Essence Eyeshadow in 55 Shrimp Me Up

Obviously most people in the Australian beauty community know about the brand Essence. Known for the cheap pricetag and some of their amazing products but also not so good products. 

I have tried their eyeliners (pencil and gel) and I was not a fan of them but I am a big fan of their eyeshadows and this eyeshadow has not disappointed me.

I purchased this at Priceline last year (around September) for $2.85 when they were getting rid of most their stock so most of the products on the Essence shelf was 50% off and more. 

I was actually hesitant to purchase this shade because it was a shimmer eyeshadow and I'm a "matte" type of girl, but I needed a pink eyeshadow to go with my formal dress and the price for the eyeshadow was probably the main reason why I bought it. I was surprised no one swatched this eyeshadow since most of the Essence products are usually either dirty, opened or swatched and if you're lucky, unopened. 

The packaging of the Essence eyeshadows come in a transparent plastic case with a flip lid. It just looks cheap but it's what you get for the price but the packaging is a lot more sturdy than you think, it does take some strong nails to open it up.

Also I'm guessing the size is similar to the MAC eyeshadows, it does look massive.

The metal case the eyeshadow is depotted in is magnetic so you can depot it into a separate eyeshadow palette. (All of the essence shadows have a magnetic base!) 

With flash

L-R: Artificial lighting, with flash

The eyeshadow seems like a pinky peach colour but when you swatch it, it comes out as a frosty dusty pink colur with really small glitter particles. 

It does take some layering over the lids until the colour becomes pigmented, but I find that if you use a light base at first (I use the NYX jumbo eye pencil in Milk), the colour becomes a lot more pigmented.

But what I love about this eyeshadow is how smooth it is to apply, it also blends like a charm. 

L: Essence eyeshadow over the crease, lids and bottom lashline R: No eyeshadow

Sadly since I do have very oily lids, it does crease on me without a primer (like all eyeshadows). 

I did pair the eyeshadow up with my Too Faced Shadow Insurance when I had my year 10 formal. And with 5+ hours of dancing and sweating, it lasted the entire day without creasing.

I wouldnt use this eyeshadow just by itself since the colour can make it seem like you have a rash or that you've been crying the night before. But I do like pairing this with a brown eyeshadow

 in the crease.

I am tempted to try out the other Essence shadows but I have too much eyeshadows that I would never get to the chance of using it.

Have you tried the Essence Single Shadows?

Kiehl's Lip Balm

While freaking out at Sasa during my Macau trip back in October, I impulsively put random products into my basket if they were a brand or asian product I've always wanted to try. 

The Kiehls Lip Balm was one of them.

Costed me 80 patacas (around $11 AUD).

I was actually having a hard time choosing whether to buy it or not, I mean $11 for a lip balm?! I couldve bought around 3 EOS lipbalms instead of this! 

Though the brand Kiehls I've always wanted to try, so I forced myself to try it out.

I've never seen a lipbalm that contains SPF 4 and with a quick internet research I found that SPF 4 blocks 75% of UVB rays! But not as much as some other lipbalms with SPF 20+, better than nothing though

The product is stored in a plastic white tube and disperses out from a flat hole, exactly like the Lucas Papaw Ointment.

I've used quite a lot of lipbalms in the past and this product was just an average product for me. It did a decent job at moisturizing, a little goes a long way and last on the lips for around 30 mins before it soaks in your lips. The product itself isnt liquidly but not gel-like, it melts onto your lips once it meets your lips, a bit like the Natures Care Paw Paw lip balm.

For $11 I wouldn't repurchase this, there are many lipbalms in the market that do a better job at moisturizing.

Saving Space with Z Palette

Unlike many other beauty bloggers and youtubers, I'm not blessed with a nice vanity or a makeup station area in the corner of the room. I'm just stuck with all of my makeup, skincare and perfume bottles all in the one desk along with other school junk and whatever stuff you put on the desk. So I do have limited space.

I remember hearing about the Z-Palette during the time I first started getting into makeup (I didnt have much makeup then) and being one of those "eyeliner only" type of girls I had no use to get one of them. As time went on and eyeshadows stacked up I knew it was time to get one of the Z Palettes.

I bought my Z Palette on The Makeup Box Shop for $21 and free shipping! And I cannot tell you the time it took to find the cheapest large z palette to buy from Australia. I recommend buying it from their website, cheapest one I found and... it accepts bank deposit! Though their service isnt that good since they didn't tell me when they got my payment or when they sent it so I thought they never received my payment. (I think it took around 2 weeks to get to me)

 The packaging for the Z Palette is actually really nice. They're very sturdy and the lid closes with that soothing noise of hearing a magnetic lid close together (like the naked palettes). It also comes in a range of other designs but I you'll have to get them on another website since The Makeup Box Shop doesnt supply the other designs. It fits about 28 MAC sized eyeshadows but you can put your powders, blush, bronzers or any product that has a tin base. 

They sell the dome palette which is like the Z Palette but with a deeper base so you can fit domed blushes and bronzers and also your makeup brushes, which I wish I couldve gotten since it's perfect for travelling.

When you buy the Z Palette it comes with 20 of their round metal stickers so for those eyeshadows that dont have a magnetic base, you can just stick one of those stickers at the bottom so it can magnetise to the palette.

Compared with the Beauty Style compact, the packaging is a whole lot better!

All of the Essence eyeshadows have a magnetic base just so you know!

I've saved so much space just from depotting all my single and quad eyeshadows into the one palette. It's definitely one of the things you should purchase if you need space in your makeup collection, also very handy if you put your everyday eyeshadows, powder, bronzers etc into that palette!

Just Beyond Lip Tint in Red

I've always been one of those makeup junkies that loved natural coloured lips since they are way more easier to deal with. No need of checking up in the middle of the day in case it fades in the middle of your lips since it's not too noticeable for people to think your lips have gone crazy.

But obviously using a lipstain, you dont need to worry about it smudging halfway across your face or getting the dreaded lipliner look at the end of the day.... (oh the horror!)

I got this from Sasa while I was at Macau last year for $60 Patacas ($8.50 AUD).

This was one of the products I randomly chucked into my basket when I read the back of the box and found out it was a liptint. I find that there arent many liptints in the drugstore brands in Aus so any liptint I could find whilst overseas was my top priority to buy. 

I'm pretty sure there was an orange shade and pink, but I had a feeling it wouldn't show up too well on the lips, so I just played it safe and took the boldest colour.

Excuse the horrible nails!

 The packaging is the typical lip tint packaging, where it looks like a nail polish bottle. I thought it was adorable that it had pandas printed around the bottle! I wouldnt like to be caught reapplying this out in public since I'm pretty sure most people would automatically assume I'm using mail polish on my lips.

I was expecting the applicator to be brush-like or spongy but turned out it was like a flat flexible tip. It was a bit of a let down since it doesn't swipe on the lips nicely, instead it pushes the product off while you're applying it. So I find that I have to dab it on my lips then blend it out using my fingers which stains my finger afterwards.

The texture of the product is like a hybrid of cream and water, it's not too liquidy and runny but it's also not very thick.

The product itself is a teeny bit drying since it is a stain but it lasts a good 3-4 hours with food and drinks before fading back to your normal lip colour.

I love how this product is buildable in colour, one layer makes your lips a shade pinker and if you keep building on, the colour becomes a bright pink colour, which does not look flattering on me so 1-2 layers is enough for me. 

Have you tried any lip-stains lately?

Using PriceUSA to purchase MAC?!

Awhile back I was searching through some mail forwarding service websites, for those who dont know about them, it's where you can purchase items off online shops that doesnt exactly send to Australia. So you can pretty much buy stuff from Sephora, forever21, h&m etcetc and they get sent to the website partners place and then they send it to you.
I already know of hopshopgo, but sadly since I'm not 18 yet, I dont own a Paypal account.
But I did some research on another website called PriceUSA and lucky for me, they accept Direct Bank Deposit. (They also accept paypal & creditcard but it costs an addition 5%)

When I found out they accepted Direct Bank Deposit I went crazy on window shopping at every american website I knew. But of course what I really wanted was to own a MAC lipstick.
So I used PriceUSA to purchase 2 lipsticks, Russian Red and Ruby Woo and the MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack.

Australian Price:

1x Russian Red Lipstick = $36AUD
1x Ruby Woo Lipstick = $36AUD
1x Fluidline in Blacktrack = $32AUD

Total = $103AUD

US Price:

1x Russian Red Lipstick = $15US
1x Ruby Woo Lipstick = $15US
1x Fluidline in Blacktrack = $16US

[[At the time the lipsticks were $15, but they have risen to $16US now]]

Total = $46US

To order from PriceUSA you have to fill in an order form where you put in your details, price & shipping estimate costs and the product details. The form looked tricky and intimidating to me but there is a help button that tells you how to fill in everything. But for those who dont know how to fill in the product details this is how I did mine:

After sending the order form they send you a quote of  the estimated total price and also a deposit price which you pay now then pay the remainder of the costs once it arrives at the partners address then you pay the shipping price to get to your address. Simple as that.
They have 3 bank accounts you can deposit to: Commenwealth Bank, NAB and Westpac. It's best that you deposit to the bank that you have so they recieve the payment quicker. but it is a downside if you arent with the following banks.
I had to deposit $42.65AUD and they recieved the payment a day after. They then send the payment to their USA partner who then orders your items.
After they received the items I paid $32.58.
So the entire order + service costed me $75.23AUD!
I only saved $27.77 which is better than paying the full price in Aus.

Overview:

9/01/2014 - Filled in order form

10/01/2014- Quote recieved

10/01/2014- Paid deposit

11/01/2014- PriceUSA recieved the deposit

12/01/2014- USA partner ordered MAC products

19/01/2014- MAC items arrived at USA partners

21/01/2014- Recieved payment

21/01/2014- Sent products to my address

10/02/2013- MAC products arrive at my address

Looking at it now, the whole process took a month but wasnt that bad if I think about it now.

The items arrived safe and sound, though they only sent me the MAC box that it was originally sent it, no bubble wrap only tissue paper protecting the products which scares me if I bought eyeshadow or any pressed products.

I will most likely use PriceUSA again and hopefully try purchasing some products from Sephora!

They put an invoice on the entire order on top.

Have you tried a forwarding site? What was your experience like?

Giveaway Winner!

So the time has come to announce the winner of my Giveaway!

But firstly I'd love to thank everyone who entered the giveaway.
I loved reading all the comments and have taken in a most of them and hopefully you'll be seeing different posts up in the future than the usual product reviews.

Anyways, congratulations to Bianca Rogoveanu!
I have sent you an email already so get back to me asap so I can send the prizes!

There will definitely be more giveaways to come so stay tuned and thanks again :)

Klean Color Tattoo Eye Liquid Eyeliner in Black

Being one of them frequent eyeliner users, I'm always on the lookout for new eyeliners to try. I was searching through eyeliners on Ebay and found the Klean Color Tattoo Liquid Liner for only $4.90 + $1.80 postage and being the cheapo that I am, of course I had to get it. Though I am skeptical about cheap makeup products so I was 80% sure that it would not be a good product but doesnt hurt to try stuff right?

big high five to the people who can guess the orange thing!

I know Kleancolour has a range of cheap makeup products like nail polish and eyeshadows which can be hard to find in Australia, but I know it's an American brand and trying out American products gets very exciting for me.

Though the packaging is pretty frustrating as it takes up a lot of space and is made with a cheap feeling plastic.

I personally love liquid liners with a brush tip rather than a felt tip cause I find them harsh to use on the lids, sadly this has a felt tip which is a downer. Also with the felt tip, it doesnt evenly apply the liner so I have to tap the product on, to get an even pigmentation. The liner also dries quickly so the liner does become patchy if I go over it.

And to answer the question of whether I love it or not?! It's 80% love and 20% meh. 

The formula of the liner is so amazing. during the cooler seasons it lasts all day (no joke) I even tested it on the bottom lash line (put 3 dots pictured above) and it probably lasted around 3 hours of shopping with my mum with no smudging or flaking. 

During summer it doesn't last as much on the watery ends, but with primer underneath it lasts, even on the ends.

Also it is the most waterproof eyeliner I own. How do I know? I actually take off most my makeup when I shower and this eyeliner does not budge at all unless I try to rub it off. I'd say I wouldn't go swimming with it on unless you're going for a thin natural line but if the weather turns out to be rain it would be perfect to use.

If Kleancolor changed the packaging of this eyeliner I think this would be my HG eyeliner. For the price and formula it is worth it all.