Another year is almost over, time to do my year in review and resolutions. It’s New Years Eve, I know I will be spending most of it with my family, plus a few hours of singing up a storm with my favourite blogging gals this evening I hope you all have exciting plans too!

REVIEWS
#1 – Last year I mentioned wanting to take my Book of Fables series to the next level and branch into videos. Well mission accomplish! (did I really just type that?). I think entering the world of Youtube has taken my Book of Fables series to a whole new level. It’s given me a new platform to express my ideas in a much more immersive way. It’s a plunge I was initially very apprehensive to take, but one I have zero regrets taking, and now only the sky is the limit!

#2 – Not really blog related, but I’ve definitely grown a lot more at work. I don’t talk a ton about work here because honestly who would be interested? Right! I’ve been given so many new opportunities and have been very blessed and need to make the most of it whilst I can.

#3 – Collaborations, I didn’t get to collaborate as much as I originally wanted, but I did do a short piece with The Age, MX Magazine, two fantastic shoots with Neil Creek and of course working tons more with Surfaced Studio when it comes to videos. I find working with other creative individuals help motivate me, so you can see why I’m really looking forward to a weekend shoot/s I have coming up in a few weeks with Neil Creek

#4 – I won my first cosplay award! Okay, small cheese for most people, but I never enter cosplay competitions because of sheer stage fright. However, with Asham’s encouragement, I bite the bullet, went on stage and won So glad I was able to at least win one award during my cosplay career!

RESOLUTIONS

#1 – Organisation! With the help of my friends and family, I’m starting to have a much better idea where I want to take my blogging and youtube “career”. But I really need to improve my organisational skills in order to balance my online and offline life. I’m going to need organisational skills like a fox!

#2 – Don’t let the negativity get to me. I’m human, we all are. One of the problems with growing the site and channel is being more exposed and hence encountering much more negativity than I’m used to. Sometimes I ask myself, “Why go through all this effort only to attract these types of comments?” And I answer, Why? Because I love it. And that’s what I need to keep my focus on. I -love- blogging and creating videos, it feeds me. And every time I remember why I started this journey, I feel more determined than ever to keep going. Often the only way to work is with blinkers on

#3 – Shift into lifestyle blogging, which is really an umbrella term to blog about whatever the hell I want! Hehe. No seriously, I still want the blog to be heavily focused on beauty, but I’d like to include more personal posts about my other hobbies. I’ve tried fruitlessly to start up blogs for my other interests, but because I’m so gung-ho on maintaining this blog, everything else seems to fall to the wayside. So I’m looking to include a post here and there about gaming, maybe a day in the life etc. The blog is just an extension of who I am, and whilst beauty is a massive part of that (oh dear, how shallow do I sound?) I will try and throw in a few other interests of mine. Better to have one active blog, then three semi-active / dead blogs right?

#4 – Photography, I have quite a bit of fancy camera equipment, but I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not terribly skilled at using much of it. So this year I want to take it upon myself to really focus on improving my photography, maybe do random posts of -just- photography. Who knows, but I think a cool goal would be to have my photographs appear randomly on pinterest more often (speaking of which, I really need to add photos to mine!!)

#5 – Write and read more. I was recently given an ipad 2 and kindle for my birthday / xmas and so I no longer have any excuses not to read. There are a ton of new books that have been released over the last year or two and I’d love to get into the habit of reading more, especially before bed time (as opposed to watching youtube videos ). And writing, I’ve always been a sucker for stationary, it’s about time I start putting it to good use and do more blog / book of fables planning I recently discovered whilst writing my xmas cards that I really do need to write more! (damn weak fingers)

#6 – Go strong, or go home. I want to take everything I do now, and bump it up to another level of intensity. I want to write better blog entries, take better photos, create better videos and just go go go. Work hard, Play hard!

Finally, I want to thank each and everyone of you for all the incredible support this year, I would not be as motivated nor have gotten as far as I am now without each of you. You guys are truly my friends, I value all your thoughts and opinions and really appreciate the time you take out of your day to read / watch my content I promise to keep working hard at producing content you’ll find interesting!

See you all in 2012

Final chapter for 2011 It’s been one heck of a year for the series, moving into video format in May. I’ve had a blast making all the videos this year, it’s something I truly enjoy, but admittedly some of the videos (particularly the ones with visual effects and storylines) can take so long, made worse during periods of work that are more demanding. So one of the changes I’ll likely be implementing is introducing simpler “filler” videos to give me time to focus on the more complex videos without feeling too time pressed Either way I’m sure over time I’ll find the balance I need.

In the mean time, please enjoy my last chapter for the year, a New Years Eve look No glitter, because there already is enough glitter floating around the net for NYE (that and I use glitter so often already, I needed a break!)

Hope you all have a lovely day <3

MAC Prep + Prime – Skin Base Visage
Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation – 51
MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Natural – Light
Face of Australia Face Powder – Bronze *
NYX Powder Blush – Natural
NYX Mosaic Powder – Highlighter
Urban Decay Primer Potion – Original
Coastal Scents 88 Ultra Shimmer Eye Shadow Palette
MAC Fluidline – Blacktrack
e.l.f Eyebrow Kit – Dark
Savvy by DB Luxury Liner – Shimmering Slate
Lancome Definicils Mascara – Black
Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick – Pink Please
Chanel Illusion D’Ombre – 81 Fantasme

Products marked * were sent for consideration

Last month for 2011! December Which means more products I’ve somehow managed to work through, and yes I am totally cheating by including a bunch of samples, but so be it! I’m trying to work through all my samples to clear them out!

Clinique 7 day scrub cream
Not something I would personally purchase with my own money. It always tends to leave this greasy film after using it that I can only removed if I use a cleanser right after.

Estee Lauder Gentle Eye Makeup Remover
This is the first of two bottles I’m working through, they were samples in a gift set I received. Not a fan of this at all, it doesn’t do a great job at removing all makeup, and so I use it mostly to clean my hands during my swatching sessions.

Benefit They’re Real Mascara
Love this! This is certainly one of my all time favourite mascaras out there I would buy this again in a heart beat if I wasn’t already reviewing a bunch of others. Ah, the life of a beautiful blogger. You can read my review here.

Swisspers Cotton Pads
My favourite cotton pads, mostly because they are soft, very cheap (especially since I by them bulk when on sale), but I love how the edges of the pads are sealed so less likely for the fluff to spread everywhere.

Hello Kitty Mascara
Not a fan, it left my lashes clumpy and I kept finding random strands of…. something *shudder* in the tube. Will not purchase, you can read my review here.

L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara
Another mascara I loved, but I mostly loved using this for my bottom lashes because the wand was so thin and easy to angle. It worked well for my top lashes too, but it was a true winner for bottom lashes, especially if you’re like me and have almost non-existent ones

Benefit Foamingly Clean Facial Wash
No, that was not a typo. That’s really what it’s called. This was okay, I wouldn’t repurchase again, not because it was bad, but because I could get much better cleansers for a similar or even lower price.

John Frieda Full Repair Shampoo
I loved how this smelled, and I would be tempted to repurchase (though I noticed no improvement on my hair) if I didn’t have a stack I already need to work through. Again, another pit fall of being a beauty blogger, you can never really stay and enjoy any good products because you’re constantly working through the next new thing to review.

ORLY Won’t Chip Polish
I’ll be honest, I never used this as a proper top coat, so I don’t know how well it performs. As you know I swatch a TON of nail polishes for the blog, and so I always always need to apply a clear polish beneath each swatch in order to prevent my nails from turning yellow, so that is what I used this polish for. However I haven’t heard any favourable reviews regarding this top coat (one of the reasons I didn’t bother using it as a top coat)

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Lip Balm
Hmmm, still in two minds about this. On the one hand, I really love it because I think maybe I’ve gotten used to it? But it isn’t a lip balm I’d personally want to repurchase again (though I have a 2nd tube I need to finish, damn you gift sets). You can read my review here.

I must admit when I first heard of the Tom Ford makeup line, I knew the prices would be exorbitant and so I figured there’d be little point in investing in yet another over priced cosmetic line when there are so many others already out there pining for my wallet!

But after watching a couple of very positive reviews on youtube, I yielded and blew a small fortune at Neiman Marcus (via HopshopGo).

I purchased a few items from the Tom Ford line, I thought I’d start with their eye shadows first. This is thus far my favourite from the collection, matte neutrals with one shimmer, aren’t I so exciting?

The eyeshadows come with a thin velvet pouch. If you’re familiar with the pouches Dior and Chanel palettes come in, you’ll find this to be much thinner in comparison.

Unfortunately one of the pitfalls of ordering online are things like this, smashed eyeshadows. *sad face*

Though admittedly this and a bottle of smashed nail polish are the only issues I’ve ever had with my orders, and given how much I do shop online, I think I’ve been quite lucky.

Never fear, fortunately Klaire de Lys makes some amazing tutorials on how to repair eyeshadows, and so with the help of some vodka, I have some not very pretty re-pressed eyeshadow. I’m sure a better job could have been done by someone a little more patient than I, but I’m happy with it. And most importantly I can use it now!

Okay, I should talk about the actual eyeshadow shouldn’t I? One Word. Amazing. Absolutely amazing. I know I know, I hate myself for loving these because they are so expensive, but I honestly have never tried matte eye shadows that left me feeling so amazed! (ugh Celina, mental note: “expand vocab”)

I’m going out on a ledge here, but…. I really think these may be the best eyeshadows I’ve ever tried….

Yes, I went there, and I totally cringed as I typed. I hate labelling anything as “best”, but… it’s true I’m sorry!

Please forgive how horrid my white balance is on the photo above, but at least you can see how beautifully these eyeshadows blend. These shadows were pigmented, they were very finely milled, they applied and blended incredibly, and their mattes are truly how all mattes should be, done beautifully!

Personally I’ve found most brands constantly fail at good matte eyeshadows, so I always thing these are a great indicator.

However ask me if they are worth the price, and… I don’t know. For a makeup addict like me, yes, I would totally re-purchase this palette if I ever finish it up. But for the average Joe, probably not. These palettes go for $75US / $100AU a pop so…. they aren’t cheap. But I’ll let you guys reach your own conclusion. I think if you have the chance, at least try them at the counters. You won’t regret it!

Just wanted to hope in and quickly say, Merry Christmas and / or Happy Holidays Hope you are all happy and healthy <3

Finally, I’ve been planning this tutorial in my head for the longest time, but only was able to actually start on it about two weeks ago. I saw the mask at a local store a long time ago, thought it looked amazing and so took it home with me to use for cosplay purposes one day. In the end I decided to re-create a simplified version for a Book of Fables chapter.

The tutorial may be only 5-6 mins long, but just putting the makeup on took close to two hours. Not including styling my hair, and of course the dress! Ah the dress

I suppose one of the perks of being a cosplayer is being able to throw together simple gowns quickly, not to mention having all the fabric you could ever need on hand. I couldn’t think of anything in my wardrobe that would suit the look I was going for, and I wasn’t prepared to spend any money buying a dress I may never wear again, so I rummaged through my fabric collection and found some beautiful red fabric that would be perfect.

This is what my dress looked like two weeks ago. I managed to sew everything together in an a few hours, I made sure to line the bodice, and if I had the time I would have lined the skirt too. I’m strong believer in always lining your clothes, as it gives them a “fuller” more professional finish, I think this is a important step most junior cosplayer miss, but it really shows and you can tell when a costume isn’t lined to one that is lined.

The dress wasn’t as flowly as I had liked it to be as I ran out of fabric in the end, so I made sure to do most of the gathering at the front of the gown to give it a fuller look. Hehe, cheap tricks

I know I will likely not be using this dress again, in fact like most dresses I make for photoshoots I’ll take apart the fabric to use again for another costume. (recycle!) So I didn’t see any point in taking great care when I applied the glitter to the top of the bodice.

It was all done by hand and is not at all “pressed” or “set” so throw this baby into water and all the glitter will come off. I tried to give the glitter a gradient effect, concentrating most of it at the top, didn’t work out as well as I wanted, but meh.
Honestly at this point, I don’t think I’ve ever dedicated so much time to a single video, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll understand why. I’m anal, and when you have a very fixed vision on what you want the look to be like, sometimes you need to bite the bullet and just do everything by scratch yourself to achieve the right look.

Okay that’s enough rambling, hope you enjoy the video!

MAC Prep + Prime – Skin Base Visage
Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation – 51
MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Natural – Light
Face of Australia Pressed Powder – Bronze *
Benefit Box Powder – Bella Bamba
Prestige Eyeliner – White
NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil – Cherry
Face of Australia Lipliner Mechanical – Red *
Lime Crime Eyeshadow – Siren
MAC Fluidline – Uppity
MAC Fluidline – Blacktrack
Coastal Scents Glitter Powder – Sahara Sand
Coastal Scents Glitter Powder – Crimson
Hello Kitty Eyeshadow – Desert Dore *
Estee Lauder Red Gloss *
Savvy by DB Luxury Liner – Shimmering Slate
Lancome Definicils Mascara – Black
Revlon Colorburst Lipstick – True Red
NYX Glide On Eye Pencil – Gold

Products marked * were sent for consideration

It’s already December, thought it might be time to do another personal post filled with random photos from my phone It should come as no surprise that most o the photos are of food :/

:3 Surfaced Studio, being the ninja he thinks he is (but really isn’t :3)

Dessert of the Sydney Opera House!? *nerd*

One of my most favourite risotto evar! :9

Had my birthday this month~

I see… dead… bunnies….

This is pretty much my everyday makeup to work, veeeery simple!

Jelly snail at work :9

A sneak peek of things to come

Some more holiday cheer, Giorgio Armani was my first ever luxury brand, way back in the day before I even knew about beauty blogs I was deeply in love with their foundations. Lately I’ve been making an effort to invest more into the brand, it’s always been one of those more “mysterious” beauty brands to me. Most bloggers are constantly on about MAC or Chanel, so I’ve spent a bit of time (and money) checking out the GA lines

Introducing their Eye Palette and Face and Eye palette as part of their Holiday 2011 line.

My thoughts on both palettes is pretty similar, these are palettes are nice to haves, pretty to look at, but if you’re thinking in terms of being practical, keep walking. The range of colours and pigmentation isn’t anything to rush into the stores for. However the quality at least does not disappoint. I found the powders to be soft, creamy and extremely easy to apply to one’s lids or cheek bones (as I could only see these being used as a highlight).

These palettes retail for $59US or $135AU, I really do love Giorgio Armani, but I’m hoping the company follows the path of brands like Kiehl’s and Lancome to adjust their prices to be slightly more competitive. It’s a real shame when it works out cheaper to hire someone in America to purchase product from Nordstorm, have them ship it over and have it still work out cheaper than buying at a local counter.

Introducing China Glaze’s Eye Candy 3-D glitters, and man do these pack some real glitter. These polishes are inspired by Marilyn Monroe, glamourous and very pretty to look at, but think again if you’re looking for anything very wearable to work, or something with longevity. Though honestly I can only say that for Lorelei’s Tiara which lasted a solid 2-3 hours on me before chipping away. The rest may be better, and I do have a feeling will last longer for polishes like Blonde Bombshell and Material Girl.

All swatches are two coats with no top coat.

Blonde Bombshell

Yellow golden glitter with random chunkier gold glitters, similar to Color Club’s Enchanted Holiday which actually has larger glitter pieces than this one.

Lorelei’s Tiara

Silver glitter with blue flecks, the formula was quite thick I found, I could almost get away with just 1 coat. Unfortunately the wear on this with 2 coats is terrible, it chips literally a few hours after application (despite having a sticky base coat and top coat). Lovely to look at, has terrible wear.

Love Marilyn

Red glitter with silver flecks, not my favourite from the collection. I know glitter formulas don’t always yield the best results, but this one felt like the glitter was constantly “collecting” on certain areas of my nail, hard to get an even distribution, or at least harder than normal for a glitter polish.

Marry a Millionaire

A purple based glitter polish with elongated lilac and mixed coloured glitters. This is the only polish from this collection with long glitter, which really makes it seem pretty cool in the bottle, but a little harder to apply evenly on the nail. I found China Glaze’s CG in the City to be similarish.

Material Girl

Despite not considering myself a “pink” girl, this is my favourite from the collection because the shade of pink used here is to me, very wearable. It’s a dustier rose pink, that was formulated just right for that delicate feel.

Some like it Haute

A charcoal gray glitter polish with large silver flecks, a really lovely shade that I probably wouldn’t see myself wearing to work, but it’s not particularly “attention” grabbing either.