Being the owner of seriously large skin pores (aka mini moon craters) Neutrogena’s new range of product claiming to shrink and refine the look of pores had me both curious and hopeful. There’s a cleanser, toner and exfoliating cleanser in the range and I thought I’d give the cleanser a whirl. So, off I went to my local New World and added one to my trolley for the lovely affordable sum of NZ$13. (more…)
Beauty
Warm Burgundy Eyeshadow Tutorial ft MAC Sketch
I was conscious that I haven’t blogged a step-by-step eyeshadow tutorial for a while now. When I was expressing my love for MAC’s Sketch eyeshadow in my July Favourites blog post I had a lightbulb moment: I should do an eyeshadow tutorial featuring my beloved Sketch! Sorted.
What’s so special about Sketch, you might ask? Firstly it’s a beautiful plum/burgundy shade which suits all eye colours. On blue eyes it makes baby blues ‘pop’; Sketch compliments brown eyes nicely and as for green eyed gals, it makes green eyes look, well, intensely green. It’s just gorgeous. I also find Sketch really versatile: You can wear it on it’s own, all over the eyelid blended out really well, or you an pair it with purples/golds/pinks/browns. It really is a gem of an eyeshadow! (more…)
Signature Facelift at Simply Indulgent
Simply Indulgent, a new beauty therapy business opened recently in Taradale, my local shopping paradise. I was super excited when I was contacted by Fiona, Simply Indulgent’s owner with the offer of a complimentary ‘Signature Facelift’ treatment so I could go and experience what she had to offer. Needless to say, I was “off like Mum’s undies”, or so the saying goes.
Before I get down to business, here’s a bit of an assurance – as well as a bit of a spoiler: I was so happy with the treatment that I’ve booked in for a follow-up that I’m happily paying for myself. I felt it was important to get that out of the way before you think about to wax lyrical about a complementary treatment because, well, I would like to receive more of them. I’d never do that. If I like something, I’ll yell from the rooftops. If I don’t, if it just didn’t work for me, well, you’ll hear about that too in the form of something like this blog post.
So, with those assurances out of the way, here’s a whistle-stop tour of what I had done and what I rated about it!
My Favourite Things – July
Before I forget… You know how I was really grumpy in that blog post about that Schwarzkoph shampoo and conditioner that made my hair look like Worzel Gummidge’s? That story had a semi-happy ending: The conditioner is very effective as a shaving cream to shave my legs. All is not lost.
Now I’ve remembered that, lets get into this month’s beauty foodie favourites. (more…)
Eye Makeup for Hooded Eyes
I have spent a large number of years being bummed out about my hooded eyelids. I used to despair how painstakingly applied eyeshadow would totally disappear when my eyes were open. My eyelids were a total waste of eye makeup. Fast forward to a few years ago and great news: I’ve learnt some clever eye makeup tips and tricks that make the most of my eye shape and now when I wear eye makeup, you can see it!
Hooded eyelids, it turns out are very common, particularly in folk from Asian or Scandinavian descent. Lots of people reckon hooded eyes are sexy and alluring: “Bedroom eyes” they are often called. We’ll take that, right girls?
Wait a second… Not sure if you have hooded eyes? Here’s how to find out: Look straight ahead in a mirror and relax your eyebrows. Can you see your eyelid without needing to close your eyes slightly, or needing to tilt your head back a little? Nope? Are you playing “where has my eyelid gone?” Welcome to a well-populated club: You have hooded eyes.
So, if, like me, you have hooded eyes and you’d like to learn how to make the most of what you’ve got: Keep reading! Note, you might like to read this blogpost in tandem with this blogpost which explains the different part of the eye from an eye makeup perspective 🙂 (more…)
Removing Waterproof Mascara… How the heck?
“Lou, how the heck do I take off waterproof mascara or eyeliner?” Given I usually recommend waterproof mascara for everyday use, this is a great question that I’m often asked.
Truth be told waterproof mascara is a stubborn bugger to remove and you probably won’t get it off with a regular face cleanser. On that note, please: Don’t take your eye makeup off by rubbing at your eyes with a flannel and water (or regular face cleanser): The skin on your under eye area is incredibly thin and delicate and is the first area where people show aging. Rubbing, tugging or using unsuitable products on this fragile area will cause premature aging, so treat it with respect, tonnes of love AND the right products. You’ll thank me for this in years to come… 🙂 (more…)
Spotlight on: L’Oreal Shocking Extensions Telescopic Mascara (waterproof)
It’s no secret that a) I rarely leave the house sans eyelashes and brows and, b) Maybelline’s The Falsies is my No1 mascara. I love The Falsies because it’s inexpensive (well, as cheap as makeup ever is in NZ) and it gives me eyelashes that are so dramatic I’m often asked if I have eyelash extensions. So, it is extraordinarily rare that I will stray and buy a different brand. On a whim, I bought L’oreal’s Shocking Extensions Telescopic Waterproof Mascara and the short version of the story is: This product is a CRACKER and I reckon it’s nearly as good as The Falsies. Check out the before and after photo. Result! (more…)
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Shampoo and Conditioners: Supermarket vs Salon – A pricey experiment!
Ordinarily, I’m a hair snob and I nearly always buy salon shampoo and conditioner. However, every now and then I get sucked in by a snazzy looking marketing campaign, or unexpected bills roll in and my beloved L’oreal Vitamino is temporarily out of my price range. In this situation, Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s off to New World I go.
In the past few months I’ve tried two supermarket shampoos and conditioners: Dove’s Colour Radiance Range and, more recently, I road tested Schwarzkopf Essence Ultime Diamond Color range following an awesome PR and marketing campaign. Marketing campaigns can be incredibly powerful in influencing the consumer to purchase a particular product – using an SEO agency, like Victorious, could help businesses further their online presence especially when it comes to how they rank on search engine results. How did I go? Let’s just say one range came up trumps and is a definite repurchase, the other one had me muttering vile swear words as I tried to untangle newly formed dreadlocks that left me looking like Worzel Gummidge. (more…)
