Dangerous Affair

During a brief stint living in London last year, I discovered my now favourite brand of nail polish, Ciaté.

This fabulous brand has been developed by UK-based Charlotte Straughan, a salon owner and manicurist to the celebs turned nail polish guru, with over 10 years experience in the biz. It is clear that Charlotte understands the needs of both professionals and those applying at home and this is manifested in her products.

This shade, Dangerous Affair, is a delicious, deep red wine colour. As a blue based red, it eliminates elements of orange or pink that often clash with skin that has red undertones, like my own pale skin. It’s a more appealing, universally flattering shade of red.

Bottled in a 13.5mL paint pot, I’ve found this polish doesn’t dry out or become gluggy after a few weeks, something that other favourite nail polish varieties can be culprits of. I opened my first bottle of Ciaté over 10 months ago and it’s still as good as new. There is a slight scent of the usual nail polish variety but rest assured it does not linger around. What’s more, all Ciaté polishes are free from the toxins Formaldehyde and Toluene.

Image credit: Het Cosmetica Huis

Each paint pot is thin, rectangular shaped and slightly curved, sitting snugly in the palm of your hand. Combine this with the longer-than-your-average brush handle and you can see why Ciaté is favoured among those who lack dexterity (namely me). Each bottle is adorned with a bow, a cute touch that adds to the uniqueness of Ciaté.

Arguably Ciaté’s best feature is that the colour on the bottle is the colour on your nails. No need for two, three or even four applications before your talons match the described shade. You get Dangerous Affair first time, every time. This can be attributed to the 250 bristle flat brush that tops each paint pot. The brush assists with perfect application and distributes colour evenly.

With a crème texture, this nail lacquer is elegant and versatile, offering full coverage and a high gloss finish. One of the most important criteria when considering high standard polish is the chip factor. Chipped polish is one of my pet hates and I find it very tacky, but Ciaté is commendable in its delivery of long lasting, durable enamel that remains flawless for days. This is particularly important for me, as working in a bar defies an impeccable manicure; perfectly painted nails flake away in a matter of minutes. However, Ciaté is a polish that goes the distance. One to two coats of Dangerous Affair followed by a topcoat, like Ciaté’s Speed Coat or Cutex’s Quick Dry Top Coat, will do you through the night and on till the morn!

Not available in Australian stores, this polish goes for £9 at www.ciate.co.uk. Roughly $14.50 Australian, that’s excellent value for money, coming from the shop-a-holic herself.

I rate this polish ★★★★★
Value for money: $$$$$

Miranda x

MAC Opulash Mascara

You may remember I posted a while back about Mirenesse mascara? It was tubular mascara. I dubbed it the end of Panda Eyes. Ringing a bell?

To refresh your memory just in case, "tubular mascaras form little tubes of mascara around the lashes, as the name suggests. At the end of the day (or the morning after if you came home sloshed) just add a touch of warm water and gently use your thumb and forefinger to slide the tubes down the lashes. They slide right off!" Go here to read the rest of the post.

I loved the Mirenesse mascara. It came off so easily, rarely leaving a trace (and when it did, it was usually my technique that was the culprit). There's no need to use a make up remover on the eyes, saving me time and money. I rarely wore any other mascara, especially if I was just going to work.

As I mentioned in the original post, I love thick, black, voluminous lashes. I don't like to use eyeliner, preferring to define my eyes with well-applied mascara instead. This is where the problem lies, as the "Cougar,” cat eye effect left a lot to be desired in terms of volume. I was torn between the ridiculously easy removal of Mirenesse and a desire for big, thick lashes. Suffice to say, laziness won more often than I'd like.

I purchased MAC Opulash Mascara last week after re-reading this review of it by Zoe Foster on PRIMPED, thinking it might put an end to this dilemma. Julie from Me, My Best and I also recommended it to me.

It is a terrifically volumising mascara, lengthening and curling the lashes. Just what I like. And what's more, it is tubular mascara! Two-in-one; my ideal mascara. It didn’t take long for me to fall in love. It volumises and boosts my lashes, as per my preference for thick, black lashes, while at the same time allowing me to indulge in my laziness. How fab is that?! There could not be better news.

Oh wait, there is. It goes above and beyond the last volumising mascara I bought. Not only does it achieve the thick, voluminous lashes, but it does so without clumping them together, leaving some definition. The best of both worlds. In this picture below, I have applied Opulash mascara to my RIGHT eye only. I did only one full coat, really working the mascara onto my lashes, ensuring I started right at the base and blinking through the brush and what not.

The Opulash Mascara has a thick, chunky brush, with an easy to hold handle. It's tapered at the end (like the majority of mascara wands these days), allowing for super easy application to the corners of the eyes, which can be quite tricky without a tapered brush. It results in a beautiful, wide eyes look, as per the photo above. It only comes in the one, black, shade, which is unfortunate for those who like brown-black mascaras, but it’s dark enough for anyone who likes black.

The mascara is $33 from MAC stores or MAC's online store.

I rate it ★★★★★ for quality of the product and getting the job done (the job being thick, voluminous, yet still defined lashes, whilst being a tubular mascara that is super simple to remove). I don't have a single gripe or suggestion for this product.
I rate it $$$$$ for value for money. It’s a lot more expensive than your chemist mascaras, I’ll give you that, but it does a damn better job, increasing the value for money aspect. It is definitely a higher end mascara, on par price wise with products like Clinique’s Lash Power and the Dior Show mascara, which do a similar job without being tubular.

Let me know what you think of this mascara, if you've use it before or plan to try it out in the future. What do you think of tubular mascaras?

Miranda x

NARS Laguna Bronzing Powder

Nars' Bronzing Powder in laguna has been a long time favourite for those in the know in the world of cosmetics and is now considered a 'cult' product. With summer on its way, I was keen to ditch the blush and rekindle my love with bronzer. After trying out a few bronzers, I decided to go with Laguna.

The difference between this bronzer and many others before it is its very natural colour. It is a brown based bronzer, delivering terrifically tanned skin compared to other orange based bronzers. Nars says "Diffused powders with golden shimmer create an all-over warmth or contour for the face perfect for creating or enhancing the look of tanned skin."

As someone with pale skin who nevers achieves a natural tan and forgoes the fake tan, I was worried that this bronzer would be startling obvious or 16 year old girl applying makeup four shades too dark with a trowel-esque. It turns out my concerns were completely unfounded! The healthy, tanned glow looks au naturale on pale skin as well.

Nars' Bronzing Powder retails for $55AUD. You can buy this product from Nars' Online Store, from Mecca stores across the country of from Mecca's Online Store.

I rate this product ★★★★★ - I can't find any faults with it at all so far.
Value for money is $$$$. It's a lot more expensive than any bronzer you could pick up from a chemist or supermarket, but the quality is infinitely better. However, if you are on a very tight budget, I probably wouldn't recommend it as your one splurge item.

Have you tried Nars' Bronzing Powder in laguna or any other shade? Let me know what you think.

Miranda x

Blue Sheep

Lately we've seen a ream of fun, audacious and unusual nail looks on our laptop screens. I decided to jump on the bandwagon and embrace the 'black sheep' manicure. This is where you paint 1 finger on each hand a different colour to the rest of your nails. Often the ring or pinky fingers are chosen as the black sheep, but the index finger is common too.

I painted most of my nails with OPI's Honk If You Love OPI. My ring fingers were my black sheep, or in this case- blue, and used Dior's Vernis nail lacquer in 908 tuxedo on these shades. These are both new polishes, which I purchased here.

This technique is also referred to as a two tone manicure, but I find this can be confusing and prefer to leave that term to describe when you have two different shades of polish on the same nail. Here are some celebs rocking a black sheep mani:

Miranda x

The Lightening Touch Concealer

It’s rare that you can find prodz to suit your skin colour without having matched them prior to purchase. Surely doing so is an urban myth? Well, I hit the jackpot with The Body Shop’s Lightening Touch concealer pen.

But, I hear you ask, why would I even bother to purchase concealer without first testing it? Well… (here she goes again) I was recently the host of a Body Shop Party. For those of you who aren’t familiar, it’s basically the same concept as a Tupperware party, only with the Body Shop’s good-enough-to-eat products instead!

The consultant gives a demonstration of each product on all of the guests and then afterwards, there’s time to browse through the catalogues, selecting products while sipping champagne and munching on carrot sticks.

Among other things (lots of other things), I picked up the Lightening Touch concealer pen. It’s one of the clicky-windy varieties and has a little brush on the end. The Body Shop says “A ‘magic wand’ full of light diffusing particles that disguises dark shadows and imperfections while instantly brightening the skin… [and will] minimize fine lines and dark shadows.”

The concealer does a somewhat admirable job of covering my blemishes. Where it’s best used, though, is under the eyes. Just wind up the pen, dot it along around the eyes, over any dark spots, paying particular attention to the corners of the eyes. Next use a dabbing motion with your finger to blend it all in (no rubbing!). You can use the brush attached for blending, but I find it spreads the product too much and prefer to use my finger. It’s brightens up the eye area while being the perfect shade. The lightening and brightening aspect doesn’t come from using a product that is a shade too light, a trap that many commonly fall for.

I apply my foundation first and then follow up with concealer over any blemishes, as I mentioned here. The beauty-guru Zoë Foster so aptly described this as foundation being the undies and concealer as the clothes. This way, I use a lot less of both products; my foundation does a near perfect job of covering up uneven skin tone, most blemishes and dark spots. If I follow with concealer, all I need is a dab here and there. However, if I apply my concealer first, I use a lot more product because I’m trying to cover up every single blemish on my face and all the uneven skin tone and all of my hard work concealing is swept away with a single swipe of the foundation brush. Try it this way, if you haven't already, and see how you find it. For me, the key is to leave your foundation for a minute or so before coming back to concealer.

As mentioned, The Body Shop Lightening Touch concealer wand is most effective as an under-eye brightening concealer, delivering excellent results every time. Its ability to cover imperfections, blemishes and uneven skin tone, however, is a little lower than optimal. It disguises most imperfections well but does not completely hide them. I find it appropriate for use around where your nose meets your face, around your mouth and over any uneven skin tone that isn’t covered by foundation. It is also a great concealer to use on your lips as a base for lipstick. For out-and-out pimples, I prefer a thicker, more opaque concealer. I’d recommend a pencil style product.

The "magic wand" is available online at The Body Shop.com.au, in stores or through a Body Shop at home party. It retails for $26.95 for 3mL. I know, 3mL sounds small but it’s a misleading number.

I rate this product ★★★★☆, detracting one mark for its reduced affects on pimples and some blemishes. For value for money, I rate this product $$$$$.

Miranda x

Primped Look Book

The PRIMPED blog is a personal fave of mine. It should be the "go-to for the how-to in beauty" for any lady worth her face cream. It is worth its weight in gold, or rather-- kilobytes in internet usage. And trust me, once you discover PRIMPED, your download limit really gets put through its paces.

This month, they've launched the PRIMPED David Jones Look Book and teamed it with in-store events at David Jones locations across Australia.

The look book is the guide to achieving all of the hottest looks this Spring & Summer, in terms of beauty. The in-store events are hosted by PRIMPED's acting editor and author of the Blush Hour blog, the lovely Eliza Ashe. With a little help from her friends (namely reps from various beauty brands), Miss Ashe canvases skin care, make up, hair and nails.

As you may have guessed by now, I was lucky enough to score a seat at one of Sydney's in-store events. Upon arrival, my friend and I were given our very own copy of the PRIMPED Look Book. Experts from Comvita, Invisible Zinc, Burt's Bees, Rimmel, Lancôme, Privé and O.P.I ran us through the prodz any girl must have in her tool belt (make up bag). This was teamed up with helpful tips and handy tricks from Eliza and the reps and they were more than happy to answer any questions audience members had both during the session and after. What's more, each VIP guest was given a complimentary DELUXE goodie bag! It is literally the best goodie bag I have ever had the pleasure of receiving. Check out the loot:

It doesn't get any better than that. Oh wait, it does! PRIMPED Look Book VIPs were offered a handy 10% off purchases over $100. There were also a number of special offers and promotions available on the night. Like these:

• three for two from O.P.I

O.P.I nail lacquer in manicurist of seville, honk if you love OPI, and yoga-ta get this blue

• three for two from Revlon and a bonus gift for purchases over $34.95

Revlon Colour Stay Aqua mineral finishing powder in translucent light; Revlon gift box (contains sample sized: Colourburst lipstick in 028 rose nectar, Fabulash mascara in 01 blackest black, Age Defying DNA Advantage cream make up in soft beige, Classic Nail Enamel in 229 demure, Customeyes shadow and liner in 20 naturally glamourous); Revlon Colourstay Overtime lip colour & moisturising top coat in 10 non-stop cherry, Revlon Colourburst lip gloss in 14 rose pearl
I purchased the finishing powder and the double-ended Colourstay overtime lip colour, receiving the Colourburst lipgloss as a gift. I would have preferred the Colourburst lipgloss in bordeaux (shade 16), but unfortunately, they were all out of stock. I'm thinking I might even change it over at another David Jones because the bordeaux shade looks deliciously irresistible!

• bonus gift for purchases over $150 at Dior
I purchased a Dior fragrance and a nail polish to receive this gift

Dior pink clutch bag with sample sized: J'adore eau de parfum, Capture Totale Eyes Essential eye zone boosting super serum, Diorshow Iconic mascara, Capture Totale multi-perfection concentrated serum, Capture Totale One Essential skin boosting super serum.

(Please excuse the dodgey iPhone quality photos. It appears the memory card for my camera does not fit into my new-ish laptop and the internet would not co-operate, refusing to provide all of the images I needed.)

There has been a big push towards healthy, glowing skin with a dewy appearance as opposed to the matte finish that we've seen in the past. The key to this is great skin care, rather than make up. For eyelashes, we're taking cues from dolls. Yes, the children's toy. This means long eye lashes with a flick at the corners. After the 9-5, it's all about the smokey eye. Add a pop of colour with greens, blues or purples to update your lids.

We sure did get spoiled at the PRIMPED David Jones Look Book in-store event and I definitely indulged and treated myself on top of that. I deserved it, though! I'm going to have a lot of new products to try and test in the coming weeks and I'm really super excited for that! Keep an eye out for some reviews. And a big thanks to PRIMPED for having us.

Miranda x

Ladies Lunching and Shoppers Shopping. Also, free Clinique gifts!

After a delicious lunch with my lovely lady friends last week, we went on a (relatively) short shopping spree. They are terrific companions, but rotten financial advisors. I can’t blame the poor things, though, I’ve got a terrible spending addiction and there’s just no stopping me.

Having run out of my beloved Super Balanced foundation by Clinique, we toddled off to the Clinique counter at Myer. Much to my delight, the free gift promotion had started! Spend $60 and received a free gift valued at $249… fabulous!

This should give me a lot of great Clinique products to test out over the coming weeks. I’ve always felt a very strong affinity towards Clinique; it was one of the first brands I first pilfered from my older sister. A taupe eye shadow palette, to be exact. It was this swiping from big sis that sparked my love affair with make up and beauty products, and thus my allegiance to Clinique was born!

After purchasing my new foundation, I selected out a cleanser, or ‘liquid facial soap,’ to get me over the $60 line. For just $78 this was my haul of free Clinique goodies:

And now onto the undies. The make up undies, that is.

I’ve been using Clinique’s Super balanced foundation on and off for two years now. Clinique says “The smart makeup. Liquid foundation with adjustable, oil-free coverage provides moisture and absorbs oil when and where needed.” I tend to agree. It’s a great summary, really.

This foundation is suitable for all skin types. If you’re unsure about what foundation to buy, have no idea what your skin type is or want a foundation that does everything then I’d go for gold and purchase this one. My skin has always had a tendency towards dryness but I have an oily t-zone: across my forehead, down my nose and onto my chin. The super balanced foundation provides much needed moisture (of the oily variety, as opposed to the water type) to my cheeks while controlling the oil in my t-zone.

It does a great job of keeping my skin clear and shine-free until about 3pm at which point tell tale oil appears on my cheeks. This is pretty great considering I apply at around 6:30 am. It means the foundation is doing its job. My cheeks also benefit from this smart foundation. They don’t dry out or go all gross and flaky.

If I avoid touching my face and sweating too much, the foundation will stay in place well into the afternoon. However, since I spend approximately 50% of the day with my hands on my face, that’s out the window. Never fear, if I’ve got a long day ahead of me, I prep with primer and set with bronzer, blush or pressed powder. I then carry my powder with me and on the way from uni to work, I use the sponge to dab a small amount on any shiny areas. This lasts me until I get home from work, usually 10:30.

I have a friend who carries her little Maybelline mineral foundation powder brush with her (the one below), and swirls it, sans makeup, over any oily areas of her face come 3 pm. So if you have combination or oily skin like myself, you could try that.

It provides almost-full coverage, evening out skin tone and hiding most blemishes, but still light weight and sheer enough to look natural with my freckles still visible. The texture of the foundation is silky smooth with a barely-there, dewy fresh finish.

I rate this product ★★★★★ and can’t see myself switching foundation allegiances for a very long time.

Goodbye Panda Eyes

I was recently given a sample of Mirenesse Cougar Mascara 'Comb On 24 Hour Liquid Lashes'.

Mirenesse is the brain child of Irene Patsalides who invented the range after becoming frustrated with products that did not provide the results they claimed.

If you've not heard of Mirenesse, it's famous for its tubular, panda-eyes-preventing mascaras. Tubular mascaras form little tubes of mascara around the lashes, as the name suggests. At the end of the day (or the morning after if you came home sloshed) just add a touch of warm water and gently use your thumb and forefinger to slide the tubes down the lashes. They slide right off!

In theory, it's great. I'm quite partial to a panda-eye myself. Mainly because I'm lazy. After a long day of commuting to and from Sydney for uni, followed by work till 11 or 12 at night, I'm a little bit sluggish and just can't be bothered to spend all that time taking off the days makeup. I do a rush job, jump into bed and wake up in the morning looking like a racoon. (My hair also contributes to this overall effect).

In reality, however, its just all a little bit too good to be true. The major downfall is the mascara wand itself. It looks a lot like a one sided plastic comb.

I've always liked my lashes with lots of volume and length. I'm used to big, fat, volumising brushes which I wriggle through my eyelashes. I follow this with a lengthening mascara to make them appear even longer. With this plastic comb, it is virtually impossible to get my usual effect. Starting or ending with a coat from one of my regular mascaras would defeat the purpose as they are not tubular.

Mirenesse Cougar Mascara, Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in very black, 17 Va Va Voom Volume Mascara

It's not all bad news, though. The removal of the Mirenesse is as simple and as panda-free as promised, provided you keep your patience and avoid rubbing. Two nights in a row, I've exited the shower free from black circles and smudges (I can't say the same for the first night, I learnt about patience the hard way). I've not yet tested the mascara for a full 24 hours, but its lasted at least 15 hours. From a nap on the train and absorbing knowledge at uni, to the Friday afternoon tradesmen rush hour at work and a few tears shed while watching a soppy girly movie; Mirenesse 24 hour liquid lashes withstood it all without any sight of a smudge.

I think it is also crucial to point out here that Mirenesse Cougar Mascara does not claim to be volumising, curl inducing mascara. This Cougar Mascara states on the packet that it "provides an intense winged lash with a "cats eye" effect to the eyes." It does just that and it does it well!

If you're after lengthened, defined lashes, a cats eye effect, winged lids, or just darker lashes regardless of any other effects, then Mirenesse Cougar Mascara: Comb On 24 Hour Liquid Lashes should be your first port of call.

For application into my own beauty regime, I rate this product ★★★☆☆

Miranda x

Amazing Face

After much ado, I have finally purchased Amazing Face by the beloved Zoë Foster. Yay!

The aforementioned ado refers to the fact that Zoë's book is incredibly popular and has been sold out at my local (and most favourite) book shop for weeks now. It seems everyone wants a piece of Zoë, to steal all her insider knowledge and replicate her amazingly perfect face. I'm very excited to read it and hopefully my woeful make up application improves.

In other news, I am a little bit annoyed at Zoë at the moment. She has a picture of Grug on her blog, clearly indicating that if you click on it, you will be lead to some Grug-related site. But it is, in fact, a vicious lie. Heart breaking stuff.

Miranda x

Welcome to my blog!

Hi everyone, and welcome to my blog.

I’m 20 years old and live on the NSW Central Coast. I’m a communications student, aspiring writer, journalist and editor. With this in mind, and a little nudging from one of my lecturers, I have decided to create a blog. I’m a little bit green when it comes to the world of blogging. I read many, but have not done much blogging of my own, except for a brief foray into tumblr.

In this space, I plan to combine my two great loves, words and fashion. As Charlotte York once said, "Everyone knows you only get two great loves in your life." Mine are words and all things fashion; shoes, clothes, beauty, trends, magazines. (Apologies to potential suitors, my quota has been fulfilled!)

I like to wander around cities, exploring, making observations. I enjoy discovering new things, whether it is new blogs, brands, products, places, trends, books or music; anything to brighten my day. I collect snow globes from all the places I visit on my travels and I hoard magazines.

Stay tuned for this space for a collection of quotes, words, blog entries, pictures and fashions.

Miranda x