Nail Art Experiments

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Katherine

I have been seeing some INCREDIBLE nails around the beauty blogosphere lately – special mention to LabMuffin, Nail Romance, So Nailicious and the queen of nail art, Zooey Deschanel – and decided I needed to step up my game a bit.

Can I just start by saying that DIY nail art is HARD. How do you get straight lines? How do you you do your right hand if you're a righty? How do you make every nail look as identical as possible (if that's what you're going for)? All questions I am yet to answer and probably won't be able to help you with (I suggest you ask the aforementioned experts).

All the same, here are some experiments I've tried out lately.

The last one is washi tape that I cut to the shape of my nail and then put a clear polish over. It worked surprisingly well for paper tape (I had just had a shower before taking this photo). I believe that is a tip for you, there you go, this post wasn't COMPLETELY unhelpful after all.

Are you game to art it up? Do you have any specialties or tips you'd like to share? Go on, tell me your secrets in the comments below!

Suigo Natural Infused Hair Spa Treatment at Tres Jolie

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Katherine

Recently I won a giveaway on The Plastic Diaries for a Suigo Natural Infused Hair Spa Treatment and with really no idea what exactly that was, I headed to Tres Jolie in Lane Cove this week to try it out.

Let me start by saying that, as soon as I walked in the door, I felt like I was being greated by friends. The ladies as Tres Jolie were absolutely delightful and although the salon is quite tiny, it is pretty cute and seemingly encrusted with sparkly jewels (and by that I mean, there are displays with lovely sparkly jewellery all around the salon!). Alongside the regular cut and colour services, Tres Jolie offers the spa treatment, mineral make up services, and a host of other beauty related bits and pieces.

One thing Tres Jolie really emphasises is their dedication to using nautral products – from the make up and styling products, right down to the ammonia-free hair dyes.

The Suigo Spa Treatment was just that, a real treat. Firstly, Elaine, my hair specialist inspected my hair and scalp to determine which treatment would be best for me. She explained that there were three to choose from:

The Rose Energy Spa - best suited for weak, dry, or chemically damaged hair and scalp. It nourishes and strengthens the hair follicle, imporves hair scalp immune function and hair's natural moisturising capability to restore smoothness and shine.

The Tea Tree Energy Hair Spa – for dandruff and oil build ups to balance the hair scalp PH value and eliminate dandruff and gently clean the hair and scalp.

The Lavender Repair Energy Spa - suitable for dry, dull, and lifeless hair from stress and poor sleep. It strengthens hair and restores the moisture balance content of the hair leaving it healthy, shiny, and nourished.

Elaine decided the Rose Spa was best for me and it sounded exactly like what I needed!

Next she took me to the basin to wash my hair with the Rose Affable Gentle Shampoo and Conditioner. She massaged Rose Scalp Recuperation Lotion into my scalp and then applied the Rose Energy Hair Treatment.

I moved back to my seat as Elaine made me a pot of the most delicious herbal tea with rose, coconut, and apple. I'm pretty sure that was one of the best herbal teas I've ever tried!

While I sipped my tea, she turned a steam machine onto my head to allow the treatment to really get into my hair and scalp and then she used Rose Essential OIl to massage my neck. Usually I find rose to be far too strong for my little lungs to handle, but the tea, the steam and the rose oil just made me feel so relaxed and rejuvenated.

After the much needed massage, Elaine washed out the treatment and applied the Rose Smooth Flowers Spray before offering me a complimentary blow dry – what a treat!

Personally, I am very nervous about new hair dressers. My hair dresser lives in another state and after years of hair cut disasters, I'm hesitant to go anywhere else – this often means my hair is long overdue for a cut and colour. The good thing about the spa treatment is that I, not only, felt relaxed and rejuvenated after – like I'd just been to a proper spa – my hair feels like it's been given the boost it needed to carry me through to my next cut.

At $55, the Suigo Natural Infused Hair Spa Treatment is one I will definitely be trying again. My hair smells like I've literally been lying in a bed of roses! Plus it looks so shiny, feels healthier, and smells divine. After just one treatment!

The ladies at Tres Jolie were wonderful and I look forward to going back to see them again.

Have you tried a Suigo Natural Hair Spa Treatment?

UPDATE: The lovely ladies at Tres Jolie, Lane Cove are offering our readers a complimentary blow dry with any Suigo Natural Infused Hair Spa! Just tell them we sent you!

Let me know in the comments below what you think or if you want to try it after reading more about it.

Five Excellent Lip Balms for Beautiful Lips

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Katherine

I'm a big fan of lip balm. I have worn it since I was in primary school. I remember a student teacher once asking a group of us girls at musical practice 'what's the difference between lip gloss and lip balm" (said with a Canadian accent, we found it most amusing).

Anyone knows that lip gloss, while amazing looking, is also sticky and drying on your lips.

Lip balm, on the other hand, often has no colour but is great for hydrating your kisser. It can come in a tube, tub, or stick and is pretty much the only solution to chapped lips (that I've discovered so far, anyway).

I rarely finish a stick of lip balm (as they always seem to go missing before I get to the end) and my bags contain multiple lip balm choices because I know the pain of a lip balm-free day!

Here are my five favourite balms:

1 – Dr Lipp Nipple Balm for Lips – AU$28 – Dr Lipp is a heavy duty lip balm with a cheeky name. I like to apply it at night and in the morning because it is really thick and a great way to both start and end the day. In Australia, Dr Lipp is pretty pricey though and in winter it is REALLY difficult to get out of the tube!

2 – Blistex LIp Conditioning Balm – AU$3.50 – Blistex has been with me through thick and thin. Aside from being ridiculously affordable, I have always found this balm to provide the most consistent results. My sister always liked the tub version but I'm a fan of the stick. I have a strange love for the tingly sensation when applied to sore lips – is that weird? This stuff is the business!

3 – Lanolips 101 Ointment - AU$17.95 – The Lanolips is not quite as thick as Dr Lipp and has a creaminess to it that just makes it a thrill to slide onto lips. Again it works as a great 'before bed' balm and I like to wear it under lipsticks that are particularly drying. It does affect how long they last but it makes my lips feel so good that I don't really care! Lanolips also comes in coloured varieties, pretty and conditioning. Win.

4 – Lucas Pawpaw Ointment - AU$5.95 – Lucas Pawpaw Ointment has become the new Vaseline (am I right?!). It's one of those products that is ridiculously cheap, everyone carries it with them, and it can be used on a multitude of ailments. It's not my favourite lip healer, but it's so versatile that I keep it with me for any dry skin emergencies!

5 – Blistex Lip Ointment Tube - AU$ – This stuff is hard core. Every now and again, particularly when the weather is really bad, my chapped lips step up to another level of painful that none of my lip products can solve. That's when I call in the big guns. Blistex Lip Ointment is the only product I've found so far that can bring my lips back to normal. I am yet to find something that works so well. It is yellow-ish and creamy and best applied in private because it can be a bit weird looking. I think it's mostly for cold sores but it works on super chapped lips in a way that no other balm can. Save this for those emergency situations so your lips don't get too used to it and it becomes less effective (this is a thing, trust me).

What's your favourite lip balm product?! I'm always trying new ones and I'd love to try some of your faves!

You, Me & Everybody – Shady Lady Daily Face Milk

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Katherine

Summer in Australia can be brutal (both the sun and the storms!) and growing up in this country, it is instilled in us as kids how important it is to wear sunscreen every day in attempts to prevent premature aging and skin cancer.

Being fair skinned, I'm definitely conscious of staying out of the sun and protecting my skin but, I don't know about you, most sunscreen is pretty gross. The higher up you go in SPF, the worse it gets – thick and greasy – it looks awful even when you try and mask the sheen with as much make up as you can.

Unless I'm planning on being outside on a shoot or a day in the sun, I have been making do with a BB cream or moisturiser with suncream in it (both around SPF 15+), that is until I discovered You, Me & Everybody Shady Lady Daily Face Milk (ridiculously long, I know!). I can't remember where I got this product, I think in a gift bag of some sort given to me when I purchased something else. I mysteriously happened upon it one day in my bag of beauty supplies and haven't looked back.

The Shady Lady Daily Face Milk is a light moisturiser – I don't think I'd ever use it purely as a moisturiser because I'm a bit fussy – but the real kicker of this product is the SPF 30+. I love how light weight it is and – even better – no thick, greasy mess on my face and no funky sunscreen smell (you know what I'm talking about)!! Even before make up it doesn't give any obvious indications of "I'm wearing sunscreen and have a serious case of shiny-face".

In my experience, this is pretty much unheard of, especially for a moisturiser with an SPF so high. Under make up I can't even tell that I'm wearing it but I know I'm protected from some exposure to the sun.
It's definitely a step up from wearing regular sunscreen (or, worse, none at all!).

Do you wear sunscreen every day? Are you a fan?

NOTD: Spotty Feature Nail

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Katherine

I saw this on Pinterest the other day and had to try it out, so cute! I love a feature nail and spots and this colour green so it was

I'm lacking the finesse to properly nail art my own nails, particularly on my right, so I have to keep it pretty basic!

L'Oreal Colour Riche Le Vernis in Perle De Jade RRP AU$6.95

Model's Own Nail Art Pen in white RRP US$9.99

This nail pen by … is pretty helpful though. It has a pen tip at one end and a very fine brush at the other end. Good for nail art beginners such as myself.

This little mani went well with all the rings I decided to wear this week too!

What have you been doing with your nails lately?

Lip of the Week: Napoleon Luminous Lip Veil

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Katherine

I have had the Napoleon Luminous Lip Veil lip gloss for quite and while and I feel that I haven't given it the attention that it really deserves.

To be honest, I'm often reluctant to get my gloss on for a few reasons:

1) I wear my hair out a lot and even the slightest head turn can often result in a performance similar to one walking through a spider web

2) Lip gloss may look pretty but your average gloss does sweet FA for conditioning and moisturising

3) Gloss usually just ends up in the too hard basket

That having been said, if I have to wear a lip gloss because I'm feeling like stepping out of my comfort zone one day or I need a little extra sparkle in my day, the Luminous Lip Veil is the one that I would go for every time.

Mostly because it smells delicious, let's face it.

I also love the peachy colour, it kind of works well on my pale face if I wear it on its own and it makes pretty much every lipstick look better. Another tick.

I love the Napoleon gloss brushes, they are my favourite gloss applicators because they have some movement to them unlike those soft spongey heads that you commonly find at the end of a gloss wand…Hmm…gloss wand, there's a new one. It sounds sparkly and fun…

Anyway, I have the Napoleon Luminous Lip Veil in Pretty in Peach and it is just that. Plus it is perfect for my complexion…but the sugary scent does kind of make me want to eat it…

The Luminous Lip Veil range comes in a wide variety of hues to find the perfect one for you. They are AU$27 and available from Napoleon concept stores and the usual department stores.

Have you tried any of the Nude Bar range from Napoleon? What do you think?

FOTD: With Vani-T Mineral Co and Nvey Eco

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Katherine

I recently did a bit of a photo shoot for Through My Looking Glass and decided to try something a little more subtle from my usual candy pinks and aquas. Considering the backdrop I ended up using, that was probably a good idea to avoid being slight too OTT!

I have recently been blown away by two Aussie brands Vani-T and Nvey Eco for both their beautiful products and dedication to being environmentally friendly and chemical free (and Australian, of course!)

Here's what I used to create the look:

Palmer's Eventone BB Cream in Light - RRP $9.99 (yes I'm still loving it) *

Napoleon Camera Finish in B2 – RRP $65

Vani-T Mineral Colour Crystals in Deep Blue – RRP $30.85 *

Nvey Eco Powder Blush in #155 – RRP $29.95 *

Vani-T Mineral Lip Colour in Frisky Business – RRP $29.99 *

Vani-T is a South Australian brand dedicated to providing products that are free from pretty much anything you'd be worried about when it comes to your make up and skin care.

The Colour Crystals are ultra pigmented, I blended mine for a smokey look and I'm not a massive fan of mineral make up because it tends to go everywhere, but I will definitely be getting a wet brush into them to try a really bold, sparkly blue eye.

Check out the swatch and how it catches the light:

The lipstick may be one of my favourites ever. Because of my never ending lip dramas, I am also wary of lipsticks that are too drying or too matte, but the Vani-T lipsticks contain coconut oil for hydration, aloe extract to calm and soothe, candlewax to condition and moisturise, and Vitamin E for healing. It has quickly become one of my favourites, plus the case is just cute!

The Nvey Eco powder blush is up there with my Benefit Dandelion Brightening Powder. I mostly wear cream or cheek tint blushes but I really love the Nvey Eco blush. I find my skin isn't a big fan of layers of powders but the combination of hypoallergenic and moisture balancing ingredients really sit beautifully on my cheeks.

What's your favourite Aussie make up brand!?

* Disclaimer: These items were sent to me for editorial consideration but, as always, this has in no way affected my review – my opinions are my own.

Follow The Perfect Lipstick on Bloglovin’

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Katherine

Hey there, do you know about Bloglovin'? It's my favourite way to track all the amazing blogs that I follow. It's so easy to use and it means you can see your unread posts all in one place instead of visiting every site, even if they haven't posted anything new.

You should definitely check it out, and while you're there, you could follow The Perfect Lipstick – just if you feel like it!

Follow our blog with Bloglovin

Do you use Bloglovin or some other genius site to keep track of all your blogs?!

Lip of the Week: Benefit Full Finish Lipstick

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Katherine

Firstly, Happy New Year! 2013 has started with a bang and everywhere I look, I see more people excited about this year and that makes me excited!

I had the most amazing view of Sydney Harbour for the fireworks on New Year's Eve and I thought it was fitting to share Kylie Minogue's lips with you, in case you didn't see them! Even Sydney and Kylie agree that lips are important and wonderful and that just makes us happy here at The Perfect Lipstick!

Secondly, I have to rave a bit more about my new Full Finish Lipstick in Mod Squad. Oh man, am I in love with this lipstick!! I don't even think you can get them here, but I paid US$16 (usually $18) for this one in my recent Benefit haul and the closest Benefit lipstick you can get in Australia will set you back $34!! Outrageous.

So the price is amazing.

Then the lipstick itself. Whoa. The colour is perfect for me and turned out exactly the way I had hoped. It is creamy with a bit of sheen, which I'm not always a fan of, but I love this one. I find this lipstick so much creamier on my lips than other full finish lipsticks, and with a little lip balm underneath, it is just dreamy.

Have you tried any of the Benefit lippies? What do you think?

My Pre-Christmas Benefit Haul

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Katherine

So I have this habit of doing the same thing every year before Christmas (when I should be buying presents), I buy myself stuff. This year, it just so happens that I got caught in a mini frenzy around the Black Friday sales and picked up a tidy haul from Benefit.

Do you know Benefit? Do you know how EXPENSIVE Benefit is to buy in Australia? I've always been easily excited by the adorable packaging, the brow bar, and the great rep of Benefit but the exorbitant prices at the counters in our leading department stores just always put me off.

Until the Cyber Monday sales in the US. I discovered a pretty good deal (and free international shipping) plus HEAPS of free samples buying direct from Benefit online. Win. Win. Win.

Here's what I got:

Finding Mr Bright – AU$45 US$36 (I paid $27.99)- I've wanted to try all of these (Girl Meets Pearl, Posie Tint, High Beam, Erase Paste) for a while so I thought I would get the kit and sample them all.

Dandelion Brightening Powder – AU$51 US$28 - I love dandelions, I love pink, I love blush. And bright cheeks are just a bonus. I have wanted to try this for soooo long but at over AU$50, I have never been able to justify it. So I didn't ;)

Full Finish Lipstick in Mod Squad – AU$34 US$16 - This is literally my new favourite lipstick. But more on this later in the week when I bring you a proper review! All I will say now is that the Full Finish Lipsticks we get in Australia don't even LOOK THE SAME! Plus they are almost double the price here! This was the only item that got slightly injured in its travels and was smooshed up against the inside of the tube.

And the freebies I got:

L to R: The POREfessional (to minimise appearance of pores), Sugar Bomb face powder, Bad Girl Lash mascara mini, Triple Performing Facial Emulsion, 360 Stay Put Primer sample and a holiday catalogue.

I also bought a few little bits and pieces as Christmas pressies, but I don't want to ruin any surprises!

I will say is that I finally get the Benefit hype. I'm so disappointed that the prices we pay here in Australia are so much more than overseas. Aside from a little crushed packaging and no PO Box delivery, I would ship from the US every time at the better price (especially if it's free shipping and chock full of samples!)

What do you think? Would you rather buy from a counter and know what you're getting straight up, or would you rather pay fair prices but have to wait for it to arrive?

The Perfect Lipstick

A mother and daughter beauty blog

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