The End of Summer

What I Wore
Midi Skirt

I embraced one of the last sunny days of the year (even then there was an afternoon downpour)

I wore a peach/bronze metallic pleated midi skirt that I bought about a year ago (Miss Selfridge), a cream cotton blouse with detail (TopShop), nude flats (New Look), a vintage tan leather belt.

Other midi skirts I think are pretty good;

TopShop

Both would look ace with a black leotard and a blazer.


I never dress feminine but I quite enjoyed looking like a girl for the day!

Fell in Love with A Girl

I think I'm in love with Lana Del Rey

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 Embracing the sixties makeup, flower power, hippy look which is a nice refreshing change to the 50's pin up/ kitsch look rolling around (bored) and the 70's festival chic that has flooded the high street last spring/summer (though I did enjoy the crochet, tan leather and tassles!)

As Vogue online and this months Company magazine have both cited, sixties is a strong makeup trend this autumn and has already been spotted on the catwalks at NYFW with DKNY and is expected to be seen in the Burberry shows at London FW. However the catwalk interpretation is a lot more subtle than the trends shown in Company who insist full on Twiggy eyeliner and pencilled in lashes is the way to go....

Twiggy 1960's model and icon

 Back to beautiful Lana...

Reminiscent of Andy Warhol's style of pop colours and repitition of images (think Marilyn Monroe..)

She is the 2011 answer to Brigitte Bardot;

All images courtesy Google

 Check out Lana's new single Video Games due for release in October.

What way are you going to interpret the sixties look this autumn/winter?

Foundation Review #1

Revlon ColorStay Foundation for Combination/ Oily Skin in 110 Ivory £12.49 for 30ml

Like every girl, I'm dreaming about the day I find that perfect foundation. I've struggled over the years to find one I really liked and couldn't fault, and I have probably worn a foundation from every brand going. It is such a personal choice, every girl prefers different coverage, every girl has different skin, so this review is how the product worked for me, I cannot stress enough that it might not be for you!

At the time I purchased this, the criteria for my new foundation were as follows;

• Pale enough to match my natural skin tone
• Long Lasting (By this I mean not having to touch- up for at least 6 hours)
• Full coverage

Price, depending on how good the product is, doesn't affect my decision as I'll pay anything for flawless skin. I was however, determined to find a good go-to foundation that is easily available.


Here is a lovely half and half portrait so that you can see. 

Slightly cringe, the left side has Colorstay applied but the right side of my face has nothing.

The good;

• I am super impressed with this, never really been a Revlon girl before but this product is impressive for such a cheap price. 

• It would be ideal for combination/ oily skin as it does dry the skin slightly once applied, which is fine for my normal skin as I moisturize quite a lot anyway.

• Applying a thin layer achieves medium coverage, this product is easily buildable to full coverage, so it is wearable no matter what look you're going for that day.

• It is a perfect match to my pale skin! Yay! 

•  It contains an SPF6, which is always handy. SPF should be applied everyday no matter whether it be summer or winter, as any exposure to sunlight will affect our skin. Although not a high SPF, I'm glad it has one.

• The foundation lasts long enough to keep me satisfied. It claims on the back of the bottle that it lasts upto 16 hours, but personally I always ignore such ridiculous statements such as these. Firstly, noone can expect a high street product to live up to such extraordinary standards...16 HOURS! Without reapplication? Also, under what conditions are these 16 hour tests carried out? After working a Saturday night shift supervising a busy pub, I can tell you that after 8 hours this foundation wasn't perfect, but nothing would be, and of course neither was my blush, my bronze, etc. However if I applied the foundation, sat on the sofa for 16 hours without touching my face or doing anything, then it would still look perfect? Who knows! It lasts a long time, but freshening up is necessary after 6-7 hours or so,which is fine by me.

The not so good;

• Although contained in a lovely glass bottle with a simple design, there is no nozzle to squeeze, no 'system' in place to control the amount of liquid you use. It pours straight out of the bottle which can make life a little difficult, although now I've become accustomed to carefully oozing some out on my hand before application, I've had a couple of spillage incidents when on the road and as a result I have ColorStay all over my makeup bag and it's contents! Someone at Revlon seriously needs to reconsider the packaging, although I do love the heavy glass bottle.

• It has a slight smell of emulsion? It is a bit painty, if you understand me?! Not the most pleasent of smells but it doesn't linger once applied/dried and it hasn't affected my skin at all, I understand why some people are hesitant to apply scented products to the skin.

Awkward!

So a happy, thumbs up review from me. Quick tip- always use a primer underneath this and apply with a good foundation brush, apply to hand before putting amounts on the brush as it warms the foundation to body temperature and makes it more malleable and easier to control.

I use the Sigma Flat Top Kabuki brush F80 $16 US

Final Portrait;

Do any of you use Revlon products, or Colorstay? Any other pale foundations to recommend?

Wonder Product #1

MAC Cream Colour Base in Pearl (Frost) £13.50 for 3.2g.

"Once you go MAC you never go back..", well, although this doesn't apply to every MAC cosmetic I've purchased (yes Superslick Liqud Eye Liner, I'm lookin' at you!) it's safe to say that it does to this Cream Colour Base, it is divine.

I bought it on a whim when I went in to buy some cream blush, and reckon I've used it nearly every day since I purchased it in May.

It is completely versatile, lasts for hours, can be used for day or night makeup, and gives the most beautiful sheen to my skin.

Personally, I apply it to my brow and cheek bones and use it as a highlighter. I'm a complete highlighter junkie, anything shimmery or shiny for skin I will want in my makeup bag. This Cream Base is a staple in my every day makeup routine.

Top: Without Flash, Bottom: With Flash

It gives a flawless sheen, and I'd really recommend it. I'll repurchase when it eventually runs low. I love it with pale skin, and bright red lips with nude or golden eyes, but it also works so well on a tan for a natural glow. I use it as a highlighter but I believe it can be used on eyes to help eye shadow stay in place (however I've got a feeling this could cause creasing). It comes in all sorts of shades ranging from this Pearl to deep rosy pinks and browns.

Please excuse the very plain, boring makeup, I wanted to ephasise the sheen! I applied it on my brow and cheek bones. It doesn't come out amazingly well in these, but I hope it gives some ideas.


Do you use highlighters? How else would you use the Cream Colour Base? Any recommendations on other products?

Illamasqua A/W 11 Theatre of the Nameless Makeup Range

Images courtesy Google

An exciting new range from the forerunners of weird and wonderful professional makeup, Illamasqua. Although still a relatively unknown brand in the UK (I would say), Illamasqua are growing in popularity as news travels of the wonders of their Skin Base Foundation, which has harboured rave reviews. The makeup is currently only available in selected outlets in Selfridges and Debenhams across the UK, and of course online, but the notions of bespoke, unique and special are strongly associated with this brand, partly because of it's limited availability, in cohesion with the high end prices, and still a relative lack of familiarity.

Similarly to the TopShop makeup range I've written about previously, this collection holds strong autumnal colours that will keep you on trend until the end of January. Worn with the faux furs, leathers, and structured shapes to be worn by most fashion conscious ladies this season, this collection will be the perfect accompaniement.

Illamasqua reflect the ideals of vintage glamour yet the brand is drenched in everything excellent about modernity; the colours are unique, exciting, and fashion forward, and the brand appear to use modern cosmetic science to it's advantage. However, the images used on their website and in their advertising hark back to eras gone by; the Victorian circus, theatre, even freakshow coupled with strong undertones of raw erotica. They are truely a unique and exciting brand, with excellent quality product and reputation and this Autumn/Winter 11 collection demonstrates this. I believe this collection will push the Illamasqua brand into the foreminds as rumour and knowledge of their beautiful makeup spreads. Of course, their exposure in Magazines such as Vogue and Cosmo will help this too.

I'm going to talk about a couple of the products from this collection that catch my interest the most;

Nail Polish (£13.50); The formula of the polishes give a matte rubber finish which is something both forward thinking but also completely resonant of the fetish/erotica messages that I have mentioned. The shades come in a sophisticated lilac/ purple called 'Faux Pas', a leaf green 'Kink', a muddy, natural brown 'Taint'- which I believe may be the most difficult to pull off, hard to tell without testing it myself- definately not one for the toe nails! And lastly a plum/ berry shade named 'Vice'. I think I'll be purchasing 'Faux Pas' on my next trip into Cardiff.

Powder Blush (£16.50); 'Ambition' is a coffee- coloured brown that swatched I reckon will produce a beautiful bronze pigment, perfect for contouring. It won't be your typical orange bronze, but a subtle addition to anyone's makeup routine, perhaps not the most exciting, but probably very useful. Secondly, a shade I'm really excited about is 'Morale'. In the pan it looks like a bright, jewel purple but on the skin I expect it to give a deep rose shade, classic and beautiful, and could be used subtly or applied slightly heavier for a more dramatic effect (not too much, we don't want to look bruised!)

The collection's palette is mature but the images in the campaign are playful, sexual and fun. Illamasqua, making the transition from summer into autumn something creative and enjoyable that we can all look forward to!

Topshop A/W 11 Smoke & Mirrors Makeup Range

Image used from the TopShop blog

I have real life excitement for this range. I'll be honest, so far I have little experience of TopShop makeup, when it was first launched true horror ran through my head - "think of the quality!" "It's gonna be a rip off!" ..Blah blah blah, I was so so wrong. I am truely impressed with the forward thinking colour palettes and products TopShop have produced, and have heard rave reviews of their blushes...at only £6 I'm gonna pick one up tomorrow afternoon when I'm in Swansea, I'm having a real blush dilemma at the moment.

So...I thought I was completely ready for autumn last week, I feel (and I'm sure you'll all second me in this) completely ROBBED of a summer. When it was hotter a few months ago, I was always working, and I unfortunately didn't get a summer holiday (apart from a lovely couple of days in Stockholm earlier this week), but then I spent an afternoon on Oxford Street a couple of days ago, and realised I'm so not ready. Partly because at the moment I have a budget so can't afford the maxi skirts, new boots, leather accessories that I want and partly because I WANT TO WEAR SUMMER CLOTHES!!!

This feeling has bothered me a little bit, until I saw Smoke & Mirrors from TopShop. Well, in true Welsh fashion (I have to try and speak like 'em now I'm living on their land!) All I can say is...Lush! I love the colours, and the limited collection.

The eyeshadow palette are the exact colours I love to use, particularly for autumn. They are earthy, natural but edgy (never tried navy blue before). With a fresh, dewy face, a sweep of bronzer and a hit of my NARS illuminator in Super Orgasm, this eye palette will come alive, all I can hope is that the pigmentation is strong but judging from the rest of their makeup, it should be pretty satisfactory.

The lipstick looks gorgeous, I like the tortoiseshell packaging, it's classic and screams style, I love seeing people in vintage tortoiseshell glasses, I just hope it doesn't look cheap up close. The colour is feminine, but strong, I think it reminds me of my Amplified MAC lipstick in Blankety- which I will blog about soon. 

I've not heard much nor have I tried the TopShop mascara's, but maybe after my last post I will.

Although TopShop state that "Smoke & Mirrors rebels against the grunge glamour of trends past by concentrating on a more alluring, captivating look” I believe that these shades could be used in conjunction with a strong red lip, even an aubergiene shade lip, the gothic/grunge look that has been present in makeup and high street fashion for about 18 months now. Having said this, I'm glad TopShop are trying to steer away from that grunge look in terms of this makeup range, it is a bit done and we've all become a bit comfortable with it, time for a change! 

A definate positive of this range is that I think the shades will suit all skin types, pale, bronzed, black, these shades will look classic, and cool if used in the right way.

I'm ready for autumn!

Mascara Review #1. L'Oreal Teloscopic and Prestige My Biggest Lash

Although I know I wore it, if I'm completely honest, pre- 16 I couldn't tell you what mascara I used. 

I remember being at school and girls layering, and layering, and layering on Maybelline's 'Great Lash'..you know...the pink tube, lime green lid. Garish design and cheap price.

When I was 16 I distinctly remember getting my sister to bid for Benefit's 'Bad Gal Lash' on eBay and I used this for a while. Benefit use the huge, ridiculously huge wand as their USP for this product when infact I think it hinders the use of it and is disappointing. For all I know, the formula of this mascara is great, but the wand made life difficult. I have quite fair lashes, so need a wand that can cover the whole lash (I always apply mascara by closing my lid, and brushing it downwards to begin with, before applying it the 'normal' way!) so Benefit Bad Gal was not for me, though I did love the super dark black it leaves on the lash.

Ever since that time, I used and was completely converted to L'Oreal 'Telescopic' in black, I loved it. I even used it in dark brown at times and the pigmentation is good. The wand, in my opinion, is genius and was the first of it's kind that I can recall in terms that it was a thin comb, instantly adding length, though it didn't add much volume- which to some is a positive, as it means it doesn't clump or thicken the lash. I got so many compliments on my lashes, and lot's of friends and family began using 'Telescopic' because they liked how it had made mine look. I noticed on several occassions, that this mascara doesn't even run in times of teary eyes, and I didn't even buy the waterproof version! Magic!

(Please excuse this awful picture; firstly- have been living out of a suitcase the last month back and forth all over the place it's taken it's toll and rubbed off all of the writing on the mascara, it is now just a gold tube! Secondly, the camera got stolen at South West Four festival that I went to for my birthday at the weekend, so for now I am cameraless...great timing with starting a blog and all...)

After 3 years of using it religiously, I got restless. I thought to myself, 'I change my other makeup and what I use ALL of the time; foundation, different branded and coloured eyeshadows, even different perfumes' (it's no longer common to stick to just one scent, as it was with me mam's generation) 'So why don't I change my mascara?'

MISTAKE!

I tried a Maybelline one, I think it was 'Volum' Express Lift Up' but I cannot be sure, it was in a rounded black tube. It took a long time to dry, and although I have absolutely no history of being sensitive to products in any way, it made my eyes stream with tears every time I stepped outside. Not a good look, unless you're a goth, in which case, go for it!

So a year passed as I went back to my trusted L'Oreal Telescopic, but got itchy feet again and also think it has gone up in price 2 or 3 ££? Plus I was convinced there was something better out there.

This time I opted for Prestige 'My Biggest Lashes' which I think it about £6-7. It's in a pink tube, which isn't to my personal taste (I love pink, but makeup packaging can be so much more appealing than this!)

Mascara is such a personal choice, but I don't really like my eyelashes to look too natural. I want thick lashes, and I also want them lengthened. I like them to be bold. I think this comes from the absolute delight and joy I get in looking at lovely Twiggy from the sixties. 

Why else do we search high and low for a great mascara? Why do we want focus on our lashes? Because historically, lashes are a female, seductive thing, so we heighten them to make ourselves appealing to the opposite sex. If eyes are the windows to our souls, then we want them to look pretty, right? Think of the pin up girls of the past, doe eyed with big eyelashes, to now with the pin ups of today, all the glamour girls have their fakies on!

If I am honest, I'm pretty happy wth 'My Biggest Lashes', I think I prefer the formula to 'Telescopic' but it does take longer to dry, and it is quite heavy. However, the brush...I can't use! It's quite big, there's nothing special about it to describe to you as it's a pretty standard mascara wand. I can't get any precision when I use it (this may be my skills, or years of using such a thin and light wand from 'Telescopic') SO what I do now, is I use the Telescopic brush, with the My Biggest Lashes formula. 

The difference in brush size, L- Telescopic, R- My Biggest Lash

Opinions??

Apologies for such an indifferent post! But you know when one day you like a product, and another day you don't? Yeh..bit like that!

I'd also LOVE any recommendations! I don't want clumps, but I want length, precision and volume, so any suggestions?