Beauty in a tick: YSL's Rouge Volupté Shine Lipstick in Nude in Private No. 9

Shut the shades, turn down the lights and draw yourself a bath. It's that "me time" you've been needing after a hard week at work. Time to get Nude in Private ;)

YSL's Rouge Volupté Shine Lipstick in Nude in Private

The finer details

Nude in Private swatch without flash

Nude in Private swatch with flash

Recently I've had a thing for softer, natural hues closer to my lips' natural colour -- Nude in Private seemed fitting. Rouge Volupte Shine is the newest lipstick range to hit counters; 19 shades beckon you, choose wisely as the first taste won't be your last. I can personally assure you of that.

The goods...

• It's moisturising! I've been applying it directly to my lips in lieu of using chapstick.
• The texture is soft and creamy.
• A soft glossiness is imparted.
• The scent of juicy nectarines can be detected upon application. More please!

The mehs...

• Not as long-lasting as YSL claims.
• It's expensive, even in the US!

Bare lips

Wearing Nude in Private

If you can get beyond the minuses (they're not deal breakers!) then I think you'll be pleased as punch with this beautiful bullet.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for YSL's Rouge Volupté Shine Lipstick in Nude in Private:

• $55.00 AUS / $34.00 USD 

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 7 out of 10 bags – It's a goodie, but it could be cheaper.

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

• Fuchsia in Excess appears to be a worthy contender!

Apologies for the quick review. Scott and I are heading off on a wine tour for his Birthday.

Happy Saturday :)

Budget Beauty: BYS

Word on the street is BYS has a few good things within their makeup range and most items sell for less than $10.00 AUS. Makeup is constantly evolving and the industry makes sure to keep up with the latest trends. However, it can sometimes come at a huge expense depending on your taste and the Joneses. In the States we have stores like Sally Beauty and beauty brands such as Wet & Wild, Milani and NYX, but here in Australia I've barely even begun to scratch the surface of beauty on a budget. I guess you could say I've been otherwise engaged ;)

BYS can be the guinea pig for this particular excursion.

BYS Quick Crackle in Big City Bright Lights

BYS Big City Bright Lights over Hello Darling's Tramonto

Crackle nail polish has never really appealed to me; it's novel, I guess, but not my sort of thing. The formula of BYS' Quick Crackle (RRP $4.95 AUS) is a bit jarring, because the consistency reminded me of curdled milk. It's almost as if the polish is attempting to separate on the brush itself. Big City Bright lights is a pretty hue of blue, but I don't think I'd go out of my way to purchase it.

Nail Enamel Duo in Twice as Nice

Step 1

Step 2

Now this is where the fun lies! BYS Nail Enamel Duos (RRP $4.95 AUS) are fast drying, easy to use (just make sure you open each shade right side up!) and bright. All I had to do was apply one coat of each colour -- in less than five minutes I was out the door and able to direct traffic :)

BYS Lipstick Colour Change  in Mood Swings

Swatch of Mood Swings

BYS' Colour Change Lipstick in Mood Swings (RRP $3.95 AUS) is purple to the eye whilst hanging out in the tube, it applies clear and finally transforms into raspberry pink. A clever idea if you can get beyond the noxious flowery scent.

Out of the three items I tested, BYS' Nail Enamel Duo is the clear front-runner; definitely a dupe for Revlon's Nail Art Neon nail polish.

Like what you see? Visit fashionaddict.com.au to feed your makeup needs.

*PR sample provided –  Thoughts and ramblings written here are completely my own.

Australia's own - Hello Darling Nail Lacquer

From left to right: Fairyfloss, Mint Slice & Tramonto

Let me start things off by mentioning how awesome Hello Darling's nail polish quality is and its longevity is comparable, if not better, than most nail polish brands I've tried and use almost religiously.

The kicker here is Hello Darling offers a 5-free formula, "NO toulene, formaldehyde or formaldehyde resin, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) or camphor." For someone who wears nail polish on a daily basis, the less I expose myself to cancer causing agents, the better! Now if only I could avoid smokers and what they leave behind in their wake.

What else is there to know about Hello Darling? The company was started by two Sydneysiders who bonded over polish and their mutual love for beautiful nails. They don't test on animals. Their colour naming winks at all things Australian and even extends to favourite holiday escapes. On top of their nail polish range, they also have nail decals, Rockcandy (think caviar) and nail art brush sets!

Recently, I reached out to Hello Darling in order to test a few of their colours -- I figured if one of my favourite nail salons is going to stock Hello Darling, then it must be pretty special :)

Hello Darling

Fairy Floss

Fairyfloss (a.k.a. cotton candy) is a soft, sheer light pink with microscopic flecks of silver glitter. While Fairy Floss is quite pretty, it's translucence was a negative in my book; I applied three coats in order to get decent coverage. With that said, I'd still love to layer Fairyfloss over an opaque white polish in order to see it pop.

Mint Slice

Mint Slice (named after wicked tasty cookies; the US equivalent would be Thin Mints) is a creamy yellow-based pastel green. It only took two coats to reach full opacity. Mint Slice is fun and so sweet -- a breath of fresh air for Spring and Autumn.

Tramonto

Tramonto (the Italian word for sunset) is a creamy blue and also happens to be my favourite shade. Back when Crayola Crayons released 96 colours in one box in the early 90's, they included cerulean; from then on it changed my approach to colouring the sky, the ocean and rainbows. Silly, but oh so nostalgic. Tramonto is a two coater as well.

A quick word about the brush: put simply, it's fantastic! Two to three passes is all it takes per nail.

And the polish, it dries fast!

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Hello Darling's 5-free Nail Lacquer:

• $18.95 AUS 

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 9 out of 10 bags – quickly becoming my favourite brand of nail polish!

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

• Let's see... definitely!

So, what do you think? What colours ticked your fancy?

*PR sample provided –  Thoughts and ramblings written here are completely my own.

Back to school with Erin of Blonde Tiger

I'm not particularly skilled with painting my nails; I'm actually immensely out of practice. However, 12-year-old Nicole reemerged after Erin extended an offer to re-learn the basics and the fine art of bedazzling one's nails.

Erin kicked off our session by having us scan magazines and we, in turn, posed the ultimate question, "how'd they do that?" A lot of the popular nail art featured in magazines, Instagram, Twitter and the Interwebs isn't as difficult as it seems -- Erin believes you need the right tools, a bit of practice, time and a kitchen table to work your magic.

A word of advice: refrain from painting your nails while sitting in front of the TV and balancing atop a glossy magazine (my personal favourite spot). If you want a top-notch base, then gain stability by sitting at a proper table.

Erin demonstrates the proper stance and placement of her hand when applying polish

Before moving onto all that glittered, Erin then asked us what we hoped to walk away with (aside from our very generous goodie bags -- more on that later). We all agreed we wanted to learn fun and simple ways of decorating our nails.

Easy enough.

Practice makes perfect

Then came the necessary step of having to set-up our tools, cotton pads, orange sticks and nail polish -- having everything at the ready helps to reduce your chances of bumping a nail or two.

So what did I learn in class? Here are a few highlights...

• An all-in-one base/top coat isn't as good as their counterparts. While you might be saving money by buying a double-acting performer, you'll also be effecting the longevity of your manicure. Chips abound.
• Paint brushes purchased from the craft store also make for the best and most cost-effective nail art tools. The same goes for glitter and rhinestones.
• A toothpick can be used as a dotting tool. Want fatter dots? Dull the point by firmly tapping it on a hard surface.
• Love blue nail polish, but hate that it stains your nails? Apply a base coat.
• Want perfect lines, shapes and patterns? Just add tape. The trick is to wait at least 24-hours before even thinking about adhering tape to your nails or you'll run the risk of pulling the polish off of your nails.
• Reinforcements work as guides and help with achieving an awesome moon manicure.
• Over your sparkly mani? Wrap your tips with acetone soaked cotton pads and tinfoil in order to expedite the glitter removal process.
• Tunnel vision -- take this into consideration and move your hand away from your face every now and then in order to gain some perspective while decorating your nails.
• Still file your nails in one direction? Feel free to file whichever way you please, because the modern-day emery board won't tear up your nails like its predecessor once did.

Need a boost? You can also look forward to a glass of bubbles (or two) and nibbles -- it was a perfect way to get to know each other a little better as well.

Keep in mind, the things I listed above is only a fraction of what you'll take away from attending Erin's three hour nail art workshop.

It's all in the hands

All that glitters

Aside from leaving with polished nails, you can also look forward to taking home a goodie bag. Whee!

The goods

The setting was very much an open forum -- no question or idea was judged or thought to be stupid and not once did I feel intimated to test my newfound skills.

Put that in your pipe, Klutz Nail Art book!

Want a night out with your Mom and your sister? Have a hen's night on the horizon? Or, you're looking to hone your skills? Visit Blonde Tiger for more information.

If you do go, don't forget to ask Erin about one of the many ways to use Elmer's glue :)

And the woman behind Blonde Tiger, here's a glimpse inside Erin's makeup bag.

*This class was complimentary (thanks for a fun night in, Erin). Thoughts and ramblings written here are completely my own.