FOTD - Just Peachy!

I was really chuffed to be complimented on my make up today, so I thought I'd give you guys a peek... I don't normally wear this much make up during the day but was having a bit of a play, as you do! 

Here's what I used (click on pics to enlarge) ...

Clarins Foundation, Laura Mercier concealer & powder, By Terry highlighter, Lipstick Queen Blush 

Face:

Clarins Skin Illusion foundation in 'honey' - applied with fingers (reviewed below - 'Something Old, Something New')

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage - applied with ELF concealer brush

By Terry La Veloute under eye highlighter, which I also swept around the entire eye area as I was looking a bit knackered! This stuff is amazing - best I've ever tried.

Lipstick Queen solid lipgloss on cheeks applied with ELF Blush Brush

Laura Mercier Starlight Mineral Illuminating Powder - a loose powder with a pale gold 'glow', best for evening use in my opinion for a lovely 'soft focus' radiant finish.

Laura Mercier Eyeshadow, Mac Eyeliner, No7 Mascara

Eyes:

Mac Technakohl liner in Earthline - a waterproof dark greyish brown liner which goes on soft and sets quickly

All eyeshadows are Laura Mercier from the Colour Wardrobe palette (reviewed below in 'Something Old, Something New') and were applied with MAC 227 brush:

Tiger's Eye - a matt taupe over eyelid

Chocolate - a dark brown verging on aubergine in crease and outer corner

Twinkling Star - a peachy nude with slight shimmer all over eye

Stellar - a cream shimmery highlight on browbone

I then applied the Chocolate on top of the liner to soften the line a little with ELF Small Smudge Brush
Mascara - No7 Exceptional Definition in Brown/Black 02

Mac Lipglass & Prestige Lipliner 

Lips:
Lightly lined with Prestige lipliner in Silk
Mac Surf Baby lipgloss in Strange Potion (also reviewed below)

Please try to ignore the hair which has been scraped back out of sight! *blush*

I hope you like... if you have any questions or comments please leave a note below - I promise to respond! X

New Hair & FOTD

A few of you wanted to see my new do, so I'm being brave! ...
I hadn't had a haircut for 8 months. Shocking I know. One advantage of long wavy (ie messy) hair is that you can get away with irregular cuts, though I don't usually leave it just quite so long! 


I'd lost my hairdresser. She moved premises, rang to give me the new number, which I wrote on a tiny scrap of paper; children shrieking in the background, dinner on the boil... you get the picture. Number never seen again. So I was delighted to track her down after stumbling past the new premises. Her name is Sandra - talented, gorgeous, funny, based at Bill Harris Hairdressing & has cut my hair for 15years. 

Bill Harris Hairdressing, Hill St, Belfast

The salon is spacious, airy and stylish - a converted warehouse in a cobbled lane in Belfast's gorgeous Cathedral Quarter. A huge pile of glossies awaited me while I lounged on a huge leather sofa before my consultation. I almost fell asleep in the chair as a really sweet girl washed my hair and gave me a head massage... A-mazing! (her cappuccino skills weren't far behind).

I'd thought about getting a blunt fringe cut back in, but Sandra persuaded me to leave it a little longer. One cut, blowdry & gossip later, I left the salon a happy girl. The heavens opened immediately and I had to race back to the car through howling winds. Happens every time. (Please bear this in mind when you look at my pics, which of course I should have taken in the salon!)

New haircut, post rain & gales!

Swept over to the side a bit

Back view after I skimmed it with my daughter's Tangle Teezer brush!

FOTD
My make up isn't terribly clear in these pics but I'll share it anyway:

Clarins Skin Illusion foundation - Honey (see review below)

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage

Bobbi Brown blush - Powder Pink

Urban Decay eyeshadow used as liner - Gunmetal

Maybelline One by One mascara - Black

Chanel Rouge Coco lipstick - Magnolia

My haircut cost £45 and prices may vary according to stylist.

Something Old, Something New...

I'd like to share something old and something new - two of my current favourite products. First up was a present from a very dear friend and the make up item I've loved and used the most - ever!  


Something Old...


This Limited Edition Laura Mercier Colour Wardrobe has been around for quite a while, so you may be familiar with it already - 


The double palette contains eyeshadows, blushers and lipcolours in incredibly usable shades. I've probably used this almost every day over the past year and have only just 'hit pan' this week with my favourite blush shade.


This is how it looked when I first got it - all perfect and pristine! Sorry it's such a small pic but you can see the row of eyeshadows along the top, with 3 blushers below and a double ended eyeshadow brush. In the lower palette there are 6 lipcolours and 2 glosses, with a double ended lipbrush. Both layers have a mirror.

No doubt it's terribly poor blogger etiquette to show you pics of my much loved and used palette, but hey... 

The outside looks quite glamorous, like patent mock croc

Top layer - 6 eyeshadows: Chocolate, Sable, Twinkling Star, Stellar, Tiger's Eye and Baroque

& 3 blush: Spice, Apricot Blossom and Lotus

Lower layer - 6 lip stains: Mulberry, Hibiscus, Shy Pink, English Rose, Brick Red and Mocha 

& 2 lip glazes: Plum and Naked

Lip swatches (in same order they appear)

Eyeshadow swatches (in order)

Blush swatches

I hope you like this as much as I do - it's amazing for both everyday and evening looks and is available at House of Fraser for £50, which is pretty good value considering most of these items would start from at least £16 individually. 

Something New

My latest beauty purchase is the new Clarins Skin Illusion foundation, as recommended by the lovely Stine at Chic Beauty Blog. 


I'm a big fan of Laura Mercier foundations and had been using Creme Smooth all winter, but fancied something lighter for Spring/Summer. I haven't used Clarins foundations for years, but was really drawn to this one for its ease of application, pump bottle and natural coverage. It's also spf 10.


It has a very fine, light consistency which spreads really quickly and easily. At first it looks super light but seems to set to a lovely level of light to medium coverage, without looking at all heavy. It has a gorgeous light fragrance, which reminds me of a cross between roses and parma violets!


The coverage is also extremely buildable and lasts all day even without powder - something of a miracle in my experience!

I lovely the heavy weight glass bottle and how the product 

appears suspended in the glass at a slightly wonky angle! 

I'm a huge fan of pump bottles - so much more hygienic and best of all - quick!

One pump delivers the perfect amount for my whole face.

This is the product on my hand (not a full pump) - I have the shade Honey

Rubbed in a little

Fully blended - you can see how it covers some of the freckles on my hand 

(which I wasn't really aware of til I started photographing swatches!)

Skin Illusion is now available at Escentual for the reduced price of £19! Have you tried either of these products?  Which foundation (if any) will you be wearing this Summer?


Please leave me a comment - and if you would be so kind as to follow me it would totally make my day! Thanks for reading. x