A while back I got invited to an event for NuSkin as they were releasing the Dr. Dana>>>>, but while I was there they kindly gifted me 5 of the Powerlips Fluid lipsticks. I'm posting them now because now I'm starting to really wear makeup a lot and am trying out all kinds of different products, I've realised just how dang nice these are!

So they boast that they have avocado oil, vitamin E and beeswax in the formula, and that even though they are long lasting, they won't damage your lips. 

For me, I got super excited when I started wearing these and realised that I can go for hours without needing to reapply. Even through eating. They apply like a liquid lip and take a little while to dry down, but once they're dry those babies are not moving. Not at all. But you don't notice that it's there. I've had a few occasions where I've gone to the bathroom to reapply assuming it was all gone, only to discover I still have perfect lips. You have to be a little careful applying as it is a bitch to remove if it goes where you don't want it. However it's not as bad as some lip stains where you need to scrub your lips raw at the end of the day, it just takes a good dose of remover to get it off. It also doesn't leave my lips feeling dry and gross!

The only downside is that it's quite exxy, but that said it performs better than the handful of high-end lipsticks in my stash so it's probably worth it if there's a shade you want for daily use. 

So below I have put some swatches and a couple of terrible selfies wearing my fav colours (please keep in mind I am not a beauty guru, but hopefully it gives you an idea of what they're like on). 

Powerlips Fluid RRP $39aud

18 shades availble in the range. 

Click here to check out them all out!

From top to bottom: Ambition, Perfection, Potential, Unleash, Bravery

Wearing Perfection

Wearing Bravery

Shop With Me: S.A. Hair, Nail & Beauty Supplies

In the top of the Dymocks building in Sydney CBD is this hidden gem. This is one of those stores that I have been meaning to go into forever (especially as they don't seem to care about being trade only so I was curious before I got my cert). I just live and work in the suburbs so if I can't drive somewhere I won't go. But I was in the city for an event so I thought I would pop in and check it out! 

So first up let me say I'm not sure how they work out for trade - they certainly don't care when you go in store and buy, and I seem to be able to order all kinds of pro things on their website with no problem. But there is a trade registration on the site too, so maybe it's cheaper if you do? I'm not sure so if you know let me know!  But that also means you're in luck if you're an enthusiast who wants to get their hands on some good polishes. 

So I wouldn't say their range is as good as nail only stores like Diamond Nail Supplies, but they certainly have a lot more than some of the other supply stores I've been to. They stocked lots of CND, OPI, Gelish and Hawley products, which are all great brands imo. They are a little bit more expensive than other stores (like China Glaze at $7.95 as apposed to $6 at Pro Nail Supplies) but they have some of the newer shades available and if you're a regular city goer it is very convenient. They also had quite a few bargain bins, which was filled with all kinds of fun things I could have spent a lot of money on if I had the cash on me!

The reason I went there this time (apart from just checking it out) was to pick up some Manic Panic - which certainly is cheaper than retail stores! I can't remember exactly what I paid but it was around $20. No I'm not a crazy colour person, I just like having a tint of red in my hair and wanted to add some to my conditioner. Works pretty well if you're curious. 

Anyway, scroll through the pics below to get a feel. Note as well that they have way more in store than they have on their website, so it is worth popping in in person. 

Click here for their website.

Phone : 02 9221 4188

Level 8, The Dymocks Building428 George St
Sydney NSW 2000

Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, 8.30am - 6.00pm
Thursday, 8.30am - 7.00pm Saturday, 9.30am - 4.30pm
Sunday, CLOSED

Gelicious We Fell In Love range

Pretty much ever since I got into gel polish I have been in love with the shades from Gelicious. If you go through my old posts I would have talked about them before, but I love that they are pro quality but available to everyone. And don't be put off by the price, they are what I would be paying for any other high end polish and you get a full 15ml of polish! They have a great range of colours to choose from too. But before I go on into the colours I have to show you today, I need to tell you to go look at my post on their peel off base coat - it is fantastic, and if you do gel polish at home and are worried about damaging your nails, then you NEED it in your life. 

So I was very kindly gifted the full range of We Fell In Love Range - this is the first time I have ever been gifted anything from this brand so there is no bias at all, I really do love it that much. 

This range is a great range of really flattering nudes, gold shimmer and glitter and a pretty blue. All are lovely, just be aware that the Je'Taime is a french pink so it is VERY sheer, but if you like french manis then this is perfect. The rest are all single or 2 coaters. So scroll down for full swatches and to see some of the nail art looks I have created with these. 

Check out the full range of polishes over on the Gelicious website. 

Bonnie & Clyde

Stand By Me

Feyonce

Je' Taime

Love Is Love

Notting Hill

We Swiped Right

Our Stars Aligned

Je T'aime over a bare nail

Je T'aime layered with angel paper

Chi Chi Sunset Glow Highlighter Palette

I have been eyeing off this palette ever since it was first released but I am a total tight-arse when it comes to my cosmetics so I've never been able to bring myself to spend $50 on a single palette. But last weekend Myer were having a sale where it was only $10, so of course I had to grab it! I actually feel slightly guilty getting it so cheap - as I work in product design/importing at the moment I am painfully aware how much even the packaging is worth so this really was a steal. Seeing as half of you lovely readers are outside of Australia, Chi Chi is an aussie cosmetics brand that is sold in a bunch of our mid-range department stores (so Myer, Target). It's really nice stuff, I have bought a tonne of their nail polishes in the past, and have a few of their hand creams, so this was my first foray into their makeup. 

I have to say I am really impressed with these! They are a pressed powder, but it does have a nice soft creamy consistency. And you get a tonne of product in each pan - I'm not sure if it comes across in the pictures but this palette is huge, like it won't even fit into my train case. 

The range of shades is also really nice. I have said in the past that I am super pasty and finding highlighters that aren't bronze or look like a bright blush even when not in the sun is a hard task. Sure some of these are a bit on the gold side for me and I will most likely end up wearing them as an eyeshadow, but the majority are quite soft shades that are almost invisible on the skin but are blinding when the light hits them.My personal favs are Airlie and Manly. 

But if you need a nice range of highlighters in your life, then this is worth picking up. Heck now I have it in my hands I actually feels it's even worth it full price. 

Go check out the full range on the Chi Chi website. 

Sydney Nail Fest

Last weekend was the Sydney Nail Fest. A place for certified nail techs to spend too much money and play with a tonne of fun products! This was the first time they were in this part of the world (and I am so very grateful to the organisers for bringing it here, and for putting it together when the Beauty Expo is dying for nail companies). 

You can see above my little haul. I didn't go with a huge amount of money, so I could have gotten a LOT more, but this was what about $150 in nail world looks like. 

The brands that were there were Emerson Crystals Nail Paradise, Brillbird, Switch Funky, Akzentz, Light Elegance, Young Nails, Touched by Colour, Cuccio, Mega Nail Supplies, Lish, Flexifinger, and Emendee.  Entry was $20 for early bird tickets, and that included demos and door prizes. Totally worth it. 

There were a lot of hard gels, polishes and nail art items. Not as much  in acrylics or loose glitter, but I am really hoping this event will keep getting bigger and better (heck I know I am determined to have a stand there in future!). 

So scroll through to see pics of some of the products that were there. And at the very bottom are 2 gorgeous demo nails that I got done (and refusing to ever take off, I don't care if I don't match!)

To keep up with Nail Fest latest events and news, make sure you go follow them on their Facebook Page. 

Switch Funky

Emerson Crystals

Brillbird

Brillbird

Light Elegance

Mega Nail Supplies

Flexifinger

Akzentz

Akzentz

Young Nails

Mega Nail Supplies

Touched by Colour

Nail Paradise

Young Nails: Baby Royal as the purple gel, then their hand held air brush to do the ombré.

Light Elegance: Marshmallow gel with dried and fresh plants