NARS All Day Luminous Weightless foundation review

It's only been a million years... but I have finally created a new video for YouTube! I've been meaning to buy a new foundation for the longest time but have always put it off seeing as... well, you know... I never wear makeup as it is. But then an event comes along and I feel like shit with my undone face, amongst the glamorous cake faces of the night.

As much as I hate wearing foundation, I hate standing out even more. I'd rather blend in and be one of the girls. So it was about time I got my hands on a new foundation to try! Watch the review below, but if you don't have the 3-ish minutes to spare, I list my thoughts and key points after the video:

What I loved about it:

• It really does feel weightless
• The colour match for my skin was perfect (Barcelona)
• The finish is very natural - not too matte, not to shiny. It was just the right balance which resulted in quite a lovely velvety finish.
• Very easy to apply as it was quite a runny liquid and very much like the NARS Pure Radiance tinted moisturiser (which is my go-to product)
• It barely oxidised on me. I have the kind of skin that turns any foundation into an oompa loompa shade and this one oxidised only just a teeny tiny bit.
• I didn't get to try this out for myself as I had only a small sample container to go by, but it comes in a sleek glass bottle with a pump which I already know I will love. What's not to love about a pump?!
• It does not contain SPF so it is perfect for flash photography, which happens fairly frequently during events/night's out!

What I didn't like about it:

• It did oxidise, albeit by just a tiny bit
• I didn't use a powder with it, so maybe that would have solved this problem, but it felt like it never really set. If I rubbed my face, some would come off.
• It got a bit shiny as the day went on. Nothing that blotting or a dusting of powder wouldn't fix, but I'm the kind of person that doesn't do stuff like that throughout my day simply because I don't like carrying extra makeup and brushes in my bag.

Final verdict? I like it enough to buy. When I did the review, I wore it to work. I'm quite active and busy at work, on my feet all day and sweating and such. I really put it through its paces. However, my intended purpose for a new foundation is to wear it to events or night's out only, which means it suits my purpose just fine.

Crest 3D Whitestrips Vivid: before & after, demo + review

I purchased a pack of Crest whitestrips from this website a week ago and gave them a try (on video)! My teeth have never been white but I wanted to see if it would make any difference at all.  I think it did, what do you think?  The above photo is the before and after.  To see the demo and review, watch the video below.

Direct link to video: http://youtu.be/o3poJxiG6iw

Rihanna Inspired Simple Spring Eyes

One of my favourite makeup looks is of Rihanna's stunning bronze eye with a pop of blue, from her music video "If It's Lovin' That You Want".  It's such a simple yet striking look.  Here's a screen shot of her amazing eyes in the music video:

Screen shot of "If It's Lovin' That You Want" by Rihanna

I believe I'm such a big fan of this look because Rihanna is such a stunner in it. I would kill for a body like that!  And I was a huge fan of Rihanna when she was still a good girl (before she had "gone bad"). I still love her songs, I just want her innocent image back!  But I digress...

   

I filmed a quick voice over tutorial, emulating the eye makeup.  This is my first voice over video and I think it's safe to say that I need a lot more practice with voice overs!  It's a very wearable look, perfect for spring.  I know Melbourne is in autumn now but the past two days have been so nice and sunny, I sometimes forget which season we're in!

Direct video link: http://youtu.be/odfg_eBvobo

List of products used:

I managed to get a lot of use out of a few products that I received in my beauty subscription boxes, so you may be familiar with or even own a few of the products listed here!  I'm quite liking the Lime Lily cream blushes, and I've worn the Lash Republic lashes so often that they are looking a little worse for wear. Products received in a beauty subscription box are marked with an asterisk (*).

Eyes: 

• Naked 2 palette (half baked on lids, chopper in crease, foxy as highlight, suspect to deepen crease)
• Dior 5-Colour Iridescent Eyeshadow Quad in Electric Lights (darker blue shade only)
• NARS Larger Than Life Long Wear eyeliner (Via Veneto)
• Lash Republic "Accentuate" false eyelashes*

Face:

• NARS Sheer Glow foundation (Barcelona)
• Lime Lily cream blush (Princess)*

Lips: 

• Mirenesse 3D Forever Gloss (Hello Kitten)*

The No Makeup Tag

I was watching Kefrank12's No Makeup tag video and decided to do it myself. I think the questions help you get to know me a little bit better and I'm always interested in knowing how other people feel about makeup.  The girl who actually created the tag is MissTiffanyMA and her video can be found here: http://youtu.be/Wi1P8mih-NA. Below is my video, and below that are the questions in bold, and my written answers.  I hope you enjoy the video!  I tag... YOU!

Direct video link: http://youtu.be/fBpSntzzP40

1. Scouts honor that you aren't wearing any makeup :)

I most definitely was not wearing any makeup of any sort in the video, except for whatever was left over of my lip balm (KORA Organics) from the morning.  I filmed the video at 3pm.

2. What is one makeup product you cannot live without?

Lip balm!  Or something like lip gloss to keep my lips moist.  I can't stand the feel of dry, "naked" lips!

3. What is one makeup product you can live without?


Setting powder is a product I can live without.  It's not an absolute necessity and often, I don't even apply it after doing my makeup anyway.

4. Do you feel confident without makeup on?


Yes!  I'm much more confident without makeup than I am with makeup.  I feel so self conscious when my face is done up. I can constantly feel it and always wonder if I've accidentally rubbed my eyes and smeared my mascara or something.  Oh, the stress it causes me, lol!

5. Which part of your face do you like the most?


My eyebrows.  I don't ever have to do anything to it.  I like that it's naturally dark, thus I can skip a step in my makeup routine (of "drawing on" eyebrows). In fact, my sister plucked my eyebrows for me when I was 10 and since then, I've never really had to do much to maintain them.

6. Where is one place you will never go without makeup on?


A formal event, such as a black tie gala, red carpet, formal, wedding etc. Anything that calls for sophistication and class.

7. Where is one place you can go without makeup on?


Absolutely anywhere.  I'm not fussed.  I think I mentioned in the video that I have been clubbing without makeup before.  But I've also been to a few weddings and parties without as well.  Not to mention all the fine dining restaurants I go to (on a date) sans makeup!

8. Would you rather go without makeup for a week? Or let your boyfriend do your makeup for an entire week?

I would never give a man control over what to put on my face.  Hell no!  LOL, and I didn't mean that in a sexual context.  I would rather go bare faced for a whole week than have him play makeup artist.  I go for several weeks without makeup anyway!

Taking It All Off

How do you take off your makeup?  Do you use wipes or a cleanser?  Perhaps both?  I'm going to be showing you how I take mine off, and why I choose to do it this way.  If you're a visual person, watch the video, then simply keep reading to find out more!  Otherwise, just keep reading...

Direct video link: http://youtu.be/T8UuEXLYM0k

First of all, I always tie back my hair to keep it out of my face and dry.  And before I do anything else, I wash my hands, mainly out of habit.  But washing your hands before washing your face is a good idea to minimize the transfer of bacteria anyway.

EYES

I use Lancome Bi-Facil eye makeup remover on a round cotton pad to remove all my eye makeup.  I like to remove eye makeup separately because some eye products, particularly the waterproof kind, are  difficult to remove.  I have used many different eye makeup removers, but the Lancome Bi-Facil is the only one that takes everything off in one go, without having to rub or tug at your eyes.  

I soak a 20 cent area on my cotton pad with it, then hold it over my eye for several seconds.  I lightly rub the pad on my eye and drag it off, taking off all my eye makeup with it.  I do just one eye at a time, to make sure I'm thorough.  If there's anything left over, I don't repeat this step, I simply move on to the next because it'll all come off then.

FACE

I use a cleansing oil to remove the rest of my makeup.  The one I'm currently using is the M.A.C. Cleanse Off Oil, but I am happy using any brand of cleansing oil.  They all work the same.  I squirt 2 or 3 pumps of oil into my dry hands, then simply rub it all over my face in circular motions.  I spend a good 2 or 3 minutes gently rubbing it onto my face to thoroughly dislodge all the makeup.  Once my face has had a rather nice massage, I rinse the oil off my hands, then rinse my face with warm water.

You could call it a day and leave it at that, but I don't like the idea of having any traces of oil mixed with makeup left on my face, so I always cleanse my face with Philosophy Purity Made Simple cleanser.  I use a fairly good sized amount and rub it all over my face as I did with the cleansing oil.  After half a minute or so, I rinse it off with warm water.  I then pat dry and follow with my moisturising routine (which I will one day post about).

So, how do you take yours off?

5 Minute Makeup Challenge

I filmed my attempt at the 5 minute makeup challenge, which was a huge fail. I didn't have time for lip gloss, powder or mascara! I forgot to have all my brushes nearby and my foundation, concealer and blush was just slapped on. The result was rather poor, I looked about the same as I did before I applied any makeup.  Plus my right tee-shirt sleeve was flipped up the whole time... wtf?!  How gangsta!  Haha!  Watch for the lols (plus a special guest appearance by my son)!

Direct link: http://youtu.be/uHH6dNSXCiE

December's Lust Have It Box

If you've been living under a rock (or not in Australia) then you probably aren't familiar with what this is.  Lust Have It is a monthly subscription to a beauty box that contains 5-6 deluxe samples of high end brands or brands that you may not have ever come accross but are equally popular.  It costs $14.95 AUD per month and you can cancel anytime.  To find out more, such as what brands they're affiliated with, visit their website: www.lusthaveit.com.au.

There are many of these beauty boxes that you can subscribe to.  Currently I'm subscribed to Glossybox (www.glossybox.com.au) and Lust Have It.  So far I've been fairly happy with both.  I wish I could subscribe to every single one out there!  But I think I'll have to cancel my subscriptions soon, as I really need to save money for next year.  Anyway, enough blabbing!  Here are the contents of december's Lust Have It box:

Moxie 8 pack regular tampons - $4.39 for pack of 16

Lash Republic complete lash set and glue - $25

Full size Glasshouse Fragrances Marseille fragrant body bar in Gardenia - $12.95

50ml Evo "the great hydrator" moisture mask (for hair) - $29.95 for 150ml

20ml Kosmea purifying cream cleanser - $34.95 for 150ml

Full size LimeLily Cosmetics waterproof eye pencil in "Jet" - $18

20% off code for purchases from the Moxie website and a yummy little candy cane!

Here's my video where I share a bit more of my thoughts towards the products:

Direct link to the video: http://youtu.be/hGrelYOr7SY

Are you subscribed to any beauty boxes?  Are there any that you highly recommend?  I'm open to maybe subscribing to another one :)

Lust Have It - November 2011

I'm sorry this is a last minute quickie post... I got caught up watching the movie Armageddon (can you believe I've never seen it till now?) and it's just so sad!  I really don't have the energy to focus on the post I was going to put up, which was swatches of the Chanel Illusion D'Ombre eyeshadows.  Next time!  For now, I'm just going to show you what's in the November Lust Have It box.  You'll also see my icky skin up close.  So enjoy... or shirk in horror?  LOL.

Direct link to the video: http://youtu.be/UornEMwPs3I

PS.  I really cannot believe the movie is so sad... *sniffles* I'm off to contemplate the end of the world and cry myself to sleep now... Till next time, ciao xo

PPS. I might go ahead with the giveaway.  Watch out for it soon!

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!

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

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

Meeting Miranda Kerr

I lined up for about 2 hours on Saturday, 27th August 2011 to get my book signed by the ever so gorgeous Miranda Kerr at the David Jones Bourke Street Mall store.  I said I'd get up early just so I could be one of the first in line, but of course that didn't happen.  I didn't leave for the city until 11am (event started at 12!) and I was pretty much towards the end of the line.  Here's a few snaps of me on the way:

Just a tad excited!

My 3yr old boy doesn't know what we're doing or why mummy is acting like child with ADHD.

My outfit for the day was soft pink themed.  I wore my pastel pink off the shoulder Guess knit tee and carried a pink Bvlgari handbag.  I didn't want to wear high heels because I knew I would be standing for a long time, so I opted for a very low pair of cream shiny pumps from Aldo (if I had a soft pink pair, believe me, I would've worn it!)  My jeans were a dark wash pair of skinnies by Gripp and I had to wear sunnies (brown Tom Fords) because my eyes were really red (turned out I had a minor case of conjunctivitis... ewwwww)!

Love the dirty mirror!  That's what happens when you have kids who brush their teeth and spit everywhere but into the sink.

I took a video of Miranda as she came out during her second appearance.  You can view the video at my beauty channel on YouTube or my personal channel.  They are of the same thing but from different angles.  (Beauty channel vid= a bit cut off in the beginning, quite shaky towards the end because my arm got tired and filmed from the side.  Personal channel vid= full video filmed front on but also quite shaky, a lot of talking can be heard in the background and a whinging child bumping the cameraman every now and then).

Now, on to actually meeting Miranda.  As I was walking up I nearly tripped because I didn't realise that there was a slight incline to the stage (how classy!) and as soon as I was there in front of her, she confirmed that I was Rin and silly me, in the heat of the moment I end up striking a conversation with her and forget to turn around for my photo.  D'oh! 

I actually asked her a very personal question that normal people don't go around blurting to one of their idols.  I asked her if she was still breastfeeding her son.  She is so sweet, she actually smiled and nodded and said that she was.  So while she was signing my book, I was telling her that I had breastfed both my sons for over two years each (to which she raised her eyebrows and said "wow, good on you!") and then harped on about something or other to do with breastfeeding.  She actually agreed with me that breastfeeding is such a natural and beautiful thing to do.  She said "what is up with that?!" in regards to some people not choosing to breastfeed or stopping after a very short while.  Anyway, I can't remember the conversation fully as it's hard to concentrate when a beautiful woman is looking you in the (red) eye and talking about how beautiful breastfeeding is!  So on to the pics:

Dazed and confused after talking to Miranda!

I was going to include some photos of her outfit sourced from other sites, but I think I will do that in a different post because I don't want this to be too long.  But let me just say, the shoes that Miranda was wearing... O. M. G!  To die for!  In fact, her whole outfit was so simple yet chic and classy.  I asked David Jones on their facebook page what shoes she was wearing and they told me they were Jimmy Choo and available in DJ now.  If you want to see what it looks like, read this article.  But be warned... you WILL fall in love!!

So, the rumours are true... Miranda Kerr truly IS a sweetheart!  Check out her newly revamped KORA Organics line here.  (Post on KORA Organics coming up!)

Miranda Kerr Talks About KORA Organics

I wanted to do a whole post tonight on my day in the city to attend the Miranda Kerr book signing, but sadly I'm absolutely knackered from shopping.  So here is a video of Miranda talking about her skincare line and book.  I actually got to speak to her, we had a conversation about breastfeeding!  She is such a sweet girl and her products are great.  I will post about it later, for now enjoy the video... PS- Sorry for the shaky camera and background noise!

 

Here is the link to the video (it's on my personal youtube channel): http://youtu.be/ZPr1Zd5Fj38