Face of the Day featuring Chi Chi products.

Hey guys, I recently bought my very first Chi Chi foundation and lipstick and instead of reviewing them seperately, I thought of doing a face of the day and talk about the products. For this makeup look I used the Chi Chi Fabulous and Flawless foundation in No. 7 Medium Natural. For my eyes I used the Rich Gems palette with the gold colour all over my lid and the bronze shade in the outer corner and blended it through the crease. For a pop of colour I used the purple and maroon shade and ran that under my lower lashline. For the lips I used the Viva La Diva Matte lipstick in Social Climber. Other products such as mascara, blush, eyebrow products were all from other brands so I won't go through those here. 

 

First up lets talk about the Fabulous and Flawless Foundation RRP $29.95- ChiChi says "A beautiful new oil free foundation that is ultra-light weight, with medium yet build-able coverage. Long wearing smudge-proof staying power with an easy glide-on application. Skin looks and feels soft, fresh and natural. Colour true, even looking shades. Super moisturising and super hydrating, this unique foundation is Antioxidant enriched with Vitamins A, E & B5. With continual use helps reduce the appearance of fine lines. Paraben Free and ideal for all skin types including sensitive skin. made in Italy with Love!"

The foundation box has the name of the shade and also a little description of the colour skin tone it will match. Like No.7 Medium Natural would suit people with medium skin and neutral undertones. the bottle itself is made of glass so feels nice and heavy, it comes with a pump which is a must have for liquid foundation. As for the foundation itself I must say I agree with half of their claims; This foundation is smooth, buildable, hydrating and gives a very natural looking finish. I don't think it is very long wearing because I wore this for 10 hours but it started fading and got my T-zone quite oily after 7 hours of wear. I do like setting it with my Rimmel Stay Matte powder and that helps my face stay oil free for longer. Without setting it with a powder it lasts only about 4-5 hours after which my face looks like a grease ball. 

Two layers gives me a medium coverage but for my spots I do have to go in with a concealer as more layers of this foundation does look very cakey. The colour selection is pretty good as it comes in 10 different shade so you are most likely to find a good match, but I do recommend trying it out first because it oxidizes and you don't want to look like an oompah-loompah, do you? This shade No.7 would suit people between NC40- 42 in MAC. Be warned though that this foundation has a very strong perfume scent to it which I could smell from my face even an hour after application. 

Chi Chi Glamorous Eyeshadow Palette in Rich Gems RRP $22.95 - "Chi Chi's collection of velvety soft, highly pigmented eye shadows are easily blended to create individual looks. They may be worn sheer or dramatic, wet or dry to reflect your mood or desire."

I have owned this palette for almost a year now and as much as I love the colours the only draw back for me is the consistency. These shadows are slightly blendable and pigmented but they have so much fallout. Even if I pick up the tiniest bit of colour I tap my brush out 3-4 times still I have flecks of shimmer on my cheeks. If they weren't so dry and powdery maybe they would have been my holy grail eyeshadows. Not a huge fan but I will still use it because the colours are lovely.

Lastly we have the Chi Chi Viva La Diva lipstick in Social Climber RRP $18.95 - "Viva La Diva ... all will hail when they notice your dramatic, richly coloured pout. These super saturated, ultra pigmented lipsticks glide on effortlessly leaving a velvety-smooth, long wearing, hydrated finish. Enriched with Beeswax, Calendula, Vitamin E, Evening Primrose and Jojoba Oils these lipsticks are non drying and very moisturising whilst at the same time drowning your lips with super rich, fashion hues. "

First off all a big thumbs up to Chi Chi for the packaging. These lipsticks look so pretty on your vanity you are going to be tempted to buy more. They come in a whopping 42 shades with different finishes like matte, cream and metallic. The lipstick I have is in the matte finish and is described as a rosy beige nude. Like all matte lipsticks I thought this would be quite drying on my lips too so I prepped my lips with a lip balm before putting it on. The application was quite easy as it did not tug or pull on my lips and felt very creamy. It did dry to a matte finish which felt quite uncomfortable after an hour of application (maybe because I have dry lips at the moment). Again this lipstick has a weird scent/ taste which is similar to the Rimmel Apocalips which I hate from the bottom of my heart. That is my personal opinion but if you don't mind the scent go ahead and purchase this lipstick because it is a nice lipstick. It lasted on me for 4 hours without any touch ups but faded when I had lunch. Because this is a matte formula reapplying may accentuate the dryness of your lips. Make sure you have well scrubbed, moisturized lips before applying this lipstick.

So those were all my thoughts on the Chi Chi products that I created this look with. You can purchase Chi Chi from Myer, Target or Online.

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Recent Empties

Hey guys,

I have finished up some skin care products recently and thought of sharing it with you all and letting you know if I would repurchase them. 

First of we have the Simple kind to skin cleansing facial wipes, I got these in one of the Lust Have it packs I think and never got around to using it, till recently. I did like them as they were not drying on my skin but I don't like the idea of using these cloth wipes to remove my makeup. I won't be repurchasing it because I have heaps more to use up and I only use them to take off swatches from my hands. Next up is the Clean and Clear Spot Clearing Gel, I have raved about this product in the past and it is a great zit zapper but it does take about 2-3 days for the pimple to totally clear. I have recently purchased the Origins Spot Gel and have been loving it. I might repurchase this in the future as it is more affordable but as for now this just goes in the bin.

I have actually been loving the Boots Optiva range and I have finished up my Aqua Capture serum which is basically a hydration booting serum that you can use day and night and also the Daily Protection Cream. These products sink into the skin beautifully and leave me with the hydrated, soft, supple skin. I do have a lot of skin care products I need to go through so I may not repurchase these for a while but when needed, these would be my first pick. You can buy these from Leading Amcal and Guardian pharmacies.

And lastly I have my Chapstick Night repair lip treatment, which I have already repurchased since I lost my Day repair and they come in a pack. 

So those were my recent empties. Have you used any of the above products before? Would you repurchase them?

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MAC Brushes in 217 and 210

I always thought MAC brushes are over priced (still think) and over hyped in the Beauty Community and although there are a lot of dupes and variations of brushes available in the market for half the price, I thought of investing in two brushes I would get the most use out of. My brother bought these for me from Malaysia and they costed me a total of $55 AUD. In Australia they retail for $37 each. The brushes I am talking about are MAC 217 which is a blending brush and MAC 210 precise liner brush. 

I have bought a lot of dupes of the MAC 217 from Ebay and I always found them to be scratchy and shed in like two washes. Although they did do a good job of blending the eyeshadows, they wouldn't last me very long. Since I have gotten this brush I use it almost everyday and it is so soft that it doesn't irritate they eyelid area. I have washed it once and it hasn't shed even one hair which is brilliant. I do know that I will not be able to keep it looking white in the long run as some eyeshadows are going to stain the brush hair but if this brush is going to last me many years and not stop doing what it does best- blending, then I don't mind it. I have not tried it on cream products yet but it does say on the website that you can use cream or powder products with this brush. I would not buy another one of these from Australia but if I was traveling I would buy it from overseas because then I wouldn't be paying as much.

MAC 210 Precise liner brush is exactly what it says it is, a eyeliner brush which can create the most finest lines. I do like using gel liner when I want my liner to last all day and I was using the Models Prefer pointed liner brush which is great, don't get me wrong but this brush tip is more fine and helps me create the perfect wing. Again this retails for $37 in Australia which is a ridiculous price to pay but I think I got it for around $20. I won't repurchase it as I won't need to, but all in all I am really happy that I bought it.

Have you tried MAC brushes? What do you think of them?

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Shaaanxo's tutorial Jewel Tones for Summer and Winter Recreation

Hey guys, 

Shannon from Shaaanxo on Youtube did a tutorial featuring the Chi Chi Rich Gems palette and since I own the palette already I tried to recreate her look. All the products I used will be listed below.

                  

                      

For my base I used the Bourjois Happy Light Foundation and covered up my blemishes with MAC Studio Finish Concealer. On my eyes I used Maybelline Barely Branded colour tattoo as a primer. Over that I went with the colour marked as 1 (In the pic above) in the ChiChi Rich Gems palette on my lid, leaving a little space in the inner and outer corner. Using colour 2 on the outer 3rd of the lid and colour 3 on the outer V, I blended that through the crease using a bit of colour 5. Colour 4 was then used in the inner corner and on my brow bone to highlight.

For my liner I used the Benefit They're Real Push Up liner and drew a thin line. For lashes I used Gorgeous Cosmetics Lashes in Madam Mini. For my cheeks, I contoured using MAC Blunt and for my blush I used Benefit's Bella Bamba. Lips are Lakme 9 to 5 Lipstick in Rosy Sunday ( Revlon Matte Balm in Sultry is very similar)

And thats how I achieved this look. Hope you guys like it and if you do something similar tag me in your pics using the hashtag #dazzlegloss3 and also don't forget to tag #shaaanxo

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Essence Trend Edition in Dark Romance

Essence is now out with another collection which is apt for winter here in Australia. Dark Romance is a collection of reds, berries and deep blues and grey. I picked up some of the products that I want to share with you guys today.

This collection also features some cool nail and body art products which I didn't pick up because I don't tend to use them. The products I got were the two lipsticks, two lipglosses, two blushes, one cream highlighter and one of the eyeshadow quads.

(Pic Heavy)

Top- Cream blush in 01 Painted Love, 02 Red Romance ( Swatched heavily/ blended in), Middle- Eyeshadow quad in 01 Mystery Glam,  Bottom- Lipsticks in 02 Painted Love, 01 Red Romance, Lipglosses in 02 Light up and 01 Black Shadow.

Cream Highlighter in 01 Light up.

The cream/ mousse blushes are very soft and creamy, but they do require a lot of product and work to actually blend and be seen on the cheek. Once blended they leave a slight stain that lasts for about 5 hours on my skin.

The Eyeshadow quads have some very nice smokey shades which are perfect for the winter but they are quite sheer if you do not apply a primer. They do blend seamlessly but have a bit of fallout too so make sure you tap of the excess before applying them on your eyes.

The Lipsticks are my second favorite products in this collection. They are super creamy and glide on so easily on the lips. The colour pay off is pretty good too. Two swipes and you get full opaque colour. If you are scared to rock red or dark berry lips then you could do only one swipe and pat it with your fingers to create a stain effect. They do have a chemically scent which is very faint and you cannot smell it when you have the lipstick on so thats a bonus.

Essence Lipglosses are the best lipglosses in my opinion. I am not a huge fan of glosses but when it comes to choosing between a MAC lipgloss and Essence, my vote will always go to Essence. They are creamy, non-sticky, and very comfortable on the lips. The two shades I got have a lot of iridescent shimmer which looks beautiful when the light catches it. 01 Black Shadow is a grey base with silver shimmer which is in no way gritty feeling on the lips. 02 Light up is a white base with pink and blue iridescent shimmer. Both these glosses smell like Watermelon Hubba Bubba. Yumm!!

I also got the Cream highlighter in 01 Light up which comes off as a beautiful pinky sheen on the skin when you blend it in. It reminds me of Benefit's Moon Beam but in a cream form. If you can pick only one item from this collection I would highly recommend this highlighter.

Available at Priceline now.

Have you picked up anything from this collection? What are your favorite products from Essence?

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'The Big Smoke' Winter Look 2014 Feat. ELES Cosmetics*

THE BIG SMOKE WINTER LOOK 2014

ELES Cosmetics came out with a gorgeous soft, smokey winter look and I almost instantly fell in love with it. I was sent some products to review and recreate the look. The products I used to feature this look are the Powder Liner in Copper and Mineral Matte Eyeshadows in Teak and Hyacinth. I also used the Micro Bubble Lipstick in Micro Blush to create the berry pout. First lets have a look at the products I was sent to review.

ELES Powder Liner in Copper:

This beautiful pencil liner is super creamy and applies very easily. It sets to a soft powder finish which does not crease on me. It was hard to apply this on the waterline but I wouldn't recommend it either because it has tiny shimmers in it. This pencil also comes with a smudger on the other end which is very handy. You can create a smokey copper eye with just this one product, smudge it a bit and your good to go. Available here for $43.25

ELES Mineral Matte Eyeshadow in Hyacinth and Teak:

I love matte eyeshadows and these shadows are so pigmented a little goes a long way. Hyacinth is a little too light for my skintone so it wasn't showing up much, but on lighter skintones it would look beautiful as an all over lid colour. Teak is a dark espresso brown colour that is perfect for creating a smokey eye. This shade is perfect for my eyebrows too. Both these shadows lasted a pretty good time on my eyes without primer and without creasing. Available here for $26.90

To create the Big Smoke look I used the Powder Liner in Copper all over my lids and blended Teak in the outer corners and a little though the crease. I also applied Hyacinth to the inner corners of my eye and blended a little on my brow bone. On the lower lash line I used the same pencil and then smudged Teak under the line to create a smokey effect. For my blush I went with a berry toned blush by MAC called Pinch Me. For my lips I used Micro Blush by ELES. For my eyebrows I used a tiny bit of the same Teak eyeshadow and blended it in.

I love this effortless look and will be sporting it quite often this winter. 

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Ulta3 Lip Paints Review*

Hey guys,

This post has been due for such a long time but I was busy with my holidays and then I didn't have internet for two weeks but anyways here it is now. I have definitely lagged behind this bandwagon but now that I have discovered these babies, I can't wait to get the other colours. 

Ulta3 is an affordable Australian cosmetic brand which is really popular for its $2 nail polishes. When these lip paints were launched I went looking for them at all the Terry White chemists around my area but unfortunately couldn't get my hands on any. Luckily for me, Ulta3 were giving out some for review to bloggers on their Instagram and I was sent the shades Manic Mauve and Electric Orange. 

These lip paints are in between a lipgloss and a lipstick. They are very pigmented and not sticky whatsoever.

On me these wore for about 2 hours and then started loosing the glossiness. They did leave behind an even stain after about 4 hours. 

It is packaged in a squeezy tube with a doe foot applicator which I really like. 

Enriched with Vitamin E and peppermint oil, it has a slight minty tingle when you first apply it and the scent lasts for about an hour of wear. 

If you are like me and hate sticky lipglosses, these are a great product to try. They retail for $5.95 and you get 7ml of product. 

The shade range is pretty intense and bold but there are some very wearable colours for everyday like Manic Mauve, Expressive Fuschia, Radical Red and Extreme Pink.

 Loud Purple and Electric Orange are the only two I wouldn't dare to wear in public, but you can mix these up and create your own unique shade.  

I have definitely been loving these Ulta3 Lip Paints and will be getting a few other colours when I can find them. If you have a Terry White Chemist near you then I do recommend you check them out because they are great quality products for a very affordable price.

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