June Haulage!

Hi lovelies!

I've been planning on showing you these for a while now but something or the other always got in the way, so I figured I'd just do them all at once. Here are the items I've picked up in the last 2-3 weeks, through various means. I've found some amazing new loves that I can't wait to share with you all!

So first up, here is my Sleek haul, with blush by 3 palette in Pumpkin, Coral Reef matte lipstick, Oh la la liner in Pumpkin (what can I say, I think I was on an orange rampage that day), and a free gloss they threw in with the order. I have used the Sleek blushes quite a few times now and I think my favourite is the one on the left, but I do like the orange shade on the right too. It's surprisingly versatile! I've been meaning to do an EOTD with the orange liner soon, so keep your eyes open, I just haven't had much time lately to play with my more funky colours.

And here's my magazine freebie haul! Mirenesse Lip Bomb glosses #4 and #10, and the ModelCo Peach Bellini set, containing a black fibrelash mascara, lipgloss in Striptease, and Peach blush. Woman's Day was doing a promotion a week or two ago with a free Mirenesse Lip Bomb gloss, so I tried one for fun, fell competely in love with it and had to go out and buy a nude shade to wear every day. These glosses are valued at $40 each! Honestly, I am in love with these so please expect a review shortly while I rave on about how fantastic they are. The ModelCo set was offered by InStyle magazine and I believe this is still on offer, so do dash out and get one if you fancy it! I do think the blush isn't as high quality as I'd have expected from ModelCo products, but it's still quite decent, and you can't complain much when you get all three plus the magazine for $12.

Now, two weekends ago, I was fortunate enough to visit the Estee Lauder corporate store with two friends. In case you don't know, it's a wonderful store that offers discount cosmetics/fragrances, but the catch is, it's invite only! Access is only through corporate events held at the store or by guest passes from people fortunate enough to hold season passes! Specials vary from day to day, but when I was there, they had $10 MAC single shadows, lipglasses and $15 Bobbi Brown and Clinique foundations, for instance. I did want to take a photo while I was in the store but I asked permission and they said no, so I had to abide by that. Below, Pure DKNY perfume (one of my favourites, and I picked it up for $20!!), MAC eyeshadows (I will have to get back to you with names, they cost $10 each) and two sets I picked up (wrapped in ribbons, also $10 each). The MAC set is an eyeshadow and lipglass, while the Clinique one is the bottom lash mascara and an eyeshadow single in white.

I also picked up two Models Prefer shadow pencils. These are exclusive to Priceline and they work like a dream. They have great pigmentation and last forever once it sets. I kid you not, I actually applied it in the morning and it was still perfect by the time I took it off, 18 hours later, with no creasing! Not bad at all for a pencil that costs $9! I have these in Black Diamon (black, with a bit of shimmer through it) and What  a Poser! (purple)...they are perfect for a smokey eye! They come in six shades, I believe, so there is a colour that's perfect for everyone. I'll be reviewing these separately soon.

Next up, we have a very familiar looking bag...

Yep, it's a mini Sephora haul! I was fortunate enough to have a friend of mine visit the US, so she kindly agreed to pick up some goodies for me (thank you so much, you know who you are!). Below, we have the Buxom lip tarnish (it's quite new out) and two Buxom Big and Healthy lipsticks (which are like a lipstick/pencil/lip plumper in one). I love the Big and Healthy lipsticks and for some reason, it's hellishly hard to find anywhere except for Sephora! I couldn't even find the shades I wanted on eBay! I also got two perfumes from Kat Von D (Sinner, full sized, one of my favourite scents) and the new Poetica rollerball. I also picked up the Michael Kors dual ended rollerball/lipgloss set. I would've actually preferred just a single rollerball, but we take what we can get.

Here's a quick look at the three lip colours. The tarnish is the one on the bottom.

And a look at the Poetica rollerball...I do love these Kat Von D cosmetics, they are simply gorgeous. In real life, that graduates from a transparent, pale golden colour at the bottom, to a deep purple at the top. It's stunning, and I absolutely adore ALL her scents! I think it's quite rare that you find a brand where you actually like all the scents.

And here's the Michael Kors gloss/perfume rollerball set.

Just for fun, I thought I'd throw in a photo of all three Kat Von D rollerballs I own...aren't they simply gorgeous? I do love a perfume that not only smells good, but is packaged beautifully! These are so artistic, it makes me happy just pulling them out to dab some on my wrists!

Have you hauled any goodies lately, lovelies? Is there anything in particular you want to see reviewed from here? I've actually decided not to use the lipsticks or the mascara yet as I have way too many products open that I need to get through for the moment!

That's all from me for now, folks. I have made a pact with myself to get to bed earlier this week, so I've been struggling to get to bed on time. I'll be back very soon (I promise) with a couple of reviews, EOTD and NOTD posts!

Much love,
MM.
x

EOTD - Smokey blue

Hello lovelies!

How is everyone doing today? I've had an incredibly busy day today, but I just wanted to share a quick little post with you all...I was feeling creative today and decided to do a quick EOTD! It's rather late so I will keep this post brief, enjoy the photos and do let me know what you think!

This was created using three of the shadows from the 88 palette, over Mac Paintpot, and finished off with Harlotte eyeliner and ModelCo mascara.

 

 

Thank goodness tomorrow's Friday! Stay tuned, I have a BIG announcement coming up! ;)

Much love,
MM.
x

Product Review - ModelCo Fibre Lash Brush On Lashes

Hi lovelies,

As some of you know, I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with my lashes. While I'm quite happy with the length, they're awfully stiff/resistant to curl, so I'm always after the next product that will give me amazing, luscious lashes! My lashes are actually so stubborn, I had to wait 1.5 hours the last time I got them professionally curled, while everyone else usually finishes in 45 minutes!

I'd been wanting to try the ModelCo fibre lash brush on lashes for over a year now, but with such a steep price tag (it retails for $48 for a pack containing the extension mascara and a tube of the fibres), it did seem like a rather pricy investment when I wasn't certain of what the results would be. So when I found out that ModelCo were offering a free, travel sized fibre lash mascara as a Cleo magazine GWP, I jumped at the chance to try this! I love travel sized products as they are so easy to carry around!

ModelCo Fibre Lash brush on false lashes
(taken from the ModelCo website)

I thought I'd do a step by step pictorial review/tutorial to show you all how to apply it, and also to demonstrate the results, so this post might be a bit picture heavy.

Step 1:
I started off with one coat of the extension mascara (or any mascara will do, I sometimes use a waterproof so it holds the curl after I curl my lashes) on my left eye. I left the right eye natural so you can see the difference.

Left eye with one coat of mascara, no product on the right eye.

This is one coat of the extension mascara.

Step 2:
You then brush on the fibres on top of the mascara you put in. The brush looks a bit like it's been dipped into cotton wool, which took me aback when I first laid eyes on it, but I've come to terms with it now. I do wish it applied with a bit less mess, this doesn't seem like the most even method of application to me.

The best method is to get as close to the lash bed as you can, but be certain not to get too close that you brush fibres onto your eye surface, as that might hurt. Try to wiggle the wand through the lashes, particularly at the tips. I have to say it's not the most attractive look, you do look a bit like a plucked chicken, so make sure you don't get distracted and walk out like this or you might be getting more than a few strange looks!

A layer of the fibres on top of the mascara from Step 1.

Step 3:
You then finish by applying a second coat of the extension mascara (or again, any mascara of your choice) over the fibres you applied in step 2. Wiggle the wand through the lashes, and rotate the wand as you go, so it's coats all the lashes and you're not left with the fibres showing through. If you have a mascara comb or a spoolie handy, it might be worth giving your lashes a bit of a brush through to remove any clumps and ensure an even application.

End result!

I added a photo showing both eyes so you could compare the end result. My lashes definitely look a bit longer and more defined.

Comparison of result to naked eye.

I finished off by applying Steps 1-3 on the right eye, and adding some liquid liner.

 

I tried to take a photo to show the added length after the Fibre lash application. It really does look quite natural.

This photo reminds me a bit of the cover of one of my
favourite books, Stephanie Meyer's 'The Host'!

Verdict? I really did like this, but I can't tag it with HG status.

I must say that I wish it didn't have a $48 price tag attached to it. I love the dual ended travel sized one I have. It's really convenient. It might have been a better option for ModelCo to sell just the fibres by themselves, instead of packaging it with the extension mascara. I also wonder if the fibres will have a tendency to clump together after it's been used for a while, but only time will tell.

This is the sort of look I usually do for a natural, barely wearing make up look.

I'm wearing the ModelCo fibre lash mascara, MAC Painterly, a tiny bit of Sleek blush in rose gold, and the Revlon lip butter in peach parfait, over my Youngblood mineral foundation.

I hope you liked that review/tutorial! You can purchase the ModelCo fibre lash mascara from their website, or from retailers like Myer and David Jones. If you're quick, I think Cleo will be doing the GWP for a while yet, so you can grab a travel one to try.

Much love,
MM.
x