Funny Face's place

Follow up to the last post

2012-01-21T12:18:00.000-08:00

I was just going to leave my last post as it was, just links and me saying 'this sucks' but I've been feeling all angry and need to rant! To apologise for the upcoming drama llama below the cut, here's Justin Bieber made from meat:

1. Grey

For the people who were confused about Grey of legothique here is a good post from the Lime Crime Examiner Article (which is basically a forum about Lime Crime and other makeup shenanigans) that explains it well. I've paraphrased it a little to make it more factual and less emotional:

'Back in January of 2008 a member of Ravelry, a knitting community, username MommaMonkey (GiGi Silva), died of Lupus complications. The community mourned and was sad because she posted a lot of awesome knitting patterns, sent people gifts and even started a community of her own called Socktopia. Her husband, Nico, logged on to her profile and asked people to continue purchasing her knitting patterns - in exchange, he was going to donate all the profits to a Lupus research foundation.

Fast forward to a year later. It's January 2009 People were still suspicious about MommaMonkey's death. Especially because profiles were popping up on Ravelry that suspiciously had the same voice and overall writing tone of MommaMonkey. People were starting to accuse MommaMonkey of faking her death, and others were defending her. Someone put in MommaMonkey's email address in to twitter, which opened up a giant can of WTF. There was a twitter profile tweeting and posting pictures of tattoos that MommaMonkey had, using MommaMonkey's old email address, with the same basic info: Lives in San Diego, has a husband, 2 kids, proficient in handmade crafts. The knitting community exploded and drama ensued.

People started posting blog entries about how MommaMonkey was this huge scam artist. Meanwhile Grey was watching from a safe distance, content that she had left that world behind and had enough money to start a new life as a Crafty Punk blogger with loyal following that was getting bigger every day. Some people even claimed she "honed" her new "Grey Persona" using a blog called Miss Cissy, until people realized that Miss Cissy was MommaMonkey and she proceeded to DELETEF*CKINGEVERYTHING.
Grey was basically safe as Grey, until someone stumbled on the MommaMonkey info. Maybe someone's curiosity finally got the best of them, because Grey was relatively secretive about how she looked and the pictures that she posted of herself. She used to post lip swatches on her lips, but stopped and then deleted the photos. She had pictures of her old tattoos on her twitpics account, but deleted those and then ultimately deleted her twitpics account'

And it was found that the Legothique domain was owned by Gina/GiGi Silva.

I think it's obvious why people are upset here. Not only did it turn out that Grey was not who she claimed she was (or was a liar at least) but faking your death is a Goddamn shitty thing to do. And then adding to that she basically stole charity money. That's just evil.

I'm very lucky in that I've never lost anyone who was incredibly close to me (the only person I've known who died was my aunt, which was terribly sad but she had lived a long life and had been ill a long time so it wasn't surprising) but I've felt the heartbreak of grief when my pets have died. I can't imagine how awful it would be to find out a friend had died. Even if you've only known someone over the internet it doesn't make your friendship any less.

I was never super close to Grey, we chatted sometimes and I liked her and she was always very nice to me but I wouldn't have considered her a 'friend'. I'm lucky in this sense because it means I'm not hurt by her lies, I'm just furious! I also feel stupid and foolish because I had no clue. I even sent her a piece of jewellery from Callooh and Callay to review. So I'm angry that I trusted a fraud basically.

There's a chance it might not be true, and I hope that, somehow, is the case but I find it incredibly doubtful.I'm truly sorry to anyone who was close to her and considered her a friend and hope you're not finding this too upsetting and that anyone owed a refund for the Awesome indie box thing gets it promptly!

The links regarding Grey in my last post don't work anymore, if anyone knows some good links to replace them please leave them in a comment.

2. Lime Crime.

Cultural appropriation is too big and complicated an issue for me to really get into, especially considering I am a white, middle class woman from a country that used to go around making empires.

For instance, in my opinion anyway, there's a big difference in simply portraying someone of a different race and offensive cultural appropriation. I mean the difference between Laurence Olivier 'blacking up' to play Othello and a black and white minstrel show. While a white man playing a black character is certainly problematic I don't think it's the same as something as outwardly racist as the minstrels who nothing but a charicature of racist stereotypes.

Personally I know that I have probably been very racially insensitive in the past because I LOVE the makeup of geisha women so often use elements of it on myself. I have read up about geishas and the culture but am not super knowledgable. I guess the reason I think that this is ok is that to me I feel I am just replicating a makeup, not trying to look like or pretend to be part of the culture. (I'd love to know peoples feelings about this!)

And this is my problem with Lime Crimes photo. If it was just the photos of caucasian Hanna Beth in 'Oriental' garb I would see it as problematic but wouldn't think it was hideously offensive (Again this is my opinion only, I'm not saying anyone should necessarily agree with me. If you find a white person wearing inaccurate Asian style clothes and makeup offensive then that's perfectly valid too). Too me the horrible part is the stereotypes of Asian women that come through in the description:

'Don’t let her milky skin, pouty mouth and flushed cheeks fool you; underneath the poised façade, there lies a heart of a tigress ...

Chinadoll is fragile and bold, soft-spoken and out-spoken, a free spirit of undeniable presence. I created a romantic duality by casting watercolor gradients against sharper lines -- Lotus Noir was applied under lower lashes, blended into Jade-o-Lade, then faded seamlessly into Parasol. Finally, I added soft-red accents to her cheeks, brows and around the temples for an innocent glow evocative of vintage Chinese advertising posters.'

This description manages to invoke both the stereotypes of the demure, subservient, delicate Asian flower and the fierce, agressive Dragon Lady. Doe has claimed that this description is not offensive because (i'm paraphrasing) 'China Doll is not real, she is a fantasy' but the problem with that is that she's a fantasy born entirely from the Wests fetishized view of Asian women. The idea of this woman as the exotic bloom with skin smooth as porcelain, and a personality just as fragile but also a ferocious, domineering heart, not a real person with a personality but just an object to be admired.

I've seen people bizarrely try to argue that 'China Doll' doesn't have anything to do with Chinese women, it just refers to dolls made of china. But it's so obvious that the name is trying to be a pun, she's Chinese and a doll basically. (though I doubt that Lime Crime knew that 'China Doll' is a name given to the stereotype of the demure Asian woman. Well I certainly hope not!) . The whole collection is just chock full of Chinese imagery from the names of the colours (Parasol, Goldfish, Fly Dragon Fly, Lotus Noir and... uhh... 'Jade-O-Lade' -__-) down to the dragons that now grace the Lime Crime header.

Using stereotypical charicatures of a race that (I can only presume) you know little about yourself to sell eyeshadow just isn't cool.

"I'm very sorry to hear that some of you found the Chinadoll concept offensive. Chinadoll is inspired by a time and a place, and is not meant to depict any contemporary or even real person. My Chinadoll is strong but not afraid to cry, rebellious but in control, traditional and untamed all at once. She is a living contradiction and, above all, a *woman* -- she can never be, or will be stereotyped. I hope you guys can continue to support our independent brand, we truly do pour our hearts and souls into it. Thanks for your feedback!-Doe"

It's great that China Doll can never be stereotyped, but ethnicities can be. And it's hurtful. Even positive stereotypes are hurtful because it brings the idea that different races/sexualities/genders (in this instance Chinese women) are a sort of homogenous society, they're all the same. And that leads to racism/sexism/homophobia because if you don't see a person as an individual, but as just a member of a group who all have the same traits, it lessens the idea that they are a real person and strengthens the idea that they are different from you and that in turn makes you think you can treat them differently.

If you're a company and do something that offends someone then APOLOGISE! And not some half-arsed 'I'm sorry you were offended' rubbish, apologise for being offensive! You might not have meant to be, there might be nothing you can do about it now but you can always just say you're sorry. Not 'I'm sorry to hear that you found it offensive' but 'I'm sorry'.

I know i linked to this in my last post but I think Mai's post put's it better than I ever could.

Gragh, why does there have to be so much nonsense in the makeup community?

Some posts you should read

2012-01-19T13:55:00.000-08:00

Some rubbish stuff is going down in the makeup world at the moment, here's some posts I think are important to read:

http://www.makeupzombie.net/2012/01/putting-worries-to-rest.html

http://www.twitlonger.com/show/fcvm91

http://portraitofmai.blogspot.com/2012/01/lime-crime-youre-doing-it-wrong.html

I'm also having a big problem with an indie company I ordered from at the end of November. Hopefully it will be sorted out soon, if not watch this space.

To lighten things up, here's a picture of My Monster High Dolls making out:

Oh Lagoona, you're such a cad!

Quick FOTD

2012-01-15T11:03:00.000-08:00

Hullo everyone! I'm a lot better now (though I'm still snuffly), but last night I went dancing to celebrate my birthday and am feeling all sleepy and crunch today so this is just a quick look from about a month back when I still had ginger hair.

Wearing:

(can't remember what the lipgloss or blush was I'm afraid)

Face: Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation in 02, ELF Studio HD powder

Eyes: Brazen cosmetics eyeshadows in Millennium and Submission, Collection 2000 glam crystals eyeliner in Night Fever, Black mascara.

Off to finally reply to comments, sorry Ive been so incredibly crappy!

Still here

2012-01-10T12:33:00.000-08:00

Hope to be back posting soon but I've come down with a terrible case of Man Flu and am finding doing basic things like breathing irritating. But I had a great birthday and new years and have lots of posts planned for when I'm not wading through a sea of snotty tissues and rubbing lip balm on my nose every few minutes. <3

Happy new Year!

2011-12-31T09:57:00.000-08:00

Tonight I'm going to a David Devant gig which should be magical enough for the Cullens to approve of.

I'm going to be doing the traditional 'what I got for Christmas' and 'best of 2011' posts asap if anyone is curious, but I'm busy for the next few days so it might be slightly later than everyones elses :P

It's my birthday on Wednesday, I shall be 24! ... WHEN DID I GROW OLD???? D:!!!! (If anyone gets that reference then I love you)

And at Callooh and Callay we're having a New Year Sale! It's buy 2 get 1 free on all our Christmas Collection and 25% off everything else (apart from our Devant jewellery because 25% of the proceeds of those go to charity) until the 7th of January :)

I hope everyone has a lot of fun tonight, but stay safe kids! CHAMPAGNE!

Illamasqua Freak

2011-12-29T16:55:00.000-08:00

A little while ago I was sent a sample of Illamasqua's first perfume - Freak (AKA possibly the perfume with the worlds most beautiful bottle) - to test out.

Ohh such a beautiful bottle! *__*

Beware, I find discussing perfumes very difficult. All the talk of top, heart and base notes just baffle me (generally) apart from the initial strong smell you get when you apply perfume they tend to smell the same on me regardless of how long it's been on (apart from the smell fading and stuff) they don't seem to 'mature' or change and no new notes come through. Also perfume is much harder to describe than makeup because I can't photograph a scent! And of course it's really subjective, what someone loves may smell rank to someone else and vice versa.

And describing this perfume is particularly different as there are quite a few notes in it that I don't think I've ever encountered before! But anyway let's give it a go!

This is what Illamasqua says about Freak:

'The rich and daringly provocative opening notes of Black Davana cast a magical spell of desire across the senses to celebrate the night. The compelling burnt orange bloom base is highly prized the world over for its ability to enhance the wearer's natural perfume. The subtle mustiness of Poison Hemlock haunts the background tone of Freak, adding alluring depths of mystery.
Datura, the Moonflower, has an intoxicating scent that has long been used as a heady aphrodisiac. The exquisitely rare Queen of the Night blooms fleetingly for a single night each year, and completes this daringly provocative concoction with its warm, soft floral scent touched with sweetness.'

As for me... Well I think the description is pretty accurate! This is a strange, almost mysterious perfume. To me it mainly smells like musk or incense, dark, oriental and exotic. It's earthy and musty. But there's also a strong floral note that I can't put my finger on (probably because I'm not familiar with the flowers in it!). These flowers are not sweet or at all 'old fashioned' smelling, no roses or jasmine for instance, they're unusual, earthy, and fresh. Finally there is a slight sweetness from a hint of sugary orange blossom and honey.

To me it seems like a very sexy perfume, it's heady and seductive. The notes are unusual and as a lot of the floral ingredients are actually poisonous it adds an exciting thrill! I personally would think of this as more of an evening scent as I do not find it at all invigorating, quite the opposite in face, to me it seems almost intoxicating and calming. It also just smells distinctly 'nocturnal' to me. I also think it could be a good unisex fragrance, the florals are so unusual it doesn't come across as overtly feminine. It is also very long lasting, while it fades in intensity I can still easily detect this after a full days wear.

You can probably tell that I really like this! I didn't expect to, I generally like very fruity, sweet scents, some of my favourites are Diesel Loverdose (which to me smells like a floral based licorice with a hint of tangerine), Gap So Pink (smells like a softened grapefruit), Prada Candy (like baked goods and toffee with a small amount of musk) and Nina Ricci Les Belles Liberty Fizz (which to me smells like tomato flowers). I tend to dislike strong woodsy, oriental or musk smells. So it's odd that I like this so much. I think it's because it's just so unique. I can imagine this being the scent of choice for a femme fatale or Film Noir heroine because it's so mysterious and seductive. And the sweet undercurrent of the honey and orange blossom makes it more palatable than other oriental/musk smells. I think another reason I like it is because it conjures up images in my head. It reminds me of churches and cathedrals (because of the musty, incense) but also a deep, dark forest, full of slightly rotting leaves and exotic plant smells.

It probably won't become my everyday choice, for that I'll stick with my fizzy fruity smells, but I'd love this for a special evening out or, indeed, a special evening in ;D

Sadly at £59 or 75ml the full bottle is out of my price range at the moment, so I won;'t own that beautiful bottle :( But I'll be enjoying my little sample vial!

*sample sent for review, all thoughts and opinions are my own*

Christmassy FOTD

2011-12-28T15:10:00.000-08:00

This was a quick and easy look but I thought it was purty.

Wearing:

Face: Illamasqua Skin Base in shade 2 mixed with moisturiser.

Eyes: Darling Girl eyeshadow in Donner, black mascara, Sugarpill Love + Pressed eyeshadow on the eyebrows.

Lips: Originally I was wearing Darling Girl Cookies for Claus Colour Rich Lip Balm with Holly Jolly Holo-Gloss over the top but then I just topped it off with Holly Jolly and Cookies For Claus wore off, I can't remember at what point these photos were taken :P

Holly Jolly is my favourite lip colour at the moment, it's just so festive :)

Shoe Review!

2011-12-27T09:42:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I had the amazing opportunity to choose something from One Stop Plus to review. I picked this lovely pair of shoes. They're made by La Redoute Creation come in sizes 3 - 8 (35-42) and come in black, taupe, cerise and duck egg (a tealy blue colour) and cost just under £40. I chose the cerise in a size 8.

Shoes tend to fit differently depending on the brand, usually a size 8 will fit me perfectly or be a bit small (I might actually be a size 8 1/2) but these were actually a little too big for me. I could have sent them back and swap for a 7 but I am sure that would have been too small. They're not too big as to be a problem though, they don't slip, they're just quite roomy and the problem is solved by wearing thick tights or socks. However as I said I am quite a big size 8 so other people may want to order a size down from usual, they're definitely bigger than the norm.

Anyway they're really lovely. They're a bright cerise colour with a chunky heel, round toes and a t-bar strap with ruffles on it. I love t-bars anyway but the ruffles make them really unusual and cute! They're made of a fuzzy suede-like material but they're entirely synthetic so great for vegetarians like me!

I haven't been able to wear them out yet because the weather has been very rainy and, as they are suede-ish I don't think it's a good idea to get them wet :( But I have worn them a lot around the house and they're bizarrely comfortable! They have a 7cm tall heel without a platform but somehow they don't hurt my feet. Maybe it's because the heel is so chunky. I'm sure if I did wear them out for a whole day I would change my mind because I have terrible feet that hurt in flat shoes and absolutely die in heels. I can walk in high heels but get a bit wobbly in stiletto style heels but because these have chunky heels they're pretty sturdy.

The fact that they're synthetic is a big plus for me because I'm a vegetarian but if you don't mind wearing leather then it might be a bit of a problem. Leather is generally meant to be more comfortable and better fitting. The fabric does feel a little bit less sturdy than usual but not flimsy.

They're go absolutely perfectly with this new playsuit I bought from Warehouse:

And I bet they'd look good with some bright blue or turquoise tights.

All in all I really like them, they're really pretty, easy to walk in, vegetarian and comfy. But the sizing is a bit of an issue and the fact they're synthetic may not be to everyone's taste. At the moment they seem comfortable but time will tell how they stand up to long term wear. The price, £40, seems just about right.

Thank you One Stop Plus :)

Have a happy Christmas everyone!

2011-12-24T13:42:00.001-08:00

Or if you don't celebrate Christmas then just have a nice December 25th :)

kiss kiss

Have a very Glam Christmas!

2011-12-23T14:51:00.000-08:00

My friend Mikey was playing a glam themed gig on tuesday, so I dressed up all Christmassy. Also a you can see I've dyed my hair. On the packet it was bright bright red but it's come out sort of Burgundy. I still think it's quite pretty but it's almost the same colour as my Mum's hair which makes me feel a bit weird :P

Here's mah face:

Wearing:

Face: Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation in 02, ELF Studio HD powder, Sleek blush in Salacious
Eyebrows: Sugarpill pressed eyeshadow in Love +

Eyes: Darling Girl Blitzen Eyeshadow, Darling Girl Honeypot eyeshadow, black mascara, the liner is just some loose glitter mixed with ELF Studio Makeup Lock and Seal.

Lips: Red lip pencil (offbrand :P), Darling Girl Jolly Holly Hologloss

Here's my outfit. I know I probably 'shouldn't' wear something like my plausuit, it's too high cut and not particularly flattering on my little round body, but I like it so who cares?

Wearing:

Polka dot Jacket and diamante tights - Topshop

Sequin playsuit - Asos

Hair bow - Dolly Dagger

Badge and necklace - Callooh and Callay

Shoes - Office (I would have worn more interesting ones but I cut my foot on a bit of smashed bauble :( )

For some reason here in the UK a disproportionate percentage of our Christmas songs are from the Glam Rock genre of music. Wizzard, Mud, Slade, Bowie (with Bing Crosby who is, of course, totally glam) and of course this which you never here anymore. I wonder why...

OOTD - ENVY ME!

2011-12-21T14:32:00.000-08:00

For I have a Christmas Onesie!

It's my New Years Resolution to find somewhere less horrible to take outfit posts. I will probbaly fail :(

Candy Stripe nails

2011-12-20T05:20:00.000-08:00

I finally found the lead for my camera! Yay!

And it's nearly Christmas, hooray!

Here's my current manicure. It's not perfect of course but as it was my first time properly using a striping brush I don't think it's terrible. That being said, this was my left hand, the right one is even messier!

I used Models Own Snow White as a base and then Inglot Nail Art polish in 34

I'll probably end up changing them up again before Christmas :P

Blogs that don't get enough lovin'

2011-12-14T15:19:00.000-08:00

I've been a rubbish blogger and an even worse blog follower recently. I am so sorry, I've just been busy with the business recently and a bit poorly and generally just a bit rubbish. I'm trying my best to get back in the saddle and reading all the posts I've missed.

By way of apology I thought I'd share some blogs I've either discovered recently or just really love that don't have as many followers as they should. Seriously, these blogs are all amazing and you should follow them all.

Firstly Ruth's Makeup

Ruth is an absolutely fantstic makeup artist. She's not afraid to use colour and experiment but her looks are always immaculate and super classy. Check out her amazing Adventure Time looks!

Polish and Pigments

If you've ever wondered about making your own nail polishes then this is the blog for you! It is an absolutely amazing source of infomation, with posts dedicated to supplies, techniques, reviews of polish bases, lists of what glitters do and don't work in polishes and more. It's, without a doubt, the best resource I've found about frankening polish. And if you're not interested in making your own then it's still worth a look for the pretty polishes she makes.

Eyegraffiti

Eyegraffiti is a collab between two amazing bloggers. They post the most amazing eye and lip looks, I wish I had an ounce of their talent!

Lemon Bunny

Mandy is just an allround great blogger, she posts lovelys faces, reviews, nails and various posts about her life in general.

The Postcolonial Rabbit

Again, a lovely blog that is mainly beauty related but also shows some great fashion and other bits and bobs.

And last, but not least, Vulcan Butterfly
A fantastic blog for gothy, punky fun looks, and check out those mad eyeliner skillz!

What are some of your favourite blogs that you don't think get enough action?

My Christmas Wishlist

2011-12-11T08:33:00.000-08:00

I enjoy a very secular Christmas with a good dash of materialism thown in, so I thought I'd share my christmas beauty wishlist with you. I've only included makeup and toilettries and it's nearly all gift sets because otherwise it would be the longest blog post in history!

You may notice there isn't much indie stuff in this list, the reason for that is I didn't want to be listing a load of individual colours and things. I'm surprised at the lack of gift sets form indie companies, I really think that would be a great idea for Christmas!

Anyway onto the stuff!

The Nerd Lacquer mini colour library

These nail polishes look gorgeous and right up my street, bright and glittery! They sell the entire library in larger bottles too, but I figure 5ml is enough when you get 28 polishes! :D

Glitzy Lips in Rainbowdar

This stuff is crazy-cool, foils for your lips! Rainbowdar looks gorgeous, almost holographic with multichrome goodness, but what a stupid name :/

Illamasqua Midnight Decadence Lash Duo

I rarely wear false eyelashes because I'm not too great at applying them but these ones are just so pretty and glamourous that I really want them! Also this comes with a free eyeliner.

Lush All I Want for Christmas Box Set

I love Lush goodies, and their Christmas range is always fun and generally has a lot of yummy sweetie scented things.

Tweerzerman Candy Cane set

I don't need tweezers, especially not ones that are this pricey... But they're so darn cute!

Paul and Joe Fragrance Set in Toyland

Usually I'm very hesitant to buy perfumes without trying them, but this sounds delicious. Apparently the smell contains ' floral notes of rose and jasmine alongside fruity apple, peach, and raspberry and warming vanilla' yummmm! Sounds right up my street. And as with all Paul and Joe beauty stuff it's beautifully presented.

Illamasqua Freak

Again I actually haven't smelled this. I'm not certain I'll like it, but it sounds so interesting! And the main reason it's on the list is the bottle. It's one of the coolest, most beautiful bottles I've ever seen. The snail! *__*

GHD Scarlet Straighteners Set

I need a new pair of hair straighteners. I currently have an ancient pair of Nicky Clarke ones that are pretty useless. I don't really buy into the hype of GHDs and think they're really overpriced, but this set is so lovely! I love the Art Deco styling of the pouch and the bright red colour.

Shimmer Twins Star Eyelashes

These are just so cute! I have no idea what they'd look look like actually being worn, but I bet they're cool.

Prada Candy Perfume

I tested out this perfume a while back and it was love at first sniff. It smells of candy and toffee and cake and all things delicious, but it also has some kind of undelying smell that somehow takes away from it smelling solely edible and cuts the seetness so it's not cloying. It smells warm and delicious.

You can see there's lots of perfume on here, I'm on a perfume kick! at the moment!

Whats on your wishlists? :)

2011-12-10T08:42:00.000-08:00

Agh I've lost my camera lead! D:
Hopefully I'll find it soon, as I have things to post! Until then there may be some filler.
Sorry you guys!

Poodle puff

2011-12-05T13:30:00.000-08:00

Claire's poodle Perry has come to stay with us. Here he is being cuddled by me. Look how happy he looks!

...or perhaps not.

Here is my face:

Wearing:

Face: Illamasqua Skin Base in 02, ELF studio HD powder, Illamasqua powder blusher in Morale

Eyes: BFTE Lace (all over lid), Sugarpill Goldilux (in the crease), Illamasqua precision eyeliner in Havoc

Lips: Rimmel Vinyl carat ligloss in Steal the Show

It's funny, in my head I think I look really rubbish with sheer or nude colours on my lips and when I can I always choose bright, opaque colours (I wore this going out for dinner so didn't want to bother with bright lipstick that would smear and stuff) but I actually think this looks very nice! Quite soft and pretty.

Here's my ouftit, which I really like. It's from River Island. Sadly it's ever so slightly too small in the bust which is why my boobs look a bit crushed :P I'm not feeling great about my body right now :(

Finally this looks like quite a nice photo until you realise both the dogs are peeing behind me.

Cheers dogs.

FOTD - Lumi-nescent

2011-11-29T11:21:00.000-08:00

Here's a purple and green look I done (apparently I was channelling the Joker) I think it turned out pretty pretty!

Wearing:

Face: Illamasqua Skin Base in 02, ELF Studio HD powder (can't remember or tell if I was wearing a blusher)

Eyes: Sugarpill Lumi, Sugarpill Tipsy, black mascara

Lips: Mac Violetta, Sugarpill Lumi

For the eyes I applied Lumi lightly all the way up to my browbone and then heavier on my lid. Then I took Tipsy and used an angled eyeliner brush to line my top lashline, create a wing and then bring it into the crease.

And I patted Lumi over my lipstick to just give it a little highlight. It made my lips look slightly fuller as well as adding a fun green sheen :)

I also really liked my outfit:

Wearing:

Black fluffy top thing (it's horribly short so I was wearing a primark vest underneath) by Motel

Fluffy skirt from Asos

Spotty tights from Primark

Black bow shoes from Office

Callooh and Callay Sparkling Snowflake necklace

I need to do some product reviews but I've been tidying my room and most of my makeup is thrown into a box and hard to reach at the moment. So it's gonna be faces and outfits for a while :/

FOTD - The Walk of Shame

2011-11-25T17:49:00.000-08:00

Last saturday I went dancing with a friend of mine. All was going well and we were having a gay old time ala the Flintstones until suddenly and without warning she disappeared. I was lost and worried and very stressed . I found out later that she went out for a ciggy and the bouncers wouldn't let her back in. She had no credit and I, being stupid and slightly drunk and wandering around the club looking for her, didn't think to try and ring/text her. When I found out what had happened she had already started off for her home, so I was very worried about having to journey home on my own at night as I can barely leave my house alone when it isn't dark and scary and I'm not inebriated and vulnerable. Luckilly we had gone to a club run by someone I know and he took me back to his house and let me sleep on his sofa (good old Carl!). In the morning I was so embarrassed and shy and worried about having been an imposition I got up before him and went on my merry way.

Wandering home in a sleep deprived stupor I felt very wicked and cool and youthful for once. It was a bit like having a one night stand, I would imagine, but without the awkwardness of having sex with someone for the first time.

Anyway the reason I'm relating this whole underwhelming story is that, somehow through a night of dancing, hours of sleeping scrunched on a couch and slight tears of stress, my eye makeup remained practically perfect!

(I shoved some lipstick on for the photo but the eyes were left alone)

And all that without primer!

Wearing:

Eyes: Sugarpill Magentric all over lid, Illamasqua Static in browbone and slightly in inner corner, Barry M Fine Glitter dust in 23 in outer v and crease.

Lips: Makeup For Ever lipstick in 152 (I think its discontinued)

I hope everyone in the US had a fun black friday and didn't get run over by stampedes of bargain hunters!

Speaking of, we're having a big sale!

Yes, I know, plug plug plug :P

Old Photo of the day and Christmas for Callooh and Callay

2011-11-14T16:12:00.000-08:00

So back when I was about 18 (I think, I can never remember so I guess by what my hair was like) through a bizarre series of events I ended up at the Mighty Boosh Live Tour's after party. It was absolutely terrifying annd very surreal. I was with my sister (who is also shy) so we ended up just standing in a corner gawping and wondering how on earth we got into that situation. However we ended up chatting with Noel Fielding for a little while!

He was absolutely lovely. A complete sweetheart! My sister stupidly decided to tell him that I fancied his brother and I was mortified, but he was really nice and went and got Mike (the brother) to come talk to me. Julian was also there and we tried to talk to him but he was having none of it. We stole a drink he left unattended as revenge (actually not really, we were just dying of thirst and had no money with us -___- we are tramps).

In other news our Callooh and Callay Christmas Collection is being released tomorrow!

Please take a look tomorrow at 7 PM (GMT) for lovely sparkly, wintery goodies!

Jillian

2011-11-12T14:14:00.000-08:00

I've been feeling very down the last few days, this morning I decided to cheer myself up by watching Jedward videos. Those guys are just so delightful and happy they never fail to make me smile. So I decided to do my makeup and hair like them (well as much as possible) because obviously that's the normal reaction to liking musicians.

This is my attempt at looking androgynous... Well that didn't work but I think there is something slight Jedward reminiscent in my face!

And if you don't know who Jedward are I think this pretty much explains it all:

God I love them.

OOTD - Mango dress

2011-11-11T13:56:00.000-08:00

A while back I went on a big shopping trip with Claire who wanted to go into Mango to look at some workwear stuff. I've always thought of Mango as very dull and boring with nothing to interest me, but I take it all back! Claire didn't find anything but I came away with a dress and a cardigan!

This is the dress:

It's not the most exciting item in my wardrobe I grant you, but I really like it! It's made of thick, soft wool so it's lovely and warm for winter, and it has a vintagey feel but is a bit different because of the neon pink plaid and the black piping waist thing (you can't see it that well because I'm at an angle).

I paired it with my Ruffled Rabbit necklace (plug plug plug)

The light makes my hair looks all green here! I was in a rush to go out so I'm just wearing mascara and Darling Girl Liquid Kiss Luxe in Strawberry Fields (my skin would look alright without makeup if it weren't for the blemishy chin!)

What do you think of the dress? :)

Illamasqua Theatre of the Nameless Collection

2011-11-09T13:36:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm stupidly late with this post once again. The collection has been out for quite some time now, but because Illamasqua is awesome with it's collections, the products are all still available and will be for a long time :)

This collection was inspired by the dark and decadent nightlife of Berlin in the 1920s, the images really reminded me of expressionist cinema. The colours are vampy and rich, but with hints of sparkle and iridescence. While the collection of darker, vampier hues seems perfect for autumn/winter, as usual Illamasqua has not gone down a 'safe' route. The dark cerises, smoked purples, forresty greens and rusty reds are also joined by flashes of bright magenta, light peaches and greyed pinks. There's new textures too - shimmery blushes and rubberised nails.

To be honest while I absolutely loved the collection imagery that came out before the products, I didn't imagine I'd end up wanting to buy much. To me while the pictures were absolutely breathtaking, I didn't imagine that too many exciting products were involved. For instance I adore this picture:

But the only product really featured is a black liner (and whatever created the flawless skin)

But then when I actually saw the products, there were loads I wanted!

And the lovely people at Illamasqua were kind enough to send me a few items, including two that I was absolutely craving, so that was a bit of good luck for me!

The products came with a catalogue, featuring more gorgeous artwork.

And in the normal, sleek Illamasqua packaging. This is the one thing I would change about Illamasqua's collections, special packaging would be nice to distinguish them from the main line of products.

The three products I recieved were Sheer Lipgloss in Violate, Lipstick in Kontrol and Pure Pigment in Berber.

Firstly the product I was the most excited about, the Sheer Lipgloss in Violate. I won't do a proper review of the formula because it's the same as one's I've talked about extensively before here

However you can see from my picture that while this is called a 'sheer' gloss it really isn't very sheer (though you can make it look sheerer by applying it very sparingly). It's a fantastic colour. A sort of red-ish brown with tonnes of green shimmer. You can see the brown colour a lot here because of the angle of my lips, from straight on they look much more green. I really love it, such a cool colour, I can honestly say I've never seen a metallic, forrest green lipgloss before and this is a wonderful one. However what I would say is that the pigmentation is a little odd, it's not opaque like their Intense Lipglosses but it certainly isn't sheer. I think it would look better over a base, perhaps black. You can also apply a tiny bit of this over another colour to darken it and add a hint of the green sparkle. It's good over red!

Next the other product I loved the look of, the lipstick in Kontrol.

This is an amazing and unique colour. It's a real, true purple (not an aubergine or plum just called a purple) but with a hint of grey which makes it look really sophisticated and special. Berry lips are usually big for winter and I think this is a more interesting alternative. I've had problems with Illamasqua's lipsticks before, a lot of the shades I've tried have been very dry or drying or just not that great. I don't know if they've made any changes to the formula or if it's just this shade but this is just a fantastic lipstick! It's super pigmented, opaque in a single stroke and has a matte finish, however it is not in the slightest bit drying. It's creamy and smooth and glides on like a dream. It's just an amazing lipstick, I don't have anything bad to say about it!

Finally I was sent Berber, a pure pigment.

Pure Pigments can be used all over, as eyeshadow, blush, highlighter or you can apply it wet to make an eyeliner. Berber is a great metallic red colour with gold and green sparkles. It's beautifully pigmented and the different colours of the glimmer really shine through. I've not used this as an eye shade yet but I have other Pure Pigments which I have and they make fine eyeshadows, they last ages and don't tend to crease or fade. If you apply this lightly it makes a fantastic blush! It doesn't say anywhere if this is safe for use on the lips, which is a shame, I imagine it would look beautiful dusted over a red lipstick.

All the products I tried are really wonderful, I'm so so impressed with the lipstick formula and I love the lipgloss. So I really love this new collection, I want basically everything else from it! If the items I recieved seem a bit too 'out-there' and strange there is a lot more in the collection which is more conventional, there are blushes in rosy magentas and peachy nudes and pure pigments in black and white for a great smokey look.

One last thing, I thought one item I really didn't need was the eyeliner in Havoc, an aubergine shade. Then I saw this:

From http://solomag.se/killercolours/2011/10/havoc/

Bloody heck it looks nice!

Thank you so much to the lovely people at Illamasqua for the products. I can't wait until I have the money to buy more!

Fringe

2011-11-07T16:58:00.000-08:00

I have a fringe now.

Terrible photo, my apologies. November appears to have stolen most of the light from my town and tunred what is left a horrible grey colour. Also I couldn't be bothered to get out of my pyjama top. Ahh I am so incredibly hot.

Anyway what do you think? I personally think it really suits me :)

Rubbish post I know, but I'll have a proper one up tomorrow.

Giveaway Winner!

2011-11-05T13:04:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, sorry this post had been delayed for so long!

Finally it's time to announce the winner of my giveaway :)

I popped everyone into an excel spreadsheet with their choice of prize and (discounting some entries that sadly didn't follow all the rules :( and adding extra entries for tweeting etc) it came to 39 entries. I used random.org to choose a number between 1 and 39 and it came up with...

So congratulations to....

Milulu!

Who wins her choice of Prize no 1 and the MUA Pop-tastic palette.

Then I chose again from everyone who picked the remaining prize and the number generator came up with:

so congratulations to Bourriquette who wins second prize and Prize no 2 :)

If you guys could email me your addresses I'll get your prizes shipped out asap!

Thank you so much to everyone who entered, I really enoyed reading about your favourite bright makeup items! Seems like a lot of people are fond of bright pink and orange at the moment! To those who didn't win don't despair! I'll be having another giveaway soon <3

It was Halloween innit?

2011-11-02T11:44:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I hope everyone had a very happy Halloween. Halloween is one of my favourite holidays, we have a party every year and have 3 whole suitcases/trunks of decorations and usually I cook up a ridiculous amount of themed goodies and we play games and go really over the top. This year everyone's been very busy though and as I was the only one around I just couldn't deal with the stress, so we had a much calmer party with only 1 trunks worth of decorations :P

We decided to do the unthinkable and buy our costumes instead of making them. I know, terrible behaviour!

I was a clown. Here is my makeup.

I know, it's not very well done, but I sweated it all off in about 10 minutes anyway :P

We had more pumpkins out in the garden, but before we could take photos some bugger stole one! They didnt smash it or anything, they actually took it. Oh well the joke's on them cause it was a home for all the fruitfly in the world!

My friend Philippa was an evil ladybird (one of those european ones who have come over here and eaten all our good decent english ladybirds. Up the LBNP! [Ladybird national party])

Xenia was an awesome toadstool. And see what a good time she's having, her face is alive with pleasure!

Claire's friends Ricky Zoe were... uhh... just spooky guys I think? Also here they have Rikku the ferret.

My sister Lydia was a very short-skirted witch:

Claire was a dinosaur:

And Ian was Plankton! His costume looked so amazing and professional!

And here I am cuddling our dog Minnie

And here being a moron:

We're still eating up all the party leftovers.

Hooray for Halloween!