Things I'm Loving Right Now...

With a pretty chilled out weekend coming to an end, I thought i'd share with you a couple of things that i can't live without right now...

Urban Decay Naked Pallette

This, by far, is my most economic purchase of the summer!

I've had this badboy for just over a month now and, as you can probably see from the pic above, it's gotten a LOT of use.

For anyone who doesn't own this palette, or for someone who has never tried an Urban Decay shadow... this is a must-buy product!

It has a beautiful mix of shadows that are ideal for creating neutral looks for the office (with the paler end of the palette) and can then take you right through to evening with a sensual smokey look (with the darker end of the palette). It also has a good mix of matte and shimmery powders which is a huge bonus.

Cue the swatch pics....




L-R: Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked



L-R: Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal
Natural light



With Flash

The pay-off of these shadows are always second-to-none and are never a chore to blend, which is great for people who are UD virgin's or for people who don't feel so comfortable about shading and blending diferent colours or textures. The palette also come with a soft double-ended eye-liner pencil in black (Zero)  and brown (Whiskey), and also includes a bottle of Primer Potion. All for £27!!

Favourite shadows...?

I know that everyone raves about 'Half Baked', which yes, is a lovely colour and i do really love it, but if i had to pick a favorite i'd probably have to go for 'Naked'. I say this because it's the one i reach for the most and the one colour i base all my other colour options around...it reminds me of one of my M.A.C faves 'Soba' which is equally as lovely. 'Darkhorse' and 'Half Baked' are close runners up though! And 'Virgin' is lovely used as a highlighter anywhere on the face.

I have also found myself reachng for 'Zero' liner more than my M.A.C 'Smolder' lately...it's just as soft as the M.A.C liner so it creates a really intense black on the waterline, but without the smudgy black blobs that somehow always seem to appear underneath my eyes when using 'Smolder'.

I plan on doing a YouTube tutorial of how i like to use these colours some time soon... :)

Other things i'm loving?

M.A.C 'Well Dressed' Blush and Ltd Ed 'Miss Ross' Lipstick Combo....

L-R: Well Dressed Blush, Miss Ross Lipstick

 'Well Dressed' has replaced M.A.C's cream blush 'Ladyblush' as my fave at the moment. Always leaves me with a nice light pink flush and has such good staying power.

I've been pairing it with a slick of 'Miss Ross' lipstick which was from the Limited Edition Diana Ross collection that M.A.C did in 2005!!

I've barely touched this lipstick since i got it after having a M.A.C make-over in Harvey Nichol's in Birmingham years and years ago...i found it in my case a week ago and i've been wearing it every day since.

It's a cremesheen so it goes on all nice and glossy, a lovely slick of light pink. Although, i still don't think it's replaced my ultimate lipstick shade 'Pink Nouveau' but it's a damn close second!!

Cue blurry close up of lips...

'Miss Ross' ... You get the idea...? :)

I think it would be virtually impossible to get the lipstick now, i've had a look on ebay and can't find it...but M.A.C. do plenty of similar baby pink shades so a dupe will be easy to find. 'Well Dressed' is £16.50 and available in all M.A.C counters now.

And last not by no means least....

Urban Outfitters Sparkle & Fade Nail Varnish

L-R: numbers 51, 36, 55

I picked these varnishes up just under a year ago, at the peak of my nail varnish addiction! Tried them once and then forgot about them...until this week that is...

How did i not instantly fall in love with these first time round??!!

Well, i think the trick here is that the thick consistancy of the varnish works really really well on my acrylic nails...but not so well on natural nails.

When i first tried these on my natural nails, i found it hard to apply and especially hard with the nude/beige colour '36'! She was a nightmare to apply and that's putting it mildy....so, back of the cupboard they went and remained there until i thought i'd give 'em a go this week...and i'm so glad i did...

Cue close up nail shot.... :)

51

I LOVE this shade! On my fake nails one coat was all that was needed for super glossy, even grey/blue nails! I haven't taken this colour off yet and it's been a few days...(i am indeed a nail varnish whore and like to try a different one on a daily basis usually!) it must be love!

The other 2 colours are great for this seasons nail trends too...'55' is a lovely murky brown with a hint of grey...nicer than Barry M's Mushroom which was a great dupe for Chanel 'Particuliere'! And '36' is a clean fresh beige that taps right in to the mannaequinn nail of the moment!

All in all, i'm so glad i have redisovered my love for these colours.

Well, that's it from me...you've seen what products i'm loving right now...question is, what are you loving??

Tx

Today I'm Wearing..../ Mini Chanel Haul

Ok, so any beauty junkie worth her salt knows about Chanel's Limited Edition Khaki Collection for Vogue's Fashion Night Out.

Chanel les Khakis

And she probably also knows that they are now impossible to get hold of...unless you want to pay through the nose on ebay for a piece of this khaki-coloured pie?

Now, I'm as guilty as the next addict for being suckered in by hype...YSL Faux Cils?...check...Dior Show?...check...Chanel Paradoxal...CHECK! My point is, i've been attracted to all these items because of the big buzz surrounding them and quite often found the hype to be overrated.

Utterly convinced that this next item is going to change my life, and muttering the mantra "It's an investment... It's defintely worth every penny...I'll use this like, EVERY DAY!!" I grab my next fix from the counter, march to the till and parade it and around in my little bag like i have a Wonka Bar with a Golden Ticket inside! This is the next big thing...it has to be good...everyone else says so.

Only, i get it home, try it out... and after one wear...i'm always left a little flat and disappointed that in fact, it hasn't changed my life, it probably wasn't worth the many many pounds paid... and I definitely wont use it everyday.

This, i fear, is the case of Chanel's Khaki collection.

I've seen the swatches, i've read the reviews and even trawled ebay in search of my next fix...Khaki Vert.

And then it hit me...I'm just about to pay a huge amount of money for GREEN nail varnish, that i'll probably only wear once, that i'm not that sure i absolutely 100% love, and to be honest ,will probably find a good dupe in Boots for a fraction of the price i was just convincing myself that i should pay.

So i supressed my inner "but i neeeeed it" voice...and thought that i would invest my money in a colour that i would love...and low and behold i found not one but two beautiful Chanel colours, Magnolia Rose and Rose Blossom, going for a really really cheap price on ebay...no-one wanted them because the fash-pack all want Khaki!

And...here they are......

Chanel 453 Magnolia Rose

Natural Light

   

Chanel 145 Rose Blossom

With Flash On

Natural Light

2 Newbies with Chanel 509 Paradoxal

Now, i know that these colours are from a preivous collection, i know they're not in the centre of  some overrated PR hype, and i know they're not the colour ever beauty addict is clammering to get....but I love them!

Magnolia Rose is a beautiful, fresh pale-pink with an ever-so-subtle hint of silver sparkle. The texture is thick and luxurious....everything you'd expect from a Chanel varnish. 2 coats later and i'm really pleased with the result.

Rose Blossom is more of a classic pearlized-pink that also looks fabulous on my toes (i'm not going to show you them...i am an unfortunate sufferer of Shrek-Foot Syndrome). It has pink-silver shimmer running through it and it is very very grown-up sort of classy on the nail...again, something synonymous with the Chanel brand...could i have said the same of Khaki Vert had i "invested"?...perhaps not.

My favorite?? If i absolutely HAD to chose...I would go for Magnolia Rose, purely because i think the pale tone and subtle sparkle makes the nail look modern and chic.

I think this colour will work best when paired with an edgy outfit a.k.a drop-crotch, military boots, lots of layering and chic, crisp pink nails to keep my look on the girly side of contemporary grunge (that's just me though...if i wear a girly, pretty dress...a short black/brown nail is a must to keep a look form being too cliche or matchy-matchy).

Am i happy i chose these over Khaki Vert?

I'd be lying if i said i definitely wouldn't consider buying it...maybe once all the hype has calmed down and the prices normalize...then maybe, just maybe i'll reconsider...but for now i feel happy and smug that i've got these two beautiful colours, that really will match everything, and at a snip of the price i would have paid had the khaki controversy not have overshadowed these shades.

I definitely would reccommend :)

Tx

ELLE-HARVEY NICHOLS Beauty Event...

Right Girlies...this is one event I'm defnitely excited about!

In this month's edition of ELLE magazine, it advertised an exciting Beauty event taking place in Harvey Nichols stores all over the country in early October.

Dates of the events vary depending on location...and as I'm closest to the Midlands I will be attending the Birmingham Harvey Nichol's Event on Thursday 7th October (which coincides with the launch of M.A.C'S Venomous Villains...my credit card is already whimpering in my purse!!).

What can you expect at the event? A mini-massage perhaps? A cocktail as you peruse Lanvin, Tom Ford or YSL's latest make-up collections? A make-over by an international make-up artists? Skin-care advice from the best in the field and tips and tricks from the experts at ELLE? need I go on......

If all that hasn't tempted you then the free goody bag to take home may just do the trick :)

Tickets cost £15 but are redeemable against any product you choose to purchase...so let's face it...it's kinda free :)

I certainly shall be hot-footing it to the counters with my girlies, it'd be great to meet some of you there! I cant wait to do a review of this event...blog post coming soon.

Tx

For ticket information click here xx

Today I'm Wearing....

Hey guys :)

So, this is an introduction to a new regular feature on my blog called "Today I'm Wearing...".

This is my mini homage to Vogue.com's celebrity fashion blurb...but i thought i'd give it a beauty twist and make it a Nail Varnish feature to show you guys what varnishes im loving, testing, hating at the moment.

So...without further ado...

"Today I'm Wearing...."

Revlon's 030 Grey Suede Varnish

I absolutely LOVE this varnish.

I'm really into these murky neutrals at the moment and thought i'd try out this season's "Mannequin Nails" trend with Revlon's Grey Suede, and i really really liked the result.

We all know that a lot of neutral-toned nail lacquers can be a real pain in the...neck...to apply :)... but, this varnish went on smoothly and effortlessly...even when using the left hand!!

The colour is a soft beige/camel with a very soft golden pearl which gives a nice dimension to the varnish.

It's chic and flattering, and is a worthy substitute for the camel coat  in Topshop that i've been lusting after but can't quite justify buying just yet!

This varnish is around £7 in Boots and definitely gets the big thumbs up from me!

So...what are you wearing today??

Tx 

"Mirror Mirror on the Wall...Who's the Most Villainous of Them All?" ....

For my very first proper post, I thought it best to talk about something I am really really ridiculously excited about.

And what could be more exciting than the collaberation of M.A.C and Disney...yes you all know what i'm talking about... M.A.C's Venomous Villains Collection.

Launching nationwide on Thursday 7th October, with M.A.C's make-up artists dressed as their favorite character to mark the occasion, this Limited Edition collection is sure to ignite the little Villainess in us all.

So, who did M.A.C choose as their malevolent muses? Meet the Villains you'll be channelling this season....


L-R: MALEFICIENT, CRUELLA DE VIL, EVIL QUEEN, DR. FACILIER.

MALEFICENT

The self-proclaimed "Mistress of all Evil" starred as the scorned evil fairy in Disney's Sleeping Beauty (1959), with a chip on her shoulder and a dual-horned hat on her head, she certainly is one of Disney's most memorable villains.

Here's her collection:


L-R: LIPSTICKS DARK DEED, VIOLETTA

L-R LIPGLASSES REVENGE IS SWEET, WRONG SPELL

L-R MINERALIZE EYESHADOW DUOS: SHE WHO DARES, MY DARK MAGIC

MALEFICENT BEAUTY POWDER IN BRIAR ROSE

L-R NAIL VARNISHES: FORMIDABLE, MEAN & GREEN, BAD FAIRY

M.A.C did more with this collection than just bring to life the make-up styles of the characters, if they did then Maleficent's teal-toned skin may be not so popular a choice.

Instead, M.A.C used the original Disney pantones that were used by the illustrator's to draw the colours of the character, and from then went on to develop a theme that best summed up the very essence of each character.

So for Maleficient, M.A.C have referenced her green skin within the teal pigments in the shadow and also in the transforming pearl pigment of the nail varnish. The purple is inspired by Maleficient's robes and can be seen in the grape-coloured lipstick in the collection.

Gregory Arlt, Director of Make-Up Artistry at M.A.C who created the looks, said that his inspiration for the Maleficent collection came from the rather 80's purple colour-blocking of the eye to the brow, her 60's Marylin Monroe-esque sleepy-eyed features and her very strong lip.

CRUELLA DE-VIL

Cruella De-Vil was the pampered London heiress with a penchant for Haute Couture of the, shall we say...Dalmation-kind, in Disney's 101 Dalmations (1961).

With an evil eye for skinning puppies to keep her looking good, this Villain could give Gok a run for his money in the create your own style-stakes.

It's no suprise then that the inspiration behind this collection was her chic red lip...

L-R LIPSTICKS: HEARTLESS, INNOCENCE BEWARE.

L-R LIPGLASS: DEVILISHLY STYLISH, WICKED WAYS

L-R EYESHADOW: DE-VIL, SWEET JOY, CARBON

CRUELLA'S BEAUTY POWDER IN HER OWN DEVICES

CRUELLA'S BLUSH IN DARKLY MY DEAR

EVIL QUEEN

The Evil Queen is probably my favorite Villain of all time. The original Disney femme fatale famed for her jealous ways and poisoned apple,  she starred in Disney's first animated feature film Snow White and the Severn Dwarfs (1937) making her the oldest Disney Villain in the collection.

Inspired by the Evil Queen's fair skin, full-on lip and smokey eye, M.A.C have created a collection based on smokey purples, coral and plum...

L-R LIPSTICK: SINISTER, TOXIC TALE

L-R LIPGLASS: HOT HOUSE, STRANGE POTION

L-R EYESHADOW: HER ALTER IMAGE, VAINGLORIOUS, VILE VIOLET

EVIL QUEEN'S BEAUTY POWDER IN OH SO FAIR

EVIL QUEEN BLUSH IN BIT OF AN APPLE

DR.FACILIER

Dr. Facilier is the french voodoo witchdoctor in Disney's Princess and the Frog (2009). Said to be the "love-child" of Cruella and Captain Hook, Dr. Facilier is the only male character and the newest Disney villain.

In my opinion, this character is the biggest disappointment of the four.

Although, I get that M.A.C used a young, male villain to give a nod to it's moto "All Ages, All Races, All Sexes", and to perhaps give referece to this seasons androgynous runway trends...there are far better Villains that spring to mind when you think of Disney...How about Ursula? Jafar? Lady Tremaine a.k.a the wicked Step-Mother in Cinderella?!!!

Sadly it also seems that the collection falls flat too, with only one product being original for Disney collaboration, the Magically Cool Liquid Powder. The pigments, the Lipgelee, the Greasespaint Stick have all been done before. Now i'm not a huge fan of pigments, i think they're messy and hard to use, but some new colours would have been lovely to tempt me into trying again.

I am, however, looking forward to the return of the Greasepaint Stick, it's just such a shame that some new

original colours weren't created.

L-R PIGMENTS: MELON, BRASH, BOLD

       LIPGELEE: RESORT LIFE

       REASESTICKS: SLICK BLACK, FRENCH QUARTER

       MAGICALLY COOL POWDER: CAJUN, TRUTH & LIGHT

So...there are the collections....And my first post... eeek :)

For me i think that the two collections that really stand out are Evil Queen and Maleficent. Both are fun and versatile and great for next seasons plum coloured trends.

I'm so excited for the launch of this collection, M.A.C have been working on this collaboration

 for 7 years! And the attention to detail shows...the packaging is amazing, the collections are bright yet wearable, and above all M.A.C haven't gone to "cutesy" with it.

M.A.C has shunned the cliched Disney Princess idea that other brands may have endorsed in the past, instead choosing to make the collection more current and editorial, gravitating towards the darker, bolder character that is synonymous with M.A.C the brand.

ON MY WISHLIST

1. BEAUTY POWDER - OH SO FAIR
2. BEAUTY POWDER - BRIAR ROSE
3. LIPSTICK - VIOLETTA
4. LIPGLASS - REVENGE IS SWEET
5. NAIL VARNISH - BAD FAIRY

There's so many items I'd love to try, it's sooo hard to chose!! And no doubt this list will change on a daily basis leading up to the launch..choices choices ladies.. :)

The question is what's on your wishlist? And which Villain do you want to be???

Tx

And so it begins...

Well let's start with a BIG HELLO! *waves like a mad woman with a big cheesey grin on her face*

 I thought i would use my first ever post to introduce myself and what i intend to do with this blog.

My name is Terrie, im 24 and completely obsessed with anything beauty related! (I feel like i should be saying that with a shame-flushed face, stood up amongst a circle of other cosmetic addicts!)

Be it lipstick, nail varnish, self-tan or make-up wipes , i intend to review anything and everything in the beauty industry and use this site as an outlet for my vanity-induced obsession (which has been plaguing the ears of work colleagues, friends and family for the best part of my adult life!).

With just 4 weeks to go until i get to turn a life-long love of beauty into the beginnings of a career by embarking on my Make-Up Artist course in London, i thought what better time to start a blog and use it to fuel my cosmetic neurosis.

Anyway...introductions over, let the blogging begin...

T x