#zomgbloggersbash.

don't mind me. i'm just adding to the plethora of posts about #zomgbloggersbash within the blogosphere. for those who were situated under a rock for the past few weeks, the evening was celebrating the launch of the rockalily x london lipgloss collaboration lipstick called 'ZOMG!', and an all-round celebration of social media. i was so grateful to have been invited, and had a lovely time meeting new people. i left the house in a mad rush and looked sufficiently trampy - so unfortunately i have zero pictures of myself. i wore a vintage maxi with a blue & pink print all over it (it is in dire need of mending) and wellies. so if anyone saw someone possibly fitting this description on the night, it was me!

i was also drunk because the guy at the bar construed my request for a vodka and diet coke as a glass full of vodka and one drop of diet coke. luckily i was alright at the bash but when i got home, oh my christ... still, kudos to me for taking photos though. these photos represent a mish-mash of what went on.

miss reeree herself, looking uber glamourous! i actually kissed that board too but mine is somewhere along the bottom. she was lovely and is a real testament to having a vision/idea and making it a reality. (VOM, pass me the sick bucket at that sentence, even if it's true). 

rubyyy jones performed a brilliant routine which was hilarious. ever so slightly cheeky too to say the least. thank god my mother wasn't there, or she would've had a pulmonary upon hearing "i can't wait to f*ck you". gorgeous girl though. whilst she was performing i saw a few people outside looking through the window wondering what on earth was happening. so many girls watching another girl strip, it was a total oestrogen fest.

the lovely maria from urbanbutterfly who kept me company during the evening. this is her, pre-wig of course, giving stephanie from lazy town a run for her money (i saw that programme once when i was babysitting) (i didn't like it) (it was weird). i mean, i tried you know. i tried to tempt her into wearing a subtle brown number but she just wasn't having it... & if anyone is going to TOWIB (alas, i am not) then say hello to her - she is lovely & a barrel of laughs. i promise. there were also incredible hats and loungewear courtesy of little miss b hats and betty blue's loungerie - but no photos, sadly.

this gawwwwwjus corset was worn by banbury cross who too performed a burlesque routine. i was curious as to whether she made it/decorated it herself, it was really beautiful... adding that many crystals must be a total bitch. she had the loveliest marilyn-esque hair too. 

temptation's creations were also on hand. cakes a-plenty. i tried to be strong but the cakes made 'come to bed' eyes at me and so i had to do it. we locked eyes and that was it. unfortunately a lot of the toppings were things i can't eat (a lot of sugary stuff can give me migraines, such a wuss) and so i went for vanilla buttercream, some chocolate chips and a flower. and it was YUMMY. i'm surprised i didn't go back for ten more another. and before you tell me that i decorate cakes better than delia or nigella, well, i know.

part of banbury's routine involved cava. cava going EVERYWHERE. my camera got soaked. a girl next to me whose camera also got drenched looked pretty stressed by it, bless her. i could tell she only just got it. only i never managed to tell her that after the blissful two-week honeymoon period that follows purchasing a dslr camera, you then get lazy. your camera gets dropped, beaten around, pointed at with guns, lost, found, stood on and has bits of it dropped in venetian canals just like kate winslet chucks her necklace in the ocean in titanic (all of these are based on personal experience). they're built like tanks so don't worry. 

there were also hair stylists on hand to create beautiful retro styles for anyone who wanted. i really wish i did this but i was having so much fun wandering around that i didn't want to be sitting for long on my own. i didn't meet the girl in this picture who is getting her hair done but randomly saw her later on in the night. her hair looked stunning, especially because it was purple too. if there's one thing i wish i knew, it would be how to create beautiful hair.

hurhurhurrrrrr i could take photos of burlesque forever. someone please hire me to take photos of people dancing? please? i'm dead cheap, honest. just buy me a burger and i'll do it.

nails - opi  (do you think i'm tex-y?)

and finally, the lipstick itself. i really appreciated having the opportunity to swatch all of rockalily's shades in person. as the business is based online, it's sometimes hard to judge what you like from pictures. but, having seen them all up close, i really  like 'pompadour pink' because it is so brilliantly bright. like all rockalily lipsticks, 'ZOMG!' has got high pigmentation and feels very smooth and creamy. it's a darker pink, and a nice alternative for those who perhaps don't like the bubblegum pink shades. the shade itself reminded me of one i already have actually which is 'wild orchid' by revlon. wild orchid is glossier and a tad more on the purple side, but if anyone owns that shade, then they will definitely love ZOMG!

ta da! sorry for the picture heavy post. zozo is so lucky and i really hope this does well. i had a wonderful time and really loved meeting everyone.

ps - i won a fabulous prize but i'm saving that for the next post. ;)

no 7 'vital brights' spring collection 2012.

i did it. i caved. i strolled right into boots and did the very thing i said i wouldn't do: i bought things i technically didn't need. 

... i feel so dirty and ashamed! this is indeed the limited edition spring collection for no 7, and combined with the 3 for 2 offer, i was helpless. i was vulnerable. now i'm not one for 'haul' posts (this is a baby haul) where there are just photos of the products, but isn't the packaging so fresh and pretty? 'vital brights' seems to be all about dewy, natural skin and bright colours that pop. the collection - off the top of my head - consists of a palette, highlighter powder, two cream blushers & two lipsticks. i skipped the palettes as i never use them, and the two cream blushes, as gorgeous as they were, were almost identical to the cream blushers i have from topshop in 'neon rose' and 'high five'  (which i have). i swatched them though, and they are creamy, highly pigmented and easy to blend - so if you missed out on the topshop blushers, then this is another option. unless you missed out on these too. whoops.

first of all, the highlighting powder. i have never used a powder which has pink/peach undertones and this was so lovely that i almost didn't want to use it! the inside (plus the shade) reminds me of laura mercier's face illuminator powder, which is great for those of us who can't afford it. i found it really easy to use and really light on the skin, despite how very shimmery it is (note: use sparingly!). it really does feel like a high-end product and i'm very happy with it.

i definitely see this becoming a daily staple... especially seeing as my beloved no 7 illuminator has to have the crappiest packaging of all time and is giving me grief.

i also picked up this lipstick, called 'blossoming pink'. what can i say, i'm a sucker for pink lipstick. it was met with a rolling of the eyes from my dear mother though. truth be told i am a little bit disappointed that no 7 didn't put the floral print on the tube, but it still looks clean and crisp in gold and white. don't be fooled by how pink it is though, because the finish is supposed to be a sheer balm formulation. now i knew this from the start so i wasn't surprised there, but i'm just warning those who might have not known and think that this is the pink lipstick of their dreams. i really do like no 7's sheer lipsticks, because they're creamy and have decent lasting power - so for what it's worth, i do recommend them. as i didn't have a sheer lipstick with a pink tint, i was really keen to have this.

i'm not sure if the colour is for me though. it's very light and pink! i applied my make-up in a rush (i am ill and therefore a shell of my former self) otherwise i would've built up the colour to fit with my complexion a bit better.

face: 17 primer, bourjois healthy mix foundation (52), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (#2), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light).
eyes: urban decay 24/7 eye pencil (lust), mac studio fix lash (black), mac eyebrow pencil (stud).
cheeks: topshop (high five).
lips: no 7 (blossoming pink).

finish everything off with my beloved emilio pucci wellies and off i go!

no 7's 'beautiful skin' day cream.

recently i've been needing something that provides more moisture for my skin because it's become so dry (due to the cold freezing weather and constant central heating) - and i was always keen on trying out this cream. no 7 have brought out a new 'beautiful skin' range with all sorts of products, so much so that i don't think i'd have the time to list them. what marks this out from other high-street brands is that they seem to have gone down the clinique route where for every product (e.g. a cleanser), there are four or five variations depending on skin type. i think that's a pretty nice touch, and i'm glad to see it entering the high street domain - even if no 7 is on the more expensive side.

i went for the day cream designed for normal-dry skin, and i've really liked it so far. it's quite expensive at £12.50, but you get a lot of product which is really good quality, and it's encased in beautiful packaging. a problem i've had with other day creams that i've tried is that they can sometimes feel sticky, turn gloopy or make my skin look and feel really greasy. they also sometimes make the centre of my face itch for some bizarre reason. with this, i haven't had any of that. it absorbs into the skin quickly, smells nice, has spf and leaves my skin feeling smoother and softer for hours. for that alone, i would totally repurchase.

it's a shame that it's priced at £12.50 though, because i am a student bum. i'd recommend waiting until boots dishes out those £5 off vouchers before stocking up - it's what i intend on doing at least!

a post about brows.

bleurgh. that is how i feel in a nutshell. just pure BLEURGH. i've been feeling so tired recently, and feel like i'm going through one of those weeks i'm just bloated and gross... not to mention with a load of stress thrown on top... and a horrible cold. sexy, right? ha. i have so many deadlines and the pressure is really getting to me but i'm hoping to make real progress this weekend.

for that reason, i've been keeping my make-up simple. now i usually just line my eyes with kohl and pencil in my brows so that they look thicker and more arched - but nothing beyond that i'm afraid. talk about boring! unfortunately i'm not much of an expert when it comes to brow products, as i have never attempted using powder or eyeshadow in my brows (they are already dark and thick, and i'm worried it would just be brow overload). instead i use my beloved brow pencil from mac, which has great staying power and a thin tip so that you can draw on individual hairs for a natural look. it's this tip which sets it apart from other eyebrow pencils i've used from other brands (e.g. estée lauder). if i've altered the shape of my brows and want it to stay on for even longer, i use a brow gel from the body shop to seal it in place.

the way i make it more arched is really simple. using an eyebrow brush (everyone must have one, surely), i brush my eyebrows down. then, i begin by filling in any obvious gaps. i then slowly draw on the arch - where it would be if i had one, that is - and keep going back and forth to make sure my brows look the same. then, brush your brows back up and voila! done. it really is that simple. if your brows are naturally quite identical, it will take a matter of seconds.

one thing i miss about the middle east (probably the only thing i miss) is how amazing their girls are at threading. they know how to thread and shape brows without making them look thin or awkward on the face. now my brows just look a state and i'm far too apathetic to do anything about it. my eyebrows are naturally a weird round shape, and only those girls know what to do with them - weep. if anyone knows any middle-eastern salons in london, do let me know!

face: 17 primer, mac studio fix fluid (nw30), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (#2), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skin finish (medium plus).
eyes: bourjois bronzing powder, illamasqua fine pencil (eerie), maybelline gel liner, mac studio fix lash (black), mac eyebrow pencil (stud), the body shop brow & lash gel.
cheeks: bourjois bronzing powder, no 7 illuminator (peach), nars blush (orgasm).
lips: mac (see sheer).

sorry for such a miserable post. i feel like i'm becoming the unluckiest person on the planet, 2012 is letting me down man!

kung hei fat choi!

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).

grr.

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!

MISSING: MY FAVOURITE BROOCH.

i haven't been posting about make-up purely due to the fact that i am overworked between now and early february. i have a million things on my plate and unfortunately a lot of grown-up troubles which i can't escape from. however, i am now in an elevated state of distress due to the fact that my favourite brooch (from dior) is MISSING. MISSING. MISS. ING. i hadn't realised until i worked on my jewellery collection a little bit (my 'to sell' pile is growing daily).

i am 90% sure it's somewhere within my house, but really baffled because i usually take really good care of my stuff and it isn't in it's box... i am praying that i've simply worn it one day and it's still on a dress somewhere in my wardrobe(s), so i'm emptying all of them tonight in order to find it. pleeeeeease cross your fingers for me!

where the GAPING EMPTY SPACE IS is where my brooch should be. WHERE ARE YOU? hmmm. the box is from where it was originally purchased from in the 1950s, which was a now-defunct american luxury department store. the earrings & brooch were designed by kramer, one of the most celebrated jewellery designers of his time.

here is some other stuff in the meantime to distract you all from the weeping mess that is me, on a thursday afternoon.

things i am looking forward to.

seeing as i'm so busy/stressed to talk about make-up (my face resembles 'the scream'), i thought i'd talk about a few things i'm excited for in 2012 instead.

 1. buying more books i lust over. i absolutely love books, but unfortunately my first degree (which i detested) put me off them completely. i'm still recovering from that (!) but really hope that i can find a job or the money to buy more photobooks instead. i'm absolutely obsessed with them and have a fair few as it is, but you can never have too much of a good thing. i'm especially obsessed with the bookstore in liberty but as the books start at around £50+, i have some saving up to do.

2. investing in good accessories. sorting out my jewellery has amazed me as i was blissfully unaware of how much crap i owned. mind you, it's crap which has been accumulated for 6 years but still. i want to sell a lot of it, and should i need to, invest in better jewellery. buy less, but buy great quality instead. if you constantly drop £3 there and £5 there at h&m for instance, it does actually add up!

3. get my bare legs out the moment it stops being so freezing. i hardly get my legs out due to the beautiful bruises and cuts i sport - i mean, i just don't think people are ready for it. my scarred knees? tremendous. however, i feel as if it's just been cold for too long (what with last summer being full of rain and miserable) and i just cannot wait to enjoy summer as it's supposed to be! terrible legs and all.

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 lipstick in 'drench'.

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.

basic red.

my skin feels and looks awful. i think it's due to the fact that i'm back at university (certainly a jolt to the system), drinking less water (oh dear) and just feel lethargic even though i do next to nothing. my skin is therefore feeling quite dull and so i'll be sorting that out... probably the prime opportunity to do a review on something, right? my ebay jaunt is going okay, so far i've only sold a ps3 game (red dead redemption, 100% game completion, yessssssss) and i've still got 22 items on sale. unfortunately i wish i could say i've made money but i sold my game for almost £9, and had in fact purchased ANOTHER game off ebay the day before for the same amount. this brings my funds to... oh wait. £0.

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: maybelline gel liner, revlon grow luscious mascara (black), mac eyebrow pencil (stud).
cheeks: mac (ladyblush).
lips: mac (mac red).

nails - 17 (forever). ring - asos.

i've been going down the snoozefest nude route when it comes to nails. 'forever' is actually a pretty decent shade though. when i first saw it, i thought it might be a dupe of  model's own's 'nude beige', but 'forever' is a lot more pink and more suited to lighter complexions. it's very grown-up and classy, neither of which i can relate to right now. i do feel quite sorry for 17 because i forget how great their polishes are until i use them - which, considering i own two, is not very often. it has a fantastic quick-drying formula, is high shine, and after two days, shows no intention of chipping. i do really love it and think that their polishes are underrated. particularly by yours truly. whoops.

the great big jewellery sort of 2012 is still ongoing. i have made minimal progress. see this panda ring? this was my favourite ring in the whole wide world, but unfortunately isn't the original of the favourite-ring-in-whole-wide-world ring. i bought the original (rip) on holiday whilst in tehran in 2009, and loved it to death. hallowe'en 2010, some dumb ass fool steals my oyster (also commonly referred to as "MY LIFE") AND my ring, which i had left in my bag. i was absolutely, inexplicably devastated. i searched high and low for this ring, but it was nowhere to be found. not in the bar, not abroad, not anywhere. 

six months passed and i was perusing a few blogs when i stumbled across a blog which had a lot of rings in its banner. ONE OF THE RINGS WAS MY PANDA. besides initially deciding that i had nabbed my panda thief, i instead got my massive creep on and messaged her asking where she bought it from. she said she got it from river island the year before, and once again, my heart sank. nevertheless, a quick ebay search led to ONE seller who had ONE ring left and HERE IT IS!!!!!!!! 

so, um... yes. i am making progress.

in other news, i am very excited to be attending the #zomgbloggersbash! i think it's extremely unlikely that anyone going will know of this blog (i barely do) so if you do see someone and suspect them to be a gatecrasher, it is probably me...

2012 spring clean: jewellery.

you will have to excuse my forthcoming silence based on the fact that i am very much in the midst of a spring clean (and a crazy workload). a lot of my stuff is on ebay, and a lot more is to follow! so, i'd like for the next few posts to focus on ideas for storage (as well as the usual make-up looks). i want to de-clutter my life completely and i'm sure others do too.

one thing i've definitely needed is a new jewellery box. my old one is sort of broken (pictured above) so it does count as a necessary purchase (take THAT new year's resolution). right now all of my jewellery - excluding the finer stuff - is just lumped in the corner of my room. i'm keeping the old one to place my larger jewellery in as the new one is a little bit small, and ebaying a lot of it off. here is my first stepping stone into a de-cluttered jewellery collection. i would take a lot of pictures as i go along but progress is a slow process...

 my jewellery in all of its messy glory.

my new, far classier box!

the beginning of a new and beautiful relationship, starting with clip-on earrings (words which strike fear into the heart of many females excluding myself and pat butcher).

in other news, i'm totally loving grey nail polish. it goes with absolutely everything in my view, and is more fun than the boring beiges/pinks/nude shades which do the same thing. this particular one has great shine and hasn't chipped so far, despite my de-cluttering mission.

nails - rimmel (grey obsession).

i intend on organising a little bit of jewellery a day (there is a lot of it) and then i'll move on to clothes i reckon. if anyone has any ideas let me know!

review: clinique superbalm moisturizing gloss.

excuse my miserable mug. i am shattered - i went out yesterday afternoon, went out again in the evening, came home, edited a draft of something rather important until 1.30am, and then i cleaned a bit (whoops). point is, i am feeling it today. my skin is in bad condition because ahem, it is that time of the month (i pride myself on my ability to delve into tmi territory at all times) and so i wasn't in the mood to play around with my make-up. i just wanted to keep it simple and look as if i was barely wearing anything, when really i was. pure stealth.

in an old post of mine, i praised the body shop's lip balms for providing the perfect amount of gloss and hydration. i still do like them, but a new kid is on the block. i actually forgot i even bought this (the cardinal sin, buying something and then losing it in your vortex of a make-up box) and so it was a very pleasant surprise. FYI, still haven't bought any make-up. i'm doing well. i'm chill. chiller than cold turkey.

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: maybelline gel liner, mac studio fix lash (black), mac eyebrow pencil (stud).
cheeks: sleek (rose gold).
lips: clinique superbalm moisturizing gloss (grapefruit) (WHAT A MOUTHFUL!)

to me, this is a really exciting product. i never would've thought that anything could top the aforementioned body shop balms but this does. you see, i'm not a massive fan of glosses. i find them too sticky, or lacking in lasting-power. this gloss/balm/beautiful creation is the perfect mix of the two, with none of that going on. i found it to be really wonderful, and my lips felt oddly hydrated whilst staying uber glossy for hours - and as this gloss does not contain glitter, it makes for a fantastic wet look. moreover, i have it in the shade "grapefruit" but as this product isn't scented or flavoured the shade names are literally just based on shade only. i really cannot wait to layer this on my lipsticks!

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.

back to work.

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).

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. :)