Monthly Archives: December 2011

2011 Top Products

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I was tagged by Tara* of Keeping Up With Me to write a post about my favourite 11 products of 2011. Initially I thought, “easy-peasy”… but as a began to attempt to whittle my favourites down, I realised what a difficult task this would be. 2011 has brought me so many awesome products, so much new knowledge and so many new favourites. I did, however, soldier on and with delight, I bring you my top 11 products of 2011.

A lot of these are relatively new finds. I think it’s because I started blogging this year, I’ve suddenly been surrounded by all these wonderfully knowledgeable people with fantastic tips on products to try, and many of the products listed below have been recommended to me by friends.

HAIR PRODUCTS:

I took the plunge and balayaged my hair this year. The change was refreshing, but the ends of my hair were a bit fried afterwards. I’ve been using Moroccan Oil religiously, so when I discovered they made an Extra Volume shampoo and conditioner, I was thrilled. You need very little of each product to get big results. The shampoo leaves your hair beautifully clean and the conditioner was finally able to bring some life and shine back into the ends of my hair. The combination gives bounce, volume and most importantly that beautiful healthy shine.

The David Babaii for Wildaid Bohemian Beach Spray is a “can’t live without” product for me. For those days when you really wish your hair was looking awesome, but it isn’t. Spritz a little on the ends, scrunch and fluff. The result is supermodel-esque beach hair that smells like honey.

SKIN PRODUCTS:

I’ve never had fabulous skin. I get the occasional breakout, blackhead and lots of blocked pores. I switched to using organic products on my skin about six months ago and the difference has been incredible. No more breakouts, no more dryness. My skin is plumper, dewier and much smoother. Planet Eve Certified Organics is the heart of my skincare routine. But the main product I absolutely adore is the Daily Face Moisturiser. It absorbs immediately into my skin, making it feel so quenched and soft. And the anti-aging ingredients aren’t doing me any harm either.

Trilogy Rosehip Oil was recommended to me recently and I cannot speak highly enough of it. It really is liquid gold. It has almost completely gotten rid of some old acne scars, smoothed out some fine lines around my eyes, softened dark circles and generally improved the tone and texture. It’s also beginning to assist with fading some sun damage on my cheeks. It is so cheap, you simply can’t afford to go without it.

FOUNDATIONS:

I’m a foundation junkie. That’s why I’m including two. Estée Lauder Double Wear is my holy grail foundation. I work long hours. Double Wear means I never have to worry about my makeup. I put it on at 5:30 in the morning and it’s still perfect at 8pm and beyond. It’s lasted me fifteen hours and longer without a single touch up.

Australis Paparazzi Perfect is my night-time, party foundation. The light reflecting minerals mean it matches my skin/body perfectly no matter if I’ve had a brand new tan, if I’m a little pale or even if I’m halfway between the two. I never have to worry about people photographing me, because my skin always looks flawless, dewy and perfect.

EYE PRODUCTS:

I LOVE eye makeup. I adore it. I used to use two mascaras, one on top of the other until I discovered Australis Killer Curves Mascara. It curls, it lengthens, it volumises and it doesn’t clump or stick your lashes together. You can put on two or even three coats and still no clumps. Round of applause from me.

Napoleon Perdis China Doll Gel Eyeliner (in Equinox – black) is a relatively new find. I’ve been a devotee of the kohl pencil for years, but I always ended up with panda eyes or fall out no matter which brand I used. This baby is black as can be, sets and doesn’t budge and can be used on your inner and outer lids with perfect results. Using a really fine angled brush means you can get a much finer line and you have much more control than with a pencil. I can see and long and happy relationship in the future.

LIP PRODUCTS:

I’ve never been much of a lipstick wearer until recently. I used to be happy with a slick of gloss or tinted lip balm, but my lipstick adventures of late have convinced me I’ve definitely been missing out. Lipstick is no longer drying, boring, dark or messy. My two favourites from 2011 are Face of Australia Lip Quench in Lychee Crush – because it’s so deliciously moisturising, packs an SPF 30+ punch and is the perfect combination of pink and nude. My other favourite is Inglot Slimline Gel Lipstick in #40 because the beautiful bright coral really lights up my face, it’s absolutely packed with pigment and leaves your lips feeling soft, smooth and plump. It also lasts beautifully.

What are your favourites from 2011? Did you make any wonderful beauty discoveries? Please let me know! I’m always on the lookout for new products. Leave your comments, stop by the new Lashes & Lattes facebook page or tweet me.

* Tara tagged all her readers, and I’m subsequently tagging all of you :)

Here’s to a wonderful, blessed and beautiful 2012!
Rosemary xox

All I Want For Christmas

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The tree is up, the gifts are wrapped and the halls have been decked with holly. Oh I simply adore this time of year!

I’ve had a wonderful time reading wishlists and gift guides on all my favourite blogs, the personal sense of style and choices always inspire me. So in the grand tradition of bloggers everywhere: Dear Santa…

The Oroton Entourage Leopard Print Tote in Cotton Candy (now reduced from $345.00 to $240.00) has been on my lust-have list ever since I first saw their fashion bloggers campaign in-store, in which it was being held like a clutch. In my opinion, you can’t go wrong with Oroton. Classic, über-stylish, luxurious and impeccably crafted. Quadruple threat. Shop here.

I’m addicted to my iPhone. The perfect gift for the stylish girl who has everything is a designer iPhone or iPad case or sleeve. I love this purple and silver faux leather one by Stella McCartney (£133.33) because it’s pretty, with a bit of a rock & roll edge to it. Available from Net-A-Porter. Shop Here.

My all time favourite perfume is YSL’s Elle ($155.00 for 90ml). The chic combination of fruity and floral makes it a perfect year-round scent for any occasion. With notes of citrus, lychee, peony (my favourite flower), jasmine and raspberry, and a finish of vetiver and wood, it’s sweet, fresh and different. Available from Myer and StrawberryNet.

Ever since I lightened my hair, I’ve been wearing more gold. I currently have a bit of an obsession with skulls, mostly thanks to my friend Blonde Suburbia who is constantly posting gorgeous skull jewellery on her blog and instagram! This Alexander McQueen Enamel Skull Ring is available at Net-A-Porter for the teeny tiny sum of £71.00. I like the pink because it’s a nice foil for the edginess of the skulls. McQueen has a whole skull motif going on at the moment. Definitely worth saving for. Shop Here.

This baby must be on every beauty bloggers wishlist. Urban Decay’s Naked Palette is a favourite among makeup artists and fashionistas alike. Their Naked 2 Palette features five exclusive new shades and is jam-packed with beautiful beiges, taupes and neutrals. I don’t think it’s available in Australia yet, but with the amount of buzz surrounding this product, I hope it is soon! Click here for more information.

Super clever and cute Archie Grand notebooks ($34.95) available from HoneyHoney. This pack is a killer pick for stylistas and beauty babes, because it includes both the “Fashionistas I Met And Liked” notebook and “Models I Met And Liked” notebook and is perfectly packaged up in black wrap and ribbon. Shop Here.

I have been style-stalking Spell Designs (based in beautiful Byron Bay) on twitter and instagram ever since I first discovered them a few months ago. I love their free-spirited style, bohemian aesthetic and exquisite fabrics. The Caspian Tiger Kimono ($189.00) is topping my Christmas Wishlist this year because it’s just. so. stunning. Created in a gorgeous vintage print, from the softest rayon and then embellished by hand, this limited edition piece just begs to be worn. By me. Seriously. Lusting here. Join me won’t you? Shop Here.

Noticing a theme? Hah, yes, me too. Pink, purple and leopard print!

So lovelies, what are you asking Santa for this Christmas? Let me know! Leave your comments, stop by the new Lashes & Lattes facebook page or tweet me.

Note: aside from the Christmas tree, all the above images are PR shots.

Dior Shimmer Amber Diamond – Wonder Dust

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I was going to be all clever and come up with a headline something along the lines of “a diamond in the rough”. But, this really isn’t a diamond in the rough. It’s a diamond that’s been perfectly polished, packaged and is ready to be worn and enjoyed. I discovered DiorSkin Poudre Shimmer (Ultra Shimmering All Over Face Powder) in Amber Diamond (or as I’ve dubbed it “Wonder Dust”) on the gorgeous Makeup & Macaroons. I was so impressed with the review (and the pics), that I jumped straight onto StrawberryNet to rustle me up one of my very own.

Firstly, can I just say how much I adore buying Dior products. They are always perfectly packaged, oh so pretty and just unboxing them makes you feel like a million bucks. Velvet compact case anyone? *swoon* This little diamond is a highlighter powder made up of five differently coloured shades, which combine to create an absolutely stunning shimmer and highlighter. You can either swoosh your brush along length-ways, picking up a little of each colour, or you can be a bit more precise and choose just one or two. I chose the former, because I’m greedy. And I wanted to see what the results would be like.
I’ve used plenty of highlighters in my time: creams, liquids, powders, almost gel-like solid illuminators and I am I.M.P.R.E.S.S.E.D. The combination of colours neatly sidesteps the obvious patch or line that you sometimes get from one-colour highlighters, creating a soft, gradual shimmer wherever you use it. The extra colours also mean you can completely substitute or use this in combination with your usual blush or bronzer. The powder is super-fine, meaning a) It won’t sit on top of your foundation looking all powdery; b) It won’t make your skin look dry or cakey and c) It looks incredibly natural and blends superbly.

I created a face of the day (FOTD), with the excuse of getting dolled up to go Christmas shopping, using DiorSkin Poudre Shimmer in Amber Diamond as the basis for my look.
The products I used:
Face: Napoleon Perdis Stick Foundation in Look 4, Revlon PhotoReady Powder in Medium/Deep
Eyes: The two purple shadows from Revlon’s CustomEyes Palette in 015 Party Pops, Maybelline Eye Studio MasterLiner 24 Hour Cream Pencil in Black, Revlon Fabulash Thickening Mascara in Black followed by Australis Killer Curves Mascara in Black.
Brows: Benefit Brow Zings in Medium
Cheeks: Natio Pressed Powder Bronzer (as a contour below my cheekbones) and Estée Lauder Signature Silky Powder Blush in Peach Nuance (along the cheekbone)
Lips: Natio Lip Liner in Nude (used to outline and fill lips completely), followed by ModelCo Lip Service Lip Duo in Kitty (just the gloss).

How I used DiorSkin Poudre Shimmer in Amber Diamond: as a highlighter along the top of my cheekbones, one swoop down the middle of my nose, on my brow-bone and the outer corners of my eyes to lift the whole eye area and lastly a little bit (applied with the tip of my finger) on my cupid’s bow, for a bit of extra lip va-va-voom.

I absolutely adore this product. I love the way it gives you a nice soft shimmer, a natural glow that doesn’t look overdone or fake. It is definitely my must-have for the party season. I’m going to be using it again and again.

So lashies, what are your must-have party season products? Have you made any excellent  makeup discoveries lately? Please share! Leave your comments or tweet me. I’d love to hear from you.

Rosemary xox
p.s. all the images above have been taken with a flash

Kristen Stewart W Cover Inspired Party Look

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Ahhh party season! What a perfect opportunity to get dressed up and try out new makeup looks. My work Christmas Party was on this week and the theme was “sixties”. I was originally going to work the twiggy makeup look, but when I saw this W Cover featuring Kristen Stewart looking all bedroom-eyed and beyond glamorous, I knew I had to give this look a go.

I started out with a beautiful base – Napoleon Perdis Stick Foundation in Look 4, applied with a foundation brush for maximum coverage, followed by a dusting of Revlon’s PhotoReady Powder in 030 (Medium/Deep) to set. Since this look is all about the eyes and the brows, that’s where most of my attention went. I used Revlon‘s new CustomEyes Palette in 010 (Sweet Innocence) – mainly the peach shadow – as a wash all the way up to the browbone.

Then I double-lined my top lids, first with Maybelline’s Eye Studio 24 Hour Masterliner and secondly with a new product I’m trying: a permenant eyeliner pen by a brand called Smiink. It was perfect for this look because it’s super black, easy-to-use and once it’s in place it doesn’t budge. Because the liner underneath my eyes needed to be a little smudged, I used the Smiink liner first and then the Maybelline, so I was able to blend and smudge it a little.

I used Gorgeous Cosmetics Madam Lash False Lashes in Miss Glam and Australis Cosmetics Killer Curves Mascara. Benefit Brow Zings in Medium helped me to shape and fill my brows, and finished off with Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics’ Lunar Dust in Sunset along my cheekbones (none on the apples) and Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics Lunar Dust in Twilight as a highlighter along the top of my cheekbones and on my cupid’s bow. The lipstick I used was ModelCo’s Lip Couture in Kitty.

Above: Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics Lunar Dust in Twilight (left) and Sunset (right). Sunset looks quite red and dark in this shot, but once it’s on your skin it’s a really soft, pretty pink with a lovely bit of shimmer. And the results, well here they are…


If I had to do it again, I’d lose the massive lashes. As much as I loved them, I think they detract from the point of the look which is the liner. I’d also go a little heavier and wider with the liner. I thought I’d done it quite dramatically, but looking at the photographs now it is nowhere near as wide, dark or dramatic as the original look. I’d also spend some extra time on my brows and would use a darker colour to fill them in. Kristen’s brows are really dark and strongly defined and mine could have been more so.

For those of who that are interested, I wore an American Gold white lace mini dress from MarketHQ.

Ooh, and one last hot tip: if you’re wearing a dress that shows some leg, take a moment to apply a little leg makeup. I used Le Tan’s Flawless Legs and the perfectly smooth colour made me feel really confident and supermodel-esque!

So what do you think lovelies? I know I didn’t nail it, but I came pretty close. And at least I put my own spin on it. Do you have a celebrity look that’s inspired you for party season? Maybe more than one? What about a celebrity look that you’d love to master? Let me know. Leave your comments or tweet me.

Rosemary xox

November Favourites

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November has been a huge month for me! So many new finds, new friends and new favourites. I’ve dubbed these “beautygrams” – instagrams that feature some of my top products from this month.
This mini nail polish haul from Miki was a fun discovery. At only $2.95 a pop (on sale), these little gems were a bargain. I wasn’t expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised to find the polish full of colour, easy to apply and reasonably long lasting. My nails usually chip after about a day at work, I got a solid three and a half before they even started showing signs of wear.
The powder blue polish was an instant hit with me, it made my (fake) tan pop and got plenty of compliments. The perfect statement nail colour for summer. The super teeny brush on these polishes means you can paint quite daintily and carefully. I didn’t even need to use the “q-tip dipped in remover” trick to tidy up! The image above shows two coats.

 I’m completely addicted to Nivea’s Fruity Shine Lip Gloss in Strawberry (RRP $3.98). It’s my go-to product for beautiful moisture, a sweet fruity scent and a super pretty flush of colour that stays for hours. I love the colour because it’s like a deeper, prettier version of my lip colour (which is fairly pale), so it always looks fresh and natural.

A shopping trip to find the perfect BB Cream became a bit of a beauty revelation when I discovered Napoleon Perdis NP Set Lipsticks. I’ve never owned one before and I’m delighted with the colours I chose: Minneapolis (a bright coral pink) and Boston (a creamy ginger). It also turned out that Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector (RRP $13.95) BB Cream was the perfect one for me. Not only is it cost-effective, the medium shade is a perfect match to my skin. I will give proper reviews of these three products soon, I promise!

All that glitters is certainly gold and my newly balayaged locks have encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone. I’m wearing gold for the first time! This Orly Nail Polish “Luxe” (RRP $18.95) made my hands feel expensive. I couldn’t stop flashing them around! This polish is wonderfully lasting and packed with shimmer – it could almost be mistaken for a foil, except for the slight grain in its finish. But I think this makes it look even more like real gold. Definitely a fun and easy way to give yourself a pick-me-up.

I actually have quite fine hair, a fair bit of it, mind you, but extra volume is always appreciated. My favourite for va-va-voom volume is Schwarzkopf’s Extra Care Insant Volume Powder (RRP $8.99). This baby really has some kick! Tap some into your hands and dust into your roots for instant bombshell hair. It also gives your hair that awesome second-day lived-in look.

As November turned up the heat, I decided to lose the heavy coverage foundation on weekends and go for a more natural, but still polished, look instead. Thank goodness for Le Tan’s Face Tan (RRP $7.99). I’m a long-time devotee of their Fast Tan Mousse and I’m just as impressed with the new face tan. Now my face matches my body and has the same gorgeous summery look, without all the mess of melting off foundation and the feel of sweating underneath it.

Big thank you to Madison magazine for introducing me to Butter London Polish in Trout Pout (RRP $19.95). It is the perfect summer pedi polish. A combination of hot coral and hot pink, but without being over-the-top. I love the colour so much that I’m wearing it on toes and fingers at the moment. I’ve actually been trying to find a lipstick that matches! My twitter friends have kindly given their suggestions, I’m close to making a purchase and I’ll let you know how my trout pout lip goes!

How has your November been? Are you ready for the silly season? What are your favourite products at the moment? Let me know! Leave your comments or tweet me.

Please note: as the above images have been put through instagram filters, some of the colours may not appear exactly as they are.