Essence Limited Edition Dark Romance Collection and Product Reviews (plus details on an Instagram giveaway)!

Hi lovelies!

Another day, another gorgeous limited edition collection from our favourite budget brand...Essence Cosmetics! The Dark Romance Collection is exclusive to Priceline, and truth be told, I wanted it even sight unseen purely because of the name! Fortunately, I managed to fall in love with most of the products just based on how beautiful they were, and purchase my pick of the lot. It was really exciting to see the whole collection available, as the limited edition collections sell out so quickly, but disappointing to see that the store had only received a couple of each item, which explains why the collections sell out so quickly! They did say they'd be receiving new stock in again soon, so do check back often if you missed out on the first batch.

(Taken from the Essence Australia website)

Anyhow, without further ado, let me introduce you to a few items from the Dark Romance Collection. I actually purchased these before they had been set up on the display stand, so I don't have any photos of the stand. I also didn't purchase all the items available from the collection; there are two different eyeliners, three other polish shades, another eyeshadow quad, body tattoos and a different blush available in addition to the products I'm about to show you.

I purchased the cream highlighter in Light Up! ($5.35), nail art decoration kit ($4.50), lipsticks in Red Romance and Painted Love ($3.50 each), lipglosses in Light Up! and Black Shadow ($3.50 each), polish in Dark Night Starlight ($3.25), velvet mousse blush in Red Romance ($4.50) and eyeshadow quad in Mystery Glam ($5.35).

Items purchased from the Essence Dark Romance Collection.

Keep reading after the jump!

Essence Limited Edition Beauty Beats (Girls on Tour with Justin Bieber) Collection and Product Reviews.

Hi lovelies,

This is just a quick mini-review/post but did you know that Essence have a collaboration collection with Justin Bieber? It's called the Beauty Beats/Girls on Tour Collection and like (almost) all their collections, it's limited edition!

Now don't stone me for this but I'm really not the biggest Bieber fan...so I wasn't all too tempted to pick any of the items up until I was walking through Priceline and stumbled across this!

Is it just me or does the Biebs look a bit vampire-esque here?

Keep reading after the jump!

Essence Limited Edition New In Town Collection and Product Reviews.

Hi lovelies!

Essence have a new collection out at Target, called the New In Town Collection! I have such a weakness for limited edition collections; somehow, I always feel like I need to pick up at least a couple of items before they're all gone (within reason, it doesn't apply if I don't think the products will suit me)! This is especially true for Essence Collections as they always seem extremely limited in number and the stands are often decimated at the end of the very first day they're put out.

Anyway, I digress, I popped in to Target to pick up a new two-piece for the Bali trip, and decided to swing by and have a look at the Essence stand. I'd been in the city the night before and the New In Town stand had been completely raided, with nothing left, which is why I was surprised when Target in Chadstone Shopping Centre actually had a few items left in stock! Now, I've heard that there are actually only five items from this range which are actually exclusive and limited edition (two polishes, two shadows and the remaining lipstick in the range, none of which I purchased because I wasn't especially interested in the shades) but don't quote me on that one!

Image sourced from Essence Cosmetics Australia Facebook page.

I ended up picking up two of the three lipsticks available, and the last blush left on the stand (must've been fate!).

Keep reading after the jump!

Essence Limited Edition Circus Circus Collection & Product Reviews.

Hi lovelies!

Those of you who follow me on Instagram and Twitter know how excited I was ten days ago when I popped into my local Priceline store and found they had just put out the Essence Circus Collection! Now, this collection was actually put out in December 2011/January 2012 in Europe, but it took a whole year to get to our Australian shores (but never mind, let's just be glad it got here in the first place).

I immediately sent images winging out into the webosphere (and if that's not a proper word, it should be) and that immediately started a flurry of messages and photos winging back and forth over the next few days as people went dashing to their nearest Priceline stores, excitedly sharing swatches and things they'd bought!

Now, as much as I love Essence, I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with their limited edition collections, they tend to sell out really quickly (and not restocked), and because the products are not sealed properly, people have often put grubby little paws into brand new products, so when you go in to buy something, you often find that it's been tampered with and put back on the shelves.

You can therefore imagine my excitement when I went in and realised I was actually one of the first few people (if not the first ever), to be greeted with this gorgeously displayed array of products!

The collection encompasses the following items:

- Stay All Day Shadows in It's Magic (gold), Raise The Curtain For (greenish taupe) and My Sparkling Acrobat (graphite). RRP $5.50
- Liquid Eyeliners in It's Magic (gold) and My Sparkling Acrobat (graphite). RRP $4.50
- Circus Circus EDT perfume spray. RRP $9.50
- Nail stickers in Come In, One and All and Big Top. (can't recall pricing, sorry)
- Lip lacquers (liquid lipstick) in Applause,Applause (pinkish red) and My Glammy Acrobat (fuchsia)
- It's Magic lip topper (gold lip gloss). RRP $3.95
- It's Magic highlighter powder (warm gold) RRP $5.95
- 3 dual ended polishes in My Sparkling Acrobat (black/gold glitter), Applause Applause (red/red glitter) and Cotton Candy (pink/pink glitter). (can't recall pricing, sorry)

Now, I managed to resist the polishes, despite being very tempted, because I've got some similar ones at home. There was one called Don't Feed The Tiger that was released overseas, a stunning gold polish and black/gold glitter combination, which I would have snapped up in a second, but it doesn't seem to be on sale here! Luckily for all of you, one of my beautiful blogger friends, Vita from Making Up For My Age, did, and she was kind enough to let me use her swatches here (don't forget to check out her blog, she has some ah-may-zing polish posts)!

Applause Applause
(image courtesy of Vita from Making Up For My Age)

My Sparkling Acrobat 
(image courtesy of Vita from Making Up For My Age)

Cotton Candy
(image courtesy of Vita from Making Up For My Age)

What I did pick up was the gold liquid liner and fuchsia gloss.

L-R: highlighting powder, gold eyeliner, fuchsia gloss and cream shadow.

The liquid liner is really opaque and the brush is very easy to work with, so I can't wait to try and recreate the 'freckled' look from Illamasqua's Í'mPerfect campaign with it.

The fuchsia gloss is also really pretty and surprisingly opaque, it really is a liquid lipstick instead of a gloss. It's also a lot darker on the lips than it is in the tube!

I then went back a couple of days later and picked up the taupe cream shadow (I love the stay all day shadows as they never crease on me, even without a primer), but it's just a shame that the little pot is a little tricky to work with and not as sanitary as a tube! Aside from that, though, the colour is incredibly gorgeous and the formula is very easy to work with, I've already used it about four times as a basic shadow when I'm running low on time! I think this will work well on most skintones, both cool and warm.

The final product I picked up was the gold highlighter powder, this looks really wonderful on my warm toned skin. It's also not too glittery, but instead, gives me a nice glow!

In the shade.

In direct daylight.

This limited edition has to be my favourite so far from all the collections that Essence has released. I love how unique everything is, and how pretty the packaging is! If you're keen to pick up some of the item

What did you think of the collection, lovelies? Do you think you'll be running out there to pick a couple of items up, or have you already?

Much love,
MM.
x

Nails - Purple Ombré Gradient Manicure.

Hi lovelies,

I do apologise for not having blogged in a week, work has been a little bit insane and I've also had social engagements every single day, so I've barely been home! I did sit down to write this post on Thursday but unfortunately, I accidentally deleted all the good photos! As you can imagine, I was a little upset, so I decided to take a little break to get over the disappointment.

Anyway, here are some photos of my first attempt at an ombré gradient manicure. I do apologise for the quality of the photos, but these are all I had left after inadvertently deleting the rest (I couldn't take more photos either as I'd already removed the manicure)! :( Oh well, I'll just share what I do have with you, and take more photos the next time I do another gradient manicure.

I used Zoya Valerie for the basecoat, and sponged on Zoya Arielle and Essence Sparkling Water Lily over it for the ombré gradients.

I was quite happy with how it turned out, but then I got to wondering what it would look like with a glitter overlay, so I applied a layer of Essence Time for Romance over all the nails, and voilá!

What did you think of my first ombré attempt, lovelies? Do you prefer it with or without the glitter overlay?

I hope you enjoyed that little post, and I will have more upcoming posts to share soon, so please stay tuned!

Much love,
MM.
x

Chanelling Lady Gaga - Lady Gaga Inspired Makeup

Hello lovelies!

I have a very special post to share today...as I'm channelling my inner Lady Gaga (because I was born this way ♪)!

Lady Gaga (taken from Google)

The beautiful Aqeela from Aqeela's blog came up with a brilliant idea a couple of weeks ago, where she'd suggest a weekly theme for anyone who was so inclined to participate, and they would all send her their eye makeup photos to showcase on her blog. She's been through a tropical theme and Arabic theme, but sadly, I was unable to participate then as I was a bit short on time. 

However, I managed to come up with a look for her third theme, 'Lady Gaga'. Using the look above for inspiration, I came up with my own interpretation of this look.

Products used:

Eyes
Pink and black shadow from the Beauty UK Day and Night palette
Lakme black satin kajal eyeliner (for the pattern)
Essence black gel liner (on the upper lashline)
Bourjois white pencil for the waterline
Revlon false lashes

Face
Mineral makeup sample

Lips
OCC lip tar in Grandma
Kit Cosmetics clear gloss on top

Overall, I didn't use many products, really!

I hope you enjoyed that, it was great fun doing this look and I hope to be able to do more themed looks.

Much love,
MM.
x

NOTD - Essence Rebels Mauve Like A Rockstar & Punk Royal

Hi lovelies!

Quick filler post today to show you a recent NOTD I was wearing last week (I'm a little behind on my nail posts, sorry)!

I happened to be walking by Priceline the other day when I noticed they had some of the new limited edition (two words that get me EVERY TIME, sigh) Rebels collection in stock, which have a vinyl-like finish when dry. Naturally, I couldn't resist buying a couple of polishes to try, so I picked up Mauve Like A Rockstar, a mauve/buff coloured polish, and the special effects topcoat, Punk Royal, which has suspended black hexagonal glitter.

Essence Rebels Collection - Mauve Like A Rockstar and Special
Effects Top Coat in Punk Royal.

Mauve Like A Rockstar is gorgeous, it applies beautifully and looks gorgeous on, I think it's the kind of polish that would look fantastic on most skintones. It's work appropriate and also adds a touch of classiness to any outfit. Punk Royal, however, was a bit of a dud. I wasn't expecting a thick, streaky, gluggy polish! I applied it over Mauve Like A Rockstar on my ring finger and it left a streaky, sheer finish with brush strokes clearly visible, and sort of 'shrank' at the tip of the nail. Quite frankly, I have no idea why Essence didn't just market it with the black hexagonal glitter suspended in a clear topcoat, as that would've been a real winner! I haven't given up on it completely, I might try swatching it over a dark base colour next, but the dilemma then is the black glitter might not be as noticeable...

I was wondering what other bloggers thought so I did a quick Google search only to find others equally disappointed with the topcoat. It really is quite thick and leaves a streaky finish, which is a shame as the hexagonal glitter is really pretty.

I will have to love you and leave you now, as it's getting late and I've made a resolve to try and get more beauty sleep this week. However, before I do, I'll just share a few photos with you...

Close up photo of the glitter.

Are you as disappointed by this topcoat as I am, lovelies? Would you love it or leave it?


Much love,
MM.
x

EOTD - Attitude Monday.

Hi lovelies!

I'm in a bit of a mood today so I decided my make up had to match. It's also been a while since I did a proper EOTD post, so here's one I have to share with all of you.

Before I go any further, I'm going to apologise for my brows; a few months ago I made my brow artist a promise that I wouldn't touch them in between appointments as I'm trying to grow them out (and it's totally killing me)! My next appointment is this Thursday, I can't wait (so look out for another EOTD then to celebrate, since I'll have properly groomed brows)! :)

This is a shimmery ombre EOTD, with a dark silver in the inner eye (from my 88 palette), graduating to a shimmery grey in the middle (I used Essence Stay All Day Shadow in Rock Chic, with a gunmetal grey from the 88 palette on top) and with a bit of black on the outer corner (from my BeautyUK Day and Night palette), but blended in so it's barely discernible. Finished off with my trusty Maybelline Master Precise liner (best.buy.ever!) and Max Factor False Lash Effect waterproof mascara.

Okay, that was a bit picture heavy, sorry!

I'm so glad Monday is over...is it too early to start looking forward to the weekend?

Much love,
MM.
x

Neutral Shades!

Hi lovelies!

I'm still alive! I'm so sorry it's been two weeks since my last post, I caught a terrible bout of the flu and it really took a huge toll on me! I actually can't remember the last time I was that sick! I was given antibiotics by my doctor, which helped me get over the flu, but unfortunately, really upset my tummy! I've basically just been going to work, then coming home and crashing, which didn't leave much time for blogging. I'm feeling much better today than I have for the past few days, so I've been visiting my favourite blogs to try and catch up!

I just wanted to share two of my recent EOTDs with you. I took a break from eye makeup for almost two weeks, but I picked up a new BYS 18 shadow palette (it's called Neutral Charm and retails for $7.95 from Kmart!) over the weekend and couldn't resist playing with it yesterday.

I used the gold shade (marked #1) all over my eyelid, then the aubergine shade (marked #2) in the outer corner/crease and just under the lower lashline, and finished with the steel grey/greenish shade (marked #3) to contour in the outermost corner. I apologise for the labelling on the photo, it's the first time I've tried to mark my photos and I think I need to use different software. I finished off with some brown eyeliner and Lash Architect 4D mascara (which incidentally, does not help my stubborn lashes hold a curl). Oh, and I also added a dash of gold pencil to my lower waterline.

Please click on this to enlarge the numbers.

Here's the finished look!

  

I quite like the palette, it's really metallic but the shadows are quite 'creamy' and blend together beautifully. I wore them all with primer underneath and they lasted all day without creasing!

I promised a second EOTD, and that's the one I wore to work today! I kept it quite light as I was wearing coral lips, so I wanted to keep the eyes neutral.

I used my Essence holographic effect shadow in Mystic Lemon with a bit of a bronze Inglot shadow in the crease, Revlon colourstay eyeliner in brown (top and lower lash line) and Max Factor false lash effect waterproof mascara to finish.

I hope you enjoyed that, lovelies!

Now, after two days of wearing neutrals/browns, I think I feel a colour EOTD coming on tomorrow...


Much love,
MM.
x