Playing with Bright Lips

After playing around with my eyes last week, it was about time i got back into my lips too. I really do love bright lips, and i've gotten a lot braver with it and i really enjoy wearing them now. If i'm not wearing any eyeshadow, i feel like wearing some pretty lipstick can make a boring look a little more interesting. I'm also trying to up the quality of my blog, starting with the images so i hope that you can see that i'm working on the imagery!

Revlon Colourburst Lacquer Balm in Provocateur | These are my probably my newest, favourite lip products. Although i am tempted by their matte sister product, despite not being a huge matte fan, the glossier finishes are always my favourite. These have a slight minty scent and a kind of cooling on the lips, and also tingle too. What i love most is that they're super moisturising, and glide onto the lips which is further aided by the pencil style applicator. The pigmentation is amazing for a drugstore lip product, and although this lip colour is glossy it doesn't contain too much glitter, like some of the other colours, it does has a slight shimmer but that just seems to enhance the bright colour. Provocateur has been described as a cherry red shade, and is a bright red leaning towards the pink undertones. This is actually really far out of my comfort zone but during the Spring and Summer i do wear a lot of red, so i thought this would look really nice paired with a lot of the things that i wear.

Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Moisturising Lip Colour Balm in Grandest Grape | The Clinique Chubby Stick Intense is probably my most favourite of the chubby pencil lip products. They're super easy to apply and are also very moisturising. This particular colour, although in the bullet, looks quite dark and Wintery, on the lips it's actually a beautiful, light berry shade that i will wear all year round. It doesn't contain any glitter, or shimmer, and again although glossy it isn't too sticky or overly glossy, just a subtle shine.

Revlon Colourburst Lacquer Balm in Flirtatious | Another Lacquer Balm here, this time a pink shade. Flirtacious has been described as deeper, poppy toned pink and i don't particularly wear pinks all that often but this is a welcome change. I actually think it suits my skintone quite well and although bright, there's something about this that just makes it seem all the more wearable.

Seventeen Lip Crayon in Knockout | These are fairly new to me, and i came across them by chance when browsing in the Boots beauty section. The shade range isn't very big, as i think there's only about five colours in the collection and this is the one that stood out to me. It's quite similar to the Clinique Grandest Grape, but there's something about this that just makes it seem a bit brighter. Again, it's very moisturising and easy to apply but it is a little more glossy than some of the other lip products i'm showcasing. The pigmentation, although not the best, can be built up to produce this sort of shade or it can be worn as just a wash of colour too.

MAC Lipstick in Plumful | This has been on my list for so, so long and it's finely made it's way into my collection. Although this isn't the brightest, for me this was a step into the right direction. I love this shade as it's a beautiful, berry shade but it's more muted and is perfect for those days when you're not feeling quite as brave. The pigmentation is great and it is also buildable, so again it can be worn as a wash of colour or very opaque. Plumful is a Lustre, so it's not glittery and is semi-sheer. They're lightweight and have a balmy texture, with a glossy finish.

MAC Lipstick in Cockney | Another MAC Lustre lipstick here, Cockney is a bright real red shade. This was my first toe into the world of red lipsticks and i actually had a consultation with a MAC make up artist who, once knew all my skin details recommended this red for me. She told me it would suit my pale skin and undertones so i decided to go for it. When it arrived, i was a little unsure as in the bullet it seems full of gold glitter but when applied to the lips, it just looks like a beautiful bright red with some shimmer. This isn't quite as glossy as Plumful, but i think it works well with the glitter.

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in 19 Fuchsia in Rage | This might just be my favourite bright shade of all time. I just love that it's purple! It's definitely not as scary as it looks in the bullet, and it's quite wearable. The Rouge Volupte Shines are actually very glossy, and feel quite slippery in the bullet and when applying and on the lips, when first applied, feel very glossy and smooth but after a while it works into the lips and kind of sets. It has a lovely sheen and, although not super pigmented, they can be built up and do have a lovely colour.

What's your favourite bright lip colour?

K|xo

Goodbye Southampton

 Empty Shelves

 Primark Storage Bags

 Gisella Graham Red Floral Storage Bag

 Marc Jacobs Dot | Marc Jacobs Daisy | Hugo Boss Nuit Pour Femme | The Body Shop Satsuma Body Mist

Lists on lists on lists

So, i only have a few more weeks left of calling Southampton my temporary home, and that's what it always has been; temporary. I have very mixed emotions; it's sad that my experience in Southampton wasn't a nicer one, and i'm actually very glad to be leaving but it's been a great experience over the past three years and it'll always be the city i lived in on my own for the first time.

If i'd been choosing where to live on location rather than for education, i don't think i would have chosen Southampton. It does have a great city centre, and lots of beautiful green space but it really is a student city and that's not something i particularly like, as i'm not your average loves-to-go-out student. It's shopping centre, West Quay, does have a great range of shops and everything you'd need from John Lewis and Marks and Spencer, to The Body Shop, Gap, Fatface and Swatch. As it's such a big city, there are very few times when the centre isn't busy, except for very early in the morning, but even throughout the week is pretty busy and as for weekends, i don't even bother. The green space and beautiful waterfront are a bonus. They're not somewhere i would particularly like to be at night, as i have to say i don't feel all that safe here, but in daylight they're a really beautiful addition. Talking of feeling unsafe, the location of my flat is somewhere i think doesn't seem all that safe as we regularly have homeless people walking our street and it has been known for people to rummage in the bins. However, the flat itself has been a lovely place to live if not pretty expensive. Southampton seems to be fairly expensive to live and a lot of it's streets aren't the prettiest but as for where i've lived, the flat as kept me warm and dry, so that's the main thing.

I'm looking forward to the next chapter and packing up my room hasn't felt all that strange as it really doesn't feel like i've been in Southampton three years or this flat for two of those years. Probably since i got here i was thinking about the day i would be leaving and that day has almost arrived, and as i said i'm excited to see what comes next.

K|xo

Playing with MAC Neutrals

MAC Naked Lunch, All that Glitters, Mulch and Urban Decay Buck (from the Naked Palette)

After getting back into my make up and loving the look of Clinique's Lavish Lilac, i thought i'd take it a step further and do a simple not too smokey, smokey eye.

I feel like this is something that i could wear during the day when i want to feel a bit snazzy. I use the colours i bought for my MAC quad, and kept things light. Using Naked Lunch all over the lid is beautiful and i could have stopped there. It's a beautiful, shimmery sort of peachy, champagne colour and is super easy for a wash of colour. However, to jazz things up a bit i used All that Glitters in the corner to brighten the eyes, especially as it was early, and i used a little to blend my colours together too and brighten the centre of the eye. I bring some definition, i use UD's Buck in the crease just to define the eye and use something matte to cut through all the shimmer. Mulch works perfectly with these colours for the outer third, to smoke it out slightly but nothing overly dramatic and that's what i love about this look. It looks like a lot of effort, but it's actually very quick and doesn't take all that long and isn't as dramatic as a heavy smokey eye.

K|xo

Playing with Clinique Chubby Stick for Eyes in Lavish Lilac

Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes in Lavish Lilac

I don't know what it is, maybe it's that i'm putting so much creativity into everything else that my personality tends to lack but when i'm in Southampton i feel like all my creativity is sucked out. I can't be bothered with my hair, with my make up or my clothes a lot of the time. However, when i come home i so look forward to playing around with my make up again; trying new things and making an effort.

For Christmas i was lucky enough to receive a Boots voucher and with that i bought a few Clinique products, one being the Chubby Stick Shadow Tint in Lavish Lilac. I saw the lovely Essie Button talking about this what feels like forever ago, but it stuck in my mind all this time as it's really different to anything i own already. It's actually a beautiful grey/purple colour and is perfect for a wash of colour over the lids, or also as a base from something heavier. I love wearing this on it's own for just a little something day to day. I wash it all over and then concentrate a little more in the middle, to catch the light. It's perfect for me as it's just not too much, and is a lovely way to ease into applying eye products. It looks beautiful for something a bit more during the day with bare lips and lots of mascara or paired with my favourite purple lippy from YSL or something more nude.

K|xo

Laying it Bare: Working with my Skin

This will probably be the most honest blog post i ever write.

Since i can remember, i have never really been happy with my skin. I have sensitive, acne-prone, oily, combination skin. I have been plagued with breakouts and those pesky under-the-skin blemishes for a long, long time. Now, i probably have a day at a time where i think, "my skin's not looking bad today". I tend to go from one bad blemish to the next. I am on some tablets prescribed from the doctor but i don't really feel they're doing anything, and i will be going back for further consultations.

I thought today, i would share with you my skin and how i handle it, because your skin is important and it's one of those things you can't really get away from.

As i said, my skin is oily/combination and i've come to learn that it's fairly sensitive, and acne-prone. I've used many things over the years that has made my skin a lot worse. I had to find out the hard way that i'm actually allergic to Benzyl Peroxide, as i was prescribed something containing said product from the doctor and it actually burnt my skin. If you look closely around my mouth, you can see the line where my skin was burnt and were i didn't put the cream. My skin is actually a lot redder now, thanks to the burn from that cream. I also can't use a lot of products that some bloggers love, such as the La Roche Posey Effaclar Duo as again it burns my skin. I have now got some new cream from the doctor that does help to clear up bad bouts of skin, but it does dry my skin out and i have to moisturise heavily afterwards. My under-eyes, thanks to my sensitivity, can get sore from time to time and i have to use some moisturising eye cream to help combat that. My most troublesome spots are my cheeks and more recently around my mouth.

CHEEKS

You can see from these images the three types of spots that i suffer from, at the top you can see the red ones that often scar, in the middle you may notice that all over my skin i have tiny, little bumps on my skin and at the bottom is a red, under the skin spot. If you run your hands over my skin, you can feel lots of little bumps all over. I have no idea why, or what they are but that's something i really hate about my skin. It never feels completely smooth, even if i have no terrible blemishes. They don't come to a head, nothing happens - they're just always there. The under the skin ones are probably the worst, they don't really come to a head but they're really, really sore. Even if i don't touch them i can always feel them. I tend to get bad skin on one cheek worse than the other skin too, which is i suppose better than having awful skin on both. I find that by not overloading my skin with make up is better for it too. I don't actually use foundation, i just use concealer all over instead but honestly, i find it really hard to cover a lot of my bad skin and just have to deal with it.

I try to use a lot of tea tree products on my cheeks, i find that it's fairly soothing as may tea tree products also have ingredients such as aloe, and it's not super harsh on my sensitive skin. It does sometimes take longer to see results, but it brings them on without drying out my skin or making it any more sore.

CHIN & MOUTH

Getting bad skin around my mouth is more of a new thing for me, i keep getting bumps, white heads and under the skin nasties in the corners of my mouth and also on the sides of chin. I think these ones always look extra nasty, especially as recently i've gotten into wearing bright lips and that just draws attention.

I try to stick to tea tree here too, the skin is very sensitive in this area but the cream prescribed from the doctor is use very frequently on the sides of my chin as there's usually larger surface area break outs rather than one spot.

FOREHEAD

My forehead is my least troublesome area. The skin hear is not as sensitive as the rest of my face, and although i also have a lot of the little bumps here i don't have as many break outs here and i don't really get the under the skin kind here either.

I don't tend to use any other spot saving products here, other than when i do my skincare routine. I use go between using a Superdrug Tea Tree Facial Wash and the Good Things Stay Clear Cleanser, as well as the St. Ives Blemish Fighting Apricot Scrub a few times a week, or when i feel i need it, and the Boots Skin Clear Treatment Wash. I try not to overload my skin with too much, as i just don't think it helps. I don't really use face masks too often either, as a lot of the time i feel they dry out my skin further and then i end up with more problems.

I hope you appreciate my honesty here! I just feel like sometimes it's nice to show others that they're not on their own, and i really struggle with my skin too. I would love your advice on how to deal with troublesome skin too!

K|xo

The Topshop Mambos

Topshop Mambo Lace-Up Chunky Boots in Black

So, i missed out on the Allegras and the Ambush, but this time i found the perfect Topshop boot for me.

My problem is that because i'm tall, i do have bigger feet - i'm about a 7 and a half - but they're ridiculously skinny too. I have such a problem with finding shoes and boots to fit. When i'm buying flats, they have to have a strap, or a T-bar, or laces, or an ankle strap and boots almost always have to lace up, occasionally i can rock a zip but i certainly can't wear a slip on, oh no. My poor, little feet just can't keep 'em on. 

I've really been wanting some chunky, heeled boots for a while now and i've been scouring the High Street for the perfect pair. I found a pair in New Look that i was very close to buying, but there was just something about them that put me off. They were very stiff material, with a really hard heel which isn't my favourite kind - i'm all about the comfort. So, when i spied the Topshop Mambos on the website i just knew they were the ones for me. They looks soft, and comfortable, AND they had laces. I love that the sole is chunky, and has great grip on the bottom, and rather than being really hard heels they're more like a rubber material. 

They are insanely comfortable and thanks to the platform on the front, the heel isn't quite as high but they're not actually all too high in the first place. They're perfect for everyday or for something a little more casual for the evening. I love pairing them with jeans, leggings and i love the way they make dresses and skirts a little more edgy. I love wearing dresses and skirts when the weather is nicer, but i'm not the most girliest of girls so having some shoes to toughen up some of my more girlier pieces is a lovely addition. Although they're black, i actually wear black shoes all year round and these could definitely be worn with cute, bright frilly socks and bare legs or with tights too. They're so versatile, and i'm looking forward to getting creative with them in the coming season.

K|xo

#StudentLife: Working from Home

As i'm coming to the end of my life as a working-at-home student, i thought i'd just share with you some snaps i've taken over the past month. I've really gotten back into taking photographs, and i've found myself snapping away here and there recently. I love going out and photographing beautiful sunsets, and nature, and people but taking pictures of the mundane, everyday is also quite interesting. So, here are some images that sum up my working at home life.

 Chicken, Bacon, Feta & Pepper Pasta

Spreading Out

 Copious cups of tea by 11:30am

 Printing on printing on printing

 Taking a break, watching Pretty Little Liars during Lunch

Watching me some Youtube all-day err-day, here is some Essiebutton

K|xo