New Year swap with Christina (including Cel's deconails jewellery)!

When I got home from HK, one of the packages I had waiting for me was a lovely New Year package from my dear friend Christina! She ALWAYS spoils me rotten if you've read my blog for a while and this time it was no different!! Not only did she include amazing polishes (and makeup!) for me she also included a few pieces of her beautiful jewellery for my sister and I. I ADORE her Etsy store - she makes the most amazing jewellery, cute deco items and hand painted nails ♥


I have the most awesome friends seriously *cries*


Tommy G magnetic polish and some duochrome goodness from Stargazer and Models Own!!!!! My 1st Stargazer polishes and I'm so glad I now have some backups of the Models Own Beetle Juice polishes!


A Catrice Prismatic Effects topcoat, 2 STUNNING hard to find Beauty Line flakies and Orly Fowl Play. I am such a sucker for flakies and special top coats x)

Teeez holographics: Outta Control, Smooth and Cool swatches and review

Hi ladies!! Today I have some quick swatches of the beautiful Teeez holos I received from Marte in our swap last year. I adore holos and I never thought I would own these so thank you so much Marte!! ♥


Outta Control is a beautiful scattered purple holo with some linear effect. 2 coats is pictured.

Ignore the huge dent on my index finger. FAIL
Close up:

My cuticle and hand care routine

How I care for my cuticles is one of the most frequently asked questions I receive so here is my post for you finally. Being predominantly a nail blogger, I try to keep my cuticles and also my hands in presentable condition but alas I am waaaaay too lazy so I don't actually do much besides apply cuticle cream/oils! Below are the products I use and I thought I'd also show you what products I use for hand care as well as they go together ;) Please note - the products below work for me however they may not be suitable for you. It's a lot of trial and error and wasted $$ to find what works for you!


Now I use four different hand and cuticle products for different situations. For on the go I need something that is in a packaged in travel size and absorbs very quickly and isn't greasy; for work I like a product that's fast absorbing but also provides a barrier: at home I like products that smell nice and absorb quickly and overnight products that are VERY moisturising. This may seem a bit over the top but they all serve different purposes!


On the go - Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream*:


Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream* is ideal for on the go because it absorbs very quickly and doesn't leave a greasy residue. I hate greasy products when I'm out and about! I don't find it all that moisturising but it does stop my cuticles from drying out and it smells lovely and lemony. The texture is very waxy so it can be a bit hard to get out of the tin. It can be purchased from David Jones, Harrisons Pharmacies, Kleins Perfumery, Terry White Chemists and selected retail outlets for $14.95.

I actually prefer Beautysnapz Cuticle Conditioners* but I haven't pictured them here because I ran out and haven't restocked! =( I've reviewed them before though so check out my review here.

At work - Nfu Oh Cuticle Flower Oil (orange scented):


This beauty was gifted to me by my lovely friend Christina! Now some people are very against cuticle oils but my cuticles can get so dry and disgusting that they need the moisture burst that oils can give. Nfu Oh Cuticle Flower Oils smell divine and provide an instant moisture boost to my cuticles. Plus the bottle is just so damn sexy that it's worth using just for the bottle!! It sits pride of place at my desk x) I apply it when I've got a quiet moment; let it soak for a few minutes and then massage it in.

Black and white polka dot manicure

Hi ladies! Today I have an inspired black and white polka dot manicure for you. I LURVE polka dots as seen by my incorporation of polka dots in so many of my manis! I was inspired by my black and white polka Zara skirt and my new iPhone case which is similar (you can see it in my HK haul post). I got soooooo many comments and questions on this mani from workmates and patients it wasn't funny!


I used 3 coats of OPI Alpine Snow and stamped full polka dot image from Konad plate m79 using Konad Special polish in black. Some of the dots didn't turn out well so I went back over them not so neatly with a dotting tool.






I feel like doing this in every colour combo! Thanks for looking as always! =)

A hot pink NOTD

Today I have a quick hot pink mani for you guys. Sometimes I get really sick of my manis so I have to change my polish daily. Normally I do it 2nd daily xp I usually only have time for a plain mani if I'm changing my polish everyday but I can't have a mani without nail art so I have to compromise and just add a glitter accent or a nail decal lol. This mani was a 15minute job that I'm not very happy with but I got quite a few compliments on it. Weird!

I stuck the Hello Kitty nail sticker upside down. FAIL.
I used two coats of OPI Kiss Me On My Tulips* from the Holland collection on all fingers. In real life the colour is slightly darker than my photos. By the way I'll have my swatches and review of the Holland collection up very soon for you all! I used 1 coat of Essie Luxeffects A Cut Above on my ring finger and 1 coat of Shine of the Times on my middle finger.


I then added some cute heart and bow Hello Kitty nail stickers* I received from Born Pretty Store which you can find here. They are so adorable and excellent quality! If you want to get your hands on these nail stickers and other awesome nail art items, you can use the code MICHELLEW21 to receive 5% off your order! Code is valid until April 30th 2012 =)


What do you think? Thanks for looking as always!

* Product(s) sent to me for consideration but this in no way influenced my review in any way. As always, my reviews are my 100% honest opinion. My Disclosure Policy can be viewed here.

Face of Australia Lip Quench SPF 30+ lipstick in Lychee Crush swatches and review

When I attended The Australian Beauty Bloggers Weekend last year, we were lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the new shades in the Face of Australia Lip Quench SPF 30+ lipstick collection during the Face of Australia masterclass run by lovely brand manager Tina. Being as awesome as she is, Tina remembered that I fell in love with the lippies and very kindly surprised me with one when they were released!! I have my review of Lychee Crush for you today.


What they say:

"Enriched with natural moisturisers and emollients including Jojoba Oil, Vitamin E & Shea Butter, this rich, creamy lipstick provides beautiful colour in a hydrating formula that protects your lips from harmful UV rays.

Nourishes and protects whilst delivering smooth, even colour that caresses the curves of your lips. Maintain soft and supple lips and protect them from the ageing effects of the sun for totally kissable lips."


The Lip Quench SPF 30+ lipsticks are packaged in a rubberised black case with a lid that has a clear insert in the top (you can see it clearly in my first picture). This is absolutely fantastic because it makes storing so much easier. I can see exactly which lippie I'm grabbing! Great for 1st thing in the morning when I'm half awake lol.


Lychee Crush is a gorgeous peachy nude. It's a fantastic nude colour with peachy tones so it's warmer than other nudes shades out there. No concealer lips here!

Swatch:


Here's a super quick (and dodgy!) FOTD for you guys using Lychee Crush:


Products used:

Face:
Skin 79 Super+ BB cream Gold
NARS Orgasm blush

Eyes:
Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in 02
Revlon Grow Luscious Plumping mascara *

Lips:
Face of Australia Lip Quench lipstick in Lychee Crush *


Overall: I LOVE Lychee Crush! It is such a gorgeous shade and since receiving it I've worn it many many times! I love that it doesn't wash me out which I find with other nude shades. The formula is very creamy and easy to apply. There's a slight scent to the lipstick which is pleasant - it reminds me of my mum's old lipsticks that I used to steal to try out when I was younger xp It brings back good memories! It wears reasonably well but I do find I need to reapply after a 3-4hours. The standout is that it contains SPF 30+ which is so important in sunny Aus. There's a great selection of colours too - from gorgeous pinks and nudes to vampy reds. For less than $10 what is not to love!

Details: Face of Australia Lip Quench SPF 30+ lipsticks are available now in 13 shades from Priceline, Big W, Kmart stores and online from fashionaddict.com.au for $9.45.

Thank you so much Tina for sending Lychee Crush my way to try out! If you haven't tried these yet I suggest you do. Malibu Barbie and Pink Champagne are the other shades I suggest trying out!

Thanks for looking as always!

The product featured in this post was sent to me for consideration but this in no way influenced my review in any way. As always, my reviews are my 100% honest opinion. My Disclosure Policy can be viewed here.

Bubblegum glitter manicure

For Christmas last year, my sister fulfilled one of my biggest lemmings and generously gave me the Deborah Lippmann Get This Party Started set. Unfortunately it took so darn long in getting here it didn't arrive until Christmas had truly come and gone so it was more like a New Year gift! Oh well. As you know, I ADORE glitter and I've wanted this set since I first read about it so I was super excited to receive it! The glitter I wanted to try out most was Candy Shop and I used it for a quick bright mani before I went on holiday.


For this mani I used 3 coats of the awesome Color Club Yum Gum which is from their 2010 Wicked Sweet collection. It's a cute bright bubblegum pink polish (almost neon) and the scent is actually really nice!! It's such a fun colour and as you know I love these types of pinks x) Yum Gum applied smoothly and dry time was excellent.


I then added 1-2 coats of Candy Shop to my accent finger which is the same hex glitter as the famous Happy Birthday but in a bubblegum pink base. LOVE IT!!!!!!


Here's a close up of the awesome Candy shop:


GLITTER HEAVEN!!!!


Are you a fan of Deborah Lippmann glitters like I am? What's your favourite?

Thanks for looking as always!!

My Hong Kong 2012 hauls *PIC HEAVY*

Hi ladies! I'm finally back after my long absence. I've been back home now for a few days but I've been so rundown I haven't felt like doing much at all let alone come home and blog after work. Plus I got food poisoning a few days ago argh! So annoying! Anyway, here is my haul post for you all which is much requested every time I go to Hong Kong =) I didn't have a lot of time to shop this trip but I actually came home with nearly the same amount of stuff as I usually do or more even *shakes head* I work better under pressure what can I say! Looking at my previous HK haul posts they all sort of look similar.. I always tend to stock up on the same brands and things haha.

WARNING: This post is INSANELY pic heavy! I was going to split it into 2 posts but I couldn't be bothered xp I'm making up for not blogging for so long I guess!


I'm not responsible for creating any lemmings!


My nail polish haul for this trip. Not a lot because I have a crazy amount of untrieds! I limited myself to picking up some lemmings which included Color Club Where's the Soiree, OPI Alpine Snow (I needed a new bottle), 3 of the Essie Luxeffects and Zoya Roxy. The BK holos are getting discontinued so I stocked up on a few colours to include in swaps. Also a Lajour duochrome recommended to me by my fellow polish and food lover Abby. Thanks for the tip Abby! Also two magnetic polishes from a random brand I came across too.


These Canmake polishes deserve a pic on their own! These are their new Nail Topping Coat polishes to create easy ice-cream nail art. They also released a chocolate coloured polish (pictured on the left) with some adorable pastels to help create the look. I was itching to get the pastels too but had to show restraint every time I walked past a Canmake counter since I have dupes at home =( I am SUPER excited to try these out!

Cosmetic Cupcake turns 2!

(Image courtesy of http://livelaughlove1820.tumblr.com/)
This week my little part of the blogosphere turned 2. How the time has flown by and what a wonderful 2 years its been here. I started this blog as an outlet to get away from study and work and also at a time when I was down and out. It allowed me to put my energy into something I've always enjoyed but never got a chance to fully. And boy have I enjoyed every minute of it and still continue to! I absolutely LOVE blogging and it's been so much fun sharing it all with you guys!!

Thank you all for your support for my blog. I really appreciate the time you guys take to read my blog, comment, email and tweet me. You guys are awesome! What I've loved most about blogging is that it's allowed me to make so many wonderful friends - some I've had the pleasure and honor of becoming friends with in "real life" and some who I hope to meet some day =)

I had planned to kick off a little birthday giveaway today however I've had to postpone it due to a family emergency here in HK. My grandma suffered a stroke on Chinese New Year Eve and remains in hospital. My grandma is improving but she has a very long recovery ahead. I've stayed on for an extra week here to help out and it's been an exhausting and stressful few weeks with daily visits to the hospital. Hence best laid plans gone and I haven't been able to blog or do much else.. of course I've tried to squeeze in some shopping though hehe. I didn't intend to be away from here for so long but I have lots of exciting things to show you guys very soon so don't worry. I do apologise for the very late reply to emails and tweets and the lack of blogging >.<

I hope you're all doing well =)