it's christmas!

oh bother. i have been neglecting my blog! the very thing i said i wouldn't do! poor thing. praise the lord it isn't a living, breathing object else i'd probably have a manslaughter charge on my hands. the reasons for said neglect are the following: i was ill again (food poisoning for £2.99 from patisserie valerie), december being the season of birthdays, i helped raise £10,000 for charity, i've been applying for jobs, and i've been hideously busy with my masters as always.

2.03 - we no longer speak of it. (I AM SO EXCITED FOR THE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL)

i've also been working on a paper about governance feminism, hiv/aids and sex workers. pretty fascinating, but unfortunately i have a) a bitchy deadline, and b) an even bitchier wordcount. and as it currently stands, i am 3000 words OVER my prescribed word limit. oh deary me. however, i do hope to try and keep this up - even if i do have a thousand other things on my mind. sadly lipsticks do not equate to my whole life.

however, in the spirit of christmas...

 fotd darling? outfit post~?

nails - model's own (emerald city).

i must say that i pined after this shade for so long, and it doesn't disappoint. it is a stunning emerald green, and just screams festive! people always compliment my nails when i have this on, and as far as glitters go, it is decent in that you don't have to apply 1000 coats to get a full coverage (3-4 usually does the trick). i've been wearing it on/off during the entire month, and i love love love it.

i also have a secret for glitter-nail-phobes who are also serial nail polish peelers: apply a base colour first. not a base coat, but an actual proper shade. in this instance, i used no 7's 'dollar' (a deep metallic green), before applying the glitter. lo and behold, should you fancy it, you can peel the entire thing off, skipping the endless scrubbing with cotton wool. i wouldn't usually recommend people to peel their nail polish - it is a horrible habit i wish i could quit - but in this case, it really does save you time. i hope that everyone is having a wonderful christmas break.

summer make-up & winter weather.

... i have written over 1000 words... i played a part in raising just under £10,000... i also got hit on by a 70 (MINIMUM) year-old man... i also met the very lovely vanesa guallar of 17 cosmetics... suffice to say, this weekend was productive. and now it is december! december will be full of applications and writing. applications do involve typing though, so basically just a buttload of words. my fingers will grow abs no doubt. bye bye christmas.

i haven't really bought any new make-up as of late, but have once again gravitated towards my usual pinks/reds/oranges. summer make-up is always more fun.

one of my all-time favourite make-up lines is revlon's matte lipstick range. just as pigmented as the ones at mac, but much cheaper and nowhere near as drying! i honestly don't know how they do it. it feels expensive, stays on for quite a while - i mean, how?!? i'm telling you, if they ever discontinue these bad boys i may well just wilt and die. unfortunately this particular shade has been discontinued in the uk, but i think it is still being sold in the states. ebay is probably the answer.

vanesa also kindly gave me the one colour i didn't have out of 17's magnetic nail polish range - what a sweetheart. it's supposed to be green, but has photographed as blue for some bizarre reason. super fun and easy to do - i get a lot of compliments on my nails.

nails - 17 (magnetic nail polish: green).

(see this vest in the background? it's a bad ass vest. that's right, i'm resorting to vests. it's one of those uni-qlo techy ones that is supposed to conserve heat. that's the good stuff right there...)

face: 17 primer, bourjois healthy mix foundation (52), collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer (#2), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).
eyes: maybelline gel liner, max factor false lash effect mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud).
cheeks: sleek blush (rose gold), benefit highlighter pencil (tangerine gold).
lips: revlon (strawberry suede).

in other news: i am hoping to put up my christmas tree(s) (that's right, PLURAL), and am staying indoors as the icy cold is causing havoc with my body. i have bad circulation problems so it causes me pain being in the cold so often. taking it easy for tomorrow.

review: illamasqua "freak" fragrance.

vybz kartel has broken (broke?) escaped from prison today. hilarious/amazing/life-completing.

anyway, earlier in the week a few of my guyfriends came over for brownies, call of duty and just general mooching that only boys (and me) are capable of. i went for a smokey eye and slightly glittery lip. smokey dark eyeshadow and pink lips seems to be the order of the day right now!

face: 17 primer, no 7 mineral foundation (light beige), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).
eyes: urban decay primer potion, lumiere eye pigment (taupe), rimmel kohl pencil, max factor false last effect mascara, the body shop brow and lash gel.
cheeks: bourjois (rose ambré).
lips: sephora (no 72).

in other news, i was kindly sent a vial of illamasqua's new fragrance, "freak" - i say kindly because it was a surprise, as i was expecting something diddy - and i am mega hapz. i absolutely love everything marketing-wise to do with this fragrance... i love the story behind it, the scents, the fact that its unisex... everything EXCEPT the image. i don't even know why. it corresponds with the scents used, it is in the night, it's purple (these are all things i like), but somehow for me it just doesn't click. maybe it'll grow on me. i think it's that bloody octopus on her shoulder.

nails - barry m (berry).

top notes: black davana, opium flower and belladonna.

heart notes: poison hemlock, datura and queen of the night.

base notes: frankincense, oud and myrrh.

as you can probably tell, these are all exotic, dark and floral. for that reason, i honestly didn't know what to expect nor how would it translate into a unisex fragrance. but! it arrived, and it smells absolutely lovely. to me it's quite a heady, masculine floral which lasts and stays smelling sweet for hours. very evening, and very unique. i really do like it. 

... now if you excuse me, i have a 5000 essay to write. and it's assessed. oh god of postgraduate gods, please make my essay AMAZING... i refuse to blog ever again until i make a start on it...

pink sunday! no? does that not work?

i am busy busy busy. busy doing uni work, busy writing, busy editing, busy drafting, busy applying. unfortunately this sort of work doesn't come with an expiry, and so things will be very hectic from now until june. it's solid work, and absolutely exhausting. i hope that i don't neglect this blog too much as a result of that.

what can i say. i'm back on the pink lipsticks. i would do a post on my lipstick collection but that would be taking my workload up to another level, haha! as it's winter and very drab outside, this was admittedly an unusual choice - my outfit was very grey and so i just needed that pop of colour. i usually go for the more deeper, less in-your-face pinks when it's cold outside. nevertheless, i absolutely love this shade and the fact that it's a cremesheen formulation makes it even better - it's super duper creamy and extremely long-lasting.

face: 17 photo primer, mac studio fix fluid (nw30), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).
eyes: urban decay primer potion, urban decay eyeshadows (virgin, oil slick, tiny bit of twice baked), rimmel kohl pencil, rimmel exaggerate liquid liner, max factor false lash effect mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud).
cheeks: sleek blush (rose gold).
lips: mac (speak louder).

i am also rather proud of myself for finding a nail polish that is the exact match of my lipstick. loooooooook! it's like they're dupes of each other. i bought this along with barry m's grey nail polish (does it have a shade name? it probably does) as i've been hankering over a grey nail polish for the longest time.

nails - barry m (shocking pink).

this pink actually isn't so shocking - it isn't neon or some kind of baby pink barbie shade. it's a really sweet, bright berry-pink, and is totally me (i actually HATE it when people say "that's so me~", what have i become)... i wore it for about 4 days which is possibly a new record and it didn't chip once despite me skipping a top coat. considering how cheap barry m is, i really really love it.

gushfest over.

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...