Make up in your 20's

Ladies of the world I have a gripe. Time after time I read in magazines and articles the advice that 'during your twenties is the ideal time to try it all, neon lipstick with crazy eye-shadow? Go for it!'
No, no, oh dear god, NO.
What they don't go into to explain normally is that yes, your twenties is indeed the time to experiment and try it all, but for goodness sake, try one thing at a time! You may feel invincible  but you are still very susceptible to look like a drag queen, in fact, the idea that if you overdo it you could look like a drag queen will continue your entire life really ...
Ultimately, do try it all. Smoky eyes, contoured eyes, different colours and intensities, eye-liner, strong brows, bleached brows. Bronzer to contour, bronzer to tan, peach blush, tones of red, pink and coral and your cheeks. bold lips, pale lips, glosses, butters, everything! So long as you only highlight one feature at a time do it, but please, please don't do it all at once!
Also, your twenties is the best time to try trends. The best example I can think of right now is of course the massively popular nail art trend. In your twenties you can get away with crazy designs, but once you hit thirty or even forty, anything beyond a gorgeous slick of colour and maybe a feature nail is starting to head into scary territory.
In closing, try things in your twenties, but not all at once!

Product Review: Salon Express Nail stamper

You know those intricate designs you see advertised in nail bars? You know the ones, too delicate to possibly imagine doing with a brush? I've always been too scared to ask for them, and being a massive fan of DIY I was stoked when I found this kit. I picked one up from eBay the other week and now that I have had a good chance to play around with it, I thought I'd tell you guys about it. Admittedly, the ads for this product are frightening in their zeal, once you get past that though, the product is actually pretty nifty.
Salon express is a lot like the brand called Konad, from Korea I think that have the original version of this DIY style of nail stamping, I thought I'd give the cheaper one a go and see how I like it before I commit to the original.
The kit comes with five plates with a myriad of more then 40 designs, I read that you can get different designs in different kits but these are the ones I received, not the cutest unfortunately but you can buy additional plates online:

Salon Express complete kit contents

After just a few goes I was pretty happy with my results. My best piece of advice for you is to make sure you REALLY get the angle right when you are scraping off the extra nail polish. I found tilting the scraper at about 45 degrees made all the difference.
One negative I did find is that the whole nail designs that came with the kit were too small to cover my entire nails. it covered my pinky fine but there is a hope in hell it would fit my thumb!
Like all things in life it takes a bit of practise and the right tools to get it right. You can use normal nail polish with the kit, but I highly recommend to use the highly pigmented colours sold by Konad and other brands. I found that the white polish sold for use in French Manicures comes up nicely though.
If you're interested in buying more plates for your kit, I have found a store online that stocks Konad and other plates and special polishes. I have to say now that I haven't bought from them yet but I'm in the process of putting an order through now, I'll let you know how it goes! They also have an eBay store that sells stock for a little more but gives you the peace of mind that comes from eBay shopping.

Have you tried at home nail stamping? How did you go?

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia

You'd have to be living under a fashionably void rock to have missed the fact that it's the biggest week in Australian fashion! Very jealous of anyone who is down in Sydney to enjoy it, but for now I'll just have to be happy with checking out the incredible coverage. Here's a quick look at what has caught my eye.

I was so excited to read that Romance Was Born would be having a comic book hero themed show! Their range is always great for pieces that stun, you can't fade into the background in them. My favourite look of the show is the gorgeous black and white dotty dress, it's taken the idea of how they shade in comic books and would make a fantastic conversational piece! I want.

I'm in love with the hair and make up at the Toi Et Moi show too. There were two hair looks for the show and the one I'm adoring is the gorgeous shabby buns, perfect to work with the humid conditions over winter. You can emulate it by creating a high bun with teasing and a braid as a feature. if your hair is looking too sleek, use your palm to muss it up. Chic, flicked eyeliner completes the look with a slightly coral lip.

Brisbane Warehouse Sale Alert! April 2012

Just wanted to let my fellow Brisbane readers know about the outlet sale over at the RNA Showgrounds happening over the next week. (So don't fret if it's too wet to go outside today, it's on until next Saturday!)
Here are the details that count:

Who?
Gap and Guess are the headline brands, covering their entire ranges (mens womens, footwear etc) the sale also features Aldo shoes, United Colours of Beneton accessories, Tumi luggage, Carlton luggage, Sisley leathergoods,  Travelite luggage and well as other leathergoods and items.

When?
Opening this Saturday the 28th of April and Closing Next Saturday the 5th of May. Opening hours are 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM every day except Thursday where it will stay open for an extra hour in the evening.

Where?
RNA Showgrounds, The John Reid Pavillion, Bowen Hills Brisbane (Note there is a lot of construction happening there at the moment, so be warned, if you walk, the entrance you know may not be open to public and you may have quite the hike ahead of you.)

Bonus! They are accepting cash, EFTPOS, Visa and Mastercard as payment.

Let me know what you buy if you go!

Bought! Pre-Foundation Primer by Set NP

I'm quite the fan of diffusion lines, what isn't to love about a great brand name at a price more suited to my feeble budget? Set NP has been created by Napoleon Perdis to help introduce his range of make-up to a broader audience, and what's my favourte product? The Primer!

I thought it would be hard to improve upon the great primer in his original collection, Auto Pilot. Pre-Foundation Primer creates a smooth base that helps bind your make-up to your skin and helps it last longer. The best way to use it is to make sure that you let your moisturiser dry for a minute before you apply and let the primer dry for another minute before you smooth over your foundation. For added fusion you can also mix a tiny bot of it with your foundaion before application.

Another thing I love about this primer is the subtle pink shade helps to wake up dull skin, making you appear more wake then you might feel!

Pre-Foundation Primer by Set NP