skincare: winter essentials.

now that winter is well and truly upon us, my major concern regarding my skin isn't what make-up to put on it, but how to take care of it. i'm generally quite (read: very) obsessive about my skin routine. admittedly i won't be appearing on any clearasil adverts any time soon as i still have some hyperpigmentation from my teens, but i have had people compliment me numerous times on how healthy my skin looks, both with and without make-up. and if a goblin like me can get complimented on their skin, so can anyone. even setting five minutes aside each day to look after your skin really does make all the difference.

a lot of people don't seem to understand this, though. i've had numerous girlfriends complain about getting spots right after telling me they sleep in their make-up! even this excerpt from stylist made me gag. unfortunately, it seems laziness prevails. :(

it's sad though, because i think there is a big misconception in that you have to spend a lot of money and put in a lot of time, therefore making it a chore - which really isn't the case! touch wood both of my parents have very good skin and so genetically i think i'm alright... but, it was my mother who taught me all the home remedies, such as putting lemon juice on your face to lighten pigmentation (i.e. freckles, i used to have a few!), putting natural yoghurt on for 10 minutes to cleanse any dead cells... all of that. unfortunately though, we are complete opposites when it comes to sun - i have to nag her to put spf on, whereas i won't leave the house without it. (a fond memory of a trip in havana involves me putting on my spf 50+ on the beach whilst surrounding by people who resembled living, breathing leather). if you look at the underside of your arm, it is completely smooth and supple - give it a pinch. compare it to the other side of your arm, and you will see the difference (obviously due to unavoidable exposure to weather). SPF GUISE.

anyhow - these are the products getting me through winter. they cover a variety of price ranges, and suit my combination skin type.

from left to right: no 7 lift and luminate day cream, boots vitamin e eye cream, boots vitamin e night cream, clarins beauty flash balm, johnson's hand cream.

no 7 lift and luminate day cream: observant people will notice that i use this regularly. out of all the products here, it feels the lightest. for that reason, i wear it if i am either leaving the house without make-up, or as a base for my foundation if it lacks any spf. some days i will wake up with skin that feels dry, and so i put this on anyway before applying make-up. it really adds luminosity to your skin and doesn't leave your skin feeling greasy.

boots vitamin e eye cream and night cream: if i'm honest, you don't need the eye cream. eye creams are no different to me than regular creams, and i just bought this at the time because it was on offer. the night cream is really rich, and leaves your skin feeling very soft. i actually laughed when i saw a big sign in the body shop above their vitamin e range, saying something like "one sold every nanosecond!!!11" or something - when this does the exact same job, and is much more cheaper. however, i still wish that boots would add a lovely scent to this, as it does smell somewhat clinical.

clarins beauty flash balm: i use this in a similar way to the no 7 day cream, but it is very, very luminating to the point where if i wear it all over my face, i feel like i probably resemble the moon. so, i apply it sparingly but still think it's a lovely product as it makes my skin appear less dull and tired. unlike the no 7 day cream, this can be doubled up as a very natural highlighter if you apply it onto your cheekbones.

johnsons hand cream: this is pretty much a classic and is so, so moisturising that it is an absolute must for the winter months. a simple staple that does what it's supposed to. 

the worst advice that anyone can do is to tell someone to use xyz. people are the best judge of what products work for them, and what their own skin needs - i don't use any of these at the same time, but just when i feel they're needed on my skin. these are just what work for me!

very very sleepy fotd.

i am so horrifically tired and feel really rough as i type this. it's like having an exhaustion-induced hangover. sleepover? no. fatigover? no. hmmmm. i will need to work on this. come back to me later.

(see the rest of me looking pregnant in the background?)

i haven't really been doing much make-up wise recently, just keeping it simple. it's a little matchy-matchy - but i'm just not feeling anything remotely different right now. i think it's definitely the exhaustion and bad skin talking. saying that, i do have my eye on a headband with spikes poking out of it so i'm sure the old me (the old badly-dressed-with-questionable-taste me, that is) will be back soon enough. make-up wise, i'm just going for a look which makes me appear energised, well-rested and basically not rough. and i must warn you, this is an extremely difficult task.

now excuse me while i doze off....

face: 17 primer, mac studio fix fluid (nw30), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (#2), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).
eyes: urban decay primer potion, urban decay eyeshadows (blunt, chopper, twice baked), maybelline gel liner, max factor false lash effect mascara, rimmel kohl pencil, mac eyebrow pencil (stud).
cheeks: no 7 illuminator (peach).
lips: no 7 lip pencil (melon), vaseline.

....... ZZZZZOVER?!

changing perfumes for the new season.

i am a sad individual. you know how i reached this conclusion? i actually like matching my perfumes to the season. this is how i know my life is exceptionally empty. nevertheless, i have finally kissed goodbye to valentino's rock n rose - with much relief i might add. floral scents are definitely my thing and i did like this, but it just had zero lasting power. you'd get about 5 seconds of a rosy scent following by a rest of pure nothing. it's a shame, as it was really light sweet, and feminine. it is now my new air freshener, as there isn't much of it left. thanks valentino.

heart notes: rose, gardenia and orange blossom.

top notes: bergamot, blackcurrant, crisp green leaves and muguet.

base notes: sandalwood, heliptrope, orris, vanilla and musky notes.

now that london has well and truly entered winter weather, i've gone for something a little warmer, muskier and spicy. guilty by gucci isn't my usual type of perfume, but it's really grown on me. it's definitely more adult and heavier - and lasts! bye bye valentino, hello gucci. i don't like the bottle as i think it looks a little tacky (i could imagine j.lo whipping this out on that night she wore that versace dress with them big ol' earrings) but oh well. it smells wonderful and i absolutely love it.

heart notes: peach, lilac and geranium.

top notes: mandarin and pink pepper.

base notes: ambery notes and patchouli.

in other news, my workload this week has been absolutely manic - and sadly, it is only just the beginning as i have to begin my coursework for my feminist legal theory module. i've given myself until january to finish it, but ideally i would like it done by christmas so that i have an extra week to begin research on the new one. in a dream world? have it done in 3 weeks. it all goes downhill from here really...

I LUV U KANYE :'(

i love him. seriously. is it awkward that my guy best friend is also the spitting image of him? ... possibly (yes). i love it when people are so creative and not in a contrived way (which seems to be the order of the day in 2011); when they bring out products just for cash, with zero input. kanye is always bringing fresh ideas to the table and so i totally excuse him for having a huge ego. it sounds SO cheesy (i am wincing) but i really see his passion in everything he does, and so i really respect him for that.

IF WE CAN'T BE BFFL IN REAL LIFE, YOU LEAVE ME WITH NO CHOICE BUT TO DRESS LIKE YOU.

face: sephora base subliminatrice, mac studio fix fluid (nw30), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer, mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).

eyes: illamasqua cream pigment (hollow), revlon grow luscious mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud).

cheeks: illamasqua cream pigment (hollow), illamasqua blush (lover).

lips: max factor (chilli).

polka dot nails.

recently i've been wearing patterns on my nails. i find the process oddly therapeutic. the easiest (by far) is a simple polka dot. this is a totally botched job as i rushed it, but i do love the nail polishes i used.

i really can't be bothered to have seperate nail polishes for the base and top coat. personally i think it is a little frivolous if you're a regular joe like me who changes nail polishes daily and have a terrible habit of peeling them off. for that reason, i've always used 3-in-1 polishes from barry m or model's own. both do the job. i wear nail polish every single day but my nails are hardly stained when in reality, they should be. just sayin'.

i then applied rimmel's 'ethereal', a light pearly pink. following that, i then used a dotter. i'm surprised that many people i know haven't heard of these, but then again, i can't even remember the first time i stumbled across them. i got mine off ebay and it was dirt cheap.

using the larger end of the dotter, i then dipped it in model's own 'denim' (a mid-tone blue) and lightly applied it to my nails. and then ta-da! polka dot nails. it really is that simple. apply a top coat and you're done.

review: lumiere cosmetics.

my latest rant (i might begin each post with one of these): mo' money, mo' problems. well, in reverse. i have NO money and too many problems. a whopping £17 in my bank account, an ebayer who won't refund my money (always nice), and an ex-workplace who are a fortnight late with wages. Y U NO PAY ME?! nevertheless, i was pleased to find a parcel from lumiere mineral cosmetics waiting for me at home. the kind folks there generously sent me seven samples of their mineral products which, according to them, "naturally enhance the wearer's finest features (ooooo) while simultaneously minizing problem areas (i gots lots o' dem), allowing each skin type the ability to delight in the look and feel of naturally smooth and radiant skin". sounds like a sweet deal, right?

clockwise from top left: ditto 06 eye pigment, au naturale silk blush, medium warm luminesse foundation, medium warm cashmere foundation, soft brown eye pigment, woodberry mineral blush, taupe eye pigment.

i'm very happy with the selection as i don't think i would've necessarily picked these on my own and got a bunch of pleasant surprises. looking at the products, i decided to do a basic glittery eye. my favourite is the glittery ditto pigment - how gorgeous is it?! it is just as coppery as it is in the pot, and is definitely the kind of shade i'd expect to find in mac, rather than on the high street. i had all of the pots open, and chose the two shades i thought would work best with one another. i even swatched them... i mean, serious stuff was going on. however, it was only once i finished applying my make-up that i realised i had in fact applied a blusher!

au naturale mineral blush on the left, ditto 06 pigment on the right.

nevertheless, these two shades were easy to blend, even if i am a bit slow in realising that one was a blusher... they also had decent pigmentation (much better than i was anticipating) and were soft to the touch, as were all of the samples i received. however, i am a total fusspot when it comes to packaging, and  prefer pressed powders in palettes rather than loose powders. it's easier to store, doesn't go everywhere, and is just far more convenient.

having realised that one of the blushers was already on my eyelids, i therefore went and tried out woodberry on my cheeks. woodberry definitely photographed a lot more natural than it looked in person. it's a shade that is completely out of my comfort zone (it's the first browny one i've ever tried), and it wasn't the colour that disappointed, but the application. for some reason, it looked really blotchy and i just couldn't blend it out properly. maybe you're supposed to apply it gradually, who knows. maybe it's just a bad formulation. i applied it the same way i would with any other blusher and it just didn't look right. in the future i think i will use it on my eyes instead, or perhaps very sparingly on the cheeks as a contour instead.

as for the foundation... well, unfortunately the luminesse foundation was a tad too dark for me, so i can't offer a real opinion on it. however, i really like the cashmere foundation, which has grown on me. i don't feel comfortable just wearing powder as a base, because a lot of the foundations i'm currently using have a moisturising quality to them which is necessary (given that london is freeeeeezing)! powder on dry skin just makes me squirm. so, i applied foundation but minimally, in order to let the powder do most of the work. when i looked at myself in the mirror, i did feel as if i looked really matte. so if any pin-ups are reading this (or lovers of the old-school make-up look), i actually really recommend this for that. regardless of that, it made my skin photograph like an absolute dream. in every single picture my skin looks really smooth and so  it's really great if you're going somewhere and intend on taking a lot of photographs. once again, i find loose powders hard to work with, but if this came in a pressed powder compact, i would be all over it.

face: no 7 lift and luminate day cream, sephora base subliminatrice, bourjois healthy mix foundation (52), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), lumiere cashmere powder (medium warm), 

eyes: urban decay primer potion, lumiere mineral blush (au naturale), lumiere ditto pigment (06), urban decay eyeshadow (twice baked), maybelline gel liner, rimmel kohl pencil, max factor false lash effect mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud).

cheeks: lumiere blush (woodberry). 

lips: revlon (mauve it over).

admittedly, i wasn't sure what to expect with these products. the mineral cosmetics market (in the uk, at least) is still relatively niche and no brands really 'stand out' to me the way other brands do. their marketing always seems to be really bland, and leads me to believe that mineral make-up as a whole is outdated and dull. i know about bareminerals and some high street brands, but haven't felt drawn by what they offer. however, lumiere cosmetics has certainly showed me that there is hope and that i shouldn't be so quick to dismiss what they promise. if you have a look on their website, they have a varied colour selection. and i can promise that the colour on the site is what you get.

review is honest, as always.

versace x h&m.

so... this dropped on uk shores today. you should know this, unless you've been living under a rock. what people DON'T seem to know is that this isn't the last we'll hear of it. that's right... versace is also doing a s/s collection for h&m which should be out in february of next year. that's the one i am more excited about, as i want a bikini with a big fat medusa on it please. i'll take four.

judging from the press images, i thought that this was a really fun and playful collection. i loved the fact that the collections was based on references from versace's archive, and definitely saw a few pieces which i'd have liked to own. i particularly liked the accessories though, and the skirts. all in all, it was looking alright. not stuff i was crying over and NEEDING, but stuff that seemed relatively decent.

i couldn't brave the central london crowds (i did not wake up with the mental strength and physical power required), and went to a shopping centre instead, where a group of gypsies were also there and gave me an absolute migraine in the fitting rooms. it'd be really cute if they were trying on wedding dresses and stuff but um, no. the unsatisfactory shopping experience aside, i pretty much got what i wanted (my favourite item being a skirt which a lady actually let me have! whoever you are, i love you)... yet, i couldn't help but somehow feel disappointed at the collection as a whole. admittedly the skirts and accessories were actually really nice in person and considering the fact that i've seen uglier items in topshop retailing for the same price, i felt like it was decent value... i also liked the packaging. should i be ashamed...? it reminded me of a hybrid between carmen miranda, dolly parton and joan collins in dynasty... all three being EXCELLENT women...

buuuuuuut... there is a but. the dresses. oh my christ, they either looked horrific in person or were sized awfully. according to versace's absurd calculations, my body is a size 14/16. not my usual 8/10. not even my 10/12 on my really fat days. i always encounter problems with dress sizes anyway, but that's because smaller clothes don't usually accommodate someone with, ahem, a bigger bust. these dresses just did not accommodate full stop. i could barely get an arm through, so in the end i gave up.

on the whole, i thought the collection was o-kay. yes, it was very "versace" but i still somehow found it uninspiring as 99% of the items struck me as having a shelf life. it was nowhere near lanvin x h&m which was amazing and whose dresses i could see myself wearing for years upon years. with the versace dresses, i imagine you'd wear them for a year, maybe two max, and then forget about them. which, for that price, just isn't really worth it. saying that, my mum did get a yellow dress which looked surprisingly good on her, but her  body and style is completely different to mine. maybe that's just it. maybe i mistook cherrypicking one or two versace items for my wardrobe as me loving the brand, when in reality, i'm nowhere near a versace-head-to-toe kind of gal. my own disappointment stemmed from the fact that this just wasn't really "me", and that i just wasn't pining over everything as i usually do. it's a foreign (and scary) feeling!

i mean, will i REALLY wear this print ten years from now? really? will i sit there and unashamedly declare that i still love it because it made me feel like the secret third member of salt n pepa? 

oh well. i am totally more lanvin~ it seems. which i suppose is nothing to complain about. now excuse me whilst i go fawn over my versace homeware instead, the only part of versace which truly matters (obviously).

if anyone wishes to share their thoughts, i'm interested to hear.