Brand in the spotlight: Mirenesse

I first discovered Mirenesse a few months ago when I got a lip colour in the very first Lust Have It Pack and I discovered even more about it during the ABBW. I told you I would be banging on about the ABBW for a while!

We received a full size mascara in our ABBW Lust Have It Luxury Lust Packs and also got this beauty box of goodies from Mirenesse in one of our amazing goodie bags.

I think this was one of the highlights in the goodie bags because a) the packaging looked amazingly cute and b) the products looked really good. The box was full of Mirenesse’s new range Boutique M. And the products got were a) Rich Girl – Pearl Crush Trio Eyeshadow b) Closer – Tight Liner c) The Buzz – Vibralash 24hr Mascara d) The One – Viva Eternal Gloss e) The Fairest – Invisible Fill Make-up.

Rich Girl – Pearl Crush Trio Eyeshadow (I got Akoyo Pearls)

I have used these eyeshadows and they are great; they are highly pigmented and I also like that you can apply a small amount of water to your brush and the eyeshadow turns into a liner.

Closer – Tight Liner (I got Caviar Black)

This is an amazing eye liners because it’s like a pen. You literally draw on whatever line you want. So easy to use and it’s really long lasting, from morning til night.

The Buzz – Vibralash 24hr Mascara (I got Electric Black)

It’s a vibrating mascara! Pretty awesome huh?? I haven’t tried this out yet because I’m making my way through a few others, including another Mineresse mascara, but I will test it out soon. Mineresse became famous through their Secret Weapon mascara (which we got in our ABBW Luxury Lust Packs), so I’m keen to try this one out as well.

The One – Viva Eternal Gloss (I got Play Bunny)

I love this lip gloss! This shade is amazing, vibrant and not sticky (which is a biggie for me when using lip gloss). The pigment is really great as well so you don’t need to use heaps.

The Fairest – Invisible Fill Make-up (I got Airbrush Line Filling Mattifier)

I really like this product because it’s SPF 10 and has a really great texture. When I used it, it left my skin looking really good and my completion really even.

What I also liked about Mirenesse is that their products are free from talc, alcohol, SLS, parabens, mineral oil, propylene glycol, synthetic dyes, perfumes and they are animal cruelty free. So Mineresse is free from all the nasties. I’ve really started to take more notice of the ingredients in products, and it’s amazing how many of them contain things that aren’t good for you. So it’s great to see brands making “clean” products.

You can purchase Mirenesse products from their website.

Nat xoxo

Product Review: Remington Compact Tribal Tong

If you read my blog I’m sure you know about the ABBW that I attended a few weeks ago. And part of it was going to a Gala Dinner event with Maxted Thomas where we got to try out and take home some amazing products.

One of said amazing products was the Remington Compact Tribal Tong!

I’m not great with the whole hair-curling thing and I was reluctant trying out the Tribal Tong mainly because I thought I would just mess it up, get frustrated and never use it again. As it turns out this is a really easy product to use! All you do is wrap a small piece of hair around the tong at a time, hold for 5 secs and voila! It’s that simple.

The Compact Tribal Tong has 2 different heat settings, which is great if you have fine hair like me. It’s also the perfect size for taking on holidays with you. But the best thing about it is, it's uber easy to use! Even if you suck at hair tools (like me!) you really can't mess this up.

So that’s it folks, the uber-amazing Compact Tribal Tong! I highly recommend for people who want great spiral looking curls but suck at achieving them with any other device. 

Nat xoxo

Haircare: Products I love at the moment

I normally don’t get really excited about haircare products. I’m not sure why. I guess skincare is really more my expertise in the beauty realm, so haircare has never really excited me too much before.

But! That’s right there is a “but”, there are a few products that I’ve started using over the past month that I really feel the need to share because they are amazing products.

The first amazing haircare products I love at the moment is Davines No 1 Finest Oil Non Oil for Wizards. 

Pretty confusing name huh?? Well it pretty much has the same texture as hair oil without actually being oil. You can add it to dry or wet hair; personally I’ve been using it in towel damp hair and since I’ve been using it I really don’t need to use my hair straighter; no more fly away hairs, no more fuzz, no more frizz. It has to be magical or something! I’ve also noticed that since using it my hair just looks better, shinier, brighter, just all around nicer. This non oil oil has really put me in a good hair mood. 

The second amazing haircare product that I love at the moment is Sebastian’s Mono Haircolor Shampoo and Conditioner. 

I know technically it is 2 products, but they are a set, so they are number 2. I got these from the Maxted Thomas gala event as part of the ABBW. I have never used Sebastian products before, but I have to say I’m really impressed. I’ve been told they are great and now I can vouch for it myself.

But! Yep another but; the conditioner has a special factor. It’s foam. That’s right, you heard me FOAM! At first I thought it was a little weird, but after trying it I must say it’s pretty awesome. Since using the shampoo and conditioner, apart from having a fun shower experience, I’ve noticed my highlights look really fresh, almost like I’ve just had them done. My hair has also felt hydrated and soft.

My last amazing haircare product that I love at the moment is Nak’s Fixation Finishing Spray. 

I started using this a few months ago and it’s really amazing. What I love about this hairspray is that it keeps your hair feeling like, well hair! It doesn’t leave your hair feeling really crunchy and ‘fake’ that hairspray tends to do. Once you spray it on your hair, your hairstyle hold plus you can still run your fingers through your hair, which I tend to do a lot. 

And that’s it folks, some amazing haircare products for me to you.

Nat xoxo 

Alpha-H - Liquid Gold

Alpha-H was one of the brands that we got to find out heaps about as part of the ABBW. Alpha-H does a range of products, but they specifically spoke to us about their cult products Liquid Gold. Now I love cult products because I find they tend to work better then your standard run of the mill products.

Ok on to Liquid Gold. I found this product really intriguing because it goes on like a toner, but it’s designed to work alone. So you don’t put anything else on your skin. This is a bit of a new concept for me, as I’ve never see a stand along product like that before. Liquid Gold as a product is supposed to help skin tone and texture, help with spots, pores, acne scars and pigmentation. Liquid Gold is also designed to work in with your current skincare routine, as you use it 3 nights a week. I really liked this about the product because it really doesn’t require you to stop using any of your current products.

Another little fun fact about Liquid Gold, apparently a bottle is sold every minute of every hour of every day. That’s a lot of product.

As part of the ABBW we got the Liquid Gold Skin Perfecting System starter kit. This kit features Liquid Gold Original, Liquid Gold Prep + Prime and Liquid Gold Radiance.

You start by using the Liquid Gold Prep+ Prime. The Prep + Prime is designed to introduce your skin to the Liquid Gold product. You use this every morning until the bottle is empty and like the Liquid Gold you don’t put anything else on your skin, except for sun protection.

Liquid Gold Prep + Prime contains 90% natural products with a splash of glycolic acid.

I started using the Prep + Prime 5 days ago and so far I’m really impressed. I thought my skin might get a bit dry without using anything else of a morning, except sun protection, but it’s not at all. I have already noticed that my skin just looks better; you know when you wake up in the morning and you look in the mirror and your skin just looks great. So I’m really impressed with it.

Once I finish using the Prep + Prime, I’ll move on to the Liquid Gold Original. As mentioned before Liquid Gold is to be used 3 times a week at night. And again it’s to be used alone.

Liquid Gold is made with 73% natural products and contains liquorice and silk proteins as well as glycolic acid.

We were told that you could move on to Liquid Gold Radiance after you finished Liquid Gold Original, or use both at the same time (not on the same day though). Liquid Gold Radiance is to be used the same way as Liquid Gold Original. The difference between the two is that Radiance has additional ingredients to focus on pigmentation in the skin and help skin stay younger looking for longer. It also helps hyper pigmentation, which can be caused by hormones in women.

Liquid Gold Radiance is made with 67% natural products and contains Ferulic acid, which is from plants, Niacinamide, Gluconic acid and Glycolic acid.

All 3 Liquid Gold products contain 5% Glycolic acid, but Prep + Prime has a higher pH level so you can wear it during the day.

What I also like about these products is that they require you to wear sun protection. This is something that you’re supposed to do anyway but so many people don’t. I do find that this has a major impact on premature aging. So anything that encourages sun protection is awesome in my book.

Watch this space for updates on how my experience with Alpha-H’s Liquid Gold goes. 

Nat xoxo 

Lust Have It – ABBW Luxury Lust Pack

We really did get extra special treatment at the ABBW. Part of said extra special treatment was a special Luxury Lust Pack from Lust Have It.

This is my 3^rd Lust Have It pack and I have to say I’m really impressed. I wasn’t sure what the Product 

Sample Boxes would be like here in Australia and I’m pleased to announce that they have really lived up to expectations.

We did get spoilt with our ABBW Luxury Lust Packs as they did feature some full size product. Here is the full list of everything in our packs:

Mirenesse Secret Weapon Mascara – Before the Lust Have It packs I hadn’t really heard too much about Mirenesse, but from what I’ve tested they do nice products so I’m really looking forward to testing out this mascara. I also really like that it’s tube mascara, which makes for really easy to remove. No more panda eyes.

OPI Lincoln Park After Dark – This is part of the Touring America collection. It's a really nice dark purple color; it looks almost black in the bottle. I really love OPI nail polishes so I’m really looking forward to testing this out. 

Pure Fiji Coconut Milk Shower Gel – We got this is our last Luxury Lust Packs and I really love this shower gel. It smells great and is really hydrating, so I like that fact that we got more of it!

Kerastase Elixir Ultime – We also got this in our last Luxury Lust Packs last month, but I haven’t tested it out yet.

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer – I have heard really good things about this primer so I can’t wait to try it.

Nougat Rejuvenating Hand Polish – I’ve never heard of Nougat before so I’m eager to try this product out plus it smells really good.

Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Mask – I recently found out that apart from my really oily t-zone, I have dry-ish skin so this mask should be really good for me. I also love Dermalogica products so this should be really good.

BIOEFFECT EGF serum – We got this in the 1^st Luxury Lust Pack and I have been using it for a few weeks now. I have to say it’s a pretty good serum. My skin has improved since using it and a little bit goes a long way. I’m happy that I got another one. 

I love my Muff! – These are feminine refreshing wipes. So the “Muff” really is what you think. Personally I think these are a good idea and I’ll give it a go. Not sure if I’ll blog about it though; it is a bit personal so might not be something I was to post on the Internet!

I think that was a pretty amazing Luxury Lust Pack since it featured a full size mascara and nail polish. 

I also did a YouTube video about this Luxury Lust Pack if you feel like checking it out!

Nat xoxo

IMATS - Finally!

As I have mentioned numerous times, I attended the IMATS as part of the ABBW. I was really excited about the IMATS because as being part of the ABBW I had the opportunity to e-mail interview Elessa Jade, Donna Mee and Napoleon Perdis prior to the IMATS event.

So by the time the event came around I was pretty excited and I’m very happy to report that the event was excellent. The overload of beauty stands and information was overwhelming, but in a very good way. I was able to find out information on some really great brands that I hadn’t heard of or tired before. I could really write an endless post about everything from the IMAST, but I have summarised it down to my highlights. 

Illamasqua were selling products for about 1/3 of the price that they are normally. I haven’t tried Illamasqua products before but I have heard friends, blogger and make-up artists all mention how great their products are. So I thought while they were so cheap I would take advantage and grab a few for myself.

I picked myself up a nail varnish in Propaganda (Love the name! LOVE!), 2x fine eye pencils in Classic and Uncanny and a precision ink gel liner in Alchemy. So far I have tried the fine liner in Uncanny and the precision ink in Alchemy and love them!

I’ve heard some really great things about Inglot, who also had a stand at the IMATS. I have wanted to try Inglot’s Freedom Palattes for a while, so I picked myself up a really awesome palette with 4 x rainbow palettes.

I know I could have gone all out and got some crazy colors, but I wear neutral colors all the time so I thought it would be the best way to try them out.

Not to brag, but since we were part of the ABBW we did get some special treatment. We were offered a free lucky drip gift from Serge Louis Alvarez. SLA is a make-up company from France and will be launching a new bio collection soon. I spoke to one of the brand mangers about the range sounds really nice.

On to the lucky dip!

I got a blush mirage in Peach. This product is actually really cool. It looks like a lipgloss and goes on like a powder. Once blended in it turned into a cream-like blush. It’s pretty impressive.

We also had some lovely VIP treatment from Royal & Langickel. They booked a private area for all the ABBWers where we could relax, have some nibbles and also get our make-up touched up and nails done. If that wasn’t enough they also gave us a lovely brush kit.

This actually came at a really good time because my brushes are starting to look a bit gross and I’ve been thinking about investing in some more.

While I was at the IMATS I thought it would be good to see one of the speakers that they had. And I saw Elessa Jade do a make-up demonstration.

I was also able to do a short interview with Elessa Jade after, and I have to say she is so lovely. She is really friendly and also really easy to talk to (which makes interviewing a lot easier! Trust me!).

Elessa Jade said that when she started her beauty site pursebuzz.com she didn’t start a blog, but it ended up getting labelled that way. She also said that it was important to find your niche when blogging a stick to it. Moving on to make-up, Elessa said that due to the brights and prints that Australian women wear, they tend to stick to “natural” make-up looks. A good way to introduce colour into your make-up routine is through eyeliner. It’s a very subtle way to add colour without being over the top.

I would also like to point out that Elessa was wearing Jeffery Campbell shoes.

And that was my IMATS experience!

Nat xoxo