EOTD

I don't know why I didn't just do a FOTD post, well actually I do it's 1) because my camera isn't amazing and I looked paler than alabaster when in reality, my skin is closer to the colour of Katie Price on a pale day 2) because I was in a rush and hadn't put my lippy and gloss on and 3) because I didn't like my hair today - it'd gone annoyingly flat :( So, you're being subjected to the amazing sight of just my eyes!haha.

Anyway, the reason for this EOTD is because I really liked how simple my eye make-up was today. I normally use at least 4 eyeshadows but today I fancied a little menage a trois with my Naked eyeshadow pallete. Some may say, I fancied looking a little 'naked' ah ha see what I've done there?

Right then, so here you go with not the most amazing photography I must admit. I'm going to ask for a better camera for my birthday in January so I'll be properly snap happy then :)


- Urban Decay Virgin e/s all over and under browbone
- Urban Decay Snob e/s in crease and on lower waterline
- Urban Decay Darkhorse e/s blended lightly into the outer crease
- MAC Black Tied e/s used wet as liner
- L'Oreal Voluminous 4x in Carbon Black

I'm loving Cheryl's new song - Promise This. I've been subjecting this end of the office to it most of the morning but saying that, everyone seems to like it :) I'm waiting to buy a hard copy of her album next week. I'm still old school and prefer a proper CD to downloading from iTunes.

I hope you're having a fab day,
Naomi
xx

Education Required - Experience Essential

I've been unsure of MAC's Mineralise Skin Finishes partly because I haven't really known their purpose but everyone seems to love them so I've decided to look into purchasing one.

However, I need a bit of help. How do you choose which one is best for your skin? Do you choose one that's slightly darker or the same colour? Can they be used for highlighting too? Are they similar to the effect of Dior Poudre Shimmer/ Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks?

As you can see, I really need educating so any helpful comments would be really appreciated!

Thank you!
Naomi
xx

P.S Sorry I keep changing the look of my blog. The last look and feel really slowed up scrolling so I'm using this less fussy background now which seems a lot better :)

MAC Studio Fix Powder

A few weeks ago my Chanel compact, which was on it's last legs admittedly, decided to break. Not only did it decide to break but it decided to explode in my Marc Jacobs. I must've really annoyed it. Maybe it overhead me talking about a replacement and decided to seek revenge.

So, I've been powderless since then. In normal English weather i.e cold and rain this would be fine but recently, we've been experiencing abnormally gorgeous and sunny weather. I believe many people from warmer climes call this summer?! This is great for feeling happy and getting a tan but not so great for oily combination skins. Cue shiny skin and not in a lovely dewy way :(

I was meeting my friend for dinner in the Mailbox so I decided to pop into Harvey Nics first. The MAC counter is so much nicer than the one in Selfridges. Everything is neat and tidy and the MUA are so lovely. I find the MUA in Selfridges can sometimes be a bit dimissive and often too busy too help. The MUA in Harvey Nics recommended MAC Studio Fix Powder plus Foundation and applied NW25 to my skin. The powder was exactly what I was looking for; light enough to not make my skin look clogged and heavy but with enough coverage to hide uneven bits and the oily T-zone area.

(Photo from the MAC website http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/)

I've been using the powder for a couple of days and I'd give it a big thumbs up with recommendation for those with oily to combination skin or for those looking for a little more coverage than a regular pressed powder.

Naomi
xx

FOTD

Hello...I haven't updated my blog for a while because now I've moved out of home, I don't have the internet (this is now a luxury item that I need to save up for, boo) so I can only go on at work but it's difficult to avoid prying eyes or to find the time or when I go back to my parents' house, like now.

I wanted to show you a photo FOTD from this week because I went for a strong lip rather than a strong eye which is my usual look.

Face
Diorskin Forever foundation
- YSL Touche Eclat on the dark circles and uneven skin tone parts
- NARS Laguna bronzer (so much better than Casino IMHO)
- Chanel Blush in Reflex

Eyes
- MAC Patina E/S on 2/3 of the eye
- MAC Satin Taupe E/S on outer corner, crease and lower lash line
- MAC Shroom E/S on inner corner and brow bone
- MAC Black Tied E/S used wet as a liner on top and on the waterline
- L'Oreal Voluminious Mascara in Black

Lips
- MAC Viva Glam Gaga lustre lipstick
- MAC Baby Sparks Dazzleglass

As always, my look is massively "sponsored by MAC"!! (FYI I bought all MAC products with my own money) But I love how my lips look so bright and Barbie-esque which is perfect for the summer and they match my cardigan (from Zara, I have them in so many different colours).

Do you have a favourite pink lipstick? One that you always reach for to make you feel happy, summery and bright?

Naomi
xx

24. MAC Soba Eyeshadow

I'm completely addicted to eyeshadows. Brown eyeshadows in particular. Any colour, any tone, nearly any finish (I can't stand matt) but as long as it's brown, I'm happy. I do wear other colours but 9/10 times there will be brown present.

My favourite brown eyeshadow of all time is MAC's Patina (Frost). It's a gorgeous cool shade which I use pretty much everyday. Anyway I digress, I am getting somewhere I promise! I picked up MAC Soba the other day as I fancied a muted, pale brown shade to wear either all over the lid or on 2/3. The eyeshadow has great reviews on Make-Up Alley so what do I think?

The first photo is of the pan and I would say the colour is spot on in this shot.


Here's Soba on 2/3 of my lid with Mulch on the outer 1/3. (Apologies this is a crap photo but I did a 10k race yesterday morning and this was taken after. Yes, I do exercise in make-up but it was a very neutral look in my defence!)


I heart Soba lots and lots. It's a Satin so has a sheen with a very small amount of shimmer which makes it perfect for an everyday neutral look. The colour goes on brilliantly and lasts well. I have hazel eyes and Soba is understated enough to show off the true colour of my eyes without being overpowering.

I would definitely recommend Soba to any hazel eyed lovelies.

Naomi
xx

20. Ripe Peach - Fact or Fiction?

Did MAC just make up Ripe Peach Blush Ombre to get us all to lust after it, only to find it sold out in minutes? (OK, I made up it sold in minutes but I wouldn't be surprised if it did!).

I'm interested to know if anyone managed to get their hands on said "Ripe Peach", if it even exists humph. If so, please could you show a swatch of it? I'm curious to see what the blush looks like on and see if I can find a sneaky dupe. I was in NYC at the time and NONE of the stores even had a tester :(

Answers on a postcard please!

Naomi
xx

14. New York Haul

I arrived back from New York on Tuesday morning and have spent the rest of the week trying to sleep as much as possible! A combination of jetlag and non-stop shopping and walking around NYC has left me exhausted. I need a chilled out holiday now to get over this one!

NYC really is mad. It's so busy and noisy and everyone is always in a rush but it has some amazing shops and department stores. What I like is that you always get a paper bag instead of a crappy plastic one when you buy something. I'm funny about that.

We stayed in a hotel just off Madison Avenue called The Surrey. The decor is a mix of art-deco, modern and antique which works brilliantly. Here are a couple of photos of the room.


So, what did I buy? Well, I tried to keep my purse as well hidden as possible so I couldn't spend too much but I did anyway, so here are my goodies.

I knew I was going to buy MAC Viva Glam Gaga lipstick which is gorgeous and so much cheaper than over here!


I know a lot of people have already reviewed this but it really is to die for. The vanilla smell is gorgeous (I love that MAC lipsticks have a yummy scent), the texture is smooth and moisturising and you can wear this with or without a lipgloss. The colour is buildable too so you can have a sheer pink with one sweep or a more intense Barbie pink with a second.


I also purchased two MAC make-up brushes; the 129 and the 239.



The 129 is great for applying blush to the cheeks and has super soft bristles. The 239 is a great eyeshadow brush and what I've noticed about MAC brushes is that you hardly need any product on the brush. I've realised how crap my old brushes really are since using a couple of MAC ones.

Jeans are a lot cheaper in the US so I took advantage of this and bought a pair of skinny jeans called "Senora" from Tommy Hilfiger for $70 (about £49) and some skinny bootleg jeans from Levis for $40 (about £27). The Levis fit so perfectly. They're the best fitting jeans I've ever had and they're really comfy.


Check out these sexy little cowboys from Steve Madden.


These were $200 reduced to $79.99 and then an additional 50% off so these only cost $39.99 (about £28.50). Amazing. And they're real leather and very well made. I love the stud detailing. I've been wearing them with skinny jeans and a long cardi.

I was after a new perfume and stupidly walked into Saks on 5th Avenue. The store is beautiful and looks sumptious and inviting but the people who work there are so pushy. Before you know it, you've handed your credit card over and you have no idea how much you've just spent until you walk out and look at your receipt! You've been warned. Anyway, I bought this very cute exclusive perfume from Guerlain called La Petite Robe Noire which translates to Little Black Dress.


The bottle is adorable and the scent is described as romantic, fruity, floral and sexy - well hello! The scent is really unique which I find appealing as I don't like smelling like everyone else.

The piece de resistance is my new bag. A bag was one of the main objectives of my trip so after visiting Macys, Barneys and Saks, I finally found what I was looking for in Bloomingdales. That place is like a maze. Introducing the Aidan bag by Marc Jacobs. (Please excuse the messy unmade bed!)



I'm in love with a bag. The leather is soft and the cream colour means this will take me right through the year. The inside looks pretty cool too and there's bags of room (haha).

Here's a silly photo of me surrounded by bags (and in my PJs!).


So there are my purchases after a successful trip. NYC was amazing but I'm not in a rush to go back just yet as there are others places I'd like to visit too. I also need some time to recover from the trip and so does my bank account!

Naomi
xx

5. EOTD

I thought I'd do an EOTD and share with you one of my favourite MAC eyeshadow combinations.


- Shroom E/S in inner corner
- Jest E/S all over
- Patina E/S in the crease
- Satin E/S Taupe in outer corner and under the lash line
- Black Tied E/S used wet as a liner on top and on the waterline
- L'Oreal Voluminious Mascara in Black

This look goes with anything but looks especially flattering when wearing neutral coloured clothing such as dusty pink, beige, brown and grey. I find MAC eyeshadows last really well and I don't need to touch up either.

I like to pair this eyeshadow look with Gosh Darling lipstick with MAC's Ample Pink Plushglass over the top.



Naomi
xx