IndieAna- In Search of the HolyGrail

I'm not great at precise nail art. There is the option to stamp, as much as I love it, I've had many disasters. Enter nail stencils!  It's fairly simple. Begin with a base colour, wait for it to dry, place the stencil on the nail, paint with another polish, then before it dries, remove the stencil. The stencil removal step needs to be done quickly.   For my base colour I used Avon Nailwear Pro in a deep purple colour, which I seem to have misplaced so can't tell you the shade name! With the wave design stencil slanting across my nail, I applied LA Colors Color Craze "Live". I then topped the complete look with Glam Polish "Dreamscape". I think my nails would have looked better without the flakies over the silver, just the purple. I think it would have given it a crisp look by showing the design lines off better.  What do you think? Are stencils something you would consider using on your nails?

Quite some time ago I was offered the opportunity to trial Dr LeWinn's Anti-ageing Primer and Foundation , thanks to website, Beauty Heaven. I loved the 2 products so much that, I went ahead and purchased the illuminiser from the range. The product has barely been touched. Not because I didn't like it, but because I just don't include a highlighter in my makeup routine. Well, with the warmer weather, I had the urge to use a highlighter. Ok, more of an excuse to begin to use up my highlighting products by applying them on a more regular basis. The product comes packaged in a 20 ml tube As you can see, delivery of product is through quite a small nozzle.  The illuminiser is of a cream consistency. I apply by dotting the highlighter along the top of my cheek bones, then blend out. The formula is so light, so there's no feeling of cakiness. Though, I've learnt that a little goes a very long way. I love that once applied, a glow is achieved...

For quality of nail polish, Mirenesse is one of the best I have used, not that I would ever pay the full price tag. I've only ever acquired them as GWP on a magazine, I must have looked like a crazy lady buying 3 of the same mag, but its price was a lot cheaper than the nail polishes.  My latest Mirenesse nail polish purchase came when the website was having a huge clearance. I couldn't resist $2.50 each and free postage! The base colour is "Love Tornado", isn't it a gorgeous purple? To add some sparkle, a dab of "Twinkle, Twinkle" near the cuticle. Have you tried Mirenesse nail polishes?

As promised, here's the post of all the makeup looks that I created using the fabulous ybf train case. If you missed the review, you can check that out here , and you'll understand why I needed to split this Palette Appreciation into 2 posts. To make it easier for myself, I used the eye shadows that are in corresponding vertical rows, 3 shades for each eye look. They have been arranged in such a way that there's a row of highlighters, lid colours and crease colours.  Look 1 Look 2 Look 3 Look 4 Look 5 Look 6 In all these looks, I also used the brow pencil, neutralizing creme and powder. The full faced looks included the blush and a different lipstick with lip gloss. I am so glad I have this case! In future I will do individual reviews of the brow pencil and neutralizing products, as they need their own separate reviews, I think. Thanks so much for patiently sifting through all the makeup loo...

Because the ybf Train Case Makeup Collection contains 44 pieces, I'm going to split the Palette Appreciation post into 2 parts. This article will be all about the case, the next will be the looks I've been able to create. I was introduced to the ybf (your best friend) brand whilst watching TVSN. This brand's founder and CEO is former Ford model, Stacey Schieffelin. Her experience during 20 years of being a model gave her an insight into the beauty world that shaped her passion for empowering women, giving them the best of makeup, sourced worldwide. Her passion for her brand doesn't end there, she truly cares for her customers, forging relationships with many around the globe. 2 years back, I just had to buy the train case packed full of goodies. It's no longer available, but I am still reviewing because some of the items are still sold, and although the shades of lipsticks and eye shadows may vary, the quality remains the same. Isn't she a beauty?...

I've had this sample of Silk Naturals Date Bait rolling around in my face products drawer for such a long time. After taking some Stocktake pics of my beauty products, I left this one out of storage. It was time to at least try it. After searching on the Silk Naturals website, I could only find the bronze version of Date Bait, whereas, I have the original. Taken from the website "... this will help control oil, but won't dry your skin out. It also has a lot of light diffusers in it so your skin will look smoother and more radiant." The sample comes in a small jar.   This photo was taken after I have used the product quite a few times, and still have enough for more applications. The formula really has a fine silky texture. There appears to be some shimmer, something I'm not a fan of in a face powder. Thankfully, it is not visible once applied. This version of Date Bait has a pink undertone, I wasn't sure how this would work on my more ...

Isn't it funny to be so obsessed with rubbish? I just love empties posts! I enjoy writing them, as well as reading them. As I say goodbye to Feb, I can say good bye to a fairly good chunk of empty packaging (mostly). Skinn Collagenesis ABC Triple Action Peel - Having 4 "syringes" of product in this pack, meant that I only had a month's worth to use. The double barreled packaging was needed to ensure the 2 formulas to be separated, only mixed upon application. I must say that I was not excited by the results, I had high hopes for this peel. I used one application for face and neck, only to discover after watching a demo on TVSN, that it is actually required to use one product for only the face to ensure maximum results. If you want to treat the neck, another one is required. Repurchase? No, I think it's too pricey, especially if I want to treat my neck, I'd only get 2 weeks of use out of each packet.  Jurlique Purely Age-Defying Hand Treatment- L...