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

MONTHLY MAKEUP OBJECTIVES: Wear Stila Liquid Lipsticks

To kick off my completed monthly makeup objectives, I will start with the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipsticks.

My love for liquid lipsticks first started with Lime Crime's Velvetines, but naturally being only available in two colours, I started searching abroad for different brands - to which I found Stila. I will review these in the near future when I have time to properly swatch them, but I might as well treat you to some pics of me wearing it being that I have them!

One thing I will note about these liquid lipstick... don't buy them solely based on the colour of the tube. Fiore in particular is a lot brighter on than in the tube! When applied, they dry down and the colour changes slightly. If you're buying online, check a few swatches on the net first!

Stila Aria 

Stila Fiore

Aria is a deep but bright plum colour and Fiore is a bright pink/fuchsia. Both wear really well (I wore Aria out for dinner to purposely put it through it's paces... it really doesn't budge!). I am glad I finally got around to wearing them and Fiore in particular will be making its way into rotation over summer!

One more thing to note with application, a little goes a very long way! (So make sure you use a light hand).

That's one checked off the list with plenty more to come!
Love,
Your PM x

POLISH FOR YOUR POLLEX: OPI Alcatraz... Rocks! (Review & Swatches)

Hello,

As the point of Polished Makeup was to bring you makeup AND polish, it's about time I actually blogged about some polish! I have picked up some fairly new OPI's of late, so they will make their way onto the blog in the coming weeks! 

I have been loving the textured polishes over the last little while (namely Zoya's Pixie Dust and OPI's Liquid Sand). At first I was not that enthused, but after actually trying some I was a changed woman - they are pretty awesome!

This post is on 'Alcatraz.. Rocks!' one of the Liquid Sand polishes from OPI's new San Fransisco release. It dries to a matte finish so you simply apply a base coat and two coats and away you go! (They are relatively quick drying too). You can use a top coat with these, but it does ruin the textured finish (they can look quite nice though from swatches I've seen getting around the internet!). If you follow me on instagram (@polishedmakeup) you would know that this pic has been pilfered from my account... I'm all about efficiency ;) haha.

The best way to describe Alcatraz... Rocks! is a navy/denim blue with purple and gold glitter, but there is also flecks of blue and green glitter. It's so glittery that my phone struggled to focus! It is a seriously interesting colour! The only thing I don't like, is that it's been released coming into the Australian Spring/Summer (because it's fall in the States), so it's not likely to get heaps of wear over the next few months! 

It's definitely a two-coat polish. It can look very patchy after one, but evens up perfectly with a second coat. I used OPI's Natural Nail Base Coat as my base coat. I got quite a few days wear before they started chipping - about 3-4 (which is good for me as my nails are pretty weak!). I find the textured polishes wear a lot better on me.

OPI retails in Australia for $19.95 and you can purchase them from selected David Jones and Myer Stores, as well as Salon Stockists.

Have you tried any liquid sand polishes? What are your thoughts?

Love,

Your PM x

MONTHY MAKEUP OBJECTIVES: Goals for Aug/Sept 2013

Hello!

I apologise for being on the downlow lately, but I assure you I have not forgotten about the blog! I am currently on an anti-sugar crusade to cut it completely out of my diet (I ate way too much... so far so good though!) so my blogging time lately has turned into cooking time making sugar-free snacks for work!

Nonetheless, I have still been testing out products (including some polish for a change-up!) and these posts will go up when I have time to sit and put them together!

In the mean time, I have come up with a new section (to add to the oodles I already have lol) to blog about. My new topic is "Monthly Makeup Objectives". The purpose of this is to have a list of goals on here, of things I would like to do/try/wear over the specified time period (this one is August and September!). When I complete a said task, I will write a little post about it with some pictorial evidence... pilfered from my instagram account! haha. Hopefully it serves of some inspiration to you when you are next reaching for some makeup or polish!

So here are my current list of makeup objectives:

• Wear more glitter
• Fancy eyebrows
• Practise cat-eye eyeliner with an angled brush
• OCC Lip Tar/Illamasqua combos
• Do a makeup look inspired by someone on Instagram
• Wear Stila liquid lipsticks 
• Do a look with a Sleek i-Divine palette
• Use the Sleek Candy Collection
• Do a look with a nude lip
• Do a minimal look using BB cream
• Do a look with cream blush
• Use MAC Lipglasses
• Do a brown smokey eye
• Complete another #whydidn'tiwearitearlier
• Do some nail art
• Try and dupe MAC's 'O' Lipstick

There we have it! I wonder how many I will be able to get through! Are there any that you are looking forward to, or are there some that you think I should add to the list?

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