NOTD - Sephora's '1st Night'

Hello lovelies!

Quickie post to show you my latest NOTD. 

I'm wearing Sephora's nail polish in '1st night'. I picked it up from Sephora Malaysia when I was on holiday, I think it was about $15 ringgit, or about $5 Australian Dollars with the currency conversion.

I love this polish, it's sort of a pinkish mauve colour which looks a smidge darker in artificial light. I do like this formulation, the brush works quite well and the Sephora polishes do wear quite well too. I was looking forward to trying it this as I haven't worn it since I purchased it.

Natural light.

Natural light.

Natural light.

Natural light.

In fluorescent lighting.

In fluorescent lighting.

Hope you liked it!

Much love,

MM.

x

Confession time!

Hello lovelies!

This post is going to be about a confession.

I am a perfume addict, there, I admitted it. I love having a variety of different fragrances to pick from, depending on my mood and where I'm going (because let's face it, a fragrance you wear out clubbing wouldn't suit the work atmosphere and vice versa).

I've been lusting after Burberry Body since it came out, but I just couldn't justify spending between $90 - $170 on a fragrance when I already had so many to choose from. I visited several different stores and duty free as well, but I kept telling myself to resist the temptation!

And then my restraint went out the window a week ago. I took my aunt shopping and happened to stroll into Perfume Connection, and guess what, they actually had Burberry Body in a gift set! Now, I love gift sets because they are much better value for money than purchasing the fragrance individually, and also, because we all know how much I love layering my fragrances for longevity. Now, they were selling the set containing the 100 ml Eau De Parfum, 100 ml body lotion and a miniature 5ml spray for about $160, but as they were also running a special 30% off gift sets promotion that day, the price came down to $120! I couldn't resist as this was the best price I'd seen anywhere, and so I bought it quick smart!

It might have been an unnecessary splurge but gosh, does it make me feel happy when I spray it on. I love the scent and I love that I finally purchased it after lusting after it for months! It all came packaged beautifully in a heavy, gorgeous taupe box, as you can see from the photos. Honest, I'm completely in love with the scent, it's so gorgeous, airy and light.

So have you bought any indulgent purchases lately? What's the last perfume you purchased because you just couldn't resist the temptation?

Much love,
MM.
x

EOTD

Hey lovelies,

Welcome to my first 'my eye of the day', EOTD, post!

I think I'm still hyped up over Australia Day because my theme was green and gold. :)

Apologies over the photo quality, I just can't get the hang of taking photos which show the true depth of colour without giving myself an epic headache. Does anyone have any photography tips for me? I assure you it will be much appreciated!

I've tried to take photos from various angles and in different light conditions to give you a proper idea of what this looks like. I used the green and gold shades from my Lakme eye colour quartet in Tanjore Rush.

Hope you liked it!

Much love,
MM.
x

Glossybox January Review!

Hello lovelies!

Here is my January Glossybox review. Yep, it finally arrived on the 25th of January via express post, almost 8 business days after Glossybox first sent it out on the 16th of January. For some reason, the boxes sat in Sydney the entire time, and the tracking just didn't work. I didn't even receive my shipping notification and had to email Glossybox to inquire after it.

There was quite a bit of confusion about the postage issue, as some subscribers received it within a day or two of it being sent out, while others only received it this week. There was even some drama about a beauty blogger getting sent a free box to review, and she received it before most of the paying subscribers did, which led to some disgruntlement.

Anyway, without further ado, let's get on with the unveiling. The theme of this box was Australia Day, and here is what I received in my box:

Australia Day temporary tattoos

Sheer Cover lip gloss in Pink Praline

Sheer Cover nourishing moisturiser with SPF15 (face)

Nivea rich nourishing moisturiser (body)

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri fast dry nail color in Petal Pusher

Estee Lauder advanced night repair synchronised recovery complex serum

And there were a couple of $25 discount vouchers for The Iconic, an online boutique, plus a Sally Hansen brochure outlining their products.

Box contents.

\

The Australia Day stickers.

L - R: Nivea moisturiser, SH nail polish, EL serum,
Sheer Cover lipgloss, and Sheer Cover moisturiser.

SC moisturiser covered in black dust. :(

SC lipgloss swatch, notice how sheer it is?

So what did I think of the box, you wonder? Basically, I'm a bit disappointed with Glossybox as this is their third box, and you'd think they'd have sorted out their shipping issues by now. Instead, there was a whole fuss about how Australia Post had messed up and hence, left the boxes sitting in Sydney for nigh on a week. Not that I'm blaming Glossybox for this but I've never heard of such a thing happening before, it would be quite convenient to just cast the blame on Australia Post but when you think about how none of the other boxes (like Ilovethisbox, Bellabox and LustHaveIt) have these issues, you have to wonder why it's just Glossybox that constantly has trouble with shipping and subscribers receiving their parcels on time. This is the third time in as many months that I've had issues with my Glossybox, so it's getting a little wearying. Having said that, their customer service seems to have improved greatly and I had much quicker (and more helpful) responses to my emails this month. Having great customer service really does help immensely.

One last thing that bummed me out about this month's box. I know several other bloggers had received a blue Mirenesse tightliner in their boxes, and from a Facebook post that Glossybox posted on their wall, I was led to believe every subscriber would receive one in their box. Instead, I got the Estee Lauder serum and the pastel coloured SH nail polish. Apparently all subscribers above 25 years old received the EL serum, as that was the target audience specified by EL, but I think that the selection should have been based on profile choices and not just on age, as I really wasn't very thrilled to receive this product. Fortunately, Glossybox customer service kindly agreed to exchange the unopened EL product for the Mirenesse liner, provided I paid shipping costs. I was quite happy to agree as I would definitely have gotten more use out of the Mirenesse liner than the EL serum. I mailed it out on Wednesday the 27th of January, so let's see how long it takes Glossybox to send me a replacement liner.

One last thing, the dust that I found in the first Glossybox was back, but fortunately, as the products were individually wrapped, I wasn't too concerned about it getting into the products. Did anyone else have this problem?

Verdict: Mixed feelings. I wasn't especially chuffed to receive this box. I love nail polish but a pastel nude colour doesn't really do much for me, I'll probably get some use out of it though. I'm probably going to chuck out the advertising brochures and discount vouchers, so the only things I might get some use out of are the moisturisers and the lip gloss, which is really very sheer. I'm much happier with the GB customer service than I was, so I'm going to give the much hyped about February 'limited edition' Valentine Day box a go, before I decide if I want to cancel my subscription or not.

What did you receive in your box, if you subscribed, and are you happy with it?

Much love,

MM.
x

Update (01.02.12) : I received my replacement Mirenesse tightliner today and I'm so happy with it! It's such a gorgeous eyeliner, look out for a blog post about it soon! It only took 2 days to get to me in Melbourne from Sydney, I wonder why the boxes have so much trouble?! So happy with Glossybox for sending it so quickly! :)

Happy Australia Day!

Hello lovelies,

Yes, I know I'm cutting it fine with this post but my Australia Day just didn't go according to plan. Without going into too many details, it started off sort of crappy, but ended slightly better than it started. I hope everyone had an amazing time? I did manage to spend a little while at the beach and it was so lively and fun, with everyone all dressed in their summery, Australian best.

Anyhow, it's rather late so I won't go on for too long, I just wanted to share my Australia Day manicure with you all. I had wanted to do something special this year, but in the end, with everything that happened, all I had time for was a (very messy) half-moon mani. It really is very messy as I didn't have much time to do it, but still, I do feel a bit better for having done something to get in the spirit.

I used Essence polish in 'mellow yellow' and a NYC polish called 'limelight'. I picked up the NYC polish for $2 from Target, so this manicure really only cost me $5! What a bargain! Limelight is actually really flattering on my skin, which I didn't expect. I had to do three coats to prevent the visible nail line (VNL) showing through.

Did you do anything special to celebrate Australia Day?

Much love,
MM.
x

Lieber blog award

Hello lovelies!

So one of my favourite bloggers, the lovely Beauty in a Bottle, nominated me for a Lieber Blog Award. The spirit behind the award is that it is given to bloggers who have less than 200 followers, all in the spirit of spreading awareness about their fantastic new blogs!

The rules are:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the person who gave it to you.
2. Reveal the five blogs of your choice and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4. Request that the people you sent it to carry on with the chain by sending it to their favourite bloggers.

There are a lot more blogs that I love reading but I know for a fact that some have already been nominated by others, so I'll leave them off for the purpose of this list. If I've listed you below and you've already been tagged, I do apologise, I'm still catching up the posts I missed while I was away.

So my choices for this award, in no particular order, are:

1. The Beauty Blot 
2. Nicely Varnished
3. Diagnonsense 
4. Luxury on the Lips
5. The Voice of my Mind

Do check them out, I quite like reading them for various reasons! And if anyone can think of any other great blogs (including your own), please feel free to leave me a comment with a link! :)

Much love,

MM.

x

Conquering false lashes!

Hello lovelies!

Today, I'm going to show you all how I conquered false lash application! I have reasonably long and thick lashes, but the darn things are just so stubborn, I can't get lusciously curving lashes merely by using an eyelash curler and mascara. If I want really dramatic curl, I have to resort to using my heated lash curler (which tends to annoy me by running out of batteries whenever I need it most), applying a coat of mascara, and then gently curling my lashes again with the heated curler. Contrary to popular opinion, you won't be damaging your lashes if you curl them gently, and do not tug when releasing the curler.

I love the effect that false lashes give but I've always been terrible at applying them freehand; they always end up looking a bit uneven. However, I just bought an amazing product that actually helps me put on luscious, full lashes almost perfectly every single time (I say almost perfectly because I'm still getting used to the application technique, not because there's anything wrong with the product)!

Behold, my miraculous new find - The WASP false lash applicator!

A few days ago, I popped into Wasp and discovered their amazing array of false lashes (if you love falsies as much as I do, you really need to visit their stores). I decided to purchase a pair as they were an affordable $12 each, inclusive of free application for each purchase. The sales girl used the applicator to apply the lash strip, and I was amazed at how quick it was, so I asked to try putting on the other lash strip myself. It was so easy to do, I managed it perfectly on the very first attempt! The applicator is pretty reasonably priced at $8 each, so naturally I just had to buy one to take home.

I decided to put on full lashes using the applicator on Saturday night, and it was effortless! Unfortunately, I was running a bit late and didn't have time to take proper photos, so you'll have to forgive the terrible photo quality; I snapped a few quick photos while in the car on my way to dinner.

Eyes wide open.

Eyes wide shut.

Full view, with my hair cascading in the breeze.

Oh, and do have a look at this how-to video the lovely lasses at WASP have put together, won't you? It really shows you how to use the applicator for perfectly applied lashes each time! Love!



Are you an expert false lash applier? Do you love wearing falsies as much as I do?

Much love,
MM.
x

Beauty blogger swap?

Hey lovelies,

I had a random (crazy?) idea today!

I know my blog is quite new and I know there are quite a few other bloggers who started out at about the same time, and this thought occured to me today, what about a blog article swap?!

This is roughly what I had in mind. Basically, I'd write one beauty blog article for you, and you write one for me. We'd sign off at the end of the article as ourselves and also provide a link to our own blogs. All you need to do is mail the article together with photos, if any, to the author of the blog and they just have to publish it, so there'd be no need to give out sign in details.

The theory behind it is, you get an interesting new article written in a different style to your own blogging style, and hopefully, increase your reader base at the same time! Win!

Let me know if you think that's a funky idea you'd be keen on participating in. :)

Much love,
MM.
x

Bobbi Brown cleansing oil promotion

Hi lovelies,

Just a quickie post to tell you that Bobbi Brown is having an online promotion with every purchase from their website.

Enter discount code 'welcomeback' at checkout to receive free shipping and a 30 ml Bobbi Brown cleansing oil bottle with every online purchase. This promotion expires on Tuesday, 31st January 2012, or until stocks run out.

It's quite a good deal so if you've been waiting for the right time to buy something you've had your eye on, this is it!

Image taken from Bobbibrown.com.au

Much love,
MM.
x

Fragrance tips - It's all scents, really.

Hello lovelies!

I'm a fragrance addict, and I love having many different fragrances on the go at the same time. I think I have about 20 bottles at the moment, ranging in value from reasonably affordable to really expensive.

(Image from Google)

I thought I'd share the various little tips and tricks that I commonly use to help the scent last as long as possible.

1) I try to buy Eau de Parfums (EDP) as opposed to Eau de Toilettes (EDT), as EDPs last longer due to their compositions.

2) I layer different products with the same scent. Basically, I try to use the shower gel, moisturiser and perfume from the same fragrance where possible, as it increases the longevity of the scent. This also prevents the perfume from competing with the scent of your shower gel/moisturiser.

3) I try to apply perfume to moisturised skin, as it gives the perfume oils something to adhere to and thus, aids in helping the scent last longer.

4) I try to apply scent to my pulse points, which include wrists, breast bone, the hollow of the throat, behind the ears, hollow of the elbows and the back of your knees. You don't need to apply to all these points, but may pick and choose as you like!

5) I try not to rub my wrists together after spritzing some scent on, as it is said to break down the fragrance oils and therefore, has the opposite effect of preventing the scent from lasting.

6) Just before leaving home, I spritz a cloud of perfume into the air and walk through it. This leaves a light misting on my body and clothes. You can also spray some on a hairbrush and glide it gently through your hair. Never spray directly on your hair (unless it's specially formulated as hair scent), as the alcohol and oils in some perfumes may damage your hair.

7) Try to carry a small atomiser or roll-on with you for touching up with during the day, especially if you're going out after work. Personally, a spritz of my favourite scent never fails to pick me up and gives me a little boost to get me through the day!

8) Last but not least, always make sure your perfumes are kept in a cool, dry place. If it's left in direct sunlight, the perfume oils degrade, which changes the scent. There's no point going through all the steps above if your perfume has lost its scent!

Who would've thought spraying on perfume would seem like so much work?! For what it's worth, I don't usually follow each and every step, it's more something I do when I have a special occasion and really want my scent to last. For everyday wear, I'm happy to just carry an atomiser or roll-on in my handbag to freshen up as needed.


Much love,
MM.
x

NOTD - What do you think?

Hello lovelies!

Today I'd like to share my NOTD (nail of the day) with you. I'm updating from my phone again so I'll have to wait till I get home to fix up the photos.

Some months ago I went a bit crazy at Target and picked up a whole swag of Essence polishes. If you haven't heard of the brand before, it's a German brand that has slowly been filtering into Target and Priceline stores nationwide. They are distributed by the Heat group and I know they are slowly releasing a roll out into more stores, as you could previously only get it at selected locations.

What I love about the products is they're great quality, yet with a teeny tiny price tag. Polishes start at about $2.95 and shadows at about $5.95. If you haven't already had a look at their products, I'd suggest getting to your nearest stockist quick smart and browsing the stand, you probably won't be able to stop yourself from indulging!

In sunlight.

Under fluorescent light.

Natural daylight.

I just wanted to add that I've been wearing this for about 5 days now and there is hardly any chipping or wear at the tips! As usual, this was done with base coat and top coat.

I think I'm developing a bit of an orange/tangerine obsession...if you were wondering why this looked familar, it's probably because of this post here. And, come to think of it, this does remind me of a slightly more pastel version of OPI's 'Hot and Spicy', which was my first venture into the world of orange/tangerine nails. I'm going to have to do a comparison swatch soon!

So what do YOU think? Will you be dashing down to pick up some Essence prodz?

Much love,
MM.
x

Blue skies and violet eyes

Hello lovelies!

I wanted to share my LOTD (look of the day) with you. I woke up to sunny blue skies today and it inspired me to try something different from my usual neutral look for work. I actually received a violet Matte Luxurious Kohl eyeliner from Revlon called 'Very Violet' in my January I Love This Box (a full post on the January box will be coming up shortly), and as I love coloured eyeliner, I couldn't wait to try it! I also used the Mirenesse lip gloss from my November Glossybox.

So here's what I ended up going with. It's actually quite subtle except when you're in full daylight.

A close up.

 What I used in this look was:

Face: Youngblood mineral foundation, Youngblood mineral radiance powder in 'Sundance', and Max Factor illuminating bronzer to contour.

Cheeks: Youngblood mineral blush in 'Blossom' and Youngblood lunar dust in 'Sunset' to illuminate.

Eyes: Bourjois Smokey eyes in purple (I used to middle shade), and Revlon Matte Luxurious Kohl eyeliner in 'Very Violet'.

Lips: Mirenesse Lip Gloss in 'Hello Kitten'.

And there you have it! I hope that's given you some ideas on how to wear a coloured eyeliner!

And here's a glimpse of me with my new Calvin Klein glasses...do I look like a nerdy librarian?

How often do you wear a coloured liner and how do you prefer to wear it?

Much love,
MM.
x

December Bellabox Review

Hello lovelies,

I'd started my post on the December Bellabox but abandoned it halfway through when the January Bellabox landed on my desk. I figured I'd better finish this post once the excitement of receiving the new box died down, though.

So my December Bellabox arrived while I was away on holiday and I was really excited to get back to work and tear into it.

Here are the items that were in my box:

Savoir Faire concealer pack with finishing powder

Ozotic Elytra nail polish

Elemis Pro Collagen Quartz Lift Mask

Kosmea rose water spray

Eylure naturalite intense false lashes #140

Here are some photos to entertain you. Click on the last photo to see the pricing attached to each item on the Bellabox website.

L - R: Kosmea rose water spray, Savoir Faire concealer pack
containing duo concealers and finishing powder,
Ozotic nail polish, Elemis mask and Eylure false lashes.

Now, I was initially quite annoyed when I opened the box, because while I was really keen to try the SF concealer, it was in the wrong shade! I received 'light' even though I checked the tanned box in my beauty profile. I sent Bellabox an email and their customer service representative, Laura, got back to me very quickly, and offered to swap it over for the right shade seeing as I hadn't opened the concealer yet. I thought that was really nice of her, and as I'm in the same suburb, offered to drop by the office to make the change instead of mailing it to the BB office (I also picked up some more twistbands, but can you blame me? That's what you call efficient use of resources).

I'm so glad I made the swap because I'm completely in love with the SF concealer! It was totally worth the small inconvenience, because it's sooo creamy and goes on like a dream. I quite like the fact that it comes with a pot of finishing powder below, as it really helps set the concealer and prevent it from budging, but I do feel it would be better applied with a brush, although I have used my finger tips with it.

I'm also really in love with the nail polish and will be trying it out this weekend. I'll be sure to post photos once I do. I also love the false lashes, although I'm still getting the hang of applying them (I'm practicing using my half lashes from Harlotte, read about it here). I can't wait to give these Eylure ones a whirl once I've perfected my lash application techniques! And last but not least, I'm loving the rose water spray! I'm a huge fan of rose water spray and I have one pretty much everywhere (i.e. at home and on my desk at work) so a spare one will really come in handy! I also love that this one is quite small, so it'll be fantastic for popping into my handbag while I'm on the go this summer.

VERDICT: I absolutely loved this box! Namely because of the nail polish (what a gorgeous colour), the fantastic concealer (perfect for taking with you on the go, or leaving in your desk at work), the false lashes (how luxe are they?!) and the rose water spray! I'd say being excited about four out of five items are great odds and I'll still give the Elemis mask a try, so this box was a total winner for me!

What did you think of yours, if you got one?

Much love,
MM.
x

January Bellabox Review

Hey lovelies,

I received my January Bellabox today, and I was a little bit disappointed, to tell you the truth.

Honestly, I love Bellabox and they have an amazing customer service. But after offering such awesome goodies like the Savoir Faire lipstick in the October box, the OCC lip tar in the November box and the Savoir Faire concealer in the December box, I'm finding this box a bit of a let down as it's full of sachets and NO make up products at all! I know it's all a matter of personal choice/preference, but I think a good beauty sampler box should have some of everything in it, i.e. perfume/skincare/makeup/nail polish/hair care etc. Honestly, if a box that offered only perfume, make up and nail polish was offered, I'd sign up in a jiffy! The problem with trying new skincare products is you need to use it for a little while before you see real results, so a sachet really isn't going to cut it.

Anyway, let's see what the January Bellabox had to offer. I received a box with 8 different items (so to speak), listed as below:

Sparoma rejuvanate soy tea candle - lemon myrtle

Ecocentric lipcare lip balm - Italian red mandarin with rose (this was the only full-sized product in the box)

La Perla perfume sample - J'aime

Soleo Organics all natural sunscreen - 3 sachets (formulated for all skin types and ages, adults and children included)

Herbal Essentials - orange towelette

First aid beauty (FAB) - ultra repair cream for all over use

Pangea Organics sampler trio - facial scrub, facial cleanser and eye cream for all skin types
*facial scrub - egyptian geranium with adzuki bean and cranberry (for all skin types)
eye cream - turkish rose and white tea (for all skin types)
facial cleanser - egyptian calendula and blood orange (for normal to dry skin)

Qi green tea bag with ginkgo and detox green tea (one sample each).

Here are some photos, click on the last one to see the prices of each product:

All the samples in the January Bellabox.

SpaRoma soy candle and Ecocentric lip balm.

Orange towelette (?!) and the ultra repair cream.

Pangea skincare sachet trio and La Perla J'aime perfume sample.

Qi tea samples and Soleo natural sunscreen sachet samples.

January Bellabox explanation card.

Now, I understand about beauty being internal and external etc, but it's still a bit disappointing to receive a beauty sampler box without any make up in it. I'm also not a huge fan of sachets as they're quite cumbersome and don't really allow you to sample a product properly. I do like tea, but I can't say I'm overly thrilled to receive a sample in my beauty box...is there a possibility of vitamin supplements appearing next?!

Truthfully, the only products I'm actually interested in trying are the tea candle, the lip balm, eye cream and the perfume sample, although I will probably try all of them anyway.

Verdict: Not particularly satisfied, for the reasons listed above. I still think they are a great company though, and I understand how each box may not be to everyone's taste depending on personal preference, so I'll reserve judgement till I see what next month's box holds.

Much love,
MM.
x

Glossybox November Review (Part 2)

Hello lovelies,

Just a quick little post since I finally got my hands on my November Glossybox last week. I was a bit annoyed as they had promised it would arrive before the 4th of December, which it failed to do. But I guess better late than never, right?

So here we go, let's look at what arrived this time. The items that were the same as in the previous box were:

Pink jelly beans 

Deluxe sample of Jurlique Purely Age-Defying Ultra Firm and Lift Cream

Full sized Bio Oil

Full sized Mirenesse 3D Lip gloss (I got shade #8, Hello Kitten, this time. It looks like a colour I would definitely get more wear out of, can't wait to try it out properly!)

Mini Essie polish in Super Bossa Nova (thankfully intact this time, yay!)

And the item that was different from the previous box: I got a full sized Lily Loves Pearl facial exfoliant. Quite excited to try this, I wonder how it will compare to my Dermalogica Microfoliant? 

It states on the box: A gentle, daily facial exfoliant with antioxidants and a blend of Grapefruit, Jojoba and Lime combined to hydrate and deep cleanse skin. The gentle polishing beads leave skin fresh, smooth and radiant. Helps fight the visual signs of ageing.

Well, doesn't that sound amazing? I'm sold! I'm going to have to try it and let you all know what I think shortly. Stay tuned for an upcoming post. ;)

From L - R: Mirenesse 3D lipgloss, pink jellybeans,
Lilly loves pearl facial exfoliant, Essie polish
 in Super Bossa Nova, Jurlique cream and BioOil.

 

So there you have it, folks...I was much happier with this box compared to the last one...especially as I was quite happy to receive a full-sized exfoliant instead of the Bobbi Brown cleansing oil sample.


Verdict: Much happier...BUT still not 100% satisfied. If only I hadn't had to go through the trauma of posting multiple messages on their wall and sending their customer service multiple emails. All of which was for naught as the replacement box failed to arrive before the promised date. 


Much love,
MM.
x