Look Of The Week - Clubbing

I had a great time out clubbing with my best friend yesterday and I really loved my outfit/look!

(Classy haha!)

So, am a girl therefore as always I do get insecurities. On nights out as much as I try to look my best, there's probably one or two things I can fault. Not last night though. I don't want to sound all up myself or anything but I think I looked bloody hot last night! I was really really happy with my look.

The dress looks like it would be from Lipsy or something, I actually bought it for like £2.50 on my work experience at More! Magazine when they were selling all clothes, hair and beauty stuff for really cheap. So the dress was a real bargain! My work experience was back in April and I haven't had the chance to wear the dress yet (how sad is that) so I was soo happy to get to wear it! Also, I had to wear a strapless bra with it but because it was kind of a halter neck design I didn't even have to spend the whole night pulling it up.

I didn't want my makeup too over the top so I just tried to do a smokey eyed look and just smudged it a bit to give it a bit of an edge, and I wore fake eyelashes too. However the ones I wore are quite natural looking, if anything they just give your eyelashes that extra oomph! I love the lipstick I'm wearing, it's a really bright girly pink shade and I absolutely adore it. I tend to wear it on a day to day basis too but normally I tone it down with a more neutral shade on top as it can be a bit too bright on its own for in the day. However I just wore it as it was last night.

And my hair I just straightened then back combed it a bit to give it a bit of volume. I did want to curl it but didn't have time. I was stuck on what to do with my fringe as well as normally I pin it back but I didn't really have any clips or slides that would be okay for a night out so I just left it as it was.

The shoes I wore, I got these from a charity shop/shop that specializes in vintage clothing. I kind of regret wearing these shoes because I'm not sure what it was, but once I was drunk I couldn't walk at all. I know that sounds pretty self explanatory but even though I was pretty drunk (the most I've been in a while) I was struggling to walk and was tripping up all over the place! Yet when I took them off I was fine...so it was either the shoes, the drink or a mixture of them both. I was a bit gutted coz I only got to dance for a bit, in the end I took them off and just walked around barefoot (yes you think I'd learn from the time I got my foot cut open by glass WHILST wearing shoes). I didn't put them back on in the end haha! 

I also saw one of my ex's! I've got to hand it to him though, I always bump into him at the start of the night when I'm still looking good. I don't even know why he was there as I saw on Facebook that he was going to a grimy rock club at the other side of town but I can't say I wasn't happy, I haven't seen him in months and I looked bloody good. Mwah ha ha. Except about half an hour after I saw him the drink shot to my head and thats when I began falling over constantly, which I hope he didn't see but he probably did knowing my luck.

All in all I was really pleased with my look last night and reckon I looked pretty damn hot!

Outfit :

Dress : Unknown

Shoes : Unknown

Make Up :

Foundation : Colour Supplement in Light Yellow from LUSH and L'oreal Paris infallible brush in 015 Porcelain shade

Cover Up : Beige shade Hello Flawless by Benefit

Eyeshadow : Number 66 Dazzle Dust by Barry M, and pewter base eyeshadow from Benefit's Smokin Eyes palette 

Eyeliner : Bad Girl by Benefit

Mascara :  Bad Gal Lash by Benefit

Blusher : Thrrrob by Benefit and special edition Rose De Jaspe Boujois Paris blusher

Lipstick : Beautyuk Lipstick in Candy shade

Accessories :

Earrings : Primark

Rings : Unknown

Fake Eyelashes : Perfect 10 Instant Lashes

All I want for Christmas is…mince pies, snow balls and a Christmas movie marathon!

With Home Alone 1 & 2 on TV (the perfect solution to my hangover, snuggled up on the sofa with the quilt giggling at the movies), I decided to blog my all time top 10 favourite Christmas movies (in no particular order!). I don't care that it's early, we've not exactly had much of a summer and its less then 4 months until Christmas anyway! So, get your mince pies (and your mini sausage rolls for that matter – you can never go wrong with party sausage rolls!), your snowballs (the drink, clearly) and get comfy in front of the fire with these awesomely festive Christmas movies.

10. Love Actually


A film that deals with Christmas from various different points of view and in a selection of different situations. These include an ageing rockstar hoping to make a comeback with help from his manager, a best man falling for the groom’s bride and two somewhat shy people who meet as stand ins for movie sex scenes. So really, there’s something for everyone and there’s no excuse not to watch this film – you can watch it with your mum or dad, a friend, a sibling, a partner or even your pet!

9. The Holiday


Now, this one is terribly romantic but its worth a watch even just to imagine a lovely Christmas cooped away in a cozy cottage with snow all around. It’s funny and it has some of Hollywood’s biggest names staring such as Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jack Black and Jude Law. Not one of Jack Black’s usual roles but he’s also very funny in it, so that may tempt your boy to give it a watch too!

8. Jingle All The Way


One of my favourites as a kid, and what is known to be one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s (can’t believe I spelt that right – thank you Wikipedia!) worst career choices, this film is filled with family fun and will always be a favourite to me. It’s just outright funny and silly and revolves around Arnold’s character Howard generally being a less then great Dad and having to rush around on Christmas eve to get his son ‘the’ present of the year (having been asked ages ago by his wife but of course forgetting). It offers plenty of laughs and fun fact – according to Wikipedia it is the last comedy movie that Arnold (I’m not typing his surname again!) starred in – which quite frankly, doesn’t surprise me, but I still thought he was funny in it!

7. The Long Kiss Goodnight


Oh dear. I don’t think many people will agree with me. Despite not having seen it in years (but still loving it) I swear it has something to do with Christmas – maybe because the first couple of scenes are set at Christmas or at least there’s snow in the film? Nonetheless, associated with Christmas or not, its still one of my favourites. It features Geena Davies as a bad-ass mum after rediscovering her past, and she teams up with Samuel L – I have had it with these motherf**cking snakes, on this motherf**cking plane!- Jackson in a bid to rescue her daughter from some kidnappers she once worked with or something. It’s a good action thriller. And I’ve just remembered it reminds me of Christmas because of a car crash involving a reindeer..oh dear. Best leave this one to watch with your parents or your other half (brownie points), and no kids.

6. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past


This is very much a romcom, again loosely based around ‘A Christmas Carol’ starring eye candy Matthew McConaughey and the lovely Jennifer Garner. It’s your typical romcom of course – funny, romantic and lots of pretty people and features a Christmas wedding with lots of pretty decorations and snow. Boys, watch this with your girlfriends for lots of brownie points because Matthew McConaughey’s character is a bit of a player so there’s something for you guys too!

5. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation


Just..hilarious! Chevvy Chase really makes this film (and the other National Lampoons which I’d suggest watching too) with his side splitting mishaps featuring his odd family. Definitely one to watch when your family are driving you nuts – siblings fighting, grandparents farting/burping/asking when will it be ‘your turn next’ etc – it’ll make you appreciate that they aren’t half as bad as the Griswolds!

4. Scrooged


This is a kind of a darker (but hilarious) version of ‘A Christmas Carol’ with Bill Murray. It’s the same story line modernized and is really funny, with a bit of romance too. On top of that, it has some great one liners.

3. The Nightmare Before Christmas


The animated success from Tim Burton, which has since become somewhat of a classic in modern culture, is also a bit dark. It centers around Jack Skellington, the ‘Pumpkin King’ of Halloween town, discovering Christmas and trying to re-create it for Halloween town, without really understanding the true meaning.

2. Home Alone (and number 2, but not number 3 and 4 with the other kid)


Do I really have to explain this one?

1. It’s A Wonderful Life


Another one to thank my parents for (the other being The Long Kiss Goodnight) is this lovely gem. It’s a classic for everyone really, and I used to watch it with my Dad a lot when I was younger, but only truly declared my love for it when I realised last Christmas I hadn’t seen it in years and insisted on watching it. I think you all know the story line –  family man George Bailey wanting to commit suicide on Christmas eve (if you haven’t seen it, its not as grim as it sounds, honest, read on!) until his guardian angel intervenes and shows him all the life’s George has touched and the differences he has made. I dare you to watch the whole thing without shedding a tear – its impossible. And this film is the basis for the famous lasso moon quote – “What do you want, Mary? Do you want the moon? If you want it, I’ll throw a lasso around it and pull it down for you. Hey! That’s a pretty good idea! I’ll give you the moon, Mary.”

The real ins and outs of planning a wedding ; Flowers

By our guest blogger Laura Lowe

They cost a fortune. They make you feel uncomfortable even though they look beautiful. They’re a must have for any occasion... no, I’m not talking about shoes, I’m talking about flowers.

Until you need flowers for an important occasion, you don’t realise what a huge business it is. There are a number of these prescribed occasions where flowers are not only a necessity, but expected: births, deaths, your great aunty Etna’s birthday and weddings.

There is a whole different world of flower lore – with meanings and a history of its own. With a single cut flower, you can give someone a message; by eating the leaves of a flower, you can ease the pain of childbirth. It seems befitting, therefore, that brides give such huge consideration to their flower choice at the wedding. So how does someone like myself go about choosing which flowers to have?

The wedding fayres have albums of the most beautiful bouquets and arrangements, corsages and buttonholes. The florists are so knowledgeable and helpful, you want to sound equally as knowledgeable as you nod along to their explanations of the ‘Muff Bouquet’ (no, don’t be crass, it’s apparently perfect for the winter wedding!) or the ‘Kissing Ball’ which seems apt.

So, I started looking into this whole ‘bouquets for weddings’ stuff – did you know that chrysanthemums are associated with funerals in Malta? That you can use a tulip bulb as a substitute for an onion? Neither of these seem like the ideal wedding flower! I always imagined having roses, until I saw that the rose family also includes apples, peaches and plums. Why would I want a flower with a plum as a relative at my wedding? After further research I came across a disturbing fact that put me off my quest altogether: did you know that one flower, the ‘titan arum’, smells like rotting flesh?!

I have spent a long time considering my flower arrangements for the wedding, so I hope you’ll forgive me readers, for not coming to a definitive conclusion this week. If you have any advice, please, contact me asap!

The real ins and outs of planning a wedding by the future Mrs Burke

Pictures From The Present ; Snapshots of how I've spent this week

Week of 22nd - 28th August 2011
(Note, I'm posting this a tad late as I've had a busy weekend!)

Blink 182 - Always

I used to love drawing and I found this picture I drew from an image I found on the internet which was taken from/based on one of my favourite songs/music videos. I've never been amazingly good at drawing but I've always been quite proud of this.

 

Pete Wentz ;)

I also found this, an 'academic year diary' we had to use in college...we had to decorate it too and I of course stuck a photo of Pete Wentz topless on the front. I used this diary for the most random crap too, not just academic stuff, I'd write in dates I was going on and the lot.

The Old Watermill

I love this place, its an old stored watermill thing but its set out like a little village filled with different quirky shops, its so pretty and it looks amazing at Christmas. They do it all up with snow and a grotto and everything!

 

Rainbow :)

Its pretty!

Rock Amigos

This is me and my bestie last night before a night out. I rarely ever see her but we always have a laugh when we catch up, it was a really good night! The only down side was that I was completely out of it, I couldn't walk! I'm convinced it was the shoes though as I was wobbling all over the place, when I took them off I was fine! I also bumped into my first ex boyfriend, I was fine with that as I looked pretty good (even if I do say so myself) at the start of the night when I spoke to him. However by an hour later I was falling over and everything, I hope he didn't see me in my drunken state!

I've had a nice week, it's meant to be on the down low but I suppose I can say my love life is looking up! Work has been dragging, the early mornings are killing me :( I stayed around my sisters on Saturday night and it was a fun night. We went out for Nando's with her boyfriend then came home and watched what turned out to be a French film which she didn't know at the time of ordering. But it was really good actually, albeit odd! 

What's In Your Bag - Rachel Crawford

Our 'What's In Your Bag' guest blogger this week is Rachel Crawford from Life Of A Sweetaholic!

This is my gorgeous Accessorize bag that my lovely boyfriend got me for Christmas, it was filled with bags of Flumps which are my favourite sweeties. I take this bag with me everywhere, as the colour is so versatile and neutral colours are my 'thing' so to speak. So now I have introduced you all to my bag, lets have a look at what's inside my bag...

Like every girl I always without a doubt carry my purse with me, I usually have some cash and of course the loved and battered debit card along with all of my other cards such as NUS, Boots, Tesco and yeah you get the picture. I brought this purse from Spoiled Brat as I had a £25 voucher to spend with them and as soon as I saw this I fell in love with it and knew I had to have it. Bambi was my favourite movie as a child and I still love it to this day :)

Criss-cross, More! magazine, pens and a packet of strawberry chocolate drops, these keep me going during a break at work or when I am on the bus into town. I have read More! magazine ever since I can remember and buy it every week, it is always in my handbag for a quick read and pick me up. I am quite sad when it comes to puzzles, I love a good old criss-cross challenge I am probably not that good at doing them without a little help to start with but once I get going I cannot stop.

The Body Shop Lip Butter - in Pink Grapefruit I am a huge fan of anything that has this scent so when I saw this in the shop I had to have it, it really does keep my lips so soft and has a slight hint of colour too which is always a bonus. My compact mirror was brought for me at Christmas from Liam's parents, they sure do know me so well as I love anyhting sparkly and leopard print effect, a compact mirror is a must in any girls bag. A handy packet of tissues, well just because you never know where might not have any toilet paper.

Random Question : Do you have any secret embarrassing celeb crushes?
Richard Hammond - Because he is just so small and cute and the power he has with cars ;)
Michael McIntyre - Mainly because he is funny and I love a person who can make me laugh
Phillip Scofield - WOW, No idea why and oh my goodness this has to be the hang my head in shame right now moment
Shane Richie - Mainly because of his cheeky character Alfie Moon in Eastenders, in fact it is probably Alfie Moon that I like the most!

Thank you to Louise for letting me do a Guest Blog spot on her blog and I hope you have all enjoyed reading and having a snoop into my bag.

Lots of love Rachel

Life of a Sweetaholic

XxX

Don't forget to check out Rachel's blog!

http://sweet--rachel.blogspot.com

(I am looking for contributors for this weekly feature so if you are interested please send me an email on Louise.Joy@hotmail.com outlining a post similar to the one above!)

(Note - much like Laura's guest blog, this will feature every other week. Laura was unable to submit her guest post this week as she was on holiday! So one week Laura's post will feature, the following a 'What's in Your Bag' guest post, then vice versa!)

Be Inspired

http://inspire-mag.tumblr.com

The Gel Liner Wars... MAC vs Inglot vs Maybelline... The culmination...

I am today finally ready to give my verdict on the Gel Liner wars and well it's been a tough week deciding on which was better and which could ve been better. You see what made it all the more difficult was the fact that I heart all three of them and well a mommy cannot really choose a fav out of her babies now can she? Ok weird analogy! Its the marriage thing... It's gotten into me and has been making me say all these crazy stuff and give all such lopsided analogies! LOL! I'll get over it soon I promise :P

Ok so coming back to what I was saying, I was saying all three products featured in this post are just simply awesome and well it would be totally unfair to pick out a winner out of them three... So I have decided to dedicate one section to each of the liners and then you guys pick yourself a winner according to your requirements and my experience with each one of them! Phew! You'll soon realize it's a tough job! :D

So here we go...


MAYBELLINE LASTING DRAMA EYE STUDIO GEL LINER (Black)

I have already done a review on this here.
ooohs and aaahhhs

1. Jet Black and I mean really jet black. FULL STOP

2. It is smudge proof after you've allowed it to set for like 2 seconds!

3. It does NOT dry in the tub like a lot of others that I know of :P

4. It comes with an applicator brush, which is GREAT! The brush is super soft and yet firm and is a dream to apply with.

5. It costs only INR 375/- and wow it goes on for like forever... I am a girl who needs her kajal and liner everyday, come what may and for me one tub goes on for like 5-6 months! Its actually magical!

6. It's great cause it doesn't cause any allergies or reactions. It does not burn my eyes and I apply it all over my eyes. LOL.. I mean the waterline, the tightline, lashline and you get the drift! :P

7. It id odorless!

ouches!

1. It fades just a little bit by the end of the day and accumulates at the outer corners of my eyes.

2. The glass tub it comes in is real cute but has a very cheap feeling aluminium cap

3. In India, only one shade i.e. black has been introduced.

INGLOT AMC LINER MATTE (83)

I had heard a lot about INGLOT Gel liners and I was itching to try one. And since I was more than satisfied with my Maybelline Black Gel Liner, I got myself a blue in Inglot. The shade that I own is a true Indigo Blue and looks like a really pretty shade in the pot it comes in. But on the eyes, it looks like a shade darker not that I am complaining ;)
ooohs and aaahhhs

1. Has a great range of shades and it gets really difficult to choose...

2. It dries real fast and so if u want to try out stuff like smudging and all then you have to be really QUICK!

3. It remains dry through out the day and does not fade or smudge!

4. Its ultra waterproof!

5. It does not get accumulated at the outer corners of my eyes and I s love it for that! :D <3 <3

6. Its great as a kajal as well as a liner on the upper lashline :)

7. You get a lot in the pot about 6.5 gms and costs a mere INR 650/-

ouches!

1. It dries up and when i say dries up, I mean dries up in the pot. They say you get an Inglot Duraline for "undrying" the gel. I haven't really needed it so far!

2. Like I said in my ooohs and aaahs section, it dries up fast but sometimes at the end of the day it feels tight on my waterline because of the dried liner and it does get itchy occassionally :(

3. It comes in a cute looking container but its all plastic and feels all tacky :( I mean after all Maybelline and MAC ones come in glass tubs and they really give an expensive feel to the product.

4. It's shades do not have names but only numbers and somehow I am not really a fan of that!

MAC FLUIDLINE (Macroviolet)

MAC doesn't really need any introductions and well it doesn't really need any reviews either but then I am still going ahead and listing out my experiences with it :)ooohs and aaahhhs

1. The shade is gorgeous!

2. It sets fast and can then not be budged at all. It stays on like forever!

3. It feels like "you're wearing nothing at all"... Nope not acuvue but the MAC fluidline :P

4. No reactions and no irritation at all! But then what else did you expect?

5. Is really smooth to apply and just simply glides on.

6. It Does NOT dry up in the pot :)

7. The pot it comes in is of heavy glass and feels really nice, sturdy and classy :)

ouches!

1. It's expensive! A really tiny pot of 3gms set me back by INR 950/-

2. This shade doesn't really show up on my waterline but then in all fairness I am comparing it to Maybelline's black liner! I'll need to get myself blacktrack from MAC to give u fair comparison of the color pay-off :)

So here it is and just for the record I think this has been my longest post so far ;)

Guys lemme know which one you think should be crowned the winner :D

Blog Award!

Aww I got my first ever blog award this week - I'm absolutely chuffed! So I'd like to give a massive thank you to Abbie from DaisyDoDoes for this! So go and check out her blog now (just click on the blog name!)

The rules for receiving this award are to link back to who awarded you (as done above), to answer some questions and to finally award this award (haha) to other blogs you think deserve this!

Your favourite colour- Red :)

Favourite song at the moment- It has to be Cobra Starship - Fool Like Me (although I am also loving 'Hot Mess' by them!). I've liked this band for years and I have a total crush on the lead singer, I've even met him ;) Check out the song here! 

Your favourite dessert- Profiteroles without a doubt 

What is pissing you off- Just how tired I am from work

When you're upset you- Sulk for a bit and put on some music to make me feel better

Your favourite pet- Jasper

Black or White- White

Biggest fear- I don't know, probably dying alone!

Best feature- My hair or my eyes. Or my legs

Everyday attitude- I try to think positively, usually I'm quite ambitious or try to think in an ambitious sense too, if I'm at work and the day is dragging I just think of driving lessons/my own flat/holidays aka what the money can go towards

What is perfection- Perfection isn't a list of things, it's what's perfect to you, for example, nobody is perfect but if you can accept them for who they are, flaws and all, then they are perfect for you/your perfect/your idea of perfection.

Guilty pleasure- La Senza

And I award this blog award to the following amazing blogs, as I enjoy reading them on a regular basis and think they deserve an award :)

http://colormekatie.blogspot.com

http://littleloveliesbyallison.blogspot.com

http://clothesmaiden.blogspot.com

http://livetodanceanotherday.blogspot.com

http://prettymaking.blogspot.com

http://victorias-vintage.blogspot.com
http://saltygirl2011.wordpress.com

I've tried to use a wide range of different blogs and a lot of people I would have liked to of tagged have already received this award so if I miss anyone out, sorry!

Makeup Breakup: An Intro...

Woohooo everyone :) I am coming up with a new section in my blog called Makeup Breakup... Ha haha hahaha.. How awesome does that sound? :P So anyways, as is obvious from the name it will be featured every Wednesday where we will dissect and discuss celebrity make-up... Yup I know, this isn't really original but then seriously people you cannot deny that it is FUN!!! :D

Our celebrity list would include any well/less known celebs, much talked about socialites and well anyone who has had the misfortune good fortune to be in the media glare. Yes! It could include 60 seconds of fame "celebs" too (no discrimination here!)

And yes lastly, its not only these stars we'll feature here, but its open to all of you all too :) If you think you've done this great look for say a wedding or for a night out or for office, you can send in your pics with your make breakup to my email id "isimplylovemakeup@gmail.com" and I will definitely put you guys here :) Oh it'll be fun!! *rubbing hands gleefully* :D

Let me know if you guys like this idea :)

50% off at Models Own

For anyone who is not aware, to coincide with gaining 50,000 likes/fans on Facebook, Models Own has issued a 50% discount code available to use on any of their products!

To use, make sure your total (before check out) is at least £20 and then upon check out enter the code FIFTYFIFTY. Bear in mind though, however, with many people trying to use the discount code the website is crashing and people are having problems completing their orders. The code is valid for one week so don't feel you have to use it right away!

REVIEW & LOTD: MAC Amplified Creme Lipstick in Cosmo

Cosmopolitan (Cosmo in short) has always been a favorite of mine... the cocktail? yes! the magazine? oh yes! the MAC lippy? Well lets see :P Oh yes this post is dedicated to reviewing the ever-popular MAC Cosmo, which is an Amplified Creme lipstick and has a cult following in India especially in the blogging world :) Well yes the obsession is because it is a yummy brown-pink that suits most skintones!

So when I came across all this hullabaloo about this lippy, the curiosity got the better of me and I went ahead and bought it :) While purchasing it, the SA actually beamed at me as if to say "good choice girlie! better late than never"... hahahaha... But you know what the funny thing is? Cosmo never caught my eye whenever I went to buy MAC lipsticks earlier. I noticed it just because it was so raved about on the blogosphere... If I hadn't ever read about it then most probably I would have never bought it... But then that's just me :P

I am not saying that it is a bad lipstick, it is actually a very good one and very flattering to a lot of skin tones, its creamy, it smells yum and above all it is MAC but what I am trying to say is that it isn't a show stopper. It is a perfect pinkish-nude for medium skin tones... very subtle and subdued... I personally rarely use it cause I tend to tan easily and when tanned, it ends up looking really pale on me... Plus I have a tough time deciding my eye make-up that pairs well with Cosmo... But if you are on the fairer side, then you surely got yourself a HG lipstick. It is HG material no doubting it :)

The quality of this range of lipsticks (amplified creme) is just sooooo smooth. It feels so light and so buttery on my lips.... And the signature choco-vanilla flavor of all MAC lippies is just so tempting :)

Image of the Product

The Ever Popular MAC Cosmo

It's an Amplified Creme! Yay!

Pinkish-Brown!

Swatch

LOTD

This is how it looks on my lips.

Ooohhss and Aahhhss!

1. Very versatile color and it suits a range of skin-tones.

2. Amplified creme lipsticks feel very buttery and smooth on the lips. They are very comfortable to wear.

3. It's an opaque shade and hence gives good coverage.

4. The lipstick has a choco-vanilla flavor, which is signature to MAC lippies

Ouches!

1. The shade makes me look a tad pale/washed out

2. It's expensive!

3. It doesn't stay on me for long :( max 2-3 hours without eating or drinking!

Price

The cost ranges between 900/- to 990/-

Repurchase?

Yes to other shades from this range :)

Would I recommend it?

Honestly? Well it's a nice shade to have and if you are on the fairer side or like neutral shades then purchase it blindly :P But if you prefer brighter shades or are on the duskier side then I would recommend you to first try it on your lips and then decide to purchase or not!

Overall Rating

8.5/10

If it reminds you of Maybelline Colorsensational in Warm Me Up, then let me tell you that if you mix a bit of Pink into Warm Me Up then you do get MAC Cosmo :)