Woo! Latest M.A.C Haul and Review

I’m really trying to build up my MAC collection, because I really don’t have that much MAC stuff! So whenever I get a bit of money I head over to the MAC Pro store and get a couple of things!
This is what I got yesterday:

Studio Sculpt Concealer in NW20

As the MAC site says: “A creamy concealer that provides full coverage with a natural matte finish. Brushes on with enough blend time to conceal any size of blemish. Rich formulation allows you to use a micro-amount of product to even out skin. Water-resistant and long-wearing.”

I actually got one of the MAC girls to try this out on me under my eyes and I have to say that the MAC description above is very accurate. It is so very creamy and easily blended and a little goes a long way! It comes in a paint pot container though, I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not, as paint pots can dry out quickly if you don’t store them properly.

Anyway, I’m loving it so far. You do have to make sure that your undereye area is well hydrated before applying the concealer, so make sure you apply eye cream first! And remember NW concealers are much better at covering undereye circles than NC shades!

Next: Three eyeshadows!
Left to Right: Vellum and Phloof

And Contrast! (They didn’t have this in a pro palette refill so I just bought the normal one)

Vellum is a pale white duochrome with purple shimmer, I have been wanting this for ages and I’m SO happy I finally got it. It’s soooo pretty!

Phloof is an off white frost eyeshadow. To me it kinda looks like a really light pinky beige. It’s a really nice colour though that would be great for a neutral look or for use as a highlighter!

And lastly, Contrast is purplish blue with a blue pearl. It’s such a gorgeous colour and I can’t wait to use it!

Swatches, left to right: Vellum, Contrast and Phloof

I also got a sample of the Studio Sculpt Foundation in NC20, was a perfect match when she tested it on me in store, but haven’t tried it out myself yet. When I do there’ll be a FOTD and another review!

Thanks for viewing! oxo

Just a quick post to say..

Happy Easter!!!

Hope you're all having a wonderful time with friends and family! :D
oxo

Mineral Foundations: I need some help!

I have never used a mineral foundation before. Mainly because I’m not sure about the different brands and because I’ve wondered about whether the coverage is actually any good or not.

I’m really quite pale and currently use MAC Face and Body in ‘C2’ and sometimes use Maybelline Wonder Finish in ‘Porcelain Ivory’. I’m looking for something that is great quality, preferably on the cheaper side and provides medium coverage.

So I thought I’d post this and ask for some help!
What are some brands that you love and would recommend?
Do they offer samples? Are they affordable? How long do they last?
What colour would you recommend for me? And most importantly, Do they ship internationally?

Any help that you guys could give me would be great, I’m so intrigued by mineral foundations and would love to be able to find one for me. As a makeup artist I get asked about mineral foundations a lot too, so it’d be great to know more about them!

Thanks!
oxo

Quick Tips: Foundation!

Here are some quick tips for getting flawless foundation:

• Always prep skin first with a primer. I like Smashbox’s Photo Finish. A primer provides a base for the foundation to stick to and will stop foundation from seeping into pores and lines.
• If you have extremely dry skin, mix a drop of moisturiser in with your foundation.
• When choosing your foundation colour, apply a small amount to your jawline, let it sit for a couple of minutes and then check the colour in natural light. The one that blends into your skin undetectably is the right one!
• Do NOT use a darker foundation to look tanned. If you want to warm up your skin colour, use a bronzer.
• For the best results, use a brush to apply liquid and mineral foundation and use a sponge when applying a cream foundation. Using the right tool makes a huge difference!
• Make sure you brush a little foundation onto your neck so that your makeup doesn’t just stop at your jawline. Not a good look!
• Blend! Always check in the mirror to make sure you don’t have any streaks!
• Foundation doesn’t have to be applied EVERYWHERE. Try and avoid putting it on your eyelids, if they need covering up, use concealer instead.
• Lastly, If your foundation is over a year old, chuck it out. Oxidation causes the shade to darken and it may be harbouring bacteria. Gross!

Remember, foundation should enhance your skin, not cover it up! (That’s what concealer is for ;))

Wanna check out my other tips? Click here for a tip for covering up undereye circles and Click here to get great lashes!

FOTD: Smokey eye!

Smokey eyes and nude lips! (The token porn star look, Lol)
I even curled my hair a little. Needed to try out my new rollers. xD
Anyway, time for the close ups?

  Gosh. I am so terrible at taking close up pics. Oh well.
Onto what I used!

Face:

• MAC Face and Body Foundation in ‘C2’
• Revlon Age Defying Powder in ‘Sand Beige’
• Ben Nye Concealer Palette
• MAC Hello Kitty Blush in ‘Tippy’
• Estee Lauder Brilliant Shimmer All Over Powder in ‘04 After Hours’

Eyes:

• MAC Paintpot in ‘Painterly’
• MAC Eyeshadow in ‘Knight Devine’ all over lid.
• 120 Palette – Shimmery Black on the outer corner and in the crease as well as underneath the eye
• MAC ‘Your Ladyship’ pigment as the highlight
• Shiseido Liquid liner
• Avon Ultra Luxury Eyeliner in ‘Black’

Lips:

• MAC Lipstick in ‘Fleshpot’
• Revlon lip gloss in ‘010 Shine City’

Hope you like it!

oxo

Pencil Eyeliner Reviews

Pencil eyeliners are one of the most important items in your makeup kit, so it is important that they are long lasting and of a good quality. Over the past year I have collected A LOT of pencil eyeliners and came to realise that there is a huge difference between them, so I decided to review a few different ones for you all! Enjoy!

First up: Avon Ultra Luxury Eyeliner $7- $8 NZD

Avon’s Ultra Luxury Eyeliners come in a small range of colours, all on the dark side. They are really soft, really pigmented and are also really long lasting!
I have them in Black, Dark Brown and Midnight Blue and I love them! Because they’re so cheap (usually around $7 -$8) it makes them cheap to replace, making them a great choice to use on my clients.
Swatch, Left to right: Dark Brown, Midnight Blue and Black

Next:  Shiseido Moisture Mist Eye-shading Pencil $20NZD

These pencils are not very soft, and do not seem to last very long on the waterline. I do however quite often use the White eyeliner a lot when I’m in a hurry, because it’s very easy to sharpen. I probably wouldn’t really recommend these eyeliners though, there are better and cheaper ones out there.  
Swatch, left to right: White, Green and Indigo

  

Next: NYX Auto Eye Pencil (Not available in NZ, order online) $3 USD

NYX Auto Eye Pencils are pretty average. They’re not very soft (although softer than the Shiseido Moisture Mist ones) but they do seem to be quite waterproof. The colour pay off isn’t great, but it’s ok. If you don’t have sensitive eyes, then I’d say these would be great as a cheap liner. But if you do have sensitive eyes I’d recommend that you go for a softer pencil, as these can be kinda hard and irritating.
Swatch, Left to right: Black and White

 

Next: Stila Kajal Eyeliner $49 NZD

 

I have this eyeliner in Onyx (Black) and it is by far, my FAVOURITE eyeliner. It is sooo luxuriously soft, glides on, and stays put.
The only downsides are it’s price and the fact that it’s almost too soft that it makes it hard to sharpen. Advice: Stick it in the freezer for awhile before sharpening, to avoid breakage. :)
Swatch:

Next: Clinique Cream Shaper For Eyes $32 NZD

 

This is another beautifully soft eyeliner. I have this in 102 Frosty. It says it is water resistant and has a hint of shimmer on their site. And although I can definitely see the hint of shimmer in it, I don’t agree with it being water resistant. It doesn’t last as long as I’d like it to, but in saying that it is still definitely one of my most used eyeliners. It is not as expensive as the Stila eyeliners, but is still on the pricey side, so it pays to search around for a cheaper deal.
Swatch:

Next: Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Collection (Not available in NZ, order online if you can)

If Stila eyeliners are my favourites then these are a close second!
I was lucky enough to have my aunty go to Hawaii and get these for me from Sephora! Soo happy that she did. :)
These are waterproof, fairly soft and the colours are GORGEOUS! My favourite is definitely the Bronze one, LOVE.
Swatches, left to right: Purple 11L, Bronze 10L, Turquoise 7L, Iridescent Navy Blue 3L and Black 0L.

And lastly: BYS Kohl Eyeliner $5 NZD

I have this eyeliner in 23 Soft White, and like it’s name says, it is extremely soft! I love it. It was very cheap, and I got it from Postie Plus.
It stays on quite well, but doesn’t have the staying power of some of the others I’ve reviewed so far. It’s also quite hard to sharpen, but putting it in the freezer beforehand would probably help.
Swatch:

 

Now onto the only two fat eyeliners that I have.

First up: Blackbox Chubby Pencil For Lips and Eyes $5 NZD

Blackbox cosmetics are available at Postie Plus stores around New Zealand. I actually got this one for $1 but I think they’re usually around $5. These make a great eyeshadow base, as they are soft and creamy and easily smudged.
Swatch:

And lastly: MAC Shadestick $36 NZD

Shadesticks are really more of a shadow than a liner, but I always think of them as an eyeliner. Even though I only use mine as a base for eyeshadow, go figure. :P I love how smooth and creamy shadesticks are, but trust me, if you don’t close the lid properly they’ll soon go hard and dry. Not cool. :( I only have this in ‘sharkskin’, pretty keen on getting some more.
Swatch:

And that’s it for the reviews really. I will however list some eyeliners that I don’t recommend at all:

• Wendy Hill Eyeliners. I actually got these in my makeup kit for the course I did. Argh. I hate them. Horrible. Hard, don’t stay on. Don’t buy them.
• Constance Carrol Kohl Eyeliners. These are as hard as a normal pencil. Feel awful on the waterline. Just because they’re cheap, don’t be tempted to waste your money on them!
• Satin Eye Pencils. Also hard and don’t last.
• Chi Chi Eyeliner. They have really cool names, like ‘Hung up’ which is the one I have. But that doesn’t make up for the fact that they’re terrible.

Well I hope this has been helpful! I know that if I had’ve read reviews on eyeliners before I bought them then I probably wouldn’t’ve wasted so much money. Sigh. Ya live and learn! :P

oxo

Mixing pigments!

Hey all, you may have noticed that I've changed my layout! I had to do that because the 'pyzam' ad along the top of my blog was starting to annoy me. xD

Anyway, this is just a quick post!
I've been playing around with my mac pigments and decided that I would mix a few of them together to see what colours I could come up with!


From left to right:

• Accent Red mixed with Your Ladyship
• Melon mixed with Rose
  
• Dark Soul mixed with Old Gold

How cool are they?! I especially love the last one!

What colours have you come up with before??
oxo

Latest MAC Haul!

Yay! MAC store at chancery is FINALLY a MAC Pro store! :D So exciting! I went in yesterday morning and grabbed a few things I’ve been needing for quite some time.
Honestly, not having a job (apart from the freelance ones now and then) is really hard! My kit needs restocking and I just can’t afford it most of the time :(

BUT ANYWAY, onto what I got yesterday!

First, I got three eyeshadows for my palette! From left to right they are: Satin Taupe, Brown Down and Knight Devine.

And here’s some swatches: (Applied dry without a base, and with the flash on)

Oh man, I am so in love with Satin Taupe and Brown Down. I needed some nice neutral colours and these are GREAT. Recommend them if you don’t already own them. :) Knight Devine is a really nice grey, which I need for an upcoming shoot!

Next I got some Lipmix!

Lipmix is “a highly pigmented opaque cream used to mix and customize lipstick, to create any color, texture or look desired for lipcolour.” This is actually great, I mixed it with some Rose pigment today and I’m so in love with it :P

I also got a new lipstick! Fleshpot!

Yay, this is sooo awesome. It’s a very nude lipstick. Loving it. Another thing I really needed for an upcoming shoot!

And lastly I got two brushes, a 217 and a 224:

How did I ever live without these?? Used the 224 on myself today. I think I’m in love. :P Sooo gorgeous. And I’m sad to say that apart from the little SE brushes in my palette sets, these are the only two MAC brushes I own. xD LOVE THEM.

So yeah, I’m pretty much dying to go back and buy more. Have to wait awhile for lip erase to come out. Which is kind of annoying, but what can ya do? :P

Thanks for viewing!

oxo