REVIEW: L’Oreal Infallible 2-Step Lips & Giveaway!

This post is long overdue, but the timing is actually perfect because this lippy has just been awarded one of the coveted beautyheaven Best in Beauty 2013 accolades for Best Lipstick!

And it's no wonder - this really is an amazing product, quite revolutionary in fact. The concept is not new, but in my opinion, the formula is a breakthrough in the long-wear category. As I've mentioned in several of my posts, I was blessed with a win in the Australian Blogstar Awards back in August, and the complete set of these liptastic gems was part of the prize. Never in my long life have I received such a fabulous box of glossy colour sticks so beautifully presented, and it's almost an understatement to say I was utterly gobsmacked when I opened the parcel - warning: this is a picture-heavy post!

Part of my Australian Blogstar Awards 2013 prize

Like similar long wear products, this is a 2-step application - a cream pigment base followed by a moisturising balm overlay. Where it differs from other products out there is in its hydrating qualities, and the staying power. I've actually had my lips shrivel (and in one case burnt) by other brands, with several days of uncomfortable peeling following the initial application. In addition, none of the ones I tried lasted more than a few hours, and certainly didn't make it to the other side of a meal.

These L'Oreal lipsticks are seriously softening, and while I haven't tested if they actually last for 24 hours, most of them stand up to my rigorous daily routine of lattes, cups of tea and multiple munches (there's some specifics and a post-meal pic in my article over at beautyheaven). For me the deeper shades last considerably longer than the paler ones, mainly because they leave such a potent stain on the lips, so if you're like me and have a naturally pale pasty pout, these bolder hues are a godsend. At $29.95 they're not exactly cheap, but I believe they are well worth the outlay for their long-lasting and moisturising properties, and the presentation is class all the way.

Things I've discovered so far:

• They work best on bare lips
• Applying lipliner after the base and before the balm gives a far better result - the liner seems to reduce the initial staining effect of the pigment if you apply it first. I do my liplining while I'm waiting for the cream to dry :-)
• The flat colours look better later in the day - the shimmery ones are super pretty initially, but don't look as smooth and slick after eating
• Even if I don't reapply the balm regularly, my lips stay soft and flexible for hours
• The product does not transfer - to cups, glasses, teeth, clothing or other lips/cheeks!
• You will need a potent waterproof makeup remover to take the bold colours off at the end of the day

Instead of swatches, I thought I'd show you how every shade actually looks on my lips. While not all colours are 100% perfect for my yellowy undertone, every hue is unique and beautiful, and there's bound to be quite a few that will suit your particular colouring. All these photos were taken in the same lighting conditions (cool makeup light), and all are of the base with the balm over the top.

Blossoming Berry

Incessant Russet

Continual Crimson

Flawless Fuchsia

Coral Constant

Invincible Sable

Red Infallible

Lasting Mauve

Permanent Blush

Stay Framboise

Orange Extreme

Resolution Red

Timeless Rose

Violet Parfait

My personal favourites are Continual Crimson, Flawless Fuchsia, Stay Framboise and Invincible Sable - this last one is such a divine shade, but with my crinkly lips, the pigment seems to sink into the cracks and looks a bit stripey and weird when I smile. I'll keep working on a solution to my particular problem, but I'm sure it will work just fine for all you smooth-lipped younger gals.

Now we get to the best part :-)

YAY - My first Giveaway!

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This giveaway is now closed 

Delighted to announce the winners of my first giveaway - the three gals who will receive one of these fabulous lipsticks are:

IndieAna

Fawn

Hissycat Krissy

Congratulations ladies! Please reply to the email I've sent to you before Wednesday 20th November to claim your prize :-)

And thank you everyone who entered - it was a very tough to choose only three as I loved the sound of ALL the looks you'd pair this with. Oh how I wish I had one for all of you xxx

EDIT: Thanks for your emails ladies, all prizes have been claimed :-)

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Included in my prize pack were three extras of these gorgeous longwear lipsticks in the shade Resolution Red, and I have the OK from L'Oreal & beautyheaven to share the love with three of my (Australian resident only) readers.

To enter, you must follow me on Google Friend Connect, Bloglovin' or email, tell me in the comments section below which of the shades in the above lip pics appeals to you most and what colour eye shadow you'd pair it with, and include in your comment your email address, username (where applicable) and how you are following me.

Entries close midnight Saturday 16th November 2013, and based on the three most interesting answers, I will announce the winners on Sunday 17th November here on this page of kats colourings. Winners will have till Wednesday 20th November to send me an email, or I will choose again.

Hope you join in the fun, and good luck lovelies!

Take care of you,

kats xxx

Giveaway Terms & Conditions

1. Only one entry per person permitted.

2. To enter, you must follow me on Google Friend Connect, Bloglovin or email, comment on this post with your favourite shade from the 14 L'Oreal Infallible 2-Step Lips pictured above, and the eye shadow colour you'd wear with it, and remember to include your GFC or Bloglovin' user name..

3. Include your email address in the comment.

4. This competition is open to Australian residents only.

5. This competition is hosted by katshepsutt via the kats colourings blog at katscolourings.blogspot.com.au.

6. The total prize consists of three L'Oreal Infallible 2-Step Lips (one per winner) RRP AUD$29.95 each .

7. Competition closes midnight Saturday 16th November 2013 (Sydney time).

8. This competition is a game of skill and the winner will be based on the most interesting comment as judged by me, and notified by email and via a post on this page of kats colouring on Sunday 17th November 2013.

EOTD: Barbie Pink...

Haven't trotted this shade out in a while :-) Just adore this pink - it's by Jordana, part of their Colour Effects Bright Eyeshadow collection, I think it cost all of $6 at Cosmo Cosmetics. Wasn't too impressed initially, but over the top of a white base, and applied with a damp brush, it's totally comes alive with a knockout vibrancy, and this hue is unique in my collection :-)

I find it fascinating that some of my BEST performers & favourite shadow colours are el-cheapo's - of course it takes a while to find the good ones, and you have to sift through a whole heap of rubbish along the way, but I've learned that you don't necessarily have to spend a fortune to score fabulously pigmented and long wearing eye shadows.

Left photo taken in natural light

I used essence white kajal all over the lid as a base, then applied the Jordana pink over the top. Towards the back of the eye and into the crease, I patted down MUA matte charcoal (#20) - funny how my camera makes it look purple, but it's actually almost black. Smudged some of this over the top of MNY Master Precise Liquid Liner along the lower lashline too, and lined the waterline with essence kajal - gee I'd be lost without this white pencil! I use it almost every day, and for $1.75, I'm laughing all the way to the ATM. It lasts so well on the waterline, and doesn't irritate my eyes in the slightest :-)

I have numerous pans and palettes of pink shadows, but none of them can hold a candle to this little baked beauty, and it comes in a huge pot which I reckon will last me forever. From memory there were four other colours available in the range - yellow, orange, green and blue. Kinda regretting not snapping them up at the same time, but I've just noticed that BeautyJoint has almost all of them on sale at the moment for 64 cents - whoa, can't get much cheaper than that!

Have you found a bargain eye shadow that you well and truly adore?  If you have I would so love to hear about it :-)

Take care of you,

kats xxx

EOTD: All Night Blue...

Do you own an eye shadow that works for you every single time, that never EVER fails to deliver on pigment, that is the most exquisite shade, blends effortlessly, lasts all day, has minimal fallout, and doesn't crease or flake regardless of the base you use? Well I sure do - it's called L'Oreal Infallible All Night Blue :-)

I've raved about it ever since it arrived in my letterbox (yet ANOTHER gift from Hissycat Krissy - is there no end to this wonderful woman's generosity?). I haven't had quite the same euphoric reaction to the other shadows in this range - all are pretty shades, but none of them has the same edge as far as intensity is concerned. I'd been searching high and low for a deep and mysteriously broody yet vibrant blacky-blue for months, and found my dream come true in this eye shadow.

The presentation is a wee bit different, as is the formula. It comes in a round screw-top pot with a black plastic insert that compresses the powder keeping it securely in place, even when travelling. The powder is a mix of shimmery and sparkly bits that are easily captured by your brush, and when used with a moistened applicator, lays down like a buttery cream. Best of all, it's just as intense at the end of the day as it is at the beginning :-)

After this brilliant introduction, I planned on buying the entire set. However after checking them out, I found the rest of the colour range to be rather bland and uninspiring. The Purple Obsession is a lovely hue (as is Forever Rose), but I was hoping for something as bold as the blue. Oh what I wouldn't give for an emerald or aqua in this range, and they'd have me in a heartbeat with a duochrome violet :-)

To create this look, I used the following:

Tightlined with bhcosmetics black liquid liner felt pen

MUA Secret Gel Eyeliner in Exhibition as a base (this was disappointing, but I'll do a separate review later)

L'Oreal Infallible All Night Blue all over the top lid

Palest blue from the Physicians Formula Casual palette along the top lashline

MNY Master Precise Liquid Liner on the lower lashline with some All Night Blue smudged over the top

bhcosmetics Waterproof Eye Liner in Midnight on the waterline, blended with essence white kajal

MUA matte beige on the hood

MNY The Falsies Waterproof mascara

Do you have a favourite eye shadow that never lets you down, regardless of the circumstances?

Take care of you,

kats xxx

LOTD: Apricot shimmer...

Actually I wasn't all that sure how to describe this colour :-) Two of the products I used just have numbers on the packs, so I reckon they didn't know what to call it either lol! Anyway it's a pale coppery apricot hue that's perfect for bright spring days.

I started with an Australis Lip Pencil in the shade Nudie Rudie. My lips are heavily freckled, so I find it best to smother them in lip liner so I end up with an even end result. This one is particularly good for neutralising any red patches as well :-)

I'm rather enamoured with Mirenesse Lip Bomb Glossy Lacquer Stains. I have over half a dozen in my collection, and this one (#28) recently arrived as part of my VIP pack.

Mirenesse has a somewhat interesting marketing strategy - they list their products on their website at ridiculously inflated prices that no one in their right minds would pay (well I wouldn't that's for sure!). And then they have (almost) daily "specials" where you can buy the items at far more realistic levels, the aim of which appears to be to convince you that you are getting a total bargain, when in fact (in my opinion) you are merely snaring the product at it's actual price. I believe their "special" prices are what the products are worth, so I don't recommend purchasing anything from their website unless it's on sale.

But don't get me wrong, I LOVE Mirenesse products - I've been a VIP member for years (mainly for the free shipping, but also to try out just about everything in their range), and in particular their eye gels, kohls, felt tip liners & lip products are exceptional quality. But occasionally it bothers me that I can't buy what I want when I want it - I have to wait for the item to be on sale, and sometimes that can be a long stretch (anything up to 10-12 months).

Anyway, personal bug-bear aside, here's the bomb - a glorious almost metallic apricot, so creamy and moisturising, and super easy to apply with the dumb-bell shaped applicator.

I topped it with Mirenesse Velvet Lip Lift Moisture Shine #46 (see, I really do LOVE their products lol). The bombs are super glossy and rich, but I wanted a smidgin more colour depth and a tad more frost, plus these glosses seem to give my lips just a wee bit more plumpness than normal. I have 15 of these in my kit and adore every single one of them. They come in a mammoth range of 50 shades, and fortunately they have occasionally been made available as freebies with magazines. Also from time to time, you can pick them up just for the price of shipping - currently an outrageous $10.99, but don't think of it as postage, you're actually just scoring a brilliant lip gloss for 11 buckaroos, which is awesome value :-)

Have you tried any Mirenesse products?  What's your favourite?

Take care of you,

kats xxx

Versatile Blogger Award!

Oh my!  I'm so honoured that the delectable Gemma Sapphire from Lady Sapphire Blog has nominated me for a Versatile Blogger Award :-)

I've only been blogging for a little over a month, so to be nominated this early on in my career is really quite a thrill, and I'm so grateful to Gemma for including me in her list.

You can read all about the award here: http://versatilebloggeraward.wordpress.com/about/ - I'm sure inspired to keep blogging about the things I love in my beauty world :-)


One of the responsibilities of this award is to declare 7 perhaps hitherto unknown facts about myself, so here we go:

1) I'm a Sagittarian!  I was supposed to be a Capricorn, but I deliberately arrived 3 weeks early so I  wouldn't have to wait 12 months to spend  my first Christmas with my parents...

2) I'm not very tall - 5' 2" in fact (or 157.48 cm for all you young'uns). It's not surprising that once I realised I had stopped growing, I immediately adopted the motto "good things come in small packages"...

3) I'm left-handed - a natural south paw, but I use my knife & fork the same way as a right-hander (much less stressful for restaurant waiters)...

4) After leaving school, I launched myself into a somewhat short-lived career as an actress. But I wasn't very good though, so I learned how to type (just so I could eat)...

5) I was born with RED hair (much to my mother's dismay), which fell out when I was three months old. Bald till age two, it grew back platinum blonde, and corkscrew curly. This may or may not be related to fact #1 above...

6) At 20 years of age, I went on my first OS trip, and while I was there, somehow ended up learning how to water ski in the South China Sea (and swallowed half of it glub glub)...

7) My favourite city in the world is Venice. When first we met, she was so beautiful, all shrouded in fog and mystery and moved me to tears, and the second time around, glorious sunlight was dancing across her ancient buildings, bridges & canals. She has my heart :-)

Next I must nominate 15 bloggers for this same award, so here are some of my favourite blogs that most definitely qualify because of their exceptional content, variety and the delight they bring to me:

• Kate from Seducedbybeauty.com
• Scentsation from IndieAna: In Search of the HolyGrail
• Nalini from The Made Up Maiden
• Sandy from Eyes for Makeup
• Ina from Ina Beauty World
• Tulip Love from Kuwai Beauty Corner
• Jen from The Shopping Queen
• Miss Billi from Australian Beauty Review
• Sarah from More Than Adored
• Sarah from All Her Pretty Little Things
• Sarah from The Science of Beauty
• Tracey from mummytutto
• Kerri from Beauty & Things
• Coleen from The Makeup Bubble
• Amy from Bottled Beauty

Oh and just for the record, here are the VBA rules:

1. Thank the person who gave you this award. 
2. Include a link to their blog.
3. Select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly.
4. Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award
5. Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself.

Hope you found my 7 facts entertaining - can't wait to read some no doubt fascinating info about my fellow nominees :-)

Take care of you,
kats xxx

EOTD: Purple #1...

I'm a self-confessed PURPLE nut :-) As a teenager, my bedroom was a purple-fest - I grabbed every little nick nack I could lay my hands on in that shade, and even painted my furniture with Estapol Antique. I remember the base coat was deep pink, and then I used a cloth to smudge a bright cyan toner over the top to create a deliriously vivid purple aged look. Of course in those days I wore purple clothes and purple eye-shadow as well, and was ecstatic when Yardley brought out a purple Pot'O'Gloss (now I'm really giving away my age...)

I love just about all purples, and especially the names of all the different shades in this particular colour family - lilac, amethyst, lavender, violet, aubergine, mauve, plum, burgundy, mulberry, orchid, grape and on it goes. The pinky purples make my eyes look greener and seem to suit my skin tone better than the bluey ones, but I don't let that stop me indulging in my all-consuming purple passion.

I'll be doing quite a few purple EOTD's over the next few months, so here's the first of many :-)

For this look I used a base of Face of Australia Budge-Proof Gel Eyeliner in Pure Purple. Love this gel because it takes a while to dry and gives me time to apply my shadow so it really sticks.

Towards the back of the eye & into the crease I pressed on Revlon matte Aubergine. Along the top lashline I added violet from the Physicians Formula Fashionista palette using a damp brush to bring out the shimmer.

After lining the lower lashline with MNY Master Precise Liquid Liner, I smudged it with the Revlon Aubergine, and a deep purple from the L.A.Colors Venus palette. And finished off the look by lining my waterline with the same FOA gel liner, and a few coats of MNY The Falsies mascara.

Do you wear purple eyeshadow?  What's your favourite purple hue?

Take care of you,
kats xxx

EOTD: Turquoise Butterfly Blue...

I'm calling this look "butterfly blue" because it reminds me of the iridescent wings of those glorious insects I see on nature programs filmed in South America.

The base I used was Mirenesse Face Gel in Blue Moon - sadly they don't make this shade any more, but although I've had it for several years, it's just as viable as it was the day I bought it. This was one of the original range that didn't come with a built-in brush - the colour is just so deliciously vibrant.

Over the top I added Peace from the UD Deluxe shadow Box - such a stunning turquoise with loads of shimmer, then I smoked the outside with Zero from the same palette. Just to make it interesting, I dabbed a smidgin of Fishnet in the middle of the lid. It looks a bit patchy because this is a duo-chrome that my camera doesn't register all that well, but IRL, it was super pretty.

I then lined the lower lashline with MNY Master Precise Liquid Liner and blended a little Peace over the top.  On the waterline, I used the Mirenesse Blue Moon.

Does nature inspire any of your eye-looks?

Take care of you,
kats xxx

REVIEW: Neutrogena Mulberry Scrub

While the performance of a skin care product is of primary importance, I admit I'm an experiential gal. If I can find something that works brilliantly AND it gives me pleasure while I'm using it, I'm sold. The presentation, colour, texture and fragrance are also key factors if I have to choose between two similar items - I will invariably go for the one that smells fantastic, and this Neutrogena Deep Clean Radiance Boosting Mulberry Daily Scrub has the edge over all the scrubs I've tried of late.

It caught my attention in the supermarket because the tube is the most glorious shade of violet (I'm actually a sucker for anything purple lol). I sneaked a sniff when no-one was looking, and instantly fell in love with the fresh fruity mulberry scent. It's a clear gel with super fine granules in suspension, and tiny little berry coloured exfoliating beads. Although I have mature age combination skin, I've found this to be gentle enough for me to use every day without drying out my skin, or causing any irritation.

The blurb says Dermatologist tested, oil-free, alcohol-free, non-comedogenic, and it contains Vitamin C & B3 - no wonder I love it! I was already a fan of their Naturals Purifying Pore Scrub, but this one appeals to me even more - I find the freshness of the fragrance is deliciously invigorating in the morning. It's a pity that it's not listed on beautyheaven (well not yet anyway) as I'd definitely give it 5 stars :-) (Edit: yay they've listed it now and my review of it is here)

So what say you ladies - what's your favourite scrub? Is the entire experience of a skin care product important to you?

Take care of you,

kats xxx

EOTD: Smashbox Apricot...

I've been hammering the greens and a few blues since I started blogging, so high time for a change...

A few months ago, I hit the jackpot when I miraculously won the first blog giveaway run by my darling friend (and one of my greatest enablers) Hissycat Krissy - the amazing Click You're It Holiday palette by Smashbox. Couldn't believe my luck, or her generosity! There are 15 fabulous powder shadows and 5 creams in this glam and glossy red box. Here's a pic of the shades taken shortly after arrival, and before I did too much damage with my brushes...

Such beautiful colours, soft and elegant, very little fallout, easy to blend, and the creams make terrific bases :-)

For this APRICOT look, I began by tightlining my top lid with Mirenesse Inside Out Kohl liner in Amun, a deep reddish brown, and took it underneath as well.

Next I patted on a base of MNY Tattoo in Fierce & Tangy, and applied Smashbox #9 all over the top lid. For a bit of extra sparkle & contrast, I added #10 along the top lashline.

I finished with MNY Master Precise Liquid liner on the lower lashline, waterlined with essence white kajal, dusted MUA matte beige on the hood, and gave my lashes a severe going over with MNY The Falsies mascara.

I have quite a few oranges in my collection - most of them are rather intense, so I'm thrilled to have this far softer fruity apricot to play with.  I can guarantee there'll be more looks coming up using this stunning palette :-)

Do you wear orangey shades?  Have you tried any Smashbox shadows?

Take care of you,

kats xxx