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.