I like tags. And I like honest tags.

This is an honest tag.

I tag you.

Bye.

1. Do you feel different with make up on or off?

I feel really different with my make up off. I'm super insecure about my black circles under my eyes (I've had them for my whole life) and somedays they make me look like I have two big ol' black eyes. Using make up, specifically concealer, to cover up these imperfections makes me feel so much better and it gives me that confidence boost that nothing else will. Wearing a full face of make up doesn't really make me feel any ~different~ but it is really fun to apply. Just to clarify, I don't need a full face of make up to feel confident, rather I just really really need concealer to feel that way. ok.

2. To you is inner beauty or outer beauty more important? 

Inner beauty, duh. Seriously. Like the saying goes, you can't judge a book by its cover. Some of the most beautiful people I've ever met have also been the worst. In saying that, I know some beautiful people who radiate their beauty inside and out. 

Roald Dahl summed this up pretty well in his book "The Twits": 

"A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely."

No amount of make up will ever conceal an ugly soul. Be kind.

3. Do you prefer inner or outer beauty? 

Based on the previous answer, I prefer inner beauty. 

4. What’s real beauty to you? 

Real beauty is having a good, kind heart. We all have our bad days & that's what makes us human, but finding people who are able to overcome their shortcomings and only look on the bright side are truly beautiful. Having gratitude and humility also falls into this. It's important to always remember where you came from and never, ever forgetting that. 

5. What makes you feel beautiful? 

This question should be rephrased to 'Who makes you feel beautiful' and I would have to say my husband. He makes me feel like the only woman on the planet with his love. I love it when he calls me beautiful because I know he really means it... especially when I'm wearing no make up, wearing my old pj shirt, his basketball shorts and ugly socks with my hair in the highest bun possible. That's love.

Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumising Mascara || Review time!

I know I haven't done a make-up related post in a while but you can blame uni for that. Seriously, this last semester has been a shocker!

Anyways, Gideon was nice enough to let me buy some make-up on eBay because I did a HUGE clean out of my collection and threw out a whole bunch of really old make-up aaaand he thought I could use some new stuff.

Still on its way is a Collection 2000 concealer which I heard was one of the best concealers out there, Hard Candy concealer aaaaaand... more Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumising Mascara.

Based off of that, I can tell you it is amazing.

Oh also... I bought 3 more tubes to get me through tough times.

Yepp. It's good.

Photo time:

No Mascara

Jordana Mascara

Safe to say this mascara is amazing. It volumizes and lengthens aaaaaand is overall the best for the little price tag.

I would compare this to Imitable Intense Mascara by Chanel which retails (in Australia) for $50 whereas the Jordana mascara (with shipping) cost me $13 which is pretttttttty good considering everything make-up related in Australia is overpriced and that's what I have to compare the price to.

You can buy it in a 3 pack for even better value HERE!

So definitely try it out if you can/want to.

Ok bye.

-C.

July Favourites | clarissaxplainsitall

As July is coming to a close (where has the year gone?!) I thought I'd do a July favourites because I've never done one of these posts before.

Nothing beats classic SNL to adequately describe your

feelings. 

Below is a collection of everything I have loved this month and have been reaching for more frequently.

1. Benefit 'They're Real' Mascara: I can't get enough of this product. If you're looking for a mascara that gives you length and volume then you've come to the right place. This is more of a ~high end~ product so it will make a hole in your wallet, but if you want to spoil yourself on a mascara that could replace all of the other 123249822 mascaras in your collection, then give it a go.

Price: Retails at $38 on the Myer website.

2. Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream: This has replaced my foundations this month. I bought both the medium shade to contour and the fair shade to highlight and I haven't looked back. This lightweight product stays true to its word by leaving your skin feeling lightweight and flawless with its oil-free formula. It's also available for those who battle with a more oily complexion.

Price: Retails at $15.95 on the Priceline website.

3. Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman Base/Flawless, Core Collection Brushes: I believe in having quality make-up brushes above all else in your make-up collection, and this month I've loved using these brushes to apply my make up. They're give you absolute control and they clean easily.

Price: Retails at $17.99 on the iHerb website.

4. Sea Spray by Lush: I'm a pretty low maintenance kind of girl when it comes to my hair. I cut my hair really short once and I vowed never, ever to do it again because of how much maintenance went into keeping it looking cute. For my long hair, I love to just wash it, let it hair dray and spray a couple of pumps of Sea Spray by Lush to make it look like i've put hours of effort into it. It leaves it looking like I have just been to Bondi beach when really I haven't left my room.

Price: Retails at $12.50 on the Lush website.

5. Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette: Ok, you're crazy if you haven't heard of Urban Decay's Naked palettes. They're pretty much the bee's knees. I've been reaching for Naked 2 this month because the colours allow you to create any smokey or neutral eye look with its highly pigmented shades.

Price: Naked (the original palette) Retails at $59.60 on beautybay.com
Note: Naked 2 is currently out of stock.

6. Clinique 3-Step System: I was fortunate enough to score a 10-day trial of the 3-step system from my local Clinique counter and I think I'm going to buy the full sized system once I get some money. My skin feels refreshed and lovely after following the steps. Definitely worth the extra 3 minutes of my skin care routine.

Price: Retails at $29.00 for the introductory kit from the Clinique website.

Let me know what your July favourites are. I want to know!

-C.

Mini Essence Haul | Make Up ♡

Money has been getting a little tight these days, so my shopping addiction is going into it's withdrawal phase.

I experience these feelings when I can't

buy something I really want.

I literally go online window shopping to take the edge off. You know, fill the cart but never make it through the payment phase of the checkout? Yepp. 

But all is not lost because on Tuesday I finally got to go shopping when I was wondering around Canberra alone while Gideon was in an important interview. What else is a girl to do when her husband gives her his credit card? Seriously. 

I wandered around Canberra Centre which is like... the biggest shopping centre I have ever been do. It went on for days! I visited nearly every store (I liked) and picked out some stuff while I still had time to kill. I even watched a movie alone, which I've never done before. I watched The Heat. It was O K.

I bought some new stuff from the Essence line that recently came out at Priceline and at Target called "50's Girl Reloaded". I LOVE Essence. Their products are of such a high quality and they're so affordable. I couldn't say no to some new stuff from their new line as well as some old favourites which I've been eyeing off for a while.

I bought:

1. I Love Punk Jumbo Eyeliner- I love eyeliner so I always try to go for ones that I've never tried before. I like this product but it wont give you that natural eyeliner look. Use this for a more dramatic and bold winged eye-liner look on your eyes. I used this as a preliminary guide to create my perfect bold eyeliner look.

2. Match2Cover Cream Concealer- I'm so pleased with this product as you can mix the two shades to achieve your natural skin colour to cover up those not so lovely blemishes on your face. I like to layer this product to cover up my dark circles under my eyes.

3.Translucent Loose Powder- I haven't bought translucent powder since I started using a powder foundation to set my liquid foundation, but I'm so pleased with this because it makes my make-up look flawless without it looking cake-y.

4. 02 I'm Sailing Lipstick- An awesome creamy, coral colour. I wear it over my Benetint lipstain to give a salmon-y lip colour, which I love. The consistency of this is like a creamy lipstick, which does need to be touched up throughout the day. The colour is opaque depending on how much you want to smack on your lips. I prefer a subtle application. 

Overall I'm so pleased with the products I picked up and it all totaled to about $18, which is a bargain for quality products. Check out their new line, you wont be disappointed. 

-C.

L'Oréal Paris Préférence Wild Ombrés Brush-On Dip Dye | My Results.

The ombré trend has been around for a while now and I've been rocking the look since early last year. It's pretty much a signature look of mine.

I love it.

Saying this, continuously re-dying my hair at the hairdresser was actually becoming quite an expensive hobby, so I looked for some alternative methods to recreate the salon quality look.

I used the one in the middle.

I found L'Oréal Paris Préférence Wild Ombrés on EBay from a seller in the UK and I couldn't say no! It was only $14 after the currency exchange and it was exactly what I was looking for.

After using the amazing brush and the formula in the packet I was able to achieve a flawless ombré look at home. It was awesome.

I re-purchased it recently since it has been launched in Australia (finally) and I thought I'd post my results using it for a second time.

The ends of my hair have remained healthy with my deep conditioning regime even though I re-dyed my hair recently. Even my hairdresser commented on my flawless ombré and even suggested I should become a colourist for their salon.

Please keep in mind I prefer a more intense ombré look, and I kept the product on my hair for about 30-40 minutes. I love the results even though it might not be your cup of tea.

I would recommend this product to anyone who doesn't want to commit themselves to the expensive price tag of a salon ombré styling but who also want those salon results.

-C.

11 Questions Tag | clarissaxplainsitall ☆

I LOVE questionnaires. I don't know why, though.

I guess I just love answering questions and also hearing or reading people's responses.

Feel free to tag yourself in this tag and let me know if and when you answer them :)

The rules are simple and as follows:

Rule 1: Post the rules.

Rule 2: Answer the questions the tagger asked you, then make 11 new ones.

Rule 3: Tag the fellow bloggers you wish.

Rule 4: Let them know you've tagged them.

1. Milk, dark or white chocolate?

Milk chocolate is my favourite. 

2. Imagine you won the lottery. First thing that comes to mind, what would you do with it?

Share it with my family, then buy a house.

3. What was the first makeup product you applied on yourself?

Probably a lipsmacker lipgloss. I was OBSESSED.

4. Fave tv series?

Fresh prince! Or 16 & Pregnant, haha. 

5. 5 makeup items you'd pack for a summer holiday?

Boi-ing concealer, waterproof lash blast mascara, bronzer, waterproof eyeliner and lipbalm.

6. Pink or purple?

Purple. 

7. Most used nail polish from your collection?

A Tiffany Blue colour by Rimmel or just basic black.

8. iPhone or Android? Why?

iPhone because I'm an Apple fan girl.

9. Favourite online shopping store?

Anything with a sale and valid coupon codes, haha.

10. Favourite take away food?

Probably nuggets from maccas or nachos from madmex.

11. What do you look for in a beauty blog?

Variety and humour. I like blogs with personality.

Questions I want to ask:

1. If you had to choose one make up product for the rest of your life, what would it be?
2. Lipgloss or lipstick?
3. What is your all time dream career?
4. What do you want to name your future children?
5. Who are your favourite beauty gurus on YouTube or in the blog world?
6. What beauty rule do you preach but never practice?
7. What is your weakness?
8. Do you like chocolate?
9. Where do you buy your make up from predominately?
10. What is your favourite trend this season?
11. What is the one beauty related skill you wish you had?

I tag:

Carla from Listless-Existence 

And anybody else reading!

-C.

Flowers and Polka Dots | Nail Art

I'm pretty rarely seen without nail polish even if its cracked and chipped; i'll still rock that look on my nails for weeks.

I'd rather have polish on my nails than have them naked.

Anyway, I've been watching BubzBeauty on YouTube for a while now & I am so amazed by her talents, not only with make up and beauty but also her ability to have a positive and realistic outlook on life no matter what hardship she is going through. She has been around on YouTube for a while so I'm sure any make up enthusiast on the internet would know who she is.

She posted this really cute nail art tutorial this week, and because i'm pretty unskilled in the whole nail art area, I thought i'd give it a go.

So here is my rendition of her nail art tutorial.

What you'll need:

• Nail polish
• Toothpicks
• Bobby pins
• Palette (I used a clear piece of plastic)
• A steady hand

The tutorial:

My results:

I am SO pleased with myself! Seriously, it doesn't look half bad!

They're so cute even if I did stuff up the spots a little bit :) I changed the colours and the overall look of them to suit my style too, so it's up to you what you do. I just drew inspiration from this easy tutorial.

Try it yourself!

-C.

DIY Eyeshadow Palette (C Palette) ✌

I've been wanting a Z-Palette for a while now, you know those empty palettes you buy online & then you add either your de-potted/de-panned eyeshadows or you buy the singular eyeshadows from MAC or your other favourite make up brands?

Well, I couldn't justify spending about $20 for an empty palette. I kept thinking of possible solutions and I couldn't think of any until I saw a post made on a makeup group I follow on Facebook.

The woman who gave me the idea actually bought a magnet set she found in Big W and the case is a PERFECT size for a palette. So I went off to Big W, bought the magnet set for $10 (on sale) and got to making my own make up palette. My new palette even has Ariel on it! So kawaii!

I am SO happy with the results! It makes me feel like I just bought a whole new palette and I only had to spend about $12 on the actual case and strips of magnets to glue onto my de-panned eyeshadows. Everything else used in this DIY was found around my house.

What you will need:

• Metallic case (empty)
• Magnet strips with adhesive backing
• Scissors
• Old eyeshadows
• Candle (or hairdryer)
• Matches
• Needle
• Safe working area, covered to avoid damage.
• A steady hand.

Here's how I did it:

I collected my random little eyeshadow palettes from my collection and de-panned them.

This involves heating up the bottom of the plastic casing over a candle (or with a hair dryer) and prying the eyeshadow pan from its plastic casing using a small dressmaker's needle.

PLEASE NOTE: Always use caution when using an open flame and needles, and ALWAYS work with good ventilation. The plastic does emit some foul smelling fumes when you're doing this so it is safer to work in a well ventilated area for this reason. Persons under the age of 18 should not do this alone and adult supervision is required. Heck, I'm 22 and I needed my husband's supervision. This part of the process was scary!

After doing that a couple (hundred) times, you then attach a magnet to the back of the de-panned eyeshadow. The strips of magnets I bought were about $2 from my nearest $2 shop.

After doing that to all of your eyeshadows, arrange them how you like on your palette and enjoy!

Seriously, this was the best! I get to use my forgotten eyeshadows now and I love how they're all in one convenient place.

Because I didn't buy a Z Palette I decided to call this palette a C Palette because my name is Clarissa and... the first letter of my name is C... and, well, you get the picture.

I recommend this to anyone who has random eyeshadows laying around and wants them all in one place.

Oh! Before I actually did this, I typed up a Word document containing all the colours and names of the individual palettes I used. I did this so I could look back on which colours I was using IF I WANTED TO, but I probably wont.

Time it took to complete: About an hour
Total price $12

Stay classy.

-C.

First Impressions | Mimco Bronzer.

When you think 'Mimco' you think of lovely leather handbags, shoes and the highest quality jewellery and accessories.

I really enjoy Mimco and their staple pieces and accessories. I have a pair of awesome white and black oxfords that I wore to my graduation, a little zip purse perfect for storing my cards for 'on the go' handling, I have some hair accessories and now I may have the nicest bronzer i've ever owned.

Mimco brozer comes in two shades, one for light/medium skin and also in medium/dark skin. It retails for $49.95 but I got it a little bit cheaper because it was on sale.

Of course I bought the light/medium shade because my skin is reminiscent of a slice of white bread or sheet of paper. Sometimes I am so white that you can see the veins under my skin. Using this bronzer brings me back to life, so to speak.

Its a lovely shade of bronze with subtle gold 'Mica' particle highlights that catch the light to give the skin an overall healthy glow. It really makes you look sun kissed without having to be in the sun for several hours, which I love.

When I purchase products I find that the packaging really has to catch my eye and i'm very certain that the Mimco bronzer has done just that. With its golden packaging and inbuilt compact mirror, this product allows you to have elegance and utility within one golden package.

If you're interested, you can purchase this product on the Mimco website.

Photos:

This product truly is amazing and a little goes a long way as one of its downfalls is that it is kind of chalky and does not hold on to the brushes that I have, at least. Using little amounts at a time allows you to utilise the product the best way possible.

It is perfect for wear on the face, body and décolletage and it works great as a contour too.

I give this product:

☂☂☂☂

4 Umbrellas out of 5.

Stay classy.

-C.

First Impressions | Lush Eyes Right Mascara.

I think we're all familiar with Lush cosmetics. If not, let me give you a run down.

Lush is a cruelty free, organic cosmetic brand that prides itself on using only the freshest products to make their soaps, bath bombs, lotions, perfumes and cosmetics. It is amazing.

I love their values. I got these straight from their website:

THE 'WE BELIEVE'

We believe in making effective products from fresh* organic* fruit and vegetables, the finest essential oils and safe synthetics.

We believe in buying ingredients only from companies that do not commission test on animals and in testing our products on humans.

We invent our own products and fragrances; we make them fresh by hand using little or no preservative or packaging, using only vegetarian ingredients and we tell you when they were made.

We believe in happy people making happy soap, putting our faces on our products and making our mums proud.

We believe in long candlelit baths, sharing showers, massage, filling the world with perfume and in the right to make mistakes, lose everything and start again.

We believe our products are good value, that we should make a profit and that the customer is always right.

*We also believe words like 'Fresh' and 'Organic' have an honest meaning beyond marketing.

I've been using their products for as long as I can remember & my collection spans from soaps, solid perfumes, hair products and more. I love their brand and their products and I would definitely recommend them to anyone and everyone.

For today's first impressions I thought i'd go ahead and use a product I've never used before, Lush Eyes Right mascara in black.

I just want to say that I LOVE this product. My goodness, it is amazing and I paid $19.95 for it so it's definitely worth it!

If I had to choose any make up product to use for the rest of my life it would be mascara, and it would be tough to choose between Lush Eyes Right and Covergirl Lash Blast. Seriously, it's that good.

The directions on the bottle say that you would achieve a natural look with one coat but because I love a more dramatic look, I went with 3-4 coats on both my top and bottom lashes.

Photos:

The only down fall is the short applicator brush as it made it a little awkward to use, but with practice it allows you to have more control of the product and it also makes application more precise as you are able to coat even the tiniest lashes with mascara. Excellent!

Overall i'd give this product:

5 unicorns/ out of 5.

Stay Classy

-C.