What's in my Makeup Bag: Stage Edition

Hello! Happy New Year!

This year has kicked off with a bang for me, as I've been rehearsing around the clock for a season of dance performances! So I thought I'd share with you the makeup I wear for stage.

For foundation, I've been wearing Ralo's BB Cream in light, which I apply with a sponge. I like this for stage because it's really buildable and has good coverage. If I have any pesky spots, I cover them up with the Catrice Coverstick Concealer in 020 Natural Beige. I then apply the Healthy Balance Powder from Bourjois in the shade 53 Light Beige with a duo-fibre brush.

For cheeks, I use a combination of Wet n Wild's Coloricon Blusher in Heather Silk and the Love Crush Bronzer from Beauty Treats in the shade 02, applied with a small blush brush.

Moving onto the eyes, I first prime the lids with the L.A. Girl Pro-primer H.D. Eyeshadow Primer (what a mouthful!) in Nude. I like to keep an eyeshadow palette in my makeup bag so that I have some options to play around with. At the moment, I'm enjoying the Wet n Wild Coloricon Palette in Walking the Red Carpet. I particularly love to use the warm brown with golden shimmer all over the lid, the darkest brown in the outer corner and crease, and the white as a highlight (applied with a small shader brush). Next up, you gotta have that liquid liner for stage! So I've got the Paris Collection Liquid Eyeliner in black. If I wear mascara, it'll be the Ralo Brilliant Lash, but on a big stage with bright lights, I'm more likely to wear false lashes (a.k.a. the bane of my existence). Though they're not pictured above, I use the Eylure Naturalites Double Lashes.

Lastly, we have lips. Red lipstick is a must, but I've been into a slightly darker red recently, so I like to apply Rimmel's Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in the shade 01 all over my lips, and then daub a bit of Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipstick in Black Cherry over the top.

If you perform on stage, please let me know what's in YOUR makeup bag!
Until next time xx

NYX Love in Paris Palette Review

Hello again!

Behold! Something lovely this way comes. This was a complete impulse buy - randomly browsing the NYX stand at my local Clicks, I thought "Oh, pretty!" and popped this palette in my basket.

This is the Love in Paris palette in the shade Je Ne Sais Quoi. Ain't it pretty?

I'll start by saying that a primer is a must for these shadows. Without a primer, the colours aren't as bold or vibrant as I would like, and they slip off the lids after a couple hours.

Looking at the first row: the first colour is a lovely, shimmery champagne that is gorgeous as a highlight in the inner corner (it's also lovely to press on the lid over a darker shade for some sparkle). Next is a pretty dark brown with golden flecks - I love this shade for deepening the outer corner or running along the upper and lower lashlines for some subtle liner. The last one in this row is disappointing for me; it's a cool-toned light brown with duo-chrome shimmer that doesn't really look like anything on the lid. I wish this shade was more vibrant, because it's so so pretty in the pan.

Second row: first up is a matte, warm brown; this shade is gorgeously pigmented and a great transition colour! It's great on it's own, in the crease, or used to smoke out black liner. The middle one is a lovely, shimmery, warm-toned light brown, which is pretty on the lid, but needs a few layers to show up the same colour as in the pan. Lastly, we have a satin cream colour, which is a perfect browbone highlight!

Third row: this first one is a bit tricky: it's basically a silver glitter, and it's hard to work with on its own. However, this shade is stunning when patted on the lid with a finger! It adds a really pretty glitter to any look that might be a bit lacking. The next one is a plum shade with some sparkly flecks, but it's almost matte on the eye. This one is lovely on its own, under the bottom lashes, or used in the crease to warm things up a bit. Finally, the last shade: this one is fantastic! It's a completely matte, super-intense black. How hard is it to find one of those?! This shade is great for making any look more dramatic, and I really love it as a liner: I take a small angled brush, press the shade into my lashline, wing it out a bit, smoke it out with the matte brown and I'm good to go!

Have you tried this palette or others from the Love in Paris range? What are your thoughts?

Until next time xx

"Beat the Winter Blues" Makeup Look

Hello lovely people!

I absolutely LOVE this kind of look for when I'm feeling down and need a little pick-me-up (this happens frequently in winter because I can't stand the cold!).  So this is what I like to wear to beat the winter blues:

• Catrice Re-touch Light-reflecting Concealer in light beige on any spots or scars
• Beauty Treats Love Crush Bronzer in 02 on the cheeks and eyes
• Ralo Jumbo Eyeliner Pencil in Cocoa along the upper lash-line
• Ralo Brilliant Lash Mascara
• Wet n Wild MegaLast Lipstick in Sugar Plum Fairy with a bit of clear or pink gloss over the top.

So for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere, just hang on a little longer! Spring is around the corner :)

Does anyone else love a bright lipstick to perk up their mood? Let me know!

Until next time xx

Over-night Makeup Bag

Hello everyone! Today I though I'd share with you what I pack in my makeup bag when I'm not at home. I don't always pack the same things, but this is the standard amount and types of products that I take with me.

I don't wear foundation every day, but I have some scars and spots that I usually want to hide; for that I use Catrice's Re-touch Light-reflecting Concealer Pen in the colour 020 Light Beige. Then I have the Prime and Fine Eyeshadow Base also from Catrice. For eyeshadow I like to take a palette so that I have some options to work with. Here I took with me the Wet n Wild Walking the Red Carpet one, and I just had a little shading brush as well. I took Ralo's Jumbo Eyeliner Pencil in Coco and the Catrice Lashes to Kill Volume Mascara. Lastly, I had with me a mineral brush to use with the Beauty Treats Love Crush Bronzer in the shade 02 (this is great because it works as a bronzer and a blush!).

That's it! I like to keep things really simple when I go away, just so that I don't have to pack a whole lot of stuff.

Let me know what you pack in your over-night makeup bag :)

Until next time xx

Catrice Gel Eyeliner Brush Review

Hello there! 

Am I the only one who hates using the brushes that come with the lids of liquid eyeliners? I have very curly lashes on the outer corners of my eyes and find that the brush always deposits a whack-load of product onto my lashes, which I absolutely can not stand! So I though it would be a good idea to pick up an eyeliner brush that won't sit the little liner bottles all day and have excess product all over it.

Seeing as it's really affordable and I'd never tried a Catrice brush before, I picked up their Gel Eyeliner Brush.

This is a double ended brush with an angled side and really fine side. I've tested it out quite well now and I'm really impressed with it! I like the fine side for liquid and gel liners, as it's really precise, while I enjoy using the angled side for using eye shadows and subtle, smokey liner. The angled side would also be amazing for filling in eyebrows.

This is a fabulous purchase and great value for money that I think everyone should have their brush collection!

Please let me know in the comments below if you have any brush recommendations for me! I'd love to give some others a try :)

Until next time xx

Quick and Easy Out-the-door Face

Well, hello there! Today I thought I'd share my favourite super-easy, polished yet minimal look with you. I stumbled across this combination of products over the passed few weeks while I was writing exams. I needed something really easy and fast to put together, but I still wanted to look like I'd made some effort. Ya know what I mean?

After moisturising my skin, I took some of Catrice's Re-touch Light-reflectiong Concealer in 020 Light Beige and applied it to any spots (which were quite numerous) and under my eyes to hide my exam-time darkness, and blended it in with my fingers. I chose this particular colour becuase I wasn't looking to highlight, just to conceal, and the Light Beige is very close to my skin tone.

This is going to sound a little strange, but I then used the Ralo Professional Eyeliner Pen to fill in my eyebrows. If you remember my Mini Ralo Haul, you'll know that I found this eyeliner really sheer and not as black as I would have wanted, but this makes is great for filling in the little gap in my less-full brow. Besides for the little gap, I really don't have to do anything to my super-bushy brows.

Next I used the Catrice Made to Stay Inside Eye Highlighter Pen in the colour 010 In the Mood for Nude. I applied this in the lower waterline to make me look more awake and bright-eyed.

I then used Ralo's Brilliant Lash Mascara, which I think is just fabulous. I sometimes spent the whole day at university with exams, so I wanted a mascara that would hold a curl all day and not smudge under my eyes, and this one did the job really well. I'm sure any waterproof mascara would work well too.

And lastly, I just went for a bit of Dischem's Aloe Vera Lipbalm.

This look takes me about 5 minutes to put together and I really think it's a good one for when you're in a rush.

Let me know if you decide to try this look, or what your quick and easy staples are!

Until next time xx

Mini Ralo Haul and Review

 

 Can you guess what's on my face? I went to Ralo a little while ago and picked up some stuff, so I though I'd do a little haul/review. Above, I'm wearing all three products that I purchased.

Fistly is this pretty pink lippie, the Ultra Thin Lipstick in number 5 Ballet Pink (the name was on the till slip, but the actual product just has a number). The thin tube makes this lipstick very easy to apply, and the colour pay-off is great! The formula is smooth and creamy, which kind of reminds me of the Ralo Colour Blast lipsticks. Retailing at just under R40, I think this product is great value for money. Am I the only girl who has trouble finding pink lip colour to suit my complexion?

 

I could not wait to try this new Professional Eyeliner Pen! So obviously I had to buy it *guilty*. While the super fine nib makes the liner really user-friendly, I am disappointed with the colour. I was hoping for an intense black, but this liner is quite muted. However, if you're a fan of subtle liner, or just a little definition, then this is what you're looking for. I like to wear this if I'm in a rush (which is pretty much always) and just want quick, easy definition at the lashes. This product retails for R60, which is very reasonable for an eyeliner pen.

Lastly, I picked up the Brilliant Lash Mascara (of course I did, mascara addict that I am), for R60. How gorgeous is the packaging?! You get a whopping 10ml of product here, which I think is a total bargain. At first, I didn't like this mascara at all. I thought it was way too wet and difficult to apply. Now that I've fiddled with it a bit, I've learnt the best way to use it, and I must say I'm really enjoying it! As you can see in the first image, my lashes look full and long (and that's only with one coat!). I think this mascara works best when applied carefully, with a very light hand. The formula is really wet, so it can create a mess when applying if you're not careful. Volume is easily buildable, and the small brush really coats every lash well. On a weird note, this mascara also smells really good! Lol.

I'd love to hear if anyone else has tried these products, or found any other gems at good ol' Ralo.

Until next time xx

Pick of the Day: Purple Liner

Recently, I have really been loving to wear purple eyeliner. My favourite at the moment is the Wet n Wild Mega Liner in Plum, which I like to wear in quite a think line across the lid with a little flick at the end to help elongate my eyes. I picked up this little guy at Clicks for R39.95. Despite the low price of this liner, I think it's great quality. The colour comes out dark, with a slightly metallic sheen, and the fine brush is perfect for creating that winged-out effect (for some reason, the purple colour picked up better when I had my eyes open).

For a more smokey, evening look, you could always add a bit of liner on the lower lash line or waterline. Don't forget to add some drama to the lashes for killer eyes!

Some other purple liner-ish products to try are

• Smudge Waterproof Gel Eye Liner pencil, from Clicks (about R30 the last time a bought one).
• Wet n Wild Color Icon palette in Petal Pusher, from Clicks (R89.95) - the shadows can be used with a fine, wet brush to create a liner.
• Catrice Absolute Eye Colour mono in Don't Lie, Lac!, from Dischem (about R35) - again, use a small brush to apply this as a liner.

Please let me know what YOU are loving at the moment in the comments below.

Until next time xx

One Brand: All About Ralo

 

Ralo Cosmetics is my favourite brand for beauty on a budget. Their products are high quality and great value for money.

 

I've spoken about the Long Lasting Liquid Foundation before: I really do believe that this is an amazing product. It has buildable coverage and literally looks like a second skin. Also, I find that I rarely need to touch up my face when I wear this (that's saying a lot, as my skin is really oily!).

 

Next is the Jumbo Eyeliner Pencil. Mine is a  lovely brown shade, and the pencil comes with a sharpener in the cap. The colour comes off as slightly metallic, which I think is pretty, and the product is really smooth and glides on effortlessly. I will point out that when used all over the lid as a shadow, this product creases easily, so it definitely needs a primer or lots of layering.

 

This next one was a gift with purchase. The Eye Liner Hard is indeed very hard, and difficult to apply to the sensitive skin around the eye. However, this liner works great for defining the brows.

 

The Hi-definition Liquid Liner is one of my favourites! I've had this for ages and it hasn't dried out. The brush is thin enough for a subtle line and is perfect for creating  a winged-out look. I only have the black one, but this product comes in a variety of colours.

 

This Soft Twist Pencil in Dove Blue was a gift with purchase. I'm so disappointed with this product! The first time I tried it, a whole chunk snapped off, and it literally smells like a drawing crayon. It doesn't last well at all on the waterline or lower lash-line.

 

This one's a win! I love Ralo's eye shadows; they are buttery, pigmented and really easy to work with. This is the Trio Eye Shadow Shimmer in number 21. This one looks a bit scary (I bought it for the emerald green in the middle).

 

The Quin Eye Shadow in number 20 is a great pick for an every-day look. Again, these shadows are awesome. I need to find a way to get more use out of the bright pink!

 

This one is the Quin Eye Shadow in number 17. The minty green is perfect for a little pop of colour and the navy blue is gorgeous for a smokey eye.

 

This Blusher in number 6 is a lovely pink shade. The colour is buildable, so you can use it for a simple flush or an intense pink cheek.

 

I have a love-hate relationship with this Professional Lipstick in number 35. The colour looks like a berry tone from the outside, but when applied it's a bright, glittery pink (see swatch at the end). While it's not the berry that I wanted, the pink is quite nice if you can get passed the glitter. The formula is dry, so it definitely needs a lip balm under the colour. Also, the packaging really sucks - it's chunky and feels cheap.

 

This Colour Blast Lipstick in number 58E is gorgeous! It's a classic bright red with amazing pigmentation. The formula is smooth and buttery and leaves the lips feeling moisturised. The packaging is cute, but feels cheap. I guess you can't have everything in a R29.50 lipstick.

 

This tiny little baby is the Glitter Nail Colour in number 29. It's a teal\jade green with a metallic sparkle, and it is my ultimate favourite nail polish.

 

Lastly, we have the Magnetic Effect nail polish in number 9 - Steely Blue. This is a duo-chrome silver-blue shade and it has one of those magnetic patterns on the lid (the ones that you hold above the drying polish to get a cool effect). I really like this shade, but I find it hard to apply. I either get a very thin layer of colour, or it's just way too thick. Maybe the brush is the problem?

 

I thought I'd include some swatches. The two lipsticks are in the middle. Going clockwise from the top: the black is the Hi-definition Liner, the dark brown is the Jumbo Eye Pencil, the next brown is the Eye Liner Hard, and the last one is the Soft Twist Pencil.

Let me know what Ralo products you've tried! Do you love them, hate them, are they just okay?

Until next time xx