Australia’s own – Hello Darling Nail Lacquer

March 31, 2013 by 4 Comments
From left to right: Fairyfloss, Mint Slice & Tramonto

From left to right: Fairyfloss, Mint Slice & Tramonto

Let me start things off by mentioning how awesome Hello Darling’s nail polish quality is and its longevity is comparable, if not better, than most nail polish brands I’ve tried and use almost religiously.

The kicker here is Hello Darling offers a 5-free formula, “NO toulene, formaldehyde or formaldehyde resin, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) or camphor.” For someone who wears nail polish on a daily basis, the less I expose myself to cancer causing agents, the better! Now if only I could avoid smokers and what they leave behind in their wake.

What else is there to know about Hello Darling? The company was started by two Sydneysiders who bonded over polish and their mutual love for beautiful nails. They don’t test on animals. Their colour naming winks at all things Australian and even extends to favourite holiday escapes. On top of their nail polish range, they also have nail decals, Rockcandy (think caviar) and nail art brush sets!

Recently, I reached out to Hello Darling in order to test a few of their colours — I figured if one of my favourite nail salons is going to stock Hello Darling, then it must be pretty special :)

Hello Darling

Hello Darling

Fairy Floss

Fairy Floss

Fairyfloss (a.k.a. cotton candy) is a soft, sheer light pink with microscopic flecks of silver glitter. While Fairy Floss is quite pretty, it’s translucence was a negative in my book; I applied three coats in order to get decent coverage. With that said, I’d still love to layer Fairyfloss over an opaque white polish in order to see it pop.

Mint Slice

Mint Slice

Mint Slice (named after wicked tasty cookies; the US equivalent would be Thin Mints) is a creamy yellow-based pastel green. It only took two coats to reach full opacity. Mint Slice is fun and so sweet — a breath of fresh air for Spring and Autumn.

Tramonto

Tramonto

Tramonto (the Italian word for sunset) is a creamy blue and also happens to be my favourite shade. Back when Crayola Crayons released 96 colours in one box in the early 90′s, they included cerulean; from then on it changed my approach to colouring the sky, the ocean and rainbows. Silly, but oh so nostalgic. Tramonto is a two coater as well.

A quick word about the brush: put simply, it’s fantastic! Two to three passes is all it takes per nail.

And the polish, it dries fast!

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Hello Darling’s 5-free Nail Lacquer:

  • $18.95 AUS 

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

  • 9 out of 10 bags – quickly becoming my favourite brand of nail polish!

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

  • Let’s see… definitely!

So, what do you think? What colours ticked your fancy?

*PR sample provided –  Thoughts and ramblings written here are completely my own.

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My city: Melbourne

March 16, 2013 by Leave a Comment
GPO Melbourne

GPO Melbourne

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A quick stroll down the street takes me to the GPO (General Post Office), a former fully-functioning hub used for mail collection and sorting — you could even look phone numbers up and pay your bills there too! Last year scaffolding was erected in order for facade works to commence; upon completion a refreshed spirit was revealed in the form of 2,900 LED’s tucked behind cornices, columns and other architectural elements.

Now that the sun is setting earlier and earlier as we inch closer to winter, be sure to head into the city’s centre and check out this beautiful building located on the corner of Elizabeth & Bourke.

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Happy Australia Day!

January 26, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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Most paths lead back to the Brits…

A bit more about today.

 

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Underwear that’s fun to wear — Underwear of Sweden

January 12, 2013 by Leave a Comment

It’s a hot day and you want to hit the beach or the pool after a hard day at work, but shoot, you forgot your bathing suit! Well, that’s when Underwear of Sweden’s Swimmable Underwear comes to the rescue – Helene Pilhage, owner and designer, started her company to help women in this sort of predicament.

For a lot of Australians (including myself) who live and work near the six major cities of this beautiful continent are within driving, walking and cycling distance to some of the loveliest beaches in the world. With Australia’s scorching heat during the summer, sweet relief can be sought by jumping in the water. And why not take the plunge in something really cute too?

Underwear of Sweden

Underwear of Sweden

Recently I selected a set (non-swimmable) to try on myself, but I ran into a slight problem. The sizes I chose run on the smaller side — I could get the garments on, however, it wasn’t cute :( For review purposes I’ll go into detail about the quality, look and feel.

Sweet details

Sweet details

Chantilly lace

Chantilly lace

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lightly padded cups

Lightly padded cups

Adjustable straps

Adjustable straps

Sturdy bra clasp with felt backing to help reduce friction

Sturdy bra clasp with felt backing to help reduce friction

Extreme close up of lace

Extreme close up of lace

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The Eve bra and brief are both made of nylon and elastane for a silky smooth feel and fit. The white lace detailing plays well with the red floral pattern, further enhancing the girlish sentiment of the garments. The stitching is of the highest quality, which leads me to believe this underwear is built to wear, wash and last.

I have a feeling the likes of Bettie Page, Rita Hayworth and Eva Gardner would give this brand their stamp of approval. Romantic, playful and (fun)ctional.

Underwear of Sweden isn’t a brick and mortar store, so do take care in selecting your sizes accurately. Their price points are comparable to Victoria’s Secret, Cotton On and most department store brands.

Like what you’ve seen here? Underwear of Sweden is an Australian brand — international shipping is available and they even accept Paypal!

 

*PR sample provided –  Thoughts and ramblings written here are completely my own.

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Femme Fatale Cosmetics Eyeshadow swatches and review

November 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment

When I moved to Australia I was eager to find local makeup brands since many foreign brands are more expensive here. I came across Femme Fatale Cosmetics and was drawn in by the amazing colours and swatches on the website. In addition to eyeshadows, there are blushes, illuminators and nail polishes.

Femme Fatale Cosmetics eyeshadow swatches in indirect sunlight from left to right: 1. Archangel 2. Divinity 3. Elitist 4. Exorcism 5. Flare 6. Frozen Flame

Femme Fatale Cosmetics eyeshadow swatches in direct sunlight from left to right: 1. Archangel 2. Divinity 3. Elitist 4. Exorcism 5. Flare 6. Frozen Flame

1. Archangel – a soft pinkish ivory with a subtle violet duochrome. Great for highlighting.

2. Divinity – a light pink with a bit of a gold shift.

3. Elitist – a yellow gold with shimmer.

4. Exorcism – violet with a blue green duochrome.

5. Flare – a strong, orange-y red with a gold duochrome. I like to mix this with a clear lip balm to create a red tinted lip balm.

6. Frozen Flame – a light orange with a strong light blue duochrome.

Femme Fatale Cosmetics eyeshadow swatches in indirect sunlight from left to right: 7. Heroic 8. Incantation 9. Inscribe 10. Misdirection 11. Moonglow 12. Moonstone

Femme Fatale Cosmetics eyeshadow swatches in direct sunlight from left to right: 7. Heroic 8. Incantation 9. Inscribe 10. Misdirection 11. Moonglow 12. Moonstone

7. Heroic – a light copper with gold shimmer. Great for an easy, neutral all-over shade.

8. Incantation – a reddish burgundy with pink shimmer.

9. Inscribe – a warm chocolately brown with a soft, pale green duochrome.

10. Misdirection – a forest green with light green shimmer.

11. Moonglow – a light silvery blue with yellowy gold and pink shimmer.

12. Moonstone – a sheer icy white with a light blue duochrome. Looks amazing over a dark base.

Femme Fatale Cosmetics eyeshadow swatches inindirect sunlight from left to right: 13. Mysticism 14. Shadow Dance 15. Smokebomb 16. Spirit Bond 17. Sunfire 18. Unholy

Femme Fatale Cosmetics eyeshadow swatches in direct sunlight from left to right: 13. Mysticism 14. Shadow Dance 15. Smokebomb 16. Spirit Bond 17. Sunfire 18. Unholy

13. Mysticism – a reddish purple with a light blue duochrome.

14. Shadow Dance – a cool toned grey with pink and blue shimmer.

15. Smokebomb – very complex! It starts out dark brown but shifts to green, purple, and gold.

16. Spirit Bond – a strong indigo purple with a greenish gold duochrome.

17. Sunfire – a peachy pink with a gorgeous gold shimmer. Looks amazing on the eyes or the lips, my absolute favourite.

18. Unholy – a dark base that looks like a purple-y brown with a strong green duochrome.

My personal favourites are Archangel, Heroic, Smokebomb, Sunfire, and Unholy.

Overall, I really enjoy all of these eyshadows. They are all swatched dry and without any base or primer and I had no problems with application. If you like highly pigmented, complex colours I’d definitely recommend checking out Femme Fatale Cosmetics’ website.

When I wear these on my eyes I do use an eyeshadow primer. Sometimes I also use a homemade mixing medium (two parts water to one part glycerin) and apply it wet for a foiled look. I also have a primer meant for loose powder eyeshadows that doesn’t change the look, but helps them to adhere to the eyelids better. When I apply these, I get some product on my brush, tap off the excess and pat it onto my eyelids so there’s no messy fallout.

Recently when I’ve traveled with makeup at least one of my pressed powder products has been broken/shattered; so, I like to bring the sample bags when I travel because an already loose eyeshadow can’t be broken down any further!. The sample bags are also great for travel — this allows me to bring lots of colours that I’m not likely to wear on an everyday basis, but won’t take up a lot of space/weight.

Femme Fatale cards, full sized jar, mini jar and sample bag

Femme Fatale Cosmetics’ eyeshadows are available in three sizes; a sample zip-lock bag which contains 1/8 of a teaspoon ($1.10AUD), a mini jar which contains 3g of product and an optional sifter ($3.00AUD without a sifter, $3.10AUD with a sifter) and a full sized jar which contains 5g of product and no sifter ($5.75AUD). There are also discounted sets available. Each eyeshadow is individually labeled and informs the user as to whether or not it is eye safe, lip safe, and vegan. The full sized 5g jars contain a lot of product, so I would recommend those for multi use colours (like peachy, coral-y oranges and pinks that can be used on the eyes, lips and face) or colours you would likely use everyday.

Femme Fatale Cosmetics full face look

If anyone wants to try out Femme Fatale Cosmetics but is intimidated by the bold colours, I created an easy, neutral look using Heroic on the lids, Archangel as a browbone and inner corner highlight, Smokebomb (used with an eyeliner sealant) as an eyeliner, Forever Lovely Rose (discontinued, it was a limited edition item) on the cheeks and Flare mixed with a clear lip balm on the lips.

Femme Fatale Cosmetics is an Australian owned company that does not test on animals. Orders which contain samples only ship free, worldwide :)

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Our weekend in Sydney

October 14, 2012 by Leave a Comment

A few weekends ago Scott and I flew up to Sydney to celebrate our second wedding anniversary and my 29th birthday.  Here are a few shots from our weekend getaway.

Wish you were here

Sydney’s CBD (Central Business District)

Yes, people really scaled the Harbour Bridge

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree

Mermaid fountain

Sitting on Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair

Caught in the act

Stumbled upon a wedding

Luna Park

Looking out onto the end of Port Jackson

P.S. All of these photos were taken by Scott :)

Ever thought about visiting Sydney?

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Illamasqua – Sign the Petition for Cheaper Prices in Australia

August 4, 2012 by Leave a Comment

I fully support Illamasqua’s effort to sell their makeup for far less than what we’ve been forced to pay here in Australia.  I’ve already signed it – it only took me less than two minutes to do.  So, what are you waiting for?

Head on over to Illamasqua in order to exercise your right to fight for affordable makeup.

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Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadow – review

July 8, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Go big or go home – that’s my motto.  I threw myself in, head first and tested Maybelline’s Color Tattoo Eyeshadows last Saturday night. Let’s just say I wasn’t disappointed.

As promised, I used primer on my primer right eye and skipped it on the left.  After the primer went on, I lightly dusted Urban Decay’s Sin from my lash line and stopped at my brow bone.  Then I used Maybelline’s Bad to the Bronze and applied it on my eyelid and crease while making sure I blended upwards in order to create a brownish smoke/halo.  With Bold Gold I concentrated on the inner half of my eyelid and Edgy Emerald went on the outer quarter; I wanted to make sure you could still see a bit of Bad to the Bronze.  As for Painted Purple, I lined my lower lash line; starting a quarter of the way in and then winged out in order to meet up with the black liner along my upper lash line. Finally, I added a coat of Benefit’s They’re Real to my lashes.

Unwittingly, I ended up creating a subtle peacock feather look.

In terms of overall performance, Maybelline’s Color Tattoo Eyeshadows certainly stepped up to the challenge.  They are easy to apply – believe it or not I used my fingers to apply them.  Also, they blend together easily, but make sure you act fast or you’ll run the risk of setting the colours.  In other words, these babies dry fast!  In the future I think I’d skip applying a powder eyeshadow as a base, because I think its presence was unnecessary.  If you want to highlight your brow area, go in after applying the cream shadows.  Primer was a non-issue, as these colours stayed in place all evening – I say skip the primer.

Here’s one final look…

One final note, I wore this look for approximately 8.5 hours; together we weathered a cold and rainy Saturday in Melbourne.  Creasing was non-existent and the colours looked as vibrant as they were when first applied.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadow:

  • $11.95 AUS per jar; $47.80 for all four

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

  • 10 out of 10 bags – unequivocally they’ve reached HG status.  They are affordable and live up to the hype.

Likelihood to purchase again:

  • This should sum things up..

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Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadow – swatches and photos

June 30, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Oooohwhee!  They’ve finally landed.

Six months ago they dropped in the States and they’ve been taunting us ever since.  The reviews were too good to be true – most of us have been patiently waiting to try them out in order to see what all the fuss was about.  Since January, I’ve been combing the interwebs with the hope I’d stumble across a reliable source who may’ve hinted about when Australia could expect to see them.  July was mentioned in one forum; with that, I set my mental calendar to remind me to stalk my local Priceline in late June.  And it paid off!

The Priceline near Bourke Street Mall is already sold out of Too Cool, a frosty white shade, but I didn’t mind.  Tough as Taupe was ruled out as a contender, because it looks like putty; who wants to paint that sort of colour on their eyes?  In the end, I decided to walk away with Painted Purple, Bad to the Bronze, Edgy Emerald and Bold Gold.  Each jar retails for $11.95 AUS, approximately $5.00 more expensive than what they retail for in the U.S.  Priceline typically sells new releases on promotion, but I think these babies are a tad too popular to warrant a sale right now.

Edgy Emerald

Bold Gold

Painted Purple

Bad to the Bronze

From left to right: Painted Purple, Bad to the Bronze, Edgy Emerald and Bold Gold

As soon as I finish writing I am going to paint my eyes with all four shades.  From swatching alone, here are a few observations I made:

  • Painted Purple applied patchy and required several applications in order to build the sort of vibrant colour held in its little glass jar.
  • Edgy Emerald, Bad to the Bronze and Bold Gold required a small amount of product; less waste and a better bang for your buck.
  • All four are buttery soft and have a creamy texture.
  • Maybelline’s Color Tattoos are the same size as Chanel’s Illusion d’Ombre and they sell for a lot less.  $12 AUS vs. $48 AUS.

In order to really test their longevity, I’m going use primer on my right eye and skip the primer on my left eye.  I’ll be sure to report back on how well they performed, address my final thoughts and provide photos of the overall look.

Stay tuned…

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