Top Ten Presents to Buy The Makeup Junkie in Your Life

If you haven't figured it out by now I'm a makeup junkie. Being a makeup artist I have more than enough makeup but I always want to buy more and more. You could say that I am an addict.

 So for those of you who have a makeup addict in their life and are struggling with that to buy that special someone for Christmas, I have compiled a Top Ten list of 2013 Holiday Collections that I would LOVE to see under my tree and hopefully make choosing gifts that little bit easier!

10. KIT COSMETICS BLING IT ON NAIL ART SET ($39.95AUD)

Photo from Kit Cosmetics Facebook Page

This limited edition kit comes with glitter, 3D nail diamentes in the shape of flowers, stars and gems, nail art wrap in Shape Up and all the tools you need to create your own nail art pieces. This would be great for those who want to start creating their own nail art or for those who are already nail art savvy!

This kit is available online at kitcosmetics.com.au.

  9.STILA ARTIST SIGNATURE SET ($185.00USD)

Photo from Tarazz.com.au

This is an all in one blockbuster set that has all your colour needs sorted within a vintage inspired box. The set contains eight Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liners, 15 lip glazes, three brushes, three deluxe Smudge Crayons, eye and cheek colours and also includes an instructional booklet with tips and tricks. Stila's Artist Signature Set would look nice sitting atop any girls dresser.

Available from Sephora or at Tarazz.com.au for those in Australia for $224.64AUD and Mecca Cosmetica for $235.00AUD.

8.TARTE LIPSURGENCE COLLECTORS SET ($175.00USD)

Photo from Tarazz.com.au

This set contains 15 full size chubby lip pencils from Tarte's LipSurgence collection. Hailed for it's ability to give natural colour and plumped lip appearance this one is sure to be a hit for those girls who feel naked without colour on their lips.

Available at Sephora or at Tarazz.com.au for those in Australia for $214.02AUD.

  7.DEBORAH LIPPMANN BIG BANG MINI NAIL SET ($78.00USD)

Photo from Tarazz.com.au

Those who follow me on Instagram and Facebook know how much I ADORE Deborah Lippmann's nail polishes ever since I discovered them on my trip to the Philippines earlier this year so it's no surprise that this mini set landed in my top ten. This set features 12 colours from her collection and all with the signature long lasting quick drying formula that I have come to know and love.

Big Bang is available at Sephora and at Tarazz.com.au for those in Australia for $95.08AUD.

6.CIATE NAIL LAB ($65.00USD)

Photo from Tarazz's Facebook Page

Ciate Nail Lab is one of those kitschy things that I just want to own. Last year I bought the Ciate Mini Mani Month Manicure (try to say that three times fast) and absolutely LOVED it so adding this to my nail polish/nail art collection would just be the icing on the cake!.

This set contains six nail pots, eight suspension top coats (a top coat designed to help glitter float), three glitter pots, three flitter (a varying cut of glitter) pots, three sparkle pots (another type of glitter), three shimmer pots, seven recipe/Get the Look cards and various tools and brushes to create a custom nail art piece.

Ciate Nail Lab is available at Sephora or at Tarazz.com.au for those in Australia for $79.49AUD but also keep an eye out at either Kit Cosmetics or Mecca Cosmetica (a little birdy hinted that they may be getting this in!).

5.FORMULA X FOR SEPHORA THE TWENTY TWO SET ($55.00USD)

Photo from Sephora.com

Just before I went to Hawaii this year I saw some of these Formula X nail polishes on Sephora's facebook and instagram and I immediately fell in love but when I went to Sephora in Honolulu they weren't in stock yet at either of their two locations.

From the swatches that I have seen of these polishes they are just AMAZING, especially the glitter and texture formulations!

For those of you who are lucky enough to live near a Sephora this will set you back $55.00USD but with $103.00USD value I'd be snatching this set up pronto! If you live in Australia you can pick it up from Tarazz.com.au for $68.04AUD.

4.URBAN DECAY OCHO LOCO 2 ($59.00USD)

Photo from Tarazz

I had purchased Urban Decay's 2012 Ocho Loco 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Set earlier this year through Tarazz.com.au for $65.49AUD ($59.00USD) and was really taken aback at how good these liners are. Each set comes with eight full size eye liners that are extremely pigmented and easy to apply.

At $19.00USD RRP per pencil this set is a bargain as if you were to buy these all individually it would cost you $152.00USD.

Ocho Loco 2 is available at Sephora or at Tarazz.com.au for those in Australia for $72.98AUD (yeah, the exchange rate is TERRIBLE for us in Aus at the moment).

3.THE MAKEUP BOX SHOP ORGANIZERS

The Makeup Box Shop has all sorts of different storage solutions for even the BIGGEST makeup junkie to stash their collections in. With all prices including postage you'll be able to find the best makeup storage solutions starting from $51.00AUD.

My top two picks would be the Original Flip Top Makeup Box (top left image $154.00AUD) and the Nail Polish Box (top right image $71.00AUD).

Visit The Makeup Box Shop online and on facebook to see the rest of their collections.

2.URBAN DECAY 24/7 GLIDE-ON EYE PENCIL VAULT ($295.00USD)

Photo from Tarazz.

 As a makeup junkie, there is nothing I love more than a full collection of a line/cosmetic range and this eye vault would be a DREAM to own! This sits high on my list of things to eventually own so I'm hoping that next year they release one of these vaults again because I certainly can't afford it this year.

This set comes with 40 pencils in every texture and colour that Urban Decay makes as well as 13 new never seen before shades. If you get this for your significant other I'm sure you'll be in the good books for quite some time! *hint hint to my hubby ;p

Available at Sephora and at Tarazz.com.au for those in Australia for $360.07AUD.

 

1.URBAN DECAY THE MOTHERLODE SHADOW SET ($595.00 USD)

 Photo from Tarazz

 This eye shadow set from Urban Decay is the ULTIMATE in collections. I have been DROOLING over this since the moment they released it online. The Motherlode comes with 68 velvet eye shadows which is their entire colour/finish range and a custom four well palette for you to build your own travel palette. DIVINE <3

You can buy this set from Sephora and at Tarazz.com.au for $726.25AUD. A bit pricey but I certainly think it would be worth it!

 Now if I can just convince hubby to buy my whole entire Top Ten list I would be one EXTREMELY happy girl! I don't think that will happen but a girl can dream!

Tell me, if you could choose just ONE of these items, what would you like to unwrap this Christmas?

Sephora by OPI Tinseltown

Photo credit: Stylebazer.com

In 2012 Sephora released six Sephora by OPI collections/gift sets with Tinsel Town being the limited collectors edition.

Since we don't have Sephora here in Australia I purchased this set from Tarazz.com.au for $54.94 AUD ($49.50USD - we had a good exchange rate at the time). Tinsel Town has 16 minis and one full size top coat in the collection.

Originally I wasn't going to swatch the whole collection but I thought I just had to to show the beauty of each colour so be prepared for a photo heavy entry.

L-R: I'm Wired, Already Famous, A True Romantic, What Aura Gonna Wear?

I'M WIRED

I'm Wired is your classic coral nail polish colour with a creme finish. Two coats is more than enough to get a good finish.

 

ALREADY FAMOUS

 Already Famous is a brown/gold shimmer and is quite thin in consistency and appears more like sheer top coat rather than a polish to wear on its own.

A TRUE ROMANTIC

 If you're after a nice french manicure base colour then A True Romantic is the polish for you with a nice pink creme finish it's a colour that will go with everything.

WHAT AURA GONNA WEAR?

 What Aura Gonna Wear? is a barbie pink colour with punch. This is one to bring out when the warmer weather makes its appearance in the year - HOT!

L-R: And a Cherry On Top, S-Age Is Just a Number, I Think I Cayenne, Read My Palm.

 

AND A CHERRY ON TOP

This is your typical true red jelly polish that reminds me of when I was younger. I'm pretty sure that I either my sister or mom had a Revlon colour like this. It's nice but I don't think I'd use it.

 

S-AGE IS JUST A NUMBER

This is DEFINITELY a doppelganger of OPI's Just Spotted the Lizard from the Amazing Spiderman collection. I used it as a base for when I swatched Deborah Lippmann's Across the Universe. 

S-age Is Just a Number is a two tone chrome with fleck of blue, green, gold and purple (kinda like a peacock feather). It's a beautiful colour but really hard to capture on camera.

 

I THINK I CAYENNE 

 This one was quite surprising. When you look at this in the bottle it looks like an orange/green (yeah, not so nice right?) but once you apply I Think I Cayenne it becomes a shimmer yellow/orange with flecks of gold. It's a really beautiful colour but I wish it had more of a creme base as I feel the consistency is a little too thin. 

 

READ MY PALM 

Sometimes when I read the names of nail polishes I wonder "What were they thinking?" and Read My Palm is no exception. The only thing I could think of was that it's supposed to be reminiscent of palm trees? lol. This polish is a creme finish mint green and is more on the pastel side.

L-R: Justa' Pinch of Glitter, Just a Little Dangerous, I Don't Bite, Thyme for a Mani.

 

JUSTA' PINCH OF GLITTER

 Justa' Pinch of Glitter reminds me of a less glamourous version of Deborah Lippmann's Dancing in the Dark. If you LOVE glitter and the textured sand polishes then this shade is DEFINITELY for you!

 

JUST A LITTLE DANGEROUS

 This is a creme purple polish with a little hint of shimmer throughout. This should definitely be a staple colour in your collection!

 

I DON'T BITE

I Don't Bite is a lilac metallic shimmer nail polish that in some lighting looks almost holographic. It's a nice colour but with my complexion can look a little wishy washy.

 

THYME FOR A MANI

 This is another name that I don't get. Thyme is a herb, and it's green. This nail polish colour however is taupe/grey. Confusing much? Either way it's an interesting shade to include in a collection and I would never consider buying this on its own but it is quite nice.

L-R: Meet Me At The Disco, Leotard Optional, Merry Me, Break a Leg Warmer!

 

MEET ME AT THE DISCO

Now here is an example of naming a polish correctly. Meet Me At The Disco is a holographic glitter top coat that reminds me of a disco ball and is super sparkly! LOVE IT!

 

LEOTARD OPTIONAL

 This polish name also makes sense. Leotard Optional is a beige creme polish that reminds me of ballet leotards. This polish also dries to a pinktone rather than a wishy washy beige. This is also a nice colour for those who like more muted tones.

 

MERRY ME

 This bottle arrived half empty and really thick. I don't think it survived the flight to Australia but there was just enough of it to swatch. Merry Me is a red glitter polish with a red jelly base. It dries with a similar texture to those of the OPI sand/Zoya pixiedust ranges.

 

BREAK A LEG WARMER!

This is a shade that I just don't get. I remember last year when grey nail polishes were all the rage but I just couldn't do it. I just don't find it flattering at all on my complexion. Nevertheless, Break a Leg Warmer! is a really well formulated creme polish that dries nicely with lots of pigmentation.

 

ONLY GOLD FOR ME TOP COAT

When I first saw images of Only Gold For Me I thought that this would be on par with OPI's Man with the Golden Gun and Mariah Carey's PURE but alas I was wrong. This top coat is just a gold glitter explosion featuring two different sizes of glitter flakes throughout. It's nice but it's nothing to write home about either.

Overall I am LOVING this collectors edition of Sephora by OPI but am even more excited by Sephora's Formula X Collections but of course Australia misses out on this as per usual. I'm hoping to get my hands on a couple of them to add to my collection.

If you want to buy the Tinsel Town Collection it is unfortunately no longer available on Tarazz or Sephora but you CAN still buy it on Ebay and Amazon (well at the time of writing this). It's definitely worth it for those who love to collect polish like I do!