ELF BRAND FOCUS

Clear eyelash and brow Mascara

Lip Crayon in Pink elephant 

Lip Exfoliator 

Hey Lovelies

Elf is a super affordable makeup brand that offers a huge range of products with some definite gems in the range. I going to show you guys what I have from the the Brand Elf and do a little review for you on my thoughts on the products, and If i would recommend them of you. There are some definite hits and misses with the products available, which occurs with most brands, and its always good to hear other people opinions so you know you wont be wasting your time and money.

Elf prices range from around $2- $10. For makeup its hard to find much cheaper. The low prices makes it easy to play around and try thinks out. Exactly what I have done today. So lets get on to it!

Lip exfoliator 
This packaging is genius! Its what made me want to buy it in the first place. There is nothing quite like this on the market, well not that I have found. I own the Lush Lip exfoliant with is great but I find it can get a little bit messy and is unhygienic to apply. This makes it so easy, you just apply it like a lippy, and it is great for on the go . The product is grain like pieces imbedded in a balm. It can get a slight bit rough at times so you need to use a gentle hand. I love using thing before putting on my lippy to make sure my lips are nice and smooth!

Elf Eyebrow Kit in Ash
This little kit consists of a gel and a powder. I don't tend to use the powder as it is slightly to light for me, but the gel works very very. It gives my eyebrows a nice defined look and also the gel texture helps to set my brows into place. I like to use this when I want a more dramatic look. When I'm wanting a more subtle look I tend to stick towards my powder or pencil products.

Brow and Lash Mascara
This stuff is a $1.99, and wow was I impressed. It works just as well at keeping my brows in place as my Anastasia Brow gel. My eyebrows don't budge all day. I don't particularly use it on my eyelashes but one side of the tube does say eyelashes and one eyebrows. To be honest I think both sides are the same product. I use both sides for my brows and get the same results.

Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick - In Pink Umbrella
This is a really lovely your lips but better shade of pink. It is a great colour to use when your going for a natural day time look. It is quite sheer due to the gloss consistency but is easily buildable. In the picture I am wearing a couple layers of it, which is my preferred look.

Waterproof Eyeliner Pen- In black and Coffee
I had such high hopes for this but unfortunately was so disappointed!! There is heaps of hype around this on the internet with people comparing it to the Stila Waterproof stay all day Eyeliner. But sadly it is no way near comparable to it. The first disappointing thing about the product was the colour. Coffee was blacker than the shade black? In the image the top shade is coffee? The difference shows even more in real life. Not only was the colour bad, the stay power was awful, and they were no wear near waterproof. As soon as I applied them they started bleeding, and after waiting for them to dry I did a smudge test to see if it smudged and it sure did. You can see the difference within the two pictures. I would much rather pay for my Stila one as that thing doesn't budge and truly does stay all day.

Buy Me: www.beautyjoint.com


I hope you enjoyed :)

Dana xx

NYX BUTTERGLOSS

These are one of my all time favourite lip products. NYX Buttergloss's fell like you are applying a high end lip product to your lips but for only $5. You can see I really love these with the large amount I have collected. I think I nearly have the whole collection!

I am not a huge fan of lip-glosses as I find them two sticky and they don't have enough colour payoff. But when I came across the Buttergloss's I was super impressed. They have a creamy consistency making them non sticky and really comfortable to wear. They also have a great colour payoff like those of lip laquar. I love playing around and experimenting with the more bold colours as you don't make as much of a statement but the still give you a lovely colour payoff on the lip.

Not only do they look good on the lips, and feel good on the lips. They also smell amazing. They have a lovely sweet scent that matches nicely with their dessert names!

There is a wide range of colours offered where you will find one for everyone,  from bright reds to nudes and everything in-between. I love every single one off them and had to get them all!

I wanted to show you the colours that I have in my collection, and also do some swatches for you so you can get an idea of what these look like on the lips!

Names from left to right:
Maple Blondie
Peaches and Cream
Merengue
Cherry Cheese Cake
Vanilla Cream Pie
Creme Brulee
Tiramisu
Apple Strudel
Strawberry Parfait
Peach Cobbler
Cherry Pie

I highly recommend you guys give these a try you wont be disappointed!

I hope you enjoyed :)

Buy Me: www.beautyjoint.com

Dana xx

STYLE IDOL: OLIVIA PALERMO

OLIVIA PALERMO

This girl is my idol! She is beautiful and wow does she have a good style. She can make any look look effortlessly chic. She can make one piece look amazing in so many different looks!

She inspires me to be creative with my looks and I'm always turning to her when it comes to putting outfits. Not only does her outfits look amazing she somehow makes her hair and makeup match perfectly as well. She makes it work from top to toe. Everything works perfectly together!

A definite style Icon!

Here are some of my favourite outfits I have collected together of her. Also I have linked her website :)

I hope you enjoy!

Who's your style idol?

http://www.oliviapalermo.com/

Dana xx

LASH DOMINATION

Hey Lovelies 

So I got a bit excited as this was my first time ever trying a Bare Minerals product! Bare Minerals is pretty expensive in New Zealand and I just haven't really been drawn to their products.  I'm not to sure why? The only product I have really been interested in buying is their powder foundation, as it has been so hyped about. But because of my oily skin Im not quite sure it it would be for me. Let me know what your guys experiences were with it!

When I went into Mecca Cosmetica. Which if you don't know what that is, it's kind of like the New Zealand's and Australia's equivalent to Sephora. But not as amazing,  as it stocks like half the brands at double the price :( I want to go to America!!

Anyway when I went in to Mecca to grabs some items they gave me a little beauty box with some deluxe samples in it as they started a new level system! The box contained a couple items from Bare Minerals and the mascara really caught my eye. So today after using it for about a week I thought I would do a little review for you guys!

I have to say I was super impressed, and usually I'm a Mascara snob! As nothing seems to beat my Jordana Best Lash Extreme Mascara! This is probably my new favourite high end mascara. What I thought was so great about it is it makes no clumps, but also volumizes and lengthens your lashes! The one thing I find with most mascaras is if they have no clumps most of the time it usually has no length or volume. I don't know it you guys have that problem either? That is why I was so excited about it this mascara. The one thing that made it that slight bit disappointing was it didn't quite last as long as some of my other mascara. But that not too much of a problem,  its not hard to chuck on another layer!

I defiantly think I will be purchasing a full size off this when I finish my little sample. I'm very impressed. This makes me want to try some more of Bare Minerals products!

I hope you enjoyed !

Buy Me :
http://www.meccacosmetica.co.nz/
http://www.sephora.com/

Dana xx

CURLY HAIR DON'T CARE

Hey loves

For me curling my hair is a big event as my hair just wont hold a curl, not even if there is a bottle of hair spray in it! But on this particular night it worked for me! As my tight ringlet curls fell in to a nice wave look I really loved. It took about an hour as a had to keep hair-spraying and re curling curls, but it was worth it! To my surprise, even with all the hairspray, when I woke up my hair was dead straight! Typical! Not to say I'm not lucky to have straight hair but it would be nice to rock a curl every once in a while :)

Onto the outfit! I actually got given this from a family friend who got it from Thailand when they were on holiday. Thank you! Its a green or beige colour Playsuit depending on what light you are in. It has a slight boho feel to it so I thought it would be a great match for the waves. It such a easy chuck on piece if you a stuck on what to wear. Playsuits are great for that! Im also wearing a black batwing style cardigan from Glassons as it is freezing in Dunedin.

The Makeup! I went for a brown smoky eye using my Stila In the Light Palette and Mary Lou-Manizer by The Balm on the middle of my lid and my brow bone to give it a highlight. I also used the Mary Lou-Manizer on my Cheek bones as my highlight. I decided to do a winged eye and used my Stila stay all Day Waterproof liquid liner. Truly the best liquid eyeliner ever!

I bronzed my face using Maxfactor Bronzing Powder in 02 Bronze. Which I am currently loving! I also used Hoola by Benefit as my contour. On my cheeks is Benefits Rockateur Blush, and on my lips I am wearing on of my favourite corals MAC Costa Chic. Im wearing NARS Sheer Glow foundation, my favourite for the night time.

I hope you enjoyed!

Links:

Benefit:
http://www.benefitcosmetics.com/

Glassons:
http://www.glassons.com/

MAC: 
http://www.maccosmetics.com/index.tmpl

Stila In The light Palette: 
http://www.beautybay.com/
http://www.sephora.com/

NARS Sheer Glow:
http://www.sephora.com/
http://www.meccacosmetica.co.nz/

Dana xx

PRODUCTS I HAVE USED UP

Today I would like to share with you guys some of the products I have recently used up or there is only the tiniest amount left. I'm going to do a little review for you on each product and let you know if I will be repurchasing!

Yes to Cucumbers Soothing Hypoallergenic Facial Toilettes-
Unfortunately I would not call these soothing or hypoallergenic at all, as after using my first one of these I ended up with a stinging red rash one my face that took about an hour to go away. When it came to removing makeup they did do a good job, but they were super moist like I was rubbing a wet towel over my face, and I was a little worried about what was being socked into my skin. Also I wasn't a huge fan of the smell of these either. Even if I didn't get a reaction I still don't thing I would purchase these again as I have found a lot better products on the market. Which leads me to my next product.

Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Face Wipes-
These are the best affordable face wipes I have used so far. They take makeup off very gently and easily and have no scent. Exactly what I want when it comes to taking my makeup off. I am on about my twentieth packet and will defiantly be repurchasing again!

Kleenex Pocket Tissues
These little guys are great for when your on the go. You will no longer have tissue flying all around your bag or a toilet role shoved in there. Tissues are amazing for a number of things so I always like to keep a packet in my purse. This guy is a repurchase for me.

Maybelline The Falsies
The Falsies is a great drugstore Mascara if you are wanting nice long volumized lashes at a good price. I have used up both a waterproof and a non waterproof one and they are both great. I love to use the waterproof one when swimming in summer. It doesn't budge. I wont be repurchasing this one straight away as I have so many mascaras on the go already. But I would defiantly recommend it to you guys to give it a try.

Collection 2000 Concealer
There is nothing bad I can say about this Concealer! It covers imperfections amazingly. I can put it right up there with my NARS creamy concealer. Its super affordable, and works wonder! This is a definite repurchase. Some exciting news is Collection is coming to NZ! and some of the lipsticks have already started being sold. I'm just holding out for my concealer!

NARS Stick Concealer
I have the shade Medium 1 Custard, the same colouring I have in my NARS Creamy Concealer. But unfortunately to say I was disappointed in this products, and I believe it really wasn't worth the large price tag. It's lasting power was only around an hour on my oily skin. The concealer moved around on my face and sheared out very easily exposing imperfections very quickly. This ones a non repurchase for me.

Benefit They're Real Mascara
I got a Mini Deluxe sample to try out when I last visited the Benefit store. The mascara does a great job at lengthening, volumizing, and holding a curl. It would be a great product to try out if you haven't before. The only negative thing I could say about why I would not purchase it again,  Is there is drugstore alternatives out there that do just as great of a job for a fraction of the price.

Benefit Porefessional
If you have oily skin you need this in your life. If I'm am going to be having a long day this is the first thing I reach for. It fills in your pores to help give you an even finish, and helps your makeup stay on for longer. I also find it helps reduce the greasiness of my skin after a long day. I already have a new tube of the go right now.

St Tropez Gradual Tan Plus firming
This is a great tan to use if your wanting to build up a nice gradual natural looking tan. I loved the fact it had a built in moisturizer, and it gave a lovely natural glow to the skin. Will be grabbing myself another bottle come next summer.

Batiste dry shampoo
I have talked about this guy many a times. It is a great affordable dry shampoo that absorbs all the oils in your hair. I got a bottle of the coconut scented on on the go now.

Rimmel Wake me up Foundation
This is a lovely light to medium coverage foundation that is great for everyday wear. Leaving you looking fresh faced and ready for the day. I am now trying out the Rimmel Match Perfection too compare them and see which one works with me better. I will get back to you on that in a later post :)

Fudge Membrane Gas Hairspray
No no no. This one was very disappointing, and I wouldn't waste your time on it. I am very glad I only got a little bottle. I didn't hold at all, and after about two uses the nozzle broke and sprayed a massive amount of liquid in my hair :(

Original Source Lime Body Wash
Mmmm did this guy smell good. It lathered up really well and the scent was nice and refreshing in the morning. A definite repurchase!

Thanks for reading!

Dana xx

MALANI BAKED BLUSHES

Hey Lovelies

I recently picked up some more of the amazing Milani Baked Blushes. Luminoso has been a long time favourite of mine so I decided to pick up some more of the colours available and wow was I impressed! Today I'm doing a little review for you guys and showing you some swatches!

Left: Coralina Right: Dolce Pink

Berry Amore

Luminoso

Swatches top to bottom: Luminoso, Dolce Pink, Berry Amore, Coralina

First off I must say I love these blushes!! All four colours and the formula of these are amazing, and they come at a great drug store price!!!

When it comes to the texture of them they are all very much the same have lovely pigment to them and are a breeze to apply. The main difference would be the shimmer is more apparent in some than in others. These blushes are very buildable and have a great lasting power!

Luminoso:
Is a lovely light pinky coral toned blush that has a light shimmer and leaves your skin with a nice glow. I love to wear this blush all year round as it gives my skin a nice awake look. It is a great everyday blush that works with many looks.  It is very easy to apply and blends well into the skin.

Dolce Pink: 
If you like shimmery blushes you will love this one. For me in the day time I tend to stand clear of things that have too much shimmer. But at night time I love to use this blush as the colour is beautiful. It is a lovely dust pink colour perfect for a fair complexion.

Coralina:
Is a very bright colour and is a great colour to use when you want to make a statement! For me I like to use this with a very light hand as a little goes a long way, and you don't want to end up looking like your going red. When used with a light hand it leaves a lovely flush of colour to the cheeks. I would describe the colour as a bright coral pink, with a shimmer running through it. I would recommend it to those with a medium to tan skin tone, I only tend to use this one when my face is more tanned in the summer months, as the colour seems to look a lot nicer. I also only use this at night as I find it a little to dramatic for the day.

Berry Amore:
This is my favourite shade out of the four shades I have! It is a beautiful dark pink berry colour with a hint of bronze running through it. It has a very finely milled shimmer running through it, like that of Luminoso, that leaves your cheeks with a gorgeous glow. I love to wear this in the winter months as a go to day time blush!

One disappointing thing though is the packaging. It is so unnecessarily bulky! Also the labels rub off very easily due to the cheap packaging. But you can't really complain as it is a drug store product :)


Buy Me:
http://beautyjoint.com/face/milani-baked-blush

Retail Price:
$7.99

I hope you enjoyed!

Dana xx

CATASTROPHE COSMETIC

Just Applied

Visible flaking

Dried

Dried

Hello Lovelies

Recently I picked up a new Lush Face mask called Catastrophe Cosmetic! And I thought I would show you my first impressions on it!

Catastrophe Cosmetic is a face mask rich full of blueberries giving it its Purple colour. Blueberries are full of beneficial antioxidants for the skin. Lush claims that they help reduce inflammation and are a Mild antiseptic. I thought this was a great ingredient for if you are suffering with some nasty pimples to help reduce the redness and inflammation, and kill the germs.

First off the bat when I opened this mask I had to smell it, and boy did it smell good. A light mix of rose and blueberries gave it a very pleasant scent. Application was very easy the mask had a creamy consistency with made it easy to evenly apply, and after being in the fringe it gave your skin a nice cooling effect.

During the waiting time for the mask this is where I got a little disappointed. The instructions of the pot were to leave it on for around 10-15 minutes. But after about three, areas around my nose a chin started to dry and flack everywhere. It went all over my robe and in my hair. While other areas of my face were still not dry and the product had been evenly distributed. There was one area of my cheek that I over did it a bit as you can see in the photos and I wasn't waiting for that bit to dry :). I had to sit there for most of the waiting time slightly uncomfortable as I wasn't able to move my face incase more flacked off.

Apart from that I there was no irritation of my skin and all round it was a very gentle calming face mask. When it came time to take it off, my skin felt like a babies bum. So Soft! I felt super clean and healthy. It reduced a lot of the redness around my nose, and the inflammation and redness of my pimples had decreased!

I would recommend this face mask to do when you can just lie in bed and are not doing much moving at all to avoid flacking. It did give so nice results and left my skin fell really soft, so I will be trying this again, and I would recommend it for others to use especially if you are wanting a calming effect on your skin!

I hope you enjoyed :)


Retail Price: $18.90NZD

Where to Buy:
https://www.lushnz.com/shop/product/product/path/1021_160/id/72/face-fresh-face-masks-catastrophe-cosmetic-face-mask

Dana xx

A DAY IN THE LIFE - UNIVERSITY EDITION

Makeup for the day 

Breakfast (Avo and Hummus on Toast) & Youtube 

Our campus. I walk past this beautiful building everyday in Spring it is surrounded by Cherry Blossoms

Inside a Lecture

The view from the library

 

Lunch! Coffee and Sushi

Night time tea 

Hey lovelies today I thought I would show you what I get up to most days of the week. Which is university! Not the most existing thing in the world but I thought It would be nice to show everyone a little insight into university life :)

In my typical day I wake up around 8.30 (this is early for me)! And I begin to get ready. I cant start my day off without a long hot shower to make myself feel all clean. I also need to get some breakfast in me. I not a happy camper when I don't get my breakfast. And a coffee! Then its time for make up! My favourite part of getting ready. Usually I go for a very natural look as it is only Uni.

I usually spend the whole day a uni so in the mornings I will pack myself a lunch but sometimes if im in a rush this step gets missed and I end up buying it, my favourite is sushi!

When its time to leave the house it about a twenty minute walk for me into uni. My day usually consists of lectures and meetings, and in-between them ill shoot to the library to try and get some work done on assignments and study materials for exams.

Around 6pm is when I usually head back home and start to make my dinner. As soon as I'm home its makeup off and warm snuggly clothes on. It is currently a average of around 9 degrees in Dunedin and we have only just gone into Autumn! :) Im defiantly a summer baby I hate the cold!

If I have free time during the day Im usually running errands, seeing friends, or trying to get in some exercise. Ow how I hate exercise! But I need to start after eating all of that easter chocolate!

The day ends with a cup of tea and watching either youtube, a movie, or a TV series. My current favourites are Skins, Reign, Drop Dead Diva, Game of Thrones, Scandal, and The Walking dead.

I Hope you enjoyed!

Dana xx