Archive | September, 2011

Old Style Hair

30 Sep

We love these old hair care ads so we thought we would share them with you all. It’s funny to see that women from all eras have the same hair concerns as we do today! Although the styles may be a little bit different. Its also good that these brands are still around today.


*Images courtesy of Found in Mom’s Basement and Vintage Ad Browser

A touch of glamour? Yes please.

29 Sep

Looking for something beautiful to decorate your hair with? Something for Spring Carnival perhaps?? Well I have found something so pretty that I need to share it with you. My Mum came over recently baring gifts (she is only allowed to come over if she has a gift in hand..nah…kidding. Wouldnt that be nice though). She saw these cute as a button hair accessories and instantly thought of me. I am so glad she did because I am absolutely in love with them.

They are two separate flower shaped hair pieces (one in a pretty dusty pink and the other in an off white) made “with love” by local designer Hayley Leek, who aptly describes them as ‘shabby sheik’. I have worn them twice now and have had a mountain of compliments already. You can wear the pieces separately or together like I have done below.

The pieces themselves are made from lace and chiffon, they are then attached to a clip that you secure to your hair. I love to pull a section of hair from the side of my head, pin it in place and then attach the gorgeous flower pieces.

These pieces add a touch of vintage glamour to your outfit and what I love about them in particular is that you can wear them out for a night on the town, shopping with the girls or even a wedding, they really go with everything.

RRP: $10.00 (BTW how awesome is that). Pieces are ordered directly through Hayley herself. Email us here at The Makeup Case, themakeupcase@hotmail.com and we will pass on Hayleys details.

Our Adventure to IMATS!

28 Sep

We trekked into the city early Saturday morning and after a bit of parking debacle we managed to get our hands on a hot coffee and some delicious turkish toast. We were now ready to take on the magical world of IMATS. (International Makeup Artist Trade Show)

Where to start? We wandered around looking at all the great products on offer, checked the timetables for the stages and stopped to have a quick look at the progress of the artists in the makeup awards.

Rae Morris was on the main stage so we took up position and listened (and learned) eagerly to all she had to say. She spoke about her experiences on being a makeup artist, some tips on how to get started and be successful and most important, some makeup tips to make your eyes look bigger. She also just launched a great brush range designed to make your application quick and easy with only few stroke blending.

Next up, Mac presents Body Art Trilogy with Nicole Thompson, senior artist and leader of the MAC pro body art team. Wow! These were amazing! The team created 3 different looks all disappearing into the background, inspired by graffiti, PVC and layered illustration.

The day finished up with keynote speaker Napoleon Perdis, speaking about his range, experiences and of course, himself!

Ahhhhh a great day with so much makeup and we learned so many great tips. Thanks IMATS!

Thermo active spray to the rescue..

27 Sep

If you loving using your straightening iron as much as I do then you need to invest in a good heat protective spray and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. constantly blow drying, straightening and curling your hair can cause your beautiful locks to dry out and become brittle which in turn cause split ends and breakage, no thank you, hence a good heat protective is vital.

This is where Garnier Fructis Thermo Active Spray Sleek and Shine comes into play. Not only does this spray smell delicious (I am not kidding you, it actually smells so sweet that I want to eat it), it contains a heat protective agent and gets rid of that annoying frizz that most of us have to endure through the more humid months.

If you are a bit of a lazy bugger then this is perfect for you, it is so quick and easy and because the spray is heat activated, it is just a matter of spraying your damp hair and then blow drying or straightening as usual. Another great thing about this product is that it is infused with all natural ingredients like  bamboo (the first Garnier product to use this, just in case you didn’t know), vitamin fruit extracts and xylose, they all work together to protect, nourish and condition your hair.

I have been using Sleek and Shine going on a month now and my hair feels so healthy and the best part is all those annoying fly aways and frizz around the side of my face have gone. After towel drying my hair I flip it upside down and spray the heck out of it, I then wait a little bit for my hair to dry naturally before I get into the blow dryer. Blow drying and straightening seem a lot easier when I use the spray and on the odd occassion I forget to use it (usually after a long night out) I really notice the difference. Oh, and another amazing thing, the bottle has a ring that lets you turn the spary lever on or off. So so so handy when you are travelling, belive me!

RRP: $7.95 for 150ml. Available from Pharmacies, department stores and supermarkets.

* Image courtesy of beautydirectory.com

**These products were sent to The Makeup Case for editorial consideration. Please see our disclosure policy.

Want to Get the London look?

26 Sep

Last Wednesday night we were lucky enough to attend a Rimmel London event to celebrate Kate Moss 10 year collaboration with the brand, I really cannot believe it has been 10 years! The one advert that always comes to my mind when I think of Kate Moss and Rimmel is the one for Volume Flash Mascara where she rides a motor bike through the streets of London. Rimmel always comes up with such great ads to sell their products and you can never forget the catch phase “Get the London Look”. We had such a great night celebrating (and maybe drinking a few delish cocktails, Vodka and Blueberries anyone?) we wanted to share a few pics from the night.

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Now it wasnt all fun and games, we were also there to get a sneak peek at Kate Moss first ever signature lipstick collection created by Kate herself for Rimmel. The collection appropriately named The Kate Collection contains 7 shades varying from bright pinks, reds, coral and nudes, you are bound to find one that suits your skin tone and attitude.

After the event we were excited to take home a Rimmel London pack containing one of Kate’s Lasting Finish lipsticks.

The lipstick we received was number 11, a deep red (you cannot imagine how happy I was to get the red colour, I can’t get enough of red lippy). The lipsticks glides on well and the colour pops straight away, it is a very rich red and is a great colour to wear out during the day or night. Sometimes I find with certain brands of lipstick the colour that comes out on your lips is not always the same as it looks in the stick. The colour lasted well, after eating lunch it was still as bright as ever. I didn’t really need to apply for about 2 hours, by that time my lips did feel slightly dry.

In our awesome goodie bag we also received the Extra Wow Lash mascara in Extreme Black. I have to say this mascara is pretty god dam amazing, it is lash building and really defines your lashes making them fuller and longer. The brush  is oversized making it easy to create volume, you can apply 1-2 coats for a soft look or by applying 3 or more you achieve a dramatic look great for hitting up some friday night cocktails.

Kate Moss Vintage Muse perfume was also included, a floral musk scent that really lingers on your skin. Vintage Muse contains plum, rhubarb and black currant creme as its head. Peony, tiger orchid and purple violet as its heart and ambergris, white musk and a touch of chocolate for its base. All in all such a beautiful mix of ingredients, making this perfume delicious, not to mention the deep amethyst colour and design of the bottle. Breathtaking!

Check out the Rimmel London Australia website for all their other amazing products. They have such a great variety of makeup from polishes, lip gloss, lip stick, foundation everything you could possibly need.

xx

Ready To Get Your Shatter On?

23 Sep

Shatter polish has been on the shelves for a while now, I was never really that into it until I saw OPI Shatter in turquoise. It is such a pretty tranquil colour and I thought it would be great for summer in the sun, without thinking twice I purchased the cute little bottle.

Applying the shatter polish it self is fairly straight forward, although I did find the process quiet drawn out but, for the end results it is really worth the extra effort. Firstly,  you need to apply a base colour, I went for OPI’s Do You Think I’m Tex-y? from the Texas collection..duh. I applied 3 coats and made sure each one was completely dry before applying another.

After making sure your nails are definitely dry you can apply one coat of shatter polish over the top. It is really important that your nails are dry or else the shatter won’t work as well. The reason the shatter polish works is because the chemicals in the polish are not compatible, making it crack when it dries out. It is really amazing to see it actually happen on your nails and I love the randomness of the different cracks and patterns.

You can also apply a top coat over your shatter once it has dried.

What do you think of the whole shatter polish craze? Check out OPI Shatter collection HERE.

 RRP: OPI Do You Think I’m Tex-y $19.00 and OPI turquoise Shatter $19.00. Available from David Jones.

Our Favourites….in September

22 Sep

There’s lots of things we can’t live without but we couldn’t possible use them everyday. But here are a few of the things that we must and have used everyday in September.

Burts Bees Tinted Lip balm in Hibiscus (official Liptember Lippy) It goes without saying that we use this everyday, after all it is Liptember! It goes on nice and smooth and lasts on your lips for ages. It is only slightly tinted, just enough colour to make me feel like i don’t have a naked face. Oh and it also keeps my lips nice and soft and moisturised. Read about Liptember

David Jones Ultra Mascara in Black. I picked this up one day when I was trying to find a birthday present (i don’t think i did get that present) and I love it. The package says it’s volumising and lengthening but I’m not sure it does both. It smooths on my lashes easily and makes them look longer. I wear it everyday because it makes me feel like I’m ready for anything and it easily removes with warm water. RRP $14.95 from David Jones.

Eco Tan – Tan Away Glove. Now, one of us is not as keen as the other about self tanning. Honestly I just cant be bothered sometimes but I do like to have fresh glowing skin. So from the day I put my Tan Away glove in the shower not a week has passed without using it. I usually use it every 3rd day or so all over my body with my favourite body wash, followed by a lathering of moisturiser and my skin is feeling soft and silky. Click here to read the post

Mac Face and Body. Perfect for everyday or a night out on the town. Goes on nice and smooth and builds for more coverage (when I’m having bad skin days). I usually wear it how it comes for that dewy look but if I’m going out at night I will use a powder over it for staying power and a smooth matt finish. Read our post

What things are you loving in September?

*Images courtesy of Liptember and Eco Tan

Sara Wong, Nail Artist Extraordinaire

21 Sep

The Makeup Case was thrilled to have the opportunity to ask Sara Wong, Nail Artist and Nail Competition Organiser at the Sydney International Spa & Beauty Expo, a few questions about the amazing world of nails.

What attracted you to a career in the nail/beauty industry?

When I was younger I used to admire my mothers beautiful nails, so I started doing nails as a bit of a hobby. The more I did it, the more I loved it, so I completed a course and got my first job as a nail artist shortly afterwards. Since then I haven’t looked back – I really enjoy the lifestyle, the work, and most importantly, the fantastic and interesting people who I get to meet everyday.

What is your can’t live without product of all time?

There are probably two products I cannot live without, the first would have to be my iPhone (it pretty much has my whole life organised on it), the second would have to be lip balm.

What is your best tip for a smooth running event/competition?

Ha – if you have any great tips then please let me know. It may seem like everything is smooth running to the public and the competitors, but behind the scenes it can be really hectic. In the end it all comes down to having a great team of people all working together to produce a great event.

What criteria were you looking for in entrants in the competition?

This competition attracts the best nail artists from Australia and Internationally, so in order to stand out from the crowd, not only do you need to have flawless technique, you also need to have a passion for pushing the boundaries and creating designs that are contemporary and innovative.

How did the competition designs compare or differ from last year?

The most obvious difference was that the technical standards are continuing to improve each year and that is a great thing to see – this competition is all about encouraging nail artists to keep improving each year. We also added a new competition category, “Fantasy Runway”, where we saw the competitors go above and beyond to create a whole look for their models based on their nail designs.

What is the most creative/interesting nail design you have seen?

To be honest, some of the most creative and interesting nail designs that I have seen were in this years Fantasy Runway competition – I was blown away by talent and execution of ideas by a number of the competitors.

What nail trends can we expect to see for the coming season?

Well I am from Melbourne so I am always hoping that black polish will be all the rage haha. Putting my serious fashion cap on for a moment…I think we will see more dusty metallic tones like dirty rose pinks and tarnished golds and browns for a while. However I think as the weather warms up, people will be back to bright yellows, pinks, corals and blues.

What do you think about the rise of gel polishes like Shellac and Bio Sculpture?

Each product has its benefits. Gel polishes are great for people who wear the same colour polish for extended periods of time and therefore require resistance against chipping – traditional polishes may not last as long but they can be applied quickly and changed just as fast. Personally, I think it is great to see alternative products to the traditional polishes come onto the market – the more choices we can give our clients the better!

As a nail artist, what is something that people do to their nails that really frustrates you?

I am a firm believer in wearing nails as a fashion accessory. All too often, people make the mistake of matching the colour of their nails with their lipstick and outfit – make your nails a fashion statement! And don’t get me started on unpolished toe nails…haha.

What are some basic nail care tips?

It may sound obvious, but the best thing that people can do for their nails is to eat a well-balanced diet – eating right can really help to build strong healthy nails. Also, make sure you give your nails a quick file at least once a week followed by the application of a good quality cuticle oil (like Handbag Holiday Cuticle Oil by Butter London), not only does this remove any chips, it also stimulates nail growth.

 

 

 

 

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Guess who it is?!?

20 Sep

Have you got your hot little hands on the October issue of Cleo magazine yet? If you havent then you should totally get one and go straight to pages 66 and 67, want to know why? Dadadadaaa, The Makeup Case is a part of this months Beauty Panel.

I was lucky enough to review two amazing products; Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter and Face of Australia Concealer. Both of these products were fantastic and I had such a great time reviewing them and being apart of this months Cleo.

 

 

*Image courtesy of cleo.com.au

 

Nothing better then a reminder on a Monday…

19 Sep

Don’t forget, the International Makeup Artist Trade Show (IMATS) is on this coming weekend, September 24th and 25th. The best thing about this event is that it is open to everyone, even if you are not a Makeup Artist you can come along and see all the new and amazing products and techniques you may not even know exsited.

The IMATS trade show is visiting six other cities around the world, we are so lucky one of them is Sydney (Sorry Melbournites). There are 11 keynote speakers at the Sydney event including Rae Morris and Napoleon Perdis, The Makeup Case are lucky enough to be invited to Napoleon Perdis keynote! Needless to say, we are excited and will fill you in on all the goss.

If you want to come on down to the trade show, it will be held at the Sydney Convention Centre Darling Harbour. Tickets are avaliable at the door for $45.00 for one day or $75.00 if you would like to attend both days. Remember to come and say ‘hi’ if you see two girls walking around looked dazed and amazed, it will most probably be us.

Have a look at the schedule before you go, just so you dont miss anything amazing. Let us know what you think of the show!

*Image courtesy of IMATS.com

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