It might be cold outside...

... but with Sleek's gorgeous Sunset palette... it's a wee bit hotter inside. Cheeeeeeese.

We've all seen this before so all I'm going to say is it's fab...
I was having a play around tonight - using the pink under the blue, then the black and two reds next to it...


1. Apply a primer
2. Apply the lightest pink as a wash of colour over the lid
3. Work the coral/pink in from the outer V towards the corner
4. Apply the darker red above the crease in sweeping motions
5. Define the outer V with the black and blend in
6. Apply black eyeliner around the eye and in the water line
7. Add a line of silver iridiscent white under the black liner
8. Add gold glitter under the eye
9. Add mascara and falsies
10. Go back to bed

x

Time for a change

I have a lovely stash of make up, I have a nice wardrobe - I am lucky that I'm in a position that I can treat myself. However, you get to a point where enough is enough. And I am at that point.

I'm only one person. I have one body, one face - there's only so much stuff that I need or that I can even use.

Tomorrow I am going to start reading 'Confessions of a Shopaholic'... I need a good, harsh dose of reality and that book will do the trick. Because whilst make-up and clothes are great today, they're not going to last forever - and if I don't start using what I've got, rather than buying new products all the time, I'm going to have to end up chucking them because they go past their use by date.

I don't want to impose a spending ban as such, just a conscious decision to be more aware of what I have and what I need rather than what I want.

I've downloaded an app for my iPod Touch called myExpensesLite which is basically a budgeting tool where you can track your outgoings (broken down into categories... it even has one for cosmetics) - from next month I'll be using this and I'm hoping that I'll be pleased with the amount I can save...rather than the amount I can spend.

Tx

TAG - I hit pan...

I was tagged by TackyBlueEyeshadow for the 'I Hit Pan' tag so for this I've to...

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


When gathering together the bits and pieces that I've repurchased over the years, I was surprised to find a lot of Benefit stuff - I like a lot of their basics... so here we go...

1. MAC Teddy Eye Kohl

This is my favourite eyeliner - a shimmery metallic brown with gold through it - it's my go to eyeliner for the waterline. It's very similiar to MAC's Graphic Brown fluidline which I also love.


2 & 3. Benefit High Brow & Eye Bright

High Brow (the top pencil) is an eyebrow highlighter which is great for really defining your brows after filling them in - I'm not sure if you can tell from these pics but these pencils are really worn down and I've repurchased them quite a few times.

EyeBright is a pink liner that is really soft in texture and can be used in the waterline to give that bright eye effect - funny that? I really like to line under my eye with this.

In colour they are both quite similiar but High Brow is a much harder pencil.

And some swatches of the pencils...



4. MAC Face & Body Foundation

I love this foundation and have bought it several times - it's very light coverage but can be built up as needed. It's around £23 for 125ml which is great value in comparison to other foundations which tend to retail at that for 30ml.


5. MAC Blacktrack fluidline

Ah Blacktrack - HG - love. No words needed.



6. Benefit Bad Gal mascara

A controversial mascara if ever there was one. A lot of people hate BadGal but I love it - for me, its volumising, lengthening and doesn't budge.

I tag...

Magpie Sparkles
BrionyLou
PassionforFashion
DesiGirlDoesMakeUp
ComputerGirl'sMusings
TheMakeUpSnob

Castor oil challenge

Note the brows...



no never mind that they're messy... I'm talking about bald patch on the left one. Infact there's sparse areas on both. Not happy.

I've read great reviews on MUA for Castor Oil - apparently it helps eyebrows to grow back in - I am putting it to the test.

Each night before I go to bed I will be applying Castor Oil to my eyebrows and eyelashes. I will report back regularly on progress (if any).

Join me in crossing fingers and toes that this does work. I don't want to have a bald patch in my eyebrow.

The £58 boulder holder

So ladies who tweet will know that tonight I attended an event at designer lingerie boutique Boudiche in Glasgow - check them out here.

I was invited to the event through an online site - www.itison.com, which incidentally is part of the company that I work for, it's a free service where you sign up and create a profile of your interests and hobbies - and then you get invited along to events that match them. It's pretty cool and worth a swatch if you're in Glasgow/Edinburgh where most of the events are held.

So anyway, off I toddled to Boudiche with my friend Michelle - we were greeted with delicious cocktails and shown into the store - a retro emporium of lingerie fabulousness - a true boudoir. Boudiche is a relatively young Scottish company that stock lots of high-end brands including LaPerla, Freya, Eternal Spirits, Intimates by Elle MacPherson and many others that I can't remember the names of - it opened in Glasgow last year and this is the first time that I've ever been in the store - despite the fact that I've walked by it many a time. It's two doors away from Agent Provocateur and like AP, I've always felt a bit intimidated. But not tonight... oh no.

After a wee swally and a few strawberries, I started chatting to one of the Sales Assistants - I was keen to find a lacy black bra (oooh er mrs!) - no padding or any nonsense... just something quite chic and you know, a wee bit sexy.

So the girl asked if I knew my size... "Oh yes - I've been measured" I say, " I'm a XXX..." the girl says "Come on through to the fitting room and I'll bring you in a few options."

*Pauses story to divert to the fitting rooms. WOW. Baroque style mirrors, fur (hopefully fake) rug, gorgeous lounge armchair ... and with a cocktail in my hand - I was already sold on the shopping experience never mind anything else.

*Resume story - so the girl asks me to strip off to my bra... hussy that I am, I whip off my top and she measures me - guess what? Wrong size. She heads off to find me some styles to try on in the correct size.

She comes back with the gorgeous bra in the pic above - and shows me the proper way to put on a bra. Where you sort of bend over and let your lady bits fall into the bra, then put your arms through the straps and then fasten when you straighten up. It pulls everything into place. I'll never remember to do that. Nor am I likely to have the time. I'm lucky to remember to put one on most mornings I'm usually so dazed.

So the bra - bloody hell my bajungas looked great - "I'll take it, can I see the matching bottoms?" So the girl goes off to find the knickers and comes back with another gorgeous set from Freya (which I also bought) and a Waspie. Wtf is a waspie you may be asking? This is a waspie... pics from Agent Provocateur's website


Nipple tassles optional. You'd normally wear a bra with this, wear it under your dress or whatever and it basically sucks you in to create an hourglass shape - I was absolutely blown away by the effect that this had, and although a waspie was out of my budget tonight (the one I tried on in Boudiche was £200 and I couldn't find the pic of it hence the AP one), hopefully I'll be picking up one of these bad boys soon. I really can't stress how great this was - if you've never tried a waspie or a corset, a real steel boned one, I'd definitely recommend checking them out. Although eff knows how I'd actually get it tied up but that's a worry for another day.

So back to the black bra that I bought - it was the perfect fit - pulled everything in, up, gave me a great shape - looked beautiful and carried a £58 price tag. Yeeeshk. *Hopes the lion never reads this*

Despite that I bought it. It felt amazing and I hope that I've invested in real quality that will hopefully retain its shape, elasticity etc unlike many a La Senza bra that I've bought that lost their shape way too quickly and then end up feeling too loose for you.

We were also treated to a burlesque performance by Hells Belles who was also rocking nipple tassles. Diamonte if anyone's interested. Blush.

So to cut a long story short... I'm wondering what you think of lingerie... do you invest in quality pieces... do you think it's worth the money? Can you find bras that properly fit? When I came home tonight I tried on the black bra (from a brand called Elixir De Lingerie) then I compared with a few of my LaSenza/Next/M&S bras and they felt shit in comparison... is it because I'm an akward size? Can you find your sizes? Should I have my bank cards confiscated?

Over to you ladies...

And seriously hoping this wasn't a classic case of too much information!

Tx

OPI Dear Santa...

The lion told me off today for wearing a nail polish called Dear Santa ... it's too Christmassy he said... you should save it for December he said.

Personally I agree ... despite the fact I've been tweeting Christmas songs...teeheehee!

But when this nail polish arrived all the way from Hollywood (how exciting?!) thanks to the amazing Kerry, I could not resist putting it on...

It's a gorgeous bright red with glitter all the way through it and the formula's fab - it applied like a winter's day dream. My pic doesn't really do it justice, for some really great swatches that show the colour is all its glory, check out Scrangie's post here.

It's part of OPI's Holiday Wishes collection and I'm excited to say that I also have Sapphire in the Snow and Merry Midnight (LOVE these names!) to rock over the festive period - will of course post pics and report back.

Tomorrow I will be removing Dear Santa though for a less festive, but equally gorgeous shade. I love Christmas but already with all the TV ads I'm starting to feel a bit Claustraphobic (gettit, gettit?)... I'd rather they all started towards the end of November, start of December to keep it fresh and exciting. Maybe I'll tell Ofcom. Or maybe not.

Tx

From summer to winter in one dress

I like Next. I'm not ashamed to admit it. I genuinely think that there are some real gems to be found... you just have to be patient and turn a blind eye to the bad.

I picked up the dress below in the Next summer sale for £15 - it's a heavy linen material and as you can see it's a deep burgundy/red sort of shade. I got loads of wear out of it in the summer with flip flops/ballet pumps. Actually just realised that my shoes are from Next too - another sale bargain.


For the record I'm lazy when it comes to getting ready therefore dresses are my friend - so easy to throw on - minimal thought required. And I realised today that this dress is perfect all year round - the linen makes it ideal for summer but it's actually quite a wintery/Christmas shade.


All in, a well spent £15.

Excuse the rubbish pic - long day... I'm off to sleep now!


Tx

Work that fiver...

Daisy at DaisyBeeBeauty has started a great tag recommending her top 3 products under £5 in the categories of Hair, Make-Up & Skincare ... I haven't actually been tagged to do this so I'm really just gatecrashing the party... I feel sheepish but let's carry on...


Skincare
How did I not know about this before? I need to help spread the word far and wide... Sudocrem is AMAZING at getting rid/reducing pesky breakouts. I don't know how it works, I'm not one to question it...bottom line I'm so impressed with this. Clearly not with the packaging which I decanted into a little Soap & Glory jar that I had but at about £3 for a 250g tub, I'm not complaining. I've been using a tiny amount on any troublesome area and watching in wonder as breakouts disappear.




Hair
I'm a dry hair shampoo newbie, I started using the regular one a few weeks ago and then read on Charlotte's blog about the new Brunette version... and I had to have it. The regular one is good but it took me quite a while to work the white powder through my roots so I hoped that this would make the simple even simpler.

I tried 2 different, and big branches of, Boots and Superdrug and finally found the Brunette in the third Boots that I went to... and I got the last can. It's £3 so a bit more expensive than the regular version but I love this, it's perfect for freshening up my fringe the day after wash and is so much easier for me to use. If you can find it.

I went looking to stockpile yesterday and again struggled to find it, so the lion, lovely man that he is, went to the one store that seems to stock it and bought me their last two cans... missing the start of the Man Utd vs Chelsea... now that's love. This is also available for black-haired beauties in what appears to be very select retailers. This is amazing product... bring it to the masses already Batiste!






Make-Up
Does lip balm count as make-up? I'm not really sure but it's the only category that this product sort of fits into and I can't not mention this. I get really dry lips. The sort of yucky dry lips that makes your lippie go on uneven. On top of having dry lips, I have a bad habit of biting my lips so these together... not good.

I've tried loads of lip balms and the blue Medicated Chap Stick that you can pick up for about £1.79 in most pharmacists. It's not big or sexy, but I find it works really well, moisturises and it's the only lip balm that's ever actually did what it says on the tin.

Now that I've found this I won't be straying... although Lollipop26 did tempt me with her By Terry recommendation but the price difference is so big that I'm going to have to pass on that one and stick to my cheap and cheerful wonder :)





Look forward to reading everyone's bargain beauty finds :)

x

Help!

Hey ladies,

I need a volume-boosting-big-hair-tastic miracle worker - does anyone have any fab recommendations?

Cheers,
Tx

Cheating never pays

I have a tendency to waffle on so I'm going to try to keep this short and sweet. Like my hair thanks to a certain fuck-wit hairdresser. Ahem.

My usual hairdresser charges £42 - he's awesome and I love him - his chat is amazing and he listens to exactly what I want and cuts it like that (whilst always giving me his opinion) but since I only wanted a trim this morning (since I'm trying to grow my hair), I decided to go a place local to me where they only charge £25 for a cut and blow dry.

Here's me before I set off... no fear... nothing...

And here's a pic of my hair as it was before the chop... it's quite difficult to tell here because I'm wearing dark colours and it's quite a crap picture but my hair was pretty long...

So in I go to the hairdressers, a girl washes my hair then the hairdresser who's cutting my hair comes over to where I'm sitting and says "What do you want done?" to which I reply "Just a trim, take as little as possible off because I'm trying to grow my hair but can you cut my fringe blunt and make the style a little choppier?"

As you know I wear glasses and forgot to put my contact lenses in today (goggles on purely for these pics) so while she was cutting I couldn't really see much but here's the end result (complete with fake smile):

I generally do like the cut, I like the blunt fringe, I like the style...I'd like it even better if it was longer like I'd asked for. In my mind this is not a trim and given that I've been growing my hair and just getting regular trims (at £42 a pop) I'm pretty pissed off that this is the end result. Especially after making it very clear that I was growing my hair and just wanted the bare minimum off the ends.

So if I could turn back time would I stump up £42 for the trim... yes in a heartbeat.

£42 is a lot of money for a haircut but if your hairdresser listens to you, if he gives you advice, bloody hell if he introduces himself and shakes your hand ... then yes it's worth it. I've been going to fairly pricey salons for so long that I've taken the simple things for granted.

The girl I went to today didn't even introduce herself, ask about my hair type, how I find my hair to manage and style... nothing. So I guess it's true, you get what you pay for. At least they offered me a cup of tea... you know there would have been hell to pay if they hadn't.

I didn't complain about this because I'm of the opinion that after she cut it, she couldn't stick my hair back on to make it longer and it's not a bad haircut, just not what I wanted. I also have the horrible feeling that I just want to go to my own hairdresser and confess my bad deed... I hope he can find it in his heart to forgive me. At £42 he better!

As Alicia Keys said "Yes I was burned but I called it a Lesson Learned." Next time you can bet your ass I'll be wearing my contact lens.

On a lighter note though I was wearing the Nars Bridal Palette on my eyes today with lashings of Blacktrack liner and the YSL Rouge Volupte in number 11.


xxx