FOTD - 21st Feb

Was taking pics for a guest post I am writing for another blog - watch this space! - and thought this would be a good fotd pic.


Eyes - tightlined with Darkhorse, Sin on mobile lid, Buck in crease.  Brows Clinique superfine liner in Soft Brown. L'Oreal Mascara.


Lips - Bobbi Brown Cocoa pencil and Buff Heather Cream Lipstick


Face - Lancome Teint Miracle and MAC Creme blush in Lillicent.


Googled tightlining recently, just hope I am doing it right? Loading very straight Ruby and Millie eye liner brush with powder shadow, putting into lash line and wiggling it down onto base of lashes?  Whether my techinique is actually tightlining or not I love the effect.  Wish wish wish I had taken a pic sat eve as I did a full on smoky eye with Creep as tightliner top and bottom and into crease with Sin on mobile lid, black kohl liner on water line top and bottom and stacks of mascara and just made sure that my eyebrows were extended a smidge further out than would be usual for day time. It was a much more made up look than I would have considered even a few months ago. In my opinion they looked bloody fab - and UDPP underneath made sure it all stayed perfect through a marathon 7 hrs of drinking, dancing and merriment!  Also used the last of the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua for the evening, its a bit too dark for the day but perfect for a night out so am building up my secret stash for an Chanel purchase asap!

January Faves

Just managed to get this in in the first week of Feb, phew!  Wet Saturday and because we had guest house viewing this morning the whole place is scarily clean so with nothing else to do I had some fun with the photos for this post.

First up Bobbi Brown Luminous moisturising foundation, am very pleased with this.  Have discovered it is best applied with a foundation brush to get good coverage.

UDPP my new wonder product for keeping eye every thing in place, love it.

Bobbi Brown creamy lipstick in heather buff have worn this every day since I got it.

Avene.  All of it.  Has been an absolute godsend this month and my skin is in a really good place, at the mo as a result of using it.

When my skin was being really uppity I dug out the Organic Surge night cream again.  Every one that uses this raves about it and for under a tenner you cant go wrong with this.

If the texture and the effect weren't sufficient the wonderful rose geranium perfume is beautiful and perfect for a night cream.

Nailactan and the NAKED palette also both feeling the love this month.  Didn't actually think I could get away with yet another photo of NAKED!!  EOTM (month!) has been udpp all over, UNE shadow in matt cream over entire lid, Buff into crease and Buck on lash line, quick, polished and removes 10 yrs in a flick of an eye brush.  Well nearly!
Hope you are all having a splendid weekend, off to make a nice cup of tea.

Foundation - the results.

Saturday morning put on the Chanel and decided it was the one.  Then Em appeared and said that my face had looked better the day before with the Bobbi Brown, at the same time I found a very detailed review by Visionary Beauty which mentioned the high alcohol content, which just can't be good for dry skin so I headed off to Leeds still in two minds.

Boots had the foundation and one of the things I had thought was that maybe Beige Tendre B20 was a little too dark; when I had built up cover on problem areas it started to look a smidge orangey.  The next shade down was seriously yellow though so that didn't look like an option.  But, oh, I love that tube and so wanted my foundation in that packaging.  Why is it possible to make brain dead purchases based solely on packaging?

Decided would settle for a sample of the BB Illuminating foundation and test that for a week.  Got to BB and they had no sample pots.  No sample pots?  They might as well have had no make up.  If I hadn't been trialing the BB Moisture Rich all week I would have walked.  But as I had been and knew what it was that I didn't like about it I was able to ask the SA what the difference was between the two.  It seems the illuminating foundation is the one to pick if  you want more coverage than the moisture rich, want a more easily buildable foundation, still want some moisturisation just not masses and generally want something a bit more substantial.  As my issues had been how sheer and impossible to build the moisture rich had been it certainly sounded like the illuminating one was going to be the one for me.  Had a play with some and then decided to go for it and after using it for a couple of days I am happy that I did.

When, on the very rare occasion my skin is in good nick I would be able to just apply a thin layer to even out the tone and it will look as if I may be wearing a tm rather than a little foundation, which is lovely.  In the areas where I need more cover it does build well without becoming powdery or clogged looking.  With the MR I was applying my usual moisturiser, slithering around for 10 mins with the MR and then it would, very weirdly, start to feel dry and tight and not very comfortable.  With the Illuminating one I am applying a tad less moisturiser and it feels soft and comfortable all day.  The foundation doesn't set, as such, which I quite like - when it sinks into the pores on my chin I can give it a quick buff up and it sorts itself out.  It gives that lovely lit from within glow too, which is particularly nice under eyes and on top of cheek bones but without giving me the I rubbed my face with lard chin and nose that then require powder to remove the shine which then results in the whole area looking cakey in an hour.  Actually til I wrote this hadn't thought that through but this foundation does seem to be less glowy on my nose and chin and just does that on my cheeks which is a great effect.


It has the slight BB lavender fragrance synonymous with BB foundation, I like it as it makes me feel that this is part make up, part skin care which is no doubt the desired effect!  I am a marketing mans dream aren't I!

On the downside it comes in a bottle.  I hate foundation in a bottle, its not as portable as a tube and you cant get every last bit out no matter how hard you try and that is bloody annoying when you have spent £29 on a product and might only get to use £24 worth.  That said it doesnt come with a pump either, imo thats a good thing as generally a metered dollop via a pump is more than I need for one face so an amount gets wasted.  Personally for this to be the perfect foundation it would need to be in a tube.  Preferably one that looked like the Chanel one!!  One nice touch was the sachet of Bobbi Brown moisturiser inside the box when I unpacked it, having used it a couple of times I am not keen on the smell but it is nicely moisturising and does seem to work well under the foundation.

The real test will be when this bottle runs dry, if it is repurchased then its a winner.  If not, the quest continues for my HG foundation!

Saturday shopping list

Off to Leeds with Em today, we are on a make up only mission.  Although will be purchasing Armani or CK tighty whities for her bf for Valentines day, ladies she is one lucky girl he is seriously fit.  Is it wrong to perv on your daughters bf?  Yea, thought so.  Moving on.

Leeds - have been vacillating between the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua and Bobbi Brown Moisture Rich all week.  One day one works really well, then the next it is suddenly dry on my nose, or makes my face feel tight.  Overall think the Chanel gives better coverage and is certainly more buildable, the BB is thinner and I find it harder to build up.  Problem with the Chanel on nose and chin, my 2 major problem areas, is that the Chanel seemed to manage to combine sinking into my pores with sliding around, how is that even possible?  This morning have put some Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting touch under it and so far it is looking much better, so have a feeling am going to come home with that!

Also after another BB creamy lip stick, having looked on the website Twilight might be the one depending on how it is in the flesh.

Have a £5 Boots voucher to use before tomorrow so that is probably going towards a Ruby and Millie eye shadow brush.

Mentioned earlier in week huge painful lump on my nose, have spent the last 2 days worried it was a boil, have never felt anything like it, rubbing in moisturiser without having taken a pain killer first nearly reduced me to tears, I kid you not.  Last night it was agony and now this morning it seems to be less so, so perhaps the worst is over and its going to sod off.  Please, please sod off.

Have a fab Saturday everyone.

FOTD - Sin and Hustle

Eyes - UDPP, Sin on lower lid, Hustle into crease, Darkhorse upper and lower lash line, smidge of naked below lower lash line to soften.  L'Oreal telescopic mascara. Clinique ultra fine brow pencil in soft brown.

Face - Bobbi Brown Moisturising foundation (its an on/off love affair and I can't commit!) MAC creamblush in Lilicent and Pixi highlighter (so not me, so loving it!)

Lips - Bobbi Brown lip pencil in Cocoa, Creamy lip colour in Heather Buff.

Sin is super shimmery so decided any brow highlighting would be a lily gilded.  Hustle is lovely, blended into sin it takes on an almost purpley hue, very soft and neutral looking.  Seriously have never had so much fun doing my eyes!  

Quick FOTD

Eye - Whisky liner, Virgin all over, Buff in Crease, Face - Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Beige Tendre, Dusting Diorskin translucent powder nose and chin, MAC cream blush in Lilicent, Lips - was Bobbi Brown Cocoa pencil and Cream lipstick in Heather Buff

No prizes for guessing what I used!  Whisky liner top and bottom, Virgin all over and for a change (!) Buff in crease, its quick, effective - I think, and I don't have to think about it, with UDPP under of course.  Having used the palette a couple of times now I would have liked a matte light shadow - virgin is a tad shimmery for me to be completely happy with it on lid, fine for brow highlight and perhaps if Hustle and/or Toasted could have been matte too, not used them yet and tbh am a little put off by the shimmery'ness.  Tomorrow might try my UNE matte cream shadow all over and maybe try Toasted or Hustle in the crease. 

Foundation - another contender

Disappointed with a capital "d" with the Bobbi Brown sample I got.  On initial application it is incredibly moisturising, almost too much so and is very shiny.  And then, even without any powder after an hour or so it is dry, tight, itchy and looks powdery as hell.

Got a sample of Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in a magazine (Edit: it was the January Feb issue of Glamour just in case you fancy trying it) at the weekend and with nothing to lose slapped some on.  First impressions good, it is quite strongly perfumed, but I like that.  It is slippy, very liquid and light in texture and I immediately assumed coverage would be pants.  It applies really nicely, blends easily - so far not taken a brush to it only used my fingers and no issues at all.  As you may have read in earlier posts my nose is having some serious issues right now.  When I applied a reasonable amount of this foundation it looked dry and flaky and not great at all, Em was at home and she insisted that I wasn't using enough, I needed to build up the coverage - with other foundations that would be a terrible idea but this stuff is amazing. I added a good bit more, till I was happy with the coverage and it looked fine, not great but not bad at all.  When I looked in the mirror 20 minutes later it is no exaggeration to say that it looked terrific, total coverage with no tell tale redness or dryness.  The foundation seemed to have melded into my skin.  I have a glow!  Not the sheen of a shimmer filled foundation either, and not shiny "lard face" shine, just a glow as if lit from within, I ate a candle style!  So this stuff is either fab or I am about to discover that Steve and I are increasing the size of our family!!  

So photos, as I have them thought it would be useful to add the photos from last week to this too.

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Beige Tendre - 20

Bobbi Brown - the 3 coats photo

Max Factor Experience Weightless foundation

Now clearly for £9.99 the Max Factor is more than holding its own, but when you compare the £27 Bobbi Brown with the £31 (shee'it!) Chanel the difference, on my skin at least, is marked.

Couple that really show off the "glowy" effect of the Chanel.

I really like how my skin looks in this - glow not shine.

Ok some fair old shine here but that was full light from the window, where its not beaming it does look much nicer than usual!

Having done a bit off googling it seems that Vitalumiere Aqua went on sale in the UK on 14th January - although its not availalble on the Boots website at the mo I think it is on Debenhams and Selfridges.  Frankly if you are in your 40's with dry, lack lustre skin that can never get enough moisture, with pores that seem to suck your foundation into them to make a real feature of them, with a propensity to just generally look a bit shite, then this is the foundation for you.  All £31 of it.  Did I mention the price?  Luckily I have a little cash stash for just such purchasing emergencies - shhh!  Oh and better than all that it comes in a lovely tube, all the better for hacking up to get out the last very vital drops.

Bobbi Brown - Taupe eye shadow

Well that didn't work did it - my post scheduling failed to happen oops!  

Confession time.  In the past I really liked eye shadow and in my teens used to do insane things on my eye lids, when they were taut and I was wide eyed and lovely.  Ok, I may never have been lovely but my eye lids were once taut.  One particular fave involved lemon yellow inside corner, bright pink middle lid, bright green edge of lid and into crease and yellow on brow bone.  I was, of course the height of cool and much admired by my friends for my ability on the maquillage front.  Sod off, it was the 80's we all looked stupid.

20's saw the arrival of babies and no time for anything more than a slap of moisturiser.  I was heavy, make up free and had my hair cut by a friend who thought a woman with a round fat face suited a pudding bowl hair cut.  Some friend.  My twenties were quite frankly my fuggly period.


30's and the realisation that fuggly was not the way to go.  Changed hair dresser, changed my life!  Got glasses instead of spending months at a time with conjunctivitus from my contact lenses, lost 3 stone and unleashed my inner siren.  My thirties were FUN! 

Moving on.  40's and now I want to look polished, we (sometimes) have a bit more disposable income and whilst I am never going to be a teenager again I think its just a case of changing gear, or at least I do now having read loads of other beauty bloggers, admittedly most of whom are still in their 20's and 30's at most.  I just want to look in the mirror and see someone that knows what works for them, that maximises their good features (when I find one believe me you'll be the first to know) and glosses over the less than lovely bits.  So I am rediscovering my love of make up and especially eye shadow.  So far no lemon yellow but give me time!

One of the bloggers I really like is Jane at Modesty Brown and I credit her with re-awakening my love of all things eye.  Her looks are neutral but still interesting and very wearable and she made me realise that just a little of something nice can make a really big difference to how you look.  Taupe is the word I would associate with Jane, based on her blog posts and as a result I decided it was the way to go.

 

I am having a bit of a Bobbi Brown thing at the moment.  I also bought the taupe eye shadow and even as I handed over my £15 I was wondering if I was mad to be parting with £15 for something as dreary looking as a matt taupe eye shadow.  Once I got home and had a play I realised that I had made the right decision.


Inside with flash, above


Outside in natural light, above
 
Whilst I am not sure this is what I had in mind when I was thinking taupe, I am seeing brown, I do think this will get a huge amount of wear. As you would anticipate it feels like velvet to apply, and wears well but it doesn't blend as well as I had hoped, to the extent that I have just done a google to see if it is one of the ones more intended for use as a liner - seems not, I just struggle to get it really nice and smooth, even with a base shadow to work on top of, maybe its me and my rubbish application.  Of course now I want a shade that more closely resembles the "taupe" I had in mind.  (kicking myself for just letting the SA pick up the shadow they called taupe and not going with her to the counter to check it was what I wanted.)

 I know I used this pic on my post about the foundation but it also a good one for showing off accurately the taupe eye shadow. Now I want bone, for all over, a shimmer to jazz things up for evenings and a lighter shade that more fits with my definition of taupe!  It never ends!!

But.  All my dreams are about to come true.  I have been working away for 2 days and whilst I was away Leanne at OCD emailed to say she had heard that Debenhams were going to be selling UD Naked on their website, Steve staked out the site and yesterday morning ordered it for me as a surprise!!  I was delighted yesterday evening when I got home and he told me so now I am pacing up and down in front of the door waiting for the post man!  Looked at the Debenhams site last night and they are not showing the palette again so presumably they sold out really quickly.  Leanne thank  you so much for the heads up!  


*update 15/9/11 - this eye shadow is rubbish and has languished in my "things I wouldnt use if hell were to freeze over" drawer from about 2 weeks after purchase. Frankly save your pennies!

Bobbi Brown - Moisture Rich Foundation

I have used Bobbi Brown foundation before, pretty sure it was one I repeat purchased until I got fed up of having to go to Leeds or Manchester to get it.  Decided that as its famed for its lack of pink tones that it might help to hide the pink in my complexion.  Went to House of Fraser in Leeds, Charlotte the SA was very thorough, cleaned off all my foundation - is there anything nicer than sitting in from of the world and his wife with all your blemishes on display?!  And then did 3 swatches Alabaster, Porcelain and one other didn't catch name of it but it was too warm.  She decided that Alabaster was too pale, whilst Porcelain was an exact skin match it would be too chalky applied all over so tried a 4th, Cool Beige, which we both agreed worked well.  She used the Moisture Rich formula as I had said that I like to look dewy rather than matt, this might be slightly more glossy than dewy in reality, even Steve commented that my skin looked "greasy" before I toned things down with a dash of loose powder.

That was yesterday and whilst I was loving the shade and the tone of the foundation on me I wasn't sure that slip sliding away look was really working for me.  This morning its a whole other story.  I am loving this foundation.  Yesterday I thought it was too hydrating/moisturising/oily and I certainly couldn't wear this without a bit of loose powder, but thats actually a benefit, in the past adding powder for a bit of extra coverage and to set my foundation has led to the dreaded face cake look, on this foundation the powder takes up the shine, adds a little extra coverage but still looks fresh.  The yellow tone, to my eye, is very apparent - in a good way!  My face just looks fresher, cleaner and a huge benefit is my blush, MAC Lilicent cream blush, looks lovely on top of this - which is good as MAC at Selfridges in Leeds no longer have Uncommon in stock.  I have a tiny sample pot that may just last me the week and then I am going to have to purchase I think.

Photos:

Indoors with flash

Outdoors in what passed for daylight today!

 FOTD

Face - Bobbi Brown Moisture Rich foundation in cool beige

           Dusting of Dior loose powder

           MAC Creme blush Lilicent

Eyes - UNE matt shadow in S02 all over to even out tone

           Bobbi Brown shadow in Taupe on lower lid and dry to line under eye

           Clinique superfine liner for brows in soft brown

           L'Oreal Mascara in black

Lips -  Bobbi Brown Cream lipstick in Heather Buff

           Bobbi Brown lip pencil in Cocoa

Ladder - B&Q!  taken outdoors with flash as its so over cast.

Update - my face started to feel really tight by midday and I cleaned all my foundation off, added some moisturiser and re-applied. I think all the powder to take down the shine had done it.  

No foundation redness very much in evidence.

One coat of foundation, much less pink but still not enough coverage.

3 coats and a slap of lippy in the hope it'll stop you noticing the horribly unwaxed top lip!
Reasonable coverage but ooh the shine:

But if I add powder to matify am going to end up feeling dry and tight.  Bloody bugger and damn, might end up sticking with the Max factor at this rate.
Ok in for a penny in for a pound.  Same thing but with Max factor Experience weightless foundation.

 Max Factor - 1 coat.

MF - topped up with a bit more where the pinkness is worst, not 3 coats though.

MF whupping BB' arse I feel!
How's that shine?

It's still a bit shiny but no worse than the BB.

Side by side comparison, as you look at this pic on the left is the MF and on the right (the side with droopy eye!) is the BB. Even without bearing in mind the MF is £9.99 and the BB is £27, I think MF is the winner.  What do you think?  Apart from that you are sick to death of looking at my face!  Haven't given up yet, next stop will try another BB foundation in the same shade but in a less moisturising formula.  Hope you found this interesting.

FOTD - 9th January

Am really struggling with this whole taking photos of my face thing.  I am not really a fan of how my face looks and whilst in real life most of the time I do not look as if I am in the middle of some kind of facial spasm in photos I do.  I have a smile that curves off to the left, or is it the right? Don't know but it looks weird.  And whatever I do with my foundation my skin still looks pink.  My hairline is a trauma all of its own - cant handle a fringe, not loving vast expanse of forehead either.   And then there are the technical difficulties, I have a pretty crappy compact digital camera so I cant adjust much and I dont have a macro lense for my slr so I cant do the arms length photo with my proper camera, finding anywhere with the right light has been impossible, so far think the laundry is working as the opaque glass on the door diffuses the light nicely, downside is the back drop of piles of laundry!

Anyway enough waffle, here it is.  My fotd.

 Foundation: Max Factor Experience in Cool Linen
Eye shadow: Une Sfumato Q02 all over lid with Sfumato Q23 on edge and used wet as liner on top and bottom lash line.
Brows: Clinique super fine pencil in soft brown
Lips: Bobbi Brown creamy lip colour in Heather brown (had been wearing Bobbi Brown pencil in cocoa too but that was hours ago!)


I really like the Une Sfumato eye shadows, I was having a trawl round for a brown matte shadow in Boots yesterday and couldn't find anything - was only looking at the cheaper ranges and decided against spending another £9 on a 3rd Une shadow, I also have in Q20, I think - its a khaki shade, and they are lovely and matte and blend really well.  Hadn't thought of using a damp eyeliner brush to use the shadow as liner, seen others do it on their blogs and decided to give it a go and really like it, much less harsh than my usual black pencil which I only ever used on top lash line as my eyes disappear once I put my glasses on.


Am completely loving the Bobbi Brown creamy lip colour, it feels like a balm on my lips and the colour is the exact nude shade I wanted, I also like the pencil and was pleased that the first time I had to sharpen it I didn't end up with a lap full of snarled up pencil - always used the Revlon propelling pencil in Nu which is the exact same shade and about £6 less so should really have had a 2nd lipstick for xmas and not the pencil - yet another desperation purchase at the Trafford Centre!


Anyway first fotd of the year!

Kicking myself

Right proper hard. What a fool. Decided that in spite of the power cut - thanks YEDL for fixing it by 10.30am, the snow - more? Really, bloody hell enough already with the snow. And Steves blatant complete and utter lack of enthusiasm "root canal? why I dont mind if I do" "Christmas shopping? What, you need me to come too? Really? Are you sure? OK but don't expect me to enjoy it" I decided that we needed to make a trip to the Trafford Centre as I couldn't be arsed trogging round Leeds in the pouring rain/snow/sleet and I hate being outside freezing my arse off, walking into a shop and going into full on meno sweat down and back outside again and so on, at least in the Trafford Centre you know if you are wearing more than a bikini you are going to be sweating cobs from the off. And thats before you are in John Lewis's and realise that right at that moment they might be selling the very last Bobbi Brown Modern Classic eye and lip palette in Selfridges and you need to RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!

And run I did, I so wanted that palette but it was not to be. I am such a fool, I didn't realise that it was limited edition and that basically any make up branded "limited edition" sells out in seconds. Damn. So I decided to get myself a nice Bobbi Brown cream lip colour in Heather Buff and a lip pencil in Cocoa - wasnt til I got home that I realised we are talking pencil that needs sharpener not propelling, bum.

Anyway, (dinner burning as I type...) I got a Pixi Wakeup palette too!

Edit: Had a more detailed look at this before handing it over to Em for wrapping. The eye colours look nice but are all shimmers, would have liked a couple of matts in there too to balance things out. Not sure how much of the lip gloss will get used, hopefully if they are sheer then a fair amount, if too thick or opaque some of them might be more "colour" than I am looking for. And I might donate the blusher and highlighter section to Em, depending on application. I just think with older dry skin adding any kind of powder, apart from a hint to set make up, isn't the best idea my MAC blush cream gives a juicy glossy look rather than a dry dusty one, but we'll see I might be surprised!

So this post is really to say watch this space, Pixi palette and bobbi brown reviews due in the New Year!

Palette love.

Urban Decay Naked - no way santa is turning up with this baby is he?! Cant find it anywhere online. So have been having a re-think. Am thinking Too faced Naked palette.


Liking the Stila naked one a lot more but not convinced will be able to find that in either Leeds or Trafford Centre (if you know otherwise please please let me know in comments). Can't actually find that on the Stila site either although saw it on other bloggers sites, odd.


Buuuuuut, am also going to drag S along to the Bobbi Brown counter just to have a leetle peek at the Modern Classic palette.How incredible is that, 10 lush shadows, 4 fab glosses? Mind you for £60 S is going to have to be feeling the love too or it wont be happening! I reckon keep the shopping down to a dull roar, MAC counter for Em's bits, one other shop for her secret pressie (shhh. she reads this blog. And makes rude comments!) so he's not traumatised. Spot of lunch and then Wham! straight to the Bobbi Brown counter with promises of this being the absolutely last thing we have to buy.......unless of course its too expensive, in which case theres always Boots, Harvey Nicks, Debenhams .......! If that doesn't seal the deal nothing will. Watch this space! Can't believe that at the start of this year I never wore eye shadow and a palette would have been the last thing I would want, what have you bloggers done to me!