I have recently rediscovered the Lorac Pro Palette which was laying unloved under my more often used pile of Naked palettes. It's a real 'staple' make-up item and has the kinds of colours I'm sure most of us reach for on a day-to-day basis; neutrals, a few shimmers shades and some darker crease colours. The pigmentation and texture of the shadows is spot on, needing only one swipe of the brush and very easy to blend.
Today I started with the colour Light Pink on the lid and then used Mauve, an earthy mid-tone cool brown as a transition shade. I then used a smidge of Sable, a warm brown in the outer and inner corners of the eyes in an attempt to create a more deep-set eye look. I finished off with some Maybelline gel liner and my go-to mascara, Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Ultra Black.
For my base I used the Too Faced Born This Way foundation in Light Beige. I'm completely on the fence about this foundation - it has great coverage but has quite a shiny finish that I'm not sure I'm a fan of. I then used Kevin Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer as my concealer under my eyes and to cover any additional redness. I haven't used this in a while as it's one of those 'I don't really know what to do with it' products. It's a thick cream, and I mean thick! I haven't quite got to grips with this product, but today I warmed a teeny bit on the back of my hand and I was really pleased with how it applied. Blush was MAC Warm Soul, a great, goes with anything type shade. I used Maybelline's Tantalising Taupe on my lips then added a bit of shine with Maybelline Petal Plush lipgloss on top.
As i'm say writing this, the rain is hammering on the window and the wind is howling. Be safe out there guys!
Earlier this week Darren and I bundled up in many, many layers and headed into Glasgow for the Electric Gardens event at Glasgow Botanic Gardens. The gardens were brought alive with light and sound, with the plants and trees bathed in various hues. It was surreal to be strolling around such a place at night at this time of year, but there was a nice buzz about it and nice to see the park, which would normally be deserted, alive with people, light and music. There was also a performance by fire artists which was a lovely touch. We stood clutching onto our hot coffee vups while we watched - did I mention how cold it was?
Of course I took my camera along. I am trying to improve my photography skills and have even moved the dial on my camera away from the Auto setting! I thought I would share with you some pictures from the evening.
The confusion of me writing a November Favourites post on Day 3 of Blogmas has not escaped me, I've just been liking a lot of stuff this month and thought it deserved its own post before we got too far into the month. Okay, disclosure done, let's crack on with the good stuff shall we?
First up is Handy Gurugu hand cream from Lush. I'm not normally a hand cream user, but the sudden dip in temperature has left my hands dry and flaky...lovely eh? So during a recent visit to Lush with my husband Darren in tow, he mentioned how dry his hands also were and that we should buy some Lush hand cream. I knew there was a good reason I married this man, I tells ya! We settled on Handy Gurugu as it had a rich, buttery texture but sank in relatively quickly. We now both use it as part of our bedtime routine and I must admit it does seem to be making a difference to both of our hands (both sets of hands? All of our hands? Why doesn't that sound right?!)
Next I have been using Schwarzkopf got2b Mind Blowing Fast Dry Hairspray after seeing Kate La Vie rave about it on her blog. That girl has shamazing hair so I'm more than willing to buy up everything she uses in an attempt to emulate her tresses quite frankly! I had seen this product when it first launched but to be honest, I wasn't all that sure what it actually did. The packaging doesn't really shed much light on how to use and the instructions are minimal. I've been using it on freshly washed hair and working in sections using short blasts all over my head. It claims to speed up drying time which I haven't really noticed, but I tend to let my hair air dry til it's about 50% dry anyway and I haven't noticed much of a difference in that respect. However, where this product excels is adding bounce and 'life' to my fine hair. I struggle to find products that don't weigh down my hair or make it greasy-looking but this, when used sparingly, really seems to make my hair look better. I have also noticed that my hair keeps its style better for longer - I even had a day-three good hair day last week!
I've had the Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation for some time, but have found that if I wear it in the warmer months it gives me way too much shine. I tried it early in November and found that the colder weather means that instead of descending into a oily mess, it imparts a healthy glow which, let's face it, is what we all need at this time of year. It also gives a decent amount of coverage - it's on the fuller side of medium, blends really easy and is generally low maintenance which is what I need in the half light rush of a weekday morning! The only down side of this foundation - and it's a biggie - is that it isn't, to my knowledge, available to buy in the UK. I got this while on honeymoon in the States. This is such a shame, because it is somethin' special indeed.
I recently came across this gem of a website called Sass and Belle which sells the most adorable things and it's a great place to pick up unusual wee gifts or stocking fillers - its not the 'normal' stuff you see in the high street stores. Here are my top picks. *Oh, and I haven't been paid/asked to talk about this site, I just genuinely love their stuff!
I'm doing Blogmas! For those of you who don't know, that means I will be blogging every day until Christmas. I'm not known for my regular blogging habits so this will be a real challenge for me, but I'm really going to try and see this through - eeep! I hope you'll stick with me and enjoy reading.
I tore open the first door on my advent calendar this morning (can I get a high-five for chocolate for breakfast?) , so that means It's officially the countdown to Christmas. I thought I'd kick off the festivities here on my blog with a Christmas Tag. I love reading these posts on other blogs - it always leaves me feeling so Christmassy! Right, let's do this! 1. What is your favourite Christmas Movie/s?
It has to be National Lampoons Christmas Vacation! Despite the fact I have seen it more times than I can count, it still has me laughing out loud! My favourite moment is Clark Griswold's rant. For those of you who haven't seen it, (shame on you!) here it is:
I also have a guilty pleasure for watching those straight-to-TV movies that are played almost non-stop in the run up to Christmas. I watched one last week where a technology-obsessed family became stranded in a small town called (wait for it) Nowhere, and in the end they learn what Christmas is really about. It's called The Town That Christmas Forgot and i'm sure it will be shown again before Christmas, so keep an eye out if you like super cheesy but heart-.0warming movies.
2. Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
We always open our gifts on Christmas morning. We all meet at my mum and dad's on Christmas morning and my sister sorts out all of the gifts, then we take it in turns to open something. My husband always wants to open something on Christmas Eve though, so we usually pick a small gift to open before we go to bed on Christmas Eve - usually some cozy Christmas PJ's.
3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?
My dad has always loved putting lights up on the outside of the house, him buying new lights from B&Q pretty much signalled the start of the festive period in our house. I have so many memories of him up a ladder outside for hours on end, hammering up lights along the roofline of the house and stringing up more lights in the trees. We would then all be ushered outside for the grand switch-on.
4. favourite festive food?
I love all Christmas food and for the past couple of years I have cooked on Christmas Day - oh, and there are 12 of us! I love preparing the menu almost as much as cooking and eating the Christmas dinner! My favourite part of the dinner has to be the sprouts - I know they are a love-them-or-hate-them menu item, but I am on a one woman mission to convert everyone I meet to the humble sprout.
5. Favourite Christmas gift?
As a child, it was the huge doll house that my mum and dad stayed up most of Christmas Eve building for my sister and I. My mum says they listened out for every noise, thinking it was one of us getting up, shhhh-ing and leaping behind the sofa with each creak. I remember coming down on Christmas morning and literally being in complete awe of it, I couldn't believe how lucky we were. In more recent years, Darren bought me a fancy-dancy stand mixer - it is bright blue and I just love it.
6. Favourite Christmas scent?
At Christmas we always light the fire in the dining room at my parents house and this is my most favourite smell. It's like it's truly Christmas when the fire is lit in our house.
7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?
Christmas Eve is usually spent prepping the Christmas dinner; peeling the spuds, chopping veg and cooking the Christmas ham. In the evening, we usually wrap up and walk to the local pub and have a couple of drinks - well, it is the festive period!
8. What tops your tree?
I shamefully do not have anything at the top of my tree. In my defence, I haven't found the perfect star/angel yet - they all seem a bit cheap looking. I definitely need to step up the hunt for this year!
9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) gift you always asked for but never received?
When I was 16, I was obsessed with wanting to get out on the roads. Being too young to drive, I pleaded with my parents to buy me a moped/scooter, which you can legally drive at age 16. There was no way I was ever going to get one, but it didn't stop my trying.
10. What’s the best part about Christmas for you?
Spending time with family is hands-down the best part. I love having a house full of people. I also love watching people open presents, is that odd?
I'd love to know what you love about Christmas? Also, any ideas what I can get to top my tree?
I picked up this beauty while in Florida in February. I ummm'd and ahhh'd over which one to choose, much to Darren's annoyance ("Heather, we've been looking at the same thing for 10 minutes, just. pick. one.!" I think he said!). The tricky thing is, that in american drugstores, they don't actually have testers, so I couldn't swatch any of them.
The shade I eventually plumped for was Berry Amoure. It's a pretty mix of a cool-toned pink with bronze-peach marbling. If I'm honest, I've spent many minutes admiring the prettiness of this blush in the pan. I think i'm weak for these kinds of 'baked' products!
As you can see from the swatch'y goodness above, the colours combine to create a lovely warm-toned neutral pink with just the right amount of shimmer to impart that healthy, i've-just-been-out-for-a-brisk-walk look!
I had worried that, like the Bourjois baked blushes, these may have poor payoff, however that isn;t the case. In fact, if anything you need to go a bit steady when swirling your brush in this, or else you'll apply far too much! It's a lovely smooth formula which lasts a good 8 hours on me before starting to fade a little.
Here it is on my cheekies! It's very natural in colour and texture. I only wish I'd bought more, since these are unfortunately not available in the UK. However, GB girlies might be able to find these in a blog sale or on eBay, so keep an eye out!
It's always disappointing when you lust after a product for ages and when you finally get your hands on it, it's so underwhelming you just cannot understand what everyone else saw in it. Doing as much research as possible does help minimise any let-down, but I have come across a few products which, despite my almost obsessive trawl of Google/Instagram/Twitter etc. etc., still haven't lived up to the hype. While it's never nice to slate a product or brand, I think it's important to be honest - not every product will work for every person.
NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation
On paper, this foundation should be my holy grail; full coverage - check, lightweight - check, natural luminous finish - check, lasts all day - check...but no matter how hard I try I cannot get this product to work for me. I have tried every conceivable way of applying this base, I've used fingers and brushes, primers and oils, tiny amounts of product, powders, setting sprays - I have tried it all. The issues with this product start with application. The pump dispenses the teeniest drop of product, which apparently is all that is required for the whole face. Now, I'm under no illusion hat no matter how wonderful this product is, a drop of foundation no bigger than a couple of grains of rice just ain't gonna cut it to cover scars and redness. However, use more than this and all hell is unleashed (well..not quite, it's just foundation..). The problem with this foundation is that while initially it looks beautiful and flawless, it very quickly begins to almost separate and slide around on my face. On my skin this happens fairly quickly, usually with the first hour of wearing it. Less than ideal given the hefty price tag.
Bourjois Round Pot Blush
Blush is my absolute weakness, so the Bourjois stand draws me in like a tractor beam to their little pots of cheeky goodness. I love the compact size of the products, the way they are subtly scented and the way the packaging matches the colour of the blush contained within. All sounds good so far, right? Unfortunately the baked texture of these products makes it nigh-on impossible to get payoff on my cheeks. Seriously, you'd develop RSI in your wrist trying to get product onto the brush! I have swirled, stabbed, and even scraped the damn thing and at the end of the day it's just not worth the hassle. I've already used up far too many minutes of my life trying to get some colour payoff - I have even considered rubbing the little pot directly onto my cheeks..! Such a shame, as the colour I have (Sienne), is a beautiful muted pinky brown. Let's hope Bourjois reformulate these soon.
Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade
My brows are very low maintenance. A quick tidy up with the tweezers and a brush with a brow comb and they're happy. Last year with my wedding approaching, and having decided that I wanted to do my own make-up, I thought I would treat my brows to a bit of extra grooming and ABH Dip Brow Pomade ( Pom-ade or pom-ad?) seemed like the ideal choice. The colour is perfectly ashy, and it's relatively easy to apply once you realise that you need a very very small amount of this. Plus, when it dries down it ain't going anywhere til you remove it. The one major downside of this product is how quickly it dries out and becomes flaky and crumbly. This, along with the fact you need very little means that it would be impossible to even make a dent in this by the time it starts to dry out. Perhaps a smaller pot would be the answer? Or a rethink on the packaging?
My tips for avoiding being let down (by beauty products....):
Research. Blogs, Google, Pinterest and Instagram are all good sources of information. Check out swatches on different skin tones.
Don't rush. There's always a fair bit of hype surrounding new releases, usually followed by a swathe of positive reviews. If you sit it out a bit, you tend to find more honest reviews appear and you can make a more rational choice.
Try before you buy. This might sound obvious, but if it's available at a counter or stand, get yourself down there and ask the sales assistant to try the product on you then wear it for a few hours. This will give you an idea if it's worth the splurge.
Are there any products which have disappointed you recently?
