Halloween FOTN & OOTN

I forgot to charge my camera, so my photos from the phone are really quite poor in quality, but I still want to show you my oh-so-original outfit for halloween. Wings with a little black dress, how awesome am I? LOL. It was very last minute, I wasn't even sure if I could go out anyway!  Thankfully my mum was able to take the kiddies.  At the time the photos were taken, I wasn't sure what shoes to wear with it, but just before I left the house I decided to wear my black Louboutin pumps, to go with the red and black theme. Smart, eh? Should have worn boots though, because it was quite cold that night!  So perhaps not so smart after all.

Wings I've had for a very long time, since 2005 which was from Bras'n'Things.  Dress by Guess.

It's no secret anymore... YES I am 4 months pregnant.  LOL, jokes!  I just have a fat belly from popping out kids :(

The shoes I wore.  Whoever said Christian Louboutin heels are comfy was a LIAR!  Yes I had to put those things on the soles to make it more cushy, but it still hurt like a b*tch.

My makeup was my typical smokey eye.  What a surprise.  However, it was my first time using Chanel's Illusion D'Ombre (Epatant) and OMG I am in LOVE!  All the hype on that product is true.  I want all the other colours now!  Several hours later, after many tipsy shenanigans, my eyeshadow still looked the same as it did when I first left the house.  In fact, my whole face still looked about the same as when I left, so I'm very pleased with all the products I used.  Especially since there were no touch ups at all, nor did I have to blot my face!  (Or maybe I wasn't drunk enough to ruin my makeup like I usually do, ha).

Eyeshadow from the side.  FYI: I never do my brows, even though I should.  I'm just too lazy, and I always scratch my eyebrows when I'm nervous so I would've looked like a mess by the end of the night.

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in Epatant is such a pretty colour!  And I don't do my eyebrows because they're dark and thick anyway :)

Yep, I couldn't be bothered getting rid of the fall out of glitter on my face.  To me, it's the same as trying to remove glitter nail polish: impossible!

This was posted not only to show you my makeup, but is my little cry for help to any surgeon who can fix my ugly nose for free.  Please?  You'll be doing the world a lot of good, because no will have to be subjected to it anymore!

This is a shot of me once I got home several hours later.  Besides the lips, my makeup still looked practically the same as when I left the house.  No touch ups or blotting!  And yes, I am looking a little worse for wear because I am tipsy in this photo.  As if you couldn't tell!

Products used:

Eyes: Rimmel Colour Rush trio in Orion (light brown for crease, salmon colour for highlight) Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in Epatant (all over lids, used wet with M.A.C. Fix + spray), NARS duo in Pandora (matte black for outer crease), Urban Decay 24/7  Glide on eye pencil in Zero, Benefit Bad Gal Lash mascara in black.

Foundation: NARS Sheer Glow in Barcelona (applied with damp sponge to prevent oxidisation) and a dusting of Bare Minerals original powder in Golden Medium.
Concealer: M.A.C. Studio Sculpt NC30 (undereyes) & M.A.C. Studio Finish NC35 on blemishes.  (Rash is barely visible, thanks concealer!)

Contour: NARS Laguna bronzer

Blush: NARS Deep Throat 

Highlight: NARS Multiple in Luxor

Setting powder: M.A.C. Prep + Prime transparent finishing powder
Lips: NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Sex Machine (base), M.A.C. Viva Glam V lipstick 

Boring Brown OOTD

 

Ok, so the colours aren't all that spectacular, but it's not really a boring outfit.  I think it's quite interesting.  The top is a sheer fabric (hello, bra!) and is a bit short in the front, so you get flashes of skin here and there.  It has opalescent buttons, which I've matched to my shiny-ish snake patterned belt.  The jeans are your basic skinny leg dark wash denim, and the shoes (tan strappy platforms) match the top quite well.  Overall, a typical combo of mine for a casual night out (top, jeans, heels) but still a little different.  I will be wearing this to a dinner & movie :)  The sunnies are in case we go for a walk along the beach... (yeah, right!  Dream on!)

Top: Pilgrim

Belt: Fossil
Jeans: True Religion
Shoes: Zu
Sunglasses: Calvin Klein

The Grudge Halloween Tutorial

Hi!  I have finally finished editing and uploading my halloween tutorial for MissPixieLulu's "Scream for Halloween" contest (click here for her video).  I decided to do Toshio from The Grudge (the ghost of the missing boy who was killed) because I had been watching the original japanese version just a few weeks earlier.  It is such a simple look and can be used as the basis for a lot of other looks, for example: zombie, dead person, Sadako (from The Ring), scary clown, etc.  You can easily find the 3 products used in your home already, or buy it from any makeup or craft store.

Here's a little story that I thought was relevant: When Tony (my 9 year old son) was about 4 years old, he had long black hair that almost covered his eyes and quite a chubby little face.  I already thought he looked like Toshio.  One day I found him sitting in his shorts and teeshirt (same thing as what Toshio wears) on the bed against the wall.  He was hugging his legs, humming very quietly and just staring into space (he often does this, as he has autism).  I was so freaked out, I couldn't go in the room and had to get my mum to get him off the bed!  These days, Tony has gotten quite skinny and has shorter hair, but he still occasionally reminds me of Toshio...

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the tutorial.  While it took me quite a long time to put together this short 2 minute video, I had a lot of fun choosing the music for it and such.  If I had a better camera and a laptop that wasn't 6 years old, I would actually love to do more looks for YouTube.  The girls who make videos regularly, I applaud you.  It is not as easy as it seems.  It takes a lot of time and patience.  Enjoy!

Skin Woes Part II

Today I finally saw a doctor about the spots of dry, itchy, persistent rash on my face/neck/torso (and this morning I discovered a new one on my right arm, grrr).  I didn't see a doctor in the first place because I knew he would just prescribe me a hydrocortisone cream.  I can get that myself from a pharmacy!

As predicted, the doctor prescribed me a hydrocortisone combined with an anti-fungal, but he told me he didn't really want me to use the cream.  Reason being, if I had already tried it, had it clear up but then come back, my skin would clear up in the short term but might become dependant on the cream, resulting in flare ups.  Instead, he urged me to see a skin specialist and wrote a referral for me.

I'm actually quite excited to be seeing a dermatologist for the first time in my life.  Lord knows why I've never seen one before, especially because of my keratosis pilaris.  I called up the clinic and the first appointment will cost me $150 for a 15 minute consult with the doctor.  Ouch!  I don't know when I'll get to see the doctor, but I'm hoping I can get the money soon so that I don't have to feel so depressed about my skin, on top of everything else going on in my life.

Fingers crossed he will cure all my skin ailments!

Have You Ever Had a One Night Tan?

The Model Co One Night Tan is the best wash off tanning product ever!  Relatively inexpensive ($26 AUD for the bigger bottle, comes in a convenient travel size too) and smells delicious.  Not to mention how natural and bronzed your skin looks after application!  For some reason, I could not find it on the Model Co website, so I'm praying that it hasn't been discontinued.  I'm pretty sure that David Jones, Myer and Priceline still have these on their shelves, but to be honest, I haven't really been looking out for it as I have a backup in my cupboard already.

It is a very light-weight mousse that is easily rubbed in to create a gorgeous, natural looking bronze sheen on your skin.  You cannot mess it up!  One application gives you a light, natural brown colour with a touch of shimmer that can only be seen under bright light.  Two coats gives you a deeper colour.  The mousse can easily be layered to create the colour you desire.  Obviously, the more layers, the deeper the bronze glow.  If you apply this with your bare hands, you only need soap and warm water to wash it completely off your palms (I always need to double wash, though).  I prefer to use disposable gloves, because I'm lazy :)

One thing about this tanner is that is does not rub off at all.  I have tried a few other wash off tans and each one remains sticky feeling and ends up rubbing off against things, such as the car seat, bed sheets, clothing.  The Model Co One Night Tan does not come off, even if you sweat a bit, until you wash it off with soap and warm water.  That, and it's gorgeous chocolatey biscuit scent, is what makes me love the product so much.  Just check out how it looks:

My legs with no tanning product on.

Left leg with two coats of mousse.  Right leg bare.  See that gorgeous glow on my left leg?!

Both legs with two coats of mousse.  Very natural looking, is it not?

I like using the One Night Tan on a night out, or sometimes during the daytime in summer if my legs will be bare.  I have keratosis pilaris, which means my legs look rather spotty and bumpy.  When I use the Model Co One Night Tan, it masks my imperfections a little and gives my legs a smoother appearance, a bit like I'm wearing stockings.  Here's a look book image of me wearing the tan on my legs on a night out:

If anyone can confirm for me if this product is still available, that would be great!  I will be so sad if it has been discontinued :(  I have already emailed an enquiry to the company but so far, I have not received a response.  I love this product a lot, and have been using it for over a year now.  I don't want to have to go on a search for another holy grail wash off tan!  So... have you ever had a one night tan?  I think that every girl should have one every time she goes out!

Beauty School Drop Out + My Skin Woes

How typical of me.  Before my Diploma of Beauty Therapy course even starts, I've had to drop out.  Not because I don't want to do it, but because I left it far too late to enroll and secure a spot.  Ladies & gentlemen, this is why you should never, ever procrastinate!

Luckily for me, I'll be able to enroll for the next course, which isn't too far away.  They start a new course every few months, so in that time I will be able to save up enough money to just pay for the course outright.  Plus, I was told that I wouldn't be allowed to get my regular wax or de-fuzz myself anywhere, because it would all be done at school in class.  Um... Don't shave in summer?  Does not compute!  There are two weeks in between classes, so people would've mistaken me for a man (if they don't already)!

I am still looking forward to studying beauty therapy, so I've already started learning by reading as much as I can (magazines & beauty blogs count, right?) The internet is a wealth of knowledge & I intend to utilise it!

Tomorrow I will start to write up my review for the Burt's Bees sugar scrub + body butter.  I usually use a product for at least a month (often a lot more) but I've been using the butter daily and the scrub every few days (my keratosis pilaris is hating me for it) and I have not had any adverse reactions and it doesn't look like things will change.

Speaking of which, my neck broke out from something (sunscreen? Perfume?) a few weeks ago (before Burt's Bees) and left a crazy scattering of dark red rashes all over my neck.  Remember the good old high school days when your boyfriend would give you hickies? (No, Rin... You never had a bf in high school?!)  Well, it looked like I had been getting it on with teenage boys who like to leave their mark on my neck.. 0_0  The rash didn't clear up with my trusty coconut oil, but to be fair, I was too impatient and gave it only a week before I got sick of the knowing looks from strangers and finally spoke to a pharmacist.

Anyway, my point is, I cleared the rash up with good old 1% hydrocortisone cream but that, in turn has now broken out my face.  Really badly.  Like, I look like I have a disease.  I have light, extremely dry spots on my face that even if I drown in oil, does not stay moist, therefore anything I apply (blush, liquid foundation, powder, heavy duty moisturiser etc) I can still see the discolouration and the dry spot... Wahhh!  My life is over!

Well, I hope you can understand why I don't want to post up photos.  I can't bear the thought of forever capturing the atrocity.  It's not exactly something I want to look back on... Anyway, I'm just rambling.  I just wanted to share my current beauty woes :(  I'm still smiling, though.  My kids keep me happy & sane (as unbelievable as that sounds, it's true!) So I'm off to watch them sleep now.  Goodnight xo

October's Lust Have It Box

Another really quick video revealing the contents of October's Lust Have It box (featuring my youngest son)!  For more info on Lust Have it, visit their website.  PS: Don't watch if you don't want to see what's inside!

Direct link to the video: http://youtu.be/l7WzUBa7d18

Vodka & Caviar by O.P.I.

I have had this nail polish for two years, and its consistency has not changed at all!  It is still the same as when I first bought it.  Most of my nail polishes get thrown out around the two year mark because they get dry and clumpy, but this one is still going strong.  It's so easy to apply, and looks great against my skin tone (in my opinion, anyway!)  I believe that Vodka & Caviar came out in the Russian collection a few years back.  I don't think it's available anymore, but I haven't really done much research into it.  I just wanted to show off my shiny, pretty red nails that I wore on the weekend :)

Both photos are two coats of Vodka & Caviar with a top coat over it by O.P.I.  It could've done with a third coat for the colour to be deeper, but I was in a hurry and two coats was sufficient.  I had not cleaned up the nails yet, so excuse the sloppy job!

What's Inside the October Beauty Box?

I decided to film a quick video on the contents of this months Beauty Box.  If you don't want to know what's inside, please don't watch the video!  But for those of you who are curious, here it is for your viewing pleasure (or displeasure, seeing as I look like a hot mess!)  Videos are so much easier to do than writing a post.  This morning I woke up and just randomly decided to film, frizzy hair and all!  Hope you enjoy xo

Here's a direct link to the video: http://youtu.be/uAYOLYqnS68

Cosmetic Cupcake's Pink For October Giveaway

The gorgeous 'Chelle of Cosmetic Cupcake is having a giveaway on her blog in support of breast cancer awareness month.  And what an awesome lot of prizes she has up for grabs!  Check it out:

I'm most excited about the Clinique key ring with mirror and three mini lip glosses.  How bloody cute is it?  Makes me want to order a set for myself, if only it weren't sold out (say it isn't so?!)  And the limited edition Maybelline Hello Kitty mascara is pretty darn special, too!  For more details about the prizes and to enter, please visit this link.  It's open internationally, so I encourage everyone to enter.  Pffft, as if you could so no to those goodies, anyway!  xo

Why I'll Never Love The Skin I'm In...

My thighs.  It's basically all over my lower legs too :(

Back of arms.  It's also kinda starting to appear on my forearms.  Argh!

I'm pretty sure the pictures will show you why I will never love the skin I'm in.  I have an unsightly, bumpy skin condition on almost all of my body.  Damn you keratosis pilaris!  I will post about it more later, but for now, look at the pictures and feel sorry for me.  Because I sure do :(  I'll never feel confident about myself, no matter how good I look, because my skin will never be pretty.  Pretty, smooth skin is what makes a girl.  Men often say they love how a woman's skin looks and feels.  This is why I don't want to get with any man.  Anyway.  I'm just feeling rather depressed at the moment, so this is a fitting post.  If you don't know what KP is, I will be writing in depth about it at a later date, and tell you the things I have tried to get rid of it.  *sigh*  Goodnight!

Zu Shoes... *Drools*

I have been obsessing over nude or tan heels for the past few months, yet I have not actually had the pleasure of buying any new shoes... *yet*.  I thought I would show you a few relatively inexpensive shoes that I'm lusting after from Zu.  You can buy these in store across Australia or you can visit their online store to place an order (free shipping, no minimum spend!).  There is a current sale on right now, 50% off selected spring styles.  Some of the shoes I want are on sale, so you better leave me a pair of those in my size!  (FYI, I wear an 8).  Got a tissue ready to wipe up your drool?!

IRIS in tan - (50% OFF SALE) $80 AUD
Gorgeous, interesting design.  Very comfortable and easy to walk in, looks good with a short skirt for day or night!

TIPPLE in cognac - (50% OFF SALE) $75 AUD
Solid, great looking shoe.  Good for corporate wear, but would also look good with a pair of jeans for casual or class.

TYRA in nude/patent - (50% OFF SALE) $65 AUD
Nude wedges...  Comfy enough for walking around during the day yet chic enough for night and classy enough for corporate.

RORIZ in taupe - (50% OFF SALE) $90 AUD
I love this design!  Perfect with jeans or a mini skirt, for day or night events.

SOUSAO in tan - $150 AUD
This shoe is a little on the large size, the leather stretches a lot so get one size down.  It looks great with jeans for a casual or dressy look, and looks super sexy with a mini!

MONET in tan - $100 AUD
Want to look cute, add height and be able to walk all day long (even on sand)?  This sandal heel will dress up your casual outfit, or take you from day to night.  Cute and practical!

ISABELLA in silver sparkle - $120 AUD
Perfect shoes to stand out in amongst the night life crowd!  Comfy, too.  Suprised?

*All photos are sourced from zushoe.com.au.

Weekend Beauty Blog Hop

The weekend beauty blog hop is back! Thanks to Sarah who is hosting this linky link. Enjoy the following beauty blogs, and don't forget to add yours if you have one! Have a great weekend :)

Redken Satinwear Blow-Dry Lotion

This is a product I was very curious about, because lots of beauty gurus on YouTube raved about it.  I read reviews on MakeupAlley, saw that it had mostly positive reviews so finally bit the bullet and purchased it from a salon in Doncaster for about $26 AUD.

Prior to using this, I was using the Redken Smooth Down Heat Glide (review here), which I was really happy with.  However, I wanted to try something different, because I always like to switch it up and try new products in case it's even better than the last.  I was getting bored of the heat glide...

Initially, I hated the Redken Satinwear blow-dry lotion.  Absolutely hated it!  It was too runny, the pump was difficult to open each time I tried to use it, it made my hair frizzy and hard to blow dry.  The only thing going for it was the scent, which is really fresh.  It's kind of a sweet, citrus like scent.  I used it for a month, even though I hated it.  I wanted to give it a fair trial.  I guess I was just waiting for a miracle to happen, and that one day it would just work beautifully like how it seemed to work for everybody else.

After a month I finally gave up and threw it into the back of the bathroom cabinet.  I was sick of dealing with the frizzy hair.  I went back to the Redken Smooth Down heat glide and decided to give the Satinwear away to my sister to try (she is a big beauty lover, like me).  However, months went by and I completely forgot about it.  Not that long ago I wrote a review on the heat glide, and said I would write a review on a similar product that I had tried that hadn't worked for me (which obviously was the Satinwear blow-dry lotion).

Before writing this review, I decided to give it another go, just because it was so long since I had last used it.  I've been using it for about 3 weeks now.  My thoughts on it have totally changed.  The miracle finally happened: it works beautifully!  I think I was using too many pumps (I used to use 1 and a half, or 2 full pumps), and it was laying a thick coating on my hair which made it frizz during blow drying.  I now only use half a pump (if that!) and the results are on par with the heat glide.  My hair is frizz free, smooth, not sticky to the touch (in fact it feels like nothing in my hair) and, of course, my hair has that lovely fresh scent to it.  Plus my hair looks shiny, which only usually looks that way after straightening.

The thin, runny consistency.  Looks a lot like... well, I'm not even gonna say!  LOL.  I use only a tiny amount, as that gives me the best results.  Keep in mind that I have extremely long (to my butt) hair!

Look at that shine!  This is after a rough blow dry using just my fingers.

How I use it: After washing my hair, I towel dry it.  I leave my hair wrapped in a towel for five-ten minutes, then let it out.  Using just half a pump, I apply the Redken Satinwear Blow-Dry lotion to the lengths of my hair, focusing on the ends.  Any remainder gets applied to the roots (there is barely any product when I do this).  Then I proceed with blow drying my hair.  I never use a brush, only my fingers.  I don't aim for a sleek, straight look.  I just want to get my hair dry!

I blow dry my hair twice a week, and using the Redken Satinwear Blow-Dry lotion makes me feel at ease about using heat on my hair, as it protects your hair.  It certainly makes my hair silky feeling and shiny looking, and the best thing about this product is that it cuts my drying time by half.  It usually takes me ten minutes to blow dry my hair, but when I use this, it only takes 5 minutes.  I'm so glad I held onto this bottle and decided to give it another chance!  While I'm not loving that it's not a natural product and is in fact laden with chemicals and silicons, I justify it by telling myself that the majority of the products that I do use are natural.  A little chemical here and there won't hurt.  Plus, if it's making my hair manageable and nice, and cutting my blow drying time, that's a win-win right there!

The only annoying thing about this product is that the pump does not twist to close, so I have to keep it open.  If I attempt to close it, it kinda gets stuck and I can spend about five minutes trying to twist it open again!  And also, because I only use this twice a week, some dried product gets pumped out when I next use it again, so I have to pick it out to chuck it away.  Very annoying.  However, I will use this bottle until it runs out.  Afterwards, I would consider repurchasing if I can't find a similar product that is natural.  Any recommendations?

Date Night: Mixed Animal Print

Check out what I was planning to wear on a date. Here I was, all ready to go, all I had to do was put on some make up (I was planning for a smokey neutral eye with deep red/plum lips). At the last minute, it got cancelled because my mum (aka "babysitter") had a wedding to go to and I had completely forgotten. That sure taught me not to take her for granted! *sobs* Speaking of weddings, marriage is something I'm guessing I will never experience for myself... *triple sob*

Oh well! Such is life. I ended up going to the local pub with my boys for fish & chips. Of course I got changed into tracky daks, the regular attire one would wear to a pub. I didn't want old men staring at me! Let's face it, my skirt might as well have been a belt. I have terrible legs and possibly cellulite (I haven't dared look in years) but I still insist on wearing skirts that barely cover my butt cheek. Yep, I'm one of those... So why do I do it? Well, for some reason mid length or long skirts don't suit my frame. So the shorter the skirt, the better proportioned I look. Go figure!

Anyway, my point is, was my date night outfit trashy? I kinda feel like it was, but if you saw some of my past outfits from when I was younger, I have actually gotten heaps classier. I had a really skanky fashion sense back then (daddy issues, no doubt!) so I think I've improved heaps... right? *nervous grin*

If you have a lookbook account, fashion (and/or beauty) blog or a fashion (and/or beauty) channel on YouTube, please let me know about it as I love anything to do with fashion (and beauty)! Wishing you all a great weekend :)