New IN! Sukin Hydrating Facial Masque

If you are a fan of the Australian, natural skincare brand Sukin, you will be excited to know that they are expanding their range of facial masks to include a brand new Hydrating Facial Masque.

I have long been a fan of Sukin's original, clay based Purifying Facial Masque, along with many of their other products, and have gone through around three tubs to date! I am a bit of a face mask junkie at the best of times, and I love having masks in my skincare wardrobe that cater to the different needs that my skin might have from time to time. Sometimes I feel that my skin needs a good cleansing and brightening mask, sometimes one with a kick of glycolic acid to exfoliate, and sometimes just pure hydration and plumping. The Sukin hydrating mask falls nicely into the latter.

The packaging is reminiscent of all of Sukin's face masks, presented in a 100ml tub. I like to apply my masks with an old, flat foundation brush that I use specifically for that purpose. There is absolutely nothing wrong with using clean fingers, it's just a matter of personal preference. Like all of Sukin's products, this one won't break the bank either, with a very reasonable RRP of $15.95 AUD.

The list of active ingredients in the mask are impressive. Skin softening Mango Butter, Olive oil, Avocado oil and Jojoba oil provide the skin with a good dose of fatty acids, giving the skin a cocktail of soothing hydration. Fruit extracts of Mango, Papaya and Pineapple not only provide essential vitamins A,B and C, they also contain enzymes known for their anti-inflammatory action, and naturally occurring alpha-hydroxy acids to brighten, exfoliate and encourage collagen production.

The texture of this mask is soft, light, and pudding like, and it smooths easily over the skin. It has a lovely fresh fruity scent, that is quite subtle and not at all overpowering. Applied to freshly cleansed, damp skin, I have left it on for the recommended time of at least 15 minutes, and find that it sets a little on the skin, but does not dry down completely.  I like to soften the mask with a couple of splashes of warm water, and then remove with a clean, warm flannel. My skin feels and looks fresh and hydrated, and I feel that any areas of dehydration and fine lines appear smooth and plump. A little tip I like to do when using a hydrating mask, is to apply a little to the backs of my hands to give them a bit of a treat as well, an often neglected area that certainly shows signs of ageing.

On one occasion, I used the Purifying Facial Masque first, and then followed it with the Hydrating Masque... a quick and easy double duty power facial at home! My skin glowed!

Worthy of note, I have only used the mask on two occasions thus far, and have personally not noticed any irritation from the product. I will keep it in rotation for the next few weeks and months, and keep you updated on my thoughts! First impressions are very good, and I can see this mask being of benefit to all skin types. To date, I have never met a Sukin product that I didn't love, from their beautiful body washes and lotions, body and facial oils, and haircare,  I warmly support the brand as a whole.



Due for release in April, look out for it at Priceline, Chemist Warehouse, major and independent pharmacies and health food stores!




Thanks so much for stopping by!



Blessings



Lou xo

Disclaimer: I was sent this product for review purposes as part of the Beauty Directory Expert Panel for 2015/2016. This post is not sponsored.

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JetSet Gel | At-home Gel Manicure Starter Kit | Review

Good Morning Loves!

I hope you are all well?

I have a review for you today all about the JETSET GEL Nail Starter Kit. I was kindly sent this kit for review purposes and I'm ready to share my thoughts, and swatches with you today!

JETSET GEL are a new Australian company aiming to bring you a salon manicure in the comfort of your own home. Sound good to you? Whether you are a regular gel mani lover, or just like to dabble now and then like me, having your own complete kit at home is brilliant. We are all a little time poor these days, and having to fit in an appointment at the local salon can be difficult. Not only that, but the cost of regular salon gel manicures can certainly add up over time. Having everything you need at home will give you a gorgeous long lasting manicure, and you will be able to offer to do your friends and families nails too! Trust me, they will love it!

If you'd like to hear my thoughts on the JETSET GEL Nail Starter Kit, then please read on!

JETSET GEL Nail Starter Kit 

As you can see in the photograph above, the JETSET GEL Nail Starter Kit gives you everything you need to start doing your own gel manicures at home.

The kit contains an LED curing lamp, Base and Top Coats, three gorgeous shades in Cotton Clouds, Runway Red and Pink Horizons, Nail file and buffer, Metal cuticle pusher, Gel Polish remover and remover wraps, and easy to follow instructions.The kit is priced at $118.45 AUD.

JETSET GEL Cotton Clouds

Cotton Clouds is a beautiful, natural beige shade. I have applied two coats of Cotton Clouds in the photograph above. You can see that the nail line is still slightly visible, which I don't mind at all. I think a third coat would give you an opaque finish if that's what you would prefer. 

My nails were quite short, and not in the best condition at this time, so I found it difficult to wrap the tips with the top coat properly when I did this mani. Coupled with my dry, peeling nails, I still managed to get a good week of wear from this manicure before the tip wear and edges lifting got the better of me. I'm lucky to last a week without wanting to change my polish anyway, but had my nails been in better condition, and if i had wrapped the tips adequately, I think I would have definitely increased the wear time. I am very fussy with how my nails look in general, so at the first sign of wear or chipping I am compelled to do a fresh mani!

JETSET GEL Runway Red.

This gorgeous red mani belongs to my Mother-in-Law, whom I roped in to have her nails done just before Christmas last year ( it didn't take much convincing!) I ended up applying three very thin coats of polish for her mani, and she had gorgeous nails for two weeks before any signs of wear and tear. She loved it!

Runway Red is a beautiful red with cool undertones that would suit most complexions. It has a very subtle sparkle deep within, which gives it more of a glow, than obvious shimmer on the nail.

JETSET GEL Pink Horizons ( outdoor lighting ).

JETSET GEL Pink Horizons ( indoor lighting ).

 Pink Horizons is a very natural, warm pink translucent polish. It would be perfect for a French Manicure. It also has a very pretty subtle shimmer, which is just visible in direct light. It makes for a lovely fresh and natural looking manicure, with the lovely glossy shine that you get from a good gel polish. I have used three coats here.

The directions included in the starter kit are easy to follow for both application and removal. Do follow them! 

Remember that gel polishes give you plenty of play time, meaning that you can really perfect, and thin out your coats of polish without any worry of the polish drying whilst you are working with it. It is one of the great things about gel polishes!

Heed the directions and avoid leaving any polish you may have accidentally put on your skin. Again, you have plenty of time to clean up, and remove polish from the skin around your nails, and cuticles before you cure under the light.

The timer on the LED lamp that is included has three time settings, 30, 60 and 90 seconds. Do note that all of the JETSET Gel polishes, including top and base coats require a 2 minute  ( 120 second ) cure for each coat. This means you will need to reset your timer for each coat. I just do 2 x 60 seconds. 

When it comes to removal, be patient. You need to let the remover wraps sit on the nails for the recommended time. If you do, as you lift off the wrap, the gel polish will have lifted off the nail, and just be waiting for you to scoop it off. Don't dig or chip away at any areas that may be stubborn and still adhered to the nail... re-wrap and soak them, and let the acetone do it's job. If you start digging and picking, you will undoubtedly remove layers of your nail along with it. 

I also like to follow removal with a generous flood of good quality oils and balms for the next day or two, just to add some moisture back into the nail bed. Also, be gentle when you buff them prior to your polish application, you only need to do a light handed gentle buff.

Head over to the JETSET GEL website here to purchase your own kit, with free shipping Australia wide. I also have a discount code! Just use the code: 10%FORYOU to receive 10% off your order!

Are you a fan of gel manicures? Have you attempted to do your own before? If you have any tips or tricks that you find helpful please leave them in the comments below! If you have any questions, please leave them below too! 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Blessings,

Lou xo

Disclaimer: The JETSET Gel kit was generously sent to me for review. This post is not sponsored. The links provided are not affiliate links. Cheers xo

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Colour THEORY Gelato Dreams Collection | Summer 2016 | Swatches, Review and Giveaway!

I have some very pretty pastel shades to share with you today, courtesy of Australian brand Colour THEORY. Colour THEORY release seasonal collections throughout the year, and Gelato Dreams is their most recent collection for Summer 2016. 

Full to the brim with gorgeous pastel options for eyes, lips and fingertips, this very reasonably priced collection will be sure to inspire you! I think it is always important to share products and brands that offer great products at prices that don't break the bank. It gives you the opportunity to experiment, and have fun with your makeup, and that's what it's all about in my opinion!!

Colour THEORY Gelato Dreams Collection Summer 2016

Colour THEORY Tropical Summer Daze 5 colour Eyeshadow Palette RRP $10.00 AUD.

Colour THEORY Tropical Summer Daze Eye Shadow Palette swatched in natural light.

Tropical Summer Daze eye shadow palette provides some very pretty pastel shades to experiment with! The pigmentation is quite good, I have built up the shades in my swatches, and they certainly "pop" on the eyes with the help of an eye primer. Some of the shades are little powdery, but they manage to adhere to the skin all the same! The deeper grey shade has the best formula in the palette, very smooth and creamy, and not at all powdery. I would definitely use an eyeshadow primer with these, however for the price it is a great little palette to pick up and experiment with colour... makeup is all about having fun after all!!

Colour THEORY Bronzer Highlighter Duo RRP $10.00 AUD.

Colour THEORY Bronzer Highlighter Duo swatched in natural light.

I am really enjoying the Bronzer Highlighter duo, and rate it very highly! Definitely a must have out of the collection in my opinion, both the bronzer and the highlighter are smooth, creamy and have excellent pigmentation. They both apply and blend into the skin beautifully. The bronzer leans a little cool, and has a matte finish. The highlighter has a champagne tone, and is quite reflective without leaving your skin sprinkled with glitter particles! I have also used this duo as eye shadows... gotta love multi-purpose beauty products!!

For $10.00 AUD, you need to pick this up! Highly recommend!

Colour THEORY lipsticks L-R Waffle Cone, Citrus Sorbet, Cotton Candy-Licious, and Lip Gloss Frosting
RRP $6.00 AUD each.

Swatched in natural light L-R Waffle Cone, Citrus Sorbet, Cotton Candy-Licious.

These are really lovely lip products for the price! Waffle Cone is a sheer, but buildable nude shade, which I generally prefer when it comes to nude lipsticks. I find them much more flattering than very pale nudes that have an opaque finish. This one glides onto the lips and has a subtle gloss finish.

Citrus Sorbet and Cotton Candy-Vicious are both smooth, highly pigmented lipsticks that definitely make more of a statement lip! Both shades wear very well on the lips, and I don't find them to be drying at all. 

Colour THEORY "Pistachio Party".

Pistachio Party is a vibrant, mint green that falls into the bright pastel family! A gorgeous shade...everyone needs a mint green polish in their collection! Shown is two coats plus top coat.

Colour THEORY "Creme De La Creme".

Creme de la Creme is very sheer, but pretty and delicate. The undertone is a little too warm for my skintone, but it makes for an understated and polished manicure. I have used three coats, and no top coat in the above photograph.

Colour Theory "Cool Capri".

Cool Capri is a gorgeous, pale cement grey, right on trend, and certainly a shade that you could wear all year round ( I say that about most polishes! ) the formula is pretty good, a little patchy with the first coat, but comes good with the second. These polishes are generally not the best at self levelling, I have found that they benefit from a good quality top coat to help give them a nice smooth finish.

Colour THEORY "I Love Bubble Gum".

I love Bubble Gum is a gorgeous cool toned pink with a great formula! Two easy coats for this shade, and she wore very well on my nails for 4 days before showing signs of tip wear. A gorgeous shade, I would definitely recommend picking this one up!All of the Colour THEORY nail polishes retail for $4.00 AUD each, which gives you the perfect excuse to pick up a couple of shades!

You can purchase Colour THEORY products Australia wide from Amcal, Amcal Max, and Guardian Pharmacies.

If you like the look of this collection, do head over to my instagram, because I am giving away a selection of the Gelato Dreams collection!! The giveaway will be for Australian residents only... I do apologise to my international readers!! I'm sorry!!I will be posting the giveaway at 8pm ESDST tonight, so be on the look out!


Have you tried any Colour THEORY products? Do you have any favourite products or shades? Do let me know in the comments below!





Thanks so much for stopping by!



Blessings,



Lou xx

Disclaimer: These products were provided for review. This is not a sponsored post. Cheers xo

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Beauty Gift Ideas for Christmas | Part Two | Sephora!

Oh it's all about Christmas at Sephora today loves!

In October this year, I was kindly invited to attend the Sephora Holiday Showcase for 2015. Needless to say, it was such a lovely morning, and I had the opportunity to view some of the holiday gifts sets that would be available for Christmas 2015, and to chat to some of the brands founders and representatives. A wonderful opportunity for which I am very grateful.

I'd love to share with you a couple of beauty gift ideas that tickle my fancy from Sephora, so grab yourself a cuppa/wine/eggnog and read on!

Aromatherapy Associates London - The Star
Revive Morning Bath and Shower Oil RRP $22.00 AUD.

So far I have had three baths with this gorgeous Aromatherapy Associates oil, and I'm now trying to save it for special occasions! Every wonderful thing you hear about these beautiful oils is absolutely true. Packaged ready to gift in a beautiful star ornament, I think this would make such a lovely gift!

You can see in the photographs below a couple of the other Aromatherapy Associates Christmas gifts sets that are available... these might just be on my wish list! Imagine opening these on Christmas morning...

Tarte Deluxe Amazonian Butter Lipstick set   RRP $27.00 AUD

This set of four mini lipsticks from Tarte is just beautiful. The Tarte Deluxe Amazonian Butter Lipstick set features a range of shades from neutral to rosey tones, and one deeper berry shade, perfect for the holiday season. The texture of the Butter lipsticks is as you would imagine by the title, smooth and moisturising and they feel just lovely on the lips. A gorgeous affordable gift! 

Stunning Tarte Holiday Gifts Sets!!
Back Left - Tarte Lips for Days Lipsurgence 5 colour set  $46.00 AUD.
Middle - Tarte Light of the Party gift set  $79.00 AUD.

Tarte Bling it On Blush Palette $59.00 AUD 

I have been dreaming about this palette since the Sephora Holiday Showcase event! 

Have you picked up this palette yet? Feel free to enable me! Don't the words "limited edition" strike fear into the beauty lover's heart?!!

Formula X is looking after your nails this Christmas with some gorgeous gift sets!

Formula X The Look CLIX two piece gift sets retail for $13.00 AUD.

Formula X The Happy Hour CLIX four piece sets retail for $22.00 AUD.

Both sets are great value, and are perfect for travel!

However, I have my eye on that stunning rose gold packaging at the back... that my friends is Formula X "Alchemy" and she will most definitely need to find a home at The Beauty Vine HQ! I believe she might be a limited edition for Christmas, and she will set you back $17.00 AUD.

Skincare can be tricky to gift to someone, but these next two brands are absolutely worth considering in my opinion. 

Edible Beauty is fairly new to me, and I had the pleasure of meeting naturopath and nutritionist Anna Mitsios, the founder of Edible Beauty at the Sephora Holiday Showcase. 

"The Edible Beauty Australia product range includes luxurious "edible" toxin-free skin care and therapeutic Beauty Teas made with organic and wildcrafted ingredients...if it's not good enough to eat you will not find it in our products"

Anna smoothed, spritzed and massaged almost every product onto my hands and face that morning, and kindly gifted me a deluxe sample size of the Belle Frais Cleansing Milk to try. I fell in love with it immediately, and have since purchased the full size, a hefty 200ml which retails for $45.00 AUD. The cleanser is lightweight, whisks away makeup with ease, smells beautifully citrusy, and is the most refreshing cream cleanser I have ever tried. Highly recommend.

This set above is the Edible Beauty on the Fly - Core 4 Travel Kit and retails for $73.00 AUD. Now, I have not tried all of the products in this gift set, however judging by my love of the cleanser I have no doubt that they too are just as beautiful. I will certainly be exploring this brand more in the new year, and will keep you updated!

I had the absolute pleasure of bumping into the man himself, Ole Henrikson, during my very first visit to Sephora in February of this year. I took a big deep brave breathe, introduced myself, and had the opportunity to ask him for some recommendations. I was already a huge fan of the Pure Truth Melting Gel Cleanser ( holy grail ) so I decided to purchase, on Ole's recommendation, the Three Little Wonders kit. This is the same kit pictured above, which also contains a complimentary African Red Tea foaming cleanser. 

The Three Little Wonders set retails for $95.00 AUD.

This kit will give you everything you need for both your morning and evening skincare routine. The Truth Serum Collagen Booster is used in the morning after cleansing, and provides the skin with hefty dose of Vitamin C to brighten and protect, along with soothing green tea extract to calm and soothe. Follow this with the Sheer Transformation moisturiser, which is just beautiful. Perfectly lightweight and refreshing, it absorbs immediately and provides a lovely base for your makeup. Those with combo/oily skin will appreciate it's lovely light texture, whilst still providing excellent hydration for the skin. The Invigorating Night Treatment is your evening serum, promoting cell turnover, and assisting in improving skin tone and the minimisation of pores thanks to it's cocktail of glycolic, lactic and citric acids. Even though it is quite active, it is also very gentle, I have not experienced any irritation whatsoever, just a healthy glow. Love Ole... such a lovely man!

On the same day that I purchased the Ole Henrikson skin care, I also purchased this gorgeous IT Cosmetics Je Ne Sais Quoi lip duo. It was in the Isle of Doom... you know that part just before the checkout where you are tempted with little minis and little kits of all these very cute and lovely things that maybe need to come home with you??

I'm happy to report that I have enjoyed them both very much, and was pleased to see that they were included as one of the IT Cosmetics Christmas Gift Sets.

Like the entire IT Cosmetics range, these two lip products are full of fabulous ingredients that provide skin care benefits, plumping and nourishing the lips every time you wear them!

The Je Ne Sais Quoi lipstick and lipgloss are self adjusting, and give a mid-toned pink flush to my lips. Undoubtedly, one of the most comfortable lip products I have used to date. They just feel so good!!!!

The IT Cosmetics Je Ne Sais Quoi gift set will set you back $42.00 AUD.

IT Cosmetics also have another gift set that is one my wish list this Christmas, The Naturally Pretty palette with the Hello Lashes Mascara ( one of my faves ), which also retails for $42.00. It contains 7 beautiful eyeshadow shades, and a mini Hello Lashes Mascara. It looks beautiful, and I am yet to try any of IT Cosmetics eye shadows!

It Cosmetics IT GIRL Christmas Gift Sets RRP $42.00 AUD.

Elizabeth And James Nirvana Black Body Oil... utterly lush.

The Elizabeth And James Nirvana fragrances are loved by many, and for good reason. They are just beautiful!

I like the White, but I LOVE the Black. 

Sephora have some beautiful Elizabeth And James Nirvana gifts for Christmas. 

The cute little ornament gifts below contain a 7ml rollerball, and would make the perfect affordable little gift at only $12.00 each. So gorgeous!!

If you have a little more to spend, go for the Elizabeth And James Nirvana Gift Set. It contains a 30ml Eau de Parfum, Perfume oil, and a mini rollerball, and retails for $75.00 AUD.

Did I mention that I love the Black?... 

Elizabeth And James Nirvana White...

Elizabeth And James Nirvana Black... it's my jam.

An epic display at the Holiday Showcase of all the gorgeous Sephora Christmas Gift sets!!

Spear Brilliant Beauty Box  RRP $64.00 AUD.

Sephora Let it Snow Velvety Body Moituriser  RRP $22.00 AUD.
Sephora Impeccable Bun set  RRP $18.00 AUD.

Two lovely gift options from the Sephora brand, the Let it Snow body moisturiser is beautiful, and smells gorgeous too! It has a slightly sweet, clean and powdery scent and is nourishing without feeling heavy or greasy on the skin... gorgeous.

The Impeccable Bun set is a brilliant idea, and gives you everything you need for a rockin' top knot or killer side bun. The perfect stocking filler!

Sephora Color Around the World Face and Eye Palette Collection  RRP $22.00 AUD.

The Sephora Color Around the World gift set would make a gorgeous gift for either the makeup lover or the makeup newby.

The four gorgeous palettes contain shades for the face and eyes, and take you on a journey around some of the world's major cities and their colour inspirations... Paris, New York, Rome and Rio.

Each palette has sturdy cardboard packing, and contains a mirror, and some instructions for placement of the shades. The packaging is gorgeous, with each palette featuring art work particular to each city and its unmistakable landmarks.

The overall quality of these palettes is excellent. There are a couple of shades that don't have particularly good colour pay-off, but that is in no way a deal breaker in my opinion.

For $22.00 AUD, I think you absolutely need to pick this up!!

Sephora Color Around the World Collection - Paris.

Sephora Color Around the World Collection - Paris.
 Swatches from the bottom - Blush, Pink Macaron, Rooftop, Jazz Club, Perfecto, Pearl.

Paris is your smokey eye palette, I love the shade Jazz Club, a beautiful cool toned taupe, and the blush Pink Macaron is a really pretty peachy pink.

Sephora Color Around the World Collection - New York.

Sephora Color Around the World Collection - New York
Swatches from the bottom - Blush Romantic Date, City Trench, Hot Mocha, Peanut Butter, Trick or Treat.

Love this one. Love. The only slightly disappointing shade in this palette is the blush... it's not terrible, but it is a little dry and powdery, and does not adhere well to the skin ( apologies for that part of the photograph being out of focus! ).

The eyeshadows are gorgeous, my favourites are Hot Mocha and Peanut Butter. 

Sephora Color Around the World Collection - Rome

Sephora Color Around the World Collection - Rome
Swatches from the bottom - Blush Gelato, Panettone, Caffe, Romantico, Tiramisu.

The Rome palette is pretty consistent in terms of pigmentation and colour pay-off. A great warm neutral palette with a very pretty blush. Love.

Sephora Color Around the World Collection - Rio

Sephora Color Around the World collection - Rio

Rio's blush is more of a light glowy bronzer, though it is very smooth and blends nicely. The two light matte eyeshadow shades are good. Aqua, the beautiful blue needs to be built up, and would benefit from a primer underneath it. The gold in this palette Tropical Bird is disappointing. I found it very hard to do a decent swatch because it just kept falling off my skin. It would still look pretty, but you will likely get more glitter than gold on your eyes.

Overall, I think this is an absolutely brilliant, affordable gift set! Apart from a couple of misses, I absolutely love it, and the little palettes are perfect to pop into your makeup bag, or to take on holidays.



So that wraps up Part Two of my Christmas beauty gift ideas loves! I hope you enjoyed it and maybe got some ideas for your family and friends ( and maybe you *wink* ).



Do tell me what is on your Christmas Wish List?




Thanks so much for stopping by!




Blessings,




Lou xx

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