Thursday, March 29, 2012

Easter Nails with Salon Effects

Easter is just around the corner – it’s quite scary how quickly it’s come around this year but I am looking forward to the break.

So in trying to get into the spirit of it, I have been having copious amounts of easter eggs (Cadbury Creme eggs are to-die-for!) and have even recruited my nails to partake in the festivities.

Sally Hansen have launched some very cute Easter inspired designs this year in their Salon Effects range and I had some sent to me the other week.

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Easter Edition - RRP A$14.95

The five designs are:
Checker Out - A light green gingham print
All a Flutter - pastel coloured butterflies on a white background
Mad for Plaid - checkered strips of pastels and brights.
Not a Peep - colourful little tiny chicks.
Pink-a-dot - Pastel pink on white dolka dots.

I decided that I wanted Pink-a-dot on my nails because they remind me of the wrappers of the chocolate Easter eggs that I've been devouring!

These nail strips are easy enough to apply and because my nails are not that long, I was even able to cut each nail foil in half to use on 2 fingers meaning I will be able to get 2 uses out of a pack – BONUS!
So the tips to applying Salon Effects are:
  • Match your nail size with the nail strips first and line them all up on the table in the order of your fingers so you won’t get confused when it comes time to put them on.
  • Prep your nail by pushing but the cuticles and lightly buffing the surface of your nails before application to create a non-smooth surface for the nail strips to adhere to.
  • Start with the pinky finger and work your way to applying the nail strip to your thumb. I work on the same digit on alternating hands but you can work with one hand first before doing the other – do what feels most comfortable for you.
  • Peel of the backing and position onto nail, aligning the edges on both side of the nail. Then press down very hard during application of the nail strip to help create a strong bond with the nail polish strip and your nail bed. The flat side of the orange stick is perfect for this.
  • Any excess of the strip should be folded over nail the nail edge first to create a crease line before using the included nail file to file it off – ALWAYS file in one direction only to avoid ragged edges of the nail.
  • Finish off with a top coat layer to protect the design from scratches and to give nails a high gloss shine! Every few days you can apply the top coat again to refresh the nail colour and keep it looking glossy.
lining up the nails shape helps with getting them ready for application


It took me over 30 minutes to do both hands but I’m sure as I improve my application skills, I’d be much faster. I’ve had the manicurist applies these on me in under 15 minutes!

Available now at Priceline and selected pharmacies.
This featured product was provided for consideration.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Win: OPI Texas Lil Shooters Nail Lacquer Set

I have been meaning to post this giveaway up weeks ago but unfortunately, something called work got in the way. Never fear - better late than never.

Given I’ve been on a nail lacquer obsession lately, this giveaway is all for a set of the OPI Lil Shooters Collection.

This set is from the Texas Collection released last year and I must say the colours are gorgeous. I bought this intending to keep it for myself but decided that with 4 shoe boxes of nail polishes and a Best of OPI collection still in its box untouched, I won’t miss these babies too much if I was to give it away to a good home.

The Texas Lil Shooters set contains
  • Austin-tatious Turquoise – a bodacious blue-green
  • I Vant to Be A-Lone Star – a light starry sky blue
  • Do You Think I’m Tex-y – a sexy bloom of berry Dahlias
  • RapiDry Top Coat – to seal in all the colours and give long lasting shine in minutes
If this set takes your fancy and you want to be in the running to see these 4 mini nail lacquers on your digits, then all you have to do is:
  1. Like this blog on Facebook (there's a Facebook plugin on the top left of the site) and leave a comment on the wall telling me you want to win the OPI Lil Shooters set.  I promise to make you pancakes for breakfast - no really, I'll make it worth your while :)
  2. If you don’t have Facebook (or want another entry to the competition), then fear not – just subscribe to the blog via email and importantly, leave a comment below with your email address so I know you want to win the Lil Shooters set. Please include your email address for verification purposes (feel free to change the email format to confuse spam bots or alternatively, you can email me if you want your email to stay private). Existing subscribers just need to leave a comment with their email details.

Here are some more nitty gritty details.
  • This giveaway is open to readers worldwide – yes international readers are eligible to enter.
  • Readers may enter via liking the Things I Love Facebook page and/or subscribing to the blog via email and leaving a comment below. A maximum of 2 entries is allowed per reader.
  • The competition period runs from 27th March till AEST midnight (GMT +10) 5th April 2012.
  • The winner will be randomly drawn by 10th April. The prize is a set of OPI Lil Shooters mini nail polish set valued at A$24.95. 
  • The judges (by that I mean yours truly) decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. The winner will be announced on the blog and via social media channels Facebook and Twitter.
Simple No? Now that you have all the details, go on - enter the giveaway now!

Monday, March 26, 2012

Date-worthy Nails with Sally Hansen Honeymoon Red

What nails shades would you wear when you are out on a date if you want to make a great impression?

Having been faced with this very dilemma this weekend, I resorted to the fail-safe shade that one wears when coveting alluring and desirable nails – a trusty deep ruby that never fails to impress.

Sally Hansen Diamond Strength No Chip Nail Colour: Honeymoon Red - A$13.95

A gorgeous deep ruby, I absolutely adore this shade. It transforms digits from plain to sexy and stunning upon application. Easy to apply and not one bit streaky, the shine and gloss from this nail colour is just brilliant – something that I across the board from the Sally Hansen diamond strength nail range (and when topped with a topcoat, they are gleaming and very mirror-like!).
One thick coat with Sally Hansen Diamond Flash top coat.
One coat gives a gleaming ruby colour, and two coats gives deep vampy red that women everywhere covets. I can see why it is called honey moon red – it’s the perfect representation of passion and love, of which I’m sure is plentiful on a honeymoon!
What other shades do you think are date worthy shades?

Available in David Jones, Myer, Priceline, Target, Woolsworths and selected pharmacies.
This product was provided for consideration.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Interview: Clare Lille for Illamasqua

The L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion week (08-15 March) and various new season fashion shows have come and gone. Whilst I’m not a fashion blogger, I like to keep a watching brief on the trends that come out for each season.

There are many reasons for doing this but the 2 main ones are so I can see if there are any pieces that I can take from the catwalks and make it work in everyday life – I find footwear and accessories the easiest to incorporate into existing wardrobes.

The other is to see the stunning makeup and hair designs that come out of the catwalks – seriously, the pieces of work that come out sometimes are more of an artwork themselves than the clothing that hang off the models sometimes.

With that in mind, when I had the opportunity to interview Clare Lille, Head of Makeup Artist for the Myer Autumn/Winter Fashion Launch & Makeup Director of Illamasqua 2 weeks ago, I knew I couldn’t say no even if my work schedule didn’t really allowed for it.

Clare is a beautiful creature, her striking eyes enhanced with smouldering black khol and hair under a gorgeous turban immediately captivated me when I first met her at the back stages just 1 ½ hr prior to the fashion show opening that evening.

As Clara had a busy schedule, I only managed to catch her briefly and asked a couple of questions before she moved on with the next interview.

How long have you been working with Illamasqua?
I’ve been with the Illamasqua for 2 years and am one of 6 educators at the training school and have been assisting Alex Box and David Hall with all the collection design and looks – it has been an amazing and fabulous journey because you can create your own look from daring to be different to natural, it’s all achievable and limited only by your creativity.


What’s your style and inspiration.
I love the vintage look so the golden eras and 50s, 60s and 70s are all my inspirations. I love the unstructured look and on myself, I lean more towards natural beauty and like enhancing the features of one’s face.

What looks are you doing today for the models?
There are 2 looks going : on is an understated natural look with a modern androgynous twist that adds a bit of the London edge where the contouring is focused on the brows and eye area to give it a bit more of a sculpted feel but still keeping the rest of the face pretty neutral. To balance, we have a muted stained lip look using one of the lip pencils which balances out the rest of the face.

The second is a soft wispy beauty that is very natural, a bit unkempt on the hair, the eyes are softly smoked with a plum shade and lightly lined eyes. The face is fresh and not overly glowing and finished off with a rose petal lip.

What can we look forward to from Illamasqua?
Well the new collection called Human Fundamentals out this month is just beautiful. The colours are vibrant, the lines sharp and allows everyone to express their inner self to the outside world but is versatile enough that you can incorporate into your everyday look.


Thank you Clare for taking the time to answer a few of my questions!

I also managed to catch the Kevin Murphy team in action as they did the girls and guys hair that even. Boys were looking very natural with slightly texturised hair that had the finger run through the hair feel and girls had small side plaits on the that was gathered and sewn onto the sides of the head and its ends teased out for that wispiness (great for wedding hair I’m told).
I caught a styling tip on getting perfect hair during prep time:  blow dry your hair in the final stages under a hair net to set everything in place. It also works to help maintain a style in humid weather so there is no need for touch up when it comes time to walk that catwalk – genius much?
Alas, I did not have time to stay and watch the fashion parade as I had to get back to the office and finish off work till the dark hours that night but here are some official photos of the parade that evening.

Additional photography courtesy of David Caird & Lucas Dawson.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Destressing with a Biotherm Facial

As you may have read in my last post and my occasional tweets, I’m getting all worked up at work and am having a stressful time there. So when I do have any spare time in evenings or on weekends, I try my best to de-stress.

And let me tell you there is no better way than for a little massage and getting a pampering facial.

And I received one recently at Myer Melbourne city store!

Two Saturdays ago, I was treated to a relaxing facial at Biotherm. Before you start thinking that the facial occurs at the counters – they don’t.

There are actually spa rooms that provide privacy and serenity, away from the hustle and bustle of the busy store in the back area of the store.

Upon entering the spa room, I was instantly relaxed with beautiful mood lifting tunes, I was given time to change into a robe and wrapped myself in the spa towel before sleeping on the fluffly warm bed.
Some Biotherm products used on me

There, Peou, my amazing Biotherm facialist asked about my skin concerns whilst she proceeded to cleanse and remove dirt from my face and I told her pigmentation, fine lines and tiredness were my main current problems.

After that assessment, she applied a mask to my face, neck and décolletage and gave me the most amazing massage on my neck and upper shoulder whilst receiving a facial. I literally felt my knots being soothed away.

In fact, Peou was so good with her hands, she almost had me drifting into a blissful sleep.
She even applied a beautiful citrus body milk onto my arms and massaged it all in – heaven!

After what must be a good 45 minutes, I was all hydrated, smoothed and relaxed and Peou sent me off back into the hustle bustle with an application of toner to remove any mask residues and good slathering of the Biotherm skinergetic serum to help combat my fatigued skin and the White D-Tox Intense Brightening cream to help fight my pigmentations spots.

After all that pampering, I was so relaxed I could have tackled anything (or just head back to bed and sleep some more!).  Now, if only I can get pampering like that every week!

If the idea of a Biotherm Facial takes your fancy and you are in Melbourne then you are in luck as the wonderful Peou will be working more of her magic at the next facial event. Be sure to book an appt today!

The nitty gritty details are below:

Cost: $65.00 for 45 minutes of facial bliss, redeemable on any 3 Biotherm products purchased on the day
When: the next facial event in Myer Melboune starts on 4th April and will runs every 6-8 weeks in-store.

Other Myer stores are also running these facial events so if you are keen, be sure to give your local one a call to check the details.

This service was provided for consideration.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

A little Update & New Blog!

Dear readers,

If you are wondering about my lack of post (or sporadic posting) lately I must apologise. Work has been all-consuming lately and there has been too many times where I’m staying back in the office till late or taking work home and spending my nights working away on reports or Powerpoint packs.

I’m usually pretty drained and don’ have much mental capacity left to think of writing blog posts afterwards.

Please bear with me while I get my work sorted out over the coming weeks (and I’m really hoping things improve there) and I get to have more of a work-blog-life balance.

In the mean time, you will see some sporadic posts from me so do check back every once a while – I promise I have not ditched this blog. In fact I have big plans for it and want to share with you the news today!

I will be getting a shiny new blog soon when I move over to a self-hosted domain and move across to Wordpress soon. I was planning to move across by the end of this month but that doesn’t look likely at this stage. I hope everything will be ready in the next month.

I promise the wait is worth your while as it’s going to be a bigger better site that is easier to search and navigate. I’m even going to get a new logo – yay!

Everything is still in design mode and haven’t been finalised but here is the latest ideas - what do you think? I’d love all your feedback on how I can make the new site better, so if you have suggestions, I'd love to hear them from you now!
New logo ideas - what do you think?

I’ll also be setting up a Facebook page to stay updated with new blog posts and share photos with as I’ll lose the Google Friend Connect friends and would still love to keep in touch with you via other channels when I move over to wordpress. Again, more details on that will be available when I've set it all up.

Until then – I’m going to try and write a proper beauty post tonight while I still have some creative juices in me J

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye Cream

Back in late January, Kiehl's launched it's latest product, the Midnight Recovery eye cream. I had the opportunity to use the product for the last month and now it's time to share with you my thoughts on it.

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye Cream -15ml RRP A$44
  • Designed to restore your peepers while you sleep at night, this light yet emollient cream is scented with calming lavender essential oil. 
  • It is rich but not heavy and easily sinks into skin without any stickiness or residue (remember to use a gentle patting motion to get the product into skin) - something that I always look for in my skincare as I find the sticky feeling uncomfortable. 
  • The emollient feel comes from the evening primrose oil and squalene (unfortunately, those with seafood allergies will need to avoid this product) as well as shea butter, sunflower and jojoba oil. 
  • Results are immediate and longer term. Instant effects like well hydrated and plump skin under the eyes help to reduce the dry and fine lines. The next morning after use, I also notice that my eyes are less puffy, even if I'd not slept well the night before. My dark circles also appear to be slightly fainter after a week's use. 
  • Over the course of the month, I have to say my skin around the eye is soft, supple and moist and puffy eyes no longer plague me in the mornings. 
For well hydrated skin in your delicate eye area, Kiehl's have provided a beautiful solution with the Midnight Recovery eye cream. It's no wonder the product is a winner and  currently sold out on its online store.
Available now at selected Myer, David Jones stores and online.
This featured product was provided for consideration.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Lavender Love with L'Occitane

I love the soothing scent of lavender. Not only does it give calming properties in naturaltherapy for its ability to reduce anxiety and relieve stress, but the smell is just divine and I always feel refreshed about sniffing some lavender essential oil products.

That’s why I love the Lavender range from L’Occitane.
L'Occitane Lavender Range
One of L'Occitane's signature range with a cult following, the product line has just expanded to include 14 products from soaps, shower and bath gels to hand and body lotions, washes and essential oils to a scented candle and body & massage gel.

My pick from the range is the Lavender organic shower gel 500ml – A$28 for a soothing and invigorating shower. It is 100% plant based so you know it gentle on even the most sensitive skin types.
A perennial favourite of mine are hand creams as I have one in my bag everyday so it goes without saying that the Lavender hand cream 75ml- A$28* is a winner in my books. Soft supple hands are guaranteed and delicately scented cream that is enriched with moisturising shea butter that re-hydrates dry, overworked hands.

And if you find that you just can’t get enough to the lavender scent at home, then take it to the next level with the lavender scented candle 150g - A$35* in a tin jar. Having a burn times of over 20 hours, you can have the calming scent wafting through your room and makes an excellent gift for fellow lavender lovers.
Lavender will always be relaxing and wonderfully therapeutic. If you need to unwind with scent, then you can't pick a more calming aroma than lavender.

What scent are you currently digging? I’m currently into relaxing florals to help try and de-stress from the pressures of work.

The Lavender collection are available at L'Occitane counters in select Myer, David Jones stores as well as independent L'Occitane stores and online now.
Products marked * were provided for consideration.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Getting Pretty in Sisley French Luxe: Mystic Harmony Collection

When I used my first Sisley product a few years back (it was the hydra-global moisturiser), I remember enjoying opening it’s luxe packing to find a beautiful product inside.

The products are always functional and the packaging practical but full of the French elegance and chic-ness.

And that’s how I always think of this plant based French brand that was one of the pioneers to use botanical actives in their skincare range back in 1976.


It was only recently that I realised Sisley was more than just an botanical based skincare – in fact they have quite a full line of beauty products as well and I had the opportunity to play with its latest makeup collection: the Mystic Harmony Range for the 2012 Autumn/Winter season.
How pretty and wearable are the colours in the collection?
The collection features midnight blue, star dust and amethyst eye shadows and Kohl pencils, an eyebrow pencil, lipsticks, blush, and liquid illuminator in copper touch.

What captured me from the collection most were the lip and eye products.

Phyto Lip Shine In Sheer Burgandy -RRP A$50

Sheer burgundy is a as its name suggest, a burgundy wine hue that adjusts on my lips to a port wine with a hint of golden shimmer.
The Packaging is luxe as ever in a heavy silver metal case with a red S engraved into the lid and closes with that satisfying click to indicate it's securely shut. It also comes with a velvet case for storage and prevent scratching of the mirror-like surface of the metal case.
Phyto Lip Shine wears more like a hydrating lipbalm than a lipstick but provides a medium stained finish. I also love the fact it adds colour & shine like a gloss to plump up and minimises the lines on my lips.
Actually I love this finish so much I’ve pretty much neglected most of my other lip products the last couple of week as I don’t need to condition my lips or top up with gloss with this single product. I wouldn’t mind more shades from this range and love the shiny bitten stained look.

Phyto Ombre Eclat (eyeshadow) in Sorbet – RRP A$55


Sorbet is a light pearlised sand colour that works well as a base on skin or to add sheer colour and highlights to the lids of eyes. The texture is soft and silky and provides a smooth finish on lids without any fall out.
Sisley phyto ombre eclat in Sorbet - no flash, indoor white light
Like its skincare products, the makeup from Sisley is impressive. They are a luxury addition to your main makeup collection and if there is only one thing you can pick up from them, I’d highly recommended the lip shine.

Sisley and its Mystic Harmony collection is available now exclusively at David Jones stores.
Products were provided for consideration.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Review: Skinfood Mushroom Mult-care BB Cream

BB or blemish balm creams (and not beauty balms as some brands have called it) are the hottest beauty product in Asia that have started to make their way into the mainstream western market and seem to be taken the cosmetic world by storm.

BB creams shouldn't be confused with tinted moisturisers as their primary function is a makeup, not a skincare product and the coverage from BB creams are fuller than the sheer colour that tinted moisturisers provide.

The concept is that blemish balms are a combination of skincare and makeup, made to even out skintone and give excellent coverage so is suitable for all skin types, even those with acne or problem skin but without the heavy mask-like effect of heavy foundations and also has skincare ingredients that will improve skin's tone and texture over time.

I wouldn't say I've had too much experience with the plethora of Asian BB creams in the markets because
  1. they are not readily available in Australia, and the local Asian beauty boutique that stock them sell them at highly inflated prices compared to their retail prices in Asia 
  2. there is generally only 1 or 2 shade available for the product and they generally gravitates towards the lighter end of the spectrum (the Asian consumers like their faces as white as possible, even if it means it's significantly different than their natural skintone whereas I prefer a natural looking shade). 
  3. the ones I've tried have made my skin look grey and ashy and generally quite ghastly-looking which disheartened me to try the other BB creams for a good 2 years. 
It was upon the ravings of the MBBE ladies about the Skinfood Mushroom BB cream and how it would not look ghastly grey on skin that I decided to give BB creams another try. And of course I can never go wrong with the advice of MBBE because even with my limited experience in BB creams, I know a gem when I come across one. 

Skinfood Mushroom Multi-care BB Cream SPF 20 PA
Hailing from Korea, Skinfood is a brand that has a huge following outside of its home country within the east Asian region and appeals to consumers with its use of natural food and produce in its original form as ingredients in its products.
Description
This triple-function BB cream provides UV protection and deep moisturisation to skin with aloe and mushroom extracts, while arbutin and adenosine make skin clear and resilient. 
Whitening, Anti-aging, Sunblock. 

The Mushroom BB cream come in an easy to dispense 50ml tube and a cardboard screw cap. I'm not a fan of the cap as I find it hard to twist it along its groove after use, but have not had the cardboard warp or break on me so I guess I can live with it. 

It comes in 2 shades 1 or 2 as indicated on the back of the tube packaging in the brown circle. I knew I would be #2 from previous experiences of going for the darker shade whenever there are 2 options as it's more natural looking on me (incidentally shade #1 is called radiant skin and #2 is natural skin).

As for the product, it is quite fluid, almost like a moisturiser in consistency but is very easy to blend. It has a soft scent. 

Using a brush gives a good blended finish but it does not really meld into the skin to give the fused look that one wants from their makeup (ie. not heavier sitting on top of skin). 

Interestingly, it spreads and blends best with finger in a smearing action outwards from the centre of the face, then blending the product on the nose, jawline and the forehead. The finish a soft dewy look that makes skin look and feel very hydrated (thanks to the aloe). And because it feels so comforatble on skin, I don't feel bad on days when I'm in a rush and skip my skincare treatments and just apply this straight on.

Coverage is excellent and almost as good a full coverage foundation with imperfections and dark circles easily covered and concealed. Extra coverage just needed another layer of the product patted into the specific area of skin. I finish by setting with loose translucent powder and the coverage lasts all day, even in hot humid weather. 

Shade #2 is very natural looking, and although slightly lighter than my summer skintone, adjusts well on skin and does not leave me looking too pale or washed out. Rather, I have a fresh healthy subtle glow (non-shimmer induced) and there is no white cast effect from the SPF 20 to be found. 
NC30 skintone - this BB cream adjusts well once blended into skin
This BB creams photographs amazingly well as seen in the photo below (please excuse my bare face with no eye makeup or other products on at all). My dark circles are not present, skin evened out and smoother with a slight dewiness on the side where I've applied the BB cream. You can also see that it is also slightly lighter my my natural skintone but is still very natural looking. 

I like the fact that I'm also helping to maintain my skin whilst applying this makeup and my skin always feel soft and smooth after taking off the product and facial cleansing afterwards. 
L-R with Skinfood mushroom BB cream, bare face
So thanks to my gurus at MBBE, I've finally found my first favourite and possibly HG BB cream. Having said that, BB creams are not for everyone - due to the fact that if you are NC/NW30 or above, you will look unnaturally pale using these products without a bronzer to bring colour back to your face. If you are lucky enough to be able to use the this or the lighter shade (which would suits NW/NC15-25), then you would be nuts not to try this BB cream.

50ml approx US$13 online by e-tailers. If you are after convenience and instant gratification, you can pick it up locally at Asian beauty boutiques for A$29.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Nailing It: Face of Australia Barbados Collection

I haven't been as excited about a nail collection as I have the collection you are about to see. Not least because the shades are beautiful, bright and fun, but the ladies in the MBBE group including yours truly had a hand (and plenty of nails) in helping to select these shades to feature in the collection.

Barbadoes are a set of micronised glitter packed nail colours that just makes your names shimmer and shine in all types of light so your digits are always the centre of attention. Inspired by the island party atmosphere in tropical Barbados, the shades are playful and fun and come with clever names (some of which are chosen by our beautiful Jacie).

Without further ado, let me introduce the shades to you.
Features & Benefits
  • Advanced formula that dries in 60seconds (touch dry)
  • Stunning shimmery pearl finish
  • Long wearing, chip resistant
  • T-Free: Toluene-free, Formaldehyde-free and Dibutyl Phthalate-free

Lets Go Scuba Diving 
A bright shimmery teal green shade that reminds me of mermaids in the sea. 

Calyso Gold 
A light champange gold with gold shimmer that is perfect for any celebration

Another Daiquiri Please
A vibrant watermelon pink that just sparkles with pink shimmers. This is by far my favourite shade of the whole collection

I Like to Mauve It
A stunning pinky-mauve shade with silver microshimmty that is both warm & cool and looks great on any fingers. This is another firm favourite.


Orange You Glad You Came
A deep neon orange shade with glittering gold shimmer. It will grab all the attention when paired with the black or dark coloured clothing.  

Bright Light, Pink City
Barbie will be proud with this cool toned bright jelly pink with golden micro-shimmer shade. Also on my highly recommended list.

You Blew Me Away
A Sky blue with silver shimmer that just brightens up my day any day of the week. If you love blue then you need this shade.
Party at the Gap
A steely grey with silver and blue micro-shimmer. This is the perfect statement nail shade for the cooler autumn weather. Really, it's a must-have shade.

I'm mighty impressed with the pearlised finish and the long wear of the polish. The high shine fine shimmer means that the nails polish goes on smoothly and is very easy to apply and I can go 2 days without tip fade (3 coats). With a top coat, I can almost get a whole week of wear before it needs to be taken off . The only shade I had some trouble with application was Calyso Gold as it's the lightest shade, 3 coats were needed to get a even streakfree finish (all the other shades except Another Daiquiri Please & Bright Lights, Pink City are 2 coats in the swatches).
RRP A$4.95 at selected Priceline, Kmart, Big-W and selected pharmacies now (I'm told that these will be in store late next week, so mark your calendars). This is a limited edition and I would definitely not want to miss the versatile shades in the collection if I were you (and that's before my biasness for this collection starts to insist that you go and get all the shades!). 
This featured collection was provided for consideration.