FEBRUARY

ELLIS FAAS
Do you know this woman? You should. You really, really should. She is a make-up revolutionary badass who changed the way runway faces were done for all fashion eternity.




An expert in both special effects and beauty artistry, Ellis Faas created a make-up line designed to mimic the skin. Every colour in the range is a colour that naturally occurs in the body, aside from the metallic shadows and the neon lips (how cool would naturally neon lips be though?). Boundary pushing is the key theme, friends.
ELLIS FAAS IMAGE DECEMBER 2016
Think perfect, almost translucent, glowing skin as the base, with high couture, creative expression everywhere and anywhere. Eye colours as lip colours, and cheek tints, concealer as highlight and contour, literally  no rules and every rule completely broken. Think of the woman who was one of the first to use gold leaf on runway models, one of the muses of the great Karl, and an all-round badass who does beauty her way. Uncompromising, raw, beautiful.

 My pick? Eye Lights and the Skin Veil foundation. 

 Eye Lights re-create the effect of foiling on the lid, giving a metallic, iridescent finish to any look. Absolutely stunning on every skin tone, coming in green, silver, bronze-red, purple, silver-green – all of your goddess/ethereal dreams brought to life.

Now the Skin Veil foundation is exquisite; aside from her setting powders, every piece of make-up created by Ellis Faas is in liquid form, as she believes this is closest to us humans, being 70% water based. The foundation is liquid-crème, full coverage, and extremely hydrating. It leaves the skin with a natural glow, so it appears you’ve been running through a flowery meadow with fairies and woodland creatures. It’s lightweight but enough to cover up any scarring or discolouration in the skin, and it’s been one of my favourites all the yearlong. The mineral ingredients allow the foundation to become one, seamlessly, with the skin, and because it layers quickly and evenly it’s super ridiculously easy to build up your coverage. 



My top picks from the line-up: Skin Veil foundation S101, Hot Lips in L402 (the amount of compliments I get wearing this colour is insane and makes me feel like a Kardashian) and Eye Lights in E302, green-gold that makes it seem as though you have the gilded eyes of an ancient statue. Ah-mazing!
To the left (to the left) is Ellis L402 on yours truly headed to a soiree in March. Lip didn't budge the whole night through, even with double shots of Tequila and lemon. Somehow I think Ellis would approve....






Tweet tweet x

JANUARY

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned.

Desperately, the week of my twenty-second birthday, I attempted to re-dye my blonde roots by myself. Me, with no hair experience – me, who is not a hair dresser, and does not have any kind of colour or toning skills, me who is impatient as all heck…. You can imagine what happened.

things could be better


So I literally rang in 2016 at my hairdressers on New Year’s Eve getting my blonde fixed, and New Year’s Day showing everyone a ‘new me’. So cliché, I know, but hey, gal’s gotta do what a gal’s gotta do when HER HAIR IS PURPLE.

I don’t know entirely how I managed to dye my hair orange and purple, but there we go. See the pictographic evidence below and feel my pain friends, feel, my, pain.

 













My lovely colourist ran a toner through my hair, and essentially colour corrected the orange and purple. Little bit of a trim because I managed to fry my ends. (See when I say disaster it ain't hyperbole.)
 
The New Year inspires people to do a lot of stupid, stupid things – from drinking too much champagne, to making resolutions we all know we won’t keep, to drastic changes as a means of coping with life changing. Again, very cliché, but the lesson I learnt the hard way was that you don’t get to skip change or recovery and get right to the shiny brand new you after a tough break. You need to give it time, and space, and if all else fails, a colourist who really knows her stuff.



Tweet tweet x

THE 12 DAYS OF BLOGMAS

Hello little birds!

 A thousand, million, repeated, gross-sobbing, sincere apologies for being MIA this year. Turns out when you start a new job, and start writing a 15,000 word thesis, it gets a little impossible to do aallll the things you want to do. 

 So to make up for my shocking absence I've organised THE 12 DAYS OF BLOGMAS!
glitter
A blog a day, per month of 2016, with the best tips, things, lessons, fun facts and just cool beautyful things I've learnt this year, from January-December. Like a Calendar Girl! 

 Stay tuned for a-blog-a-day, and a Insta-post-a-day too, leading up to December 24. 

 FOR NOW, however, here's a few quick little updates;

 I'm now a full-on, unapologetic chocolate headed brunette, and if you've been here for a while you'll know that's a MASSIVE change after being a bubbly blonde for four-five years. Blonde was fun, but as we'll see tomorrow it comes with its own challenges and quirks. Being a brunette has been kinder to my hair, cheaper, and honestly just feels so much truer to my personality. 

 I work in beauty, specialising in skincare, and I am LOVING IT. Each day I work is literally living the dream. I've learnt so, so much this last year that I can't wait to share, and, bonus, I've made amazing amazing friends in the industry (like Natasha Ribeiro Artistry - go and follow her Instagram and be inspired! @natasha_ribeiro_makeup) and Centaine of glossco (glossco.com.au). Two amazing beauty babes to check out ASAP if you're serious about anything and everything beauty.

 Between livin' the dream and plain livin', I went back and completed my Honours year of study in Ancient Worlds (ancient civilisations, Greece and Rome, and Egypt and Mesopotamia) and experienced one of the most intense love/hate relationships between myself and the written word, in the form of my thesis. My brain baby/bane of my existence. Graduating this week and Imma need y'all to cross your fingers and hope I don't trip up, OR down the stage stairs.

 Aaaaaannd that is it! Please come back and visit these next twelve days, I promise I've put in the best beauty bits, lots of pictures, and as many puns as one human is allowed to get away with in a singular blog post. 

 Tweet tweet xx

A note: new adventures

Hello my little birds,

I know I've been a little MIA lately so I wanted to take a quick minute to explain what's been happening.

Around September I decided to make a job change, a pretty big one too. One that I never would have even considered if it weren't for this blog and its little legion of followers and supporters. I'm now working in the beauty and cosmetics industry and it's honestly one of the best things I've ever done.

I'm feeling happier and healthier, I'm pursuing a passion, and it's been amazing so far. I'm learning so, so much, that I can't wait to share with you all, and I'm finding my skills and confidence growing every day. This blog is still my baby and my happy place, and I'm going to try and keep it updated as much as I can going into 2016! 

(AH IT'S NEARLY 2016 HOW DID THAT ACTUALLY HAPPEN NO SERIOUSLY WHAT IS THIS)

So here are a few of the looks I've been sporting at work, my next few posts will be what I'm loving and how I follow the three-colour-rule (an eye, a cheek and a lip) day-to-day xx



Gotta love a good contour!

Until next time,
Tweet tweet xx

Step into Spring: New Skincare & Beauty Loves

Hello my little birds!
Let's not talk about the fact it's almost the end of November and I'm convinced some cosmic giant pressed the 'fast forward' button on 2015 haha - instead, let's talk about SPRING, because it has indeed sprung, and it's gorgeous thus far! Trends including crisp whites, co-ord sets, full brows, coral lips, and of course, Spring Racing colour and florals are making me all kinds of excited for the Spring/Summer season ahead.


So in keeping with the whole, spring-is-a-new-season-ergo-I-need-to-get-new-things vibe, I thought I'd give a little update on my skincare routine, and what I'm loving colour-wise as we move into warmer weather (YAY! SUMMER!)

actual footage of yours truly in summer

SKINCARE

Now you long-time sparrows will notice a couple of old favourites in this photo, and some newbies. My faithful Cetaphil SPF 50+ Daily Moisturiser took a back seat during Autumn/Winter this year, but as the mercury creeps up and the days grow longer, I'll definitely be reaching for my 50+. I'm going to attempt to NOT get sunburnt this summer, and whilst I know the likelihood of that succeeding is low, I'm hoping with a little help from some wonderful SPF+ friends I can make it!

Speaking of SPF, my current moisturising duo tick that little box too. The two Clinique jars with green lids are from the Youth Surge range, designed for dry/combination skin. Whilst my skin has behaved fairly well these last few months, exposure to artificial air and heating has dried it out something shocking. I picked these babies out of Mumma Sparrow's stash (sorry Mum) and I've found them to be really effective. The day cream contains SPF 15+, perfect for overcast, wintry days, and the night cream is buttery and feels luxurious on the skin. I don't know if I'll repurchase this duo in future, simply because there are so many products I'm wanting to try and experiment with. I think around this time next year though, if my skin is again feeling damaged and dried out, I'll definitely come back to them. 

The Garnier Gentle Cleansing Milk has also become a fast friend of my poor, dried out skin. I often use this as my 'second step' following a trusty Johnson's make-up wipe. Whilst wipes aren't the best thing in the world for your skin, I find they remove a majority of that 'top layer' make-up that usually comes off quite easily. The Cleansing Milk, with cotton pads, is great for getting rid of the stuff you maybe can't see. I also find it really gentle to use on the eye area, and very effective at removing waterproof/eye make-up. Whilst the idea is that you can leave your skin after using the milk (as it's also a moisturiser on its own), I'll often follow this with my Swisse Cream Cleanser, because as nourishing and luxurious as the milk is, it can feel a little heavy if I leave it on my face. 

Lately when I feel like I need a good, deep cleanse, or I want to do something a little more relaxing and ritualistic at the end of the day, I've been turning to the Eve Lom cleanser. THIS STUFF IS AMAZING. Eve Lom is a facialist, honing her craft in L.A., and created the balm for clients who wanted the same effective cleanse and treatment at home, between facial appointments. The balm is a cleanser, an exfoliant (when used with the accompanying muslin cloth), and a moisturiser, if you choose. For starters it smells incredible, so right off the bat you receive aroma therapeutic benefits. Following the instructions included with the pack, I found it easy to give myself a facial massage, which felt incredible. Even more exciting, it removes make-up so, so easily and quickly, including eye make-up. Unlike the Garnier milk, the balm doesn't feel heavy on the face. Out of habit I'll still rinse after cleansing, but I could leave the balm and just not moisturise, if I wanted to. A really, really beautiful product that I highly recommend for anyone looking for a more pampering, relaxing way to effectively cleanse x

Last but not least, primers! Yay! I recently re-purchased the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer, with SPF 15+ and I've fallen in love with it all over again. It feels like silk on the skin, and causes make-up to become water resistant, something that I know I'll really appreciate when those sticky, hot summer days come around. I've also been using the Too Faced Shadow Insurance eye make-up primer, and again, it feels so silky and wonderful on my eyelids, as well as preventing my shadows from creasing or fading. and evens out skin tones as well. 


COLOUR

First things first (I'm the realest), I know there's a lot of Nars happening in the above image. After having such amazing success with Sheer Glow, however, I felt I should give a few more products a try, and it's been terrible because now I love them and I'm never going to be able to NOT have them in my kit because I love them infinite amounts!

Above I've included my Soft Velvet Loose powder in Eden, the Eye shadow Duo in Portobello, and the Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Mysterious Red (swatches below). I find the powder perfectly compliments my Sheer Glow shade, Mont Blanc, as well as perfectly setting my T-zone for a full day's wear; it mattifyes without adding pigment, which is so wonderful because I adore my colour match. 
The Portobello duo contains a mushroom-like brown, and an almost-nude taupe shade, which are wonderful for creating a basic day look, but can be blended and smoked out for something a little more intense when going out. 
Finally, the Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Mysterious Red has toppled my favourite red lipstick of all time (Bombshell by Sportsgirl). It creates the perfect red lip, every time, without fail, and is long-wearing without flaking. An incredible red, and something I'd recommend to anyone wanting to attempt a red lip, but feeling unsure. 

Now my Mecca Cosmetica To Save Face should technically be in with my skincare, but the amount of time, care and thought put into the Mecca Cosmetica range means I'll count it in with my colour. Containing SPF 30+, I find this moisturiser a happy medium between my Clinique Youth Surge, and my Cetaphil 50+. Whilst it provides a higher level of protection than Clinique, it feels less sunscreen-like, and far less heavy than my Cetaphil. Also, as I use this as a base under my primer and foundation, I feel like it counts as make-up... sort of... not really... but I think we agree it looks good in the photo...? Hehe

 Two new picks from Stila have made their way into my collection, the CC Cream and the Convertible Colour in Gerbra. 

The CC cream is colour correcting, as well as providing hydration and brightening effects to the skin. It does come out of the tube green, but quickly adjusts to your skin tone, providing a more natural colour-match, with a radiant finish. A new go-to for days off, this stuff is foolproof, and definitely worth a try if you're looking for something user friendly!

The Convertible Colours have long been a Stila fave and staple for many the beauty junkie, and for good reason, In that little compact is your lip and cheek colour, and they're super blendable, so it's easy to achieve a hint of colour, or a full-blown natural glow. My chosen shade, Gerbra, is what Nina wears in Offspring (for any of you fellow fans out there!). Again, so user-friendly and foolproof it's not funny, this convertible cream is perfect for day-off chill, and work-day madness! 

Now, as promised... swatches!


NARS Portobello - L is the nude/taupe, R is the mushroom brown

 

Stila CC Cream - goes on green, blends and adapts effortlessly to the skin! Easy as!

To the right - Gerbra, so beautiful and peachy!
To her left - on the bottom is a swatch from a NARS blush tester, in Deep Throat
Above left - another NARS tester, the Liquid Illuminator in Super Orgasm

NARS Mysterious Red - mysterious because it's a mystery why this doesn't have its own cult following, seriously guys, GET ON IT



That's all for now my little birds, stay tuned for how NOT to contour and strobe! 

Until next time,
Tweet tweet xx

Cult Products: The Good and the Meh

Hello my little birds! 
I’m sorry I’ve been away for so long, work, life and all of that wonderful stuff has been a little intense lately.


So I’m making a comeback with my thoughts on some of the big name products I’ve been trying lately!



First up – NARS Sheer Glow. 
I know, I know, I went on about this baby a few posts ago, but now that I’m almost two months into using it consistently and constantly, I need to say it.

HOLY. GRAIL.



Holy grail foundation. I know, a big claim, but I am still so, so in love with this foundation. I’ve changed my application method from using the Real Techniques buffing brush to smoothing it on with my fingers. I find it gives me a little lighter coverage, that’s more buildable, and feels nicer first thing in the morning.
Worth the hype? Absolutely.
10/10


Last month I treated myself to the original Naked palette by Urban Decay. 
I actually can’t describe how excited I was to open up my post package and carefully take it out of its box. The packaging is gorgeous, chocolate brown velour with a magnet closure, and a lovely big mirror to go with the shadows. 





The brush that comes with the palette is incredible too!
In terms of the shadows, I quite like the shimmer shades, especially Virgin and Half Baked. They’re quite pigmented and give enough shine without large glittery fragments. The matte shadows are nice enough, but I prefer my Too Faced Naturals palette. I haven’t tried the darker shadows, simply because I haven’t had an excuse or reason to whip out a smoky eye lately. But it is pretty to look at, and hold… and there is a great variety of colours in the palette, some of which I haven’t swatched or used just yet.
Worth the hype? Eh, kinda.
7/10

I’m a dirty blogger. 


Last month I ordered my first, of what will be many, Frank Body coffee scrubs and OH MY GOSH. My skin feels amazing, soft and nourished, my shower is a coffee bean infested mess, but it’s so worth it. If I had one minor complaint (and I do), I hate that you need to leave the scrub on for five minutes before rinsing. Not because I don’t like waiting (I can be patient when I try), but because it’s FREEZING. Freezing, freezing cold; the pack recommends five minutes but it’s a struggle, folks, standing in the shower DESPERATE to jump back under the hot water.
Worth the hype? YES.
9.5/10 (because waiting and being cold sucks)



In terms of beauty inspo Zoe (Zoella) is kinda up there, so when she started raving about Maybelline Lash Sensation Mascara I thought I’d give it a go. 
Coles had it on special so I figured, why not? AND OH MY GOD AM I GLAD I DID. THIS STUFF IS AMAZING. It looks like I’m legitimately wearing false lashes, more so Maybelline Falsies, or Benefit They’re Real! 

 

This photo was taken about four hours after application and they still look phenomenal, and since the formula is waterproof there’s no risk of smudging or shadow during the day’s wear.
Worth the hype? HECK YEAH
10/10

It's spring! (WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN SERIOUSLY HOW ARE WE IN SEPTEMBER ALREADY??)
Aside from my shock and concern over the fact that we're already in September, spring time means that summer isn't far away, which means, you guessed it, this pasty little beauty blogger is going to start seriously tanning again soon. Whilst I'm in love with the St. Tropez mousse in Light/Medium, I don't have the time currently to be applying and waiting for it to dry, etc., so I wanted to use a gradual tanner for now. I've used the Dove Body Glow, Le Tan Gradual Tan, and Palmers' Cocoa Butter Gradual Tanner in the past. This time around I decided to opt for the Bondi Sands Everyday Tan, after reading some very positive reviews online. Before I found St. Tropez on sale (Oh, HAPPY DAY!), Bondi Sands was my go-to tanning mousse, so I figured the gradual tanner would be the same quality. 

And so far, so good! What I love about Bondi Sands is their tan is red based, rather than brown or orange. This means, for me, having a pinker skin tone, the tan looks that touch more natural. Unlike the Palmers' Cocoa Butter Gradual Tanner, which starts depositing colour almost immediately, the Bondi Sands takes 1-2 days to start clearly showing up. That being said, it's a really nice, warm, natural looking tan, however I've found the Palmers' tanner to be more moisturising. What I've been doing is alternating each day, one with Bondi Sands, the other with Palmers' Cocoa Butter, just to keep my skin nice and moisturised.
Worth the hype? I'd say so!
8/10



Now I’d like to quickly re-visit a product I reviewed a little while ago, because it’s a cult classic, and also… Well, I’ve had a slight change of heart.
When I first tried the AContour palette, I struggled. The powders were highly pigmented and good quality, but not quite right for me. I pushed them to the bottom of my make-up bag, thinking, if anything, I’d try it out again this summer when I’m tanned (by the bottle) and going out, etc.
Well HOLD YOUR HORSES, FOLKS, BECAUSE I ACTUALLY WENT OUT. SERIOUSLY. I WENT AND DID 21-YEAR-OLD-THINGS. And that involved being tanned, and a lower cut top, and I tried something I’ve never done before.
I contoured my boobs.
Yep.
That happened.
And it went… well? Really well, actually, it looked quite natural, and I have the AContour palette to thank for that! So… thank you, Australis!
Worth the hype? Actually, yeah!
8/10




Also I FINALLY HAVE A GLASSHOUSE TAHAA CANDLE MY LIFE IS COMPLETE I AM SO SO SO HAPPY AND THE VANILLA SCENT IS ACTUALLY AMAZING
Worth the hype? YES.
11/10, 12/10, ALL THE NUMBERS/10


So there we have it, a few cult classics, a few new favourites, and a couple of misses, and a whole lotta reading for those of you who've missed this bird!

Until next time my loves,
Tweet tweet xx

July Buys


WINTER IS HERE LITTLE BIRDS
AND 
IT
IS
FREEZING

Melbourne has been outdoing herself lately, bringing in sleeting rain, cutting winds and mornings so cold that breath comes in cloud puff or smog options. Frost, ice, and even snow in some of the outer suburbs. So, naturally, I've found myself drawn to warmer options beauty-wise and wardrobe-wise too.



Today I had a mini-spree at Priceline and Chemist Warehouse, and honestly, I shouldn't be allowed in their beauty aisles unsupervised. 
Pictured above are my favourite buys, and newer picks, from July so far. Ripped denim is an easy way to look casual and fresh, without compromising on warmth or style. Ribbed knitwear has been a key trend this Autumn/Winter, and I love the creamy colour of this piece from Cotton On. It works with both blue and black denim, and I love it with tan ankle boots. My navy Converse chucks are an awesome wardrobe staple - so, so comfy, and they're perfect for pairing back dark denim, and they'll work beautifully with summer dresses and skirts. Rose gold is my favourite metal, and this watch from Forever New adds a hint of glam to even the most casual of outfits, and I'm in love with my Samantha Wills Bardot Bohemian Ring!

Before bed, when I want to unwind from a busy day at work, I've been burning my Glasshouse Esperance triple scented candle. It's amazing, it smells of apples and mimosas, and it's just the most relaxing scent. 

Finally today I managed to re-purchase the Maybelline New York Age Rewind concealer. This stuff is amazing, and I can't wait to start using it again. I've had to grab the medium-dark shade this time around, but the Goji berry extract won't be any less effective on these big black circles! Another very necessary repurchase was my Face of Australia matte eye primer. Don't let the 'matte' fool you, shimmer shadows and whites look phenomenal over this cream. 

 
Another very necessary repurchase earlier this week, was the Sportsgirl lipstick in Bombshell. I've worn this shade of red for the last five years and each time I whip her out, I get compliments left, right and centre. 


I LOVE this lipstick. Like the Sportsgirl brow pencil, I'm considering buying about, like, maybe fifty of them, just so I never ever run out of my perfect red lipstick. I'll actually die on the inside if this red ever goes out of production!
The perfect red lipstick means nothing if it isn't perfected on the face, so I took advantage of the Priceline 3 for 2 on Australis eyes and lips, and bought myself a lip liner in 'Lady in Red'. 

Australis claim their lipliners are a 'Emollient and vitamin rich formula that won't dry lips out' - I'll report back if that's true!

Making the most of the 3 for 2 promotion, I grabbed another of their Velour Lips Matte Creams. I adore the shade N-Y-Cee, and I've seen a lot of gorgeous blogger selfies with the 'Hono-Loo-Loo' tone. I was a little nervous, simply because nude-based shades don't always work that well against my pale skin, but I was pleasantly surprised!
I felt like Lana Del Ray with this on


I honestly respect Australis so much as a brand and company. Their products are such a high quality, and I'm so glad to know they're completely cruelty free and still at such a decent price. Even without the 3 for 2, $9.95 is an amazing price for lipstick. 

And the last little Australis goodie I picked up is another that I've been seeing splashed all over Instagram. Last month Australis launched their Metalix eye shadow collection. I was a little unsure, simply because they seemed to be very highly pigmented and better suited to going out/event make-up, something I hardly get to do anymore (social life? Oh social life, where are you?!). I popped a little of the tester on my hand of the shade 'Pearl Jammin' and my rose gold obsession struck. The ROSE GOLD MAN. IT WON'T LEAVE ME BE!

In all seriousness, the shimmer and pigment caught my eye, and I figured, for $8.95, could I really go wrong? 



Look at that shimmer! 


I reaaaalllly want to try this shadow with a bold eyeliner and big, false lashes. I feel like this colour will make my blue eyes pop that little bit more, and I can't wait to have a little more fun experimenting. Believe it or not, I've never used a cream eye shadow before, so this will give me a chance to use new techniques and tools. 

And finally, I bought myself my own little jar of Coconut Oil. I've been borrowing from Mumma Sparrow's cooking cupboard lately and I figured it was time I got my own. Aside from its dandruff fighting properties, and its incredible smell, you can use coconut oil to make exfoliants, face masks, hair masks, and hand moisturiser.


And that's it!

I promise my next post isn't too far away little birds!
Until next time,
Tweet tweet xx
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