Romantic Winged Eye Look - FOTD

Hello Lovelies, 

Since coming home from overseas I've been stuck into work and have hardly had the chance to get all dolled up, but I thought that today was a perfect excuse to just that. Me and my friends had to run a few errands in town an I wanted to try some new and not so new makeup and thought that since I want to post more I should show you what I did. Firstly I was going to do a before and after but my camera is being a complete moron. The colour settings are all messed. Everything either comes out really orange or blue and it doesn't capture the essence of the makeup look I was going for. So out of the bazillion photos I took on my good Canon camera, the above photo is the only one worth posting. Hopefully in the next few days I will make a custom setting that will work perfectly with my makeup looks, I think I just need to play around with a few things and get the hang of the nitty gritty camera stuff, which I'm not all that educated on. Below is a photo I took on my phone and turned out amazing and I posted it up on Instagram (@kaitlynisabelm) and personally I was very happy with how it showed up.

The look was aiming to be a subtle yet romantic look with a hint of wing. I've been doing this wing that only goes into the middle of my eye then stopping. Sometimes I feel that going all the way across with liquid eyeliner can be too intense, especially for romantic or day to day wear. I would say that this look would work great for Valentines Day, if any of you have anything planned. A red lip is classic with any romantic or date night makeup look, it brings a total iridescence of sexiness into the entire look. 

How do you guys handle camera/editing troubles?

xoxo

Dramatic Clubbing Makeup - FOTD

 Hello Lovelies,

Just gotta say...I LOVE this makeup, I literally threw it together in 30 minutes and it fared wonderfully for a crazy night of dancing and I was so happy with it, but realized once I was taking it off the next morning that I had only taken one photo of it.

The look wasn't that hard either!!!! I took a classic white and black cut crease and just added a few things, like some greys and a whole lot of glitter and of course, winged eyeliner.
The glitter was a NYX roll-on one and I took a small brush and dabbed it on all around my inner corner.

I found a cell phone photo that wasn't that bad so I included it.

xoxo

Black + Gold Sugar Skull

Hello Lovelies,

Halloween is one of my favourite times of the year, I swear I've become obsessed with looking and watching videos of everyone's looks, everyone gets so creative. It just happened to be exam time for me the entirety of October, so yay! All I wanted to do while I was studying was to transform myself into something creepy or different, so I personally used that as fuel to study extra hard. When I finally got around to sitting down and trying something out, the only idea I had in my head was a sugar skull and I thought a black and gold colour scheme would work well, so I just winged it.

I started by contouring (very lightly) with black eyeshadow around my jawline and the sides of my face. The eyes were very fun to create and I started by placing down different yellows and golds to create an opaque colour around the eyes. Then came the black outline and the blending, which in all honesty took me the longest, but the trick i found was to keep applying gold/yellow where needed and placing some black lightly over those areas where you've placed more gold. Filling in the half circles around the eyes are pretty simple until you get to the ones around the nose, they can get a little tricky so take your time. I just used a pencil eyeliner, so if you use gel or liquid you'll have to be extra careful since they'll smudge easier.

Personally I found the nose tricky since the area is all curved, I spent way too long trying to clean up the edges but in the end I sort of just left it the way it was. Lastly you can really improvise with the mouth, I've seen so many interpretations, I tried to keep it simple.

Of course I put a deep face in !!!!

Hope you all had a wonderful Halloween!!!!

xoxo

Priceline Haul - Skincare & Makeup

Hello Lovelies,

It is such a surprise that I had a little bit of money left over from the weekend and naturally decided to actually go to Priceline and get a few essentials. Lately my skin has gone haywire, I won't go into too much detail, but it's pretty crazy. I tried to avoid changing around any of my skincare products and now I'm running low on most skincare essentials. I heard a lot of rave about the St. Ives Apricot Scrub and I'm sincerely hoping that my skin doesn't reject it since it smells nice and is relatively cheap. With the Formula 10.0.6 moisturizer I honestly wanted to spice it up a bit because all my moisturizers from the last couple months have been specifically for seborrheic dermatitis (which is unfortunately the crazy, haywire skincare and scalp condition I've been battling) and I really wanted a change. Previously I've bought from this brand so I hope all goes well.

Lately I've been a slacker when it comes to replacing mascaras, I'm aware that they only last about 6 months but I refuse to go buy a new one. I really couldn't turn down Maybelline's Great Lash since it was only $6.50!!!!! The matte maker is a new powder from Maybelline and I hope it holds up from their Stay Matte powder, since that was so amazing at doing it's job, I have to say that off the bat the packaging is a lot nicer.

Can't wait to start using these little lovelies and let you all know how they fair with my face :D

What have you bought recently?

Sleek i-Divine Oh So Special Palette Review and Swatches

Boy has this little baby been on my wishlist forever! I honestly don't know why I didn't buy it earlier, especially seeing how cheap it is. There are so many looks in this palette and I'm finding it quite versatile, so much so it's been replacing my usage of my Urban Decay Naked Palette. OOH SHOCK!!! Now before I start rambling on about my love and adoration of this product, I'll show you some swatches.

Hopefully you'll agree with me that the pigmentation is spectacular. These all had NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk underneath for a base. They show up incredible on the lid and I have to admit that they blend incredibly well. The packaging of the palette has a couple of pros and cons, firstly the mirror is amazing, I find myself constantly using it to do my makeup when I'm away from home. Secondly, it's a very tiny palette and occasionally when I'm trying to open it, I find it a little tricky and I feel that I may break it.

Overall I would give it a 9/10 and would love to try out some other Sleek palettes for comparison.

What's your favourite or go-to palette at the moment?

xoxo

L'Oreal False Lash Butterfly Wings Mascara Review

Hello Lovelies,

Exams are finally over and now with a month of holidays I aim to try and get back on top of blogging since as you know, I've been so incredibly slack, but to be honest I miss it and I really want to let you all know what I've been loving and hating. Even though I'm in crazy savings mode for my USA trip in December, I've been able to take advantage of some of the sales that Priceline have been having here and there. A couple of months ago I bought the L'Oreal False Lash Butterfly Wings mascara because there was a 40% sale on all cosmetics going on and since this mascara normally retails for $20-30 AUD I jumped at the chance to try it out. Because I've been using it for a while now I feel that I've definitely road tested it enough to give it a fair review.

Here's what L'Oreal claims about the mascara:

"Complete your winged eye look with volumised and fanned out lashes. False Lash Butterfly Wings mascara instantly volumises at the roots and stretches your lashes outwards for a winged eye effect."

First off the bat, I love the asymmetrical brush it's kind of brilliant, especially for giving extra volume for the outer lashes. I find that the formulation isn't clumpy and is extremely black, which is a big tick for me. In regards to completing a winged eye look, it definitely enhances one but I find that this mascara is perfect for any type of semi dramatic to hella dramatic eye look. The lasting power is pretty great which is either a good or bad thing depending on preference. For instance I love that it lasts all day but I dislike that it will take forever to come off. I think this mascara is best for the top lashes since I find that using on the bottom lashes it lengthens them a little too much and i tend to get a lot of mascara under my eye.

Summary:

Formulation: 9/10
Brush: 8/10 (love it for the top, but doesn't work that well for bottom lashes)
Lasting and holding Power: 8/10
Shade: 10/10 (blackest black ever, really darkens those little babies)

Total: 8.75

I would totally repurchase this mascara or at least another L'Oreal mascara since this is the first one that I've bought and well I love it, almost as much as Maybelline's Falsies!!!

What mascara are you loving at the moment?

xoxo

FOTD - Clubbing Winged Eye Look

 Hello Lovelies,

There's a reason I've been quiet, I've been sick with a horrible sinus infection (ewww! I know right) and also extremely run down since I just came out of some very stressful assessment pieces for uni. As well as being a wonderful student *scoff* I've been going out with friends lately and partying it up since one of my friends is leaving the country for 5 months!!!! I took a couple of FOTD style photos and this one ended up looking the best once I uploaded them to my computer. I also really liked my outfit from this night (which was a UV Paint Party) but I didn't get any decent snaps of it. In relation to my makeup, it lasted amazingly especially since I was dancing and drinking :P I can't remember all the products I used but I used a Maybelline Gel eyeliner to create the wing, which I think I'm getting awesome at.

It's been a while, what has everyone been up to?

xoxo

FOTD - Soft Smokey Eye

 (with flash)

 

(without flash)

 (close ups)

Hello Lovelies, 

Unlike my usual uni days,  I had some extra time to get ready and decided why not change it up from my typical go to neutral eye. Firstly I was just going to add winged eyeliner but I thought, am I really just going to go half crazy? No sir, definitely not, so i added some black, cause why not?!? I really like the way it turned out.

PRODUCTS USED

Garnier Perfect Blur Primer

MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC20 (loving this by the way)

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NC20

Rimmel Silky Loose Translucent Powder

Benefit 10 Bronzer

NARS Orgasm Blush

Elizabeth Arden Shimmer Powder in Nude Shimmer

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk

Urban Decay Shadows in Zero, Naked, Virgin

Maybelline Master Precise Eyeliner

Chi Chi 3D Magic Lash Mascara

Maybelline Color Whisper in Pink Possibilities  (blog post here)

xoxo

Nail Inspirations and Bloggers - #2014BloggerChallenge

Hello Lovelies,

Boy, it's been awhile since I've posted but since then, I've been sick, the internet went down and not to mention I started back at uni, which made my life super busy. But what better excuse to actually post something decent than post my 2014 Blogger Challenge post.

As much as I wanted to do a NOTD, I really haven't been loving any of my nail polishes enough to paint my nails. So instead of showing my nails, I thought I'd share some of my fellow bloggers and instagramers and their amazing fingertips, in no particular order of course.

Geeky Owl

This blog has to be one of my favourites, all of her designs are so creative and I love seeing her nail creations. Here is her latest post.

The theme was Mardi Gras, and it's so awesome and totally takes in the bright colours that surround that particular event.

The Happy Sloths

Every time one of Jasmine's posts pop up on my feed I get so happy, since they are always so incredibly cute. She utilizes a lot of nail decals and they always work for her and go amazingly with her polishes. Here is her latest post.

Love that mustache!

Ginger Loves Makeup

When it comes to Ginger's nail related posts, I just love her selection of polishes, they are always so gorgeous. Here is her latest post.

Such a stunning teal shade!

Paint Those Piggies!

If I could get any nail/beauty blogger to do my nails it would be Erin from Paint Those Piggies, her designs are so unique and I wish I had her talent. Here is her latest post.

Anniep1124 - Instagram

Although Anniep1124 doesn't specialise in nail art or design and instead is the instagram account for an online jewellery store, she still shows some gorgeous fingertips. Here is two of their latest nail arts.

Who's your nail inspiration?

xoxo

Brand Spotlight: Essence - #2014BloggerChallenge

Hello Lovelies,

Now most of you may have noticed my love for high street/drugstore/cheap makeup, since it's a recurring theme in many of my posts. In particular I have been experimenting with Essence, which happens to be the cheapest brand I've found in Priceline. I started off with a few lip liners to expand my collection and then slowly started taking notice of a handle of their product. So far I've tried out the Sun Club Bronzer, their eyeshadows, lip liners, one eyeliner and their concealer.

Essence I think ranges from prices as low as $1.50 to I think $8/9, which is crazy cheap. It was surprising for such a cheap range that they actually had a decent payoff. I for one, love their lip liners and I did a full review of them here. The sun club bronzer is also really good and has an sweet scent of coconuts and although I think I may have picked up one that is not really my shade, it's slowly growing on my and I did a review on it here. The eyeshadows aren't crazy pigmented but they are quiet buildable and can add a really nice layer of sheer color.

There are many drugstore brands that I am in love with but I would have to say that if i wanted to try multiple product or really needed to replenish something in my collection I would definitely head to Essence. Sometimes it surprises me with how cheap their products are. I really want to try out their blushes next :)

What's your favourite drugstore/high street makeup brand?

xox

January Favourites 2014

Hello Lovelies,

These are some of the things I've been absolutely loving during the month of January :)

FAVOURITES MENTIONED
Garnier BB Cream in Oily/Combination Formula
Garnier Perfect Blur Primer
Elizabeth Arden Shimmer Powder in Nude Shimmer
Maybelline Color Whisper in 65 Pink Possibilities (Read Review Here)
LUSH Snow Fairy Shower Gel
American Authors
Best Day of My Life - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y66j_BUCBMY
Luck - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3UBv6nxu8Q

What have you been loving this past month?

xoxo

Winged Eyeliner + Pink Lips FOTD

 (without flash)

(with flash)

Hello lovelies,

Spontaneously I'm going out tonight to a friends place for a couple of drinks and although I'm quite tired, I've had a coffee and am now downing an energy drink (holy shit I'm being unhealthy uh oh). One of the only reasons I agreed to go out is because I love getting all dolled up and since I haven't put on makeup all week, it sounded like an opportunity. I didn't go too crazy with my makeup, but i did want to incorporate winged eyeliner.

So What's On My Face?

Garnier BB Cream Oil Free in Light

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NC20

Rimmel Silk Loose Translucent Powder

Essence Sun Club Bronzer

Etude House Aloha Bronzer

Benefit Dandelion Blush

Elizabeth Arden Highlighter in Nude Shimmer

NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Misfit (the cream one)

Urban Decay Naked Palette (Virgin, Naked, Hustle)

Essence Eye Liner in White

Maybelline Eyestudio Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black

Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Frame Plus

Maybelline Color Whisper Lipstick in Pink Possibilites

xoxo

Dark Pink Ombre Lips - LOPD (Mini Tutorial)

Hello Lovelies,

I don't know about you, but when I'm feeling sick and nice lip combo tends to cheer me up and make me feel less ill. Unfortunately I think I may have a head cold coming up but, you never know my fates might change. *fingers crossed*

Recently I've been seeing so many ombre lips on Instagram and thought I'd try my hand at it, and even though I don't own any light or sheer pink lipsticks, my take on the ombre lip is focused around dark pinks.

So how'd I create this little treat?

First off I used Maybelline's Baby Lips Lip Balm so that my lips wouldn't dry out from all the extra products. I lined my lips with Essence's lip liner in Red Blush which is a sort of burgundy shade. The main lipstick for this creation is the Inglot Lipstick in 194. For the corners I added a little bit of red for dimension, the red I used was Urban Decay Super-Saturated Lip Color in F-Bomb.

I think this lip would be perfect with a subtle smokey eye and paired with whatever you might have planned for the upcoming Valentine's Day.

What do you think of ombre lips?

xoxo 

Real Techniques 2014 Collection Haul

 Hello Lovelies,

So guess what rocked up in the mail today! Yep, new Real Techniques brushes, and my first thought is not on how absolutely beautiful they are, but that I ordered them on Friday and got them this morning, take into fact that they came from the USA and there was a public holiday over here, I can say that is pretty darn amazing. I bought them off iHerb since they are significantly cheaper there and their postage isn't that expensive ($8 for DHL International tracked).

When I saw that Real Techniques were releasing new brushes I immediately checked them out and fell in love. I hope to get them all but I settled for purchasing my two favourites of the collection, which are the retractable bronzer brush and the silicone liner brush.

I've been in the market recently for a bronzer brush since my current dodgy one is loosing hairs and kinda stabbing me in the face a little. This little baby here is duo-fiber (which I love) and super duper soft. I haven't tried it out yet but I'm super excited to do so.

As some of you know, I kinda horde eyeliners yet I have come to despise the brushes they supply with them. I love that this brush is silicone since that will help with gliding eyeliners on the eye. I actually tried this one out with a gel eyeliner this afternoon and it was so incredibly amazing, I was a little blown away.

Here's where you can get these brushes: http://www.iherb.com/Real-Techniques-by-Samantha-Chapman

What brushes do you love?

xoxo

Gold Neutral Eye + Pink Lips Ft. Naked Palette

Hello Lovelies,

I've been wanting to film a video FOTD for a while now and well I finally did it, and boy was it a pain to edit but here it is. This is just a simple look and I find myself using this look on the regular.

PRODUCTS USED:
Garnier Perflect Blur Primer
Garnier BB Cream in Light
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NC20
Rimmel Silky Loose Powder in Translucent
Essence Sun Club Bronzer
Benefit 10 Bronzer
MaxFactor Flawless Perfection Blush in 220 Classic Rose
Elizabeth Arden Shimmer Powder in Nude Shimmer
MAC Paint Pot in Rubenesque
Urban Decay Naked Palette Shades in Naked, Half Baked, Virgin, Buck and Creep
MAC Paint Pot in Let's Skate
Maybelline One by One Mascara
Maybelline Color Whisper in 65 Pink Possibilities

What'd you think of the video? Any recommendations?
xoxo

January Wishlist

Hello Lovelies,

We all have our own little wishlists and I've found that I have collected this small list of items that, well, I would love to add to my collection.

1. Essie Nail Polish in Chinchilly ( I've been in the market for some more nudes/greys)
2. Real Techniques Silicone Liner Brush
3. Sleep I-Divine Palette in Oh So Special (I've been wanting to purchase this for ages!)
4. Real Techniques Retractable Bronzer Brush
5. Sleek Contour Kit in Light

Hopefully in the coming months I actually purchase some of these, but then again I'm starting uni again soon, so that'll take all my money.

What have you been wishing for? 

xoxo 

Weekly Lustables

Hello Lovelies,

To be completely honest not much happened this week, it was filled with work and movies. I did how ever receive an offer for my new bachelor's degree, which was amazing. I started university last year and I was studying a degree in Entertainment Industries which was a combination of courses on law, business and creative industries. I became enthralled and loved the business subjects so I'm now doing a  Business degree majoring in marketing, can't wait to start.

1. About Time - Alex and I watched this while having a lazy day and it was just a gorgeous film, I didn't find it too corny or predictable and honestly found the characters believable and unique. It's a little bit different to your normal romantic movies, since it is quite serious yet the main character can travel in time! It's a simply beautiful film and I would definitely recommend it.

2. Say Something - A Great Big World - I can't quite pinpoint why I've been in love with this song this week, I just find it absolutely gorgeous. The version with Christina Aguilera is also very lovely.

3. Garnier Perfect Blur - Recently I tweeted that I picked this up and I've been wearing under my foundation every day I've worn makeup. I texture is amazing and is a wonderful primer/base. It was only $16.99 which isn't too pricey for a decent primer.

4. Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - I mentioned this is a Weekly Lustables a while back, but this week I finally just sat down and finished it. I haven't read too many mystery novels before so it was such satisfying feeling to see everything come together. The ending is so incredibly amazing, I honestly couldn't put it down. 

What have you been loving this week? I'd love to know :) 

xoxo

Maybelline Color Whisper Lipsick in Pink Possibilites Review + Swatches

Hello Lovelies,

Not long ago Maybelline released a new series to their Color Sensation range, and since I was in love with those, it seemed right to try out the new Color Whisper collection. Although I only purchased one, I plan to expand my collection. The particular shade that I picked up was 65 Pink Possibilities which is a light yet bright pink.

When I swatched it in the store I noticed that it was quite similar to the Revlon Lip Butters and since it's still summer over here, I assumed the Color Whispers would hold the same standard. First off, the packaging is simple, yet quite sleek and similar to the Color Sensations lipsticks. These are slimmer and I do admire the similarity to the Revlon ones with the flat top design.

I found that it swatches lighter on my hand than on my lips, which I see as a bonus. I find the the pigmentation is perfect for such a weightless product and I honestly thought it would be sheerer on my lips. The formula is extremely lightweight and I found it amazingly moisturizing. I would honestly use this as a lip balm! In my opinion, these are softer and more lightweight than the Revlon Lip Butters and I think that's due to their added sheerness. Overall these are quite impressive and are worth a try, especially if you like the Revlon dupes. At Priceline they retail for $14.95 which makes these quite an affordable addition to any lipstick collection. The color range is alright, but I hope they expand it in the coming year.

What's your opinion on these types of lipsticks (Color Whispers or the Revlon Lip Butters etc.)?

xoxo

Favourite Makeup Products 2013

Hello Lovelies,

I know I'm a little behind the gun when it comes to doing favourites, but I think it's a good idea to share my makeup favourites for last year. I've picked one or two for each category so that you're not bombarded with a million favourites, these are just my extremely loved and worn products of 2013. This post is just makeup, I did have a few skincare favourites but not enough to justify making a whole other post, and plus I don't have the bottle anymore for my favourite cleanser of 2013 (which was Philosophy's Purity Cleanser).

 Foundation
This would have to be, hands down, the best foundation I used all last year. Of course it's Revlon's Colorstay, I'm in the shade 200 Nude and this shade suits my skin perfectly. I've never had a better coverage or consistency with any other foundation. It is extremely durable and managed to endure Australia's hot summers and long ass uni days, so it definitely deserves an award.

Concealer 
I tried waaaayyyy too many concealers last year but the winner was actually one I'd bought the year before and had been hiding in my makeup kit, and it is Estee Lauder's Creme Concealer. It is the only concealer I tried that had full coverage. I mainly used this under my eyes but it also worked wonders on blemishes and redness.

Powder
If you know me at all, you'd know that I'm sort of a powder hound, I go through them with lightning speed and can definitely pick a good one from a bad or mediocre one. Last year's winner definitely went to Rimmel's Stay Matte Powder, as you can see, it saw many a day and is need of a repurchase. It's so amazing due to the fact that it does indeed keep my face matte, which is a problem being an oily skin girl who lives in one of the hottest and not to mention humid places.

Blush
This is another product that saw a lot of light in the year of 2013 and it is MaxFactor's Flawless Perfection Blush in 220 Classic Rose. I swear I reach for this blush every day and have to tell myself that it's okay to use another one, I'm seriously attached to it. I've had this one for so long, I'm not even sure you can buy it anymore!

Bronzer
Well this was a no-brainer, I've mentioned this bronzer more times then I can remember. I learnt how to contour and work with bronzers and highlighters in 2013 and the Maybelline Fit Me Bronzer in Light Bronze has been just a treat. Since I'm quite pale it works wonders with my complexion and really helps create a natural glow.

Highlighter
I don't own many highlighters but boy am I glad I own The Balm's Mary Lou-Manizer, it works really well on accentuating my cheekbones and I'm going to be devastated when I run out of this amazing product.

Eyeliner
There may be a slight chance that I hoard eyeliners but by far my favourite and most used eyeliner is my K-Palette one that I got in Singapore. It's a pen/brush eyeliner and the pigmentation is wonderful and it never moves, and I mean that it takes me so long to get it off. I think this product is the sole reason I learnt how to do winged eyeliner.

Mascara
Now this is a little controversial since a lot of people loved the Clump Crusher and a heap hated it, me personally, I loved it. Works perfectly with my lashes and gives them amazing length and volume without clumping and still keeps them relatively natural.

Lips
Although I have loved some lip liners I've narrowed the lips category down to three products and they are Maybelline ColorSensational in 912 Electric Orange, MAC in House Wine and the Nivea Fruity Shine in Strawberry. All three of these are amazing, I'd probably say that house wine is my most worn shade of 2013.

Eyeshadows
This was a given and I suppose it comes to no surprise that the Urban Decay Naked Palette is my favourite palette and contains my most used eyeshadows of 2013. I'm not going to go into why it's so amazing because you've all probably heard it before.

Brushes
The Model's Prefer Crease Brush and the Revlon Smokey Eye Brush have been my favourite brushes for this year. Using the crease brush has made blending so much easier and I have a full review of the Revlon brush here.

So those are my makeup favourites of 2013, I can't wait to see what products I fall in love with this year. Don't forget to enter my giveaway which is still running and is open internationally. You can find it here.

What were your favourites of 2013? I'd love to know

xoxo