Bright Spring Make-Up, featuring the Nars Tokyo duo

 Bright skin, light pastel eyes and lips: Spring is on the way! 

Products I've Used Up: February 2015

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.

A Red Lip Look for Cool Skintones, featuring Avon's Scarlet Siren

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!

90s Gillian Anderson (Dana Scully) X Files Make-up

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:

Matt Berry and The Maypoles at The Forum (Kentish Town), Friday 13th February 2015

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. 

A Few of my Favourite Things #9 (January 2015)

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! 

How to Wear Green Eyeshadow in the Daytime

When you think of green eyeshadow you may think of 1960s mod make-up with dramatic thick eyeliner and a bold explosion of colour all over the lid. I know that when I started collecting Mac many years ago, I was keen to get my hands on a whole spectrum of eyeshadow shades, including bright greens and blues. Understandably, I haven't used these shades as much as I use my neutrals (in fact, if I'm honest, they haven't had much use over the last year or so at all). The problem with these more vibrant colours is that they don't appear to work for everyday, understated make-up looks. The 1960s make-up styles are fabulous, but let's face it, they would certainly not be appropriate for my workplace!

Review: Jo Malone Cologne Collection

Jo Malone colognes are hailed by many as being some of the most beautiful and luxurious fragrances on the market. With no counter in easy reach and so many scents available, I decided to purchase a collection of six 9ml size colognes. Let me start by saying, I was hoping to be amazed, but never have I been so in love so quickly...

Give and Makeup: Donating Excess Beauty Products

It's a new year and time for a clear out. Is this your thinking right now? It certainly has been mine. It doesn't take long to accumulate too many beauty products. I guess you could say 'too many' is a subjective term, but when you only have one face, I guess owning as many blushers as I do is slightly excessive! My stash has built up a lot over about six years; before then I never earned enough, nor had the interest in trying such a wide range of products. Then I made up for lost time... 

Hair Oils: 5 options for all hair types

Left to right: L'oreal Mythic Oil; Caudalie Divine Oil; Ojon Instant Restorative Hair Serum; Percy & Reed No Oil Oil; Shu Uemura Essence Absolue

This is a post all about hair oils and may help you decide whether you want to use one, or if you already own some, what they can do for you.
What are hair oils? Hair oils are products that can be used to nourish, de-frizz and add shone to hair.
Should I use one? If you have flyaway, frizzy, coarse or wavy hair- then yes. Oil-based products may not sound like something you want to be applying to your hair, especially if it is already prone to becoming oily, but nowadays, there are some amazing products out there to transform the look and feel of your hair.
How do I apply hair oils? It is best to start with 1-2 drops and start at the ends and lengths of hair. If you apply near your scalp, it should only be applied very lightly (using any excess oil on your hands). This can be good for taming flyaway baby hairs. Some products work best on damp hair rather than dry hair, although I apply them on both.
And now onto the products: