A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

New from Aerin Beauty this season is their Essentials Collection*, primarily featuring a weighty compact filled with a kaleidoscope of colour.

The Kaleidolight Palette (£40) is essentially a Spring bronzer, offering the kind of skin boost and colour-correction that delivers on Spring’s more subtle promises.  This is the Spring bronzer for those of us who tend to shy away from bronzing, it adds a boost where Winter has stripped the skin of its luster, an inbetween complexion solution for these tricky months ahead.

At first glance, the six shades housed within the impressive gilt exterior lean toward the cooler side of the spectrum… I think the inclusion of a skintone-correcting lilac skews my overall impression, as this is definitely a warm-toned bronzer once all shades are swirled together and applied.  It is best suited to those with fair to medium skintones, overall a buildable formula that applies smoothly and blends beautifully on the skin.

If you prefer, you can… of course, use each shade independently.  The palette is generously-sized and the pans aren’t crowded together, allowing for decent pickup with a smaller-sized blusher brush.  If you were to use the palette more precisely in this manner, you have everything included from colour-correction to contour to blush.

I’ve swatched each shade below, as they apply straight out of the palette… you can see that pigmentation-wise, you’re getting a fair amount of colour payoff with only a couple of swipes from each pan.  The bronzing shades complement each other well and I’ve been using a duo-fibre brush to apply to my cheeks, ensuring a lighter hand.  Overall, the palette delivers mostly colour and warmth with a subtle radiance.

The Rose Balm Lipstick in Whisper (£25) is another new addition to the line, promising a balm-like texture with medium coverage colour.  Whisper is an ultra-pale pink with the slightest hint of shimmer, more noticeable in the bullet than on the lips.  I’m not a fan of the texture, which feels somehow heavier than it should and a little “claggy” over the drier areas of the lip.

I’ve included a FOTD below which displays the products worn (please excuse my badger grey streak in my fringe!), I’ve limited use of the palette to the cheeks so that you can visualise the bronzing effect of the shades when swirled together.

The Aerin Essentials Collection is available to buy online now from esteelauder.co.uk and harrods.com

* press samples

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I’m not doing any Valentine’s gift guides this year because, quite frankly, I can’t even come up with a single gift for my lovely husband, let alone a heartfelt collection that you lot could choose from.

A Twitter friend suggested that I just need to look down to find his gift, I assumed that she was talking about my baby bump rather than my vagina, but either way… after 10yrs of marriage and one snotty five-year old, I don’t think either suggestion will raise more than a sarcastic eyebrow.

However, the one Valentine’s-related release that has made my blood pump a little faster is this beautiful collection of sultry reds from Illamasqua.  If you’ve been reading Lipglossiping for more than a few seconds, you’ll already know about my love affair with red lipstick.  I only own the one from Illa’s range (Sangers), so to see the ridiculously feisty Maneater in my parcel evoked a couple of mid-air heel clicks.

The new I’m The One Collection* contains a total of four passionate pieces from the British makeup line.  Including:

NEW! Intense Lipgloss in Touch (£14.50) – Infused with fine shimmer particles, this plush gloss will add depth and fullness to your lips.

NEW! Colouring Pencil in Feisty (£14.00) – A creamy addition to your lip collection, use our Feisty pencil to create a precise and alluring red lip.

Lipstick in Maneater (£16.50) – An intense, full coverage formula, apply this lipstick to bare lips for a long-lasting pop of colour.

Nail Varnish in Throb (£14.50) – Apply two coats of this glossy blood red shade for an elegant, classic manicure.

From left to right: Feisty Colouring Pencil  |  Maneater Lipstick  |  Touch Intense Lipgloss

Of all the items in the collection, I have to say that I fell in love with the least likely offering.

Feisty, the brand new lip pencil is one of the most pigmented-yet-creamy red lip-liners I’ve ever had the pleasure to use.  With a deep, long-lasting pigment… you usually have to compromise on the texture and a dry, unyielding lip pencil is something that many of us will be familiar with.  No such compromises are necessary here, it’s an absolute dream.

I’ll leave you with a couple of extremely pose-y FOTDs featuring the new Feisty Colouring Pencil and Maneater Lipstick.

If you fancy the chance at winning some hand-picked pieces from the new collection, you have until the 15th February to brush off your Social Media skillz and tweet @illamasqua a Red Lipstick Selfie, using the hashtag #ImTheOne – good luck!!

The Illamasqua I’m The One Collection is available to buy on counter and online now at illamasqua.com, priced at £50.00

* press sample

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You may or may not remember that a few months ago, I bought a couple of wigs.  Infact, you probably shouldn’t remember this, I only mentioned it in passing and if you do happen to have some kind of superhuman power of recall, then quite frankly, I’d be a bit concerned about you.

Anyway, when my wigs arrived, I tried one on and didn’t really like it.  I mean, I loved the wig… the colour was so intensely rich and chocolatey brown with a hint of caramel, just delicious.  But on me?  It looked exceptionally daft.  It was curly and needed to be longer in order to not look immensely wiggy on my fat head.  I was immediately disheartened by it and so, when the other wig arrived… I didn’t actually get round to trying it on (a fool and her money etc. etc.).

Well you know what’s coming don’t you?

Boredom has struck this week in the most tedious of ways and so I did what I used to love doing in this situation, I went and had a play in my beauty cupboard.  Instead of dragging out the coloured eye liners, my hands happened upon the untried wig, cue some excitement and grappling for a bunch of kirby grips.

What do you think?  It’s not too bad is it?  I reckon that on bad fringe days it could see me right?!

It’s synthetic but doesn’t have too much shine to it… nothing that a bit of dry shampoo won’t tame.  Best of all, it was ridiculously cheap, much cheaper than the other one I bought and didn’t like.  Here’s a link to the one I purchased (although I bought from a different seller months ago), the picture in the auction makes it look far more highlighted and caramelly than it is in real life but dudes, it’s like £7.00 – for a play around with a new hairdo, it’s brilliant.

Can you tell how much weight I’ve put on?  You don’t need to be (too) kind… since I found out I was pregnant almost 4-months ago, I’ve used it as carte blanche to just eat all. the. things.  I had secretly hoped that having such revolting morning (afternoon, and evening) sickness would have kept the balance somewhat more fairly but no… that would be too much to ask for wouldn’t it?

Talking of babies, which I promise not to do too often, Leila’s latest name suggestions for her little brother/sister include: Marmalade, Margaret, Humphrey, and Zod.  No, I don’t think we’ll be entrusting her with the job either.

Back to the FOTD…

I was thinking about some of the “safe” colours that are always the first to sell out when a new collection appears.  When I was in my teens, it was always the “browns” that would be in short supply, except, that I’ve never really had much of a love affair with brown browns, generally favouring greys and taupes when it comes to getting my neutral fix.

To this end, I decided to embrace the season and go all out BROWN for a FOTD.  As always, I didn’t use 438 products… I’m just too lazy for that kind of dedication to the cause.  For colour, I grabbed at my Laura Mercier Bonne Mine palette which I knew would sort me out for eyes and cheeks, my Estee Lauder Blackened Cocoa* eye pencil, an almost-dried-out Estee Lauder Sumptuous Color mascara in, and my trusty Urban Decay Naked 24/7 Glide On Lip Pencil in Naked.

Thanks to the brush-free application, the look took only a few minutes to complete and gives a good amount of warmth and definition without looking massively made up, especially once the lips begin to fade a little.  The nature of the cream products mean that as the day goes on, the makeup wears gently and softens further, I’m no longer afraid of a little bit of creasing!

Brown still isn’t one of my favourite shades to wear, but I do love how it looks much less “try hard” than when I do a full face of makeup with a palette of greys.  There’s something much more informal about smudging earthy colours across the canvas, and there’s a lot to be said for that.

What colours are you favouring at the moment and are there any popular shades that you just don’t reach for?

* press sample

Give it a couple more months and we won’t need to use blusher.  The faux Jack-Frost-has-been-pinching-your-cheeks look will be served up daily by Mother Nature.  In the mean-time, Clinique have a rather lovely solution to inject some colour into our cheeks!

First things first, it’s a thing of beauty in the pan.  I mean, look at it.  Look!  I never tire of pretty makeup…

Considering I struggled like hell to cut out pastry leaves that actually looked anything like leaves for the top of my apple pie last week, you can colour me impressed by Clinique’s ability to craft a bleedin’ poppy into their blusher pans.  You don’t want me to spoil that pristine surface do you?

Tough.  Here’s a swatch:

Plum Poppy makes for a soft-neutral shade with enough pink in it to ensure that it’s a flattering choice for cool skin-toned girls like myself.  The pink keeps the colour looking fresh, rather than muddy as some plums (including the much-loved NARS Sin) tend to turn against my complexion.  There’s a slight iridescence to the formula that translates nicely once on the skin, giving a subtle highlight without any over-the-top shimmer or sparkle.

The texture is soft and picks up easily on a brush.  For application, I prefer to use a stippling brush… just for a lighter touch as I do tend to be a little heavy-handed and Plum Poppy doesn’t take too much effort to build into a natural-looking flush.

The brand actually market this as an “all-over color” as well as a blush, meaning that you could… if you wanted to…. wear this all over your face.  In my opinion, it’s far too pigmented for that kind of application but hey, whatever tickles your pickle!

Clinique Fresh Bloom All Over Color in Plum Poppy is priced at £26 and is available to buy on counter and online at johnlewis.com

* press sample

I love wearing warm colours on my cool skintone.  They impart a sense of vitality and freshness that I just don’t get from my more traditional cool-toned favourites.  It can be tricky to paint a “cool” face with “warm” colours and unless you’re also blessed with plenty of freckles and red hair, there can be an immediate juxtaposition between face and hair/face and makeup.  I must admit that I generally only go for a warm face when I’m having a good skin day (which I wasn’t!).  The creamier my complexion (read: less ruddy), the more success I have with painting a warmer canvas.

When I first started wearing makeup, I adored all warm-toned eyeshadows… gold being the pinnacle of that adoration.  Infact, I still have so many beautiful gilded shades that just don’t see much love because as I’ve gotten older, the redness in my complexion has increased and I’m less concerned about making my blue/green eyes “pop” against the shadow and more concerned about not looking like I have a drinking problem.

I find that nowadays, if I do go for a wamer look, I tend to stick to soft peaches (never apricot), guavas, and rose-gold.  Anything that has a slightly pink base is a winner… it can be shot through with a ton of golden sparkle just so long as it has that complimentary base.  Orange and brown-toned golds rarely wear well though I love a good champagne-gold (think NARS Albatross/MAC Femme-Fi).

I’m completely in love with Boots No7 Stay Perfect Foundation* (I’m shade Calico – link) at the moment.  I’m a late-comer to this one and assumed that it would be too drying on my combo/dry and dehydrated skin… most things that claim any kind of longevity, usually are.  I find that aslong as I’m well-moisturised (which I always am anyway), I can wear this one without exacerbating any flakiness.  I haven’t tried it in the Winter yet… but I’ve been wearing this around 70% of the time since mid-June and it delivers a confidence-boosting super-smooth look if I wear it with a primer underneath. I didn’t wear a primer in the photos below because it was ridiculously hot yesterday and I just wasn’t up for all those layers!

One of the reasons that I’m loving it (and it seems like the faintest of praise) is down to the simple fact that the pump dispenses exactly the perfect amount.  Do not underestimate the power that getting the right amount of coverage can have.  Although I love my lovely Bourjois Healthy Mix, it dispenses far too much and I always have to physically restrain myself from applying the entire pump’s worth.  I’ll try to remember to do a before/after foundation and primer routine with the Stay Perfect soon because it really has been one of those rare “ohhhh SKIN LOOKS GOOOOOOD!” revelations.

Other products included in the FOTD run with the rose-gold theme…

Dainty Doll Cream Blusher 002 – link (or try NARS Deep Throat or Sleek Rose Gold)
MAC Rubenesque Paint Pot – link (or try Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Rose Gold or Benefit Slippin’ n’ Dippin’)
Laqa & Co Fairyblood Lip Pencil* – link (or try MUA Shade 7 or Avon Ultra Colour Rich Lipstick in Sparkling Warm Rose)
Estee Lauder Intense Kajal Eye Crayon* – discontinued (any black liner will do)
No7 Exceptional Definition Mascara – link (any mascara will do)

Also…. only six products, check me out being all minimalist n’ stuff!  Or that other word for it… lazy.

Are you a Rose Gold fan?

* press sample

That’s it… stick a fork in me, I’m done. Infact, I’m overcooked. I’ve been par-boiled, roasted, reheated, and now I’m nothing but soggy leftovers. I know that in roughly 16 weeks, you’ll find me moaning about the cold… perhaps even the snow that global warming is sure to rain down on us again, but I don’t care. I’ve had enough. How is a girl even supposed to contemplate makeup in this heat?

You know, I’ve turned partially feral because of it don’t you?

Aside from a daily splash about in the shower, I’ve haven’t done a single thing in the way of beautifying.  The curse of the self-employed.  My roots are greyer than the sky will be when these thunderstorms finally take their toll, my leg hairs are trailing the floor behind me and I’m ashamed to admit that my toenails are most certainly NOT sandal-ready right now.  I’m going to a spa on Friday for a wee bit of pampering and I will have to force myself into some semblance of action before then if I don’t want to frighten all the punters away.

Infact, since returning from holiday last week, the only place I’ve been to is Iceland (the shop, not the country).  It made sense… I’m hot, they have freezers… and I knew that no-one gives a shit about sandal-ready toes in there, most of their patrons have webbed feet anyway.

Clockwise from top-left: Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzer in Bali Brown, YSL Babydoll Mascara*, Paul & Joe #23 Eyeshadow, Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, DHC Sun Block SPF25, Korres Face Primer, Boots Seventeen Lip Crayon in Bold*, Ilamasqua Eyebrow Cake in Gaze

Eight products, that’s not bad for a hardened makeup addict like me is it?  I couldn’t manage a single more installment on my face anyway… the more you apply, the more there is to slide off right?

I’m playing a game of using up products that should have been finished a while ago… I’m not entirely sure how old my Korres Face Primer is but I know it’s been discontinued… the same goes for the Sun Block which thankfully, only has a couple of squeezes left in it.

In this weather, I can’t get enough of those Seventeen Lip Crayons, they strike the perfect pigment balance between the original Clinique chubby stick formula and the more pigmented version.  Also, while I’m updating on products I’ve previously reviewed… it’s worth mentioning that the YSL Babydoll Mascara has yet to dry out in the tube, it’s a miracle!

Anyway, put all those products together and you get a FOTD that looks something like this:

I look mega-posey in a “How you doin’?” kinda way but honestly… I just wasn’t feeling the FOTD thing infront of the window while the sun beat down, altering my DNA structure from within and giving me rapid-onset heatstroke.  In other words, this was the best of a very bad selection.

Do you bother with makeup when it’s this hot?  I gotta cover that lush’s nose somehow!

* press samples

The 1970s were responsible for many a wonder. Star Wars, the MRI scan, the first black model on cover of a major fashion mag, the Krankies…

Oh.

Wee Jimmy Krankie aside though, let’s face it… the 70s were something to celebrate. Unless you had a box of FAB ice lollies in the freezer during one of the decade’s infamous rolling power cuts. But forgetting all the political shenanigans of the time, what about the D.I.S.C.O? The glitz and glamour of the real Boogie Wonderland?

Well, Benefit are bringing it back thanks to a collaboration with eminent fashion designer, Matthew Williamson.. himself, a child of the 70s. Ladies and… (probably) ladies, I present to you The Rich is Back!*

Of the kit, Matthew Williamson says:

“This is high-octane glam makeup for dressing up to look fabulous & dance the night away!”

Well, not really… is it? I mean, it’s a nice-enough kit… and probably far more sellable as it is than if it were high-octane glam makeup but c’mon Matthew Williamson… in what world would you describe a bunch of neutrals livened up with a teal… a sheer pink lipgloss and nude blush “high-octane”.

It’s not. It’s not really very 70s night-time glamour at all. But then, you’re not really Donna Summer either are you?

So perhaps we should just be thankful that this kit is a bit more wearable than the looks the girls would have been rocking down at Studio 54. Let’s see what you get for your money….

Perhaps, infact… the most glam thing about this set is the packaging itself which can be repurposed as a jewellery case once you take away the makeup tray. I do love brands that do clever stuffs like that, talk about upcycling!

As for the contents, well you get:

• eyeshadow palette 4 x 0.8g Net wt.
• they’re real! mascara, 4.0g Net wt.
• gimme fever cheek powder with brush. 2.0g Net wt.
• lip gloss in inferno 6.5 mL / 0.22 US fl. oz

The eyeshadows are pretty sparkly, as one might expect from a kit dedicated to this era. The champagne shade (Disco Dust) is a really wearable highlight that doesn’t attract any attention in an unflattering way… it simply adds a touch of luminosity rather than any ageing frostiness. Solid Gold is a regular gold, a little sheerer than many but infused with some delicate sparkle that makes this a nice shade to wear all over the lid anytime of the day. Get Down Brown is a bolder choice considering the sheerness of the other shades, this one packs a lot more pigment. Finally, Feel So Teal although lovely to look at does that crappy thing of blending out to grey like many other teals.

Pretty they are, high-octane… they ain’t.

Alongside the eyeshadow selection, you also get a mini They’re Real! mascara… you don’t need to be reminded of my love for this product, but incase you do – the seach box is up there! ^^^

The lipgloss in shade Inferno… is more of a match-strike really. A pretty sheer red infused with plenty of non-gritty glitter but “inferno” might be pusing the trade description act somewhat. Texture of the gloss is nice, non sticky and long-lasting. Trust me, that’s a real compliment coming from this bonafide lipgloss hater.

The final product included in the kit is a Gimme Fever cheek powder with a brush. I’m not sure why they included a brush when there’s no eyeshadow applicators but include one they did. Gimme Fever is probably my favourite item in the kit, it’s a buildable blush-cum-highlighter that will suit a variety of skintones thanks to its neutral tone. On medium and darker skins this will sing as a cheek highlight and for lighter skintones like mine, it will show some of that pigment as a nude blush (again, with sparkle).

I wore it very lightly in my FOTD as I wanted to contour instead and use Gimme Fever to reflect the light.

Here’s how the kit looks when all the products are used together… who says you need to fear the seventies? Embrace the decade!

All in all, it’s a nice kit. I’d say that the packaging belies the contents… it’s a little schizophrenic. Infact, considering the daytime makeup trend in the 70s was pretty understated, I’d say that the light, natural-looking aesthetic (with added sparkle) fits really well within the era. It just doesn’t quite fit with the disco-esque, glammed up sexy night-time packaging and leaves me a little confused as to the designer’s intentions and whether he actually saw the contents of the kit before bestowing those wickedly vibrant prints on the casing.

If you want to get your hands on this one, be quick… it’s a limited edition.

Benefit The Rich is Back Kit is priced at £26.50 and is available to buy instore and online at debenhams.com

* press sample

Pow pow purple! Coming from Boots No7, I didn’t expect *quite* so much pigment in these little pans. The No7 Stay Perfect Quad Eyeshadow Palette (£10.50) delivers a real punch of colour from all four of its shades which blend effortlessly across the eyelid thanks to a soft, almost creamy texture.

If anything, the vibrant purple in the palette* does overshadow the more subtle shades contained, and on my hooded lids turned the taupe (that I’d placed in the crease) a lot more violet than I’d intended once I’d worn it in for an hour… but as a huge purple fan, I can live with this.  In the inner-corners, I used the pinky-violet shade and on the upper lashline, the deep purple powder (as an eyeliner).

I suppose if I take away my love for that single purple shade… the palette as a whole probably doesn’t work too well.  I’m here describing my placement of all four shades in the palette but the subtleties of them are completely bowled over by the gorgeous bottom left pan.  You need to find a way to either quieten that one shade down (I think I’d perhaps use it only along the lower lash line next time) or give it up to an all-out purple fest.

I completed the look with a sweep of Dainty Doll powder blush in 002 My Girl, and Urban Decay Iconic Lipstick in Naked (one of my favourite ever nudes, now sadly discontinued).

What’s your favourite purple eyeshadow?

* press sample

Wotcha, I just thought I’d post a little update to apologise for my lack of… err… updates.  You see, to put it plainly, I’ve lost my blogging mojo in a big way.  So majorly infact, that I didn’t really want to voice it aloud out of fear of cementing it in my psyche as a “thing”.  In 4+ years of beauty blogging, I’ve only ever lost my blogging motivation in the most superficial of ways but this time it feels more emotional and backed with the full force of a little resentment.  I’ve always been a great believer in not forcing things and sometimes you just need to take a step back for a while, I can’t even remember the number of times I’ve said that to other bloggers who have found themselves drifting aimlessly and posting for the sake of it.

The problem is, I’m actually a bit too scared to take my own advice.  It’s not as if I have a thrilling social life once Leila has gone to bed, sure I’m kinda tempted to get back into the CSI franchise that made my pregnancy 100x more enjoyable (“Oh, I think the morning sickness is back, leave me alone with Greg Sanders K?”) and I haven’t watched an uninterrupted episode of Eastenders since 2011!  But where will all those unwritten posts go?  Not the reviews as such, but the random observations that creep into my head at 2am when I should be sleeping.  Has a lapsed-blogger ever exploded from not having somewhere to put these things?

Anyway, while I work through my “ishoos”, I’ll share yesterday’s FOTD.  You might be a little surprised to know that I’ve rediscovered a bit of love for nude lips.  I often look to the queen of nude lips (a.k.a Holly) for inspiration and remember my first nude lip love which was an old YSL Rouge Pur Transparent (we’re talking 10+ years ago).

This isn’t my old old favourite but it is still a YSL, and one of my favourites, Rouge Volupte #1 Nude Beige.  I bought this a few years ago when the Volupte’s were causing major pants wetting across the blogosphere and unlike my dabble into #7 Lingerie Pink, this one has remained a staple for whenever I need to glam up a smoky eye.

Whilst I prefer my bold shades to be richly pigmented… for me, there’s nothing worse than a white-based nude.  Anything remotely chalky can go straight into room 101 and this one is about as opaque as I can go before I start to feel like a wannabe ganguro.  I’m excited by YSL’s latest launch of Volupte Sheer Candy lipsticks (obv. not the should-be-bloody-bold-and-nothing-else shades) and hope that I may find another nude friend (please with sparkle?) among its collection.

The rest of the FOTD was a touch warmed up by the setting sun but it involved rediscovering my MUFE Face and Body Liquid Foundation in #36 (what lovely, natural coverage), a bargainous Wet n’ Wild palette in Comfort Zone, and some eyeliner (which could have done with a lot more smudging) courtesy of Clarin’s Kohl Kajal, which was a limited edition release from last Summer.

I hate to be such a giant cliche when it comes to changing my lipstick according to the seasons but when something feels right, well… you’ve just got to go with it haven’t you?

What colours are you wearing on your lips at the moment?

It’s been a while since I’ve pulled MAC Speed Dial out from the lipstick drawer but there’s something so damn irresistible about pink lipsticks and Spring-time.  Looking back through my archives, I notice that I always start wearing the pinks at this time of year, and I tend to go more “nude” (har har) in the Summer-time.  I’m such a sheep for trends.

One of my favourite things about MAC Speed Dial is that it’s a beautifully clean-looking pink.  Bright without being in your face… a little cool-toned without being blue.  As is typical of most MAC lipsticks, I don’t find this to be the best formula in the world.  The cremesheen finish is slightly claggy on the lips if you build it up, feeling quite thick and heavy from the first application… staying power is good for around 2hrs, without eating.  I’m just not a massive MAC lipstick fan I guess.

Grumbles aside, the colour just makes me happy.  It brightens up an otherwise boring FOTD and goes nicely with a simple eyeliner flick and tidy brows.

What’s your favourite spring-time pink lipstick?

MAC Speed Dial is priced at £14.00 and available to buy on counter or online at www.maccosmetics.co.uk

I’m currently sitting in the middle of a big pile of steaming pooh, otherwise known as “someone forgot that a child might need a passport to leave the country and there are mere DAYS in which to fix this stupidity”.  I have been rushing around like a blue-assed fly in an attempt to gather photos, counter-signatories, and application forms.  I thankfully have an appointment at the passport office on Wednesday to sort my idiotic mess out.

The fact that I have to drive to Wales in order to do this as I couldn’t get a fast-track appointment in London is making my forehead vein throb a little more rapidly than normal.

It’s to this end that I’m asking you to forgive a FOTD post.  In fairness, it features the eyeshadow quad that I reviewed earlier today, so is at least… relevant.

It’s also pink. purple. purplink.

If I do say so myself, how nice is that lip colour?  I do not wear Bobbi Brown’s Rich Lip Color in Mod Pink anywhere near enough.  It’s blue-toned without going all Minaj-freaky-I’m-not-sixteen-anymore on my face.  If you want a blue-pink that doesn’t make you look like a mental deficient, it’s worth checking out.

The eyes are courtesy of the BareMinerals A List palette I reviewed earlier.  I used the purple shade both in the crease, and as a liner.  The pink is on the lid and the white highlight across the browbone.  I used a smidge of the black in the outer corner.

All products used are shown below.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion  | BareMinerals READY Eyeshadow Quad in The A List  |  Guerlain Cils d’Enfer Maxi Lash Mascara  |  Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzer in Antigua  |  Illamasqua Brow Cake in Gaze  |  Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color in Mod Pink  |  Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation in Vanille Clair

You know, the real irony is that I remembered to get her an E111 European Health Insurance Card.  Who remembers shit like that and yet forgets the passport?

*sigh*

* p.s.  Look again at the FOTD!  This unwanted stress has given me grey hair.  Bitch too busy stressin’ to do her roots.

When you’ve spent 30 years of your life as a brunette and then decide to go strawberry blonde half by accident, half with intention… you gotta prepare yourself for the consequences. The first issue you’ll face is that everyone you know will hate it, but won’t tell you to your face.  Not because it looks like shit but because it just doesn’t look like the version of YOU that they’re used to.

The second, and more pressing issue is that if you’re fair skinned like me, you’ll look like a blob with no edges when you’re wearing no makeup.  This, I wasn’t expecting.  Frankly, a girl needs contrast, and if she has no contrast, I’m telling you – she needs goods brows, eyeliner, and a bold pair of lips.

Nothing in the below FOTD qualify as such.  I’m still learning, as you can tell.

MAC Hue!  I used to be able to wear you when I was a brunette!  WTF?  Also… cool pinks now appear to be the biggest makeup disaster on my lips/cheeks since I dabbled with an overly thick application of Lipcote.

What makeup colours look bad with your hair colour?  Any strawberry-blondes out there got some colour tips for me that work well for them?