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!