SPOTLIGHT: Last Quarter 2016 Fave LOTD's - Corals, Mauves & Pinks...

Selecting my faves from these colour families was exceptionally difficult. Being the Spring season, I hammered these hues big time in October, November & December, and there were so many to choose from it was quite a challenge. But got there I did, so here we go with the Corals, Mauves & Pinks ♥...

Love me a good coral, and this NYX Life's a Beach is a super pretty one - slightly more pink than orange, and the formula is long wearing and reasonably comfortable. The Ibiza one has more pink content, but it's still a coral in my book. Just for the record, I prefer the formula of the Liquid Suedes to the Soft Mattes ♥...

And a couple of the orangey corals - I do so love how this shade is such a clever bridge between two colours. The L'Oreal Always Apricot is a delightfully creamy formula, and the Barry M one is slightly drier, but still up there with the comfort factor. Slightly less vibrant but equally lovely (pardon the grimace) ♥...

Well now I didn't wear too many mauves in the last three month period, but this Rimmel Vintage Pink is the closest I could get. I've included two iterations of this gorgeous lipstick - for the pic on the right, I used a deeper and pinker lip liner, whereas the first one was pretty much a perfect match (which is always my aim when doing these swatches). SO moisturising! ♥...

Moving onto the real pinks, I just had to include this W7 Red Tulip because it's so darn pretty, and the BarryM one is here because I adore the vibrancy of the extra blue content, and I've only just now really discovered this brand - excellent quality and value from BigW ♥...

Ok so I might just have to declare this Revlon Obsession as my numero uno ruby hot pink. Utterly divine! Mind you the Mirenesse Lip Bomb is a close second - a tad less blue content, but equally dazzling ♥...

And here are what I call the Spring pinks - loud, but with a certain softness that makes them wearable with just about anything, and by anyone. The Ulta 3 Lilac Glow has been a fave for over 12 months now, but I've no idea what possessed NYC to call this stunner on the right Funnel Delight - I mean really, what's the connection between glossy pink and funnels lol? The Intense Butter Gloss is my all time favourite NYX lip formula - talk about a lip quencher, not a snowball's chance in hell of your lips ever drying out with this enriching slicker ♥...

And last but not least, the shocking pinks - the W7 Sex Bomb is a Liptember special, and such an amazing deal for around $7 plus supporting women's mental health research, but the most unbeatable value of them all (and a regular candidate in my fave posts) is the boe beauty Shocking Matte Pink - absolutely stunning, and for only $2. $2!!!!!! ♥...

Next up will be the reds, so pop in again soon won't you ♥...

Take care of you,

kats xxx

SPOTLIGHT: 3rd Quarter 2016 Fave LOTD's, Corals, Mauves & Pinks...

More of my faves from July to September - Corals, Mauves & Pinks, so flattering to just about any colouring, so long as you find the right one! Of the three, I admit corals are the trickiest, depending on whether they have more pink or orange content, but the rewards are great if you have the time and inclination to experiment. Mauves and pinks are far less challenging, and they're just so perfect for Spring when I start digging through my wardrobe for some pretty pastels ♥...

These two are relatively new in my collection - the NYX Liquid Suedes are reasonably comfortable and long lasting, though I prefer the formula of the Maybelline Vivid Matte range (review HERE). This colour though is absolutely gorgeous. The Rimmel Peachy Beachy is another one I'm particularly keen on as it has more depth without being too bright ♥...

I find these Australis Velour Lips Creams very drying, but I put up with the sensation as the colours are just so pretty, they apply evenly, and can be reapplied without looking flaky or scruffy. The MNY Colordrama pencils continue to be high on my love-list - the comfort and performance are hard to beat for the price. I actually use this as a liner for my other coral lipsticks as I can't seem to find a coral lip pencil that blends in as well ♥...

The Revlon Balm is another new love - I don't think I have a mauve that's as divine as this. Deliciously moisturising too and the hue just suits my skin tone perfectly. The MBA Lovespell has a slight frosting, and that makes it just that little bit different ♥...

Raspberry Ripple is almost what I call a Barbie pink - super pretty, and goes with quite a few of my new warmer weather wardrobe acquisitions. I'm not one to go for frosty finishes usually, but combined with this hue, it's a total winner. The City Color Berry is a one-of-a-kind shade in my collection - hard to believe as I have SO many pink lipsticks, but this has a unique freshness and juicy quality that makes it a standout ♥...

Adore the vibrancy of this LA Girl paint - surprisingly easy to create an even finish, and it doesn't bleed. I've included the L'Oreal Eternal Rose because it's another one that's kind of on its own in my kit - the blue content makes it wearable with even purple clobber ♥...

Is there one here that would suit you? Next up will be the ravishing REDS, so I hope you'll be back soon...

Take care of you,

kats xxx 

SPOTLIGHT: 2nd Quarter Fave LOTD's, Corals, Mauves & Pinks...

You know I never thought I'd say this but lipsticks and lip creams have taken hold of my makeup passion reigns! I still absolutely adore eye shadows and creating eye looks of course (that'll NEVER change), but I have a massive lip product collection now, and to be realistic, a pout is a helluva lot quicker to "do" and photograph in the wee hours. There's also the obvious problem that I'm getting old (am now officially classified as a Senior - gaaahhhhh!), and sadly the deterioration is more rapid than my skincare can restore. I for one don't want to look at pictures of wrinkly old eyes, and I REFUSE to use the "beauty" filter on my camera, so I'm just putting it out there that I've started shifting my makeup blog focus away from eyes to lips - I reckon they're going to hold up a bit longer than my peepers! Anyways, here we go with my favourite Coral, Mauve & Pink lip colours/products from the ones I slicked on last quarter...

CORALS

I'm lucky I can wear most corals, but like any hue, some are defnitely better than others. Hard to choose a #1 from this lot - I reckon it's a tie between the SAX Coral and the Revlon Hydrangea ♥

MAUVES

I don't own nearly enough mauve lippies - it's such a versatile shade range, soft and pretty and doesn't scream for attention. For me the Maybelline Matte Touch of Spice has the edge here ♥

PINKS

Ahhh pink - it's where my lippie love affair started ♥  SO many variations, but I have a particular penchant for blue pinks - from this set, my heart well and truly belongs to Ulta3 Orchid ♥

Hopefully there's one or two here that take your fancy, and would suit your complexion. Here's the link if you missed the Nudes, Bricks & Bronzes, next up will be...REDS!

Take care of you,
kats xxx

REVIEW: NYX Ombre Blushes...

Well there I was, placing an on-line order during the recent Priceline 40%-off-skincare sale, and I thought I'd just take a sneak peek at the NYX page, and then it happened - I spotted their hot pink/purple Ombre blush (Code Breaker) and I was a goner. Not many companies make blushes that are even close to this royal hue, so it landed in my cart in a heartbeat. Of course I also checked out the other colours in the range (there are six altogether), wanted them ALL, but restrained myself as I was already spending up pretty big on the skincare bargains. But as fate would have it I called into the store yesterday to eye-ball the new stand (Max Factor and Face of Australia were ditched to make room for its vastness), did a quick eeny-meeny-miney-mo, and nabbed the Mauve Me one as well...

My passion for sculpted blushes knows no bounds, yet I've held off buying any as I have a rather large collection of cheek cheerers already, but show me one in an ombre style and it's all over red rover. So here they are in all their gorgeousness...

I've swatched them on my pasty inner arm over a colourless primer - three finger swipes, top, middle and bottom as they appear in the pans...

Mauve Me has a slight shimmer content, and the pale pink top section is closer to a highlighter than a blush, but that will come in handy for the top of my cheekbones. It's also the more blendable of the two, invariably the case with shimmery pigments. Code Breaker is almost a matte - probably just as well as it's pretty potent lol! Adore them both for different reasons, but at the time of writing, Code Breaker has my heart ♥ Here's a pic of me wearing it...

Haven't taken a photo of my face adorned with Mauve Me yet, but you'll see it in a post very soon. For animal lovers, the back of the case says "Cruelty Free", but they're made in China. These stunners are $17.95, and next pay day you can bet I'll be picking up Soft Flush and Sweet Spring - my Priceline doesn't have testers, but I'm confident they'll be just as divine...

Take care of you,

kats xxx

P.S. A reminder to check out the great reads on Ingrid's amazing Monday Makeup Madness Link Up Party ♥♥♥

EOTD: W7 Shades of Mauves...

Well now what would Spring be without a pastel purple EOTD? I dug really deep into my palettes drawer to find this old favourite - W7 Silky Smooth Quad Eye Shadow - Shades of Mauve. This must be at least 3 years old, and yet the pigments are still as beautiful as they day I bought it, for about $6 at a discount chemist...

It's not listed on their website so it's obviously not made any more, but I've seen it at Chemist Warehouse in the last few weeks, so if you're lucky you'll be able to pick it up. Total bargain - the colours are just so fabulously complimentary, and the sparkle content is subtle yet provides a very pretty multi-dimensional finish...

For the base I used Face of Australia Budge Proof Gel Eyeliner in Pure Purple. I do love to use this cream as it takes a bit longer to dry than say the MNY Tattoos, and that gives me more time to apply the pigments over the top before it sets...

This was one of those rare times when I used ALL shadows from the one palette, starting with the white on the inner corner, then the pink, followed by the pale lavender, and I finished on the outer corner with the bold purple...

 In the crease and underneath the lower lashline, I blended Highness from the Sleek V2 Matte palette, and of course, essence white kajal on the waterline...

On the lips I used Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Violet Frenzy, and topped it with Mirenesse 3D Forever Gloss in the shade Tease...

And for my cheeks, I used MUA blusher in Shade 6...

What's your favourite shade for Spring eyes?

Take care of you,

kats xxx

REVIEW/LOTD: NYX Creamy Round Lipstick - Thalia...

Well aren't I a happy little bunny now that NYX has come to Australia, and is available at a fair number of Target stores! I held my breath when I went in to my local the first time after I heard the news, as I'd read that not all outlets were stocking it. But to my delight, there was the stand, and it was positively overflowing with testers :-) I surprised even myself with my restraint and only grabbed a Wonder Pencil and this absolutely divine Creamy Round Lipstick in shade #529, Thalia...

Although I wear a wide range of lipstick shades, mauvey pinks seem to be the most flattering of all, and I was so enamoured with this particular hue, I went back the next day and bought another to keep as a spare. I've never been game to order any lipsticks from the NYX site in the past because I have zero faith in the colours I see on my monitor, so to have the whole range available to test-before-I-buy is pure bliss...

I'm head-over-heels in love with this lipstick - it's just so creamy and moisturising! Doesn't last very long on my pout, but I don't give a hoot because the colour, shine and softening properties are just so perfect for what I'm after, plus it has very little fragrance and minimal taste (just a wee bit perfumey). 

The gloss finish is almost mirror shine, in fact I really don't need to apply anything over the top. However, being a self-confessed gloss addict, and after scouring through my collection, I discovered that Mirenesse Velvet Lip Lift Moisture Shine in #17 (Rose Musk) is an almost exact match. That's Thalia on the left, and the Mirenesse gloss on the right - there's  barely any difference :-)

And here is Thalia with Mirenesse #17 over the top - a smidgin pinker, and the glossy finish raised a notch. Just out of interest I googled "Thalia", and in Greek Mythology, she was one of the nine Muses, the goddess of festivities and luxurious banquets, and the name itself means rich, plentiful and abundant - well I reckon that about sums up this lipstick nicely :-)

Have you tried any of the NYX creamy lipsticks yet? Which one is your favourite?

Take care of you,

kats xxx