SPOTLIGHT: 3rd Quarter 2016 Fave LOTD's, Reds...

What IS it about red lipstick that can turn your mood, and your day, around? Sure there are lots of brightly coloured lippies out there - hot pinks, fluoro oranges and even electric purples...but none of them brings the va va voom punch of a red pout hey. To think I didn't even START slicking on this hottie shade till I was in my 50's is almost beyond my comprehension, but if I can manage to cast my fears aside so late in life, well I reckon anything's possible as far as makeup is concerned. So here are some of my favourite fiery lip products - hopefully there's one here that'll tempt you to indulge, even if you haven't before ♥...

I usually save the best till last, but I'm breaking with tradition here and launching straight into my #1 pick - L'Oreal Bloody Mary, a precious gift from an equally precious pal. Have you ever seen a more rich and luscious red? Amazingly comfortable formula too, absolutely adore it ♥  The Ulta 3 Radiant was an unexpected surprise for $5.95 - in the past I've found the lip products from this brand to be either too sheer, or not  moist enough for my dry old lips, but this glossy babe is a winner - stunning pigment, non sticky and lasts well if you apply it over a matching liner...

Love this DB Cosmetics Deep Red for when I want a splash of colour that's not quite as loud as some others - there's a softness to this shade which makes it totally wearable. And the Kat Von D Adora was a gift from my darling friend Amy - it's disappointingly drying, but such a pretty shade, quite different to my other reds, and the only KVD lip product in my kit...

The Face of Australia Ruby Delight is another one that surprised me with the pigmentation quality and comfort - I simply must buy more of these lol! And the Rubi Shoes Ruby Red is one of my most frequently worn lipsticks. Sadly my local store has stopped stocking them, and I can't even find them at Cotton:On any more, so I guess they've been discontinued - boo!

And finally some deep broody wintery reds, which I've now put away till next Autumn - both beautiful shades although the formula is a wee bit drying, and let's face it, buda-pash is definitely not for the faint hearted. Whoa!  Ha ha...

Next round will be Berries & Purples followed by Oranges, and they'll be up very soon - blimey it's almost time for the last quarter faves!

Take care of you,

kats xxx

REVIEW: Vera Wang Princess Revolution EDT...

Ahh Vera, you sure know what I like - just added this Vera Wang Princess Revolution to my collection because the sample spritz was unforgettable. Had to have it, even though this is only an EDT, and as expected, doesn't survive much longer than two or three hours. However while its longevity on the skin is somewhat disappointing, it's one of those perfumes that surrounds you in a fragrant cloud of deliciousness for as long as it lasts. Since buying it I've discovered there are nine others in the Princess range - whoa! (says she, crawling out from under her rock). Interestingly it's the only one that I've tried, for the simple reason that I so rarely see any Vera Wang testers in my frequented haunts, and, well, let's just say I've banned myself from DJ's and Myers perfume department until further notice lol!...

Like most of my other VW fragrances, this is a fruity floral - opening notes are black cherry, blood orange and watermelon (big on the watermelon).  At its heart are jasmine, lily of the valley and red apple blossom over a seductively sumptuous base of amber wood and cedar. In other words, precisely my kinda thang. The blurb says it's aimed at gals who are rebellious, confident and edgy (not me at all ha ha), but the bit about "...her only rule is to never follow any rules" sits very comfortably with my persona ♥...

The bottle is particularly gorgeous - the bold red glass is decorated with pencil drawings, mainly of hearts and stars and described as "graffiti", but to me they're more like the sort of doodles I come up with in one of my painfully boring meetings (yes I still take a pen and paper to meetings!). The flacon design is exceptionally clever because it captures a true heart shape, yet is perfectly stable standing on its own, and there's even a detachable ring underneath the crown cap, although I think I have enough already...

Refreshingly fun and flirty with a splash of the sensual, it's perfect for me this time of year when I'm emerging from my heady ambery and spicy orientals, but not yet ready for the crisp crystalline and zingy summer fruit varieties I so love when the mercury soars. Undoubtedly aimed at a much-younger-than-me demographic, but hey I'm not one to let a marketing department decide what I do and don't like! Available in the usual stockists at $49 for 50ml, I found this on special a week ago at Mega Save Chemist for $38.99. LOVE IT ♥♥♥

Are you a fan of the Vera Wang Princess series? Which one is your fave?

Take care of you,
kats xxx

P.S. Looking for some great blogs to follow? You'll find plenty over at Ingrid's Monday Madness Link Up Party ♥...

SPOTLIGHT: 2nd Quarter Fave LOTD's, Reds...

My love affair with red lipsticks seems to be growing by the day - I find them irresistible in any season, but particularly during the gloomy wet months of Winter, when a splash of vermillion can lift my spirits and transform my mood in a matter of seconds. I'm convinced that the "right" red is out there for every gal, it's just a matter of finding it. Below are eight of the ones that are particularly dear to my heart...

These two are very similar, but the Maybelline Colourblur has the edge - it was a fave in the 1st Quarter collection because it's SO comfortable to wear, and if you're after a true matte lip colour, this range will definitely deliver the goods...

The Maybelline Bold Matte MAT6 also earned a place in the previous set, but how about that NYC Retro Red? It was a gift from my darling friend Amy all the way from Canada - such a fabulously vibrant warm red, and very close to being my HG ♥...

Love both of the above because of their pretty-as pink content - I keep going back to the Rubi Ruby Red because of its truly gorgeous hue and moisturising power. Rubi lipsticks are cheap as chips too ♥...

And I couldn't leave out these last two - both DB Cosmetics and Chi Chi make beautiful lip slickers in a wide range stunning shades, plus they keep my pucker soft and supple...

Next up will be Berries & Purples!

Would love to know what your favourite red lipstick is ♥

Take care of you,

kats xxx

EOTD: Lime Crime Venus Reds...

Let's talk about red eyeshadow - not every gal's cup of tea, but it's not as scary as you think, and with careful placement and the right shade, it can be stunning. On the other hand, get either of those wrong, and you can end up looking like you've been howling all night and folks will ask "are you ok?". Trust me, I know - I've played with it for several years now, and precision is the key...

Not many companies do red pigments, but the Lime Crime Venus palette is a great place to start. They're not true reds, more like "reddish" than fire engine red, but there's a beaut mix of mattes and subtle shimmers...

I've only experimented with two so far - Venus & Muse. The formula is silky soft, they blend dreamily and the pigmentation is bold and sassy...

For this look I used Muse - a gorgeous deep claret, but I softened it by using Eye of Horus Bronze Amulet Goddess Pencil as a base, and brushed a wee bit of MBA Cosmetics Silk FX Pressed Shadow in Sangria over the top. This gave it a slight shimmer and made it not quite so intense. When wearing red eyeshadow, and especially at my age, it sure helps if you line your waterline with anything other than a light shade - I find that the pigment can travel, and if you use white or cream (or nothing) on the waterline, you can end up with a pinky rim, which then makes you look like you haven't slept lol. Here I used Eye of Horus Emerald Tabula Goddess Pencil as a contrast, and to bring out the green in my eyes...

My foundation was Australis Stayput - loving this already, it sits and lasts beautifully, and the colour is a great match for my skin tone. Cheeks were Laura Geller Blush-N-Brighten in the shade Berry, and lips were Maybelline ColorDrama Intense Velvet Lip Pencil in Berry Much, one of my all-time faves...

And here's the jewellery I wore - the cream fabric is my puffer vest, and the dark red is my jeggings. For what it's worth, when I put outfits together, I try to match the textures as well as the colours ♥

And here's Venus, also over the top of Eye of Horus Bronze Amulet Goddess pencil. I deepened the outer corner with MUA Midnight, and Eye of Horus Scarab Sapphire was my choice for the waterline...

When creating both of these looks, I cleaned up the hooded area with a cotton bud coated in concealer, and then patted on Australis Banana Powder to counteract any hint of pink - it works really well ♥

Again this is the Australis Stayput Foundation, cheeks were ModelCo Blush in Peach Bellini, and lips were David Jones Moisture Cream Lipstick in Terracotta...

My accessories featured another of the fantabulous bead necklaces from Lovisa - these are normally around the $30 mark, but they recently had a sale and I picked up several for half price or less ♥

So how do you feel about red eyeshadow - is it part of your repertoire, or do you give it a miss?

Take care of you,

kats xxx

SPOTLIGHT: First Quarter Fave LOTD's, Reds...

Ahhh red lipstick - so many fabulous variations in the market, and here's just a few of my treasures, both warm and cool tones. Hard to believe I hardly EVER wore red lipstick in my younger days (before I turned 50 lol) - thought it was too much, too flashy, and yet I didn't hesitate to slick on some purple or hot pink. Weird huh? It just goes to show how one's tastes (and perceptions) can change, as well as one's wardrobe - these days mine is probably 20% red, and I put together an outfit in this sassy hue almost every week...

David Jones Moisture Cream Lipstick - Teracotta

Chi Chi Viva La Diva Lipstick - Countess

Milani Lipstick - Cherry Crave

DB Colour Kisses Lipstick - Deep Red

Maybelline ColourBlur Pencil - Partner in Crimson

MBA Lipstick - Red Hot! 

Rubi Lipstick - Ruby Red

Maybelline Bold Matte Lipstick - MAT6

It never ceases to amaze me how a slick of red lippy can transform my mood, as well as my appearance - mind you I rarely wear it unless I've also slapped on the full monty face as well, but there's been days when I've left the house with only a fiery pout plus my sunnies, and I didn't have a care in the world. I reckon with red lips, you can get away with almost anything lol ♥

In case you missed them, you'll find nudes, bricks and bronzes HERE, and  corals, mauves & pinks HERE. 

Do you have a red lipstick in your kit that always makes you feel glam and confident?

Take care of you,
kats xxx

P.S. Come see some beaut blogs over at Ingrid's Monday Makeup Madness Link Up Party at 6:30am ♥

EOTD: bhcosmetics Take Me To Brazil Blue & Red...

TOTALLY missed the boat this month for EOTD's - didn't even post enough to hold my usual EOTM giveaway! But it'll still happen - I'll make something up ♥ Meanwhile, I'm kick-starting tomorrow's March with this weird and whacky look...

If you scroll down the page, you'll see it was created to go with my T-shirt. Didn't have a suitable orange/red shadow in the kit, and thought I'd get away with using a Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner in Call Me Crazy (bright orange) along the lashline, with the clearest red from the Take Me To Brazil palette over the top. Turned out a little too reddish for my liking, but as usual, I ran out of time to make any adjustments. On the rest of the lid, my base was Eye of Horus Scarab Sapphire Goddess Pencil, with the deepest blue from the same TMTB palette over the top and along the lower lashline, and the EOH blue pencil on the waterline...

Foundation was Mirenesse Liquid Silk, cheeks were Maybelline Master Glaze Blush Stick in Coral Me In dusted with my BRIGHTEST orange blush - Bonfire from the Sleek Flame Blush by 3 palette. One of the few times I've ever worn it because it's just so amazingly pigmented. Love the hue, and it turns out to be totally wearable so long as you're not too heavy handed with the application. Lips were Australis Velourlips Matte Lip Cream in Sanfran-Disco - I'm quite besotted with these, and will review them soon (with swatches) ♥  

And of course, the jewellery...

Hope you have a wonderful start to Autumn, and that your Leap Year day was a special one - next giveaway will be up soon ♥

Take care of you,
kats xxx

Christmas EOTD: Lime Crime Red & Eye of Horus Emerald...

Ahh Christmas Eve - love it! I usually spend at least half the day (and night) wrapping gifts and making them look as pretty as possible. I have quite a large extended family, some of whom I only see once a year, so there's a stack of birthday gifts to parcel up as well. I breathe a huge sigh of relief once they're all done, and then I can relax and enjoy the rest of the evening at home. Most times I'm makeup free (including tonight), so here's an EOTD I created a little while ago to get me in the mood for this special time of year...

Chi Chi Like A Virgin (white) Waterproof Gel Eye Liner was my base, and I patted down Lime Crime Muse and Rebirth from the Venus The Grunge palette, concentrating the lighter shade (Rebirth) close to the lashes. Just adore the bricky reds in this palette - I have absolutely nothing even vaguely like them in any of my other collections ♥ I softened the black eyeliner along my lower lashline with Icon from the same palette, and then lined the waterline with Eye of Horus Emerald Tabula Goddess Pencil. Trust me gals this is THE eyeliner, and I'll be getting my mits on the whole set eventually. Actually tragedy struck last week and I lost my Jewel Amethyst pencil - I reckon it rolled off my bench into the bin (which has now been moved) and it went to the tip. A sad day...

For my Santas-Little-Helper face I used Mirenesse Liquid Silk Foundation, cheeks were DB Cosmetics Desire Lip & Cheek Rouge dusted with the brightest red from the bhcosmetics Glamorous Blush palette, lips were W7 Ruby Lipstick topped with Chi Chi Money Bags Chandelier Gloss...

How do you spend your Christmas Eve - do you do anything special?

Take care of you,
kats xxx

SPOTLIGHT: Colourful Bling!...

Having just about exhausted Goldmark's stock of bling rings, I had to go further afield - struck gold (well gems at least lol) at Prouds where I found all these beauties, and all within my $50 limit. Took a bit of fossicking I can tell you, and several months of regular window shopping, scanning of their catalogues etc., but I'm thrilled to bits with what I found ♥

This "ruby" was most definitely the bargain of the bunch at $25. It's such a pretty pear shape, exceptionally feminine, and with the surrounding sparklers flashing so brilliantly, I'm chuffed to at last have something semi-real that I can wear with my red clobber...

Out of all my colourful bling rings, this would have to be my favourite - has every quality I want in a dress ring. Elegant styling, exquisite colour, not too flashy so that it looks fake, and fits my finger perfectly. I bought this at the same time as the ruby - it wasn't actually on special, but I fell instantly in love, and it just scraped in under budget (by 5 cents!). Absolutely adore this little honey ♥

And here's the closest thing to a Princess Di replica that I own - hard to believe but I've spent months trying to capture the stunning blue lights within the stone, and even this photo doesn't do it justice. I swear taking pictures of sparkly jewellery is 100 times more difficult than eye makeup or a flatlay! She's a beauty though. Oddly enough I went into Goldmark looking to see if they had anything blue - the ever so helpful shop assistant said she had nothing in stock, but directed me across the mall to Prouds as she'd seen one in the window. What a sweetheart ♥

Still a couple more to left in the vault to reveal, and I'm in the market for both a yellow and an orange stone ring to complete my rainbow bling collection - wish me luck!

Take care of  you,
kats xxx

EOTD: Chi Chi Goes to Rio Red and Green...

Well now, here's a blast from the past - dug out my Chi Chi Goes to Rio palette to create this red and green EOTD. The box is almost 3 years old, but you'd never know it - the shadows are just as vibrant and blendable as they were the day I bought them. It was one of the first bold multicoloured collections I ever laid my hands on, and a real treat at the time because the pans are all mattes, and back then I had an almost morbid fear of using shimmers on my wrinkly peepers (can you believe it?). Of course these days I don't give a flying foo about creases and saggy bits, and I'll play with just about anything ha ha...

I've kept this palette in a 5-drawer cabinet all this time, and it just goes to show that storing eyeshadows away from dust, light and temperature extremes can prolong their life. Once again my base was a Maybelline COLORdrama Intense Velvet Lip Pencil - Light It Up. These crayons are SO good under pink, red or orange powders - they almost double the intensity, and keep the whole look in one piece for the whole day...

I pressed the red over the top of the MNY pencil, and blended the green underneath my lower lashline, as well as in the crease. On the waterline I used essence kajal in the shade I Have A Green - such a great match for my eye colour...

Cheeks were one of the more reddish shades from the bhcosmetics 10 Colour Glamorous Blush palette, and on the lips went MUD Matte Lip Cream in Fuchsia, topped with essence Stay With Me LongLasting Lipgloss in Candy Bar...

It's almost a Christmas theme, but by omitting any gold or silver garnish, I reckon I got away with it lol...

Take care of you,

kats xxx