What's in my make up bag? Feat. Prada Vela Wristlet, Jane Iredale Glow Time, Uriage, Rimmel, Mirenesse, Make up Store & Sally Hansen

My lack of posts is terrible....I am a terrible Beauty Blogger #badbblogger! There is a reason for this....I have taken over Oyster Beauty this month posting 90'S NAIL MONTH! Check Check Check it out
HERE! and HERE!
AND have been blogging away on Schwarzkopf's Style Studio blog HERE! Which is an exciting project to be part of and I can't believe that they chose me to blog alongside Christina from Hair Romance!

So as you can imagine it has been very busy at Beauté Gazette HQ with launches, shoot and fun times and my make up bag has taken a very minimal turn for the best:

Make up Bag: Prada Vela Clutch $395.54 available from www.saksfifthavenue.com
Posh out - I know! But this doubles as a clutch as well. It is nylon and so I have justified it as ok to keep my makeup in it.

Uriage Bariederm Smoothing Barrier Repair Lip Balm $19.95 available from www.adorebeauty.com
It is winter in Australia at the moment and my lips have been dry and chapped from the cold (it's actually not that cold 26 degrees - shout out to global warming!) but this Uriage barrier lip balm is incredible! I have been using it at the gym, whenever I'm outside and need to create a protective layer on my lips also it works well when applied overnight to soften lips.

Jane Iredale Glow Time Full Coverage BB Mineral Cream SPF 25 $61.20 available from www.adorebeauty.com 
This is not a BB cream in the traditional sense, this is a high coverage foundation with very luminizing properties. I love love love this product, it is an amazing hybrid base which covers without being to heavy on the skin, conceals and luminizes skin giving a 'glowy' effect. A little goes a long way with this product - I use the size of a peppercorn amount to do my whole face for medium coverage. Best sheered out with fingers, I use a setting powder down the middle of my T-Zone because that can become too glowy!

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Eyeliner in Bronze $9.95 available from www.priceline.com.au
Instead of carrying around eye shadows and brushes that equal too much effort, I am into soft blendable liners! During the day I apply a little to my water line and the base of my lashes which gives a pretty shimmery glitter lash illusion and at night I draw messily on top of my lash line and smudge it in with my finger! Hmmmmm this doesn't sound too professional or the right type of advice I should be giving out but what the heck! It looks great and is so easy and can be done in car on a bus or in the toilets at work.

Bare Minerals Stroke of Light Concealer $26.95 available from www.kitcosmetics.com
I haven't found another concealer that matches my skin like this does, I tried to buy the NARS creamy concealer over the weekend but my colour was sold out. This goes under my tired sleepy eyes to brighten and give the illusion of sleep, rest and relaxation.

Make Up Store Hi-Tech Lighter $32.00 available from www.makeupstore.se
I'm into really whorish slutty full on Victoria Secret Mariah Carey video clip highlighting. Because my skin is so damn glowy from the Jane Iredale BB Cream I can only use a cream highlighter. I loves this Make Up Store one it has a pretty pink pearlesent moonstone shine. It goes on my cheekbones, bridge of my nose, brow bones and cupids bow. Told you I am really into it!

Loreal Riche Shine Caress in 200 Princess - $23.00 available from www.priceline.com.au
These have had mixed reviews as far as being 'long wear' - I don't really give a shit about long wear. Does this look good on? YES! It looks damn good and glossy. It is a stain and a lipgloss all mixed up together and so it will become a bit patchy and you are going to have to keep an eye on it if eating and drinking but I love it rubbed in with  my finger and also layered up for a bold glossy lip.

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure 'Mauve Along' $14.95 available from www.priceline.com.au
Tralling through tumblr I found a 70's Chloe ad, it would have been of the era when Karl Lagerfeld was designing and the girls had these mauve nude nails which were everything! They were heaven and so since I have been on the hunt for a mauve nude, last week I was sent this little babe from Sally Hansen and it hasn't been off my nails since. It is an update on foundation coloured nude nails which don't suit most white girl hands.

Mirenesse Skin Clone Mineral Veil Powder Bronzer $47.03 available from www.adorebeauty.com.au
Scared of bronzing? Me too! I'm new to this Mirenesse brand, but I like/love this bronzer. The powder is so fine and glides onto the skin. I apply lightly with a smaller blush brush NOT the traditional huge bronzer brush, and then build it up to a point which is verging on a bronzer/blush look. No one has said it looks weird yet so I'm just going with it.

xxx Nella

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What's in my bag: Fashion Week Essentials

Next week is MBFW?!?! That is Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week here in Sydney. I will be attending a few shows to cover beauty and hair trends to share with you dear readers and also do a lot of people watching. I am a little nervous about the week long event, so organising myself with lists and pre-packing my handbag is making me feel a little more at ease. Here are my essentials which will be seeing me through the week, I want to be more prepared than a girl scout going to camp!

Mason Pearson Junior Bristle and Nylon Brush $115.00
Once you Mason Pearson you will never go back, I hate all other hairbrushes. The difference is that when you brush your hair the bristles grip your hair and distribute natural oils and any product from the roots to the tips and it just makes your hair look 'done'. They are pricey but they do have the royal seal of approval, worth it.
Available from www.victoriasbasement.com.au

Avene Eau Thermal Spring Spray $7.99
French water in a can, calms my nerves. A spritz after applying makeup gives a dewy glow to the skin to avoid the cakey look.
Available from www.chemistwarehouse.com.au

Beauté Gazette Business Cards
Just in case! If you have a blog please get yourself some business cards, they are super useful when you are at events and meeting people.

Tissues
Because I don't want to sneeze on any fancy fashion people.

Panadol
Fashion might give me a headache.

HydraLyte
People in the fashion industry are usually quite thin, so I am unsure about sustenance over the week. I am also contemplating packing some protein bars and spacefood sticks.

Chuppa Chups
Same same, I'm sure at that 3pm daily slump fashion people just pop the champagne and Ciroc but I am packing Chuppa Chups.

Benah Kodi Bag $580.00
I LOVE BENAH! This bag is the cutest and just fashion enough to not feel judged and eyed off by all of the Celine and Chanel bags during the week.
Available from www.thebenah.com

Dries Van Noten X Linda Farrow Sunglasses
A little Anna Wintor and a little nap time, if it all gets too much I will just have some shut eye behind my glasses.
Available from www.lagarconne.com

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal $66.00
Having such a small bag is limiting....So I am busting out the trial size products. This product is instant glowy dewy healthy full of life in a tube. Pat around the cheekbones, temples and cupids bow and you will look 10% more like a Victoria's Secret Model.
Available from www.beccacosmetics.com

Stila Perfecting Concealer $37.00
What if I get a stress pimple from all the fashion?
Available from www.meccacosmetica.com.au

Becca Beach Tint in Grapefruit $42.00
Dewy cheeks, check! Its all about a bold dark lip so I am toning down the blush.
Available from www.beccacosmetics.com

Revlon Grow Lucious Mascara $21.95
Woah! Hello lashes! This big fat mascara wand gives you mega full on lashes in seconds. It is the only mascara I have found which is comparable to Make Up For Ever's smokey lash.
Available from www.priceline.com.au

Loreal Shine Caresse in 200 Princess $19.20
After fiddling around with these, I have decided that I like them over the top of a lipstick to act as a long wear gloss.
Available from www.priceline.com.au

Topshop Lip Pencil in Surrender $13.00
Hi vampy trampy lips.....a colour that I have been scared of wearing but my boyfriend is out of town and the fashion folks will totally get it.
Available from www.topshop.com

Kiki K Diary $19.95 and Pen
I am one of those people that no matter how many ical's and google calanders I have I still need to physically write something down to remember it.
Available from www.kikki-k.com

Pentax Camera
My trusty Pentax Optio is takes great photos and is very compact but if there is a camera fairy godmother reading I would really like the Pentax Q10 in Silver...pretty please.
Available from www.crkennedy.com.au

I will be updating you all on my fashion adventures constantly via Twitter and Instagram all the links are below.....Wish me luck!

xxx Nella

Twitter @beautegazette

Facebook HERE!

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L'oréal Shine Caress - 140 Endless Love

 L'oréal Shine Caress - 140 'Endless Red' $23.95 available from www.priceline.com.au

The Beauty Hype Machine has been in overload in preparation for the release of the L'oréal Shine Caress lip gloss stains and I totally caved. Having already purchased a few of the YSL Glossy Stain's last year I knew that the L'oréal Shine Caress's would be exactly the same - a little heads up,  L'oréal manufactures YSL and Armani Cosmetics so there are many similarities between products from all 3 brands. 

Back to the lipgloss.....It applies easily to to the lips and isn't a sticky formula more of a thick fluid, the applicator has a pointed end which I found annoying because it would hold too much product at the end and I would have to use my finger to even out the coverage. The difference between this lipgloss and any others I have tried is that it is very buildable, with each coat you notice the opacity and intensity deepening. The other difference is that the texture on your lips changes after about 15mins when the lipgloss sets, it becomes quite tacky as it settles into the lips. It is a longwear lipgloss, some transfer happens when drinking or making out but not as much a regular lipgloss.

'140' - Endless Red looks like a siren red in the tube but is totally different on my lips, when dabbed on it creates a bee stung wine stained look and then when applied with 3 coats plus it is a deep red cranberry on my lips. So if you are looking to get your hands on these babies be prepared for some difference of tube to lips with colours.

Oh and also Priceline has the L'oréal Shine Caress lipgloss on a 3 for 2 offer at the moment....  

Kiss Kiss!

xx Nella

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What's in my bag? Summer Everyday Makeup

My makeup bag changes daily depending if I have had enough time to apply eyeshadow or if I can be bothered with a bright lip.
This is what I have been carrying about in my makeup bag today:

Revlon Lip Butter in Pink Truffle:
This is my perfect brownie nude - finally I have found one! Having a very light and pink toned skin beige-nude toned lip colours look terrible on me, l look absolutely sick. In the packaging Pink Truffle looks slightly mumsy, but on the lips it gives just the right amount on 'my lips but better' with a slight nod to Olivia Palermo.

Real Techniques Contour Brush:
The only brush I have been using to apply blush, it can get into the hollow of your cheek to do a bit of cheek-bone cheating contouring and can also apply your blush perfectly onto the apples of your cheeks. Recently I have been totally into using smaller brushes to apply product and then a larger kabuki to blend out.

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Nectar:
Previously I had written about Bobbi Brown Shimmer bricks saying that they weren't worth the hype - I am putting my hand up - I was wrong. The reason I was hating on the bricks was that I was applying them all wrong! Using smaller brushes like the Real Techniques Contour Brush, and using the colours in the shimmer brick separately and only applying to your cheeks not an all over shimmer mess- they give you the sweetest glow to your cheeks.

The Balm Sexy Mama Transulesent Powder:
By 10am my forehead is shining like its just won a logie during summer, translucent powder is my best friend. Tinted powders give me too much coverage and look cakey but this powder is just right.

Lancomes Hypnose Drama:
With such a neutral face go I BIG with my lashes, like 8 layers of thick spider lashes.

Dr Jart+ BB Water Fuse:
Being out and about this doubles as my sunscreen, if I am going to have lunch outside or going to appointments I will re-apply this to make sure not to get burnt. The formula is light enough to be build-able and blends easily with fingers.

Bare Minerals Stroke of Light Concealer Shade 2:
I picked this up over the weekend and already it is a new favourite, giving good coverage for under eye concealing with slight light reflecting shine not as much as YSL's Touche Eclat. It is also a very affordable at $26.95 compared to other higher end brands concealers.

Loreal Brow Stylist in blonde:
Wow this is great, it is such a soft wax pencil and glides onto brows rather than pulling. The colour isn't that amazing - but it does the job.

Sportsgirl Travel Kabuki:
Such a soft brush - I love it for applying translucent powder throughout the day.

So that's it - probably my most restrained makeup bag ever.
What's in your summer everyday makeup bag? Is there anything that you cannot leave the house without?

Mascara Madness: Volume Vs Length

Even if I am not leaving the house for the day I will still put mascara on, being very fair my eyelashes look naked without a thick application of black mascara. Natural lashes are not my thing I like them big, thick and black!

Mascara is one of the few things that you cannot test before you buy it, and if you do then you are going to get a nasty case of pink eye. Here are my tips for the best volumizing and best lengthening mascaras. 

1. Dior -  Dior show Black Out Mascara $33.00 

This is really good at getting the roots of your lashes, just hold the brush at the roots and wiggle up. Dior mascara's formula is quite dry and they don't last as long as other brands. It feels like you have mascara on when you wear this or maybe a set of demi false lashes, which I like. If you already have thick or long lashes then this is just going to enhance what you already have.

2. Lancome - Hypnose Drama $52.00 

If you want thick lashes this is your mascara, I usually wipe half the amount of product that comes out off with a tissue first and then with the next couple of coats I put more and more product on the brush. It feels like there is alot of product in the tube and it lasts quite a while without drying out - although you should change mascara every 3 months for hygiene. 

3. Make Up For Ever - Smokey Lash $33.00

If your go to look is just a bit of smudged eyeliner and lots of mascara, then Smokey Lash is perfect for you. It dries to a really matte jet black and blends into the eyeliner on your waterline seamlessly. The waterproof version is the best waterproof mascara I have ever used, you could do 25 laps in a heated pool and it still wouldn't budge - the British synchronised swimming team uses Make Up For Ever products!

4. Loreal - Volume Million Lashes $23.95

Quite a wet formula, but this mascara gives you a little time to work with it and build it up before it dries. If you like plastic brushes this is probably the best, very flexible and bendy.

5. Lancome - Doll Eyes $54.00

Cutest packaging of all the mascara's award! Awwwww. Doll Eyes is perfect to get to the little inner corner lashes to give you a twiggy-esque 60's look. For bottom lashes hold the brush vertically and with the tip make little strokes this will coat them really well making them defined and very pretty.

1. Max Factor - 2000 Calorie $18.95

The 2000 Calorie line mascara line has been around for like ever, now with a few different varieties available. It disperses the most perfect amount of product on the brush to give your lashes a thin coating from the base to the tip, I do need to curl my lashes when using this mascara though.

2. Mac - Zoom Lash $33.00

Zoom Lash is a very wet formula, I wipe off most of the product from the brush onto a tissue before applying it to my lashes. But after a couple of coats it is ON! Seriously once I got dumped by a boy and cried 3 times in 45mins and it stayed in place expelling tears like a pro. Turning to him worried my mascara was running down my face he said no your mascara is fine -  at that point I knew I had to tell babes about this mascara. If you are going on a date to see a really sad movie say something like My Sisters Keeper that level of crytown you should definitely wear Mac's Zoom Lash.

3. Laura Mercier - Long Lash $29.50

If you are someone who likes the idea of wearing makeup but you don't want people to be able to tell you are actually wearing a full face of make up (not me!) Laura Mercier's Long Lash gives the most fluttery long subtle lashes. Perfect for no-makeup makeup.

4. Maybelline - Falsies $16.40

If you can get passed the packaging this is a really good mascara. Like really good! It gets the base of the lash at the tightline of your eyelid and then will coat the lash to the tip. This is not clumpy at all and will fan your lashes out. A wet formula but gives you time to push your lashes into shape before drying.

BB Creams : Why? What? How? Huh?

Spending a bit of time in Japan last year I became really intrigued with the phenomenon of BB Creams in the Asian beauty market. What was the point of them? Were they a foundation or a Primer? How much coverage did they give? BB Creams are relatively new to the western beauty market and the BB Creams that are available here on the mainstream market aren't really BB Creams. So I went on to explore all things BB the following are my findings, I am hoping this will be a beauty version of Myth Busters. (my Dads favorite show!)

So what the heck is a BB Cream?

BB stands for 'Blemish Balm', it is a cream with multiple beneficial properties for your skin including High SPF protection against UVA and UVB's, Moisturizer and Hydrating serums, Sebrum Control (absorbs sweat), Vitamins A,C,E, Collagen - Each brand differs in the benefits they offer. It also has a light coverage or tint to give the skin a healthy glow.  Many of the Korean brands do contain skin lightening/whitening chemicals in them. Skin lightening/whitening is a popular cultural point of difference in Asian skin care and makeup, I am not aware of its benefits I think it is purely a cultural aesthetic which is desirable.

In western beauty it is usually a moisturizer which contains all skin benefiting properties and then make up is applied on top such as a foundation which is purely for coverage. BB Creams are just an extra step of adding more 'health' benefits to the skin while evening out skin tone with the slight tint. The consistency is very different to a tinted moisturizer because BB Creams do have a high amount of silicone which is what fills in your pores and give you that 'Puri Kura' glow.

I really REALLY like BB Creams, the reason I wear a BB Cream is that living in such a warm and humid climate during the day your pores will open and wearing foundation/concealer without a base such as a BB Cream your pores will absorb the makeup congesting them. The western alternative to a BB Cream is a primer, primers are a seal or barrier which make up sits on top of, they don't contain any benefits like SPF or moisturizing qualities. So the BB Cream for me acts as a protective beneficial base for my makeup and you can never have enough SPF. Personally I wouldn't use it instead of a foundation because it doesn't give enough coverage and also the high SPF's are really light reflective often leaving your skin looking slightly white cast. 

My prefered BB Cream of choice (and believe me I have tried ALOT!) is the
Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm SPF 25 PA++ (Korean) - $42.00

Why this out of the hundreds of other BB Creams? It is 50% water - not just regular water but 'Advanced Water Bead Technology'- FANCY. It's super dooper hydrating and leaves your skin looking hydrated and dewy,  it is very light and feels like you have nothing on your skin at all. It works really well if you are using a sheer foundation on top like Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua,  Nars Sheer Glow or Estée Lauders invisible skin. However if you like a matte heavier coverage foundation then the Dr.Jart+ Gold Label Premium BB Cream would be better suited.

(Ok so you cant see much difference in these but my skin is more even and I do slap about 3 more layers on after the BB Cream anyway.)

Western interpretations of a BB Cream such as the Garnier Miracle Skin perfector $14.45  and Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream $13.60 are in my opinion not BB Creams at all, they are tinted moisturizers with SPF. They do not have the skin benefits of traditional Korean style BB Creams, and definitely do not help your make up stay on. They are good if you are looking for a light coverage tinted moisturizer with SPF. Loreal Nude Magique BB Cream  $13.60 is a better option but it is still not a BB Cream this is a tinted primer packed with silicone, it leaves your skin super fake soft and creepy.
The Western style BB's selling points are that they smooth skin tone and blur imperfections, where as the Korean BB's are more about the beneficial qualities and the secondary function is to even out skin tone. You only need to look at the ingredients of both BB's to see the difference is vast.

Estée Lauder have a new BB Cream coming out soon which is very comparable to the Korean styles and I am very excited to try it!

Don't Believe The Hype : #1

Everything on this blog is my personal opinion - apart from if its a specified spiel from a giant cosmetic company claiming that they can make your lips bigger, get rid of you wrinkles and make you 10 times more beautiful by tomorrow.

Its not serious and I usually don't buy things that I really dislike because I am a 'savvy 20 something that knows how to use the power of the Internet for good not evil'.  My friends and family do it love when I get it wrong because I always give away things that haven't made the cut.

1. Loreal Telescopic Mascara $26.80

This was raved about by one of my favorite YouTube girls Vivianna Does Make up, she was banging on about how she put it on whilst on the tube (British). So I bought it. Its crap, well its not crap, she loves it. Its the brush that's not a brush its a comb and the product is really wet formula which just makes my usually naturally curled lashes point out straight and clump. If you can make this work for you, 10 points and please let me know how you do it.

2. Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stains $16.00

When the lip stain trend was in full force last year I was sucked into that like a tornado, I was one of the cows in Twister - not Helen Hunt. But I survived with the debris of 15 lip stains cluttering up my makeup draws. Firstly the Revlon Lip Stain has a lip balm on the end - mine snapped off within the first use so I have no idea what it was like. It didn't pack the punch of my other Covergirl lipstains which the stain lasts almost all day and definitely have got more colour pay off and they are also $6.00 cheaper. And one more thing I hate that tacky twilight-esque font on the packaging.

3. Shu Uemura Foundations - $64 Face Architect Foundation  (but in general it's all of them)

I really want to like them because its one of my favorite Japanese beauty brands. The problem is that they do not have my colour, white girl is not in the spectrum of shades. Its such a shame because they have this really cool aerosol can of foundation that's really high tech and I am desperate to have it. Please don't let this put you off the brand it is fantastic and if they have your shade then lucky you! Especially the eye shadows they are a dream and the limited edition collaborations are beautiful especially the Tsumori Chitsato sets  from about 2 years ago.

4. Maybelline Great Lash Curved Mascara $8.99

The curved brush really stabs my eyeballs when applying it and the fall out is really bad it had given me dark circles by 10am. This cult product made me look like I was in a cult.

5. Nars Lip Gloss $39.00

I'm not really a lip gloss girl to begin with, your hair gets stuck in it. The Nars lip gloss is so sticky that its hard to even apply its like putting cold honey on your lips. The colours are really good and they have a new plumping formulation which i will try out to see if there is any improvement to the formula.

6. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks $48.00

These are really shimmery, duh its called a freakin' Shimmer Brick! But its the type of shimmer and opacity which should only be going on in eye shadows. It is so shimmery it casts a white glow to your face from the lightest colours and highlights YOUR PORES!!!! I had a really bad time with this in both colours - yep I bought 2 colours - SUCKER!

7. Kiehl's Penthol Protein Moisturizing Face Cream $22.50 

This is a good moistirizer, just not for my face, its since been de-potted and put in travel size containers for legs on holidays. It gets all in my eyebrows and hair line coating them in white cream making me look like Santa Clause and it's impossible to put a foundation on top of it because it peels off like pilling on a cheap synthetic jumper. 

8. Burts Bees Sensetive Eye Cream ($29.95 N/A)

I did not purchase this -  it came free with a magazine. But I had to include it because the story of my single time using the product is very funny. I packed this eye cream in my toiletries bag when going on the first sexy weekend away with a lover, I thought you know its a small sample size and 'natural' kind off not wanting to pack my massive night cream. After coming back from a night swim and a long shower I moisturized as normal before bed, the eye cream was on the bedside table and I applied it in the dark before going to sleep. Morning came and I awoke to my lovers shocked face on top of mine saying that he could 'call a doctor if i needed', the eye cream had turned into a white flaky crust all over my eyes! It came off with a little warm water and my skin wasn't irritated at all but the shocked reaction caused me to bin the eye cream straight away.

So in total I have wasted $225.30 on these products. It is actually a lot more than this but these are the products that I can remember using and not agreeing with. 

What products have you regretted buying? Or what products have you been talked into buying by a very persuasive beauty counter sales assistant like a sucker?