice :)

So what do you do when you buy a wig?  The first thing you need to do is to take it out of the packaging, give it a good shake and sit it on a wig stand or something similar so that it can rest and resume it's original style, do this for about 24hrs.  You may need to re-style it a little and ease out any creases that may have formed from the packaging but this shouldn't be too hard.

Never use a normal brush on your wig, you can get special wig brushes or just use a very large tooth comb, you know, like the ones that are made for combing wet hair.

For straight wigs, you can add some style by lightly spraying with a styling conditioner and then use rollers and a low heat setting dryer.

If your wig is 'pre-styled', just gently get the style back by lightly brushing or combing it.

For curly wigs, never brush or comb them, use your fingers to help resume it's style.

You can purchase wig caps or make your own using a old pair of stockings. Be sure to pin your hair as flat to your head as you can so that the wig sits nicely on your head.  To prevent the wig from slipping or moving around if it's a little too big, use some hidden bobby pins around the edges at the front, placing them in a 'x' (crossover) will give added hold.

Costumes:

click picture to see how I put this costume together

I've mentioned this before but I'm going to say it again, thrift stores, op-shops, secondhand stores and garage sales can be your best friends at this time of year.  With Halloween at the end of October and also the Christmas season fast approaching there will be more parties around and you may need a costume of some type.

I love putting costumes together, yeah I can easily buy a 'ready made' one but it's so much more fun to make your own. Secondhand stores are the best places to find old clothing that can be recycled into costumes with minimal effort and you get the benefit of having an 'Original' costume that no-one else will have BONUS!! Just google images of the type of 'look' you're after and then make a list of what you will need, you may be surprised to find most of the stuff around your own home! :D  I don't like to spend a lot of money on something I may never wear again but I do love to find a 'bargain' from the op-shop that I will be able to use time and time again, like my layered tulle petticote, I've used this skirt so many times for different looks and it only cost me $5.00 a couple of years ago!!! Now that's a 'bargain'.  Some things you can also make out of cardboard to give the 'effect' of what you want and don't be scared to dye or paint anything, get creative :)

Be sure to start looking around early, a couple of weeks or so before the event, remember the closer it gets to halloween the more people will be out looking for stuff.

I hope you found this post helpful and if you are in need of a wig, especially if you are Australian, go check out 'The Wig Outlet', I'm sure you won't be disappointed :D and keep your eyes open for my upcoming 'looks' using my wigs and the costumes that I put together myself for next to nothing !!! :)