NYX Tango with Bronzing Powder - Confessions of a Tanaholic - Review and Swatches

Hi all my lovely readers, 

I've just come back so the little hiatus from blogging is over now for me and it's back to business as per usual! :) 

Today I will be blogging about an affordable bronzing powder from NYX Tango with Bronzing Powder Range. I bought the Confessions of a Tanaholic which is one of the best-selling bronzers from the range. I bought this bronzer from Cherry Culture for $7.50 USD (25% off) which is still going on now, CLICK HERE to visit the page. Shipping was less then $15 AUD for a very large order and took around 3-4 weeks to arrive to Australia (sales always take time to sort, package and deliver)!

Bronzer is a basic and staple part of most of my make up looks today. I think bronzer works well with every skin tone, even if you're already tanned, as it slims and defines and contours your face. I love the look of a good contour of people, I love how contour can be fierce and defined as well as natural with emphasis on the natural shadows of your face. It can be changed to suit each and every face and person and is just a great product for every make up user to own.

I love the packaging for this bronzer. 

The following pictures do not have any filter for a more accurate representation of the product!

Confessions of a Tanaholic features a wheel which contains three differing shades of bronzer and a middle section which is a highlighter/shimmer powder. The idea is to swirl your brush around whichever colours you prefer (focusing on the ones which you want the most, e.g. focusing on the outer wheel and avoiding the shimmer center for a matte bronzer), to get a custom colour suited for you.

Unfortunately this does not always work out that way. This compact is very small and requires a small brush and no matter what brush I use (even with my best kabuki brushes), the pigmentation of this bronzer is very light. It is very difficult to get a good amount of colour onto your skin with this product as the pigmentation is very low (it's not like it is in the pan!). Whilst this trait was reassuring to me when I first started using bronzer (as it is literally impossible to overdo your bronzer with this), it's incredibly annoying and troublesome to work with now that I've developed my skills with applying and using bronzers. :(

Underneath the powder is a compartment for the brush.

I do not use the brush which is included with the bronzer, it's too soft and flexible and nowhere near dense enough to pick up the required product for pigmentation to show up on the skin!

Ignore the 15, I wrote that there to remind me to throw it out by 2015!

I have yet to try to apply this bronzer wet, as wet applications allow pigment and product to be collected better and applied onto the skin.

Swatch of the powder (all the colours mixed together) on my light to medium skin tone.

I had to swirl my fingers in the pan about 3-4 times to get this level of swatch pigmentation, that much product for this little pigmentation means that there is a high risk of chalkiness or cake face! So just be careful if you're using this product for the pigmentation. There are much better bronzers on the market but to be fair, the better bronzers are easily 5-10 times the price of this bronzer.

In conclusion, whilst the pigmentation of this bronzer is lacking, the price and packaging are nothing to complain about. It is a good way to introduce and begin with experimenting with bronzers and it would suit very light skin tones well. I personally will not buy this bronzer again, but I am glad that I had it to lean on when I was first beginning with the product.

Thank you once again for taking the time to read this blog entry, I hope this has helped out someone with their choices on the market. Please subscribe/comment/favourite/bookmark if you have the time, all feedback is much appreciated. Please keep in mind that these reviews are my own opinion and others experiences may differ from mine. :)


Stay Beautiful! xx

Australis Super Deal at Kmart (Sydney, Australia)!

Hi everyone!

I wanted to share this super special deal which I found whilst browsing Kmart a while ago (pre-Christmas). It's called the Base to Ace pack from Australis and is advertised as a Christmas Special pack (but it's still being sold post-Christmas)!

Front.

Back.

The three full-sized products and the make up bag! :)

I've been told that it's still going on at the moment which is brilliant. It features three full-sized Australis products (their bestsellers) which is valued at $41.85 AUD if bought separately, for only $19.75 AUD! This is an insane saving and whilst I am not a fan of the finishing spray now, I did use it for 6 months before I discovered Skindinavia/Urban Decay - so it's a decent spray for beginners or people on a budget!

I do recommend the translucent finishing powder though. I had completely used up one container and had bought another one a few days before I saw this pack! If only! Hahaha! :)

As a self-confessed primer hoarder, it's always good to have another one to add to my collection. :)

The glittery bag is huge. Along with the three full-sized products there is a heck of a lot of paper stuffed into there to keep it's shape. The glitter does not flake off and the bag is very well made.

In conclusion, I highly recommend this pack to everyone (make up beginners to full-timers) as there is something that you would be able to use in this pack. For the price, it's impossible to go wrong!

Thank you once again for taking the time to read this blog entry, I hope this has helped out someone with their choices on the market. Please subscribe/comment/favourite/bookmark if you have the time, all feedback is much appreciated.

Stay Beautiful! xx

Naturgo Miracle Face Mask - My Favourite Peel Off Mask

Hi everyone! 

Since my last review was insanely long, I decided to do a super short review telling you all about my absolute favourite peel off face mask which I have been using for many years. I was first introduced to this mask by my Aunty when I was still in high school.

A bit about my skin:
> Oily combination skin with dry patches. Yeah. You think you've got it bad.
> Acne prone, I had terrible cystic hormonal acne starting at the age of 14! It only got worse and worse (hitting its' peak at around 16-17 years of age), I needed to see a dermatologist. It needed to be medicated and even today, after finishing university, I'm prone to a couple of breakouts (usually around a certain time of a month - if you know what I mean) hahaha ;)
> Thank god my pores are not that bad, I actually have to thank this mask specifically for that. :)
> Sensitive skin (I'm allergic to some chemicals in cosmetics)!

About this mask (why I think it's so incredible and absolutely everyone who has tried it is obsessed with it):
> It's a peel-off mask, very simple to use. All you do is apply the cream formula with your fingers to your face, wait 30-45 minutes for the mask to dry completely and peel off! Warning: peeling off the mask is painful the first time you do it, I've gotten used to it by now and the results are very much worth it. ;)
> After you peel it off:

• When you touch your skin, it feels smooth
• Removes all blackheads/whiteheads, this formula actually gets into all your pores and rips off any gunk that's in it. You can actually see it on the black mask once you remove it, even if you take care of your skin and deep clean often, this mask will take off what you miss!
• Waxes off tiny peach fuzz hair on your cheek and face. Just a heads up, maybe put some Vaseline or moisturiser on your eyebrows before applying this mask, because it will rip that off too if it comes in contact and dries. :)

> Suitable for acne-prone and sensitive skin!
> I suggest only using this mask once every 1-2 months! Do not over-do this mask or you will get dry patches of red skin (if this mask doesn't have any gunked up pores to clean out, it will clean the top layer of your skin off)!
> Gradually reduces the size of your pores over time! :)
> Super affordable, you can buy this online through eBay or just at any Asian store (like I do)! It's about $2.50 a mask sachet.

It comes in an orange sachet! 

The back.

Once you peel it off, you can literally see the stuff it rips out of your pores. This helps your pores and skin by preventing them from being stretched too large which will reduce oil production on your skin (and T-zone area), and help prevent any future breakouts. :)
Sorry for the overuse of smiley faces, I really love this product and I know that you will too. Just try it out and let me know how it goes for you! :)

Thank you for taking the time to read this entry, subscribe/follow/bookmark/favourite me if you have the time. These opinions are my own opinions, I am not affiliated/compensated to do this entry at all or with the brand/product.


Stay Beautiful! xx

Mystery Make Up Bag from The Powder Room Reveal

Hi everyone!

I was browsing through my emails when something from Living Social caught my eye. They had a deal called "The Mystery Makeup Bag" so obviously I clicked on it. CLICK HERE to visit the page of the deal, although it has finished now but you can still purchase it from the official site (which I will explain in a bit)!

So the deal seemed good, $39AUD and $9AUD shipping for $110 worth of cosmetics from a popular Korean brand called 3 Concept Eyes. You can get up to 6 full-sized products in your bag! It was from a store called the Powder Room which is both online and a physical store in Strathfield. CLICK HERE to visit the official website (I'm not affiliated with this store/brand in any way!). So even though the deal is over, you can still buy the bag if you're interested from the actual store.

What I discovered: I saw that shipping would take 3-4 weeks after the deal ends on Living Social (which is ridiculous since Strathfield is within driving/public transport distance from me). So I went straight to the website and bought it from there. Shipping is free on the website, the bag was $49 for $130 worth of products, and they had a promotion which led to another $9.80 AUD off my order total. So I ended up paying only $39.20 AUD for $130 AUD worth of products with free next day shipping (and it arrived the next day)! Compared to paying $48 AUD (including shipping cost) for only $110 AUD worth of products, and waiting 3-4 weeks for delivery.

Do your research before buying from group buying sites, just because it seems like a good deal, it rarely ever is!

Anyways, here's what I got in my bag (all bags are different):

It all came well-packaged, in the original boxes and tied in a pretty silver ribbon! :)

A cream eyeshadow (Full-Sized) in the shade: GOLD PEACH. This was the original reason I wanted to buy the bag, for the chance of getting a cream eyeshadow to add to my collection!

Gold Peach retails for $22 AUD, CLICK HERE if you want to see some better pictures of it. It has a shimmering pearl finish and a natural tone. 

Fresh Aqua Mist (Mini-Size - 30mLs) retails for $16.50 AUD, CLICK HERE if you want to purchase it. I had to look it up to figure out what this product was before using it. It can be sprayed to moisturise your skin and prepping your face before make up, or after make up to create a dewy finish. It contains plant extracts and "mineral-rich glacial milk" which seem to provide some benefits for your skin. I have a few products like this already so it'll be interesting to see how this one holds up. :)

Opps, almost forgot to mention: all products are sealed with a sticker on the side (as shown in the image above)!

This is a full-sized Super Slim Pen Eye Liner (the style is a thin marker) in the shade Brown. Usually I'd go for black liners but I do have a couple of brown pencil liners and brown gel liners - I've never had a brown liquid liner so this is definitely a new idea to me. It retails for $25 AUD, CLICK HERE if you're interested in seeing it in action.

Swatch of the liner, you can layer it up to increase the intensity (this has 3 layers). It is smudge-proof, and once dry - it is waterproof! The point is very thin to create the most precise eye lines! :)

Paint Lipgloss (full-size) in the shade REAL PEACH which retails for $22.80 AUD, CLICK HERE for more information about this gloss form the website, I have yet to try this out!

I received two samples of the Shimmer Light Mandarin Phenomenon (Full-size retails for $72 AUD, CLICK HERE to visit that). I couldn't find the Advanced Lycopene Infusion on the website but it clearly states that it's anti-aging. Unlike all the other products I received in this bag, these bottles all have written English instructions on the back which is perfect since the site doesn't seem to have any!

Everything all up: Retails for $92.29 AUD+, since the whole thing should make up to $130 AUD, the 4 samples must be estimated to be worth around $9.50 AUD each. 

CLICK HERE, the makeup pouch which was included in this bag is retailed at $5.99 AUD. 

I'm really excited to be trying out more Korean brands like the ones I got in this bag (I find Asian cosmetics to be of a high quality - especially since they dominate the international beauty awards every year)! Overall, I am very pleased with all the products in this bag! Whilst I don't think it would be worth $130 AUD for everything, I would happily pay the $39.20 AUD for all of these products. All the bags are different and it will be interesting to see what everyone else had gotten! :)

Thank you for reading this post! You know what to do if you like it. ;)

Stay Beautiful! xx

The Merry-Go-Round Make Up Challenge! (My reasoning and first attempt)

The problem is simple people. Do you own more blushes then you own cheeks? Do you have so many lipsticks and eyeshadows that everyday feels like a candy shop? And do you still find yourself using the same/similar products all the time DESPITE this crazy range?

I do have this problem, I always go with what's simple and what I'm used to and comfortable with using on a daily basis. Even for days/nights where I go out, I usually go with the same types of look and products which I know work together. Despite having enough make up for a few girls to use comfortable for a year, I still rely on the same products day in and out! Now there's nothing wrong with having favourites, the staple make up products you will repurchase and which work wonderfully with you for a variety of occasions. I have staples which I cannot imagine life without but I do not need to use them every single day to look and feel good. :)

This challenge will force you to experiment with make up which you already own but may not have given consideration to after you bought it, swatched it, worn a few times at most, and left it in your drawer "just-in-case".  *yay*

About 60% of my collection. I don't have a problem, I can stop anytime I want, okay? ;)

Now my collection is large in my opinion but it's nothing compared to some girls which own so much make up that there's absolutely no chance that they'd use most of the products (hence, a lot of expired cosmetics) and they borderline a hoarding disorder.

The only times it is acceptable to own hundreds of lipsticks is if you either received them all as gifts (or get them super discounted from work), have accumulated them over a long time, or you work as a make up artist! In which case you will receiving a profit margin for buying that many products. If not, maybe re-assess that empty void in your chest and find something more purposeful to fill it up with, okay? I love make up but I'm very careful that this obsession isn't hiding something darker - which believe it or not, is a very common problem (and doesn't always involve make up, it can be anything).


The Challenge

My first attempt - it feel weird not having such a large selection!

Taking a bag or box or anything really, choose a bunch of beauty products which you will use for 1-2 weeks straight. You can only use these products during that time which will force you to be creative with your looks. You may discover some hidden gems in your collection whilst trying out this challenge! ;)

I will be doing this challenge every two weeks because I believe that's enough time to use each of these products enough times to form an accurate opinion of them.

NOTE: For the purpose of this challenge, I am not going to include moisturiser, beauty tools (such as brushes, eyelash curlers, etc.), sunscreen, deodorant, etc! For obvious reasons, they're just the basic items everyone should really have and be using. I also didn't include brow products since we use a variety of products for our brows (e.g. pencil, wax, powder, brow gel, etc.)!


The Tools

Something to store everything in: I'm using a large clear make up bag. Use anything! 

I'm allowing TWO PRIMERS - ONE for your face and ONE for your eyes! :)

Make up setting spray: I need to have one in my life! Some people may not need/own/use this product so feel free to substitute it with anything that you would rather use! There's no set concrete way to do this challenge, the point is for you to enjoy and try out new products which you already own. :)

ONE base product: it can be a foundation, a BB cream, a CC cream, a tinted moisturiser, whatever you want! :)

I'm allowing myself TWO concealer products: One for under-eyes and one for blemishes.

ONE powder for setting your make up! :)

ONE BLUSH COLOUR! I suppose you can cheat and use a blush/lip stain but I decided to use this powder which I rarely touch nowadays.

ONE highlighter/illuminiser - This Milani illuminating powder is rosy tinted so it'd be good to layer over blush or for light looks. It's a beautiful product and I rarely use it! :(

ONE BRONZER - can be any type you wish. This is the NUDE by Nature mineral bronzer which I have yet to use once!

THREE LIP PRODUCTS: ONE liner, ONE gloss, and ONE lip colour (can be a lipstick, stain, tint, etc).

I'm allowing myself TWO mascaras: for layering - one for volume and one for length.

I have noticed that on a daily basis, I use mostly products by Benefit cosmetics. As you can see, this mascara will be the only product from Benefit which I will be using for the next two weeks. This is really forcing me out of my comfort zone and letting me explore new things.

Of course I don't expect you or anyone to be opening a new bottle of mascara every two weeks (or one week) for this challenge, so out of all these products, I imagine the mascara will be the most stable (rarely changing). :)

ONE eyeliner - this can be cream, gel, liquid, pencil, whatever you prefer. If you're really adventurous, choose a liner colour which you normally wouldn't wear! :) Just make sure it's appropriate for the occasion you're attending!

TWO EYE PRODUCTS: ONE base colour (my cream shadow), and ONE palette which you hardly touch! You can choose a bunch of single shadows which you don't use often as well! It looks like my Urban Decay and TheBalm Palettes will get a little holiday for the next two weeks! :)

ONE MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCT!

Now this miscellaneous product can be anything spontaneous. It can be blotting paper you never use, it can be a nail polish colour which you haven't touched since buying it, it can be a body lotion, hair treatment; be creative! Just grab something random which you own and haven't used (much) since buying it. Try it out, see how it goes!

Time for a new fragrance? ;) 

Try out a new perfume, see how the scent changes as you wear it over a long period of time! See how it mixes with the natural scents which you have and see if maybe, just maybe, it may become your new favourite! I got this perfume for Christmas and whilst I don't like the scent in the bottle, when sprayed onto my skin, it changes into something wonderful. It's very light which is perfect since I don't like very strong, heavy scents for everyday occasions. :)

This is another product which I don't imagine would change a lot. I usually wear a scent for about 2-3 months at a time before changing to another one. I use different perfumes for special events as well, depending on my mood and the occasion! :)

All packed up and on my dresser table! 

I'm very excited to be trying out this challenge and I strongly encourage any of my readers to try this out with me as well and let me know how they went. This will really help any of you bloggers or vloggers out there as it will allow you to make more in-depth reviews of your products after using them more often.

This challenge doesn't have to end either! You can just keep going after the 1-2 weeks is up and choose another batch of products (which is what I'm planning on doing)!

Thank you once again for reading this entry, please subscribe/follow/bookmark or favourite if you found this interesting! :) I changed from blogging every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to 3 times a week! I went out last night and didn't get home till 3am in the morning the next day - unexpected things happen so blogging on specific days is becoming difficult!

Stay Beautiful and Good Luck for this Challenge! xx