Rainbow shredded nails tutorial - Maybelline Colourshow Shredded Polish.

Hi lovelies,

It is with great pleasure that I share this simple nail art look tutorial with you! I actually did this look as part of a collaboration with Maybelline New York (Australia), in order to celebrate the launch of their 'shredded', or crackle, nail polish. I know that some of you might be thinking that the shredded look might be quite passé, but don't be too quick to write it off as there are quite a few ways to incorporate it into a trendy manicure. It's also a great way for hiding chips/flaws in your existing manicure, particularly if you haven't time to touch up before an outing!

Maybelline Colourshow Shredded Rainbow Nails.

What you will need for this look are a basecoat, a few contrasting polish colours (I chose three in this instance but you can add more or less), a shade from the Maybelline Colourshow Shredded collection and topcoat.

Step 1

Prepare your nails with a basecoat to prevent staining.

Step 2

Paint your nails with the first shade of your choice (in this case I painted over a manicure I'd already been wearing to see how well it covered up chips). Wait a couple of minutes for the polish to dry before moving on to the next step.

Base colour.

Step 3

Dab on some colour from a contrasting polish over the first shade (I used Maybelline Colourshow in Fierce and Tangy) until a third of the nail is exposed. Be sure not to completely cover your first shade. You don't need to be too precise as the shredded polish will cover the line between the two shades.

Second colour.

Step 4

Once your polish from Step 3 is dry, add on a third shade as described in Step 3 (I used Maybelline Colourshow in Green with Envy), making sure that you don't cover up the second shade applied in the previous step.

Third colour.

Step 5

Take your Maybelline Shredded Topcoat (I used Carbon Frost in this instance), and paint over the entire nail. Thinner coats provide a thinner 'crackle' effect, while thicker coats provide larger 'cracks'.

The finished look.

Step 6

Finish with topcoat to seal in the design and create glossy shine, and you're done!


The Maybelline Colourshow Shredded Collection is available in four shades (purple possibilities, magenta mirage, silver stunner and carbon frost) and retails for $5.95 from selected pharmacies.

What do you think of this look, lovelies? Are you a fan of the shredded/crackle effect?

Don't forget to check out the Maybelline Instagram and Facebook pages to stay up to date on the latest looks! You can also check out their website for more product information.

Much love,
MM.
x


Note: This product was kindly provided for my consideration. This has not affected my opinion in any way. For more information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

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

St Patrick's Day, Simple Green Eyeshadow Tutorial & Nyx Jumbo Pencil in Milk Review.

Hello lovelies!

Happy St Patrick's Day! 'Tis a day to be wearing lots of green, speaking in a faux Irish accent (unless you're ACTUALLY Irish, of course, in which case you'd just speak normally), drinking green beer and eating lots of green goodies, to be sure, to be sure, to be sure!

(Image taken off Google Images,
credit Dazzlejunction.com)

I don't mean to be too blithe about it; St Patrick's Day is actually a Catholic festival meant to celebrate the life of St Patrick, who was a Briton captured by Irish raiders, and held in Ireland. He had a dream in which God came to him and told him to escape captivity, which he then did, returning to Britain and studying to be a priest. After he was ordained, he eventually moved back to Ireland, where he was known for using the shamrock to explain the concept of the holy Trinity to the Irish people. Incidentally, St Patrick's festival was actually associated with the colour of blue, but due to his fondness of using the shamrock, it eventually came to be associated with the colour of green.

I had meant to come up with a pretty green manicure to commemorate the occasion but I've decided to take the weekend off to just R&R (read more about that here), and so, I was quite elated when I looked through my backlog of unposted work and found this simple green eye look to share, which I created when I was experimenting with my Nyx jumbo eyeliner pencil in Milk. Apologies for the slight messiness, I was just experimenting and wasn't actually intending to post it until I finished and decided it actually didn't look too bad. Full details of products used provided below, together with a brief tutorial (if you're only interested in the Nyx jumbo pencil review, you can scroll straight to the bottom).

 

Products Used:
Brown shadow for brows (in hindsight, should've filled it in more and done a bit more grooming)

Nyx jumbo eye pencil in Milk
Inglot green-gold eyeshadow AMC shine #6
Inglot green eyeshadow trio M3
Maybelline master precise liquid liner in black
Maybelline Falsies waterproof mascara


The steps are actually very easy. Fill in your brows using a stiff angled brow brush and a shadow in a complementary shade. Then, take the Nyx jumbo eye pencil and run it all over the mobile lid, then use your finger or a brush, whichever preferred, to blend it out. Also use the Milk pencil on your lower waterline for added impact. Take the green-gold and gently pat it in the inner eye corner, then take the lightest green shade from the M3 compact and pat it over the rest of your mobile lid, stopping just at the crease. Take some of the green-gold shadow and gently pat some in the centre of your eyelid, before blending it into your base colour. Take the darkest green shade from the M3 palette and pat it on in the outer corner of your eye, then grab a blending brush to blend it all together in circular motions. Take a fine eyeliner brush and smudge some of the dark green shade under your lower lashline. Finish by drawing on a thin line on your upper lashline with liquid eyeliner, before curling your lashes and applying mascara.

NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk Review

Pros:

• Stark white shade that's perfect for making shadows pop.
• Easy to apply/work with; glides over your lid without tugging, and you can blend it easily provided you work with it before it sets (in a few seconds).
• Moderately resistant to creasing once it sets, I get about 5 hours out of it before noticing any creasing if I don't use a primer underneath.
• Easily used on the waterline without causing irritation (I use contact lenses).
• Easy to remove.
• Very affordable at $6.70.

Cons:

• Not completely crease-proof without a primer underneath.
• Not easily available from retail stores, but you can purchase online from Crush Cosmetics.

I hope you enjoyed the eye look/tutorial/review! Gosh, I really made this a multi-tasking post, didn't I?

Are you going to get up to much today, lovelies? If you dressed up or made yourself up to celebrate St Pat's day, do leave me a link in the comments so I can come by and check it out!

Much love,

MM.

x

Note: The Nyx Jumbo Pencil in Milk was kindly provided for my consideration, but all other products used were purchased with my own money. This has not affected my opinion in any way. For more information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

Product Review: Urban Rituelle Green Tea & Citrus Twist Candle.

Hello lovelies,

We made it to the weekend, hooray!

I can't imagine why, as it was a short week due to the labour day public holiday on Monday, but I'm exhausted! And so, I've decided to try and take things easy this weekend, and engage in some much needed R&R - rest and relaxation (well, that's the plan anyway, let's see what actually ends up happening). My plan involves catching up on my sleep, reading ebooks on my iPad (for someone who loves a paperback, I've gotten awfully reliant on it), and engaging in some home made skin pampering! I intend on lying on bed with a face and eye mask on, and burning a gorgeous scented candle in the background to take me away into R&R heaven.

I do love a good scented candle, and here's why: I'm not really a new-agey sort of person, but it seems to me that burning a scented candle really lightens up the vibes in your living space. Certain scents can really affect your mood, and sometimes it's really relaxing and calming to just turn off the harsh electric lights to admire a candle or two. It also lends a lot to romance, if you're looking for some ideas, candlelight flatters everyone (*wink*).

Some months ago, I was fortunate enough to be sent a gorgeous scented candle from one of my favourite Australian skincare brands, Urban Rituelle (they have the most amazing lip balms, body lotions and handmade soaps, I'm obsessed with them). I've meant to share this post for a while now, but I'm going through a bit of a blogging backlog thanks to being ill and away from Melbourne for so long. The candle was packaged so beautifully, my first thought was that they'd make excellent gifts as well as an indulgent treat for yourself!

Urban Rituelle Green Tea & Citrus Twist Candle.

The candle I received is part of the new-ish (well, it was new when I got it about 3 months ago), Green Tea & Citrus twist range.

Urban Rituelle Green Tea & Citrus Twist Candle.

What they say: A light, crisp blend, featuring the delicate earthiness of aromatic green tea, freshness of cucumber, and a dash of zesty lemongrass to finish.

Urban Rituelle Green Tea & Citrus Twist Candle.

What immediately caught my attention was the citrus note (it's one of my favourite scents) and combined with green tea, which I love drinking, it sounded like a real winner!

My verdict: I absolutely love this soy candle! You get a very generous 180 g of product, and the scent is exactly as described, light and refreshing. It's got very good throw (which means you can really detect the scent, even from a fair distance away), yet the scent is so subtle that it isn't at all overpowering. Each candle burns for approximately 40 hours, which is pretty amazing given that it fits easily in your hand! I've been burning it almost daily in my bedroom for the past month and it's only about half-empty! Each candle is packaged in a sturdy glass jar with an air-tight lid, which you can wash and re-use once the candle is gone.

Urban Rituelle Green Tea & Citrus Twist Candle

If you're interested to know the difference between soy candles and normal candles, soy candles are made from the oil of soybeans, which means that it is a completely renewable resource. The other benefit is soy candles are said to burn cleaner and slower than traditional candles, which is also better for the environment, your general health and your pocket!

Overall, the candles is an excellent way to introduce some indulgence into your life, at a very reasonable price (they retail for $25.95 and you can purchase them directly from the Urban Rituelle website). Shipping is priced at a flat rate of $10 or free for purchases over $75. You can also purchase these candles from selected stockists.

The Green Tea & Citrus candle is part of a scented collection including body lotions, shower gels, perfume oils and hand creams, so be sure to check out the full range, and/or their other fragrance collections if this particular scent doesn't call to you!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to burn my candle while reading in bed...

Much love,
MM.
x

Note: This product was kindly provided for my consideration. This has not affected my opinion in any way. For more information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

My Fashion Box - Launch Box March 2013

Hello lovelies!

Welcome to my review of the first ever My Fashion Box!

Her Fashion Box March 2013 -  Launch Box

You may be familiar with some of the beauty boxes I've been subscribed to for a while now (like Bellabox/Lust Have It), but My Fashion Box (MFB) is a little different, as it actually contains fashion items as well as beauty products. I was quite intrigued by the concept for two reasons; I always like the sound of a mystery box full of products delivered straight to your door, and also, I feel like I'd love to accessorize more!

Now, you may have seen some bloggers touting this box prior to the launch date...I've been in contact with HFB through one of the owners, Kath Purkis (previously of Le Black Book fame), since last year, while it was still in its planning stages, but I didn't want to blog about it without having some idea of the contents. Here are some facts about HFB, it was initially supposed to cost $50 a month, which I thought was quite expensive, but that has since been lowered to $40 a month (which in my opinion, is still a bit dear for a monthly box). I actually purchased the first box for $25, as they were running a special promotion. There are three choices of boxes offered by HFB; Trendy, Classic and Feminine. While all three choices sound good to me, I went with classic as a safe first bet.

The boxes were paid for last month, and officially sent out this week. Some lucky souls received it yesterday, and there are a number of reviews already floating around, which I will share at the end of the post.

It all arrived packaged in a pretty, hot pink box, which then opens up to reveal a classy black box, filled with simple, elegant black tissue paper.

The Classic Her Fashion Box.

The Classic Her Fashion Box.

Here is what I received in my box:

Redken Diamond Oil samples - shampoo (50ml), conditioner (30 ml) and wash-out treatment (30 ml)
Master Makeup By Dean Nixon eye blending brush (full size)
Circa Home lilac and orchid soap (full size)
Maybelline color sensational gloss in Glisten Up Pink (full size)
Gold ponytail holder
Gold and black statement necklace (packaged in a pretty black velvet pouch)
Moxie collection tampon/sanitary pad selection

Contents of the box.

Top: Redken samples.
Bottom: Maybelline gloss and
Circa Home soap.

Moxie Samples and Master Makeup blending brush.

Gold statement necklace and gold ponytail holder.

There was also a Her Fashion magazine, published by Her Fashion Box, with details on the contents of each of the boxes, and special tips on how to wear the accessories and use the makeup/cosmetic items. Last but not least, was a little booklet from Master Makeup by Dean Nixon, with details on the brushes in their range.

Her Fashion Magazine and Master Makeup
Brush Booklet.

Her Fashion Magazine.

Page detailing the different necklaces in each box.

The different brushes available in the range.

Ways to style the classic necklace.

Ways to wear the different ponytail holders.

Blending brush details.

Now, what are my impressions of the box, you ask?

Well, truth be told, I'm of slightly mixed minds about it. On the one hand, I'm very pleased with the items that I received in my box...Redken is one of my favourite haircare brands, and this range is so new it hasn't even been released in Australia yet. I also love the generous sample sizes as I feel it's quite important to use something a few times before deciding if it works for you. I'm also pleased with the eye blending brush (perfect for more EOTDs). Although I know that others received different brushes in their boxes, it's probably the brush I would've chosen if I had a choice. Also happy with the soap as it smells gorgeous and the lipgloss is another new product that I'm happy to try.

The accessories are lovely, the statement necklace is definitely something I can see myself wearing, and I do love the styling tips provided in the magazine, it really fits in with my personal style. The gold ponytail holder is a little gift of appreciation from HFB to its first subscribers, which I think is a lovely touch (I've also been wanting one for ages so it's a definite tick from me)! Moxie are one of my favourite brands so the samples will definitely not go astray!

The downside to this box? The price. I would be happy to pay $50 for a quarterly box, but $40 a month just seems very steep to me, and for that price, I'd rather go out and select items that I know would definitely suit me, rather than take a risk on mystery products that I know would not (tanning products, anyone? I'm looking at you, Lust Have It)! This box is fantastic value for $25, but I'm just not certain I would've paid $40 for it and been satisfied. I should add that I'm currently only subscribed to this, the first box. I need to go through my never-ending stash of samples from previous beauty boxes and once I've culled those down a bit, I'll decide if I want to continue with my HFB subscription! If I really like next month's box, I just might cave!

HFB currently retails for $40 a month, and you can purchase 3,6 or 9 month subscriptions. You can learn more about HFB by checking out their Facebook page and sign up on their website. The beauty of a month-to-month subscription is you can chop and change between boxes, subscribing to each type of the boxes in turn!

What do you think of this box, lovelies? Are you signed up, and if so, did you like what you got? If you aren't, would this sway you into signing up?

Much love,
MM.
x

P.S. You can check out these lovely bloggers, who have also shared their thoughts on the boxes they received. If you've blogged about this box too, feel free to link up in the comments so I can visit your blog too!
Jen from The Shopping Queen with her Feminine box.
Sarah from More Than Adored with her Trendy box.
Amy from Bottled Beauty also with a Classic box.
Lisa from The Beaute Buzz with a Feminine box.

Heart Beauty Magazine - An Introduction.

Hello, lovelies!

I don't know about you, but I don't think there are enough beauty magazines out there. There are certainly heaps of fashion and women's interest magazines, each with a section on beauty, but nothing that solely focuses on beauty content alone!

That's why I was really excited to receive the press release for a new beauty magazine launching this month in Australia - Heart Beauty! I know that I often buy a new magazine with a little dream in my head about lounging on the couch, cup of tea/glass of wine in hand, idly browsing through the pages and picking up important tips...it's such a wonderful way to catch some downtime! Well, now, there's a brand-spanking new baby in town, full of new ideas, new product information, interviews with industry professionals and articles for us beauty lovers to feast our eyes on, to name but a few!

Image provided by Heart Beauty.

Heart Beauty is set to launch this autumn, and will be published quarterly (which means we'll have the perfect weapon to arm us for every new season)! The very first magazine cover features Sarah Stephens (known for working on campaigns with Victoria's Secret and Sephora), and was shot by Katie Nolan. Makeup was done by Rae Morris and hair by Michael Wolff. With such industry heavy weights featuring on the first issue, I can just imagine how amazing the magazine will be. Isn't the cover just stunning? I'm already inspired to try and recreate it!

Image provided from Heart Beauty.

Heart Beauty are currently running a promotion where the first 100 bloggers to share news on their launch will be lucky enough to score an annual subscription, worth $26.85. I'm not sure if I'll be fortunate enough to qualify, but at that reasonable rate, I'm definitely going to be subscribing, either way!

Each copy of the magazine will retail at $8.95, available from newsagents, or you can purchase an annual subscription from their website at $26.95, and get the first issue absolutely free! You can learn more about Heart Beauty by visiting their website, or their Facebook page.

Do you think you'll be keen to sign up, beauties?

Much love,
MM.
x

PS- My lovely friend Kate from Seduced by Beauty has also done a post on this magazine, so be sure to check her post out! She has an amazing blog.