Bright skin, light pastel eyes and lips: Spring is on the way!
Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel:
I only fell in love with this once it started to run out! For the first three months or so of owning it, I didn't like it very much at all; now I want to re-purchase it at some point in the future! The reason why I didn't get on with it to begin with was because I was using it wrongly: I was massaging it into a wet face, rather than on dry skin. On dry skin, it feels like a nourishing, luxurious oil; on wet skin it is a thin milky texture which does very little. For a morning cleanse, this is fabulous.
Red lipstick looks amazing on many women, but it's somewhat unfamiliar territory for me. I know that blue-toned reds are the best choice for those with cool (pink) undertones to their skin, so I purchased Avon's Scarlet Siren some time ago and wanted to start wearing it. With some winged liner and subtle shadow, I created an everyday classic red lip look which even I would brave on a weekend from daytime to evening. Enjoy!
I've been watching The X Files recently and admiring Gillian Anderson. Her 'matchy' make-up style against her red hair is the inspiration for this look. Being a neutral lover, this is exactly the kind of face I like to wear in the daytime and as we both have pale skin, the peachy, brown neutrals work well. Here's how I achieved the look:
I was privileged to get the chance to see one of my favourite musicians and his amazing band once again recently. Despite being knackered from a gruelling slog at work, this marked the start of a much-needed half term, and what better way to do it than to get on a train to London and cleanse myself of the daily grind!
For those not in the know, Matt Berry is an English comedian and actor, known for cult TV shows like Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, The IT Crowd, House of Fools and Toast of London. As with the last time I saw him live, I suspect that much of his audience know him from his TV work, whereas I am more of a fan of his music. Growing up in a household of folk and prog rock synth music, I think it was only a matter of time when I found a love for it myself. As a teen it was all about the 90s R n B and 70s Motown, but now (as blog readers will know), I lean more towards folk music.
This show started with Mark Morris from The Bluetones doing some of his solo stuff. My favourite song he played was called Space Cadet. His voice sounded great on this track and reminded me ever-so-slightly of James Walsh from Starsailor (or should that be the other way round?) Morris also plays in The Maypoles with Matt Berry and returned on stage for the main set.
Talking of The Maypoles, this group of musicians put on a hell of a show! A highlight of the gig was the song Snuffbox (which comes from Matt Berry's comedy series under the same name). There were adrenaline-filled solo sections from Phil Scragg on bass, James Sedge on the drums and a playoff between Graham Mann on keys and Berry on his synth. There's a real sense of humour between the musicians on stage and although they must have performed these songs together many times over the years now, they genuinely take delight in each other's performance.
Currently wearing
American Apparel beanie
With the bitter cold and (meagre) dustings of snow here in the South of England, the beanie has been a favourite of mine. This grey one from American Apparel has been a good investment as it is so warm and cosy, plus I like it on! The material is thick and feels very soft, yet durable. One of my favourite things about a beanie on me is that I get to pretend that I haven't got a 'five-head'! I wouldn't usually spend out on a hat, but the quality of this is so much nicer than cheaper beanies. I love the speckly grey colour as it goes with pretty much everything, and grey is probably my favourite colour for clothing- that's how exciting and daring I am!
