LOTD: Australis Waltz...

Time to experiment with some new cooler weather lip colours! This is what I wore with Monday's Taupe-ified Essence Caramel EOTD. I'm not usually a great fan of browns on my pucker - I'm far more inclined to go with a deep nude or a coral, a hot pink or even a red with my winter outfits, but I've had this Australis Waltz in my make up drawer for around 18 months, and decided to give it an airing, and perhaps change my opinion of what I normally term a muddy mouth :-)

So I started by lining and filling in my lips with Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lip liner in Cappuccino - I have almost half a dozen of these Rimmel lip liners now after scoring a couple more in the recent Chemist Warehouse half price sale :-)

And here is Australis Colour Inject Waltz - a rich shimmery bronze that I've so rarely worn mainly because it's such a deep hue, and I really don't have much in my wardrobe that it teams all that well with. But now that I think about it, a bright orange top might give it a lift - I'll work on it :-)

To warm and soften it a little, I added Mirenesse 3D Forever Gloss in Slip of Beige. It's a pretty nudey colour, a tad too pale for me to wear alone, but exceptionally versatile over the top of just about any lipstick shade, and this range of glosses is my favourite of the Mirenesse ones - supremely moisturising, creamy and light, and not the slightest bit sticky...

How do you feel about brown lip shades? Do you have a particular fave?

Take care of you,

kats xxx

EOTD: Taupe-ified Essence Caramel...

Here's one for you lovelies that prefer a more subtle look as far as eye make up is concerned :-) I do realise that not every gal is into riotous colours and drama as much as I am, so this is for all the neutral lovers out there...

Although I wanted the warmth of a wee bit of caramel on this particular day, the accessories I'd chosen were leaning more towards the goldy-yellow side of the spectrum, so I set about cooling down the essence irresistible caramel cream to a soft taupey bronze. This is a striking example of the shift you can make just by using a very different base shade. Why not just use a bronzey eye shadow to start with I hear you ask? Well the simple fact is I don't have one in my kit that's pigmented enough or sufficiently blendable - I rarely wear neutrals so my collection is limited, but it's pretty easy to turn any shadow into the hue you want :-)

My base was Maybelline Color Tattoo in Tough as Taupe - haven't used this for at least 12 months, and fortunately I had the cap screwed on super tight and it hasn't dried up. I went through a stage of wearing it every other day when I first bought it, and basically grew tired of of the colour and moved onto the other shades in the range. But I'm always happy to rediscover an old love, and this matte cream is a sweetheart hue, nice and dense and provides excellent coverage..

.

Over the top I patted down the deeper shade in the essence 3D irresistible caramel cream all over the lid, and added a smidgin of the light shade to the inner corner, but not enough to create a strong contrast (believe it or not, I really wanted a "subtle" look). To make my eyes look a bit more defined, I added Brown Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips Gel Liner on the waterline...

And here's the face I wore with it - I'll post the lips separately later this week. The outfit was all cream - top and trousers, teamed with suede boots the same bronzey shade as the eye make up... 

All up I was far happier with this neutral look than some of my earlier attempts - I think the brighter red hair helps me to cope with the lack of colour on my eyes ha ha :-)

Take care of  you,

kats xxx

CONFESSIONS: of a Body Washaholic (Part 4)...

This is actually a double-confession - ermmm I went out and bought four more body washes, even though I'd only finished off one of my existing ones from Parts 1, 2 & 3. Gee wiz, I just couldn't help myself :-( At this stage this just HAS to be it for a while though because as you can imagine, there's simply NO room at the inn...

As a reminder, here's what was already bulging out of my shower caddys...

Ok now that I've fessed up, there's little point dwelling on past sins, so here's what tempted me...

Grace Cole Fruitworks Strawberry & Kiwi Shower Gel

Loving body washes as I do, I've been on a mission to find some new and interesting ones to add to my collection. Spotted this in Chemist Warehouse, and it had me at first sniff. I reckon it's a bargain for $4.99 and there's quite a few varieties in the range (along with other matching body products), but given the fact that my mouth waters at the first hint of strawberries and kiwi fruit, the other scent combos didn't really get a look-in this time around. It's made in England, paraben free, and I've not seen it for sale anywhere else. The clear berry coloured gel is quite runny so be careful when you pop the flip-top lid - I cup my flannel and squeeze a bit into the middle, then mash the edges together before slathering the fruity suds all over my bod. Non-drying and zingily refreshing, I'll be exploring the other yummy scents once I have some space lol (I'm almost certain there was a pink grapefruit one, so that'll be next...)

Radox Coconut Rush Body Wash

Oddly enough, in the past I've avoided coconut fragranced products - haven't a clue why, and actually after trying this beauty from Radox, I'm wondering what past experience could possibly have induced this silly scent-blockage, but whatever it is, I'm over it because I LOVE this stuff - the name alone makes me feel energised. The smell is very definitely coconut, but it's not overly sweet or cloying. The liquid is thick and pearly white, soap free, and according to the back of the big fat bottle, contains Sorbitol (third item listed in the ingredients) to moisturise, and that it does. Most definitely scoring a place on my "regulars' list, the 500ml bottle is available in supermarkets and pharmacies for just under $7, and there's also a giant 1 litre pump container for less than $10. A massive thank you to Gemma Sapphire for inspiring me get over my coconut phobia ♥

Lux Soft Touch Cherry Cream Body Wash

Oh now this is a pretty one - forget it fellas, this is a 100% girly fragrance, a blend of cherry blossom and baby powder ♥ You know I really should note down where I buy things as soon as I walk in the door - by the time I get around to reviewing, I'm struggling to remember the source, which is a pain when I want to find it again. Anyway my seniors brain is telling me The Reject Shop for around the $5 mark. A gorgeous pastel pink liquid that's thick and pearly, this body wash is said to contain Silk Protein Extract and Cherry Cream - well it sure makes my skin feel as smooth as silk, nicely hydrated, and the ultra-feminine fragrance lingers for a while without interfering with my perfume...

Palmer's Tropical Shea Butter Body Wash

If the smell of fruit salad and cream appeals to you, then I can highly recommend this body wash. It's the first Palmer's one I've tried, and like most of their products, the Shea Butter content delivers a rich boost of moisture with every squirt, without making my skin feel slippery or slimy. Can't see any fruit listed in the ingredients, but it does have a lovely tropical tang to it, and the consistency is nice and thick. Interestingly there's not one review of it on beautyheaven, but the Coconut flavour won a 2014 Glosscars. This 400ml bottle has only just appeared at my local Coles for $5.99, is sulfate & paraben free, and Palmer's are against animal testing....

Well I'm calling the Body Washaholic series a wrap for the time being, but you just KNOW I'll be doing a Part 5 in the not too distant future now don't you? Ha ha...

Take care of you,
kats xxx

LOTD: Rimmel Heather Shimmer...

Just for a change I thought I'd post an LOTD where I WASN'T trying to change the colour of the lipstick using a lipliner or gloss (yes, it does happen from time to time lol). All I wanted to do was enhance this delightful lipstick shade with a super glossy finish...

So...I laid down a base of Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lip liner in Wild Clover...

Over that went Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Heather Shimmer. I popped into Chemist Warehouse on the weekend to see what I could grab from their 50% off sale, and scored this gorgeous lippie for $4.25. Such a great shade for the cooler months - quite a few notches up from "natural", but not too red, and with just enough punch to give my lips some much needed definition. I actually had this shade in my kit a few years ago, but thought it was a bit ho-hum so I tossed it out, but I'm very happy to rediscover it now, and especially for half price! It lasts pretty well, and has ample moisturising power...

How chuffed I was to discover that my essence XXXL Nudes gloss in Nude Kiss was a very close match, and gave the lipstick the extra slick of shine I was after...

And here's the face I wore that day - same day as my teal vamp EOTD. The not-so-out-there lip colour helped balance out the intensity of the eye make up...

Have you ever fallen in love with a lipstick the second time around?

Take care of you,

kats xxx

COME PLAY WITH ME: Vamp It Up! (Part 2)

This is my THIRD attempt at a vampy look for Indieana's Come Play With Me theme. Ok at last I'm happy with this one :-) Should have gone with dark teal and a bit more 'tude from the beginning lol...

Tried a new base this time - essence Long Lasting eye pencil in "I have a green". Haven't a clue why I haven't used this before - it's a stunner with a slight sparkle and boy oh boy is it magnificently pigmented...

Over the top went Orbit from the Sleek V2 Matte palette - a tealy blue, but pressed over the green crayon, it forms a deliciously rich partnership...

On the waterline I blended bhcosmetics black liquid liner (a felt pen type) with essence BBC All Night Blue gel liner...

Once again you'll find Indie's stunning eye, face and nail look here...

And Hailey will wow you with her sexy vampire creation...

Take care of you,

kats xxx

COME PLAY WITH ME: Vamp It Up!

The beautiful Indie has chosen a hot and sexy theme for this round of Come Play With Me - dramatic and dark, I thought "Vamp" would be relatively easy as I often wear deep shades, but it's turned out to be quite a challenge. So much so that I've had to have a few goes at it, and still I don't reckon I've captured the essence yet, so I'll continue with the theme in mind this week until I'm satisfied. Meanwhile, here's a couple of my attempts...

This first one is a bit wimpy, and not much different to what I normally put together, but hey I had some customer meetings lined up on this particular day and didn't want to frighten anyone ha ha. I went for a matte shadow because it's far easier to achieve a broody look than with anything vaguely shimmery, and this one was super simple and quick (essential elements for work days)...

I used dark blue Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Gel Liner as my base, and applied Sugarpill Velocity over the inner two thirds. I smoked the outside with charcoal from the SAX Sultry Eyes Kit, and used the same Physicians Formula blue gel on the waterline...

This next attempt is closer to what I had in mind - a bit more goth and moody lol. It's been interesting for me to see the difference it makes to eye shape when you use a solid block of dark colour all over and around the eye...

For a base I used Eye of Horus Charcoal Obsidian Goddess Pencil, and then applied MNY mini Purple (#533) over the top. On the waterline, I patted on purple Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Gel Liner...

I deliberately didn't apply mascara to the top lashes as I didn't want anything to interfere with the blurry velvety kind of finish I felt was essential to this mood....

Let's see what else I can come up with :-)  Meanwhile...

Check out Indie's fabulous rock chick look (and mani) here...

And if you want to know how to create a sultry sexy vampirish face, Hailey is your gal...

Take care of you,

kats xxx

EOTM: "Your Favourite April EOTD" Giveaway!...

Yikes has another month flown by already? Well we'd better get on with the May giveaway before June turns up hey :-)

Boxed set of 4 Mirenesse Velvet Lip Lift Moisture Shine glosses

These are full-size, and the colours are from left to right, #45, #42, #46 and #50.  RRP $159.80

This is the "Totally Addicted" collection that was my Christmas VIP pack - love the shades, but I already have most of them (and so many others in my drawers that I'll never get through if I keep this lol)...

Ok so as usual, you need to choose which of the April EOTD's is your favourite from the eight pictured below (blimey, can't believe I didn't do any blues last month!)...

This time I've giving the Rafflecopter a shot, so please make sure that you follow the entry instructions, and read the Terms and Conditions. Please note that leaving a comment and providing your email address inside the Rafflecopter are MANDATORY for entry :-)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This giveaway is now closed

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Woo hoo - random.org has chosen the beautiful Gemma Sapphire as the winner.  Congratulations gorgeous! 

Gemma please respond to the email I've sent you by 

Tuesday 27th May to claim your prize :-)

Edit: Gemma has emailed me to claim her prize ♥

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The competition closes midnight Saturday 24th May 2014 - good luck to everyone who enters!

Take care of you,

kats xxx

LOTD: L'Oreal 2-Step + Mirenesse Lip Gloss!...

As you may remember, I was blessed with a beautyheaven Blogstar win last year, and one of the prizes was the complete set of L'Oreal Infallible 2-Step Lips - believe me, I'm still reeling from this fabulous win, and still loving these amazing longwear lippies!

But...while I'm super chuffed to have every colour in the range, not every shade actually suits me, and having opened and swatched all of them on my lips months ago, well I'm not about to give away the ones that aren't quite so flattering. So...what to do? Well the good news is that I've found these lipsticks work just as well with Mirenesse lip gloss over the top, instead of using the clear one that comes in the L'Oreal tube :-)

So here's experiment number 1 - this is Blossoming Berry, such a pretty hue, but not one that goes all that well with my yellowy under-toned complexion...

I applied it as directed to bare lips, waited till it dried, and then added Mirenesse Velvet Lip Lift Moisture Shine in #44 over the top. They're similar colours as you can see in the pic below, but the Mirenesse gloss has a tinge more orange in it, and some glistening gold sparkles, which turns this pretty pink into something more flattering for my skin tone. I'm delighted to have found a way to wear this gorgeous colour :-) 

And as I'm also powering through the built-in glosses in all the other shades that DO suit me, I'm no longer stressing about using up all the moisturising balm before I reach the end of the pigment. I've tried various glosses, but the Mirenesse one is the only brand that doesn't disturb the L'Oreal pigment...

Here's two coats of Permanent Blush...

Over the top I added Mirenesse Velvet Lip Lift Moisture Shine in #8, which is a very similar shade, and provides the same moisturising power as the L'Oreal built-in balm...

And here it is 4 hours later...

I'll post a few more examples of how I'm getting the not-quite-right shades to work for me over the next few months - this little discovery was such a relief for me as I can't bear to waste makeup, and especially not these beautiful lipsticks :-)

Take care of you,
kats xxx

What's On My Bedside Table Tag...

Sweet Varinder over at Make Up Me & YoYo tagged me the other day with her scathingly brilliant idea, and so did my beloved Gemma from Lady Sapphire Blog. So with a double whammy tagging, how could I refuse? (As if I'd NOT want to participate anyway hey)...

My dressing table doubles as a bedside bench, and I have very limited surface space (because I have so much makeup lol), so I try and keep things to a minimum. But handcreams are one of my greatest loves, and so is having choices, so I simply MUST have three on the go at any one time...

Mirenesse Power Lift Active Hand & Body Balm
Absolutely adore this stuff - in the past I've given Mirenesse a hard time for their marketing strategy (and outrageous RRP's) but buying this on special will give you the biggest treat. This cream has the most magical restorative powers for hands in need of severe love, and it smells like a freshly peeled orange. Super softening, it makes my skin feel like silk, and look 10 years younger ♥

Crabtree & Evelyn Evelyn Rose Hand Therapy
This was in my Blogstar pack. One word, two syllables - DI-VINE! I'm crazy about C&E hand creams, and to receive a giant sized tube was a major pleasure for me because I don't have to be mean with it. Containing shea butter, rose extracts (the fragrance is heavenly), macadamia nut oil & myrrh, this is a luxury I will make myself afford forever more. It's just so rich and moisturising, and the rose scent makes me SO glad I'm a gal ♥

Innoxa One & All Anti-Age Hand & Nail Rescue (SPF 15)
In my twenties and thirties, Innoxa One & All was the only hand cream I used. In those days they only had one formula and it came in a deep pink tube, and it transformed my nails from soft bendy tearaways into hard sleek talons. I'd quite forgotten all about it, and then spotted a whole variety of tubes in Chemist Warehouse last weekend for $3.99. It has barely any scent, but what there is is delicate and pretty, and I bought it specifically to use in the mornings because of the sunscreen content. Because I've only been using it for 2 days, I can't tell yet if it's the same brilliant formula as it was 30 years ago, but I'll report back in a few months time. I also bought the Intensive Hand & Nail Rescue for Very Dry Hands variety, and will review that in due course too...

Billie Goat Soap Lip Balm (Peach)
From memory this was in one of those DJ's sample bags, and it's now my #1 lip balm. I wouldn't dream of turning off the light without applying this to my lips. The peach fragrance makes me smile every time I use it, and the tube has a cleverly angled nozzle to make application easy and mess-free. Deliciously hydrating, I reckon this is one of the reasons I can still get away with LOTD closeups ha ha...

The Aromatherapy Co Therapy Range Sleep Pulse Point
Another gem from the DJ's bag, this is an oil you apply to your pulse points before retiring - wrists, neck, behind the ears, temples etc. The bottle is super slim, takes up very little space next to my bed, and has a tiny little roller ball in the top. A calming blend of lavender & chamomile, it's very subtle - just enough to give you delicate little wafts of the two herbs. I breathe it in, and then drift off to sleep ♥

Lanolips Golden Ointment
Yet ANOTHER winner from the DJ's tote, plus I scored a generous tube in my Blogstar box - yay! This baby is for my heels - they don't get cracked or overly ratty, the skin is just very dry, and seems to become progressively worse in winter when I live in boots. I rub this in every night to keep the whole area supple and nourished, and I doubt I will ever be without this next to my bed. Containing lanolin, Manuka honey and Vitamin E, it doesn't absorb completely, but not enough to mark my bed linen. It smells good enough to spread on toast, but I won't lol...

Let's Bring Back the Lost Language Edition
I cheated a bit here because I actually found this book UNDER the bed when I was setting up the photo - sadly it's been languishing there for a few months because when I hit the hay, I'm so incredibly tired, I go out like a light. But now that I've rediscovered it, I'll make a supreme effort to read a few of the fascinating sayings from bygone days before I close my eyes. Such an interesting read - it lists long forgotten expressions and includes a description of what they mean e.g. "jiggery-pokery" means "underhanded scheming", or "green around the gills" meaning "about to throw up", or "cockamamie" - "ridiculous". There's some brilliant little words and phrases for me to pluck out and use in forthcoming blog articles :-)

Well that's it - hope you've found this an interesting read. It's been a struggle to get it together and published  tonight with my eyes half closing, so please forgive me for not tagging anyone - I promise to make a supreme effort next time. Thanks again dear Varinder & Gemma for tagging moi ♥

Take care of you,
kats xxx

EOTD: MUA Lavenders - for Gemma...

Last Monday my darling friend Gemma from Lady Sapphire Blog created a gorgeous sparkly purple mani, with a special shout out to me - so here's my shout back to this very special sweetheart of the blogging world ♥

So now, don't you just LOVE a purply eyeshadow that has some sparkles in it? I've been wanting to create another look with these MUA shadows for months, and finally made it happen...

I have a number of MUA individual shadows in my collection, and there's not a single dud amongst them. These two are from the Fashionista range which doesn't seem to be available any more, however I've no doubt they'll come up with something equally brilliant to replace them in the not too distant future. The one on the left is called Embellished (it's the one that contains the sparkles) and on the right is Bewitched...

My camera makes them appear almost grey, but in real life they were just as pinky/purple as they look in the pics above. I wanted something light and airy, so I used essence white kajal as my base, applied the deeper shade all over the back of the lid, and used the lighter glittery one close to my lashes and underneath.

I also dampened the brush a little before picking up the powder to bring out the shine and multi-hued components of this ever so pretty shadow. Keeping the moistened application close to my lash line avoids transfer to my hoods when I'm in a hurry, and don't have time to wait till it dries...

I used the same essence white kajal on my water line this time around - been playing around with black and brown liners lately, but this soft glisteny look needed the lift that only white can bring...

Take care of you,
kats xxx