Review: Rimmel The Only 1 Matte Lipstick Collection*

Hands up if you remember Rimmel's The Only 1 lipstick collection! The range was long-lasting, comfortable to wear and moisturising (here's my Review of that collection). Well now Rimmel have released The Only 1 Matte lipstick range* and I'm in heaven! For the most part these lippies are receiving rave reviews in the beauty blogging world and it's easy to see why. But before we delve into that, let's see what Rimmel claim about this new lipstick collection.

Rimmel: "The lipstick revolution continues… Rimmel London’s The Only 1 Lipstick goes MATTE. Long-lasting, non-drying colour, with a stylish velvety matte finish, The Only 1 Matte Lipstick has it ALL. No more compromise."

I'm usually not a huge lover of matte lipsticks, because most of the ones I've tried have left my lips feeling dry and uncomfortable. As soon as I slicked on High Flyer, I knew I was in love. The formula is silky smooth, there's no dragging and the velvet-like (yet matte!) finish is ultra-comfortable. Seriously, if you avoid matte lippies because you hate that 'dry lip' feel, you must check these out! When you rub your lips together, the product feels creamy and moisturising, yet you get the benefit of a long-lasting lipstick. One thing I suck at is keeping my lipstick in place because I'm always smacking my lips together, but I find with these, despite excessive lip-smacking, the product stays clean-looking and in place. I usually get bleeding at the corners, but that is minimal with The Only 1 Matte lipsticks. Now even though these are long-lasting, I did have to re-apply them after eating a proper meal (but not after just eating a snack or drinking). So they didn't last all day, but probably around four or so hours for me.

I find these easy to apply without needing the definition of a lip liner, but some may prefer pointed tip lipsticks (I used to!). I like the rounded circle 'flat edge' shape and find I can define my cupids bow easily with it. With the darker shades I'll outline with liner first, time permitting, just because it's a bolder look so I want to ensure I've got a clean line!

I must say I'm not the biggest fan of the scent of these lipsticks. I must be getting more sensitive because it didn't bother me with the Rimmel The Only 1 collection! It's quite a strong sweet fruity scent, and I usually love fruity smells (lol), but it's just strange to have it on your lips. Luckily, that's the only drawback for me, and the colours, performance, look and feel of this range far outweighs the scent issue.

The colour pay-off is impressive and the nine shades in the collection are wearable, flattering and fun.  There's something for everyone I believe, even for the wild child out there (that purple!). I do have my favourites, so let's have a look at the swatches...

Photo taken in artificial light. Top to bottom: 110 - 810 in numerical order

Photo taken in natural light. Top to bottom: 110 - 810 in numerical order

Swatches (from top to bottom):

110 Leader Of The Pink

120 Call The Shots

200 Salute

500 Take The Stage

610 High Flyer

700 Trendsetter

750 Look Who's Talking

800 Run The Show

810 The Matte Factor

High Flyer is my all-time favourite shade and the first one I reached for when I received these in the mail. This is a dusty pink/mauve that I'm 100% comfortable wearing during the day as it looks so flattering on my pale skintone.

Salute is a pale nude pink, a my-lips-but-better shade for me. This one is a subtle look and is great for pairing with a smokey, emphasised eye. Perfect for daywear and popping down to the shops, as it's a no-hassle shade you can apply and forget about.

Trendsetter is a light brown nude, that much like Salute, I enjoy wearing during the day as an apply-and-forget about shade. This one tends to wear off me quicker than the darker shades.

Leader Of The Pink is probably my least favourite shade, as it's a candy, Barbie-like pink that I feel doesn't really suit me. It's quite feminine looking if that's your thing!

I love Call The Shots! It's a bright fuchsia that's bold, fun and super-flattering. I know I'll get a lot of use out of this shade. It's right up my alley!

Run The Show is an out-there purple that some people will love and some people would prefer to avoid I'm guessing! It's fun and I love that Rimmel have included such a unique colour. I don't know how much use I'll get out of it as I'll have to be in a certain type of mood to think I can pull it off! It's definitely fun and pretty though!

Take The Stage is a show-stopping bold sexy deep red. It's beautiful and would be perfect for an event or a night out on the town! Adore it!

The Matte Factor is a really dark, deep plummy red that looks super-dark on me because I'm so pale! This is a shade I'd have to be feeling quite bold to wear out!

And finally Look Who's Talking is a chocolate brown shade that would be great for the colder months. I think it would be a lot of people's cup of tea!

So to sum up, my picks would be High Flyer, Call The Shots and Take The Stage. I love that they've included such an interesting range of colours, and on the whole this range is a winner for me!

These babies are on sale now at Chemist Warehouse! I don't make any money if you click through and buy, just letting you know. LOL!

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Disclaimer: Products marked * were provided for editorial consideration. Reviews are my honest opinion. Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

What's your favourite colour in this range? Would you try these lipsticks?

WINNER ANNOUNCED: Valentine's Day Giveaway!

So my Valentine's Day Beauty Giveaway has come to an end and I am so thrilled with the response! I received way more entries, not to mention shares (thanks so much for those!) than I anticipated and want to thank everyone for their support!

As I mentioned on Facebook this morning, I performed the highly-technical method of writing out over 200 names and cutting them into even sized bits of paper and drawing one out of a hat (lol) followed by checking they followed the rules (they did). And the lucky winner is...

VICTORIA BLAGAICH!

I hope you love your prize, Victoria. CONGRATULATIONS!

I have been in contact with Victoria via Facebook message.

Don't worry if you didn't win, because I have more Giveaways coming! Thanks again everyone for your continued support and Happy Friday! xx

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Priceline HairCare Gift Bag!

Priceline are currently running their HairCare Gift Bag offer, and it's on until the 23rd of February, or while stocks last! Basically, if you spend at least $49 on any of the participating haircare brands (online or in-store), you get a free HairCare Gift Bag, filled with products worth over $260! Even better, all the participating brands are on sale, so you're saving while you buy as well.

Here are the participating haircare brands:

Essano ~ Batiste ~ Hask ~ Viviscal ~ Revlon ~ Anumi ~ Cedel ~ Colour Addict ~ OGX ~ Schwarzkopf ~ John Frieda ~ Biosilk ~ Pro:Voke ~ Garnier ~ L'Oreal ~ Pantene ~ Models Prefer ~ Scunci ~ Colab ~ Marc Anthony ~ Brite

I wasn't going to take up this offer (much like with their recent 40% Off Skincare sale; you can see what I bought in that promotion here lol) but once I saw Batiste was one of the participating brands, I knew I might as well, because I go through dry shampoo like a drag queen goes through false lashes. If I'm going to be buying it anyway, I might as well get it discounted and with a free gift bag of goodies!

Here's what I bought to qualify for the bag, and guys, I'm not entirely sure I got enough dry shampoo?

~ Schwarzkopf Super Styling Lacquer (Maximum Hold) 400g
~ Batiste Dry Shampoo XXL Volume 400ml
~ Batiste Dry Shampoo Plus Heavenly Volume 200ml (x 2)
~ Batiste Dry Shampoo Cherry 200ml

As for the Gift Bag, I didn't get time to check out the contents before my purchase, because I had Mr. 9 with me and he was bored beyond belief, so the best solution was to use him as a human calculator to reach my $49 (he loves maths, so this was a genius move on my part, haha) and hope that he didn't start complaining. So I was pleasantly surprised when I got home and saw the contents.

I feel as though this bag is geared towards blondes (which I am) with the Pro:Voke Touch of Silver Shampoo and Conditioner and the super-fun Schwarzkopf Live Colour Pastels in Cotton Candy Pink, perfect for blonde hair! Unfortunately my Brite Masque was Tea Tree + Mint for Strengthening instead of the Blackcurrant for Blonde Hair pictured on the Bag. I'm that one freak that loves the smell of Tea Tree though, so I'm by no means displeased with the alternate Masque inclusion.

I'm also happy with the full size Viviscal Gorgeous Growth Densifying Shampoo and the Garnier Fructis Full & Luscious Volume Booster Texturising Spray, as I always welcome products designed to inject volume into my fine hair.

There were also various vouchers to redeem for products and some for discounts off products, all with short redeeming dates, so I must remember to get in-store soon if I want to use any of them (not pictured, because I forgot).

The mini dry shampoos will come in handy for travelling, and all up, I'm happy with everything except the Colour Addict Spray In Hair Chalk, because I got BLUE. Not a nice, light pastel blue, but hardcore Marge Simpson blue. Haha, you can't win them all!

Don't forget to enter my Valentine's Day Beauty Giveaway on Facebook, it ends 22 February at midnight!

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Did you get the HairCare Gift Bag this time? What do you think of it?

GIVEAWAY: Valentine's Day Prize!

Hello and Happy Valentine's Day! If you don't already know, I'm running a Giveaway on my Facebook page where you can enter to WIN a beautiful, romantic prize! I thought I'd celebrate Valentine's Day by giving back to you, my readers and followers, to say thanks for your ongoing support!

It's an easy entry Giveaway and I'd love you to enter! Here's what you could win....

THE PRIZE

~ Cristina Re Jardin De White Lillies Candle
~ Mecca Cosmetica To Save Face SPF50+ Superscreen
~ The Forgotten Garden book by Kate Morton
~ Tresemme Keratin Smooth Heat Activated Hair Treatment
~ The Body Shop British Rose Hand Cream
~ The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Stain in Pink Guava
~ Kosmea Rescue Skin Collection


Click here to be taken to the entry post!


Don't forget to LIKE the Max The Unicorn Facebook page so your entry is valid!

Terms & Conditions
Ends February 22 at 11:59pm. Winner drawn 24 February.
Winner picked randomly.
Must have completed steps 1, 2 & 3 for valid entry.
Australian residents only please due to weight of prize (postage is included)
One entry per person.
Winner announced on the Max The Unicorn Facebook page and messaged or tagged if their settings allow.

GOOD LUCK!

Linking up with Monday Makeup Madness at Fabulous And Fun Life and Life This Week at Denyse Whelan Blogs!

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Review: Harvest Garden Coffee Goodness*!

Hello! Towards the end of last year I was lucky enough to be sent a package of mostly coffee-themed goodies from the lovely people at Harvest Garden. I'd previously tried this all natural brand after enjoying a Harvest Garden Lavender with Washed Australian Blue Clay Soap from the Bloggers United AU Adelaide Event Goody Bag. Soaps, shower gels and scrubs are some of my most favourite beauty products to try, I don't know why, but I've just always been super into them. Harvest Garden pride themselves on making skincare from natural ingredients, with no nasty additives. Today I'll be talking about the Coffee & Salt Soap*, Coffee Body Scrub with Brown Sugar, Cinnamon & Vanilla* and the Peppermint & Matcha Lip Balm.*

Coffee & Salt Soap*

'Ground coffee is a natural exfoliant and helps remove dead skin, while its properties help keep the skin fresh. Coffee can be beneficial in reducing cellulite as well. The massage and exfoliation benefits skin by stimulating blood/lymph flow and the caffeine in the coffee has a tightening effect. The addition of sea salt makes this bar work double time! The salt gives your skin a a deep cleanse by exfoliating dead skin cells and also has antiseptic qualities.'

I've really been enjoying this soap bar, especially because I've always loved exfoliating soaps. For ages I used the exfoliating Dove Beauty Bar and before that a lemon one that was oh-so-scratchy, but right up my alley. This Harvest Garden bar contains sea salt pieces that are quite abrasive, so you have to be careful no to apply too much pressure when soaping yourself. Personally, I love the 'scratchy' feeling as it gives your whole body a lovely massage and a satisfying 'scratching that itch' feeling. This is too harsh to use directly on the face, although it can be used gently on softer areas. I go to town on my thighs and upper arms because its said to reduce cellulite and the caffeine is supposed to tighten the skin, and Lord know I need help in those regions! This is quite a creamy soap that gives a medium lather. Interestingly, the ground coffee helps to eliminate garlic and onion odours, so I'd recommend keeping it in the kitchen for washing your hands after making French Onion Soup or throwing garlic cloves at vampires. The ingredients include sea salt, coffee beans, beeswax and coconut, macadamia nut, sweet almond and extra virgin olive oils.

Harvest Garden also make many other fabulous sounding soaps including Sweet Orange & Cinnamon with Saffron; Rosemary & Tea Tree with Comfrey; Lemongrass, Olive Leaf Extract & Ground Flaxseed and Honey & Oatmeal. You can also buy a Soap Slices Sampler Pack so you can try multiple soaps!

Coffee Body Scrub with Brown Sugar, Cinnamon & Vanilla*

'Refreshingly sweet and spicy and packed full of botanical extracts, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Designed to tighten and tone your skin, buff away dead skin cells, draw out impurities and leave your skin soft and glowing.'

I must admit, after ripping open the top of the packet, I had a bit of difficulty opening the seal on this, but it may just have been my lack of upper body strength/general ineptitude! The good news is that it seals well, meaning no product will spill out and get wasted. The first thing that hits you is an overwhelmingly delicious and strong coffee scent! This scrub is a deep dark brown and it's packed in there like the way brown sugar sits in the packet; all stuck together but soft and malleable. It's quite a moist mixture and there's a combination of smaller and larger scrubby particles. This scrub feels great and smells amazing (it's a really strong coffee aroma, seriously!) and is nowhere near as abrasive as the Coffee & Salt Soap. Afterwards my skin felt so smooth and soft, as well as nourished and super moisturised! When rinsing it off, the water formed little droplets on my skin, as if there was an oily residue, but none could be felt whatsoever. Instead, my skin just felt really clean and healthy, and smelled delicious! The ingredients in this scrub include coffee beans, brown sugar, certified organic raw sugar, sweet almond oil, Vitamin E, cinnamon powder, licorice root extract and Vanilla Oleoresin. If you hit up this page on the Harvest Garden website it tells you what each ingredient does and its benefits.

Other delicious-sounding Harvest Garden scrubs include Coconut Body Polish with Rosehip & Pomegranate and the Matcha Body Scrub with Peppermint, Passionflower & Bamboo.

Peppermint & Matcha Lip Balm*

'This soothing blend of butters and oils moisturises, repairs and protects your lips. Enriched with shea butter for added nourishment, peppermint for its cooling sensation and matcha green tea for its antioxidant benefits.'

Another winner from Harvest Garden! This balm has a strong peppermint scent and is so refreshing and cooling upon application. I've been using it first thing in the morning and last thing at night before going to bed, to keep my lips moisturised overnight. I also love to use it at the start of my makeup routine, to soften and prepare my lips for the lip products that will follow! You could easily wear this out on its own if you're that way inclined, as it has a nice shiny finish with a slight shimmer. I don't know it it's just me, but some lip balms make me cough; I'm pleased to say this balm doesn't trigger any coughing, which is why I love wearing it to bed. The only negative is that the winder no longer winds the product back down, so I have to push it down with my finger after use. But this is a minor quibble and for a balm that only costs $6 and has everything else going for it, I don't really mind. Along with shea butter, matcha green tea and peppermint, this also contains sweet almond oil, macadamia nut oil, Vitamin E and essential oils.

If this flavour doesn't take your fancy, they also make Orange, Ginger & Turmeric; Tinted Rose & Pomegranate and the refreshing-sounding Pink Grapefruit & Passionflower lip balms!

You can buy these products and more from the Harvest Garden website.

Linking up with Monday Makeup Madness at Fabulous And Fun Life and Life This Week at Denyse Whelan Blogs!

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Disclaimer: Products marked * were provided for editorial consideration. Reviews are my honest opinion. Links are for information purposes only and are not affiliates (I don't make any money if you buy using the links). Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

Have you tried any Harvest Garden products and if so, what did you think of them?

Max My Movies: January Round-Up!

I feel like I haven't blogged about movies in so long, even though I've been watching a heap of them lately! Sometimes I get caught up in all the beauty posts and forget that I love writing about films too. So below is every movie I saw in January (can you believe it's already February, by the way? Crazy!). Let me know if you've seen any of these and your thoughts on it in the comments!

1. The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty
This had been on my Watch List for a while so I was thrilled when I saw it was screening on TV. I do love me a bit of Ben Stiller and Kristen Wiig, and this movie had just the right amount of quirk, wit and heart. Stunning scenery added beauty to this already visually-appealing adventure fantasy. Loved it!

2. Monster Trucks*
I received an Invite to see a preview of Monster Trucks with my family, and I honestly went along expecting, well, monster trucks! It does have monster trucks but not the normal type! I was pleasantly surprised with this family-friendly flick. There's a few familiar faces, like Rob Lowe as a baddie, Danny Glover and Barry Pepper, along with young Jared Padalecki lookalike Lucas Till in the lead role.

3. Celeste & Jesse Forever
I'd seen this once before and for some reason remembered it fondly instead of the massive sob-fest it actually is! Yes, I love Andy Samberg and am a huge Brooklyn Nine-Nine fan, so I had to give this another whirl when it came on TV. It's realistic, it's beautiful, but it's just so damn sad. I cried like a big baby and vowed to never watch Celeste & Jesse Forever ever again!

4. Now You See Me
Another film I'd been meaning to see ever since its release! For some reason I want to watch everything Jesse Eisenberg is in, despite him completely sucking as Lex Luther Jr in the already bad Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The cast of Now You See Me is an interesting mix; Isla Fisher, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine, Dave Franco, Woody Harrelson, Morgan Freeman, the aforementioned Eisenberg and French actress Melanie Laurent. I quite enjoyed this ride and will definitely see the sequel.

5. Trolls
I saw this with my son along with Sing, and it was a really great movie double. This colourful family film is cheerful, uplifting and great for kids. The music is really good; as a Cyndi Lauper fan, I really enjoyed the cover of True Colors. Justin Timberlake was the Executive Producer of the film's music, and his talent shines through. Little girls in particular would love Trolls!

6. Sing
Oh My Lordy, this was a fun school holiday movie! I think I loved it more than Mr 9 did. The story is pretty basic, but the singing and the choice of songs is brilliant, and made for a highly entertaining and enjoyable film. Fun for all the family!

7. Fantastic Four
This is a terrible movie. I watched this with hubby because he's into everything superhero, so I am too, because, you know, that's what happens when you have a partner. Even he said how bad this was and he's biased. Just god-damn awful.

8. Premium Rush
Aah yes! Premium Rush was the perfect popcorn movie for a lazy night in. First of all you can't go wrong with Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the lead (am I right, ladies?), then the rest was non-stop action that required absolutely no thinking. Yes, I'll watch a bunch of super-fit hotties cycle at breakneck speed whilst I lay on the couch downing a box of Cheezels. That's arm lifts, after all!

9. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
So we saw this in Gold Class with the reclining chairs and the gourmet food and drink and whatnot, and thank goodness, because I'm just not that into Star Wars. Star Trek, yes, but not Star Wars. I try, I really do, but at some point (after seeing countless Star Wars movies) I think I'll have to accept the fact and move on. Also, Ben Mendelsohn really pissed me off as Krennic and apparently that was Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso in the lead.

10. La La Land
I am still getting over this. Don't get me wrong, it's a wonderful, magical film, filled with singing, dancing, jazzy music, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. It's well acted, directed and all the rest and it's long, but never drags (which is a surefire sign of a good movie) and it's winning awards left right and centre, but BOY that ending. Why, why, why?? WHY?? This will win so many Oscars though.

11. The Adjustment Bureau
This was my second viewing of The Adjustment Bureau. Matt Damon is such a captivating leading man, and even though I'm not the biggest Emily Blunt fan, I still enjoyed re-watching this. It's got action, intrigue, a great story, romance... pretty much everything you need for movie night, Watch it next weekend, and don't forget your hat!

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Disclaimer: *I received a Family Pass to attend the preview screening of Monster Trucks. Reviews are my honest opinion. Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

Seen any good movies lately?

Mecca Beauty Loop Level 2 Box!

Last Friday I proudly picked up my Level 2 Beauty Loop box from Mecca Cosmetica in the city. I say proudly, because this was the first time I realised there was no need to actually print out the email and present it in-store, and that in fact, showing my Beauty Loop card would suffice. LOL. Yeah, the fact that I print out emails onto actual paper instead of showing them on my phone is a whole other matter that I won't go into (*cough* I never do email on my phone *cough*).

If you're wondering how this Level 2 box compares to the last one, you can read my post where I show you the contents of that box here. And if you have NFI what I'm talking about in the first place, you can read about Mecca's Beauty Loop program here.

Let's take a look at what was inside my Level 2 box!

NARS Liquid Laguna Bronzer (4ml)
Kate Somerville Goat Milk Moisturising Cream (7.5ml)
Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm sachet (2ml)
By Terry Liftessence Serum, Eye Contour & Daily Cream sachets (2ml, 2g, 2g)

If you're eligible for a Level 2 box, Mecca classify you as a 'Beauty Devotee' by the way!

'As a Beauty Devotee, you are immersed in the world's best in beauty. And just like us, you love to hear about the latest beauty trends, breakthroughs and products'.

The most exciting product for me is the NARS Laguna Liquid Bronzer, because it's a cult shade that I've never tried (all of these products are new to me actually!). However I think it's the powder bronzer in Laguna that has reached cult status, but I'm still keen to give this liquid version a go!

I've tried some other Kate Somerville skincare samples from previous Beauty Loop boxes, namely ExfoliKate and EradiKate which I quite liked, so I'm happy to see how the Kate Somerville Goat Milk Moisturiser goes. At least it's not called MoisturKate!

Omorovicza is a brand I've never even heard of and can barely type so I have absolutely no expectations with this Omorovicza Cleansing Balm from Budapest! Other than it being thermal, so I assume it heats up when you rub it in. Much like the grumpy AF Steve Price on I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here. I implore you all to watch this horrendous/brilliant showcase of z-grade 'talent', it's trainwreck telly at its very best/worst.

The By Terry trio of skincare sample sachets will come in handy, although I've just realised I haven't used my By Terry sample from the last Beauty Loop Box, the ridiculously-named Terrybly Densiliss Primer. Seriously, why do brands feel obliged to shove their name into the product titles?! Knock that shit off!

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What do you think of this box? If you've blogged about your Beauty Loop box link it up below, I'd love to have a read!