NOTD: L'Oreal Color Riche Le Vernis - Sex on the Peach

In my recent haul (blogged about here) I picked up three of the L'Oreal Color Riche nail polishes. I was drawn to 306 Sex on the Peach by its gorgeous colour but the tongue in cheek name had me purchasing it. It is a very pretty creamy peach shade. This shade is part of the Miss Candy Spring/Summer 2012 Collection. 

The L'Oreal Color Riche polishes have a wide and thick brush (similar to the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure), I actually found it quite easy to use - just make sure there is not too much polish on the brush. I had to apply three thin coats to achieve full cover, you could get away with two though. I topped it with one coat of OPI RapiDry Top Coat. 

I have been wearing this polish for a day now with no signs of chips or tip wear. May not sound like much wear but I regularly have polishes chip with around 3 hours of application. These polishes are only 5ml so with just one use you can see it disappearing from the bottle. But then I have never used up a normal sized polish...

Since my last haul post, I paid a visit to Priceline and picked up another four shades, all part of the Miss Candy Collection. So, keep an eye out for them in NOTD posts in the coming weeks. I am already planning on picking up some more shades. There is just such a great range. 

L'Oreal Color Riche Le Vernis are available at all L'Oreal stockists and retail for $6.95 for a 5ml bottle. 

PS: I just realised how similar this polish is to my last NOTD post. I must really be attracted to peachy shades! 

Have you tried the L'Oreal Color Riche polishes? Will you be picking up any from the Miss Candy Collection?

Glasshouse Fragrances White Christmas Candle - Review

I used to be a massive candle lover. I remember spending over $150 in Dusk in one go, just on candles. But then as I moved to university and lived in the residences I could not burn candles. They had a very sophisticated fire alarm system that would pick up even the slightest amount of smoke. I wasn't risking a $1000 fine from the fire brigade for a false call out! My love of candles was forgotten about until recently...

When I went shopping at Doncaster (way back in July) I purchased my first Glasshouse Fragrances candle in the scent Bordeaux. A gorgeous vanilla. I LOVED it and so did the whole household. Even though I burnt it in my room, the scent spread through the whole house. I finished it up a while ago but only just got around to purchasing another candle. 

At my local stockist, they had the three limited edition Christmas candles in stock. I instantly fell in love with them all but had to limit myself to just one. I chose White Christmas which is a cedar leaf & fruity clove scent. Personally it doesn't sound like something I would normally like but upon smelling it I loved it.

All the limited edition Christmas candles come in a gorgeous decorated glass jar. White Christmas has snowflakes on it. When the candle is lit the snowflakes light up, it looks so pretty. 

White Christmas has a fruity yet still spicy scent. It is difficult to explain but when burning it, it really does make you think of Christmas. The scent is strong but not overpowering, I love that it can be smelt through the house. 

White Christmas has a burn time of up to 80 hours. This candle was also handmade in Australia and is triple scented. Personally I plan on picking up at least one of the other Christmas scents.

The Glasshouse Fragrances Christmas candles are available now. They retail for $42.95 and are limited edition so head to a stockist soon!

Are you a candle lover? Have you tried the Glasshouse Fragrances candles? What are your favourite candles?

Birthday BBQ Make Up - FOTD

Last night I went to a BBQ for my friend Steph's 21st birthday. It was stinking hot and I was having one of those days where I didn't want to get up. But Steph promised me cake so I decided to get up and make an effort with my appearance and as Steph said, I get a FOTD post out of it. 

Doing my make up last night was a bit of a disaster though. It was hot so I was sweaty as I was doing it and it was gross. Then as I applied Avon Glimmersticks Liqui-Glide Eye Liner my eyes had a reaction to it. It was okay on the lid but in the waterline was a whole different story. I was the epitome of 'panda eyes' I literally had black eye liner running down my face. I had to pretty much re-do my make up. Then when I got to Steph's I realised I forgot to apply mascara. I have no idea how I managed that! 

Face:

• Primer - Nude by Nature Undercover Airbrush Mineral Primer
• Foundation - YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat in BR10
• Under Eye Concealer - Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit in Ivory
• Spot Concealer - Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage in SC-1
• Powder - Clinique Blended Face Powder in 20 Invisible Blend
• Blush - MAC Powder Blush in Fleur Power
• Highlight - MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade

Eyes:

• Primer - Laura Mercier Eye Basics in Linen
• Eyeshadow - Maybelline Color Tattoo in 25 Bad to the Bronze
• Eye Liner - Nars Larger than Life Eye Liner in Via Veneto
• Brow Pencil - Benefit Instant Brow in Medium
• Brow Gel - Avon Brow Gel in Clear

Lips:

• Lipstick - MAC Lipstick in Candy Yum Yum

This was my first time wearing Candy Yum Yum out and I was a little worried it was too much but I actually got a couple of compliments on it. I really relaxed wearing it and over 5 hours I only touched up once after eating. I had a great night, catching up with old friends and meeting some new people. Happy Birthday Steph! (I know you are reading this haha).

EXCITING NEWS!

On Friday I was officially offered a job as a teller at one of the "big 4 banks"! I posted about my job interview make up here. I am so excited to have a job, my training starts on December 10th. Hopefully I will be able to pre-write some posts, as for the first two weeks I am working full time and have around 45 mins travelling to and from work. But I am really freaking excited! I was out shopping when they called and I wanted to shout out "I have a JOB!" in the middle of Coles...

I hope you all have had a lovely weekend! 

Lust Have It - November 2012

The November Lust Have It pack arrived in my letterbox this morning. At least it wasn't as late as last months! Again this month it is back to the little cosmetics bag but the card explains, starting next month there will be a new range of collectable packaging. 

This months theme is to get "summer-ready and party-gorgeous". First up I have to say this months pack is definitely much better than last months disaster.

The November pack contains:

ModelCo Fibre Lashxtend Mascara - $28.00

I LOVE make up in these boxes and full size is even better! Then on top of that this is a new release product. Excited to try this but in the past I haven't had the best luck with fibre mascaras, hopefully this is different.

Davroe Smooth Senses Straightening Balm - 200ml $22.50

I am more of a wavy hair girl but this smells really good, so I'll probably try it. I know some people are sick of Davroe products but I don't mind them. This is a 50ml sample.

Face of Australia Purifying Cleansing Wipes - 25 wipes $4.95

I really like having a pack of make up remover wipes around. They are so handy for those really late nights or when swatching products. I haven't tried these before and love that they are full size.

Lomasi Body Creme - 236ml $22.95

I got this in the pomegrante scent and it smells delicious! This is a 30ml sample. I seem to have body lotions coming out of my ears lately, my fault though - I rarely moisturise my body.

Star & Rose Hologram Tweezer - $9.95

Love the pattern on these, it feels a little hippyish. I have never invested in a good pair of tweezers so I am always open to trying ones. Plus it is handy to keep some in the handbag. For those times when checking yourself out in the car mirror and realising you have a dark hair right between the eyebrows... You know what I am talking about!  

There is also a voucher for buy one get one free movie tickets for the film Liberal Arts. I won't be using this. Question: Does anyone use the bonus vouchers included in the packs?

Overall I am happy with this months pack. It is much, much better than last months and I will use at least 3 of the 5 items. In my opinion though Lust Have It have some work to do to fully make it back into my good book. Next month is December... Christmas themed products are awesome! 

What did you receive in your Lust Have It pack? Happy?

Oops I went Shopping...

On Tuesday, my Mum, Nan and I made a day trip to Mildura. It was an almost 7 hour round trip, normally we wouldn't do that in a day but this was exceptional circumstances. 

We used to have some lovely neighbours Joan & John and a few years ago they moved to Mildura from Donald. Sadly Joan has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and we wanted to make sure we saw her again. When they were our neighbours they were both fantastic when my Mum wasn't well. Joan used to always be making meals and wonderful cakes too, just to help out and John used to drive my Mum to appointments when needed. They are just a really lovely couple and in their late 70's you can still see how much they love each other. It is horrible to see what cancer is doing to Joan. 

We went and visited them as soon as we got to Mildura for a while but Joan needed a rest so we went to the shops and such for while before visiting again and then heading home. We didn't get home til about 9.45pm - it was a long emotional day. 

I love going to Chemist Warehouse, they have some fantastic bargains. This is a perfect example of that! I picked up the Guerlain Terracotta Mineral Flawless Bronzing Powder in 01 Light for only $20.00! No, I did not need another bronzer considering the fact I rarely wear it but at that price I could not resist (yes I have a problem, I know). This is a loose bronzing powder and it comes with a super cute little kabuki brush. This appears to be a very pale bronzer so maybe it will be my perfect bronzer...

At Target I picked up another couple of Essence products. The display did not have a lot of stock but was atleast it was clean and tidy. I chose The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part 2 Blush in 01 Renesmee Red as I don't have any red toned blushes. 

I thought the Silky Touch Blush in 30 Secret It-Girl was a gorgeous pale peach that I had to have. I was really excited to see one of the Ready For Boarding Lip & Cheek Cremes tucked away in the display. It hadn't been touched either! It is the shade 02 Beauty on Tour. I also picked up the Kajal Pencil in 19 All I Want as I have heard it is a really good flesh tone pencil for the waterline. 

I picked up three of the Loreal Color Riche Nail Polishes at Target. I would have gotten more because at the checkout I realised they were on special! I picked the shades 306 - Sex on the Peach (LOVE the name), 619 Santorini Lagoon and 811 Magic Croisette (which was actually on clearance for $2.88). If I like these I imagine I will be purchasing more, the colour range is amazing. 

I was excited to see the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains on display. I picked up just one shade 015 Cherish which is a gorgeous pink. You can read my original review here. 

I also managed to find another shade from the Face of Australia Pastels Nail Enamel Collection. This is the shade Once in a Blue Moon. Hopefully I will be able to find the other shades, I only have 4 of the collection.  

So there is another haul from me, I hope you aren't sick of them. If you are please tell me! I have a couple to come in the next week or two...

What have you hauled lately? Picked up any bargains?

Top 5 Light Pink Lipsticks

This is my 150th post on Luxury on the Lips and I wanted to make it something a little more special than just a review or a regular type of post I make. I was going to write a Top 10 Lipsticks post but then realised I couldn't chose just ten lipsticks of all colours or types. I decided to cut it down to just a Top 5 post. Considering I have already listed my Top 5 Bright Pink Lipsticks I thought I should do the opposite and make this my Top 5 Light Pink lipsticks. 

I actually found it surprisingly hard to pick out 5 light pink lipsticks. I was a little shocked to find most of my pinks are what I would consider bright. These are listed in no particular order. It was difficult enough to pick just five let alone to rank them! 

Chanel Rouge Coco - 117 Magnolia 

I lusted after this lipstick for ages. It is a gorgeous pink, perfect for everyday wear - nothing over the top. I have really liked this formula too, it is creamy and moisturising with a decent wear time. 

 Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter - 055 Cupcake

Ah, the much loved Lip Butters had to make an appearance. Cupcake is that gorgeous baby pink that I am instantly attracted to. I love the shiny, moistursing colour this provides. I have previously reviewed the Lip Butters here.

MAC Amplified Creme Lipstick - Saint Germain

I was interested in this MAC lipstick for a long time before I purchased it. It is another baby pink but much stronger than the Lip Butter. I love the colour and the formula. 

Australis Colour Inject Mineral Lipstick - Lick the Icing

This is a recent release to celebrate Australis 25th birthday and I think it may be limited edition. It is a gorgeous pale pink with a quite moisturising formula. I just dislike the smell a little though, it is like baby powder. But a great budget friendly pink lipstick. 

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine - 56 Chance

I love the Rouge Coco Shine formulas. This is a pretty light, bubblegum like pink. It gives a gorgeous shine and slight tint of colour to my lips. Previously reviewed here. 

Swatches above are in the same order as the lipsticks are listed. Don't they all look pretty? I was surprised by the difference in some of the swatches as they don't look that way on my lips.

So that is my 150th blog post! I feel like having a bit of a celebration. Thank you for reading and I look forward to writing hundreds more posts in the future. :) 

What are your favourite light pink lipsticks? Would you be interested in seeing Top 5 be a more regular post? 

BellaBox - November 2012

Another month and another BellaBox in my letterbox! The November theme is Soiree Season Staples. The idea is it is time to bring out the essential products for Summer and the holidays. Again a nice variety of products this month. 

The November BellaBox contains:

Bioderma Crealine H20 Cleansing Water - 250ml $39.95

I LOVE Bioderma! It is my go to make up remover and cleanser when I am feeling lazy. I have previously reviewed it here. This a little 20ml sample bottle. My only problem with this is, it came in a previous Lust Have It pack. 

4me Nail Polish Remover Pads - 30 pads $3.49

These are cotton pads pre-soaked with nail polish remover. I like the handy idea especially for travel but I have tried different brands in the past with little success. Hopefully this time will be different. This is a full size product. 

Swisse Hand Cream with Vitamin F and Pomegranate - 100ml $14.95

Hand cream seems to be a staple part of the sample boxes. Of the two boxes I think I recieve at least one hand cream each month. This is a 30ml sample and I am pretty happy to try this. I like that it is free from most of the nasties. It smells quite nice too.

Palmolive Strawberry Smoother Body Butter Body Wash - 400ml $6.49

This smells AMAZING! It really smells good enough to eat. I have been meaning to try this for ages but just haven't gotten around to it. I think I will keep this for travel though, it is the perfect 50ml size.

Bloom Glitter Liquid Eyeliner in Rising Star - 4g $14.95

Normally I would be super excited to see a full size make up product but I can't say I am. Firstly I recieved this same product (different shade though) from a previous Lust Have It pack and secondly it is a glitter eyeliner. I don't really care for them. It is a pretty gold and black shade though.

John Plunkett Essentials Multi Vitamin Moisturiser - 20ml $9.95

I am actually pretty excited to try this. My skin can really play up during the change of weather. This is an Australian made product and a nice 20ml size.

Skinmiso Pore Beauty Nose Pack - 10 sheets $21.99

This is a one use sample pack. It is a Korean cult product that will help get rid of any blackheads and whiteheads on the nose. I don't get many blackheads on my nose but the images make this look really good so I will most likely give it a try.

There is also a bonus product of a BellaBox Moustache Necklace valued at $9.95 free with any purchase from the BellaBox online store. There is also a $100 wine voucher from Virgin Wines. It gives you the Welcome Case for half price at $100. I don't drink so I won't be taking up this offer.

So there is another BellaBox. I quite like this months box, I don't love it as much as last months but last months was the birthday box so you cannot expect that every month. Even I didn't already have/use some of the products this box would be better for me so I think others will really love it. Anyway I am now looking forward to Decembers box - Christmas month!

What did you receive in your BellaBox? What did you think?

Face of Australia Pastels - Would You Like Some Orange Sherbet?

Since seeing the Pastels Collection on Face of Australia's twitter I was dying to get my hands on some of the shades. Surprisingly though, the Priceline I went to had no Face of Australia stand. I eventually found them at a Kmart but they only had a couple of shades left. I ended up picking up 3 shades. The first one I decided to try is the gorgeous pastel creme Would you like some orange sherbet? I love this pretty, pale orange.

This shade is quite sheer. It took three coats before opaque colour was achieved. Two coats left the nail showing through. I then applied one coat of OPI RapiDry. I painted my nails last night and sadly I have already gotten a couple of chips in the polish (and I haven't done much to cause it). Honestly though, that is pretty normal for me. Polish just doesn't last on me. 

I really love pastel colours on my nails. I find it a way to wear colours that aren't too bright or overpowering. I can't wait to try the other shades I purchased and possibly try to pick up some more shades.

Have you tried any shades from the Face of Australia Pastels collection? What did you think? 

Any suggestions for a new base coat and top coat?

Buxom Time to Shine - Review

I purchased this set back in October as part of my MAC & Sephora Haul. I have been interested in trying the Buxom lip products (especially the Lip Creams) but not being a big fan of lip gloss I kept resisting. That is until I saw this set with six mini lip glosses in three different formulas.  

The set includes two lip glosses from these formulas sheer, diamonds and cream. 

These glosses have an interesting scent and feel on the lips. They have a very sweet vanilla smell to them when first applied. I don't notice it when on the lips though. As these are a plumping lip gloss they have a tingling slightly cold feeling on the lips when first applied. These are slightly sticky but not uncomfortably so, just sticky enough to make them last well on the lips. 

All the lip glosses are 2ml in size and have a doe foot applicator. 

Big & Healthy Lip Polish SHEER

Tingle, plump & shine with sheer, shimmering gloss. 

The perfect everyday, plumping lip gloss. More shimmer based than glitter. Very smooth on the lips and only a little sticky. Colour is quite sheer on the lips. 

• Sugar - beige nude 
• Katie - pale, peachy pink

Big & Healthy Lip Polish DIAMOND

Tingle, plump & shine with sheer, sparkling gloss. 

These are massively packed with glitter! Not my type of everyday gloss but would look great on a night out. I was surprised by how smooth these felt on the lips. The glitter was not gritty like I expected. 

• Gina - bright, red-pink
• April - pale pink

Big & Healthy Lip Cream

Tingle, plump & shine with creamy, glass-smooth gloss.

These are my favourites. I love the creamy, opaque look these gives the lips. I LOVE the White Russian shade - it is a perfect nude for me. I plan on buying some full sized shades of this version in the future.

• Berry Blast - bright fuchsia-pink
• White Russian - peach-nude

I am really pleased I purchased this set. The lip glosses are gorgeous and there is a great variety of wearable shades and finishes. I highly recommend, if like me you are new to the Buxom brand. 

I purchased my set from Sephora for US$29.00 but don't despair Australian ladies! It can be purchased from BeautyBay for around AU$36.00 with free shipping. 

Have you tried any products from Buxom? What do you recommend?

Looking After My Lips

 

Being a lipstick lover makes looking after my lips very important. Dry, cracked or peeling lips do not look good with that gorgeous bright pink lipstick! Due to medication I take, I suffer from dry mouth and that means I have really dry lips everyday. Add in air conditioning or heating and the weather and it is a recipe for constant dry lips.

Dry lips are also so uncomfortable and don't look the best either. These are my tried and tested products to keep my lips in tip top shape.

Lip exfoliation is something I only started to do this year but, have really seen a difference in the condition of my lips by doing so. I purchased this Lush Mint Julips Lip Scrub in July and it is so handy to keep around. Before this I used to make my own up. It is super simple - castor sugar, honey and a little oil (I used olive oil), mix together using enough to make a paste. Then gently rub into the lips. The Lush ones smells awesome though (like chocolate and mint). 

Exfoliating your lips helps to remove any dead, dry skin leaving behind soft, fresh lips. This is especially important to do before wearing any strong matte lip colours. They need a smooth surface to look their best. I exfoliate my lips 2-3 times a week just depending on the condition of my lips. 

I always have a variety of lip balms on hand. I find I need different ones at different or they suit different situations. I don't know if there is many people that have not had a Carmex Moisturising Lip Balm in their life. I am actually quite new to it (I used to be a Blistex girl). This came in a BellaBox and I have really enjoyed using it as an everyday lip balm. 

The Oralife Peppermint Lip Treatment is something I tried out on the recommendation of some people on Twitter. Supposedly it is used in hospitals for chemo patients. I use this at night as an overnight treatment or during the day when my lips are really dry. It is an AMAZING product and I have even turned family members on to it. I highly recommend it.

I know that little clear pot probably looks a little strange. Well it is my Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 in Vanilla & Lavender. I had to depot it as my dog chewed on the end and if I squeezed it went everywhere! This is a lovely smelling lip balm and I like to keep it around for its quite high sun protection (protecting your lips from sun burn is VERY important). 

The Chanel Hydramax + Active Nutrition Lip Care was a bit of a splurge for me when I was desperate for a really good lip balm. Personally I don't think it is as good as the Carmex for really dry lips. I however like to use this under lipsticks. It is not as thick or emollient as the other lip balms so lipstick glides over the top really nicely and it does not cause slippage of the lipstick. 

As much as I love my lipsticks, some days my lips are just too dry to wear a lipstick. That is when I turn to tinted lip balms or very moisturising lipstick/gloss hybrids. The Loreal Colour Riche Nutri Shine in Pink Rose is great as it contains Shea Butter, has a strong colour and is glossy. 

For a more traditional tinted lip balm the Carmex Moisture Plus in Pink Sheer Tint is fantastic. It also has SPF 15 which as I mentioned earlier is very important. The final lip balm I regularly reach for is the Maybelline Baby Lips Pink Glow in Baby Pink. This is one of those lip products that react with your lips to create your perfect shade. This gives my lips a very subtle pink tint and makes them look very plump and moisturised. 

The below swatches are in the same order as the products are mentioned. 

So there is my go to products to care for my lips. I cannot tell you how many lip balms I have tried to find these that work for me. There was a lot of trialling and buying any lip balm I could find. Personally I do not leave the house without some type of lip balm and I keep them all over the house. I have learnt my lesson though - to keep them out of reach of my dogs. They love them, the other day I had my hand bag on my bed and my dog - Archie actually took my Carmex out and started to chew it. Naughty boy!

Do you suffer from dry lips? What products do you use to care for your lips?

Burberry Light Glow Natural Blush No.3 Rose Blush - Review

Another item from my Harrods Haul. Burberry is a beauty brand that I am slowly discovering. Before this blush I had only tried some lipsticks (which I love). Being an order from Harrods I felt the need to order an English brand and Burberry is iconic. 

The packaging on the Burberry items is just divine and this blush is no exception. Firstly the actual box is made of high quality cardboard and is scented (it smells divine). The blush comes in a black velvet pouch that has the Burberry check imprinted. Then you open the compact, the actual blush has the Burberry check too! 

I purchased the shade No.3 Rose Blush. Swatches were hard to find online and I decided it was safer to go with a pink I knew would look good on me. It is a rosy pink colour with slight shimmer. I love this shade for a natural look. You can see it in action in this post - Job Interview Make Up. 

With the product being called Light Glow I expected it to be lightly pigmented. I was pleasantly surprised to find it very pigmented. It is a little powdery but applies and blends smoothly. The swatch below is a heavy swatch at the top and a blended swatch at the bottom. For me this blush lasts all day on my skin. 

I love this blush and the other products I have tried from Burberry Beauty. They are just so luxurious. I cannot wait until Christmas when I am in Melbourne and will be able to check out Burberry in person. I really want to try the eye shadows and possibly the foundation. I think I'll probably also pick up another blush. 

Burberry Beauty is available in Australia from David Jones. The Light Glow Natural Blush retails for AU$70.00 and can be purchased from David Jones online store here. 

Have you tried anything from the Burberry Beauty range? What do you think about it?