top five neutral shimmer shades.

i'm not going to post about a new product today, but instead share a few eyeshadow shades which i've really liked wearing as of late.

my go-to brand for neutral, shimmery shades has to be urban decay. for some reason, they are the only brand whose eyeshadows work perfectly for me in terms of texture and pigment. a lot of the time, other brands come up with neutral shades which just don't work with my olive complexion or fail to show up at all. luckily for me, urban decay's shade selection is amazing with a bunch of really pretty ones that don't ham up the glitter. despite sounding like a broken record (i am literally banging my head on the keyboard as we speak), their naked palette is stupidly good value and a real staple of mine. dsdfjg gdi ifg guuuuuu.

now, i'm the first to admit that my experience with rimmel eyeshadows is somewhat limited. their eyeshadow in 'spicy bronze' is something which i've blogged about before, and which i absolutely love. the texture is buttery and the shade is unlike anything else i've seen before (i certainly haven't found a dupe) - plus it's cheap. unfortunately i can't say whether that is something that extends to all of their shadows, or just this one. a must-have for darker girls, seriously.

left to right: rimmel (spicy bronze), urban decay (chopper), urban decay (smog), urban decay (toasted).

this small selection of shades has kept me going despite me opting for a no-fuss look as of late. the extra 10 minutes seconds it takes to apply these makes me feel as if i've put a slight bit of effort in, taking me from a 9 on the tramp scale to possibly a 7.

face: 17 primer, mac studio fix fluid (nw30), collection lasting perfection concealer (#2), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).

eyes: urban decay primer potion, urban decay eyeshadows (chopper, twice baked), maybelline gel liner, rimmel kohl pencil, mac studio fix lash, clinique high definition mascara (lower lashes), mac eyebrow pencil (stud), the body shop brow & lash gel.

cheeks: mac (stunner).

lips: 17 (bon bon).

this works 'perfect look skin miracle'.

[looks like i'll be saying sorry yet again for the lack of posts. i honestly don't know how some people find the time to update their blog everyday, seriously. what about your jobs? driving lessons? school? manuscripts? JOBS? suffice to say i've been up to absolutely everything in the past fortnight, none of it being particularly fun (well, not 99% at least). hello stress, you old friend.]

recently i've been on the lookout for a tinted moisturiser to use during the summer, and had made up my mind to get the one by nars. however, my shade was sold out in three stockists (really? come on), and i wasn't that crazy about the product to go on a mad goose chase for it. so, i completely dropped the idea of getting it. a few days ago i managed to find some time to watch a lisa eldridge tutorial (unf, love her) and she recommended this. so, like a loyal little sheep, i went and got it. last one on the shelf baby. yessssss. i'm that bitch y'all love to hate.

this tinted moisturiser claims to hydrate and brighten the skin, and although i like it, i don't think it's anything particularly revolutionary. this is because it reminds me of clarins' beauty flash balm, but with the slightest tint - which is quite obvious seeing as the product itself is brown and has to be rubbed on. i also quite like the packaging (a tube with a pump) - but like a doofus i didn't take a picture of it. 

things you probably should know: it doesn't have a lot of coverage, nor is it dense. for that reason, i wouldn't really bank on this if you have skin problems or very dry skin - unless you want a non-greasy moisturiser to use as a primer, like me. i usually wear this before wearing a foundation with a matte finish, as it adds a little bit of shine but not too much. with that said, i can imagine this looking gorgeous if you're one of those people with absolutely perfect skin.

perfect look skin miracle turd.

what else is new...? well, it was my birthday yesterday. i spent it with a lot of family who came over as the rain dampened (GEDDIT, DAMPENED, RAIN, LOL) my plans for a boozy picnic. still coming to grips with my own age as we speak. this involves a lot of rocking and self-reassurance that i am not old...

top - american apparel.

face: this works perfect look skin miracle, sephora smoothing primer, mac face and body (c2), collection lasting perfection concealer (#2), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).

eyes: urban decay primer potion, urban decay naked palette (naked, hustle, buck), maybelline gel liner, rimmel kohl pencil, clinique high definition mascara (lower lashes), revlon 'grow luscious' mascara, ardell 120 demi false eyelashes, mac eyebrow pencil (stud), the body shop brow & lash gel.

cheeks: duwop (peach), no 7 illuminator (peach).

lips: mac (modesty).

as you can probably tell, i went for a smokey eye with some neutral shades all over the lid - and this is definitely the sort of make-up i've been wearing as of late. i've also rediscovered my duwop blush which i love to death (a+ would recommend) and have been wearing that everyday aswell. and last but not least, some moschino shoe porn. i finally had an excuse to wear these! YEAH!

i hope that everyone has a fabulous jubilee weekend!

ps - i wrote a guest post for urban butterfly on vintage lipsticks. perfect for any retro laydeez. give it a read!

birthday: chanel ballet flats.

luckiest girl.