Sunday, December 27, 2009

The Aftermath of Christmas

So here I am laying on the couch at my parents house two days after Christmas sipping Coke Zero from the can trying to recover from a massive few days.

I can't believe Christmas has been! It all seems to have passed in a blur but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Each year in our family we have a bet on who will get the worst Christmas present for the year. Everyone who participates puts $25 into the kitty and once voting has occurred the person who got the worst present gets the kitty money to go and buy themselves a decent present!

I have won the past couple of years with one "worst" Christmas present being a bottle of Tweed perfume and another being a box of out of date biscuits (and I mean out of date to the tune of 2 years). This year however I fear I may not be in the running even though I did get a voucher for the local Chemist who sells crap all! My Brother got a cracker this year, an aunt gave him a big beer money box and a pair of those hideous satin boxer shorts with static flying from every thread. Voting closes on New Years Eve so I will let you know who wins this year.

Christmas day was fun although incredibly hectic. My God Children had a fabulous day and it was great seeing them all so happy and excited. I do believe that children can be over indulged though and this year was definitely off the radar present wise for them.

Something I find hilarious though is my 5 year old God Son! He wasn't overly fussed with all his toys but he went off over all his clothes! He just loved them and I fear I have created a designer loving mini me. My Mum was giving me daggers when my God Son opened his presents and said "look I got Nike's" and oh look Santa bough Dulcie ate Cabana (aka Dolce and Gabbana)!

I got some beautiful gifts this year thanks to my beautiful family and friends who I love and adore more than anything else on this earth. Lots of treats that I will surely enjoy using and wearing. A few Blue Boxes from Tiffany & Co and lots of perfumes and beauty bits and pieces that I love etc.

Hope everyone had a brilliant Christmas and has a Safe and Happy New Year.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Christmas is such a magical time of year. I love every aspect of Christmas from decorating the tree to wrapping gifts and singing carols (albeit rather badly).

In my family Christmas really doesn't begin until 12.00am on December 25th because it is my Birthday on Christmas Eve and my Parents have always made Christmas Eve all about me and my Birthday and heaven help anyone that tries to give me a combined Christmas/Birthday present or card (you wouldn't believe how many relatives try and get away with this lol).

So we are just preparing to have Pink Cupcakes with my God Children to celebrate me becoming another year older. It's so lovely to have all of my family around me. The best presents I received today was a hug and a kiss from all of my family and my Godson giving me a present that he made all by himself. You simply can't put a price on those things.

Tonight we will watch Carols on tv as we bring out the family Christmas ornaments and hang them on our tree. We have very special Christmas ornaments hand painted with all our family members names on each one. When someone passes away another family member will hang the ornament in their honor. I love this tradition and even if someone has died it doesn't make me sad at Christmas, it makes me feel really lucky and blessed that we had them in our lives at all. I am certainly a big believer in the phrase "It is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all".

Tonight we will hang our stockings in the lounge room of Mum and Dad's house and spread reindeer food up the driveway so that Santa will find his way to our door (we don't have a chimney). We will drink Eggnog and all give thanks for the many blessings we have in our lives. Mum will be roasting meat and wrapping last minute gifts. Dad will be annoying Mum. My Brother will be tipsy, J will be asleep on the couch and I will be entertaining my God Children until they go to bed around 9.30. At midnight I will slip out to Mass as I do every year.

It may surprise some people to learn that I am quite religious. It certainly isn't something I discuss with anyone. Members of my own immediate family don't even share my views. My religious and spiritual beliefs are something very personal to me. My faith is strong and it has seen me through some very difficult times in my life.

I just want to wish everyone a very Merry, Safe, Joyous Christmas. Sending you all lots of love, hugs and kisses at this very special time of year.

Be grateful for what you have, don't worry what you haven't got because in the end all that really matters is there here and now. As long as we have each other we are the richest people on earth.

Merry Christmas 2009

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Christmas Shopping Mission Complete!!

The past few weeks have been insanely busy for me. We had my Dad's 60th Birthday celebrations, a quick trip to Melbourne for some frantic Christmas shopping and the last few days have been filled with more last minute shopping! Ordinarily I love to shop but to be honest I am so over it and really don't want to see another shop, well not for a little while at least.

I am excited to say that I have finished my Christmas shopping! This is a record for me who is usually arguing with a five year old over the last Christmas Stocking on the shelves at store closing time on Christmas Eve!

I have asked Santa very nicely for some serious spoiling this Christmas, gee I hope he listened! I had my photo taken on Santa's knee with my God Son the other day, I have since heard Santa is in traction at the local hospital with his knee broken in ten places!!!

Monday, December 14, 2009

Party Makeup

Party Look I Wore On The Weekend

I primed my skin with Napolean Perdis Autopilot Pre Foundation Primer and applied Urban Decay Primer Potion on my lids.

Foundation and Concealer - I used green concealer from my Coastal Scents Camo Quad to disguise a little redness around my nose. Next I applied Stila's Natural Finish Foundation followed up with Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat (under my eyes) and Laura Mercier Concealer. Finally I set the foundation with a light dusting of Smashbox Halo Powder.

Brows - Smashbox Brow Tech in Taupe

Eyes - As a base I used M.A.C Paint Pot in Blackground. I then mixed together two M.A.C Mineralize Shadows in Midnight Madness (from Magic, Mirth and Mischief) and Cinderfella (from Style Black). I added a spray of M.A.C's Fix+ to give the shadows a wet shiny look. The colour turned out to be a dark charcoal metallic grey. I then applied M.A.C False Lashes (lash 3). I lined the bottom lash line with M.A.C's Feline Eye Liner and the top lash line with M.A.C's Blacktrack Fluidline. I then smudged M.A.C Glitter in Reflects Antique Gold along the top lashline and set with Pop Sparkle Sauce. To finish the eyes I added several coats of Benefit Bad Gal mascara in black.

Cheeks - I used Nars Bronzer in Laguna on all areas where the sun would naturally hit. followed by Stila Convertible Colour in Petunia on the apples of my cheeks. To finish my cheeks I applied Nars Blush in Mata Hari.

Lips - Lips were lined with Duwop's Invisible Lip Liner. Next I applied Lime Crime's Great Pink Planet Lipstick followed by a coat of M.A.C Dazzleglass Creme in My Favourite Pink.

Happy 60th Birthday Dad - Part 2

We had a lovely time celebrating my Dad's 60th Birthday on the weekend. We celebrated all weekend with family and close friends dining at some of Tasmania's best restaurants and visiting some popular tourist destinations with our international visitors. Everyone had a fabulous time and I am sure my Dad will never forget his 60th Birthday.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Girly Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Christmas

Christmas stockings are huge in our family. We all hang a stocking with our name on it (including the animals) in my Parents lounge room and everyone buys little things to go in them for each other.

The rules at our parents place for Christmas Stockings are that nobody is supposed to know who put what in them (of course we all knows it was Santa)! Nothing that goes in the stockings is allowed to be valued at over $20. Nothing is allowed to be wrapped, it simply needs to be stuffed inside the stocking.

My stocking is pink (of course) with sequins and crystals all over it, I got an extra large one since I have been extra good this year I am hoping Santa will fill it up.

Some stocking stuffer ideas and also things I will be putting in my female family and friends stockings this year include:

100g Snow Fairy Shower Gel from Lush $9.95
Want To Believe Bath Melt from Lush $6.50
Star Melt Bath Melt from Lush $6.50
100g Father Frost Soap from Lush $8.50
100g Angels Delight Soap or Snowcake Soap from Lush $6.50 each

Mini Body Butters from The Body Shop $10.95
Mini Shower Gels and Body Lotions from The Body Shop around $5 each

CD's from Target or Big W around $18
Lindt Chocolate Bells around $6 from almost any store

OPI, Creative Nail Design or China Glaze Nail Polishes between $10 - $20 each!

Perfect Potion Lip Balm around $12

Lip Gloss

L'Occitane Mini Shea Hand Cream $14.95

Glitzy-Glam Initial Key Chains $10 each

Autobiography or Biography Books many under $20 at places like K-Mart

Pens and Stationary

Scented Candles

Homemade Biscuits, Slices or Gingerbread men

Small Piccolo of Champagne

Candy Canes

Flavoured Tea

Mini Calender

Movie Tickets

Itunes Voucher

Mini Haul

Yesterday I had a couple of hours to fill in before meeting my family for Dinner in the city so I slipped by the shops (which is never a good sign for my bank balance). There is still quite a few presents I need to buy for Christmas but luckily my Mum and I are heading to Melbourne on Wednesday so I live in hope I will be able to buy the rest of my gifts for other people whilst I am there.

So yesterday I ended up picking up a few things from The Body Shop, Lush and Myer.

Lush:

Want To Believe Bath Melts x 10 (these are not all for me, I think they are hilarious because they look like a lump of coal, so I got them for some girlfriends as stocking stuffers for Christmas).
Chox Away Soap
You Shall Go To The Ball Gift Packs x 3 (because I love the Fairy Tail sugar scrub in them so much and you can't but it individually until the new year).

Myer:

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle EDT Perfume. I have this in the EDP but wanted something a bit lighter for summer so I picked this one up. I also got the body lotion to match.

The Body Shop:

Cherry Blossom EDT perfume - So pretty!

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Makeup Of The Day!



Stila Moisturising Primer
Nars Sheer Glow Foundation
Coastal Scents Camo Quad Concealer Palette in Light
Smashbox Halo
Smashbox Brow Tech in Taupe
Urban Decay Primer Potion
M.A.C Paintpot in Blackground
M.A.C Mineralize Eye Shadow Duo in Midnight Madness
M.A.C Fluidline in Dipdown
Smashbox Pencil Liner in Antique Gold
Clinique Lash Primer
M.A.C Plushlash Mascara
Nars Bronzer in Laguna
Stila Convertible Colour in Petunia (as a cream blush)
Nars Blush in Angelika
M.A.C Lipstick in Pervette
M.A.C Dazzleglass in Baby Sparks



Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Collective Haul!

M.A.C, Dior, The Body Shop, YSL, Lush, Voluspa Candles and More!

Today I went to the shops looking for Christmas gifts for other people and managed to collect a pretty big haul for myself in a relatively short period of time (this seems to happen to me quite often).

I am one of those gift shoppers who will buy someone a product and then buy one for myself as well! It's utterly ridiculous and my credit card has a minor stroke every time I pull it out. You see this doesn't happen intentionally it just kind of happens by accident, well truth be told I have very little if any will power!! Now you might understand why I don't go near the shops if I am attempting to save! However today was unavoidable, it's Christmas right?

So today I stopped by my M.A.C counter and picked up a few things as well as ordered a couple of things online from the Baroque Boudoir Collection. If I really love something that's limited edition I will often buy backups of it so I will state "repurchase" next to the things I have bought backups of.

Baroque Boudoir I ordered:

1. Prive Lipstick
2. Preciousness Lip Gloss
3. Light Medium Mystery Powder

This range is so expensive! I would have liked a few more things but couldn't justify the spend. I hope it's worth it!!!

From M.A.C Counter:

Feline Eye Liner (repurchase) I love this liner so much from DSquared2 Collection. It came out once before and I didn't get a backup and I regretted it so I got another.

Dazleglass Cremes in My Favourite Pink (repurchase) and Perfectly Unordinary. I just love Dazzleglass Cremes and am hoping with all my heart M.A.C decide to make them a permanent part of its regular collection.

Magic Mirth and Mystery Mineralize Shadow Duos in Midnight Madness, Devil-May-Care (both repurchases) and Mayhem! I love these Mineralize shadows so much and have enjoyed using them enough to warrant the repurchases and a new addition to my collection.

Lipsticks - Total Wow (from Magic, Mirth and Mischief), Creme Cup, Speed Dial and Hot Gossip.

Lipglass Mini Holiday Set in Sexy Shenanigans.

China Glaze Nail Polish in It's Poppin, Evening Seduction and Lets Groove.

Mor Marshmallow Body Oil

Voluspa Three Wicked Candles in Dahlia Orange Bloom and Vanilla Creme Flower

Badger Fan Brush

YSL Touche Eclat in 02 - Chemist Warehouse have these in stock and on sale for just $39 each as opposed to the $70+ you will pay elsewhere.

Diorshow Blackout Mascara - Also at Chemist Warehouse for just $29 as opposed to $40 in department stores here in Australia.

The Body Shop -

Spa Wisdom Polynesia Lotus and Frangipani Body Puree
Spa Wisdom Polynesia Monoi Body Balm
Spa Wisdom Morocco Orange Blossom Finishing Mist (to spray on my pillow)
Coconut Body Butter
Moringa Body Butter Mini
Japanese Cherry Blossom Gift Pack

Lush - 10 x Star Bath Melts (cause I lurrrrrrrrrve them)

Joico Body Luxe Shampoo, Conditioner, Thickening Elixir and Root Lift. Schwarzkopf Bonacure Moisture Kick Spray Conditioner.


Okay so that all seems like an awful lot of product, but trust me I needed it like a hole in the head! All I can say is some people shop for clothes, some people shop for shoes, it just so happens that I shop for makeup, fragrance and bath and body products!!

Formal Makeup Application

Today I did makeup application for seven year twelve leavers. It was only supposed to be six but unfortunately one poor girl had a disaster experience at a makeup counter and came along with her friend for some emergency reapplication.

I must admit it was a bit daunting having so many girls to do consecutively but I managed in the end. The entire process was so much fun and they were such a sweet group of girls. I will ask their permission to post pics on my blog. They all looked gorgeous and were extremely happy with the looks I created for them. All the products I used on the girls were from M.A.C cosmetics. M.A.C is my favourite cosmetics brand and I just love their products, they never let me down.

I have done a few basic makeup courses many years ago but am mostly self taught. I do makeup as a bit of a hobby because I love it so much. I love the transformation that different makeup looks can achieve. It is so much fun doing makeup for friends and family before a night out.

Monday, December 7, 2009

November Favourites

Pink Picks For November

This November has seen the weather warm up, me return from a huge extended holiday and the shops rolling out their limited edition products just in time for the festive season. So here are a few of my favourite products from November.

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Lipstick in Lingerie Pink - The packaging of these lipsticks is just gorgeous. They have a little mirror in the top and come in the most divine gold cases. Lingerie Pink is my perfect shade of pink.

Perfect Potion Lip Balm in Vanilla Bean - I have a lot of lip balms and I can say without a doubt that Perfect Potion lip balms are the best I have ever tried. I spent much of October/November on long flights and this lip balm kept my lips perfectly soft and hydrated.

Korres Pomegranate Face Wipes - These wipes are my favourite face wipes. They are a lot moister than other face wipes I have tried and are so gentle on my skin whilst removing every trace of makeup at the same time.

Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne Perfume - I love the smell of this fragrance. It somehow seems a little more grown up than my usual sweet scents and I just adore it. Of course I also got the matching body lotion and shower gel.

Smashbox Wish For The Perfect Pencils Set - Contains 5 eyeliners in very wearable colours of silver, peacock, bronze, purple and black.

Sephora Lash Stash - This contains 10 sample sized mascaras. I am someone who never and I mean NEVER gets through a tube of mascara before it's used by date so that makes these sizes absolutely perfect for me. The advantage with this kit is that I get to try lots of different brands and there isn't a lot of waste as I can simply toss and start a new one when it's 12 week shelf life expires.

Kat Von D Eye Shadow Palettes in Ludwig (smokey greens and browns) and Metal Orchestra (rich blues, greys and whites) - These shadow palettes are just gorgeous and are seriously pigmented.

M.A.C Studio Moisture Tint in Light - Undoubtedly my favourite tinted moisturiser ever. I love this stuff. It has a thick consistency but is actually very matte upon application. Strangely though I find this quite hydrating. This gives great coverage for a tinted moisturiser and has a touch of sunscreen in it. You would certainly need to use additional sunscreen with this especially here in Australia.

Strawberry Flowers Perfume by Fresh - This is a Sephora Exclusive but it smells so good. A really gorgeous scent for summer.

Lydia Jordane Lifting Eye Cream - Love this eye cream, one of the best I have ever used. It's an Australian product and costs around $55 and I can honestly say I like it better than other eye creams I have paid much more for. It firms the skin around the eye, decreases puffiness and makes fine dehydration lines disappear.

Candles By Victoria in Honey I washed The Youngins and I'm a Rockstar - The scents of these two candles are dupes of Lush's Honey I Washed The Kids and Rockstar soaps. I picked up masses of these candles whilst I was away. They smell gorgeous!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Christmas Wish

I am like a little kid at Christmas. I get so excited about every aspect! I love being with my family and friends at this time of year. I love looking at Christmas lights and decorations. I love Carols By Candlelight and I love the giving and receiving of gifts.

Although it is all too easy to get caught up in the materialism of Christmas I am always so acutely aware that this time of year is not an easy time for many people. In a country that is so rich there is so much hardship, loneliness, homelessness and despair.

I wish with all my heart that I alone was able to make a huge difference to everyone who suffers at this time of year but in all reality this is not something that one person alone can achieve. However together as a human race simple acts of kindness can make this world a better place.

This year I plan to donate to the Salvation Army who I think are one of the most worthwhile causes on the planet. The Salvos do amazing things for people in need and I admire their work so much. I have already contributed to the K-Mart Giving Tree. I also hope to donate some food hampers to needy families in our area through our church. I am a huge animal lover so I will also be doing my bit for the RSPCA which is another of my favourite charities.

Of course I don't think my small contributions are going to make a huge difference but I hope in some small way they make someones day a little brighter.

So my Christmas wish is for everyone to try and help out people who are not as fortunate as we are at this special time of year. It doesn't have to be a money donation, it could be as simple as giving someone a smile and wishing them Merry Christmas or taking the time to go and say hello to someone who lives alone. It may be donating some of your time to a soup kitchen for the homeless or even sending a card to someone you haven't seen in ages.

So I encourage every single person to try and spread some Christmas cheer.

Giving Tree

Christmas is my favourite time of the year. I love everything about Christmas. I love hearing the dorky Christmas Carols playing as I walk around the shops, I love how people decorate their homes with masses of lights.

On Friday I took my God Children to K-Mart. I got each of them to choose a tag off the K-Mart Giving Tree and then set them each a little project of finding a gift for the person on their tags within a $40 price limit.

It was quite disturbing to the two smallest children that they had to give away the presents they chose instead of keeping them for themselves. However once we had a little chat and explained to them the idea of the Giving Tree and that not everyone is as fortunate as they are they seemed okay with it. However Miss 6 must have thought about it quite deeply because later that evening she said to me "If those little kids don't get Christmas presents Santa must think they have been bad"!!! After some creative story telling I managed to convince her that Santa has been a victim of the credit crunch and he couldn't afford to buy presents for everyone this year either, which is why K-Mart are helping out!!!!!

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Crush

Today I stumbled upon a site that got me super excited. Finally I have found somewhere to buy coveted brands such as Barry M, Urban Decay, NYX, Lime Crime, Coastal Scents, China Glaze and Milani cosmetics.

I have been a fan of Barry M products for the longest time. I think they are great quality at super affordable prices.

I am also keen to try NYX's Jumbo Eye Pencils and China Glaze Nail Polishes as I have heard so many good things about them on You Tube.

Finally I am ecstatic to have found somewhere to buy my beloved Urban Decay Primer Potion from here in Australia.

Anyway the point is I made a rather large order from www.crushcosmetics.com.au today and within 5 minutes I had a personal reply saying my order would be dispatched first thing on Monday via express post.

I will be sure to review the products as soon as I receive them and let you know what I think.

Happy 60th Birthday Dad!

I don't usually tend to write about myself and what goes on in my personal life in this blog, mainly because I am a private person and frankly I don't think anyone would care about what I get up to in my spare time. However I am going to make an exception here and let you all in on a big secret we have planned for my Dad's 60th Birthday next week.

My Dad is a very humble person. He has worked incredibly hard throughout his life (I'm talking 16 hour days) to provide our family with a very comfortable lifestyle. He always made sure we had everything we needed and worked his finger to the bone to give us (his kids) the very best education possible.

The thing about my Dad is that he is one of the most selfless people on earth. He never asks for anything. The rest of us in our family have all had big Birthday Parties to celebrate "big" Birthday occasions but Dad said he didn't want one. He didn't want one for his 40th or 50th and he doesn't want one for his 60th.

We were tempted to throw Dad the MOTHER of all surprise parties but knowing his wishes we decided that we wouldn't do that. However we have organised something very very special.

My Dad served in The Vietnam War and during his time there he became particularly close with a fellow Australian Soldier. They were great mates, but then his mate was badly hurt in Vietnam and had to be flown home to Australia and as he was from another state Dad didn't see him again. This man thankfully recovered (well as much as anyone who went to such a shocking war could recover) but ended up moving to Canada where he married and made a life for himself.

Dad often talked about this man over the years and then a couple of years ago out of the blue this man came looking for Dad. After an extensive search he located my Dad and the two began conversing via e-mail and the telephone. Late Last year this mans Sister came to Tasmania from her home in Adelaide and her and her husband came and spent a few days with us at our family home. She was the most delightful person and her visit got us conspiring a massive surprise for my Dad's 60th Birthday.

So next week on my Dad's 60th Birthday we are having a Birthday Dinner at a very nice restaurant and we have bought my Dad's old mate and his wife all the way from Canada as a very special surprise. They haven't seen each other in more than 35 years and I absolutely can't wait to shock the hell out of my Dad in the very best possible way.

I am sure it's going to be a very emotionally charged reunion. I am so excited to do this for my Dad. I have kept this massive secret for over a year but now that there is under a week to go until my Dad's 60th it is getting so hard to hold the secret in. What's worse is my Dad keeps talking about him and is organising a Christmas gift to send to Canada. Lol!!

Luckily there's no chance of my Dad reading this blog as he doesn't know it exists or even who the hell pinkcupcake is LOL. I just wanted to share that with you all.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Current Skin Care Routine

Lately I have been keeping my skin care routine pretty consistent, which for me is a big deal because I never stick to using the same things for any prolonged period of time. For the last couple of months including my extended holiday I have been using:

Dermalogica PreCleanse
Dermalogica Ultra Calming Cleanser
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Dermalogica Soothing Protection Spray
Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Booster
Dermalogica Active Moist (on t-zone in the evenings)
Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream (on cheeks in the evenings)
Ultraceuticals 30+ Moisturiser (during the day)
Lydia Jordane Eye Lifting Cream (seriously one of the best eye creams I have ever used)

My skin is feeling great using this combination of products. I highly recommend all of them.

The White Christmas Tree

Today I went shopping with my Mum and God Daughters to do some Christmas shopping as well as purchase a new Christmas Tree for Mum and Dad's house!

Well it turned into a riot because the Christmas tree the kids had their hearts set on was Sold Out! It was a white one and they wanted to decorate it with pink and silver ornaments. Miss 6 decided that someone should ring Santa and tell him to bring more to K-Mart!! So a few tears and one pretend phone call later and I now have to drive 100km tomorrow to pick up this white tree from another store!!

I took the girls to Lush and they all walked out with little bags of goodies which they were thrilled about. There's something about sweet smelling things with lots of glitter and sparkles that excites my God Daughters beyond words (Hmmm I wonder who they get that from).

Next was a trip for the annual Santa photo and then some lunch at a nice restaurant. Why is it that no matter where you take kids to eat, or for that matter how nice the food is, they always want McDonalds?

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Recent Perfume Purchases

Whilst I was away I went a litte berserk on fragrance. It wasn't a conscious decision it just kinda happened!! So here are the fragrances I have recently purchased.


1. Micheal Kors Very Hollywood


2. Fresh Strawberry Flowers


3. Fresh Sugar Lychee


4. Vera Wang Flower Princess (repurchase)


5. Vera Wang Rock Princess


6. Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne


7. Chanel Coco Mademoiselle


8. Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy


9. Jessica Simpson Fancy and Jessica Simpson Fancy Love


10. Anna Sui Rock Me


11. Lolita Lempicka Forbidden Flower (repurchase)


12. Victor and Rolf Flowerbomb Extreme


13. Nina Ricci Ricci Ricci


14. Marc Jacobs Lola


15. Benefit Something About Sophia


16. Philosophy Falling In Love (repurchase)


17. Philosophy Pure Grace


18. Tokyo Milk Let Them Eat Cake





Ummmm yeah, so that's a whole lot of perfume huh? Lol

M.A.C Holiday Limited Editions

I am loving all of M.A.C's Holiday 09 collections. I have been naughty and bought way too much of it. My justification is that it is limited edition and it's gorgeous. Whilst I was away recently I was able to get it at very cheap prices compared with here at home.


I am not going to review everything I have got because I haven't used some of it as yet but if there's anything at all anyone would like me to review just let me know and I will do my best to review it for you.



Magic Mirth and Mischief:


Mineralize Eye Shadow Duos in Devil May Care (a gorgeous shimmering lilac purple and glittery silver) and Midnight Madness (dirty dark grey brown and gold).

Total Wow Lipstick - A gorgeous berry shade which looks a lot brighter in the tube than it does upon application.

She-Zam Dazzleglass - A silver glitter gloss which looks great layered over a lipstick.

Ever So Rich Cremesheen Glass - A gorgeous sheer lilac colour.


Eye Palettes:


Smoke and Mirrors -The most amazing browns and perfect colours for a casual day look or sexy smoky eyes at night. This one has been the most popular eye palette from M.A.C's Holiday collection having sold out in many places very early after its release.

Sorceress - Gorgeous lilac, purples, grey, white and black with glitter shades. This was the first palette that caught my eye and it is my favourite of all four eye palettes.

Devil May Dare - This palette contains gorgeous pink/peach, natural nude cream, dark warm chocolates and a shimmery mint green shade.

Mystic Cool - This was the last palette I picked up mainly because it is my least favoruite of all four (that's not to say I don't love it but I just loved the others more). This contains pinks, creamy nude, dark blue, turquoise and a dark brown. I ended up buying this purely because I had the other three so thought I should complete the set and get the last one. It was also considerably less expensive than I could get it here so that was enough to convince me to buy it not that I really ever need much convincing to buy anything.


Lip Bag and Palettes:


Possessed By Pink Lip Palette -
A cute little palette containing two shades of lipstick and one lip gloss in various pink shades. Such a cute little compact to pull out of your bag!

Put A Spell On You Pink Lip Bag -
I must admit the thing that drew me to this lip bag was the bag itself! Stupid I know but I am such a sucker for cute packaging. I just love the pewter bag with the pink bobble and ribbon (it looks super cute in my bag). This bag contains one of my favourite Dazzleglasses Baby Sparks (which I was almost out of), Dream Lipstick and a little promo sized Dervish Lip Pencil.



Eye Bag:


Alakazam! Chocolate Eye Bag - Again this comes in a cute pewter bag (bigger than the lip bag) and contains Fluidline Eye Liner in Rich Ground, Zoomblack Mascara, 209 Eye Liner Brush and Melon Pigment.




Mischief Makers Collection:



Sexpot Smoky Mini Pigments/Glitter - Words can not describe how totally in love with this set I am. The colours are absolutely gorgeous and perfect for creating the perfect smoky eye. I think these mini pigments are a much better size than the regular pigment sizes which are so big I never seem to make a dent in the product let alone finish it. This set contains four pigments in Naked, Chocolate Brown, Sunnydaze and Dark Soul and one glitter in Reflects Antique Gold (which is actually the most beautiful coloured glitter I have ever seen).

Italic
Cool Capers Mini Pigments/Glitter - This set contains some gorgeous colours. It contains four mini pigments in Fuchsia (just mix with clear gloss to make a hot pink lip gloss), Grape, Kitchmas and Deep Blue Green and one glitter in Reflects Teal.


Haute High Jinks Mini Pigment/Glitter -Contains four mini pigments in Copperized, Museum Bronze, Jardin Aires and Rushmetal and Glitter in Reflects Gold.


Exclusives:

Pinkzapoppin Mineralize Kit-
This kit contains three mineralize products including Light Flush Mineralize Skin Finish, Dainty Mineralize Blush and Love Connection Eye Shadow Duo as well as a M.A.C Kabuki Brush.

So far that is what I have from the Holiday collection at M.A.C! I plan on asking Santa for a couple of the mini lipglass sets. I also wouldn't mind a few more Mineralize Eye Shadows from Magic, Mirth and Mischief (I hope Santa is listening).





Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Lush Christmas Goodies Haul

I love Christmas time at Lush. I look forward to seeing what products they come up with each year for their Christmas range. I went to Lush last week and stocked up on limited edition Christmas products. I think that Lush have pulled out all the stops this year and I just love their Christmas products for 2009!

Snow Fairy has been an absolute favourite product of mine for so many years now! Last year I actually purchased enough big bottles of it to see me through until this Christmas when it resurfaced in the stores again! I would be devastated if Snow Fairy was ever discontinued and disappeared!! My Mum gets me a big bottle of Snow Fairy every year for my Christmas stocking! You know how people get staples every year from their Mum? Well instead of socks and jocks I get Lush Snow Fairy.

Anyway back to my haul! I ended up picking up quite a few things:

Snow Fairy Shower Gel - So sweet and fruity and just my kind of scent! Love love love this.

Snow Fairy Solid Perfume - My eyes nearly popped out of my head I was so excited to see that Snow Fairy has been released in a solid perfume. I rather embarrassingly broke out into a little round of applause I was so thrilled about this product (much to the amusement of the Lush Staff)! It smells exactly the same as Snow Fairy Shower Gel. I love it and it lasts a really long time on my skin.


The Godmother Soap
- Not a Christmas product but since I was celebrating all things Snow Fairy (and the Godmother soap smells exactly the same) I just had to get some.


Star Melt
- A gorgeous pink star shaped bath met that smells exactly the same as Snow Fairy! This is giving my favourite Mmm Melting Marshmallow Moment Bath Melt a serious run for it's money. I must stock up on these so I have enough to see me through next Christmas Lol!


Fairy Tail
- I think this is my favourite Lush product for Christmas (although I am mega excited this is going to be permanent). Basically it's a sugar scrub shaped like a little pink mouse with white chocolate eyes and a little string tail. It smells the same as Lush's Yummy Yummy Yummy Shower Cream (strawberry) and is an amazingly effective body scrub. It gave a thorough exfoliation and my skin felt amazing afterward.


Sexy Boy Massage Bar
- This cute little fella is shaped like a gingerbread man. He is almost too cute to use. I find Lush's massage bars extremely moisturising. They leave the skin so soft and smelling delicious. Sexy Boy is white chocolate and lime scented although I can't seem to smell the lime it still smells amazing!


Want To Believe Bath Melt
- This looks exactly like a lump of coal (but with sparkles). You know the old saying if you've been bad Santa will leave you coal instead of presents, well this coal smells kinda good so I couldn't see any girl being disappointed if Santa left this chunk of coal for them.


Cinders Bath Ballistic
- This is a small bath bomb around the same size as Lush's famous butterball. It smells so good, like orange and cinnamon, and comes with popping candy built into it to make a crackling noise as you soak in your bath (supposedly to remind one of a burning open fireplace).

Little Lush Pud Bath Ballistic - Looks just like a little baby Christmas Pudding. This year lush made it smaller and I think it's somehow much better than the bigger one they have done in previous years just because the larger one was almost too strongly scented and became almost overpowering when in the tub. Lush Pud smells likes cloves and really makes me get into the Christmas spirit.

Satsumo Santa Bath Ballistic - This bath bomb is a really fat orange scented santa. It is so cute, I have to buy some more because my Mum stole my first one and My Godson abducted the second!


So White Bath Ballistic
- A cute little white bath bomb that comes with shavings of Lush Bubble Bars within it. So once emulsified in the bath it will leave white bubbles on top of your bath to give the effect of snow. This one smells of rose, apples and oranges.


Double Fast Luck Emotibomb
- This is a bath bomb for your shower. You simply pop it on the shower floor and as it fizzes away it releases essential oils of orange, lavender, patchouli, lemongrass and elemi. I find this really perks me up if I feel a bit sluggish in the morning and just for Christmas Lush have made it purple instead of its usual pink colour.


Saturnalia Bubble Bar
- This gnome shaped Santa Bubble Bar has a funny story! It is known as No Name because it is given a different name in every Lush Store around the world. As I live in Hobart my store have named this little guy Ho Ho Hobart!


Ruby Red Slippers Bubble Bar
- This is back for another year and sends your water a rather disturbing red colour, which to me is quite disturbing because it looks like some poor soul is bleeding to death in the tub. However the gorgeous smells of geranium, rose and tangerine oils compensate for the blood connotation!


Christmas Eve Bubble Bar
- A blue glittery bar with a bright yellow moon. This was made to calm and sooth children into a deep slumber on Christmas Eve however I think it's smell of ylang ylang and jasmine is a more sexy adult scent.


Candy Cane Bubble Bar
- This is exactly the same as Lush's Creamy Candy Bubble Bar (my fave) except it's redressed as a candy cane just for Christmas.


Angels Delight Soap
- Another of my favourites that reappears every year at Lush for Christmas. This is a very sweet and fruity scented soap.


Father Frost Soap
- Father Frost Soap is Lush's very first palm oil free soap. Lush is aiming to eliminate the use of palm oil in their soaps for the purpose of saving our planet. This initiative means that the Lush soaps aren't going to lather up quite as much but if it helps save our worlds Rain Forests I don't think there will be too many complaints. Father Frost is a dark blue soap which smells of garden blossoms.


Snowcake Soap
- This all white soap looks just like snow. It is very lightly scented with benzoin and rose. This is a very unisex soap in my opinion so would be good for men also.

The thing I really love about Lush is their gift packs. They cater for every budget and are priced from $9.95 to $140. This makes them accessible for everyone.

Note: I am not affiliated with Lush in anyway, I was not paid to review these products and all products were chosen and paid for by me.

Revival From The Dead

As usual I have been hopeless at updating my blog but in my defense I have had quite a bit going on recently.

Life right now is good, I am taking the time to smell the roses and appreciate the little things in life that often bring the greatest pleasure without even realising it.

Christmas is my favourite time of year. I love the decorations, the excitement in small children and even the dorky Christmas Carols playing in the shops. I love decorating the Christmas tree with my God Children and making Christmas themed gingerbread men. I love scattering Reindeer Food up the driveway of my parents house so Santa will know how to get to the chimney (well in our case the front door since we don't have a chimney).

One of the things I adore about the lead up to Christmas is the masses of limited edition beauty products that are available! Ohh it's all too much excitement!