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).

impromptu baby shower.

i've realised that being useless gets you absolutely nowhere. that's right - an epiphany! when you're useless, you ask for help, and when you ask for help, you then owe that lovely person and it doesn't always work out in your favour. you see, i love doing things for people, except this. 'this', is being a last-minute plus one to a baby shower. considering the fact that i thoroughly dislike babies and am not crazy about the slow-but-noticeable americanisation of british culture, baby showers are not for me. i'm really not the hallmark target audience here. but yeah, i owed that person, and after having my present idea of condoms turned down, i have decided that the best thing for me to do is to sit quietly in a corner and eat. i remain inoffensive that way.

dress - monsoon, clutch - monsoon, shoes - dolce & gabbana.

leighton denny 'sweet petites' & newspaper nails.

impressed. my latest bargain is a set of miniature-sized 'sweet petite' nail polishes by leighton denny, bought for £20 down from £40. i'm not one for nude shades (to me, nude = boring) but working full time and getting up horrifically early means that i don't have the time to ooh and ahh at my vast collection of bright nail polishes! very tragic indeed. so, i've invested in a set of neutral tones which will last me. i hope it shows in the photo, but they all have a lovely iridescent effect to them - taking them out of boring and into practical!

left to right: sugar babe, sugar daddy, sugar and spice, one for all, butterfly wings, diamond rose, diamond ivory, diamond ice.

i really like the finish and consistency, but for some reason, it doesn't top model's own for me. this isn't to say that the polishes are bad, but it just takes a little bit longer for me to get an even colour with no streaks when compared. i went for 'diamond ice' - as i have no other nail polishes which are essentially a pearly white, i thought it would be a fab opportunity to try out something new on my nails.

not bad for a first attempt, i like to think.

the entire thing is horrendously easy. first, apply a base coat. then, the nail polish of your choice. wait for it to dry, and then dip your finger into something containing alcohol for a few seconds (i used hand sanitising gel, desperate times bro). then, place the newspaper on top, press down for about 10-15 seconds (the longer you leave it, the darker the text appears - although it becomes harder to peel off). ta da! ink has transferred. finish off with a top coat and hey presto.

in other news: i had a day trip in the lovely city of bath. my friend lives nearby so me and a few friends went to visit him. dressing for the weather is a pain as london has pretty much skipped summer and gone straight to autumn. so, i wore my new raincoat... and i shivered in westbury... it is almost AUGUST and i am talking about shivering... bleurgh. planet why are you doing this?!?! i also did a smokey eye today, but my eyebags are so massive that anything i would've slapped on my face wouldn't have made them invisible. tired and cold, those two words sum me up pretty nicely i reckon.

raincoat - h&m, dress - christopher kane for topshop.

MISERABLE.

face: sephora smoothing primer, mac studio fix fluid (nw30), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus), nars bronzer (laguna).

eyes: urban decay primer potion, maybelline gel liner, rimmel exaggerate liquid liner, urban decay eyeshadow (creep), mac eyebrow pencil (stud), max factor false last effect mascara, benefit gilded highlighter (tangerine gold).

cheeks: mac sheertone blush (well dressed).

lips: mac (lustering).

revlon's 'just bitten' lipstain and balm.

today was draining to say the least. i was functioning on four hours sleep, had to get up at 6am (always painful), and somehow managed to still maintain the art of simply getting up too late and having to dash out of the house looking like a steaming hot turd.

face: 17 primer, mac studio fix fluid (nc35), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).
eyes: urban decay primer potion, urban decay eyeshadow (naked), urban decay 24/7 eye pencil (electric), no 7 extreme length mascara (iridescent sapphire), max factor false lash effect mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud).
cheeks: mac blush (fleur power).
lips: revlon 'just bitten' lipstain (passion).

i never wear bright colours on my eyes, ever. this is for two reasons: i feel as if bright colours makes my brown-green eyes appear dead, and it's just so hard to make them work with my yellow-ish complexion. i don't even like this particular look but in my sleep-deprived state, they were the first products i reached out for. i honestly don't know how some people go wild and wear all sorts of crazy colours all over their eyelids; i mean, i totally admire it and wish i could look like i just fiercely rolled out of an illamasqua campaign, but it is just not me. this is about as close as i'll ever get! some bright eyeliner. i'm so wild. next i'll be out partying all night, waking up in the morning feeling like p diddy etc.

anyway. let's get down to business. revlon brought out a lipstain ages ago and i bought it shortly after its release, but never got round to using it until today. i was pretty stoked, as it would eliminate any concern of any colour going on my teeth, unlike those bitch ass lipsticks. my verdict in the end? it's fine. not perfect, not good, just 'fine'. as a concept it's quite novel, with a felt tip on one end and a balm on the other. the felt tip felt quite rough, and when one is sleep-deprived, one gets confused between the felt tip and a highlighter. i somehow convinced myself that if i licked what felt like highlighted lips, i would die.

colour wise, once again, FINE. not eyecatching, not dull, not a disaster... just... fine. maybe i'm so used to really bright lipsticks that this just paled in comparison, whereas for someone who may prefer more neutral make-up, it could be a nice shade without going too far. lasting power is actually pretty decent though, and it didn't wipe off for a good few hours despite me scoffing everything in sight (despite being quite drying). oddly enough, i actually prefer the balm at the end rather than the lipstain itself... come on revlon, you know what to do... ditch the stain... if you're mega efficient, you could do your lips and then go to work and use it as a pen. aw yeah. think i'll do that.

black and gold.

today is my mother's birthday. yay birthday! here are her presents, containing a yves saint laurent 'arty' ring and a pair of chanel earrings.

as it's my first full weekend off since june (i have to edit some papers but let's forget that), i've spent today just taking care of myself. face mask (lush's 'love lettuce'), hair mask (aussie's 'three minute miracle') and painted nails (barry m's 'dusky mauve'). i haven't managed to do any of these things in about a week or so and people have been appalled and have asked me what's wrong. (that does tend to happen if i'm not wearing lipstick or nail polish, i must admit... no pressure...).

as i'm wearing black, i figured i'd go for something with gold tones and a more bronzey feel than my usual sort of look. something shimmery with browns and metallic shades. this is a sort of look i hardly wear, but figured i could do with - although admittedly, it could easily stray into becoming a disaster with my face resembling a disco ball. perhaps it does now. if so, forgive.

my newest plaything is a bit of a wild card. benefit's 'gilded' highlighter... in... wait for it... 'TANGERINE GOLD'. now, i don't know who does the marketing at benefit, but in the united kingdom, the word 'tangerine' in a beauty-related product within the industry has nothing but negative connotations for consumers. at least it sounds a little nicer in french ('enlumineur mandarine')! nevertheless, i like a challenge, and this more tangerine product was bought pretty cheap because no one else was showing it any love (see benefit, i know my shit). the only way i could do anything with it on a regular basis is to treat it like nars' multiples: on cheeks, lids, and lips.

as far as highlighter products go, it's pretty sweet. it's a middle ground between a liquid or powder highlighter/illuminator as it's more creamy, and it does last. it also photographs quite nicely, and is not orange. would i purchase again? perhaps. however, despite the little specks of glitter being miniscule in size, there is quite a fair bit of it and so if you are vaguely shimmer-phobic, i would get that pen from men in black, flash it in your own eyes, click, and forget all about it. for those who want something more subtle, then no 7's illuminator or becca's shimmering skin perfector provide better alternatives.

face: sephora smoothing primer, mac studio fix fluid (nc35), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).
eyes: urban decay primer potion, no 7 amazing eyes pencil (10 brown), urban decay eyeshadows (smog all over, dark horse in crease, half baked in corner, creep in outer corner), nars highlighter (albatross), nars bronzer (laguna), maybelline gel liner, rimmer exaggerate eyeliner, revlon grow luscious mascara, eyelure girls aloud false eyelashes (nicola), mac eyebrow pencil (stud).
cheeks: benefit gilded highlighter (tangerine gold), nars bronzer (laguna), nars blusher (orgasm).
lips: soap & glory sexy motherpucker lipgloss (peach).


in other news: rest in peace, amy winehouse. what a tragic loss for someone who was a lovely girl before she met her demons; i hope it proves to people that drugs can easily escalate out of control and aren't as fun as they may seem.

meeting with an ambassador.

shoes - topshop, dress - luella, brooch - chanel.