Gold Strip Half Moon Mani with Bloom Cosmetics and Hello Kitty

The half moon mani has become so popular these days that I decided to attempt this look using Bloom Cosmetics *'Sunday' nail polish and Hello Kitty Cosmetics 'Gun of Roses' nail polish. I also decided to emphasise the half moon by using the pointed tip of a bamboo skewer to apply Bloom Cosmetics *'Goldie' (opalescent gold) nail polish. 'Dabbing' the baboo skewer across my nails using the shade Goldie gives the effect of gold Christmas rope tassels.

Are you in the craze of half moon mani's?

Which combination's of shades would you reccomend wearing this holiday season?

Rose

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

Review: OCC Lip Tar in Pageant

Obessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC), well the brand name says it all! OCC Lip Tars have been the topic of makeup gossip these days after these gorgeous lip wonders appeared in the November Bellabox a couple of weeks ago. To see what I received in my November Bellabox click HERE.

Ok, back on topic to the OCC Lip Tars. I've heard so much about these Lip Tars that I'm very happy to have my hands on one of these super star lip products. The shade I have is Pageant which is a blue pink shade.

OCC Lip Tars are the most long lasting, bold and opqaue and brilliant innovation to exist in the cosmetic industry! I am utterly surprised as to how this lipgloss looking lip product gives the legendary result beyond the quality of not the regular lipgloss, but lipstick! 

These OCC Lip Tars come in lipgloss tubes with 8ml of product. I like that it comes packaged in a slanted tip applicator. Despite this, I would NOT reccomend applying the Lip Tar directly to the lips! It's best to use a lip brush with stiff fibres to apply this Lip Tar as the formulation is extremely pigmented and difficult to wipe off. Using a lip brush would help to apply this Lip Tar perfectly along the cupid's bow and lip line. It's also important to use minimal amounts of product as applying excess product could cause feathering along the lip line. 

This Lip Tar is VERY long lasting and I'm surprised my lips were still looking great after 6 hours! I did notice a slight stain on my coffee cup, though the intensity of Pageant remained the same. The rate of fading was very low, so eventually after about 10 hours (literally) the intensit of Pageant reduced, but it left my lips looking slightly pinkish and still looking very pretty. 

These OCC Lip Tars are seriously fabulous and I would definitely reccomend these for events where you just don't have the time to touch up your lips. For example, these Lip Tars would be great for weddings, parties and even work! 

There are so many shades in the OCC Lip Tar range that I'm looking forward to trying a few other shades. I recently came across xsparkage's Epic OCC Lip Tar Swatch post and she has probably swatched every shade in the range! Check out her awesome post here.

Have you tried OCC Lip Tars before?

Which shade is your favourite? Which shades do you reccomend?

Rose

Introducing... November Australian Glossybox!

After two months in the running, Australian beauty sampling subscription service Beauty Box has now completely merged with global market leader Glossybox. Glossybox has been successful since they released their first edition Glossybox in May 2011 in the UK. 

Glossybox Australia is a subscription service which offers 5 deluxe sized samples from high-end and niche brands for a fee of A$14.95 per/month.

From the month of November, Glossybox brings you the same brands associated with Beauty Box  (Bio-Oil, Biotherm, Bobbi Brown, Calvin Klein Fragrances, Clinique, Essie, Garnier, John Frieda, Jurlique, Marc Jacobs Fragrances, Playboy Fragrances, Sally Hansen, Shiseido, Shu Uemura, Thalgo and Yves Saint Laurent) PLUS the following new additions: Illamasqua, Auscreen and Australis Cosmetics.

Glossybox has a new loyalty program where you could accumulate GlossyDots which you could redeem for a free Glossybox. Click here to read more about how you could earn GlossyDots.

Beauty Box has tipped the scales towards the unpleasant side of things which have been reflected from the feedback and reviews received from their September and October boxes. 

So, the question is: Is Glossybox a keeper or will the November box be the last??

Well, lets have a look at the contents of my November Glossybox...

The packaging of Glossybox is exactly the same as the original Glossybox from the UK, however, the design on the exterior packaging has red Glossybox logos rather than the original baby pink logos.  Inside the parcel is my Glossybox and you can see that the packaging is just beautiful! I love the attention to detail and I like that the box can be re-used for storage. The Glossybox is actually larger than both Beauty Box and Bellabox.

November Glossybox

The November Glossybox included a list of products included and a little description detailing each product. A total of 5 products plus a small bag of jelly beans were included in my box.

Jurlique Purely Age-Defying Ultra Firm and Lift Cream, 5ml worth A$9 (full size 50ml rrpA$90)

Age-Defying Ultra Firm and Lift Cream is a new release product from Jurlique. The cream is quite lovely and gentle to the skin. Despite being a cream targeted to mature skin, I would still use this deluxe sample just to keep my skin moisturised. 

Also included in my Glossybox is a voucher card which offers 15% off any products in-store. However, the voucher is valid until November 30th 2011. The Glossyboxes were meant to be sent out mid-November, however, a delay had caused the Glossyboxes to arrive two weeks late. The voucher is now of no use and I'm not too sure if the crew at Glossybox will make-up for this.

Bobbi Brown Cleansing Oil, 15ml worth A$4.50 (full size 200ml rpA$60)

I've got a bottle of Bobbi Brown Cleansing Oil already, so this cute little bottle would be great for travel! Cleansing oils are great at removing makeup effortlessly. Like they say in Science, 'Like dissolves like', so that's why cleansing oils work so well to remove makeup!

Bio-Oil Treatment Skincare Oil (full size 60ml rrpA$14.95)

I've never used Bio-Oil before and thought it was a cleansing oil at first. Then I wondered why Glossybox would include two cleansing oils in the one box! Bio-Oil is in fact a treatment oil which aims to heal scars, stretch marks and uneven skin tones. I'm surprised to receive a full sized bottle! Sounds interesting and worth trying!

Essie Summer Nail Colour in Meet Me At Sunset (Essie Summer Nail Colour Collection), 5ml worth A$6.30 (full size 15ml rrpA$18.95)

I beleive some people received different shades of the Essie nail polish from the Summer Nail Colour Collection. The mini Essie bottle is so cute and I would much prefer using mini sized nail polishes as the larger size seems to dry out before I even get the chance to use it all up.


Meet Me At Sunset is an intense and vibrant orange with a very subtle pink opalescent sheen and it really does go well on my nails this summer. Heading towards Summer, even though it feels like Summer in Spring, I'm starting to pick up bright nails, so I will be seen wearing this shade. 

Mirenesse SD Forever Gloss in Hot Kiss (full size 14g rrpA$39.95)

I've never really had an interest in Mirenesse, so I wasn't too excited to see a Mirenesse gloss in my box. The shade I received was Hot Kiss which looks like a chocolaty brown maroon shade on the tube, however, when swatched it looks like a gorgeous dark berry/purple shade. Despite how pretty this dark shade of lip gloss is I was immediately put off from the smell! It smelt like sweet soap! Not at all great!

November Glossybox total worth ~A$75 !

Overall, I'm quite pleased with the contents in my November Australian edition Glossybox as I would use every single one of products included, besides from the Mirenesse Gloss. The pink jelly beans was a surprise to celebrate the launch of Glossybox (I think the pink jelly beans have now been consumed by my partner!). The contents in my Glossybox included two full sized products and three deluxe sized products which ranged from lips, nails, to skincare, so I think that's a good selection of products included. I've noticed there has been variations in shades and products for the launch edition of Glossybox, so I assume this Glossybox has been tailored to suit my beauty profile I provided on their site. 

Despite a delay in the shipment of the November Glossybox I will still give Glossybox another chance to see what is to come in December's Glossybox. Besides, the packaging is just too pretty and cute!

So, the answer to my question is...YES! GlossyBox is a keeper for me (for now) and I look forward to the December box which hopefully will arrive not too long from today.

What did you receive in your Glossybox?
Have you been stuck in the craze of beauty sampling box subscriptions?

Which beauty subscriptions services are you subscribed to and which service would you reccomend?

Rose

Bloom Cosmetics Fashion Mini Nail Polish Set for Christmas 2011

I'm so excited about Christmas this year as it's the only time to attend large family gatherings and see all my relatives and friends from interstate!  What I also love about Christmas is the shopping and gifting! There have been so many fab gift sets ranging from perfume, skincare and cosmetics gift packs that I'm inundated with gift ideas! One of my favourite beauty brands is Bloom Cosmetics and they have come up with a Santa's sack full of wonderful and joyous gifts for that someone special in your life!

 This Christmas, Bloom Cosmetics brings to you a myriad of wonderful Christmas stocking fillers and gift sets for under rrpA$39.95! These include an Organic Gift Pack, Organic Hand Care Duo, beautifully scented candles (Lemon Verbena & Rose Candle, Lily Of The Valley Candle, Moroccan Mint Candle and White Flower Candle),  Fashion/Classic Mini Nail Polishes, TLC Gift Pack, Boost Lip Balm Trio, Petite Soap Trio and Scented Soap Trio.

L-R: Goldie, The Casette Society II, Kate, Sunday

I was sent the Fashion Mini Nail Polish set to trial and I have got to say these nail polishes from the Bloom Cosmetics Designer Collection and Original Collection are very funky!! This Fashion Mini Nail Polish set is perfect for someone who loves to experiement with bright and dark shades and love limited edition fashion/beauty pieces.

Bloom Cosmetics Fashion Mini Nail Polish Set

The quartet of mini Bloom Cosmetics nail polishes even come packaged with a cute gift tag, all ready for gifting.

The shades in the Fashion Mini set are wearable and look great when attempting a half moon mani using two shades. I will write up a post in the near future on the half moon mani look using shades from this set. 


I've been using the Bloom Cosmetics Fashion Mini shades on it's own these last few days and here are the photos I have accumulated:

Bloom Cosmetics 'Goldie' Nail Polish

Goldie- Metallic Gold

Goldie is an incredibly beautiful gold shade! Goldie provides a smooth and soft opaque finish, however, there is noticeable streaking due to the somewhat opalescent sheen of this light yellow gold shade. The shade is such a Christmassy shade if you're not too keen to go with red and green on your nails :). I would even suggest to use Goldie with shades of red and green to create some sort of stripes design across the nails!

Bloom Cosmetics The Casette Society II (Designer Collection)

The Casette Society II- Gunmetal Grey

I love this dark gunmetal grey shade! This shade definitely screams out the rock chic look from fashion label The Casette Society. The texture is incredibly smooth and I love the fact that one coat gives a completely opaque and glossy finish.

Bloom Cosmetics 'Kate' Nail Polish

Kate- Sky Blue

A very pastel sky blue shade which applies on sheer. However, two coats give an instant opaque look. Kate works perfectly well to suit the summer season and it could be easily matched up with other pastel shades such as pink or yellow nail polish.

Bloom Cosmetics 'Sunday' Nail Polish

Sunday- Intense Melon Red

Sunday is a very pretty melon red shade and the consistency is very smooth with a glossy finish, pretty much like the shade The Casette Society II. Sunday is a quite a fun shade to wear on a lovely sunny Sunday afternoon!

The Fashion Mini Nail Polish set (4 x 9ml) retails for A$24.95 a set and it really is worth the price tag as a full size bottle contains 12ml and costs A$19.95.

The Bloom Cosmetics Christmass 2011 Gift Sets are available online at www.bloomcosmetics.com.au and instore at Myer and David Jones Departments Stores.

Do you love a fashion and beauty collaboratoration?
Which shade from the Bloom Fashion Mini Nail Polish set are you loving?

Rose

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

Madison Magazine + Butter London Nail Polish

December Issue of Madison Magazine

I was browsing the Woolworths aisle the other day and to my surprise I saw a Butter London nail polish attached to the front cover of the December issue of Madison with Jessica Gomes on the cover! Gee... the name Jessica is so common! Jessica is of Singaporean-Chinese and Portugese background and born and raised in Perth. She is an Australian model and it's great to see a new face to the cover of glossy mag Madison. 

 I love a great little bonus with mags, so if you pick up your December issue of Madison you will get the choice between two Butter London nail polishes in Trout Pout (salmon pink) and Yummy Mummy (creamy pale taupe). Plus you will also get a $10 discount when you purchase two Butter London nail polishes at participating retail outlets. 

Butter London nail polishes are 3 free nail lacquers which means they are formulated without nasty and toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl-phthalate (DBP) or parabens.

Yummy Mummy looks like the perfect netural shade for Autumn/Winter and Trout Pout looks like the perfect shade for Spring/Summer, so I decided to choose Trout Pout.

 I'm wearing Trout Pout on my nails today and here's what it looks like:

Trout Pout leans more towards coral in the above photos, however, it's actually more of a bright salmon pink shade. The consisteny of Butter London nail polishes is very creamy and smooth and two coats will give a completely opaque finish. The only downside is that this nail polish started to chip on my busy nails after one day.  


I've taken another photo of my Trout Pout nails (below) under different lighting and shade appears to be closer to the actual colour.

To acheive the finished look, I used Sally Hansen Insta-Grip Fast Dry Base Coat, two coats of Butter London Trout Pout, OPI Rapidry Top Coat and finally Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Speed Dry Drops (love this stuff!!).

Did you grab your copy of Madison mag this month? Which shade did you choose?

Which nail polish shades will you be sporting this summer?

Rose

Review: Lancôme Holiday 2011 Eye Shadow & Face Palette in French Muse

This Lancôme Holiday Eye Shadow & Face Palette in French Muse is part of the Christmas 2011 Lancôme Beauty Box which I mentioned HERE.  It was this eye and face palette which lured me into purchasing this Christmas Beauty Box as the main shades were purple and pink hues, which are very wearable for the day or night.

The name of palette is called French Muse which I think adds a touch of elegance and femininity to the design and shades of this palette.

The compact case has a beautiful gold and black pattern with the signature Lancôme rose printed multiple times across the palette. The design looks very classy, elegant and screams Lancôme all over it! Although this is one of my first Lancôme palettes I own, I think this limited edition palette is a must for all you collectors of makeup palettes and limited edition cosmetics!

I think it makes a great compact for touch ups as I could fit neatly in my handbag when I'm on an evening out. The compact comes with a huge in-built mirror which is another great bonus! Despite the palette containing a mini brush applicator, I would have loved if there was a dual eye shadow applicator and maybe a mini blush brush applicator so that it would make a very convenient palette for travel. 

Swatches without flash

Swatches with flash

The shades of eye shadow and blush have been swatched in te order they appear in the palette. There are a total of six eye shadows, Entrancing Violet and The New Black have a gazillion miniscule silver, pink and blue shimmers. These shades compliment each other to create the perfect midnight purple smokey eye.  These two shades are soo pretty that they look amazing when worn at night. Rapturous, Magnificent Lavender and Honeymoon are opalescent shades with beautiful silver shimmers and Daylight is a matte ivory shade that could be used as an all-over base. I'm quite surprised as to how soft and finely milled Daylight is. Between the three opalescent eye shadows, Honeymoon is one of the most beautiful shades in this palette- a champagne gold shade. I love the shade Honeymoon as you could use it to highlight the brow bone or just use it alone allover the lids.

The powder blush is called Aplum which is a very matte plum/mauve shade. I'm more of a coral and pink blush gal, so this plummy blush shade isn't a shade I would go back to often. If, however, I do want to use this blush, I would use a light hand to acheive just a hint of this plum blush.

 Do the blush and eye shadows in this limited edition compact suit your complexion? Which eye makeup look will you go for this Holiday Season?

Rose

Review: L'Occitane Délice des Fleurs Collection

L'Occitane Délice des Fleurs Collection is part of the limited edition Delicious Christmas Holiday 2011 Collection. The Délice des Fleurs Collection was inspired by the traditional candy factories of Provence (south eastern France), where the processing of floral petals into sweet and sugary delights took place. 

The seasonal change from Spring to Summer in Provence brings about beautiful blooming Rose and Violet flowers. Délice des Fleurs is in fact the sweet floral scents of Rose and Violet petals interlaced between sugar.


What I love about this new L'Occitane collection is the many forms in which this beautiful scent is presented. If you're a floral perfume lover, Délice des Fleurs EDT perfume spray is the perfect way to sprits onto your hair, neck and/or skin. If you love to indulge into a luxurious floral and sweet scent during a shower, then the Délice des Fleurs Shower Jelly is the one to try. If you like body milk and hand cream with a hint of floral scents then the Délice des Fleurs Body Milk and Hand Cream are your best picks!


To read more about the entire Délice des Fleurs collection click HERE.

Délice des Fleurs Eau de Toilette 75ml - rrpA$49.95

L'Occitane- 'The Délice des Fleurs Eau de Toilette, a gourmand floral fragrance with a powdery vanilla base and aromas of may rose and violet leaf absolutes, evokes the scents that escape from the workshops where the crystallized flowers are made. '

Read more here

 Délice des Fleurs EDT is housed in a frosted glass bottle in a shape of a rose petal. I'm no stranger to floral scents, however Délice des Fleurs EDT really struck my senses. In a good way that is!  Délice des Fleurs EDT has a very unique scent which puts it amongst the most beautiful floral scents I have ever used. The scent was quite light and fragrant, however, I quite like the intensity of this perfume. Strong scents make me dizzy, hence, I prefer eau de toilette perfumes rather eau de parfum. Despite being an eau de toilette perfume, the staying power is quite good. The top notes within this perfume truly stand out. The top notes are vanilla, rose and violet extracts and I'm surprised the scent is not at all sweet and floral but more of a powdery floral scent.  L'Occitane has done very well to introduce Délice des Fleurs EDT this holiday season and I only wish this perfume was not limited edition. This perfume would make a fab gift for someone special or even yourself!

Délice des Fleurs Shower Jelly 250ml - rrpA$24.95

L'Occitane- 'The unique texture of Délice des Fleurs Shower Jelly, which transforms into a rich and creamy foam when mixed with water, gently cleanses the skin. The body is left perfumed with the delicious and powdery fragrance of crystallized petals, including may rose and violet leaf absolutes.'


Using shower jelly is a great way to cleanse the skin whilst forming a soapy foam full of fragrant rose and violet scents. I've never really used shower jelly before so I found the concept quite intesting. The powdery vanilla based rose and violet scents are just so beautiful! I really have fallen in love with this trio of scents from L'Occitane's Délice des Fleurs collection. The shower jelly felt very luxurious on my skin and the scent was only strong enough to make me feel really relaxed during my shower! This shower jelly makes me feel so much better after a long hot day or hard day at work!
  

Both the shower jelly and body milk are housed in the same type of packaging. The product is dispensed through a very sturdy push top lid which makes it so easy to control the amount of product dispensed.  I love the idea of packaging the Délice des Fleurs perfume, shower jelly and body milk in a bottle in the shape of a rose petal. It just gives the packaging meaning and I think that is thoughtful. Both these products actually look great sitting in the bathroom!

Délice des Fleurs Body Milk 250ml - rrpA$34.95

L'Occitane -'Délice des Fleurs Body Milk, containing may rose and violet leaf absolutes, is enriched with grape seed oil and shea butter, which helps to nourish, moisturise, and soften the skin. Its fluid and light texture is quickly absorbed, enveloping the body with the delicious and powdery fragrance of crystallized petals.' 

This body milk has a very runny and lightweight consistency, much like the texture of milk itself! It quickly absorbed into the skin and moisturises my skin very well. The scent is very pleasant and made me smell like a bouquet of roses during the day. It is a light fragrance and the rose and violet aroma does linger a couple of hours after application.  

Délice des Fleurs Hand Cream 30ml - rrpA$9.95

L'Occitane -'Enriched with shea butter, Délice des Fleurs Hand Cream, containing may rose and violet leaf absolutes, helps to nourish and soften the hands while leaving them perfumed with the delicious and powdery fragrance of crystallized petals.' 

L'Occitane hand creams always enthralls me! At first I thought this hand cream would be quite thick due to shea butter being one of the core ingredients. The consistency was actually very lightweight and thinner than expected. Appying the hand cream gave a very nice cooling sensation to my skin and it just felt lovely! The scent of rose and violet leaf of this hand cream is so heavenly! It's very moisturising and it leaves my hands smelling beautiful! The hand cream doesn't leave a greasy trail after application which is a great thing. The scent was quite strong at first, but after penetrating through my skin the scent was subtle to the point where I could just sense a hint of the rose and violet aromatics. I just keep smelling my hands as it's smells amazing!

The price range of the Délice des Fleurs is very reasonable and they would make great Christmas gifts or stocking fillers for someone who loves the scent of vanilla, rose and violet leaf.

For more information on these delightful treats, visit the L'Occitane website HERE and/or follow L'Occitane (@LOccitane_au) on Twitter to be in the know!

Have you got Christmas presents for your loved ones sorted?

What do you think of the Délice des Fleurs collection? Are floral scents your favourite?

Rose

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