Freebie: Jurlique Serum Exchange - Westfield Sydney Event

Looking for a new serum but don't have the cash to spend? Well here is your chance to try a new serum for free. And I'm not talking sample sizes but a free 30ml full size item.

If you happen to be in Sydney, you will have a chance to try out Jurlique's iconic serums during the Jurlique Serum exchange program this week.

All you need to do is bring in your current full size bottle (it doesn't have to be full) to exchange for a brand new bottle of Jurlique's iconic serums - Herbal Recovery Advanced serum, Purely White Skin Brightening essence, Purely Age-defying facial serum.

Here are the details:
WHERE:  Westfield Sydney pop-up Jurlique store (opposite Pitt St entrance)
WHAT: surrender your own bottle (full size) of serum and score a 30ml Jurlique serum on the following days and times:

• Thursday 3rd October midday to 9pm
• Friday 4th October, midday to 6pm
• Saturday 5th October, midday to 6pm
• Sunday 6th October, midday to 6pm

There is a limit of 60 bottles exchanged every hour during the promotional period so you might have to be patient and come back later if these bottles get snapped up quick which I bet they will!

Now if only Jurlique will opens up the exchange program next time in other states!

2013 Prix de Marie Claire Beauty Awards Winners

It's fashion shows and awards time of the year again.
Into the 8th year this year, the 2013 Prix de Marie Claire Beauty Awards celebrates the past year's outstanding beauty products amid the myraid of new product launches. Today I'm sharing with you the winners of the Readers Choice Awards.

These have been rated by Marie Claire readers and classed between Splurge vs Steal for each category so that there is a product to meet every consumer budget. This year the awards go to 9 product and one beauty brand.

Best Fragrance – Chanel Coco Noir

Best Makeup Product (Splurge) – Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Éclat

Best Makeup Product (Steal)  – Natio Pure Mineral Skin Perfecting BB Cream SPF 15

Best Skincare Product (Splurge)  – Jurlique Herbal Recovery Antioxidant Gel Mask

Best Skincare Product (Steal) – Bioré Combination Skin Balancing Cleanser

Best Haircare/styling Product (Splurge)– GHD Air Hairdryer

Best Haircare/styling Product (Steal) - TRESemmé Split Remedy Split End Sealing Serum

Best Body Product (Splurge) – Kora Organics Luxurious Rosehip Body Oil

Best Body Product (Steal) – Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturising Lotion

Best Australian Beauty Brand – Napoleon Perdis

Congratulations to all the winning brand and products.

I'm slightly embarrassed to say that I've only tried 3 of these winners (Coco Noir, Bioré skin balancing cleanser and Kora Rosehip body oil) - there are just too many products being launched for one to try them all.

It looks like I better get cracking on making more regular visits to the stores to acquaint my self with the other winners so I can find out first hand why these are voted the country's favourites.

Have you tried any of the winners? Do you agree with the votes?

Join the Fight for a Fair Price in Beauty

When you go online shopping, are you tired of seeing all the prices of big brands on international sites for half the price of what you pay back at home in Australia? Case in point: a Chanel Coco Shine lipcolour is $50 a pop in Australia while in the US it's $32.50 and the UK it's £24 or OPI nail colours (A$19.95, US$8.50 and UK £11).

And even though this pricing disparity is rife across all types of product ranges, it is most obvious in the fashion and beauty industry. I want to support local retailers but it can be hard when my pay packet needs to be stretched out as much as possible to cover ever-increasing expenses.

With the Australian dollar being so strong against all major currencies for the past 2-3 years, online shopping makes it possible to purchase products at international prices but at the end of the day, I'm a touch-and-feel sort of person and prefer to buy products after I've tested it out so if the local distrubitors and retailers can bring parity pricing into the Australian market, I'd happily spend my money here. 

That's why it is fantastic to see brands lowering their prices in light of changes in market dynamics (NARS, Kiehl's, Biotherm, Stila, Declor on all or some of their product ranges over the past 15 months). But we want more, there are many global brands that can afford to lower their rich margins in the Australian market and we'd love to see them jump on this band wagon and treat savvy Australian consumers with respect, rather than as helpless cash cows. 

To this end, a iconic brand is getting behind the cause to bring fairer pricing for the Australian market. Illamasqua has recently set up an online petition to fight for the Australian beauty consumer cause. They've indicated that Aussie consumers can pay up to 61% more for their beauty products than their UK counterparts (and dare I say over 100% than US prices on some products). They have set up an online petition to fight for fair pricing of products in the Australian beauty market.

So people, even if you don't love beauty as much as I do, I'm sure you don't want to see your mum, sister or girlfriend continue to be fleeced of their hard earned money. We'll all thank you if you join me in spending a minute to sign this petition. While you are at it, tell all your friends about this and get them to sign up too!

And to Illamasqua, thank you so much for taking this stance and fighting for us!

Think Pink

October is unofficially Pinktober with Pink Ribbon Day falling on 24th October this year.

Being a lover of all shades of pink, I would only too happy to get behind this cause for that reason alone but although I've been fortunate enough to not have family touched by breast cancer, I've had lymphoma cruelly take away a  family member too early in their young life.

This is why I have more of a vested interest to help the cause find a cure to these insidious diseases that take far too many people's lives prematurely each year.

And there's nothing more satisfying and worthy than purchasing some beautiful and practical (ok, the men in our lives might think otherwise) paraphernalia this month to help contribute and make a difference. Here's a selection of my personal favourites:

1. Clinique online exclusive from 2nd October - 3 Mini Long Last Lipgloss key chain A$35. A$5 from each item sold will be donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF). This is too adorable and I'll be adding it to my shopping cart next week.

2. Estee Lauder Perfectionist CP+ Wrinkle Lifting Serum with a cute Pink Ribbon keychain 50ml - A$168. A$20 of each bottle sold is donated to the NBCF. High-speed wrinkle lifting serum and cute accessory - need I say more? Available Sunday 2nd October.

3. Dove Nourishing Body Wash A$6.99 at supermarkets. Dove is a platinum partner of the NBCF and aims to raise over $700,000 this year. Go Dove!

4. Bobbi Brown Pink Ribbon Collection Bellini High Shimmer Gloss and Pink Lip colour duo A$86. An online exclusive from Sunday 2nd October, a whopping $40 from each set sold is donated to the NBCF. You will look pretty powerful with this pretty combo!

5. OPI Pink Ribbon limited edition Pink Shatter Nail Lacquer A$19.95. I love shattering polish and in this bright warm pink, it will shatter my heart if I don't own one. 100% of profits donated to NBCF to raise $25,000. Now that is generous! Available at David Jones stores nationally now.

6. Aveda Hand Relief A$44.95 for supple soft hands and a good cause from participating salons and Aveda Experience Centres. US$4 donated to cruelty free research arm of NBCF. No lab rats here!

7. Pandora limited edition Pink Ribbon Silver Necklace A$179 or Gold Charm A$329. We can never have enough bling in our lives so bring on this Pink Ribbon edition! 15% of the sale price will go to NBCF. Visit http://www.pandora.net/ for your nearest stocklist.


If you want to donate directly to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, please visit them online here. Don't forget to proudly wear your pink ribbon!

Orly GelFX Manicure: Star Spangled

This week Orly launched a salon-only range called GelFX into the Australian market - a gel manicure system that boast chip free colour for up to 2 weeks in answer to the demands for long lasting colour, diamond shine (and perhaps also to CND's Shellac manicure system?).

Using LED UV lamp for faster cure time of the 3-in-1 cleanser, primer and base coat, colour and topcoat of the GelFX system. Results are diamond strength durability and shine. It's also easy to remove when the time comes to take the colour off with foil remover wraps.

The vitamin infused GelFX formula is also nourishing for nails with vitamin A, E and B5 to promote healthy nails and protect the nail structure and when used with the orange blossom and wild cherry extract based cuticle oil, provides a complete system that protects nail and conditions culticles.

Orly GelFX is available in 32 colours that are colour matched to the top selling colours in the permanent collection. This means you can touch up the ends of growing nails at home to prolong the wear which you will definitely need because the GelFX just doesn't chip or fade.

I had the pleasure of being one of the first in Australia to experience this new manicure last weekend at the ABBW event at the Maxted Gala and now I find it very hard to go back to basic polish.

I had my gelFX manicure in the shade Star Spangled. This is what I call an old Hollywood glamour red with a modern twist. It is a gel finished ruby red with red micro glitter that dazzles and shine under the light and subtle flickers in the shade. This shade is <3 at first sight and a friend and I are planning to place an order for the matching nail lacquer from the website.

Below are photos of my nails 6 days after the manicure without any touch ups. You can see my nails are starting to grow out but the tips of my nail are still in pristine glossy and vibrant condition - a first for me since I don't wear gloves for chores!

I never been able to have nail colour on my nails last more than 2-3 days without chipping no matter what brand or formula I try (including OPI, Essie, or Orly's normal range). With GelFX, I'm now a convert and I can't wait to book myself in for my next GelFX manicure when I have to attend an upcoming wedding next month.

GelFX launched nationally in Australia this week. For your nearist salons, contact Orly on 1300 769 355 or email them at orlysales@orlybeauty.com.au.
GelFX is also available in the North America at Orly stocked salons.

Many thanks to the ladies at Orly, particularly Celeste my manicurist for introducing me to this beautiful shade and for allowing me to experience the magic of GelFX.

So who's now keen to try an Orly GelFX manicure?

Turn DIY Disaster into a Winner with Goldwell

I could share with you so many personal DIY hair disaster stories, starting with cutting my doll's hair at a tender age thinking that it will grow back like mine did, or trimming my baby sister's eyelashes to cutting my own fringe (that's bangs for you people in North America), sometimes with presentable results and other times to disastrous effect. Needless to say, my attempt to go blond at-home in my high-school years didn't turn out well on my black Asian hair.

Now, had I been clever at the time, I would have snapped up photos of these disaster events because right now I could turn my fortunes around and make a mint out of those tragic experiences.

That's exactly what you can do with the Goldwell DIY Disaster competion on Facebook. Like their page and in 25 words or less, share your DIY disaster story and upload an accompanying photo for public voting and for all your efforts, you could win a cool $5000 cash.
That's more than enough for you to go to the professionals next time so you don't suffer another DIY mishap.

I don't have proof of evidence of my not-so-successful DIY attempts or I'd be entering this competition right now. But never fear, that just means more winning chances for you - so head to Goldwell's Facebook page and like them to enter the competition now.

Entries closes 6pm AEST 25/08/2011.

B Collection by Bloom Magic Wand Makeup Remover

I love product innovations that gives us clever and nifty gadgets to make life easier, more efficient and enjoyable.

As this sort of innovation usually occurs in the fast moving computing and electronics field, you can imagine my excitement when it also creeps into the beauty industry as is the case with this genius product below.

B Collection by Bloom Magic Makeup Remover Wand 3g (0.1 oz)

Now who goes around carrying with them in their makeup bag a makeup remover to fix their makeup smears and smudges? Seriously, who does? It would be too messy to use traditional bottled makeup removers that requires cotton buds or tips to make it all work.

Enter this clever little pen which recently won the inaugural Shop Til You Drop Genius Awards.

• Filled with makeup remover liquid with a felt tip, it is easy to carry around to quickly and precisely removes makeup faux pases, or smudges that appear anytime of the day. 
• Great to use all over, it's amazingly handy for the eye area where liquid eye liners, and mascara mishaps are plentiful for me. I always have this on hand when lining my eyes for just in case. 
• Takes off any stubborn makeup without disturbing your carefully crafted surrounding look
• When I'm home I would just use a cotton bud dipped in concealer to remove the offending marks but away from my vanity table where my arsenal of beauty products reside, this become my powerful weapon for on-the-go. 

In a nutshell: If you are clumsy like me or want to make sure you never have any panda eyes, this genius makeup remover pen is perfect solution for on-the-go precision fixes.

To see more genius winners from the Shop Til You Drop 2011 Awards, go here.

RRP A$14.95. B Collection is a diffusion brand of Bloom and is available at Target Stores nationally.
This product was provided for consideration.

Diversity in Beauty

In recent years, there’s been a change in advertising campaigns in the beauty industry with more ethnic models and brand ambassadors who continues to challenge the narrow ideal of beauty held in western society.

And although we’ve historically had the likes of Halle Berry for Revlon, Aishwarya Rai and Beyonce for L’oreal and famously Naomi Campbell on the catwalks, these beauties still appear to be the exceptions, rather than the norm in the industry. 

The beautiful Aishwarya Rai

MAC and Bobbi Brown were the industry trail-blazers having led the diversity celebration by using ethnic models to promote their collections years before it was in vogue but it seems this year, a whole bunch of other beauty houses are joining this bandwagon. 

MAC's 2010 All Age, All Races, All Sexes collection

With a growing non-western market to capture, we heard earlier in the year Estee Lauder announce their Three Graces, the new brand ambassadors in Puerto Rican-born Joan Smalls, Chinese model Liu Wen and archetypal French beauty Constance Jablonski.

Estee Lauder's Three Graces for 2011

But now it seems that ethnicity and races isn’t enough of a marketing tool and shock value needs to be added in new campaigns. 

This was led by L’oreal announcing that para-athlete Aimee Mullins who lost both legs due to a medical condition at childbirth as the new face of L’Oreal Paris.

Gorgeous Aimee Mullins with her prosthetic legs

Then last month, it was announced that Clarins owned fragrance house Thierry Mugler has south African para-olympian Oscar Pistorius (who also wears prosthetic legs) is fronting the ad campaign for the latest scent: A*Men.

Oscar Pistorius for Thierry Mugler's A*Men

So do you think the latest campaigns are heralding a change in conventional beauty ideals and truly embracing diversity or just shrew business decision to shock and entertain (and be politically correct)? 

2011 Australian Beauty Awards Winners

Each year, a panel consisting of ACP magazines' beauty editors from OK, Madison, Cleo, Bazaar, Grazia, Dolly, Cosmopolitan, Australian Women's Weekly and highly respected industry experts Zoe Forster (Primped), Myer Cosmetics GM Liz Webster, leading hair stylists George Giavis amongst a few others get together to squabble over which beauty products they're tried in the past year should be worthy of being elevated to the beauty stratosphere and be worshipped by us mere mortals.

After much debate and tough calls, the votes were cast, tallied, tripled checked for good measure before finally announcing the winners. This year the lists on some product category are lengthy but all are drool-worthy and deserving of the their win.

So without any further ado, here are the Judge's winners of the 2011 Australian Beauty Award's

Lips 

Gloss: Max Factor Vibrant Curve Effect
Lipcare: Lanolips Lemonaid Lip Aid (review here)
Lipstick: Tom Ford Private Blend Lip Color (review Morrocan Rouge, Nude Blush)

Face Makeup

Primer: SMASHBOX Photo Finish Luminizing Foundation Primer
Bronzer: SMASHBOX Halo Hydrating Perfecting Bronzer
Blush: Clarins Blush Prodige
Concealer: Hissyfit Skin Perfector in Honey Beige
Powder: Laura Mercier Pressed Setting Powder
Foundation: Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua
Mineral makeup: ASAP Pure

 Eye Makeup

Eye shadow: Bourjois Round Pot Eyeshadow
Mascara: Lancôme Hypnose Precious Cells 01
Brows: Jane Iredale Bitty Brow Kit
Eyeliner: YSL Long Lasting Eye Pencil No.1
Eye innovation: CoverGirl LiquiLineBlast

Skincare

Prestige day: SK-II Skin Signature Melting Rich Cream

Mass day: L’Oréal Youth Code Rejuvenating SPF15 Daily Moisturiser

Eye cream: Elizabeth Arden Prevage Eye Ultra Protection Anti-Aging Moisturizer SPF 15+ 

Serum: SK-II Cellumination Essence

Night cream: L’Oréal Paris Youth Code Night Cream
Prestige night cream: Lancôme Genifique Repair Night Cream
Anti-aging treatment: Napoleon Auto Pilot Complex



Sunscreen: Neutrogena Ultimate Sport Face
Cult product: Dr. LeWinn’s Synergise Tinted Moisturiser SPF 30+

Facial mask: Chanel Ultra Correction Lift Mask

Prestige cleanser: Shu Uemera Skin Purifier Cleansing Beauty Oil A/O Advanced Formula
Cleanser: Aveeno Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser

Acne treatment: Dermaquest Clarifying Pads

Hand products

Nail Lacquer: Chanel Le Vernis Black Pearl
Hand Cream: Bloom Organics Nourishing Hand Cream
Manicure: Kit Quick Fix Manicure Kit

Body products

Body wash: NP Set Body Wash in Tahitian Vanilla
Body product: Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter
Body scrub: NP Set Body Polish in Tahitian Vanilla
Body sunscreen: Nivea Sun Ultra Beach Protect Sunscreen SPF 30+ 

Body Cream: Clarins Extra-Firming Body Cream
Hair Removal: Gillette Venus Embrace Pink Razor
Faux Tanner: St Tropez Instant Glow Shimmer Stick

Fragrance

Women: Maison Francis Kurkdjian Apom Pour Femme
Men: Bleu De Chanel
Cult: Michael Kors

Hair

Tool: Parlux 3800 Eco Friendly Ionic & Ceramic Dryer
Prestige Shampoo & Conditioner: Wella System Professional Color Save Shampoo, Conditioner and Mask (review here)
Shampoo & Conditioner: L’Oréal Paris Hair Expertise Ever Pure Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner
Anti-dandruff: Head & Shoulders Itchy Scalp Care Shampoo (review here)
Hairspray: L’Oréal Professionel Infinium Lumiere
Styling product: Maximise Mousse ghd
Cult hair product: L’Oréal Professionel PlayBall Beach Fizz
Home Colour: Schwarzkopf Perfect Mousse Permanent Colour in Dark Blonde
Hair innovation: Clairol Nice ’N Easy Colour Blend Foam

Other winning categories (beauty tools, men's products, breakthrough products, natural wonder products, and hall of fame) and the runner ups can be found here.

It looks like I've barely touched the list of this years winners so expect to see me visiting the shops in the near future to pick up a few of the items on the list to try. I think I'll start with the Aveeno Ultra Calming cleanser and Bloom nourishing hand cream before dashing out for the Clarins blush. 

Which of these products have you tried? which are your favourites?


P.S If you have reviewed a product on the list and would like me to link to your blog review of it, please feel free to drop me a line and I'll update this post to include it :)

Shop Online @ Bobbi Brown Australia Now

If you haven't heard the good news, Bobbi Brown Australia is now available for those of us who like to go shopping in the wee hours of the night or just live too far to get to a Bobbi Brown Counter.

You now can shop away to your heart's content with all the latest offerings from Bobbi and to celebrate the launch on the online store - Enter the code "WELCOME4" to receive free shipping and

• a deluxe sample of Extreme Party Mascara (3ml)
• a deluxe sample of Intensive Skin Supplement (3ml)
• and a deluxe sample of your choice with your first purchase.

Offer valid whilsts stocks last. 

What's more there's now a review function on all the products lines on the site. As an incentive for you to contribute a review of your favourite product, you will be awarded a duluxe size cleansing oil for your hard efforts if you are the first 100 reviewers. How good is that?


What is your favourite Bobbi Brown product? - mine is the award winning corrector in peach.

Guess Biotherm Austrailia's New Prices and Win

As you would have heard and read in my earlier post, Biotherm is amongst a leading group of beauty brands to lower their Australian retail prices on many of their top selling products.

Biotherm's timing couldn't be better as it coincides with the 10th year Biotherm has been in the Australian market. So to celebrate the occassion and thank the local market for their support, the good guys decided to run a competition on their facebook page and let you guess their new lower prices on various products for a chance to win a A$500 Myer gift voucher or 1 of 20 Biotherm moisturisers.

So what are you waiting for? Head over to Biotherm's Facebook page to like them and start guessing away before it ends on 29th May. 

Beauty Brands Lowering Prices

Lets face it, beauty is a luxury that not every body can afford. Sure there are budget brands and premium brands but often after paying off living expenses, not many of us have got much left over to indulge ourselves in beauty products on a regular basis as it isn't considered an essential item in most people lives.

Sure you won't die without it, but if skincare products helps to keep your skin looking youthful longer and makeup makes you feel prettier and more confident in life, then I say it is a pretty essential aid in your lives.

Many brands are recognising that consumers are hurt by increased costs of living and with most of the world still griped by the GFC and living on tight budgets, it was time to review the pricing policies. What gave this movement momentum is the growing price disparities in the local market vs international markets in a period of our appreciating currency exchange that makes online shopping more appealing.  The brands must have decided to take action to stem the loss of local sales and to re-align Australian prices with international markets.

It started earlier this year with Lancôme announcing permanent price reductions in prices for their popular skincare and beauty lines, like the Genifique serum (now A$115 for 30ml) and their Teint Idole Ultra Foundation (now A$68).

Then French skincare line Guinot reduced their prices across all product lines by up to 8.9%  (every bit counts as it's more money in our pocket).

Last week Biotherm have announced lower prices across all their product lines (some as much as 46%) and now US skincare brand Kiehls have joined the giving back bandwagon and have slashed prices of their products by as much as 40%.

As a beauty addict, this is welcoming news and it's great to see these top beauty brands respond to the demands of consumers for more parity in pricing policies. I hope to see more brands get on board this movement and I think we won't have to wait too long before being pleasantly surprised with more upcoming price reductions across more brands on all our favourite products.

Hopefully this will mean that more people can now afford to look and feel as good as they do inside.

What would you rush out to by next if it was reduced by 40%? - for me, it would be a Estee Lauder's Pure Lip colours as I'm currently obsessed with lipsticks. 

News: Mecca Maxima Opening in 15 days

For those of us who lament the fact that all the lovely brands available in Sephora is not available in Australia, we are grateful to have a mini version known locally as Mecca Cosmetica.

With over 3000 products across 70 big brands including NARS, Stila, By Terry, Kevin Aucoin and Philosophy, there's sure to be something for the beauty addict in all of us to play with and take home when browsing the beauty counters.

So I was super excited to find that a new store will open in Melbourne Central in 15 days time (Oct -07). It's going to be big girls - that's why it's aptly named Mecca Maxima.

What's more exciting is that if you sign up now Melbourne peeps, not only will you get the latest update of the grand opening day, you'll also receive a voucher to redeem a goody bag full of awesome samples from Mecca's best selling brands!

So what are you waiting for? Jump on to it now!

Haven't visited Mecca Cosmetica before? Check it out online now and check out the brands it carries.

P.S - Interstate peeps, don't despair with missing out on a freebie - there's a free mini mecca polish available for you if you haven't gone to pick it up yet. It's the last week to sign up and download the voucher.

***UPDATE***
Maxima will now open on 13th October. Be sure to visit them with your voucher for in store launch events and your goody bag :)

iNouvi sale continues with new items

Stefan has now added new iNouvi products for sale today. They now have makeup brushes, stardusts, glitterati and other goodies listed.


My star picks of the new items: 

cheek rouge: playful sparkly colours for cheeks and eyes

Immaculate powder: luminous powder for a flawless finished look.

eyecake: wet/dry cake liner that doubles up as an eye shadow - talk about multi-tasking.

Honourable mentions go to the eye shadow contour brush and fan brush which is made of fox hair.

All items are going out at AU$1 each. Check them out and grab them while they last ladies :-)


If you haven't already, check out my iNouvi sale post for more info on iNouvi cosmetics.  International orders are accepted.

Go check out my swatches on the involuxe lipsticks here or the blush swatches part 1 & part 2 posts.


image source: www.iNouvi.com

Inouvi Cosmetics $1 Sale - On Now

iNouvi Professional Cosmetics is probably a lesser known makeup brand in Australia but have been hugely popular in Asian countries since their establishment in 1996.

Overview of iNouvi Cosmestics

• intelligent makeup - combines makeup with skincare by featuring pigment rich colours enriched with antioxidants, botanical extracts and vitamins. 
• developed in Italy, France and Japan for professional use.
• all products are formulated fragrance-free, non-comedogenic and without any animal-derived ingredients.

Best Sellers
Ivoluxe lipsticks - an extra creamy and hydrating formula containing Evening Primrose Oil, Squalane and Sweet Almond Oil and comes in an array of intense colours. Made in Japan RRP $21USD

Pressed pigment blushers D36 - silky soft texture on the skin that provides for an even finish. Enriched with natural UV filters and anti-ageing agents to protect the skin. RRP $19.50USD

Eye colours D27 - pigment rich, high intensity eye shadows resists fading or dulling. Enriched with natural UV filters and anti-aging agents to protect and condition the sensitive eye area. RRP $18USD

I'm unaware of many places that stock iNouvi products in Australia (in fact, I wasn't even aware of their existence till a week ago) but have found out recently that all iNouvi products are on sale at Stefan's Hair Fashion Shop for $1AUD each. That's right, this is not a typo folks. Although the product range at Stefan's is quite limited, the colours available for the the top selling lipsticks and blushers are almost complete and are a real steal at only a mere $1AUD each (do I have to repeat this one more time?).

How to choose colours

• The swatches online on the iNouvi site are not too helpful, as some colours appear quite different when compared to the real life swatches I've seen online. It does, however, give an idea of what colour family the shade is in. 
• For swatches to the lipsticks, visit Jojoba's blog - she's swatched almost all of them. She also rated quite highly the concealer so give that a try also.
• I have not found any good swatch sites for the blushers, but fear not, yours truly have ordered the entire range that Stefan has on offer so should be able to do some swatching of them next week (all in the name of beauty blogging of course :-)).
• There are only a limited range for eye products on sale which is a shame but if any of the colours take your fancy, definitely pick them up.

Be quick, I'm sure this absolute bargain at Stefan won't last too much longer and will sell out in no time. Happy shopping everyone.

P.S - Shipping is flat rate $11 Australia wide. Those lucky locals in Brisbane or Sydney can probably go there in person and see the colours themselves and test them out before picking up these gems . I'm not sure if iNouvi products are stocked in all stores, so be sure to phone ahead before heading out there. Stefan also ships internationally at a higher rate (contact them for a quote). I'd say if you are picking up a good number of iNouvi items, the savings more than makes up for it many times over.

P.P.S. - I've not yet tested or used any iNouvi products myself. I've just made my massive order of 71 items tonight, so I can't wait to receive them and try them out next week.

Edit: Go check out my swatches on the involuxe lipsticks here or see the blush swatches part 1 & part 2 posts.

image source: www.iNouvi.com