Beauty Blogger Tag

Hey everyone, I was tagged by Lisa from Multitasking Damsel about a month ago and haven't gotten around to doing it until now. Sorry, Lisa! Anyway, here it goes!

Rules:

1. State that the tag was created by The Beau Bow 
2. Tag as many beauty bloggers as you would like 
3. Title this post the ‘Beauty Blogger Tag’ 

Questions & Answers: 
1. Name a beauty routine you barely do.
I never really do my brows 'cause they are ultra bushy and I'm too lazy. Even though, I have a patch that I should fill in, I feel like I can get away with a natural thick brow look. After all, Cara's brows are the trend right? 

2. Is washing your brushes something that you regularly do?
Hmmm, define "regularly"? Does whenever I feel like it's dirty count? I don't use makeup or brushes frequently, so it's a bit hard to answer this question.

3. How long do you last with chipped nail varnish?
One or two days? Can't stand them. Even a single small chip, makes me want to wipe all of it off.

4. How often do you put off buying/replacing a beauty item or nail polish, even if you need it? 
When it comes to buying beauty items, I never put it off!

5. What is your worst beauty habit? 
Not putting on sunscreen everyday. That's the only one I can think of at the moment.

6. Name something non-beauty related that you tend to put off all the time.

Uh, laundry? Chores? 

7. When going out somewhere do you leave getting ready until the last minute or not? 
No, I feel rushed if I have to get ready right up to the last minute.

8. Can you commit to spending bans?

So far, yes. But I think it's 'cause my spending bans haven't been that long or strict! 

9. How organised is your make up and nail polish collection? 

Err... They once were! 

10. What is the longest time you have gone without writing a blog post?Oooh, probably 6 months or more? But that was before I converted this into a beauty blog. 

Okay, now it's your turn! I'd like to tag the following bloggers: 

1. Sandy from Eyes for Makeup

2. Kerri from Beauty and Things 

3. Ms Jelena's Blog

4. Sarah from breathebeauty

Heart Beauty Magazine Launch

Easter is less than a week away! Is everybody excited? I've been enjoying lots of hot cross buns, particularly chocolate ones, and easter eggs, MORE CHOCOLATE! Apart from the long weekend/school and uni holidays, there's one more thing we beauty lovers can look forward to... The release of Heart Beauty Magazine!

I don't know about you but everytime I pick up a magazine, be it Madison or Cosmo or Cleo, I always jump right to the back where all the beauty articles are. I just love reading them and can't get enough of them. I always wished that Australia had a beauty magazine, that wasn't mainly about cosmetic surgery that is. Something similar to Allure, you know? So you can imagine the thrill and joy I experienced when I heard of Heart Beauty Magazine's upcoming launch.

According to HBM, they are "dedicated to all things beautiful" and "will cover new beauty products and services, profile industry leaders and provide juicy feature stories written by beauty experts for beauty loves." I am really excited about their launch issue because it includes shoots with Australia's beloved and world renown make-up artist, Rae Morris! If you've read my review on her makeup books before, you'd know how much I love and admire her work and talent. Other features include Michael Wolff, Australia's leading and most established hair stylist and Rachel Montgomery, Australian Make-Up Artist of the Year 2011 & 2012.

So keep an eye out on the newstands this Easter. Copies sell for $8.95 each. Alternatively, you can subscribe at their website and get the first issue for free! Heart Beauty Magazine publishes quarterly but I am crossing my fingers that they will eventually switch to monthly for I need a regular and frequent dose of beauty!

Do you enjoy reading about beauty in magazines? Are you excited about HBM? Please do share your thoughts!

Wicked Wednesday: MEGA GIVEAWAY... CLOSED

I would like to thanking all my lovely and loyal readers/supporters... with a massive giveaway. 

There will be 3 winners: 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. Each winner will score 6 products! The 1st place winner will get to pick her 6 products out of the prize pool, then the 2nd. 3rd place will have the remaining prizes There will be one or two rules to the prize-picking process which I will go through with the winners when the time comes.

Here's a list of what is in the prize pool:
1. Benefit Cha Cha Tint
2. Lush Dirty Springwash Shower Gel
3. Schwarzkopf Curl Flex Shine Creme
4. Rimmel Scandaleyes Mascara
5. australis Paparazzi Perfect HD Eyeshadow in Snap Attack
6. Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in 10 (which is a gorgeous red colour)
7. Revlon Top Speed in Modern Grace
8. Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie
9. Nivea Invisible Anti-perspirant
10. Colgate Max White One toothpaste
11. Palmer's Foot Magic
12. Palmer's Purifying Mask
13. Naked Tan Bronzing Mousse
14. Maybelline Baby Lips in Energizing Orange
15. Burt's Bees Cranberry & Pomegranate Sugar Scrub
16.  L'ORÉAL Sublime Mousse in 70 Pure Dark Blonde
17. Garnier Fructis Anti-dandruff Shampoo
18. Maybelline Master Liner

Edit: Before we proceed, here are some new RULES and general information:
1. This giveaway is open internationally (I wonder if I actually have any international followers).
2. You must be 18 years or older to enter.
3. You must be a follower of this blog (via Google Friend Connect).
4. You may enter TWICE, each entry being separate and unique from the other. 
5. 1st and 2nd place winners will be chosen by me whilst the 3rd place via random.org.
6. Giveaway closes on 24th August 2012 at 11.59pm (Sydney, Australian time)!  

So what do you have do to win? All you have to do is fill in your details and anwer the question in the form: What post would you like to see on this blog in the near future? I will choose the winners based on how much I like their suggestions. So get creative and catch my attention! The 3rd place winner will be selected at random out of the remaining entries. You can increase your chances of winning 3rd place by either posting my banner+link on the sidebar of your blog and/or by answering the two optional questions correctly. If you have any questions please leave a comment.

Good luck!!

Please link the banner below to this post. If you have any difficulty linking this banner, please let me know.

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Triple S: Beauty on Pinterest

Ahh... Pinterest. A site of wonder and enlightment. I can spend hours on that website if I let myself. There are constantly new things on Pinterest, which is what makes it ever so interesting. From recipes, to jokes, to fashion, to DIYs. It's endless!! It's also a huge source of beauty inspiration. Take the hair updo below for example. It looks so simple and beautiful. I have yet to figure out how to replicate this complex style. 

And then there's this gorgeous heavy eyeliner look. It's a Twiggy meets Emma Watson look, except spunkier. I tried this look out and I love it! All you need is black gel/wet eyeshadow eyeliner (use an angled eyeliner brush, much easier) and nude/white pencil eyeliner (to line the lower waterline). Then smack on loads of mascara on both top and bottom lashes. You can pair this with a nude or pink or red lip. It's so versatile!

The last pin on Pinterest that I want to share with you is this beautiful combination of sketch/water painting. The lady in the painting looks so elegant and classy. I think this would look amazing in real life. I think one would need a hair donut, black eyeliner, mascara, false lashes, dark blue eyeshadow. Anyone care to give it a go?

Are you a fan of Pinterest? Have you tried anything beauty related that you found on that site? Comment below!

Wicked Wednesday: 5 Random Facts About Me

I'm really sorry this is a bit late for my usual Wicked Wednesday post. As you can see (from the title) I am a bit stuck on post ideas. So any suggestion or request that you have is more than welcomed!! Plus, I'm really busy. I have a 1500 word report to finish by Friday. It may not seem like a lot but it's a really tough report and I have a presentation to do tomorrow on top of that.

Anyway, enough with the moaning and complaining. Let's get on with the 5 random facts!

Random Fact #1: I have a terrible habit of toucing my hair... constantly! I can't go 5 minutes without running my fingers through it or playing with it. I've been trying to correct myself for quite some time now and still am. My coursemates probably think that I'm the bimbo of our lot, seeing as we're meant to be the " elite group of nerds".

Random Fact #2:  I don't shave or wax my legs... ever! I'm sure I've just widened quite a few pairs of eyes with this statement. I have few and rather fine hairs on my legs so there really hasn't been any need for me to shave or wax them off. My mum is really lucky. Her legs are practically hairless (well, that is not true but it appears so anyway). So I've inherited a bit of that. Though I must say that I have been considering waxing because I can see those hairs and peer pressure/society's expectation is starting to take its toll...

Random Fact #3: I'm sure I've mentioned this before; the first makeup item that I owned is a Bobbi Brown eyeshadow palette, at the age of 18. So I did not start wearing makeup until I was 18. I still love and use it.

Random Fact #4: I don't drink alcohol. It has many bad "side effects"/consequences. This will be a whole topic/post for another day. However, I do take a sip or two from my boyfriend's wine glass occasionally.

Random Fact #5: Despite having an obsession/infatuation with makeup, I do not wear it on most days. So you'll see me out and about bare faced. At most, I'd just wear a coat of mascara and a slick of lipgloss.

Care to share a random fact about yourself? I'd love to hear about it.

Bonus Random Fact: this blog is turning 4 soon! Keep your eyes peeled for a big giveaway!!

Wicked Wednesday: Best "Features"

Hey ladies, I thought I'd just do a really fun but slightly meaningless post on which celebs I think has the best __(insert feature)__! I'm also trying out a new post style/format. Let me know if you like it!


 First up, Best Hair Award goes to Disney actress, Katherine McNamara.

Aren't her cascading red locks just beautiful? Everytime I look at this photo, I just want to cry. I'm envious! Wish I could cut them off and attach them to my head. I guess the cheat's way of getting long gorgeous locks like this is to get hair extensions.















The Best Skin/Complexion Award goes to Odette Anable.

She's simply radiant. Oh what we wouldn't do to have skin like hers! I'd love to know what her secret is. Tip: drink plenty of water.

Odette is so pretty that I simply must add another photo of her. In case you've never heard of or seen her before, she's an actress. She plays Dr. Jessica Adams on House.

Okay, this is a really odd one but the Best Lashes Award goes to Dreama Walker. Apart from masacara, I don't think Dreama is wearing any false lashes at all. Doesn't look like it anyway. I'd kill to have her lashes! Okay, maybe I wouldn't actually... but I'd do almost anything.On a side note, Dreama is an actress on Gossip Girl.

For us mere mortals, we'd need to coat on lost of mascara and put on some falsies to achieve this look. I love Clinique's High Impact Masacra, YSL's Shocking Mascara and MAC's False Lash #33.






All these photos were taken from Primped.com.au. Thank you for inspiring this blog post!

Who would you give Best Feature Awards to? Comment below, I'd love to know!

Wicked Wednesday: Featuring Andreaschoice

Source: wmich.edu

Greetings! I hope everyone's been having a good week so far. From now on, I will be posting regularly. Expects posts every Wednesday and Saturday. "Why?" you might ask. Well, I think people generally love routine and consistency. By doing this, you don't have to constantly check my blog, wondering when my next post will pop up!

I chose Wednesday because it's in the middle of the week. I'm calling it Wicked because it's the most tiring day of the week; it's two days after the last weekend (when you got your fun and rest) and it'll be another two days before the next weekend (when you get more fun and rest). Hopefully, by reading my posts on Wednesdays, it'll help get you through the week!

I also chose Saturday because everybody loves weekends! And you're more than likely to have time to read blog posts. Okay, maybe you don't because you're probably too busy partying or out having fun on a Saturday (how was I supposed to know that?). If you're not doing anything wild but just winding down or resting at home, rest assured that my posts can help keep you company. I'm going to call it Sweet & Sassy Saturday or Triple S. Neat huh? Okay, not really. In addition to Wicked Wednesday and Triple S, I will be posting on other days, whenever I feel like it. They will be the extras. 

So for today's Wicked Wednesday, I'm featuring my newfound favourite Youtuber Andreaschoice. She's currently one of the stylists on myglam.com. I found her through a link on a friend's Facebook wall. She's really sweet and funny and, let's not forget, pretty! I love her DIY videos the most. I'm learning new things just from watching them.

Source: http://www.andreaschoiceonline.com

Videos by Andreas that I like:
Lighten your hair with honey! Who knew?
Pimples be gone! With a salt scrub?
Make your own hairspray! No, not the musical. 

Enjoy!

The Big Giveaway CLOSED

This is it everyone! I've finally launched my first giveaway! I will be giving away a sample-sized Dove Triple Moisturing Body Wash, a Sunsilk Frizz Control Light Cream, a Dove Gentle Exfoliating Facial Cleanser, a sample-sized Agent Provocateur perfume, a Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick in Latino and a Natio Liquid Eyeliner in Bronze/Black. Below is a photo of the prizes. Edit: more prizes have been added. Here's an update.


I'd like to add a Natio eyeshadow palette into the prize pool. However, there's a big scratch on the case and I'm not sure if you guys would want it.


Here's a photo of the scratch. I think I will let the winner decide if she wants the palette.

To enter, simply fill out the form below (and don't forget to hit "Submit")! The rules are as follows:
1. You must follow my blog (via Google Friend Connect).
2. You must be an Australian resident.
3. You must be 18 or above (or have your parents/guardians consent if you are under 18).
4. Only one entry form per person. Submitting it multiple times will not increase your chances.

I apologise to international followers, for this is my first giveaway. If this giveaway goes well, I will open the next one to everyone!

Giveaway closes on the 30/03/2012 (Friday) at 11.59pm.

Up till 30/03/2012, I will add more prizes as I see fit. That means, the more people enter, the larger the prize will be. For example, if we hit 50 entrants, I will add another product. If we hit 100, I will add two more on top. So spread the word if you want more prizes! I will post about any new additions. Don't worry, I will not be removing any prizes if there are few entrants.

Winners will be chosen with random.org and contacted via email. The winner must respond within 5 days from notification or I will redraw and a winner will be announced.

Edit: GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Good luck, everyone! Enjoy!

Please note that this giveaway is not sponsored by a third party and I am by no means paid to advertise for these brands/products.

Pretty Pout

Source: lifestylelebanon.com

So if you read my recent haul post, you would know by now that I bought a MAC lipstick and I love it to bits. There's only a tiny problem in our lipstick-owner relationship. My lipstick doesn't love me back as much. My lips shrivel up within minutes of application. I don't know if its the ingredients/formula for Plink! in particular or if all MAC lipsticks will have the same effect on me. As much as I love the colour, it's causing me a lot of grief. There is no way I'm going to throw it out (it costed me a lot of money).

As I desperately tried to get my full pout back, I slicked on my Bobbi Brown Lip Balm religiously, day and night. It helped my lower lip but it couldn't save my upper lip. For a while, I thought I was doomed to have a shrivelled upper lip forever. I've done some reading and I learnt that there's a difference between lip balms and lip moisturisers. Some lip balms help keep moisture in but does not actually hydrate our lips. So if your lips don't have much moisture to begin with, those lip balms aren't going to do you much good.

I recalled reading a post on TBD some time back. It was on a DIY lip scrub. I even read on a number of websites (one of which was beautyheaven.com) that lip scrubs exfoliate your lips, removing all those dry and dead skin cells, and make your lips softer and smoother. I decided that I have nothing to lose, so I gave it a try. I followed the instructions on TBD's post (well, more or less). Here's what I did differently:

- Instead of a teaspoon, I used a tiny teaspoon (yes, there's such thing) for the raw sugar and honey.
- I did not leave the lip scrub on for a few minutes. Once I slicked some on, I started to scrub my lips gently in circular motions.
- Afterwards, I remove the lip scrub with water and pat my lips dry with a towel.
- I then apply a layer of Lucas' Papaw Ointment, if not olive oil.
- I stored it in a small container. The recipe is for multiple uses. It doesn't go bad because honey itself is already "too sweet" for bacteria to survive on.

The results are astonishing. I did this on alternate days and after a couple of times, my lips were no longer shrivelled. They're now smooth and soft, almost completely back to its former glory! Unfortunately, I did not take a before and after photo. You will just have to take my word for it.

There are some variations for homemade lip scrubs. The most basic one is the one I tried. If you are up for something more complex and even more beneficial here are a couple of good ones:
Deliciously Organized's Lip Scrub
Pink Pistachio's Lip Scrub

Want kissable lips? Michelle Phan shows us how to achieve it.

Enjoy!

Song for the post.