Saturday 31 December 2011

Happy new Year!


Tonight I'm going to a David Devant gig which should be magical enough for the Cullens to approve of. 

I'm going to be doing the traditional 'what I got for Christmas' and 'best of 2011' posts asap if anyone is curious, but I'm busy for the next few days so it might be slightly later than everyones elses :P 

It's my birthday on Wednesday, I shall be 24! ... WHEN DID I GROW OLD???? D:!!!! (If anyone gets that reference then I love you)

And at Callooh and Callay we're having a New Year Sale! It's buy 2 get 1 free on all our Christmas Collection and 25% off everything else (apart from our Devant jewellery because 25% of the proceeds of those go to charity) until the 7th of January :)

I hope everyone has a lot of fun tonight, but stay safe kids! CHAMPAGNE!

Thursday 29 December 2011

Illamasqua Freak

A little while ago I was sent a sample of Illamasqua's first perfume - Freak (AKA possibly the perfume with the worlds most beautiful bottle) - to test out. 


Ohh such a beautiful bottle! *__*

Beware, I find discussing perfumes very difficult. All the talk of top, heart and base notes just baffle me (generally) apart from the initial strong smell you get when you apply perfume they tend to smell the same on me regardless of how long it's been on (apart from the smell fading and stuff) they don't seem to 'mature' or change and no new notes come through. Also perfume is much harder to describe than makeup because I can't photograph a scent! And of course it's really subjective, what someone loves may smell rank to someone else and vice versa.  

 And describing this perfume is particularly different as there are quite a few notes in it that I don't think I've ever encountered before! But anyway let's give it a go!
 
 

This is what Illamasqua says about Freak:
'The rich and daringly provocative opening notes of Black Davana cast a magical spell of desire across the senses to celebrate the night. The compelling burnt orange bloom base is highly prized the world over for its ability to enhance the wearer's natural perfume. The subtle mustiness of Poison Hemlock haunts the background tone of Freak, adding alluring depths of mystery.
Datura, the Moonflower, has an intoxicating scent that has long been used as a heady aphrodisiac. The exquisitely rare Queen of the Night blooms fleetingly for a single night each year, and completes this daringly provocative concoction with its warm, soft floral scent touched with sweetness.'

As for me... Well I think the description is pretty accurate! This is a strange, almost mysterious perfume. To me it mainly smells like musk or incense, dark, oriental and exotic. It's earthy and musty. But there's also a strong floral note that I can't put my finger on (probably because I'm not familiar with the flowers in it!). These flowers are not sweet or at all 'old fashioned' smelling, no roses or jasmine  for instance, they're unusual, earthy, and fresh. Finally there is a slight sweetness from a hint of sugary orange blossom and honey.

To me it seems like a very sexy perfume, it's heady and seductive. The notes are unusual and as a lot of the floral ingredients are actually poisonous it adds an exciting thrill! I personally would think of this as more of an evening scent as I do not find it at all invigorating, quite the opposite in face, to me it seems almost intoxicating and calming. It also just smells distinctly 'nocturnal' to me. I also think it could be a good unisex fragrance, the florals are so unusual it doesn't come across as overtly feminine. It is also very long lasting, while it fades in intensity I can still easily detect this after a full days wear.

You can probably tell that I really like this! I didn't expect to, I generally like very fruity, sweet scents, some of my favourites are Diesel Loverdose (which to me smells like a floral based licorice with a hint of tangerine), Gap So Pink (smells like a softened grapefruit), Prada Candy (like baked goods and toffee with a small amount of musk) and Nina Ricci Les Belles Liberty Fizz (which to me smells like tomato flowers). I tend to dislike strong woodsy, oriental or musk smells. So it's odd that I like this so much. I think it's because it's just so unique. I can imagine this being the scent of choice for a  femme fatale or Film Noir heroine because it's so mysterious and seductive. And the sweet undercurrent of the honey and orange blossom makes it more palatable than other oriental/musk smells. I think another reason I like it is because it conjures up images in my head. It reminds me of churches and cathedrals (because of the musty, incense) but also a deep, dark forest, full of slightly rotting leaves and exotic plant smells.

It probably won't become my everyday choice, for that I'll stick with my fizzy fruity smells, but I'd love this for a special evening out or, indeed, a special evening in ;D

Sadly at £59 or 75ml the full bottle is out of my price range at the moment, so I won;'t own that beautiful bottle :( But I'll be enjoying my little sample vial! 

*sample sent for review, all thoughts and opinions are my own*

Wednesday 28 December 2011

Christmassy FOTD

This was a quick and easy look but I thought it was purty.



Wearing:
Face: Illamasqua Skin Base in shade 2 mixed with moisturiser.
Eyes: Darling Girl eyeshadow in Donner, black mascara, Sugarpill Love + Pressed eyeshadow on the eyebrows.
Lips: Originally I was wearing Darling Girl Cookies for Claus Colour Rich Lip Balm with Holly Jolly Holo-Gloss over the top but then I just topped it off with Holly Jolly and Cookies For Claus wore off, I can't remember at what point these photos were taken :P


Holly Jolly is my favourite lip colour at the moment, it's just so festive :)

Tuesday 27 December 2011

Shoe Review!

A couple of weeks ago I had the amazing opportunity to choose something from One Stop Plus to review. I picked this lovely pair of shoes. They're made by La Redoute Creation come in sizes 3 - 8 (35-42) and come in black, taupe, cerise and duck egg (a tealy blue colour) and cost just under £40. I chose the cerise in a size 8.

Shoes tend to fit differently depending on the brand, usually a size 8 will fit me perfectly or be a bit small (I might actually be a size 8 1/2) but these were actually a little too big for me. I could have sent them back and swap for a 7 but I am sure that would have been too small. They're not too big as to be a problem though, they don't slip, they're just quite roomy and the problem is solved by wearing thick tights or socks. However as I said I am quite a big size 8 so other people may want to order a size down from usual, they're definitely bigger than the norm.

Anyway they're really lovely. They're a bright cerise colour with a chunky heel, round toes and a t-bar strap with ruffles on it. I love t-bars anyway but the ruffles make them really unusual and cute! They're made of a fuzzy suede-like material but they're entirely synthetic so great for vegetarians like me! 
  


I haven't been able to wear them out yet because the weather has been very rainy and, as they are suede-ish I don't think it's a good idea to get them wet :( But I have worn them a lot around the house and they're bizarrely comfortable! They have a 7cm tall heel without a platform but somehow they don't hurt my feet. Maybe it's because the heel is so chunky. I'm sure if I did wear them out for a whole day I would change my mind because I have terrible feet that hurt in flat shoes and absolutely die in heels. I can walk in high heels but get a bit wobbly in stiletto style heels but because these have chunky heels they're pretty sturdy. 


The fact that they're synthetic is a big plus for me because I'm a vegetarian but if you don't mind wearing leather then it might be a bit of a problem. Leather is generally meant to be more comfortable and better fitting. The fabric does feel a little bit less sturdy than usual but not flimsy. 


They're go absolutely perfectly with this new playsuit I bought from Warehouse:


And I bet they'd look good with some bright blue or turquoise tights.

All in all I really like them, they're really pretty, easy to walk in, vegetarian and comfy. But the sizing is a bit of an issue and the fact they're synthetic may not be to everyone's taste. At the moment they seem comfortable but time will tell how they stand up to long term wear. The price, £40, seems just about right.

Thank you One Stop Plus :)
 

Saturday 24 December 2011

Have a happy Christmas everyone!

Or if you don't celebrate Christmas then just have a nice December 25th :)



kiss kiss

Friday 23 December 2011

Have a very Glam Christmas!

My friend Mikey was playing a glam themed gig on tuesday, so I dressed up all Christmassy. Also a you can see I've dyed my hair. On the packet it was bright bright red but it's come out sort of Burgundy. I still think it's quite pretty but it's almost the same colour as my Mum's hair which makes me feel a bit weird :P

Here's mah face:






Wearing:
Face: Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation in 02, ELF Studio HD powder, Sleek blush in Salacious
Eyebrows: Sugarpill pressed eyeshadow in Love +
Eyes: Darling Girl Blitzen Eyeshadow, Darling Girl Honeypot eyeshadow, black mascara, the liner is just some loose glitter mixed with ELF Studio Makeup Lock and Seal.
Lips: Red lip pencil (offbrand :P), Darling Girl Jolly Holly Hologloss 

Here's my outfit. I know I probably 'shouldn't' wear something like my plausuit, it's too high cut and not particularly flattering on my little round body, but I like it so who cares?



 Wearing:
Polka dot Jacket and diamante tights -  Topshop
Sequin playsuit - Asos
Hair bow - Dolly Dagger
Badge and necklace - Callooh and Callay
Shoes - Office (I would have worn more interesting ones but I cut my foot on a bit of smashed bauble :( )


For some reason here in the UK a disproportionate percentage of our Christmas songs are from the Glam Rock genre of music.  Wizzard, Mud, Slade, Bowie (with Bing Crosby who is, of course, totally glam) and of course this which you never here anymore. I wonder why... 

Wednesday 21 December 2011

OOTD - ENVY ME!

For I have a Christmas Onesie!



It's my New Years Resolution to find somewhere less horrible to take outfit posts. I will probbaly fail :(

Tuesday 20 December 2011

Candy Stripe nails

I finally found the lead for my camera! Yay!
And it's nearly Christmas, hooray!

Here's my current manicure. It's not perfect of course but as it was my first time properly using a striping brush I don't think it's terrible. That being said, this was my left hand, the right one is even messier!



I used Models Own Snow White as a base and then Inglot Nail Art polish in 34


I'll probably end up changing them up again before Christmas :P

Wednesday 14 December 2011

Blogs that don't get enough lovin'

I've been a rubbish blogger and an even worse blog follower recently. I am so sorry, I've just  been busy with the business recently and a bit poorly and generally just a bit rubbish. I'm trying my best to get back in the saddle and reading all the posts I've missed.

By way of apology I thought I'd share some blogs I've either discovered recently or just really love that don't have as many followers as they should. Seriously, these blogs are all amazing and you should follow them all.

Firstly Ruth's Makeup 
Ruth is an absolutely fantstic makeup artist. She's not afraid to use colour and experiment but her looks are always immaculate and super classy. Check out her amazing Adventure Time looks!

If you've ever wondered about making your own nail polishes then this is the blog for you! It is an absolutely amazing source of infomation, with posts dedicated to supplies, techniques, reviews of polish bases, lists of what glitters do and don't work in polishes and more. It's, without a doubt, the best resource I've found about frankening polish. And if you're not interested in making your own then it's still worth a look for the pretty polishes she makes.

Eyegraffiti is a collab between two amazing bloggers. They post the most amazing eye and lip looks, I wish I had an ounce of their talent!

Mandy is just an allround great blogger, she posts lovelys faces, reviews, nails and various posts about her life in general. 
 Again, a lovely blog that is mainly beauty related but also shows some great fashion and other bits and bobs.

And last, but not least, Vulcan Butterfly
A fantastic blog for gothy, punky fun looks, and check out those mad eyeliner skillz!

What are some of your favourite blogs that you don't think get enough action?

Sunday 11 December 2011

My Christmas Wishlist

I enjoy a very secular Christmas with a good dash of materialism thown in, so I thought I'd share my christmas beauty wishlist with you. I've only included makeup and toilettries and it's nearly all gift sets because otherwise it would be the longest blog post in history!

You may notice there isn't much indie stuff in this list, the reason for that is I didn't want to be listing a load of individual colours and things. I'm surprised at the lack of gift sets form indie companies, I really think that would be a great idea for Christmas!

Anyway onto the stuff!




These nail polishes look gorgeous and right up my street, bright and glittery! They sell the entire library in larger bottles too, but I figure 5ml is enough when you get 28 polishes! :D




This stuff is crazy-cool, foils for your lips! Rainbowdar looks gorgeous, almost holographic with multichrome goodness, but what a stupid name :/




I rarely wear false eyelashes because I'm not too great at applying them but these ones are just so pretty and glamourous that I really want them! Also this comes with a free eyeliner.




I love Lush goodies, and their Christmas range is always fun and generally has a lot of yummy sweetie scented things.



I don't need tweezers, especially not ones that are this pricey... But they're so darn cute!




Usually I'm very hesitant to buy perfumes without trying them,  but this sounds delicious. Apparently the smell contains ' floral notes of rose and jasmine alongside fruity apple, peach, and raspberry and warming vanilla' yummmm! Sounds right up my street. And as with all Paul and Joe beauty stuff it's beautifully presented.




Again I actually haven't smelled this. I'm not certain I'll like it, but it sounds so interesting! And the main reason it's on the list is the bottle. It's one of the coolest, most beautiful bottles I've ever seen. The snail! *__*




I need a new pair of hair straighteners. I currently have an ancient pair of Nicky Clarke ones that are pretty useless. I don't really buy into the hype of GHDs and think they're really overpriced, but this set is so lovely! I love the Art Deco styling of the pouch and the bright red colour. 



These are just so cute! I have no idea what they'd look look like actually being worn, but I bet they're cool. 




I tested out this perfume a while back and it was love at first sniff. It smells of candy and toffee and cake and all things delicious, but it also has some kind of undelying smell that somehow takes away from it smelling solely edible and cuts the seetness so it's not cloying. It smells warm and delicious.

You can see there's lots of perfume on here, I'm on a perfume kick! at the moment!
Whats on your wishlists? :)

Saturday 10 December 2011

Agh I've lost my camera lead! D:
Hopefully I'll find it soon, as I have things to post! Until then there may be some filler.
Sorry you guys!

Monday 5 December 2011

Poodle puff

Claire's poodle Perry has come to stay with us. Here he is being cuddled by me. Look how happy he looks!


...or perhaps not.

Here is my face:





Wearing:
Face: Illamasqua Skin Base in 02, ELF studio HD powder, Illamasqua powder blusher in Morale
Eyes: BFTE Lace (all over lid), Sugarpill Goldilux (in the crease), Illamasqua precision eyeliner in Havoc
Lips: Rimmel Vinyl carat ligloss in Steal the Show

It's funny, in my head I think I look really rubbish with sheer or nude colours on my lips and when I can I always choose bright, opaque colours (I wore this going out for dinner so didn't want to bother with bright lipstick that would smear and stuff) but I actually think this looks very nice! Quite soft and pretty.

Here's my ouftit, which I really like. It's from River Island. Sadly it's ever so slightly too small in the bust which is why my boobs look a bit crushed :P I'm not feeling great about my body right now :(



Finally this looks like quite a nice photo until you realise both the dogs are peeing behind me.

 

 Cheers dogs.