Todays post is all about my Top Five favourite rings! These range in price but I think all are affordable. Keep on reading to find out what they look like and where I got them! I love this Arrow ring!! This is actually a really new ring but as soon as I saw it I fell in love. It has quite a thin band and it just looks so dainty on the finger. I actually got this off eBay so I wasn't sure what to expect but it was super cheap so I figured I didn't have much to loose. After the first full day of wearing it I was even happier with it, it doesn't get caught on anything and didn't tarnish at all. It comes in a few different colour options but I've been loving silver at the moment so I went with that. This is a stainless steel ring (so doesn't tarnish or turn your finger green) and is in the shape of a flower with tiny diamantees in each petal. This came in a set of 4 rings made to be worn together and on occasion I have done this but I definitely prefer to wear them apart. This is a very simple ring and fits right in with my love of fine/thin jewelry. I also think this ring works well when I wear two or three rings on different fingers, on the same hand. This ring is a fairly new one too and again it was a cheapy from eBay. I got it after I got my Cat Ring (the last one on this blog) because it reminds me of the Karen Walker Heart Ring. I love the style of it and again the fine/thin look of it appeals to me. Its quite a sturdy ring so I doubt it is going to loose it's shape. As of yet it hasn't tarnished or left my finger green so I think for $1.00 this ring is also a real steal. It doesn't have any pointy edges so it doesn't get caught on anything as well so for me this is a bonus and I work with such soft fabrics at work. This ring has been one of my favourites for years! It is sterling silver and has three cubic zirconia stones in it. These are beautifully cut and reflect the light really well. I got this off a jewelry dealer from my old work who used to sell them in her shop, but after a buying trip she offered some to us a cost price. So for the price I paid for it, it was a bargain. I highly recommend buying a cubic zirconia version of a ring like this before going for the real deal, it'll give you the same look for a fraction of the price and this way you can work out if it really is your style, or not. Now this last ring is amazing!! It's my Karen Walker heart ring in a size N. This is a tiny little cat head with cut out eyes and nose and its super cute. The ears are quite pointy too and I have caught it a couple of times. The only thing with the Karen Walker rings is the band is quite a thin silver. It bends really easy so I definitely recommend taking it off at night. Other than that I think this collection is amazing. They have something to suit everyones style! I hope you enjoyed my Top Five Rings. I love doing posts like this, so there will definitely be more like this to come! Nicole xx
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I have a few NYX Lipsticks so I thought I would do some swatches of them and talk about each one! I find that NYX Lipsticks are generally really creamy and pigmented but the colours can be really hit and miss. Unfortunately they don't say what kind of finish they have and the pictures online can be really deceiving so do your research to get the colours that will be best suited for you! Summer Love in the tube this looks like a browny, beige nude. But on the lips it has alot more pink! Its quite a pigmented colour but because it's so light it's the perfect 'my lips but better' lipstick. This particular colour i find is long wearing and a great everyday shade. Harmonica this lipstick again is really creamy and applys really easily. In the tube it looks like a cool light pink, however when applied to the lips it has a strong silvery undertone to it. It almost shines silver (as you can see in the photo!) so it makes this lipstick look even cooler and almost frosty. It's a real shame because if it applied as it looks in the tube it would be a really great every day pink. Indian Pink is probably my most worn colour out of all my NYX Lipsticks. This is a mid tone rosey pink. Its quite subtle on the lips but can be layered to create a stronger colour. This is just as creamy as the others and applys really easily. This is also the most popular lipstick in my Freelancing Kit and I always use it on Brides and Bridesmaid. A must have for every collection. Paparazzi is really similar to Indian Pink but has a more Coral undertone. This one is more sheer on the lips then the others but regardless it is a really pretty everyday colour. I think this lipstick is really lovely on women with yellow undertones to their skin and this is a beautiful colour for Brides particularly. I also find I don't have to touch this up as often as the others. Femme is a soft orangey coral. It's not quite as deep as Eros and not quite as soft as Rose (I talk about both lipsticks below). If your after a soft everyday coral that has a little punch to it then this is the one for you. It's a such a soft colour and I've found on some skintones in shows more pinky and on some more corally. It's a really versatile lipstick and nice mixed with soft pinks or even deep reds to either brighten a colour or soften a deeper colour. Shiva is a almost a deep pink with a slight hint of purple. I wouldn't call this a light or soft pink because it is definitely a statement lipstick. It also has a purpley-blue shimmer through it which does show on the lips. This makes the lipstick look quite frosty which I don't particularly like. I don't find it's that pigmented so I find I have to layer and layer to get a good colour pay off. I'm not really sure which skin tone this would work on either! Rose is probably my most under rated NYX Lipstick. For some reason I don't reach for this as much as I should because it's gorgeous. It looks like a mid toned red but when I hold it up against Eros its very pink/coral based. It looks so sheer and soft on the lips that it actually looks quite natural. It applys really easily and much like the others is super creamy. A great every day lipstick with a little colour. Eros is a great orangey-red. It's very pigmented and I find in comparison to a lot of the other NYX lipsticks it actually stays on most of the day. Its quite a bright red (which I love) and is very warmed toned which looks amazing on yellow based skin tones. For a bright colour it glides on easily and doesn't travel. Probably one of my favourite and most worn (aside from Indian Pink) of my little collection. Chic Red is a deep warm toned red. This lipstick is 100% true to colour and is such a dark red but I love the fact that it isn't blue based so it doesn't make your teeth look yellow. It is highly pigmented and only needs a one swipe to get a full on colour. Because it's creamy i find it applies really easily and doesn't travel if not used with lip liner. I have attached all the lip swatches below to give you an idea of what they all look like. As a whole I really like NYX Lipsticks, for the price they are great and I don't mind having to reapply them a couple of times throughout the day. Like anything there are definitely duds so I would just suggest to do you research on the shades! Nicole xx So a few weeks ago I was interviewed by an AMAZING Beauty Blogger called Lani from Lani Loves, so I thought I would flip the tables and also do a little interview with her too. I choose to involve her in a tag called The Procrastinating Beauty Blogger. Keep reading to see how she goes! Hi! I'm Lani and I blog at Lani Loves. I'm based in Wellington, where I live with my partner and our two little boys. I've been blogging at Lani Loves for a bit over a year and a half now. I started blogging because I'd been photographing my manis and makeup looks for quite some time and I wanted a creative outlet. Blogging seemed like a natural progression. I also run the PANZ blog (panz-blog.com), which is designed to promote and involve members of PANZ & NZ Makeup Junkies. It's a pretty exciting project and I can't wait to see where it goes. 1. Name a beauty regime that you rarely do? Face masks! They're fun to do, but I always forget about them. 2. Is washing your make-up brushes something that you do regularly? Probably not as often as I should still, but my habits have definitely improved since buying Daiso Detergent For Puff And Sponge. The ashing goes so much more quickly, it makes life easier! 3. How long will you last with chipped nail polish? Most of the time, it's off as soon as it chips! But if we're having a busy week, it'll stay on for days. It bums me out. 4. How long will you put off buying/replacing a beauty product, even if you need it? I'll put off repurchasing a specific product practically forever, because I get swayed by all the new things and buy them instead. MAC Bare Canvas Paint and Patisserie lipstick have literally been on the repurchase list for years. 5. What is your worst beauty habit? Probably using makeup wipes instead of a proper cleanser for years. I've remedied that, but I still love my Skinlite wipes. They cleanse and remove makeup incredibly well without drying my skin out or irritating my eyes and they're really cheap, usually around $4 at The Warehouse and some pharmacies. 6. Name something non-beauty related that you put off doing all the time? Housework :D 7. When going out somewhere, do you leave getting ready to the last minute? Yes, often because I'm doing everyone else's makeup first or organising the kids! 8. Can you commit to spending bans? Ohhh definitely not. I'm pretty much allergic to restraint. BUY ALL THE THINGS! 9. How organised is your make-up and nail polish collections? Pretty organised! At least one aspect of my life has to be, or I'd go completely mad. I did a tour of my stash organisation here - http://lani-loves.blogspot.co.nz/2014/06/requested-how-do-you-even-blog-part-one.html I hope you enjoyed this little interview with Lani. Feel free to check her out at http://lani-loves.blogspot.co.nz and thanks Lani for answering all my questions!
Nicole xx Sooooo yes, this is another ELF haul..I just couldn't resist! All my other ELF products were great so I wanted to try a few more. So this one is alot smaller but there are some real goodies including my Real Techniques brush. The first thing I got was the ELF Waterproof Eyeliner Pen. I got this because I've never had liquid liner in pen form, so thought it would be fun to try. I got this in black and it has a really good, skinny nib. I've found this eyeliner doesn't feather and dries extremely quickly. I've been wearing this mainly when I'm wearing a smokey eye to line my top lash line and its been great. It's really long wearing and at $3.00 it's well worth the price! I picked up the ELF Cream Eyeshadow in Natural Glow. This is a golden champagne colour and is a cream eyeshadow. It's extremely creamy and blends beautifully. I got it more to wear as a base for other eye shadow but it's also really nice to wear on its own. I also really like the packaging, this is the same packaging as the ELF HD Under Eye Setting Powder. It's a clear plastic in a square shape which makes it really easy to store. I also got the ELF Cream Eyeliner in Copper. This is more a bronze colour than a copper. The Cream Eyeshadows have quite a limited range of colours so I thought I could use the cream eyeliners for the same thing. The product isn't as pigmented as my other cream eyeliners and the texture is so creamy that it blends really well then sets for all day wear. It is such a stunning bronze colour that it would work well on all eye colours. I got another ELF Cream Eyeliner in Coffee. This is a matt medium brown and like the other one is incredibly creamy. The pigment on this isn't that great and when I've had a play with it, it tends to go a little patchy. But because of the colour of it I thought it might be good as an cream eyebrown product. I've heard so much about the Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade so I thought I might try it out like this. Because it's not strongly pigmented I think it will work really well...but I'll keep you updated. I've heard alot about the ELF Foundations so I thought I would give one a go. I ended up settling on the ELF Flawless Finish Foundation, of all the Foundations they had available this sounded like it would be the most matte finish. This foundation is Oil Free, has SPF 15 and is supposed to be long wearing. I picked it up in Porcelain which is more like a Sandy Beige. This foundation smells really fresh, which is something I usually don't notice with foundations. It goes on really smoothly and covered almost all my imperfections. For the low price tag I think its a really nice foundation and with a small amount of concealer my skin looked flawless. So I would definitely recommend this if you are looking for a cheap foundation and you don't like really full coverage. I also got the ELF Stipple Brush, this brush is dense for three quarters of it then the bristles go quite sparse. This brush can be used to create a flawless finish with cream or powder products and is recommended to use with blush, foundation and powder. I am going to use it for my blush and highlighting as I like the soft finish that this type of brush gives. I haven't yet used it but it feels so soft and lovely. The last thing I got it probably my favourite thing! It is the Real Techniques Powder Brush. This brush is so lovely, it has the softest bristles that are incredibly dense so it distributes the powder evenly and flawlessly. The handle is a golden/rose gold with a black end on it and is extremely sturdy. I have used this every day since I got it with my setting powder and its really really lovely. I also use it to blend out my contour, bronzer and blush. This brush retails in New Zealand for anywhere between $24.99-$29.99 but I managed to find it on this website for $9.99. I am definately going to be going back and picking up some of the brush sets! I have a coupon code for this website that gives you between $5.00 and $10.00 off (depending on how much you spend) so let me know in the comments below if you would like it! Nicole xx This post is going to be all about my quick and easy work make up. This is what I do when I've woken up late and am running out of time but still need to look presentable! So I always will wear a full coverage foundation and conceal under the eyes and imperfections, I think it's really important for the skin to look as flawless as possible as I think it makes me look more awake. I also always do my full brow routine as this makes it look like you put it more effort then you actually did. If I'm really running out of time I'll quickly apply Bronzer and Blush but I won't put a lot of effort into my contouring, I do still think this step is important. For eyes I go for a natural smokey look by applying a champagne/nude colour all over the lid, I then apply a bronze colour to my crease and outer corner. I then blend this all out and apply a little of the bronze colour to the lower lash line. I then curl my lashes and apply mascara to my upper and lower lashes. To finish the look I use lip liner to fill in my lips in a nude tone and sometimes I'll use a little gloss. All up this takes me around 5-10 minutes and this look will last the entire day. Products UsedPrimer: Australis Primer Foundation: Australis Stayput Foundation in Nude Concealer: Revlon Colour Stay in Fair (for any imperfections) and Loreal Magic Lumi Concealer in Light Setting Powder: Australis Pressed Powder in Deep Natural Eyebrows: Jordana Brow/Eye Shadow Powder in Brunette and ELF Brow Clear Mascara Contour and Bronzer: Bourjois Bronzing Powder Blush: Australis Paparazzi Perfect HD Blush in Flash It Eyeshadow: MUA Eyeshadow Palette in Heaven and Earth Mascara: Revlon Lash Potion in a Blackest Black (top lashes) and MUA Extreme Curl Mascara in Black Lips: Australis Lip Liner in Natural Look out for my next blog in a couple of days, it's another Haul! Nicole xx Today I thought I would do a review of the moisturiser I am using, this is the Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference for Combination Skin. I've been using this cream for a few months and have been really happy with it so I though I would let you all know exactly what I think about it. I first tried this range when I got a sample of the scrub and moisturiser from Farmers. I managed to use the little foil packet three times and really loved it. Since buying the full size moisturiser I've noticed great results with my skin, it's much softer and I find it's always hydrated without feeling greasy. It's light enough for me to put on before my primer and moisturising enough for me to apply at night after I take my make up off. It also smells amazing without being too over powering. To sum it up this moisturiser is amazing. For the amount of time a bottle lasts it's definitely value for money. It also comes in a formula for dry skin, normal skin and oily skin so there's an option for everyone. I've just purchased a kit that has the full skin care range so I'm interested to see what changes this will bring to my skin! Nicole xx I thought I would do some quite different today, a beauty tag! These basically work by having a group of questions that I will answer all about beauty! 1. GREED: What is your most inexpensive beauty item? What is your most expensive? My most inexpensive beauty item would have to be my lipsticks by MUA, these are $1.00 each and are beautiful, my favourite is Shade 16 Nectar, it's creamy, smells great and lasts a decent amount of time on the lips. My most expensive would be my MAC Pro Longwear Foundation, this has amazing coverage and lasts all day. It retails for around $70.00 in New Zealand but I did purchase this online for less. 2. WRATH: What beauty products do you have a love/hate relationship with? Probably lip products! I buy alot of my lip products off the internet because they are just too expensive in New Zealand. This is hard though because no matter how many swatches you look at you never quite know what it will look like on you or what the formula will be like. I've found some really great ones...and some equally terrible ones. 3. GLUTTONY: What are your most delicious beauty products? I'd have to say probably my Hurraw Lip Balms. I only have two but the Black Cherry one is devine!! It smells like something from my childhood (I'm thinking a cherry lolly?) but I can't quite put my finger on it! It provides a small amount of tint to the lips and is really nourishing. This cost around $3.50. 4. SLOTH: What beauty product do you neglect to use, due to laziness? This would have to be eye cream or toner. I've started getting better with toner but am TERRIBLE with eye cream! 5. PRIDE: What beauty product gives you the most self confidence? Probably my winged eye liner. This would be because I like the way it makes my eyes look and the shape it creates and I get lots of compliments when I do a winged liner. 6. LUST: What attributes do you find most attractive in the opposite sex? Firstly I don't know what this has do to with beauty!! But it would probably be a good sense of humor. I think all other things go out the door when someone has a good sense of humor. 7. ENVY: What items would you most likely receive at a gift? In terms of beauty products, it's definitely Body Creams and Moisturizers. The last set I got was an amazing Wild Rose set that had creams, shower gels and soaps. It's always nice getting Body Creams because it saves me from having to buy it myself haha. I hope you like this little beauty tag. I have a few more of these coming that are a little different! Nicole xx Now purple isn't really a traditional colour for the lips, but it has become my obsession!! I think it sets off a plain outfit and there's definitely a shae/tone out there for everyone. My skin has yellow undertones and I find that a brighter purple is great for me but other options are deeper purples and plums. If you have pink undertones I would lean more towards a lilac toned lipstick. The pastels are just beautiful and there are variations of plums that can work really well too. It's really just trial and error. My favourite purple comes from the Maybelline collection, it is in the shade Brazen Berry. It's a gorgeous bright, creamy lipstick and I find I'm only really touching up after eating. I think this compliments my skin tone perfectly and I highly recommend this shade. If you would like to know more about it, I have spoken about it previously in my Top 5 Lipsticks Nicole xx So today I thought I would write about shoes! I love shoes and especially boots so I thought I would let you know what my top five are for this winter! For work I love wearing flats. I actually find cheap flats the most comfortable and find I buy a couple of pairs, wear them until they are worn out (usually only three-ish months!!) and then either replace with the same or something similar. These ones are in a gorgeous Magenta and are from Rubi Shoes. I LOVE Rubi Shoes, it's one of the only places I can go where I can put the shoes on and get no blisters. I usually get these in plain black but I recently have opted for some coloured ones to brighten black outfits. I usually wear them with tights for that little extra warmth too. This is probably the most common style of shoe in my closet and this is what I call the Grunge Boots. I like the style of a pretty girly dress with some grungy boots..I just love the contrast. These particular boots are mid calf and are loose at the top, they have two gun metal coloured buckles that are just for decoration and a zip on the inside. I got these ones again from Rubi Shoes and I love them. I did have to stretch them though so be careful with sizing. Also if you would like to know how to stretch boots I can do a post about that, just let me know in the comments. These are the most amazing ankle boots! They have a high wooden heel which is quite thick so makes standing in them for long periods of time bareable. They are a browny taupe colour and have a lace up detail at the front. They are surprisingly comfortable to wear and were quite cheap! They are from Number One Shoes and I believe they also come in black. I like wearing these with nude tights and dresses it playsuits to give it a more dressy look. I do find that the material doesn't tend to wear well in water, it tends to go a weird texture and dries with some marks. I just suggest to not wear them in the rain so they last longer. These are another pair of my favourite ankle boots. These ones have a cut out detail on each side and are done up with a gold buckle. They are quite hard to get on but really comfortable when on! They have quite a pointed toe which I like (as I have tiny feet so like to make them appear longer whenever possilble) they are quite narrow at the heel though so be careful of that. These are actually from Dotti and I picked them up in one of their sales for around $20.00 which I thought was a steal! I wear these with tights but they also look great with bare legs if the weather is ok. The last are my boring 'Tennis Shoes' these are such a classic though and I swear they can make any outfit more casual. They are so comfortable (and so dirty sorry haha) and they are made of the classic canvas feeling material. The soles are never the thickest but these shoes are extremely cheap so replacing is not an issue. They come in a wide range of colours and I've also seen them in the hi top style. I wear these with or without tights in the Winter are really wear them with anything. I hope you like this post that is something a little different. I am going to try and do a few more of these type of posts in the near future. Nicole xx So DIY June is going to be a little different than the past months, I have been so busy I have really only been doing mini DIYs. This one is more for updating your decor and the little things I do to keep it fresh. Lately I have become obsessed with white, I love how classic and clean it looks so I have turned alot of my cheaper decor white! Firstly I want to talk about exactly how I do this, the easiest way to freshen up your decor would be to go and buy new bits and pieces. I like to get really cheap and on sale nic nacs that I can custom and make my own but I have also been given alot of decor bits and pieces that I wanted to pull into my theme . I pull it all together by spray painting it. I found this amazing spray paint that's cheap as chips and is so easy to use. It is the Autohaus Interior and Exterior Spray Paint in Gloss White (there are matte and a normal finish available but I love the shine this one gives and it saves me from having to apply a top coat) I get this from The Warehouse and it is around $6.99. One can will last me around a month, depending on how many things I am spray painting of course. It sprays really evenly and even when getting low it doesn't splatter like alot of cheaper spray paints can do. Can we also take a minute to appreciate my nails that happen to match the theme going on here hahaha. I love to spray paint my photo frames particularly as it's such as easy and quick way to freshen things up. I buy really cheap photo frames (these ones are a sand gold and were around $3.00 for a 6x4 from a 1,2,3 Dollar Mart) and after I'm sick of them I spray paint them what ever colour I am loving at the time. I like getting a textured frame because when you paint it the pattern still shows through just a little more subtly when the light hits it, but I love that effect. I also love the way white makes the photo pop and gives the whole image a completely different look. I have three images below that show some other ways I update my decor. In the first photo I have a white vase that I was gifted, I then brought some cheap fake flowers (around $6.99) and popped them in it. Next to it is a candle holder in the shape of a bodice, I was also gifted this and it was a gunmetal colour that I spray painted white. In front is a small white candle that cost $1.00 from Kmart. In the second photo is another candle holder, this was also gifted to me and is a bird cage style with little glass candle holders. This was also a gunmetal colour that I spray painted white. Next to it is two more frames that I am yet to update! In the last photo is yet another frame I need to spray paint along with a plain glass vase with some more fake flowers (these ones were even cheaper at around $4.99) and a white owl statue I got on sale. I really like a mixture of glass and white and it's a common theme throughout my living areas! I hope you like my little decor updates, let me know if you try any of these by commenting below. Nicole xx |
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