Fashionicide // Fashion, Makeup and Beauty

I know that a new MAC release is supposed to be a big deal, people who aren't even in to make up get all giddy and excited over it. I don't. The promotional photos rarely ever appeal to me, they're totally unrelateable. So it came as a great surprise to me when I saw the promo snaps for the new Indulge Fall Collection.

The shot that really struck a chord with me had an amazingly pretty lady with a wash of yellow-gold eyeshadow and lashings of thick black eyeliner. It actually looks remarkably similar to what I've been sporting recently, very retro glam, think 60s!

Obviously I couldn't just wait until MAC release the collection over here in the UK, I had to re-create the look. Like, now! I had a good old rummage through piles and piles of make-up and came up with this:

PRODUCTS USED:

*FACE*

YSL Touche Éclat Foundation in BD50 (MAC equivelant NC37-NC40)
MAC Prep+Prime LoosePowder

*CHEEKS*

Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Crush

*EYES*

Yellow Shade from the Sleek Ultra Matte Palette Bright V1 e/s

Urban Decay Half Baked e/s ( over Sleek's yellow shade )

Bourjois Little Round Pot in Beige Rose e/s ( Inner Corner Highlight )

Illamasqua Precision Gel Liner in Infinity
Rimmel London Scandal Eyes Kohl Liner in Nude ( Waterline )
Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Mascara

*LIPS*

MAC Lipstick in Diva

Can you believe that I didn't use MAC on the eyes? It just goes to show how dupe-able products really are. Despite that, I still cannot wait to get my hands on Gilt Gourmet Fluidline and Just a Bite lipstick. I don't have anything like the Gilt Gourmet in my own personal collection, so I'm devastated that it's already sold out online! As soon as it hits the stores, I'm there. Buying ten.

In the promo photo the woman was wearing a nude lipstick - think 'concealer lips'. I'm sure she's wearing Smash Hit lipstick and I can imagine this looking quite flattering on paler skin tones, but I haven't even looked at a nude lipstick in years. I feel I've moved past that stage now, so I painted on my beloved MAC Diva. I just cannot stop wearing this shade lately - the sumptuous, warming dark burgundy feels strangely comforting as the cold, harsh winter approaches.

In other news, I must apologise for my lack of online activity recently. I've been working on a couple of projects and have been struggling to find a balance although I did manage to find my way to Paperchase to purchase a diary that will keep me organised.

Me? Organised? Well... There's a first for everything ;)

I have lots and lots to post about, so stay tuned!

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By now you should all be fully aware of my love for a bit of bling. Recently I've ventured into the world of Matha Pattis, having seen them at weddings all of my life. But only now I actually appreciate how gorgeous they are!

At the moment I'm at a stage of my life where I'm really feeling the whole 'fusion' idea, mixing east with west. It reflects who I am. I am a product of various influences: my roots and where I grew up.

I digress!

I've already posted a couple of photos embracing the wondrous and mythical Matha Patti, and they truly are wondrous. But you know me, always trying to push the limit. I was having a wee look around Zara when I spotted this beautiful necklace. At first I imagined it around my neck: 'Which dress would this go best with?' I thought.

But then, my mind went all walkabout. What if I put it on my head? It'd look pretty awesome as a Matha Patti! This might not be news to some of you, but to me this idea seemed like genius!

I parted my fringe to the side and put the headpiece right on!

Since I'd never tried to wear a big, clunky, heavy necklace on my head before, putting it on for the first time was more than just a little troublesome. Eventually though I figured it out, even summoning the courage to wear it out to dinner! During the evening I was asked: 'Where did you get that gorgeous head-piece from?' WINNING!

Next time you fancy mixing things up in the accessory department, remember: just because it says it's a necklace, it doesn't mean that's all it can ever be.. So be bold, pick out that old necklace you used to love, plonk it on your head and see what happens. You never know, it might just work!

I feel that at this point I should mention ma bellecouturièreFrançaise (my lovely French seamstress). She has totally inspired me to look at fashion in a whole new light. Suddenly the piles of old clothes I have, past their sell-by date, look more like opportunities to create new things as opposed to a waste of space. She really hates the very idea of 'disposable fashion' and thinks that our old clothes can be fused into something new and unique.

Have you ever done anything crazy with your accessories? Breathed new life into your old clothes? If so, tell me all about it!

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Heaven's Bee Venom Mask

Ok, so to answer your first question: Yes. It does contain Bee Venom. To answer your second question: the Bee Venom tricks the skin into 'thinking' it has been stung, thus kickstarting the production of collagen and elastin. And to answer your third question: No, it doesn't hurt like a bee sting! Intrigued? You should be!

For those who are interested in these kind of things, Kate Middleton and Camilla Parker Bowles are said to be fans of this, I'm not 100% certain whether that's a good selling point or not, but hey.

As well as the headline ingredient, this cream also contains slighlty less eye-catching ingredients such as Manuka Honey, Shea Butter and Rose Lavender essential oils. Having said that, if you Google Manuka Honey, check out how expensive it can be! But back to Heaven, they claim their Bee Venom Mask is:

'Nature's Alternative to Botox.'

Now you're definitely intrigued...

I'm in my mid twenties so botox is certainly off the agenda at the moment, but this stuff well and truly saved my skin during Ramadhan. Whilst fasting the skin becomes incredibly dehydrated, dull and all around lacklustre. My usual Hydralauron just wasn't doing anything for me, but the Bee Venom stepped up.

The product itself is a cream, a very creamy cream that is neither light nor heavy, slap-bang in the middle. There are two ways of using this product. You can either use it as a mask, applying to the face and leaving it on for 20 minutes before wiping off, or you can just apply it over your moisturiser day and night. I opted for the latter.

I applied a tiny amount all over my face, including under the eyes. Upon application, you'll feel your skin tingle and perhaps even see a little redness around the nose and cheeks. There's no real pain here, just a mild tingly sensation that actually subsides after a few applications. My skin quite literally drank this up, leaving behind a gorgeous glow as if my skin was actually happy :)

Within a week, my skin had completely transformed. The dryness had departed, and my skin didn't feel anywhere near as thirsty as it has done before. I felt it had injected some much needed moisture into my skin, really plumping it up. I'd wake up with an immense glow, and with tinted moisturiser or foundation on top the glow remained almost as if I had highlighter on, minus the shimmer. On top of that, my skin looked and felt so much softer.

A lot of us ladies find the under eye area to be quite troublesome. You know how it can look quite dull, dark and tired? Well this stuff has perked my under-eyes right up, the lines I've recently noticed beneath the eyes have smoothed out, not disappeared, just much less noticeable. I had a friend ask me what I was using as my skin reminded her of Mariah Carey's soft, glowing skin, ha!

Now for the final question: How much does it cost? Well, bear in mind that I have the 15ml jar and I used it night and day, every day; I was amazed that it lasted just over a month! It cost £23.50 for the 15ml jar, which works out at about £1.50 per ml. I realise how expensive that sounds (and it is), but given the effect it has had on my skin, I will be purchasing the full 50ml jar. I don't think I can explain just how much I am anticipating payday!

*PR Sample

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Guess who's back with another outfit post! Not only is it another outfit post, it's another Kimono! You might well be thinking I'm stuck in a silky, kimono-cut rut, but I just can't get enough of my gorgeous kimonos, so sue me! ;)

To be fair though the kimonos in my collection are all very different to each other, each one with its own unique, gorgeous print. A prime exanple is the one featured today. I purchased it recently from H&M of all places, it stood out for two very obvious reasons: it's bright purple and it's so long. I scoured the rack desperately looking for my size and let out a squeal when I found it. I just needed to buy this because I have nothing else like it, my wardrobe is completely devoid of anything purple.

Once you get past that bright purple and pink print, you'll realise why this isn't quite like the other kimonos I've been wearing recently, this one goes all the way down to the ankles. So instead of using it as the jacket to an outfit, I've used this one as the dress, the main event. With it's bold print, chiffon fabric instead of the traditional silk, and the gold studded belt I wrapped around it, it feels to me a bit like a modern-day twist on the Geisha.

Full Length Kimono - H&M
Gold Studded Skinny Belt - Gift
Black Lexi Jersey Midi Skirt - Boohoo
J Crew Crystal Cluster Necklace Replica - Secret Statement

I've been lusting after those really expensive J Crew Necklaces for quite a while now, but why shell out all that cash when you can achieve a similar effect for a fraction of the price? Well, I stumbled upon Secret Statement on Instagram not so long ago and they do an awesome replica/dupe of the infamous Crystal Cluster Necklace for just £10. Now that's a statement, and it's within a normal person's price range! Have a little peek here: LINK!

Hope you're all having a fun-filled weekend, my voice has withered away into a frog-like croak which for someone who loves to talk like I do is annoying! On the plus side, I'm snuggled up in bed midway through a Harry Potter marathon!

So until next time, Expelliarmus!

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So, a couple of weeks ago I received an e-mail offering me the chance to try out the Nokia Lumia 925. I have to admit that I was pretty excited, as well as surprised. Who'd have thought a Fashion & Beauty blogger would be sent a phone?! Well, my excitement was curtailed a bit when I discovered it was only for two weeks. How am I supposed to get to grips with a new phone within two weeks?

I'd read a little bit about the phone and recalled their adverts talking about how great the camera is in low light, so I took them up on their offer and duly received it a few days later. Straight out of the box it does look pretty special: piano black at the front, creamy white at the back, huge screen but super slim. A good first impression, but from there on in it was all downhill.

That's not to say this is a rubbish phone, because it isn't. There are so many good things about it, I probably couldn't describe them all in one post but I will at least cover a few. Firstly, the screen is like a work of art. It's bigger than my iPhone 4s, and isn't a funny looking shape like the iPhone 5. It felt quite responsive and the graphics were so smooth and dreamy. The camera is far better than the iPhone 4s. I find my usual phone's camera struggles to find light, with photos quite often looking dull. The Lumia camera found light in almost all situations, and I have to say I was impressed by that.

What I was not impressed by though was Windows 8. It's a bit like Marmite. You either love it or you hate it, and I hate it with a passion. The main menu is awful, with an assortment of different sized-squares, mostly in a child-like and garish blue colour with useless icons that didn't seem to make much sense. Maybe after a while you'd get used to it, but I didn't really have a while. I had two weeks. If you swipe in from the left a list-style menu with all your apps appears, this is a little better but it isn't a patch on the Apple or Android menu systems.

As much as I hated Windows 8, I think I might have been able to live with this phone had it not been for one fatal flaw. Instagram. You cannot download Instagram on to this phone. From a blogger's perspective, one that makes heavy usage of Social Media, this was unacceptable. There are workarounds though: you could probably use Instagram via Internet Explorer, or more realistically you can download other free apps which interface with Instagram such as Hipstamatic Oggl. I could not for the life of me get this to work. The app kept on crashing everytime I tried to do something, and the terrible icons Windows 8 insists on using were so confusing, I couldn't even work out how to post a photo to Instagram.

Now, maybe more technically minded souls could have managed to get this phone to work beautifully for them but I couldn't. Perhaps it was the lack of time, perhaps it was the badly designed Windows 8 or perhaps the Hipstamatic Oggl app just isn't any good. I don't know. But to be honest, I don't care. I don't wantto have to use workarounds. I want to be able to access Instagram easily, but this phone wouldn't let me. What's the point of having a phone that takes great photos, if you can't use the biggest photo sharing app on the net?

So for all the flaws that my iPhone 4s has, it lets me do all the basic things I expect from a smartphone (Tweet, Whatsapp, Photos, Instagram, Email, Phone and Text) without any trouble. There is absolutely no way I would purchase this Nokia, it has potential for sure. But if I'm to give up something that is the finished article, I want something that's going to take me forward, not hold me back.

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I think I may have mentioned this previously, but I never allow myself to get too excited by an upcoming MAC collection anymore. Usually there's a couple of months worth of pre-launch hype and teasers attempting to make you really want it, then when you go into your nearest MAC counter you have a little browse and notice that it really isn't all that. Even if there is something in there genuinely worth getting excited about, you tend to find that it goes out of stock within minutes. Literally, minutes.

So when MAC started hyping up their Indulge collection I found myself a little surprised. There were a couple of items that actually caught my interest. When the collection was finally released, I had to visit all three MAC counters to get my hands on the one thing I was dying to try. Only one counter had received any of it, and even then they only received three. Yes, that's three for the whole of Manchester!

So what was it then? It was of course the Three Ring Yellow eyeshadow. I was also interested by the Gilt Gourmet Fluidline, which shouldn't come as much of a surprise, but it seems MAC produced quite a lot of that so I didn't have any difficulty getting it. Even though it was a bit irritating to be traipsing around Manchester looking for Three Ring Yellow, every cloud has a silver lining.

Except in my case it was more of bluey-silvery lining. While I was trying out the first MAC counter, in Selfridges, my attention was diverted away from the Indulge collection momentarily by the Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow palettes, there are six different varieties from pink through to brown, but I naturally opted for the blue one, named Bleuluxe. I swatched it on my wrist and was blown away by quite how sparkly it looked, it's also a little sheer but the microscopic glitter had me entranced. Despite the annoying lack of Three Ring Yellow, I couldn't just leave empty handed so I purchased this little surprise package instead.

How stunning does this look?

Maybe it was my disappointment about Three Ring Yellow being out of stock (although technically it was never in stock), maybe it was the misleading fluorescent lighting in-store, maybe it was just me acting on impulse or more likely it was a mixture of all three. Either way, I was fooled.

As gorgeous as it looks in the photos, this palette is truly ordinary. Ordinary is probably being a little bit generous actually. The flourescent lighting definitely played its part in MAC's trickery, beaming down on to every tiny little piece of glitter on the swatch, accentuating the shine and sparkle.

When I took it home, I packed on Bleuluxe 3 (the medium blue in the middle) all over the lid. The colour was quite soft, very sheer and the tiny little glitter particles transferred onto the lid quite nicely, though it did feel a little heavy. I was very, very disappointed with the lack of colour, to the extent I actually wiped it back off. I prefer my eyeshadows to be opaque, and I was probably being naive to think that an opaque, sparkly eyeshadow exists!

After a bit of experimentation I found that to bring out a more intense finish, I needed to apply this wet. This results in a kind of semi-opaque, metallic finish and even then, it doesn't have anywhere near enough intensity for my liking. In the end, I grabbed my tried-and-tested Sleek Ultra Matte Brights Palette, applied the colour 'Bolt' over the lid and lower lash line, with a dab of 'Sugarlite' in the centre of both the lid and lower lash line to add a bit of dimension to the finished eye look.

To complete the look, I applied Bleuluxe 3 all on top of the Sleek Colours. And applied Bleuluxe 1, which is the pale silver, in the inner corners of my eyes.

The results were astonishing.

THE REST OF MY FACE:

*FACE*

YSL Touche Éclat Foundation in BD50 (MAC equivelant NC37-NC40)
NARS Powder Foundation in Barcelona

*CHEEKS*

Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Crush

*LIPS*

MAC Lipstick in Dark Side mixed with RiRi Woo (thank you to my LaaLaa for the RiRi ♥)

The finished look is beautiful when using an opaque base eyeshadow underneath, for my look I used the ever-reliable Sleek Ultra Matte Brights palette, but in reality you can just use your own favourite opaque shadow. As good as this look is, there is a teeny-weeny little caveat. The fall-out is pretty bad as you should always expect from a glittery eyeshadow, by the end of the day I had glitter particles all over my face!

As far as the MAC Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow palette goes, if you are into your big, bold, opaque eyeshadows then I'd give this a miss. It isn't big, it isn't bold, it isn't opaque and it probably shouldn't even be called an eyeshadow either. It's just tightly pressed glitter in a palette.

Having said that, the festive season is on it's way so I'll be using this quite often, if only to make sure I get my thirty quids worth of usage out of it. Yes that's right. £30. Would I repurchase? No. It is ridiculously expensive for what it is and you could purchase a couple of Barry M's Dazzle Dusts to achieve a similar look at a fraction of the price.

Sorry MAC, must do better!

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Galaxy Nails!

I think I've probably mentioned this before, but ever since I was a young girl I've had this fascination with the night sky. I was never one to really pay all that much attention at school, but one subject that always managed to hook me in was physics. Well, the astronomy bits at least! My curious mind would drag me to the library at weekends so that I could read every book and look at every photo I'd get my hands on.

And just recently I became the proud owner of a telescope! Sadly though, living in a large urban conurbation like Manchester means that light pollution tends to get a little in the way of serious star-gazing. Looks like a trip south to the villages in Cheshire, like Alderley Edge, might be in order!

Either way, the Universe is beautiful. I think it's allure, similar to the ocean, stems from the sense of the unknown. Whilst we huamns are prone to fear that of which we know little, there's also a stong sense of wonderment that emerges as you begin to dip your toes into the wide expanses that mankind knows so little of, yet what we do know of is so breathtaking.

I guess you could describe the universe as a beautiful mess, or structured chaos. And that's the spirit in which I attempted these nail: to make an imperfectly perfect look.

L - R: Eyeko Indigo, Orly Sweet Peacock*, Rimmel 60 Seconds Mary Mary Quite Contrary, Barry M Nail Paint Pink Flamingo & Topshop Ice Crush

Whilst it may look like a mish-mash of randomness, there definitely was a structure and some organisation to pulling together this look. From the photo above, I used each polish from left to right. First I painted two coats of Eyeko's Indigo straight on to the nails, letting them dry completely. The next step was the fun bit. I got out the sponge for some galactic magic!

For the spongey bit, I dabbed a bit of Orly's Sweet Peacock on to one section of the sponge followed by a few dabs of Rimmel's 60 Seconds Mary Mary Quite Contrary on another section and then some of the Barry M Pink Flamingo on a third section. Then, one section at a time, I dabbed the sponge on to the nail creating a different galactical pattern each time, making sure I left a few areas of the nail untouched to give that 'Space' effect.

The Pièce de résistance is of course Topshop's Ice Crush. I mean, what kind of a galaxy doesn't have stars in it? I simply applied a thin coating to the nails one by one, after I'd dabbed on the patterns with the sponge.

Worthy Mentions

Orly's Sweet Peacock* from the Fall 2011 Birds of a Feather collection.

I have a confession to make on this one ladies (and gents?), I was sent this for review way back in 2011. I applied it once, didn't really think all that much of it at the time so I stored it in my big box of nail polishes. Over time it must have worked its way to the very bottom and only by chance did I stumble across it again. The good news is its now firmly back at the top of the pile, the bad news is its no longer available. This will no doubt end up being a staple for me over the winter, lighting up the short, dull, dreary days with it's gorgeous shimmery electric blue finish.

I always come away after buying glittery nail polishes feeling a little cheated. After all, it would probably work out cheaper (and often better) to jusy buy a clear polish and some cheap glitter from a stationery shop and use that. But Tophop's Ice Crush bucks that trend for me. This is my 'go-to' glitter polish, and I'm currently midway my third bottle.

I think what really does it for me is the two different shapes and sizes of the glitter. This then makes it perfect for this look as it really does seal the deal in terms of making the look seem quite realistic!

As complex, crazy and chaotic as these nails may look, it was shockingly easy to pull it off. At first glance you'd probably think that this is going to take up a lot of your time and effort, but I think it took me about 20 minutes on the first attempt!

What helped out though, was MissJenFABULOUS' tutorial video. I'd urge you to take a look and come up with some stunning designs of your own! :)

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As winter begins to approach, lurking just around the corner, the temperatures have begun to plummet. And this time of year always brings with it internal conflict. See, I hate winter almost as much as I love it. I hate the cold, I hate the lack of sun hours, I hate the aftermath of snow when it becomes all compacted, icey and slippery. On the other hand, I love Winter fashion, winter fabrics, the temporary cheer from November through to December, the fact that people find it acceptable to wear shiny glittery clothes.

But my favourite thing about winter is Velvet. It oozes class and opulence as well as providing a bit of much-needed extra warmth.

A couple of weeks back I was scouring eBay for a velvet skirt. I could feel the days getting shorter and the air getting colder and felt like I needed something to look forward to, to help me deal with the forthcoming doom and gloom. I found a little more than I had bargained for: I found this beautiful two piece set. It's a black velvet skirt with matching top, but these are no ordinary pieces. No, the set was definitely out of the ordinary. If Topshop or Asos were selling it, it'd be sold-out in minutes.

What makes it so extra-ordinary? Well, the golden, Baroque-style embroidery that lines the bottom of the skirt and the edge of the sleeves is what truly sets this apart. I couldn't recall having ever seen anything quite like this before, certainly not on velvet. Topshop had a very nice velvet range last A/W, but in truth it was just a little plain. This though...

The skirt is one of these 'fit and flare' types, but unlike the very loose and flimsy skater skirts, the velvet feels a firmer with much more structure to it. The embroidered sleeves are also flared outwards, also quite firmly but in a wavy, frilly style. The outfit doesn't scream opulence to me, it looks down it's nose at me and says:

"You ought to consider yourself fortunate that I'm allowing myself to be worn by you."

I've found myself just staring at it trying to figure out what could have influenced the design, but the more I look at it, the more I see! Overall the piece looked at first as if it was a Black, Velvety take on the traditional Red, Silk Chinese dress. Then the shoulder outline created by the flaring out of the sleeve reminded me of Spanish Matadors! I couldn't even begin to place the style in any era, it looks so luxurious it could fit into any era. Timeless.

Velvet Baroque Fit & Flare Skirt & Matching Top - eBay

Gold Studded Skinny Belt - Gift

Lace Body Suit - Topshop

Gold Arrow Braclet - H & M

Bug Bites Necklace - Kenza Accessories*

So, what do you think? Also, check out that necklace! As soon as I saw this on Kenza Accessories site, I thought 'I have got to have this!' Then when it arrived through the mailbox, I was taken aback. It had this look to it, I could imagine that if the Ancient Egyptians were still around today, their style would have evolved into something a bit like this.

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend, I'm still recovering from Vogue's Fashion's Night Out in Manchester. It was great to see an event like this happening up North, and judging by the girls I saw out, we've got every bit as much style as the girls of London!

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This eyeliner addict is back, back with a vengeance and back with another new eyeliner almost 6 months since my last liner post. This is a big deal for me, I find eyeliner to be quite personal. Once I've found one that I like, I remain fiercely loyal. My eyes don't go wandering or flirt with other liners. Last time I wrote on this subject I was in love with Clinique's Brush on Cream Liner.

But I've been cheating on her, with a newer, younger model... Illamasqua.

About two months ago, I really started taking my eyeliner skills to a whole new level. From the age of 14 all I've ever concentrated on has been top liner, but this year I asked myself: 'WHAT HAVE I BEEN DOING?!'

After experimenting with the Retro 60s eye make up looks, it hit me that my beloved Clinique Gel Liner was no longer cutting it. Don't get me wrong, it works beautifully as a top liner, but if you want to venture anywhere else around the eye it suddenly appears less opaque and fades much quicker - even when I used Urban Decay's Primer Potion beneath it.

So with two new-found revelations playing on my mind I paid a visit to Paddy at the Illamasqua coutner in Manchester's Selfridges. He really is a very talented make up artist, his make up is always flawless like a mannequin. And the best thing? He's self-taught, which means there's hope for me yet!

So I told Paddy about my eyeliner woes, that I was bored of top liner only looks and that Clinique just wasn't satisfying me any longer, and he recommended Illamasqua's Precision Gel Eyeliner in Infinity. Looking at the tester in store it had been used to the max yet still managed to look super creamy, very similar to Clinique's but blacker. Black like the night!

Naturally I bought it straight away, raced home and applied.

It applied like a dream. Very smoothly without any tugging. It felt creamy, very creamy but not quite as creamy as my beloved Clinique. This wasn't an issue though, as it glided effortlessly on to the skin and allowed me to create beautifully crisp, solid lines around my lids, lash line and crease area.

What pleased me most about this, was the dark intensity. It is just ridiculously black. My first thought was: 'this is what Inglot's AMC Gel Liner should have been'. Inglot's Gel Liner is just about as black as Illamasqua's however the application and removal is a nightmare. There's less drag in a transvestite bar, and I actually needed to use soap to remove. Soap.

But with Illamasqua, this problem does not exist. It is the most perfect gel liner I have ever used. It's like Clinique and Inglot got together, had a wild night of loving and conceived an illicit love child that adopted the best qualities of both and dumped the worst.

The finish is matte, it doesn't budge, it doesn't flake off. And despite the ice-cold, tear-inducing, hurricane-like winds we've been experiencing lately in Manchester this beaut has managed to stay put. Illamasqua make the claim that it's water-resistant and nowhere will put that claim to the test more than Manchester, so far it's winning!

How intense is this, really? LOVE.

So now you know how easy it is to apply and how great it looks on, how does it come off? Well, there's no let-up there either. It comes off easily with my Super Facialist Vitamin C+ Renew Cleansing Oil. No soap required!

I have to say that with Illamasqua's Gel Liner in my armoury, I feel much more confident in creating more adventurous looks. I have a liner that is sharp, precise, bold and black that applies like a dream and removes easily.

It will set you back £18 for a little 5 gram pot, but whilst the pot may be little it lasts a freaking long time. I've had mine for two months now, I'm nowhere near halfway through and it's still as creamy as ever. Would I repurchase? YES!!

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I don't know about you, but when I first heard that Topshop were launching their own make up line, I was both a little sceptical and a little intrigued at the same time. Three years later and I have to say that I am constantly impressed by their range, everytime I drop by the make up section it feels fresh and updated, never stale or stagnant.

I'm a huge fan of liquid lipsticks, the intensity of the full-on colour, the matte finish and the longevity. Naturally then I was freaking excited to see that Topshop's Damned Collection had finally arrived at my local store. Why? It contained the highly anticipated 'Velvet Lips', of course!

The Damned Collection has seen Topshop go all gothic on us, something I thought I'd never say! As far as Velvet Lips is concerned, they've given us three choices: Plush, Velveten Ribbon (a luxurious deep red) and Raven (black!). Honestly, I'd have bought them all if I was able to find Raven, but alas I ended up with just the first two.

Plush is a purple shade with a blue base to it. When applied to the lips, you can detect a faint hint of blue, but the plum easily overwhelms it. The tube gives the impression that there's a metallic element running through it, but that impression fades when actually on the lips.

Velvet Lips is fairly similar to other liquid lipsticks I've used in the past. I applied with the doe footed applicator provided, it applies wet and is dry within seconds to a completely matte, velvety texture. It feels incredibly soft on the lips, and even to the touch. Sounds perfect right?

Wrong.

But you have to believe me when I say that I really wanted to like this.

The colour itself isn't truly opaque and actually looks uneven on my lips. I applied another coating which only made matters worse, it began to crumble right off my lips. To prevent the patchiness and give that opaque effect, I found that I had to apply lip liner all over the lips. Disappointing to say the least.

Even when you've applied lip liner beneath, applied the lipstick just once and let it dry it does feel velvety soft, but it's not Topshop quality velvet, it's Primark quality velvet. It begins to powder up on the lips and fall off, I even noticed little flecks on my teeth! And if you want to eat or drink? Forget it. I'm thinking of a film here actually... Gone in 60 Seconds. Yep, that's about right.

Having read countless reviews fawning over how wonderful this stuff is, I thought: 'Surely it must be me? It must be that my lips are too dry?' So I even took the extra effort of applying lip balm to give them a bit of added moisture, but that had no effect, and besides I don't have this problem with any of my other liquid lipsticks.

The pictures above were taken about two minutes after applying a coat of lip liner prior to the lipstick. Within five minutes, it had started powdering...

Priced at £10, this is a rip off. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. Buying Topshop's Velvet lips is like buying an old banger for the price of a brand new Ferrari. It's not even anywhere near to being in the same league as Stila or Lime Crime. If anything I'd say it's a bit closer to NYX's Soft Matte Lip Cream. Though there are four differences: NYX doesn't flake off, the colour lasts longer, it applies much more evenly and it's a damn sight cheaper.

Would I repurchase? I think I'd need to be flashed with one of those memory-wiping devices they have in Men In Black to make me consider even looking at this product again.

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Lately I've been getting a little bit bored with my hair, I wouldn't quite call it a 'rut' just yet, but it's getting close. I've been attempting to grow it out long for a while now, but it's so difficult to resist that urge to chop off a few bits here and there. I'm seriously addicted to cutting my hair, and I'm aware that I have a problem! I do miss having plenty of short, textured layers in amongst longer hair, sigh.

Instead of getting too hung up about that though, I've been trying a few different things with my hair. Crimping isn't something I've done since an avant-garde look I created for a hairdressing assessment at college. Anyways, I was reminiscing over some old photos I had and wondered what it would look like on my turquoise hair.

So I dug out my Babyliss 2165BU Pro Hair Crimper, started adding a couple of crimps into my hair in random sections and things just went from there!

It's one of those styling tools that just doesn't get used daily so ends up hidden away under the bed collecting dust, a bit like my hair curler!

The plates are ceramice and it comes with 6 heat settings with the highest going up to a scorching 210 celsius, perfect for thicker hair types. The ceramic ensures the plating doesn't stick to the plating but one thing I really don't like about these is the location of the heat setting dial. Take a look above and you'll see the dial is on the inside instead of the outside. So if you need to change the temperature, you need to take care not burn your fingers.

On the plus side it's incredibly quick to heat up, I give it 30 seconds and I can begin the crimping session!

Back to the plating, and as you can see from the photos, it's not wide and wavy. The bumps are tightly packed resulting in 80s-esque super-tight crimps, as opposed to softer waves. If you check back on my Topshop Velvet Lips post you'll see that I went crimp crazy, my hair looking a bit poodle-ish!

The lasting power is surprisingly good, for me it lasts all day without needing to spray on some hairspray. I'm not sure how much of that is to do with the crimper, and how much is to do with my naturally wavy hair but either way: it works for me.

I love how crimpers add extra texture to the hair. It looks incredibly striking, whether you go all out or a little more subtle.

Babyliss' 2165BU Pro Hair Crimper is currently priced at £19.99 in Boots, a pretty cheap way to experiment with a fun new look.

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Hello m'dears!

Well, I think it's safe to say that Summer has well and truly ended. Whilst I'm gutted that we'll only be receiving rare sprinklings of sunlight and warmth for the next 6 months, I am looking forward to Autumn/Winter fashion. The glamour of A/W fashion really does compensate for the dark mornings, the dull days, the gloomy afternoons, the bitter cold air and various types of precipitation.

So whilst I'm mourning the death of the warmth, now is the perfect excuse for some winter wardrobe retail therapy. I have to say that H&M have really surprised me so far, I was blown away by their new Autumn Collection. I spotted Velvet Capes, Cut Out Fit & Flare skirts and Luxurious Faux Fur coats but this was the highlight for me. Yes, it's none other than this delicate, embellished chiffon drop hem dress.

Go on, admit it. You love it already, right? It's remarkably similar to the Dip Hem or Hi Lo cut that I've been loving all summer, but the added embellishment makes it perfect for winter. The embellishment is very light, yet gives the piece that air of elegance we so desire and the neckline is very different to anything else I own. It sits along the neck and has a tie-up at the back that feels pretty comfortable, not like you're being strangled!

I'm always a little skeptical when buying long dresses, fearful that they'll be too long for my petite frame however I was pleasantly surprised with this. The backdrop just about touches my ankles, whilst the higher hem hits around mid-thigh. The fabric is completely sheer so I wore a bodycon underneath, and I can assure you this is as close as I'll ever get to sporting the 'underwear as outerwear' look.

Naturally then, as soon as I discovered this in H&M with its subtle, stylish embellishments, the flowy, ultra-feminine chiffon fabric and the ever-flattering nude colour I just knew it had to be mine.

Nude Chiffon Drop Hem Embellished Dress - H & M Autumn Collection

Gold Cap Toe Dusky Pink Shoes - Primark

How stunning is this, really?

Best part? It's just £49.99!

I really am in love with this dress, so much so, I even bought the same one in red! Am I obessessed? Well... err... Yes!

If you're in as much awe of this dress as I am, you can get it here: LINK!

What do you think of the new Autumn Collection for H&M?

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As we enter the final stretch of 2013 and life begins to gradually begin to slow down on the run-up to Christmas, I've found myself reminiscing over or 'reviewing' the year so far. I can say without a doubt that 2013 has been the year of experimentation for me.

Looking back through some of my older posts, I came across one from 2010 that really caught my eye. I'd purchased NYX's Round Lipstick in Snow White, which is a crimson red shade, and I was talking about how I wasn't brave enough to venture outside the house wearing it.

How times have changed!

Almost four years on, and rarely do I venture outside the house without a bright lipstick on. But this year I went one further and began toying with alternative shades, and this post is dedicated to one that really stands out: Illamasqua's Kontrol.

Swatch!

As you can see, Kontrol is a blue based violet with very subtle grey undertones. It's one of those shades that you just won't find in your local Boots or Superdrug, one of the reasons I love Illamasqua so freaking much. It goes completely against the grain.

And there's no half-measures here either, it's richly pigmented, full-on opaque with a smooth, creamy formula that applies effortlessly to the lips. Kontrol isn't quite like Illamasqua's matte lipsticks, where you need to exfoliate your lips and apply some decent lip balm. No, the creamy formula ensures this lipstick requires minimum effort. It's also incredibly forgiving on dry lips and doesn't accentuate any flakes. YES!

I'd say it's a slightly cool toned lipstick, something I tend to steer well clear of as they generally tend to clash with my skin tone. Illamasqua have surprised me with this one though, as I think it matches up pretty well with my NC37 - NC40 skin tone.

As for the finish, it isn't quite matte. If anything I'd say it's slap bang in the middle of matte and gloss, more like a velvety-smooth finish. Topshop's Velvet Lips - take note!

The lasting power is pretty good for a non-matte lipstick, by lunchtime I find that it's beginning to wear off a little though so I give it a wee touch up. By the end of the working day my lips are left with a purple-hued stain but with a touch up a few hours after lunch, it actually begins to look more matte than glossy.

Sigh

So beautiful.

Illamasqua's Kontrol is priced at £16.50, so I can understand why people may find this pretty steep for a lipstick. Personally I think it's worth it! If, however, you aren't so sure about it I've heard that Stargazer's 130 lipstick is a pretty good dupe, though it is a lot glossier. That'll set you back £2.99, so might be worth a whirl before you take on the real thing!

Have you tried Illamasqua's Kontrol? What tones are you sporting this season?

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For the past couple of years, my 'go to' every day eyeshadow has always been MACs creamy beige Brule. Everyone loves Brule, its light neutral tone matches up perfectly with my skin making it great for my everyday eyeshadow look. Thing is, I hit pan on Brule recently and as much as I love it, I also love to mix things up. This was the perfect opportunity for change.

I wandered into the Boots in Manchester City Centre on the hunt for something new, something different to replace my beloved Brule. I was more than a little confused though as they'd changed the layout seemingly overnight, so I didn't really know where everything was. Then, out of nothing I spotted a sparkly little pot of lilac goodness just begging to be bought.

Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing Bourjois Paris' Intense Eyeshadow No.11!

While the colours may be different, Intense Extrait is on a similar level to Brule in that the colour isn't too bright or bold yet still manages to brighten up the eye area, giving that wide-eyed appearance.

Intense Extrait is from the Bourjois Intense range, which they claim to be highly concentrated and will last up to 16 hours. No. 11 is a pale lilac colour with streaks of silver running through it. In the pan it looks so, so pretty!

Let's take a moment to drown in the gorgeousness of this!

For the application I swirled my brush around the lilac moon-like surface and found that whilst it may be tightly packed into the pan, the powder loosened easily and clung to the brush. Then it's just a case of giving your lids a liberal sprinkling!

Swatch!

Upon application, I realised just how intense the pigment really is! I do have to confess that I was a little sceptical before trying it as I've used other Bourjois shadows in the past that have left me less than impressed, to the point where I've had to apply them wet to get the desired intensity. None of that business here!

The glitter contained within is finely milled, which is a big bonus. I don't really like having big clunky, heavy chunks of the stuff on my eyelids! What impressed me most though was the fall-out. We've all been there with glittery shadows, most of it ends up on your cheeks by the end of the day, but the glitter within Intense Extrait stays exactly where you want it. On the lids. YES!

How intense does this look? It's pretty opaque and you can see that the glitter has stayed put and not gone walkabout all over my cheeks. I HEART that this doubles up as an inner corner highlighter!

I can't 100% verify Bourjois' claim that this stuff lasts 16 hours, the longest I've gone with it on was 12 hours. I do have to say though that it really does stick around, so 16 hours isn't outside the realms of possibility.

I'm incredibly impressed by this little number from Bourjois. As pretty as their shop displays usually are, I have tended to find myself skipping over it out of ignorance. Intense Extrait has opened my eyes though so I will definitely be giving Bourjois the time of day once more. Not only that, but Intense Extrait has also opened my 'Everyday lids' to the possibility of shades other than beige!

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I know I've said this before, but it really is becoming increasingly difficult to find the time to shoot OOTDs now that winter has descended upon us. The lack of daylight hours mean it's a bit of a race against time to squeeze some photos in. One of many things I detest about winter, I crave day light!

Regardless, I'm still compensating for that by making the odd extravagant purchase here or there. I think it's only fair, my debit card seems to disagree though! But I just have to drape myself in Velvet and Faux fur during the winter, how else is a girl supposed to keep warm?

I came across this hugely attractive silver crushed velvet skirt in Topshop, which I'm sure my girl Sheenie feels as much love for as I do! It's quite different to anything I own, I can't recall having ever seen silver velvet before yet when I saw it for the first time I had visions of it being one of those incredibly versatile pieces that seem to go with practically everything.

For this outfit, I paired it with a sequinned fluffy jumper also from Topshop. I know it may seem unimaginative but Topshop never fail with their A/W lines, to the point I just want to buy everything! I find myself entering into a trance-like state everytime I walk by Topshop, trying to regain control of my legs and stop myself from wandering in.

Sequin Fluffy Jumper: Topshop || Silver Crushed Velvet Skater Skirt: Topshop || Mink Faux Fur Coat: Miss Selfridge || Silver Horse & Carriage Necklace: Tatty Devine

The fur coat feels like pure luxury on my shoulders, it's not the kind that makes you feel a bit itchy, it's just so, *so* soft! In recent years I've found myself buying a new winter coat every year, I blame it on the high street. Each year there seem to be one or two stunning winter coats that demand my attention. How am I supposed to resist?

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HiHiHi!

Leave In Conditioners. They promise the earth, and deliver nothing. At least, that's my experience of them anyway and my experience is quite considerable, having tried pretty much every one going. It reached the point where I began to disregard them completely, they quite literally did nothing for my locks.

So I gave up on them. That is, until Boots ran another of their ludicrously tempting 3 for 2 offers, begging me to part with my hard earned cash once more.

Lee Stafford's Breaking Hear Leave iN Treatment was part of the offer and in spite of the 'Leave iN' part of its name, it actually appealed to me. I think what really caught my attention was the marketing aimed at breaking hair, something I've had to be very conscious of since dying my hair Turquoise. It may look fun and great having this colour hair (and it is!) but it's not all glory, a lot of hard work goes in to keeping the hair in good condition.

A little background is probably needed then, I had to bleach it not once but twice to achieve the pale yellowy-white stage of the hair required to achieve the true turquoise I was looking for. If the dye is applied to hair that's too yellow, my hair would would have quite literally turned green.

As a result of the harsh bleaching process, my hair was severely parched. I couldn't even get a garden rake through my hair without the aid of a detangling spray, though I was tempted to try at one point! But seriously, without the detangling spray my hair was extremely susceptible to some nasty breakage.

So naturally, any help on offer was gratefully received and Lee Stafford was promising product designed specifically to help girls (or guys) who found themselves in this kind of situation. I began using this on a regular basis after shampooing and conditioning my hair, then detangle using Johnson's No More Tears Detangling Spray, before finally applying a dollop of Lee Stafford on to my midlengths and ends.

My naivety had got the better of me once more though. I should have known better. Nothing else has worked before, so why should this? Hindsight is a beautiful thing, but this stuff did nothing for my hair. It felt as dry as it had before and just as rough. Another product consigned to the 'Useless Box' in the corner of my room.

But then my beloved detangling spray ran out, and I desperately needed something to help me get a comb through my mane. How on earth was I going to do that? There was no alternative but to rummage through the 'Useless Box' and hope upon hope there was something in there that might offer a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. That light was pink. Shocking pink.

I took out the pink tube and applied a big dollop to the hair, bigger than I'd applied previously, massaged it into my hair and got detangling. I was shocked how this actually detangled my hair nicely, there was no tugging action at all. In fact it was a breeze, just as easy as when using the detangling spray.

But that isn't where the shocks ended. Once the hair was detangled I blowdried my hair and that's when I noticed something very surprising.

My hair felt a bit more resilient! It looked smoother, sleeker and shinier! As for breakage? Nothing! It worked even better than the detangling spray ever did, like it's two products in one: detangler and leave in treatment. I've been using Johnson's for almost a year now, and it was a godsend when I first re-discovered it now, but now I'm contemplating giving it up for my Pink light at the end of the tunnel instead.

Those of you who have used Lee Stafford's products in the past will be quite familiar with the scent, a very strong, sweet floral fragrance with an underlying musky scent that tones down the sickly sweetness.

The scent attaches itself to my hair and stays there all day, every time I give my hair a nice 'SWISH!'I can pick up on the scent. It really is a beautiful scent, so much so I'm considering purchasing the actual fragrance that Lee Stafford launched years ago. I'm sure they're going for about £4 on eBay, get in!

Back to the Leave iN Treatment though, and I have to say I'm quite happy with the results, well done Lee!

Lee Stafford's Breaking Hair Leave iN Treatment can be purchased in Boots, priced at £7.99 for 75mls.

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Illamasqua's Apocalips

When I first laid eyes on this gorgeous teal lipstick, waves of nostalgia crept up behind me and swept me away in to a world of wonderful reminiscence. Back in my teens, I was quite alternative you see. Not a goth or a punk, I wasn't in a 'group' as such, I just liked things that few others did at the time. I'd always be colouring my lips in with different coloured eye-liner pencils, anyone else remember Outdoor Girl? Ha!

Anyway, I'd never actually leave the house with any of the eyeliners on, I just wasn't bold enough back then! My absolute favourite of theirs was this beautiful turquoise shade, naturally! It's crazy though, I couldn't even begin to describe to you how much my life has changed since then yet one thing has remained constant: my love for turquoise. So it was with an air of inevitablilty then, that I purchased Illamasqua's Apocalips. It just had to be mine.

I know it isn't strictly turquoise, it's more of a teal shade, but it's still a part of the bluey-green family, if anything, a little to the blue side. The finish is very matte, to the point where you'll find some dragging when you apply to the lips. I made the rookie mistake of applying this straight to the lips without my Blistex Relief Lip Cream. Wow, it dragged like there was no tomorrow, every teeny little flake on my lips was blown out of proportion, making my lips look like a blue prune. Sexy!

But once I'd wiped it off (I know, waste!), gave it a good scrubbing and rubbed in some lip cream, I gave it another shot. This time, the application was far smoother and I saw Apocalips in all its glory for the first time. The pigmentation is incredible, the colour is really full-on, more so than I expected and the lasting power is to die for, it takes about 6 hours for it to start fading away into a teal stain.

Having said that, my lips did seem to get quite dry throughout the day, so I applied a touch of my Blistex on top.

Apocalips is without doubt my choice of lipstick whilst galavanting around Manchester at weekends.

It really is one of those truly, and unmistakably, unique shades. Very rarely does one come across anything quite like this on the high streets unfortunately, we aren't blessed with readily available OCC Lip Tars or Lime Crime here in the UK, so I take my hat off to Illamasqua!

There are a couple of things to point out though: not just anyone can wear this, you have to be bold, crazy or comfortable enough with yourself to face the outside world with a teal lipstick on! Also, I've found it to be Marmite-esque. People either love it or they hate it, haven't had anyone yet say something neutral like: 'Yeah it's ok, I guess...'

I've been pairing up my Apocalips with some 60s Pop Art style eye make-up, something I've really latched on to this year and have been improving on as the months go by, they just seem to go together like Jam and Toast!

I can't wait to see Illamasqua's next daring lipstick!

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Hello m'dears!

This post is way overdue. I've lost count of how many times I've mentioned in my posts recently that 2013 has been the year of experimentation, and this post is really all about that. I'm still going at it, this time I'm trying out something new with my eye liner. If you've got steady hands, use them!

I've been going a bit Pop Art crazy with my eye make up lately but this look gets away from that and focuses much more on colour, raw colour. Colour really adds some drama to the eyes, and where would we be without it? Pleasantville?

I have to admit something though: I'm terrible at naming things. I struggled for ages to come up with one for this look, and then along comes Maryam who commented on an Instagram photo of it, saying it looked like Butterfly Wings. Perfect, I couldn't agree more!

I didn't aim for a butterfly look, but I can't get over just how beautiful and elegant they are. They come in all different shapes, sizes and colours and the area of Manchester I live in seems to be full of them in summer. So who knows, perhaps subconsciously I was going for the butterfly effect?

Ok, so it doesn't look exactly like Butterfly wings, but cut me some slack: I'm an amateur!

To get this look, I used Sleek's Ultra Matte V1 Bright Palette. This has to go down as one of those innocuous little purchases, those ones where you think: 'Yeah, I might use that sometime or other.' Let's just say I didn't expect any fireworks from it. And I certainly didn't expect to use it so much that the palette lid would break off and that I'd hit pan on half of the shades! Note to self: Repurchase!

*FACE*

NARS Sheer Glow in Barcelona

*CHEEKS*

Illamasqua Cream Blush in Devour

*EYES*

Sleek Ultra Matte V1 Brights Palette in Bolt (all over the eye lid) and Pucker (above the crease)
MAC Pigment in Vanilla (inner corner)
Illamasqua Precision Gel Liner in Infinity
Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara in Black

*LIPS*

Revlon Super Lusturous Lipstick in Cherries in the Snow

If you've been following my blog and/or my Instagram, I hope you've enjoyed my eyeliner journey this year and have been inspired to try something a little different too. It's been great fun for me, but stay tuned: I'm working on a couple more that I'll share in the coming weeks!

Until then, Au Revoir!

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The Toshop Feather Cape

You know the script by now: I'm walking through the Arndale Centre, it's a dull, grey, rainy day outside and I'm soaked right through. To make my mood even worse, I've already been to H&M, Miss Selfridges and New Look but found nothing of note. I'm walking past Topshop, and like a gale-force wind, something knocks me off my feet.

On this occasion, my eyes were drawn to a mannequin that looked seven feet tall with an imposing black feather cape that gave off a petroleum-style sheen under the bright spotlights as I circled it in sheer awe. My brain split into three: one stood open-mouthed gawping at it, the second questioning if such feathers came from a real bird and the third declaring "BUY" in capslock.

Imposing really is the right word for this: it's huge, the feathers look frighteningly real, as if a giant crow dipped itself in petrol and shed its feathers. It's one of those pieces rarely seen on the high street.

Next to this Black garment of beauty was its angelic nude equivalent. Whilst it looked nice, it lacked the same aura and physical presence of its satanic sister. With black, it could easily be paired up with almost anything you could possibly own, ever. Whereas the nude one could only ever go with lighter shades and would risk making you look a bit too much like a giant chicken.

As for my outfit, I've paired mine with this stunning metallic Maxi dress I purchased way back in 2011 in preparation for my trip to Nepal. I wore it on one of the days of my friend's wedding out there, but since returning it's been collecting dust at the back of the wardrobe. I know, criminal!

Dresses like this are the reason I find it so difficult to part with my clothes, I put them in my wardrobe, leave them there for ages and 're-discover' them at a time when I want to clear some space. Having good taste is such a burden at times(!)

Mix Feather Cape: Topshop || Bronze Metallic Split Maxi Dress: Miss Selfridge || Gold & Black Prayer Beads Necklace: Gift || Multi Row Gold Diamante Cuff Bracelet: Gift

The necklace on display is actually a set of prayer beads brought back from Hajj by my brother, I've had prayer beads ever since I can remember and it's great that they can be so multi-functional. The Gold and Diamante Bracelet was a gift from my sister a while back and the goosepimples on my arms were courtesy of Manchester!

If you've been following me on Instagram lately, you'll have noticed my new hair. Keep your eyes peeled for a post on that soon!

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I don't know about you my lovelies but I'm a 'Work to Live' kinda girl. If I didn't need to work, I can assure you that I most certainly would not. I'd probably spend my time converting some of the ideas that are trapped, floating around inside my brain in to reality. But alas, for the time being at least, my reality is that work pays bills and buys nice things so it's a pain I must endure!

And because I don't really enjoy having to wake up at 6am to get ready for work, it can become all too easy to fall into a routine of the dull, grey mundanity that is often called 'The Daily Grind'. What I do to avoid falling in to this spirit-sapping trap, is play around with my make-up. It may sound silly, but by experiementing with my eye looks, I actually feel... Alive.

I never have anything particular in mind when I'm experimenting, I just let my hands take over and make it up as I go along. Only after finishing the look do I realise that it reminds me of something. I guess you could call it Subconscious art? Ha!

In this case, the look reminded me a lot of 'The Black Swan'. As terrifyingly tense the film was, you can't deny that the black swan looked incredible! My look is nowhere near as elaborate as Natalie Portman's, but it's certainly leaning that way. The ombre lips I tried out really heightened the effect I think. I lined my lips with black eye liner, filled in my lips with a burgundy toned lipstick and smudged out the lines.

*FACE*

YSL Le Teint Touche Éclat Foundation in BD50

*CHEEKS*

Illamsqua Cream Blusher in Crush

*EYES*

MAC Pigment in Vanilla (all over the lid)
Illamasqua Precision Gel Liner in Infinity
L'oreal Paris Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black

*LIPS*

MAC Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline (as lip liner)
MAC Dark Side Lipstick

How much has my little Wilhelmina grown?! She went into heat for the first time the other week too, that means it's almost time to take her in for her op. :(

I've been trés busy of late so haven't had much time to blog sadly, however that does mean that I've got a huge backlog of posts just waiting to be banged out. Hopefully I'll be posting a bit more frequently over the coming weeks!

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FOTD: MAC Indulge Collection Make Up Look

The Necklace So Good I Wore it on My Head

REVIEWS: Heaven by Deborah Mitchell Bee Venom Mask

OUTFITS: Modern Geisha

My Two Week Trial with the Nokia Lumia 925!

FOTD: MAC Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow in Bleuluxe

Lima's Guide to the Galaxy... Nails!

OOTD: Velvet Opulence

REVIEWS: Illamasqua Precision Gel Eyeliner in Infinity

REVIEWS: Topshop Velvet Lips in Plush

REVIEWS: Babyliss 2165BU Pro Hair Crimper

OOTD: H&M Autumn Collection 2013 - Embellished Nude Drop Hem Dress

REVIEWS: Illamasqua Kontrol Lipstick

REVIEWS: Bourjois Paris Intense Extrait Eyeshadow - 11

OUTFITS: Velvet and Fur - What Dreams are Made of

REVIEWS: Lee Stafford Breaking Hair Leave iN Treatment

REVIEWS: Illamasqua Apocalips Lipstick

Make Up Looks: Butterfly Wings!

OUTFITS: The Topshop Feather Capelet

MAKE UP LOOKS: The Black Swan