My Daily Makeup

So...hi. It's been a while hasn't it? It feels like a lot has happened since I last posted here, I'm closer to the end than the beginning of my second year at uni, I've got a job and life has been really hectic. But I miss my blog and I miss talking to you guys and so I'm back with my tail between my legs hoping you'll still want to come back and read what I have to say.

Since so much has changed I figured that my first post here should be on my current daily makeup since it has completely changed since I last posted here! Don't worry just because I haven't been writing about makeup doesn't mean I'm not buying any.

As a foundation I'm currently using my Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in the shade 100 ivory (basically the lightest shade they have for old pale faced me). This one can be a little bit more full coverage than the Touche Eclat foundation I was using previously, but on days when I don't want as much coverage I just use less and it works fine for me. I like that it still gives a nice, natural, slightly more on the dewy than matte side, finish and when I buff it in with my Real Techniques buffing brush it makes my skin look really flawless which is great! It also has SPF 18 which will be awesome when the sun eventually makes an appearance.

I picked up this cream eyeshadow from Elizabeth Arden for an absolute steal in the House of Fraser sale a couple weeks ago (you can still get it on the Boots website for a similarly reduced price). I got the shade Anchors Away 03 which is a gorgeous purple/browny/taupey metallic shade which I think really suits my green eyes. I love cream eyeshadows because they are so super easy to use and blend and, considering I am always late, they are a really quick fix when you're rushing around in the morning. The texture of this one was at first really bizarre as it was kind of gel like and had a more whipped consistency than other cream products I've used before but after a couple uses I've managed to press it into the pot a little bit more and it feels quite nice now. Plus I just found out by looking at it on the Boots website to make sure you guys could still pick it up that it has Aloe and Vitamin E in it so it's doing something nice for your eyes as well!

Because it's cold season here and literally everyone I know (including myself) seems to be coming down with something I keep topping myself up with my Burt's Bees lip balm with mango butter. When I get a cold my lips get ridiculously dry and tight feeling which isn't at all pleasant and this lip balm just really does the job at helping me feel like a normally lipped human being (plus it smells like Heaven).

Mascara is a really personal thing and (let's be honest) I only really bought this one because of the packaging but I actually really like the Revlon Lash Potion mascara. I read a couple of reviews before I bought it and everyone seemed to be saying get the waterproof one and so I did just that. I won't lie I don't think I'm a waterproof mascara type of girl, since it seems to take forever to take off, and I just can't be bothered with that. However I do like that it gives me the right amount of volume and length without weighing my lashes down (am I the only person who worries about this??) and it looks really natural rather than like I've caked myself in layers of mascara which I also like.

Last but certainly not least is my Clinique cream blush in 03 berry pop. I love the bubblegum pink colour of this blush especially when things are starting to get a little bit more summery but my skin is really pale because it gives my skin an amazing flush. Although it is cream it feels quite dry in the pot which I actually like because it doesn't make me worry I'm pasting my cheeks with colour! All I do is swirl a finger over the cute little daisy print stamped into the blush (so adorable) and then pop a couple dots of blush on each cheek and then blend them out. So nice and easy and not at all intimidating like some of the other cream blushes you see.

So there we are; my current daily makeup staples! If you've got any staples you think I should try of it you've tried any of these let me know what you think in the comments!

That Velvet Feeling - Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet

Unless you have been living under a rock recently, or are a man who has stumbled across this blog looking to hear of mountaineering adventures (in which case I'm sorry to inform you you've come to the wrong place) then you will have heard that Bourjois have just released their Rouge Edition Velvet liquid lipsticks. I heard a lot about them in the 'blogosphere' and couldn't wait to get my hands on them even though I've been trying to be good (but was it my fault that my concelear ran out and Boots had a 3 for 2 sale??).

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet liquid lipstick

When I was buying this lipstick I just wasn't sure which colour to get because they have such a pretty range of colours that are all very 'me', but in the end I went for the colour Pink Pong as I don't have any other lipsticks this colour (I know, I know stop trying to justify it Chloe). 

Stop...Artistic swatch time

First thing I thought when I was applying this is how difficult that actually is to do. You know I love my Rimmel Apocalips, which are also liquid lipsticks, and I've never found them particularly difficult to apply. However the Rouge Edition Velvet lipsticks are different in that when you first start to use the applicator there is tons of product there, however the formula is not as thick so, unless you keep dipping the applicator back into the product, after a while the colour will be uneven across your lips with some areas with lots of product and some with a more sheer coverage (basically it's not a couple of sweeps across the lips and done as with the Rimmel Apocalips).

Despite the faff that goes in to into applying this (I do my best to even it out then cover any extra patches with my Maybelline Coloursensational lipstick in Shocking Coral which adds extra vibrancy) you do have to hand it to Bourjois that most of the claims they make do actually stand up. 

The lipstick is certainly matte and is aptly named 'Velvet' as it does have this strange velvety feel which at first seriously freaked me out (I don't know why but I had the same reaction to velvet nails too) but now I'm getting used to it. Also their claim for 24 hour wear seems to stand up too (although I haven't tried it out for the full 24 hours) since, despite taking my makeup off last night, I still had a slight hint of colour still on my lips this morning and (although yes I do wash thanks for asking) I am still waiting for the colour from the swatches I did yesterday to leave my hand (thus my artistic swatch above). 

Me wearing the Rouge Edition Velvet lipstick with my Maybelline
Coloursensational lipstick on top (which is why it's shiny not matte)

All in all I would say that although this isn't the best liquid lipstick out there (it won't replace the Rimmel Apocalips in my heart) I do really love the colour and will probably continue to use it with my Maybelline lipstick it just hasn't blown my mind and become a holy grail product sadly. 

Have you tried this out yet?? What did you think??

How Much Is Too Much?

So as I said in my last post I've been home for the easter holidays this week and its been pretty hectic to say the least. But now all the running from place to place has died down a little and the "Oh my God I haven't seen you in ages! What have you been up to?"s are becoming fewer and fewer I can finally sit down and give my little blog a bit of much needed TLC.

In my very first post I told you how much I love lipstick and how it is one of my favourite makeup items. I also said how I tend to choose which lipstick to wear based upon how I'm feeling. This made packing my makeup for coming home quite difficult since I don't happen to have psychic powers (despite my childhood idolisation of 'That's So Raven') and so I don't know how I'll be feeling and therefore what lipsticks I shall be reaching for at the end of my month at home (yes I know 'bloody uni students do no work').

Therefore when I was packing lipsticks I took the same tact as I did with my clothes; if you think you might want it, take it (which is why I needed to bring two suitcases home...no packing light is not one of my strengths). However today when I was finally sorting out all of my bags out I realised I'd brought quite a lot of lipstick and when I counted I had 10! 10!

That seemed like quite a lot but then when I went through them I figured I'd probably covered all of my bases with what I had and all of them would get used. It was at this point I began to wonder how many is too many?? At what point do I stop being a girl with a lot of lipsticks and become a lipstick addict?? Will I need to go to LAA??? (Lipstick Addicts Anonymous, not as exciting as going to LA unfortunately).

It didn't help that today I went with my mum to Boots to help her choose a new lipstick and lipgloss and found out that she only ever needs the combination of the two to get by. Just two! For every occasion!

However now thinking about it more rationally I have begun to reach the conclusion that maybe everyone has their right amount of lipsticks. It's a bit like if you were to climb a mountain my mum would be there with a small rucksack and a thick coat while I would be there with all the materials to build a house and live quite comfortably for many years to come. Carrying on with this metaphor my mum may occasionally have to borrow a pick axe or a glove when some unforeseen circumstance comes along (no I don't know anything about climbing mountains how did you guess??) but generally she'll be fine.

Hopefully you stuck with me through that rather random and slightly too elaborate metaphor! Now for the good bit; the break down of what I brought with me...

- Maybelline Colour Sensational in Shocking Coral (and Neon Red), Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple and Rimmel Apocalips Lip Laquer in Big Bang my three favourite summery lipsticks at the minute (I mentioned them in my first post in more detail) 

- Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey and the Revlon Colourburst Matte Balm in Standout both of these feel very smooth and lovely on the lips, Honey is for when I want just a little bit of colour and Standout is for when I want a red that is not going to budge no matter how much I eat/drink

- M&S Limited Lipstick in Plum Shine I'm not sure if this was just out for Christmas or not but if it isn't you should definitely try it! Just applied it doesn't have great staying power but blotted down it becomes a lovely purpley pink with slightly blue tinged glitter which catches the light and makes a statement (sounds awful but I promise is really nice and I'm always getting complimented on it!)

- Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Hibiscus great for righting chapped lips and provides just a little colour...nuff said really

- Sleek Matte True Colour Lipstick in Mystic not the most hydrating of lipsticks but the colour is so gorgeous it makes up for it (you can see me wearing it in this post)

- Topshop Lipstick in Beguiled a dark red this is my go to night out lipstick since it goes with pretty much anything and always makes a statement!

When I'm Old(er) I Shall Wear Purple

When I was in first school there was a big thing about reading poems to us in assemblies. As a result there are loads of very random poems I seem to be able to quote due to the fact that there was a very limited store of poetry and about every moth each poem was re-read to us on rotation. The three I can remember most vividly were a nonsensical poem about the oojamaflip, a (frankly disturbing) poem which used the lifecycle of the blackberry plant as some weird metaphor for death (that one was particularly popular around harvest time) and 'When I'm Old I Shall Wear Purple' by Jenny Joseph. The last was probably my favourite. It's about a woman who decides that when she's old she can get away with anything and she goes around in bright purple clothes doing all the things we secretly want to and living life to the full (i.e a premonition of my own behaviour when I reach that age).

I guess the reason why I've thought of this poem when writing this post is because of:
1. The colour connection
2. That 'why not?' attitude.

Rimmel Scandeleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal
eyeliner in purple

Over the Christmas holidays I went on a mad make-up binge (which I mentioned in my previous post) and one of the things I bought was a Rimmel Scandleyes  purple eyeliner. I had just read somewhere that purple on the eyes really brings out the colour of green eyes and (although I have strange eyes which in various lights appear to be various different colours to different people) I am considered by at least half the people I meet to have green eyes. So I thought I'd mix it up and give purple liner a try. The only thing is I used it twice, got distracted by other stuff I'd bought and forgot about it...that is until this morning.

Slightly scary eyes but the eyeliner looks nice!

Don't ask me why but this morning I just felt like doing something a bit different. A bit (as one of my flatmates would say) 'snazzy'. So I was rummaging through my makeup drawers and found the purple eyeliner and decided to go for it.

Very subtly purple

The other times when I'd used this eyeliner I felt a bit strange, I don't really wear much colour on my eyes, and I felt like someone in a syfy movie where they think its a good idea to stick random bright colours just on their face to make them look 'futuristic'. If I'm honest I can't exactly remember how I used it over Christmas (I think at one point I tried it with green eyeshadow...not wise) but today I decided to do a really neutral eyeshadow look and then use the pop of purple as the main thing and I think it really worked.

My face

I paired it with my Sleek Matte True Colour Lipstick in Mystic, which is another product I bought ages ago on a whim and then quickly forgot about and I like the purple with blue/pink effect. I just got quite excited about this this morning and thought I'd share it with you...after all why not right???