A busy week!

Hi Everyone! What a busy week and a half I've had! Allow me to fill you in Craig David styleeee!

• Wednesday: Band rehearsal in Glasvegas town 9pm - 12am. Home by 1.15am, jumping straight into bed to wake up at 5.30am for work the next day.


• Thursday: work till 5pm then drove right from work to Stirling to sing at a wedding from 8pm - 12pm. Once again getting home as quickly as possible and finally letting my head hit the pillow at 2.30am only to be up at 5.30am for work again.


• Friday: Work till 6pm, head home to have a quick hour power nap, redo make up and head through to Glasgow for a gig 10pm - 12am. Race home for 2am to be up AGAIN at 5.30am.


• Saturday: Work till 5pm then head straight from work to Largs for a 7.30pm - 12am gig. Home by 3.30am and up again at 5.30am. This bride was actually pretty crazy - during the break she took the microphone and started ordering even the shy members of her family to come up and tell their favourite story about her - I know that someones wedding day should be all about them and they should be the centre of attention... but that was pretty odd!

Here's how it went down, and this is not a word of a lie!

BRIDE: "Uncle Bobby, come tell that story about when i was a little girl and i fell off the plant pot at your house!"

UNCLE BOBBY: " Well Lorraine, i, i, i couldn't possible, i mean,um... i don't really remember..."

BRIDE: "Yes you can!... Everybody, a round of applause for Uncle Bobby."

Uncle Bobby looks around the room with despair as the crowd begins to nervously begin a smattering of un-enthused applause. Bride shoves microphone to Uncle Bobbies mouth - Uncle Bobby physically shakes with stage fright.

So needless to say, i have been supremely knackered this week! Today however, i enjoyed a well deserved day off so i spent it catching up on missed sleep. So i slept. A LOT!

I'm writing this direct from my bed, still in my jammies with not a scrap of make up on at 7 in the evening having just woken up from an hour and a half's nap(and it was GOOOOOOD!). This is on top of visiting the land of nod from 1am till 12pm this morning. Its been glorious! And whats even better is that i also have tomorrow and Thursday off!

So, I'm planning on heading through to Glasgow tomorrow to spend some moola at the Illamasqua counter and I also have Mac vouchers to spend on Color Craft/Naked Honey - what are the must haves of the collection?

xxx

BODY SHOP TEA TREE SKINCARE REVIEW

We all know that getting free stuff is a pretty perk of the job...but doesn't it suck when you really don't get on with what you were sent to review? Its tough because the whole point of blogging is to give an honest review, you want to trust that people are waxing lyrical about something they really and truly, genuinely like not just because they feel obligated because they were very kindly sent it...and you don't want to be ungrateful or unnecessarily crappy.

Luckily, when i was sent some Body Shop things to try out by Natalie (thank you!!) i didn't have this dilemma at all!

I particularly like that instead of sending the same pre packaged press pack (try saying that 5 times quickly!) as every other blogger, Natalie actually asked if there was anything from The Body Shop range that i would be particularly interested to try. Now, I'll admit that the only thing i really get from The Body Shop on any kind of regular basis is the body butters - I mean with so many delicious flavours (?)/ scents (??) to choose from it would be rude not to! Oooh and my annual Christmas bath set...does anyone else get this or is it just a tradition in my house? I get the Body Shop set while the bro gets an Oor Wullie Annual. Anyone else? No...? Ok then. So anyway, back to the point, I had a root around on the website and decided that i could really give a fair review of any of the Tea Tree Oil skin care products.

If you're like me and suffer from oily skin you'll know that it sucks to be the only oil faced city slicker in a room of magnificently matte ladies. Oh to be able to actually add shimmer!

Many's the day that I've been retouching (at 11am i might add!!)in the mirror and noticed that the shine on my forehead is in itself, a mirror thus creating that endless mirror in a mirror in a mirror effect...kinda like taking a photo of someone taking a photo. Regardless of trippy forehead effects, its not nice. And just to make the situation even better, shine is often accompanied by spots. And i am not immune to them. at all.

So with all this said, i was really excited to try out The Body Shop Tea Tree Range for Oily and blemished skin to see what it could do for me!(note that 'for me' is key: what works for me might not be the same for you or a different skin type). The package arrived a little over a month ago and since then i have been well and truly putting each product through its paces! My camera has broken so i cant show you everything they sent but it was, as you know, seriously generous! Thanks Natalie!!

I think a month and a half has been sufficient time enough for me to appropriately test the products and really get a feel for them, to be able to answer the following questions: would i repurchase, are they worth the money, would i recommend them, are the formula's good, how they work...and most importantly: if they work at all!

So firstly, lets start with a couple of things that i will definitely be repurchasing:

TEA TREE OIL BLEMISH FADE NIGHT LOTION:

This product has BIG claims - "A lightweight, soothing gel crème that sinks into the skin to help improve the appearance of blemish-damaged skin, equalise oiliness and replenish moisture while you sleep" and i would certainly agree with every single word of that.

This has fast become a must have product in my make up bag. If I'm staying over at the Boy's house, this comes with me...there's a chance there would be tears before bedtime if this was forgotten. It's a really light, almost barely there creme that sinks in within the space of 30 seconds or so, but unlike most moisturisers that are super quick to sink in, i can really feel the benefits of this. Its not so much a film of moisture left on the face...more like an overall softness. Ach, i could hark on about this till the cows come home, I LOVE IT! This is the Superman to my daytime Clean and Clear Oilfree moisturiser's Clark Kent (BF will love that geeky reference).

Im not so sure what kind of effect its had on my old existing blemish marks - it could be a placebo but id swear the scar (luckily the only war wound i escaped with in my battle against acne) on my right cheek is ever so slightly less visible.

The only 'con' as far as i can see is the smell. It is VERY strongly scented...but with a strong medicinal scent like tea tree, this is expected and i don't personally find it a problem. Having said that, if you have a delicate conk this might not be for you.

I also love THE BODY SHOP TEA TREE OIL FACIAL EXFOLIATOR.

Its a great scrub for those who really like a course texture to really sloosh away that dull skin. I also love that the scrubs is a green coloured gel cremey texture that leaves me looking like the incredible hulk, (another BF pleasing geek ref. He will be pleased!), ah bathtime fun! Its not one for everyday use as it is so gritty - when i first started testing it i used daily for 4 days before i noticed the overscrubbing sting accompanied by significant redness. I have however since perfected the art of exfoliation ala BodyShop. During the week i use my regular Neutrogena exfoliator and keep this as my perfect 'Once a week, get results' product. As before, the smell is STRONG and can be a bit overpowering at first but i for one find the smell a good thing - i have lots of memories of being a teenager and slathering on Tee Tree oil direct from the bottle and knowing that i was KILLING the bacteria dead. Like Cillit Bang for the noggin.

One thing that im sooo close to loving is the TEA TREE OIL BLEMISH STICK. At only £3.90 its hard to have anything bad to say about this product. Its tiny enough to sling in your handbag and the concentrated formula make it a reassuring medicinal treatment for whenever u can feel a spot brewing under the skin. I used this recently on an 'almost' hormonal chin breakout. I caught it at the beneath the surface phase, applied in the morning, took off my make up as soon as i got home from work and applied it then and then once again before bed and it really never came to anything. What a RELIEF!!

My only criticism with this product is that i just cant stand the lipgloss style doe foot applicator. It makes me cringe at the thought of spreading and reintroducing bacteria so i use the applicator to coat a clean finger and then apply to the area. Not a huge issue but significant enough for me to just 'like' this product.

Have you tried the Tee Tree Oil Range? How did it work for you? Id love to hear whether your favourites from the range are the same/ completely different...cos that's the funny thing about skin isn't it? Everyone's completely different! HARK!

FOTD and my room!

I am soooo glad to be back! :0)

Today was my first day off in such a long time so i didn't want to do anything too taxing or tiring...just a nice chilled out, relaxed day. According with this i decided i wanted to give my eyes a rest and have a glasses only day, wear sloppy clothes...and fun make up!

Here's today's FOTD - really relaxed, just a bit of my usual Lily Lolo foundation, tiny bit of Summer Love Beauty Powder on my cheeks (this is my favourite *blush* at the moment - cant get enough of it!!), 1 single eyeshadow (mythology) on my lids, graphic black liner & black mascara and my favourite Up The Amp lippie. Dead quick, relaxed but still a bit fun.

In other breaking news, I tidied my room on Sunday night! I know, its a rare occurrence for me but i am really going to make an effort to keep it somewhat tidier than i have been of late. The reason for this tidying was really a necessity: Ive have had my eye on the Ikea Malm Dressing Table for months now - my parents use one in their computer room and they fill the drawers with cables and other technical computery bits, so i finally decided that as it was my birthday on the 2nd of July, i would use my birthday money to finally get myself the malm and sort myself out a proper make up area. Grand. Good plan...except, the way my room was laid out, although big, there was just nowhere to fit it in!

CUE ROOM REARRANGE!

I used to love rearranging my furniture when i was little. My mum's really into interior decorating and she always made sure our rooms where always decorated beautifully.One of my favourite things to do when i was bored would be to rearrange the furniture into different places and I loved the 'freshness' that you get from moving the bed from one place to another.

So when i realised that i just couldn't fit the Malm in with my room laid out the way it was, i took it as a rearrangin' challenge! Fras came over on Sunday night and was pretty unimpressed with my plans to make him move heavy things around...not to mention the room was a bit of a tip that would need clearing out before any big things could be swapped around...but i was positive and bossy, and won the battle. A rearranging it would be! One of Fras's comments was that the whole project really heightened our differences as a couple: I'm a messy cow whereas he's super tidy, I start things and have faith that it'll all work out well whereas Fras likes to draw up the whole plan before anything is started. But as with most couples, the woman gets the final say so we moved 1 piece at a time, trying different things in different places before settling on a final choice. It took a few hours but when it was done we had moved the bed from the middle of the wall to in the corner which made the floor space double! Needless to say, i was right and there is now more than ample space for the Malm AND the room looks HUGE!

I do however regret to say that i forgot to take before photos. But heres the room now!

Rearranging the room made me realise that my bedding is quite a state! I dyed it from white to pink as i thought it would be easier to clean but it looks really rubbish - there are no poppers on the bottom of the duvet cover so the duvet spews rather unattractively out of the end AND my pet hate: The fitted sheet doesn't actually fit and comes away from the mattress every night while we sleep. To summarise, its a bedding DISASTER!!!

So today my plan was to go into town, get a whole new set of bedding; fitted sheet, duvet cover, pillow cases: the whole lot! I found this really cute set in Next...

...which i liked cos its fresh and sparkly white but also had a bit of interest about it...but when i got home and put it on the bed... ...i found that my duvet is evidently NOT a king size like i thought, and the cover is about half a foot too big for the padding. RUBBISH! Also having seen it on the bed I'm not so sure i love it anyway. The Zig Zags are sown on with just a single line of stitches so there are flappy bits all over - I'm thinking that when i return i might have a look for something else completely. Hmm.

Anyway, tomorrow I'm heading over to Newcastle with my Mum to IKEA to pick up the Malm...Oh yeah, did i mention when i tried to buy it at the Edinburgh shop on Sunday i found out that its now been discontinued and the only shop that has any left in the whole of Britain is the Newcastle shop? Just Greeeeeeeat! Its only a 2 hour drive!Grrr!

Fingers crossed that they have 1 in stock when i get there tomorrow or this whole thing with have been complete waste of time! IM SCARED!!

Im back with 20 Q's!

Hi everyone! I know, shock horror - after nearly a month i am back and shamelessly creeping back into blogging. I blog absolutely for fun and i feel no obligation to post regularly but usually i do, because i love it and i love how it has opened me up to a whole community of like minded people!

So here's why i fell off the blog wagon - firstly, i recently started a new job that has literally taken over every waking minute of my life...and for every minute that i should be sleeping Ive been gigging. I LOVE wedding season cos it means I'm gigging EVERY weekend and quite often at other times too which = lots of MOOLA for spending!...but it does also mean that Ive had no time at all to relax and blog. Every second that I'm not working or gigging has been used for much needed sleep. Having said that, I'm now getting quite used to 2 or 3 hours sleep per night.

And finally to top off this glorious month, Ive not been too well - ladies, this might be a bit fo an overshare, but this month i have been the lucky recipient of a 2 and a half week, very painful period that has left me feeling pretty awful. :0(

Anyhoo, i hope i can resume normal service again - i really missed you all!

The very awesome Pandadoesmakeup tagged everyone to do this post and as its an easy one I'm going to use it to get me back into the swing of things. Bare with me if I'm a bit rusty!

1. Things you cannot leave the house without:

Usually I would be right with the rest of you shouting 'PHOOOOONE' but alas tis not to be!Recently my phone has been playing up, cheekily refusing to charge properly and mischievously turning off mid phone call but a few days ago it well and truly, completely gave up the ghost (i actually just had to ask boy if this phrase is 'giving up the ghost or goat?' I was met by several bouts of incredulous laughter. SWINE ps hi Marie) and now won't turn on...and do you want to know the crazy thing? I'm actually quite enjoying being off the radar! so yeah, NOT my phone anymore, and to be honest i feel quite bohemian in saying that i do just fine with just the clothes on my back.

2. Favourite brand of MakeUp:

Hmm, well im a pretty loyal customer of Lily Lolo for base products but MAC does it for me with most other things. Predictable but true!

3. Favourite flower:

I ADORE Peonies! They're so pretty and fluffy and the smell is divine. Im not one for receiving flowers, id much rather have something that'll last...but peonies are the exception! BRING EM ON!

4. Favourite clothing store:

Im the first to admit that the balance between clothes and makeup in my life somewhat skewed. Clothes aren't really my thing and im not one for following trends. Id much sooner do a simple outfit with really awesome make up and bright accessories, but i do enjoy Urban Outfitters for simple, casual pieces that are a little bit 'on trend'.

5. Favourite perfume:

Has to be Paco Rabbane Ultra Violet. LOOOVE!

6. Heels or Flats:

Purely in terms of aesthetics id have to say heels. There's something almost artistic about a beautiful pair of heels that just makes me 'oooh'. Like this pair. Case in point.

but having said that, like many others, comfort is just too important for me to wholly stand behind an answer of 'heels' for this. So my final answer: Flats it is then. But i do have my eye on this pair of Topshop beauties.

7. Do you make good grades:

I was always good at the creative side of things. English, art, drama, music, and history saw me fine at school but i was hopeless at maths and science. Grades were according. I did well when i went to music school though and got distinctions all the way through. Proud of that! :0)

8. Favourite colours:

Teal, turquoise and gold. Tasty!

9. Do you drink energy drinks:

At the moment due to lack of sleep i start each morning at 5.30am and find myself at 8 o clock, sitting at my desk at work with a bottle of Lucozade cos im already knackered. Not ideal!

10. Do you drink juice:

Im a Pepsi or Lemonade kinda girl (mmm real lemons lemonade!) but i have been known to dabble in Cranberry juice. Does anyone else think its quite a satisfying 'woody' taste?

11. Do you like swimming:

I can take it or leave it really. meh.

12. Do you eat fries with a fork:

Nope. Fingers all the way! If i was out someone posh where it would be frowned upon I probably wouldn't order chips anyway. Potato Dauphinois all the way baby!!

13. Favourite moisturiser:

Neutrogena oil free moisturiser. I do love it.

14. Do you want to get married later on in life:

Yeah! But working at weddings pretty much every weekend means that i now know exactly what i DONT want for my own wedding!

I feel like weddings these days are really unpersonal...ive lost count of the endlessly interchangeable weddings where the bride looks the same, wears the same corset dress ive seen for the 4th week running in a faceless hotel function room served endlessly patient waitstaff who really just want their shifts to be over so they can go home and the bridezill wont have to be at the very centre of their being anymore.

I want something that really reflects me and the person im marrying! And i want it to be fun and relaxed with not a single stuffy waiter in sight!

Having said that, i want a marriage not just a wedding!

15. Do you get mad easily:

Nah not really. Im ok i think! Maybe Fras would say differently though!

16. Are you into ghost hunting?

Why yes, i LOVE it! erm....no!

17. Any phobias?

Not a phobia, but certainly a fear of the ocean which very much extends to sharks. I HATE especially when it gets black and you have no way of knowing whats underneath you. My worst nightmare would be surviving a plane crash but landing in the middle of the ocean. SHUDDER!

18. Do you bite your nails?

Nope, never have.

19. Have you ever had a near death experience?

Nope. touching wood now!

20. Do you drink coffee?

NO!!! this is a weird thing of mine. The thought of drinking something hot makes me cringe. I think drinks should be cold and refreshing and just cant comprehend the idea that any beverage should be warm or hot. This incorporates any teas, coffees, hot chocolate or warm juice. Blergh. I do however LOVE the smell of coffee.

TAG

Hello Lovely Ladies of Blog!

Allow me to say something very quickly. Now lets make it clear i am under no illusions that I am a beauty expert, and by no happenstance would i have you believe it... but i have to say that i find it very humbling indeed and more than a little exciting/cool that i now have over 100 followers on this here blog. Very awesome peeps! So hello to my newer followers and howdy to my older, more decrepit, zimmer-holding followers (I'm not such a fan of the word followers btw - we're no sheep...in fact we are the trailblazers of our make up generation! HARK!)<--that's another story for another day. Anyway, enough of that stuff...on to the tagging!

I know that everyone who gets tagged by someone begins said tag with the usual 'I was tagged by the lovely...' but without exception, its always true. This time i was tagged by the VERY lovely Lamiat (with a silent 'T' dontcha know!) who is a bit of a cool cat with an uber fringe. So go check her out if you haven't already - http://www.lamiats.blogspot.com/ Huzzah!

What's your favourite make up look?
Like most other people who answered this, I'm a slave to that classic black winged liner but my favourite look is when its brought bang up to date with a bright pink lip. Cant beat it!

What part of your body do you love?

Ach, i don't know if there's anything that i LOVE but i guess it all gets me around(not like a schlag mind).

Who is your beauty icon?

I guess i like people who aren't afraid to break the rules, wear bright colours if they feel like it and really and truly wear a kind of beauty that reflects who they are. I'm not sure i could attach a celebrity endorsement on this idea...maybe Kat Von D is the closest embodiment.

What beauty product makes you feel instantly sexy?

Has to be my Lily Lolo Mineral foundation - it banished my spots, something that made me feel distinctly unsexy and because of that, made me feel a whole lot sexier without any make up on at all!

How do you look after your skin?

Well, water on my face (at any time!) creeps me out so it never ever gets 'wet'*. I am aware that that's probably not the best but i guess you have to work with what you can Because of this my skin secrets are as follows: The biggest awareness is never to sleep with my make up on, always thoroughly remove it with whatever i choose at the time and most importantly NEVER to clog my pores with liquid foundation.

What is your signature scent?

Paco Rabanne Ultra Violet. Has been since i was 16 and it still has so many memories attached to it. LOVE IT.What are your haircare secrets?

To be honest, I'm a bit lax when it comes to hair care. I'm probably more about the fact that i don't abuse it. I never use straighteners, rarely if ever dye it, wash it every second day (I'm trying to get down to every 3!) and finally, don't let gum anywhere near the vicinity of it. These are my hair commandments.

How do you pamper yourself?

Id like to wholeheartedly agree with Lamiat here, food is my treat. Nothing specific, it changes frequently but this week its terry's chocolate orange and a magazine while tucked up in bed. mmm!

What is your beauty pet peeve?

It has to be badly matched foundation ESPECIALLY if it results in tide marks...oh and for me personally, i hate it when the area around my nose gets oily. No one likes a lady with a shiny conk. I said coNk!

What would your desert island must haves be?

Well I'm so pale it would HAVE to be uber amounts of suncream! But if i was allowed more than one thing id add Veet...cant have a hairy foof on the beach!

Finally, do you have a beauty philosophy?
I do actually. Do and wear whatever makes you happy.

So there you go!

I hate when people do this but i really do think that most people have already done this! If not, you're it!

*I've honed a technique over many years where i shower so that the spray never has to hit my face...when i exfoliate i wet my hands which wet which i then wipe over my face, then apply the exfoliant and wipe it off with my hands. couldn't do it any other way! eep!

Style Warriors look and...NEW GLASSES!

Hallo meine lieblings maidchen! So, the new job (which i HATE btw, full of arsey people. boo!) means that i have some crazy hours. Like this week for example, I have today and Saturday as my days off while next week my weekend will Monday and Tuesday...Hmm. Anyway, that means that Ive had today off which is always good news. Even more good news cos it meant i was finally able to sit down and have a wee play with my make up! Huzzah! Reasons for this were two-fold - Firstly i wanted to have a proper go of my Style Warriors purchases. So far they have been looking very much like bejewelled lovelies sitting in my pink cake stand (which incidentally, is where i keep all the make up that i am currently loving) and secondly, you will know if you follow me on twitter, but i have been having a teensy, tiny mineral make up fall out. I needed to rectify this BIGTIME cos i soooo don't wanna go back to Liquid foundation!

Here's what i came up with:

FACE: So, like i said, my Lily Lolo has been not quite the product i fell in love with lately. Like a boy who loses the romance, right now i love Lily...but I'm not so sure I'm still in love with her.

The problem is: with the new warmer weather my skin is getting oilier which seems to be making me look a bit powdery. I buff till my hearts content but its just not looking quite so luminous...so today i simply tried using less product. I cut down to maybe just over half of the amount i had been using and...I'm back in love! When you've had bad skin in the past i think its all too easy to fall into the trap of piling it on. I just need to remember that because of this product, i don't have horrible skin to cover up. Huzzahs all round! So anyway, yeah. I wore: Lily Lolo Mineral foundation in Porcelain, Lily Lolo cover up in Blondie, Mac Pink Swoon Blush, Mac Summer Rose Beauty Powder (all over the skin).

EYES: Touche eclat (under the eyes and as a base), Tempting e/s all over the lid, The Body Shop

shimmer brick (white colour) as a highlight under the brow bone and around the tear duct, Mac Scatterays Solar bits in the inner corners of the eye (LOVE IT) and Mac Carbon e/s pressed into the lash line and smudged up, Max Factor False Lash Mascara. Im having issues with my lashes. They just will not, for the love of the wee man, curl. Ive tried the old warm the curlers up with a hairdryer trick before but i just ended up with a stye. This pic is AFTER theyve been curled...not that you can tell!LIPS: Mac Purple Rite l/s

And now, (Drum roll please...!) some news! For all you contact wearers, you'll understand when i say that i am a -3.50 in both eyes, which means i cannot function AT ALL without my contacts. I did however mention yesterday that i have a bit of a love/hate relationship with my contact lenses. I HATE that they are so fiddly and so easy to muck up but i love the option of not having to wear glasses if i dont want to.

Now, my current glasses are OLD. Nearly 8 years old in fact! The rims are almost completely bereft of the black paint they once had, one of the plastic legs has fallen off meaning that when i wear them i am scratched to high boogery behind my ear by a sharp piece of wire... not to mention the fact that over the years they have been sat on too many time to mention, meaning they now sit at a rather jaunty angle. Not so great. I really only wear them at night after Ive taken my make up off (for which i need to take out my contacts) but still want to watch TV or do anything at all other than sleep. It keeps the people who see me looking like a complete loon to a minimum but it does mean that my boyfriend often sees me with out any make up, with my head constantly tilted to one side in order to compensate for the squintness.

So haven't i got a new pair you ask? Well, glasses are bloody expensive! BUT now that i have a new job i couldn't put it off any longer. Step up new glasses!

These babies are Gucci and actually sit straight on my face! And i don't get scratched by the leg! I may consider wearing glasses more often now!

And finally, just because we're on the subject of glasses, check out these Ray Ban copies that i picked up (i mean Fras bought) from a wee boutique - they were only a £5. Bargain!

LOVE/HATE TAG

Aaah, the age old battle of love versus hate. The classic struggle between good and evil, both powerful and strong and equal but balancing far apart at opposite sides of the pole. Yes its dramatic but so are Love (sigh, swoon) and Hate (Grr, Hiss!). <---and yes, i'll shut up now!

ANYWHOOO....Lovely Laura (who i LOVE btw) tagged me for this Love/Hate thing...which i LOVE. So onto the tagging:

Stars*In*My*Pocket

A Fashionable Affair

Cupcakes and Cherries

Dolly is Glitter

Panda Does Make Up

I LOVE all of these ladies too. witty woo!

LIPS

*LOVE*

Purple lipstick! Never thought id say that, but its soo true. Up the Amp is my current favourite and i cant see it skipping over to the dark side any time soon!

(ooh ooh, just a wee side note - also loving for my lips - my boy. Not in a dodgy way mind...i was having a bad day yesterday and my boy, who clearly knows how to cheer me up, went to mac ALL ALONE and bought me a lipstick. Costa Chic. Which i LOVE!)

*HATE*

Lip gunk. Anyone else get that thing? Like the equivalent of mascara goop but on the lips? Iknow im not explaining it very well but it looks kinda white and gunky and is usually along the bottom lip and happens when you dont exfoliate your lips. NOT A GOOD LOOK!

FACE

*LOVE*
Lily Lolo Mineral Foundation. Im sure youre sick of hearing me drone on about this product but i really do attribute my skins vastly improved quality to this and this alone. GODSEND!

*HATE*

Contraversially, im going to say MAC Well Dressed blush. Its just too pale. I like a 'dolly' apple-of-the-cheek type look and this just does not do the job for me...but i know many peeps who LOVE this. Tell you what...Ill sell it for £9 including p&p - been used twice.

HAIR

*LOVE*

Kirby grips! theres just so much you can do! At the moment, my limit is pretty much either the side fringe twist or the quiff...but even if i could only do these 2 for the rest of my life id be happy!

*HATE*

Streightners. Pancake head is not a good look for me. I have a round face and poker (Shh Lady Gaga! Hush your mouth!) streight hair just makes me look like a fatty! My theory is, the bigger the hair, the smaller the face. Its a winner. In fact, i should probably get the Nobel Prize for scientific observation. In demonstration: Bad Fergie.

EYES

*LOVE*

Winged eyeliner. Cant help myself. Its an addiction.

*HATE*

Contacts. What a hassle! I have dailies which are the LEAST hassle but still...its a bit rubbish if you ask me - there are soo many ways to screw up your eyes whilst wearing contacts. Ive ripped mine, dropped them, got dust caught under them, put them in inside out, scratched my eye while taking them out, lost them behind me eye...so may ways to do wrong by my eyes! Boo

BODY

*LOVE*

Lush's Buffy the backside slayer. Fun Name. Fun product. Yay.

*HATE*

Fake tan of any sort. No good for Little Miss Looks-like-she's-never-seen-the-sun. Lolling at this boy though ---->

Style Warriors

So, Style Warriors. What do you think? I honestly thought that this wasn't a collection for me. I am pale, i know it, i embrace it (at some point you just need to accept that if you are as pale as i am, no matter how much take tan you apply, you will NOT look honey glazed like JAlba). Needless to say, i just wasn't sure that this collection of sunkissed, metallic goodies perfect for women of colour would have a place in my collection. How wrong was I!?

Up The Amp, in all its purple gloriousness, is fast becoming my favourite lippie so i reckoned Purple Rite would be a good purchase...but when i went into MAC yesterday to get it i just couldn't help but swatch a few other things. Just to make sure. You know, just in case... SOOOO glad I did! I have to say that in person Style Warriors is quite stunning! Because of this i ended up getting a fair few more bits and pieces than i thought i would. Bad for the purse strings. Oh well! :0)

Beautiful products aside, the packaging seems to be a bit hit or miss with most people. Unfortunately i fall into the 'miss' category. Fras's helpful observation was "the packaging looks like the rejected interior designs for the Aztec quarter in the crystal maze". Quite.

Ok, so first to find their way into my grubby mitts were 2 of the eyeshadows. First up is Soft Force LE (Frosty pale light gold) which is P.R.E.T.T.Y! Perfect for under the brow bone or inner corner, this is a really versatile shade. Happy days. <---I always like to say this in a Newcastle accent. Not sure why!?

I also looked at Tempting and audibly 'ooh-ed'. I'm not sure why Ive never picked this up before (its not LE) but I'm so glad i have it now. Its described rather delectably as a 'sinful rich coco' and that it is. It applies like a dream too!

I did of course, as expected, pick up Purple Rite. And its troo-ooh, I really dooo-ooh (tenuous Kenan & Kel reference for you there - Retro!) love it. Its described as a 'Mid-toned Frosty Orchid' which sounds a bit moonbeam rainbowy to me. Id describe it the perfect midway point between wearable and a bit cool....its just really lovely. As with most frosts this is a bit sheer but very buildable. Again, (come on Ant and Dec) Happy days!

Probably the most unexpected thing that made it into my wee mac baggie was Solar Bits in Scatterays.

I'm not sure why this didn't get the 'Pat Butcher' treatment but this comes in the regular black cased pot. Its a lot lower and wider than usual pigment pots which makes it easier to use but also easier to spill. Described as 'Highly condensed clusters of pigment and pearl uniquely formulated to give a special hit of frost and colour on eyes and cheeks. The pigment's special clustering formula provides the choice of two application modes. Swish the brush over the top of the clusters for a sheer shimmer or crush them for more intense colour effect and sparkle' they look more like breadcrumbs in a wee tub to me. But swatch it and watch it turn from rye nuggets to gooooold! Literally! In the tub this looks pretty peachy but once you crush the pigments up a wee bit (fingers or a brush would both work) this becomes the most incredibly beautiful smattering of gold. (swatched on my hand it looks really dense but once swiped, its distributed evenly and looks so incredibly glowy)The MAC site says this is for use on the cheeks and eyes and while i think this would be lovely indeed, i plan to use this across my shoulders and over my collar bone for a bit of sexy shimmering.

From the usual permanent collection i also picked up Pink Swoon blush which is very lovely.

All in all, this was a really fun haul and not at all what i was expecting. So if like me. you'd written Style Warriors off as not for you, i beseech you - go check it out!

TAG: The Q's

Hello to LittleMissBeautyJunkie (so glad i found your blog!)! Thanks so much for tagging me on this one! Twas lots of fun!

WHERE ARE YOU FROM? The good old capital of Scotland, Edinburgh.

WHY DID YOU START BLOGGING? Well, It all started when i decided i needed to try mineral make up. I searched online and found some that i wanted to try out. While waiting for it to arrive i started googling reviews for the brand and came across MakeUpAlley (which was pretty revolutionary in my book) and then Nessasary Make Up. Nessa is a beautiful American who writes what is still my favourite blog! After that i became a bit of a lurking on beauty blogs...until i decided that i wanted to get in on the fun.

WHATS THE MAIN AIM OF YOUR BLOG? At first the main reason was to keep me occupied and productive but as i got to know the other bloggers and started making 'friends' (can you be friends if you've never actually met??) it became more of a way to communicate with people of similar interests.

WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE BEAUTY BLOG?There are sooo many blogs that i LOVE! Like i said, Nessa at http://www.nessasarymakeup.blogspot.com/ has to be on the list, as do Marie of http://www.marie-loves.blogspot.com/, Saskia of http://www.saskiathesalsafairy.blogspot.com/, Laura of http://www.romanticdreaming.blogspot.com/ and Jen of http://www.mizzworthy.blogspot.com/ but there are many more i could easily have included!

DO YOU MAKE YOUTUBE VIDEOS? Cant say i do.

WHY? I'm not sure really, i LOVE watching other peoples video's but its just not something that Ive gotten round to doing...having said that, i may start at some point.

WHO'S YOUR FAVOURITE YOUTUBER? WhatStyleIsToNickel, Pixiwoo and controversially, GeorgieMakeup purely for fun!

HAVE YOU PARTICIPATED IN A MAKE UP SWAP? Yeah! I took part in Rebecca's Secret Summer Swap and i believe my parcel should be arriving this week! Exciting!

ARE YOU MORE ABOUT SKIN/HAIR/MAKEUP/NAILS? At the moment makeup is my thang but I'm definitely getting more and more into the other 3!

WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE BRAND? I know this is predictable but it has to be MAC and Illamasqua. both are unbeatable in quality and range.

WHATS YOUR MAKEUP MUST HAVE? It has to be Lily Lolo's mineral foundation. Worked wonders on my skin!

WHATS YOUR HAIR MUST HAVE? For a long long time now its been Tresemme Heat defence spray but i have a feeling this may change soon due to my current enlightening of hair products!

CURRENT BEAUTY OBSESSION? It just has to be Lipsticks. I was a bit of a slow starter on this one, literally NEVER wearing lipstick until about a year ago (!) and now i just cant stop! More specifically my obsession can be narrowed down to purple lips - Up The Amp is my new favourite and makes me wish I had bought Lavender Whip. Ah hindsight.

ARE YOU HAPPY WITH HOW YOU LOOK? Well i certainly don't think that I'm either beautiful or ugly but I'm pretty happy that i can (for the most part) make the best out of what i have.

IF YOU'VE HAD ANY OF THESE IN THE LAST YEAR CHANGE THE FONT COLOUR.
a haircut,
professional hair colour,
a facial,
professional waxing,
eyebrow threading,
a massage,
a manicure,
a pedicure,
gel/acrylic nails,
professional make up application,
botox injections,
collagen injections,
laser hair removal,
laser skin rejuvination.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE OF IN BEAUTY BLOGS? To be honest i think beauty bloggers are doing a pretty spiffy job! I would love to see more Scottish bloggers though! I think i know of only 4 of us!

HOW BIG IS YOUR BEAUTY COLLECTION? Its not too massive but it is growing. :0)

DO YOU OWN ANY MAC PRO PALETTES? Yup, i have just one 15 pan palette for now. Gimme time goddammit!

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN SENT FREE PRODUCTS AND IF SO, WHERE FROM?Yeah! I recently got a whole bunch of Revlon lashes (review to come REALLY soon!) and I'm waiting on a delivery of some Body Shop stuff! How exciting indeed!

WHAT COMPANY WOULD YOU LOVE TO RECEIVE PRODUCTS FROM? Literally anything! I love the idea of finding a diamond from something i would never have tried otherwise!

HAVE YOU EVER WON A BEAUTY CONTEST AND IF SO, WHO HOSTED IT? Alas, the answer is no.

WHATS YOUR NEXT PLANNED BEAUTY PURCHASE? BadGal Lash free with Glamour Magazine. I'm away to the shop to pick it up after i finish this post. Yeehah!

TWITTER USERNAME? jigglysteph

I know this is a bit of a cop out but i tag anyone who wants to do it! GO!

Tagorama Indeed!

Let me start by saying that I LOVE tags!Something about seeing my blog name under a tag post makes me soooo happy so thanks to the lovely Laura B (lovely to the max!) of http://www.romanticdreaming.blogspot.com/ and the hilarious old gal Marie of http://www.marie-loves.blogspot.com/ (2 of my favourite blogs right there - check em out!) for tagging me on this one.


Now i don't want to be a stickler for rules but in the tradition of tagging i guess you should probably know whats going on:

Once you are tagged, post a picture of where you blog. Feel free to tell us a little about your space. Tag five other bloggers to show their blogspots. If you are tagged and do not participate, you will become allergic to cabbage!


MY BLOG SPOT (geddit!? guffaw!)
As a creature of comfort i usually blog propped up on a bunch of pillows, on my bed with the TV on in the background (that's Come Dine with Me on the TV in case it looks a bit random.Sugar on a spoon anyone?). Id like to take this opportunity, before i get any saucy comments, to say that the mirror is categorically NOT placed in front of the bed for any reason! When i moved in I swear my Dad put it up without asking where i wanted it and I HOPE that he just didn't think of the implications! Creepy!



WHAT ARE YOU WEARING NOW?
In keeping with the saucy undertone I see! Hehe!
Anyway back to the answer - Nothing particularly exciting unfortunately. Just a black All Saints dress with a red belt on the empire and black patent flats.


WHATS THE LAST THING YOU READ/ ARE CURRENTLY READING?
Id love to be able to say something interesting but I'm afraid it was Elle Magazine bought purely for the Urban Outfitters bag that comes free with it. Intellectual you say? Why Thank you!


DO YOU NAP A LOT?
Not really...I tend to take about an hour and a half - 2 hours to drop off to sleep at night so i wouldn't want to do anything that might make it even harder! Though if i have to get up early Ill usually set my alarm about 45mins before i really need to, get myself completely ready (minus shoes of course) and then go back to bed fully clothed. Anyone else do that?

WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU HUGGED?
Fras just before he left for work.


WHATS YOUR CURRENT OBSESSION/ADDICTION?
I reckon it has to be watching funny people on youtube. My favourites are Shaytards (He's doing the video per day diary thing and is the most naturally hilarious person with the most adorable family), ShaneDawson (I think it probably a bit wrong that i have a crush on him) and Timaya (Just soooo sassy!).


WHATS FOR DINNER?
Hmmm...I'm not sure, Ill have to go have a wee root around in the old freezer and see what i can come up with. Failing that, a trip to the Coop will sort me out.


WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT?
Yesterdays haul - check out yesterdays post if you haven't already!


WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
The TV. At the moment its the Lloyds TSB advert with the classical piece that goes uh uh uh uh uuuuh uh, uh uh uh uh uuuuuh uh uuuuuuuuuuuuh ah! know the one i mean?


IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY SUPERPOWER WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Id have to say the ability to eat whatever i want without putting on a single pound OOOOOOR less superficially, the ability to grant wishes.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE WEATHER AND WHY?
Sunshine! Yeah!

WHAT TIME DO YOU USUALLY GET UP?
Welllllllll....redundancy has changed my getting up routine DRAMATICALLY! At the moment its usually about 10ish but the new job means ill need to be up by 6 or even half 5 depending on whether i need to wash my hair. Eeeek!

WHAT IS YOUR MOST CHALLENGING GOAL RIGHT NOW?
Accepting the fact that i cant just expect to walk into a job in events and that i am going to have to start at the bottom of the ladder again. Boo.


SAY SOMETHING TO THE PERSON THAT TAGGED YOU:
Laura: You really do seem like one of the nicest and most caring people i have met in a loooong long time. Good luck with the charity run!

Marie: One word. Finnimbrun.

IF YOU COULD HAVE A HOUSE, TOTALLY PAID FOR, FULLY FURNISHED ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, WHERE WOULD YOU WANT IT TO BE?
Ooooh, id have Carries apartment in NY, but only if it has the closet. Failing that San Fransisco or Oz would be pretty high up on the list.


WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ITEM OF CLOTHING?
Hmmm, probably my urban outfitters playsuit. Easy to throw on and stylish. Cant beat it.


FAVOURITE PAIR OF SHOES YOU KEEP GOING BACK TO OVER AND OVER EVEN THOUGH YOUR CLOSET IS OVERFLOWING WITH A ZILLION OTHERS?
Purely based on the fact that they get thrown on my feet more often than any others, id have to say my red cons. Not the most elegant but i have other shoes for that.

NAME ONE THING YOU CANT LIVE WITHOUT?
Delicious food. I really do think that food is for enjoying, and is not just fuel.


WHAT TIME IS BEDTIME?
Usually about 1ish or sometime soon after.

IF YOU COULD WAKE UP ANYWHERE WHERE WOULD IT BE?
In Carries apartment in NY (which is now mine according to Q 13) with a hell of a load of cash to burn!


I TAG:

Panda Does Makeup
A Fashionable Affair
Just a Dolly Playing with Make Up
Lazula80
Zoella

A haulin' I did go!

Haulin, Haulin Haulin. <--Sung to the tune of 'Rollin Rollin Rollin' by that man with the deep voice. But yes, even in this blistering heat (AMAZIO btw!) I decided to hit the shops and buy a few bits and pieces. Superdrug was the first place we hit cos boy wanted to pick up some hair gunk. Unlucky for him they didn't have 'his stuff' but lucky for me cos it meant i could peruse the GOSH stand. Magpie Sparkles oft sings the praises of the Velvet Touch eyeliners and i totally agree! I really do think that they are unbeatable for staying power at a pocket friendly price! Needless to say i picked up a couple. 'Bananas' is a S.T.U.N.N.I.N.G metallic pale yellow gold colour that will look amazing on the waterline or smudged in around the tear duct (ooh) and Blueberry Ice (i know, I'm a copier!) is a really pretty metallic greyish lilac.

Also in the old SuperD, BazzaM Nail Paints were 2 for a £5 so i pocketed (not like that!) number 134 Yellow and number 47 Black. I'm wearing the yellow at the moment and as with the turquoise, after 2 coats its pretty spiffy!

Thumbs up for Bazza!

Next on the list was good old MAC. Zoella's last post reminded me that i needed to pick up another Retrospeck shadow as this is the state of mine.

A lot of people have issues with this being too glittery and not pigmented enough but i completely disagree! I think this is an uber wearable champagne gold with a great amount of glitter and colour payoff - no complaints from me!

You may have realised by now that i find it hard to pass by the lipstick stands without something bright catching my eye and jumping into my hands. Today was no different (luckily the boy was paying for it! Ta Fras!!) .The famous Morange (Amplified Creme) was the winner for me today. The Mac website describes this as a 'Loudmouthed Orange' and I just cant disagree...it is pretty fabby and will look great in the sunshine!For the sake of seeing what it actually looks like on, i took off the lippie i was already wearing (Pink Nouveux in case you were wondering) and replaced it with Morange. The pink blush clashes so i reckon id wear this with a bronzey sunkissed cheek instead. Overall on the face, it gives the 'appearance' of a red lipped pin up type look... but is just a bit too modern to be considered classic. It applies pretty true to the stick colour so this is not a colour for shrinking violets. I have to say though that i do already have something fairly similar to this is Boots 17's Hot Chilli. I hope it's different enough to stop this becoming more of an unused finnimbrun in my collection.

Swatches Ahoy!