IndieAna- In Search of the HolyGrail

I will often make a point of saying when a colour is season appropriate, however, I don't have a rule set in place to only wear these colours. I just choose whatever appeals to me at the time. That was the case when I applied "Turquoise Paradise". I wouldn't call it a Winter shade, but I just had to wear it. "Turquoise Paradise" is the perfect name for this nail polish! This beautiful blue reminds me of the waters of a tropical beach that I would love to be at right now. Bring on Spring, cold weather sucks! Enjoy your Wednesday!

I've always needed lip balm for my dry lips. Since wanting to wear lipsticks now, rather than a slick of gloss or balm, I have noticed that the condition of my lips will make or break a lovely bright lip. I've also noticed lines around my lips, which cause feathering, not a good look. Skinn by Dimitri Lip 6X Amplifying Serum is now only the second treatment targeted for my lips that I have used. Taken from the website- " Bigger, fuller, plumper, sexier lips with a firmer lip rim are now attainable faster than ever before with the Lip 6X- Lip Amplifying Serum. Powerful new vectorized peptides and collagen-injected liposomes, combined with tissue supporting chondroitin deliver rapid and unprecedented results for visibly augmented more beautiful lips."  The glass bottle contains 15 ml of product.  Easy to use pump dispenser. A little of this thick serum goes a long way. I use only half a pump to dispense ample product for my lips. The serum just g

You've probably already heard me waffle on about Aldi's own brand Lacura. Apart from the makeup wipes, this is the first skin care product that I have reviewed. The products can be hit and miss, which I guess is common in most brands, but the small outlay is worth trying anything of interest. The mask comes in a squeeze tube.  As expected, the tube comes with a flip top lid. The product is a pale green of, you guessed it, clay consistency. This clay mask has a herbal smell to it. The product is quite thick, however, I did find it smoothed across my skin fairly easily.  Recommended time to leave on is 15 minutes, generally I leave on for about 30. It does dry on the skin and does feel tight. I usually remove when my skin starts feeling itchy. I just wash off with a warm face washer. I actually find this to be a relatively easy process, considering that it does set on the skin. Once removed, my skin is left feeling clean, soft and smooth. My face n

I love a tuberose perfume, but sometimes they can be headache inducing for me. So I was definitely open to trying "Tuberose Indiana", but beginning with a sample was a must. Description- "...bergamot, Indian tuberose, vanilla and ambergris infusion." When I first applied this perfume, I was greeted with a pungent, sour smell that I did not like at all. Before I had a chance to scrub the fragrance off, it began to morph into something more wearable. Sweet, creamy florals with a zesty quality. "Tuberose Indiana" is a full bloom of white flowers in a bottle. It is such a classically pretty and feminine blend.  I just wish this perfume lasted longer on my skin.

I needed another eye shadow palette like I need a hole in my head, but hey, story of my life, really. I bought NYX "Sex Bomb" whilst on sale at Target, online. That red shadow was calling my name. Because red eye shadow is something I wear a lot. Oh well, it's in my hot little hands now, so it's really too late to try and justify it.  Yes, I love the packaging! :) There's that red matte eye shadow, quite good pigmentation. Also the matte black was a surprise, great for a matte. Well, that red did not disappoint when applied to my lid. The shimmery taupe is pretty, but not easy to work with, there was a lot of fallout.  Yep, the black applied as well with a brush as it did with my finger. Blended well, too. I don't normally do a full eye look with matte shadows, but I'm really liking this one! I couldn't help myself, I had to dip into that red again! This time applying to my entire lid.  

Well, with that boring post title, I am grateful that you are still reading my blog post! When it comes to nail art, sometimes I have so many ideas that it is hard for me to choose one to try, then at other times I struggle to come up with something. Of late I've experienced the latter. As I write this, I should have thought to do this earlier, but I really should be jotting my ideas down when they pop into my head. My brain only really works well when I don't need it to, lol. A little brain storming, well more than a little, I came up with an idea... Essie nail polish (label is gone) and NYC "Lolly Pop", plus my handy dotting tool and a little striping tape. Using nail striping tape as a guide, I used both shades on my nails, the shades separated by a diagonal line.Then using one colour at a time, I placed dots of each nail polish, making sure that the dots over lapped the other colour block side. How about I just show you the result. I was ha

RawSkinCeuticals is an online indie company based in the US that is a 100% raw vegan line. To preserve the nutritional properties of the formulas, oils, herbs and butters that are used never exceed 60 degrees Celsius. Owner Sarah is such a beautiful person, who just wants to share her knowledge of skincare to others, through her products. Description taken from the website  " No nano particles- micron sized titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. Broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection that is non-whitening, non-greasy and spreads easily. Gentle chemical free hydrating formula, safe for even the most sensitive skin... Green tea and shea combine in this aloe based SPF lotion base to add hydration and protect against bacteria and toxins." The lotion is packaged in a 120 ml bottle. It is also available in a larger 240 ml size.  I love that the bottle has a convenient pump dispenser. Definitely a lotion, not a thick cream. This is the first natural sunscreen I have use

I'm so glad that there's more awareness about the benefits of using facial oils. Having combination skin, I was once cautious about using an oil. Who would have thought that many natural oils would be good for any skin type. I was gifted Thursday Plantation Macadamia Oil thanks to Beauty Heaven.  In the past, I had tried the tea tree oil, but had not used a macadamia oil in skincare before, so I was interested in trying to see how my skin would go. Taken from Thursday Plantation website- " Macadamia Oil is rich in palmitoleic acid (Omega 7), an essential fatty acid that is found in the human skin's sebum, but diminishes with ageing. The Omega 7 found in Thursday Plantation Macadamia Oil works in harmony with natural skin lipids to replenish the skin's protective barrier against moisture loss, leaving the skin deeply hydrated, rejuvenated and plumped. Used as face and body serum, it helps to: Smooth fine lines, rehydrate dry or sun-damaged skin. rejuvenate tire

I was fortunate enough to be sent L'Oreal Revitalift Laser x 3 Day Cream to trial for beauty website Beauty Heaven . Taken from the L'Oreal Paris website - " The soft ultra-velevety texture provides in-depth anti ageing by correcting wrinkles, redensifying the skin and re-supporting contours." The squared off packaging looks rather classy. I really like the look of the deep red glass jar with chrome lid. It contains 50 ml of product. The consistency is rich, yet not too thick. Although a jar is an easy way to access product, with all the exposure to the air, I wonder just how long the moisturiser stays stable. It has an impressive ingredient list, but that's not much good if the efficacy of the product does not stay in tact. That out of the way, I'll mention another thing that I'm not overly keen on, and that is the strong fragrance. It's not terrible, but it's a synthetic floral scent. Maybe I'm just used to the natural p

 I've actually had this Essence nail polish for some time. I bought it during my obsession with textured and glitter polishes. The Sugar range had me intrigued and I went with "Blue Jeaned", yep I stopped at one, yay me! Navy blue with a cool stone washed effect with the silver shimmer. I was surprised that this wasn't a textured nail polish. It's not to say that I don't like it, but was expecting a different finish with the "Sugar" label. Mind you, I think it's still a nice shade, and with the combination of silver shimmer throughout, it is different to any other nail polish that I own. Have a wonderful Sunday!

I started my "Palette Appreciation" series so that I could  begin using more of my eye shadow palettes. So, in an attempt to do the same with my lipsticks, I've decided to just select random lipsticks to showcase.  My first post in this series is all about Rimmel Apocalips in "Celestial". The Apocalip range had been on my radar ever since their release. Oh, the temptation every time I saw a glowing review and swatches of these lip products. My determination not to purchase any lipsticks, until I started making some kind of dent in my collection, all went out the window when I come across "Celestial" during a food shop at woolies for just over $3. I just didn't have the will power to resist that  good of a deal!  I adore the packaging. The doe foot applicator makes for an easy application. "Celestial" is a dusty pink.  This is certainly a staple shade. Great for a natural day look, or pair it with a smoky eye. I

I am so easily persuaded to try something. Forget the fact that rose scents can often make me feel ill, many raves about Tresor Midnight Rose had me coveting this fragrance. Instead of committing to a full size, I headed to ebay and found a decent trial size.  Even for a sample size, the bottle is so pretty, replicating the full size. It is missing it's little rose that is placed around the neck of the bottle. I broke it :( Description- " A new dose of Parisian romance provides a fragrant story beginning with passionate accords of raspberry and rich rose nuance. Love at first sight which happened between gentle rose petals and res fruit zest of raspberry continues with a hint of peony and jasmine, in an elegant and sophisticated way. Insolence felt in a heart comes from pink pepper and a dose of gentleness from currant buds. Base notes provide tranquility and comfort- composed of warm and soft vanilla, woody nuances of Virginian cedar and sensual musky veil."

I'm pretty excited to post my first ever favourites feature. I have quite a few products to show you that I have been loving. Vaseline Intensive Care Spray Moisturiser- After finishing up the Spray Moisturiser in the Cocoa formula , I replaced it with the Advanced Strength version. I was totally content with the previous bottle, but wanted to try a different one. This one has been wonderful, as my skin tends to get drier in cold weather. I'm also loving that I don't have to wait long for the moisturiser to absorb before putting clothes on after a shower. It's way too cold to wait around! Lol. 88 Warm palette - Whenever I am wearing makeup, I am almost always using this palette. It is perfect for eye contouring, but I could easily get away with just using these eye shadows. I do everything from highlight my brows and corner of my eyes, to deeper crease and brow bone shades, to even filling in my eye brows. It is so versatile. Also, this version is so easy to

I like to check out the various products that Aldi have on offer. I have a few staples that I find are just as good as more expensive brands. A good, cheap product, and I'm on it! It was actually my daughter who insisted on trying Aldi's own Benifex Paw Paw Ointment. Taken from the package- " Temporary relief of the symptoms of dermatitis and eczema . Help against the drying effects of the wind and sun. May be used as a topical application for cuts, minor burns, minor open wounds, splinters and thorns, nappy rash and sunburn. Helps maintain the skin's natural moisture." Product is in a tube with screw top lid. It is a thick balm like consistency. I have not tried using the ointment for a lot of listed recommended uses, but what I do use it for is as a lip balm. The ointment sits on my bedside table so I can apply to my lips before bed. I prefer using at night, because I find that because I apply with my fingers, it can be a little messy. I tend t

This nail polish only became part of my collection because it was on sale for $1. I certainly could have lived without another dark purple shade, but hey, at that low of a price, I couldn't just walk away, right?  I really like the blackened purple shade of "Hypnotize Me" (love that the name is easy to see!) This is 2 coats of nail polish, plus top coat. The result looks like a gel. It doesn't last ultra long, but no regular polish ever does on my nails. This shade is a perfect winter colour, rather classy, I think :) I hope you are having a wonderful Sunday!

Another month, another empties post...   In May I finished quite a few products, and discovered some new favourite products. Wotnot Wipes- I bought a pack of 3 of these makeup wipes when on sale. Repurchase? I'm not sure, the wipes did a decent job of removing my makeup after my nightly oil cleanse. I am content using any brand that is cheap and does the job. FCUK Connect Perfume - This was a nice perfume to use, fruity and sweet. Repurchase? The longevity just wasn't good enough to warrant another purchase of this perfume. Skinn Vacuum Deep Pore Cleansing Mask - Ever since having a skin care routine, a clay mask has always been my weekly treatment. I've been using so many Skinn Cosmetics products of late and just had to try one of the brand's iconic products. Repurchase? I would consider after finishing up my current clay masks. I was using this mask 3 times a week, but because I was going through too much product, I cut back to once weekly. I found