Friday, 31 July 2015

EOTD: Colourpop Empire...

Is there an emerald green eye shadow on the market prettier than this Colourpop Empire? Hard pressed to find one I reckon - it's so shimmery and sparkly too, absolutely love it to bits, and even more so because it was a gift from my darling friend Hissycat Krissy ♥


I am SO impressed with these Colourpop eye shadows - they're cheap as chips, super buttery and the pigmentation, well I think you can see it's rather stunning...


I actually dumbed this down a bit by using a dark brown base on the outer two thirds - I was wearing olivey shades, and while I wanted my eyes to be a brighter hue than my somewhat dull outfit, this emerald was way too vivid, so I started with Chi Chi Waterproof Gel Eyeliner in Lo Cal Chocolate. Essence White Kajal went underneath the inner corner, and bhcosmetics Waterproof Eye Crayon in Huntress was my waterliner...



Facewise, I'm wearing nude by nature Liquid Mineral Foundation, cheeks were the middle pan from the BYS Coral Me In blush trio, and lips were BOE Beauty Mocha...



Take care of you,
kats xxx

Sunday, 26 July 2015

REVIEW: BOE Beauty Lipsticks...

Another of the gems uncovered by my recent lipstick refresh - BOE Beauty and BOE Professional. These two ranges are available at BigW stores - the BOE Beauty lippies are $2, and the BOE Professional ones are $8.95. I must say that prior to my explorations, my minimum spend for a lipstick was $4.95 - I wasn't being a snob, I just couldn't imagine how any lip product could be even vaguely usable if it cost less than that. Well I'm SO GLAD I cast aside this personal limitation, read on to find out why...


I'll start with the Professional variety. These come in a solid case that looks and feels classy, with the product colour visible on the base. The formula is creamy, rich and smooth, deliciously hydrating, and my nose can't detect any fragrance. The pigmentation is excellent, coverage is also very good, and the colour doesn't bleed. They don't last beyond a meal, but they do leave behind a nice little bit of stain, and transfer to drinking utensils is average. The display stand is on a par with any other similarly priced product range, and there were testers in my local store...

This first one is called Aphrodite - a gorgeous soft pink that will leave your lips looking supremely kissable ♥...


And here is Mocha - a lovely warm brown/pink which I'm loving this Winter, it's such a flattering shade without being too deep or intense ♥...


These next two are from the Beauty range. Being a bargain style, all the products are jumbled into plastic display bins, so it takes a bit of doing to work out just what colours are available - for me it was a bit like a treasure hunt, which I don't mind as these ridiculously cheap lipsticks are well worth rummaging for. Of course the packaging isn't nearly so glamorous, but sturdy all the same, and still quite impressive for the price. I bought one of each kind - cream and matte, both have a very faint waxy fragrance. The cream kind is certainly creamy, nicely moisturising, but I have to say I had quite a bit of trouble trying to get the colour to apply evenly for the lip swatch photo. I'll be going back for more though as I believe these warrant further investigation...

This is Paige - a most heavenly peach which I'll be putting away for Spring, isn't it just so pretty?...


And, well, you know me lol, I've saved the best for last. This is Shocking Matte Pink - an astoundingly brilliant and beautiful hue, although as you can see, it isn't matte at all. But I don't give a hoot because...I applied this early in the morning, went shopping, had breakfast and a latte, and 3 hours later, it was still going strong - the only difference was the loss of the sheen, but the colour and coverage were still intact! UNBELIEVABLE for a $2 lipstick, plus my lips didn't feel the slightest bit dry ♥


In summary, I think these are a great find. The BOE Professional lipsticks are excellent value, and both the formula and presentation are first class...

But...the one that impressed me the most was the $2 matte in the BOE Beauty range. I swear I'm calling into BigW on my way home tomorrow night to see if there are any other "matte" shades in the bin!

P.S. I've listed this over at Ingrid's Monday Makeup Madness link up party - well worth checking if you're looking for new blogs to follow ♥

Take care of you,
kats xxx

Friday, 24 July 2015

EOTD: bhcosmetics Dark Rose Bronze & Green...

Another look from the bhcosmetics Dark Rose palette ♥ I don't think there are any shades in this collection that don't compliment each other, which makes it one I reach for often. And putting together a green and gold/bronze hued outfit is also a regular occurrence for me, in fact almost once per week, and I can count on this palette to always deliver a pretty look to match... 


Over essence White Kajal, I applied the bronze on the far right all over the lid, blended the green along the lower lashline and outer corner, and pressed the matte pinky brown into the crease...


For a bit of extra oomph, I patted the new Covergirl Bombshell Shineshadow in Copper Fling over the whole top lid with my finger. This is a lovely semi-sheer cream that comes in a teeny tube, but it packs a mammoth punch as far as adding dimension and shimmer is concerned. So far I've only seen it in copper, gold and silver, but according to their website, there's a soft green, a lilac and a platinum as well which I'm busting to get my hands on. One word of warning though - if you blink before it dries, it transfers to other areas in a flash...
For the waterline, I chose essence Kajal in I Have A Green...


For my face I used Mirenesse Liquid Silk in Vienna. I'll be reviewing this makeup soon (along with quite a few others) as I've embarked on ANOTHER much needed kit refresh - foundations this time around, and as I'm discovering, there are some terrific ones available for bargain prices. Cheeks were a base of Lacura Beauty Minerals Cream Blush in Soft Coral (also soon to be reviewed - love 'em!), with a light dusting of the middle pan from the BYS Coral Me In trio. Lips were MBA Cosmetics Spiced Pumpkin...



Take care of you,
kats xxx

Tuesday, 21 July 2015

EOTM: "Your Favourite June EOTD" Giveaway...

Oh my - July will be over in a matter of days, and I haven't had my giveaway yet! Better late than never they say, so here we go with the loot ♥  Bit of a mixed bag of goodies this time around, but I wanted to choose items that I could post overseas, so yes, this giveaway is open Internationally - yay!



Up for grabs is...
  • 1 x Rosehip by essano skincare pack containing Gentle Facial Exfoliator, Gentle Foaming Facial Cleanser, Certified Organic Rosehip Oil and Regenerating Facial Moisturiser
  • 2 x Lacura Volume Lip Lacquers in my favourite hues, Red Carpet and Flamingo
  • 2 x Lacura Minerals Blush, Soft Coral and Pink Rose (I haven't reviewed these yet but they're fab!)
  • 1 x Chi Chi Glamorous Eye Shadow Collection - Smokeys
To enter just choose which of the June EOTD's is your favourite from the eight pictured below, let me know in the comments section why you like it the most, then follow the Rafflecopter entry instructions below...

The Rafflecopter will decide the winner, so please make sure you read the Terms and Conditions inside. 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

Yay - random.org has chosen the beautiful Faiza as the winner! 
Congratulations Faiza ♥
Please respond to the email I've sent you by 
Thursday 30th July to claim your prize :-)
Edit: Faiza has claimed her prize
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Best of luck to all who enter!

Take care of you,
kats xxx