One Sweep Wonders

Guys, I have a confession.

I am ridiculously lazy. Especially when it comes to my makeup.

Now I'm all for the occasional full-on, slap-it-on-with a trowel makeup session; if I'm putting on makeup, I am putting on makeup.

But if I am just trying to make myself that little bit more presentable for a day at work, it's quick and easy all the way. I am super into my smokey eyes (this look is the one that started a mad love affair) so I've assembled a crack team of shadows that produce a great smokey with just one sweep...

We're starting with my budget beauty babe, which is Maybelline's Eyestudio Mono Eyeshadow in Silken Taupe. This little lady is living proof of the fact that gorgeous things can occasionally come in less than gorgeous packing; feel free to quote me on that line. At just £4.09, this is a gorgeous pinkier taupe, with a decent formula and major brownie points for looking more like a high end shade. I could bang on about it all day quite frankly.

We're going higher end with my next picks, the first of which is a must have for anyone with green eyes... In case you missed the excitement, I treated myself to a little Charlotte Tilbury lovin' last month, and this stunner is the beautiful Colour Chameleon in Bronzed Garnet... AKA my fave eyeshadow pencil to date. This guy blends out so easily, meaning that a swipe of the pencil followed by some finger action (HEY, down in the back) is all you need for a stunning smokey eye. Plus you're brush free, so another chance to skip brush laundry.

Last of this easy peasy trio, it's Clinique All About Shadow in Olive In My Martini... This hot mama is a JennyPurr fave, and mighty good looking it is too. A great alternative to a brown smokey eye, this shade is just so uniquely lush that it deserves to shine on its own. I love this paired with a sweep of Charlotte Tilbury Rock 'n' Kohl in Barbarella Brown and a mother-ton of mascara.

Oh boy, I'm writing this with a makeup free face and I am desperate to go running up to my makeup table to slap one of these beauties on! But before I go, what did you think of my picks? And do you have any one sweep wonders of your own? Let me know down below!

VIDEO: Empties #1

Greetings to you gang... Today's video is all about some empty products that I stashed for ya... You're totes welcome, you're totes totes welcome... Enjoy!

If You Do One Thing This Month... #4

Bake something!

GBBO has been on our screens which means the urge to don my apron and make a mess in our kitchen is stronger than ever, so when Lizzie came to stay at the end of August, we decided to give macarons a shot.

We have a confession... ours were out of a packet from Sainsburys, but they tasted great and have re-ignited my desire to make them from scratch again!

If you bake anything this month, you should totally tweet it to me and I will commend your efforts (I promise to be far kinder than Paul Hollywood).

A Shamelessly 90s Playlist

So while 90s fashion and makeup has been everywhere this year, I'm also eager for 90s music to be given the representation it deserves.

The fact is, prior to the pre-Millenium fashion trend sweeping in, we would all have agreed that by far the best thing to come out of the 90s was the music... Brown lipstick can only remain cool for so long.

Today's post is all about my five top tracks from the decade that gave us excessive uses of tartan and the greatest children's TV of all time.

Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer
This song immediately throws me into an amazingly good mood... The lyrics and altogether feel of this song are so innocent and sweet; I can't help but think of gorgeous summer holidays when this is playing.

Proud by Heather Small
Not just amazing for its references on the TV show Miranda, this track is one of the most uplifting tunes ever, I swear to you... Many a montage has been made with this song and rightly so, as it's just one of those songs that lends itself to healthy bit of nostalgia and of course pride.

Heaven by Level 42
This is one of my favourite songs of all time. If I want to pump myself up for life in no time whatsoever, this is my go to; it's a song I recommend you play loud and proud because it's utterly amazing.

Thank You by Dido
Ahhh, Dido... Is there ever a day when I don't miss her? This one just encapsulates that whole quirky world music thing that was going on in the 90s... I also know all of the words to this one, so don't play it when I'm drinking or you will receive ear damage.

Waterfalls by TLC

The opening bars of this song magically take me back to my childhood... So, so great, I am so proud that this was given a special mention in Meet the Millers because it is just fantastic.

That's me done; now the question remains, what are your favourite 90s tracks? Leave them down below and we can reminisce/weep together!

Skincare Experiments...

I've said before that I am a bit of a skincare fanatic and I realised I'd not blogged about skincare in far too long, so this post is about to remedy that!

I have been testing three new products on ma face space lately, and these are the results of my experiments...


The Body Shop Facial Massager
This little gizmo has been seriously talked up in the blogosphere in recent times; it has been claimed he will perform a myriad of miracles, the most exciting of which was that he could reduce the appearance of scarring. As a pale and acne prone person, I was eager to get my hands on this £6 saviour... but I haven't seen any discernible difference after nightly use. I'm not gonna lie - I am somewhat crushed about this one. If you've seen an improvement in your skin, can you be so kind as to let me know how often you used it and for how long before changes became apparent? I would love to know!

Coconut Oil
I have long read about the virtues of coconut oil, and it was a very excited Anna that prised open her first jar of the stuff. My first experiments involved using the oil as a hair mask, but this trial has since been abandoned as it's just to rich for my tresses to handle. I've since moved onto using it as an eye makeup remover, to greater success; far more effective than a number of expensive oil based removers that have littered my past. I'm also keeping an eye out to see if its lash lengthening/strengthening properties will bear fruit on my peepers; so far, I think they seem a little stronger and thicker, but this experiment is still in its early days.

Garnier vs. Bioderma: a Micellar Showdown
My last experiment of today has involved a cheap newbie against a pricier classic. When I first used the Garnier Micellar Water after months as a fully fledged member of Team Bioderma, I was convinced I had found an exact dupe; a good few more applications more, however, and I've noticed a few differences. Garnier is ever so slightly more stinging on my sensitive eyes, and possibly a fraction less effective in the mascara removal department... though if I'm honest Bioderma is also far from perfect in that respect.
For the moment, I'm happy to stick with Garnier, as it is around £10 less than the big B; however, this experiment has served to convince me that neither is my dream pre-cleanse, so once Garnier gives up the ghost it's likely I will move on to pastures new.

I hope you enjoyed my foray into cosmetic science; are there any experiments that you think I need to get in on? And what are the things you are trying (and hopefully digg) at the moment? I would simply lurve to know!

VIDEO: A Vlog From Lizzie's

Today's vid is a little vlog from when I went to visit Lizzie a couple of weeks ago... Check out the vid after the jump!

A Week(end) in Photos #3

Saturday - Amazing decor in an American diner | Burgery beauty | Fairy lights are the one

Sunday - Vivianna action | Macaron makin' | Blog shoot (!)

Monday - Collars are my obsession | Rice cakes are my new fave snack | Oscar looking GORGE