SPOTLIGHT: 3rd Quarter 2016 Fave LOTD's, Berries & Purples...

In a rush to get these up as it's almost time to post the 2016 winners! I think that of all the lipstick shades I wear, berries and plums score me the most compliments - I guess it's a skin tone thing, plus the fact that I look far better in deep bold hues than pale pasty ones. Purples are also high on my list of loves, but I'm still in search mode for "the" one...

From memory this Max Factor Intense Plum stick has appeared in almost all my fave LOTD posts - there's something about it that grabs me every time, and I love it so much I have a spare in my drawer ♥ The Rimmel Starry Eyed has a tad more pink, and the formula is super comfortable too ♥...

L'Oreal makes such rich and moisturising lipsticks, and I think you'll agree this Persistant Plum is a deliciously pigmented fruit-fest ♥ The MNY Velvet Lip Pencils are still right up there on my hot lip products list - so easy to use, so comfortable, and this shade is so flattering ♥...

Plum Please is the MNY Color Blur shade that's most dear to my heart, and the semi-matte finish is perfect for my dry wrinkly lips ♥ And what collection would be complete without one of Rimmel/Kate's Lasting Finish lippies - #30 has lots of pink content, but I still classify it as a berry...

The NYX Intense Butter Gloss range is my most recent discovery, and I'm sold on the formula - glossy suits me way better than matte, and this Spice Cake is a stunner ♥ And how about this Husband Shopping by Chi Chi? Sooooo bright, and so much fun ♥...

For value it's hard to go past this W7 Neon Purple - I buy their Liptember Lipsticks every year (around $7), and this hue is divine ♥ And then of course we move onto the always awesome MBA Cosmetic purples - Grape Crush goes with quite a few pieces in my wardrobe ♥...

MBA Stargazer is another one that appears regularly on my list of top picks - just the right amount of pink and blue to make the prettiest purple. And I've included the Immortal Matte for those who are keen to try a purple, but maybe one that's not quite so glary. While I prefer the feel of their lipstick formulas, this is a truly gorgeous shade ♥...

Final set will be up this week - Oranges!

If you missed the others, here are the reds, corals mauves & pinks, nudes bricks & bronzes...

Take care of you,

kats xxx

SPOTLIGHT: 2nd Quarter Fave LOTD's, Berries & Purples...

I make no secret of the fact that I'm not a Winter fan. There's no denying it does have some benefits though, like covering up all my bumps under layers of clothing, boots (LOVE boots!), and of course I get to (officially) indulge my passion for deeper hued lip products. Berries, plums and purples probably suit my skin tone best of all, and consequently I have absolutely no intention of restricting my adoration of these rich shades to the chilly season - some of these are just so darn gorgeous, I'll be wearing them all year round ♥ Below are just a few of the ones that have earned a forever place in my heart over the last three months...

The Max Factor Intense Plum has an almost metallic finish - I love it so much I already have two spares tucked away. And Chi Chi Lady Bump will always be in my kit ♥

The Maybelline Color Blur pencils are (in my opinion) one of the best lip products that MNY has ever released (rave review HERE) - SO easy to work with, super comfortable formula, the perfect (not completely) matte finish for me, and the stain lasts for ages. This is the only repeater from the first quarter lineup. Adore the Milani Chilled Brandy - I only discovered how brilliant Milani lipsticks are earlier this year. Lovely and moist, amazing pigment, and the packaging is classy ♥ 

These two a very similar, but sufficiently different to warrant their individual purchases right? I think I have almost the entire set of MNY Velvet Lip Pencils (yet another rave review HERE) - cheap as chips, and I also use them as a lip liner for other lipsticks. The BOE Primped has just a wee bit more pink, and of course I need every possible shade variation ♥ These lippies are absolute bargains, must buy some more lol ♥...

Ahh Revlon - I'm not even sure they make these shades any more. From memory I picked these up from a bargain table in Myer - unusual from this brand as they don't make too many purpley ones. Actually I've just checked their website, and Violet Frenzy is still listed - yay! ♥

Here's Revlon Seduction again - I included this extra LOTD to show you what happens when I use a brighter and more pink lip liner underneath. It's quite sheer and I find it needs some support or else it turns out a bit blotchy - maybe that's why it's been discontinued? The Australis Velourlips formula is a tad drying for my wrinkled lips, but I find it so easy to apply, it lasts well, and this particular shade is a stunner ♥

And last but not least are the MBA purples - all their lipsticks are beautifully bold and sassy, moist, long lasting, and I reckon they do purples better than anyone else ♥...

I can't possibly pick a #1 fave out of this selection - love 'em all for different reasons!

The final installment in this series (Oranges) will be up before the end of next week - regrettably only six. I tend to wear orange more in Spring and Summer, and I haven't added very many to my collection of late, mainly because none of the ones I tested were up to scratch finish-wise - does anyone else struggle to find orange lippies that apply evenly?

Take care of you,

kats xxx

REVIEW: Maybelline COLORblur Cream Matte Pencils...

Being a lipstick loony, it's difficult to contain my excitement when a new pout product comes out, especially when it's by Maybelline - they seem to have their finger on the pulse of what I'm after in the area of everyday, affordable and accessible makeup, and their formulas invariably suit me to a T. I fell instantly in love with their COLORdrama Intense Velvet Lip Pencils when first released, and I have an equally all-consuming passion for their new COLORblur Cream Matte Pencils...

Matte lip products and I have a bit of a love/hate relationship. So many of the truly matte lippies are simply not comfortable for me to wear - they're way too drying (can't bear it when my lips feel tight), and they usually make my pucker look like a dried up prune. But these COLORblur crayons have a slight sheen, the formula is amazingly softening and hydrating, they glide on with no tugging, and so far they've even survived a meal! The pigments are bold and sassy, and while there's a limited colour range, I've bought five of the eight shades available in Oz, and adore every single one of them...

The smudger point on the other end is an interesting inclusion - it feels like it's made of the same plastic as a standard pencil eraser, yet it doesn't lift off the product. I haven't experimented with using it to create the recommended blurred look, and I won't as it's just not going to work for me (you apply the product to the centre of the lips and then smudge it outwards). My natural lip outline disappeared long ago, so I'll be giving this technique a miss...

For scent sensitive gals, there's no discernible fragrance or taste, and while they're almost double the price of the Velvet pencils, they're still a great buy for RRP $17.95, and of course I've already found them on special in a few outlets. There's no sharpening either - you simply twist the smudger end to wind up the lipstick. But enough of the specs, let's get onto the swatches!

Just for the record, I've taken all of these pics in the same location and lighting conditions, and yet my skin tone looks different in all of them. Annoyingly my camera seems to react to whatever colour clothing I'm wearing, but the product colours below are close to spot on. I'm thinking I may have to take future photos in the nude in order to get some complexion consistency lol...

So here's the very first one I tried - Berry Misbehaved. A gorgeously rich pink that's exceptionally versatile ♥...

And this is Plum Please - will be totally rocking this once Autumn arrives ♥...

Next we have Partner in Crimson - a deep and muted red that's sure to enhance my Winter outfits. Loving the cute as names too ♥...

And here's Orange Ya Glad - super excited about this one as I seem to have so much trouble with orange lippies turning out patchy and streaky, but not this stunner, it's as smooth as silk ♥...

And my most recent purchase (yesterday!) - Cherry Cherry Bang Bang. Soft and yet dripping with juicy fruit vibrancy ♥...

There are three other pinks in the range - I Like To Mauve It, Pink Insanity & Fast & Fuchsia. The mauve one is too pale for me, but the last two are lovely vibrant shades - sadly they've been out of stock in my usual haunts, but I'm hoping that the demand will slow down a little in the coming weeks so I can get my hands on them...

In one word, fabulous. Here's another word - amazing! My favourite (so far) is Berry Misbehaved - what's yours?

Take care of you,

kats xxx

P.S.Ingrid's Monday Makeup Madness Link Up Party starts at 6:30am every Monday ♥... 

REVIEW: Chi Chi "Meet The Girls" - Berries...

Decided to combine these two as there's a berry theme (although they are vastly different fragrances), and I couldn't resist putting two of my favourite colours together...

Purple and turquoise are just such complimentary hues hey - inspiration for an EOTD I'd say!

Berries & Cream

This is a fascinating fragrance - initially my nose definitely picks up some sort of berry, but I'm not so sure about the cream. Still there's certainly something sweet drizzled over the fruit - at first I can smell musk, but as it dries down, it's more like white chocolate. You may have gathered I'm struggling a little here (lol), but this is a difficult one to capture in words. The fruit fades away after a few minutes, and then all I can really smell is the chocolate - makes me think of one of those fondue fountains in which you melt a few bars of Cadbury, and then dip strawberries into it. Absolutely delish, and I can assure you I'm salivating like you wouldn't believe, but not my favourite kind of scent to wear, and would be more suitable for cooler weather. I reckon foodies will adore it though - I can still smell traces of it three hours later ♥

Blueberry

This one is more up my alley - opening note I swear is blue bubblegum! Sweet and fruity, this little gal is refreshing and fun, and after the initial spritz I'm reminded of those sour jelly snakes they sell in the supermarket. Totally different from anything else in the box, it starts out quite lollyish and immature, and then mellows into something far more grown up. The dry down reminds me of another (famous) fragrance, but I just can't put my finger on it. This has my mouth watering as well, and I think it would appeal especially to the young at heart. In all honesty, it smells more like sour cherries than blueberries to me, but I love it. Only lasts a few hours, but that suits me fine ♥

Only one left in the set (Coconut & Lime), and I promise to review it before we get much further into the party season...

Do either of these appeal to your scent senses?

Take care of you,

kats xxx

EOTD: Mermaids Vs Unicorns Berry & Eggplant...

Well I'm sure having a ball with my Makeup Revolution Mermaids Vs Unicorns palette! And loving pinky reds and purples as I do, this particular combo just had to be next. These hues are stunners for any season, but particularly lush and lustworthy for the cooler months - just looking at the colours makes my mouth water, and I can almost taste ripe blackberries, plump red currants and juicy raspberries ♥

As you know I often use coloured gels or creams as my bases to bring out the best in my shadows, and I did that here to add some extra warmth, not that they needed much help - these pigments are potent enough to lay down over white, but I'm saving that lighter, fresher more vivid kind of look for Spring. Under the red I used pink Chi Chi Waterproof Gel Eye Liner (Hopelessly Devoted) and under the purple went Beauty School Drop Out from the same range, as well as on my waterline...

In this photo I'm wearing my latest makeup discovery - Mirenesse Liquid Silk. It's a brilliant long-wear, non-transfer, almost-matte, full-coverage foundation, perfect for my combination skin as it doesn't need blotting, and although it only comes in 4 shades, I'm most fortunate that Vienna matches my skin tone perfectly ♥ It also just happened to be on special (half price - $29.75)) On the cheeks went bhcosmetics Iris, and lips were made berry-licious with MBA Cosmetics Fire Island Petite Lipstick with a slick of Mirenesse Velvet Lip Lift Moisture Shine #19...

Hope you're keeping warm and toasty away from the freezing winds, or enjoying some brilliant runs in the your ski-clobber ♥

Take care of you,

kats xxx

EOTD: Berry and Blue...

Well Winter sure hit Sydney with an icy blast this week - we've been spoiled with a mild one up until now, but I'm sitting here with the heater on, candle burning, toes encased in fleecy uggs, and I stole one of my woolly windcheaters back from the cat's closet! Despite Spring glimmering on the horizon, there's still a few weeks of moody broody eye looks left on my agenda, and here's a combo I love if for no other reason than makes me feel all warm and toasty...

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Pomegranate Punk makes such a fabulous base for deep pinks and blues - it provides a rich depth to either of those particular spectrum hues, and any pigment seems to stick like glue, and last the whole day...

The pinky purple on the inner half is the one from the L'Oreal Disco Smoking palette - it doesn't have much dimension on its own, but the tattoo underneath gives it a wee bit of welcome shimmer. The deep blue is from an old fave - Maybelline Sapphire Hyper Diamonds palette...

In the crease and underneath I used Ink from the Sleek i-Divine V2 Matte palette, still holding its own after two years. And on the waterline I added bhcosmetics Waterpoof Eye Liner in Midnight..

And to lift the whole berry/blue outfit, I slicked on some L'Oreal Color Riche Intense lipstick in the stunning shade of Plum Passion, topped with essence XXXL Shine lipgloss in True Love...

Do you have a favourite Winter warming colour combo?

Take care of you,

kats xxx

LOTD: Berry bright...

I'm a magenta lover through and through - have been for years. It's one of my favourite shades for any day, any season, any occasion, and I have quite a few lip, cheek and eye products as well as items in my wardrobe that I'd definitely classify as out-there magenta pink. And because I love it so much, I'm not averse to moving a little bit left or right of centre for those days when I don't want to be quite so loud (lol), and today was one of them.

Having chosen a black and pink outfit, and bearing in mind I had some customer meetings in my diary, I thought I'd tone down my usual whoa! look by heading towards a bright berry instead, so here's what I put together...

Nabi Bright Pink Lipliner (L47) - I've mentioned this brand earlier in my Lipcolour Mixing & Matching article. Although the eye crayons aren't nearly as well pigmented, their lip pencils are brilliant. There's quite an extensive shade range available, they're a good mix of firm but moist texture, and the colour lasts and lasts. An absolute bargain at around $3.

Next I applied ModelsPrefer lipstick in a shade called City Chic. This is Priceline's own brand of cosmetics, and these lipsticks are beautifully moisturising, well-pigmented, the packaging is classy, and the regular price is $9.99.  Kate from Seducedbybeauty put me onto these, and I will be forever grateful :-) Some of the colours on Priceline's website are way off though, so I suggest you choose them in-store. In fact City Chic appears to be a browny-mauve on their colour chart, when as you can see, it is a bold bright berry.

To give this a wee bit of a Spring lift and add some extra plumpness to my pout, I topped it with Mirenesse Velvet Lip Lift Moisture Shine in shade #41. This gloss has a wee bit more red in it than the lipstick, but it tones in exceptionally well. Mirenesse sure knows how to make a great lipgloss :-)

And here's the finished look - bright and colourful, but a step back from OTT :-)

I think I might now be a berry lover too - how about you? Do you have a favourite berry lipstick?

Take care of you,

kats xxx