Friday Randomness!! #3 ~ ♥

It's the Weekeeeeeeeeeeeeeeend BABY!!!!

Do you like cats? Maybe you thought 'The Avengers' was AWESOME? Ok even if it's none of the above, it's a cute comic that gave me a good chuckle!
Thought I'd share it to get the weekend started:

♥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! :)

Sleek Pout Polish

Hi everyone! Hope it's been a great week so far. :) 

I've been AWOL for a few days but it's with good reason! I've had my nose buried in a good book & pretty much halted everything else until I read the last page. ^_^*

A while back I posted about the Lakme Lip Love Conditioner (click here for the post!) & how much I loved it. Alas, I'd thought I'd never find them again, until now... Sleek you've come to my rescue! 

Sleek Pout Polish is a nifty little pot of tinted lip balm that does a great job in moisturising lips. This particular colour is called 'Electro Peach' & bears a close resemblance to my Lakme Lip Love Conditioner in 'Siren'. The good thing about this balm is that it is nicely pigmented - lighter than a lipstick but more pigmented than your average lip balm. 

The ingredients list a few parabens which might deter some people. It does have super moisturising & lip smoothing ingredients like jojoba oil, shea butter, sweet almond oil & avocado oil. It has SPF 15 which is a must & smells yummy, like vanilla.

My Verdict:
Would I re-purchase? Well, it's a really good balm, something that I would use daily. It's pretty cheap too, so why not!

My Rating:

★★★★☆

Price:
ZAR 60 @ Foschini

Lakme Lip Love Conditioner VS Sleek Pout Polish

Ah, so on to the crux of the matter - which is better, Lip Love Conditioner or Pout Polish? I had originally purchased the Pout Polish because it was so similar in colour & texture to the Lip Love Conditioner & I was hoping it would be a good replacement. 

  
Ok, so my camera DID NOT capture how similar these colours are, it looks completely off in this picture, so I've included some swatches to compare.

The Sleek Pout Polish has more of an orange pigment compared to the Lakme Lip Love Conditioner, which has a pinker undertone. Consistency-wise, The Pout Polish is much lighter & sheer, needing much more product to get  better colour. The Lip Love Conditioner, on the other hand is more opaque which ensures a more pigmented lip. Both smell of vanilla (coincidence?) and both have good moisturising properties.

BUT... I do like the Lip Love Conditioner more because it's a better product over all, & comes in a cute pot!!  ^_^*

 ♥ Miss. Q♥

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 ~ ♥

 

Get to Know ME Tag!!! ♥♥

Hi hi! ♥

The very sweet Rushie from B is for Beauty tagged me to do the 'Get to Know ME Tag' - thanks Rushie!! 

The Rules:

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves on their blog

2. Answer the 11 questions the tagger has given you as well as answering the 11 questions you have set for the people you will tag to answer

3. Choose 5 people and link back to the tag

4. Go to their page and tell them

5. There can be no tag backs and all tags have to be legitimate

11 Things About ME:


1. I am obsessed with bows - if I see anything with it, I'll buy it!

2. In high-school, I hated make-up & refused to wear anything except lip balm.

3. I am not OCD but I don't touch public taps. I use tissue or my elbow in dire situations. Who knows what's on that tap! *hides face*

4. I love drawing, painting & art.

5. I am a sucker for anything Disney. I really mean anything! ^_^

6. I love reading, but sometimes take a break from the grown-up stuff & read the teenage stuff. Artemis Fowl anyone?.

7. I'm a die-hard Vampire Diaries & Gossip Girl fan. The Chuck & Blair saga is so sad...

8. I still like to play board games.

9. I love seafood, especially sushi, prawns & calamari.

10. I don't like wearing clothes in the colour brown.

11. I still believe wishes can come true.

  B is for Beauty's Question's to ME:

 
1. What make up product do you not like?
I don't like sunblock because they always feel greasy during summer (even mattifying ones) & gives annoying patchy grey skin. But, still gotta use 'em!


2. Drugstore or High end makeup and why?
I'd say a bit of both- drugstore products are affordable & are quite effective. There are some good quality brands out there! However, I do love pampering my skin now & then with high end products. Plus, the quality of some high end products just can't be beaten.  


3. If you could only choose 1 make up item, what would you choose and why?
Without a doubt, I'd choose a lip & cheek tint - there's nothing quite like a pretty flushed cheek & lip.


4. Who is your favourite celebrity (if you have one)?
Scarlett Johansson. She's sweet & bubbly yet timeless & classic, all at the same time.


5. What TV programs do you like to watch?
Gossip Girl, Vampire Diaries, New Girl, The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, The Middle, Glee, Desperate Housewives, Pretty Little Liars, there's too many .


6. What is your favourite colour?
It's always changing but these days I'm attracted to ruby red and deep blue.


7. What is your favourite piece of jewellery to wear?
Pretty, long or delicate necklaces & bracelets


8. Which do you prefer to wear heels, wedges or flats?
I love, love, love heels BUT CAN'T WEAR THEM! After 2 hours I end up wobbling all over with red, sore feet. So, I'd have to say flats. Plus there are tons of cute ballerina flats! ♥


9. What is your favourite high street shop?
Foschini, Truworths, Forever New, YDE, Zara, Jay Jay's


10. Do you prefer tea, coffee or hot chocolate?
All three! Tea for mornings, cappuccinos when going out & hot chocolate in winter. Yum!


11. Do you prefer white chocolate, milk or dark?
  Again, I like all three! Chocolate is chocolate & I love 'em! 

MY Questions to YOU:

1. How often do you wear make-up?
Honestly, not often, except for special occasions & going out. Everyday, I do wear BB cream for coverage & a touch of blush & eyeliner & a lip tint. 

2.What would you say is one style item that you can't live without?

Headbands! I wear them almost everyday :)

3. When going out, do you GLAM up with heels, ultra trendy clothes, pristine & perfect make-up - the works! Or do prefer a more casual, simple but pretty style?

I'd say mostly simple but pretty, not overly laid back. Sometimes all glammed up ;)

4. Who is your style inspiration?

 Zooey Deschanel. She has a cute, quirky, sometimes kooky, sometime boho style that I think is really cute! Ok, so sometimes she gets it wrong but she's also versatile which I like - she can do simple & elegant too!

5. If you were asked to give up one thing, which would it be? Your mobile, your entire designer handbag & shoe collection or all your make-up & skin care products?
 The mere though of giving up my mobile is horror! And skin care & make-up is a must have, so I'd (grudgingly) say 'bye-bye' to my  handbag & shoe collection.

6. When shopping, do you spend hours leisurely browsing different stores, or are you more of an IN & OUT kinda gal?
Ah, what greater joy is there than leisurely perusing fabulous stores & soaking up all the glitzy, brand spanking new clothes, shoes, make-up, accessories... spoken like a true shopaholic, eh?

7. Have you had an embarrassing fashion or make up faux pas?
Not really - the worst was when I (accidentally) dropped an expensive skin care tester bottle in the store & broke the pump. Luckily the sales assistant was sweet - she told me it happens all the time...

8. What is your favourite brand? (fashion or make-up)
Bourjois. It's très très chic! ♥

9. Do you prefer milk chocolate, white chocolate or dark chocolate?
Although it's in the questions above, I just had to ask again - how can you not ask a girl about chocolate? :) Answer: All three!!

10. What type of BLOGS do you enjoy reading the most?
Beauty, fashion, decor... there's so many fabulous blogs out there!

11. Which country/countries would you like to visit the most?
India, Japan, Morocco, France, Greece, Thailand

I TAG the following bloggers:

1. Alice Porter @ Style Comes From Within

2. Imah Ayub  @ Exotic Way to Burn

3. Jill @ Aqua k.o.

4. Small Town Gal @ Shopping Obsession

5. Miss. Katie. K @ Belle De Jour

I tagged these bloggers because I love reading their blogs and would like to get to know them more! 

♥Miss. Q♥

Geeky Randomness #1 ~ The Avengers Movie!

So, I watched "The Avengers" in 3D on Monday with my cousins & I gotta say....... I really, really liked it!

Ha, did you think I was gonna say it's boring?? Ok, I'll admit, I didn't expect it to be all that, but I was pleasantly surprised. Monday's need some livening up & the "American Pie" 'saga' is not really my cuppa tea. ACTION was what I needed on a blue Monday! That & IRON MAN... in my opinion his witty, sarcastic humour made the movie.

Since when did Robert Downey Jr get so cool???

The start was real slow but once things got rolling.... the audience really got into the movie. In a nutshell, the movie takes off where the "Captain America" movie ended & the world is in peril thanks to other-worldly super villain, Loki. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) assembles a bunch of superheros (Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Black Widow & Thor)who are scattered across the world wrapped up in their own lives. 

Ok, that's a pretty bad plot description (remind me to never become a movie critic) but it's actually much more complicated. Watch it for yourself and see!!

And, well if the plot doesn't grab your fancy, then the stellar cast will! Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans & Gwyneth Paltrow to name a few.

And if that still doesn't interest you then watch it coz IRON MAN IS THE BESTEST!!!!♥♥

♥Miss. Q♥

Hope everyone's having a great week so far. Yay, it's almost the weekend!!!

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick Sheer Tint in 'Blush'

I remember back in high school, EVERYBODY had a Labello lip balm (or Nivea in some countries) & if you didn't have one, well then you were a dork. Ok, ok, truth be told Labellos were just a 'thing' in my group of friends, but still. Everyone had one in either cherry or some tinted variation. Besides keeping our dry, chapped lips moisturised, if were weren't allowed to use real make-up in school, we had to use something, right?

I've come a long way since those make-up-less days..... Gee now I sound like an old dinosaur when it's only been a few years! :D 

Anywho, Labello was my go-to lip balm, until I decided that a gal in her early 20's should be using something a little more... sophisticated. 


Then I found the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick Sheer Tint in 'Blush'. Now that's a mouthful! Here's what it looks like a brand spanking new...

Elizabeth Arden etc. etc. in 'Blush'

It's sleek & ultra grown up packaging really caught my attention, like a lip balm cleverly disguised as a lipstick.

And here's what it looks like after 8 months of rolling around the bottom of my handbag:

Tsk Tsk. My tube has seen better days. See that glaringly huge crack running down the bottom? On the day I bought it, it fell to the floor & cracked! I mean literally on the day it was bought! You'd think Elizabeth Arden packaging is built to last... proved me wrong!

 Well, that sad event led to this:

The entire bottom half of the tube detached itself, which means that every time I tried to pull off the cap to apply the balm, I was actually pulling off the bottom. Sigh. 

Packaging flaws aside, I reckon this balm really works. My lips were badly cracked & on the verge of bleeding - yikes! But it saved my lips. It goes on really soft & smooth and immediately softens lips & kinda heals them too. Within 30mins you'd swear you never had cracked lips! It's also non-greasy, non-sticky & ultra-light, unlike the actual Eight Hour Cream. Plus it has SPF 15, which is essential.

However, very much like the Eight Hour Cream, it smells repulsive to me. It has this odd lemony, medicated smell. Tastes none the better. But it's a small sacrifice coz this stuff works!!

As you can see in the swatch above, it is a really sheer & rosy tint. I suppose it gives lips a really flushed look. Very pretty & subtle. 

There's one small problem though: this stuff definitely does not last 8 hours. In mean, after eating, talking, drinking & in my case, lip-biting it wears off. Actually, if you're like me & forget to reapply often, it dries off and leaves flaky skin. I've noticed that this happens often with tinted lip balms, but the plain colourless variety doesn't have the same flaky effect. Maybe next time I'll try the plain Lip Protectant Stick.


My Verdict: <3
 I'm on the fence with this one. I mean, the Eight Hour Lip Protectant really works (I think I've said this like 5 times already :D ) that's the sole reason I'd repurchase. But, why the flimsy packaging Elizabeth Arden????? You can do better than that!!! Also, the scent could be better & for accident prone gals like me, the frosty white tube casing attracts way too much dirt. No, I'm not being fussy, just a discerning shopper. :)


My rating:
★★★☆☆

Minus 2 stars for the flaky drying & weak packaging. It's pricey! I'd expect packaging to be better.

Price: 
ZAR 125! Yes, it's quite pricey! I bought mine at Truworths, but its available at any Elizabeth Arden counter.


Thanks for reading!


♥Miss. Q♥

P.S. Am I the only one whose 'Follow' button in the Nav bar has mysteriously disappeared??? What's going on Blogger????