Tag Archives: MAC Cosmetics

New in this week

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I’ve been on a bit of a spending ban tight budget lately, since I paid for my flights and accommodation for my month long trek around the United States. I’m trying to keep to essentials only, which is rather difficult for someone who tends to buy things based on excitement, love, hype, the fact that I “neeeeed it” and the sheer unadulterated joy of having something new.

But these are a few little lovelies that I picked up this week. The FCUK shorts just screamed “wear me in California” — making them an essential travel buy, the Sugar Baby Tan Enhancing Shimmer Oil was a smart purchase, it does two jobs in one: moisturise and tan enhance (I’m already churning through it) and the pastel polishes and floral print nail file were part of a seriously awesome gift bag from the incredibly talented ladies at Hello Darling.

I’m very lucky to work in a job where magazines are ‘research’. This Vogue cover simply knocked my socks off, Lana Del Rey looks positively ethereal, yet somehow has a sense of the girl-next-door. Kurv magazine is a new discovery: I am blown away. Their shoots alone have offered many hours of contented swooning and inspiration.

The MAC Lipglass was a belated birthday gift from my beautiful friend Sarah, she chose “The Wee Coquette” because she knew I was lusting after a soft pink shade to add depth and shine to my pout. Finally, the YSL Rouge Pur Couture, I must admit… I purchased myself. Gasp! I tried to restrain myself. And I succeeded for several weeks. But I just couldn’t wait any longer to try this miracle lipgloss. And I was certainly not disappointed. In fact, I’m ecstatic. A review will follow soon. As will enthusiastic purchasing of every shade available the minute I hit US soil.

Happy start-of-the-week lovelies, I hope you all have an amazing one!

Love,
Rosie xox

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Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

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Oh the last few days of Autumn and the first few days of Spring are just so delicious aren’t they? Gradually you stop reaching for your big woolly coat, those fun, floral prints work their way back into your wardrobe, your makeup becomes more fun, and you daydream of long days spent picnic-ing in the park or lazing on the sand as the waves roll in. It seems like ages since I’ve done a Face of the Day (that’s what the abbreviation “FOTD” means, for anyone who doesn’t actually write a beauty blog.) Actually looking back it hasn’t been THAT long, but still… This is a makeup look I’ve been wearing a bit lately, it feels fresh, fun and most certainly spring-worthy!

A lot of people have been asking me to do a “how-to” post on this particular look, so here it is guys: An easy peasy spring makeup look!

1. SKIN: Skin was prepped with Face of Australia Face Base Primer, then I applied Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation in Medium/Deep with my fingers, warming it first, before spreading it onto my skin. I followed with a light dusting of MAC Cosmetics Prep+Prime Transparent Finishing Powder. I used quite a stiff powder brush to then dust Dior Amber Diamond Highlighter onto my cheekbones, nose, and just above my brows. Then buffed the foundation over with the same powder brush. A little highlighter in the cupid’s bow above your lips never goes astray either.

2. EYES: Using the MAC Colour Added Eyeshadow Quad, from the Shop MAC range, I washed “Laundry Daze” on the inner corner of my eyes across the lid to about halfway. Then using “Self Serve” I filled in the outer corner, swept it into the crease and up towards the brow bone. I double lined my eyes, first with Australis StayPut Liner in Black, then with Smiink Eyeliner Pen in Black/Noir, flicking it out beyond my lashline a little. I finished by curling my lashes and applying a coat of Face of Australia Impact Curl Mascara — starting by placing the brush at the base of my lashes and zig-zagging it to get some product build up for added hold — then sweeping the brush upwards through my lashes. Two coats minimum, and then combed through with a final coat of Maybelline’s The Falsies Flared Mascara just on the tips of the lashes for good measure. Then blended the shadows out to remove the harsh edges.

3. BROWS: Using a q-tip dipped in makeup remover, I swiped it across my brows to remove any foundation residue, then combed my brows into place. I tamed and filled with SAX Cosmetics Perfect Brow Shaping Kit (awesome, awesome product, go and buy it now)!

4. CHEEKS: Rimmel London’s Sun Shimmer Matte Bronzing Powder works really well as a contour as well, I used the Medium shade for this look in the hollow underneath my cheekbones, across the top of my forehead near my hairline, under my jawline and down the bridge of my nose. NARS Blush in Sin provides a beautiful soft, berry pink glow on the apples of the cheeks.

5. LIPS: Face of Australia Sheer Gloss Crayon in Cupcake

6. HAIR: Bed hair by my bed

Has the warmer weather inspired you to change your makeup or your wardrobe? What changes have you made? Let me know!

Love,
Rosie
p.s. sorry ’bout the crappy photos, I’ve been snapping far too much with my phone lately. Need to take some time to stop, smell the roses and shoot things properly with my SLR!

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30 Days of Lippy – Week Three

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The third week of 30 Days of Lippy is where it got tough. There were some days I didn’t think I was going to make it. Some days I looked at the list and said “really?” And some days where I completely lost the plot and actually missed applying lipstick at all. (Like Day 17, which I swear I did, but for the life of me I can’t find the photo!) But I pushed through, and I made some awesome discoveries as a result.

Day Fifteen – Brown

Australis Colour Inject Mineral Lipstick in Foxtrot: I bought this in a fit of 90s nostalgia, after staring at old pictures of Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington. I used to own several brown, bronze, gold lipsticks, but they all disappeared. When I first put this on, I actually really disliked it. To the point where I actually wiped it off. I reapplied it later in the day and was quite pleased with the result. It’s not the type of colour I usually wear, even if I am being adventurous. But I must say I love how creamy and delicious this colour makes my skin look! I’m used to colours that play up my eyes, and I think that’s what threw me. The lipstick itself is gorgeously moisturising, so creamy and lasts a solid 2-3 hours (assuming you don’t eat or drink anything). The beautiful pearl finish also makes your lips look extra voluminous.

Day Sixteen – Two-tone Lip

I wasn’t totally happy with my two-tone lip result. But it was an experience. I used MAC Violetta^ (which I can’t find for purchase anywhere anymore!) and Jager Flirt Fruit Glaze to try to create a sort of gold to purple ombré look. But it just came out all smudgy and kind of brown.  Separately, these lipsticks are both gorgeous, but together, well… they kind of suck. So key outtake? I need more experience creating a two-tone lip look.

Day Seventeen – The darkest lipstick you own
As I said, I swear I did this one, but I can’t for the life of me find the photo anywhere! In any case, the darkest lipstick I own actually makes another appearance later on. It’s Eles Cosmetics Micro Bubble Lipstick in Micro Cranberry. And it’s a verrrry cool shade.

Day Eighteen – Berry-licious
MeMeMe Cosmetics Light Me Up Lipgloss in Intense (#8)*. Boy howdy! Something about this lipgloss just brings out the Jessica Rabbit in me. Maybe it’s the rich red berry colour or the super luscious shiny finish, but after trying this for Berry-licious, it has made its way into my regular makeup bag. Like any gloss it doesn’t last a long time, but for the hour or so that it does, it works hard for the money. Deep, highly pigmented colour that spreads evenly over your lips and settles to a gorgeous glossy not-nearly-as-sticky-as-you-think-it-will-be shine? Oh yes please!

Day Nineteen – Sheer Flush

Burt’s Bees tinted lip balm in Pink Blossom. This is one of my favourite lip care products. It’s so rich and creamy, it leaves my lips feeling amazing: so moisturised, so soft and always more voluminous. I love the colour of pink blossom, it’s the perfect pretty pink flush for my skintone. It’s got a slight rosy undertone which matches my natural cheek flush perfectly, so it always looks natural and fresh. I reapply this about twice an hour, just for maximum benefit, and also because it’s super pretty! This is easy peasy pretty. One lip balm and you’re sorted.

Day Twenty – Orange Red

Eles Cosmetics Micro Bubble Lipstick in Micro Cranberry*. Now, I don’t own any orange red lipsticks, but I do own THIS. An absolutely divine cranberry red which I’ve just been looking for an excuse to wear. According to Instagram, this is your favourite of ALL my 30 Days of Lippy pics and to be honest, I think it’s mine too. *nonchalantly changes twitter profile pic to the above* The colour is a delicious combination of berry and red which suits my weird pale yellow skintone to a T. It is one of the creamiest, most moisturising lipsticks I have ever worn and it goes on smoothly, doesn’t stick in any creases or catch on any dry bits, creating a flawless pout which remains moisturised throughout the day. It lasts a solid 4-5 hours depending on how much Red Bull and coffee you drink, but even as it fades, it becomes a delicious berry stain that looks just as good as a creamy berry lipstick. Even better? It doesn’t ghost me out. For such a deep cranberry, it has just the right amount of warmth and depth to create a luscious pout, while still allowing my skintone to shine and my cheeks to look pretty and flushed. No fading into the background for this girl!

Day Twenty One – Use a lip pencil to fill your lips

Clinique Quickliner for lips in Perfect Poppy (which is a shade no longer available, although here is one that’s very similar). This is one lip pencil I can’t live without! A great red lip pencil is key to achieving an amazing red lip look that’s even, neat and sleek. I love the colour of this one, although it’s a lot more red than it appears here. I applied Lanolips lip ointment with colour in Rhubarb over the top, which “pinked” it up a little more and added a gorgeous glossy shine. Perfect Poppy is creamy, goes on smooth and sticks fast. It’s not hard, waxy or sharp and when I used it to fill my lips they didn’t feel dry at all. In fact, I loved the “stained gloss” look so much that I’ve used it several times since in similar ways. Who knew a lip pencil could be so versatile?!

So lovelies, what have been your can’t-live-without lip products over the last few weeks? I always love to hear about what you’re wearing!

Did you miss the earlier 30 Days of Lippy weekly round-ups? Check them out here: Week 1, and here: Week 2.

Love,
Rosie xox

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Per my Disclosure Policy, items marked with * were kindly provided to me for editorial consideration for this blog. Items marked with ^ were kindly provided to me for editorial consideration as the Editor of Modern Hair+Beauty and/or Luxury Weddings and I liked them so much I decided to include them here too.

Kitschy Cool Bird Blouse

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Just a quick little outfit post to punctuate the working week. I bought a heavenly new floral and bird print blouse on the weekend. It was the contrast of the sharp cut, pleated neckline, power shoulder, soft feminine fabric and whimsical print that really won me over. But how to accessorise it? I decided to let the blouse shine, in all its kitschy glory. I found a few favourite accessories, a lipstick that picked up the bold sixties-like power pink in the print and a sweet little nail polish that I’ve just been dying to wear.

Choosing a few key colours in a print to highlight and accent your overall look really helps to bring it together and give it a well thought-out, cohesive and polished finish.

Blouse: Stylist, Skirt: Zara (sold out), similar here, Earrings: Sportsgirl, Watch: Gifted from a friend, similar here, Lipstick: M.A.C Sheer Supreme Lipstick in Zen Rose, Nail Polish: Essie Mint Candy Apple, with accent nail in Australis Foil Spoil.

What are you wearing this week dolls? Let me know!

Love,
Rosie xox
p.s. Have you entered to WIN a Makeup Box yet? Click here to do it now!

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30 Days of Lippy – Week Two

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I’ve had a brilliant second week of 30 Days of Lippy, shopping my own stash, trying colours I’d completely relegated to the “do not wear” pile and wearing lipsticks I had forgotten I even owned. The lovely Kimberley from Pop Couture came up with the idea for 30 Days of Lippy after realising she was in a bit of a lippy rut, and since I was in a bit of a lippy rut myself, I offered my obsessive list making skills to help guide us through the challenge. Read the story of how it came about here. There’s a whole bunch of gorgeous ladies, bloggers and makeup lovers alike, taking up the 30 Days of Lippy challenge!

Week two offered plenty of fun challenges and lip loving hijinks for me. Here’s how it went…

Day Eight – Wear a matte finish

M.A.C Cosmetics Shop M.A.C Watch Me Simmer^. I LOVE this lipstick. I love the vibrant electric coral colour. And I love the matte finish. For some reason though, as it wears, (usually around the 2 hour mark) the coral undertone disappears on me and it goes kind of magenta pink. That’s not going to stop me wearing it though, everytime I wear this lippy someone comments on it. Probably because I don’t tend to wear bright matte finish lipsticks that often. Wear wise, it lasts about 3 or 4 hours, and will need touch-ups after eating or drinking to keep its vibrance and depth. (note: these are not my real eyelashes! I’m wearing Revlon Beyond Natural falsies in Natural Defining* which are absolutely awesome, not too false looking and super easy to apply.)

Day Nine – Hot Pink
Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in Indulge^, quite possibly one of the best lipglosses ever. It’s a vibrant bright hot pink with a slightly cool undertone and super glossy finish. The colour is really strong for a gloss, and the finish isn’t too sticky either, which is a nice surprise considering how shiny it is. It does need regular touch-ups though, to keep it looking bright and glossy. (Which honestly doesn’t bother me in the slightest.) This shot was taken at Hair Expo with a lovely Michaela of Lather, Rinse, Repeat.

Day Ten – Your most recent lip purchase
Maybelline Baby Lips in Anti-Oxidant Berry. I am seriously addicted to this stuff. It sits on my nightstand and it’s first thing I apply in the morning. I ran through my last tube rather quickly and I’m always happy to spend a little cash on something I know works like a charm. Besides which, I love the scent, delicious flavour and cute packaging.

Day Eleven – Shimmery
Lanolips Lip Ointment with Colour is definitely one of the best beauty inventions to come out of the last few years. Lanolips is a brilliant lip conditioner which is never sticky and always super dooper moisturising. Combine that with some delicious colours and hey presto, you’ve got yourself a lipgloss that’s actually good for your lips! I love the Rhubarb colour as it’s a soft, peachy, pretty pink which suits my skintone beautifully. I also own Dark Honey and Rose. I know it’s not especially shimmery, but I like the soft glossy finish. (p.s. again, these aren’t my natural lashes. I’m having a bit of a fascination with falsies this week. These are Smiink Everyday Full Lashes in Short & Sweet, which I love because they’re not only easy to apply and not too “over the top”, but they fit my eyes perfectly so don’t require cutting down to size.)

Day Twelve – Close to your natural lip colour

I love the “close to natural” “my lips but better” look and so I have a few lipglosses and lipsticks that qualified for this category. Napoleon Perdis Lip Veil in Cocoa* is one of my favourites though: it’s creamy, moisturising, beautifully tinted with a slight pinkish-brown colour and has a gorgeous glossy finish that makes your lips look a little more fabulous, a little prettier and a little more voluminous than normal. The soft caramel-ly warmth in this colour brings out a flush in my cheeks and gives my slightly yellow toned skin a nice faux glow.

Day Thirteen – Lilac or mauve
Sephora Lip Attitude – Glamour in Lyric Lilac (G08) {Edit: this shade is G09 Mauve Emotion. I wrote it down wrong!}. Oh my! The perfectly pink toned purple for me. This is a lippy that a fellow blogger friend sent me from the States and to be honest, this is the first time I’ve worn it. (I KNOW! What the heck is wrong with me??) I told you, I’m stuck in a lippy rut. The filter I’ve chosen doesn’t really do it justice, it’s a little more purple than it appears here and oh so creamy, beautifully semi-sheer and glossy. On my skintone it needs a few applications to build up the colour to this depth and it wears down to a very soft lilac stain. To keep the glossiness it needs reapplication every couple of hours. You’ll want to keep putting it on too, it’s just that pretty. (And here… the apex of my false lashes fascination this week, with massive Revlon Fantasy Lengths* lashes.)

Day Fourteen – Wear blush on your lips

Estée Lauder Tender Blush in Wild Rose. This is one of my favourite blushes because it’s a lovely warm pink with a hint of a blue undertone when applied to my cheeks. It’s very close to my natural flush and isn’t too shimmery or glittery. Estée Lauder no longer make this blush or this shade, but they have a similar one here – shade “The Siren” is quite close. To keep my lips from drying out too much I prepped them with Kosmea Rosehip Oil* (and they stayed really well hydrated throughout the day.) Although I shouldn’t have been surprised, I was disappointed that the blush didn’t come out the same colour on my lips as it usually does on my cheeks, it went a kind of reddish brown, which I didn’t love. But hey, it was worth a try!

I am having so much fun with 30 Days of Lippy and it’s such a thrill to see everyone’s photographs everyday. Check out the tag #30daysoflippy on Instagram and hey, if you need to shake up your beauty routine, why not join us?!

Love,
Rosie xox

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p.s. Per my disclosure policy * Items were kindly provided to me at Lashes & Lattes for editorial review ^ Items were kindly provided to me as Editor of Modern Hair+Beauty and/or Luxury Weddings for editorial review and I enjoyed them so much that I decided to include them here. All opinions are honest and my own. I have not been compensated for mentioning these products.

5 ways to combat the “blahs”

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I’ve had a rough week. I’ve had a ghastly flu and been burderned with what my doctor referred to as “nuclear strength antibiotics”. You know those days when you just feel blah? Most mornings I walk out of the house feeling confident and amazing, but some days seem dull and drab before they’ve even begun. Luckily, I’ve developed a system for combatting blah, dull and drab. Here are my top 5 ways to pull yourself out of a blah day.

1. Wash and blow-dry (or straighten or curl) your hair. It will look fresh and shiny and smell amazing. Most of the time I am a dry shampoo addict and boy howdy it’s good stuff, but sometimes you just need supermodel hair. Favourite products: Moroccanoil Treatment Light $27.50 / 25ml, KMS California Free Shape Hot Flex Spray $31.95 / 200ml.


2. Fake bake it. There is nothing quite like a tan to make you feel glamorous, slim and sexy. But as we all know, real ones are terribly bad for us and so (hopefully) you’ve discovered the beauty of a faux glow. I’m a dedicated tanner in summer: I do a full scrub and application once a week, and a top-up application after a few days. In winter I’m lazier about it, but a gorgeous golden glow is sure to perk me up any day. Favourite products: Le Tan Fast Tan Mousse in Deep Bronze $12.99, Vani T Liquid Sunshine $28.95 and for those days where you can’t be bothered doing a full scrub and tan… Le Tan Flawless Legs Body Makeup is a lifesaver $17.99.


3. Be illuminating! An illuminator or highlighter is makeup’s answer to flat, dull and blah. It’s kind of like having your own personal lighting specialist follow you around every. single. second. Sweep a little across the high points of your face (that is: the bridge of your nose, tops of your cheekbones near the temple, on your forehead just above your brows and if you really feel super blah, dot a little in the inner corner of each eye – it makes your eyes look brighter -  and in your cupid’s bow, which is the hollow above your top lip.) Sneaky secret? Mix a liquid illuminator into your foundation for an all-over heavenly glow. Favourite products: Face of Australia Mineral Therapy Illuminator in Angel Mist $14.95 and M.A.C Mineralise Skin Finish in Lightscapade $47.00.

4. Wear a bright(er) lipstick. One thing that’s bound to put you in a good mood and put some colour in your face is a great bright lipstick. I’m pretty obsessed with some of the great corals out there at the moment. The great thing about coral is it’s like pink and orange had a baby together, which means it suits both warm and cool skintones! Coral is the perfect pick-me-up for mid-week. But if you’re after something a little more wow for the weekend, go for a deep fiery red or a boom-smash orange. Favourite products: Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipcolour in Coral Fire $16.95, Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in Besotted $39.00 and Shop M.A.C Lipstick in Watch Me Simmer $36.00.

5. Give yourself a statement mani. There’s nothing quite like having fabulous nails. It gives you that extra bit of wow factor, it’s a conversation starter and it’s likely to get you noticed. I always get compliments when I choose a bright or unique nail colour. Plus, there’s something about having hands that look great that’s a real confidence booster. Neon yellow, bright orange, pretty pink with a glitter feature nail (like the one here) or a parade of pastel colours on your fingers (like here). Statement nails are a big blah-buster! Favourite products: Revlon Top Speed Nail Enamel in Electric and Pink Lingerie $15.95, OPI Nail Polishes in Pamplona Purple and Jade is the New Black $19.95, Sportsgirl Nail It! in Ginger $7.95, Face of Australia ProNail Enamel in Cool Cotton $6.95 and Barbados Nail Enamel in Another Daquiri Please $4.95.
Do you have a system or a great way to combat the “blahs”? Any parts of your beauty routine that instantly perk you up? Will you be trying any of my tips? Let me know!

Happy Friday!
Love,
Rosie xox

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Note: all images used above are PR shots. Layouts are my own.

MBFWA: Hair + Makeup at Aurelio Costarella

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Aurelio Costarella was certainly the highlight of Day 1 of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia for me. The hair and makeup was the perfect combination of ethereal and earthy, edgy and wearable.

The Goldwell team, led by Lee Preston created a slicked back pony with a difference, knotting two separate tails together into one which fell glossy and shimmering down each model’s back, allowing the clothes to shine, but still giving a strong, feminine aesthetic to the show. Inspired by a sleek equestrian feel, they added a bit of catwalk drama by blending white talcum powder and Goldwell StyleSign Melting Diamonds together and painting it directly onto the hair along the part.

The MAC Cosmetics team, directed by James Molloy used a combination of gorgeous deep matte taupe, glossy forest green and a shimmery chartreuse to create an earthy nymph-like look, reminiscent of mermaids and rainbow coloured beetles. Eyes were rounded and wide, nails (by OPI) were shimmery sea-like silver with pops of unexpected yellow. The skin was kept beautifully natural, fresh and with a soft flush on the apples of the cheeks.

The show was heavenly. I felt transported, uplifted and awe-struck. I couldn’t help gasping and sighing throughout. It was absolutely breathtaking.

What has been your favourite hair and makeup looks from MBFWA so far? What about your favourite fashion? Let me know!

Love,
Rosie xox
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All images by Kimberlee Kessler.

{EDIT: Since I wrote this very late last night, I wanted to add: The collection Aurelio showed last night was absolutely incredible. Exquisite detail like boned corsets, feathered skirts and intricately beaded bodices provoked nods of approval from the fashion set and a flurry of flashes from the pit. His runway gowns would require barely a stitch to be red carpet ready, proving once again why he’s an international favourite.}