~ MAC squared ~

OPI Lucky lucky lavender NOTD

2011-01-18T03:52:00.000-08:00

So I caved in after Zerin's (http://www.xinarox.com) blog posts about OPI's lucky lucky lavendar and dived into the world of OPI and I have not looked back since. I think this particular colour looks great against brown skin and a random lady in the supermarket complemented my nails so atleast someone noticed!

I picked up 6 OPI's so stayed tuned for some more NOTDs. I am particularly excited to try my new Sparkalicious from the OPI Burlesque but that one will have to wait till the weekend since the wear of these polishes are amazing.. especially with OPI's base coat and Seche Vita top coat.

Do you have any nail favourites?

Merry Christmas!!

2010-12-25T11:13:00.000-08:00

It has been a pretty slow Christmas for me this year.. not that I am complaining that much though. I have been surrounded by family and love and that is all one needs in the end!

For a bit more holiday cheer check out the finale of Shahadakarim's holiday giveway at http://shahadakarim.blogspot.com/2010/12/holiday-giveaway-final-prize.html#comments

I'm off to MAC duty free tomorrow at the airport so am looking forward to some goodies to blog about! Enjoy the rest of the holidays!!

The "Anti-Haul" list

2010-11-21T21:32:00.000-08:00

So if you are a blog reader or have ever lingered a bit too long on youtube you would have surely come across the "Haul". I find it quite amusing that it is defined as "to pull or drag forcibly".. imagine for a second your favorites "haulers" draging the crap they bought out of a store.

So while haul posts can be quite boring, a majority enjoy knowing the stuff people spent their money on. So back to this blog post.. which will be about the stuff I regret not hauling so obviously most of this stuff is LE and surprise surprise all of it from MAC

1. MAC 165 Brush:

How could I have let this beauty pass me by.. Didn't give it a second look for two collections but now that it is gone I think my brush family is incomplete without it. I might get the bigger brother 138 soon to replace the void it has left.

2. My Dark Magic mineralise eyeshadow (from Venomous villains)

Missed young punk from Style black.. then this.. not for the lack of trying though mind you!! It was sold out in little Adelaide before I got there at 9:20 am.. was not a happy camper!

3. MAC MSF Brunette

4. MAC Sweet Sienna Pigment

5. MAC Sweet & Punchy Eyeshadow

I'm pretty sure this list is bigger but this is all I can think of for now. Do you own these products? Am I really missing out?
Do you have an "anti-haul" list?

Neutral WOC Urban Decay Naked palette EOTD and LOTD

2010-11-19T07:49:00.001-08:00

This is the neutral look I decided to do on a night out with friends. I used my new goodies mainly my Urban Decay Naked palette and NARS stuff.

This is what I wore on my lips:

MAC lip liner in Spice
MAC lipstick in Twig
NARS lipgloss in Dolce Vita

The colour on my lips is more pink in real life but the combo makes my lips seem juicy (that is the only thing I can think of!). The lips are still neutral but also have a bit of colour to them which I like! I love NARS lipglosses even though it is a bit annoying when my hair sticks to my lips! I should get my hands on more of them for sure!!

I used my new UD Naked palette for the eyes.. The colour is a bit washed out in these photos especially the crease colour but hopefully with practice I'll get better at taking pictures! :)

Primer- UD primer potion
Base- MAC groundwork paintpot
inner duct- MAC (ricepaper + nanogold)
lid - MAC expensive pink + UD toasted
crease - UD hustle
MAC blacktrack to line + UD zero to tightline and lower lash line
Outer lower lashline - UD Ransom liner + MAC parfait amour
highlight- MAC ricepaper
Curled lashes with Shiseido lash curler + Covergirl Lashblast mascara

* without flash

*with flash

(Not pictured) FACE:

MAC MSFN Medium dark

MAC Harmony (to contour)

NARS Gina blush

MAC stereorose to highlight

Fix+ spray

Have you tried UD's Naked palette?

November favourites

2010-11-17T04:41:00.000-08:00

Just thought I would share some of my favourites this month. It is spring in Australia at the moment and I'm loving these items:

Naked palette: Finally got my hands on one and it lives upto the hype and it beautiful! My favourite colours are sin, smog and hustle and I love the packaging.
MAC lipstick in Up the Amp: gorgeous fun colour and I love to layer Inglot's lip duo in 23 over this.
MAC MSF Stereorose: Yes, finally got this!! I was one of those crazy women ready to cry over this (in the privacy of my own bedroom ofcourse).. In retrospect it all seems very very silly but there was definately thrill in the chase. It really gives a beautiful subtle sheen. I really think this is WOW on lighter skin than mine but it is still worth having on my NC42 skin. Now So Ceylon is the bomb! (excuse the lame expression) on my skin but I'll leave that for another post.
Self made purple/blue quad: I got a new 15 MAC palette so I decided to rearrange my stuff. I've got parfait amour,plum dressing,nocturnelle and deep truth in this one. To be honest I don't use these shadows very often but I'm in a bit of a purple kick at the moment.
MAC 131 brush: I bought this to give my poor 187 stippling brush a rest. I use this to apply blushes, MSFs and for highlighting. Absolutely love it since it covers a narrower area than the 187 did so I can concentrate the blush on my cheekbones instead of it going all over.
MAC 219 brush: Where have you been all my life? Perfect for the cut crease look I have been trying to recreate in vain for all these months and also for highlighting the inner tear duct. Might well be the IT brush for November :)

Any favourites you want to share?

St. Ives Body Polish - Priceline steal!!

2010-04-11T06:27:00.000-07:00

An absolute bargain for AUD 3.99 marked down from 9.99 at Priceline stores in Oz. I love St. Ives' Apricot scrub which I use to exfoliate my face and feet and I was pretty sure I would love this as well.

What does it do?

It is an in-shower body exfoliating body polish (226 gms) with Oatmeal and Shea butter extracts. It also has natural sugar crystals which help in gentle exfoliation. It actually foams up into this smooth texture in the shower which was a pleasant surprise.

Why I love it?

It smells quite nice just like Shea butter and the sugar crystals dissolve with use. Before using this I had some flaky skin on my legs but in just one use I felt smooth and moisturized. I even skipped my body lotion after this. I now use it in a warm shower before going to bed. I find that I sleep better after with its subtle scent and with moisturized skin. I use this only twice a week though and make sure I don't get water into it.

Do you have any favourite St. Ives products?

High end vs Drugstore black eyeliner swatches

2010-04-09T17:28:00.000-07:00

From wikipedia "Kohl has been worn traditionally as far back as the Bronze age (3500 B.C. onward) by the Egyptian queens". Looking through my stash I found a few different brands of black eyeliners so I decided to swatch them to see if there was really a difference in colour between them.

Swatches of black eyeliners on NC42 skin

1- Lacome's Le Crayon Khol
2- MUFE aqua eyes in 0L
3- Urban Decay 24/7 pencil in Zero
4- MAC Kohl power eye pencil in Feline
5- Prestige Waterproof eyeliner in Black
6- Urban Decay 24/7 pencil in Oil Slick
7- NYX Jumbo eyeshadow pencil in Black Bean

Verdict: Definite colour differences in the intensity of black. Feline which is supposedly the "blackest black" wins the same title in my stash (I read Stila's Black Onyx wears better than Feline but I don't own it so can't make a comparison). Prestige Waterproof eyeliner in Black is surprising darker than both MUFE and UD which I did not expect.

Overall wear: My eyes are quite watery and I under no circumstances can wear a eyeliner that is not waterproof. I prefer UD Zero to MUFE 0L as it lasts longer on my waterline with far less smudges. Oil slick is great for lining the upper lash on night's out when I feel like a bit of sparkle :). Surprisingly, Feline lasts fairly long on my waterline and even though the difference in intensity in quite subtle in the swatches in real life I feel my eyes stand out more with Feline. Lancome's Kohl was one of my first black eyeliner's but I don't reach for it very often (if at all) as being a kohl it smudges very easily on me.

Personal winners: UD Zero and MAC Feline would be enough to fulfill my black eyeliner needs.The former for my waterline and the latter for smudgy smokey dark intense eyes.

Oily T-Zone gone forever

2010-04-09T06:48:00.000-07:00

I have a pretty oily T-zone which especially flares up during night's out and lets just say is not aesthetically pleasing!

To my rescue comes MAC's blot powder, blotting papers and my favourite Mr. 182!

How I use them: After setting my foundation, and spraying my face with a mist of Fix+ spray I lightly dust MAC's blot powder in Medium dark in my oily prone areas with Mr. 182 (His afro is very soft!). Some people find that the blot powder goes on a bit too thick and cakey for them but I have not had a problem yet. The makeup poof (that's what I call it) that comes with the blot powder is quite useless to me. I never carry my makeup with me except for maybe lipgloss as I expect it to last all night and it usually does! For touch ups I carry a few Korean brand blot papers with me.

How cute is the packing? :)

After all that search.. these three things keep the oilyness away!

NYX cream blush in natural

2010-04-08T08:50:00.000-07:00

I do not think I am a brand snob. I love a great bargain & drugstore find but my recession-friendly goodies often get ignored for their shinier and more expensive counterparts. One of the few drugstore items that I use for an everyday look is the NYX cream blush in Natural (please excuse the photo.. cream blushes can get a bit messy). It looks like a soft pink in the pan with definate peachyness as well.

NYX cream blush in Natural (No flash)

Left- Swipe of blush, Right- Blended on NC 42 skin

As you can see the blush blends really well into the skin and as it name proclaims it gives a nice natural and youthful flush. The finish is a bit dewy and matte at the same time if that makes any sense. I prefer using my fingers to blend it in along my cheekbones and only use very little. I have had this for a while now and it has now become part of my daily routine.

Do you have any NYX favourites? I would love to hear about your drugstore gem!

Why I added another beauty blog to the world

2010-04-07T07:03:00.000-07:00

There are a few reasons why I started blogging:

1. To have a place to do my vain thing without giving the automatic impression of being shallow and superficial - I tried sharing my love and passion for makeup and all things beauty with family & friends but that did not work out well. I believe that people who have mastered the skill of makeup are artists in their own right.. skin being their canvas.

2. When I started out experimenting with makeup there were not too many blogs by darker skin-toned ladies like myself. According to my online research Blankety was supposed to be the perfect nude for me ("I-just-ate-concealer-and-it-tasted-yummy" lips anyone?). So I wanted someplace that I could literally catalogue my makeup trials and triumphs, spending (yikes!) and lemmings (yay!) and perhaps in doing so be helpful to someone asking the same questions I did.

3. To become a part of the wonderful beauty community I admired- Everyone is so eager to offer advice, share their skill and lets be honest.. to drool over swatches online :)

With that I'll leave you with a swatch

Petticoat MSF - WOC Review and swatches (In the groove collection)

2010-04-07T06:15:00.000-07:00

Well... first things first.. FINALLY after all the whining, prayers and even petitions (yes I found a link on google) MAC is re-releasing Stereorose after 5 long years. I have read so so much about this MSF and I think it is part of the holy trinity of collectable MSFs apart from Pleasureflush and Metal Rock. Everyone and their mum is in line for this baby and I will definately be in that line with them. Why? Well, its coral and everyone seems to adore it! :)

Back to the post.. I got my hands on Petticoat MSF a few weeks ago and did a few swatches

Swatch on NC42 skin

As you can see it has quite a metallic finish to it which I love. Also, depending on the amount of veining you get a light pink to rasberry colour. I decided to get this as my go to pink MSF and this has done a great job so far. I only use shimmery highlighters at night as I brave the world bare-faced during the day. I use my 187 brush with this with only one swipe through the MSF. This will probably last me a lifetime the way I use it! Refined MSF is still my favourite one though and I will save that for another post.

Do you have a favourite MSF? How do you use it?

Ulta3 nailpolishes- An Aussie Gem

2010-04-07T05:58:00.000-07:00

Ulta3 nailpolishes are $2 gems found in Aussie drugstores/chemists. They come in so many beautiful colours and most of them go on very smooth with no chips for upto a week! I usually use Essie nailpolishes and these are definately comparable and some of them are even better. I particularly like the summery bright colours and you can't go wrong for the price. From what I gather the shade "Watermelon" has been made popular by the Oz Vogue forum and its not difficult to see why. It is a beautiful coral shade that really flatters my olive skin tone. I also love the shade "Tahiti" on my toes which is a very bright orangey coral colour.

On a side note, apparently true Australians have a pair of casual thongs (yeah, I know.. not the lingerie kind but flipflops) and a pair of "dressy" thongs. To my horror I realised that was true for me as well.. seems like 3 years here has made me a convert! :)

Now onto the pictures.... (clickable thumbnails)

Crystaliciousss' first giveaway

2010-04-05T18:09:00.000-07:00

Crystaliciousss is having an amazing giveaway on her blog.. and it is open Internationally so head to her blog and check her out.

http://crystaliciousss.blogspot.com/2010/03/spring-giveaway.html

Current lemmings and updates

2010-03-27T05:39:00.000-07:00

Seems like I'm becoming quite the makeup hoarder... Since my MSF obsession is now complete with Petticoat and So Ceylon, I have now moved onto those delicious looking Sleek Palettes! I blame spectra and ebay! So for now I have my eye on the storm, safari and sunset palette and have found a seller who offers a great deal on all of them.

Also, I need to share my new found love for Ulta3 nailpolishes. It is an Aussie brand with amazing colours for only $2 each. So I'm skipping my weekly Boost juice and buying 3 a week. I will need to put up swatches just as soon as I have the time. Also, my Konad plates are getting quite the workout which I am happy about.

I still have to figure out which 2 lippies to B2M my 12 empties... ahh.. decisions...decisions

Also, CoverGirl's LashBlast is my new cheap replacement for Lancome's Hypnose. But still Damn these australia product taxes.. even drugstore is expensive.

Ok.. random rant over. Till next time (with pictures hopefully!!)

December Haul

2009-12-22T08:19:00.000-08:00

I am extremely excited about the stuff I hauled this December *jumps around the room*. Most of the stuff I bought is pretty hard to find especially in Australia and I finally have triumphed in my epic battle (very lame, I know). I anticipate more hauls with the MAC Gift cards I have been hinting at for christmas :)

So for now these are my December babies. Welcome to the family!!

MAC Refined MSF (LE)

MAC Spiced chocolate quad (LE)

Urban decay Book of shadows 2

Urban decay super stash

* Urban decay product images from urbandecay.com

Iheartredcherry haul

2009-12-03T07:37:00.000-08:00

So I bought a couple of lashes when iheartredcherry store was having their Labour day sale.. the whole lot cost me around 25 aud with shipping. Some bloggers have had trouble with the store but my stuff arrived alright (obviously!) but it did take nearly a month for me to get them which was a bit of a pain.. Anyways onto the pictures...

The entire haul

I got a mixture of natural and dramatic lashes. These are my first lashes apart from my MAC # 7s
3 x Red Cherry Lash #1
2 x Red Cherry Lash #99
1 x Red Cherry Lash #119
2 x Red Cherry Lash #62
1 x Red Cherry Lash #42
2 x Red Cherry Lash #47
1 x Red Cherry Lash #46
1 x Red Cherry Lash #15

Egg olive oil hair conditioner

2009-11-22T07:39:00.000-08:00

My hair has been looking less healthy than usual.. probably because I have been washing it everyday after the beach. I have also finished my Omega 3 capsules and am in an air conditioned environment all day and night long... not so great for the follicles.

A quick remedy for limp dull hair is a hot oil massage. When I was growing up mum would give me an oil massage twice a week with a homemade oil made out of coconut oil and boiled red hibiscus. Now, I prefer using plain old extra virgin olive oil for my hair. But this time my hair needed extra conditioning so I made the dreaded smelly egg hair oil mixture.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
Extra virgin olive oil
vinegar/lemon juice

Basically I whipped up the eggs like I was making an omelette with two tablespoons of olive oil and added a teaspoon of vinegar.

Then with some cotton wool I covered my hair from root to tip and then let it dry till my hair went stiff (around 45 mins). Then I rinsed my hair out with luke warm water (do NOT use warm/hot warm as you might cook the egg) and then shampooed it as usual. I use some conditioner on the tips of my hair only.

Why does this work? Apparently eggs may strengthen hair follicles due to its high protein content and also add volume, shine and texture to hair.

Still skeptic?

Before: Dull and limp

After 1 use: Hair looks much more healthy and is now shiny!

* Both pictures taken with flash. Please excuse the many fly-a-ways after picture :)

PROS: The pros are pretty obvious from the pictures. My hair feels alot softer, has more volume and bounce, is shinier and generally alot healthier than before.

CONS: From experience, if you don't wash out the mask completely and shampoo well enough, hair can smell like you have put eggs in it. Inevitably, the bathroom you use to wash your hair will not smell that great either. I put up with these minor cons as I have used many hair masks before (both commercial and natural) but have not yet found one that does wonders for my hair like this one!

What do you use to remedy dull hair?

Simple purple smokey eye

2009-11-16T22:39:00.000-08:00

So this is from a few months ago.. As you can see I really haven't honed into my picture taking skills but I'm still trying. This is the first smokey purple look that I have ever tried. Was inspired by Temptalia's and XinaRox purple smokey eye looks. I should have packed more shadow on, extended the eye shadow above the crease and darkened the outer V and smoked out the lower lash line.

Used:
Blacktract fluidline as base
Parfait amour on lid
Nocturnelle on crease
MUFE 92 in outer V
MUFE eyeliner 11L (purple) on waterline
Lancome Hypnose mascara (quite clumpy since it was nearly over in the tube)

Simply fabulous dahlings

2009-11-16T19:21:00.000-08:00

Pics from MAC cosmetics website

Remember my pigment dilemma?

Well, the very generous new blogger Mommy Fabulous is offering a super giveaway including a choice of MAC Mischief Makers holiday sets including my current loves - the piggie sets and with more followers she is getting more generous! For details on this giveaway visit: http://jeanicejoi.blogspot.com/2009/11/welcome-to-blog-world-giveaway.html NOW!

Also, she blogs about her life as a mum in Las Vegas and her own little mischief maker!

Animal instincts

2009-11-16T17:54:00.000-08:00

Spring trends 2010

Photo credit: NYMag.com

If I had to choose a print that I'm most fond of it would have to be animal print. I know it is considered a "trend" but I don't really pay attention to that! I have almost every body part covered.. from gloves, scarves, sun glasses to shoes, clothes and even makeup!

I thought it would be fun if I shared some of fav "wild" things so here they are...

Style warriors Refined golden bronzer

What better way to start off than with MAC. Amazing bronzer that does not look muddy.. I do not reach for this that often though but I should!!

SHOES

Black peep-toe shoes with animal print lining from H&M. I really like the cut-out detail on the sides

My leopard print stilettos from Steve Madden - These are most probably a rip-off of Loubutins but I love them anyway!

Jewellery
The hoops from H&M and the other was a gift from an aunt who visited SouthAfrica

I wore this dress when I graduated with my Bachelors degree. Ahh.. memories

Blog Love

2009-11-15T07:43:00.000-08:00

I read ALOT of blogs.. usually my google reader unread posts are more than a 100 a day. Some of my fav non-beauty blogs in no particular order are:

Postsecret - exactly like it sounds.. I am pretty sure everyone is familiar with this one
Link: http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

Style arena- Streetstyle Japanese blog
Link: http://www.style-arena.jp/en/

Desire to inspire- An amazing interior decorating blog, features beautiful inspiring pictures
Link: http://www.desiretoinspire.net/

Karla's closet
Links: http://www.karlascloset.com/

Couture Carrie- Who needs Vogue when CC brings it all to your inbox
Link: http://couturecarrie.blogspot.com/

Picky Piggies

2009-11-15T07:08:00.001-08:00

Well, its 2 am and I'm now officially twitter obsessed! Speaking of the O-word: MAC pigments.. I'm having a bit of trouble deciding which MAC holiday pigment set will be mine... I'm basically torn between Cool capers --> love fuschia, grape and deep blue green but I think I will get more wear out of sexpot smoky --> love naked, sunnydaze and chocolate brown pigment. I could always get both though! :)

Oh- Sea foam eyes was the "chosen one" for a friends 21st birthday on Saturday night. I wore it with NARS torrid blush with my love Albatross as a highlighter and mixed MAC Freckletone and Lollypop Loving on my lips with MAC lustreglass in Love Nectar.
My outfit was a strapless mini coral dress from Forever21 with a bright yellow cotton cashmere cardi with snakeskin (fake) gladiator heels. Unfortunately did not have the foresight to snap a pic but will remember the next time!

My MAC imagination

2009-11-11T22:24:00.000-08:00

Sometimes during work (doing a PhD is work!) I find myself drifting away into a MAC dreamland while waiting for reactions to occur. Often this involves coming up with an idea for a look in my head. I still consider myself a makeup novice and have not tried all these looks as yet but here are some. Oh, I also name them like I know what I'm doing :)

Sea foam eyes
Rubensque pp
Goldmine in inner corner
Teal pigment on the rest of the lid
Shimmermoss on middle lid
Deep truth on crease
Carbon/Club on outer V
lower lash line - goldmine and club

Fiery Gold
Rubensque pp
Cocomotion pigment foiled 2/3rd lid
Coppering e/s 1/3rd lid
Fuschia (88 palette) in outer crease
lower lash line- woodwinked

Fairy floss
On a black base (NYX black bean/blacktrack fluidline)
Silver ring e/s near tear duct
Parfait Amour all over lid
Nocturnelle outer V
Mufe 92 in crease

I might just do one of these looks this weekend!

Duty free shopping list

2009-11-11T21:40:00.000-08:00

To stop thinking about all the fabulous cosmetic related sales now on in the US (namely the Urban decay and sephora ones) I have decided to make a list of all my cravings for the end of 2010. I am going to be going home in 4 weeks (yay!) and will be passing through the duty free heavens of both Singapore and Dubai. Did someone say "Put that on my credit card please!"

From the MAC holiday collection:
Smoke and Mirrors eye kit (for mommy)
Models misbehaving lip kit
Cool capers pigment set
Sexpot smokey pigment set

For swatches: http://www.specktra.net/forum/f217/mac-magic-mirth-mischief-holiday-kits-part-i-oct-09-a-146301/index2.html

From Clinique
eyecream

If I were able to buy stuff from the US sales I would get:
UD book of shadows II
UD set of 24/7 liners
NARS blushes in luster, cactus rose, gilda
No harm in wishful thinking right? :)

Top 5 Favourite eye shadows (MAC and MUFE)

2009-10-03T01:24:00.000-07:00

I am a NC 42 in MAC's foundation and have brown eyes. I have had a pretty tough time finding colours that I LOVE compared to those I just like.

First of all, I like many other MU newbies did not realise what a difference a base makes to eyeshadow application. Buy a base!! It makes the world of difference to how your makeup looks all night long and also makes blending heaps easier. I used to use MAC paintpots for a while but have recently started using Two Faced Shadow Insurance eye primer (which cost me 55 AUD! rip off much??) but it was worth every cent. Even after an exhausting night out my eyemakeup looks like I just put it on. Also, not included in this list are the basics like a highlight (eg: shroom, ricepaper) and matte black (eg: carbon).

Ok... now to my MAC loves:

1. Woodwinked - An antique brown which shows up with a hint of gold on my lids. Amazing colour that still does not have a dupe. Its a veluxe pearl and blends like buttah on my lids.

2. Amberlights & goldmine - Heehee.. so I cheated. Every brown girl must own both of these. They make our skin glow. Amberlights is an orangey gold and goldmine a yellow gold.

3. Cocomotion pigment (LE) - Yes, this is another gold one.. :) but this one has tiny sparkles in it that are jaw dropping gorgeous. I was really afraid that pigments would be hard to work with but they really are of a superior quality than pan shadows and you get so much more quantity with a pigment than a shadow.

4. Club eyeshadow - This ones a bit of a toughy to work with. The colour of it changes with what you wear with it. Some call it a browny green, even, greyish green/blue. I love lining my eyes with this one.

5. MUFE 92 - A gorgeous purple eyeshadow with God sent vibrancy and colour payoff. There is no dupe for this one and even though MAC makes a gazillion purple shadows this one IMO beats all of them.

Basic eyemakeup rule:

Brown eyes + purple shadow/liner = VAVAVOOM *pop* eyes

SWATCHES

*Swatched on NC 42 skin

Also, everyone is rocking the purple eyes right now and look gorgeous

For visualisation of the *pop* with purple eye shadow check out these beautiful talented ladies:

http://bubblegarm.blogspot.com/2009/10/fotd-purple-eyeshadow.html

http://xinarox.blogspot.com/2009/01/smokey-purple-eyes-makeup-look.html --> I recreated this and it looks lovely

http://toomuchblush.blogspot.com/2009/07/young-punk-face.html

Stuck 6 mths behind the rest of the world

2009-10-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

I love looking at the new collections... both fashion and beauty, but it kind of sucks being in Oz where we are always in spring when the Fall collections come out and vice versa.

Beauty/fashion trends for the season are just gaining momentum and I find myself a bit envious of the US folk who get to wear their new Style black stuff in fall instead of Warm and Cozy in summer!

I have always wondered... Does Oz stand 6 months before/after the trends. Do we wait till the next season to rock our new goodies or do we rock them right now?

NOTD Bright pink zebra nails

2009-09-30T01:46:00.000-07:00

Here is my first attempt at using Konad's Nail art plates. I am soo happy with the results!! I love pink and love animal print so this combo is definately a keeper for me. It does take a bit of practice to mkae it work when you just start off with it.. but these babies took me 45 mins to do and the best part is that it looks really professional.

Items used: Konad (m57 plates) and Essie's Fruit Sangria (a bright pink)

Mischief Makers Collection

2009-09-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

nov 5th (all locations)

Mischief Makers
mini lipglass/lustreglass $29.50/$35.50

sexy shenanigans soft:
lipglass:
elle-white pink with pearlized pigments
poetic license-coral rose
cruise control-pastel pink with white pearlized pigments

lustreglass:
ensign-peachy pink with white and gold pearlized pigments
morning glory

frisky business bright:
lipglass:
silly girl-pastel peach with multicoloured pearlized pigments
totally it-sheer bright pink with pink pearlized pigments
beaute-bright coral with pearlized pigments

lustreglass:
pinkarat
wonderstruck

models misbehaving deep:
lipglass:
pinkular-bronzed copper
magnetique-frosted violet fuchsia
gitane-burnt red orange with pearlized pigments

lustreglass:
angel wing-deep plum with golden pearlized pigments
instant gold

!!!mini pigments/glitter $32.50/$38.50!!!
haute high jinks warm:
pigments:
jardin aires
rushmetal
copperized
museum bronze

glitter:
reflects gold

cool capers:
pigments:
kitschmas
fuchsia
grape
deep blue green

glitter:
reflects transparent teal

sexpot smoky:
pigments:
naked
sunnydaze
chocolate brown
dark soul

glitter:reflects antique gold

Fun in the sun Indeed!!

2009-09-29T21:22:00.000-07:00

oct 15th (mac store only)

mineralize kit $59.50/$71.50

pinkzapoppin!:
light flush MSF
dainty MB
love connection MES
181SE brush

fun in the sun:
shimpagne MSF
nuance MB
play on plums MES
181SE brush

OMG fun in the sun is mine... :)

Upcoming MAC collections contd..

2009-09-29T21:11:00.000-07:00

*Credit due to erine1881 on Spectra
oct 15th (all locations)

magic, mirth, and mischief!
lip, eye, and face kits
sleek pewter coloured metal compact with a whimsical yet chic dot design that corresponds to the shades inside:

devil may dare warm eyes: $36/$43.50
dare ya!-light frosty peach pink (VP)
devilishly dark-rich brown with gold pearlized pigments (VX)
oh my darling-pale frosty cream (S)
prankster-mid tone frosty olive (VP)
sorcery-blackened burgandy (S)
gold tease-frosty mid tone gold (F)
213SE brush

sorceress eye: $36/$43.50
magnetized-light frosted lavendar (VP)
altered state-deep frosted blue purple (VP)
white rabbit-frosted soft white (F)
edge of dark-charcoal with silver pearlized pigments (L)
hold my gaze-mid tone cool green grey (S)
hypnotizing-frosted greyed mauve (F)
213SE brush

mystic cool eye: $36/$43.50
cool incantation-opalescent white gold (F)
shh, don't tell-pale neutral pink (F)
blue enchantment-dark frosted turquoise (S)
rose potion-mid tone frost rose (VX)
deep secret-deep frosted indigo (F)
violet vow-deep cool brown (S)
213SE brush

smoke and mirrors eye: $36/$43.50
fire in her eyes-frost neutral beige (F)
black magique-black with gold pearlized pigments (VX)
deception-frosted golden brown (F)
spell no. 9-soft muted pink biege (TBC)
wide-eyed wonder-frosty greyed taupe (F)
smoke & mirrors-dark chocolate brown (S)
213SE brush

heavenly dish neutral lip: $22.50/$27
lipstick:floating lightly-pale neutral pink beige (L)
lipstick: heavenly dish-sheer mid tone neutral pink (S)
lipgloss: barely visible- pale nude with pealized pigments
316SE brush

possessed by pink!: $22.50/$27
lipstick: tickled-dark plum (L)
lipstick: laugh a lot-cramy mid tone blue pink (L)
lipgloss: sweet smile-mid tone pink with pearlized pigments

hocus focus colourful face: $38/$45.50
top:peachykeen sheertone shimmer blush sunsparked pearl beauty powder
bottom:pretty baby beauty powder

fab-racadabra bronze face: $38/$45.50
top:buffed & polished iridescent powdersunbasque sheertone shimmer blush
bottom:golden bronzing powder

magic, mirth, and mischeif lip and eye bags $36/$43.50
barrel silhouette cosmetic bag in metallic gunmetal fabric with pink trim and a charm zipper pull

put a spell on you pink lip:
lipstick:dream-mid tone pink with intense pearlized pigments (G)
dazzleglass: baby sparkspromo size
lip pencil: dervish

house of mirth deep lip:
lipstick:fantasia-deep rose (L)
dazzleglass: get rich quickpromo size
lip pencil: cedarnaughty

noir eye:
fluidline: blacktrack
pigment: shimmertime
promo size zoomlash: zoomblack
209SE brush

alakazam! chocolate eye:
fluidline: rich ground
pigment: melon
promo size zoomlash: zoomblack
209SE brush

magic, mirth and mischief brush bags $49.50/$58
barrel silhouette cosmetic bag in metallic gunmetal fabric with maroon trim and a charm zipper pull

do-the-trick buff and line:
168SE
187SE
209SE
219SE
252SE

wave of a wand sweep and define:
129SE
190SE
212SE
227SE
275SE

morning, noon & knight everything eye:
194SE
204SE
224SE
266SE
275SE

Upcoming MAC collections

2009-09-29T21:10:00.000-07:00

* Credit due to Erine1881 on Spectra for info

Hold onto your seats ladies... Here comes the MAC train with our goodies for late 2009/2010

oct 15th (all locations)

magic, mirth, and mischief colour collection
lipstick:
$14/$16.50
pervette (repromote)total wow!-blue pink berry (G)(LE)
surprise me-mid tone peah (L)(LE)
utter fun-fuchsia cherry pink (L)(LE)

dazzleglass: $18/$21.50
jingle jangle-yellow pink wih red and sapphire pearlized pigments (LE)
she-zam-sheer silver with silver and red pearlized pigments (LE)
phiff!-sheer yellow peach (LE)

cremesheen glass: $18/$21.50

partial to pink (repromote)(LE)boy bait (repromote)(LE)
ever so rich (repromote)(LE)

mineralize eye shadow duo: base/crescent $19.50/$23.50
devil-may-care-rich light violet/silvermidnight madness-mid tone grey brown/gold
under your spell-light yellow, peach pink/rich copper
it's a miracle-deep blue burgundy/gold
mayhem-mid tone brown gold/silver
blue sorcery-bright turquoise/silver

softsparkle eye pencil: $14.50/$17.50
nightsky-(repromote)(LE)
iris accents-(repromote)(LE)

pro lash: $13/$15.50
coal black

mineralize blush: $21/$25
superdupernatural-mid tone coral (LE)
conjure up-mid tone plum (LE)

nail lacquer:$12/$14.50
$$$$$ yes-metallic silver foil (repromote)(LE)
lucky number-metallic blue pink (LE)

My first blog post!

2009-09-29T04:46:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! So I guess I have joined the masses and added yet another beauty blog to the world wide web. This blog, to me, will basically serve as an avenue to express my views on all things beauty and will perhaps be of help to someone. Catch you on the bright side!