What Up? (4.0)

I'm on a blogging hype. Let's roll with it.This is Jackson, my baby. I've had him for about a year and a half, and there is no-one I love more. My light, my soul, my Jackson.

• I attempted writing a 'What Up?' on Monday and I was in a terrible mood, so I basically sounded like such a mardy cow. I think today won't be quite as catastrophic.
• Don't you love putting on make-up/perfume in the evening, even if you're not heading out? Sometimes, I just go over to my vanity and pop a bit of liner or blusher on. A mid-evening beauty boost!
• Why is it that I prefer speaking in other accents than my own? You American/Irish/Northern/Australian people don't know how lucky you are.
• I'm going through one of those 'I need to cut my hair' stages, where I'm seriously contemplating a Cheryl Cole bob. But then, I know that if I do it, I'll hate myself. So you know what? Embrace the Rapunzel hair!
• Marlon Brando. 'Nuff said.Wouldn't say no, to put it bluntly.

That completes this round-up. A little less moany then the one I scribbled on Monday. Thank the lord that was never published. How's your week going? :)

8 Most Worn Things Tag

EDIT: I completely forgot the most worn shoes. Whoops. If you're itching to find out, it's either black boots (River Island's male section, ya hear?) or simple black ballerina flats. Sorry 'bout that!
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This was around on YT a while ago, and I've been thinking: why let YTers have all the fun?
So, these are basically the things I wear/use the most in these specific categories. I apologise in advance for the poor quality of photography in this post. I'll get better, I pwomise :3

Most Worn Lipgloss/LipstickI went through a major lipstick phase last year. I seriously wore it every day, and I now own horrendous amounts. However, since Autumn/Fall, I avoid them like the plague. I don't know where this sudden change in heart came from, maybe it's puberty. Right now, I don't like having an awful lot on the lips. I love balms (originally, I was going to put my Coca-Cola Lip Smacker in here, but I realise I've rambled on about those too much), but I also like light, flattering lipgloss. This is Barry M Lip Gloss in No.10, and again, this has been mentioned in a separate post. It smells like a dream and wears really well. If in doubt, slick this on.

Most Worn EarringsRotate, damn you!
I'm an earring person. I love studs, as well as dangly ones - the whole concept of earrings makes me happy. I've had a cartilage piercing for about a year now, which I don't change around too often, so the star you see in the picture's been there for a while. But for a normal piercing, I often just opt for these rather big pearls. As a matter of fact, I bought these in Superdrug for 99p and they've done a marvelous job. I love pearls; they're classy, feminine and you can wear them with just about anything.

Most Worn Shirt(note to self: turn camera the right way)
I don't really have one top that I wear loads. I guess like a black camisole I wear under some things, but that's just boring! Mind you, this isn't much more exciting. This is a really stretchy long black top, which I wear as a dress. It was a rolo-neck, but I cut it down, because they make me look ridiculous. It's really easy to wear with just a plain cardi, and I love the long sleeves.

Most Worn Nailpolish
Coloured nailpolish looks silly on me. My nails just don't like to co-operate with it, so I normally just end up with really brittle, chipped talons. I normally just stick to clear or French manicure pink nailpolish to make them look a bit more presentable (on the left).
However, I really like this whole dusky brown/beige colour that's circulating everywhere now. I'm gonna be brave and say that I er...started that trend, because I snapped this polish from H&M called Latte2Go, and only then did all the other beauty gurus get wind of it. Yeah, so that's a lie, but I'm being totally honest when I say that I do love the whole neutral nails look, and tend to drift towards that most often.

Most Worn Hair Product
I curl my hair with a flat iron a lot. I realise this is naughty, and I am ashamed, but I've tried the No-Heat diet. Suffice to say, it did not work. This is your regular run-of-the-mill heat protectant, by L'Oreal Studio. These products are all the same to me, but what I do get frustrated about is that they smell like a harbour. A fishy harbour. However, when it comes down to it, I'd rather whiff like a salmon then leave my hair unprotected.

Most Worn PerfumeOh, for Pete's sake!
2010 was the year of Georgio Armani Diamonds. I got this after the Beyonce campaign, and I loved it. It smells so so so good. I fail to describe it, but I can assure you that this is one perfume that I will wear to my grave. I'll even take a bottle into my grave, for all those wild afterlife parties. I've run out of this now, but I have Beyonce's Heat perfume to see me through. Review coming soon.

Most Worn Handbag
I wear my handbag to 6th form, and they usually carry around all my folders, books and food of the day. This was the bag I wore since September. I loved it with all my heart, and it was my bayb-eh, but look at it now, in its sorry state. The strap's broken off and the inside lining all torn.
RIP My Lovely Leathery Friend
However, at X-Mas I got a new bag. The bag to conquer them all. My mum got this in TK Maxx so I'm not sure of its availability, but I'm sure you'll all agree it is a beaut. It holds all my junk, and I'm in love with it! I forget my old bag ever existed.



I hope you guys enjoyed this post!
Remember to 'like' this post if you enjoyed reading. If you're feeling extra affectionate, there's a 'love' button too.
Have a lovely evening :)

Please Read! (it's not serious or nothing, but I needed to grab your attention somehow)

Ey'up!
I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little bit miffed at the lack of comments there's been on this blog. I'm sure it's the bane of every blogger, spending time taking pictures, writing up a post etc, to no avail. Heck, I'm guilty of it too. I read a lot of blogs, and even if I really enjoyed a post, or found it very interesting, I forget, or just plain can't be bothered to leave a comment. I know, it's bad and I hang my head in shame as we speak, which is making typing very difficult.

So I've come up with a cunning plan!
Notice the new 'reactions' buttons down below? I'm sure you've all used facebook at some point, so you'll pretty much understand the concept of liking and disliking. Well, that's exactly what you can do here. It only takes a second, and just knowing you've read my post is gonna make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
I hope you guys find this a good innovation, and I'm looking forward to getting some 'likes'.

You know what? I might just 'like' this blogpost myself. Take that, society.

The Big Fat Disappointments of 2010

Here are the products of 2010 that just didn't make the cut. The 'turkeys' of the year, if you will. It's a shame it had to end like this but hey, you gotta be cruel to be kind.

1: Rimmel Stay Matte Mousse FoundationI loved the normal Stay Matte foundation, so when I saw the mousse version, I thought "Hey, can't go wrong, huh?". Boy, was I wrong. This little devil is impossible to apply. It basically sets in an orange-y crust as soon as you put it on your face. You'd have to be the world's best blender to make this work. If I'm feeling extra tough, I sometimes soldier on with this foundation, because in truth the finish effect does 'Stay Matte', but it's a helluva price to pay.

2: Gosh Velvet Touch Foundation PrimerI'd heard positive things about it, and was hopeful that this was the miracle that would rescue my oily t-zone, and keep my make-up on past lunchtime. I don't know whether this is a good primer, I never really gave it the time of day. It made my skin feel oily (or was that the velvet effect?) and helped me break out. I'm tempted to give this another whirl...but I'm scared.

3: Ecotools Blush BrushYes, this brush is soft, and it's pretty and it's good for the environmentblahblahblah. But in my eyes, it can never work as a good blush brush. The hairs are so densely packed, and it puts the colour on too strong and concentrated, so it doesn't achieve a flush of colour. It just helped me look sunburnt. It doesn't work as an effective powder brush either, my oils were seeping through like lava!
4: NO.7 Extravagant Lashes MascaraI didn't speak too kindly of this mascara in my Mascara Manifesto post, so I'll cut the re-bop. Basically, the square brush stinks (in both senses of the word :S ) and this mascara takes you to Clumpy Express faster than you can say "Hey, isn't No.7 that really overpriced cosmetics brand?".

Blogger won't let me have the text above black. Sorry.

5: YSL Rouge Pure Shine Sheer Lipstick in 32 Frozen MangoImagine my excitement when I bought my first YSL item. Imagine then, my disappointment, when I found out this does (beg your pardon) f**k all. They really went to town on this 'sheer' business. All this product does is form a milky coat over your lips, which looks a bit lame, and it needs re-applying every couple of minutes. It smells nice, and the packaging is pretty, but I sure as hell didn't need to pay £20 for that.

Top Products of 2010

It's 1/1/11 :O
Happy New Year everyone! Hoping you all had a lovely new year, and that you all brought in the new year in style. My family and I were playing a quiz, and it was only when we all glanced at the clock which read 00:16 that we belatedly wished each other a Happy New Year. Fayul!

This year has been the year when I really started to get into beauty and makeup, and I thought I'd share my favourites from this year. Here we go...

1: Bourjois Bio Detox Organic Foundation
I've spoken about this one before, but hands down, it's the foundation of the year. Work perfectly with my oily skin and hides those nasty blemishes better than any concealer. Yup, safe to say I'll be repurchasing.

2: Bourjois Delide de Poudre Bronzing Powder
If you can look past the gimmicks which make this product irresistible, like the novelty packaging, the 'glints of sunshine' and its good-enough-to-eat smell, this is actually a very good product. My favourite bronzer of the year. Radiant enough to wear in the whole face, matte enough to use as a contour.

3: Beauty UK/ Claire's 10 pan eyeshadow palettes
Oh, how I love these. These colours are well pigmented and the majority is lovely and shimmery, which is ideal for a person of my tastes. You won't find better value for eyeshadows in the drugstore. Pure <3

4: Liquid Liner
This is Rimmel Glam'Eyes. My 2nd repurchase, most likely not the last.I started off the year wearing liner (badly) and I ended the year wearing liquid liner (hopefully, a little better). I love the process of liquid liner, as well as the end effect. A well drawn line looks chic, classy and emphasises your eyes. I look forward to a lot more lining in 2011.

5: W7 Perfect Eyes eyeshadows
Don't be fooled, these aren't Mac. Pretty darn good dupes though. On the left is Burnt Plum, on the right: Pebble. The texture of these eyeshadows is something you've never experienced before. They're so densely packed with shadow and big 'flakes' of glitter that they're almost wet? Which in turn brings out an astonishing intensity as well as payoff. Have I mentioned they're like £2. Yeah, s'what I thought...

6: ELF Studio Powder Brush
The title of the softest brush evah goes to this beauty, without a shadow of a doubt. The dense flat-top packs powder onto the face, but stops it from being in any way cakey. When people feel this brush all I hear is : "Oh, it's so...soft". Indeed, it is. And for £3.50, it's the best powder brush around.

7: Lip Smackers Lip BalmsI mentioned these in my Claire's Accessories post a while ago, and I still love them. They're so juicy, and give the lips a really nice, subtle flush of colour as well as moisture. The amount of flavours on offer is also a bit startling, it certainly brings out the indecisiveness in me!

8: Nude LipsticksL-R: L'Oreal Coleur Riche in 235 Nude, Bourjois in Sable Fin (most likely discontinued) and 17 Sheer Moisture in Balmy Beige.
When I started with lip products, I kind of got caught up in the Lollipop26 'hypernude' bandwagon, only to realise the lip-erase effect doesn't suit me. Thank the lord that I found a nice alternative. All these lipsticks are nude in theory, but their tones and textures make so much easier to pull off. The L'Oreal is a more muddy/dusky pink, and therefore adapts better to my natural lip colour, while the two others have such a soft peachy colour that you can just plop them on without even thinking about it. A thumbs up for these wearable nudes.

That concludes my top products of 2010. Do you agree with my choices? Or what are yours? Enjoy your New Year's day, and I'll take this opportunity to wish you happiness in 2011.

M&S Perfumes...who knew?

So, unless you already have a couple of grandchildren, you're probably not a massive fan of the M&S 'toilette' range. As much as I love magnolia, I do not wish to suffocate all those around me by the smell of it.
However, my mum has been lovely enough to allow me (and now you) to experience the lovelies for yourself.
The Butterfly Perfume Range has been around only since the summer, and the dark blue sort's only a very new addition. I've had the original since July, and I've been meaning to tell you about it for a while. Well, better late then never.

Butterfly Eau de ToiletteThe first thing I bummed on this product is the packaging. It's like Marc Jacob's Daisy, but a little trashier. Wooo. The glass bottle is round and lime green tinted, while the gold top comprises some jelly/rubbery butterflies. If like me, you have an extraordinary attraction to all jelly like substances, this will please you.
The smell is a very close copy of DKNY'S Be Delicious perfumes. Y'know, the ones that smell like apples. Smelling them from the bottle, they're really almost identical. But once sprayed, the M&S version settles a tad more citrusy, so it depends on your preferance. They aren't the longest lasting, but there's buckets in there so you can afford to top up during the day, or douse yourself in the morning.
£9.50
Midnight Butterfly Eau de ToiletteIf the normal butterfly is a fresh summer meadow, then the Midnight edition is a sweet, sultry basement. Bow down to me, and my lingual attributes.
The packaging of this one is equally beautiful, a dark green bottle with violet butterflies. The smell is still wearable (I have no qualms about wearing it in the day) but it's much sexier. Muskier, darker, heavier, almost festive. I imagine Mrs Santa Claus could smell like this. I'm sure you appreciate it's hard describing smells, but I would say that while the Midnight Butterfly may be richer than it's predecessor, it is by no means less enticing.
£9.50

These make gorgeous christmas presents. You may be tempted to snap one of these for yourself (which I fully endorse) but if you're at a loss of what to get your bezzie m8 for Christmas, look no further. And at just below a tenner, it seems almost ideal, no?
Hope you found this interesting, and enjoy the rest of you week.

What Up? 3.0

I think it's about time for a new post, don't you?^sheepish/coy/pathetic pose = my form of an apology.

• The Czech Republic (which seems yonks ago now) was amazing. I ate great food, was able to relax and spend time with some of my favourite people!
• I'm just waiting for term to end. This Christmas couldn't come any sooner. It's not even the festivities I'm looking forward to, it's just not having to get up at bloody dawn every morning. Ok, so it's not dawn. But it's close!
• Last week was one of the best! We did the school show, and now I miss everyone like crazy. Basically everyone except me was looking forward to it ending, but now it's over, I just wanna cryyyy.
• I'm absolutely loving Leonard Cohen. I've been a fan of his music but it's his writing that's sending the shivers down me spine momentarily.
• My friend (she's reading this right now, I bet) introduced me to Kings of Leon. I just wanna say a huge, majestic THANK YOU.
• I'm going X-Mas present shopping on Saturday. Ohlord, wish me luck!^Lame.
  

That's aboot it. I hope you're all getting into the festive spirit, and I'll see you all later.