Lipstick and Brunch

Wednesday, 1 July 2015

- L -

Hey guys! I know it's been a while since both S and I have posted anything on the blog. Life has been so hectic recently and before any of us knew it, a year had gone by. We will try our best to post more often so please be patient with us!

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Having my nails polished has become a natural necessity in my life, I literally can not stand to see my nails naked. With something as compulsory as this naturally lead to me being a nail polish hoarder, it would take me 3 days or a week depending on my nails to re-paint them again. It's a constant struggle between, do I just bite my lip and ignore the chipped polish or do I have the patience to re-paint and wait for them to dry?

Then I discovered Shellac. The miracle polish that; lasts for up to 2 weeks, always stays shiny, strength your nails, does not fade off, and DRIES STRAIGHT AWAY.

It applies just like any normal lacquer, but each layer applied must then be placed under a UV light which 'seals' the polish, the final coat which is the top coat once sealed dries immediately and keeps the nails always looking shiny and strong (what is this sorcery??). However, you can't just rub the shellac off like you normally would with standard polish, rather you need to get them soaked off, I do find that this weakens your nails because some salons scrap them off, personally I tend to keep them immersed in the acetone much longer until they literally all fall off on its own. This way there's less scraping and less damaging to your nails.

I fell in love with shellacs the first time I got them done. I find them so convenient and very wearable, and who wouldn't love to sit back and relax whilst getting your nails did?

Here are a few images of the shellacs I've had done for the past few months.

Do any of you guys get shellac nails and if so what are your opinions on them?

- L -

Friday, 9 May 2014

Autumn Buys

- L -

It seems like the longer you put off blogging, the harder it is to get yourself back into it. Lately it just seems like blogging hasn't been on the top of the 'to-do' list for both S and I.

Both my mum and brother have decided to holiday in Vietnam without me, leaving me home alone and to fend for myself. On top of that, work hours have become more demanding plus trying to find some spare time for the boyfriend as well. So with the recent tight schedule, there hasn't been much 'blog-worthy' things to post. That being said, here are few Autumn buys that have been enjoying so far.

Etude House Ice-Cream Nails, was a purchase decided purely on it's super cute packaging. I started off with just two, because there was a special "buy two get one free" offer in the store at the time. When i got home, hoarding instincts took over and I knew, for the life of me, I just had to get the rest of the colours. The formula is really good and the polish glides on very smoothly with a variety of beautiful colours. I got these adorable polishes for $4 each in a little local Springvale store.

The Face Shop real nature mask sparked the beginning of my current obsession with skin care products. I've never used face masks before, it did feel a bit silly and I struggled getting the mask onto my face but the results were there. After 10~12 minutes I removed the mask but left the residue essence to absorb into my skin. Which left my face feeling very fresh, hydrated and smooth.

S suggested that I try out Formula 10.0.6 Three Times Sublime to help with the tiny blackheads on the tip of my nose. I've been using it 3 times a week for the past 2 weeks now, my blackheads haven't completely disappeared, but they have cleared up quite a lot and are much less noticeable now. Plus it smells amazing, I think the two main reasons I buy an product would be because of its packaging and smell. Again with hoarding instincts, I wasn't happy with just one, so Formula 10.0.6 Deep Down Detox Ultra-Cleansing Mud Mask joined the family. You apply a thin layer over your face and leave to dry for roughly 10~15 minutes, and then wash off thoroughly with warm water. It felt weird as the mask dried on my face, like PVA glue, all I wanted to do was peel it off. That said, my face felt a lot smoother and brighter.

The Face Shop Green Grape Hand & Body Shiffon Cream is probably one of my favorite purchases so far. One whiff of this hand cream and I was literally throwing my money at the store counter. It smells S O G O O D and it doesn't stop there, it's cream formula is probably one of the best I have ever tried, ever. Most creams, usually leave a greasy residue on your hands but this leaves your hand feeling silky smooth with a sweet grape scent. For only $8 a tub, from The Face Shop store located in Melbourne Central, Seriously guys, try it out!

Last but not least, I bought the Lush Popcorn Lip Scrub. It was mainly a necessity purchase, because of my horrible chapped lips. This has been an absolute life saver, my lips usually chap horribly when I wear lipsticks (especially matte ones), which meant after only a short time I would end up rubbing the lipstick off because my lips were getting too dry to leave it on. So now before applying lipstick, I would scrub my lips with the Lush Lip Scrub, lick off the excess sugar (yes that't right you can simply lick it off once you're done) and then apply lip balm to protect the smooth lips that I have just exposed. I don't think it would be something I would purchase again, $10 for basically a small tub of flavored sugar is a bit much. You can use plain old sugar from the pantry and that would work just as well.

So what have you been up to lately?

- L -

Wednesday, 2 April 2014

April Wish List

1. Pu Biker Jacket $149.95 | Sportsgirl

2. Abran A. High Skinny Rif Raf Blue $119.95 | Universal Store

3. ALIEN $199.95 | Windsor Smith

4. Baies Candle $78.00 | Mecca Cosmetica

5. Jeffrey Campbell - 'Lester Plated Oxford' $172.83 | Nastygal

6. Empire Dress $69.95 | Stussy

7. Canon EOS 1100D Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm & 55-250mm Twin Lens Kit $449.00 | Harvey Norman

8. Benefit - 'They're Real Mascara' $38.00 | Myer

9. Michael Kors - '15" Saffiano Jet Set Travel Tote' $349.95 | Apple Store

10. 'Miami Mint' Bikini $86.00 | Triangl

- L -

Saturday, 29 March 2014

Weekend Drugstore Haul

- reviewed by L

Hey guys! This is going to be a short post, just on a few items I picked up whilst running errands at Parkmore Shopping Centre.

Technically I was meant to take my brother to Kmart to get him some Khung Zhu toy, because he bought a race course set to race 'hamsters' (which he doesn't have) so now he has a race course with no hamsters to race. Being the great sister I am, I took him to Parkmore, and dragged him straight to the make-up section in KMART and Priceline. I managed to purchase all of these for under $20!

Ok so just quickly on what I managed to purchase today.

BYS - JUMBO Liquid Eyeliner Pen

Store: KMART

Price: $5.75

I've been wanting to get a jumbo liner for awhile now, noticed this on the shelf and read that it was water-proof and smudge-proof (AWESOME) and figured I'd give it a go. Application is easy, the pointy tip offers good precision and is ease of control.

Face Of Australia - Glossy Lip Crayon; Raspberry Coulls

Store: KMART

Price: $4.75 (Originally $7.95)

Saw that the FOA lip crayons were on sale, I thought I'd grab another one to add to my collection. Love that these are so moisturizing! How could I not get more?

Essence - 'METAL glam' Highlighter Powder

Store: Priceline

Price: $5.35

I needed a highlighter, Essence had one in their new "METAL glam" range. Meant to be. So I grabbed it. It's well pigmented.

Essence - 'METAL glam' Gold Topper

Store: Priceline

Price: $3.50

This was a splurge buy, it basically just layers pieces of gold flakes on top of your nails. The great thing is that it dries quick, I would suggest though putting a thin layer of clear top coat on afterwards as well. (You can see in the two swatches above of how the gold topper looks).

So what did you think of my haul today? Feel free to leave a comment below :)

Oh and my brother's KUNG ZHU 'hamster' ended up being a discontinued toy line. He's pretty upset over it. Poor fella.

Swatch & Review: Shanghai Suzy Lipsticks

reviewed by - S.

Sorry I have been away for a while, but back with another review on some of my favourite lipstick purchases this past month. I first saw some pictures of these lipsticks on Instagram and my curiosity got the better of me, as I was straight away exploring their website. I had never heard of Shanghai Suzy Lipsticks, but was so mesmerised by the packaging. (I am a sucker for packaging)!

Initially, I thought that the lipsticks came in black cardboard paper packages like other lipsticks usually do. Imagine my surprise when I realised that the sharp rectangular packaging was actually the lipstick lid itself. This minimises the need to waste paper and was very clever and unique as I had never seen anything like it. I also love the way the colour of the lipstick is displayed at the top of the lid to make it so much easier to distinguish between them. I think it is absolutely a bonus how classy and expensive looking the lipstick tube is, where it only retails for $12.95 per lipstick!

But there is more to these lipsticks than just pretty packaging. The brand was founded by Melbourne model and former cosmetics marketing executive Joanna Wheaton. It is a brand solely focused on delivering quality lipsticks at affordable prices, and was launched in August 2013. The fragrance was inspired by grape bubblegum (my absolute favourite flavour) and are not tested on animals, nor do they contain animal-derived ingredients.

There was an option to purchase 8 lipsticks for $65 (around $8 per lipstick) which I jumped on straight away. The order was placed smoothly and came quickly within the week. It was nicely packaged with some flower petals and a handwritten note. Definitely quality service!

So what do I think of these lipsticks? I LOVE THEM. They are by far my favourite lipsticks in my collection. They have some of the best matte formula lipsticks I've ever tried. They are moisturising and nourishing on my lips and do not dry them out at all!

There are a beautiful range of colours to choose from each with a sassy name! In addition, I believe they release new shades every season, and I honestly cannot wait to grab more. They are genuinely a great quality lipstick with vibrant colours and deep pigmentation.

Below are some swatches (excuse my rushed job).
From left to right:
Miss Sophia - LILAC
Miss Amy - BABY PINK
Miss Kitty - BLACK PLUM
Miss Georgina - PINK PLUM
Miss Hannah - BLOOD RED
Miss Sarah-Jones - NEON CORAL
Miss Simone - BABY CORAL
Miss Sanja - Fuchsia

Check out their website for further details: www.shanghaisuzy.com

Hope this was informative. Stay tuned for more! :)

- S.

HUDADAK

- reviewed by L

Craving for some Korean food, I dragged my boyfriend down to Hudadak for some late night dinner. A small local restaurant; with a very casual atmosphere and welcoming staff. The first thing I noticed when entering was how humid the place was, it needed better ventilation inside because it got really stuffy within a few minutes of sitting down.

They're a typical Korean Restaurant with the typical Korean menu (Clay pot soups and rice, sizzling BBQ hot plates, bulgogi etc), they're signature dish would be their Korean Fried Chicken. I haven't had them before, as they're a bit on the pricey side, but I have heard of good reviews on them. So they are on my 'to-try' list.

Their banchan (side dishes) consisted of; Kimchi, Beansprout, marinated tofu and I believe white radish with a type of mayonnaise. I was a bit disappointed with the small selection.

As they put this dish in front of me, my mouth dropped. The sizzling and the smoke and all that delicious fragrance in the air was absolutely amazing. The chicken was really tender, the sauce was a bit lacking, and would have been good with a bit more. Otherwise, it was a pretty good dish.

Rating: 7.5/10

The dish I was craving for all week! BI BIM BAP! It came in a hot stone pot, which is the way I liked it. That combination of the crackling and sizzling as you mix all the ingredient together..is ..the..BEST! As a personal preference, I love to completely drench the rice with the kochujang sauce, the more the better! Overall, it wasn't the best Bi Bim Bap I have ever had but it did it's job.

Rating: 8.5/10

Hudadak is a great casual Korean Restaurant, that you could enjoy with large groups of mates. The staff are friendly, and the atmosphere is good. Their food is flavorsome, portions are generous and quality is decent.

Store Location & Information

Shop 9 /309-315 Clayton Rd, Clayton VIC 3149

TEL Phone: 9543 4276

MOB Phone: 0433399575

Trading Hours (Closed Wednesdays)

Monday-Saturday: 11am - 10pm

Sunday: 5pm - 10pm

Monday, 24 March 2014

WAYA Japanese Restaurant

- reviewed by L

Hey Guys! So today I will be sharing with you my experience at one of my personal favorite restaurants. Waya Japanese Restaurant, it's like a little slice of Japanese heaven located up in Glen Waverley.

The store is usually crazy packed with people! They don't offer bookings for small groups, so most likely you would have to grab a ticket and wait for a table, but trust me it would be so worth the wait. Yesterday was actually the first time I didn't have to line up, probably due to it being a Sunday. Lucky us~

The first thing I think of upon entering the venue is: "love their interior design!" and the second thought is: "gosh there are so many staff people". Which I guess is a good thing, there will always be someone near by to help you. Is it just me or does anyone else feel awkward having to look around for staff, then try to make obvious eye contact as a hint that you need some assistance?

The next winner for me; their menu! I am someone who; EATS. WITH. HER. EYES. The thing I love about menus with images is the fact that I would be more willing to try new dishes if I could see what it looked like. Generally; S and I are hesitant to try out new dishes, in fear that we'd feel like we've wasted our money one something that didn't taste good. So, Waya's menu, was a big TICK for the checklist!

Lemon Lime Bitters - $4.00 Orion (Can) 500ml - $9.00

Ika Ring (12pcs) - $7.00
Deep Fried Calamari served with Mayonnaise Sauce

Waya Maki - $12.50
Inside Out Roll with Salmon, Cucumber and Avocado topped with Tobiko and Spicy Sauce

The Waya Maki; one of their signature dishes, was one of those 'eat with your eyes' order, the presentation looked absolutely gorgeous! Both in the menu and in person. Because I ordered the dish with my eyes; I didn't realize that it had raw salmon in it, a lot too. Personally, I don't really like to eat a lot of raw salmon, it's just something that my taste buds don't like. I did though eat one roll, it was quite amazing, filled with plump salmon, avocado and cucumber, could do with a little less salmon (for me though).

Rating: 8/10

Katsu Curry Don - $11.50

Their Katsu Curry Don would have to be, hands-down, one of the best Japanese Curries that I have ever had. And I think I can talk on behalf of S, and say that she would 100% agree with me. They are generous with the curry sauce, so there was more than enough to mix through the rice and plenty left over to just drink up (YES, WE LOVE OUR SAUCES). It comes with a piece of Tonkatsu (Deep Fried Crumbed Pork), the meat was beautifully moist and had an amazing crunch. The flavors are strong and rich and had that slight punch of spiciness.

Wait Time: 8 mins

Rating: 9.5/10

Tonkatsu Bento - $12.80

The Bento Box, a classic Japanese dish. One of the great things about bento boxes, is having that variety of different foods to try out. In this case, we had the Tonkatsu Bento. Consisting of; Tonkatsu (Deep Fried Crumbed Pork), Yakitori (Grilled Chicken Skewer), 2 California Rolls, Tamago (Grilled Japanese Omelette), Mixed Salad, Seaweed Salad and Rice. It is one of those dishes, where you want to dig in straight away but don't know what to start with first. Their salad could have had a bit more dressing on it, it was very plain to eat. The Tamago was served cold, which I believe is their traditional method of serving it (I'm not too sure), but it would have been something that I preferred eating hot. Overall, the flavors were great, everything worked will with each other. A very enjoyable meal.

Wait Time: 5 mins

Rating: 9/10

Their main dishes are priced reasonably well, however, their side dishes are a little over-priced. The wait time for the food to come out is incredibly short, which is absolutely great! I do warn you though, that they are very busy most of the time, and the chances of having to wait for a table is high. But, I assure you; the food quality is really good. WAYA is a restaurant we would put on our regular go-to list.

Have a browse through their website here.

Store Location & Information
100 Kingsway, Glen Waverley, VIC 3150
Phone: 03 9561 3388

Trading Hours

Lunch - Dinner, 7 days a week