. . . . . . . .Eliza - Make Up Junkie. . . . . . . .

A fond farewell...thanks guys

2010-10-18T18:37:00.000+01:00

Hey there folks.

Firstly I want to start this post by saying thank you to anyone who has ever followed my blog, commented or just dipped into it now and then.

Unfortunately I, like the title suggests, will no longer be blogging/posting. As much as I totally love the blogging world other career priorities are just taking over and they need to come first.

I’m finding myself with less and less time to do any blogging what so ever, reading or posting. I don’t want to be updating just once a month or leave it to frizzle out so I thought I would give thanks to you folks and say cheerio.

I will be keeping the page open in the hope that I will still have some time in the future to pop on and read what everyone has been up to.

So happy cosmetic adventures to you guys. It’s been great.

Ex

Oh you Snob and MIA

2010-10-08T18:36:00.002+01:00

Firstly I just want to say sorry for the lack of posts. I was away for a long weekend and got food poisoning on the way back home. Felt horrible with no energy for days so wasn't up to blogging. Plus work hasn't been great but annny way.

Thought I would post a little something about a MAC lippie I picked up a few weeks back.

I went in with the idea of getting the "Girl about Town" lipstick. I've seen it online so much that I really fancied it. However when I got to the MAC store "Snob" caught my eye. I have a couple of bright pink lipsticks that I don't wear as often as I should so I thought I would get this instead (however I fully intend to get GAT as well). Snob is not the normal type of pink I would wear. Far paler than I'm used to but I really like it on and have worn it so often since I bought it. I like the satin finish too. Having only bought my first MAC lippie within the last year I am officially a fan now. I have my eye on quite a few!

So folks, do you have a favourite MAC lipstick?

Oh and I also finished the scarf for my giveaway! Got the mitts and hat to do although it'll have to be put to the side at the moment as I am working on a Christmas project for my mum that is rather big so I want to get it all done so there is no last minute freak out!

Hope you are all well and HELLO FRIDAY!

E x

Do you ever FOTD forget?

2010-09-21T20:51:00.003+01:00

I have to ask, as I’ve been doing this waaaay too often recently. Do you guys ever FOTD forget? You play with your make up stash, you like the look you did enough to grab a few snaps for future blogging. Then when you finally get around to having some net time to post said images you have totally forgot what products you’ve used. I’m doing this so much of late. In fairness it can also be argued that it is silly to have so many products that you could easily not know which gold eyeshadow you used! Tee hee.
So do you do this? Hopefully I’m not alone here and it’s not just another sign of getting old!

So I’m thinking from now on I am going to have to snap the cosmetic sitting on my table before I put them away to remind me what the hell I used.

So on that note here’s a forgotten FOTD. It's um..purple?

Ex

Thanks and Following freebies

2010-09-15T18:58:00.004+01:00

The lovely Emma over at Computergirl's Musings reminded me the other day that I have been blogging for well over a year now (thanks sweetie and happy Blogiversary to you too!).

Time fly silly quick, too quick of late. I can't believe it's mid September already. I've already had to start putting the heating as it's so cold.

Any way I just wanted to say a massive thank you to all the folks that follow my blog and that I have chatted to over the last year. I love reading everyone's pages and joining in with all the cosmetic madness. Addicted and happy to admit it!

Also I have decided what I am making for my next giveaway, it's going to have a movie theme. A pair of mittens and hat inspired by Twilight and a scarf inspired by Harry Potter. Once I have these made and a couple of make up products purchased I will get it up and started.

Hope you guys are having a great week (thankfully it's hump day). Roll on FRIDAY!

E xxxx

We all love a bit of Nude and a freebie

2010-09-11T16:59:00.006+01:00

I'm a sucker for nude lipstick. I have so many it's a bit silly really. I tend to wear bold eye colours a lot of the time so nudes are a happy way to keep them balanced. However I have been going for a bold lip more often these days. That being said I was in a supermarket the other day and there was a three for two offer on. Yip, I can't walk passed these ever. Technically I only needed one item, which was another tube of Max Faxtor's lash extension effect mascara, as I had ran out (it's my every day go to mascara). Then I spied these L'oreal numbers.
These are in their blonde range, I'm not blonde but who cares! Tee hee

Number 253 on the left and 233 on the right.

They do have a bit of a scent about them but this doesn't really bother me. I love the look and the feel of them. My lips but very much better.

Number 253 above

Number 233 above

So folks, what's your favourite nude lippie?

On another note I have noticed today that my followers is now up to 250! YIPPPEEEEE

Now I won't celebrate too much about this as the number has been going up and down of late. What I will say is thanks so much to all those following. I'm so over the moon about this and glad that I have a little space to bang on about my joy of make up. I will be planning another give away soon. I shall be purchasing a few things for it (now that I have hit the number). I will also be making a knitted pair of mittens and a scarf to go with whatever products I get. As this will be coming out of my pocket it will be little items but I just want to show how much I appreciate you guys.

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend.

Exxx

Rimmel - Matte me up - NOTD

2010-09-08T18:48:00.005+01:00

When it came to the whole matte nail thing that kicked off a little while back, I never really got on board. I just didn't fancy it much for no particular reason other than liking shiny nails. However everyone seems to be bringing out a matte top coat so I thought "what the hell, why not". I didn't know if I would be using it much so I went for the cheaper option of Rimmel.

I can't remember the exact price but I think it was about £5.

Now I am restricted colour wise in my job, it's just not the place for spanking bright colours, and I do miss them from time to time, especially bright reds but there is always the weekend. Although this forced colour palette has made me fall a little in love with all things neutral.

So here is a before and after shot using a Nails Inc (I think it was the freebie coloue from the Boots Cola offer). Oh and sorry for the state of my nails. Had a lot of broken nails recently.

Before:

And of course after:

After trying this little beauty out I can honestly say I am ready to be matted up! I really like it. I may not have the choice colour wise but I now have a pick of finish. What I also like, although I am fairly certain that this is not a selling point, is the way the top coat kinda wears off and the days go past. So I have super matte on day one and then a satin finish a couple of days after. This may bug some folks but I kinda like it.

I've seen a good few Matte nail top coat posts out there in the blog world, are you tempted to go matte?

Plug your blog!

2010-09-05T11:55:00.002+01:00

Hey there

I borrowed this idea from the lovely Computergirl's Musings (with her permission, go check her out if you aren't already following her).

Some folks pop URLS in my comments from time to time, sometimes I have a problem getting on to their page or profile. So if you can post a link in the comments here I will go have a look see and follow you.

My time online is limited but I do try and get on Blogger as much as I can. I miss it when I haven't been on in a while, yes make up addicted and blog addicted! So I will try to stop by as many blogs as I can and leave a comment. I know it's always lovely to get a little message saying you have a comment waiting.

I love finding new blogs and folks to get make up crazy with.

So if you can post a link and a couple of sentences just telling me a bit about yourself that would be grand. I look forward to reading your stuff.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

E x

Twilight Knits

2010-09-01T21:30:00.005+01:00

As you may already know from previous posts I'm new the world of Twilight. I'm almost finished the second book (although I've seen all 3 movies). I'm also learning to crochet and knit, once again repeating myself I know. Sorry.
So I'm combining the both. There are plenty of Twilight inspired knitting patterns out there and there are a good few many I want to try once my skills pick up. Any way here are two pairs of "Alice Mitts" that I have recently knitted. I'm pretty pleased with them.

Inspired by all things vampy I decided to do a red eye the other day. I haven't really used my Circus Sleek palette as I wasn't overly keen on it but the pink and red were calling me. Everything else I kept super pale as you can see. I would certainly use these colours again. Red on the eyes always feels a little different as not many people use it. In certain lights it also looked a bit purple IMO.

Hope you are all doing well.

Oh and while on a vampire topic any True Blood fans out there, loving season 3!

E x

Bare faced! FOT(other)D

2010-08-31T18:18:00.003+01:00

Hey there peeps

Just a quick post today. I’ve not been well of late, I’m sick of saying that. I have this flu/cold/stomach bug which won’t seem to shift. I’ve just had a sleep and still feel rough. But anyway, feeling sorry for myself aside, I thought I would post a quick FOT(other)D.

I had been wearing bright colours the day before so decided to go totally for nudes. On my eyes I used my Kat Von D Ludwig palette, Bobbi Brown creamy concealer and Maybelline Define-A-Lash mascara. For the lips I used an Illamasqua Lipstick in Bitch. It was kinda nice to go “bare” for a change.

Oh and sorry for me looking so torn faced in the photos, it was the only decent photo I got as I only had a quiet sec to get snapping.

I'll hopefully be back to normal soon and get posting some more.

E x

Revlon Matte win and MUA fail

2010-08-28T01:19:00.005+01:00

Hey there folks
Sorry I haven’t posted in a little while. I’ve had some time off work so I have been out and about doing things and just generally chilling out with family and Mr E. It’s been lovely.

I’ve had a couple of little spends of late (which I will post about) but before I forget I just wanted to recap on the matte colours I wanted as a brow highlight (see previous post) and show you this little booty.

Firstly the winner for me and absolute perfect colour is a Relvon Matte shade in 001 - Vintage Lace. I love it. I bought a couple of these matte shades when I was in the states and wasn’t overly impressed but certainly good for the price. This literally just caught my eye in Superdrug and I am over the moon that it did. Affordable, the ideal colour and matte, what more can I ask for?

Secondly is the MUA colours. Now for a £1 I can’t really expect a hell of a lot but to be honest I would rather save up my pounds and get something better. For example the Sleek palettes are only £5.99 for several colours and are of better quality IMO. I bought shade 6 and 17. A green and biege. The biege doesn’t really do anything. I may use it in the crease if I wanted a natural looking contour but it would probably require several layers. The green I used in a recent FOTD and you can see in the photos that it has already started to crease - and that was with a lot of blending and a base underneath. It does have a nice sheer quality which I sorted liked but not enough to keep using it on a regular basis.

Lastly I bought a couple of cheap brushes. Both around £3 I think. Now I don’t have piles of cash so my brushes tend to be cheap to mid range (ELF brushes etc). The QVS brush I really like and have a few of these. I like the size for placing the colour and they wash well. The Superdrug brush was a new buy and a bit of a waste. Waaaaay to stiff to be a blending brush but I will use it for something no doubt.

Also just wanted to say that I have noticed that I am creeping up to the 250 followers mark. Once I do hit that magic number I will have another wee give away. Going to try and make something again for this one plus a bit of MU obviously. Just wanted to say a huge thanks to my followers and to anyone taking time out to read my scribbles.

More posts soon I promise.

Have a great weekend !
Exxxxxxxxxx

Inexpensive FOTD

2010-08-17T19:19:00.005+01:00

I thought I would do an inexpensive FOTD.

Face wise I used Barbara Daly make up, foundation, eyeshadow base and concealer. The foundation I like. It’s very fresh and feels light on the skin. The eyeshadow base I love, I use it everyday (pulling out the expensive stuff for nights out). I ran out of it the other week and couldn’t get to Tesco to get another. Felt a little lost with out it, when I did get to the shop I bought two! At four pounds I think this is great value and really helps keep my eyeshadow put all day. The concealer I’m not a huge fan of, it tends to sink into lines after a few hours. I have buffed it right into the skin and still find that this happens. However in fairness I am comparing it to Bobbi Brown’s creamy concealer! Blusher wise I used a Boots No7 colour from a compact I have.

On the eyes I used a Revlon matte pale colour as a brow highlight (£4.99) and then two MUA’s eyeshadows on the crease and lid. At only £1 each they are not the most fantastic of shadows but for the price they are workable. I did find the colour creased quite easily (in fact I think it shows in this photo) but if creasing doesn‘t bother you then why not. I just took a little blending brush in my make up bag in my hand bag and gave it a little extra blend when needed. I don’t think I would buy the MUA eyeshadows again but still fun to use. I will blog about these next.

On the lips I used a Maybelline water shine gloss.

I did this look mainly to try out the new cheap shadows I had bought and just decided to stick to an inexpensive theme. Personally I don’t have a huge amount of cash to be spending on cosmetics every week so it’s good to know there are decent products out there in the cheaper range.

What's your favourite inexpensive product?

E x

Help - Show me the matte!

2010-08-10T19:03:00.006+01:00

Hey guys

I need a little help.

I am really pale so as an everyday highlight on my brow bone I tend to use a matte white blended out. For quite some time now I have been using Rimmel's matte white. It's cheap and does the job well. However it's a nightmare to get a hold of. Everywhere I go I can't seem to get my hands on it.

So I thought I would just buy another high street/drug store brand. I don't have the pennies at the moment to be buying MAC or Illamasqua. Plus, I know it may sound daft, but if I'm spending a cit of cash I want something a little more exciting than white. For expensive goods I tend to get colours!

Everywhere I go though it's shimmer, shimmer, shimmer. Nothing matte.

Actually my perfect skin tone colour would be a lightest pale colour in the Bohemian Sleek palette but that was limited addition and I've almost ran out of the colour I have.

So please help folks. Can you point me in the direction of a pale/white cheap matte eyeshadow?

E x

FOTD - Bronze and Blue

2010-08-02T13:09:00.002+01:00

Here’s a quick face of the day.

I went for a bronzey blue look. I used a Rimmel cream base in a light bronze colour just for the shadow to have something to grab on to. I then used the matte dark brown mixed with the gold shadow from my Sleek Storm palette on the middle of the lid with a tiny amount of Illamasqua‘s bronze liquid metal. I then used the dark shimmery blue from the same palette on the inside and outside corners. Blended away, black liner on the water line, a pale skin tone of shadow on the brow bone and some mascara and done.

Everything else I left really pale. I quite like it and might wear it again. Gotta love having a bit of a play with make up.

Hope you had a great weekend and Monday treats you well.

Ex

Photo from my life

2010-08-01T17:18:00.003+01:00

Haven't done one of these for a while.

My best mate from Uni met up for the weekend and we did a few arty farty things. One of which was viewing some of Antony Gormley's sculptures.

Had a brilliant weekend, hope you guys did too.

E x

Off topic - Crochet granny scarf

2010-07-29T20:08:00.006+01:00

Off topic post here - soz

Some of you might already know from previous posts that I am learning to knit and crochet. Crochet has been my main focus of late. It works up so much quicker than my knitting but I do want to learn both. When I first started to learn I bought a whole bunch of acrylic yarn which is cheaper. I didn't want to waste expensive yarn on my first crappy attempts. Now that I am more confident (with the crochet at least) I am left with a whole bunch of acrylic stuff to use up before I can justify buying more expensive supplies.

So I found the pattern for and made this. Mr E said I looked "foreign" in it which made me laugh. I might make another in different colours.

On the some topic folks I've decided that I will do some sort of give away soon with something that I have made. Depending on how keen people are to join in that is. I was thinking of some sort scarf or cowl so size (like a hat) doesn't matter.

Hope you are all doing well - it's nearly Friday Wooo Hoooo

Exxx

FOT(other)D and a Smashbox Fail

2010-07-26T19:44:00.004+01:00

Hey there peeps,

Hope you are all keeping well. I’ve not been too great of late. Got a bit of a stomach bug which has been fun.

As I was looking whiter than white the other day I thought I would go with it and try a deep lip, pale face look.

Also as my previous post stated I have recently stepped into the world of Twilight. Love it or hate it it’s everywhere. Any way I know I am late to this party. So here is a FOT(other)D. Embracing my vampire pale skin! Tee hee

I used a pale skin tone shade on the lids just to even them out colour wise. A tiny, tiny reddy brown from a Sleek palette in the socket and the black liner from my Smashbox palette.

On this note I have to say I am not keen on the Smashbox palette at all (see previous post). The colours seem so washed out and thin compared to my beloved Bobbi Brown gel liners. They also don’t last as long as the BBs, creasing and fading as the day goes on. I ’m kinda gutted to be honest as I wanted this for so long. Really wanted to love the product but unfortunately I don’t. Feels like a bit of a waste of cash really. Will be sticking to my BB’s from now on. Anyone else tried this? What’s your thought on it?

The lippie is Illamasqua’s Diablo, gotta love that name, which I should wear more often as I love it, used with a Barry M deep purple lip liner.

Touch of mascara and a tiny touch of blusher (I really was super pale).

So what’s inspired you of late?

E x

Twilight or not to Twilight...that is the question

2010-07-21T18:48:00.001+01:00

So folks (don‘t worry ,no spoilers about the movies or the books),

Where do you sit in the Twilight debate. Lover or Hater?

For a long time I have avoided all things Twilight. Partly due to the fact that I am a long time Buffy fan and I just couldn’t get on board with the twinkling vampires walking about in the day time and partly because it was just EVERYWHERE! If you live in the UK you might know what I mean when I say it was like seeing Katie Price everywhere, just too much.

Now with that said part of me also wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I was certainly curious. Then Michael Sheen announced that he was going to be in the second movie. Now that I HAD to watch. I love him and to see him as a vamp….well…Hello! In order to watch it though I needed to see the first movie right. So I watched, enjoyed (apart from a few parts that were a bit too OTT lovey dovey wise IMO, and I wasn’t too keen on the fighting style in the first movie, although these were all small things).

I started to chat to the girls in work that were fans and finally got round to seeing the second movie. Only compliant - NOT ENOUGH MICHAEL SHEEN. ;)

So now I think was about the time I was hooked. I went to see the third movie last week and have got my hands on the first three books (still need to get the fourth).

So what about you guys? Are you a fan.

Oh and I’m Team Edward! Lol

E x

2010-07-15T20:14:00.002+01:00

Hey there folks

In my previous post I said I would share a couple of photos of my latest Illamasqua buy on.

Well here they are. With out flash above and with flash below. The application was a little slap dash as I was trying to catch the natural light (it's been really dull for the last few days).

Box is still my favourite Illamasqua lipstick so far (Lipstick Rules loves it too) but this is a close second. I used to only do a bold lip once in a while but now I am going for it more often and with products like these it's easy to get addicted!

Are you a bold lip girl?

E x

Illamasqua Joy

2010-07-13T20:57:00.002+01:00

After my Illamasqua disaster with the gorgeous Matter eyeshadow when moving I thought I would share with you the other the product that I got with my discount. Thankfully this survived the fall.

Salacious lipstick. A matte bright fushcia that I am LOVING. It's super bold so I would only wear it with a very simple eye. I will take a photo of this on soon. Like the other Illamasqua lippies that I own the pigment is amazing. They are very long lasting. I have only tried the matte finishes, purely by accident, so I think my next purchase might have to be a different one for a change. Although the next lipstick that has my eye is a MAC one.

So folks, what's your favourite Illamasqua lipstick or is there a colour you covet?

Illamasqua disaster!

2010-07-08T19:01:00.005+01:00

Hey there folks,

Hope you guys are all doing well (almost Friday!).

Just before I move house I got an email from the lovely folks at Illamasqua. I had entered their nail polish competition and had got down to the final 50. As a little gift I got 25% off products for a set time. As we were moving I felt a bit cheeky buying expensive make up but Mr E said to treat myself. Well he didn't have to tell me twice. Nice one.

One of the products I bought was "Matter" a gorgeous gun metal gray eye shadow that I had wanted for quite some time. So a few days later it was mine. Here is was...lovely.

And here it is after our move! AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH I hadn't even had a chance to wear it. It, and several other expensive product feel out of a box and down a flight of stairs. I lost a whole bottle of High Beam from Benefit that just smashed into a hundred pieces. Luckily a couple of other Illamasqua products survived the fall onto concrete (says a lot for the packaging).

I don't know what to do. Do I crush it down? I've never pressed shadows before and I'm not sure where to get, our how expensive, the tools are to do so.

Any suggestions folks?

E xxx

Internet how I have missed you

2010-07-06T19:46:00.003+01:00

Hey there guys!

Well I'm been in the process of moving for the last week hence the lack of posts. Today we got our internet connected YIPEE! Still have lots to move and sort out but we are going to give it a rest for a little while. Hopefully this means some blogging time.
I also have a make up related moving disaster story! Not good.

Any way I will be back soon, hope you are all well in the blogging world.

E x

Positive thoughts and love

2010-06-29T21:04:00.003+01:00

This is a totally off topic post.

I just wanted to take five minutes out to say that I don't get this world at times. I can't go into details but someone very close to me has had something awful happen and it just isn't fair.

A co worker of mine also passed away last week to cancer. Something which I know a little something about having lost a family member to this horrible disease.

Why do awful things happen to such wonderful people. It's truely not fair.

I try to stay positive, which can be hard at time like these. Therefore I just wanted to send out some love and say if you are going through a tough time right now I hope that goodness comes its way soon. Consider this a virtual hug!

I hope life send you something wonderful soon.

E x

Blue eyed EOTD

2010-06-27T21:24:00.003+01:00

Quick EOTD for you folks.

I asked Mr E to pick my eyeshadow colour the other day as I couldn’t decide. He went with blue so this is what I did. I used "Shadow Insurance" as my base as it was melting hot. I then used a mixture of two sleek colours. One from the Bohemian palette and the other from Acid. To line the waterline I used a medium pencil from Illamasqua in Debonair. Mascara wise I used my trusty Maybelline Volume Express, two coats.

Shadow Insurance never fails to impress me, this lasted all night in heat with no creasing!

Face wise I kept it simple, touch of blusher and bronzer to define and I used one of the free Jemma Kidd lipglosses I got with Red magazine (the pale nude one).

Oh and talking of Illamasqua, I got an email saying that I got down to the last 50 in their nail polish competition. Super chuffed considering there were 6000 entries! The winning colours are gorgeous.

Hope you have had a great weekend folks. I’ll be moving soon so I will might be AWOL for a while. Will try to post when I can get online.

Ex

Thank you Google

2010-06-24T21:26:00.003+01:00

Thank you google for helping fix the blogger problems I was having!

After searching through forums and hints any tips I got the answers to the Html problems I was having.

Blogger high five!

Ex

Barry M Lip Joys

2010-06-24T20:40:00.002+01:00

Hey there peeps,

Well as you can see I am still having layout problems. I’m getting fed up trying to fix it to be honest. I’ve tried so many things. I am going to get googling and see if I can find any hints on what to do.

But any way onto the make up.

A while back I got myself some Barry M lip products. I believe there was an 3 for 2 offer on at the time in Boots. Although it aint like I need much of an excuse to buy products. I like Barry M, I think for the price they do some great little numbers and I adore their Nail Paints. For me they last longer on my nails chip free than any other polish, including Nails Inc each with a top coat. My only wish is that they would bring out some paler colours. I love my vivid nail colours but I work in an environment where it’s just not the done thing. In fact it’s pretty much ruled out (poo).

So here are the beauties I picked up.

And some swatches for ya!

Firstly two glosses. Now I’m not a huge gloss fan any more. I have long very thick hair that I tend to wear down most days plus I live in a very windy city. So hair plus wind plus gloss not great. Plus I feel sorry for Mr E every time I kiss him with gloss on, don’t think glittery lips is a look he’s really going for! Lol However these colour caught my eye.

I love nudes and caffe latte colours so this was right up my street. Number 2 or “toffee” as their website calls it is very sheer, a tad sticky but I’m still feeling it. I have to mention the smell, it’s like chocolate and very strong so if you aren’t a fan of scented products stay away. This I tend to wear on it’s own when I’m wearing a strong eye.

Second up is number four otherwise known as Pastel Pink. I have to admit I was a little disappointed as it’s way pale. I’m very faired skinned but this is just too light for me. I’m not a fan of the concealer on the lips look! It does have a fine glitter through it but it's not overly obviously. I noticed more on the swatch on my hand than on my lips. Smell wise we are going strong again, this time it’s like sweeties. I can’t place it but it reminds me of a specific sweet. This I tend to pop over a pink lippie for a touch of highlight and shine.

Last but not least is a Lip Paint. Number 147 or Peachy Pink if you like. It’s super super matte, I can honestly say I kinda forgot about this colour so I’ve yet to wear it for a full day (guess what I’m wearing tomorrow!). It’s not my usual type of colour but if you have read my blog for a while you may know that I was trying to shake things up a bit, I was in a lippie rut. To be honest I’m not seeing the pink in this? Looks peachy orange to me.

So have you tried these folks?

What’s your latest lip purchase?

E xxx

Olay's Total Effect - Totally Sold (also layout problems HELP)

2010-06-21T20:20:00.002+01:00

A while back I decided to get myself a decent moisturiser. I had tried various little cheapy numbers that I liked the look or smell of. Nothing however seemed to compete with my E45 cream. I have normal to dry skin and nothing seemed to get rid of those little patches of dryness like good old E45. However it's quite a heavy cream so I didn't use it in the morning. Firstly as I didn't have the time to wait for it to sink in and secondly no SPF.
So off to the shops I went unsure of what to get. I had quite liked the look of Olays Total Effects but I knew it was pricey, Boots at the time had a three for two offer on. Although this would still work out to £32 for the day and night versions so not to be sniffed at price wise. However I thought it might be worth it. Luckily I decided to pop into Superdrug which was literally just next door to see what price they had it at. To my utter joy they had a half price offer on. Therefore I managed to pick up the day and night creams for only £16! All for walking less than 20 feet. Gotta love Superdrug.

So on to the creams. Neither have a scent that I can pick up. Both settle into the skin pretty quickly and are not heavy at all. A little goes a long way too thankfully. Unfortunately with the design of the bottle it's hard to tell how much is actually left. I’ll need to hold them up to a light to see if that helps! It’s a pump design but it’s fairly sensitive so no need to waste product.
Now I know this is expensive stuff and it's hard for me to tell if it's helping with lines and wrinkles as I‘m trying to get in with the creams before the major wrinkles appear (I'm not that old honest!) but I can certainly say that I've seen a change in the way my skin feels. Gone are the dry patches and it's softer than it's been in a long time. I will point out that I do drink lots of water however I did before and still needed E45. I really do think that I will get this again once I run out. Here’s hoping there is an offer on when that happens.

So guys have you tried the stuff? What are your thoughts?

Also please if anyone can help me in regards to the layout problems I am having. For some reason my right hand side bar is stuck at the bottom of the page. When I go to the layout page it shows on the right? Totally confused - HELP!

Layout trouble - HELP!

2010-06-17T22:47:00.002+01:00

Hey there folks

I was wondering if anyone could help me.

My layout seems to have gone all weird. The side bar is now at the bottom? When I check the layout it still shows it where it should be. It seems to have gone weird since the template design tool was changed.

Any help on how to sort it would be most welcome.

Thanks in advance.

E x

Off topic - Crochet and Knitting (would you like it in a giveaway?)

2010-06-17T19:50:00.004+01:00

Ok so this has nothing to do with make up. Sorry, totally off topic but never mind.

If you’ve read my blog in the the past you may already know that I was knocked down in February. A guy ran a red light and knocked me over at a crossing. As you can imagine, not fun. I couldn’t walk for weeks and my leg still isn’t fully healed. I class myself as so lucky though, it could have been much worse.

Annny way, as I couldn’t move and had to keep myself entertained I decided to (re)learn to knit. My mum is a knitter and she was making a whole bunch of cute little things for my new nephew. Inspired by this I picked up some knitting needles and got learning. While I was at it I thought I would learn to crochet too. My auntie has done this for years and some of the gorgeous shawls she makes are amazing.

So armed with a couple of how to book and the internet I got to learning. I’m still learning but this is my latest project.

It’s the most complex item I have made to date and it aint perfect but I’m still really pleased with it. I’m going to make another with another type of yarn.

However I did think of making another the same as this to give away on here. Would this be something you guys would be interested in?

E x

Make up to sweat by.

2010-06-14T21:29:00.005+01:00

One thing I don’t understand is women that work out in full on make up. In my opinion fake eyelashes just look ridiculous in the gym. I don’t get it. Surely it just can’t be good for the skin.
EDIT - I just want to say that I didn't mean this to sound so harsh. I know a lot of people go straight from work to the gym. What I meant is a don't understand why some people put on full "going out clubbing" make up specifically to go to work out. I can't imagine it to be comfortable. I don't mean to sound judgey about it. Each to their own.

That being said I’m not one to be completely bare faced unless in the house!

I’ve recently started going to a Zumba class, it‘s been great fun. Besides it’s about time I got myself into some sort of exercise!
Obviously I wore next to nothing make up wise but I have to admit three little products were used.

Firstly, for a little eye definition, I used MAC’s liquid last eyeliner. This liner does not move once applied. I think you can pretty much go swimming in this stuff although I have never tried. It takes a little while to dry so you do need to watch out for transfer. As long as you keep your eyes half shut until it dries you are golden. I also love GOSH’s extreme art eyeliner, tis pretty much the same as MAC’s only a few pounds cheaper. Both need an oil cleaner to remove.

Last but not least I used another Maybelline product. Super stay 18 hour wear lipstick. Now I’m not one for these lasts a million hours lippies. I tend to find them really drying (and they look it too without constant top ups of the balm, if you need to do that why not just go with a lipstick?). However they do last hours, I would point out that I stick to pale or taupe colours. As they do start to wear away over the hours. I used a dark red once and I ended up with a very attractive dark red line around my lips. I then tried to top it up with the colour and it turned out all types of patchy. Then trying to remove it was a delight! Not an experience I would like to repeat.

So ladies what do you do when you head off for some exercise? Are you a full on face or fresh like a daisy?

For my lashes I used Maybelline’s Volume Express Turbo Boost. This is my third tube of the stuff! I love it. Thickens and is super black and once again it doesn’t budge! Once again this needs oil to be shifted. Seriously without oil it can still be there in the morning, hello Panda eyes.

Last but not least I used another Maybelline product. Super stay 18 hour Wear Lipstick. Now I’m not one for these lasts a million hours lippies. I tend to find them really drying (and they look it too without constant top ups of the balm, if you need to do that why not just go with a lipstick?). However they do last hours, I would point out that I stick to pale or taupe colours. They do start to wear away in the middle of the lips over the hours. I used a dark red once and I ended up with a very attractive dark red line around my lips. I then tried to top it up with the colour and it turned out all types of patchy - YUCK. Then trying to remove it was a delight! Not an experience I would like to repeat.

So ladies what do you do when you head off for some exercise? Are you a full on face or fresh like a daisy?

Benefit freebie alert for those in the UK

2010-06-10T21:25:00.006+01:00

Another magazine freebie alert for those in the UK. You guys may already know this but with this months Glamour magazine you can get your mitts on three Benefit goodies.

I was naughty and picked up all three (hell it was only £6). You get Bad Girl eyeliner, Cover it all stick or an Eye bright pencil. I’ve never tried any of these products and they are all usually quite pricey so I’m glad to be trying them for free-ish!
So get yourself out there and pick up your own freebies! Hope you are having a great week, nearly the weekend folks.

A little moan

2010-06-09T20:43:00.002+01:00

Sorry guys to moan but I'm fed up!!! GRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrr

After weeks of stress at work I now have some sort of sickness bug that has been kicking about. Gutted. I need a break. Calling in sick isn't an option as everyone else is off. At least I have the power of blusher to make me look like I have a bit of colour about me!

So folks what do you do when your not feeling great to cheer yourself up!

Hope you are all well and I will try to get back to proper MU posting once I'm feeling a bit more up to it.

Love E x

UK magazine freebie alert

2010-06-06T20:33:00.004+01:00

Hey there folks,

You may already know this but in case you didn't, with the July issue of Red magazine you get a free Jemma Kidd Lipgloss. There are three colours to chose from (although their website says two but shows an image of three?). A red, pink and nude. I picked up the pink and it's very pretty indeed.

So get yourself down to the newsagents and pick up this brilliant freebie (worth £14!).

Hope you had a great weekend.

Exxx

Smashbox Splurge

2010-06-02T20:59:00.003+01:00

Hey there folks, how you all doing?

I had a little splurge at the weekend. Ooops!

I’m on a major saving no spending ban however Mr E treated himself so I was allowed to get myself a little something too (nice one). My treat is always make up, there is always something I want!
I had gone out with the plan to get my hands on Urban Decay’s lippie “Lovechild”. I've wanted it for months now. However when I got to Debenhams it turns out they no longer stock Urban Decay! Totally gutted as I have gone out of my way to get this lipstick several times and still failed to come home with the goods. They either seem to be sold out, don’t sell a wide enough range to stock it or in this case disappear completely. I think I might have to go online for this purchase.

Any way my sorrow was quickly replaced by utter joy when I saw a Smashbox stand! Eeep! To cut a long story short I sent Debenhams an email a good while back asking if they stocked Smashbox and they said yes but when I got to the store they didn’t. Boo and indeed hiss.

But this time here it was right in front of me. So I got my hands on this -

Proof cream liner palette - In packaging, without and with flash.

I am a HUGE fan of cream/gel eyeliners so this is right up my street. I was tempted by the metallic palette also but at £30 a pop I decided to stick with my original want of “Proof”.

Now my eyes water in the wind so my liner of choice is usually Bobbi Brown’s long wear gel eyeliner. I asked the assistant at the counter how these compare as I had noticed that there was also individual waterproof liners. However she advised that the palette should be long lasting enough for me. I hope she is right.

Now I have only used this twice so far so it’s really difficult for me to judge it but I didn’t feel the pigment was as strong as my trusty Bobbi Brown’s. I really hope this wasn’t a waste of cash.

Have you guys tried any of the Smashbox liners or do you have this palette? If so I would love to hear your opinions. In fact any opinions on Smashbox products would be great as this is my frist purchase from them. I will give it a good try out before I post any judgement. *fingers crossed*

What do you take?

2010-05-25T18:32:00.002+01:00

I've noticed that whenever I am away from home I always take too much away with me make up wise (can you tell I'm dreaming of getting some sort of holiday?).

I like having a choice and I never wear the same colours everyday so I end up with more products than I technically need. So I'm curious about you make up lovers out there. What ends up on your travel case? Do you, like me, pack as much as you can or are you strict with it all?
E x x x

UKers - Boots Diet Coke Nails Inc

2010-05-23T21:37:00.002+01:00

Hey there folks,

Just to let you UKers know that if you buy two little bottles of Diet Coke in Boots at the moment you get a free Nails Inc polish.

There are four colours to pick from. A red, pink, purple and a taupe.

I've bagged the purple and taupe. The purple isn't really work friendly for me but I can break it out at the weekend.

Oh and I was asked what type of work I do that restricts the nail colours. Well I guess the best way to describe it would be a legal environment so brights colours aren't really suitable. I do miss my brights it has to be said.

Exxx

GIVE AWAY WINNER - TAKE 2

2010-05-23T21:17:00.002+01:00

Hey folks

Well if you have been reading you will know that the original winner for my giveaway didn't get in touch so I have had to redraw.

So the new winner is LIPGLOSSIPING!!!!!!

So send me your details sweetie and I shall send the gifts off to you.

Also I just wanted to say I know I haven't been around lately. I have noticed that I have lost a couple of followers. This may be due to this or due to the give away being over. Just wanted to say thanks to those that are still following. It means a lot. I've not had the most fun time lately but I'm hoping things are getting better and I can get back to blogging.

Hope you all had a great weekend.

Exxxx

There will be posts and a redraw

2010-05-20T21:38:00.001+01:00

Hey there guys.
I'm so so sorry I've not been posting. I've been having a rough couple of weeks work wise and I am just shattered. So happy it's Friday tomorrow.
I'll get time to do some make up blogging this weekend thankfully. Have been missing it so much.
Thank you to those who commented on my last post. I will be doing a redraw for my give away this weekend. Fingers crossed this winner gets in touch.
E x x x

What would you do?

2010-05-17T20:47:00.001+01:00

Hey there guys
I'm so sorry I've not been about much. Work is really busy at the moment and I'm flat hunting. By the time I get in and relaxed I just want to watch a bit of telly and then bed. Hopefully it looks like me and Mr E have found a place so here's hoping I can get back to blogging.
I also need your help hence the title of this post. I haven't heard from the winner of my giveaway. In the rules it did state that the winner needed to contact me within a certain amount of days and it's now gone over that. What do I do? I feel bad redrawing but that was the rules. So folks what would you do?
E xxx

Following Freebies - GIVE AWAY WINNER!!!!

2010-05-10T22:43:00.005+01:00

Here is the winner of my give away! Sorry it took a little longer than planned. Thanks to everyone who took part and I will certainly be doing another give away sometime soon.

Also I would say that I haven't had the online time to check out all your lovely blogs. Once I get some more internet time I will check them out and get a reading!

So onto the winner! For those who are interested I used Random.org to get a winner.

And the winner is - redrawn

Once again thanks folks for all the support. Will start collecting little goodies for another give away soon.

Exxxxxxxxxxxxx

Quick sorry

2010-05-04T19:36:00.001+01:00

Hey guys
Just wanted to post a quick sorry about not having the give away winner announced yet. I'm flat hunting at the moment so it's taking up most of my time. Not getting much Internet/computer fun time. Hopefully I can get some pc one on one at the end of this week but it will be next week at the latest I promise.
Hope you are all well. Can't wait to catch up on all the blog reading I'm missing.
Exxx

Magazine freebie shout out

2010-04-29T20:55:00.002+01:00

InStyle magazine in the UK is giving away free Nails Inc polishes this month.

A red, pink and browny nude. I grabbed myself two this morning, the pink (Candy - which looks a bit like a pink with a touch of lilac in it) and the browny nude (Mink - which reminds me of chocolate ice cream).
I didn't bother with the red as I have tons of red polish already and I can't wear it at work.

These two beauties are work friendly so I can't wait to try them out (man I miss bright bold colours)

Just thought I would let you guys know if you didn't already.

Gotta love a freebie!

Exxx

2010-04-29T20:25:00.003+01:00

Hey there peeps

Well my first give away on blogger ends tomorrow (midnight GMT) so if you haven't entered here's the final chance. Clink here and see if you get lucky. Forgive me if it takes me a few days to figure out the winner. I'm hoping to have the winner up on the Monday bank holiday here but it all depends on the amount of Internet time I get. Plus I've never used the random org thingy so I need the figure that out. Here's hoping it's user friendly.

I'm so happy that this giveaway has gone down well with you folks. I will definately be planning another in the coming months for my 200 follower mark!

I'm currently trying to crochet something that will hold my lipsticks. I'm sick of them all being piled up in plastic box. Takes forever to rake through them to find the colour I am after and it doesn't look too pretty. So once I have tried to make something, if it is a sucess, I might see if I can make another for this future giveaway. Not only will it be a bit unique (if it works) but personal too.

Also I am about to start (in fact am currently on) a no make up buying ban. I need to save like a demon over the next month. Literally have to watch every single penny. It's not going to be fun but the end result will be worth it. So cosmetic purchases need to cease for while. Let's face it there is nothing I can't live without for a while. I have enough supplies right now!

Once this ban is lifted I already know what I will be running to buy. Illamasqua's liquid metal in Surge. I have the other three metals so surely it's law that I get the forth? I wonder what colour they will come up with next. Tackyblueeyeshadow has shown a great look using this so check it out.

I did purchase a little something last weekend but that is for future blogging.

Hope you are all spiffingly good.

For us UKers I hope you all enjoy the bank holiday. I'm super glad to get an extra day off work.

E x

Twitter me this

2010-04-22T23:32:00.002+01:00

Hey there folks,

I've started a Twitter account for make up and random stuff. Follow me if you like (hopefully I will get to grips with it quickly as I tried once and kinda gave up).

I'm under the name ElizaMUJunkie - also can be found through the email on this page.

I've posted a little link dude in the top right hand corner so hopefully that will work too.

If you are on Twitter let me know so I can follow you too!

E x

Discount codes

2010-04-22T21:57:00.005+01:00

Hey there folks -

I was sent some discount codes to share with you lovely peeps!

Figleaves

10% off selected orders

Code: fig10off

Expires: 23rd April 2010

Boden

10% all orders and free delivery

Code: LN9P

Expires: 30th April 2010

ASOS

Free standard delivery when you spend £75

Code: STANDARD

Expires: 31st May 2010

Love Your Shoes

10% off all orders

Code: LYOURSTEN

Expires: 30th April 2010

House of Fraser

£5 off beauty and fragrances over £60

Code: BEAUTY10

Expires: 3rd May 2010

Debenhams

10% off beauty orders

Code: PN6P

Expires: 8th May 2010

Hotter Shoes

£5 off all orders

Code: XBDFPD

Expires: 10th May 2010

Joules Clothing

Free delivery when you spend £50

Code: PP68

Expires: 2nd May 2010

Purefootwear

6% off all orders and 5% off sale items

Code: DB14

Expires: 30th April 2010

EDIT - also been sent the link to the website. Hope this is helpful. http://www.discountcoder.com/

I haven't ordered online from any of these so I can't comment on that. Just thought I would pass them on in case they were of use to you guys.

Off topic and thanks!

2010-04-22T20:48:00.003+01:00

Hey there guys

Quick post that is totally off topic..sorry.

I recently finished my first BIG crochet project and boy is it BIG!!!

I made this shawl. I used a different yarn than the pattern so I knew it was going to be bigger but it's MASSIVE. Loving it though. Gives me the confidence to try more complex projects.

Are any of you out there knitters or crocheters

Also noticed that I am now over 200 when it comes to followers. Wow guys, just wow!

Thank you all so much for joining in and following me. This has put a massive smile on my face.

If you haven't read about my give away get in on the action here. Still time to enter and spread the word.

Hope you are all having a great week! Weekend tomorrow Wooo Hooo!

Will get a MU related post up as soon as I can,

Lxxx

FOT(other)D - Sleek time

2010-04-19T19:37:00.005+01:00

So here’s a FOT(other)D. As you can see it’s all about the eye make up. I wasn’t at home the other week but I still had to take a decent selection of eyeshadows with me. That’s cosmetic addiction for you. So I grabbed a few Sleek palettes so I would have plenty of colours to select from. It was such a simple look but I loved it. Full on spanking blue. When I was young I remember blue eyeshadow being classed as dated and so 80’s. Not only that but being a blue eyed girl I always remember reading that I should stick with browns and shy away from the blue. As a teenager though nothing sounded more boring than brown eyeshadow (how that opinion has changed)! I’ve recently changed my foundation and the application of it but I want to cover that all in another post as I want to give it a good try out. As for the other products I used Barbara Daly’s eyeshadow primer. This is great stuff and super, super cheap! It can also be used as a light concealer but I haven’t used it for this so not sure how well it works. As a primer though I have been using it every day for a few weeks now and loving it. I would certainly repurchase.

All over the lid I used the blue from the Sleek Sunset Palette blended up to through the eye socket. I then used the dark blue from the Sleek Bohemian Palette (one of which can be won in my give away here) pushed into the upper and lower lash lines. I then lined the waterline with my new favourite black pencil liner. Bourjois Khol with built in sharpener. It’s so super black and soft, it's taken over from my love of the Rimmel Jet Black I previously posted about. Then a couple of coats of Max Factor’s Lash Extension mascara. Now this shadow did crease as the hours went on although this doesn’t bother me so much. I tend to take a small soft eye brush with me in my hand bag to rebuff the socket line while I’m out and about. The rest of the make up was left as pale as possible. Tiny bit of blush and bronzer and Boots Natural Collection Apple Blossom lipstick to finish it off.

I’ve also had my hair colour changed (although I hadn‘t styled it in the photo above so you can‘t really see). It was getting really black with the constant dark brown colouring at home, the colour was so flat looking. My hairdresser stripped the black out popped in some toffee, caramel highlights and put a toner over the top. Altogether it’s far warmer now and will slowly get lighter over time. This should mean no more obvious roots! *fingers crossed*

Hope you’ve had a great start to the week. I’m always happier when Monday is over!

E x x x

Rimmel Fail and Win

2010-04-16T23:01:00.003+01:00

I don’t have brands that I solidly stick to. I tend to mix and match it. Saying that I haven't bought much from Rimmel in a good long while. I can‘t stand their adverts, the whole “get the London look“ gets my goat. However I don‘t think this is the reason for the avoiding I‘ve been doing (along it can‘t help). I just never seem to see any of their products that spark an interest. Nothing has the WOW factor for me. When their Sexy Curves mascara started getting fantastic reviews across the web I gave it a bash and was so disappointed. It seemed dried out from first opening and as I’ve said before on hear I even bought another in case I had picked up a tube that someone had opened in the store. However nope, still dry and useless on my lashes. Although I know a lot peeps love this mascara it was a fail for me. When I'm on the high street hunt they tend to be the last stop getting a bit of a glance (normally done when food shopping in Asda or Tesco).

Another factor could be that it was the make up that I used as a teenager (heather shimmer anyone?) so other makes appeal more as something "new" and more “adult“ some how. Not that I don’t own anything of theirs but not much by my standard. They do a very cheap black liner pencil in "jet black" which I find super pigmented for such a cheap product, it works great on the water line of the eye and yes has to be retouched but that’s the waterline for you (although it now has a High Street rival but more on that in another post).

They also do a matte white single eyeshadow which I like to use as a highlight colour regularly so I tend to buy that every now and then. I have a 8hr colour mousse eyeshadow in Glitz (number 005) which works ok as a base but other than that I have no product of theirs I love. . . Until now.

I have a thing for red and a pink lipsticks at the moment so when I saw that there was a money off offer on their Colour Show Off lipsticks I had to snap a couple up. "Shocking Pink" couldn't be more like it's name, with an almost matte finish that they call a velvet appeal finish this is so in your face and packed full of colour. I am in love, my one complaint is that it can bleed a little so I got a lipliner to see if this resolves the problem. I went to the hairdressers the first day I tried it out and she said how much she liked it, always a good sign. Now with a colour this bold I keep any eye make up very simple. I tend just to team it with a black winged eyeliner and a bit of pink blush. I heart this so! And at around £5.99 depending on where you buy it not exactly breaking the bank.

The second colour is another type if pink, Pink Gossip, a little softer than the previous but still bright and well pigmented. More of a bubble gum pink where as Shocking Pink has more red in it I would say. This once again I wear with just an eyeliner most if the time but I team it with green instead of black.

I am very impressed with these. So much so that I thought I would try a few more of their items. FAIL! I bought their lipstick lock and what a pile o' poo. Not only does it sting to all buggery when you put it on but it does nothing. Here's proof (see below). My lips just after application and then a couple of hours later after ONE cup of coffee, yep great lot of good
that was. If it had worked better I may have put up with the stinging but to be honest I think I would have given up. J ust not worth the pain especially with no gain. I also grabbed another colour of lippie (nude pink) that wasn’t so much of a fail but it was a frosty pink finish and it just looked too 80’s for me. Really dated some how but on others it may look great. I’ve given it to my mum and she seems to like it so it aint a loss.

I have to say again thank you to all those taking part in my giveaway, which can be found here. Means so much that you guys have taken the time to join in and for all the lovely comments and helpful suggestions too. So happy about it all. I will definitely be doing another in the future for sure.

Hope you are all great and have a fantastic weekend!

E xxx

Little update and a Thanks

2010-04-12T20:42:00.003+01:00

Howdy peeps how's tricks?

So I’m back from my little break off the blogging world. Lots of reading on here to catch up on.
I have to say I am over whelmed at the response to my little give away. I am so excited that so many people are taking part. Makes it all the more fun. I’ve finished the hat that will go in along with the make up. I do have to warn you all that it is quite big and slouchy so I hope the winner has a lot of hair to fill this out! I've included a couple of photos of said massive hat but as I didn't want to wear it for hygiene reasons it may not be the best picture. Also the colour is spanking pink and the camera seems to read it as a slightly different shade than it is. Any way, long and short of it is, if the winner doesn't like or wear the hat, tis cool. I'm only just learning this crochet and knitting lark

It was fantastic to have some chill out time over the last week. I'm almost healed from my accident (for those not aware I got knocked down a couple of months ago) and really needed some time out. Walking is so much easier although I tried to kneel down in a shop (to look at lipsticks would you believe) the other week and instantly regretted it! Any way things are getting better.

It was my birthday over my week off too so I treated myself to a few cosmetics - Shocker!!! I'm saving to move soon so this will be my last big spend for a good while. I keep saying that but this really will have to be. I'll probably go over these purchases in a few posts as there were a good few.

Hope things have been great for you guys and thanks again for following and blogging about my give away.

E xxx

Following Freebies - 100 Followers Give Away

2010-03-29T20:06:00.008+01:00

Hey there folks.

As promised I am doing a little give away after hitting a hundred followers. I am making this hat

but in spanking pink to be added in to the gifts too. However I'm still in the middle of making it so no photo as yet. I wanted to get the give away up and running however as my access to the big old internet will be limited for the next wee while.

EDIT - Meant to say guys that the hat and make up in the photos are my own. The make up you could win are unopened. In fact I did open the Sleek Palettes once just to check that none of the shadows were cracked etc.

So on with the prizes/gifts. As stated before it's bought by the bank of me so they are high street purchases but I hope you guys like them. As this is a give away for my blog I have picked products that I use regularly. Although looking at the colours I think they would suit most people.

Firstly we have two Sleek eyeshadow palettes. "Storm" I use every week without fail. In fact I have two if them as I have already gone through the mid brown matte colour. The gold is also a favourite. If the winner is new to the Sleek brand or perhaps live outside the UK and hasn't tried these before, the fantastic Pixiwoo has a video featuring this palette, if you are looking for ideas on how to wear the colours.
The second palette is their new "Bohemian" shadows, which I am sure you will have seen talked about all over at the moment. I won't do a review on this as I know there are plenty out there written far better than I could. Plus I’ve not have a chance to properly try it out. I did try the browny purpley gray out yesterday and was quite keen.

Along with these the winner will get two Barry M dazzle dusts.

Now I own a few if these and have to admit I hardly touch them. I'm not keen on the staying power of most of the colours I have tried. With that said these two are different. If you are a blue eyed girl "Bronze" (right in the photo, number 44) is so striking and really makes blue eyes stand out. The second is a more recent purchase "Old Gold" (left in the photo, number 24). This I love teamed over the top of a black base with some black liner.

So there it is, the above with the soon to be finished hat are up for grabs.

So here come the rules.

1) Gotta be a follower folks. This giveaway is for the people who come on here and take the time out to read my rambles. (EDIT) Newbies to my page are of course welcome to join in. The more the merrier. However please don’t just sub for competitions as I know some people do, it sucks all the fun out of it. I will check if the winner is a follower.

2) It is open to the international waters! No matter where you are on the planet you can join in. However this will be posted via surface mail so may take it’s sweet time getting to you.

3) Young peeps. If you are under the age of 16 please, please, please ask who ever you stay with if it is ok to join in as I will need your address to post the prize to. This is the internet after all. In fact, regardless of age if you are living under a roof that aint yours please check it’s hunky dory to be giving out the address.

4) The winner will be picked at random.

5) The give away is open from now until the 30th of April as I‘m not sure what the response will be like, thought I better give it some time. Once the winner is announced they will have 4 days to contact me or I draw again.

So how to enter -

For 1 entry simply comment on this post and ONLY this post. It can be as easy as saying “Hell yes count me in” or please put something that you like about my page or something you would like to see more of, it would be appreciated. One comment per person please. Multiple comments will still just count as one entry.

For 3 entries do the previous step and also post about my give away on your own blog. If you are doing this please leave the link in the comment too so I can go to your post.

Well I think that is all folks.

Monday is over! Woo hooo

E xxx

Smooth Operator

2010-03-28T23:00:00.003+01:00

I got my hair cut the other week after what felt like an age. It sorely needed it. I’ve gone to the same hairdresser for a while now. My hair is very thick, long and has a mind of it’s own. It’s not straight and not curly but has the wavy thing going on. It can get very frizzy looking and as with most curly/wavy hair doesn’t naturally have much shine. Therefore I am always on the look out for serums and protective products. I do straighten my hair from time to time but day to day I tend to only do the top section. I have to use full on heat to get it to do anything so I try to do as little as possible. Gone are the days of fighting against it as I did as a teenager and work with what I have.

I am a sucker for buying products when I get my do done at the salon. This trip I came away with Kerastase - Sérum Oléo-Relax. Around £12 a bottle it’s not cheap but then neither is the rest of the brand. I am super impressed though. The website does state it is for fine to medium hair but it does work on my thick locks. It really does calm my tresses down. I can see this being a repurchase for sure. I do also want to get my hands on Paul Mitchell serum as I heard this is a great smoothing product too.

I get the colour done next week and I am can’t wait. It’s gone way too dark with over colouring for my liking.

Pin Up Pout - Shout Out Award and Give Away News

2010-03-25T19:50:00.007Z

Pin Up Pout - Shout Out

Well this post has long been overdue. I had planned to do these shout outs monthly but I'm thinking I will just post them as and when. Any way, for any of those that hadn't read previous pin up posts (there has been two)I made a little award a while back. *points to image on top right hand of page*. I don't actually think of it as an award, more of a high five or fist bump across this blogging community. Award seems to be the term round these parts so I just went with it.

So on with the show. The next lovely lady to get this is Lipglossiping.

Now many of you guys will already know if not already be following her blog. If not, get thyself off toot sweet and get reading and enjoying. Awaiting you is a jammed packed juicy blog. A regular poster with an upbeat nature. I think the main thing I love about her page isn't just the great reviews and cracking photos but the sense of humour she brings to it. Showing personality throughout her writing.

So I asked the lady herself to spare a few moments and answer some random questions.

Q. Who (or what) makes you properly belly laugh?

My 10 mth old daughter's laugh. She sounds *exactly* like the Gran out of the Catherine Tate Show! It's ridiculously wicked, slightly menacing but mostly just infectious as hell. Oh, and Moz from the IT crowd.

Q. What’s your favourite movie of the last year?

I don't really watch films and can't remember the last time I went to the cinema. No wait, Mr. L has just reminded me. The last film I saw was The Bank Job, which was about 2 years ago. It was alright.

Q. Top celebrity crush?

Can I have two? Um... Roger Federer is one. Is that embarrassing? I don't think I've ever told anyone about my Federer crush. The other one is Josh Holloway but I think everyone fancies a bit of Sawyer right?

Q. Trend you just can’t get your head around (and wish it would go away)?

This might be a bit controversial but I hate pastel nails. They aren't ever gonna go away, they'll keep coming back Spring after Spring.... but they always look so damn chalky to me!

Q. Your guilty pleasure?

Staying up FAR too late, playing with makeup whilst blogging and tweeting. I always pay for it the next morning, thank goodness for under-eye concealer!

Q. Cosmetic item you think everyone should own and why?

I've just bought my first Bare Minerals Blush in Promise and it is to die for. I haven't had the chance to feature it yet, but I can't stop wearing it. I apply with a stippling brush and it gives me a beautiful flush of pink guava goodness. If it looks good on my cool-skintone, I'm positive it'll be a universally flattering shade.

Q. What outfit or item of clothing makes you feel super glam?

Honestly? Anything that's *just* had the tags removed. Am I the only one who 'gets' that? When you first buy something, you can't wait to put it on and feel especially gorgeous that first time you wear it! Then the feeling fades and before you know it, it's in a heap on the floor along with everything else.

Q. What song or album is constantly on repeat in your house at the mo?

It's usually either Janis Joplin - Pearl (me), Sam Cooke - Portrait of a Legend (Mr. L) or The Clash - London Calling (me). I'm secretly 67.

Q. What made you want to blog and what are your favourite parts about it?

I was 8 and a half months pregnant when I started Lipglossiping. I'd had a photography blog for a couple of years before that which had fizzled out as I'd become more heavily pregnant and less able to get out and about to take photos. Lipglossiping was/is an amalgamation of some of my greatest loves in life (photography and makeup).
Oh, I have 3 favourite aspects! Can I name them all? My favourite things about blogging are creating connections with people who completely understand the subtle nuances between my 18 taupe eyeshadows. I adore getting free beauty products to consider for review, I'd be lying if I didn't consider that a fabulous perk... but my number one favourite thing about blogging is seeing my readership grow. It swells me with pride. I don't really understand it - but that makes me appreciate it all the more!

Q. Tell us about another passion of yours.

Well, I've already mentioned photography, but I've been into it for around 5 years now. I'd never go pro because I don't have the right kind of personality for the job and there's too many people like me with a big camera who go round touting themselves as professionals. Way to ruin someone's wedding photos right? Plus, I'm kinda shy, hard to hear and talk too fast. I couldn't do the whole "everyone say cheese!" stuff very well.

A MASSIVE thank you to Lipglossiping for agreeing to do this. To go straight to her blog just click the award image in the top corner or the link on her name.

Also, in other news ;) - Little update on my give away. I bought some prizes and making another ;)

I'm probably going to do this about the middle to the end of next week. I’m thinking it will be open for a few weeks. Firstly as I have no idea how many folks will enter and secondly as there will be a week where I won't be online much. Plus if you are anything like me and have to squeeze in time to blog it's easy to miss a post. Does anyone else think that blogger ain't so user friendly?

Here comes the weekend folks!

Exxx

Lip Service - Boots No7 and a FOT(other)D

2010-03-23T19:11:00.005Z

I'm all about lips at the moment. Lipsticks have been my purchase of choice lately. As much as I do love a great lipgloss I'm a long thick haired lady living in a windy city. Lip gloss and hair don't seem to mix too well, well I suppose technically they mix very well! However gluing my do to my face ain't really a look I want. Saying that I do still own many a gloss, it's an addiction people, what can I say?

Lately I've picked up a few No7 lipstick numbers from boots due to those handy little five pound off vouchers. My favourite colour is Waterlily, I heart it muchly (pictured above with flash and below in natural light).

I had a No7 compact set left over from Christmas that contained this colour and instantly fell in love with it. However the compact isn't small so reapplying wasn't an option without lugging it about and carrying a lip brush (the brushes in the set are all kinds of rubbish). I carry enough around all day without adding to it, no thank you I thought. So with my first voucher Waterlily was mine in tube form. Hurrah!

Now so impressed was I with this that I bought a couple more as the vouchers came. In all honesty though I wouldn't have bought these without the money off. At £9 for a lipstick I'd rather save the cash, add to it and head to MAC (still don't own a MAC lipstick! This is wrong people, Russian Red you will be mine). That or head through to Glasgow and hit the Illamasqua counter.

However Waterlily would perhaps tempt me to repurchase even at full price. Perhaps, at a push as I do heart it so. Below is a FOT(other)D. I used a very small amount of shadow and made it more about the liner and lips. Liner was UD 24/7 with a glittery Collection 2000 liner over the top.

Any of you UK ladies been going voucher happy in Boots? ( I see you got a yummy plummy Emma, lovely on you)

E x

Thank you followers and give away ideas

2010-03-22T21:42:00.002Z

Hey there gorgeous people.

I wanted to post to say a massive thank you to you guys following my blog.

I have now reached the 100 mark, can’t quite believe it.

There are only a couple of people in my day to day life that know about my blog. When I started this page it was mainly so I could add comments to other peoples blogs but I soon got addicted. I like having a little bit of the net that is just mine in a way. I have met so many lovely people through this, it rocks.

So as is tradition in these parts hitting a milestone means a give away.

I asked a couple of posts ago what you folks would like but I didn’t get any responses so if you do have any ideas for doing something a little different let me know. I’m still poorly so my creative hat isn’t in full form at the moment (soz)!

I do have another question for you peeps though. As the giveaway will be funded by the bank of me I need your advice. I’m not a rich person and I am saving at the moment to move so the giveaway with not be buckets full of cosmetics (how good would a bucket size lot of make up be!)

Therefore people would you like a small high end product as the prize or a few High Street numbers?

I also thought I might make another one of the yellow hats I posted previously and add that into the prize.

So if you have any thoughts on the above please leave me a comment.

Thanks once again guys. Your time reading my rambles is very appreciated.

Exxx

Boyfriend make up roulette

2010-03-18T21:32:00.003Z

I’ve not been well of late which has meant a lot of time in the house. Therefore make up purchases have been few and far between. Boo and hiss to that indeed!

So on a whim, and to fight my jonesing for new slap, I ask the fella to pick me up a little something make up wise for me when he popped out to the local shops. He’s very understanding of my cosmetic addiction so he was happy to give it a go. Literally gave him a tenner and said to get anything. So new products and a surprise all in one.

So what did he come up with?

Max Factor colour collections lippie in Chili - I heart it. The boy did so well.

Now their website does suggest that this colour is more suited for darker skin tones but I’m keen. I think it’s flattering even on my pale skin. A lovely spicy red with hints of gold through it .

Boyfriend make up roulette was a complete success. There may be a round two.

Nearly the weekend folks. Hope you are all having a great week.

Exxx

Too Faced - Natural Eye Kit

2010-03-14T22:29:00.004Z

As much as I love my bright colours I am always super keen on a soft creams and browns. As a blue eyed girl I know that those colours are going to flatter. I’ve never tried any Too Faced products apart from their shadow insurance. That’s not to say I haven’t picked up many a thing from their range and wished it to be mine. This weekend though I totally caved. Completely lost control and pop the Too Faced Natural eye kit in my basket. It had to be mine. The kit contains nine shades in three sections. Day, classic and fashion. There is also a little brush and sponge with it but does anyone ever use these? The kit also contains three cards showing you how to put together the three different sections on the eye. Handy for those new to the world of make up. The day time trio are matte which I am LOVING. I can see me using those colours up quick smart. The others have shimmer through them and look just as stunning.

I used the products today and was very happy with the results. Teamed with my trusty Bobbi Brown long wear gel eyeliner I was good to go.

I’ve only used this once but I heart it already. Super keen to try more products from the Too Faced range.

Have you used any of the Too Faced brand? Are you a fan?

Hope you have had a great weekend.
Ex

2010-03-08T19:06:00.004Z

A high end and high street love.

Lipsticks are my buy of choice at the moment. I have many a colour of eyeshadow but I was feeling in a bit of a lippie rut. This is slowly changing though. Here's a couple of my latest loves.

Box by Illamasqua, I love it. Pure and simple. It’s love.

At £15 for a lipstick this is my high end joy. I treated myself the other week and got my mitts on it. I had been advised it was a great colour that would suit most skin tones and oh my, it's spanking. I’m still not 100% sure of my colouring so finding my ultimate red is a mission at the moment. This must be close. Yes it's not your every day wear. I certainly wouldn't go to work in it but if I could get away with it I would. This super dramatic colour is as bold as you can get. On my pale skin it packs a punch and I can't get enough. I don't care if it's too much. If people stare or think it's OTT, then that’s their problem, I adore it. The pigmentation is full on and the colour is super opaque and matte. Lips need to be in top condition or dry skin gets highlighted. Mine tend to be fine but sometimes they get dry on the very inside of my bottom lip, this really does show any slight flaw but such is the nature of the beast when it comes to bold mattes.

Second up is the high street fun and a far more day time affair. Boots Natural Collection lipstick in Rose Bud.

Super cheap at under £2. I have loved the previous two colours I picked up from this range and this has been no different. Now these colours, as fitting with the collection, are in the neutrals so they are perfect for the office. The three I have all give an almost matte finish. Which is lovely considering most cheapo lipsticks tend to be on the greasy side. I've never been one for mid pinks or rose colours but I really like the look of this and getting me into new colours is the whole point.

So folks, what lippies are you loving at the moment?

Any suggestions for new colours to try?

Hope you are all having a great start to the week.

Exxx

I'm getting old people!

2010-03-03T19:55:00.002Z

I'm getting old people. Ok so I’m not quite collecting my pension but I am noticing more lines under my eyes. Good how much I am NOT liking that. Any way another thing I'm getting annoyed at the most are grey hairs that are starting to pop up at my roots. My hair is quite dark and it's beginning to bug me. Ok so it's not a huge deal and it's unlikely anyone else would even notice but I can see them. So what to do?

The main reason it bothers me is the fact that I like having dark hair. Naturally my hair is a mid-brown, I would say. Nice enough but I like having it that shade darker. However this is making the odd grey rascal more noticeable. I can't be bothered dying it every few weeks. If I was going to hit the bottle that often it I'd be a red head. So I’m not sure what to do. I might see if I can go a lighter brown shade and see if that helps. I’m getting my hair cut next week so I’m going to ask about it then.

Any advice guys on colouring?

Oh and the photo of Clooney, well he has grey hair right? Yep that’s a good enough excuse.

Ex

What is your limit?

2010-03-01T19:47:00.002Z

I had decided to treat myself, and treat myself I did. However not quite how I had first planned.

You see I've had a rotten time of late so I thought some retail therapy in the form of some fancy make up was in order. I ended up getting a couple of illamasqua products and the Benefit Powderflage that I've previously blogged about. This wasn't my first choice however. No doubt like many of you out there I have been longing to get my hands on some Beaute products. Namely Masochist and Flouron. I heart them so much. Two gorgeous products that NEED to be in my make up bag.

I was on the website all prepared to purchase but I just couldn't do it. Why? Quite simply, the price. I just couldn't bring myself to spend £47 on two lip products. I know this may seem silly considering I paid £15 for an Illamasqua lipstick but still, that's seven pound difference. I would however spend £25 (the cost of Flouron) on a eyeshadow palette, so really what is the difference.

So my question to you dear folks is 'What is your limit'? At what price do you draw the line? I seem to have met mine.

Now these little stunners will still stay on my wish list as they will go on my 'birthday present suggestion guide' (tee hee) so I may still get my hands on them. When it comes to gifts I tend to ask for things that I wouldn't treat myself too. As a gift I would love it as it not a practical boring thing it's a 'spoiling you treat' which a gift should be in my eyes. Not necessarily what you need but what you WANT. The 'sensible' stuff I can save up for an buy myself.

Hope your week has started well.

Take care folks
Exxx

What's your other passions?

2010-02-25T20:47:00.003Z

This is a random post. After reading Lipglossing’s post about photography it got me thinking about what other hobbies, aside from the love of make up, you folks may have.

I have a new love, as well as my make up obsession, knitting and crochet. My mum taught me to knit when I was young but it had been years since I had picked up a pair of knitting needles. So far I have knitted a very large and pretty basic scarf. Currently working on a slightly more complicated scarf. Crochet has got me properly hook (pardon the pun). I had never learned this before and it’s SUPER easy to learn. I’ve made myself a good few hats and a few baby things for my new little nephew. It’s quicker than knitting so it means you can work up a project in no time at all.

Here’s a hat I made earlier! *points up*

I also love art. I did a degree in painting but haven’t touched a canvas in a long time. This is a combination of a few things, lack of space, money and inspiration. However I am hoping to move within the coming months so I’m hoping this will lead to more space to get my oils on the go.

So peeps what else are you into?

Exxx

2010-02-24T19:49:00.003Z

I had been meaning to try out Benefit's Powderflage for quite some time now. I'm constantly on the look out for anything that might help cover my dark shadows. I've always had dark circles under my eyes. This is probably due mainly to my God awful sleeping pattern. I've never slept well from an early age.

Any way due to this price of this powder I couldn't get it when I was out of work. At £19.50 for the teeniest tiny pot possible it ain't cheap but let's face it Benefit isn't exactly a bargain price brand. I've never been a massive fan to be honest. It's been my opinion that they can be all form and no function. Yes, the packaging is cute and funny but I've never been wowed by their goods. I was pleased with a lipgloss of theirs once but at the price I'd rather head to MAC. Plus now that Illamasqua is around I would much rather spend my pennies there.

So after the crap I have been through recently I decided to treat myself to this little powder. Plus after the lovely Unicorn Smile recommended it teamed with the Bobbi Brown creamy concealer I'm currently using, I was sold. However being 'sold' turned out to the problem! At the weekend I actually went miles out of my way to buy it only to find it's been discontinued! Brilliant, after all that time it's going out the door. I was advised to try another counter or the website. So off to another counter I went yesterday and managed it get one of the remaining four they had.

I was advised that if a product doesn't sell well in the States it gets pulled here regardless to how well it's doing. Annoying, yes but fair enough, the company is out to make money after all.

So this morning I finally got to try this stuff. Hard to judge after one try of course so I will let you know how I get on. Thought I would let you folks know that it'll be leaving shelves shortly if you didn't already know. So if you are a fan go buy it up while stocks last.

Hope you are all doing well.

I'm getting closer to the 100 follower mark so please let me know if you have any ideas for give aways or competitons. What would you be up for?

Oh also it's snowing here again. I am so sick of being cold!

E x x x

Maybe I'm used to it, Maybelline mascaras. Trying something new.

2010-02-22T20:04:00.004Z

I've been using Maybelline mascara since the dawn of time. I have strayed from the path now and then when something shiny has caught my eye but generally I stay faithful. When it comes to other products I don't tend to stick with any other range in particular. I'm always up for playing the field, trying a new brand, drugstore or otherwise. So I decided to start trying new mascaras to see if I was missing out. With a nature of the beast mascaras only last a short length of time, especially since I use mine everyday. So rather than buy a handful of mascaras to have them all dry up at the same time I've just been buying a new one when my current tube has started to see better days.

The first on the new try out was Rimmel's Sexy Curves. I’m guessing like most of you I was hearing good things about this on the web. Now my eyes water in windy and cold weather, so living in Scotland I always have to wear waterproof. Anything other would just be silly. Now I don't know if this would have made a huge difference to how I found the product but I really wasn't keen. It seemed really thick, almost dried out looking. I even bought a second tube a while later as I thought I had perhaps picked up one that had been opened and had dried out on the shelf. Alas no, the second tube was exactly the same. Has anyone else found this?

Now I am a sucker for money off deals. So when I was out and about at the weekend I noticed that Max Factor’s Lash Extension Effect had £3 off. Cha ching, it was in my basket. Now considering that I have only used it for two days I have to say I’m am liking this muchly. The wand is has many a thin lovely bristle to grab every tiny lash. No blobbing what so ever. I’m very pleased with this purchase. Will let you know how I get on with this.

So what is your mascara of choice? Are there any that you suggest I try?

Hope you are all doing well.

Barbara Daly - I'm feeling it!

2010-02-18T20:17:00.008Z

While wondering around Tesco’s I decided to liven the weekly shop boredom I treat myself to some Barbara Daly make up. With lipsticks coming in at a fiver it’s not an expensive brand so I got myself three products. I know Pixiwoo had talked about the range in one of her videos so tempting me wasn't difficult. Tempting me to try any range isn't hard though! hahaha

First up I purchased a bottle of oil-free foundation in Ivory. I had been wanting to try a new foundation as I’ve yet to find one I’ve fallen in love with. It’s light weight with a light/medium coverage I would say. It smells super fresh and blends into the skin so easily. I’ve never used a foundation with such a lovely smell. It seems more like a fresh face mask than make up. It has a little wand applicator which is simple enough to dot the product on. I certainly would purchase it again without a doubt. What annoyed me with Tesco was the lack of mirrors. Yes they had a tester but how can you check it along your jaw line with no mirror to look in. I didn't have a compat mirror with me so I guessed and luckily it worked!

Second up is the eyeshadow in Taupe. The pigmentation isn’t hugely strong and I find it takes a good few layers to build up a colour however it’s worth it. I always use base with shadows so this helps grip the colour. Perhaps the other colours might work a bit better, what an excuse to try again right?

Lastly is the lipstick in Innocent. Fresh and clean looking, perfect for every day wear. It's one of those lippies that you don't feel like you have anything on. My lips but better feeling.

Here's a quick easy and very simple FOTD with these products. I added a little Bobbi Brown long wear gel eye liner a touch of blush. I do adore my bright kick ass colours but it is nice to go back to basic and simple looks.

A massive thank you, suggestions and a bit of random

2010-02-17T21:26:00.004Z

I just waited to take a little time out to do a thank you post and ask for your suggestions.

I have noticed that I’m slowly creeping my way to the 100 followers mark. This is so amazing to me. I started my rambles mainly so I could comment on other peoples blogs. However this stuff is mighty addictive but I never thought I would get to this point.

I was searching for a job when I created my blog. Therefore I had plenty of time on my hands and needed something to cheer myself up. I had never been unemployed before and I was finding it tough. After going to the US for a little while I came back to find jobs few and far between. This place gave me a whole bunch of at home beauty treats and tiny budget wonders. The blog world gave me a whole bunch of happy and I‘m very grateful. Knowing that I am not alone in this make up obsession helps too! Tee hee

I have met a mass amount of wonderful people on here. Lets face it peeps, the web isn’t known for that. So not only do I want to thank people that take the time to read my stuff but a thank you to those out there posting away. I have loved the read. I adore all your comments on my page and appreciate every one. So thanks.

Now once I do reached 100 followers, regardless to when that happens, I want to do something. Apart from smiling from ear to ear of course! Tee hee

Now since you folks would be the people taking part I thought I would ask you guys what you would like. Would you like a giveaway of some sort, a creative contest or something totally, totally different? Please let me know what you would be keen on. Budget allowing I will try to come up with something you peeps would like.

On another totally random note I’ve recently been learning to crochet and knit. I learned as a child but hadn’t picked up any yarn in years. Since I hadn’t been well enough to get up and about I managed to get my hook in action. I made a few hats so I thought I would post a pic of these. Hell, if you like them I could make something for the comp/giveaway.

So thanks again, you rock!
Ex

Lack of post and a bold lip

2010-02-16T14:40:00.004Z

Hey there folks,

Firstly I just want to say sorry for the lack of posts and activity in general on here.

Just after my last post I was knocked down on the way to work. I won’t go into too many details but basically I was half way across a crossing when a guy ran a red light and smacked into me. I count myself extremely lucky to not have been hurt worse than I am. I was black and blue all over, cut across the right side of my face and my right leg was stitched up. So as you can imagine I’ve not had much energy for anything of late! Hobbling about has been so glamorous! I am starting to get better so it’s time to get back to things. Also now the cuts on my face are almost completely healed I can start playing with make up again. Yeeha!!!

Now since I’ve not been able to play with eye shadows I have been wearing a strong lip when people have been popping round to visit. I adore, adore, adore the deep red lip gloss that came along in my free ELF gift that I previous posted about.

Here’s what it looked like on. The only problem is I don’t know what the colour is. How will I get my hands on this again once it’s run out? I have tried the website to see if I could find the name for it but no joy.

I do plan to treat myself to a MAC Russian Red and an Illamasqua Box lippie soon. Once I’m up to shopping. Bold lips ahoy! I will find my perfect red.

So I hope you guys have all been well. I’m glad to be back in the blog world. How I have missed the cosmetic joy. Looking forward to reading all your posts.

Exxx

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer - Loving

2010-02-01T20:15:00.005Z

Recently I decided to treat myself to a fancy concealer. My splurge of choice was Bobbi Brown’s creamy concealer. I decided to have my colour selected by the lovely very helpful girl on the BB counter.

Thankfully I did as the colour I would have went with was way off. I guess I just always assume that I am the lightest colour as I feel so pale all the time. The colour I ended up with is Cool Sand and it’s a perfect match. Far darker than I thought.

At £16 per teeny pot it aint the cheapest cover up out there but I’m liking it. It is super pigmented and certainly hides those dark circles and blemishes a treat. A little goes a long way so I don’t feel so bad about the price. My only complaint is that it is mega thick. Putting moisturiser on before applying is a must. It can start to settle in lines after some time so I try to pop it on as thinly as possible.

So folks have you tried this stuff? Is there any miracle concealers you would suggest I try?

Hope you are all doing well.
Take care.
Exxx

Weekend freedom, more brights

2010-01-24T21:42:00.004Z

Ok, so I’m all about weekend brights at the moment. I think it’s a combination of having the freedom to do what I want outside of work and also to convince myself that summer is coming!

I don’t know about you guys but I am so sick of this cold weather. Living in Scotland you have to get used to cold weather but this year it has just gone on forever. Plus my work is not the warmest of buildings. So I’m super fed up of spending my whole day freezing cold. Bring on the warmth already!!!

Any way this is a quick FOTD/EOTD for you guys. I’m still on a mission to find a purple shadow that works for me. This pink/purple is in the Sleek Acid palette. It looks far more pink on than in the palette.

Ok, so it might be a bit in your face and full on but what the hell, it’s the weekend.

As you can see I kept everything else super paled down to combat the bright. Using just a touch of blusher and my new ELF lip stain in Heartbreaker in the lips.

Hope you folks have had a great one. I’m currently watching 24, Jack is back baby!!!

Exxx

ELFtastic

2010-01-21T20:25:00.006Z

Sorry for the lack of posts. Things have been all go at the moment. I’m missing my blog reading and seeing what you guys have been up to.

Cosmetic wise I treated myself to a bit of ELF joy the other week. I had been wanting to try out some more of their products as I was quite pleased with the first few things I previously bought. I use their eye brow kit every day as well as the Complexion Perfection. Wasn’t a huge fan of the concealer but liked the highlighter side of it. Also not a massive fan of the blusher and bronzer. However when the offer came up for a free make up kit with any purchase of £15 or over I thought it was about time I got my hands on more.

Firstly I have to talk about the super fast delivery of these goods. Literally ordered it on a Thursday night and it arrived on Saturday morning. Silly quick! So here’s how it turned up. All save, secure and nothing bashed or cracked.

I got myself two make up brushes, one is a smudge brush which is just perfect to blur away liner. The second is an eyeshadow brush. Great brush but I had hoped it was bigger, it was hard to tell on the website. I didn’t notice it they had the measurements on the site, I could have simply missed this. I will get some more but as I’ve just bought a whole bunch of brushes (future post) I will leave that until later.

I also bought two lip stains which I will do a review on later and a black liner which I‘m not too keen on. It did come with a handy sharpener and cost about £1.50 so no biggy. I like if you are after a cheapy black liner Rimmel is the way to go. The Jet Black one I have is super black and cheap.

The free kit funnily enough is my favourite part! The lip glosses I am loving (ok so far I have only tried two but I love them). They set matt which is brilliant and the deep red I am LOVING!!! Did I say this already?

The packet didn’t list the colour names though, which is a bummer if and when I want to re order a specific product. Will have to hunt the website for info on this. I think I will do a post showing the different colours as I am seriously feeling these.

The eyeshadows are neutral enough to be every day wear and I sported the lovely mid gray today and smoked it up.

So folks what’s your favourite ELF product or are you yet to try them.

Hope you are all well! Bring on Friday!

Bright weekend

2010-01-17T22:04:00.005Z

I’m sure I have said it before but weekends for me means colour. I have to be work friendly Monday to Friday, so I love having a play with the brights come Saturday morning. Although I tried to go for a dark colourful look today that had to get wiped straight off again. That’s the joy of make up though, knowing it can be wiped off and started again.

So yesterday I went for a yellow and orange look. I was wanting to use my Illamasqua “paint” pencil which I used on the inner and outer corners of the eye. The shadow used was from the Sleek “Acid” palette.

I then smudged some Urban Decay 24/7 pencil in Zero along the lash lines. The shadows did crease a hell of a lot but as I wanted a smudged up messy look it kinda worked. Either way it was fun and that is the point right? Also I have to say I love the Urban decay pencil. I hadn’t used these before. Super soft and packed with colour. I may have to get more.

With an eye colour this strong I kept everything else quite muted.

So what's your favourite brights at the moment? SI there an eye colour or lippie you love at the weekend?

Hope you all have had a great weekend.
LAxxx

Liner Love - Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner

2010-01-11T20:58:00.005Z

Hey there folks, how you doin'?

I just want to declare my love for Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliners. I absolutely adore them. Simply can’t get enough. I know that at £15 a pot they are not the cheapest but they really are worth it in my opinion. Long lasting, packed full of colour and easy to apply. No dragging what so ever on the skin. At the moment I have four in my collection but I will add to this for sure. I have had “Black ink” and “Sepia ink” since March, I use them regularly and I still have lots left. I tend to dip my brush in and give it a good coating and then shut the lid before applying it to the first eye. I do this to try and limit the amount of air getting into the product as I don't want these can dry out.

I recently got another two colours, which I am loving. “Graphite shimmer ink” and “Espresso ink” (see above).

Next time I head to the Bobbi Brown counter I am going to have to go for a brighter colour. As you can see from my wish list I have New Caviar, Ivy Shimmer and Cobalt ink in mind.

So folks how you guys tried these? Love or loath?

What’s your liner love?

Hope you all had a great weekend. I have a little bit of Monday blues, my weekend seemed to flash by. Going to chill out in front of the telly I think.

Exxx

Lipstick Rules Red Lip Giveaway

2010-01-10T23:36:00.002Z

Hey there folks.

The fabulous Lipstick Rules is having a great red lip giveaway. Just click on her name to follow the link to her page. If you haven't read her blog before follow and enjoy.

Exxxx

Friend Award

2010-01-07T19:59:00.003Z

Hey there folks

I have been lucky enough to get some more blog awards.

Rather than give them all out in a oner I think I will save them up. I also need to give out my one Shout out award too as it’s over due. Christmas and New Year over with it’s time to get back on track with these.

The lovely Computergirl gave me this award a wee while back. I wanted to save it for my first award of the year. The thumbs up friend award is so very sweet. So big thanks to Emma for giving me this.

I won’t be nominating anyone for this but rather I nominate EVERYONE.

Anyone who takes time out to read this, thank you and please accept this award from me to you.

You ROCK.

I hope you are having a great start to 2010.

Debonair eyes - Illamasqua

2010-01-06T20:32:00.006Z

Ok so this will be my last Illamasqua post for a little while as it’s now been a four in a row but I had wanted to try their products in so long that I still am super excited about finally getting to. Also I wanted to show you how pigmented the colour is.

(Paint, Debonair, Errant)
I knew that their medium pencils were supposed to be great but I am in love with this colour! Debonair was easily my favourite on first unwrapping them on Christmas day.

I have still yet to try Paint other than on the back of my hand. I just love the strong colour of these pencils. Yes I had to keep topping the waterline up but well, it’s a waterline. With a colour this brilliant I’m more than happy to carry it about and top up when needed. I will have to get more of these once the pennies allow. This was a look I was wearing the other night with surprise, surprise Bitch on the lips. The eyeshadows were from the Sleek Graphite palette.

Hope your having a great week!

Diablo Illamasqua Lipstick - I heart it

2010-01-05T19:13:00.006Z

So I finally tried the other Illamasqua lippie I got for Christmas, Diablo. Once again I have no complaints with this product. The website describes it as a dark wine red, matt finish and that it is. Although I feel it is a little more purple than how it looks in the photos. Like any other dark lipstick it does show up any dry patches on the lips so I would give them a scrub and pop on a bit of lip balm for a few minutes before wiping it off and putting on this bold colour.

I do find that I can be on the lazy side when it comes to reapplying so I tend to wear dark colours only now and then. However this little beauty may make me turn to the dark side more often.
I decided with a colour this strong to keep the eyes simple. I used hardly any shadow on the lid to keep it a liner look. For the cheeks I used a small touch of Diablo again.

So what can I say, I heart Illamasqua.

I do still want to try and find my perfect red. Tacky Blue Eyeshadow did a great post a while back about finding your perfect red for your skin tone (go read if you haven't already) but the trouble is I’m not sure what I am. I think I am a “cool toned with pink undertones”. I feel way to pale to be anything other than “cool” although sometimes I think that perhaps I’m yellowed toned. Trouble is trying lipsticks. I would never EVER try a lippie from a tester in a shop EVER so how to I find my perfect shade without wasting a load of cash on lipsticks I won’t use? The reds I have are more in the orangey side and I do feel they make my teeth look yellow so I will have to try a blue one soon. I have heard that MAC’s Russian Red is a good colour on most so I might treat myself to that soon.

I was thinking I could perhaps take a photo of me smiling and photoshop different shades of red on me to see what tones work! Tee hee

Happy New Year Bitch!

2010-01-02T21:31:00.007Z

Happy New Year folks!

I hope you all had a great time whatever you were doing and that 2010 bring you big bundles of happiness. The odd cosmetic bit of joy would be nice too (tee hee). My celebrations were quiet and fun. So nice to wake up on the first of January without a killer hangover (just a little tired).

As discussed in my previous post I was lucky enough to get some Illamasqua make up for Christmas. I am adoring every product I got. I thought I would share a photo of my new favourite lipstick, Bitch, I am loving it. Yes it’s not the most striking in your face colour as it is of the nude variety but I can’t get enough. Plus I get to use a little of my GOSH Darling over the top in the middle to give it a little sheen. Always good to be able to use a product you thought you wouldn’t. Doesn’t feel like a complete waste of money now.

Tomorrow I think I will try out my Diablo.

Take care peeps.

Exxx

Merry Illamasqua!!!

2009-12-29T16:55:00.008Z

Hello there folks!

Hope you all had a great Christmas. I can’t believe it’s nearly 2010 already! How quickly time whizzes passed.

I got spoiled rotten by Santa. I can’t believe the gifts I got. Gorgeous stuff, I’m so grateful. I got some great cosmetic treats too. A lot of which I had been coveting for months but due to lack of funds I couldn‘t get for myself. I’ll probably do a couple of posts on the new make up I got my mitts on.

Firstly though this post is on the fantastic Illamasqua products I received.
Liquid metals - Solstice and Phenomena
Lipstick - Bitch and Diablo
Medium pencils - Paint, Debonair and Errant

Phenomena, silver goodness.

Solstice, golden dream.

The liquid metals are everything I hoped they would be. Stunning, simply stunning and a little goes a long way. I think I will have to treat myself to Enrapture too, it looks like an amazing bronze. Such a beautiful product, well worth the wait for it.

Bitch is easily going to be one of my favourite lipsticks. I can see me wearing this a lot. The perfect brownie nude for me, not too pale. Quite a dry texture and long lasting. I’ve actually been adding a little GOSH Darling (which on it’s own I dislike on me a lot) in the centre to lighten it and add bit of a cream texture. I wore this on Christmas day and Boxing day I loved it so much.

Diablo, I haven’t had a chance to properly try out as yet but loving the look of it.

The Medium pencils are once again just what I hoped they would be. Packed full of colour, soft enough to work with and no dragging on the skin. Debonair was an instant favourite but I have a feeling I will love all of these. I will definitely be buying more of these pencils. So many colours to chose from it will be difficult deciding which ones to go for first.

In short I LOVE ILLAMASQUA. Certainly worth the wait.

Festive hugs to you all.

Merry Christmas to all you folks!!!!

2009-12-23T18:50:00.002Z

Hey folks!

I just wanted to take the chance to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I'm not sure if I would get a chance before the big day so I doing it now.

Since joining Blogger I have had such a ball. You guys are seriously great. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time out to read my rambles and to leave me such lovely comments. You peeps rock. I've met so many lovely people through this community.

So happy festive wishes your way. Hope you have an amazing time (and get some cracking gifts).

Exxx

Kat Von D Purple EOTD

2009-12-21T20:32:00.004Z

So purples aren’t really my thing but I am determined to try and make them work. I adore my Kat Von D palettes and there are some lovely purples in Beethoven palette so I will keep trying.

Over all I liked the look but my mistake was my choice in a base. A while back a bought an eyeshadow pencil from Tesco’s ‘All About Face’ range for this purpose. I tend to use MAC shadesticks every now and then as bases so I had thought it might be able use this too. Boy was I wrong. God awful!!!! In fact it was so bad it has inspired me to make a SIN BIN. I’m going to list all the products I thought were bad. Luckily I don’t have many at the moment. Fingers crossed I won’t be adding many to this list. I also tried a couple of lipsticks and a concealer from this range and didn’t like any of it. The lipsticks were the worst, grease city. Instant bin job.

Any way I tried out this EOTD however due to the crappy base I will have to try it again. I could see it creasing within minutes. Fingers crossed it will turn out better next time.

Hope you’ve had a good Monday.

Christmas aint far away!
Ex

Red Sunset EOTD

2009-12-20T21:43:00.005Z

Here’s a quick EOTD for you peeps.

So it’s the weekend and the weekend for me, make up wise, means colour and lots of it. I always feel I can get away with more as it’s the weekend, no work etc, etc. So today I went for full on ion your face eye colour. I wish I had fake tanned a little as I think if I was a little less pale this would have looked better however I still liked it. I’ve always had a thing for red eye make up. Years ago I remember having a lipstick stain from the Body Shop that was bright red that I used to wear on my eyes. I teamed it with black liner to avoid the eye infection look. I wore it a lot.

When I was in the States earlier this year I managed to pick up a couple of gorgeous Make Up Forever red shadows that I haven’t used nearly enough. I must dig those out.

Any way today I thought I would try out the deepest red from the Sleek Sunset palette. I added a bit of the bright orange in the inner corner and some of the bright yellow on the inner lower lash line. After this I used a black liner on the waterline and a couple of coats of mascara.

Overall I happy with it and while using a MAC shadestick as a base I am still amazed at how well it has lasted. Not exactly an everyday look but that’s half the fun right? Anyone else a fan of red eyeshadow?

Can’t believe Christmas is less than a week away. So looking forward to it.

Hope you guys have had a great weekend. Mine was over way too quick!

Random off topic cute post

2009-12-19T00:00:00.002Z

Just wanted to say a quick Happy Friday post to you guys. Hope you all have a fantastic weekend. I certainly am thanking Crunchie it's Friday!

I'm so looking forward to Christmas. I love seeing peoples faces when they open up their presents.

I bought the daft little booties above for my soon to be born Nephew. After all, he can't be left out. Just a daft gift but they were too cute to resist.

Have a fantastic weekend guys.

Exxx

Sunset Sleek Palette EOTD

2009-12-14T19:24:00.006Z

So as I previously blogged I got my mitts on a Sleek Sunset palette. Bargain. Thought I would share with you a quick EOTD and also fess up to breaking my spending ban again.

Firstly, loving the orangey colours of the Sunset palette. Looking forward to trying out the reds within it. As usual the shadows are of a good quality, certainly for the price.

Secondly, my ban, once again I was shopping for Christmas presents and found myself in The Body Shop. You see my first mistake. They had this neat little eyeshadow palette for only five pounds so I thought it would be rude not too (go get one folks, there's another palette with silvers/blacks too). Bad I know but it’s an addiction! I can’t help it. Tried a couple of the colours and I think they will be great everyday colours and work friendly.

Hope your Christmas shopping is going well. The crowds are starting to get a bit mad in the shops now.

Vintage Pink Rimmel Lipstick

2009-12-10T21:32:00.007Z

Following on from yesterday’s post here is another one of my Rimmel 3-4-2. I posted the name wrong previously, I called it Retro Pink when it is in fact Vintage Pink. Bad blogger *slaps hand*. As you can see I was so eager to try this out I used it before I snapped this photo above.

I am very keen on this. Although with that said I’m finding it difficult to describe the colour. Here's a swatch of the colour in the day light and below with a flash and then daylight again.

I wouldn’t really call it pink but then it is. I feel it has touch of a purple colour to it too. I have been teaming it with green eyes and I’m sold. It fades really well too which is a must at work as I can’t be topping up the lippy every two minutes. It goes on smoothly, has a bit of a scent to it but nothing off putting. Nice to have something that is once again out of my usual pale or dark lips.

Hope you are having a great week so far. WOo HOo Friday tomorrow.

Exxx

Rimmel Twinkle - Happy work nails

2009-12-09T19:58:00.005Z

I blogged previously about a Rimmel 3-4-2 offer. This is one of the 3 I picked up.

I don't have many work friendly colours so I need to get myself some pastel soft numbers. I spied this little beauty and decided it would be mine. A lovely pink with tiny flecks of coloured glittery joy. I'm VERY keen as it may be a work safe colour but it still feels special.

So please guys if you know of any pale soft work happy nail polishes out there give me a heads up.

Hope you are having a great week.

Exxx

Sleek Acid Palette - EOTD, well the other day

2009-12-08T20:14:00.004Z

In my last blog spoke about the Sleek Acid palette I finally got my mitts on. So it is no surprise that when I sat down to put my make up on the following day this was in my hand. Problem is what colour to use? They all looked so vibrant and appealing I had to let my fella decide. Of course he went for the brightest acid green.

I’ve always worn really bright eye colours so I was quite happy to go for full on colour, all over the lid. I did add some of the slightly darker green (which has a shimmer through it) at the outer corners of the eye and on the lower lash line. The acid green is matte and I could see that it probably would crease so I added in a little of the darker shade to the socket. I also popped some black liner on too. From the centre of my lid out and on the waterline, upper and lower. I kept the inside corner free from any liner so it was solid acid green.

I kept the lips super, super nude using Boots Natural Collection in Apple Blossom. This colour is just wearable for me in no more. Any lighter and it's corpse city concealer lips looking, not good. Overall I was happy with the look. It feels good going a bit colour happy with the shadows at the weekend. I even got a compliment on my eyeshadow from a girl in a shop when I was out and about Christmas shopping. Which I thought was very sweet.

Are you a "brights" girl?

I gave in purchases

2009-12-06T23:36:00.007Z

So do you remember that self imposed spending ban on all things cosmetic I put on myself? Well I kind of broke that a bit this weekend. Whoops, although I can explain.

You see I went out on Friday after work to do a quick bit of Christmas shopping. I knew exactly what I was looking for but thought I would scan the shops for little stocking filler gifts. As well as that I was pricing aftershaves so popped into boots, ignored the make up completely and then headed to Superdrug to see if they did the same aftershave any cheaper. So you see I was there for research purchases honest! As I walked in to SD I quickly passed all the make up stands as I simply don’t trust myself. Then came to an abrupt stop and back tracked. They had a Sleek stand. Now as far as I was aware only one SD store in my city stocked Sleek. I knew that they were going into more stores but none on their list were near me. Hence the surprise. Not a such a big deal really as the two stores are in easy walking distance from one another. The big deal was that sitting on their shelves were the two eye shadow palettes I had wanted and couldn’t get my mitts on at the first store. Try as I might every time I had gone in there they were sold out. Not only that but there is a 3 for 2 offer across all cosmetics in SD at the moment. The ban was lifted and here is what I purchased.

Acid and Sunset eyeshadow palettes and Flamingo blush. Lovely. I’m adoring them big style and all for just under a tenner. Surely Santa would understand? I seem to keep reaching for my sleek palettes at the moment so the chance to try more colours was too much. I'm weak for make up.

I do what to start trying out other products and brands too, I feel I’ve been a bit Sleek, Sleek, Sleek recently (although the brands I want are on the pricey side of things therefore waiting until after Crimbo). I have done a couple of EOTDs with these over the weekend which I will post later on. I seriously can not buy any more cosmetics until after Christmas! Naughty me.

So guys have you had a good weekend?

What was the last product you treated yourself to?

Exxx

Rimmel 3-4-2 offer

2009-12-03T22:08:00.002Z

Just in case you folks didn't know Rimmel are currently doing a three for two offer. I know it's offer city out there at the moment with Christmas on the way. I needed to get myself their white matte solo shadow as I use it everyday as a highlight and run out quite. So I also picked up a lippy in Retro Pink and a nail polish in Twinkle. I will take photos and post about these later. I've put on the polish tonight and I'm quite keen. I think I may love the lippy too.

Happy Thursday folks!

What are your weekend plans. Any Christmas parties planned?

Ex

Off topic ramble post - Book Clubs

2009-12-02T20:23:00.003Z

This is more a blogging sort of post, not make up related. I've been a busy bunny of late so not had much time to play with my cosmetics. The looks I have been going for are more regular 'looks' that I can apply without really thinking. Second nature now. Plus I've given myself a little spending ban as I have everything from my wish list *points to right of screen* on my Crimbo list. So nothing new for me until Santa shows his red and white behind.
What's on your Christmas list?

So I joined a book club through work and I need to make some suggestions for future reads and I need your help. Now my normal flavour of book is thrillers, chillers, creepy twisty plots and murder mysteries. Think CSI on paper. However the folks at work aren’t really into that sort of thing. Now I know that a book club is supposed to make you read things you wouldn’t normally pick up but there is no point me putting things forward if people are going to hate them. So people I need your help on this one. Please can you suggest some great reads for me that most people would enjoy.

Thank guys *hugs*

Happy Wednesday!

Exxx

Tesco 3-4-2, Maybelline and winter boots

2009-11-29T23:28:00.005Z

Tesco are currently doing a 3 for 2 offer across their make up ranges. Now I am on a bit of a spending ban as I have a lot of cosmetics on my Christmas list. However I did feel that my everyday mascara was getting a bit on the dry side. Now I do tend to head to Maybelline when it comes to mascaras. I’ve had good results from their products so I usually head back to them and today was no different. I picked up “The Colossal Volum’ Express” in Glam Black waterproof which I haven't tried before. Will let you know how I get on with this. I do want to try out a few others so please suggest away any mascaras you guys love.
I really want to try Max Factor’s 2000 Calorie mascara but I couldn’t get in waterproof. My eyes do water in the wind so it is pointless buying anything that isn’t. Especially with the weather turning the way it is. I can’t get over how cold it is and now it looks like there is snow on the way!

So for my other two items I picked up more Maybelline goods. Two “Watershine” glosses, one in Baby Pink and one in Crystal Dune. The first is a very light pink that reminds me of the colour of candy floss. I quickly tried it on and it doesn’t give much colour. More “my lips but better” shine which is lovely. The second is a very light café latte colour with lots of sparkle which I think I am going to love. Once again I’ll tell you what I think once I have given them a proper try out.

I also got myself some proper walking boots this weekend. I needed a good boot that will get me through the snow and ice of winter. The shoes I have are useless in that type of weather and since we are due for snow soon I wanted to be prepared. They are actually a man’s boot from Trespass but they don’t look it. Honestly I couldn't care less I just wanted something that will stop me for slipping and falling all over the place. All the women’s boots seemed to be UGG styled with no grips on them and style wise that’s not really something I would wear. I wore them today and they are so comfortable. Now all I need are some pretty shoes for work to change into once I get there.

Hope you have all had a great weekend.

Exxx

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T23:22:00.001Z

Hey there folks,

Just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving to all those bloggers on the other side of the pond.

Massive hugs to you all!

Exxx

Another Sleek EOTD

2009-11-24T21:41:00.006Z

I went for another Sleek EOTD today. I decided to go for a one colour approach. Here's a snap of it around 7pm. Not bad considering I put it on before 7am with no touch up during the day (just didn't have time)!

Here's a couple of snaps of it after I reapplied a very small amount.

Being a blue girl I tend to reach for rich browns when I can't decide what to do. They are my "safe" colours but can be so much fun. This brown is from the Sleek "Storm" palette. I used this all over the lid and simply blended it out toward the brow bone then added a small amount of white to highlight. Along the lashes I put a thin, thin line of GOSH's bronze Extreme Art Eyeliner (number 24). Once this stuff goes on it doesn't move at all. Considering the rain we are getting waterproof is the way to go!

What are your "safe" colours then folks?

Exxxxx

Sleek EOTD and Barry M NOTD

2009-11-23T22:19:00.005Z

Quick EOTD and NOTD folks.

Sorry for the photos not being the best. I really need to figure out some sort of lighting that works. Any way here's a quick eye of the day. This was a mixture of the Sleek "Chaos" and "Jewels" palettes. Basically I used the matte chaos colours all over the lid and then added the glittery jewel colours that matched at the lashes. I really liked the way the yellow, orange and purpley shades went together. Just wished it showed in the pictures.

Here's the Barry M pink colour I bought a few weeks back. It is lovely and I will be repurchasing this one plus it's suitable for my job. However I have to admit I do miss wearing bright nail colours, I keep looking at all the lovely colours I have and pouting. Will have to just wear them at the weekend

Exxxxx

Blogger Awards and Thanks

2009-11-23T20:15:00.005Z

Hey there folks,

I hope everyone had a great Monday. I tend to get Monday blues so I've cheered myself up tonight by coming on here and catching up on my blog reading. Added to this was the lovely surprise that the fabulous Emma and Sarah have both given me a couple of blog awards. Cheered me up a treat I tell you.

Now both of these awards have different rules. One is to go to 3 people(One lovely Blog) and one to go to 15 (I love your blog).

So I hope these girls don't mind but I am going to combine them and give both to 7 people! ;)

So here they are -

Also guys, as I've not had much time online I do feel that I may have lost track of TAGS and perhaps an Award that might have been sent my way. If that is the case I do apologise.

On top of this I would like to thank everyone that is following my blog. I'm over the moon to have some many, it means a lot. So thanks for taking the time out to read my randomness and for leaving me comments. I still can't get over how friendly the blogger world is. You people ROCK!

Pin Up Pout - Shout Out Award

2009-11-19T22:35:00.004Z

Hey folks, hope you are all having a great week.

So it’s about time I did a Pin Up Pout - Shout Out Award.

This month it goes to the lovely Lauren over at Lauren Loves.

Now Lauren is a very popular blogger so many out there may already be following this fabulous lady but for those who aren’t please jump on over to her site after reading this. Click the link and check her out. You are bound to enjoy it.

She is a UK based freelance beauty and music writer and I love her blog. I really enjoy the different types of posts she does and topics she covers. I like it when a blogger mixes it up a bit. In particular I like her interviews and was over the moon the other week when she asked to do a little fun interview with me. I love the idea of us bloggers giving a little wave and a high five to each other on our pages, hence why I made this award. I am constantly impressed with the friendly community we have here. It just doesn't tend to happen like this else where on the web.

This month I thought I would steal Lauren’s interview idea and combine that with the award. I think I will keep this idea going every month (hope you don't mind Lauren). That is if the person receiving it is willing.

So here it is -

Q. Who (or what) makes you properly belly laugh?

A. Nathan Barley, Alan Partridge, The Office and Mighty Boosh. Also, a really underrated film called 'Whatever Happened to Harold Smith' is hilarious.

Q. What’s your favourite movie of the year?

A. Mmm tricky one. I think I'd have to say 'I Love You Man'. I thought it'd be a proper blokey film but it was blimming hilarious and the central characters were ace. It was so good I watched it twice within about 3 days!

Q. Top celebrity crush?

A. Kelly Jones from Stereophonics, without a doubt. I've loved Kelly since I was about 13 and driven my friends mad about him ever since. So when I interviewed him a couple of years ago, I found it ridiculously hard to remain cool and contain my excitement. I got through the whole interview as cool as a cucumber, then spoiled it on the way out by telling him I'd always been a fan. Arrrgh!

Q. Trend you just can’t get your head around (and wish it would go away)?

A. Harem pants! I'm sorry if anyone loves them, but they just remind me of MC Hammer. Or worse, Kriss Kross. Not flattering at all.

Q. Your guilty pleasure?

A. A few too many actually....Maltesers, Double Deckers, Pear Cider and coffee (preferably all at once!)

Q. Cosmetic item you think everyone should own and why?

A. I can't live without my Boots No 7 Quick Cover concealer (in extra fair - I'm so pale!). It's my desert island product and be gutted if they discontinued it. Shallow eh?

q. What outfit or item of clothing makes you feel super glam?

A. Actually, a dress I picked up from a charity shop in the summer. It's absolutely lovely - a black, lace body con, off the shoulder number. It's very Audrey Hepburn and I love it. I always get compliments when I wear it and it cost me all of £2.50. Bargain!

Q. What’s currently on your iPod? (question stolen from Lauren, hope you don’t mind)

A. A bit of everything - Ocean Colour Scene, White Lies, Roxy Music, Florence and the Machine, Little Boots, ABBA, Brighton band Telegraphs and of course, Stereophonics!

Q. What made you want to blog and what are your favourite parts about?

A. I started out doing a bit of writing for the Barry M website and got invited to their recent bloggers' event. I have to admit, I didn't realise there was such a big blogging community until I met some of the lovely girls at the event and heard what they all had to say. I jumped on the bandwagon as soon as I got home!
I love that it's such a friendly community and I enjoy reading fellow bloggers' posts. It always cheers me up when I arrive at work shattered in the morning.

Q. What are your plans for the Christmas/New Year season?

A. My boyfriend is spending Christmas with my family for the first time this year, which will be nice. As for New Year, we always have a big family do. I have never had a big night out on New Year (if you can believe it) so I think this year I will ditch my family (sorry mum and dad!) and see my chums instead!

Oh and just so you know folks I couldn't agree more with Lauren about "I love you, man". It's a brilliant movie. I laughed so hard I cried at parts. I wanted to go see it again as soon as I came out of the cinema. Go see it!

Oh and I quite like a bit of Ocean Colour Scene myself. When I was a teenagers I met them a few times. I got to spend my New Year with them and a free bar.

I will keep the link to Lauren’s page added to the award image on my site for the next month.

Lauren feel free to post this image on your blog if you wish, completely up to you.

Exxx

Highs and Lows of My Lipstick Hunting

2009-11-18T20:39:00.007Z

Recently I have been trying to get my hands on some more lipsticks. Admittedly I do have a fair few but they all tend to be a bit samey and a tad old. Besides I seem to always get eye make up so I thought it was time for something new in the lip department.

In this quest I found myself trying little cheapie options I had never purchased before. Literally things would just catch my eye as I was out and about. I didn’t have the cash at the time to be actually going out looking for make up so it was down to what I stumbled across. Any way I was hoping that I would discover a magical gem of a lippy that would cost next to nothing and work wonders. Ok, so maybe this was wishful thinking.

Firstly the I did find myself a couple of ok things. Wet n Wild (bought in Tesco) in Retro Pink and Pink Ice are quite nice. Under £2, long lasting considering the price and Retro Pink (above) certainly packs a punch colour wise.

On the other side of things Tesco also sells their own basic range “All About Face” and oh my were these lipsticks crap. There really is no other word for them. I bought one in Soft Coral and another I can’t even remember the colour of. These were so greasy I literally put them on my lips once and that was it. Awful, I just wish there had been a tester (they come wrapped up in a plastic sleeve). That was £4 wasted. So bad I don't have photos of them for you to see.

Now there may be some people out there that say “well what do you expect for under £2?”. I probably would have agreed a couple of weeks ago but that was before I bought “Boots Natural Collection” lipsticks. I’ve blogged about these previously so I won’t repeat myself but simply say, brilliant everyday lipsticks and cheap as chips!

Also 2 True (in Superdrug)do a lovely little pink number (number 4)that I am very keen on.

On the slightly more expensive scale but still drugstore brand was GOSH and Barry M. Both had let downs for me, GOSH’s Darling and Barry M’s 101, for the same reason. Far, far too white pale for me. I literally looked like I had rubbed concealer all over my lips which gave me a lovely corpse-like appearance. Both seemed to settle into every line of my lips. Hideous. I doubt if I will ever use these two again. I could use these over a liner etc but I would rather just get myself another colour that causes me less hassle.

(GOSH Darling)

Also Barry M’s magic lipstick wasn’t a winner for me. Goes on green and turns pink once on the lips. Stains unevenly, grabs every line and just looks rough. However I do want to say that Barry M’s 136 is lovely. I use that regularly.

Maybelline’s Ambre Rose is another favourite. I have adored this recent purchase . I really wished I had ignored the GOSH temptation and bought another colour from Maybelline’s range. The Hollywood red has my attention.

Any way I thought I would do a little highs and lows of my lipstick hunting.

What about you guys. Any favourite lippies of late?

Ex

Review, EOTD, LOTD mash up

2009-11-16T21:44:00.008Z

This post is a bit of a mash up of a few things. I little review, an EOTD and a LOTD.

Firstly I want to praise an ELF product I bought recently (see previous blog). This is my favourite item of my four purchases, the eyebrow kit. I have used it every day since I bought it. When it comes to brows I have never used anything other than a pencil. Shadows just looked weird somehow. But those wax and powder kits have always got my interest. So at a mere £3.50 I thought I would give it a try. No massive loss cash wise if I didn’t like it. But I do, love it in fact.

So here are my eyebrows with no make up on them at all. They are pretty fair and thin. I don’t really need to pluck all that often. Although I do tend to get tiny blonde hairs under the arch which are a nightmare to see, until I put eyeshadow on top of them. Any way they need shape and a bit of filling in. The flash flash is also making my skin look super shiny but lucky it isn't like that!

And here they are with the eye brow kit used on them. Basically you get a small brush provided in the kit. It has an angled head at one end, this you use to apply a small amount of wax to make your eyebrow shape. Then at the other end is a small round brush to apply the powder to “set” the wax. I am seriously impressed with this product. I feel it looks natural and it lasts all day unlike the pencils I was using before. Oh and I’m using the medium colour (as it comes in three shades).

Secondly is a quick EOTD photo. Surprise, surprise it’s from the new sleek palette. I’m not keen on silver colours on me but I am determined to make them work as I love the shades. They look better on me once I have a bit of fake tan on.

And lastly, it’s a LOTD. My new favourite everyday lippie (although I’m loving Ambre Rose too) Boots Natural Collection in Fig Leaf. I had to go buy another one as my first snapped at the base. At £1.95 this is such a bargain. Perfect brown nude for me.

Hope you had a good Monday!
I’m looking forward to watching Derren Brown in 3D!
Exxx

Make Up Diary TAG

2009-11-16T20:25:00.002Z

Nikki posted this lovely TAG for us peeps to do so here's my answers.

1. What time did you do your makeup today? 6:35am

2. What’s the least expensive beauty item you used? Boot Natural Collection lipstick. £1.95 bargain.

3. What was the biggest problem you needed to correct? Dark circles under my eyes and those dreaded lines appearing with them!

4. Did you apply false eyelashes? Nope, I very rarely do. Only for a night out really.

5. Did you do anything while applying make-up? What? Besides trying to wake up and focus. It was 6.30 in the morning. I can't multi-task at that time.

6. Biggest make-up mishap today? Not taking any into work to touch up with.

7. Did you have a makeup inspiration in mind? Once again it was 6.30am. Coffee is my only inspiration at that time.

8. What was the most time-consuming part of your makeup routine? My eyeshadow always takes up the most time.

9. What part of your routine is the most fun? Eyeshadow without a doubt. I finally look alive when that is on.

10. What part of your make-up makes the biggest difference in the way you look? Concealer for my eyes and a bit of blush. Too pale without some colour on my cheeks.

11. Neutral or colorful eyeshdaow? I like to mix both.

12. Liquid or mineral foundation? Liquid. Never tried mineral on myself. Had a bad make up counter experience when I walked away looking like I had put my face straight into some white flour.

13. Do you do your hair or make-up first? The slap wins.

14. Did you pack a make-up bag to take with you for the day? No, wished I had. I don't take much. Touch of concealer, powder and a lippy.

15. When did you finish your make-up? Just before 7am.

So folks if you fancy doing this take it and run with it. Let me know if you have. I want to read your answers.

Exxx

I love your blog because you make me smile - TAG

2009-11-15T22:56:00.002Z

I haven’t had much time online of late but I wanted to pop on tonight to get a post done. I got this lovely tag from Tacky Blue Eyeshadow. So here goes.

The Rules:

-You have to put a song that makes you happy.- You can tag as many people as you like, there is no limit.- Say at least one thing about each blog you tag, that will make them smile, something nice about their blog that makes you smile when you read it!

The song:

I can’t help but smile when I hear this. It’s just so upbeat. Makes me want to get up and shimmy. I tend to listen to this in the morning to wake and cheer me up.

I nominate anyone that wants to do this. However I name a few peeps. Apologises if you have already done this.

The Umbrellas of Sefibourg

Hope you have all had a great weekend. I don't know how much online time I will get this week but I will try to get some posts done. Missing catching up on my blog reading.

Order, order! What's your order

2009-11-10T22:33:00.002Z

This is just a random little query I'm throwing out there. Sorry if it seems daft to some.

When replying to a comment left on a previous post a question popped into my head. Now we have had tags about products we use, even products used on a daily basis etc but I'm curious as to how you put your make up on. The order to which you set things out. I know everyone does things differently but I know I have a set way and wonder what others do?

For me I put on my face cream, well gel actually, then eye cream and let them dry (which is a bit of a given, put these on after your makeup and it might not be the best FOTD! tee hee).

Then:
Eye shadow primer
Foundation
Highlighter shadow (usually matte white) on brow bone and inner corner of eye
Eye shadow
Liner
Eye brow pencil/powder
Concealer
Blush
Powder
Bronzer
Mascara
Lippie
Then off I go to do my hair.

I tend to pretty much stick to this routine all the time and it feels weird to do things differently. I realise this probably makes no difference to the finish look but I'm just curious, do others have there make up action plan? Do you? If so, do share.

Oh also I know I have a couple of tags to do and a couple of awards to thank people for. Will try to get them done by the end of the week, been a bit busy.

Hope you are having a great week.

Exxx

TAG - I HIT PAN

2009-11-09T22:45:00.010Z

TAG - I HIT PAN

This is a great little tag idea from the lovely Sarah.

Basically the 'rules' are

1. List 6 items that you have either 'hit pan' or finished the tub/tube bottle of etc. and have or plan to repurchase for even and ever! This can be makeup, skincare, haircare, bodycare or scent

2. Tag 6 people that you want to know their repurchases

3. Let those 6 people know by leaving a comment on their blog with a link so they know what to do

So here are my six -

Boots Expert Heat Protection Straightening Balm. Love this stuff and have just bought another tube. See previous blog. Works a treat.

Andrew Bartons Gloss Boss Serum. Another favourite hair product. Smells great and does what it says on the tin. I’m getting low on this and will be repurchasing for sure. I think I will have to try out the rest of the range.

Clinique Clarifying Lotion. Once again see my previous blogging about this. Really cleans the skin. Almost at the end of my freebie bottle so will have to get some more.

Matte White Rimmel Eye Shadow. This I use every day as my basic highlight. I have quite a lot of lid space so I go through these things quickly.

Bourjois blush in Rose Ambre. I am yet to find a blusher I love more. I wear it every day.

Bourjois Délice de Poudre. Once again another product I don’t ever stray from. Adore this bronzer.

So my 6 people are:

Unicornsmile

Clearly Beautiful

Computergirl

Helen and Sheenie's Nice Things

Sparkle is my crack

Tacky Blue Eyeshadow

Exxx

More little goodies I purchased

2009-11-09T21:48:00.008Z

I got myself another couple of goodies at the weekend.

First up is the Boots No7 illuminated mirror. I first saw this on the lovely Sarah’s blog. She advised it was half price but at the time I just didn’t have the pennies to get my hands on it. I knew I would end up buying it at some point but expected it to be back up to the full price of £50. What with dark winter mornings and energy saving bulbs it’s not the brightest first thing. This mirror is brilliant. It can actually see what I’m doing. Trust me, with getting up at 6am I need all the help I can get seeing. Happily it was still on a half price offer of £25 (no doubt for the run up to Christmas).

Next up is the Garnier Nutritionist Caffeine Eye Roll On. I’ve been curious about the little number for a while. I’ve always got really dark circles under my eyes, regardless of how much sleep I get. Although to be honest my sleeping pattern is not the best. So anything that says it will help has me interested. That’s why I’m also always on the look out for the ultimate concealer. After trying this for a while I will let you know if I see any difference.

Last but not least is the famous Ambre Rose Maybelline lipstick. This I am loving.

The colour is perfect for every day wear. A lovely pinky nude. I can see why people love it so much. Plus I like the smell. Even my boyfriend noticed this and found the scent appealing.

Exxx

Nails Inc freebie - Glamour mag

2009-11-05T19:29:00.003Z

Quick post to say hope you girls all got your hands on a Glamour magazine today. With it you get a free Nails Inc nail polish. There are four colours to pick from. Don't know the names off hand but there is a light pinkish colour, hot pink, red and a black. At only £2 this is a steal. I got two copies as I wanted two bottles of the pale pink. These should be perfect for work.

Ex