Bite Beauty's Deconstructed Rose Lip Gloss Library

Bite Beauty's Deconstructed Rose Lip Gloss Library

When Scott's colleague Tacita mentioned she was heading to the US for the Easter break, she kindly offered to pick a few things up for me while there. Mind you, I sat on this for a few weeks with the hope something would eventually tickle my fancy.

Laurie of 312 Beauty absolutely stole my heart when she shared the news about Deconstructed Rose, so on the list it went.

Decisions, decisions.

Bite Beauty's Deconstructed Rose Lip Gloss Library* contains 12 shades (.05 ounces/tube) -- these were specifically picked for their delicacy, likeness and also for the emotions one feels when given a rose or bouquet of roses.

Here's what Bite Beauty has to say about their limited edition collection:

"The glosses are infused with the powerful and potent distilled essential oil, Rose Otto. This highly concentrated ingredient offers a complex array of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants perfect for a deliciously glossy lip."

I've only had a chance to swatch Deconstructed Rose on the inside of my arm, but here are a few of my initial thoughts..

• rose scented
• slightly tacky 
• the lighter shades are on the translucent side
• the size of the doe foot applicator was not reduced

Swatches of the Deconstructed Rose Lip Gloss Library (without flash)

Swatches of the Deconstructed Rose Lip Gloss Library (with flash)

For kicks I smeared the swatches from left to right (top) and from right to left (bottom) to get a better idea of what they'd look like when layered

Over the course of this week I'll try out all 12 shades in order to write up a proper review; I'll also post pictures of my smacker wearing every shade (not all at once, of course :P).

The Deconstructed Rose Lip Gloss Library ($49.00 USD) is exclusively sold at Sephora.

*Christian Slater not included.

Currently testing: Urban Decay's Electric Pressed Pigment Palette

Urban Decay's Electric Pressed Pigment Palette

Parental Advisory: Explicit Content

Swatches of all 10 shades from left to right: Revolt, Gonzo, Slowburn, Savage, Fringe, Chaos, Jilted, Urban, Freak and Thrash

Wearing Chaos, Jilted and Urban along with several paler shades from the Naked 3 palette

Here is a preview of the look I created with Urban Decay's newest release, The Electric Pressed Pigment Palette. Currently testing longevity and wearability. 

In the look above I was gunning for Jessica Alba's recent blue eyeliner look with a twist.

Illamasqua's Shattered Star Nail Varnish in Trilliant

Illamasqua's Nail Varnish in Trilliant (left) and Marquise (right)

What can I say, I'm a bit of princess when it comes to doing my nails. For two plus years I've been getting my nails done by the lovely ladies over at French Pink and also by Erin of Blonde Tiger. Once you find that cocktail (talent + communal banter) -- you keep asking for more.

With the long holiday weekend upon me, I was tasked with the challenge of doing my own nails and I was kind of looking forward to it. My skills might be rusty, but I had two shiny bottles brightly smiling at me on my desk.

Cue Illamasqua's Trilliant and Marquise, two of the three shades from the Glamore collection.

This week we'll take a closer look at Trilliant, a shimmering champagne featuring silver hexagons, half-sized bars and loads of sparkles.

Close up of Trilliant

Illamasqua isn't a brand I immediately think of when it comes to nail polish, but for me I can now see why it's a huge hit. The brush is easier to wield as the handle really lends itself to being closely hugged by my thumb, pointer and middle fingers. The polish flowed off the brush in a manageable fashion, spread evenly and dried fast.

I had serious misgivings about the three dimensional texture lifting off and peeling. Today marks day five of wearing Trilliant and there isn't one chip in sight. With that said, it could be a field day when it's finally time to remove this glitter bomb of a polish.

Wearing Trilliant on my nails

Visually I get Robin Sparkle's "Sandcastles in the Sand" or even a sparkling Madison from the film Splash.

Trilliant is a high-performing two coater and I can picture it looking cotton candy sweet on tanned tootsies.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Illamasqua's Shattered Star Nail Varnish in Trilliant:

• $22.50 AUS / $17.00 USD 

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 9 out of 10 bags — Pleasantly surprised.

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

• I've been kindly invited back to my local Illamasqua counter for a healthy helping of Glamore. What sort of look would you like to see on me?

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

Chanel's Perfection Lumiere Velvet - Smooth-Effect Makeup

Chanel's Perfection Lumiere Velvet in 30 Beige 

Chanel's Perfection Lumiere Velvet is a real minx and I'll tell you why. Intended for normal to oily skin, this foundation promises to smooth, mattify and essentially leave "a flawless finish." I, however, have dry skin with patches of oiliness across my T-zone -- Perfection Lumiere Velvet will not play nice if your skin is even the slightest bit dry and will also emphasize flaky bits.

Swatches of Beige 30 without flash unblended (left) and blended (right)

Swatches of Beige 30 with flash unblended (left) and blended (right)

Tried as I might, I used several different techniques in order to apply Perfection Lumiere Velvet.

With fingers and no primer - So you know how I mentioned having dry skin is not even an option? Well, imagine having dry hands as well. My digits turned into sponges and absorbed most, if not all of the foundation I was attempting to apply. The finish was patchy and my skin looked drier than usual -- I wanted to stick a fork in it, because I was done. Sorry, I don't have a picture, but trust me when I tell you the situation was dire.

Dry foundation brush and no primer - not as bad as my fingers, but I was sincerely hoping for a miracle. Layering several different kinds of facial moisturisers failed me, too.

Dry foundation brush and no primer 

A damp foundation brush and no primer - the results were marginally better as I had an easier time smoothing out the foundation. Notice the flakiness in the hollows of my cheeks?

Damp foundation brush and no primer

Damp foundation brush and primer - Magic! The primer helped to fill in my pores, smooth imperfections and reduce the amount of flakiness. The foundation could finally get on with things and do its job.

Damp foundation brush and primer

Using a primer was a last ditch effort and I'm so thankful it worked. Here I used Clarins* Beauty Flash Balm, yet another product I could't wrap my mind around and scared the bejesus out of me from the smell alone.

Did you learn a valuable lesson? I certainly did -- I won't be so quick to pull the trigger.

In other news... look who I found. It's Sebastian!! Scott and I randomly crossed paths with him in Sydney. And to think I almost didn't visit the Chanel counter in Myer.

Trying to contain my fan-girl giddiness

Despite Sebastians' warnings of needing properly hydrated skin, I still bought it anyways and I wasn't even in the market for a new foundation!

If your skin is unlike mine, please do check out Sabrina's review for her thoughts and swatch comparisons of Chanel's Perfection Lumiere Velvet.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Chanel's Perfection Lumiere Velvet:

• 78.00 AUS / $45.00 USD 

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 6 out of 10 bags — I might stow this bottle away for summer to see how it performs when my skin is a little less dry.

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

• Sebastian sold me on this brow kit, now I need to justify the expense. Tho, the more I think about it, I'd rather save up for the Charlotte Olympia Kitty Flats.

*PR sample provided (Clarins Beauty Flash Balm) –  Thoughts and ramblings written here are completely my own.