Review | Australis Velour Lips

 From L to R: Australis Velour Lips in 'MA-LI-BOO' and 'TO-KI-O'

 Hi lovelies! It's barely a week into November and what was the first beauty product I bought? Lipsticks! Two in fact. Despite the ludicrous number of lipsticks I own there was definitely room for these two.

They are the latest release from Australis called Velour Lips. Claiming to be a long-wearing, highly pigmented, matte lip colour of course I was interested. I managed to track down these two colours and after some testing here are my thoughts. 

DIY | Pink Party

Fudge Paintbox in Pretty Flamingo (available here)

Hi lovelies! So the big reveal! After teasing you with mention of it in the last few posts here is my pink hair in all its glory. The only reason I didn't post this tutorial is that I wanted to get an idea of how the colour would wash and if I'd notice any fading. 

I'm pretty happy with the results so I thought I would should you how I did it, as well as giving some tips I figured out for when I re-dye it. I didn't want the colour super intense all over, so I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. 

I used a semi-permanent dye from Fudge and sadly it has washed out very, very quickly. If you're wanting to achieve a similar look in your own hair, I would advise pre-bleached hair to put the colour over. Personally I'm not brave enough to bleach my own hair so I choose to get mine done professionally and then pop the colour over the top. 

The look I was going for was a kind of pink ombre effect. In order to get this I mixed about a third of the bottle in with some conditioner (any kind will work) and covered all my hair with this. The directions on the bottle recommend leaving the dye on for 30 minutes, however as it is a semi-permanent dye it's fine to leave it on for longer. I left this initial colour on for 1 hour. 

Rather than rinsing out the colour I then took some dye undiluted and ran it through the ends of my hair. After leaving the colour on for another 30 minutes I rinsed everything out. 

You can see the end result up above. For a first attempt I'm pretty happy with how everything turned out. As I mentioned though the colour has faded very quickly. Next time I dye my hair I will be leaving the colour to develop for an even longer time. 

Besides the quick fade time I am loving have brightly coloured hair. My only problem is deciding on what colour to dye next? I'm looking into Manic Panic as they have fantastic reviews, but if you're looking for a cheap and quick colour fix the fudge dyes are excellent. 

What colour should I try next? 

Jess xx

OOTD | Sea Me Horsing Around

Blue Seahorse Embroidered Blouse - Thrifted / Pink A-Line Skirt - Barkins / Brown Belt - Thrifted / White Bobby Socks - eBay / Brown Loafers - Shag Vintage / Sunglasses - Sportsgirl

How I wish I was horsing around at this time of the week. This shirt is one of those garments you discover, fall in love with, can't live without but hardly ever wear. When I found this piece in one of my most rummaged thrift stores I could not let it go. The fabric is beautifully soft, light and well made. The embroidery is equally as stunning with what looks to be delicate beads that have lasted quite well (although, I haven't worn it a whole lot). Also, the buttons down the front are gorgeous gold seashells tying the marine theme of the item together very nicely. 

How-To | Temporary Hair Chalk

 Unless you've been living under a rock recently, you'll have noticed that temporary hair colour has been a big trend recently. Many a hair care company have been releasing coloured chalk promising vibrant, temporary colour. However, these retail upwards of $10 for one colour. Having a strict uniform code I didn't want to sink a lot of money into something I could only use infrequently. Thankfully eBay came to my rescue where you can pick up a pack starting from $2.99. 

I couldn't find the exact pack I used, but they all work in much the same way. Find out how they work best after the jump. 

Review | Models Prefer Moisture Lust Glossy Lip Tint

Models Prefer Moisture Lust Glossy Lip Tint in Marshmallow

First of all, what is it with these type of lip products and ridiculously long names? I have too many makeup related things to remember without adding names like this to the list. Second of all, I am ready to forgive the makers of this product for the name because it's so darn good. 

Beauty Buys

I'm headed off to the beach today, but before I left I thought I'd share my recent beauty purchases with you all. 

Head and Shoulders Sensitive Scalp Care Shampoo and Conditioner
I don't suffer from dandruff, however my skin is liable to react to anything and everything. I thought I'd share this hair combo with you because this is the first shampoo and conditioner my scalp is able to tolerate. For any sensitive skinned girls out there I'd really recommend giving this one a go, and it won't break the bank either. Besides being very gentle the conditioner is very thick and works a treat at moisturising my blonde hair. 

Illamasqua Precision Ink in Abyss
Although 'precision ink' is really just a fancy term for liquid eyeliner, this is a fantastic product. I am no stranger to liquid eyeliner, wearing it on a very nearly everyday basis. I've always been a big advocate of the L'Oreal Super Liner, but was always annoyed that it tended to get a bit flaky at the end of a long day. This liner checks all the boxes: it's easy to apply when half-asleep in the morning, super black, and doesn't budge. Also with Illamasqua reducing their prices in Australia there isn't a big price gap in between the L'Oreal and this anymore. 

Sleek Lipstick in Amped
This is a properly nice lipstick. I never thought I would be a huge fan of such a cool pink on my skintone, but I love how this looks and have worn it regularly since its arrival. That's why I purchased a cheaper alternative to give the colour a test. The quality of the product surprised me though. Sleek's matte formula is up there with the likes of Illamasqua and MAC, pigmented and very long wearing. Although Sleek can be a bit difficult to get your hands on in Australia, their website ships internationally and their shipping rates are really reasonable. 

Australis Double Decker Eyeshadow in Supernova Casanova
I picked this last one up on a whim when it was on offer in Priceline. I love copper eyeshadows and thought this would be great for a sparkly bronze-y eye. The concept of this product is that they give you a cream eyeshadow to use as a base and then a pigment to press over the top. My advice? Just forget about using the cream eyeshadow, it creased on me within 5 minutes. The pigment however is fab. Super sparkly and pretty. As with any loose eyeshadow it's a bit of a fiddle to apply and some glitter will end up on your cheeks. But once that's cleared away you're left with a sparkly eye that wears really well. Loverly. 

What have you been buying beauty wise?

Jess xx

OOTD - Pretty in Pink and Shoulder Pads

Blouse - Thrifted, Skirt - Barkins, Shoes - Christian di Riccio, Nail Polish - Sportsgirl Nailit "Tomato"

There is something strangely enticing about a super femme looking shirt that decides to throw in a surprise pair of shoulder pads. I'm not keen on it everyday but on the days that I feel like my knocked-about boots are too much but I need something to tone down the girly-ness - I love shoulder pads. I found this top in Lifeline during a sneaky shop before last years Laneway Festival with Jess and our delightful friend Honor (who then purchased this top for me as a gift, bless her soul). I've never been quite sure what it was about the top that I had to have. I adore lace, intricate prints that aren't floral, and buttons make me gaga. Most other thrifted garments that come with shoulder pads I remove before I wear but this piece just wouldn't be the same. Not only does it tuck nicely into high-waisted skirts but it also falls really pleasantly over pants and fitted garments. The buttons are also a huge draw for me. The top one was missing when I got it so I dug into my huge thrifted button collection and thought the one you see at the top fitted the aesthetic nicely. 

Also in this OOTD I'm wear two of my all time favourite items. A) the hot pink skirt and B) my flatform sandals. For the last five years I worked at Barkins (an Australian retailer of fashionable women's corporate wear) and have to say it is definitely not my style. But every  now and again some garments would come in out of the blue that I just had to have - and it was conveniently cheap compared to other stores (plus a generous staff discount). This skirt was one of those items. It came in black and hot pink and I had to have both in my hands. I have plans to take them to a tailor and have it remade in every colour on the spectrum, I love it that much. 

The shoes are Christian di Riccio which I purchased from ZOMP in Brisbane partway through last year. I had been searching for a plain yet attractive pair of flatforms (and obviously well made) for quite sometime and hence I was willing to fork out the $140 that I did. They've been worn full-time almost all of Spring and Summer and I hope so much that they last me another few seasons because replacing them will be next to impossible. 

Erin xx