Hi everyone!
Sorry for my lack of postings and commentings lately, i've had a it of a busy weekend and then today was my lovely Claire's birthday so i've been baking cakes and cooking her meals and just generally spoiling her :)
I'm hoping to get some long promised reviews and things done this week but i'm not sure i'll have the time because wednesday is my sisters birthday and my other sister is bringing her new baby over so tomorrow i need to make sure the house is clean and sterilised :P Then on thursday we're going out to celebrate and at the weekend i'm going to see my Grandma for her birthday (SO many birthdays!) and then it's easter. Busy busy! But hopefully i'll be back soon because i've got lots i want to post!
See you soon!
xxx

Quick Lime Crime Drama Update

Recently i've been writing up a big big long post focussing on showing evidence (as much as there can be with Xenia deleting everything she can on the net) of Lime Crime's various shady shenanigans (duct taped dress, calling my mum an asshole, shillbidding, fake charity auction, false claims about her products being vegan, attacking competitors like Sugarpill, sexism and stereotyping gay people, repackaging makeup, threatening to sue someone for a bad review etc etc etc) and that's taking a long time because i want to be as concise as possible and... well there's just so much to chronicle! (I'm still trying to be as fair as possible and not post anything just to be bitchy, like the utterly hilarious video to SF Disco she released that is saved on Claire's computer for the lolz) .

But here's a quick update. For a while Limey has been relatively quiet, even allowing some bad reviews (such as Anastasia's fair but negative review) without feeling the need to sue or getting team Candy Future on the case. But now she's back again.

Temptalia, which is one of the biggest beauty blogs i know of, posted a review of Lime Crime lipsticks a few days ago which was really fair in my opinion. Christine who writes Temptalia was aware of the drama and negativity surrounding Lime Crime but refused to even comment on it, instead leaving the review to focus solely on the quality of the lipsticks which she was sent for free. Christine said there were things she did like about the lipsticks such as the packaging and pigmentation and said some colours actually applied very nicely, but overall her review seemed more negative, describing a lot of colours as 'chalky' or 'streaky', the formula was quite drying, the packaging felt cheap and she just felt they were overpriced. She provided lip swatches for all the colours and you could see what she meant, some of the colours looked fine but some looked very patchy and even looked dry. She gave them a C- overall.

Xenia commented on the thread in a way that actually made me feel like she wasn't that bad a person. She just said it was an individual experience and she was sorry that Christine didn't like the lipsticks but other people have loved them and that they had a no-questions asked returns policy (which certainly wasn't the case before, but at least this shows improvement in her customer service). This seemed like a fair and normal reply to criticism from a company and i actually thought it was quite decent of her.

However, it has now come to light that Xenia was not at all happy about this fair review as she wrote this in the latest Candy Future newsletter:


'Finally, we wanted to discuss a less-than-favorable review we received on Temptala.com. The review gave our Candyfuture opaque lipsticks a C- rating... We don't agree! Do you? Here is the link so you can see for yourself: temptalia.com/lime-crime-lipsticks-reviews-photos-swatches

We would like to encourage all of our futurettes who have had good experiences with our company and products to make yourselves heard. Please don't keep your happy opinions to yourself! Feel free to email Christine (Temptalia) at [Her personal email address] and share your positive Lime Crime experiences with her, let her know you disgree with her review, or leave a comment on the article letting everyone know your personal view on our products and company. Please be honest, respectful, and polite!'

So basically not only are Lime Crime asking people to spam the article leaving positive reviews to try and debunk Christine's views of the product, but are actually encouraging people to spam her personal email (she has a temptalia email account which presumably is what is viewable to people on the site, this one must be her personal address so i find it very creepy that Xenia is giving it out like she has the right) telling her she is wrong about a product that she has had for months! This can't be usual business practice can it? Actually asking your fans to  harass anyone who leaves a less than favourable review? People had already replied to the article saying they had experienced different things from Christine so did she really need to set the goons on her?
And what good is it going to do? Setting a bunch of fans on Christine telling her that somehow she was mistaken, the lipsticks didn't apply streaky, it isn't at all drying, they don't taste bad, she was somehow fooled by her own senses and really they are the worlds best lipsticks ever!!!!
At least as an afterthought she tells them to be honest, respectful and polite.

But what really disgusts me is the fact that this was once again a two-faced attack. She acted all sweetness and light to Christine, saying she was sorry she had a bad experience and still thanking her for the review, but behind her back she's telling people to gang up and debunk her fair review and send messages to her personal account. It's written as nicely as possible but to me it just sounds like a call to attack Temptalia.

Anyway i hadn't bothered to comment on Temptalia's review up til now as Christine obviously didn't want the drama mentioned on her review and i respected that. However seeing as Xenia is asking people to leave their honest, personal views about the company and it's products maybe i'll just do as she asks.

Also, i HATE her name is Xenia because my best friend is called Xenia too, so when i'm talking to Claire or someone i have to differentiate between the lovely Xenia and the low little lying money hungry Xenia.

Illamasqua Week has ended!

So my Illamasqua Week (yes yes it was more like a month, but i'm still calling it a week because i'm stubborn) is now finally drawing to an end. I really liked having the focus on one brand because it forced me to write lots of reviews, where often i can be quite lazy and keep to quick, easy posts, but reviewing all my products and doing looks and things in one week was a rediculous idea, and there were times I wanted to post about other products but didn't want to because i was doing this Illamasqua project. So i think i will do more themed posts similar to this, but will do it in months to give myself enough time to review everything thoroughly and also continue with other posts unrelated to the theme.

So since the start of this project my feelings for Illamasqua have not changed, i still love them dearly and they are my absolute favourite high-end brand, but that does not mean i love everything they make, the cream eyeshadows were very disappointing and i really didn't like the one lipstick i've tried (though i don't believe what i thought would be true of all their lipsticks, i need to try another colour) and while i like their powder eyeshadows i don't think they are particularly special. However their lipglosses and pencils are the best i've ever tried, the blush i have is amazing in it's staying power and pigmentation and i really like all of the other products I have tried. I love the ideas and aesthetics behind the brand, i've found their customer service to be very friendly and helpful and, well i just love them. I want to try all their products.

Their new collection, Body Electrics, is coming out next month. Their blog described the collection as '"Due for a mid April launch across all counters in the UK - and May in the US - Body Electrics celebrates the body in motion, enhances your individual contours and is an explosion of electrifying energy. Again, we have new product textures and some otherwordly shades and unique finishes." I cannot wait! I'm so excited.
I have been invited to go to the blogger event to preview the products and words can't described how happy and honoured i am. This will be my first ever blogger event and i'm just so overwhelmed that i would be invited. It will be a big step for me to go because of my bravery (i imagine i will need a lot of Dutch Courage) but i am absolutely going to go, i'm not going to let my anxiety stop me doing something i really want to do. I need to feel the fear and do it anyway :)

In other news my sister had a baby boy yesterday, both of them are fine and he looks like a creepy old man/alien/pig thing like all babies do to me :P

Illamasqua Week - Brush Review

 

From left to right: Blending Brush 1, Highlighter Blush, Blusher Brush 2, Blending Brush 2.

This is the only post on Illamasqua where i did not buy anything myself (or nick it off my girlfriend :P), 3 of them were a prize from the Illamasqua competition i came 2nd in and the other (Blending Brush 1) was a present. At first when i recieved the 3 that were my prize i was a bit disappointed as, if i had had the choice, i would not have picked any of the 3 but i decided to keep them and now i'm really happy i did. Illamasqua brushes are all synthetic and so cruelty free, which is wonderful. So far, having used them for several months but, very shamefully, only washed them once i have not noticed any shedding whatsoever. The brushes are very, very soft and dense, firm but not stiff. The brushes range in price from £18 to £35 which, i think (though may be wrong) is normal for a high end brand.

Packaging wise these come simply in the little 'jacket' you see in the photo. It's 'frosted' looking with black writing. Inside some of the brushes were protected by little plastic tube things  over the bristles. One thing i didn't like is that once you took this protective covers off you cannot put them back on again as it's impossible to get them back on over the bristles (they just splay and refuse to go in) and you can't pull them up over the bottom as part of the handle is too wide. But this isn't really too much of a bother because, personally, i probably wouldn't remember to put them back on every time. The brushes themselves aren't particularly exciting looking but are attractive and classic looking, with black bristles and shiny black handles which are light but somehow feel 'right' in my hand.

The Blending Brush 1 is probably the most used of the brushes, but i am terrible at blending so i can't really use it to it's full potential. However i really like it, it's very soft but i can control it easily and it's the perfect size to blend out my socket line. The Blending Brush 2 is the least used because, frankly, i'm not sure what to do with it. It's basically the same as number 1 but just slightly bigger, so it's not really big enough for blending out concealer or blush but then i wouldn't use it for my eye shadows because i have number 1 for that. Any thoughts anyone? The Highlighter Brush is like a larger, slightly more domed version of the blending brushes. It works excellently for applying both cream and powder highlighters lightly and evenly and is also great for blending the edges of blusher or getting face products into the nooks and crannies of my face, like around the nose (thanks for the tip Jenn!). Finally Blusher Brush number 2 is one of my favourites, it's a quite thick brush with a softly angled top and i fnd it perfect for getting under my cheekbones to contour my cheeks. It's also wonderful at applying blush in one sweep from cheek to hairline and highlighter too.

I don't own any other high-end brushes (apart from one Lancome lip brush that i nicked off Claire) so i can't compare them to Mac or anything, but i'll briefly compare them to my ELF brushes (the majority of my brushes are ELF studio, i'm going to post a review of these bad boys soon).  I adore my ELF brushes, which are absolutely fantastic value (all £3.50 apart from the Kabuki brush which is a fiver) they are also all synthetic and cruelty free. The ELF brushes are actually very similar in quality to the Illamasqua, they are soft and shed rarely. However they are not as soft as the Illamasqua and are a bit less firm causing them to 'splay' more and making them slightly less easy to control. I don't have any ELF brushes that are for the same purpose as the Illamasqua ones so it's hard to really compare them.

So would i buy more? Well if i had the money to be buying high-end brushes i would definately buy more of these. The ones i got as a prize i never would have chosen myself and yet i now wouldn't want to be without them, so i'd love to try some of the ones i actually would have picked. They are amazing quality in my opinion and knowing they are all cruelty free pleases me immensely. I wouldn't call them overpriced but they certainly aren't cheap and i couldn't afford more at the moment. I really like the way they look, though i'd also like some more gaudy over-the-top brushes too.

Illamasqua Week - FOTD 6

Very very squinty photos because it was too bright for me (i have a problem with my eyes, they let in too much light, i have to wear sunglasses all year round).

 

Face: Illamasqua Powder blush in Nymph, Avon tinted moisturiser.

Eyes: Illamasqua powder eyeshadows in Dizzy, Grope and Geisha, Jelly Pong Pong wakeup makeup (on brows), colorstay 24hr eyeliner, Lancome Oscialltion mascars

Lips: Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in Fume.

Illamasqua Week - Sheer Lipgloss Review

 In a lot of ways these sheer lipglosses are very like the Intense Lipglosses, they come in the exact sme packaging, have the same scent and seem to have the same, or at least a very similar, formula. The difference, as maybe you can guess from the name, is that these lipglosses are sheer instead of opaque. Also there are fewer 'odd' colours as i guess a colour like green or blue wouldn't show well when it's sheer and just turn your lips a funny colour. But you can get some lovely shades of red, pinks, purples, peaches and nudes.  Again these are £12.50 for 7ml .

I only own one of these, Explode, but Claire has one too, Divine. I've only tried it on to take a photo, so i asked her to write a little bit about what it's like to wear properly and here's what she had to say:

'This was a gift to me from Lillian :) We were shopping around at the Illamasqua counter and she overheard me admiring it's Calpol-pink colour. When my back was turned she bought it on the sly to give to me later! Aww.

Divine goes on very smoothly, it's not thick or gloopy, nor does it feel tacky or unpleasant on my lips. I don't  wear a lot of lip products, so I'm usually very concious of the texture, and if something is too sticky or too drying, I can't tolerate it very well and want to scrub it off, and this is especially true of a lot of lipglosses I've tried. But i can put on Divine and forget i'm wearing it because the texture is so nice. Divine also doesn't seem as sticky as most of the ones I have, and I was especially impressed when on a windy day my hair smacked me in the face, and when I went to brush it away, it didn't stick to my lips in the same horrible way as other lipglosses do (for instance Pink Poodle by Mac is a similar colour but i find it a lot more sticky).


Because it's not thick, it's hard to build up the colour, but for a sheer lipgloss, you do get quite a lot of pigment onto your lips without much work. It's also quite long lasting for a gloss, it will vanish within about an hour without touching it up, but in my experience with glosses, this is pretty good, and I find it quite easy to apply considering it doesn't have a wand. I find the tip is a nice shape for pushing the gloss around on my lips, though maybe because it's sheer, I can get away with being a bit sloppy applying it, so it's easy for me to just pop it in my bag and carry it around if I want to wear it all day.'

Thanks Claire! Kiss kiss.

My findings when wearing Explode and briefly Divine are pretty much the same as hers. For something specifically called a 'sheer' gloss these are really quite pigmented, around the same as the average gloss you can buy. I guess calling it 'sheer' is to show to differentiate them from the opaque Intense lipglosses, not because they are super sheer themselves. They still impart a good amount of colour on your lips, but it is translucent instead of opaque.

To me they feel the same as the Intense glosses, even though the Intense ones must pack a lot more pigment. And, while they do wear off quicker than the opaque colours they still stick around for about an hour or 2 before you really need to reapply, which personally i find quite good for a gloss (don't know if it's just me but most glosses tend to last just a few minutes on my lips before they just disappear or feather away). As they are sheer hey are easier to apply and less high-maintenance than the opaque ones.

So finally here are the lip swatches of the two i have access to.

 

Explode - a lovely milky colour which shows mainly pink reflects but also some gold and a little blue. As you can see it covers the natural colour of my lips quite well.

 

Divine - Pretty clear bright pink.

So would i purchase again? Well i'm not as in love with these as i am the opaque ones simply because i love opaque lip products a lot more than sheer. However there are a few colours i really like and am interested in buying (the purples are lovels and some of the pinks are very pretty) . Another great thing about these is that you can layer them over lipsticks or liners to change the colour. Explode is really lovely over other colours as it makes the colour have a milky-pinky sheen but the original colour still shines through. I think for other people who are used to wearing sheer glosses or lipsticks these would be great though, their staying power, formula and colour range make them still really worth the money. I really like them a lot, just not as much as the Intense Glosses, which as you may know are one of my favourite ever lip products.

Illamasqua Week - Powder Eyeshadow Review

This is one of the hardest reviews i've hard to write because... well i just don't know what to say about these eyeshadows. They're not bad at all, but then they're not amazing either. I personally find it hard to compare eyeshadows to other brands because unless you have the same basic colour the colour, finish etc is going to be variable on purpose. By this i mean you could buy 2 peach shadows and one could seem much more pigmented and bright, but maybe that's just because the lighter one is designed to a paler colour.

Anyway these eyeshadows come in tonnes of colours (there must be over 100) ranging from pale neutrals to near neon so i'm sure there's something for everyone. The majority of colours are matte but there are a few shimmers too, I'm actually pleased about this as i love matte shades and the majority of brands seem to favour shimmery or pearly shadows. They are £15 each and you get 2g. They come in the same exact packaging as the cream eyeshadows, so i'm not going to bother describing it again :)

 

Firstly i have 8 of the shadows but bought them second hand from Rhamnousia so got them for £6 or £7 each, instead of 15. The colours are (from left to right)

top:  Grope, Succumb, Dizzy, Lick

below:  Courtesan, Can Can, Creep, Geisha

 

 And swatches: Succumb, Grope, Dizzy, Lick, Geisha, Creep, Courtesan, Can Can

As you can see some of the colours are not very bright, but this is because i chose some pale colours boardering on neutrals as i honestly don't have any in my collection. When used in looks they certainly don't look dull, they are actually quite pigmented, they just don't look it here (if that makes sense)

I also bought (this time actually from Illamasqua at full price) the Dystopia collection palette in Pink Smoke which contains Quantum, Matter, Synth and Rasp shadows. This cost £29 and you get 4 shadows at 1.5g each. As a single shadow is 2g for £15 i think this is pretty great value. Illamasqua used to make custom palettes where you could choose any 4 of their cream or powder eyeshadows for the same price as this. I loved this idea and, after going a-swatching a few months ago, i had a list of colours i wanted to make into several palettes but sadly before i could order mine they discontinued the custom palettes. If anyone from Illamasqua happens to read this PLEASE consider bringing them back.

 

 

 

The packaging is basically the same as with the single eyeshadows only giant and without a window in the lid. Instead it has a really nice big, good quality mirror. Again i really like the packaging, it's very sophistiated and yet has a bit of an ususual, slightly gothic 'edge' with it's shiny black plastic and curved sides. One problem i have with it is that it doesn't say the colours of the actual shadows, it just says 'Pink Smoke' which is the name of the palette. This has caused a problem in actually knowing which colour is which.2 of the colours in the palette (Rasp and Quantum) aren't available seperately, Synth is and it's easy to tell which colour it is as it's a pearlescent white colour, Matter is on available seperately too but it is one of the 2 greys in the palette so i can't figure out which is which. I just have guessed that 'Rasp' is the pink shade because it hints at 'raspberry' but i might be completely wrong. And then out of the two greys i've just decided 'Quantum' is the lighter one and 'Matter' is darker as on the website it describes it as 'gunmetal'.

 

Swatches (sorry they're blurry).

Matter, Quantum, Rasp, Synth (or so i assume)
These colours are shimmery, except for Rasp. 

Now for the quality of these. Personally i think they are great. They blend wonderfully, the mattes are just as blendable as the shimmers and i have no problems with them at all. The wear of them is great, on me even without primer, these last all day without any creasing and with very little, if any, fading. The shimmery ones do have a little bit of fall out but nothing terrible. I really like the colours i have and, while they aren't the brightest eyeshadows around, they are well pigmented and very very pretty.

So would i repurchase? I'm not really sure to be honest. The eyeshadows are fine, wear well, blend brilliantly, and are very pretty colours. However they're not really particularly unusual and honestly i don't think they're worth £15. I might purchase again if i find a colour that's really new and different, or if they have a sale. I do, however, really like the shadows i've got, i certainly wouldn't discourage anyone from buying them as they are good quality in my opinion.

Illamasqua Week - 1920s Dystopia tutorial

Yesterday I wanted to do a really fun, avant-garde inspired FOTD with my Illamasqua products. I decided to take my inspiration from their Dystopia collection and the images they promoted it with and combine it with a 1920s flapper look. As it's unusual and fun i thought i'd try to do my first proper tutorial with pictures.

 

Face: Gosh foundation in Porcelain, Screen face white translucent powder, Illamasqua Illuminator in Fondle, Dainty Doll concealer in Fair.

Eyes: Illamasqua Illuminator in Odyssey, Illamasqua powder eyeshadows in  , kajal liner (unsure of brand, thanks Rhamnousia!), Lancome Oscillation mascara.

Lips: Barry M lipstick in 37 (black), Nyx lip liner in blackberry, Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in Galactic

So if you'd like to learn how to do this tutorial please read below the cut :)

Blog Awards

So i've been tagged for a few blog awards lately and i saved all of them in tabs. If you have awarded me something recently and i haven't mentioned you i am so sorry, i probably just did not see it. Please tell me :)

I was awarded this by the lovely Jewlie thank you :)

Rules

* To accept this award, post it on your blog with the name of the person that awarded you and add a link to their blog

* Pass on to blogs that you have recently discovered and think are great

* Contact these bloggers and let them know you've awarded them

So recent discoveries are:

 Simone

Pixie 

Y 

and Jessie 

I was awarded the Sunshine Award by Y and Emily cheers lovely ladies!

Sunshine Award:
1. Post the logo on your Blog
2. Pass it to 7 bloggers that inspire you!
3. Link the bloggers and let them know

So, some blogs that inspire me are:

Carla

Andrea

Heather

Milly

Ellie

Phyrra

http://www.sparklzandshine.com/

And finally i was given this award by the wonderful Helena and Y

The rules:

- Post the award on your blog

- Link the person who has given you the award

- Pass the award to 15 other blogs you’ve discovered

- Remember to contact the bloggers you’ve nominated

So the 15 bloggers that i've nominated are:

Jessie

Jen

Dissolved Girl

Nea

Emma

The Claire <3

Saila

Lisa Kate

Emily

Bicky

http://georgiexox.blogspot.com/

Cat

RaeRae

http://lilbiuty.blogspot.com/

Rebecca

If i didn't tag you please don't think anything of it! I still love you :) Also if you know you're following me, have a blog and no i'm not following you please tell me.

And that's all the filler posts i have for tonight. Tomorrow Claire is having a guest over and as i am shy i'm going to hide upstairs all day so i should do a few looks for fun and will have my last few Illamasqua Week reviews :)

Three Things Survey

Three names I go by:
1. Squilly (or Squill, Squillina, Squillicent, etc.)
2. Cookie
3. Ooshie

Three jobs I have had:
1. artist
2. illustrator
3. admin and payroll duties at my brother in laws tree surgery business.

Three places I have lived:
1. Wimbledon Park
2. Merton Park
3.  somewhere else in wimbledon

Three favorite drinks:
1. Chocolate milkshake
2. Passionfruit juice

3. Strawberry ribena

Three TV shows I watch:
1. Mad Men
2. Eastenders
3. Neighbours

Three places I have been:
1. The USA
2. Italy
3. Ireland

Three places I would like to visit:
1. Japan
2. More places in the US
3. Sweden

Three people who text me regularly:
I don't have a phone at the moment. When i did i would mainly get texts from my Mum, Claire and my best friend Xenia.

Three favorite old TV shows:
1. The Ren and Stimpy Show
2. Knightmare
3. Friends

Three favorite dishes:
1. My vegetarian lasagne
2. Tomato pasta
3. Margherita pizza

Three makeup/beauty products I cannot live without:
1. Red lipstick
2. Black mascara
3.  black eyeliner

Three things I'm looking forward to:
1.  Dinner! (I'm SO Hungry D:)

2.  My Morgana Minerals order arriving

3. Going dancing (dont know when this will happen though)

Again i'm tagging anyone who hasn't done this and wants to :)

40 skincare and beauty questions

No looks or reviews today as i decided that i had to finally get around to washing my brushes. I'm terrible at it, i put it off and put it off but my brushes were just too grungey to use now and i just wasn't happy using my fingers to apply my slap. I actually rather like the process of cleaning my brushes (i like seeing all the grime coming out and turning the water icky murky colours), but just can never be bothered to do it. So today i finally got around to it (my palm is a little sore from swirling brushes on it :P) and then decided to do some more organisation and have got my makeup all sorted into my new storage system (will show you photos soon if anyone is interested :) ) and now i feel all at peach XD

So today i'm going to be getting on some tags and awards that i've been saving on my computer for when i got a minute. I only have 3 Illamasqua reviews left to do before i'll have reviewed every product i own so Illamasqua Week will definately be over by the end of his week :)

I'm a bit fed up because i bought a beautiful playsuit from Topshop and it arrived today and doesn't fit. Not because it's too small or big but because i am too tall for it :( Still i reckon if i find some similar fabric i can just make a cheaper version at home. And now i'll have £45 to fritter away on nail polish and lipstick save responsibly.

Now let's do a tag or 2! 

How many times do you wash your face daily?

...daily? uhhh.... i wash my face once a day if i've been wearing full face makeup, but much less if i haven't.

What skin type do you have?

Dry and possibly sensitive (i'm not sure what sensitive skin means. I don't break out often at all but my face seems very sensitive to certain things and will sting and hurt)

What is your current facial wash?

Soap and Glory Clean Mary. It's pretty good.

Do you exfoliate?

Yes, about twice a week.

What brand do you use?

Currently Soap and Glory The Greatest scrub of all. Again it's good

What moisturizer do you use?

I'm currently using Avon 24hr moisture in the morning, Skin MD shielding lotion throughout the day and Avon Winter night cream when i go to bed.

Do you have freckles?

Some but they're quite light. I have darker ones on my shoulders. I really like freckles.

Do you use eye cream?

I usually forget it, but i have an avon brightening eye cream which i use very occaisionally if i remember.

Do you or did you have acne prone skin?

Not really, when i went through puberty i had more spots than now of course, but still they were quite rare.

Did you ever have to use Pro-activ?

Uhh i don't even know what that is. 

Make-Up

What foundation do you use?

I don't usually wear it, but when i do i use either Nyx liquid foundation in LM01 pale or Dainty doll mousse foundation in Ivory. I have also just started using a Cargo one i won in a blog sale which is working quite well, and i just picked up a new one by Gosh which i think might be the best match for me yet :)

How about concealer?

I have ELF Studio line concealer and highlighter (i don't usually use the highlighter), Dainty Doll concealer in Fair and Collection 2000 Illuminating Touch in Naked.

Do you know your undertone colour?

I'm pretty certain it's pink, my skin is basically pink.

What do you think of false eyelashes?

I really like them and the look, but i'm usually too lazy to faff around putting them on. I'm ok at applying them but just hate getting the corners to stick to my eyes.

Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months?

I do know, but i do not do it.

What brand of mascara do you use?

I have a lot of mascaras waiting to be used, but at the moment i'm using my holy grail which is Lancome Oscillation and sometimes Too Faced Lash Injection which i don't like much.

Sephora or MAC?

Well it would be Sephora if i could get there! :(

Do you have a MAC pro-card?

No, but i've bought pro stuff before because there's a shop near me.

What make-up tools do you use in make up application?

Illamasqua and ELF Studio brushes, some other super old brushes, a Lancome lip brush, powder puffs and my fingers.

Do you use make up base/primer for the eyes?

I try to but sometimes just forget.

For the face?

No, because i rarely wear foundation and when i do i always forget to put on my primer, i must try!

What is your favourite eyeshadow (colour or shade)?

Ugh too many! Ok i like neon brights of any shade, any shade of pink and neutrals with a duochrome or glitter or something to make them more interesting.

Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?

I generally wear liquid eyeliner (apart from my waterline which is always done with pencil) but i also use pencil at some times.

How often do you poke your eyes with a pencil eyeliner?

I don't think i've done that, i have poked myself in the eye with mascara many a time though.

What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?

I really like them but do not like the fall out. But then pressed shadows have fall out too.

Do you use mineral make-up?

I have some Indie makeup with minerals, Aromaleigh shadows and blushes and Morgana Minerals lipstick.

What is your favourite lipstick?

Oh god this cannot be answered! The one i wear the most is Mac Kanga Rouge though.

How about lipgloss?

Illamasqua Intense lipgloss but i can't choose a colour!

What is your favourite blush to use?

Currently Illamasqua Nymph

Do you buy your makeup on Ebay?

Occaisionally.

Do you like drugstore makeup?

Yes i do, i like high end too but i find lots of drugstore brands are just as good as the high end.

Do you go to CCO's (cosmetic company outlets)?

No because i don't know of any near me.

Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?

No, i love doing makeup on myself but never considered a career in it.

Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?

I'm pretty good except for matching the wings of my eyeliner, they always turn out wonky.

Name a makeup crime that you hate

I really don't hate any makeup looks or think of any makeup as a 'crime'. I like that people wear what they want to wear and see makeup as a kind of self-expression so it would be horrible to mock other peoples techniques or choices. But there are some things i don't like on myself, particularly nude lips, which i think looks awful on me, long nails and a dewy look.

Do you like colourful shades of makeup (lipstick, eyeshadow) or neutral ones?

I only like colourful lipsticks as, like i've said, nude lips look bad on me, but with eyeshadows i like both. Bright colours are great fun, but i also like neutrals to go for a vintage 50s look paired with lots of black eyeliner.

Which celebrity always has great make up?

Lady Gaga, Cyndi Lauper, Klaus Nomi

If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item, what would you use?

Red lipstick.

Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?

Yes, i do when i just go walk the dogs or something, i don't feel attractive though.

Do you think you look good without any make up on?

No, i look a lot worse and a lot less feminine.

In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line?

I couldn't say, they all have different qualities and pros and cons.

What do you think of make up?

It's fun and often makes women feel better and more confident, it can be used for artistic expression, to enhance your features or just to play and have fun.

I tag anyone who hasn't done this yet :)

Illamasqua Week - Liquid Metal Review

 

Illamasqua's Liquid Metals are one of those products that 'does what it say on the tin'. The product is basically a metallic cream-liquid  that looks as close to real metal as i think a cosmetic is ever likely to get. Wearing them is like wearing a piece of metallic foil on your face! They come in 3 colours, Enrapture - copper/bronze, Solstice - pure gold and Phenomena - silver, i only have the first 2 (well Enrapture is claire's but she lets me use it). They are meant to be used wherever you want, eyes, lips, face and body.

I really love these. They apply beautifully, creamy and smooth and are very richly pigmented, they appear on the face just as they look in the pot. But you can also apply them very faintly to give a metallic glow to your skin, like a bronzer or highlighter. I also really like the fact these products are multi-use,  had been considering buying Illamasqua's amazing gold lipstick, but figured if i got this is works as a lippie, eyeshadow and face product. 

These cost £17 each and you get 8g of product, which i imagine will last forever as you only need a very light amount to get full pigmentation. They come in little jars the same size and shape as their eyeshadows, but hingeless and made of clear plastic. The jars are entirely full of product and have a black lid which just clicks on top. These came in the same little black cardboard boxes as the eyeshadows, but without a window in the lid. I really like this packaging, it's functional and pretty and elegant.

 

Here are a bunch of swatches so you can see the colours on my skin:

left to right: Solistic applied sheerly, solstice applied heavily, Enrapture applied sheerly, Enrapure applied heavilly.

 

 

 

The last one particularly shows how metallic the are. The gold in particular looks almost like gold leaf! You can also see the amazing pigmentation. I can imagine that both of these would look amazing on dark skin tones.

Oddly Solstice seems slightly more pigmented then Enrapture, in the above photos the heavy swatch of Solstice took only one sweep of my finger on the product and then just one sweep across my skin whereas Enrapture took about 3 sweeps to get it that pigmented. You can also see that it is easy to just get a nice sheer wash of the metallic colour, all i did was take a small swatched with my finger and blend it out.

So how are they in use? Well on my lips the colour went on smoothly and was completely opaque. It also lasted a really long time which surprised me, and would have lasted longer but unfortunately i found it felt rather uncomfortable, very dry and sort of powdery on my lips, so eventually i rubbed it off. Great for photos though and maybe if i'd used a gloss over the top, or a balm underneath, it would have felt better. On my face these work brilliantly, they go on like a cream but then dry until they're basically smudge resistant, i can imagine these making an absolutely gorgeous bronzer on people with darker skin tones than me, us pale girls can use them sheerly for a golden glow :) On the eyes these look absolutely beautiful, they go on again smoothly with no patchiness but unfortunately, like the cream eyeshadows they crease in my socket line (having said this i realise i've never worn these over primer or tried setting hem with powder, i will have to see if that makes a difference). Now i find this more forgiveable with this product as it is not specifically designed for use in the eye. Also the creasing genuinely doesn't seem as bad as in the cream eyeshadows and as the colours are so beautiful and unusual i can forgive a bit of creasing more. I bet these would make amazing bases for other metallic shadows or pigments too. 

So would i recommend them? Well i think they really come down to personal taste. With most of the other product's i've reviewed, if you didn't like the really avant-garde colours they also have more 'ordinary' colours with the same formulas. With these however there are only 3 colours and they are all definately extra-ordinary. If you only wanted these to use as eyeshadow i am not sure i would recommend them as they do crease. However i think these are amazing products, i think if you like to play with unusual looks, or ever do makeup artistry then i think these would be wonderful in your collection. I love how differently you can use these, sheer as a bronzer, thich as a body paint, lip stick, eyeshadow, even in your hair! I think they are quite pricey but you get a LOT for your money and i'm pretty sure these will last you forever (well unless you use it every day heavilly)

Illamasqua Week - FOTD 5

 

 

Face:

Cargo foundation, Collection 2000 illuminate and perfect concealer, Illamasqua Illuminator in Fondle, Illamasqua Liquid Metal in Enrapture.

Eyes:

Illamasqua powder eyeshadow in Dizzy, Illamasqua Illuminators in Fondle and Odyssey, Illamasqua Liquid Metal in Enrapture and Solstice, Too Faced Lash Injection Mascara.

Lips: Illamasqua Liquid Metals in Solstice and Enrapture.

Today i went for a warm goldy-bronzey look. I tried to contour my cheeks a little using the liquid metal in Enrapture, is it noticeable at all?
First i did my skin as usual but didn't use any powder (all of my brushes and puffs are filthy so i did this look using just my fingers, i don't think i did too badly considering!) then used Illamasqua Illuminator in Fondle as a blush, getting a small drop on my finger and putting it on the apple of my cheek, then sweeping it up my cheekbone to my hairline, fading it out as i went. Then i took a tiny amount of Illamasqua Liquid Metal in Enrapture and applied it sheerly under the line of blush i'd put on, blending it down to my jawline. For my eyes i popped a bit of Illamasqua powder eyeshadow in Dizzy over my crease, heavier at the inner corner and put a bit of Fondle on top of that. I then used the Illuminator in Odyssey on my browbone and at the inner corner of my eyes. Then i put Enrapture all over my eyelid, blending it into Dizzy and a small amount of Liquid Metal in Solstice in the inner 3rd of the eye. I finished it off with just a very light coat of mascara on my upper lids and patted a bit of Enrapture over my eyebrows. Finally for my lips i simply covered my lips with Solstice and then tapped a small amount of Enrapture into the middle of the lower lip.

Helloooo

Illamasqua week (which yes has almost spanned 3 weeks now, it would have been a week if i posted my looks and reviews consectuively but, i'm me so that was not going to happen :P) is drawing to a close now, i only have 3 reviews left to post and will hopefully have at least 2 done today. I've really enjoyed doing it, but i want to know how you guys felt about it. If you liked seeing a whole lot of reviews and looks using only one companies products then i could do it again with other companies. The idea of it was meant to be a sort of guide to the brand for anyone who didn't know much about them before, or did but had been put off by the price or anything. But if you found it irritating in any way please tell me :)

In case anyone thought otherwise i'd just like to say that i am not in anyway affiliated with Illamasqua, i didn't recieve any of the products to review or anything like that, i just really adore the brand.


I was feeling really down yesterday and ended up being very very naughty and breaking my spending ban quite badly. I feel very ashamed of myself now but i just couldn't help it. I'm going to try to keep myself really really busy from now on and then hopefully i won't give myself a chance to buy anything else!


I'm not feeling down anymore though. Partly because I just  woke up on the right side of the bed this morning, and it's been such a nice sunny day and my animals are all being beautiful and partly because, when ego-searching this morning, I discovered  this little write up on my blog

'What I love about Lillian’s blog is her ingenuity and her drive to create something unique in a world that is so replete with same, same, same. Lillian’s makeup tutorials are full of innovative products, methods and combinations. No two looks are ever the same.
The best thing about Lillian, however, is her honesty. She shares very openly her struggles with social anxiety, her fears, and her frustrations with life. The way she writes is compelling and almost like a conversation. It’s absolutely addictive.'

Now i'm certain such praise is really not deserved but i just wanted to say that if whoever wrote this is reading this i can never thank you enough. It truly touched me from the bottom of my heart and has made me feel so wonderful. Word's can't really express how good it made me feel about myself, just knowing there are people who so much appreciate the nonsense i write :)

You may have noticed i've been quite  sparse on the looks front recently, this is because i've been a bit low and staying indoors a lot so i don't tend to do a full face worth noting, but i want to do more, so hopefully i'll start showing at least 2 outfits and faces a week. Even if i'm just in all day i'll dress up for the fun :)
I'm also going to start working my way through the list of requests i have. I'm so useless, i ask you guys what you'd like to see and then when you tell me i ignore it for weeks! Shame on me.

Recently my puppy Sir Digby has started playing with my older dog Minnie. Minnie has never played before in her life and it has made us all so happy to see her rolling around being silly with Digby, she seems so much younger now.

Illamasqua Week - Medium Pencil Review

Today's review is on Illamasqua's Medium pencils, so named because they also have a larger 'fat' pencil and a very thin 'fine' pencil. These are about the same size as your average lip or eyeliner pencil, come in over 30 colours and retail for £12.50. I only have 2 colours so far but love them so much i am desperate for more.

You get 1.5g of pencil and they are rather simple looking, ordinary wooden pencils with a clear lid and shiny black handles and, like all other Illamasqua products, come in a shiny black cardboard box with cream writing. The packaging is practical but could be a little more interesting. Still it looks fine so i am not put off at all. The colours range is amazing with several shades of pinks, greens, blues, greys, yellows etc as well as basic reds, black, white and brown. These pencils can be used anywhere, they are equally good for lining your lips or eyes or even just drawing freehand on your face or body. To me it's wonderful to find a product that actually is designed to be used on both eyes and lips. Usually you can use an eyeliner as a lipliner or vice-versa but i do find problems (eyeliners usually are harder and 'pull' more on my lips and lipliners are often unsuitable for use around the eyes because of non eye-safe ingredients) but these are specially made to be safe, and work well anywhere you choose to use them.

The two colours i own are Deonair, a bright, cyan blue and Whiplash, a yellow lime green:

The colour payoff of these pencils is amazing. They're incredibly pigmented and rich, but also so so creamy and soft. This makes them a dream to apply, especially on the lips. But once they are on and have dried a little they are, while not entirely smudge-proof, pretty good at resisting smearing and pretty much entirely transfer resistant. As a lip or eyeliner i find there is little to say about these that differs from most high quality eyeliners. They last very very well and resist smearing, the colour is true-to-life in one stroke and they are easy to use. For me the true test of a liner is on my waterline. I've used many different liners in the past from drugstore to high end (Barry M, Mac, Urban Decay, Estee Lauder etc) and never found one that lasted well on my waterline.  I don't know if i have watery eyes or something, but colours usually fade or smudge off my waterline after less than half an hour. Urban Decay 24/7 pencil lasts for maybe 2 hours on me (one of the best), but these pencils have become my Holy Grail eyeliner because my god do they ever last on my waterline!

 

Above is Whiplash freshly applied. Oddly this looks like i've barely applied it, but it was much brighter in real life. I think you can see it better in my FOTD pictures in my last post.

This is after about 4 hours. It actually looks brighter than in the first photo, but in reality it was basically exactly the same. It has hardly faded and wasn't patchy.

 

And this is at the end of the day, after about 10 - 12 hours. As you can see it has faded a bit now, but is still hanging in there!

I am incredibly impressed. By the end of the day the colour had faded only a tiny bit, it was still noticeably lime-green and the colour had not smudge or travelled to my lower lashline at all!

Here is a blurry photo of my eyes doing a very unflattering about-to-blink look, but it shows the colour off really well:

 

Can you believe that's after at least 10 hours of wear?

 

So, i can honestly say that these are the best eyeliners i have ever used for the water line. Debonair Works just as well, i was going to take photos of it too but ended up having a huge cry-fest that even these beauties couldn't stand up to. Though to give it it's dues there was still a very pale blue colour on my waterline after a solid half hour of hysterics :P And they work equally well, if not better than, other lip and eyeliners when used on the lids/lips.

I highly recommend you try these. £12.50 might seem a bit expensive but i honestly think they are well worth the price. I need want so many more colours of these. If you are into black liner then i highly recommend their SOPHIE pencil as every pencil sold in this colour donates £3 to the S.O.P.H.I.E. charity. That's the next one on my list :)