New gal on the block: Dusty Girls

Night Fall Natural Mineral Mascara (bottom) and Pacific Ocean Shimmer Natural Shimmering Lip Gloss (top)

Why Dusty Girls you ask? Well this sister brand to Moogoo is emulating the skins' look and feel after spending a day in the country -- slightly dusty, but glowing. While I can't attest to this sort of experience personally having grown up in a fairly Americana suburb myself, I do, however, appreciate their ethos.

This petite makeup collection (eight items in total, with a few colour options) IMHO, targets three specific groups:

1. A young demographic, e.g., tweens and late teens
2. Makeup newbies 
3. Low maintenance gals on the go

Imagine Britney Spears' "I'm not a girl, not yet a woman" country bumpkin charm prior to breaking up with Mr. JT.

The packaging

The packaging is sweet and easy to bust into if you're impatient like me; colour coordinated boxes, complete with application tips, house these goodies. As for the tubes, they are rubberised (similar to NARS) in order to assist maintaining a proper hold during application (klutz-free, for the win).

Application tips

Night Fall Natural Mineral Mascara

Night Fall Natural Mineral Mascara - Ahh, pitch black, clump-free lashes -- it's a mascara that lengthens and plumps, it's practically a dream. Then the nightmare rudely interrupts, prepare yourselves for panda eyes! Dun-dun-dun!!

Over the past several weeks I've worn Night Fall Natural Mineral Mascara out and about with Scott and during the day to work. For short stints this mascara is perfect, but after hour five or so you've reached panda bear territory.

Wearing Night Fall Natural Mineral Mascara

From another view

Pacific Ocean Shimmer Natural Shimmering Lip Gloss

Opalescent shimmer

Swatch of Pacific Ocean Shimmer Natural Shimmering Lip Gloss

Pacific Ocean Shimmer Natural Shimmering Lip Gloss - An easy-peasy gloss which leaves your lips looking like the crests on the waves of an ocean (hey, Hawaii). It's non-sticky, almost colourless, moisturising and lasts around three hours tops.

My lips, but better

Dusty Girls does not test on animals.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Dusty Girls' Night Fall Natural Mineral Mascara and Pacific Ocean Shimmer Natural Shimmering Lip Gloss:

• $18.50 AUS (mascara) and $14.50 AUS (lip gloss)

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• Mascara: 5 out of 10 bags — These eyes are crying
• Lip Gloss: 8 out of 10 bags — Grab and go

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

• Wish I could test their products out in store as this range is exclusively sold online ATM.

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

My current hair routine

Kevin Murphy's Plumping Wash and Rinse and Kerastase's Elixir Ultime Sublime Cleansing Oil Shampoo

When I visited my hairdresser last month, she had two requests:

1. Stop washing my hair every day
2. Quit being a commitment-phobe by regularly switching haircare brands

Second day hair really isn't my thing, but I'd like to tip my hat off to dry shampoo, inside out braids and ponytails for helping to mask what I feel can sometimes be a hideous situation. It'll take some getting used to, but I'll get there. If Claire asks me to go three days without washing, I might just sob.

Now the second request was admittedly tough, because I had loads of shampoos and conditioners cluttering the floor of my shower from attending various hair events and PR send outs. I'm not complaining at all, but the copious amounts of product far exceeds my precious head of hair. With Claire's assistance I streamlined my haircare routine and in the process, I may've kicked a few things to the kerb.

Kevin Murphy's Plumping Wash (Shampoo) and Rinse (Conditioner) - I picked these babies up last month and haven't looked back. The scent is sweet, yet smoky with a tinge of earthiness from the ginger root. Although, Scott told me my 'fresh from the shower' hair smelled like popcorn - go figure?! The absence of sulphates and parabens means you'll never reach a proper suds session in the shower and that's ok, because my hair feels properly clean, silky and fuller.

Here's what Kevin has to say about this plumping duo:

Nettle Extract 
High in iron with stimulating properties, this extract reduces DHT. It is rich in Vitamins A and C, and a wide range of minerals including Iodine, Silicon, and Sulfur. It is a powerful source of amino acids that the hair follicles require for proper growth. It’s stimulating qualities also help increase the microcirculation to the scalp.

Ginger Root Extract 
High levels of zinc counteract DHT levels making this extract a growth accelerator and also reducing hair loss.

Oleanolic Acid from Lovely Hemsleya root 
Fights follicle ageing by fortifying the roots. It’s anti-inflammatory properties aid in reversing and preventing the damage caused by DHT.

Kerastase's Elixir Ultime Cleansing Oil Shampoo - A luxe PR send out I jumped at the chance to try. This stuff is crazy expensive, like wicked expensive, so much that I've never purchased anything from Kerastase; let's just say their prices will make your eyes roll to the back of your head. 

This shampoo is pure liquid gold, a treat I look forward to when it's time to give my hair a proper washing. Sometimes I'll start with Kevin Murphy's Plumping Wash and then follow it up with Elixir Ultime Cleansing Oil Shampoo. I figure why not, because both brands suggest a double wash. Think peanut butter and jelly or peanut butter and chocolate - they just make sense. This cleansing oil is infused with four oils (argan, camellia, maize and pracaxi) which work together to cleanse, condition, strengthen and protect your hair.

Whenever you look at this bottle, I want you to picture boxing gloves because it "floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee."

Sporting a fresher 'do

My hair will never be as lush as it once was prior the great fallout of 2010, but I do feel a glimmer of hope every time I spy whispy strands hovering about like a halo.

Picking the best flavours: NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow

NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow

At first touch I was skeptical. The pan felt dry, too dry.

My hopes were dashed, so I walked away empty-handed. Then I thought about the reviews, the rave ones, "...felt like a dream." "So blend-able." "From meh, to wow." These aren't actual statements, but I think you might be picking up what I'm laying down here.

So I went back, had a chat with a sweet gal from Mecca first thing last Saturday morning and dug my grubby paws into the sample pans. Side note: I have no qualms about poking and prodding the display models, especially when the sales girl was doing the same exact thing only moments before.

Then I swayed from side to side, weighing my options, wondering which ones I was willing to wait for and eventually settled on not one, not two, but five shades --  so much for that first taste just a few days before.

NARS Dual Intensity eyeshadows from left to right: Phoebe, Europa, Dione, Callisto and Himalia

Because it's practically Saturday night, let's get a little drunk on these. Shall we?

NARS Says: "metallic champagne beige"

NARS Says: "deep shimmering amethyst"

NARS Says: "shimmering topaz"

NARS Says: "icy pink silver"

NARS Says: "gossamer pink peach"

NARS Dual Intensity swatches (dry on the left and wet on the right for each shade) from left to right: Europa, Himalia, Dione, Callisto and Phoebe

Despite being slightly tipsy, I can still decipher the commonality. *hiccup*

• icy
• shimmering
• metallic
• textural

Each of the twelve shades are like a layer cake or an onion in their own right, but man, they really open up -- make certain to pair them accordingly.

If you love a blingtastic eye look, then you've come to the right place. I'm still testing, layering, playing, painting and tasting -- should be ripe for a proper review come next Saturday ;)

Pricing: $45 AUS / $29 USD

Cheers to the rest of your weekend!

*raises glass*

Beauty in a tick: Hourglass' Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in Soft Brunette

Hourglass' Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil

Bigger. Bolder. Better.

If my brows could talk, that's what they'd say.

My Lily Collins/Cara Delevingne mission is just about as old as this blog -- close to three years running and I see no end in sight. On a good day these brows of mine might appear full, but the sheer wizardry I possess in these small hands is downright frightening.

Behold the before and the after...

Before: Brows filled in with MAC's Mystery (a plum brown)

After: Brows filled in with Hourglass' Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in Soft Brunette

I only require a minor amount tweaking by filling in the gaps which still lay bare from years of over plucking. 

My switch to powder was fruitful as it was a gentler approach. Waxier formulas proved to be too harsh for my delicate situation -- traditional pencils gripped and tugged to the point where I was pulling out freshly grown hairs. We were working at cross purposes.

Always wanting more for my brows, I switched over to Hourglass' Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil and I'm so glad I did.

For me, it really comes down to the anatomy of this defining tool.

Built-in spooley brush

The spooley brush is luxe, soft, helps to comb through product and keeps errant hairs in check.

Triangular shaped, retractable tip

The clay hued tip lines, defines and refines my sometimes unkempt brow situation. The product is firm yet soft in its ability to lay down colour without tugging or pulling.

No sharpener required. Win!

Swatch of Soft Brunette

This two-fer streamlines my makeup bag and completes my brows.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Hourglass' Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil:

• $48.00 AUS / $32.00 USD

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 10 out of 10 bags — My eyebrows are thriving.

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

• Thinking about buying a backup or two.