I'M BACK!

Hello!

Just a very quick post to let you know that I am back from New York & armed with a TONNE of make up! Caused serious damage in Sephora...

Expect lots of posts over the next few days about what I bought but for now I must sleep. Am incredibly exhausted!

Tomorrows entry will be all about nail polishes...I bought quite a few *looks sheepish*

Until tomorrow! x




-- Post From My iPhone

MY DAILY MAKE UP ROUTINE

*Still in NYC* (another pre NYC post to keep this blog ticking!)

Anyway...I am always curious to know what everyone's make up routines are...so before I ask you what yours is, I thought I would share mine!

AM

* Wash face with Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish
* Moisturise with Estee lauder Day Wear
* Foundation MUFE HD in 125

I've been keeping my make up routine dead simple the last few weeks so all I use is:

* Urban decay liquid eyeliner to cat eye myself
* Gosh mascara
* MUFE concealer palette under eyes etc
* Benefit powderflage to set concealer (I quite like this now!)
* Benetint on cheeks & lips
* Benefit high beam on brow bone and top of cheek bones

Think that's it for AM.

MIDDAY

I don't really do a lot of make up touch ups...I ocassionally apply some face powder (Mac Mineralize) and lipgloss (Mac tinted lip conditioners, Lavena lip balm). If I am wearing lippy it's usually Mac Bare slimshien or Mac red lipstick.

OH and lashings of Solar balm for my nails!

PM

I take off the whole lot with Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish.
If I have blemishes the it's a dab of Liz Earle's Spot On.
I also use my Neals Yard Frankincense cream as a night one :)
Just before bed I apply a bit of Carmex to my lips and the Qtica Cuticle cream to my nails :)

Phew!
Please so share your routine, I would love to know what everyone is using :)

MY FIRST MAC PURCHASE...PERVETTE LIPSTICK

Ok so I have written a few small blog entries to tide this blog over just in case I don't get any time to blog from NYC.

So tonight I thought I would share with you my first Mac product.

I was "Pervette" lipstick and at the time I adored it. This was back in the day when Mac was still an independent Canadian make up company...an AGEEEEEEEEEEE back.

Anyway, I still have the original lipstick (don't use it mind!) but thought I would share!

What was your first Mac product? Would love to know!

MAC DUTY FREE HAUL...

I didn't get as much as I had planned as the Heathrow stall doesn't stock all the products...so that means no shade sticks or certain brushes.

I did get the following though:

*Dubonnet lipstick
A subtle red for me so we shall see how this goes!

* Plumage eyeshadow
I really love this shade, a lovely deep forest green

* Cherry lip liner
Always good to have lots of red liners!

Anyway!Sorry it's so short but am just about to board!


-- Post From My iPhone

START SPREADING THE NEWS...I'M LEAVING TODAY!

Hello!

Am super excited to say that I shall be heading off to NYC today! ARGHHH!!!!

I haven't had a decent holiday in two years so I am really looking forward to getting out of London and just exploring a new city :)

Needless to day I have a MASSIVE wishlist for Sephora and I know I shall be discovering more things I didn't realise I needed whilst I am over there. Expect lots of nail polish haulage and lashings of lipstick!

I have also purchased a teeny tiny camcorder so I can get a little vlog going when I return. Its insanely cute so I can't wait to try it out.

Sooooo...I shall try my best to blog whilst I am away, free wifi permitting, but I shall be back and blogging properly on the 30th September.

EEEEEEeeeeee!!! Am SOOOO excited!

Before I go back to packing, I thought I would share with you my travel wash bag. It's an Anya Hindmarch design for British Airways but I love that it has Tower Bridge on. Got to remind myself of home :)

See you all soon! x

SPEND VS SPREE! SLEEK MAKE UP POUT POLISH

As you may probably already know I am really digging the Sleek Make Up range in Superdrug. I love the "Wonderlast Lip Gloss" immensely as well as the palettes they have been releasing.

SOOOOO when they released "Pout Polish", I just had to give it a whirl!

They remind me of Mac's Tinted Lip Conditioners as the pout polishes are basically tinted lip glosses with the added bonus of SPF15, YAY!

The colour you get from the Pout Polishes is subtle and delicate, so they give your lips a cute little flattering tint. They are also quite glossy but without the sticky factor that tends to come hand in hand with any lip product that gives gloss.

The one thing I am not too keen on is the flavour. I think it's because I don't like Vanilla much but if you dig vanilla way hey! You're going to love the flavour of these!

The Pout Polishes come in 4 shades and the one I got was "electro peach" which is very similar to Mac Hello Kitty's "popster" but at a fraction of the price!

So yes! If you're tempted by Mac Lip Conditioners but want a purse friendly alternative, I would recommend you try a Pout Polish (or two!).

PUSHY SALES FOLK MAKE ME GRR!

I have to have a little rant again. I hope you don't mind.

Tonights rant results from a few lunch time experiences I've had when visiting a certain stationery store...that also has a sales team who have a little pitch to sell make up.

Yep, stationery store that sells make up. Not exacty the kind of place that you'd usually associate with beauty. Ok maybe for the beauty magazines but not for the actual slap!

Anyway, I had to visit this store a few times last week for craft items and I've been harassed by this so called make up team on both occasions.
I don't mind being introduced to new make up, in fact I am usually estatic to discover new products. But when I've got pushy sales staff in my face going "Do you like make up? What you don't like make up??!!" I'm not going to be impressed. Especially when it's a man who doesn't look like he knows the first THING about make up. THAT and having bitchy female staff who are rude about you because you are not interested in hearing their sales pitch.

Erugh it really irritates me!*stamps foot*

As always I am very interested to hear your stories so please do share :)

-- Post From My iPhone

NAIL CARE UPDATE!

I've tried to refrain from bombarding my blog with nail related posts, but though tonight I would give you a quick update!

The right hand is on the road to recovery. Nails are still weak and I've had a few splits along the way, but no biggy as I knew from looking at them that this was going to happen.

Left hand has healthy looking talons bar my middle finger which has a bit of flaking. *sigh*

I have since moved on from "Nail Eat" to "Nail Drink", although Nail Drink isn't convincing me much (but I haven't really given it a chance!) so I've hopped along to Qtica's "Nail Accelerator" which is slightly freaking me out.

You see it claims to promote nail growth of up to a quarter inch in 14 days. I've been using it for the last 7 days and the other day I was wondering why I was having to file my nails down so much. Hmmm...I think I will give it another 7 days before I can confirm any solid results :) I'll keep you posted!

All in all I am loving having natural nails again. It's a freaking challenge let me tell ya but the results are looking GOOD!

MY SIGNATURE AUTUMN FRAGRANCE

Scent is a very particular thing to me. I have an incredibly sensitive nose and it comes to finding the perfect perfume; it can be quite an arduous task.

I am definitely one who has her signature scents...oh yes! But before I warble on about all the different fragrances I have for different seasons, let's just get to the point!

It's Autumn, and with the falling leaves, out comes my beloved bottle of "Spellbound" by Estee Lauder.

Now first off let me warn you, Spellbound is not for the girly, florally, FRESH folk *shakes head*. It is instead a very spicy, warm and divinely mature fragrance. Think wood cabins, Christmas scents and yummy things like mulled wine. Mmmmm!

It's definitely unique and not to everyone's taste but I have been wearing this fragrance every Autumn and Winter for about ten years. It just evokes so many memories now that I guess you could say it is quite bewitching. A fitting name then :)

So that is my Autumn fragrance over and done with! Do you have one too? Let me know!

BLOG AWARDS!

I've been deliberately keeping this post back because a simple task like thinking of 10 interesting facts about oneself is pretty darn daunting!

BUT! As I've now received this award from the lovely Claireloise ,cosmeticsmile-x and Leanne (so sorry I forgot to add you!)I really can't be lame about it so here goes!

10 facts about me (whether they are interesting begs to be queried!)

1) I have an obsession with Japanese fashion. BIG TIME. My favourite Japanese brand is "Emily Temple Cute", but I love all things egl (Elegant Gothic Lolita). However, I break all the "lolita" rules...!

2) I have an art background and once had one of my photographs published in "In Style" Magazine. The shot was of Roisin Murphy.

3) I went on tour with a band for a month around the UK and Europe. A completely unique experience as I slept on the roadie bus...rock on!

4) I have a vast collection of vintage costume jewellery which I started from a young age. My mum use to sell jewellery which I pocketed every weekend ;)

5) I have been dying my hair since I was 17. It has been all shades of red but also a bright hot pink, fuschia, blue and a few shades of purple.

6) My favourite foods include raspberries (!), roasted hot flavoured seaweed, sushi and anything my mum & my lovely cook for me.

7) My favourite drinks include hot: fresh mint tea, cold: bubble teas (!) & aloe vera drinks, alcoholic: mojitos & shochu!

8) One thing I desperately want to see is FIREFLIES. I want to walk into a field, wait for the sun to set and then see the little bugs take to the skies.

9) I use to play the violin and reached grade 6. I can also play the drums at a basic level.

10) I was once in a music video. In fact I actually got roped into it. The band made me do it! See! I look scared! Watch the video here

Sorry if that was a bit lame! I'm really no good talking about myself *shakes head*.

Erm I think everyone I'd like to tag has already done this so if you haven't done this post/received this award before...am passing it on to you! *brandishes award whilst constantly looking over shoulder to make sure Kanye West isn't planning a surprise attack* ;)

MY MAC DUTY FREE SHOPPING LIST

I've been trying to be SOOO good saving for this New York trip, but seeing as it's only JUST round the corner, I thought I would share with you my Mac shopping list for the airport!

Not an awful lot but enough to keep me entertained before I hop on the plane:

1) "Beyond Jealous" nail polish (if it's still available!)

2) 272 angled brush

3) Slimshine "bare". I go through these like nobody's business!

4) "Dubonnet" red lipstick. Possibly "Lady Bug" too.

5) "Redd" lip liner to replace the liner I lost!

6) "sharkskin" shade stick (possibly).

Think that's about it although this is SOOOOO subject to change!

If you have any recommendations please let me know :)

LOVING COOL RESERVE!

Just a quick post to let you know how much I am loving Mac's nail polish in "Cool Reserve". It's just a very pretty shade that on first inspection can be easily over looked.

Good job I have beauty bloggers like Lollipop26 as total enablers who often alert me to products I didn't know I needed!

"Cool Reserve" is just a nice flat grey/purple. Muted and a lovely calming colour. I can't describe it very well am afraid but I am often admiring my fingernails throughout the day!

I am also very much want the green shade "beyond jealous" but I think I might try my luck at the airport next week. In fact, I think I will have to take a list of things I want from Mac *nods*.

Can't believe I'm off to NYC so soon!

THE PRE NYC RULES (mini haul)

So I've set myself some little rules about my make up purchasing, purely because I know I am going to be literally hauling a vast amount of products back from NYC (uber excited!)!

These rules go as follows:

Purchases can only be made if the item is a) limited edition and b) can't be found in New York.

Which has basically restricted me to buying only from UK brands. In some ways this is quite intriguing as brands such as Collection 2000 are often overlooked.

So anyway! Here is what I bought this week:

Collection 2000 purple eyeliner. Super cheap and not a gappy glitter liner if you get what I mean...



Boots Number 17 green glitter eyeshadow. Not really glittery but a lovely shade all the same. Another cheap and cheerful purchase.

Mac nail polish in Cool Reserve. I couldn't wait 2 weeks to get Metro Chic...
Boots No7 nail Polishes in Betty Blues and Damson Dream.My friend told me Betty Blue was a simple MUST and therefore I was sold.

I also purchased a Collection 2000 nail polish purely for the name, "BMX Bandit"...oh yeah! Also a few items from Inglot (found out I can get 20% off!), but they gave me the wrong gel liner so I have to take it back...grrrrr! Review to follow shortly.

Last but not least, and not make up but hey! Here I am preparing for autumn, and one of the things I LOVE to purchase is "different" hats. I saw this bear hat in River Island and fell in love...immediately.

I also love gloves in a huge way...gloves, mittens, hand warmers...everything. These black hand warmers appealed to me majorly and were a snip at £7.99 from H&M.

MAKE UP COUNTERS & HYGIENE

Tonight I must have a little rant. Seriously, I really must.

I've just been to Selfridges, meandering round the make up counters, and I couldn't help but notice a few girls hovered round the Mac counter applying a full face of make up on. Lipsticks, mascara, eyeliners, you name it, they tried it, and my whole self just shuddered.

In my head I just couldn't help but think of the hundreds of people who had passed through that counter, doing the same thing, and when you're jabbing a kohl pencil to line your waterline, conjuntivitis should be the first thing that springs to mind.

Then you have lipstick = coldsores.

Heck if I wanted to go the whole hog can I throw in Swine flu too?

I don't want to sound like a complete and utter clean freak but seriously, whats wrong with just testing on the back of the hand?

What about oh I dunno...buying your own make up and applying slap on in the girls loos?

I'm sorry but you will never catch me applying a tester lipstick to my lips. No sir. You can keep your lurgies to yourself!

What does everyone think about this? Be interesting to hear your stories too. I like stories I do ;)

A BEAUTY GOODY BAG FROM THE DENTIST?

My beloved went to the dentist this week and came back with a little goody bag of beauty products to try.

WTF?! I KNOW! WHAT dentist gives away beauty products to their patients eh? Bizarre and the mind boggles.

Anyway, he was adorably sweet and gave his little bundle to my all-too-eager-to-receive mitts. *blush*

Inside were two little vials of bath oils from Aromatherapy Associates, one relaxing and one reviving. Mmmm I LOVE their bath oils! I think I might stash these away for NYC as a treat after a hard days sight seeing! If you want a serious bath treat, check this range out. Insanely aromatastic and just pure lux.

The bundle also contained a lip balm and travel size hand cream from a organic and natural brand called "Lavera".
Now I've never tried any of their products out before. Always seen them for sale in health stores but never really felt the urge to try any.

First comment to make...I LOVE the hand cream. A little bit goes a long way and it is sooo lovely and moisturising. It passes the 30 second rule with flying colours and also has an unobtrusive scent, delicate and clean. I LOVE it and think I will definitely be buying a full size to sit on my desk at work :)

The lip balm is also fab. It's not a greasy, slimy oily concoction as it's free from mineral oils. In fact, Lavera products are free from synthetic preservatives and fragrances so definitely one to check out if you have sensitive skin!

Lastly, and not a product but a chocolate bar. Serious bafflement going on...a dentist that gives beauty products and CHOCOLATE? Where's the tooth paste eh? Or the floss?

Very strange but am happy to be the receiver of such lovely products to try!

Thanks very much my monkey. x

DIY: BAKING SODA SCRUB

So yesterday was tea bags and tonight it's baking soda!

If I had planned this better (or in fact actually MADE a plan!) I would have done a themed "DIY" week *ponders what she can write for the rest of the week*...Hmmmm!

Anyway, I spent the evening round my friend Damaris' flat and she showed me her favourite beauty products and also told me a few of her beauty tips.

Seriously, this girl's bathroom had a small resemblance to a kitchen as amongst the Creme De La Mer was also Olive Oil, Vitamin E capsules and Baking Soda.

See I haven't even done the aspirin face mask let alone dabble with baking soda but Damaris made me dip my fingers into her pot of baking soda, mix it with water to form a paste and then scrub the back of my hand for a few seconds before washing off.

Results? Whoa! The difference between my left and and my right hand was crazy. I didn't even think that the soda was particularly abrasive but the results spoke for themselves.

I've since got home and tried it as a face scrub. Fingers crossed my skin doesn't break out over night. I'll keep you posted on this one!

DIY: FIXING A SPLIT NAIL WITH A TEABAG...

Don't Monday's just seem so come round FAR too quickly? *huge sigh*

Anyway, so you know this nail growth mission I've given myself? Well it's been just over three weeks and whilst the left hand seems to stable, the right unfortunately is still in critical condition. Nail doctors said the thumb and index finger might not pull through...!

Drama. That's what nail growing feels like in a wonderfully exaggerated way.

Fact is though, I have been nurturing them every day, lashings of Solar oil, a fresh coat of Nail Eat and a good night time dose of Qtica cuticle cream.

BUT TODAY I NOTICE A SPLIT!

Of course it just HAD to be one of those wretched way far down splits, and on my thumb no less. The ones that just take FOREVER to grow out.

GGGRRRRR!!!

Anyway, I remembered a nail tip I read ages ago on some website where they basically said if you get a split you can fix it with household stuff...in this case it was a tiny piece of tea bag paper.

So I've basically snipped a corner off one of my Camomile Teas and attempted to perform nail surgery.
I guess it's similar to nail wraps. What I did was cut two teeny tiny strips, paint Nail Eat on, place one strip across going horizontal, applied another coat of Nail Eat, apply second strip across but vertical this time, and then another coat of Nail Eat.

Sounds bizarre but it's actually looking ok. Besides, I will be applying nail colour over it so hopefully won't be SO obvious. The split is just too far down to cut so I hope this will suffice until it grows out!

The things we do for beauty eh?
Wish me luck!

MY TOP 10 MOST USED MAC PRODUCTS!

So in NYC preparation I was pondering what beauty products I should take with me (I will be hauling a LOT!), which in turn got me thinking about Mac, which then lead to this post!

So yes! Here are my Top 10 most used Mac items:

1) M.A.C RED LIPSTICK
My Holy Grail of red lipsticks. Nothing makes me feel more glamorous and dolled up than this little tube of lovely.

2) Blacktrack Fluidline
My staple smokey eye ingredient! I heart everything about this product, the texture, the pigment...EVERYTHING.

3) Dame Powder Blusher
I rarely use powdered blusher (I prefer stains), but this one is just fool proof. You will never load too much of this blusher on and it's just super subtle and natural. Much love.

4) Naked Pigment
I call this the "corrector". It helps smooth harsh lines and blend colours into my skin...my gradient pigment ;)

5) Mineralize Skin Finish Natural (in Light medium)
I use this during the day to touch up my base. It's light weight on the skin and I don't feel like it's a pore clogger gremlin.

6)219 brush
Another staple for smokey eye app. My beloved pencil brush smudges the blacktrack nicely.

7) 226 brush
I LOVEEEE this brush and use it every day for applying shadow to my crease. It's the absolute perfect size for the job.

8) 239 brush
Staple, staple, STAPLE brush for me. Use it every day to apply eyeshadow all over my lids. Having said that I might get the 272 soon...so it might replace the 239).

9) 227 brush
Big and fluffy and perfect for using with Naked pigment! Helps smooth out harsh lines and again, perfect for the smokey ol eyes.

10) Now photo shows 188 brush but I want to replace it with Vapour eyeshadow!
I love vapour! It's my eyeshadow of choice to team with red lips. My go to lazy eyeshadow. My easy peesy.

ANDDDD to make this post a bit more interactive I think I'll throw in some TAGS :)

I would like to tag the following for this post:
Lollipop26
Zoella
Aquaheart
Lola
Hazeleyes
ClaireEloise (I've still got to do yours!)

BEAUTY HEAVEN & HELL (part 2)

Good evening fellow beauty addicts! Tonight I thought I would do another "Beauty Heaven & Hell (basically Ins & Outs!) part deux!

I really like reading what everyone's ins and outs are so I hope you enjoy mine :)

BEAUTY HEAVEN

1) Zoom Nail Food
OMGosh I am loving the Nail Food system! I'm still painting my way through Nail Eat (which is for strengthening nails) and it's definitely made them much stronger and resistant to breaks. HORRAY!

2) Barry M Natural Dazzle
I don't do bronzers usually...BUT! I bought this after watching a Misschevious YT video and have to say I really really love this bronzer. Really good for the mornings to perk oneself up!

3) Bourjois Glass nail file
My first glass nail file was unbearable to use. Think scratching finger nails down blackboard...horrific.
This one however, is a pleasure to use plus its pink and only cost a few pounds :)

4) Mac eyeshadow in "star violet"
I bought this years ago and have just started to wear it again. Bought if after seeing a MUA wearing it. She first covered her eyelids in black Kohl before patting this shadow on. The effect is really sultry. Perfect for Autumn!

5) Liz Earle skin care products
Still raving about this! I really can't get over how quickly Cleanse & Polish sorted my skin out! Incredible.

Now for the not so angelic...funny enough not really much product bashing (ok just a few!).

BEAUTY HELL

1) Dermalogica Ultra Calming Cleanser
Everything about this cleanser is wrong. It doesn't cleanse effectively, it has no smell and the packaging sucks BIG TIME.

2) Chipped nail polish
Oh this really grates, this really grates proper. I like my nails to be immaculate and the teensy tiniest chip irritates me immensely.

3) Mac collections
I hate to say it but I am just not inspired by any of the new collections Mac have brought out. I mean, take the new polishes for example, they are nothing spectacular. This is MAC...experimental colour crazies! Well, least that's what I use to think. Really hoping Style Black is a FAB one!

4) Blemishes
Oh gosh these are so depressing are they not? My forehead seems to be harbouring more than I am comfortable with. BUT!I've got the pesky little terrors shrinking mighty fine with Spot On ;)

5) Lack of Beauty Sleep
I am increasingly lacking sleep during the week and despite the best make up brands and HG products...nothing is going to do a better job than a decent nights sleep! (she says as she looks at the clock...by eck and I still need to get a good hours worth of Sookie Stackhouse reading!).

THIS CLEANSER SAVED MY SKIN! Review: Liz Earle

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend! Here in the UK we had our last bank holiday of the year but thankfully yesterday was a BEAUTIFULLY hot day!

So yes, no blog entry on Monday but I'm back & super excited to tell you about my reignited love for Liz Earle products!

As you may know I have been using Dermalogica's Ultra Calming Cleanser. Erugh. Where do I start? It made my skin come up in spots is where I'll flipping well start!
I just don't think it cleansed well or deep enough. It also wasn't a pleasure to use as there was no scent & it felt like smearing that watery glue you get in school on your face...

So yes! I had terrible skin. The worst complexion in ages & I needed clear skin again & pronto! Yeah, it had something to do with a boy & wanting to look ones best!

I got a free "cleanse & polish" last time I visited the Liz Earle store down Kings Road so started to give it a whirl and my gosh I fell in love again!

I use to use this cleanser a lot when I was in uni but you know how it is...always seduced by new products...so eventually moved on.
Why??! I have no idea. Using it again, the creamy texture, the incredible scent (this is what a cleanser should smell like!) and the fact that it's packed with natural goodness is why makes this cleanser so right.

All that PLUS the fact that my skin started to show improvements in two days!

I love it. I can't sing it enough praise. Oh wait! Yes I can! It removes waterproof mascara!

HA!

I love it so much I popped into the store over the weekend after a trip to the Saachi Art Gallery ( wanted to see the squishy people) & bought the Young Skin package. Click here for more info.

'Spot On" is a wonder cure. Blemishes are healing and shrinking oh so nicely. HORRAY!

Fab deal me thinks!




-- Post From My iPhone