Caviar Ink ...daahling!

On Friday I took a trip to Bobbi Brown with the purpose of picking up the infamous Long wear gel eyeliner. I have noticed that black can sometimes be a little severe on my eye so I set out to find me the perfect brown that gave a softer finish without losing the definition.

The MUA at Bobbi Brown couldn't have been more approachable and helpful which is a rare find at a make up counter these days! She pointed me in the direction of their new Nude collection, specifically the new shade of eyeliner - Caviar Ink.

Caviar Ink is a rich brown-black that adds warmth and definition to the eye. It is still very dark but softer than using black. The MUA (whose name i forgot to ask!!) demo'd a winged liner look with the caviar ink and i loved it.



If I can apply my flicks this perfectly everyday I will be very happy! :) I also enquired about the brush she used as she seemed to complete the look so effortlessly. It was the Bobbi Brown ultra fine eyeliner brush. I usually use a Mac or Nars very fine brush to apply my liner which does work well but is sometimes difficult to control and really needs a steady hand. With this brush it is so much easier. It is slightly stumpy and wider than you would imagine and the bristles are tapered at the top. I feel i have more control using it gives a better result. Obviously I had to have it ;)

So far, I think I may prefer this liner to Mac Fluidline which I have worn for years and have always loved. The consistency of the long wear gel liner seems much smoother and less gloopy than fluidline.

Although caviar ink is not a true brown and would look black to the untrained eye it is a lot less severe. Here it is photographed next to Mac fluidline in blacktrack, hopefully you will see the difference. (fluidline in blacktrack is on the left and caviar ink on the right)

Does anyone use this already? Do you prefer a softer option to black too?

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

Festival Glam - Part 5 - FOTF!

It has been quite a few weeks since my last festival post so now that T in the Park has been and gone I thought I would show you my FACE OF THE FESTIVAL and what products I used while I was there and also while I was at a mini festival called The Wee Chill (pre-lude to the Big Chill).

Getting ready at our camp was so much fun, my friend is a hairdresser so while she transformed our batiste ridden barnets I set about doing everyones make up! So much fun but make up isn't as easy to apply after a few glasses of vodka!! ;) I tried to keep my make up stash fairly simple but had enough to change up the look if I needed to.

Here are some pics of my FOTF featuring special guest 'G'This was the first night of the festival - I created a smokey eye with shimmer cubes and Girls Aloud False lashes (nicola) ... I wasn't intending on such a moody pose, I was having a good time, honest!
This is the look I stuck to most over the weekend. A quick and simple slick of liner with colourful lips. The lip colour changed a few times over the weekend from Mac Lady Danger to Barry M Peachy Pink. I don't know why I look like I am trying to hold my head up - lets blame it on the drink ;pI enlisted the help of my trusty Mac Studio Fix Fluid and Mac Select Cover up concealer - they cover a multitude of sins. My blush of choice was Nars Orgasm which the whole camp loved and all took note of to purchase after the weekend! I was also wearing glitter liner in this photo but the camera doesn't seem to have picked it up.
G and myself and my favourite vintage sunglasses! They used to belong to my Dad in the 80's ... I am sure he must have bought them for a couple of pounds from a petrol station back in the day but i LOVE them!!

The whole weekend was fantastic with most of it being spent in the Slam Tent seeing Felix da Housecat, 2many Djs, Laurent Garnier, Simian Mobile Disco and The Streets. Also made time to see Lily Allen, Florence & the Machine, Razorlight, The View, Pet Shop Boys, Pendulum and of course Blur!

The Wee Chill happened about a month before hand. It is marketed as a mini festival and is a day and night long event with lots of different stages/clubs. Our friends band were performing so we made sure to see him before hitting Sub Club room for all night dancing!
I realise we look like a bunch of hooligans with our cans of Carlsberg but it was all the bar had left!! Desperate times .....

Again I stuck to the fail safe liquid liner and bright lip - this time mixing Mac Impassioned with a bubblegum pink by Barry M (not sure of the no.)

How has everyone else got on with their festival make up? Share your looks :)

x

My new Maxi ....

I didn't mention in the previous post but while I was out shopping today I returned 2 dresses from Coast. I originally bought them for a wedding but they just aren't suitable, one is slightly on the big side the other on the small side so they both went back. Anyway, while I was in I noticed this maxi dress in the sale which to be honest I have had my eye on for ages but could never find in my size!


Well today, there it was! I tried it, I liked it, i bought it! It was in the sale from £175 to £85 ... still pricey but I will get my use out of it. One problem though I have pretty big 'girls' if you know what I mean?! It fits up top but with a bra it becomes a little restrictive so I am on the hunt for a seamstress this week to sort it out! Wish me Luck!

I will most likely wear this to a wedding i am going to this weekend but it will be great on holiday with my husband. I thought I would give you an idea of how I will wear this for both occasions. Nothing exciting and to be honest a dress like this doesn't need too much styling as it speaks for itself!

holiday maxi by saskiathesalsafairy
Wedding Maxi by saskiathesalsafairy featuring Alexis Bittar jewelry

This is roughly how I plan to wear it to this weekends wedding. I will wear wedges or heels to add a bit of height (I am 5'4 so I just get away with a maxi and no more) ... embellished bag and bangles to add a bit of pzazz and possibly some flowers in my hair. It's not my usual wedding guest outfit, it's more of a relaxed chic look.

What do you think of both styles? Any advice on fitting the 'girls' in is most welcome too ;)

x

Sunday browsing ....

Today, like most Sundays, I went to the shops but I was adamant it was strictly window shopping. The past while I have been spending quite a bit as I have had weddings and nights out galore and now I have 2 holidays coming up. I have pretty much I need now but did this stop me purchasing? No.

To be fair, I only bought a couple of things but they were kinda cute so thought I would show you.

First purchase was this cute little straw bag with floral detailing. It reminds me of a bag I wore as a child but now they seem to be 'in' for adults - yay! This was from Topshop and was £10 in the sale. My justification for buying is I need a nice clutch bag for Ibiza but this also has a strap so fantastic for dancing the night away!
The next purchase is a cute charm necklace. I love russian dolls - love them! I was instantly attracted to this although I do still wonder what the Eiffel Tower has to do with a russian doll - never mind, it's cute!
Only a couple of things I know but what do you think? Cute or Crap?

x

Review: LUSH Sweet Japanese Girl

Last night I used my Sweet Japenese Girl exfoliationg and facial massage bar. So really this is only my first impressions but I wanted to share with you.

First thing I want to mention is that this bar is designed for exfoliation, it is not a daily cleanser and I would not recommend you use as one. My usual routine would be to exfoliate once or twice a week.

So what does it contain? Well in this little cutey we have cocoa butter, shea butter, ground almonds and aduki beans for exfoliation and coconut, lemon, juniperberry and tea tree oils for moisturisation. It has a rough yet gentle texture and smells delicious.

How do I use it? I begin by cleansing my skin using babyface (which i am loving so far). I understand some people skip this part when exfoliating which is fine but I like to get my mascara off so i give my face a quick cleanse first of all. I then warm up the Sweet Japanese Girl with a little warm water and rub between the palms of my hands, then proceed to massage over my face. The bar is shaped like a face and has grooves that fit well over your nose to help clear any awkward blackheads lurking around there. The 'cheeks' and 'chin' can be used to concentrate exfoliation on any other troubled areas like the chin and forehead. Once, I have given my face a good massage and tackled some problem areas, I rinse and wipe off with a facial cloth.

What did i think of it? Normally after exfoliating my skin it feels squeaky clean but a little dry and I need to moisturise right away. Sweet Japanese Girl was the complete opposite. My skin felt clean, smooth and moisturised. I noticed the appearance of some blackheads (not all, but luckily there aren't too many) had reduced or disappeared. I actually waited half an hour or so before I even applied moisturiser and even then I only applied out of habit. I try and go for regular Dermalogica facials and I can tell you my skin felt and looked as cleansed, nourished and moisturised with SJG as it feels when i leave my 1.5 hour long facial!!

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who fancies a try or would like to incorporate exfoliation into their routine. I think I paid around the £4 mark for this from Lush and the bar is a good size. Used once or twice a week, it should last a while.

Does anyone else use this? What do you think?

x

NOTD - No pain no gain!!

I realise that Nail of the day posts do get boring however I have to admit the main purpose for me posting this is to show off my new nails!

I actually went through a bit of pain to get these nails ... I hadn't planned on getting them done but I had some time to spare on Friday so thought I would get an impromptu manicure. I opted for acrylics thanks to the advice of some of the lovely girls on twitter as I knew I would want to paint them afterwards.

Anyway, the girl doing my nails managed to cut me twice while drilling my nails (drilling i understand is frowned upon). I bled. Not badly but still, you know, that's not what i paid for!! I ended up not complaining as being the sucker I am, I got on so well with the owner of the shop I just didn't have the heart to!

When i got home, I actually had to file the nails down again and shape them as she had left them very square and long.
The french manicure look also looked a little bit cheap on my hands. I have such tiny and hands and nails that I couldn't pull it off very well with acrylics. So, on the nail polish went. I chose Lavender Lingo by China Glaze - a lovely opaque pale pink/lilac. I have worn this on my natural nails and it really doesn't look as good as it does on a fake yet beautifully shaped nail.

What do you think of my new nails? Should i keep them?

x