Saturday, September 4, 2010

Swatch/Bottle Comparison: Models Own Lilac Dream

Well.. some of you may find these posts totally stupid.. but whenever I buy a nail polish I swatch it on a glue-on nail. I just like to see a polish before I actually paint all my nails with it. And I like to see how close the actual polish colour is to the bottle :) I figured I'd share some of my swatching with you.

True Colour Against White Paper - 2 Coats

Swatch To Bottle Comparison - 2 Coats

Most of the models own polishes I've swatched match almost perfectly to the bottle, this is no exception. The formula is lovely and smooth and settles really well onto the nail. I don't love the brush so much, I find it quite thin, but that's a minor detail in the grand scheme of things.

I honestly think colours look different on everyone depending on your skintone and how dark the pigmentation of your nail is, so swatching against pure white is what I deem 'true colour'. Just my opinion :)

Any favourite Models Own polishes?

xoxo

Yet Again.. I Forgot..

On my last day in America I had to pop into target for a few bits, lo and behold I found several products I had been on the hunt for forever!

I've known for a while that Sonia Kashuk did a range exclusive to Target, and since we don't have Target in the UK I decided to pick up the #11 smudge brush. I've been watching Tina from The Fancy Face using the L'Oreal Colour Truth Creme Eyeliner for a while now, it always looks so precise and I've never been able to locate it on any of my local L'Oreal displays. Certainly a 'must try' for me. I've also been watching Marlena over at Makeup Geek using Ardell Wispies for well over a year now and I've never located them in any of my local stores so I was keen to pick up a pair. And finally I picked up some waterproof Duo Lash Glue, which I much prefer to the standard glue. The tube is also smaller meaning direct application to the lash is a hell of a lot easier :)

xoxo

Friday, September 3, 2010

NOTD: OPI What's With The Cattitude?

Well, I'm currently waiting to get an appointment to get my acrylics taken off. They've grown up quite a bit and are wayyyy too long for me now. I'm not going to try to get them off myself, I don't think I quite trust myself to do that.. But if any of you lovlies have any tips on filing them down a bit until I can get them taken off it would be super appreciated!

I've done a bit of painting today, just to try to make them look a bit less bad from a distance.

You can clearly still see the line in the photo, but from a distance it doesn't look too bad :) This is the light blue from OPI's Shrek Collection 'What's With The Cattitude?' Sorry for the weird angle.. This is a bottle from the mini's collection so I could only fit my thumb in properly!! This is a really pretty pale blue, I'm waiting to see how it compares to the pastel blue I ordered from Models Own, if my order ever arrives :(

What's your favourite pastel blue?

xoxo

Monday, August 30, 2010

Shoes Of The Month

So since I've been doing do OOTD posts I thought I'd show you lovely ladies some of my favourite shoes. I'm going to start with the ones I've had the longest :)

Black Lace Detail Heels;
New Look £25


I love the design on these shoes, it's very subtle but when the light hits it right it looks lovely :) I've got quite little feet for a 17 year old at a size 4, occasionally a 5 in running trainers, I've had these shoes since I was 15 and I still adore them. In a way it's nice that I stopped growing when I was younger because I don't grow out of things.. but I do get jealous of the tall leggy girls :( Some of my closest friends are really tall and I feel extra small next to them so I tend to wear heels a lot :)

What are your favourite kind of shoes?

xoxo

Sunday, August 29, 2010

A Day In Taxachusettes

So when I'm trying to save a bit of money, where do I go shopping?

Only the state with one of the highest sales taxes in the United States! I do adore Boston though, I'd love to live there for a few years at some point. I'm so disappointed that I only got to spend one day there this summer and compared to last year I was quite good about my spending!

I took two quick trips to MAC and Sephora, I knew what I was going in for, got what I wanted and then left. That took some serious self control! Plus I had to be quick because my lovely, patient boyfriend was in the Apple Store waiting for me or waiting outside for me! We had lunch on the 52nd floor of the Prudential Center, it was so weird to think I was twice as high as that when I went to the top of the Empire State building! The Top Of The Hub is my favourite restaurant and the views certainly make for good table conversation. If you're ever in Boston you HAVE to eat there, Sunday brunch is my absolute favourite! It's so surreal to look out from that high while eating a casual lunch, plus the food is truly scrumptious!


In Sephora I got MUFE's HD Foundation in Shade 123. I decided to splurge a little bit and get this becuase it's so hard to come by in England (not to mention more expensive!!). I then popped up Newbury Street to MAC and bought Opulash in Bad, Bad Black and another Dazzle Lipstick in Win-Win. I adore Naughty You and really wanted to pick up another Dazzle. The opportunity presented itself when MAC were out of both Saint Germain and Creme d' Nude. I've used Opulash once and I've got to say.. It's pretty odd! It feels so weird when it's dried onto your lashes. Definitely worth a post to itself!

I've done a lot of little hauls lately, I think a spending ban is in order fairly soon!

xoxo

Yesterday's FOTD

Super simple FOTD from yesterday. I had zero time to get ready so there's really no creativity here :s

MAC Face & Body Foundation in C3
MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Medium
NARS Power Blush in Orgasm
NARS Powder Bronzer in Laguna
Benfit Dallas
MAC Eye Brows in Fling
MAC Kohl Pencil Eyeliner in Teddy
MAC #7 Lashes
MAC Lipstick in Please Me

I've used Laguna to contour, and I couldn't find a brown eyeshadow so I used it to contour my eyes too :)

I'm basically wearing the same look today, I had to get up super early this morning to drop my boyfriend off at Reading Festival and I went to bed so late last night.. I just couldn't be asked to get up early enough to do much to my face this morning :s

xoxo

Current Perfume Loves

Since I share almost everything else beauty related I figured I'd share my current smelly favourites :)

DKNY Be Delicious Green; Gwen Stefani Harajuku Lovers "G"; Hugo XX Summer

I'm the kind of person that asks for makeup for birthday/christmas and gets perfume.. always. If a friend is round mine and says they like one of the ones I don't I just give it to them.. I mean, I'm not going to use it so why not?

These three were the favourites for this summer and the ones I took with me on hoilday. I've had DKNY the longest, I just love apply things.. I even have an apple scented hand sanitiser in my car! My boyfriend gave me "G" at the end of last summer.. he originally thought the bottle was cool and knew I'd like that, but now when I wear it he turns around and goes "You're wearing the Gwen one, aren't you?" :) I got Hugo for my 16th birthday and I only wear it in the summer, I think it's just right to wear it only then!

These are all really girly scents, I'm really bad at describing smells so I'll say head to your local perfumery and smell for yourself.. I swear they say everyone interprets smells differently so there wouldn't really be any point in telling you all what I smell, would there? Hmm..

I just tried my Kate Moss perfume that I got for christmas this past year, I didn't like it then, but it's growing on me now and I get friends asking what I'm wearing so I think that's a good sign!

What's your favourite everyday perfume?

xoxo

Saturday, August 28, 2010

50 Follower Giveaway! - WINNER

So I've finally finished totting up all the entries my lovely followers earned themselves! I ended up with 153 individual entries which I think is awesome for my very first giveaway.. But without further ado..
THE WINNER IS
 
Congratulations!!
Please email your address to lorabenzie@hotmail.com asap so I can get your prize on it's way to you!
I also want to thank everyone who entered, I've got another smaller giveaway lined up for fairly soon so keep on the lookout!

xoxo

Friday, August 27, 2010

MAC Lash Series - #7 Lashes

Okay, so here are my other pair of 'regular' wear lashes. These are probably my most used lashes simply because they look reasonably natural and fill in all my gaps :)

Recently I've had several emails from readers asking about why I apply my mascara after I put on my lashes. The simply reason is that I find it easier to apply lashes without mascara already there and in my way of seeing the natural lash line and I find my natural lashes blend much better because I apply less mascara overall.

MAC #7's - No Mascara
 
MAC #7's - Plush Lash in PlushBlack

This isn't the right way to apply lashes, nor is it the wrong way. Everyone develops their own little tricks as they learn and this is just the way that works for me :) I can't figure out how to use tweezers to do this, my fingers work great for me..

What's the best way you've found to apply lashes?

Thursday, August 26, 2010

OPI Ogre-The-Top-Blue NOTD

So on my last trip down to the mall in America I came across the last few bottles of the OPI Shrek Collection in Trade Secret. There were all such lovely colours and I had seen a few people wearing them across the blogosphere and I had to have them. I decided the cheapest way to get them was to buy the set of mini's and then the two remaning full sizes separately. They had Ogre-The-Top-Blue and the mini's set but Funkey Donkey was out of stock :( I've tracked it down on the net and it's on it's way to completing my collection though! These are my first OPI polishes and so far I'm adoring them. I've had the Base Coat, Chip Proof and Top Coat for a while and I can't fault them so I've been waiting to find a collection I love to try them out. I'm very attached to Models Own, but OPI hasn't disappointed me!

 OPI Ogre-The-Top-Blue

I applied this last Tuesday, and I've purposely waited this long to take the photograph. The tip-wear, which is predominantly from my excessive typing, is so minimal it's a bit ridiculous it's been almost 10 days and I have minimal tip wear and absolutely no chipping.

I also got a little bored the other day and decided to experiment with the Bedazzle Nail Art Nailene sent to me :)

I used the Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Diamond Top Coat, because I didn't have my OPI one with me, to keep the jewels in place, but it went a bit bubbly when combined with the glue from the jewels. I'm going to try my OPI one next time and see if it works a little better!


What's your favourite colour polish right now?

xoxo
xoxo

FOTN 25/08

Last night Ryan and I went out to see his brother's band at their first headlining gig. I had literally 30 minutes to dry and straighten my hair then do my makeup so I don't exactly love it.. but I'm posting it anyway..


Benefit YouRebel
MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Medium
MAC Powder Blush in Pink Swoon
MAC Eye Brows in Lingering
MAC #7 Lashes
MAC Plush Lash in PlushBlack
MAC Amplified Lipstick in Impassioned

I put on the bright lip at the last minute because I didn't want to not use any colour at all. I'm not sure if it suits me.. maybe it would look better with a darker tan?

xoxo

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

OOTN - 20/08

And here's another photo I forgot I took.. My memory seems to have gone to pot recently.. Hmmm..


Bra: Pink by Victoria's Secret
Vest: Abercrombie & Fitch
Jeans: TopShop
Blazer: Twist by Forever 21
Scarf: Forever 21

I adore the blue lining of the blazer! But I need to put a button on it as it doesn't have one and it swamps me a bit :s

xoxo

I Forgot..

So I bought these little beauties on my way out to the States at the start of August, I can't believe I haven't posted and swatched them until now! I absolutely adore them. I was going to buy Please Me and Hue originally but the MUA suggesteda coral lip for me. She suggested Vegas Volt, saying it was so popular people kept stealing the testers!

 Please Me; Vegas Volt

Vegas Volt
Please Me

What's your favourite coral?

xoxo

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Update & The Days To Come..

So here in the States it's just passed 1.30 am, I'm not sure I'll be sleeping much as I have to be up at 4 to go to the airport to go home. I've just finished packing but i just wanted to let you all know that you may not hear from me for a few days until I get re-settled back in England. My giveaway closes at 11.59pm tonight (Tuesday) so get your last minute entries in for the chance to win. Any entries made after this time won't be counted, and I will look at the timestamps to check! I'll be on a plane all day tomorrow so speak to you all Wednesday or Thursday!!

Hope you're all well!

Lora
xoxo

Monday, August 23, 2010

Why My Giveaway Is For Fellow Bloggers..

Today I recieved a few comments on my 50 Follower Giveaway post from anonymous readers. The first read something like..

"I think it's unfair that this giveaway is only for bloggers. I read your blog but I don't have my own. Because of this I don't want to read your blog anymore and I think I'm not the only one." (rough quote of what was actually written, NOT A DIRECT QUOTE)


Then I assume another anonymous reader stated that the person shouldn't be trying to make me feel guilty, and if they truly liked my blog they wouln't stop reading it just because of a giveaway, among other things.


I assume the first anonymous commenter replied to the effect that they accepted that that was the opinion of the writer but they think it's an unfair way to get more readers.



--------------------

So you're all thinking "Why the hell is Lora writing a post about this.." But I'll be honest, it struck a nerve with me. I don't necessarily feel like I have to explain myself for the reasons of my giveaway, but I've written civil replies to every piece of negative criticism I've gotten explaining myself so why shouldn't I explain this?

To start, the reason my giveaway is for those with blogs is simply because this is who I'm thanking. I've learned almost everything I know from fellow bloggers and they are the reason I started my own blog. I apologise to those who read but do not have their own blogs so they can't enter this time. I really am sorry I haven't included you. But I feel I kind of.. debt.. I suppose.. to the blogging community and I wanted to give something back.

And let's face it, it's not like this is my one and only giveaway. There will be more and they will be open to people without blogs too. But this one is my first and I just wanted to say a small thank you to the many blogs who have taught me so much.

Also.. I'm not trying to be rude or a bitch.. but if you don't want to read my blog because you can't enter a giveaway then don't read it. Honestly, I've said it many times this blog was started for me, to build my knowledge and gain confidence in what I do. I'm glad that some people may find benefit from my ramblings, and that's hopefully why you read my blog to start with. If you're just here waiting to enter the giveaways then are you really reading everything anyway and do you really care what I have to say?

I honestly don't care how many followers I have, no doubt I will lose some after this giveaway is over anyway. I don't write this blog to get followers and readers, that's just a perk of the system. It's nice to see that I have people reading my blog, and yes it does encourage me to write more often than if I was only being read by one person. I'm sure that's the same for most people. I appeciate the people who read what I have to say and I do remember those who comment regularly.. I really do. I go through and read everything, I may not always reply but know that I've read it and appreciate you taking the time to write something down.

So I'm not doing this giveaway to get more followers and I'm not doing it to make people who can't enter feel bad.. The whole point of it is to say thank you to those who contribute to a community that I value so much.

And Anonymous.. if you're still reading this.. there will be giveaways open to others who don't have blogs themselves. And the only reason I say you have to be a follower is so that random people who haven't read a thing of my blog or happened to chance the page by mistake can't enter. I know there will always be people who make blogs just for giveaways but most people won't enter them into the final drawing anyway. I don't do it all to make myself popular or whatever.. I'm just trying to say a small thank you to those who have helped in some small  or large way to give me the confidence to write this blog. So if you do enjoy reading what I write then I hope you won't stop reading over not being able to enter a giveaway and that one day you'll write a blog of your own.. It does hurt me a little bit that you think I'm doing this for more readers/attention.


Well.. sorry for the rant. I just don't really like people thinking that I'm doing this to get followers or get noticed or somthing.

xoxo

First Inglot Experience & Haul

As most of you may know, I spent last weekend in NYC. I had to take this opportunity to visit the only Inglot store in the US, there is one an hours train ride away from me in the Westfields Center in London, but I'm sure it would be twice as expensive...

I chose to have one of the makeup artists introduce me to the brand, their products and have my makeup applied and then spend the required $60 on products, similar to the way we spend £25 in MAC for a makeover and then it's redeemable against products you buy.

I made my appointment the night before on my way to seeing Avenue Q, I couldn't get in at 11am when they opened because there would only be one artist in the store, I was told. I thought fair enough and made a 12pm appointment. I woke up the next morning feeling horribly ill as we had had to change rooms in our hotel at 3am because a air conditioner upstairs had burst and our floor and walls were soaked.. another story entirely. I decided to ring up Inglot and change my appointment to later in the afternoon. The phone just rang and rang and rang.. then the answering machine told me it's memory was full. Great. I gave up and decided to just go in later and buy a few things and just ask if someone would mind showing me the products and what works well together.

I got there to find a woman having a heated discussion with the MUA at the counter asking to see the manager over a return that was being denied to her. The MUA told her the manager wasn't taking any calls just then. I got a bit nervous.. what kind of manager doesn't come out from the upstairs office to deal with a complaint? The woman proceeded to turn to me to tell me that "the customer service in here is ******* ****!". Ugh..

So finally the manager comes down.. I don't know what happened but I just got the feeling that the manager and the MUA were really inconvenienced by this woman. To me that's disappointing, whether the customer is actually right or actually wrong is irrelavant, you deal with it and explain to them why you can't do the return or whatever.

I asked if there was any possibility of having the appointment I missed as I had tried to call and no one answered. I think this MUA was having a bad day because she started giving me lip about how she had been there since 10am. She later admitted that the ringer on the phone was off, but she never apologised for her rudeness. I was told I could wait 10 minutes for the current appointment to finish, I actually waited 30 minutes becuase this chick didn't bother to tell the other MUA who was doing the makeup sessions that I was waiting. Is it really that hard a job?! Then the manager started telling me it was $65 plus tax and I was like.. hang on 5 seconds.. I've been told $40, $60 and now $65.. WHICH ONE IS IT?! She finally said it was actually $60 but I had to purchase the makeup before I sat down to have my makeup done.. she's the manager and she can't remember what the price is? Huh?! And I refused to buy the makeup first, I just said "I've never used Inglot and I'd like to figure out the products that suit me first thanks". So far I'm not impressed by the customer service at all.

The actual application was lovely, Sharice was really sweet and kept apologising for everyone else's behaviour. I loved the colours she chose and was really helpful when I went to choose my own colours to buy. Being an idiot I forgot to take a picture of what she did :( it was fairly similar to the FOTN I did for when I went to see Wicked. About half way through my doing my makeup the MUA that had originally served me came over and pulled Sharice aside whispering. Talk about rude. I just about heard something about that my 30 minutes was up. My makeup wasn't even finished. I was about to walk out and just say screw it, I don't want to try your makeup if you're going to treat me like I'm a pain in your ass! But Sharice turned to me and said, "They're saying I have to finish but I'm not done with your makeup so I'm not going to finish". I was pretty impressed by her, she seemed to genuinely care and want me to not get pushed around by her collegues.

So after all that, I purchased a 10 palette and a cream eyeliner. 


It sucks that you can't see the numbers of the shadows.. I also got the cream eyeliner in 89. I've got to go online or take it to a store to figure out the numbers though..

The colours have amazing payoff, they're pretty much almost on par with MAC. Not quite, but almost. They blend beautifully and aren't chalky. Swatches to come soon!

Sorry for the rant. Their treatment of their customers had really been bothering me.

Do you have a favourite Inglot product?

xoxo

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Marine Life...

This sold out at my local counter within 3 hours of it going on sale.. It's just preeetttyyyy.. :)

I didn't really want this.. it was sold out and I was just like.. oh well nbd. But then I did want it.. a few weeks after the collection finished I decided I had to have it. eBay was nuts expensive so I went in search of a swap :) All it took was £20 worth of requested LUSH products and a few weeks later my little green box showed up :)

I used it once and the gold came off around the bottom :( it was perfect..


I just kinda like to look at it :)

xoxo

Friday, August 20, 2010

50 Follower Giveaway! - Mostly Mysterious Fourth Lot of Goodies! - CLOSED

Yet again I have to apologise for my lateness.. I went out to buy the last lot of goodies and have only been home once to sleep since! I didn't even check my email! This is tiny.. but 2/3 of this I can't show you because it's the winner's mystery prize!
 Victoria's Secret Silky Eye Shadow in Champange
Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Lip Gloss in Slice of Heaven
I'm a little bit obsessed with the smell of VS lippies.. I do love them though, they are my go to handbag quickies for nights out! You can see there is a crack in the eyeshadow. I didn't notice when I picked it up off the shelf but did when we were in the car on the way home. I'm going back tomorrow to get a replacement though!
I'm absolutely itching to reveal my mystery goodies.. they are my absolute favourite non-make up beauty products! I can tell you that it's a brand not sold or easily found in England, I have my lovely Aunt send me products from the US because I can't bear to be without them!! I haven't reviewed them on my blog yet because I didn't want to give the secret away! Any guesses guys and gals?
xoxo

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

FOTN Mild Smoky Eye

On Sunday I went to my cousin's house for dinner and wanted to use my new colours from Inglot (full post is on it's way!). I realised I only had my 224 brush as the rest of my makeup was still missing in my bags from NYC. It was a bit of a challenge as the 224 is a blending brush and isn't really designed for applications, but I did my best with what I had!

My camera did some funky thing to my skin in the second one.. I acidentally clicked some weird setting!! But either way it's this gorgeous 'greige' colour paired with this beautiful pinky-pearlescent colour on the lid.. Preeeetttyyy :)

xoxo

Benefit YouRebel Tinted Moisturiser Review

This summer I've virtually ditched true full coverage foundation all together, a first for me in about 3/4 years. I've replaced my normal foundation products with Benefit's YouRebel and MAC's Face and Body Foundation, both of which I will be reviewing this week. I'm starting with YouRebel simply because I've had it longer..

So here's what Benefit have to say:

"Our defiantly different tinted moisturizer gives your complexion coverage, moisture and SPF 15 protection all in one. For fair-skinned rebels. 
Contains:
  • Aloe, known for its soothing and moisturizing properties.
  • Vitamin A, known for its ability to improve skin's elasticity and as a result fight signs of aging.
  • Vitamin E, known to protect skin from free radicals."

And now for analyzing...

Price:
So in the UK YouRebel costs £21.50, which for the amount of product (50ml) and how long it lasts I'd say is reasonable. To be honest I'd be happier with it being around the £15 mark but it's not something that would stop me buying again.  I haven't used up a whole tube so I couldn't tell you how long it really would last but I can't see myself running out any time soon.

Packaging:
I like that this is a squeezy tube, it makes it very easy to control the amount of product that you dispense from the tube. However, the fact that it's a pliable metal tube I don't like so much. I'm a bit worried that when I reach the dregs of the tube this will make it quite difficult to dispense the last drops of product. It is similar to the Nealson's Homeopathic Creams which tend to break at the corners when it comes to squeezing the end of the product out, something that worries me slightly since Benefit are a brand aimed at the young and old. I personally first used this product aged 11 and knowing me if I'd had my own tube at that age I would have done everything I could to get every drop out, almost certainly I would have cut my fingers.. A minor thing but it's a brand who say they provide products mothers can share with their daughters...

Product:
Overall it does what it says on the tin. It's a tinted moisturiser, nothing overly special. It does the job I expect it to. I get a healthy glow when using this, but it does tend to shine.. a lot. Which is simply solved with a light dusting of mineral powder.

It looks very dark when first squeezed out of the tube..

And a little definately goes a long way..

The top 1/3 of this swatch has the YouRebel applied, the middle 1/3 has it heavily blended out and the bottom 1/3 is my natural skin tone.


Performance:
YouRebel gives light coverage, if you have heavy discolouration or uneven skin tone to start with your skin will become a touch more even but will never look flawless. This product + powder lasts all day and just about keeps the shine away, the powder gives it a boost to light/medium coverage but this will depend on your choice of powder.

Overall, YouRebel is something I would repurchase until I found something better. So far it's the best I've used, but it has caused a few breakouts and I just have the feeling that eventually I will find something that suits my skin little bit better. I don't think I would ever purchase the 'lite' version of this as I like the healthy glow this gives me and I know the 'lite' version is a lot more yellow and would not suit me. I'm not the biggest fan of Benefit products to start with as I sometimes find them a little bit 'gimmicky', so praise for one of their products is serious from me.

I've never really stuck at a tinted moisturiser for so long before and would really like to try some more.. any favourites or suggestions? Send them my way!

xoxo

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Myth & Boy Bait Lip Swatch

I've been chasing Boy Bait for a long, long time now and it deserves a lip swatch without a doubt. I adore MAC's Cremesheen Glasses and this is the best nude lipgloss I've come across for a good while now, it's not clear by any means but it has just enough nude colour to look perfect.

I've got it over Myth here, they're a match made in heaven, if you get one you need the other!

What's your favourite nude gloss?

xoxo

--------------------
Also a quick heads up that the fourth and final set of goodies will be revealed tonight! I'm going to the Mall of NH today to pick up the final lot but since I'm going out to dinner with the fam straight after that I'll be posting it when I get home! Keep you're eyes peeled tonight, it's your last chance to get extra entries!

MAC - Rodarte Collection Axed!


This afternoon MAC posted this statement on their Facebook page:

"Out of respect for the people of Mexico, the women and girls of Juarez and their families, M·A·C has decided not to ship the M·A·C Rodarte limited edition makeup collection. This decision will have no impact on M·A·C’s commitment to donate all of its projected global profits from this collection to benefit the women and girls of Juarez. For full update, click here: http://bit.ly/cbVwYI"

By deciding not to ship the collection does this mean it will not be released at all? In a way I agree with this.. the whole collection was tainted by the ad campaign and the names of the colours and I was boycotting until they announced the donation of all profits, so really I'm happy either way. The charities are getting a good chunk of the money they need, that's all I cared about really.

What are your thoughts on all of this?

xoxo

Monday, August 16, 2010

NYC Wicked Tribute FOTN

So as I've said I spent this past weekend in NYC. We got an amazing deal to see Avenue Q for less than half price which meant we could use that extra money we saved to see Wicked!! These are my two favourite West End/Broadway shows, I've already seen both but Ryan had only seen Avenue Q and my mum had only seen Wicked. I decided I had to suit my makeup to the evening just because I'd a tad obsessed with Wicked; I had green Elphaba eyeshadow and pink glossy Galinda lips! Yes blah, blah, blah pink and green don't go together.. but this time I liked it for it's symbolism :)

Here we are prior to the show in the foyer of the theatre at 7.45pm..

 Up on the 102nd Floor of the Empire State Building..

And really just to make a point of the staying power of MAC and Inglot Makeup, here we are on the 86th Floor Balcony at 2.00am..

I'm not kidding when I say I didn't touch up once. Not even powder or lipgloss. I genuinely didn't have time. So that's over 6 hours of wear.. I'm pretty damn impressed!


After 6 hours of wear this is only a touch smudged!
 
I wore:
Benefit YouRebel SPF15 Tinted Moisturiser
MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Medium
NARS Blush/Bronzer Duo in Orgasm/Laguna
Inglot Eyeshadows (I'll have to update with the exact colours)
Duo Lash Adhesive
MAC #7 Lashes
MAC Lipstick in Pink Nouveau
MAC Cremesheen Glass in Loud & Lovely

And bonus.. no staining! Just one wipe with remover and I was makeup free!

xoxo

MAC Lash Series - #4 Lashes

As most of you know, I wear false lashes virtually every day. I have some pretty large gaps in my natural lashes that have always been there; it takes a lot of time and a ton of mascara to get my lashes looking full and 'normally placed', needless to say the gaps become very obvious when I wear mascara and I find it a lot easier and a lot faster to use lashes suited for everyday wear. I usually alternate between MAC #4's, #7's and #31's depending on the look I'm going for. #4's are long and wispy, #7's are spiked bunches of lashes and #31's are natural length and look. I'm going to do a series of my favourite MAC Lashes because I really think they can look very different on that off and you should never judge lashes until you've seen them on someone (preferably yourself). I'm starting with my most frequently used and today I'm featuring the #4's.


So here's how they look brand new in their case. I always store my lashes in their original case as it keeps them in better condition and out of harms way!
Okay, this is the lash applied close to the lash line with no eye liner or other eye makeup. I personally think it looks pretty awful at this stage!

Next I apply a light coat of mascara. Most people will tell you to apply mascara first then apply the lash. It's true, the lashes will last longer (as in number of times you can wear them) if you do this, but I find they look very un-blended and I actually find it very difficult to apply the lash close enough to the lash line when I already have mascara on. It's personal choice, for myself I just think they look better when done this way.  
Once the pair of lashes have been worn once I skip this step entirely and apply a single coat over my own lashes and a further coat on the root.

Here I've applied a second thin coat of mascara to the roots of my lashes only. This thoroughly blends your natural lashes with the false ones. With this type of lash you would risk clumping the wispy hairs together if you applied any more mascara. Not to mention that these are fairly natural looking lashes and you would be making them look more and more fake with each coat of mascara. Again, it's personal choice but all I would say is let the false lash do it's job, get your own lashes blended in and then STOP!
I've also intensified the look by applying black eyeliner in my waterline. Don't do this if you want a really natural look. For a super natural look leave your waterline bare, for a touch of definition use a light brown liner and for a super defined look use black. I felt that since these wispys were so long I needed to balance out my bottom lash line.

What are your favourite natural lashes?

xoxo

Nude FOTD & Simple HOTD

So the reason I've been even worse than normal at posting this weekend is because we took a trip to NYC! I thought I'd have internet and the time to post, but we were only there for 3 nights and ended up seeing 2 shows and staying at the top of the Emipre State Building until 2am! We were rushing around like crazy trying to see everything, I barely checked my emails! So I'm going back a few days, but on Wednesday when we left I did super simple and almost non-existant makeup becuase I really didn't want to have to take a ton off when I got to our hotel room, I knew I'd just want to sleep! So here's what I did:

 Benefit YouRebel SPF15 Tinted Moisturiser
MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Medium
NARS Blush/Bronzer Duo in Orgasm/Laguna
MAC Prep+Prime Lash
MAC Plush Lash in PlushBlack
MAC Lipstick in Myth
MAC Cremesheen Glass in Boy Bait

I'm adoring my YouRebel this summer. I never use it in England, but it's been a godsend with the humidity out here. I'll be doing a full post and review soon!

I just straightened my hair, sorted out my fringe and clipped up the shorter top sections. It's a simple, sleek look I do most days. It's also really versatile because you can put in pretty clips or backcomb for a bit of extra oomph!

Before this I couldn't wear makeup for about a week because I got a tiny bit burned (nothing bad, just a bit pink!) and didn't want to agravate it in the hope I wouldn't peel (which I didn't!), so that's the real reason for my lack of FOTD's.. My skin's all better now so I have a lot of catching up to do!!

What's you favourite summer beauty product?

xoxo

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

50 Follower Giveaway! - Third Lot of Goodies! - CLOSED

Sorry for the slight lateness! I've just gotten home from being out all day and this is the first chance I've had to get onto my laptop!

The next lot of goodies is as follows...
Maybelline The Falsies Volume Express Mascara
Nailene Perfect Toes Salon Pedicure Set
Covergirl Smoky Shadowblast in Silver Sky
Dior Addict Perfume

A little smaller set than my last two reveals, but Dior Addict is one of my favourites and I figured it deserved pride of place!

--------------------
And just to make the rules clear:


If you have already blogged about my giveaway, you can now recieve an extra entry for blogging about this post and the third lot of prizes. If you haven't already blogged about my giveaway you can only recieve one entry for blogging about this this lot of prizes OR the previous lot. I will check the date you posted the blog post to determine how many entries you should recieve.
YOU HAVE TO WRITE A BLOG POST!!
YOU CANNOT JUST POST THE PICTURE IN YOUR SIDEBAR!!
IT WILL NOT COUNT!!
I HAVE ALREADY HAD TO DISQUALIFY ENTRIES BASED ON THIS BECAUSE I HAVE TO BE FAIR TO THE ORIGINAL RULES.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

MAC & (First Ever!) Sephora Haul

I had a lovely day out shopping today. I originally went to MAC to pick up some products from the Dare To Wear collection, but I got there and just wasn't feeling the colours. I've been told that they swatch chalky and streaky, but with a good primer they work well. To be honest, I swatched and just couldn't bring myself to spend the money on colours that really just didn't speak to me like I wanted them to. I was tempted by the Dare To Wear Lip Glasses, but I ended up thinking that I just wouldn't use them enough. But there were a few other things on my wishlist that I decided to pick up instead.

I knew I wanted to get a lipstick from the Digi-Dazzle Collection, and I think I want to go back for another. They are so gorgeous and creamy, though the glitter is hell to remove. But they're so cute I don't think I can resist! I chose Naughty You, I still haven't beaten my pink lippie addiction apparently.


I adore this colour so much.. I haven't even worn it yet, but we're going out tomorrow night so I'm definately trying it out then!!

I fell in love when I bought my Loud & Lovely Cremesheen Glass from Lady Danger's blog sale a while back, I find Cremesheen's super glossy and creamy, plus they aren't sticky!! I've been chasing after Boy Bait for about 2 months now, I try to keep a matching gloss for every lipstick I have and I needed a nude. 2 MAC stores I went to didn't stock it, and the 3rd was out of stock, so I finally tracked it down today. I also picked up Fashion Scoop, which was also sold out in my local store in England. The MUA serving me said it's one that sells out often and they had just recieved their shipment this afternoon so I was lucky to catch it! I can't wait to use these and get lip swatches going!



I somehow forgot to bring my MAC Falsies with me on holiday.. I really don't know how I managed that but I used it as a perfect excuse to get my hands on some new pairs of my regulars!



After MAC I headed on over to Sephora as I really wanted to get a NARS Matte foundation since it had been recommended to me to deal with my oily T-Zone. So I got all colour matched and sorted, and then they were out of stock of my colour. I was disappointed, but it did give me the opportunity to cave and buy the duo of Orgasm and Laguna.. Something I've wanted all year. I'm super thrilled I got my hands on this as I've been waiting and waiting for the opportunity!



I already love it and will definately be using it tomorrow!

And finally; On with the swatches!

MAC Cremesheen Glass in Fashion Scoop; MAC Cremesheen Glass in Boy Bait
MAC Digi-Dazzle Lipstick in Naughty You

NARS Powder Blush in Orgasm; NARS Powder Bronzer in Laguna
(Sorry for the quality, I'll do better ones in natural light!)


What are your NARS and MAC product recommendations right now?!

xoxo
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