Sleek Haul! Review + Swatches (Part I- Del Mar Limited Edition Palette)

Hi yall, long time no blog. I've been swamped with uni/work/life blah blah the usual! But I have a review for you today, of the ever so popular Sleek eyeshadow palettes.
You've most likely heard a tonne about these just as I have. I was very excited to try them as they're highly recommended by many beauty bloggers and I am a novice makeup enthusiast looking to expand my range.

I decided to pick up unusual colours that pushed my comfort zone as there was a low commitment factor due to the affordable price of each palette. Even if I didn't particularly like the shades, I wouldn't be too devo testing them out as they are great value for money. I wanted to divide the posts up into short and succinct reviews, so here is part 1.

"DEL MAR" Limited Edition 

Del Mar is...
A bright matte dominant palette that verges on the edge of vibrant and lively.

The good:

• Great variety of colours to sample, affordable, generally very good quality.

Standout shades: 

• Blue Marlin- a gorgeous rich matte turquoise with exceptional colour payoff, blendability and staying power.
• Lounge Lovers- satin "baked" style shadow in a unique blue/grey toned gold. Opaque and buttery.
• Chilled Out- non chalky white shade perfect for highlight. Great quality in such an affordable palette!

The bad:

• Overall not too bad, but the lighter colours were a little chalky and the colour payoff was not bad but not as amazing as the deeper shades. Would have to say talamanca looks quite gross on my skin and opening party looked plain tacky on my yellow asian skin tone.
• Not very versatile- colours are difficult to use together. Unless you are a fan of bright looks, it will be difficult to get a lot of use from this palette solely without other neutrals.
• Packaging is surely very sleek and secure, but dummy proof since an idiot like myself constantly has trouble opening it.

And here is a random eye look I played with using Chilled out on the brow highlight, Lounge Lovers as the inner corner highlight, Feel Euphoric as the lid shade and Blue Marlin as and eye line. Excuse the grossness of flash and my uneven discoloured skin and ungroomed brows (It was the end of the day and I was oily and had removed all my day makeup. We're all human hahaha.) I am used to desperately relying on primers to get the desired colour payoff so I was very happy with the shades I used to create this look.

My next reviews will be on the Supreme Palette, the i-Divine Vintage Romance, and Face Form contour kit in "light"!

:)

Style File: Alexander McQueen A/W2013 Women's Collection

Alexander McQueen is definitely one of my favourite fashion labels. Their designs remain dynamic from season to season.

The McQueen A/W 2013 Collection is exquisite, an image of luxury mediated by a  skilled contemporary approach to the theme of 'royalty'. The catwalk pieces present us with an augmented aesthetic- a blending of traditional wild extravagance with altered, contemporary silhouettes. Off-shoulder cuts were popular, as well as dress trains and beaded and embroider patterns. Housed in a regal gallery-like setting, the show is centre stage for these marvellous pieces.

Although this collection is a inspired by royal costume, I don't see pure extravagance in these designs inspired by extravagance. It is clear to me that there is a visible element of control. The designs are bound by order, weight, and title that allude to the theme of royalty- it's clear in the exquisite caged headpieces most of the models donned and by the monotony of the colour palette that further entices restricted tradition. Beading and detail was the focus rather than pushing the envelope with line and shape- which would be expected of this theme. I love the varied approach to the concept as it is subtle but still powerfully executed at the same time.

Alxender McQueen has also translated the essence of the inseason designs into their womenswear collection as well. The pieces offer tidy lines and allude to minimalism while still remaining regal, and more importantly, wearable.

I'm in love with the silhouettes of these pieces- the clean lines and defined shapes reference to a more contemporary, minimalist style too. Hems and necklines are cut to perfection- staying classy but also fabulous. Everything is so on point and not only adheres to current trends, but defines new ones too.

 Dresses are definitely a standout- most being sleeved which is unique for modern trends. I'm impressed, and definitely a sleeve type of girl. They're flattering, classy and sexy at the same time. Another gorgeous recurring style in their collection is the square neckline reminiscent of medieval dress. It's been given the mod with short hems and a sexy slim fit like in the black dress below, teamed up with rose gold/gold- the elegance!

The new A/W 2013 collection is perfect. I love the pieces and can imagine all you fashion lovers out there dreaming of warming up in these sexy numbers. Yes, I'm in the southern hemisphere right now, where it's sweltering hot while the rest of the world is preparing for snow. But I can still dream can't I? Or at least admire from afar...

CLARINS PARIS (Combination Skin) Toning Lotion + Hydra-Matte Lotion Review

Hi everyone! I'm back with what I traditionally started out on this blog, which is reviews! I'm not much of a "beauty" person so I don't usually often have many products to offer my opinion on, but I've been using these two items from Clarins for a while and thought I would share.

They are the Hydra-Matte Lotion (for Combination Skin) and Toning Lotion with Iris (for Combination/Oily Skin). So if you are interested, click 'read more' for the review!

OOTD- Deandri Helgas

I previously did a post on my Deandri Helgas. So here's how I styled them down to form a very casual look.

I paired the Helgas with a slim skirt and an oversized knit and loosely knotted it to achieve a define silhouette. The outfit is compiled of exclusively neutral tones and black, perfect for a chilly day by the wharf!

I like this skirt because it doesn't emphasis my thick thighs like how circle skirts do. I love circle skirts for concealing my problem areas but whipping out this silhouette once in a while is nice. 

knit: H&M
skirt: Cotton On
shoes: Deandri Helga +Nasty Gal 

OOTD- Somedays Lovin'/Thrifted/Unif

Went to Ikea the other day and I thought I'd share what I wore! It included 'faux' waist tie shorts that I absolutely adore from the brand Somedays Lovin'. I got them from MarketHQ.

cute packaging! My hair got caught >_>

It was quite chilly so I was abit underdressed. I am wearing nude tights which make my legs look so much nicer than they are. I still have a grossly visible scar from skateboarding that actually runs all the way down my left leg. Yay for tights!

suedette button up: thrifted
shorts: Somedays Lovin'
flats: Unif Hellraisers
cardi: random

Have a lovely day! ^^

ScottxScott Lab:Co Jacket, aka jesus' himself has hand sewn this baby

Jump the cut to see more pics!

Weekly Visuals: Food, Clothes and Whiteboard markers?!

I don't think it would be possible to top my last picture dump so I won't even try..
Still, I promise to look positively on the day spent. 

I finally got back into doing legitimate outfit posts. The specimen on the left is an example of that. On the right is what I've been lazily resulting to (mirror selfies) in the meantime.

This week has been full of procrastination. I finally got to try out the whiteboard tables we have at the library, and what can I say? I like to utilise my resources. Oh, and I like Adventure time too.. but that's an obvious one holmes.

trying out a Motel dress I got for a steal at 25p. The real question is, when will I get a chance to wear it? Too beautiful, if only I had a glamour life to showcase this dress and it's beauty.

More drawing. I have no idea why I've been cartooning my recent works lately. I began rewatching my all time favourite anime, Death Note, this is the result. 

Did I mention glorious food? I know, I'm already overweight. These indulgences will be the death of me. The above is some grub we got at Snags and Sons. Warning: hotdog full of killer industrial mustard!

Another Leederville adventure.
Left: forget wine tasting, burgers are where it's at @ jusburgers

Right: fancy fancy drinks! Can you tell I'm in the middle taking the pic? Fruiz red grape juice is intense! It's like Ribena on crack, for adults. (Because crack is totally for children.. anyways)

OOTD: Ahoy The Nineties Knot

I always end up choosing the wrong day for clothes. It was windy as hell and my skirt was going haywire. It was time to whip out the nineties knot to cover up- result was a very awkward outfit. And my bad being cold and whipped by air. Twas cool at least.

top: Nastygal / cardi: Cotton On / Skirt: SES / sneakers: VANS / backpack: Nixon

Weekly Visuals: My Crazy Rollercoaster Week- The XX Concert, Thoughts and Ootd's..

As I mentioned, I've been pretty occupied lately- from adjusting to university life, to becoming legal and also at times pondering my existentialist life and the point in the universe... well anyway. Without further ado, let me take  you through it.

L-R: top quality show and sets, Oliver serenading in front+ Jamie doing his thing behind.

I had the chance to go to The XX concert. My city was their first stop in their Australian tour, and luckily I became of legal age a few days before the concert that was held at a club. I was front row, aching in my Litas but it was worth it. 

They were exceptional live and with the atmospheric effects, I dare say better than the studio recordings. Most of their songs were mixed with more lively beats to accompany the amazing light show.  These pics are not edited/zoomed. I was so close to the stage and Oliver really does know how to wind up an audience. I admit I do admire Mr Oliver Sim, very much so.

 It was easily one of the greatest nights of my life.

Electric chemistry and skilled musicians, love.

what I'm wearing: vintage lace crop top, PU skirt by SES, Jeffrey Campbell Glitter Litas 

nightclubs with friends. Again in my glittery Litas, I love them. I feel like Dorothy. So damn comfy, received a lot of compliments on them.

what I'm wearing: Plaid pinafore by ASOS, black bag by H&M, Zipia Cutout Boots

  My mum celebrated her birthday recently. Plaid, pinafore, (faux) leather and cutouts for the occasion of dimsum.

L-R: Tripp NYC Red/Black Leg Jeans, Superga Sand Flatforms/ Lying on the grass and wondering

Wondering if I met the guy of my dreams thanks to these jeans. And not letting the thought go because I let him go. Other than being hard, I hate it when life is confusing.

Did I mention the lights broke in our bathroom? The result is, well, something unexpectedly beautiful and calming.

Have a great day,
Someone out there loves you.

Style Highlight: Sarah Scott (Scott x Scott) for B:SCOTT/LAB:CO

the ScottxScott online store

So let me admit, I'm all too keen for Summer to be blown away and for Winter to just roll in already. So when I found myself on the Urban Outfitters website, or more specifically, on their sale section, I couldn't help but snap up some incredible steals that they had on outerwear.

While browsing in an orderly fashion, I came upon the Sarah Scott Varsity Blazer (or the LAB:CO wool bomber jacket, as UO liked to call it) for $19.99, I couldn't resist picking it up in the last available size, L even though I would be a steady M.

I was intrigued with the brand, and the price tag that had dropped over $100 big ones, but I can't say much for it until it's arrived obviously. Unfortunately it has disappeared off the site and I am assuming that it is now out of stock, but more importantly, my casual browsing has led me to the discovery of Sarah Scott Design.

The google search rendered random scientific results and let me just tell you, ScottxScott are a damn mysterious bunch. I have no idea but I'm going to assume that they're a relatively new, independent brand that has sealed a concession with UO.

I had no idea about the label, nor the brandname other than UO calling the jacket a brand of "LAB:CO". I loved the jacket but my curiosity had not been satisfied with the vague results that the obligatory Google search had offered me. Various word associations were typed in, and much to my surprise I found the Jacket's creators, known as Scott x Scott, and Sarah Scott being the female counterpart of the duo.

Sarah Scott Design

Sarah Scott's line is edgy, contemporary and clad in black. They offer anything from real leather outerwear to more affordable alternatives most of which are slick with lashings of a leather look.
I would describe their designs to be a mix of classic cuts with the rebellion of modern chic, and what makes the label or the more refreshing is that they manage to incorporate all of this and still create clean designs.

the two way jacket

With the recent resurgence of grunge rock and the nineties not only in high fashion but street trends, a clean rendition of this style is something I haven't seen in a while, if not ever. It's certainly refreshing.

Don't Kill the Messenger Bag

I'm personally in love with the two way jacket for it's versatility and also edgy geometrics, and the unique shape of the Don't Kill the Messenger Bag lures me in as well. I have a lusting for all the pieces, especially their outerwear- a combination of a very classic, almost androgynous look with a small twist.

Well, ScottxScott has got a fan in me.

You can find the female SCOTTxSCOTT line here
You can purchase the line here or at Urban Outfitters
Find out the latest via the SCOTTxSCOTT twitter


DISCLAIMER: I do not own rights to the above images, no copyright infringement intended through the display of this images. All thoughts expressed in this post are my own and the use of these images is for merely non-commercial, review and educational purposes. I am not affiliated with these companies, (haha I wish!). 

REVIEW: Physician's Formula Eyeliner Trio ++ swatches

Priceline was having a 40% off all Physician's Formula and I couldn't resist picking up something to test out. I've always been intrigued by the brand Physician's Formula, and this is my first product purchased from them. Here's my in depth review with a plethora of close up eye pictures.

I decided to purchase the Eyeliner Trio in the BROWN EYES combo, a set of 3 pencil eyeliners in the shades black, purple and brown. RRP $24.95, and I snapped these up for around $14AUD- a great deal, right?

The website claims include: Hypoallergenic. Fragrance free. Paraben free. Dermatologist approved. Safe for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers.

The eyeliners are in the wind up style and come with small detachable sharpeners that are tucked into the ends of the sticks.

I haven't bought a pencil type eyeliner for ages. I've been dipping into the various ranges eyeliners come in to find what works best for me, as recently there has been an influx in different eyeliners not only in the form (cream, gel, liquid etc.) but applicators (three prong, felt tip, brush, potset etc.).

My eye/lids are: hooded, very oily, watery

My main problems with eyeliners are: smudging

purple-black combo was pretty interesting

My past experiences with pencils have been dreadful- smudging, constant sharpening, breaking and horrible pigmentation. I wasn't expecting much from these eyeliners but I was happy to see that they delivered quite well. The eyeliners are creamy and thick, but still firm so that point of the nib stays in tact using the pressure needed to draw a clean edge.

pretty fine wing and clean edge if you ask me. It's soft enough to look smoky and cool

I was surprised I was able to wing my eyeliner off quite neatly. I have never been able to get such a fine line from other pencil liners. The trio also gives you interesting colours to make use of that I normally would not have tried. I love the effect of the brown and I can't believe I didn't try out brown eyeliner earlier!

brown- exceptionally subtle. And I really like it actually.

As with most eyeliners, they did deliver the obligatory smudge after an hour or too. Though I really am cutting this eyeliner some slack because it's a fourty degree Australian summer right now and even the roads are melting. I can't expect this product to defy the laws of physics, can I?

(please disregard my embarrassing squint in the following picture, LOL. I was trying to show how it creases in my hooded eyelids) 

nothing here.. just awkward lol

The creasing that occurred, may I add, is minimal. There is barely any movement of the product from my eyes, other than the surface layer that comes in contact with my lid. If you can see in the above picture, it does crease under these conditions, but notice how the line hasn't really smudged or moved. This would be a really easy fix if you were out and about, for example. Just wipe off, no need to reapply.

I really loaded a lot of the product to test it out and I'm pretty sure any eyeliner this thick would smudge, especially in this heat.

UPDATE: totally forgot to add these in, *facepalm*
Swatches. I'm really surprised how well the brown faired. Can't say much for the purple though, it was so smudgy ): Black was decent but yes, brown, standout!

PROS:

+ very clean edges

+ affordable for 3 eyeliners

+ wind up applicator is convenient, as is sharpener

+ nicely pigmented

+ hypoallergenic, fragrance free and all that skin-friendly stuff

+ versatile looks can be created

CONS:

x smudged quite easily on my oily-primed lids

x shape of the eyeliner stick is so that you can't put the lid on the end

x could lose the lids easily

Would I repurchase? They are a really nice, easy batch of pencil eyeliners that I'm glad to have found at around $15. I'm not sure I would repurchase at the original price though. Maybe if they went on sale again, I would try out the other eye duos, but I'm interested in trying out other products.

Now to end this review, here's an obligatory selfie -_-  typical me making a stupid face to avoid the awkwardness of serious selfie-taking, while wearing two entirely different eyeliner looks/colours/wings lmao.

pixels are going to be the hottest makeup trend of 2013

And now for a slightly more serious one..

excuse my horrid skin, Australian Summer's are no friend of mine

HAPPY NEW YEAR ! xx