88 Crush Cosmetics Palettes

88 Warm Palette & 88 Shimmer Palette

Crush Cosmetics

For my review go to http://youtube.com/watch?v=Yi0xO9-GGr8

I purchased the two palettes from http://www.crushcosmetics.com.au/

The bascis - The palette is a black shiny plastic & inside the eyeshadow guide is a softer plastic tray. When closed the palette measures approx 230 x 165mm & weighs just over 353 grams.

The palettes both have a mirror on the top inside cover approx 127 x 80mm which has two eyeshadow applicators, one either side of the mirror.

Above:

(left) 88 Shimmer Palette, (right) 88 Warm Palette

The 88 Warm Palette

As pictured above, each palette has the "Crush Cosmetics" label on the front (I stuck a little 88W or 88S colour sticker so I could distinguish between the two). Although on the back of each is a small silver sticker "88W" for the Warm Palette or "88P" for the Shimmer Palette.

The palette/s come in a black box with the ingrediants listed on the back, & the expiry date.

When opening the palette there is a slight aroma, similar to "olive oil", but this is not unpleasant & I cannot smell this on the actual eyeshadows.

As shown in the pictures right & below, the colour range is mostly earthy from off-whites, greys/silvers, camo colours on the far left. Then moving into creams, a few berrys & sand & deep brown shades centre to far right.

The 88 Crush Cosmetics Palette has a variety of matte & shimmery shades & would be useful for those wanting an everyday eye look palette for neutral to gentle smokey eye looks.

I have only seen pictures & footage in reviews/blogs but the palette does look a lot like the 88 Neutral Palette from Coastal Scents but I am happy that I can finally get an 88 palette locally!





Left & below:

Closer shots of the 88 Crush Cosmetics Warm Palette

The eye shadows are softer & more powdery than some of my other "higher end brands" that I have tried, such as MAC or Nars. Some are even softer in consistency than Stila or Benefit shadows & are a bit "chalky".

However the quality of most of the eyeshadows are very good for the price. I bought the palettes on sale for about $27.95 which works out to approximately less than $0.32 each. Full price is $34.95 working out at less than $0.40 for each pan.

The size of the pans are about 15mm in diameter which for those of you in Australia is smaller than a 5 cent piece. However the pans do not seem very shallow & there is a fair amount in each one. There is also several shades in the palette/s that are very similar.


The texture & pigmentation in the 88 Warm Palette is similar to some other "lower end" brands I have like NYX & elf, BYS, Australis, Models Prefer & TCW.









Right: Close up of bottom centre colours that I have used both matte & shimmery shades

Below: Close up of colours bottom far right of the 88 Warm Palette

The 88 Shimmer Crush Cosmetics Palette

As the name suggests all the 88 shadows in the palette are shimmery. The list of ingrediants & expiry sticker on the box is the same as the 88 Warm Palette.

When opening the palette there is also the same "olive oil" scent but I could not smell this when using the eyeshadows.



Above: When opening the palette the colours appear very intense & from left to right colours range from golden hues to greens, blues, berrys, purples, pinks, reddy orange, greys & browns.

Below: Close up of palette bottom left








The eyeshadows are quiet soft & smooth & blend very nicely. Although the bright colours tend to leave a bright stain on the brush it is very easy to remove when spot cleaning or deep cleaning.



The texture of the shadows reminded me of Stila, Benefit, NYX, elf & Chi Chi brands although the pigmentation is not as intense as the colour first suggests.

I did a swatch of three colours the brightest dolly pink (row 7, far right of the palette), the green bottom right of the palette & the blue (row 7, bottom right). I did these with my fingers to show as best I could the texture & the colour intensity of the shadows. (Yes, I cleaned my hands but with the natural oils & surface area it won't really look like this on the eye). So I would recommend using a eye lid primer or good base with these colours if you want the intensity of the colours.






Right: Close up of the bottom far right but the colour
is washed out here.






Last Thoughts...

Overall for the price of this palette I am quite satisfied with the quality. It will not replace my other "higher end' shadows but will be a great addition to my eye shadow range & I can work the colours of both palettes with all my other brands. It will also be great to take the palettes if I am travelling away for a while & want to do a lot of different looks, for work or play.

Event: Napoleon Perdis Book Signing - Forever Flawless

Napoleon Perdis Book Signing Event at Target - Forever Flawless

Some of the NP Make up Team above. I'm sure I saw Siobhan Kelly & Tracey Zenatti too but I didn't snap them in action!



Filming of the event & some customers getting their make up done in 3 cubicles by the NP Professional MUA's!

Charli Delaney (hi-5) hosted the event & toured the audience asking the waiting attendees their make up questions for Napoleon.

Glamour abound!

The Napoleon Perdis MUA's were handing out gift bags to the first 100 attendees.

I'm pretty sure that below is Tannia Tiropanis from the National Creative team below.

Btw, all the MUA's were gorgeous!

Gift Bag

The goodies in the gift bag. Thanks Target & NP!

We received a Runway Star Lip Gloss Trio Set, NP Pre-Foundation Primer Base Visage sample, $5 Target gift card, Target footless tights in black & a free fusion t-shirt which Napoleon kindly signed for me!

Preparing for the arrival of NP


Rebecca Prior, below right, looking gorgeous as she does make up on a lucky attendee

The man himself is just about to make his grand entrance...

There was a clip of the celebrities & looks NP has done. I caught this on video & will post this to my YT channel.

I had a snap of another MUA on the right (I'm sure it was Nicola Snell but she had red hair instead of blonde) but it was all blurry

Napoloen Perdis signing the book...!

Eye Look: Brown + Greys

One of my Favourite Eye Looks: Brown + Greys

Check out the video:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=dvHtNntJjJk

Review: Yanu SKIN SALAD Products

Give me Green Apples!

Above: (left to right) Yanu Skin Salad Overnight Pack, Yanu Skin Salad 4 Pack Gift Set & Free Gift - Green Algae Facial Mask

I recently ordered some body products from Bayonelle's Yanu "Skin Salad" Green Apple collection. It covers body lotions & scrubs/shower gels in a variety of fruit scents including Fresh Peach, Juicy Mango & Tropical Coconut.

You can find Yanu Skin Salad & other Bayonelle products at http://www.thefaceplace.com.au

What attracted me to this range was the fact there was a range of green apple body products. I have recently become obsessed with the scent of green fresh apples & have been desperately seeking out every product I can lay my hands on. I find that the scent of green apples is very relaxing & refreshing.

I have found it strangely difficult to get products that are only "fragranced" in green apples. There is always another "scent" mixed in such as citrus fruits, honeysuckle, lily and ginger. I want my "green apple" products to have that refreshing, crisp apple scent not just as a base which is ultimately overwhelmed by the other aromas.

In my hunt I have acquired air fresheners, cleaning products, lip balms, shampoos & conditioners but had failed to find body lotions or sprays - but when I saw that Bayonelle's website listed a range of apple scented products I almost fell off my chair! Had my search finally "born fruit"? (Sorry I couldn't resist that pun...)

I got two packs Gift Box 4 Pack & the Overnight Bag & 3 Piece Bath Set & received a free sample of a Green Algae Face Mask

Above: I received a free gift - Gel Infused Green Algae Facial Mask

Above: The 4 Gift Pack comes in a PVC box (unfortunately the Green Apple Body Spritzer leaked in the box, but I only lost a few mls but if it had been intended for a gift all the cardboard lining was soaked)

Below: The pack containts a Body Spritzer, Shower Gell, Body Lotion & Shower Scrub

The Green Apple scent is definitely clear in the shower gel & the body spritzer. The first day I used the spritz I keep thinking I could smell apple juice & realised it was the spray. It lasts a about an hour (mostly when I layer the body lotion which I used from the second pack).

I find the spritz to be very refreshing & the green apple scents work well with my mainly floral or musk lotions & perfumes.

The shower gel comes in a 120ml screw top bottle but the full size version of 250ml can be purchased separately on the website. The gel has a slight green tint & reminds me of aloe vera gel.

However I could not get the shower gel to lather or foam up but have found it to smooth on like my QV (soap free cleansers). I leave the shower smelling like a big, green apple!

The body lotion in this pack remains unopened as I used the body lotion in the second pack I ordered but I am impressed with the decent size tube of 200ml.

The second pack I ordered was the Overnight Body Scents 4 Pack as pictured below.

The overnight bag (which can also be purchased separately) contains 3 Green Apple body products: a body butter, body scrub & body lotion.

Green Apple overnight bag by Bayonelle

Above: Green Apple Body Butter in 90ml size. Full size of 200ml can be purchased separately

Below: Green Apple Body Scrub, 90ml. Full size is 200ml container

Below: Green Apple Body Lotion 90ml

Although the ingrediants listed for the body lotion & body scrub are different I could not
distinquish the two products. They both have the same feel, smell, quality & finish to them.
The best way I could describe the texture of the products is to compare them to most hair
conditioners, just slightly thicker or creamier. Before the products dry, the skin is a little tacky
but they dry without greasiness.

So overall I am happy with both the body butter & lotion as they smell deliscious & do no
more than I want my cheaper body products to do which is smell good & make my skin feel
soft & subtle without feeling sticky.

Mineral Make Up: Bella Pierre

Bella Pierre Order Arrives!

Received my order from Bella Pierre Cosmetics - the mineral make up line: www.bellapierrecosmetics.com.au

From Top Left to Right: Lip Gloss Trio, Eye Shadow Brush & 4x 2g s Loose Mineral Powder Ivory, Latte, Cinnamon & Nutmeg.

Admittedly, despite the packaging, my love of the Ivory Loose mineral powder & the fact they are natural mineral based products, I still find the prices fairly steep. Until recently, I was never brave enough to venture out & try any of the other products or shades because of the dollar value.

However, when I received the coupon email offering 50% off the total order price I thought - time to try! (Btw, for any "loyal customer", ok the fact that I was on the subscriber email list, I got the coupon).

If you are hesitant at paying the full price you can always, as I would recommend, sign up to the website. They have regular discounts & coupon emails that are worth keeping an eye out for. I am not being paid to say any of this by the way! Doesn't cost anything to sign up except information. Well, this at least works for AU'ers, I assume the overseas sites would offer something similar.

I used the eye shadow brush this morning. Btw, I took the photo before I used it!! There is no numbering system on the brushes as they only have a small range - 7 you can buy individually & you can get 10 in the brush set.

The bristles are stable/goat hair. The interesting bit is that on the AU website (& also on the international CA & US sites ). The photo shows the eyeshadow brush to be "angled" probably just the way it was taken, but the description on the sites have this as a having a "tapered brush head that comes to a rounded point" & is a "precision crease eye shadow brush".

I imagined it to look a bit like most "rounded tip" crease brushes that most other major MU lines have. But as in the photo although indeed rounded I wouldn't call it a "rounded point" & there is not much "tapering". It is more like my standard eye shadow brushes more for lid colour application, blending & even reminds me of a concealer brush. Maybe that's just me, after all I am NOT a MUA.

Give us a Kiss!

As pictured above, the "On the Go Lip Gloss Trio" consists of 3 mineral lipglosses bound in the compact case: Champagne, Sweet Rose & Vanilla Sunset. All have shimmery finishes & are decently pigmented.

Left to right: Sweet Rose, Champagne & Vanilla Sunset

Sweet Rose would be my favourite a beautiful deep, rose pink with a lot of fine multi dimensional shimmer. The best part being the finish is not sticky or overly thick. However I cannot stress enough how shimmery these are & the fact that it is so fine/small that it give your lips a very "sparkly" appearance. Really depends on what you like but I am so glad that it is not like glumps of glitter & quite nice to wear when going out on the town for a touch of glamour to the pout!

Keeping in mind this is meant to be a travel or as named "on the go" lip set. So hard to tell from just a picture of the pack so I put two Mac lippies next to it.

Top to Bottom: BM Trio, Mac Lustreglass (Flusterose) & MAC Dazzleglass (Via Veneto)

There is a range of loose & pressed mineral powders to choose from, all to suit a variety of skin tones. I choose four of the "sample" sized l/powders which are 2g each. The full size loose powders are 9g each.

Below: (left to right) #MF002 Ivory, #MF003 Latte, #MF004 Cinnamon & #MF005 Nutmeg

I have been using MF002 Ivory for over 15 months now. It has SP15 & is a fine silky powder & as pictured above consists of Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxides & Iron Oxides.

At the stalls the MUA market that the 9g product will last up to 24 months when applying daily (well at least at the three different ones I have been too). This I was told, is because you only need a small amount as foundation & you can also use it as a concealer (just apply more to the desired area).

I haven't used this as a concealer as I have been happy to use my separate concealers. I have only been using this as my base make up & as a setting powder when I have been using liquid or mouse foundations.

This has worked fine - although I am onto my third 9g container since I must use a very liberal hand & have dropped the first one (noooo!) Hence I decided to try a 2g size to travel & to use when I am in a rush - less sifter surface area to waste the product!

Ivory MF002 close up. I tired to get the "truest" colour from my camera & with the available light. No use swatching this on my skin as it is so sheer! From the Bella Pierre website it describes this for light skin with neutral to golden undertones.

Above is MF003 Latte. I got this sample to test using when I am tanned & also as shaders on me. (So far unopened) Bella Pierre site lists this as for "medium" skin with golden undertones.

Above is MF004 Cinnamon. A tan powder for medium to medium light skin with neutral undertones.

Below: MF005 Nutmeg, for light olive skin with golden undertones.

So pretty happy with this order. Until the next 50% rolls around...that is once I finish (well START) project-10. This should be my next bloggie!

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