March 22, 2014

Take me back to Hawaii NARS Kauai

March 22, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

The warm setting sun tickled my frizzy hair as the waves lapped at my feet. The culmination of these feeling emanated from Kauai when I first cracked open the compact last week.

How can two colours conjure up memories from one of my top holidays? Look to the pan -- Gold Lame and Iridescent Smokey Orchid are akin to the sand, sun and surf.

Believe me, I could wax on poetically about NARS Kauai and Kaua'i, for that matter, for hours.

In order of importance, I bought this particular palette for:

The colour combination - my hazel peepers really sparkle
The name

While I do love NARS' blush and lipstick formulas, the eyeshadow is something I've really had a love/hate relationship with.. love the colours, hate the quality. Then again, a makeup artist alluded to the fact Francois reformulated his eyeshadows.

And I now believe her!

Talk about pigmented! And this is post dry swatching

Gilded lids and a matte base for the smallest amount of added depth

NARS Kauai's finely milled formula refuses to budge, crease, fade or fallout. Telling attributes of a high performing eyeshadow.

I have yet to try applying these wet, but it'll be the first thing I do this morning.

Can't afford a trip to Hawaii? NARS Kauai will most certainly transport you on the cheap.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for NARS Kauai Eyeshadow Duo:

$55.00 AUS / $35.00 USD

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

10 out of 10 bags — I could see myself hitting the pan very quickly. Time to buy a back-up! Scratch that! It's a permanent addition!!

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

NARS Matte Multiples should be launching in Australia on 1 April. Get at me, Laos.

March 21, 2014

Giddyup, Illamasqua's Blending Brush

March 21, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

I've been toting around the MAC 217 for years and it's really starting to show its age. Chalk it up to getting wedged inside my makeup bag, as well as repeated use with very few baths between application.

Around my makeup mirror I don't practice what I preach.

Then fate stepped in a few weeks ago right around the same time I was considering buying a 217 back-up; Rebecca of Illamasqua introduced me to the Blending Brush.

Side by side comparison: MAC's 217 (bottom) and Illamasqua's Blending Brush (top)

It was love at first touch.

I heard, "now I'm going to blend out wah wa wha wha wha." In that moment Rebecca sounded like Charlie Brown's elementary school teacher.

The bristles are so silky soft to the point where it feels like each bristle (synthetic and cruelty-free) is skating across the eyelid. The blending brush also enjoys a good windshield wiper motion, patting, tapping and general all over sweeping.

In addition to its smooth moves, those aforementioned synthetic bristles refuse to absorb product. The 217 can be a real b*%@h to clean thanks to the creamy white goat hair bristles -- my OCD goes into overdrive whenever they get stained from product.

MAC 217 don't be offended when you're relegated to the back of the drawer from time to time.

Brushes are always an investment, ultimately choose what feels right (and works) on you.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Illamasqua's Blending Brush:

$35.00 AUS / $32.50 USD

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

9 out of 10 bags — Illamasqua's Blending brush is my little work horse.

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

The Shattered Star Nail Varnish in Trilliant gave me pause.

March 17, 2014

A glimpse at the lips: Burberry's Lip Glow in Pink Sweet Pea No. 20

March 17, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

In middle school Bath and Body Works was all the rage. If I close my eyes I can still smell the girls locker room -- it wreaked of Sun-Ripened Raspberry, Freesia and Sweet Pea. I often would choke from the popular girls' chosen scents; let's face it, I wasn't ready to be a girl-y girl at 13.

Seventeen years later bright lippies and perfume bottles now clutter my bathroom shelves.

Burberry's Lip Glow in Pink Sweet Pea is a bright fuchsia pink with shimmery blue undertones. The perfume scent is ever-present, yet is something I look past due to its far more appealing qualities..

opaque coverage
lasts for hours
silky smooth and non-sticky

And it looks wicked awesome.

It's the lip gloss you never knew you always wanted. I'm looking at you, Diana.

Pink Sweet Pea has been my go-to lippie companion. If I don't have it on me I suddenly feel like Linus sans blanket.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Burberry's Lip Glow in Pink Sweet Pea No. 20:

$45.00 AUS / $27.00 USD (sadly, it's currently sold out on a handful of US online stores)

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

10 out of 10 bags — Considering I've been lusting after this for over a year, I must say it's exceeded my expectations. I am fully prepared to buy several back-ups.

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

The Complete Eye Palette in Plum Pink No. 6 looks magical.

March 16, 2014

The outtakes

March 16, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

Recently, I've had a few people compliment my photography skills via Bagful and Instagram and even ask about the equipment I use to capture the images used on this very blog. About two years ago Scott purchased a Canon EOS 650D a.k.a. the Rebel T4i (with a flip out screen), a very trust macro lens, as well as the EF-S 18-135mm lens.

A year later we acquired a remote so I could easily take my own photos instead of having Scott remain behind the lens. Then in June I bought a Canon Speedlite to enhance the image quality with better lighting. Now you get to really see me, warts and all.

Sometimes, I must admit, it gets pretty boring vogueing for the camera. My eyes also get pretty tired from squinting at the screen from reviewing what I shot -- yeah, I wear glasses, but you didn't know that until now. To help pass the time I'll throw in a funny face; more often than not I'll forget what I'd done and will find myself laughing at, well, myself amidst the editing process.

Here are some outtakes. I hope they bring a smile to your face.