Dweeb in Wonderland...

Fun Makeup Storage

2010-12-16T06:55:00.000-08:00

Makeup storage can be SO boring. just plain white sets of plastic drawers or worse just a box full of everything all getting lost. Here are a few more fun ideas to brighten up your makeup storage

Small Storage:

This is an adorable little hello kitty tin I found at TK MAXX. If you have just a small amount of makeup it's really good for just putting everything you need in. Its sits on your desk and looks so sweet :3

Here I've put just a few of my favourite items in so they're always on hand.

Another good use I found is to store my barry M dazzle dusts in. This would also work really well for MAC eyeshadows or pigments and glitters or any other brand of round eyeshadow of small pigment tubs. I also found it was good to fit nail polishes in, I got 14 average sized ones to fit.

The other thing I like is this rack, its supposed to be used as a letter organiser. but I find its great to fit palettes in!

Usually I just use it to hold the 88 matte/satin and shimmer palettes but I put two of my urban decay ones in too, just to see in they fit. Also sleek palettes work nicely

I got that at TK MAXX which I would really recommend if you're looking for fun storage, there's all sorts of cute boxes and drawers in thereand anything can be spiced up with a little creativity.

These for example were plain ones that I found in Asda (walmart) WhichI spiced up with a tissue paper flower and some cute sparlkly black butterflies I just stuck on.

In here I keep my eyeliners and bases, my mascaras brow stuff and tweezers, and my back up drawer.

Hopefully you found that helpful for ideas and tips on makeup storage ad how to make it fun. Because makeup should make you smile, and it cant do that if its all stuffed away in a drawer!

thankyou for reading :) xx

Barry M Nail Paint Swatches

2010-12-10T08:05:00.000-08:00

I just have a few new Barry M polishes that I picked up a few days ago and I thought Id show you them and their swatches :D

280 'Spring Green' ~ a lovely fresh mid-tone yellow green. Looks especially good on yellow toned skin such as mine :3

295 'Pure Turquoise' ~ A light pastel turquoise, far more blue than green. Not really a winter colour, but I love mixing things up a little.

310 'Mushroom' ~ A creamy mid brown. Could be considered a nude on darker skin tones. Makes me think of hot chocolate :3

290 'Grey' ~ Just what it says, a simple grey, towards the gunmetal shades. Great for wintertime and the office, more interesting than black or red but still professional.

303 'Bright Purple' ~ A beautiful dark magenta, great to pair with berry toned lips or eyes.

They are just some new ones I bought to try out. I love all Barry M's nail paints and these are great additions to my collection

Thanks for reading xx

Blue and Yellow Leopard Nails.

2010-12-04T05:55:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone

Just a quick post to show my new nails. Im rubbish at doing my nails but this is surprisingly easy! You just scrape off most of the blue polish off the brush and used it a bit like a stippling brush to pat on C shapes and little circles.

Its gives a lightly furry effect and it doesnt matter if its a little messy, after all, what leopard has perfectly neat spots?

Here it is:

Hope you like them :) took me probably 20 minutes to do all my fingers including drying time.

I used Sally Hansen's Double Duty Strengthening Base & Top Coat with Barry Ms nail paints in 307 'lemon ice cream' and 292 'navy'.

Give it a try :D xx

Bunny Bouquet Necklace and failed attempts

2010-11-24T15:25:00.000-08:00

Hooray for little bunnies and flowers! I'm really proud of this but LAWD it took a while to actually get to this point.

Im just gunna show you the attempts beforehand so we can all have a laugh at my fails and it shows that most of us find it hard to get stuff right first time :)

I started out with this

Obviously this is crap so I tried another which was so bad I screwed it up before I could take a picture.

So I did a few doodles to figure out what I actually wanted my bunny to look like

and eventually came up with this, not perfect but decent:

nearly there

a few tweaks later aaaand:

Im very proud of my little bunny It's on my DeviantArt.

I'm really sorry that none of the pictures are done in especially good lighting or anything, but I'm still sick and its nearly midnight and a cold won't get me off school tomorrow.

I hope you liked it and maybe found it helpful too :) xx

Random fun things :)

2010-11-21T15:42:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone

This really isn’t much of anything but I thought It’d be fun to show you some of the bits I’ve gotten recently from shopping places and a little gift from the bf, so here we go:

I got this baby in temptations and its gorgeous! I’m a Hello Kitty nut so it’s always fun coming across something like this to add to my little collection. I’ve yet to find something to put in there but I’m becoming quite interested in cocktail rings at the moment so if I pick up a few they would go nicely in there, it’d be a great way to keep them safe and organised. The few I have get lost in the abyss that is my jewellery box. >.<

The second thing was this bottle of Miss Dior Cherie! :D It was given to me by my lovely bf when he went away to Monaco recently. I’ve wanted it forever so it was a lovely surprise when he got home. I’m trying to save it for special occasions but I love it so much I can’t help spritzing it over everything! I need to learn some self control I think haha.

Oh my gosh this excited me so much! I found these on ebay and they are adorable! They’re makeup brushes from Tokidoki and each one has the head of a character on the end. Mozzarella is the cow girl, Donutella is the mouse with the donuts for ears and the skull one is Adios Amigos. The handles are really pretty and detailed too and the brushes are soft and fluffy and all really good quality. They were £30 for the set so considering MAC brushes can cost over that for one I think it was a steal! I’ll be doing a more full review soon.

Sorry I don't know what's wrong but this one won't post the right way up... sorry guys :(

This is a little pack of Stila makeup that I picked up from my local TK MAXX in Watford. I was so excited when I saw this! I've longed to try out Stila for a long time but its not sold in England except for on e-tailers and I'm always reluctant because I can't tell sizes and shades from online.

But this stuff is lovely! The lipstick is in Chelsea and is a very sheer crimson colour which is beautiful to wear during the day. The quad is in Marrakesh and consists of two soft pinks and brown and a gold. All very muted shades but all good pigmentation and very pretty. The last thing that came with the pack was the stila sun gel which I was dubious about but I found I can use just a touch underneath my foundation to give a glow to my skin. As especially in this cold weather with me being so pale I've found I can often look ashy and a bit sick.

Sorry I've been mia a while, schools piling up and I've been getting a bit ill recently. But I'll be back soon with a more in depth review of the brushes and of the Stila. Remeber to look out for them if you're anywhere near a TK MAXX.

bye guys! xx

Polymer Clay crafts.

2010-11-21T13:36:00.000-08:00

Ahh I do love sculpy clay

For some reason I can't stop making little treats with them. Here a few of the ones that didnt burn, collapse or get sat on by the cat and/or my brother:

I know they arent THE most professional things, but I'm very proud of them :)

H20 Plus review update

2010-11-10T15:04:00.000-08:00

This is just a quick update on my trying out the H20 Plus Sea Pure range.
So far I have found that this really isnt the product for me. It makes my skin far too oily and the moisturisers really don't work under makeup. However My mum loevs the stuff. I guess it really works for anti-aging, as skin often gets dryer and thinner as it ages and a deep moisturisation is great to help plump up the skin and replenish that youthful glow we all strive for.

So I personally really liked the toner, but other than that if you don't need any anti aging products steer clear. however if you do I can say myself that my mums skin looks brighter and healthier so thats great :)

Little shoutout :)

2010-11-09T13:43:00.001-08:00

Just a thankyou to my lovely attention whore boyfriend who designed my new header! Isnt it cuuute!? He is wonderful, beautiful and my babyyyyyyyy... and maybe now he'll stop pestering me for a thankyou blog yes? ;)

romantic nails

2010-11-07T09:19:00.000-08:00

I have a few MAC glitters and I've never known what to do with them. Usually I only buy them when Im having one of those days when you're silly and buy things only because the colour is pretty. But Ive found a way to use my glitter! Ive never liked putting it on my eyes or lips because it can irritate and its far too chunky to use as shimmer on cheeks or anything, but in an effort to not have my money wasted I've discovered that they can look great on nails!

Ive tried a few combinations and methods and this is my favourite so far.

Just a peachy pink nail polish and my 'Gold' MAC glitter pressed gently over the tips

I just wish the pictures would show up clearer but my iphone has a tendency to make colours too washed out or too dark so Im sorry about that. >.<>

I think it looks sweet and romantic and very pretty and Im wearing it to school tomorrow :)

My only problem with doing this stuff is just how messy it is. I dont understand how I can find glitter in my brushes... which are kept a good few feet away from my desk where I did this. I may have to get used to doing it over the sink!

speaking of brushes I have some really cute things to show you including a set of Tokidoki brushes that I get off EBay so stay tuned for that! :)

I'll post some more glitter nail pics if I find any more really cute combos and I have a feeling this could work well with Barry M glitter dusts, so there's a great budget option. I'll try and let you know

I hope you enjoyed this little tidbit of nailsy-ness and thankyou for reading :) xx

BeautyStat review: H2O Plus 'Sea Pure' natural review.

2010-11-02T13:32:00.001-07:00

Hey :)

This is my very first review for the BeautyStat Blogger Network. I hope you enjoy.

To get it out of the way these products were sent to me for review by the BeautyStat Network, I am receiving no monetary compensation for this review and it will be my 100% honest opinion.

Right, thats that out of the way :)

psst, there's a coupon code near the bottom of the page!

H2O Plus is a company that uses mainly sea sourced products with a blend of natural ingredients in their skin care range. Their products are all 100% vegan and biodegradable which makes them a great company for anyone who is trying to be more environmentally friendly.

The 'Sea Pure' range, which is what I am reviewing claims to 'naturally stimulate yourskin's cellular renewal cycle to fade age related imperfections' in other words, it claims to have anti aging properties.

The full range consists of a 'creamy facial cleanser', a 'refining polish', 'renewing prep tonic', 'perfecting eye cream' and 'deep moisture cream'.

So what we have is a full skin care routine plan aiming to reduce the signs of aging which I am going to go human ginuea pig and try out for you!

I am 18 and so Im not really in any need ofanti aging treatments. My mother however is in her early 50s and has agreed to try them out with me.

Therefore I'll be talking about the feel of the products and how they work out just as skin care. My mother will be taking care of the anti aging side of things.

Every week I will give a small update on how me and my mum are finding things and in 5 weeks give my final verdict. \

Right now Im just going to give you my first impressions of the range which I used last night and this morning, going in the order I used it:

Gentle Refining Polish:

This was the first part of the skin care range. I found that while it wasn't really that 'gentle', the granules were very fine. The scrub exfoliated very thoroughly and made my face feel really soft if a little red.

It contains bamboo extract and sea moss and a little research tells me that bamboo extract is a natural exfoliant and is also a rich source of silica, which is helpful in plumping up the skin and making it look fresher.

Sea moss is known for its' soothing properties and improving the circulation, help skin be more resilient.

Creamy Facial Cleanser:

The first thing I noticed about this cleanser was that it had quite a lemony scent. Not overpowering or sharp, just a buzz of lemons, which gave a really refreshing wake up to me in the morning.

It did cream up really nicely on the skin and I didnt have to use very much to get a lovely lather all over. What I didn't like was that when I washed it off, I got a stiff feeling on my skin, similar to when I use soap to wash and it was uncomfortable.

This cleanser contains amino acids and apple proteins which both are used in skin care to stimulate the skin and can help improve skin that has been scarred or has stretch marks.

Renewing Prep Tonic:

I really liked this product, it had the same citrus smell and the bottle had a pump which I loved. I didn't have to tip the bottle onto a cotton pad, I just squirted it on. It felt fresh and lovely on my skin especially in the morning when I was half asleep. Its alcohol free and contains amino acids and sea moss along with natural lactic acid, which helps get rid of dead skin cells and hydrates the skin. So a very useful ingredient.

Perfecting Eye Cream:

Neither of the creams had that same fresh citrus smell that the rest of the products did. Instead they had a strange plasticky smell which I didn't like. They eye cream contains jojoba seed and coconut extracts which both help the skin feel more soft and supple, so great for sagging skin around the eyes. It also contains 'Atlantic sea flora' whatever the heck that is, which is apparently good for making the skin appear brighter so its tackling dark circles too.

I wasn't a massive fan of the eye cream as I found it greasy however I do suffer from dark circles so if it helps with that I will be singing its praises.

Deep Moisture Cream:

This was quite a light cream with a nice silky feel but it made my skin feel greasy after a few hours so its probably best passed on if you don't have dry skin. This contains the same stuff as the eye cream but is less thick. It also sank better into my skin than the eye cream. A good night cream but I found it didn't do very well under my foundation it also doesn't contain any spf, which for me is a disappointment as I think that UV protection is vital for any moisturiser, especially one focused on anti ageing.

Other stuff:

I liked the packaging of everything. It was simple and clean and really goes with the concept of the brand. Fresh natural and simple.

All of the products are 98% natural, aside from the toner which is 96% but thats still a good step. Every product is free of synthetic fragrances, parabens and sulfates. The company is also cruelty free. So in terms of being earth friendly they do a pretty good job. I also really love how they provide a little description of the most important ingredients on the boxes of the products and its benefits.

The price is quite high, with the moisture cream going for $40 for 50ml, thats currently £25, which is more than MACs moisturelush cream which has the same amount. SO its not cheap, but whether its worth it will be revealed in the next few weeks.

also if you want to save a bit there is a coupon code for the products: Just enter 100275 at the checkout.

I hope you enjoyed this review and stay tuned for more info in the coming weeks :)

thankyou for reading xx

Rag doll Bow

2010-10-28T14:44:00.000-07:00

So the crafty thing continues.

I couldnt sleep last night so this really got thrown together at about 3 am haha. I think had I been awake it would be nice and neat... so I wouldn't have needed to call it a rag doll bow.

Its just made out of some old jammies I was about to throw out. I thought it was a pit to waste such a nice fabric, despite the fact it was thin and not stretchy at all so very uncomfortable to sleep in. the little 'ribbon-y' bits are made from the straps of the top. I found a big pink button and a little flower knocking around and sewed them on too.

I plan to maybe attach it to a big barrette so I could clip it in my hair. That could look cute.

Id get a few stares

but I've never minded that XD would YOU wear this out? Just curious :)

I hope this crafty phase stays with me. Its a lot of fun XD

In other news my very first youtube video will be up tomorrow :) Id appreciate a bit of feedback from you guys. Ill post a link

thankyou for reading xx

cuddly cupcakes!

2010-10-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

wow...Im in a really crafty mood at the moment!

I made this ADORABLE little cupcake plushie! He's nowhere near perfect and the face is all glued on with eyelash glue but I love him!

Im really making an effort to finish things I start right now. Its sort of a new school years resolution, though it applies to everything, not just school work.

But this little chappie makes me so proud just because I finished him. My room is full of half started projects that I could just never be bothered to complete.

I'm really into my crafts right now. I'll definitely be posting up pics of more things and maybe tutorials if anything turns out tutorial worthy :)

Im tempted to thread some ribbon through the top and hang him somewhere... maybe save him for a really cute christmas tree decoration!

thankyou for reading xx

Tasty Time! Bacon wrapped Tofu!

2010-10-27T10:10:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness!

so I know it’s likehalf past 5 and therefore too late for lunch and too early for tea.

But I saw this recipe (here) and it looked so tasty I HAD to give it a try!

I ran straight out to the shop and bought tofu and extra bacon and about 20 minutes later I was eating this delicious meal.

I proudly a rubbish cook, but this was super simple to make: just wrap the bacon round the tofu and stick ‘em in an oily frying pan, pouring on a little soy sauce if you want.

The tofu soaks up both the salty richness of the bacon and the tangy flavours of the soy sauce and becomes an infusion of both. And then when you bite it you get soft tofu and chewy bacon. I put on a bit of black pepper too, just to add a bit of spice.

I also boiled up a little brown rice to have something mellow alongside such a rich dish.

It was delicious! I’m trying to convince my bf to let me cook it for him when he comes round Friday. He’s resisting but I have a feeling it’s more to do with my cooking skills than anything else haha

apparently this is also good made with prosciutto ham, which is much less fatty than bacon, I can imagine you could make little cubes of it like that and put them in a salad.

Thankyou for reading xx

Frankenailsss! :D

2010-10-26T14:39:00.000-07:00

Okay so these arent entirely original. I saw them on Xsparkage's blog and she saw goldiestarling's video on youtube.

But these are sooo cute and ultra halloweeny that I just HAD to try them!

Its not perfect as I was just messing about, but this is the finished result:

I used Illamasqua's 'Milf' for the green and the black is from Barry M as is the 'vivd purple' on my other nails. the white is from MACs Hello Kitty collection.

They were stupidly easy. I used only one 'tool' and that was to do the black points of the eyes and the mouth. and even then, I dont have any special tools, so I always just use the tip of an old eyeliner that I didnt like so I chucked it and rinsed the tip and use that for nail art :)

its so much fun, and I even managed to do it on my other hand without too much trouble.

Have a try! xx

I'm on Beautystat! :D

2010-10-24T13:20:00.000-07:00

Heyy! I'm a proud blogger for Beautystat! http://www.beautystat.com/site/ a place where bloggers are away from the pressure of having to say good things about product s because they receive them for free. We may receive things for review but we are expected to give our honest opinion on them and are under no obligation to promote it.

So expect reviews coming your way for things that are new on the market or occasionally haven't even been released yet! :) Im excited. Im VERY excited.

Chinese Dragon makeup.

2010-10-16T15:02:00.000-07:00

Well Halloween is upon us, and while Im all geared up to be a gory but adorable zombie princess for my Halloween party with my friends, I wanted to do something special for the family get together too, where we're all going out for a meal. Obviously I cant have fake blood dripping everywhere in a posh restaurant or be anything too scary in front of the other customers. So I looked to youtube and recreated my own version of Klairedelysart's Chinese dragon tutorial go have a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1bcDPHpW9g

I just simplified it , taking away the glitter on theforehead and making it more purple.

But I think for someone a little more grown up, or for going out somewhere were face blood and bandages might be frowned upon this would be a lovely alternative.

Cupcake Nails

2010-10-10T10:21:00.000-07:00

So this morning I was avoiding homework as you do and found myself playing around with my nails. This is what I came up with:

It was surprisingly simple, just a thick block of lilac in the centre of the nail, once it was dry I used a plain white to blob over the top in a cloud like shape. using a cocktail stick I dotted eyes and a little smile with black nail varnish, then decided to use bright pink in the same way to make cute little rosy cheeks. Because the white varnish was appled so thickly I had to wait for a while before it was dry but then I used the brush from an old liquid eyeline (works really well!) to dot on some baby blue sprinkles.

It took about five minutes to do it just on the thumb, I have short nails so I don't think it would fit on any of my fingers, but it looks really sweet and was super easy :)

MAC Autumn 2010 Collection: Fabulous Felines

2010-08-16T10:07:00.000-07:00

Soooo, we're back into the Autumn stuff and this new collection looks really good.

It comes in three parts, each with its own different personality.

I’ve posted the prices of each item in US dollars along with an estimated UK price.

PART 1: Palace Pedigreeed

Palace Pedigreeed Eyeshadow Quad ($36.00 U.S. / £23.00)

· Courtly Life Frosted mute light beige (Satin) (Limited Edition)

· Palace Pedigreed Deep berry with soft pink pearl (Satin) (Limited Edition)

· Quite Spoiled Mid-tone neutral mauve (Satin) (Limited Edition)

· Russian Blue Deep neutral grey (Matte) (Limited Edition)

Superslick Liquid Eyeliner (New Product) ($17.50 U.S. / £15.00)

Superslick liquid eyeliner is an innovative dip liquid liner with intense colour payoff and a highlevel of coverage and allows for quick and precise application. The flexible flocked “magic tip” of the applicator is extremely easy to control. Let your eyes sparkle with this supr shiny, super long-wear and water-resistant eyeliner.

· Nocturnal Bright silver pearl (Limited Edition)

· Smoky Noir Dark blue violet with soft pearl (Limited Edition)

· Signature Blue Dark navy with soft pearl (Limited Edition)

Pigment ($19.50 U.S. / £15.00)

· Bloodline Dark mid-tone brown purple (Frost) (Limited Edition)

· Mauvement Cool taupe with gold pearlized pigments (Frost) (Limited Edition) (Repromote from Rushmetal)

Plushlash Mascara ($13.00 CDN / £12.50)

· Plushblack True black (Permanent)

Lipstick ($14.00 U.S. / £12.50)

· Superior Sheer lavender pink pink pearlized pigments (Dazzle) (Limited Edition)

· Of Royalty Light creamy blue-pink (Cremesheen) (Limited Edition)

· Aristo-cat Mid-tone purple mauve (Frost) (Limited Edition)

· Cunning Dark berry (Frost) (Limited Edition)

Lipglass ($14.00 U.S. / £12.00)

· Docile Mid-tone lavender with pearl (Frost) (Limited Edition)

· Best of Breed Light mid-tone blue with pearl (Frost) (Limited Edition)

· Lap of Luxury Dark eggplant with pearl (Frost) (Limited Edition)

Cremestick Liner ($14.50 U.S. / £10.50)

· Beurre Dirtied plum (Cream) (Permanent)

Mineralize Blush (£17.00)

· Pet Me Light yellow pink with soft pearl (Frost) (Limited Edition)

Brush

· 168SH Brush Large angled contour brush with a short handle

This part of the collection looks soft and smoky full of sumptuous purples and greys

PART 2: Leopard Luxe

Leopard Luxe Eyeshadow Quad ($36.00 U.S. / £25.00)

· Wild by Nature Mid-tone camel (Matte) (Limited Edition)

· Style Predator Frosted mid-toneyellow orange (Veluxe Pearl) (Limited Edition)

· Notoriety Mid-tone brown with gold pearl (Velvet) (Limited Edition) (Repromote from Makeup Art Cosmetics)

· Furiously Fabulous Frosted warm black (Veluxe Pearl) (Limited Edition)

Superslick Liquid Eyeliner (New Product) ($17.50 U.S. / £15.00)

· Pure Snow Bright yellow gold pearl (Limited Edition)

· Marked For Glamour Mid-tone grey with soft pearl (Limited Edition)

· On the Hunt True black (Limited Edition)

Plushlash Mascara ($13.00 CDN / £12.50)

· Plushblack True black (Permanent)

Pigment ($19.50 U.S. / £15.00)

· Lithe Warm nude with gold pearlized pigments (Frost) (Limited Edition)

· Old Gold High frosted tarnished gold (Frost) (Permanent)

Lipstick ($14.00 U.S. / £12.50)

· Out-Minxed Light yellow gold (Glaze) (Limited Edition)

· Drive Me Wild Mid-tone warm coral with gold pearl (Cremesheen) (Limited Edition)

· Powerful Mid-tone bronze with dazzle multi-pearl (Dazzle) (Limited Edition)

· The Prowl Creamy dark chocolate (Lustre) (Limited Edition)

Lipglass ($14.00 U.S. / £12.00)

· A Quiet Roar Pale white gold (Frost) (Limited Edition)

· Schemer Mid-tone yellow camel with red and gold pearl (Frost) (Limited Edition)

· Wildly Refined Mid-tone coral with gold pearl (Frost) (Limited Edition)

Cremestick Liner ($14.50 U.S. / £10.50)

· Creamola Low-down tan (Cream) (Permanent)

Mineralize Blush ($21.00 U.S. / £17.00)

· Utterly Game Warm peach with soft pearl (Frost) (Limited Edition)

Leopard Luxe Bag ($TBA)

· Gusseted cosmetic bag with an Ocelot brown trim in a corresponding color (Limited Edition)

This part seems to be warmer tones, focusing on neutral shades and humid colours.

PART 3: Burmese Beauty

Burmese Beauty Eyeshadow Quad ($36.00 U.S. / £23.00)

· Prized Pale yellow beige (Satin)(Limited Edition)

· Skintone 2 Mid-tone gold (Frost) (Limited Edition) (Repromote from Makeup Art Cosmetics)

· Burmese Beauty Frosted brown green (Lustre) (Limited Edition)

· Showstopper Soft smoked black (Matte) (Limited Edition) (Repromote)

Superslick Liquid Eyeliner (New Product) ($17.50 U.S. / £15.00)

Superslick liquid eyeliner is an innovative dip liquid liner with intense colour payoff and a high level of coverage and allows for quick and precise application. The flexible flocked “magic tip” of the applicator is extremely easy to control. Let your eyes sparkle with this supr shiny, super long-wear and water-resistant eyeliner.

· Desires & Devices Sparkling dark green (Limited Edition)

· Definitely Feline Chocolate brown with soft pearl (Limited Edition)

· Treat Me Nice Emerald green with soft pearl (Limited Edition)

Pigment ($19.50 U.S. / £15.00)

· Gold Stroke Mid-tone chocolate brown with red pearl (Limited Edition) (Repromote)

· Antique Green Turquoise green with green pearlized pigments (Limited Edition) (Repromote)

Plushlash Mascara ($13.00 CDN / £12.50)

· Plushblack True black (Permanent)

Lipstick ($14.00 U.S. / £12.50)

· Pet Me Please Frosted light dirty mauve (Frost) (Limited Edition)

· To Pamper Creamy mid-tone taupe (Lustre) (Limited Edition)

· Liquid Lurex Light yellow green with dazzle multi-dimensional pearl (Dazzle) (Limited Edition) (Repromote from Digi-Pops)

· Kittenish Deep red berry (Cremesheen) (Limited Edition)

Lipglass ($14.00 U.S. / £12.00)

· Spree Pink champagne taupe (Limited Edition)

· Jealous Light dirty green with pearl (Limited Edition)

· Fancy Cat Dark dirty brown with pearl (Limited Edition)

Cremestick Liner ($14.50 U.S. / £10.50)

· Velvetella Blackened plum (Cream) (Permanent)

Mineralize Blush ($21.00 U.S. / £17.00)

· The Soft Meow Mid-tone golden bronze with soft pearl (Limited Edition)

This Part looks particularly interesting. Dark sultry shades, but plenty of glitz and shimmer.

Hope this helps people with choosing what they might want. I will be posting more detailed notes on each part of this amazing collection soon.

Teal-tastic summer nights

2010-08-09T18:09:00.001-07:00

I came up with this look a little while back trying to find something god for summer nights when you want things a little darker and a little more vampy but still staying summery.

I find that jewel colours such as purples and deep blues and, in this case, Teal work really well on the lid with a darker smokier colour worked into the socket and blended with bright highlights in the inner corner and brow bone. This particular look has been a favourite of mine recently:

Used:

Barry M white Eyeliner

Urban Decay e/s 'Flipside'

Urban Decay e/s 'Misdemeanor'

MAC e/s 'Electric Eel'

Sleek e/s in a matte white from the 'Acid Palette'

MAC Eye Khol 'Blooz'

Rimmel Glam'Eyes Liquid Liner

Rimmel Volume Flash Mascara

Estee Lauder Projectionist Mascara

Its a stupidly simple look to do but looks really dramatic:

Having applied primer potion I filled the inner corner of my eyes with the white eyeliner and also sketched some just below my brow.

I then patted a good amount of flipside over the lid with a shader brush bringing it out slightly further than my actual eye.

Using misdemeanor with a 217 blending brush I began to sweep the outer part of my crease, blending softly with the teal colour.

having created the right shape I darkened the crease and used electric eel to brighten the colour towards the inner corner.

Taking the matte white on a little brush I applied it to the inner corner and blended it with the flipside. Then using a short fluffy brush I dusted it under the brow and used it to blend out the edges.

I lined the lower lash line with Blooz and smudged it out with my finger to lighten it before lining the top lash line with the rimmel liner winging it out slightly.

Curling my lashes I applied the Rimmel Mascara to the top and the Estee lauder one to the bottom.

(During an actual night out I would recommend false lashes to amp up the look. My favourites for this would be MAC's 41 Lash or maybe Red Cherry Lashes in #42)

this look could be easily adapted for any jewel colour depending on preference and what goes with your outfit. You just need one shimmery bright version and one dark sultry one ~ remember black can always be gently applied to the outer corner to deepen up the colours.

Review: Harajuku Lovers perfumes

2010-08-06T15:22:00.000-07:00

From left: Love, Lil' Angel, G, Music, Baby

When my Grandma amazingly bought me a good present last Christmas, the HL fragrance in Lil' Angel, I made it my mission to collect them all and finally through months of forgetting and being strapped for cash and generally having other things to spend my money on, I finally bought music and the collection was complete.

So I thought I'd save other people the trouble and say what I think about all of them so maybe you will only have to go out and buy the one you'll like best... or mybe Im just very excited and need to share my thoughts? ;)

LOVE: Love to me is definitely the easiest to wear of the bunch. Very floral and pretty it falls nicely into that inoffensive but then not very bold category. Great for daytime though after the fresh start it simmers into a bit of a stale fake smell, which is a shame.

LIL’ ANGEL: Is VERY fruity. It smelled quite demure in the bottle but when it went on my skin it reminded me of childrens bubble bath, a little synthetic. Fortunately it loses the synthetic twang eventually and becomes a cute shopping trip type fragrance.

G: Gwen herself, this for me is exactly how summer should smell, just like a big elaborate cocktail with a dry feel. It even reminds me of sunscreen...though really yummy sunscreen. And thankfully it smells just as nice on my skin as in the bottle and has a pretty good staying power. It’s not exactly delicate but it’s certainly a really good one for a burst of summer.

MUSIC: Music is much more grown up than all the other giggly flirty scents. It’s much more torte and wouldn’t be out of place in the evenings. I hate how it starts on my skin, smelling like soap, but it quickly becomes a dense musky number.

BABY: Possibly my favourite for every day, very different from the other fruity smells, despite smelling disgusting when it first gets to my skin, it dries to a lovely dusky vintage smell which is really nice all year round and for any occasion. Cute yet sophisticated...like a bunny with a monocle?

The bottle aren’t really what you want to get out and show anyone if you’re over the age of 16 but on your dresser or shelf they look really adorable with their little outfits and hair. During January I had to keep myself from buying all of the snow bunnies’ collection which were all the same scents. But with the new Sunshine cuties which have altered scents...let’s just say I’ve already got Baby and G sitting unopened on my shelf.

Thankyou for reading xx

MOAR LUSH ~ The Comforter Bubble Bar

2010-06-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

I was never into baths before I found LUSH's bubble bars. I couldnt see the appeal of sitting randomly stewing in hot water for about 10 minutes. I couldnt read a book as I generally dropped it in the water, and of course I dared not bring my phone or ipod in. So generally a bath to me was just sitting in some water going all pruney.

Abubble bar makes things a little more interesting however, and The Comforter is one of my favourites. You crumble it (or half of it, as they can be chopped up) under running hot water and the water turns an incredible deep pink and froths up. It froths less than I expected but its still better than some cheap spongebob bubble bath from tescos, and they use titanium dioxide...which means that the bubble go bright white too.

The smell is my favourite thing, it smells really strongly of berries and fruits and is just so juicy and delicious smelling. My only problem is that if I have the comforter in my little basket that sits on my desk full of LUSH stuff, everything else can start to smell of it too! but really it makes my room smell gorgeous and I CANNOT get enough of how cute it looks too.

Also worth a mention is the fact that all the bubble bars are packed with cocoa butter and all sorts of other lovely things that make your skin feel really moisturised and soft and the smell is so uplifting without being as WAKEY WAKEY! as something like Woosh Shower Jelly, for me its better for relaxing without sending you straight to sleep, which lets face it, in a bath, might be a tad dangerous

thankyou for reading :) x

LUSH: Blackberry Bath Bomb

2010-05-24T13:52:00.000-07:00

I like LUSH stuff, though I’m not totally obsessed like many people are. I appreciate the nummy smells and environmental conscience and fun attitude, but it’s not as if their products are ALL I will use, and I admit that a good amount of their products are overhyped because, much like MAC, everyone raves about it and people just follow on. However I will give my honest opinion...the good the bad and the yummy:

Blackberry Bath Bomb:

I used this just this morning, rolled out of bed and got a bath going. I’m more of a shower girl generally but I like the occasional bath when I don’t have school and can just relax and go all pruney. I know some people cut up their LUSH bath ballistics but I just like to dump them in and watch them fizzle and crackle in the water and BOY did this fizzle and crackle! I actually just dropped it in the water and went to get some towels and was actually drawn back by how loud a sound it was making. As well as that my water was turning a deep purple colour which was really cool to watch and the smell of berries was strong, though not overpowering. I didn’t really catch much of the other stuff that is claimed to be in it such as frankincense and Bergamot but that really didn’t matter. I could smell the blackcurrant all through my bath which was great though it didn’t feel like it was making any kind of difference to the condition of my skin. Its not really made for moisturising or softening or anything, it’s purely yummy to smell and fun to use...and I won’t ruin it for you, but there’s a little surprise hidden inside the ballistic for you too.

Follow through

2010-05-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

No! Stop the tumbleweed! Dont write this blogs memoirs just yet! I dont plan on giving up haha :P I believe in following through with projects and I shall continue to do so with this little beauty blog right here :)

I have set myself a goal, a post at least once a week. More if I can try and to do a large variety of things.

to my few but beloved subscribers...thanks for sticking around, Im determined to make this blog more entertaining and interesting for all who read it.

Lady Gaga Inspired Makeup

2010-04-05T15:07:00.000-07:00

Hey all :)

this is something a bit different. Ive done a few reviews but never any actual makeup before...for all you know I've never worn any of the products Ive bought!

BUT...itsjudytime, a really lovely youtube makeup guru is holding a contest, giving away a pair of Lady Gaga headphones...now while I do like the Gaga, I could POSSIBLY live without her ....... the boyf however is obsessed... Yes he is straight (we think) but he likes nothing more than to dance around to Bad Romance every now and again. So with his birthday coming up I thought Id give her contest a try.

I had to create a look inspired by Lady Gaga...of course the first thing most people think of when they think 'Lady Gaga makeup' is that well known lightning bolt affair with the pink eyeshadow.

Of course the bolts are an important part of Gaga's style, but I wanted to make it a more interesting look, incorporating different aspects of her style.

This is the look I finally came up with:

The trademark lightning bolt has been laced with sliver glitter liner, showing that flashy 80s vibe she has going on. The red little lips are a nod to the old paparazzi video and the beautiful dirty rich video and of course the finer details such as the porcelain complexion, UBER contouring and long full brows are there to round it off

Im now going to bore you with a list of what was used:

Lighting bolt:

Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Zero
Urban Decay eyeshadow in Perversion (applied with a wet concealer brush)
Barry M Glitter Liner in Silver

Lippies:

MAC studiofinish concealer
Barry M lip pencil in Dark Pink
MAC Ruby Woo lipstick

Eyes:

Sleek 'Dip it' Eyeliner in Black
Lancome Hypnose Mascara

Face:
Barry M natural dazzle compact (contouring)
Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid
E.L.F under eye concealer and highlighter
MAC studiofinish concealer

and thats all :) not a lot, all very dupeable and VERy simple to do nut look really rather good if I may say so myself.

I hope you enjoyed this...whatever it was.

thankyou for reading :) xx

MAC Haul and Review

2010-02-27T13:40:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone :)

As per the usual I went and blew most of my January paycheque on makeup, including a nice little MAC haul. Most of it was really just essentials I had run out of, but I also got two new eye shadows and a nail polish from the Lilyland collection. Also included in the haul is some MAC that the boyf got me for Valentine ’s Day....after WEEKS of hinting XD

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in ‘Light’.

My Holy Grail powder foundation. Honestly I’ve never found anything that quite matches the fine consistency and smooth application of this. £18.00 isn’t what you would call a bargain but really, it lasts forever (well about 3 months if you’re me) and is such a great powder. It’s easy to apply and apply well. I tend to use the SS134 kabuki brush to buff it in and I get a flawless finish without any caking or flaking. I do have to reapply probably about once a day, twice maybe if it’s very humid but I love it. My only issue is that when it’s pretty new the powder on top is quite loose and has a tendency to fly around a bit, so careful with your clothes!

MAC Brush Cleanser.

I didn’t actually know anywhere else even really DID a brush cleanser. I knew Estee Lauder has one but Estee Lauder owns MAC and it looks and smells exactly the same...It’s also a few quid more expensive for a bit less product so I’m perfectly happy sticking with this. I decant it into a spray bottle bit by bit as I go through it as I find this so much easier to handle. I also don’t get that annoying bit that drips down the side when it’s still in its bottle. Brushes are clean within a minute and it doesn’t take too long to dry either. Obviously with a brush such as the SS217 from Sigma it’ll take longer than a filbert brush due to more bristles, a wider shape and general extra fluffiness. I’m not the keenest on the somewhat overpowering alcohol smell but aside from that it’s excellent.

MAC Prep + Prime Skin Base Visage.Minus the fancy name: Face primer. I used to use Boots No 7 Shine Free Make-up Base as a primer, but it wasn’t much fun. I found it very stiff and I had to mix it with my moisturiser to be able to use it. This is SO much better! The pump is easy to control and I can do my entire face with just one or two pumps of pea sized product. It is silicone based so it leaves a lovely smooth slippery feel to the skin and I find that foundation looks a lot more even and smooth and generally gives a more professional finish. Also the packaging is glittery, which for some reason just makes me happy. Definitely a new favourite.

MAC Nail Lacquer in ‘Coconut Ice’.

My first nail polish from Mac, as I was always a bit dubious about paying £8 for 10mls of product. But I’d seen review on this and knew I had to have it. It’s limited edition from the ‘Lillyland’ collection (and no I don’t know who Lily Pulitzer is either) It’s a beautiful pink... like peachy, corally and baby pink all rolled into one. Its sweet and sugary and really does make me think of spring. Honest, Im pretty sure I’m going to have to get me another one of these to even last me through spring, I just cannot stop wearing it!

I'll update this review with swatches and reviews of the eyeshadows and lipstick once I have new batteries for my camera, as now its in a coma.

Hope you enjoyed this review :) xx

Review: Illamasqua Nail Polish ~ Velocity and Strike

2010-01-31T07:04:00.000-08:00

I confess that for a long time I had no real interest in nail polish. I used to bite my nails. *horrified gasp from nail loving readers* It’s true, I’d knaw them constantly, when I was nervous, when I was bored, even if I got a tad peckish. And for that reason I never wanted to paint them, that and the fact that the right hand ALWAYS looked terrible.

However over the past few months I gradually started getting back into them. And then of course obsessed with them, and it all started with my first Illamasqua nail polish.....

I was in the Trafford centre in Manchester with my mum, with some money I’d earned from some chore or another and I was on my way to the MAC counter, but I was suddenly struck as I realised that right next to it was an Illamasqua counter!

I had never seen an Illamasqua counter before. I didn’t own any at that point but had drooled over blogs and youtube reviews and the stuff on their website that all looked so gorgeous. So clearly MAC would have to wait as I squealed and skipped up to the counter.

I won’t bore you with the details of the rest of the trip but suffice it to say that I came away with possibly my favourite ever nail polish. It’s called ‘Velocity’

Velocity. (is actually a little lighter than shown)

It is from the dystopia collection that came out in autumn of 2009. It is truly gorgeous. I always think that lilacs and soft purples look beautiful on any skin tone, because they reflect light and look colourful but soft. To be honest I’m not sure why people don’t wear it more often instead of the usual garish blues or girly bright pink, it’s much more flattering and looks both elegant and youthful.

Like most Illamasqua products the packaging is shaped in a cut-off corner square style, I love their packaging because it’s simple in colour, all black and MAC like, but the shapes are just so much more edgy and interesting. Its stuff I want out on my dressing table because it looks so nice!

But packaging aside, let’s look at the product itself. Velocity is a dark lavender cream. I adore cream nail polishes. I like shimmery ones too, but creams are just so clean and demure looking. And as I have said, light purples are wonderful colours for nails so I was expecting to like this, and I REALLY did.

It went on smoothly and I didn’t find it to be stringy or goopy. Very easy to apply and the brush was a good size too, if a tad small if you’re in a rush and capable of doing your thumbnail in one stroke. It’s staying power wasn’t anything impressive, similar to that of a Barry M nail polish but, like all nail polishes, if a top coat is added it can last up to a whole week and if a topcoat is reapplied maybe 3 days after first application it could potentially go even longer.

Its £14.00. So it’s by no means cheap, it’s more expensive than MAC and far more pricey than Barry M’s nail polishes, which are very highly rated by everyone I know who’s tried them...including me. But for some of the colours I would say it might just be worth it. You’re also paying for around 15ml. A MAC nail polish is 10ml as are the Barry M ones. So it’s not as if you’re paying more for less, but it’s still not what you’d call a steal.

I also have another nail polish from Illamasqua, my boyfriend finally got the hint with me leaving the page open constantly on his laptop, and talking loudly to various people about it with him in earshot and sure enough for Christmas one of the little packages contained the Illamasqua nail polish in ‘Strike’ which I have to say is also absolutely beautiful. It’s like a deep shimmering turquoise, and it’s rare that words like ‘glamorous’ and ‘elegant’ can be applied to anything described as shimmery turquoise, but this definitely fits the bill.

It has the same lovely packaging, consistency and brush as velocity and the colour is so bright, but again not overpowering. The shimmer isn’t obnoxious either; it’s an almost iridescent finish, where various blues and greens all catch in different lights.

The nail polishes are lasting quite a long time too, I’ve had Velocity for months and Strike since Christmas, but of course I’ve had to wear it every few times I see my boyfriend. As you do. And I cant even see a gap between the lid and the product. And just to clarify, I usually change my nail polish every two days...sometimes one, so I get through my polishes.

All in all I love these nail polishes, they’re wonderful to apply and I always love the way they turn out. The only downside really is the price, that and that they’re quite hard to get hold of outside the UK. But if you can get them and don’t mind the price they’re fantastic. All the other colours I’ve seen on blogs etc look very interesting and unique too, so I think as a treat, for a really pretty and unique colour £14.00 would definitely be worth it.

*conclusion*

Good points: Gorgeous selection of colours, cute packaging, goes on smoothly and is long lasting.

Bad points: The price tag can make your credit card wince.

Overall rating 8/10

I hope you enjoyed this review xx

Review: Givenchy Phenomen'eyes Mascara

2010-01-30T15:02:00.000-08:00

I actually bought this on an aeroplane trip a few weeks ago, Id

seen it before and it looked interesting but like most other people I was dubious about putting something that looked like a medieval weapon near my eyes. But on the trip it was that or the Urban Decay Book of Shadows Volume I...and they were out of those.

But anyhoo, I got it and once Id gotten to my destination I naturally went straight onto the internet to see if I'd made a saving....and found it on cheapsmells.com for about £4 cheaper. Ugh but ah well, I had it and was now intrigued as to how it would fair on my, very stubby, though thick, lashes.

I must warn anyone thinking of getting their hands on this that it is not the easiest mascara to use, I mean yes the little spiky ball means that its easier to reach into the inner corners of your eyes and if you just want to flick it along the tips its very convenient. But it does take some serious getting used to. My first attempt had more of a giant panda look going on but once I'd figured it out I discovered the benefits.
The awesome top:

In the box is a little leaflet with diagrams supposed to help you with applying the mascara but honestly I found them pretty useless. For me it just took practice to get used to manouvering something shaped similar to what knights used to club enemies to death with from the back of a horse.

Once I'd found out how to use it without looking like I'd been punched I could see that in many ways it was a very good mascara, the length it gave to my lashes was pretty damn impressive and it was very black which added a look of volume.

However, for all the awesome length, it clumped like hell. I literally looked like I had about 4 sticks of liquorice stuck to my lids, but this was easily remedied. I simply layered a good separating mascara over the top, namely Rimmels 'The Max Volume Flash' mascara, though I would also recommend Boot's no' 17 'Lasting Fix' mascara too.

Another interesting point about this mascara is how short the wand is, it's about three quarters of the length of most of my mascara's including the lid, which is very wide. In some ways this is good, as it lets you get it right to the inner corners of your eyes, and also makes lower lashes less tricky than with many other mascaras, but in other ways it makes it quite hard to move it especially if you're used to the conventional long thin lids. The short wide engraved lid can actually be very uncomfortable to hold.

All in all, I actually like this mascara, I wouldnt ever use it on its own, but underneath a good separating mascara it makes my lashes look miles longer and very black. I would recommend it to anyone who wants ridiculous length but doesnt mind taking a bit of time to practice and figure it out. If not...well honestly, Max Factors 'Masterpiece' mascara does it very well, and for a lot less money....and you dont feel like you should be wearing a suit of armour.

Pictures: Bare lashes / Lashes with Givenchy mascara / Lashes with Givenchy mascara layered with Rimmels 'The Max Volume Flash' mascara.

*Conclusion*

Good points: lengthens like a dream, very dark, looks cool when you use it in front of people XD

Bad points: clumpy....VERY clumpy, can be awkward to use and takes practice.

Rating: 7/10

I hope you enjoyed this review :) xx