Review: Montagne Jeunesse Sauna Masque Red Hot Earth

Ever feel like you need to really deep clean your face and be left with soft, smooth and lovely smelling skin? If so, keep reading as I may have the right product for you! Montagne Jeunesse's Sauna Masque Red Hot Earth is another fabulous product from this cruelty-free company and if you are a vegeterian, their products are suitable for you too!  Let's have a look at this one masque from their extensive range.

The packaging of all Montagne Jeunesse products is always colourful and fun and this masque is no exception!

As the name suggests, this masque is a sauna masque; meaning that it warms up on contact with the skin.  Due to this warming action, it opens up the pores and deep cleans them so you are left with beautiful-looking & clean skin.

One of the main ingredients in this masque is actually clay which when combined with the right ingredients, helps combat stress and therefore promotes relaxation.

With regards texture, this masque is not as thick as the other ones but it still delivers optimal results.  It looks a bit like it is sticky and gooey when you open the pack but in reality it is very easy to apply and subsequently remove it.  I managed to get 3 applications out of this pack, one of which was used on my bf and this masque got his approval!  The colour of the masque is actually fun as well... a kind of reddish-pink!

As for scent, I cannot really say there is a strong scent to this masque at least while it is on your face.  When I start rinsing it off though, I can detect a faint smell of clay with some essential oils maybe?  This masque was provided for review purposes but I have used it before and I have never developed any irritations; actually I have never developed any irritations to any Montagne Jeunesse products! That's why I have stayed faithful to them all this time!

What are you waiting for? Go on and get your fix of Natural Beauty Products from Montagne Jeunesse!

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ebay Haul: 10-Pan Empty Palette

Good morning ladies! My morning lecture had been cancelled today so I headed back home.  Well, the postie delivered my 10-pan empty palette that I ordered from ebay a few days ago.  Here are some pictures of the packaging and the palette itself:

As you can see, it was wrapped in a very cute way with the ribbon and all and there were two layers of bubble wrap around the palette.  In fact, it arrived in whole piece :D.  I like how sleek and sturdy it feels actually! Much better than the one I got rid of! 

I had been looking for an empty palette for ages now... I really want a Unii palette but is it beyond my budget at the moment so I looked up ebay.  Now the pans of this one are really big but I couldn't find one with smaller pans. Anyways, I still managed to depot the eyeshadows neatly... I took them out of their original case and then stuck them to the detachable aluminium pans with some super glue!

Now I am looking for a palette that is just empty... no pans, no nothing so that I can put the other mono eyeshadows that I have and that are not circular.  If any of you come across one, I would appreciate it if you let me know :)

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Monthly Favourites: February 2011

Here are my favourites for this month ladies! Most of them are products I have re-discovered but I have also included a few new purchases as well. Here goes!

Inglot Under Make-up Base, e.l.f. Studio Blush in Candid Coral, Revlon ColorStay Make-up in 180 Sand Beige, e.l.f. Mineral Lipstick in Rosy Tan + Napoleon Perdis Protege Lipgloss (my new favourite lip combo), e.l.f. Waterproof eyeliner pen in Black, Rimmel Nail Rescue Hardener & Barry M Shimmering Body Creme in Gold Reflects (been using this a lot in the inner corner of my eyes).

For some reason I forgot to include the e.l.f. Duo Eyeshadow Cream in Black Licorice which I have been using a lot this month as well and the two bracelets I have been wearing the most (pink one is from Accessorize, the other is from Tenda).

And of course the latest additions to my ever growing shoe collection!

What were your favourites this month ladies?

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EOTN 26/02/11: e.l.f. Everyday Brights 32 Piece Eyeshadow Palette

Ahhh what a nice sunny day today here in Malta! Unlike yesterday night -_-, which is the reason why after  I applied make-up and got dressed up, me and my bf decided to stay in at mine.  It was freezing cold outside so we figured staying cosy inside with my family was a much better option.  We grabbed some take away (actually Dad and Johan braved the cold) and since my brother was not going out either, we spent the night enjoying some good laughs and board games.  Anyways, back to the actual subject of this post... my eye make-up.  I created this gradient look on my eyes with the colours from the flowers on my top (silly me forgot to take a picture of the outfit before I changed into my pyjamas and house coat). Here are a couple pics:

After I completed the look, I remembered a Barry M advert where the model wears very similar colours to the ones I wore.  I looked the advert up on the Barry M website...

... result! What do you think?

Anyways, here is a list of all the products I used to create the look (I am not very photogenic and could not get a decent photo of my full face, but for those of you who are interested, I am also including the list of products I used on the rest of my face).

Face

Inglot Under Make-up Base

Revlon ColorStay Make-up in 180 Sand Beige for Combination/Oily Skin

e.l.f. Studio Complexion Perfection

essence stay Natural Concealer in 01 Soft Beige

Rimmel London Powder Blush in 004 Pink Rose

e.l.f. Studio Make-up Mist & Set

Eyes

e.l.f. Eyelid Primer

Gray creme eyeshadow from e.l.f. Duo Eyeshadow Cream in Black Licorice

Sapphire blue, mid-purple and light pink from e.l.f. 32 Piece Collection Everyday Brights Eyeshadow Palette

e.l.f. Lengthening and Defining Mascara

Max Factor Khol eye pencil in 020 Black

Lips

Vaseline

e.l.f. All Over Colour Stick in Pink Lemonade

Primark Beauty light pink lipgloss (part of a set) 

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NOTW: Inspired from my bedroom upholstery :)

Good morning everyone :) This week's design was actually inspired by the curtains and upholstery in my bedroom. I hope you like it and if you're interested in learning how to do it yourselves, just keep reading!

1. Start with a clear base coat and follow with two coats of a nude pink colour.  I used L'Oreal Resist & Shine Titanium in 100.

2. My curtains have lilac, mint, grey and a darker grey so those are the colours I chose for this mani but feel free to use any colour combination you like! For the thin strips, you will need a striping brush, so make sure you have yours handy.

First, create a thick stripe on one side of your nail with a dark grey colour (Rimmel 60 Seconds in 780 Hard Rock), then progress by making a thin mint (elf Mint Cream) stripe a little further from the dark grey stripe and right next to the mint one, do another thin stripe with a less dark grey (essence colour&go in 35 Movie Star).  Finish with one or two thin lilac(elf Lilac) stripes on the other side of the nail depending on how wide yours are.  Now you can choose to top coat your design at this stage, or else continue to do the little bow.

3. To do the bow, just paint two triangles with the pointy ends facing each other by means of a detailing brush.  Place a dot of the same colour in the middle to join the vertices of the triangles.  Then just draw two little ribbons coming out of the centre of the bow.  For the bow I used elf Metal Madness for a hint of shimmer and I did the bow on both thumbs and ring fingers.

4. Top coat and you're done!

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A little present...

You may probably be aware that I had won one of the Lipstains Gold up for grabs in a Christmas giveaway from R8Beauty.  Well, to this date, there is still no sign of it :( I contacted R8Beauty and they tried their best to track it down but sadly, they didn't succeed.  However, the ever so sweet Jasmine (aka Oxford Jasmine) kindly sent me a little brown box which I got today and when I opened it, I was greeted with this:

Yes! It's the new 32 piece Everyday Brights Eyeshadow palette!!! I was over the moon as soon as I saw all those bright colours (mind you, acid brights will be in this coming summer) and more importantly, they arrived intact! Now to be honest, I hadn't planned on getting this palette as I have a life-time supply of eyeshadows lol but I was amazed that out of all the eyeshadows I already own, none of them are dupes to any from this palette (yes I compared them all, one by one hehe)!  Here are a couple more pictures to show you how the actual palette looks:

The pictures really do not do any justice to how beautiful the actual colours are!  Can't wait to have a play with all these lovely colours! Thank you once again Jasmine! You really made my day!

Did you already order yours ladies? Have you got it already and how do you like it?

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Tag: How much is your face worth?

Here's a fun tag that I saw on Stavroula's blog.  You just have to basically write down the products that are on your face the most often and their prices to see how much your face is worth! Here goes!


Skin Care
Nivea Visage Refreshing Cleansing Lotion                                            ~ €5
Nivea Visage Refreshing Toner                                                                 ~ €5
Nivea Visage Young smooth it! Scrub                                                     ~ €5
Montage Jeunesse Face Masques                                                               €2
e.l.f. Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 in Rosy Beige                                       €1.70


Make-up


Face
Inglot Under Make-Up Base                                                                        €21
Revlon ColorStay Make-up in 180 Sand Beige                                     €18
essence stay natural concealer in 01 Soft Beige                                  ~ €3
elf studio Complexion Perfection                                                              €4
Rimmel Powder Blush in 004 Pink Rose                                                ~ €4

Eyes
e.l.f. Eyelid Primer                                                                                       €1.70
Eyeshadows from Deborah Stories Large Palette                                €25
e.l.f. All Over Colour Stick in Persimmon                                             €1.70
e.l.f. Lengthening & Defining Mascara                                                  €4
e.l.f. Waterproof Eyeliner Pen in Black                                                  €1.70
e.l.f. Brightening Eyeliner in Black                                                        €1.70

Lips
Vaseline                                                                                                           ~ €2
Revlon ColorStay Lip liner in Nude                                                        €8
e.l.f. Mineral Lipstick in Rosy Tan                                                          €4
e.l.f. Super Glossy Lip Shine SPF 15 in Goddess/Mauve Luxe         €1.70 each
Napoleon Perdis Coral Protege Lip Gloss                                                $21 ~ €15

TOTAL: €135.20 (guess that's a lot lol :p)

How much is your face worth? I tag all of you lovely followers to do this ;)


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Mid-Week Beauty Master class: Eyeshadow

Hey all! This week we will go through the different types of eyeshadow avaliable and which ones are best suited for the different skin types.  Like foundation, eyeshadows need a primer underneath so as to make them last longer and boost the colour.  For more information about eye primers, please click here.  Eyeshadow is perhaps the fun part of the make-up routine as it helps accentuate the eyes and creates a focal point on your face.

Pressed Eyeshadows are the most popular type of eyeshadows and come in a vast array of colours, shapes, sizes and packages.  They are usually supplied in pans and are sold as monos, duos, trios, etc and even in huge palettes!! They can be very powdery so a good base is always a must and if you want to, you can always put powder under your eyes to catch fall-outs and then dust everything away neatly.  Invest in a good set of brushes to achieve the best possible results!

Mineral Eyeshadows are becoming hugely popular because they do not contain any preservatives or parabens and are thus hypoallergenic.  They usually come in jars with a sifter and arrive in powder form.  The same application tips as for the pressed eyeshadows apply for these.

Cream Eyeshadows are very good way of making your eyeshadow last longer.  Try complementing the colours to boost your powder eyeshadow colour.  Make sure you use a good base with these and set them with powder to prevent creasing/fading.  If you have oily lids, pay extra attention when using cream eyeshadows.

Eyeshadow Pigments are powder eyeshadow that give very intense colouration because they are finely milled.  They come in wide-mouthed jars of different sizes and are a great alternative to powder eyeshadows if you are looking for a more striking colour!  Since they are so powdery, make sure you apply a good primer to provide a base for the eyeshadow to stick to.

Liquid Eyeshadow is another type of eyeshadow that is becoming more widely used.  It is usually supplied in a tube with a doe-foot applicator (similar to a lipgloss) and once dry, they give a very nice finish that lasts for a good amount of time.

Very soon I will do a more detailed post on how to choose the perfect eyeshadow colours depending on skin tone and eye shapes. Till next post, stay beautiful!


Finally, here are some eyeshadow application techniques:

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Nail (art) related haul, nail polish swatches swatches and a few clothing items...

Today I have a collective haul for you cupcakes! I wanted to wait until I received all the stuff I ordered from ebay so as to combine them all in one post.  It's all basically nail art related stuff as you will see :)

I was out of swatching wheels so I got a 10-pack as well as 10 colours of striping tape and a few rhinestones.  They are all pearls and the white ones come in 4 different sizes.

I also picked up a few items from some sales that were still going on here and the best part is, Mum paid for it all!! Here's what I got:

Cute, Polka dot print bikini from Peacocks & Smoking detail dress from Stradivarius

Floral print shorts from Pull & Bear

I also got a pair of girly boxers but since I don't think it's appropriate to flash my undies here, I will share just a sneak-peak of the print with you guys ;) I think it has summer written all over it and I really love the bright colours in it!  Oh, and by the way, I got these from Peacocks and they were only €1 lol!!! I absolutely had to have them! I also have my eyes on one that had these little lipsticks and compacts on it but I didn't see it today so I might get it next time I come across it maybe :)

And finally, here are some nail polish/nail art striper polishes swatches that I have been meaning to do but as I explained earlier, I was out of swatching wheels:

Left to right: Matte metallic silver striper, essence colour & go in 35 Movie Star, Eugene Perma deep reddish- plum, BYS Ultraviolet & BYS Coral Sea 

Left to right: BYS Lime Spritz, BYS Aqua Pool, BYS Pink on the Brink, Barry M Nail Paint in & Gold striper polish; Eugene Perma Coral polish

Gosh I have spent so much money this month that I am putting myself on a shopping ban and we'll see for how long I will manage to resist.  There are more ebay hauls coming soon but I have bought everything this month so look out for them as soon as I get all the items :)

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Top-Ten Tuesdays ~ Girly Reads

This week's Top Ten Tuesdays will focus on my top 10 girly reads to date :) Here goes!

10. Spa Wars ~ Chris Manby
9. Enchantment The Life of Audrey Hepburn ~ Donald Spoto
8. The Fabulously Fashionable Life of Isabel Bookbinder ~ Holly McQueen
7. I Heart New York ~ Lindsey Kelk
6. Shopaholic and Baby ~ Sophie Kinsella
5. Last Night at Chateau Marmont ~ Lauren Weisberger
4. Everyone Worth Knowing ~ Lauren Weisberger
3. Chasing Harry Winston ~ Lauren Weisberger
2. Confessions of a Shopaholic ~ Sophie Kinsella
1. The Devil Wears Prada ~ Lauren Weisberger

Have you read any of these books ladies? Do you have any recommendations for me?

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NOTW: The 50's Red Manicure... vamped up!

It's Sunday once again and that means another nail tutorial! This time I opted for something plain but classy... the 50's Manicure.  In the 1950's, many women used to wear another version of the classic red manicure.  It is essentially the same look, except that the half-moons at the base of each nail are left unpainted.  Instead of the traditional red, I have used a darker nail polish to achieve this look.  The only requirement to get this look yourselves is a steady hand! Let's get started! 

1. Apply a clear base coat all over the nails and leave to dry.

2. Select the colour you want and start painting a stripe of nail polish down the centre of the nail, starting just above the lunula (half-moon) at the base of your nail.

3. Apply a stripe of nail colour to each side of the nail, following the line of the half-moon.  Apply a second coat if desired.

4. Finish the manicure off with a coat of clear top-coat all over the nail.

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Gel Nails in full colour

Good afternoon everyone :) How's Saturday treating you so far? Mine is actually quite good! Today, the weather improved greatly in terms of sunshine but we still have strong winds blowing all the time.

Anyway, I had to attend to a client today and as usual, I wanted to share the final result with you all :)  My client opted for something delicate to we went for this gorgeous bordeaux colour with a hint of gold shimmer and then I did a simple grid on the ring fingers with some gold glitter gel. Hope you like it!

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Request: How To Compile Your Work Portfolio

I was asked by Enigma to share my tips on how to do a work portfolio and explain in further detail what it is exactly. Since I am staying in tonight thanks to the bad weather and Force 8 wind blowing all the time, I figured I will do this post and as tomorrow I have a client to go to, what better time to have a look at my portfolio?  The only works I didn't include are the nail designs involving stickers and stamping as anyone can do those.  In my portfolio, I only portray free-hand work.

Let me start by explaining what a portfolio is... to put it in simple words, a portfolio is basically a portable showcase of your work related to a particular field, be it nail art, modelling, make-up artistry, etc.  While most portfolios are complied out of pictures of the work you have done, I found that for nail art, I can use a cheaper method that still looks professional and presentable... displaying my work on nail tips! Alternatively, you can always take pictures of your finished work and stick them in a photo album instead :)

Here are some pictures of my own nail art portfolio:

 

As you can see, I divide my nail art in categories and then affix them to A4 black paper with some clear glue. This is just a small selection of all my designs as I have other categories like sponging, marbling and animal print as well but I took pictures of these to give you an idea. Do not do the same mistake I did the first time round and try to affix the nail tips with super glue as this will react with the plastic and form a white cloud on the nail, obstructing your design.  When all of them dry, I place the black paper in a plastic folder with holes on the side and put all of them in this floral ring file.  It is made out of thin plastic so it is light weight and easy to carry around and I really like the floral motifs on it.  

Happy weekend ladies and let's hope the weather here is better tomorrow :)


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Review: Inglot Under Make-Up Base

I had been lemming this make-up primer for a whole year before I got round to purchasing it! The lovely ladies from Inglot offered me a complimentary make-up session and the make-up artist started with this primer and I instantly loved the texture of it on my face as well as the results it delivered.  Last December, I had been offered the same opportunity for a free make-up session and I went with the intention of buying the product so as soon as my session was finished, I asked the make-up artist for it.  It comes supplied in a transparent, plastic tube with a twist-off cap (bottom?), all neatly packed in this sleek, little black box:

You get 30ml of product but don't be deceived! A little goes a very long way with this one!  I like to use this primer when I am going to put on a heavier foundation so that the foundation itself does not clog my pores.  Benefits of using this particular primer include:

~ It mattifies and smoothes the skin

~ Improves make-up application and length of stay on the skin

~ Absorbs sebum and doesn't make me feel like I have an oil rig on my face!

This primer is a gel type and has a very nice, velvety-smooth texture that feels beautiful on the skin.  It is quickly absorbed and doesn't carry a scent.  Here's a little swatch for you guys:

That is enough to cover my whole face! Now the picture is actually a close up of... brace yourselves... 1cm of product!!! A little really does go a long way with this make-up base and I like how the make-up doesn't feel like it is weighing my face down when I use the primer.

I really recommend this primer to people who have oily or combination skin as it effectively absorbs oil and keeps you shine-free all day!

The Inglot Under Make-Up Base retails for €21 and is available to buy from Inglot stores.

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