Kit cosmetics Christmas shopping night

Hello lovelies!

Just a quick little note: I popped down to the Kit Cosmetics Christmas shopping night yesterday at Myer Chadstone, and it was a fun event!

You got a chance to browse the christmas kit displays (which apparently took ages to assemble, but well done, guys, it looks amazing), have a nibble on some mini frittatas, fairy bread and adorable little cupcakes, and even get mini-makeovers with products you were dying to try. The displays are really helpful as everything is organized by price, which helps you sort gifts by budget!

Best of all, with every purchase you got a little goodie bag containing a lipgloss, mini eye cream and mini face cleanser.

Have a look at some photos and do try to pop by an event if you can, it's a great chance to try on some new products and get some advice from the sales staff! Check Kit's facebook page for details of events in your area.

Frittatas and fairy bread

Adorable little cupcakes

The Christmas kit displays

The Christmas kit displays 

The goodie bag: Kit lip gloss, deluxe origins eye cream and deluxe cleanser gel

Much love,
MM.
x

Makeup at the gym

Everyone has a different opinion about wearing makeup at the gym/ when you exercise, and I know people that are against it, are STRONGLY against it.. Giving such reasons as :

- It clogs your pores
- It's gonna rub off any way
- It's superficial and vain
- It's the gym ffs, you're there to work out, not impress people!
etcetera etcetera...

And while these are all valid points and I agree with some of them.. I still prefer to wear makeup when I go to the gym. And before you think me superficial and vain .. I didn't wear makeup to the gym today.. And when I caught a glimpse of my bright red, blotchy face in the mirror I remembered why I usually do. Yep, I'm super pale, which means when I get any sort of sweaty or hot, my face goes all red (not just my cheeks) and I get kinda (a lot) embarrassed. Makeup covers up the red mostly, so that I'm left with a healthy red glow instead of this:

For example... (hope this chick doesn't mind me using her picture...) lol

So you get the picture.. and maybe see my reasoning for covering up with makeup - so that I don't feel self conscious and can get on with my work out!! :)

And although I do wear makeup, I never go further then foundation and setting powder.. I'm not one of those people with mascara and lipstick or anything..

Yay for dance aerobics!

Of course I remove my makeup when I get home, and I will admit I'm lucky(?)  to have skin that isn't oily and doesn't break out heaps - so the makeup doesn't seem to impact too badly on my skin. Also because I use either primer or setting powder for extra staying power, I find that my foundation doesn't rub off on my towel. :)

While we're on the topic of exercise.. I don't generally watch film clips, especially not the ones with the girls writhing around in nothing.. but OMG.. my gym has music and video clips to watch while we work out, and seeing those super fit girls dancing around in their underwear is pretty much the best.motivation.EVER! haha

So tell me..                                                                                                        

Do you wear makeup while you work out?

Do you like dance aerobics as much as me?

What's your favourite type of exercise?

Do you work out more in summer? I sure do! :)

-Kathy xx

Glitter Inspiration -how about a half moon mani?

It would well appear that us at Everybody Loves Beauty has a wicked addiction to glitter nail polish right now –luckily for us, it’s the hottest new nail trend for this summer!

I understand completely that not everyone is a glitter addict like ourselves, and perhaps don’t want their talons glitter like little disco balls…..

On that note, I have tried out another way to use my previous blog about Gone Gonzo (wicked blue glitter from the Muppets collection at OPI) to good use as a feature on my nails rather than the main attraction!

I have been most anxious to try the new type of manicure around –the ‘Half Moon Mani’ –basically a french manicure, however the bottom of the nail has a half moon of colour, rather than the top strip.  What better way than to add a hint of glitter than to use it as the half moon colour?

And…

VOILA!

So easy to achieve in just three steps:

1.       Base coat: I used Skull and Glossbones from the OPI Pirates of the Carribean collection (ahh I love OPI)

2.       Carefully dot the Gone Gonzo on the bottom of the nail and shape into a half moon.  You can buy stickers as a template to get the perfect shape (or use masking tape ).  I prefer not to use these as I can’t get the shape right J

3.       Whack a top coat of clear gloss over it (smooths over the glitter and keeps the whole look staying in its place)

4.       I also added a cheeky layer of OPI Drip Dry (a sneaky step 4 in a 3 step process) because I was much too impatient to allow my nails to dry properly on their own!

Hope this provides a little inspiration for your next manicure, happy nail polishing everyone!

xx Gloss Bandit

A touch of glitter... Part 1

Hello lovelies,

Today I have a new Nail of the Day (NOTD) to show you! As you may have surmised, it incorporates the use of a new fad, glitter polish. Just to let you all know, I am updating from my mobile, which tends to send the uploaded photos a bit crazy, but I will fix that up when I get home!

Now, glitter has it's pro's and con's; it adds a touch of glitz to any manicure, can instantly glam up a plain outfit and somehow looks perfect for a festive occasion...but if you're not careful, you can come across as an errant schoolgirl who has gone a bit too crazy with the sparkly stuff. Not to mention, glitter polish can also be really hard to remove, and you can end up with glitter everywhere (i.e. all over your hands, couch, and any old thing you happen to touch afterwards, which would be pretty much everything).

Anyhow, I can't get enough of the sparkly stuff, and love coming up with a variety of ways of incorporating it into my DIY manicures. It's my birthday today, and I decided to celebrate by adding a touch of glitter to my manicure! I wanted something a little more low-key, since it IS a week day and I will be at work for most of it. While I have a fairly casual office, I didn't want to rock up to work with a whole lot of bling on my hands, so I created this look!

Basically I painted my nails with base coat, then topped up with two layers of Rimmel Black Cherries, which is a lovely dark plum-brown. I then painted on a glitter gradient tip on each finger using Nyx Glitter Girls Dorothy, a clear top coat which contains red hexagonal glitter and microglitter particles. I'm not really sure why, but I'm completely in love with Dorothy, it's such a gorgeous little polish.

Anyhow, I waited for it to dry, added a layer of OPI quick dry topcoat and finished off with OPI Drip Dry Drops (have you tried these drops? They're amazing, a product I never let myself run out of ever), and VOILA! All done!

What do you think? I really like it for a subtle effect, it's almost not noticeable except when I move my hands, and then you see a subtle red shimmer along the tips. I think it's really pretty and cannot wait to experiment with more glitter polish/manicure options!


Much love,
MM.
x

Summers coming! Part 1

Well actually it feels like its already here, doesn't it?! It's been so warm in Sydney lately that you'd be forgiven for thinking that summer has started! Alas, its still over 20 days away - but no worries, that just means more time to prepare for the silly season! cue fun summer music! ummm... 'we like to party' by the Vengaboys? haha..

Anyway... Ignoring the poor (but unbelievably catchy) song choice, some of my favourite things to do leading up to and during summer include:

Eating mangoes! Literally everyday, because what could possibly be a better start to the day or make you happier then eating a sweet, awesome mango for breakfast every morning?! (pretty sure the answer is nothing..) oh.. maybe world peace?.. possibly... ;)

mmmm juicy!

Drinking water! Waters always good (and necessary) but during summer, drinking it just feels like less of a chore and more like a glass of refreshing awesomeness. So drink lots!

I knew you wouldn't completely understand 'glass of water' unless i proved a visual... ;)

Vitamins! I've been taking vitamins for a while now and I really do think they generally make me feel better - more energetic etc. So if you don't already take vitamins, I recommend you start immediately! I take fish oil, flaxseed oil, iron plus and vitamin C everyday, and if you don't wanna take all those tablets, get a multi vitamin. Super easy! :)

nothing suss...

Moisturising! It's too cold in winter to wait around for your moisturiser to dry, don't you think? But in summer the high temperatures make it dry way faster, so moisturise away and reap the rewards of awesome, smooth skin! As well as regular moisturisers there are ones that offer 'body conditioning and toning' benefits*... *supposedly. I find the one im trying out at the moment (Garnier Body Tonic) does make my skin look firmer, but i'm guessing exercise is a big part of it - so while these lotions are fun to try - don't expect miracles!

So ladies,
              Do you love mangoes as much as I do? (doubtful..) ;)
              Do you take any vitamins? Which ones?
              Do you hate moisturising in winter too? Its so cold and my clothes stick to it, if I don't let it dry for long enough :S lol

-Kathy xx

Did someone say…bargain??

I'm sure everyone across Melbourne is feeling the pinch (particularly in the lead up to Christmas) and of course, it's the time of the year that we have the most parties and festivities to celebrate! Which of course, means that we need to be dressed appropriately......

Rather than wear the same dress to every event (and I guarantee that at least one person will catch you out if you do that) I would rather find a super-awesome-amazing dress, but with a super-awesome-amazing price tag!

This is mostly for Melbournites (although I do believe there is a similar shop in Sydney), I have to share this fantastic shopping hot spot –at the risk of missing my most precious bargain shop to the masses! :) 

Clear It! Brunswick St Fitzroy

This is the clearance centre for notable names such as Gorman (a Melissa George favourite designer I believe), Alannah Hill (your one stop shop for all racing, wedding and evening ultra-feminine attire), and more funky brands such as Princess Highway, Dangerfield, Friends of Couture

There are lots of other fun items, many accessories and shoes… the fascinators and jewellery make this store super crazy busy just before the Cup Carnival –and most fascinators are only $40 or less.

I go here mostly for the Alannah Hill products (all the accessories are usually crazy cheap!)

although as Alannah Hill tends to encompass the upper stratosphere of expensively priced garments, you may find her clothes are still around the $200 mark… however, sign up for emails from clearit online and you may spot a sale with dresses down to around $40-60!

 Also for the more creative of us, upstairs also houses a range of fabrics, ribbons, bits and pieces from Alannah Hill, and faulty items (if you’re handy with a sewing machine you could fix these easily, but only pay as little as $10-20 for a dress!).  There are many brides to me in here with their mums trying to find ribbons to match a DIY bridesmaid dress!

Last time I was there I picked up a cute 1920s headband for only $20 (which was great, as I needed it for... a 1920s dress up party, yipee!)

Clear is open daily until 6pm, check them out at http://www.clearitonline.com.au/

(not in Melbourne? hit 'contact us' on the website for a list of stores across Australia, booyeah!)

On the corner of Moor St and Brunswick St, its is a big white building with a tiny sign on the front that says “Clear It”…. Once inside, your mind boggles at the sheer site of so much stock –don’t get disheartened, going through all the clothing racks and discovering all the nooks and crannies is quite fun and almost therapeutic!