NEW Illamasqua Nail Polish in Swarm

The latest offering by Illamasqua is the spooky limited edition nail polish in Swarm (A$22/15ml), which is part of the Illamasqua Halloween Collection - the first ever Halloween Collection launched by Illamasqua! Swarm is described as a matte black speckled glitter with a clear jelly base. Swarm is quite similar to those speckled nail polishes that were a part of the Illamasqua I'm Perfection Collection. In the swatches below, I applied 1 generous coat of Swarm over Sally Hansen's Gray-t Escape (reviewed here). I love the mysterious look of Swarm as you could work this effect with any coloured base.

Have you painted your nails in prep for Halloween?

xx Rose

 Product was provided for consideration only. This review is 100% based on my own thoughts and opinions. I am not affiliated with Illamasqua and did not receive remuneration to post this product review.  

Ultraceuticals Christmas Gift Sets

I know that we’re still in October and Christmas is only 2 months away, but I just wanted to share these gorgeous Christmas packs from revolutionary Australian skin care brand Ultraceuticals. If you’re not sure what to gift your loved ones this Christmas, why not check out these fantastic value-packs and discover what Ultraceuticals has to offer! 

Ultraceuticals Hydrating Magic Set (available October)

The Ultraceuticals Hydrating Magic Set is packed full with super hydrators to calm, refresh and soothe dehydrated skin. Suitable for normal, dry and sensitive skin types, this magical set contains the following: Ultra Hydrating Milk Cleanser (200ml), Ultra Moisturiser Cream (75ml) and Ultra A Skin Perfecting Serum Mild (10ml), A$109 (valued at A$161).

Ultraceuticals Radiance Magic Set (available October)

The Ultraceuticals Radiance Magic Set contains all the skin care saviors you need to bring back the luminosity and clarity to your complexion. This set contains the following: Ultra Brightening Serum (10ml), Ultra C10 Firming Serum (30ml) and Ultra Protective Daily Moisturiser SPF30+ Hydrating (100ml), A$139 (valued at A$196).

Ultraceuticals Mattifying Magic Set (available October)

The Ultraceuticals Mattifying Magic Set is ideal for those who have oily skin types as the products in this set help to control and balance skin hydration, and brighten skintone. The products in this set include: Ultra Balancing Cleansing Gel (200ml), Ultra Hydrating Lotion (75ml) and Even Skintone Serum Mild (10ml), A$99 (valued at A$148).

Ultraceuticals Body Magic Set (available November)

The Ultraceuticals Body Magic Set contains body and hand care products to ensure silky smooth and ultra soft skin for the summer holiday season. This set contains: Ultra Gentle Exfoliating Gel (50ml), Ultra Revitalising Body Oil (100ml) and Ultra Rich Hand Cream (75ml), A$59 (valued at A$94.

Ultraceuticals Complexion Perfection Set (available November)

The Ultraceuticals Complexion Perfection Set is all you need for complete correction of skin in a matter of minutes! This set contains the Ultra Balancing Skin Mist (100ml), new Ultra CC Powder Pure Mineral Foundation (12g), Kabuki Brush and Cosmetic bag, A$118 (value A$176). I recently reviewed the beautiful Ultra CC Powder Pure Mineral Foundation here. 

Ultraceuticals Christmas Packs are available at leading skin clinics and David Jones stores. 

Do you fancy any of these skin care and body care Christmas packs?

Which of these packs do you like best?

xx Rose

NEW Sally Hansan Spring Racing Collection (limited edition)

I love the Spring Racing season, because it gives me the opportunity to wear pretty dresses, jewellery and of course an eye-catching fascinator! Recently, Sally Hansen launched their new range of limited edition Spring Racing Collection that consists of 7 new Complete Salon Manicure nail colours (A$14.95/14.7ml)! These pretty pastels and chic neutral shades will have you race-day-ready for the Spring Racing festivities!

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Spring Racing Collection. L-R: Rose Outlook, Peach of Cake, Sheer Bliss, Tickle Me Pink, Gray-t Escape, Good to Grape and Barracuda.

 

The brush applicator was developed exclusively by Sally Hansen to accomplish precision every time you paint your nails. The tip of the brush is rounded so that you could coat your nails in 2-3 simple swipes and the body of the brush is flat, so that the formula could hug the contours of your nails and that way you could evenly coat the bed of your nails. Each brush is actually made with 800 tiny bristles and the brush is shorter than most other applicators for quick and easy pick up of the nail polish without overloading.

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure is formulated with protecting shine enhancers for lasting shine and a satin smooth finish similar to that of gel nail formulas. Additionally, these shine enhancers also claim to provide maximum chip-resistance. The consistency of these formulas are somewhat thicker than most other nail polish formulas I have used and the pigmentation is excellent! One coat is sufficient for full opacity, however, I tend to apply two coats to extend the wear.

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Barracuda (L) and Gray-t Escape (R).

Today I will be reviewing two of the shades from the Spring Racing Collection and these are the popular and most talked about shade Barracuda and the trendy and chic shade Gray-t Escape. 

Barracuda is such a gorgeous pastel sky blue shade. This is the perfect pastel blue shade and it's a great shade to wear this Spring season!

Gray-t Escape is a sophisticated nude, which I believe suits all skin tones. I absolutely love love LOVE this nude number! I could wear this shade with any outfit and it would just make my paws look very luxe and elegant!

Melbourne Cup Day lands on Tuesday the 5^th of November this year and Sally Hansen is currently offering the chance to win tickets to the Spring Races! The prize includes return flights, accommodation for you and a friend $1500 spending money and much more! For more details, please see in-store or visit the Sally Hansen Australia Facebook page. Now this competition is definitely worth a shot!

Also, if you’ve ever wondered why Sally Hansen designed their range of Complete Salon Manicure bottles so chunky and bold, check out my recent post which explains why here.

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Spring Racing Collection is available exclusively at Priceline and Priceline Pharmacies for a limited time. 

Are you going to the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival?
Which shade do you love most from the Sally Hansen Spring Racing Collection?

xx Rose 

 Products were provided for consideration only. This review is 100% based on my own thoughts and opinions. I am not affiliated with Sally Hansen and did not receive remuneration to post this product review.  

Sally Hansen’s Complete Salon Manicure Bottle Design Explained!

L-R: Barracuda (limited edition), Kook-A-Mango and Gray-t Escape (limited edition).

Have you ever wondered why Sally Hansen designed their new range of Complete Salon Manicure nail polishes so bulky and chunky than most other nail polish bottles out there? 

Well, at first I thought the design looked quite cute although chubby compared to other nail polish bottles in my collection. Additionally, these do tend to use up most of the space in my nail polish drawer. Despite this, there is actually a really good reason as to why they have designed the way they are.

I actually discovered the purpose behind their bottle design by accident! You see, whilst painting my nails, I sometimes accidentally knock or tip an open bottle of nail polish and... you know what happens next! But wait for it! The consequence of tipping a bottle of Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure on its side simply decelerates the flow of the formula escaping the bottle! The bottle essentially lies horizontally on its side on an angle, and hence, the nail polish formula doesn’t spill out so quickly! Very clever!! 

What do you think of the new bottle design of Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Manicure range?

Do you love or loathe it?

xx Rose

Sisley GWP at David Jones

There is currently an amazing Sisley GWP on offer at David Jones stores where you could bring home an exclusive 7-piece gift when you purchase any two Sisley products, one being skincare. The gift contains deluxe samples of Sisley skincare, a generous FULL SIZE Phyto-Lip Shine in Raspberry (worth A$50 a pop) and a Sisley make-up mirror.

This offer is available while stocks last.

Enjoy!

xx Rose

Mirenesse Inside Out 27Hr Eye Kohl Jewels

I have finally found the best set of eye kohl pencils that suit my oily lids! I've been trialling the Mirenesse Inside Out 27Hr Eye Kohl Jewels (A$39/1.5g) and these are the BOMBDIGGITY! Mirenesse named their eye kohl pencils as ‘Inside Out’, because you can apply the eye kohl along the inner and outer corners of the eye. One of the best features of these eye kohl pencils is that they can be used as an eye shadow and eyeliner and they are incredibly long-wearing! Mirenesse Inside Out 27Hr Eye Kohl Jewels are formulated from crushed pearls, glossy mineral pigments and organic plant waxes; and are free from fragrance, petrolatum, mineral oil, parabens, alcohol/talc.

There are 14 marvelous shades available and the 3 shades I have are:

Hathor -  a vibrant purple shade with subtle purple and silver shimmer.

Uto - a super bright aquamarine blue with a metallic sheen.

Isis - a dark navy blue with beautiful blue and silver shimmer.

These eye kohl pencils are richly pigmented and deliver a blast of colour and definition to the eyes. The formula is waterproof and buildable, so you could attain a beautiful bold intensity using 2 to 3 swipes! The pigmentation is highly intense that the formula does not fade, transfer nor budge at all! These eye kohl pencils do not give racoon eyes, which is a huge plus! The longevity of the eye kohl claims to stay put for up to 27 hours and the longest time I've worn these eye kohl was 10 hours and my eyes still looked beautiful, bold and fresh.

The creamy and dreamy formula glides on relatively smoothly for the shade Uto and slightly more gritty for the shimmery shades Hathor and Isis. Due to their somewhat soft texture the tiny tip of the eye kohl pencils do tend to become blunt easily with regular use.  Since these eye kohl formulas set so quickly, I’ve had to use a brush to quickly soften and blend the colour to create a subtle smoky eye look. The colours are easily blendable before they start to set, so you could create a multitude of different eye looks. The eye kohl pencils, which contain shimmer are not so ideal for tightlining and waterlining as the shimmers could irritate the eyes, however, the shade Uto would be fine for doing so.

 

Swatches of Mirenesse Inside Out 27Hr Eye Kohl Jewels. L-R: Isis, Uto and Hathor.

To remove the eye kohl from my eyes I’ve had to use a really good eye makeup remover as the formula is waterproof and does not wipe off so easily with water. I use Neutrogena Gentle Eye Makeup Remover (reviewed here), because the solution is gentle to my skin and works effectively to remove all traces of eye makeup. 

Do you prefer eye kohl pencils or eye shadows?

Have you tried Mirenesse Inside Out 27Hr Eye Kohl pencils before? Which shades do you love most?

xx Rose

Products were provided for consideration only. This review is 100% based on my own thoughts and opinions. I am not affiliated with Mirenesse and did not receive remuneration to post this product review.  

NEW Sportsgirl Pucker Up Lip Crayons

Spring Racing is just around the corner, with Derby Day (Saturday 2nd Nov), Melbourne Cup (Tuesday 5th Nov) and Oaks Day (Thursday 7th Nov) drawing near, now is the time to have your dress, shoes, fascinator/headpiece and beauty essentials all ready for the exciting festivities! As a beauty enthusiast, choosing a lip colour to suit your dress is super important and choosing one that is of low maintenance and has good staying power is one that you should definitely consider! 

Australia fashion house Sportsgirl recently unveiled their new Pucker Up Lip Crayon (A$8.95/2g) to ensure your lips look bold, bright and beautiful for this current Spring season trend! The Pucker Up Lip Crayons are composed of Carnauba wax, Bees wax, Ceresin, Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter, and are 'tested on Sportsgirls NOT animals'!

Sportsgirl Pucker Up Lip Crayon is available in three chic shades: Beauty Queen, Fruit Tingle and Bombshell.

Sportsgirl Pucker Up Lip Crayon in Beauty Queen

Beauty Queen - a pale pink shade for an elegant soft look that would compliment pastel and/or lace dresses. I honestly found this shade quite difficult to wear because I've never really worn pastel pink shades on my lips before. Instead of wearing this shade alone, I found that blotting my lips with a tissue to tone down the colour intensity and applying gloss makes my lips look a lot better and more elegant.

Sportsgirl Pucker Up Lip Crayon in Fruit Tingle

Fruit Tingle - a neon coral/pink salmon shade to suit bright and vibrant floral dresses or even bold one-tone dresses. Fruit Tingle is quite a striking shade which gives a soft matte finish. I love wearing coral shades because it brightens my light complexion. Fruit Tingle is quite a unique shade in my collection and I could easily wear this with most of outfits.

Sportsgirl Pucker Up Lip Crayon in Bombshell

Bombshell - a beautiful intense bright red shade that would be perfect for the black and white dress code on Derby day. Bombshell is my favourite of the 3, because it looks bold, loud and daring on my lips! The formula of Bombshell is very similar to your typical lipstick, because it applies on smoothly, feels uber moisturising (surprising for a lip crayon!) and is extremely pigmented with a satin shine finish.

Swatches of Sportsgirl Pucker Up Lip Crayon, L-R: Bombshell, Fruit Tingle and Beauty Queen

I love that these crayons are slightly rounded but pointed at the tip so that you could accurately apply on the go and create a super sexy cupids bow to your upper lip. The formula stays put very well and doesn't smudge, bleed nor slide. Just make sure that you apply neatly and carefully, otherwise it would be difficult to tidy-up due to the high affinity of the formula to the lip. Although these Pucker Up Lip Crayons in Beauty Queen and Fruit Tingle are matte, the texture was incredibly creamy and they glide on smoothly thanks to the Shea Butter ingredient. Just like most matte lip products out there, these crayons do not provide moisture and hydration to the lips like most lipsticks would, so that explains why it is a little drying to the lips. I would suggest applying lip balm, just to avoid dry lips. The only exception is with the shade Bombshell, which I found was totally moisturising! Despite the drying factor, the pigmentation of these creamy matte crayons is exquisite and uber beautiful! This is why I love the look of matte lips! Even though these lip crayons provide nothing but a burst of long lasting colour to the lips, they sure do last a good 3 hours before fading to a soft flush of colour. 

Pucker Up Lip Crayons are available at Sportsgirl stores and online. 

Are you a lip crayon, lipstick or lip gloss kind of girl?

xx Rose 

 Products were provided for consideration only. This review is 100% based on my own thoughts and opinions. I am not affiliated with Sportsgirl and did not receive remuneration to post this product review.  

NEW Jurlique Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum

The newest addition to the revolutionary Jurlique Herbal Recovery skin care collection is the exquisite Jurlique Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum (A$75/30ml, A$165/100ml) – a youth defence active gel concentrate. Although my skin hasn't quite matured yet, it's good to think about using protective and defensive skin care products to maintain youthful skin and prolong the aging process.

 

The Jurlique Herbal Recovery skin care collection includes a line of youth defence products that are packed full with natural high-performance botanical extracts to help firm, hydrate and revitalise skin that is experiencing the first signs of ageing. I’ve incorporated the Herbal Recovery Antioxidant Face Oil (launched earlier this year, reviewed here) and Night Cream (reviewed here) in the past and most recently the new Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum. My skin LOVES the concoction of natural botanical ingredients in these products and it’s great that they provide amazing skin benefits to revitalise, recover and protect the skin.

Jurlique Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum features an active complex called Naturadiance PB18+ to reduce the appearance of fine lines, increase the elasticity of skin, restore skin radiance and increase skin hydration.

The three main breakthrough ingredients are Persian Silk extract to strengthen skin cell capacity, Whu-Zhu-Yu extract to boost the texture of skin and Peach Leaf extract to help recover skin vitality and stimulate cellular regeneration.

The formula also includes antioxidants, Chamomile, Marshmallow, Chickweed, Lavender, Rosemary, Black Elder, Daisy, Peppermint, Viola, Calendula, Dandelion, Liquorice, and few others, to create a skin barrier, which helps to protect the skin against environmental aggressors, leaving the skin to appear glowing, hydrated and younger. Jurlique Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum is highly concentrated with such amazing ingredients that are so beneficial for the skin! Despite containing a large number of botanical and herbal extracts, my sensitive skin did not get irritated nor react negatively in any way.

I’ve been applying Jurlique Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum twice daily for the last 2 months by gently pressing two pearl-sized amounts to the face and neck. The lightweight serum is non-sticky, has a lovely subtle floral scent and feels luxurious on my skin! The serum absorbs reasonably well to a matte finish and my skin feels well hydrated. The redness around the corners of my nose and inner cheek appear to have reduced after about a fortnight of continual use and my sensitive skin feels a lot calmer prior to using Jurlique's Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum! I am absolutely pleased with Jurlique’s new innovation and will definitely end up with an empty bottle in the near future!

Do you love using natural-based skin care products?

Have you tried any products from the Jurlique Herbal Recovery skin care collection?

xx Rose

Estee Lauder GWP Online

Image Source: Estee Lauder

There is currently a gift with purchase offer at the Estee Lauder online store. When you spend $70 or more on Estee Lauder products you will receive a bonus 8 piece gift worth up to $200!

The gift includes the following:

• Perfectly Clean Foam Cleanser
• Advanced Time Zone Creme SPF15
• Advanced Time Zone Eye Creme SPF15
• Pure Color Eyeshadow Palette (Ivory Slipper, Nude Fresco, Enhanced Forest, Hot Cinnamon)
• Pure Color Double Ended Intense Kajal EyeLiner (Blackened Black, Blackened Cocoa)
• Pure Color Crystal Lipstick (Crystal Coral)
• Sumptuous Extreme Mascara (Black)
• Estee Lauder signature cosmetic bag

This GWP offer is available until sold out online. For further information please visit the Estee Lauder online store here.

Enjoy!

xx Rose

ELES Cosmetics '60s Vibe Beauty Trend for Eyes - Spring 2013

I love the '60s-esque beauty look for dramatically lined and sexy feline eyes! As part of their '60s Vibe spring beauty trend for eyes, Aussie beauty brand ELES Cosmetics recently introduced the new ELES Signature Shadow Quad in Debutante and ELES Dimensional Cake Liner in Plum Crazy. That's right ladies, this spring beauty trend is all about smoky, bold and pretty purple hues! This look would be perfect for the coming Spring Racing festivities!

ELES Cosmetics Signature Shadow Quad in Debutante and Dimensional Cake Liner in Plum Crazy.

ELES Cosmetics Signature Shadow Quad in Debutante and Dimensional Cake Liner in Plum Crazy.

ELES Cosmetics Signature Shadow Quad in Debutante

ELES Cosmetics Signature Shadow Quad in Debutante

The luxuriously silky pearlescent eye shadow colours in the ELES Signature Shadow Quad are all you need to create a beautiful and bold smoky eye look! The eye colour palette in Debutante is the latest of the range of eye-catching ELES Signature Shadow Quads. Debutante includes a pale pink, dusky purple, rich plum/violet and a satin taupe. These shades are not too shimmery and lean more towards a soft pearlescent and satin finish. The pale pink shade can be applied all over the eye lid and/or as a highlighter under the brow bone or on the inner corner of the eyes. The dusky purple shade can be used along the crease or simply on the lid. The rich plum/violet is the darkest shade that is used to line the eyes and to create a 'v' on the outer lower lash-line. The satin taupe is used to contrast and juxtapose the dusky purple and rich plum/violet to create a soft smoky eye effect.

Swatches of ELES Cosmetics Signature Shadow Quad in Debutante.

The micro-mineral eye shadow powders are beautiful and innovative, being infused with Vitamins A, C and E to condition and protect the delicate eye area. These eye shadows are also hypoallergenic, oil-free, dye-free, talc-free and fragrance-free. ELES micro-mineral eye shadows are pigmented, finely-milled and can be applied on wet for a dramatic and intense night time look or dry for a subtle and soft day time look. I love how easy it is to simply swipe my eye brush in the palette and apply a smooth thin veil of colour to my eye lids. There was very minimal fall-out when applied using a dry brush and the fantastic thing about this palette is the mesmerising purple hues which compliment one another very well. The shadows stay put very well when a eye primer was used and also when applied wet. 

ELES Cosmetics Dimensional Cake Liner in Plum Crazy

The dual colour ELES Dimensional Cake Liner includes a matte and shimmery shade to accomplish definition and drama for big and bold eyes! The shade Plum Crazy includes a matte violet for definition and a royal purple with minuscule pink and silver shimmers add a dramatic twist! To achieve this bold purple eye look, it is best to use a wet liner brush to apply a the matte shade for a creamy effect. Gently press the brush in soft dabbing motions along the upper eyelash line, begin tapering to a thick line and at the outer corner of the eye, create a sexy cat flick. Now on to the shimmery shade, using the same brush (without re-wetting the brush), gently press over the matte shade to add some sparkle and enhance the eyes. The texture of the matte shade was incredibly soft and creamy which instantly adds definition to the eyes, whereas the shimmery shade adds the most subtle, yet gorgeous sparkles to dramatise the eyes. The shimmers are tiny, though you could still build-up the level of shimmer by re-applying. 

Swatch of ELES Cosmetics Dimensional Cake Liner in Plum Crazy (applied using a wet liner brush).

ELES Signature Shadow Quad (A$99/6.8g) is available in the shades Nakeds, Nouveau Riche, Trends Maverick and Debutante. ELES Dimensional Cake Liner (A$39) is available in Plum Crazy, Chocolate Spice, Black Diamond and Blue Moon. 

ELES Cosmetics is available online at www.elescosmetics.com.au.

Are you feeling the '60s vibe from ELES Cosmetics new spring beauty trend?

What is your signature '60's beauty look?

xx Rose

Products were provided for consideration only. This review is 100% based on my own thoughts and opinions. I am not affiliated with ELES Cosmetics and did not receive remuneration to post this product review.