Last weekend was the first full weekend I had off for seven weeks now, and knowing this project I’m currently on, it could be my last full free weekend for a while! So to celebrate my short lived freedom, I decided to spoil myself with a scarf I’d been eyeing for a loooong time!

It’s so so cute, I can’t wait to wear this to dinners or really anything!

So if you’ve been following me on twitter, you’ll know that this morning I woke up to find myself on the front page of The Sunday Age M Magazine! Which honestly left me in shock for a good few minutes :O

The article was about costuming in general, and I was lucky enough to be selected to represent cosplayers!

If you want to read the article, feel free to see it here online. It was a fantastic experience! Complete with my own hair/makeup artist, shooting in a massive studio! And for some reason despite all that, I was under the impression it would be a small article somewhere in the back of the magazine hehe.

I’ll be uploading some behind the scene photos from the shoot on my cosplay site sometime soon, so I’ll be sure to announce that here!

And I figured since it’s been published and completely out there, I’ve decided to go by my real name Celina instead of Sirene (a nickname I made up for my fashion/beauty blog). The original reason I decided on a nickname was because I didn’t want my IT websites to be confused with my fashion/cosplay, but I kept getting my friends so confused, I thought meh! Celina it is for everything

I need to send out my love and thanks to Sefie, one of my best friends! And it’s all thanks to her support and love that this happened in the first place!

Oh and for kicks, I went down to my local newsagency and took a photo, so I know it’s real! ahaha.

Lately I’ve been on a huge mascara spree, trying everything I can find~

Covergirl’s traditional LashBlast is most likely one of my HG mascaras (can you really call it HG if you have more than one!?)

So of course I wanted to try out the other mascaras from the LashBlast series, unfortunately they don’t currently stock the LashBlast Fusion mascara in Australia So I’ll be leaving that out *sigh*

LastBlast Luxe
I purchased this online for a very discounted rate, though I can’t quite remember the exact URL According to the website, this particular mascara is tinted with shimmers for that extra sparkle to the eyes. Honestly, as you can see in the photo below, I see no shimmer at all. However, it’s a solid mascara, it isn’t as easy to apply as the original LashBlast as it does take a bit longer to really get the formula to stick.

However, the up side of this mascara is it’s buildability. I’ve found it very easy to build luxious even lashes without becoming clumpy at all.

The colour I’m using is called Black Platinum.

LastBlast Length
This is the lengthing alternative of the original LashBlast formula. And it is a great lengthening mascara because it’s also wonderful at seperately all my lashes, making me look like I have many more than I do! It does take a bit of work to get the right look, but practice this is hardly a sacrifice for long lashes.

This would be the perfect mascara if the formula was more thickening. But I can compensate by throwing up a very light layer of the original LashBlast.

The colour I’m using is called Very Black.

LastBlast
The original LastBlast formula, and as mentioned one of my HG mascaras. It’s a great volumising formula, that is very quick to apply. Huge deal for me given how rushed I am in the mornings to get to work. I do find that the formula can be a little clumpy if you don’t watch what you are doing, but nothing a bit more practice can’t take care of.

I know it appears sparse in the photo below, but I’d be tempted to blame the strange lighting (it was a very cloudy day, so I had to rely on lamps) I was getting on the day because this mascara doesn’t disappoint thickening wise.

The colour I’m using is called Very Black.

Verdict?
Why LashBlast of course! Original and still the best But this is coming from a girl who can’t spend more than 5-10 mins in the morning doing her makeup, so speed is the most important thing for me. If I’ve got the time, I’d certainly invest in the two above~ Completely depends on what your lifestyle is like! (But as a beauty blogger, I’ll probably continue to buy them hehe)

Inspired by my Seth makeup and a doll like shoot I am currently working to put together. I quite love horror like looks, if I had the materials and skills, I would certainly try and replicate a true zombie look!

But my favourite types of horror looks are those based of girls with a beautiful delicate porcelain appearance, only to have one feature looking very out of place. In this particular look, I’ve gone for the eyes. (Though I have seen some that go for distorted / demon-like fangs, now those were very creepy!)

I decided against using powder for this look as I wanted the colours to appear more saturated, not sure that really came across in the photos though, perhaps due to lighting. I love how white my foundation appears in this shoot tho, very ghostly.

Products used:

Face
MAC Studio Sculpt SPF 15 Foundation NC15
Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Beige

Cheeks
MAC Mineralise Blush – Merrily

Eyes
NYX Trio Eyeshadow TS12
MAC Eyeshadow – Coppering & Carbon
MAC Technakohl Liner – Graphblack
Covergirl Lashblast Length
MAC Fluidline Blacktrack

Lips
MAC Dazzlegloss – Date Night

Thanks to my Lookbook series, I sometimes wonder whether I give the impression all I do is heavy / costume-y makeup. This is certainly not the case! So I thought why not show you guys 3 of my “everyday” looks. Not to mention I would like to start getting into talking more about everyday looks / makeup / skin care products with you guys. Be warned, unlike my Lookbooks / Photoshoots, I’ve done absolutely no photoshopping, so you’ll see me in all my “glory”, freakles, scars, beauty spots and all! Be afraid, be very afraid!

No Makeup

I rock this look everyday and surprisingly very often. It’s important to give your skin time to breath and I love being all natural when I can. Frankly I think people really don’t give themselves enough credit when they pack on heaps of makeup to hide their natural self. It’s one thing to wear makeup cause it’s fun, but another because you’re hiding your true self! We are all so beautiful and perfect just the way we were born

Work / Everyday

Edit: I’m still wondering whether I uploaded a pic of myself looking like a Poring..

This is what I wear to work and generally when I’m out being social. Pretty minimal, really the most noticable product is eyeliner and mascara as I feel this just opens my eyes and makes me look more awake. If I can be bothered, I’ll also use a tinted moisturiser, light peach / pink blush and a light earthy toned eyeshadow. In the image above, I’m using everything except eyeshadow.

Evenings

I don’t tend to have a “standard” evening look, it really depends on the event / situation. But generally, my makeup is just heavier. Stronger blush, liner and darker eyeshadows. If I’m feeling adventurous I could end up throwing in anything (I once went to dinner with glitter in my eyeshadow!), but usually I’ll reach for a lipstick/gloss and line my waterline.

Note that I don’t use concealers or foundations, I reserve these products for my Lookbook / Photoshoots. I generally like to keep my makeup as light as possible, whilst having a bit of creativity.

And there you have it! As much as I love doing my Lookbooks, you won’t catch me in the office sporting one of them

Pros:

• Removes most makeup instantly
• Gentle on skin
• Water based

Cons:

• Won’t remove waterproof makeup

Price: $34AU

Where: MAC website, Myer, David Jones or any stand alone MAC stores.

It’s been a whilst since I’ve done a review, that’s mostly because I haven’t come across any noticable new products lately. I know this makeup remover is not new by any means, but it is brand new to me!

I used to use Dermalogica Soothing Eye Make-up Remover (was on my 2nd bottle), but one day I got a sample size of MAC’s remover and decided to give it a go since I remember my dear Sefie talking about that being the remover she used. And wow, it was amazing! When it removed my very heavy eye makeup in one swipe I knew I was converted. The product is very concentrated, so you really only need a little bit to remove a lot of makeup all over the face (not just the eyes).

Given my oily skin, I absolutely can’t stand oil-based removers (not to mention how inconvenient it is when I’m in a rush), so I love that this is water based. It’s also very gentle to my skin, no irritation what so ever. It isn’t drying so I actually use this in between makeup looks throughout the day since it’s so gentle yet efficient! (I used to use makeup wipes, but using them twice in a row left my skin feeling a bit raw)

The down side is it won’t remove waterproof makeup, but I don’t use waterproof makeup at all, so this is never a problem for me If you do, I would recommend an oil based remover. I keep on in my collection just incase.

I know it’s not the cheapest remover, but I would still recommend this to anyone. MAC is generally pricy, so if you’re going to walk away with one product, I’d pick this!

I saw a look similar to this whilst surfing the web, especially the lips and just knew I had to give it a shot! I suspect the one I saw online had some level of Photoshop applied to it, where as mine has none so I’m not feeling too bad that it wasn’t total success ahaha.

It was a fun look to rock, I did the mistake of putting up some white filters over my lights to soften them, but by doing so have added a “cold” touch to my photos. Which is fine for some looks, but Purple Pop was suppose to be a fun loving, warm look :/ Oh well, another lesson to chalk up!

Obviously NOT a practical look at all, if you tried to eat or drink anything the lipstick would be completely ruined, but not everything in life has to be practical If only I had a short cute blonde wig to sport with this look, it would have been even more cute/fun!

Products used:

Face
MAC Prep + Prime Skin Base Visage
Giorgio Armani Lumious Silk Foundation 4
Giorgio Armani Micro-fil Loose Powder 1
Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Beige
Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Loose Powder Pale Yellow

Cheeks
NARS Blush – Orgasm
NARS Highlighter – Albatross
NARS Bronzer – Laguna

Eyes & Lips
MAC Paint Bare Canvas
NYX Trio Eyeshadow TS06
NYX Ultra Pearl Mania – True Purple
NYX Ultra Pearl Mania – Yellow
MAC Fluidline Non-Conformist
Covergirl Lash Blast – Very Black**

Lips
NYX Eye/Eyebrow Pencil – Purple
Lucas Pawpaw Ointment

I love playing around with makeup, no surprise there! And over the years I’ve picked up a couple of what I would considering interesting tips, as well as some painful lessons on what not to do. So I figured why not share what I’ve learnt thus far. I’ve labeled this post #1, cause I’m sure I will pick up more to share along my journey into becoming that crazy lady with all that makeup

Tips:

• Use moisturiser as a makeup remover, it works exceedingly well. Often even against some types of waterproof mascara. I use my eye cream with a cotton bud to remove any eyeliner or mascara I missed after my normal makeup removal regime. Clean and moisturising! Just be careful not to get any into your eyes, trust me, it stings
• Don’t be afraid to use your fingers to apply your makeup. Not only will you generally waste less product (especially with foundations), but depending on the product the application can be smoother too. I always use my fingers to apply tinted moisturiser and any very liquid foundations.
• Water + Dark eyeshadows = Great eyeliner!
• Primer is love, especially eye shadow primer. Be wary, not all primers last all day, the only ones that have worked for me and last over 12+hrs have been Urban Decay and MAC Paints.
• Don’t bothering buying all sorts of different coloured lipsticks if you need to only use say… purple for one day. Mix your pigments / eye shadows into some clear gloss / vaseline and you’re good to go! Just make sure to use a generous amount of pigment, else the formula will turn out streaky.

Lessons:

• Don’t apply cream blush with your fingers on powder foundation, it doesn’t blend well at all. Comes off looking very streky.
• Don’t be surprised if you need a darker pigmented blush when wearing powder foundation, my usual lighter blush didn’t even show up!
• When using pigments or face powders, wear an old shirt or have something to cover your clothes. There is a very high chance you will dust some on yourself.
• When you use tanning moisturiser for your arms and legs, don’t forget things like… oh! Your feet and hands!!

If you guys have any please do share! I love learning new things There really should be a community database with this sort of stuff, shouldn’t there? Unless there already is in which case, where is it!?

The feature of this look were my half lashes, I’ve only recently really gotten into trying out various lashes and I have to admit I’m loving it! Especially with my recent trips into Asia, I’ve been able to snap up some really interesting lashes, these half lashes were not only cheap but I think if I trimmed them back a bit they’d look pretty natural too.

The other feature was contouring, I did a lot more contouring than I usually do (to be honestly I don’t usually do any), to give myself a harder look. Unfortunately I don’t think it quite worked out :/ Going to have to do a little more testing and might see if I can release a look that is very heavy on the contouring soon

Products used:

Face
MAC Prep + Prime Skin Base Visage
MAC Mineralize Satinfinish SPF15 Foundation NC20
MAC Select Sheer / Loose – NC15
Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Beige
Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Loose Powder Pale Yellow

Cheeks
NYX Blush – Peach
NARS Highlighter Albatross
Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder – Light

Eyes
MAC Paint Bare Canvas
Laura Mercier Eye Book
MAC Eyeshadow – Carbon
MAC Fluidline Blacktrack
MAC Technakohl Liner Eye-Liner Kajal – Graphblack
Covergirl Lash Blast – Very Black

Lips
NYX Jumbo Lip Pencil – Narcisse
NYX Lipstick – Eucalyptus

When I leave the house for work, the sun is still sleeping. When I leave the office to go home, the sun has just gone to sleep. You know what that means right? Winter is here, and my winter accessories obsession can begin My first most loved fashion accessory are scarves! Here are some that I’m drooling over lately :9