Maybelline Fit Me! Blush

When things go on sale, or are greatly discounted, there is a specific reason behind it- especially make-up. As a general rule, I steer clear of buying skin care products or make-up that's on sale because it could either be fast approaching it's 'best before' date or the product is soon to be discontinued/upgraded/revamped.

But, on a mad dash to a health & beauty store, I saw this blush for ONLY R60.00. ''Oh joy!! It's cheap!'', exclaimed my sale-seeking, shopping obsessed Brain. Unfortunately, my Conscience was taking a nap at that very point so, without a second thought, I grabbed the prettiest colour blush and scooted to pay.

So... what was I thinking??? Obviously, I was not thinking.



 
See? It looks stylish, sleek, full of promise! But, what did I get?

It looks like a really old, really bad knock off. Completely different packaging and brush. It didn't occur to me at the time that the packaging and brush is completely different from what I'd seen on the Maybelline website!!! So, what gives???? What a mystery...

Even the brush looks terribly synthetic and cheap.


Well, I thought I'd give it a go, since I'd already bought it. The colour itself is a very pretty, dusky warm pink. However, it barely shows up on my skin. I had to look twice at the brush to make sure I had picked up the product with it! Just so you know, I did some research and many beauties (ranging from NC 20 to NC 42, for skin colour reference) out there complained that it was badly pigmented. It's a barely there blush verging on non-existent. 

It took 5 swipes from the pan to build up enough colour for a swatch. The colour itself is very light & it has a matte texture which is good for day. The brush, however, is quite horrid. It's scratchy, pokey and cheap. Even worse, the bristles began to loosen and fall out after the first use!

 A truly sad case... The only slight redemption is that, when applied over foundation, Maybelline Fit Me! blushes seem to show - it's a light and natural look, suitable for the day.


My Verdict:
An utter waste of time. I should have known better (for the umpteenth time!) but I guess I'll use this blush until I become thoroughly bored with it. 

My Rating:
★☆☆☆☆ It really is that bad. I gave it one star because, after layering and layering and layering this blush does impart a light pink glow.


Price:
Usually ZAR 90. I bought this particular one for ZAR 60. 


Have you had any success with the Maybelline Fit Me! Blush range?

♥Miss. Q♥

Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter

Dear Revlon,

What I want to know is...

Finally!!!! After months of pining & LONGINGLY reading about these sweet babies, they are FINALLY in South African stores. May I ask, what took so long, Revlon? Do you not realise that while the rest of the world enjoyed these lip marvels, us S.A. gals have been in the dark & deprived? Does it not occur to you, that by the time you launch in S.A. these lip butters are OLD NEWS??


Really Revlon, REALLY??


Ah never mind, it doesn't matter, they are here now. And I can't wait to grab them!!!! 

So far, I have my eye on Macaroon, Pink Truffle, Cotton Candy & Strawberry Shortcake, No, actually think I want all... *faints*


Yours in beauty,

♥Miss. Q♥

Have you tried Revlon Lip Butters? What do you think? I'd like to know! :)

Foodie Randomness #2 ~ Somewhere Over the Rainbow

When you were a kid, what was your dream birthday cake? Mine was a mash-up of rainbows, ice-cream, My Little Pony, Barbie & a clock. Why a clock? My Aunt baked a clock for my brother's birthday & I wanted one too...

Feast your eyes girls - today I've dedicated a post to RAINBOW CAKES & CUPCAKES! 

Enjoy!  Nom nom ~ ♥

 

Forever New Northern Lights Collection... Just in time for winter!

"Forever New, I will forever hold a special place for you in my heart..."

Ever since I laid my eyes on the Forever New boutique, it's been love at first sight! It's this divine mix of sweet, girly & sophisticated- classic and timeless, yet chic and trendy. 


My kinda store! :)


The Northern Lights Collection is whimsical, with soft faux fur jackets, floaty dresses and knitted tops in dusty pink & creamy neutral colours... with just the right amount of sparkle to combat the winter blues!

Source: www.forevernew.com.au

Hmm... I think this cream faux fur coat would look good in my wardrobe!

 

Source: www.forevernew.com.au

Warm knits with a dusting of sparkle... that's a fur headband on her head!  ♥

Source: www.forevernew.com.au

I want this jacket and gloves... so chic!

Source: www.forevernew.com.au

 

A dusty pink cable knit sweater & maxi skirt combo perfectly accessorised with a skinny belt, peep toe booties & a glam cocktail ring.

Source: www.forevernew.com.au

Source: www.forevernew.com.au

Source: www.forevernew.com.au

Notice the little bows on the model's oh-so-cute heels? I'm obsessed with bows! :)) ♥♥


And to top of the collect, why a slinky draped cocktail dress, of course!

Source: www.forevernew.com.au

I'd say this collection is inspired by the North Pole? Not in the Christmas-y Santa Klaus way, more like a dreamy Winter Wonderland... Or fashionably dressed Czarina's! *sigh* The only problem would be actually deciding on what to buy. Probably the coats and jackets - too irresistible. Now all I need is a limitless bank balance... 

Forever New, you're doing it right. Me likey!! =^w^=


Just a little background info on Forever New...
The first Forever New boutique was launched in Melbourne, Australia in 2006 by a former South African fashion buyer and her hubby. Wait a minute- it began in Australia? Australia???????  YES! AUSTRALIA! 


Forever New takes inspiration from film, art, theatre, music and haute couture catwalk shows... in London, New York, Milan & Paris no less!


There are currently Forever New boutiques in many cities in Australia, South Africa, India, New Zealand, Singapore, China & Turkey. But the brand is quickly expanding!


Thanks for reading!!
♥ Miss. Q♥

Hey there, Doll Face...

I remember my first visit to the dermatologist - there I was, a spotty, acne-riddled teen, bored and nervous in equal measures. Doctors in general make me want to skip the border, but I needed a cure for my apocalyptic skin. 

That's when I picked up a copy of Marie Claire, agitatedly flipping through the pages. And then, it caught my eye, a feature on GANGURO GALS.

Petite Japanese girls, sporting a deep tan, pastel or white lips and big, bleached hair, looking other worldly and well... bizarre? It was apparently a big deal in Japan, especially the fashion capital, Harajuku.

Malibu Barbie gone wrong?

Recently, I searched for ganguro gals, to see what became of this trend - it was pretty much a late 90's, early 2000's thing and has since evolve into...

This!

Manba - like ganguro on steroids

These girls follow the manba trend. Tanner & darker skin, bigger hair, neon everywhere, whiter & more pastel make-up... This is the country that gave us Pokémon after all - imagination has no limit!

Actually, ganguro and manba are a sub-category that falls under a trend called GYARU, which is roughly the Japanese equivalent of "gal". Gyaru's or "gals" aim to look as feminine, girly, or as perfectly doll-like as possible.

Tsubasa Masuwaka is a former model for gyaru magazines-turned-singer/entrepreneur who has perfected the art of being gyaru. In fact, thousands of gyaru look up to her as THE gyaru beauty queen to emulate. She really does look like a doll! Or maybe an anime character...

Tsubasa's look is pretty much the typical gyaru & more popular

Remember how we wanted to be princesses when we were little girls? Hime gyaru is a way for Japanese women to act out all their princess fantasies... in real life! Even Marie Antoinette would be jealous!  Blond curls, bouffant hair, lace, pearls, princess dresses and stockings, impeccable manners and behaviour - you'd swear hime gyarus are real royalty.

Beside ganguro, manba and hime gyaru, there are many sub-genres of gyaru (I won't mention all, or else this post would go on for days!) 

What does it take to become gyaru?

♥  It's all about the make up! Gyarus use circle lens which are contact lens designed to make their iris appear larger &  doll-like.

♥ Fake lashes. This is a must, for the wide awake dolly look. Also, eyelid tape is used to make eyes bigger.
♥  Winged liner
♥  Porcelain skin
♥ Sweet pink blush, milky pink or nude lips
♥ Blond, light brown or even black curled hair (wigs and extensions are expected!) A cute dolly fringe.
♥ Cute, glitzy nail art.
♥ Even cuter clothes - gyarus are seriously on trend and impeccably dressed! Don't forget about accessories.
♥ Well behaved, don't smoke, sweet demeanour, very lady-like or child-like and cutesy.
♥ I think the keyword here is cute. Everything just has to be CUTE CUTE CUTE!

There are even non-Japanese gyaru, or gaijin gyaru which is a term used to describe Westerners involved in the gyaru trends.  

There are even hundreds of tutorials on gyaru inspired makeup! I toyed with the idea of becoming gyaru, but then realised that I'd end up looking like a cabbage patch rag doll... I'll leave it to the enthusiasts! :)

Fascinating, don't you think? =^_^= 

Miss. Q. ♥ 

 

BB Cream Haul

Ah, the BB cream... It's the stuff legends are made of! 

If you haven't heard of it, you must either be living under a rock or in the middle of the Sahara desert coz the BB cream craze has already hit Europe and USA. As for Asia? The sheer amount of BB cream brands available in Asia is enough to make you salivate... Ahem.

 It's slowly beginning to creep into the SA beauty scene, but quite frankly, I can't wait that long for original Korean BB Cream brands.

So, I took the plunge, went online & bought mini, trial sizes of two of the most well known BB creams out there - Skin79 Hot Pink Label Super Beblesh Balm & Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream No. 23. I was sooo happy when my package arrived from South Korea!! Here's a sneak peek:

   I even held them & gazed happily at my new BB creams... and made a special place for them in my vanity case. I was that excited. 

Coming up...

I'll be reviewing these products as well as giving you the scoop on what BB creams are all about... Don't miss out!


♥ Miss. Q ♥

Have you tried BB Creams yet? :)

Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Daily Scrub

I start my morning with a healthy dose of pink grapefruit- no, I'm not talking about the grapefruit diet! *shudder* I'm talking about the Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Daily Scrub!


I must admit, I have a slight obsession with cleansers - there's something so alluring about scrubbing the dirt and grime off your face and revealing beautiful, clear, clean skin! Well, that's the perfect ideal at least...*sigh* If there's a face wash out there that has some gimmick to it, you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be rushing off to the nearest health and beauty store to get it. 


Neutrogena seems to understand obsessed beauty addicts like me and released a whole range dedicated to the bittersweet pink grapefruit.  So when I saw the sweet and bubbly Vanessa Hudgens (back when she was spokesmodel for the brand) advertising this even sweeter looking face wash, I thought to myself, "I have to have it, NOW!

Image courtesy of www.neutrogena.co.uk