Techno Beauty : Sites and Apps

If you are a total beauty obsessed nerd then you would know that makeup and beauty does not stop at your bathroom cabinate and mirror. Brands are making online and now apps interactive for you to get your beauty buzz without having to step foot in a department store.

Here are my favorites for you to add to your bookmarks:

Chanel - Chanel Makeup - Chanel YouTube

Chanel's YouTube chanel is adictive viewing indeed with tutorials from the phenomenal Lisa Eldridge who makes applying a Chanel eye shadow quad look as easy as pie, the cutest animations using products and heaps of interviews with Karl's IT girls. This will only make you lust longingly after the luxury houses beauiful products even more.

 

OPI - OPI Site - OPI App
The OPI site has a bounty of information about the brand - anything you could ever want to know about nails or OPI is on here. There is also a blog by Suzi who is a real nail nut -  she should really come to Nail Polish Addicts Anonymous. Then there is the OPI App which is really the best time waster ever, it allows you to pick your skintone and then apply a colour! Procrastinate on this when you are on your way to the salon next to get your nails done.

Yves Saint Laurent - Yves Saint Laurent Site - Yves Saint Laurent App
Yves Saint Laurent or is it now Saint Laurent? Are killing it on the app front for reals, they have made makeup so much fun on your iphone. Look here I am using the ColorMirror app, which lets you apply YSL products to a models face and upload a photo to test products on yourself - warning this comparison makes you want to buy more makeup and is a total self esteem buster.

Lancome - Lancome Site - Lancome YouTube

Lancome was the first brand to recognise the online YouTube beauty community by naming Michelle Pham an ambassador for the brand. How cool is that! They upload very regular tutorials for new products which is a great way to translate products which at first may seem quite intimidating to use.

What's in my bag? Everyday edition

Ever wondered why girls bags are so heavy? It's because this is what I lug about everyday without even batting an eyelid. 9 Lip products?!?!? When I am about to leave the house I just shove more and more lip things in my bag without taking the others out. Clockwise from bottom left:

Water

Standard.

Proenza Schouler Wallet £165.00

Yves Saint Laurent  Cat Eye Sunglasses £100.00

Kleenex Anti- Bacterial Wet Wipes $1.99

Germaphobe much? Not really I am just very clumsy and these are good if you spill anything on your clothes this will help to stop it from staining.

Korres Lip Butter in Wild Rose $18.95

Very hydrating with a plum tint, it smells pretty good too.

Cover Girl 50th Anniversary Face Powder 120 Creamy Natural $14.95

How gross/great is this leopard print packaging! I am obsessed with how it smells like old ladies too. I bought this because I was sick of buying expensive powders only to open my makeup case to find everything covered in smashed up shattered powder.

Sportsgirl Retractable Kabuki Brush $14.95

Surprisingly a quite good brush for on the go!

Tom Ford Blush in Love Lust $85.00

I am taking this out of my bag now.....fearful of it smashing.

Lancome Rouge in Love 322M Coral in Love $45.00

Yes.....I finally gave in and got the Coral in Love shade. Worth the hype, its a super pretty poppy coral colour.

Estée Lauder Signature Lipstick in Cherry Kiss $42.00

Fuchsia satin finish lipstick, super posh David Jones mum packaging. It's fun to whip this out in a bathroom - you get lots of inquisitive looks from other ladies reapplying with boring lipstick.

Chanel Glossimer in Lévers Scintillates 92 $42.00

This is a clear shimmer which looks great over red lipsticks, I don't know why this is in my bag. Its probably been left stray from a night out. Also if you want glossy shimmer eyelids a'la the Tom Ford campaign with Lara Stone, dab this over some bronze eyeshadow and smudge into the lash line. 

Clinique Air Brush Concealer 01 Fair $40.00

Holy grail under eye concealer, nothing else works for me. This is perfect and corrects under eye circles without cake-ing and creasing in wrinkles - Not that I have any wrinkles.

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss in 14 $13.50

Matte Nude colour, maybe I was having a 90's moment sometimes this week. This on its own makes me look sick in a bad way, but its ok with a gloss over the top.

Stila Bronzing Powder in Shade 01 $45.00

This is a sunkissed bronzer, great for a quick all over healthy glow. Its a bit too orange for contouring.

L'Occitane Fleur Chérie Hand Cream $12.00

I could smell this all day everyday, I wish there was a candle of this scent. It smells like childhood memories of brand new Polly Pockets or plastic toys. 

Lucas Paw Paw Ointment $4.40

A little tube of security, everything is right in the world when this is by your side. It can fix anything.....well maybe just chapped lips, cuticles and dry skin! But that's almost everything.

Comme Des Garcon Coin Purse

Mini Medical Kit

Cotton buds, Tampon, Hair bands, bobby pins, mini nail file, bandaids, foundation sample, panadine forté, naprogesic, midol, pepto bismol. Always be prepared!

Revlon Colourburst Lipstick in Peachy $21.00

This is my favorite nudey peach everyday lipstick, its perfect and I love it. Subtle and cute.

Revlon Lipgloss in 170 Coral Reef $18.00

A new purchase last week, it is so great and already a permanent handbag lipgloss. Such a pretty coral shade with hint peach with no shimmer.

Yves Saint Laurent Glossy Stain in 12 Pink $52.00

Ultimate lipgloss and stain in one! This I had with me the other day when I wanted a pink stain but not a heavy lipstick look.

Just Another Manicure Monday : Revlon Mini's

Revlon Minis 'Tulip' 'Moss' 'Butterfly' $7.95 per set

Never in my life have I every actually ever finished a bottle of nail polish, they always dry out before I get to the bottom. That's why mini sizes are great, lets face it mini sizing of any item is better than full size, cuter and more economical. This set of mini's I picked up on offer at the discount chemist for $7.95 - total score. 

Very excited about 'Moss' initially which is a kind of murky army green, it looks like a cool girl colour. But I could only stand it on one nail. 'Tulip' is the star, its a blue based pink and is going to look great with a blue glitter top coat. 'Butterfly' is a standard orange, which I needed desperately because I am going to start wearing my Netherlands jersey very soon and going Olympics crazy.

OPI usually do mini sets too with each of the collections also and L'oreal have just launched mini nail polishes too! Mini Madness!

Luxe Beauty VS Budget Beauty

EYE PRIMER:

NYX HD PRIMER $13.95 VS NARS EYE PRIMER $39.00

These are basically the same thing, I love both. A clear silicone primer which prevents eyelid from becoming slippery and shadow moving about during the day. Maybe if you wore Snooki amounts of eye shadow daily then you could be really picky with your primer but if you are just wanting your shadow to stay put all day then its a tie in the race between NYX and NARS primers.

LIP BALM: 

LUCAS PAW PAW OINTMENT $4.40 VS BY TERRY BAUME DE ROSE $92.00

There are very obvious differences in these products - not just the price. By Terry Baume de Rose contains SPF 15! Which if you have ever had burnt lips you know it is very important - even in cold climates. This is great for if you are near snow or water where sunlight is reflecting onto your skin making it a lot more prone to burning. Both are multi purpose products which can be used on cuticles, dry patches, eyes and lips. By Terry Baume de Rose is a clear winner in the lip balm race BUT my soft nostalgic spot for Lucas Paw Paw Ointment will always remain - my handbag feels empty without it.

LOOSE SHADOW: 

GIORGIO ARMANI EYES TO KILL $42.00 VS L'OREAL COLOR INFAILIBLE $17.00

The intensity of these shadows blows my mind! They can build up very easily to the same look as in the pan on your eyes and they blend out and soften into you crease with only a few brush strokes. L'oreal colour infailible shadows are great if you are want a basic high impact shadow which look great on there own BUT if you want some amazing colours like SUPER AMAZING DUO CHROME COLOURS then Giorgio Armani Eyes to kill is your shadow. For me I love both and its a total tie. 

FOUNDATION:

BOURJOIS HEALTHY MIX SERUM $28.00 VS CHANEL VITALUMERE AQUA $68.00

Both of these foundations give the same amount of coverage, apply very similarly, smell kind of the same hmmmmmm very fishy. They are light coverage foundations which are perfect for 'no makeup makeup' but there is one big difference: wear time. Chanel Vitalumere Aqua based and so if you have oily skin this is going to last about 10mins BUT Bourjois has a slightly longer wear time as it sets slightly matte on the skin. So for me Chanel Vitalumere Aqua is great for summer and Bourjois Healthy Mix is great for winter and the winner would be if there was an imaginary foundation which was a blend of the two?!?!? Does anyone know what the hell I mean and can you recommend me a foundation resembling something of that description?

GEL LINER:

MAYBELLINE LASTING DRAMA GEL EYELINER $13.90 VS BOBBI BROWN LONG-WEAR GEL EYELINER $45.00

Ok so I am just putting it out there from the start Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner wins hands down! It doesn't dry out in the pot, lasts all day and the black is very jet black with no streaking.

RED LIPSTICK:

REVLON SUPER LUSTROUS LIPSTICK 'FIRE AND ICE' $24.00 VS LIPSTICK VS GIORGIO ARMANI 410 $42.00

The classic red lippy contest! Ohhhh Ahhhhhh!

Texture, Colour pay off and application is what I judged these two lipsticks on.

Texture - I have to give it to Revlon this is a very creamy matte shade and feels really creamy on your lips.

Colour - Giorgio Armani is so pigmented, the red is luminous on your lips.

Application - Its a tie! Oh no.......You will just have to buy both!