Desi Girl Does Makeup

The Swatch Files: LA Colors eyeliner pencils in Black, Violet and Sky Blue

noreply@blogger.com (Rhamnousia @ Desi Girl Does Makeup) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:16:00 +0000

I can't help myself when it comes to buying eyeliner. I have about six million that I need to use up and still I buy more and more.

I bought these in the Autumn and I've been getting some good use out of them. I especially like the blue as it is one of the few bright blues that shows up well on my skin.

All three are pigmented and smudge out a treat. I find that the Black and Volet pencil glide on smoother than the Sky Blue one. Having said that, the Sky Blue one isn't a total pain!

Illamasqua Freak smells like..

noreply@blogger.com (Rhamnousia @ Desi Girl Does Makeup) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:05:00 +0000

I got a tiny sample of Illamasqua's Freak when I made my first ever Illamasqua order from their sale. It is probably the most complex perfume that I have ever introduced my nose to.

I can identify the smell immediately, although I'll leave that until the end of the post. Can you imagine a three liner post from me? It will never happen!

On a side note, I start this year with the sad realisation that I am once again abusing a member of the punctuation mark family. A few years ago, it was the comma. I've moved onto harder stuff now and it is exclamation marks that I'm mainlining (the line being my fingers and not veins). This is more than evident in the majority of my tweets. I don't know why it is, I'm just a highly exciteable person! (See, that was totally by accident).

Anyway, I got this vial and I really like the smell. It is like nothing else on the market at the moment and that is pretty much in keeping with what Illamasqua do.

The official notes are..

I on the other hand know exactly what it smells like. Old Indian grandmas at the Gurdwara. If you think I'm joking, smell this and then go smelling an old bibi at the Gurdwara. The funny thing is, it smells nothing like a bibi (the Punjabi word for grandma) when she's at home. I don't know why that is.

In that way, it's a really comforting smell because it reminds me of both of my grandmothers. I don't think I could carry off this scent as I feel it's a bit too mature for me but my grandmother is loving it. That alone makes me laugh a bit, I bet she is in no way Illamasqua's target audience yet she cannot get enough of the perfume.

Illamasqua describe it as being a concoction of dangerously exotic unconventional flowers.. I told my grandma this and she remarked that it sounded just like her. I had to laugh as she explained how she was dangerous (when she lived in India, she had a stand-off with a monkey who kept ripping the tyres on my uncle's bike..on more than one ocassion..) And as for the exotic part, she's brown, how much more exotic can you get?

It also made me laugh a bit that Illamasqua market themselves as quite an edgy brand yet this gives me that feeling you get when you put on a pair of freshly ironed (still warm) trousers or when you wrap yourself in a blanket that's just come out of the tumble drier.

The full sized bottle looks something like this..

I applaud Illamasqua for being able to make a perfume bottle that not only stands out but also isn't difficult to display on your dressing table. I've seen some very "original" designs recently and although they look nice, they're not really very practical and the last thing you want is for your lovely bottle of perfume to slip out of your hands and smash into a million pieces.

The full sized bottle retails for £59.00, available from their website.

A Revlon Haul

noreply@blogger.com (Rhamnousia @ Desi Girl Does Makeup) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:55:00 +0000

In Boots at the moment, they have certain Revlon products on sale for £5.00.

As far as I'm aware, it's on all mascaras and eyeliners and then on the lip stains. I'm a bit confused by the whole affair though as when I checked online a few weeks ago, it was also on some lipsticks. Now it seems to have been scaled back to only what I've mentioned above. Online, they're still showing as in the promotion but it's not the same story in store.

I bought the following for a total of £20. I've not heard much about the Just Bitten lip stains so I did a very un-beauty blogger thing and bought blind. I've used the Grow Luscious mascara before (and I love it) but have yet to use the matching pencil.

Does anyone have any experience of the lip stains? Anyone planning on picking some bits up? I was quite surprised that they were reduced by so much as we seldom get these kinds of deals in the UK. The Boots page for the promo is here..

New things from The Body Shop

noreply@blogger.com (Rhamnousia @ Desi Girl Does Makeup) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 11:09:00 +0000

I got a surprise parcel from The Body Shop the other day, a parcel that Simon only told me about at about half eleven. I'm sure that there is grounds enough to bring an action for negligence..

The cardboard box itself was a lovely near midnight olfactory treat and the new products were also rather nice.

A bar of chocolate was also included and until last night, I had never tried chocolate that I didn't like. This one was the worst I have ever eaten. It was dark chocolate (never a win in my book) but the combination of dark chocolate and ginger just made it taste like it was medicinal. Can you imagine a chocolate that made you better? And was prescribed on the NHS? That'd cure depression a treat!

I gave th bar of chocolate to my dad who loves it. But he's the kind of person who is happy with a tub of Liquorice Allsorts so take from that what you will.

Anyway, enough yapping! Here's what was in the magic box..

Heart shaped chocolate smelling exfoliant soap, what isn't to love?!

I've opened only the chocolate lipbalm and it smells absolutely gorgeous, I'm definitely going to use it, even though it comes in pot form..

I really want to get the Pomegranate balm..even moreso after reading this about it..

If that isn't me in a sentence then I don't know what is!

Instead, I got plum..

And check the colour of my new ostentatious bedsheets, yeah, you know my bedsheet swag is on point!

I used to think that the lipbalms were expensive but the sticks are £3.50 and the tubs are only £2.00 which isn't bad at all! I can't find the range on the website yet, which is understandable as these are new things but they should be hitting shelves and stores next month!

New Year's Resolutions

noreply@blogger.com (Rhamnousia @ Desi Girl Does Makeup) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 11:46:00 +0000

I don't make many of these but this year I've decided that it's time to stop being so sloppy.

My resolutions are simple in nature..

Wear some form of makeup every day. This is really simple, I do go through phases of putting a full face on but then I get bored very quickly. So far this year, I've worn a decent amount everyday. I think the trick is to get products that you can slap on quickly and actually make a difference to how you look. The problem is finding those little shits. I've finally found my ones and have been using them since I went back to work last week.
Make some effort with my hair. You all know by now that my hair is curly. I swear I say that more than I think I should. I usually straighten it for work as it is easier to manage..although the recent spate of winds we've had have tried to put an end to that. What I really need is to find some decent styles that I can wear to work, I should Google some actually, that'd be a start. When my mane is curly, I just pin it back and it looks quite nice so that's sorted.
Tweee my brows. Don't get me wrong here, I'm a threader and will be one until I'm too old to take the pain. What I mean here is that I will tweeze between threading so that I don't have to go so often. I always mean to do this but it never happens.

If by some small miracle I actually manage to do all three of these, maybe I'll look presentable around 70% of the time!

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Rhamnousia @ Desi Girl Does Makeup) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 14:18:00 +0000

To everyone who happens to come across this blog post, I wish you all a Happy New Year!

I won't go through the usual "make this year count" bollocks because I don't think you can control that. I thought 2010 would be my year but 2011 was the making of me.

The main things I learnt this year were..

Do not underestimate the value of your family. Family>money any day of the week. Don't get me wrong, fancy things are nice but a designer handbag is no solace if you have no-one to ramble about it to, yeah, I'm talking about you Mon. My family make me the person I am and I like to think that I have a hand in their successes *ahem*.

When shit goes wrong, let it go wrong. Good comes from bad!

When things are going well, ENJOY THEM!!

If a blue eyed, blonde haired man asks for your hand in marriage, you say yes.

Don't ever change who you are! This isn't just something from this year, it's something I've done my entire life. Being the frizzy haired girl with a laugh like Muttley has served me well so far so long shall it continue. If you change yourself to get a man (as I was told to do many times) then the man will fall for the person you're pretending to be then you're fucked once you get married.

The only thing I will be working on is trying to not get stressed as quickly as I do as that is firstly not good for me and secondly it's not good for people around me.

Anyone else got any resolutions?

The Illamasqua Christmas Sale: What I bought

noreply@blogger.com (Rhamnousia @ Desi Girl Does Makeup) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 23:13:00 +0000

Whenever I go to Oxford Street (be it to go swatch mad on makeup or to pick up some bits for the flat/house), I meander on down to Liberty and now on down to the Illamasqua flagship store on Beak Street.

As I tend to hit this shop after I'm practically shopped out at Selfridges, John Lewis, Debenhams, HoF and Liberty, I get a bit of fatigue on only test out things that really jump out at me. The only thing that annoys me is that they store all the products upside down which makes it hard to swatch them in a rush.

The Illamasqua sale is a proper sale. You can pick up a lot of things for £5 (cream shadows, false lashes, nail polish etc..)

This is what I got from the Illamasqu sale..8 things for a very decent £45.

I got three cream eyeshadows (Malevolvent, Debauch and Peak) which I will either use as such or to add a bit of colour to my lower (or upper) lashline. I was going to buy an apricot shade to use as a blusher but after seeing the consistency of these, I'm glad I didn't as I don't think they have enough slip to be used in that way..but then I might be wrong.

I also got a set of three liquid metals for the bargain price of £10, each usually retail for £17.50. They also smell nice and sweet..kind of like those Rusk biscuits and a bit like cocoa butter.

The final two things are eyeliner pencils. One is a thin pencil (Eerie..which is black) and a fat pencil (Fickle). Eerie looks furry and I don't think that's right.

Anyone else found any bargains? I wanted to buy so much but have been behaving myself so this is it for me so far. I might get a perfume from L'artisan Parfumeur but that is about it. Well..and a Matalan order but I think that really is it!

You can check the sale out here.

Merry (early) Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Rhamnousia @ Desi Girl Does Makeup) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 08:34:00 +0000

Now I know that today is NOT Christmas, you can't even really call it Christmas Eve Eve Eve although technically, that is what it is.

The first thing I'd like to say is that this year has really flown by. It feels like only three months ago that I was writing my Christmas post for 2010. Clearly, it has been 11 and a bit months.

2011 was a very good year for me, the highlight of which was getting married (in New York no less) to my gorgeous husband. A husband who is as near to perfect a man I could have wished for. Our relationship is not perfect, but then who wants perfect?! We're still in the flat and I do love it here as it is really convenient. I do realise how lucky we are that the flat is in Zone 1 and that we aren't renting it but I still want a townhouse. But then I've wanted a townhouse since I was 17.. I'm a lot closer to having it now than I was then and one day soon, it will be mine!

As you can tell, I'm in a very good mood whilst writing this..finally in the festive spirit! Spirit being the key word as the drinks trolley made its rounds today at work. The only time of year when it comes around on a day that is not Friday.. I was on the sauce at work and I've had a few JD and Cokes since I've been home.

I've been told that we usually get to go home early on Christmas Eve but seeing as this year, that falls on a Saturday, we're not sure what time we finish on Friday. However, we can wear what we like and we can drink all day..which is a-ok with me!

Remember this time last year? I do because it snowed and I had to bring the turkey home on the frigging bus! Bringing a turkey for 20 people home on the bus is NOT fun.

This Christmas at my house (it is mine whilst my parents are away as I'm the oldest child..) is going to be a very simple affair. Last year it was a larger affair as there were twenty people present but this year it will only be me, my brother and my husband. It still feels strange calling him that..when people ask me about my "husband", I give them a blank stare before realising that I am indeed past the strage of bethrothal and that I do come with a husband as standard.

So..why is this message coming out early?

Many reasons..the main one being that I've neglected this blog over the past few months..I can't say why as the matter I'm working on at work is confindential (and it is SO hard to keep my mouth shut) but all will come out eventually. In fact, some is already out..

As I am solely in charge of the Christmas dinner this year (as my mum, dad and youngest brother are in America), I've been run off my feet. The stress of feeding three people so much food is nearly too much to take.

My brother has brought the turkey home, I've been carting the veg etc.. home from work. We're all but done now. I want a Christmas ham which I will pick up tomorrow but I'm not sure as our turkey will feed eight people and with the rest of the fam back on the day after Boxing Day, it might go to waste (although food seldom goes to waste in my house..)

My youngest brother is, as I mentioned, in America and is getting daily emails from me about what I'd like. I've told him to steer clear of stuff I can get here as the exchange rate is not too good. He's bought me everything I've asked for so far so I'll be buying him a watch in the sales this year. I've told him to not take advantage of my good nature but he's my brother so he'll get the best watch I can afford.

Talking of sales, I'm a bit concerned about the economy. In years past when I've rushed to John Lewis/Selfridges after work to get some last minute presents, it has been heaving. I went today and it was totally not busy. I've seen some nice things in the River Island sale but me and my middle brother need to have a tete a tete about things and make one combined order.

That just adds to my theory that things are too expensive! I remember the days when the January sales actually started in January! I might chance it and go to Harrods, Selfridges and Harvey Nicks but I'm not sure as I'll just waste money on stuff I won't even use. I bought one thing in the sales last year and I've not even worn that so the lesson there is to be more selective.

Having said that, I treated myself to a Balenciaga bag the other day and I can stuff so much into it which is brilliant. However, this does not mean that I'm totally happy as the next thing I need to buy is a decent leather purse which is what I'll be getting in the sales.

That reminds me, when did New Look make their sizes so big?! I bought a size 14 top the other day and it is huuuuuuge on me. I might just wear it as slouchy as I don't have the time or inclination to return it again.

Going back to the sales, I've been cheeky and taken next week off work. One day I need to pick my parents up, three days I will go sale shopping and one day I will help my brother move into his new place. Then back to work..when two weeks later, we'll see Easter Eggs in the supermarkets..

With regards to presents, I know that I am already getting the NARS Danmari palette and some new Uggs. I haven't really asked for much but I will be buying a laptop in the sales. My dad, however, is convinced he will buy this for me but I won't let him. He's also told us that his gift this year is "a gift for the family"..which is something I cannot wait to see, how has he managed to buy ONE THING that will be universally acccepted by a makeup lover, a techy bod, an MMA nut and my mum is beyond me... I've tried guessing but I guess we'll find out come the day after Boxing Day. He's locked his office and hidden the key so I can't snoop either, boo!

That's enough rambling for now..

This message has gone "live" whilst I'm at work..probably looking for my NYE outfit. This year I'm going to an unofficial Back to School: 2001 rave and I can't wait, I've not heard any decent garage music for ages!

So..

M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S ! ! !

To everyone who comes across this post, be you a long time reader, first time reader or one of the non beauty blogging people who follow me on Twitter (because I'm all eclectic and shit) then I wish you all a Merry Christmas and fantastic New Year! If you're feeling a bit crappy now then remember that things can only get better!

They say simple things please simple minds: Woods of Windsor soaps

noreply@blogger.com (Rhamnousia @ Desi Girl Does Makeup) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 21:40:00 +0000

I was invited to an event last weekend but due to someone shrinking all of my work trousers, I had to do an emergency trouser shop. That resulted in me missing the event and also buying more tops than trousers.

The event was for Yardley and Woods of Windsor..I loved the event they put on before and thus my annoyance at the trouser shrinker was palpable.

Anyway, I was sent a range of products by both Yardley and Woods of Windsor and the packaging of the soaps has really won me over. These are right up my street and I would love to receive something wrapped in a similar fashion for Christmas.

I've sepia-d this photo up because I wanted to add an air of "mystery" to their actual colouring. Seriously, I've never been this impressed with packaging before. I LOVE the prints on the packaging and the smells are gorgeous.

I only got these on Saturday and despite having a queue of posts lined up, this jumped ahead of all of them as I was that impressed by the packaging.

Have a look...

My photographs do the packaging no justice, they really are gorgeous. If I have time to take them in decent enough lighting, I'll add some more to this post.

Now, let me tell you about Spiced Vanilla. This is a scent that I have been trying to track down for years. It is the scent of Christmas for me, it smells exactly like my childhood home used to. We haven't been able to replicate that smell since my parents moved. I'm convinced that that is because we were in that house for 12 years and my parents have moved twice since I was 19. Now I've found this scent, I am going to try and find a candle that replicates this smell.

Also, Sweet Fig and Pomegranate is the smell of my mum. You know when you hug your mum and you get that "mum smell" from her? She smells exactly like Sweet Fig and Pomegranate. It's the kind of smell that is very hard to capture in a manufactured scent, it's just my mum's smell.

These soaps all smell gorgeous, not synthetic at all which is something that I always welcome. The Spiced Vanilla one smells the strongest but they all have their individual scents. The scent of Sweet Fig and "Mum" is a bit weaker

I'm very against things that are faux old school. You can't successfully make something new look like it's old. The packaging design seems to have an authenticity to it, you can tell they haven't just switched to this packaging because vintage is currently en vogue. To me, the clue is personally in the colours they've used.. The designs look almost Victorian to me but then I'm not hot on my period pieces.

If you're looking for an alternative to burning scented candles/using room sprays or those diffuser sticks that are en vogue at the moment, then you could unwrap one of these soaps and they'd easily scent the room. Mine have been resting in different rooms in the flat (still wrapped) and they've scented the rooms up nicely.

Each retails for £4.95..have a look at the rest of the range here..

And "they" who are featured in the title of this post can jog right on!

NEW: Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

noreply@blogger.com (Rhamnousia @ Desi Girl Does Makeup) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:40:00 +0000

On the same day that Kourtney Kardashian announced that she was expecting a baby, I heard that Urban Decay were also expecting a sibling for their famous Naked palette. Kourtney's baby will be welcomed in the new year whereas Urban Decay's child is expected much quicker. In fact, if you sign up to their mailing list, you'll be emailed details about it tomorrow.

As I don't live in America, I assume the UK will have to wait a few months longer than our American counterparts..

When Urban Decay came out with their Naked palette last year, us makeup addicts went mad. I missed out on it three times and have only recently picked it up. I tend to tell people that I'm over it and that I don't use it that much but I realised over the last week that I am nearly always reaching for it in some way or another..

I'm also glad I bought it because it's a great all in one palette. I can get a smokey eye, three or four neutral eyes, an eye suitable for Indian functions and then some from one palette. It's the only palette I will be taking to America with me.

These are the shots I've found of the new palette..

Shades from L-R:

Foxy, Half Baked, Bootycall, Chopper (I have this as a single and I LOVE it), Tease, Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol, Verve, YDK, Busted, Blackout.

Some rudimentary swatches:

The photographs in this post are from the Urban Decay Facebook and Twitter pages so it's official!

Will this palette be a big a hit as the original Naked? Will Kourtney's baby be cuter than Mason? Will anyone be buying this when it comes out?

FOTD: Bright lip city gonna set my soul on fire!

noreply@blogger.com (Rhamnousia @ Desi Girl Does Makeup) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:52:00 +0000

I've been going through a bright lip phase at the moment which is something that I never thought I'd be doing. These colours aren't fantastically bright but they're bright enough to allow me to strike the balance between bright and work appropriate.

My lips are pigmented and the top lip is darker than the bottom. All three of these products mask that problem and apply uniformly to both lips. The Korres tub is standard lipbalm size, the ELF tub really is that big.

1) ELF's Studio Conditioning Lip Balm SPF 15 in Bombshell Brown.

The swatch is a bit dodgy on the lower lip because I was thinking..and when I think, I bite my lip. This is most pigmented lipbalm I've ever seen. It is practically a lipstick in creamy liquid form. It applies like a dream, moisturises the lips and has a sweet scent and taste to it. I can't put my finger on exactly what the scent is but it definitely has hints of vanilla. I asked Simon if he could guess the scent and well..one night he guessed vanilla and the next night he guessed coconut. Make of that what you will. For £3.50, you can't ask for much more. Well, you could. The only thing I'd ask for would be for ELF to make this exact product into a lipstick.

And yes, I have applied the fade filter to the top photo as I had a massive spot that people don't need to be seeing. And that bump is from a scratch..

2) Korres Lip Butter in Pomegranate.

I reviewed this here and it has only recently made a comeback as I've been working through my lipbalm stash. It also packs a fair amount of pigment for a balm and that's why I like it, dual purpose! This is slightly costlier than the ELF one, coming in at £6. I'm going to buy more of these to use as bright lip colours, I've got my eye on Wild Rose, Quince and Mango. And maybe Plum.

I apply both the Korres and ELF products with a concealer brush. No technical reason for that really, I just haven't found a lip brush that I like yet. The concealer brush lets me build up the colour and smooth it out in a way that I can't do with fingers. Plus, I hate dipping my fingers into things as not only is it unhygienic, it's also annoying.

3) Revlon's Stormy Pink.

My favourite High Street pink for women of colour. It's been reviewed and swatched here before. It looks blue based and so I've decided that blue based pinks are the ones that work best on my skintone. It's matte but I pair it up with a lipgloss and we're onto a winner. In the photo I'm wearing a Stila Lip Glaze (Brown Sugar) but I wear it with a standard clear gloss too. I got my Lip Glaze at the Stila sample sale for a fiver. I would no way pay the full £15 for it as they are very sheer and don't really show up on pigmented lips. The lipstick will set you back about £7.

The eye I wear is very simple, it's my beloved MEL B shadow, No7 Fawn which I am sure has been discontinued..

I tend to wear it with just eyeliner in the waterline and no mascara as my recent mascara tends to keep on smearing against my glasses and that frustrates me.

I posted before about bright lips, the lipstick I used here was another Revlon one. I have to hand it to Revlon, they really know how to make flattering shades for darker skintones (most of the time..Smoked Peach, I'm looking at you!)

Anyone else out there embracing brighter colours as the days get shorter and colder?

NARS Albatross: A review, a swatch, a quote from Coleridge and a ramble.

noreply@blogger.com (Rhamnousia @ Desi Girl Does Makeup) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:47:00 +0000

Poetry from a post about cosmetics, what more could you want?

I don't even know where to begin with this post. If you've come here looking for rhyme and reason, you will be disappointed. But then people who have read this blog before know that I don't adhere to structures very well.

Anyway, N-N-N-NARS Albatross. A darling of the makeup world. Everyone loves it. Just like everyone loves YSL's Touche Eclat..which I found to be a bit crap. But then I only used shade 3 as when I had it, they only had three shades. I might venture back actually.. But then whenever I go to the YSL counter, I fall in love with their cream blushers..which are a very expensive lover.

Getting back to Albatross; it just looked like a white eyeshadow to me. I swatched it countless times and it was just a chalky white mess on my finger and it would never blend out.

Then came my Albatross watershed moment. I saw this lovely lady wearing it and harangued her into telling me what it was that had given her cheek the kind of sheen that I'd never been able to find. She told me it was the famous Albatross..

Now I'm not one to jump on a bandwagon..the only wagon I jumped on with wild abandon was Barry M's Instant Nail Effects. I can count on the fingers on one hand the amount of times I've used that polish.

Months went by and then I went to India to pick up things for my cousin's wedding. I also found my own desi wedding dress which is perfect, it's as if someone knew I was going to this shop and made a dress that would be perfect for me.

Whilst I was in India, I got an email about a 25% off code from HQHair.. Well, you know what happens. You call your husband and tell him to order makeup for you. It was waiting for me when I got back. I'd say that I was more excited to see this than Simon but that'd be a lie and I'm not that coldhearted.

Look at all that highlighter-y goodness!

So, does it live up to the hype?

Hell yes.

It looks like a cheap white eyeshadow when you dab your finger in it but it transforms once you've got it on your cheeks. I have been looking super glowy ever since I got back from India and I'll be looking glowy until it runs out!

I'm using my Revlon blush brush but I'd suggest getting a kabuki. I did have a kabuki but a rogue dog decided to chew it. It's alright though, I know where this dog lives. I dab my brush into it once and that's enough for one cheek. If you swirl it then you're asking for trouble as I did that the very first time I used it and I had to remove it and re-apply.

If you don't have a brush then you could just use your fingers..

Where do I use it?

The cheeks

Although it looks nice on its own, I think that to get the best from it, you should layer it over another blusher. I tend to layer it over blushers with little shimmer in them. I know it's hard finding a decent matte blusher so I use the next best thing.

It costs £20.50 which is quite costly for a highlighter but believe me, I was totally converted once I used it myself..and it's sold in a lot of online shops and they often have codes flying about the place. If you're hesitant, I'd suggest going to a decent NARS concession (the people on the Selfridges one in London are fantastic) and asking them to apply it on you. Then check it in both indoor and outdoor light to see how you look.

I have the standard complaints about the rubberised packaging but I don't think NARS will change it anytime soon. Mine looked mucky the very first time I touched it and I've given up trying to keep it neat and tidy.

PS, did anyone else study the The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Coleridge at school? That's the only thing I can think about whenever anyone mentions the word albatross, mainly because the poem says..

"Water, water, every where,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink."

I always think of the line "water water everywhere, nor any drop to drink" whenever someone mentions NARS Albatross. This is because after we studied this poem, I went on the Windsor boat ride thing with my family. My brother (who at the time was 10) kept whinging about being thirsty. My dad told him to drink some of the water from the river and I piped with up that line and explained what it meant (that you'd go mad if you drank sea water). My dad's reply to this was something along the lines of me not having to worry about that seeing as I was already mad enough as it was..which was nice.

And if they had the NARS version of Albatross on board then atleast they'd have made pretty corpses..and I doubt they'd have gone mad..unless they caught highlighter induced hysteria, which is a very real thing as it's the reason behind this post.

PS, if you want to buy it then it's available direct from the NARS site but their delivery costs are £6 which is a lot more than I'd like to pay. You can also pick it up from HQHair where delivery is free!

EOTD: I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse

noreply@blogger.com (Rhamnousia @ Desi Girl Does Makeup) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 10:34:00 +0000

This look was the result me having too long to get ready. I was dressed before I knew it and then I faffed around with eye makeup, using three shadows to create this very standard look. But you know what happens to me, I practice in my own time but when it comes to wearing it out, I fall back onto looks I know I can pull off, just in case something goes wrong.

The liner here is not an angled wing as I feel that looks harsh on me sometimes..and I have finally managed it to look even on both eyes..

I like the way this manages to make my eyes look brighter..not not too stark, and how the eyeliner vamps it up a bit.

You'll probably have to really stare to see the three colours I've used but they are there, one for the inner corner, one for the lid and one over the crease coming inwards.

These are the products I used..

As per usual, I used my "go to" brushes which are from Models Own and ELF.

I used my second base as I call it (the No7 shadow) all over the lid, the Wet n Wild shadow was from Tesco for about £2 and it formed the lid cover and the Urban Decay shadow is Sin which I find is similar to the glitterbomb that is Midnight Cowboy but applies easier.

I concentrated the glitter on the middle and inner part of the eye because I wanted a bit of the crease to be defined.

The final shadow touch was adding my second base to darker the crease, i.e. take away some of the glitter.

Collection 2000 pencil in the waterline and the Active liquid liner on the upper lid. I am going to find that Active liner again as it was one of the best ones I've ever used. It's trumped any that I've used since it finished. The mascara is Maybelline's Falsies which I didn't like at first as it clumped like hell. I finished the tube the other day and it only started applying without clumps when it was near the end. Not a repurchase!

The title of this post is in homage to these Godfather socks that Simon got..

I honestly thought that "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse" meant that you'd be an idiot to turn the offer down as it was too good. The analogy I always use is ten pairs of shoes for £100 which would be a bloody bargain. I didn't realise it meant "accept the offer or I will kill you". They say the Mafia are all about subtlety but that isn't subtle..it's confusing if anything. And plus, you could just whisper that you're going to kill them if they don't agree, that's subtle. Simon loves telling people that I misunderstood this, as if he's never gotten anything wrong in his life.

Also, I've only noticed this now but if you look at my eye from the left hand side lower lashline counter clockwise around to the left hand side of the upper lashline, my eye looks positively fishy in shape. Is that a desired eye shape? Fishy? I wonder if that'd ever take off..they've got feline, why not diversify into fish?

Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Makeup Remover v Boots Botanics Organic Face Nourishing Eye Makeup Remover

noreply@blogger.com (Rhamnousia @ Desi Girl Does Makeup) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 11:46:00 +0000

I bought both Boots Botanics eye makeup removers recently as a weak justification for spending £30 on a night cream. A night cream which is now currently retailing for £20.

I wore a full eye of makeup a few Sundays ago when I first tried both of these out. A full eye of makeup for me is primer, shadow one, shadow two, shadow three, mascara (two coats), clear mascara, liquid/gel liner and pencil liner. I fully utilise the lower lashline when it comes to application so there was makeup wherever my eye could take it.

My eyes are notoriously sensitive to any liquid that isn't water. I get along with cream cleansers just fine but I'm yet to find a liquid remover that doesn't sting me. I wear contact lens to work most of the time so I don't want something that will aggravate my eyes moreso when I get home.

I've tested both Boots Botanics removers solidly for three weeks, varying my eye makeup from full on to bare minimum (mascara) and this is my verdict.

Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Makeup Remover

I tend to gauge whether a liquid remover will sting me by having a smell. If it smells sharp then I assume it will sting...and I've been proved right in the past. This smells of nothing so I was placated on that front.

I always thought this was just a standard liquid remover but it's actually made up of two parts, a green oily part and a clear liquidy part. You shake the bottle to mix them and then you're good to go.

The first time I used it, I found the neck of the bottle was a bit oily..that's to be expected as the bottle is really full and some of the remover comes out after you've shaken it.

There are a lot of bubbles in this product..that's not a negative but it is something I wasn't expecting.

You don't need to soak your cotton wool pad, just tip some of the product out, hold it on your eye for a few minutes and swipe to remove.

I find that it doesn't penetrate the cotton wool so don't be alarmed if you've tipped some out but the pad still feels dry, it is definitely on there and ready for business.

When I've got time, I put the pads over my eyes, relax and let the remover do its work. Most of the time however, I just soak the pad, put it on my closed eye and tap my fingers over my eyes and lashes. This removes the makeup effortlessly. I don't need to tug or swipe, it just slips off.

I've read a lot concerns about this product finishing too quickly and I don't agree. I am on week 3 of using this and I've used up about two inches or so (I'm just under where it says "All Skin Types" on the bottle). I have used it seven days a week and I've been removing a fair bit of makeup each day.

It removes every tiny bit of makeup from my eyes. I've never had to go back over to get some shimmer or some mascara residue.

The contents settle back into two halves very quickly so if you're wearing a super heavy smokey eye then it might be worth it to pre-soak the pads and then get to work. I find that this is easier than reshaking and applying to pads as you go. I know this sounds a bit stupid but when you're tired the last thing you want to do is extra faff. Plus, if they're pre-soaked, you know exactly where to put the next pad. Try it yourself when you're tired and you'll see what I mean.

Boots Botanics Organic Face Nourishing Eye Makeup Remover

I think the name for this is too long. But then I can only see one word you could really remove (face)..and does that make so much of a difference?

I don't really lean towards organic products as I feel if it it works, it works. Tomorrow's another day and all that jazz and I'll deal with those problems then..which might be short sighted but that's the kind of person I am.

The consistency of this is like a thick-ish gel. It is yellow in colour as it contains olive oil. It also smells a bit like olive oil.

I don't feel that this is a "luxurious eye makeup remover", I get a a greater sense of luxury from the Soothing alternative.

I find the directions a bit odd, it clearly states to avoid direct contact with eyes..a bit difficult if it's an eye makeup remover? I'm sure a lot of people wear colour on their waterline so they'd be unable to use it..

You need to massage this into your eyelids, add water to turn it into a gel and then remove everything with a wet cotton wool pad. Bit of a faff compared to the Soothing Eye Makeup Remover.

As you massage this in, it moves your makeup around and I find that I often have bits of eyeshadow left around my eyes when I've washed it all away. Not massive amounts but slight sparkle from my eyeshadows? So in that respect, it doesn't really remove well..

As it contains olive oil and is nourishing, it leaves behind a film which you need to wash off. That alone is no problem for me, I always wash my face after the makeup removal process.

This was sadly, a letdown. It has a tendency to sting me whenever I use it. I tested it out over a week just in case it was me and every single time I used it, it stung me. The odd thing is that it always stung alternative eyes.

It also gave me clouded vision for a while which is quite inconvenient. I build up how much I use and sadly, the amount I need to use makes my eyes sting. Thus, I'm stuck in a Catch 22, if I don't use enough, I get some makeup left on my eyes and if I use as much as is needed, my eyes sting.

Which is better?
The Soothing Eye Makeup Remover is now my HG remover, it gets rid of everything, is cheap and doesn't sting. Plus you don't need a lot to get a full eye of makeup off. It makes my skin feel slightly oily but I wash my face after makeup remover anyway so that's not an issue.

It's quite an aboutface for me..I thought the gel one would be fantastic and the liquid one would sting.. This is why it pays to have an open mind!

Price wise, the Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Makeup Remover is £3.05 whereas the Face Nourishing Eye Makeup Remover is £4.07 (the price point for a lot of their organic products). Skincare in Boots is currently on 3 for 2 which goes part way to explaining why I've had to move a lot of my old face washes to the shower.

Brands and the social media demon that is Twitter..

noreply@blogger.com (Rhamnousia @ Desi Girl Does Makeup) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:51:00 +0000

I joined Twitter ages ago and set about following the bloggers who I spoke to and those who had blogs that interested me. Along the way I also started following brands that I liked and interested me as I thought they'd tweet things that were useful for those interested in their brands.

Unfortunately, this was not the case. Now, I'm writing this post solely about the beauty brands that I follow, I don't know if y front brands, candle brands or trouser brands do the same kind of thing. Come to think of it, are there brands that solely make y fronts or trousers?

Anyway, I don't think certain brands have realised how best to use Twitter/what Twitter is there for.

This is my list of what I feel brands should/shouldn't do on Twitter..and as I'm the consumer, I think I'm well within my rights to ask this of brands.

Don't be a seasonal user. If you've gone to the effort to show that you move with the times and you have a Twitter account, don't just spam your followers when you want to whip up publicity about a giveaway/promotion. Use Twitter as often as you can! Consumers are using Twitter more and more to get a quick answer from brands, what's the point of having Twitter if you use it once in a blue moon? I think it's better to not even join Twitter in the first place if you're going to do that as it just looks like you don't commit otherwise.
Engage with those who buy your products. If people are buying products for your brand, they're essentially paying your wages and effectively they're paying you to tweet. The least you can do is answer them when they have a question. If they have a blog and want to post about your product then don't ignore them.
Engage with those who are sent your products as PR samples. There's no denying that blogs influence a great deal of purchases that are made. If you've sent someone your item and they ask you for some extra information, the least you can do is share the information with them. They are after all advertising your product for free.
Rise above it. Consumers get mad. It's a fact of life. I went apeshit at T-Mobile a few weeks ago (with good reason) and their tweeter was still polite..not very helpful but still remained polite. Don't go apeshit and a consumer with an issue because the chances are that someone somewhere will see your tweet and retweet it before you've calmed down and had the chance to delete it. And one bit of bad publicity can turn a lot of consumers off.
Show a bit of personality. Engage with those that follow you and are consumers. There a few PR companies and brands who are fantastic at this, one in particular who I'm always tweeting whenever The Godfather is on TV.
Don't spam your users by overusing the retweet function. You want to show off how the people love your brand. That's understandable. What I can't tolerate (and has caused me to unfollow this brand) is when a brand constantly searches Twitter to sweep up any mention of their brand and then retweets this to their followers. And this is all they tweet. I don't really care if people think your brand is great. I'm following you because I want to know what you're doing.
Follow back. If someone is tweeting you constantly and you're replying to their tweets, I think it's only common courtesy to follow them back. Plus, it's easier on you because you can see their tweets in your timeline.
Address criticism. If someone bought your product and has an issue with it and they tweet you about it, don't ignore them. Give them suggestions re. how they could use it better/offer them a replacement. It's totally true that people are more likely to discuss bad customer service over good. I'm not saying offer them a replacement just because the product doesn't work. If the product is broken (e.g. a shattered eyeshadow) then a replacement builds goodwill and that person is more likely to tell someone else.
Stop telling your followers to constantly like your Facebook page. If someone follows you Twitter, them not liking you on Facebook is not the end of the world. There are people who use Facebook but not Twitter and vice versa. As long as you have the alternative channels there for people, they'll find you.
Don't ask if you can't take the answer. If you ask your followers a question, don't ignore them when they answer you. One brand in particular is really bad at this and I no longer follow them because of it.

Review: The Body Shop's Aloe Vera Protective Serum

noreply@blogger.com (Rhamnousia @ Desi Girl Does Makeup) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:14:00 +0000

Earlier this year, my skin went really dodgy. I don't know what happened to it but it went from being combination to really really dry. Nothing I did was good enough until I bought Garnier's toner (reviewed here) and The Body Shop's Aloe Vera Protective Serum.

I tried tonnes of moisturisers that promised to inject some moisture back in but none of them did anything so I went on the hunt for something new. I saw this in The Body Shop and was sold as soon as it said it reinforced your natural shield.

I bought it..used it and saw a difference after the first couple of days. I don't believe that it gives your skin extra moisture, I think it just locks in the moisture you already have..that's what I'm lead to believe from the blurb on it.

You don't need to use a lot of it either, just a thin layer under your face cream. Don't put too much on as otherwise I found it did nothing and you greased up really quickly.

When I thought it'd done its job, I put it away..

Now the weather has turned again and I've taken it out. I don't have much left and I really wanted to finish it before throwing it away.

This is where my complaint comes in. I have had this since about February/March time. The little "use by" box says that once this is opened, it will last for 12 months. It has already gone off. How do I know this? It doesn't smell like it used to. It had a gentle scent to it before that you could barely sniff out but now it smells like freshly paint wood and that smell is really potent.

Me being a div, decided to carry on using it as it was nearly finished. Big mistake. I've got some annoying spots on my forehead and on my cheeks and I know it is because of this as nothing else has changed. Well, one thing changed but that was weeks before I started using this again.

In conclusion, it does work but be sure to use it up continuously after you've opened it because it goes off fast. I'm not sure why it went off though, I don't recall it having something special seal that I broke? Maybe it's because I'd used the pump action. I can't even type the words pump action without laughing.

Anyway, if your skin is really dry and nothing seems to work, this definitely helps. It costs £10 and is available from The Body Shop.

Review: DHC Deep Cleansing Oil

noreply@blogger.com (Rhamnousia @ Desi Girl Does Makeup) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 09:13:00 +0000

Cleansing oils are something of a novelty in Rhamnousia world. I've only ever seen Japanese brands championing these and I wish we had more readily available in the UK. The one that I've heard the most about is DHC's Deep Cleansing Oil.

The basic premise behind these is that they cleanse your skin, hence the name "cleansing oil". Now my skin is combination and putting oil on it is not something that I thought I'd ever do. I researched it and read many a review where combination skinned people had found oil to be a beneficial cleanser.

To me, it smells a bit like olive oil, but it feels a lot more liquid than oil. I don't know how a light oil is formulated..you obviously can't mix it with water.

There is something very comforting about massaging this oil into your skin. I think it's because I spend those ten or so minutes all by myself, locked in the bathroom, alone with my thoughts. I don't know why but I always stare at myself in the mirror and think about things.

I don't use it on my eyes as the instructions state to keep it away from eyes. I have no problems using something else for my eyes and then this for my face.

I use this both when I'm wearing a full face of makeup and also when I'm not. On both occassions it works fantastically.

I apply it to dry skin, massage it in and watch it blur my makeup off. I then add water which emulsifies the oil. I rinse it all off and then I'm done.

It manages to make my skin feel nice and soft once it has removed my makeup and I can often go without a night cream afterwards. However, I have been using Olay's Renewing Night Elixir and that is doing only good things.

I can get carried away and if I use too much, it does make my skin feel tight. My skin is combination so if you have normal skin, I'd suggest using just one pump for your whole face..and if your skin is dry, using a little less. DHC suggest that this product is suitable for all skin types.

I have been using the product for two steady months now and I'm just about half way through it.

The best thing about this product is that you can buy it in different sizes. The 30 ml bottle costs £3.50, the 70ml costs £9.50 and the 200 ml costs £18.50. They can all be bought directly from DHC. I signed up to their newsletter ages ago and whenever they send you a catalogue through the post, they send little packet samples which are a great way to introduce yourself to the brand.

Models Own Beetlejuice Collection: Released today!

noreply@blogger.com (Rhamnousia @ Desi Girl Does Makeup) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 09:30:00 +0000

Have a look at these gorgeous polishes that Models Own are releasing TODAY..

They go on sale at 10 a.m., hopefully they still have the ones I want (the end three) by the time I get home.

They remind me of two toned fabric that is used a lot for Indian outfits so they'd be perfect for parties when you can't find one colour to match. Those who follow me on Twitter know that I am going to America in December as my cousin is getting married. I have bought a two toned outfit that is a perfect match for the polish that is one in from the right. I bought the outfit before I saw the polish but as it matches so well, it'd be rude not to buy it!

Each polish is £5 which is a bargain price for the quality of polish that you get.

Anyone else tempted by these? Ps, is it only me that is reminded of the infamous armpit fart scene from Beetlejuice whenever anyone mentions this collection? No? Only me then?

EOTD: It's not that easy being green..

noreply@blogger.com (Rhamnousia @ Desi Girl Does Makeup) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:34:00 +0000

Saturday nights in my house used to be X Factor nights. However, the ridiculous amount of ads they cram in, the fake groups they keep making and the the fake arguments between the judges have made me turn off. I know that it's more about entertainment than the talent but they waste so much time. It doesn't take ten minutes to introduce the acts. As if that isn't bad enough, they go to an ad practically straight after. And the voiceover guy is getting realllly annoying.

The main point of this post is that I had an engagement party to attend on Satuday evening for a girl I went to school with. I wore a gorgeous sea green outfit and an eye to match. I know they always say you shouldn't match your makeup to your outfit but when it comes to Indian outfits, I strongly feel that you should. As the colour of the thread/sequins/stones used on the kadai (embellishment) is alway multicoloured, you're nearly always wearing a colour that is on your outfit.

I went for a feline look as it always makes me eye shape look different in photographs. This is just a shimmery black shadow blended into the lid with a dark green shimmery shadow over the top. You'll see soon enough which brands I've used.

As this was too dark, I decided to add a lighter green to the middle portion of the eye..that reluctantly blended out to the whole shadow area I ended up with this..

I LOVE this. It matched my outfit perfectly and a lot of people asked me the name of the eyeshadow I used to create this look. I didn't let my dirty little secret out to anyone...

I use this palette for a lot of my Indian outfit looks, even though the fallout is really bad. I just put a tissue under my eye and blend away..once I'me done, I sweep the colour off with a fluffy blusher brush.

How I got this look..

Prime your eyelids with a primer, I swear by Urban Decay's Primer Potion. As the shadows I'm using are shimmery, you can just use the standard primer.
Use a flat shader brush to lay down the black eyeshadow "1". I used the MAC 239 (you can also use ELF's Mineral Bamboo All Over Eyeshadow brush). You just want to blend it over the eyelid as it will be the base for the green.
Your eyelid should actually look black, not black with your skin colour poking through. Keep blending more black eyeshadow in until you have this.
Do not panic if you haven't got the feline angle down, concentrate on putting the colour down.
Use a blending brush to add the Smashbox green "2". I don't know the name of this shadow but it is from the Eclectic quad.
As you're adding it to black, the colour will be darker than in the pan. Blend it in but not so much that it disappears. It should look like the first photo..
Now add the green which is labelled as "3" above. Blend this in as before, you still want it to show over the other green "2".
Get a cotton wool pad, bend it in half, add some cream cleanser and swipe upwards (with the the straight edge on your skin) from the outer corner of your eye to your brow. This gives you the feline look.
Use the edge of your brush to soften the edge out a bit because you don't want it looking too false..
Get a lashline brush (I use the No7 one but I am going to buy the MAC 214 as that will get the job done quicker) and apply shadow "3" to your lower lashline.
Add mascara and you're done! You may notice that I'm not wearing mascara..I tend to touch my eyes once I've finished my makeup so I have started applying my mascara once we get to the party!

Ta da!

By the way, do the "how to" parts of these posts help? And should Sophie have gone this week?

Is LA Colors Jewel Tone a dupe for Models Own Disco Mix?

noreply@blogger.com (Rhamnousia @ Desi Girl Does Makeup) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 10:34:00 +0000

Disco Mix is probably one of my favourite glitter polishes of all time. It is nearly always on my toes and it seldom chips. As a result of this, I am nearly half way through my bottle. I was planning on buying it again when Models Own had their sale this year but one thing lead to another and I forgot.

Regular readers know that a trip to Westfield with me is never complete without me having a good old staredown with the LA Colors stand in Beauty Base. On my last trip there, I found Jewel Tone. This polish immediately caught my eye as it looked very similar to Models Own Disco Mix.

In their bottles, they look similar, the only difference I see is that Disco Mix has more pink in it than Jewel Tone does. The density with which the glitter is packed in is also something that becomes obvious. I find that you can get total nail covereage with two coats when using Disco Mix but with Jewel Tone, you need about three or four.

If you click on this photo you can really see the difference between the two. The glitter in Jewel Tone is hexagonal whereas in Disco Mix, it's square.

Disco Mix is a dream to use as it coats the nail equally with the glitter whereas Jewel Tone deposits glitter wherever it wishes. I think this is probably why it needs more than two coats. The Models Own brush trumps the LA Colors brush, I had to clean my LA Colors brush before using it because it was just picking up far too much polish.

Jewel Tone does look like it coats the nail better but that blob on the left is where I applied the second coat before the first was dry. Jewel Tone takes an absolute age to dry which let me down a bit.

Overall, Jewel Tone is quite similar to Disco Mix and if you have the patience, you could easily use Jewel Tone instead of Disco Mix. To the untrained eye, they do look very similar. My cousin couldn't tell the difference.. However, Jewel Tone still works as a brilliant topcoat over black polishes which is where Disco Mix falters which is understandable as it's not sold as a topcoat.

I would understand if Jewel Tone was sold as a topcoat (which Beauty Base put together on the left hand side of the display) but there it was, hamming it up amongst the standard polishes.

Both are glitter polishes and thus are a pain to remove but you can try the tin foil method.

Jewel Tone costs 99p from Beauty Base and Disco Mix is £5 from Models Own, which is available both online and in Boots. I'm not sure if all the glitters are available in Boots as I can't say I've seen Disco Mix there.

Happy Diwali!

noreply@blogger.com (Rhamnousia @ Desi Girl Does Makeup) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 09:44:00 +0000

To all my readers..

H A P P Y D I W A L I !

Anyone got any plans for the day/evening?

I need to go and pick up some cakes from here, glam myself up, drive to my parents house and then to my uncle's house where we are celebrating this year. I'm just glad I have tomorrow off as the last time we celebrated together, we left their house at 3 a.m...with work the next day.

Whatever you end up doing, I hope you all have fun!

Olay Regenerist Night Renewal Elixir: The stuff dreams are made of!

noreply@blogger.com (Rhamnousia @ Desi Girl Does Makeup) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:05:00 +0000

Before I get on with the post, someone out there better appreciate the pun in the title or else..I'll cry.

I think this might well be my product of 2011. Although I get excited about many products, I retain a special level of near hysterical excitement for the best of the best. You have to pass stringent testing to get me this excited.

Why do I love it so much? Because it actually does what it says...and well!

Olay state the Regenerist Night Renewal Elixir "accelerates skin's natural surface renewal during sleep..improves hydration to leave skin feeling softer, smoother and firmer looking".

I've used products that promise the same in the past and all they've done is made my skin feel sticky and not much more.

I put the Olay Regenerist Night Renewal Elixir on and went to bed..woke up and did the checks and my skin did feel a lot softer and smoother. It looked firmer and more plumped up than it normally does. But this was only day 1 so I told myself not to get too excited.

Consistency wise, it's a clear gel which feels slightly tacky. I did need to shake it when using it as sometimes it bubbled before the actual product came out.

I thought my success might be a fluke and now, some two weeks later, my skin is still looking fantastic.

I had some hard bumps on my skin that just wouldn't shift but since I've started using this, they've either vanished or formed into proper spots and then buggered off. I know that this is down to the Elixir because nothing else shifted them.

I'm using less moisturiser as my skin seems hydrated enough as it is. I also find myself not needing to powder my nose as the hydration levels are at a good enough level so that my skin doesn't produce too much sebum.

As this is a sample, the product on shelves will actually look like the bottle pictured here on the left.

I put the tiniest blobs on my forehead, cheeks, nose and chin. I stroke it around my face (avoiding the eyes) and it sinks in quickly and doesn't leave me feeling sticky. Talking of nose, I didn't realise this until about day 10 but it has really made a difference to my pores. My nose pores are my lifelong bugbear and this has really helped either shrink or disguise them.

The only thing I'm a bit confused about is what this product actually is. It's called an elixir which is fair enough but is it a night cream? A serum? A peel? I'm more inclined to think it's a peel because it has the trademark peel qualities (see through, a bit sticky, suggestion that you whack up the SPF in the morning). However, I've always been told that peels are meant to tingle and this doesn't tingle at all which is good because facial tingles make me feel uncomfortable.

Now for the warning part..this product contains AHAs which are alpha hydroxy acids. Don't freak out at the fact that they are acids. These are used in a lot of cosmetics items. I had a feeling it contained AHAs as I've used AHA based products before and my skin has felt the same, although I've never had the same results.

When you use products containing AHA, your skin becomes slightly more sensitive to light so it is highly recommended that you wear a moisturiser with SPF in it, both in the morning and for a week after you finish using this.

I got my sample from Supersavvyme, you can click to see if they're still available.

I am definitely picking up the full sized version when I eek the dregs out of this sample. You might wonder how I got 15 days wear out of this, well, my original sample lasted me 8 days and then I nicked the one my mum had ordered herself too!

I have made a conscious effort every day this week to wake up earlier so I have time to trawl the aisles of Boots in the hope that I will find this product but I haven't seen it on the shelves. I've ordered it online from Boots so it should be with me shortly. They're on 3 for 2 at the moment so I've added one for my mum by way of compensation for stealing her sample and I've finally taken the plunge and ordered that Botanics eye makeup remover.

Marc Jacobs Daisy

noreply@blogger.com (Rhamnousia @ Desi Girl Does Makeup) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 07:43:00 +0000

I remember a time when I used to have about five perfumes on the go at once. I know exactly why I changed from having five to having one. I bought a disgusting perfume from Boots during the sales that smelled of sick and cheap perfume..

I'm slowly getting back to the person I was *sob sob* and am currently using three perfumes alternately.

Marc Jacobs' Daisy is one of them and it is a departure from my usual citrus based perfume choices but I find that I'm kind of over the perfumes that I used to love before. I want a bit of sophistication damn it!

This baby definitely has dressing table appeal (even for those of us without a dressing table) which is something that I think perfumes should have. Decent perfumes aren't cheap so the least they can do besides smelling good is look good. The daisies are made of rubber and aren't so stiff that you can't bend them.

The official line from Marc Jacobs regarding the scents/notes that make up this fragrance are:

Top: Wild strawberry, violet leaves, ruby red grapefruit

Heart/middle: Violet, jasmine, gardenia

Base: Vanilla, musks, white woods

The fact that the base notes are vanilla and musk just show me how much of a change it is. I used to shun perfumes that had the slightest hint of vanilla or musk but the base notes of this perfume are what I love most about it. You know the smell you get the day after from an item you've perfumed the day before? That is what I love about this.

The difficulty now, however, is finding something that is a perfect stepping stone between a citrus scent and one that reminds me of mothballs. I just don't feel sophisticated enough to pull off certain scents.

In the meantime, if you want to pick this up, you can do from Escentual.com where the 50ml costs £45.00 and the 100ml costs £56.00.

The Swatch Files: Oh My Gosh nail polishes in Electric Pink and Peachy Rose

noreply@blogger.com (Rhamnousia @ Desi Girl Does Makeup) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:02:00 +0000

I have had these for an absolute age but I lost my nail wheel so was unable to blog about them until now.

I don't think they're available in stores anymore but you can probably find some on ebay.

GOSH should really bring them back as I cannot fault their application. The brush is pefect (no streak marks) and the consistency is everything you'd want from a nail polish.

I don't know why GOSH don't adopt this formula for their permanent polishes as I know they're tricky to apply. I have Holographic and that's quite a mare to apply.

Whenever I look at Peachy Rose, it instantly reminds me of orange lollies, I defy you to tell me anything else! When I grew my nails before, I wore both of these and my cousin said it looked like I'd dipped my nails in juice..which was nice!

I can't believe how well these apply considering they are only £2.99. Seriously, that's one coat. One! I've seldom used a polish that gave such a good finish after one coat.

The easiest way to turn eyeshadow into eyeliner: A tutorial!

noreply@blogger.com (Rhamnousia @ Desi Girl Does Makeup) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 07:35:00 +0000

I have an Indian function to attend soon and I want to wear a pop of blue on my lids. There's no point kidding myself that I'd have enough time to blend any shadows on my lids so I've decided to go for something easier.

Someone mentioned that mixing butter and peanuts does really give you peanut butter. For some reason, my mind equated mixing peanuts and butter to get peanut butter with mixing eyeshadow and liquid to get eyeliner. This is where the idea was born..

What you will need:

An eyeshadow colour that you want to wear as a liner
A facial mist/setting spray (you could just use water in a spray bottle)
A angled/non angled eyeliner brush (the cheaper the better because you don't want to be buying a NARS one that falls apart because you've gotten liquid into the ferrule and the glue has weakened). All the brushes I have used will not break the bank and I can say that as I paid for two of them, one (the Revlon one) was a PR sample.
A small bowl (if you're Indian, a standard koli will do)

I used the following:

Regarding the differences between an angled and non angled eyeliner brush, this is what I mean..

The Ruby and Millie and Models Own ones are angled brushes and the Revlon one isn't. It's also naturally two toned, it's a bamboo shade. The only reason it's a bit black is because I've been using it to apply colour to my waterline. I've reviewed the Revlon one here and the Models Own one here if you want to take a look.

How to turn eyeshadow into eyeliner:

Practice this a few times before you wear it out just to ascertain how much colour you need. You don't need to coat the whole brush in colour, it's enough to just coat the tip and a tiny bit of the sides. I find it easy to do a thinner line first and then build it up but that's just me.

The result:

I'm so pleased this worked out as well as I saw it in my mind. You know how sometimes you have an idea in your head and then it doesn't work out in reality? I had a worry that this might be the case here but it worked out well.

I can't say I'd do this before work because I'm always rushing but I'm definitely going to be wearing these as liners when I'm on my own time.

If you want to go one step further and have two/three angled eyeliner brushes then you can be a bit more creative.

I could have worked it in a bit more on my inner eye area but it was dark, this was a practice run, the dog ate it, it was like

For this, I decided to utitlise my other eyeliner brushes. You could do this look with just one brush but because I go back over and build colour up, I found it easier to use two.

If you only have one angled brush then doing this kind of look might take you some extra time but it's easy to remove the colour from the brush. I spray the brush with the ELF spray and wipe it on a tissue. The faff is worth it because it does get people asking questions as to how you did it.

By the time I've finished, my eyeshadows are wet so I just dab at them with a tissue to take some of the moisture away. I leave the palette open for about 10 minutes in a vain attempt to air dry it a bit.

This just goes to show that you don't need to fork out for coloured liquid liners (as these are easier to apply if you're new to liner) and that you don't need to spend a fortune buying products that specifically turn eyeshadows into liners. For my eventual look, I've decided to mix the pink with the purple and that's given me a pretty good shade.

The colours in the Sleek palette when used dry are notorious for producing a lot of fallout but when you use them in this way, you don't get any fallout. The ELF spray (which has been featured here before) is £3.50. I did say that it smelt of cheese farts when you applied it to your face but in this context, you smell nothing. The Ruby and Millie i-Define brush (also featured here before) cost me about £1 with the Boots vouchers. It might have even been free actually, I can't remember.. You can use any angled brush for this but if you really want the Ruby and Millie one, I'd suggest you get to Boots sharpish because Ruby and Millie is soon to be pulled from their shelves and the brush is currently on for £1.66.