Illamasqua Rude blush

I made an ASOS order last week to take advantage of the free next day delivery. As part of the order I got Illamasqua's cream blush in Rude. I'd seen a few recommendations and although it's not something I'd usually go for colour wise, I threw caution to the wind! When it arrived the next I opened it and..........immediately regretted ignoring my sensible side. I shouldn't have worried though, when applied this blush doesn't look like the vivid orange it appears in the pan.

I've worn this a few times now and like my other Illamasqua blushes I really like it. It lasts well and doesn't feel greasy at all. It's really easy to blend. One note of caution though. I do find it much easier to achieve the right amount of colour if I dot on with my fingers and then blend with a MAC 109. I had a bit of an Aunt Sally moment the occasion I stuck the brush directly in the pan! I also made an error when I paired it with Ever Hip. I struggle with Ever Hip anyway (is that just me?) and the matchy, matchy coral with my colouring had me wondering where my Ra-ra skirt and rollerskates had gone.

Anyway, I digress. Here are some swatches and today's face wearing Rude. All the pictures are clickable and the full size photos show the most accurate colour. I've left them un-edited as the minute I edit in photobucket they bleach out.

Pan swatch


Swatch on skin, blended and unblended


The colour applied on my cheek.


Full face wearing Rude and a demonstration of why I really need botox!


Face
EL Ideal Matte - I'll be pleased when this is finished
MAC NW20 moisture cover concealer under eyes
Illamasqua Rude blush

Eyes
MAC Painterly paint pot
MAC Style snob
TBS brown eyeliner
Rimmel Sexy curves mascara

Lips
RBR - Irreverence

May Favourites and a bit of a ramble

It's been a bit of a busy month in the Modesty household. We got the keys to our new house at the end of April and spent a week or so moving everything over. I still haven't got everything sorted in the new house, I was certainly more industrious during the two weeks without internet access. Whoops!

Some of my favourites this month really have to be recent purchases from Zuneta. I have worn Rouge Bunny Rouge eyeshadow in Delicate Hummingbird a lot and also the lipstick in Irreverence. I've loved wearing Hourgloss lipgloss in Origami, it's such a nice colour and the texture of these lipglosses is so moisturising and luxurious. A real winner for me.



I've been reaching for Unrequited blush by Illamasqua a lot as well as my trusty Laguna bronzer. A rather surprising favourite has been MAC's pearlglide eyeliner in petrol blue. It's such a pretty, sparkly blue and I've had compliments when I've paired it with Cancan eyeshadow on the lid and Fig.1 in the crease. Another lipstick I've been wearing a lot is Test by Illamasqua. It's been a great replacement for MAC Modesty and as it last so long with lipgloss on top it's a great choice for when I'm out a lot.

Skincare wise, I've been loving Olay's Complete Care Multi-Radiance daily illuminating moisturiser. It's not something I would have picked myself but it was part of my Mother's Day gift set. It feels really nice and the light reflecting particles do leave a nice sheen.



I also discovered this Skin Wisdom Firm and Lift V Zone serum from Tesco's. I was recommended the line by a friend who had been using the anti-wrinkle serum. The serum feels lovely on the skin and the smell is divine. I'm not sure if it's improving the appearance of my neck and decolletage but I know at my age it's not wise to ignore this area. I can maybe review it properly in a month or so if anyone is interested?



Now for the ramble! I went to Bicester Village to pay a visit to the Cosmetics Company Store. I was thrilled to find a 187 brush in there, I'd called up earlier in the week and was told they didn't have any. I've passed it up before when I've seen it in there and kicked myself. Another surprise was finding the MAC Spiced Chocolate quad in there. I know this is quite popular and hard to come by. I have admired it myself as they are really stunning colours but I know I really can't pull these sorts of warm shades off.



As ever when I don't have money to spend, I spotted loads of things I wanted. They had paintpots in Soft Ochre and Groundwork both of which I've wanted for a while. They also had a huge stand of Bobbi Brown items. Normally they have a tiny selection. My biggest disappointment was having to miss out on the Moisture Rich Foundation in Warm Ivory. I'm sure this would be the right shade for me and I've wanted to try a Bobbi Brown foundation for a long time. Please someone tell me it's rubbish as otherwise I'll be crying in to my cornflakes. There's such a quick turnover of stock in these shops that I'm unlikely to find it by the time I have cash to spend. I'm sure I'll forget all about it when my Suqqu and Shu Uemura parcel arrives!

Jane x

How much is too much?

When I was in my bathroom the other day, I glanced my brushes out of the corner of my eye. I'd been joking with my friends the other day that the storage just gets bigger and bigger. I started off with them all in a small brush case, they graduated to a glass tumbler and once there was no more lean room in the glass they found a new home in an ikea vase.



I wonder as the collection expands, do I have too many brushes? Quite a few of my friends are in the the applying shadow with their fingers camp so I know they think I'm potty! I do love brushes to apply make up with, though I admit I've never really got to grips with using a brush for foundation.



These are my MAC eye brushes. I do apologise for the dirty state of some of them! I have a mixture of both full size and special edition size. From left to right: 204, 227, 226, 217, 219, 239, 209, 224SE, 213SE, 266SE. I use all of these on a regular basis and think they are all very good brushes. The only gripe I have is with the 226 brush. It's an excellent crease brush but it is extremely scratchy. I really wish I could find a brush this size and shape minus the scratchy bristles.



My MAC face brushes, left to right: new 168, 168, 188, 109, 165, R+M blush brush. The reason for the 168 duplication is that I had problems with the original shedding. MAC customer services were great and provided a replacement promptly. Like the eye brushes, I use and like all of these brushes. I'm sure I don't need this many blush/contour brushes but I'm not sure which ones I could dispense because I use them for different things. 109 for creams, 168 for powder, 188 for pigmented colours etc., etc.. The rogue Ruby+Millie at the end in nominally a blush brush but I use this for applying face powder to the T-zone.



These are some of my other face brushes. Top to bottom: GOSH powder brush, MAC 129SE, TBS foundation brush, R+M duo fibre. A bit of a mixed bunch pictured here. The GOSH powder brush feels lovely but I'm sometimes at a bit of a loss as to what to use it for. It is useful for blending out the edges of blusher though. The foundation brush is from The body shop. As I mentioned before I'm not a fan of applying foundation with a brush and I really can't recommend this one. It eats so much product (even when used for moisturiser first, a tip I was given by Pixiwoo) and it gives a streaky application. The other two brushes, the MAC 129 and the Ruby+Millie version of the 187 are both nice brushes. I use the 129 for bronzer as well as for setting powder. Since I took the photos I've invested in a MAC 187 and look forward to making the comparison to the R+M version.



In the picture above are my miscellaneous eye brushes and Sigma brushes. Left to right: TBS slanted brush, R+M blending (awful, so scratchy), MAC 242SE, R+M dual ended eye brush, R+M eye definer, TBS eyeshadow brush, SS217, SS224, SS138. Another mixed bag here. The ones I use regularly are the Ruby+Millie dual ended brush, the Sigma SS217 and SS138. After my initial disappointment with the Sigma brushes (see post here) I've warmed a bit to these two. However, the SS224 remains the white elephant of the bunch. I had a go using this to blend and honestly I would have had more success with a mop I'm sure!

I also use The body shop eyeshadow brush to blend my Dirty Greasepaint stick. I once used the 217 for this but it made such a mess of the brush I couldn't bring myself to do it again! The advantage of using this brush with emollient products is that it's synthetic and so it's easier to clean off.

The remaining brushes don't really get any use at all and sit in the the case I originally started with. I keep them on the off chance that I can find a use for them (and also I'm a closet hoarder).



There are still brushes I would love to get. I think I've mentioned before that I like the look of both the Suqqu and Rouge Bunny Rouge brushes. I'd also really like to have a genuine MAC 138. Visionary Beauty and I were discussing the Louise Young LY38 tapered brush and I'd be interested to see if this could be a softer replacement for the 226. The Revlon crease brush is still on my list of things to try too. However, for now, with only one face to use them on, I think I probably have enough for now.

So, my question to you is, does this seem like too many brushes to you? Or for the more seasoned make up enthusiast is this just a drop in the ocean? I'm really interested to know. I've included a poll in the sidebar too.

Jane x

20% off this weekend at Zuneta

I hope you don't mind me posting this but I wanted to share with those that haven't already seen it. Zuneta are offering 20% off everything this weekend using the code ZUCHIMP.



It's the perfect opportunity to invest in some Rouge Bunny Rouge, Hourglass or Becca. Let me know if you get anything. Happy shopping!

I was feeling Wanton today

Illamasqua's Wanton lipstick I mean, tsk at you dirty minded folk! I love Fridays and as the sun was shining I thought it was an ideal day for something a bit more daring. I really like this lipstick and as you would expect from an Illamasqua lipstick, it lasts really well.









Face
EL Ideal Matte foundation
YSL Touche Eclat
Illamasqua Unrequited

Eyes
MAC Painterly Paint pot
Rouge Bunny Rouge Solstice Halcyon eyeshadow
MAC Dirty Greasepaint stick used as a liner
Rimmel Sexy Curves mascara

Lips
Illamasqua Wanton lipstick

Happy Friday everyone,

Jane x

A NYX and aroma question

This will be a quickie for me.

A little while ago, I ordered a Nyx round lipgloss. I got it in the shade Mauve. The swatch at the top is Mauve (the swatch at the bottom is L'oreal Glam Shine in Forever Nude).



I had been intrigued by the NYX line as it seems so popular, so after looking at a few swatches I thought I'd give this a go. The minute I opened this lipgloss though I knew it was a bad idea. There was a really strong smell of lemon toilet cleaner as I opened it, even more so as I applied it. Having spent the day cleaning my old house I wondered if it was me rather than the lipgloss. I put it to one side (read I ignored it) until last week. I opened it again and was hit immediately by the smell of toilet cleaner. So, it's definitely it and not me.

I have been wondering, is this typical of NYX lipglosses or in fact any of their lip products? The citrus aroma has completely put me off ordering any more of their products. Before I dismiss it altogether, I'd love to know if I got a dud.

Are you bothered by how cosmetics smell?

FOTD using RBR Solstice Halcyon and Irreverence

I thought I'd do another face of the day for you, this time using Solstice Halcyon. I'm really pleased with how it turned out, as ever the camera has bleached out some of the colour so it looks more muted than it does in real life. Apologies also for not including a full face. I managed to get one good one of the make up but my eyes were doing extremely funny things and seemed to be pointing in completely different directions. If I had included it you would all be far too busy rolling around on the floor laughing to even notice the make up, so I'll spare you!









Face
EL foundation (not a great match but I'm using it up)
Touche eclat
NARS Laguna Bronzer
Illamasqua blusher in Unrequited

Eyes
RBR Solstice Halycon on lid
Bobbi Brown Taupe in the crease
MAC Charcoal Brown in the crease
UD 24/7 liner in Zero
Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara

Lips
RBR Irreverence

If you haven't already tried any Rouge Bunny Rouge make up I can honestly recommend it. Yes, it is very expensive but the products are lovely to use and it feels so feminine. I'm not sure if that's because the colours are so flattering or the beautiful packaging. Either way, for me it's been money well spent.

In other news, if you follow me on twitter you will already know that I phoned up to order a few bits from Selfridges today. I ordered this set from Suqqu as posted by LondonMUgirl and thanks to some brilliant shopping advice, also from LondonMUgirl, I added the Shu Uemura the eyebrow pencil, H9 Seal Brown. I am extremely grateful, as with postage at a whopping £6, it pays to get multiple items. I'm looking forward to letting you know how I get on with them.

Jane x

What makes me happy?

I spied Get Lippie's giveaway whilst on twitter. It's quite an interesting question, what makes me happy? There are so many things, big and small, important to the very superficial and trivial. I think it will be difficult to fit them all in but here goes!

My children make me very happy. If you read my blog regularly, you will know I have 3 small ones quite close in age. They are hard work but I reap the rewards. One of my most treasured moments of the day is sitting with them all in the evening reading a bed time story.

Having moved here from Leeds almost two years ago, I worried that I might be very lonely. I've been very lucky though and made some terrific friends. Hand on heart I can say having lovely friends to chat to and gossip with makes me very happy!

My computer makes me extremely happy. Probably a bit of a weird thing to say but my laptop and the internet are my link to the wider world and help me keep in touch with friends and family. I'm totally lost without it, having been without for a couple of weeks during the move reminds me how much I love being online!

It almost goes without saying that make-up makes me happy. I love buying it, wearing it, looking at and talking about it! If I've had a rubbish day my first instinct is to buy make up as it's an instant pick me up. My interest in make up lead me to start this blog and it's been a great outlet for me. The chatter with other like minded people and the lovely comments also make me extremely happy.

Last but by no means least the final three things that make me happy? My husband, chocolate and a beautifully chilled Sauvignon Blanc.
Cheers!

New Hourglass and Rouge Bunny Rouge Eyeshadows

After my post about dream shopping after a bad day, I decided to treat myself to another Zuneta order. I liked the Hourglass and Rouge Bunny Rouge items I got last time and wanted to investigate more from the lines.

Here's a picture of the order plus packaging. I know other bloggers have mentioned the lovely box the items come in and it isn't hard to see why it's popular. It's like a beautiful gift to myself!



I went for the Hourglass eyeshadow duo in Exhibition that I had been admiring in Visionary Beauty's posts. I also got Rouge Bunny Rouge eyeshadow in Solstice Halcyon (for readers outside the UK it is worth noting that Zuneta ships Worldwide). Both are pictured below.



Hourglass eyeshadow duo in Exhibition

I was delighted when I saw the Exhibition duo, it is a really pretty pairing. The lighter shade is a light, slightly frosty purple shade and has good colour pigmentation. You would imagine it to be quite sheer but it's isn't at all. Quite a few pale purples and lilacs that I have need a lot of packing on to be visible on the lid so this is a pleasant change. The darker shade is a deep plum shade. I applied this to my crease with a MAC 226 and found it easy to blend. Shame about the 226 being such a scratchy beast but that's a gripe for another occasion!


Rouge Bunny Rouge eyeshadow in Solstice Halcyon

I had read that this was a mauve toned taupe. Looking at the picture here it's hard to see that as it looks like a light golden brown. I hope you'll see from the swatches below that the description is very accurate though. I can't wait to use this on my eyes, I'm sure it's going to be a great colour for me.

In both pictures below the swatches from top to bottom are: Lighter colour from Exhibition duo, Darker colour from Exhibition duo, Solstice Halcyon.




I think this photo gives a truer representation of Solstice Halcyon. It really is a pretty colour and has a definite mauve tone which isn't obvious in the pan form.


Here a few pictures of me wearing both colours from the Hourglass Exhibition duo. As you can see I'm wearing the lighter colour all over the lid and the deep plum in the crease. I used Caviar gel eyeliner (Bobbi Brown) to line the eyes. Apologies for the weedy lashes. I'm not blessed in the lashes department and the Rimmel Sexy curves mascara that I'm using up does me no favours!






Thanks for reading and feel free to comment, I always love to know what you think.

Jane x

Applying make up with 3 small children is not easy!

Sheesh! These days trying to do my face for the day seems like a major endeavor. Occasionally I think I ought to just do without but frankly, I'm too vain to do that.

I have three children, two boys aged 4 and 2 and a baby girl of 4 months. Getting a moment to myself is quite a feat. I used to manage it during baby's nap time in my old house as I was never too far away from the boys. In the new house it's an entirely different matter. So, currently I either have to slap it on whilst holding the baby in one arm or put it on with an audience of two small boys using a tiny mirror!



Of course, putting it on in front of my little boys and using my brushes leads to cries of "can I have some make up on Mummy?" and "can I have a turn with your paint brushes?". Erm, no and don't even think about using them as paint brushes! My eldest is currently sporting a set of blue toe nails (OPI Suzi says Feng Shui) as a concession to their pleas for make up. They were pink last week but I thought blue would butch it up a little.

I've started putting a few bits together in a make up bag so I can put it in on whenever and wherever I can. Are you all too young to remember the 'Any time, any place anywhere' ads? However, I like to vary my make up quite a lot so I find planning what I'm going to need a bit of a chore. I'm also considering sticking mirrors on the backs of any available cupboard doors. Eyeshadow application in the kitchen whilst making porridge? I'm sure I'm painting such a sophisticated image of myself. You have to pity the postman, if he catches me with only half my face done he may never recover!

I suppose I need to learn to be a minimal kind of girl and perfect a 5 minute quickie in the bathroom. It's that or teach the children to do it for me.

After a bad day...

....I feel the need to unwind with some virtual (for now) retail therapy. It also seems that the worse the day, the more expensive the make up.

After a quick look at NARS, I moved on to looking at which bits I'd like from Le Métier de Beauté, Hourglass, Rouge Bunny Rouge and Suqqu. I thank Visionary Beauty for my desire for the Hourglass eyeshadow duo in Exhibition, Le Métier lipgloss in Dubai and Suqqu eyeshadow quads. I can credit New York City Pretty, The Non-Blonde and Lollipop26 with my wanting to purchase Le Métier de Beauté's cream blush in Tenne. London Makeup Girl had me lusting after Rouge Bunny Rouge Solstice Halcyon and Electrifying Storm Petrel eyeshadows. I only have myself to blame for wanting a Rouge Bunny Rouge brush, they look beautiful but sadly it's fantasy land only for these lovelies.

Ah, a girl can dream........and my credit card can pay!

Jane x


Rouge Bunny Rouge and Hourglass are available from Zuneta.com. Le Métier de Beauté from Liberty.co.uk and Suqqu from Selfridges.

Current favourites: lip combinations

I thought it would be nice to share with you my currently favoured lipstick and gloss pairings. I hope the pictures aren't too blurry, it seems impossible to take good macro shots whilst holding on to a baby!



In the picture above I'm wearing MAC Hue lipstick with Hourglass Origami lipgloss. I love this combination. I find that Hue is a little too pale for me on it's own but the brightness of the Origami pink really sharpens it up.



In the next two photos I'm wearing Illamasqua's Test lipstick with MAC Pink Champagne lipgloss. I'm wearing this again today actually. I find this a really easy combination to wear and as I've been struggling to find to time to put make up on lately quick and easy looks have been a must. Because of the Illamasqua lipstick formulation it's also incredibly long wearing and I find with a gloss the lipstick is much more comfortable to wear.

No doubt I'll be wearing something else next week but for now these are my favourites! So, what about you, what are you currently wearing?

Jane x

My Blush collection

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Zuneta Haul

I was so excited about this order and I can honestly say it did not disappoint! I even managed to find a new favourite in my purchases.





I ordered Delicate Hummingbird eyeshadow and Irreverence lipstick from the Rouge Bunny Rouge line and Origami and Ignite Extreme Sheen lipglosses by Hourglass. The order came in two parts as there was an issue with the stock of one of the lipglosses but the people at Zuneta were fantastic. Huge thumbs up for their customer services and super quick shipping, The packaging the orders come in is really pretty as well. As a dyed in the wool purple freak I was in love with their tissue paper!


L-R: Ignite lipgloss, Origami lipgloss, Irreverence lipstick, Delicate Hummingbird eyeshadow

I got a couple of lovely free samples with my order (used rapidly of course) and I was overjoyed to get a free Rouge Bunny Rouge mirror. It was really beautiful but I’m afraid I don’t have a picture to share as a friend has already nabbed it!


Rouge Bunny Rouge, Delicate Hummingbird eyeshadow

My absolute favourite of the bunch has to be RBR Delicate Hummingbird eyeshadow. I didn't manage to capture quite how pretty the colour is. It's a taupey, purple with shimmer. I've worn it most often as an all over lid colour with either a grey or navy eyeliner. It's quite similar to MAC's Flirty Number, which is fine for me as I love that too! However, the colour payoff and texture of Delicate Hummingbird is much better than Flirty Number. I'm looking forward to trying more RBR eyeshadows, I think Solstice Halcyon is next on my list.


Rouge Bunny Rouge swatches: Top - Irreverence, Bottom - Delicate Hummingbird

Unlike the eyeshadow, I wasn't sure if I'd love the colour of Irreverence lipstick. I was worried in particularly that it would be too similar to MAC's Modesty/Illamasqua Test. I'm pleased to report it isn't a duplication but it is a really easy colour for me to wear like the other two. It's a lovely formulation and feels very moisturising on the lips which is a bonus. It's more long wearing than I'd expect for a moisturising formula too.


Hourglass swatches: Top - Ignite lipgloss, Bottom - Origami

The Hourglass lipglosses are really lovely, I've worn Origami a lot since it arrived. I'd been hankering after a lipstick in this sort of shade but I thought a gloss might be an easier introduction. It was certainly a good choice. These glosses really do feel amazing on, I have quite dry lips and these glide on and feel like a balm. They're not sticky but do require more frequent touch ups. But as they smell and feel so nice it's no hardship. The smell is a lot like Soap and Glory's Motherplucker Gloss (no tingle though of course).

So, basically it's a thumbs up all round for this haul. I'll certainly be ordering from Zuneta again very soon and I'm already looking at which RBR and Hourglass items to purchase next.

Jane x