Royal Raspberry

I've had an emotional rollercoaster of a week, I've experienced death, births and new beginnings ... a poignant week in my life that won't be forgotten for a long time but thankfully for all the right reasons.  

One constant in my week which has been my lipstick. Sad but true.  I found a stash of Barry M lipsticks hidden away in a drawer which meant I was able to reacquaint myself with some old favourites.

Barry M's lip paint in 141 Royal Raspberry is a gorgeous deep raspberry shade erring on the gothic side of blackened red.  It has a slight shimmer to it, almost appearing metallic in its tube.  I have worn every day this week and haven't found it drying at all.  It's pigment is lovely and quite long lasting.  When it does begin to fade their is still enough stain on the lips to maintain colour but I still love to reapply to make sure I keep that shade of deep glistening raspberry.

Barry M Lip Paints are £4.49 from Superdrug or online at the Barry M website.

It was a long time coming but yesterday I eventually got round to sorting out my barnet.  I had it re-dyed and trimmed which really gave it a little boost of shine and bounce again (no, I didn't go for multicolour unfortunately :( ).  Instead of my usual blow dry finish, Stacie, my hair fairy, tried out a conical wand on my hair to give me some voluminous waves.

The result had a bit of a 70's feel to it which I loved.  Stacie used the Diva Conical Wand from Sally's.  It has quite a thick barrel which is perfect for big waves.  It's priced at around the £40 unless you have a Sally's membership which will get you a bit of a discount.

So far I've never invested in my own conical wand but after seeing my hair like this, I think I might buy one for myself.

Are conical wands still making an impact on you?  Share your wavy hair tips?

x

ROX Face of the night featuring Barry M

Last night I went to the ROX Christmas Party at their boutique store in Argyle Arcade, Glasgow.  It was an exciting night as the amazing Emeli Sandé was going to be perfoming and of course, ROX always put on a fabulously sparkling event.

I had been doing some make up work through the day on a gorgeous party girl so it left me very little time to get myself ready for my own night out.  After the usual 'what to wear' dilemna (I opted for my Topshop Christopher Kane embellished tee dress) and a fluffy hair disaster (it ended up in a ponytail circa 1988) it was time to work on the make up.

The photos don't quite capture the sparkle i'm afraid

Given the festive season is now in full swing and it was Christmas party after all, it was time to bring out the sparkle.  Just this week I had ordered some MAC pigments but they hadn't arrived so I had a root around in my stash and re-discovered some old favourites in the form of Barry M fine glitter dusts which at £4.59 are a far cheaper alternative to MAC pigments but do the job very well indeed.

without flash above, with flash below

A silver grey smokey eye was order of the night with the Barry M glitter dust in Silver giving me an injection of festive bling.

Products used:  Illamasqua Skin Base Shade 7 (not sold on this although it's more of a shade problem); MAC select cover up concealer; Sleek Molten Metal in Silver as an eye base; Estee Lauder Platinum shadow over lid; MAC Carbon worked into crease; MAC Blacktrack; Ardell Demi lashes; Barry M Fine Glitter dust in Silver; Illamasqua blush in unrequited; NARS Laguna; Nude lipstick - not sure of brand; Clinique Fireberry lipgloss

Back to the ROX party.  Just a few things to point out.  First up the amazing Emeli Sandé who is currently supporting Coldplay on their UK tour, gave a flawless performance.  It was a real treat to be a part of such an intimate and exclusive audience and I can guarantee Emeli is going to be MASSIVE.  Emeli is also utterly gorgeous to add to her talents, you can catch a snippet of her performance in a shakey video I took here.

Next is a shout out to the cocktails on offer, all made using Pinky vodka which is a favourite of mine and I always make sure my vodka cupboard is never without it (yup, we have a space dedicated to vodka ... we don't have a problem, honest!).  Pinky vodka is pink, funnily enough, is hand blended using rose petals among other things and is a fabulously sophisticated beverage that works best, in my opinion, in a cocktail.  Vodka connoiseurs should give it a go for something a little bit different.

Thanks to ROX for kicking off my party season ... I will be suitably exhausted by the time 2012 gets here but I wouldn't have it any other way :)

Have you kicked off the party season yet? What are your party make up tips?

x

Japonesque Lip Palette

... Painstakingly decanting my kit lippies into my new Japonesque 36 lip palette.

It's just too much to carry around lots of individual lippies in my kit.  It's heavy and takes up far too much space so this is a perfect solution.  

The Japonesque palette is a handy and very lightweight item however it does feel a little bit flimsy for the price.  I paid about £23 for it and I can imagine it won't be long before it breaks on me which is a little disappointing.  BUT ... I could be wrong.

I have so many more lipsticks to decant and will probably need a few more palettes but I would like to see how I go with this one first before purchasing more.

I have tried to make this a multi choice palette ranging from reds, oranges, peaches, pinks and nudes.  The brands also range from MAC, Estee Lauder, Shu Uemura to Barry M and Rimmel.  Hopefully it works as a one stop shop until I can arrange all my other lipsticks.

Does anyone else use these palettes?

x

Girl About Town

This one is a bit of an oldie but it's still a goodie!

I remember MAC's Girl About Town becoming famous in the UK when it was worn by Cheryl Cole but many other celebrities have sported this shade before and after her including Beyonce and Kim Kardashian.

One of MAC's amplified shades, Girl About Town is a vibrant dark fuschia pink which has a glossy yet opaque full coverage on the lips.  It's really long lasting and feels creamy on the lips.

Thanks to it's celebrity following, it has become a bit of a MAC classic and although I have owned this shade for a long time it's only now that I have realised what a pretty colour it is.  I wear it during the day with minimal make up and at night usually with a golden subtle smokey eye.

I am sans camera this week so I'm afraid I have had to make do with my iphone and photobooth. This was the best of a bad bunch!

I am still adoring bright lips at the moment and find it hard to resort back to nude or paler lip shades.  I just feel like there is something missing without an eyepopping lippie these days.

If you don't want to shell out the price on a MAC lippie, you might find Barry M's Cerise Pink (144) a good alternative.  It differs very slightly but is hard to tell the difference on the lips.

x

Matching my cuticles with my cuffs

I was asked twice this week if my nail colour was the infamous Particuliere by Chanel but in fact it was a far humbler and much less expensive dupe in the form of Barry M's Mushroom.

I initially dismissed this colour thinking it was too similar to Eyeko's posh polish but Barry Ms version is slighty darker and is almost like for like with Chanel Particuliere. Can't help feeling smug about that one ;)

Anyway, here it is as I wore it this week ... shoddily applied, yes, but notice how it's a perfect match for my favourite leather jacket? And the choice wasn't even deliberate, I only noticed while I sat waiting on my train to work. Neat.

This has been on nearly a full week and has only just started to chip ... and remember I have no dishwasher and don't wear rubber gloves so that's a mean feat to hold up with being dunked in and out of water every night.

I think Barry M polishes are around the £3-4 mark and I do believe they are on 3 for 2 at Superdrug at the moment ... so get your hands on it - it's a winner!

x

Face of the day: Blue Dahlia

A few posts ago I showed you Estee Lauders new Autumn palette, Blue Dahlia and mentioned I would try and do a FOTD.

And I have.

It was a quick FOTD and I didn't go overly dramatic as I had to face the public in broad daylight with it. I dare say for a night out I would go a little bit heavier and smokier but we will save that for another day.

Cue the head tilt 'staring into the distance' pose ...My personal preference for a dark smokey eye would be to use navy and this palette teams navy with teal and mink perfectly to create something that is soft and more alluring than your typical blue powdered eyes.

Let me be clear however, the navy in this palette is probably not everyones version of navy and even for myself I have encountered darker, richer shades of the hue. However, in this palette it works perfectly with it's partners.

I deliberately used every colour in the palette to ensure it could be done. So here goes:

The teal shade was used all over the lid,
Navy was applied in the crease and outer v and blended, I also brought it underneath the eye lightly,
Black was added to the outer v for extra definition (this black is perfect for this, much better than my usual go to, Mac Carbon)
The mink I blended just above the crease and underneath the lower lashline
Finally I used the sparkling white lightly over the lids to add a little bit of sparkle and used a tiny amount on the browbone (you can barely see it in the photographs)
I also lined the eyes with Mac fluidline in blacktrack and applied a Barry M navy liner in the waterline however this didn't really show up.
A lot of people worry about clashing blue, teal, navy eyeshadows with blue eyes but I think it gives blue eyes a more sultry appeal rather than the usual bright and bushy tailed blue eye.

As for the rest of my face:
Foundation: Estee Lauder Double Wear
Bronzer: Nars Laguna
Blush: Illamasqua Unrequited
Mascara: Clarins


A special mention has to go out to my lip colour - I am wearing a lipstick by Revlon called cappuccino. It is a frosted pale nude that doesn't make my lips disappear completely and looks lovely with a tan. Perfect for that smokey eye/nude lip look that everyone loves.

I teamed this with one of Estee Lauders new pure colour glosses in Twilight Petal which is absolutely lush.

And that is my Blue Dahlia Face of the Day.

x

How to: Leopard Print Nails

I can't stop looking at my nails!

I have always been of the opinion that nail art is a little bit tacky and always thought my nails were too small to try anything exciting anyway, but this morning I gave it a go. I am delighted with the results and long gone is any judgement of tacky. Or at least, it's the kind of tacky that I like!

Last night I painted my nails blue then today, on a whim, decided to add some leopard print to them. Here is how I did it:

I used the following:
From L-R; Sally Hansen Diamond Strength base coat; M&S nail colour in azure blue; Illamasqua Boosh; Barry M nail paint in bright pink; Nail bar top coat; a kebab stick (yes, you heard me right!)

1) I started by applying my base coat and painting my nails blue with M&S Azure Blue (this was from my Scottish Fashion Awards goody bag)
2) Once the blue had dried fully, I added blobs/spots of Barry M's bright pink. I wasn't too neat about this at all just 'blobbing' the nail paint randomly on my nail.
3) Again, I waited until the blobs were fully dry then I got my kebab stick to add the definition around the blobs. Now, a kebab stick probably isn't the easiest or best tool to use but it worked for me as it had a pointed end that I could dip in and out of the nail polish. I could have used a brush but I don't think it would have achieved the same precision.

I used Illamasqua Boosh which was a gift from the lovely Mizzworthy. It is my favourite black!

I applied the black around the pink blobs. I did this in a broken, disjointed manner. If it looks too neat you don't achieve the leopard print appearance. I also added a couple of random black blobs for affect.
4) Finally, once dried I added a topcoat then repeated on my right hand - which is waaaay harder if you are right handed like me.

And here is the finished result! What d'ya think?
The whole process really wasn't as time consuming as I thought it would be, maybe about 30-40 minutes. It really depends on your polish and how quickly it dries.
Now I know how easy it can be, I can't wait to try out some other patterns and colours on my nails.

What do you think of nail art?

x

Barry M Lip Lacquer Crayons

Barry M's latest addition to their ever growing cosmetics line are Lip Lacquer Crayons.

These chubby colourful pencils come in 5 different shades: Scarlet red, Cherry red, Mandarin, Party pink and Ballet pink. When I was offered the chance to review these, I jumped at the chance to try out Cherry red as thought this would be best suited to my colouring.

I have been using quite a few different lip pencil glosses recently so I thought it would be good to see how these compare to the other brands with similar products. These pencils, or crayons as Barry M like to call them are supposed to create a high shine lacquered and glamorous finish.


The packaging of these pencils look similar to kids crayons, in other words crayola ... but a more sophisticated version. Barry M are slated a lot for their packaging but these pencils are pretty cute and I love the little swirly design at the bottom end of the crayon.

As for the colour and quality ... well, I love it! If any of you follow me on twitter you may have seen my tweet about loving the new lip colour so much I couldn't stop looking in the mirror!! Like Barry M promised, the colour glides on smoothly and with great colour intensity. The pigmentation really is lovely and long lasting. I spent the day wearing this on Saturday. I managed to eat breakfast, go for coffee and drinks before lunch before I noticed this needed a full re-touch. Pretty good.
It is difficult to see in the photos as the colour is coming out much more pink but the Cherry red is definitely in the red family and not pink. The shade is just gorgeous and doesn't look as 'in your face' as other reds, so I felt safe to wear this throughout the day. There is an element of glittery shimmer too, something I don't normally like. In this case though, I would describe it as Disco Shimmer. As much as it can be worn through the day, this would look wicked dressed up for a night out! :)
The best thing about this product as with all Barry M products is the price. £4.95. The colour is gorgeous and the texture is smooth. As well as being long lasting it doesn't feel at all drying. It's the perfect bold statement lips without being too overpowering. Simply amazing value for money!

Mandarin lip lacquer crayon is next on my hitlist - It looks like a fantastic shade for Summer!

Have any of you tried the lip lacquer crayons yet? What was your verdict? Are you a fan too?


Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for review however the opinion stated in this post is entirely my own, honest thoughts on the product and it's value for money.

FOTD - Sundown Glow

Last night I was asked to join an evening out with my husband and work colleagues but I literally had about half an hour or so to get ready!

I knew I had to do a quick make up look and also wanted something that was simple enough so I could cart the make up with me wherever I went. So on I donned the new Christopher Kane dress, teamed with opaque tights, platforms and a blazer and as for make up here is the rundown ...
Face:
Mac SFF mixed with Lustre Drops sunrush
Mac Select cover up concealer
Nars Laguna bronzer with dusting of Prestige Glam Tan over the top
Nars Orgasm blush

Lips:
Barry M Peachy Pink and a clear plumping gloss on top

Eyes:
The Body Shop Eye Trio in Sundown Glow
Mac Carbon to define
Bobbi Brown Gel liner in Caviar
Jemma Kidd Corrector pencil on lower lash line
Cover Girl Lash Blast Mascara

I chose to use the Body Shop eye trio as I could take all 3 eyeshadows in one little compact container instead of bulking my bag with individual eyeshadows or a bigger palette. I really like this little trio and the quality and longevity of the shadow is great. I have recently been using sleek palettes and my final conclusion is that although they are great value for money, I personally hate the quality of them and the colours and textures don't sit well with my skin. I think when i tried the body shop trio I did expect it to be the same kind of quality but I was pleasantly surprised! It's a great product to reach for when you are in a hurry and think I may add it to my work make up bag which I do try and keep as minimal as possible.

In the end my night out actually got cancelled so I was all dressed up with nowhere to go :( Oh well!

x

NOTD - GOSH Flamingo

Before Barry M's Pink Flamingo nail paint there was GOSH Flamingo.

I am going to a wedding tomorrow and will more than likely be wearing my new maxi so I thought this shade of pink would go well. It is quite a vibrant pink with purple undertones, almost like a cerise shade.
3 things I love about this polish:
1) The gorgeous colour and glossy finish
2) Smooth application and fast drying
3) 1 coat is all that is required

Hmmm ok, that looks like 5 things - hey, go figure! :)

Do you like?

Hope you all have a great weekend!!

x

FOTD - Liquid Metals

Here is a quick face of the day/night. I realise I look like an extra from Fame in these photos and I make no apology for it.... don't laugh, ok?! ;p
Looking back at past FOTD they all seem to turn out similar to this ... i am not sure why as it really isn't a look I do all that often. My everyday look is very plain with winged liner and big lashes so it's a bit of a treat to use eyeshadow or any colour on my eyes these days.Products used:
FACE
ME ME ME Liquid Mineral Foundation mixed with Mac Lustre drops
Mac Select cover up in NW20
Barry M Natural Dazzle to contour and Nars Laguna to Bronze
Mac MSF Redhead to highlight
Nars Orgasm
EYES
Sleek Storm Palette - Champagne shade all up to brow bone as highlight; golden bronze on lid and rich bronze brown to contour
Illamasqua liquid metal solstice on inner corner of eye and Enrapture on outer corner blended out
Chanel Exceptionelle Mascara
LIPS
Mac Oak Lipliner
Barry M 136 Lip paint
Barry M nude gloss (don't have shade to hand - think it is No.3)Posey Poserson Alert!! A bit of vacant gazing never goes amiss on a beauty blog ;P!

So what do you think of this look? Is it just too similar to my usual looks?

x

NOTD - Barry M Blue glitter combo!

I bought these polishes on a 2 for 1 offer last week so thought I would do a quick nail of the day with them.
On the left we have 294 Cyan Blue and on the right 297 Blue glitter. I applied the Cyan blue first then a top coat of Blue glitter. I am really impressed with both of these. Just one coat of the cyan blue and I had a good coverage. Also the consistency of the glitter is really good and spreads thickly without clumping. Very sparkly on the nails although this was quite hard to capture on camera - this is the best i could do on my mobile tonight!
I imagine the Blue glitter will look fantastic over a navy, black or even a dark red polish so I am sure I will do more experimenting with this. It's basically the blue version of China Glaze's Ruby Pumps.

I have just realised though that I have an important meeting at work tomorrow so I am not quite sure this is appropriate. I really don't want to take it off ... it's just so lovely and sparkly! ;)

Anyone else have any nice nail combo's to share?

x

My Landaaan Swap!

A couple of weeks ago my favourite Essex girl Natalia from I would go out tonight but ... and I decided to do a little impromptu make-up and fashion swap!

Here is the fab goodies I received fron Natalia:The contents are as follows:

The Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist
Models Own nail polish in Orange Sorbet
The Body Shop Born Lippy in Cool Mint
Miss Sporty concealer pencil
Pearl necklace with bow detail
Barry M Lip Paint in 54 Peach

Natalia had mentioned she was worried she might double on some things I already had ... she did double on the Vitamin E Face Mist but I was so so pleased that she had sent me this as I was running out of my current bottle. It came along at just the right time and it is such a favourite of mine so yay!

Natalia had seen a previous post of mine where I styled a Mango jumpsuit and she thought that the Models Own nail polish and Barry M lip paint would compliment the outfit nicely. Well she was right! I have only used the polish on my toes so far but it is gorgeous - sorry I really can't bring myself to show you my feet! However, here is a picture of the lipcolour ... i love it! Will need to incorporate this into a FOTD shortly to show you the full effect as this dodgy pics of my lips does not do it justice!

The Body Shops Born Lippy cool mint has now become a staple in my handbag and as Natalia had already suggested, it has now taken place of my previous favourite yes yes yes! Unlike others I do find yes yes yes! to be moisturising but the Born Lippy is extra moisturising and is also perfect for toning down bright lipsticks.

The surprise product for me is the Miss Sporty concealer pencil. Natalia suggested using this on the inner corners of the eye to highlight and on the waterline to brighten. It really is great for this... I have more news on this pencil to come in a future post!

By far, my favourite item has to be this gorgeous pearl necklace with bow detail. It is just so pretty and vintage inspired! I have worn it loads so far .... cute isn't it? A BIG BIG THANK YOU to Natalia for my fab goodies, I love them all!

x

NOTD - Barry M Mint Green

Here is my Nail of the Day (or yesterday), take a good look as it's for one day and one day only! Never again will green nail polish grace my folicles! I took one look at my nails once applied and instantly thought "Grotbags". Nothing about this colour made me feel classy, elegant or sophisticated - all the things I'm not ... but aspire to be. Maybe my age is catching up with me and it is becoming a little bit more difficult to be as daring as I once was? Who knows - I just know this colour is not for me.

On a positive note the colour applied really well with only 2 coats required. It is smooth and the finish has a lovely shine. It is a pretty colour in the bottle but unfortunately made me look like a Halloween reject!

How are you finding green nail polish? Love or Loathe?

xx

Review: Barry M 3 in 1 Intense Black Mascara

Anyone who knows me will tell you I am super fussy when it comes to mascara. I have the lightest eyelashes that really need darkened, lengthened and volumised which usually involves lashings and lashings of mascara.

Good mascaras for me are Chanel Exceptionnele, Lancome Hypnose and the infamous L'oreal Voluminous. I have a drawer full of the stuff but I rarely use outwith these.

In the last month I have tried out Rimmel Sexy Curves, Rimmel Glam Eyes and Maybelline Lash Stilleto. I found them all so rubbish that I couldn't even be bothered to review them on my blog. Usually I would but since I am so pernickety over mascara I just felt my opinion wouldn't always be a fair one. So, having ruled out cheap mascaras in my life, I was surprised as anyone to have fallen for this hidden little gem!

At Barry M on Wednesday, we all received Barry M's Intensive Black 3 in 1 mascara. This retails at £5.95. Sad to say but I was immediately sceptical due to the price tag - bad experiences in the past with cheap mascaras have clouded my thinking. However, I was creating a look for my niece and used this on her lashes - I couldn't believe the effect it gave so next day I set about trying it for myself.

This is called the 3 in 1 mascara as it claims to Volumise - Lengthen - Curl. The consistency of this mascara is not quite as thick as others I use so again I thought it would be no good for me but once on the lashes it really did everything it claimed to on the packaging! It lengthened, it curled and it volumised! I usually apply up to 5 layers of mascara or more but I found after only a couple my eyelashes looked in tip top shape. However, me being me kept on applying ... now this is the bit i love, no matter how much i applied it didn't seem to clump or make my lashes appear brittle or caked. I have never used a mascara that has kept the lashes looking clean and fresh after so many applications of it. Hopefully these photos will give you an idea of how it looks, sorry I do not know how to crop photos to only show my eyes and close ups only come out blurry.
Due to the price tag as you would expect the packaging looks fairly cheap, silver plastic with pink flashes where Barry M's name is printed. The mascara wand is slightly stubby and the bristles, although quite stubby and short - there are lots of them which i really think makes the difference.
The longevity of the mascara is amazing too, I applied at roughly noon on Saturday and here it is at midnight after sitting in the dark watching a movie and rubbing my eyes from time to time. I did not reapply the mascara at all during the day, I didn't feel the need to, which again is rare for me! This is a mobile photo so is blurry but I'm sure you get the idea.
It feels so light on the lashes, so much so, at one point I had to check in the mirror as I thought in a moment of madness I had forgotten to apply mascara!! I thoroughly recommend this mascara to anyone and think it will be great for anyone who isn't used to wearing it or who doesn't like anything that feels too heavy on the eye. This is going to be a a definite re-purchase for me and will be a product I will be sure to keep stocked up in my mascara drawer.

Hats off to Barry M - I'm sorry I ever doubted you.