OPI Teenage Dream + Black Shatter NOTD

Just a very quick NOTD post for you guys today. Since coming back from my trip I haven't been doing my nails much as my cuticles have been really ragged and they just look terrible *cries*. I guess the change from HK humidity to cold Sydney Autumn didn't help! You won't be seeing many manicures on my blog until they recover unfortunately but I have some other exciting posts for you don't worry ;) I decided to do a quick mani the other day and I finally tried out OPI Teenage Dream with some Black Shatter magic. Excuse my pics in this post - a light bulb went out in my room JUST before I finished my mani hence dodgy lighting.

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Teenage Dream is a gorgeous pink glitter polish from OPI's Katy Perry collection. I wasn't really all that fussed about the collection when it first came out until I saw swatches of Teenage Dream and it sold me. I had to get it for myself! There's all sorts of wonderful glitter in it and for a glitter lover like me it's a wonderful pink with lots of sparkle for my collection. It's quite a sheer polish but as I was going to apply Black Shatter over the top I only went with 2 coats which is pictured below.

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I then applied a thin coat of Black Shatter over the top and WOW! What a combination. My pics don't do this manicure justice but believe me it looked awesome! I couldn't stop admiring my nails and the girls at work loved it! I had to bring these polishes in to work and do the same combination for them too haha.

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What polishes have you fallen in love with after seeing swatches online?

Thanks for looking! =)

Born Pretty Store review + Hello Kitty manicure

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I was recently given the opportunity to review nail art products from Born Pretty Store. Many of you will have heard of them but for those who haven't, Born Pretty Store is a great online store that sells lots of fantastic nail art, nail care and makeup items. I've bought from them previously and I also won a giveaway for a voucher to the store so I've tried and loved their products already therefore I was very happy and excited to try out other products! Kevin kindly allowed me to choose some items and below is what I chose:

1800 nail art rhinestone wheel - which you can purchase here:

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5 2 way dotting pen tools - which you can purchase here:

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Hello Kitty & Snow White nail decals - which you can purchase here:

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I decided to do a Hello Kitty manicure using the above products. I wish I had chosen white polish to do the dots instead of the yellow but oh well! I love me a good Hello Kitty mani ;)

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I started off with 2 coats of Korres Watermelon (fully swatched here) on all fingers except accent fingers where I used 2 coats of China Glaze Empowerment.

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The rhinestones are quite large - about 3mm in diameter - and come in an assortment of colours which is great. I placed a few of the rhinestones in different colours onto the middle of my thumbs using a wooden orange stick and clear polish. I have many rhinestones in different sizes but none this large so I'm very happy to add this wheel to my nail art collection.

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The dotting tools are double ended and each is a different size. These are very easy to use to create polka dot nails which I love! The smaller sized ones are quite similar though and I would have liked to see more larger sizes. They are easy to use and great for beginner nail art!

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For the dots for this manicure, I used the blue tool which creates medium sized dots.

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I love water decals and these were fantastic to use. I've actually purchased water decals from the same brand last year when I went to HK (not from Born Pretty) and LOVED them and the quality of these was the same. They don't take long to soak in water before they are ready to use and can be manipulated on the nail if you don't get the perfect position right away. I need these water decals in every design possible x)

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I used the Hello Kitty decals for this manicure and they are so so cute! They adhered easily and smoothly to the nail.

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I also chose a stainless steel cuticle pusher remover to try out. Unfortunately this didn't work too well for me as I don't think it was curved enough to allow me to push back my cuticles properly. I'm used to using orange sticks to remove my cuticles and I find they work better.

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Would I repurchase from Born Pretty again?: YES! I've purchased from them before and will do so again in the future. They have an absolutely fantastic selection of products (tooo many for this indecisive girl actually!) and I especially love the fact they have such a large range of nail art products. You all know my love of nail art and to be able to buy so many different items from the same site is great. The products arrive promptly and well packaged.

You can check out the great selection of products yourself at the Born Pretty Store online store.

A big thank you to Kevin for sending me the above products to sample! I was sent the above products for my consideration but this in no way influenced my review in any way. As always, my reviews are my 100% honest opinion.

Thanks for looking as always!

Glitter Gal Giveaway winner

I can't believe it's taken me this long to announce the winner of my giveaway! I guess that's what happens when I overload myself with things to do x( So without further ado, the winner of my Glitter Gal giveaway is:

Winner!

Alice!!

Congratulations Alice!!! Alice blogs over at Nails by Alice so make sure you check her blog out. I've just sent you an email requesting your details Alice and please respond within 48hours! If I don't receive a response in that time period I will draw another winner.

A HUGE thank you to lovely Kerry and Anna for providing this awesome prize! You can purchase Glitter Gal polishes from the online shop.

Thank you to everyone who entered - if you didn't win this time don't be disappointed! I have future giveaways planned =)

Thanks for looking!

My Hong Kong 2011 hauls *PIC HEAVY*

Hi ladies! Lots of you have requested to see what I hauled in Hong Kong this time so here's my post as promised. I do not take responsibility for any lemmings caused by my post! =p I didn't actually buy as much beauty stuff as last year (so I'm telling myself HA!) as I purchased quite a few items of clothing plus bits and pieces and also 8 pairs of shoes!! Not pictured here though as I'm a beauty blogger not a fashion blogger =p This post will be PICTURE HEAVY.

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Onto the good stuff!

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Of course I had to buy some nail polishes even though I said no more xD You might notice my very 1st Lippmann collection polish!!!! EEEEEEEEEK!!! OMG I just about passed out when I happened to come across them. My sis was so embarrassed haha. I'm desperate for Glitter in the Air but they sold out and didn't get any stock in again before I left so I only walked away with Across the Universe as they were quite pricey. Other polishes I got included some relatively cheap OPI I found (well compared to Aus prices), Nicole by OPI including Beiber ones, GOSH Purple Heart which my sis got me, Lioele polishes and some AWESOME holos I'll show you in another post.

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I stocked up on nail stickers that I found last time which I think are fantastic. I've used these stickers before in my Valentines Day manicure and my 25th Birthday manicure. Not all are for me! I'll be giving some to friends of course hehe.

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I wanted the new Konad plates but they sold out of m82 so I had to go with m83, m42 and m66. I've been needing a new special polish in white so lemming fulfilled.

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Some nail mags of course for inspiration ;) Nail Venus and 2 Nail Up! magazines. There's now an app for Nail Up! but nothing beats the actual mag that you can peruse at your own leisure and bookmark your favourite manis ;)

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My Beauty Diary Mask overload!! I asked my Aunty to look for the Hello Kitty ones for me and she looked all over HK for me but alas to no avail. So she asked her friend who visited Taiwan to find some for me!!! Gosh I am so blessed to have such a wonderful Aunty =) The other masks are Aloe Vera and the new Earl Grey Tea & Macaroon and Chocolate Truffle masks.

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From L - R: Missha BB Boomer, Missha Real Signature, Skin79 Super BB Gold and Skinfood Red Bean BB cream

Assorted BB Creams and a Missha base for my sis and I to trial. Can you tell we like BB creams??!! I also got the Clinique BB to try bringing the total number we own now to 7. This is kinda a lot seeing as I only have one face and usually don't wear much makeup to work where I spend most of my time! xp

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Some MAC goodies!! I've been lusting after MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study after seeing it used by so many lovely bloggers for beautiful FOTDs. I also just had to get the Viva Glam GaGa 2 lipglass - it's such a beautiful nude gloss! And I swear by MAC concealer so I got the Select Cover-Up to round out my collection of concealers.

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My very 1st Chanel beauty products! *happy dance* I got the limited edition Lèvres Scintillantes in 154 Liaison and Rouge Coco Shine in Évasion and Romance. I only intended on buying one lippy and instead I walk out with 3 products! I was also given a sample too which was nice. Gotta love samples!

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I stocked up on most of my Clinique supplies when I went last year so I only picked up a few things this trip. My most important mission was to hunt down Chubby Sticks!!!! HK unfortunately only carries 4 of the colours in the range and Woppin' Watermelon and Super Strawberry were sold out in most stores and counters. However thanks to the insistence of my sis I managed to score them!!

I picked up a 50ml bottle of the Derma White Clinical brightening essence which is marketed here in Aus as even better clinical dark spot corrector. I've been using this for a while now and my skin is looking so much better! The green tube is the Clinique age defense BB cream which I purchased on the plane as it's a duty free travel exclusive. I have no idea why! I also got the bottom lash mascara and was given some samples too.

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I had the pleasure of meeting up with the lovely Jen from Life and Lens of Beauty again and we did some browsing before having dinner. Jen has the most enviable blush collection and I just drool at all the Jill Stuart items she has so who better to help me choose my 1st Jill Stuart blush! I got the mix blush compact in milky strawberry and it's so beautiful I don't want to use it! x)

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Jen very kindly gifted me with the Korres wild rose mask (which smells BEAUTIFUL!) and e.l.f blush in candid coral. Thank you so much Jen!! It was absolutely wonderful catching up with you again and I hope we can get together when I go next year =D I hope work is treating you ok!

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I've wanted to try a lip concealer for ages so I picked up B & C Makemania Nudy lip concealer. I got the Cosmagic sweet deco cheek blush to try because it has this really cute fluffy pink applicator haha. I doubt it will apply it well but it's cute!

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Some beauty tools - a beauty blender sponge thing, Everyday Minerals brushes and a generic lip brush from Sasa.

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Vitacreme B12 creams!! I picked a tube up last year and I LOVE it. It's great for my sensitive skin, smells OK and feels wonderful. These 3 tubes should last me until my next trip!

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I love the pastel purple packaging that Biore products have for some reason and I'm always drawn to their products! I picked up my favourite facial wipes and also tried out the cleansing oil. I used the cleansing oil while in HK and it's great! I wanted to pick up another bottle but I was worried I would be over the baggage allowance so didn't doh.

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Stella McCartney perfumes are my absolute favourite and are my signature scent - I've gone through 3 bottles of the original Stella perfume alone! This set is great as it includes a body milk.

So there you have it! My beauty hauls from Hong Kong for 2011. I hope you enjoyed this post! Is there anything you'd like to see in greater detail? Let me know and I'll do my best!

Thanks for looking as always! =)

I'M BACK!

Hello ladies!!

I am happy to let you know that I am back home in Sydney after an awesome and much needed 2 week holiday in Hong Kong. I got to spend quality time with my grandparents, had yumcha nearly every day, had a short stay in Macau, ate like crazy (gained a few kilos in the process!) and of course shopped my heart out!! My sis and I were actually UNDER the baggage limit by 200g which was shocking to me. If I'd known I would have bought more haha! I took a complete break from blogging and blog reading and now I am refreshed and psyched to blog again. Normal posting will resume this week!

Thank you for looking as always! =D

Off to Hong Kong + a mini blogging break

Hi ladies!

I just want to let you know that I'm off to Hong Kong for 2 weeks today for some quality family time and relaxation. You do not know how much I have been hanging out for a holiday! XD I'm going just with my sis this time so I hope we don't annoy each other too much! Haha.

I'm also going to take this opportunity to take a little break from blogging. The last few weeks of work has really taken it's toll on me plus my recent health problems haven't helped either. If you follow me on Twitter then you'll have heard me complain =p I feel crazy stressed out and exhausted and grumpy and when I come home I've just had no motivation to blog or prepare posts at all. It's been a struggle to get content up on most days and I just can't seem to get the words out. I absolutely LOVE to blog so this saddens me. Hopefully my trip will bring my blogging mojo back!

I apologise for the very lax replies to comments and emails - please know I read and appreciate every single comment you guys leave me ♥ I will try get to my emails as soon as I can. I'm still currently going through entries for my Glitter Gal giveaway so please be patient and it will be announced shortly. For those who harass me about it - DON'T.

I need to have at least 1 pic in my posts so here are just a few of the things you can look forward to seeing featured on my blog when I return!

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I'll try and post a bit but as I'm only going for 2 weeks this time (with a short stay in Macau yay!) so I have a jam packed itinerary. I'll be on Twitter and Instagram though so make sure to catch me there! Thank you all for your continued support for me and my blog - it means the world to me =) I hope to be back with a bang!

Thanks for looking as always see you all in HK!!!! =D

Catherine Arley 674 NOTD

Hi ladies! I'm off to the Maroon 5 concert tonight which I am VERY excited about so it's just a quick post today. As soon as I saw the Catherine Arley holo in my Easter package from Christina I just had to try it out! I've been DYING to get my hands on these ever since I saw Deniz's swatches so I immediately removed my mani on Wednesday and tried it out =D

Catherine Arley 674

Christina very kindly sent me 674 which is a beautiful pale blue holographic polish. It is GORGEOUS! It's a pale blue so it's quite subtle and has just the right amount of holo. This is going to be strange, but when I have a holo polish on I tend to look at my nails a lot during the day and I just couldn't stop staring at this beautiful blue hehe. Unfortunately I didn't get any pics in sunlight which is a shame.

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Close up:

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It applied very nicely - I had no application problems at all and it wasn't too sheer. I did 3 coats for full opacity which is pictured and it dried very quickly to a glossy finish. I also really like the bottle shape as it's so round and cute!! I need more in my life x)

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I am very impressed with the wear too being a holo. I applied a coat of Color Club Vivid Intensifying topcoat after I took these pics (it wasn't dulled by topcoat if you're wondering) and I was very rough to my nails at work and I did not get one chip or tipwear at all. Holos don't tend to last very long on me unfortunately so I was stoked!

I'm off to make googly eyes at the wondrous creature that is Adam Levine x) Thanks for looking as always!!

May packages!

Just a quick post for you today! I received 2 wonderful packages this week and I just have to share them with you as I didn't haul anything in April!! Great for my wallet haha.

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The 1st package I have to show you is an Easter package from my wonderful friend Christina who I do regular swaps with. She recently returned from Vienna and she included lots of goodies from there for me!! It arrived yesterday when it was most needed and it brightened my day up so much =D I love EVERYTHING! Thank you for your generosity to me my friend ♥ I may or may not have shed a tear when I opened the package (it was a tough day ok!) x)

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From L - R: Nfu Oh 63, 54 and Flower oil in orange. I just about fainted when I saw these!! I now have a little family of Nfu Oh's!!!

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From L - R: Golden Rose 112 and 120 and Catherine Arley 674. More holos!!!! I'm wearing the Catherine Arley right now and it's stunning!

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From L - R: Tommy G nailquake in 2, Beauty Line 345, 327 and Clarity 468. Another crackle yay! The Clarity glitter looks so cool.

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Miss Julie polishes in 32, 48 and 8. These are so cute!

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Essence nail art goodies!!!! My favourite! Christina sent me a blue glitter mix last time and this pink one is just as pretty and I can't wait to use it. Plus a stamping plate!

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Isn't this the cutest Hello Kitty makeup bag?!! It's sectioned into 2 as well which is perfect =) H & M Disney raspberry lipgloss, Honey lip balm, Erre Due eyeshadow palette and handmade Viennese items. And of course scrumptious chocolates!!

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The 2nd package I received today is from my sister's friend Christine who blogs over at starry eyed beauty *. She very very kindly helped me purchase the Urban Decay Naked palette!!!! EEEK!! I cannot thank you enough for hunting it down for me Christine!! Lemming fulfilled and I am literally dying with excitement to play with it xD

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SWOON

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I saw these spin pins on some blogs and Christine also helped me purchase some too as we don't have them here in Aus. My hair is really thick and it's hard to put up into a bun so I'll try anything!

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Thank you to both ladies for brightening my week with your sweet packages!! You guys are absolutely awesome =D

What care packages have you received this week? Thanks for looking!
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