Cosmetic Cupcake

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you've had/are having a wonderful day surrounded by loved ones and filled with lots of good food, drink and presents!

This is a sponsored post.

Gloss Cosmetics is one of those stores that every beauty loving girl dreams of and I'm no exception. They stock a number of Australian and international brands and I've frequented their stores for a number of years now. I'd always make excuses to go to Hurstville or Parramatta Westfield so the boy would drive me get my beauty fix! I've lost count of the number of times he's complained about waiting outside while I browse. Of course the only thing I have eyes for whenever I go to Gloss is the nail polish! They stock one of my fave Aussie brands BYS and also brands such as Chi Chi, Revlon and Model Co.




I was so excited to learn that they were opening their new flagship store in Parramatta and it's bigger than ever! It's nearly 4-5 times bigger than the original Parramatta shop which is still open if you're wondering. I was invited to check out the new store and I went along with Anita and Ange yesterday to join the opening festivities.


To celebrate the launch of the new store, they treated everyone to fairy floss and flew up awesome nail artists I Scream Nails from Melbourne to do free manicures with a choice of 10 cute nail designs.

That's me on the left getting my nails done and Anita on the right!
They had a special Gloss manicam set up where you could walk your fingers down a special miniature red carpet to show off your just done nail art. It was hilarious and SO cute! I would love one of these at home! You can check out the manicam in action here.


Getting my nails did! I went with a tribal accent and a leopard accent and it was rather strange having my nails down for me and just sitting back and relaxing.


My nails on the red carpet!


If you couldn't make it down to the opening you can still get your nail art fix at the Parramatta store. You can get a nail art mani for $25 or it's FREE if you spend $50 instore!


Of course I couldn't resist buying SOMETHING (it's a bit hard to walk out of Gloss empty handed!) so I picked up some nail polish remover pads that smell soooooo delicious. Ange and Anita bought them in different flavours and I had to get one too.


Have you been to Gloss Cosmetics stores before? Thank you Gloss for having me at the opening!

Thanks for looking as always ladies!

This post is sponsored by Nuffnang.

In less than 5 months I’m getting married and my fiancé and I are very excited as you can imagine! The organising has been fun and relatively stress-free (except for the odd freak out by me) but there’s still lots to do. One of those things is deciding how to do my makeup of course! The photos and video that will be captured on the day is so important to me because that’s what I’ll have to remember the day by so I want my skin to be glowing and in the best condition on my big day.


This is very achievable since I’ve been using the automated dispensing delivery system of the Clearasil PerfectaWash for the last few months! If I’m feeling confident with my skin I know that will show through in the photos and give me so much more confidence on the day. There’s nothing worse than having cameras follow you around if you’re self conscious.


I want a really natural look but I want to play up my eyes with a slightly darker neutral smokey eye. I love a neutral eye and it’s what I feel most comfortable. I won’t be doing my own makeup on the day but that hasn’t stopped me from trying different looks myself!


For this look I used a light base of Make Up For Ever Face and Body foundation in 20 and used a light dusting of powder. For the eyes I lined my eyes using Make Up For Ever Aqua eyes in black and used Urban Decay Sin and Busted from the Naked Palettes to create a smokey eye.


I curled my lashes and applied 2 coats of Dolly Wink mascara. For the rest of the face I kept it natural by using Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in dollface and Dior Addict lipstick in Model.


I have one last Clearasil PerfectaWash Dispenser & Refill to give away today! If you didn't win last time here's one last chance to get your hands on one. All you have to do is answer the following question:

Have you tried the new Clearasil PerfectaWash, what were your thoughts?
Leave me a comment with your answer below for your chance to win! Easy! The competition is open to Australian residents only and ends at 5pm AEST on December 18th 2012. The winner will be chosen by Nuffnang. See Terms & Conditions here.

GOOD LUCK!!

Hi ladies I have for you my first Christmas manicure of the year! Well not exactly the first as I've done a few plain Xmas skittles but I didn't bother taking photos of them because they were't super exciting. I haven't done a santa suit mani before so thought I'd give it a go! Not the neatest job because I haven't done any nail art in ages so I'm rusty but oh well! I threw in some trusty glitter so you get distracted LOL.


What I used:

Thumb: I used 2 coats of China Glaze Poinsettia and 2 coats of China Glaze Ring in the Red. Excuse the broken nail! =(

Index finger: I used 2 coats of China Glaze Poinsettia and 2 coats of Lynnderella Happy Holo Daze! which is a perfect Xmas glitter. Oh I wish Santa would bring me more Lynnderella's for Christmas!!


Middle finger: I used 2 coats of China Glaze Poinsettia and 2 coats of Lush Lacquer Santa Baby. Unfortunately I couldn't get any of the black hex glitters out of the bottle doh.

Ring finger: I used 2 coats of China Glaze Poinsettia as my red base. For the white trim on Santa's suit I used Orly White Tips and for the black buckle I used Kiss nail art striper in black. I used China Glaze Midnight Kiss for the belt buckle.

Pinky: I used 2 coats of China Glaze Ruby Pumps. Ruby Pumps is still one of my absolute favourite reds of all time! Such gorgeous glittery goodness x)



I hope you're all getting into the festive spirit! Thanks for looking as always =)

Hi ladies! My loooooong overdue blog sale is now up! It's not everything I need to get rid of but I'm a hoarder (seriously I need to go on the show!) so it takes me a while to part with stuff haha. I have some makeup and skincare to sell as well as of course nail polish. I have a few HTF (hard to find) ones including a brand new in box China Glaze OMG collection.



Head on over to my Blog Sale page to check it out! Happy shopping =)

I have another awesome new Ozotic Pro polish for you today! 908 is from their new Beam collection. I love that Ozotic Pro are bringing out these new finishes!


908 is "nspired by 'reflecting luminous light beams' hence the moonlight colours with sparks!". In the bottle it's pretty unassuming but OMG on the nail it absolutely comes to life! Especially when layered over a dark base it just looks amazing. It contains gorgeous white, pink, purple and green glass flecks - here I've layered a VERY thin coat over a black base.


Close up:


I find applying a thin coat works best for the Beam and Sugar polishes so that the it contrasts against the dark base and so you don't get any patchiness. 2 coats makes it too opaque and I like seeing the dark base through it! I haven't tried it over a light base just yet.




Details: You can purchase the Ozotic Pro Beam collection from piCture pOlish for $12.

Have you tried these yet? Thanks for looking as always!

The product featured in this post was provided to me for consideration but this in no way influenced my review in any way. As always, my reviews are my 100% honest opinion. My Disclosure Policy can be viewed here.

For some reason whenever I want to do a glitter gradient mani I always reach for the Jill Stuart Bare Petal Spring collection polishes I hauled in HK earlier this year. The colours are so pretty and perfect for the warmer months! They're perfect for any time you feel like a girlie colour really haha. Also because they're on the sheer side they show some VNL so glitter tips are perfect.


I used 3 coats of 55 Floret Bud which is a sweet pink with shimmer and applied China Glaze Medallion to 2/3 of my nails, then went back over the top 1/3 and dabbed some Milani Jewel FX Gold here and there too. So easy to do but always looks fantastic!




You might have noticed that I've changed the positioning of my watermarks. I am SICK AND TIRED of people on Instagram/weheartit/all over the internet etc cropping watermarks and claiming blogger's manicures as their own. I hate having to make it so prominent but I'm just over it. OVER IT!!! These people should spend less time making "inspiration" accounts and practising nail art themselves.

anwyay, glitter gradient manicures satisfy some of my need for nail art but I still need to get back into proper nail art! What do you think of glitter gradients? Thanks for looking as always!

The lovely Susan from The Subtle Shimmer opened up her online store Star Trinkets earlier this year selling 2 things I absolutely love - nail polish and jewellery! She stocks a number of polish brands such as PicturePolish, China Glaze, Pomegranate Nail Lacquer and Ozotic Pro. She kindly offered to send me some Pomegranate Nail Lacquers to review and I asked her to surprise me with the shades. She sent two gorgeous shades my way and I have Cardigan for you today which is a beautiful jelly. I ADORE jelly polishes like crazy!


Cardigan is a gorgeous rich teal jelly. It's one of those teals that my camera absolutely hates unfortunately so I've tweaked the colour to show the colour as accurately as I can. It's such a beautiful shade! 3 coats is needed for opacity which is pictured here and it dried quickly to high gloss finish. It's not as squishy as other jelly polishes but just squishy enough. I'm dying to do jelly sandwiches with it!


Close up:



Details: Pomegranate Nail Lacquers are available from Star Trinkets for $11SGD and from the Pomegranate online store for $9USD.

Thank you Susan for sending me this beauty to try! Have you tried Pomegranate Nail Lacquers before? I have another pretty shade to show you shortly!

The product featured in this post was provided to me for consideration but this in no way influenced my review in any way. As always, my reviews are my 100% honest opinion. My Disclosure Policy can be viewed here.

Hi ladies! Just some quick swatches today of the original a-england Holy Grail which I hauled a little while ago. I saw lovely Sam's re-swatch of it and I just had to get it!! It is a STUNNING gold but unfortunately I don't think it works with my skintone. Nonetheless I shall be rocking it anyway because that's just how I roll HAHA. There's a new version of Holy Grail out now and I think I might need that too..


Holy Grail is a beautiful warm gold with bronze shimmer through it. Just beautiful! Application was a breeze and the brush was fantastic to use. 2 coats is pictured


Close up:



Details: You can rab this version of Holy Grail for a limited time for £5 with free shipping! You can purchase a-england polishes from a-england.co.uk.

This is my second a-england polish and I seriously need more in my collection! Have you tried any of Adina's lovely polishes? Thanks for looking as always!

Today I have swatches for you of two of the pretty colours from the Essie Spring 2012 collection - Tour de Finance and Olé Caliente. My parents are both boring finance people so the names in this collection amuse me! A Crewed Interest (accrued interest?!) and To Buy or Not to Buy are particularly cute I think ;) What they say: "This spring, Essie pays tribute to the beautiful, ambitious woman of action. Not content to play it safe and hedge her bets during the wintry economic climate, the change in weather perfectly suits her sunnier outlook. In both fashion and finance, she's ready, willing and able to strike out and try something fresh and new. This supremely feminine collection creates the perfect spring wardrobe for every woman on a mission. With skin-flattering brights and power pastels to suit every occasion, she's always at the top of her game with essie color. For those in the vanguard, blazing a trail of glory to new heights, there's Olé Caliente, for a more gentle touch and soft-sell approach, A Crewed Interest is sure to post serious profits. Whatever your strategy, choose one of six ingenious colors that means business."

Hi ladies! I hope you're all doing well =) I'm currently in a blogging rut and I just can't seem to get any blog posts up but I just had to share these quick swatches with you today! My lovely friend Aysh recently sent me over a care package that included the fabulous Boogie Nights glitter from the Models Mirrorball collection. You all know how much I love my glitter (if you don't then I don't want to talk to you! Just joking lol) so of course I couldn't wait to try it out. The collection is described as "nail frostings" but it just seems like a normal glitter..? It does have a little something extra though as they look AH-MAZING!


Boogie Nights consists of different sized blue, fuchsia and purple round and hex glitters and larger irregular shaped shard glitters in a clear base. I LOVE the mix of different glitters! The formula is a little thick but the polish applies relatively evenly. I did have to go back in and "dab" to fill in the gaps. I layered 2 coats of Boogie Nights over 2 coats of Models Own Pure Purple and I got sooooooo many compliments! My pictures just don't do this combo justice. Dry time was a little slow but I use a quick dry topcoat so it wasn't really a problem.


Close up:



Aysh's lovely package! The card was so sweet and of course the choccies disappeared in no time lol.


Bonus bottle shot!


Thank you so much Aysh for sending this gorgeous glitter my way! Have you guys tried out the Mirrorball collection yet? I am sooooo tempted to get the others but the wallet is saying NO! I wonder if Santa will be nice this year and bring me some polish for Xmas.. ;)

Thanks for looking as always!

This post is sponsored by Nuffnang.

When I was in Hong Kong recently, there were promo posters everywhere for Taylor Swift’s upcoming Red album. I’ve always been a fan of her makeup looks – her skin is always glowing and she looks so polished and fresh faced. In this particular pic she’s rocking a cherry red lip, winged liner and paired it with a cute black and white retro top and I loved the look so much I had to recreate it as soon as I got home! She’s been sporting a similar look while out and about on her promo tour for the new album this month and I love seeing the pics as it gives me great beauty inspiration. Her flawless skin and red pout look fantastic and is a look that would suit everyone.


You too can get flawless red carpet ready skin at home with the Clearasil PerfectaWash which I’ve introduced to you previously. Celebrities may have their makeup artists to help them look picture perfect but makeup can only hide so much. It’s important to start off with good basics like cleansing and moisturising twice daily and making sure to remove all traces of makeup at the end of the night to help achieve a healthy and glowing complexion.


While trialling the Clearasil PerfectaWash I must say my skin has been behaving itself and I haven’t experienced as many breakouts as usual. I’ve been rocking the natural look as much as I can so I started off with a sheer base by using Make Up For Ever Face and Body foundation in 20. I skipped powder and just used MAC Select Moisture Cover concealer in NW20 to conceal my dark circles (lack of sleep!). Taylor only has a hint of colour on her cheeks as the lip colour is so strong so I contoured my cheeks using Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess and skipped the blush.


I applied a wash of Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Hollow and winged out my Face of Australia liquid liner for a small cat eye. On the lower lash line I smudged Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes liner in black on the outer third of my eye and I finished with Dolly Wink Long mascara.

For my bright red lips I lined my lips using Shisheido The Makeup Lip Liner & Pencil in Red Rouge and applied Tom Ford Lip Color in Cherry Lush!


I have another Clearasil PerfectaWash Dispenser & Refill to give away to ONE luck reader! If you didn't win last time here's another chance to get your hands on one. All you have to do is answer the following question:

Have you tried the new Clearasil PerfectaWash, what were your thoughts?
Leave me a comment with your answer below for your chance to win! Easy! The competition is open to Australian residents only and ends at 5pm AEST on November 22nd 2012. The winner will be chosen by Nuffnang. See Terms & Conditions here.

GOOD LUCK!!

The winner of my last Clearasil PerfectaWash giveaway was Crepe and her prize is on it's way to her now!