Monthly Archives: February 2012

Feb 27 2012

Featured Blogger: Saskia Ingrid

Hello there!!

I am starting up a new segment for my blog! Towards the end of each month I will feature a blogger, this will include an interview and photos from the featured blog :) So if you want to nominate yourself or a fellow blogger please get in contact with me!! I will also ask bloggers if they want to be interviewed. 

So welcome to the February Featured Blogger!!

Saskia is my first featured blogger! She nominated her blog Saskia Ingrid via my Facebook page but I was going to ask her for an interview anyway. I love Saskia Ingrid, it is one of my favourite blogs :) I check it every day for updates hehe. Saskia is such a gorgeous girl, I love her style of writing and her fashion style. I am excited to feature her blog! I’m sure you will all love reading Saskia Ingrid. 




Why did you initially decide to start blogging?
Hmm.. Well I’ve always enjoyed writing and wanted to keep a journal, but every time I tried I would fail after only a few days. I figured that if I started a blog I would keep motivated, knowing that people would be reading. It would be a perfect way to be able to write and express myself freely, while keeping my friends and family all over the world updated about my life! I also wanted somewhere to post pictures of my outfits and makeup looks and just share random things I liked. A blog seemed like the perfect idea for all of those! I was also inspired by reading other blogs.

What are three important things for people to know about you?
1. I’m half Swedish, half Australian, and have also lived in the USA and China. I love travelling and want to see the whole world.
2. Individuality and being able to express myself are very important.
3. I’m spontaneous and enjoy being crazy. Hehe



What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
I can get depressed really easily. Most people don’t believe this because I almost always seem really happy in person.

Where do you find inspiration for your outfits?
I’m really inspired by art, especially contemporary art and photography. They get me thinking outside the box. I spend a lot of time on Lookbook and other blogs so I get a lot of ideas from there. I love seeing everybody’s different styles and what people are wearing in other countries. Also just when I’m walking through the city I take in everything – the architecture, sculptures and art, what other people are wearing – and store it all as inspiration.



What is your favorite article of clothing?
I don’t really have any favourites haha, but at the moment I’m absolutely in love with this kimono-style top I bought in January in Stockholm. It’s blue silk with yellow/golden flowers. It’s just so pretty and soft, and falls so nicely. I can’t wait til it cools down a bit so I can wear it more often.

Describe your beauty philosophy in a six word sentence:
Be unique, dare to stick out.

What is your favorite beauty/fashion blog?
http://kanal5.se/web/guest/365days or  http://kenzas.se/

You have visited a lot of countries *so envious :P * what country has inspired you the most and in what way?
Sweden definitely has. I still feel very Swedish and have Swedish values. These include that everyone is equal and has individual rights, we should treat each other and the world around us with respect, and that good manners and hospitality are very important. Everything should be in moderation – not too much and not too little – right from our behaviour down to our homes and the way we dress. (You will notice this in Swedish fashion and even at IKEA haha)



What do you do when you aren’t blogging?
Go to school, study, work as a waitress at a Thai restaurant, spend time and go out with my family and friends, attempt to exercise, photograph, enjoy nature, eat, travel, read other blogs.

*and she bakes amazing cupcakes! You can find the recipe on her blog: Chai Latte Cupcakes Amazing!!. *



What is one question you want to ask next month’s featured blogger?
If you were to spend a month in any city in the world, where would you go and why? What would you do there?

Thanks so much Saskia for taking the time to answer my questions :) I’ve had fun writing up this post and I loved your answers. :)

If you want to be featured on my blog please send me an email via the contact page or via my Facebook page :)

Thanks guys!!

Lots of Love, Chloe xx 
Feb 27 2012

21st Birthday Party!

Hello lovelies!!

I hope you all had a fun weekend! I know I did :) I ran three makeup parties from Friday through to Sunday. I was so nervous to do my first party but the ladies were so nice and relaxed that I didn’t feel nervous at all and totally loved it! The next two parties were awesome also. I think I’ve found what I really enjoy doing, running makeup lesson parties. 

Last Sunday (19 Feb) I had the privilege to play a part in Samantha’s special day….making her look even more gorgeous for her 21st Birthday Party! Samantha, her older sister Laura, their mother Maria, Maria’s friend Nancy and Rose all had their makeup done. I really enjoyed myself and am happy with how the makeup turned out :)

The ever amazing Belinda (who I think should start a Facebook page/blog to showcase all her amazing photos!!) came along to take photos for my portfolio… you can see more Samantha photos in the Special Occasions section of Portfolio. 


Samantha! She wore a silver and hot pink dress so I went with a dark grey smokey eye with a touch of silver on the inner corners of her eyes.


As the eyes were fairly strong I went light on the lips, using a soft pink lipstick by Elusyion “Blush”

Rose. She had massive brown eyes, so beautiful :) I used MAC Paint Pot in Constructivist as the base then added a dark purple pigment by Barry M in the outer v and crease, blending half way across the lid.


To darken the crease and to add depth I used a charcoal from the 88 Warm Palette.                                             


Laura. I did much the same look for Laura as I did with Rose. They both carried these colours off beautifully :)                              



 I used “Blush” by Elusyion with Laura too then added a light pink gloss over the top.                                            



                                                                                 
Maria – The girls’ gorgeous mother :)

I must say, as I was doing the ladies makeup I was quietly experiencing serious envy over how gorgeous and SOFT their Italian skin is! ha ha.

That’s it for today!
I hope you all having a wonderful start to the week. I know I’m having a nice relaxing start hehe. Oh and don’t forget to check back regularly as I will be putting out my Nicky Minaj makeup tutorial this week!

Chloe xx
Feb 24 2012

Your Weekend Read: 24 February 2012

Its that time of the week again! I feel like I just wrote the last weekend read ha ha. I hope you are all preparing for an awesome weekend. Mine is going to be fairly flat out! Makeup for 4 girls going to a wedding tomorrow morning, straight to a makeup party then straight to my friend’s summer house party! Sunday I have a photo shoot with Belinda and another makeup party in the afternoon. pheww..I feel tired just thinking about it all :)



Yesterday I had my first riding lesson, the first in years, and it brought back memories of The Black Stallion. I read all the books when I was younger and watched the movie a million times over hehe. It’s my favorite horse movie ever. The bond between Alec and Black is beautiful…and I am in love with this horse, he is my dream horse. One day I will own a horse like him :D

Here’s a timeline of quirky girls through-out history from the Huffinton Post.

20 Cats as fonts!! ha ha ha…I think Peanut is Helvetica.

Fashion writer: What I really Do ha ha.

Quite possibly the craziest shoe designs I’ve ever seen by designer Joco Comendador! I found this designer whilst reading Saskia‘s blog post on his shoes. Jaw dropping ha ha. You can check out Joco’s Facebook here.

If you are like me and you are already looking forward to winter then you’ll love this Winter Remix Challenge posted by What I Wore.75 bloggers have submitted photos of one piece of clothing styled 2 ways.

I want these Maritime to Study Heels. Too cute :)

Don’t forget, everyone is welcome to send me links to add to Your Weekend Read!!

Love you guys.

Chloe

Feb 23 2012

My Top 10 Essential Makeup Brushes

Hi beautiful!

Choosing your brushes can prove a challenge!! There are many, many brushes to choose from…what purpose do half of them serve and what ones do you actually need?!  

Below, I have listed the types of brushes you should have and how to use them. Hopefully this saves you some time, confusion and money!



This brush is used for applying darker powder under the cheekbones to create a contoured effect- it makes the cheekbones stand out and your face look slimmer.  This brush can be used for many things- applying a small amount of blush to the cheeks, or for highlighting the top of the cheekbones.  I mainly use this brush to highlight my cheekbones.
 


This brush is used for applying powder blush to the cheeks.  It needs to be angled so the blush is easier to blend, and it needs to be soft so it doesn’t pick up too much color.
 



This brush is used for smudging eyeshadow under the lower lashline, for smudging eyeliner, or for creating a very defined crease.  The smaller tip allows for more precise lines.

This brush is used for creating the perfect smoky eye, for blending in darker eyeshadows, and for applying more color to the crease.

 



This brush is just like the stiff dome brush but much softer- it creates a much softer blended look.   It is used for blending shadow under the brow, applying a softer amount of color in the crease, and even for applying powder under the eyes to prevent that creasing throughout the day.

 



This brush is used for applying darker colors to the outer corner (outer V) of the eyes.  It also works really well for smudging liner under the lashline.




It applies powder perfectly to the brows. This brush is also great for lining the eyes with an eyeshadow or gel liner. 




This tiny brush is great for applying gel liner on the upper lash line…the small head creates a neat thin line, perfect for winged liner. I know this brush isn’t angled but once I brush it across my gel liner it becomes angled anyway. 




I use this brush to apply my primer or an eyeshadow all over the lids and up to the brow bone.. It is good for people with a lot of lid space as the bigger brush head means the colour can be applied to more area faster. 



This brush is used to pack on eyeshadows or pigments to the lid.  It needs to be flat so you can pat on the eyeshadow,  and it needs to be stiff so it picks up plenty of colour. The thicker bristles helps to prevent fall out too as the colour will be packed in…when using pigments, before applying, be sure to tap the brush in the lid to remove excess colour, this will help stop fall out.

And there you have it, my top 10 brushes that every makeup lover should own.

I do hope that this post helps you to fill in the missing gaps in your brush collection or gives you an idea of what brushes to buy when you want to start your collection. If you have any further questions please do contact me! :)

Sending hugs and kisses your way.

Chloe xx 


Feb 20 2012

Review and Swatches: MAC, Inika, Nvey

Hey lovelies!

Did you all have a fabulous weekend? I spent my sunday morning doing makeup for a 21st birthday girl and several family members. I really enjoyed myself. I am getting more and more relaxed when I do makeup sessions now! It’s great as I am starting to become a lot more confident in using colour on my clients instead of sticking to basic black/grey smokey eye. My awesome aunt came along to photograph my makeup creations. Photos coming soon.

Anyways, let’s get started on what this post is actually about ha ha. Review time!

A couple of weeks back I went on a little makeup shopping spree he he. I bought lots of products for my upcoming makeup parties, plus I needed to add to my makeup kit for all my other makeup gigs. I shared photos of my hauls on Facebook via my Instagram so some of you may already know what I bought :)

Today I’m reviewing: 
  • MAC Paint Pot – Constructivist
  • Inika mineral mascara
  • Nvey Organic lipstick – 354
  • A brown shadow from 88 Warm Palette.




What is it?
Nvey Eco Makeup Lipstick in No. 354


They describe it as:
ECO Lipstick delivers vibrant and natural colour compositions. An organic Castor Oil base combined with soothing safflower, beeswax and Vitamin E provides antioxidant and nourishing properties for soft, smooth lips. 

Where to buy:
Nvey Eco online store.
B Kind Organic Beauty Bar through their online store or you can visit their store in Subiaco.

Overall opinion:
I LOVE this lipstick! What I love most is that it does NOT dry my lips out in the slightest. Finally a lipstick that doesn’t make my lips look dry and cracked by the end of the day :) It has a lovely creamy texture and an opaque application.  Number 354 is a reddish plum colour, it makes for a great autumn lipstick actually and looks great paired with bronze/brown eyeshadow. It’s lasting power is pretty good too. I’ve been pairing it with a Morgan Annie lip gloss in Burgundy, which I’m reviewing next.

Rating:
  • Product: 5/5
  • Price: At $29.95 these lipsticks are a little on the pricey side. 
  • Would I buy again? Most definitely!

What is it?
Morgan Annie mineral gloss in Burgundy.



They Describe it as:

For a bold lip gloss that lasts, the Mineral Gloss is shiny, creamy & can either be worn on its own, or over the Mineral Lippy to add that extra glow… perfect for the next night out.
Made in Australia.

Where to buy:
Morgan Annie online shop.

Rating:

  • Product: 4/5
  • Price: At $36.00 these lip glosses are fairly pricey.
  • Would I buy again? Yes :)
Overall Opinion:
I really like this lip gloss. As mentioned in the description above, these glosses are really creamy! I like how it isn’t extremely glossy looking, it’s more of a matte gloss and it isn’t sticky at all! Hands up who hates having your lips stuck together by goopy gloss! yuck. ha ha. The only problem I really have is the price ha, I don’t really like to spend $36.00 on a lip gloss! But it is a good product and isn’t harmful to my body so I think it’s worth it. 

What is it?
MAC Paint Pot – Constructivist….with a dark brown from the 88 Palette.

 
They describe it as: 
A highly pigmented eye colour that goes on creamy but dries to an intense, vibrant finish. Long-wearing, colourfast. Creates seamless coverage without weight or caking. Blends smoothly over the lids. Cream-based, can be mixed with M·A·C shadows and liners.

Where to buy it:
MAC online store (this is the Australian Store)
Myer (Perth City)
eBay

Rating:
  • Product: 4/5
  • Price: $35.00
  • Would I buy again? YES! <3
Overall Opinion:
I love paint pots! Constructivist is my new favourite colour to create bronzy brown smokey eye! It’s such an awesome colour. A makeup artist at the MAC counter recommended I buy this colour and I am glad I listened to her. It really is a beautiful colour. It seems to look good with most eye colours, especially blue eyes. I used this as a base on sunday then put a dark purple over the top, it looked really nice :)

What is it?
Inika Mineral Mascara – Black


They describe it as:

Long, sexy, thick and natural lashes are now attainable with INIKA Mineral Mascara (8g). The pure mineral enriched formula is perfect for those with sensitive eyes. The “double-Z” brush has a revolutionary dual-function design, giving you the solution you’ve been looking for in natural mascara – thicker and fatter looking lashes. This advanced brush has a unique “Z” shape with two different edges – a lengthening edge as well as a volumising edge.

Where to buy it:
Inika online store 
B Kind Organic Beauty Bar – online or in store. 

Rating:

  • Product: 3.5/5
  • Price: $39.00
  • Would I buy again? Probably 

 

Overall Opinion:
This is a really nice mascara. The Z-Brush is interesting, at first I didn’t like it but now I’ve figured out how to angle brush it works well. I like that it really is non clumping! Perks for this mascara is that it’s vegan and it’s not extremely runny or too flaky/dry like some mineral mascara’s can be. What I like to do is use the primer from my Morgan Annie mascara first then apply this mascara. $40 is a bit steep for a mascara in my opinion.

Ok so that’s my reviews for this post. I hope you find them helpful and informative. Let me know if you are going to or have tried these products. What are your thoughts on them? 

As I said earlier, I did a look using these products. 

Products used:

Face:
Morgan Annie Primer.
Morgan Annie mineral foundation – Light/Medium.
Zuii blush – Melon
MAC mineralised skin finish – Red head.

Eyes:
MAC paint pot – painterly as the primer.
MAC paint pot – Constructivist as a base on my lids.
88 Warm palette – dark brown over the top of Constructivist and under my lash line.
Barry M kohl pencil – White in the inner corners of my eyes.
Maybelline gel liner – Black, to line my water line.
Black from 88 Warm palette – used to intensify the crease.
Inika mascara – Black.

Lips:
Nvey lipstick – No. 354
Morgan Annie lip gloss – Burgundy.

And that’s it! Please comment and share around!

Love you guys.

Mwa. 
Feb 17 2012

Your weekend read

Hello and Welcome to my Friday segment “Your Weekend read”. I am very excited to get this started!
What is Your Weekend Read?!  It’s a compilation of links from my favorite stories, cool new blogs, inspiring articles…just everything awesome that I’ve discovered whilst browsing the net through out my week.

So grab a cup of tea, sit back in a comfy chair and enjoy your Weekend Read!
  • Here’s a list of 30 things to start doing for yourself                                                                           
  • I discovered this blog by Jazzi McGilbert today. This post is so cool, it’s the easiest DIY ever!                     
  • If you are very petite (like myself) then you will love Extra Petite! It’s full of DIY’s and advice on dressing a smaller frame.
  • I am in LOVE with Pretty Shiny Sparkly! The name itself makes me happy hehe. Not to mention the fact that she has written really helpful articles on fashion blogging.

Have you discovered an awesome blog recently or come across an inspiring article which you think we would love to read? Please do share them with me so I can add them to this segment. Send your links to me via my contact form.

I can’t wait to hear from you all!

Chloe xx
Feb 15 2012

Makeup Tutorial: Soft eye and red lips a 2012 trend.





Hey Guys!

I have finally filmed my first make-up tutorial! So excited!!
It is just a simple tutorial, showing you how to apply a look that is proving to be quite popular this year. I hope you enjoy it.

Please feel free to comment here and suggest some looks that you would like me to cover in future tutorials. Please subscribe to my channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ABrushwithColour/videos …I will love you forever!




I tried out a new blush for this look. It is really pigmented so I applied a bit too much ha ha. It’s a  nice colour though. I think I will save it for night time looks.


The lipstick is actually a lot more red in real life. It came  out a pinky/coral colour in the photos which also looks really nice.


How pretty is this Mango eyeshadow?! I think it’s going to be one of those versatile colours that I can use on lots of people.

Products:
Face:
Morgan Annie face primer.
Morgan Annie mineral foundation – Light/Medium.
Zuii Flora Organic blush – Grapefruit.
MAC mineralized skin finish – Red Head.

Lips:
Morgan Annie lipstick – Red Passion.

Eyes:
MAC paint pot – Painterly.
Inika mineral eyeshadow – Mango.
Barry M kohl pencil – White.
Morgan Annie eyeliner pencil – Black.
Morgan Annie mascara – Black.

I really would love some comments on this post in regards to my video. This is the first time I’ve filmed a tutorial, obviously I had some perfecting to do  hehe. If you have any thoughts or ideas on how to improve my videos please don’t hesitate to share :-D

Hugs and kisses
Chloe xx
Feb 13 2012

Hot Pink Fantasy Lashes

Hey hey, it’s that time of the week for a makeup post! I’ve had these hot pink fantasy lashes for a couple of months now, tonight I’ve finally got around to having a play with them.



They turned out to be quite tricky to apply! And proved hard to see once I had applied them ha ha. To be honest I thought they would look better  on but I think I like them better sitting in the packaging! Or maybe it’s just because I am not used to wearing such crazy lashes? They were really hard to photograph too.


I was playing around with the settings on my camera…I tried the “Skin Soften” setting. It makes your skin look photo-shopped as you can see from the above photo.


I had some trouble with the lighting in my room so I went into my little studio room and turned on my filming lights *cue instant sweating* ha ha. Geez those lights are hot, I think they are 500W each. That’s 1000W I’m blasting myself with!



I also took the opportunity to try out a couple new products I bought on Saturday from B Kind Organic Beauty Bar – Subiaco  You can buy their products online – http://bkind.com.au/ )  I used an Elusyion eyeshadow “Kosmos”, Nvey lipstick in no. 354 and my new NYX lip gloss in Tea Rose. I will be filming reviews for these products in the coming week. The lashes are from Priceline, the brand is “The Beauty Case” the no. BC365E.

Products used:
Face primer – Morgan Annie Primer
Foundation – Morgan Annie Mineral Powder in Light/Medium
Blush – Zuii Organic Flora Blush in Grapefruit
Cheek bone highlight – MAC mineralized skin finish in Red Head

Eyes:
Elusyion mineral shadow in Kosmos
I used the one color on the lid and to line my lower lashes.
Barry M Kohl pencil in Hot Pink – I lined my water line with it.
Barry M Kohl pencil in White – I used this on the inner corners of my eyes.

Lips:
Nvey Organic Lipstick no. 354
NYX lip gloss in Tea Rose.

I do hope you are all having a wonderful night/day! and I love hearing from you all so please do comment on and share this post!

Hugs and Kisses
Chloe xx