NARS Spring 2012

I stalked the makeup counters for weeks so much I had become a fixture at my local Myer store. It got to the point where I've been asked how much something costs; please keep in mind I was shopping as well and I had my purse in my hand.  I think those are pretty good indicators of my being a patron. Perhaps I handled myself in such a way that made the young girl think otherwise; I really should've asked.  You know the saying "curiosity killed.."  But I digress. Late one Sunday afternoon I made a random visit  (stalking session, if you will) to Mecca inside of Melbourne Central with the hope of spying something new; I think I've become a local celebrity there, because the artists pick me off from the review I wrote months ago.  All kidding aside, the manager was nice enough to give me a sneak peek at the NARS Spring release which hit the shelves in late February.  My stalking officially paid off; I got to see everything in person and I was told when to come back in order to stock up.

Within a week, I walked away with Mexican Rose and Gaeity.

NARS Mexican Rose

Mexican Rose

Mexican Rose swatch

Mexican Rose is a fiery and bold fuchsia pink.  The colour builds up over time, so what you walk out of the house sporting is far different than what people see on your lips minutes later.  It starts soft and subtle and leaves you inclined to apply more, but don't - give it time to bloom.  The finish stays glossy for the first half hour and then turns matte; if you're looking to rejuvenate that glossiness, just add chapstick.  Wear time is insane; I put Mexican Rose on at eight in the morning and by my seven o'clock that night there was still a hint of colour.  Casey, my trainer, even told me that I didn't need to wear lipstick for her :)

NARS Gaeity reminded me a lot of a cotton candy pink blush I purchased from Benefit back in 2003. Yes, way before they switched to only selling boxed blushes.  I think I was trying to recapture a makeup memory of mine.  Whenever I purchased makeup during my college years, I was too afraid to use my makeup too often - I didn't want it to run out.  In the end, I spoiled the makeup experience for myself; after all, it's meant to be worn and enjoyed.

Gaeity didn't translate as well as my Benefit blush once did.  My facial skin is so fair (thanks to wearing 30 SPF) at the moment that the colours I end up swatching look much different on my arm than they do on my cheeks.  The end result is still nice, but not what I was hoping to achieve.

NARS Gaeity

If you're in the mood to pair two vastly different pinks, then this duo is for you.  Neither one overpowers, but Mexican Rose wins out due to the simple fact that it's a conversation starter.

"Oh my Nicole, what are you wearing?!"

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for NARS Mexican Rose and Gaeity:

• $45.00 AUS for the Velvet Lip Gloss Pencil and $49.00 AUS for the blush - both are currently sold out via Mecca Cosmetica's online store

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 10 out of 10 bags for Mexican Rose - the colour alone pays for itself.

• 7 out of 10 bags for Gaeity - keep your own colouring in mind at time of purchase, plus there has to be a cheaper dupe out there.  I think Christina of Temptalia might be able to help.

Likelihood to purchase:

• I am absolutely head-over-heels in love with NARS and I am willing to pay Australian prices in order to get that instant gratification.

Butter London's Fairy Lights with Essie's A Cut Above - weekly nail review

Now I'm really getting into the meat and potatoes of Essie's Luxe Effects; we've seen my variations and inspirations with Shine of the Times and Pure Pearlfection.  I've worn Butter London's Fairy Lights alone and while pretty and even somewhat striking; however, it really needs an added oomph. The grey undertones of this pink fall flat and can even make my nails look dirty and what person wants that?  Just by adding one coat of Essie's A Cut Above, I've gone from blah to PJ Sparkles circa 1989. PJ was my prized possession at the young age of six-years-old and quite frankly, they don't make toys like they used to.

I definitely relived my childhood this week.

Fairy Lights & A Cut Above

Mesmerized

Sparkles

Some might find this look to be a bit manic, but I find it to be funky.  When executing this look, opt for an industrial strength top coat in order to really seal in the larger pieces of glitter; if I hit my nails against something at just the right angle, the glitter had a tendency to pop off. A Cut Above and Set in Stone give similar shades a 3D effect - it's almost as if beads of water are dripping off of my nails, that, or diamonds.

CK One Cosmetics - review, swatches and a look to boot

Last month as I scrolled through Women's Wear Daily's RSS feed I stopped when I reached the following headline:

"Coty to Build CK One Cosmetics Range"

I didn't have any other details to work off of and makeup bloglandia was pretty quiet with the news. With a bit more googling today, I found a story by BellaSugar which featured CK One's promotional images.  Commenters are a bit skeptical of Calvin Klein's re-hashing as he's made a few forays into the makeup world albeit unsuccessfully.  Although, fragrance is still synonymous with Calvin and he even had something to do with catapulting Kate Moss and Brooke Shields into the stratosphere.

I must admit, I even expressed my hesitance with embracing a new line, because the competition is pretty steep.  One false move and it might eventually lead to the end of the road.  During one of my bi-weekly walks through Myer Melbourne, I happened upon a CK One counter; I wasn't prepared to make this discovery and only had a few moments to take everything in as the store was about to close.  As far as I could tell, Calvin Klein has a hit on his hands and I was smitten.  Sleek white lines and bright lighting showcase this smallish counter, so small (and new) they don't even have their own register.  I know, because I had to be walked to another counter with my purchase yesterday.  The salesgirls are sweet and do a great job of not forcing your hand to commit to buying; they take their time to educate you about the brand and show you what sparks your interest most.  I fell head-over-heels in love with their eyeshadow quads, lip gloss and mascara; if you get a moment, ask to see the mascara.  For sanitary reasons, they cut off all of the applicators so you really can't see the magical mascara wand in action unless you're assisted by a salesperson.  The mascara cap twists to change the shape of the brush; straight for length and twist for volume - it's quite cool.  I didn't break down and purchase, because I'm still working through my Bobbi Brown sample from last month's GlossyBox.

Let's take a look at my purchase...

The shadows play off of each other really well and carry off a quiet intensity.  Truth be told, I've never worn a red shadow - the silvery green shade is what originally sold me on this palette. After creating a look earlier today, I turned a corner with learning to love a new colour for my eyes. Who knew red could work well with hazel eyes?

Ravished gives your lips that just bitten look; wear time was ok.  The glossiness stuck around for about an hour and all I was left with was a subtle stain.  The large applicator was a bit precarious and awkward - I had to go back in with a lip brush to even out the edges of my lips.  You'll find a familiar scent in the gloss; it smells of sugary vanilla for the first few moments and then it disappears.

If CK One floats your boat after taking a look here, then run to your beauty counter fast!  Prices here in Australia start at $20.00 for nail polish and work their way up to $55.00 for an eyeshadow quad. The revolutionary mascara sells at $28.00 and I picked up the lip gloss for the same price.  Based on looks alone the gloss tube looks like you get a bigger bang for your buck; if you were to buy a similar item at NARS, you'd easily pay around $45.00 in exchange for a little less product.

As a side note, I'm wearing NARS Gaeity on my cheeks and I used Stila's new smudge crayon in black along the outer half of my upper lash line and smudged a little around the lower outer corners of my eyes.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for CK One's Heat and Ravished:

• $55.00 AUS for the quad and $28.00 AUS for the gloss

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 10 out of 10 bags - I don't even want to know how cheap this line will be in the States once it's released.

Likelihood to purchase:

• Based on my first go, I will definitely be adding more CK One to my makeup collection. Perhaps a mascara purchase is on the horizon.

Essie Black Licorice and Pure Pearlfection - weekly nail review

Week after week I've slowly worked my way through the bedazzling Luxeffects by Essie.  I can't really decide which one's been my favourite, but it looks like Pure Pearlfection is right up there with the likes of Butter London's Frilly Knickers.  These five magical top coats are really worth investing in if you can find them at your local salon, Target, Ulta, etc.  I think after I finally give As Gold as it Gets a whirl, I'll then truly begin to understand how far Essie has come as a brand. I've been a dedicated OPI girl for years, but Essie and Butter London have proven time and again high quality polishes sometimes come with a certain price and I'm willing to pay for it - well, more like invest:) Let's get to the nails.. I opted to go with Black Licorice, a colour I've never worn.  I often associated this colour with goth and punk; it's also been a fad nail look amongst the Hollywood A-listers in recent years.  My desire to transform this gloomy colour was high and what better way to alter my perception of black than with Essie's Pure Pearlfection.  I would define this multi-purpose polish as a micro glitter set within a clear varnish; if the sun hits the miniature flecks just right, you can see bits of the rainbow.  In normal light, it displayed a great black and white duo.

Essie Black Licorice and Pure Pearlfection

Dreamy

Black Licorice and Pure Pearlfection

By Saturday, I wasn't ready to part ways with this look, because I learned to love black on my nails. I have to discount my efforts with Butter London's The Black Knight due to it's colourful accompaniment of pink, blue and silver.

I should also give a special shout out to my toes.

Essie Set in Stone atop Butter London's Diamond Geezer

They look like little disco balls!  We dressed up a standard silver polish, Butter's Diamond Geezer, with Essie's Set in Stone.  Even after a week of stuffing my feet into socks and sneakers, I have yet to see any chipping.