that gurl is poisoooon....

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.

2012.

i cannot believe 2011 is over!  it had extreme highs and lows but i anticipated that from the start. i'm usually quite opinionated on new year's eve (slurring "next year will be SHIT" with cocktail in hand) but i'm oddly neutral this year. 2012 could be good. it certainly has potential. resolutions? to maintain a healthy body and mind, and to not buy anything beauty-related. try not to let this blog die. you know, the usual.

i went through all of my make-up last night and fell in love all over again with a lot of old products. and i basically own everything now as it is... so i'm done. bye bye make-up, hello a less battered bank statement! and before anyone rolls their eyes thinking i won't do it, i'm incredibly determined. :) fortunately this blog was never about 'hauls' anyway, which i find relatively boring to read about. so, for today, here is the make-up i wore - all of it being old!

face: 17 primer, no 7 mineral foundation (light beige), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (#2), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).
eyes: collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (lightly all over lid), maybelline gel liner, max factor false lash effect mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud).
cheeks: nars multiple (portofino).
lips: sephora ultra-shine gloss (no 08).

i also wanted to share one of my favourite purchases during the sale reason! these earrings from mikey were an absolute steal and are definitely the sort of thing i lust over on a daily basis. :)

basic look.

(check out those bags!)

face: sephora base subliminatrice, mac studio fix fluid (nc35), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), no 7 illuminator (peach), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).

eyes: maybelline gel liner, max factor false lash effect mascara.

cheeks: mac (ladyblush).

lips: revlon (kiss me coral).

review: maybelline dream touch blush.

recently i've been venturing out of my usual pink and coral blushers (hot pink, baby pink, deep pink, you name it) and going for different, more subtle shades - more towards peach and apricot. i still prefer the pinks but shades such as these are more universally flattering. i have a very yellowy olive skin tone (i'm not pale by any means, as you can tell) and so i think that because of that, i can get away with the crazy pinks. peach tones lift my complexion but in a different way which looks more natural.

my newest shade is maybelline's dream touch blush in peach. it has recently been reformulated and i have heard echoes of dismay but this is the first time i'm trying the product and so i can't comment on whether it has been improved or not. i never used to notice maybelline, but they are really impressing me this year - their gel liner has definitely been my all-time favourite make-up purchase... quite the claim.

pros? i like its texture. i absolutely hate applying cream blusher with my fingers because it just doesn't feel right and looks very blotchy half the time because the product will be so pigmented. this is so smooth and lightweight that it's really soft, and therefore feels nice to touch. it's also very easy to build up! i also like the shade, but feel that it's perhaps a little *too* natural for my liking and gets lost within my complexion - on paler skin (such as the underside of my arm), it would look absolutely delicious. (excuse how blotchy i am, i have bad circulation and bad skin).

best hairstyle.

there is only one con, and it is a bloody massive con: its lasting power. i usually have a combination skin type and this just won't last nowhere near as long as i would like. i can't even dismiss it due to the fact that it's a high-street brand - blushes by sleek and topshop actually cost less and still do the job. i like the colour/texture to much to say that i regret buying this product completely, but i do think that i will mainly use it if i'm having guests over or popping out for an hour or two and don't want to use any of my expensive stuff. suffice to say i'm still disappointed by it though... alongside the fact that my eye make-up is a lot crazier and more 80s than the photo above depicts, with my camera refusing to take a proper photo of it.

face: 17 primer, mac studio fix fluid (nc30), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer, mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).

eyes: urban decay primer potion, benefit creaseless cream eyeshadow (get figgy), urban decay eyeshadows (twice baked and oil slick), illamasqua cream eyeshadow (hollow), max factor false lash effect mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud). 

cheeks: bourjois bronzing powder, maybelline dream touch blush (peach).

lips: sephora (no 72).