Becoming Blue for Halloween

Take one liloo with no makeup on. This is so scary in itself, it could have been perfect to scare the kids out, or anyone for that matter.

Leave your hair to grow for a year, braid your hair and put the coolest looking contact lenses in. I bought them with my own money from eyesbright.com and I chose the ones which were actually called 'avatar' lenses. The lenses looked absolutely amazing, the perfect shade of yellow with darker brown on the outer circle. However, I think I must have worn them inside them out as I could really feel the lenses throughout the night. To make matter worse, I forgot to remove them at the end of the night, slept with them and ended up with a blurry vision for a day which spooked me out. For the love of Halloween, no matter how tipsy you are, please please please remember to take out your special effects lenses before going to bed, ok?

I was asked if I was going to the full works and get my whole body blue but I chose to do a half mask again and I am so glad I did. It was raining on both nights (Saturday preceding Halloween and Halloween night itself) and I can't begin to imagine what it would have been like to be rained on with wet paint smudging all over the body.



This is what I used: For the actual paint, I mixed a bit of blue and white Ben Nye Magicolor Liquid Paint. No need to mix it water, it's already the perfect consistency. I only mixed the blue and white to make the blue a smidge lighter. I absolutely love this face paint, and I have used the blue many times as a eyeliner on my toucan look and on my flamingo look






I chose the biggest eyelashes I could find in my stash, added a bit of black in the crease to define the eyes a bit more than last year. The face paint is great, very resisting to the elements. The downside is that it's very hard to blend eyeshadow on top. Blend too much and you start to wear off the paint underneath. To add a little bit of sparkle, I added some glitter pigment from Mac on the eyelids.

Once the base was on, I added my markings very very gently with a random brush and some plain black eyeshadow. The little white dots were done by simply dipping an old eyeliner brush straight into the white liquid paint.


The piece de resistance was my lovely handmade ears from my best friend @joannadelilah, the ultimate master of disguise on YouTube. She made them herself, from scratch, first making a mould and then creating them with some liquid latex! I love my ears, I've worn them 4 times now. I have the nose to go with it but I am a bit shy to wear it.

Finishes touches were some mini crystals stuck on some white dots and a generous spray of Ben Nye Final Seal all over my face. My avatar mask stayed so well through the night. Even the little crystals stay put! The response I had throughout the night was absolutely amazing. I was the only avatar in the hood but people recognised me instantly. 'Oh it's Avatar' they kept on saying. I had such a buzz, despite my fuller figure this year.

I think I might have gone overboard on the white dots, I prefer the look I was wearing on Halloween Night itself (Monday 31st October) but much prefer the look of these avatar lenses.


Did you go out for Halloween? Feel free to link me to your piccies. I'd love to have a look! x


tsuna'vi
(liloo)

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Peach Melba Nails and exciting news...

The Peach Melba (French: pêche Melba  is a classic dessert, invented in 1892 or 1893 by the French chef Auguste Escoffier at the Savoy Hotel, London to honour the Australian soprano, Nellie Melba.[1] It combines two favourite summer fruits: peaches and raspberry sauce accompanying vanilla ice cream. (source: wikipedia)


Peach Melba is also the name of a gorgeous shade (no.72) of peach polish by BeautyUK (source: liloopedia). Many pale or pastel polishes tend to be streaky or patchy. Not with this one. Application of peach melba was, as per usual a doddle and a pleasure.  The overdose of pictures will give you a pretty good clue on how much I have enjoyed this polish :P


 

 
My pictures show 3 coats but some of you might prefer to put 4 coats. (see close up at the bottom of this post)


 
I got a little bit fruity and wanted to pose with my beloved mango butter.





Then I got carried away and tried a little bit of  nail art. Oh dear. Well it was fun to play.







Peach Melba was sent me for review purposes and I was waiting for the right opportunity.  Well, there couldn't be a better moment to indulge in a little bit (or a lot) of Beautyuk. The brand has just garnered th support of 5000 fans/likers on their Facebook and to celebrate their achievements, they are offering all their customers a discount of 20%. Just enter the voucher code Face5000 at checkout and your discount will be applied automatically.





Be quick, offer will end on Saturday, 20 August, when the Xfactor starts. yaaaaaaaaaay!
I've placed a cheeky little order myself today. If you're good, I might blog about it next week, state of my nails allowing it of course.  Looking for inspiration on what to buy at BeautyUK? this might tempt you :)


And last but not least, BeautyUK is touring England at the moment and offering free makeovers, in a  bus! Click on the bus or here to see where the BeautyUK bus will  be going next. (picture source)








Peach Melba retails at £1.99 in the glam nail range (9ml) or £2.99 in the salon range in the salon professional range.

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My favourite reads

I've always considered myself more as blog reader than an actual blogger. Blog reading is a big deal to me, and checking for new content for my 300+ blogs subscriptions have become part of my daily routine. More than 300 blogs is a lot and I follow each one of them for a unique reason.


There's probably no one quite like Jangsara to blow me away with her make up skills, MakeupbyKaty for her eyebrow transformations, You've got Nail for her amazing photographs and reviews of nails polishes and I could go and on and on.

 

But if I had to narrow it down to just 2 beauty blogs which wow me on every aspect, without the shadow of a doubt, I would say that LIPGLOSSIPING and COSMETIC-CANDY are my ultimate favourite beauty blogs. As if blogging every day was not impressive enough, their posts have an unique style of writing: witty, friendly, humourous, and with a little bit of sarcasm. Their humour is not forced , they are just naturally funny people and it makes it more even more captivating to follow their beauty adventures. And to top it all, they have amazing photography skills.



Outside their blogs, they are a joy to follow on twitter and keep me entertained. I will never forget the day when I first posted about nail polish (I was so shy, I only painted my thumbnail then) and when Lipglossiping.com supported me and commented on my blog. I wanted to frame that comment as the encouragement and boost it gave me has been truly uplifting. I am beyond grateful to the time they spend blogging: it makes me happy.


Outside the realm of beauty blogging, I've been following LUVANDHAT has me in hysteric fits of laughter pretty much every time they post. Luv(e) and Hat(e) follows a very simple yet genius concept. It is a hilarious match of opinions on everyday topics between (mostly) Stuart and Robyn. I am not quite sure when they find the time to blog outside their busy jobs but I am so glad they do as they keep entertained from daily humdrum. If you're new to Luv and Hat, oh boy you're in for a treat. You could start by reading their post on the 'Post Office' and 'Google +'.


For its second year running, Cosmopolitan Magazine wants to celebrate the best of British Blogs and are running their Blog Awards. They are inviting blog readers to nominate their favourite blogs. If you had a minute, I would be so grateful if you could help me support my favourite reads and nominate them to the Cosmo Blog Awards 2011. To do so, it's very easy, go to: http://bit.ly/cosmopoliblog and paste their blog address:

Cosmetic-Candy: http://www.cosmetic-candy.com/ (Established Beauty Blog Category)
Lipglossiping: http://www.lipglossiping.com/ (Established Beauty Blog Category)
LuvandHat:  http://luvandhat.tumblr.com/ (Lifestyle Category)



 

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Free Fluttering Falsies courtesy of Cosmo

Wait, another magazine freebie? What can I say? I like reading magazines. I am massive fan of false eyelashes. One of my favourite brand of eyelashes is Eylure so when the September issue of Cosmopolitan was released with a pair of exclusive lashes, it was a no brainer for me: I just had to buy the magazine. That's right, if you buy the September edition of Cosmopolitan Magazine (£3.50) you can get your hands on a free pair of 115 Eylure lashes.






Straight from the packet, I could see right away that these lashes were the right size for my smalls eyes and wouldn't need any trimming whatsoever. I love it when I don't need to trim the lashes and I can just pop them right on.





They have an invisiband type of lashline which I am not a fan of. I much prefer solid yet thin lashlines, as I do not like the appearance of the little gaps of emptiness.





The little gaps of emptiness, in close up action shot:
They could have done with being applied a smidge closer to the lashline





The Eylure 115 flare on the outside corner. This not my preferred shape of lashes but you might like it. I am paranoid enough about the my droopy lids and I feel that this particular shape doesn't suit my eyes. Ideally, I would have preferred them either straight or the same length as the inner corner.






And with a little bit of eyeliner on. I’ve misplaced my trusty H&M eyeliner, so I had to use my basic 2true eyeliner. Sorry for the wobbly hand and the lack of liner opacity.





And with a bit of slap on:







Final Verdict: These lashes are very good quality, were easy to apply and needed no trimming. However, I am not a fan of the invisiband lashline and the outer flaring shape. The human hair material gives an added natural look to the lashes but they will need plenty of eyeliner to conceal the ‘the little gaps of emptiness’. If you do like the shape of the lashes, they are very good value for money: the vertical curl is superb, the horizontal curve is spot on,  and you won’t be disappointed.


Happy false lashing :) x

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My fair lady after dark - nails of the day and night

After kicking myself metaphorically in the shins for having missed the gorgeous Ciaté 'kitten heels' nail polish as part of the Glossy Box Subscription Service this month, when I saw that Marie Claire was offering free Ciaté nail polishes on purchase of their magazine this month, I didn't want to run the risk of missing out on something potentially special. If you are resident of the UK and purchase the September issue of Marie Claire (£3.60) you can get your hands on 2 free polishes from Ciaté: a nude polish called My Fair Lady and a dark purple called, called 'Wait until Dark'.



 

 
I enclose a picture of the magazine to make sure: please do not get confused with another magazine with Jessie James on it, also wearing a dark top with stars on..


This was my first experience with Ciaté polishes and the first thing which caught my eye was the elegance of the packaging. I love the shape of the bottle and the cute bow on it and this is definitely a polish I would want to leave around and display because it's too pretty for words. I first tried 'My Fair Lady'. Well, they really were not kidding when they used the term 'fair' to name this shade. Perhaps they should have called 'sheer blouse' as this polish is extremely sheer.



 

My photos show 3 generous coats of 'My fair lady' and I am not sure 5 would have given me the opacity I want. The shade is very pretty and delicate but for me this polish is not working as it is unfortunately too sheer. Application was an absolute dream which makes it even more a shame.






'Wait until Dark' is a different kettle of fish altogether and much more my style. Application was again absolutely flawless and I reached opacity after 2 generous coats. The polish applied very smoothly, no hint of streakiness, bubbles, like butter on a toast without the delicious smell (argh, I've just made myself hungry for toast).






Wearing this polish makes me feel elegant, sexy and polished and not too vampirish. However it made me feel a little sad. This is definitely more a autumn/winter shade, and this is something I didn't want to think about since I've just started my 'summer' holidays.






I've enjoyed my first experience with Ciaté. These are definitely high quality polishes. If you like the colours, you won't be disappointed with the application and the finish. I have enjoyed swatching them to share the shades with you, but I now want to reach for a lurid lime green or yellow polish and enjoy the month of August to the full. Long live summer.


Will you be getting your hands on these shades of Ciaté polishes?

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A little taste of Miami...

... at your local Boots 

What, another post about a new product release? I know but this one is super special and it has flamingos on it. I've been looking forward to the release of this collection ever since VexintheCity and TheBeautySwot offered us a sneak preview months ago. Some people get excited about Mac Collections, I get excited about 17 Cosmetics Collection, as they really have the cutest design and packaging whilst keeping their prices down, giving us 3 for 2 offers and have very often freebie chucked in for good measure.







Out tomorrow, 15 June 2011 The 17 'Miami Pop' Collection is  inspired by Miami's Ocean Drive. The range comprises 2 nail polishes, a volumising mascara and a gorgeous baked bronker with a marbled shimmer. I don't know the exact prices but they will range from £2.99 to 6.49. I've seen some pink and orange polishes before but not in a million years in such a cute packaging, I can't wait to see them in my local Boots. My only regret? I would have liked more items in this range, a blusher and a art deco styled eyeshadow palette with a big flamingo on the top of course.


To top it all off, like flamingos were not exciting enough, 17 Cosmetics have the cutest freebie offer, also available from tomorrow. Buy two items from 17, anything you like and grab a 'Nail Bar in a Bag' kit.




The kit contains 2 nail polishes (Knockout Red & Pink Grapefruit) a leopard print nail file and some transfer thingies bob. You know you want it.

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Viva la flavour Nails - Free Leighton Denny Manicures

My story with Leighton Denny couldn't have had a more unfortunate start. First polish I bought from the brand yesterday had  the inside brush falling off its outer cap. I'd never win the lottery but if there is one loose brush in a  million, you bet I would be the one to find it. The very first time I bought what became my favourite and most  repurchased facial wash, it also sported a funky cap. I am so happy I didn't seal my final opinion on that first  purchase.


I never planned to buy any Leighton Denny polishes last week end. It all started on twitter when so and  so wondered if the Leighton Denny polishes were any good, as Bazaar Magazine is offering a free Leighton Denny  polish (to choose from 3 summer shades) on purchase of a copy of the magazine (£4.20) I was not ready for the  huge wave of enthusiasm towards the brand. My twitter timeline was on fire. Lydia who had just come home, came  out again especially to buy the polishes and my lovely Drew bought the whole collection  first thing the  following morning.





What was special about that brand? I was about to find out. After hearing the undiluted praise on Leighton Denny  on twitter and Drew's gorgeous swatches, I decided to buy all three shades: Viva La Diva, a sumptuous shade of  orange based red; Do me a flavour, a bright orange polish and Supermodel a gorgeous taupe/brown polish.





I first started to play with Viva la Diva and I just couldn't believe my eyes. The application was a dream. I  don't know what Leighton Denny put in their formula but it's just perfect: it glided effortlessly on my nails, not too  runny, not too thick. I could take my time to apply the polish around the cuticles and do my little gap. To top  it all off, it dried so such a glossy finish and so quickly. My photos of viva la diva show 2 coats of red. My  nails could have benefited from a third coat but I was so impatient to show them to you that I only applied 2  coats. Viva la diva? Viva la perfection, more like!

Viva la Diva with flash







Viva la Diva under natural sunlight




 


I was a bit hesitant about buying 'Do me a flavour'. Recently I bought an orange polish also as part of a  magazine offer and I ended up giving it away as I had found it too neon for my liking. 'Do me a flavour' is also  very bright in the bottle but fortunately not neon when you apply it. And what application that was: Like viva la  diva, it was just flawless and dried very quickly. 









I absolutely adore orange and can't wait to wear this shade,  tanned or not tanned. if this shade is too bright for you, pop them on your toes, you'll absolutely love it. I would like to thank you Marks and Spencer at this stage who were ever so kind to replace my first faulty polish against another one.







The third and final polish from this magazine offer was Supermodel. I am not very good with describing all  the nuances in brown and taupes. Supermodel reminds me of 'marrons glacés' (glazed chestnuts) and of a mixture of my  favourite polish in the whole world (Nails inc London) and Eyeko Posh polish but with a 5 star application. (all  right, all right. a quick little comparison below if you behave)

The photos show 2 coats of supermodel. You'll notice quite a difference in shade between the photos with flash  (the ones on black background) and the ones in natural sunlight. The ones most true to colour are the ones with  flash. The sunlight was so bright, it was turning supermodel into a much warmer brown.  














Quick brown comparison. The swatches below were done very quickly and sloppily. Excuse the surplus of polish on the middle finger and the gap so big on the thumb you could drive a truck in there. What this little exercise showed me is that although Nails Inc London is my favourite colour of them all, I much preferred the application of Leighton Denny. In fact, if I had to rate the polishes from below for their ease of application, from less easy to easier, it would be

1. Beanie
2. Nails Inc London
3. Eyeko and Bsrry M (sorry, I can’t choose)
and the best would be Supermodel.
Blown away I was!








Where the heck  was I when the memo about
how good Leighton Denny polishes are came out?


I've got no idea but I am not  missing out again. If you have never tried the brand, now is your chance to try. A Leighton Denny polish would  usually retail around the £11 mark, so £4.20 to try one is an absolute steal. or perhaps you want to let this  opportunity fling through your fingers and then have to buy the polish at 3 times its value on eBay? Do me a flavour, go get one now before the offer runs out...

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