Mottos for 2016 and a Clinique eyeshadow purchase

Hi there!  Happy 2016!  I can't believe we're already in to the second week of January.  This part of the year is really busy for the theatre as we have a lot of shows.  It's been go go go since I got back from the Christmas holidays which means I haven't had much time to think about New Years resolutions and the like.until this past weekend.  I've been thinking about something like, I should try to follow what brings me joy.  That applies to so many things in my life, including my blog.  I've been trying to think about which direction I want to take my blog in.  Do I want to try to turn in to a job?  Should it be beauty based, lifestyle based, advice based....?  Ultimately I think I have come to the conclusion that I should just write here for myself about whatever I feel I want to write about.  If I enjoy what I'm writing than I think the posts will be better.  So I plan to focus on that for now and see what direction it takes me in!  Perhaps I will write a more in depth post about how this also applies to other areas in my life but for now I'll leave the deeper thoughts here.
Something that has been bringing some joy in to my life lately has been make-up.  Our local department store had a sale on again (they seem to have one every couple of months now!) and I spotted some eyeshadows that were on sale at the Clinique counter.  I swiped them all and decided that two were the prettiest, at dusk and foxier.  They were still relatively pricey though for single eyeshadows so I decided to think on it.  After a couple of stressful days of work I felt like I needed a treat (who doesn't!) and decided to spend some the hard earned cash on one of these eyeshadows if they were still available.  Both were and though I loved them both I went with the more unusual shade of the two, at dusk.

This is such a stunningly pretty golden shade with some orangey copper tones in it that just seemed to glisten in the light when I swatched it on my hand.  I own a Clinique travel palette which was a gift and contains four eyeshadows and the quality of those eyeshadows is great.  I find them really soft and highly pigmented, in fact they are my favourite powder eyeshadows that I own.  So I always planned to buy myself some more Clinique eyeshadows one day.  Despite the slightly unusual shade I definitely would be comfortable wearing this day or night.  It would be glam for a night out,  winged out all over the lid for a golden shimmer that could work well with a bold lip for drama and subtle enough to just highlight the eye with simpler make-up during the day.  I already wore this out once for a lunch date at the weekend and can't wait to wear it to work to cheer myself up on these cold winter days.  There might not be much golden sunshine right now, but you can make-up for it (pun intended) with some golden shimmer on your eye!  If only it came with added vitamin D :)

Dark lipsticks for Winter

Hello there!  Happy New Year!  I hope you had a great Christmas holiday.

A few weeks ago I wrote this post about things to do when the days get shorter.  One of the things I wrote about was changing up your make-up.  Now that we are deep in to winter I thought I would elaborate on some of the ways I change up my make-up for winter time.  Wearing dark lipstick is one of my favourite things about winter as I think you can get away with it more in the darker months.  I only really felt brave enough to try out some darker lipsticks last winter so I don't have many in my collection yet.  Here are some of the ones I have been using recently.

L'oreal Blake's Pure Red - I bought this lipstick because I wanted a blue toned red in my collection.  It isn't super dark but is still much darker than the more orange toned reds I own.  It's highly pigmented which is good and relatively matte which helps it to last longer on the lips.  It's quite strongly scented, the scent reminds me of parma violets which I like but it could put some people off.  A great date night red.

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate in shade 107 - A recent purchase, I wrote about it here.  Even darker than the Blake's red, it is even more blue toned, almost purple toned.  The formula is similar to the L'oreal one in that it is relatively matte but this formula is creamier as well.  This is also strongly scented!  One of my favourite shades right now that I wish I could wear more often.  I need to go on more nights out!

Topshop Lip Bullet in Get Me Bodied -  I'm wearing this in photo above.  I love this dark plum shade.  I bought it recently in the Topshop sale, it was a mini lipstick in a Christmas bauble.  For a mini you still get quite a lot of lipstick and it fits so easily in to a small bag.  It is matte giving it longevity but you definitely will want to moisturise your lips before you wear it or it will cling to any dry places.

Misslyn Shade 119 - The creamiest of the four as it is not a matte shade.  This is the first dark lipstick I bought.  I decided to buy it because it was relatively cheap and I was not sure how a dark lipstick would work for me.  This is the darkest shade of the lot and although it is more comfortable to wear on the lips it is not as long lasting.  The pigmentation is good though and the shade is a super glam, super dark plum for when you want to make a bold statement!


If you're going to go for dark lipstick and are relatively pale like me I find you need to add some blusher to warm up your complexion so it doesn't look too draining.  I also like to make sure I'm wearing a bit of eye liner or else I find my eyes disappear a bit!

Do you turn to a dark lip in the colder months?  Do you have any recommendations of other lipsticks in the dark plum shade I might like?  I hope you're having a great start to 2016!

Recent Beauty Buys

An annual sale at our local department store means I get to go and buy a few new bits and pieces for my make-up collection.  This time I bought an eyeshadow trio, a blending sponge, and a new mascara.  The eyeshadow I bought was by Isadora, a brand I don't own much make-up from but I passed up the chance to buy a palette from them last time there was a sale and regretted it.  I spotted a few different selection of eye shadow shades and picked the cool toned browns one because I knew I'd get the most use out of it.
The shades aren't quite as pigmented as I thought they would be but they do have a lovely shimmer to them.  I prefer to use the middle one as an all over shadow by itself for some natural looking day time definition.  The darkest shade is probably the prettiest and I've used it as an eyeliner so far but would consider wearing it on a night out all over the lid.  The lightest shade is a nice, cool toned, silvery highlight which I would wear on the inner corners of my eyes.  The formula of these shadows isn't my favourite but the shades are wearable so I will get some use out of it.
The blending sponge I bought to try out because of the hype.  I didn't want to fork out for the beauty blender and this one looked so similar but was so cheap I thought I'd test it out.  I haven't tried the beauty blender so I can't compare but I've used this a few times and I'm pretty pleased.  It works well when you dab it on the skin blending in concealer to your foundation.  I wouldn't drag it across the skin as it's quite a hard sponge.  I will be using this when I apply my stage make-up as I don't tend to wear full base make-up everyday.

The best thing I bought in the sale was the Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara.  I had been using the Max Factor 2000 Calorie mascara and really liking it but it was going to dry out soon so I thought I would buy this to test out next.  Of course I couldn't wait until I had finished my old one to open it and give it a go and once I had tried I wouldn't use any of my others.  The Max Factor one was really good but I think it must have already been starting to dry out already because the Maybelline one blew it out of the water in comparison.  The formula is quite wet which I like because I can get a lot of product on to my lashes.   The brush is also really good because of the different length bristles on it.  It's a plastic bristled wand which I normally am not a fan of but I find I can achieve different results with this one depending on which part of the wand I use.  The longer bristles are good for lengthening and separating and the shorter ones are good for achieving a thick coat of black.  I tend to use a combination of both ends to achieve thick lashes with length towards to outside edges.  It's a really good mascara which might take a bit of practise because you get so much product on the brush it can clump some lashes together so I find brushing strokes one way and then the other helps to keep them separated.  Even without using eyelash curlers I can get a really good curl out of this mascara which is useful seeing as I lost my eyelash curlers this summer!  Over all I would really recommend this mascara.

Recent empties

Hi there!  It's been a few days hasn't it.  Winter time is the busiest time for the theatre so it's been go go go at work.  I've been pretty exhausted by it.  Yesterday our show of the Nutcracker was cancelled which meant I had nothing but ballet class in the morning but I spent most of the rest of the day asleep in bed or curled up on the sofa.  I've been so tired and I rarely nap so I must have needed the sleep!  I'm feeling much better today which is lucky as we have another show this evening.  I think it's because I had a good rest yesterday that I've finally found the energy to come and write on my blog!  I thought I would do a little post on the products I have finished most recently.  My husband will be glad I can finally throw away the empty pots!

Lumene Vitamin C Night Cream - I bought this a while back in the sale and I really really liked it.  I have dry skin, particularly during the harsh winter and this was really thick but still absorbed  very well in to the skin.  I like the idea of the vitamin C as well as any extra radiance is welcome in the winter.  When I bought this it was just before they reformulated the packaging.  It has a pleasant fruity scent.  I didn't buy another pot for ages even though I liked it because it was quite expensive (for me).  I found it this weekend in another sale so I grabbed another pot.  I've only used it once but the cream seemed lighter than before so maybe they reformulated to product too, although it still seemed really good.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Nivea Pure and Natural Night Cream - I bought this because it was a good price and because of the natural ingredients.  It seemed like a good moisturiser, though it doesn't do anything special.  It was quite thick and even a little too heavy for me in the summer.  It didn't make my sensitive skin sting which is good but other than that it just does what it says on the tin-moisturises.  However once I had purchased and tried the Lumene night cream this cream was relegated to the back of the shelf.  When I tried to use it again after a while it had basically turned into wax, which didn't surprise me because the cream really was quite waxy.

The Body Shop Blueberry Body Butter- Love this, great light fruity smell, sinks in to the skin really well and is cooling and soothing.  I use this to calm the eczema on my arms.  I just wish it was a bit cheaper, I buy this when it's on offer!

Body Shop Chocomania Beautifying Oil - Super yummy sweet scent.  More praline-y than chocolate-y scent but yummy all the same.  I really like this smooth oil.  The lemon one was my favourite but since they discontinued it this seemed a good alternative.  I would buy this again and use it in winter as it's too sweet for summer!

Alba Botanica Hawaiian Body Cream with Kukui Nut - Very strongly scented.  Sweet smell, reminiscent of caramel.  This was too strongly scented to use on sensitive areas of my skin but worked fine everywhere else such as on my legs for example.  The scent would really linger and the cream was very rich and moisturising.

New Lipstick Purchases

Hello!

I have recently aquired not one but three new lipsticks!  One of these was given to me by my Mum and too were purchases, although I did buy them in the sale which always makes me feel better haha.  Both lipsticks were less than 5 euros so I think I got a pretty good deal there.  The two lipsticks I bought were the Manhattan All In One lipstick in Tender Tulip, shade number 420, and the Rimmel Kate Matte Lipstick in Wine, shade number 107.

I had been looking at the Manhattan lipsticks for a while, thinking that they seemed good quality for the price having swatched them on my hand.  I hadn't made a purchase however because I couldn't justify buying a new lipstick or pick a favourite shade so when I saw them on sale it seemed a good time to get one.  I went for Tender Tulip because it seemed like a nice everyday shade.  I wouldn't call it neutral, it's maybe a shade or two brighter than a natural lip colour but I wouldn't call it bold so I feel like I could wear it with any make-up look, dressed up or down.  It's like a neutral soft corally pink.  I think the formula is lovely, it's creamy which makes it really comfortable to wear on the lips.  The pigmentation is also high and I think this is a really great product for the price, even the non-sale price.

The lipstick that my Mum gave me was the Pure Colour lipstick by Estee Lauder in the shade Cream Tea.  This lipstick was a free gift with purchase and the shade is something I would never usually go for.    It's a nude that's quite brown with a hint of pink in it.  It's quite a dark nude for me but I thought I would give it a go and see if I can make the look work for me.  I find that duller or more brown toned nudes can make me look a bit drained so maybe it will work well with lots of blush!  The formula is nice and creamy though and the pigment is very good.

The Kate Matte Lipstick I had seen on a number of blogs and it really did look like the perfect autumn berry shade.  It was also on sale and I had been looking out for this with the view to maybe purchase so I snapped it up.  I only have one other really dark lipstick in my collection so felt that I could use another addition.  I haven't worn this as much as the Manhattan one as it isn't a colour I would wear every day but on the couple of occasions I have worn this I have been in love with the shade.  As I'm quite pale I feel like I have to up the anti on the rest of my make-up to get away with it so it's definitely something I would be more likely to wear on a night out than during the day.  I love having a more grown up glamorous shade of lipstick in my collection as I mostly own pinks. The formula is more matte than the Manhattan or Estee Lauder ones so not as comfortable to wear but still not terribly drying in that it would put me off wearing it.  Pigmentation is good, and the smell is a bit strange but I actually really like it!

I have a couple more new lipsticks to show you too in another post, my collection is getting a bit out of control!

Till next time :)

Preparing my skin for my wedding day

Hello!  Sorry, I know it's been ages since I blogged.  As usual the main reason is work has been so busy.  We are staging a new production which première's next weekend so that's been taking up all my physical and mental energy.  I also came down with a kind of flu which knocked me out for about a week.  So yeah, that's what's been happening in my life for the past couple of months!
I'm sure I promised at some point I would write about what I did to get my skin in good condition for my wedding day.  Obviously everyone's skin is different so these things might not work for you, but I thought you might be interested to read what I got up to.
I'm usually pretty lucky with my skin which I think is partly down to having an active job where I dance around all day.  My main problem is dryness which I tackle with moisturising regularly, apart from my forehead which tends to be oily, so I guess that means I have combination skin.  Being a ballet dancer also means I have to eat a pretty healthy diet and I do notice a difference when I'm eating plenty of fruit and vegetables and drinking lots of water.  I get spots from time to time though so I wanted to up my game before my wedding day to give my skin the best chance of being spot free.
Things I did lifestyle wise were try to snack on fruit instead of chocolate as much as possible.  I actually snack on chocolate fairly frequently so I made an effort 3 weeks or so before to by fresh fruit to snack on instead.  I also made sure I was drinking enough of course (water, that is!).
Other than that I headed in to Boots to seek out some skin care essentials that would help keep my skin clear.  I do find salicylic acid works well for me when I have a breakout so I looked for products that contained that but which were also not too expensive as I probably wouldn't use such harsh products on my skin all year round.
The three things I bought were: the Boots Skin Clear Deep Cleansing Lotion, Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Charcoal Facial Mask, and the Skin Clear One Touch Spot Stick.
Every morning and evening I would wash my face with my usual face wash, Garnier's Pure Active Blackhead Clearing Scrub and then I would usually follow that with a sweep of the Deep Clearing Cleansing Lotion on a cotton wool tab.  I would moisturise afterwards with my usual morning or evening moisturiser.  In the evenings I would follow up any potential blemishes with a dab of the Spot Stick gel.
Once or twice a week I would use the Tea Tree and Witch Hazel mask which was probably my favourite of the three items I bought and one I have been wanting to use regularly ever since.  It smells delicious and my skin felt soothed and less oily after using it.
It's hard to say whether it was down to using these products or pure luck but I was fortunate enough to have clear skin on the day!  Now I only use the Deep Clearing Cleansing lotion when my skin is getting particularly bad as it feels quite strong to use on my skin every day.  Of course I still use the spot stick to target any spots that might pop up.  I find it helps to stop me messing about with them and making them worse.  If you're wondering why I ended up buying everything from Boots own range it was purely for economical reasons, I think there may have also been a special offer on at the time!
Obviously as I had good skin on the day I was pleased with all the products even though I wouldn't use such a harsh regime on my skin normally,
Hope this was helpful to you!  I'm off for a bacon sandwich, so pleased I finally blogged :)

Bourjois Nude Sensation Foundation Review

Hello there!

I've got a long weekend to finally relax and rehabilitate...so naturally I've decided to write a blog post!  It surprises me that I feel motivated to blog as soon as I have the time and space to do it.  I obviously enjoy blogging and wish I could figure out how to do it more permanently.  For the meantime though I will have to make do with squeezing in little posts when my schedule allows me the time.

I wrote recently about how new make-up purchases had been happening in the past few weeks including this spur of the moment foundation purchase.  In the last couple of days before the wedding I literally ran around the shops purchasing anything and everything I thought I might need.  Talk about leaving things to the last minute!  Something I hadn't quite decided on at the time was whether or not I was going to wear foundation on the day.  I don't really enjoy the feeling of wearing foundation so normally I go with out it.  We have to wear really thick foundation for performances and I think that puts me off wearing it on an every day basis even more.  I had been having the odd spot appear though so I thought I should buy something in case and just decide on the day.  

I considered buying the foundation I normally use but had left at home, however it seemed daft to buy a foundation I already owned so I opted for the new Bourjois Nude Sensation Foundation.  I tested it on the back of my hand in the shop and the colour match of shade 42 'Nude Rose' seemed really good.  What appealed to me even more was the texture.  It felt really light and soft on the back of my hand so I decided to take and risk and just go for it.

On the day my skin luckily was really good, I took up an intensive skin care regime (which I'll write about at some point) a week or two before and it paid off.  As there would be so many photos taken I decided to go for it and wear the foundation anyway.  I couldn't go wrong really as it was so light it was barely visible on the skin.  I still felt a bit more confident though that my skin tone was evened out and more matt.

I don't think this foundation would be good if you want a lot of coverage as it is quite light and sheer.  I have layered it on a bit thicker though for example under the eyes by patting it in with my finger which seems to work well on areas you need more covered.  The texture does remind me of a silicone based primer, just with a bit more colour, so if that's your kind of thing you'll probably love this.

I really enjoyed using this on the day mostly because it felt so much nicer on my skin than I was expecting to feel from a foundation.  It felt smoothing and light and I really didn't notice I was wearing it at all on the day.  I pretty much loved it and would definitely pick this to wear for a big event again in the future.

I'm just glad that this wasn't a wasted purchase!

Till next time

Twirlybirdie :)

New Make-up Buys: Bourjois Aqua Blush and Liner Pinceau Reviews

Hello there!

How are you?  I am now married!  I got married at the weekend and am now a Mrs.  I had a wonderful day and will hopefully get up some wedding day related posts when things calm down a bit and I have more time.  We came almost straight back to work after the wedding day and are now almost in the throws of performances!  So I'm sure you can imagine how busy things have been.  Since I've been in London though I have done a little bit (or not so little, oops!) of shopping.  Some of my favourite things I've purchased have been new make-up additions.
One day at work they suddenly announced to us that they were going to take our head shots for the programme!  Normally I wear a bit of make-up to work but this particular day I'd been so tired I had gotten out of bed late and was completely make-up free!  I also didn't have any make-up with me that day so I had no choice but to pop out in my break and buy a few things.
After perusing the aisles of Boots for quite a while trying to work out what was the best offer I settled on the Bourjois deal where if you spent £15 or more you got a free gift consisting of a Colour Boost Lip Crayon in Peach on the Beach and a Maxi delight bronzer with a kabuki brush.
The items I bought were the Liner Pinceau Eyeliner in Ultra Black and the Aqua Blush in Shade 03.

I was worried that these products might end up being a waste of money seeing as they had been purchased in a hurry just because of bad planning regarding the photo shoot, however they have both proved to be really useful additions to my collection.
I actually ended up using both these products on my wedding day.  I was disappointed at first when I opened up the liner and found it to be a small brush which I have found more difficult to use than a sponge wand tip, yet somehow it was easy to get the hang of, perhaps because the brush itself is so fine making it easy to control.  The colour really is 'ultra black' which I appreciate, I can't stand a wishy-washy shade of black liner.  It also does seem to be long lasting.
The Aqua Blush I've been really loving as well.  The shade is really perfect for me, a slightly warmed up true pink and I only need a tiny bit to provide a subtle flush on both cheeks.  The formula is super smooth and feels lovely gliding on the skin.  I would recommend this.  I haven't really been checking on how long it's stayed on yet but I did pick it to wear on my wedding day as well!

  Of the free gifts the bronzer was in shade 02 for more olive toned complexions, unfortunately too dark for me.  I tend not to wear bronzer but thought I would give it a go, however the tone of it just doesn't work on my super pale skin.  The free brush was a nice touch but I felt that the bristles were a bit too rough.  The Models One brushes I own are so much softer and compared with them I really didn't like this one.
The one part of the free gift I did love was the Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon.  The shade looked like it might be a bit too Barbie coral pink but once I tried it on I really loved it.  The formula is really creamy and the shade is bright and wearable.  I loved that it wasn't opaque but it definitely wasn't too sheer either.  It is a perfect shade for summer and I've kept it in my bag and taken it to wear at work with me everyday.  The SPF 15 in the formula is an added bonus and a great incentive to keep applying it throughout the day.  It's not that long lasting but I enjoy re-applying it and it does leave a subtle tint of colour on the lips anyway.
If you're interested in the free gifts the offer still seems to be on at Boots.

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

Estee Lauder Pure Colour Lipstick Review: Shade 53 Wildly Pink

Hello!

So my last post was about one of my birthday enabled beauty purchase.  Well here is another.  Actually this was more of a sales enabled purchase because I can't bring myself to pay full price for a designer brand lipstick.  However I do like carrying around a posh lipstick in my handbag and have had a fetish for them since I bought my Chanel lipstick in the sales back in January.
So this time the brand in question was Estee Lauder.  I've never bought anything from the range before, essentially because of the price.
When I spotted these lipsticks in the sale I was excited at the prospect of adding another expensive lipstick to my collection.  I went for a shade I knew I'd get a lot of wear out of.  Shade number 53, Wildly Pink.is a bold true pink, bright enough without being too bright but still striking.

The design of the lipstcks is really pretty.  I love the gold and clear casing and that the gold square  with the Estee Lauder logo on it sticks out a little in front of the lid which slides in behind it.   Unfortunately when I took off the lid after purchasing and inspected the lip stick inside I noticed that it had in fact been used!  The top of the nib was definitely not the perfect, smooth matte untouched nib of a new lipstick.  It was barely detectable but I could definitely tell someone had swiped it at least once.  I was extremely annoyed and upset because, sale or not, this was an expensive purchase for me and should have come damn well brand new!  I did consider going back to the shop and kicking up a fuss but in the end decided to try and disinfect it myself at home.  This is not like me, normally I go and complain if I feel something is out of order but that day, my birthday, I just wasn't in the mood.  So I came home, scraped off the top with a knife and sprayed it with disinfectant.  I left it to air dry and decided to leave it at that.

This really did put me off the lipstick, it seemed tainted in my mind but I will try to review it anyway as unbiased as I can.  The quality of the formula is really good.  The colour is bright and bold which you would expect from the name of the range (Pure Colour).  The formula is very creamy making it very comfortable to wear on the lips.  More comfortable than the Chanel lipstick I bought but because it is drier the Chanel is probably slightly longer lasting.  The Estee Lauder lipstick is probably the creamiest lipstick I own but the colour still stays on the lips quite well.  If you are eating/drinking and you want the colour to stay bright all night you will want to retouch it a bit.  The best thing about this lipstick is the vibrant colour and the comfortable wear of the formula.  It goes on the lips really smoothly and evenly.  I do think you can tell it's a higher quality lipstick from the formula.  The Pure Colour lipsticks come in two different finishes and Wildly Pink is from the Lasting Shimmer finish range but I really can't tell there's any shimmer when it's on my lips, which is what I prefer.  It does have a nice sheen to it though which I like.  If you like bright colour and a formula that's comfortable to wear then I would recommend these lipsticks.  I looked online and found them for sale at John Lewis for £18.90.

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

GOSH Forever Eyeshadow Stick Review: Shade 03 Light Bronze

Hello!
I hope you're having a good week.  It was my birthday recently and I've developed a little tradition of buying myself a couple of things to celebrate.  I usually end up purchasing cosmetics and this year was no exception.
I had been eyeing up the Gosh Forever Eyeshadow Sticks for a while after testing them on the back of my hand and finding they had really good staying power as well as being very pretty shades.  I particularly loved the neutral shades.  My favourites were 01 Silver Rose, 02 Beige and 03 Light Copper.  I went for the light copper because it's the kind of shade I knew I would wear every day but the other two were really beautiful too.
The eyeshadow sticks have a metallic sheen which is pretty and shimmery without a hint of glitter and the colour payoff is rich and opaque.

As with most crayon stick type make-up products it is really easy to use.  The crayon is just the right size, not too chunky so that you get more control over where you apply the shadow.  It glides on a creamy consistency and I don't tend to blend it out but I imagine it would blend really well.  Having worn it many times now I noticed that it does eventually start to disappear in to the crease of my eye lid yet it does remain on the lower part of the lid near the lashes.  This hasn't stopped me wearing it regularly as it's what I expect now as the same happens to me when I wear the Maybelline 24hr Tattoo cream eyeshadows.  I have sensitive eyelids that become dry easily if I don't moisturise them every day so I put it down to the moisturiser I put on underneath the shadows causing the cream eyeshadows to slide about.

It claims to be waterproof but I haven't worn it swimming or anything like that so I can't attest to that.  My favourite thing about this product is the colour.  It really is a beautiful bronzey-coppery-gold which is subtle enough to wear everyday but is also visible enough to make an impact.  This cost me about 10 euros which is a fairly reasonable price, but sadly too expensive for me to feel like I could buy the other shades I like too!  Maybe I will purchase at least one of the others in the future but for now this eyeshadow stick is being used enough to make the purchase worthwhile.

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

March Make-up Favourites!

Yes I know it's a little in to April already but I've been busy the past weeks celebrating Easter and my birthday so the March favourites are coming out now!

Gosh Forever Eye Shadow Stick
I bought this fairly recently but was excited by it enough for it to already be in my favourites.  I need to do a full review and hopefully I will get that up soon!  In brief it's easy to use and the colour is gorgeous.

Manhattan Lip Lacquer in Rose & Shine
 I wrote a full review on this here.  I've added this as I've been wearing it a lot.  It adds just the right amount of pink to any eye look I'm wearing.  It's really pigmented and leaves a nice stain once it's worn off.

Lumene Blueberry Liquid Eye Liner 
A liquid eyeliner had been missing from my life for a while.  I've been trying not to use it every day because when I did that in the past with another brand of liquid liner it seemed to irritate my eyelids.  It's hard not to use it every day though because the brush is so easy to use and the liner is a rich liquid black making for a striking eye look.

The Balm Hot Mama Blusher 
I'm sure I will have put this in my favourites before but I have been wearing it almost every day.  I have to go quite sparingly with it as it is quite a bright shade but applied lightly it leaves a lovely warm colour and the gold shimmer in it means I don't need to use any highlighter.

Eyelash curlers from Misslyn  
I haven't curled my eye lashes in years but when I bought a new mascara that didn't give me the curl I wanted I bought these so I could make use out of it.  It did the job and for the price I feel like these are pretty good quality.

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

Recent purchases: Manhattan Lip Lacquer and Misslyn Eyelash Curlers

Hello!

I recently did an interview for a magazine and I came away from it feeling a little strange.  It seemed to me that all I could really talk about was my work and job and I wondered if I came across a little boring.  Do I live just for my work?  Well perhaps that's a topic for another blog post later on,  I did say in my last post that I want to do more personal posts after all.  For now though this post is about what I did after that interview, which was browse the beauty aisles of the nearest department store to clear the strange feelings from my brain!
I had been looking at the Manhattan Lip Lacquers for ever because they seemed to be the same as Rimmel's Apocolips which I have been wanting to try.  The Manhattan version is cheaper at just under 6 euros, but as the two brands are owned by the same company I reckon these two products really are one and the same.  I finally stopped dilly dallying and selected the shade no. 50 G Rose & Shine.  This was a nice neutral rose shade with a hint of pink which I was worried might be a bit too drab on me as I normally go for brighter shades.  Often more natural lip colours can drain my face of colour.  I tested it out at the weekend though and with a slick of eye liner it really was the perfect shade of day time pink for me.  It got the seal of approval from my fiancé anyhow.
I must say I love the applicator and the formula.  It might not be the most long lasting but I like that the pigment is rich, it's comfortable to wear and as it wears off it leaves a pink tint on my lips.  The formula reminds me a bit of paint, but not in a horrible way, just in the sense that it is rich and densely pigmented.  I love the doe foot applicator which I find really easy to use.  The only thing I don't like about it is the smell.  I find the smell is just really strange?  Like strawberry laces if they didn't have any sugar in them?  Luckily I can look past this though and really enjoy using this new well priced lip product.

I bought the eyelash curlers because the Manhattan mascara I bought recently hasn't been giving my eyelashes enough of a curl.  I haven't used curlers for ages because I haven't found the need for this extra step, I'm already rushed off my feet in the morning when it comes to applying my make-up and I found I could get a good curl anyway with other mascaras I've been using.  I didn't want this mascara to go to waste though and applying it after using the curling wand has really done the trick.  I got these from the Misslyn brand because they were affordable (8 euros) and still looked half decent.
Well my little shopping spree did clear my head a bit.  I'm not sure if that's a good habit to get in to though, particularly as I'm still trying to keep a tight reign on spending after a rather expensive December/January!
Do you shop to clear your head?

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

What I reach for when my lips need saving

Hello!

How is your week going?  Mine has been a bit up and down.  Work is feeling a little stressful but I'm sure it's just a passing phase!  Something else that's been a bit stressed out lately has been my lips.  They've been suffering from the cold weather and also quite possibly the long lasting lip products I've been using.  They were getting dry enough that switching to more moisturising lipsticks just wasn't going to cut it.  I had to turn to an old trusted favourite to save my lips!

The Blistex Lip Relief cream is a white soft cream that absorbs in to the delicate skin on the lips really fast and provides instant relief.  I used to have to keep one of these on me at all times when my lips were going through a particularly bad phase although, until recently, I hadn't had a problem with them for ages.  I didn't realise until I just looked it up now that it also has SPF 10 in it!  I've been applying this for the last couple of weeks before I put on any lipstick, particularly a drying one and actually my lips are already pretty much back to normal.. All I can really say is that I think this stuff is brilliant for dry cracked lips, at least, it certainly works for me!  I'm glad to have this back in my handbag.

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

What I wore on my face for a special event

Hello!

I recently wrote about a dress I wore to a red carpet event I was invited to last month.  I thought I would also write a little post on what I decided to do with my make-up.  As I didn't want to be carrying around a little bag with me all evening I needed to wear make-up that would be very long lasting and not need any touch-ups, though I did slip my fiancé my lipstick to keep with him just in case.  It turned out I didn't even need it though as my lipstick stayed in place all evening!  So with that in mind what make-up products did I go for?

As I hate wearing foundation and my skin was in quite good condition I decided to go with the Clarins Beauty Flash Balm to give my skin a natural radiance and glow.  I layered this over the Body Shop's Aloe Soothing Day Cream which I picked because it's a soothing and light cream with out SPF.  I wanted to use a moisturiser without SPF because that can cause flashback in photos.  Under the eyes I used the Lumene Vitamin C Radiant Eye Cream as a base which I used the Maybelline Fit Me concealer on top of to cover my dark circles.
With my base done I used the Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes in Lots o' Latte.  I went for this because I wanted a fairly neutral looking eye, and as much as I love the Maybelline 24hr Tattoo in Bronze on Bronze, this trumps it in terms of longevity and is much more natural looking.
I used my new Lumene Blueberry Liquid Eyeliner on the top lash line to make sure my eyes were defined and used the Manhattan Volcano Explosive Volume Waterproof mascara on my lashes.  I used Art Deco Eyebrow Powder in shade 5 on my eyebrows using a flat angled brush to add natural looking definition to them.
On my lips I went for the Blistex Lip Relief Cream first to soothe my lips which are a bit dry at the moment.  This was particularly necessary as I was going for a long lasting lipstick which can be a bit drying.  Once this had soaked in I applied the Bourjois Rouge Velvet Lipstick in Frambourjoise.  I chose this lipstick because I trusted it's staying power and it's a lovely bright but not too bright matte pink.  To balance this out I used my Clinique Powder Blusher in Pink Love because I felt that the pink in it was a good match for the lipstick.  Then I used the Mary-Lou Manizer highlighting powder on the tops of my cheeks and just above my cupids bow because, well.... it's just really pretty!
I was going to leave it at that but then in the back of the car I decided to add a little bit of powder to my forehead and nose because I can get a bit shiny there.  I used my Lumene Touch of Radiance Powder lightly on those areas.  Later on in the evening I did look a bit shiny so maybe I could have used a touch more of that!
Phew!  That was quite a long list.  I don't normally go to town quite so much with products on my face but it was a special occasion and I knew I was going to be photographed and quite possibly captured on film too, so I wanted to be looking my best all evening.  It was interesting for me to figure out which products to use as they clearly were the ones I trusted the most.  I also was surprised at how easy it was for me to figure out what kind of make-up look I'm most comfortable with.  Subtly defined eyes and a semi-bright lip colour was an obvious choice so perhaps this is route I will go down when it comes to my wedding day make-up as well!

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

February favourites

Hello!
February has flown past.  It's only shorter than your average month by a few days but they really do seem to make a difference.  March snuck up on me and suddenly I was wondering about what beauty products I had been using most for the month of February.  I managed to come up with these four quite easily though and as you can see hydration was very important in the cold weather.

Pupa Chubby Gloss in 003 Hot Shot Pink

I wrote a full review of this here.  I've been using this lots recently because it's easy to apply and not drying like a lot of the long lasting lipsticks I'd been going for recently.

Nails Inc Nail Polish in South Molten Street

I used this polish a couple of times this month and was really impressed with it.  The longevity was pretty good and I loved the shade.  It's a really pretty glossy pale pink that looks so natural and healthy on the nails.  After a couple of coats it's the perfect natural nail colour with a hint of pink.

The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector

I got this for Christmas and the past month it came in really useful for protecting my hands.  I'm not a fan of the scent but it's not so strong that it's overwhelming.  The texture is very rich and creamy and it sinks in to the skin after a few minutes.  Definitely made a difference to the skin on my hands which were suffering a bit in the cold weather.

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm

This is already a cult favourite so I know I'm a bit late to the party here.  I've owned it for a while but because it was expensive I'd only been saving it for 'best'.  Sadly there aren't actually that many times when I'm out at a special occasion so I figured I'd better get using it before it went off!  I don't really see much of a glow when I use it but my skin started feeling so soft!  It really surprised me that I felt such a difference and I was a bit worried because I don't want to want to use this all time and have it become an expensive habit!

So those were my favourites for the month of February.  I'm excited to see what March will bring!

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

High Street Mascara and Eyeliner

After having quite a spendy December and January I promised myself that I would keep to a tighter budget this month.  I wanted to buy a new mascara as the L'oreal Telescopic one I had been using was drying out a bit and I like to have more than one mascara on hand at a time.  I was determined to buy high street so went for a browse in our local department store.  One brand on sale here is called Manhattan, which when I looked it up is owned by the same company that produces Rimmel make-up.  I had noticed that some of their packaging was exactly the same, particularly their own version of the Rimmel Apocolips.  I quite like Rimmel products so I decided to check out a mascara from Manhattan as Rimmel is not so widely available here.
I took a look at all the brushes and settled on the Volcano Explosive Volume mascara as it had a nice big bristle brush, similar to brushes I have liked in the past.
I also wanted to try a liquid eyeliner again after not using liquid liner for ages in favour of eyeshadow or pen liner.  The reason I stopped using liquid liner was because it started to irritate the skin on my eyelids a little.  I was using the L'oreal Super Liner Eyeliner and loved it as it was so black, richly pigmented and easy to apply.  Possibly because I was wearing it everyday for many months I suddenly developed a slight reaction to it which was disappointing and unsurprisingly put me off liquid eyeliner for a while.
I decided I wanted to get back in on the liquid liner so I decided to opt for Lumene's Blueberry Liquid Liner which, with 90% natural ingredients, I am hoping wont irritate my skin.  I also chose it because of the applicator which is a tapered nib which I find easier to use than a thin brush.  The colour was a rich dark black, similar to the L'oreal one.

I've been using these on and off for about a week now.  The mascara when I first tested it out wasn't what I had expected it to be.  The bristles on the brush were much stiffer than what I had imagined and it turned out the formula was waterproof which I normally avoid because I can't be bothered with the hassle of trying to get it off.  Once I got the hang of it though I didn't mind and I'm sure the waterproofness will come in useful.
The liquid eyeliner has also been good.  I've been enjoying having liquid liner back in my life again and love the definition it gives my eyes.  No irritation so far either.  I'm wearing both the liner and mascara in the photo below.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening!  I feel like I could use an early night tonight,
till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

A pretty bright pink gloss from Pupa

Hello!

I hope you're having a good week.  I had a performance yesterday of a modern piece that I sometimes struggle with the beginning of because it has to be slow and controlled.  It's quite hard to step on the stage and do something like that because you don't have any time to shed your nerves.  Luckily for me it went better than the last time mostly because I felt a bit calmer.  I wish I knew why and there was some magic cure for nerves but I can't work out what makes it different one day to the next!.
A couple of weeks ago I went to some shops out of town and came across a shop which had some Pupa make-up on sale.  I have only ever bought one eyeshadow from Pupa in the past so don't have much experience of their make-up.  I've always thought it looked really pretty and intriguing but was a little bit too expensive for me.
The Chubby Gloss sticks caught my eye as I had been looking for something really easy to wear at work or in the daytime.  These were obviously on sale because they were part of their Summer 2014 collection but at just 5 euros I couldn't resist!  The shade 003 Hot Shot Pink was just what I was looking for colour wise and the formula was moisturising, soft and glossy.  My lips have been feeling a bit dry lately with the cold weather so the moisturising formula was welcome.  The colour wasn't as pigmented as the other lipsticks I've been going for recently but that was what I wanted so I could wear a bit of colour on my lips without it being OTT.

I love the packaging and feel of the Chubby Gloss and find it really easy to use.  It's really light which makes it great to keep in my handbag for regular touch ups.  The colour can be built up to a really visible bright pink if desired.  It also surprised me by leaving behind a bit of a tint on my lips, which means it doesn't have to be touched up as frequently as I was anticipating.
I've been using this lots since I bought it and it's pretty much constantly in my hand bag in case I want to add a hint of colour without drying out my lips.  It has me hankering for other shades so I can switch it up a bit.  A trip back to that out of town shopping centre might be on the cards!

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

January Empties

Hello!

I used up some products last month so I tried to save them up so I could make a post about them and let you know how I got on with them!  A couple of moisturiser empties (I always go through a lot of them in winter), my all time favourite day cream, and a hair oil.

The Body Shop Vitamin C Daily Moisturiser

OK I write about this all the time!  I finally used one up though so I thought I would include it.  SPF 30, need I say more?  A good day moisturiser with a relatively high SPF at not so bad a price (when there's a sale or an offer on!).  I like the fresh citrus-y scent and it doesn't irritate my sensitive skin.  I use this every day without fail.

Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment

I got this small sample with the Macadamia no tangle brush I bought.  This has lasted me quite a long time.  I wasn't sure at first about using a hair oil as I already use a hair mask now and then and a lot of conditioner.  I enjoyed using this on the ends of my hair from time to time before I used a hair dryer.  It smells really nice and just seemed like it must be doing some good for my hair.  I thought it would make my hair feel heavy and weighed down but this was never the case.  Since it's run out I've started thinking 'ooh I must buy some more hair oil', so I must have liked it!

Burt's Bees Fragrance Free Body Lotion

I bought this when my eczema flared up because I know I can use it on the flared up skin without irritation.  It's a really nice scent free body lotion that wont irritate your skin but will keep it moisturised.  It's definitely something I would buy again and again when my skin becomes irritated.

Organic Surge Soothing Sweet Blossom Cream

This had a really nice subtle but sweet scent, it reminded me a little of orange sherbet.  It was soothing on my skin and didn't irritate it.  I used this up really quickly because I really liked it.  It isn't too thick so it doesn't sit on the skin but sinks in nicely.

I don't really go through products very quickly so I'm surprised to have finished these four around the same time.

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

January Favourites

Hey there!

Happy end of January!  We made it to the end of the month, woohoo!  The sun has already set here and it's not yet 5pm so there are still some improvements to be made season wise but at least we're moving closer the spring as we enter the month of February.  Honestly I think this is the most on time I've ever been with my favourites!  So without further ado...

• Body Shop Microdermabrasion 

I loved this from the first moment I tried it.  It says it's not for sensitive skin and mine can be quite sensitive so I applied the product very lightly in circular movements on my wet skin.  The texture of the product feels very gritty and almost like sand mixed with cream.  My skin was so lovely and soft when I washed it off that I wanted to use it again the next day!  However it says not to use it more often than twice a week and taking in to account my sensitive skin I've only been using it once a week.  Particularly after a show when I've had a lot of make-up on my face I like to use this to feel like my skin has had a proper deep clean.

• Chanel Lipstick Coco Rouge in Triomphe

I already wrote a review of this when I bought it.  The colour is beautiful and really warms my face.  It is long lasting however because of that it can be drying so I can't wear it every day or my lips get really dry.  A nice first Chanel make-up purchase that has left me wanting to buy more shades from the range.

• Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Pink Gold

I bought this at the same time as I bought the shade On and On Bronze and for a long time Pink Gold was left languishing in my make-up drawer in favour of it's pretty bronze sibling.  Recently I found myself wanting a natural looking brightening shade on my lids and this finally started getting used.  It's so pretty but originally I felt that it just wasn't enough on it's own with just some mascara to make an impact.  I've been wearing it with a touch of black eye liner on the outer corners of my eye lid and combined with this the brightening cream eye shadow looks very pretty.

• Topshop Lip Paint in Hibiscus

I got this in the Christmas sales and am in love with the colour and texture.  It's so bright and creamy and not drying on the lips at all.  The colour pigmentation is amazing!  Despite the creaminess it also seems to last a long time on the lips.  The only downside is that the shade is so bright I don't feel like I can wear it as often as I'd like to (every day).  I think this has been discontinued but the packaging is identical to their Lip Varnish lipsticks so maybe they're a similar product?  If it is I'd be willing to try them in other shades.

• Body Shop Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser

I got this for Christmas and I've been using it a lot to take of my make-up. It's just a nice, simple, does what it says on the tin, facial cleanser.  It doesn't irritate my sensitive skin and has a refreshing, light and pleasant scent.

So those were my favourites for this month.  Almost all sales purchases and Christmas gifts.  I got a lot of Body Shop products for Christmas and have been loving them all but had to narrow it down to these two to stop it becoming just a Body Shop haul!

Till next time

Twirlybirdie

A nice bright red lipstick - Art Deco Poppy Red 03

Hello!

How are you?  I'm feeling quite run down today so I had to give my morning class a miss as we have late evening stage rehearsals I need to get through later on today.  I hope that keeping warm and taking it easy this morning will help me ward off anything too serious.  Anyway I wanted to write about a nice bright red lipstick I've had in my collection for a while but only got out again recently.
This lipstick is from the Art Deco Perfect Colour range in the shade Poppy Red 03, which in stores here is a very affordable 8 euros.  I went looking for the lipstick on any UK websites and found that it's sold at Debenhams for £10.25.  A bit of a mark-up but in the affordable make-up range non the less.
I have two of these lipsticks and they both impressed me with their colour pigmentation.  This red really looks to me like a true red colour with neither obvious orange or blue tones, although I would say it does stray in to the warmer tone of red.

The lipstick is creamy but the finish is neither matte nor glossy.  It's a sort of semi-matte which means it doesn't slip off your lips too easily but it isn't the longest lasting formula either.  I suspect this is why it says it's best teamed with Art Deco's Magic Fix on it's website.  When I wore this out over a lip liner I definitely got much better wear out of it so I would recommend doing that.

Over all I like the finish, the high pigmentation, and the fact that it doesn't dry out your lips like some longer lasting formulas do.  The only down side is that you will probably have to touch up after some drinks or some food however the packaging really is stylish and the bullet has a nice weight to it so getting it out to do those touch ups doesn't seem like much of chore.

I do find myself using my Art Deco lipsticks fairly regularly for a bright wash of colour.
I think now it's time for a warm bath to try and make myself perk up a bit before I go in to work.

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie