I Love Nail Polish (ILNP) - Masquerade Review & Swatches.

Hi lovelies!

I have a new I Love Nail Polish (ILNP) shade to share with you today, and dare I say, it just might be the new favourite of my entire polish collection! That's no small feat considering I own about 400 polishes...but it's hard not to love a polish with more moods than I have!

This is another holographic polish, just like Bishop (H) which I shared with you last week. This one is a lot more intense than Bishop (H), though, as it shifts between pink, violet, purple, copper, gold and forest green. Consider yourself warned, because this is going to be a very photo-heavy post as I attempt to do this gorgeous polish justice!

ILNP - Masquerade.

Keep reading after the jump!

Winner Announcement - Paypal Blogger Collaboration International Christmas Giveaway!

Hi lovelies!

With Christmas in less than 2 days, and Boxing Day sales in 3, one lucky winner is about to win AUD$200 to spend!

Before a winner is announced, I would like to thank everyone for supporting us and entering in this giveaway. If you haven’t already, please do yourself a favour and check out the other 7 amazing ladies on their blogs:

Jasmine from Sweetaholic Beauty
Kat from Kitsch Snitch
Sophie from Born to Buy
Abby from Shrinking Wallet
Talia from Glossy Confidential
Ash from The Beauty Collection
Tried and Tested Blog

Without further ado, the winner of our “Paypal Blogger Collaboration Christmas Giveaway” is...
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations, Sarah! 

Please contact Sophie of Born To Buy for instructions on how to claim your prize within 48 hours.

♥ Merry Christmas, everyone! ♥

Much love,
MM.
x

Limited Edition Tarte Kiss & Belle LipSurgence Lip Set Review + Swatches.

Hi lovelies!

Remember how I picked up the limited edition Tarte Kiss & Belle LipSurgence set in Part 1 of my birthday haul? Here are my thoughts on this gorgeous little gift set, just in time for the Friends & Family sale over on the Tarte website (US-Based, so you might need to use a parcel forwarding company if you're outside of the US), but more on that later. Isn't the box gorgeous? I admit that I'm having a hard time throwing it out.

Limited Edition Tarte Kiss & Belle LipSurgence Lip Set.

Limited Edition Tarte Kiss & Belle LipSurgence Lip Set. 

This set contains:

4 deluxe LipSurgence lip tints in Dreamy (raspberry), Alluring (nude mauve), Innocent (beige nude) and Dainty (pale pink).
2 deluxe LipSurgence matte lip tints in Eternal (pink nude) and Fancy (plum berry).
2 deluxe LipSurgence lipglosses in Kiss (light pink) and Belle (raspberry).

For some reason, the Alluring LipSurgence in my set has the word matte on it, though it's definitely not a matte lip colour, as you'll see from the swatches later.

Keep reading after the jump!

I Love Nail Polish (ILNP) - Bishop (H) Review & Swatches.

Hi lovelies!

Wow, it has been ages since my last polish post, which is crazy because I've always got polish on! Where has the time gone, this year has simply flown by!

I wanted to share a simple manicure with you, and that's a gorgeous duochrome polish from I Love Nail Polish, one of my favourite indie polish stores. Barbara, the owner of ILNP, is based in the States, so shipping can be a little on the expensive side, but her polishes are truly gorgeous and completely worth it. I've got about twenty of her polishes, I think, and almost all are holographics.

Bishop (H) is the holographic version of an earlier polish (Bishop) that she released. Bishop (H) is a pale olive green shade that tends towards gold with the right lighting. These polishes don't require a base polish to truly pop, and you can also see tiny holographic particles suspended in the polish even when it's dry.

I Love Nail Polish Bishop (H) in shade.

Keep reading after the jump!

Laura Mercier Mini Caviar Stick Eye Colour Collection Review & Swatches!

Hi lovelies!

I've got a product review to share today on a Christmas set I picked up in part 1 of my birthday haul. I love cream shadows and shadow pencils as they make great eye makeup bases, and are also a great option when you're pressed for time as you just need a swipe across your lids and you're ready to go. All of these are why I couldn't resist getting the Laura Mercier mini caviar stick eye colour collection.

 Laura Mercier mini caviar stick eye colour collection.

This collection includes six cream eyeshadow pencils in Khaki (dirty green), Moonlight (pewter), Cocoa (chocolate brown), Amethyst (mauve brown), Copper (metallic bronze) and Rosegold (dusky pink gold). Moonlight, Amethst, Copper and Rosegold are quite metallic and shimmery, while Khaki and Cocoa are almost matte in appearance, with just a slight amount of sheen. Each cream shadow is packaged in a handy twist up crayon, which eliminates the need for sharpening.

 Laura Mercier mini caviar stick eye colour collection in Khaki, Moonlight, Cocoa, Amethyst, Rosegold and Copper.

Keep reading after the jump!

2014 Birthday Haul Part 1 - Sephora Malaysia and Laura Mercier.

Hi lovelies!

My birthday was a couple of weeks ago, which just happened to coincide with a Sephora Malaysia 20% off sale. As a result, I decided to pop in and stock up on some staples, as well as spend a little (okay, most) of my birthday money. It worked pretty well as I was pleasantly surprised to see some of the Christmas sets available at Sephora Malaysia, and as I could actually swatch the products, it made it a lot easier to decide if I should purchase or not. Let's take a look at what I purchased, shall we?

First up, here's everything that I purchased in one flatlay photo!

Birthday Haul Part 1 - Sephora Malaysia and Laura Mercier.

Top row: Laura Mercier Mini Caviar Stick Eye Colour Collection and Ciate London Haute House Collection (Rich Ink Formula).
Middle row: Tarte Kiss & Belle Lip Surgence Collection, Sephora Toffee Moisturising Body Lotion and Shu Uemura POREfinist Fresh Cleansing Oil.
Bottom row: Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Foundation, Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer, Benefit Cosmetics birthday gift and Sephora Collection Daily Makeup Brush Cleanser.

Keep reading after the jump!

Paypal Blogger Collaboration International Christmas Giveaway!

Hi lovelies!

Christmas is a season of giving, and it's definitely one of my favourite holidays. With Christmas just around the corner, I'm teaming up with my blogger friends to bring you a giveaway where you can win AUD$200 cash (payment made via paypal). Think how much makeup that could buy!

Don't forget to visit the lovely bloggers I'm collaborating with:

Jasmine from Sweetaholic Beauty
Kat from Kitsch Snitch
Sophie from Born to Buy
Abby from Shrinking Wallet
Talia from Glossy Confidential
Ash from The Beauty Collection
Tried and Tested Blog

Entering is really simple, all you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter widget below! Here are some simple rules to follow.

Rules:
1. Open internationally.
2. Must be 18 or older to enter.
3. Must have paypal account or provide bank details if in Australia.
4. No giveaway blogs/accounts.
5. Disqualification WILL occur if you enter false details two or more times.
6. Winner must respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen.
7. We reserve the right to modify anything about this giveaway.
8. Follow to then unfollow after the giveaway results in you being disqualified from future giveaways.
9. Giveaway ends 21 December 2014 at 12AM AEDT.

Good luck, and Merry Christmas! ♥

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Much love,
MM.
x

Hourglass Limited Edition Ambient Blush Wardrobe Review + Swatches.

Hi lovelies!

Remember all the hype about the Hourglass Ambient Powder Wardrobe? Hourglass have done it again by creating a limited edition Ambient Blush Wardrobe! If you're a beauty fanatic, chances are you'd have seen this baby popping up everywhere on social media, as the hype has been phenomenal! As with the Powder Wardrobe, you get two shades from their regular range (Luminous Flush and Mood Exposure), as well as a limited edition shade (Incandescent Electra) that's exclusive to this palette. I'd always wanted to try the Ambient blushes, so I really jumped at the chance to pick up a palette with three shades included. While it's true that the pans in palettes are smaller than the full sized ones, it's seldom that I hit pan on a full sized product so I'm always in favour of palettes as you get more shades to add to your collection.

Hourglass Limited Edition Ambient Blush Wardrobe.

Hourglass Limited Edition Ambient Blush Wardrobe.

Keep reading after the jump!

Klara Cosmetics Shimmer Eyeshadow Rose Gold Collection and Kiss Proof lipstick in Lilac Lover Review + Swatches.

Hi lovelies!

I've got some pretty new things to share with you today, and that's a lovely little goodie box that arrived a few weeks ago from Klara Cosmetics! In case you aren't familiar with Klara Cosmetics, they're an amazing Australian company which make gorgeous eyeshadows and liquid lipsticks.

I've got a mini Kiss Proof lippy from them which I absolutely adore, so I couldn't help but do a little jig of excitement when this stylish black box arrived. Let's take a look inside, shall we?

There were four beautiful single shadows from the shimmer shadow Rose Gold collection, and a mini matte Kiss Proof in #12 - Lilac Lover! As the name infers, the shadows in the rose gold collection have a slight duochrome effect, with the base colour being quite deep and a slight rose gold sheen on the surface. Now, I'm an avid lover of anything rose gold, so I was really happy to see this collection!

The four shadows are described as follows:

Rose Gold Azure - shimmery azure blue with slight gold tones
Rose Gold Amethyst - shimmery purple with golden tones
Rose Gold Jungle - shimmery deep green with golden tones
Rose Gold Nude - satin nude with pretty gold tones

Keep reading after the jump!

Halloween Gory Blood Splattered Nails!

Hi lovelies!

Here are a few photos of the Blood Splattered nails I'm wearing for Halloween! I used stamping for these, using my Bundle Monster plate in BM416, over white polish. I mixed in a little black Konad polish with the red Konad polish for added definition.

I purposely stamped as messily as possible, and left them looking bloody in my Halloween Zombie Doll post, but I've cleaned them up in the photos below.

Keep reading after the jump!

Halloween Zombie Doll Makeup Look and How-To!

Hi lovelies,

Happy Halloween! If you are a long time reader, you'll know how much I love Halloween! There's a lot of fun to be hard getting into the spirit of it. I also adore watching the little kids get all dressed up for Trick or Treating.

Unfortunately, I don't have much of my makeup stash with me here in Malaysia, so I was really restricted with what I could come up with. As a result, I tried getting creative with some simple makeup (heavy contouring, pink and black eyeshadow and a liquid liner). Big thanks to my friend Kris for helping me name this look, which she coined 'Zombie Doll'!

Before I go any further, I will apologise for the terrible quality of the photos...The lighting in my bedroom here is terribly yellow in photos, and I also didn't have my camera with me so I had to make do with using the camera on my iPhone. I was kicking myself for not waiting to do this look in the daytime, but somehow, inspiration only strikes at night for me! I managed to take close up photos of my nails in daylight, so they turned out much better than the makeup photos I took last night. Check out my Halloween nails post here.

Keep reading after the jump!

Sephora October 2014 Beauty Haul!

Hi lovelies!

If you follow me on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook, you might have seen my sneak peek of a Sephora box that arrived on Monday! A good friend of mine made a trip over there and was kind enough to offer to post a box of goodies to me in Malaysia if I wanted anything, and naturally, I had to take her up on it! It was the same time that a selected bunch of popular products went on sale (think Hourglass Ambient Blush Palette and Urban Decay Vice 3 Palette), so it was really fortuitous timing! There was a bit of interest in what I had purchased, so here is my haul post, as promised. This haul was made over a couple of orders so I got quite a few samples and freebies too! There are also a couple of mini rollerball perfumes I purchased which aren't in the photos; my friend is looking after these for me as they couldn't be posted over regular mail. Be warned, this is going to be really photo heavy!

First up, here's the full photo with everything I ordered...

Sephora October 2014 Haul

Keep reading after the jump!

A little update!

Hi lovelies,

I just wanted to give you a little update as to where I've been for the past three weeks, I apologise for not having posted much but it's been rather an eventful time!

As you might know, I'm currently in Malaysia spending time with my immediate family, and helping my dad out with his company. It's been really great being at home with my parents and extended family (cousins/aunts/uncles) as I've been away for 12 years! I have to admit, it's quite a different lifestyle from my life in Melbourne; I've pretty much lost touch with most of my old friends here what with being away for so long, and many of my close friends who previously lived here have also moved abroad. Isn't it funny how making new friends becomes a lot harder as you get older? I'm also not as familiar with the roads and such, so in some ways, it's almost like being in a new place all over again!

Also, my grandmother passed away two weeks ago, so there was quite a bit to do in terms of the wake and the funeral. I was asked to write and give the eulogy on behalf of the family, as I'm her eldest grandchild! It was actually quite nice writing it as it brought back a lot of memories from my younger days. She was pretty elderly (86 years old), and had been suffering from Alzheimers, so the entire family is glad that she isn't suffering any longer.

Last week was the Hindu festival of Deepavali/Diwali, which is the Festival of Lights. We didn't celebrate fully due to my grandmother's passing, but the entire family got together for it, which was lovely as I haven't been home for it in years. My cousins/nephews flew in from Melbourne and my aunt was visiting from Switzerland, so it was wonderful spending the day together! I also had the chance to put on an ethnic outfit and wear some Indian accessories, including a henna tattoo (which I had done at a street festival), so I'll share some photos below!

Keep reading after the jump!

In Essence Balance and Harmony Gift Set!

Hi lovelies!

Hello from Malaysia! I'm currently in Malaysia for a couple of months spending time with family, but I wanted to share my thoughts on a couple of products that were getting a lot of use with me in Melbourne just before I left! Now, regular readers and Instagram followers will know that I love gorgeous home decor products like scented candles, but I wanted to try something different and get into the regular use of essential oils.

As a result, let me introduce you to the Balance and Harmony Gift Set* from In Essence!

Keep reading after the jump!

Floral Konad Stamping Manicures.

Hi lovelies!

I've been going crazy with stamping manicures this week! A friend gave me some gorgeous stamping polishes to test out as she's planning on bringing out a range soon, and the colours were so gorgeous, it inspired me to take out my stamping plates and get adventurous!

For the first mani, I used Konad plate M89 and stamped rose polish over black for all nails except my ring finger, where I used purple polish over black (Liquid Vinyl from ORLY). I really liked this mani, and it got me a lot of compliments from strangers as I was out and about!

With the second mani, I decided to use a different design from the same Konad plate (M89) for my ring finger, and then used the lotus and butterfly designs from Konad plate M39 for the remaining fingers. I used violet (with black randomly scraped over the plate to give definition) for the butterflies, and scarlet for the lotus flowers (also with black for definition), stamped over Sally Hansen White On. I also stamped the violet polish over Rimmel Black Cherry for the ring finger, which gave it an interesting blue tinge!

I'm pretty pleased with these stamping efforts, the second mani took me a lot longer to do because I kept messing things up, but overall, I think I did pretty well for a beginner!

What do you think, lovelies? Do you like these? Which manicure do you prefer?

Much love,
MM.
x

Liptember 2014 - Kiss Away the Blues with Liptember Pink & A Makeup Look!

Hi lovelies,

September is Liptember month, so I wanted to do something special in honour of it. If you aren't familiar with Liptember, it's all about having fun with lipstick for a serious cause - Women's Mental Health, which includes anxiety, depression, post natal depression, menopausal change, dementia and self-image. All funds raised in September are donated to Liptember's mental health beneficiaries; the Centre for Women's Mental Health and LIFELINE.If you'd like to know more about Liptember, check out the post I did last year (click here) or visit the Liptember website for more information.

You can participate in Liptember through three different ways:

a) Purchasing an official Liptember lipstick from My Chemist, Chemist Warehouse and My Beauty Spot or online;
b) Fundraising by pledging to wear an official Liptember lipstick every day during the whole month of September, and asking your family and friends to sponsor you (it's never too late to join in!!!); and,
c) Sponsoring someone who is participating in Liptember by donating on the website.

This year, things were run a bit differently, because not only did the official Liptember lipsticks include the usual Revlon lipsticks and the challenge neon lipsticks (purple, blue, green, red, pink, yellow), but also some very wearable shades of pink! I was fortunate enough to receive two shades of pink in the mail (Party Pink and Fuschia) but I also purchased Sex Bomb and Fluorescent Blue from Chemist Warehouse.

L-R: W7 Liptember Lipsticks in Sex Bomb, Party Pink, Fuschia and Fluorescent Blue.

Before I go further, I'll just show you the four Liptember lipsticks I own. I can say that these are actually really remarkable lipsticks as they are soft, balmy and very moisturising, all while offering great pigmentation! Very impressive indeed, especially when you consider the affordable $5 pricetag (though I have heard that some Chemist Warehouse stores are now offering them for 3 for $10).

Keep reading after the jump!

CasualCurl - The Easy Way to Achieve Kate Middleton Hair!

Hi lovelies,

Have you heard of CasualCurl*? CasualCurl* is a long roller that creates lovely, loose waves/curls rather effortlessly! It's made from rather high tech stuff, comprising aerospace technology high temperature resistance material, which means that it won't over-heat or damage your hair, as it works by heating from the inside, not the outside. It's also endorsed by multi-award winning and Australian hairdresser of the year, Brad Ngata.

CasualCurl in Orange

CasualCurl

 Keep reading after the jump!

An Abundance of Nail Art - Blue/Green, Orange/Red and Metallic/Black Manicures!

Hi lovelies,

A couple of weeks ago, I participated in a nail art challenge hosted by one of my favourite websites, Beautyheaven! They had four weeks with different themes per week, and all you had to do was submit a mani fitting each theme. I love participating in challenges because it really gets your creativity flowing!

Week 1 was purple/pink so here's what I came up with.

Week 2 was green/blue, which I kinda struggled with, so I ended up going with light blue polish as a base with green stamping on the top. I did actually create another look but I decided I didn't like it so I wasn't going to share it!

 Keep reading after the jump!

August 2014 Lust Have It Review!

Hi lovelies!

I received my August Lust Have It this past Friday, so it was running a bit late again last month. The August box was the birthday box so I had certain expectations of it; let's take a look at what I received, shall we?

BioElixia Body Shaper Stretch Mark Diminishing Cream (full sized)

Essenzza Fuss Free Naturals Face Wipes in Green Tea and Vitamin C (full sized + mini wipes)

ELEVEN Australia Miracle Hair Treatment (full sized)

Bioderma Crealine H20 (deluxe sample)

MARSK eyeshadow brush (full sized)

There was also a handful of discount vouchers and pamphlets which I probably won't use. Everything was packaged in the pretty pink mesh bag we received from previous months (pictured below).

August 2014 Lust Have It box

 Keep reading after the jump!

Date Night Perfume Ideas, featuring Burberry Body, Ricci Ricci and Roberto Cavalli!

Hi lovelies,

As some of you may know, I have quite a large perfume collection, and I tend to decide on what I'm wearing based on what I'm planning to do. Do you ever find yourself stumped as to what sort of fragrances to wear for special occasions, such as date nights? If so, never fear, I have a few favourites to share that might give you some ideas!

When it comes to date night perfumes, I like to wear light, yet longlasting scents that will last the duration of the date, without having to carry some along to freshen up the scent. The idea is to be low key and not have your date think you had a bath in the scent, but just to have an enticing ribbon of sillage (perfume speak for the trail that's left behind as you walk through an area) reach out to entice his senses every now and then!

Here are some tried and tested favourites I commonly reach for, which not only go the distance, but also get me heaps of compliments along the way!

Nina Ricci Ricci Ricci eau de parfum

I have a weakness for Nina Ricci scents and this has to be my favourite of the lot (which says a lot)! The purple bottle is simply gorgeous, with a lovely design emulating a ribbon built into the top. I classify this as a sweet floral, with top notes of rhubarb, bergamot and moonflower, mid notes of rose and tuberose, and base notes of patchouli and sandalwood. I just repurchased my second bottle of this!

Introducing Tanda Modern, and a Review (Vanilla Hazelnut, Tahitian Lime & Coconut and Oak Moss & Amber Candles).

Hi lovelies,

If you're a candle lover like I am, you'll need to pay special attention to this post! I absolutely adore candles, they really add to the ambience at home and have great value as decorative pieces. My favourite types of candles are scented soy candles, because they burn cleanly, last a long time and have great throw (i.e. deliver a wider ranging scent). I've also always wanted to try wood wick candles because I'd heard they sound just like real fires!

All of this was why I was really excited when I discovered local Victorian company Tanda Modern. I have to confess a soft spot for Melbourne based products, it's always lovely to try products made locally! I was thrilled at the opportunity to try some of their handmade candles and soy melts, so let's take a look at them, shall we?

First of all, I loved the packaging; the glass jars were simple, yet elegant, and the grey boxes they arrived in were sturdy and classy in design. All of these arrived packaged in a much larger box with plenty of foam bubbles for protection.

Tanda Modern handmade candles and soy melts.

Keep reading after the jump!

August 2014 Violet Box Review!

Hi lovelies!

This month's Violet Box just snuck in before the end of the month, as I received it two days ago! I was really excited to get this month's box thanks to the sneak peek we received last month.

Here's what I received in this month's box:

Evelyn Iona Lipgloss in Susan (full sized)

Foltene Eyelash and Eyebrow Treatment (full sized)

Be a Bombshell Eyeshadow Quad in New York City (full sized)

Camille Beckman Tuscan Honey Glycerine Hand Therapy (deluxe sample)

Appelles Rosemary Body Bar Soap (full sized)

On to photos!

August 2014 Violet Box

Keep reading after the jump!

Five minutes with...Joanna, founder of Shanghai Suzy (and a Giveaway)!

Hi lovelies!

If you've been keeping up with the blog, you'll know I promised you an interview a few weeks ago with the gorgeous Joanna from Shanghai Suzy lipsticks (read my review of the lipsticks here)! So, without further ado, let's kick this interview off and get to know the lovely owner/manager behind the sexy lipstick brand!

A former model, Jo came from a marketing background, specialising in cosmetics marketing, brand management and new product development. Often asked why she chose to found a lipstick-only brand, she explains that she really wanted a go-to lipstick brand where customers could find all the 'in' shades each season for an affordable price, a concept she felt was absent in the market. A big fan of communicating one message and focusing on one thing at a time, she structured her company along the same premise.

Jo from Shanghai Suzy.
(image taken from Shanghai Suzy)

Keep reading after the jump!

Éllie Makeup and Makeup Look!

Hi lovelies!

Have you heard of éllie makeup before? The line was founded by a lovely Melbourne makeup artist, named, you guessed it, Ellie! I had the opportunity to meet Ellie earlier this year when one of my best friends got married, as she was the makeup artist responsible for the entire bridal party. Now, I'm no stranger to getting my makeup done, but Ellie really impressed me as she had my entire face done from scratch in twenty minutes, which included the application of false lashes! 

I did go ahead and purchase the lipstick she used on me for my friend's wedding earlier this year (it's called Luxe Lisse Creme), so when I was offered the chance to try some of the other makeup in her collection, I jumped at the opportunity! I also decided to create a makeup look using her products, which you can find below. I was sent a mineral liquid powder foundation (a liquid which dries to an almost powderlike finish) in Sandy Beige, the 5 eye palette in Smoulder and a blush/bronzer duo in Sunset. I also used the lipstick which I had purchased from her in this look; it's called Sleek, the texture is really creamy and comfortable on the lips. Unfortunately, I forgot to include it in the photos below! Epic beauty blogger fail!

Éllie makeup products:  5 eye palette in Smoulder, foundation in Sandy Beige and bronzer/blush duo in Sunset.

Éllie makeup products:  5 eye palette in Smoulder, foundation in Sandy Beige and bronzer/blush duo in Sunset.

Keep reading after the jump!

Pink and purple nail art!

Hi lovelies,

Here's a pink and purple nail art manicure I came up with. I used OPI Pink Friday for the base, and then used a fine tipped brush to draw lines using BYS polish in Ultra Violet. It was really easy and barely took any time at all!

Keep reading after the jump!

Shanghai Suzy - The Autumn/Winter 2014 Collection.

Hi lovelies!

Have you heard of Shanghai Suzy lipsticks? I love the name; it brings to mind a girl who seems fun, fearless and exotic! The memorable name isn't the only thing interesting about the brand; it specialises solely in lipsticks, and it's based here in Melbourne! Launched exactly a year ago by Melbourne model and former cosmetics marketing executive Joanna Wheaton, Joanna felt there was a need in the Australian market for affordable, high quality lipsticks. Each lipstick by the brand is limited edition, so once it's gone, it's gone for good! On occasion, however, a lipstick may be reintroduced due to high demand.

Shanghai Suzy lipsticks.

Eight of the lipsticks I'm about to show you are from the current Autumn/Winter Collection*, which was launched in March of this year, while the last lipstick is a special collaboration with Melbourne singer Gossling. I have heard that the new collection will be released next month, so if you like any of the colours I'm about to show you, hop to it quick before they're all gone!

Let's talk packaging, shall we? I think the jet-black, square tubes with embossed silver labelling are simple, stylish and sexy (if it's not odd to apply that term to a lipstick, I'm not the only one who does that, am I?). The top is stamped with the colour while the bottom has the name printed on it, so it's easy to pick out which one you're after. It also locks together very securely (more on that later), so there's no chance of it accidentally coming apart in your bag and smearing everything with your (limited edition) lipstick! Win!

Can I just say, it's such a pleasure to photograph lipstick tubes that aren't rolling off the surface in all directions! Ahh, the gorgeousness. Prepare yourselves for LOTS of photos!

Shanghai Suzy lipsticks.

 Keep reading after the jump!

Teeez Trend Cosmetics - Carmine Craze.

Hi lovelies!

Happy Friday! It's freezing, hailing and thundering here in Melbourne, so I hope you're staying warm and dry if you're based here too! And if you aren't, lucky you!

A couple of weeks ago, I introduced you to Carmine Craze by Teeez Trend Cosmetics, which I received in my June Lust Have It Box. In case you weren't aware, Carmine is a deep red pigment which is found in a lot of food/cosmetics/paint products. In this case, it's quite an apt name as the shade is what I'd call a deep rusty red. A couple of readers asked to see it on my nails, so here it is!

The colour was really pretty, but unfortunately, this polish was a little hard to work with. The design of the bottle (while gorgeous), is quite slim, and unfortunately, the brush wand was a little too thick. This meant that quite a lot of polish built up on the neck of the bottle each time it was pulled out. The polish itself applied quite well, but I did notice early tip wear within a day or two even with the use of my regular base and topcoat (which I use for all my manicures).

Overall, it's quite a pretty choice for our current winter conditions, particularly if you don't mind only wearing it for a day or two.

What do you think of this, lovelies? Are you a fan of the shade?

Much love,
MM.
x

July 2014 Lust Have It Review!

Hi lovelies,

Apologies for having two subscription box posts one after the other, I usually try to space these out a bit but they arrived so close together that I thought you might want to see it ASAP! Fortunately, this box (or is that bag) arrived in time, unlike the June box! The packaging has changed from the clear, plastic makeup bag we received last month to this gorgeous pink mesh bag, which I actually prefer!

July 2014 Lust Have It Box

Here's what I received in my July box:

MARSK Mineral Eyeshadow in Black Comedy (full sized)

La Mav Organic BB Creme (full sized)

Ardell Self-Adhesive Lashes in 109S (full sized)

Designer Brands Nail Polish in Shimmer 136 (full sized)

Aveda Botanical Kinetics Gel Cleanser (sample sized)

All in all, not too bad a box with four full sized items! Let's take a look at the photos:

July 2014 Lust Have It Box.

Keep reading after the jump!

July 2014 Violet Box Review!

Hi lovelies!

My July Violet box arrived today and I decided I had to jump on immediately to share the contents with you! Ready to see what's in this month's box?

VB released new packaging this month, so it's now in a 'slide-out' white box instead of the sleek black flip-top boxes previously used. I do like the new packaging but I will miss the old ones, the boxes came in very handy! Here's what I received in this month's box:

Skin & Co Truffle Therapy Serum (deluxe sample)

Sukin Skin Purifying Facial Mask (deluxe sample)

KMS California Hair Play Molding Paste (deluxe sample)

LAQA & Co Sheer Lip Lube Pencil (full sized)

Dr Hauschka Lavender Saandalwood Calming Body Wash (deluxe sample)

So Susan Flutter Mascara (full sized)

Beyonce Rise perfumed sachet (this wasn't on the description card so it's just an extra)

There was also a sneak peek of an item in next month's Violet Box, a Be a Bombshell eyeshadow quad! I, for one, can't wait for that, I love Be a Bombshell products!

July 2014 Violet Box with new packaging.

Keep reading after the jump!

Introducing Playboy Five Shades of Grey - Velvet Party Collection!

Hi lovelies,

Everyone has heard of the famous Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy; which, incidentally, I didn't actually find particularly interesting, did you? Anyhow, I digress. While I knew that Playboy make some lovely body sprays (which I'm totally addicted to spraying on after my shower and before applying perfume), I didn't know they had polishes in their range! I couldn't resist when I was offered the chance to try them, so here are five gorgeous shades from the Velvet Party Collection, aptly titled, Five Shades of Grey*!

Playboy Five Shades of Grey - Velvet Party Collection

Each of the shades have been given a sexy Slavic name, which is pretty apt as some of the shades are simply stunning, dark and mysterious, much like something a spy would wear (my imagination might be getting a wee bit carried away here). Word of warning, this is going to be a very photo heavy post, so pull up a chair and get comfy, as I take you through the five shades of grey from the Playboy range.

Keep reading after the jump!

June 2014 Lust Have It Review!

Hi lovelies,

June review, I hear you ask? Isn't it mid July now? You'd be right, lovelies, and I'm not sure what happened but I somehow only received my June LHI Box and FaB box yesterday! I think there was some mix-up with my boxes, which is admittedly a little frustrating, but since LHI were excellent with their customer service regarding the delay and the boxes were provided for review, I think we can overlook it. I'm going to separate the reviews and do an abbreviated post for each box, because I'll probably have two more reviews to share shortly when the July boxes go out! Here's what I received in my June box:

Teeez Trendy Cosmetics Head Over Heels Nail Lacquer in Carmine Craze (full sized)

John Plunkett Glyco Peel (full sized)

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo (deluxe sample)

ORLY mini nail files (deluxe samples) and toe separators (full sized)

Nuxe Creme Nirvanesque and Creme Nirvanesque Eye Contour (sachets)

Everything was packaged in the cute Lustre Beauty beauty bag, and there was also a discount code for $20 off a Lust Have It branded makeup brush set and another discount card for $30 off a Hello Fresh subscription.

Moving on to photos:

June 2014 Lust Have It Review.

 Keep reading after the jump!

Essence Limited Edition Dark Romance Collection and Product Reviews (plus details on an Instagram giveaway)!

Hi lovelies!

Another day, another gorgeous limited edition collection from our favourite budget brand...Essence Cosmetics! The Dark Romance Collection is exclusive to Priceline, and truth be told, I wanted it even sight unseen purely because of the name! Fortunately, I managed to fall in love with most of the products just based on how beautiful they were, and purchase my pick of the lot. It was really exciting to see the whole collection available, as the limited edition collections sell out so quickly, but disappointing to see that the store had only received a couple of each item, which explains why the collections sell out so quickly! They did say they'd be receiving new stock in again soon, so do check back often if you missed out on the first batch.

(Taken from the Essence Australia website)

Anyhow, without further ado, let me introduce you to a few items from the Dark Romance Collection. I actually purchased these before they had been set up on the display stand, so I don't have any photos of the stand. I also didn't purchase all the items available from the collection; there are two different eyeliners, three other polish shades, another eyeshadow quad, body tattoos and a different blush available in addition to the products I'm about to show you.

I purchased the cream highlighter in Light Up! ($5.35), nail art decoration kit ($4.50), lipsticks in Red Romance and Painted Love ($3.50 each), lipglosses in Light Up! and Black Shadow ($3.50 each), polish in Dark Night Starlight ($3.25), velvet mousse blush in Red Romance ($4.50) and eyeshadow quad in Mystery Glam ($5.35).

Items purchased from the Essence Dark Romance Collection.

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How To: Create Goddess Waves.

Hi lovelies!

Welcome to my first ever hair tutorial! This is going to be a bit photo heavy so do bear with me. Before we start, I most commonly wear my hair straight and sleek, so here's what it normally looks like.

Lately, though, I've really been loving wearing my hair in curls and waves, so I thought I'd share my technique on how to get voluminous waves. I asked a friend for suggestions on what to call this look and she went with 'Goddess Waves', so that's what I'm sticking with!

It's quite simple and all you will need are these five simple items; a curling iron (preferably one without a clamp, I'm using the Remington Tribal Tong), a good hair treatment (*muk Argan Oil), a salt spray (DeLorenzo Elements Ocean Mist), a shimmer spray (*Kevin Murphy shimmer shine) and a large comb.

Products needed for this look.

Keep reading after the jump!