Storage and Collection

So I recently posted a video of my collection (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYJSPVi8rbA) and it was obvious I needed to upload some more detailed photos of some parts that weren't easy to see or translate within the short period of the video. So here are some more detailed photos and names of some of the products for you all :D

My nail polish storage:
OPI and China Glaze cover the bottom, Inglot in the next tiers and Mecca polishes on the top tiers.

My collection of Nars shadows:

From top to bottom, left to right: Column 1: Habanera, Cordura, Mediteranee, Kalahari, All About Eve

Column 2: Sugarland, Alhambra, Belissima, Rated R, Misfit

Column 3: Elsa, Isolde, Brazil
Column 4: Galapagos, Goldfinger, Emmanuel, Cairo, Nepal, Himalayas, Ondine
Column 5: Abyssinia, Night Star, Fathom, Strada, Night Fairy, Ashes to Ashes

Inglot Pigment draw: These are some of the most pigmented shadows I have ever used, but you definately have to wear them with some form of primer as they crease without.

MAC draw: click to enlarge.

Inglot spares pallet

Inglot freedom pallet: I chose neutrals for one and colours for another, these are great for in your kit if you are an artist, very pigmented.

MAC Pallets:

Purples:

From left to right- Row 1: Shale, Illegal cargo, Sattelite Dreams, Purple Haze, Nocturnelle

Row 2: Kid, Fig1, Plum Dressing, Sketch


Greens/Blues

From left to right- Row 1: Bright Sunshine, Juxt, Pagan, Humid, Sumptuous Olive

Row 2: Haunting, Shimmermoss, Newly Minted, Club

Row 3: Moons Reflection, Clarity, Nile, Freshwater, Deep Truth

Naturals

From left to right- Row 1: Shroom, Naked Lunch, All That Glitters, Wedge, Cork

Row 2: Soft Brown, Amber Lights
Row 3: Woodwinked, Copperplate, Satin Taupe, Carbon

Pinks/Corals

From left to right- Row 1: Bamboo, Samoa Silk, Paradisco, Coral, Coppering

Row 2: Jest, Dear Cupcake, Sushi Flower, Cranberry, Twinks

Mineralised Skinfinishes

Clockwise from top left hand corner (middle colour last): Shooting Star, Light Flush, So Ceylon, Porcelain Pink, Refined, Redhead, Soft and Gentle, Blonde, Petticoat, New Vegas, Perfect Topping (in middle)

And thats all for now, hope you enjoyed :D

Cara xo

Manicure Tools and Products

Recently I did a video on doing an at home manicure (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWR_Cbr1-2U) and lately I have really been loving looking after my hands and nails and some of the products I have discovered have quickly become my favourites :)
So here is a little overview of the products I use for my manicures and whatnot.

Once every couple of weeks:
Creative cuticle remover- this comes in a huge bottle and is a clear sodium hydroxide gel. This is great for removing any excess cuticle from the nail plate, however, I wouldn't recommened using it too often as it does soften and eat away at the nail.
Nail Buffer- I like to buff my nails to remove any ridges that I usually get when I am sick but I find doing this too often causes my nails to become really weak and brittle.

Once a week:
Filing- I like to file back my nails to get rid of the thinning tips about once a week, if I notice a snag in my nails I do file it down as soon as I see it to prevent it from becoming worse. Personally I prefer a glass nail file because it is alot more gentle on the nails than a metal one which can tear the layers of the nails apart.

Once a day:
Cuticle exfoliant- I use both the OPI avoplex cuticle exfoliant (which smells like over ripe avocados but the smell isn't very strong) and the Creative cuticle remover (which smells like off lemons and the smell is quite strong). They both do the same job, they use an Alpha Hydroxy Acid- AHA- to exfoliate away any excess dead skin and rid the fingers of any hangnails or excess cuticle. They are both really nourishing and provide alot of moisture to the nails without feeling overly greasy. They both absorb really quickly aswell. I find I like to use these at night time before bed under a cuticle oil for that little bit of extra treatment.

Multiple times a day:
Nail brushing- I like to use a nail brush every time I wash my hands just to remove any excess dirt from my nails and make them look really clean. The more dirt that builds up around your nails the more likely there is a chance of developing a fungus or infection.

Cuticle oil- Its important to add hydration to your cuticles and nails as the natural oils in this area are easily stripped away, I use an oil whenever I think of it so usually when I get up, lunch time, on the bus and before bed. Since I've been using oils on my nails and cuticles I have found my nails don't break, split or peel as easily anymore. My favourites are:
OPI avoplex- This one smells like watermelon and I find is a nice summery scent. I have this in both the oil bottle and the 'to go' gel oil for my handbag. Its quite nourishing and absorbs really quickly so you don't get any of the greasy oily residue like other oils. It has vitamin E and avocado complex for adding huge amounts of hydration to your nails.
Creative solar oil and balm- This one smells very strongly of almonds (which reminds me of starbursts) which is a really nice scent. This one is a little heavier than the avoplex but is the most moisturising. I use the balm at night as its a little heavier and I carry it in my handbag aswell because its easier to use on the go, but the oil absorbs alot quicker than the balm. The main ingredients in this one are almond oil, vitamin E and jojoba oil. The almond and Vit E are really nourishing on the skin while the jojoba helps the absorbtion of the oil further into the skin. I find this one doesn't feel greasy and is more like a dry oil.

Hand lotion- Lucky last there are hand lotions. I like to use hand creams to keep my skin soft and add that last bit of moisture to seal in the oil to the nail plate and cuticle. I find because I wash my hand ALOT during the day my hands need as much moisture as they can get.
Some options that I love are:
Kit pomegranate and pink grapefruit hand cream- great if you love a strongly scented cream, however if you use too much it can be really greasy but does eventually absorb
Kiehls hand salve- great for REALLY dry hands but is really greasy again. I love this one as a night cream to provide heaps of nourishment to the hands while I sleep.
Yu-Be hand cream- this is my absolute FAVOURITE handcream. Its great for the driest of skins and because it is glycerine based it absorbs instantly and doesn't leave a residue at all. Its also almost scentless so its great for everyday.

Hope this was helpful guys :)
Much love! Cara x

Tutorial: Tequila Sunrise!

Hey everyone!

Its been aaaages since I posted on here :O uni got the better of me, however, I am now on HOLIDAYS yay :) anyway, today (or in the early hours of this morning) I did a tutorial inspired by the drink 'tequila sunrise' which has a beautiful merge of pink and yellow and orange, so here is a link to the tute (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4d9okFpizM) and here is everything you need to know:

I started out with Rubenesque paint pot from MAC as a base

I then packed on NARS' Goldfinger shadow on the inner third of the eye and the tear duct area with my mac 228 brush and slightly blended outways

I followed this with macs off the radar pigment with my 239 brush, concentrating the colour in the outer third of the eye

In the outer V I placed NARS' grenadines shadow with my mac 219 to get a defined outer crease

I wanted the colours to blend but not so much that you couldn't see the definition of the different colours, I used the mac 217 to blend the outer edges and between the colours

I then used my inglot black liner on the inner rims of the eye and lined the lashlines, I then smudged thse lines with an angle brush

I set the liner with NARS' grenadines to give a pop of colour to the lashlines and add definition, I then followed the top lash line with a black shadow to give the lashes the appearance of more volume

I then used Himalayas from NARS as a brow highlight to blend down the top edge

I followed all of this up by using Prescriptives lash envy mascara for lots of volume!

The blush I chose to use with this look was a touch of NARS' exhibit A well blended for a natural flush

The lips were Napoleons tropic lust lip lacquer :)

I hope you guys enjoy this post and I shall tty later :)

Cara xo

Tutorial: Gold and Purple dramatic look

I recently uploaded a video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDX5N3VOXiQ) on a gold and purple shadow look.

I am super happy with the way it turned out! It made my eyes look super green. Purples and golds are great complimentary colours which are terriffic for bringing out green and blue eyes and really making them pop.

I hope you guys like it and here is a list of what I used for this look :)

Face:
Prescriptives Flawless foundation
Prescriptives custom blend powder
Nars Orgasm blush

Eyes:
MAC Rubenesque paint pot as base
MAC Blonde’s gold pigment all over base and inner tear duct
MAC Circa Plum pigment on the outer ¼ of eye and as a blender
MUFE shadow 92 as outer corner colour and under eye
MAC burnt burgundy pigment to define crease and outer lower lashline
Matte black shadow to define bottom outer corner
Matte black shadow with angle brush to line lashes
Stila smudgepot in black to line inner rims of eyes
Prescriptives beyond long mascara in black

Lips:
MAC dazzleglass in date night

Nail and Covergirl lipstain FRENZY!

Hey everyone!

So recently I've gotten into doing alot with my nails and using a bit more drugstore product (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBP2W2QyZS0) and over the past couple of weeks I've picked up a few things to show you guys!

I recently spyed the Sally Hansen nail art pens and of course I HAD to have them.... and seeing as Australia doesn't have anything that cool it took me a while but I finally got some :)

These are the hot pink, silver, black, blue, gold and pale pink
They are terrific! Super pigmented and really precise... only one word of advice, don't shake them with the lid off or press too hard or you'll make a massive mess ;)

Next, in K-Mart (classy!) they were having a sale on the nail art decals from Fing'rs and I fell in love with them. I picked up the:

31116 Edge

31251 Edge

and the 31252 Girlie Nails

These are so cute and so much fun, they also apply really flat so they aren't really noticable as stickers!

I also got a fair few Mecca polishes (terrific consistency and dry in 30 seconds)

The colours are Calpurina (great for winter), Hero (a nars orgasm dupe), Juno, Universal Beauty (bright pink with a blue duochrome), Diana a gorgeous pastel purple, which doesn't show well her) and Lychorinda

And FINALLY I got all the covergirl outlast lipstains! I LOVE these stains, easy to use, great colour range, cheap and last well (not the best but better than lipstick) So ive taken a picture and swatched them all for you to see :)

The colours are from left to right: 400, 405, 410, 415, 420, 425, 430, 435, 440, 445

Hope you guys enjoy :)

Cara xo

Looking after your skin! Everything you need to know.

Hey everyone!
So I just did my skincare overview video on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aix7xdnhWxQ) and I felt like 10 minutes just wasn't enough to give the entire picture and everything involved in looking after your skin!
So as some of you may know I have been training to be a skincare specialist and am really loving it and I thought I might share a few things about what I have learnt about skincare and a few products I really love!
To begin with, the most common thing I have people tell me is they have dry skin but get oily and break out. Most people have one skintype, oily, normal or dry. Skin can be a combination of normal oily or normal dry, but not oily and dry. Dryness is a lack of oil, oiliness is too much oil and normal is a little bit of oil in the tzone but otherwise... normal!
But outside factors can affect your skin and cause skin conditions. Dehydration (dryness) is one of the most common, this is caused by a lack of water, not oil. Some others can be pigmentation, breakouts etc.
Skin conditions can be treated and changed however, skin type cannot, most peoples skin type will remain the same for their entire life, the only thing that can change it is menopause or a huge shift in hormones.
So to begin with, a fairly basic routine to look after your skin:

Daily: I do it twive a day for oily skin but you can do it once at night for a dryer skintype.

Makeup remover- extreamly important to disolve the makeup out of the pores, something just cleansing won't do. I love inglot milk and tonic wipes with utowa cleansing oil.

Cleansing- cleansing is important to break down oils and clean any residual dirt off your face. I love philosophy purity as it is a great basic cleanser.

Toning- optional. It removes any residual product from the skin and helps give that super clean feeling. Witch hazle makes a great all rounder toner.

Serum- serums are great for treating skin conditions such as dehydration, breakouts, aging and pigmentation. They penetrate deep into the skin in order to deliver the active ingredients to the lower layers of the skin. For dehydration I use Prescriptives super line preventor, it has antioxidants to prevent aging and ingredients to seal water into the skin to prevent dry patches.

Moisture- a day and night moisturiser is great to add the oils and moisture to the skin that has been stripped away by cleansing. I use malin and goetz vitamin e moisturiser during the day because its oil free, has essential fatty acids and helps my skin feel amazing. At night I use revive moisturising renewal cream, however, I don't use it for the anti aging benefits, just to treat my scarring. This cream contains glycolic acid to resurface the skin and even out pigmentation and uneven skin texture, it also contains epidermal growth factor to speed up the cell renewal process, which makes this one of the best aging treatments available.

Once or twice a week:

Once or twice a week I like to use specialised treatments for my skin.

Twice a week I use the malin and goetz detox face mask. My FAVOURITE product ever! It balances the skn to get rid of oilyness and dryness and just makes you glow, one word, awesome!

A deep clean and exfoliation I find is really important for healthy looking skin. I like to use philosophys microdelivery peel kit. This is and amazing scrub, it has oth a manual and chemical exfoliant to get rid of all the dead skin which can clog the pores, but it also has vitiman c to brighten and prevent aging in the skin. Got to love those antioxidants!

After I exfoliate I apply a mud mask in order to draw out all the impurities from my skin. This cleans out the pores and makes them appear smaller. However, after you use this you will most likely break out because its drawn all the gunk to the surface... daunting but its great when you have a couple of days of :)

I hope this is helpful and its some good supplimentry information!
Have a great day :)
Cara

Natural 'Smokey' Eye

So it has been forever since I have posted on this!!

I have had UNI ad work and all things nice going on since early Feb and its been driving me insane haha but I'm back!

Today I uploaded a tutorial for your viewing pleasure (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjxQAl13R70) of this look:

All in all I have to say I'm quite happy with the way it turned out!

So here is everything I used and whatnot :) :
UDPP all over the lid as a base
Stila Wheat shadow all over the moveable lid

Stila Golightly shadow on the outer half of the eye, under the outer half of the eye and blended into the crease

Stila Espresso shadow in a C shape in the outer corner

Stila matte black in the very bottom outer corner to add depth

I then used a pearly white inglot eyeliner pencil as a base in the inner corner of the eye and followed with Stila moonlight shadow over the top (moonlight is the BEST white highlighting shadow because of the pretty white and silver pearl)

I also lined my inner rim with the pearl white

Followed by curling lashes and applying Kevyn Aucoin Curling mascara

For the face I used Dr Brandt Pores no more as a primer

Followed by PX flawless foundation and custom blend powder

I used orgasm blush from NARS and copacabana multiple to hightlight the cheekbones, nose and cupids bow.

For the lips I used Napoleon dream lipliner, followed by MAC gentle simmer Slimshine and Nymphette lipglass!

This is one of my favourite formal/prom looks to do aswell, it really shows off the eyes :)