GUEST REVIEW: Seventeen Doll'd Up 3-way Liquid Eyeliner

Seventeen Doll'd Up 3-way liquid eyeliner looks intimidating at first glance. At least to me. I do not wear make up on a regular basis and eyeliner feels somewhat alien to me (I still manage to be goth sans dark and smokey eyeliner ;P).

The lovely Lina-Elvira gifted me this wonderful eyeliner a while back and I really really like it! It's easy to apply for a noob like me and it stays on and does not smear at all. Unlike regular eyeliner, this one stays pitch black all day long and does not fade one bit. But once you do want it to come off, it's not hard to wash off with a good eye make up remover.

Since this little liquid awesomeness came into my life I have put on make up more often than ever before. I'd say that is a pretty high grade for an eyeliner if you ask me...

Yours gothfully,
Zeke the Evil Beech

NOTD: OPI Matte "La Paz-itively Hot" with glitter gradient

I fancied something really bling tonight, and was inspired by a link my Mum sent me the other day with a reverse glitter gradient. Today was the first time I have had issues with applying this OPI Matte colour. It separated in some places to make it look a bit like a shatter polish? Anyone else had this issue? Or is it a reaction to my Bourjois gel effect base coat?.. I used Claires "Chunky Silver" and Isadora "Sparkling Ice" to layer up the glitter gradient. This manicure is in fact so bling it refuses to photograph so I did a little video instead to show off the glitteriness. I will try and get a daylight shot tomorrow!

As promised here is a daylight shot of this manicure taken at my desk this morning...

NOTD: Barry M Matte "Crush"

I had been cruising the shelves of Superdrug for the Barry M mattes and the crystal top glaze since yesterday with no luck but this evening one of the Superdrugs had finally plonked them on the shelves! :) I wanted this red one from swatches I'd seen but when I saw the nude one called 'Vanilla' I also now want that one! I love the dried blood look of this polish :D

I struggled a bit with the formula on this one, it's a strange combo of thickly pigmented polish and runny mess :O I also dragged a bit on my index finger and messed up the layer underneath so it's really obvious in the photo. A steady hand and just the right amount of polish on the brush is essential for a smooth application. I am also finding it dries quite slowly to a dent-proof finish so expect to sit around watching TV for a while (I was watching 'Supergiant Animals' with Steve Backshall so I was good to wait for an hour!).

I have 2 layers here over my Bourjois Gel effect base coat. I also saw that one of my Superdrugs have had a complete refit and now also stock a massive Nicole by OPI display!! WOOHOOO!! :D I am starting to save now (RRP is £7.99) for some nice stocking fillers for, ehm, my own stocking...

Speaking of Xmas, Boots are now stocking some Xmas gift sets including the new Soap & Glory massive one. Suppose it's less than 90 days til Xmas...

'The Yule Monty' is £60 but I've not seen what's supposedly in it this year.
I hope Boots do their 1/2 price on this one as usual :)

OPI "Jade Is The New Black" with Nail Art

I decided I wanted to do something green but was keen to try the RockIt's Jewels set. So I did OPI "Jade Is The New Black" and put on some MUA Nail Constellation in "Pisces" and a green jewel :) I love it, but the jewel kept falling off and I couldn't find any nail glue. So I picked the jewel off and put some Nail Constellation there instead! I did 2 coats of the OPI. I think if I am to try the nail jewel again I am going to have to find that nail glue!

NOTD: Nail Rockits Studs and OPI DS "Extravagance"

I've had a migraine for a while now and not felt great so I've not done my nails. Still feeling a bit downtrodden and rubbish at lunchtime so headed to Boots to get some more painkillers and some soothing essential oils. I then aimlessly wandered into the beauty section and immediately scored these two awesome Nail Rockits sets, £7.50 for both (clearance price £5 and Buy 1 get 2nd Half Price). What better way to spend some Boots Advantage Card points?! I've had my eye on these for a while but I was always too cheap to pay the £10 RRP...

I had all these ideas in the afternoon of what I would do and ended up with this design after a bit of messing around (including getting pink flocking powder on the cat)... I will definitely try the flocking powder with the next set, the crystals. I am sooooo into these studs - they just pop! And they don't discolour or dull when you seal them with top coat like some cheaper versions do.

This is 2 coats of OPI Designer Series "Extravagance" (purple) with 2 coats of Rimmel LycraPRO "Urban Princess" (pink) and a stripe of 2 coats of "Extravagance" to set the studs on.

Rock(its) on!! :)

GUEST POST: Konjac Sponge Review by Zeke the Evil Beech

I have been using the Konjac Sponge with bamboo charcoal (the black sponge) daily for a month now. I really like it! It has helped me keep my breakouts to a minimum and it has also cleaned out the pores on my nose. Yay!

I have combination skin and the sponge leaves my skin feeling fresh and smooth, but I am not sure if it would have the same effect if you have very oily skin.

The sponge is perfect for a quick and fresh morning wash. It's great for the evening wash too, but not if you are wearing make up. It is not very good at removing make up, so I would recommend using a make up remover or regular cleanser for that.

One perk of using the sponge is that you do not need to towel dry after using it. It doesn't leave your face dripping with water, so you can let it air dry within minutes.

I have become an avid sponge user! I attached a couple of photos of what the sponge looks like after 1 month of use - pretty much the same as when I got it.

Dry sponge

Wet sponge

NOTDs lately

I've been a bit crap on updating but I've been really busy.. I had a day off today so I decided to clear out my wardrobe... Big mistake. Felt like it took all damn day! Too much work for a day off.

 

First this week I wore Sinful Colors "Sugar Sugar", a sparkly red with almost flecks of gold?.. I loved it :) It' stayed on all week! This is 2 coats with Megashine. I had a bit of wonky brush on this, so it was quite messy. I am struggling with lighting just now for my photos, so this is actually the day after application in indirect sunlight.

Tonight I was deciding between two polishes but decided finally on this old classic - Misa "Toxic Seduction". This is 2 coats and Megashine. I hate how this never looks right in photos :( I will try get better photos tomorrow. It just looks murky, and doesn't show the green glow it has in real life. Please excuse the horrendous state of my cuticles, my hands are mega-dry just now for some reason.

I have got a few samples to try lately - Clinique Laser Focus serum (free with this month's Marie Claire!) which I have been using for about a week. I like it, texture is nice and it's not been giving me spots. But it hasn't done anything radical to improve my skin tone or texture either. Oh well. I will continue to use until it's finished to see if anything happens. And  then this one, Olay Regenerist Wrinkle Relaxing Complex. I used to love the Olay Regenerist 3 Point Treatment Cream, so I am wondering if I will like this too?...