Simple & Classy Cityscape and Flower Nails

Monday 27 January 2014

These are my nails from a couple of weeks ago.
 
I wanted something simple and understated and this is what I came up with.
 
I've used CND Shellac in Cityscape as my main colour.


 
The ring finger is Silver Chrome layered with Ice Vapor.
 
I've finished this finger off with a flower Betina stamp done with black Konad polish.
 
Layering with Ice Vapor gives the nail a beautiful sparkly effect when it catches the light.
 
I will leave the links to the stamping plates and polish below.
 
Please like, follow and subscribe to my pages.
 
Kate xox
 
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Betina stamping plates can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/messymansion
 
 
Konad polish can be found here: http://www.konadnailart.com/
 
and here if you are in Australia: https://www.facebook.com/konadnailartsystem
 
 
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Please stop by my pages and like, follow and subscribe:
 

Essentially Perfect Green Tea & Ylang Ylang Bath Bomb Review

Wednesday 22 January 2014

 
Essentially Perfect is a Melbourne based business that makes amazing hand-made soaps, bath bombs, body moisturisers, doggie soap and other amazing natural products.
 
I have been lucky enough to try some of these gorgeous products.
 
Here's my review for the Green Tea and Ylang Ylang bath bomb!
 
Firstly you notice the lovely packaging.  The bath bomb comes sealed in plastic and has totally gorgeous labeling.  You can smell it before it's even unwrapped.
 
I have extremely dry skin so I am always trying to find natural products that don't irritate and leave my skin soft and silky.
 
This product is one of those.
 
As with all bath bombs, you fill up your bath and drop it in and watch it fizz!  The smell is amazing and at first the scent is quite strong but as the bath bomb fizzes away the smell changes and becomes more subtle.
 
The bath bomb has the amazing anti-oxidant properties of the green tea and my skin felt amazing after I got out of the bath.  It was smooth and soft and felt really moisturised.
 
I loved this and will definitely be going to Essentially Perfect to stock up.  Bath bombs are $5 each and my subscribers will receive a 5% discount if you mention me and buy through the Essentially Perfect website or at the Flemington Market.
 
 
Essentially Perfect is run by the lovely Monica.
 
She has a stall at the Flemington Market, her own website and has just joined Farmhouse Direct, an online farmer's market.
 
Monica purchases raw goat's milk direct from the farmer.  This is the best for making soap and other beauty products.  She also supports a local olive grower by buying her olive oil direct from his farm.
 
All Essentially Perfect soaps and other products are coloured with all natural Australian clays and other organics such as madder root powder and black charcoal.  98% of all scent blends are made with essential oils. 
Her products are truly amazing and don't forget you  receive a 5% discount if you mention I sent you and you buy through her website or at the Flemington Market.
 
I am currently trying out some more lovely Essentially Perfect products so stay tuned.
 
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Essentially Perfect website:  http://essentiallyperfect.com.au/
 
Farmhouse Direct website: http://www.farmhousedirect.com.au/
 
 
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Please stop by my pages and like, follow and subscribe:
 
 
 

Asphalt & Cake Pop Plum Surprise

Sunday 19 January 2014

 
I loved doing these nails!
 
My lovely friend Renee comes over for a coffee and lets me play.
 
I've used CND Shellac in Asphalt on the pointer and pinkie and then used holographic plum surprise glitter from a fantastic seller on Ebay.  I will leave a link below.
 
 
 
On the middle two fingers I've used a base of Cake Pop and then hand painted an Asphalt and Cream Puff design. 
 
 
I've finished off the nails with top coat and SolarOil.

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The amazing glitter can be purchased from here:
 
 
The seller will ship worldwide.
 
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Please stop by my pages and like, follow and subscribe:
 

Kiddie Christmas Nails

 
My friend's little girl had been dying to get her nails done and had to wait until the school holidays.
 
We came up with this design for her Christmas nails.
 
I've used CND Shellac in Azure Wish layered with Ice Vapor and then hand painted a snowman and very strange looking reindeer.
 
I hand painted the snowman and reindeer with a super fine art brush from Indigo.
 
 
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Stila 'Color Me Glossy' Lip Glaze Review & Swatches

Monday 13 January 2014

 
I saw this amazing Stila gift set in Mecca Maxima and when I went back to get them they were sold out!  I searched online and was lucky enough to get them sent over from Beautybay.
 
 
As you can see, the set consists of nine lip glazes and them come in three packets of three.
 
Now some of these appear to be limited edition colours as I cannot see all of them on the Mecca Costmetica website or Beautybay, but some are still available.  They also have a whole bunch of other colours.
 
Below I've swatched the colours on the inside of my arm and then on my lips.  You will notice the colours are somewhat different on my skin to what they are on my lips.  Also, keep in mind that not everybody has the same shade lips so these colours will vary on everyone.
 
Some of the colours are quite pigmented and some very sheer.  In my personal opinion, most of these would be best used as a gloss over the top of a lipstick.  Also, they are slightly tacky.  Not as sticky as some but certainly tacky.
 
They also have a very slight hint of a fruity scent but don't worry, it's not overpowering.
 

 
The first set of three are Melon, Persimmon and Cranberry.
 
PS. despite some of the photos, I don't have a hairy top lip!
 
 
Melon is a nice peachy pink (not bright orange as it appears above)!
 
 
Persimmon is a fairly strong orange red and fairly pigmented.
 
 
Cranberry is a lovely and fairly sheer darker redish brown.
 
 
The second set of three are Strawberry Cream, Wildberry and Dazzleberry.
 
 
Strawberry Cream is a pale pink with the slightest shimmer through it.
 
 
Wildberry is a sheer pinkish rose in colour.
 
 
Dazzleberry is just stunning and this photo does not do it justice.  It's a deep almost claret colour with a gorgeous metallic shimmer through it.
 
 
Set three are Kaleidoscope, Passionfruit and Amaretto.
 
Kaleidoscope again is far better in real life than in the photo.  It's a sheer pink that's full of amazing sparkly glitter.  Really pretty and amazing in the sunlight.
 
 
Passionfruit is a lovely neutral pink that would look amazing as a gloss over lipstick.
 
 
Amaretto, my personal favourite, is a true nude (not quite as pink as is showing in this photo) and would look great over a lipstick or lovely on its own.
 
These glosses are no longer available in the nine pack as far as I could tell but they are available on their own.  And as I mentioned earlier, only some of these colours are available.
 
They retail at $36 each in Australia but you can purchase them from Beautybay for around $17 at the moment.  Beautybay also have some three pack gift sets on their website.  Beautybay is a great site with an amazing range of products, free shipping to Australia and for a couple of dollars extra they send you out deluxe samples with your order.  This is a great way of trying products before you buy.
 
I hope this has helped you.  I will list links to products below.  Please follow, subscribe and like my pages. 
 
Kate xox
 
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Glosses can be purchased for $36 each from Mecca Cosmetica in Australia.  Here: http://www.meccacosmetica.com.au/
 
Or
 
and they ship worldwide.
 
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Please stop by my pages and like, follow and subscribe:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Hayley Larue Design