BEST OF BEAUTY 2013

It is that time of the year (or New Year) were everyone shares their favorite Beauty products of the past year, being new product releases of 2013 or new products to the person these videos are extremely interesting. Here are my favorite products from 2013.

NYX Beige (or pink)!

As you will all know, NYX launched in Australia (Target) in the later part of 2013. The range of products is quite small on the scale of what is available else where but at least it is a start. I have had terrible luck at getting my hands on these products but after many a day stalking the target isles I managed to get my hands on what has become my favorite lip product of the moment.

This is the NYX Mega Shine lip gloss in the shade 'Beige'. This is a warm, mid toned, natural pink with no sheen or glitter which makes it extremely wearable. This gloss has a very high pigmentation meaning it can be worn on its own and give a beautiful finish but still looks amazing of lipsticks.  

This is a non sticky and no-fuss formula that is extremely hydrating and comfortable to wear on the lips for a long period of time. The wear time is up to 3 hours which is great for a non sticky gloss but can very easily be reapplied throughout the day with no trouble. 

The packaging is a nice change for a lower end brand here in Australia with a reasonably standard tube but a gorgeous lid with a cute little bow. For me when  it comes to packaging its all about the small details that make things special  

One slight confusion is the name. For some reason the creators at NYX think 'Beige' is a great name for a medium pink which for many is slightly confusing. I would love to know the back story behind this name as I feel there is something different going on behind the scenes. 

The applicator is a simple doe foot applicator but is slightly larger then standard which is great for gettting larger areas of your lips.

To me this product is an absolute winner and I cannot wait to get my hands on more of these to see if this stroke of genius is a one off or an all round great line. Here is Australia these retail for $14.95 which is a great mid price point for 'drugstore' brands.

I'm off to continue with the pack but enjoy your day!

Viva La Juicy, A winning combination?

So for my first fragrance post I wanted to talk about and oldie but a goody. 

Juicy Couture's 'Viva La Juicy' is certainly not a new breaking ground fragrance, however it is one that has stood the test of time and actually had a wonderful 'relaunch' or re-promotion  over the 2012-2013 new year period which did miracles for boosting sales.

I first discovered this fragrance when working as a pharmacy assistant and although we never seemed to have this particular scent in stock the tester was slowly going down as it was always a staff favorite. Now, almost three years on and I finally own a bottle.

before we get into the actual scent and it's notes, we have to take a second to admire the bottle. With the traditional Juicy Couture bottle shape and the wonderfully extravagant gold logo on the front this bottle was already a winner but match it with the hot (and I mean HOT) pink bow, an adorable 'couture' sign and a slightly over sized pin I am in bottle heaven. 

The pump is your bog standard spray, however I personally have never had a problem with this one and I have had many issues with previous bottles of other fragrances.  

I am certainly not the best a picking out notes but the overall scents are white floral, caramel, vanilla and citrus. I personally think there are also hints of amber that come through on the skin (although my skin holds amber notes indefinitely). The longevity of this perfume is wonderful. Even after several hours of wear I can still pick up hints when moving around and I have had people point out the scent up to 10 hours after application and that to me is a great wear time.

One negative point on this frangrance as that it could certainly be overwhelming for certain people when applying, I do not think so but I see that some people might find it a bit much. As far as people around you I do not think this scent to be offensive at all.

Viva La Juicy retails for $119.00 at various retailers including David Jones, Myer and Priceline.

I would love to know a few other opinions on this frangrance as I have never heard a negative word.

 

It's a Chai kind of time

So I know I normally talk about all things beauty but I couldn't resist sharing this little treat with you all. A little back story on how I ended up discovering this product is that I have had some stomach issues over the last year and as a result I have given up Coffee. I wouldn't say I was a Coffee addict but I was having one a day on average. I am a full on tea drinker but sometimes it's nice to have something a little more creamy.

The Arcadia Chai Tea in Spice is absolutely amazing. If you are a lover of Chai Tea or Chai Latte I'm sure this will be one for you.

The finely milled powder is a mix of black tea, sugar and chai spices.

The dirrections on the package say that the ___ only has 12 servings in the container. I completely disagree with this. I have currently had over 20 servings and am around 2/3 of the way through. If you are someone who likes very sweet and strong drinks then you may use more, however I like the drink with a subtle flavor.

I add two small tea spoons of the mix to a regular sized cup, pour a small amount of boiling water in the bottom to dissolve the powder and then fill the mug with hot milk. You can either heat your milk on the stove top, in the microwave or like me in a milk frother.

I'm off to enjoy a nice hot mug and continue with my day. Enjoy.

A Cut Above

To kick off the New Year lets start with a little festive nail polish. I know the silly season is now over but it's fun all year round to don a bit of glitter. I have a strong love/hate relationship when it comes to glitter polishes but I have a strong feeling they will be making a come back for 2014 so i'm getting in early.

 I discovered the Essie 'luxeffects' polish in 'A cut above' about a month back when I had a small discount on Essie polishes (through Priceline). At the time I wasn't looking for anything in particular but this one took my fancy.

 This stunning silver based rosy pink polish is made up of large and medium sized hexagonal glitter with smaller circular glitter as part of the base. The glitter is suspended in a clear polish.

 There are two minor problems I have come across with this polish. Although you can create a very beautiful glittery finish with this polish you cannot wear this alone. It is the same story with most glitter polishes but with this one in particular I would say pick your base carefully. The other issues is that you need around three coats to create a very opaque finish. You can create a different look with less glitter but I prefer the polish to be very full and sparkly

Essie polishes are available from Priceline and Myer/David Jones here is Australia and retail for $16.99 though are often on sale. I highly recommend the Essie brand as a whole.