Liptember 2013 | Kiss Away The Blues with Liptember Purple!

Hi lovelies!

I'd like to share a very special post with you today. It's September, otherwise known as Liptember! If you aren't familiar with Liptember, it's all about having fun with lipstick for a serious cause - Women's Mental Health, which includes anxiety, depression, post natal depression, menopausal change, dementia and self-image. All funds raised in September are donated to Liptember's mental health beneficiaries, the Centre for Women's Mental Health and LIFELINE.

You can participate in Liptember through three different ways:

a) Purchasing an official Liptember lipstick from My Chemist, Chemist Warehouse and My Beauty Spot (there are two kinds - Revlon lipsticks and 'challenge' lipsticks made independently by Chemist Warehouse);
b) Fundraising by pledging to wear an official Liptember lipstick every day during the whole month of September, and asking your family and friends to sponsor you (it's never too late to join in!!!); and,
c) Sponsoring someone who is participating in Liptember by donating on the website.

Need more convincing? Let me share some information gathered from the Liptember website:

• There is little mental health research based on women;
• More focus needs to be placed on treating men and women separately when it comes to mental health;
• Suicide is the biggest single cause of death for Australian women aged 18 to 34;
• One in three Australian women will suffer depression or anxiety during their lifetime;
• Women are more susceptible to anxiety and depression than men; and,
• Post natal depression affects 15% of women within the first year after childbirth.

I was offered the chance to participate in a special way, by creating a signature look using one of the official Liptember shades. The shade I was sent was Liptember Purple, which is one of the challenge shades created by Chemist Warehouse (there is also a blue, pink, yellow and mint shade available).

Liptember 2013 Purple (challenge shade available exclusively from Chemist Warehouse).

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and pigmentation of this lipstick. The deep purple looks quite confronting in the tube, but it's actually surprisingly versatile; it goes on quite soft and creamy for a natural, berry lip, but you can also build it up to a deep purple for a more intense look. After some deliberation, I decided to come up with a rather creative look to do this lipstick justice, but I will also include a more natural look with the lipstick at the end of this post, to show you just how versatile it is!

This look was created using 3 layers of Liptember Purple on my lips, and then I gently pressed some of the eyeshadow used on my eyes onto the centre of my lips to give it a duochrome look. 

Keep reading after the jump!

Five minutes with...Kath and Kerry, founders of Her Fashion Box (and a Giveaway)!

Hi lovelies!

Happy Sunday! I hope you've all had a great weekend! I've got a new interview for you to read today, with the lovely beauties behind the Her Fashion Box brand! Please forgive me for being a bit tardy with my interview series, I actually already have four more lined up to go, I've just been a bit amiss about sending them live! Please stay tuned as they are all very fascinating reads!

If you aren't familiar with Her Fashion Box, it's a monthly subscription box containing both beauty and fashion products. You can choose to subscribe to the full monthly box for $39.95, or alternatively, pick the boxette, which is the mini version of the full box and retails for $24.95. Click here for more information!

Image provided by Her Fashion Box.

Keep reading after the jump!

The Skincare Tag.

Hi lovelies!

I was tagged by the lovely Kat from Kitsch Snitch and Evelyn from Cotton Candy Diva in this rather interesting skincare tag. [Note: If I've forgotten anyone else who tagged me, I'm so sorry, I always have the best intentions to do these things and then I forget! Let me know if you have and I will add your name in!]. Oh, and I'm also going to be really naughty and not include photos, because if we have to wait till the weekend for some good light...I will probably forget to do this altogether.

1) Describe your skincare routine in five words…
Simple, quick, straightforward, targeted, consistent.

2) What’s your skin type?
This is a tough one since I started on Roaccutane, but let's call it combination-normal.

3) What’s your favourite skin care product?
Shu Uemura fresh pore clarifying cleansing oil, it takes all my makeup off and leaves my skin feeling supple and soft.

4) Top Blemish Zapper?
I'm currently using the Aphelia Cosmetology Oasis Rapid Action Pen. It's been pretty helpful so far!

5) Face wipes, yay or nay?
Nay. The only times I use face wipes are if I'm travelling (and feeling desperate) or when I'm taking swatch photos for the blog. Otherwise, I always, always, always cleanse my makeup off properly.

6) Toner, yay or nay? 
I used to be a religious proponent of toner, then stopped for a while. I've just started using it daily again though!

7) High End Skincare or High End Makeup?
I'm going to say High End Skincare. I don't really know why. I think it's just that the quality of makeup has improved so significantly lately, that even low end products have outstanding quality. Also, I don't change my skincare anywhere near as much as I change my makeup, so I'd rather have 5-10 different low end products for the cost of 1 really high end product (there are exceptions, of course, but I'm speaking generally here).

8) What’s the most unusual skincare product you’ve tried?
I'm pretty boring when it comes to skincare! But I might try my hair at a snail serum moisturiser soon...(Wish me luck).

9) You’re in a French pharmacy and can only pick one item – what is it?
Ooh, another toughie! I'd have said Bioderma (the Crealine makeup remover is tres magnifique) or La Roche-Posay, but since they are now available here in Australia, I will go with Vichy. :)

10) Tell us your top skincare tip
ALWAYS cleanse before going to bed at night, even if you haven't used makeup that day. You still need to cleanse your skin of the dust, grime and natural oils that have built up on your skin!

Sending a big thank you to Kat and Evelyn for tagging me! I'm not going to tag anyone because I'm quite late with this, but if you'd like to do the tag, I'd love to read your answers!

What would your top skincare tip be?

Much love,
MM.
x

Product Review: Maybelline Color Whisper Lip Colour and Swatches.

Hi lovelies,

Apologies for not having blogged for a few days, things have been a bit crazed at work and I've been exhausted! I also pulled a muscle in my back last week so I've been trying to take things easy!

I have a new review to share with you today, and that's of some lovely new lipsticks from the Maybelline range, the Color Whispers! I was fortunate enough to receive the entire range in my Maybelline advent calendar for Christmas in July, and you could probably hear my squeals of joy from a block away!

According to Maybelline, these lip colours are 'lightweight, sheer colour that doesn't cake the lips, the weightless gel formula glides on for a smooth finish'. These are available in eight shades:

25 - Lust for Blush (creamy rose nude)
40 - Orange Attitude (orange)
45 - Who Wore It Red-Er (red - but swatches more like fuchsia)
55 - One Size Fits Pearl (sheer pearl)
60 - Petal Rebel (petal pink)
65 - Pink Possibilities (bright pink)
90 - Oh La Lilac (lilac)
95 - Mad for Magenta (magenta)

The packaging is cute and the transparent cases allow you to see which shade you've picked up; however, some of them are deceptively close in colour so it's quite possible to accidentally pick up the wrong shade!

Maybelline Color Whisper lip colour.

Read more after the jump!

Product Review: Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat and Swatches.

Hello lovelies,

Textured nails certainly look like they are here to stay; I've shown you several Liquid Sand polishes in the past, and we've also gone through various phases with caviar, glitter and sugar nails...which is why I jumped at the chance to try the latest offering from Sally Hansen - Fuzzy Coat nails!

When I first heard the term 'Fuzzy Coat', I expected them to be similar to velvet nails, just easier to apply (and perhaps a bit more long-wearing). In actuality though, these polishes are more like glitter polishes, except with plastic, matte bar particles to simulate a woolly/fibrous texture, like that of cashmere or mohair!

I was sent three different shades to try; Peach Fuzz (pale yellow and peach bar glitter), Tight Knit (blue and white bar glitter) and Tweedy (black and white bar glitter). What I love most is that the glitter particles are suspended in a clear base, which makes it perfect for layering with different undies (i.e. under different layered polishes, not knickers)! I personally like it when these are layered over contrasting shades. You can still choose to use them on their own for a unique look, but it's hard to reach a fully opaque look so you can still see a bit of visible nail layer underneath.

Prepare for photo overload!

Here is Peach Fuzz on it's lonesome, this seemed to intrigue the guys I work with as I received quite a few comments on my nails (not to mention some awkward patting of my nails)!

Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat in Peach Fuzz - 3 coats.

Read more after the jump!

Signature Makeup Look.

Hello lovelies,

Happy Wednesday! It's time to show you the latest look I've done for the weekly tag over at Aqeela's blog!

The theme this week was 'signature' makeup look...that really got me thinking. As someone who chops and changes her look quite often, and also often switches between playing up her eyes and lips, it's been a lot harder to 'pin' down my style lately! However, one look I tend to go for when I'm pressed for time is bronzed/gold eyes, liquid liner, a touch of blush and a bold lip (for cheerful colour), so I decided to use that as my inspiration for this look.

Here's what I came up with, it was nice and simple!

Keep reading after the jump!