Urban Decay 24/7 Jackpot Glide-On Eye Pencils

Urban Decay is on of my favourite make-up lines. The only downside to this is that it is extremely hard to get a hold of in Australia and I am from a small town which makes it next to impossible!!! I went away on holidays recently and to my greatest surprise one of the store where I was staying stock Urban Decay...needless to say...I brought everything they had.


I am always watching videos on youtube and have heard nearly everyone mention Zero 24/7 eyeliner at least once and I have been dying to try it.


One of the products that I picked up was the 24/7 Jackpot Glide-On Eye Pencils.

This kit includes 9 travel size 24/7 liners and one full sized liner in Zero. The colours that are included in this kit are amazing. They are so vibrant and barely fade throughout the day.

The colours included in the kit are:

Whiskey is a warm medium brown with a subtle sheen

Eldorado is a true yellow gold with a subtle shimmer

Stash  is an antique gold with a slight metallic sheen

Mildew is a forest green with a subtle gold shimmer

Electric is a bright neon cyan blue with a subtle shimmer

Ransom is a fuchsia tinged violet with a shimmer

Binge is a navy blue with a hint of violet with a soft blue micro shimmer

Rockstar is a rich eggplant with a slight shimmer

Gunmetal is a gun metal sliver with a glitter finish (this is my least favourite of the bunch because of the large, scratchy glitter particles that are in it)

Zero is a standard black, not the blackest black nor the lightest.

Zero was the first liner that I tested. I lined my upper lashes, my tightline and my waterline at 7.30 in the morning. At lunch time the colour on my upper lashes and tightline were still as vibrant as ever, my waterline however had run a little but I that was because I had not set the liner with a powder shadow to seal it. At 5.00 in the afternoon the liner had still not budge on my upper lashes or tightline but had started to fade a little on my waterline. I took my makeup off at 10.00 and the colour was still very noticeable everywhere that I had applied it.

These liners are amazing and are some of the best that I have tried. They glide on so easily that there are no snags on my eyelids when lining them. Gunmetal snags a little bit when using it but I think that, that is solely because it has larger glitter particles in it that the others. The colour payoff is awesome too, a lot of liners that I have tried seem to have little to no colour payoff but with these the colour you see on the packaging it the colour that comes out on your lids. The staying power of these liners are another awesome selling point.

There were two things that I didn't like about these liners. One being the rather large glitter particles that were in gunmetal. I hate glitter, detest it to the point that I think it might be bordering on a phobia (a story for another time perhaps). If the glitter was not in gunmetal the colour would be unbelievable. The second thing I hate is the outside container part of the pencil. It's not like a normal kohl and isn't surrounded by wood. The outside is sort of like plastic and is incredibly difficult to sharpen. A normal sharpener doesn't seem to to do the job and it you are too rough sharpening and removing the pencil it breaks off because the product is so soft meaning you have to sharpen again and before you know it you've lost half your pencil!!!

I think that this set is perfect for anyone just starting out with makeup or for someone who is just wanting to road test these liners too see if they like to use them. I must warn you though...once you use them for the first time you won't want to use anything else.

Beauty Rant: Australis Concealer

Ok so I am going to share a secret with you all. Something that I am deeply ashamed of...


Hi my name is Belle and I have fine lines and dark circles under my eyes.


Yes I know it's terrible!!! I am only 24 and I have the eyes of an eighty year old!


Ok confessions aside the really subject of my post. I am always on the lookout for a good concealer to use on the dark circle under my eyes but I have to make sure that any concealer that I buy to use under there won't settle into the fine lines I have developed and make me look like a 4 year old who has broken into her mothers beauty case. It's a fine line my friends...a very fine line!!!


A few months ago I decided to try the stick concealer by Australis.

I was so disappointed with this product that it has been relegated to that shoebox at the back of my closet where all the terribly bad beauty products go to die.

I don't think that I have hated a product more in all the time that I have been applying makeup. I tried all of the different ways I could think of applying it and nothing seemed to work. Swiping it under my eyes produced a reverse panda affect and the concealer immediately found a home and settled into the fine line under my eyes meaning that they stood out more than usual. I tried patting it which failed as it looked like I hadn't applied anything and applying more in the same fashion produced the same effect as swiping it on. I tried buffing with a brush, using primer underneath, setting with powder. Absolutely everything I could think off. Nothing worked!!!

It's heavy, thick, sticky and almost has a clotting type finish when I apply it but with a powdery feel to it. The product is so terrible that even my description sucks.

I think that Australis really missed the mark on this product which is disappointing because one of my all time favourite blushes is made by this brand. All in all I wouldn't recommend this product to anyone not even someone with all of the makeup experience in the world because I doubt even they would be able to get it to work.

My Never Ending Quest for Luscious Lashes

Hands up who wants long luscious lashes *thrusts arm into air and waves it emphatically*.


I've never had particularly long lashes but I have always wanted them...you know those ones that frame your eyes perfectly and give you that come hither look...in comes L'Oreal Renewal Lash Serum.


The L'Oreal website claims that the product is an intensive treatment designed to boost the lashes, providing complete lash coverage from tip to root. The serum also works to reduce lash loss during make-up removal and extend the length of time lashes grow before they fall out, leading to longer lashes.

The instructions say that you need to apply the serum to your upper and lower lashes every morning and night for 4 weeks. I tried this for the first few days but had a really problem getting it to work with my mascara. I find that the serum tends to clump my lashes together and when I coat mascara over the top it just worsens the clumping and makes it more noticeable. I have stopped applying it to my lashes in the morning and just coat them at night. I am not sure if this will have an effect to the overall outcome or whether because I am only applying it once a day whether it will take me twice as long to see result...I will have to wait and see.

The serum comes in a normal looking mascara tube however when you pull out the wand you are met with a smooth curved applicator instead of a mascara wand. I found this a little harder to work with when I was trying to apply the product. Instead of trying to swipe it on my lashes I rub the wand back and forth to coat them all.

I have been using this for about a week now and I can honestly say that I have noticed a difference. It is only a small difference, and that is more than I expected to see, but it is still a difference. My lashes a slightly longer and don't fall out as much when I am removing my mascara at night. I have also noticed that when I am not wearing mascara my lashes seem to look a little glossier. All in all I think that this product will deliver what it promises on some level. I don't think I will have lashes so full that my falsies will become obsolete but hopefully they will be long enough so that they bend in nicely when I have falsies on.

xoxo

Belle

My First Package!!!

The lovely ladies at Sigma sent me this in the mail and it arrived today. I have the full sized version of this brush and have used my experiences with that as the basis of my review.

I was so excited to be given the chance to do my first review for a company...and I am super happy that it is Sigma. I have brought brushes from this company and will never buy them from elsewhere again. The quality is amazing and the price is even better!!!

The brush that they sent me was the E25 Travel Blending Brush. The brush is described on the Sigma website as being an Oval-shaped brush with gently chiseled sides. Blends and softens the look of powder or cream shadows. Ideal to apply eye shadow primer, base eye shadow colours, and blend harsh lines.

The travel size is perfect to pop into the makeup bag that I carry around in my handbag everyday and it great for those mid-day eyeshadow touch-ups. The bristles are super soft and in my opinion even softer than it's MAC counterpart the 217. Another plus is that it is unbelievably easy to clean I used mine to apply brown and black shadows and didn't washed it for a couple of weeks. When I finally did clean it, a little bit of antibacterial soap mixed with olive oil and it was back to looking as white as it was the day that I first got it.


This brush is good for blending out the harsh lines that applying dark shadow can create. Another use that I found for it and actually prefer is using it to apply concealer under my eyes. All I do is use it to pat concealer over my dark circles, then still using the E25 gently buff the concealer into the skin, set it with powder and it doesn't crease or budge for the whole workday.


The only thing that I don't like about this brush is that with my full sized one after a few washes and dries the bristles have splayed out a little bit and the shape has sort of gone a little bit, but this is a small price to pay especially when the brush is only $9.00!!!


All in all I really like this brush, the full size is more practical for my everyday makeup kit but this small version is just so darn cute. Another plus being that with everything purchase over $30.00 Sigma sneak this little beauty into you package as a surprise gift.


If you would like to grab some Sigma bushes of your own please check out Sigma Beauty at http://www.sigmabeauty.com/?Click=87421


***Sigma sent this product to me for free for the purpose of review only. I have not been paid for this review and all comments and opinions are my own***

Products I'm Loving Right Now

As I sit down in the morning to put my face on I seem to be reaching for the same products time and time again, so I decided that I would do my very FIRST Things I'm Loving Right Now post.


So without further ado...

Everyday on my cheeks I have been wearing a combo of Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Pink Frosting and Bourjois Blush in Rose D'Or. These two together create this really lovely pink flush to the cheeks without being super overpowering. To finish it all off I apply MAC Mineralized Skinfinish in Petticoat to my cheekbones to add some shimmer.

To line my waterline and to tightline I have been using Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Zero. This baby last all day!!! It's incredible I will never use another eyeliner again.

Another thing I am loving right now are false lashes. When I brought my first set I had real trouble applying the properly and a thin skin coloured line could always been seen. But these Ardell 110s and the 105s in the pic below are my favourites at the moment and they are super easy to apply.

I love a winged eyeliner and nothing makes it easier that Maybelline's Eye Studio Gel Liner in Blackest Black. It glides on super smooth but I have found that if I don't set it with a black eyeshadow I tend to get smudges of black over my eyelid. I think it is because I have oily eyelids.

Sigma Makeup Brushes really are great brushes and the price is phenomenal. At the moment I am loving the Sigmax F80 and F82 (the two large dense ones) for applying my foundation, the buff the product into the skin and leave it with a smooth dewy finish. The F05 (the black one) I use to apply my mousse blush. Sometimes it can be a little scratchy on the skin but after washing it it's gets it's softness back. Lastly the E25 and E35 are perfect for applying shadow to the eyes ad blending it out. I use these to just place the colour on the outer V of the eyelid and blend it out. Check out Sigma brushes here http://www.sigmabeauty.com/?Click=87421

I am a perfume junkie. I love buying new ones at the moment I seem to be reaching for DG Rose the One more than any of the others.

I am a little slow getting on the bandwagon with most products but Moroccanoil is the greatest thing since sliced bread...that saying always makes me wonder what came before sliced bread...but I digress. This stuff is truly amazing after washing my hair i comb through a 10 cents piece sized amount and my hair dries quicker and in the morning is so soft.

Everyones heard of the Urban Decay Naked Palette...and nearly everyone has it...but I love mine!!! The amount of different neutral looks that I can accomplish with the is phenomenal. At the moment I am really loving Sin, Smog and Darkhorse on my lids with Virgin as a highlight.

FOTD: Urban Decay Naked Palette

So I was playing around with my Urban Decay Naked Palette (which is almost impossible to get here in Australia!!!) and this is the look I came up with. I don't really tend to wear a whole lot of colour on my eyelids, I usually just pop on a nude colour like MAC's Naked Lunch and swipe on some mascara and I am done. So here is what I used:

Face

Bourjois Healthy Mix in 53

MAC Powder Blush in Blushbaby

Eyes

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Virgin

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Sin

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Naked

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Smog

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Hustle

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Creep

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Gunmetal

Loreal SuperLiner in Black Noir

Covergirl Lash Blast Mascara in Black

Ardell 105 Lashes

Lips

NYX Lipliner Pencil in 810 Natural

Revlon Colourburst Lipstick in 070 Soft Nude

Add in some hair that's pretty damn messy and there you have it :)

Drugstore Haul

Ok so I did a naughty thing...I went shopping...and I brought makeup. I know, I know what about Project 10 Pan. Well in all honesty I don't think I really thought it out that well. I mean honestly...can a girl ever have too much makeup?!? I don't think so!!! I think I will re-evaluate my position on Project 10 Pan and perhaps try again at a later date.


Now onto the fun stuff. I didn't really buy too much stuff just a few new eyelashes, a mascara, a nail polish, a lipgloss and a new foundation...so not really that much right, right???

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundationin Shade 53: The bottle claims that it will erase imperfections and signs of fatigue and boost the radiance of your complexion. I really like this foundation, I put it on once I got home and find it to be really lightweight and it leaves a dewy complexion behind. I don't agree that it fully erases imperfections I found that you can still faintly see the dark circles under my eyes and a few of the zits that I have at the moment show through, but otherwise this really evens out my skin tone, a quick swipe of concealer and the remaining imperfections were pretty much covered.

Bourjois So Laquer Ultra Shine in Rose Lounge: Ok so I will admit that the ONLY reason that I purchased this colour was because it was famously worn (mixed with Essie Allure) by Kate Middleton on her wedding day. It's quite sheer and the above picture is of two coats, so a few more and you would have an opaque coverage. It's a really nice sheer baby pink and I can totally see why she chose to wear it.

Bourjois Blush in Rose d'Or: Ok so the brush in this was really crap and I threw it in the bin straight away without even looking at it but this blush is absolutely gorgeous!!! It's very sheer and when you first swipe it on your cheeks it is barely visable but go outside and you will see that you cheeks have this amazing glow with just a hint of goldish shimmer mixed in.

Revlon Colourburst Lipgloss in Strawberry: This lipgloss looks quite reddy pink swatched on my hand but once it's applied it is a really sheer pink colour, it's not outlandishly noticeable and it's not completely invisible either, it's a really nice colour that will be really wearable during the day to work.

Loreal Lash Architect 4D in Black: I love mascara it is probably the one product that I refuse to leave the house without wearing, and I am always buying new ones, it claims to build captivating lashes with each and every brush stroke by providing volume, length, texture and curl, I haven't opened it yet because I still have a couple tubes of Covergirl Lashblast to finish but I am really excited to see what this can do!!!

Project 10 Pan

Ok so I was looking through my makeup collection today trying to decide what look that I wanted to wear and I decided that I have entirely too much makeup that I just don't wear and that is such a waste!!!


So I decided to embark on my own little Project 10 Pan. I believe that Project 10 Pan was devised by Laura over at lollipop26 who can now be found at buy now, blog later. Basically as at today I am on a makeup buying ban until I have completely used up 10 products in my current collection.


I am hoping to have this finished by at least mid September because I really want to fly on down and attend IMATS in Sydney...and lets face it it's going to be no fun if I can't buy anything!!!


After taking stock of everything I have worked out that I have a lipgloss in my car that has maybe 10 more applications and a few other creams, lip-glosses and mascaras that should hopefully help me get over the line by September.


I am so excited by this little project...hopefully it's going to make me explore my current collection a little further and fhelp me rediscover products that I had forgotten I had!!!


xoxo
Belle