First Festive Manicure of the Season!

hey ladies! just a quick post to show you todays manicure!

I bought Barry M's red glitter a while back to use as a topcoat over a taupe colour that i thought needed spicing up a bit. It was totally useless for that purpose because it is virtually opaque. I was a bit dissapointed with it for that reason but i have since come to realise that opaque glitters are really something of a rarity! This shade just seemed so perfect for the Christmas season, so I thought I'd crack it out again.

products used: Save the Nail Repair and Rescue Treatment (not pictured) (here), NYC In a New York Colour Minute Quick Dry Nail Polish in Chelsea (here), Barry M Nail Paint in 150 Red Glitter (here) and Seche Vite Topcoat (here)

with flash. please enlarge to view the beautiful sparkles!!!

without flash.


so what do YOU think? is it too early for christmas nails?

Love, Lucy xx

MAC Fluidline, I love you!

hey girls! first off i just want to say i'm really sorry ive been such a bad blogger recently, i've had so much work to do for Uni and i've been trying really hard to do that and not get distracted. anyway, ive got a couple of days break from deadlines so i thought i'd tell you baout something i'm LOVING right now, which is MAC's Fluidline in Blacktrack.

i was previously using Sleek ink pot gel liner (here) which i think is great for a high street brand but i was finding that it wasn't quite soft enough for me, so i was finding it hard to draw the lines at the thickness i wanted. the sleek liner is definitely better value than the MAC one, it costs just £4.30, while a MAC fluidline will set you back an impressive £13.50 (here).

the ink pot it somewhat harder, so you have to work your brush into it untill it becomes shiny to use it. this could be better for beginners as it doesnt transfer onto your eyelid as easily, so if you touch the wrong part by mistake, it isn't usually too much of a problem.

Sleek on the left, MAC on the right. if you enlarge the picture you can see that the MAC liner is shinier and generally 'wetter' than the Sleek liner.

above is Sleek on the left and MAC on the right again, one swipe with my finger in the pot, and one on my hand, and then one swipe with a brush. you can see that the MAC liner fills in the lines on my skin better, as its wetter, and it also blends more easily.

some pictures of me wearing MAC fluidline. taken without mascara. i just find it goes on SO easliy, i really think it's worth the money. though i would advise trying a cheaper gel lner first, to see if you get on with gel/cream liners in general

Have YOU tried either of these liners? do you like gel liner in general?

Blushing, ME?

hey girls! today i'm bringing you a face of the day post, which i'm actually SO happy with.

i didn't use any blush at all, and just relied on bronzer, which i never usually use. i was always a bit scared of bronzer because i'm so pale, but my i'm loving NYC mosaic bronzer (availible here) at the moment! i apply it with a big fluffy brush in light strokes, building up the layers. the brush i use is really really soft and not very firm (its from the fraulien 38 set, availible here) and i previously didn't like it, as it laid down so little colour, but it's just perfect for bronzer!

top two pictures without flash, bottom two with flash

face: Rimmel stay matte in 01 mixed with Barry M foundation creme in white, NYC colour wheel mosaic face powder in all over bronze, Collection 2000 lasting perfection concleaer in 01, benefit powderflage (under my eyes), Rimmel clear complexion powder in transparent, Ruby and Millie cream highlight

Eyes: MAC paint pot in Rubenesque, MAC eyeshadow in Satin Taupe, Sleek ink pot Gel Liner in black, NYC High definition Seperating Mascara in Black (underneath), Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion mascara in Black

Lips; Sleek Pout Paint in Port.

i love this lip colour so much, which is why i included the pictures with flash, as the lip colour is much truer in them, though it makes me look excesively pale. its a really deep fuscia pink, bright but dark at the same time

i love how this brinzer looks so much!! let me know what you think!

Some New Goodies!

Hey girls! I know I just posted saying that I wasn't going to post but I got a LOAD of work done in not very much time so I thought I could write a post so.....

I went shopping the other day and I went again yesterday, (though I blame my sister for that one) and I got some new stuff, so I thought I’d show you.

Both times I went to the new Westfield centre in Stratford, which I really like. The first place I went to was MAC, which is fast becoming my favourite place, where I checked out the new Glitter and Ice collection. I picked up a paint pot in Morning Frost and an eyeshadow in Satin Taupe from their regular line.

 Top: Satin Taupe, Bottom: Morning Frost

Next I went off to Superdrug where I got most of the other stuff. I got 3 MUA lipglosses in shades 1, 4, and 5. I’m really impressed with the pigmentation of shade number 4, it comes off really opaque and pretty. I actually bought 4 of these, but when I opened the red one I got (can’t remember the shade, sorry!) the lid broke and I had to throw it away, or it would have spewed lipgloss everywhere. Thankfully they were 3 for 2 so I didn’t actually pay anything for that one!

 Shades 4,5,1

Clockwise from top: 4,5,1

I also got a new foundation, powder and concealer. I have been wanting to try a highstreet foundation for a while now, as currently I’m using Bobbi Brown, which is pretty pricey! I got Rimmel Stay Matte as I’m also wanting something with a bit more coverage and shine. I haven’t tried it yet, but when swatched it feels really creamy and nice, which is a plus. I’ll post again soon and let you know how I’m getting on with it. I got their Clear Complexion powder in transparent to go with it, which I’m loving so far. I also picked up a Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer which is so worth the hype, and I picked up the Barry M Lash Modelling mascara, which is a great and cheaper alternative to Maxfactor False Lash Effect fusion, which is what I was previously using.

Lastly I went to Boots where I got a set of 3 jumbo lip balms, which I thought I could break up and give to my sisters as little extra Christmas presents.

And that’s my haul! Have YOU finished your Christmas shopping yet?

Hey guys, just to let you know that i'm breaking my schedule this week, as i have uni deadlines, but i should be back to normal by wednesday next week xxx

Lovely boots from....clarks?

hey ladies!

i'm so sorry i broke my schedule and didn't post yesterday, i've not been feeling well and this post is being written from my sick bed :(

does anyone remember being dragged to Clarks as a child? once a year my mum would have to buy us school shoes and we would make the dreaded trip there, where your feet would be measured and then you would be forced to try on pair after pair of 'sensible' shoes.

this is how i remember Clarks, but the other day i walked past the store on the Isle of Wight, where my parents live, and noticed a big rack of rather nice looking boots outside. i went to their website and i now have a growing list of shoes i like in there!! i'm wondering if i've got very old very quickly or if they are aiming at a younger demographic these days.

Neeve Ella GTX £120

Magician Class £120

Licorice Candy, £140 (LOVE these!!)

Orinoco Jazz, £79.99

Orinoco Club, £49.99
 i actually bought the above boots the other day, to replace my topshop chelsea boots that broke, and i love them! they are so comfy and i hate to say it, 'sensible'!! they should last a long time and they are real leather. i'm so surprised at myself for likeing their boots.

what do you think? would YOU buy boots from clarks?

No longer a MAC virgin!

hey girls!

lat week i made a little trek to the MAC store in Westfield Stratford city, and this is what i came away with. i haven't actually had anything from MAC before, (post detailing how  NEARLY but not quite got my hands on some here) thankfully this time i basically avoided the staff and looked after myself, though they did seem freindlier than on my previous experience!

there was a half hour wait for a consultation, so based on what i've heard on youtube and what i liked the look of, i chose on my own.

in all of it's packaging...

out of its packaging...

the first thing i got was Rubenesque paint pot, which i'm completely in love with. it's such a beautiful colour, and look great on the lid with a bit of matte brown in the crease. this picture doesn't really do it justice, it really is lovely, and if you havent seen it in person, i'd reccomend giving it a swatch next time you're at a MAC counter. it lasts all day (and then some) as well and doesn't crease at all, which is great for a cream product.

next up i got a small duo fibre 188 brush. i actually meant to pick up a 130 brush, which is shorter, like a mini kabuki, and the white fibres stick out much less, but having got this home and used it, i'm glad i went for this one. i've been using it for cream blushes mainly, but i have also used it for foundation, which it's brilliant for, though it's more time consuming than using my trusty ecotools duo fibre kabuki brush.

the last thing i got was a MAC brush cleanser. this was something of an impulse buy, the lay at the checkout sad i should get some to go with my brush, and normally that wouldn'ttempt me in the slightest, but for some reason, this time it did! it wasn't too expensive and i was previously using baby shampoo as brush cleaner, so i decided i should get some proper stuff!

i have used it a few times now and i like it, much simpler than having to deep clean every time!!

what were the first things you got from MAC? xxx