make-up inspired by lana del rey.

can't say i'm a killer lana del rey fan. sure i like some of her music, but i have to be honest and say that i hate the rubbish she comes out with in interviews. when 'video games' came out i was like fjdghhfgdshfgshfgs this is like, SO amazing~ ...but then it just turned into total overkill. interviews everywhere, a vogue cover (gotta love uk vogue for being a massive turd when it comes to covers) and all sorts - and this was way before she even released an album! nevertheless, i saw this cover and really liked the make-up. very simple, no? so here is my take on it. 

i liked the bold cat liner and nude lips - all in all, it looks pretty retro and classic. however, i had to tweak it for a few reasons. firstly, i don't have the products to add that 'sheen' to the liner that is in the cover. if you really want to have that effect, just apply your liner as you normally would and then add mac's 'mixing medium shine' on top. i don't own it because i can't justify it, but it would look awesome. i'm also lacking in white eyeliner (for the waterline), which has mysteriously vanished. also, lana's matte lipstick is also exceptionally pale (it's not far off her own complexion) which would never, ever work for me - so i had to change that too. i am also sorry to say that i also have misplaced my bumblebee.

all of that aside, it's so basic - a really easy look. even if i did somehow end up with a lot of eyeliner on my hands. in lana's cover, the flick is a little longer but as i'm a regular joe, i also toned it down a little. 

face: no 7 lift and luminate day cream, sephora base subliminatrice, 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, revlon 8-hour colourstay quad (in the buff), urban decay eyeshadow (virgin), maybelline gel liner, rimmel exaggerate liquid liner, max factor false lash effect mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud), the body shop brow & lash gel.

cheeks: illamasqua (lover).

lips: no 7 lip pencil (nude), revlon lipstick (mauve it over).

i'm also realling loving silver nails at the moment. adele rocked the grammys and i loved her nails so much ('jewel' by deborah lippman)! but as the broke ass bitch that i currently am, i gotta make do with what i've got. silver? glitter? even more glitter? oh go on then. a little bit of NASA, a little bit of drag queen, and a little bit of ghetto diva. you just have to love it.

nails - barry m (silver), gosh (silver star), barry m (hologram hexograms).

light pink lips.

disaster has struck. my beloved 500gb external hard drive (the only man in my life) has died on me, rendering me a widow. however, unlike most widows, i am refusing to accept that it's over and am trying all sorts to resuscitate it. is that a bit creepy? possibly. i'm really stressing out as my entire life is on it. essaying is also going so-so, but i've scheduled today as my turning point where i actually get a lot done besides that. so basically: please just wish me luck with everything.

as i'm still not really going out or seeing friends anymore, i've been keeping it safe with my make-up. my skin is pretty good right now (touch wood) so i haven't needed to do much any real concealing or use any illuminating products to breathe life into my skin. i think it's the combination of exercise, drinking water and some products i use - because it certainly ain't my diet...!

nails - models own pro (hot salmon).

i now go for a natural look with cat-eye flicks on the ends of my eyes and light pink lips. i only apply liner to the outer corner of my eyes (as it makes them appear bigger), rather than how i usually wear it where i use liner on the entire upper lash line. if i took that line across, it'd be more graphic for sure (perfect if you want to do a 60s take on eye make-up) - but it wouldn't make my eyes look as big.

face: no 7 beautiful skin day cream, 17 primer, bourjois healthy mix foundation (52), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (#2), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).
eyes: collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (#2), maybelline gel liner, revlon 'grow luscious' mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud).
cheeks: topshop (pop).
lips: revlon (pink in the afternoon).

as for the lips (revlon's 'pink in the afternoon'), well, i really like this shade. so much so that i took it upon myself to buy it for a friend too! i think that it would suit a large variety of complexions even if it may seem a bit on the light side, because it's rosy.... and not one of those horrendous milky pinks that barely suit anyone.

i've also been wearing my little poodle around. this was a present for my birthday from a friend, and i absolutely love it - if i'm not mistaken, she purchased it from accessorize. reminds me of paris a little bit. animal accessories are definitely one of my greatest passions in life.

betty blues loungerie and a story about never winning.

aren't i naughty! i won a prize at #zomgbloggersbash (i always feel the need to type that without spaces...) and forgot to blog about it when i said i would! next it'll be heroin and alcoholism.

one thing i really liked about the event was their 'blogger's bingo' - it was a nice way to break the ice with people and with goodies up for grabs, a double perk! now, anyone who knows me (platonically, intimately, biblically) has probably had to deal with my recurring rant about how i never, ever win. i honestly don't win ANYTHING. even if there's 3 prizes, and 4 people, i will still always lose. it really is the bane of my life.

the first (and last) time i won something was three years ago, at a charity art reception where i volunteered to sell raffle tickets. i use the term 'volunteer' very loosely as i apparently have enough charm to make people cough up cash - i sort got made to do it, so to speak. anyway, the night went rather well and i sold £400+ worth of tickets. first prize? two return business-class tickets for flights to hong kong. HONG KONG! closest i've been to hong kong is going to oriental hong kong in north london for noodles. so, after i was done selling to everyone there, i purchased two tickets for myself.

... i came second place. my heart was racing when the prize was being announced. the consolation prize... return flights to paris? barcelona? DUBLIN? but no. i won a bottle of wine, hahaha. i don't even drink wine! so i took it home and made everyone else drink it... deary me...

WITH THAT MENTAL SCAR ASIDE, i was utterly thrilled to win something and have it be something i actually do like! this gorgeous 'marilyn' scarf is by betty blue's loungerie, which is bringing glamour back into loungewear. having checked them out, i actually really love EVERYTHING they stock. i particularly like this fabulous red robe, but unfortunately lack the funds right now. something tells me it would look sweet with my sonia rykiel x h&m slippers, no?

make-up wise,  i went for a sort of marilyn look myself. well, as marilyn as i can get away with (which coincidentally isn't that marilyn at all). okay okay, say marilyn if she woke up one day, having had an identity crisis, and became an olive-skinned, brown-eyed brunette.

please excuse how tired i look.

face: no 7 beautiful skin day cream, sephora base subliminatrice, 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, urban decay eyeshadows (virgin, naked, hustle), rimmel exaggerate liquid liner (black), maybelline gel liner, eyelure naturalites false lashes (101), revlon 'grow luscious' mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud).
cheeks: mac (fleur power), no 7 vital illuminating highlighter powder.
lips: mac lip pencil (cherry), rockalily lipstick (rockette red).

 as i don't use heated rollers like the ladies in the picture and therefore have nothing fabulous to cover, i figured that i'll just use this scarf the same way i use all my other scarves. i messed around with it for a little while but a) taking pictures of yourself is harder than you think and b) i realised i was late to my international protection of human rights class. dropped the camera, and RAN to the station!

ps - i went to the only way is blogging event. mixed feelings.
pps - i finish level one of my 30 day shred tomorrow. OH HAPPY DAY
ppps - thinking about vlogging, but i'm terrified.

my favourite shoes.

the great wall of china. the great battles of skyrim. the great wardrobe clear-out of jasmine? well, that's yet to happen. i'm still shifting a LOT of stuff on ebay on an ad hoc basis, but at a pace of 0.01 mph. what's even worse is that i haven't even really moved onto clothes! fortunately though, i have cleaned up my shoes and made a note of what i have and don't have - it's hard keeping track of them, and i imagine this is what it feels like to have lots of children and then lose one.

i thought i'd share my favourite pair with you. i can't remember the season right now but these are my very special prada shoes, and i only ever wear them on special occasions. the flower heels are just so pretty! i imagine that, if i ever complete a london marathon, do a phd, win a nobel prize or marry michel roux jnr (yeah yeah i know, no shame in my game), i'll be wearing these. 

i'd love to see other people's favourite pair. link me and show me if you want.

stress.

i am so stressed, and quite panicky over my workload. so, this is a quick post as to what my current make-up looks like with minimal text unfortunately. i'm re-loving revlon's 'wild orchid' all over again, and really love the way it photographs. it's a beautiful pink.

face: 17 primer, illamasqua skin base (10), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (#2), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).
eyes: collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (#2), maybelline gel liner, max factor false lash effect mascara,  mac eyebrow pencil (stud), the body shop brow and lash gel.
cheeks: illamasqua blush (lover), no 7 vital illuminating highlighter powder.
lips: revlon (wild orchid).

nude.

eek, i've been a busy bee - haven't done a fotd post in a while have i? sorry blog. i'm working very hard on my essay (there aren't enough hours in the day, seriously) and casually saved 2,500 words i accidentally deleted from it earlier today. awwwwwwwww yeah. saved myself from my own retardation. maxine is staying round mine this weekend too but will be gone during the days (london edge, dah-ling) so i'm hoping to essay all day whilst she's gone. not to mention my 30 day shred. and then we'll have super hang out time in the evenings, possibly with pizza. sorry jillian.

because of my hectic workload, i've really been liking nude lips. i'm liking this kind of look because it's quite low-key and easy to do; it's a way of looking 'done' in 5 minutes even if you are feeling massively trampy and unglamourous. the only thing that used to put me off nude lips was their capability of looking very, very wrong. for example, i once found a shade lighter than my face, which to my horror, was then recommended to me by a sales assistant. um, okay lady. it would have looked awful! can you imagine?! (actually, i think i'll save you the trouble). you can also sometimes look washed out, or find a shade that's so nude, it's a total waste of money...

face: 17 primer, mac studio fix foundation (nw30), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (#2), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).
eyes: urban decay primer potion, urban decay eyeshadow (naked), revlon 8-hour colourstay quad (in the buff, second colour), rimmel exaggerate liquid liner (black), no 7 amazing eyes pencil (brown), benefit 'they're real!' mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud), the body shop brow & lash gel.
cheeks: nars multiple (portofino), no 7 vital illuminating highlighter powder.
lips: no 7 lip pencil (nude), mac lipstick (modesty), no 7 high gloss (smile).

sometimes i think that this lipstick, mac's 'modesty', isn't always right for me. today was one of those days so i changed the colour of the base with lip liner all over the lips, and then added gloss with the tiniest tint imaginable just to make it a little less milky and more... pinky. works quite well i think! the end result is like a nude equivalent of one of my all-time favourites, mac's 'see sheer'.

i'm also wearing my hair in my old old style. i'd been curling my hair with wide-barrelled ghd straighteners for ages now and got so bored of it. it would take 5 minutes, whereas this takes 10. i do like me some waves. please excuse the extremely-poor, half-arsed attempt at doing a swooshy hair shot.  

i'm hoping to write 6,000 words from today until sunday. wish me luck!

30 day shred.

[MY WORD. my last post seems to have been viewed by everyone and their dog! the other day i was rather chuffed at having had 100 daily views (i'm a very simple girl) and yesterday, 330! how exciting. don't think i'll ever top that, haha...]

right. as i'm sure any frequent reader will know, i bitch a lot about my workload a lot. and it really is a lot. so much so that i feel really tense and stressed a lot of the time. so, i thought it would be the perfect time to begin jillian michael's 30 day shred. i really do hope that i stick with it, but as it stands i'm feeling positive. yes, this really is a boring fitness post.

see how ruff and tuff and tanned and tousled she is?

what do i want from it? well, i don't want to be stick thin or anything, and i mean that! i just do not want to be 'skinny fat' anymore - something caused by lots of cardio, lots of carbs, and not enough protein. i look okay so long as i have clothes on, but in a bikini? hell to the NO. i want to be toned and lose a few inches from my waist really. i mean really -  the only thing that's tight on me right now is my forehead. i had a peek at the dvd last night and boy, it's a cracker. favourite lines include: "I WANT TO MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE GOING TO DIE", "CAN YOU HANDLE DIS? HEHEHE NO U CANT LOL" AND "IF YOU WANT ABS LIKE THESE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORK FOR IT, GIMME 5 MORE"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i've measured absolutely everything (seriously, everything except my eyeballs) and i can't wait to report back in 30 days - hopefully with results! if it is a success then i'd definitely like to keep it afterwards and incorporate it into my usual exercise routine. i have taken before pictures but i'm a little bit nervous so i'll hold onto those until the 30 days are up. ;)

anyway, beauty-wise (gotta have some consistency in this blog!), i've really been loving hot pink and/or fuchsia shades for my nails recently. i just think they're super bright and super fun, and cheer me up when the weather is so grey and miserable outside. these are my top three, covering a range of budgets.

left to right: opi - do you think i'm tex-y?, no 7 - jammy, barry m - shocking pink.