NOTW: Black Butterflies

Good afternoon cupcakes! This week I have been quite busy so I really didn't have time to do free hand nail art.  So I opted for a water decal design from Viva La Nails. Also, I wanted a polish that I haven't yet worn and my choice was essence colour & go in Meet Me Now! which is a very nice shade of purple.  Here are the photos of the manicure:

Have you ever used nail decals? I find they are quite easy to use and you can upstage a colour instantly especially when you're in a hurry!

On a side note, I was thinking of starting to make nail polish jewellery and I would like your opinion on that :)

Happy Sunday everyone!

The Exit Interview Series: Volume #4

For the fourth installment of the Exit Interview Series , I have four products :P I was clearing out my make-up and I have found two products which I have completely used up and two others which I didn't use up but I don't use anymore.  All of the products are from e.l.f. cosmetics.

First up is the Dual Pencil Sharpener.  I only used this sharpener once and it ruined the pencil I sharpened!!! I put it at the back of one of my drawers and I never used it again so I'm gonna throw it away.  I only kept the other sharpener which comes with it and the small picking tool that was supplied to remove any left over product from the blade. 

The next product is the e.l.f. Therapeutic Lip Balm in Vanilla Creme from their essential line.  When I first got this, I liked it, if anything for the vanilla scent.  However, I have stopped using it as whenever I put it on, it would burn my lips and it leaves a white residue on my lips which is not a good look. I will not re-purchase this for sure.  So much so that I have put it at the back of my lip products drawer and when I took it out today, there is 98% product left.  Furthermore, the sides seem to have dried up.

The next two products, I have already bought back-ups for and that can only mean one thing... I love these products and I cannot ever be caught without them!

e.l.f.'s Mineral Booster really has proven to be the best setting powder from the brand as I use it to set my foundation and I also wear it alone to give my skin a nice even finish.  I first bought the smaller version of the Sheer one (shown) but as soon as it was nearing the end, I bought the larger size of it and I will also be getting the Tinted version! As much as I love e.l.f.'s Studio Complexion Perfection, I'm afraid that the Mineral Booster has taken it's place! I will be keeping the container minus the sifter so that I can store another product for travel purposes.

The last product that I have used up is the Tinted Moisturizer in Rosy Beige from their regular line.  I mostly use this in summer whenever my skin needs some help with coverage.  This product has lasted me for a year and like I said I have already bought a back-up just in case e.l.f. are out of stock when I need it :P

That's it for this post ladies! Have you tried any of these products? Would you consider any of them?

Grab a Bargain and go Sale Shopping! {Part 1}

Post-Christmas sales are well under way now but due to the crappy weather we are getting these days and because of work, I haven't had much time yet to hit a few of my favourite shops.  However, I did manage to get some things from Peacocks and Terranova that I want to share with you guys in this post. 

I'm gonna start with the Peacocks items first.  So on Boxing Day, I had some free time in the morning and I went to Valletta with my Mum and Peacocks was already having items at 50% off so we had a browse through the overly crowded shop and I ended up picking three items for a total of €43 instead of €86 which is quite a bargain!  

I first picked up this cute knitted sweater because I loved the colour (navy blue) and the little sequin details.  I quickly grabbed it as it was the only one left in my size and I'm so glad it fit! I like how it can be dressed up or down and it so comfy! I think I will pair it with a white shirt and my cherry red jeans the first time I wear it which I hope is soon! This was €17.  From my favourite section at the store i.e. the shoe section, I picked up a nice pair of black flat boots for everyday as I have been looking for a pair and it was down to €22 and it was also the last one in my size.  Lastly, while I was queueing to pay for these two items, I spotted this gorgeous, chunky cocktail ring which was also half price so I got it for €4 and it was also the last small one!! So I can say I was pretty lucky at Peacocks that day :) 

I can't say I was lucky at Terranova though as while there were loads of items which I loved, even the smallest sizes were fitting me like potato sacks but at least, I managed to get another three items (I don't remember the prices of these ones though but they were all on sale). I got a check shirt and two chunky sweaters which will come in handy this winter!  The grey one has a silver threads going through it which make it suitable for a casual night out and I really like the button detailing on the neck.  I opted for the other sweater (which is longer) primarily for the colour but also for the buckle detail on the neck.

Did you shop the sales ladies?

Review: e.l.f. Studio Single Eyeshadow in Raspberry Truffle

Hello ladies :) If you follow me on facebook, you would know that I had a terrible night shift last night as it was quite busy and to compensate, I slept from 9am till 4pm :P Anywho, as soon as I woke up, I was thinking of something to blog about and I figured I hadn't done an elf review in a long time and I better get the reviews up and running as there are quite a few products from my last two hauls.  

First up is the only Studio Single Eyeshadow I own and it is in the shade Raspberry Truffle.  I have been wanting this shade ever since I saw I video on YouTube from Oxford Jasmine and I kept putting it off just because I have so many eyeshadows but I really didn't know what I was missing!  So in November/December, elf were having a Mystery Box offer and it was the perfect chance to get some new make-up and I popped Raspberry Truffle in my cart!

I'm a big fan of the Studio line packaging as it is so sleek and closes tightly and this eyeshadow was no exception! It comes in a larger cardboard box as shown in the pictures.  You also get a small mirror on the inside of the case and in total, you get 2.75 grams of product for €4/£3.50/$3.  Moreover, you also get a piece of protective plastic with the elf logo over the eyeshadow pan. The packaging is quite small so it is also very convenient to take with you when you're traveling!

The colour is also quite unique and although I would have loved it more if the colour you get is the same as in the pan, I still love the colour and I have including it in almost all make-up looks recently.  I would describe it as a very deep plummy-berryish shade with flecks of golden and purple shimmer running though it.  However, when swatched, the colour leans more towards brownish hues rather than purples.  The pigmentation of this eyeshadow is outstanding and you need very little effort to blend it; plus, it is perfect to create a smokey eye without using the usual blacks!

Raspberry Truffle from different angles

These swatches really don't do the colour any justice but they are the best ones I could get.  The top left swatch is the colour blended while the one on the bottom is the colour with e.l.f. Eyelid Primer underneath.  The swatch on my finger-pad is quite a heavy swatch to bring out the different shades in this unique eye colour.  As you can see, the use of a primer really brings out the colour more and I also have found it useful to use the purple shade from the e.l.f. Duo Eyeshadow Cream in Eggplant as it is a very similar shade and therefore it brings out the colour more and lets it stay in place for longer!

Do you own this shade ladies? Any other Studio eyeshadows you recommend?

NOTW: Lace-y New Year :)

Happy New Year my lovelies :) How have you greeted this year last night? Me and Johan stayed over at my house because it was really cold outside and today I'm working. Nonetheless, I didn't skip doing a manicure for the occasion as I still wanted to feel a little pampered :) I opted for a lace effect design over a classic red manicure.  Although it may look complicated, it is very easy to create but don't rush it and take your time doing it for the best possible results.  Here are the pictures and a step-by-step tutorial:

1. Since we are going to use a red nail polish, make sure to prep nails with a base coat and a nude polish to prevent staining your nails.

2. Paint two coats of red polish over the entire nails, leaving ample time for dying in between coats. My choice of polish was Max Factor Nailfinity in Red Passion.

3. For the lace design, I prefer to use acrylic paints as they are easier to work with than nail polish (just make sure you always use a base polish whenever you are using acrylic paints; never apply them to bare nails).  I used a pearl black paint.  Start by drawing 3 'C' shapes and curl in the ends as shown in the picture on the right.  Repeat the design by reflecting the 'C's' on the top of the ones you just drew.  Finally add a few dots to give the design a more lace-like look.

4. Apply a glossy top coat and you're done! 

I hope you had a nice start to your year and may everyone have a prosperous 2012!