benefit's 'they're real!' mascara.

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...

dress - whistles, belt - chanel.

illamasqua eyeshadow in 'taboo'.

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. 

subtle.

feeling grown-up. what a weekend of full on BORINGNESS. i have to choose my modules for my masters (being cheeky and doing modules with dissertations as i cannot do exams whatsoever) and i am trying to set up outlook so that my three emails all go through that. (i must admit, this is currently failing). i am also thinking about asking for a christmas present for the first time which totally ups my guilt but is slowly becoming unavoidable. i am in dire need of a new mp3 player as mine has been depleted of any free space and it is frustrates me having to delete music i do love in order to make room for new ones. all of these boring decisions has left me feeling relatively boring/safe with my make-up.

face: sephora illuminating primer, mac studio fix fluid (nc35), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).

eyes: revlon 12 hour colourstay eyeshadow quad (in the buff), no 7 eyeshadow (truffle), maybelline gel liner, lancome hypnose l'extreme mascara.

cheeks: nars bronzer (laguna), no 7 illuminator (peach), tiny bit of topshop blush (high five).

lips: mac (see sheer).

taken with flash.

also haz sadz because my dad is going tomorrow morning and won't be back until christmas. lame. now mum is going to ban all junk food and make us go to bed early and scream until her lungs explode. 

so sleepy...

i think i have narcolepsy.

i am tired. somehow i feel as if all the sleep in the world is just not enough and it's beginning to show on my face. i graduate in september and my biggest concern is no longer my weight, but having big dark circles under my eyes. i used to be able to cover it quite decently with make-up, but the sleep-deprived look is slowly fighting back and with a vengeance. my favourite concealer is clinique's airbrush concealer as it is really light, easily blendable and feels so smooth. it's also one of the few brands that caters for my special shade of yellow. it's still my favourite product when it comes to covering up spots and blemishes (i have a fair few right now), but is slowly finding itself unable to cope with the epic bags under my eyes. i think i am definitely going to branch out and see if anything out there is up to the job.

ramble aside, this is the make-up i wore today. if i had thick black eyeliner on, i would be able to say that this is my staple look: simple eyes, bright cheeks, and bright lips. i decided to go for something a little bit smokier and softer though, just to make it a bit different from my usual thing.

i would also really appreciate it if everyone could ignore the eyebrow situation that is going on here - as i am going on holiday, i am trying to not touch them until later this week (right before i leave) so that i can get them fixed up. they are shocking, i know. :(

face: 17 primer, mac studio fix fluid (nw30), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).
eyes: ruby & millie eyeliner pencil (brown/black), revlon grow luscious mascara, maybelline gel liner, the body shop brow and lash gel.
cheeks: bourjois bronzing powder, nars multiple (portofino), no 7 highlighter (peach).
lips: revlon (wild orchid).

review: no 7 essentially natural foundation.

more and more companies are encroaching into what used to be a niche market when it comes to make-up: organic, mineral and natural being key. i like the idea of it and do certainly prioritise natural beauty products when it comes to lotions and the like, but i am also a human being and i am not blessed with a naturally dazzling face. this is why i'm not so keen on it in a make-up context. one waaaaaambulance for me please...

additionally, i also don't feel crazy about the lack of silicon in natural products. i know it's not the best thing for your skin, but it makes such a difference when it comes to application. however, the only foundation i'd ever use which falls into that sort of thing is by no 7 - and so i thought a review might be useful for others who might be hesitant about using more mineral products. if you have a lot of pigmentation, scarring or acne then i wouldn't bother with this as it is extremely sheer and has very light coverage - i couldn't ever imagine it covering flaws the same way mac studio fix fluid does. it's also not very long-lasting either, which makes it hard for me to justify its £13.50 price tag. i know, i know... i'm probably not selling it well. but - THERE IS A BUT - it is so hydrating and lovely if you have dry skin. it feels so light and makes your skin feel silky smooth, and is therefore my to-go product during the cold winter months.

that's right: winter months. it is now august. i would fall on my knees and plead with england to give me a singular ray of sunshine but i am going on holiday this week and so a breakdown has been averted...

face: no 7 essentially natural foundation (light beige).
eyes: lancome l'extreme mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud).
cheeks: topshop blush (neon rose).
lips: max factor (chili).

'no make-up' make-up.

not once had i ever seen the appeal of wanting to look as if you have no make-up on all the time. for me, the fun in make-up lies in the fact that you get to look 'done'. you get to be a little bit ridiculous. i wouldn't say that make-up ought to act as some kind of mask, but i personally believe that people should be playful and embrace the possibility of looking different every day. but each to their own. i got a bit sick of my own face and so went for something natural myself, so i guess i better shut up and sit down now - unfortunately i couldn't go completely natural as my skin is awful right now, so i had to cheat... 

face: sephora illuminating primer, mac studio fix fluid (nw30), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), paula dorf magic stick (#2), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).

eyes: urban decay primer potion, urban decay eyeshadow (naked), no 7 perfect eyes pencil (brown), maybelline gel liner, lancome l'extreme mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud).
cheeks: no 7 blush tint (blossom).
lips: vaseline.

ps - look at all the stuff my mother has dumped in my room, tsk. :( LOOK HOW STRAINED AND OPPRESSED I APPEAR.