The perfect smokey eyes with 3 products : Make Up For Ever 'Smokey Lash', Burberry 'Rosewood' & Rimmel Scandal Eyes Shadow Stick 'Blackmail'

Make Up Forever Smoky Lash Mascara $37.00 available from www.mediamakeupstore.com, Burberry Sheer Eye Shadow in Rosewood $45.00 available from www.davidjones.com.au, 

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Shadow Stick in Blackmail available from www.priceline.com.au

Step One:

Apply the soft brown shimmery shadow starting from the base of your lash line on the top and bottom lashes. The intensity of the of shadow needs to be deepest around your lashes so don't hesitate to pack it on. Then using a fluffy brush blend out the shadow so that the transition between the shadow and your skin is undetectable. This is the trick to the effortless feel of a simple smoky eye.

Step Two:

Line your top and bottom water line with a creamy kohl liner, because the Rimmel Scandal Eyes pencil is a large kohl liner it is going to go slightly onto your lower lash line more than the top. Using the same brush which applied the shadow smudge and blend out the liner on your bottom lash line. You can also use a cotton tip for this if you don't want get your brush super sticky.

Step 3:

Apply mascara and do not be stingy, put on as many layers as your lashes can handle just pile it on!

It brings the whole look together. When wearing this slightly grunge take on a smoky you can see I don't wear too much other make up at all because it can go tranny and quickly if contouring and lipstick gets involved.

This has been one of my go to looks for nights out or events lately, try it for a slightly sultry slightly grunge very sassy eye make up look!

xx Nella

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CK One Color Mono Eye Shadows Review and Perfect Power Couple Colour Combinations.

 Ck One Color Mono Eye Shadows $30.00 each available from www.myer.com.au

As a beauty blogger you would assume I would be all over the eyeshadow game, right?!?  Wrong I couldn't be more of an armature. Having admitted this huge #bblogger eye shadow faux pas, I am endeavouring to concur my fear of eye shadow and learn how to 'define the eye' without being mistaken for Gina from The Real Housewives of Melbourne (CLICK HERE FOR LOL'S!). 

CK One Color Mono Eye Shadows are housed in the cutest little mod disc shape packaging, usually I am not into bulky packaging but the black and white disc feels like it keeps the eye shadow a little more protected, because it is only a matter of if and when your drop them. The shadows themselves are extremely soft and velvety smooth, the texture feels like a very high end product. When applying the shadows to my eyelids I found it was better to start with less and build up more colour where I wanted a more intensity rather than loading a ton of shadow onto your brush and pushing it around your eyelid. After I felt I had mastered the single shadow technique and the windscreen wiper blending motion I daring started experimenting with more than one colour....2 COLOURS! I know crazy right?!?

After watching many a YouTube tutorial and investing in some more blending brushes (I now own 6!) it was time to try out some combos, here were my favourites.

EYE SHADOW POWER COUPLES

MUSE 300 AND FEARLESS 810: 

This was a very edgy classic 90's CK One poster child combo, I could imagine Rooney Marr rocking this combo smudged out and teamed with a black Givenchy punk gown. Fearless I used as a wash of colour over the lid, it is a very shimmery dark olive which would be beautiful on lighter brown eyes, then I took Muse along my lower lash line and finished the look with lashings of mascara and a some black kohl liner smudged on my waterline.

EXPOSE 100 AND EMPOWERED:

These two shadows look beautiful together, it creates a very pretty teenage dream shimmery 80's Brooke Sheilds vibe. Using Exposed I put a light dusting all over my lids blending into my inner corner and upto the crease, Empowered was used to give a subtle smokeyness to the outer corner of the eye. It is a very pretty combo and is great for making your makeup look polished with out trying too hard.

AMBITIOUS 710 AND DRIVEN 730:

The most perfect coupling for a very natural and non OTT brown smokey eye. Ambitious is a pink toned shimmery nude which looks fab on it's own for a casual day time look, but adding Driven to the outer corner and lower lash line really makes blue eyes pop. I wore this combo for a night out with friends recently and my ego was inflated ever so slightly with the compliments I was given 'are you wearing contacts? Your eyes are so blue' 'Oh no its just I finally learnt how to do my eye shadow properly'

If you are an eye shadow pro and love to give a big dramatic shadow look eeerrr'day then you are going to love how pigmented and soft the CK One Colour Eye Shadows are, blending them is heaven. But if you are like me and are just excited about starting to add different looks and shades to your newbie eye shadow collection then I would definitely recommend trying them out too.

xxx Nella

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BEAUTY YEAR BOOK : Best Beauty Products of 2013 : Makeup Round up!

MAKE UP!

BASE PRODUCTS:

Foundation:
Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation $32.00 & Chantecaille Future Skin Foundation $105.00
2013 was all about discovering gel formula foundations for me, they melt into my naturally oily skin and don't separate like a more standard creamy foundation would. I love how they act like a second skin and not a mask. Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum is an amazing foundation which is gives a light veil to the skin and is also very affordable considering how comparable it is to very high end brands of foundation. I have repurchased Healthy Mix maybe 3 times over 2013 and still love it to bits. When I used  Chantecaille Future Skin for the first time it was like discovering foundation all over again, it adapted to my skin and helped to control excess oil which blew my freakin' mind! It is a heavy coverage foundation and it encourages me to apply it correctly with a buffing brush and not my regular slap and dash job with my fingers. This is a foundation for lovers foundation, it's hefty price tag is going to be totally off putting to the majority of people but if you are interested in trying makeup formulated with skincare properties I would totally recommend it, super luxe and super science going hand in hand.
Bourjois available from www.priceline.com.au 
Chantecaille available from www.meccacosmetica.com.au

Concealer:
Mac Mineralize Concealer $38.00
This is ultra blendable and versatile, covering dark circles and spots like a pro! It has covered up the remnants of many hangovers over 2013 and for that I am forever grateful! Thanks Mac!
Available from www.maccosmetics.com.au

Powder:
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder $12.95
I am not the biggest fan of powder but if I had to choose one it would be Rimmel's Stay Matte Powder on the rare occasion in the dead of winter when I can attempt a matte finish to my dewy (oily) skin this is what I reached for.
Available from www.priceline.com.au

BB Cream:
Garnier BB Cream $13.99
Is the BB craze over yet? Please say yes. All I am going to say is I liked this Garnier BB Cream, the packaging is crap and it leaks everywhere.
Available from www.priceline.com.au

BRUSHES:

Real Techniques $10.95 - $39.95
All of them! Love them!
Available from www.priceline.com.au

Becca 'One Perfecting Brush' $65.00
This is the ultimate blending blush, after dabbing foundation on my face I use this Becca brush to blend it. The width of the brush allows a seamless finish able to blend foundation down your neck and over large areas.
Available from www.beccacosmetics.com.au


EYES:
Mascara 
Maybelline 'The Falsies' $19.95
When it comes to lashes, the bigger the better I say! The Falsies coats every lash, lengthening and thickening, it doesn't give you panda eyes throughout the day. I have bought about 4 tubes this year and I will continue to buy it because nothing else has compared.
Available from www.priceline.com.au

Cream Eye Shadow
Maybelline 'Colour Tattoo' Bad to the Bronze. $11.95
2013 is the year I started to experiment with eye shadows, I really had no idea what I was doing. Colours in the crease, outer 'V' ?!? Say What?!? The Maybelline Colour Tattoo in 'Bad To The Bronze' does it all, you can apply it with your fingers and it gives the illusion that you have gone to a lot of effort. I don't know when this pot is going to end but it has been going strong for about 7 months and it only has a tiny dent in the product.
Available from www.priceline.com.au

Eyeliner
Rimmel 'Scandal Eyes' Liners $9.95
This is the creamiest and most pigmented eyeliner I have ever used, it glides onto your lids or waterline with ease and precision. I like to use the bronze liner blended out onto my lid as a subtle and pretty shadow, also lining my waterline makes the blue in my eyes pop - usually they are a merky greyish blue.
Available from www.priceline.com.au

Powder Shadow
The Balm 'Over Shadow' in 'You buy, I'll Fly' $22.95
Loose shadows freak me out, I am absolutely terrified about spilling them and they are so tricky to apply because of the fall out. The Balm's Over Shadow's are very shimmery pretty and pigmented shadows which give that Studio 54 glossy shadow effect to the lid. I love 'em!
Available from www.davidjones.com.au


CHEEKS:
Bronzer:
The Body Shops 'Honey Bronzing Powder' in shade 1 $28.95
Being very fair skinned  - bronzer is a new thing to me, finding the right shade that doesn't resemble mud on my pale skin is really difficult. The Body Shop's Honey Bronzing Powder in shade 1 is dark enough to give the illusion of cheek bones and light enough that it doesn't look at all obvious and fake.
Available from www.thebodyshop.com.au

Blush:
Topshop Cream Blush in 'Neon Rose' $15.95
During 2013 blush was my number 1 splurge item, I got me some Tom Ford, some Burberry, some Chanel and you know what was my favourite? Topshop's cheap as chips cream blush in 'Neon Rose' it gives pale girls that Snow White flush of colour to your cheeks like you have just been for a stroll in the snow of laughed at a very rude joke.
Available from www.topshop.com

Highlighter:
Becca Pressed Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal $60.00
Ohhhhh baby! Becca's Pressed Shimmering Skin Perfector is a beauty! I was sent this to review and fell in love....then I dropped it and it completely shattered, devastating. It was my first ever smashed powder that I repaired with alcohol, you can read my step-by-step post HERE. This product is a Victoria's Secret model glow in a compact, it gives you cheek bones and a halo.
Available from www.beccacosmetics.com.au

LIPS:

Lipstick:
Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss in colours 60 and 107 $11.95
It was all about a red lip in 2013, from bright pink based raspberry reds (colour 60) to dark wine plum red (number 107). Rimmel's Lasting Finish by Kate Moss have been my absolute go to lippies this year the formula is creamy and easily applied and sets to a semi matte finish which has great lasting power. 
Available from www.priceline.com.au

Lipgloss:
YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain in 'Fuschia' $50.00
2013 was the year of the Lip Stain, every brand was labelling new lip products 'stains' some did stain your lips and some were just terrible. YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stains were a revolutionary formula which is applied like a lipgloss and felt like a jelly on your lips and set to a glossy highly pigmented lip look, the gloss does wear off fairly quickly but your lips are completely stained with colour. YSL's packaging is pretty and posh, these were definitely a handbag essential for 2013.
Available from www.davidjones.com.au

Lip Balm:
Uriage Bariéderm Lévres $19.99
Uriage is my favourite french skincare range, every product is calming and soothing for irritated skin.
I have never been that girl who is constantly re-applying lip balm all day, for me I apply a thick layer of lip balm right before I go to sleep so my lips stay hydrated while I sleep. Scent, texture and taste is not what I look for in a lip balm, I love a balm which is repairing and moisturizing which is exactly what the  Uriage balm does.
Available from www.priceline.com.au

Coming up next in the Beauty Year Book : Best skin care products of 2013...Wooohhhooo I'm back!

xxx Nella

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