EOTD: bhcosmetics Pink, Blue & Green...

Have you ever had it happen that when you do your makeup, everything (and I mean everything) works out just right? I can assure you, those days are few and far between for me. Despite creating an EOTD every working day of the week (which comes to around 20 different looks in a month), it's an EXCEPTIONALLY rare event for me to be completely satisfied with every single part of what I put together. But...the planets must have been aligned in the heavens yesterday because I finally FINALLY came up with what I would consider a winner in every department...

My usual epic fail is in the lash arena - they're spindly, short and blonde, and even with three (or more) coats of fibre mascara, they're barely visible for the camera. So I recommenced my RapidLash treatment about a month ago, and the effects are starting to kick in (note: I'll be reviewing this absolutely BRILLIANT product in the weeks ahead). Secondly I've been struggling with a couple of eyelash curlers that just weren't cutting the mustard any more. After years of promises, at last I treated myself to a Shu uemura curler - not the usual cult classic one that I've been lusting after for yonks, but one of their new-fangled "s" curlers. Well I tell you I started to think I'd bought a lemon because I simply couldn't get it to work...until yesterday, when joy of joys, I got the hang of it - woo hoo! (I'l be reviewing this nifty little gadget soon too.) Combined with a wee bit more length and volume from RapidLash, I'm over the moon at the difference in the end result - it actually looks like I have eyelashes lol!

I was also deliriously happy with the colour combination I chose - fuchsia, deep blue and soft spring green from the bhcosmetics Take Me To Brazil palette...

Underneath the pink I used a Nabi Lipliner Pencil in Dark Fuchsia, and for the blue base I applied essence Long Lasting Eye Pencil in Cool Down. On the waterline is another essence pencil (and one of my all time faves) I Have a Green. In the crease, I applied Villan from the Sleek V2 matte palette...

And THEN, if all that wasn't exciting enough, I tried out my latest lip passion - L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Extraordinaire in Fuchsia Drama. Holey moley, it's such a wonderfully rich and vibrant pink, and the formula is sensationally slick, glossy and hydrating. I've bought three of these so far, and I'm head over heels IN LOVE! And yes, I'll be reviewing them soon too ♥

 So what do you think gals - can you see the difference in my lashes? Squeeeeeeeeeeee!

On a side note, I've been super busy ALL WEEK giving my blog an anniversary colour scheme make-over - just a little one, but my aim was to freshen things up a bit, and make the whole thing easier for you lovelies to read. It's a work in progress, but I would LOVE to know what you think of the new look so far ♥

Take care of  you,

kats xxx

One Year in the Blogosphere Giveaway #1

Well now would any gal out there like to win the Sleek i-Divine Arabian Nights Smoke & Shadows palette? Hopefully there'll be a couple of takers ♥ I've had my own one for around two weeks, and only last Friday did I take the plunge and start playing with it - sigh, I couldn't bring myself to muck it all up lol! I've wanted this gorgeous collection of divinely muted yet rich and jewel-toned pigments from the very first moment I saw it, and to start the Bloggiversary celebrations with a bang, I have one to give away to one lucky follower...

The fragrance diffuser is for decoration only :-)

The colours are a treasure trove of delights from Aladdin's cave - with names like Sultan's Garden, Genie, Sinbad's Seas and 1001 Nights, you'll be grabbing this baby every day and saying Open Sesame!

As usual, the Rafflecopter will decide the winner, so please make sure that you follow the entry instructions, and read the Terms and Conditions inside (Australian residents only). Please note that leaving a comment, providing your email address inside the Rafflecopter, AND following my blog one way or another from the many choices listed are MANDATORY for entry...

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This giveaway is now closed

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Yay - random.org has chosen the beautiful Joole L. as the winner.  

Congratulations gorgeous! 

Joole please respond to the email I've sent you by 

Wednesday 17th September to claim your prize :-)

Edit: Joole has claimed her prize

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Best of luck to all who enter ♥

Take care of you,

kats xxx

BLOGGIVERSARY SPOTLIGHT: The Transforming Power of Make Up...

My blog has finally done one circuit of the sun, and what better way to celebrate than to reveal all!

The idea for this post has been rattling around in my head for years, long before I started blogging, and it's so wonderful to finally have an avenue to express my passion for make up, and the extraordinary power it has to transform a Plain Jane into a Pretty Polly. I remember the awe I experienced when I first discovered "makeovers" on the internet - in capable hands, I was staggered at the difference between the before and after photos of the ladies who so bravely allowed themselves to be photographed "au naturel", and then later in all their made-up glory. Little did I realise that I would be doing this very same thing one day! Believe me, it takes a whole lot of courage to reveal a bare face on the web...

Not all of us are blessed with natural beauty - I'm certainly no oil painting, and while I am in no doubt of the vastness of my INNER beauty, simply put, these days my outside just doesn't match my inside. So, I set about learning how to bring these two dimensions closer together, and to give myself greater confidence when dealing with the outside world. Another factor is the ageing process - time, environmental factors and life's experiences all take their toll on our faces, and while I didn't wear half as much makeup in my youth, I'm embracing it with open arms now to help me maintain what I regard as a camera-ready appearance...

Along the way I learned quite a few tricks (massive thanks to beautyheaven and Wayne Goss), and made my share of mistakes, and the discovery journey certainly isn't over yet, but I'm comfortable now in my ability to enhance what I was born with, and I hope that what follows shows you that the beautifying products (and techniques) available these days are indeed wondrous, especially for us older gals. It's all a matter of finding what works for you ♥

Below are some examples of my morning transformation. I do this just about every day (and looking at the first pics you'll understand why lol), and love every second of it. Takes about 40 minutes from beginning to end - this is also precious "me" time, and I wouldn't give it up for all the tea in China...

Warning: The bare-faced photos are far from glamorous and frighteningly revealing. But what the hell, I doubt I'll ever be this brave again...

Here's what I used - this is the full-blown arsenal for work days and special occasions...

And just so you know I don't spend my entire life in front of my makeup bench, here's a lazy Sunday face - takes 12 minutes using barely anything lol...

As you can see, makeup can truly work magic, EXCEPT on under eye bags! They're nowhere near as obvious if I don't smile, but hey, smiling wins over vanity every time ♥

There's no one particular thing that makes all the difference for me - when you get to my age it's a combination of quite a few, but I reckon my top two are a great foundation and good eye definition, and of course a long glossy fringe helps too...

Which makeup product(s) enhances your beauty the most?

Take care of you,

kats xxx

P.S. First Bloggiversary giveaway starts tomorrow!

P.P.S. I've just added this review to Ingrid's Monday Makeup Madness #8 Link Up Party - you'll find lots of other fabulous blogger articles there too, and some new talent to follow ♥

EOTD: Sugarpill Velocity and Tako...

So Spring where are you babe? You appeared in all your glory on Monday, and then scuttled back into your hibernation cave when the snow hit the slopes. Please PLEASE come back! Here's hoping this blue and white EOTD will encourage you to take another step outside, and stay...

Good old essence white kajal was my base here - it's just the best way to propel any eye shadow hue into the bold and bright stratosphere. I pressed Sugarpill Tako (white) along the top lashline, and then blended Velocity (bright blue) towards the back of my lid. For defining the crease and lower lashes, I added Sleek Ink from the V2 Matte palette...

On the waterline is Mirenesse Inside Out Kohl liner in Uto (aqua) - one of the few I have left that's not dried up and crumbling to pieces. Such a shame that these liners don't have a very long shelf life - I bought almost the entire set, and the majority of them are no longer usable...

And the whole blue and white effect...

Incidentally, this gorgeous lipstick I'm wearing is Revlon Liptember Mauve - bought it at Chemist Warehouse for $9.99, and it's the usual Super Lustrous formula. The Liptember campaign raises funds (and awareness) for women's mental health every September...

So in your part of town, did Spring run away too?

Take care of you,
kats xxx