Tried & Loved - Origins GinZing Brightening Mascara

When it comes to mascara, I have tried a LOT of different types over the years. From drugstore brands, to high end brands that you would think would have to deliver exceptional results for the price they charge for their products... but quite often I am left disappointed at both ends of the spectrum. I am forever on a search for the holy grail of each product I use on a daily basis, and you know what - I think for daily mascara this might be it for me! Origins Ginzing Brightening Mascara has really impressed me.

Described on the Kit cosmetics website as:
"Thanks to a bold, new brush complete with advanced bristle technology that is exclusive to Origins, GinZing™ Brightening mascara to lengthen and lift glides on easily, coating each lash from root to tip to visibly boost and define even the sparsest lashes. Even after multiple applications, eyelashes appear long, lush and clump-free, never spider-like. GinZing™ Brightening mascara is long wearing, smudge-proof and flake-proof yet is easily removable and safe for contact lens wearers."

For me, I can say that I find all of these statements to be true!

I was suggested this mascara by a friend who works in the beauty industry as it was a new product (around 4 months ago in Australia I think) and she had really liked it herself. At first when I tried it it felt so foreign! The brush is a lot thicker than any that I had used previously so I kept poking myself with it (silly I know!). Because of that I didn't immediately fall in love. I left the product and used it from time to time and after a little while and getting used to the brush I suddenly realised one day - WOW, this mascara is sensational!

What I love about the Origins Ginzing Brightening Mascara is that it really does everything that is says it will on the packaging (lengthen and lift) and in an effortless way. I can get perfectly separated, long dark lashes within moments because the brush coats them perfectly every time. I liked the way this mascara looked so much that I stripped back my daily makeup routine for work to just be a quick coat of eyeshadow, mascara and some blush. It really opens my eyes and makes my lashes long and lush and there's no fiddling with the brush or clumps of mascara to contend with.

The mascara formula isn't too thick, it doesn't clump, it's not too runny. I find that personally I like to wipe off a little excess mascara when I take it out from the tube as the opening is quite wide, then it applies perfectly and prevents any excess on my lashes. When I opened the tube for the first time I noticed that it's super black too, and this is great for anyone that might have lighter lashes, but even mine are noticeably bolder with this.

As far as how long the product lasts I would say Kit have described it perfectly. It's long lasting (so much so that when I have been naughty and worn it overnight it still looks great when I wake up), smudge proof and flake proof (I can wear it all day for work without any flaking, and then wear it to a hectic 2 hour crossfit session and sweat the rest of my makeup off and it still won't smudge - unless I rub my eyes of course which would be silly), and even with all this it's still really easy to remove! Most of it comes off in the shower when I wash my face, and then a little normal makeup remover removes the rest. Superb!

Below you can see it on my eyes. This was just a quick day of makeup for work and it would have taken me about 5 minutes to do all of my makeup for the day, yet my lashes are still looking long and separated! Love it.

I have had my mascara for about 4 months now and it hasn't dried out or changed consistency at all. I'll definitely repurchase this one!

You can purchase this mascara from Kit Cosmetics, or Mecca Cosmetics in Australia for only $26 - SUCH a great price. That's as cheap as some of the drugstore brand mascaras! And on both websites it has a 5 star rating. :)

Have you tried this mascara or anything else from the Origins range? What's your holy grail every day mascara? x

Tried & Loved - Biotherm Holiday Pack

The festive season is upon us, and I don't know about you guys but I LOVE this time of year as it means all the amazing Holiday packs start hitting the shelves! <3 It's a great way to pick up some new products you've had your eye on in a great value pack, or of course to give as a gift (but who can stop from buying themselves presents as well when you're out shopping for others?! hehe)

Today I have a GREAT pack that I've tested out from Biotherm, and it comes in the cutest packaging ever - with an even greater cause behind it! 

As soon as I saw this box I fell in love. I'm such a sucker for cute packaging, and this fancy little under the sea theme in stand-out foils is a divine! Biotherm has collaborated with Swedish illustrator Ingela Peterson Arrhenius for the beautiful design and a minimum of 250,000€ from the sales of these limited editions will go to the global ocean charity, Mission Blue, founded by renowned oceanographer  Dr Sylvia Earle, for the protection of the Ross Sea in Antarctica. How great is that! So if you want to give a gift that gives back, this one is a beauty. 

But aside from the brilliant packaging, I must say I am super impressed with the Biotherm products within! I haven't tried much from their range prior to this, but I was aware of the brand so when I was given the chance to give it a test run I jumped on it! 

This holiday pack featured includes:

- 50 ml BIOSOURCE HYDRA-MINERAL CLEANSER NORMAL SKIN - cleansing mousse with zinc to balance normal and combination skin

- 125 ml BIOSOURCE HYDRA-MINERAL CLEANSER NORMAL SKIN - toning water with zinc to balance normal and combination skin

- 50 ml AQUASOURCE NON-STOP MOISTURISER NORMAL AND COMBINATION SKIN - 24h* deep hydration replenishing gel with thermal plankton cellular water

The cleanser is a super rich hydrating paste that you rub in your hands with water until it's creamy, then cleanse your face as normal. It has a really mild scent and what I can only describe as a "clean" smell to it. It easily removed all traces of makeup (apart from my eyes which should be avoided as with most cleansers) and it left my skin feeling soft and supple. A lot of cleansers can leave my skin feeling a bit tight and dry and I feel like I need to tone and moisturise straight away to get my skin feeling back to normal, but this was definitely not the case with this cleanser. My skin just felt great! It's really mild on the skin and I think it would be suitable for young and older skin. It contains 70 revitalising minerals, 5,000L* of thermal spring water (*reduced to the concentration of pure extract of thermal plankton) PLUS Zinc, formulated to balance normal and combination skin. No wonder my skin felt so refreshed after using it. Haha. 

The toner is just as mild as the cleanser, but with great results again. After using it my skin isn't irritated at all, but it feels like I get rid of everything that might be left lingering on my face. My skin feels smooth and soft afterwards and it takes only a few moments for it to dry and my skin to be back to it's natural state. The toner has less scent than the cleanser, but is in the same neutral scent range and just further impresses the "clean" feeling on me. I love that this isn't abrasive at all and would be great for everyday use, and again perfect for a range of skin types. 

The gel moisturiser is probably the most scented of all the products in this range, but the scent fades after it soaks into your skin. The moisturising gel feels extremely luxurious from the classic glass packaging, all the way to the intensely refreshing feeling it leaves on your skin as you apply it. I could sit and apply this stuff all day, but I really don't need to (darn, haha). The gel soaks in quite quickly, but the results are long lasting. I often only wear powder coverage to work and this balances out any dryness that can come with that perfectly. My face feels soft, supple and hydrated all day. 

When I started using this I had a few small breakouts and I can say that this has definitely improved the appearance of my skin and stopped any further breakouts from occurring  I get a bit worried with hydrating facial products that my skin will look oily by the end of the day, but this set has proven that completely wrong. The zinc included balanced my skin out perfectly and I love that the moisturiser is a gel; it worked wonderfully for my combination skin. This set is for normal/combination skin, but the Biotherm range with these holiday sets includes a range of products to suit every skin type. You can check out the rest of the packs and range on their website here.  

Overall I am blown away with the quality of these products and it's no wonder as the company has been creating wonderful skin care products since 1952!

You can pick up this perfect holiday treat that gives and gives back from Myer and any of the stores/sites listed on their website here for $64. 

And as a special offer right now if you'd like to try these products for free you can click the link: http://www.biotherm.com.au/club/christmasoffer/ , download the voucher and head in-store to Myer for a free sample! See if you love these products just as much as I did and grab a pack while you still can. :)

Have you tried anything from the Biotherm range before? What do you think about this cute holiday packaging? x

Tried & Loved - Facial Fresh - Vitamin C - Cloth Facial Treatment Mask

Recently I was lucky enough to test the Facial Fresh - Vitamin C - Cloth Facial Treatment Mask and I'm happy to share that it was an easy, rewarding experience! 

The cloth masks are something that I've seen appearing a little bit more frequently lately, and I have to say that I'm definitely a fan. They are super easy to use and to clean up after. The packaging is small and neat so they travel well, and because they're packed individually you never have issues with them drying out. 

Applying the mask is as easy as described in the 3 step diagram on the back of the packaging seen in the photo above. Remove the mask from the silver foil fresh packet (be careful as you're opening this as I found there is quite a lot of liquid within to keep the mask fully soaked - no skimping here!), then fit the mask to your face lining up the eye, nose and mouth holes provided. The mask is quite wet with the active liquid so it sticks really well, and there is plenty of room to breathe through the holes provided, I was even able to eat with it on (I was hungry and couldn't wait, hehe). I left the mask on for around 15 - 20 minutes as suggested and the mask stayed moist the whole time. Taking it off was simple, and I opted to rub the leftover moisture into my skin. 

The Vitamin C mask that I tested is described on the Facial Fresh website as: 

"Brighten and energise dull or lack-lustre skin, with a boost of youthful radiance. With its immediate invigorating effects, the Vitamin C Mask leaves skin looking clear, revitalised and glowing with health. One of the most favoured natural antioxidants, Vitamin C helps nourish and protect skin cells. Suitable for all skin types, including mature skin.

Each Facial Fresh face mask delivers a precise dose of fresh concentrated serum to your skin in hygienically sealed sachets."

The mask definitely felt like it delivered as the description suggests. After using the mask my skin appeared instantly brighter, felt softer, and the pleasant smell left me feeling energised. The scent is not overpowering at all, it's a refreshing somewhat citrus scent. Leaving the mask on for 15-20 minutes my skin didn't tingle or burn so I think it would be appropriate for all skin types as they suggest. It's a really gentle mask, that still delivers on results. I can imagine using this every week would really benefit my skin!

The mask is availabe from The Facial Fresh website here and there are several other versions of this mask with different benefits that would be great to check out depending on your skin requirements. The masks range in price from $8.95 currently for a single mask, or starting at $20.95 for a 3 pack. 

Have you tried a Facial Fresh Cloth Facial Treatment Mask before? What's your favourite skin care mask that you can't live without? x

NOTW - Kit 'Rose Macaroon' with American Apparel 'Light Year'

 

This weeks Nail Of The Week is Kit's new shade 'Rose Macaroon' with an accent on the pinky finger of American Apparel's 'Light Year'. 

After a visit to Kit recently, I walked away with even more shades from one of my favourite local brands! Oops. I couldn't wait to try this sweet little number out, and I knew just like the rest of the Kit range, it would be a nice creamy colour. 

'Rose Macaroon' is from the new limited edition Sweet & Chic macaroon scented collection which was released last month. The collection comprises of 5 feminine colours to mimic macaroon flavours, and each one comes with a sweet scent to match! Unfortunately the Rose Macaroon colour didn't have too much scent, not as much as compared with the Revlon scented nail polish I've used previously, but it was definitely noticeable at least and a lot better scented than nail polish generally is! 

The nail polish applied just as well as any other Kit nail polish I own. The polish is thick, the colour applies exactly as it looks in the bottle, and I got the colour seen above in only 2 coats. Almost one was enough, but I like to apply a second coat just to even it out. I also applied a coat of Seche Vite on top to give it that extra shine in the photos above. 

The colour is a really subtle rose, which is a nice change to any colours similar that I own - mostly baby pinks come to mind. This is a lot softer and I think it would suit most skin tones well. 

I've been wanting to try out the American Apparel glitter polish ever since I purchased it with the 'Smoke Dazzle' as seen in my previous post here and it really didn't disappoint! The glitter is a round holographic silver in a clear polish. It was fairly easy to get an even distribution of the glitter with this polish too as there is a lot of glitter chunks in the polish itself. I just applied the glitter, waited until it was dry enough to not move, then applied another coat to even out the gaps. You could use this glitter polish really densely or sparsely

I think the addition of the glitter in this manicure turned it from something super feminine into something a little more playful which I liked a lot. Being on the pinky instead of the index finger the glitter isn't a main attraction, but more of an offset. I think I'll be using my pinky more often like this!

I purchased Kit's 'Rose Macaroon' from the Kit store in Chadstone shopping centre for $15.95, or you can also buy them online here or check for your nearest Kit store online here. I purchased the American Apparel glitter 'Light Year' from the American Apparel store in Melbourne in a deal of 3 nail polishes for $28, or it was $14 for the single nail polish. You can also see their range and order online here. I think I need every single glitter shade they have. They all look amazing!

Have you tried any of the new Sweet & Chic scented nail polishes from Kit or any American Apparel glitters? What do you think of this sweet and spunky combo? x

Wishlist #3

1. Urban Decay - Smoked Palette

2. Stila - Natural Beauty Eyeshadow Palette

3. NARS - Foreplay Cheek Palette

4. Bed Head - Sugar Dust, Mega Whip, and Glaze Haze

5. Illamasqua - Precision Ink 

1. I spoke about how much I wanted to try this palette in my review of the Urban Decay - Naked 2 palette last week. It's just new from the brand and is obviously aimed at creating a perfect smokey eye range of looks. I love that there's a lot of colours I don't already have in this palette. Hopefully I can purchase it soon!

The only online shop that I know that you can purchase Urban Decay to Australia is BeautyBay.com and they have these online here for $55.50 at the moment. Little bit pricey, but hopefully worth it for the quality of their eye shadows I would think!

2. Stila palettes are always great value, and this is no exception! This is such a pretty range of colours that look as though they would be perfect for every day use. You get 13 shades in total, 7 matte and 6 shimmer. The pans do look a little smaller than a lot of others, but I never seem to get through any colours in a palette entirely, so that doesn't bother me too much, plus it's quite a good price! 

You can purchase this from beautybay.com here for under $20. I can't see it on the Mecca website yet, but I'm sure it will arrive soon!

3. When I saw this I lost my mind a little bit in excitement, not going to lie! It's called the Foreplay cheek palette and it's basically meant to be a deconstructed version of their best seller blush - orgasm. "Combine the gold highlighter, pink matte blush, peach matte blush and – of course – Orgasm Blush, for a beautiful range of cheek shades. Depending on your mood, make your ORGASM matte, highlighted, or even more intense." Sounds perfect! I love the orgasm blush so hopefully I can get my hands on this too. 

You can purchase this online from meccacosmetica.com.au here for $79, or in your nearest Mecca Maxima store. 

4. These hair products from the 'Candy Fixations' Bed Head range all seem good enough to eat, and cute as pie! I love nice smelling hair products and I have a feeling these would all be right up my alley.

Sugar Dust is a volumising powder similar to the Osis Dust It mattifying powder if you've ever used that. It's a powder you apply to your roots to give volume, and soak up any excess oil! So clever. 

Mega Whip is a texturiser with added staying power. It seems more aimed at shorter locks, but the packaging is amazing, I would want it on my shelf for that fact alone. 

The Glaze Haze is a smoothing serum that adds shine and reduces drying time. And if it makes my hair super sweet scented while doing that, I will be one happy lady!

I spotted all of these on the Beauty Bay website. I'm not sure if there may be other places to buy them online for cheaper, but they are $11.50 for the Sugar Dust, $13.20 for the Mega Whip, and $11.20 for the Glaze Haze. Pretty well priced I think.  

5. Illamasqua's Precision Ink is something that I've heard a LOT of good things about, but still haven't purchased! I am definitely a fan of long wearing eyeliner, and I've heard this one doesn't budge, smudge and applies super easily. Can't wait to try it out, though it may take a little getting used to as I'm so used to using a texta type eyeliner now!

You can purchase Precision Ink from the Illamasqua website for $26.98 US$, or Illamasqua is also stocked in most Myer stores now!

There are so many great goodies coming out at the moment, so I'm sure I'll be purchasing way more than I should be again! Hopefully I tick some things off this wish list soon. :)

What's on your current wish list? Have you tried and loved any of these products? x

Illamasqua's Fight For a Fair Beauty Price - Australian Campaign

As most Australian beauty addicts know, for a long time now we have been paying up to 3 times as much as most other Countries for the same products! The UK born company Illamasqua are taking a stand and trying to make a change for us Aussies, so I thought I would share the link and share the campaign so that more people are aware and can get involved in making a change. 

It's crazy looking and comparing online with some companies at just how much difference there can be (even with the exchange rate factored in!). Often I find myself buying online and paying a little extra for postage to get the products I love without the bump up for Australian stores. Of course I would love to support Australia and it's retail industry, but when it appears to make a mockery of us, why would I sit down and accept it? 

As an example: 
MAC currently have a separate website for Australia. 
Lipstick = $36 in Australia, or $15 US on the US website - more than double for Australia.
Single eye shadow = $33 in Australia, or $15 US on the US website - more than double again.

And that's just one company as a quick example! 

Illamasqua's campaign can be seen here: http://www.illamasqua.com/fairpriceforbeauty?utm_source=Communicator&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=Untitled&utm_campaign=150812+-+fairprice

In a recent email they advised that they have 10,000 signatures already in just 10 days, and aim to hit 25,000 so that they can take a stand and drop their prices. 

I think it's about time someone stood up against the unjustified inflation we are subjected to in Australia, and I'm glad it was an amazing company like Illamasqua. I can't wait to buy more from them once their prices drop (I already can't resist at the inflated prices!). Hopefully this creates enough stir to get other areas thinking about their high prices too. We're asked to pay a lot more for a LOT of products in Australia, then the shops wonder why we turn to online shopping instead. Please! Give me a break. 

I don't claim to know the ins and outs of every part of trading, but I would love to support Australian stores more, so I really hope this takes off. I've already noticed before this campaign was launched that Mecca and Kit have dropped their prices on a lot of brands, including one of my favourites Origins! Hooray! 

What do you think about Illamasqua's campaign? Have you signed up to fight for a fair beauty price already? x

Tried & Loved - Urban Decay - Naked 2 Palette

[Left to Right: Foxy, Half Baked, Bootycall, Chopper, Tease - in natural light]

[Left to right: Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol, Verve, YDK, Busted, Blackout - in natural light]

The Naked 2 palette from Urban Decay is the follow up the ever popular Naked palette which was first released in 2010 (it still sells out on Beauty Bay all the time!). Being such a fan of the original Naked palette this was something I couldn't pass up on buying too, and I'm glad that I did. 

The Urban Decay brand is something you might not have heard of before if you're from Australia as, unfortunately for us, it's not stocked in any shops here! Quite a shame really as I've loved everything I've tried from them so far. The Naked palette is definitely my most used eye shadow palette and I'll review that one soon too. :) I am a frequent beauty blog lurker though and ever since hearing the rave reviews about the Naked palette I have been trying to get my hands on more from the Urban Decay brand. Luckily for me, I came across a stockist that ships to Australia - Beauty Bay! 

The Naked 2 Palette is described on the Urban Decay website as: 

"The most anticipated sequel of the decade. Naked2 has 12 pigment-rich, taupe and greige neutral eyeshadows, including FIVE NEW shades. 

Our palette proves once again, neutral is anything but boring, (and is downright sexy when worn Naked). Feast your eyes on our shades ranging from pale to deep, matte to sparkly. This collection lets you achieve lots of neutral looks, smoky dramatic eyes, and everything in between. Let's just say there's a whole new way to get Naked! 

The case has an art-school inspired look with hinged lid - taupe metal with embossed chocolate brown artwork. It's smooth, modern and cool to the touch - a real tactile experience. Plus, our palette also features a travel-size Lip Junkie Lipgloss in Naked, AND a double-ended, cruelty-free Good Karma Shadow/Crease Brush (available only in this palette). Any self-respecting makeup lover will have to have both palettes to get their complete neutral fix!"

The colours in this palette as swatched above are: 

• Blackout - Blackest black with matte finish.
• Booty Call - Shimmering cork.
• Busted - Deep brown shimmer.
• Chopper - Copper shimmer with silver micro glitter.
• Foxy - Cream bisque with matte finish.
• Half Baked - Golden bronze shimmer.
• Pistol - Light grey/brown shimmer.
• Snakebite - Dark metallic bronze shimmer.
• Suspect - Pale golden beige shimmer.
• Tease - Creamy pale brown with a matte finish.
• Verve - Oyster shimmer.
• YDK - Cool bronze metallic shimmer.
• Travel sized Lip Junkie Lip Gloss in Naked - Sheer neutral pink shimmer.
• Good Karma Shadow/Crease brush - exclusive to Naked Palette 2.

As you can see in the swatches above, there really is a nice range of colours and finishes in this palette. I feel like more of these colours are on the bright metallic side than the original Naked Palette, so this is a palette that I use more so when I am going out instead of as an every day palette, but for me that's a good thing. There's more than enough variety than I could ever really need in 2 simple palettes! 

Unfortunately for me, on my pale skin some of these colours really don't show much at all, so the colours 'Foxy' and 'Bootycall' (aren't the names sassy! haha) don't really get any use for me personally, and that also means I don't really have many light base colours to work with once they're eliminated - that's my only gripe with this palette I think. What I'm left with is perfect for smoky eye looks though or sultry shimmery peepers. 

I think the original Naked palette has a better combination of colours that easily work together. With that palette you can literally use any colour as a base, and any colour as a contrast and it will look amazing, with this one I feel like I have to think about it a bit more, but the end results are usually still great. 

The eye shadow itself is super pigmented, smooth, and a little goes a long way with blending. The swatches above were from a single swipe of colour with my finger, impressive yes? Some of the colours that have more glitter in them can be a little bit soft, so be careful and watch for a little fall out with those (Chopper, Verve and YDK especially, as you can see above). I have had my palette for at least 6 months now though and I'm not even close to using any of the colours up as the product is so pigmented that you really don't need to load your brush up to get good colour pay off. This palette will last me for years, so it's definitely a great investment. 

I find that with a primer the colour of this will stay perfectly all day long without creasing, and without primer it's almost just as good. I've often applied my eye makeup early Friday morning before work, and still had it perfect and ready to go for dinner and a night out straight from the office that night!  

The brush that comes with the palette is really good quality, and I often use the flat end to apply my base colour, then the round end to blend where required. If I needed to I think I could do a whole eye look with just this brush which makes it great for travel, but I've never had to so far as I love my normal eye brushes so much I take them with me everywhere. :P 

The packaging is really sturdy without being too heavy and the top clips into place with the base meaning it won't fall open in your bag. I've taken this travelling with me a few times now, and even dropped it once or twice (oops!) and haven't had any colours break or run over into each other.  It's a bit of a strange finish being made of a soft metal, and I'm still not sure that I love it, but it's super easy to keep clean and sturdy for travel and storage so no complaints here. It's just not really pretty which I think more of my other palette's are. 

I haven't pictured the lip gloss that comes with this palette, but I absolutely LOVE it. It has a bit of a minty feeling when you apply it and the colour is quite nice on my lips. It's quite sticky on the lips which some people may not like, but it lasts forever which is not the case with most lip glosses. I've applied this before bed and still had it on my lips in the morning! It's tiny though and I always lose it in my bag, and there's no spot to keep it in or with your palette so it gets a little lost for me. I think I might look at purchasing a full size version of the gloss so it gets a bit more use, and less left in the bottom of my bag alone. 

In the picture below I've just used shades from this palette along with a liquid eye liner to create this look. I can't remember the exact shades I used as it might have been a bit of a mish mash, sorry about that. But you might be able to work the colours out from the swatches above. 

Overall I am super happy with this palette and this along with the original Naked palette is pretty much all I use for all my eye looks now. 12 shades is a lot to play with, and for a beginner it's a great way to start building your eye shadow collection with quality pigmented eye-shadows without it costing too much. Or as a bit of a collector like myself, I find it's an easy way to have quality colours that I know will work together well all in one palette.

As I said earlier, I use this more for bolder eye looks, and not as much for every day, but that's not to say you couldn't use it as every day eye shadows as well, I just prefer the original Naked palette for that purpose. If I had to pick, I'd still pick the original Naked palette as a first preference, and have even gifted it to my friends because I love it so much I want to share the love. 

I purchased this palette from Beauty Bay for $59.20 and free postage for Australia. If you think about it, that's just under $5 for each colour. The single Urban Decay eye shadows sell for around $20 each so this is a perfect way to test a large slab of their range for a quarter or the price!  The Beauty Bay site stocks most of the Urban Decay range including the original Naked palette and is the only site I've found so far that will ship it to Australia, and free! I can't wait to try more from this brand, and I've definitely got my eye on the new Smoked Palette for smoky eye looks. 

Have you tried the Naked or Naked 2 Palette? What's your favourite Urban Decay product? Have you heard of this brand before today? x