SWATCH FEST: Lime Crime Palette D'Antoinette

Hello,

It has been a while since I posted my last Lime Crime swatch fest on the Aquataenia Palette. I do also aim to blog about the Alchemy and China Doll in the near future (promise!). Palette D'Antoinette (note: you can't really say it without putting a french accent on lol) is a palette of five shadows - four pastel matte and a sparkly pale silver.

Royal Flush: A bright matte mid-pink. Would be great as a blush!

Absinthe-Minded: A bright lime green. This is a really is a nice green that doesn't lean too blue or yellow.

Macarooned: A bright orange. Like royal flush, this would also be a great blush. It does lean a bit yellow, so just be careful if yellow tones make you look like you have jaundice!

Ribbonesque: A bright lilac purple. Such a beautiful colour! It is a blue, based purple and choc full of win!

Mercurious: Metallic Silver. The only won with sparkle and also choc full of win! (You can see the silver in action on my inner corners here).

I haven't used all of these colours yet (ok, just Mercurious) but I am seriously in love! They are such good value too with a palette setting you back AUD$36 (for 5 x 1.5gms of eyeshadow you seriously can't argue with that!).

Have you tried any of the Lime Crime palettes? Got a favourite?

Love,

Your PM x

SWATCH FEST: Even More OCC Loose Colour Concentrates!

Well, 

I've been at it again... Buying more things I don't need! lol

Lipstick Republic had a 20% off sale, so my arm was easily twisted to buy a few new goodies! (I mean really, did you expect anything less? lol).

I picked up three more OCC Loose Colour concentrates and Lime Crime's China Doll palette (A swatch fest of China Doll will come at a later date!).

I have previously swatched the rest of my Loose Colour Concentrate collection and you can view them here (11) and here (3)! Including these latest few, my collection sits at 17/35... so about half way! (and geez I feel like I'm running out of options! lol)

My three latest choices: Foxfire, Brasstacks and Jubilee!

L: Foxfire, R: Brasstacks, B: Jubilee

L-R: Jubilee, Foxfire, Brasstacks

Jubilee: A pale blue with a turquoise duo-chrome type shimmer. It is great for layering! When this arrived, I went 'oh dear what have I done?!'... But swatched, it's actually quite pretty!

Foxfire: A bright grassy-type green with silver shimmer undertone. I am surprised that I didn't pick this one up sooner being that I have a big love of greens.

Brasstacks: Brasstacks is a great every-day dark chocolate brown with a gold shimmer. As the name implies, it does lean a touch brassy. This is another one I am surprised that I didn't end up with sooner.

As mentioned, I purchased my LCC's from Lipstick Republic (remember to use code 'RepublicVIBs' for 10% off!). The going rate is AUD$14 for 2.5gms (great value!)

Have you tried Loose Colour Concentrates? Got any favourite colours?

Love,

Your PM x

SWATCH FEST: Lime Crime 'Aquataenia' Palette

Good morning/afternoon/evening! (Please choose the applicable one for the time of day in your neck of the woods! lol)

As requested by some, I will be swatching my Lime Crime eyeshadow palettes (I now have them all which means yay for you and not yay for my hip pocket! lol). First cab of the rank is the Aquataenia palette!

I have only just recently started collecting the Lime Crime eyeshadow palettes (mostly because I have all their lipsticks and I am running out of products to buy!). I picked up the Aquataenia palette when I purchased Babette (because I'm not paying $12-odd dollars shipping for one lipstick... defeats the purpose!). I have always admired the palettes but thought that perhaps the colours were not entirely practical. Now that I am a bit more adventurous with colour (or that my inner collector has won... not sure), I think they are super cool! I will also post some looks that I've done using the palettes so that if they aren't something you'd normally go for you can see how they could be used!

Lime Crime's Aquataenia Palette

L-R: Nautilus Prime, Coral of the Story, Seahorse Discourse, Pearl-ple,  Atlanteal

Nautilus Prime: A deep (but vibrant) Royal Blue

Coral of the Story: A nice mid coral. This would also be a suitable blush.

Seahorse Discourse: A bright yellow based lime-green.

Pearl-ple: A mid lilac purple, it does not lean overly pink or blue based.

Atlanteal: A pale teal. Leans a bit more green in real life. 

I looooove the names. I am a sucker for a good pun! Nautilus Prime in particular gives me a good giggle! These are super pigmented and have a metallic shimmer/touch of sparkle. Though, do take care with the paler ones (i.e. Atlanteal) as they can kind of get lost against the darker colours (going back over it during application is key here - a primer also helps with this).

If you have read my Babette review, then you would have seen the look I did using Babette and the Aquataenia palette on my eyes (I will post it again for a bit of overkill  and because I was super happy with how it turned out! lol)

Aquataenia palette in action!

For this look I've used the blues and greens (Nautilus Prime, Atlanteal and Seahorse Discourse). I have also used Mercurious from the D'Antionette palette on the inner corner (swatches to come!).

The Aquataenia palette will set you back AUD$36 for 5 x 1.5gms pans of eyeshadow. (Pretty good value when you think that a MAC eyeshadow is AUD$33 for 1.5gms!)

This palette gets a big thumbs up from me!

Have you used the Aquataenia palette? Thoughts?

Love,

Your PM x

SWATCH FEST: Sleek Individual Blushes

Hello,

Time for another swatch fest - this time featuring Sleek Individual Blushes.

I have a lot of love for Sleek's products as they are awesome quality for the price point! They also have quite a bit of variety within their range!

I have four blushes to swatch for you out of the ten available on the Sleek website. These colours, to me, have the most universal appeal - quite a few of their colours have a real red streak (which I avoid like the plague! lol).

Top L-R: Pixie Pink, Sunrise
Bottom L-R: Life's A Peach, Rose Gold

L-R: Pixie Pink, Life's A Peach, Rose Gold, Sunrise

Pixie Pink: A matte mid-pink (it reminds me of Barbie! lol)

Life's A Peach: A matte peachy orange. This is a very soft colour and probably the least pigmented of this bunch (which in a way is good because it's harder to stuff up the application!),

Rose Gold: A deep rose pink with a golden shimmer. This has been labelled as a dupe for Nars' Orgasm (and you can read my dupe test about the two here!). It is a really nice, universally appealing, colour but be warned it is very shimmery so don't get too heavy handed with it!

Sunrise: A dark pink-tinged brown with a golden-yellow shimmer. This might be a bit dark for fellow pasty peeps - it doesn't fuss me too much because I'll give anything a crack, but if you're pale and trying it out, start with a very light hand! I can see this being a great colour for darker skin tones!

These blushes will set you back USD$5.99 for 8gms (is that seriously good value or what?!). You can buy them online from www.sleekmakeup.com. If you love Sleek blushes that much you can also buy them in a palette of three's! (Not quite these colours but similar!)

Have you tried Sleek blushes? Do you have any favourites?

Love,

Your PM x

SWATCH FEST: More OCC Loose Colour Concentrates

Hi guys and girls!

A while ago, I posted swatches of my OCC Loose Colour Concentrates collection. Today, I have a few more swatches to add!

I love these Loose Colour Concentrates because they are super pigmented and at a really attractive price point given the quality!

The latest three I've picked up are: Smote, Technoir and Overlook!

L-R: Smote, Technoir, Overlook

L-R: Smote, Technoir, Overlook

Smote: A deep beige with prominent silver shimmer. It's a bit like a dark version of Clove.

Technoir: A deep blue with a duo-chrome shimmer. The OCC website says 'Dark Navy/Blue Duo Chrome', but I personally wouldn't call it navy (it does look Navy in the pot but doesn't swatch so dark!). The shimmer is like a purple shift and flecks of gold are also visible. It reminds me of Illamasqua's Alluvium but with finer shimmer.

Overlook: A deep purple with a golden shimmer. It's kind of like an eggplant/aubergine colour.

OCC Loose Colour Concentrates will set you back AUD$14 for 2.5gms (told you they were awesome value!). You can purchase them from Lipstick Republic (and remember code 'RepublicVIBs' for 10% off!).

These are great colours for winter! Smote is a great neutral, I love Technoir because I am absolutely in love with Alluvium and Overlook is such a pretty and dramatic colour for winter!

Have you tried any LCC's? Which ones are your faves?

Love,

Your PM x

SWATCH FEST: MAC Amplified/Amplified Creme Lipsticks

In this post I thought I would share with you my MAC Amplified Creme Collection. Amplified is my favourite MAC finish, hands down! If you ever want to invest in a MAC lippy, I do recommend trying an Amplified Creme. There are a huge range of colours (I have 12 I am swatching for you today) but they range from nude (safe) to bright (out there), so there is definitely something for every taste! The colour is intense and long lasting! Finish wise, they are satin-y-ish. Definitely not matte or glossy! They often leave a bit of a stain (which doesn't bother me but may bother you). With day-after-day wear they can suck the moisture out of your lips a little (due to all the pigments) - so prep well and balm them!

Lets get swatching!:

MAC Amplified Cremes

L-R: Violetta, Dark Side, Craving, Chatter Box, Haute Altitude, Saint Germain 

L-R: Girl About Town, Show Orchid, Full Fuschia, Impassioned, Morange, Neon Orange 

L-R: Violetta, Dark Side, Craving, Chatter Box, Haute Altitude, Saint Germain

Violetta: PRO. Bright violet with a slight blue shimmer.

Dark Side: A deep burgundy (a great choice for winter!)

Craving: A pinky plum colour (this is my favourite non-bright colour!)

Chatter Box: A mid-pink (red based)

Haute Altitude: LE. A dusty pink. It almost looks nude compared to these. (This was released with the Apres Chic collection and may be hard to come by now).

Saint Germain: A bright baby pink.

L-R: Girl About Town, Show Orchid, Full Fuchsia, Impassioned, Morange, Neon Orange

Girl About Town: A bright fuchsia.

Show Orchid: PRO. A bright fuchsia with a blue-ish iridescence. This has got serious shine!

Full Fuchsia: PRO. A bright fuchsia. This is a teensy bit more red than Girl About Town - and has a tiny bit more shimmer.

Impassioned: A red toned fuchsia. Not as deep as GAT and FF. Reminds me of Maybelline's Vivid Rose (*note to self: dupe test!*)

Morange: A bright, clean orange. (this is my all-time fave!)

Neon Orange: LE/PRO. A bright red-toned orange. (This was released with the All About Orange collection and I believe it's usually a PRO colour)

NOTE: Pro Only colours can only be purchased from MAC Pro Stores (check the MAC website for your closest Pro store).

Other colours in the range are:

- Cosmo

- Fast Play

- Brick-o-la

- Vegas Volt

- Up the Amp

- Dubonnet

- Half-n-Half

- Blankety

(You can check the MAC website for descriptions)

MAC lipsticks retail for AUD$36 for 3.0gms. You can purchase from selected MAC/David Jones counters and online from www.maccosmetics.com.au!

Which is your favourite Amplified Creme?

Love,

Your PM x

p.s. If you follow me on Instagram (@polishedmakeup), you can see some of these amplified cremes in action!

SWATCH FEST: OCC Loose Colour Concentrates!

Hello,

Tonight I have swatched (and therefore am blogging about) my OCC Loose Colour Concentrates collection!

OCC are probably most well known for their super pigmented (and awesome) Lip Tars (which I will swatch eventually!), but their Loose Colour Concentrates do not disappoint!

There is a whopping 35 colours in the collection, of which I only have 11 - but hopefully this helps a bit if you have been trolling the Internet looking for some swatches! (I do eventually aim to get more but I am trying to resist buying every cosmetic item I lay my eyes on at the moment!). Be warned: These are crazily pigmented! (Now would be a good time to take your socks off so they don't get knocked off by the impending awesomeness!)

Top L-R: Tryptych, Flicker, Glisten, Clove, Platonic, Ironic
Bottom L-R:  Static, Cavu Blue, Wasabi, Chlorophyll, Nori

Packaging is a clear screw-top jar and it does have a three-hole sifter inside (this is good if you are clumsy and end up throwing it around - you won't lose it all over the floor!).

L-R: Tryptych, Flicker, Glisten, Clove, Platonic, Ironic, Static, Cavu Blue, Wasabi, Chlorophyll, Nori

L-R: Tryptych, Flicker, Glisten, Clove, Platonic, Ironic

L-R:  Static, Cavu Blue, Wasabi, Chlorophyll, Nori

Here is a little run-down on the colours:

Tryptych: A regal metallic gold. It is a yellow based gold. I purchased it with the intention of using it in ombre lips. This will probably never touch my eyelids due to the yellow content! lol

Flicker: A pinky tinged beige with gold shimmer.

Glisten: A pinky based coral with gold shimmer.

Clove: A neutral/champagne beige. It is more brown than Flicker. This would be a good neutral eye pick!

Platonic: A pale pink. Surprisingly pretty on! Along with Clove, these would be great colours for bridal and/or everyday makeup.

Ironic: A metallic silver with a gold and purple shimmer. This is actually a surprisingly interesting colour! I thought it was just a metallic silver but I was wrong!

Static: A blue based purple with a blue shimmer.

Cavu Blue: A bright cyan blue. This one has got some punch!

Wasabi: A yellow tinged bright green. It's described as Chartreuse (but I always imagined that was more yellow!).

Chlorophyll: A bright mint green. OCC describe it as turquoise, but I always imagine turquoise as slightly bluer. Either way, super pretty! 

Nori: A darkened teal/sea green. A great colour in the winter months!

I swatched these colours on my bare (pasty) arm - if you wear them over a primer (such as NYX Eyeshadow Base) then you will end up with a more intense colour! (But as you can tell they are pretty intense already!). I also recommend something 'sticky' (like an eyeshadow base) particularly if you are going to press them onto your lid. They will last much longer! They do blend out without a problem though. I have used Nori in my crease (my lids were prepped with foundation and powder) and it blended out without a problem and stayed put very well! Cavu Blue, Wasabi, Chlorophyll and Nori are a tad more matte than the other colours (they still shimmer, but as you can tell from the photos it is not as apparent!).

My picks: Wasabi, Chlorophyll, Nori (can you tell I like greens?)

OCC Loose Colour Concentrates will set you back a very reasonable AUD$14 for 2.5gms (very generous and super good value!). You can buy OCC from Lipstick Republic (great to deal with and you can use code 'RepublicVIBs' for 10% off! Woohoo!).

Have you tried any of the Loose Colour Concentrates? Which are your favourites?

Love,

Your PM x

p.s. Wasabi has been featured on my blog in my April Favourites and I have worn Flicker in a FOTD! x
p.p.s. if you want to see some more colours in action, find me on Instagram (@polishedmakeup)

SWATCH FEST: Illamasqua Precision Ink

Today's swatch fest will be on my collection of Illamasqua Precision Ink Liners.

The Illamasqua liners have received a lot of attention of late for their new 'Speckled Eye Liner' technique (if you are wondering what it's like you can view it here!). I haven't tried the speckles yet (though after looking at that tutorial I do want to get my hands on scribe...) but I have been keen on their Precision Ink for quite a while!

Precision Ink Outer Packaging

Precision Ink Brush

Their packaging is plain black with cream print (reasonably standard for Illamasqua). The brush is a semi-flexible (at the end) felt tip.


Precision Ink Swatches (L-R): Alchemy, Abyss, Havoc



Alchemy: A gold glitter. This one isn't fully opaque. Like wisdom (the current gold liner available), this one would be awesome paired with black. It would also make a nice take on the 'speckled eye-liner' trend! (Also, I didn't realise till I was halfway through writing this, but it seems you can't get it any more! Sorry!)

Abyss: A jet black. It's opaque too! (Some liquid liners are notorious for being a bit transparent!). One thing I like about it is that it has a sort of shiny finish (not wax floor shiny, but shiny enough to set it apart from any dark eye makeup you may be wearing).
Havoc: A dark purple. It's almost brown, and you'd probably be more inclined to call it brown over purple if you didn't actually know it was purple, but there is a definite purply tone in there. Dark enough to not look silly but it makes a nice change from black!

This has to be one of the best eyeliners I have come across. Ever. The formula is fabulous. It actually stays put! It won’t start running if you start running! YAY! (Other liners I’ve worn are much easier to smudge if you rub your eyes). Yes, I do find the brush a bit tedious at times, but that can easily be avoided (just dip your favourite eyeliner brush in instead!). The only downside to the formula is that it can be a bit stingy if you get it in the wrong spot (so if you have sensitive eyes be careful!).

If you are in the market for a new liquid eyeliner (and your eyes aren’t super sensitive) then I definitely recommend you give this one a go!

This product also comes in white (Scribe), antiqued gold (Wisdom) and an opalescent nude (Glister).

It costs AUD$27 for 1.8mL (it is quite pricey when you think about how much you get but a little goes a long way!).

A nifty little trick is that the ink's can even be used as a nail art pen! (Awesome if you want to smash some nail art on the go!)

You can purchase Illamasqua Precision Ink (and other Illamasqua products) from www.illamasqua.com or in Australia from selected Myer counters or www.myer.com.au

Have you tried the Illamasqua Precision Ink?

Love,
Your PM x