Blush + Gold

...And now for some few items on the blush to gold spectrum! Gold, copper, bronze, pink: love! I pretty much bought these items on a whim because each cost $2-$4. For that price, I thought it could be fun to try out some different colours and ranges. *rationalises* BOE Beauty and Face of Australia are carried at Big W (among other stores), and I found the Maybelline Color Tattoo and Rimmel lipsticks at Chemmart, which is a discount drugstore in Australia. I ended up with:

• Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in 220 Pink Chic & 375 Piccadilly Pink
• BOE Beauty Blush in Pink Goddess
• BOE Beauty Bronzer in Glow
• BOE Beauty Highlight Shimmer Powder
• Face of Australia Iconic Nail Polish in Beauty Queen & That's My Crown
• Maybelline Color Tattoo in Pomegranate Punk

Clockwise from far left: Rimmel lipstick in Piccadilly Pink, Face of Australia nail polish in Beauty Queen, BOE shimmer, Face of Australia nail polish in That's My Crown, Rimmel lipstick
in Pink Chic, BOE blush, Maybelline Color Tattoo in Pomegranate Punk, BOE bronzer

Let's face it: The bronzer, blush and shimmer from BOE Beauty are quite pigmented and in pretty colours: classic warm bronze colour (think NARS Laguna), and warm peach pink (think NARS Orgasm). The bronzer and blush show up nicely on my fair skin and are pretty blendable, which is good because they could go on pretty strongly if you're not careful. They also each have a very subtle amount of shimmer, but nothing to be concerned about.

That said, the shimmer powder is in a different category because it is extremely bright and light-reflective. It is a cool, white gold colour, which may make it tempting to go all out. However, please be cautious and start out with the tiniest bit! It is very pigmented and the particles are the biggest that you'd want to use for a face highlight. I would also use this as an eyeshadow to be honest, and even then, it's pretty noticeable.

Swatches clockwise from top left: BOE bronzer, BOE blush, BOE shimmer

Pink about it:
The two Rimmel Moisture Renew lipsticks are - you guessed it - full of moisture! The formula is quite creamy but still classy and not gooping everywhere. I really like both the shades: Pink Chic is almost bubblegum pink but very wearable. To me, it is more of a cool pink, so I like to wear it with a cool eye shadow (blue, gray, even lilac). Pink Piccadilly, on the other hand, is a warm, deep blush pink; kind of a 'my lips but better' shade. Nice.

I must say, I was very pleased to find the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Pomegranate Punk because I think it's no longer in the current range stocked in Priceline, etc. The colour was from a previous line of colours in the range and it's a shame that it's not sold in more stores because it is GORGEOUS. As you might know from my previous post on the Maybelline Color Tattoos, they are great cream eye shadows. The formula is smooth and long-lasting, the colours are luscious, and it is so easy to apply! Naturally, when I saw the sassy Pomegranate Punk shade, it had to be mine. The colour is a dark pink/brown/cranberry; not really blush-gold spectrum but deserves an honorable mention. Swoon.

Swatches L-R: Maybelline Color Tattoo in Pomegranate Punk, Rimmel lipstick in Piccadilly Pink, Rimmel lipstick in Pink Chic

The nail polishes by Face of Australia are also very nice. Beauty Queen is a #respectablenude shade: wearable, sophisticated and simple. That's My Crown is full of different-sized glitter: smaller ballet pink shimmer, gold sheen, and bigger sugar pink particles. So fun for a party...or even everyday life.

Thank you for stopping by! Don't forget to check out my YouTube channel: youtube.com/c/philomanie. See you next time!

Vote Now! Beauty Vlogger Idol

 Hi!

I am currently a finalist in Beauty Vlogger Idol 2015 run by The Glow website. This is a competition open in Australia and New Zealand to people like me who are starting out making beauty and lifestyle videos for fun. The overall prize is a video contract with The Glow, which would be awesome! 

My finalist video entry is open to public voting NOW at http://www.theglow.com.au/hair-and-nails/beauty-vlogger-idol/beauty-vlogger-idol-voting/. So, please check out my video, vote for me and share the link with anyone you like! 

Voting closes at 11:59pm Western Australia time on Wednesday 8 July. Your support is very much appreciated. 

Thank you!
Laura Gray

P.S. While you're at it, check out my other links for Philomanie!
https://www.youtube.com/c/philomanie
https://twitter.com/philomanie
https://www.facebook.com/philomanie

Video: Beauty + Skincare Haul A/W 2015

So, I bought all the things. Video recording and excitement ensued. Come check out what I got in my new video! Learn about champaca! PLUS exciting announcement coming soon!

Video: I Heart Fall

Hello!
Autumn is in full swing in the southern hemisphere, so I thought I would do the 'I Heart Fall' tag. I just love an excuse to wear a scarf, even if it means a moment of awkward fumbling.
Watch below or click over to YouTube for some #respectablenude times (no actual nudity; just the colour)!

You Are What You Wear

Image source

In my research about wardrobe psychology and style analysis (which I am thoroughly enjoying), I came across a great book called You Are What You Wear: What Your Clothes Say About You by Dr. Jennifer Baumgartner (Boston: Da Capo Press, 2012). I found this to be a fun and engaging read, with several clear chapters each addressing with a specific wardrobe ‘issue’. For example, there are chapters on buying too much, keeping too much, revealing too much, and so on. You can fid other examples of her writing at Psychology Today.

Dr Baumgartner is clearly well-educated and her writing style is very relatable and friendly. Her analysis of each of the style ‘ailments’ in the book is very clever and resonates with the reader. In my view, the tone of the author is crucial to the reader’s feeling of acceptance if they happen to be struggling with a particular wardrobe stumbling block. There are many anecdotes used throughout each book, which all serve to illustrate in real-life terms how a person might face an issue but then how than can be resolved and they then feel empowered for the future.

Another engaging aspect of the tone is that Dr Baumgartner relates her own personal experience in fashion and wardrobe-building, often admitting that she particularly likes shopping or that she appreciates fun, beautiful clothing. This is certainly a strong approach compared to what one might otherwise (pessimistically?) expect of someone with a doctorate in psychology: a dry and critical analysis of why we weak consumers are blinded by our own pain points and end up with a closet full of junk. I am so glad she did not take such an approach.

This book is clearly aimed at a female audience, which I think is fine considering that – to make a generalisation – it would be likely that more women than men would be likely to pick up this book in the first place. I enjoyed the book because it meets three of my key criteria: a) on a topic I’m interested in; b) intelligently written; c) fun! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is at all interested and/or in need of help with their wardrobe situation. As I have experienced myself, having a cleared-out, organised and happy wardrobe feels good!

Feel free to let me know your thoughts on this book or any others in the 'fashion psychology' genre!