A rose is a rose is a rose - weekly nail review

I was in a pink kind of mood last Saturday; the sun was shining!  Just around the corner, a sunny afternoon (or arvo, as the Aussies refer to it) was waiting for us.  The natural shade I was sporting from the previous week was singing the blues in the worst way possible. I chose a cheery pink by the name of Primrose Hill Picnic from Butter London.  After leaving French Pink, Scott and I wandered down to Yarra River by way of Starbucks.  The sun in the Southern Hemisphere has been flexing its rays in a big way these past few weeks.  My nail colour selection pays a homage to the awaiting season.

Imported Bubbly by Essie - weekly nail review

For my mani I decided to go with something a bit neutral, because I matched my toes, Marrow by Butter London, to my dress for a gala I attended late last week.  Despite the presence of Essies' new summer shades, I willed myself to choose Imported Bubbly; it was tough, because I've been dying to do another ombre look.  Three colours were chosen initially, but Imported Bubbly won out because of it's name and it's sheen. I decided to dress to impress - the gala put on by my employer was a celebration for the money raised to benefit the little ones with bone growth disorders in Australia.  The night was a huge success - great people, food, entertainment and dancing.  I will note partying on a work night is an extremely difficult task; I may not have drank too much, but man, I was tired the next day!

Cheers!

Burberry Makeup Review

Burberry cosmetics have finally landed here in Ozlandia (Australia to you); David Jones now carries the 16-month-old makeup line alongside their existing popular perfumes.  The counter might be small in size, but their storefront showcases sleek and slim lines much like their packaging and models.  In the cosmetic world Burberry is still young, however their trench coat and classic plaid pattern have both paved the way for such an iconic brand. Upon spotting the counter recently, I quickly made my way over to see what they had to offer.  The colors are reminiscent of Clinique, but still different enough for me to want to try a few things out. I've been meaning to purchase a bronzer, so I asked to take a look.  However, it was mid-day and I was sporting an unflattering sheen from the heat of the day; the sales girl's suggestion was to give Burberry's Sheer Foundation in Trench # 6 a whirl in order to fully see how well their bronzer can perform.  I decided to purchase a shade in Nude Glow # 3, but declined to be up sold on the foundation.  A day later, I went back and added Trench # 6 to my arsenal.

Trench and Nude

Trench

Sheer Foundation No. 6

Nude Glow No. 3

Nude Glow No. 3

Nude Glow No. 3 swatch

Trench and Nude Glow

The coverage of Burberry's foundation is very light, but you can certainly build it up if need be.  I tested the foundation a few more times after making this impulsive/expensive purchase and then disaster struck… my skin broke out!  I unfortunately had an allergic reaction to the light perfume scented foundation.  The following Sunday, I reluctantly returned the bottle and purchased these instead.  Thankfully, I didn't have any sort of a reaction to the bronzer - at least I can continue to sport a sun-kissed glow with my old standby.

Light Glow in Tangerine # 6 and Sheer Eye Shadow in Rosewood # 9

I am a huge sucker for blush, what can I say?!  As for the eye shadow, I have yet to try it out.  As soon as I create a new eye look, I'll be sure to post the final results.  Below I am wearing my new blush and Gorgeous Cosmetics Shimmer Dust in Sand Shimmer.

close up

The Bagful breakdown:

Cost of foundation and bronzer:

• $75 and $70, respectively - I think I paid more for the lovely packaging

Cost of the eye shadow and blush after the exchange of the sheer foundation:

• $40 - I wanted the free gift; there's a sucker born every minute!

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 7 out of 10 bags

Likelihood to purchase from Burberry again:

• Despite my reaction - extremely, but only when I hit the bottom of the pan

HRH - Regality at its finest - weekly nail review

I've been getting my nails done regularly for the past few months; as a result, my nails have become strong and beautiful.  The investment has been worth it, because I am really hard on my nails.  My daily job deals a lot with paper, typing and everything in between. I sometimes even use my nails as tools - terrible, I know.  Now that I pay for maintaining my nails, I am especially mindful of not nibbling on my nails or using them in lieu of a staple remover. Scott's the first to admit he doesn't know much about fashion, but I figured he might want to pick out my colour this week; his input - green or purple.

Purple it is, better know as HRH (Her Royal Highness) by Butter London.  I think Queen Elizabeth would be green with envy; a few random cosmetic girls even gave me kudos for this shade.