Go bold and be brave this spring!

Hey guys!

With the recent improvement in weather down in my neck of the woods, I decided to dig out the products in my collection that were a lot bolder than what I was used to wearing. I have to say, I've fallen in love all over again!

I'm gonna talk about a range of products in this post; from lipsticks to nail polishes to eyeliners. I'm so happy that I can finally wear these shades now!

First I'm gonna discuss lipsticks. I have three shades to show you.

L-R: Coral Fever, Coral Crush, Sweet Tart

All three shades can be used sheer or opaque, depending on how brave you are ;)

The first shade is a bright orange from Maybelline, called Coral Fever. It's gorgeous when applied with the fingers, in a light way. It just adds a summery glow to the lips. I also think it would look good on a night out, applied more opaquely. It has a glossy finish, and it's lasting power is okay. You may need a lipliner with this lipstick.

The second shade is also from Maybelline, and it is Coral Crush. This is a more pink shade of coral, and is super bright. I adore this shade. It's honestly one of my all time favourite lipsticks. It brightens the face and looks great with a light tan. It's a perfect coral shade for spring and summer. It also looks great when applied lightly on the lips, as it adds a soft pink colour to the lips.

I think this next shade from Revlon works all year round, but I love to wear it most during the springtime. It's a Revlon Lip Butter in Sweet Tart, and it's a true bright pink. It's stunning. The texture of this lipstick is smooth and it is insanely pigmented. It's long wearing, and doesn't seem to bleed when applied. I love to wear this when I don't really feel like wearing a coral shade on the lips, and it still adds a bold pop of colour. This can also be worn sheer. 

Secondly, I'm going to talk about some nail polishes. This "Greetings From Paradise" set from Ulta3 was given to me as a gift for Christmas one year, so I'm not entirely sure of it's availability.  
It has five different yet bright shades, which can be worn throughout the warmer months.

I'm not gonna go into too much detail about these, as I just want to show the kinds of colours that I like to wear during the warmer months. My favourite is the peach shade on the far right, and I'm actually half way through the bottle :P

I also think the bright pink shade is stunning for Spring, and the blue/turquoise would be great for Summer.




Finally, I have an amazing eyeliner to rave about. haha. This one is from NYX, and it's phenomenal. This is the only shade I have, but I'm totally in love with it.

It's in the shade Azure, and it's a beautiful turquoise colour. (Apologies for the blurry swatch, my camera didn't want to focus for some reason). It's a shimmery colour, but it doesn't have chunks of glitter in it. It glides on so smoothly, and it's so long wearing. No joke. Like, I went to take this off with a face wipe, and it wouldn't budge. I had to use eye makeup remover to get this off, and it still left some colour on my skin. So for people who have oily eyelids/watery eyes, this would be a great product for you.

I like to use this on my lower lashline, towards the tearduct, for a slight pop of colour, without going overboard. It's a great colour for Spring and Summer, and I definitely recommend it to anyone.

So, that's it for my picks for bold, colourful products to wear during Spring.
I hope you enjoyed reading this, and don't forget that feedback is greatly appreciated. Also let me know if you have any other products that you will be wearing this time of year! I wanna hear about other people's favourites!

Until next time, 

Shelley xx

September Favourites & something a bit different!

Today I decided that I was going to do something a bit different with my blog post- I was gonna film a video. And so I did. hehe.

I'm by no means a professional; my editing skills are crappy and I'm definitely a bit awkward in front of the camera, but I wanted to take the plunge and do something out of my comfort zone. :)

I do have a cold in this video, so my voice is a little bit weird, so just a heads up haha

But here it is, my September Favourites video:

enjoy! xx

Shelley

the lipstick tag.

Hey guys!
I am so sorry that I haven't been active on here for a while, but I'm back now with a quick post to tide you over until I get around to taking more pictures and writing posts etc.

I stumbled on this tag while on YouTube just now, and it sounded kinda interesting. Feel free to do the tag yourself and send me the link to your post! I'd love to see your answers :)

1. How many lipsticks do you own?
I own 19 lipsticks. (that doesn't seem like much! haha)

2. What was your first ever lipstick? 
I honestly don't remember. It was probably one that was given to me by my mother, or grandmother. Or I may have owned one from one of those child's magazines that I used to get.

 3. What is your most worn lipstick?
I usually wear my Revlon Balm Stain in Honey, but the lipstick I always gravitate towards is my Revlon Colourburst lipstick in Blush. It's the perfect 'your lips but better' nude shade, and it glides on perfectly. The staying power leaves something to be desired, but it's easy to reapply without a mirror because of it's nude colouring.

4. What is your favourite brand for lipstick?
Either Maybelline or Revlon. (they're the only ones I've only really tried haha)

5. What is your favourite finish?
Anything both creamy and glossy. Matte lips seem a bit drying to me.

6. What was the last lip product you bought?
A Nivea Fruity Shine lip balm in Pink Guava.

7. How many lip products do you currently have in your handbag? (Including balms and glosses)
2. I have a Maybelline Baby Lips balm and a Covergirl Nature Luxe sheer lipstick.

8. What lipstick do you use to rock a red lip?
Either Revlon lipstick in Cherries in the Snow or the red shade of lipstick that is in my Designer Brands New York Glam palette.

9. How do you store your lipsticks?
The ones I use the most are all lined up in a drawer in an adorable jewellery box (I might post a picture soon!) that I bought from Target. The others that I don't use often are stored away in a makeup case. (I can't seem to throw them away!)

10. What lip products are you currently lusting after?
ANYTHING MAC... but I can't afford any MAC lipsticks right now. :(
I'm also lusting after the sheer lipsticks that YSL are renowned for. They're definitely on my wishlist!

Just a few great online shopping websites :)

Whoops! I'm a day late with this post, sorry guys!

Just a quick post today, as I'm a bit short on time.

I live in a small country town, and I don't have much access to stores that stock various makeup brands. So I do a lot of shopping online. I do however put in a lot of research with the products I buy, and don't succumb to impulse purchases that often.
Here are the sites I use most regularly.

• www.crushcosmetics.com.au

This site is great for buying products such as Nyx, Milani and Wet N Wild; basically all US brands that aren't readily available in Australia. The prices are reasonable and the delivery is quick. I adore this site!

• www.strawberrynet.com 

This site offers discounted cosmetics, hair care and accessories, along with perfume. There are daily deals and further discounts each week, as well as a loyalty discount. They also offer bonus products with certain purchases. I shop the most on this site, and they often have high end products at ridiculously low prices. Check them out!

• www.bellabox.com.au

This site doesn't sell the actual products, but it lists them and gives the websites you need to visit in order to purchase it. They offer a variety of brands, both high end and drugstore, which have been featured in their monthly boxes. It's a great way to find and repurchase a product that you received a sample of and fallen in love with, which has happened to me plenty of times! haha.

Hope this helps,

Shelley xx

Beauty products I REAAAALLLYY want to try :D

I always find myself going through magazines or surfing the internet and finding products that I instantly fall in love with, but I never seem to end up getting them or being able to afford them.
Here's a quick list of beauty products I'm really keen to purchase and take for a test run.

1. MAC Lipstick in Rebel.

This colour is phenomenal. I was instantly attracted to it, and I've heard great things about this lipstick in particular. I don't own any MAC lipsticks, so I might have to do a bit more research before I take the plunge.









2. Dior Addict lip gloss (no shade in particular).

I have to admit, it was the campaign with Daphne Groeneveld that suckered me into this one. The gloss looks stunning on her, and they seem so pigmented and smooth on the lips. These glosses are definitely on my wish list!

3. Benefit "They're Real!" mascara.
Scarlett Johansson swears by this mascara. 'Nuff said.

4. L'Oreal infallible 24 hour eye shadow in Amber Rush.
I adore anything that is rose gold coloured, so Amber Rush is the ultimate eyeshadow colour for me. I'm not sure if they stock it her in Australia, but I'm definitely going to have a look. I think that I'd wear this shadow to death if I got my hands on it. Here's a swatch that I found online:

5. Revlon Just Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous.
This shade is a beautiful orange colour that I think would be perfect for summer. Although it's not very expensive, and it's readily available to me, I don't think I'd wear it enough this time of year. I prefer darker, deeper colours (like Revlon's Red Velvet lip butter) rather than bright oranges etc. I'll probably purchase this towards the end of the year.

Feel free to comment and tell me which beauty products you'd love to try, or if you've tried any of the ones mentioned in this post :)

I'd also love to hear feedback from anyone reading this, as I'm about to start promoting this blog to the rest of the world!

Wish me luck!

Until next time,
Shelley xx

Monthly Favourites + Unfavourite

I can't believe it's the end of the month already! Where has the time gone? Anyways, I have been wanting to do a monthly favourites post for a while, and now it's finally the time to do one :)

I wear pretty much all of these products every day, with the exception of the lip product, and I like to alternate between the products in my collection each day.

My first favourite is ModelCo's Lash Xtend mascara. ( RRP $28 ) I received this in a magazine a while back, and was kinda skeptical about it, but it is now my all time favourite mascara. Not only does it lengthen lashes, it also separates them well and makes them look natural. You can also build up the thickness of the product for a more dramatic effect, without clumping. I also love that this comes with a little mirror on the side of the packaging. It's perfect for your makeup bag. I definitely recommend this if you're in the market for a higher end mascara.

The second product I have been loving this month is my Revlon PhotoReady bronzer in Bronzed and Chic. (I can't find the RRP price, but it is around the $25 mark I believe.)  I had heard great things about this from other beauty bloggers/YouTubers, and wanted to try it myself. I received a $5 off voucher for Revlon and thought it was the perfect opportunity to try it. Now I can't live without it! It's perfect for adding a subtle sunkissed glow to my skin, and it's not muddy or orange at all. I apply it on my cheeks, jawline and forehead with a kabuki brush, and blend it in well. I love that it has four different shades in it, which allows you to customise the darkness of the product - it's great for most skin tones.

The other Revlon product I have been loving lately is the Just Bitten Balm Stain in Honey. (RRP $17.95) This is a perfect every day colour, and just glides onto the lips effortlessly. The staying power is great, and I definitely recommend this colour in particular.

I only have one eyeshadow from MAC, and I can already say that I'm in love. They are buttery soft, long wearing and beautifully pigmented. My favourite eyeshadow this month is MAC's Woodwinked. I wear this a lot, and I find that you can easily build up the colour to go from day to night. It's a golden/bronze shimmery shade, and I find it just breathtaking. This eyeshadow is definitely an investment, and I plan on saving up for a few more to add to my collection.

The last favourite this month is a fragrance. I have to be honest with you, I'm crap at describing fragrances, so I've Googled what this scent is described as. haha. This perfume oil is from MOR, and is called Belladonna. I'm in love with it. I wear it every day, and I'm considering making it my signature fragrance. Here's the description: "Belladonna is a sweet symphony of spring with the notes of narcissus, Moroccan roses and pink tulips, revived with sparkling lemon and sweetened by the base of cassis, sandalwood, vanilla and musk."


My unfavourite this month is the Rimmel Scandaleyes mascara. This product didn't work for me at all. I only used it twice and hated it both times. It's a very dry, clumpy formula and I find the brush way to big for my liking. I wouldn't really recommend this mascara to anyone, because there are so many other drugstore mascaras that are way better than this one. This probably won't be repurchased in the near future.

Until next time, 

Shelley xx

Designer Brands Twist 'n' Go Instant Nail Polish Remover REVIEW.

I'm kind of a lazy person when it comes to removing my nailpolish, because it usually takes a bit of effort to get off, and you need a while to do it properly. So when I saw this product at my local pharmacy, I just had to try it. I didn't hesitate because the price was quite reasonable ($4.99 for a decent sized pot) and I am a big fan of the DB company.

For those of you who don't know what Designer Brands is, it's an Australian company that offers inexpensive yet vast amounts of makeup and beauty products. Their products are rarely priced over $20, and their lip liners/eyeshadows/lipstick is usually only around the $5 mark. If you haven't tried it yet, I highly recommend them! :)

Anyways, I wanted to see if this product lived up to it's "1 second effortless removal" claim. I have to say, I was fairly impressed.


 These are the colours I chose to test the nail polish remover on. I tried to pick differing colours and brands, to show the results in a more extensive way.

The names of the polishes, left to right (for anyone interested)
Turquoise Treasure by Ulta3 (part of the Greetings from Paradise set)
Valentine by Natio
High Street and Winter Skies by Polished London
Steel Her Heart by Revlon

BEFORE

 

AFTER (ONE SECOND ONLY)

The picture above is after I put my fingers in the pot for one second at a time, and "twisted" them like the instructions told me to do. For being in the solution for only one second, I find the results quite impressive. The remainder of the polish came off after a few more attempts, which is still a fairly effective result in my opinion. It's definitely quicker than the traditional method of nail polish removal. I also think it might take a little longer if there is more than one coat of polish involved, as I only put one coat on, but I still love this product.

I give it a two thumbs up! I'll definitely be using this in the future.

Until next time, 

Shelley xx