For as long as I can remember, I've always dreamed of having a place where I could sit and do my makeup and I decided to just take the leap and make it happen ! I took the time to do my research and I'm thrilled with the way it turned out !

For the desk, I got it all from IKEA. I bought two sets of the Alex 5-drawer ($120 each) and they have 2 shallow drawers at the top and 3 deeper drawers below. Compacts and lipsticks fit nicely in the shallow drawers and foundations and taller lip glosses fit in the larger drawers. To organise all my makeup inside the drawers, I bought drawer dividers from Daiso. The table top is the Linnmon table top ($49). This is the 1500x750mm size, it also comes in a 1200x600mm size. I also got the Alex add-on unit for some extra storage ($50). 


I got both the chair and cushion both from Target. The chair is a replica ghost chair ($59) and it's actually a lot sturdier than it looks. And I think the fluffy pink cushion ($20) just goes perfectly with it.


I'm probably the most excited about my new vanity mirror. I'd been looking at lots online and eventually found the perfect one by Vanity Chic Mirrors in Springvale VIC. Here's a link to their facebook page and their website should be launching later this month. If you live in Melbourne, this is the address for their showroom where you can go can see them in person (1667-1669 Centre Rd
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3171). They have heaps of different models and in comparison to other brands, these were far cheaper. This model was $369; this is in comparison to another brand where an almost identical mirror was $600.

I picked the frameless white model with 14 LED globes and touchscreen dimmer and on/off switch. At full strength, the globes are very bright and I love how you have the option of choosing what strength light you want.

Touchscreen Dimmer

 I picked the model that also has a double in-built powerpoint and USB charging station. It's a clever idea as you can plug in your hair straightener or blow-dryer or even charge your phone while you do your makeup.


I got these brush holders from IKEA for only $3 each. They're actually supposed to be a plant pot but they do the job nicely.


I love this arrangement so much ! I got the little terrarium from Freedom a while back and the acrylic lipstick holder is from eBay for about $7. The magnifying makeup mirror is from IKEA for $6.


I can't wait to sit down everyday to my new glam station and do my makeup ! It's a really practical yet pretty setup and it didn't break the bank.

I've heard some great things about Zoeva cosmetics and was super excited to give some of their products a go ! Zoeva cosmetics is a brand that focuses on the individual beauty of women and are internationally recoginsed for their colour cosmetics and their makeup brushes.





Cool Spectrum Eyeshadow Palette 
 
First up is the Cool Spectrum Eyeshaow Palette that is a lovely mixture of neutral shades and colourful shades. The packaging of the palette is really beautiful and it comes in a matte black sleeve with holographic accents.


Overall, the formula of the shadows are a nice texture and are quite pigmented. The shimmery shades were especially pigmented and buttery and were really easy to swatch. I found that the matte shades, the black and dark green shades a bit powdery and it was more difficult to get a more opaque swatch. My favourite shades are the shimmery copper shades which are just perfect for a warm, smokey eye. This eyeshadow palette retails for RRP $75.




Cream Eye Liner 

I haven't tried many cream eyeliners before but I really liked this one ! This cream eyeliner is in the shade called Baroque and is a lovely shimmery copper shade. When I swatched it with an angled eyeliner brush, it was really creamy and application was amazing ! It glided on like a dream. A little bit goes a long way and this little pot would last a very long time !





Graphic Lash Mascara  
I've tried heaps of different mascaras but I was really impressed by this one. It separates each lash while adding volume and length. It lasted all day without any smearing, smudging or flaking. The colour is black and you only need a few swipes. You could easily layer this mascara with multiple coats of this one or another brand. It's definitely going to become one of my staple mascaras. This mascara retails for RRP $25.



Classic Eye Set 
If you're after some basic eye makeup brushes, then look no further than this set. This brush set contains 6 eye brushes and a beautiful clutch to store them in.
The 6 brushes that are included are the:

A personal favourite brush of mine from this set is the 227 Soft Definer. All of the brushes are super soft and blend shadows seamlessly. They're made from a mix a natural hairs and synthetic fibres but they also make a vegan brush range too. This brush set retails for RRP $81



Overall, I loved these Zoeva products and can't wait to try out some more in the future ! Their products are of a fantastic quality and quite reasonable in price. In Australia, Zoeva is available from Sephora Australia stores and online.

*These products were gifted to me and all thoughts expressed are my own.

NYX Professional Makeup have recently released a whole heap of new products and oh my goodness they are awesome ! Some of their new releases include the Cosmic Metals Lip Creams, Lip Lustre Glossy Lip Tints, Total Control Drop Foundation, No Filter Finishing Powder and a Highlight and Contour Palette. So let's get straight into it !



Cosmic Metals Lip Creams
These lip creams are definitely not for the fainthearted ! The colours are super pigmented, bright and sparkly. The colours include a hot pink, purples, blues, greys and a gold. For some colours, I found application a bit easier than others as some tended to be a bit patchy. The ones with the best application and coverage were Speed Of Light (a rose gold shade), Fuchsia Fusion (a hot pink shade) and Ultraviolet  (a dark purple shade). All of the formulas feel a bit tacky on the lip as they are a thicker formula. They have great shine and a really cool metallic/shimmer finish.

L-R: Speed Of Light, Fuchsia Fusion, Asteroid Aura, Ultraviolet, Electromagnetic, Dark Nebula, Galactic

L-R: Speed Of Light, Fuchsia Fusion, Asteroid Aura, Ultraviolet, Electromagnetic, Dark Nebula, Galactic

Lip Lustre Glossy Lip Tints
I really, really like these lip tints. I'm all for a lip product that's not drying, comfortable and lasts all day and these lip tints are just that. The colours are pigmented and go on really nicely. If you like really bright colours than there's heaps in this range for you. Personally, I'm into more nude shades so I'm planning on picking up the nude shades in the range too. I tried swatching the shades but they ended up staining my arm so much that it just didn't work haha. The texture of them is like a thicker gloss and they have a nice shine to them which you can matte slightly by blotting with a tissue.



Highlight and Contour Palette 
When this palette arrived, the top left shade was shattered and I was feeling a bit disappointed. But then I came across a method of fixing it with rubbing alcohol and voilà, it was as good as new. So the palette has eight shades: four light shades for highlighting and four dark shades for contouring. With the light shades, there's a shimmer, highlighter shade, a fair shade, a banana yellow shade and a peachy shade. With the dark shades, there are two warm shades and two cooler shades. I personally like to use cooler tones shades as my skin tone is quite light and this looks the most natural on me. The packaging of this palette is really nice and it's all hard plastic so this would be really great for traveling. Also, you can pop out each pan and move them around or replace them. Winning !



No Filter Finishing Powder
The texture of this powder is so nice ! It's a really fine, silky smooth, velvety texture and feels pretty weightless on the face. I like to use this power to set my makeup and it helps to make it last longer and keep my makeup matte. The powders come in heaps of shades for a flawless finish.



Total Control Drop Foundation 
I loove the packaging of this foundation ! The bottles are frosted and have a screw top with a dropper attached. The idea of this foundation is that you can adjust the coverage of the foundation using the dropper. For a lighter coverage foundation, you use a few drops or for a fuller coverage foundation, you use four or five drops. The foundation is really light weight and has a nice matte, velvety texture. The foundation comes in 24 shades ranging from very fair to deeper tones. One thing I love about NYX is that they make shades of makeup for people with darker skin tones. 
You can pick up all of these brand spanking new releases from Priceline either now or very soon ! This is the first time I've tried NYX and I was really impressed ! The products are pretty affordable and you get great value for your money. They have a great shade range and their products are super pigmented. Love, love love !


* These products were sent to me from NYX Cosmetics with no requirements to review them. I chose to review these products and all the thoughts expressed throughout this post are my own.

A little while ago the amazing people at OPI Australia and COTY PR, invited me to the launch party of the brand new OPI Fiji collection ! The launch was at Bondi Beach in Sydney and I had an amazing time. I was able to preview the entire collection while sipping on cocktails and eating canapes; #heaven !



I got to meet so many amazing people ! L-R in the photo below is Shaz (@shazroseto), Maria (@so_nailicious), Kimberly (@nailedbyk) and Ashleigh (@missashleigh). If you don't follow these lovely ladies already, you're definitely missing out !



Ok so now for the collection. The collection consists of 12 shades that are inspired by the beautiful scenery of Fiji. The shades come in both the normal lacquer range and the Infinite Shine range. Also, the Infinite Shine range has been re-developed to provide longer wearing, high shine colour.


Getting Nadi On My Honeymoon
This is a beautiful light pink shade. It reminds me of Suzi Shops & Island Hops from the Hawaii collection. I had a little bit of trouble with patchiness but it looked pretty opaque after three coats.




Polly Want A Lacquer
I found this colour a bit hard to photograph accurately. It's a really pretty soft lilac shade that is cooler in tone. I didn't have any issues with formula with this shade and it was opaque in two coats.



 
Two-Timing The Zones
This shade is a very bright Barbie pink. It has a slight dusty tone to it but overall is a fun, young colour. The formula was a little but patchy but it wasn't too bad.




Living On The Bulla-vard!
I'd say that this shade is a brighter version of Cajun Shrimp. It's a really nice, bright colour that's just perfect for summer. Two thumbs up from me !




No Tan Lines
Hmm not too fond about this shade. It's sort of an apricot/mandarin colour and it just doesn't do anything for me. I feel it would look good on oliver or darker skin tones.




Exotic Birds Don't Tweet
Again, this shade isn't one I would choose to wear. For some reason, I just really am not a yellow person. But that aside, this shade is a bright yellow that would look fabulous on darker skin tones.




Is That A Spear In Your Pocket?
This shade is a really nice dark emerald colour. It reminds me of Stay Off The Lawn from the OPI Washington DC collection. The formula was fabulous, no complaints for this one.




Suzi Without A Paddle
As always, light blue shades will always be my top pick from a collection. This colour is soft, pastely and so pretty ! I did have some issue with the formula as it was a bit patchy and took a little while to level out. It was opaque in three coats.




Super Trop-i-cal-i-fiji-istic 
Not too sure how I feel about this one. It's a sheer shimmery blue and would look really pretty as a topper over another colour. To wear on its own though, it's a bit sheer for me. I did four coats and I still had a visible nail line.




Do You Sea What I Sea?
Love this shade ! It's a royal blue colour that went on like a dream. The formula is really creamy and wasn't patchy at all. Winner winner. 



 
Coconuts Over OPI
If you're a fan of nude polishes, you'll love this one. It's more of a grey/brown based nude but is sophisticated and elegant. It was a little bit patchy on the first but evened out after a second coat.




I Can Never Hut Up
This shade is really unusual and unique. It's a cool toned grey with a green/gold shimmer running through it. The formula on this one is pretty good and evens out well.




Overall, I really like this collection. Its all about beaches, sunshine, cocktails and fun ! And these shade names are just great ! My picks of the collection are Suzi Without A Paddle, Getting Nadi On My Honeymoon and Living On The Bulla-vard. This collection is available in both normal lacquer and Infinite Shine from Myer, David Jones and selected salons nationally.

Ever wanted salon quality nails but don't want to leave your own home? Well me too ! I've been wanting to try UV Gel polish for a while and the lovely people at Opallac sent me some to try.


The whole process its self is pretty simple and once you get the hang of it, you'll never have to get your nail professionally done again ! I've worn the polish on my toes a couple of times and have been able to get five to six weeks out of it which is incredible ! My favourite colours so far are Go Gaga, Fluro This, Candyman Can and Strawberries & Cream which is a really cool thermal polish.

To do your own gel mani you'll need:
- A UV lamp
- A nail buffer/file
- A UV base coat
- A UV polish in your chosen colour (Here I'm using Opallac Strawberries & Cream)
- A UV top coat
- Opallac Shine & Soak solution




Step 1:
Start with clean, unpolished nails. Using the buffer, lightly buff nails to remove any oils and dirt. This will help the polish to last longer and bond to the nail better. After buffing each nail, take care not to touch the nail as this will put oil on the nail and you'll have to buff it again.



Step 2:
Apply a thin layer of the base coat. Be careful not to get any polish on the skin as it will bond to the polish like superglue when you cure the polish under the UV lamp. It's best to use a tool or your nail to go around the edges of the nail to clean up any seepage.



Step 3:
Cure the base coat under the UV lamp for 60 seconds. Don't forget to cure your thumb too !




Step 6:
Cure the top coat for 90 seconds under the UV lamp.



Step 7:
Finally, use a small amount of the Opallac Shine & Soak solution and wipe over the nail with a tissue or cotton ball. This will remove any stickiness and make your mani really shine. Don't be alarmed if a small amount of colour comes off too.


And now you're done ! Your mani should last about two weeks and removal is pretty simple. You can pick up a Opallac starter kit off the Opallac website or from Priceline for $99.

To celebrate a timeless film, OPI have released a brand new holiday collection - Breakfast At Tiffany's. The collection is filled with reds. pinks, glitters and dark shades.
Let's jump straight into it !


I Believe In Manicures
This shade is definitely my favourite of the entire collection ! I'm a sucker for baby blue shades and this one is just perfect. It was opaque in two coats and the colour is just phenomenal.





Champagne for Breakfast
This shade is a glitter topper that is so pretty ! It has a bit of a holo to it and it quite sparkly. I put two coats over I Believe In Manicures and it had nice coverage.



Meet My "Decorator"
This is such a beautiful spicy red/orange shade. It reminds me of Cajun Shrimp by OPI as it has a similar colour profile but I think this shade is slightly brighter. So nice and bright !


 
Breakfast At Tiffany's 
If you're a fan of nude shades with a shimmer running through it, then this one's for you. It took about two to three coats for opacity and was a bit on the thin side.



Five-and-Ten
I found this shade quite hard to photograph but it's really pretty in person. Its a silver foil that's really easy to apply. I've worn similar shades previously and they were a pain to apply but this one was much easier and this finish was much nicer.




Got The Mean Reds
OPI are known for their amazing red shades and this one is no exception. Application was lovely and only two coats were needed from opacity. It has a nice shine and would look fabulous on every skin tone.



Sunrise...Bedtime !
This shade is another nice glitter topper and has nice distribution of pink and silver. Like Champagne For Breakfast, pictured is two coats over Apartment For Two.



Apartment For Two
I love this shade ! It's a beautiful pink that's nice and bright. Application was great and I have no complaints. 



Fire Escape Rendezvous 
Hmm not thrilled with this shade. The base colour is ok - it's a mid toned shade with a lighter shimmer running through it. But I'm not a fan with the chunky glitter that also runs through it.
I probably won't be reaching for this one again.



Can't Read Without My Lipstick 
This shade reminds me of a red version of Guys and Galaxies by OPI. It was a little sheer but overall, I really like it.



Rich & Brazilian 
This shade is really fun. It's a deep purple with a beautiful shimmer running through it. I didn't have any problems with application, you could even get away with one coat of polish !




Black Dress Not Optional
This shade is a dark colour that's almost black. It has a fine shimmer running through it and it's really nice. It reminds me of Centre Of The You-Niverse by OPI but with a finer shimmer. 



Overall, I really like this collection and can see myself wearing lots of these colours in the future. My favourites shades have to be I Believe In Manicures and Meet My "Decorator".
You can pick up these colours now for $19.95 at David Jones, Myer and selected salons nationally.