Did you guess correctly?

I am thrilled to be working with Voucher Codes on their latest “Most Wanted” campaign. Of course, when I opened the email and read that they wanted me to road-test GLITTER SHOES on your behalf I knew it would be an obvious hardship…

Dress - River Island (2010 Sale)

My shoes are the ASOS Pepper Peep Toe Mary Jane Platforms (bit of a mouthful) in glorious ruby red. When I first opened the box I couldn’t help but squeal with delight, but having been burnt by ASOS sizing issues in the past I was also anxious that they wouldn’t fit. I needn’t have worried, the UK size 7 is refreshingly true to size. No gap at the back, no ugly overhanging toes at the front. I’d go so far to say these are my perfect fit.

The attention to detail is excellent. The Mary Jane strap is elasticated but also has a functioning buckle. A god send in design where I am concerned as I am very narrow across the top of my foot and these kind of straps are usually baggy and offer little support. I love the fact that the peep toe is colour-matched to the upper. So often this is not the case and I personally think it’s a tell tale sign of a cheaper shoe when they differ. I’m always lusting after the latest Miu Miu sparkly creations but if the high street can keep getting the quality as right as it is with these I think the big designer labels are in real trouble!

Comfort wise they also get a massive thumbs up. So far they have withstood a night of dancing and I have zero blisters/ discomfort to report. I think it’s the concealed platform that does the trick, in fact I’ve noticed that I always favour going out shoes with this feature. All sequins are also present and accounted for. Yay!

Price wise these normally retail for £50 which I think is excellent value considering the finish, comfort and style however the whole Pepper range is currently on sale. Most at £37.50! Have a nose here. I am sorely tempted to treat myself to the black glitter ones too. Can a girl ever have too many sparkly shoes?….

You all know how much I love a bargain, especially in this current climate. It’s extremely rare that I’ll just purchase something without searching for a discount code first. Free Delivery is also a BIG pull for me, I really begrudge paying shipping costs. Stay savvy and be sure to check out Voucher Codes ASOS offers page here first should you decide to splurge! xo

P.S How dodgy does my hand placement look in my outfit picture? I SWEAR it was just behind my back LOL

I feel like I should be pulling a rabbit out a hat in this jacket.

Leopard Blouse – Primark £10
Pleather Trousers – H&M £14.99
Red Blazer – River Island Sale £25
Bag – H&M £14.99
Boots – Topshop Ambush £75
Necklace – Topshop £16
Earring/ Cuff – Topshop
Necklace – Topshop
Lipstick – MAC Russian Red

I actually drafted this outfit post late last night and planned to write up some text/ waffle today. But I’ve just had to have my Dad’s cat put to sleep (he’s currently in Arizona but aware) and I totally under-estimated how upset I would be about an animal that wasn’t my own. So please forgive me for the lack of craic in this post.

I’ll be back on form in the next one. Pinky swear xo

This is what I wore to attend a meeting at my son’s school this evening (Dress – H&M £12.99). He’ll shortly be sitting a series of important exams that will determine which “big” school he will attend after leaving Primary.

I can’t quite believe that my little baby (which he’ll always be) is having to undertake such things and I wish I could do it all for him. The test while not compulsory is necessary if he is to avoid the disappointment of not being able to attend the school of his choice. It’s quite a f*cked up system. The official line from the government is that no formal exams are required to attend grammar school in the UK (inc Northern Ireland). It should be based on criteria such as overall school performance, post code, family already attending etc etc.

However the grammar schools themselves have decided that they will make entry conditional on an exam…. (you see the contradiction here), and without sitting that exam you fail to pass go, nor collect £200 and head straight to high school (which I’m not knocking but wouldn’t be Izaak’s or our first choice).

So, tonight was an information evening and a bit of a question and answer session and I now feel somewhat better prepared to guide him through the process (4 x 1hr papers over the course of 4 consecutive Saturdays starting in November). Fingers crossed it doesn’t get too stressy for him, after all he is only ten! Lots of encouragement and TLC

My bag is the much coveted Modalu Pippa bag. Formerly known as The Bristol, however once Pippa Middleton was pictured here, there and everywhere toting hers they renamed it in her honour. How cool is that?!

It really is gorgeous, a perfect work bag in my opinion. Nice roomy compartments, solid structure and an optional shoulder strap (although I prefer it without). The finish is exceptional for the price, with little shell motif zippers and matching lining throughout. Just lovely!

Necklace – CC Skye £29 (HoF Sale)
Watch – Michael Kors
Cuffs – David Smallcombe (The Current Custom)

xox

Saturday in Belfast was monumentally shit weather wise. It literally rained ALL day.

So I fought back with bright lips and mega glam falsies. Foolproof

I love these huge Ardell false eyelashes, they make the best reusable imo.

The eyes were simple and all shadows were from the Urban Decay Naked Palette (a true MUST BUY). Half Baked on the inner part of the lid, Smog on the outer and a smidgen of Dark House in the crease. No crazy blending. Old Skool eyeshadow

Eyeliner is MAC’s Fluidline in Blacktrack. I honestly hadn’t used this in 6 months easy, and you know what I kinda love it again. So cool when that happens!

My base was Dior Forever (full coverage) set with MAC Prep & Prime Transparent Powder. No blush, just a touch of Topshop Bronzer under the back of the cheekbones. Fresh but glamorous with a real pin up influence.

OOTD consisted of G12 @Asda Leggings, a Primark smock top (practical long sleeves) and my black Tall Uggs (I offer no apologies for my footwear choice).

Jewellery was my gold fill sideways cross which I’d resigned myself to having lost, but it had actually fallen into the Misters knicker drawer! I paired it with the latest addition to my collection, a cute pearl & silver chain from Accessorize which can be doubled up. £8. Bargain.

Finally I added a pop of colour with a River Island scarf £14.99.

xox

I thought I’d follow on from yesterday’s review with a light foundation that I actually love.

MAC Face & Body Foundation.

Now no one is as shocked about this than I. MAC and I have never really seen eye to eye when it comes to bases. Studio Fix breaks me out, Select didn’t last the day and Studio Sculpt stank. I’d all but given up until I saw numerous raves for Face & Body. I was particularly interested as I knew it could be used successfully on legs (hence the product name…) too.

I ordered blind off their website, N2, and as luck would have it it’s an excellent match for me.

Now this is a light foundation, and I mean light. It’s extremely runny and you won’t want to overload your brush/ or fingers as I’ve had a few drip accidents already and this stains.

When I first applied it I wasn’t convinced that it would offer enough coverage, and let’s be honest here, it doesn’t but what it DOES do is even skin tone beautifully with the tiniest amount of product. So if you hate that heavy foundation feeling and want a “my skin but better look” then this is going to be for you.

Application on bare face. Zero eyebrows, mascara, concealer. Just the foundation. Photos are taken in direct natural sunlight.

Before

Note the areas of uneven tone. Nose, sides of mouth, under eyes.

One light layer of MAC Face & Body later….

After

I hope you’ll agree that for VERY little product there is a substantial improvement in skin tone. Especially considering I haven’t even went in with concealer here.

Up close.

It takes the look off my blemishes without caking and the overall finish is youthful with a subtle glow. It’s my daily go to foundation these days which I find astounding, considering it was previously Estee Lauder Double Wear! I think my skin is relieved that I’ve found something I love right at the other end of the spectrum!

If you fancy it yourself it’ll set you back £22 for a 120ml bottle. Not cheap but I feel you’re getting quantity as well as quality for those pounds.

What do you think? Tried this one yourself yet?

xo

Today I’m sporting MAC’s Hot Tahiti

It’s one of those MAC lippies that seems to get overlooked, but I love it!

Kissable raspberry lips and because it’s a glaze finish it’s modern looking as well as moisturising. Check it out next time you’re near a counter!

xo

I had to “pop” into the city on Sunday afternoon to drop my eldest off at his latest geek club and so I took the opportunity to have a good mooch around Superdrug. When we lived in Bangor Superdrug was more handy to me than Boots but since I’ve been in Belfast (3 months… wowzers) I hadn’t set foot in one.

I was pleasantly reacquainted. Sure, Boots is fabulous, who doesn’t LOVE those advantage card points?! but Superdrug is quite exclusive in a way. I got my fix of Gosh Cosmetics, Bloom, MUA and Sue Moxley. Different is almost always good in my book.

My main focus was on the “Famous” by Sue Moxley range. I always wanted to like this range, after all what’s not to like about a range created by a real life Make-up Artist. However first impressions were poor. Every single time I went to a Superdrug her brand stand (oooh it rhymes) was clearly unloved and unreplenished. The tester make-up was a mess, everything was covered in dust and things that I did find of interest were inevitably broken or smushed (technical term…).

I think over the 18 months I’ve been aware of her brand I’ve bought one thing that wasn’t in a complete state, a fan brush and it was amazing so I hoped they’d get their act together.

It finally looks like they have done just that.

On Sunday I was pleased to find that her stand was clean, tidy and reinvented. My eye was immediately drawn to the solo shadows which were on 2 for £6. Some really dreamy metallic shades. Then I clocked the 4 pan palettes which were priced at £9 and since I was having trouble deciding which singles to opt for I went for the palettes instead.

This particular quad of brown tones is called Cafe Culture.

Under Flash

Under Natural Lighting

The back of the palette assures me that these can be applied dry as well as wet, depending on the impact you desire. Today I went for dry.

Face – Diorskin Nude Foundation + Topshop Bronzer
Lids – Sue Moxley Cafe Culture Palette
Lashes – L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black
Cheeks – NARS Deep Throat
Highlight – Mac Shimmer
Lips – Mac Modesty

Overall I love the result, all the shades work really well together and are comparable to a few main Mac shadows.. second left is a more subtle Satin Taupe for instance.

Bad points, well there are a few unfortunately…

• All 4 colours are high in the shimmer/ sheen stakes. I’d have thought that as they are apparently designed by an MA that the nude shade at least would have been matt. I had to take a touch of Mylar and blend that up towards my brow to avoid the drag queen look.

• Not all the shadows are of the same consistency, the second from right (a warm brown) is very bitty. It separates more than the others and can be quite messy, however it is a very pretty colour.

• The packaging. At the moment I have quite long/ strong nails (how and why is a mystery) but even I struggled to open the palette. It has a good groove to get your grip on but for some reason it’s still an absolute bitch to open.

So all that’s not so positive, however I have to say I’m still really glad that I bought this.

In fact I love the 3 brown shades so much that it’s a definite must have in my going away make-up bag this weekend (wedding anniversary… YAY!!). There is no denying that each colour compliments each other perfectly. The blendability is superb and nine hours later is still looks like this…

(OMG… look how much my foundation colour has oxidised)

Ok so there is definite wear but significant shape and colour remains so I am MORE than happy.

£9 well spent in my opinion

xo

It’s a grey overcast day in Belfast, not cold… not hot… just a kinda meh temperature. The hardest kind to dress appropriately for.

I settled on a bandeau playsuit with a cardy over the top which meant that when I got too warm I could just whip it off and pop it in my bag. I had to do exactly that for the duration of my shopping in town. Cardigan FAIL.

Playsuit – Zara

Cardigan – Tesco

Flats – Primark

Bag – Mulberry

Vivienne Westwood Necklace and DIY Disc

Links Of London Charm Bracelet and mixed silver bangles from Miss Selfridge

Eye make-up was a simple lilac wash of shadow using NARS Night Rider, blended out with a smidgen of MAC Stars n Rockets. Lilac Liner from Gosh and L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara. Lilac tones bring out the green in my eyes like no other colour <3

Shopping was very uneventful. 3 hours later I was home with 1 bottle of brush cleanser. That’s the way it goes sometimes. At least my purse is smiling.

xo

Technically Tuesday’s outfit but this lazy ass has only got round to uploading the pics

Dress – Warehouse Sale £30

Totally loving this frock. Colourful, beautiful shape and such a comfortable silky feel fabric. Easy to dress up or down. I wore it last week with a waist cincher belt and it looked amazing!

Tights – Primark Sale £1

Shoes – Oasis Sale £40

Necklace – New Look Sale £2

Do you see a pattern? LOL I almost never pay full price for any clothing that I buy. For a number of reasons I guess, but mostly because I cannot stand seeing something I’ve spent a fortune on inevitably reduced a few months later. Absolute killer.

Make-up wise I’m still loving my Bobbi Brown Beach Shimmer Brick, and I’m also digging pink eyeshadow. Really brings out my eyes. Lid combo is MAC Expensive Pink, Girlie and Cranberry. The crease is blended out with a touch of MAC Twinks. Warm and pretty imo.

I’ve also got a great 30+ skincare routine down, more of that shortly.

xo

Now THIS is my kinda highlighter! *pushes Stereo Rose MSF to the back of the drawer*

I give you the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Beach.

Apologies for the shitty macro quality. I’m currently using my Dad’s Coolpix while I wait on my new camera being delivered. To say it can’t cope with getting up close and personal is an understatement.

I picked Beach up in my local House of Fraser. On first sight I thought it appeared too reddy and dark in tone and I was convinced it would just look like shimmery mud on my pale skin. Thankfully I took the advice of the MA for once and had it applied. I was pleasantly surprised, very surprised.

Even with a generous swirl of all the colours it simply creates a beautiful peachy glow.

It not only highlights in that lovely powder to cream finish but it also deposits “subtle” colour. Exactly what I want from this kind of product.

I definitely don’t want a tonne of orange/pink product sitting bizarrely where it shouldn’t. Beach is wearable gorgeousness!

OOTD is another comfy number. It’s a bank holiday in Northern Ireland today and that can be either fun or a bit of a nightmare due to the nature of the holiday….

I think we’ll just hang around the house today and catch up on all those little DIY jobs we’ve been meaning to do.

I’m wearing Asda Ski Pants, a grey tunic from Tesco sale that creases like a mutha!! and white Havaianas

xo

Girly night went ahead as planned on Friday night.

Ladybolan and I got off to a “reasonably” sensible start with drinks at Karenquinn’s pad… however once we hit Lavery’s Bar and started drinking Buckfast Cocktails (who’s idea WAS that actually… I want to kill them) it all got a bit Riverdance/ Skins.

I think the night ended about 2am… although I can’t be sure… because I have absolutely no recollection of getting into bed.

Belter Night

I wore:

Cropped Denim Jacket – Miss Selfridge - Sale past season £?
Navy Bib Dress – River Island – Sale £20
Rudey 3-Strap Shoes – Office – Gifted from the Hubby ages ago (fave shoes evaaaaaar!)
Red Plastic Beads – Claire’s Accessories – £2
Gold Bangle – Vintage
White Fossil Watch – Debenhams
Quilted Bag – Warehouse – Sale £5

For make-up I caked it on but basically it’s Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation, a classic brown/ grey/ black smokey eye. NARS Blush in Outlaw and Gosh Barbie Lipshine <3

Come Saturday morning I was feeling a little peaky (to say the least), but I’m not one for lying in bed and so I got myself dressed  and took a trip into Belfast with my fave boys. The sunglasses weren’t just a fashion accessory, they were actually medicinal!

I’m wearing:

2 Layered Vests – Dorothy Perkins £5 each
Lace Trim Leggings – Primark £4 ish
Denim Shorts – New Look Sale £10
Studded Gladiator Sandals – Peacocks Past Season
Sunglasses – H&M Past Season
Peach Earrings & Ring – Etsy Liz Hutnick
Watch – As Before

While the boys did boy things = spending a small fortune in Games Workshop, I made myself feel instantly better by falling into MAC and accidentally on purpose buying some cosmetics I didn’t need. Oops…

I picked up “Dirty” Greasepaint Stick, “Honesty” Eyeshadow and the Prep & Prime Finishing Powder.

Ok, so I might not have actually NEEDED them but I’ve used them all already and I can honestly say they will be staples in my make-up bag PLUS I hadn’t bought anything cosmeticky? in AGES… (justify… justify..)

Dirty GP Stick (sounds wrong lol)

Honesty e/s swatched over Dirty

Such a pretty, wearable combo don’t you think? and the Greasepaint sticks are AMAZING, literally don’t budge… well at least this one doesn’t. I did note in store though that all the shades seemed to have different consistencies, some much creamier than others. Part of the reason I picked this one over the others was it’s more solid form.

I’d love to say these few purchases have satisfied my MAC urges for a while, but I’m afraid the opposite might be true. I’m seriously impressed, no regret buys!

…..which makes me think WHAT ELSE am I missing out on? Do tell girls, do tell!

xox

What am I “tee-hee” ing at? It was actually the realisation that I was standing in a sea of books and cables, thats what you sign up to when you marry a geek

• Angora Mix Oversized 80′s Jumper (Heart & Soul) – New Look
• Black Ski Pants – George @ Asda
• 3/4 Bikeresque Boots – Peacocks

Such a find, these boots are really inexpensive, especially with Peacocks generous 20% discount! They fill the gap that I had in the 3/4 length boot department, and are reasonably comfortable too.

My Make-up today…. all about the pink

Face

Revlon Colormatch in Light
Benefit Boi-ing in 2
MAC Tippy Blush

Eyes

MAC’s Girlie, Expensive Pink & Cranberry e/s
MAC Mulch e/s to blend out the crease

Lips

Stila Lip Glaze

Hope everyone’s having a good weekend!

xox

After a week thats consisted of cleaning up TOO MUCH boke & lots of broken sleep, I was literally chomping at the bit to get out.

So my drinking buddy friend Karen and I headed into Belfast last night, hitting The Spaniard and White’s Tavern. It was such a mild October night (or perhaps that was all the alcohol) that everyone was sitting outside and there was even a BBQ on the go!

Good times

Face of the Night

Products Used

Face

L’Oreal Studio Secrets Primer
Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation & Concealer in Desert Beige
ELF Shimmer Bronzer
NARS Laguna
NARS Outlaw Blush

Eyes
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
MAC Paint Pot in Blackground
MAC Retro-Speck (all over lid) Still not “overly” struck on this
MAC Black Tied (outer 1/3)
MAC Silver Ring (to blend out crease)
MAC White Frost (highlight)
Too Faced Gold/Black Glitter Liner (this actually stings my skin :S)
L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara <3

Lips
No7 Nude Liner
MAC Angel Lipstick
Chanel Lipgloss

Crack a smile love!

Outfit of the Night

I am beyond delighted to say that the last time I wore this dress was just over  3 years ago. It’s a UK size 12 and I couldn’t even get it pulled down over my thighs this time 2 months ago. Believe me, I tried!!

I haven’t been worrying about my weight or dieting. I’m just eating well and running, and it’s paying dividends in regards to my shape, tone and general health. I feel great

Dress – George @ Asda
Shoes – New Look (pic doesn’t do them justice, these are glittertastic!)
Bag – Miss Selfridge

I think I might do a Youtube tutorial for the make-up…. and maybe a little shoe haul video too…..

xox

Friday nights Tweetup was a massive success, everyone was truly lovely and looked amazing! If you fancy a nosey check out some of the pictures on my facebook here

Outfit of the Night

Black Vest (under lace top) – Primark

Black Lace Top – ASOS

Bodycon Skirt – Topshop

Jewellery – Primark Bangles/ Peacocks Necklace

Nails – OPI for Sephora Metro Chic

Shoes – Barratts!!

I am totally and utterly in love with these shoes, I’m such a pointy stiletto gal, I only wear round as it’s in fashion. With pointed courts I instantly feel like my legs are elongated and look sexy rather than cute

I also tried the new Scholl Party Feet Ultra Slim Gel Cushions out, and had zero “ball burn” …… Happy Days!

For eye make-up I went with purples, a nod to the shoes, and also to make the most of the green in my eyes.

Base – MAC Paint Pot in Blackground

Main lid colour – Stars ‘N’ Rockets

Crease – Dark Purple from Coastal Scents 88 palette

Outer V – Beauty Marked

Liner – Collection 2000 in Shake it up!

Mascara – L’Oreal Voluminous

xoxo

When was the last time you gave your blusher brush a wash? What about your compact sponge? A week ago? A month ago? Never…..?

Washing make-up brushes is a pretty monotonous task. However once you get into the habit, it becomes second nature, and there is a certain satisfaction once they’re all clean.

Great…. but why should you wash your brushes regularly?

• At it’s most basic level it’s the clean and sanitary thing to do. Dirty brushes carry bacteria, and bacteria multiple rapidly. So to avoid spreading that pesky spot or skin condition you need to keep everything fresh and clean.
• The other perhaps less obvious reason is to get maximum results during application. A foundation brush that is slick with over a fortnights worth of product and skin oils isn’t going to give you that flawless finish, you’ll have to work harder to spread the foundation and blend brush marks. You’ll also find you waste product as a lot of it will be retained by the saturated fibres.
• To get the true colour from your products. A dirty brush can affect the colours of your eyeshadows and foundations because as you lift and apply fresh product you’re mixing in the old oxidised colours clinging to the dirty brush. This will make blending messy and uneven.
• To extend the life of your brushes. A regularly cleaned shadow brush can easily last you up to five years. A dirty brush, sodden with makeup can mildew and even rot. The fibres can fall out and lose shape. Ultimately you will have to replace it a lot sooner if you don’t look after it.

My kit is washed after every use and I normally spot clean (not a substitute for proper washing) during as well…. but what about my own brushes, the ones I use personally on a daily basis?

As a general rule I give everything a good deep clean every week. I own all manner of branded brush cleansers (Estee Lauder’s is a favourite) however these don’t come cheap and there are definitely more affordable options out there.

White soaps are an excellent alternative, Dove & Simple are two favourites. I prefer the Simple though as it’s completely unperfumed and doesn’t leave a soapy scent on the brush fibres. Mixed with some luke warm water these are also mild enough to use on natural hair, without damaging it or shortening the life span of the brush.

Always remember to swirl the brush downwards either directly into the bar or into a lather in the palm of your hand. Take care not to immerse the ferrule (the metal bit just beyond the brush head) as this area contains the glue holding the brush head together. Water will break down the glue, even in the most expensive of brushes, resulting in hair loss or worse, a broken brush.

Once your brush is rinsed clean, take it between your thumb and fore finger and gently squeeze the excess water out. Now is a good time to smooth problem brushes into shape (like the MAC 168 & 217). Never be tempted to rub your brushes on a towel to dry the excess off or even worse a hairdryer, this might be quicker but it will damage the fibres and encourage splaying.

Now place the brush on it’s side to dry, ideally with the brush part hanging off the edge of something. You’re doing this to allow the air to circulate the head 360 degrees, resulting in an even drying process which is better for retaining the original brush shape. Don’t be tempted to leave them drying on a towel, this will encourage mildew growth and bacteria, defeating the purpose of cleaning them in the first place.

On the odd ocassion white soap can have problems lifting strong shadow colours from brushes (most recently MAC’s Bright Future dyed my 239 yellow…), in this instance I simply use a little drop of olive oil, swirling the brush in a few drops of if this is normally enough to shift the most stubborn of stains. You’ll want to rinse the olive oil out with another little bit of mild soap after.

Make sure your brushes are 100% dry before putting them away (I normally leave mine overnight) in either a brush roll or upright in a pen pot/ cup.

Soooo……what are you waiting for stinkers?? Get washing!!

xox

Well it’s actually yesterdays Face of the Day but we’re not about to fall out over a little stretch of the truth…right?

Crack a smile love!!

Working the "Lollipop26 pose"

Face

• Dior Forever Foundation Shade 010
• ELF Mineral Glow in Shimmer to set

Eyes

• ELF Studio Eye Primer
• ELF Studio Eyeliner & Shadow Stick in Black/ Smoke
• Rimmel The MAX Volume Flash Mascara in Ultra Black
• MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Spiked

Lips

• MAC Angel Lipstick
• Bobbi Brown Lip Gloss in Buff

I’m really impressed with the new ELF Studio Line, in particular the Eyeliner & Shadow Stick, it applies with great pigmentation and a smooth finish. Zero drag to the delicate eyelid which gets a big thumbs up from my 30 year old peepers. I’ll be ordering the other 2 shades available and I hoping they expand this range.

I can also highly recommend the Eye Primer. I must admit that I was really sceptical about this product, but at £3.50 I thought it was worth a whirl. It’s a thick concealer type consistency and comes in stick form. I applied it under my eye makeup about 10am yesterday morning and took this picture late last night.

As you can see there is no creasing which is impressive as it was a humid rainy day here. Yes, the shadow has dispersed slightly but that’s to be expected after a full days wear.
It actually held up better for me than Too Faced, which creases hideously on me after anything over 8 hours wear.

If you’re on a budget you need this primer!

xoxo

MAC Natural Flare E/S Quad

Products Used

Face

• Benefit “That Gal”
• MUFE HD Foundation in 117
• Dior Loose Powder 001
• NARS Albatross (Cheekbone Highlight)
• Benefit Coralista as Blush

Eyes

• UD Primer Potion
• MAC Paint Pot in Rubenesque (Lid)
• MAC Color Craft Quad in Natural Flare
• MAC Vanilla (Brow Bone)
• MAC Eye Brow Crayon in Spiked
• Lancome Oscillation Powerbooster Lash Primer
• Bourjois Coup de Theatre 2 in 1 Mascara (Clump City!!)

Lips

• No7 Lip Liner in Nude 20
• Stila Lip Glaze in Nutmeg Spice

xox

Hot pink lips are officially back!!!

Catwalk lips are big, bold and bright! Think Betty Jackson & Osman Yousefzada and you’re only halfway there!

Barry M are upping the auntie with their new hot range and leaving the big names quaking in their Manolos. This is an affordable drugstore based brand thats gaining a cult following.

Why have one Illamasqua/ YSL/ MAC lippy when you have have 3 from Barry M for the same amount of your hard earned ker-ching?

The sizzling new range from Mr M includes:

• Cerise Pink 144 a very berry shade
• Punky Pink 145 a fiery pink
• Dolly Pink 146 a cute bubblegum pink
• Peachy Pink 147 to leave lips looking just peachy

The PR “Each lipstick has a smooth texture and being packed full of natural moisturisers they simply glide on and stay put for hours”

I was lucky enough to be sent 147 Peachy Pink & 145 Punky Pink (can you guess which is which…..) Wowzers!

With Flash

Without Flash

Peachy Pink 147 is the type of matt colour I tend to shy away from in horror. I’m not a massive fan of the blank porn staresque lip “on myself”. This is because my own lip colour is very pigmented and rosy and I find these shades bleed through and look cheap and unsightly.

I am pleasantly surprised by Peachy Pink and that has alot to do with the coverage this lippy offers. One coat covered well, 2 coats was opaque. Surprisingly I think it looks quite soft on me. I like it. My only issue with it is that I think it could be quite drying for a full days wear. I’ve tried it with a thin layer of MAC Sizzlepeach Lipglass and thats working better for me

Peachy Pink.. mwah!

Punky Pink 145 is my kind of lippy. This is already firmly in my personal makeup bag. I LOVE it!!!

It reminds me of the vibrant fuschia pink often sported by Cheryl Cole (I believe thats MAC Show Orchid), this is not a world away from that. It applies like a dream, really smooth and luxurious. I’d say its noticeably more moisturising than Peachy Pink. If this was given to me blind to test I’d honestly have guessed Chanel or YSL. Its THAT good

Punky Pink

I’m really excited by these lipsticks. Everyone has been banging on about Illamasqua and how their range is designed to bring out your alter ego. Well IMO all makeup can do that for you, regardless of the brand or price tag. It all about what you do with it, how you wear, how it makes you feel…… and to give you an idea of what I mean this is how I feel as soon as I put this colour on…..

Ooooo Matron!!!

TMI?

Barry M New Lip Paints are in stores from June or you can buy them online now here for £4.25 each while stocks last. Hurry! You DO NOT want to miss these!!

xoxo

If you follow me on Twitter you will know that yesterday I went to have a nosey around the new Illamasqua counter at Debenhams in Belfast.

It was the opening day for the brand in Northern Ireland and I got there around 10am, the counter looked fab, bright sumptious colours and graphics jumped out at me, I wish I could have said the same for the staff. Not one of the girls on the counter represented the brand well for me. One in particular looked like she wouldn’t have known what makeup actually was if it had jumped up and bit her on the ass.

I was immediately asked if I needed help (good), I explained I was just browsing and did that. The girls at the counter continued to chat loudly among themselves about their social lives, while a few of the assistants from neighbouring counters arrived to do a spot of their own swatching.

I quickly decided I was after a blush and foundation, namely the rich liquid foundation and asked the girl to match me up. This seemed to startle her slightly (they do get a fortnights training I believe), and she proceeded to squeeze out FIVE colours onto the back of her hand. I would have thought by looking at me she could have used her expertise to perhaps narrow it down to two choices, but no, five it was.

At no stage was I asked to take a seat, this was all done with me standing beside her. At no point did she remove any of the makeup I had on, instead she proceeded to colour match me on my jawline over the top of my Revlon Colorstay. Within less than 60 seconds she told me that RF140 was my shade (without ever showing it to me in a mirror) and that the others would be too pinky toned on me, great I thought. This girl knows her stuff, thats me sorted.

I then asked her for the Hussy blush (a strong Coral pink). She was unable to find it until asking another assistant as she didn’t know what cupboards any products were in. Nice.

After this speedy Illamasqua experience I was whipped over to the Bobbi Brown counter to pay for my purchases (their till wasn’t working) where the girl told me I could leave my details and she’d give me a call about their Siren’s Collection launch event next week. Probably the most positive interaction with her the whole time tbh.

So while it wasn’t a completely negative experience (yet) I didn’t feel attended to or pampered in the way that I expect when I spend my wonga at a high end counter.

Over I went to the MAC counter (at least you know what you’re getting there), all the girls were busy with other customers so I did my usual standing about looking like a tool routine. Eventually I was served by a girl who was the complete opposite of any of the staff at Illamasqua. She clearly had a full on love affair with the slap, in fact obsession might have been more accurate. My thoughts, at least I know she has actually tried ALL at the same time the products she is trying to sell to me. I picked up Stars N Rockets e/s which I can’t believe I never owned until now. While paying the girl informed me about Debenhams Beauty Club Reward Card, with a Limited Offer of £5 of points if you spend £25 or over……… I wasn’t offered this at Illamasqua where I spent well over that. *Sigh*

So I trundle back over and ask them to sort the points out. “Can’t do it” is the reply I get. So sorry blah blah blah. Now just to clarify the Beauty Club Reward thing is a bag of shite, and the only time you’re ever likely to reach £5 worth is with this offer. You earn 1 point for every £1 you spend, but 500 points equals £5, you with me? Balls. So I was getting my offer, especially as it was their fault.

I said that I wanted a refund, then they could recharge me and add the points. Much head scratching & confusion ensued with this perfectly reasonable proposal. It finally took a sour faced manager to sort it out and do exactly that. All the time with a face of thunder, it was after all clearly my fault, being the paying customer and all. You gotta love Debenhams customer service……

Cue today and the application of my “personally matched” Illasmasqua Foundation and I can safely tell you that its far too light. Now if we lived in the states I’d take my expensive ill matched foundation back and exchange but thats not an option here. I’m cross about it. I’m cross about the experience and the treatment. I can’t even begin to review the foundation as its not the right shade (when I calm down I probably will , I love the Hussy blush and my MAC e/s but the foundation thing has taken the shine off.

Which leads me on to this “Why do I love drug store makeup?” I’ll tell you why, because when I walk in to a Superdrug or Boots I’m my own assistant. I can take as much time as I like to browse and swatch. If I pick a wrong shade, its my fault, I have myself to blame, but I haven’t paid a fortune to boot.

I’ll still continue to shop high end too but I will be more selective about my purchases, and if its a bad experience I won’t be buying next time. The Illamasqua experience only served to highlight how well I was treated at the Benefit event and also at Estee Lauder in House of Fraser last month when I bought my Bronze Goddess Palette, so in that respect it did me a favour.

Have you had any bad high end counter experiences recently?
Rant below
xoxo

P.S
This is purely a rant about bad customer service/ makeup counter assistants. The Illamasqua products themselves are not to blame, just the clueless girls selling them I’m afraid.

I’m meant to be rushing out the door to Granny’s as I type this, however I knew you’d all appreciate an Easter Sunday Face of the day

The liquid liner featured in the pics is the GOSH Extreme Art in 10.

This is the first time I have applied this product and the jury is out, love the effect, odd formulation though. It is quite gloopy and I found I got a lot of transfer onto my actual eyelashes. Think I’ll need to mess about with this and perhaps load less on the brush….. early days tho!

Eyeshadow is basically all MAC, Woodwinked & All That Glitters on the lid, with Contrast smoked into the outer crease and a touch of Mulch. Mascara… need you ask? L’Oreal Voluminous

As you can see the Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment is phenomenal………..

Just kidding

Credit for the locks goes to my 22″ Synthetic Jessica Simpson HairDo <3
Totally coveting the human hair version though however its super pricey at around £250 in the UK.
The pic below is how it looks from the back, I think it looks great for the money! I paid £30 for this one.

Gotta dash, I’ve a Creme Egg waiting on me
Have a great day folks xoxoxo