Current Favourites

I haven't done a proper favourites post in a very long time, probably because my favourites don't tend to change all that much. Both the RBR Murmurings lipstick and GOSH Truly Brown liner have been mentioned so many times on here, that I fear you may all get fed up with me banging on about them. At the moment I'm in a bit of a makeup funk and keep forgetting to put any on. I'm not entirely sure what's the matter with me, to (mis) quote an online friend, I think the cheese has fallen off my cracker somewhat. Whilst I've been having my little makeup moody, I've become quite reliant on the items below to put on a face without having to put any thought into it.

From top left, clockwise: RBR Gracilis blusher, NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, RBR Time Defying Foundation in Linen Cream, Lancome La Vie est Belle, Ellis Faas S202 concealer, GOSH Truly Brown eyeliner, RBR Murmurings, RBR Blusher Brush and NARS Smudge Brush (#15).

RBR Gracilis blusher* - this is a fairly recent addition to my collection but it's a colour I've been interested for a while. I worried that it might be too cool or pale for me based on swatch research but it's actually the perfect flush of pink. Although I tend to gravitate to more beige pinks, I find Gracilis is very good at instantly brightening my face and making me look less miserable! I have taken some comparison swatches which I will share in another post.

NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base - I repurchased Too Faced Shadow Insurance several months ago and I'm not sure whether the formula has changed but I found the new tube just didn't work for me. The formula feels too wet and it didn't prevent creasing. I decided to give the NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base a try based on both Visionary Beauty and Musing on Beauty's recommendation. Because I've not been wearing eyeshadow everyday, I haven't put it through it's paces sufficiently for a review but I have been very pleased with it so far.

RBR Time Defying Foundation in Linen Cream* - I'm close to finishing this sample pot of foundation and I have been reaching for it every time I do my face, instead of my usual tinted moisturisers. It has a heavier coverage than I normally wear but you can still my freckles so I wouldn't personally describe it as full coverage. Despite how it looks in the pot, this foundation is a touch lighter and pinker than the skin on my face but I think the depth of colour matches my neck better than my other bases. Particularly as my skin is at its palest at the moment.

I find the finish of this foundation is totally dependent on how my skin feels when I apply it. If I apply to primed or dry (i.e. not pre-moisturised) skin, it gives as semi-matte finish and has a satin-y feel to the touch. However, if I apply to skin that has a film of moisturiser, I find I get a more dewy finish and I do experience a bit of oil break-through on my T-zone later in the day. Unlike the Milk Aquarelle foundation, the Time Defying Foundation doesn't settle into my pores

Ellis Faas S202 concealer - I really like using this for concealing my undereye area and the redness around my nose and I find the coverage lasts quite well. Unlike some of the other Ellis Faas pens, it's not hard to prime. Asthetically speaking, the splaying of the brush bristles is rather annoying.

GOSH Truly Brown Velvet Touch eyeliner and NARS Smudge Brush (#15) - I've put these two items together as my favourite thing to do at the moment is apply the liner in a heavy line and then smudge with the NARS brush. I really like the definition it gives to my lash line. The NARS brush is firm enough to smudge well but the hairs are soft enough not to irritate my sensitive eyes.

RBR Murmurings sheer lipstick - I've said plenty about this lipstick before so I won't repeat myself except to say that I love this lipstick for both the colour and the moisturising feel. It's perfect for this time of year.
 
Lancome La Vie est Belle Perfume* - I love the smell of this Lancome fragrance. It has a sweet, slightly gourmand note to it and wearing it always cheers me up.

Lanolips Lip Ointment in Rose - On days when I haven't bothered with any makeup, I wear Rose to keep my lips moisturised. It doesn't add any colour to my lips particularly but it does give them a nice sophisticated shine.

a design Flat Topped Foundation Brush* - Although I still frequently apply foundation and tinted moisturiser with my fingers, I find buffing in foundation with this brush makes for a speedy application. It also gives a polished finish. The only negative is washing it can be quite a chore.

Left to right: Ellis Faas S202, RBR TD Foundation in Linen Cream, GOSH Truly Brown, RBR Murmurings and RBR Gracilis

Here's how it all looks applied. I did add a touch of Burberry Rosewood eyeshadow to the mobile lid but the hooding of my lids has obscured this.

What products do you turn to when you're in a makeup funk?

* Press samples are indicated with an asterisk

Smoky Green FOTD

Yes, it's another green eye look. I had to look at last weeks FOTD to check that I hadn't accidentally recreated the same look with different eyeshadows. It is similar but fortunately not identical. You will probably spot several favourite products that used in both looks, such as the Perricone concealer, Shu brow pencil and the Kevyn Aucoin eye pencil.

The new item I used here is the Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc in Pink Tourmaline Mosaic*. This was a limited edition item released with the Summer Jewels collection, but unfortunately I can't it anywhere online to provide a link. It is possible you can still find it in Selfridges. I used the Shimmer Bloc as a highlighter on the tops of my cheeks and didn't apply any blush as my natural colour seemed to provide enough flush. I really liked how this looked in the mirror but it was interesting to see how it photographed. In the photos it definitely looked like I needed more colour on my cheeks and the highlighter seemed to accentuate my crinkles. Maybe this accounts for my moody face below!!

Here's a complete breakdown of the items I used:

Face
Perricone MD No Concealer Concealer*
W3LL People Narcissist Foundation and Concealer Stick (01) blended on cheeks, around nose and chin
Laura Mercier Pink Tourmaline Mosaic Shimmer Bloc* applied with Hakuhodo medium pointed Yachiyo
Shu Uemura brow pencil

Lips
Lancome Rouge in Love in Rose Boudoir* blotted on as a stain. I still don't think this is a great colour for me but I fancied experimenting with application techniques.

Eyes
Too Face Shadow Insurance - not pictured
MAC Brule all over the lid
Edward Bess eyeshadow in Dusk applied from lash to crease
MAC Club eyeshadow on the outer corner
MAC Vex pressed onto the centre of the lid
(Brule, Club and Vex all feature in my favourite MAC eyeshadow post)
Kevyn Aucoin Eye Pencil in Basic Black* on the outer corner and on the upper waterline
Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume mascara*
I used a MAC 239 brush to apply the colours and the 224 to blend.

I was really happy with the eyes but I'm not sure that the lipstick worked to compliment the look. I'd probably go for a more peachy colour next time. What makeup have you been wearing this weekend? Do you ever find that your makeup looks different in person to how it photographs?

* PR Sample

FOTD with Shiseido Patina and LMdB Come One, Come All

We practiced quite a lot of product layering to create different textures on the BECCA course and I was inspired to give this a go on the eyes using Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Colour in Patina as a base. Patina applies as quite a yellow based green on my eyes and I wanted to temper the yellow a bit, so I applied the silvery grey-green from the Come One, Come All Kaleidoscope. I put some of the peach just above the crease but in retrospect, I probably should have given this a miss!

I'm trying to get into the habit of curling my lashes. I still need to improve my technique some more as I frequently end up with a right angle rather than a curl and more bend in the centre of the eye, rather than the outer corner where I really need it. I find curling them before using the Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume mascara* does make them look more dramatic and I get better separation if I use the bristles at the tip of the wand.

Here are the products that I used for this look...

Face
NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser in Finland
Perricone MD No Concealer Concealer*
BECCA Shimmering Powder in Nefertiti
MAC Cubic Blusher
Shu Uemura brow pencil H9 Seal Brown

Lips
Lancome Rouge in Love lipstick in Rose Thé*

Eyes
Shiseido Patina applied with finger tips just passed the crease
Kevyn Aucoin Basic Black liner along the lashline*
The taupey grey colour from the LMdB Come One, Come All Kaleidoscope applied over Patina and the black liner
The peach shade from Come One, Come All applied above the crease
Kevyn Aucoin Lash Curlers*
Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume mascara*

* Denotes PR Samples

Obsessed With Accessorising

I seem to be on a bit of a shopping kick lately. I've bought new clothes for myself (unheard of), bought things for the house and my latest obsession seem to be accessorising. I have ordered a couple of makeup items but beauty products are playing second fiddle to everything else for a once. In the interests of over-sharing, these are the items that have been filling up my internet cache...

Athena Procopiou Galactica Scarf \\ Net-a-porter \\ £185
10m2 Chunky Bracelet with Three Circle Charms in Hot Pink \\ Orit London \\ £90
Hultquist Double Cord Bracelet \\ Stripes Fashion \\ £19
Day Birger et Mikkelsen Day Yoconda Cuff \\ Stripes Fashion \\ £14
Todo Joia Stripes Cuff \\ Orit London \\ £195
10m2 Double Chunky Tube Bracelet in Black \\ Orit London \\ £80
10m2 Single Ball Bracelet in Taupe \\ Orit London \\ £65

I really like the Day Yoconda Cuff on the bottom right and I found it on sale on both my-wardrobe.com and Stripes Fashion. Unfortunately, both sites charge £5 for p&p. I can't tell you how many times I've shelved a purchase because of £5 postage (I'm looking at you, SpaceNK). Spying Hultquist jewellery on Stripes, reminded me how much I used to covet the 10m2 cord bracelets which lead me to Orit London. I really like all three styles that I've posted here and the hot pink version was Miss MB's personal favourite. In the end, I went for the Double Tube style in black and hopefully it will be with me tomorrow.

I cannot stop thinking about the Athena Procopiou Galactica Scarf, the fact that it takes centre stage probably gave that away! It reminds me a little of the gorgeous Black Milk Galaxy leggings that London MakeUp Girl posted about. £185 is more than I have spent on a single item of clothing, never mind accessory, in a very long time. I think it might be nice enough to justify a bit of girl maths. Price per wear, anyone?!

I realised after I'd assembled the images above, that I had forgotten to include the Blue Leopard Spot Scarf from Scarf Envy. I'm often drawn to animal prints (you've already seen my bag) and I particular like the blue colour in this scarf. Of course, I can't be the only one as this colourway is out of stock.

One of the few beauty items I'm lusting after at the moment is Lancôme Hypnôse Star mascara. It's due for Nationwide release from 15th July but I signed up for the waiting list on Feel Unique and I received an email letting me know I could order from today. I admitted on Twitter that my interest in this mascara has more to do with the inclusion Betty Boop in the adverts, than anything else. Boo boop be doop!!

What are you lusting after at the moment? Are you good at accessorising?

My Blues, Greens and Reds

The weather is so miserable outside that I felt inspired to do another colour grouping post. As I mentioned in my previous post, I'm not great at experimenting with colours but I wondered what a hunt for blues, greens and reds would uncover. I suspect that I'm repeatedly drawn to a single shade from a colour family rather than collecting a range from across the spectrum. So, no pretty rainbow of colours here.

Greens

Eyeshadows: MAC Club, Rouge Bunny Rouge Olive Violeteare, Green eyeshadow from Le Metier de Beaute Penelope Kaleidoscope, Green from the Chantecaille Sea Turtles palette, Lancôme Erika F, NARS Dogon and Rajasthan.
Eye Pencils: Annabelle Smoothliner in Jade, No.7 Metallic Eyes in Green, Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier in Bangalore and MAC Kohl Power Pencil in Mystery
Nail Polish: Barry M Racing Green, YSL in Wintergreen, Le Metier de Beaute Dionysus and Athena, L'Oreal Innocent Green, Nails Inc freebie in an unnamed Teal colour

Blues

Eyeshadows: YSL Pure Chromatics in shade #3, Sephora eyeshadow in Preppy Look (#41) and  L'Oreal Infallible Colour in Innocent Turquoise.
Eye Pencils: MAC Pearlglide liner in Petrol Blue and Annabelle Smoothie Crayon in Blubomb
Nail Polish: Joe nail varnish in Persian Blue, YSL Moonlight Blue, Lancôme Vernis in Love in Bleu de Flore (573B), China Glaze in Tempest, Orly Star of Bombay, Butter London Victoriana, L'Oreal French Riviera.

Reds

Nail Polish: Butter London Knees Up, Orly Glam, Lancôme Vernis in Love in Miss Coquelicot (154M) and Lancôme Rouge Saint Honoré (22)
Lip Liners: MAC Cherry and Le Metier de Beaute Rose
Lip Products: Tom Ford lipstick in Smoke Red, Ilia Crimson & Clover, Max Factor Colour Elixir lipstick in Ruby Tuesday, Lancôme lipsticks in Rouge Faubourg and Rouge in Love (159B), Revlon Colourburst in Raspberry, Kevyn Aucoin Liquid Lipstick in Aquarouge, Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in Fume and Ellis Faas in L303
Cheek Colour: W3LL People Universalist Stick #5

I thought I'd add this final picture, so you can see exactly why all the images are so dark. I know we really need the rain but, seriously, enough already!! Hopefully I will get opportunity to take some of these again when the sun finally reappears.

Disclosure: The items shown here are a mixture of things that I have purchased myself, been gifted to me and PR samples. If you want to check the origin of any particular item, do feel free to ask.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Makeup Colours Edition

I decided to have a go at Yumeko’s Weekly Photo Challenge #6 – Makeup Colours Edition. I really enjoyed both Yumeko and Drivol about the Frivol's posts and I was interested to see how many items I would be able to find for each colour section, especially as I'm pretty boring when it comes to colour! Trying to work out which colour appears most in my makeup collection was enlightening too. Although it's probably taupe if you count my endless eyeshadows, I wanted to look for a colour which was repeated across all of my colour cosmetic products.

1. Black

Eyeshadows and Pigments: MAC Carbon, Illamasqua Pure Pigment in Zeitgeist* and Eyeshadow in Obsidian*.
Pencil and Liners: Rouge Bunny Rouge Raven Glaze Lacquer Liner, Hourglass Script and Kevyn Aucoin Basic Black Pencil*.
Mascara: Illamasqua Masquara in Raven

2. Brown

This is just a sample of my brown colours as I'm certain I've missed a quite a few eyeshadows and liners when I was rummaging around.

Eyeshadows: Lancôme Blondette Fatale palette*, L'Oreal Color Infallible in Endless Chocolate, MAC Charcoal Brown, MAC Sable, Rouge Bunny Rouge Bejewelled Skylark and Blackpepper Jay, Le Metier de Beaute Brocade from the Silk Road Kaleidoscope* and Ellis Faas Creamy Eyes in E105.
Liners: Julie Hewett gel liner in Tessa, Rouge Bunny Rouge Long-lasting Pencil in Lola and Ben Nye Pencil in Espresso
Contour Powder: MAC Strada
Lip Products: Lise Watier gloss in Cafe Frost and YSL Rouge Volupte in Spicy Pink
Nail Polish: Chanel Khaki Rose

3. White

Highlighters: MAC Strobe Liquid Lotion*, Rouge Bunny Rouge Eyes Wide Open highlighter pencil* and Vapour Trick Stick*.
Eyeshadows: White from the Suqqu Lilac Allure Palette and L'Oreal Color Infallible in Time Resist White.
Nail Polish: Lancôme Vernis in Love in Pure Narcisse (020M)*

4. Orange [Colour of the Year according to Sephora]

Orange was especially hard to find in my collection so I hope you'll forgive the fact that most of these are more coral than orange. Three of the items are from the L'Oreal Miss Candy collection* which are due for review.

Blushers: Illamasqua Rude Cream Blusher, Rouge Bunny Rouge Blush Wand in Manet* and Illamasqua Emerge Cream Pigment*.
Nail Polish: BECCA Tangerine Dreams, L'Oreal #304 Spicy Orange* and #305 Dating Coral*
Lipgloss: L'Oreal Glam Shine in #703 Tart Lollipop*

5. Purple: The most popular color amongst your makeup collection

Like brown, this is only a selection of my purples (and plums). Not all these colours suit me but I love purple and if I'm ever drawn to colour it's usually purple.

Eyeshadows: NARS Melusine duo*, Hourglass Exhibition duo, Sue Devitt Eyeshadow in Nordland, Rouge Bunny Rouge Wishing for Wings, MAC Fig. 1, Purple Haze, Trax, Stars N' Rockets, Vibrant Grape and Beautiful Iris.
Pencils and Liners: YSL Waterproof liner in #5 Shimmering Burgundy, Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Amethyst, Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier Pencil in Zaire and Lise Watier 24hrs Glam Eyeliner in Prune.
Lip Products: NARS Bougainville lipgloss*, Inglot Lip Paint in #59, W3LL People Nudist Lip Shine #2*, Lancôme Violette Coquette* and MAC Up The Amp.
Blusher: NARS Sin
Nail Polish: Chanel Paradoxal and W7 Metallic Venus.

Disclosure: Items marked with an asterisk were received as PR samples.

My Weekend Makeup Bag

Despite my best intentions to keep things minimal, I have managed to completely fill my makeup bag just for a night away. I know I probably should have planned what makeup I wanted to wear in advance and packed accordingly, but I suck at being that organised. Anyway, I thought I'd share with you which items made the cut. I have included links to previous reviews where possible.

Basic Face Products
NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser in Finland
Diorskin Nude Natural Glow Fresh Powder Makeup in 020
BECCA Creamy Concealer in Praline*
Shu Brow Pencil H9 Seal Brown
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Tweezers and Pencil Sharpener

Eyeshadows and Liners
Rouge Bunny Rouge Eyeshadows in (left to right) Umber Firefinch, Bohemian Waxwing and Olive Violeteare
Lancome Erika F eyeshadow*
Sephora Jumbo Liner in Taupe
MAC Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Mystery
MAC Eye Kohl in Teddy
Ben Nye Eye Liner Pencil in Espresso EP-85
Kevyn Aucoin Liner in Basic Black*

I really wanted to take my LMdB Come One, Come All kaleidoscope but I'm too precious about my kaleidoscopes to travel with them. I wish I wasn't such a nervous ninny!

Cheek Products and Mascara
NARS Laguna Bronzer
No.7 Lash Adapt Mascara*
Laura Mercier Blusher in Petal Pink
By Terry Blusher, this was passed on from a friend and I'm afraid I don't know the shade.
Rouge Bunny Rouge Sea of Tranquility highlighter

Lipsticks and Nail Polishes
Orly Decoded* from the new Electronica collection
Illamasqua Bacterium
BECCA 2 in 1 top/base coat
Clinique Chubby Stick in Whole Lotta Honey*
Hourglass lipstick in Fresco
Rouge Bunny Rouge sheer lipstick in Murmurings

Brushes
Rouge Bunny Rouge Face Contour Brush* which I use for both blusher and bronzer
Illamasqua Blusher Brush #1, I'm hoping I will be able to use this with the Diorskin powder foundation
Adesign Flat Topped Foundation Brush*
Le Metier de Beaute Concealer Brush*
MAC 224, 219 and 239 brushes
Sigma E25 blending brush
Hakuhodo Kokutan ML Eye Brush
Ruby + Millie Angled Liner

Orly Decoded

I'd like to claim that it's unusal for me to walk around with one random nail painted but that would be a lie! I've had Orly Decoded on for my little finger for couple of days and it's lasted surprisingly well. I still can't make up my mind whether to wear this or Illamasqua Bacterium on Sunday which is the reason that both are travelling with me.

I don't tend to do clothes posts. I'm not the least bit fashionable (you'll be able to tell from the pictures below) but this is the outfit I'm planning to wear to the baptism. It's a black jersey faux wrap around dress and the cardigan is one I purchased the other day in the Lazy Lu sale. I intend to wear it with black tights, black boots and some chunky gold jewellery. I can't decide on which scarf to wear, as much as I love the one in the first picture, I fear that I'd be entering Bett Lynch territory combined with my zebra print bag! I may have a quick look for an alternative tomorrow if time permits.

My 'Bett Lynch' bag!

Right, it's time for me to rinse this hair dye off and find out exactly what 'blends in grey' really means!

Disclosure: PR samples are indicated with an asterisk.

A Little Jubilee Makeup Silliness

I accompanied Small Person #2 to the school Diamond Jubilee party this afternoon. I'd had a glimpse of the bunting earlier in the day and couldn't resist going with a little red, white and blue theme. Well I guess it was more red, cream and blue unless you count my white hairs! Anyway...

I wouldn't normally go out of the house with shimmery blue eyeliner and red lips but no one batted an eyelid. Some of the children had full union jacks painted on their faces, so I figured I'd have to be going some to raise eyebrows. On my fingers, I went for alternating blue and red. I'm obviously not on trend as I don't own any white nail polish.

Here are my reds and blues. The red nail polish is Lancôme Miss Coquelicot* from the Vernis in Love collection and the blue is YSL Moonlight Blue. The eyeliner is MAC Petrol Blue Pearlglide  liner and the lipstick is Ellis Faas Glazed Lips in L303.

There are no proper close ups of my nails as they were done quickly before I went out and anyone with children knows that wet nails are an open invite to a series of calamitous polish smudging events. It also reminded me that I need another fast drying top coat.

Are you planning any Jubilee celebrations over the weekend?

*PR Sample

Sunny (work) FOTD

This is the makeup I wore on Friday. Although the eyes are still quite neutral, I added a little summery colour with the coral pink cheeks and lips. I haven't worn the Chantecaille Lip Chic in Zinnia for a while but I thought it compliment the blusher from the Kevyn Aucoin 'The Corals' palette that I posted about recently. I'm pleased with how RBR Bejewelled Skylark turned out when used as a liner too.

Face
Hourglass Primer
Max Factor Second Skin Foundation*
Perricone MD No Concealer Concealer* - on undereyes and around the nose
Shu Uemura Brow Pencil
Cheek colour from the Kevyn Aucoin Lip & Cheek Palette*

Lips
Chantecaille Lip Chic in Zinnia

Eyes
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
RBR Long-lasting Cream Eyeshadow in Atlas Swallowtail* as a base
Chantecaille Shine eyeshadow in Bois on the mobile lid
RBR Bejewelled Skylark used as an eyeliner
Lancome Hypnose Drama in Gris Fatale*

* PR Samples