My Favorites of the Year, What I've Been Loving!

Hi everyone!
Yes I'm still alive, I know I've been lazy/busy/any other lame excuse and have been neglecting this little bloggeroonie but I've kicked myself in the bum and getting back into the groove of blogging...Yaaaaayyy!! hahaha I honestly don't know if anyone reads my blogs but for the handful of people that my computer tells me do, thank you! It really does make me feel honoured that someone somewhere took the time to wander on to my little corner of the Internet. (Computer hugs from me to you! :D )
Okay onto business! I have comprised a list of all my top favourite makeup/perfumes and other random loves of mine that have blossomed this year and put them all in one place for you to have a peek! Enjoy!!
PS: These are listed in no particular order :P

#1: Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker

My beautiful cousin just bought this for me as an early Chrissy present last week, and I am looooving it! It is a very classic, sweet, musk, vanilla scent, and the strength and staying power is amazing! One or two sprays and you are good to go all day long! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS!!

 

#2 Rimmel: Colour Show Off Lipstick - 110 Gossip Pink

I am so in love with this Rimmel Lipstick I just bought, first of all I have to say it smells AMAZING! Like a whole watermelon is exploding out of the tube! hehe Second of all the consistency and pigmentation is so smooth and bright, what you see is definitely what you get here! It is so moist, smooth and creamy like a lip balm but not sticky or too wet that it would bleed. I am a huge fan! The only problem is I wish I had found this range sooner and bought them all, they are unfortunately discontinued. :( PS: Isn't the packaging sexy! :p

#3 Revlon Scented Nail Polish in Mon Cherry

When I first saw this range of scented nail polishes I was not convinced. But I was on Ozsale.com and they had a Revlon sale, I think it was like $3 a bottle so I figured hey why not give it a shot. It actually does smell like cherries :D but only once it has dried, it's fast drying and a gorgeous colour. The smell lasts for a few days even after showering etc. It is pretty chip resistant even after working all day using my hands. But like any polish wont last forever. I just ordered 4 new scents, so I will write up a review for those when they arrive. :D I recommend this polish for the novelty value, but try and get it on sale! I wouldn't pay full price.

 

#4 Rimmel Extra Super Lash Mascara

This mascara came in a freebie pack that I got with other Rimmel purchases I made recently. It is not water proof so I was not expecting it to be something I would use. But honestly, I wear it almost every day now! It is beautiful, it instantly doubles or triples your lashes as if you instantly just grew a tonne of lashes right out of your own lash line, it lengthens and separates each lash, there is no clumping. A truly beautiful mascara! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

#5 John Frieda: Sheer Blonde Go Blonder Lightening Spray

 I wrote a review on this product earlier, if you are naturally blonde and wanting to gradually lighten your colour for a very natural look, this is the product for you! I am so happy with the results of this product, after the 1st use I could see results. Big thumbs up for this product!! Check out this post for a more in depth review:

 

#6 Essence Mosaic Compact Powder

Clearly I love this product, and need to get a new one soon hehe. This is a beautiful bronzer, it has a yummy coconut scent that you just wanna eat, the colour is really nice on my skin, not too orange, it is very silky and looks beautiful on the skin, it is or almost matte. Best of all I think it only cost's about $5 to $10. If you want an affordable, bronzer that goes on perfectly not too dark or light, easy to blend and smells great this is the one for you!

Conclusion

I have many more loves from this year including my recycled milk bottle body sponge from the body shop to my Natio anti ageing skin care products, but so that this post doesn't go on forever I will spare you. :D I hope you will try some of these products, or if you have some already comment below and let me know what you think, maybe you want to share some of your beauty loves this year so I can give them a try! I would love to hear from you.

Have a fantastic day!!

Love Em xx

Website Review - Pinky Paradise (Contact Lenses)

Hey Guys!

Today I am reviewing the Pinky Paradise Webstore, they claim to be the largest online reatailer of coloured contact lenses, and I certainly don't doubt that!

Website: http://www.pinkyparadise.com/

Website Header

My Experience!

I have purchased from this site only once about 2 months ago, but I ordered 4 different pairs of lenses, in 4 different colours. I have been wearing contact lenses everyday for vision for about 5 years now, I have worn coloured lenses in the past from an optometrist, but stopped and have been wearing clear silicone lenses. I found that these lenses are perfectly fine for everyday wear, they are comfortable and true to colour, which is important for me because I have brown eyes and I have found that coloured lenses especially the lighter coloured ones tend not to show up on brown eyes.
They do become dry towards the end of the day but thats fine as thats when I would take them out anyway. I can't wear them at work because the airconditioning dries them out so I wear my silicone clear lenses for work.  I have found I need to wear sunglasses if I am wearing them on a sunny day as my eyes become extra sensitive to sunlight, but my optometrist said that I would need to do that for my other coloured lenses too.
Overall I am very happy with these lenses and this website! The shipping is very fast! HIGHLY RECOMENDED!!




Cute Complimentary Animal Cases

My Four Different Colours of Lenses

Pro's

• Lenses cost between $15 and $26 (Very cheap!)
• You can get them in PRESCRIPTION!! (Varies from lense to lense and brand)
• Lenses last up to one year, depending on which variety you purchase
• The Site has a HUGE range of lenses!
• Delivery costs ~ $9 and arrives within a week!!
• You get a free animal lense case with every pair of lenses you buy
• They come in individual vials of saline solution (you have to purchase your own solution to store them in)
• The website is easy to navigate
• They have pictures of real customers wearing the lenses so you can see what they will look like when you get them (not all lenses have pictures tho)
• They have a huge range of cartoon/anime/costume lenses

Con's

• Not all lenses are prescription (but that isn't such a huge deal)
• Not all prescriptions are available
• Not all lenses have photos, so its hard to tell what they will look like on your eyes
• None of the cartoon or costume lenses are prescription

Photos

Gold/Brown

Green

Blue

Forest Green

I hope you enjoyed this review, have a wonderful day!!

Love Em xx

Halloween 2012!!

Heyy Guys!

Thought I would share with you my costume for Halloween 2012.

I was..dundundada...A LEOPARD!

 

 



My best friend and I just chillin' before the party :D

My friends and I at the club!

I had an awesome night! I had loads of people staring at me and saying hi haha all good fun!
There were some amazing costumes including one guy dressed as Arnie Schwarzenegger with a suit and a full head mask!

For my first ever official halloween party I had such a great time and it was so much fun seeing all the other people dressed up. Even if we did have to run through the rain with new papers over our heads to get to the club hehee

My Costume:

• Dress and belt from Dotti
• Clutch and Shoes from Forever 21
• Hair extensions and ears from Red Dot
• Fangs from a gothic store in Perth
• Contacts from www.pinkyparadise.com/
• Make up tutorial Leopard Mask Makeup Tutorial - Petrilude

Have a great day!

Love Em xx

I'M BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER! Hehe

 

"Don't follow trends, follow your heart!"

 

Hey Guys!!
Sorry I've been gone for so long! I've been so busy with uni assignments these past weeks but I'm back! So lets get this ball rolling :D

I asked a friend what she wanted to see on this blog and she suggested tips on how to make your lipstick stay longer, so I will be bringing that to you soon! Maybe I will include it in a 'makeup tips and tricks" post...yay! I was also planning to write a review of online shopping sites that I use/reccomend and finally I might do a little bloggy blog on my fashion style, where I get my clothes, fashion on a budget and how to put an outfit together. SOOOO let me know what you think in the comments below if there is anything in particular that you want me to write about!!

And to everyone doing exams now, or heading to exams soon GOOD LUCK!!

Love, Em xx



Eyeshaddow Techniques for Mature/Hooded Eyes

Me and my "hooded" eyes =D

This topic was suggested to me by my Mum after her friends daughter wanted some tips for her boss.

I hope this is of some help to others as well.

I know the difficulties first hand living with hooded eyelids and how frustrating it can be to apply eye makeup effectively. So through my search on Youtube for the best guru to help me I came across this wonderful makeup artist, Wayne Goss, aka "Gossmakeupartist". A British based make up artist who puts up some of the most entertaining and helpful makeup and beauty videos I've watched in the five or so years I've been watching make up guru's on Youtube. So I would highly recommend that you go over to his channel and check him out!

Below is a video by Wayne Goss running through the important tips and tricks for creating the perfect eye makeup for mature age eyes.



This next video is an excellent tutorial for how to apply foundation and concealer on mature skin to give a more youthful appearance. I highly recommend watching this as the results are truly amazing! Even if you are not a mature age woman these techniques can be used on anyone and any age to give the same incredible results! :D

I hope that this little post was useful to some, I don't have my own youtube videos unfortunately but I hope I can bring you the best and most useful tips from other great artists and guru's that I think are the most helpful.

Have a wonderful day!!

Em xx



Product Review - Sally Hansen "Salon Effects" Real Nail Polish Strips!

 

 This review is on the Sally Hansen "Salon Effects" nail polish strips. I first used them in May this year on my birthday as a quick fix nail polish before I went clubbing (I ended up putting them on in the car in the dark on the way there..so the result was a bit rough!). They did the job for the night but they did come off quite easily the next day. I found that if not rubbed on thoroughly enough or if you do not wash your hands and nails directly before application they can peel right off in one strip once dried.



My first set!

 My next set was the gold glittery "Glitz Blitz", unfortunately I don't have a photo of me wearing this set but here is a photo of what the set looks like and the pack:

Glitz Blitz!

The "Glitz Blitz" is by far the best out of all that I have tried!! The glitter makes it thicker, stronger, and they have a much better adhesive quality than all the others. The box says that they are supposed to last up to 10 days but I found that the "Glitz Blitz" lasted for at least 3 weeks!! The glitter in these is very shimmery and much better than any nail polish would give you! The downside to the glitter nail polish strips is that they are quite hard to remove. You are supposed to use ordinary nail polish remover, but I found I would have to rub and rub and would still be left with flakes of glitter glued to my nail. But otherwise a BIG thumbs up on the "Glitz Blitz"!!

This next design is my second favourite, not only for the wicked leopard print pattern but also because these also lasted for weeks without chipping! Unfortunately I don't remember the name of these bad boys but they are definitely wild! Great strength, great adhesiveness, beautiful shimmer and colours, by far the best of the patterned nail strips that I have tried.

 

 Now the following design is called "Love Letter", the pattern is a series of black hand written love letters on a gloss white base. This set gets a thumbs up for a gorgeous pattern but thumbs down in every other aspect. I found this design to be hard to apply, the strips were very thin and tore easily and often, they were not very adhesive so they came off after a day or two. Over all I would only buy these if you were wearing them for a special occasion and not needing them to last more than a day or two.

Love Letters

OVERALL:

PRO's

• They can last for over 3 weeks without serious chipping!
• They  give great strength and support to weak nails
• There is a huge range of patterns, designs and colours
• Easy to apply once you get the hang of it
• Will get you truck loads of compliments!! :D

CON's

• They are on the pricey side! I pay around $15 (AUD) for a box at my local Priceline, each box contains 1-2 sets of nail strips.
• Some of the patterns can be thin and tear easily
• They do damage your nails, I found that when removing the strips, they would usually remove a layer or two of my real nail. My nails are quite hard so I could get away with it but for someone with thin nails this may be more damaging.
• Once you open a packet of strips you must use them straight away, they will dry out even if left with their protective plastic on, and will not stick to your nail.

TIPS & TRICKS!!

• If you have short to medium length nails and want to get the most out of a box of strips only open one set of strips (enough for one hand), you will get 7 strips. After applying a strip to one nail you will be left with half a strip, use this left over amount on another nail that is small enough to be covered by this remaining strip. Using your included nail file, file off any extra strip on the end and don't forget to rub the strip thoroughly onto your nail. I found that if planned well you can get two hands covered with only one hand's worth of strips! Save the remaining packet for another day!
• Another trick you can use with the glitter and some of the patterned strips is if you make a mistake or have any gaps you want to cover up, take some spare strip and stick it over the top, it will be almost invisible that you have doubled up and your gap will be covered!
• Finally, for some of the more flimsy patterns such as the "Love Letter" pattern, instead of using the cuticle pusher to rub the edges down, use the white side of the nail file, it is much gentler and wont tear or pull the nail polish strip.

I hope this helped some of you and let me know your experience or ask any questions in the comments below!

Have a great day!

Em xx

Product Review - John Frieda "Go Blonder"

 

I want to make my first review on the John Frieda "Go Blonder" set of shampoo, conditioner and lightening spray.
I am naturally blonde and have been quite a light blonde all my life, I never die it or highlight it or do anything to it, just shampoo, condition and tie it up, but I was noticing that it was becoming darker naturally so I turned to this range of products because I have been using John Frieda products for a few years now and I wanted to lighten my hair without harsh chemicals or a salon treatment that would require constant maintainence.
I started using the "Go Blonder" shampoo and conditioner in ~April 2012, and by July I was getting comments from friends that my hair was looking darker without them knowing I was using anything on my hair. I have to agree with them, my hair did become darker and duller as if the shampoo removed all highlights and unified the colour to its darkest shade.

This is when I turned to trying the "Go Blonder - Lightening Spray", I started using the spray in August, and I've used it about 7 times now, and it works! My hair has regained its natural looking highlights and changed from a dull brown/blonde into a warm honey and white blonde! Even after the first application I could notice a subtle difference.
The "Go Blonder - Lightening Spray" is applied to towel dried hair either all over or in controlled areas that you want to highlight, I brush it through to make sure its even and not patchy. You then blow dry your hair and use either a straightener or curling iron to heat the product into your hair. The more heat you apply the lighter your hair will get.

I did find that my hair felt dry or tacky after using the lightening spray, and it easily tangled while I was straightening it, but after my hair was straightened it wasn't too bad. It also has a vinegar like smell to it which can linger throughout the day, so you might want to spritz some body perfume over your hair if it bothers you, or use a heat protectant spray that it scented.

This product is for blondes only, brunettes I'm sorry but this probably wont work for you.

The price of the shampoo and conditioner is between $15 and $17 Aussie dollars each, John Freida can be a bit pricey so I try and get mine when they are on sale. The Lightening Spray was about $15 if I'm not mistaken.

Over all I would not recomend the "Go Blonder" shampoo and conditioners, but I highly recomend the "Go Blonder - Lightening Spray"!

I hope this was helpful to some people, please feel free to leave comments below if I missed something or you have any questions.

Have a wonderful day!

Em xx

YAY FOR A BRAND NEW BLOG!

Hi to everyone reading my new blog!

My name is Emily, my middle name is Jacqueline and is the inspiration for the name of this new blog. I'm 20 years old and live in Perth, Western Australia. I study Sustainable Development at Murdoch University, and am very passionate about the planet and making as little impact as is practically possible in our lives. I have a love of make up and beauty too, I have no professional experience in this area, just what I have come to learn about myself over the years and what I have learnt from others. This blog is something I've been thinking of making for a little while now as a place where I can bring together and share what I have learnt.
I believe that EVERY girl and woman should feel beautiful with minimal effort, its all about knowing yourself, loving who you are and what you have and making the best of everything that you are. You can have expensive taste without having to buy expensive clothes or expensive products! You can also use products which are not only good for you but also good for the environment too!

My plan for this blog is to be a bit of an opinion blog on beauty, health and fashion things that I'm into. I hope it can be fun, inspiring or helpful for some of you! PLEASE do comment on anything posts and let me know what you think, I really do love to read them and they help me a lot as to what people like and don't like.

I want to make it very clear that I am in no way a professional make up artist, fashion guru or hair stylist, I am just your every day girl that wants to make a blog about the things that inspire me and things that I love.

I hope that I can keep this up and make it enjoyable  :D

Thanks to everyone who reads my other blog and who will hopefully come back and give this one a peek!

Have a wonderful day! 

Love Em xx

(Head over to Twig&Duck to check out my other life/news/sustainability blog)