That Velvet Feeling - Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet

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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
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). 

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet liquid lipstick
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??

Learning To Be Versatile

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I've always been a bit OCD about things. In school my friends used to tease me because I liked my coloured pens arranged in rainbow order and I always had the tidiest notes, colour coded and arranged in a binder with dividers for each subject (yes I'm THAT girl). I think it's because I like a world where the History notes go in the History notes section and everything has a kind of order.

This applies to my makeup too, I organise it so that face products go in the face product section, lipsticks in the lipstick section etc. I guess this is why I've never been that versatile with my products because I have to categorise their uses straight away. However at the minute I'm learning not to be so quick to put (for example) a blush down as being only a blusher.

Soap & Glory Glow All Out NYC Bronzer Urban Decay Primer Potion Sleek Blush Maybelline Color Tattoo

The thing is is that your products are really versatile they don't have to be used only for what they are sold as. For instance at the minute I'm into doing a really coral-y, rose gold eye look so I've been using my blusher as an eyeshadow either all over the lid or blended into the crease. 

I'll admit I've been the most experimental with using alternative products on my eyes as I've also been using my bronzer as an eye shadow as it makes a great transition colour. I usually use Buck from the naked palette but it can come off a little bit dark on me at times and my bronzer works as a great alternative for days when I'm wanting lighter toned eyeshadows or a little less definition in the crease. I've also been using my Soap & Glory Glow All Out highlighter on the brow bone as a subtle highlight.

There's loads of other products that can be multi purpose too! Eyeshadow primers can be used under the eye to help stop creasing and make concealer last longer. Cream blushes can be used as eyeshadows and lip stains, cream eyeshadows can be used like gel eyeliner and (depending on the colour) blushers and highlighters. Also those who are feeling particularly brave can apply a little lipstick to the cheeks and blend it out to create a beautiful flush of colour. 

There's a whole world out there of experimenting to be done and for someone like me it can be a little bit daunting. But I guess by multi-purposing your products you are able to get full value for money out of them and it gives you the ability to create amazing new makeup looks you never tried before!

If you know of any more uses for products that I haven't mentioned please leave them in the comments!

A Tip, A Chat and A Cupcake

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Well today is Wednesday otherwise known as 'hump day' (a little fact I learnt when I was younger from playing Animal Crossing) and before your minds start working it is called 'hump day' because you're halfway through the metaphorical hill that is the week and after this you're speeding towards the weekend.

I've never been a huge fan of Wednesdays personally because when I was in school I always seemed to have my worst lessons on a Wednesday and that feeling of dread waking up on a Wednesday morning knowing its non stop maths, P.E and physics till the end of the day has never really left me. However as far as Wednesdays go today hasn't been too bad! Plus I've tried out quite a few things today I'd recommend for you to try...

One thing that has made today quite nice is that last night I saw a video by Tati (aka Glam Life Guru on YouTube) who was saying in one of her Tip Tuesday videos that if you switch around the order you shampoo and condition your hair in the shower (i.e. condition your hair, wash your body, rinse out the conditioner, THEN shampoo) it leaves your hair silkier, more volumised etc. Now in my hair tutorial post I told you how my hair just doesn't do anything in particular or hold a style so when I heard this I thought I should try it out just to see (plus Tati's hair in the video looked so gorgeous I just had to!).

Me with my (largely) frizz free hair - I have been out in the
wind a bit today!

I've got to say my hair has been feeling amazingly silky smooth all day (I was wandering around combing it with my fingers all morning) and it was quite easy to style this morning which I was impressed with as my hair desperately needs the TLC of the hairdressers at the minute and so I've been getting a lot of frizz and flyaways which just won't go away no matter how much I straighten my hair! Today zilch; one going over with the straighteners and not a flyaway in sight! Admittedly I don't have any extra volume but if you have more style-able hair than mine you might just, plus I was slightly scared to shampoo my scalp too much for fear of washing out all the conditioner so that could also have been a factor.

Also today I have been baking cupcakes with my mum for her food blog (a bit of mother/daughter bonding never hurt right??) and they are delicious!! The cupcakes were chocolate and chilli and vanilla and lavender and they were both so so so nice! My mum's food blog is The Crispy Crouton and she'll be posting a recipe soon so be sure to have a look because they were gorgeous! 

Chocolate and Vanilla Cupcakes
Vanilla and lavender cupcake (L) and chocolate and
chilli cupcake (R)

I realise this is becoming the most random post I've written yet (well maybe not quite but still) so I just thought I'd throw another random thing that I would recommend. I was watching the music channel the other day and it was a 90's show and this song was playing and I really loved it it was just super chilled and summery feeling so I downloaded it and I've been listening to it on repeat ever since (listening to it now and singing along). The song is Save Tonight by Eagle-Eye Cherry and I just can't get enough!

Let me know if you try any of these out! 

The Quest For The Perfect Foundation - YSL Le Teint Touche

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In my last post I talked about how many lipsticks I have and how do you know when too much is too much and if I'm honest I have the same approach to everything. Things are always catching my eye and I want to try out the newer, fancier, shinier, prettier version be it makeup, skincare, clothes, technology or even stationary (yes I am a stationary geek). But one thing for me that I stick with through thick and thin is my foundation.

Now I won't lie and say I religiously purchase the same foundation over and over as, like many beauty bloggers before me, I am still searching for the ultimate foundation which will make me look permanently airbrushed, and gorgeous, yet won't be drying, break me out or look overly greasy (is that really too much to ask?). However I think I've gotten pretty damn close with my latest attempt.

I received the YSL Touche Éclat for Christmas and instantly fell in love. It made my skin look glowing (something that's tricky for my slightly dry, dull skin) and would have been so much more effective if I wasn't using a combination of my Mum's Estée Lauder Double Wear which was too light for her but too dark and full coverage for me and a different foundation I'd bought at the hight of summer when I was really tanned and therefore by Christmas was completely the wrong shade.

YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat
I am in the shade B10

I kept researching different foundations to try and considered the likes of Nars Sheer Glow etc. which are always very highly thought of but then I started hearing good things about YSL's Le Teint Touche Éclat. I want to say that I made my decision to buy this foundation was based solely upon the great reviews I heard but sadly it pains me to say that it just looked too pretty to refuse! I mean can we just pause for a minute to appreciate the packaging; sleek, glass, minimal, with a pump and oh so luxury I didn't have the will power to not buy it.

Le Teint Touche Éclat is supposed to basically give the radiance that the Touche Éclat gives but all over the face. I would say that it achieves this quite well; the radiance isn't as concentrated as it is in the Touche Éclat but I'm not sure that you would want that anyway! It does however brighten up my skin and give it an injection of life and vitality (which I particularly appreciate when I roll into class at 9:00am having not gone to bed till 3:00am).

Also this foundation is really good at evening my skin tone and covering blemishes. It isn't full coverage so you will want to use concelear for any serious under eye circles or if you've got any spots but for me it evens out any patches of redness and blots out any of those annoying red acne scars that take forever to fade away.

The only draw back I can say about this is that, in my experience, it doesn't go very far. The coverage is really buildable and for a more sheer amount of coverage I use just one pump but for days when I am a bit more spotty or suffering more redness I will use two pumps and because of this I don't think it has lasted as long as some of the other foundations I've used where I didn't feel like I had to apply as much. However it lasts all day on the skin and I only really need to top it up if I'm going out in the evening which is nice (especially if you're as expressive as me and therefore constantly touching your face and smearing your makeup everywhere).

Overall I would say this foundation is the closest to perfection I've gotten so far, wearing it makes me feel flawless and fabulous and (if for no other reason) I'd buy it again just to keep looking at the bottle!

How Much Is Too Much?

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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!

Lipsticks Lipstick Collection


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!

A Quick Post About A Not So Quick Shop

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Well its my last day of this semester before I go home to my big double bed (oh how I've missed you) and my snuggly little cat (who will be so happy to see me...not!). Because it's my last week I've been really busy especially the last couple of days so today I decided to do something nice and go shopping!

I realise this probably wasn't the smartest idea since I'm busy till late tonight and I leave early tomorrow and haven't even started packing yet (don't stress out Chloe!). But I thought a nice shopping trip with my flatmate before she leaves this evening would be a nice way to wind down for the holidays. Also Topshop had a sale on...

Haul River Island Topshop Sale AC/DC Playsuit T-shirt Blue Satchel
The damage

Both the tops were from Topshop (very aptly named) and were both in the sale, the mini satchel was also from Topshop in the sale and the playsuit was from River Island (it wasn't in the sale but I couldn't resist!). Have you guys bought anything in the sales recently??

Knotting Your Hair...In A Good Way!

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I am awful at hair, like genuinely awful. When I was younger I wanted to be a hairdresser and I believe the highlight of that career was when I thought I'd developed a 'new way of plaiting' and tested it out on my best friend Katie's hair. Long story short Katie's parents managed to cut the 'plait' (read tangled mess) out of her hair. It was fine! Her hair is really thick so you could barely tell!

It also doesn't help that I have long, straight, shiny hair (I know cry me a river right?). But my hair always wants to return to its natural state and doesn't hold pins, curls, bobbles etc. very well at all. So I figured it's about time I learnt! So here is a hair tutorial (as much for me as it is for you guys) on how to create a simple half up half down knot. Enjoy!

TRESemme Curling Wand Urban Fudge Sea Salt Spray VO5 Ultimate Hold Hair Spray Bobby Pins A Large Clip
All the tools for the job (list below)

For this you will need...
  • A curling wand - this one is by TRESemmé
  • Salt spray - we used Urban Fudge's Sea Salt spray
  • Hair spray - this one is VO5 Ultimate Hold
  • Bobby pins - for pinning hair
  • A large clip - for holding hair out the way


Step 1: Split the hair down the middle into two equal sections.

Step 2: Curl the hair in 1 inch pieces away from the face

Curling Hair In Sections Hair Tutorial
You may want to clip hair up while you do this

Step 3: After curling each piece catch the curl in your hand and then roll it back up and pin to the head (a pin curl). Be careful because the hair can be very hot while you do this!

Pin Curls Hair Tutorial
My hair in pin curls

Step 4: Wait for the whole head to cool and for the curls to set (touch the hair and if it isn't still warm you are good to go) then take out the pins and unravel the curls.

Ringlets Hair Tutorial
Looking like Kirstin Dunst in Interview With A Vampire

Step 5: Run your fingers through the curls to break them up and make them less ringlety then spray the hair with salt spray for added texture.

Curling Hair Tutorial
Nice and curly

Step 6: Section the hair above the ears then split the hair above the ears into two

Step 7: Arrange these pieces so that they shape the face nicely and then tie these two pieces in a loose knot

Braiding Knotting Tying Hair Tutorial
Knotting your hair the right way

Step 8: Bobby pin the knot in place so it is nice and secure

Simple Knot Hair Tutorial
Simple knotted design

Step 9: Spray the hair with hairspray to help hold the look in place and you are done!

Simple Knot Hair Tutorial
The completed look

I'd like to thank my lovely flatmates for helping me to create this post. Josie for actually creating this hairstyle and Anna for taking the occasional picture and providing all round entertainment!

Anna
Josie

Let me know if you guys try this hairstyle out!