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).

review: illamasqua skin base foundation. all aboard the hype train!

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.

holiday!

i had a fabulous time on holiday and enjoyed eight days of 30+ degree weather - most of the time i was either in monaco or venice. here is a very, very small snippet (believe it or not!) of what went down. i'm surprised my face hadn't melted into pure gloop from the sheer heat.

i felt very humbled to be able to go! i'm so lucky.

review: collection 2000 cream puff moisturising lip cream in "fairy cake".

errrrrrm, why did this not post? this was meant to go up whilst i was abroad (more on that another time). what has changed since? well, i am now broke. completely and utterly penniless. if this had gone up when it was supposed to, i would not be wittering on about financial woes - especially when i'm supposed to be going to bestival and have zero camping stuff. maybe i shouldn't have gone. £180 would be so good right about now... and to think, i had £180 at one point. :'(

my latest plaything is cheap though, so all of you fellow broke ass bitches better listen up. it retails for £2.99 (or did, when i bought it) and off the top of my head, is the cheapest piece of make-up i own. i can't claim to know much about collection 2000 but was really excited by the concept of a matte lipgloss, the cutesly-named "cream puff lip cream". eeeee cream puff. eeee shade called "fairy cake". eeee fat. i love matte lipsticks (the ones by revlon are my favourite) but their biggest problem is how drying they can be, and so i was curious to see how that problem would translate in gloss form.

i'm not going to lie and say that this is the most hydrating thing to ever touch my lips, but it's pretty damn good. for £2.99, even better. it also smells delicious. fortunately i didn't find this to be drying at all like regular matte lipsticks, and i absolutely loved the bright pink-coral shade. however, it does present the same problems in that your lips have to be in tip-top condition before you apply it, otherwise it will look terrible. it also won't last the entire day - i think i got about two or three hours out of it. all in all though, i think it is fabulous and would urge anyone to try it, especially if they are put off by matte shades in lipstick form. 

my only real disappointment is the colour choice: there are four shades in total, and i'm going to be blunt and say that if you are not white, then two out of the four will possibly work with your complexion (this one, and another more nudey tone, the name of which i do not know). however, this is an issue with cheap brands in general who don't cater for a wider variety of skin tones, and so i'm not going to specifically hate on collection 2000 over it. i'll just have to hope that this will be a great success and that they'll branch out with more universally flattering shades!

beauty inspiration: madonna.

LONDON HEAR ME ROAR. WHAT IS WITH THE CONSTANT RAIN AND COLD TEMPERATURES?! i am feeling remarkably confused when it comes to appearance. my brain is telling me that it is august and that i should opt for summery clothes and bright make-up, but i just don't feel like it when it's absolutely freezing and raining constantly. so, i've sort of developed some kind of mish-mash way of dressing. note: mish-mash is not attractive. it just makes you look retarded. can't wait to leave this place tomorrow, although i'm gutted it's not for a very long time.

my current looks (crimped hair anyone? christ) is semi-inspired by a late night gaze at one of my (many) large photobooks about style in the 80s, as i am planning on selling it. i'll be upfront and confess that i don't even like the 80s unless i'm looking for a giggle. i like the music, but i think it was absolutely awful in terms of style, so why i am drawing anything from it i just don't know. however, there are two exceptions to my "everything 80s is gross" stance. i do like boy george and think that he was exceptionally pretty (there is no other word)... and i also like the look of MADONNA. i do not care for 99.9999% of her music, and i think she is borderline insane. but, no one even comes close to how amazing she looked in her video for "justify my love". that was her PEAK. the marilyn hair, the thick brows, the bold lips... absolutely fabulous. definitely something i'd like to try out for myself! i do wish someone would tell rihanna et al that that video is how you do something risque (even more so considering that it was over twenty years ago in a more conservative society) - as current efforts just seem relatively pathetic by comparison.

U GO GURL

unfortunately, i have about as much sex appeal as a slice of lettuce. i think this still is more me...

nevertheless, that single video is very inspiring (in terms of style, not sex with transgender people) and is one of my favourite things in the entire world. 

face: sephora base subliminatrice, mac studio fix fluid (nw30), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).
eyes: urban decay primer potion, rubie and millie perfect eyes pallette, rimmel exaggerate liquid liner, urban decay 24/7 eye pencil (zero), urban decay eyeshadow (creep), max factor false lash effect mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud).
cheeks: nars bronzer (laguna), duwop blush (peach).
lips: revlon (mauve it over).

in other news: i've recently been feeling less of a need to see friends. not in a horrible way at all. i'm just tired and want to live a quiet existence. it's official: i've become old.

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: topshop blushes in "pop" and "high five".

i'm going to be blunt - generally speaking, topshop make-up doesn't really excite me in the least. that is, until i start playing with their blushers and coo over everything. i love their blushers to the point of insanity, purely because it's such value for money which is actually rare these days (i know my rare shit, my last read being "amazing rare things" by david attenborough; there was definitely a make-up chapter in it). it will last you forever, and costs £6. off the top of my head, £5.40 with student discount! with that, barry m's blushers are like £1 less, which i hope puts this whole thing into perspective. no cheap shimmers or glitters in these bad boys whatsoever.

this is my current collection, the top two being cream blushers and the bottom being a powder blusher.

i have a thing for cream blushers. they're more long-lasting, and when i am packing and going abroad there is no fear of the blusher falling or getting crushed with powder going everywhere (i'm sure everyone has either experienced or heard of a horror story regarding this). sadly they're more common within more expensive brands though, and any cheap cream blusher i've seen is borderline miniscule in size or unimaginative with their colour choice (yes you, max factor). gives me sadz.

ohai. my lipstick is from max factor (chili). 

THAT IS UNTIL A BRIGHT SPARK AT TOPSHOP RECTIFIED THIS. topshop have brought out three new matte shades in the past week: pop (a pinky apricot), high five (a deep pink), and powdered (a baby pink). i didn't get powdered because it was a tad *too* pink for my complexion. i think that baby pink is fantastic for lightening your complexion, but for that reason, it's one of the few shades which i think works with a bit of shimmer - just to illuminate and highlight the skin that little bit further. for that reason, the only baby pink i absolutely adore and could never betray is mac's "well dressed" - check it out. i must admit that in the picture below, pop has photographed as a pink for some peculiar reason - it's not.

  "pop" is on the left, and "high five" is on the left. 

these blushers are easily to blend and build up so you could have anything from a sheer finish to a vivid cheek. for the price, the quality is fantastic and the pigmentation is really decent. obviously high five lasted longer than pop, but i equally love both. plus with a name like high five, who can resist...?! maybe it gives you super powers a la todd from scrubs.

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.

late for work.

yesterday i was late for work. not because i woke up late, or took a wrong turn - i just saw the words "SALE" in dorothy perkins (in victoria station, in case you were wondering) and wandered in, like a moth to the flame. i don't think i have ever shopped in there before. i've popped in and out, but never saw anything i remotely liked or would even buy for someone else. but VOILA - this dress cost me a whopping £10. it hasn't beaten my favourite bargain which was a £50 leopard print zara dress reduced to £8 (perhaps due to missing belt and the fact that it would probably be deemed as hideous by many) but it does comes close. it's so dreamy, and i will probably live in it for the next month - in fact, i wore it today!

dress - dorothy perkins, shoes - office.

review: bourjois bronzing powder.

i can't admit that i'm a bronzer-maniac - i only touch the stuff for the purpose of contouring, should i feel like it. i never, ever use it to look more tanned and so if that's your sole purpose for using it, i wouldn't continue reading this because i have no experience of that... saw-wee.

SO, i was wandering around the boots near work and finally stumbled upon bourjois' bronzing powder - usually i can never ever see the damn thing anywhere! it is elusive. at £6.99 it is still more expensive than the vast majority of high street brands, but still a LOT cheaper than mac or nars. long story short: i really, really like it.

loooooook atttt ittttttt...

... okay, i know i'm in the minority here, but i don't like the packaging. that's right. look at it. yes i know it's meant to look like chocolate (good enough to eat?), but i don't even like chocolate. :( boo. bourjois, you waste such things on horrible people like me. i like the way the bronzer itself actually looks like chocolate, but to me the exterior just seems unnecessary... maybe it's because bourjois don't usually do gimmicks (unlike gimmick champions, soap & glory, 9 parts gimmick and 1 part soap/glory) and so i suppose that's why it seems a bit odd when viewed amongst row upon row of simple, round packaging. however, it smells absolutely lovely. i know that the smell of bourjois blushes are like marmite in that they split the crowds who either love them or hate them, but everyone absolutely loved the smell of this.

unlike other high street brands, it is NOT doused in glitter, which is so refreshing as not everyone wants to resemble a disco ball that has just stumbled out of sugar hut. i think there is the teeniest amount of shimmer, but it is so minimal that you need a magnifying glass. it is such a great flattering shade too (which i can imagine suiting a wide range of skin tones), and not intimidating to work with. this is because it is easily buildable and blends really easily, meaning that you can easily get whatever desired amount you want to adapt with your skin. it does exactly what it says on the tin/fake chocolate box, and for £6.99, it's bloody good. not saying it's dark or strong enough to give you cheekbones like snoop dogg, but still, A++ WOULD RECOMMEND.

 nothing is matching in this photo, oh god oh god OH GOD.

face: 17 primer, bourjois healthy mix foundation (52), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfish (medium plus).

eyes: rimmel exaggerate liquid liner, clinique high impact mascara (01 black).

cheeks: bourjois bronzing powder, duwop blush (peach).

lips: no 7 perfect lips liner (nude), no 7 sheer temptation lipstick (attract).

in other news: i bought tickets to see demetri martin when he comes to london in october! two rows away from the stage. awwww yeah. what if i start shaking and crying? i love him, i think i fancy him, and i want us to write palindromes together. he is my dream, when in reality all i ever attract is ugly, egotistic, scummy dickheads. i'm pretty sure that if i combined all of their iq points, it would still be less than a peanut. think i'll knock back some prozac now, if you don't mind.

WHY ARE YOU NOT MY BOYFRIEND DEMETRI, WHYYYYY??!!!!!!! I LIKE THAT TRICK YOU'RE DOING WITH YOUR HANDS I LAUGH AT YOUR JOKES

purple rain?!

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.

peace out. let's sing.

forever 21.

today i checked out the new forever 21 shop (store? shop? store?) in oxford street, london. if i were to sum up my impression of the place in one word, it would be "yuck". cheap clothes, cheap quality, cheap service. cheap, cheap, cheap. and not cheap in a h&m sort of way whereby you find the odd gem and leave happy knowing you didn't pay all that much for it. this was just... blah. i wandered around thinking that perhaps i'm just too old for forever 21 - that is, until i saw people my age/older clutching bundles of clothing in their arms. the staff are horrifically slow, but i think that is because they are new recruits and still learning the ropes.

i don't think american equivalents of high-street fashion ever really translate well in the uk, to be honest. they could be okay, but never as successful as continental exports such as zara, mango and h&m, amongst others. it could just be my experiences but people tend to "binge" in the same american shops and end up looking massively douchey (urban outfitters, abercrombie & fitch, hollister, i'm looking at all of you). in the eyes of american brands, people are compartmentalised and social groups probably resemble that of glee. urban outfitters - maybe a girl who likes quaint jewellery isn't a hardcore indie kid who doesn't want to team it up with curtain-esque florals all the time, and deserves a little more choice?

i know that to some extent, every shop has its own target market and you would probably have to fit within that market in order to like what they have. but, within british/european shops, i feel like the target audience is much more wider and encompassing. american brands seem to box up people into very specific categories - hipster, 14 year old teenage girl, sporty and so forth - and if you don't fit into that, you'll be hideously hard-pressed to actually love anything. british brands do appeal to certain styles (they have to, for marketing!) and as much as topshop pisses me off at times, it is an example of different types of people all coming within one shop and actually finding something that's for them - and it is that which i find to be lacking in american exports.

forever 21 is not this type of place.

however - praise the lord because i braved another floor. forever 21's saving grace is right there: the jewellery and accessories. it is actually really impressive! which makes me wonder why on earth no one is raving about it. why are the accessories so scarce in the window displays?! WHY AM I SEEING MORE FLORAL DRESSES ALL THE TIME?! seriously, my vision of america is all the women wearing floral dresses and making the streets of america resemble a wild, tatty meadow. the jewellery is all really, hideously cute. meet my new teddy! totally adorable, and a blatent nod to vivienne westwood's other teddy bear necklace. iz a smug bitch.

my advice? go in, ignore any piece of fabric you see, and go straight to the second floor. it's the only part that is worth your time.

soap & glory hand food.

this is the latest love of my life. we've been going strong for about five months now. by 'we', i obviously mean myself and soap & glory's hand food (£4.85). i, love, this. the smell is absolutely gorgeous, a mixture of shea butter, macadamia oil and marshmallow (apparently) ... (i don't smell no macadamia oil).

nail polish - barry m (lemon).

i really like using this during the warmer months as it is not overly intensive and therefore takes far less time to absorb into the skin. i never stick to products all-year round as i find that it doesn't work for me at all (i get by far better if i am actually responding to whatever is up with my skin) - but this would be great to have.

alternative hand creams i swear by are by dove and no 7. dove's rich nourishing beauty handcream (£2) is really rich and ideal for winter when the cold and central heating causes havoc with the moisture in your skin. doesn't smell too bad either actually, and the small size is deceptive; it will last you a very long time. no 7's protect and perfect hand cream (£10.50, ouch) is also a great product but more suited towards people with old lady hands as it contains collagen. i personally love it because it's even lighter than hand food and feels incredibly silky on the skin. for some bizarre reason, it does honestly make your hands appear younger, and photographs like a dream. that's right: if you've been dreaming of becoming a hand model your entire life, get your hands (ZING) on that product now.

brb gagging.

in other news: i've been busy at work and for some reason the deadline for everything (perhaps life itself) seems to be tomorrow. i got caught in the rain today too, it wasn't very pleasant.

bright pink lip.

the sunshine is out! seems as if london has finally got its act together. work was relatively sluggish all day, but the moment i had to leave i received a barrage of emails. just typical. my make-up was pretty low key, didn't have much on in the evening except drinks with a friend...

LOL jk i totally added buttloads of pink to my face. i hope the photo above demonstrates why i complain about my eyelashes being too long. i've always had relatively long eyelashes (nothing compared to my brother though) but following an unfortunate anger-induced incident with an eyelash curler, they were a little lacking. after approximately a month of using revlon's 'grow luscious' mascara to make them grow back quicker, they're back to their old self but... even longer. whoops.

face: sephora smoothing 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 (midnight cowboy rides again), maybelline gel liner, rimmel exaggerate liquid liner, max factor false lash effect mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud).
cheeks: mac blush (fleur power).
lips: revlon (cherries in the snow).