Halloween

It's 9pm and my Halloween is officially over! I'm normally a huge lover of Halloween but this one was dull regardless of the festivities. I must be getting old!

On Friday I went to a drive in movie, The Last Exorcism (a lot of rubbish more a documentary than horror film), the best part about the whole thing other than going home was the effort they had put into spook-ifying the surrounding woodlands. Sadly photography was banned as it was a public place/gathering, the U.K is getting far too P.C/sensitive for my liking.

Then on Saturday we had a little party (ok gathering) and stayed up watching Horror/Slasher films. My sister will complain about the photo of her and the cat but she should've got dressed haha! This year I decided not to dress up but did wear all black and a slick of Va Va Violet lipstick, to be frank I honestly couldn't be bothered.

Tonight I took the younger sisters and a few of their friends trick or treating (guising if you are a Scot) and have now retired to the couch complete with pink pj's and dressing gown haha!

What did you do?

Va Va Violet

Happy Halloween everyone!

I somehow have been roped into taking the kids (my little sisters in case you thought I had secret kids!) and thought I may as well embrace it so I slicked on a quick swipe of Revlon Va Va Violet lipstick.

Yes the colour is so pretty but the formula is only so so, it is really sheer despite what the bullet might suggest and oh my goodness does it highlight any little flaw you may have on your lips. Believe it or not I actually exfoliated my lips before application...yikes!

Like I said such a pretty fall appropriate colour but I'm sure there is far superior plum lip colours out there. In my opinion this one is good for a novelty occasion i.e Halloween or a dress up party but anyone who takes make-up seriously should skip this is pursuit of a better formula!

Round Up - A mediocre performing plum lipstick.

Best For - A one off when you can't source anything better!

Availability - The majority of Revlon stockists for £6.49

Sunday Shopping the Stash

That time of the week already? Seems so! This week I have a lot of meetings and rather formal situations that require a polished but natural look hence the very limited make-up choices today. To spruce things up a little I have photographed this weeks picks on a Halloween background...enjoy!

Estee Lauder - Double Wear, Wheat

This is actually a brand new bottle, I had been wearing outdoor beige but it was a little too pale so I picked up my usual shade and feel much more happier in the knowledge that my face matches my neck! If you need a foundation to last a full day then some, I highly suggest Double Wear if I have a long day this is the only foundation I reach for. Its medium to high coverage but comfortable to wear.

Nars - Blush, Orgasm

I feel guilt when I see how little I have actually used this beautiful pinky peach blush. I've heard this can lean red on some but for me it's a light pink shade that has a slight golden sheen when I wear this I don't feel the need for any highlighter which is a time saver when pushed for time.

Mac - Prep and Prime, Translucent Powder

I have blabbed on about this powder so many times, so much so I think a few readers will be like oh no not again haha! Having problematic skin and pores some powders can not only cake but highlight my flaws instead of disguising them but this powder gives the skin a soft focus finish, minimising pores and setting my make-up. In a word it is love!

17- Wild Eyes Mousse Eyeshadow, Wild Nude

Yet another product I won't shut up about haha! Like I said I have to look polished this week so my weapon of choice is this little pot of light champagne coloured mousse that works really well as a subtle wash of colour. If you are using this in the same way as I am then please do use a primer to avoid any creasing.

Elf - Eyelid Primer

For a budget buy this performs just as well as my more expensive eyelid primers. This is purely just to set the Wild Eyes Mousse Eyeshadow and keep it in place all day with ease.

Covergirl - Lash Blast Mascara, Black

Some have likened this to Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara, I have tried both but failed to get on with the Max Factor version finding it too wet. Lash Blast is amazing it gives me false looking natural eyelashes without flaking or smudging, shame it's not available in the U.K!

Inglot - Gel Lipstick shade 41

Have you tried Inglot Gel Lipsticks yet? At first it feels rather odd on your lips but after a few uses you'll be wondering why there isn't more of it's kind available in the marketplace. Shade 41 is a mid toned pink that is easy to slick on and forget about, perfect for everyday wear.

Did you join in by shopping your stash this week?

A Pore Range That Works!

If you have followed this blog for a while you'll know I suffer from enlarged pores and have been on a mission to reduce the size of their appearance. I bought the Botanics Skin Care range on a whim, it was on a 3 for 2 offer and I thought I owed it to myself to give it a whirl.

I'm really glad I did as okay my pores are still visible but other than getting a facial peel i'm afraid that will always be the case but this range has actually dramatically shrunk and tightened my pores, helps keep blemishes at bay and is just generally a really good skin care option. I have used this range for over a month now in order to give you the best review possible.Keep reading to find out more!

Like I said I purchased these when on a 3 for 2 offer (such offer is currently running again) but even when such offer isn't running each product is really affordable with the most expensive being £4.59.

Botanics Pore Perfecting Day SPF15 Moisture Lotion 75ml - £4.59

This is a light non greasy moisturiser that has the added bonus of an SPF 15, I personally now won't buy any day cream that doesn't contain an SPF even though I live in the UK I still feel it is vital to protect the skin from harmful rays. The scent is light and has a light hint of lemon, nothing offensive to the nose just a light fresh scent that disappears momentarily.

This lotion contains no oil but helps to mattify any natural oils on the face , it also aids in the unblocking in pores. In my opinion the best thing about it is how light it is anyone with visible pores will tell you how thick creams can often just make a bad problem worse. Although this is light it more than does the job keeping skin soft and subtle, soaking up any excess oil and providing a great base to apply make-up on.

If you have visible pores or oily/problem skin I suggest giving this a whirl as it works really well with oily problematic skin and I could actually feel it tighten my skin and pores which sounds disturbing but was actually really assuring in an odd way.

Botanics Pore Perfecting Deep Clean Mousse 150ml - £4.07

If you only pick up one item from this range then please make it this, okay at first you'll be taken aback with the gimmicky liquid to foam concept but once you wash your face with it I promise you will be a convert like myself.

Again like the matching lotion this has a light scent only this has a kind of grass smell (no not the slang word for a certain drug but fresh cut lawn scent) and the scent doesn't linger at all. This mousse is thick and really easy to use, it easily removes every little scrap of make up with next to none effort.

After one use, I kid you not there was a difference in my pores! I was absolutely dumb founded they looked a whole lot smaller and and definitely unclogged. I have continued to use this mousse cleanser for the last month and my pores have halved in size. Another thing I have noticed is my skin is a whole lot clearer and any blemish that rears its ugly head clears up a whole lot quicker than before.

Honestly if you have visible pores/oily skin/problem skin I urge you to purchase this I promise you will not be disappointed one little bit!

Botanics Pore Perfecting Toner 250ml - £4.07

This was the one product I approached with reluctance, I think it was the idea of applying clay to my face that put me off. Unlike the other products this didn't share the same scent this smelled like, well clay! It's not entirely unpleasant it just takes a little getting used to that is all.

When using this ensure you shake the product thoroughly as the clay really does settle at the bottom of the bottle and to get the benefits from the toner you need the Amazonian clay as it's purpose is to absorb any excess oil.

I'm not a great user of toner but I have made an effort to use this as it removes any tiny little trace of product you may have missed during the cleansing stage but it's best propriety is that it tightens pores and leaves the skin with a light matte finish which I love! I have used this with the above products and my skin is the best it has ever been, well since I was a pre-teen anyway!

If you have enlarged pores you could steer far worse than this toner but I also recommend this for anyone who enjoys a matte finish to their skin after cleansing.

I have used all three products for at least six weeks and I kid you not my skin is the best it has been in a long. long while! My pores are far less visible, my skin is less oily and remains so throughout the day and I get far less blemishes. Even when I do get a blemish the trio of products heal and remove the problem quicker than I have experienced before. I really do recommend giving these products a chance if you suffer from any of the skin problems I have listed.

You can pick these up at most Boots stores or order via The Boots website.

Halloween Picks

I'm not going to do any tutorials mainly because I'm not a make-up artist and don't feel my skills quite conquer the novelty field well enough to do any looks but you can easily find lots of tutorials on YouTube! What I do want to share is some of my favourite pieces that should work well in a multitude of Halloween looks.

Sleek Palettes in Acid and Storm £6.49 each
Acid will be perfect for adding shots of bright florescent colour to a variety of looks like anything 80's based.
Storm is basically Halloween in a palette, it's brimming full of deep, vampy shades that should easily see you through Halloween and beyond!

Revlon Va Va Violet £6.99

If you don't quite enter into the dressing up as a character or what not then why not just go for a sultry almost Gothic look? I'm going to a drive-in movie tonight and I plan on pairing this deep violent lipstick (you could use black?) with a smokey eye and sculpted cheekbones. It says Halloween but not in the typical sense, yes I'll post a F.O.T.D sometime this weekend.

Speaking of Vampy sultry Halloween looks I feel the free 17 kit that boots is currently offering with purchase of any two products will help you create that look for FREE!

Perhaps you don't want to do anything typical or spooky? Then why not use Halloween as an excuse to bust out the bright shades you might not typically reach for? You could even go crazy and add lots of glitter and bright eyeshadow, it really is a great excuse to go cr-a-zzzzzz-yyyy!!!

Around the week of Halloween I have an urge to paint my nails in shades of green, purple, orange and black! You can of course do nail art by hand or buy cute little decals if like me you are un-skilled in the field on nail art. A really lazy Halloween nail art idea would be to paint you nails a bright orange then layer with a black or purple crackle polish, simple yet effective.

This is just a quick insight to products I will be reaching for when doing the families Halloween make-up, I will of course post lots of photos of looks and what we all got up to.

Have a lovely Halloween weekend ladies and gents :)

Mac Rubenesque Paint Pot

Rubenesque is the polite way of saying fat, you can actually say "Oh mother you look so rubenesque today" and chances are you won't get a slap, if you do well you really shouldn't be calling your mother names in the first place!

This is my second ever paint pot, what can I say I'm a slow starter. The thing is the paint pot colours never really spoke to me instore (not that any make-up ever actually speaks to me but hopefully you catch my drift) and I always seemed to bypass them in favour of a new blush or lipstick.

A good friend of mine wore Mac Rubenesque on her lids a little while back and I just had to know what she wearing when she said "Just a dab of primer and a quick slick of Mac Rubenesque", I made a mental note of must buy Rubenesque and use the word slick more often!

Rubenesque is described by Mac as a golden peach with golden pearl which is right on the money however they failed to add that it does have a slight pink sheen reflect to it in certain lights. If like me you are fairly new to Mac Paint Pots let me give you a quick run down, basically they are glass pots of cream eyeshadow that dry to a powder finish. They can be used as a base to give any shadow on top a little added kick or alone as a wash of colour. I find the more you use the more it creases and find them to work best with a good primer. When applied properly I easily get a good eight hours of solid wear.

Unlike some Paint Pots this has no glitter so it is soft to touch, has no gritty feel (less chance of it irritating your eyes and surrounding skin) and blends rather well. Like I said for the shadow to perform its best I really do recommend a primer before applying and if you want a solid block of colour let each layer dry properly and don't attempt to pack on one solid application of colour.

The odd thing about Rubenesque is that it shows up so differently on each skin tone, the darker you are the more it transforms into a golden tan shade which is still pretty but not really the reason I bought it. On my super fair friend it gleams a lovely peach shade yet on me it leans far more bronze.

Round Up - A golden peach cream eyeshadow with pink reflects, applies easily and well when applied correctly.


Best For - I find cream eyeshadows to work really well on my oily lids so I do recommend these for oily skin. Shade wise it is pretty universal and will suit the majority of people.

Availability - From all Mac counters and websites priced at £13.50