The Balm Schwing Liquid Liner Review, Swatches & Photos

I have a very sad review today. First of all, I LOVE the brand The Balm, it is one of my all time favourites. However this liquid liner is the worst product I've tried from The Balm.

The Balm says that "Create winning looks with this rich, matte-black finish that won’t smudge, flake, or take forever to dry". Wrong, wrong, wrong. This will smudge, it will flake and it will take awhile to dry. Liquid liners in my opinion need to be budge proof. Otherwise you will look like a panda mess!

The Balm Schwing Liquid Liner, 1.7ml. $23 AUD, $17 USD

I had high hopes for this liquid liner as it ticked all the boxes. Felt tip, long handle, the ability to give a small to big line and a reasonable price. But instead this liner smudges awfully as you can see from the (really bad quality iPhone) picture below.

Yep, that bottom wing was never meant to be there...

Upon initial application it does give off a really nice look. Clean, sharp lines delivered from the felt tip pen. The handle is excellent and aids in the control of application. The pot is also quite good for 'scraping off' excess product off the tip.

I definitely won't be repurchasing this product and I hope you don't either. A friend of mine also had the same problem with smudging of the liner (which was purchased in the States) so I know I didn't just get a bad batch.

Sleek Wishlist

Which country has the best drugstore products? The US or the UK? It's tough! A British drugstore brand I reaaaally want to try is Sleek. I've heard rave reviews about a lot of their products and want to try them out for myself. However, I am too much of a tight arse so I will be waiting for a sale online. Sleek ship internationally from their online shop. They're worth checking at: www.sleekmakeup.com Here is what I would like to get: 

Blush in Sunrise, $5.99

Face Form in Fair, $12.49

Luminous Pressed Powder in 01, $8.99

Sphynx Lashes, $3.99

Eau La La Liner in Lingerie, $6.49

Matte Me in Party Pink, $6.99

Pout Paint in Lava, $6.49

Pout Paint in Peachy Keen, $6.49

Oh So Special Palette, $9.99

Primer Palette, $9.99

Showstopper Palette, $9.99

Ultra Matte v2, $9.99

Real Techniques Duo Fibre Collection Review With Photos

I am OBSESSED with the brushes from Real Techniques and own most of them. For the price point you are definitely getting a great quality multi purpose brush. I've seen the limited edition duo-fiber collection brushes on iHerb for quite some time and finally picked them up for $19.99. These brushes also retail in Australia for $49.95 

What Real Techniques has to say...

Includes 3 limited edition brushes:
• duo-fiber face brush: for lightweight application
• duo-fiber contour brush: for controlled contouring & sculpting
• duo-fiber eye brush: for finishing touches to the eye
• a true multi-tasker – duo-fiber bristles work with cream, liquid or powder for an unbelievably air-brushed finish
• ultra-plush, synthetic bristles are hand-cut and 100% cruelty-free
• extended aluminum handles are light and easy to use

The duo-fiber face brush is my least favourite of the three. It's not dense enough to perform well with liquid or cream products. I also don't particularly care for it with powder. This brush is best used for highly pigmented products that you just want a sheer application of.

The duo-fibre contour brush is absolutely perfect for sculpting the cheek bones with blush, bronzer and highlighters. I prefer to use this brush with powder than cream products. This brush also performs better with foundation than the face brush.

The duo-fiber eye brush has become one of my favourites for precise eyeshadow application in the crease. It comes to a nice point that can actually make quite am effective cut crease. This brush has actually encouraged me to buy the MAC 286 Duo Fibre Blending Brush as I am in love with this kind of style brush for eye work. 

Whilst the face brush isn't really worth it the other two brushes in the set really make for the $20 price tag. If I had to repurchase I would for the sake of the contour & eye brushes. If you are Australian make sure you don't buy Real Techniques brushes from Priceline - it's SO expensive! Instead buy from iHerb. I have bought so many beauty and skincare items from them and would really recommend for their cheap and fast shipping.

Now, when you register as a user you are given a personal code that you can give to others. It's a pretty good referral system, if someone uses your code you get credit to use on any future orders.

If you use my code (or anyone elses) you will get $10 off your first order of $40+ or $5 off your first order of less than $40. This code DOES NOT EXPIRE but is only good for your first order.

My code is RFG485.

Enter my (or anyone elses) code at checkout!

Benefit Brow Bar Review (Chadstone Myer)

My brows for the past three months have been SHOCKING! They got completely butchered by a woman who worked at one of the threading bars that have been popping up in Australian shopping centres the last couple of years. I love threading and I love the results but unfortunately if you have a bad threader it can totally ruin the experience. So, I have been growing them out for the past three months and I've been on the lookout for a good brow artist!

I decided to give Benefit's Brow Bar a go. I've tried a 'walk in' appointment three times but they were all booked up. So if you want an appointment, call in advance. You may be left disappointed if you don't. Allocated appointment times I think are 15 minutes but mine took 20 (most likely because I had never been before). Before they begin you have to sign an agreement and also disclose if you use benzoyl peroxide and roaccutane. Turns out they won't wax you if you do, they will instead tweeze. I thought this was interesting and a credit to Benefit.

I went to the Chadstone Myer store and thought my beauty therapist was beautiful! Really took an interest in what I had to say and talked me through the whole process. She recommended me getting a tint so that the colour in the start of my brow continued to the end. The dye stayed on for a few minutes and whilst it was applied well and consistently, I found the colour to be a bit wrong for my red hair. There wasn't a "red" or a "auburn" option so next time I won't be getting the light brow tint that I received. However, if you have blonde or brunette hair I think you would like the tint. Tinted brows are easy maintenance if you don't like filling in your brows. If you like filling in your brows though you may as well skip out on the tint. Apparently Benefit's tint lasts for 2 weeks.

[iPhone pic!] Tint applied and the right (your right, but actually my left eye!) waxed.

She then mapped my brows and we established that one brow had a higher arch than the other and both are a little short near my nose. Waxing then took place. It wasn't painless but it wasn't the most painful wax I've ever had. I think this is because they used cloth to take the wax off which was really nice. She then tweezed any remaining hairs and lightly filled my brows in with the Instant Brow Pencil.

I paid $37 total for a brow wax and a brow tint. It's $27 for just a wax which is what I'll be getting in 4 weeks time. The brow tint I wasn't happy with as it did not suit my hair colour at all. Not a fan unfortunately and I won't be getting it ever again. I will however be back for a brow wax. 

Finished, with glasses. Taken one hour after completion at night.

I'm really glad that I waited on posting this review. A few days after my tint I noticed that the colour had actually darkened from the photos above. Basically, they looked awful!! I had strangers telling me that "if you paid someone to do that to your brows, don't ever let them get at you ever again". Even my father said I looked ridiculous. Now, I've had tints before but NEVER this dark. Obviously there are some lighting issues in the photos above and below. My hair in real life is lighter than the one above and darker in the one below. However the brow colour in the bottom photo is very accurate.

Three days after wax & tint

I got in touch with the area manager to organise a refund on the tint. I was most unhappy with the final result of the tint. However, I loved and highly recommend the wax. The tint didn't work on me because of my colouring. The area manager did not give me a refund but instead was willing to give me a complimentary brow wax which I really did appreciate. I'll definitely be back, I think I've found my forever brow home!

How I go from day to night with my makeup

Excuse the messy room please! I just quickly wanted to mention how I easily transition my makeup from day to night.

Bourjois Volume Glamour Max Mascara, Ponds BB cream, Lorac Pro Palette, Top Shop Blush in Rose, MAC Paintpot in Painterly, NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Yoghurt, Illamasqua Blush in Disobey, Maybelline Colour Whisper in

 Above are the products I used for my daytime look at the office. Simple stuff and an easy base to go to at night. Cream products are easy to apply powder over the top of and a good base like painterly and yoghurt will mean that further eyeshadow application with go on smoothly and remain crease free.

 I then went in with my night time look. As you can see I really amped up my features with a defined brow, lots of mascara, liner and a heavy application of lipstick rather than a sheered out colour. To last all night I also went in with a powder and a concealor under the eyes. Below are the products I used to go back in with my makeup.

Top Shop blush in Rose, The Balm blush in Hot Mama, MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle, Illamasqua blush in Disobey, MAC Brow Fluidline in Redhead, MAC Studio Finish Concealor in NC15, Maybelline Gel Liner in Charcoal, LORAC Pro Palette Shadows in Cream, Mauve and Champagne, Wet N Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Collection second shade on the left down, NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Yoghurt, Maybelline Color Whisper in and NYX lip pencil in.

P.S. LOVED this article; 24 Hours with Valentino, check it out.

Priceline Makeup Sales Starting Thursday 29/8/2013

Sales have been a bit slow last fortnight, most likely because of Fathers Day coming up. The Priceline catalogue has popped up and all in all it's fairly mediocre but there are a couple of things I will be picking up. Quick wrap up that I think is worth taking an interest in:

Covergirl: 3 for $30 (excludes Outlast Nail Enamel, Wet Slicks Fruit Spritzers, Smoothers Concealer & Brow and Eyemakers)

Artiste, Glam & Manicure: 3 for 2 of entire ranges

Indeed Labs: 30% off

Max Factor: 30% off

Rimmel: 3 for 2 entire range

Maybelline: All mascaras $10

Bourjois: 25% off

L'Oreal: Save $5 on all face products

Revlon: Purchase a foundation & receive a free revlon primer or concealer. Purchase a eyeshadow & receive a free mascara.

Natio: 20% off

Dermablend: Buy 2 and get 20% off

Physicians Formula: 3 for 2 entire range

Almay: 2 for $30

Face of Australia: 20% off

Ardell: 3 for 2

Eylure: Buy 2 and get 30% off

Real Techniques: 20% off

Deals you should jump on:
Definitely the Maybelline mascaras for $10. This is usually as cheap as you can find in Australia. Check out the Falsies and the Colossal (my personal faves). The Revlon deal with the free concealer/primer is definitely worth looking at. Skip the mascara deal though, Revlon aren't known for their mascaras. 30% off on Max Factor is also decent.

Deals you can get better online:
Real Techniques and Physicians Formula still work out cheaper over at iHerb. Eylure lashes, Rimmel and Bourjois are also still cheaper at Asos. Ardell lashes are also a lot cheaper on eBay.

Anything that I haven't mentioned is just in the middle and not really worth mentioning! Except maybe Dermablend and Indeed Labs.. More research is necessary.

P.S. Watched three episodes of Netflix's Orange Is The New Black in two days! Too good! Really good! About a woman in an American all female prison. Interesting stuff.

NARS Fall 2013 Blush Palette & Current Wishlist

Oh NARS.... Why are you so expensive at Mecca Cosmetica in Australia? Why are you so expensive anyways? Most importantly - why are your blushes SO nice?! I've never splurged on a NARS blush but when seeing these limited edition palettes I think I'm going to have to shell out the $49 price tag for each of these..

NARS Adult Content Blush Palette

Zen, Miss Liberty, Desire and Deep Throat are the four shades in this one.

NARS Killing Me Softly Blush Palette

Gilda, Albatross, Outlaw and Orgasm.

If these palettes make it to Mecca I'm thinking they would at least be $75. I'm not willing to pay that price so I'm thinking I'll be purchasing from Kiss and Makeup NY. With $9.95 flat rate worldwide shipping with American prices it's a really good deal. They sell a few other brands and I've put together a bit of a wish list below.

Laura Mercier Eyebrow Pencil in Auburn ($22), Smashbox Try It Kit Bestsellers ($19), NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Mysterious Red ($25) and Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage ($32).