NYX Round Lipstick - Thalia #529

I remember madly reading reviews and searching for swatches of NYX lipsticks so I can choose one for mail order. There are too many colours to choose from! This lipstick is $1.90 USD but if you are lucky enough to find a colour you like in Australia, it's only $2 AUD in cheapo Asian stores. I chose Thalia because I wanted a nude lipstick. When I have dark eyeshadow on, I used to only apply clear gloss for my lips. Nude lipstick gives a face with dramatic eyes a more refined, finished touch.

This is my first NYX lipstick and its excellent for the price. Packaging is better than expected. It clicks securely shut so there are no mishaps in your handbag. The casing is shiny black with a coloured base that contains a sample of the lipstick so you can see at a glance the colours you are selecting.

The lipstick is mauve brown in the tube but candy pink on me. A touch paler than my natural lips. The formulation is deliciously creamy, glides on easily and is moisturising. Some Makeup Alley reviewers complained that it was matte but not for me. There is a faint cheap scent but it was no bother. Colour is well saturated. Not a Your-Lips-But-Better look because it's a little too light but still a gorgeous colour. It even matches with the NYX Poppy nail polish which I've previously reviewed!

Taken in natural light. This is Lip Fusion gloss in Summer and Thalia on top.

Excellent formulation and value for money. Long lasting, creamy and easy to apply. Lips stayed moisturised for atleast 4 hours and the colour is so pretty, I could wear it everyday.

FREE 12 month e-magazine subscription with the Read Green Initiative

Here's a freebie which is good for the environment and a quick way of obtaining the latest US magazines. Choose from a number of mags but choose your email address widely in case you receive marketing emails as well.

Freebie me! Apologies in advance as it doesn't mention when this freebie will end. 

I've just subscribed to Elle magazine. You can download and read offline (after installing some software) or read directly from your browser. Enjoy!

Lilac Stripe Butterfly Pinafore Dress

Tickled pink to spot this $20 bargain. Always wanted a girly summer dress and while I neither have the space or spare cash, I bought it anyway. 

The dress was purchased from an Asian clothing store in Auburn and alot of their stuff was reduced. Fairly dubious of buying cheap-as-chips clothes because they are usually tacky, poorly made and ready for the charity shop after a few wears. 

But not this dress. Made of breezy cotton and the print is adorable. Thanks to the empire line, the stomach fat is hidden!

I've worn the dress and as mentioned, I don't have alot of space for clothes so I sold it on Ebay. So farewell pretty dress, I hope your next owner cherishes you for alot longer than I did!

Jurlique Lavender Silk Dust

It's sweltering and humid in Sydney, which is bad news for my face. In London there was no need to slather sunscreen on everyday but now-OMG, all kinds of wrong. 

To combat oiliness and shine, I dust my face with this powder and it does wonders. I apply it like I would with mineral foundation. Tap a little into the lid, swirl with a kabuki brush and dust. A little goes a long way and the powder is so finely milled, you can't see it on your face. 

I bought it for $16AUD on sale years ago. Looks pricey for a bit of nice smelling talcum powder but it's actually talc-free and divinely packaged. Now the real bad news. Jurlique has re-packaged this product in a compact and the price has been marked up considerably. It's now called Lavender Silk Finishing Powder and it's RRP $43 AUD. Some health food shops carrying Jurlique may do sales on the range or you can check Ebay as it's cheaper there. I still recommend it because it lasts a long time and smells lovely!

Jurlique also has this dust in a rose or citrus scent. 

Frugalicious tip: My silk dust is the original style in a glass pot as pictured. The sifter comes off so when I've finished the product, I'll to refill it with pure cornflour which is a known home made face blotting powder. 

Rating: 4/5 stars. Shame on Jurlique for up-marketing this blotting powder but they did it because they can. There are no cheap substitutes like it that I know of. Makes your face matt and feeling silky. Beautifully scented so it's a treat to apply. 

Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque

Just pulled out a tube from six years ago and it's still good!

My skin is mega-oily and after reading rave reviews on Makeup Alley, I HAD to try it. 

I ordered from American Discount Beauty. Queen Helene products are cheap in the US and after the currency exchange, a large tube costs $12 AUD (not including shipping).

The tube was a hefty 8oz or 226.8g. Packaging was nothing fancy. Looks like a common household product but it promises extraordinary benefits such as:

*Relaxes tired muscles and eases tension lines on the face and neck.

*Suction action draws out waste matter from the pores.

* Dries up acne pimples, rinse away blackheads and even helps shrink enlarged pores.

The masque is ridiculously thick and mint scented. I even had difficulty squeezing the tube because it's consistency is of pottery clay. It dries quicker than other masks and yes, I did feel the "sucking" action!

It noticeably stiffens as it dries. I was deliciously repulsed by the visible oil extracted from my pores. 

I wash off after half an hour and its a b*tch to remove. A cloth is definitely required as per instructions. I have some deeply enlarged pores on my nose and it was annoying to see tiny green bits of the masque remaining. (Gross, I know.)

The end result? Tightened refined pores and my skin glows! Very impressed with this product. If I remember, I'll use it twice a week to keep the oiliness and pores under control. 

You can also use the masque as an overnight spot treatment.

Rating: 5/5 stars. This product delivers on it's promises. Good value for money and a Godsend for oily skin. I will keep coming back to this HG (Holy Grail) product!

My First NYX Haul

I got my NYX products within a week from Nonpareil Boutique. Here's what I ordered, in USD:

NYX Pearl Mania - Turquoise $1.25 
NYX Trio Eyeshadow - White-Grey-Black $5.25
NYX Girl Nail Polish - Baby Doll $1.50
NYX Doll Eye Mascara - Volume Extreme Black $7.00
NYX Girl Nail Polish - Amazonia $1.50
NYX Pearl Mania - Walnut $1.25
NYX Round Lipstick - Thalia $1.90
NYX Doll Eye Mascara - Long Lash Extreme Black $7.00

The colours are gorgeous and the packaging is cute. Good quality for cheap items. 

The total including shipping was $57 AUD. The shipping killed the thrift value but atleast I have all the products I want (for now).

Will do reviews on each item eventually.

NYX Girls Nail Polish - Poppy

You'll hear me rave on incessantly about NYX Cosmetics. (Pronounced "nicks", named after a Greek goddess of beauty.) It's grossly under rated in Australia because they are sold in random cheapo Asian shops.  A few lurid lipsticks here and there but never a whole range in a proper store.

Sometimes I wish I could distribute it in Australia so it gets the attention and exposure it deserves. In the States, it's cheap, available at chain drugstores and because the quality is so good, it's compared to MAC cosmetics. In fact, professional makeup artists use NYX!

The first things I look for in any cheapo shops are NYX products. I was at the Central Coast and bought this NYX nail polish for $2 AUD.

I chose this colour Poppy because I wanted a pretty pink which could be worn anytime.  It's shimmery bronzed pink with golden green highlights. 

This is my manicure pictured with flash: Ulta3 base coat (only $2 AUD at the chemist), two layers of Poppy and Opi Rapid Dry Top Coat. Poppy is gorgeous but if you applied too thinly, it would be streaky and matt. It did'nt take long to dry and wears well. It won't chip for 5 days if I've been REALLY careful with my nails.

This is my manicure pictured without flash in natural lighting. Sometimes it appears bronzed which has a nude-but-better look. 

Not sure why it's called "Girls" nail polish? Maybe the colour range for the teens? It still says "Professional" on the bottle so I don't think quality has anything to do with it.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. So far the prettiest colour and a staple in my collection but not the most durable of nail polishes. 

If you're in Australia, have a look at your nearest cheapo shop. If you want to be spoilt for choice, you can buy it from Ebay or if you want a stack of NYX, try mail order from the States.  Cherry Culture and Nonpareil Boutique are the most popular sites.  

Why is Missy Em "Frugalicious"?

G'day! My real name is Emma Lee and I'm from Sydney Australia. I lived in London for a few years and have travelled around the world.

The driver of this blog is my errrrhhh...tight-a$$ nature. Maybe it's in my genes but since I've been unemployed for four months and counting, I'm forced to be frugal. Guessing there are many others out there who are also hard pressed for cash. This is my way of sharing my purchases with like minded people. 

I used to be a professional make up artist when I was young(er) and perhaps more naive. I went to a make-up school run by a cosmetic company. While it was highly regarded by many, I learned that their products were simply re-branded and their whole business model was based on marketing, not developing better products. I applaud the guy who did this because he's excruciatingly wealthy now, but it was silly of me to think that going to his makeup school and having a train case full of his products would make me look like a more qualified artist. 

You don't need to spend a lot on cosmetics, skin care or fashion. Not meaning to say it's bad to splurge, but why pay more when you don't need to?

I hope you enjoy Missy Em's Frugalicious! :)