Holiday to-do list

My Christmas holidays are coming up and I'm so excited! There are so many things that I have been putting off doing because I have been too busy, and soon I shall be able to catch up on them all as I will have so much time to relax and enjoy life!

I really want to try out marble nail art. I just saw this for the first time the other day on a blog, and I was amazed! I expected it to be something really complicated that would take hours and hours and lots of special, expensive products, but I watched a couple of youtube videos and you only need a cup of water and a stirring stick! How good is that! I hope that when I give it a go I'll find it easy...I think it looks so fun! I'd love to know if you have done it before and if you have any tips or tricks on how to do it!

I also want to try out some more eye makeup looks because I haven't done any of that on my blog (except, of course, when I tried the ladybird look, and what a disaster that was!) I've been inspired by everyone elses EOTD looks!

I also want to try out some new hairstyles as I am so bored with my current ones. I hope to post some pictures on them (that is, if I actually come up with something good!)

Last but definitely not least, I really want to go shopping! I'm hoping that after Christmas when they have all the sales that I might be able to get some beauty bargains! I have a huge wishlist about ten pages long (okay, maybe not that much but it's pretty close!) of all these wonderful beauty products. It include matte nail polish, loads of lipsticks and lush and body shop products!

What are you guys planning on doing over Christmas?

The Monthly Report - Girlfriend Magazine December issue - Beauty Section

Remember when I told you about my beauty heroes and rattled on about Sarah Tarca? If you have no idea what I am talking about, read it here and then come back!

Right, now we've got past that, we can continue with the story. I recently received my Girlfriend magazine for December 2011 in the letter box, and I thought I might do a review on the beauty section.

However, before I comment on that I must warn you that the cover is absolutely hideous. Sorry Girlfriend magazine team, but I honestly do not know what on earth you were thinking. I absolutely adored the cover of the November issue (dare I say that it may have been my favourite EVER!) but the December cover, my gosh. It was awful. Never mind, you can never judge a book by its cover, can you?!

Let's begin. Page 101 is where our beauty adventures begin featuring makeup titled "bright on baby! - It's loud. It's bright. It's neon. Forget subtle shades of liner, laquer and lippie, coz this month it's all about bright orange, neon blue, electric yellow and ultraviolet. Paint it on and rock it - we dare you!"

Hmm, not my most favourite makeup look of all time, but there you go. It pictures two model shots - one with who I think is Abbey Lee Kershaw wearing fluorescent lippie, and one with two models wearing fluoro clothes and plain, neutral makeup. Wait, what?! Yes, I said it, their makeup couldn't be any more neutral at all.

Turn the page and you shall find a page of pretty things, and new items in the beauty land. Ahhhh, I drooled over this page for a while. I've decided I also want the Kit Lip-loving Kit containing a wild strawberry lip balm and a "super shiny pink lipgloss." Sounds exciting! Is it me or does adding 'wild' to the flavour strawberry make it so much more enticing? Anyway,Cassy age 14 asks, "What shade of eyeshadow should I use for school that's subtle but pretty? And how can I make my eyes look bigger?" Laurel Brown from Rimmel London responds with an answer something like "A subtle option would be a soft mushroom colour on your eyelid with a slightly darker shade either brown or grey on the lash line." Next we hear that Christmas is the season to wear pretty, shimmery gold makeup. We hear a little about Taylor Swifts new fragrance (a sample is included on one of the pages in the magazine) and we discover that a European makeup line has made its way into Target here in Australia - Essence cosmetics. Never heard of it, but Girlfriend recommends it for people who love brights! Turning the page once again we have a repeat of page 101 - it just showcases loud, crazy makeup.

On page 106 we have a beauty school page, helping us learn how to apply fake tan. I personally am not a big fan of the fake tan (hey, that rhymes!) so I just continued on...

Page 108 and 109 tells you how to deal with all your summer hair dilemmas - Split ends, frizz, oily hair, dry hair, dull hair and bleached hair is covered thoroughly. No more hair problems for you!

Then on page 110...*drum roll please*....The new Beauty guru has arrived!!! Her name is Lauren (or LC) and she introduces herself as "a hopeless romantic who tends to fall down stairs and flat surfaces a lot." She also likes bright lippies and thinks her job is amazing because she can paint her nails at her desk and her boss is totally cool with it. I think I will have to wait for a couple issues until I can make my mind up about the new beauty guru. She has big shoes to fill and I hope she can manage! Under her boss' guidance (Sarah Tarca) I'm sure she will be wonderful!

So, that pretty much sums up the beauty section for this month. Was it amazing? No. Was it good, mmmm, Girlfriend has done much better. Still, without a beauty editor, how were they supposed to have a million quality pages of beauty? I think that now that they have a new beauty buff, things will start picking up. I didn't really learn all that much or become that inspired with the beauty pages this month, but being the Girlfriend magazine fan that I am, I am SURE that it will only get better. I'm so looking forward to next month because it is the January issue, and I truly believe that every January issue of Girlfriend magazine is amazing. Usually the best for the whole year. True story!

Let me know what you thought of this post! What magazines do you turn to for your beauty?

BYS Nail Polish - Envy Me, Amethyst Metallic, Blue Bang

The colours I got in the BYS range were Envy me, Blue Bang and Amethyst Metallic. I was given these colours in a set of three from someone who had absolutely no idea of my taste in nail polish!

I am definitely not a fan of green nail polish on myself and I also dislike metallic nail polish (unless it is silver). This meant that I hated colours Envy me and Amethyst metallic. It's a shame because I normally like purple polish. This left me with Blue bang, which was unfortunate because I don't like blue nail polish on myself. Oh well, it could have been worse... well, maybe not.

Despite the fact that I hated the colours, I have decided to do a review anyway about the consistency, lasting power, chip factor etc.

Blue bang had a very thin consistency and needed lots and lots of layers. Envy me, when applied, was streaky and looked like a shocking, dodgy silver nail polish. After a few coats it was less streaky and you could see that it was green in colour. The purple polish was a little thicker than the other two and needed fewer coats.They all chipped pretty quickly.

All up I was not really all that impressed, yet I think I am still biased because I hated the colours!

Ignoring the colour factor, I would give these polishes 4 out of 10. It's a little disappointing because I have used BYS polishes in the past and I really, really liked them, but I think it just seemed that these three polishes just weren't for me!

One coat, without flash

One coat, with flash

  

Avon - Colour trend Fruit shine

I own three different Avon colour trend lip balms/glosses because I bought one and was given two. If you read on you will realise why everyone else dumped them onto me. I don't know whether to call them balms or glosses, because they are solid yet a jelly like texture. They aren't anything like I have ever seen before. In fact, if you wind them out you will see that they are translucent. Weird...

Well, let me tell you about their smell.
Raspberry Craze - Smells like burnt plastic mixed with dirt after a spot of rain
Strawberry Sublime - Much better than Raspberry Craze, in fact, it actually kind of smells like strawberry! It does also smell a bit like burnt plastic.
Pineapple Pop - Smells like the toilet that has been covered up with a cheap air freshener (no joke!)
At first I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt - maybe it was my fault they smelled so bad. Maybe I left them somewhere stinking of toilets and dirt. No, I think that is just the way they are...

Well, I'm sure I have already put you off, but I still have more to complain about. Just to get this off my chest - I hate these names! Raspberry Craze? Pineapple Pop? Aren't they just the worst names you have ever heard? I think they might be....

As for the packaging...yuck. Not attractive at all.

I can't believe I actually put these awful smelling things on my lips, but I did it in the hope that they might actually be decent. I had no luck.

The texture is just disgusting. It's like coating candle wax across your lips - stinky, gross smelling candle wax. They do not moisturise, they stick your lips together, they feel horrible, however they do give a bit of shine to your lips. Personally, I would not ever, EVER wear them again, no matter how desperate I was for shine on my lips.

I can't believe Avon has actually made something so bad. I am disappointed! Very disappointed!

I gladly give this product 0 out of 10. (Is this my worst score yet?!)



I think it would take skill to actually make something so bad

Have you guys ever come across a product so bad? I would love to hear about it!

Natio Maximum Curl Waterproof Mascara

When I first bought this mascara I absolutely hated it. I wrote a huge long review about how bad it was and gave it a 2 out of 10. Thank goodness I didn't post it because I have changed my mind.

I was in Priceline (my second home!) and wanted a decent, waterproof mascara that was lengthening and didn't clump. I wanted it to look relatively natural too. The nice lady said that Natio Maximum curl waterproof mascara was exactly what I was looking for so I bought it without any questions. "No flake, no drip, natural, beautiful lashes!" is what the lady said.

Once I got home I early opened it and tried it out. I was so cross.

It is the driest mascara I have ever used. Most people complain about wet mascaras but this was unbelievable. How was it supposed to stick to my lashes if it was already dry? I also couldn't see any visible difference to my lashes. There seemed to be no product on the brush! I rubbed the brush across my hand and I'm not kidding, the faintest grey smudge appeared. I rubbed and rubbed and rubbed and still very little mascara was on my hand. "What rubbish!" I thought, and I chucked it to the back of my makeup draw. 15 dollars wasted there!

I then went online to see what other people thought. The first site I went on, it was rated 2.5 out of 5. "Waste of money," someone wrote. The next site it was rated 2 out of 5. One person claimed that despite its waterproof claims, as soon as she used a cloth and touched it on her eyelashes it all came off. I was annoyed, I was very annoyed.

I then went and bought a new, better mascara and didn't use it for ages. Only recently did I try and use it again. Once again I had the same result, but this time I persisted, applying it again and again, putting it back into the tube each time. Something actually happened, my lashes started looking longer and more defined. There were NO clumps whatsoever, not a single uneven little bit of mascara. All my lashes were completely separated and it looked rather nice.

I quite like the tube - it is this translucent plastic which sounds awful but I think it is quite nice. You can see the product inside, and the tube feels so nice. It's really difficult to explain. The brush is also curved as you can see in the picture below.  

So, my opinion has changed a lot, but it is still my least favourite mascara. All the hassle of applying it a million times for a result that isn't that amazing is just annoying. I give this product 5 out of 10, which is better than 2 out of 10 but isn't all that marvellous.

Has anyone else tried this and what did they think?

Apologies and upcoming posts

You know how I was having trouble getting my blog title onto my banner? Well, as you may have noticed, I managed to fix it! Wonderful, yes, but I learnt how to do it just as I had sent Aly from 7 things beauty an email asking her to create a blog banner for me.
You see, I saw a post on her blog about how she was making banners for people for free and since I was having so much trouble with mine, I thought I would flick her an email. Next thing I know, my friend who is an ICT expert has gotten back to me about how to fix a blog banner.

So, thankyou Aly and sorry I didn't end up using it! Check out Aly's beauty blog!

Now I'm done with the apologies, I'll mention a couple of upcoming posts. I've been thinking about possibly writing a list, every Monday, of posts that you can expect to see later on in the week. Would that be something you guys would like or do you prefer surprises? I think I personally like a bit of both.

Anyway, this week I will post a couple of reviews - hopefully one about Girlfriend magazine's December issue beauty section (there's a new beauty expert sitting in the makeup chair!) and one on Natio's mascara. I'm also hoping I can squeeze in a lip product review too, because I just love my lip products. Unfortunately I won't be posting as often as I have been as life is getting a little crazy, but I'm still going to make sure that I post at least 3-4 times a week. Nothing worse than a blogger who blogs only once a month!

Look out for my upcoming posts!

Little ladybird

I was out in the garden getting some lettuce for dinner, when I saw these lovely ladybirds on the lettuce leaves. I haven't seen ladybirds in so long, so I took a couple of pictures and then was inspired to try and do some sort of makeup look.

Well, it really didn't work at all. It was embarrassing. I didn't wear it out in public of course, but I saw what a mess I made of it! Anyway, I took it as a learning experience and I am going to be brave and post pictures. Oh dear. It didn't even remotely resemble the ladybirds and was such a terrible waste of time. So embarrassing!

Admittedly, the camera did make it look quite a bit worse than it actually was, but it still looked as though I had two horrible black eyes. Obviously I was not expecting red to be a wonderful shade - I was aware that it wasn't going to be the most appealing look, but I didn't think it was possible for me to make such a mess. I had black in the outer corners but when I tried to blend it a bit it mixed with the red and went purple and awful.

Not only did the eyeshadow get out of hand, but the mascara I tried to use on my lower lashes (Maybelline lash stiletto) made my eyes look disgusting. Definitely an upper lashes mascara only!

Probably the only thing that worked out okay with this was the eyeliner, which is a miracle for me. This whole experience has totally put me off trying out anything other than my usual earthy/natural eyeshadow looks and everyday makeup.



So here you can see that it is not
looking too promising...





Rocking the black-eye look





The only good thing about this?
My upper lashes look pretty thick


Now I bet you are thinking that I had a sulk, wiped it all off and vowed never to ever try anything like this ever again..well you would be right. It didn't last long because then, after much thought, I decided that I could do a much better job and that I wasn't going to let something like this stuff me up. I tried again. Oh gosh, I actually tried again.

I think it turned out to be better the second time (it wouldn't really be hard, would it?) I used orange/brown colours to match the ladybird and tried to keep it as simple as possible. 

I used eyeliner and mascara, and this time it turned out to be alright. I still wouldn't say that I actually like it, but it doesn't make me want to cry so that is a good sign.



My eye appears to have changed colour
compared to last photo!



This photo looks a bit creepy!



Not the best quality but oh well...

So, that is how it all worked out. Nevertheless, I am not going to try something like this again!


Have you guys ever done a makeup look that made you want to cry? Care to share your beauty blunder stories?

Summer's coming!

It feels like years since I have posted something, when in fact it has only been a couple of days.

Friday was brilliant as it was 37 degrees so it was amazingly lovely and warm. Being the hot weather lover that I am, I found it to be just beautiful. Unfortunately it didn't last too long.

Still, I am rather positive lately because I know that summer is on its way, and summer means gorgeous weather, birthdays, holidays, good food and drinks (ice-cream, watermelon and lemonade), the beach, books and magazines, and friends. How much more could you want?

So, I have decided to do a post on my summer makeup essentials. It's probably a little early for all you summer haters but I just cannot wait to do it, so I'm going to leap right in and prepare for my summer beauty routine!

My summer makeup is significantly different to my winter makeup. In winter I think you can get away with heavier makeup whereas in summer I like to keep it as light and natural as possible. Beachy waves, glowing skin and neutral shades are my absolute favourites. I like everything to be simple and easy...

Hair
I'll be rambling on about hairstyles rather than hair products for the moment, so tune out if you're not interested...I won't talk for too long!
As much as I love the natural, beachy, long wavy hair, I find it so irritating (especially as my hair is soooo long!) to wear all the time. My best friend in summer is a loose bun which works really well with wavy hair. It's perfect after I've been swimming at the beach, and it's a bit grotty and salty and has wave to it. Another style I love is simply plaiting it. It gets it out the way and looks gorgeous. There are so many things you can do with plaits too, you can try something different everyday! A good shampoo and conditioner is also really essential in summer because if you are like me, it's salty and knotty all the time. I have personally found the Herbal Essences range to be absolutely brilliant!

Face
I know, I know, you are bored of hearing it but sunscreen is the most important thing to have. I like to kill two birds with one stone and have tinted sunscreen - avoiding foundation all together yet still having relatively good coverage. I find that wearing foundation feels gross on my skin and often slides off because of the heat and my sweating.
I don't really wear blush as much during summer. I kind of go for the bronzed, glowing look rather than the sweet, girly pink look during summer. I wear bronzer quite a bit to give me the glow.
Eyes
Waterproof mascara is a life saver! I don't know what I would do without it! I wear it all year round anyway, but it is even more important during summer because you sweat everywhere and often go swimming! Sometimes I will also wear neutral coloured eyeshadow, or if I'm feeling really brave I'll whack on some gold! I like to keep it simple.
I have been considering incorporating a little more colour with my eyes, but I'm much too afraid to! I know lots of people use light blue eyeliner to get the colour but that sounds so outrageous to me (even though everyone manages to pull it off!).

LipsIn summer I avoid the gloss and go for tinted balms. Not sure why, but it just happens! I'll wear lipstick but I got for the nude colours. I know that quite a few people think that summer is the time for bright lippies, however I think the opposite. Winter is the time for brights because the weather is so miserable!

Nails
Summer means oranges, bright pinks and reds! Ahh, I love the bright nails for summer. I want to try out some mint greens and aqua/turquoise polishes too because I really never ever try them out. I'll have to go out and buy some because I don't own any! I also want to try out patterns and nail art, because I have never really gotten into it...

As you can probably tell, I am incredibly excited about the change in season and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!

The Body Shop Born Lippy - Strawberry

Can you believe it? I finally got the lipbalm I have been drooling over for what feels like years. Every time I go to the shops I have to walk into the body shop and lather on all their body butters and smell all their lipbalms. But now I won't have to smell the lipbalms, because my gorgeous friend bought one for me. Yes, I am the proud owner of the Body Shop Born Lippy lipbalm in Strawberry.

I have been smelling it all day, except for the times that my friends were smelling it. It's so good. The smell is also rather long lasting on your lips, quite unlike a lot of other lipbalms that you can't even smell once it is applied. It's actually the most gorgeous colour in the pot too, not that that's got anything to do with anything...

I probably wouldn't call this a lipbalm, more of a gloss, but everyone I know refers to it as a lip balm. It has a super slight tint to it that enhances any colouring you naturally have in your lips, but doesn't change change your colouring otherwise.

It isn't sticky but gives you this lovely glossy finish to your lips. It smells amazing (have I already mentioned that!) but doesn't taste like anything. I love the consistency, it's like jelly. It could be considered to be a little greasy, but if you apply it lightly it is just perfect. I wouldn't carry this around in my handbag because when the heat increases it gets a little runny.

It isn't moisturising in the slightest (but it doesn't actually dry out your lips) which I why I think it is a gloss, but so many people I know use it as a balm. The only problem I have with this is that it is in the pot. It means you have to get your fingers in it. The consistency is too thick for a tube but too thin for a stick. The price here in Australia isn't all that wonderful either...

I really like this product and I shall continue to rave on about it to all who wants to listen. As sad as this sounds, I would buy it just for the smell, the fact that I can use it on my lips is a bonus!

I give this product 9 out of 10.

Serious Sunburn

I did the stupidest thing today, and got seriously sunburnt. I'm always really careful about the sun, (really, really, really careful about the sun) especially as our Australian summers can be pretty harsh, but today I just didn't even think.

I wore a hat and sunscreen on my face, and I was wearing long sleeves. I absentmindedly pushed them up revealing my arms and of course I got very burnt.

On the rare occasion that I do get burnt, it never actually hurts, but today it is just so painful.

I don't know what to do...how do you help your skin after you have been sunburnt? Does anyone have anything they could suggest? I'm so annoyed with myself...

Girlforce lipglosses

As I mentioned in my previous post, 'A cool discovery', I recently found a whole lot of lipglosses that I wasn't aware that I owned. I have decided to do a review for you all!

I found out that I owned five of these lipglosses, in a nice big range of colours. It was a bit odd though, because the only thing written on them was the word 'Girlforce.' Other than that they were completely plain, not even shade names. I decided I would have to make up my own names!

I decided on: Pink Coral, Plum Rose, Pink Punch, Pearl and Plum Bronze.

It was after naming them that I realised they all started with 'P'! How stupid of me! I know I used 'Pink and Plum' twice which was also silly, but honestly, they were essential in showing the true colour of the lipgloss. Argh, lucky I'm not a lipgloss namer in real life!



Up - Down: Plum bronze, Pink Coral, Pearl, Pink Punch and Plum Rose

You can't see in the photo, but Pearl really does have a pearl shine to it.

Right, moving along, onto the review.

I actually really like these lipglosses. They are a little sticky, however they have awesome lasting power. The only bad thing is that when they do start to wear off, they leave silver sparkles on your lips. I find this so odd, because until they wear off, you don't see any silver sparkles, it is only when the colour has gone that you find yourself with shiny, silver lips!

Pink Coral is brighter than what I would usually go for, however I think I have fallen in love.

Pink Coral

You know how you usually find that the product doesn't look as good in the picture? Well, with Pearl, it looks so much better in the picture. Yes, I said better! In real life it leaves this white residue on the lips, and distributes so unevenly. It looks nice in the picture, but in real life it isn't nearly as lovely!

Pearl

 Plum Rose is the most natural looking of the whole lot. It also has the best formula out of the whole lot. It's lovely and creamy and not nearly as sticky, yet still has the same lasting power. It almost looks as though it has gold sparkles in it.



Plum Rose



 I really don't like the colour Plum Bronze. I hate it! It is so not my colour, much too dark and brown. Yuck. It makes me feel like some futuristic witch! It is so gross!

Last but not least is Pink Punch. It looks very similar to Plum Rose but a brighter, sparklier version.



Pink Punch

I actually really love Pink coral. I really, really love it! Too bad the tube is so small, and that it is nearly empty. Gagh, whenever I find something I love it is some bizarre product that I can't find anywhere!  If anyone knows of a lipgloss or lipstick (I would love a lipstick) that is a similar colour to this, please tell me! Saying that, I also love Plum Rose. If anyone knows of a lipstick in the plum rose colour, give me a shout! I am so glad I found these!


L-R: Pink Coral, Plum Rose, Pink punch, Pearl, Plum Bronze

I really loved these lipglosses, with the exception of Plum Bronze. (Pearl does look lovely in the photo). They have a nice smooth formula (even Plum Bronze) and wear well. I am going to give them 8 out of 10. I will definitely be wearing them more often!

A cool discovery

The other day I decided that I would close my eyes and pick a lip product that I was going to wear. If you've read my blog, you would be aware that I quite like my lip products and that I have a couple (a couple thousand!), and so I was hoping it would make me wear something I had forgotten about. I actually ended up discovering a lipgloss that I never knew I had!

It's a funny lipgloss, very small and the only thing printed on it is 'Girlforce.' No ingredients, no colour name, absolutely nothing. I don't think I have ever seen it and I have absolutely no idea of how I may have came about to having it in my collection. It's even weirder because I just cleaned out my makeup stash and rearranged it. Upon further inspection I found that I actually had several of these glosses...a total of five in fact!

Anyway, getting back to the challenge. I ended up wearing this lipgloss as I promised myself that I would. I am in love with the colour. I am so glad I found this lipgloss.

It's a lovely coral kind of colour. It has a bit of shimmer but I don't think it is anything too over the top. It is a little brighter than what I would normally go for...actually, quite a lot brighter, but I will find more ways to wear it!

I think I'll do a review on all five of these lipglosses sometime soon, instead of talking about it now. That way I can go into a little more detail and I can add in swatches and what not. I think I will also make it my challenge to give them all a name!

I would recommend playing the 'pick a makeup product to wear with your eyes closed game' every now and again. Pick your random product first so that you can base the rest of your makeup look around it!

One thing that I will mention though, is that once this product started wearing away, it actually left silver glitter on my lips...not too pleased about that!

Britney Spears Perfume - Believe

I spent more effort on this photo because perfumes
deserve the best!

I was at Priceline with thirty bucks burning a hole in my pocket. I had walked past the makeup section about 100 times and wanted everything, but for some reason could not bring myself to buy the several lipsticks that I wanted. I think this is because they were all full price, and I am definitely someone who waits for sales. Anyway, despite the fact that I wanted so many things, I was about to walk out of the shop empty handed when I spotted the perfumes. A lot of them were on sale. I had to have a look.

I started smelling them right away, and quickly came across 'Britney Spears Believe.' I myself am not a fan of Britney Spears, quite the opposite, but this perfume smelt good. 

I hated the bottle at first glance, but it has kind of grown on me since owning it. I first thought it was horrible and tacky, but now I'm becoming quite fond of it! It is certainly better than some of her other perfumes, Curious, Fantasy and In control which I personally cannot stand the sight of.

Online, 'Believe' is described as "opening with fruity, mouthwatering notes of guava and tangerine. The heart is delicate and pure with honeysuckle and linden blossom. The base is highly feminine and sensual, a beautiful accord of patchouli, amber and sweet praline."

I don't know what patchouli and sweet praline is supposed to smell like, but if that is what this perfume smells like, they must be quite nice!

At first spray it is really strong and smells of lemon. It isn't all that nice to be honest. But if you wait a few minutes, the lemon smell doesn't disappear but really tones down and you find yourself with a citrus, fruity scent that is nice and subtle yet still noticeable.  After a bit longer I find it to be less fruity and more vanilla. Sounds crazy for me to say that, but I cannot think of another way to describe it. I would definitetly spray it on a little while before I go out because I like the smell of it later on rather than at first.

Other people have mentioned that it is quite different to her other scents (that I mentioned before) and that it is a lot less sugary and childish than the others. I can't really comment on this.

I don't really believe that it is all that long lasting which is a shame, but it's still a good perfume.

I think that this perfume is fresh and fruity at first, however there is actually so much more to it. I really like it. I still have my eye on DKNY Be Delicious and Marc Jacob's Daisy Eau So Fresh, but this is lovely in the meantime.

What it smells like - Citrus fruits, spices

Where I would wear it - To an event where it was mainly about fun, yet still with a hint of sophistication

Who would wear it - Someone young that enjoys life but who is still mature

Season and time to wear it - Spring during the day

I give this perfume 7 out of 10.

Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick - Metallic Mauve

This lipstick is a beautiful frosty pink colour and, as the name suggests, is so silky and moisturising. For someone who isn't all that into frosts, I really like the colour, which is so unusual considering the types of lipsticks I usually gravitate towards. It has a shimmer to it, which for some people can be horribly annoying, but somehow in this case I really quite like it. It probably isn't a lipstick that I would wear out and about - I would use it for a bit more of a special event.

The colour is so buildable and there is a pleasant watermelon scent to it. The scent isn't all that obvious, but when you really give it a good sniff it is noticeable. Then again, I'm not sure if it is lacking scent because the one I have is old, but whatever it is, I expect most people would be able to tolerate it even if they aren't a fan of scents. I have to say it made my lips look like they had come out of a sparkly magazine add! I am really disappointed that this is discontinued - doesn't that always happen when you find something you like!

It is not drying at all, it really did feel lovely and moisturising. There is nothing worse than a lipstick that dries your lips out so much that you end up feeling like a shrivelled prune... The lasting power isn't amazing, but I find it good enough.

I really hated the tube that this came in - not because it looks unattractive (which it does) but because it was designed so that the product could easily be twisted up without removing the cap, thus resulting in a lot of lipstick smeared into the lid. Not only is it a total waste of product but it creates an awful mess.

I give this product 7 out of 10.

BYS Blush - Pretty in Pink

I think it is time for a review, don't you?

Well, I reviewed another BYS blush at the beginning of October (in the shade 'Candyfloss'), and I wasn't amazed by it but I didn't hate it either. Recently my lovely mother bought me another one of their blushes, except this time in the colour 'Pretty in Pink.'

I was expecting it to be identical to the other BYS blush I own, but it really is quite different. I'm not sure that it is meant to be different, but I found this one to be much more impressive. I think a lot of that has also got to do with the fact that this colour suits me a lot better and I find that I can do more with it.

The colour 'Pretty in Pink' is definitely a baby, light pink colour in comparison to the peachy kind of pink that 'Candyfloss' was.

L-R - Pretty in Pink, Candyfloss

The texture of 'Pretty in Pink' was a lot less grainy and was easier to apply due to its smoother texture. I still had a problem with all the fallout due to the style of the packaging, and this one didn't click shut properly, but it's really not all that big a deal.

This blush gave me a lovely pink glow that looked as though I had just gone for a  very light jog. It gave me some colour in my face when I wore foundation, however I don't use it without foundation because my natural colouring is enough and adding blush is a little bit too much.

It wasn't as long lasting as other blushes that I have, however it was pretty good. It's easy to build up colour with this as you need it.

I was much happier with 'Pretty in PInk' than I was with 'Candyfloss.' I'm not sure why they are significantly different in texture, but maybe I just got a dodgy one before!

I give this product 8 out of 10.



L-R - Pretty in Pink, Candyfloss



L-R- Candyfloss, Pretty in Pink

Beauty tips and tricks

I don't know all that much when it comes to beauty - sure, I know a bit here and there, but there are so many more people who live and breathe beauty that would just make me look like a 3 year old in a science lab - stupid!

So despite the fact that (unfortunately) this post will be small, I am going to list some of the beauty tips and tricks that I have learnt over the years. Here goes!

1) Always, always, always, always take off your makeup before going to bed
2) Drink lots of water because it is what makes your skin glow
3) Sunscreen is to be worn every single day, without fail
4) White eyeliner on the inner corners of your eyes brightens them up
5) Moisturised lips are super important when it comes to lipstick and lip gloss
6) Ice on a pimple can reduce redness and swelling
7) A makeup-free day once in a while is magic
8) Mascara only looks good when done properly - no clumps!
9) Moisturiser is an amazing product, but get the right type for your skin or it can cause oh so many problems
10) The key to the most beautiful skin is to have a good skincare regime - cleanser, toner and moisturiser
11) When in doubt go simple with the makeup - natural or classic looks are guaranteed to look better
12) Less is more - no one likes a caked on look
13) Don't be afraid to try new things out (just do it in the safety of your own home where you can't get embarrassed!)
14) Second day hair is best for complicated up-dos. It's gritty and easier to grip, and it doesn't slip and slide out
15) There is a time and a place for every makeup look - a sexy smoky eye does not necessarily go well for a job interview at a conservative place!
16) Makeup should always compliment an outfit
17) Makeup should always enhance natural beauty, not cover it up
18) Be careful when using blush - the clown look is not popular in today's fashion
19) Either have the eyes or the lips as a focus, it's hard to do up both and still look good
20) Chipped nails don't look all that amazing
21) Get your beauty sleep!
22) Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

Well, I think that is all for my beauty tips! Anyone who has some more, feel free to add them in the comments section!

On the lookout for...

At the moment I am on the lookout for some specific products, and so I decided to consult some beauty experts (ie. You guys!)

Since having this blog, no longer can I go out and buy a product without having read a positive review about it on someones blog. I am too scared to go and buy something without being 90% sure that it will be worth my money.

So, like I mentioned, I am seeking advice on some good products.

I am looking for a tinted moisturiser for fair to medium skin, that doesn't cost a fortune but actually is tinted. So many tinted moisturisers are either WAY too dark for my skin, or are barely even tinted. I would love to hear what you think.

I am also looking for a gradual tanning/moisturiser for my legs. I don't want to have to worry about all the hassles of fake tan - I want to apply it to my legs each day and slowly build up a glow that I am satisfied with. I don't want it to be an overnight thing, because I want to be able to control the amount of colour on my legs!

I want a good concealer for covering horrid pimples and acne scars. My Rimmel concealer covers bags well, but not pimples or scars.

I am also looking for a wonderful light pink/nude lipstick. I have heard wonderful things about the MAC lipstick in Hue, but here in Australia there are no places to get MAC cosmetics, and so I would have to buy it online. This is fine except that I cannot be sure of what the actual colour looks like. Hmmm....They are also a little expensive online...

I would also love to know what people think of the NYX Jumbo eye pencil in milk...I have heard mixed reviews. Some hate it, some love it!

If anyone has any opinions or products that they love, I would love to hear about them!

A bit of a change...

Hello!

You may or may not have noticed that this blog has changed a little since you last saw it! I felt as though the layout I had was a little bit childish and messy, but I liked the background, so I modified it a little and I think the layout and design I have now I much more professional and a lot easier to read.

The only problem? My blog title. As you can see the 'YouReview' part isn't actually on the picture, but I don't know how to shift it across. It is rather frustrating. The little description also comes off of the picture.

I am going to continue trying to fix it because I don't like it at all, but I do like the updated layout. What do you think? I also tried to remove the blue tinge to the background, but failed in doing so.

Hmmm...

Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse foundation

This is another product that I got recently for two dollars. I purchased the one that was in the lightest shade there, but I still had a feeling that it was going to be a little too dark. I was right.

This foundation is too dark for me. I cannot apply it on my face because it just turns me orange. If I use the tiniest bit, it is passable, but it gives me no coverage whatsoever so there is very little point in applying it - after all, isn't that what a foundation is supposed to do, cover?

The fact that it is the wrong colour is rather unfortunate really, because I think it would be perfect otherwise. You only need to use a tiny amount of product, and it goes on perfectly. It's so smooth and gorgeous, and has a wonderful finish on your skin. As the name suggests, it is matte and makes your skin look so smooth and even. I was so disappointed that I couldn't wear it, but I was determined to find a way.



A lot of product rubbed in - when I use it as a bronzer
I use a lot less product



I decided to use it as a bronzer. It is just the right colour for a bronzer, and I am so pleased. It gives me this subtle, lovely glow (but I must be careful to apply a very small amount or else I look like an orange clown). Because it is supposed to be a foundation, it is long lasting and wears for a while. It feels so nice on the skin and as I mentioned before, looks lovely.

I would definitely recommend this wonderful product, just make sure that you get it in the right shade!

I give this product 8 out of 10.

Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara



Whoops! Didn't realise it was upside down!



I got this mascara really cheaply (it worked out to be $2 actually, instead of the RRP of between 13 and 19 dollars!) and I wasn't sure what to expect because I had never heard anything about it.

The product looks kind of classy, and it was only after reading reviews on the Internet that I realised it was supposed to look like a stiletto! While reading the reviews I found that this is probably one of the most hated mascaras I have ever come across! So what did I think about it? I thought it was alright to be honest.

When I first opened it up and saw it, I was extremely disappointed. "But it's grey!" I thought. "It's grey!" I then found out that the colour I had bought was 'soft black.' Hmmm...The next thing that I noticed was that the brush looked deadly. It appeared as though it was made out of razor sharp metal spikes. I was almost too scared to use it! As I began to apply it, it also became apparent that it had a very strong smell. It smelled like artificial flowers. Even my brother who is hopeless when it comes to fragrances could recognise that it smelled like flowers - he thought it was a lavender smell...personally, I think it just smells awful.

Once applied, the colour of the mascara no longer looks grey, it looks like a regular black. It wasn't clumpy at all and I found it really easy to apply. I did stick my lashes together a little bit, (actually, more than a bit!)but with some wiggling of the wand it was easily avoided. I only applied one coat because I was happy with the length and definition that it gave me, but for those who want a bit of volume I suppose you could apply a couple more coats.

It was expecting it to flake off and break my eyelashes into pieces and all these other terrible things because it had received such terrible ratings on so many websites, but I couldn't find anything to complain about!

Lots of reviews claimed that it was irritating for their yes, but I didn't have a problem. Mine wasn't the waterproof version so I was conscious not to touch my eyes but it seemed to last the day alright. I did have a temporary panic though when I found three eyelashes had fallen out, but I think it was just my natural lash loss and had nothing to do with the mascara. Still, I was very cautious as others had reported it caused them lash loss.

There were many complaints about being able to smell it for hours after applying it. I could smell it for about ten minutes, but then it faded away and I had no problem. I'm going on about the smell, but it isn't as if it is deadly or anything, it's just really unpleasant.

I don't think I will listen to online reviews anymore, unless they are by the bloggers that I follow, because their reviews are usually more thorough and accurate. The Rimmel London Anti-fatigue concealer was rated as one of the worst products ever on one site, yet I found it to be quite alright. It was the same with this mascara!

I wouldn't purchase it for full price because of all the little things that I mentioned (that all add up in the end!) but for $2 I am quite happy and will use it. I give it 6 out of 10.



Sorry about the flash!



New makeup!

It is the first of November! Do you know what that means? We are officially one month closer to SUMMER! (Yes, I am counting down the days!)

Anyway...

I came across this school fete thing the other day, and there was a stall where you could buy five makeup products for ten dollars. Well, of course I couldn't resist and I ended up purchasing six things.

I was so excited when I got home, I was desperate to try them all out. Unfortunately it wasn't nearly as exciting as I had thought, in fact, it was rather disappointing.

Anyway, this week I will be posting some reviews about some of the products, so keep your eyes out!



My purchases