Beauty Essentials Review -

Hello again!

So this week I'm going to tackle Beauty Essentials cosmetics! These guys are super affordable and overall very good quality! I got a whole bunch of their products in the big Priceline Haul earlier in the year, and I have been using these regularly since their arrival! One thing that is very disappointing is that they are manufactured in china, meaning that they were more than likely tested on animals.
I was actually gathering up all of the items to take photos of them to put on this review on Sunday, and I sadly dropped one of my shadow palettes on the tiles in my bathroom, smashed the mirror and broke one of the hinges. I was most displeased! (then, yesterday I knocked off a basically new foundation and smashed it to smithereens. I've had a bad makeup week!)

So this week I have a few items to go through. Three are combination lip & eye palettes, two shadow palettes, a brow kit, and a contour kit.

I'll start with the combination lip & eye palettes:
I got the Corals, Smokey and Nudes palettes, and they have been really good to use! I've not used the lipsticks on my lips as yet, as I have a selection of liquid lipsticks an standard lipsticks that I prefer to use than the pots, mostly as I cant seem to use a lip brush to save myself without product winding up all over my face! :p

The pigment in the shadows seems quite good, they do tend have a little bit of fall from them, but I have been using the shimmers wet lately, and this does seem to eliminate that issue. They also do need an extra bit of layering as some have less colour payoff than others, but this helps especially in the beginning as it prevents you from going in with too much too fast! The colour selection is good but as each palette is designed with a colour scheme in mind, this works for a complete look, therefore not a huge variety of colours. Each shadow is a good stand alone colour as well working well in a multi shade more complicated look. There are also a good selection of shimmers, mattes and metallics and transitions, although the lip selection in the Nudes are all shimmers, where the Corals and Smokeys both have a combination of shimmers and strong base colours.
So each palette includes 12 shadow Pans, and 6 lipstick pans, they also some with a eye-shadow sponge applicator and a lip brush. while this is a nice freebie, I would recommend spending a few dollars for a good brush in store, or a full set online, as this will make application 10,000 times easier, especially if you are a beginner like myself!
They all come together in a sturdy and quite sleek looking compact, that also comes with a decent sized and good quality mirror for on the go touch ups, and its roughly the size of my phone, so it would fit nicely into most clutches and purses/ handbags without being too bulky or heavy. All three palettes have a pleasant vanilla scent. I paid $6 for each of these palettes, and I would highly recommend them, even at retail which I believe is currently $10.
(After double checking that, I've seen one I don't have, and I am actually going to pop in and get it :p)

   

Over all I rate these items: Price I paid 5*, Retail 5*, Quality 4.5*.

Next up! The shadow only palettes:
These are a 10 shadow pan set, I purchased Smokeys and Naturals, and these were a measly $1.80 each. That is insanely cheap! These have the same formula i'm guessing as the above palettes, and that means they have some of the same fall issues as the above palettes, which again, is fixed by using wet, or with setting spray/ primer on the eyelid prior to applying. I've not swatched these as they are mostly the same colours as the above palettes, but if you would like to see them, just comment and let me know :). Again, these palettes come with a mirror, although this one is a bit smaller and harder to work with being long and skinny. these would also be a little less purse friendly, but not impossible to carry around by any means. If you aren't interested in the lip products, this is a more cost effective way to purchase the shades in the palettes above, for just $3 per palette. You cant be unhappy with that!

Overall I rate these items: Price I paid 5*, Retail 5* and Quality 4.5*

Brow Kit Next! Now, I have thick-ish brows, but sparse at the same time. They are a little darker than my natural hair colour, and this makes it really difficult for me to find a brow kit, brow gel, pomade, pencil or any other product that works without being insanely obvious that I've filled them in! They have all either been too dark, or too light or one was too yellow!? That one looked very, very strange!
This one, I got without high hopes, as I had not found anything even in the more expensive brands that suited me, and when it arrived, I left it untouched in the box for a while. Eventually I pulled it out and thought i'd give it a go. I have used it, every. Single. Day. Since. It has a brow wax, and two powders, All are coloured, and I love them! I dip my brow brush into the wax, then into the darkest powder shade to line and fill, and the left over product on the brush to shade in the thickest part of my brow. I paid a whopping $1.80 for this item, and I will be going to purchase a back up in the very near future! Regularly retailing for $3, why would you not!

I rate this item: Price 5*, Quality 5*

Lastly I got a contour kit. Now.. This is probably the only item I got of this brand I didn't enjoy fully. This came with a very small cream contour compact, a slightly larger powder compact, a blush, a concealer pen, and a mini kabuki brush and small beauty blender sponge. As my skin effectively glows in the dark, it was way too dark for me, even in the lightest shade. The concealer pen is very thick and gummy, and remains quite sticky even after powder is applied to it, the powders are far to dark for me, and the blush is falling apart after a few uses with next to no colour payoff. The kabuki brush is scratchy and rough on the skin, and unevenly cut - I had to give it a haircut. I don't have a photo of the creme contour compact, because to be honest, I lost it.. that's how small it is! This kit i would not recommend if you have oily or combination skin, as it bunches and spreads, and I would also avoid it if you a pale like me. I think I paid $9 for this so regularly about $15 and I would say that's too much.

I rate this kit: Price 3*, Quality 3*

Thats enough of that now!

Thanks for reading! Millz

xo

Klara Cosmetics Review -

Hi again guys!

So this week I wanted to talk about KLARA Cosmetics. Klara cosmetics are Australian owned and designed, Yay! – the cosmetics themselves, are made in France and assembled in PRC. They are certified cruelty free, which is also great.

I want to start off by saying - These items are not what I would call “regularly affordable”. I know I would not be even close to their target demographic, and thats ok! I also know that affordability is more what this blog is about but I still wanted to mention these, as I found them super cheap, and I thought if you happened upon them in a similar fashion, you too could snatch up a great product for an absolute steal!

So I actually got these items from COLES. You read that right. Coles, the super market. What’s more surprising than that is that I only paid a few dollars each for these items. They were on sale and drastically marked down because I figure, they were either a new item, and originally a much more pricey one and it must not have been selling well, or it was an introductory offer. Either way, I think I paid $5 each for these items, and I SCORED.

I bought one of each of the products that were available on the shelves. Now, I’m not sure if I got one of all they had there, or if there were more and I just missed them. I’m going to pretend it was option A, because if I know I missed out on other items or lipstick colours, well, I won’t lie, I’d be pretty sad because, these are pretty great! 

I got two of the “Kiss proof lips” Matte Liquid Lipsticks, and an shimmer shadow, and MAN do I wish there had been more there!
It wasn’t until recently that I thought of looking up the brand (did I mention I have a toddler running around?) and found their website and products, and saw what I had somehow gotten my hands on by some fluke.

I will start with the Shimmer Shadow. Now, I had to actually jump on the site to find the colours, as the packaging only has a number on it. I bought No.24 – Rich Peach.

The website says:
“Plunge into the ultimate colour experience.

 Made of 100% pigmentation, Klara Cosmetics Shimmer Eyeshadows won’t crease, smudge or fade away, staying true to colour for up to 16 hours.

 Their luminous shimmer finish and array of shades complement multiple looks, from classic to trendsetting, for a colourful sheen that lasts."

I have to say, so far that rings pretty true! While searching for the colour name, I saw some of the other shades, and they are stunning. However, these shadows are not cheap – retailing for (AU) $20 each. To me, that is a lot. I found easily 10 more shades I would love, however, that is $200. I simply can't justify that when I can find similar shades online from $1 - $5, or whole palettes from $5 - $15.

On to the item itself. The colour: Stunning. Its coppery-gold shimmer over an orange-y peach base, it really is a lovely colour. This product has a very soft and velvet-y feel, and goes on with no noticeable fall. The shimmer will last all day and night, with barely any change!  It smells as you expect a shadow to smell so no surprises there! The pan weight is 3gm.

The Packaging is Matte black (which I love. I think everything in the world should be a matte finish – but that’s just me.. :p) It is quite thin plastic, and because of that it does feel very light, and a little flimsy, but I have actually dropped this – on to tiles! - without any damage at all so it will keep the shadow safe J
I give this item: Price – What I paid: 5*, standard price: 3*, Quality: 5*

Preface:
I have a large but mostly under control obsession with matte lipsticks, and these are up there with some of the best I’ve tried! From my limited funds collection, to some of the high end selections friends have had that I have drooled over while swatching and comparing.

Love. These. Lipsticks! I got my hands on the shades No.3 and No.5, or Passion Pink, and Flaming Red. 

Passion Pink: the colour is a darker dusty nude/pink. I really like this shade, and the formula. It’s a one swipe application which I love, but layers well if you like to do that too. This dries down to a perfect matte finish, and does not come off without some major persuasion! This shade smells a little chemically, but its not overpowering or off putting at all. The applicator is a little off putting – its flat on both sides, which I feel picks up too much product, and I find I need to wipe some back into the bottle otherwise it does get a bit messy while applying. This is limited to this shade, and may or may not still be in use with current product.

Flaming Red: Exactly what is says it is on the bottle! This baby is a BIG OL’ FLAMIN RED! It is a blue based red, with a barely discernible coral note. (This may just be my natural lip colour adding it in, but I feel it’s there anyway)This shade I have found does need a little more time to completely matte down, and has also needed a second pass when applying once or twice, as it has been a tiny bit patchy, but that could just be my beginners applicating technique. This shade is also lightly fragranced, I find the scent a little soapy, but it isn’t overpowering or unpleasant by any means. The applicator in this shade is a standard doe-foot applicator.  Each lipstick is 8mls.

The packaging, I love! It’s an acrylic bottle, but looks and feels like glass, which makes me think luxury and also allows me to see exactly how much product is in there which I also love. It is finished with a matte silver divider and matte black plastic top. Over all, I really love the packaging, and I enjoy pulling it out while I’m out and about – not that I have ever needed to reapply!

These also come in some other stunning shades, but again, these retail at a pretty expensive $29. I could find similar shades online alot cheaper, but for a small piece of luxury and for what I paid for them, I really cant fault them! Even at the RRP - these are worth the money, just VERY sadly, it can't be mine. :(

I give these items: Price - What I paid: 5*, Standard pricing: 3*s, Quality: 5*

Overall

This is a brand that if I was looking for a particular shade, and wanted to support an Australian line, I would definitely buy from Klara Cosmetics again – Provided I had the money to spare. (Will definitely be on the birthday and Christmas with lists for Hubby-To-Be this year though! :p)

Thanks for joining me again! Millz.

xx

Savvy by DB (Designer Brands Review) -

Hello again guys! So, this is my first REAL blog post, and I am sure it’s going to be somewhat long, as it’s hard to effectively get across a review without taking some time!

I actually got these products from Priceline During the 40% off sale on ALL COSMETICS earlier this year, so I have had a chance to get used to these products and weed out the great from the good from the bad from the terrible.

 

I have for you today: Savvy – by Designer Brands 

Some of these products I haven’t used, others I have made a part of my daily makeup routine, and I do really like them. I will also include prices, pictures and swatches for the products that I can and the rest.. Well, I’ll make it up as I go along! :p

I actually really like Designer Brands as a *Brand*and find their products really affordable and of good quality. They are vegan and cruelty free, I have found some products a little rough, but in general I think they are a great cost effective alternative to some of the more expensive “Luxe” brands.

I’ll start with the Packaging; I actually really dislike the packaging. Well, not so much the design of it, as they are generally very practical, don’t feel cheap, it’s quite sturdy and good quality, but the colour. It’s this strange, purple/ brown that just… It doesn’t say “put me in your hand bag and use me all day!” It says more “keep me in a drawer of your bathroom, and only use in the privacy of a cubicle while out”. It kind of reminds me of the first round of bruising from a black eye? Lol. I think just about any other colour would be an improvement, But I do understand that to cut costs, they sometimes cut corners on the packaging, so, I can forgive them for that, given I like just about everything else about them.  

On to the products!
So In my “haul” from earlier in the year I ordered a few of the *Savvy* products, as they were so cheap I felt even if they weren’t the best I wouldn’t be out of pocket a lot of cash.

I ordered :

·         x2 “Full coverage foundation sticks” in the colours 00 Lightest (D7436), and 01 Light. (0415

·         x2 CC powders, in the colours Correcting and Anti-Redness

·         2x lip glosses – in the shades nude hue, and pink diamond

·         1x Liquid concealer in light (0114)

·         1x super glossy lipstick in the shade lily

·         1x retractable lip liner in the colour ”pink”

·         1x brown kohl eyeliner in the colour “brown”

I will start with the foundation sticks. Before I go any further, full disclaimer: I AM A PASTY WHITE GIRL. These claim to be full coverage, however, I have not found that to be the case. I bought lightest and light, specifically to cream contour with (that’s how dark “Light” is on me.) I do actually like the product, despite it not being *full coverage* because it works for what I want it to do, and once set with powder, it looks quite nice. It Is however oily. After about an hour I find I need to blot, or re-powder. This could be a me problem in not using it correctly, however, given it is also on the product, I feel as though this isn’t the only possibility. 

I paid $4.19 each for these, and I do feel that for that price, they are good!

I give these items: 3.5*s for quality, and 5*s for price.

Next up, the Concealer. Now, as I mentioned earlier, I am very, very pale. I ordered the colour Light which is virtually the same as the foundation stick 01. This is SO DARK on me! Which is a bit disappointing, as it feels like quite a nice product. Its creamy and light, doesn’t feel oily or anything, if anything it feels like a whip. Great for more tanned skin tones, just not mine.
I paid $2.99 for this item, and I do feel like it would be worth that or even retail, IF it were my shade. I cant testify for wear time, as I obviously haven’t worn it on my face.

I give this item: 3*s for quality, 4* for price

Then there is the CC Powders. I LOVE THESE! I have an almost one year old, that occasionally believes sleep is for the weak. I have bags under my eyes, dark circles a boxer would be proud of, freckles and red patches from time to time, and these eliminate them! I use the anti-redness every day as part of my makeup, and I also use it as a setting powder/ to brighten under my eye, and to highlight/ brighten up between my brows and around my nose and chin. I also use it when my foundation is looking a little too dark, as it takes the “orange” I sometimes feel I have out of my foundation. I paid $5.99 each, and I think they are really worth the money, I really do love them, and use them daily!

I give these items 5*s for quality and 5*s for price.

I also got the lip liner, and Lipstick and I actually got the lipstick, as I had previously purchased another colour (Grace) and really liked the texture of them. They are called super glossy, although I don’t find them to be over the top (I look ridiculous in glosses) and I think they are great quality, I love the colours, they apply evenly and feel very moisturizing.  I paid $1.99 for the lipstick, and I definitely think they are worth it! The lip liner is good, it’s got a good opacity, a little dry but that’s what I need in a lip liner! Applies well, and its retractable, which I also love. I hate hunting around my house for where I used the pencil sharpener last so that’s great! The colour is called pink, although I would call it more of a mauve, almost purple. It smells like plasticine but other than that, I think its ok! I paid $2.99 for the lip liner, so I think that’s pretty good!

I give these items 4*s for quality, and 4.5*s for price.

Lastly.. The lip Glosses. I did not like these. At all. They are very gloopy and sticky and even a little clumpy. I rarely wear glosses but thought since I’ve “grown up” a little since high school where these were all the rage, I would give them another go. Instant regret. When you pull the applicator out of the bottle, there is a string left between the two, and once you get about three inches away, the string breaks, and it ends up either down the side of the bottle or over your hands, and the texture is so thick and gummy! I just didn’t like these, at all. Its definitely not user friendly. I paid $2.99 each for these, and I overpaid. A lot. Infact, if someone gave me these as a gift, I would probably give them away myself or throw them away.  L

I rate these items: 0*s for quality and 0* for price.

Swatches:

So, there you go! Definitely worth trying if you are on a budget! I would avoid the glosses though, unless you like that kind of thing of course, Each to their own! :)

Designer Brands are very affordable, and given the right time of year to purchase, you can really get a steal!

Thank you for reading, Millz! xo

An Introduction..

Hello and Welcome! 

My name is Milli, I am 25, a Stay-at-home mum, and I am proud to be a tight arse!

I live in Australia, In the overly Instagrammed state of Tasmania:

While Tassie is a very picturesque place to live, we are somewhat detached from the rest of Australia when it comes to the shops we have, the products we get, and our ability to get our hands on the latest trends. This has pro's and Con's. 

As we are a somewhat lower cost of living state, our incomes are lower, meaning we have less money to spare for the upscale world of fashion and beauty, so.. the shops basically don't come to us!

 BUT 

We still want those things! Meaning to get our hands on them, we need to either fly out of state to get to the shops, or buy online, adding further costs with postage. This is the more frequent of the two (however I have seen many a person fly to Melbourne JUST for Krispy Kremes. Yes, we don't have those either. 2016 Everybody.)

This Leads me to why I decided to start this blog.

I have spent the last few months watching Youtube videos/ tutorials of the likes of Stephanie Nicole, Tati, NikkieTutorials and Jeffry Star, and hearing them all talk about all these amazing products, "you can get them here with this discount code!" or "on sale now at Walgreens/ target/ drugstore!" etc. 

I found myself thinking.. 

We have access to literally NONE of these products locally. None. Nada. Zilch.

So I went online searching for some. The prices. Are. ASTRONOMICAL. 

Now, I don't know about you, but if I'm going to spend that amount of money on something, 

I want to at least SEE it first, right?

I know I, As a Stay-At-Home mum, simply cannot afford these things! I just cant! But even if I was handed a million dollars to spend willy-nilly.. I could never justify purchasing something so expensive just because of the label on the front. I want Maximum Bang for my buck!!

This led me to switch to Ebay to hunt for products I could afford, 

And OH BOY, did I find some stuff! 

WELCOME

To the world, of Dupes and Knock Off's!

So, this is where I am!

If you are here to get honest, unbiased reviews on super cheap makeup, find bargains, and learn along with me about some of these products, you are in the right place! 

There will undoubtedly be times, where I find products that are normally be expensive, but if I find them insanely cheap I will get and review them, and share the results with you as well as where I got them and how to also get them cheaply!

 I have some great bargain websites, some you may have heard of, some maybe not, but I am looking forward to sharing my discoveries, and reviews as I get to know the products with you!

See you again Soon! Millz!