The muk Style Stick 230-IR and Curl Stick are the newly released hair tools from muk, and two items that I was VERY excited to try after seeing them in action at the muk media launch.

Style Stick 230-IR

As someone that loves my flat iron to death for both straightening and curling, I was very curious to see how the new Style Stick 230-IR flat iron compares to my trusty ghd. The specs for the Style Stick 230-IR are impressive: tourmaline ceramic plates, adjustable temperature (from  80°C – 210°C), ionic technology to counteract static, sleep mode, universal voltage (great for travelling), and a 12 month warranty. After using it for a month, I’m quite impressed by the Style Stick and I would say that in terms of performance it lies somewhere between the ghd IV and the ghd Gold Series (I’ve previously blogged about the comparison between the two ghd Stylers here) but it does have some perks that even the Gold Series doesn’t have.

The Style Stick heats up to the maximum temperature within about 10 seconds and straightens hair fast-similar to the ghd Stylers. For me, the real test of a good quality straightener is the ability to glide through my (very colour damaged) hair without snagging to create smooth curls- this is where it performs surprisingly well (better than a ghd IV which retails for $249, and almost as good as the ghd Gold Styler, which retails for $269). The curls from the muk Style Stick generally lasts for at least 2 days, which is impressive. The variable temperature settings is a pretty big advantage that the Style Stick has over the ghd family of Stylers- not only does it allow people with fine hair to avoid unnecessary heat damage, and higher temperatures for thick stubborn hair- but it also means that I get better control of how fast I want to work while I’m styling.

I don’t tend to get staticky hair myself, so I would be very interested to hear whether the ionic technology makes a big difference to counteracting static- as far as I know, the ghd family of hair straighteners do not use ionic generators.

 muk says…

The ultimate tool for creating beautiful hair, the muk Style Stick 230-IR utilises a revolutionary strip of powerful far infrared lights imbedded in the iron’s ceramic plate to infuse a gentle heat deep inside the hair shaft. The end result is effectively straightening hair with a single pass, whilst at  the same time infusing hair with amazing shine, moisture balance, and protection against thermal damage.

The Tourmaline ceramic plates provide the ultimate surface for smooth, static free shine. Tourmaline plates are manufactured by combining ceramic and tourmaline ingredients. Because of this combination, muk Style Stick 230-IR offers better results and more heat protection for your hair, compared to flat irons made by ceramic materials alone. 

RRP: $199.95

 Lores Giglio and the muk Style Stick in action!

muk Curl Stick

 Keep reading after the jump!

I haven’t used a curling iron for years since purchasing my flat iron and I admit that I got off on the wrong foot with curling irons. The curling iron I owned in the past (a $50 remington curler from Myer) was totally useless- it took forever to heat up, each section of hair took forever to curl, and my curls looked kinda demented despite all my efforts. I wasn’t expecting miracles, so when I saw Lores Giglio (creative director for muk) demonstrate the new muk Curl Stick, I was blown away by how easily and quickly she was able to create the curls in her model’s hair (pictured below).

The Curl Stick works incredibly fast, and the curls last 2+ days. Just like the Style Stick, the Curl stick has adjustable temps with 3 heat settings. For loose waves, I still prefer using the Style Stick flat iron, but the Curl Stick is great for styles where you want the curl to start high up close to the roots and of course for the super tight curls we’re seeing on the runway.

muk says…

With a unique clip free interchangeable conical titanium barrel system, the innovative curl  stick is the ultimate tool for creating beautiful curls, from perfectly formed bouncy waves or kinky and twisted styles ready to hit the town! Mark Gariglio, Director of muk haircare says, “We launched the curl stick to give consumers  an incredibly high performance styling tool, along with the flexibility of 3 interchangeable barrels. Typically, a traditional curling iron offers consumers limited curl options. The muk curl stick has become a favourite with session stylists and consumers due to the limitless styling options offered by the various barrels.

RRP  $99.95

• 9-19mm conical barrel – Tighter, structured curl
• 19-25mm conical barrel- Medium to soft natural curl
• 25-25 straight barrel – Soft, natural curls and waves

 Lores Giglio and the Curl Stick in action!

I really want to try my hand at recreating the curls at Bottega Veneta - which requires the small diameter curling wand (and mad skillz)

 note: these products were sent to me by PR for consideration. See editorial policy for more information. 

I love the way that blues and greens look with brown eyes, and it’s really been too long since I used these (too easy just to reach for a taupe or a brown when you don’t want to think too much!).

There’s something about this particular colour palette (khaki green, inky blue, and gold) that I tend to gravitate towards- I think it’s because these colours bring to mind the romanticism of explorers and exotic spice routes. Now that we’re getting into the Autumn and (god forbid), Winter months, I will definitely be getting my teeth into these colours.

MAC Gold pigment is the best ‘true gold’ (no sparkles, no duochrome, no pink or bronze tones) eye shadow product I have seen to date- it is intensely pigmented, finely milled, and just like molten gold. You really need the tiniest amount on a pencil brush for this highlight, and the small sample pot I got from The Body Needs has lasted me years.

FOTD makeup breakdown:

Eyes:

- MAC Humid eyeshadow packed on to the upper mobile lid

- MAC Cork eyeshadow blended in the crease

- MAC Typographic eyeshadow (matte dark grey, not pictured here) to darken outer V

- MAC Prussian eyeshadow blended under bottom lashline

-  MAC Gold pigment applied (dry) to the inner corner of the eyes with a pencil brush. Mine is a sample size from The Body Needs.

- Bobbi Brown Gel Liner in Ink to line upper lashline and bottom waterline.

Keep reading after the jump!

Cheeks:

- MUFE HD Blush in #4 Walk Of Shame

-  MAC Bronzing Powder in Bronze

Lips:

-NARS Tzigane

Lashes:

Katy Perry Lashes by EyLure in ‘Pretty’

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While I was at Salon Melbourne a couple of weekends back, I picked up a few polishes from the Zoya stand. I hadn’t used Zoya before, so I limited myself to 4 in case I didn’t like the formula. I really regret not picking up more of these at the 50% off trade discount, because I ADORE the Zoya polishes I’ve tried- the formula is long lasting and fast drying, and the colours I’ve tried are gorgeous.

Zoya Nail Polish in Bevin is described as a “dusty, medium sage green with teal tones and a creamy opaque finish”. That description is pretty much spot on most of the time, but I find that depending on the lighting sometimes Bevin looks like a darker version of  ’Tiffany blue’.

I’m not usually a teal nail polish girl, but Bevin is delightfully wearable for both work and play.

The look that Rae Morris created for Frankie Magazine sponsored runway 07 (Karen Walker, Kuwaii, Limedrop, Gormon, and more) combined an intense powdery white exaggerated inner corner eye look with a bright fuschia lip.

I thought it would be a fun look to try for a FOTD.

I tried staying true to the original products that Rae Morris used as much as possible, so that you get an idea of how the ‘runway’ colours look under natural day lighting. I find that the colours look VERY different to the runway/backstage images- especially the lip colour, which looks far pinker in real life than it does on the runway photos.

Some of the products that I felt didn’t work well on me I omitted (the L’Oreal Nude Magique BB cream makes me look like I have jaundice).

In retrospect, I think I should have done a much bolder brow to go with the soft, undefined quality of the eye makeup- just like what Rae Morris did on her 07 runway models. Without a bold brow look to frame the eyes with these type of looks, things just seem a little bit out of balance.

FOTD makeup breakdown:

Base:

- NARS Sheer Glow in Fiji

- MAC Studiosculpt concealor

Eyes:

- L’Oreal Colour Riche Le Kohl in Immaculate Snow drawn on the ‘inner V’ – inner 1/2 top lashline, inner 1/3rd bottom lashline, connected at the inner corner. I blended this with a small pencil brush after applying straight from the pencil.

- L’Oreal Glam Bronze ‘La Terra’ blended in the crease

- MAC Omega eyeshadow to blend edges above crease

- Physician’s Formula shimmer strips eyeliner in black from Brown Eyes Set to line upper lashline

Brows:

- L’Oreal Color Riche Le Sourcil Eyebrow Pencil in Deep Brown

Cheeks:

- L’Oreal Nude Magique BB Blush on apples.

- L’Oreal Glam Bronze La Terra to contour cheekbones

Lips:

- Colour Riche Lipstick Intense Fuschia

If you want to see Rae Morris in action, here she is demonstrating the makeup application for this look on a model.

Zoya nail polish in Kate is one of the polishes that I picked up from the Zoya stand at Salon Melbourne (see the others in this post). It is a cream finish polish described by Zoya as a ‘soft medium dusty mauve with hints of rose-pink and brown’ – a very long winded but spot on description.

Kate is my kind of pink- sophisticated but fresh. If Kate was a lipstick it would be Chanel Rouge Coco ‘Mademoiselle’.  The Zoya formula is fantastic- the Zoya polishes that I’ve used so far have been unbelievably long wearing and surprisingly fast drying to boot.

The Face of Australia Glitterati polishes are 8 limited edition disco themed shades. They retail for $4.95 each and are available at Priceline, Kmart, Big W, and www.fashionaddict.com.au 

Accent thumb!

Face Of Australia Glitterati Polish in ‘ Studio 54 ‘ (2 layers) over the top of Zoya Kate.

Studio 54 is my favourite out of all the Glitterati polishes by Face Of Australia- I can’t wait to try it over a shiny black polish.

Keep reading after the jump!

Face Of Australia Glitterati Polish in ‘ Lookin’ For Some Hot Stuff ‘ (2 layers) over the top of Zoya Kate nail polish.

Cheeky cat! Dizzy looks so round faced and evil here.

 note: the Face Of Australia Glitterati polishes were sent to me by PR for consideration.

A month ago, an intimate group of excited Melbourne based bloggers and beauty editors gathered for the launch of the new muk Spa Argan Oil range. muk founders Mark Gariglio, Scott Reynolds, and Janelle Reynolds spoke about the inspiration behind the new muk Spa products and the ingredients that they used to formulate each product.

We were also privileged enough to see a demonstration of the new muk hair styling tools Curl Stick and Style Stick by the artistic director for muk- Lores Giglio (more on that in another blog post).

muk says…

Introducing MUK SPA. A natural based, premium high performance range of five products including shampoo, conditioner, masque, treatment, and spray shine. Muk Spa is designed to restore the vitality and condition of your hair with luxurious formulations containing high concentrations of pure Moroccan argan oil- commonly referred to as ‘liquid gold’. It provides repair, moisture, and softness for dehydrated, damaged and brittle hair with a delicious fragrance of sandalwood and wheatgrass.

The new muk. Spa range consists of 5 hair care and style products:

muk Spa Argan Oil Repair Shampoo 300mL $26.95

muk Spa Argan Oil Repair Conditioner 300mL $26.95

muk Spa Argan Oil Repair Mask 250mL $26.95

muk Spa Argan Oil Repair Shine Spray 100mL $34.95

muk Spa Argan Oil Repair Treatment 100mL $34.95

For a full range of stockists see www.mukhair.com 

The stand out product out of this range for me, and the star of the collection according to muk founder Mark Gariglio (pictured above), is the Argan Oil Repair treatment. It is an oil based serum that is designed to nourish the hair, impart shine, provide thermal protection, and protect the hair from the elements. I’ve been applying a small amount after towel drying and before blow drying – the stuff makes my colour damaged, dry hair look and feel amazing. My colour damaged hair seems to dry faster when using this too- I’m told that the product does this by reducing the porosity of the hair shaft when applied (a life saver since blow drying my porous, bleached hair is the bane of my existence). Once I start swimming again I’m going to take Mark’s advice and apply this to my hair to protect it from chlorine. 

AND- it smells amazing- citrusy, woody, and wonderful. One of these days I will succumb to the temptation to rub the Argan Oil Repair Treatment all over myself. 

A few things to be to keep in mind with this product. Firstly, don’t over apply, or else you end up with crunchy hair post blow drying (I use around half a teaspoon). Secondly, the Argan Oil Repair Treatment is quite thick and rich- it is designed for medium to thick hair and may be too rich for fine hair (use the Argan Oil Shine Spray instead if you have fine hair). Thirdly, be careful with the dropper – the thickness of the product and the large dropper size means that it’s easy to get the product all over the side of the bottle and I’m hoping they change the packaging from the dropper to a pump bottle very soon because I hate losing precious product!

Keep reading after the jump!

The Argan Oil Repair Shampoo and Conditioner are great workhorse bathroom staples. I don’t expect miracles from my shampoos and conditioners- I just need a shampoo that cleanses with no sulphates or other harsh ingredients that could irritate my sensitive scalp, and a conditioner that detangles and nourishes well. The muk. Spa Argan Oil range ticks all those boxes and goes a little further with beautiful packaging and scent.

I’ve spoken at length about harsh shampoo ingredients including sulphates and why I avoid these at all costs in my previous blog posts including the one reviewing the MooGoo Milk Shampoo so I won’t repeat myself here. The muk. Spa Argan Oil Repair Shampoo uses Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate and Cocamidopropyl Betaine as it’s main cleansing/surfactant ingredients – they have very low irritancy compared with sulphates and are much better for the health of your scalp.

The Argan Oil Repair Mask was pleasant enough to use and worked reasonably well to moisturise my hair- however, I actually prefer the Argan Oil Repair Conditioner over the mask. On my hair it works better to soften and moisturize than the Repair Mask.

Muk Spa product ingredients:

Clockwise from top left: Argan Oil Repair Conditioner, Argan Oil Repair Shampoo, Argan Oil Repair Mask, Argan Oil Repair Shine Spray,Argan Oil Repair Treatment

(apologies for the shitty ingredients photos- no real excuse so I won’t give one).

note: these products were sent to me by PR for consideration. 

I’m very excited to announce the four winners of my Sukin skincare giveaway-

#72 Sharleena

#170 Linda C

#44 Stela

#33 Kerry S 

I will get in touch with you very soon via email and you will have the 3 Sukin products on their way to you very soon!

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As you may know, I’m crazy about deep vampy lips- give me a nice burgundy lip with a glossy finish an I’m all yours for the taking.

The thing I really love about Brun Glace (which is shade #2, reviewed previously in this post ) is that it’s a deep vampy lip product with a long lasting shine and colour that wears evenly on the lips- these qualities are harder to find than you might think in a dark lip product. I also love how you can use lip liners under this Glossy Stain to achieve anything from a glossy mahogany brown lip, to a deep merlot, to a rusty red. Of course, you can do the same with any lipliner/lipgloss combo- but the shine never lasts as long on me with other lipglosses. Also, I find that when I wear darker colours with a glossy finish, I get a really obvious migration of the lip colour from the centre of the lips to the edges, which just means frequent touch ups to avoid the ‘dark lip liner’ look.

Anyway, look! I did a FOTD.

FOTD makeup breakdown

Eyes:

- TFSI to prime

- Laura Mercier Bamboo eyeshadow applied all over the lid to the crease

- MAC Reflects Gold glitter pressed onto the lid, on top of Bamboo with a flat brush

- MAC Mystery and Typographic eyeshadows to darken outer V

- MAC Mystery eyeshadow blended below bottom lashline

- MAC Omega eyeshadow to blend any harsh edges around eyeshadow.

- Bobbi Brown Gel Liner in ‘Black’ to line waterline and top lashline

- Bobbi Brown Shimmer eyeshadow in Champagne to highlight inner corners of the eyes

Cheeks:

- MAC Bronzing powder in Bronze to contour

- Illamasqua Ambition (from Ambition/Katie blush duo) blush on apples

Lips:

- MAC Lipliner in Burgundy

- YSL Glossy Stain in #2 Brun Glace on top

Keep reading after the jump!

The beautiful sparkly effect from MAC Reflects Gold is difficult to capture on camera. You’ll have to just take my word for it when I say that Reflects Gold gives your lids the shimmery water effect.