Kat Von D 'Monarch' Eyeshadow Palette

Originally know for her amazing tattoo artistry, Kat Von D created her self titled make-up brand back in 2008. On my recent visit to Sephora Sydney I stopped by the Kat Von D display and the 'Monarch' palette was the first item that made it's way into my shopping basket.

The 'Monarch' palette is one of two palettes in the Butterfly Effect Collection by Kat Von D, this one encasing more warm toned shades. The palette contains x9 eyeshadows, each extremely pigmented with high colour payoff. The triple milled powder is so pigmented that the darker shades can be a bit difficult to work with. Remember to start off with minimal product and build your colour up. It is very easy to go overboard!

There are endless possibilities with the colours in this palette. From neutral to dramatic there is literally colour options for everyone and every style.

Below I have listed the names and descriptions of all 9 shadows:

Entomology (matte cream)

Telepathy (pearl gold)

Tiny Death (glitter cream)
Wrath (deep pearl orange)

Papilio (pearl chocolate)

Summerfly (glitter gold)

Killing Jar (pearl copper)

Delaney (pearl silver)

Vanish (matte taupe)

Disintegration (pearl brown)

Shadow Box (matte chocolate)

Deadhead (matte black)

These shadows are long wearing and contain a number of ingredients to hydrate and protect your skin, including rose extract and vitamins A, C, and E. They contain no Parabens, Sulfates or Phthalates. It's great to see a brand incorporating skincare into their make-up.

Below I have linked two Youtube videos from the Sephora channel which I thought might interest you. The first gives a really good insight to Kat's inspiration behind the palette and the second is a tutorial.

Introducing the Chrysalis & Monarch Palettes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4C8TN1RJSQ

The Monarch Eyeshadow Make-up Tutorial by Kat Von D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX3x3IrQPcU

Thanks for reading xx

Violet Box: March 2015

I had mixed feelings about this month's box. It would be great to see the boxes more personalised to each customer. There were a couple of products I really liked but two of my products were designed for mature skin. I would of preferred products more suited to my skin. I know that as I am in my mid twenties it is time to start thinking about prevention in regards to aging skin but as I am reviewing these products for you all, it is hard to review products that I am not going to see immediate results with.
I was really happy to see some make-up in the box- my favourite! I still think these boxes are great value for money and look forward to seeing what comes next month.

 1. Aspect Extreme C20
As this is an 'age defying' serum this is not something I would normally use on myself. I have heard quite mixed reviews about this serum, some people saying it is very harsh on the skin. I would definitely consult a skincare professional before using just based on what I have heard.

2. Bioderma Sebium Foaming Gel
I absolutely love this cleanser. Bioderma is quick becoming one of my favourite skincare brands. This is another wonderful product from them. This cleanser is a gel formula that foams up once water is added. It leaves the skin feeling fresh and clean. I look forward to purchasing the full size of this product and using more Bioderma products in future.

3. Doucce Mineral Matte Lipstick (shade: 903)
This feels like a really high quality lipstick. It is a nice consistency and has strong pigment payoff. I found it to have good staying power, however this isn't a shade I would generally choose for myself. I think Doucce have done a great job with this product and the sleek, modern packaging compliments it well.

4. Doucce Lip Definer (shade: 456)
 This is quite a nice colour and compliments the above lipstick well. It does need to be warmed up quite a bit before application in order to not pull on the lips. This may partly be due to it being a matte lip product. I was excited to receive a lip liner in the box this month as I am always looking for lip liners to add to my collection.

5. Lonvitalite C8 Collagen Crystal Eye Mask

This is the first time I have ever used any kind of skincare product like this, and I loved it! As I don't have matured skin I didn't notice any difference as far as improvement in fine lines etc, but I did find it to be a lovely product to use. It was very cooling on the skin and it left my skin feeling hydrated and soft. I would be very interested to see this used on more mature skin.

I also received a 20% off voucher for Suki Skincare, if you read my review for last month's Violet Box you will know how impressed I was with my Suki sample.

I hope you enjoyed this month's review.

Thanks for reading xx

How to Cleanse Your Face Like a Pro!

If you are like me, before I studied Beauty Therapy I used to just slap on some cleanser in the shower and was done with it. I had no idea just how wrong I was doing it. We should all in fact be doing 3 cleanses per day. And no I am not talking about running to the bathroom during your lunch break to cleanse your face. Ideally you would do one cleanse in the morning and then two in the evening. Follow these simple instructions to achieve clean and glowing skin!

Step One: Remove your make-up

Soak x3 cotton pads in make-up remover. Place a cotton pad over eye area and hold for a few seconds to let the make-up remover dissolve your eye make-up. Gently wipe down and across, repeat until all eye make-up is removed. Repeat on other eye. Use your third cotton pad to remove any lip products you have on.

Step Two: First cleanse

Use either a pre cleansing solution (good for heavy make-up wearers) or your normal cleanser. Dampen face and then massage cleanser in circular motions all over face, neck and décolletage (top of chest). Make sure you circle upwards and you do not want to be dragging your skin downwards. Lastly rinse away the cleanser. This first cleanse removes any make-up, dirt and excess oil that is on the skin.

Step Three: Second cleanse

Apply cleanser to dampened skin and repeat cleansing technique as mentioned above. Because you have already done your first cleanse this time the cleanser really has the opportunity to work thoroughly and treat your skin.

Step Four: Exfoliate (2-3 times per week)

How you use your exfoliator will depend on what type you are using (e.g. granular, enzymatic). If you are using a granular exfoliator you should generally apply to a dampened face and massage over the face and décolletage for about 1 minute. Don’t forget to massage in upward circular motions! Enzymatic exfoliators generally have specific instructions for use so be sure to check before applying.

Step Five: Facial Mask (2-3 times per week)

Apply face mask to face and décolletage area. Allow to set – leave on for the recommended time depending on the mask you are using. Be sure to check product instructions. Removing face masks is not the easiest thing to do particularly when they have set to your face like a cement sheet. To make the process quicker and easier, use two dampened facial sponges. Make sure one is wrung all the way out and the other damp. Wipe the more dampened one over and area and follow with dryer other one. This helps to remove the mask easily and avoid having to scrub and tug at the skin. You can also follow with a wet facewasher to make sure there is no product left on the skin.

Step Six: Apply toner

Soak a cotton pad in facial toner and apply all over face and décolletage.

Step Seven: Serums

Apply a few drops of your favourite serums and dab onto the areas you want to treat whether that be wrinkles and fine lines, pigmentation, sensitivity, etc. Remember not to overlap your serums.

Step Eight: Moisturise

Pretty self-explanatory! Look out for those SPF levels to be sure you are protecting yourself from the sun. If your moisturiser does not contain any SPF protection you may want to look into using a facial sunscreen as well.

I hope you found this helpful, thanks for reading xx