Makeup Geek Haul

I've been looking into the Makeup Geek eyeshadows for a while now but never really had a reason to purchase them. Now that I'm doing my course I bought them without hesitation. At $5.99 each they are such amazing value especially considering that MAC shadows retail for around $16 here in Aus.

These shadows are incredible, highly pigmented and super buttery they go on so well and really are very similar to the MAC shadows if not better. I haven't done any swatches of the shadows in this post but if you'd like to see swatches of them all just let me know and I'll be happy to do that!

I ordered them straight from the Makeup Geek website and they took around a week to arrive here in Australia which is amazing considering that shipping times can vary so much. They came in a little box stuffed with foam so they wouldn't shatter and every shadow arrived in perfect condition. I have all mine in a medium Z Palette which fits 15 shadows perfectly in the centre with a little room around the edges, being magnetic they just stick right in.

Now, onto the shadows that I bought!

Top row (left to right) Shimma Shimma, Vanilla Bean, Beaches and Cream, Cinderella, Purely Naked
Middle Row (left to right) Glamorous, Cosmopolitan, Frappe, Hipster, Moondust
Bottom Row ( left to right) Taupe Notch, Cocoa Bear, Last Dance, Mocha, Corrupt

Do you have anything from Makeup Geek? Let me know what other things you have from them because I am so tempted to get more things!

Lorac Pro Palette Review + Where To Buy In Australia!?

I have been looking at the Lorac Pro Palette for the longest time now but have never known where to buy it that didn't have ridiculous shipping and that would be able to ship to Australia! After doing some research I finally found it and found a website that was able to ship it to me in 2 days. 

If you aren't familiar with the palette it has 8 mattes and 8 shimmers all of which are super creamy and incredibly pigmented which is amazing.

It also comes with an eye primer that has a slight pinky shimmer to it. I haven't used this enough to know if it really keeps shadows on the eye longer without creasing but it definitely makes a difference when applying the colours on top. It makes them much more vibrant which most primers will do anyway.

 
The best part of this palette is that every colour is really wearable, it has some more vibrant colours but they are still pretty neutral. Having this palette has pretty much blown all my others away, I just find myself reaching for it over the others as it has every colour I'd ever need for day + night looks. Being the great quality that they are I would highly recommend checking this palette out if your after a one stop shop for entire eye looks. I also think it would be amazing for travelling, it has light enough colours for a basic day time look and some dark ones thrown in for the night time.

Now I bought mine from a website called http://www.myqty.com/ which stock majority of the Lorac products including the Laroc 2 Palette which doesn't have me that interested the unzipped palette however has me a little excited. This website also stocks a heap of other brands that are harder to find in Australia such as Sigma, Urban Decay and Tarte however they don't have the entire collections from each. The Lorac palette was around $80 plus $6.95 for express shipping which arrived within 2 days which is amazing. I would definitely recommend having a look at this site if your after the Lorac palette and you live here in Aus!

P.S an eye look featuring this palette will be around very soon so stay tuned for that!

Bellabox Australia: August Box Review

Its that time of the month again! Which always sounds weird Its bellabox time!! This months box was rather heavy and rather coconutty which made me really excited.

The theme was 'Sport Your Style' which I personally don't really because the products didn't really match that but oh well they were good anyway!

I'm very excited to try the coconut milk shampoo and conditioner as not only do they smell incredible but they are something I've always wanted to try! I also love that the nail colour is one that I would actually wear! The only thing that I wasn't too keen on was the sachet of coco butter cannot stand sachet samples! and the other makeup product which was the eyeshadow in that little box, its purple...with blue reflex in it. Enough said.

Apart from that I think this was a pretty good box! Much better then the large amounts of moisturiser and eye creams that I had been previously getting.

A Not So Obvious Guide To Fake Tanning

Now I am no stranger when it comes to bronzing up my skin as I've been doing it for years, and there are a tonne of different guides to tanning however I thought I would give you the not so obvious tips that I have learnt throughout my tanning life.

1. Be prepared to see yourself naked for at least half an hour. This one is non negotiable. When tanning you need to take all your clothes off and then allow enough time for it to sort of dry before putting clothes on so make sure you are prepared for this. Im talking warning everyone in your house that you are about to tan and that they shouldn't bother you for a decent amount of time.  
2. Be prepared to stand in front of the mirror naked while analysing yourself as you apply the tan. The easiest and best way to ensure there are no streaks to your tan is to apply it looking in a mirror. That way you can see everything and see all the mistakes you would have made had you not been in front of the mirror. 
3. Be prepared to ruin your clothes and your sheets. I'd recommend using those old pjs or old workout clothes that you are keeping for no reason when you tan, because let me tell you the amount of nice clothes I've ruined is starting to add up. As for the sheets, its a given that I'm going to ruin them because I tan at night and then sleep in the tan to let it develop this way I ruin the sheets but have a perfect tan when I wake up.
4. Be prepared for the first time to be a disaster. This is also a given as you are so uncertain of what you are doing that tan ends up everywhere, its patchy, its streaky and you don't really know what you have done wrong all you know is that you have really orange hands for some reason. To prevent all of this, especially the orange hands I'd suggest getting a tanning mit. It makes applying the tan 1000x easier and also stops the oompa loompa hands. 
5. Be prepared for a shock when you wake up. The one thing about sleeping in your tan is that you never know what your going to wake up to. Will I see an orange woman staring back at me when I wake up? Or will I have the face of a bronzed goddess? You just never know. 
6. Be prepared for the most time consuming process ever. Tanning for me takes a good three days. On the first day I shave and exfoliate my whole body, this way the tan goes on smoothly and there are no weird patches. I also apply a seriously thick moisturising lotion so I have a nice smooth canvas for the tan to go onto. On the second day I apply a first coat of tan just to my legs, the reason being that I apply to coats of tan to my legs so they are darker and then one coat to the rest of me. On the day of whole body tanning I have a quick rinse in the shower and then apply a whole body coat of tan and then just sit there in my nakedness while it dries. I also make sure I have enough time the next morning to rinse off the tan as it always looks better after a shower.
7. Be prepared for the sadness that ensues when your tan begins to fade away. There is nothing more sad then seeing your once bronzed up legs turn back into the pasty white ones that they were pre tan. 
8. And finally, be prepared to do it all over again the next time. 

Hope you enjoyed my little not so obvious tips for fake tanning!

What's In My Kit? - The Basics

I've just started a course to become a Makeup Artist and if theres one thing I've learnt in my time there its that everything surrounding kits and what you need can be really confusing. I'm trying to learn off all the other girls in the course before settling on exactly what I need, meaning that I don't have everything just yet. I pretty much just have the basics and am currently using all the makeup products that the academy supplies for us in the classrooms.

So what are the other bits that I need and how do I cart them around with me? Easy!

The Boring Bits

• Baby Wipes - So handy for cleaning everything and anything
• A Towel - You never know where you'll be working so a towel is a must to use under all your equipment
• A Salon Cape - pretty self explanatory, you don't want to dirty the clients clothing so this just helps cover them up

The Brush Roll

You've all seen this so I wont go into it, but the brushes must be washed after every use for basic hygiene reasons!

The Disposables

This little kit is amazing, it houses all my disposables and my lash bits, I bought this from spotlight for around $8.99!

Top Row - Left To Right

• Cotton Tips - Instead of using fingers I use these, for foundation swatches, for cleaning under the eye pretty much for everything
• Cotton Pads - I use these for makeup removal
• Plastic Bags - These are my bins for all my rubbish!

Middle Row- Left To Right

• Disposable Lip Wands - Self explanatory 
• Duo Glue + Tweezers + Safety Scissors = Eye lash application section!
• Latex Sponges - Makeup application

Bottom Row- Left To Right

• Disposable Mascara Wands - Self explanatory 
• More Latex Sponges

The Basics Must Haves

All my bits that go onto my station I've put into this little pouch, it just makes things easy to grab from my bag

• Tissues - I use these to dust off brushes or for quick brush cleansing 
• HAND SANITISER!! - This is a must for makeup application, it prevents spreading germs and just makes your client feel more at ease knowing that you have clean hands!
• Bioderma Crealine - For makeup removal (container from muji)
• Moisturiser - For prepping the skin (container from muji)
• Isocol Alcohol - For general cleaning and sanitising of brushes (container from muji)
• Paw Paw - Lip preparation (container from muji)
• Primer - Face preperation 

The Makeup Bits

This case is a Zuca Large pouch that i bought just to house all my extra makeup bits, it wasn't the cheapest but I know I'll use it for a long time

• Makeup Puff
• Eye Primer - Eye preparation
• Bar Lashes
• Mascara
• Cake Eyeliner
• Individual lashes
• Brown/Black eye liner pencil
• Spatula - to remove products from their original form (such as lipsticks)
• Sharpener 
• Lash Curlers 
• Cake Eyeliner Sealant 
• Palette - For putting product onto (like foundation, primer etc)

That is everything I carry around with me in my basic kit (excluding makeup products) If you have any other ways you like to store or keep all your bits when going on jobs let me know!

A Mini Mr Kate Haul

I have wanted two cartilage piercings in the top of my right ear for the longest time, but I am a complete wuss and hate the thought of having to have a needle. If they used a gun I would get it done 100% because its quick but I just can't even think about the whole needle situation it just freaks me out. Because I was scared of the needles I experimented with all types of ear cuffs but never really liked any of them. They were too thick of looked really cheap or had weird dangly bits hanging off them and all were just really disappointing. Then I stumbled upon Mr. Kate.

She has the most beautiful pieces of jewellery of all types but what caught my eye were the tiny little ear cuffs which come in gold, white gold or rose gold. All of which are stunning, I chose the white gold just because it matched the other jewellery I already had in my ear.

They arrived in the cutest little box and when I opened the little brown box I was thrilled. They are perfect for those who want a realistic looking ear cuff thats not super chunky, they look exactly like a real piercing which is exactly what I wanted.

The are also really amazing quality, and can be tightened to fit wherever you want to place them on your ear. I am so happy with this little purchase and will definitely be purchasing more from the site!

You can buy the tiny cuff ear here!

An Unplanned Drugstore Haul

The moral of this post is to never allow me to go shopping on my own. So future Elizabeth if you're reading this take note to prevent it from happening again. I really didn't need anything, what I did need was a darker foundation to mix in with my regular one for when I'm tanned, but do you think I purchased one? The answer is no, I instead purchased other random things. Here they are!

I bought a few things from the Essence brand which is an incredibly cheap brand. One that Id always overlooked because I thought cheap prices meant cheap products. Well I was wrong. Very wrong. These mascaras are around the $4 mark and work wonders on my lashes they add heaps of volume and last all day without transferring. I also got the liquid ink liner which is incredible!! It is so black and so smooth to apply. I thought that because the formula was so wet that it would smudge all over the place but once it dries it doesn't budge this was also around the $4 mark. I also got a nude lip liner for $1.80...yep $1.80! It is a really gorgeous peachy nude perfect for everyday!

I got a few skin care bits because it was all 40% off. The first being the Garnier Perfect Blur cream which I am yet to try but on the back of my hand it feels like a really nice product, one that I could use as a primer. I also got the Formula 10.0.6 Deep Down Detox Mud Mask. I'd used the sachets of this for years and never even thought to purchase the actual tube of it, but at around $6 I thought why not?

Lastly I got my all time favourite nail polish remover. Its the one in the tub that you stick your finger in and twist it around and then magic happens and its all gone. My other bottles were starting to leave my fingers blue due to the residue from all the nail polish removing that was going on. So having a nice new bottle is very much appreciated.

There was my little haul! What have you been loving at the drugstore lately?

An Incredibly Disappointing OZSALE Review

A few months back I saw a sale starting on Ozsale for Victoria's Secret Body Sprays, now if you're in Australia you know that these are hard to come by as there aren't Victorias Secrets everywhere. When I saw that they were 10$ each I figured why not? I ordered 3 of them and paid the shipping cost expecting them to arrive in 10-20 days depending on when the sale ended.

After two whole months of waiting and forgetting about my order I still hadn't heard anything from them, not even a confirmation that it had been sent. So I emailed them and got the generic response that they were sorry for the delay and that they were working on it. I wasn't too fussed at this point but after another few weeks of nothing I emailed them again. I got a different response this time, this time they told me that my order was shipped on the 5/7/2014, exactly three months after I purchased the sprays. They said that it would take 3-5 days for them to arrive. They arrived on the 29/7/2014...and they arrived damaged. Firstly I only received three of the sprays but found that they refunded me the money for that one a while ago but had heard nothing about it. When I went to pick the package up from the post office I was told that there had been a spill and that the package was damaged, which it really was. I was expecting a crushed box to be handed to me but when I received a poorly padded paper bag covered in perfume I was furious.

Even the lady at the post office was annoyed that the package had arrived the way it did. She told me to make a complaint to Australia Post which I did even though my anger had nothing to do with them.

When I finally got the package home and opened it I discovered that one of the bottle had in fact leaked all over the package. The reason being because it didn't have a lid and instead had been taped shut which clearly did nothing to keep the product in.

Maybe I'm being annoying or just having really high standards, but this whole thing really annoyed me. Even though they weren't expensive I just cannot stand waiting that long for something only for it to be damaged on arrival. I have emailed Ozsale and have not received a response as yet.

Have you had any issues with Ozsale? Because I don't know if I can bring myself to buy from them ever again after all of this.

Updated Every Day Makeup Routine

It's been a while since I've done one of these posts and seeing as my everyday routine has changed quiet a bit I thought I'd do an updated one!

Some of these items are new into the routine but have quickly become holy grail products that I am just loving and now that I will be loving for a really long time. Now, onto the routine! 

For The Base 

For my base I've been sticking to my old faithfuls. The Innoxa Skin Perfecting BB Cream, I cannot go past this stuff it is just amazing. Another favourite of mine is the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, it is just great at covering everything that would ever need to be covered. I apply a thin layer of the BB cream all over my face to even out my skin tone, I then spot conceal wherever need be on my face and add a little under the eyes to cover the lack of sleep that shows there. 

For The Powders 

For setting under my eyes I use my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette, it just adds a glow to the skin, I also use one of the highlighters in the palette to add some extra light to my face. I use the bronzer in the Naked Flushed Palette lightly on my cheeks with a fluffy brush I skip the contouring on an everyday basis and then add a slight wash of colour from my Luminoso Blush onto my cheeks. 

For The Eyes 

For the eyes I apply the Bareminerals 5 in 1 BB Cream Eye Shadow all over the lid, it acts as a primer and a base and an eye shadow all in one its amazing. I then take a fluffy blending brush and take the shadow second from the left in the top row of the Narsissist Palette and blend it all through the crease. I then take a small amount of the colour next to it and blend it in the outer corners, and that's it for the eyes. I then add generous lashings of the Essence Get Big Lashes Mascara so cheap and so amazing! For the brows I use my Hourglass brow pencil in soft brown and just fill in the sparse parts not adding any extra shape. 

For The Finishing Touches

To finish my face off I spritz on the Body Shops Vitamin C Energising Face Spritz just to lock everything in, this also works wonderfully at refreshing my makeup during the day. I then use Mac Lip Pencil in Whirl to add some colour, I then usually top that off with a balm of some kind usually whatever I have lying around. 

And that is my entire everyday makeup routine! What are your current everyday faves?