Lust Have It - September 2012

Just a quick post about the Lust Have It parcel I received this morning.

1. DAVROE Smooth Senses Straightening Balm 50g sample
2. SAY IT WITH SCENT Hand & Body Lotion (Green Tea Scent) 30ml sample
3. DERMALOGICA Multivitamin Power recovery masque 15ml sample
4. AVENE Cold Cream Body Lotion 10ml sample
5. MIRENESSE Icon Sealer 24hr Concealer 1.5ml sample

It also came along with some commercials from Mirenesse (including a code to join the giveaway) and Davroe (which said I could claim a free product, but the instruction is so unclear and I dont even know how to claim one :/)

As Lust Have It August box was outstanding and set the bar so high, to me, this month Lust Have It is not impressive at all. The disappointment is all the samples are either in tiny size or from unknown brands :/ I used the dermalogica masque and avene cold cream which both are soso and not exceptional.

Oops.

The latest M.A.C 'Office Hours' collection really caught my attention because I love its pink explosion commercial. I was excited and waiting for it to be launched in Australia. Now the collection is eventually available here. 

But I forgot one thing: I forgot how much we need to pay for M.A.C makeup in Australia. Looking at the price, Im completely turned off and get back to my illamasqua, lancome and inglot -_-

Pro Longwear Lipglass: $19.50 in America, $43 in Australia :/

Pro Longwear Eyeshadow: $21 in America, $48 in Australia. Over 100% markup!

Im pretty sure I wont buy anything though I have my eye on some lipglasses  :(

As Jodik76 (my ultimate favorite youtuber!) suggested, we always pay more than American due to the difference of market size/population/economic scale etc.

Though I know nothing I can do to change it, I still feel frustrated how much extra we are actually paying, at least for makeup :/ The worst thing is that nowhere I can get guaranteed authentic M.A.C products online. Other brands like Lancome, YSL, Urban Decade I know where to look at online, but not M.A.C :(

(image courtesy: TheSundayGirl)

Hollyannaeree Inspired Look

Hollyannaeree is one of my favorite youtube gurus and her Peek of Peacock is the most beautiful look/tutorial she has done (in my opinion).
I tried to imitate her look and I love it. As blue isnt really my thing, I toned down the color and my version is not as sharp as the Holly's one.

Just realized the importance of tightlining! 

False lashes really bring life to this look!


What's on my nails - GlamNails Nail Enamel (Miss Independent)
A lovely metallic purple with silver shimmers. Im impressed by its quality and unquestionably 'made in france' is quite a bonus :P

Anyone is going to IMATS Sydney this year!?

I just realized IMATS Sydney is held on 29th and 30th this month :O
OMG it is happening sooo soon and I really want to go this year.
Just wondering if anyone is going as well?
Leave a comment and maybe we can hang out sometime :)

Magazine Freebie Alarm: Avon ExtraLasting Lipstick (SPF 15)

Just a quick update: this month Women's Weekly is bringing you a free Avon ExtraLasting Lipstick and three shades are available to choose from - Cappuccino,Vintage Pink, Eternal Flame.

The September issue (with freebie) is exclusively sold in Coles. If you get the copy from other places, you probably wont get the free lipstick. For only $6.95, it's actually quite a good buy :)

I chose the shade Cappuccino which is a warm-tone, brown-y nude.

August Favourites - Cheap and Cheerful

I have been extremely busy with work & uni the last two weeks and now I cant wait for spring break coming! Here is a quick post showing products I was loving in August. My skin was extremely unstable and suffering from allergy  last month (dry patches, rush, sting!). Hence I used minimum products and majority of them were from drugstore. cheap and cheerful :)

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Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer gives nice coverage and the shade matches my skin quite well. However, it is not the best concealer for covering under-eye circles.

(Purchased from Sasa) K-palette 24h Tattoo eyeliner has been featured nearly by every well-known Asian bloggers. I completely understand the rave of it because IT IS AMAZING and possibly THE BEST I HAVE TRIED! Its fine tip allows you to create a dark and clearly defined eye line effortlessly. THE BEST!

Covergirl LashBlast Waterproof does not have the most amazing volumizing/lengthening power, yet the reason why I love it is because of its ability of keeping my lashes curly all day. To me, it is a miracle product as no mascaras before it could keep curl for my short and straight down lashes.

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Lush Celestial Moisturizer was the only product saved me in this winter. Its thick and heavy consistency helps to retain moisture to my skin and smooths the sensitivity/allergy my skin experienced. Highly recommended to all with dry and sensitive skin. (good for winter at least!)

(Purchased from E-chemist.co.uk) La Roche- Posay Nutritic 5% I used it to substitute over normal eye cream. As my skin around eye area became exceptionally sensitive, normal eye creams I used did nothing and even irritated my eyes sometime. La roche rosay products are renowned for being gentle, this product undoubtedly did a good job for me :)

(Purchased from Sasa) Kose Softymo Super Point Makeup Remover is a very gentle makeup remover and doesnt irritate/sting my eyes even if it gets into my eyes by accident. Yet, it isnt strong enough to remove waterproof eye makeup so I do need to use Loreal eye and lip makeup remover to remove MAC fluidline and Covergirl lashblast waterproof.

Dove Intensive (Hand) Cream is an inexpensive hand cream you can easily find it at priceline/pharmacy. I like to keep it in my purse as I do have a tendency to lose my stuff lol (I keep my Crabtree n Loccitane at home)

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Nail Polish of the week -Revlon Tropical Temptation

It is a lovely nail polish with nice formulation and smooth application. An interesting thing is the color alters depends on the lighting. Under sunlight/yellow tone lighting, it looks as a pinky coral. But in other lighting (including artificial light) it is a warm bright pink.

(II) MAC @ Target - Real or Fake? with photos and comparison

I got a MAC lipstick in Creme Cup (Cremesheen) from Target last week. 

Frankly, I am still not 100% certain if the one I purchased is authentic. The packaging looks alrite but the quality of lipstick itself  is terrible and I ended up returning it to Target.

Identical caps

(L - R ) Viva Glam Gaga, A Rose Romance, Angel, CremeCup

Lipstick tubes

(L - R ) Viva Glam Gaga, A Rose Romance, CremeCup

Congruous inner structure

(L) Angel   (R) CremeCup

The only inconsistency I could tell from the packaging was the label.

As MAC has a 'back to mac' program allowing customers returning 6 empty product containers in exchange for a free lipstick, all eligible items will have a tiny recyclable logo on the labels (Viva glam products wont have it though since the collection was created for Aids Fund and cant be used for B2M).
The Creme Cup label looks unlike in term of
- not having the recyclable symbol
- different font size and font style applied
- label sticker used (the sticker appeals to be much shinier)

The lipstick itself is bizarre! I twisted it up and saw the bubbles and a scratch on the side :S
It doesnt have that lovely vanilla scent which most MAC lipsticks have, instead a plastic-y, artificial chemical scent you find from cheap lipsticks (if you dont know what I mean, go to a $2 store and try one lol)

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Target claimed its MAC products were genuine from local suppliers, yet I dont believe authenticity can be guaranteed considering nobody can confirm if the supplier is M.A.C or just some chinese importers (which Target got most of its products from).

(I) MAC @ Target - Real or Fake? with photos and comparison

Today I checked out the latest MAC collection @ Target. I was a bit skeptical since there was no tester available at all (though it might be temporary only). I bought a lipstick and a blush so I can compare them to the one I have at home.

Blush
Price @ Target - $24.95 (though listed $24 on Target catalogue)
RRP @ MAC counter at DJ/ Myer- @ $41


I am going to show some comparisons between authentic MAC mineralize blushes I owned and the MAC powder blush purchased from Target. None of the photo was processed with photoshop or other software.

- Brand Name
MAC mineralize blushes (top) - clear and bold font
Powder blush from Target (bottom) - finer/thinner font
 (very obvious difference if you can compare them side by side)

I do have quite high attention to detail and I actually compare the brand name stickers :P
Even the sticker used and quality is not the same.

(Left: Mineralize blush        Right: Powder blush from Target)
As you can tell easily, the plastic packaging on the right is quite poorly made and has visible imperfections.

A closer look. I dont think MAC will have such quality product sold in counter?

The labels say a lot.
Font color from the genuine one is light grey, yet the Target one uses beige.
From what I can recall, MAC always uses light grey/white but never chooses beige in font color?
Btw, Jenny wrote a post showing photos of her fake Blushbaby blush from strawberrynet (Click here to her post :]) and frankly the Target one looks very similar to her fake one!

Just let you know the blush name and bar code on the box are printed instead of labelled (though I am not sure if its relevant).



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I asked a Target staff (A) if the MAC products are genuine. For sure she said yes.
Then I heard a conversation between A and another staff (B)
A: We have MAC makeup again.
B: Oh they bring it back? It's good.
A: Yeah, I think the products should be real? but somehow the price is so much cheaper than the counter.
B: (look at the price) Ah ahh ahhh, its true MAC is a good brand and should be quite expensive....
A: .......

On my mind: Meeeh even the staffs are skeptical and question if they are real -_-
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I have to clarify I am not a massive fan of MAC and dont own a substantial MAC collection. If anyone loves and knows MAC products very well, welcome to leave your comments below!
I am not accusing Target selling knockoffs, who dares to challenge the big company honestly?
I just point out the inconsistency and find something to write in my blog lol
As a consumer, the best thing you can do is to go to target and try the Mac products on yourself, rather than ordering them online.

[[[Shhh. I am going to return the MAC products purchased. Skepticism :S But Im still having the lipstick post coming! Wait for it :P ]]

My first try - Bridal Look

My brother just got married and it inspired me to try a bridal makeup look.

To be honest I dont really know what Bridal makeup supposes to mean for most people?

But the bridal makeup/ look I like is very simple but not overloaded with makeup

- Glowing, radiant (tan) skin

- Nice brows

- False Lashes

- Pink lips (no beige/nude/red/berry!)

- French manicure

- Pearls

Im not a makeup artist and no doubt my trial was far from perfect, but it was fun and really made me feel:

Meeh having so much to do, I dont want a wedding if I get married one day 

Have a nice day every one XOXO

Cheap bright pink lipstick - Rimmel Pink Gossip

Hahaa I wrote this review this summer but forgot to publish it...

Guess it will still be perfect for those not living in Australia/ NZ :P!

It is a bright hot pink color (a slight touch of fuschia shall I say) with chunky silver shimmer.
I am really not a big fan of this lipstick. Though I always use lip balm before putting on any lipstick, the formula was way too dry and this lipstick simply does not look good on my lips. Plus silver shimmer really accentuates lip lines and I dont think any girl would appreciate it :(

However, this lipstick has good longevity. Since it is dry and waxy, it kinda stains your lips. So it might be a good thing if someone like long-lasting lipsticks. 

Very bright very eye catching. Even the formula isnt nice, its a lipstick I may use if I have a night out :)

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Nail polish of the day - Butter London Fash Pack

A mushroom color (brownish grey). I find butter london nail varnishes chip quite easily :(

Overrated Products

The best thing about internet is everyone being able to share his/her comment. I used to follow very closely on popular products on internet, yet I find they don't always work as good as what they are raved about. Here are some products I think they work alright but not magically fantastic.

1. Clinique 3-step

I am glad that Clinique is generous on giving out samples, so I know its products do not work for me.

The clarifying lotion 2 (toner) has high content of alcohol and it is way too strong and irritating for my skin.

The dramatically different moisturizing lotion is even worse. It didnt really bring hydration but broke my skin out. From what I know, the only products can do that are this clinique moisturizer and olay total effects (which belonged to my mum actually but i used it once , my own fault lol).

2. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick

 I dont mean Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick is a bad product. However, considering that it costs $85 in Australia, I just dont think the product is impressive enough to justify its exorbitant price. I am lucky to purchase this item from a blog sale, but i will not buy it again if i need to pay the full price.

3. Laura Geller Balance-and-Brighten

Emilynoel83 (my favorite youtuber ever!) raved about this product and I was sooo tempted. Spending so much extra to get it shipped from the US, I think this product is just alright. As it is a baked powder, every pan varies. Neither the color suits me well nor it gives amazingly flawless finish/ high coverage. I think it looks kinda cakey on my dry skin and I wont consider to repurchase it.

3. Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment 

I purchased it from Beautybay.com and it was the smallest size available (30ml). Since last year, this kind of hair treatment oil has gotten a lot of raves. Moroccan oil and Macadamia oil are the most popular ones.

I would not have bought it if the company had listed the ingredient list on the website. This product does contain argan oil and other natural oil but also a lot of chemicals, which make your hair appear very nice and shiny but not nourish your hair as well and direct as natural products can. First, I do not like hair products with silicones in general (though a small amount is acceptable). Second, this little bottle cost $12 and I just dont think its worth it X_X

Though these products do not really surprise me or make miracles, I will try to finish them and not waste my money :p

Quick purple eye look (using my Inglot palette :)!

Last Christmas I picked up my first Inglot eye shadow palette. I Love it sooo very much! the quality and the shades of eye shadow are fabulous! So Im going to show a quick look using this palette.

I only used two colors - a light shimmery, creamy white  and a magnificent pastel purple
I used my MAC paint pot (bare study) to enhance the pigmentation and lasting power.

The overall look is soft and simple. I always like purple and this shade is a very nice which still works well even i have my summer tan on (pastel colors and bright colors can appear awkward on my tan skin sometime.)

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Nail polish of the day (I applied it after I took photos 'bout my eye look, hahaaa)

Rimmel I love lasting finish - 060 HOT & SPICY
the bright pinky coral is incredibly beautiful and I am impressed by its pigmentation.
I only applied one coat and it already achieved 80% opacity!
If the finish was more glossy, it would be perfect.

new item for blog sale/swap :)

- prices include postal to Australia (additional postal applied for other countries)

- products are genuine, condition is stayed in description and reflected in photos

- You are welcome to email me if you wanna swap yours for mine. I reserve my right to decline your offer though 

Please left a message in this blog post or send me an email [ pixie.gal.dw@gmail.com ]] if you are interested

PIXI ultimate beauty kit (brand new but I lost the box)
- 32 eye shadows with matt and shimmery finish
- 8 blushes
- 16 lip colors
price: $35 (included shipping)

Mac Lipstick in Shy Girl A90 BNIB 
Sold

(updated) a little blog sale/ product swap :)

- All products are genuine, condition is stayed clearly in description and reflected in photos

Postal to Australia address (an estimation based on info. from Auspost)

-  $7 for up to 500g

- You are welcome to contact me if you wanna do a swap, but I reserve my right to accept/decline your offer :)

Please left a message in this blog post or send me an email [ pixie.gal.dw@gmail.com ]] if you are interested/ having another question :) 

Maybelline Color Tattoo  (brand new)

Bold gold (sold)

50 Edgy Emerald, 20 Painted Purple, 40 Tenacious Teal, 10 Fierce&Tangy

price: $8 each

CoverGirl LashBlast Volume (800 very black)
MaxFactor 2000 calorie Straight Brush (101 Rich Black)
Maybelline Define-A-Lash (802 Brown Black)
Loreal Lash Architect 4D (Noir, its new and never used though the packaging is removed)
ALL are new and never used
$7 each

Stila Lip Glaze in Kitten B1, Dreamy CJ, Kaleido-scope CG (from top to bottom)
$3.5 each

Stila Lip Glaze in believe CK, Fantasy CH, Starfruit 30
$4 each

Barry M Lip Paint 101
$ 4.5 each

Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow Quad - Coffee Bean
$ 4.5

Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque (regular retail size 30 ml)
$ 3.5

CoverGirl Advanced Radiance (120 creamy natural)
$ 5

NYX Round Lip Stick (551 Opal) $2.5

Carmax Moisture Plus (Clear), Maybelline Baby Lips (anti-oxidant berry)
$2.5 each


THE USED

Maybelline Eyestudio (20 Blue blowout) $4

Wet-n-wild trio in Walking on Eggshells $4

Revlon illuminance creme shadow in 711 black magic (used once only)  $5

Mac Lipstick in Coral reef (left) & A rose romance (right)

(used ~5 times) $13 each

-sold-

Maybelline color sensational lipstick in 715 Luminous Lilac & 730 Coral Gleam 

used twice only, $4

Essie nail polish in Lily Pond, used 4 times, $4