Sleek Blush by 3 - Sugar + UPDATE.

Hey you lot! Been a while hasn't it?
I moved.
To LONDON.
With moving came finding a new job and navigating the mean streets of the big city (an arduous task for the geographically challenged).

However, I feel that I can confidently say that I'm at a place where I can come back to blogging every now and then. I still have heaps going on but it's manageable. Phew!

Things to expect in the coming weeks -
* Product reviews
* First date anecdotes (I plan on having many dates.. positive thinking, right?)
* Autumnal overload
* Other random things that tickle my fancy.


ALSO. I've been thinking about making videos. Not for any other reason than... It's easier to explain things using my voice than trying to put it into words. Also  it looks pretty fun. I feel like I'd be extremely awkward in front of the camera though so, I may give it a trial run and drop it, we shall see.


ANYWAY.

I've been drawn more and more to peachy shades in makeup for a while now. Ever since I laid eyes on the AMAZING Krysten Ritter. She's my  WCW every day of the week. It's nice to have a dark haired, pale skinned bombshell who's sarcasm could rival my own.

So, I'm giving this palette a whirl. Before I look into higher end versions of the shades I thought I could kill two birds with one stone (just realizing what a hideous phrase that is) and get a peachy/orangey blush palette that also has autumnal shades.

VOILA!

I'm really pleased with this look, I wanted a burnt orangey/pinkey autumn leaf type situation on my face. 

Below are the main products I used to achieve this look, though any derivative of these colours/textures would work. I would really big up the bold black lashes with this look, as I feel that it really adds to the overall textures. Glitter is also a must, I used glitter from a MAC holiday pigment collection a while back but any rose gold/burnt orange glitter pigment would work. 

Additionally, I really feel that an autumnal makeup look benefit from adding some warmth to the face in the form of contour powders and matte bronzers. I've used MAC's harmony blush and Benefit's Hula contour powder, the combination is wonderful. 

A nice bold brow and a soft lip colour really round off the look nicely. I've become a convert to NYX brow products, they're such high quality and only of the only places I can find dark brow products that aren't either a harsh black or a overly warm brown. 

I would recommend a matte lip here, or even slightly more creamy, blotted to soften and reduce shine. NYX also to loads of lovely shades that are usable for this look.

This will definitely be my every day soft glam look for this Autumn. Can't wait to come up with more! 

See you soon!

xx

Acrylic Nails: An update + Essie Chinchilly

I've had acrylic nails applied once again! A little longer and sharper this time and I'm in LOVE.
I originally had them done in a dark purple colour but I decided it was a little too 'gothic' so I opted for a more neutral Autumn hue. This is Chinchilly by Essie. It's a beautiful colour and my first Essie nail polish! I've had it on for a (very active) week and through work and an active fitness routine there has been NO chipping. This could be helped by the acrylic nails but I am seriously Impressed. It only took two coats to achieve the colour (covering a nearly blackish purple).

Downside to the nails, my pinky nail broke off only 8 days after application. I guess the quality of your acrylic nails has a lot to do with the person applying them so try to go somewhere that a friend has been or have a website/facebook page where you can see their work.
Also you might want to check what colours they have in, I wasn't too impressed by the colour selection available at the salon I last went to.. a lot of neons let's just put it like that.

Overall though I feel like having sassy nails really completes my look and compliments by outfits and makeup - definitely worth getting done. Typing has become a bit trickier but that's really something I can live with.



Blog posts coming up soon: Urban Decay Naked Concealer, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Soft and Gentle, Urban Decay Afterglow, Favourite Concealers, Fitness + Weight loss Update.

Stiletto Nails.

So for a while now I've wanted to get stiletto nails. I think they look fantastic and they're right up my alley.

I had planned on using the elegant touch false nails in 003 (I actually bought them), but a few things put me off;

1. After opening the box I realized that the instructions state that you have to buy a separate solution in order to remove them. This isn't indicated anywhere on the box and this did put me off a little.
2. I was worried about one of them snapping off in work. They're so distinctive it would be SO obvious if I lost one.
3. They didn't all fit perfectly - I have tiny hands.

Therefore I decided to get acrylics.

I've never had any kind of manicure before, but I was down in London for a couple of weeks and decided that it needed to be done.
We went to a little nail salon called 5 star nails in Watford and it cost £20 for a full set and colour (including the ombre) which I found very reasonable.

It took a little over half and hour and was a very enjoyable experience.

As I've just had them done I'm not sure how much damage will be done to my natural nails but I will keep you updated on a separate post!

Itty Bitty MAC Haul.

When I saw that MAC had released a new foundation; Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation, I knew I had to buy it. The original Pro Longwear foundation was a staple of mine for over two years until I somehow became paler and there was no longer a shade pale enough for me.

With the release of this foundation I realized the amazing range of colours and knew I just HAD to.

I pondered a lot over which shade to select. I don't live anywhere near a MAC counter (hour and a half away in fact) so I was making this choice based purely on online swatches and reviews (of which there aren't many yet). I wear the shade Buff in Revlon colorstay which is very pale but seeing as though summer is coming (and I really want to show my skin some sun) I decided to go for NC20.

I haven't used the product yet, as they arrived today AFTER I had done my makeup, but i did have a peek in the tube and the colour seems promising!

When ordering this I realized that also they finally had the Harmony blush back in stock. I've heard a lot of good things about this by fairer skinned ladies so I took the plunge and ordered it. First impression - it seems warmer than I expected but I will let you know how it works soon enough.

Finally I ordered a backup Pro Longwear concealer (NC15) just because I can't live without it.

So here they are - I plan on wearing the new items tomorrow and giving them a trial over a working day so keep your eyes peeled (ew) for my next post!

Gerard Cosmetics; Mini Lipstick Haul + First impressions.

I've heard a lot about Gerard Cosmetics through social media in the past year. They are an American brand and there has been a lot of hype about their lipsticks and glosses recently.

I wanted to make a sizeable order from them, but considering the items would be coming from America  I wanted to try a mini order to check the waters (postage time, packaging, hidden fees).

One thing I love about the brand is that there always seems to be a discount code available. I managed to get 35% off my order PLUS free delivery (made me very tempted to order more).

I ordered two lipsticks; 1995 and Underground.

I've always been a fan of the 90's lips and fashion so 1995 was definitely a lipstick I had to try. Underground was also a no brainer, something really grungy but pretty about it.







Top; Underground. Bottom; 1995.

Let me just start by saying - I'm REALLY happy with them. These lipsticks definitely feel and look matte on the lips, however they are not drying. It sounds unusual but i feel there is a certain amount of elasticity in them so that talking and lip movement doesn't alter the appearance. I have been wearing underground for 4 hours (I have eaten) and it is still going strong.
The colours I've purchased are very flattering on my pale skin and I'm excited to try more.


The packaging was not overly impressive but I don't really mind that as it goes straight to the bin anyway.
I ordered on the 11th, they arrived today (19th) which is understandable as they came from America. However I was unable to track my package and I didn't receive any updates on where it was or when it would arrive. I'm a patient person though so this didn't really bother me, I'd have been happy waiting up to about 10 days.
The items came in a tube of sponge, within a brown mailing bag.




I will definitely be ordering in the future, as a few of the glosses have caught my eye (despite me being a no-gloss kinda girl).

Keep an eye out for the next haul and some in depth reviews!

Easy and Healthy.

So I did mention that I would make a post about everything I eat in a week, however I soon realized that some of the recipes I enjoy most are so delicious that I have them a few times a week. I'm the type of person that could eat the same thing 4 nights in a row if I liked it enough.
Alternatively I've decided to share with you a couple of my favourite recipes from this week, and I will do the same next week.

I have to say my #1 dinner time recipe for the past few weeks is my carb-free courgette Chow Mein.

To make this you will need a spiralizer.  I cannot tell you ENOUGH how much of a game changer one of these things will be to your healthy eating or weight loss. I have adpoted a rule of trying to limit carbs to one meal a day (surprisingly easy) at breakfast or lunch, so having one of these is a great way of lowering your carb intake. You ca make a Bolognese, stiry fry (as you will see), Carbonara, and loads of other things using vegetables as noodles.

So this is my Courgette Chow Mein  Stir Fry.
I used Courgette (for the noodles)
Then, using Fry light spray (one calorie per spray) I fried the mushrooms, thin sliced carrot and chicken (optional).
Once these are done, you can add your spiralized courgette to the pan for about a minute just to heat it up, and add your sauce.
Any Chow Mein stir fry sauce will work, but make sure you take a look at the calories/fat on the back.
Mix it all up and serve!








Next is this Super simple salad.



All I did here was use a handful of leafy lettuce, quarter of a sliced avocado , smoked salmon and a nice drizzle of low fat honey and mustard dressing. I also added a few dates to finish it off.

Super easy but delicious and satisfying..!

MAC Cosmetics Eye Shadow x15: Warm Neutral.Review.

This is a gorgeous palette.


If you're familiar with MAC eye shadows then you'll know how they're pretty consistent and reliable with the quality and pigmentation.
Each eye shadow in this palette is the size of a full sized pan from MAC.
There is a mixture of finishes in the palette including matte, satin, Lustre and Velvet.
I don't find them overly pigmented (this is a great thing for me especially with bold, dark or shimmery colours - gives me more control over intensity and colour).
The textures of the shadows are extremely soft and velvety.
As with all MAC shadows they are very long wearing and don't crease on my eyelids throughout the day.
Three eye shadows that stand out to me from this palette are Amber Lights, Gingersnap and Unwind.

I would definitely recommend buying this palette if like me, you lean more towards warm toned colours.

In the photos of the eye looks made from this palette (below) I have not used an eye shadow primer.



Shadow names:
Hey, Warm Breeze, Gingersnap, Dark Brew, Dance In The Dark
Brule, Vanilla Extract, Honey Lust, Amber Lights, Saddle
Lemon Tart, Creative Copper, Butterfudge, Divine Decadence, Unwind.

For the above eye look I wanted to go for a look that reminded me of a soft crackling fire, I used the shades Amber Lights, Hey, Divine Decadence and Dance in the Dark.

This eye look uses the more cranberry/pink shades in the palette, specifically Warm Breeze, Gingersnap and Dark Brew.