Celebrity Makeup Love | Kate Bosworth

 │Kate Bosworth at Lucky Magazine's FABB Conference, New York│

Kate Bosworth always oozes with that "I didn't even try" look. With gorgeous cheekbones, luscious lips and a year round youthful glow, the girl is a true beauty. This makeup looks effortless. I adore the coral hues on her pale skin as it adds a natural flush to her cheeks, and paired with a matching coral lipstick it's the perfect look for this time of year(Spring/Summer in Australia).

Source: JustJared

Twist 'n' Go Instant Nail Polish Remover

I first saw this product in MissTango2's 'September Beauty Faves' YouTube video and it looked so unique that I had to try it out myself!

The product is by Designer Brands Cosmetics, an Australian based company that claims to give women designer label quality cosmetics at affordable prices. I have never tried or owned any of their products before, but after being pleasantly surprised with this innovative nail polish remover I am definitely more intrigued to try some of their other products.

The product seemed to work brilliantly when MissTango2 did a demo on camera and I am pleased to say that after trying it out myself, it is pretty awesome and removes nail polish quite easily. All you do is twist off the lid, insert your finger into the container where there is a wet sponge (which is basically soaked in acetone), rub your finger nail against the sponge and it will remove the polish. I must add though, that the "1 second Dip, Twist & Go" claim is not true, as you do have to rub your finger back and forth against the sponge for longer than a second to completely remove the nail polish. 

Now, I'm not sure how long the product will last or can be used, but the sponge is soaked quite heavily so I'm going to assume that it won't dry out/evaporate  too quickly.

What I love about this product is that it's clean, compact and cotton ball free! It would be great for travel or throwing into your handbag, and you really can't beat convenience when it comes to this kind of beauty situation!  

Twist 'n' Go Instant Nail Polish Remover retails at $4.99 AUD. 

Designer Brands Cosmetics are available in various pharmacies and hair & beauty supply stores or online at the DB website - you can search for a local stockist here. I purchased mine from a Price Attack store. 

Makeup Collection Storage

As a beauty junkie I am constantly purchasing and trying out new products, so you can probably imagine the amount of goodies I have stocked up in my room. My only problem with this addiction is the limited space that I have to store and organise everything!

I've been searching for awhile for a compact storage unit or something that I could use to keep all my makeup and skincare products in that would allow me to organise and still access everything easily while avoiding the extra clutter. I originally considered buying a larger makeup train case than the one I'm currently using, but realised it wasn't the most practical and space saving storage option.

While shopping at IKEA recently though, I came across some cute mini wooden boxes that immediately caught my eye. There were a selection of chest and drawer sizes available, but I went for the largest chest with the 6 drawers. I liked that this particular chest  had 3 different sized drawers - 1 long drawer at the bottom, 2 medium sized drawers in the middle and 3 smaller drawers at the top. As you can see from the labels in the above image, I have organised the drawers into lip, cheeks and eye products.

You can check out the selection of chests in store at IKEA. 

MOPPE 

Mini chest of drawers

$39.99 AUD

Assembled Size:

Width: 42cm

Depth: 18cm

Height: 32cm

Material:

Birch plywood

Key Features:

Untreated wood; can be treated with oil or glazing paint for a personal touch and a more durable surface (I have left mine untreated)

**Thank you Rob, for buying this for me :)

What's on My Face | Birthday weekend

This makeup has quickly become one of my favourite and 'go to' looks for a night out. I basically created a shimmery taupe smokey eye with strong defined brows and a fresh and flawless base. It's still a wearable look for day time too if you don't mind a bit of shimmer on the lids. I used a mixture of old and new products (which I will be writing a review for shortly) as seen in the photo above. This is a slightly heavier look with more coverage on our base so don't be alarmed by the amount of products that I used. 

Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to take a clear and closeup photo of the makeup for you to see, but I have no doubt I will be wearing this look again soon so I will be sure to take a photo and post it for you then! 

Products Used: 

In order of application 

Face

- Lucas pawpaw ointment on the lips (not pictured)

- Simple hydrating light moisturiser 

- Bourjois healthy mix serum gel foundation (No. 55)

- Bourjois BB Bronzing cream 

 (I mixed a small pump of this in with my foundation for a more bronzed look as

  my body is still quite tanned from my holiday)

- Illamasqua Eye Brow Cake (Thunder) 

- Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Spot Eraser 

- Bourjois Bronzing Primer (I used this as a contour)

- Benefit  boi-ing industrial strength concealer (No. 02)

- Rimmel powder blush (001 Santa Rose)

- Rimmel Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder (001 Transparent)

- Bourjois Universal Illuminating Powder

- Avene Eau Thermale thermal spring water (finishing spray all over the face)

Eyes

- Urban Decay Primer Potion (not pictured)

- bareMinerals loose eyeshadow colour (Nude Beach)

- MAC eyeshadow (Satin Taupe)

- MAC eyeshadow (Pattina)

- Max Factor eyeshadow (101 Pale Pebble)

- Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on eye pencil (Rockstar)   

- Estee Lauder Double Wear Zero-smudge lengthening mascara (01 Black)

- E.l.f Wet Gloss Lash & Brow clear mascara

Lips

- NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss (162 Nude Peach)

Birthday Weekend Nails

   

 In the Light                                                         In the Shade

Stumpy nails, boo! Not the best looking nails for the birthday weekend but I had to cut and file them down because they were starting to split and peel. My nails get quite brittle and are prone to splitting and peeling, particularly when they are long so I do need to give them a break and keep them colour free sometimes (including clear nail polish). But! Seeing as it's a special occasion weekend they need to done!

With shorter nails I tend to avoid painting them in bright, bold or dark colours just because I don't want to draw too much attention to them. I have rather short and thick fingers that I don't think look very feminine so when my nails are quite short and round shaped, I prefer a clean and fresher look which I find gives my fingers a more elongated appearance. 

I've chosen a slightly similar colour to what I had on Monday (in 'Miss Matched') but this one is called 'Ballet Slippers'. It's a very pale baby pink with a creamy texture and is not as sheer - I still painted 3 coats though to make the colour more opaque. With such a huge variety of colours and shades, many Essie nail polishes do look quite similar in their bottles. However you will find that they will paint on and dry differently - also depending on the number of coats you apply, they do vary slightly in colour and finish.

Products used:
 - Essence studio nails 24/7 nail base
[Available at Priceline & Target $2.95]

- Essie nail color in 'Ballet Slippers' 
[Available at Priceline $16.95, Various Myer Department Stores or online at Adore Beauty $18.95]

- Essence quick dry topcoat
[Available at Priceline & Target $2.95]

Nails of the week | 'Miss Matched'

In the Light                                                         In the Shade

This week I have opted for more subtle nails, using Essie's nail colour in 'Miss Matched'. This colour is quite sheer so I used 3 coats to achieve a more opaque look. As you can see in the photos, the colour actually looks slightly different in the shade and in the light.

Products used:
 - Essence studio nails 24/7 nail base
[Available at Priceline & Target $2.95]

- Essie nail color in 'Miss Matched' 
[Available at Priceline $16.95, Various Myer Department Stores or online at Adore Beauty $18.95]

- Essence quick dry topcoat
[Available at Priceline & Target $2.95]

Nails of the week | 'Sushi for Two'

After giving my nails a short break (about 1 week) to rejuvenate, I have freshly painted them today and what a good feeling it is to look down at a colourful pair of hands! Since leaving my job as a stock assistant a little over two months ago, my hands and nails have never been in better shape/condition. Rather than sulking at my awful looking "man hands" I finally feel slightly more feminine with these softer, decently manicured and polished fingers!

This week I've gone for a gorgeous bright coral colour from YouTuber Julie G's nail polish collection in the colour 'sushi for two' - such a cute name! There is no denying that coral is definitely my favourite colour (second to blue) and this is probably the nicest coral nail colour I have seen! I only purchased two colours from her collection at the only RiteAid I stumbled across in LA, so hopefully one day I can get my hands on a few more because they're fantastic!

Products used:  
- Lker cuticle nourishment oil
[any cuticle oil you can find will do]

-  Essence studio nails 24/7 nail base
[Available at Priceline & Target $2.95]

- JulieG nail color in 'sushi for two' 
[purchased in the U.S. at RiteAid Pharmacy]

- Essence quick dry topcoat
[Available at Priceline & Target $2.95]

Hello!

After failing to launch my beauty & lifestyle blog many moons ago from the distractions of life away from the laptop, I have finally found my desire to write again and more importantly, to share all the things that I love & enjoy to the online community. I am delighted to say that I am returning to this space full of commitment, excitement, passion and love for everything fun, beautiful and just what women want!  

A big shoutout to my girl Carolyn for the much needed encouragement to get back into it.
 
So, without further adieu Welcome to substance for Belle.