Wicked Wednesday: Winner of My Birthday Giveaway

Hey ladies, sorry this announcement is late! I just came back from a huge holiday and I've been working the past two days. But here it is!

First, I want to thank everyone for reading my blog and for entering this giveaway. If you don't win this time round, please don't fret. I will be throwing more giveaways in the future.

I've made the mistake of closing the tab to the random.org website before print screening the name of the winner. So please forgive me but you'll just have to trust me when I say that the winner is Shaimaa.

Congratulations, Shaimaa! You will receive an email from me soon and you must reply within 48 hours to claim your prize otherwise a new winner will be selected.

I hope everyone has a lovely week. Keep an eye out for my next post if you love hauls!

Wicked Wednesday: How to Make Your Eyes Look Bigger Tutorial

I know my tutorials usually have lots of step-by-step photos. Today, I've decided to try something different. Something simpler. Do let me know what you think.

1. Apply Virgin (from the Naked Palette) all over your eyelids, particularly on your inner corners and your mobile lid.

2. Mix Naked and Buck (from the Naked Palette) and sweep them into your crease.

3. Line your upper lash line thickly with black eyeliner.

4. Line your upper water line with black eyeliner. This is to give the illusion of very full and thick lashes.

5. Line your lower lash line (thinly) with black eyeliner. This is to give the illusion that you have a thick lower lashes.

6. Line your lower water line with a nude/white eyeliner.

7. Apply false eyelashes if you wish. The one I used is from Eylure (pictured below).

Can you see a difference between the right and left eye?

So, ladies, what's the verdict. Should I stick with this style of tutorial or go back to ones like these?

Please note this is NOT a sponsored post; in case anyone got the wrong impression.

Wicked Wednesday: 5 Skincare Tips You Need to Know

 
I recently stumbled upon this blog by a Singaporean skincare guru (Sesame) and now I'm an avid reader. Although the blog is mainly aimed at Asian women, most of her tips and advice can be applied to everyone. You can check her blog out here.

If you cannot be bothered reading pages worth of knowledge, here are 5 skincare tips that I have picked up from reading her blog. Unfortunately, I cannot write too much on them because she considers it as copying. So if you need further elaboration, just click on the link and it will take you to the article and explains the skincare tips.

1. Apart from Michelle Phan, she is the only other person that I've come across who says that it's okay to not wash your face in the morning. It is imperative that we do before we sleep but it's okay if you don't in the morning. If you do, please do so very gently. See why here. 

2. Wash your face after (not before) shampooing your hair. Article here.

3. Using a separate towel for your face. Avoid using your body towel for your face. See her explanation here.

4. Facial oil (ie rosehip oil) may be good for you but you may want to keep it well away from your eyes. Find out more here. 

5. Sesame has a number of tips on applying moisturisers and my favourite one is this: apply moisturiser to damp skin straight after cleansing.


Have you heard of these skincare tips before?

Wicked Wednesday: Skinvitals Hydraflex Eyes Review + Demo

Hey everyone! Hope you're having a good week so far. I have another review for you today.

Skinvitals Hydraflex Eyes  
Claims: Soothing eye mask that targets the entire eye area to reduce the appearance of dark circles and bags under your eyes. Replenish and rejuvenate the skin, as well as even out the skin tone and restore clarity.
RRP: AUD$14.99

Packaging: 5 out of 5

Review: Although this is the only eye mask I've tried and I can't make any comparisons, I have to say that I really like it. The instructions for applying this product are easy to comprehend and carry out. There is no rinsing or washing required afterwards. I found that after using this mask, my eye area feel soft smooth and hydrated. The dark circles under my eyes became less prominent. My whole eye area looks a bit brighter and more awake. Perhaps the slight cooling sensation is a factor. It just made me feel freshened up. 

This product is a little bit expensive (approx. $5 per cloth mask) but I have to say that they do give you your money's worth. They pack each mask with loads of serum (explained in the next paragraph). Also, the packaging is appealing and I can't find any fault with it, hence the 5 out of 5. To sum it up, I think this is a really nice eye mask. If you're like me and you've been lazy with routinely applying eye creams, this is how we can cheat our way to bright eyes for the day/night! 

Now on with the demo! 

Each mask comes in their own little packet. As you can see, it says 8mL. My guess is they are referring to the amount of serum that the cloth mask is holding, which is a lot! The mask was soaking with serum when I removed it from the packaging (they're really generous with it!). Application instructions are found both at the back of the box and the back of the packets. 

So there I am relaxing with this eye mask on. It covers a very large area of my face so I was essentially giving my eye area and the top of my cheeks a bit of a treat. After 15 minutes, I remove and throw the mask into the bin. It seems like a waste but I guess you can choose to put the mask on a little longer if you like. 

  
Then, I grabbed a tissue and patted away the excess serum. You may choose to massage and push more serum into your skin if you like. However, I felt that there was so much serum on my skin that there was no way my skin was going to absorb all of it! Please excuse my uneven eyelids in this photo.

And there you have it: bright eyes! And for the record, the "bags" under my eyes are from me smiling. For more products and stockist, you can check out their website here. 

Have you tried any of Skinvitals masks? Which one(s) do you like or would like to try? Please do share in the comments below!

Wicked Wednesday: Modern Twiggy Inspired Makeup Tutorial

Hey ladies, here's my Pinspiration Look #2! Click here for #1. Please read on for the tutorial.

I was inspired by this Twiggy-esque photo I found on Pinterest; and decided to do a makeup based on it and on Twiggy, of course.

Pinterest.com

Last.fm

First, please allow me to introduce my gorgeous friend, Sophia (first photo above and photo below), who kindly agreed to be my model for this tutorial. With her slightly outgrown pixie cut, big beautiful eyes and porcelain skin, I knew she's the perfect model for this look. However, fret not. This look works on anyone, which I will explain why in the moment.

Step 1. I prepped Sophia's skin with Estee Lauder's Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator to give her a bit of a glow. This was followed by a layer of moisturiser. After that I got Sophia to apply foundation and she did so with her fingers, which she usually does. Because this is a pretty flawless look, and if you don't have amazing skin like Sophia's, I'd recommend you buff your foundation in with a densely packed flat-top brush of your choice.

Step 2. Cut out two strips of Scotch tape. Stick them onto the back of your hand completely and then peel them off. This is to make them less adhesive so that they don't damage/hurt your eye area when you take them off later. Place the strips of tape on the edge of your eyes at an angle (as shown in the photo above). I lined the edge of Sophia's eye with the tip of an eyebrow. You can choose a different angle if you like. Slant the tape out more if you want a more cat-eyed look.

Step 3. Wet your angled eyeliner brush with water. Make sure to squeeze out the excess water or dab it off with tissue. Dip your brush into a matte black eyeshadow (I used Bobbi Brown's) and trace out your socket line.

Step 4.Colour in your mobile lid with the damp matte black eyeshadow, right up to the tape. You may have to do two layers of eyeshadow to make sure the eye lid is completely black for a more dramatic effect.

 Step 5.  Here's what your eyes will look like after you've coloured your mobile lids in with black eyeshadow. If you deem it necessary, you can tight line with a black pencil liner. But I find that the fleshy bits on the upper lid is generally covered up after you put on mascara. Fill in and comb through your brows if needed.

Step 6. Line your (lower) waterline with either a nude or white pencil liner. Sophia used a white pencil eyeliner.

Step 7. Apply tonnes of  black mascara! Sophia is blessed with wonderfully long and curly lashes. If you're not so lucky, like me, curl your lashes first before applying mascara. Then apply false lashes if you like.

Step 8. Twiggy's lower lashes were painted on with liquid liner. I thought that for a more modern and wearable look, we'd just stick with putting mascara on the lower lashes. Tip: one method is to use the tip of your mascara wand to paint the product on your lower lashes with small strokes.

Step 9. To bring more life to your eyes, brighten the inner corner of your eyes with either a light eyeshadow or light eye pencil. I got Sophia to draw her inner corners with her white pencil liner and then blend it out with her finger.

Tip: blend makeup products out with your ring (fourth) finger because it is the cleanest finger. Also it is the weakest finger, so it is the gentlest.

Step 10. Apply a pinky nude lip colour to your lips. You may use a lipstick if you like. Here I got Sophia to fill in her lips with a Mirenesse Auto Lip Liner Duet in Naughty Nudes (the light pinky end). It's so creamy that it passes as a lipstick! 

Step 11. You may leave your cheeks blank if you like. After all, the main focus is the eyes. For Sophia, she blended on a bit of rosy pink cream blush onto the apples of her cheeks for a subtle glow.

Step 12. It is my belief that no glamorous look is complete without highlighter. I applied a cream highlighter (Benefit's Watt's Up) with a flat foundation brush onto the tops of Sophia's cheek bones. You may apply some under the arches of your brows as well if you like. I blended the highlighter out even further with my ring finger. Subtlety is key.

Voila! The finished look!

I hope you love the look as much as I do! I also hope that you enjoyed this tutorial.

I would like to thank Sophia, my lovely model and RLD Photos, my wonderful photographer.

What do you think of this makeup look? Isn't Sophia simply gorgeous?!

Wicked Wednesday: Face of the Day #2

Hey ladies, sorry I haven't been very organised with my blog posts lately. I feel like I've had to apologise to you guys a lot recently and I hope to change that. I aim to schedule some posts for when I hit exam block and won't be actively posting on this blog. I already have lots of ideas and photos are ready. I just need to sit down, edit the photos and write up the posts!

Anyway, here's my second FOTD. I hope you guys like this one as much as you liked my first. Please excuse my rebellious baby hairs. I didn't even realise there were that many standing up when I took the photos!

So here is a list of products that I used for my face today:

- Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer
- Virgin and Sin from the Urban Decay Naked Palette
- Essence Kajal Pencil in 01 Black
- Benefit Eye Bright Pencil
- Rimmel Scandaleyes Mascara
- Bobbi Brown Blush in Tawny
- Benefit Watts Up Highlighter
- Urban Decay Lipstick in Naked


What do you think of this look? This is one of my go-to looks.

Wicked Wednesday: Comparison of Makeup Books

beautifulmakeupsearch.com

Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual by Bobbi Brown

This is the first makeup book I've read and the only one I own. In terms of teaching you makeup application, this book covers the very basic. It is only good for complete novices but with internet (Blogs and Youtube), it is no longer necessary to learn how to apply makeup through this book. Instead, strangely, I learned a lot about skincar. Bobbi explains sunscreen and moisturisers in a lot of detail. She also talks about common important skincare ingredients to keep an eye out for. This book contains tips about becoming a makeup artist, which I think is what makes this manual unique. It gives you an idea of the directions you can take and things that you should do in order to become a good makeup artist. Overall, I think that you don’t have to buy this makeup book but I still think you should borrow a copy to read it at least once. You will more than likely learn at least one thing that you did not know about previously. However, I do think that this makeup book would make a very good gift for a young girl who has just started to show interest in makeup. 

 zoefoster.com.au 

Amazing Face by Zoe Foster

I borrowed a copy of this book from the library to read and am considering getting a copy for myself to keep. This isn't a makeup book. It's a book about beauty that does cover makeup. Zoe's writing style is very fun and relaxed and it's amusing to read. She shares a lot of beauty knowledge that are not commonly known or found on the internet. For example, did you know that after spraying perfume onto your skin you're not supposed to rub it? Many beauty gurus like Michelle Phan make this mistake! You're ruining the true scent (if you read it you'll find a more elaborate and satisfying explanation than mine). Zoe also gives product recommendations, which is very convenient for people like me who don’t know where to start looking or what to try. Lastly, this book is suitable for all ages. Zoe gives advice according to age group and needs, which I think is absolutely wonderful! I think Amazing Face is worth a read.

 

yourbeautyspot.ninemsn.com.au

Makeup The Ultimate Guide by Rae Morris

This truly is the ultimate makeup guide! Our amazing Aussie makeup artist Rae Morris teaches us about colours and textures of makeup products. She explains eyebrows quite thoroughly and even demonstrates different effects with different types false eyelashes. The photos are absolutely beautiful to look at. Steps on how to achieve the looks are concise and easy to follow. I love how Rae shows us how simple makeup can actually be. In the book, she did a lot of looks that do not require more than two eyeshadow colours. This book is filled with a plethora of makeup looks. So if you're out of ideas on what to wear on your face, consult MakeupThe Ultimate Guide; you won't regret it! 

angusrobertson.com.au

Express Makeup by Rae Morris
If you loved Makeup The Ultimate Guide, you will go nuts for this makeup book too. The format is similar to The Guide except the looks are different. This means more stunning models to ogle, more tips and tricks to master and more looks to try out! This book is practically a library of gorgeous makeup looks. They are all very easy to achieve and in short periods of time. In my opinion, this book is suitable for all ages, ethnicity and makeup tastes/styles. 

Do you have any favourite makeup books? What other makeup books would you like me to read and review?

Wicked Wednesday: You Decide

I'm trying to find my footing now that spring break is over and I'm back at uni. To make matters worse, my brain is still in holiday mode. So unfortunately, I haven't had the time to write up a proper post for today. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to find out what posts I should work on and publish next. Basically, I'm asking you, my lovely readers, to please tell me which of the following posts would you like me to write first and which ones I should not bother with.

- Review: Insolia inserts
- My experience with back pain and how I'm fixing it
- Comparison of a couple of makeup books
- Makeup on the go
- Review: Australis eye pencil in Aqua Attack
- Review: Alpha-H Liquid Gold Smoothing & Perfecting Mask
- Review: Essence makeup products
- Review: Bourjois makeup products
- Style Files for Spring
- Hits and Misses for the year

Please leave a comment and let me know which post you'd like to see first and which you would not like to see at all. Feel free to leave other suggestions. I want to produce content that you enjoy reading.

Wicked Wednesday: My Alpha-H Skin Care Routine & Review

During my most recent giveaway/contest, a number of you submitted suggestions that I do a post on my skin care routine. Today, I've decided that I'll fulfil those requests. I'm calling it my Alpha-H Skin Care Routine because for the past month, my skin care products, funnily enough, are from Alpha-H.

So essentially, I will be reviewing the three Alpha-H products that I am currently using religiously. At the same time, I will be giving you a quick rundown on how I use these products. First, let's begin with the Alpha-H product that I've been using the longest, their Gentle Daily Exfoliant.

Alpha-H Gentle Daily Exfoliant 

Claims: The exfoliation, is not abrasive, but still effortlessly removes dead and damaged skin cells, sweeps out congested pores and blackheads, reduces inflammation and uneven pigmentation, boosts moisture retention and creates a soft light-reflecting sheen across the complexion to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and sun damage.

Retail: AUD$59.95 for 50g

Packaging: 4 out of 5

Review: This truly is a gentle exfoliant. It comes in powder form and you use it by pouring some into very wet hands, mixing it into a paste with your fingers and rubbing it onto your face for a minute before washing it off. Although it says to use 2 measured cups of the product, I have yet to figure out how to get 2 measure cups with the bottle. That's the only reason I am giving this packaging a rating 4 out of 5 instead of 5 out of 5. Forget about those microbeaded scrubs! You can achieve soft clean skin with this product and it's non-abrasive. Although it says you can use it daily, I only use this exfoliant once a week because too much exfoliation can be a bad thing. Also, I use a couple of products that contain glycolic acid, which also do the job of exfoliating my skin. I love using this product, particularly after wearing heavy makeup. It feels like my pores are truly unclogged and cleaned out. This product at $60 may seem expensive but I believe that it will last you a very long time, especially if you only use it once a week like I do. 

Alpha-H Balancing Cleanser with Aloe Vera 

Claims: The non-greasy, gently fragranced lotion delicately cleanses without drying or irritating the skin. It thoroughly removes both face and eye make-up and at the same time leaves the skin pH balanced.

Retail: AUD$42 for 200mL

Packaging: 4.5 out of 5

Review: I was using my trusty Cetaphil cleanser previously before I started using this one. I stopped using Cetaphil because I had a massive bout of breakouts and I thought it wasn't doing much help to my skin. Out of desperation, I started using this cleanser in hopes of restoring my skin. I found myself falling in love with it. Now, I can definitely see why people, like British model Ruth Crilly, rave about this product. You do not need a lot of this product to cleanse your face, unless you are using it to remove your makeup as well. In which case, it saves you a lot of time because it combines the makeup removal step and cleansing step into one. It feels very soft and gentle and does not dry the skin out. This product contains aloe vera, which is a great bonus. It contains vitamins such as A, C, E which are powerful antioxidants that reduce cell damage from free radicals. It also has anti-inflammatory properties, which can also explain why this product does not induce irritation in the skin. My bottle of cleanser if the travel size version. So if you buy the full one, I can tell you that you'll be getting your money's worth because it is a fairly large tube and it should last you a while. 

Alpha-H Balancing Moisturiser and Gentle Exfoliant 

Claims: Hydrates and revitalizes ageing, damaged skin. Works on collagen and elastin fibres and reduces acne and scarring.

Retail: AUD$72 for 100mL

Packaging: 4 out of 5

Review: I am not as certain about this product as I am about the other two. I really like it so far but I haven't used to long enough to reap all the benefits that it claims it will deliver. This is currently my daytime moisturiser. I like how it feels light on the skin. It is somewhat fluid so it glides onto your skin easily. That has a down side to it. It's easy to accidentally squirt out too much product from the tube. If they make the packaging into a bottle with a pump, I will definitely rate it a 5 out of 5. This product makes my skin smooth and soft. It produces a slightly dewy effect, giving your skin a subtle youthful glow. I also like how it is exfoliating my skin as well as moisturising it, keeping my skin care regime short and simple. I am hoping that as I use more of this product, it will fade all of my acne scars and reduce the occurrence of pimples. I also got this product in a travel size version. I think that considering it is a high quality product and it does multiple task, it is well worth the price.

Alpha-H is an Australian company and its products are made in Australia. I am proud to support them and I will most likely be repurchasing these products once they run out. For a list of stockists, click here.

What skin care products do you use? Do share. If you have any questions about my skin care routine, feel free to leave them in the comments section below.

Wicked Wednesday: Benefit Beauty School Lesson Two

Ladies, if you liked Benefit's How to Look the Best at Everything complexion kit (Lesson One of Benefit Beauty School), get excited! The kit for Lesson Two is about to be released!

I've been wanting a Benefit blush for a long time now. I think this will be the perfect opportunity to grab one by getting one of these kits. Why am I so excited? It is four of Benefit's amazing lip and cheek products in one box for $60; we'll be getting more bang for our buck! I can never resist a good deal. You can bet your bottom dollar that I will be popping by a Benefit counter to check these babies out next week. I have my eyes on the Feelin' Dandy kit!

Note: this is NOT a sponsored post. I am sharing this inside knowledge with my own free will because I am genuinely excited about it!

Which one of these kits would you go for? 

Wicked Wednesday: July Haul

Yes, I know what you're going to say, "Ty, you are waaaaay behind on your July Haul post!" I'm really sorry but I felt that it was more important that I published my previous posts first. Anyway, let's jump straight into it. Remember from my May Haul post, I said that I would not buy anything beauty-related in June because I spent too much in May? Well, if you look through this blog, you will find that the June Haul post is missing. So yes, I lasted through that month without purchasing any beauty products. Hooray! So came July, I treated myself to three. I know, it sounds stupid that I saved in June and I ended up spending in July. But who cares? These products are relatively affordable anyway.

After watching so many American Youtubers and hearing (reading) so many Australian bloggers rave about it, I finally jumped on the Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter bandwagon. I have to say that I'm not disapponinted, in fact I am impressed! The best bit is, I bought it when Target had a buy one get one free Sale. So I got one for myself and one for you (my lovely readers). Expect a review from me soon!

The second product that I purchased is Australis 10hr Waterproof Eye Pencil. I bought it because I've been keeping an eye out for a blue coloured eye pencil to do a duo-coloured eyeliner look. And after hearing from Emily how wonderful this product is, I decided to buy it. I plan on doing a review and a tutorial with it in the near future.

Lastly, I got myself another pair of MAC lashes because 1) My #33 are wonky and out of shape from repeated use and abuse. 2) I was in a bad mood that day and need a pick-me-up and 3) I really like the look of this pair! At first, I went up to the MAC counter asking for #7, they said they've been out of stock for quite a while now. My eyes caught this pair #32 and I knew I couldn't go wrong with them. I'll post up a photo when I get around to wearing them (and when actually remember to take a photo). 

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think of it/them?

Wicked Wednesday: Battle of the Hand Creams

Spring may be only three weeks away but this does not mean that the weather stops being cold and drying. I still find myself reaching for my tube of hand cream as many times as I normally do in a day during mid-winter. If you haven't been using hand cream, it's never too late to invest in one. You will need it a lot if you work in an environment where the air-conditioning/heater is drying or if it involves you washing your hands countless times in a day. I've put together a list of hand creams that I have tried; they are arranged from my least favourite to the most.

Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream

Claims: Soften hands; minimises age spots; and strengthens nails

Retail: AUD$40 for 100mL

Packaging: 4 out of 5

Review: I was given a 50mL tube of this product by a friend. I was really keen to try it out until I opened up the tube. It had a strong fragrance that is typcial of body/hand creams and it made me sneeze. I am not a fan of products with artificial (added) fragrances because they either irritate my nose or gives me headaches. That aside, I think this hand cream keeps my hands from drying up for half the day before I have to reapply. I do have spots/pigments on my hands but I don't think I've used this cream consistently enough to see any improvements. The cream is smooth and easy to spread but it takes a while to absorb into the skin.

Clinique Deep Comfort Hand and Cuticle Cream

Claims: 12-hour hydration; strengthens moisture barrier against environmental stressors; and conditions cuticles and nails.

Retail: AUD$32 for 75mL 

Packaging: 3.5 out of 5 

Review: I got the sample version of this hand cream as a gift from another friend (people seem to love giving me hand creams, don't they?). What I really liked about this hand cream was that it's fragrance-free, plus it's allergy-tested. I found that it makes my hands smooth and soft immediately after application, which I really liked. The downside of this product is that I found myself reapplying it every couple of hours. Perhaps it was because it was a particularly dry and cold winter. So for me, the "staying power" was poor. Other than that, I was happy with it.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Hand Cream SPF 15

Claims: Contains all the goodness of the original cocoa butter formula for your hands with sun protection.

Retail: AUD$4.20 for 60g

Packaging: 4.5 out of 5 

Review: I'm using this hand cream currently. What I really like about it is that it contains SPF. We often neglect our hands when it comes to protecting them from the deadly UV rays of the sun. The hands often age the fastest, apart from our faces and necks because they are exposed most of the time. It has a scent (which I believe originates from the cocoa butter) but it isn't foul, just tolerable. The cream is thick and harder to spread but I think you need no use as much per application compared to other hand creams. Because it is so "solid", it feels like it takes a while to absorb into the skin. I apply this very early in the morning before I head out the door and it lasts me till the evening.

L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream

Claims: Helps heal and protect dry or dehydrated skin; anti-oxidizing vitamin E helps nourish hands.

Retail: AUD$12 / AUD$39  for 30mL / 150mL

Packaging: 4.5 out of 5

Review: I love this little tube of heaven! I've only tried it a few times (whenever my mum lends hers to me) but I just know that it's the perfect hand cream for me. It has a lovely subtle scent and the perfect consistency: not too thick and not too fluid. All you need is a very tiny amount and it moisturizes your hands immediately and effectively. My skin feels smooth and amazing, like it has just returned from a day spa! It also lasts most of the day. I'm hoping to get my hands on one of these once I empty my Palmer's hand cream! 

I hope this post has given you an idea on what to look out for if you're shopping for a hand cream. If you already have/use hand creams, what's your favourite? Do share by commenting below.

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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Wicked Wednesday: The Brush Guard review

I ordered a set of Brush Guards a month or so back. I'm sure many of you are familiar with this product thanks to Michelle Phan. If not, you can watch this video but don't worry, I'll explain it a little along the way. Since these are not sold locally (not that I am aware of), I had to order them directly from thebrushguard.com.

The Brush Guard are these little flexible cages that you slip over the bristles of your brush. This helps keep your brush in shape and minimises the amount of dirt exposure. This is very handy in terms of storage and travelling. You can easily throw them into your drawer or makeup bag without having to worry about the condition of your brushes. The Brush Guard comes in different sizes so that you can protect all of your different brushes.

Here are some of my brushes of various sizes.

I tried to do what Michelle Phan showed in her video, drying my freshly washed brushes by slipping them into a brush guard each and stand them inverted in a cup. It didn't work for me. The brushes remained damp after some hours and I did not find any water at the bottom of the cup. I still think is a good and useful product. Plus it was very affordable at USD$5.50.

Do you use The Brush Guard? How do you find it?