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

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

November 2013 Favourites

So, I usually don't worry about posting about the products I used the most during a month because a lot of the time I mix things up so much that I tend to forget what I have loved more than others.

But, the month of November was just so hectic that I don't even really remember much of it and I found myself really using the above products practically every day because it meant that there was less for me to try and think about when I was getting ready.

Anyway, here is a break down of the products that kept me sane during the month of November.

Face
* Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation in Vanilla - I have had this foundation tucked up in the back of my makeup cabinet for ages and finally cracked it open last month and instantly fell in love. I can't believe how gorgeous and lovely the texture is of this foundation and the coverage is perfect for my skin.
* Nude by Nature Soft Focus Illuminator - I found this to be the perfect partner for the Bourjois foundation when I wanted a bit more of a glow to my skin.
* Savoir Faire Cconcealer in Light - I've been really needing a bit more coverage under the eyes lately as sleep has been eluding me and for some reason I've had a lot of breakouts around my chin area since the weather has warmed up. This concealer blends perfectly with my skin tone and gives just the right amount of coverage.
* MAC Blush in Formal - This was a recent acquisition during November- in the Stroke of Midnight Lip & Cheek bag I reviewed a few days ago and I've just loved how versatile this pink is and how well it blends onto my cheeks to give a nice healthy glow.

Eyes/Brows
* Elizabeth Arden Colour Palette - I think I have shown this before a very long time ago. I always seem to break this old faithful out when I'm in a hurry because the two Graphite and Platinum eyeshadow shades gives a great quick and easy eye look that goes with practically everything. The blush in Sunblush makes a great bronzer too when I really want to get out the door quickly.  
* Calvin Klein Intense Eyeshadow in Aqua Shimmer - I seem to gravitate towards green eye makeup when the weather warms up and I just love this shade blended into the crease lightly to brighten up the eye area when I really feel like just going back to bed.
* Bobbi Brown Lash Glamour Extreme Lengthening Mascara in Black - This is one of my favourtie all-time mascaras and I always break it out when I want one that I can rely on without wondering whether it will be halfway down my face by the end of the day.
* Mirenesse Inside Out 27Hr Eye Kohl in Osiris - I love the shade of this eyeliner as it's a dark gunmetal grey and therefore not as intense as black. These eyeliners are great and I have every shade but I don't recommend using them on a very hot day as they can get extremely soft which makes them a bit harder to apply accurately.
* Ardell Brow Defining Kit - If you saw my recent review of this product it won't be any surprise as to why this has become a daily necessity for me. I just love it.
* Models Prefer Brow Highlighter - I've been using this mostly as a highlighter for the inner corners of the eyes to wake me up a bit more and it's definitely grown more on me for use as a brow highlighter too when I'm in a hurry. It also makes a great cheekbone highlighter in a pinch too.

Lips
* Models Prefer Ultra Lipgloss Pencil in Perfectly Polished - These pencils are so easy to apply when in a hurry and give a really great amount of colour on the lips.
* MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in How Darling! - You would have seen that this was only a recent aquisition for me during November and I have been obsessed with the milky pinkness ever since.

Hair/Body
* Evodia Coconut & Lime Fragrance Roll-On - I thought I would hate this when I got it as I'm normally not the biggest fan of fake coconut scents but when we flew to Tasmania for our holiday I took it due to it being nice and small to fit into my makeup bag and I kind of became a bit obsessed with it.
* Schwarzkopf Dry Shampoo - I received this to trial from Beautyheaven and can't get enough of it. I just love the fresh scent and it makes my hair feel really nice and clean in between shampoos.  

So those are the products I loved and lived with during the month of November.

What were some of your favourites during the month?

Michelle..

EOTD Featuring Savoir Faire Limited Edition Kit in 'Winter'



I couldn't help but start playing with my new Savoir Faire kit as soon as at arrived in my December Bellabox and this is one of the first looks I created and am really loving. It's a very subtle smokey eye using the burgundy and rust shades in the kit as the main look.

(Eyeshadow shades from left to right: Top row - Devout, Kinetic, Immortal & Bottom Row - Spicy, Liberating, Vivacious)

 

For this look I used the shade 'Kinetic' on the outer 'V', then applied some 'Spicy' to the inner half of the lid. I then used the shade 'Devout' to blend out the other two shades up over the crease and towards the brow bone.
Then just because I was being lazy and couldn't be bothered reaching for anything else, I applied the shade 'Immortal' along the top and lower lashes like an eyeliner.
I finished it all off with my Bobbi Brown Lash Glamour Extreme Lengthening Mascara in Black.

This to me is a nice subtle way to dip your toe in a smokey eye without going too extreme. To make this a bit more night time appropriate I'd add more of the burgundy Kinetic shade to darken the outer 'V' a bit more and amp up the black liner a bit.

This is a lovely kit and the eyeshadows are very pigmented and so easy to blend. I can't wait to try some more looks and am especially keen to try 'Vivacious' next.

Has anyone else tried Savoir Faire eyeshadows before?

Michelle xx



Red Lipstick Love

A couple of weeks ago I attempted to participate in the Fox In Flats Red Lipstick Dare (#redlipstickdarefoxinflats) where you were challenged to wear red lipstick for 7 days straight. I admit that I only made it for 5 days out of the 7 days but it was still so much fun and really made me want to step up my appearance all week just to carry off red lips all day.

Here are some photos from my attempt at the Red Lipstick Dare:

Day 1: - This day I was just getting over the flu from hell and was doing my best to stay standing and get ready for work let alone wear a bright red lipstick! Here I decided to wear my Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Plump Perfect Lipstick in Perfect Scarlett as it stays on forever and doesn't need much touching up. Perfect for a day where I was going to be blowing my nose and all together feeling sorry for myself at work all day long.

Day 2: This day was my working from home day and I was starting to feel a little better so I went for my Revlon Lip Butter in Cherry Tart as it's great for dry, flu-ravaged lips.

Day 3: Back to work today and feeling much better. I decided to wear my new Savoir Faire Lipgloss in Fierce this day as it's super bright and an all together lovely gloss.

Day 4: Housework day! My husband also works from home on Thursdays and thought I was insane for vacumming and doing the washing with bright red lips. This day I was wearing my Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in True Red which is my favourite red lipstick of all time.

Day 5: Hubby and I went to Cirque Du Soliel and I felt all fancy wearing my Revlon Super Lustrous Matte Lipstick in Really Red. The show was absolutely awesome by the way and I highly recommend anyone to see it if you ever get the chance!

From Left to Right: Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Plump Perfect Lipstick in Perfect Scarlett, Revlon Lip Butter in Cherry Tart, Savoir Faire Lipgloss in Fierce, Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in True Red, Revlon Super Lustrous Matte Lipstick in Really Red, Innoxa Lip Liner in Ruby Red.

From Left to Right: Innoxa Lip Liner in Ruby Red, Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Plump Perfect Lipstick in Perfect Scarlett, Revlon Lip Butter in Cherry Tart, Savoir Faire Lipgloss in Fierce, Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in True Red, Revlon Super Lustrous Matte Lipstick in Really Red.

One discovery I made was that a good red lip liner under your red lipstick is the key to less touch-ups and a good consistent colour. I have a lot of fine lines around my lips so a lip liner is critical for me otherwise a lot of lipsticks will bleed on my lips. 

So that was my Red Lipstick Dare journey. It was definitely a load if fun and took me out of my comfort zone a few times (especially when answering the door to our regular delivery guy with super red lips!) I've now discovered a new found love for this lip colour that I used to only save for very special occasions and dinners out and will definitely be trying to incorporate it into my makeup routine on a more regular basis from now on.

Did anyone else participate in the Red Lipstick Dare?

Michelle xx

Bellabox Haul

The other night I was playing around on the internet and I realised that I had accumulated a heap of reward points on the Bellabox website from the monthly subscription boxes I get from them that I hadn't yet spent. Of course, this meant that I just had to have a look at what I could get for my points and then spend them!

Here is what I ended up ordering:

1) Savoir Faire Mini Lipstick in Showgirl - I have two other Savoir Faire lipsticks and absolutely love them. This one is a really bright pink that I think looks quite good against my pale skintone. I really like the mini lipstick idea as I've never finished a regular sized lipstick in my life so at least a mini one gives me some kind of hope that I might finish it one day...... It's also the perfect size for my cosmetic purse in my handbag without taking up too much room.

2) Savoir Faire Lipgloss in Fierce - I decided to try one of their lipglosses as I haven't had the chance to yet and I'm really happy with the colour of this one. It's a red/orange shade that is nice and opaque for a gloss. It's also got quite a strong cinammon flavour.

3) Silk Oil of Morocco Lip Gloss in Sunrise - I decided to try one of these because they looked really nice and it was a brand I've never tried anything in before. It's a pretty nude/coral kind of shade.

4) Mode Nail Enamel in Cool As - This is a really pretty spearmint kind of shade that I can't wait to try.

(Left to Right: Silk Oil of Morocco Lip Gloss in Sunrise, Savoir Faire Lipstick in Showgirl, Savoir Faire Lipgloss in Fierce)

 

In my order there were also a few samples included as follows:

1) Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub
2) Pangea Organics Eye Cream & Facial Cream
3) Avene Ystheal Creme

Overall I'm pretty happy with my order and the best part was that I had over 400 rewards points saved up which equated to $40 so I only paid around $30 for everything. Considering that's the price of the Oil of Morocco Lip Gloss on it's own I'm pretty pleased with my efforts.

Has anyone else placed an order from Bellabox yet other than the monthly subscription boxes?

Michelle xx

Savoir Faire Concealer - A little pot of awesomeness!

In one of my previous BellaBoxes I received this little goody. It is the Savoir Faire Concealer and Finishing Powder in the shade Light.

I normally skip using a concealer these days, mainly because of time constraints as I have to be quick and efficient with my makeup most of the time when trying to get ready as bub is usually hanging off one leg while also pulling all of my makeup onto the floor.

But, since discovering this little beauty I have started getting back into the habit of using concealer again because it is just so darn good!

The little pot contains two shades of concealer, one in a really light shade and another in a bit of a darker shade. On the bottom is also a small container of finishing powder which just twists off.

Here are some formal details about this little product:

Concealer
• Long wearing concealer with a unique light and creamy texture
• Contains two concealer shades on top and finishing powder on the bottom
• Easy to apply, providing suitable coverage for a flawless finish

Finishing powder
• Soft creamy powder
• Locks in and protects the concealer for long wearing coverage
• Translucent finish

I have found this concealer to stay put all day long. It just does not budge from wherever I put it and it gives excellent coverage over almost any blemish. It's so creamy and easy to blend and is also great for the under-eye area too.

 

The powder is a great little addition as I find it useful if I have to do any small touch ups during the day, or if I'm feeling really lazy I apply it to my whole face instead of my normal pressed powder as it gives a nice light coverage that isn't drying or cakey.

 

Here are some swatches:

 

(From left to right: Light & Dark shade mixed together, Light shade, Dark shade, Finishing Powder)

I find that the best match for the skin on my face at the moment is to mix the two shades together.

 

Overall this is an awesome little product that I would definitely repurchase.

 

Has anyone else tried Savoir Faire products before?

December BellaBox - I'm a Bit Excited!

Well I got a lovely surprise when I got home from the longest working day ever last night when I found my December BellaBox waiting on the dining table where hubby had left it for me just screaming 'Open Me!'

Here were the contents of this month's box:

I must truthfully admit that I was pleasantly surprised with the contents of this month's box and am happy that BellaBox have definitely redeemed themselves after the disappointment I felt with the one from last month. Every one of these products I will use with no hesitation.

1) Eylure Naturalites Intense false lashes (RRP $11.95 per set) - I will admit that I have never dabbled in the false lash world yet and am actually very excited to try these and see what all the hype is about. Now all I need to do is either find a good blog tutorial on how the hell these things are applied or a good Youtube video as I am scared to even pick them up! I'm a bit worried that these may be a little too extreme for my face though as I am quite fair and having huge black lashes flapping on my face may look a little odd, but we'll have to see what happens.

2) Savoir Faire Concealer Pack (Full size, RRP $35.00) - I am in love with this brand and think all their products just look so luxe. This is something that I actually really needed as my old concealer is almost on the way out so I was super duper excited to see this. It's a cute little compact with two concealer shades on the top and a finishing powder that twists off the bottom. What would only make this product better would be if it came with it's own sponge or small brush somehow.

3) Ozotic Elytra #530 (Full size, RRP $14.95) - This is a gorgeous polish that has glitter which changes from orange to pink to green depending on the lighting. It's suggested that it's best worn over a black base coat.

4) Elemis Pro-Collagen Quartz Lift Mask (3ml single use sample, RRP $117 for 50mls) - This is an anti-ageing mask that apparently works to instantly uplift the skin. I will be extremely happy to try this sample but don't think I could ever justify purchasing a full size amount of this. It's just a little out of my price range :-)

5) Kosmea Hydrating Rose Water Mist (50ml, RRP $11.95) - This is a gentle, soothing, cooling and hydrating facial mist for tired and weary skin. I absolutely love the smell of this and if will be carrying it around in my bag now in the hope that if we ever start to get some summer weather I can try out it's cooling effects.

So there you have it. Overall it's obvious that this month's box was extremely good value for money with almost every product a full size item and for once every product is something that I can get full use out of.

On a more personal note, I just have to brag about the fact that I finally got my CPA exam results the other day and found out that I passed both subjects, Yay Me!! If I manage to do well in the last two subjects I have left I'll be all done and dusted this time next year. Can't wait!

Hope everyone is having a lovely week so far. I'd love to know your thoughts on this month's BellaBox contents.

The First Ever Bellabox - October 2011

I was very excited to receive my first Bellabox yesterday as I'm finding that it's so fun to receive these little packages of the unknown in the mail and open them up to see what surprises they hold.

This is the third one of these monthly beauty boxes that I subscribe to and I was very impressed with how different the contents were to the others that I also get.

This is how the Bellabox arrived:

(My husband's exact words as he handed this to me were 'Not another bloody makeup box, are you having an affair with the postman or something?' Hehehe.....)

Once you opened the outside packaging inside was a cute little cardboard box with a lid:

And once this was opened it looked like this:

The contents were as follows:

* Napoleon Perdis Auto Pilot Pre-Foundation Primer (15ml) - Now I am probably the only girl on earth who hasn't tried this primer yet so I'm pretty chuffed to receive some so I can finally know what all the raving is about.

* A'kin Lavender, Geranium & Jojoba Hand & Nail Cream (30ml) - I have a bit of an obsession with hand and nail creams and have about 5 that are usually in use at once (one in my handbag, one in the loungeroom, one in the kitchen, one next to my bed and one at work) so this will add nicely to my collection.

* Alpha-H Gentle Daily Exfoliant (2 x 5gm sachets) - I have found that daily exfoliants are too harsh for my face to use on a daily basis no matter how 'gentle' they claim to be so I will be interested in seeing if this is another one of those that I can only use every second day or so.

* Savoir Faire Lipstick in 'Miss You' - This is a full size lipstick that comes in a gorgeous silver case (that actually doubles as a handy little mirror too!). It's a nice pale pink that I think will soon become a favourite colour of mine. It's also got a really yummy flavour that's kind of sweet and makes me keep wanting to lick my lips all the time (not sure if this is a good or a bad thing yet).

* One Skin System Daily Hydrate (10ml) - This product baffled me a little at first as at looks like a big syringe but now I've worked out how to get the cream out I can't wait to use it just for the novelty factor.

* Wine Wipes (1 wipe) - Apparently these are for those who get red wine stains on their teeth. Can't say I've ever experienced that problem (maybe that means I need to drink more!) but I'll be putting this in my handbag the next time we go out anyway just to give it a go.

As per the other two monthly beauty boxes you get a nice card that welcomes you and explains all of the products received as well as their usually RRP's.

Overall I'm pretty happy with this box and am surprised at the quality of what we received.

Did anyone else subscribe to Bellabox? Does anyone have an opinion on which is their favourite monthly beauty box supplier??