by VioletLeBeaux | Jul 15, 2011 | Review
Kean from Vanity Box .com.auapproached me a little while ago to test out some of their products and get feedback on everything. Considering the fact that their shop has been on my “to buy” list for quite a while I was pretty happy to say yes! I was sent both clothing and a selection of their make up products so I’ve decided to split it into two posts. Clothes and accessories first, here are my experiences!
General info about Vanity Box:
Vanity Boxis a Korean clothing/cosmetics import website. They are based in Brisbane, Australia. They stock various Korean clothes and Ameli cosmetics. They have a physical store in Sunnybank Australia but mostly deal online. It is a small business run by a couple who share a love of make up.
Shipping:
I was really surprised at the shipping time, on the site domestic orders have a shipping time of 2-3 days but mine arrived 24hours after I finalised which items I wanted. Obviously international orders would take a bit longer but within Australia that’s still super fast.
Website:
The site is cleanly laid out and easy to use, I didn’t have any problems finding anything and all of the photos were very pretty while still actually showing the item.
On to the individual item reviews!
Princess Diary Earrings (bottom in the photo)
Price: AU$13.80
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Thoughts:The first day I wore the Princess Diary earrings out I received several compliments on how very “me” they were XD It’s a pearl with a damn crown, how could I say no? The pearl feels like the heavier glass fake pearl (as opposed to cheaper plastic) and the crown is a very sturdy metal. The posts seem to be made of a different kind of metal and are a slightly different colour, they feel substantial and well made if maybe a tiny bit heavy when worn for long periods of time, that said I don’t normally wear even remotely heavy earrings so it could just be that I’m not used to them just yet. They sit very nicely on the lobe and provide a little extra bling without being over the top.
Flower earrings (not up on the site yet, I will update once they are) (top in the photo)
Thoughts: |
Again very sturdy metal, the posts feel very securely in place as do the diamantes inside the butterfly. They certainly feel a cut above the kind of earrings you normally get here for around that price point! Each of the petals points a slightly different way so they appear natural and I imagine would be very nice for a spring themed look with some other butterfly accessories. I’m not a huge fan of the colour but I think that’s my fear of orange talking not a legitimate criticism hahaha! I think these would go well in a Pushing Daisies inspired outfit.
Evening Party Bracelet
Price: AU$16.50
Thoughts:
This is a 4 string pearl bracelet with one large divider filled with diamantes and two smaller dividers on either side. I like the detail of the extra small dividers because they keep the pearl strings firmly in place. The pearls themselves are again glass so they have a good weight to them. The diamantes all seem very secure and I have worn it out several times without losing one. I keep mentioning this because in my experience tiny diamantes are the first thing to go! The silver dividers are shiny as hell so it looks awesome with other blingy jewellery or just by itself to add a tiny bit of sparkle.
And just because I freaking love this photo, here’s what it would all look like old photo style 😀
The package came with business cards, lollipops and a little ghost kitty notebook. So cute! Businesses always get extra points from me by including little sweets 😀
Candy Mirror (Not on the site yet, will update with details)
Thoughts:
This little gold flip mirror has been decorated on one side with ruffled nylon lace and dessert cabochons. The star cookie had fallen off in transit but a dab of glue fixed that very easily. I’m not a fan of gold so much so this one wasn’t to my personal tastes but I do appreciate the idea objectively! Had it been in silver I think I would have loved it a lot, as is I think I still would like it if I deco’d the other side. The flat side is the perfect deco surface actually so it leaves it open as a perfect personalised gift if you add their initial ^_^
Leopard Sparkle Pouch
Price: $13.70
Thoughts:
I wasn’t completely sure what to expect from this, in the photo on the site it looks like it’s made from satin-ish fabric. In person it’s actually slightly reflective dance-ish material with velvet flock on the leopard print parts and it was very hard to get an accurate colour photo because it changes from pink to orange depending on the light. It has a little gold ball pull on the zipper to make opening and finding it in your handbag nice and easy. The inside is made from dark pink satin and has a pocket on either side. For such a little bag it holds a ridiculous amount of stuff. I have made this my official travel make up bag now because it’s like a Tardis inside while still compressing down enough to fit in my handbag if I need it to *_* Absolute favorite feature though, is the fold out sides. The zip goes all the way around to the bottom on each side which is great for access but it would also mean if you packed stuff in tightly it would just fall out when you open again, to combat this it has pleated side flaps made out of the inside satin which fold to hold everything. Perfect access without stuff all over the floor. The only critique I have on this piece is that some of the inside edges are raw and exposed so would probably fray over time.
Nova Check Headband
Price: $6.00
Thoughts:
Nice simple checked headband available in a couple of different colours. I love it because it’s such a staple item that it can go with pretty much anything. The underneath has lined in a fabric reminiscent of suede which was a really interesting touch, I wasn’t expecting it but the slightly roughness actually held it on my slippery hair better than the little painful teeth bands of this size usually have. Now I want to cover all of my headbands in suede!
Mellow Top
Price: AU$34
Thoughts:
Absolutely love the lacy fabric this top is made of, it’s super soft and comfortable. I am wearing it here with a pink belt and a plain white long sleeve shirt underneath because it’s rainy and freezing here at the moment. I thought the design of this was a little bit odd, the sleeves are actually different lengths by around 10cm (not sure if that’s intentional or not) and the bottom hem is folded under at the sides so it forms those little puffy triangles which fall at the hips. I really like it and the quality is nice but I’m still working out the best way to coordinate it for my figure. The sleeve ends have elastic in the gathers so you can push them further up your arms for shorter sleeves. Below you can see it without the belt. It’s completely see through and I think it would be much more flattering with a singlet underneath in Summer rather than a long shirt for Winter so I’m looking forward to wearing it then!
And lastly my absolute favorite piece for the entire bunch!
Angelic OP
Price: $65
Thoughts:
I love this dress. This dress is everything that I love about Korean fashion: soft colours, laces, pretty patterns, interesting textures and tiny details. It’s freesize so I would definitely check the measurements before ordering but I found it was quite spacious, the waist was very stretchy elastic and so provided a really nice shape.
The skirt is made a sheer floral lace and has a thin modesty slip underneath. The slip is around 10cm shorter than the dress so it’s very cute but also would be quite short depending on your height, I’m only 151cm and it’s quite short on me. The top is completely see through so I needed to wear a skin coloured singlet underneath. The buttons on the top are pearlescent and very pretty. I love how many textured fabrics are used in this dress, and the top especially is really fun to play with because the fabric is all bobbly XD
I like this one so much I made James take *a lot* of photos ^_^
Wearing it with my current favorite jumper to keep out the cold!
On Monday I will review all of the make up products they sent too, look forward to it because there is a hell of a glittery pink in there!
If any of you are interested in purchasing from Vanity Box they have some special offers for my readers below:
1. Get a store credit worth $5(valid on sale items too) for a limited time of 2 weeks, if you head over to the post here and fill out a 6 question survey.
2. Buyers that leave constructive reviews once they’ve received the item (members that register on the site can leave reviews on product pages) are eligible for store credits worth $5 or $10 . This is available for up to 10 reviewers a month and this is an ongoing offer.
3. For the next two weeks orders over $35 qualify for a free plat lip colour of their choice, normally worth $9.50. Just quote the code “Violet LeBeaux” and choose the colour you want in the checkout comments box.Hope you enjoyed the review, and definitely go have a look around Vanity Box, lots of very cute Korean styled clothing, accessories and make up at very reasonable prices. Yay for Australia actually having reasonably priced imports finally!
by VioletLeBeaux | Jul 13, 2011 | Art, Review
As you guys know I’ve been doing quite a bit of drawing recently to relax at night. I tend to cycle between knitting, embroidery, drawing and video games depending on my mood at night and having the ipad has given me yet another medium to play with. From my art posts quite a few people asked what programs I was using to draw with so here is my list and reviews!
All of the pictures in this post were done with InkPad
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Firstly short reviews of apps I’ve tried but didn’t make the cut:
Finger Sketch (free)
Link to the app store.
Basic fractal art app which mimics pencil sketching. Free version has ads but there is a pro version available. Handling is very nice and the movements handle quick speed without being pointed and jerky. The free version is fun but I think this is a bit of a novelty program rather than something I would use seriously. While there are several different “brushes” I still thought something was missing. You can pick the brush colour but there is no undo button.
Verdict: Fun to play with but I wouldn’t buy the paid version or use it for much other than practice exercises.
Neu Draw (free)
Link to the app store.
Vector drawing app. Very good for a free app, definitely useful for people who just want to play around but doesn’t feel as full featured or intuitive as paid apps I’ve tried. While yes you can draw nice vectors, what turned me off was the free drawing mode, I felt it included *way* too many points per shape for what I was after. I think that style of drawing would suit other people who want to control every little detail and have the time to do so. I prefer to have fewer points and the ability to add more if I choose to later. Still for a free app it’s very well put together, fairly intuitive and generally nice to look at. Export options include jpg, png, vector pdf and svg which is a huge plus in my books. If you’re looking for a free app to just test out drawing on an ipad this is what I would suggest before you spend any money.
Verdict: Very good for a free app, great starting point and for most people would probably not need much more than this. It does depend on your style and needs though. I would suggest downloading this first for vectors and then upgrade to a paid app if you need to.
SketchBookXpress (free)
Link to the app store.
This is the one I found the most when I was looking for reviews. There is a free trial version and a paid pro version. This is a full featured drawing program with layers, transparency and a lot of options. The trial version is pretty good but I didn’t like it enough to actually buy the paid one. The brush handling was nice when I did quick fast sketches but when I slowed down to concentrate it seemed to over compensate and become too detailed which resulted in jaggy lines. There’s only so much you can do with drawing on a conductive surface like the ipad because it requires a thick contact at the surface so I think the brush strokes could have been more refined. That said I’ve seen some fantastic drawings made in this program so it really depends on your style. Several kinds of brushes and pressures are available but something about the layout was a bit annoying. I change tools often so having the tools at the top of the page got a bit tedious.
Verdict: Again a good starter program if you don’t want to pay for an app, not sure what the pro version is like but brush control here didn’t suit me. Definitely worth downloading and having a play with though.
Colour Ink (free)
Link to the app store.
Not so much a drawing program as a doodling app for children. Each finger draws in a different colour.
Doodle buddy (free)
Link to the app store.
Couldn’t get it to open, just kept crashing. Looks more like a play app for kids though.
Draw Free for iPad (free)
Did not feel very professional at all, you can choose things like corkboard backgrounds etc which might be useful for someone wanting to play around. Not much brush control at all and no artificial pressure sensitivity.
Absolute favorite drawing apps:
In the end I spent a long time going between reviews for Art Studio and Reviews for Procreate without being able to pick between the two so I bought both. They have strengths and weaknesses between them so I switch between depending on the job.
ArtStudio (Currently half price at US$3.99)
Link to app store.
This is the program I use for line art. It creates nice sharp clean lines and has a great balance of responsiveness. The menus can be hidden so it doesn’t take up valuable screen realestate and the many export options include PSD if you want to continue editing later on. While there were a lot of options I found it wasn’t as responsive to colouring (a little laggy and the results weren’t so nice) as Procreate was so I tend to finalise my lineart here and then export it for colouring. That said if you were just doing basic colour then I think ArtStudio would still be a good choice and it’s much cheaper than most of the other full function drawing apps in the store. Layer functionality here is very well put together and you also have advanced abilities like layer masking and blend mode etc.
I like that there is the option to turn of the faux pressure sensitivity and the brushes are completely customisable in all other aspects too. It’s petty… but the biggest complaint I have about it is how un-stylish the icon and inside layout is. I think that it has been modelled fairly closely to Photoshop so if you’re comfortable drawing there you’ll probably be right at home here too. Even at high speeds of drawing it didn’t create jaggy lines which is a nice change. I imagine that it might look a bit imposing for someone who hasn’t much digital drawing experience but definitely worth having a poke around to get the hang of it. While it does auto save, it only does so after you’ve saved for the first time yourself which can be annoying if you forget and exit >_<
Verdict: Hands down the best app for line art that I have tried so far. Good compensation for speed and pressure and a lot of options. Pretty much a mini version of Photoshop (though in some ways with better and more intuitive features).
Procreate (Currently US$5.99)
Link to app store.
Easily the best colouring app I’ve tried so far. While it’s a bit pricier it also comes with the ability to create your own brushes which is awesome to play with. The smudging allows you to move around colour in a very natural way and produces very nice results. If you take a look at their example drawings in the app store you’ll see what I mean. The smudge tool does lag a little bit if you’re going over large area but considering the results I will forgive that haha! It’s suited very well to semi realistic styles.
The brush choices are quite customisable and the interface on the left side makes it easy to do so while you’re actually drawing. Again having a top bar is kind of annoying but the left options make it much less of a big deal.
Probably what makes this one of my favorite apps is the fact that it is still in active development so it’s updated very regularly with new features and they actually listen to the suggestions in review and comments. There are still areas that improvements could be made such as cleaner handling for line drawings but as a colouring program I think it’s at a really good place. If they were to improve the line drawing a tiny bit more I would probably ditch Art Studio and just use Procreate for everything, as it is though they work together well. Auto saves and remembers settings.
Verdict: Hands down the winner in terms of colouring. For me it was very worth the money especially with the ability to create your own brushes.
InkPad (US$3.99)
Link to App Store.
Vector drawing at it’s best. All of the vector images I’ve done in the last few art posts have been done via InkPad. It is full of little quirks that make it an actual pleasure to use. The moveable tool panel is fantastic when you need to get in really close for details, the free drawing mode is fluid and natural, the points are easy to control and move and it’s updated quite regularly with new features. The layout feels natural to me and the tools themselves are self explanatory. Within about 10 minutes of downloading I was able to pick it up and create something decent which to me is the mark of an easy to use program.
It offers export in a large variety of different formats including svg and also has Dropbox functionality which is a big plus if you’re dealing with big files. There are lots of export options too such as svg so you can continue edition in Illustrator etc. I thought it was a bit odd that the export options were divided into two places (main screen and gallery screen) but not a huge deal. It auto saves every move as well and has a very good undo button.
Verdict: I can’t say how much I love this app, it is very full featured for an ipad app without being annoying and confusing. If you want a good vector app and don’t mind paying this is totally worth the money.
Finally a couple of things to think about when it comes to drawing on the iPad…
- As much as the iPad is a really fun drawing tool it can be a bit frustrating as well. Some of the apps chew through battery life due to the high amount of processing power required.
- Having a very large zoom capability is very important if you’re going to deal with a lot of small details too because you are stuck using fat conductive styluses or fingers which block view to the screen. 99% of the time I didn’t find it a problem but every now and then it would have been nice to have a little more sensitivity.
- On the topic of using styluses, I would definitely suggest getting one if you’re serious about drawing on the ipad. Fingers are great but they just aren’t as accurate or as easy to use for long periods of time without developing some serious hand cramping. Don’t get one of the ones with foam on the end either, they are mostly junk and the rubber tipped ones are much easier to handle. Mine is by JustMobil.
- Lastly remember to check whether the program you are using has auto save, about half of the ones I tested did which was fantastic because I have a habit of closing without saving >_<
So that’s it for now, I think I’ve covered everything for now, if I remember anything else I’ll update the post! Let me know if there are any questions!
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by VioletLeBeaux | Jul 9, 2011 | Beauty, Review
As you all probably know by know by now MOR is one of my favorite brands 😀 When I heard they were going to be stocked at one of my favorite make up stores Mecca Maxima I was very happy! When the lovely PR agent Sarah invited me down to come and look at everything it took me about a nanosecond to accept. Smelling a lot of pretty things? YES PLEASE! By the time she mentioned the possibility of cupcakes I was half way out the door 😉
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Myself, the lovely Sarah and her adorable assistant Breana in front of the MOR stand. Now prepare for a lot of gratuitous product shots, it was all so pretty I forced James to take photos of *everything*
Perfume with a french crystal bottle and 24 carat gold details, so pretty!
I think these pictures speak for themselves so enjoy!
    
Did someone say cupcakes?!
Don’t mind if I do! Red velvet and cream cheese icing= win!
       
They were super sweet and Breana had put together a lovely gift bag of some of the new range for me. Thank you girls! Totally love the bag too, it’s my new laptop bag!
We all went out to yum cha for lunch afterwards and there was lots of girl talk 😀 Sarah lived in Japan for quite a while so we had a lot in common! It was a really nice afternoon and it’s always fun to meet people with so many similar interests. We actually bumped into their graphic designer on the way to lunch and it was wonderful to meet the woman behind the designs that I admire so much. /end gushing
So on to the reviews!
This candle is really interesting, I think it’s kind of like a scented candle for people who don’t normally like scented candles. When unlit the smell is a very nice vanilla but when lit it’s so subtle that if you didn’t know it was on, you would probably just think you were in a really pleasant smelling person’s house XD Even my Mother likes this and she *hates* scented candles with a passion. I think this is the perfect background scent for those who either can’t deal with heavier scents or just prefer a tiny hint.
It wouldn’t be a MOR review if I didn’t talk about the packaging hahaha! The candle comes in a very pretty cardboard box tied up with a ribbon. It’s contained in a glass jar with the logo, once the candle is burned down (and it burns very cleanly straight down because it’s soy wax) you can keep the glass for later, I’m going to store my make up brushes in it 😀 The logo is actually printed on in 24 carat gold… very luxurious *_* The price is $39.95 which I think reflects the fancy gold packaging, quite expensive for a regular candle but considering the reusable glass and the fact that the Emporium Black collection it comes from is all about over the top luxury I would probably splurge if I had unlimited funds. As is I think it would make a good present for someone you weren’t sure what to buy. DO WANT.
So often lipglosses are overlooked in the packaging department but with MOR I wasn’t surprised that it came in an adorable little box! Again perfectly presented to make a nice gift and at $19.95 it’s in a good price range for that. I couldn’t find a way to describe fragrance of this one so this is from the website:
Belladonna presents a Spring symphony of White Narcissus, Moroccan Rose and Pink Tulips enlivened with a sparkling mist of Meyer Lemon. Finally it is sweetened with a touch of French Cassis, Sandalwood, Vanilla and Musk to leave a trace of tender warmth
No wonder I couldn’t pick it with all of those elements mixed together! When I first applied the gloss I couldn’t work out what I was smelling, my lips were a little tingly and after several minute of sniffing myself like a nut job I realised it was peppermint oil! The peppermint leaves a nice cool sensation but I think it overpowers the other scents a little bit making it hard to get hold of the overall smell.
The gloss itself has an amazing amount of shine and staying power. It’s super glossy but doesn’t have any real colour by itself, worn over lipstick it looks amazing. It took several hours including eating until I needed to reapply. As with most tube glosses like this it does have a tendency to be very sticky so not a good choice for wearing your hair out on a windy day 😉 For inside though it’s perfect and I do feel like it’s made my lips softer after use. Being paraben and sulfate free is also a big plus. DO WANT.
Again very pretty packaging on this one, the whole Emporium Black collection has really beautiful design. The price is $24.95. the forumla here was very similar to the other hand cream I reviewed in that it felt very smooth and thick going on but later when washing my hands I got a little bit of a slippery feeling like it hadn’t soaked all the way in. I thought it smelled delicious though, the vanilla was much stronger in this than the candle and while not overpowering, it did linger so every now and then through the day I got a nice reminder of it! Interestingly enough even though James liked the candle, he didn’t like the hand cream. He thinks it reminds him of something but he can’t remember what >_< I like the smell a lot though so… DO WANT (as long as you’re not going to be putting your hands near James)
After my last perfume oil I was very excited to try this Marshmallow one. The other one hasn’t left my handbag since I got it XD Again, the bottle is adorable and perfectly handbag sized. The little tube it comes in is also perfect for holding bobby pins in your handbag too! I mentioned in the last review that I wanted to try some of the marshmallow flavours and people replied it was very nice but very much not like actual marshmallows. Now that I’ve tried it myself I would have to agree, it’s a beautifully sweet scent but it’s not marshmallow, it’s more like those little pink musk ring lollies I used to eat as a child. Do they still make them? Every time I wear it I crave the lollies now!
The smell is strong but it’s also not overpowering and it lasts quite well without being annoying. It’s a very sweet fragrance so if that’s not normally your thing it might be one to steer clear of. The bottles last forever too, I’m only 1/3 of the way through the last one and I wear it all the time so I think the value is decent at $19.95. This one has been added to my handbag too, very much DO WANT (but not if you don’t like very sweet musks).
So another lot of products that make me very happy and now that they are being stocked in Mecca Maxima I know I’ll be back soon to try the lip macarons 😀
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by VioletLeBeaux | Jun 10, 2011 | Beauty, Review
I go through a lot of hairspray, I use it pretty much every time I do my hair and I am very demanding as to what I expect from my spray. It takes a lot of oomph to hold up some of the silly styles I wear so my spray needs to be hard wearing but I also like having my hair down and reasonably natural so it needs to have movement.
I’ve tried a lot and hands down my favorite is Cedel Hair Lacquer with the black label, I’ve gone through many cans of this!
Brand- Cedel
Product- Hair Lacquer
Cost- around $7
Available from- Priceline, pharmacies and online stores like this.
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One of the things I judge a product on the most is smell and this one has a pretty powerful smell so I suggest you see if you can try some in store before buying. Personally I like the smell because it reminds me of when I worked in theatre and it doesn’t linger around long unlike a lot of the other hair sprays I’ve tried.My favorite part of this spray is that it is meant to be brushed out rather than washed out. This is a huge plus for me because I hate washing my hair every day and I hate products that leave a residue in my hair. At the end of the day I gently brush this out until my hair is smooth and it’s like it never existed. Big plus.You’ve seen a lot of my hair styles on this site before so I thought I would put the spray to a real test, here is how it does holding my fringe straight up in the air. No teasing just spray…Brushed it straight up with a comb:
Gave it a good spray either side and on the top:
Not bad!
Very Something About Mary 😉
Now how will it go when I brush it out…
After 3 brushes:
A couple more…
Good as new.
There’s something in this formula which just seems to be magic with my hair, even when it’s down I can spray it over gently, give it a tiny brush and it’s in place but still really natural and there is actually movement. I think the versatility is what makes this a really interesting product and that’s probably why Cedel has been in business with it since the 30’s. No fancy gimmicks, it just works. They also make mini handbag sized ones so plus one for that too.
Verdict- Strong smell but works better than any other spray I’ve used. Price is great, bottle is big and it’s very versatile. I wont be switching any time soon. DO WANT |
by VioletLeBeaux | May 23, 2011 | Review
Style is one of those things that most people want. Finding and developing personal style can be a long process and it can be a scary if you don’t know where to start. One of the most common emails I get through my blog is “I want to start dressing in BLANK style but I really don’t know where to start!”. I usually offer tips and suggestions but until now I haven’t really been able to direct people to a decent resource. Enter the lovely Vanessa who has written exactly that: her guide to style. She sent me a copy to read over/listen to and review so here are my thoughts on it.
The Guide is billed as a resource for beginners who are embarking on a style journey or looking to expand their style repertoire.
Title- Nessbow’s Guide To Developing Your Personal Style Price- $5 Available from- Nessbow’s Blog here.
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Format-I really appreciated having the option of reading or listening. I downloaded the transcript to my iPad and read it in bed. While it would be good to be able to download the actual recording for portability it’s not a big deal as you can keep coming back to listen to it as many times as you like with the password you’re given. For the price as well I think having these two options is more than ample. It downloads as a doc file which is good as it’s a fairly universally compatible format. Vanessa’s voice on the recording was cheerful and easy to listen to. She speaks with the enthusiasm of someone who clearly loves what she’s talking about.
Info from Nessbow:
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The guide covers topics such as: – Finding Inspiration – Defining your personal style – Pulling yourself out of a style rut – Debunking common excuses for not dressing the way you want to. – Translating your dream look into everyday life – Acquiring your dream wardrobe – Pulling an outfit off with confidence And a whole lot more.
The guide costs $5, and you can purchase it by clicking the Paypal button on the sidebar. For $5, you will receive: – A 30-page transcript of the entire guide – A password and link so that you can access the audio recording of the guide via Ustream – A big, sloppy thankyou kiss from me.Vanessa writes well, very descriptively and with humor. The beginning where she’s describing starting out in Melbourne and experimenting with her fashion, I could actually picture her standing there and trying to decide where to start. I can imagine there are a lot of girls who can really relate to her lack of money and confusion of where to start. Having grown up in a reasonably small town myself I understood exactly what she meant when she felt overwhelmed by the choices that are suddenly available when moving to a city. She uses herself as an example in a lot of the work shops which is great because you can actually put a face to the advice and see how her own personal style has evolved. It’s almost a bit like a large case study.
I think that’s what sets this guide apart from other similar options- it’s written from the point of view of someone who is being extremely realistic in their approach. You won’t find her advising that you ditch everything you own and drop a couple of grand on a new wardrobe because for most people that’s just not an option. Instead it contains tips for budgeting, saving and collecting to gradually build a style over time. She makes it seem like an actual journey and at one point describes her fashion wish list as being like a treasure map which I thought was an adorable way of thinking of it. Its nice to read about financially responsible fashion!
While I think this would be most useful for people who are just starting out on their style “journey” there are tips and exercises here that could definitely be of use to those who are in a slump and need inspiration to get out.
The advice and ideas here are easily adapted to someone interested in one style only such as Lolita or hime gyaru but also those who like to pick and choose styles to suit their moods, there’s even a whole section devoted to each idea!
The techniques and exercises here would definitely suit people who enjoy planning and making lists. Many of the suggestions involve note taking, diary keeping, outfit documentation and planning which I think is something people either love or hate so this may not appeal as much to those who prefer to just wing it.
I think the only nit picky points I can make about this was that I felt the end was a little abrupt and that maybe it could have done with an extra paragraph to send you out on your journey? Perhaps a few more links to starting points for the absolute beginner at the end? I suppose though that’s the part where the reader really needs to take over and make the leap themselves otherwise they might rely to heavily on advice not be comfortable taking initiative in future!
I think my favorite section overall was the one in which she tackles common excuses people use not to dress how they really want to. As someone who wears what a lot of people see as weird and out there fashion I have heard all of these before! I can’t wear BLANK because of my job, I wish I could dress like you BUT, I would never have the confidence to wear BLANK in public, what if people laughed at me for wearing BLANK. She covers how to overcome common fears and actually get out there and do it!
VERDICT- I found the guide to be very inspirational without giving unrealistic expectations, I would definitely recommend it for people who are looking to get more into style or fashion but don’t have a clear idea of where to start or those who are finding themselves in a slump and are in need of new inspiration. I think it is well put together, cleanly written and I will totally be recommending it to people who contact me in the future as a great place to start for style advice. DO WANT!
by VioletLeBeaux | May 15, 2011 | Beauty, Nails, Review
When the ever awesome You’ve Got Nail mentioned she had a present for me I didn’t think it would be a whole collection of Zoya polishes *_* I had mentioned wanting to try them because the brand is so highly regarded and she gave me the whole Flash collection! I was in heaven XD
Let the review begin!
Brand: Zoya, Flash collection.
From: The lovely You’ve Got Nail gifted these to me! You can get them here. Extra props for the Zoya website because they have so much extra information on the polishes like the finish, the colour intensity on a scale of 1-5 and you can order spoon samples. I very much like companies that go the extra mile like that.
Price: $8 each or $36 for the set
Volume: 15ml
Bottle: Squareish, thinner at the bottom, rounded corners, flared black top. Easy to store and stack, looks very nice, no complaints here.
Brush: Average size, and very flexible. Very smooth bristles.
Drying Time: Roughly the same for all of them. Reasonably quick drying time.
Colour Name: Jolene.
Description: Nice bright slightly blue toned pink.
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Thoughts: This whole collection totally lives up to it’s name, it is BRIGHT. These are good bright summer colours, probably nothing office job appropriate here XD Following on from that this pink is a big blueish pink, it’s bright but it’s got a depth that I often find missing from other colours this bright. Good for: -Decora style manicures, I can see this looking good with a LOT of bling over it. -Probably good for Konad because these are all very opaque. -Bright fun summer or spring styles.Bad for: – Office/conservative work friendly manicures.
Colour Name: Maura
Description: Bright as hell orangey red.
Thoughts: This is one of those show stopper colours. You can’t get much redder than this. The thing that really made me love this collection was the consistency. Every single polish had an equally good formula and every one was pretty much opaque in one coat and looked stunning in two.
Good for: -Grabbing attention -Flame themed nail art -Probably good for Konad because these are all very opaque. -Bright fun summer or spring styles.
Bad for: – Office/conservative work friendly manicures. -Any remote kind of subtly.
Colour Name: Jancyn
Description: Traffic cone orange. Can’t put it better than that.
Thoughts: Love this colour because it’s completely versatile. It’s pretty and could work in so many different ways, I’m thinking this with black lace tips for Autumn, or white polkadots for Summer. I don’t normally like oranges but for some reason this was my favorite out of the collection.
Good for: -Halloween themed nail art, reminds me of pumpkins and candy corn. Man I wish it was easier to get candy corn here!! -Probably good for Konad because these are all very opaque. -Bright fun summer or spring styles.
Bad for: – Office/conservative work friendly manicures.
Colour Name: Dana
Description: Darker deep pink, in some lights it verges on the red side of things.
Thoughts: This is one of those fun colours which seems to be different in any number of lighting situations. Sometimes it’s a bright pink, sometimes it’s almost a deep red, it’s a very interesting colour combination either way and it sets it a bit apart from being just another boring pink.
Good for: -A slightly different/modern take on all of the old fashion red manicure designs. -Probably good for Konad because these are all very opaque. -Bright fun summer or spring styles.
Bad for: – Office/conservative work friendly manicures.
Colour Name: Robyn
Description: Bright sky blue.
 Thoughts:
It can be hard to find variations of blue polishes but this is a nice change! Out of all of the polishes in the collection, this is probably the one with the most variation between coats. It’s very build-able so I imagine you could create some really interesting designs especially with multi layered konading.
Good for: -Sky/rainbow nail art -Probably good for Konad because these are all very opaque. Would like to try using this to multilayer konad. -Bright fun summer or spring styles.
Bad for: – Office/conservative work friendly manicures.
Colour Name: Perrie
Description: Redish purple.
Thoughts: Out of all of the colours in this collection this one is probably the only one that isn’t immediately bright and summery. It fits with the collection when you look a them as a whole but by itself it kind of reminds me more of an overcast kind of day. Not that it’s a bad thing, I actually really like the colour and it did feel a little easier on the eyes after all of the super brights 😉
Good for: -Good base or highlight for gothic designs. -Probably good for Konad because these are all very opaque. -Spring/summer themes without going too far over the top
Bad for: – Office/conservative work friendly manicures. -Being bright and cheery on it’s own
VERTICT: As a whole I loved the collection, while they aren’t exactly colours I would wear plain every day they are all versatile and opaque enough to be really valuable colours for nail art. The formula is smooth and has a great smooth consistency which makes it easy for beginners to get a nice finish. The price per bottle is reasonably cheap for Aus so I wouldn’t hesitate to order. DO WANT.
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