Year of the Makeup

Makeup Artist

2014-01-24T05:04:00.001-08:00

Hi All,

I have been so busy with my freelance makeup business :) I have been fully qualified since June last year, however I wen't back and studied Photographic Makeup And Styling, in a few short weeks I will ALSO be qualified for this course. This includes airbrush makeup (AMAZE!!) and hair styling.

here is a quick pic from my facebook page.

It would be great if you all went over and liked as I regularly run comps :)

www.facebook.com/emilyportellimakeupartist

Qualified :-)

2013-06-27T04:12:00.002-07:00

Hi all :-)

Just a quick hello and to let you all know I am now a qualified MUA

I would love if you all liked me on Facebook, I will be posting pictures more heavily on there.

Www.facebook.com/emilyportellimakeupartist

Xo

US Makeup Haul

2013-06-01T00:46:00.000-07:00

Hi Ladies,

I am so sorry I haven't been posting in a while, as I mentioned in earlier posts I am currently undertaking a Cert 2 in Retail Makeup & Skincare... assignments (theory) is all done now and I am 3 weeks of qualified!!
I think I may even post some pictures of my work :) If you are interested please let me know!!

To The haul, I recently had some cosmetics posted to me from the US..... let's just get straight into it!

As you all know Laura Mercier is one of my favourite cosmetic brands however I always felt their lipsticks lacked the shades I like (neutrals!!) They have recently released a new formula called Creme Smooth Lip colours and I am in love! I purchased Peche' and it is amazing! Now everything in their range is awesome! The Lip liner is also from Laura Mercier (my favourite brand for lip liners!!) and is in Carnation another must!

The Bobbi Brown Lipstick is in Pale Mauve and I haven't decided if I like it or not yet.. will keep you posted!

Lorac is a brand that I cannot find anywhere in Australia! however the You tube world raves about it! I have wanted the Pro Pallet since it first was released however I wasn't willing to pay $80 + on Ebay, The reality is: This palette would be worth $80... all the shadows are buttery soft and so pigmented! I also picked up two blushes Exposed (which is a cult fave) and velvet rope... They are nice however I think I need to play with them more to see if I am in love... At the back is the Tantalizer duo, a Matte bronzer and shimmery highlight, truth be told I haven't actually used this yet!

Next is Stila, Stila is another favourite brand of mine :) I love the smudge stick eye pencils so decided to pick up the seeing stars set which includes five! (I literally paid less than the cost of one here in Australia!!!)
eye shadows in: Pigalle and Cloud and Stila Lip Glaze in Watermelon.. the lip glaze smells amazing, looks amazing on, but the packaging is killing me!!! It leaks, not out of the tube just all in the clear lid and looks terrible..

Last but not least..

The Too Faced Return Of Sexy Palette, All Images I searched of this palette were amazing however upon receiving it I realised there was a reason why I didn't buy it when I was in Sydney, all shadows are glitter bombs! every single shade! I haven't tried the Palette yet but when I do I'll be sure to fill you in!

The yellow brush down the bottom is by a company called Bdellium Tools, this is the 780 Brush it is a pencil brush, great quality, super soft!!

Finally the GEM of the haul is the Nars Blush in Gina OH MY GOD!! This blush was made for me, it is probably the most flattering shade I have ever worn!!

That's it :)

Please let me know if you have tried any of these comments and how you use them!

XO
Pemily

Haul - MAC, Beauty Bay (Mario Badescu)

2013-03-21T01:21:00.001-07:00

Hi Ladies,

You asked for hauls so you got them... my wallet hurts. :)

I picked up some eye shadows from MAC because I felt I needed more dark matte shades for my kit.
The reason you see two bags is because I was accidentally given one of the wrong shades and needed to exchange it. However it is technically one haul. I also returned a brush that I purchased a little while ago. The 191 square foundation brush, any excuse to buy more LOL.

Copperplate, Texture, Mystery, Embark, Shadowy Lady

I haven't had a chance to play with these shadows left other than a swatch. From a glance Shadowy Lady looks really pretty but from swatching Copperplate really packs a punch!!

Drying cream, Silver powder, Drying Lotion

I place another order with Beauty bay (a few days after my initial Naked Basics palette order) and this arrived today. Let me say from the two orders I have placed they have both come in perfect condition in two weeks or less. I am very happy!!

The purpose of this picture was to show you the consistency of the products.

Silver powder: The idea of this product is to remedy black heads, clogged pores, oils in the tzone etc. You are to wet a cotton bud, dip it into the solution and pat on the nose.

Drying cream: This product is for under surface bumps, I believe you use this on the problem area and rub in until it becomes clear, it does not need to be washed off.

Drying lotion: this is used on erupted pimples. I wanted to show you how this is a 2 part product. It will settle more.

If you have any questions about the products or would like to see a look please let me know.

Pemily.

Haul - MAC, Beauty Bay (Urban Decay), Strawberry net (Laura Mercier)

2013-03-20T00:47:00.000-07:00

Hi Ladies,

I have a collective haul to show you.
These things all happened to rock up on my door step today :)

Laura Mercier Perfecting water moisture mist, Laura Mercier Mega Moisturizer Normal/Combination

My skincare came today (thank god!!) I had NO moisturizer left. I purchased both items from Strawberry net This was a first for me, however I saved $40 so I may take this avenue from now on!

Urban Decay Naked Basics

Beauty bay was a first for me. It took 10 working days from payment to arrive (free shipping!) I am extremly impressed with their pricing as it is on par with US. I already have something else on the way :)
The only thing I did notice is that one of the eye shadows has detached from the palette, I do not blame Beauty Bay for this as my other UD palette did the same thing, they need to stop skimping on the adhesive!

I then had a friend post me 5 MAC Brushes from the US.

187 - foundation brush
109 - contour brush
116 - blush brush
130 - foundation brush
286 - eye brush

these brushes are for my kit (I can't promise the 109 will end up in there though!!)

Have you hauled anything lately?

XO

Pemily

What I am Lemming

2013-03-18T06:33:00.000-07:00

Hey Ladies :)

I thought It would be nice to share with one another some of the items we are wanting to buy :)

I will go first!!!

Hakuhodo Brushes

I am wanting to try a few more but mainly buy some for my kit. I purchased quite a few at Imats last year and have now worked out which I can't live without and would like to put them in my professional kit also. I feel that they compliment my MAC brushes really well.

Mac Prep + Prime Highlighter

I have been wanting to purchase these after watching about a million YT videos this week with girls using them. I am especially interested in the yellow shade called Light Boost.

That's all for now!
I'm sure tomorrow I will add more to the list.

Please comment below with what you are lemming.
XO

Pemily.

Current Empties skincare/makeup

2013-03-18T00:11:00.002-07:00

Hi Ladies :)

I have a few empties on hand so I thought I would show you and talk a little about the products.

I won't be doing these posts often as I don't really run out of anything other than skincare.

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion: I purchased this from KIT Cosmetics (In Sydney last year). I think this product does more to make me feel better than a great deal. It is designed for pimples that have surfaced (so you see a white head), you then dab it on and it will dry it out. My pimples are usually embedded so I need something to dry them out from that stage because (to be honest) I tend to pop them when they are white, the reality is that I won't walk around with puss on my face! I did however repurchase this as my fiancee likes it and I will still use it.

Laura Mercier Perfecting Water Moisture Mist: I use this as my toner morning and night. I LOVE this product, I honestly feel like my skin is drier and bumpier when I run out of it. Already repurchased!

Johnson's Pure Cotton 80 Round Makeup pads: I honestly should buy shares in a cotton pad company, or a paper towel company! These pads (in my opinion!) are terrible!! They absorb so much product. You are probably wondering why I would mention a $2 cotton pad packet. The reason being that I use these to apply my toner. They absorb roughly double the amount of $60 moisture mist that others do, meaning they cost me $30 to use! does that make sense? will I repurchase: NO WAY! J&J have some others in their range that are great. The purple packet I love.

Laura Mercier Mega Moisturiser Normal/Combination: This is my go to moisturiser :) Love it, have already repurchased!

Mac Prep + Prime Lip: This product took me a really long time to use up. There is nothing wrong with it but I think I might try a different Lip primer as apposed to re purchasing the same one (I really don't think it is a product I need multiples off!!) The only downside of this product is: It smells like onions. I kid you not!

That's all :)

Comment below with your current empties

411 of what is on my vanity

2013-03-17T06:25:00.000-07:00

Hey Ladies :)

It has been so long since I have done a 411 Vanity post so I thought I would do another.

The 411 on my vanity posts are about showing you guys what I am pulling out of my stash/whats newer that I have been using recently.

Products pictured are

-Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

- Dior Bronzer in Amber Glow

- Mac Lipstick in Snob

- Mac Lipliner in Hip N Happy

- Mac Pearlmatte powders in Veronica's Blush and Flatter Me

- Napoleon loose eye dust in Contrary Canary

- Laura Mercier Blush in Rose Petal

Pemily.

Myer and David Jones Haul - Dior and Estee Lauder

2013-03-15T22:49:00.000-07:00

Hi Ladies :)

Last week I really wanted to buy something :)

I had some vouchers for Myer and DJ's so I decided to purchase a brush that I feel is quite unique from Dior.
I saw +Lorraine Stanick use this brush (thecurrentcustom) and have been thinking about it ever since.
I feel like brushes are a great investment.
Compared to the tonnes of makeup I own, the brushes are constantly used and I feel that they are a worthwhile investment.

so here it is: The Dior Full coverage fluid foundation brush.

Dior Full Coverage Fluid Foundation Brush

Sorry about the nail polish bottle (the brush kept rolling as I was trying to take the picture!!).
The brush has synthetic hairs and I felt that it was very original!

Dior Full Coverage Fluid Foundation Brush

As you can see the hairs are tightly packed however they are still flexible.
I think this will be great for under eye areas but also as an all over foundation brush when I want a really polished look.

This brush retails for $75 AUD. Given it is a full face brush and Dior I expect to pay that priced, however I wouldn't have been surprised if this brush had cost more.

Estee Lauder Violet Underground

This is something I have been waiting for, for what feels like eternity!!

+Temptalia Beauty Blog - Makeup Reviews had created the most amazing look with this palette and she absolutely raves about it (she is a tough critic too) so when she said this was the most beautiful pallet she had seen in years I knew I needed it.
The cream/powder formula of these shadows is my favourite since MAC came out with the Extra Dimensions.

Once again, not cheap at $90 for the palette however when you look at what individual cyber metallic eye shadows cost it is a great way of trying 5 shades.
I believe the centre black is just a regular powder eyeshadow.

Swatches Estee Lauder Violet Underground

The shades are not named however I have gone clockwise with the black centre being at the bottom.
The picture does this palette no justice.

That's it for today :)

If you would like any additional info or a review on either product please let me know.

XO

Pemily.

MAC Haul Including Archie's Girls

2013-03-05T02:26:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

This is just a really quick post to show you what I purchased from the Archie's Girl Collection.

Top row: Pearlmatte powders in Veronica's Blush and Flatter Me
Middle: Lipstick in Betty Bright
Bottom Row: Blush in Cream Soda and Prom Princess.

Look at the packaging! It's great!!! No tacky stickers.

I also purchased a lip liner in Hip N Happy (appears to be Snob's twin) and eyeliner in white which is just a white.
Not pictured but purchased on the day (placed straight in my kit) is the 214 shader brush. So far I am loving it for lining the bottom lash line.

XO

Pemily.
lin

Feburary Favourites

2013-03-04T01:50:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

I can't promise I will make a favourites post every month but here is one for the month of Feb :)

I am a huge fan of Ben Nye products, I was first introduced to the brand at IMATS last year and I must say I am impressed.
I purchased these Neutralizer cream crayons after hearing Makeupbyrenren mention them.
I must say they are great, I purchased Mellow Yellow for under my eyes and Red Concealer No 1 for my pigmentation marks, they are beautiful to blend and do not crease. at $10 each I am definitely impressed! I think I will pick up a few more.

Next up we have the Diorskin Nude Tan Sun powder in Amber (its a bronzer!). Although it is called amber it doesn't look orange on at all. It is an extremely subtle but buildable product.

Next we have two Laura Mercier tinted moisturizers, the regular in Almond and the illuminating in Natural Radiance, I mix the two together and find it is perfect for hotter days. My skin has also gone crazy at the moment as I tried a product called Witch Hazel. My sister actually said to me "what did you expect, have you smelt the product".

Sorry ladies this was a limited edition shade :)
Mac eye shadow in Jete. I believe it was part of the collection in which you had to vote.
Ever since I depotted my eye shadows I have been appreciating them so much more.

It's really hard to take a photo of eyeliner!!
This is Mac's Rich Experience pro long wear eyeliner. It is super creamy and stays in place. This is quite easily the best eyeliner I have ever used. I did originally purchase this for my kit, however it has now been taken out and I will need to purchase another. I love wearing this with Jete all over the lid.

Last but not least, Stila eye shadow Trio in Goddess. I adore Stila eye shadows, I think they make a great sparkle colour like no one else. Really great for my deep set eyes.
I have been wearing The left colour all over the lid with the right colour in the socket.

That's it for the month of Feb, let me know some of the products you have been loving.

XO
Pemily.

Update

2013-02-15T22:54:00.002-08:00

Hi Ladies,

I have (recently) been studying makeup at Media Makeup Academy here in Adelaide.

My intention is to freelance and see where it takes me, basically I have no idea at the moment LOL.

I did purchase the student kit which is full of Makeup Forever (if anyone would like to see what is in the kit please let me know as I couldn't find it on the net!!!)

Although we have only carried out a few applications I have quickly learnt what my kit has lacked and built on it.

I have a really hard time parting with my makeup (to place in the kit) however after deciding it would be sheer insanity to make a Mac palette with exactly the same eye shadows in there I decided to depot and create two types of palettes, permanent (for the kit) and limited edition to keep at home. - let me know if you want to see my MAC palettes.

This theory may change over time but for now that's where we are at.... I just recently (today) depotted my permanent Mac blushes and put them into a palette also.

I must say I didn't realise how much I was going to enjoy my course however I am absolutely loving it, I feel I am gaining more confidence with "experimenting" and the teachers are so inspirational.....

If anyone has any questions please feel free to ask me as when I was researching makeup courses really found very little info on the net.

I'm an open book :)

Pemily.

Makeup Haul - Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier, MAC, YSL

2013-01-19T02:25:00.000-08:00

Hi Ladies :)

This week I did a little shopping and thought I would show you all.

First Up for the Laura Mercier, I ran out of my moisturiser so I replaced. I use the Flawless skin mega moisturizer. I then bought a back up of my primer which is the oil free. For most of my foundations I use this primer (other than a few really matt ones), I was really struggling with my foundation slipping by mid day and since using this primer I can honestly say I haven't had a day in which this has happened. Highly recommended. I then purchased another lip liner in Hazelnut Tea.

Laura Mercier Hazelnut Tea

Laura Mercier, in my opinion is a really underrated makeup brand and I honestly can say that all their products I have tried are fantastic from skin care to foundations, to primers, blushes, eye shadows etc.
If you happen to be in Adelaide Cathy at the Myer Adelaide store is an absolute gem!! Their events are also the best I have been too.

I then headed over to Bobbi Brown as I watched another video from Lorraine (current custom) and realised this isn't a brand I have explored a great deal so I thought I would see if anything caught my eye.
When speaking with the sales consultant she explained that Bobbi Brown is not known for Smoky eyes and the like, the philosophy is natural no makeup makeup.
I did notice the eye shadows were all in the neutral department bar 2.

Swatches from top to bottom: Pale Pink Lip liner, Sandy Gold long wear cream shadow, Hot stone eye shadow.

The moment I saw the lip liner and swatched it I knew that would be coming home with me! and lucky enough the sales person informed me it was discontinued and I had taken the last one!
I wanted to try a cream shadow as I have heard they are great and simply wanted something to wear which was easy to blend in. I think I will still use my Too Faced Shadow Insurance underneath as cream products on eyes make me nervous.
Finally, the eye shadow was really the only shade that I felt wasn't like other things in my collection. Given that I have pretty much every neutral MAC have ever made it was difficult however this colour has such a cool tone to it with a brown ashy quality I liked.

I have been kicking myself for quite some time for not picking up Mac's Coffee Walnut Pro sculpting cream and as I was walking through Myer today decided to ask if they possibly had any left to my surprise their was 1 left which I was ecstatic about, I think this product is going to need some getting used to but we shall see, I may even use this in my kit.
The YSL glossy stain in 19 was an impulse purchase, they were (yet again) out of most of the Rouge Volupte lipsticks (my all time favourite lipsticks) and I am a sucker for a neutral so I decided I would give it a try.

Top: Coffee Walnut, Bottom: YSL Glossy Stain Number 19.

Have a great rest of weekend.

Pemily.

XO

Favourite Products Of 2012 - Makeup

2012-12-22T06:03:00.001-08:00

Hello Ladies,

It wasn't easy but I have gone through my collection and decided on which products were my favourite of 2012.

Please note: all products were available throughout 2012 and I have attempted to keep limited edition releases to a minimum.

Enjoy!

First up we have the foundations.

Nars Sheer Glow: My shade is Syracuse, I love the "glow" this product gives my face, it can be built up to be a medium coverage but what I love about this foundation is the hydration it gives my skin.

Estee Lauder Double Wear: I have been wearing this foundation for roughly 6 months and it is my holy grail. My shade is Shell Beige 05 and it is perfect. This foundation is not matte on my skin, nor is it drying at all. What I love most about this foundation is its versatility, I can build up to a heavy coverage which will cover pigmentation marks or sheer down for every day wear.

Chanel Soleil Tan: I love this product! I add a few drops to my foundation (any brand) and it doesn't darken, it simply adds a subtle glow. It is one of the only products I have found on the market that won't emhasise pores, whenever I am wearing this and catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror I think, wow! my conplexion looks great today, what is it? LOL

Georgio Armani Luminous Silk Powder: I feel uneasy including this in my blog post because this powder foundation is $85 for 6.6g (that is half the size of NARS or MAC). If you can get past the price point this powder really is like silk. It is smooth and finelly milled but does not leave me feeling cakey or powdery.

Next Up cheek Products, from the Left

Dior Amber Diamonds: I purcchased this product due to hearing raves from: @tanyaburr of Pixi2woo, @missglamorazzi & Fleur De Force, this product continued to show up in their monthly faves, I finally tracked it down through strawberry net and I love it! It is not for the faint hearted but it is a gorgeous highlighter when applied mildly.

Mac Pink Cult blush: This is my Holy grail blush. I own nothing similar at all, when I purchased this product I thought it would not show on my Mac NW35 skin however it does beautifully, it is a very pigmented mauve type color with what I believe to be grey undertones. please note this was a limited edition product.

Nars Multiple in Malibu: This multiple was purchased in a trio and I find it to be amazing, multiples individually are extremly expensive and not all are amazing however I love this color with a small amount of a similar blush on the top, it adds so much extra dimension to a look.

Mac Light Year MSF: This too was a limited edition product, this MSF is not a total glitter bomb and the beautiful nude color looks amazing on the top of cheek bones.

Chanel Plum attraction rouge contrast: The Chanel blushes have the most amazing scent, like roses and not that fake smell, real roses! the blushes retail for $79 I believe, which is very expensive but the quality is there which makes me feel a little better. The color is great for a contour and blends very easily so dont be scared by the reddened purple pan color.

Chanel Espigle rouge contrast: Another $79 blush, however this is so finely milled it is worthy of the price tag. The color is a peachy pink with fine gold glitter. amazing.

Eyes next, from the left

Mac Extra Dimension eyeshadow pink venus: Limited edition, sorry ladies. This eyeshadow is amazing only a soft pink however so smooth and blendable a dream to work with.

Mac Extra Dimension eyeshadow rich core: Once again, limited edition. This is the perfect shade for my dark brown eyes, I often wear this with pink venus and get many compliments.

Nars night star: This is such an efortless eyeshadow. On days I am in a rush I will apply this all over the lid with a brown eyeliner and be done. It is quite glittery but that is what Nars are good at.

Mac pigment in Reflects Pearl: Out of all my reflects pigments this so far is my favourite, I did haul quite a few recently so I will show you shortly). I use this product with fix plus over the lighter half of a smokey eye and it looks fantastic.

Mac eyeshadow in Trax: This has been a favourite of mine since day one. It is a beautiful purple with gold glitter. When creating a dramatic eye I will use this around the socket for dimension. It is amazing.

Laura Mercier Lingere Palette: Funny story with this, I rung my local LM Counter when I saw this online to ask if the Lingere Collection had come out to be told that they do not sell Lingerie, only makeup :) The eyeshadows in the Lingere palette are phenominal, all of them. favourites include: buff pearl and tawny apricot. The palette was limited edition however I don't believe all the eyeshadows are.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance Original: I have already raved about this product so please check out my Kit Cosmetics Haul, Best eye primer ever!

Finally for lips,

Illamasqua Fable Lipstick: This is a great lipstick to be worn with a brown liner such as Mac's electra. It is extremly matte however if you take care of your lips the color and pigmentation is amazing!

Ysl Rouge Volupte No 1: The rouge volupte is my all time favourite lipstick formula, they are so creamy and pigmented. This color is a gorgeous nude color that looks amazing with heavy eye makeup.

YSL Rouge Volupte No 30: Same as above, however this is a peachy color amazing on dark skin.

Mac Electra Pro Longwear Lip Pencil: This Lip Pencil is so smooth, doesn't tug or dry lips. Just a great staple brown with no orange or pink undertones.

Mac Creme Cup: My most worn out Lipstick, a beautiful nude pink that is pigmented and hydrating.

That Is everything Ladies,

Just a few products that I also should mention include: Diorskin nude concealer, and Laura Mercier metallic creme in Alloy.

What were your favourite products of 2012?

Pemily

DIY makeup holder for Pencils

2012-12-21T22:13:00.003-08:00

Hi Everyone,

Today I thought I would share with you something I recently made.

It was a lot easier than I had anticipated and was inexpensive.

To start you will need some of the diamante stickers shown below.

I purchased these stickers from Cheap As Chips for $3.00 per packet, I used one and a half packets.

Apologies for starting, I didn't realise this was actually going to work. I am not much of a DIY kinda gal.
This container was purchased at smiggle, it comes in an array of different colours and retails for $6.95 each.

The stickers are in sheet form with clear backing attaching them, it is quite simple to peel off and stick around the container.

finished product :)

I am using this container to store my Lip liners at the moment.

Let me know what you think.

Pemily.

Cherry Culture Haul NYX, Milani

2012-12-20T00:46:00.001-08:00

Hello Everyone,

Today I am going to show you some things I hauled from Cherry Culture.
As you can tell I am not a "drugstore" kinda gal, not that there is anything wrong with Drugstore makeup but my preferences lean towards high end.
However, I was expecting to see NYX at the IMATS in which they didn't show up too... very upset, they were even in the manual and one of the workers told me they simply didn't bother to show!!
NYX is a brand that is raved about on YT, Blogs etc so I decided at the price point I really had nothing to lose.

First up I will show you the blushes, At the time I placed the order Cherry Culture had 20% off. Each blush cost me $4.50 each.

Taupe

Angel

Dusty Rose

Natural

Peach

One thing with these blushes is not to have high expectations in terms of the packaging. Some of the lids seem really flimsy, some of them wouldn't sit up on their own for the photos, will report back if I get any broken lids!

Next up the lip products, Nude Peach Fuzz and Candy Land are xtreme lip cream's in which i paid $4.50 each. Mauve and Pink are NYX Girls glosses and they were $2.25 each (crazy!)

L:R Nude Peach Fuzz, Candy Land, Mauve, Pink

Once again packaging comes up, I can understand if the name label for the product is in a different spot for different glosses IE the Xtremes and the Glosses etc, however in the two glosses I received one has the sticker on the top and one on the bottom. This may sound crazy but I like consistency!

I have tried Nude Peach Fuzz and let me tell you! It packed a punch, extremely pigmented, think painting your lips with paint! in that sense it reminded me of an OCC Lip Tar, however it didn't seem to sink in to my lips as a Lip Tar or high end product would making the application quite difficult as the colour moved. If smell is a big factor for you, you may wan't to skip these as they are a plastic like smelling product.

As for the scent of the Girls glosses, I get plastic mixed with a mild hint of burnt rubber. (I just sat here sniffing and now have gloss under my nose trying to work out what the scent is!!)

Finally for NYX I purchased some eye products. The palette cost $9.99 and the Pencil $3.40

NYX Nude On Nude natural look kit, NYX Jumbo Pencil Yogurt

I was going to purchase some NYX individual eye shadows, however there were so many on the site and I was starting to get bored at that stage so I decided to simply purchase a Nude palette, at the time of purchase I didn't realise that there were lipglosses underneath, cream and eye products combined are a MAJOR No in my eyes, it is not natural LOL.
In NYX's defence they are tucked away.

Finally I purchased the Jumbo Pencil in Yogurt. Plan on trying this as a primer (might still use my TFSI) and an all over lid color.

Final product purchased was a Milani Baked Blush for $6.99

Milani Blush Luminoso

Milani is another brand that is raved about, LisaLisaD1 who tends to stick with high end loves this and Emily Noel also adores the brand.

The shipping cost for all items was $20.96 which is a little steep, considering shipping from companies such as Strawberry Net is free, however in the scheme of things I paid the same for the box full of goodies as I would a Chanel blush.
Quality is always over Quantity in my eyes so time will tell.

As always, please let me know if you would like swatches or in depth reviews.

XO
Pemily.

My Hair Care Routine

2012-12-18T15:00:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone :)

Today I thought I would show you my hair care routine..
Haircare is something that I truly, truly believe you get what you pay for.
I have extremely curly/frizzy dry hair that I manage to straighten and keep looking glossy and healthy (most of the time).
Please understand I am not telling you all to go out and spend a fortune on these products I am simply trying to show you what works best with my hair.

First up here are my shampoo and conditioner. For the past 6 months I have been using Alterna, The science of 10. I don't know of which salons sell these products particularly as I get them from a hairdresser supplier.
at 250ml shampoo retails for $100 (In the pic it is the pro size) and a 200ml mask is the same. No matter what brand I am using I will always opt for a mask as my conditioner, they are generally not too far apart in price but a mask is always more hydrating.

These products are like none I have tried before. The shampoo lathers up into more of a cream than actual bubbles, just be careful not to get it in you eye because this one specifically hurts like you know what!!
I will always use a small amount (think 10 cent piece), rub through rinse and then shampoo again with slightly more the second time.

Once done with shampoo I move onto the conditioner, the Alterna conditioner is very very thick, think like a wax mixed with a cream, thickness in a conditioner to me indicates a good product. I will place my conditioner in my hair and comb thru (ends first) gently with a wide tooth comb. I usually do this in the bath because I like to leave my conditioner in for at least 20 minutes, this helps it absorb and really deeply condition.

Now for the fun part, to rinse I go back to the shower put only cold water on and blast it with the cold water until all my hair is coated, I am not necessarily rinsing the product, only making my hair cold, like freezing cold. This is actually painful! but the results are amazing, when I do this my hair is always softer and glossier.
then I will rinse it out with normal temperature water and I'm done :)

Once I have briefly towel dried my hair I will use 2 pumps of the Lakme K Therapy repair gel on the ends of my hair, This is another brilliant product. My hairdresser told me of this as I am NOT a fan of Lakme at all (bad experience in the past, was given what I believe to be hairspray in a bottle that was labelled straightening serum) however I honestly have not cut my hair in 6 months as my hairdresser insists it doesnt need it. I previously was pushing desperate for a cut at the 10 week mark. This product has done miracles for my ends.
This is also a product I picked up from a hairdressing supplier but I believe it retails at the $35 mark.

I then either take a pump of the Kerastase Elixir Ultime serum which I purchased overseas or the Davroe moisture senses.
What I love about this Kerastase serum is that unlike the previous Kerastase serums this one has heat protectant in it! I also read that you can use this serum before you shampoo, place a small amount in your hear and work through as this will help the shampoo.
As for the Davroe product I too think it is great, Davroe have totally shocked me! I am yet to meet a Davroe product I do not love, my recommendations are the Lemongrass detangler and their hairspray, they are also really affordable at generally $20 per product from Hairhouse Warehouse.

Last but not least: I will use a root boost, as I use such Hydrating heavy products I get left with no volume, however it is a real "catch 22" for me, I need them to combat the frizz but my hair is flat, any suggestions would be great (I don't use serum near my roots!)
If I am using the Davroe or Redken I will put this into the still damp hair, If The Aveda that's after styling.

The Davroe product is described as a voluminous spray, it says to use on damp hair but I do notice it also acts a little like a hair spray so I am a little cautious about whether or not this is good for my hair with the GHD, no problems as yet, the Redken root boost is just okay, I don't really see a great deal of results.

The Aveda is a really unique product. I purchased this due to LisaLisaD1's raves and it is great at volumising.
It is a product that you do not shake, and is a powder, once styled and dried, you place this white powder on the roots and work through, it kind of feels like chalk.
My only quarm with it is that I only need to wash my hair once a week and feel this leaves a waxy like residue in my hair.

Enough with the hair products.
If anyone has any questions or recommendations for me please leave in the comments below.
I hope this has been helpful.

XO
Pemily.

Sydney Haul - Tom Ford, Burberry, KIT Cosmetics

2012-12-17T02:04:00.002-08:00

Hello :)

Here is another portion of my Sydney Haul!!!

almost there now ladies.

apologies on the delay :)

Let's get started!

First up the Burberry, Let me start by saying that I had an absolutely lovely lovely salesman.... he was attentive, NOT Pushy and gave me loads and loads of freebies!! I cannot remember his name but he mentioned that he was the Makeup artist for Burberry and was not assigned to one counter...

First up, the eye shadows, from L:R pale barley, rosewood, tea rose.
these eye shadows are heavy, really really heavy!! (the packaging I am referring too), think double the weight of a Chanel and then some...... they seem to be a metal container that is gun metal in colour with the signature Burberry plaid packaging. The eye shadows retailed for $45 each which I believe is an expectant price for a brand such as Burberry, after all this is what we pay at Chanel.

I also purchased this lipstick in No. 2 Cameo, this lipstick is amazing! it has a little metallic in it which is something I would generally HATE but! I love it and it is so effortless to wear. I also really like the way the lid is magnetic, you need to turn it to the right side and it magnetises, so cool!

The Lipstick was $49.

The final instalment of my Burberry, believe it or not all these products were Free, F-R-E-E!!!!!
from the top: a sample of their sheer concealer, full size eye make-up remover, 2 samples of sheer foundation and 2 (TWO) full size makeup brushes, one being a blending brush which looks like a Mac 224, the other a pencil brush which is reminiscent of the Mac pencil brush, I was also given some perfume samples for men and women.

As you can see I was spoilt at the Burberry counter, us high end hauling makeup girls know that there are few and far between GWP's and samples given at these counters so once in a while it is nice to be appreciated and encouraged to sample the products.

Whilst in Sydney I had to stop past a Tom Ford counter to check out Tom Ford as TheCurrentCustom (Lorraine) and Christine from Temptalia rave about their products.
Lorraine loves their brushes so I decided to try out the No 12 Eye brush, I did want the face also however they had no stock. In all honesty for $75 yes that's Right $75 I would NOT repurchase, In my opinion the Mac 239 is a much better brush, although they are similar the Tom Ford has a slightly tapered head that I find to be very un useful on a brush like this.
I checked out the eye shadows but only quads were available and I found them to be all glitter and no pigmentation, not true to pan at all, this is how I feel about YSL eyeshadow quads.... no thanks, not at that price point (over $100), in Adelaide DJ's you can purchase Tom Ford Lipsticks but I didn't want to walk away with 1 product so I also purchased this lipstick in Nude Vanille, best thing about this product.... the packaging. it really is beautiful. The lipstick is nice but I find it to be a little drying and at $65 i want a perfect lipstick.

whilst in Sydney I was sporting an orange spray tan, we had a little mishap with the machine i think :) so foundations at the time were not an option, I did explain this to the salesman and asked for a sample to take home once the hideous tan came off and I was told (at no fault of the salesperson) Tom Ford does not believe in samples, this did annoy me a little considering I had just come from Burberry so I guess next time I am in Sydney I will go in store without any makeup on.

Kit Cosmetics is the sister company to Mecca Cosmetica, in Adelaide we do have 2 Mecca stores but no Kit so I wanted to take advantage of some of these US coveted brands whilst I was in Sydney!
I wanted to burn some serious money however not a great deal really appealed to me at the time. The first item I purchased was the Photo Op eye Palette, Soft box by Smashbox, in this palette there are 2 matte shades accompanied by 4 shimmers, on the back of the palette there is a QR scan to get the look and also a sticker to peel back with 2 looks to copy.
At the top we have a Mario Badescu drying lotion, This brand is constantly talked about! this product is fantastic, my pimples are literally gone within a day, no more gross white puss filled lumps on the surface.
finally my treasure of what could be the whole trip Too Faced Shadow Insurance. Oh my! this product is brilliant! eye shadows do not move! 40 degree heat is nothing for this primer. I have worn this everyday since I have been back and apply with my fingers right up to the brow bone, I purchased the original formula as that's all I will need.

well that's FINALLY it for my Sydney hauling but now I have approx 10 more bags of makeup to show everyone..... I need to go to a makeup AA meeting!!! so please do let me know if there is anything you would like an in depth review on our would like swatches off and don't forget to vote on what you would like to see on the blog.

XO

Pemily

VOTE VOTE VOTE

2012-12-16T06:02:00.001-08:00

Hey Guys,

ensure you vote on what you would like to see first/more off!!!

***voting to the left***

xo
pemily

Estee Lauder Corporate Store Haul

2012-10-14T03:09:00.001-07:00

Hello :)

So, as promised, a few days before I headed over to Sydney I was watching a you tube video by LaurenBeauty, Lauren works for Bobbi Brown and was talking about an Estee Lauder Corporate Store... well! I then spent the next 24 hours (I did you not!) trying to get an invite to this store...
The Estee Lauder Corporate Stores are basically our US version of CCO's however you need an invite, or to be an employee of Estee Lauder. There are three stores in Australia; Sydney, Melbourne and Queensland.
I finally was able to track down an invite, so here is my haul :)
I will include pricing so that everyone can see how heavy the discount was.

Estee Lauder products

From top left: Bronze Goddess Sea star Bronzing blush $45, Bronze Goddess Perfume 100ml $60.00, Double Wear Foundation in Shell Beige $30.

Estee Lauder Products

From Top left: Signature Eyeshadow quad No1 Sand $42, Pure Color Five color eyeshadow palette in Topaz Mosaic $54 and Pure color eyeshadow in Twilight Rose $25.

Mac Products

From Left: Mac Pencil Sharpener $4, Mac MSF Semi Precious Pearl $28, Mac Pigment Bloodline $5, Mac 266 brush $23.

Bobbi Brown

(sorry about the picture!!)

Top: Lipstick in Salmon $26, Blush in Desert Pink $35.

I also purchased a Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector for $37.

As you can see I picked up quite a few items, I am still chipping away at my haul so if anyone would like swatches or reviews on any products please do let me know.

Pemily.

Imats Part 2: Hakuhhodo Brushes

2012-10-08T02:04:00.001-07:00

I do not even know where to begin with this, I have been waiting to purchase these brushes for 6 months at least..... Some of the people that RAVE about these are: Pixi2Woo, MissGlamorazzi endless Aussie Bloggers etc etc...... They really are THE SOFTEST brushes ever. The team at Hakuhodo were so lovely and polite they were really helpful, at one point they said to me: "You have to much!!" Didn't stop me from going back....... :)

I originally went for 10 then my lovely Fiancee went back and purchased me a further 5.

The only down fall on these is that they don't put the names on the handles, so I cut the plastic off and stored it along with a list of what I have so that I can purchase more in the future, for your reference I also uploaded the pics. Smart Little Cookie aren't I :)

XO Pemily

Imats Sydney 2012 Haul Part 1

2012-10-07T00:34:00.000-07:00

DID I CATCH YOUR ATTENTION?!?!?!? LOL

I had a sort of plan when at IMATS to just ensure I got a really good mix of products and to try and avoid things that were easily accessible to me on a regular basis, I think I did quite well in sticking to that because (other than the MAC) I really don't have anything from the other brands.

Please note: I haven't tried these products yet so if you are interested in reviews I would go over to Makeup Alley, If anything catches your eye do ask and I will try to use it first and get back to you :)

First up my LA Splash goodies, I purchased 3 Nail Glitters and 1 eyeshadow glitter.

I think they were all between $5-$7.00.

I started gazing at this stall because I was on the hunt for a black glitter for eyes, I'm really not a loose glitter kinda gal but something about black intrigued me. As you can see this glitter is not black however it is an amazing gun metal shade so I was automatically drawn to it.... I then saw these nail glitters and instantly fell in love, unfortunately these were the only colours available (apart from a green) but the lovely ladies instructed me to go online as there were plenty more colours available so that I will do :) I plan on mixing these into my acrylic.

Next up, my haul from Gorgeous Cosmetics. Hub Makeup were selling these products and the girls there were so lovely and full of energy :) The Lipsticks were approx $15 each which, my understanding is a great price! The Eyeshadow pallet was $50 (or $55?!?!). I was oohing and aahing about this one but the ladies mentioned that I could use these as blush and I was sold :) they will make beautiful blush colours :)

Here we have 2 pigment stacks from Naked Cosmetics, the deal they had was 1 for $30 or 2 for $25, they also had another deal on 7 or so..... Considering one stack is $60 on their website, I think I did quite well :) I'm not usually a pigment kinda gal however TotalMakeupJunkie from YT raves about these so I decided to try them out....

I purchased these 5 OCC Lip Tars (from who.... I can't remember?) They had a bowl full of random colours for $10 of which none interested me, however these were $15 each.

From PM Studio, I purchased these 2 items, I must say they were flat out so I didn't purchase as much as I would of liked as I couldn't really get any assistance. The Smash Eyeshadow was $10 for a single and $15 for trio's. The MUFE aqua cream price I cannot remember but was discounted. The MUFE aqua lip stains were amazing also however I am attending Media Makeup next year so did not want to purchase too much as I may get items in my kit, I honestly couldn't get the swatch of my hand for a day. I have never seen anything stain like that, worth a look!

I then almost fainted when I saw Rae Morris herself!!!!! she was incredibly lovely and really down to earth (not to mention a STUNNER!!!) so I decided to try a brush out, I won't like they are on the higher priced end however I have heard rave reviews so I will start with this one and see how I like it.

Last but not least, to the left although Ben Nye weren't selling they had this sample they were handing out, I think it is a loose dust, I also purchased the Naked Cosmetics Mattifying powder and FINALLY found a black eye glitter.
To the right a Ben Nye liquid set for pigments and glitters and the cute little Girlie Cosmetics Lip palette, all beautiful colours. Dan Nye (I believe his name is) was also at Imats.

The one show I did watch 1/2 of which was amazing was the MAC Pro show in which I was extremely Impressed with (No one does makeup like MAC!!!!!!!!!!!) I did want to purchase some of the items but MAC were sold out of most things by the time I went there. They had 20% off and if you had your Pro Card you could use that also so Mac was 50% off for some.

Keep watching for Hakuhodo brushes next up.

XO Pemily.

I'm Back :)

2012-10-04T02:11:00.003-07:00

Hi Ladies,
I know its been a while and boy have I been Hauling!!!!

Way too!! much :)

I have just returned from Sydney!! ;)

what was just in Sydney?!?!?! You guessed it! IMATS!

I know this will be my most requested haul so I have decided to start there I will break it up into two sections. Section 1: Bits & Bobs, Section 2: Hakuhodo Brushes.... more about that later!
In the coming days I will also have posts on other bits and pieces I collected in Sydney including: Burberry, Tom Ford, Illamasqua, KIT Cosmetics and and and THE ESTEE LAUDER CORPORATE STORE!

watch this space :)
xo

Pemily.

The 411 on my dresser :-)

2012-01-26T21:03:00.001-08:00

Hey pretty girls,

I have decided to start posting a weekly pic on what is on my dresser for the week... Basically products I have picked up more than once this week!!

Some products include: Chanel soleil de tan in both liquid and gel, Mac penultimate, ysl rouge volupte in 1, nars duo blush in orgasm and angelika!!

If anyone would like in depth reviews feel free to ask

Xx
Pemily

How I achieved a clear smooth face!

2012-01-11T20:39:00.000-08:00

Hey Guys,
I thought the above title would get your attention :)

For the past 6 months my skin has been absolutely hay wire!
Gone from an oil slick to all out dry and cracking and a ridiculous amount of pimples constantly.
I was referred (by a friend) to a spa that would be able to help me determine why my skin was giving me so much grief and also why I had so many small lumps all over my face predominantly on my cheeks. When ever I was to apply foundation, highlight or blush they would stand out so much people would actually comment. I have been exfoliating my face constantly but they never ever go away?!?!?

The cause Milia.

The easiest definition I could find of Milia is as follows: Milia or superficial keratinous cysts are small, white, sometimes pale yellow, spots that usually appear around the eyes, on the cheeks, and on the eyelids in all ages, from infants to adults. These are an accumulation of sloughed cells that cannot escape through the top layer of skin, and so get trapped underneath and become firm, rather like pebbles under the skin. Milia do not respond to most squeezing and picking.

What?!?!?! So all that exfoliation was a waste of time! you don't say.

I had tonnes removed and let me say I am absolutely ecstatic with the result. I don't usually go to spa's as I feel I have spent so much money on products that I can have the same affect at home, I even bought the Milia tool but just made my face bleed! nothing was removed!! I won't list here what I paid for the treatment but let me tell you it is honestly not even 1/5 of what I believed the results were worth!

I have chosen to include an after for you guys to see... I don't usually do this as I am not too keen on taking pictures of myself, I didn't take a before shot because I was really embarrassed. I can honestly say that this is the best my skin has ever ever been.

XO Pemily