Artsy Wednesday - Halloween Nails

Hi guys!! Hope you are all having a good week! Today's AW theme is Halloween and I decided to do blood drips and spooky eyes! I got the spooky eyes idea from HannaRoxNails over on YouTube! It's a really easy but cool design which I will be wearing for the rest of the week! The colours I used were 1 coat of Orly - Vinyl*, my go to black creme. I then used red, yellow, white and black acrylic paint to do the designs. I finished the look off with 1 coat of Kester Black - Matt Top Coat*. My boyfriend's colleague is having a halloween party on Saturday night and we are both going to dress up as zombies and I'm bringing spooky-themed cupcakes! I'll be sure to show you pictures in a separate post if you would be interested in that!

Make sure you check out the other spooky AW designs for this week!! Happy Halloween!

Michelle - Lab Muffin
Maria - Marias Nail Polish Blog
Jessica - Beauty Gnome 
Emily - An Accent Nail
Catrine - Unnakednails
Ameerah - Valiantly Varnished 

Wendy - M.A.S.P.O.O.A.S.E.

Haylee & Anna - Makeup and Masala  

Rose -  Every Little Polish  

Anna - Makeup n' More

 

 

Ofra Cosmetics, Ardell and Indeed Labs Review

Hi guys!! Today I have a few products to show you by Ofra, Ardell and Indeed Laboratories. Ofra is currently only available to purchase at selected stockists on their website here, but you can buy Ardell products from Priceline and selected pharmacies and Indeed Labs also at Priceline.

Ofra - Brown Mousse Mascara (RRP $28, released early next year)*. This brown mousse mascara is actually waterproof (even though it doesn't say on the packaging - but in the ingredients list (beeswax)) and is a long-lasting, super tough to remove mascara. I like wearing brown mascara on my eyes as I feel it gives me an overall softer look compared to wearing black mascara. The brush is a flexible silicon wand that applies just enough product onto your lashes without clumping them. One half of the brush is designed for your upper lashes (with the longer bristles) and the other side it designed for your lower lashes (smaller bristles). I can't use this mascara. It is way too long-lasting to the point that even Dove's make up remover didn't work on it. If I was stranded on an island with a handsome man for 5 days I would definitely wear this because I know it won't go anywhere. When I tried to remove it the first time I was still pulling out mascara 3 days later! Then I applied it a second time and removed it with my trusty Clarins Cleansing Oil and it came off like a charm.. phew!

 

Ofra - Rainbow Lips Pink Lady (RRP US$24.00)* Is a really interesting lip colour wheel that has 5 colours and a lip balm in the middle for beforehand. It's a really cool concept because you can customize your colour any way you want by mixing them! It smells so delicious, like vanilla and the colours are soft and creamy. They are not all super pigmented and some take a little warming up with your finger to release colour. It is best to apply this with a lip brush. I mixed the darkest pink/brown with the lightest pink and it gave me a gorgeous rose flushed colour. You could definitely use this on your cheeks too because it is not sticky and not fully opaque.The combination I applied wore off very quickly but the whole time it was super hydrating and felt like I was wearing a lip balm.

Ardell - Brow & Lash Comb* and Sculpting Gel* (RRP $6.99) - These 2 babies are products I can't live without. When grooming my brows I always brush them up and outwards and trim any stray hairs, not to mention I can brush my eyelashes to remove any clumps! The brow sculpting gel in clear is perfect for my coarse brows as they help keep them in line but not making them feel hard or crunchy like other eyebrow gels do. I've been using these two products pretty much since I was 15 and can never fault them!

Ardell - Perfection Stencils (RRP $9.99)* - This is a new product to me. I've never tried any stencils before because I've been genetically blessed with full, arched brows lol. So I was intruiged to try the stencils and I tried out all 4 designs that came with the pack. I just used my Cailyn Gelux Eyebrow in Espresso that I received in my wantable box here to fill in each stencil. These stencils are a bit awkward to use because to hold it firmly you need to use two fingers so my hand was infront of my face and sometimes covering my eye which made it hard to see. Some of the stencils were too thin for my brows and ended up looking a bit messy. The worst stencil for my eyebrow shape was the Classique one (as you can clearly tell) because it was too arched for my eyebrow shape and I couldn't get a proportional design out. Besides being a bit awkward to use and too thin for MY eyebrows, I can see this being really helpful for people with very thin, over plucked eye brows or just to practice filling their brows in!

 

Before - No Brow gel applied

Elegant Stencil

Delicate Stencil

Glamorous Stencil

Classique Stencil

Indeed Laboratories - Hydraluron Moisture Booster Serum (RRP $34.99)* - This Hydraluron gel contains the purest form of hyaluronic acid from the Netherlands to restore optimal hydration levels. It contains a strain of red marine algae to help achieve ideal penetration of hyaluronic acid. With regular use, over time this serum increases the skin's hydration level and minimizes the need for frequent moisturizing. I've been using this serum for about 3 weeks now and have noticed straight after I wash my face and tone it, it doesn't feel as tight as it used too or dehydrated. I still get the occasional dryness on my chin area but this is something I hope will get better with continued use of this production. The packaging comes with a very in depth explanation and even shows graphs on how exactly this product works. It is a clear gel in a small 30ml tube that has no scent to it. It absorbs very quickly and helps absorb my facial oil quicker as well. (P.s Caroline Hirron swears by this!!).

These are a few skincare and make up products I've been trying out lately. Have you tried any of these products? If so let me know which one you liked the best!! Have a great day and see you all soon!

Pevonia Skincare Review

Hi everyone! Today I have a few products by Pevonia to show you. Pevonia is an organic skincare brand that offers elite products to prestigious spas worldwide. All products are free from parabens, artificial colours and fragrance and aim to provide effective skincare solutions for all ages and ethnicities. Check out their extensive and thorough website here. Today I will be showing you 3 products from the SpaTeen line, 2 products from the Ligne Nymphea line and 1 from the Ligne Fondamentale.

SpaTeen All Skin Types Kit* (RRP $140) - This trio pack comes in a green mesh bag filled with a cleanser (120ml), lotion toner (120ml) and a moisturiser (50ml). The SpaTeen line was developed for young adults and teens to properly address dry, sensitive and combination skin by unclogging pores and healing and preventing blemishes. It has antibacterial properties to prevent micro-comedone formation. I had been using this 3 step system for about a week and really enjoy the cleanser and the toner but could not continue using the moisturiser as it made my skin burn a little bit. I really like the toner because you can actually rub it in with your fingers as opposed to a cotton pad (not to mention wasteful!) and it starts to foam up a little bit. It makes my skin feel fresh and really clean. The cleanser works really well to remove any traces of make up. The scent is ok. . it smells like calendula flowers (which the extract has been used) but has a more concentrated medical smell to it. 

Ligne Nymphea - Dry Oil Body Moisturiser* (RRP $73 for 200ml) is a really great product. As it is a dry oil it is not greasy and is easily absorbed into the skin. I love this product a lot especially on my legs which get dry after shaving. I use this straight after a shower and it really locks in the moisture. It smells very similar to talcum powder and baby oil. 

Silky Skin Body Scrub* (RRP $75.00 for 200ml) is a gentle scrub to help activate blood circulation and removes any roughness or impurities. I've been mainly focusing this on the bum/outer thigh region and have noticed my skin feeling a lot smoother. Although it won't remove my white stretch marks (dammnit!), I do feel it has improved the look of my cellulite prone areas. It is a white grainy cream that smells of lemon essence. I use this whilst in the shower.

Aromatherapy Face Oil* (RRP $49.25) - I was a bit sceptical about this product because I've had such amazing results with rosehip oil being my "face oil". I was a little let down with this product because it had not really improved the look of my pimple scars (which unfortunately I suffer from). It is a nice oil to indulge your skin with but I was expecting it to help with my discolouration. It smells very strongly of grapefruit and absorbs quickly into the skin. 

Excuse the half empty bottle here - I've been using this for well over 3 weeks now

The price point on these products are really quite high and a bit out of range for many people. I do feel the dry body oil and the toner are worth the money, but for the rest of the products, there are so many competing brands in the market at a lower price point that it's easy to avoid this brand altogether. It is a very indulgent and luxurious brand and would be nice to splurge with when at a spa. Let me know if you have tried any of these products and what you like best.. I'd love to know! 

Ombre Diamond Nail Art (Feat Kester Black)

Hi guys!! Today I have some nail art I did a few weeks ago to show you. Ombre diamond nail art - woo! I'm really loving ombre looks these days and adoring the heck out of all my Kester Black polishes - they are just perfect colours and are all colours I used for this look!

For the base I used 2 coats of OPI - Alpine Snow*. From pinky to thumb I used: Kester Black - Buttercream*, Peach Melba*, Papaya*, Paradise Punch* and Dragonfruit*. I taped off triangles and filled the space with each colour. I cleaned up any messy lines with some non acetone remover (it slows the removal time so easier to clean up with when fixing mistakes on the actual nail) and followed by 1 coat of SV. I loved this look and can't wait to do some more looks with Kester Black polishes. See reviews here and here of each of these colours and you should definitely check out the website here! Super talented woman with an insane skill for crafting amazing jewellery and nail polish. My two loves combined! Have a good day!

Justice Professional (Just Cuts) Product Review

Hey guys!! Today I have a new brand to introduce you too called Justice Professional which has been created by Just Cuts (for those not from Australia, this is a chain group of low to medium price ranged hair services). They have just released 14 products ranging from stylers, cleansers, treatments, holders, oils and moulding products. Today I will be sharing with you the Cool Mint Shampoo* and Conditioner*, Violet Shampoo* and Argan Oil*. These products can be found at www.justicehair.com and Just Cuts salons.

I love the Cool Mint Shampoo* and Conditioner*. I love products that can make your scalp feel all cool and tingly. The Cool Mint shampoo is sulphate free but lathers up really well. It is enriched with pro-vitamin b-5 and nourishing wheat protein to leave the hair feeling moisturised and revived. The conditioner really awakens my scalp, giving me the strongest tingly feeling when it is rinsed out! The scent is really nice; a mixture of mint, rosemary and lemon. The Cool Mint shampoo and conditioner do not weigh my hair down and I have noticed my hair feeling weightless and very bouncy since using it for over a week now. The Shampoo and Conditioner both retail for $16.95 for a big 250ml bottle and I really like the packaging and sleek body of the bottles.

The Violet Shampoo* is a product I wanted to try, but to only use on the ends of my hair (as I have balayage hair) and i'm so glad I did! This product is sooo confronting with the violet dye-like product that literally looks like it is going to stain every surface of the shower and your body - but thankfully it does not! If you have bleached, grey or white hair then it is a good idea to use violet shampoo as it helps to remove brassy tones and restores vibrancy in your hair colour. Whenever I dye my ends blonde and wash out the dye I noticed the lightest parts of my ends looking grey when they are wet, but this eventually fades with time - but since using the violet shampoo I can see the lightest parts of my hair becoming brighter and looking grey when it is wet (which is a good thing as it dries very light blonde!) I adore this product but the smell is a bit funny . . it smells sort of bad, but covered with a grape scent. . so it smells half bad than if no grape scent was added lol. This retails for $16.99 for a 250ml bottle.

The Argan Oil* is a hair oil i've been dying to try for so long now. I've tried just about everything else but Argan oil surprisingly! I love that this bottle has a spray nozzle on the top so you can either spray it into your hand or directly onto your hair. I do really like how shiny and soft my hair has been since using this oil, but I have noticed that my hair is less wavy as a result of being weighed down. It would be cool if there was a "light" version of this so hair isn't weighed down as much. Nonetheless I will continue using this and have glossy, luscious locks! This retails for $24.99 and comes in a 100ml bottle.

Let me know if you try some products - I'd love to try their protein spray next! Thanks for reading. 

Calvin Klein - Downtown EDP

Hey everyone! Today I have the new Calvin Klein Eau De Parfum Downtown* to share with you. Downtown has very strong opposing smells of feminine woods and floral. It's perfect for the colder, winter nights as it is sultry and quite musky.  The packaging and bottle is simple but gorgeous with a pink barrel lid - which i've been taking photos through as a filter on instagram (@mgiandzi) Downtown retails for $60 (30ml), $90 (50ml) and $120 (90ml).

top notes: Italian cedrat, bergamot, Tunisian neroli, green pear, watery plum
mid notes: pink peppercorn, violet leaf, gardenia petals
dry notes: Texan cedarwood, incense, vetiver, velvet musks

I personally love this smell. Have you smelled it?

Clarins - Extra-Comfort Foundation SPF15

Hi everyone! Today I have a new foundation from Clarins called Extra-Comfort* to show you. This foundation has an exclusive formula that plumps, hydrates and deeply nourishes. It contains a plant micropatch that helps control skin shine while also helping to balance moisture to the drier parts of the face. It is infused with argan oil and can be worn for up to 14 hours. It is a mineral-based foundation with an SPF 15. This foundation is available in 6 shades and retails for $80. It is definitely a luxury item and I would only use it sparingly for special occasions but you do get a lot in the tub (30mL).

I really like this foundation. It is really light weight but has high coverage so you can either apply decent sized amount to cover the whole face or just blot it onto any blemishes you may have. The colour; 107 biege suits me really well and gives me a nice dewy glow. I don't generally wear foundation but lately I have been breaking out so I decided to test it out all day. *Beware of ugly looking blemishes soon to come*. It didn't move at all on my face and I wore it for about 6 hours. It looked really fresh and made me look more awake also. Also, this product smells amazing. Clarins has a specific smell to their products, and if you know it, then you can relate! Also just to mention - my blemishes were really red so it was a bit harder to cover up completely as I needed to conceal with a green concealer prior to applying foundation.

I definitely need a beauty blender to blend it in better - but for now my fingers will do! Thanks for reading.

 

Polished London Nail Lacquer

Hello everyone! Today I have a few colours by Polished London to show you. I always saw Polished London polishes in the Terry White Racks and had never tried them until now! I'm really glad I did because not only are they very affordable (RRP $7.99) but the formula is great, the brush is really easy to use and the colours are nice! Polished London can be found at Priceline, Terry White and other independent chemists. Here's a look at some colours.

Cranberry* - A dark cranberry red creme. I used 1 coat for this photo with no top coat.

Portobello* - A pretty light dusky purple/blue creme. This is 1 coat and no top coat.

Miss Navy* - My favourite from the bunch, a stunning dark ink blue with duochrome purple, blue and green shimmers. I used 2 coats with no top coat.