Lashes, lashes, lashes

I am pretty sure most of you know my love affair with false eyelashes, so you can imagine my excitement when the lovely ladies over at Manicare gave us the chance to try some Glam Lashes out.

The set also comes complete with a false eye lash glue and instructions on how to apply your new lashes. I had an event to go to on the weekend and thought what a great opportunity to try them out, they were absolutely fantastic, stayed put all day and did not make my eyes feel heavy or unnatural, while still giving my lashes a more fuller effect.

$11.00.  Available from Priceline

* These products were sent to The Makeup Case for editorial consideration. Please see our disclosure policy.

Formal Makeup and Hair

Finally…….! I did this makeup and hairstyle for a year 10 formal back in December! and I have only just got around to showing you.

Disaster struck! The photos were on a camera I don’t usually use and when I tried to get them off the camera, something happened and they dissappeared. Vanished. Gone for good!

These are the only photos I have and were taken on my phone. So please excuse the bad lighting, blurring, and just the overall quality of the photos.

This is Nina. She wanted a messy low side bun with a braid across the top. I really loved the hairstyle and it was really easy to do. She wasn’t sure what she wanted on her face (because she doesn’t usually wear makeup) so we went for a not too dark smokey-ish eye and natural lips. She wore a pretty bright dress that was coral and silver, so it went well.

This photo does not do her justice, she was a complete knockout! She kept looking in the mirror and saying “it doesn’t look like me” She looked fabulous and I hope she had a great night.

PS it looks like her foundation wasn’t right but I promise you it was a perfect match. The light coming through the window was really harsh and I was using my phone to take the photos.

One Bridesmaids Makeup

My sister was in Sydney to be a bridesmaid for one of her friends, last weekend. We don’t get to see her much, so I agreed to do her makeup for the wedding.

That saturday proved to be a busy one, but I squeezed her in. And I only did the makeup. It was just a simple smokey-ish eye with a little pink and natural /pink lips. (please excuse the kitchen, food, people in the background. There were heaps of people and we barely had space to move) They wore black dresses so and had pink flowers, so anything goes!

This is some of the products used.

• Mac Select Tint spf15
• Maybelline Falsies (read about it here)
• Maybelline Gel Liner (read about it here)
• Mac Barbie blush (palet and individual)
• Clinique All About Lips (to keep lips all nice and your colour on)
• Dior Illuminator
• Dior Lash Maximiser (put it on before mascara)
• Estee Lauder lip liner
• Eyeshadow, mostly grey. Not sure what brand.
• Artist Brushes (love them, read about it here)

Something new from Physicians Formula…

Have you ever heard of Physicians Formula? If not it is definitely something you need to know about. Physicians Formula have recently re-launched in Australia with an exciting new range full of color, fun and innovation.

In summer I love wearing a good bronzer and lucky for us the lovely ladies at Physicians Formula have sent an awesome one our way.

What grabbed my attention first up with this bronzer was the cute packaging, the gold tassel and the cabled cashmere knitwear patterns are so eye-catching. The bronzer is made with 100% Pure Cashmere extract, which is probably why it is called Cashmere Wear Ultra Smoothing Bronzer. Wearing bronzer is such a great way of boosting the color of your skin, and giving you a healthy glow. Cashmere Wear does all these things and also something extra special…it makes your skin smooth, soft and radiant. The four gold and bronze tones combine together to create the ultimate glow. I love brushing a little bronzer under my cheek bones and forehead before heading out.

RRP: $29.95 avaliable from Priceline stores.

I have been on the hunt for a new blush for a while now and Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Blush is hitting the spot. Like the bronzer the blush also has such cute packaging, at first I didn’t want to disturb the pattern of embossed hearts in different pretty pink colors. The blush contains multi-reflective pearls to make your cheeks glow, looking healthy and flirty.

The blush contains mood enhancing ingredients like Euphoryl, a known anti-depressant that has been linked to the production of Dopamine which makes us feel happy. The blush also has a fresh floral fragrance which smells lovely when you are applying the blush, mmm delish.

RRP: $21.95 available from Priceline stores.

Physicians Formula have come up with the perfect solution to enhancing everyone’s eyes with their Shimmer Strips. Three eyelining combinations for blue, brown and green eyes.

Each set contains three colours designed to enhance your eyes  from the natural look to the night one the town look.

Blue: Blue, Brown, Black and Blue shimmer

Brown: Espresso, Purple, Black and Purple shimmer

Green: Green, Amethyst, Black and Green shimmer.

RRP: $21.95 avaliable from Priceline stores

* These products were sent to The Makeup Case for editorial consideration – please see our disclosure policy.

Black, white and false lashes

Just one makeup and hair on the weekend. We thought we would show you a few shots cause it was a little bit different to our usual weekend weddings.

Caitlyn was going to a black and white ball. She went for pretty extreme eyes, false lashes and nude lips.

Some of the makeup we used.

Applying Maybeline Gel eyeline with an angle brush.

Applying false lashes. You can’t really see but the lashes are quite long and feathered on the outer edge. Step by step guide click here

The finished product.

GHD curls pinned back with a little height.

A Bella Of A Box

Did you see our sneak peek the other day? If you did then you must know that The Makeup Case were lucky enough to trial the new March Bare Faced Beauty goodies from Bellabox.

In case you don’t know what the amazing Bellabox is all about we will give you a quick run down. If you love trying out new products (you know how much we love to do that) then Bellabox is the perfect thing for you. The lovely ladies at Bellabox will put together a beautiful curated box full of 5 new luxury products each month for you to try. It is such  a great idea for anyone who easily gets bored with the usual day-to-day skin and makeup routine, the best part..it all arrives at your front door step once a month. No hassell of being bombarded by pesty shop assistants…plus ++!

This is what we were lucky enough to try out.

U Little Beauty, natural repair hair masque – A beautiful hair repair treatment that smells divine! If your hair is suffering from that dryness that comes hand in hand with the changing weather then this is the perfect product for you, U Little Beauty will nourish your hair and make it feel brand new! Ah-mazing! It is also so easy to use, clean your hair, apply the serum and let it penetrate the hair for about 15 min, then rinse off. Walla. Easy. RRP: $19.95 for 100mls, available from David Jones, Priceline and Terry White Chemists.

Yes To Carrots, C me blush lip tint – I have loved this brand for a long time and I was so excited to see that this month Bellabox included the famous Yes To Carrots Lip Tint, and in my fave colour – C Me Blush. What is so awesome about all of this brands products and especially the lip tints is that they are all 95% organic, containing a blend of fruits and veggies. Hey, why should your insides get all that good stuff? Now your lips and face can join in on the fun. RRP: $9.95 for 2.6 gms, available from David Jones and Priceline.

Pure Fiji Coconut Hydrating Body Lotion – The first thing I noticed about this product was the amazing smell, it takes you back to lying on a tropical beach somewhere soaking up the hot sun. No wonder this lotion smells so delicious. Pure Fiji Coconut Hydrating Lotion contains a blend of coconut milk and exotic nuts, each working together to hydrate the skin making it feel soft and fresh. I love applying the lotion after you get out of a hot shower, the smell really feels up the whole bathroom and makes your worries drift away and think of holidays. RRP: $29.95 for 100mls.

Bellamer Eye Balm – Oh Bellamer Botanical Skin Care, these guys are so amazing! All their products are natural and 100% plant derived, combined they promote the skins own ability to heal and make it smooth and fresh. Now that’s what we like to hear, all natural products that wont harm our skin and make us look great! I have only used this eye balm a couple of times so far and it seems to be working. The thing about this product is that it does leave a slight amount of excess, that is easily fix though with a quick wipe.  I recommend using the eye cream twice a day to get maximum benefits and fight away those wrinkles. RRP: $40 for 15gms.

Check out the amazing plans available from Bellabox here.

* These products were sent to The Makeup Case for editorial consideration – please view our disclosure policy.

My Pregnant Saviours

We mentioned recently that I am expeciting my second baby in May, so I thought I would share with you a few of the things that are making me feel better about my changing body and keeping me sane.

Because I am feeding an extra mouth not only do I get hungry all the time but I am also really really thirsty, and so is my skin.
It seems no matter how much water I drink I still need to moisturise, buff and polish all the time. So what am I using?

Clinique all about eyes, de-puffing eye massage. It has a roller ball and is really cooling when applied. I use it every morning for hydrating my eye area and also helps with my dark circles from lack of sleep as well.

Simple smoothing scrub. I am prone to breakouts around my jaw line but since using this my skin is clear, exfoliated and free from blemishes. Perhaps its the multi vitamin goodness, and a combination of toning and moisturising I follow the scrub with.

Palmers Cocoa Butter daily Calming Lotion. I have previously advocated that every pregnant lady should use the Palmers Cocoa Butter for Stretchmarks as I did for my first pregnancy. This time, I cannot stand the smell of the Stretchmark cream formula (just pregnant hormones) but I have been using the daily Calming Lotion on my belly and so far…..free from any marks. It is for severely dry itchy skin and is a blend of soy, chamomile and oats. Its new and due on the shelves in March/April so keep your eye out for this one. I imagine it would be great for sunburn too.

The Body Collection Spa Organics, soothing mint foot cream. I received this as a gift for Christmas and it is nearly all gone. It came in a pack with a pumice stone, foot scrub/exfoliator and the moisturiser. I use the scrub once or twice a week but I use the moisturiser at least twice daily. It is infused with lavender and tea tree oils and has an instant cooling effect. Great for my swollen ankles after a long day at work.

What are your favourite products at the moment?

You can check out the products I love at these websites The Body Collection, Palmers, Simple, Clinique

*The Palmers Cocoa Butter was sent to The Makeup Case for editorial consideration – please see our discolure policy.

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Dear Santa…

As you know I have been fairly good this year, I even kept my New Years promise and went on a diet that lasted a whole week! I know, I know, it has not been all good but, for the most part I would say I have been an angel. And because of this, I don’t know, I thought I might be able to get some kind of little reward? What do you say? I promise I will love you forever if you put this under my Christmas tree this year.

So you want to know what it is? Okay, I will tell you…it’s the Michael Kors for Estee Lauder set in Pewter! I have included a picture for you just in case you need some help in finding it for me….

What do you think? Pretty rad huh. So can I pretty pretty please have this, I promise I will be good all year. If you need some help finding this amazing gift pack for me  you can point your little elves over to any Myers or David Jones store and they can pick it up for the reasonable price of $125.00, not bad for all the amazing things you get in it.

Not only do you get the gorgeous pewter coloured Michael Kors clutch, you also get a lipstick, lip gloss, eyeliner, powder brush and eye and cheek lip palette. I can not wait to try these products out and they are all made by Estee Lauder so you just know they will be good. How great would all these colours be for that amazing New Years Eve party and the endless summer party season ahead..

*Image courtesy of beautydirectory.com

Simple Pop Colour Eyes

Now at The Makeup Case we love colours and being the hot trend right now, pop colour, I thought I would try a little colour on my eyes. A lot of the time I wear a coloured top so I try to keep my eye makeup simple and natural, but when you wear black you have no excuse and should go wild! I dug through my kit and found my colours, I chose a MAC satin eyeshadow; Electric Eel. Whenever I think of blue eyeshadow, I immediatly think 80’s but this is different. I promise.

• Start with your normal eye base or primer, try to use something close to your skin colour so you don’t change the eyeshadow too much, maybe try concealer.
• Using a medium firm-ish brush, pat the eyeshadow all over your eyelid, then blend it with a softer brush.
• I used a really small amount of a dark grey just in the outer corner to give my eyes a bit of depth.
• I finished with a bit of white shimmer on the inner corner, close your eye when you apply the shimmer then it will go where you want it and you don’t get it in your eyes.
• Finish off with a black eyeliner on top and bottom and your favourite mascara. I also blended the Electric Eel half way along the bottom eye line, just for a little bit more colour.

You could do this look with any colour you want, purple, green, yellow, gold, pink, orange, its up to you! Why not try it next time you step out in your little black dress. Best of all it is so quick and easy!

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Garnier and Caffeine, can’t go wrong

After staring at a computer screen all day long my eyes start looking like a scary horror film. I get dark circles under my eyes and bags the size of a Yaris airbags. I never usually suffer with this annoying condition, I think the lack of sleep and flourescent office lighting are all equally to blame, I am not however, going to let it linger around like an annoying aunt on Christmas day. I am going to nail this problem in its naughty behind straight away! How am I going to do this? I shall tell you, with a little gem called Radiance Caffeine Eye Roll On, a smart product developed by the one and only Garnier.

Now for the low down on this little beauty, and the key ingredient that is going to make our tired eyes disappear.. caffeine! Caffine is the mother of anti-tiredness ingredients, you know how awake and energized you feel after that morning coffee? Well imagine that, but for your eyes .

The most attractive part of this product (besides the caffine, obviously) is the metal ball that you roll under your eyes. When I first applied the formula it took me a little by surprise, it gave my delicate under eye skin an immediate cooling feeling. My eyes started to feel more awake and rejuvenated and I felt like I looked okay to face the day. My dark circles did not immediately disappear although the skin under my eyes began to look more and more full, with no more of those annoying creases that can make you look tired.

RRP: $17.95 for 15ml. Available from pharmacies, department stores, and supermarkets aka pretty much anywhere.

*Image courtesy of beautydirectory.com

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