The Body Shop Coconut Shower Cream

Sometimes I say things on this blog that seem blatantly obvious. Like, stupidly obvious. This is one of those times: The Body Shop Coconut Shower Cream really, really, really smells like coconut. Like, really smells like a coconut. C. O. C. O. N. U. T. I’m not even a fan of coconut scents yet this body wash has reeled me in with its fleshy, creamy, rich scent that’s a note-perfect imitation of a freshly split coconut. I mean it has Community Fair Trade cold pressed virgin coconut oil to boost the moisture in this soap-free body cream that’s suitable for normal/dry skin (PRAISE!) and it’s a great summery wash to make this increasingly cold Sydney mornings bearable, but I just can’t get past that scent.

Seriously. Coconut.

Who: The Body Shop
What: The Body Shop Coconut Shower Cream
How Much: AU$12.95
When: available now
Where: The Body Shop

This item was purchased by swatchgirl.com.

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Orly Peaceful Opposition nail polish

ORLY Peaceful Opposition from their 2013 Hope And Freedom collection is a soft sheer milky pinky grey packed with bright silver and matte white glitter pieces. Grey, you say? Heck yeah, you know I’m into grey of all kinds! Peaceful Opposition is heavier on the pink than the grey, the two shades combining together to create more of a muted, almost fleshy tone. It’s very wearable against my cool-toned skin without looking ashy or washed out.

Orly Peaceful Opposition nail polish

I used three thin coats which gave enough coverage to soften down the white of my nail, without being ultra thick and chunky. The glitter coverage is adequate – I’ve done a quick glance around at some other nail blogs and some people have been able to get really full glitter coverage, so it comes down to either super thick layers or lots of patience as you build up thin layers, and lets be honest, ain’t no one got time for that!

Texture-wise the lacquer is both thick and runny at the same time, which is… odd. Not bad, just odd. Peaceful Opposition flowed very easily, making it a dream to apply with my dominant hand and allowing for lots of futzing of the glitter pieces to get them into the right spot. On the flip side of this I flooded my cuticles like crazy when I was painting with my non-dominant hand because I’m a clumsy oaf and had no control over how fast the lacquer moved.

Peaceful Opposition scored a perfect 10 out of 10 for one of the trickiest feats to achieve with a glitter lacquer though: it dried perfectly smooth with no lumps or bumps. I applied a thin slick of topcoat to wrap the tips and that was it. Perfect!

Orly Peaceful Opposition nail polish

I’m starting to really preach ‘less is more’ when it comes to glitter and/or effect polishes, and I think that applies to Peaceful Opposition as well. I love the matte white glitter pieces. Love. Their lack of shine allows them to swim underneath the jelly lacquer and create a subtle, nuanced visual effect (or as subtle as glitter polish can be, anyway) that’s interesting to look at without being gaudy. The silver glitter pieces ruin this effect for me, ’cause they’re super bright and shiny and overwhelm the white pieces.

Does this make Peaceful Opposition a bad polish? No, of course not. It’s just that I personally feel the stripped back milky lacquer/matte white glitter effect works more cohesively without the addition of bold bright silver pieces. Your mileage may vary.

Orly Peaceful Opposition nail polish

Who: Orly
What: Orly Peaceful Opposition nail polish
How Much: AU$18.95 for 18ml
When: available now.
Where: Orlybeauty.com.au, selected pharmacies, spas and nail salons

This item was provided to swatchgirl.com.

The post Orly Peaceful Opposition nail polish swatch & review appeared first on swatchgirl.com | australian beauty blog.

Sunday Stylin’: ModCloth edition

Help me. I’ve fallen into ModCloth and I can’t get out. They do cute plus sizes without being too pricy, and I’m seriously feeling the urge to buy some new duds for winter. What do you think of a pop of kelly green here and there to sass up my usual head-to-toe black?

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Pretty Serious CGA nail polish

I’ve been meaning to post this nail swatch of Pretty Serious CGA nail polish for like… a year now. Maybe longer? That probably goes a long way to explain why my nails are so crazy long in these pictures when I’ve made a point of keeping them much shorter lately.

Anyway, enough of my inability to remember to post things when I’ve gone to the effort of swatching them! CGA from the Hello World collection is a light magenta purple nail polish with light cyan shimmer; a shoutout in name and colour to the very first generation of four-bit 16 colour IBM graphic cards released in the early 80s. What? I have varied interests, ok? Makeup and ancient computer debris are totally compatible hobbies.

It’s been a longass time since I swatched this colour so I’m a little fuzzy on the details, but I’m gonna take an educated guess and say that this was two thin coats over a clear base, topped with a gloss topcoat. I can’t see any streaking or bald patches, so it looks like it was a quality lacquer in terms of colour and application.

Pretty Serious CGA nail polish

I’ve previously swatched another lacquer from the Hello World collection: VT100, a rich green shimmer lacquer.

Who: Pretty Serious
What: Pretty Serious Cosmetics CGA nail polish
How Much: AU$9.95
When: available now
Where: Pretty Serious

This item was purchased by swatchgirl.com.

The post Pretty Serious CGA nail polish swatch & review appeared first on swatchgirl.com | australian beauty blog.

swatchgirl.com third birthday MAC Cosmetics giveaway

Thank you to everyone who entered my MAC Cosmetics giveaway to celebrate swatchgirl.com’s third birthday! I rarely run giveaways or competitions on this blog, so I was blown away to receive over 1,000 entries and some amazing feedback from you all. I’m so happy with this turned out that I think I might make regular beauty giveaways a semi-regular feature just to keep sharing the love!

The lucky winners of a MAC Cosmetics pack each are…

• Kristine S
• Satima
• Lauren McG

I’ll be emailing you this morning, so watch your inboxes!

The post swatchgirl.com’s third birthday winners! appeared first on swatchgirl.com | australian beauty blog.

The Beauty Encyclopedia: Help! My makeup brush is shedding!

If you’ve ever thought Help! My makeup brushes are shedding!, you’re not alone. Don’t panic! It’s perfectly normal for a makeup brush to shed a few hairs every now and then. I’ve got the skinny on how much bristle loss is normal, when you should refund/replace a shedding makeup brush, and how to prevent your brushes from balding in the first place.

With the right care a good quality natural hair makeup brush will always stay fluffy and fresh, and last well over ten years even with daily use.

The Beauty Encyclopedia: Help! My makeup brush is shedding!

A quick refresher on some brush basics before we start. All makeup brushes consist of three parts: the handle, the ferrule (the metallic ‘choker’), and the bristles. Making a brush is as simple as knotting and gluing bristles to the handle, and holding them in place by slipping a tight metal ferrule over the bond between bristle and handle.
Different brush styles are made by different ferrule shapes placed at different heights on the handle. A narrow rectangle ferrule placed high over the bristles makes a dense paddle brush with little flexibility, like a typical eyeshadow brush. A round wide ferrule placed low over bristles makes a soft, fluffy brush with lots of flexibility, like a blending brush or a powder brush.

The trade off for having a big soft brush with lots of movement is, of course, shedding and bristle breakage. A wide fluffy brush has less dense hair with a wider contact area between the bristles and glue, meaning that there’s more opportunity for hairs to work loose and ‘shed’ when you’re using it. A big fluffy brush also has more kinetic movement in the bristles compared to a densely packed short bristle brush – a typical blush brush experiences more back and forth movement at greater speeds than an eyeshadow brush, and this fast movement can cause natural bristle brushes to break along the hair shaft.

Now you know why a brush sheds, so let’s talk about the hows and whys of why your precious makeup brushes can shed fluff.

Is your brush brand new?

• Most brand new brushes will shed hair when you first get them. They’ve been bundled up in plastic since they left the factory and haven’t had a chance to bend, flex and shed any loose hairs. Think of it as being the equivalent of when you’ve had your hair tied up for a long period of time – when you finally let your locks flow freely, all the hair that would normally have fallen away naturally without you noticing appears all at once. You’re not going bald, and neither is your brand new brush!
• When you get a brand new brush, the bristles may be set with a light fixative glue. Gently break this glue by sweeping your brush back and forth alongside your wrist, then spritz with brush cleanser and do a spot clean to remove any glue. If a brush sheds anywhere up to thirty to fifty bristles at this point, that’s fine! That sounds like a lot, but that’s a normal amount of hairs to shed. Remember: that’s just bristles that weren’t fixed in place properly at the factory, and it’s better for them to come loose on your wrist rather than on your makeup.
• If your brand new brush sheds bristles in big clumps or the ferrule feels loose to the touch, then you have a faulty brush. Return that sucker and swap it for something better.

Is your brush shedding bristles when you wash it?

• How many hairs? A few bristles coming free here and there is normal. Cleaning brushes involves stripping away all the oil and powder and gunk that’s been gluing the bristles together, so a few hairs coming loose here and there is more indicative that your brushes are getting sparkly clean rather than a gross sticky germy fiesta.
• How are you washing your brushes? Bad cleaning habits will, over time, turn your brushes bald. When cleaning your brushes never fully submerse them under water, or saturate the bristles all the way up to the ferrule. When water gets under the ferrule it can weaken the glue and soften the knotting holding the brush bristles in place, leading to bristles coming loose when you least expect it.
• Always use a gentle baby shampoo, never use hair conditioner (the silicon or oils in hair conditioner can weaken or destroy the glue inside your brush), rinse the bristles clean with cold water, and lay your brushes flat to gently dry overnight.

Is your brush old?

• Sometimes time will just get the better of your old favourite brushes. The glue and knotting can become dry and brittle with age, wooden brush handles can warp, and natural hair bristles can wear away. This can happen even if you’ve been careful with your brushes, so don’t stress too much if this happens. Just look at it as an opportunity to invest in some brand new brushes!

If you’re seriously concerned about the longevity of your makeup brushes and want something that doesn’t require care and gentle treatment, or you’re interested in a vegetarian/vegan alternative, then I recommend looking at Royal & Langnickle [R]evolution brush series. These synthetic brushes have bristles that closely mimic natural hair fibres, and have a solid fused base to prevent any issues with glue breakage or loose bristles. They’re not a 100% identical replacement for natural hair brushes, but they’re pretty dang good.

Some of my makeup brushes – some of them pictured above! – are over a decade old and still functioning as good as new. They might look a bit faded and well used, but they’re still soft, fluffy and full of bristles. With the right care a good quality natural hair makeup brush will always stay fluffy and fresh, and last well over ten years even with daily use. Look after your brushes and they’ll look after you, and you’ll never have to say Help! My makeup brush is shedding! ever again.

The post The Beauty Encyclopedia: Help! My makeup brush is shedding! appeared first on swatchgirl.com | australian beauty blog.

Femme Fatale Cosmetics A Tisket, A Tasket nail polish

Femme Fatale Cosmetics A Tisket, A Tasket nail polish is a sheer milky green lacquer with seafoam green microshimmer and glitter. The glitters are a mix of white mini pieces, teal and pink squares, and some large pale green pieces.

Femme Fatale Cosmetics A Tisket, A Tasket nail polish

Two coats of A Tisket, A Tasket gave plenty of glitter coverage, whereas three started to look visually cluttered and over the top.

I’ve applied three thin coats to build up some opacity on my nails, but in the future I think I’ll stick with just two coats over a pigmented base colour. Two coats of A Tisket, A Tasket gave plenty of glitter coverage, whereas three started to look visually cluttered and over the top. Without a solid base colour to work from I found it a little challenging to get a nice crisp line along my cuticles; while the polish physically applied tidily along the edges, the translucent quality meant that it looks a little soft and faded around the edges. There’s a fix for this, however, and I’ll mention it after my next point.

I find with a lot of indie lacquers it’s incredibly easy to go from ‘interesting sparkle’ to ‘little kid’s craft box glitter explosion’, either because the designers have gone balls to the wall on the more-is-more school of glitter overload, or because the formula itself is a little tricky to work with. With this polish it’s definitely the latter – I found the base polish is just a teeny little bit too sheer to maintain the best balance of glitter to coverage.

Solution to these twin issues of visual clarity and tidy nail edges? Easy! A single coat of a solid base polish in a matching colour would give that instant nail coverage and crisp edge I mentioned above while allowing A Tisket, A Tasket’s glitters and microshimmers to pop brightly. I’m thinking either something like OPI Skull & Glossbones, Make Up Store William, or a stark white like China Glaze White On White.

Femme Fatale Cosmetics A Tisket, A Tasket nail polish

Who: Femme Fatale Cosmetics
What: Femme Fatale Cosmetics A Tisket, A Tasket nail polish
How Much: AU$9.85
When: available now
Where: Femme Fatale Cosmetics

This item was purchased by swatchgirl.com.

Have you entered swatchgirl.com’s third birthday MAC Cosmetics giveaway? Enter now for your chance to win one of three MAC Cosmetics colour packs!

The post Femme Fatale Cosmetics A Tisket, A Tasket nail polish swatch & review appeared first on swatchgirl.com | australian beauty blog.

Strawberry Shortcake hair

I’ve had lilac and silver hair for so long, this departure into creamsicle territory feels unbelievably fresh and different. Emily at Original A created a combination of pastel rose and champagne pink tones against a tidy blunt cut; a look that’s rad as heck.

If you’re in Sydney I suggest making an appointment with Emily at Original A salon on Oxford St, Paddington (02 93613977). Great cut, great blowdry, and amazing colour using Original & Mineral products. I highly recommend her work!

Have you entered swatchgirl.com’s third birthday MAC Cosmetics giveaway? Enter now for your chance to win one of three MAC Cosmetics colour packs!

The post Strawberry Shortcake hair by Emily at Original A appeared first on swatchgirl.com | australian beauty blog.

Revlon Charm Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

Revlon Charm Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain is a nifty little wind-up lip crayon in a soft pastel apricot colour. If you’re acquainted with Clinique’s Chubby Sticks or Face of Australia’s Sheer Gloss Crayons then Revlon’s Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains (what a mouthful) will already be familiar to you.

If the lip crayon craze has passed you by, lemme give you the short summary: these wind-up lip crayons give a light slick of translucent colour to your lips without the heaviness of lipstick or the goopiness of gloss. Lip crayons don’t need lipliner or a lip brush to apply, making them an ideal choice for day wear or for no-fuss nighttime wear. They’re perfect for people who want a touch of colour on their lips without it being overpoweringly bold, high maintenance, or leaving a thick makeup-y feel on their pout.

Revlon Charm Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

Charm is a genuinely pretty soft natural colour that gently smooths the natural rosy flush of my lips without looking chalky or flat.

Charm is a semi-translucent soft pastel apricot lip colour without any shimmers or glitters. I wasn’t expecting great results from this colour, but I’ve never been so pleased to be wrong! Charm is a genuinely pretty soft natural colour that gently smooths the natural rosy flush of my lips without looking chalky or flat. The effect is more gentle and elegant than obviously nude, making it very wearable during the day and under nighttime lighting.
Charm darkens slightly on my lips as time goes by and leaves a teeeeeeeeeeny little soft apricot stain, but nothing overwhelmingly noticeable. I wouldn’t expect such a pale shade to leave an obvious stain, so I don’t count this as a negative.

In my experience – both on myself and on makeup clients – nude colours can be very hit or miss on porcelain and fair skin, with beige tones running the risk of looking completely invisible or unflatteringly brown. A translucent pastel apricot colour that gently softens natural lip tones allows me to pull makeup focus onto eyes or cheeks without looking unbalanced, all without losing definition or visually washing out the lip area. Nice!

Revlon Charm Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

A quick note that the entire line of Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains contains a small amount of peppermint oil. It’s enough to smell minty and create a verrrrrrrrry tiny cooling sensation, but it’s in no way enough to create an overwhelming mint fiesta. Not everyone is as big a fan of mint as I am though, so I’d suggest maybe taking a little exploratory sniff before purchasing.

Revlon Charm Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

My verdict? A must-have lip crayon for all fair beauties who want a wearable, elegant naturally nude shade that’s easy to apply and easy to wear.

Who: Revlon
What: Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Charm
How Much: AU$17.95
When: available now
Where: Priceline

This item was purchased by swatchgirl.com.

Have you entered swatchgirl.com’s third birthday MAC Cosmetics giveaway? Enter now for your chance to win one of three MAC Cosmetics colour packs!

The post Revlon Charm Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain appeared first on swatchgirl.com | australian beauty blog.

Joico K-Pak Color Therapy & Revitaluxe

• Joico K-Pak Color Therapy shampoo is a lightweight colour protect shampoo with manketti and argan oils. After a few washes with this shampoo I can vouch for the fact that it’s excellent at maintaining the silver rinse I tend to keep in my hair, but the protein content is a little too much for my locks. Too much protein can cancel out any elasticity gains and leave hair rigid, so I need to be ultra careful with any protein boosting products. For someone with lightly treated hair like balayage or highlights, this would be an excellent boosting shampoo.
• Joico K-Pak Revitaluxe Bio Advanced Restorative Treatment is a buttery soft intense moisture treatment. I’ve been pulling double duty with this, sometimes leaving it on for a few minutes as a conditioner and sometimes applying it for much longer as a deep hydrating treatment. It’s got enough oomph in the moisture department to leave my super processed hair feeling soft, but not so much that my locks are left lank and gross. If you’ve got very dry processed hair, then this is a winner as a once or twice weekly deep conditioning treatment.

Joico K-Pak Color Therapy & Revitaluxe – BEFORE

BEFORE: while I’ve been lucky enough to never get split ends, my hair is unbelievably dry after a lot of chemical processing. I’ve got a fair amount of breakage and the ends are quite dry and prone to frizzing out.

Joico K-Pak Color Therapy & Revitaluxe – AFTER

AFTER: the ends of my hair is left in better condition with less frizz and fewer fuzzies. I haven’t straightened or blow dried my hair straight, just given it a quick blast with the hair dryer and a paddle brush. Soft, smooth, and straight. Nice!

Who: Joico
What: Joico K-Pak Color Therapy shampoo, Joico K-Pak Revitaluxe Bio Advanced Restorative Treatment
How Much: K-Pak Color Therapy shampoo AU$27.95, K-Pak Revitaluxe Bio Advanced Restorative Treatment AU$28.95
When: available now
Where: salon exclusive, Price Attack, Hairhouse Warehouse

This item was provided to swatchgirl.com.

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