Revlon Black Cherry & Boots No 7 Metallic Grey Eye shadow stick

I am celebrating recovering from a very very stressful 30 mins.  I went to the hairdresser, Modesty Brown has probably just passed out - the words "hairdresser" and "stressful" in the same sentence are all too familiar to her.  For the last 9 months the same person has cut my hair and I have loved it every time, he makes me look fabulous which is no mean feat.  Today he said "what are we doing" and I said "EXACTLY the same as last time, I love how you cut my hair please don't change a thing, especially not the chin length bits at the front, not them, dont cut them, I need them the length they are".  He heard "whatevs mate, anything you fancy tbh, here sits a woman that doesnt care".  I was feeling physically sick in the car on the way home, convinced he had fucked up my hair.  He had cut layers into the sides and sliced into the chin length front bits so that they were no longer the longest bit of my hair, making the term "graduated" redundant at best, he said "I have trimmed this bit up so it gives it a rounder shape".  Can he not see my face?  It's round. I do not need roundness in my hair.  Just to put this into perspective for you, 98% of the time the only bit about me that I like even a tiny little bit is my hair. It is that vital. 

Anyway panic over! I got home, washed and blow dried and its all ok.  He has sliced into the front bits and whilst in my opinion that warrants me coating his testicles in honey and letting fire ants loose on them, most normal people would probably consider that an over reaction.  Prior to the hair debacle I went into Boots on a mission for Revlon Black Cherry lipstick for my "big night out in Manchester".  I am planning the full works; smouldering eyes and wanton lips.  Black Cherry is a storming lipstick for a wanton lip! I can't do red red it makes me look and feel a bit weird but this I just drank a gallon of red wine lip colour is wonderful, I feel like sex on a stick to be honest!! It definitely needs a lip liner and then careful application with a brush, applying from the bullet is likely to end in tears.  Oh and your lips need to be in tip top nick too.

I also found a No 7 voucher lurking in the purse and the Metallic Grey eye shadow stick was just yelling my name, its a cream shadow and my plan was to apply it all over the lid as a base and then build up my smoky eye from there.  I have discovered you need to work quick with this stuff, once it sets there's no budging it and blending is not happening.  That said as a teflon base its fantastic, I applied black shadow to the crease and blended for about an hour and a half, light shadow on brow bone and then full on sparkly lighter shadow into the corner to stop me looking like a witch.  Frankly I could snog myself.  Want to see a photo. Or 2?

Getting messy drunk wearing this much slap is going to be abyssmal.  A word to the wise - if you are coming with me to Manchester and post pics of me on facebook taken at 2am when this lot has slid all round my face,  you and I will no longer be friends. 

Over the Taupe

See what I did there?  Decided to have a play with my recent purchases so inevitably ended up with a blue eye and nude lips. What do you think? It IS over the top for day wear but when I do EOTN its dark and I cant take proper pics so decided to do it in the middle of the day so I could share.


Excuse the hair, it's having a moment all of its own today.
 

Decided to have a go at "contouring" as well. Nicked Em's bronzer and had a swipe about although frankly would putting a brown stripe down the side of a football contour it? I think not but at least the bronzer is better than blush would have been *hello clown face*.


Used Revlon shadow in Peacock Lustre over mobile lid. Revlon Matte in Riviera blue into crease and underneath.  Tightlined with No 7 Gel liner in blue top and bottom. Virgin from Naked brow bone and inner corner.  MUA in bright green inside of mobile lid and the usual L'Oreal mascara and Clinique brow pencil.

Lips are a combination of GOSH Cappuccino and Revlon Matte in Mink - just a hint of this to give it a bit of colour.  Was sure I couldn't do nude lips, am LOVING this! So be kind if you think it looks vile, but for godsake tell me!
 

Took pics with grown up camera with $$ wide angle lens, hope I don't look too melty faced as a result!

Oh and finally quick point and shoot snap of eye in close up.

 As this is a total deviation from the norm for me would really appreciate your feedback!
Post edit: am now worrying about that rather vast ski-slope forehead (savage receeding hair line or wot?!)

Huds Haul

Great afternoon in Huddersfield with Em. Boots didn't know what had hit them!

It doesn't look like this anymore. Just dropped it and smashed it to fck. Gutted - down to pan in middle.

Picked up Revlon matte shadow in Riviera blue (front) and a satin shadow in Peacock Lustre (back).  No sign of the ColorBurst lipstick in Soft Nude and Rosy Nude looked too pink toned for my licking. Settled on Matte lipstick in Mink.  Revlon was 3 for 2 which was fab.

Revlon Matte Mink.  GOSH Cappuccino

Re-stocked with my fave Avene products; Extremely Gentle Cleanser and Rich Anti-Redness cream and added a Soothing Hydrating Serum which I had really been wanting to try, again 3 for 2 on skin care, result.

I also had to pick up a Botanics cleansing Balm as raved by Welsh Beauty Blogger.  We seem to have pretty similar skin so I am hoping that I can use this without freaking out my skin, even if its just a once a week treat and I use the Avene on a day to day basis.  This smells lovely and I cant wait to try it with my Botanics facial cleansing brush. 

And of course the compulsory purchase of a Clinique Super Fine liner in soft brown seeing as those brows keeping on pulling in the compliments, the lady on the check out in Boots asked what I used.

This lot got me a Boots £5 voucher that went straight back into their tills with my purchase of the Ltd edition gel eyeliner in Blue, am dying to have a play with this.

Em hauled too so we decided to use her £5 voucher to buy Aunty Ness the No 7 Skin Illuminator she had been fancying.

From there we hurtled like a herd of turtles round to Superdrug where I picked up a GOSH lipstick in Cappuccino, which basically looks like it might be my perfect nude or the "fresh from the grave" lippy I have been dying for!

Arty pic of No 7 Ltd edition blue eye liner!

Swatches, reviews and eotd's etc to follow!

We have a winner!

Wow if nothing else this one should win awards for being the least entered give away in the history of blogging. Sorry it was so naff it generated next to no interest and a huge thank you to Nicola, small town gal and Fee for entering, without you it would have been beyone pathetic!

Anyway - drum roll please - the winner is No. 2 and the second person to enter was Small Town Gal so she is the Winner! Please email me your address and I'll pop the bag in the post to you.

A little something

Decided it was about time I shared the love with all 14 of you!! As you know I am a frugal blogger so this is not the most exciting freebie in the history of blogging.


That said it is a collection, well 3, things that I have been using lately that I am really liking. First off there is the Boots No 7 eye shadow brush, I love this brush and its arrival in my make up bag has coincided with me re-discovering eye shadow, which is timely! Its lovely and soft and great for blending.


Not much use having an eye shadow brush without an eye shadow and although I haven't tried Boots No 7 Truffle I have seen it rated on other blogs so I popped one of those in too.


And finally Boots No 7 Stay Perfect nail varnish in Totally Teal. I absolutely love this polish, its a nice dark green based teal with a shed load of gloss to it that wears really well. The Stay Perfect polishes are a whole other kettle of fish compared to the Quick Dry one's which I think are pants.

So yes its a No 7 freebie and yes it coincides with the latest run of Boots No 7 £5 off vouchers. I'm a frugal blogger, what can I say. Of course I will die of embarrassment and delete this post quick smart if no one enters to win it! Hope someone is interested! No big hassle, you just need to be a follower of this blog and leave me a comment, be as random as you like, and your email address too. Might as well enter - lets face it you currently have a 1:14 chance of winning!!

Trafford Centre Haul!!

Had a FANTASTIC time with Em at the Trafford Centre, although it is like shopping in hell - I have never shopped anywhere that is hotter, its bloody ridiculous.

Warning - photo heavy post! Got the "grown up" camera out, had great fun and took millions!



Got suede boots - Next microfibre stretchy, giant calf accommodation ones with a wedge heel, MAC Lillicent Blushcreme, having wavered on the Uncommon and than let the SA loose with Lillicent and her foundation/creme blush brush. Loved the colour and the application so I bought the brush too - fck me £25, oops! Does make my very old face look flawless though so it could be worth its weight in gold! But you are all sworn to secrecy, Steve must never know!


(embarrassed cough! - thats the brush, right there! shhhhh!)


business end








Em got a fab handbag, although there was a moment when she thought they hadn't got them and the bottom lip was coming out! Luckily I asked the SA on the MAC counter and she pointed us in the right direction, Em was so relieved she hugged her!





and a lush lip gloss, although secretly think she was happier with the huge yellow Selfridges bag than anything that was in it!






Nice top from Next too that I hadn't planned, Barry M Nail Art crackle from Superdrug and 2 new MUA eyeshadows, a pale green for me and a vivid purple for Em. She bought us tapas for lunch - lush!


I mean please, for a quid, how fab is this?











And then we hit Boots; an hygienic nose and ear trimmer (for Steve, honest injun!) and decided that as a straighten my hair every day now I needed a heat protecting spray, rather than spend a fortune (kept remembering that MAC brush lurking in my bag and breaking out in a cold sweat!) I opted for the Boots Expert heat protection spray and got one of their clarifying shampoos too as once a week I like to lather my hair in something containing masses of SLS and other toxic crap just to make sure its really clean! And with my £5 voucher I got myself the Boots No 7 eye shadow brush, having read this just before I left, great recommendation Fee, thanks!



Em spotted a stand with Britney Spears Circus on it for £10 instead of £20 with one bottle left, not for long though ...... yoink....!



I love spending time with my baby girl, how lucky am I that she is a shopping maniac who is more into make up than me, bless her!

Modesl Own - Grace Green

It's love folks. Pure unadulterated love. With a bit of lust mixed in for good measure. I was worried I'd get boiled beef hands but its greyed enough that it doesn't do that. Please bear in mind that last night I was so desperate to try this I peeled off my Boots No 7 Stay Perfect in Teal (perfect polish and will def post pics next time I wear it - clearly the speed dry ones are the issue, this one has a fab brush, great application and is a gorgeous colour, cant fault it) but still peeled it off and slapped on 2 coats of Grace Green whilst sat in bed. No base coat, no top coat, no prep of any sort.




Sludgy green lovelyness



All of these were taken indoors in shade - still struggling with taking pictures of my nails.


And a sneak peak of Purple Grey - same basis no base, no top, no prep and 2 coats. Proper post soon.


And the one nail I didn't peel with No 7 Stay Perfect in Teal.
Both of these taken indoors but in sun through the window.


And one of No 7 Stay Perfect in Teal before I peeled it off! It is incredibly glossy, this is a proper mani with base and top coat, that said not sure the No 7 polishes love Nails Inc base coat, had some dragging issues with this and it was looking like it might refuse to dry until I put the top coat on, the Nails Inc top coat is fab for that.

Boots No 7 Speed Dry Nail Polish in Blackberry

Here's the review I put on the Boots website:

Lovely colour; applies like a dog.
Loved the colour of this but its the last No 7 Speed dry polish I will be buying. Basically it dries on the brush as you are applying it, unless the brush is so full of polish it swamps your cuticles and makes an unholy mess, but bizarrely takes an age to dry on the nail - probably because 2 coats of this is the equivalent of 5 of a decent polish. The brush, by the way is rubbish - no matter how good the formula of a polish its only as good as its brush. Save your money - buy Models Own.

I think that about covers it! Although guessing it never appears on the Boots website it made me feel better. Am so disappointed, it really is a lovely colour - berry with a subtle shimmer, very vampy.

Outdoors with flash - not really how it looks but love how it looks in these pics!


Outdoors without flash, more how it actually looks, dark and almost a cream.


Outdoors and flash again, because I can!

As you can see application is far from perfect and with nails as short and small as mine I NEED thin polish and a crash hot brush, the bendy, flouncy broom in this bottle was seriously not up to the task. And what is it with fast dry polishes that it is impossible to apply a thin coat, seriously unless the brush was so loaded it was dripping off the stem - I have it all over my hands and the table and the bloody bottle - it was drying on the brush and becoming a brush strokey horror on my nails? Not doing anything this eve and wanted nails done for fab out in Leeds tomorrow so in the morning after I have washed my hair I will do the cuticle tidy up with an orange stick in the shower. (Leeds - off to see Clare Maguire and a band called Hurts at ....damn forgotten name and want to type Cockroach club and just KNOW that cant be right.....The Cockpit that's it! Few drinks and something to eat first and then, if you tube is anything to go by, some seriously good music. The friends we are going with saw Hurts at V Fest and thought they were fab - sort of Kraftwerk/Depeche Mode fusion (you lot might need to use wikepdia to find out who those two bands are as you are all sooooo young!) cant wait.)

It also isn't exactly glossy, this has got a coat of Nails Inc top coat on it to a) make it dry and b) make it shine. Frankly all I need now is for it to chip like a bitch and its on a fast track to the bin!

PS beloved daughter reneged on her promise to lip model my glosses on the basis that she has a hot date so had to spend 4 hrs getting ready, honestly I kid you not - she's the one that should be blogging here she spends £60 a month on mac foundation alone! last time I treat her to anything in duty free!