Wednesday, November 30

Everyday Face

Evening Beauties!

I was feeling really brave/stupid this morning so I thought I'd show you my everyday make-up look, even though I am possibly THE most unphotogenic person in the world lol :/. 

Prepare yourself for some shockers...


Everyday Face



 So, this is me, fresh out the shower, with just Good Things Miracle Mattifier Lotion (£7.99, Boots) and Carmex (£2.69). Now clearly the moisturiser is not right for my skin at the moment; I think I picked the wrong time to switch, just as all the heating comes on and the wind gets harsher, so I will be putting this back in the drawer until it gets warmer again.




My base:

Clarins Flash Balm (£27.50), 
Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Foundation (£22.00), 
Benefit Lemon Aid (£16.50), 
Rimmel London Silky Loose Powder applied with Bobbi Brown Powder Brush (£47.00), 
Benefit thrrrob (£23.50) applied with Bobbi Brown Face Blender Brush (£33.00),
more Carmex
and Smashbox O-Plump (£20.00). 



Eyes:

The Body Shop Carbon Eye Definer in Black (£9.00),
YSL Exaggerated Lashes Mascara in Deep Black (£22.00)
and spare mascara wand from an ancient set :)!


I like simple eyes for everyday, with natural looking lashes, so I always wiggle the spare wand through them to make sure they're well-defined.


TA-DAH! 



All done. What's your everyday make-up look?


Lots of Love,
Krystyna x

Tuesday, November 29

NOTD: Rainbow Connection

Hi Beauties!


Happy Tuesday!



OPI Muppets Rainbow Connection, stage by stage application:

First Coat

Second Coat

Thid Coat (without flash so the colours show up better)



Lots of Love,
Krystyna x


Monday, November 28

Things We Do For Beauty...

Happy Monday Beauties!

Ok, call me crazy, but I had to share this with you as the results were so amazing: basically, I slept with a plastic bag on my head last night. No, not just for kicks! It was there to cover up the hair mask I had on of course :)

So, being the lazy lump I am, I hadn't washed my hair at all at the weekend, and it looked baaaaad. Come Sunday night, I felt disgusting and just had to hop in the shower, where I was faced with a dilemma (my life is so hard right? :p). I usually wash my hair every day because it gets so greasy and knew that if I washed my hair then, I'd still have to do it the next morning in order to not scare the whole college witless! But washing it twice so quickly would surely be bad for it? That left my other option of just giving it a good rinse, which I didn't want to do because it might still smell and I'd just changed my bed sheets :(

Then, a revelation; I spotted out of the corner of my eye a shiny orange tub full of promises (and a gorgeously scented treatment).

Herbal Essences Smooth & Soft Intensive Mask
£3.99 for 200ml from Sainsburys


I usually use the Beautiful Ends Mask from the same range, or Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Luscious Long Deep Treatment, but I'd bought this when they were on offer in Sainsburys and felt that now was the time to break it out. Opening it, I was immediately in love with the citrus scent, so scooped up a handful of coral goo to massage into my poor hair. It's not too runny, as some conditioners can be, but it isn't as stiff as Aussie's treatment either, and really did feel like liquid satin once applied.



Normally, I'd leave a mask on for a bit before rinsing it off well with cold water, but last night I wanted some major pampering and left it on for the night. I thought this would be quite simple: apply shower cap et voila! Then the elastic in the shower cap broke. What was I meant to do??? I had a flash of inspiration and grabbed the cling film. Which turned out to be rubbish.

Rubbish cling film.

It would not stick at all to my slimy head! The day was saved by my ingenious mother, who tied a plastic bag on my head (just around the hairline, not the neck lol) which I secured with clips and left well alone for the night.

Snooze :)

Next morning, I rinsed out the mask really thoroughly, then used a little shampoo to make sure there was no residue, a little of my normal conditioner on the ends, and finished with my trusty TommyGuns Weather Protect Dew Drops (£7.00 from Waitrose, but well worth it). I never blow dry or straighten my hair so it was left to its own devices while I went to college, until I noticed the smell! It was like I'd just stepped out of the salon, and I have literally not stopped touching my hair all day! This mask really does work, and I will definitely be using this technique again - maybe with a better shower cap next time :).

Some photos of the results:



What are your go to hair savers? Would also love to hear some feedback on my new posts.

Lots of Love,
Krystyna x


Sunday, November 27

Eyelashes

Evening Beauties!

Two posts in one day, what's going on? Well I just wanted to show off these gorgeous Shu Uemera eyelashes, as they don't get out enough, and it's such a shame to keep them shut away in a drawer!



 Here they are close-up :) On the left here is one of the Goldglam Leaf Lashes which were part of a collection last year and cost something ridiculous like £70! Not for me though... I snatched this pair up on eBay, complete with glue for £18 (I think. It was a while ago). I last wore them as part of my Hallowe'en make-up, where I did a peacock effect on one eye - details on that when I have a spare few hours :p.

These are the Dazzling Black Diamante eyelashes, which are currently available to buy at £18.50, the same price as the pair below. Again, I cheated by buying them on eBay, and managed to get both pairs for £25 (not including p+p). As I haven't worn them yet, I'm definitely glad I didn't pay full price! I'm sure I will very soon, as the black diamante detail across the lash band is so pretty.


I've seen these Black Velvet Feather lashes a lot on other blogs, and I'm so glad I bought them as they're sooooooo soft. Seriously think that if I wear them I'll just have my eyes shut for the whole time, or do something weird like stroke my face up against other people just so they can feel it too (sharing is caring). Ahem.


So anyway, this is my lash collection, but I hardly ever wear them! I need more opportunities to show them off. I know that eyelashes can be fiendishly difficult to put on properly without practice, which can put some people off - until now.

Picture from e.l.f. website

This is the Hollywood lash kit from e.l.f., which I saw on Lauren's blog originally, and fell for completely! Seriously, a work of genius. It contains a pair of lashes, an applicator, lash glue and a lash stand, all for just £3.50, and is definitely on my wish list.

What's the best beauty buy you've made on eBay?

Lots of Love,
Krystyna x

Series: Blush, Bronzer and Highlighter Part One

Hi Beauties, having a good weekend?

I thought I'd do a post today on my collection of blushers, bronzers and highlighters, as these are something every girl has in her make-up bag. However, I then had second thoughts, as I realised it would be another super long post! So I'm splitting it into three parts, with the first being on blushers.

I'm very pale, so these products may not suit you, but they are all fantastic quality and widely available in different shades. Enjoy!

Top row, left to right: Nars The Multiple in Orgasm; No7 Natural Radiance Highlighter; Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc in Mosaic; 17 Instant Glow Broning Powder in Light.
  
Bottom row, left to right: Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat in Shade 1; Topshop Bronzer in Radiance 1; Benefit Thrrrob; YSL Palette Pink Celebration   


Nars The Multiple in Orgasm (£29.00) and Benefit thrrrob (£23.50)


As you may be able to tell from its rather shabby appearance, thrrrob is my my everyday blusher, and I adore it!  This has lasted me ages (at least a year), so at £23.50 it is good value for money. I tend to use my Nars one more on special occasions/for going out, as it's slightly more shimmery. I'd heard so much about this before I bought it, and whilst it is fantastic, I can't help remembering there are budget products that do the same thing for a lot less than £29! 

 Swatches: With flash on the left, without flash on the right


  
In the pan: Without flash on the left, with on the right - look how shiny Orgasm is! Definitely not a day look...



Hope you found this worth reading, I would love to hear some comments!
Lots of Love, 
Krystyna x


Prices are correct for 27th November 2011. 

Saturday, November 26

Multitude of Muppets - Return to blogging!

Hi Beauties!

I have been severely neglecting this blog recently, but I do have reasons!
  1. No camera! I managed to drop my iPhone in the bath. It was not happy :(
  2. College work - just given in my first batch of assignments, which all had to be in within the same week. Major panic!
  3. Personal life: I got one. True to my blog name, I was well and truly lead astray by something new and shiny -  a relationship :s Sadly it turned out that this 'man' was actually a pig. Still, no harm done!
So, with the help of my early Christmas pressie (iPhone 4S - love you Daddy!), I am back, (hopefully) better than ever, but definitely better illustrated :p. Prepare yourselves for A LOT of photos, starting with...

The Long-Promised OPI Muppets Glitter Collection Photos!

Without flash
From left to right (all photos in post): Rainbow Connection, Fresh Frog of Bel Air, Gone Gonzo!, Divine Swine, Excuse Moi! and Gettin' Miss Piggy With It

With flash
I have just taken soooo many photos of this collection, managing to finish just as the light was fading (wtf? it's 2:30!), and there are examples with and without flash, giving you lucky lucky readers the chance to see exactly what they're like, and whether you think they're worth the OPI price tag. I have also used my eBay nail art wheels to show you what they look like on the nail, and I think they show the coverage really well.


Without flash                                               With flash

I used these wheels to show how the colour changes with layers, and how they work as a top coat. First up, a single coat on bare nails:

Without flash
With flash

You can see from these photos that one coat really doesn't offer much coverage, with the strongest being Gone Gonzo!.

Without flash
With flash - have no idea what these shadow lines are, sorry!
 These are two coats of glitter on a colour base coat:

 Rainbow Connection with Rimmel London French Manicure in Shade 442 - French Rose
Fresh Frog of Bel Air with Barry M Nail Paint 284
Gone Gonzo! with Barry M Nail Paint 306 - Blueberry Ice Cream
Divine Swine with Revlon Nail Enamel in Shade 792 - Plum Attraction 
Excuse Moi! with Chanel Le Vernis in Shade 217 - Splendeur
Gettin' Miss Piggy With It with Nails Inc Shade 408 - Tate

I think some colours work really well with the base coats, whereas others are strongest on their own but layered up, as in the next photos, which have three coats of colour:

Without flash
With flash

 As you may remember from my first post, I was really disappointed with Rainbow Connection when I first tried it, but now I take it all back! It's quite versatile (well, as versatile as multi-coloured glitter can be) and does work really well layered up on its own. Other than that, I can't pick a favourite! I am less fond of Gettin' Miss Piggy With It though... I think red glitter is most effective without any other colours mixed in, so it can act as a substitute for ruby slippers!

To end this massive post, here are more photos, of the colours in their bottles.




Individual shots, left side is without flash, right is with:

 Rainbow Connection

 Fresh Frog of Bel Air (shaky hand!)

 Gone Gonzo!

 Divine Swine

 Excuse Moi! I'm not sure why this looks so orange. It's really not, but came out the same when I tried to take another pic

 Gettin' Miss Piggy With It

Phew! Congrats to those of you who managed to stay with me to the end! I felt I should put up plenty of photos as these polishes are much-talked about at the moment, and quite an investment if you buy the whole set, so hopefully I've managed to inform you! Right, time for a hot chocolate :)

Lots of Love,
Krystyna x