SPOTLIGHT: 1st Quarter 2018 Fave LOTD's - Part 2...

Following on from Part 1, here are my recent personal Fave LOTD's in the nude, coral, pink, berry and purple families ♥ Kinda proud of myself for including more than one row of nudey examples - maybe I'm mellowing in my old age lol? Can't imagine that I'll ever stop wearing the bold reds, pinks and purples, or the deeper browns and berries though - too much fun!

I'm not faithful to any particular brand, although I do have quite a few more Maybelline and NYX lip products than any other. But there are lippies from 15 different companies here, hopefully some you might be inspired to try. So here we go, starting with...the nudes...

1. NYX Cosmic Metals Lip Cream - Speed Of Light. Almost always in one of these posts, can't rave enough about the formula (some other brands do metallics that set like plastic, and peel off like plastic), and my local Priceline now has a spot for them on the stand - yes!!!...

2. Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipstick - Beige Trench. Lovely pinky nude with the perfect balance of comfort and lasting power. My love affair with Bourjois continues unabated...

3. Cosmoholic Liquid Lipstick - Prudish Pink. Via Lipmonthly, this is the same company that makes my #1 gold gloss, so dense, so glossy...

4. Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick - Vintage Pink. This one appears almost every time - adore!

5. Revlon Matte Balm - Sultry Sulfureuse. I've never been all that enthused with stick balms as they're usually not dense enough to hide my freckles, however this one has exceptional coverage...

6. Eye Of Horus Bio Cleo Goddess Lipstick - Plum. Lovely colour, but I'll admit I was a little disappointed, was hoping it would be a deeper shade (this appears to be the brightest and boldest in their range and for me it's only a notch above nude), but the formula is lovely and like their fabulous Goddess eye pencils, all natural...

7. Models Prefer Artist Collection Crayon - Flushed. Always a soft spot for corals, and this is a pretty one for around $1.50...

8. Maybelline Color Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencil - In With Coral. I think this is the third or fourth one I've purchased, so dreamy and creamy...

9. Hola Neon Velvet Liquid Lipstick - Party Pop. Thanks Lipmonthly - another winner, and with an almost metallic sheen...

10. Bobbi Bown Crushed Lip Color - Watermelon. A gift from the beautyheaven Glosscar Marketplace event, and my first ever from this brand. One of the few mattish style lipsticks out there that is comfortable to wear all day, and it will survive a meal...

11. Mirenesse Matfinity Rouge Liquid Lipstick - Ibiza. Streaky, but such a pretty vibrant pink...

12. Avon Mark Lipstick - Reddy To Go. I have a few of these from mag cover freebies, and I'm impressed with both the packaging and the contents. Just have to find out where I can buy them...

13. Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid - Berry Boost. I need to dig all these out and wear them heaps more - so moist, never streaky, stunning shades...

14. Mirenesse Lip Bomb - #3. I've had this for ages and it shows no signs of going off - beautiful colour, rich and dense liquid that keeps my lips supple and moist...

15. L'Oreal Infallible Lipstick - Eternal Rose. Can't decide if this is shocking pink or neon pink, but it sure packs a punch, and of course L'Oreal lippies are always so reliable...

16. Mirenesse Shona Lip Art Ombre Stick - Noosa Duo. Love these colours and there's plenty of moisture, although it takes a while to get the hang of applying it. One of those lippies where half the stick is pale and the other is deep, and when applied correctly, you get an ombre-like finish without having to fiddle with blending or carrying around two lipsticks. But you have to remember to turn it around before you apply to the second lip so that the deeper shade ends up on the outside...

17. Bellapierre Kiss Proof Lip Creme - Orchid. This was yet another Lipmonthly surprise. It looks like a full-on lip shriveller but it isn't, in fact I'll say it's the most comfortable totally matte liquid formula I've ever tried, and it stays put FOREVER...

18. NYX Intense Butter Gloss - Spice Cake. You know, I look at this picture and wonder how on EARTH I don't wear this every day - it's just to die for...

19. Nutrimetics Hydra Brilliance Lipstick - Orchid. Gorgeous, GORGEOUS lipstick, I raved about it HERE...

20. NYX LUV Out Loud Cream Lipstick - LOLO3. The only reason this is here is the colour - be still my beating heart! Sadly the formula somewhat sucks the juice out of my lips - it's bearable, but I won't be buying any more from this set...

21. NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick - Amethyst. The suede range appears to be super popular - I find it quite drying, but for that colour, I'll put up with just about anything!...

Would love to know which ones of these you like ♥...

Take care of you,
kats xxx

EOTD Catch Up!...

Was going through some of my old posts and realised I haven't done an EOTD upload since May last year! The simple fact is that time is my enemy, both from an ageing perspective, as well as how long it takes to make it all happen. I'm still way passionate about eye makeup (I can't imagine that EVER changing!), and invariably create a look up to 6 days a week, but the camera is becoming more unkind by the day, and adjusting my technique for closeups (like drawing on the crease or combing my fringe WAY down lol) to disguise the sagging, bagging and wrinkling sometimes just doesn't do the trick. I'm still putting some up on Instagram fairly regularly, but considering it was an EOTD that got me started on blogging, I figured some pics were well overdue here. I've also had a major change of hair colour (work in progress) and I'm tending towards cooler eyeshadow hues, so here's a few of the looks from the last few months, plus the full face makeup, clothing and accessories so you can see the whole effect ♥...

Morphe Brushes 35B palette, Eye of Horus Jewel Amethyst Goddess Pencil on the waterline

L'Oreal Infallible Lipstick - Eternal Rose

The Balm Matt Johnson & Matt Malloy, Natio Steel Grey Define Eye Pencil on the waterline

Cosmoholic Liquid Lipstick - Prudish Pink

BYS Peach Palette - Lavish & Peachy, Revlon Jade Colorstay Eyeliner on the waterline

 Revlon Ultra HD Lip Lacquer - Sunstone

Chi Chi Cosmetics Oasis palette, Eye of Horus Teal Malachite Goddess Pencil on the waterline

Mirabelle Beauty Modern Matte Lipstick - Crimson

Morphe Brushes 35B palette, Eye of Horus Scarab Sapphire Goddess Pencil on the waterline

NYX Cosmic Metals Lip Cream - Fuchsia Fusion

Makeup Revolution Envy, Colourpop Coconut, Eye of Horus Teal Malachite Goddess Pencil on the waterline

Dirty Little Secret Lipstick - Sugar Daddy

MBA Cosmetics Navy & Babybaby, Natio Steel Grey Define Eye Pencil on the waterline

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick - Vintage Pink

Chi Chi Oasis palette - olive & lime, blend of Models Prefer Lime Tart Infinite Colour Eye Pencil & Eye of Horus Serpentine Sultry Goddess Pencil on the waterline

 JeffreeStar Velour Liquid Lipstick - Unicorn Blood

Colourpop Tink, bhcosmetics Wilde & Free palette - ice blue, Natio Steel Grey Define Eye Pencil on the waterline

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick - Fatal Red

Hope you enjoyed these looks - in all pics, I've lined my lower lashline with Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Liner, and mascara used was Maybelline The Falsies Waterproof, and L'Oreal False Lash Superstar XFiber. As always, I ignore the majority of recommendations for mature age makeup colours and techniques, and just do what I want!

Do any of these EOTDs appeal to you?

Take care of you,
kats xxx

SPOTLIGHT: 3rd Quarter 2017 Fave LOTD's - Part 1...

It's time for another round of fave LOTD's ♥ These are for the three months up until end September, and I'm continuing on with splitting the post into only two parts instead of four as it's the only way they'll see the light of day in 2017! So here we go with the lippies that made my personal cut...

These posts are a beaut reminder for me of the stunners that are in my collection, and I even use them as a reference when I'm ferreting around for a particular colour, and can't remember what it's called or who made it. Hope you enjoy these browns, oranges, reds, corals & nudes ♥...

1. BYS Velvet Liquid Lipstick in Hot Cocoa - quite drying but I included it as it's such a fantastic brown for the cooler weather.
2. In the second pic, I added Cosmoholic Gold Gloss over the top of the same BYS lippie to see what would happen, and I wasn't disappointed - instant shimmer and shine,  plus it made the matte product wearable in the comfort department. I love how this gloss makes any lipstick multi-dimensional and vibrant. 
3. The third one is NYX Liquid Suede - Downtown Beauty - an unusual brown with yellow/green tones, goes so well with olivey/khaki outfits ♥...

1. Of course, brown doesn't have to be dark and broody, and this BYS Matte Lipstick in Espresso is the perfect cool weather shade for the not so daring - like most matte lippies it's a little drying, but a beauty for the price. 
2. The middle one is from a range that you'll be seeing a lot more of in this post - ModelsPrefer Artist Collection Crayons in the shade Bare. These little pencils are $5 for 3 from Priceline - whoa! A brilliant range of colours, you can wear them on lips, cheeks or eyes, and although they're not a standard size for a sharpener (grrrrr!) I'm able to keep the point using the large side of a Manicare one. These crayons are also terrific as lip liners - I think I bought the whole set! 
3. This last lippie I've had for ages - Nude by Nature Mineral Lipstick in the shade Sassy. Not the first time this has appeared in one of these posts, gorgeous autumnal shade, and fabulously nourishing formula ♥...

1. Only a couple of oranges this time around - it's a challenge to find one that isn't streaky, but NYX has nailed it with this Cosmic Metals Lip Cream in Solar Energy - beautiful colour, beautiful formula. Love this whole range actually ♥ 
2. In the middle is another ModelsPrefer Art Crayon in a shade called Poppy - it's ever so pretty hey? 
3. And the last one is another of these crayons (see I told you there'd be lots!) - this one is Carnation, and just tips over into a red ♥...

1. Oh my, the reds! Can't beat a scarlet hue for giving me a lift on a dull day, or with a monochrome outfit. On the left is Bourjois Rouge Laque in Self Peach - why oh why haven't I tried Bourjois lipsticks before? Who knows, but I'm making up for lost time - fabulous formula, amazing pigmentation, lasts for hours, total winner! 
2. Middle one is a long-time fave - Maybelline Color Sensational Fatal Red, fatally awesome. 
3. And on the right is W7 Liptember Devils Darling - even MORE intense, and a steal at $4.99, plus the proceeds go to a women's mental health initiative. I buy some of these every year ♥...

1. Moving onto the starring red in my kit - L'Oreal Color Riche Moisture Matte Lipstick in Bloody Mary. I already have a spare of this wowser - if you're serious about red lippie, then you MUST get your hands on this classic hottie ♥ 
2. #2 is NYX Intense Butter Gloss in Apple Crisp - so vibrant, so comfortable, I've said before these are my all-time favourite glosses, and that's still the case. 
3. Last one is Rimmel The Only 1 Lipstick in Best of the Best - really the only one in this shade family with some blue content, love it ♥...

1. This darker red is ModelCo Lip Crayon in Red Velvet - I wear hardly anything from this brand, their products don't ring my bells at all, but this came in a Lip Monthly bag. It's really quite creamy, and one of the deepest reds in my collection. 
2. The second one is Maybelline Matte Lipstick in Divine Wine - divine by name, divine by nature.  
3. And lucky last is another ModelsPrefer Artist Crayon in the shade Berry. I included it here because to me it's a red rather than a berry ♥...

1. This first one is in a family all its own - gee is it a mauve, a nude, a pink? Can't nail it down but it's a stunning shade - Covergirl Katy Kat Matte in Catoure. Nothing else like it in my kit - ADORE!  
2. Centre one is Hola Neon Velvet Liquid Lipstick in Party Pop, another one from Lip Monthly. I included it as it's such a gorgeous corally shade, but it's very very drying, so I may have to toss it. 
3. On the right is Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lip Color in Flirtation - such a comfortable formula, love just about all the shades in this release ♥...

1. And the final three! First up is ModelsPrefer Artist Crayon in the shade Coral - pale but ever so flattering on this old chook.  
2. Centre stage goes to So Susan Liquid Matte Long-Wear Liquid Lipstick, shade Pumpkin  - quite a mouthful but the most comfortable long lasting matte liquid I have ever tried. Survived turkish toast wth vegemite & a fried egg - thank you Lip Monthly! 
3. And finally another of the Maybelline Color Sensational Bold range - Gone Greige. I'm not a nude lover, but I'm crazy about this mushroomy beigey beauty ♥...

So that's it for the last quarter, which I don't know about you but it whizzed past me in a blur.  Do any of the above lippies take your fancy? Is there a favourite of yours amongst these?

Next up will be pinks, purples, plums and berries ♥...

Take care of you,

kats xxx

SPOTLIGHT: 2nd Quarter 2017 Fave LOTD's - Part 1...

Crikey another three months have rocketed by, and here we are in the second half of the year already! Hasn't been long since I posted the first quarter faves, but I'm not falling into that "oh I'll squeeze them in somewhere" trap again lol...

Ok so these are the browns, oranges, reds and corals/nudes - actually hardly any nudes because I so rarely wear them, although next quarter will see a few more than usual...

The first two above are the same lipstick - Maybelline Color Sensational Chocoholic from the Bold range - love these new intense lippies shades, and the formula is super comfortable. The second pic is the same lipstick but topped with my fave Cosmoholic gold lip gloss - this stuff can inject life into anything! Third one is Chocolate by OXX Cosmetics from Kmart. Not the most moisturising lipstick in my kit, but for $2 I had to try it, and I love this rich dairy milk hue...

Next we have Colourpop Ultra Metallic Lip in the shade DM - a gorgeous gorgeous copper and my camera just doesn't do it justice. Glides on like molten metal and really quite comfy. Next is a David Jones one I've had for a while - Moisture Cream Lipstick in Honey Gold. I dig it out every so often because it's quite a unique shade and the only one in my kit that goes with certain pieces of my wardrobe. Last one in this row is Colourpop Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick in Mama - I find these very drying, but I simply adore the colour range, and this one has Autumn written all over it...

First on the left is a liquid lipstick by Laritzy called Lola - came in one of my LipMonthly bags, lovely bright colour, but like a lot of oranges, it has a tendency to go streaky unless I'm careful. Next one is a darling by SAVVY called Watermelon. Came in a pack of 8 minis that I bought late last year - totally bummed that I can't buy this shade in a full size. No. 3 is a Vegan Berry Tint by Seraphine Botanicals called Cherry Cream - another LipMonthly find, blew me away because I wasn't expecting a lip tint to have so much coverage, or such a creamy texture - love it!...

And here we are with my precious reds - first on the left is MUD Make-Up Design Lipstick in the shade Red Roulette, a steal from Woolworths for $5. Next is an old fave, Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Fatal Red - holey cow it's just so red!  Actually I thought it was my reddest red until I discovered  the one on the right, Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid Lipstick in Rebel Red - it doesn't get much brighter and bolder than this hot hot hot hue, and the formula is a dream come true for dry lips...

Moving onto the cherry reds, this first one is NYX Intense Butter Gloss in Cherry Custard. I think I've mentioned before that these glosses are my favourites of all time - so rich, so moisturising, so intense, so perfect. Next is another oldie but goodie - Maybelline Color Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencil in Red Essential. I've been neglecting these crayons which is a pity as they are a brilliant formula and the colors are all stunners. This last one is by Sugar - Matte as Hell Crayon Lipstick in Poison Ivy - definitely not for the faint hearted...

And lastly we have the less intense corals and one nude. First up is a lippie I've loved for years - SAX Rich Lip Colour Lipstick in Coral. Beautifully moist and I so appreciate the fact that it's a pink coral rather than an orange one. You can still buy SAX cosmetics from their website, or in a local pharmacy if you're lucky enough to find them stocked. The second glossy one is Australis Pout Paste Intense Lip Colour in Make Me Blush. I don't think they make these any more, but I only recently received this sealed one from a friend, and loving it so much I'm really annoyed that I didn't explore them when they were hot off the press - very creamy and of course, super glossy.  And finally the last one in this part - NYX Cosmic Metals Lip Cream in Speed of Light. Totally in love with these liquid lipsticks and I'm so pissed off that my local Priceline no longer stocks them - "if there's no slot for them in the stand, then they're dumped" is what the sales assistant told me. Boo and double boo Priceline!

Well lovelies that's a whole lot of lippies hey? Part 2 will be up lickety split, which will be the Plums, Berries, Pinks and Purples ♥...

Any of these take your fancy?

Take care of you,

kats xxx

P.S. Linking to Ingrid's Monday Makeup Madness Link Up - why not come on over after 6:30am...

SPOTLIGHT: 1st Quarter 2017 Fave LOTD's - Part 2...

Following on from Part 1, here are the oranges, reds, berries and purples. Seeing them all together like this it really hits home how many different colours I wear lol! Not everyone's cup of tea of course, but I do love experimenting ♥...

This first one is such a fab shade for summer - NYX Intense Butter Gloss in Banana Split - my mouth waters just reading the name! Next we have two more NYX beauties - Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in Foiled Again & Orange County. This formula is quite comfortable, nowhere near as supple and slick as the butter glosses, but (of course) far longer wearing ♥...

First red is Australis Velourlips NY-CEE - fabulously vibrant fire engine red, but oh so drying on the pout. So in the second pic I slicked on the Cosmoholic gloss again and turned it into a power house of radiance and juicy hydration. This last red is a glamour puss from the NYX Pro Lip Cream Palette, pan #5 ♥...

Onto the deeper reds, which I absolutely adore ♥ Another from the NYX Pro Lip Cream Palette, this is pan #6. And just to show you there's no need to break the bank, this second one is by MUD - it's called Cocoa Berry, costs around $5 from Woolies, and it's fabulous. Last one is Revlon Ultra HD Gel Lip Colour in Adobe, one of the most lusciously lip smacking lipstick formulas out there ♥...

Oh wow, this was probably my greatest discovery of the first quarter - Lush Liquid Lipstick in the shade Power Without Force. Amazing pigmentation with a touch of gold shimmer, it lasts FOREVER and doesn't dry out my pucker. Then we have Australis Matte Lip Cream in Amster-Dance. It's such a shame these creams are so drying as the colours are a blast. And this last one came via Lip Monthly - Be A Bombshell Lush, and it sure is ♥...

So now we're well and truly into berry territory - another couple of MUD lipsticks, this time in Pretty Please (pretty gorgeous I'd say) and Mulberry...sigh. The deep deep one on the right is a crayon by Lord & Berry (another Lip Monthly score) - this shade is called Black Red, whoa ♥...

And what list of favourites would be complete without some purples hey? NYX Liquid Suede in Run The World, I have nothing else even vaguely like it in my collection. #2 is Rimmel The Only 1 Matte Lipstick in Run the Show (be still my beating heart), and the third and final "out there" one is another NYX Liquid Suede, called Amethyst, and yes it really is as vivid and as purple as it looks in the photo lol ♥...

So that's it for the first three months of 2017 - probably more NYX than any other brand, but then again I did treat myself to one of their vault collections for Christmas. I'm already working on the 2nd quarter lip beauties, up soon I promise ♥...

Take care of you,
kats xxx

SPOTLIGHT: 1st Quarter 2017 Fave LOTD's - Part 1...

I'm several months behind with these favourite-for-the-first-three-months-of-the-year LOTD's - whoops! Regular readers will know that I usually do four or five different posts for the various hue families, but as the next quarter is already looming on the horizon, and crazy work commitments are STILL limiting me to one post per week (boo!), so I've shrunk down the photos and condensed them into two posts. So here we go with the Nudes, Bricks, Bronzes, Corals, Mauves & Pinks ♥...

L to R: Crop Mineral Lipstick - Spice, Hola Neon Velvet Liquid Lipstick - DF, Rimmel The Only 1 Matte Lipstick - Look Who's Talking

As you can see, I enjoy a wide variety of formulas and finishes. The Crop Mineral Lipstick is exceptionally comfortable, and keeps my lips hydrated throughout the day. The Hola Liquid Lipstick came in a Lip Monthly bag, and it's amazingly non-drying, smooth as silk, and lasts for hours. The Rimmel Matte Lipstick is a fave, for all the aforementioned reasons ♥...

L to R: Colourpop Ultra Matte Lip - Tulle, Colourpop Ultra Matte Lip - Love Bug, Same Colourpop Love Bug with Cosmoholic gloss over the top

You can probably tell I'm a Colourpop fan lol - their colours are stunners for Autumn/Winter, although I wish the formula was a little less drying. Adding the Cosmoholic gold gloss to the Colourpop Love Bug transformed it into a mind blowingly fantabulous shade, and counteracted the shrivelling effect. Absolutely LOVE this gloss (also from a Lip Monthly bag) ♥...

L to R: BYS Matte Lipstick - Espresso, NYX High Voltage Lipstick - Dirty Talk, NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick - Downtown Beauty

Good old BYS - it's a struggle to find a good brown lipstick, let alone one that's comfortable, but this Espresso is both.  The NYX High Voltage lipsticks have been discontinued, and I'm bummed about that as they're such great shades, and very comfy. The NYX Downtown Beauty was an answer to a prayer for a non-red brown liquid lippie - this formula is ok, but I'd prefer a tad more moisture ♥...

L to R: MUD Full Colour Lip Lacquer - Truly Coral, SAVVY Lipstick - Mango, NYX High Voltage Lipstick - Rags to Riches

Love me a good coral lippie - this MUD one is a beauty and lasts quite well, considering it's a gloss and it costs around $5. The SAVVY is a teeny tiny little lipstick that came in a box of 8 or 10, not sure if I can find it again. The NYX Rags to Riches is a very similar shade, but it's more hydrating than the SAVVY one ♥...

L to R: Cougar Mineral Lipstick - Sangria, MUD Full Colour Lip Lacquer - Wild Mauve, Revlon Ultra HD Gel Lip Colour - Dawn

Yet another gem from Lip Monthly, this Cougar Sangria lipstick is gorgeous - creamy and moist, and the colour has quite a punch. A second beaut gloss from MUD, and the Revlon Dawn is dear to my heart because of it's super slim and elegant case, and it keeps my lips moist and supple all day long ♥...

L to R: Revlon Ultra HD Gel Lip Color - Vineyard, Mirenesse Maxi-Tone Lip Bar - Soul, SAVVY Lipstick - Grape

Love this Revlon Vineyard - has a wee bit more blue in it than Dawn, and really flatters my skintone. The Mirenesse one is a pretty colour, but I struggle to get the ombre effect happening (there are two shades in the one stick). The SAVVY one is another from the "sample" box ♥...

L to R: Maybelline 14hr Megawatt Lipstick - Neon Pink, bhcosmetics Creme Luxe Lipstick - Pop Cultured, NYX Intense Butter Gloss - Funnel Delight

And finally the bright pinks. The Maybelline Neon Pink is a blast - very pure and clear, and it lasts for at least half a day, or until I eat something with oil in it.  Have had the bhcosmetics Pop Cultured for over 18 months and keep forgetting about it - don't know why because I adore this pink, and the formula is smooth and buttery. And of course the NYX Butter Gloss - probably my favourite glosses of all time, they're so rich and vibrant, and well, I just loves NYX ha ha ♥...

Part 2 will be up later this week - Oranges, Reds, Berries and Purples ♥...

Would any of these colours suit you?  What's your favourite lip product formula?

Take care of you,
kats xxx

P.S. Yes it's that time of the week again - time for Ingrid's Monday Makeup Madness Link Up. Be sure to check it out after 6:30am ♥...