Glitter Injections: Honest review

L-R: Love Letter, Copper Crush, Rose Gold, Insta Love 

I saw this brand floating around Insta for a long time, and finally took the plunge. You've probably seen mixed reviews and if you're not new to the scene, you have heard the drama over this brand (see Hannah Schroder's video here, along with her update). There are more in depth stories, just Google it,  I won't get into it, but I agree with the pros and cons. Basically they are aesthetically impactful, but some people have experienced issues over the last couple of years.

I believe they have updated their formula in recent times - and I have had mine for 8+ months and have not experienced any issues at all. I purposefully waited this long to post a review or any pics in the interest of fairness, just to see the longevity of the product and find out if those issues arose. They didn't - all my glitters still look and smell as they did on original purchase (in the pics shown).

T-B: Insta Love, Rose Gold, Copper Crush, Love Letter, [discontinued duo Moonlight Melody]

Personally, I think it's a fun product to play with, they are really cute and great for dramatic effect - but I haven't (and won't) use regularly as there are other glitter formulas that arguably stay put longer + are arguably safer. Honestly, Glitter Injections are pretty pricey, and there are other brands similar which have not had the drama involved, which I feel a bit better about (If you're interested in my faves, send me a message, let's chat about them). Glitter Injections might be good for one-time costume makeup or even if you don't use them on the eyes, and use for other areas of the face or body?

To each their own, and like I said they are still pretty fun and I haven't had any issues yet, so if you do want to try Glitter Injections, you can do so at your own discretion. Click here for the store.

J x

Surprise ring in my bath bomb! - Royal Essence

A friend of mine actually recommended Royal Essence for a Mother's Day gift idea - it was a little late for me to choose it for that occasion, but I decided to treat myself.

Each item contains a surprise mystery jewel (usually a ring). I got the Salted Caramel soy candle, and the Strawberries and Cream bath bomb. YUM. They smell unreal.

My ring is yet to be appraised, and I have yet to burn the candle low enough to see what I got, so watch this space.

Full reveal video over on YouTube

And you can check out Royal Essence here.

[not a sponsored post, all items purchased by me]

#TheChroniclesOfBathnia

J x

Rose Gold Paddle Brushes

[this is a sponsored post]

Ok, paddle brushes have been making the rounds for a few months now, and I was stoked when Jamie from Simple Glam Girls sent these bad boys my way.

THE softest bristles ever - I didn't expect them to be so soft and easy to use. And hello, rose gold?! I am hooked.

If you've never tried paddle brushes before, now's your chance - you can get 20% off the entire store by using my promo code Seren14dipity at the check-out.

The team have also launched an insanely cute Unicorn range so go ahead and check them out right here.

Let me know what goodies you end up getting. You go girl!

J x

The dealio with Audible

I love reading.
I used to read a book a week, sometimes more. But the older I get, the harder it is to find time to sit and devour a story the way I want to.

I had heard about Audible from a couple of colleagues in the past but never knew if listening to a book would be as satisfying as actually reading it. I love podcasts, but this was different somehow as an audiobook. Nothing will beat the feeling of stopping for a moment and taking in prose, and don't even get me started on the smell of paper! One of my all-time favourite smells (yes I am weird, I know).

I'll be honest - If Social Soup hadn't given me the opportunity to try Audible, I probably would not have given it a shot. I am sooo glad I did though!
The team sets you up with 3 books-worth of credits which is great to test the waters. I ended up choosing a biography, a chick lit, and a dystopian sci-fi. Awesome way to start as I am indecisive as can be - so I can switch between if I need to.

As skeptical as I was, I found myself using the app on during my commutes, during makeup sessions, nail polish sessions, even cleaning sessions. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to pick up where I left off and continue the story. I'm especially looking forward to using this for travel (helloooo 15 hour flight to the USA)

If you're like me and love to try before you buy, you can test the waters for a month FREE of charge. Just head on over to the Audible website, sign up and you're good to go.

Love the convenience of this - but don't be surprised if you still find me with my nose in a trusty paperback every now and then :)

J x

Koko Kollection

Ask and you shall receive!

By popular request from you guys, here are my lip swatches of the Koko Kollection from Kylie Cosmetics.

I love every single colour and this pack would be a great start for anyone wanting to try our her stuff - though it is limited edition (Christmas). I daresay she'll be back with them though! TOO GOOD.

Y'all know how I feel about Kylie Cosmetics, so without further ado...

KHLO$

OKURR

DAMN GINA (gloss)

GORG

(TBH probably should have used a liner under this but it worked okay)

Can you guess which was my fave?

Sparkles, naturally 😜

If you managed to get your hands on this beautiful collection, let me know your favourite!

And as always, thank you for your requests, keep them coming.

J x

NYX in Australia

NYX opened its first flagship store in Aus in December last year at Pacific Fair.

 

Among the cult favourites, the loose Pigments are coveted. We don't get a lot of choice for pigments in brands across Aus, so this is a great addition to the mix. 

Meet my first NYX pigment, PIG16 Potion

 

 

I chose this shade to add more selection to my purple collection, and so far I love the colour payoff.

NYX don't make a liquid or base formula to mix with but I've used MAC Fix+ and it glides like a dream. Have yet to try but I'm guessing a sticky primer would work as well. 

Love this colour! It's a blue-brown based purple with a white-blue shimmer through it. Not exactly glitter, more iridescent shine.

Here it is (top) swatched with UD Moondust palette shade in Magnetic for comparison:

 

I'm not in need of any other pigments at the moment but at $11.95 a pop I won't hesitate to get more should any catch my eye. Super affordable and pigmented (duh, Jen it would want to be as a Pigment lol). 

Tell me your favourite shades and I might add to my collection!

J x

The Chronicles of Bathnia - Christmas Edition

Two days til Christmas!

It's not to late to spoil someone special (or yourself). You can never go wrong with Lush IMO.

Here are my picks this year (Bottom L-R, clockwise: Candy Mountain bath bubble bar, 2x So White bath bombs, Luxury Lush Pud bath bomb, Star Dust bath bomb, The Magic of Christmas bubble bar, Snow Angel bath melt, Santasaurus bubble bar, Northern Lights bath bomb, Butterbear bath bomb, Shoot For The Stars bath bomb, Snow Fairy body wash + Bubblegum lip scrub thrown in there).

I'll keep you guys updated when I use these, but keep an eye on my Instagram @jen14jen or Snapchat @jen14jen14 to see them in action in real-time!

Enjoy!

J x


*UPDATE*

Northern Lights

Treat Yourself - GIVEAWAY

*COMPETITION CLOSED* Thank you to all that entered & congratulations to the winner, Krystyn*

Christmas has you running around, making plans & buying gifts for everyone. You’re busy, I get it. So, here’s a little treat from me to you, to indulge in when you’re done (or gift to that difficult family member!) Immerse yourself in a sweet bath with some of my favourite Zoella Beauty products, light my favourite Glasshouse triple scented candle, and sip on some relaxing chai orange tea. Treat Yourself (or your bestie) – you deserve it girl!

WIN my Favourites of 2016:

*Zoella Beauty Snap, Fizz, Relax - gingerbread bath fizzers (Christmas Collection)

*Zoella Beauty Body Fondant - macaron scented shimmer balm (Sweet Inspirations)

*Zoella Beauty Bath Latte - almond, cocoa & honey bath & shower milk (Sweet Inspirations)

*Zoella Beauty Sugar Dip - almond, cocoa & honey scented bath salt granules (Sweet Inspirations)

*Zoella Beauty Le Fizz - macaron scented bath fizz (Sweet Inspirations)

*Zoella Beauty Life Is Sweet - beauty bag (Sweet Inspirations)

*Qi Organic White Tea - Relax warming chai with orange

*Glasshouse Fragrances Tahaa - vanilla caramel triple scented candle, 60g

All you need to do is:

1. Make sure you're following me on Instagram here (I will be checking :P)

2. 'Like' the original Treat Yourself Giveaway post

3. Tag 2 besties  

BONUS ENTRY: Repost the original Treat Yourself Giveaway post on Instagram (tag me @jen14jen) or Twitter (tag me @seren14dipity) and use the hashtag #seren14dipity

GOODLUCK!

T&C's: You can enter as many times as you like in one day, but maximum of 20 entries only will be counted towards the final draw. The giveaway will run for 7 days until 11:59pm Sunday 11th December. Winner will be randomly selected and announced on Monday 12th December. In the event the selected winner does not make contact after 24 hours, a new winner will be randomly selected.

Open to AUSTRALIAN ADDRESSES ONLY, inclusive of shipping and handling. This giveaway is not sponsored or endorsed by Blogger, Instagram, Zoella Beauty, Glasshouse or Qi. All items purchased by me using my own money, and shipped at my own expense. Items will be shipped in January of 2017 (I know you're excited but this will give us both time to let the Holiday dust settle and ensure I can send you the best possible package. Plus, you can have a chance to slow down, put your feet up, and enjoy these gifts in full). Glasshouse Fragrances Tahaa candle pictured is 350g for promotional purposes only - actual prize is 60g version. By entering you confirm you are of 18+ years of age and release Blogger, Instagram, and related brands of all responsibility and agree to the terms and conditions listed.

Mascara Game Changer

With a sleek, bristle-free design, Hourglass Curator Lash Instrument is a beauty game-changer.

This collection eliminates traditional, plastic mascara wand and replaces with a stainless steel (shiny, sexy) tool. Mind = blown.

Experience increased flexibility and control over the Instrument (aka get product right down to the lash line without inadvertently poking yourself in the eye) and precision application with the luxury 40° angled, double-cut tip (aka not emptying half a tube of mascara in one go).

Two formulas exist to use with the Lash Instrument - Ascent Extended Wear Lash Primer (fancy name for something that will help the product stay put all day) and Realist Defining Mascara Formula (pot of proverbial gold. Except it's black).

But take note - even though the idea is to be able to clean off the Instrument after each use (makeup artists I'm looking at you), this can get pretty annoying. If you're going to get the entire Curator Collection, invest in an extra Instrument (aka one for the primer and one for the actual mascara product).

If you're not rolling in moolah however (aka me. This collection was a gift of utmost perfection), you could probably bypass the primer and just get one Instrument + Mascara Formula.

Applying mascara will never be the same again.

Find the Curator Collection sold separately, or as one, limited edition pack here.

J x

Road test - Red Cherry Lashes

 Road tested, so you don't have to:

I normally prefer a fuller, less spidery strip lash with criss-cross or flares, but I still felt pretty glam in these. Good length without being OTT.

At $9.99 a pop from My Cube Brisbane, they're cute and won't break the bank. The band didn't budge in these, though I have tried the #747S Primrose that fell off. I may have just done a bad job gluing that day though - Sephora grand opening got me a bit cray cray...

Notable to mention the #505 Ricky lashes shown above are 100% human hair too (am I the only one who gets the heebyjeebies from this lol, let's just ignore the ick factor for a sec and remember they look + feel more natural).

Keen to try some more. Have you tried Red Cherry?

Check out Crush Cosmetics for the full range.

J x

Also wearing:

Urban Decay - Eyeshadow Primer Potion: Original

theBalm - Nude 'Tude Eyeshadow palette

Bobbi Brown - Long Wear Gel Eyeliner pot: #1 Black Ink

Urban Decay - Perversion mascara

Duo eyelash adhesive - Clear-white

Napoleon Perdis - Auto Pilot

Innoxa - Cover & Correct Cream Concealer Face Palette

Too Faced - Born This Way foundation: Sand

NARS - Creamy Concealer: Ginger

Rimmel - Wake Me Up Concealer: #030 Classic Beige (highlight)

Becca Cosmetics - Shimmering Skin Perfector: Poured, Moonstone (highlight)

NARS - Laguna Bronzer

Benefit - Hoola Bronzer (contour)

NARS - Orgasm blush

Hourglass - Ambient Lighting Palette: Dim Light & Radiant Light (highlight)

Kevyn Aucoin - The Precision Brow Pencil: Brunette

Kylie Cosmetics - Lip Kit: Exposed 

Kylie Cosmetics - Lip Gloss: Koko K

Ellis Faas Liquid Gold

You've all seen Chloe Morello lose her sh** over these Ellis Faas products, but here's a better look at the E303 Metallic EyeLight she couldn't quite get to work.

I had this used on me for the first time during a makeup lesson and I have to say I also lost my sh** - albeit for a different reason.

This stuff is legit. It's like pouring liquid gold over your eyelids, and once dry, it will not budge.

Opening up the lid, you're greeted with the brush applicator.

You've got to twist the end to get the product up to the brush, and this is where all hell breaks loose. I've only used mine three times, but on all occasions I had the same problem as Chloe (and I know many others). It's like waiting for the cork on a champagne bottle to pop, and it never does. Sad times.

I was told on purchase to be patient, that a few twists was enough and the product would spout from the brush in due time. Idk about you, but I'm impatient af, and even moreso when I'm applying makeup in a rush. Just. Get. The. Damn. Eyeshadow. Out. Please.

When it does finally appear (I'm gonna say at least 3-5 mins) it's like a surprise, explosive volcano and you've got quite a lot to work with. Somewhat good, at least it's not stingey. But somewhat bad, seems wasteful to have that much come out at once.

Nevertheless, if you can look past this packaging flaw, the results are worth it.

This shadow glides on, you hardly need a primer, it's quick to dry and the liquid is heavily pigmented. You will not want to touch any other gold eyeshadow after this, it's that good.

It's definitely on the luxury high-end scale price-wise, so this isn't something you're going to be purchasing all the time, but it's a unlike anything I've ever used before. I'd definitely say it's a must-try for hardcore makeup lovers, only because of the quality and colour payoff. It's so low fuss in those departments, it kind of makes you forget it took you half an hour to get it working ;)

So: get it if you can afford it + are looking for something new & amazing to try. But I wouldn't say it's an essential part of your beauty life.

Aussies, you can find it here at Mecca Cosmetica, along with the four other metallic shades.

Ellis Faas E303 in action with Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette.

J x

Kylie Lip Kits

Are they worth the hype?

Honestly, they're awesome, long-wearing products and I have no regrets, but if you're after something comparable + cheaper, you will probably find it elsewhere.

I started with 'Kristen' and liked it, and decided to take the plunge with other colours. My favourite part? The smell of these are LEGIT. I feel like a crack addict sniffing these when I open them #SorryNotSorry.

The nitty gritty - each lip kit comes with a 0.03oz/1.0g lip liner crayon, which Kylie is known to wear on its own (not pictured because let's face it, you've seen them 100 times by now) and a 0.11 fl.oz/3.25ml matte liquid lipstick with doe-foot applicator. The liner reminds me of NARS packaging, but without the retractable mechanism, which is kinda annoying. But the matching liner system just makes sense and convenient for those too lazy to source compatible bases (like Jen).

Of the other liquid lipstick brands I own, I find the closest resemblance in texture, wearabilty & longevity is Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick. Though arguably, Kat has a much lighter, barely-there feel to it.

The glosses come in the same packaging as the lipsticks, with 0.09fl.oz/2.60ml in product and brush applicator.

I stupidly left 'Kristen' on my makeup table and forgot to add it to my swatches, but leave me a comment or tweet me @seren14dipity if you want to see that added in. Enjoy :)

MATTE LIQUID LIPSTICKS

No Flash:

Flash:

GLOSSES 

No Flash:

Flash:

J x