inspersia

Nail Polish from Head2toe Beauty Supplies

2009-03-12T17:57:00.002+10:00

Head2Toe Beauty Supplies is a nail and beauty product e-tailer with very reasonable pricing. They are also a great company for international customers to purchase from, as they will ship via First Class International mail.

Here is an order I have received recently:

Poshe Reviver (a polish thinner/restorer)
Poshe Super Fast Dry Topcoat

China Glaze Rodeo Fanatic
China Glaze DV8
China Glaze Secret Periwinkle
China Glaze OMG
OPI Give Me the Moon

MISA Lavender Storm
MISA Fashionista
MISA Dirty, Sexy, Money
Color Club Revvolution

I also picked up some OPI polishes that I had been unable to locate online from my local beauty salon:

OPI Overexposed in South Beach
OPI Done Out in Deco
OPI Ink

I have been slacking on photographing swatches and will try to get all caught up this weekend!

Nutrimetics - January Haul

2009-03-08T08:07:00.002+10:00

I have had these products since January, but have not posted until today as I was wanting to use them for a while first in order to review them. I really love Nutrimetics products, they are of high quality and luxurious but affordable when purchased on sale.

Nutri-Rich Body Lotion
Hand and Nail Treatment Creme
Sunscreen Milk Spray SPF30
Active Hand Creme
Restore Anti-Ageing Night Creme
Lip Prime Anti-Feathering Wax Liner
Ultra Care Anti-Age Spot and Pigmentation Corrector
Endless Shimmer Highlighter

The Nutri-Rich Body Lotion is a lovely light lotion that is scented with Apricot Kernel Oil and the Hand and Nail Treatment Creme is a thicker consistency with a lesser Apricot Kernel Oil scent.

The Suncreen Milk Spray SPF30 is a light spray-on sunscreen that won't leave you greasy and overly shiny.

Sprayed on the skin - a milky consistency.

Rubbing the product in - it spreads over the skin easily and starts to sink in immediately.

All rubbed in. The product leaves a slight gloss to the skin presumably due to the SPF.

The Nutrimetics Active Hand Cremes are a favourite product of mine and are often on sale. They are a great hand cream to throw in your handbag to use at anytime, as they are light but moisturising creams that leave no residue or greasiness. I always use this product after hand washing to return the moisture to my skin.

The Restore Anti-Ageing Night Creme has become my staple night cream. It is a thick, soothing cream which is formulated with BioPhytox and selected hibiscus plant derivatives and claims to reduce the visible signs of ageing. I am happy with the results I am receiving from the use of this cream and believes it pumps up my skin to reduce fine lines. Here is a picture that shows how thick and luscious it is:

The Ultra Care Anti-Age Spot and Pigmentation Corrector is a product I am unsure about at the moment. The product claims to lighten the appearance of skin discolouration caused by sun exposure and UV ageing. I am using it on my cheeks in the hopes of correcting uneven pigmentation. I haven't been using this product religiously though, so I will review it in full at a later date. The inclusion of fruit acids in this product leaves it smelling absolutely divine.

The Lip Prime Anti-Feathering Wax Liner is an invisible lip liner. Why buy numerous lip liners when you can buy one that works for everything? I love this product.

And, finally, the Endless Shimmer Highlighter:

The highlighter comes in an attractive roll-up tube.

Dotted onto the skin, very well pigmented.

Spread out on the skin the highlighter is very shimmery and definitely a product to use on a night out.

Nutrimetics can only be purchased via a consultant. Australians, call (02) 9818 9011 to find a consultant in your area.

28 Piece Eye Shadow Neutral Palette

2009-03-07T10:30:00.004+10:00

In a previous post, I mentioned that it was less expensive for international customers to buy makeup palettes from Ebay rather than Coastal Scents. I recently purchased the 28 Piece Eye Shadow Neutral Palette from the Ebay seller jolieeeee and was very pleased with the cost and service. The cost of the palette and the international shipping was 22 USD, which is the same price Coastal Scents charges for the palette alone. The seller shipped my palette quickly and packaged it very well.

I haven't played with the palette much yet, but I'm pleased with the quality for such a low price. I cannot afford to buy expensive makeup brands as my partner and I are trying to pay off our home in 5 years time. So I appreciate being able to purchase inexpensive makeup products, such as the eyeshadow palettes and mineral makeup products from brands such as Everyday Minerals and Aromaleigh.

Here is a quick picture of my palette. Apologies for the low quality photo, I haven't had the lighting lately to take good pictures.

Ebay Find - Revlon High Dimension Eye Liners

2009-02-28T09:53:00.003+10:00

I found these on Ebay from the seller she_rapture. The eye liners were $14 for the 5 including domestic shipping, which at $2.80 each was a great deal. I purchased them due to their similarity to the Urban Decay liners which we sadly don't have access to in Australia.

The liners are as creamy as butter, well pigmented and easy to apply.

Gold Flash, Bronze Flash, Steel Flash, Sapphire Flash, Garnet Flash. The Bronze and Garnet are quite similar. The Gold is my favourite and really makes my eyes look larger and more awake.

The downside to the liners is that they rub off as easily as they apply, so they are probably not long wear. I'm pleased with the product however, especially for the price paid.

China Glaze OMG

2009-02-28T08:50:00.003+10:00

In full sunlight.

In the shade with flash.

I love this colour, it is a chic silver/grey in low light and a brilliant holographic in artificial or natural light.

The 'Steve Irwin' Sea Shepherd Crew Raided at Request of the Japanese

2009-02-22T07:07:00.002+10:00

POLICE boarded the anti-whaling ship Steve Irwin when it arrived in Hobart last night and confiscated the ship's log book and video footage.

The film depicts some of the most dramatic whale-killing scenes ever seen, crew on the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship told Hobart's Mercury.

Tasmanian crew member Andrew Perry said the video footage was harrowing because the Japanese whalers had become more brazen by the end of the hunting season and for the first time slaughtered a whale in full view of the Steve Irwin.

Mr Perry said the footage, taken from the ship's helicopter, showed a whaler's explosive-tipped harpoon piercing a whale. "The whale was then pulled alongside the (Japanese) boat and it was shot seven times with a shotgun."

He said the helicopter crew, filming for TV documentary show Animal Planet, then saw the whale thrashing and could hear it screaming.

Mr Perry said the slaughter took more than 20 minutes. "It was an incredibly distressing thing to behold," he said. "We have never been able to get footage like that before. It's going to be damning."

After violent clashes with Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean, the Steve Irwin was met by Australian Federal Police when it docked in Hobart about 5.30pm. The police, who had search warrants, kept the crew on board as they searched cabins.

Steve Irwin captain Paul Watson said he was not told whether the police action stemmed from a complaint by the Australian Government or from the Japanese.

He said the Steve Irwin had never been searched before but he would welcome any charges that led to the crew facing a court. "My position is that if they want to put me on trial for anything connected with this, then I am happy to do it," Capt Watson said.

"We are not there protesting, we are down there to stop a blatantly criminal activity, to stop whaling in a whale sanctuary. These actions have to go to court somewhere, so let's start it here."

Capt Watson said the conservationists had risked their lives during the campaign and were willing to risk their freedom.

He said the campaign had ended four days earlier than intended because it was clear the Japanese whalers were "out of control". "They were frustrated, violent and attacking us," he said.

"I didn't want to get any of them killed or any of us killed."

The Australian Federal Police could not be contacted last night, though Tasmania Police confirmed federal officers met the ship.

The Steve Irwin was involved in its most extreme and dangerous clashes this season, culminating with the activist vessel crashing into the stern of the Yushin Maru 3 on February 7.

Capt Watson's crew said they were pelted with scrap metal, blasted with high-powered water canons and attacked with military-grade sonic weapons.

Mr Perry, of Hobart, said one of the reasons the Steve Irwin had concluded the campaign and returned to Hobart was because they had heard the Japanese had deployed a security vessel to track down the activists and seize the footage.

"We heard they had a commando boarding team whose objective was to find us and board us," he said.

He said the Sea Shepherd crew never intended to harm any of the whalers but simply to pester them and act as a deterrent.

Story from News.com.au

More on the footage they had:

`It's some of the most horrific footage ever - it had many of our crew in absolute tears.' Japanese whalers are getting more courageous, according to Tasmanian anti-whaling campaigner Andrew Perry who was on board the Steve Irwin's most recent anti-whaling campaign.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's ship arrived in Hobart on Friday night only to have crucial footage of Japanese whaling operations in Australian and New Zealand waters near Antarctica seized by the Australian Federal Police.

"For the first time ever, whales were hunted and killed in front of the Sea Shepherd vessel," Mr Perry said.

"This was unexpected and distressing - normally just our presence would stop them from whaling, which is an effective win for us."

The crew were filming for Discovery Channel's documentary program Animal Planet.

"One piece of footage showed a whale being first harpooned with an explosive-tipped harpoon then dragged alongside the bow of the ship where a crew member then hung over the bow with a high-powered shot gun and shot this whale seven times to finally kill it.

"This whole process took over 25 minutes and during that time the whale was thrashing about and screaming in pain," Mr Perry said.

"It's some of the most horrific footage ever - it had many of our crew in absolute tears."

Mr Perry said the footage prompted the Japanese to petition the Australian Federal Police to seize the footage on the basis of criminal activities by Sea Shepherd crew.

"We haven't done anything criminal - what we're trying to do is prevent criminal activity ... I think they're extremely worried about the footage we've got," he said.

It is understood the Japanese ship deployed a security vessel with a commando boarding team to retrieve the footage.

Tasmanian Greens Senator Bob Brown yesterday demanded the Rudd Government explain the raid on the ship.

"If this action was taken at the behest of the Japanese authorities it will outrage many Australians," he said.

Story from examiner.com.au

Confirmation that the raid was requested by the Japanese:

THE Federal Government has distanced itself from an Australian Federal Police (AFP) raid on the anti-whaling ship Steve Irwin made at the request of the Japanese.

Australian Greens leader Bob Brown is demanding the federal government explain why the AFP raided the Sea Shepherd vessel on Friday evening in Hobart.

But a spokeswoman for Home Affairs Minister Bob Debus said the matter was in the hands of the AFP.

"All we can say is that it's an operational matter and it would be inappropriate to comment,'' the spokeswoman told AAP.

"It's like any police investigation.''

After violent clashes with Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean, the Steve Irwin was met by the AFP when it docked in Hobart early on Friday evening (AEDT) and officers confiscated the ship's log book and video footage.

The footage, taken by wildlife documentary group Animal Planet, depicted some of the most dramatic whale-killing scenes ever seen, crew on the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship said.

The police, who had search warrants, kept the crew on board as they searched cabins.

Senator Brown has written to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd calling for an immediate explanation as to how the raid could be in the nation's interest.

"On the face of it, this is outrageous behaviour by the Australian government to secure favour from the Japanese authorities,'' he said.

An AFP spokeswoman confirmed an investigation was launched at the request of the Japanese authorities, who this year complained after activists threw bottles of rancid butter at the whalers and tried to board a ship.

"I can confirm that a raid took place,'' an AFP spokeswoman said.

"An investigation was launched at the request of the Japanese authorities.''

Senator Brown said the raid would outrage many Australians.

"The Australian Federal Police can expect detailed questioning from the Greens at Senate Estimates this coming week,'' he said.

Senator Brown said he had been told by Steve Irwin captain Paul Watson that the ship was delayed coming into the port in Hobart so that the AFP had time to make their raid.

"I'm also told that the Japanese used absolutely outrageous tactics, like sound wave attacks on people in helicopters, which could have brought down those helicopters from the Sea Shepherd.''

Steve Irwin captain Paul Watson said the Steve Irwin had never been searched before but he would welcome any charges that led to the crew facing a court.

"My position is that if they want to put me on trial for anything connected with this, then I am happy to do it,'' Capt Watson said.

"We are not there protesting, we are down there to stop a blatantly criminal activity, to stop whaling in a whale sanctuary.

"These actions have to go to court somewhere, so let's start it here.''

Japan slaughters whales using a loophole in an international moratorium on commercial whaling that allows "lethal research'' on the mammals.

Story from news.com.au

I am furious. This is a federal organisation acting in the interests of the Japanese, not Australians. Who do they think they are working for?

I will be writing/calling/harassing anyone I can in the Federal Government and I urge other Aussies who agree with the methods of Sea Shepherd to do the same. Make your voice heard!

OPI Don't Toy With Me

2009-02-21T08:59:00.010+10:00

This picture sucks, I know. I had bad lighting and the nail colour seems hard to capture. This polish looks so much better than pictured here.

Coastal Scents - first order

2009-02-21T08:12:00.008+10:00

Coastal scents is famous for the makeup palettes it stocks. I recently placed an order to purchase some palettes, brushes and gel eyeliners.

The brushes - Silver Duo Fiber Stippling Brush, Foundation Concealer Brush Large, Synthetic Shadow Brush and Synthetic Concealer Shading Brush.

The Silver Duo Fiber Stippling Brush. This is a lovely large brush and the bristles are incredibly soft. It is perfect for applying blush but too soft for foundation.

The Foundation Concealer Brush Large. This brush is firm enough to apply liquid foundation and again is a substantial size.

The Synthetic Shadow Brush and Synthetic Concealer Shading Brush. Good sized brushes and firm synthetic bristles.

The gel liners in Turquoise, Platinum and Deep Plum. I've already dipped into these so did not take a picture with the lids off.

The famous 88 normal palette! This is gorgeous.

The contour palette, with highlight, contouring and blush colours.

I really love the items I received in this order. They were packed very securely to ensure no breakage of the makeup in the palettes and they were shipped nice and fast. However, I am very annoyed at how much I paid to ship these palettes.

When I was planning my order and placing the items into the cart, I was shocked at the estimated price of shipping. I had an extra palette in the order and it was stating that the order was over 4 pounds and couldn't be shipped by international first class mail, which I knew couldn't be right for these items. It's just makeup, not heavy body products.

So I emailed Coastal Scents and asked them some questions: Was their cart accurate with the shipping? Why couldn't my order be shipped via first class because surely it was under 4 pounds? Could they ship it in a flat rate global priority box for me, etc etc. They replied and only told me to remove a palette from the cart, not answering the other questions.

So I went ahead and removed the neutral palette from the order, and the shipping was $30.65 for first class international. I thought this was a very high cost for shipping makeup and brushes, because I've had heavy boxes full of bath and body products shipped for those prices. I went ahead and placed the order without doing further research.

When the box reached me, I knew from the time I picked up the box that I had been duped. It was light as a fucking feather, it couldn't even weigh 1 kilogram. So, I weighed the items and the weight added up to 850grams, which is 1.88 pounds. Grr, I knew it! I rounded it up to 1kg, which is 2.2 pounds to account for packaging and headed to the USPS website. I should have been charged $18.55 instead of the $30.65 that I paid. That $12.10 is almost $20 for me in AUD and is a very frustrating amount to be overcharged.

Since then, I've found out that the palettes are sold on Ebay at much less expensive prices and shipping. I ordered a Neutral 28 palette and brushes from an ebay seller, who charges half the price for the palette. In fact, the cost of the palette and shipping equaled the price that Coastal Scents charges for the palette alone. She also shipped within 2 days, wrapped the palette very securely and provided great customer service. I will provide more information on this seller when I post about that order.

So, internationals - DO NOT order palettes from Coastal Scents. They make more profit off us by inflating the shipping cost. Order the lighter items as the postage ripoff is on a much smaller scale. I placed another order with them for some silicon powder and a few more brushes and was still shaking my head at the shipping cost, but as it came in under $7 I went ahead with the order. I actually tried to add a 10gram size sifter jar to the order, which would weigh next to nothing - maybe 1gram? And took it back off because it raised the shipping cost by $1...outrageous. Order the palettes from Ebay instead!

China Glaze How About A Tumble

2009-02-15T20:43:00.002+10:00

Aromaleigh Pure Hues

2009-02-15T20:01:00.005+10:00

Aromaleigh had a 50% sale on their Pure Hue Intense Multi-Purpose Powders in January and of course I placed an order to take advantage of it. I chose the following shades:

Arbor - A deep pine needle green with fine shimmer.
Peacoat - An iridescent, fine shimmer blue/green.
Russet - A medium-gray dimensional shimmer.
Smokescreen - A medium-gray dimensional shimmer.
Alchemy - An irisdescent, very fine shimmer that has a copper glow.
Lichen - A soft bluish-green medium shimmer.
Caribe - An iridescent, fine shimmer blue/green.
Garnet - A deep wine with medium shimmer.
Pewter - A medium-gray dimensional shimmer.
Watermelon - The pinkish/red shade of watermelon, high shimmer.

And free samples:

I really enjoy using Aromaleigh minerals, the product is perfectly textured and pigmented. Swatches to come.

Crown Brush Haul

2009-02-15T19:44:00.004+10:00

I had seen Crown Brush mentioned favourably and decided to try them out. They are a company that manufacture makeup brushes and a number of other products but they do sell direct to the public along with companies that resell. The minimum spend for an order is $25 and I found that they shipped very quickly. The customer service rep really needs a lesson in professional writing though..but I won't get into that. On with the goods!

Blending Fluff
Deluxe Oval Shadow
Larhe Chisel Fluff
Deluxe Crease
Stiff Tapered Crease
Lash Fan
Stiff Brow
Liner/Chisel Fluff
Bent Liner
Sable Eyeliner
Angle Fluff
Medium Chisel Fluff
Mini Contour

These two brushes are much larger than I expected! The deluxe oval shadow is too big for my lid area, so I use it as a brow highlight. The blending fluff is probably large enough to apply highlights on the face.

The stiff tapered crease brush is good for applying colour and the deluxe crease brush is perfect for blending everything out.

The liner brushes. I find the bent liner easiest to use.

I find the brushes to be of good quality. I have used them and washed them a number of times and have had minimal shedding and they have all held their shape through drying. I'm very pleased with this company's product.

Christmas Haul

2009-01-10T17:47:00.004+10:00

Thanks to being gifted with cash and gift cards for Christmas, I was able to do a fair bit of shopping over the break. Probably a bit too much shopping, but hey, it was Christmas, right?

First up is Aromaleigh, with which I placed an all sample order to try out the product:

Eyeshadows and pure hues.

Cheek, face and lip product samples.

Order details:

Feather Boa
Baby Blues
Dollhouse
Mink Coat
Petit Fours
Hydrangea
Sweet pea
Bluebell
Petunia
High Heels
Tangled Tinsel
Champagne Toast
Bette
Colette
Lisette
Viviane
Mireille
Fiona
Baby
Luminary Cheek Glisten
Cashmere Pure Rouge
Candy Pure Rouge
Zen lipgloss
Charm lipgloss
Allure lipgloss
Bella lipgloss
Ultra Resolution Finishing Powder

All the eye products are well pigmented and I'm also enjoying the lip glosses, which have unfortunately been discontinued.

I also made my first order with Everyday Minerals. At the time of ordering, they were running a discount promotion whilst also offering 3 full size products for free, for orders over a certain price range. Needless to say, I was all over this special.

The entire order.

Brushes:
New Flat Top Brush
Long Handled Kabuki
Foundation Brush
Oval Concealer Brush
Everyday Eye Shadow Brush
Eye Kabuki Brush

The Eye Shadow Brush and Oval Concealer Brush are quite similar in size, with the concealer brush being more oval shaped and longer.

Eyeshadows:

Comfy
In the Garden
Oasis
Ruby Sand
Dark Brown Brow colour
Snowflakes
To do list
Wild Flowers
Countryside
10 Items or Less

Free sample makeup kit:

Peach Tree Blush sample
Multi-Tasking Concealer
Olive - Olive Medium semi matte foundation
Olive - Neutral semi matte foundation
Olive - Golden Medium semi matte foundation

Full size free gifts:

Mistletoe Eye Shadow
Frost Bitten Eye Shadow
Start to Finish Bronzer

I've been experimenting a little with these products and find that they work well for a soft look to wear to work. I tried foiling some of the eye shadows and failed miserably. They seem too silky to foil and the addition of water ends up rubbing the colour off more rather than making it more intense! Maybe there is a trick to foiling with Everyday Minerals that I haven't worked out yet, but they certainly didn't work for me in the same manner as the Aromaleigh minerals.

I've also been going a bit nuts over nail polish and placed an order with 8ty8 Beauty Supplies:

Poshe Super Fast Topcoat
Poshe Super Fast Basecoat
OPI DS Sapphire
OPI DS Desire
OPI My Private Jet
OPI Don't Toy with Me
China Glaze Emerald Sparkle
China Glaze Ruby Pumps
China Glaze How About a Tumble
Creative Nail Design Sticky Base Coat
Creative Nail Designs Solar Oil
Creative Nail Designs Cuticle Eraser (not pictured)

I also placed an order directly with MISA after seeing this offer on Scrangie's blog. This awesome offer is running until the end of January and is available to internationals as well.

BREAKneck topcoat
Sugar Daddy
A Sunny Smile Makes Me Go Wild
Let's Go Green
The Grass is Greener On My Side
Toxic Seduction
A Fatal Affair
Pour me Something Tall and Strong
Forbidden Lust
A Sin Worth Committing
Girls Night Out
Hot People Like You

OPI DS Sapphire

And, I think that's enough for now! I will post more swatches and what not once I have more time to play with the products.

Welcome

2009-01-10T12:52:00.005+10:00

Welcome to the resurrection of my blog and domain! I have missed having my own little piece of the web in which to share my thoughts. What should you expect to see here? Anything and everything. I have a range of interests, from politics and world events, gaming, health and fitness to personal indulgences in bath and body products, fragrances and makeup. Thus this is not a blog that can be categorized with a theme but will simply reflect whatever is on my mind at the time.