Autumn Sunset Eye Look

So, I have been trying to get out of my comfort zone a little bit lately and get back into being more experimental with my makeup. I figure in a week or so when bub number two is finally here my care factor in doing my makeup is going to take a very big nose dive and I'll be lucky to get out of the house with some concealer and mascara on so I should be trying to make the most of it now while I still can.

The other day I was going through some of my old palettes and I came across one that I haven't given any love to in a very long time and that was my Savoir Faire Cosmetics 'Winter' kit.

I seriously loved this kit when I first got it but as what always happens when I get shiny new things some of the older stuff gets forgotten about.

So, here is the look that I created using the shadows in this kit the other day which I have dubbed my 'Autumn Sunset' eye look (yes, I am fully aware it is not Autumn in Australia right now but I just liked the name :-))

I used my three favourite shades from the kit to achieve this look which were 'Devout' (the pale beige shade on the top right) applied all over the lid as a base up to the brow bone, then I blended 'Spicy' (the coppery shade on the bottom left) into my crease before applying a light dusting of 'Kinetic' (the purple shade in the middle of the top row) onto the centre of the lid and blending out to the edges.

Here is a breakdown of the rest of the products I used for this look.

Face:
* Avon Ideal Shade Souffle Foundation in Ivory (I love, love, love this foundation at the moment for my dry and irritated hormonal skin!)
* Napoleon Perdis The One Concealer
* Physicians Formula Translucent Powder
* The Balm blush in Hot Mama
* Prestige Mineral Bronzing Powder in Sunbaked as a highlight

Eyes:
* Mirenesse Sexy Secret Eye Primer (this stuff seriously makes my eyeshadow stay crease free for an entire day which is a miracle with my super hooded eyes)
* Mirenesse Touch Up Brow Sculpter
* Mirenesss Inside Out 27Hr Eye Kohl in Amun
* Rimmel Wake Me Up Wonder Full Mascara in Black

Lips:
* Colour by TBN Lipstick in A Kiss is Still a Kiss
* Savoir Faire Cosmetics Lip Gloss in Fierce

Overall I really loved this look and didn't find it too much for wearing to work either even though it is a lot brighter than what I usually go for in the daytime.

Do you sometimes like the experiment and break out of your comfort zone during the day, or do you prefer to play around with different looks on the weekend or at night when it's a bit more safe?

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!

Michelle xx

Napoleon Perdis Nude U Eyes, Cheeks and Brows Palette - I've Never Loved Going Nude So Much!

So a little while ago I decided to treat myself to a little gift. As I have mentioned previously I have been feeling a bit crappy lately due to having quite a few unexpected problems with my second pregnancy which has included having skin that has turned into the surface of the planet Mars.

Due to this I've toned down my use of bright makeup a lot and have been focusing more on covering my horrible skin as best as I can and keeping the rest of my look as polished and un-attention seeking as possible.

Hence my recent love for this wonderful palette!

I have always had a bit of a soft spot for Napoleon Perdis products and have never really been disappointed by any that I have tried. After seeing rave after rave of the Nude U Eyes, Cheeks and Brows Palette everywhere, I seriously could not resist getting my hands on one when I was browsing through my local David Jones one day.

Isn't it pretty??

This is seriously one versatile palette and using it has reduced my getting ready time substantially in the mornings.

I have become a bit obsessed with using a combination of the second shade on the top row as a base all over my eyelids, then using the shade on far right on the bottom row blended in the outer corner along with the darkest brown in my crease. I also love using the purple shade as a quick eyeliner to brighten the look ever so slightly.

I also love using the shade on the far right of the bottom row to fill in my brows as it matches them perfectly. The first shade on the top row makes such a lovely inner corner and cheekbone highlighter too and any of the browner shades would be great for contouring if you really wanted to make the most out of this great little palette!

Now, for some swatches:

Napoleon Perdis Nude U Palette - Top Row

Napoleon Perdis Nude U Palette - Bottom Row

One other thing I love about this palette is how soft and blendable the powders are. The shades are all buildable in their intensity and they blend like there's no tomorrow. I find that they last most of the work day without creasing too which is something that I have problems with quite often because of my stupid hooded eyes.

Have you tried this little gem of a palette yet? Is it just me or has Napoleon Perdis really stepped things up a level with their products lately?

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

Michelle xx

FOTD - A Subtle Everyday Blue Eyeshadow Look

The other day I was feeling a little flat and decided to have a bit of a play with my pro-palette to create a pretty but subtle blue eye look.

Blue eyeshadow is always something I get nervous wearing but I am slowly starting to find certain ways to make it work without making me feel like I've stepped out of the 80's.

This look is very subtle and a nice way to add a pop of colour to the eyes for an everyday look without looking too overdone.

The eyeshadow shades I used are circled below:

On the top palette I used the two pale cream shades blended together all over the eyelid to start, then I applied the light blue shade on the bottom palette to the outer corners and blending into the centre of the lid. I then took the slightly darker light blue and added a little more colour transitioning out towards the outer corner. Then I took the darker blue and blended it very carefully into the crease as well as using it to line below my eyes. I then took the gold shade on the bottom palette and added this to the centre of my lids and blended everything like there was no tomorrow. I then finished the look off by lining the top lids with the black shade.

Here is a breakdown of all the other products I used for this look:

* Napoleon Perdis Sheer Genius Liquid Foundation in Look 2.
* Savoir Faire Concealer in Light
* Physicians Formula Translucent Powder
* NP Set Shimmer Highlight Duo in Peach/Pink

* Ardell Brow Defining Kit
* Almay Intense i-Colour Volumising Mascara in Midnight for my top lashes
* Bobbi Brown Lash Glamour Extreme Lengthening Mascara in Black on my bottom lashes

* Maybelline Master Glaze Blush Stick in Just-Pinched Pink
* Face of Australia Lip Quench in Pink Champagne

What do you think? Can blue eyeshadow be an everyday shade?

I hope you are having a great weekend!

Michelle xx

Face of the Day - Using some old favourites

I only realised the other day how long it has actually been since I did a face of the day and put my big mug on the blog for all to see. I always want to show my face of the day but by the time I've put my makeup on in between stopping no less than 20 times to make sure my toddler isn't burning our house down in another room, then trying to remember to get some photos before we rush out the door, then trying to remember what products I actually used when I come to write it all down is a bit of a mission and a half these days.

This look is one that I wear quite often as I am a huge fan of a purple toned eye. I feel that purple seems to suit me more than most other shades and paired with a white or cream shadow it also makes me look a bit more awake than I really am too! I was also on a mission to use some of my older products that had been forgotten about on this day as well.

Here is what I used for this look:

* Mirenesse Absolutely Firm Treatment Primer
* Bourjois  Healthy Mix Serum Foundation in Vanilla mixed with a little bit of the Models Prefer Illuminizor in Illuminate to brighten my skin
* Napoleon Perdis The One Concealer under my eyes and over any blemishes
* Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Matte Finishing Veil in Translucent
* Australis Bronzing Powder in Golden to contour and Prestige Mineral Bronzing Powder in Pure Shimmer to highlight

* Clinique Quick Blush in In-A Rush Blush
* Avon Glimmersticks Brow Definer in Tawny
* Clinique High Impact Eye Shadow in Sugar Sugar all over the lid with CK Intense Eyeshadow in Merlot blended into the outer half of the lid and into the crease
* Camouflage Colour Skin Crayon as a liner - This doesn't have a shade name but is a browny/purple colour
* Almay Intense I-Colour Volumising Mascara in Midnight
* ASAP Pure Mineral Lip Pencil in Two as a liner with MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in How Darling

This is a nice subtle workday look for me that doesn't take much thinking and is pretty quick to do.

What looks have you been loving lately?

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!

Michelle xx

FOTD - My Attempt at a Wearable Blue Eyeshadow Look

Howdy everybody. I've decided I'm going to try and make a really good attempt at posting more FOTD's from now on.

I usually always have such good intentions of doing this whenever I get ready but then most of the time I'm in such a rush and completely forget to photograph myself before I leave, or, I usually forget to keep out the products I use and then can't remember what they were afterwards!

The other day I felt like wearing a blue eyeshadow look and ended up with the below finished product. It was actually quite basic and quite a wearable look for the day I thought:

Once I broke down what I used to create this look I realised there were a lot of Mirenesse products for some reason. This was a total coincidence and really wasn't intentional at all! Here is what I used:

Face
Innoxa Tinted Moisturiser in Nude Beige
Natio Mineral Pressed Powder in Medium Tan
Mirenesse Cheeky Blush in Russian Rose

Eyes
Mirenesse Seamless Velvet Shadow in Greek Goddess
Bourjois Smoky Effect Eyeliner in Dark Purple
Bobbi Brown Lash Glamour Mascara in Black

Lips
I mixed together my Napoleon Perdis Lip Patrol lipstick in Private Kiss and Mirenesse French Kiss Lip Cocktail in Bellini to create a really nice and soft pink shade.

I really like the Mirenesse eye shadows and wear them quite often. They are a lovely consistency and really easy to blend out. The blue shadow with purple liner was a combination I haven't tried before but really liked once it was finished.

Mixing different shades of lipstick is something I have been experimenting with a lot lately as well.

I also love days like this when my skin is behaving and I can get away with a bit of tinted moisturiser and powder and not worry about foundation or concealer. It doesn't happen very often but I certainly embrace it when it does.

I hope everyone has had a lovely weekend!

Michelle xx

Nails of the Week - Napoleon Perdis Skinny Latte Nail Polish

This is my first ever Napoleon polish and although the shade is not something I would normally choose to wear (I'm more of a bright nail polish gal), it actually grew on me more every day I wore it and is one that I really like now.

I received this polish ages ago when I had a makeover at the local Napoleon Perdis counter and if you spent over a certain amount on products after you received a little goody bag with a few things in it. This polish was part of that goody bag.

This polish is surprisingly long lasting and is opaque after just two coats (which is what I am wearing here). It's a lovely consistency to apply and dries quite fast without any streaking or bubbles forming after multiple coats.

It took me so long to try this out because the colour just wasn't calling to me but I'm really glad that I did now. I felt a little bit too librarian at first when I put it on but it's surprising how nice it actually makes the nails look.

I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for other Napoleon Perdis polishes from now on!

Has anyone else ever used a polish from this range before?

I hope everyone has had a great week!

Michelle xx

Napoleon Perdis 'The One' Concealer

A couple of months ago I had a makeover at my local DJ's Napoleon Perdis counter and could not believe the magic the makeup assistant did using this cute little pot.

I must admit that I initially thought the girl was a bit insane when she first brought this out and opened the lid to show me what was inside. I mean, I'm quite pale skinned and this concealer is a bright peach kind of colour but she assured me that she wasn't crazy and that it was going to work just fine.

Which, of course, it did. I was blown away at how this peach toned concealer manages to just blend right into the skin without being noticeable at all and it didn't sink into any of my fine lines or end up budging hours after it was applied. I looked wide awake for the first time since my son was born!

Anyway, of course she won me over and I just had to buy some of this little wonder to see if I could replicate her handy work just as easily at home. Which I could!!

The secret to this concealer is the peachy/nude shade which seems to neutralise blue or purple under eye circles or any other redness from blemishes you might have on the skin. It's super creamy to use and scarily opaque when first applied. It does work better blended in with the fingers I found as it needs to be warmed up a little bit prior to use and I find that I don't seem to get the same results if I use a concealer brush to apply it instead.

Here are some before and after photos to show you how great this little product is:

(Before: Purple circles under the eyes, what I wouldn't do for a week of sleep.....)

(Applying The One Concealer in light dabs with a concealer brush. Look at how bright it is against my skin!)

 

(After a little bit of blending with my finger)

(Fully blended in)

 

 

(I look almost awake!)

I will admit that this is not a concealer to use if you are in a hurry as it does need a bit of blending to vanish into your skin but it's definitely worth the effort. I love using this concealer for days when I want to make a bit more effort or for nights out as it definitely works better under the eyes than most of the other concealers I have at home.

I also love the fact it doesn't sink into the fine lines around my eyes as some other concealers do. After I apply some setting powder it seems to float above my skin and lasts all day without caking.

So, have you tried The One yet?

Michelle xx

Latest Love - Napoleon Perdis Ultimate Contour Palette

If there was one beauty product I was told I had to use for the rest of my life and never have any other substitute, I'd be over the moon if it was this one. This palette has probably been reviewed within an inch of its life but I felt like I just had to share my experience with it since I purchased it as a birthday present for myself in July this year.

I've seriously fallen deeply in love with this palette and have been wearing it practically every day lately.

The palette is made up of three beautiful shades that match my fair skin tone perfectly.

On the top is a highlighting shade that is so pretty and pearlescent which highlights with just the right amount of glow without making you feel like a disco ball.

The blush shade in the centre is like it was made for my fair skin. I literally feel as if I am glowing and my face always looks so awake when I use this blush. It's the perfect pink that goes with practically any look.

The bottom contour shade terrified me at first because I've never really been able to perfect contouring without looking like I have dirty brown streaks on my face, but this shade is so easy to blend and gives me some of the best cheekbones I have ever had without looking unnatural.


These powders are all very fine and silky and a little goes an extremely long way. They are highly pigmented so are great for fair skin tones when only a small amount is used and would also be fine for darker skin tones if you applied a little more powder to your brush to get a darker colour. They also blend like an absolute dream.

If you are after a great multi-purpose product I highly recommend picking this one up. It has also become a favourite product for me to take away as I know I have three products in one small package which leaves more room for other goodies to be packed instead!

Has anyone else tried this palette as well? Do you love it as much as I do?

Michelle xx

EOTD - Silver and Grey

I decided to go out of my comfort zone the other night when hubby and I went out to dinner and did an EOTD that is a lot darker than I am usually used to. I am so glad I did though because I absolutely loved it!

(Please forgive the stray brow hairs, I'm in desperate need for someone to mind my little man for a few hours one day soon for me so I can get them tidied up!)

This look was done by using the last three shades in my Chi Chi Eye Palette in Fashion Victim (see below). I have had this palette for such a long time and am only starting to appreciate the shades in it again.

I used the lighter silver shade all over the lid to just above the crease, then I shaded my crease on the outer corners with the darker gunmetal shade and then used the shimmery white shade to highlight the inner corner and blend the other two shades together. I also used the lighter silver shade to line underneath my eyes as well and my Models Prefer Kohl Pencil in Matte Black to line my upper lids. I then finished it off with a coat of Elizabeth Arden Ceramide mascara in Black.

I never bother lining my waterline as I have ridiculously watery eyes due to being a perpetual hayfever sufferer and I have never been able to find an eyeliner that manages to stay put there. If anyone knows of a liner that could possibly compete against my watery eyes I'd love to know about it!

Unfortunately, I have to wear glasses all the time so unless I decide to put my contacts in, which is something I usually only reserve for special occasions, whatever eye makeup I wear has a tendency to get lost behind my frames. This look was definitely dark enough though that it stood out even with my glasses on.

I decided to go all out with a darker lip too. Usually if my eyes were this done up I'd opt for a more subtle lip colour but I thought that while I was jumping in the deep end I may as well go all the way!

Here is what I used for the rest of my face:

Base: Garnier B.B. Cream in Light, Natio Pressed Powder in Medium Tan

Blush, Contouring and Highlighting: Napoleon Perdis Ultimate Contour Palette

Lips: Mirenesse 3D Forever Gloss in Hot Kiss

How do you like to go out of your comfort zone now and then?

Michelle xx

Napoleon Perdis Haul and Happy Birthday to me!

Tomorrow is my birthday - Yay! So, as a little treat to myself I decided to attend a Napoleon Perdis backstage event at my local David Jones yesterday where I got a gorgeous makeup look done for my birthday dinner and ended up coming home with some things that I've been eyeing off for a long time.

I have to admit that prior to this the only NP product that I'd ever personally tried is the Auto Pilot primer so I really wanted to get a feel for the products at this event and get to know a bit more about NP makeup.

Here was my little haul:

1) Sheer Genius Foundation in Light Look 2 - This is such a lovely smooth foundation to apply and is easy to build coverage or wear sheer depending on what type of look you want.

2) The One Concealer - If anyone ever told me to try a concealer that is a peachy-pink tone I'd probably go 'thank you very much' and back away slowly. But, I've now been totally converted to thinking that this concealer is the best thing ever invented. When the makeup artist applied it and suddenly I looked like I actually got a peaceful sleep the night before and didn't in fact have a toddler making me an exhausted wreck I wanted to buy every tub of this they had in store!

3) The Ultimate Contour Palette - Oh boy! I have had a very unhealthy obsession with this palette for a very long time but just never bit the bullet and bought it. Yesterday I was in the 'hell, it's my birthday!' mentality so decided to get it. I am in love!


Then, as a little bonus there was the following gift-with-purchase which was also quite awesome in itself:

It contained the following items:
1) Skinny Latte Nail Polish
2) Colour Disc in Naturelle #55
3) Long Black Mascara in Double Black
4) Auto Pilot Skin Primer; and
5) Lip Patrol lipstick in Private Kiss

Plus, the cosmetic bag is so cute with three separate pockets on the front and one at the back. It will be great for taking on holidays.

All in all I loved my little makeover and the makeup artist was just lovely. I tried taking photos of the finished look but was having a bad camera day and just couldn't get the lighting right to really show everything off so ended up giving up.

I've got my eye on a few other items now for the next time I'm near the Napoleon Perdis counter, with the Pale Rider Eyebrow pencil and a Luminous Lip Veil in Coral Island on the top of my list.

I'd love to know what everyone's favourite Napoleon Perdis product is?

Michelle xx