yippee! the new illamasqua website is up (a massive improvement if i do say so) and has given a preview of the new collection too! and from the looks of it, i absolutely adore it - although them using a blue-haired model only makes me miss my dear friend maxine more. finally, the long wait is over!
you're probably thinking that i need to get a hobby. and frankly, i agree with you. i'm just stoked because their collections are truly the only make-up collections i ever get excited about - they're a total feast for the eyes and alex box is a total genius who always brings something new and exciting. the new collection is called 'human fundamentalism' (ooOooOoooo) and is available to pre-order on the site from early march.
yesterday was chinese new year. happy new year if you were celebrating! i went out to chinatown with a few chinese friends and we had a meal. it was nice even if i ate about 50kg of pure carb. i've recently just been eating a lot of far-eastern food actually, and would love to learn how to make it. dim sum. sushi. kare lomen from wagamam's. raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar food porn.
to channel my inner china/dragon/communist fan, i went for a block of red shadow on the eyes. red eyeshadow is one of those things which can easily tread that fine line between 2005 emo and looking like your lenses have given you hell. i probably tick both boxes but i don't care, because thie pure pigment i used ('berber' by illamasqua) is absolutely beautiful and is definitely one of my all-time favourite purchases. i think it photographs beautifully and is so unique! i've honestly never seen any pigment like it still.
i could've easily toned it down by applying it with a mac 217 and blending out a lot of the shimmer but i thought that i'd go all out. i patted the colour on my lid using a no 7 eyeshadow brush, and then used the 217 to blend it. i didn't line my lashes with black eyeliner as usual, just so the red could do the talkin'.
this dress is also unbuttoned because, to put it bluntly, cos forgot that girls below a size 10 may also need breathing space around their boobs. i felt that if i had buttoned it up, the buttons would pop and go flying into someone's dim sum. i paired it with a tiger brooch from kenneth jay lane.
face: no 7 lift and luminate day cream, sephora base sublimatrice, mac studio fix fluid (nw30), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (#2), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skin finish (medium plus). eyes: urban decay primer potion, urban decay 24/7 eye pencil (lucky), illamasqua pure pigment (berber), maybelline gel liner, mac studio fix lash (black), mac eyebrow pencil (stud). cheeks: no 7 illuminator (peach), nars highlighter (albatross), mac blush (ladyblush). lips: tiny bit of revlon (peach), clinique superbalm moisturising gloss (grapefruit).
how annoying! i hate it when you do your make-up and the sun sets. means i can't take proper pictures! nevertheless, here is what i wore (on my face that is) today. big lashes and dark lips.
face: clarins beauty flash balm, sephora base sublimatrice, mac studio fix fluid (nw30), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (#2), no 7 illuminator (peach), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus). eyes: urban decay primer potion, urban decay eyeshadows (naked, buck, virgin), rimmel exaggerate liquid liner (black), illamasqua fine pencil (eerie), nars highlighter (albatross), mac studio fix lash (black), eyelure girls aloud false lashes (nicola), mac eyebrow pencil (stud). cheeks: illamasqua cream pigment (hollow), duwop blush (peach). lips: illamasqua (poison), sephora gloss (08).
my brooch still hasn't turned up. i've eliminated the taxi as a line of enquiry (wasn't there) so i only have two feasible explanations left: that it is at someone's house, or that it's simply awol in my own home. my friend is going to call the house for me on monday. keep praying!
yesterday was my best friend's birthday celebrations and so i am feeling a tad "delicate" as i type this...
her birthday was an excuse for me to try out my latest mascara, called 'they're real!' by benefit. it was always sold out in shops (undoubtedly due to the hype, grumble grumble) so i bought it online around christmas time. my immediate impression was a good one, as i think that the packaging is really sleek and glamourous.
nails - no 7 (totally teal).
however, when it came to application, i was a little let down. it's a good mascara, but not as great as people make out. i felt as if i had to apply it sparingly else it'd clump, and there isn't anything revolutionary about it which would make me want to re-buy. the wand is made out of plastic but i don't sense any sort of difference there, and i didn't feel that this product was that much better than a drugstore brand to warrant paying almost double the price. however, the only good part about this mascara is that it doesn't flake, which usually can be the bane of my life as a lens-wearer - so if that is an issue for anyone then this may be a good option to check out. i do think i'll keep it, but it definitely isn't the best mascara i've ever tried. perhaps it's because i already have long eyelashes, and therefore the change just isn't as drastic as it would be on those who haven't.
face: no 7 lift and luminate day cream, sephora base subliminatrice, illamasqua skin base foundation (10), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (#2), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralise skinfinish (medium plus). eyes: urban decay primer potion, revlon colourstay quad (in the buff, second colour), benefit 'they're real!' mascara (top lashes), lancome hypnose mascara (lower lashes), maybelline gel liner, mac superslick liquid liner (black), mac eyebrow pencil (stud). cheeks: mac (fleur power). lips: urban decay (buzzkill).
and here is what i wore! i don't really do outfit posts because i'm not interested in my own outfits and i don't think i'm dedicated enough to the cause to get a remote control/tripod/photographer boyfriend...
i remember it like it was yesterday. i must have woken up absurdly early, and having just opened my emails, i heard a ping. there it was. that horrible, HORRIBLE email i dread... the email from illamasqua, saying that their sale is on. i was totally helpless. like a moth to the flame, i went on the website, and bought more things i simply did not need (except one). to be fair i didn't go really crazy, but you'd think that with 30+ lipsticks and 5+ pairs of lashes, i wouldn't be going and buying more.
generally speaking, i really do like illamasqua lipsticks. i've played around with a few of them but only own their matte shades for some bizarre reason, even though i keep telling myself to not buy more and go for their glossier lipsticks. despite the the brilliant colour range, their matte lipsticks really could do with being more creamy. i mean, if revlon can manage it, then c'mon. or maybe i'm being harsh. you see, illamasqua's mattes are actually far more tolerable than those of mac - but because i absolutely adore illamasqua's products, i just wish they'd work on that so i could love it even more. they've also got decent lasting power, and i really like the packaging too - definitely the best shaped bullet i've ever seen, perfect for creating a perfectly defined cupid's bow.
this is the shade i ordered, in 'drench'. i expected a fuchsia pink but instead received a pink-red which was a pleasant surprise. i haven't got any other shade like it but it's definitely in the same family (colourwise) as revlon's 'cherries in the snow'. application-wise it was the same old - great colour, little bit dry. i'm quite baffled as to how it's photographed with a bit of shine despite being matte though!
jumper - river island, earrings - asos, brooch - dior.
face: 17 primer, mac studio fix fluid (nw30), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (#2), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus). eyes: urban decay primer potion, revlon colourstay quad (in the buff, second colour), maybelline gel liner, max factor false lash effect mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud), the body shop brow & lash gel. cheeks: illamasqua cream pigment (hollow), topshop blush (high five). lips: illamasqua (drench).
all in all, i do like it. i received compliments on it and it's definitely really wearable. very decent for £7.50.
spring clean update: still in the fiery clutches of ebay hell. haven't made progress on jewellery.
such a tune. it also shares the name of my lipstick today! anyway, my make-up for today was probably subconsciously influenced by my desire to watch this film. it is indeed 'the artist' and i'm absolutely dying to see it! no one else is interested so i may have to go it alone. i love musicals to death you see (i grew up watching all of them, thinking that one day i'd meet fred astaire and we'd be bff), but as the vast majority of my friends are boys, i have a hard time getting people to go with me. i once threatened to make them come with me to see priscilla: queen of the desert for my birthday i'll have you know. because i am that cruel.
back to make-up. oddly enough, i purchased this lipstick thinking it would be my staple for autumn 2011. however, when it came to it, i barely used it. not because i didn't like it, but because i had some kind of cold-induced breakdown where i needed the reds and pinks and oranges to lift my spirits. i love the colour as it is a very peculiar sort of purple, unlike nothing i've found elsewhere - and so i gave it another whirl today. illamasqua's lipsticks are definitely unique in terms of colour which is why i like them (when i can't find a particular colour stocked in mac etc., i know where to go!) and they are long-lasting, but i do wish that they were a touch more creamy. this particular shade has quite a matte finish so i'm assuming that's why it's lacking on the hydration front.
earrings - forever 21.
very film noire, non? i teamed it up with a grey smokey eye and the result is a soft take on what would otherwise be a very evening look. truth be told, i can't think of nothing worse than doing a smokey eye, because a) it gets messy, b) i don't think it suits me as much as it suits others and c) all that blending does my wrist in.
face: no 7 lift and luminate day cream, 17 primer, mac studio fix fluid (nc35), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (#2), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).
eyes: urban decay primer potion, urban decay eyeshadows (virgin, gunmental, creep, hustle), nars highlighter (albatross), l'oreal stylo eyeliner (grey obsession), maybelline gel liner, max factor false lash effect mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud).
cheeks: nars (orgasm).
lips: illamasqua (poison).
i'm also loving this shade by gosh, called 'purple heart'. unfortunately the sloppy application is due to the fact that there's barely any of it left! :( and the penmarks on my hands are also naughty, i'm sorry. it's a dark purple which, in some lights, also looks green. i love it, and think it's a classic shade which will never go out of style.
that day. that one day, post-christmas, where you have to return to society. whether it be work, school, university or a grocery shop, the 3am bedtimes and lie-ins are over and you have to become reacquainted with your worst enemy: the tube. unfortunately i am still recovering from the traumatic ordeal that is the central line, and so this will be a simple fotd post.
face: l'oreal studio secrets primer, mac studio fix fluid (nw30), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (#2), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus). eyes: illamasqua cream pigment (hollow), rimmel exaggerate liquid liner, maybelline gel liner, mac studio fix lash (black), mac eyebrow pencil (stud). cheeks: topshop (pop). lips: collection 2000 creampuff lip cream (fairy cake).
vybz kartel has broken (broke?) escaped from prison today. hilarious/amazing/life-completing.
anyway, earlier in the week a few of my guyfriends came over for brownies, call of duty and just general mooching that only boys (and me) are capable of. i went for a smokey eye and slightly glittery lip. smokey dark eyeshadow and pink lips seems to be the order of the day right now!
face: 17 primer, no 7 mineral foundation (light beige), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus). eyes: urban decay primer potion, lumiere eye pigment (taupe), rimmel kohl pencil, max factor false last effect mascara, the body shop brow and lash gel. cheeks: bourjois (rose ambré). lips: sephora (no 72).
in other news, i was kindly sent a vial of illamasqua's new fragrance, "freak" - i say kindly because it was a surprise, as i was expecting something diddy - and i am mega hapz. i absolutely love everything marketing-wise to do with this fragrance... i love the story behind it, the scents, the fact that its unisex... everything EXCEPT the image. i don't even know why. it corresponds with the scents used, it is in the night, it's purple (these are all things i like), but somehow for me it just doesn't click. maybe it'll grow on me. i think it's that bloody octopus on her shoulder.
nails - barry m (berry).
top notes: black davana, opium flower and belladonna.
heart notes: poison hemlock, datura and queen of the night.
base notes: frankincense, oud and myrrh.
as you can probably tell, these are all exotic, dark and floral. for that reason, i honestly didn't know what to expect nor how would it translate into a unisex fragrance. but! it arrived, and it smells absolutely lovely. to me it's quite a heady, masculine floral which lasts and stays smelling sweet for hours. very evening, and very unique. i really do like it.
... now if you excuse me, i have a 5000 essay to write. and it's assessed. oh god of postgraduate gods, please make my essay AMAZING... i refuse to blog ever again until i make a start on it...
i love him. seriously. is it awkward that my guy best friend is also the spitting image of him? ... possibly (yes). i love it when people are so creative and not in a contrived way (which seems to be the order of the day in 2011); when they bring out products just for cash, with zero input. kanye is always bringing fresh ideas to the table and so i totally excuse him for having a huge ego. it sounds SO cheesy (i am wincing) but i really see his passion in everything he does, and so i really respect him for that.
IF WE CAN'T BE BFFL IN REAL LIFE, YOU LEAVE ME WITH NO CHOICE BUT TO DRESS LIKE YOU.
face: sephora base subliminatrice, mac studio fix fluid (nw30), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer, mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).
i wish i would actually bother one year but it never happens! the reason i didn't reform this year was because of massively awkward timing. i was invited to a lot of amazing things but my (final!) payday unfortunately fell after the 31st. sooooo i was too broke to go out/drink/get a costume, basically. :( (i'm still feeling pretty disrepected from my workplace as they keep on emailing me - what's not to understand, i'm gone now!)
despite my lack of dressing up, i still went to a late night showing of ghostbusters (DODO-DO-DODOODO!) at the IMAX. for those who are perhaps not from london, the IMAX is the uk's biggest cinema screen, meaning that my love for bill murray was taken to whole new levels. literally. it was pretty awesome, except my shitty journey hope which involved three people being sick in my presence, being stranded in shoreditch (otherwise known as "hell") and getting up at 7am the next day to go to cambridge.
(apologies for bad lighting and all that...)
i felt that halloween was the perfect time to crack open my newest pure pigment, "berber" from illamasqua. i actually bought it right when it came out (sometime in september), but didn't have the chance to properly wear it as of yet. i LOVE the fact that illamasqua has been influenced by anita berber - she was such a character and was someone i loosely based a project around when i did textiles.
i know people might look at the pigment think "oh god, it looks red", but it is honestly wearable and won't make you look like an emo circa 2005. i PROMISE. it has copper tones with green glitter, and blends SO easily that you can easily tone it down if you want to into a shade that is actually really subtle. if you don't fancy a wash of colour and want something more intense, patting it on just makes it really bright and glittery.
however, i must be honest and say that i absolutely detest the packaging. i love the shape and the look, but as it lacks a hinge mechanism, opening it can sometimes be pretty tough. you get this horrible apprehensive feeling of cracking it open too quickly and getting covered in pigment! both pigments and cream eyeshadows have this style of packaging, whereas eyeshadows and blushers do not. cream shadows have zero chance of getting on you so i understand what they're doing there, but for this? noooo.
anyhow - i started off with a smokey eye using blacks and greys so that i had a shape to work with, and then began adding the pigment on last, initially blending it on but then patting it on to get some shimmer. as this was in the evening, the lighting was awful hence the slightly blurry images and awful looking skin (i hate you flash). i don't believe in photoshopping images to death, AS I'M SURE YOU WILL SOON BE ABLE TO TELL.
taken without flash.
taken with flash (you can see the green glitter in the pigment!).
and here is the finished look, basically! nothing ovely special, just whacked on some false lashes, added some contour and highlighting to my cheeks and that is it. as my eye make-up felt pretty full on, i didn't bother putting on any lipstick - it would feel like far too much. but if i was going to a party, i'd definitely team it up with illamasqua's poison - something scary to most, and in keeping with the spirit of hallowen. ;)
once again, without flash...
with flash.
O_O!
face: no 7 lift and luminate day cream, sephora base subliminatrice, illamasqua skin base foundation (10), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (#2), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), paula dorf magic stick (#2).
eyes: urban decay primer potion, urban decay eyeshadows (virgin, creep, gunmental), illamasqua pure pigment (berber), benefit gilded highlighter (tangerine gold), rimmel kohl pencil, maybelline gel liner, eyelure girls aloud false lashes (nicola), no 7 lash adapt mascara.
recently i've been embracing a lot of colour... is this some sort of subconscious happy response to my new-found unemployed status?
i have always loved this look at dior's s/s show... what's not to like, with bright colour and 50s referencing? dreamy. i luv u dior.
unfortunately, blue and yellows (as pictured above) do NOT work with my face. i AM yellow, so no jaundice look will ever work for me. i'm not even saying this to be cute - there is honestly just something about my face which doesn't go with those colours at all.
however, i have found my saviour in illamasqua's eye shadow range. it's a pretty vast at that, and i wish i could afford all of the colours* because i fangirl so hard for them. so, so hord. buuuuut after much oohing and aahing i settled for 'taboo', a beautiful bright green. illamasqua's products are so highly pigmented that what you see is basically what you get (unlike YOU lancome, sit down). to make it easier, i apply my eye make-up backwards - i begin by blending in the socket line first to get a shape going (usually using urban decay's crease brush or a mac 217) and then patting the colour down until it is as intense as i want. i always apply primer beforehand, so i have had no trouble with the shadow fading or losing any of its colour by the end of the day.
(bad blending, whoops!)
so yeah... i've been wearing this sort of make-up an awful lot as of late. if i was truly elated i supposed i'd pair it with a horrifically hot pink (revlon's 'stormy pink') or a bright orange (no 7's 'gay geranium') but i've got lots of international environmental law to read on and so that won't be happening for a while.
face: 17 primer, mac face and body (C2), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (02), paula dorf magic stick (#3). eyes: urban decay primer potion, illamasqua eyeshadow (taboo), rimmel exaggerate liquid liner, max factor false lash effect mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud). cheeks: duwop (peach). lips: vaseline.
i also have become really attached to mac's face and body despite me initially hating on it. this is basically a textual equivalent of me realising that i was wrong in an argument and begrugindly apologising. generally speaking, i hated the smell and how sheer it was - it couldn't cover my spots or any real blemishes on my face.
now... if i'm honest, the smell is still a bit of an issue (seriously, WHAT is it), but touch wood my skin has been better behaved than usual. so much so that i no longer use concealer on my face except under my eyes. i've probably jinxed myself right? because of this, it just evens out my skin tone and feels really silky and dewy, also being easy to build up. when your skin is clear the last thing you want is to wear 'heavy' make-up and lumping on more coverage than you need to, so it really has been perfect. i don't even know what's caused it as my diet is awful. maybe it's just the weather. i'm on my period soon so i can kiss good skin goodbye anyway... /tmi.
* apparently the shadows are greatly reduced in price at their launch parties and events but i am too terrified to go. i really need to a) re-learn social skills and b) get on that.
over the past week i had dizzy spells on and off, but assumed that it might be because i had just returned from another country. then, over the weekend, my throat butchered itself and i assumed that i had a throat infection (which was confirmed on monday). last night, i woke up in a cold sweat and felt as if my head was going to explode. went back to the doctor again, and it turns out that i am shitty mcshit. i am seriously hoping that this is the worst of it and that the antibiotics make me feel better very quickly (as i am going to bestival). the initial plan was to go this thursday but i am just not well enough and so i've had to land my poor friend (and fellow tent-sharer) in it by leaving her with a bloody heavy tent. now, i am going on friday morning instead. one of my other friends has been an absolute lifesaver, sorting it out for me at the last minute. :3
but anyway, i feel awful about it, but i can't leave her tentless and expect spooning when i am like this. good timing is a rarity in the grand scheme of my life. BUT, no matter how ill i am, i am NOT calling off going. na uh. i am going to go and i will not give a shit if i cough up my own intestines. i am DETERMINED. in other news, my home internet has been down despite promises of fixing it (thanks virgin, you da man) and one of the pipe things in our house couldn't handle the amount of rain and broke. today i also burnt my hand. worst week ever.
in the meantime:
srs ill face. SO NON-COMFORMIST~*~*
hat - urban outfitters, jumper - vivienne westwood.
face: 17 primer, bourjois healthy mix foundation (52), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (02 light), nars highlighter (albatross), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).
eyes: urban decay primer potion, urban decay eyeshadows (creep and gunmetal), l'oreal stylo eyeliner (grey obsession), maybelline gel liner, max factor false lash effect mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud).
lips: illamasqua (poison).
i really like illamasqua's lipsticks. slightly less hydrating than mac but the colour stays put which is all i could ask for. i also love their colour selection and would probably wear every single product with glee. 'poison' is an extremely deep purple which i think would be weirdly flattering on any skin tone, and perfect for autumn (let's face it, this is certainly no summer we're having in england!).
the hat stayed on for an hour and then i unleashed the beast underneath. boom.
since my last post, i am officially a graduate. this september is going to be really manic as i am a) going to bestival, b) winding up working full-time, and c) beginning a new degree. gulp. i need to figure out what my new timetable will be and what my general weekly routines will be like, as i am also going to join a gym and need to figure out when i can fit that in, because having an office job has made me fat. they're pretty slow most of the time when it comes to paying me so i've been in agony as of late as there has been SO many things my heart has pined for (HELLO NEW ILLAMASQUA COLLECTION? THAT RUBBER NAIL POLISH? GIVE.TO.ME.)
i've been watching what i eat and begun a food overhaul since yesterday morning, although i still somehow think i eat too much. yesterday i had bran flakes (which tastes like cardboard), a handful of rice, chickpeas and watermelon. oh, and some pimms (i may/may not be hungover as i type this). so that's my general sort of routine going. start the day with cereal, have a vaguely carby lunch, and then spend the rest of the day snacking on watermelon, water, or green tea. for some reason i've been feeling dizzy and lethargic all week and so i haven't been exercising, but i think i will do an hour today. i shall report any signs of weight loss on here!
yesterday it was my friend's birthday. i am elusive but showed my face briefly. i haven't changed my make-up much recently but i'm really enjoying being silly with it and mixing blushers with lipsticks, using lipsticks on my cheeks and basically just putting things where they shouldn't be. could be the early markings of a breakdown really.
for some reason the lighting in my house is completely off - you'll just have to take my word for it, but there are a lot of gold tones on my face and my cheeks were a nice apricot colour. i'm not really liking my face much at the moment either.
face: no 7 lift and luminate day cream, sephora base sublimatrice, illamasqua skin base foundation (no 10), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), no 7 illuminator (peach), nars highlighter (albatross), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus). eyes: urban decay primer potion, urban decay eyeshadows (virgin, naked, buck, hustle), rimmel exaggerate liquid liner, maybelline gel liner, max factor false lash effect mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud). cheeks: nars bronzer (laguna), illamasqua blush (lover) and a touch of sleek blush on the cheekbone (rose gold). lips: urban decay primer potion, sleek blush (rose gold), tiny bit of old no 7 gloss (smile).
brush out those curls and ta dah! a result channelling something between a marcel wave and a cavewoman.
MEGA POST FOR A MEGA PRODUCT. i love gimmicks. i love it when brands promise that you will look amazing/stunning/perfect, and i suppose i also love how they lie (i'm like, SO rihanna~). have you ever walked past a new product and wondered which mug would fall for that? nine times out of ten, i am that mug - but i am not ashamed. my latest gimmick of choice is illamasqua's skin base foundation. i like to think i escaped the immediate hype (there seems to be many tales of the foundation being sold out everywhere) and in my own defence, i am genuinely in need of a new foundation and so i figured i'd give it a go.
nails - model's own (nude beige).
i went to selfridges, and was just in luck. at the time when i went, illamasqua was offering 10% off the foundation. the girl applied it on my face and admittedly it looked beautiful, given that as of late my skin has been completely and utterly shit. after much ooh-ing i happily bought it, and trotted off on my merry way. went to exit the building, and in true typical british fashion, it was POURING down. i'm not a wuss when it comes to rain, but this was monsoon-standard downpour. having stood outside for twenty minutes hoping that the rain would at least calm down, it didn't, and so i had to brave it whilst wearing crochet shoes and the world's biggest frown. i had pretty much assumed that my beautifully applied foundation had basically been washed off, after 25 minutes of walking in the rain...
WAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2.10 ONWARDS WA
... but - nope! later that evening when i went home resembling a soaked cat, i went to cleanse my face and lo and behold, most of it was still on my face. how brilliant is that?! i therefore love it.
application-wise, i don't think it's something i could apply with fingers or my usual brush without blotching it up. i don't know if this is just down to my own incompetency or whether it's to do with the formulation of the foundation. i don't see that as a bad thing though, i'm just sayin'. when i use this, i apply it with a kabuki brush (£16, the body shop, money-grabbing or what). that way you can buff it into the skin and get the natural finish the product aims to achieve. as dumb as the prices are for body shop brushes, i absolutely swear by them and think they are hands-down the best brushes on the high street - so whatever you pay, you're safe in the knowledge in that these brushes will last you years without shedding a single hair.
here is my make-up whilst on holiday (taken with flash). my hair is wet from a shower five minutes beforehand, i'm probably melting*, and i'm wearing a buttload of new products i'd like to review when i get the chance. i'll also wear it and post a photo whilst in natural light at some point, i'm sure.
skin: sephora smoothing primer, illamasqua skin base foundation (no 10), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light). eyes: collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer, rimmel exaggerate liquid liner, no 7 lash adapt mascara, nars highlighter (albatross). cheeks: nars bronzer (laguna), sleek blush (rose gold). lips: max factor (bewitching coral).
and lastly, i'd like to respond and give my take on recurring criticisms i've seen in other reviews, as i'm sure anyone reading this will have probably googled and read a variety of reviews.
- it is not longlasting - gurl, u trippin.
- there is little connection between this and bb creams - i wholeheartedly agree. i am by no means a user of bb creams anyway, but this is such a strong product that it should be praised on its own merits. i am not sure why illamasqua tried to push the bb cream connection in the first place. maybe to branch out into azn markets? who knows. - it made someone's skin oily - i don't understand how this is possible unless your skin is massively oily. it sinks and sets into the skin without feeling heavy, and i wore it in the craziest hot weather. - it highlights dry patches on the skin - i think this is a lazy criticism. it takes less than a minute to moisturise before you put on your make-up. if your skin is still dry after moisturising, then it's the cream you're using which needs to be looked into. - the comparison chart on the illamasqua website is inaccurate - according to the chart, i am supposed to go for shades 9 or 10. i deliberately kept this to myself as i was curious to see if the mua would match me up correctly herself, and sure enough, she did. maybe i was lucky, maybe the chart works better for olive skin tones, who knows.
all in all, i bloody love this foundation. i think i've found the one.
* if you live in a country where the heat is very strong and very humid, i would recommend mac studio fix fluid over this as it will stay in place for longer.
this is a blog post about purple things. it is pouring down outside, hence the post title. i do feel really shallow blogging about make-up when livelihoods and family homes are being smashed or set ablaze - so i hope that no one assumes that i do not care, because that isn't the case. today and yesterday have been absolutely awful for london - the rioters have spread like parasites, and copy one another as if they're sheep. it's an absolute disgrace, to be frank, and sickens me to my core. i am lucky in several respects: i moved out of north-east london in mid 2008, and now live in a quiet area where there is no trouble; my workplace is not in an area where much can go on either; and i do not know of a single person who has advocated that behaviour whatsoever. however, i wish i could say that all of my friends lived within my area... they're actually spread all over london. literally. so, it's been stressful. all i can do is stay out of it, and hope that this shameful period comes to a close.
back to business. a new lipstick arrived from illamasqua today. i'll post about it properly soon.
purple is my favourite colour right now. england hasn't had much of a summer what with its constant torrential downpour, so i'm not feeling hot pinks and corals anymore. bringing out the purple usually happens for me in autumn, but it works nicely as a transitional colour and can be worked into both daytime and evening looks rather easily (as i hope i have demonstrated!). as i applied my make-up for daytime (rioters take note: i actually go to work five days a week) i just went for a wash of colour on the eyelids and kept the rest looking relatively natural and glowing~~
face: 17 primer, bourjois healthy mix foundation (52)*, clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), benefit gilded highlighter (tangerine gold).
eyes: urban decay primer potion, rimmel kohl eyeliner (black), urban decay 24/7 pencil (lust), maybelline gel liner, mac eyeshadow applied wet (azuki bean), urban decay eyeshadow (twice baked), mac eyebrow pencil (stud), max factor false lash effect mascara*.
cheeks: mac blush (well dressed).
lips: the body shop lipbalm (passionfruit)*.
as you can see, i've asterixed a few things. the foundation? absolutely brilliant. blends like a dream when you apply it with your fingers, has decent coverage, and feels lightweight. it also smells wonderful and fresh. the mascara? a total love/hate relationship, perhaps bordering on abusive. the more observant of you will notice that i use it regularly, and that is because i love the look it gives. however, as a contact-lens wearer, it can be absolutely brutal if you have sensitive eyes. it could also potentially clump a lot if you're not very sensible with it either, or flake. however, it gives a lot more impact than other mascaras i own, and so it is thus the reason as to why i keep going back. :( last but not least, if you're looking for a nice balm with a marginal amount of tint, i would really recommend this. not the most hydrating one on the market, but feels really nice.
last but not least in this heffer of a blog post, one final purple addition: 'wild lilac' by gosh. it applies like a dream. colour-wise, it is about as close as you will ever get to illamasqua's 'jo'mina' nail polish on the high street. gorgeous in its own right, but not as electric.
