Posts Tagged ‘Make Up’

A while ago I was sent a really interesting new product to test out for you guys, I held off posting about it for so long because I wanted to be extra thorough while I was getting information about it because it’s a bit of a touchy subject for a lot of girls: EYELASHES

A  lot of my friends and girls I know are really self conscious about the size/shape/curve/density/whatever of their eyelashes and I have to admit I’ve gotten quite caught up in the whole thing in the past too. My eyelashes are naturally quite light so when I don’t wear mascara or false lashes it can be a little tough to see them and they don’t stand out against my eyes There all kinds of solutions to this like fake lashes (my fav), lash extensions and dyeing kits and now there is something called “Rapid Lash Eyelash Renewal Serum” which claims to “transform each strand at the lash line from thin, brittle or short lashes into thicker, fuller and healthier-looking lashes by delivering essential proteins, vitamins and other moisturizing and rejuvenating ingredients that replenish the lashes, while adding shine and elasticity.”

That’s a bit of a mouthful and quite a big thing to claim! So I’ve done a road test for you all ^_^

This is the packaging it comes in:

Their literature has a lot of before/after photos. Apparently the serum can be used for eyebrows as well, I don’t think I need my brows any darker though so I just used it on the lashes.

It comes in a little shiny tube with a brush in it kind of like a liquid eyeliner. At AU$65 it’s a bit on the expensive side but it’s an alternative to actual eyelash extensions especially if it’s something you’re really self conscious about.

The liquid is clear and kind of gloopy… When you put it on it’s quite cold because of the metal container which feels quite nice. It takes a few minutes to dry but it wasn’t irritating at all to have on. It didn’t feel like I was wearing anything once it was dry and it didn’t bother me through the night. I did notice that my eyes had extra sleep in the morning but nothing uncomfortable.

What you are supposed to do is apply it to your lash line as if you were putting on eyeliner every night before bed. According to their website you should see a change after around 3-4 weeks. I used it for around 4 weeks before I took all these pictures and I did notice a change. Both James and my Mum noticed that my lashes looked a bit longer and fuller.

The website has lots of features and benefits of the lash serum including things like it’s paraben free, cruelty free and lots of other scientific things about how it works… but I think most of you will only care about how well it works! So here is a before and after shot of me after 4 weeks of using it every night:

(apologies for the blurriness I didn’t even check the photos before I started editing them for the post. Also haha you can totally see James’ reflection in my eye!)

This is my scientific way of looking at it. In my before shot the longest lash I could kind was approximately 76 pixels long after the longest one I could find was approximately 88px. I don’t think there was as big of a change as the before/after photos on their site but everyone gets different results. The numbers don’t lie so as far as I’m concerned it works!

I don’t think this is going to be a product for everyone but I do think that it’s a really cool idea and for girls like me with naturally light lashes especially if you don’t like extensions! If you’re interested in buying some you can get it from Priceline or online here.

Thumbs up!

I’m having so much fun here in Melbourne with Candice! I can’t wait for the big tea party tomorrow!

Would you guys like me to post photos here of the trip at the end of every day or one big one when I get back?

A while ago Eco Tools sent me a couple of things to test out and this bath set was one of them!

You can most likely guess from the name but Eco Tools claim to fame is beauty products that are also environmentally friendly. They also make things like make up brushes (which I previously reviewed) and other fun bits and pieces.

So let the review begin!

First thing’s first: packaging! The bath set comes in a reusable plastic bag which zips closed at the top. The zip has a little loop of cotton ribbon so you can hang it up. I really like the idea that the packaging is actually useful, I would totally use this as a bathroom bag when traveling. It would also be pretty useful to keep hair clips etc in because it’s clear so you don’t have to go searching to find things in it ^_^

So inside the bag you’ll find a loofah, a shower flower thingy, a bottle of shower gel and a bottle of body lotion. One interesting point on the bottles is that Eco Tools is a member of “1% For The Planet” which means that they donate 1% of sales to environmental causes.

Now the loofah! Ok firstly who the hell knew that a loofah was a vegetable? I always thought it was like a sea sponge kind of thingy… but apparently it’s a vegetable so that makes it sustainable too ^_^ So yes, I liked that it had a string to hang it in the shower, I can’t stand things that can’t be hung up in the shower. To start with it was really hard and rough but after adding water and using a few times it’s much softer.  James didn’t believe me that it actually gets squishy with water so I took this photo to prove him wrong hahaha!

The body wash! Omg I wish someone had invented a scratch and sniff computer because this smells so good that there aren’t words to describe it! It’s kind of like some kind of fruity cocktail of apple-kiwi-other-random-yummy-things.

I thought the viscocity was a little odd for body wash because rather than being like a gel it’s very runny. That said it lathered up really nicely and didn’t leave that icky soap feeling after. I’ve been using it since I received it and every time I step out of the shower James comments on the awesome smell hahaha!

The body lotion! This stuff has a really similar smell to the body wash so you really need to go to a Priceline and smell it because it’s seriously awesome :D  I found this to be a little bit thicker than other body lotion that I’ve used but it rubs in well and doesn’t feel heavy when you’re actually wearing it. It’s made from shea butter which feels really nice and it’s not hard to rub in like some other shea mousturisers I’ve used before.

Following on the eco friendly thing the lotion and body wash are also paraben free (YAY!), Phthalate free (if anyone knows how to pronounce that let me know!), recyclable, dermatologist and clinically tested (not on animals!) and hypoallergenic

I’m not a huge fan of shower flowers or whatever else they’re called so I gave it to James to test and his verdict was that is was much softer than his current non-eco friendly one.

So all in all I would say this set is well priced at RRP$24.95 from Priceline. I think it would make a really good gift too because of the cute bag! I sure wouldn’t complain if some one gave me one *cough*Valentines Day *cough*XD

Remember all that time ago when I promised you videos? Well today my friends I deliver! Everyone kept asking about my make up so I have made you all a video tutorial on how I do my basic every-day make up. I really hope you all enjoy it, I’m not a pro at editing or shooting things yet but I am learning so be gentle ^_^ Also how awesomely flattering is the screen cap that got picked for the video

P.S What do you guys think of the theme song James wrote for me? How sweet of him!

Ok so the other half of this post is about the brushes I used in the video. This is a list of all the products I used in the tutorial:
-Foundation- Innoxa Satin Sheen Buttermilk
-Concealer- Bourjois Brush Concealer
-Powder- Cover Girl Tru Blend Minerals 405
-Mascara- Cover Girl Lash Blast
-Blush/Pink eye shadow- Boujois blush 35 Rose D’or
-White/Black eyeshadow- Be Yourself Eyeshadow
-Eyelash curler- 1000 Hour Lashes Heated Eye Lash curler
-Eyelashes- 1000 Hour Lashes
-Eyelash glue- Lash Me Type 1
-Lip Tint- Bourjois Rouge Hi-tech 65-Cyber cassis
-Lip Gloss- Prestige Vinylwear High Shine

Just before the Nuffnang Awards I was sent a box of EcoTools make up brushes to test out so here is my review…

As someone who is a beginner in make up techniques I am always looking for the simplest, easiest ways to do things. Up until I got this set I was using those little foam applicators that came with my eye shadow pots. They always break and don’t last very long and I found that quite frustrating, I also didn’t like the fact that it was quite hard to get a precise line.

So when EcoTools send me this package I was quite excited to be able to try out some brushes! In this pack there are 5 different brushes and a matching bamboo container, you can also buy the brushes individually and the prices range from AU$4.95 – $22.95 (available from Priceline Kmart & Price Attack) which as I understand it is fairly run of the mill for make up brushes of this level. The brushes in my pack are the following:
-Blush applicator
-Angled Eyeliner brush
-Eyebrow brush
-Concealer Brush
-Eyeshadow brush

I tested them all out pretty well as you can see in the video! I gave them a brief play with before we went to Singapore but the big test was really my make up for the Nuffnang Awards and you can see by looking back at the photos, they passed with flying colours ^_^

The thing with EcoTools is that it’s made from all cruelty-free sustainable materials (hence the bamboo holder). So you can feel like you’re doing your bit for the environment while you’re doing your make up When I read the back and discovered that the bristles were synthetic I was a bit apprehensive about whether they would be scratchy but I was pleasantly surprised, it’s so soft it’s kind of like rubbing suede on your face! Also because they are made of bamboo and aluminum they weight practically nothing. That’s great if you’re traveling so you can pack in more copies of Japanese magazines!

My favorite brush is the angled eyeliner one. I don’t use eyeliner often but I’ve found it’s really useful use for getting into to all those annoying parts like the corner of my eyes with eyeshadow! Genius!

I thought the box thingy was quite a handy addition to the pack because I would have no idea how to store something like this. Knowing my track record with my bathroom mess they would probably just end up laying on the counter somewhere ^_^ But now I have the box thingy I’ll keep all my pointy make up items like mascara, lash curler etc in there too!

So final thoughts? Well I’ve thrown out all the old foam applicators and as I mention in the video, I really do like having a set of brushes. I think it’s enough to say I’m using them every day now! I think it will enable me to be more adventurous with make up ideas in future ^_^ I would give these 8/10 over all, they were quite easy to use, the quality and price were good and the presentation was quite cute. I bet they’ll look even better after I deco them

So what is your verdict on my video? Like/dislike? Anything in particular you want to see me do next time? I’m open to suggestions (within reason) ^_^

P.S. Can you totally tell James took these pictures for me because they’re all fancy and arty? If any of you and interested in amature photography you should go and take a look at his blog because he’s started writing tutorials with tips and things now ^_^