rockalily lipstick.

a part of make-up which really excites me is discovering new brands. if you own as much lipstick as i do, you either a) own all the shades that one of the 'big brands' offer, b) feel uninspired by what is there, or c) simply yearn for something different. my 'something different' for today is lipstick by cult-favourite rockalily. i actually was introduced to the brand half because the owner follows me on twitter (who essentially has my dream job, she must tell me her secrets), and half because she knows one of my best friends who SWEARS by the stuff (note: said friend is the utterly gorgeous and extremely talented maxine who runs little miss delicious).

however, as i own about 4 or 5 red lip products (and god knows how many pinks), i just couldn't justify purchasing it there and then. but whaddyaknow. maxine went and got it for me for christmas! the gift of beautiful red lipstick. what a sweetheart. FYI, i also got a new plushie too, although it's not edible. don't ask how i found this out. 

nails - no 7 (pillarbox).

maxine had chosen 'rockette red' (£13.50). if you go on the website, the shade is described as "a creamy and luxurious matte lipstick [and] a classic blue-based lipstick".

i noticed an immediate difference when it came to applying the lipstick. i thought that it might have been due to the packaging being slightly bulkier than what i'm used to, but once i compared it with another lipstick, i realised that the bullet is different in shape.

see what i mean? apologies for the bad picture and everything - the sun was setting and my room has little light. the tip of rockalily's lipstick is a lot smaller than that of mac, which seems to be the more standard size. i think it will take some getting used to seeing as i haven't been blessed with much of a pout a la angelina jolie - but i can see how a smaller tip would make for more precise application. if i don't get used to it, i can always just use a lip brush instead anyway.

application over, my lipstick faced then face the ultimate test: dinner and cocktails. nachos grande, to be precise: chips, cheese fondue, guacamole, salsa, jalapenos, the works. poor rockette red... however, once my carbfest ended, i decided that i really liked the lipstick - it didn't lose any pigmentation as time went on, and even though it did fade after dinner, it still left a red stain on my lips. it felt creamy and soft and oh so good - performing just like any other high-end brand (warranting the price). however, i think it's more of a semi-matte finish rather than being fully matte, which is probably a great alternative for anyone who wants something inbetween the two. if you want something extremely matte as mac's ruby woo, this isn't it.

so yeah, long story short: i really love it. it's a sort of red i don't have, and i adore how creamy it is. i showed the website to another friend who was slightly intimidated by the fact that it's a brand adored by alternative girls - but please don't let this put you off (if it works for illamasqua...!). trust me when i say that it's a lovely product who would suit 99.999% of the population. possibly even obama.

face: no 7 lift and luminate day cream, 17 primer, bourjois healthy mix foundation (52), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).
eyes: urban decay primer potion, urban decay eyeshadows (naked, virgin), maybelline gel liner, little bit of rimmel kohl pencil and mac superslick liquid eyeliner (black), no 7 lash adapt mascara (black), eyebrow pencil (stud).
cheeks: illamasqua cream pigment (hollow), bourjois blush (rose ambré) and benefit gilded highlighter (tangerine gold).
lips: no 7 lip pencil (fire), rockalily lipstick (rockette red).

also, check out the new earrings. i was eyeing up these bad boys for the longest time and bought them on sale. they're by mawi x disney. i've been to disneyland three times but as i share my name with a disney princess, i think i'm going to excuse myself.

warm sparkly look.

here is how i wore my make-up on christmas day. unfortunately my beloved jimmy choo x h&m necklace has gone awol (and still is! i'm sending out a search party) and so i couldn't wear it as planned. :(

i went for a shimmery look on my eyes with bold lips and fresh skin - it was a festive occasion after all. sadly i didn't do anything glittery (i do love resembling a disco ball) or really 'out there' as my christmas was relatively low-key. that and i'm a wuss because i didn't want any make-up to irritate my eyes. i used bronzy browns, some gold, and a coppery red on the outer corners - although the finished result looks like something better suited to a summer holiday i feel, rather than a wintery christmas! don't be fooled by the pink lips either - i skipped red due to my anticipated non-stop eating and lightly dabbed on revlon's 'cherries in the snow' using my fingers. that's how it is when lightly dabbed! it looks like i've applied a lipstick fully...

face: sephora illuminating primer, bourjois healthy mix foundation (52), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (#2), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).
eyes: urban decay primer potion, urban decay eyeshadows (smog, half baked), illamasqua pure pigment (berber), nars highlighter (albatross), maybelline gel liner, max factor false lash effect mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud).
cheeks: nars highlighter (albatross), nars multiple (portofino).
lips: revlon (cherries in the snow) with vaseline on top.

i also embraced the day of christmas with some tights adorned with crystals. forgot how much i love them!

in other news - well, i've seen so many pretty things i would love to own, but lack the money. asking my parents is an option, but i absolutely detest doing it (think i've asked once in the past two years, only because i had £3 in my bank account, o) and so i'm going to be on the hunt for some part-time work and selling a lot of stuff i don't need or use. i'm really loving costume jewellery but annoyingly enough, all the stuff i like costs an arm and a leg. i'm also back on my fitness binge, which i cruelly deserted for the past week and a half. when i say 'fitness binge', i mean FORCING myself to be sensible and doing exercise. it is horrible.

it's not you eyeliner, it's me.

A LATE MERRY CHRISTMAS!

right. for the first time in my life... well, no. okay, let's start again. for the first time in approximately 6-7 years, i have tired of black eyeliner. that's right. anyone who knows me knows that the thick black eyeliner is pretty much a staple. yet, i guess i just grew tired of it - so much so that i haven't worn any for over a week. GASP! maybe it's because i love my new mac eyelash curler so much and want to show off my eyelashes as much as possible? or maybe it's because i'm lazy... 

the plus point is that in person, i feel as if i look a lot more fresh. in reality though, it photographs badly and i end up looking tired and lifeless. you win some, you lose some.

face: 17 primer, bourjois healthy mix foundation (52), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (#2), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).

eyes: mac studio fix lash, mac eyebrow pencil (stud), the body shop brow & lash gel.

cheeks: sleek (rose gold).

lips: no 7 (classic rose).

'classic rose' is definitely my favourite lipstick (OF ALL TIME! imma let u finish). it's long-lasting, highly pigmented, and the colour is just perfect for me - especially when i want to add some colour without going down the hot pink route. it's photographed quite pink here but if you see it in person, it isn't loud at all and still looks natural. i actually have two of these because i am a mong and thought i lost it in a fit of despair when really, it was in my bag pocket. WHOOPS.

ps - i got some fabulous presents which i can't wait to try out!

pps - my skin is awful right now.

it's christmas!

oh bother. i have been neglecting my blog! the very thing i said i wouldn't do! poor thing. praise the lord it isn't a living, breathing object else i'd probably have a manslaughter charge on my hands. the reasons for said neglect are the following: i was ill again (food poisoning for £2.99 from patisserie valerie), december being the season of birthdays, i helped raise £10,000 for charity, i've been applying for jobs, and i've been hideously busy with my masters as always.

2.03 - we no longer speak of it. (I AM SO EXCITED FOR THE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL)

i've also been working on a paper about governance feminism, hiv/aids and sex workers. pretty fascinating, but unfortunately i have a) a bitchy deadline, and b) an even bitchier wordcount. and as it currently stands, i am 3000 words OVER my prescribed word limit. oh deary me. however, i do hope to try and keep this up - even if i do have a thousand other things on my mind. sadly lipsticks do not equate to my whole life.

however, in the spirit of christmas...

 fotd darling? outfit post~?

nails - model's own (emerald city).

i must say that i pined after this shade for so long, and it doesn't disappoint. it is a stunning emerald green, and just screams festive! people always compliment my nails when i have this on, and as far as glitters go, it is decent in that you don't have to apply 1000 coats to get a full coverage (3-4 usually does the trick). i've been wearing it on/off during the entire month, and i love love love it.

i also have a secret for glitter-nail-phobes who are also serial nail polish peelers: apply a base colour first. not a base coat, but an actual proper shade. in this instance, i used no 7's 'dollar' (a deep metallic green), before applying the glitter. lo and behold, should you fancy it, you can peel the entire thing off, skipping the endless scrubbing with cotton wool. i wouldn't usually recommend people to peel their nail polish - it is a horrible habit i wish i could quit - but in this case, it really does save you time. i hope that everyone is having a wonderful christmas break.

summer make-up & winter weather.

... i have written over 1000 words... i played a part in raising just under £10,000... i also got hit on by a 70 (MINIMUM) year-old man... i also met the very lovely vanesa guallar of 17 cosmetics... suffice to say, this weekend was productive. and now it is december! december will be full of applications and writing. applications do involve typing though, so basically just a buttload of words. my fingers will grow abs no doubt. bye bye christmas.

i haven't really bought any new make-up as of late, but have once again gravitated towards my usual pinks/reds/oranges. summer make-up is always more fun.

one of my all-time favourite make-up lines is revlon's matte lipstick range. just as pigmented as the ones at mac, but much cheaper and nowhere near as drying! i honestly don't know how they do it. it feels expensive, stays on for quite a while - i mean, how?!? i'm telling you, if they ever discontinue these bad boys i may well just wilt and die. unfortunately this particular shade has been discontinued in the uk, but i think it is still being sold in the states. ebay is probably the answer.

vanesa also kindly gave me the one colour i didn't have out of 17's magnetic nail polish range - what a sweetheart. it's supposed to be green, but has photographed as blue for some bizarre reason. super fun and easy to do - i get a lot of compliments on my nails.

nails - 17 (magnetic nail polish: green).

(see this vest in the background? it's a bad ass vest. that's right, i'm resorting to vests. it's one of those uni-qlo techy ones that is supposed to conserve heat. that's the good stuff right there...)

face: 17 primer, bourjois healthy mix foundation (52), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (#2), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).
eyes: maybelline gel liner, max factor false lash effect mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud).
cheeks: sleek blush (rose gold), benefit highlighter pencil (tangerine gold).
lips: revlon (strawberry suede).

in other news: i am hoping to put up my christmas tree(s) (that's right, PLURAL), and am staying indoors as the icy cold is causing havoc with my body. i have bad circulation problems so it causes me pain being in the cold so often. taking it easy for tomorrow.

review: illamasqua "freak" fragrance.

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...

pink sunday! no? does that not work?

i am busy busy busy. busy doing uni work, busy writing, busy editing, busy drafting, busy applying. unfortunately this sort of work doesn't come with an expiry, and so things will be very hectic from now until june. it's solid work, and absolutely exhausting. i hope that i don't neglect this blog too much as a result of that.

what can i say. i'm back on the pink lipsticks. i would do a post on my lipstick collection but that would be taking my workload up to another level, haha! as it's winter and very drab outside, this was admittedly an unusual choice - my outfit was very grey and so i just needed that pop of colour. i usually go for the more deeper, less in-your-face pinks when it's cold outside. nevertheless, i absolutely love this shade and the fact that it's a cremesheen formulation makes it even better - it's super duper creamy and extremely long-lasting.

face: 17 photo primer, mac studio fix fluid (nw30), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).
eyes: urban decay primer potion, urban decay eyeshadows (virgin, oil slick, tiny bit of twice baked), rimmel kohl pencil, rimmel exaggerate liquid liner, max factor false lash effect mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud).
cheeks: sleek blush (rose gold).
lips: mac (speak louder).

i am also rather proud of myself for finding a nail polish that is the exact match of my lipstick. loooooooook! it's like they're dupes of each other. i bought this along with barry m's grey nail polish (does it have a shade name? it probably does) as i've been hankering over a grey nail polish for the longest time.

nails - barry m (shocking pink).

this pink actually isn't so shocking - it isn't neon or some kind of baby pink barbie shade. it's a really sweet, bright berry-pink, and is totally me (i actually HATE it when people say "that's so me~", what have i become)... i wore it for about 4 days which is possibly a new record and it didn't chip once despite me skipping a top coat. considering how cheap barry m is, i really really love it.

gushfest over.