Another FOTD

Oh look 3rd FOTD in a row, gosh I am inspiring at the minute, and to be even less inspiring this one is basically just copying Kandee Johnsons wedding make up video. Personally I think Kandee is bit of nut case, but she does gorgeous make up and decided to give this one a go. Oh in case your wondering why I am doing so many FOTD's, basically its payday next week so no money to haul, although I am putting a ban on buying make up for a while as I have to save up for the 3DS, and I have nothing new to review because I use the same stuff for years at a time, so FOTD's it is whilst I have fun experimenting with make up! Enough ramble, FOTD time:

Now for this look I am actually cakes in foundation and went quite heavy on the blush, but it still doesn't show up too much on camera!

Face: YSL Foundation - Opal MAC Moisture Select Concealer - NW20 NARS Bronzer - Laguna NARS Blusher - Desire MAC Cream Colour Base - Pearl

Eyes: MAC Cream Colour Base - Pearl MAC E/S - Dazzlelight MAC E/S - Scene MAC E/S- Carbon MAC E/S - Wedge (for eyebrows) MAC E/L - Feline Dior Mascara - Dior Show Blackout

Lips: MAC L/L - Stone MAC L/L - Subculture MAC L/S - Pink Nouvea MAC L/G - Viva Glam Gaga

So yea lots of make up used. I also strengthened my hair for the first time in ages, it feels a bit weird and not really me, but I feel very pretty today, until I put on my hooters top, then I felt a bit like a porn star, but anyway here is a picture of the complete look with my straight hair:

Can't wait to get the split ends cut off! Hope your all having a great weekend!

Experimental FOTD

So today I watched XSparkages new video which is loosely based on a Katy Perry make up look, so seeing as I had the day off today and didn't have to go out in public I decided to do a look loosely based on Katy Perry and Xsparkage, here is how it turned out:

I love how flawless my skin looks in these pictures, because in reality its blemishes galore! Anyway onto the products I used. Eyes: A mixture of Inglot shadows Illamasqua Precision Ink in Abyss I was clever enough to forget mascara :( MAC Feline Kohl For the brown dots, MAC Teddy Kohl Face: YSL Teint Radiance (I got it wrong the other day, sorry!) Foundation in Opal MAC Moisture Select Concealer in NW20 MAC Ripe Peach Blush Ombre (just the pink part) MAC Wedge as a contour colour Lips: MAC Stone Lipliner MAC Myth Lipstick

I had quite a lot of fun with this look and really enjoyed the results of the eyeliner, but I think even if I toned it down it would still be quite unwearable. Anyway if you haven't checked out Xsparkages latest tutorial I recommend you do!

Woodwinked FOTD

So MAC's Woodwinked is a product that loads of people seem to rave about, but one that I never used to get on with, mainly because every time I used it I seemed to look very ill (as in the picture below):

Because of the fact it made me look ill, it was pushed to the back of my make up drawer for a while, but recently my friend Rachel (allthingsrachy) has been using it a lot, which has made me decide to give it another go, and I think I have finally got the hang of using it and I quite like the effect I get with it now, so here is my Woodwinked FOTD:

So I used: Face: YSL Teint Resiste Foundation - Opal MAC Moisture Select Concealer - NW20 NARS Bronzer - Laguana MAC Blush - Bite of an apple Eyes: MAC Shadow - Woodwinked MAC Shadow - Wedge MAC Shadow- Twinks MAC Cream Colour Base - Pearl Illamasqua Precision Ink - Abyss Helena Rubenstein Mascara- Feline Black MAC Kohl - Teddy Lips: MAC Liner - Stone MAC Kissable Lip Colour - Woo Me

MAC Creamblend Blush Swatches

So my lovely friend Rachel got the MAC Cremeblend blush in Something Special, and of course anything she gets I need pretty much, so obviously I went and bought it. I also have So Sweet, So Easy which I got in a old collection, but has been re released with the latest cremeblend blushes so I thought it would be handy to do swatches and pictures of the ones I have in case anyone is interested in them.So on the left is So Sweet, So easy, which is a bright bubblegum pink, and on the right is Something Special, which is more of a coral pink. Sorry that they are both clearly used!

And here are the swatches, in the same order. So Sweet So Easy is a lot more vibrant, so you only need a tiny bit. I love it for girly looks though. Something Special is a gorgeous colour, and a lot more natural looking on the skin.

I actually really like cream blushes, I think they look better on the skin, yet I always insist on buying powder? Anyway the formula on the blushes are gorgeous, lovely and creamy and stay in place all day. I would love more of these but I think I will be going on a make up ban.

FOTN - Some Smokey Eyes

So yesterday was my friends birthday which meant a night out. I did both hers and my own make up. I tend to do hers anyway, and she always wants a brown smokey eye, but after seeing my grey/black one she opted to go a little darker too. Anyway, here is how it turned out, I'm sorry that this picture doesn't show the make up off at all, but I felt really pretty all night and think I photographed well, which is the point of make up I guess? Anyway here's the picture: Both eye looks where done using just the Urban Decay Naked Palette. On my cheeks I have MAC Something Special blush and Pearl cream colour base as a highlighter, love that combination! I also have on loads of NARS Laguana bronzer, and MAC Viva Glam Gaga lipstick and gloss. My base is just Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser as everything else I have is too light for me. I also used my Illamasqua Brow Cake as usual. For my friend we used Clinique foundation and MAC MSF Natural to set it. On her cheeks I used a Dior blush she has, it has a slight frost to it and is just pinky. On the lips is just some Vaseline as she hates wearing lip colour. I had a lovely night out and felt really pretty. I love that I did something different with my hair for a change! I do regret drinking that much and having to go into work today though!

What I am taking on holiday

So tomorrow I am going on holiday for a week to Lanzarote, yay! (Which means no blogging for a week :( ). I thought I would share with you what I am taking away. I don't even know why I am taking anything, as chances are I probably won't end up wearing any make up!

So as usual my Urban Decay Naked Palette is accompanying me. It has all the colours I need to do my eyes and eyebrows, and its quite a nice, light, compact palette.

I have my trusty primer potion, because its going to be hot and I want my eyeshadow on my eyes, not down my face.

My normal concealer and MSF natural, but I have switched to my Laura Mercier tinted foundation for on holidays as it is my shade when I tan, its nice and lightweight for in the hot weather, and it has a SPF in it which is really handy.

I am also taking a waterproof mascara, obviously, and my favourite MAC blush in Melba, it looks brilliant when I have a tan.

I also got a Dermalogica travel set for normal to oily skin types. This has cleanser, toner, moisturiser, exfoliater and lip protector in travel sizes. You also get a sample of pre cleanse and a face mask, everything you need for a week away.

I used to use Dermalogica when I was younger, but haven't used it for a few years. My skin type has changed recently and I feel like trying their products out again, and what better way to try them then in travel sizes!

So this is what I am taking on holiday with me, I've tried to keep it minimal as I always overpack. Hope you all have a lovely week everyone and I will go enjoy the sunshine!

Barbie on Crack FOTD

So the other day I was playing around with make up. I was aiming for a pastel pink look, but it ended up being a lot brighter than what I was aiming for, but I still like it. Here it is:

Eyes:
Sugarpill Eyeshadow, Birthday Girl
Sugarpill Eyeyshadow, Poison Plum
Sugarpill Eyeshadow, Tako
Bobbi Brown Violet Gel Liner
MAC Kohl in Petrol
Make Up Forever Smokey Lash

Face:
NARS Sheer Glow, Month Blanc
MAC Moisture Select Concealer, NW15
NARS Blush, Desire

Lips:
Viva Glam Gaga

So a very bright look, but I like it a lot. Its a bit Barbie-ish.

Viva Glam Gaga Inspired Look

So before I actually purchased the new Viva Glam lipstick, I was inspired to try and recreate the look in the product promo images because I think it is beautiful. If you haven't seen it yet this is what it looks like:In the end my look turned out nothing like this, but its still very pretty and very wearable! My boyfriend did say I had looked like I had black eyes, which I guess is the risk you take when having the make up darker under your eyes. I also tried to bleach out my brows slightly with foundation, but it didn't really work out.
Here is how mine turned out:

Anyway here is what was used:

Face:
Foundation, NARS Sheer Glow - Mont Blanc
Concealer, MAC Moisture Select - NW15
Blusher, NARS - Deep Throat

Eyes:
Inner Corner, Urban Decay - Virgin
Lid, Urban Decay - Sin
Brow Highlight, MAC - Blanc Type
Crease, MAC - Wedge
Waterline, MAC - I Get No Kicks
Liner, Illamsqua Precision Ink - Abyss
Under eye, MAC - Twinks and Charcoal Brown
Lashes, Make Up Forever Smokey Lash

Lips:
Lip Liner, MAC - Stone
Lipstick, GOSH - Darling
Lipgloss, MAC - Woo Me

So what do you think? Do you love this look as much as me?

Viva Glam Gaga Swatch and Comparison

So today I visited my local MAC counter, as about 600 million (slight exaggeration) collections came out today and they where all pretty poor. I did however like the new Viva Glam Gaga that came out so I purchased it.
When I got it home I was worried it was similar to the other nudes I own, but luckily there is just enough difference for me to justify owning it.

Here is a picture of it on my lips:

It has a glossy finish and bleaches out my lips slightly, not enough to make them look like I've plastered my lips in concealer, but enough to be a very pretty nude.
I decided to compare the other nudes in my collection so you can get a clearer idea of the shade it is:

From left to right we have, MAC Hug Me, MAC Myth, GOSH Darling and finally MAC Viva Glam Gaga.
I also swatched them all so here is that picture, in the same order as above:
I thought it was going to be most similar to GOSH Darling, but it is a lot more brown. I would say it is closest to Myth, but slightly darker so you don't get the completely bleached out effect.
I really like this lipstick and think its lovely and wearable for every day, and would look great with a smokey eye for the evening. If you are umming and ahhing over whether to get it, don't forget all the money goes to a great cause!

February Favourites

So today is the last day of the month, which means favourites time! So first up we have my Lush It's Raining Men shower gel. It is a lovely shower gel that smells a bit like weathers originals. Its also 40% honey so it leaves my skin lovely and soft.
When I went home earlier this month I didn't take my eye cream with me, which has made me realise how much I need it these days. I use a REN one, and it just helps with my under eye circles and helps reduce how puffy my eyes are first thing in the morning.
As you know I am obsessed with nails at the moment, and I can't believe I went for so long without Seche Vite! It is a amazing topcoat and dries nails quickly, which is very handy for me because I am not very patient.
Sugarpills Paperdoll is included in this months favourites because it is such a gorgeous colour and stays on really well. This has been getting me ready for spring, despite the rubbish weather. I do love a good pastel.
My MAC Teddy pencil has probably made a appearance before, but I am still very much into using brown on the waterline rather than black.

I also have to give my Urban Decay Naked Palette and MAC Kissable Lip Colours in Woo Me and Enchantee a honourable mention.
My Naked Palette came back to my parents with me, and got me through two interviews. Its just such a easy palette to pick up and go with, and you can create so many looks with it, day looks, night looks and there are loads of opportunities.
The lip colours I love. The formula is amazing and the colours are so wearable. If I am in doubt over which lip colour to go for I can just pick one of these up and feel safe that it looks OK and goes with the look.

So thats my favourites. A rather quick post but it has been a quick month! So whats everyone else been loving this month?

Fail FOTD and New Hair!

So yesterdays FOTD was bit of a fail, but I still wore it to a interview anyway! Because it was a interview FOTD it was heavy on the neutrals.
The reason it failed (as you will see on pics) is that brown lips clearly don't suit me, and the splodgy liner. Hey you can't always be good!

Anyway here is what I used:
Eyes:
Virgin (UD Naked palette)
Naked (UD Naked Palette)
Darkhorse (UD Naked Palette)
Illamasqua Precision Ink in Abyss
Make up Forver Smokey Lash Mascara
Illamasqua Brow Cake in Storm

Face:
NARS Sheer Glow in Mont Blanc
MAC MSF natural
MAC Blush in Melba

Lips:
MAC Lipliner in Stone
MAC Kissable Lip Colour in Woo Me

And to finish here is a picture of me with my new hair, after its been washed in all its fluffy goodness.

Sugarpill FOTD

So as soon as I got my Sugarpill products I knew I wanted to use paperdoll to do a cute girly look, so here is how it turned out:

Face:
Nars Sheer Glow - Mont Blanc
MAC MSF Natural - Light
MAC Beauty Powder - Oh So Fair

Eyes:
Sugarpill Chroma Lust - Paperdoll
Sugarpill Pressed Shadow - Poison Plum
Sugarpill Pressed Shadow - Taco
MAC Eye Kohl - Fascinating
Illamasqua Precision Ink - Abyss
Make Up Forever Smokey Lash Mascara
Illamasqua Brow Cake - Storm

Lips:
MAC Lipgloss - Viva Glam Gaga

I love this look but I think the brows are way too strong so I will have to sort that out next time I try it. Also I love how long my lashes look!

Small Peacocky Haul

When I first saw the promo pictures for this collection there was quite a few things I wanted to get. I also wanted at least four of the Kissable Lip colours, but when I saw the price (£16!) I had to rethink what I was going to get. In the end I plumped for two of the Kissable Lip colours, so here is what I got : The colour on top in Enchantee, and the colour on the bottom in Woo Me. Sorry about the shadow over Woo Me, the lighter part is the more accurate colour! I love both of these colours, I was slightly worried about Enchantee because I have so many baby pink colours like this, I felt bad for getting another one, but luckily it is quite different to the ones I own so I feel less guilty now!
Here is a picture of my lips with just some clear lip balm on:

Now with Enchantee:

And Woo Me:

Both colours are very wearable, which I like a lot, when I'm spending £16 on a lip product I want to be able to use it a lot and not have to wait for a special day.
Woo Me is my favourite, its just makes my lips look better then they are. Its a very natural colour and also something very different to what I own. The closest colour I have to this is Hug Me.
As for the Kissable Lip formula, I love it! I really wish I could afford to get the coral colour I was after. These have a slight glossy shine to them, but they have none of the stickiness that you get with lipgloss. There is also none of the hair getting stuck to your lips type thing. They feel like a balm on your lips and do not dry them out like some lipsticks can. They also have the typical MAC vanilla fragrance. I find it slightly stronger in this formula then I do in their lipsticks and gloss.
Overall I am very happy with what I got. I love the formula and I also think the colours I got where good choices. I know that there was only 5 more Woo Me's left at my MAC counter, apparently some stands only got a small shipment so I wouldn't leave it too late if you wanted to get some bits.
I also love the look of the eyeshadows, and when I swatched them they where amazingly pigmented. The only downside to this is the price of the collection. Although I'm sure if I had more money the price wouldn't have stopped me.
Did you get anything from this collection? What do you think of the new formulas?

January Favourites

So what with it being the 1st of February, its time for that classic post, my monthly favourites!So first off is my Inglot 10 pan custom palette. I have bee experimenting with bright colours, as you probably know, so this palette is all I need to create loads of different looks. The shadows are pigmented and buttery, and they don't crease either. The only downside to this palette is that you sometimes get a bit of fallout, but more on the palette then on the brush if that makes and sense, but for £35 for a full palette, I'm not going to complain.
Next we have my Illamasqua precision ink. I got this a while ago, but found it quite difficult to use. The tip is a lot harder than the ones I tend to use, in fact it has no give in it so it took me a while to get used to it. Well now I am used to it, and I'm so impressed! Its a lovely rich glossy black and it stays put all day, despite the fact that I rub my eyes a lot.
I have been reaching for my MAC MSF in petticoat a lot recently. It gives me a lovely glow and is a very pretty colour. I can actually get away with using it as a blusher, where as other MSF's can sometimes make me look like a disco ball.
And last but not least, my Illamasqua blending brush. This is probably my most expensive brush, but I do love it. It blends so much better then any of my Sigma ones can, the brush is very soft and it washes so well. Like all other Illamasqua brushes, it is synthetic, meaning that it is completely cruelty free. The only downside to synthetic brushes is that they take slightly longer to dry, but that doesn't bother me!

So that's what I have been loving this month. I can't wait to hopefully see more posts like this one!

Bumblebee Eyes

Sorry for being MIA, lots of early mornings and long days again. Anyway yesterday I decided to try out Pixiwoos latest tutorial. It doesn't really look anything like theirs, but I still like it, so here is how it turned out:

The pictures aren't the best quality, it's hard to get decent lighting at 7AM when its raining outside...
Anyway, I used my usual Nars foundation and MAC concealer, and for my cheeks I used MAC Melba. On my eyes I used the yellow from my Inglot palette (it is amazing and bright!) and MAC Carbon, which if I am honest is a pretty shit black, but it worked for this look. I also used feline kohl. For once I didn't do my brows.
I also tried a bit of contouring on my lips using Nars Laguana Bronzer and my MAC I Get No Kicks pencil above the lip. I also used MAC Viva Glam Gaga and the gloss on top, I think it actually worked in making my lips look a little fuller!
Although this is quite a bright look, the black toned it down and made it wearable for the day. I really enjoyed wearing it and got a few compliments so I was quite happy with myself. It also lasted 13 hours so very impressive!

MAC Cham Pale Haul and Swatches

So yesterday I popped by my local MAC counter (I used the VAT increase as an excuse to go) to check out Cham Pale, a collection I have been quite excited for.

The collection itself is full of muted soft colours and a little bit of sparkle, very fitting considering the collection is based on champagne!

I really wanted the quad, but I already had Brule, however I did tell myself I use Brule a lot so if I really love the quad when I see it, its fine to have a back up. Unfortunately the colours are not what I expected so I didn't get the quad. I also didn't get the NW20/NC15 whatever it was pencil. I thought it was a good idea, but when I swatched it I was like nah. Anyway here is what I did get:

So we have the I Get No Kicks Kohl, which is a lovely shimmery flesh colour, which I think I will be using to highlight. The top paint pot is Vintage Selection, which is very shimmery and a light brown colour, the bottom paint pot is Chilled on Ice which is very lovely and will be my replacement for my lost Bare Study, be warned though it is very shimmery. I also got the Rose Ole which is the highlight powder. It is very pretty and is more matte then a MSF so I feel like I could use this for highlighting everyday without having to worry about looking like a disco ball. I don't really understand what the texture pattern thing is about though.

So now for some swatches:

I thought I would try and be helpful by separating the swatches with black lines because the colours are so subtle its hard to see. I don't think it worked though, anyway from left to right we have, I Get No Kicks Kohl, Chilled on Ice pp, Vintage Selection pp, Rose Ole highlight. I'll do another picture without the lines, same order :

These pictures make my arms look fat. I am glad I am going on a diet. But in this picture you can see the shimmer of the paint pots a bit more. They really are gorgeous.
So what did everyone else think of this collection? Did you get anything/will you get anything?

Neutral FOTD

So this is just a quick FOTD post because I am tired and this face is nothing special.

So the eyes where done using Inglot. The lid colour is slightly darker and more brown then Brulee. I also used Illamasqua precision ink and MAC Vanilla pigment as a inner corner highlight and brow highlight. I forget how much I love this pigment sometimes. I also used my Illamasqua brow cake. Oh and Feline Kohl!
My face is done using my usual NARS Sheer Glow and MAC Moisture Select concealer, plus my MSF Natural, and on my cheeks I have Melba. On my lips is MAC Hug Me.
I love this look and got a lot of compliments on it. It is slightly darker then what I normally wear so it made a pleasant change.
Sorry for the shortness and lameness of this post, the 11 hour shifts are starting to take their toll.

2010 Favourites

Happy new year everyone! So It is time for me to do my favourites from last year. There isn't many skin care ones, just because my skin changed from being oily to dry and dehydrated so I am still searching for something that works for me. Anyway lets get started!

So first up is my favourite eye products. I moved this year and haven't been able to find a person to thread my brows at a decent price so I have taken to plucking them, and for that I need my tweezorman tweezers, not to mention my boyfriend enjoys stealing them too....
Keeping on the eyebrow theme we have my Illamasqua brow cake in Storm. This is a fairly new purchase, but I love it so much and it beats all the other methods I have used for my brows hands down. The colour really suits me and it stays put all day. I also love the Illamasqua eyebrow brush, it is amazing for filling in brows.
This year I have also really been into highlighting the inner corner of my eye and highlighting underneath my brow. My MAC pencil in Fascinating has really helped with inner corner highlighting, and if I want a stark brow highlight then I will also use it there. I couldn't find my Teddy pencil, which is brown, but if I could I would definitely include that for lining my waterline!
Next up is my three favourite eyeshadows, all MAC, Blanc Type, Brule and Wedge. I use these colours constantly and I am glad I finally got a camera that can show the difference between Blanc Type and Brule. I use Brule all over my lid, Blanc Type to highlight and Wedge to blend out my crease.
Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner is my favourite. It is the easiest to use and it was the product I learned how to do eyeliner with when I was about 14. I have tried other gel liners but always come running back to this one.
Last up is Make Up Forever Smokey Lash mascara. This has been a firm favourite for about 2 years. It lengthens and makes lashes appear fuller and holds a curl amazingly.

Next up is face products. First of all we have Nars Sheer Glow in Mont Blanc. This is my favourite foundation I have ever tried. It doesn't feel like it is clogging my pores and gives me a flawless looking face. The shade also suits me better than MAC shades.
To set it I use MAC Mineralise Skin Finish Natural. The shade is actually Medium Plus, which is a little darker then I am. My face is a completely different colour to my body though and this helps even out the difference. The product is light and non clogging and makes my face last all day.
My favourite concealer is MAC Moisture Select Cover. I only use concealer for under the eyes and this helps brighten up the area.
Last but not least we have my go to blush. It is MAC Melba. This is one of the first ones I got and I use it when I am unsure what to go for. Its a very flattering shade.

I don't have any favourite lip products as I am very fickle and use a different product most days. I also don't have any favourite body products because I am just using stuff to get it used up. My favourite haircare is definitely Phillip Kingsley. This year my hair has really improved condition, and I think it is due to this shampoo. It finally has a shine again!

So I think that just about covers things. It's not too exciting, but I don't think staples ever are. Lets hope 2011 is more of a skincare year for me!

MAC brushes

So about a week ago I was having a very bad day, so to cheer myself up I went to MAC and decided to get this brush set:

If I remember rightly it was £40 for the five mini brushes, and it came in a cute tartan bag. The five brushes are:

• 187, this is the duo fibre brush and I have used it for my foundation a few times and it gives a lovely flawless finish.
• 168, I have been using this for my blush and I find it blends out very nicely.
• 252 This packs on colour really well, in fact I have never had a brush that transfers this much colour.
• 219 A pencil brush which once again transfers a lot of colour. I actually have the sigma version of this brush, and I have to admit the MAC one is slightly better, more colour transfers and although the hairs are just as soft on both, the MAC one is slightly denser so they don't move as much, which is what you need if you are being precise in the crease.
• And finally the 209, a eyeliner brush. This is the only one I haven't used as to me it looks quite thick. I will give it a go though with my trusty Bobbi Brown gel liner and see if I can get a nice thin line with it.

This is my first experience with MAC brushes. I own a set of Sigma brushes which I have owned for two years and are the only brushes I use. As much as I love my Sigma brushes and think they are good, the MAC ones are slightly better, but then again they are a lot more pricey aswell.

A couple of the Sigma brushes I have are the same ones as the ones in the set, so I can do a proper comparison if anyone is interested, so you can see the difference in the way it applies shadow and how it looks.

I am quite happy with this little set and I think it was a nice way to try out a few MAC brushes for a cheaper price. Does anyone have a brand that they would recommend for brushes? I am really loving my Illamasqua ones too so I think I should branch out.

FOTD with orange eyeshadow

So if you didn't know, I am attempting to experiment more with colour. I think orange is quite a experimentation! I used the orange from the Inglot palette I got the other day and toned it down by using more neutral colours. Anyway here is how it turned out, I actually really love this look!

Face

NARS Sheer Glow - Mont Blanc

MAC Moisture Select Concealer - NW15

MAC Blush - Melba

Eyes

Inglot Orange

MAC Wedge in crease

MAC Twinks to darken crease

MAC Blanc Type as highlight

Illamasqua Precision Ink

Illamasqua Brow Cake in Storm

MUFE Smokey Lash mascara

I have bare lips in these pictures but in the end I decided to wear Jazzed lipstick from MAC. Oh and for those that asked last time, these are my natural lashes, but I think it shows that the LiLash is working!

So what do you think? I love this and think it is quite wearable, considering it's orange!