Thin Lizzy

So as I said, Thin Lizzy probably demands its own post so here it is!

Thin Lizzy is heavily advertised (with the most annoying jingle in existence!) in New Zealand. I believe it is a purely NZ product at this stage. Most people have a Thin Lizzy compact floating around.

A couple of years ago, I bought the kit above. It came with 2 compacts, 2 brushes, 2 double ended eyeliners and 2 clear lip glosses. Good pack, but the focus of the post will be the bronzer compacts.

So it advertises itself as a 6 in 1 product. So what are those 6 uses? Well, they are:

• eyeshadow
• blush
• contour
• bronzer
• lip colour
• body bronzer

I have actually seen someone use it as an eye shadow, blush and bronzer, but the vast majority of my use of it is as a bronzer and contour.

It only comes in 2 shades (if I recall, the website is no help), so I use the light. It is certainly a buildable colour, very rarely do you have to worry you will put too much on. The colour is natural as well, so most people look healthy and radiant if they use it correctly.

 As noted in the last post, it appears to last forever, and then you discover you have a spare one. So for NZ$49.95, it is a pretty good deal!  While it claims to be everything and the kitchen sink, I don't think that is so, but it is a product I am happy to use, and will certainly be getting much use out of in summer.

(I do note they've dropped one of the claims- they used to say it could be a foundation. However they didn't mention that was really only for people with darker complexions. I tried to use it as a foundation, and just looked like I'd stuck my face in an orange. So I'm glad they've dropped that bit of marketing!)

Summer Makeup

So daylight savings kicked in, and it's time to me to dial back on the make up for summer. I don't think full smoky eye for every day year will cut the mustard. It will end up half way down my face by 10am!

So I think all the make up will based around a good light base. My foundation of choice is Revlon Photo Finish. At the moment I'm using 002 (Vanilla), but will switch to 003 (Shell) for summer. It's a light base, but full cover. It never feels cakey. To be honest, I haven't survived a full summer wearing make up every day yet (this is my first summer here and I've been reliably informed I am going to flake with the heat), so will be interesting to see how it survives.

Always crucial- bronzer. What I have, because IT WON'T RUN OUT, AND I HAVE ANOTHER FULL ONE IN THE DRAWER is Thin Lizzy. No, not the band. I think this might be one of the few purely NZ make up products. I will not link to the website because it has autoplay music and no one wants to be inflicted with that.

Thin Lizzy is probably worth its own review, but for now I'll say it is marketed as a 6 in 1, but really it's just a decent bronzer. Cheap, cheerful and lasts forever, while doing what a bronzer should do, but no more. Since I'm Morticia Adams levels of pale, a quick swish with a bronzer livens up my face in summer.

The hell noes for summer will be

• Heavy eyes
• Heavy lips

So the logical assumption is nice, light splashes of colours on the eyes, and light pink lip glosses. I think the Innoxa Mineral Eyeshadow in Copper (as reviewed here) will be fabulous in summer. I need to invest in more pigmented eyeshadows, so colours are intense, and don't have to be heavily applied. I want to invest in a eye primer, so it doesn't slide off! 

So for know, I'll keep to my dramatic cat eyes and smokey eyes while it is still cool enough that they are appropriate. But sooner rather than later it will be summer and I'll have to train myself to be a bit less heavy handed!

Bloom Nailpolish

Ok, so I am obsessed with the deal a day sites, as seen in the ZA haul from earlier in the month (they ran it again! I had to stop myself)

But the most recent one I found was 3 Bloom polishes for $29. I haven't come across the Bloom polish in the shops here yet (but I have to admit I wasn't looking hard).

Bloom is an Australian brand. I used to have a lip balm of theirs, I believe it was a black tea one. It made a horrible mess and appeared to never run out, but I did lose it and it was a long time ago.

So the nail polishes I received were the "brights", so I have:

Daisy 

I didn't have a yellow before, so this was the first one I put on my nails. A definite 3 coater. So far, I'm not impressed with how it's wearing (the right hand I immediately mucked up so we'll discount that, but the left which did dry has done some weird things). However, I will be giving it another shot because it is such a bright happy colour and with summer coming up I think it will be great.

Sunday

They call this a dark melon. In the bottle, it's more a peach, but it will be interesting to see what it is like on the nail.

Adriana

This is an opalescent hot pink. It certainly looks like that in the bottle!  I'd be interested to swatch this and Orly's Oh Cabana Boy, because at the moment I think they're similar, but I have a feeling under sunlight they'd be strikingly different.

So that was my haul! I think I'm going to try and hide my abysmal application of Daisy with a coat of OPI Silver Shatter. I know it is becoming naff, but it hides so many sins (or failures of application!)

Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen

I really enjoy following various nail polish/art blogs*, and so I'm doing a lot of reading, trying to do my own thing with my nails.

I'm nowhere as talented as these many ladies in application of polish, and then turning their nails into pure art, but I like to give it a shot.

So to make it easier on myself, I decided to buy a Sally Hansen Nail Art pen

http://sallyhansen.com/products/nails/nail-color/nail-art-pen

I got the silver one. However, my first application went horribly. Here's how to learn from my mistakes!

First off: Make sure the base colour you are using is totally dry before using the nail pen on it. Mine wasn't so the tip got caught and I ended up gouging the base colour. Never a good look.

 

Then: do it on a solid surface. It is actually rather hard to use if both hands are floating around.

Thirdly, and most importantly: YOU MUST USE A TOP COAT OVER TOP. I failed to do so, as I ran out of time, and the silver all rubbed off! It's more a marker (as a Tumblr friend told me) than a polish, so it just came off! I did it again the next night and sealed it with top coat, and all was well. However, I hadn't followed my own second point, so it was a bit of a rough job (just silver diagonal lines over a deep purple). 

So in short: nail art is fun, but I need steadier hands and a bit more talent to do it any justice!

*Such as:

http://nailstoriesuk.blogspot.com/

http://nailside.blogspot.com/

http://nailjuice.blogspot.com/

http://morenailpolish.blogspot.com/

http://www.alllacqueredup.com/

to name but a few!

Cetaphil Moisturiser with Sunscreen

So to quote myself from a couple of months ago:


"My one love for my skin is the Cetaphil range. It has never put me wrong, and if they put out a moisturiser with a sunscreen in it, I would be beyond stoked."


GUESS WHAT I FOUND A WEEK LATER?

As a pale person who lives in a country that's under a very large hole in the ozone layer, sunscreen is key for me. I'm normally fairly lazy on it, but this stuff is the shit.

I use it instead of my moisturiser in the morning. It does take a bit to rub in, is a bit thick and can leave a white film. But those issues are minor to the positives of this product. It's got a high SPF, is moisturising, hasn't caused me any major issues, and everyone should be using sunscreen every day. I put make up over top of it, and there are no  issues there. I've  had a minor break out issues since using it, but that could be attributed to many reasons, I don't think this product has anything to do with it.

Basically, it's my go to in the morning now. I continue to be a Cetaphil fanatic, and this great product just guarantees my loyalty. If it wasn't so fun to try other products, I really would just use Cetaphil day and night!

ZA, I love you!

So one of those daily deal websites had a deal on ZA products the other day, and I jumped onto it.

I really like ZA. They're a Taiwanese brand, and are actively marketed at the young. The two lines of theirs I'm most interested in are their True White line, and Future Defence.

True White is problematic in a way. It panders to the desire of many to have that lily white skin that many Westerners have. Many of Asian descent try to bleach their skin in varied ways to conform, which isn't loving what you hae.  However, as someone with that lily white skin, that is marred with sun spots and acne scars, it also appeals to me too. I'd like to deal to those sunspots and scars, and this line does deal to them too.

The other one is their Future Defence line, which is aimed at preventing damage now so we're not all wrinkled later. I haven't tried any of that yet, but I am keen to.

So! The grab bag of stuff I got from the deal site below!

Future Defence Moisture Wrap Mask

I haven't used these type of masks before, the paper ones which are infused with the actual mask. This promises to be highly moisturizing and will immediately provide resilience and firmness to the skin. Ok, if you say so!


Deep Hydrating Gel

Can be used as a gel moisturiser, or as a night mask. I'm keen to see how it reacts on my fairly oily skin. To be honest, I don't really need it, but we'll see what happens.

True White Essence 

About 8 months ago, I was using the cleanser and moisturising milk that goes with this product. That stuff did work for me, I noticed an improvement in the texture, and a reduction in pigmentation. This stuff is the big daddy as far as ZA's whitening range goes. To be used with the others in the line, it should reduce pigmentation. You can use it as a moisturiser, or use it directly on places you want it to do its magic, such as pigmentation and scars. I'll add it to my nightly routine to see if it lives up to the hype.

Metavoltage Cream

Photo credit:MakeupbyRonalu

A cream exfoliator, that you leave to dry then rub off. It's a fun product, and actually does work. I used it last night, and felt a good improvement in the tone of my skin. It's a 2-3 times a week product, and you don't actually use much. Not too harsh like other exfoliators, which is good for those of us whose skin can never decide what is up to!

Facial Cleansing Foam

A nice basic creamy cleansing foam. It has Vitamin E granules, which are good for keeping the skin lovely and soft. I've added this product to my shower routine, as an extra cleanser since it isn't harsh at all.

Vitamin Lip Balm

It's got a bad review on MakeupAlley, with complaints of a sour taste and not actually moisturizing, but since we're coming into summer, and it has SPF in it, I'll give a shot and let you know how it goes.


So that's my haul! All that for $40! I haven't found ZA in the normal places it is sold up here yet (the local Farmer's has a fairly minimal make up display, and I was not allowed  a chance to look when I went to visit the next town over!) so this will have to do me for the time being. I'm keen to get more of the True White line, so will let you know the outcome of all these fun products!

Fun vs Skin: Who Wins?

I think the answer is my skin.

I've been fortunate over the last 2 weekends to have friends visit, and then visit friends in Wellington. Both of these weekends have involved lots of wine, lots of good food, and late nights.

As such, my skin has rebelled. It is sallow, there are big rings under my eyes, and *shock horror* I got some big nasty zits as well.

So there really is truth to the idea that treating like body like crap will come out on your skin.

I think the only way to deal with it now is a clay mask, lots of water/green tea and plenty of fruit.

I don't think I want to face any wine for a while... even though wine comes from fruit.....

Revlon Illuminance Eye Shadow in Wild Orchid

Oh, I had such high hopes. I always apply foundation and a translucent powder before any colour, and I normally don't have a problem with creasing of my eyeshadow. I know there's a risk of creasing with cream eyeliner, but I thought it would be ok on a good base. But no, it became quite hideous over the day. I  did likedthe sheer nature of it, it meant I could wear some bright purples at work with no worries, but then I'd look at the crease and YICK. I don't think I'd wear it again by itself without an eye primer underneath (shock horror, I do not own one yet!), or without a a powder colour over the top. I would consider using it perhaps on my browbone as highlighter, but it would depend what other colours I had. 

The Revlon 12 Hour Quads are still my favourite in any situation. This is fun, but I won't be buying it again.

My mother-in-law's love affair with Innoxa.

My MIL is a lovely lady, who presides over a family of sickly allergic children. One of their many conditions they all suffer from is hideous reactions to most cosmetics/skin care etc due to various skin conditions. As such, she's very picky about what is used, and so pays the good money to use Innoxa.

So every birthday and Christmas, I am now bombarded with various Innoxa products, so here follows my reviews of them!

Super Sensitive Eye Make Up Remover

I use this EVERY day. I tend to eat lipstick, so my general look is a fairly dramatic eye, so by the end of the day, there is some caked on eye make up that needs to be removed. Totally gentle on the eyes, only stings if you really pour it on the removal pad, and the bottle is well designed so you really only get what you need/want out of it. It also appears to be never ending, which is always nice! It really does thoroughly remove even the smokiest of eyes. I haven't tried it with waterproof mascara yet, but I imagine it would take care of that quickly. You don't have to push and pull either. It's a product I would actually buy myself, which I consider high praise indeed!

Gentle Moisture Creme

It's a nice moisturiser. I don't have any raving comments about it. I'm not a big fan of the smell, but you get over that relatively quickly. I tend to keep it around for when I don't want to carry a large Cetaphil moisturiser bottle with me. For me, it doesn't do anything Cetaphil doesn't do, and it actually feels more greasy on my skin. I'm pleased when I get it, but it's not something I'd buy myself.

Credit:Pampered and Polished

Innoxa Mineral Eye Shadow:Copper

I love these colours. You get a great colour pay off, and it is totally buildable, so you can go sheer, or have a very strong eye. There's a slight shimmer in the pigment, but nothing too shocking, so I have worn this to work on many an occasion. I do wonder if as a pale brunette, that this isn't the best colour for me, but I have made it work. I'd be interested to try some of the others as well, to see if I can find something that works a little bit better for me.

Innnoxa Liquid Eyeliner

What I really love about this eyeliner is the fact it's a pen. The pen rocks my socks. I had so many issues with the traditional brush liquid eyeliners, then I had to biff them all, so chose this as one of my birthday presents. It's so much easier to control than the brushes. One bugbear, that I've noticed mentioned in other places is that it dries up, and I have noticed that recently, particularly with the tip. I have to leave it upside down, or use the side of the brush to get the coverage I want. However it's still usable, and I make far less of a mess than I did with the brushes, so I think I'd continue to use it. I have it in black, but would be keen to try other colours.

Perfect Lash Mascara

Aaaah, the never ending battle for the perfect mascara. I was at a make up sale last week where there was a crate of mascara and I nearly had a fit over volumising and curling and lengthing to such an extent I just walked away.

This mascara isn't anything to sing home about. It doesn't promise any of those things, but it doesn't really put a foot wrong either. When you end up going through a mascara every 3-6 months, price becomes more of an issue than performance. I am lucky in that I have long dark lashes, so a quick curl and some black mascara and I'm ready to go. So in short, I have no real issues with this mascara, it's a good basic mascara, but I wouldn't cry if they discontinued it either. 

My one and only OPI.... (apart from Black Shatter that is)

Is their "Curry Up, Don't Be Late"

I do adore it. The formula is so lovely, the brush is a dream to use, and I never fail to get complements when wearing it. It's definitely a 3 coater though, it is a bit sheer.

I'm off to the Capital for a weekend visit with friends, so I plan on wearing this with Black Shatter for the weekend. Wonder if I can find some OPI on the cheap down there, extend my collection?

General about me

As can be seen in my profile photo, I'm a pale brunette with brown eyes. My hair colour is currently natural, but that's likely to change sometime soon as I have major greys coming through, and they need to be dealt too!

My hair is also very curly. When it's the right length, it will go into corkscrew curls, which I keep getting told are gorgeous, but trying to deal with them on a daily basis is a nightmare! So my GHD is my beloved. It hasn't put a foot wrong yet, and it does a great job of taming my hair.

My skin, well I'm not sure what to make of it. I've battled cystic acne since I was 12. I've been on Accutane 3 times, and (touch wood!) I have little pitting (but I do have scars) and it's all looking very good now. However the general tone is uneven, I have freckles and I also flush red. It can run the gamut from dry to oily, depending on the day, the weather, whether the planets are in alignment etc. I generally err on the side of it being sensitive but oily, and that seems to do the trick. My one love for my skin is the Cetaphil range. It has never put me wrong, and if they put out a moisturiser with a sunscreen in it, I would be beyond stoked. I am keen to try the ZA range as well. I have used their Skin Whitening range (in an attempt to even tone and deal to what acnes scars), and would like to try their range that is aimed at preventing the signs of aging before they begin. Maybe when there is some money in the bank, I can try it and report back!

Once or twice a week I like to do a mask and a hair treatment

My hair treatment of choice is currently De Lorenzo Equilibrium Intensive Treatment. It smells great, and does a  good job. My hair is currently in an ear length asymmetric bob, but it is naturally very curly, and so I have to straighten it every day. Doing this ensures my hair isn't too fried (which is why I had to cut it short in the first place! Well that and I was bored with my length).

While that's sitting in my hair as well, I  like to put on Pores Be Pure by Formula 10.0.6. It's an Australian brand that I just picked up at Farmers (my usual one stop shop for all beauty products). It's a mud mask, that is 'skin clarifying'. It has strawberry and rosemary (and you can smell that when it's on), and yarrow on it. You can see that it works well, because normally 2 days after I use it, I break out slightly, which means I can't be getting the crap out of skin good enough the rest of the time.

Then back into the shower, and off it all comes. It's nice to do a little pampering isn't it?

So! First Post

I've started this blog with the intent of talking about my journey with make up and nail polish. I imagine other things will get posted too, but at this stage, it's something for me to document something I really enjoy.

So, a bit about myself! I'm in my early-mid twenties, and live in a small city in the North Island of New Zealand. I work as a lawyer in a non-profit organisation. As such, it's a bit more relaxed so I can wear some crazy nails and make up! I have a partner, known as "GC" who is thoroughly confused by all things makeup, which can be very amusing.

I also enjoy cooking and gardening, so I am hard on my hands.  As such, my nails are not always nice and perfect, but that's fine. I like them just as they are.

I'm also fat, and that is part of my identity. I don't take heed of any pressure to conform to the skinny norm, and nor do I like anyone/anything who says that fat is unhealthy/lazy/stupid/lacking willpower. That's just prejudice and being an arsehole.The fact I have to say these things is a sad indictment on modern society.

Also, as a recent graduate/ newly minted professional in a low paying field (yeah I know I said I'm a lawyer, but it doesn't pay well at the start. I also accepted that when I chose to work in non-profit, but there are many other reasons related to that decision), I don't have a huge budget. Also, makeup in New Zealand is hideously expensive.So while I'd love to have a MAC and OPI budget, really I'm more Revlon and mini Orlys, and that will reflect in my blogging. I get a lot of my stuff from clearance sales, and so it won't always be fashionable, but that's ok. The fun is in the playing with it all!

So in light of that, some house rules.

1) Rudeness, bitchiness, body-snarking and anything else of the ilk will not be accepted or acceptable.
I don't see any need for it, I see it as small minded and horrible, and I find it reflects far more on the person making the comments than the person who the comments are made about. We're all different and all awesome, can we focus on the positives rather than being petty and nasty?

2) Constructive comments however are awesome.
This blog is about me learning about things, and at this stage I'm focusing on make up and nail polish. So any hints, recommendations and anything else would be brilliant. You know, the types of comments like "Try blending up and out!" "Why don't you try this shade?" etc etc.

3) I spent 13 years in Catholic schooling, so really the overarching rule is the Golden Rule "Treat others as you'd like to be treated". It's really not that hard people, and the more indirect nature of the internet means the horrible often comes out. Trolls will not be tolerated.

So yeah! From now on out, I'll give this make up blogging thing a go. Lets give it a whirl!