Nudus Lipstick Review

I am so excited to be writing this review!!  I was lucky enough a couple of weeks ago to win a Nudus lipstick from the Australian Organic facebook page, and it turned up today.

Now, Nudus is a new brand on the Aussie market, they sell organic lipstick (for those interested. their website is here http://nudus.com.au/ ).  They have 10 shades (all of which look amazing) and are Aussie made and developed!!  They are very focused on each and every woman being who she is, and that her lipstick should help her along the way and be part of who she is.  The formulation uses Ayurveda colour extracts and is completely handmade in small batches, plus they are certified organic!  Not tested on animals, gluten free etc, etc, the more i read the more excited i get, Nudus really uses some amazing ideas.

Anyway, my little parcel turned up today! 

Included was a lovely congratulatory note from Diana, the founder of Nudus!  I loved that it was included, it's just a lovely touch and rings true to the company's ideals.

Ingredients list

The packaging is white with black writing, and a silver top to the box (with the words 'it's who i am' written on the tab of the lid, it shows as you open the box).  It's simple but yet feels luxurious.

The lipstick itself come is a glossy white square tube, with the company name on one side of the lid and the colour written on a sticker at the base.  Opened up the company's logo is in black on a silver lube (which then twists to reveal the lipstick).  It fits beautifully into your hand, and is easy to use, and feels great (i know some plastic containers can feel flimsy, but this feels nice and strong, like it will hold up to some abuse).

I chose the colour 'Precious', a gorgeous bright pink.  The lipstick itself is quite sheer, although you can build the colour up nicely.  It feels amazing on (honestly it feels like i have lipbalm on) and smells like lipstick (a very nutty lipstick, but that traditional lipstick scent nonetheless), although the scent isn't over powering and has worn off the longer i've had it on.  Very easy to apply and goes on smoothly.

Nudus Lipsticks retail for $42, and are available on the Nudus website (which is linked at the start of this post)

*Thank you Australian Organic and Nudus for providing the lipstick :)

Essence Gel Nails At Home

Hands up if you have noticed a huge number of gel nail kits out ATM!   Walking in to a Priceline makes me think of a nail salon, and every brand seems to be bringing out their own, with prices to match the popularity.  So, when Essence announced they were bringing their own kit to Australia, the majority of fans were excited.  The long wait we had, however, has not been so exciting.  But it's finally here!!


The Essence Gel Nails At Home kit is a set where you use your normal Essence nail polishes (you can also get a french top coat), with a special base and top coat, plus an LED lamp.  It comes with easy to follow instructions, and you can buy the different products separately when you need more.  The lamp is the most expensive part of setting up, at $35.95 (which is still a lot cheaper then some brands, i've seen some going for $80), then you can either buy a starter kit ($17.95 for all the products needed-comes in colour or french), or you can buy each product individually (the starter kits are slightly cheaper all up).  It is supposed to peel off, for easy removal, although i have heard people say it doesn't remove easily (which really doesn't bother me, i want longevity).

The LED lamp comes with a USB cable, you either plug it in to your computer or use a phone charger that takes USB cords (i tend to paint my nails at my computer desk, so i've plugged mine in to the computer).  It's nice and compact, making it easy to carry if travelling, and feels fairly strong.

RRP

$35.95

The starter kits come with 4 products, cleanser, primer, peel off gel base and a top coat (mine is the french kit, so it came with the french gel top coat).  These, along with the lamp, are all that's needed to do a manicure (oh, along with a coloured nail polish if you plan on coloured nails).  Each product is sold separately, which means you don't have to buy a kit each time you run out of something (i can see things like the primer lasting a while, however things like the cleanser are going to run out quicker).

RRP

Starter kit $17.95 Cleanser $4.60 Primer $4.60 Base coat $5.50 Top coat $5.50 (it's slightly cheaper to buy a starter kit to start with, plus i haven't actually seen the french top coat sold separately, only the clear)

The process

1) you remove any old nail polish, file nails and push back cuticles.
2) soak a lint free cotton round in the cleanser, and wipe each nail over (i saved the round for later on, as you need to do the same again)

3) paint primer on to each nail (it's almost like water, so dries almost instantly)
4) paint 1 nail with base coat, and cure under the lamp (each time you press the button on the top the lamp goes for 10 secs).  Make sure you completely cover the nail, and take any of the base coat off your skin/cuticles.  do each nail in turn, curing as you go (i found this stage my nails still felt really sticky and wet, and had it been normal polish i wouldn't have called it dry.  don't worry, it doesn't effect the end result)
5) same instructions as step 4, but this time with the top coat (this is for the french top coat, i'm assuming the other requires a coat or 2 of normal nail polish).  Finish by wiping over with cleanser again.

And voila!  nails that look amazing!  It only took me 10-15 mins to have a completely dry, set, cured (whatever!!) manicure.  It looks nice and natural, it was so easy to do, and the whole system doesn't smell bad (i have a faint baby powder smell to my nails, but nothing over powering).

I don't know about longevity yet (i promise to update when i do), but honestly so far i can't fault the system.  I do have to fine tune my technique (the polish has had a tendency to pull back from the tips of my nails slightly, and i think it may have been something i did.  the french top coat is extremely hard to see), but that's something that comes with practice.

Have you tried this kit?  Or do you prefer another?

Essence 03 Glitz & Glam

Finally my Teeez nail polish 'died', and i've been able to change my nail polish (the life of a mum is so exciting-not!).  As i wrote a few posts ago, I bought one of the new Essence items, a glitter jewels nail polish in 03 Glitz & Glam, and I absolutely adore it!  It's a clear nail polish (i want to call it a top coat, maybe a topper, but i don't know if it's going to extend the life of my manicure at all), with very fine clear iridescent glitter (which throws a green-gold) and 2 sizes of pink glitter (small and large hexies?  circles?  some seem smooth and some have edges.  i think they are hexies though).  I'm wearing it over Essence LE (season of extremes) in 05 Nude or What?, and they look like fairy princess nails (at least that is what my daughter thinks).  As always it is easy to apply, the brush isn't the largest but is big enough to do a good job, and it dries quickly.

There are 4 in the range of effect nail polishes (as the glitz and glam is named), they retail for $3.65, and are available at both Target and Priceline (and i'm imagining any Essence stand.  Canberra people, bounce pharmacy in Canberra Centre are stockists as well).  They are part of a wider Essence range, which is all new and is part of the current permanent line!

Teeez nail polish Review

So, i promised to test this out and get back to you when i was writing my VB post.  Now, to start i will say my nails hate nail polish.  It peels and cracks, and lasts all of 5 seconds (i put it down to having oily nails).  OPI doesn't work at all for me, and i normally only get 3-4 days out of a manicure, so i base my guidelines off this.  My routine is Orly Bonder (i read about this on another blog, and chased it down.  it works wonders for my nails), however many coats of colour needed, then Essence Gel Look Top Coat, and this gets me a few days of nice nails.

Teeez has exceeded expectations.  I painted my nails last saturday, and it really needs to come off today 6 days later.  I've put it through all the normal rigours of mummy-hood, i've washed up, washed clothes, cleaned the house, bathed babies and it's still held up.  It was easy to apply, the brush, whilst looking small is actually a decent size; it was easy to build up the colour on, and the colour went on evenly (no streaks at all), and after 2 coats looked perfect.  And it dried quickly without smudging (i did smudge one nail, but it was my own fault.  My eldest needed loom band help and i didn't think i'd manage to touch my nails.  I did).  Plus it doesn't smell too bad while doing the manicure, and that smell doesn't hang around.

All in all it's an excellent nail polish, something i'm happy to have in the collection, and would love more.

1 coat

2 coats

The completed manicure-bonder base coat, 2 coats of Teeez, and a coat of gel look top coat

3 days in, painted sat and taken tues.  It started to chip on my right hand as seen here, but my left still looked perfect

Today, 6 days from original manicure.  Some nails still look good, but others really need to come off

Lust have It April 2014

Finally, finally my box is here.  A shipping notice went out last week wednesday (the 23rd), and it's rocked up today 2/5.  I get that there were a few public holidays in April, but shipping taking this long makes me think that the boxes weren't sent when the emails were.  And there are a number of people thinking the same.

Anyways, April marked a change in packaging.  Our boxes are now bags.  Meh.  I like the bag sent, but it says to me there will be another change in the future as they will decide that people have too many bags, and i don't like paying out the price of a LHI box just to get pretty packaging.  I'd prefer all the money spent on new packaging went back in to the contents of the boxes, and send everything out like they did last month (which i know got complaints, but it's better then crap samples).  No beauty dips that i've seen, and another month that included a choice. 

This is the bag in question.  I don't mind it. it's big enough to be useful, without being massive.  My zipper is a bit sticky, so hopefully it lasts the distance, and it seems well made.  But it won't take long to have more then enough of these.


Claytime Australia mineral bronzer-RRP $29.95-full size?

This was our sneak peek for the month.  It's supposedly full size (LHI are assuring us that the product card is wrong, and that what we have is full size, however the claytime website sells bronzer in 7g lots, ours is only 3g).  The product says this is a LHI limited edition, which i don't get the point of unless LHI are going to sell the product in the same colour.  What's the point in testing something that we can't repurchase?  It's a lovely bronzer, though, the perfect colour for my skin (not too dark), not too sparkly, the pot has a sifter etc.  I'm happy to give it a go, but yeah, hopefully someone will be able to sort out the full size/sample size idea soon.



Glamourflage Jane Gem Face Primer-RRP $22.95-full size 

This was the product we got a choice on, either this or a lip/cheek stain.  i have a tonne of stains and lip products, so chose this instead.  The packaging is gorgeous, not so sure about the applicator (it looks like nail polish, it may be better in a pump bottle).  It's clear, thick and doesn't really have a scent.  I don't prime, i should but i tend to forget, and it's something i haven't really tried out, so i'm looking forward to trying this.


Samples-wotnot oily skin wipes, aveeno lotion, bioderma nourishing cream.

I'm putting all 3 of these together as i'm not overly impressed with them.
 1) wotnot were giving these away from their facebook page a couple of months ago.  It's been wotnot overkill in boxes lately, and it seems boxes are trying to chuck them in whenever they can.  I hate getting samples that i know can be obtained away from boxes, it cheapens the box, and i don't want to pay for something i can source myself.
 2) Aveeno, again a sample that i have received directly from the company itself.  It's cheap moisturiser, it's nothing to write home about, and coming from a box that once prided itself as a market leader, it's a piece of crap!
3)  I have a feeling this has rocked up in another box in the past.  Anyway, it's another moisturiser, making 2 samples from a 5 item box moisturiser.  Blah.

LHI, WTF is going on?  I can remember a time when LHI had that most amazing items in their boxes, samples and brands that no one had ever heard of before, and were offering trends before they existed.  It's starting to feel like you spend more money on packaging then you do on the items that go in to the boxes, how else can you explain the shite samples?  You really need to pick up your game, or LHI will be the next box down the drain.

Am i the only one feeling this way? 

More Priceline clearance bin finds (and some new Essence)

Hubby and i managed to get out with out our older kids this week (thanks to my parents) and whilst we only had the littlest one, we did some window shopping.  I was on the hunt for the new essence gel nails at home kit (which i found, but didn't buy), and i also managed to find some clearance bin finds.

Belconnen Priceline still had some of their 25c MNY stock left (although choice is getting low).  I grabbed an eye shadow in 110 (a gorgeous shimmery white, nice and soft, although from swatches it has a bit of fallout), an eye liner in 020 (a metallic gunmetal grey, from swatches doesn't pull and is easy to use) and 2 lipglosses, 681 and 690 (681 is the clear, 690 is the blue.  they are slightly sticky, but smell of berries, and 690 isn't as scary swatched as it looks in the tube).  The lady who served hubby forgot to scan the eyeliner, and once noticed just chucked it in for us (she'd already completed the transaction), so all 4 cost a grand total of 75c.

110, 020, 690

This was found in the clearance bin at Priceline Gungahlin (which they really need to discount further, some of the essence lines were close to 2 years old and they weren't much cheaper then when they were first released).  This was down to $1, so i grabbed it.  It's from the Season of Extremes limited edition, and is called Nude or What? It's a grey/purple, very pretty and perfect for winter.


Finally, there are some new products available on Essence stands at both Priceline and Target (i grabbed mine at Target, but saw them at both Pricelines i visited).  New Essence Products  I picked up the Effect Nail Polish (Glitter Jewels) in 03 Glitz and Glam.

Do you know how hard it is to get a decent photo of this?  It is absolutely beautiful!  It's really fine 'clear' iridescent glitter with larger pink glitter (2 sizes).  I cannot wait to try it out (i'm testing out the Teeez from VB atm, this is next in line).


Has anyone else found any great bargains, or awesome new products?

Violet Box April 2014

My VB for the month rocked up today!  We were out all day (trawling op shops, i managed to find a gorgeous kimono jacket for $12, i can see myself wearing it all the time), and it was waiting on my door step for me (thank you awesome parcel lady!!!).

Cedel Scented Hairsprays - RRP $4.99 - full size

I'm going to start this by saying 2 things - 1) i hardly ever use hair spray, and 2) i don't particularly like cedel products (the ones i've tried smell horrible).   This is an intriguing idea, a scented hairspray.  I got oriental blossom, a 'floral bouquet with a hint of ginger'.  honestly, after spraying this in to the lid, it smells like hairspray.  I've even let it sit for an hour or so, still smells of hairspray.  There might be some fruity type undertones, but not enough for me to buy in to the gimick.  I'll put it away in case i ever need hair spray, but i already have a couple of wella professional cans from competition wins, so i don't know when this will get used.

Teeez Trend Chain of Stones Nail Laquer - RRP $15 - full size

This was our sneak peek product!  Mine's in Pretty in Pyrite, a gorgeous gold glitter? (the card is saying shimmer, but it's a chunky shimmer).  I can't wait to try this out (i would have already, but i'm out of nail polish remover thanks to smallest terror pouring green nail polish all over the carpet).  A full review to follow in the next couple of weeks :)


Be a Bombshell Eyeliner in Expresso - RRP $19 - full size

Ummm, not quite sure what to think of this.  Is it just me or does there seem to be a run of eyeliners in boxes atm?  This is a felt tip pen eyeliner in a dark brown.  ummm, yeah?  it stayed on my hand well when swatched, and even after showering there is a faint line on my hand.  If you are in to this type of thing it's probably great.

(i will follow that up by saying i'm crap at doing eyeliner.  I'm short sighted, and without my glasses i'm half blind.  i struggle to do a decent eyeliner as i can't get close enough to my bathroom mirror to see what i'm doing.  This may or may not get used)


Bioderma Crealine H20 - RRP $19.95 - sample size

This has turned up in every sample box since it came to Australia, obviously it's VB's turn.  Not overly excited to see this, to be honest, but it is a decent product.


 Villainess Dulces En Fuego Whipped - RRP $15 - sample size

This smells divine!  Just like the soap in the same scent (i'm almost finished the sample from an earlier VB :( ).  It's absorbed beautifully in to the skin, and doesn't leave a greasy film.  Just wish the sample was bigger.


SNEAK PEEK!

May's box is introducing Goldwell StyleSign Sleek Perfection (i'm loving these sneak peeks)


So that was Aprils box.  Some great products, and some meh products, plus 2?  repeat brands.  Well worth the money spent, however spacing on some products could be improved.

Thoughts?