RCK: Red Carpet Kolour Review

First off, I got this product awhile back and only tried once. I wore it all over the parts

of my body that would be showing for a Halloween event. The product did give me 

an amazing glow and lasted all night long (despite sweating and clothing contact).  

I didn't know you could also use it on your face if done correctly. I've noticed a 

couple reviews that are out there from people who are either sponsored or have a 

PR relationship with the brand itself. When I see reviews like that I think twice
  about believing their opinion which may be a bit biased. 

So, I grabbed a new brush intent on testing it on my face, something I have seen

in a blog or two from makeup artists recommending this product as a 'must-have'.

My skin is fairly pale and I was concerned that even the 'light' version of this product

would be vastly noticeable after drying. I washed, dried my skin, and applied some 

drug store primer before testing this product. My skin has been VERY dry as we are 

just coming out of a brutal winter here in Australia, therefor I recommend exfoliating

 and cleansing any dry dead skin away before application of this product. RCK Body 

Glow takes up to 5 minutes to dry. With a brush you have to be very careful how

hard you brush it in so that you don't leave lines or streaks (blend away!). 

Small Amount of Product Not Yet Blended In 

After blending product without Primer into my hand

With Flash it has a gorgeous golden undertone
and covers any uneven tones in your skin.

I applied the product to my face and made sure to blend it out as much as 

I possibly could with a foundation brush before it dried. It dries fairly quick,  

and if you ad additional product over the area you have blended some in already  

it will just build up and become darker as you can see on my left cheek above.  

My usually pale skin looked tanned and when the light is on my skin it has a  

almost pale golden shine to it (as pictured below). I am not wearing any blush, 

bronzer or using a contour palette.

The overall results were amazing! My skin looks sun-kissed  and relatively even.The only
two negatives I could find is;  One, that it dries quickly and if not blended out will leave
streaks. Two, you will feel it on your skin throughout the day as it is fairly thick after being
applied. I won't be using it as an everyday product, but it is nice to have if I want to use on
my body to even out skin tone or cover scarring. 

Holy Grail Men's Products

If you have a boyfriend or husband that is picky and not as 
experienced in trying different products until finding one that works.
I have put together a list of products that are definite hits and simple
reviews that go with each one. Each of these product's are affordable
and easy to find online. These are products have been personally tested
by my partner, and I trust in buying them on a reoccurring basis.

1. Calvin Klein - Euphoria 

for Men Eau de Toilette

This is one the best smelling Colognes and can be used everyday. This is probably the most appealing cologne I've ever had the pleasure of smelling on my man. The best part is it is priced under $60 (AUD) or $45 USD 
in most places online.

2. Diesel Only The Brave by Diesel 

for Men Eau de Toilette Spray

My husband was really surprised at how great this scent not only smelled appealing but had long-lasting wear. You can find it online for under $70 (AUD) or $50 USD.

3.  Nivea Men Moisturising Shave Gel

If your guy is a bit lazy when it comes to moisturising after shaving or just in general. This product is great at reducing nicks and soothing sensitive skin.Nivea is a brand I personally trust, having used their products for years without any noticeable issues. 

5.  PhysioGel Hypoallergenic 

Daily Moisture Therapy Intensive Cream

I received this product in a beauty box about 6 months ago. It is for sensitive skin and I have heaps of moisturisers, so I had my husband try 
it out for me. This was an actual product test, that he did for my blog. 

His skin type is mostly oily with a one dry area, and his skin is even more sensitive than mine. If he uses any product that has an oil base it will cause him to break out dramatically. I'm always on the lookout for holy grail products that can 
help even out his complexion and any skin irritation. 

After a couple of weeks of incorporating this product into his daily routine he told me he immediately felt a difference in his skin. He reported that his skin stayed moisturised all day and that PhysioGel didn't irritate his skin at all.

What I noticed was his complexion became more even after about one week of using it daily. This is a holy grail men's product for sensitive skin dry or oily (despite what the label says). 


I really hope this helps someone who is in need of a reliable product 
that their partner simply has no time or patience to figure out. 

All images of products used are from Ebay

Tartelette In Bloom Palette Review (Swatches)

Firstly, let me just say how impressed I was upon first opened this packaging.
It is stunning and has a high-end feel the whole way through. The second thing
I noticed was a lovely smell, that was sort of sweet with a hint of flower. The
palette is scented. I had no idea it would be, and fully expected it to be similar to
other clay based products (such as Naturals). I have also received a bonus
deluxe 'Gifted' Mascara sample having spent a certain amount on Tarte
products which was a nice little surprise.

(No Flash)  

If you keep up with me on social media, you will have seen my 'Unhaul' video on
YouTube where I throw out toxic out-of-date makeup from my own collection. In it,
I throw out most of my mascara. For the past five days I've had swelling on my 
eyelids and my eyes are very sore after using out-of-date makeup as a test. For this 
reason only I will not be applying any makeup to my eyes and show you look I can 
create with this palette. Instead, I will swatch it and give an in-depth review. As
much as it sucks to wait to use this palette on my eyes, I am too excited to not 
swatch it for my lovely readers.

Note: Click to view larger image

(No Flash)

(Flash)

(No Flash)

(Flash)

As you can see there is a variety of Matte Shades and foiled ones as well.
I picked this palette because of the deep matte shades it has. Even though
a couple of the deeper colours go on slightly patchy such as Smokeshow,
Activist and Leader.  Be ready to blend with these three shades. If you apply
it quickly it will look uneven and patchy as you can see in my swatches which
were done using my fingers not a brush. Perhaps this has something to do
with the product being clay based? The formula of these eye shadows
feels silky and almost a bit buttery in texture. As I mentioned above some
of these shades need heaps of blending, and the swatches below were not
done in one swipe. 

A stand out shade for me would be Funny Girl. Not only is this a stunning
pale golden shimmery eye shadow, but can double as a highlighter if you
have a fairly light touch. I had to take a couple photos (below) with and
without a flash to show the beauty of this shade in either conditions. 

(No Flash)

(Flash)

I do recommend this palette for someone who loves earthy-warm tones.
This is also for anyone who wants a palette that is more compact than
Urban Decay's Naked Palettes range, but still has a good selection of
shades. 


NOTE: All images in this post are property of Samantha Marie and this Blog,
and are not to be used without obtained permission.

This is not a sponsored post, and I am not currently sponsored. 
As always my opinions and views are my own.

~Blogger Recognition Award Nomination~

I actually never thought I would be posting this, and I feel a bit undeserving. A lovely blogger named Jasmine (Blog: 'Thoughts From Jasmine')has nominated me for the The Blogger Recognition Award. She puts forth an open and honest blog that I find I can relate to. Thank you so very much for this nomination Jas.

Rules:

• Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
• Write a post to show your award.
• Give a brief story of how your blog started.
• Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers.
• Select 15 other bloggers you want to give this award to.
• Comment on each blog and let them know you have nominated
  them and provide the link to the post you created.         

When I began this blog, I had just really decided to join the Beauty Blogger
 community. My writing experience has been far longer than my current blog,
therefor I have always been fairly comfortable about writing in general. Back
when I was in High School, I was a writer and editor for my school newspaper.
At one point I had even thought of becoming a journalist one day, but I didn't
end up pursuing that path. Confidence was a hard learned lesson for me,
especially when you're putting your thoughts and sometimes personal
feelings out there for an millions of people to read. The basis of my blog
is to provide my own honest opinions on products and lifestyle situations.
I really do get a kick out of testing beauty products, making tutorials and
using my experiences to hopefully motivate or inspire others.


My Advice for any new blogger is to be be patient and consistent in your writing.
Patience that your readers will not appear out of thin air.  Consistency in
only post something you are confident is factual/true. 

I nomination these amazing bloggers listed below

JOYCE - Joyce Lau 
Louise - Louise Loves Beauty
Aspyn - Aspyn Ovard 
Melanie- Lilies Beauty
Alice - Alice Grace Beauty
Emily - Miss Beauty Emily
Danielle -  Danielle Ruppert
Laura - ThePaleGirlBlog
Kirsty - Kirsty WS
MayKatie - WhatKatieDidNext
Daisy - Daisy & Belle
BECCA - QUEEN BEE BECCA 
DI  - MAX THE UNICORN 
JENNY - dREAMING IN PINK
FRANCESCA LOUISE - BELLA MOMENTO



Each of these blogs is unique and amazing in it's own way. Keep up the wonderful work ladies!

How to Deal with Stress

Sometimes I ask myself how I handle such high stress situations.  

It took me a while to realize how much of a difference your own 

reaction to these situations can affect the overall outcome. For me,

I use my creativity as an outlet of sorts, by writing and making jewelry.

When I look take a step back and look at the 'bigger picture', it makes 

me want to take any negative thoughts or feelings and put it into

something that will be positive for me in the long-run. 

I see many bloggers/vloggers who have issues coping with depression,

anxiety, and stress in their daily lives. Unfortunately, life has it's ups-and-downs.

The most important thing we can do is control how we react and respond.

Freaking out about something you can not change will not affect the outcome. 

I find accepting whatever has happened in my life, and finding a positive direction
really makes a difference.


If I get to the point where I find myself dwelling on something to the point where
it affects my state of mind daily; I will write about it or push myself harder during
a workout. I hope that this helps even just one person, that would be amazing.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.