Sisterly Social: Makeup

TOO FACED CHOCOLATE BAR PALETTE

Thursday, March 05, 2015Unknown

I can't believe I've had this palette for about 7 months now but never thought of swatching any of these colours! I almost always do the same eye makeup look for everyday and rarely ever switch it up and use bolder colours. I mean, I'm not the type of person to rock up to uni with purple and electric blue eyeshadow on my lids.

I was looking at this palette thinking, "Wow, have I really only used 4 of these colours?" so I thought I might swatch some of the more 'adventurous' shades in the palette and see how they show on the skin. I wasn't expecting them to be this pigmented or dare I say it, 'buttery'!

In the photo above, I rubbed one finger into each of the five shades: Amaretto, Creme Brûlée, Candied Violet, Cherry Cordial, Triple Fudge (left to right) and gave a single swipe on my arm WITHOUT PRIMER. So impressed and wish I'd only swatched these sooner!

What is your favourite shade in the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette?

Enjoy! ♡

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4 HANDBAG ESSENTIALS

Wednesday, March 04, 2015Unknown

Before I leave the house for a full day of work or class, I make sure my 4 essentials are ALWAYS in my bag. Most of the time I carry around way more than this because I'm a 'just in case' type of person that pulls out band-aids, bobby pins, dental floss, and tissues - but if I had to choose my 4 'ride-or-die' handbag essentials it would have to be these.

Johnson's Baby Cologne - On a hot day especially in the Summer, the last thing you feel by the end of the day is fresh and clean. There's nothing more refreshing than a little baby cologne on your neck, arms, face, and underarms (yes, even there). Johnson's original Baby Cologne contains denatured alcohol which disinfects anything and everything and leaves a clean, fresh smell on your skin.

Pressed Powder - I don't have overly-oily skin however there are spots on my face that do get rather oily half-way through the day if I don't set it with a mattifying powder. So I always make sure I have a matte or mineral pressed powder in my bag just in case my nose starts to get a little too shiny. Such a lifesaver!

Lip Balm - Since I was young I've had to deal with cracked lips. When I was 9, my best friend said to me, "You have dry circles on your lip" and I remember instantly licking my lips knowing that they were peeling patches on my lower lip. Never again will I let my lips get that dry and peely! I have been using NIVEA lip balms since I was in high school although back then I would only try my sister's Strawberry flavoured one. Nowadays, I just opt for the most hydrating and repairing lip balm by NIVEA and I love it!

Perfume/Fragrance - If you know me, you know I ONLY wear Chloe. I love how clean and fresh, yet feminine it smells. Just a spritz or two and you're good to go. I can't get enough of it!

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7 USES FOR OLD MASCARA

Tuesday, March 03, 2015Unknown

Don't throw away your old mascara! Give the mascara wands a thorough clean and disinfecting to remove all of the old goopy and crusty mascara from the wand. Once you have your clean mascara wands, you'll be left with clean wands with varying bristles and brush ends.

Here are a few ways you can use them:

Lip scrub and exfoliator - Apply your lip scrub with a densely bristled wand (seen on the left) and gently exfoliate your lips using the wand. This is much gentler than using a toothbrush yet more invigorating than using your fingers.

Adding extra volume to your lashes - Lightly coat your lashes with a loose powder (translucent or baby powder) before applying your mascara for instant volume.

Applying your eyelash growth treatment - There are many eyelash growth treatments out there but one of the cheapest and simplest DIY treatments is the humble olive oil! Apply a thin coating of olive oil to your mascara wand and apply to your eyelashes before sleeping. Gently wash off the residue in the morning.

Brushing off mascara mistakes - If you ever get mascara on your face, nose or eyelid by mistake, wait 10 seconds until the product dries and gently use a mascara wand to brush off the dry mascara. You'll be surprised, it'll come right off!

Darkening your brows - Tap your mascara wand into your brow powder and comb the wand through your brows for a fuller and more natural brow look.

Setting your brows - Apply a spritz of hair spray into your mascara wand then comb your wand through your brows to set them in place!

Remove clumpy mascara from your lashes - Sometimes your favourite mascara just gets clumpy and no matter how hard you try to remove the clumps it just gets even worse! Comb a clean mascara wand through your lashes to remove the clumps without adding any more product to your lashes.

Enjoy!

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FEBRUARY 2015 EMPTIES | PART II

Tuesday, February 17, 2015Unknown

Clinique Gentle Waterproof Mascara (02 Black/Brown)
This is by far one of my favourite mascaras as it doesn't clump or get chunky given that it is a waterproof mascara. It holds a curl all day and you needn't worry about flakey dry mascara falling all over your face. I really like this mascara as it gives a natural look to the lashes as it is dark brown in colour.

Maybelline EyeStudio Gel Liner (Blackest Black)
This is my favourite gel eyeliner and I will continue to use this forever! It is true to it's name 'Blackest Black' and makes eyeliner so easy to apply! It claims to be smudge proof and waterproof for 24 hours which I think is a false claim since it does transfer onto my eyelid if it is still semi-wet. Overall, a great gel liner!

Revlon CustomEyes Mascara (002 Black Noir)
This one was interesting. I got this for $1 on Scoupon a long time ago and the empty mascara tube has been sitting there for months. For me, this didn't work at all because it didn't hold a curl at all. The formula is very clumpy and wet which weighs down the lashes and within less than 2 minutes of applying my mascara, my lashes would lose the curl which defeats the purpose of curling them in the first place. The concept of the brush is really cool. The top twists allowing for the silicone brush to move from the 'volumising' setting to the 'lengthening' setting. Give this one a miss if you have straight lashes.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Mascara (01 Black)
I was so sad to see this mascara run out! It is teeny-tiny and has the smallest mascara wand I've ever seen! This is great when used on the lower lashes as it never clumps or applies too heavily. Sometimes I use the wand to remove any clumps in my upper lashes and at the same time lengthening them. Highly recommend this!

Chloe Signature Eau de Parfum
Hands down my favourite perfume. It smells fresh, clean and feminine - but not the girly/sweet feminine type. The bottle is so cute perfect for carrying in your handbag (that is, the 50ml bottle).

Enjoy!

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FEBRUARY 2015 EMPTIES | PART I

Monday, February 16, 2015Unknown

It's always good to go through your makeup and throw out what has been used up and what needs to retire. Here are a few face empties I have used up this month:

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation
This is one of my favourite foundations to use during Summer when my skin is darker. I truly used this down to the last drop and even tried to scrape some out with the pump stick! It is a really good foundation for normal to dry skin however I will admit that when I got lighter after Summer had passed, it started to look a bit too pinky/orange on my face as I have yellow undertones. Nonetheless a great 'drugstore' foundation!

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder
I've used these for a couple of years now and I'm pretty sure these are my 3rd and 4th empties. These are in the shades 004 Sandstorm and 005 Silky Beige. It claims to keep you matte for up to 5 hours which for me doesn't quite work as I get oily quickly around the nose and forehead but I still like it.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer
I have repurchased this 3 times over the years and for a drugstore concealer it's pretty good! I've recently started using it as an eyeshadow primer and I'll admit it works better than the DaVinci Eye Primer which is 4x more expensive! This is in the shade 10 Light which I like to use to cover up darkness around my eyes and highlight at the same time.

Clinique Almost Makeup Teint Natural Parfait
I got given this by my aunt and although it was too light for me (02 Light), it was really good for mixing in with other darker foundations (like the Rimmel Foundation). My sister Sophia also uses this foundation because she is a lot lighter than me. It is fragrance free, oil-free and gives a sheer coverage for those days when you don't want to wear a lot of makeup. So far, all good things!

What are your empties and what are you favourite products you always repurchase?

Enjoy!

Beauty Blog Budget

Lacura Barely There Eyeshadow Palette

Saturday, February 14, 2015Unknown

If you've been looking for a dupe for Urban Decay's Naked (original) palette, I think we just found it! The Lacura Barely There Eyeshadow Palette comes with twelve shadows that are comparable to the Urban Decay Naked Palette and Chi Chi Nudes Palette. So many brands have come out with their own dupe for the Naked Palette however I think this one takes the cake!

The palette comes with a double ended brush and applicator (is this even necessary? :-P), 10 shimmery shades and 2 matte shades each containing 1g of product in each pan. The packaging is fairly sturdy and has a magnetic closure which is another plus! The palette is only $9 from ALDI - yes, ALDI!

Hopefully this was helpful!

Enjoy!

Beauty Blog Makeup

Meet my longtime favourite nail polish

Wednesday, February 11, 2015Unknown

No joke, this was the first time that I'd painted my nails in a year. A YEAR. Mainly because I've been full time working at a desk, typing away at a computer which means that the lifespan of my nail polish has gone to zip after busying my hands for hours on end. It came to a point where I actually looked at my nails and saw the boring, blank hands before me and I thought, 'DANG, I'm becoming a boring office robot!' So I decided that something needs to change.

I wanted a zap of colour, quick to apply, easy to dry but still good on short nails. Since it's summer, I picked out a bright green shade from the hordes of nail polish that I already had. And praise the gods, I had Revlon's 'Posh' nail polish!

I know that you might think Green Nail Polish = Grade 2 sleepover party, but when you think about it, Revlon did name the shade 'Posh'. 'Posh' isn't Nickelodeon, kiddy bright but a nice cool green that's actually quite ladylike and looks good with or without jewellery.

I've had this nail polish for about a year now and usually by now you'd think that the formula has gone thick and goopy, but in fact it's as sleek as the day that I bought it. It's heavily pigmented so you don't even need to apply two coats, meaning that heavy feeling on your nails is pretty much non-existent.

I have so much love for this nail polish that it's lasted so long and not only that, but it still looks great. It's now a go to for me, and shows no signs of going out of style or the formula going bad.

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Basic Travel Makeup Essentials

Wednesday, February 04, 2015Unknown

We recently just got back from holidaying overseas and thought that we'd share our makeup travel essentials! Although makeup is part of our daily lives back home here in Australia, things completely change when you travel to a different country. There are limits, people! Luggage allowances, weather conditions and the fact that your number one priority is to explore the amazing place you're travelling to are all things that all affect your choice in makeup travel essentials. So here are some tips to get you started!

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Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream

Saturday, December 13, 2014Unknown

This is a great all over face and body cream ideal for anyone with dry skin or dry patches. It is great when used to smooth out dry patches on the forehead, under eyes and nose and applied on a fresh face just before bed.

The smell isn't for everyone which can somewhat smell like your 80-year-old grandma's perfume but if you pick up the fragrance-free version, it shouldn't be a problem! The consistency is thicker and feels like an ointment - unlike some liquid moisturisers or lotions. It is deeply moisturising despite the initial thick greasy feeling on the skin.

Here are some ways you can use it:

Under the eyes and over the eyelids at night to wake up feeling refreshed awake
Over dry areas or spots such as around the nose, forehead and upper lip
As a lip moisturiser or lip gloss as it is very glossy and soothing (without the lip glossy 'sticky' feeling)
On dry areas over your body such as heels and cuticle

Enjoy!

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DIY Makeup Clipboard Brush Cleaner - Sigma Spa Glove Dupe!

Tuesday, December 09, 2014Unknown

Cleaning your makeup brushes doesn't have to be a chore. You've probably seen the Sigma Spa Brush Cleaning Glove all over beauty blogs and beauty YouTube videos.. but for us who don't want to spend US$39.00 on a textured silicone glove for cleaning our makeup brushes, this is an EASY and CHEAP way to do it!

The photos are pretty self explanatory. For this, all you need is a clipboard and a hot glue gun! Glue-on your own designs to create a bumpy surface. This will give your brushes a deep clean and also cut your brush-cleaning-time down.

Enjoy!

Beauty Blog brow care

BROW POWER! Face of Australia HD Brow Kit

Wednesday, November 12, 2014Unknown

Making sure that your brows stay intact all day is what this little kit can offer.

I remember back in 2010 when I was a beginner in makeup (not that I’m a pro nowadays) the least important part of my beauty routine was brows. It sort of sat at the bottom of the list. In fact, back in pre 2010s, I do recall that it was actually the fashion to pluck your eyebrows so thin that they were kind of like small little trails of hair that kind of just sat there.

But with the advent of bold brows ruling the stratosphere of beauty, my eyebrows are the first and most important part of my beauty routine now. Because going out with a fresh face of makeup but meh brows just doesn’t sit feel and look quite right.

One of the best things about this product is that it comes with a wax to apply on your eyebrows prior to adding the powder shades on top. It works really well in keeping all the stray hairs in place and adding a lot more definition to your brows. So well that you don’t need to wear any brow gel afterwards because it sets so nicely without the crusty frozen feeling that brow gel gives.

I’d definitely recommend it if you have rather sparse eyebrows because the wax really adds body to your eyebrows. But if you’re like me, where your eyebrows are already quite dense, you might want to go easy on the wax because of how pigmented it already is. At times even just skip it altogether because you don’t want to make your eyebrows look ratchet. Yes, ratchet. Too dark can often be too much.

At about $9.45, it’s a hardy little thing that does make your eyebrow definition last literally all day. Go for it if you’re looking for a brow kit that’s low budget but still delivers!

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NYX Center Stage Jumbo Pencils

Monday, November 10, 2014Unknown

The NYX Center Stage Collection includes six jumbo pencils that are highly pigmented and so easy to use. The neutral shades are perfect for when you're in a rush and want a shimmery all-over eyeshadow that will last all day. No need for an eyeshadow base or primer for these as they are so pigmented and blend-able.

The best thing of all, you can use these jumbo pencils in so many ways! Here are some tips:

Jumbo Pencil in Milk (white):

All over eyeshadow base
Under-eye brightener
Eyebrow highlight then blend
Inner corner highlight
In the waterline to highlight and make your eyes appear bigger
Highlight all over the face including bridge of the nose, cheekbones and cupids bow (then blend)
Under your concealer to act as a base over dark circles, spots, or redness

Jumbo Pencils in Yoghurt and Sparkle Nude:

All over the lid as a single shadow (it will stay all day!)
Highlight the inner corner
In the waterline to highlight and make your eyes appear bigger (less harsh than using a white)
Highlight your cheekbones, inner-corner and cupids bow (then blend)

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It's Here: Lorac Pro 2 Palette

Tuesday, November 04, 2014Unknown

Ah, welcome to the family. For the longest time I've been reading reviews and watching YouTube videos on this palette and at last, it's here.

Of course, I had to take a photo before actually swatching and using the palette.. (we all do this!) Surprisingly I've had it for three weeks now and still haven't gotten round to playing with it! With the uni semester finishing and only a week until exam period, I haven't been able to try it out yet. From the looks of it, the Pro 2 palette has the same concept as the original Pro palette - all mattes on top and shimmer/sheen shadows on the bottom row.

What are your favourite Lorac products?

♡

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Thumbs down: Savvy Long Lasting Brow & Eyeliner Pen

Sunday, October 26, 2014Unknown

Give this one a skip, guys. It's not worth ruining your skin for.

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Spring Primer!: Rimmel Stay Matte Primer Review

Wednesday, October 15, 2014Unknown

Now that winter is well and truly over, I've decided to drop the heavy based primers and opt for something lighter. Read more to see why Rimmel's Stay Matte Primer is no exception.

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Dry Brush Cleaning: Sponge Spot Clean

Sunday, October 05, 2014Unknown

Brush Cleaning Tip: Dry Brush Spot Cleaning using a packing sponge

Makeup brushes should be cleaned after every few uses. Deep cleaning is ideal for disinfecting and removing product, oils and dust that can start to build up. In between washes, spot cleaning is ideal for those times when you don't have time to deep clean. We've recently discovered a quick and easy way to do it!

Use a packing sponge you can purchase from any post office or a sponge that comes in packaging. Brush your makeup brushes over the sponge and it will easily remove any eyeshadow. This is great for switching between shadow colours and cleaning off eyeshadow left on brushes!

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The Perfect Palette: Lorac Unzipped Palette

Sunday, September 21, 2014Unknown

If you haven't found the perfect palette until now, then here it is. Meet the Lorac Unzipped Palette.

Here is what you get:

4 matte shadows: Undercover, Unspoken, Unconditional, Unbridled
6 shimmer/sheen shadows: Undiscovered, Unbelievable, Unreal, Uncensored, Unattainable and Untamed.
Wide mirror
A Thin, small and travel-friendly palette
Large square tiled pans

Day/Night eyeshadow combinations:

Everyday matte day-time look:

Work 'Unconditional' into your crease as a transition shade
Deepen up the crease with the matte light brown shade 'Unspoken'
Use the matte cream shadow 'Undercover' for an all-over matte lid shade
Carve out your outer 'V' with the red-toned brown shadow 'Unbridled'
Deepen up the outer 'V' 2 outer third with 'Untamed'
Blend all together with the same brush you used to apply 'Unspoken'
Highlight your brow bone with 'Undercover'
(Optional) Highlight inner corner with 'Unreal'

Evening shimmery-browns look:

Go in with 'Unconditional' as the transition shade to prime your crease for blending
Use 'Unattainable' all over the lid for a golden/brown shimmer (apply dry with a brush for a sheered out sheen look OR apply wet with a brush or fingers and dab for an intense shimmer)
Use 'Untamed' in the outer third and slightly work it up into your crease to mimic a deeper eye socket
Use the matte brown shade 'Unspoken' to blend out above 'Untamed' that you've just applied
Highlight your brown bone with 'Undercover'
Highlight inner corner with 'Unreal'

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Seven Uses: Maybelline Barely Branded Color Tattoo

Saturday, September 20, 2014Unknown

Seven different uses of the Maybelline Color Tattoo in 'Barely Branded':

All over lid primer - make eyeshadows on top stand out and appear brighter
Use as an inner-corner highlight
Use as a cheek bone highlight - sheer it out with your fingers and dab over your cheek bones for a diffused highlight effect
Use as a 24hr long wear eyeshadow all over the lid
Use as a brow highlight
Use as an eyeliner highlight or 'double liner' flick

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Affordable Black Gel Liner Comparison

Saturday, September 13, 2014Unknown

Maybelline EyeStudio Gel Liner & eBay $1 Gel Liner

Ever wondered what the $1 eBay Gel Liner is like? Let us break it down for you.

Maybelline EyeStudio Gel Liner in Blackest Black:

PROs:

True to its name - BLACKEST Black
Glass packaging
Applies and dries matte black (not shiny like a liquid liner)
Safe in the waterline
The price is right!
Long-wearing
A little goes a long way

CONs:

Product dries up after the 3 months or so (Tip: use a hairdryer or heat it in the microwave for a few seconds to revive your gel liner!)
ALWAYS out-of-stock
Can transfer if you have oily lids

eBay $1 Gel Liner:

PROs:

$1 - How can you go wrong?
Equally as black as the Maybelline EyeStudio Gel Liner
Good for Halloween makeup and costume makeup

CONs:

Plastic lid and pot packaging
Useless applicator brush
Dries to a shiny black finish
Does not dry quickly - may transfer even before you finish lining
Difficult to work with and apply
Wouldn't trust it as safe to use in the waterline or with contacts

OVERALL:

Go with the Maybelline EyeStudio Gel Liner don't bother waiting 3-4 weeks for a $1 eyeliner from eBay!

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Concealer Compare: Rimmel Wake Me Up! vs Maybelline Fit Me

Saturday, September 06, 2014Unknown

Rimmel Wake Me Up!

Watery texture for a lighter feeling, but doesn’t have as much coverage as Maybelline. Better for more acne prone skin as it’s less likely to clog pores. Better with mineral foundation
Has a yellow tone for people with less of a pink shade to their complexion
Doesn’t last as long as Maybelline
Has a larger doe foot which drags too much product out of the bottle

Maybelline Fit Me

Denser and more pigmented formula for better coverage. Has a creamier texture. Better with liquid/cream foundation.
Has a similar yellow tone to Rimmel Wake Me Up!
Heavier texture = lasts longer
Smaller doe foot applicator for more precise application

Older Posts Home

Ah, welcome to the family. For the longest time I've been reading reviews and watching YouTube videos on this palette and at last, it's here.

Brush Cleaning Tip: Dry Brush Spot Cleaning using a packing sponge

If you haven't found the perfect palette until now, then here it is. Meet the Lorac Unzipped Palette.

Here is what you get:

Day/Night eyeshadow combinations:

Everyday matte day-time look:

Evening shimmery-browns look:

Seven different uses of the Maybelline Color Tattoo in 'Barely Branded':

Maybelline EyeStudio Gel Liner & eBay $1 Gel Liner

Maybelline EyeStudio Gel Liner in Blackest Black:

eBay $1 Gel Liner:

OVERALL:

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