Ever wonder how to properly apply lipstick? Well, look no further.
Products mentioned in video:
Hope you enjoy!
Definitely share your tips and tricks.
"We're all out of Paunch Burger here, but Michelle Wie will keep you company while I finish my shower."
Lush has always been the sort of store that takes my breath away.
What can I say, I'm a sensitive nelly and Lush's earth-friendly scents aren't always pleasing to my nose. But if you can get beyond the ephemeral burst of perfume like I did, you'll soon be able to enjoy Lush's passionate and knowledgable staff and all they have to offer.
Back in September, Lush invited a few Melbourne-based beauty and lifestyle bloggers as a way to introduce their brand to us. Lush uses word of mouth to spread their message -- by having us as their captive audience, they were able to get their product into our hands as a way to let our own user experience do the talking. I tip my hats off to you Lush, because I don't think I would've fallen for Ro's Argan Body Conditioner.
Where's a spoon when you need one?
Kale made a top-notch batch!
Early morning Nicole appreciates Ro's Argan Body Conditioner for its ability to expedite my somewhat cumbersome morning routine. Some days after washing up with my shower gel, I like to spread on a small dollop of Ro's Argan Body Conditioner and let it soak in for a solid minute. Just before turning the shower off, I'll rinse off and pat myself dry.
My skin is left feeling soft and that softness is matched by the subtlest hint of powdery, almost buttered rose. With repeated use I have noticed its not enough to keep my skin properly hydrated. For the time being I'll have to pair Ro with my old standby or Sympathy for the Skin (that stuff smells like cookies and cream ice cream, mmmm).
Side note: when I workout the scent is heightened upon sweating. It made doing push-up slightly bearable. Bonus?
The Bagful breakdown:
Total amount for Ro's Argan Body Conditioner:
Value for money spent (performance and quality):
Would another purchase be on the horizon?:
*PR sample provided – Thoughts and ramblings written here are completely my own.
Emotional Brilliance
When I saw that Lush was releasing a makeup line, I knew I had to try it. I love many of their products already (my favourites are Ultrabalm, Sandstone soap, Angels on Bare Skin, and the Bubble Bars) so I had high hopes for their makeup range.
Swatches
The Lush Emotional Brilliance line is a new spin (pun intended!) on choosing colour cosmetics, where customers are asked to spin a colour wheel and without thinking, immediately choose the 3 shades that stand out most to them. I gave the colour wheel a spin at the Lush Perth (Plaza Arcade) and the three colours that stood out to me were a bright orange, light green, and light blue. Those products turned out to be the Strong Liquid Lipstick, Healthy Liquid Eyeliner and Calm Liquid Eyeliner.
When I spun the wheel I noticed that there were a few empty slots, I heard that there was a problem with the original shipment to Australia so my choices may have been different if the wheel had been full (I originally spun the wheel around the end of July when they first launched the Emotional Brilliance line, however my most recent visit to the Lush store was about a week ago and they were fully stocked).
I decided to only pick up Strong, because I wasn't sure how much mileage I would get out of light blue and green eyeliners. I never wear red lipstick as I still have yet to find the perfect red (though I find I can rock a shocking '80s pink lipstick) so I was intimidated by the colour of Strong at first. As the name indicates, it is not for the faint of heart and is a vibrant, reddish orange shade which Lush describes as "blood orange". It does start out having quite a glossy shine to it (but no glitter/shimmer), which gradually fades throughout the course of the day. Strong is very long wearing and as it is a highly pigmented bold shade, it does stain the lips. After eating lunch the shine had disappeared, but the bright red-orange pigment was still there.
Comparison
I found Strong to be comfortable to wear which is no surprise to me since the base of the Liquid Lipsticks is Ultrabalm, my nighttime lip moisturiser. The consistency is similar to a creamy opaque lipgloss and with a loud colour like this, it's not really ideal for on-the-go touchups without a mirror. The liquid lipsticks are housed in small glass vials with a short, doe-foot applicator. Because of the opaqueness of Strong and its liquid-like consistency, sometimes I like to dot a little bit on my lips and blend it out with a clean finger for a less bold look.
Since I was pleased with Strong, I went back and picked up Perspective for a more wearable, everyday lip colour. Lush describes Perspective as "a natural, dusky rose" and on my skintone, I see it as a mauve-y pink with a subtle shimmer. Perspective is not as bold or strongly pigmented as Strong and it didn't stain my lips -- I also found it comfortable to wear.
One of the best things about the Lush Emotional Brilliance line is the price, here in Australia all the Liquid Lipsticks, Eyeliners, and Cream Eyeshadows retail for $24.95AUD and the US retail price is $22.95USD. It's nice not being grossly overcharged for identical products here in Australia! You can give the colour wheel a spin yourself on Lush's website or head into a Lush store. I recommend going into a store and trying the products out yourself to see how it looks on your skintone as well as to see if you like the texture and consistency.
The Lush store I went to had plenty of disposable applicators and all the doe-foot applicators had been removed from the testers so it's a hygienic way to test the lipsticks on your lips. There's also no shortage of their makeup remover, 9 to 5 (which I have purchased before and I liked it but didn't love it) so you can try out as many colours as you like.
Salesperson: "First, take a seat and then close your eyes." Me: "Ok."
Salesperson: "Now I want you to think of white fluffy clouds or even white sheets."
Me (thinking to self): What did I sign up for?
Salesperson: "Ok, so, open your eyes and pick three colours that have jumped into your mind."
The wheel continued to spin until I finished choosing all three.
Spin and Win!
The Selection
Hiding underneath each coloured dot was a glass bottle with dropper-type applicator waiting to be discovered. I just so happened to pick one lip colour, Glamourous, and two liners, In Charge and Fantasy. The salesperson was sweet enough to explain what each colour represented, the first being my subconscious, the second conveys what's rumbling within (or something like that) and third, what I want, essentially my desire(s). If you're into a hippie-dippy experience and don't mind selecting colours on a whim, then have a play online or even visit your local Lush boutique.
As for the colours I walked away with, none of them were the three I chose. Tho, I may go back and pick up fantasy and a cream shadow. When you visit your local Australian Lush location, keep in mind they didn't receive the full lip range due to the fact they were held up by customs, pfft! Once the collection is complete, you'll be able to select from 13 lip colours, 11 eye liners and 6 cream shadows - and, they all retail for $24.95 per glass jar. If you're ecologically-thoughtful, you can even recycle the rubber dropper with your favourite Lush location whenever you've used up all of the product; the applicator and jar is yours to keep, if you wish.
Before I show you my wares, let's take a look at what my psyche chose.
Glamorous (L), In Charge (C), Fantasy (R)
If you love Glamorous, a cool, matte pink lippie, then you're also a lover of MAC's St. Germain. In Charge is a creamy cerulean blue liner which could also be worn as a shadow; act fast or it'll dry quicker than it takes to blink your eye. Fantasy is a fun metallic gold liner which can also be smoothed out on your lids. Two-in-one products are a far better bang for your buck too. The applicators are alright, but you might want to use your own tools in order to get better results.
Don't feel tethered down by what you chose (I didn't) and don't even feel pressured to buy anything; the sales girls were prepped for the day and super excited about what they have to sell. For them, it was all about spreading the word.
In the end, I walked away with Success, a silver liner and Feeling Younger, a creamy skin tint, a.k.a. highlighter. For me it's all about deflection - wrinkles be creepin' in.
Feeling Younger
Feeling Younger
Success
Success Swatches
And how did these perform? Both are relatively easy to apply, I used a liquid foundation brush to dab a bit of Feeling Younger along my brow bone and cheek bone areas. With Success, I actually used the applicator it came with and refined the lines with the aid of MAC's 209. Much to my chagrin, I neglected to put on eye primer; let's just say my final look creased. However, Success stayed in place all evening long.
Above I'm also wearing Chanel's Mirifique and Maybelline's Color Tattoo in Too Cool on my eyes. For my lips, I'm sporting Chanel's Amour.
Total amount for Lush Feeling Younger and Success:
Value for money spent (performance and quality):
Likelihood to purchase again:
Nicole is a Melbourne (Australia) based beauty blogger who has a lifetime of experience admiring all things bright and beautiful in the world of fashion, makeup, handbags and more. She moved to Australia with her husband Scott in October of 2010 and has brought with her a passion for polka-dots, a mania for manicures, and a hankering for handbags. Bagful of Notions is dedicated to Nicole's adventures in these colourful worlds as she shares with you top beauty tips and delicious discoveries she's sure you'll enjoy!
A Melbourne-based beauty blogger and personal makeup shopper who considers herself as a local guinea pig, litmus tester, makeup cheater and your friend who will tell you when something is stuck between your teeth. Here's a toothpick.
