Cosmetic Cupcake

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!!

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!

This post is sponsored by Nuffnang and Clearasil.

It’s finally spring here in Australia! I LOVE this time of year as it means I can break out the pretty colours I put away for winter, dewy skin and enjoy a fresh-faced look. One of the biggest beauty trends this spring is the no-makeup look and a twist is the barely there makeup look as I prefer a bit of colour in Spring. To achieve this look it doesn’t actually mean one doesn’t wear makeup though! For me it’s about enhancing your features for a fresh faced look by working with colours that suit your skintone. We want to enhance rather than conceal our natural beauty! Because I’m quite fair I love using peach and pink tones and this look is often my go to for spring.


Great skin is always the perfect canvas to start any makeup look but especially for the barely there makeup look! It’s a huge confidence boost when you can leave the house wearing minimal makeup or having only used just a few products. The Clearasil PerfectaWash can help you put your best face forward every day without makeup with the Super Fruit Extract and Soothing Plant Extract formulas to help soothe and protect against blemishes for visibly clearer skin. Something I think all of us ladies covet! The Clearasil PerfectaWash dispenses just the right amount of cleanser using the unique automated face wash dispenser that delivers exactly 1.5mls of product each time.


The automated dosage system prevents drying out the skin using too much product and active ingredients can irritate the skin and cause further problems. My skin is still a little on the dry side from winter and the formulas contain Vitamin E and antioxidants which are known for their soothing properties so are gentle enough for daily use. They’re dermatologist tested and with the combination of pimple fighting and beneficial ingredients it’s perfect for all young adult skin types to help attain clear skin.



I love a dewy finish in spring so I used the Clinique Even Better Foundation in 01 for a slightly heavier coverage than I would normally use as I find can get away with not having to use concealer when my skin is behaving well. It evens out my skintone and covers any blemishes or acne scarring well. I set it with Face of Australia Translucent Powder and I lightly swept MAC powder blush in Hipness on the apples of my cheeks for a just pinched look. I couldn’t resist a bit of highlighter so I used Benefit Watts Up highlighter on my cheekbones!

For the eyes, I primed my lids using Too Faced Shadow Insurance and applied a very soft wash of pink using MAC eyeshadow in Ego and highlighted my brow bone using MAC eyeshadow in Shroom. I used a teeny bit of the dark brown shade from the Stila eyeshadow trio in gold glow in my outer corner and added Illamasqua Powder eye shadow in Synth to the centre of my lid. I lined my eyes lightly using Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil in Juju and 2 coats of Dolly Wink Volume mascara and one coat of Clinique Bottom Lash mascara in black.


For the lips I used Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Flirt for a sheer peach lip. I prefer using these lipstick-balm hybrids in the warmer months for a more natural look.


Fancy trying out the Clearasil PerfectaWash yourself? I'm giving away a Clearasil PerfectaWash Automatic Facewash Dispenser & Refill to ONE lucky reader! 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! The competition is open to Australian residents only and ends at 5pm AEST on October 28th 2012. The winner will be chosen by Nuffnang. See Terms & Conditions here.

Good luck!

This post is sponsored by Nuffnang and Clearasil.

When it comes to everyday makeup less is definitely more for me. I never have enough time for a full face so I normally use a tinted moisturiser or a really light coverage foundation and neutral colours as it’s simple to apply and still allows my skin to shine through. I’ve been trialling the new Clearasil PerfectaWash recently which has kept my pesky blemishes at bay. It’s been scientifically developed to dispense just the right balance of active ingredients to help fight those blemishes while still nourishing your skin which has made it easy for me to get away with using only a light coverage base which I love!

To feel comfortable with different makeup looks, I think it’s key to start off with a good canvas and for me it’s all about the skin. When I was younger my skin was nowhere near as well maintained and I was super conscious of that fact. Now that I’m older I realise that I should have invested my time in my skin - instead I spent most of the time applying makeup (badly!) to cover up my blemishes. Not only did it look terrible but I never felt confident.

The new Clearasil PerfectaWash can help you to create that perfect canvas to achieve that glowing clear skin that we all want. I’m sure you ladies agree that when you’re having a good skin day you just feel SO much more confident!


It comes with a unique automated face wash dispenser that delivers exactly 1.5mls of product each time. A recent Clearasil scientific trial showed that 1 in 3 people use too much face wash and I know I’m guilty of that!

It comes in two formulas – Super Fruit Extract (which is pictured) not only smells fantastic it contains raspberry and cranberry which are full of antioxidants to help maintain healthy and radiant looking skin; while Soothing Plant Extract contains enough active ingredient to clear breakouts while still being gentle on the skin. Both formulas are dermatologist tested and perfect for all young adult skin types to help get that glowing skin we all want!


I tend to stick to neutrals for everyday makeup as it’s fail safe and as I’m still not very confident with colour yet! I’ve been trying to mix things up a bit though lately by slowly adding in some colour to my everyday look. To ease myself into it I’ve loved using purple coloured liner for a pop of purple!


What I used for this look:


Face:
I started off by using Make Up For Ever Face & Body foundation in 20 for a very light coverage base and concealed my blemishes by using MAC Cover-Up concealer in NC20. I set my foundation with Face of Australia Translucent Powder and I highlighted the tops of my cheekbones using Bobbi Brown Shimmer Cheek Glow in Miami. I couldn’t forget blush which is MAC Beauty Powder in Summer Rose.

Eyes:


I primed my lids by using Elf Eyelid primer and applied one of my favourite cream shadows Benefit Creaseless Cream shadow in Birthday Suit as a base. I lined my eyes using Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On shadow pencil in Delinquent and softened it by smudging the gorgeous purple from the The Original Sleek Eyeshadow Palette. I finished it off by curling my lashes and using 2 coats of Dolly Wink Long mascara on my top lashes and a coat of Clinique Bottom Lash mascara on my bottom lashes.

Lips:


I moisturised my lips and applied Revlon Lip Butter in Cotton Candy to complete the look! It’s really simple and great for colour challenged girls like me to add a pop of colour to an everyday look. It doesn’t take much added time either!


Fancy trying out the Clearasil PerfectaWash yourself? Stay tuned for giveaways in my upcoming posts!

Nuffnang and Skinny Cow have chosen a winner for my biggest indulgence giveaway! The lucky winner of a $150 Westfield voucher is:

Babybluez!
CONGRATULATIONS! I've just sent you an email requesting your address details =)

Thank you to everyone who entered and a huge thank you also to Nuffnang and Skinny Cow for giving me the opportunity to hold this giveaway!

This post is sponsored by Nuffnang and Skinny Cow.


When I was asked to write a post about over indulgence recently I couldn't decide what to write about! You all know my obsession with nail polish and makeup but food is another huge love of mine which I don't share often enough with you on my blog. Good food is something I never like to scrimp on and it's always a fitting reward after a tough week at work! The boy and I decided to head out to Chatswood last weekend to try out Shanghai Stories 1938 restaurant that his friend Julie recommended. It was well worth the trip over the bridge! Peep the yummy food we ordered below.

Shanghai Xiao Long Bao:


Prawn and pork wonton soup:


House special prawn toast:


Poached pork dumpling in chili oil:


Double seared beef buns:


Egg tarts:


Although we were already stuffed I couldn't resist ordering these adorable steamed red bean panda buns!!! Hello cuteness overload.


It was the perfect way to unwind and there is nothing quite like a day out with your favourite person who also loves food as much as you do.

Speaking of indulging oneself... the new and improved Skinny Cow Ice-Cream cookies are even more indulgent than ever! They're now 15% bigger (110mls per serve compared to the previous 95mls) which is something I won't complain about because it means MORE ice-cream! It will definitely satisfy your sweet cravings without guilt as they are 97% fat free and are low in calories. They contain just enough sugar to make them deliciously sweet but without using any artificial sweeteners!


The new Skinny Cow ice-cream recipe is sandwiched between two delicious chocolate biscuits and is available in three flavours; vanilla, caramel, and brand new for 2012 - delicious chocolate. You can find these yummy ice creams in the health section of the freezer aisle at your local supermarket now. Grab a box to get in on the Skinny Cow month of indulgence!


To win a $150 Westfield voucher, all you have to do is answer the following question:

What is your biggest indulgence?
Leave me a comment with your answer and email address below for your chance to win! The competition is open to Australian residents only and ends at 5pm AEST on June 8th 2012. The winner will be chosen by Nuffnang and Skinny Cow. See Terms & Conditions here.

Good luck!