IndieAna- In Search of the HolyGrail

I've never taken a sniff of any Kylie Minogue perfumes in the past, but when the lovely Kat from Kats Colourings raved about this version of Darling, I had to have her. There was no tester of this perfume, but I bought it anyway. Not something I recommend, but I needed that pretty bottle of perfume. Description- " Dazzling Darling opens with fresh and spicy notes of red pepper, acai berry and violet. Rose, passion flower and orris root compose the elegant core of the composition, while the base of sandalwood, cashmere and delicate musk provide a gentle finish." From first spritz, this perfume is alive with fresh, tart florals. The pepper is detectable, but blends so beautifully and grounds the heady notes. I'm not great at detecting particular floral notes, but I believe that this fragrance is very violet heavy. Apparently I am a fan. This perfume is so pretty and feminine. It just screams Springtime bouquet. Bright, sparkling and fun.  During w...

Antipodes is quickly becoming quite a popular brand. An item that I really wanted to get my hands on was the Kiwi Seed Oil Eye Cream. During a Priceline sale, I snapped one up, only to be put away while I was finishing other eye creams. Finally, I got to this eye cream, and couldn't wait to start applying it. Taken from the Antipodes website- " Scientifically shown to stimulate synthesis of collagen production in human skin cells by up to 82%. A luscious, yet light eye cream for a cooling and soothing sensory experience. Ultra-rich vitamin C from the seed of New Zealand kiwi fruit works superbly to help rescue damaged tissue. "  The eye cream comes in a sturdy jar with screw top lid. The cream looks and feels rather rich, but once I applied it didn't take too long to absorb, which is handy for the morning time application.  I simply massage the cream gently around my eye area, circling a few times, then just let it disappear into my skin. Thi...

For this Christmas look, I went for a very wearable option. Something I'd be comfortable wearing during the festive season. Some regular products I wear daily, mixed with other not-so-loved makeup. Face W7 Photo-Shoot Foundation  Silk Naturals HD Peach Concealer Dr Lewinn's Anti-Aging Concealer Makeup Revolution "Blushing Hearts" blush  Australis Face-A-Holic compact, the highlighter Highlighter and blush swatches.  Eyes Maybelline Color Tattoo in "Barely Branded" 88 Warm Palette Earth Glo Minerals eye shadow in "Northern Lights" Mirenesse black 24 Hr Gel  Models Prefer Eye Liner in "Lime Tart" Mirenesse Cougar Mascara YBF Universal Eyebrow Pencil Lid colour, crease shades and Models Prefer eye liner. Lips Models Prefer Invisible Lip Liner MUA Cosmetics Lip Boom in "Bring It" Lip Boom lipstick and gloss. I wanted a fairly neutral, yet shi...

Nothing represents Christmas to me more than the sparkle of tinsel. I decided to try and recreate this on my nails. Sally Hansen "Dazzling" and Illamasqua "Viridian" Red and green are very festive colours, so I alternated these base colours on my nails. Then using some clear polish for adhesive, I sprinkled on the gold and purple glitter on each nail. I hope you have a wonderful and safe Christmas xx

One of the prettiest packaged skincare I now own is the Lily Herbceuticals New Age New Era Anti-Aging Regimen Kit. This kit contains 3 products. A fluid, serum and moisturiser. I bought this from TVSN, what a surprise! Lol. Taken from Lily website- " ...is the first in the market to use the most innovative, advanced, propriety compound with NAD. The formulation provides key essential energy molecules to the skin day and night for an ultimate, youthful, vital appearance from a different approach. This newest breakthrough formulation parallels and underscores the most up-to-date findings by the world's leading anti-aging scientists. Science now recognizes that the depletion of energy as we grow older, is the primary cause for the effects of aging. Replenishing this NAD+ , a "must have" compound, helps to restore the energy level and regain our skin's vitality from within. In addition, this 3-pc science based collection of products includes unprecedented concentra...

You've heard of Makeup Revolution, right? Well, Freedom Makeup is a sister brand, providing pro products. I've been impressed with the Makeup Revolution products that I've used, so wanted to see how Freedom Makeup compared. To be honest, I haven't been in a hurry to get to this matte palette. Don't get me wrong, I love using mattes to contour my lids, but am not normally one to create looks using only matte eye shadows. A little NARS-esque? Being a palette containing completely matte eye shadows, it was really hard to capture the shades swatching with my finger on bare skin. The shadows are really soft. When dipping my brush into the pan, I found that I have to be careful to just dab with some of the shades, because being too heavy handed causes a lot of shadow "kick-up" The upside of this is that they apply beautifully and blend like a dream. A little goes a long way, yet it's difficult to overdo it. The product can be buffed o...

 Marc Jacobs releases such lovely perfume bottles. "Dot" is no exception. I was lucky enough to win her, and was thrilled to have her on display amongst my perfume collection. Description- " Top notes incorporate red berries combined with pitaya fruit, known also as dragon fruit. The juicy and exciting opening is followed by floral trio composed of honeysuckle, jasmine and orange blossom, while a base closes with a trail of coconut water, vanilla, driftwood and sensual musk." This begins with juicy, tart fruits. They are warm and inviting. The florals really compliment the fruity nature of this perfume, giving it a Spring time vibe that can be easily taken into Summer. Even with the fruity floral blend, the fragrance is quite rich and deep, which I love.  After wear it takes on a musky, woodsy feel that becomes almost aquatic. At this stage it becomes closer to the skin, but still noticeable by the wearer. This Marc Jacobs perfume is so different...

I've read some fabulous reviews on DB Cosmetics products lately. They seem to be kicking goals, especially in the foundation department. At the time of my purchase, I wasn't in need of a foundation, but I had finished a BB cream and wanted to have a back-up. I ordered the CC Creme because the BB version was out of stock online. Taken from DB Cosmetics - " Multi-functional colour correcting formula. Minimise appearance of uneven skin tone, pigmentation, fine lines/wrinkles and tired looking skin. Infused with skin-loving ingredients for additional skin benefits." Classy glass bottle with chrome lid and trimming. You know I love a pump top dispenser! Cream consistency. My preferred way of applying this product is to dot on with my fingers, then blend with a flat top kabuki brush. Each pump does not dispense a lot of creme, so I find it easy to control the amount used. The CC creme feels almost like a whipped consistency and glides beautifu...

I was so excited when I gave myself permission to haul some goodies from MUA Cosmetics. It had been so long since I had bought from this brand. Not because my love for their products had waned, but I had put myself on a low-buy. Strict spending bans don't tend to work so well for me, but I had done quite well to not continue my crazy online shopping sprees. During last year's "throw caution to the wind" birthday/Christmas shopping frenzy, I bought the "Romantic Efflorescence" palette. Look at those stunning swatches! The eye shadows apply as beautifully to my lids with a shadow brush as they did with the swatches done with my fingers. The photos speak for themselves where the shimmers are concerned. As for the mattes, they are not chalky at all and blend so easily. Are you in need of a neutral palette with a mix of shimmer and matte eye shadows? Chances are, probably not, lol, but this palette is definitely w...