Sunday Manicure

My family and friends will no doubt be pleased with the return of this blog-series as it means the end of "Look at my nails! Do you like it? Really? You're not looking properly!" whenever I redo my fingernails each week...

A couple of weeks ago I finally invested in some nail-art tools as this was their first test run. I bought a 5 piece tool kit for dotting etc on ebay and with shipping it only cost about AU$1!

Today's manicure was created with OPI's 'Dating a Royal' as the base and China Glaze's 'Pink Plumeria' for the dots and accent nail.  The dots didn't turn out quite as brightly as I would have liked but I'm pleased with the first results with the nail art tools.

One of my new year's resolutions was to get better at doing my nails and while I know I'm way off salon quality I feel like I'm beginning to get there.  And with summer fast approaching I'm really looking forward to experimenting with some bright colours and crazy designs.

China Glaze Haul

It's been a long time in between posts for Lady Cavanagh.  I'm not sure of the reason exactly - but the break has done me good as I have renewed enthusiasm for sharing all of my beauty finds!

And what better way to kick things off again than with a haul?!

I went back to my favourite nail polish website nail etc and went to town - pretty soon 5 polishes had turned into 10 and then I was checking shipping costs and decided the most economical thing to do would be to order 20 bottles...

To people that don't wear polish or those that think a $2 bottle from the supermarket is 'just the same' this haul will make no sense.  To people that are into polish this will make perfect sense; a nail polish collection is not just about having great colours but its about having depth in your range so you can have plenty of options when choosing a polish for a special occasion or just because you want to feel special.

The 20 bottles I purchased were across a few collections but for this post I've decided to group them according to colours.

Here we go...

The Purples:
Grape Juice

L-R: Sweet Hook, Gothic Lolita, Grape Juice

Gothic Lolita Looks a lot more plum-coloured in the photo of the bottle but is really more like the swatch.  Not as interesting as I was hoping but would be a good staple colour to have in a collection.
Sweet Hook: Soft lavender cream; perfect shade for springtime.

Cherry Pie &
Raspberry Festival

The Red/Oranges:
Orange Marmalade
Cherry Pie
Raspberry Festival 



The Pinks:

Pink Plumeria 
Strawberry Fields 
Beach Cruise-r 

L-R: Four Leaf Clover, Shower Together,
Aquadelic, For Audrey, Watermelon Rind

The Greens:
Watermelon Rind 
Four Leaf Clover
Shower Together: Gorgeous teal blue-green.  This was the colour I applied first and the reason for the haul in the first place, I've been after this polish for ages   Its opaque in 1 coat but looks better after 2.  A definite favourite already.
Aquadelic and For Audrey: As can be seen from the picture, these two are very similar and you'd probably only need to buy one of them.  Aquadelic is slightly brighter.


The Blues:
Splish Splash and Blue Sparrow: These colours are quite similar but Blue Sparrow has a blue micro glitter running through it and Splish Splash is more of a neon.

Other:
Champagne Bubbles: Rich gold with gold and silver glitter through it
Tinsel Town
Techno: Hexagonal shaped silver glitter with silver micro-glitter throughout   This looks great as a top coat, especially on an accent nail.

And to round things out I picked up my first bottle of Seche Vite.  I'm hoping this signals the end to manicures that look lovely when you go to bed (thinking they're dry) only to awake in the morning with smudgy polish and needs to be reapplied.  I used it when applying 'shower together  and already feel like it's changed my nail polish life! Gone are the fingerprints that always seem to appear across your almost dried nails.  Makes me feel like I've had a salon manicure when its just me at home.

I've kept my nails polish-free all week in anticipation of these polish's arrival, not easy for a polish-fiend like Lady Cavanagh

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils

NYX jumbo eye pencils are a cult budget beauty buy, available mainly online and from some drugstrores in the US.  The main problem with these pencils is that if they work for you you'll want to buy more...and more..until you end up like Lady Cavanagh and you own 14 of them...

That said, owning 14 (or even all 28 of the shades they come in) is not a problem as the pencils are very reasonably priced - ranging from US$2.99 from Cherry Culture to AUD$6.25 from Crush Cosmetics (www.crushcosmetics.com)

What really needs to be started right up front is that these pencils are not eyeshadow primers so if applied alone they will crease.  The best way to use them is to apply a good primer (Urban Decay's Primer Potion or NYX's HD eyeshadow base work well).  Let the primer dry and then dive in with the pencils.

What Lady Cavanagh loves about these is the endless colour possibilities that come from them.  'Iced mocha' is perfect for the office, whereas 'Purple' is great for a night out.  Gold can be used on its own for a striking look or added to the lower lash line to make eyes sparkle on a dull winter's day.

Lady Cavanagh finds that while they certainly can be worn alone they really come into their own when used as an eyeshadow base with a power shadow over the top.  This means that if there is any creasing by the end of the day it is not as noticeable.

They apply like a dream and work perfectly even when hurriedly applied in a cold bathroom before work.  When on the skin they don't set rapidly meaning that you can take your time to blend them with other shadow colours.

These are also a great product if you're new to makeup and want to try something new without busting your budget.

Swatches (natural light, no flash.  From left to right)

Milk, Yoghurt, Lavender,
Oyster, Strawberry Milk

Bronze, Pure Gold,
French Fries, Iced Mocha

Overall I can't really recommend these highly enough!

Another Mini OPI Haul

At $19.95 a bottle it can be hard to enjoy shopping for OPI at stores in Australia.  Thankfully there's a concession stand at my local shopping centre that sells them for $9.95 which allows me to stock up without feeling too guilty!

Lady Cavanagh's latest aquisitions are....
'I Have a Herring Problem', 'A Roll in the Hague' and 'Dutch Tulips' - the first 2 are from OPI's recent Dutch Collection and the other coincidentally has a Netherlands-inspired name!


'I Have a Herring Problem' a blue-green-grey colour that reminds me of the sea on a stormy day.  Its definitely a winder colour as i think it would look too dull during the summer months.  It has a silver-glitter though it which adds a nice shine to a otherwise matte shade.


'A Roll in the Hague' is a very bright matte orange.  I've only tried it on my fingers and already I think it's more of a pedicure colour! Maybe its because my skin is so pale at this time of year but it's just not sitting the way I'd like it too - it feels like it clashes with everything and doesn't 'pop' in a good way.  I think I'll try it again in summer or as part of an accented nail manicure.


'Dutch Tulips' is a lot like 'OPI Red' but just leans towards the pink side more.  Its opaque after one coat is is one of those colours I can see myself reaching for regularly when I want a bright colour that goes with a lot of different outfits.

Revlon Lip Butter Review

Revlon's lip butters are finally available in Australia! These have been getting pretty good reviews from American and UK bloggers for the last few months and now Aussies can finally try them for themselves.

There are 21 shades available and Lady Cavanagh has started her collection with 6 of them: Sugar Frosting, Pink Truffle, Berry Smoothie, Raspberry Pie, Lollipop and Cupcake.

A little bit about the product first; I'd describe them as smooth like a lip balm but with the colour burst of lipstick.  I'm not overly into lipstick as I find reapplying colour throughout the working day to be a bit of a drag.  The lighter colours (such as cupcake and sugar frosting) work better when I'm at work as when the product starts to wear off its not as noticeable.  I also don't feel like I'm walking into the office and making some bit statement by having bold raspberry lips.  That said, the darker, more pigmented shades are perfect for nights out when you're looking to glamorize an an otherwise black outfit.

Below are some swatches of the colours I have so far:

Lollipop, Cupcake, Sugar Frosting

Pink Truffle, Berry Smoothie, Raspberry Pie

The product is described as 'buttery like a lip balm' but these feel more like a lipstick to me.  That said, they feel very moist on the lips and you don't get that dried out feeling on your lips that some lipsticks (especially the long wearing ones) can give.  I would definitely recommend making sure your lips are exfoliated and not cracked before using these; especially the lighter shades.  Because of the lipstick element to them they can accentuate any dryness in your lips and not draw attention for the right reasons!

A clear top lets you
view the product;
helpful in store when the
testers have gone AWOL!

The packing aging is sleek and feminine and the different colour tubes make it easy to spot which one you want when they're all in the drawer without having to pick up each one and read the label on the bottom.

Easy to use and available in a wide variety of colours the only real downside is their price in Australia.  Target and Priceline have them for AU$21.95 and considering you can get them for about US$9 in the States it does seem a tad unfair!  For someone like me thought who isn't a huge fan of lipstick I think these are great.

Sunday Manicure

Lady Cavanagh was watching 'the Biggest Loser' last week and noticed a couple of the contestants wearing a gorgeous shade of pink on their nails.  Unfortunately I'd just done my nails so had to wait til this week to redo my colour and emulate the look.

The pink I'm wearing is 'Dreamy', a polish from Mecca Cosmetica's in-house line.  It's a cool-toned pink with the subtlest of shimmer.  I'd describe the finish as somewhere between a gloss and cream, although I've gone over my nails with a glossy clear top coat.

I love this colour; it reminds me of Smarties.  It's opaque after one coat, but I've applied two to give it the same hue that you see from the bottle. If you do just the one coat its more of a bubblegum pink.

This is the first time I've used a Mecca Cosmetica polish and I was really pleased with it.  It applies very smoothly and evenly and has a quite a thick consistency so it doesn't dribble all over your cuticles when you're applying it.  The downside to this is of course I now want more Mecca polishes but they're so damn expensive it's hard to justify the purchase!

The picture above is taken in natural light and the colour looks more 'hot pink' here.  The picture on the left is obviously black and white but the polish has been left untouched.  It gives you more of an idea of what the polish looks like under florescent lights.  This is my preferred look for the polish; bright but cool toned.

Special thanks to my wonderful friend Lady Annie who gave me this lovely polish for my birthday.

Mini OPI Haul

As mentioned in previous posts, OPI is ridiculously priced in Australia ($19.95 per bottle - no thanks!). When at my local shopping centre today my eyes were immediately drawn to a sign which ready 'OPI $9.95' - could this be true?!

The selection wasn't huge but being actually able to pick up the bottles and examine the colours properly rather than look for images online was a rare treat. (You can of course buy OPI here in stores like David Jones but going in to look at polishes and leaving empty handed because they're so expensive isn't much fun).

From the range available I picked up three bottles: Miami Beet, La Paz-itively Hot and OPI Red

 La Paz-itively Hot is a cool toned pink that would fit most people's definition of 'Barbie Pink'.  It has a slight shimmer to it but definitely isn't glittery.

Miami Beet is a dark raspberry with no shimmer. It looks like a great Autumn/Winter colour.

OPI Red is a netural toned red with a slight leaning towards pink rather than pillar-box red.  Would look great worn to work without being too bold.  I've seen it described as 'pin-up' red.

Can't wait to use these on my fingers and toes!

Sunday Manicure

Lady Cavanagh has been in Japan for the last couple of weeks - cue weeks of chipped nail polish as its just not practical to travel with all you need to a do it yourself manicure!

Anyway, as I've now returned to Australia I've repainted my nails and feel all the better for it!

This week I've used 'Ahoy!' by China Glaze.  As you can see its a shimmery raspberry.  Its opaque after one coat but looks its best with 2 or three.

Bath and Unwind Haul

Bath and Unwind is a UK-based online store that sells a delightful selection of skincare and makeup items.  Having only stumbled across the site a couple of weeks ago Lady Cavanagh was very excited when her first order arrived this week!

Here's what I got:
(Note: I've left the prices in GBP (£) as that's what they appear in on the site before you select your currency)


Badger Balm (0.75oz) - Sleep Balm (£3.99)
Apply it the the temples and wrists just before you go to sleep.  You can apply this under your nose too but I tried this on my boyfriend and he dissolved into a sneezing fit(?!).  I read somewhere online that you remember your dreams better when you use this - this was definitely the case for me - very odd!
The scent is a natural-type one; a mix of lavender and bergamot with neither being too overpowering.  Maybe it was partly a placebo effect but this really is very relaxing and helped me go to sleep more quickly than I usually would.


Badger Balm (0.75oz) -  Hardworking Hands (£3.99)
Not a hugely appealing scent - quite 'medicinal' not that this is too much of a bad thing, it makes the product really feel like its 'doing something' rather than just making your hands smell nice.  I used this on some blisters on my hands and it absorbed really nicely and seemed to help them heal faster.  I think this would also work well on blisters on your feel also.


Korres Soft Eyeliner - Black (£8)
Got one of these from Sephora when I was in New York a couple of years ago.  You can get them in Australia from Kit Cosmetics but they're AU$30 each which is insane as they're only AU$11 from Bath and Unwind!  They have a very creamy finish which means they're very easy to apply to the waterline.  Unfortunately it means they can smudge easily too so if you're inclined to rub your eyes these probably aren't for you!


Nougat London Nurturing Hand Cream (200ml) - Fig and Pink Cedar (£16)
I came across this brand last year and love it! Its available in Australia from the department store David Jones but Lady Cavanagh would definitely recommend getting it online as it's less than half the price! Fig & Pink Ceder is a gorgeous scent that is feminine without being too sweet.  This hand cream is quite rich to apply but sinks beautifully into the skin, leaving you with soft hands for hours.


Nougat London Shea Body Butter (250ml) - Fig and Pink Ceder (£15)
Same scent as the hand cream, the finish is a bit lighter so it works better for use on the rest of your body.  The bottle is lovely too and definitely worth keeping on display.


Scottish Fine Soaps Highland Aromatics Woolly Bather Bag Set (£14.36)
Lady Cavanagh just had to hear the words 'Scottish' and she was mostly sold on this already!  This set includes everything you need for a relaxing bath - body wash, shampoo, bath melts and a lovely chunk of milk coloured soap that smells very 'clean'.  It also includes some moisturiser and comes in a cute woolly bag that looks like it'd be good for a small hot water bottle.  It all smells divine and would be perfect for a cosy bath on a winter's evening.


Steamcream (75g) - Lucy in the Sky (£10.50)
Ok, I'll admit I was suckered in by the packaging on this and was kinda hoping the product itself would be good...thankfully it was! Steamcream is apparently so-called because they use steam to bind the ingredients together rather than chemicals which most mosturisers use.  The result is a light almost lavender scented cream that's recommended for use on the face, hands and body.  Lady Cavanagh wanted it as a moisturiser to use overnight; I was worried it'd make me break out no issues there thankfully.  It comes in limited edition tins that come in many different designs; perfect for storing trinkets in after you've finished the product too.



About the site
Bath and Unwind is a great site for international shoppers as it gives you the price of everything in your own currency and gives real-time shipping quotes as you add items to your basket.  This mightn't sound like much to a US or UK based shopper, but when you're in Australia it can be really frustrating to find something at a good price only to have any saving eaten away by shipping costs you don't find out about til later!  Shipping is also free if you spend a certain amount (at the moment it's AU$102) which isn't too hard to do!  They also have a loyalty scheme whereby you get a voucher for use next time depending on the value of your order. (Why do all my posts end up sounding like a commercial for these sites?!)

Shipping time to Australia was really good too - the site recommends 5-10 working days and my order definitely arrived in that time.

Sunday Manicure

Still feel as though I'm stuck on the whole 'ring finger manicure' trend...This week both polishes are from NYX Girls.  I've got 'Sea of Cortez' on all the my nails except for 'Heather' on my ring finger.

'Sea of Cortez' It reminds me of a mermaid's tail and is a great summer colour.  As with most of the NYX polishes I've tried, it doesn't look too good after one coat but then seems to right itself and gain a nice opacity after 2 coats.  The brush on NYX polishes is also thin (like China Glaze's) making it easy to touch up sots you might've missed on the first layer's application.

Mini Mecca Haul and Makeup application

Mecca Cosmetica is the Sephora of Australia...well as close as we get here.  A lot of the brands are the same but the high price on everything means that it's not really viable to shop there compared to online.  There does however seem to be one exception to this - makeup application.  Lady Cavanagh was a bridesmaid in a wedding last weekend and so she and the bride to be headed in to get their makeup done on the big day.  The makeup application costs $90 which is fully redeemable for product, making it a great deal and pretty much the only time Lady Cavanagh would shop at Mecca!

We went in a couple of weeks before the wedding for a trial for the bride.  They created a look for her and then a face chart so the makeup could be recreated easily on the actual day.  They spend about 45min-1hr doing your makeup and its very much in consultation with you - i.e. you tell the makeup artist what kind of look you're after and they'll create it; modifying it as you go e.g. if you want to intensify colours or increase the coverage of the foundation.  The makeup artist we had was able to talk us through what she was doing too, giving little tips about how to create that particular look at home as well as which products would suit our skin types.  After the application you're free to spend the $90 booking fee on whatever you like in the store, you're not just limited to the products they've used on you on the day.

Mecca has a number of stores across Australia, mostly in shopping centres.  The one we went to was a stand-alone store which made it feel more like a 'proper' makeup application, not like we were just sitting in the middle of a store while other shoppers hovered around.

Right... so onto what Lady Cavanagh bought.

Nars Bronzer - Laguna: I've been after this for ages.  Its a soft, warm toned brown with a bit of a sheen. Great for contouring and certainly not so dark that it couldn't be worn in the winter months also.  It gives a healthy glow without too much shine and is fine for people with even the lightest skin-tones.



Stila Smudge pot - Kitten: Another 'cult' product that seems to pop up in beauty blogs all the time.  Its consistency is like a Mac paint pot or a Benefit Creaseless cream shadow.  Colour wise its a slightly pinkish champagne tone that's very shimmery, without being glittery.  Lady Cavanagh has tried it with and without a primer and while without it will last the whole day, with a primer its definitely there to stay!  Looks great on its own for a more natural look or can be worn as a base of other shadows that will give the colour a real pop.

Stila Blush Palette - Love at first blush: A new shimmery blush from Stila, there are 3 separate colours that can be worn alone or swirled together to create a lovely soft 'fairy' pink that definitely conjures up images of Valentine's day.

The items I bought added up to more than the $90 booking fee but considering the makeup application was technically free it was well worth it.  Lady Cavanagh would definitely recommend heading to Mecca if you're looking to get your makeup done for a special event - its a great excise to buy more makeup too!

Sunday Manicure

Phew - the weekly update on what Lady Cavanagh is doing with her nails is back!

Purple is my favourite colour and when dong my nails I couldn't choose just one - so i went for two.  The main colour is OPI's "Do you lilac it?" which is a matte lavender.  On my ring finger is China Glaze's "Coconut kiss", a deep shimmery purple.  I've had fairly plain nails for the past few weeks so it feels great to get back into some colour!

NYX Powder Blushes

Lady Cavanagh first got into NYX blushes about a year ago and hasn't looked back since!  In terms of size, you get 5.2g (0.18oz) of product.  By comparison, Mac blushes have 6g (0.21oz) and Nars have 4.5g (0.16oz).

The consistency is quite powdery so it works better if you tap rather swirl your brush in them when you pick up colour. Swirling tends to unsettle the powder and you ended up wasting product as it falls all over the container.

The colour rage of NYX powder blushes is huge.  When picking one (or several) that are right for you I think it comes down to choosing colour/s that you're really going to enjoy putting on your face.  Don't feel put off if you've already got a ruddy complexion and think a blush will make you look like a clown - blushes can work on anybody!


Natural (07) - if you have light skin this is a very easy 'go to' colour - you can put on some with bronzer for more of a make-up free look or layer it up for more a flushed look.   'Natural' has been compared to Benefit's 'Throbb' which is a failry accurate comparison, although 'Throbb' is more of a baby pink.  Matches nicely with NYX cream blush in 'Natural'.

(Top row): Natural and Pinched.
(Bottom row): Peach and Pinky

Peach  (06) - More of a pink that a 'peach' tone when you look at it in the pan.  When you blend it out on your cheeks it warms up a bit and looks great when layered. Natural and Peach look very similar in the pan but quite different when on your face.


Pinched (25) - Has been called a dupe of Nars' Orgasm which is does a bit when in the pan but it doesn't have as much gold in it.

(L-R): 05 - Pinky, 06 - Peach, 07 - Natural, 25 - Pinched

Pinky (05) - Can look a bit scary in the pan but if applied sparingly and blended out it can look gorgeous.  Perfect for nights out or days at work when you want to look a bit more 'made-up'.  Pair with NYX cream blush in 'Hot Pink' for a look that really pops!

NYX Cream Blushes

As mentioned in other posts - when it comes to NYX products, its hard to stop at just one...NYX's cream blushes are no exception.

The blushes themselves are a great place to start if you've never used a cream blush before.  "And why's that?" I hear you ask...well even if you didn't ask I'm going to tell you!
Low price point:  The blushes cost around US$6 from cherry culture - even cheaper when they're having a sale.  A cheap price is good cos if you're not loving it then you haven't wasted your money (but you should love these!).  They can be bought in drugstores in the US but aren't available in stores in Australia.
Wide variety of colours: Lots of pinks, from natural through to bold as well as some peaches, oranges and bronze toned ones; something for everyone.
Lots of product: Each pot comes with 3.5g (0.12oz) so you  can play around with it at home until you're practiced in the right amount of blush to use.  Lots of product also means you don't need to worry about 'saving it' for special occasions.

Like all cream blushes they can be worn alone or as a base for powder blushes.  Some say that cream blushes should be worn with liquid foundation and powder blushes with powder/mineral foundation but in my experience, as long as you're careful when blending that either can be worn with either.

Swatched with my finger (L-R): Rose Petal, Natural,
Hot Pink, Golden, Tickled

NYX cream blushes are quite pigmented, especially the bolder colours so be careful when you're applying them.  Like all blushes, start light and build up until you reach your desired level of colour.  You can apply them with your fingers or a brush - if using your hands try swirling your middle finger in the centre of the pot and then gently patting the colour onto the apples of your cheek. Generally 1-2 'swirls' per cheek will give you enough colour for everyday wear.

As already mentioned these blushes work great as a base for power blushes. If you apply the blush as above and then dust on some powder blush it will 'set' your blush the same way a primer works on your eyes so the powder blush will last much longer.  Just be sure to use less of your powder blush than usual or you'll end up looking very flushed!

One downside to these blushes is that they tend to be quite soft - not good if you live somewhere very hot - and if stray bristles from brushes land on them it can be hard to get them out without digging into the product.

Onto the colours that Lady Cavanagh bought...

Note: I've blended them out in a way that you'd wear them for everyday wear - i.e. quite well blended.  You can of course all more colour to build to your desired intensity.

Rose Petal (01): Looks very similar to 'Natural' when in the pan but quite different when blended out on your cheeks, especially when layered.  This a very 'dainty' colour - delightful to wear either to work or high tea!

Natural (02): I mainly wanted this cos I'm such a fan of the 'Natural' powder blush, also from NYX.  The two blushes (powder and cream) look great when worn together. If you have a pale complexion like me this really does give a very 'natural flush' to the cheeks.  Perfect for when you want to wear more bold eye makeup.

Hot Pink (08): Looks scary in the pan but as you can see in the blended image it comes out as a lovely rosy glow that can be increased in intensity for a more dramatic night-time look. 

Golden (10): Looks great when worn alone when you have a bit of a tan. Really warms up the face nicely without looking like you're wearing any makeup. 

Tickled (13): Gorgeous peachy coral with gold shimmers in it. This is my favourite NYX cream blush - it looks great alone but also works well as a base for a peach or pink toned blush.  Right now I'm really enjoying pairing this with Milani's 'Luminoso' baked powder blush.  For a look that really pops try with with Nars' 'Orgasm'.

Overall: Great price, lots of product and super blendable, NYX cream blushes are very true to colour so what you see in the pan is what you get on your face.  Enjoy!