IndieAna- In Search of the HolyGrail

Description- " Glam is a floral-fruity fragrance with powdery-woody musky background. It opens with accords of watermelon, juicy red berries and citrus. The heart encompasses flowers of star jasmine, tuberose and rose absolute. The final trail consists of orris butter, sandalwood and musk ." Upon first spray I am greeted by the sweet, heady, white floral that  is tuberose. The fruity tang only enhances the gardenia florals. I do like the tuberose note, and must say that it is done well in this fragrance, even if it almost makes me sneeze, lol. During wear, the sandalwood is more noticeable, but not too loud as to take away the fresh, Spring feel of this perfume. Kim Kardashian fan I am not. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a hater, I just simply don't care. Her perfumes on the other hand, I must say appeal to me. I have 2, and would consider adding this one to my collection. Have you tried any KK perfumes?

Today I have a Mirenesse product to review for you. This has been in my stash for some time, just waiting in line for its turn to be used. I bought Mirenesse Whipped BB Moisture Fill when it was on sale (the only time I will buy products from the website!) and what made it even better value was that at the time I was a VIP member, which meant free delivery. This product is a primer containing 3D Halo Spheres and botanical moisturisers with hyaluronate,  Formulated to provide a soft focus effect on the skin. Not only does it prime skin, it also creates a barrier to hydrate. It also has an SPF 10. The tapered bottle is a 40g size. It fits easily in the hand. If you pop off the lid, there's a sponge for application. But, if you unscrew, a nozzle is revealed. The consistency is indeed light, almost like it has been whipped. To apply I prefer to use the nozzle and blend onto my face with my fingers. I have not used the the sponge yet, concerned that I'll lo...

Do you know how hard it is to try and come up with a nail look, with no theme. Unlike the Creative challenge, this time I had too many ideas. I mean, this was a challenge, so I wanted to provide a good entry.  Foils provide such an eye catching effect on nails. I didn't want just the one colour, so chose 3 different foils. Although the foils are what make the look, I wanted a dark, but not black base colour. Using Sally Hansen "Save the Date" meant that any gaps in the foil would reveal the gorgeous bordeaux shade.  To add another dimension (I know, as if foils wasn't enough) With Orly "Liquid Vinyl" I stamped on a criss-cross checker plate design.  Inside with flash  In natural sunlight I really loved how this mani turned out. Well that completes the Doll Challenge ! 

"I'm a barbie girl..." I tell you, I was't feeling all plastic fantastic recreating barbie. Sounded easy in my head, but one of my products was dead set on ruining any chance of me having anything worth sharing for Day 7 of the Doll Challenge , I'll show you what I used, then I'll explain. Face Covergirl Outlast 3-in-one Foundation MAC Mineralize Concealer Covergirl Professional Loose Powder Inouvi "Candy Blush" 88 Warm Palette Eyes NYX "Milk" Jumbo Eye Pencil 88 Warm Palette Urban Decay "Bourbon" and "Midnite Cowboy" 24/7 Eye Liners Mirenesse "Black" Longwear Gel Prestige "My Blackest Lashes" mascara Lips Gorgeous Cosmetics "Scarlette" Lip Pencil Sleek "Milkshake" Pout Paste NYX "Milk" Jumbo Eye Pencil  For this look, I wanted to create a matte and lighter base than my skintone, as you can see in this photo! I used my daughte...

I love playing with glitter, I hate removing it, especially from my face. But, Day 6 of the Doll Challenge called for glitter, and I was going to deliver! Face Natio Pure Mineral Skin Perfecting BB Cream MAC Mineralize Concealer MUA Cosmetics "Twilight" Glitter Eye Palette Glitter Pieces Eyes 88 Warm Palette Mirenesse "Black" Longwear Gel MUA Cosmetics "Twilight" Glitter Eye Palette Prestige "My Blackest Lashes" Mascara Lips Maybelline "Shocking Coral" ColorSensational lipstick Espionage Cosmetics "Whamm" Mineral Pigment I began with creating a rather thick winged liner, using Mirenesse "Black" Longwear Gel. I then patted the lightest colour from the MUA "Twilight" Glitter Eye Palette. This took a lot of time and product, as it was hard to get the glitter to show up, as it was getting rather lost in the black liner. Then, with all that cream product, it just slid, and ...

This was the day of the Doll Challenge that I was concerned about, SPFX, or for those that don't, just be creative. Well, I don't have any SPFX products, but the option of being creative wasn't exciting me, either. I was really stumped, no ideas would come to mind. A google image search gave me a great idea. Creative, yet fairly easy to do. Face Revlon Whipped Colorstay Foundation MAC Mineralize Concealer Mirenesse Studio Magic BB Pore Powder Rimmel "Sparkling Black" ScandalEyes eye liner Eyes 88 Warm Palette Mirenesse Black Longwear Gel Prestige "My Blackest Lashes" mascara Lips Models Prefer "Lasting Berry" Infinite Lip Liner NYX "Milk" Jumbo Eye Pencil I went with a "Pop Art" theme! Thanks to youtube, I followed a tutorial to get this look. I'm missing the really cool dots that I was supposed to create. It looks awesome, but I was doing this before bed, and reall...

If you read my previous post , I told you about the 8 Day Doll Challenge . Because Day 2, 3 and 4 are fairly easy challenges, I thought I'd just share them in the one blog post. Day 2- Skin Care Favourites/Regime  This is my current skincare regime. AM- Ciencia8 Cleanse8 Creme Ciencia8 Preparation8  Skinn Hylighten Eye Serum Ciencia8 Lipcorrect8 Ciencia8 Arestaline8 Rawskinceuticals SPF 45 Lotion PM- Coconut Oil cleanse if I'm wearing makeup Ciencia8 Cleanse8 Gel Ciencia8 Preparation8 Skinn Hylighten Eye Serum Ciencia8 Lipcorrect8 Ciencia8 Arestaline8 Thursday Plantation Macadamia Hydrating Oil Reorganize Night Eye Balm Treatments- Each product used 3 x weekly Deep Pore Cleansing Mask BioCell Hydrofusion Masque EnergEyes Eye Mask I would love to continue with Ciencia8, but my bank balance has other ideas. The Skinn products are still fairly new in my regime, so time will tell if I need to repurchase. What I definitely will be buy...

What is the Doll Challenge? Well, I'm glad you asked. It is a tag that was created on Instagram by @celiaspainmua. It involves 8 themes over 8 days. I thought that it would be fun (and a little challenging) to do, and of course wanted to share it with you, too. Day 1- MOTD (makeup of the day) Yes, this one was an easy challenge. I went with a simple, every day look. Face Mirenesse Poreless Primer Revlon Whipped Colorstay foundation MAC Mineralize Concealer Mirenesse Studio Magic BB Pore Powder L'Oreal blush Eyes Silk Naturals "Soho" Chromatic Cream Eye Color 88 Warm Palette Mirenesse "Black" Longwear Gel Glo-Minerals "Charcoal" Precise Micro Liner Urban Decay "Midnight Cowboy" 24/7 Liner Prestige My Blackest Lashes mascara Lips Mirenesse "Raisin" Auto Lip Liner  DIY Lip Palette (Can't recall brand of the shade I used) Stay tuned for more Doll Challenges :)

Ok, so this is where I'm way out of control, some people may say I'm a hoarder. What can I say? I love my eye shadows, especially palettes.  Oh, I can't forget the few palettes I hauled for my birthday and Christmas presents. They're here . In a few months, I will endeavor to do a proper stocktake that will include number of items. I think that's when it will scare me, lol. I really do love palettes, can you tell! :)

Although I now prefer to use a cream cleanser, Biore's newest cleanser appealed to my curiosity. Charcoal is known for its ability to draw out impurities. Being an ingredient in a cleanser means that there's hope for those clogged pores. Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser comes in a large 200ml bottle. Having a pump top is convenient and easy for dispensing product, especially for a bottle of this size. The colour reminds me of licorice, in gel form. The cleanser is rather thick in consistency. I use this cleanser as part of my morning skincare routine. To cleanse my skin, I find that even one full pump is too much, I probably use half that amount. I find that on wet skin, I can work the product into a creamy lather. It doesn't seem to get too soapy, which I like. I do enjoy using this cleanser in the morning, as there is a slight cooling effect, which not only makes my skin feel like it has been deep cleansed, but is also invigorating. I haven...

I love nail polish, but am not swayed by a certain brand. The colour is what normally draws me to a purchase. Paying a low amount is also a definite bonus. That's the case with Maybelline Color Show nail polishes. I love each one I own. Certainly great polish for the budget price. A glowing example is "Pink Cosmo". This shade is such a gorgeous metallic rose gold. It's a great colour for Summer, especially if you want to tone down those brighter shades, without resorting to a basic nude. What nail polish are you currently wearing?

When I think of Valentine's Day, many things come to mind. Love hearts, teddy bears, chocolates, flowers and sweet, romantic cards. How I celebrate this day? Not much really. I might buy a box of chocolates for hubby and I to share between ourselves in bed, when the kids are asleep, and a glass or 2 of wine. Really it's just an excuse for us to indulge in chocolate. One thing that I always love to do is create a Valentine's makeup look. I instantly think of the colours red and pink, so I had a look through my stash to find the perfect shades. Face Revlon Whipped Colorstay Foundation Silk Naturals Date Bait finishing powder MAC Mineralize Concealer Madd Style Cosmetics "Rebel Lollipop" blush Eyes Maybelline "Barely Beige" Color Tattoo Silk Naturals "Jelly Bean" eye shadow Random wine coloured eye shadow 88 Warm Palette Mirenesse "Black" Longwear Gel Glo-Minerals "Charcoal" Precise Micro Lin...

Hmmm Armani, well, doesn't that conjure up images of sophistication, elegance and wealth. I'm none of these, but I was willing to try an Armani perfume on my laid back, casual self. Description- " The composition is sensual; citrusy, floral, oriental. The top notes are Italian bergamot accords and petit grain. The heart includes orange blossom absolute and mirabillis. While the base consists of vanilla pod ." Upon dabbing this perfume on my skin, I was met with a concoction that I was not expecting. I couldn't quite put my finger on what I was smelling exactly. It was rich, slightly spicy, with a floral sweetness, but what did it remind me of? A quick search of the perfume description, also led me to some reviews. For want of a better example, some one hit the fragrance on the head...it is a little like sarsaparilla. Yeah, not quite something that you would associate with the likes of Armani. The "sarsaparilla"  phase soon morphs once the perfume...

Now that I am onto eye shadows, this is where my biggest "problem" lies. Here are my loose mineral shadows. For years I have been obsessed with mineral makeup. I'll show you..  Neutrals  Whites, greys, silvers  Blues  Peach, oranges, coppers  Greens  Purples Pinks  Green/browns  Browns  Reds  Taupes Golds  Mattes  Box of shadows that I am yet to find storage space for Samples (211 in total) Hmmm, no more buying eye shadows, right? Well, I can't guarantee that, but I'll try! For reference, my March 2013 collection can be viewed here . Let's just say, I may have  added a few to my mineral makeup eye shadows.