School Formal 2011 - Three Week Countdown ...

My Year 12 School Formal is in three weeks time so to keep myself on track and maybe help a few others out there I thought I would do a 'Three Week Countdown' to the event :)  This is 'Week Three'

Dress:
I have my dress already picked out but if you don't, now is really the time to get that out of the way! When I picked mine I tried to wipe my mind of any 'pre-conceived' ideas and styles and just went for what was available.  Luckily for me the very first dress in the very first shop was IT!! :D I just loved it so there was no reason to keep looking, YAY!! I hope you find your perfect dress just as easy.

Accessories:
Picking accessories can be done at the same time as buying the dress but we all know that you don't always find what you're looking for.  I purchased some earrings, ring and bracelets but left the dress in the car when I did this and when I got home they just didn't look right with the gown :(

With three weeks to go and my mission is to try to find the perfect accessories for the night.  My dress is patterned and strapless so I'm going for some medium length dangly earrings, bracelet and ring and forgetting about a necklace as I want to draw attention to my face.  I can either go 'vintage' or 'semi-sparkly' with my dress and have about three colours that would work.  Luckily my dress has some extra long laces on it that reach the ground so I'm able to trim a sample of the end to pop in my handbag so I don't forget the colours when out shopping.  I also gave my date a sample this way for his suit/accessories.

Shoes and Clutch:
I still need to find the right shoes!!! This is probably the hardest job so far, I've looked at so many shoes in my area and none shout 'PERFECT' to me so I'm still looking and hoping for new stock.  I would really love to get them this week because that would give me time to 'play' in them around the house and break them in :)  I was also thinking a small clutch bag would be good on the night, one that will do the job but not draw a lot of attention as my dress is patterned so it's probably best to keep a clutch more simple. There's not a lot you need to take with you to Formal but here's a sampling of what to put in your clutch:

Lipstick/Lipgloss
Mirror
Powder
Eyeliner
Mobile Phone
Perfume
Small Camera

Hair:
I booked my hair appointment a couple of days ago, I thought it would be a nice treat and pamper session to have my hair done for the day.  I will be getting a trim this coming weekend to tidy it up and may be re-dyeing it 'darkest chocolate' so it doesn't look tired and dull. I haven't settled on the exact style yet but it will probably be an updo of some type :)

Nails:
Let's not forget about our nails!!! I tend to forget about these little things a lot but I'm making a real effort to have them looking nice for Formal.  I'll be keeping them well trimmed and filed and using my cuticle cream by Burts Bees to get them looking as nice as I can. I'm still deciding whether to get a new set of Gel Nails or not? I'll let you know :) Toe nails are just as important, if you're wearing a lovely pair of peep toes or sandals you want your toes looking cute so some pampering is recommended for toes too!!

Skin:
I've started to drink more water this week, the weather is warming up and I want my skin looking nice so water can be your best friend.  A once a week face mask should help out too.  Don't forget the skin on your shoulders, chest and back areas.  If you're wearing a strapless dress or even shoestring straps you're going to be showing off the skin in those areas so try a gentle exfoliating scrub on your back and shoulders once a week.  Don't use this on your chest as the skin here is quite gentle, a cleanser on this area would probably work better and don't forget your neck :)

Get someone to help you with your back and gently massage the scrub in for you.

Tanning:
To tan or not to tan??? Now may be the right time to think about your tan, if you want a fake self tan or spray tan and have never had one before at least you have three weeks to get it right, do not leave it for the week of the event!  For spray tans try to go to a quality salon, recommendations from friends are probably good for this one. Remember some self tanners can rub off in humidity (like sweating when you dance).

If you want a real tan, remember those tan lines!!!! They are not a good look in a strapless dress so be very careful not to get sun burned! :/

Makeup:
Start looking around for ideas for your makeup.  Book your makeup appointment now if you haven't already. I'm doing my own makeup for my formal as I feel comfortable about it and if you are too, start trying different looks now so that you know exactly what you want on the night, write down what you use in a book so that you don't forget and even take a photo up close so that you can look at it a couple of days later and see if you still like it and that it works well in photos.  Apparently a lot of the SPF foundations don't always turn out well on film/camera so test it out! :) :)

Transport:
By now hopefully you've arranged some sort of transport for the evening.  You will need a way of getting to the event and returning. There's a lot of ways you can arrive, helicopter :), motor cycle (watch that dress hahaha), Limo, Hummer, Carriage etc... Car hire can be a bit expensive if you go alone but if you book with a group of friends it will cut the costs down drastically and you can all arrive in style together, remember to allow and confirm time for photos before your formal if you want them.  Getting home or to an afterparty etc doesn't need to be as fancy, just be sure to have a safe and reliable ride to get you where you need to go and tell your parents or family exactly where you will be for safety's sake!!! You may want to change out of your formal clothes before partying on so they don't get ruined so arrange some extra clothes for this.

Ok, so this is like my 'Three Week's to Go' list of things to get organised, join me next week and see if I got them done and what still needs to be done!!!! :)

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.