SPOTLIGHT: Favourite July 2019 LOTD's...

I'm not sure how this happened, but it seems I didn't wear a red lipstick in July - whoa, must be a first! But hey, there were so many other gorgeous nudes and plums and purples I just had to trot out, and you know I'll make up for it in August lol. And a quarter of these were from Australis because they had a sale with all lipsticks on special for $3 - need I say more?...

As usual, there's a mix of old faves and newbies - still culling the collection, and will do a re-count soon ♥...

1. Colourpop Metallic Lip - DM.  I just adore this metallic golden bronze, but it's just too drying, so this was its last outing and I had to let it go...sob...♥

2. Bourjois Rouge Laque - Self Peach.  More tangerine than peach but I love it all the same. Love Bourjois! ♥...

3. Australis Colour Inject Moisturising Mineral Lipstick - Bolero.  For $3 I had to have this, but is it pink or is it red? Let's say a reddish pink, but not quite a fuchsia. This formula is beautiful - I'd forgotten how good these lippies are ♥...

4. W7 Kiss Lipstick - Reds - Chestnut.  How stunning is this warm and wintery red? The formula isn't so great though - very comfortable, moist and juicy, but it slips and slides all over the place. Even with a lip liner, you need to check it every so often as it has a tendency to end up on your chin and your cheeks lol ♥...

5. Maybelline ColorSensational Made For All - Mauve For Me.  Can't rave about this enough - SO flattering, the perfect formula. I have a few spares ♥...

6. Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate - 48.  Another one I had to toss - have had it for years and it'd started to smell weird. Love the colour though ♥...

7. Nutrimetics Nutrimetics Hydra Brilliance - Marshmallow.  This one appears here fairly regularly - it's that perfect shade of plummy brown that goes so well with the darker colours in my winter wardrobe, and the formula is a dream ♥...

8. Maybelline ColorSensational Metallic Matte - Copper Rose.  This one just barely makes the cut in the comfort sector as it is a little drying, but the fabulous colour and unusual finish give it extra points so it's a keeper ♥...

9. Nutrimetics Silk Creme - Plum.  I have worn this heaps, in fact, I'm halfway down the bullet. Beautifully creamy, this keeps my lips supple and hydrated from dawn till dusk, and well that plummy pink hue is a winner ♥...

10. Australis Colour Inject Moisturising Mineral Lipstick - Electronica. Another from my bargain haul - bright but not scary and will be a regular this coming Spring ♥...

11. Revlon Super Lustrous - Berry Haute.  This is the pink that thought it was a purple - definitely borderline between the two shades, and one of my faves. Love your work Revlon ♥...

12. Australis Colour Inject Moisturising Mineral Lipstick - Gangsta Rap.  The find of the month - I have two tops and a cardi that are EXACTLY this colour, so thanks Australis! ♥...

That's it for July lovelies - which one do you fancy the most?

Take care of you,
kats xxx

REVIEW: Essence Fall Back To Nature Highlighter & Blush Palette...

Oh the joy of a brand new blush set! While I've been buying single cheek rouge pans whenever I've spotted something particularly appealing, it's been literally years since I bought a palette of mixed shades, and when I spotted this Essence Fall Back To Nature Highlighter & Blush Palette in Target yesterday, it was a done deal ♥...

It's an inspiring mix of coordinated mattes and shimmers in some of the most unusual shades I've ever seen. The presentation is just so cute and pretty, and it has a protective plastic sheet firmly attached so you can see the colours in-store, but the pans are protected from inquisitive fingers (there's a slide-out tester on the stand). At $20, it's quite pricey amongst the usual budget-friendly Essence range, but well worth it for a selection of five hues with two different finishes ♥...

Normally I find the latest Essence limited editions in Priceline, but I either missed this Fall set, or it never made it into my local store. Googling reveals this was actually released last year for the northern hemisphere Autumn, so I don't know how long it's been available in Oz, or for how much longer. There's an eye shadow palette as well, but the colours were not so appealing to me (quite muted and natural), but if you're interested, I'd hoof it to Target before the collection is gone forever ♥...

I have lots of blushes in my kit but none quite like this array, and nothing in the maple or pumpkin shades. And, well, you know me and how obsessed I am with matching my makeup to my outfits, so you can imagine that I'm blissing out at having more choices. Now for the arm swatches!...

Pigmentation is quite impressive - even the mattes, and even the yellowy tones, which in my experience with powders, is unusual to say the least. As to be expected, the shimmers are creamier, and I'd classify the light-reflecting quality as medium - by my standards that means they're not OTT. A couple of brush swipes will give you a subtle wash of colour, but all are blendable and buildable without becoming patchy. Interestingly I'm most excited about the red one (Pretty For Mr. Apple) as I only have one red blush, and it's over five years old - well I did have, it's now in the bin lol ♥...

To sum up I'm absolutely delighted with the quality and colour mix in this selection - I'm not a big user of highlighter, and it's a treat to have a matching shimmer shade that I can stroke across the tops of my cheeks without the need for those around me to reach for their sunnies. Love! ♥...

Take care of you,
kats xx

REVIEW: ActivLayr 5sec Firming Eye Mask...

A couple of weeks ago I was approached by New Zealand brand ActivLayr to trial their revolutionary 5sec Firming Eye Mask. To say I was excited is somewhat of an understatement, and being an under-eye patch fanatic, of course I accepted their generous offer! I mean, a dissolvable 100% natural collagen patch that you apply for 5 seconds - hello? The whole concept intrigued me and having viewed the YouTube video (HERE), I can assure you I was well and truly stalking the postie ♥...

The box arrived a few days later and contained the cutest little spray bottle of water, seven pairs of eye masks in sealed foil-lined sachets, and a very helpful and informative brochure explaining how to apply the patches along with the process behind their creation...

For starters, they look a bit different to other eye masks - the same shape, but they're a blue fabric material with a white collagen coating on one side protected by a super-thin clear film, which you peel off before applying...

The white material that does all the work is a mix of marine collagen (from Hoki fish skin), Vinanza grapeseed and kiwifruit extracts and hyaluronic acid, all formulated into a water-based solution that is then spun into nanofibre before binding to the blue fabric. It all sounds very techno, but there's absolutely no fishy smell, and the good news is that the fish skins are a by-product of the sustainable NZ fishing industry (gotta love zero waste), there are no additives in the product (100% natural), and it is instantly (and I mean instantly) absorbed into the skin, and continues to absorb for the next 50 minutes up to 2.5mm into the dermal layer...

You'll find more very interesting information on their website (HERE), but I've pretty much covered the basics, so let's get onto my experience! ♥...

The recommendation is to apply the patches after cleansing, but before any of the serums and moisturisers in your usual beauty routine, so I did just that for seven nights. Probably the most important rule with these patches is that your hands must be completely dry before touching them or attempting to peel off the protective film - the active layer dissolves and is pulled into the skin as soon as it comes in contact with water, and if your hands are even the slightest bit moist, the collagen will penetrate your fingertips instead of your eye area where it is needed most...

Given how careful I needed to be with moisture, I decided to treat one eye at a time - I first spritzed under and around my eyes using the mini water bottle that came in the kit, and then made sure my fingers were completely dry. After peeling off the protective film (a little challenging, but I got better at it with practice) I pressed the white side of the patch into place, and instantly the material changed to a slightly darker blue colour because the white layer had dissolved into my skin. I counted to five, carefully peeled it off, and within a few seconds, I could feel a tightening sensation - a bit like when you let a clay mask dry, but nowhere near as intense. On a couple of occasions, my skin felt a bit sticky afterwards, which meant I hadn't sprayed on enough water, so I just added a little more and patted it in with my fingers. I then let the skin dry completely before continuing with my usual moisturising routine...

So, do they work? Absolutely! My wrinkles aren't as intense as those in the before/after pics I've seen on their Instagram page (HERE) so I knew the results wouldn't be as dramatic, but there was certainly a reduction in the depth of my crow's feet as you can see in the (unretouched) photos below. Incidentally, I took the pictures in the same lighting conditions, with my face in repose, and did my best to take them from the same angle. I haven't included snaps of my under eye area as my bags are just too gross to photograph, but in the first picture on the left, you can see some vertical lines directly below my eye caused by the sheer size and weight of the bag pulling the skin down. And in the pic on the right, those lines are barely visible and the skin has firmed - woo hoo! ♥...

After seeing the photographic evidence for myself, I'm suitably impressed, and have ordered two more sets - another round for my eyes, and one for the vertical lip lines and tramlines between my brows (with 14 patches, I can treat both areas each with one patch for seven days) and I'll be recording my progress again in another blog post. At present, the patches are only available from their website - they retail for $89.99, and shipping is free ♥...

Thank you ActivLayr for the opportunity to try your highly effective and amazingly innovative product - can't wait till the full face masks are available! Incidentally, if you're still working on your range, I would LOVE an eye patch that also covers the area above my eyes, which also needs major firming and de-wrinkling ♥...

So what do you think lovelies - can you see a difference?

Take care of you,

kats xxx