Review: Australis Nail Colour

 

Given that where I'm living is only now experiencing some decent Winter temperatures, I'm desperate for the warmth back. (Note: I'm aware that Australia's opinion of "cold" varies greatly from elsewhere in the world.) However, I thought that I'd managed to get through the cooler seasons without really having to miss the sun. Especially as I have just come home from a trip to the Sunshine Coast (a strategically placed holiday, I assure you). But alas, it's cold. And I'm missing Summer with a passion. So I went out and bought myself the most Summery of colours I could find. Enter Australis Nail Colour in the gorgeously warm weathered of hues, Sweetpea.

 

 

 

My luck was still against me of course. I brought it home, applied the first lacquer of colour, stood up to wait for it to dry and knocked the bottle. It smashed all over the floor and I spent the next half hour trying to apply a second coat from a puddle of polish before cleaning up the remnants. *sigh*. The world was against me that day. But I have since been out and repurchased it and am feeling better about life. Let's get down to the details, shall we?

 

 

 

Sweetpea is a lovely aqua green colour that fits in perfectly with the turquoise/aqua/marine trend we are seeing at the moment. Truthfully, the colour has a little more green in it than I expected from the bottle. In some lights it is decidedly green. In others, there is a little more of the blue I first fell in love with.

 

The product itself is reasonably well wearing. I wouldn't say it is "streak-free" as the bottle claims. I found it wasn't until I applied the second layer that it revealed an even colour. (My scooping up polish from the floor for coat no. 2 wasn't pathetic, it was essential! I swear!) I have three coats on within these pictures just to be sure of a solid colour.

Also, perhaps it's just this colour, but I feel like I've seen some shinier nail polishes in my time too, despite what Australis claim. There is definitely shine there though, I'm not denying that. As Sweetpea is a pastel colour, it could be the reason for a slightly more matte appearance at first glance...

 

For a bit more jazz, I decorated a nail on each hand with a top coat of Sportsgirl's Silver Glitter nail polish. I love the glitter fragments in this product. There are two different sizes, the larger is still a relatively small circular particle. The other size is a real speck of silver. Together, they create a gorgeous sparkle. I only did one coat on each nail and the coverage is fantastic. It dries very smoothly for a glitter nail polish. I got this for just $8.95 in store. It's definitely worth the buy!

 

You can buy Australis Nail Colour from their website for only $7.95. I am loving how proudly free of animal testing this brand is. Many of the products are also Vegan Friendly which is an added bonus!

 

Rachel x

 

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Review: Artiste Brush Cleaner

I have been on the lookout for a cheap brush cleaner in a spray that would be ideal for spot cleaning; something I can use to quickly clean off a brush before or after a use so that it's ready to go. I must admit, I'm of those buyers who looks at an item I want to get only to put it back. (What if there's a better one that I'll find in the next section?!) In this case I thought I'd just bite the bullet. I grabbed the Artiste Brush Cleaner without even planning.

 

It was a good thing that they didn't have a tester of this product in store because the smell of it would have seen me promptly placing the bottle back on the shelf and running to the next aisle. It is a strong, quite alcoholic smell that I just felt was very harsh and off putting when first sprayed. But I have to admit, the smell fades from your brushes quickly. As the product claims, your brushes will dry very fast. You could definitely use your newly cleaned brush within 1 minute. (It was reading this on the back of the bottle that convinced me it was what I was after.) 

 

As far as cleaning power goes, I was quite impressed. For a very reasonably priced cleaner, it quickly stripped my brushes of any residue product. My Real Techniques Buffing Brush is always caked with foundation and I would say about 8 seconds of wiping gained the result seen above.

 

I picked up the Artiste Brush Cleaner for $14.95 at Priceline. Not a bad little price for this 100ml bottle, especially for a student such as myself! I'd recommend this for anyone looking for an effective brush cleaner that can be used between uses to maintain hygiene and cleanliness on a budget.

Happy cleaning!

Rachel x

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Welcome & What's In My Make-Up Bag

As an introduction to me and my blog I thought I would say a little bit about myself through my make-up bag. Of course, the contents of this little bag of loveliness is ever-changing. I am constantly adding products (especially foundations) and taking out others in order to make room. Perhaps these should be read as my favourite items at the moment; I have about four different foundations that I move between regularly for starters! These are my current everyday items however, and I do love them.

 

TL - BR: Chanel Poudre Universelle Compacte (Translucent 1), Illamasqua Matt Primer, Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation (Ecru), Bourjois Blush (Frosted Rose), Models Prefer Mineral Eyeshadow Duo (Brown & Dirty), Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24 Hour Metal (55 Inked In Pink).

 

Pencils in descending order: Designer Brands Lip Pencil (Baby Rose), Designer Brands Brow Pencil (Blonde), Rimmel Scandaleyes Khol Pencil (Nude), Loreal Color Riche Le Khol (Azure Blue), Estee Lauder Double Wear Eye Pencil (Coffee), Laura Mercier Eye Brow Gel (Transparent).

 

L-R: Rimmel Apocolips (Stella), Clinique High Definition Lashes (Black), Maybelline The Mega Plush Volum Express (Very Black).

 

Sportsgirl Bronze Me Bronzing Powder.

 

Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24 Hour Metal (55 Inked In Pink).

 

Estee Lauder Pure Colour (Pink Parfait).

 

Models Prefer Mineral Eyeshadow Duo (Brown & Dirty).

 

Bourjois Healthy Mix Correcting Concealer (Light Radiance), Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer (Light Medium).

 

Bourjois Blush (Frosted Rose).

 

Chanel Poudre Universelle Compacte (Translucent 1).

 

Estee Lauder bag (included in a gift set).

So there are my current staples. They live soundly in their bag, ready to go when called upon. As I haven't included any please comment and let me know if you wish me to review or include swatches of any products you have seen above. This was more just a way of letting you get to know me better.

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Much love,

Rachel

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