The Sunday Sample no. 2

This week's reads and news have been handpicked for your reading pleasure.

Kate Spade's tapped Anna Kendrick to appear in a yearlong campaign. Geek chic is where it's at.

The creator of Hard Candy has sprung forward from the nineties to dazzle our digits all over again. You can't take the glitter out of the girl, so think of Smith & Cult as the cocktail to the umbrella laden mocktail. Stronger and tastier. Drink's up over at C.O. Bigelow. 

I want all of the things from Gorman's summer collection. Please?

Marie Claire's wrangled thirty expert beauty tricks. James Vincent's tip about blush application is my favourite. 

Always wondered how to recreate the cut crease on yourself? The ladies over at The Beauty Department make it look so easy.

Looking for stocking stuffer ideas or a sweet treat for yourself? Bite Beauty's Best Bite Remix, a compilation of four radiant lippies should suffice. Christine's review sealed the deal for me. 

Short on time or Halloween costume ideas? Why not be a fox? Dana of The Wonder Forest will show you how.

Ever wonder what you'd look like with blonde hair? Hair Romance breaks down three apps for your consideration.

Weren't sure about the Lorac Mega Pro Palette? Kats' swatches might change your mind!

Up for entering a giveaway or two?

Lilit of Makeup and Macaroons teamed up with Gorgeous Cosmetics to give one lucky reader a pretty awesome prize pack! Run over there right now and enter!

There's still time for you to enter Bagful of Notion's Third Birthday giveaway! Enter to win one of four prize packs up for grabs.

Bon Appetit 👌

//Image Source

Beauty in a tick: Bobbi Brown's Rose Shimmer Brick

Bobbi Brown's Rose Shimmer Brick

Have you ever built something up so much in your mind that the idea of it (whatever it is) proved to be more exciting than the item itself? I really have no words for the sort of disappointment and regret I feel at this moment, to the point where I feel so uninspired to even write about Bobbi Brown's Rose Shimmer Brick. I picked this up last year during an adrenaline fuelled shopping trip through Ala Moana Mall -- I shopped 'til I dropped. The time I allowed to pass by since buying this lacklustre blush should've served as some sort of indication that A.) I really didn't need it and B.) it's a stinker, a bomb, a dud. I hate it.

While pretty in the pan, it did very little to brighten my cherub-like cheeks. IMHO there's certainly room for improvement as the texture is gritty to the touch and I found the finish to be a tad too powdery for my liking.

Individual swatches of Bobbi Brown's Rose Shimmer Brick (left) and blended (right)

Wearing Bobbi Brown's Rose Shimmer Brick on my cheeks

Blush? What blush?

If you're looking for better colour payoff, do me a favour by chucking this imposter in the bin and pick up something else like NARS Orgasm or one of Clinique's Cheek Pops.

Normally I don't like to be so negative, but I'd be doing everyone a major disservice by not saying anything at all.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Bobbi Brown's Rose Shimmer Brick:

• $72.00 AUS / $44.00 USD

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 1 out of 10 bags — So happy I didn't buy this in Australia.

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

• Not at this stage.

A glimpse at the lips: NARS Audacious Lipstick in Fanny

A star is born

Fanny's not looking back as her dreams and wishes are bigger than the small town country name bestowed upon a former unknown. Her quiet smile, cute button nose and soft ivory skin are all bursting to jump from the shadows to be see, known and heard.

"See those stars." she said.

"Yes." he whispered.

"Well, they mean more to me than you will ever know. You'll soon see."

A trail of broken hearts, scorched earth and failed false starts swirl behind this ingenue who can no longer remain contained. The great unknown was calling.

NARS Audacious Lipstick in Fanny

Francois had my ear when he posed, "who do you want to be today?" Well yesterday, I was really feeling Fanny, a warm berry. Despite the old world name, this lipstick is by no means meager -- Fanny is Norma Jean, Frances Houseman and the girl in the back waiting for that big break. Fanny is patient, but she'll take that chance when the time is right, no matter the season.

Swatch of Fanny

Wearing NARS Audacious Lipstick in Fanny

What's so great about Nars latest release? Well, for one it's creamier than a Milky Way bar. It outlasts his much-loved and highly touted existing lipsticks on offer. What you see, is what you get. No hidden agendas, just creamy, opaque goodness.

Forty colours (ten of which are exclusively sold in the US), forty ladies and forty chances to try something new or begin again. 

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for NARS Audacious Lipstick in Fanny:

• $44.00 AUS / $32.00 USD

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 10 out of 10 bags — Addicted.

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

• Your kiss is on my list. I'll be picking up a few more colours when I hit the States next month. Or, or, I could invest in The Vault.

A hair journey

A lot can change in a year, including your hair

What's that?

I've been super indecisive with my hair as you can tell and the only things that have remained consistent is the location of my part and the halo of baby hairs. I know my hair intimately, the ins and outs of its texture, its behaviour, its whims and the fact that I get bored with it very quickly. After chopping off more than six inches back in January, I quickly realised the error of my ways and longed for my security blanket to envelop my shoulders, to tickle the backs of my arms, to fall in my face and obscure my vision.

Short hair requires attention, time, heat, product and a bit of magic. While I don't possess magical abilities, nor do I have a wand conveniently tucked away in my back pocket. I have, however, been biding my time by making the most of my hair while it grows out to a yet to be determined length.

After the hair journey

It's been a few weeks since my hair was last trimmed* and while I was a bit nervous about the shorter layers, I now understand their function -- to give my thin, fine hair a touch of fullness and bounce. 

Impatience and boredom is a dangerous cocktail, whence shaken and served can lead to a nasty hangover filled with regret. Now that I've sobered up, I'm making amends with my hasty decision. Don't circle the drain only to get swallowed in.

This metaphor merely serves as a cautionary tale: I wasn't ready to cut my hair. Do me a favour and buy one of these if you're experiencing a moment of weakness. 

Can you tell short hair isn't for me, then again Nicole Warne makes it look so good.

What's your hair journey been like?

*The wickedly generous team over at Rakis Salon recently invited me over to experience a hair journey with a little help from Kerastase's latest release, Discipline. My hair was cut and styled by David, a hair genie with a golden smile.