Makeup Desk Inspiration


In an ideal world, most of use would choose to have a nice vanity area to apply our makeup each morning. With perfect lighting that mirrors actual daylight, instead of casting ugly shadows and giving us a yellow glow. Also perfectly organized storage for our makeup which could be conceal in a flash to leave a nice, tidy, clean area would also be a must. 

The reality sadly is that most of us apply our makeup next to the windowsill to grab as much natural light as we can or you sit on the floor to apply your makeup, much like me. 
Yes, I have a lovely desk (see below), but instead I sit on the floor and get bits of makeup in the carpet. Which for moment is okay as I have quite a darkish carpet! However I am moving house and my carpets are sadly cream (I say this, but I did pick it!)...so I have decided no more sitting on the floor & spilling pigments into the carpet. It just cannot happen.

I'm going to get organized!


  So right now the reason why I don't sit at my desk is because when I'm applying my makeup (contact-less) I just can't see myself in the mirror, I am too far away! Which can easily be corrected by buying a little mirror. I am abit of an Interior design freak and don't actually like the round makeup mirrors that so many people own. But I have seen afew nice rectangular ones in Homesense without any surround, just on a flexible base of marble or metal.  I am still going to keep my main mirror where it is though as it's good for seeing yourself full length. 
As for storage - you can see my desk is pathetic! It's just a piece of curved glass, so I intend to buy some nice clear acrylic storage boxes from MUJI for ontop of my desk. Just to hold all the products I use daily, like foundation and blushers. Afew brushes and maybe cotton bubs and few boring things

I'm also planning on changing the chair as it's just not comfy and looks abit cheap (even though it wasn't). 
However then I have the dilemma of where all my other makeup is going to go. I could just buy a storage unit with little drawers and put it under the desk on the floor. But I don't want to do that! 

So I am thinking either a little piece of furniture that can hold everything that can sit next to my desk looking pretty or it will all have to go into organized storage boxes in my wardrobe! 
Anyways enough rambling - I promise I will show you all when it's done as it will all hopefully look lovely and relaxing and not chaotic. I have also picked some lovely black and cream wallpaper for behind the mirror, which should add abit of interest! 

Anyway here are some desks that I would pick, if I could go back in time! 


Ok, slightly boring I have to admit and I don't like the carper. But the desk is good! It is fairly practical in the sense that the bottom shelf pulls out so you could store alot of makeup in nice clear storage boxes under there. It also has a gloss finish, which makes cleaning it a breeze and it will always look nice and shiny. Also if you only had a little makeup mirror, the desk also doubles up perfectly as a work desk or for a laptop.


I had to include this...just so, so pretty. The tray is beautiful but not really practical as you can only store pretty things on it. However the desk itself reminds me on the IKEA malm desk, with the long draw, just in black. I think if I ever where to buy a malm desk I would be very tempted to spray it all black like this as I don't really like the beech wood of it. It also makes it look quite chic!


This isn't my favourite, but it is so practical and great if you want to hide all the mess on the days when you are in a rush! You could literally store so much makeup in this and then hide it all always, however messy and disorganized it was! I know Habitat do one exactly like this but it is around £165 I think. But if ever I where to have a makeup room come guest bedroom I think I would definitely buy one.

If you do know of any pretty ways in which I can store all the rest of my makeup, please do share with me! 
 


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Ask Me Your Photography Questions


The lovely Tsunimee (Liloo) on Twitter suggested I write a beginner's guide on beauty blogging photography as I was lacking in the inspiration department. 
Now I'm not even saying I'm any good...you could probably find my camera on Ebay for around £30. I'm definitely not talented and my camera isn't flashy or a digital SLR. It's just a standard camera and to be honest if you want a camera for taking random pics and photos for blogging you really don't need anything special.


However I have studied Photography at college and do enjoy it and enjoy getting the most out of the camera I have. 

Now I have a list of questions as long as my arm of what I think people would want to know about - lighting and taking still life shots. But I would be guessing. 

So I want to know all the questions you have, from using the macro setting to when you should/shouldn't use flash. 
Basically anything! 

Then I can write a nice long post touching on all the things that everyone has mentioned.

I however don't want this to seem like I think that I am some amazing blogger or amazing at taking photos. I just thought it would make a good reference point for other blogger's and also something that bit different.

 
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How do you stop the creasin'?


I have come to realize that there are two camps when it comes to eyeshadow, either you have never owned an eye primer in your life OR your in the camp where you use a primer daily and can't remember how you lived life without one.

As you can tell from the above image I am in the latter camp - I like to use an array of products to combat the oily eyelids. 

For days where I'm keeping my eyes quite natural I use either a sweeping of translucent powder or just a sheet of blotting paper. That is enough to keep my eyelids oil-free for the day. 


However if I use more than one eyeshadow or I want something abit heavier I turn to my trusty Primer Potion - I personally swear by this and I know alot of other do too, but I also know this doesn't work for alot of people either! However I do find using a concealer or abit of foundation works in quite a similar way. 

Then if I want super staying power I use an eyeshadow base - either the stay perfect eye mousse or a creaseless cream eyeshadow by the Balm, which works exactly like the Benefit ones. For me, once these dry and you have your eyeshadow over the top they work perfectly. You have to work at blending more with the eyeshadows but using a cream base always works great and also makes the eyeshadow more pigmented.

But what I want to know is how you stop your eyeshadow from creasing!


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Affordable Metallic Eyeshadows Part. 2


As this is part two I'm going to look at pressed eyeshadows, you can read part one here
if you want reviews of affordable liquid/mousse metallic eyeshadows. 

There has to be so many metallic eyeshadow on the highstreet or in drugstores but there are so many that are quite sheer with too much glitter or they give so much fall out. So I've had a look through all the ones I own and picked out afew that are really highly pigmented and have a nice consistency to them .  


17 Solo Eye Shadow 'Mardi Gras' 'Statuesque' - £3.49
I only started to buy 17 products afew months ago, even though I use to use alot of there products as a teenager and I have really re-discovered why I liked the brand in the first place! For the price these are really great - they all have a lovely texture to them and are nicely pigmented. They also blend out really nicely and actually look alot more expensive then they are.  There is also a really nice range of shades from quite bright to neutral shades to some really dark shades. In texture and staying power these are very similar to the eyeshadows in the Sleek palettes. 
 If you ever get over whelmed with the amount of metallic eyeshadows by every brands, Number 17 is always a safe bet! 
 

Beauty UK Metallic Eye Quad 'No.1' - £3.49
I actually don't know why there aren't hundreds of reviews on these eye quads over the internet, as for the price they are actually great. I think in the Beauty uk range there's 4 or 5 eye quads a bronze palette (the one above) a lilac quad, a green one and I think maybe a grey/silver quad and all £3.49 each! These really are lovely, lovely shades and the texture is actually quite buttery and just feel alot better than you would expect for the price. However the one downside to the texture is there is fall out, having said that layering the eyeshadows, by building up the colour gradually then blending then putting more on, really does help. But for four highly pigmented eyeshadow the price is great, as are the shades and even the little palette that it comes in! 
 

Sleek i Divine Palette 'Storm' - £5.99
I know, I know...another review of a Sleek Palette. But just in case someone stumbles across Makeup Savvy looking for a cheap metallic eyeshadow palette I thought I should review it and ofcourse it does deserve a mention as I use this a hell of alot.
 
Out of the 12 eyeshadow, nine are actually metallic - however I am quite glad there are afew matte eyeshadows in there in neutral shades. Always quite handy.


As you can see these are all really gorgeous shades, especially the burnt bronze shades and the lovely blues. Just a really good range for only £6 - however as these are mineral eyeshadows there is some fall out especially noticeable with the darker shades. So I either do my eyes first and then foundation or I sweep away the fall out on my cheek with a soft powder brush. 
I really do think the swatches just speak volumes for this palette - my favourite out of all the palettes and just amazing pigment. 
If you haven't got this already and love really metallic shades, then this really needs to be on your shopping list! 



17 Trio Eye Shadow 'Metallic Toffee' - £4.99
I was umming and arring whether to include this as I only recently bought this after being recommended it by someone on twitter (if you are that nice person just leave me a comment and I will include your twitter link). So I have only being using this for around two weeks, but I really do like it as it's definitely metallic but it also has a softness to it, that is really wearable in the day. As you can see from just slightly blending them together with my finger as I swatched the eyeshadows these are really blendable and also buildable. They also have a wide range of shades to the collection that also look really appealing. 
Not as cheap per eyeshadow as the others but still really, really nice shades. 

As for products I wouldn't recommend - The Stargazer eyeshadows all look really metallic and lovely in the pan, however they are abit of a let down. I much prefer the eyeshadow dusts. Also the Model's own duo eyeshadows are also nothing to write home about - quite chalky and not that pigmented. 
Products that I didn't mention but are still great -  Bourjois eyeshadow pots, the darker shades seem to be more pigments especially when used damp. Also any gold/bronze shades from NYX are always nice. 

Make sure to watch out for Part 3 - metallic eyeshadow pigments (then I promise to shut up about all things bronze or gold!)  

To read about other affordable makeup products just click here! 



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London Fashion Week Does Drugstore Makeup


I'm full of germs at the moment, hence the lack of blog posts. However I did manage to lie in bed with my laptop and look over the pretty/sometimes strange makeup of London Fashion Week curtosity of WWD.com

Now let's face it...unless you have some serious money or you're a fashionista, LFW means not alot and even if you are slightly interested you look though the likes of Elle or Vogue magazine to see what the celebrities were wearing and not the actual models. As for the makeup...it's either barely there or so obscure that it's ridiculous. Giles Deacon and MAC spring to mind for this with all the models looking like 5 year old children at a birthday party, going crazy on all the glitter. But I have to say the Sophy Robson nails did make up for it...a rainbow of colours with little googly eyes, which is actually what I am sporting on my own nails as I type!

 
 [Insert dodgy picture that was taken at 1am in the morning before bed]

What I was impressed with was the amount of makeup that was done using drugstore/highstreet priced makeup. Ofcourse alot of fashion brands used MAC and Bobbi Brown and ofcourse Burburry used there own line of makeup as did Unique for Topshop. But when the likes of Oscar De La Renta are using only Revlon makeup on there catwalk models it's hard not to be impressed when they could of easily gone with MAC or MUFE, to name afew.

Here is a quick run down of which designers opted for the highstreet instead of high end - 



Julien Macdonald using L'oreal 
Personally this looks really high end to me - really soft and sultry. The makeup artist for this was James Kaliardos who used the Studio Secrets Resurfacing Primer and eyeshadows in brown and champagne hues to create the almond rounded eye look. He also used L'oreal's Million Lashes mascara on the central lashes to create volume and to accentuate the rounded eye shape. 



L.A.M.B using Maybelline
Charlotte Willer (the one with the scary fringe in the adverts) was the makeup artist for Maybelline, creating the tribal punk look with the Maybelline Eye Studio 'Give Me Gold' Plush Silk eyeshadow quad and for the lips
Maybelline Shine Sensational lip gloss in Tempting Toffee. A really striking look!



Oscar de le Renta using Revlon 
 For Oscar de la Renta the Makeup artist and Revlon global director was Gucci Westman who applied an emerald shade to the eyelids (ahem not by Revlon) and just below the lower lash line, Revlon Matte eyeshadow in Venetian Blue. As for the lips - the lipstick was Fashion Night Pout from the ColourBurst range and the cheeks had a hint of colour with Cream Blush in Rosy Glow. Another really lovely look. 


Twenty 8 Twelve using Max Factor
The makeup artist for this was Max Factor's very talented Pat McGrath who created what she called 'sunny skin' with the use of bronzer. The main focus being the lips in a mix of Max Factor lipstick in Bewitching Coral and Intensely Red. A really fresh and lovely look that I'm sure will be popular next spring!


I'm not saying the quality can always be spot on when it comes to drugstore makeup, however it just goes to show how good lower priced makeup can look when used well!



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Beauty Google Searches, Answered


Over the past few months me and Google Analytics have become close friends to the point of daily interaction - I love to know which blog posts are most popular and which posts no one reads! But I also like to see how people found my blog from Google. Normally this will be a search for a certain product say Xen Tan or Bourjois Blushers - they click on my blog and can read my review of it, simple. 
However I also get masses of searches to my blog that they just don't even find the answer to as the information that they are looking for just isn't there or they can't find it. So I've had a look though last months keywords/searches and picked out afew to answer. Some are quite interesting questions that I thought would be worth trying to answer and I've also thrown in afew odd ones too!

 

Which Babyliss conical wand is best for long hair? - The Babyliss pro conical wand actually comes in three different sizes - so I would suggest the widest of all three sizes which is the 32-19mm barrel, as at it's widest it is 32mm and towards the tip is 19mm, which will create really loose curls - You can see what type of curls it creates on my own hair, here.

What does Rumple's Wiggin mean? - I'm thinking this is related to the Shrek OPI nail polish called Rumple's Wiggin, well I'm hoping so. A really nice soft lilac shade from the Shrek Forever collection however I didn't have a clue either so I asked here on my blog if anyone knew what it meant. Apparently Rumple Stiltskin was in the newest Shrek movie and 'Wiggin' apparently means freaking out or going crazy! Who knew.



Mascara fridge bacteria - Ok this is more of a statement than a question...but clearly someone wanting to find out about putting there mascara in the fridge! I really wouldn't recommend anyone doing this for 2 reasons. 1. It is pointless, you won't stop any bacteria that natural develops and 2. You will actually make it go thicker more quickly and in the end will have to throw it away! The best way to store mascara is just in a neutral environment and by that I mean somewhere that it's too hot or too cold and that's dry, the same goes for all makeup really! But I'm sure you all know that.

Mascara that doesn't go out of date - I actually wrote a whole post on How Mascara doesn't expire, so to be honest if I had to suggest a mascara that doesn't go out of date, I would have to say any mascara! I'm not saying a mascara is ok to last you 5 years - as I'm sure it will be very clumpy and thick by then. But I really don't feel there is any need to throw a mascara away after 6 months or even a year. Personally if the mascara becomes thicker or starts to smell odd, that is when I throw it in the bin as who really wants clumpy lashes. But really as long as you store the mascara properly and don't mix it with water (not that you would want to) I really wouldn't worry about the amount of bacteria in your mascara!


Benefit factory seconds/How to spot fake Benefit products - This has to be one of the most searched for things from Google to Makeup Savvy. In the last month I had over 70 searches related to how to spot a Benefit fake or if Benefit sells factory seconds. Firstly if you are on Ebay or a website that mentions that the product is a factory second or that it's a damaged Benefit item - don't believe them. There is no such thing as a factory second when it comes to Benefit, as they just don't sell there damaged or faulty stock. As for spotting a fake it really is so, so hard - I did write a post and actually compared a fake Benefit product with a genuine product and yes when pointed out there was quite a number of difference but really from one photo on a website you would never be able to tell. When it comes to buying Benefit or even MAC products online, especially on Ebay make sure they aren't selling alot of the same product or lots of that brand as 9 times out of 10 the items will be fake. However really it is worth buying them types of product of discount websites such as Cheap Smells or Fragrance Direct you will still be getting a bargain but you will also know the product is 100% genuine. 


Are Lush shampoos sulfate free? - With the words 'Fresh' and 'Handmade' next to the name you would really think so wouldn't you. However all of there liquid shampoos do contains sulfates and not just sodium lauryl sulfate, but Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate which is actually the strongest type of sulfate there is, so actually quite a harsh chemical to be using on the scalp and hair. Sadly all there Solid Shampoo also contain sodium lauryl sulfate - as do there Shower jellies and shower gels. So basically anything that foams up by Lush will pretty much contains SLS or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.



Boots Naked shampoo are they harsh? - The Naked shampoo range is actually the opposite of harsh - the whole range is SLS/Sulfate free and really doesn't contains any nasty ingredients. So perfect for sensitive scalps or even if you have scalp problems such as psoriasis - it may actually be better than an anti dandruff shampoo such as Head & Shoulders.

Can I put a Lush Emotibomb in the bath? - I really can't say I love Emotibombs as really who needs to place a scented fizzy bomb thing in there shower tray so they can have a fragranced shower. But yes this is a great idea to use it in the bath and actually totally fine to do..also quite a cheap option especially if you break the bomb up into pieces and use abit at a time.

Is Xen Tan green? I know for a fact my own Xen Tan Deep Bronze is slightly green, but it works fine for me. However if you are meaning really green then I would say that the top hasn't been screwed on properly or it's already been used if it's that shade in the shop. Xen Tan really do seen to react with the air and almost develops and turn green in the tube, which means it probably won't work as well and you will have to throw it in the bin!

SLS free shampoo sticky hair patches underneath - Abit of a strange search but in the last month I have had two very similar searches like this, but I do know the answer, strangely! Basically the sticky patches of hair are where the hair hasn't been washed properly most likely due to there not being as much foam to the SLS free shampoo than your use too. So you really do need to get in there are make sure the shampoo is all over the hair. After using SLS free shampoo I always make sure all the shampoo is washed out then I make sure by feeling my hair that it is all clean. SLS free shampoos do take some time to get use to especially if you pick one that doesn't foam up to well.



What if I forget my boots advantage card? - I'm always doing this - All you need to do is mention that you haven't got your card on you at the till and they will put your point onto the receipt for you, so that you can come back into store with your receipt/receipts and your Advantage card. But you do have to do this within 45 days or the points on the receipts won't be valid. The same goes for if you have lost your advantage card or you want to give a family member the points. 

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Affordable Metallic Eyeshadows Part. 1



Affordable Blushers, Tick. Affordable Highlighters, Tick! Now onto my epic three part ramble about cheap eyeshadows. If you are wondering why it's going to be in three parts...well ofcourse there are just so many types of eyeshadow, even though the 3 parts are all going to be just on metallic eyeshadows...so actually it could become 5 posts just on eyeshadow if you take into account matte eyeshadows and eyeshadow palettes. All important subjects that I just can't leave out, right?

So as you may of noticed I do quite like eyeshadows and in particular anything metallic or shimmery- there are just so many lovely shades out there.
Especially when it comes to cream/mousse or liquid eyeshadows you really get that intensity, which it what I really love in metallic eyeshadows.
Also all the eyeshadows I'm going to mention really do last on the eye all day without even priming the eyes first! Ok well maybe the All About Face one need an eye primer - but it is only £1.50!



Bourjois Shimmer Shine Liquid Eyeshadow 'Brun Magnetique' - £6.84
Now I have to admit this is a new product for me but I have used it afew times already and really do love it - I actually asked everyone on Twitter what there favourite affordable metallic eyeshadow was and the lovely Katy came to my call saying that she loved the Shimmer Shine Bourjois eyeshadows and to be honest when a talented makeup artist like Katy mentions a product, I take notice. So off I trotted (well I actually just walked) to Boots to have a look at the range and proceed to apply far to much of the product onto the back of my hand and had shimmery hands for the rest of the day. However I picked up the bronze shade out of the collection and oh it really is lovely. The top screws off to reveal this little sponge applicator that you can either dab directly onto the eye or put the product onto the back of the hand so that you can use your fingers or a brush. I personally like using my ring finger to tap this on and blend out. As this is water based it has quite a unique refreshing sensation when applied, which really is crease proof and long lasting. Once dry this really doesn't move and it's sticky in the least. A really lovely product that I think I will be purchasing more of! Oh and also a good 8.5ml of product.
I had a little look online for these on Boots.com and Superdrug however they don't seem to be there..however they do stock them instore and on HQ Hair.com


No7 Stay Perfect Eye Mousse 'Vanilla' & 'Fudge' - £8.75
Okay, maybe these aren't the cheapest of eyeshadows however on 3 for 2 or for a little treat these are really lovely. There are six shades to the range, all quite soft shades and very wearable for the day and you really do need the smallest of amounts when applying this so they do last forever. The Vanilla eye mousse makes for a perfect base for all eyeshadows and really intensifies anything you put over it and will makes it last all day. Also perfect for applying all over the lid then placing a darker colour into the socket and then really blending out. I have to say I use Vanilla alot. As for 'Fudge' the swatch really does the talking...just a gorgeous shade and really lovely blended out. I can also imagine these being perfect on more mature skin - as the mousse really glides over the eye lid and doesn't settle into any lines. Just a really nice, easy to use product that will last you ages! - Also a little birdy tells me there are lots of sample sizes of the eye mousses on Ebay.


All About Face Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil ' Bronze' - £1.50
For the price I had to include this, it's just a really soft creamy eyeshadow that you can use directly onto the lids. It did say that it was crease-less...however that is very untrue and really does need some kind of base or eye primer to keep it in place or by the end of the day this will look awful....trust me! Having said that everything else about it is perfect.
It's really pigmented and just glides on. This also comes in a silver shade and I think maybe a pastel purple...but this my far the nicest of the shades.
Really worth a try if you are on a budget!


Rimmel Colour Mousse 8hr 'Breezy' - £5.00
These are very similar to the Bourjois Shimmering Shine eyeshadows in the fact that the mousse has that same cooling effect on the eyelid - not sure it makes the eyeshadow look any prettier but it is a nice feature! Also one of the shinier of all the liquid/ mousse eyeshadows I own, something to do with being 25% purified water or something. But anyways these come in a wide range of shades and can be bought from Asos.com, Boots etc . They also have afew darker shade such as Black Pearl and Midnight Blue which could be really worth a look.
Again this is a product that you need such a little amount.


As for favourites, I think they are all great!
However another product that is worth a try is the Urban Decay cream eyeshadows that are actually only £5.50 at the moment at Asos down from £11.00!

Make sure to look out for Part 2 - Affordable metallic loose eyeshadows.

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Most Repurchased Makeup


So maybe I haven't re-purchased all of these yet but I do intend too when they sadly run out...however all the makeup products you see above are much used and loved products in my make-up bag. 

I'm pretty sure you have read numerous reviews on all these products, well maybe not the Marks & Spencer's eye pencil but neither had I until I swatched it in M&S last year. So I promise not to ramble on and repeat what all the other reviews say! Especially with fast becoming cult Sleek palettes - so I'm just not going to even mention it, as there are so many swatches and better reviews to be found on Google! 


Max Factor Second Skin Foundation  £13.99
I'm just going to come out and say it - I think this is the best drugstore/highstreet foundation that there is. If you struggle to find a good foundation that really matches your own skintone then this is really worth a try. Especially if you pale skin like me and can never find a foundation light enough. It works perfectly on oily or combination skin and even on dry patches. It basically is like a second (much improved) skin. The foundation is medium coverage all though it is buildable and you can also sheer it out abit by using a damp sponge to blend it in - which is what I do. Which seems to give it a more dewy finish. Overall this is just an amazing foundation which I have repurchased 3 times in the last 2 years. 
 
 

M&S Smoke Eyeliner Pencil 
£2.50
This really is the best true smokey eyeliner I have ever owned, as you can see it is a slightly blue/grey/black  smokey shade - it's actually quite hard to describe. But this is amazing to smudge around the eye and on the top waterline - however it's not too smudgy. It also lasts all day and night. You really can't go wrong with this! 

Benefit It Stick 
£6.95 
I'm sure this retails for more on the Benefit website or at the scary Benefit counters, however on the Cheap Smells website it's only £6.95! This is supposed to conceal fine lines and what not however I think it pretty much conceals anything, especially my veiny under eyes! Also concealers spots and helps with redness around the nose. It's just a really good, quite soft concealing pencil that suits anyone with paler to medium skin. 


No7 Eyeshadow Blend & Contour Brush
£6.50 
I'm not even going to get into how this compares to the MAC 217 brush - I just know this is a great brush for blending with. Just so, so soft and works perfectly with just little circular movements in the eye socket.
Also surprisingly good for blending out any contouring under the cheekbones and for highlighting along the brow bone, cupids bow and cheekbones. So for that reason I actually have two of these. One for blending eyeshadow and one for blending highlighter. 
For the price a really great brush.  



Barry M Toffee Lip Gloss Wand No.2
£4.25
 Again I own two of these one for at home and one to keep in my bag at all times! I am seriously in love with this lip gloss. It tastes so so good, especially when your hungry!!
It also seems to be unlike any other highstreet lipgloss in the fact it isn't sticky or tacky, amazing if you have long hair and it's windy!
But most importantly it's like my lips but better, if that makes sense...it goes with any type of makeup and just evens out my lip colour and slightly tones down the redness in my lips and ofcourse makes them abit sparkly! 
It's worth noting that if you looking in Boots or Superdrug for this if won't say 'Toffee' anywhere on it...just a number 2 on the bottom! 
   

I've shared with you my most repurchased makeup, so I would love to know what your main repurchased makeup product is!



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NOTD - Twister Matt Finish by George


I thought it would be nice to show you my first ever matt nail polish - I do own a matte top coat which basically goes over everything (so there isn't much point in buying matt nail polishes). However I haven't got a shade really like this and it was also only £1.50. A total bargain - but the whole George nail polish range at Asda is great. I'm also really into ''Mysterious' which just a normal fast drying nail polish - I would of shown you that as well however for some reason my camera likes to change certain purples into a royal blue colour! 

Twister on the other hand is true to colour - It really is a lovely nail polish that is opaque in one coat, however this doesn't last long on the nails. Maybe a day, a day and a bit if you are lucky. I'm guessing this is down to the nail polish being matte...it's still no excuse though. 
However the good thing about matt nail polishes is they can be reverted back into nice glossy nails with any top coat. 


Which is what you can see here on my index and ring fingers - just a normal clear top coat will do it. However be warned for some odd reason the fast drying type top coats don't seem to work, they just seem to sit there and don't dry. 
So for £1.50 it is quite a versatile nail polish.


Overall the matt range is worth a look - I think they currently have around 4 different matt shades all quite dark so perfect for Autumn/Winter and if you do find they chip too quickly for your liking you can always revert your nails back into glossy nails. 
 A really nice range. 

 
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Illamasqua Inspired New Hermetric Lipgloss

There seems to be so much talk of the upcoming Art of Darkness collection by Illamasqua and I have to say the collection looks very inspiring and creative, especially the promo images and all the different characters. My favourite being the Queen of the Gypsies. 

So alluring and quite sultry, my main attraction being the gilded skin and the almost venomous red lips. Also a look that that be translated into something quite sexy for A/W. 

However at first glance of the lovely Hermetric Intense lipgloss I knew I had a shade very similar in the form of a NYX Chrome Eyeshadow pigment as it really has that metallic element and richness to it, that I knew would be perfect. 


Now the Illamasqua Intense lipgloss' at £12.50 aren't that pricey really...however I know Hermetric isn't a shade I wouldn't be wearing that often as I am not that daring and of course £2.99 for a 2g eyeshadow that has a multitude of uses sounds alot better to me! Also having the added benefit of only mixing the lipgloss together when desired or making up a small pot of it.


As you can see the shade I mixed up isn't spot on but it does have the same qualities of the Hermetric Lipgloss, but to be honest I quite like my lighter version of it as it's that bit more wearable. However if you did want it even more similar you could always add the smallest amount of black pigment when mixing. 

The actual eyeshadow I used was the NYX Chrome Eyeshadow in Penny (17) which you can purchase from Fragrance Direct for £2.99. I have found these types of eyeshadows so so versatile - you can just use them as intended as an eyeshadow, you can apply them with a damp brush for a more intense look, you can use them as eyeliner, nail polish and ofcourse lipgloss. 
Your options are endless! 


So to mix the lipgloss, I simply use the back of my hand to work on (make sure you have some makeup remover to hand though). 
The bottom swatch is what the eyeshadow normally looks like if you are wondering. A really nice red/rusty metallic shade. 

Anyway, I first apply enough clear lipgloss on the back of the hand, I find only a small blob is actually enough and makes the lipgloss easier to apply, especially with it being a darker shade than most glossies. I then scoop up a generous amount of the eyeshadow and place it next to the clear gloss. The amount doesn't really matter as once you have mixed what you need to, you can just shake of the rest of the loose eyeshadow into a tissue or the sink. 

I then get onto mixing it - I just use a standard lip brush to pat the colour into the lipgloss and within seconds it will be looking as you wanted it to look. Really simple. 
Then you can just apply this to the lips. 
Ofcourse this all can be done in a little sample pot if you wanted more than just one application of it.


I also before applying the lipgloss lined my lips with a deep red lip liner just to give a sharper edge, I wouldn't normally do this with lipgloss however it is such a vivid colour that I thought it need to look that bit cleaner on the lips. 

Also as I mentioned before you can always deepened the shade with a darker pigment - here I just used a black pigment from Stargazer, again it cost me no more than £3.00.
However I wasn't feeling brave enough to show you all and to be honest I don't think I can pull a shade like that off! 

Really hoped you liked this as I know it's something that bit different for my blog. 
As always comments are appreciated!

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