Lacosmogirl Haul

Hi all

The products I want to share with you today where all purchased by myself from Lacosmogirl.  The two palettes where purchased either in February or at the beginning of March, I cannot remember exactly.  The rest are recent purchases.

I am currently obsessed with Mineral Baked eye shadows.  I have been in love with the L'Oreal Infallible 24 Hour Eyeshadow because of the outstanding colours and the pigmentation, but could not bring myself to spend R135 per eyeshadow.  When I walked into Lacosmogirl and saw this palette and swatched it, I was in love.  It was an exact dupe for the L'Oreal shadows.  There are 12 eyeshadow s in the palette and after doing the math, these shadows cost R10 per shadow in the palette.  What a bargain!  The palette is labeled."Outdoor Girl" and the palette is in "01"  it has a sheen finish but not too shimmery.

The second palette is from the same cosmetics company but in "02".  This palette has matte shades in it and it is gorgeous.  There are 24 colours in this palette. Both palettes would last forever because the quantity in each one is very generous.

When I went back to Lacosmogirl recently, they spotted two (huge) mineral baked powder single eyeshadows.  These colours where not in the palettes I had previously purchased and after swatching them, I decided that they where going home with me.

The next product is a blush/ bronzer.  I am currently using a Physicians Formula blush which I have hit pan and needed a new blush in the same colour family.  This blush is from Ralo Cosmetics.  This is a peachy bronze shade that has white and gold specks of blush in it and is for lighter skin tones.  There was another blush for darker skin tones as well. I may still need to use a very light hand when applying , but I can't wait to try it out.

The next product is called "Magic Blusher"  It is perfect for the handbag. It has a brush applicator attached to it.  To use, you have to unscrew the cap, dip the brush into the product and apply the blush to the apples of the cheeks.  Perfect for a busy woman on the go to keep in her handbag.

Look at the super cute package on the lipstick shown below.  The colour is just gorgeous as well.  It is from Vision cosmetics.  It contains vitamin E and collagen protein.  The shade I chose was shade 11.

The next product is a "Milk Nail Polish Remover"  It looks and smells like milk, which is better for your nail than regular nail Polish remover.  The packaging states "A gentle and effective acetone free formula which removes nail polish quickly and easily from your nails"  Can't wait to try it out.

Last but not least, some bling.  A double ring that fits over two fingers which says "LOVE"
My friend had seen this on one of the beauty gurus on YouTube.

Thank you for reading my Lacosmogirl haul.  Their store details will be listed below for your info.  There is also a website where orders can be placed and sent via courier.

Website: http://www.lacosmogirl.co.za/
Telephone :0315846836
E-mail : info@lacosmogirl.co.za
Address: Shop 3B, iL Palazzo 5 Zenith Drive (ent on the cnr of Zenith Drive & Solstice Rd) Umhlanga New Town Centre

Purpose and use for a Fan Brush

A fan brush is one of the most practical makeup tool essentials around. It's often used to apply a setting powder for a soft-focus, weightless kind of finish. But that's not the only reason this multitasking makeup brush is so great
Many makeup brushes, such as eyebrow brushes, serve a specific purpose. Others are multi-purpose. You can use a fan makeup brush to create different effects on cheeks, eyes and other parts of your face.

Blusher / Bronzer
If you want just a sheer touch of blush or bronzer on your cheeks, or you tend to have a heavy hand when it comes to makeup, a fan brush will enable you to create a softer look. In turn, use the brush's flat shape to assist in contouring where needed.
Dip the brush in some loose powder blush. Start in the middle of the cheek (just below the cheekbone) and sweep the brush at an upward angle toward the ear.

Clean Up
By design, a fan brush fans away product. Use a soft fan brush to lightly dust away stray eye makeup that has fallen onto your cheeks after applying.

Even Out
Use a large fan brush to redistribute loose powder on the face. The thin, lightweight hair on the brush picks up any excess fine powder left on your skin by a makeup pad or powder brush.

Blend / Diffuse Color
Thanks to the rounded tip, a makeup fan brush is ideal for blending. Use it to blend darker shades to tone them down or soften up a dramatic look.

Highlight
Use a fan brush to sparsely dust a light, shimmery powder over the apple of your cheeks and the middle of your forehead to bring out these areas through highlighting.

Powder foundation
Get a more precise powder foundation application when using a fan brush.

Skin care applier
Make a mask or peel go on all the more smoothly with a fan brush. Better yet, you'll get nice coverage without using a lot of product.

Available at Clicks Stores

March 2012 Favourites

So I wanted to start doing monthly favourites blogposts.  I did not do one in February because I was so busy.  So here is my March 2012 favourites.

The first products is Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Talc Free Mineral blush in "Nude Glow"  This is what it looked like when I first bought it......

This is what it looks like now.....

As you can see I have hit pan on this blush.  That is how much I like it. It is hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, talc-free, non-comedegenic, dermatologist approved and oil free so it is ideal for sensitive skin. Minerals provide color that achieves soft, sheer shades for a long-lasting smooth, natural finish. so you never look over-done.  The marbleized design features two shades-in-one for a flawless and even finish.  Physicians formula is available exclusively to Dischem in South Africa.

My next favorite is the brush shown in the picture above.  L'amour X-treme Brushes - Qingni 805 by Extreme Cosmetics. I found it purely by accident when I was shopping for groceries at Pick n Pay Hypermarket by the Sea.  ,  It feels like a duo fibre brush and is soo soft.  It blends out brush and bronzer perfectly leaving no harsh lines. I do not use an angled brush to apply blush anymore and have picked up another one of these brushes so I have one for blush and one for bronzer.  It claims to be  hypoallergenic, not tested on animals, non-comedogenic and dermatologist tested.
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My next favorite is also a brush known as the Bionic Flat Top Buffer. I purchased this from Coastal Scents during a sale.  The markdown was enough to over-ride the courier fee so I had to get it after reading raving reviews.  I use this for foundation only.  My previous favorite foundation brush was a duo fibre stippling brush but this is even better.  It cuts down application time and buffs foundation into the skin without  any streaks  leaving an airbrushed finish.

Bionic Flat Top Buffer

My next favorite brush is angled eyeliner brush used to apply eyeshadow over pencil liner to prolong its wear and make the colour stand out more.  This has he perfect brush head for this application.  This was purchased at Lacosmogirl.

The eyeshadow I have reached for most of the month is Catrice's quad in 040 Never Let Me Go!  Lovely everyday colours.  I also use the darkest colour over brown pencil liner.  Lovely everyday colours to wear to the office. The colour can definetly be made more intense when going out after work to a party or another function using the darkest shade to smoke up the look.

Catrice - 040 Never Let Me Go!

The next product is also from Catrice.  Made To Stay Long lasting Eyeshadow in the shade 040 Lord Of The Blings.  I use this after primer but before eyeshadow as a base under the lid colour especially with the Catrice quad shown above. It makes the eyeshadow colour pop.  I use it under most of my eyeshadows.  I have 3 other Catrice Made To Stay Long lasting Eyeshadow shades but this is my favourite one.

Made To Stay Long lasting Eyeshadow 040 Lord Of The Blings.

I always use two mascaras as I have wimpy lashes.  I am currently using Rimmel Glam Eyes Lash Flirt as a base coat as it lengthens the lashes.  I then follow with Bionike Colour Defence Fake Lash Effect Volume Mascara.

I change the nail Polish on my toes every month and it seems to last at least three weeks if I put a good top coat over.  This month I am sporting the colour Neptune.  It a dark brown colour and is flattering on my skin tone.  It was purchased from Foschini on sale.

Neptune

I ran out of my Shea body butter from the body shop and didn't want to pay so much for a replacement since I got the first one on sale.  I then remembered that as an Xmas gift someone gave me a body butter and body scrub gift set from Woolworth's.  So I took it out of the cupboard and needless to say, I love it.  It is a Vanilla & Brown Sugar body butter with argon oil to calm and soothe.  It smells so yummy and is moisturising. I use body butter on my feet which keeps dryness away.

Vanilla & Brown Sugar body butter with argon oil

My favourite lip product for the month is the Dischem LIp Therapy Jojoba.  It leaves my lips smooth and moisturized.  I use at night after I clean my face and also over lipstick as it goes on as a clear gloss.  So my handbag wont be without this.

The foundation I have reached for most of the month is Max Factor - Miracle Touch - Liquid Illusion Foundation in 75 Golden.  I always return to this foundation and have repurchased it a few times already as it is better than most high end foundations I have tried. My face always looks better and is acne free when I use this foundation.  I do not wear a primer under this foundation.  The only negative is that packaging holds very little product and it gets finished very quickly. I apply it with the Bionic Flat Top Buffer brush mentioned above.

My last favorite is a ring I purchased during March form Lacosmogirl and should have been included in my birthday haul.  I wore it the night of my birthday dinner as well as most of the month of March.

 Those are my monthly favorites for March 2012. Thank you for reading

Xoxo

Product Review: Hair One

HAIR ONE - sulphate free hair cleanser and conditioner 

The product I want to review is called HAIR ONE.  A new way to cleanse and condition hair!  It eliminates the need for multiple hair care products.

In a previous blogpost I wrote about how I applied the Scott Cornwall Permanent Keratin Hair Straightening kit onto my hair.  I now have to use products with no parabens or sodium laurel sulphate on my hair.  I found this product in Dischem.  This one product cleanses, conditions, detangles, anti frizz and adds shine in one application.

It is available in four variants:
Cucumber Aloe for normal hair
Jojoba for colour treated hair
Olive Oil for dry damaged hair
Tea Tea Oil for dry scalp

My ramblings about the product:
There is a pump on the bottle which I appreciate on a product.  There is a three step direction process on the back of the bottle which seemed quite long, so after reading I decided I had the general idea and tweaked it a little to suite me.
  I wet my hair then did a few pumps to get the product onto the palm.of my hand.  I was surprised, as it was a thick cream formula.  I was confused as to how this was going to clean my hair.  It looked and felt like a conditioner or treatment mask. I applied it to different sections.of the hair at a time and also my scalp.  I then added a little splash of water to help.distribute the product to the ends of may hair.  I massaged the product into my hair for a few minutes then combed through my hair with a wide-tooth comb.  I left the product on my hair for about 5 to 10 minutes then I rinsed my hair twice.

While I left the product on for those 5 to 10 minutes, there was a fresh tingling on the scalp.  I could feel your hair being cleansed.   It was strange to apply a product that looks and feels like a  conditioner but actually cleans your hair.  I was impressed.  One of the ingredients in the product is menthol, hence the fresh tingling sensation.  Basically it cleaned, conditioned,  and had a hair  treatment mask effect on my hair.  My hair was definitely detangled and soft.


You do use a lot of product to cover your whole head, but it has eliminated the need to purchase multiple products. So for R39.95 for 355ml of product, I think it is value for money.
The one problem I may run into is when I eventually reach the bottom of bottle.  It may be difficult to get the last bit of product out.
Hair One has no sulphates, detergents or harsh chemicals.  With continued use, hair is supposed to be more manageable and it prevents hair loss.
The package insert states that Hair One can also be used as a Deep conditioning mask, for body cleansing and shaving cream.
After my first use of this products I was not disappointed and will definitely try one of the other formulations of this product.

Xoxo

Easter Beauty Tips With Chocolate

Chocolate in all forms is a widely loved sweet. It has, however, gotten a bad reputation in the world of beauty. Many people believe that eating chocolate can make their skin oily and thus more prone to acne. Yet many beauty treatments utilize chocolate, which can benefit the skin and make it more beautiful.

Chocolate is a powerful antioxidant, which can help slow the skin's natural aging process from the inside out.  Dark chocolate is at the top of the antioxidant list, more than  what is found in foods like blueberries, grapes and almonds. This means that dark chocolate is one of the most powerful and useful weapons in the fight against aging skin. It can reduce wrinkles and age spots and also improve skin elasticity and reduces cellulite.

Chocolate is not only good to eat but is full of feel good chemicals including serotonin, which makes us happy, and phenylethylamine, the chemical released when we are in love. Chocolate is packed with vitamin B, potassium, magnesium, zinc and calcium. Dark chocolate also contains iron

Chocolate is a popular ingredient in many beauty products.

Chocolate Moisturizes Skin
Chocolate moisturizes dry skin. This is most likely because it contains cocoa butter, a known skin moisturizer. It can also soften dead skin cells and make them easy to remove during exfoliation. This allows new, young and healthy skin cells to grow in their place. Moisturized skin not only looks better and healthier than dry skin, but it is also more elastic, which means fewer wrinkles. Skin can be moisturized internally by ingesting small amounts of dark chocolate daily, or externally with skin products that contain chocolate as a moisturizing ingredient.

Chocolate Facial Mask At Home
You can treat your skin at home with a homemade chocolate facial mask. It is recommended to mix 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 3 tbsp. heavy cream, 2 tsp. cottage cheese, ¼ cup honey and 3 tsp. oatmeal. Apply the mixture to the face for 10 minutes and then rinse it off with warm water. The creamy mask is an excellent moisturizer that leaves skin " baby soft." This mask is recommended for normal skin (neither too dry nor too oily) without major conditions such as severe acne.  There are also many chocolate facials you can buy in stores as well which will save you time.

Chocolate facials at a salon
The face is covered in gauze, then oxygen cream, followed by chocolate cream and finally plastic wrap to hold the treatment layers in place. The process takes 1 1/2 hours, but is a mood-enhancing experience that leaves skin plump and radiant.

Chocolate body wrap

A chocolate body wrap feels good and is beneficial to the skin as it uses cocoa butter to soften and moisten, while the antioxidants work on free radicals. A wrap can take up to 90 minutes to complete. After exfoliation, melted chocolate is poured over the body which is then wrapped in bandages or foil. The result is smooth, hydrated skin that smells delicious

   There many chocolate hair treatments that contain chocolate, cocoa beans and cocoa butter. They leave the hair shiny and glossy and are especially powerful for brunettes.

Chocolate Hair Care - Shampoos & Conditioners

Chocolate Flavored Brazilian Keratin Treatment System

Some spas now offer chocolate manicures and pedicures, which include a chocolate foot mask and a cup of cocoa. 

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Chocolate is good for you, inside and out.

NYX HAUL & GIFT WITH PURCHASE

Hi there

I am so excited to share this haul with you.  Anyone of you who lives in South Africa and follow YouTube beauty gurus like I do, have heard about NYX Cosmetics. Well NYX only launched here late in 2011, exclusive to Clicks stores (only two stores in Durban currently have stock).  I then rushed out to get a palette (Champagne & Caviar) and have not made any further purchases until now.

The Clicks beauty fair pamphlet was released and offers where valid from 20 March to 15 April 2012 while stocks last.  As per the phamplet, you had to purchase any NYX products to the value of R199.95 and you would receive a free Liquid Eyeliner, Matte Smokey Look Palette and Bronzing Powder, in a carrier bag, valued at R500. Well I was all over that like a rash!  It would be a perfect addiction to my birthday gifts I had already received.

 So a friend and I rushed down to Clicks in La Lucia Mall only to find out they did not have stock of the free gift.  Trying not to panic, we telephoned the branch and the head office and asked them to notify us when it was available and to keep two gift bags aside for us.  A few days later we received the telephone call we where waiting for.  So naturally we rushed backed to Clicks.  OMW the wait was soo worth it! 

NYX Matte Smokey Look One Night in Morocco makeup set
It is a dual tiered. Kit which contains 8 shades of eyeshadow, 1 eyeshadow base and four lip colours that compliment a matte smokey look.

Front & back cover of the box

  NYX Liquid Eyeliner  

NYX All over sun-kissed Bronzed for face and body (35g)
It is huge and will last forever!

 So we where so busy drooling over the free gift for like 30 minutes, what where we going to buy in order to get the free gift?  Decisions had to be made, and it was not easy. 

I wanted the eyeshadow base but to my surprise there was already one included in the free gift palette.   So after alot of deliberation, I decided to take the NYX PUSH UP BRA FOR EYES and NYX SHEER GLOSS in Shangri-La stg10.  Pictures below.

My friend chose NYX Champagne & Caviar palette and NYX Ultra Pearl Mania Pigment.  Pictures below

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Thank you reading my haul. I had fun posting it!

xoxo