EOTN!

I went on a night out last night, and managed to have a rain free night! :)


I took it a bit more dramatic than normal, and kept a neutral look to the rest of my face.
I did a completely black lid, with shimmer on the inner half. I kept all the darkness out of the corners by using white on the inner corner and lining my water line with white to brighten them slightly. I also applied a thin black line under my waterline, smudging along the line and blending it into the white, then finished with a subtle liquid wing and of course, loads of mascara.
It made me feel all rock chick.. - Is that embarrassing?! - Which also translated into my outfit for last night.
I originally had it smoked out above the crease, but i very rarely leave it like that, I'll just ease myself into the dark eyes... So, it was cleaned up with a cotton bud soaked in eye make up remover, also making sure there was no eyeshadow under the winged liner.

Products used:
- UDPP
- MAC Carbon eyeshadow, all over the lid
- Clinique eyeshadow duo in Victorian Pink, using the shimmer for the inner half of the lid
- Rimmel Matte White eyeshadow, used on the inner corners
- Rimmel's white eyeliner, along the water line
- MAC Carbon eyeshadow, along lower lash line.
- MAC Blacktrack fluidline, along upper lash line, with a slight flick at the edge
- Benefit A little bit BAD GAL mascara, one coat
- Sephora Triple action mascara, dragging lashes out at the edges, and thickening upper lashes.

I did a nude lip and only light blush.

It stayed the night, despite boiling clubs and lots of dancing!!

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Garnier Pure Active

Garnier have recently build on their regular 'Pure' range, developing into 'Pure Active' focussed on blackhead removal.
I am a person who generally has pretty clear skin, but i do suffer from blackheads on my nose; I try anything that claims it is specific to blackhead removal, but as yet nothing has helped, even the tools. The only thing i haven't tried is seeing a dermatologist.

This scrub seems somewhat different to other products i've tried. Whereas the other seem to do as much as possible, this is just focussed on two key areas.
It claims to help fight spots and fade marks, with results from day one. This generally isn't so with other products, however i really did see an immediate difference.
Not only did it leave my skin really smooth, it also dramatically reduced the appearance of my blackheads, and significantly cleaned up other blemishes.
It has a generic face wash smell, which i like - I don't know if it's just me? Clean and Clear cleansing wipes are among the favourite smelling ones! - and consists of a light blue creamish consistency with tiny exfoliating beads within. It's not abrasive though, far from it! You can feel the beads yes, but i think this product would be suitable for sensitive skin as the fragrance isn't too potent unless it's too close to the eye or nostril area... And the beads don't feel rough on your skin at all, well not mine, but my skin is far from senstive.

After a weeks use, it has cleared up some older blemishes which have been present for a while, and it's reduced the number and visibility of my blackheads. I have used this every single day in the evening, applying to my chin, nose and forehead and I have no complaints.

Five out of the seven days i used it on it's own, washing my face in the sink. However i also tried using at the end of my shower, which had a completely different effect. I could literally feel my pores opening, and it gave a cool, tingly feeling to the blackhead prone areas, with the help of the steam from the shower, it left my face cleaner than ever!

This is the only product - the Blackhead clearing scrub - i have tried from this range, but I'm definitely going to look into the other products.
Have you tried any others? What did you think?

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EOTD

Just a quickie...

This eye made the outing today. Another simpleton really.
I used:

• UDPP
• Loreal Colour Appeal Platinum - 153 Metal Plum - all over the lid
  
• Too Faced Quickie Chronicles, in party girl - brown - lower lash line
  
• Rimmel eyeliner - Azure blue - water line
• Rimmel eyeliner - black - upper lash line, smudged into the eyeshadow
• Mac Zoom lash mascara

It's a little dramatic because of how dark the loreal is, but it's still wearable!

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The Chi Chi Palette

This is kind of my 'holy grail' & it was one of the first make up products that I was proud of.
It was purchased from a store in Australia, Melbourne called 'Myer' (If you're ever there i urge you to check it out. It is the best dept. store I've ever been in.) and is stupidly only stocked in Australian stores.

This blog is literally for my handful of lovely followers' benefit, as i reach for this in most of my colour eyed looks, so you deserve to know what I'm using!
From looking at their website they have quite a wide range, this one isn't available anymore. Well, it was purchased in 2006...

This one is in 'Cheerleader'

From left to right; A light champagne white, fuchsia pink, purple, light green, blue and a missing gold (unfortunate dropping on the floor incident...)

It was definitely a good purchase, it was a pretty spur of the moment thing, and it must have been pretty cheap because of how willy nilly i bought it.
With primer (as i will always recommend) they last really well, and the colour pay off is pretty good anyway.

Plus, it has this nifty gadget...
The tray pulls out to reveal a mirror, and it comes with a double ended brush - which isn't of the best quality, but it doesn't let it down.

So, another day, another rave. If you ever see these products i do suggest getting them, especially for those who are just starting out or just need the essentials, they come in a really wide range so I'm sure there's something for everyone.

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Apparently it's summer.

I think England (or my neck of the woods) has seen about a fortnight of usable sunshine this summer, i.e. able to bask in it's glorified warmth instead of sit inside wishing the warmth would penetrate the clouds... But, never the less, i like to tempt fate by having summer ish nails.
Each season generally has different shades in my mind, not to say i won't wear a pastel in the winter - but i always feel that brights and pastels belong in summer, neutrals in spring and darks for autumn/winter.

So, as my nail varnish collection has somehow quite substantially grown this year (I must suffer from shopping blackouts, i honestly only remember buying about 3 of these), these are my summer favourites of the now:

Left to right

• Barry M '293 Grey'
• China Glaze 'Aqua Baby'
• Barry M '295 Turquoise'
• Barry M '304 Mint Green'
• O.P.I 'Done Out in Deco'
• Per Una (Marks & Spencer's) 'Pink Cloud'
• O.P.I 'Tropical Punch'

Barry M '293 Grey'
Admittedly, grey probably isn't the first colour you'll pair with summer (although maybe it goes with these clouds?!), but I had been on the look out for this shade for EVER - I knew Barry M had it but they never stocked it in store and the delivery was the same cost as the paint if i got it online. So, I gave up, hoping another brand would tag on, alas they did not.
Then, one memorable day - my now favourite friend text to say they had it and it was on offer, so she would get it for me :D I was honestly excited, sad but true.
So, it may not be summery, but as it has held such a special place in my heart for so long, it's only right that it gets a lovely outing in the sun.

China Glaze 'Aqua Baby'
Another (much shorter) wild goose chase ensued for this colour. I originally ventured out to purchase 'Shower Together', as seen on Tiffany D's blog/channel, once again i was at a loss when it wasn't there. I opted for this colour to cheer myself up, and thank goodness I did! I compared colours (via computer screen) with 'Shower Together' and i honestly prefer this better. Plus, being my first China Glaze product, i was very impressed - I love their formula and just wish my Sally's would stock a wider range of colours...

Barry M '295 Turquoise'
I personally would label this as a pastel blue, but this sums up summer to me, it's the perfect sky blue for the rare beautiful days (I seem to have made the weather a theme here...) , but if Barry M chooses turquoise, i suppose it will have to do - I've often been told i have issues with colours.
There isn't a story to go with this one, i just genuinely think it's a really nice colour, i think this was a winning impulse purchase.

Barry M '304 Mint Green'
Another winning summer colour, simply because it reminds me of ice cream. Specifically mint flavour, so i suppose Barry M got it right this time! Yet again Barry M has come through with a great shade! I have to say that they have one of the best ranges of colours i have ever seen - especially if shopping online. I currently own 5 of their 'nail paints' and have a mental wish list for at least 3 other colours, maybe i should take action of the 2 for £5 at Boots & Superdrug?

O.P.I 'Done Out in Deco'
Unprofessional, I know. But due to the loving rant in my O.P.I teeny bikini post - i don't feel the need to do the same again. I'll just say (and maybe repeat?) that a pastel purple, particularly lilac, is another colour that i had been searching out for some time. This time Barry M didn't come through with their 'pure purple' shade - but this is definitely a winner.
I need to compare with 'Do You Lilac It?' just to concur that i have in fact got the best lilac around.

Per Una (Marks & Spencer's) 'Pink Cloud'
This was another winning impulse. While waiting for my mother in Marks and Spencer's I took a first look at their (pretty vast) make up range. I believe they do their own, Per Una and maybe Signature? I am a sucker for pinks, specifically this sort of shade, and it is a really good polish. I have had it for a stupidly long time, but it's really lasted well; I have just surpassed the first line of writing. I would highly recommend it, but for some reason i have never ventured back to check out the rest of their colours.

O.P.I 'Tropical Punch'
Being the 'in' colour, i wanted to find a good coral, but, being me i didn't want a typical orange, so i went for the more vibrant option. My mother's reaction to this was to say it was a bit 'garish' and referred to me (in words i don't remember) as mutton dressed as lamb basically. But to her dismay, i continue to wear this shade as it's such a fun colour. I think it would look better on much more tanned skin, but that is something i will never naturally achieve, and I'm not going to work on my whole body to match my nails...well not yet anyway.


So, as you can see they are all matte toned, as in no shimmer. I do own shimmery polish, but it's rare that i wear it these days, one reason being that it's so tough to get off.

I suppose the obvious 'summer' colour is yellow - and there is an O.P.I version which has caught my eye, but Rimmel's version doesn't cut it and I'm not sure if I'm ready to branch out into that part of the spectrum.

Have you tried any yellows? What do you think?

Once it gets to October (my birthday :D), or once winter really kicks in - I'll try to remember - I'll do a winter nails blog, hopefully I'll have an even bigger collection. Right now, i think i have all the colours i need but.. I'm sure some new ones will show their faces. Especially those select few from Barry M... now, just to get paid.

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O.P.I Teeny Bikinis

Blog sales seem to be the thing at the moment - don't get too excited i'm not having one - and I have managed to get a few bargains from them.

The favourite is the O.P.I Teeny Bikini South Beach collection.

I got this from Jemma's blog sale, for the bargain of £8! That's just £2 a polish!
From left to right, it includes; 'Done out in deco', 'Suzi & the lifeguard', 'Overexposed in South beach' and the 'Rapidry top coat'.

Firstly let me say what a fan of 'Done out in deco' I am, pinks and purples are my favourite nail colours, and after the let down of Barry M's 'pale purple' this was just what i needed.

Done Out in Deco
As I said, this is my ultimate favouorite, it is a light purple, almost lilac, with a greyish undertone, but on the nail comes out as quite a strong pastel purple colour.
I think it is similar in colour to 'Do you lilac it?' also by O.P.I, which i'm still on the look out for as my Sally's beauty supply never stocks it. Although, maybe with this one my search can finally end!

Suzi & the Lifeguard
I was quite shocked at the quality of this colour. It is a pastel pink with a subtle iridescence to it. But, what shocked me was the even application; with my educated experience of iridescents (!) they usually go on somewhat uneven and streaky, with the same being said for nude (ish) pinks. This quells those ideas greatly, it's a really wearable pink - especially if you're going for the nude shades.

Overexposed in South Beach
Perhaps similar to 'Miami Beets'? It is a purple/red colour with subtle purple reflects in it. Right now, I am choosing lighter shades, maybe because it's summer?! But this would be perfect for my winter collection, or my toes, I generally reserve the darker or mega bright shades for my toes - especially in summer.
I'll do a summer nail varnish blog soon - let you know my favourite summer shades!



And then there is the 'Rapidry top coat'. I haven't worn it long enough to review for you - the package only got here this morning! - but i have just applied over 'Done out in deco' to my entire hand and it does speed up the drying process, as it appeared to lower the chance of smudging my polish, a real pet peeve, yet inevitibility to me.
I have to say how good the application is. They all go on super well, i generally apply two coats of all my polishes just for staying power, but i think it would only be ' Done out in Deco' that actually requires two, especially if you have a good base on.

Obviously, as suggested by the title of the set, these are minature versions of O.P.I polishes, i initially thought this wouldn't be a problem, because there are very few nail polishes in my collection that have a substantial chunk out of them. But, with just one full application (FYI, 10 nails, twice over - obvious right?) there is a substantial loss, well compared with what i imagined anyway.
I think this picure shows just how different in size it is to a regular sized pot (this colour is 'Tropical punch'). The regular offers 15ml while these only hold a tiny 3.75ml (how cute is that?!). I have to admit, my eye is drawn to the babies, they are pretty cute.
But, I think these would be good for a holiday or for touch ups maybe? The dramatic size difference by no means compromises the product in the bottle, and they can act as samples before commiting to the £9.95 (at my Sally's anyway) of a full size.

Be sure to check out O.P.I's website, as you can 'try on' their entire range of colours, alas you cannot purchase from here, but there are usually a few good finds on eBay.

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MAC Fluidline - uber thumbs up

OK, so after buying the perfect eyeliner brush (FYI, Benefit 'Get Bent' brush), i figured i needed the perfect liquid/gel liner, but in pot form.

So, I got MAC's fluidline, the shade 'Blacktrack', which is a generic black (just what i wanted) and... Oh my gosh, I was so impressed with it. I just tested it on both eyes, using my Benefit brush and did a thin line with a winged edge.
I must confess, it usually takes me quite some time to have the perfect line in the morning, even after months of applying it, it very rarely comes out how i'd like it to.

This has now changed.

Even in a rush, it went on so well, so fast and i didn't need to do any touch ups at all!
It's no secret that the majority of Youtube beauty 'gurus' seem to prioritise MAC over every other brand, but this isn't me, if i like something then i'll buy it, no matter what brand and I don't hold a bias towards any brand. So, I can reassure you that i'm not raving about this product just because it is MAC.

It retails at £12 and comes in a good range of colours, each with 3g of product. For me, £12 seemed quite a lot for a product i haven't experienced before, but, for me, the investment payed off this time. If - like me - your eyes will be lined 9/10 times a week, then this is a must.
The only initial down point i have found is that it leaves a substantial dent in the gel when you apply the product, however a little does go a long way - so I don't think there needs to be worry that it was a waste, plus it is a 'Back to Mac' item, so i guess i will win back right?


Another plus i have to mention is it's staying power, there is no need for primer as it stays on all day and doesn't have a hint of smudging (at least on my eyelid!), I have yet to try it over eyeshadow, but as that acts as a base in itself, i'm sure that will only strengthen it.

So, what may seem quite a large sum for a generic eyeliner (trust me, i thought so too) it really is worth it. The winning point for me was the easy application - it's honestly the best one i have ever found, and for now i only have the one negative ish point (as mentioned above) to say about it, which is just a blip on a major positive scale.

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