IndieAna- In Search of the HolyGrail

As you probably have noticed, I like a simple NOTD. I like to be creative, but I am just not so good at intricate type nail art, unfortunately.  As I often do, I come across a cute design on Youtube. It included the word easy, so I was more than willing to give it a go. After prepping my nails with Orly Bonder base coat, for this look, I was required to choose 4 colours, a base colour, then 3 other colours for the "step" design. I went with pinks and a gorgeous deep burgundy colour. Going from the lightest colour to darkest, I began with a pale pink base colour. Then to create the step design, I simply applied 3 strokes of polish, starting from the inside of the nail, making each stroke slightly shorter than the previous one. With the following 2 colours, I just repeated, but made each stroke to be shorter than each applied shade (I really hope that this is making sense, lol) Before the final step, I applied Essie Luxeffects to my entire nail, just for a touch of bling ...

With a name like Youth Switch, I could not wait to try the DNA Stem Cell Booster Face Serum, a relatively new product from Mirenesse. This serum contains many ingredients containing antiageing benefits, including 2 peptides! The formulation is designed to not only slow down the ageing process of the skin, but also turn the clock back. Too good to be true?? As shown in the picture, the serum comes in a 15g tube. I find the gold colour quite pleasing to the eye. The packaging is simple, yet application directions are still included. The serum fits easily into any routine. It is recommended to be the first product used after cleansing and toning.  The nozzle is not something I have come across before. It is designed to allow better control of product. I do find that it can take some squeezing to extract enough product for the face and neck. Maybe I used too much?? The consistency is almost cream like, with a pleasant citrusy type scent. The serum absorbed quite quickly into t...

It has been fun creating Christmas themed nails. Of course they were all easy to create :) Instead of doing single posts for each one, I've decided to compile them all here. For the first look, I used 2 coats of Milani gold 3D Holographic polish as my base colour. I then applied the base colour and Australis Endless Star onto a sponge, 1 stroke of each, just touching. Moving quickly, I dabbed on the nails, moving slightly up and down as I went. I finished with the snowman glitter top coat, which is clear with green and red shimmer. (no label, sorry, I bought it in a blog sale) I just had to include another pic of the cutest Christmas nail polish! A definite theme going on, with the gradient, sparkle and yet another adorable polish bottle! Using the same method as the previous look, I used Covergirl Outlast Stay Brilliant in a pale lilac shade for base colour and  Borghese Rapido in a deeper purple. I also placed some silver, holly design scrap boo...

Well, I couldn't let Christmas go by without posting at least one festive look. I had planned to do more, but things have been so hectic, time just got away from me.  What comes to mind when I think of Christmas colours are red, gold and green. It sounds garish, but can be easily done without being over-the-top (not that there's anything wrong with making a statement, lol)  I knew that my stash of mineral shadows wouldn't let me down :) Using the red and green as liners gives that "pop" of colour, whilst making it totally wearable. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas xx

I finally got around to playing with Mirenesse Marble blushes (and yes I made this purchase before my no-buy!) After watching a demonstration on TVSN (shopping network), I just had to add these blushes to my collection. What I noticed first about this blush was the different packaging, instead of the regular metallic look, these arrived in a sturdy black compact. Simple, yet classy, I really like it! Carrara Coral on the left and Paros Pink on the right. These appear to be beautifully sheer, with a glowing sheen rather than shimmer, a finish that I would much prefer. Gosh, I need these on my cheeks, either as a blush or I also think these would be great highlighters, too! . Here I am wearing Carrara Coral as blush, and Paros Pink to highlight my cheekbones. I bought these from the Mirenesse website. I love them, they look so pretty, and I am so happy with the result! They no longer appear to be in the black casing, but look equally as gorgeous. Make sure you bo...

Before applying a clay mask, I like to prepare my skin by exfoliating it with a glycolic mask of some form. I much prefer to exfoliate my skin this way, as I find it less irritating than a manual exfoliator. Not just bound by over the counter beauty products, I took my search to ebay. As I had previously bought from ebay seller, Voodoo Beauty, before, and with 8756 sales carrying 100% feedback, I had no concerns about purchasing their Rose Glycolic Resurfacing Masque. Before using a glycolic product, it is important to keep in mind your skin type, many masks of this type can cause irritation, and is not really recommended for sensitive skin. The other important thing to remember is that sunscreen is a must. The mask comes in bottle with an easy to use pump dispenser. Using one pump at a time, I just simply smoothed the product over my face. All that I needed was a thin layer. The mask only needs to sit on the skin for 5-10 minutes. During this time it dries to feel almost like a ...

It might sound a little crazy, but when I finish a make up product, I feel like I have accomplished something. I rarely ever throw an unfinished product away. When I do, it seriously means that it has not worked for me, hence my new series "Houston We Have A Problem!" My first product to enter this series is Freeze Frame Instant Lash Believe me when I say that I truly wanted this product to work for me, after many tries, I had to say good bye. The first thing that I did not like about this mascara was how many applications it took to get the desired result. I was willing to take the extra time it took, as eventually it did add gorgeous length to my stumpy lashes. What I couldn't deal with was the irritation caused by the mascara flaking during the day. I was forever trying to rid my eyes of the irritating mascara "flakes". I gave the mascara a few chances, but almost every time I had to deal with this problem. Sadly, the Freeze Frame Instant Lash found th...