EOTDs: Spring Greens

MAC Bare Study p/p (all over)

88 pallet R:3, No.4 (all over lid)

88 shimmer pallet R:3, No.3 (inner 1/3-upper & lower)

R:3, No.4 (middle- upper& lower)

R:3, No.5 (outer middle & lower)

R:11, No.8(crease)

R:3, No.3 (over 11;8)

R:1, No.3 (highlight)

MAC Blacktrack (upper lashline)

Barry M white e/k (waterline)

Too Faced mascara

Vintage inspired EOTD

UDPP

MAC e/s Dazzlelight (all over)

MAC e/s Woodwinked (crease and blended above slightly)

MAC Liquidliner Boot Black (upper lashline)

MAC e/l Smolder (waterline and lower lashline)

MAC e/s Cork (brows)

Had forgot to apply mascara

Worn with Ruby Woo l/s

Review: Neal's Yard Remedies Frankincense Hydrating Cream

Frankincense Hydrating Cream by Neal's Yard Remedies (£23) 91% Organic
If my feelings towards this product could be summed up in one word it would be: Love. That would not make for a very interesting review but it gets the point across.

NYR is a company I am very fond of for a couple of reasons 1) I have loved the products I have used, 2) they do a fantastic range of 'organic' products and 3) they seem to be a very ethical company, they do not test on animals, they do not contain parabens, synthetic fragrances or colours, phthalates or mineral oils etc, the list goes on quite a bit (can be found under "About Us" on their website).

I first tried this product last year when Marie Claire magazine were giving away samples and I fell for it immediately. I have had a problem with skin care products for a long time in that my skin would become irritated and feel as if it were burning almost as soon as I applied them, this problem has gone from the cheaper products to the better quality ones (the worst being the Clinique 3 steps-for some mad reason the sales assistant analysed my then 18 year old, slightly greasy but quite sensitive skin as being the same as my mothers almost 50, very dry, mature and sensitive skin as being exactly the same. It did nothing for either of us except cause a great deal of discomfort and annoyance at spending so much money). I haven't had the slightest bit of bother with this one after using it for about a year twice a day, every day.

The cream is quite thick (the website states it is light which once applied to the face is true) and is more like a body butter than a liquid but it does not feel like this on your face and it absorbs easily without feeling sticky or unpleasant. The smell of the frankincense is lovely and makes it feel luxurious. It is designed for all skin types with the aim of reducing the appearance of fine lines, I have felt that when I use this my skin looks much better on the whole, a bit brighter, smoother and glowier. My only problem is that it is in a jar and I have long finger nails which I dislike putting into products (have been using a clean knife to take some out) but I do like the look of the glass jar rather than plastic.

I will continue to use this product for the forseeable future and think it is worth every penny.

(That said Marie Claire April issue has 20% off on NYR products both instore and online)

No Buy= No Fun

Am currently on a no buy (will have been 4 months when it ends in April) , which I'm finding very difficult (hence all the FOTDs and reviews of products that have been out for a while). OCC lip tars are now available in the UK (and I like all of them), Too Faced and Urban Decay also have products I want to try out and there are a load of other things I want to try and it is becoming very hard to resist. I suspect that denial makes the compulsion to spend much, much worse and that I will end up spending a fortune when I allow myself to buy again. The worst part is that I am going abroad twice this summer (Sweden and Belgium- trips to the Makeup Store and MUFE are unavoidable) and since I am a full time student, pay my own tuition fees and haven't got a job I need to be careful.

Is it actually possible to stick to a no buy or does everyone break them?

Review: MAC Ruby Woo lipstick

Ruby Woo Lipstick by MAC (£12.50- the joys of UK pricing means it has gone up again)

(the other swatches weren't very good and did not represent the colour well.)

I bought this lipstick a few years ago and if I'm honest, I wasn't very impressed. However, I have been wearing it quite a lot recently and I now really like it and can't imagine NOT having it. I suspect that the problem was the texture which, if my memory is correct, is described as Retro Matte (on its box- the site now calls it matte). I found that it was quite dry and difficult to wear, in order to combat that I would try to wear it with lip balm which would inevitably cause it to feather. I think the problem was that I wasn't 'old enough' to pull it off in the sense that it could look a little bit harsh on a 20 year old but an extra few years made a difference (that's not to say that others can't pull it off at that age or even younger), as has the way I now apply it.

The colour is a bright bluish red and would suit most colourings and is quite similar to Russian Red. Ruby Woo has just this year made it into the Instyle Hall of Fame (has been voted best in its category for 3 consecutive years) and reasons cited included the whitening effect the blue tones have on teeth and that it does not feather. I agree with these points (the problem I had with feathering was due to the lip balm being applied just before and not blotted) and I have found that the colour is quite dense and long lasting. This is not a forgiving lipstick if you have very dry, unexfoliated lips.

I mentioned application earlier; basically I have found that it is easier to apply lip balm just after applying foundation and powder, blotting it before applying prep and prime, lipliner (MAC's Cherry goes well), filling the lips in with a brush, blotting lightly, re-applying it and going round the outside with concealer.

LOTD: Amped Up Poodle

MAC Cranapple l/l

MAC Up The Amp l/s

MAC Pink Poodle l/g

EOTN: Dark Lagoon

The product of boredom last night, the distinction between the green and blue is not as obvious on the camera as it was in person.



(took the false lashes off before this one)

UDPP

MAC Sharkskin s/s

Body Shop Shimmer palette 19 "sparkling sky" inner 2/3 of the eye over sharkskin

" " "emerald sea" outer 3/3 and lower lash line

" " "seashell" as highlight

MAC minted e/k Lower lashline and waterline

Eyelure false lashes

MAC Blue Reflects glitter

Swatch: Barry M Lipstick 117 (orange)

Barry M lipstick 117 (orange) £4.25



(Left: 117, Right: MAC's Morange, which has much more red in it)

Mascara "better than false lash'es" effect

This is how I do my mascara instead of wearing false lashes on a daily basis and to be honest, I prefer this way no glue, no mess and it lasts all day.

STEP 1: Curl lashes

STEP 2: Apply Too Faced Lash Injection, Comb out any clumps and reapply.
STEP 3: Apply Too Faced Lash Injection Pinpoint from half way up lash to the tips (x2 if you prefer) and on the lower lashes.
STEP4: Add more of the pinpoint to lower lashes.
END RESULT: Looks better in real life.
(last picture has white e/l on waterline, MAC e/s in soft force and a brow powder, good for neutral daytime eyes and with a bright lipstick)

EOTD: Bold

This is todays look, which I really like.

UDPP

MAC Luna CCB (all over)

MAC Electric Eel (inner 2/3)

MUFE 92 e/s (outer 2/3 and crease)

MAC Minted e/k (lower lashline and waterline)

MAC Vellume/s (highlight)

Collection 2000 Va Va Voom Glitterliner

Bourjois Clubbing mascara