Rimmel Apocolips : Swatches and Review



Rimmel Apocolips have finally reached the Australian shores! However, I did do the sneaky and find them on ASOS a few weeks prior. The Apocolips are a lip lacquer product, which are sold as being a long lasted, pigmented product with a smooth satin shine.

I recently even watched a video by the youtuber/blogger extraordinaire Sharon Farrell, who created a very natural looking blush using the sheered out  Rimmel Apocolip in Stellar:


Swatches
 Left to Right: Nude Eclipse, Luna, Celestial, Nova, Stellar, Apocalyptic, Big Bang



  Left to Right: Nude Eclipse, Luna, Celestial, Nova, Stellar, Apocalyptic, Big Bang 
Doe foot applicator - Rimmel Apocolip in Nova

So here's the run down:

Price: Online from ASOS for $11.37 or from Priceline for $15.95
Consistency: Creamy, smooth and moisturising.
Fragrance: A pleasant berry-like scent
Application: Application is best done in front of a mirror, as the pigmented lacquer can easily smear off course if not taking care, however the doe foot applicator makes precision easier.
Longevity: I found the gloss was still present a few hours of application and the colour seemed to stain my lips even post eating. 
Colour Range: A good colour range, that I'm sure most will find quite a few shades to enjoy. 
Finish: A glossy, highly pigmented product that glides onto lips and provides a longlasting colour.

Overall impressions: A great product from Rimmel that ticks a lot of boxes. Glossy, highly pigmented and long lasting, it will be a fantastic addition to your lip products that can be used all year round. Overall a product that I am very much enjoying and relish to have in my collection.

Have you tried them? What are your thoughts?

Ellen Rozalia xx

** Disclaimer: All products mentioned were purchased with my own money and all opinions are my own.

Makeup Books by Rae Morris and Napoleon Perdis




I have been thinking about buying some make-up books for a while now, and when I noticed they were in this weeks Aldi catalogue (yes, you read that right!) for $9.99 ( and yes you read that right too!) I thought why the heck not!

So these are the titles I picked up, each for $9.99:



Forever Flawless - How to look your best at every day By Napoleon Perdis
RRP:  AUD$39.99
Filled with all the how-to basics from caring for your skin to achieving the perfect pout, but with the added benefit of make-up do's and don'ts in your 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's and beyond. A lifetime make-up reference book or a great one for new make-up artists wanting tips and tricks to do make-up on clients of all ages.



Makeup - The ultimate Guide by Rae Morris
RRP: AUD $32.99
This book gets down to the nitty gritty of all aspects of make-up. It covers skin prepping, eyebrows and highlighting, to name a few, with fantastic photography along the way. A great book to have to know the basics or to brush up on skills or simple to look at the stunning photography work.

Timeless Makeup by Rae Morris
 RRP: AUD $32.99
This is a great reference book based on how to make the most of your features through all ages. It has in depth descriptions of products, how to use them and what to use them for. It also has complete instructions on how to create specific looks, the scarlet siren for example, and how to modify certain techniques and products to work best for you.


Express Makeup by Rae Morris
RRP: AUD $39.99
This is the book for the everyday woman who wants to look put together in a minimal amount of time. It has fantastic ideas on how to save time, what products to use, brushes to have and quick make-up pick-me-ups to use on those particularly rushed days. Again Rae Morris has included complete looks with an express twist, using minimal products for maximum effect. Another great book!


Overall I'm very impressed with my purchases! $9.99 for each of these books is a complete steal, and even if you only pick up one of them, you are still going to learn a lot or pick up some great ideas. Highly recommend running down to your nearest Aldi to snag one or all of them!

Did you pick one up? Any thoughts?


Ellen Rozalia xx

* Disclaimer: All mentioned products were purchased with my own money and all opinions are my own.

Violet Box - July 2013

Those of you who aren't aware, Violet Box is an Australian subscription box priced at $22.95 per month. It's a mix of skincare and beauty related products in both sample and full sized products.

 
I was very much looking forward to this months box, as they had already revealed that some pigments from Adorn would be included (eek!!), and they did not disappoint.

This is what I received:
 

This is the individual run down:


Catalina Geo Long & Deep Mascara - 6 Black - 2 x 7g
$31.50
I have never heard of this brand before, so of course I am very much looking forward to seeing how their mascara's perform.

On the package the mascara came in, it says:
" Reinforce the volume-creating effect and maintain the vitality of last with Royalherbsome, Vitamin B5, E and Allantoin.
A Liquid mascara containing pure ingredients specially chosen to give natural looking eye lashes. Non-allergenic and is not affected by tears or perspiration"

I take this as meaning it's a natural looking mascara that is waterproof (or semi waterproof?). I'm looking forward to trying this product and hope it lengthens and thickens my lashes to my liking (especially as there is a refill).  

St Tropez - Self Tan Bronzing Mousse - 50ml
$18.00
Being a very fair complexioned girl, I always seem to shy away from self tanning products as I fear I will turn out looking more Oompa loompa, than bronzed goddess. I have, however, heard good things about St Tropez self tanning products, so perhaps I will give it a go once is heats up here in Australia (currently "winter" here). On the back it recommends using an application mitt for best results, so it may be time to invest in one to achieve optimal results.


Aphelia - Peony Advanced Beautifying Eye Creme - Sample
Being in my early 20's, I have previously been told these are the years to start getting into the habit of using anti-aging products, eye creams etc. This is another brand I haven't heard of, and am looking forward to giving it a go. I'm obviously not expecting the "anti-aging" benefits, but perhaps hydration of my under eye area and improvement in dark circles would be nice.




Model Co. - Shine Ultra Lip Gloss in Strip Tease
 $19.80
This is a nude sparkly Lip Gloss with a strawberryish scent and quite sheer. I'm not a huge wearer of lip glosses, but sometimes prefer to layer over lipsticks for a bit more of a sheen. Alone on the lips, it feels hydrating and perhaps mildly sticky upon pressing my lips together. This is the kind of lip gloss that will work easily over my lipsticks or help to mute down more daring shades. A welcome addition, but not sure how much use I will get out of it, however it does have the handy addition of a mirror on one side. Into the handbag?



Adorn Cosmetics - Eye Shadow Sample
The very much anticipated inclusion in this months box was the eyeshadow pigments from Adorn. I received the shades Quartz and Jasper.


Quartz is a dark, matte, charcoal brown and Jasper is a shimmery antique gold pigment.

Swatch in sunlight - Quartz top, Jasper bottom
Swatch in natural light - Quartz left, Jasper Right
As you can see above, they swatched beautifully and felt quite creamy. I am extremely happy with the shades I received as I'm sure they will be very versatile and easy to wear on an everyday basis.


Overall I am extremely happy with this months Violet Box. Great value and some very exciting products with none having been in previous boxes. I really enjoy the fact that Violet box includes make-up and not just skincare items and samples in their box.

Did you enjoy your box? Thinking of signing up?




Ellen Rozalia xx


*Disclaimer: Everything was purchased with my own money and all my opinions are my own.


Lust have it box - July 2013



Those of you who aren't aware, Lust Have It is an Australian  subscription service where you receive a mixed box of samples and full sized skincare and beauty related products. It's current price is $19.95, or they do deals when purchasing 3, 6 or 12 months at a time

Now after last months box left a lot to be desired for, I was glad they had up'ed their game for the July offering. The theme for this month is "Vibrant Beauty".



 This month's box included:


Nude by Nature - Natural Tinted Mineral Moisuriser with Sunscreen

In the past, Lust Have It have catered for the "medium-skin-toned" subscribers. However, with this tinted moisturiser, I find it sinks and blends into my very fair complexion - although I'm yet to see if oxidation occurs. It feels light and non-greasy on the skin with a zesty fragrance, but the coverage is very minimal - probably why it doesn't look too out of place on my pale skin.


Knotties by Condition Culture Hair Ties
I have seen these around and am curious to try them out. Even though I only have short hair, I can just muster a tiny little pony tail! So I guess I will test out their anti-slippage abilities, which is the main problem I face with most hair ties.




Coloursmash by Condition Culture Hair Shadow
 Another offering from the brand Condition Culture (which I've never heard of before - have you?) and this is more exciting! It's a pigmented powder to be used on the hair and from the swatches it seems quite creamy and smooth. If you didn't want to use it on your hair, I'm sure it could easily translate to use on the eyes. Although, I am kind of intrigued to see how it will turn out on the hair. I received the "Gold Rush" and can imagine it would look stunning on blonde hair.


Schwarzkopf - Extra Care Volume Powder
With my fine hair, I'm hoping this will be an instant hit. I often find dry shampoo's weigh down my hair, rather than add lift and volume. I have seen a similar product on the blogosphere - L'oreal Tecni Art Super Dust Volume and Texture Powder , so I wonder how they compare.


Swisse - Hand Cream with Vitamin F and Pomegranate
Having received this before in a Lust Have It box, I wasn't over enthused to receive it again. It's a nice moisturiser, light zesty scent - but nothing fantastic. Kind of one of those products you throw in your bag to use in emergencies, but not to savour and enjoy. 


Trilogy - Active Enzyme Cleansing Cream
 I quite enjoy most products I have tried from Trilogy, but with the sample size of 5ml, it's hardly enough to really see how it compares the products I already have, or what effect if has on my skin. I like the concept of this product, but just wish the sample was big enough for at least a few uses.


California Mango - Mango and Jojoba Body Lotion
As I thoroughly enjoy mango, I was hoping this would  be a pleasant mango smell and not one of those mock mango cheap sickly smelling fragrances - and I was not disappointed. Smelling like summer and holidays at the beach, it's definitely a hit. It's quite moisturising and seems to sink into the skin quite well.


Health Essentials - Maqui Berry Active
I'm always dubious as to whether these kind of products really are that beneficial, but I'm hoping that this will at least taste nice and give me a bit of a pep-up.


Overall I am quite pleased with this month's offering. Previous boxes have been bit of a let down, so I'm happy that it seems they have been listening to their subscribers with some new, not seen before products. Would have something other than the Swisse hand cream again, but at least it's something I will use.

Did you receive this months box? What do you think?


Ellen Rozalia xx



**Disclaimer - everything mentioned was purchased with my own money and all my opinions are my own.

Skincare by Caroline Hirons

Understanding skincare has never been as crystal clear since watching the fabulous interview by the Pixiwoo sisters on the YouTube channel Body Talk Daily.


Caroline Hirons, the blogger behind beautymouth, is known as God when it comes to what to and what not to use on your skin.

I highly recommend watching the video below:




 Have you got any great skincare tips?


Ellen Rozalia xx



Happy Skincare


I've recently decided to join the cleansing balm band wagon. After numerous YouTube video's on the cleansing sensation, it's easy to note that there is a huge cult following on cleansing balms, and I wanted to know why. A few of the most noted ones were one by Eve Lom, Emma Hardie and Elemis.

I wasn't too keen to part with my hard earned cash to try something that a. may break me out (ergh!) b. cost a fortune or c. simply something worth too much effort with minimal results. 

I then came across a company called Happy SkinCare, who have a focus on all natural and organic ingredients in their product line. I received a sample of their Pig-In-Mud mask a while ago (which I thoroughly enjoyed), so thought I'd see what else they had in their range. 

I quickly discovered they do a sample pack. Which contains:
- Cloud 9' Cleansing Balm - 5ml
- 'Tickled Pink' Perfecting Tonic - 5ml
- 'Good Vibes' Omega Facial Oil - 2ml
- 'Pig In Mud' Mineral Mask - 4g
WITH FREE AUSTRALIAN POSTAGE! And if that wasn't good enough, you can also redeem the cost (AUD$9.90) in future purchases. Win- Win situation? I think so. 

So off I went and ordered one, and a few days later there was a little package at my door. I was thrilled. The first time I used the cleansing balm, I took a pea sized amount (as instructed) and massaged onto my dry face. Initially there were a few small grainy bits( presumably hardened oils), which quickly melted into a luxuriously smooth balm. I washed and wiped my face gently with wash cloth. I have read on a few bloggers that they have found some cleansing balms left a "film-like" covering over the skin and I can honestly say I haven't experienced that with this balm. I then followed with two sprits of the perfecting tonic (which smells cloves and orange = joy in a bottle) wiping the excess off with a cotton pad. The Perfecting tonic is said to remove any remnants of the balm and as far as I can tell, it does (not that there feels like there is anyway).and then dotted some omega facial oil on. I was dubious at first about putting oil on my combination skin, as in the past many have just left an oily smear across my already oily face. Alas, this was not the case! Within a few seconds of massaging this oil in, it was quickly absorbed into my skin leaving it feeling moisturised and smooth. 

The next time I used the balm I took it into the shower with me. The consistency was instantly smooth, so I'm thinking the first time it was used the grainy bits are down to the postman leaving it outside in the cold (grr!). Anyway, I again took a pea sized amount, smoothed it over my skin and this time I used my Olay Professional Pro-Z Advanced Cleansing System- aka Clarisonic wannabe. I initially thought - hey I'll get the extra exfoliation and help it cleanse my skin, and I wouldn't say this was exactly the case. Yes, extra exfoliation did occur, but it also seemed to absorb and remove the precious balm from my face. Not so good. It also seemed to suck the balm into it's little bristles leaving an extra cleaning job for me. Again, not so good. 

I have since decided that if you are after the extra exfoliation with this, or any cleansing balm, a muslin cloth is best. I enjoyed using the cleansing balm in the shower, as my pores seemed more receptive to the cleansing powers of the balm and with the muslin cloth it also helped remove dead skin cells. 

Overall I am hooked. My face feels smooth, nourished, moisturised and calmed. One thing I must say is all the products smell heavenly. Kind of like a spa visit meets natural bliss. It's also safe on the eyes and great at removing water-proof makeup. 

Have you tried any cleansing balms recently?

Ellen Rozalia xx

*Disclaimer: Everything mentioned was purchased with my own money and all opinions are my own.
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