Green Eyed

I was going through my make up drawer the other day, choosing which bits to take with me on my mini trip to Bournemouth, when I reached one of life's extremely challenging and completely life-altering dilemmas: which green eyeshadow(s) do I pack for eighteen hours away from home?

I know, absolutely important, nail-biting stuff, right?! How I made that decision, I will never know.

I hadn't quite realised just how much green eye make up I owned, so I collected every eyeshadow and every eye liner together and laid them out so that I could decide between them. I wasn't quite prepared to learn I had twenty-two different eye colours! 

Twenty-two! That was a surprise, even for me!

I mean, I knew I had quite a collection brooding in the make up shrine, due to a slight addiction to green eye make up that goes back at least a decade, but regardless, it still came as a shock. Twenty-two does sound rather excessive, doesn't it, but in my defence, no two shades are alike. Some I've had for several years, some were bought recently. Two were purchased last week for the festive season. And each one is loved and used.

Hello, my name is Louise and I'm addicted to green make up!

My favourite shadow of all time was a stunning light olive green called Beatrix (in the trinket pot) that was by a company called B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful. They were the sister company to Lush who sold the most beautiful vegan beauty products and cosmetics, but who sadly went in to administration a few years ago. That eyeshadow was the main reason I was heart broken when they closed their doors; I went through several pans in my early-mid twenties and I adored it. I still have a tiny bit left which I'm trying to make last as long as possible. 

I've been searching for a replacement ever since, but so far I've had zero luck finding a near-identical shadow. However, I purchased a similar, but slightly darker shade called Kush by Urban Decay last week (the silver pot), which is the closest match I've found. I've fallen in love with the colour, and it's so perfect in colour and performance that I think I've found a new favourite! I adore it already.

I also really love my Inglot shadows, and the liquid liners by Lush and Jemma Kidd.

I don't know what it is about green eye colours that I love exactly, but I've always liked the way they look with my pale, freckled skin, brown eyes, and dark, or, currently, red hair. I think green compliments those features perfectly, whether it's a bold lime, or a rich emerald. They bring out the brown of my eyes and are a great contrast against both red and brown hair colours, and most importantly, I feel good wearing them. Dare I say, green eye make up even gives me a little confidence boost every time I wear it- which is often! I wear green more than any other colour, and probably more than all the other colours combined.

I think that everybody should give green eye make up a chance, as it's the most beautiful, varied colour palette, and there's a shade out there to suit everybody. 

Have you got a particular make up colour or product that you can't stop collecting? Do you own more green eye make up than me?

New Additions to My Make Up Collection November 2013

Hey guys,

Last weekend, I seemed to run out of all of my essential beauty products at once, so I popped in to my local Sainsburys to pick up what I could. Hair dye, leave in conditioner, cotton wool pads, nail polish remover, and some make up all made it in to the basket, along with a few other bits. I thought I'd give you a little peek at the make up I bought before I review them properly at a later date.

So, what did I pick up?

Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Foundation in Light Porcelain.

Bourjois Paris Healthy Balance Unifying Powder in Vanilla.

Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express Waterproof Mascara in Glam Black.

Bourjois Paris Color Boost Glossy Finish Lipstick in Red Island.

Bourjois Paris Extrait de Fard Intense Eyeshadow in 05.

And also...

Benefit Hoola Lip Gloss 6.5ml. *Free with this month's Elle Magazine.

The only item from this bunch that I have used before is the mascara, which has been my favourite and regular for years now, and I can't rate highly enough. All the other products are new to me, even though I've shopped from all three brands- Maybelline, Bourjois and Benefit- since my teens. 

The eyeshadow and lipstick were impulse purchases; "ooh, pretty new colours to try!"  I swear I have a serious addiction to green eyeshadow! It's my staple make up colour, and I'm not even sorry. 

I did actually need the mascara, foundation and powder, though. Thankfully, I had some Nectar points stored up, and a voucher off my next shop from a previous food shop, so I barely parted with actual money for them all! Now that's shopping I like!

Want a closer look?

Here's a peek at the lip crayon. It's not as bold as it looks in the packaging, but it's a lovely soft red all the same.

The eyeshadow is the most gorgeous dark forest green shade and seems to be well pigmented. I've not worn it, yet, but if it's like other Bourjois eyeshadows, I know we're going to get along well. It would look amazing used for a smokey eye look as an alternative to black.

I gave the powder a quick wear yesterday, and I'm already impressed with it. It's a pretty good colour match for my pale-as-a-picket-fence skin, it feels so soft on my face, and it covers shine without caking in to pores. If it continues to perform this well, I may have found myself the perfect new face powder!

I've been looking to find a new foundation, since the two in my arsenal aren't quite right for my skin tone or type. I already liked the results from the Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse blushers, so decided to give one of their foundations a go. There weren't testers of the shades in store, so I had to take a risk. I'm not sure if the shade I picked, the palest available, is too dark for me;  I need to see it on me in natural daylight to come to a conclusion. I hope I'm wrong because it is the softest foundation I've ever had on my skin and I like the light coverage.

This is a swatch of the mini Benefit lipgloss 'Hoola', which was free with Elle Magazine this month. I've always wanted to try it, so I couldn't resist buying the magazine to get the mini sample. It's a subtle gloss with a hint of bronze and a delicate shimmer. There are two other Benefit lipglosses to collect with the magazine, and I'm keeping my eyes pealed for them both.

And, finally, the mascara with the wand which makes my eyelashes look fuller, darker, and longer than any other mascara ever has. Those little bristles don't miss a lash, and it's pretty much perfect.

I'll be reviewing these products properly once I've given them all some wear, but I hope you liked the little peek I gave you today.

Have you tried any of these cosmetics yet? 

A Look Back At My Nail Looks of 2012

2012 was a year of many different nail looks for me. I found sanity and enjoyment from trying out different colours, different combinations, a few new brands, and a little nail art.

It's become a great distraction for me from my back injuries, and sort of a therapeutic comfort! Painting my nails has been one of the few activities I've been able to do whilst confined to bed, and something which has made me feel like more of a civilised human being on the 'bad' days.

One of my resolutions of 2012 was to venture out from my predictable palette of reds, corals, and pinks which I stuck to almost exclusively in the past few years. It wasn't that I was afraid to wear other colours, it was just that I liked wearing those colours most. I think it's safe to say that I achieved this resolution in 2012, and then some!

Green and glitter//  Purple and violet// Rainbow nails// Beetle green nails- favourite!
Red with a hint of gold// Oxblood red polka Dots// Teal and glitter
Purple// Turquoise
Grey and teal with flowers// Forget me not blue with dots// Lilac// Tomato red and a striped ring finger


Over the last year...

 ~I've built up a vast collection of polishes of every colour of the rainbow.

~I've tried new brands I'd never used before, such as MUA, Nails Inc, Ciate, and Maxfactor.

~Although I still remain loyal to my old favourite Barry M.

 ~I wore a different colour or look to the day before almost every day.

 ~I attempted a little nail art.

~I layered glitter polishes over colourful manicures, something I hadn't done since my teens.

... and I loved it!

Just like I am with eye make up, I've become a nail polish chameleon! I no longer stay in the boring safe zone of classic reds, pinks, and corals. I wear almost any colour, and I've built up a steady arsenal of varnishes to play with. I've particularly enjoyed wearing greens and teals, especially a dark 'beetle' green which I never would have worn a year ago!  I also branched out to try more crackle polishes and started an obsession with layering glitter polishes over most manicures in the last few months, something I'd shied away from since my teens. I began trying a little nail art, which I'll admit so far is nothing to write home about, but I was proud of my oxblood polka dot nails, and aim to try more designs in 2013.

My Favourite Polishes of 2012

It's hard for me to narrow down my favourites, as I have so many of them now, but these are the ones which I probably use most...

Barry M Racing Green
Barry M Bright Red
Barry M Ruby Glitter
Inglot Nail Enamel 024
Bourjois So Laque! varnish in Bleu Fabuleux

Favourite Brands

My favourite brands are still the same as this time last year: cheap and cheerful Barry M and luxury range, Inglot. The latter is fast drying, very chip resistant, and affordable, whilst the former is very purse friendly, long lasting, and easy to handle. Both ranges have a large selection to choose from, and I highly recommend both.

So, I'm proud of the variety of nail looks I tried in 2012. There were a lot of them! Some I showed you, some I didn't. I have a handful of new polishes yet to try, and lots of old ones I plan to try together. I'm certain 2013 will be a year of many, many new looks and hopefully a lot more nail art created with a better technique. Let's see where the new year takes me...

Which nail look was your favourite?

Do you try lots of different colours and looks, or do you tend to just stick to a couple of old favourites?

Sacre Bleu!

 I get bored of wearing the same colour on my nails for long, so usually find myself switching to another polish or look every two or three days. The last polish I fished out of my nail polish collection was this gorgeous forget-me-not blue Bourjois So Laque! varnish in Bleu Fabuleux. I don't think I'd worn it in a couple of months and wanted to wear something bright to brighten up a dull Winter's day.

 I applied two coats, and then for reasons I cannot fathom, I just started dotting little dots in a curved line on each of my nails with my white WAH nail art pen. My hands shake constantly thanks to the pain I'm in and the painkillers I have to take for my disc injuries, so I haven't quite perfected consistent dots or the perfect technique, but I was happy with the result. I think that they looked quite pretty from arm's length, just not so great close up. I think I'll try this look again, perhaps with different colours, or more than one line.

The polish chipped within twelve hours (most of which I was asleep!), so although I love the colour of the polish, how easily it applied, and how quickly it set, these Bourjois polishes don't seem to have much staying power. It's a good thing I like to redo my nails often.

P.S. I just wanted to say a quick hello to all my new followers... hello! Thank you very much for following; it's lovely to have you here. Don't be afraid to say hello, I don't bite! :)

I’ve been sleeping a thousand years it seems, got to open my eyes to everything

 You may notice that there's something a little different to today's outfit post. Scroll down and have a look. (In my best Rolf Harris voice)- Can you tell what it is yet?

 

 

You'd be right if you noticed my outfit photos were taken outside. They were- for the very first time!

 

 Yesterday, I found myself home alone for a whole day and most of the night. It was the first time I'd been alone for more than a few hours since I took sick leave over a year ago, as somebody is usually around to do the things I physically can't manage like cooking and fetching drinks. I had no choice but to fend for myself, and had to push myself through the pain of descending a flight of stairs to see to the Honey Bunny in the garden. (I can count on one hand, with fingers to spare, the amount of times I've been in the garden this year, and I'm confined to my bedroom 99% of the time). It was no easy feet with shaking legs and a lot of pain, but it was good to be out in the fresh air and to see my beautiful old bunny (ten and a half now, so a very old lady). I took advantage of the opportunity, and quickly posed for a few photos underneath the Honeysuckle. The fuschias looked so pretty, too, and I think the plants give a much prettier background than my bedroom walls!

 

I'm paying the price of pushing myself to do this yesterday, but it was worth it to be up and about for ten minutes.

 

I will apologise for how horrendous my hair looks in these photos. I was just out of the shower, really didn't have the strength to straighten it, and my fringe was pinned to the side as it's currently falling over my eyes. It was also quite blustery so there was just no hope for me.

 

 I felt the need to be colourful after a bad week, and off the top of my head I felt I needed to team my gorgeous new raspberry coloured bird cage print dress with a pair of teal tights. It's perhaps a little unconventional and very loud, but it was fun to wear.

 

The dress is lined and made from a thick chiffon. I'm head over heels in love with the stunning deep pink colour, and the pretty bird cage print. It has a fitted waist, and a mock collar as part of the fabric. It's very small fitting, so I'd recommend sizing up where possible. I'd normally tone down the loudness with dark tights or leggings, and probably a navy cardigan, but sometimes it's fun to wear an explosion of colour.



 

I tried the outfit with a turquoise patent skinny belt to break up the dress, and to tie the outfit together...

 

 

But I also tried it without a belt. I can't decide which way looks better. What do you think?



The pattern is of ornamental bird cages, blossom, and little garden birds, and the fabric is a very rich dark pink.



I chose to accessorize with peacock-colours, so my gemstone bracelet, and colourful oval ring were perfect for this outfit.



This dress also called for the frog prince ring I've worn so many times over the last couple of months. Best accessory I've ever bought!



 

Dress: Dorothy Perkins

Belt: Dorothy Perkins

Bracelet: Dorothy Perkins

Tights: Evans

Oval ring: Evans

Frog ring: ASOS

Nail Polish: Bourjois Paris So Laque! in rouge escarpin

 

The dress was also picked up in the mid season sale, so I'm really pleased that I managed to grab such a beautiful bargain. I was dying to purchase it as soon as it landed online back in July, so sometimes perseverance does pay off!

 

I know this won't be the last time I show you this dress this Autumn. I see myself wearing it repeatedly in less vibrant ways. I enjoy wearing colour all year round, and this dress is a perfect example of how to wear bold colours during the cold months. Autumn colours are warmer and deeper than the Summer brights, but still bold and I often find such jewel tones more inviting and wearable.

 

Do you like wearing colour in Autumn?

 

Are you brave enough to wear the colour-blocking trend?



It's Summer Outside!

Sorry for the lack of outfit posts these last few days. It's been so hot here in England this week (here in the South it's been a scorching 30 degrees), and all I've wanted to do is lie under my fan and not move until it cools down again. It's either that or take up residence in the shower and send out change of address cards.

Being extrememly pale (and getting paler by the day), and quite warm-blooded, I've never been one to cope well in the heat, but I'm so acclimitized to life indoors now that I could barely breathe through the humidity when I took a quick trip to the shop yesterday. In a car.  Half a mile down the road.

I think this heat is only pleasant if you're on holiday, and/or have access to a pool, the sea, or air conditioning. Otherwise the result isn't pretty! Hence the lack of OOTD posts. I've just been lounging around in sun dresses spraying myself with Magicool and adding lots of ice to my drinks.

My hair was still damp from the shower, and pinned back with a couple of Cath Kidston hair slides to hide the kinks of natural dried hair.  Sorry for the pasty face; it was far too hot to bother putting make up on!

The nail polish is actually more of a cornflower/violet blue. The camera hasn't picked up the right shade.

Dress: New Look

Cardigan: Lovedrobe @ New Look

Bangles: New Look (I think; I've had them for years)

Belt: Dorothy Perkins

Nail Polish: Bourjois So Laque! Ultra Shine in Bleu Fabuleux

I don't like wearing many accessories when it's as hot as it is at the moment, but I added the belt and cardigan for the photos to make the outfit a little more interesting and to hide my arms. This is how I would wear this dress if I was going outside. I won't lie; I have just been lying around in the dress with the bangles on.

The dress was an impulsive sale bargain buy which I snapped up for about £7-8 last Summer. I tend to wear it lounging around the house on very hot days like today as it's light and airy. I've had the bangles for many years, but still like wearing them each Summer.

I really wish I was lounging on a beach right now, or more accurately, body-boarding in the sea with the sun on my skin.

Although, as heavenly as lying on a beach in the heat sounds, I heard a lady died yesterday after a landslide brought tons of rocky cliff down; which was believed to be due to months of heavy rain, or so the news report said. It's so sad that such a blissful trip to the seaside could end so tragically. May she rest in peace.

I guess we all think we're indestructable. We never think our time may be cut short, or harm will ever come to us or our friends and family, but it can. Bad things really do happen when we least expect them and in the unlikeliest of situations. I know this is a cliche, but we all need to live each day to the full, do the things we want to do, and be around people who make us happy. It's taken twenty-seven years and a back injury for me to figure that out, but it really is true...

Makes you think, huh?