A Look in Perfectly Lush Lashes

I met up with Sin Wei to do her makeup and nails and asked if she would once again let me feature the photos on my blog. I was doing her makeup and nails for a party which would take place that night, so I needed something simple and long lasting (makeup and photos were done between 7 am - 9 am).

Originally, I wanted to do a Lash Application tutorial with these photos, but its actually quite a well covered blog topic already so I didn't think that it warranted a feature. I will try to give some guidance on how to best apply it for a natural look, but for the most part, I will be talking mainly about her makeup :)

Base Products:
- Laura Mercier Silk Creme in Cashew Beige
- NARS Concealer in Cinnamon
- Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder
- Illamasqua Bronzing Powder Duo to contour and lightly bronze

For the eyes, I used Giorgio Armani's Eyes To Kill Intense in #16. I had Chanel's Harmonie du Soir (review here) quad with me so I dabbed my brush lightly in the taupe and used that to blend out the harsh edges. I also used the gold to highlight the inner corner and the violet plum to line the upper lashes.

The lower lashes were lined with the same ETKI shade and I used the violet plum again on the outer corner.

For the lips, I used the third tier from my LMdB Les Artistes kit (reviewed here).

False lashes usually need to be trimmed, unless you have huge eyes and depending on the brand of lashes you buy. The ones I have used in this feature is the Princess Cross Lashes (Ebay), which I bought because of Reika's recommendation (Front Row Beauty). I think these lashes are fine (and so cheap!), but my absolute favourites would have to be either:
- Shu Uemura Partial Flare Lashes (soft accent to the eyes)
- Shu Uemura Smoky Layers (beautiful criss cross lashes)
- Ardell Natural Lashes (the base is soft and pliable, and therefore follows the lashline perfectly)

The placement of the inner lashes should be about 5 mm away from the inner corner of your eyes or more, depending on when your lashes start to thicken. If you apply the false lashes right where your lashes begin, I find the effect less subtle and you probably need to thicken your eyeliner to make it look less obvious/jarring. Just my personal preference. 

Again, for the most natural look, the outer end of the falsies should be where your natural lashes end.

I hope you have enjoyed the photos :) Sorry the pictures are a bit dim, the sun was out in full force and so we had to hide under a tree to take half decent shots of the makeup :D

Cindy xx

Ciate Polish and Caviar Beads - Review

I've recently discovered a new nail polish brand called Ciate, and I could not be more excited to show you this post.

Ciate is a company that produces a relatively new brand of nail art whereby you sprinkle and press either caviar beads (featured here), velvet powder (makes your polishes velvety), or sequins.

The quality of the polishes themselves vary between shades. I have tested them in store and found some beautiful colours that are either a little runny or streaky. Most of the polishes are rather good, though :D

I purchased the christmas set from Mecca Cosmetica for 42 AUD, and it comes in a super festive box entirely covered with a picture of caviars and sequins. The set is called the Caviar Mini Bar and comes with four polishes and four caviars. A funnel is provided so you can pour back fallen caviars into the little pots. Nothing is wasted!

Lets look at the selection of colours in this set. The polishes consist of a bright rosy pink, a corally orange, a silver and a gold. I find both silver and gold to be a little thin, but t is very easy to apply. Three coats is required for opacity but if you are going to use the caviar beads, two coats should suffice.

The pink and orange have a slightly thicker consistency, and therefore I think it would create a stronger "base" for the caviars. Both have very nice pigmentation and finish and out of the four available colours, I would definitely wear these two on their own. The metallics are just too sheer for my liking.

The beads' colours are probably a little hard to tell from my photo but I shall try to describe them for you :). Starting from the left:

- Violet/Navy, Red, Silver Caviars and Silver Sequins

- Turquoise, Pink and Clear Caviars

- Silver Caviars

- Turquoise, Pink, and Orange Caviars

In this feature, I will show you how the gold pairs with the turquioise-pink-orange caviars (the two pots at most left in the picture above)

The picture below shows the polish at one coat. 

The picture below shows the polish at TWO coats (slightly more opaque).

BEADS BEADS BEADS!!!

Okay, so how do we apply the caviar nails? I can break it down for you into four very simple steps :D

Step 1. Apply one coat of polish. Let dry.

Step 2. Apply second coat of polish. DO NOT wait for this coat to dry.

Step 3. Sprinkle caviars straight from the pots. You can apply as liberally as you like. I prefer a more sparse application to let some of the gold polish shine through.

Step 4. Press caviars down onto the nail bed to ensure adherence.

I really love how cool and different my nails look this weekend :D This manicure is extremely addictive, short lived (2 days), and not to mention fun! Don't say I didn't warn you :)

I highly recommend that you at least TRY Ciate manicures. I could not stop looking at my nails all weekend!

Cindy xx

Chantecaille L'Elephant Palette - Review and Swatches

I purchased Chantecaille's latest philantropic palette, L'Elephant, weeks ago. Claire purchased it for me from the US and posted it so I dont have to pay the hefty price tag of AUD 120.

 What can I say about this palette?? That it was:

- disappointing

- overpriced 

- the worst palette I ever swatched?

The only nice shade is Ivory, which is consistent with the quality of the permanent Chantecaille eyeshadows.

Grasslands and Iron Ore have this hardened texture, and the shadows were very difficult to pick up with a brush, much less my fingertips. Red Earth has so-so texture, but the colour is beautiful and I could pick up the shadow just fine with my eyeshadow brush.

Ivory is a bone white with shimmer, grasslands is an ultra sheer slightly blackened shimmery green, iron ore is blackened brown with silver glitter, and red earth is the perfect shade of copper. 

 

Overall, two out of four shades ain't bad, but it ain't great either. For what you are paying, these palettes need to be amazing and so far, in my experience, they have been amazing. If you want to try another Chantecaille Palette, I suggest you try Tiger In The Wild :) That palette is just gorgeous!!

Cindy

Shu Uemura Mon Shu Collection (Karl Lagerfeld) - First Impressions and Swatches

As you may have noticed, there have been a few little changes to the blog that I have been making in order to mix things up a little. I realised that I much preferred the old layout (simpler, all photos laid out etc) because I can see all the little details as soon as I open the page. 

Also, I've been branding all my photos with the website name. For this post, I actually forgot to do that prior to uploading all the pictures. Oh well...

The Mon Shu Collection has recently hit David Jones across Australia and I (unexpectedly) picked up a few items. The reasons being:

- Scary Dora isn't as scary in real life as the promotional photos

- The palette price is AUD 88, which is significantly less than the prices of previous palettes

This collection comes with its own Shu Uemura paper bag! How cute :)

Since I purchased three items from the collection (totalling over AUD 150), I received a complimentary Shu Uemura/Karl Lagerfeld cosmetics couch decorated with the Mon Shu theme. The red shimmery colour of this cosmetic case is amazing!

I purchased three items from this collection, the Prestigious Bordeaux palette (browns and purples), the Blackish Purple Eyeliner, and the Special Edition Mon Shu Eyelash Curler.

The back of the palette box...

The eyeliner box...

The spiel on the back of the eyelash curler box...

I think I am MOST excited about the eyelash curler. I see this as a collectible and I don't think I will ever use it :)

The shape of the curler is consistent with the original. The only difference being the red rubber lining and the detachable charm.

Back view...

Side View...

I have never done a review of the Shu Uemura eyelash curler before, but I just want to say that it is amazing!! It curls my eyelashes beautifully and I am so glad I took a chance and tried it. I think this product is AUD 50.

The palette , Prestigious Bordeaux is a beautiful mix of shimmery browns and purples. There is a gold glitter pan and also a red blush with a touch of teracotta.

Upon swatching, I realised that the top two shadows are cream (still not sure about this, it looks like powder but its sooo soft and creamy). The middle two are definitely powder though. All four eyeshadows are so pigmented (swatches are at the bottom of this post) with amazing texture. Its blowing my mind right now!! 

The festive gold glitter accent applies beautifully, and adheres to the skin well with little fallout. The blush is a little patchy, but I think if you use the right blush brush, this can work really well and look natural.

The cover of the palette... what is with the red eyes, Karl? Seriously.

Scary Dora is also on the lid of the eyeliner. She won't stop me from using this baby though. The colour is truly blackish purple (brown) with shimmer. Again, so creamy and long lasting. My arm is still stained from where I swatched the liner. 

Finally, I will let my swatches do the talking. These colours are so much more beautiful in real life. The dark purple cream shadow has multicolour shimmer strewn throughout, and the pinky lilac shadow is also quite shimmery.

 

The liner is swatched on the left (thin line and thicker smudged band). The palette is swatched next to these and the blusher on top.

Overall, I love this collection. Not super thrilled about the packaging, but the quality of these products are outstanding. I expected nothing less from such a collaboration between a fashion powerhouse icon and Mr Shu!! 

Hope this post has been helpful. 

Cindy xx

Damn Cat!!

The little monster must have been dancing on the keyboard when this got posted. I swear, I was no where near my computer when this post got published!! Hahaha ...

Anyway, since he SO wanted to blog, I'll throw the kitty a bone and post photos of him.

If the kitten were to blog, this is what he would write (and I know because we are connected :P)...

I like the iPad, especially Hay Day.

I like to sleep on the couch.

When mummy has the iPad, i like to stay next to her and occasionally put my paw on the screen and see the pictures change.

Sometimes when I am REALLY REALLY tired, from chasing that speck on the floor (no that was NOT my imagination), I kinda sleep funny. And oh, my tongue lolls out. I can hear those two horrible people leaughing at me.

As much as I like the iPad, though, the laptop is still my best toy. I like to sleep next to it and sit on it when it is being used.

Love,

Ronnie (the best ginger ninja EVER!)

A Girl's Guide Turns One (and Three Months!)

I can't believe that Claire and I have been blogging for one year and three months. I truly did mean to host another giveaway to celebrate but I've been so busy lately that it slipped my mind! :D

We have shared exactly 100 posts with you, enjoyed tens of thousands of views and I still can't believe that people actually take their time to read my ramblings. I work in an analytical field, you see, where "our people" aren't exactly known for our loquaciousness. I won't speak for Claire, but I'm sure she shares my sentiment. Truly, thanks to those of you who have followed us or subscribed via email.

Now, the prize...

I mentioned recently that there are discontinued Suqqu palettes available on Selfridges. I bought two palettes for myself, and ONE to giveaway. Which one, exactly? That would be Kakitsubata #1. Are you excited now? I considered going for the newer palettes perhaps, but since this is a "We've Turned #1!!" giveaway, the #1 Suqqu palette is so appropriate! :D

I never got around to reviewing this palette myself but for thorough and droolworthy reviews please read:
- Reika at Front Row Beauty
- Cecilia at A Vain Woman
- PJ at A Touch of Blusher

How you can enter:
- Follow on GFC
- Email Subscribe
- Follow @agirlsguide2MU on Twitter

Each action will earn you one entry. Please write a comment on how you have entered, and please include the email address you have used to enter. This giveaway will close exactly one week from today, so this means 4 pm Friday, 16th November (Perth time).

The item will be shipped via Airmail for International entries, and Express Post for Australian entries. Good Luck!

Cindy xx

The winner has been notified and items will be shipped momentarily :) xo

Makeup in Candy Eyes - Spring Inspired FOTD

Today I am showing you a makeup look that I did with my niece last weekend, and it was inspired by Lisa Eldridge's Candy Colours video where she used Givenchy's quad in  Bucolic Blossoms.

The quad that I will be using today is Le Metier de Beaute's Pallid Incandescents, with a touch of Shu Uemura's Burning in Water palette.

My preference for the placement of these beautiful spring shades are below;

• teal in the inner half of the lid (PI),
• purple in the outer half of the lid(PI) and also to line the inner lower lashline,
• orange in the crease(PI),
• light pink on the browbone(PI),
• gold glitter on the inner corner (BIW),
• blue eyeliner (Artemis) underneath dark blue shade (BIW) on upper lashline and outer lower lashline.

For this face of the day look, I wanted the lashes to be well curled and well defined. I used Shu Uemura's lash curler (the best, I swear by it) and Lancome's Hypnose.

For the lips and cheeks, I chose to use my trusty Becca Anniversary Palette in Dusty Rose.  The shades I used were the lip and cheek creme in Tuberose (right bottom corner in the picture) and Narcissus to highlight. For those of you wondering, the picture below shows the true colours of the palette. In my original review, the photos were taken using a camera phone (!!). Ah, how far I have come with technology :P



Base products:

• Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Fiji
• Vaseline to prep the lips (my lip balm was MIA)

Overall, I'm really happy with how this photo session turned out!! I hope I can do more of these Saturday makeover sessions with my niece ;)

All photos were not retouched in any way with the exception of the last picture below (yes, i wanted to have an instagram-like effect) :) We were blessed with loads of natural sunlight that day , despite the gloomy weather forecast :D

Miccala is just too gorgeous for words!! <3

Cindy x

To enter my newest Suqqu Kakitsubata giveaway, click on this link.

Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in 817 Apparence and 89 Vision: Review and Comparison Swatches

Forgive my very sporadic blogging lately. I've been hit with two bouts of really bad colds during the past month and it has totally drained any motivation I had in blogging :(

Anyway, onwards and upwards... If you have read my previous posts, you would know that I had purchased a few items for Chanel's holiday collection. I had reviewed the main item from the collection, the Harmonie du Soir palette, and I can't wait to show you the rest!

What I have for you tonight is the IdO in Apparence, and a comparison post with an earlier released Vision.

Apparence is a sheer dirty muted gold. It blends in with my skin colour (I am super super tan right now) and gives a subtle gold highlight to my eyelids without being too IN YOUR FACE. It is very subtle (on me!) and a dead ringer for the gold/brassy colour in the Harmonie du Soir quad :)

Vision is a sparkling glitter bomb which consists solely of gold goodness. It has a clear gel base and it is IMPOSSIBLE to do a thin line (not using the supplied brush anyway), in case you were wondering/wanted this product for that purpose specifically. This one is reserved for a sheer wash of gold glitter fit for the holiday season.

I originally thought that these two could be sisters, and that if you had one, you didn't need the other. Well I was wrong. You need both if you like golds (like me!). Apparence is like the elegant, conservative older sister and Vision is the carefree party-goer who enjoys life to its fullest and attracts attention wherever she goes!

Gun to my head, I would probably choose Apparence because of its subtlety. But Vision is so so pretty. Did you read my description? Its a sparkling gold! Its very hard to ignore its beauty and I would have hated to miss out on it. (So thank you, Anthea, for encouraging me to try it!)

xx Cindy 

Don't forget to enter my latest birthday giveaway here.