I Have an Unreachable Dream...

MOAN ALERT! WHINGEING IS ABOUT TO COMMENCE!
For around 6 or 7 years, I have dreamed of
becoming a nail technician. I love applying acrylic nails and LED manicures (like Shellac but cured under LED lights instead of UV and takes much less time). When me and my husband were still together, I thought I had all the time in the world to follow my dream, so I relaxed, I did a beauty course in college as my first stepping stone... And then my marriage came to a rather abrupt halt, I moved out of my home of almost ten years, left my husband and my cats and started a new life elsewhere.
For the past 15 months I have been paying rent, and working overtime to make ends meet and so that I can live a comfortable life and not have to struggle.
Here lies my dilemma; with the divorce proceedings about to start and with no money to do a nail course (which are usually around the £1000 mark), I can no longer see my dream coming true.
I do my sister's nails, my own and a couple of friends and so far I have only recorded mine and my sister's results:

Above, my sister's nails the first day that I did acrylic sculpting on her nails, french fade. It was the first time I'd done french fade on more than one nail. 

Two weeks later, I did a basic infill. Her nails grow so quickly, she had around a month's growth in just two weeks!

Another two weeks passed and I rebalance her nails. They would have been slightly longer but she had filed them down a little before I got to them.

And finally, my nails. I have a different glitter accent nail on each middle finger because I like to be unique and it goes with my motto that "life is too short to find the matching sock", ha ha. 

 I don't know who will read this, but I was wondering if anyone else has faced this dilemma and what they did about it? Any help and/or advice would be lovely and really appreciated x

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Lip Pencil in "Uptight" Review

Hello my beauties, today I shall be talking to you about Urban Decay's rather scrumptious lip liner, in the colour Uptight...

So my sister and I went to a makeup "masterclass" at the Urban Decay stall last week in House of Fraser. It was to do with the new eyeshadow palette they have just released; the Moondust palette. The lady showed us how to apply makeup (to whom I listened to and watched and nodded politely, hoping to learn any valuable tips), and I was fine - even when she forgot to apply concealer to her model until after she had applied powder foundation over the liquid foundation - right up until she was highlighting. She applied the highlighter, saying "Now don't apply too much highlighter, otherwise you're just going to look stupid,". My sister and I - highlighted to the Gods this fine day, her with Jeffree Star's Peach Goddess and I with a beautiful handmade highlighter called Ophelia that I bought from a wonderful girl from Depop (she's on Instagram and her name there is sophiekia) - looked at each other and just rolled our eyes and laughed under our breath and murmered "I'm with stupid!".
BUT! I digress!
What caught my eye when she was applying lip liner to her model. As you may well know, UD has come out with something like 100 new lipsticks, and have got a massive amount of matching lip liners. I wanted to buy "Liar" to match my "Liar" lipstick, but when I tried it, the colour seemed way too dark, much darker than my lipstick. And that's when I tried "Uptight". I found the perfect match for my lipstick!

The colour is richly pigmented and the pencil is so smooth to apply, it really is a dream. No dragging or uneven lining here!

Scream! My bare, freckled lips! My lips - up close - are fairly lopsided and uneven, so please forgive this. There's nothing I can do to change this unless I use an app to adjust my lip line, but it's tedious and I just can't be bothered! Also please excuse any hairs you see, I'm a real fuzz-face!

Here we are, with my lips filled right in with the pencil. It's a really lovely peachy brown. It reminds me of MAC's Half n Half or Modesty. I'm a sucker for pinky/peachy brown nudes.

Here I am with just the pencil on my lips, so you can see the effect it has on my makeup...

And here I am with Urban Decay's Lipstick in "Liar" on over the top. Match made in lipstick heaven, right? I'm loving this right now.
The liner holds up for hours but does need retouching if you eat a meal, especially if it's oily. This is a lovely lip liner, but on the pricier side at £13.50.

What are your thoughts? Do you have any long wearing lip liners that I need to know about? Please be sure to let me know! Xx

MUA Luxe Power Brow Sculpting Gel Review

I have been wanting to get my paws on these beauties for a short time, as my brows are pretty darned sparse. I always have to fill them in, from one end to the other, and this gel-cream formula seemed like a good idea. It's definitely a change from my normal pencil routine, for sure.

I bought them for £4 each at Superdrug, in the colours 'Mid Brown' and 'Dark Brown'. I tend to lean towards mid brown colours for my brows as my hair is dark brown BUT my eyebrow hairs are black. And because your brows (if you have brown hair of most shades) are supposed to be two shades lighter than your hair, mid Brown works best as it can be darkened up if necessary.

Each pot comes with its own brush, built into the lid. The brush can be made longer by clicking the opposite end of the brush back into the lid and voila! Longer brush handle!

Ta dah! Ahem! Sorry, I'll continue...

My mid brown pot looked wonderful when I got it home. My dark brown pot, however, looked like it had been overheated and had kind of melted all around the pot and some of the product was even on the inside of the lid.

To be honest, I'm not too bothered by all this. Just thought I'd share haha.

These are the two gels, swatches on my thumb. Top is 'Dark Brown', bottom is 'Mid Brown' These claim to be long lasting and smudge resistant and boy, are they; I rubbed both lines of colour really hard after they had set and the colour barely moved on my skin. I've washed my hands at least 7 times today, and I still have two faint brown lines on my thumb, 12hrs later. They will have to be removed with makeup remover very shortly!

Soooo this is my bare eye/skin/brow - I know, scary stuff! As you can see, my brows are thin - overplucked as a teenager, now the only thing I use tweezers for is to apply false eyelashes - and sparse, so of course they need to be filled in on a daily basis.

So here is the same eye with some basic makeup (age is upon me, my hooded eyes are getting worse!), and my brow filled in with both of the gels. I think I made them look sort of natural looking. I used Dark Brown on the tail end of the brow for definition, and Mid Brown on the rest of the brow to make the brow look fuller.
The gel is super pigmented and a little goes a long way. The brush that goes with it could do with being thinner, so the brush strokes wouldn't be so wide and heavy-handed-looking, but at £4 each I am not complaining.
As for longevity, I applied this gel on my brows around 12hrs ago, and they haven't melted, smudged or faded away. I wish I could say that about my foundation (Hi, super oily T-Zone!), but my brows look like they could go for hours longer without a problem.
Hugs x

MAC Kinky Boots Collection

So! This is my second try at blogging today... My cat deleted my last attempt with just one paw. I lost all my pictures, words, everything. So, im going to start again! 

Kinky Boots is based on a true story of a man whose shoe making business is going under, so he ends up making kinky boots that are made just for men. Apparently this MAC collection is based on the Broadway play, which I've never seen (but I did watch the film when it came out around 10yrs ago, and I really enjoyed it). 

Kinky Lipstick:

 

Kinky Lipglass:

The last picture is the lipglass applied over the lipstick. 

The lipstick is a blue based red matte, smoother/easier to apply than other, older formula mattes I own, and it's not quite as drying as them either. The lipglass is a sheer red with tiny flecks of gold glitter. It looks beautiful on its own or on top of the lipstick (it gives it an attractive, darker, glittery finish). 

My thoughts: MAC already has some very famous blue-based red lipsticks (Ruby Woo and Russian Red being amongst the favourites), so this lipstick doesn't really stand out but it definitely holds it own with pigmentation and staying power. The lipglass, however, is more of a favourite with me. The base colour has just enough pigment to make my colourless lips look rosy (when applied on its own) and the glitter makes my lips sparkle. Another plus is that when the gloss wears away, the glitter remains on the lips, which I personally like a lot. 

Have you got the Kinky Boots Collection? 

Any collections you absolutely love that I need to know about? Please let me know! 

Sad News and Max Factor False Lash Effect Waterproof Mascara Review

I'll begin this blog with some sad news. On Friday evening (12th December), my husband and I got home from work at about 6.20pm. Our neighbour was sat on the road just outside our driveway, with a bundle of towels by her side, with our eldest cat Zeus inside. Her boyfriend had run him over with his van. They called the RSPCA just before we got there. My hubby and I sat with Zeus for a few minutes, trying our best to comfort him, but he was in so much pain that he passed out. I thought he had died right there on the street, so I started to cry, but he came to after a minute. I decided that I couldn't wait for the RSPCA, so I rang my local vet and told them it was an emergency. We got Zeus into a box and we drove as fast (yet as gently) as we could (the vets is only a four minute drive). When the vet checked him over, he gently shook his head and told us that Zeus' pelvis had been crushed. Zeus had to be put down quickly, to minimise his suffering. My hubby stayed with Zeus whilst he was being injected, stroked his face and spoke to him as he passed away. I couldn't face watching him go, I was crying too much at that point. 

Zeus was just 7 years old, he was a lovely cat, friendly to strangers, loved to eat Pringles, cheese, even bananas. He was our first pet cat, and his untimely death has broken my heart. 

I knew that work this weekend just gone would be hard. I own just one waterproof mascara as I am not a huge fan of them, but as my tears didn't seem to stop flowing, I had no other choice. 

I like the wand, with the plastic bristles which separates the lashes quite well. The formula is quite wet, which normally spells disaster for anyone that really needs to curl their lashes like me. 

BUT! Keep looking, dear readers... 

After two lavish coats of mascara, my lashes stayed curled and set that way. I went to work, a snivelling, crying wreck, and I cried on and off, all day, for 10hrs. When I got home, I cried even harder. I thought my heart might break with the pain and loss that I felt. I looked in the mirror as I took off what remained of my makeup, and was astonished to see that despite my tear-stained face and red eyes, my mascara had remained exactly where it was and my lashes were just as perfect as they were 12hrs before. 

I decided that people should know just how wonderful this mascara is. And for anyone that has really watery eyes or has a funeral or wedding to go to, then please check out this mascara, as it was a life saver for me. 

This is for Zeus. August 2007 - December 2014. Rest In Peace xxx

Love and Beauty Don't Always Go Hand in Hand

If you have read my blogs or know me at all, you'll know that I love makeup. Love. I breathe-eat-sleep-dream makeup. I love how it makes me feel, I love to make my skin look more flawless, I love playing with eyeshadow colours, the whole shebang. BUT! This is not about me, this is about people's opinions on whether or not you like wearing it or like to see it on other people. 

Y'see, sometimes, people say things that I find upsetting. For example, not so long ago, a guy told me that he wished his new girlfriend would wear makeup like me because makeup made her "more attractive". I was thoroughly shocked, as I sat, trying not to let my mouth open in horror. Why couldn't he just love her the way she is, naturally? Why is he already on a quest to change her? Why did he think - just because I wear makeup every day - that I'd agree with him? I tried to (unsuccessfully) tell him tactfully that he shouldn't tell her that - ever - and he quickly changed the subject. But y'see, now I know how he thinks about his new girlfriend; he thinks she's not attractive enough. He's used to prettier models of women, I'm sure, but sometimes the right fit comes along, and you have to overlook your ideals, surely? 

My husband knew me well before my addiction to makeup began. He knows my bare face, spots, scars, freckles, fat and all. He loves me with and without makeup. Yes, I understand how lucky I am, I truly am blessed, but sometimes it makes me wonder why can't some people just accept who their partner is and stop trying to change them? 

I think that people that don't wear makeup look more naturally radiant and more alive. Their skin looks more real, their perfections and imperfections shine and I love that about bare faced women and men. 

But I also love makeup, I love the almost flawlessness of skin that has foundation and concealer and powder, the perfect arched brows, the sculpted cheeks and gorgeously long, mascara'd lashes. 

Here's the thing. I love people for who they are. I won't try to change someone, just because I'm not keen on their appearance. I wouldn't ever tell my husband to shave or wear different clothing. All I care about, whether you wear makeup or not, what clothes you wear or car you drive or where you live is that you are who you are (and of course that you're happy and healthy). And if you're my friend, I'll love you for being a friend to me. I accept that not everyone will see my point of view, and that is fine; I'm not going to try to change your mind if you think I'm wrong. 

Please, just remember that love - unlike beauty - is not skin deep and can last a lifetime. 

Top pic: me with a bare face (sorry that it's black and white, I couldn't find any other bare face selfies on my phone). 

Bottom pic: me with a face full of makeup.

Review: MAC Blush in Style

I've been lusting after this blush from MAC for over a month, but for some reason I've felt too guilty to buy it. So when I went into MAC the other day I bought their Prep + Prime setting powder and this at the same time, but I thought I'd do separate blogs on them. 

As you can see, Style is a Frost blush. It has a really plain peachy colour just sat in the pan, but when it's swatched on the skin, it's beautifully pigmented and leaves the skin with a golden-kissed shimmer. 

This blush is so pigmented, too much can be applied quite easily, so being light handed is key. It reminds me of Sleek blush 'Rose Gold', but this one suits my fake tan better - being peachy instead of pink-based. 

This will definitely be my go-to blush for the autumn and winter months - hell, probably for the foreseeable future - and I'm looking forward to using it in different makeup looks. Love it or hate it? Let me know x

MAC Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder

I've been wanting to add this setting powder to my makeup collection for a good long while now, and now I have it... *Cue evil laughter*

So I wanted to do a first impression/review on this product.

This box is actually pretty cute, which is saying something because I'm not all that hot on packaging. 

The powder is white, but according to MAC, this powder will suit all skin colours once it's applied/blended in. 

Apparently this powder is good for oily skin, and has very positive reviews on the MAC website and also on Makeup Alley and across the web. I have combination oily skin so I had to try this out...

I applied my eye makeup and brows, then applied Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation and contoured with bronzer and let it set... 

Then I applied the setting powder in small amounts in small circular motions, concentrating on my nose and inner cheeks nearest my nose, where I'm definitely the oiliest. 

After I had applied it, my skin felt super smooth and my huge pores on my inner cheeks looked much smaller, and the pores on my nose looked smaller too. There was also no white powder showing on my skin either, so good news there.

The finish wasn't too matte either, so it looked more natural. Plus there is no build up of colour over my foundation, so my face stays cake-free - thumbs up. For a proper review, I didn't use any oil controlling primer under my foundation as I wanted to see how well the powder would control my oily skin.

I also thought I'd do a photography flash test too, to see if there was flashback. Let's check for "ghost face", using my iPhone's flash. 

I think I'm pretty safe from that, I reckon... But what about oil control? I applied the powder at around 3pm, then checked my face six hours later... 

Sorry for super creepy closeup! My nose and inner cheeks could definitely do with a little blot and maybe a little extra powder, but it didn't do too badly on my face. 

With an oil controlling primer, I don't doubt that this powder will keep the oil at bay for at least ten hours. 

Thoughts?: It's relatively expensive at £20.50 but a little goes a long way. Loose powder is not exactly travel friendly, so the pressed version is probably more desirable for those purposes. It makes my skin feel amazing after application, doesn't create "ghost face" or "cake face" and doesn't do a terrible job at keeping my oil at bay, so it's a good all-rounder. 

I got some bling bling!

I can just see your jaws dropping down in amazement... Did my hubster suddenly win the lottery???

Say whaaaaat?!? 3 carats of untamed, pure, asscher cut beauty, perched proudly on my chubby, unrefined finger...

And here, paired with my wedding band...

So did we win the lottery? Hell no. We don't even play... This is from eBay (all the way from America) - the diamond is completely fake, along with the teeny diamonds set in the band (which puts the total carat weight at 3.25). But by golly it's pretty! And it only cost $29.99 (around £18.81 for us in the UK). It took a week for it to get to the UK, which is brilliant. Want a ring like this for yourself? Check out the seller's shop - "shopdluxe" on eBay...

Xx