Wednesday, 9 June 2010

NOTD: China Glaze - Flip Flop Fantasy (Neon)

Hi Everyone,
Yesterday I finally got to pop into Sally's, the nearest one to me is located in a different city where I usually don't shop so this would be the second visit I've ever made. The China Glaze and OPI polishes that they do stock is fairly limited and a couple of the colours I wanted were out of stock so I shall be ordering those from Ebay- which works out slightly cheaper anyway.

Flip Flop Fantasy is a neon which looks very different depending on the light source, when I put this on last night it looked more of a pink toned coral, while today in natural light it's a way more orange toned coral that is quite milky looking. I think that my skin tone makes it look a bit more orange toned as in the bottle it is slightly more pink. So this is pretty much a milky pink/coral neon which is a colour I haven't seen before- I think this would look absolutely beautiful against a darker skin tone.

Taking pictures of neons is always a challenge as the glare does alter the colour making it look in most cases drastically different. All of my indoor pictures came out as a neon bright pink, with the exception of one which looked like a pastel orange... so I settled for taking them outside with my camera's 'Flower' setting on which is just a slow shutter speed with no flash and it managed to capture a good representation of the colour. Looking at it in person it is a lot more glow-y and bright.


 (click to enlarge)


(click to enlarge)

This is 3 coats of Flip Flop Fantasy with the usual base coat and topcoat of Barry M 3 In 1 nail paint. My experience with creamy neons is generally that they take around 3 coats to be completely even, but they do dry matte making them dry extremely fast.

-LadyDanger
xxx

Sunday, 6 June 2010

NOTD - Rimmel 60 Seconds: Purple Reign

Hey everyone, 
I purchased this nail polish recently when it was part of a large Rimmel display in boots - I believe it was for a 3 for 2 promotional offer across the store (or something along those lines), I hadn't seen this colour before in my local Boots as they have a smaller selection compared to the larger stores in the city center. It instantly caught my eye and I picked it up straight away - it's a gorgeous bright warm purple with a  light blue shimmer.

I think the name is very cute and fitting too - it makes me wonder if they really did get inspiration from Prince or the naming is just a coincidnce! I kind of wish they could have got away with actually calling it 'Purple Rain' but I'll let Rimmel off; I thought it was one of their more inventive names as they usually tend to play it safe.

(click to enlarge)
I've purchased polishes from the Rimmel 60 Seconds range before and I've always been happy with them, and this one certainly didn't let me down. This is 2 coats of Purple Reign with a base coat and top coat of my usual Barry M 3 in 1 Nail Paint. 

I recently snapped my index finger nails on both hands so they are looking a bit awkward at the moment! They are starting to grow out slowly but surely though - I just didn't want to have to trim my others down to match, I can live with the growing out process of having 2 slightly awkward nails for a while ;)

-LadyDanger
xxx

Glamour Doll Eyes Samples: Haul and Review

Hi Everyone,
I've seen this company mentioned a few times on youtube as well as on A Brilliant Brunette's blog so I thought I'd give them a try.

*EDIT* Turns out they do have free shipping for orders over $30 - thanks for letting me know SilhouetteScreams
One thing I will say is that on the site international shipping seems to have a standard price of $28 for full size jars which to me is quite steep; especially if you only want to make a small order of just 2 shadows for example. The standard rate of shipping I've paid for cosmetics from the States is around $14. The sample baggies however were just $1.50 each with free international shipping (free shipping applies to sample jars too). The postage was quick and I recieved them in about 8-9 days.

(as usual click to enlarge all the images)

The colours I received (clockwise from the red glitter) are: 
  • Fierce (cherry red glitter - glitters are called 'Eye Lights' on the site)
  • Techno (teal glitter)
  • Cashed Out! (forest green glitter)
  • Little Black Dress (black glitter)
  • Tokyo (matte lilac shadow)
  • Glam Girl (metallic royal purple)
  • Tattooed (very blue toned purple with an iridescent royal purple shimmer)
  • Sex Appeal (purple toned grey with green shimmer)
  • Hollywood (silver holographic glitter)
  • Glowstick (neon lime green glitter)
  • Rave (bright royal purple glitter)



The 2 free samples I recieved with the order were Sex Appeal shadow and Cashed Out! glitter, I believe free samples are complimentary with every order which was a nice touch.


Overall I feel the photos and descriptions on the site matched very well to the actual colour of the shadows. I actually ended up odering more glitters than shadows. Tattooed I feel is the only one that surprised me slightly, I expected it to be more of a purple colour - as you can see it is very blue toned. 

The glitter is extremely finely milled, I've used them a few times already and am really happy with the quality.
I did have an issue with the black glitter called Little Black Dress though, as it doesn't appear to be as sparkly as the other glitters, it has a lot more of a subtle shimmer that doesn't really show up:

As for the quality of the eye shadows I found them to be amazingly pigmented and lasted just as well as any other shadow I own. I went on a bit of a purple kick when I was ordering, but the free sample of Sex Appeal is really stunning! It's a nice unique colour that I haven't seen before. The shimmery shadows look amazing foiled (applied wet) and take on a more obvious metallic look.

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(l to r) Sex Appeal, Tattooed, Glam Girl, Tokyo
Swatches are applied dry with no base to give you an idea of the pigmentation 

The size of the baggies surprised me slightly too as they're quite small being 5 1/2cm x 4cm and are about a third full which isn't really a tonne of product - but I suppose the point of samples are to entice you into buying the full size product so I can't really complain!
The colours of all the samples I ordered are very bright which I'm delighted with, the only thing that puts me off buying the full size jars is the shipping price, if it was lower I would order with no hesitation!

-LadyDanger
xxx

Monday, 31 May 2010

May Favourites


Lush Eau Roma Water (toner) and Lush Fresh Farmacy (Cleanser)
I decided to talk about these products together as I feel the major improvement in my skin has been from using both- I can't credit one more than the other! Eau Roma Water is a toner designed for dry, older or sensetive skin – I have both dry and sensetive skin and I find it really refreshing. The main ingredients of lavender and rose water smell lovely too, if not somewhat herbal which I can see not everyone liking. Fresh Farmacy to me smells like... how I would expect a plain bar of soap to smell, but the magic is what it does to the skin. On the Lush website it says it 'makes a tiny bit of froth' but I find this froths up a lot which I really like. I cut a small chunk from the large piece of cleanser and rub it in my hands after wetting them with warm water and apply to the face that way as I feel it's the most sanitary way for me and generates the most froth. I find a smaller piece around 3cm wide to last me about 3 days, using it once in the morning and then in the evening. I've seen a significant difference in my skin since using these frequently – my skin feels a lot softer and I no longer have any dry patches, in fact it doesn't seem to be dry at all. I've been breaking out less frequently, and when I do it's only been one blemish at a time that cleared up in 2-3 days. Overall I'm extremely impressed and will definitely be repurchasing!
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(Fresh Farmacy Cleanser)

SJP - NYC (Sarah Jessica Parker fragrance)
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Pondering the perfume isles of Debenhams with no intention of purchasing a fragrance that day, I stopped to take a look at the display for this purely based on my love of Sex and the City, I'd heard that the perfume was created to capture 'the essence of Carrie Bradshaw' so it sounded right up my street.
The sales assistant nearby offered to spray some on my arm – I usually decline but I was intrigued and said ok. I then walked around the makeup counters and I seriously could not stop smelling my arm (yes this did lead to a few funny looks from fellow shoppers), so I decided to pick up the smallest 15ml size as I've been looking for a small fragrance to put in my handbag. I've used this every day since so clearly I'm going to have to go back and pick up the 60ml bottle! It's ideal for summer as it's a sweet floral with a distinct strawberry top note. I just wish this was an eau de parfum as the lasting power whilst good is not amazing.
For a more in-depth description you can always check out the website which very handily provides an overall description, top notes, middle notes and bottom notes complete with illustrations ;)

MAC Pearl Cream Colour base
I've been using this as a highlight for my cheekbones, and I seriously love it, I don't think I'll ever go back to using a powder hilighter! It gives a gorgeous natural glow that doesn't look sparkly or overly-shimmery. You don't need to use a lot of product either which is always a bonus. I've been applying this with both my fingertips and a duo fiber brush. My only issue with this is it wasn't as creamy as expected.

MAC Brun Eyeshadow
An all-rounder, it's the perfect shade for my brows and great in the crease too, this has quickly become one of my most used eyeshadows. I really do love neutral shades, a good half of my shadow collection is neutral as I find them so versatile.

Barry M Peachy Pink Lip Paint
I've been using this every day, to me it looks rather retro as it's quite a white based peach so it stands out quite a bit by itself and looks lovely paired with winged out liner. The only downside is that the formulation is quite dry so lip balm is definitely a must before application.

Fresh Lime Juice Sugar Scrub
I actually saw this on one of Kandee Johnson's latest youtube videos, though I've been using it differently to the way she applied it with a cotton pad. I squeeze my lime juice into a container, and have a seperate one for the sugar as it dissolves really quickly, I mix the 2 in my hand and exfoliate each part of my face separately – I tried mixing them together in a container but by the time I'd exfoliated half my face the sugar had mostly dissolved. This leaves my skin looking really glowing and refreshed – I alternate using this with my extra virgin olive oil sugar scrub throughout the week.

Vaseline Rosy Lips
'Lip Therapy With Rose and Almond Oil'
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I'm actually on my second tin of this – I think it performs a lot better than regular Vaseline as I actually find this moisturising. I often get dry lips and this really softens them. It gives a lovely pink tint to the lips too which is good for days I don't feel like wearing a gloss or lipstick.

Dislike of the month:
Lush Ocean Salt Scrub
I feel like this is the exfoliator equivalent of a brillo pad – it's just much too abrasive for use on the face. The chunks of salt really are quite large so I can see you doing a fair bit of damage with this. For my skin type I found it to actually burn a little so I immediately washed it off and it left my skin looking blotchy, I just don't think the ingredients mix well with dry and sensitive skin: looking on the Lush website some people with similar skin types have had the same problem too. This was the product I expected to like the most and I'm sorry to say I really dislike it!

-LadyDanger
xxx

Thursday, 27 May 2010

Christina Aguilera - Lady Marmalade Inspired Look

Hi Everyone,
So the weekly challenge theme on Makeup Geek is Christina Aguilera inspired, I know I've just done one for Not Myself Tonight but I really wanted to do a Lady Marmalade inspired look - I think it's safe to say I've been in awe of the makeup in this music video for a ridiculous amount of time. I think I'm a sucker for anything to do with Moulin Rouge - I'm one of those annoying people who sings along to all of the songs when you watch it... hehe.

I've come to the conclusion that I love looking at Christina's makeup looks in awe, but hate trying to re-create them, they just don't turn out the way I want them to! I thought I'd post it up anyway seeing as it took about an hour to do :)


Inspired by:


Products Used:
Face:
Maybelline Dream Creamy Foundation
ELF Blush/Bronzing Duo bronzer as contour
Milani Loose Translucent Powder

Eyes:
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil - Milk
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil - Black Bean
Sleek Graphite Palette - Black (satin finish not totally matte)
Milani white shadow from Domino quad.
Matte red shadow from ebay 120 palette, mixed light pinks used to blend out the red on the cheeks also.
False Lashes (top) from eBay (Seller:Glamlabel
L'Oreal Super Liner - Carbon Gloss

Lips:
Revlon Colourstay lipliner - Red
MAC - Lady Danger lipstick
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil - Black Bean blended around the outer edge.

Rhinestones are assorted sizes of Swarovski crystals left over from bedazzling my phone... haha, I like sparkly things what can I say. I don't have my nose pierced those are rhinestones too in the shape of a flower, attempting to mimic the flower shaped nose ring she wears in the video.

All this talk of Moulin Rouge really makes me want to watch it now!

-LadyDanger
xxx

Wednesday, 26 May 2010

Rimmel Colour Show Off Lipstick - Shocking Pink

Hi everyone,
Yesterday I got a little surprise in the post - about 1 or 2 months ago I entered a giveaway on Rimmel's website in which they were giving away 12000 free Colour Show Off lipsticks which I naturally forgot about after assuming I hadn't won one.


I vaguely remember Rimmel allowing you to choose which lipstick you would like if you were a winner, at this point I hadn't seen them in person so I just picked Shocking Pink  which sounded promising. It's a really deep bright pink that looks very red based on me.



It has a somewhat watermelon scent which I recognise from previous Rimmel lipsticks I've owned in the past. The thing that surprised me most has to be the consistency, I expected these to be matte and drying which is why I didn't purchase any, but in fact they're nice and creamy and leave a nice sheen on the lips.

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The only downside for me is the colour as it's something I wouldn't usually wear but I think it could look gorgeous with winged liner for a night out. For day wear it's a bit stark against my pale skin - I can see it looking gorgeous on deeper skin tones :)

The pigmentation is amazing, it glides on really easily and one swipe gives colour identical to that in the tube:
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(excuse the shoddy lip swatch, I just applied it quickly straight from the tube - certainly a no-no, this is definitely a colour that I would use a lip brush with).
For reference of how creamy it is my lips were slightly dry when I applied this, I didn't put lip balm on before.
Overall, I'm very impressed. I think I'll be purchasing a few colours from the range, Smaira has a gorgeous  swatch of Kiss Me which I will be sure to pick up after seeing her pictures of it!

-LadyDanger
xxx

Tuesday, 25 May 2010

Christina Aguilera - Not Myself Tonight Inspired Makeup

Hey everyone,
I was unsure whether to post this as it isn't entirely true to the look she's wearing in the video for Not Myself Tonight, so it's very much an interpretation.


The look I was inspired by isn't shown that much in the video, I think you only see it about 3 times?

The main differences are probably with the eyes, in the video Christina doesn't have her waterline lined, just her lower lashline which seems to stop 3/4 along her eye - I lined my waterline and winged out the inner corner slightly. I also made the black cut crease a lot more dramatic. 

Products Used:
Face:
Maybelline Dream Creamy Foundation
ELF Blush/Bronzing Duo bronzer as contour
Milani Loose Translucent Powder

Eyes:
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil - Milk
Milani white shadow from Domino quad.
Matte Black Shadow from Sleek Storm palette
False Lashes top & bottom from eBay (Seller:Glamlabel
Lancome Black khol pencil
L'Oreal Super Liner - Carbon Gloss

Lips:
Revlon Colourstay lipliner - Red
MAC - Lady Danger lipstick

The spiky lashes I cut out individually  from black paper and curled using a pair of scissors - you know like how you make ribbon curly when you wrap up presents? That's the best way I can describe it haha. I do advise if you try this be very careful, as they're so long they did cause some irritation. 

I hope you like it despite all the changes!
-Rachel 
xxx