You're It! The Cat Tag

Everybody knows I love a tag post. I've got a few of them backed up, some of which are easy to answer -- others, like the Disney tag, took me so long to fill out that I feared that Princess Aurora might recover from a 100-year sleep before I finished. I saw this tag on Bean's Beauty Blog almost a month ago, which is one I thoroughly enjoy reading -- plus, y'know, cats. Sold! I'm obviously a Cat Lady in the making, which means this short post will be peppered with cat photos!

1. Breed or stray?

It really doesn't matter to me! All of my cats have been strays, but I'd be happy to buy a breed.

2. Regardless of your previous answer, what would your favourite breed be?

My favourites are an Egyptian Mau (quite a beautiful creature) and an Exotic Shorthair (a beautifully ugly creature).

3. Any cat-themed clothes or accessories?

Nope! I've had my fair share of Hello Kitty stuff, but not really anymore.

4. What's your kitty's name?

Claflin! It was that or Philip. My family generally hate his name but hey, he's my cat!

5. Favourite toy?

He doesn't really have many toys, but he has this raggedy old mouse toy that he bats about from time to time.

6. What's your kitty's favourite food?

Generally it's Supercoat Kitten with a Whiskas pouch on top, but I'm an indulgent cat lady and I like to indulge my baby with different expensive foods (or as much as my weekly pay allows). I cannot wait until he's an adult, because then I'll -- I mean, he'll -- have an infinite variety of food!

7. Lazy or Fierce Hunter?

I have no idea. Claflin is an outside cat (at my mother's insistence, not mine), and I know that he likes to sleep but he can be quite fierce when he wants to be. We've had many a play-biting fight -- with him biting me, I should clarify -- and he's protected his territory from enemy alien cats, so I wouldn't call him lazy!

I NO LIKE THIS SELFIE, SARAH.

8. Favourite activity?

I want to say sitting on my lap for snoozes and cuddles -- and exploring.

9. Does your cat have any strange habits?

I don't think so... I know that he's indicated to me when he wants to be picked up -- he'll kind of stand up against my legs, kind of like a dog. Also, when I'm hanging out the laundry, sometimes he just likes to lay there and protectively guard/cuddle my foot.

I tag Danielle to complete this next -- but if you also have a sweet or sour feline friend, do it and link me back to it!

Sarah xo


RIP Gypsy
1999 - 2012

New blog design!

I'd become increasingly tired of the autumnal theme that I used to adore on Diary of a Beauty Padawan. It was a great look when I made it way back in March but now Spring is around the corner and I wanted something a little different! I can't lie, it's actually not at all what I first was going for -- and it's not really Spring-y, is it? -- but right now, I'm really digging it. After all, should I let my blog be a poison apple that'll put me into an eternal sleep? Not a chance!

Here's a skilfully-taken screencap of my old blog design, just so you (see also: me) can remember what it looked liked!

As you can see, I've changed... pretty much everything. There were plenty of fonts that I was loving but decided to change around -- after all, I can always change it around later, right?

And how did I become such a master of blog design? The truth is, I'm still not really sure how I did it all. Laila from Townhouse Palette wrote an amazing post about creating a blank base, upon which your glorious blog may flourish. I followed this as much as my lack of talent would allow, privatising a couple of failed earlier blogs and playing with them. Laila has also written a post about creating a blog header -- I followed this too, at least where coding came into play. I gave my best shot at making my blog header with Sumo App, an online program that kinda dupes Photoshop -- only it's just about as frustrating as the original, so after figuratively throwing my laptop out my winder, I turned to the technological wonder that is Paint.

Yeah.

I've also got fancy-looking social media buttons on my blog now! Surprisingly, it was actually really easy, thanks to a tutorial that I discovered on I Gotta Create! -- clearly I'm about as naturally tech-savvy as a wombat -- and the buttons I tracked down on thepinkgroup. Gotta give credit where credit's due, right?

Thanks so much for taking the time to check out Diary of a Beauty Padawan. I hope you like my new design as much as I do!

Sarah xo

Product Review: CoverGirl's Lip Perfection Jumbo Gloss Balm

I've wanted this product since... Probably since I first saw the posters of P!nk wearing them. I can't lie, I did forget about them, but the sheer number of reviews about them has rekindled my interest. I've always had a fondness for CoverGirl -- weird, considering I own barely any of their products -- and after seeing that my local Woolies had started selling these Lip Perfection Jumbo Gloss Balms, I was as eager to get on board that ship as Sansa Stark.

Before I launch into my review, I'd like to point out something peculiar. Although I've linked to the Australian CoverGirl, the products on the site seem to be different to what I actually bought. The colour names are different and I can't seem to find a clear equivalent. Instead, they match what's on the US CoverGirl site -- but as I said earlier, I bought these from Woolworths. Priceline also has the same colours, and the shades named on the Australian site seem to be only available in America... Perhaps wires have been crossed somewhere!

The CoverGirl Lip Perfection Jumbo Balms claim to be "fortified with Shea and mango butters for a smooth look with a hint of colour". I obviously can't do a spectral analysis to see if there are such ingredients, but given that I can't smell or taste any mango, I'm a happy camper. I picked up two colours: Scarlet Twist (possibly similar to Disco Punch) and Haute Pink Twist (which might be like Cosmo Confetti).

The packaging keeps it simple yet classy, with a coloured lid that matches the product inside, and a twist bottom to push up more product. It's shaped rather like a giant crayon or pencil, but the original shape of the product will be lost over repeated uses -- that, however, is to be expected. It's incredibly easy to apply and it's balmy formula means that you don't need to worry about feathering or bleeding.

Swatchity-swatch.

CoverGirl isn't available in the UK, but Brits can look towards Max Factor's Colour Elixir Giant Pen Stick if they find themselves envying the look of the product -- I'd suggest "Designer Blossom" or "Princess Rose" as being similar shades. However, these products appear to be a lipstick, rather than a glossy balm. If you're after the latter, the Xperience Sheer Gloss Balm might be what you're looking for, although shades appear to be limited.

The Padawan within me wants to say that Scarlet Twist is a 'reddishy red-red with a smattering of red', because I'm having a bit of difficulty trying to decide if it's blue-toned or not -- I'm leaning towards saying it is. I'm reluctant to say that it's a 'true red' because I'm not exactly sure what that means, but rest assured that it is a really nice red.

It has a very, very faint scent that you have to almost actively sniff out to detect; there's no taste. It glides on nice and sheer, but colour can be built up if that's how you like it -- I know I do! This one doesn't highlight any dry patches, so I don't feel the need to exfoliate before hand, and it really does feel like I'm wearing a pigmented lip balm.

My favourite thing about this product is how it fades away -- I don't get the slightest ring of colour, even through eating and drinking! Perhaps it's a Padawan thing to think that might happen with a balm, but given the bright colour, it wouldn't have surprised me if I'd needed to smooth it out along the edges. My lips go to a natural reddish shade after a few hours of wear, and they don't feel the slightest bit uncomfortable. On the contrary, they're left feeling incredibly soft and, dare I say it, moisturised!



Wearing "Scarlet Twist" -- excuse the bad hair.

 

Haute Pink Twist is easy to figure out -- being what I think is a girly, cool blue-toned pink, I'm reminded of Barbie dolls every time I look at it. This one does tend to highlight dry patches on my lips but, like any balm, it does soften them. It builds colour up very quickly and, like Scarlet Twist, has a very faint scent and no discernable taste.

 

The colour is quite bright for me, but after several hours it fades to a natural-looking, warm pink as my natural lip colour starts to show through. This colour is a step outside of my comfort zone, so for me I think it's a little dressy for an everyday look -- I'd reach for a bold red more than this -- but perhaps that's because I'm not normally a dressy, girly pink kind of girl.

 

Wearing "Haute Pink Twist"

There are loads of gorgeous colours in this range -- I really feel that you can't go wrong! If there were one drugstore lip crayon product you were going to buy, I think this would be it, especially at a retail price of $12.95.

 

Padawan Product Rating: A

 

Have you tried any of these gloss balms? What do you think of the potential website mix-up?

 

Sarah xo



High End Haul #5

Alright, this is it -- no shopping for me for a long time after today's escapade! I've got two beauty events coming up in the next month, the new MAC collections that I want to get, plus Armageddon Expo in October -- I need the cash for that! On Friday, I caught up with an old friend from high school and blitzed more money than I'd care to admit. It wasn't all on makeup, and not all of it was for me, but it was an awful lot and I think I'm close to declaring myself bankrupt! That being said, I did also score some freebies, sooooo y'know, it's an investment, right?

Want to see what I bought? Let's take a step through the looking glass, shall we?

MAC Fix+ -- I had the most helpful store assistant for this. I've wanted to experiment with wet and dry shades for ages, but I've never exactly had the clearest idea on how to go about it. She talked it through with me using the Fix+ (which I wanted to get to refresh my makeup), and I'm so excited!

MAC Lip Pencil in "Currant" -- The shop assistant recommended using this underneath Rebel to get a deeper colour, and when she swatched the two together on her hand, I had to agree with her. Perhaps she's an enabler, perhaps she's just a very good saleswoman, but I saw exactly the colour I needed -- so I bought it!

MAC Satin Lipstick in "Rebel" -- The whole reason I went into MAC in the first place. I've been trying to figure out how to do a makeup look, and I thought Rebel was likely the best colour for it. The poor shop assistant had to hunt around for ten minutes to find one!

MAC 318 Retractable Lip Brush -- I've wanted a lip brush for a while too, to help me with applying my bright and bold lipsticks. The store assistant recommended this over the other lip brush they had, as it was easier to keep it neat and tidy. She also recommended loading up the lip brush with product before going out, so that I could easily touch up and not worry about carrying a chunky lipstick in a slim purse!

Lipstick Queen Medieval Tinted Treatment -- HALLELUJAH, BABY! I have wanted this for so long, I just... I can't even. I think I will buy pretty much anything that alludes to the medieval period -- it's really just a happy coincidence that this happens to be the red that everyone is supposed to be able to pull off!

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub -- Yes, finally, something else from my first Crave & Covet list! This has been out of stock for ages, and so I snapped it up as soon as I saw it. I can't wait this baby on my lizard skin!

Too Faced Pardon My French Kit -- I'm very excited about this. It was on my last Crave & Covet list and I was worried that, being a kit, they mightn't have it. They obviously did! This kit contains a cute little summery makeup purse, a full-sized Perfect Eyes eyeliner in "Perfect Black", the Bonjour Summer shadow palette, a mini Shadow Insurance eye primer (I don't know why they say it's deluxe) and a mini Lash Injection mascara (again, not sure why the packaging says deluxe). I'm very excited to play with these!

Elizabeth Arden Flawless Future Powered by Ceramide Moisture Cream With Sunscreens -- I intentionally went in for this because Elizabeth Arden were having a "spend x amount, get a gift" promotion on, and I want to improve my skin care routine. A little of this goes a long way, so the 50ml tub will last me for a very long time. The Flawless Future range is a new anti-aging line targeted towards young people (starting in their 20s, I'd say) who want to start looking after their skin right away. This cream is basically a moisturiser.

Elizabeth Arden Flawless Future Powered by Ceramide Eye Gel -- Okay, I can't lie to you here. I was more or less talked into buying this. I have been slightly concerned about the fact that one day my eyes are going to wrinkle and crinkle like tissue paper, but I didn't have any plans in place to do anything about it. What clinched it for me was the fact that I'd get some free goodies if I bought two products from the Flawless Future range. Woo hoo!

Elizabeth Arden Mini Beauty Discoveries -- This is a little sample kit that I got for free for buying the two Flawless Future products. It's got a 5mL sample of the Flawless Future Caplet Serum (a product that I didn't purchase), a 7mL sample of the Moisture Cream, and a 5mL sample of the Eye Gel. Unfortunately, when I opened up mine to take pictures of the samples, the Moisture Cream was missing -- quite annoying. Luckily, I was able to get a replacement from the Myer at my local shopping centre, which has an Elizabeth Arden counter.

Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing Exfoliating Cleanser -- The first of the freebies that I got -- all of these products were freebies! This cleanser is meant for combination skin and I lean more towards the oily side, so I think it'll be interesting to see what happens when I use this. It's meant to be a foaming cleanser that exfoliates as well -- I'm honestly not sure how that'll work, as there's been nothing exfoliating about other foaming cleansers I've used in the past.

Elizabeth Arden The Original Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant -- Now, I can't lie, I don't really know what this is. I already have an Eight Hour Cream, but that's the Intensive Moisturising Body Treatment variety, this is just the... Skin Protectant. It doesn't say anywhere on the packaging if it has any SPF in it, and the instructions merely say to apply liberally as much as often -- not the words one would normally find on a sunscreen or moisturiser, I don't think.

Elizabeth Arden Prevage Anti-Aging Daily Serum -- You're supposed to massage this stuff into your face before you put on moisturiser. I'm going to see if my mother wants it, otherwise I'll hang onto it for a rainy day.

Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Lift and Firm Day Cream with Sunscreen -- This seems to be rather similar to the Flawless Future moisture cream that I bought. This is another thing I'm going to offer to my mother, and hang onto if she doesn't want it.



The last of the freebies!

Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Ultra Lipstick in "Rose" -- This is a nice neutral brownish-pink with a trace of shimmer; I think it would do very nicely as a kind of "my lips but better" shade for some people. I'm quite excited to wear this!

Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Radiance Blush in "Romantic Rose" -- This blush is a really cute peachy-pink colour. It has a faint trace of shimmer that I actually doubt will be detectable, as well as a very cute and tiny but ultimately useless blush brush. As far as I can tell from the Elizabeth Arden website, this product might not be available anymore.

Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Lash Enhancing Mascara -- I've already got a samply of these from the last time I got a bag of Elizabeth Arden freebies. The formula isn't too bad but the cheap generic wand is big and annoying to use.

Mecca Cosmetica Ready Set Quick Dry Nail Mist -- I had this on my last Crave & Covet list, and I was very excited to see it in the store! You're supposed to spray this onto your nails 30 seconds after you apply the polish, and then leave it for 15 seconds -- after that, you should have beautiful nails that are dry to the touch!

Mecca Cosmetica Artistry Eye Brightener -- I'm also very excited about this. I've had bags so bad recently that they'd need to be checked in at the airport, so I'm hoping that this will help me get rid of them! This product has one end with a nude eyeliner and another with a highlighter that's supposed to hide shadows and bags. Will it work? Maybe I should pull a late one tonight and see...

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in "Luminous Flush" -- This was definitely something of an impulse buy. I don't even remember why I was looking at the Hourglass stand at Mecca, but the next thing I knew, I was discussing blush and highlighters with a shop assistant! I've wanted a lighter blush lately, so I think this will be a really cute addition to the family.

NARS Eyeliner Stylo in "Carpates" and "Atlantic" -- I went into Mecca especially to get "Atlantic", a really beautiful dark blue liquid liner, but not "Carpates". I hadn't been able to find the eyeliners at first, so I'd asked a shop assistant to find it for me. As any sane person would, she reached for the black one and swiped it across the back of her hand -- and my jaw dropped at its intensity. I've got one other pen liquid eyeliner -- by MAC -- and it's honestly not the greatest thing in the world, so I hadn't expected much from this. It looks like I'm being proven wrong!

And now for an honourable mention! This isn't a makeup product, but it's a little something that I picked up from H&M to store some of my makeup in...

How cute is this thing?! My makeup right now is organised, but not in any format that allows a great amount of convenience -- I share a bathroom with three boys, there's just no space. Come to think of it, I've claimed most of the space there is! I've been pulling out makeup bags and jars and shoeboxes, opening drawers and cupboards in order to pull out the items that I need when doing my makeup in the morning -- only it's so much to put away again! I've started chucking all of my everyday items into this little bag -- the stuff I use the most often -- so I only need to pull out and put away one thing! (If I don't get lazy and leave it, that is.)

With some of my haul stashed inside.

For its size, it holds a decent amount of stuff -- I'm adding to it bit by bit, while I figure out exactly what it is I'm reaching for most, but so far I haven't felt the need to panic about space and buy a bigger size!

That's it for my incredibly long haul post; thanks for sticking with me through it! Do you have any of these items?

Sarah xo

PS. Which of you out there have seen the new Doctor Who episode?

Compare the Pair: Max Factor Excess Volume Extreme Impact Mascara vs. CoverGirl Bombshell Volume by LashBlast Mascara

Phwoar, that's a long title! While I love some of the creative, over-the-top names that companies come up with, I sometimes wonder if I won't be told by Blogger that my title is too long!

I've noticed a few times that Max Factor and CoverGirl often appear to have very similar products -- a double-ended mascara could be coincidence if there's the right market, but both brands also sport very similar eye shadow products. I've often wondered if Max Factor and CoverGirl are owned by the same parent company -- perhaps they are and it's blindingly obvious, and I just haven't gotten around to realising -- with the first, most notable difference being in price. How do they compare in a road test? That's what I endeavoured to find out.

Packaging

In terms of looks, the two are identical in form. Both are a wide and cylindrical in stature, with two caps on either end. The Max Factor mascara is black in colour, whilst the CoverGirl mascara is hot pink.

Scent

The first wand end of the CoverGirl mascara does have a slight "make-up" scent, but it's not noticeable when you apply it. Apart from that, none of the other wands have a detectable scent.

Value

Both mascaras have 20mL of product and the Max Factor variety is the dearer of the two, at $25.95; the CoverGirl mascara is $21.95. In my limited beauty shopping experience, CoverGirl often tends to be on sale more often than Max Factor, so you may be able to purchase the Bombshell mascara cheaper again. I got mine for $10 from Woolworths a few weeks ago, which was a cracking sale.

The Roadtest

As I figured that both products might very well end up doing the exact same thing, I decided to take the plunge and wear one type on each eye! If there ended up being a noticeable difference, my plan was to take one of them off and just use the same product -- after all, I didn't want one eye to look lush and full, while the other looked as though it was going to create a Daddy Long Legs spider!


The "Step 1" wands of each mascara.

The dual applicators on both products looked identical. The first, which I think is supposed to be your generic mascara, is the kind of wand that I've seen on the CoverGirl LashBlast Volume mascara -- the first I ever bought and one that's dear to my heart. It's fat at the bottom, generally conical in shape and the spikes range from standard length at the end to teeny-tiny at the top.


The "Step 2" wands of each mascara.

The second applicator is wiry -- not my favourite kind, as it can scratch unpleasantly against your eyelid if you bring it too close, but it's used to apply to "dark lacquer" that's supposed to make the mascara... darker, I guess.

If you can get darker than black.

While neither mascara give the full-on intensity of a high-end mascara such as Better Than Sex by Too Faced (although I loathe to call Max Factor "drugstore" with a price tag like the one it has), they do give some nice volume -- but not an astounding amount of length. It could be my Padawan nature, but I couldn't notice any difference in result. I felt that I needed two coats from the first CoverGirl mascara wand, where I only needed one from the Max Factor mascara, but it ultimately looked the same to me.

And the winner is...?

In terms of performance, I think that it's an equal tie; however, I will go with CoverGirl's Bombshell Volume by Lashblast -- though it's purely on the price alone. If you're the kind of girl or guy who prefers one brand over the other, you can buy that with the peace of mind that you're not missing out on a superior product. Of course, a mascara connoisseur might pick up on differences that I can't, but these are the results of my own observations!

Have you got either of these mascara? Is there one you prefer?

Sarah xo

You're It! The Disney Tag

Ahh Disney. It's a rite of passage as a child to sit through all of the Disney films, old and new, and to have a kindred favourite character, one that just clicks with you and enchants you as soon as you see them. It's an art that's quickly becoming lost -- my cousin, who is 16, made the shocking confession about a year ago that she'd never seen Cinderella. She knew all about it, of course, but she realised suddenly one day that she'd never watched it. Let me tell you, that was rectified quickly.

I have to confess that I haven't seen all of the Disney films either, and many of them I haven't seen in a while. I've never seen Brave -- it hasn't really interested me, to be honest, although I'm sure I'll get around to it eventually. So, to ensure fairness amongst all my answers, you won't be seeing anything from Brave here.

 Just when you thought that picture quality couldn't get worse... I give you old scanned photographs of me!

I saw this tag done by Celine on Celine Avenue, and I thought, "Well heck yes, I must do this." Additionally, as this is a Disney tag, not specifically a Disney Princess tag, I might include answers from films that don't have recognised princesses -- or any princesses at all. They're still amazing films that everyone should watch, so why should they be disincluded?

1. Favourite princess.

Snow White, and I have no idea why. I used to watch it all the time when I was a little girl, quite literally. I'd worked out along the way that after the video finished, if I waited long enough, the VHS player would stop on its own, rewind itself, and start playing the video again. Thus, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was on a constant loop for me.

2. Favourite prince.

If we're talking male leads, I'm going with Flynn Rider from Tangled. He was the funniest of the lot for me, and not half as stupid or ridiculous as the other princes. If we're talking proper princes, then Prince Phillip from Sleeping Beauty. "Now, father, you're living in the past. This is the 14th century!"

3. Favourite couple.

Anna and Kristoff from Frozen. Can anyone else do cute as much as those two can?

4. Least favourite princess.

I'm going with Cinderella -- don't shoot me! I've just never hugely bought into her.

5. Least favourite prince.

It's either Prince Charming from Cinderella or Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid. Perhaps that grumpy old sour puss from Beauty and the Beast. I don't know, I don't really give a whole lot of thought to the princes. Perhaps I need to have a Disney marathon!

6. Least favourite couple.

Cinderella and Prince Charming. They're not a problematic couple for me, they're really just my least favourite.

7. Favourite dress/outfit.

Princess Aurora's dress is absolutely gorgeous. Also, Yzma from The Emperor's New Groove -- have you seen that funky getup?

From the Disney Wiki

8. Least favourite dress/outfit.

Ariel's pink dress. Just no.

9. A princess who inspires you.

It was always Snow White for me, although I have no idea why -- she didn't exactly make the best choices, did she? -- but that hasn't stopped me from adoring her, and trying to be as kind (although not as naïve) as she is.

10. Worst decision made by a princess.

It breaks my heart to admit it, but... Snow White, bloody hell! The dwarves freaking told you to not open the door if any strangers came a-knocking! So what do you do? Oooh, let's have a friendly chat to the creepy old crone that knows your name! The ever-friendly birds, who've led you to safety in the past, attack her? Oohhh, let's invite the old bitch witch into the house, give her a glass of water! Why not take the freakin' apple from her, then?! Like, no, I don't care if you're 14 and living in medieval Europe somewhere, if the dwarves tell you not to talk to stranger or let them in the house, don't talk to freaking strangers and don't let them in the bloody house!

11. A villain you feel was justified in their treatment of the princess/prince.

Cruella de Vil, those stupid yappy puppies are -- no, I'm joking, I swear. But Yzma, yeesh! Now that's a different story. Kuzco was a spoilt little brat, he deserved to be turned into a llama -- even if she did mean to, y'know, kill him.

12. A princess you would like to trade places with.

Can I have two options? Okay, sweet.

1. Princess Aurora -- think about it, she got the sweetest deal out of all the princesses! She grew up in grace and beauty, her true love turned out to be her intended husband, she turned out to be a princess -- and the greatest trauma she suffered was a temporary broken heart and a pricked finger. That sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me!
2. Duchess from The Aristocats -- okay, so, not a princess, but she's a cat and that's reason enough.

13. A princess whose life you would hate to have.

Perhaps Mulan's or Pocahontas'. I don't have any of the physical strength or courage that either of those ladies have, I don't think I'd deal well being put in their situation. After them, Snow White. For all her generic idiocy, she was treated very badly by her stepmother.

14. A princess you think is a bad role model for young girls.

I know I said that I wouldn't mention Brave, but didn't the princess in that film run away from her mother and make a deal with a witch so that she didn't have to get married? I know that Snow White gets a lot of rubbish because of her life choices (but I didn't make the best choices at 14 either -- I had a seriously bad haircut at one time), but at least she didn't go and actively make a deal with a witch. Cue disgruntled noise.

15. Favourite tiara.

I really like Belle's tiara, and Jasmine's after that.

16. Favourite song sung by a princess (can include duets).

"Whistle While You Work" from Snow White and Seven Dwarfs. The song isn't exactly special or groundbreaking, but I've always enjoyed humming it to myself. After that, "Once Upon a Dream" from Sleeping Beauty.

17. Least favourite song sung by a princess (can include duets).

I've never been too huge on any of the songs in Cinderella.

18. The princess with whom you would be best friends.

I'm not too sure, really. Maybe Rapunzel from Tangled or Anna from Frozen. They've got more generally modern attitudes than the other princesses I can think of, in that they're not all perfection and cupcakes. I'm not saying I wouldn't get along with the others, I just think I might get on with those two best.

From the Disney Wiki

19. The princess with whom you would be frenemies.

Perhaps Mulan or Pocahontas -- perhaps even Cinderella. Maybe not any of them, but those three could be the ones I'm most likely to make a dig at.

20. The princess you would openly hate and be enemies with.

I don't know I could hate of the princesses -- but then, I haven't met them!

21. The princess you would dress as for a Halloween/costume party.

We don't really do Halloween in Australia, but I have dressed up as Snow White on two occasions -- once when I was 7, for my own dress-up birthday party, and one when I was about 10 or 11 (I think -- the above pictures of me are from then), for a friend's birthday -- which ended up being much less dress-up than she'd said it would be (ugh). Today I think I'd only really be able to pull off Belle.

22. List three admirable qualities about the princess you named on question #4.

Ughhh. Okay, here we go.

1. She always sees, or tries to see, the good in everyone.
2. She'll do what she can within reason to get what she wants.
3. She knows how to clean stuff (whereas I'm relatively terrible at cleaning, so that's admirable to me).

And those are the only nice things I can think about Cinderella for now.

23. A princess you feel didn't deserve her happy ending.

I don't know if they didn't deserve their happy ending -- I think everyone deserves their happy ending -- but some of the princesses (Ariel, I'm looking at you) made some relatively ridiculous decisions.

24. The happy ending you feel didn't make sense or was too easy.

Cinderella's has always stuck me a little -- not that it's too easy, as I don't have a problem with how any of the stories ended -- but I think that, logically, it's missing a gap. Think about it. She's wearing glass slippers that are a perfect fit for her foot, and yet one of them manages to fall off.

1. They won't fall off if they're a perfect fit.
2. Surely it's hard to run with only one glass heel on your foot. Wouldn't you just chuck the spare shoe so you could leg it faster?
3. If your true love can only recognise you by your feet and not your face... I don't know, but if you're still convinced he's the one, maybe be prepared to expect weird things on your wedding night.
4. Or perhaps it's not your feet and in that time makeup was a "Formal Occasions Only" kind of thing and the shoe was the Prince's way of being sure.

I think I'm starting to overthink things.

25. Favourite sidekick.

I shall explain with a quote:

"Pull the lever, Kronk. WRONG LEVERRRRR! Why do we even HAVE that lever?"

26. Most interesting story.

I don't know if I can pick one, to be honest. Maybe, if I really had to choose, it'd be The Emperor's New Groove. I just think it's a lot of fun!

27. Best singing voice.

I could talk about Disney princesses like Aurora, Ariel or Jasmine -- and they all have incredible voices in my opinion -- but for me it's going to have to have to be Elsa. There's something about Idina Menzel's voice that send a small shiver down my spine. Perhaps she's hypnotised me into liking her with her singing. Is it possible to do that?

28. Edge of your seat: the moment you find most exciting.

The end of Snow White! Okay, so it's not all dragons like Sleeping Beauty, or a calm and dignified "eff you" like in Cinderella, but when I was little I was always hanging on the edge of my seat when Snow White was on, urging the animals to convince the dwarves to get back to Snow White in time! Finally Sleepy, of all people, got the message and the dwarves were all over that shiz like a fly, and I can remember being so excited that I just couldn't contain it. Then, y'know, they're climbing up the mountain and the Evil Queen is trying to crush them with a boulder (that line "I'll crush your bones!" always gave me chills) but the lightning hits and she falls, presumably to her death given by the descent of two ugly-looking vultures.

From the Disney Wiki

29. If you were a Disney princess, what would your story be?

Oh God, who knows? I think it'd be as ordinary as Disney princess stories go. I'd probably have more books and sarcasm than the other princesses -- I might be more aloof than the other princesses -- but then so would most other girls. I just know one thing: my dress and tiara would be bad ass! In fact, my dress would probably be yellow, because I look awesome in yellow. -- Hang on, am I turning into Belle...?

Back when I was 18, at my graduation -- and good in yellow, if I do say so myself.

30. What do you want to see from the next Disney princess?

I honestly couldn't say. Perhaps a plus-sized princess. Perhaps an anti-hero princess. Perhaps a princess that starts out as your typical Snow White-type princess but then turns into a sly, cunning madwoman. Perhaps a full-on villain -- now that could be fun. I hold about as much authority on the subject of what a Disney princess out to be as I do on building a rocketship -- so I'll leave the decisions in the hands of the people who know best!

If you've ever wanted to dress up as a Disney character, then I tag you to complete these questions!

Sarah xo

Drugstore Haul #4 + First Impressions!

I'd had no intentions to buy any more makeup for a few weeks -- y'know, to fatten up my savings like a pig -- but then I passed by Priceline and I realised that they had a sale on Rimmel London. Right now Rimmel London = Rita Ora = new products, so I simply had to go in! While I was there, I noticed that Maybelline was also 50% off, so a couple of other products may have accidentally fallen into my basket.

It's a small stash this time, with only lip products and nail polishes, but I am very, very excited about them! I've already started playing with them and I've been complimented on a couple of them already.



Rimmel London Lasting Finish Matte by Kate Moss Lipstick in 106 || This lipstick is a really cute blue-toned pink that dries really nicely to a matte finish. It doesn't feel as heavy on my lips as the Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipsticks (you can read my review here), but I'm aware that it's there, if that makes sense. It does have a noticeable perfume, but you can't tell when you apply it.

Rimmel London 60 Seconds Rita Ora Nail Polish in 323 Don't Be Shy, 613 Midnight Rendezvous, and 863 Do Not Disturb || The whole reason I went into Priceline! Don't Be Shy is a bold hot pink, Midnight Rendezvous is a dark violet, and Don't Be Shy is a blue-ish teal -- I'm currently wearing all of them on alternating nails (go weird or go home, right?) and so far I really like them. I'm not sure how well they'll last when I go to work, as my job is quite tough on them.

Maybelline Color Elixir by Color Sensational in 20 Signature Scarlet || I was intrigued as soon as I saw the shiny new label declaring this to be a new product! This gloss is lightly scented but glides beautifully along the lips. I wore this to work yesterday and got loads of positive feedback on how good it looked, so I was stoked! I did notice some feathering after a few hours, so a lip primer might be in order.

Maybelline Color Show Street Artist Nail Polish in 02 White Splatter and 04 Alley Attitude || Some people aren't a fan of the Color Show nail polishes, and I honestly don't know why. These are a top coat polish and I absolutely adore them -- in fact, I'm wearing them over the top of the Rita Ora polishes right now! They add the fun effect of having your nails look as though they've had paint splatter on it, which means the polish itself will last longer -- I'm constantly getting bored with my nail colours and changing them! As it's a top coat, it might make the Rita Ora polishes last longer at work, too.

That's it for my small haul post! Do you have any of these products? Are you as excited by them as Robert Arryn is excited by the Moon Door on Game of Thrones? Let me know!

Sarah xo

Product Review: Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick

About a month ago, I picked up a few of Rimmel's Lasting Finish Lipsticks as part of a drugstore haul. There weren't many testers available -- a pet peeve of mine -- so I was rather hoping more than expecting the shades I bought to look good. As it turns out, I was surprised several times!

The Lasting Finish range seems to the staple line of Rimmel lipsticks. They've got a few spin-off lines, so to speak, but this one advertises 19 shades that boast long-wearing colour with a creamy texture. I've really come to enjoy lipsticks over the last few months, even though that's meant increased scepticism about wear and colour pay-off -- but Rimmel is one of my favourite brands, so I was excited nonetheless. I picked up three shades: Amethyst Shimmer, Sugar Plum, and Starry-Eyed.



L to R: Amethyst Shimmer, Sugar Plum, Starry-Eyed

Swatchy-swatch!

Even though Amethyst Shimmer and Sugar Plum are right next to each other on the number line, the little sticker on the bottom of the tube appeared to show two relatively different colours. So, when I opened up the tubes, my Padawan mind was very disappointed to see that the shades seemed hardly distinguishable! Even Starry-Eyed seemed browner in the tube, without that hint of purple I thought I'd detected in the sticker. Of course, I've never been one for picking colours, so I'd be very happy to credit my initial disappointment to my general lack of beauty skill.



Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick -- 84 Amethyst Shimmer

Amethyst Shimmer is what my eyes are telling me to call a cool-toned kind of berry plum-ish colour -- it wears as a kind of pinky-purple. I want to say that it has a little bit of shimmer in it, with a light scent that is not detectable when applied. It's neither hydrating nor drying on the lips and I didn't notice any bleeding or feathering. It fades after a few hours to a slightly more natural plum colour, and I didn't notice any disastrous ring of colour -- however, this was without eating and drinking.

Upon opening the tube, I was dismayed to find what appeared to be tell-tale cracks in the lipstick itself. I feared that this meant it would be very drying on my lips or that it wouldn't apply well.

I was not impressed to see this!

This, however, was not the case. Whether these are just lines in the product and not actual cracks, I couldn't tell you for sure, but this lipstick did apply smoothly and didn't dry out as cheap or matte lipsticks sometimes do. Amethyst Shimmer does not appear to be available in the US, but it is in the UK and Canada.


Wearing Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Amethyst Shimmer

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick -- 86 Sugar Plum

Sugar Plum looks to me to be almost the same as Amethyst Shimmer, only slightly pinker. It too has shimmer in it, and the scent, though the same, is lighter than in Amethyst Shimmer -- it's very faint. I did not find it to be neither hydrating nor dehydrating, but it was very comfortable to wear. After a few hours it faded to more of a natural pink, without a ring of colour around the edges of my lips; even with eating it didn't appear to look as though it had completely wiped off my lips, but I was very careful about blending any potential harshness around the edges if I didn't plan on reapplying.



Hmm...

This lipstick also appeared to have relatively alarming cracks in the product, but like Amethyst Shimmer it wasn't dry and it didn't tug on my lips. Sugar Plum is available in the US, UK and Canada.


Wearing Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Sugar Plum

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick -- 128 Starry-Eyed

Starry-Eyed was initially something of a disappointment when I saw the colour -- what on earth made me think it would be purple? -- but it's actually my favourite of the three. It's a kind of reddish-brown brick colour that doesn't have any shimmer and almost no detectable scent. It looks rather dark when first applied -- I don't think the photo below will do it justice -- but I think it looks quite wearable, and I've been told that it looks quite nice.

There were no cracks whatsoever in the product, it didn't tug or pull on my lips and -- knock on wood -- I haven't noticed any feathering or bleeding. After a few hours it faded from that brick colour to a really pleasant deep red plum, which was quite surprising for me! It was neither hydrating nor dehydrating but it did keep its nice slightly creamy feel while I was wearing it.

You can also get Starry-Eyed in the UK, but it does not seem to be available in the US or Canada. The closest I seem to be able to find in the line is Dizzy, which is not available in Australia, but seems to me to be lighter, more red-toned.



Wearing Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Starry-Eyed

Overall, I've really enjoyed this lipstick range. I'm quite impressed by how the colour fades very evenly over time. The selection of colours, which does vary slightly from country to country, is nice but I think sometimes a little too close to others. Those who live in countries that don't sell Amethyst Shimmer will find a very easy dupe in Sugar Plum.

Padawan Product Rating: B+

Have you tried any lipsticks from this range?

Sarah xo