In Love with Lipstick: Lancome

Rouge in Love: the new and very exciting lipstick collection from Lancome. 

I am very thankful to be trialling this product for Beautyheaven.

This new collection of lipsticks is categorized into 3 moods:
Jolis Matins- Fresh shades for day time. Has a letter 'M' in the shade number.
Boudoir Time- Pop shades for cocktail hour with a letter 'B' in the shade number.
Tonight is My Night- Intense shades for magical nights. These have a letter 'N' in the shade number.

I received the 159B which looks like an orangey-red colour in the packaging.

Swatch of the colour on my skin.

There are a total of 21 shades which are said to last 6 hours of wear.

The results:
I used a lip brush to apply the colour onto the lips as I think I can build up the colour more and be a little more precise.

(Not a very good photo, sorry)

The lipstick is very sheer and glossy when first applied. The colour then dulls down and dries out. It dries to a more pinky/red colour and a little less intense then what you see in the tube. While the colour dries to stain the lips the colour did not flake or crack upon application. It felt very natural and I felt confident that it would keep the colour on my lips.

The test:
What better way to test a lipstick then expose it to a hard shopping day out at DFO.
I first applied the colour at about 1.30pm then we set out the shop till we dropped.
The lip colour lasted really great for the first 2 hours, giving solid colour. We arrived home at 4.30pm (3 hours later with lighter wallets) and the colour was looking a little thin.
Here is the photo after about 4 hours of wear.

The colour had faded a lot but left a pink stain to my lips. Also around the lip line the colour was more prominent and a little flaky making the colour look uneven. If I was going to wear this colour for longer I would defiantly reapply after about 2-3 hours.
I also tested the lipstick at a friends party I attended and it only lasted the for about one hour, after that I didn't feel I had any colour on my lips. I was continuously drinking and my cup was stained with colour. That was a little disappointing but can be expected.

It is however the longest lasting lipcolour I have in my collection, much like the one MAC lipstick I own.
I am very impressed with this new lipstick from Lancome and I would love to buy another colour very soon. It is priced at about $45 but that is basically what you pay for a lipstick anyway so this is a pretty good deal.
See full reviews from other bh members here and decide for yourself.

Have you tried this lipstick?
Xx

Hair Care: Part II

After I got my hair cut (see earlier blog post here), trimmed really, I thought it was a nice opportunity to test out the new John Frieda Precision Foam Colour.

I tried the colour 8A Medium Ash Blonde. The Priceline I went to didn't have the greatest selection on the shelves but I wanted to stay close to my natural hair colour and just even it out.

Looks simple enough :)

Inside the pack is everything you could possible need:

1. Developer
2. Colourant
3. Conditioner
4. Foamer Cap
5. Professional Gloves

Developer and Foamer top

Colourant

Mix the colourant (black bottle) into the developer (white bottle). This next step is extremely important, you will be tempted to shake the bottle but you only tilt the bottle upside down about 5 times to gentle mix the liquids.

Before and,

After mixing

Replace cap on developer bottle with foamer top after mixing. This at home hair colour is applied directly to dry hair.
Squeeze the bottle while holding it upright, be careful again not to shake bottle. Disperse the foam onto your hand and then apply at the roots where your hair parts naturally.

You can then continue dispersing the foam onto your palm and applying at the roots first in rough sections before massaging the product into your hair.

Read all instructions carefully.

I recommend using all the product and leaving it in for the full 30 minutes if you have mid to long length hair.

After you have applied the product to your hair, your hair should be over-saturated with foam as shown in the instructions. However, my hair just looked and felt wet, without any foam. I am not sure if that is because I have longer hair.

One thing I noticed straight away with this product is the smell. It is very strong and off-putting. It should be noted that the only other at home hair colouring I have used is the L'oreal Casting Creme, so I am only comparing it to that. I had to put my fan on and open all the windows (it was a very cold day) due to the strong smell.
Apart from that, it is a very simple formula to use and the instructions are super easy to follow, even by yourself which is what I did.

After you wait for 30 minutes, jump in the shower to wash off the product and then you get to use the conditioner (leave this on for about 4 minutes) which smells the best and feels so silky after use.

Conditioner 50ml

Results:

Before

This is a before shot. Not sure if you can tell but the roots of my hair has long regrowth and is looking a little dull.

After

And the after shot. Regrowth is completely gone and my hair is evened out and looking a lot healthier.

Overall: I liked this product very much. John Frieda have spectacular hair products so it is no wonder this hair colour is no exception. The concept of a foam colour was very new to me but it was so simple to do by yourself. Only slight problems I had was that it does have a strong smell when using the product (but that can be expected from hair dye) and the product was not foamy when left on the hair. But the results worked and my hair has evened out and has an added shine to it.

Have you tried this hair colouring product?

Xx

A Tribute to Our Mum's

Happy Mother's Day to all those beautiful mother's out there. 

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all you have done for us,

all the love you give us,

and for all the times we come to you in tears and you always make it better.

Today is your day and you deserve the world.

Thanks Mum, we love you!

Hair Care: Part I

I have searched high and low for quality hairdressers and so far I have not found one I could stick to. They always seem to mess up my look, not produce what I asked for or just charge bucket loads of money for a simple cut.

Over the recent past, I have boycott hairdressers all together as I was trying to grow my hair and getting even a trim is priced at $55 these days. I generally just went back home to mum's house where she was all too thrilled to cut my hair.

Yet, lately I was craving a visit to the hairdressers for a quick touch up as my ends were shocking and I needed to rid my hair of those terrible split ends.

Here is a quick shot of my hair before the hair cut: 

I went to a salon in the local shopping centre I frequent and for $29.90 they just trimmed my hair. No shampoo clean or head massage (I was actually looking forward to that part) and they didn't even offer it to me. Maybe they only do that when you get a style cut, or its just been so long since I have visited a salon.

The results: I had it trimmed about an inch or so and re shaped around my face so it is more symmetrical. The ends are so much better and my hair looks much healthier but I still believe it's a steep price to pay for a trim these days.

I also decided to dye my hair a natural colour to even my hair tones so stay tuned for that post.

What do you think about your hair cut experiences?

Xx

Come Play in WinterGarden

So with all the hype about Fashion Week in Sydney lately I was certainly feeling a little left out, so I thought the grand opening of Wintergarden in Brisbane's Queen Street Mall was definitely a suitable substitute.

Wintergarden is a sparkling new shopping complex situation on the bustling Queen st Mall that is housed over multiple levels including a food court on the bottom level.
It is filled with high-end shops such as

• Ben Sherman
• French Connection
• Flower
• Lisa Ho
• Petit Four and many more!

Last night marked the official opening of the shopping centre and was a special VIP shopping event with free champagne and nibbly's.

We each got tags to wear that set out what was on for the night.

It kicked off with a fashion show where the models showcased some lovely designs that can be purchased in the centre. 

After the fashion show it was off to explore around Wintergarden. It is so beautiful and looks really elegant with lovely window displays.

 Food and drink were served all around the centre.

These beautiful little strawberry tarts were a big hit for everyone and definitely a favourite of mine for the night! I think I ate about ten of them :)

And of course the wonderful Mecca Maxima for all those beauty lovers out there. It has all the greatest brands such as Lancome, Bobbi Brown, Nars, Soap&Glory and ow so much more!

So come see Wintergarden for yourself if you are in Brisbane. It is fabulous and they even have a Grill'd Burgers here. There is honestly something for everyone.

Xx