Mimi's Makeup

Pale foundation & concealer swatches

2010-05-25T14:35:00.004+01:00

Calling all fair-skinned ladies!

I'm procrastinating to the max due to exam season, so thought this might be a useful post for the alabaster-complexioned amongst us.

I've swatched all of the foundations I currently have in my possession which are the lightest or second lightest shade within their brand. It's a real mixture, from Bourjois to Nars to E.L.F. so all budgets are considered.

Hope this helps somebody who is foundation hunting :)

Love
X

Revlon Photoready in the UK!

2010-03-04T19:50:00.003Z

Okay, slightly misleading title, I admit...

There is indeed a bottle of Revlono Photoready foundation, the most hyped product in MONTHS, sitting on my desk :) However, it didn't come directly from the UK - Evilbay was my friend and sent it to me for £13.99 incl. shipping from the US. Didn't think this was too shoddy, to be fair...

I've seen on MUA and on various blogs that Boots.com are selling it already in the UK (which is indeed the case), and you even get a free matte Revlon shadow thrown in for free. That's all fine and dandy but Boots are indulging in blatent pale-ism, as their shade range on the website doesn't include 001 Ivory, the fairest shade. Boooooooooo you Boots - poor show! Feeling really let down, I decided to wander onto Ebay, where I found this little beauty.

Wahey! Much excitement all round :) Arrived within 5 days of ordering, so didn't expect to have this today. Meant I had to run round looking for makeup remover so that I could take everything off and try it on. See pics at the bottom for how it looks on, with concealer and powder...

Few things I've noted so far from 9 hours of wear:
*This is literally the MOST perfect colour match I've ever had with a foundation. Loved Nars SM in Siberia, but it was just a teeensy bit too yellow (and I have yellow undertones!), and the price was slightly offputting. Colourstay was so nearly there, just too pink. The PR Ivory is definitely whiter and less undertone-y than the Colourstay, so it's pretty much bang on for my English rose skin.
*There's a pump - thank the lord, Revlon have finally listened to our moans about the Colourstay packaging. The pump is great and allows a huge degree of control, as it has a really thin nozzle. The packaging generally feels good quality and the finish of the black plastic is matte, which always feels more luxurious than the cheap shiny black finishes of bargain makeup.
*Coverage is much sheerer than Colourstay, but I always found Colourstay very masky and heavy. It's similar to the Nars Sheer Matte I find, but it feels runnier so goes on easier with a brush or fingers. It doesn't dry too quickly (unlike Colourstay), which means there's some flexibility while you're applying and blending it out. I still need to use a reasonable concealer around my nose (curse the genetic redness!) and on any errant blemishes.
*The finish isn't unnaturally matte (again, unlike Colourstay) - it leaves my skin looking like skin. It's not dewy, it's not matte, it's almost satiny. I did need to set it with powder as I have combo skin with shiny cheeks and forehead, but only a light dusting. It's nice that I feel like my skin can breathe, and that the natural finish of my skin (freckles and all!) can show through-ish underneath.
*After 8 hours, it's wearing really well - normally my foundation would have slid off on the areas with no concealer, but this has stayed on pretty much everywhere I initially applied it.
*And finally, THOSE sparkles. Maybe it's because I'm in cloudy England, but there aren't any major shimmery glittery particles evident, either in the bottle or on my skin. Even if there were, I'm sure they'd be easy enough to remedy with a dusting of translucent powder.

To finish the quickie review, here are a few bad webcam pics I took in the excitement earlier :)

Metabolism Miracle - miraculous or not?

2010-01-06T12:09:00.003Z

I have to admit, whilst I'm the biggest champion for beautiful, normal sized models and healthy female curves, I've been feeling a bit 'meh' about my own curves recently. I'm lucky to come from a family where narrow waists and wide hips are the order of the day (less chance of heart disease and breast cancer apparently), but in the last few months my previously narrow waist has been looking decidedly less narrow.

I'm often told I'm tall, measuring in at 5'8" barefoot and nearer 5'10/11" in heels, which obviously helps with the dispersal of fat around the body. From the age of 14, when I stopped growing I held a consistent slim size 12 up until the age of 19. I'm not a big gym fan, but would get a decent 1/2 hour brisk walk in every day, coupled with a healthy 3 meal/day routine. This meant my weight was very stable and I felt healthy...

In my first term of university I managed to lose weight, becoming a very slim size 12, but as first year finished, something changed. I hadn't changed my eating habits, I was exercising EVEN more than before (a 30 minute brisk downhill walk in the morning and a 45 minute UPHILL trek in the evenings). Whilst my energy levels were higher, I could feel and see a tummy developing where I'd had a flat stomach before.

Fast forward to my fourth and final year of university, and I'm now a curvy 14/16. Luckily, the fact I'm taller means I don't look like a Teletubbie just yet, but the roll around my stomach is growing, even though I haven't changed my eating or exercise habits. Any attempt to trim down is completely ineffective and I just feel like I'm getting bigger and bigger. All very odd...

So I've decided to take a new approach. I recently stumbled upon a new approach to dieting: the 'Metabolism Miracle'. Less about dieting and more about lifestyle change and health, this looks like it may answer my problems. According to Diane Kress, the founder, some people's metabolisms are less equipped to handle carbs (my downfall), and she believes that an 8-week carb rehab is the best way to reprogramme your liver and pancreas into a more effective and healthy processing of carbs. I found an article in the Mail recently, and I managed to tick nearly every symptom on the symptom list for the Metabolism B disorder (oh dear). The programme is very very similar to that which is often prescribed for those with Insulin Resistance or Diabetes, so in many ways it's not revolutionary.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1240357/The-metabolism-miracle-The-revolutionary-diet-help-stay-slim-forever.html

It's not an Atkins-style 'carbs are EVIL' approach. Yes, you are allowed carbs, but only very specific amounts in the first 8 weeks - no more than 5g, but you must have some every 5 hours. The theory behind this seems to be regulation of carb intake, so that the body is not overwhelmed (which would cause you to process it incorrectly and store it as fat). It's not a restrictive diet - you can eat as much as you like of the legal foods in the green arrows below. Plus there are certain freebies which you can munch on to your heart's delight...

(Very helpful diagram (soon to be on my fridge) is from the Daily Mail article)

After the first 8 weeks of low-carb intake, then you reintroduce carbs in controlled amounts (Step Two) until your body has recalibrated itself. This sounds like such a promising plan - various recent symptoms have led me to wonder whether my metabolism is a problem, and apparently metabolic problems can be brought on by stress (which would explain why my weight issues started at uni). I'm going to put all this into practise on Monday, and start my 8 week carb rehab - I'm sure it's going to be tough (noooo passssta *sob*), but Diane Kress' book which I've picked up pre-UK-release-date on Ebay is full of lovely-looking and easy recipes which I'm really excited about trying :)

In honesty, I think it's a question for me of being aware just how many carbs my body can handle, and this should be an educational lesson in not taking my body for granted.

Will post updates once the programme is under way - wish me luck!

Exfoliation exschmoliation

2010-01-01T16:03:00.003Z

I had a bit of a bad moment at the NARS counter in John Lewis the other day. How can this be, you might ask. NARS is one of the few cosmetic brands out there, in my humble opinion, which doesn't compromise product quality for shedloads of 'new releases' (yes, you MAC), or swanky packaging (hello Benefit). I have yet to be disappointed by any of their items, but last week proved a bit funny...

My best friend and I had stopped by the NARS counter to look at a primer for her (and a general coo and browse for me). Once we'd broken the two giggling sales girls apart, one of them offered to try the primer on my friend, along with the new(ish) Sheer Matte, as it's my new fave foundation. All well and fine, you might say. Now, my friend has gorgeous skin, fair but warm toned, but she's worried about acne scarring and dryness. Like me, she's found a skincare routine which works for her - Clinique 3 step - and this keeps her skin happy and soft. Naturally though, hormones being the buggers that they are, we all get the occasional breakout or dry patch. I'm a big believer in once-weekly gentle exfoliation for this very reason - it gets rid of flaky skin or lacklustre dull skin that's sitting on the face. My friend also is an occasional exfoliator, and it slots into her skincare regime quite nicely.

Bizarrely for a company which has such a strong skincare line, this NARS sales assistant launched into a full on tirade about the evils of exfoliation - apparently it 'ruins' your skin, takes away all the natural oils and gives you more spots/dry patches. "I NEVER exfoliate" she brayed, "...and that's why my skin is so much better," touching her (admittedly unnaturally orange) skin as if to prove her complexion was better than ours.

Now, I'm sorry, but to imply that your customers have a poor skin tone is just plain rude. My friends and I go to beauty counters for advice and help, not to be berated for our previous choices in skincare/cosmetics. I've been exfoliating every week since I was a young teen, and my skin certainly hasn't suffered thus far. Yes, I agree that over-exfoliation with harsh products is a very bad idea, but it is commonly accepted that loofahs and body polishers are a healthy addition to showertime (particularly for those troublesome bumps on the backs of your arms, arghh!). Admittedly the skin on your face is marginally more delicate, but I do believe in working with your skintype. I wouldn't ever use a thick or oily moisturiser because I'm prone to clogged pores and excessive oil-production anyway. In a similar vein, my mother HAS to use heavy creams due to her dry skin. It's logic, simply put.

I'm sorry NARS, but I don't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to skincare (even though your website seems to agree with me, where your SA's don't). For some, like myself, exfoliation is 100% necessary and I certainly don't expect a SA to comment that my skincare regime is 'all wrong' and 'damaging' simply because it doesn't align with her 'principles.'

Needless to say, due to her appalling attitude we didn't buy from NARS. We moved along to Bobbi Brown, Benefit and Clarins and were able to chat in an adult and friendly manner with the SA's there.

And in sheer retalliation, I bought myself a new Eve Lom cleanser set, with *gasp* an exfoliating muslin cloth which can be used *double gasp* everyday. Take that!

My new fave way to use Sleek palettes

2010-01-01T15:55:00.002Z

New Year, new products, new techniques... The new products are inevitable given my ridiculous love of all things pretty, and with new products come new application ideas. I'd seen a gorgeous photo on MUA of a very fair, redhaired girl (ie the same colouring as me)wearing eyeliner which was a beautiful mid-purple shimmer. Muchly jealous, I attempted to track down said pretty colour, but with no luck - it was a US only brand.

Gazing into my stash I saw something which caught my eye - one of my Sleek palettes, 'The Original,'had the perfect shade as a shadow. Being a nifty and crafty Virgo, I cracked out my mixing medium and got to work with a fine angled brush. Et voila...

...I had the fabled eyeliner! As the Sleek palette shadows are all mineral based, they're beautiful and creamy. Add half a drop of mixing medium and all the gorgeous colours in the palette can become the most gorgeous shimmery liners, and with a lid primer underneath they last for yonks!

Here's today's attempt using the purdy shimmery mid-purple in the Sleek Original palette. Sorry about the dodgy webcam pics - am chez les parents so camera-less :(

Sale Shopping!

2009-12-27T15:20:00.004Z

I'm officially a bad person - blog posting has been neglected for the last few weeks due to final year university deadlines and exams. (Booohoooo!)

However, thought I'd give a quick recount of my very small sale haul from today. The M&S sale started on Boxing Day online, but unfortunately in my area we had to wait til today to enjoy it instore. So off we went at 10.30am, before opening, and it was already PACKED. Absolutely barmy...

I'm not so much a fan of M&S clothing (as their sizes differ so much from range to range), but I'm a big shoe fan :) So, here are the two little beauties that I picked up:
*One pair of jewel embellished gold courts (for some reason, the website only shows black...)

*One pair of super simple patent court shoes in brown, with a thick elastic strap to keep them on when battling against the Bristol rain!

I only bought one item of clothing, which was a really boring, simple forest green t-shirt which has a puckering detail on the front. Again, the M&S website only has a picture of the black version, which isn't quite as pretty as the green...

After queueing for nearly an hour in M&S (HORRENDOUS!), I made my way over to Debenhams. Since seeing a fellow blogger's post about coloured eyeliner the other day, I decided it was time for me to try a green/gold/brown liner to match my eyecolour. Having exhausted all possibilities in Superdrug, I decided to go High End in Debenhams and stumbled accross the Smashbox stand. They had a decent range of dark, highly pigmented cream liners and I was overjoyed when I found 'Image' - a dark khaki/olive green with brown undertones and gold shimmer. In fact, it seems really similar to MAC's Henna eyeshadow. It comes in a solo little pot, or in a big cream liner palette - I really REALLY wanted the palette, but although the tester was out, there were no palettes left. Why do beauty counters do this?! I got my hopes up, but sadly no palette for me. Either way, I bought the green colour I was after on it's own, called 'Image' Look at how beautiful it is!

Much more shimmery and golden in real life, and it looks lovely paired with a neutral crease and lashings of mascara.

Last but not least, I was kindly gifted a new Toshiba netbook from Santa this year (as my trusty laptop is dying a slow and horrible death). Anybody else who owns a netbook will know the conundrum - there's no DVD/CD drive, as there simply isn't space in the little machine! I decided to take the plunge and buy an external DVD/CD-RW drive from Maplin as well today, as I will need to install lots of software onto my netbook which is only available on installation CDs. Plus it means I can watch DVDs and import CDs. As I had a £29.99 item to exchange, the little beauty below cost me just £30 and works brilliantly. It isn't mains powered, as you plug it into two of your USB ports, so it powers itself. Bloody brilliant little piece of kit - very pleased :)
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=228883

Happy Sale Shopping! :)

Naughty naughty!

2009-11-17T20:11:00.003Z

I always find that as the university term approaches deadline week, my makeup and beauty lemmings increase to ridiculous levels... At least that's my excuse - and another theory of mine is the change of season.

Think about it: in winter, animals stuff themselves full of food and hoard supplies to prepare for their hibernation sesh. I think I'm exactly the same. Now that Winter is fully fledged here in the UK, I think it's a subliminal desire to hoard makeup supplies (especially pretty coloured ones) to banish the winter blues.

Last week, I was feeling overwhelmed by both my Medieval Musicology dissertation and the grey, lacklustre state of my skin. Unfortunately for my bank account, I have a branch of Space NK. on my way to university (booooo!), and I'd managed to convince myself, through reading other people's blogs, that Nars Sheer Matte might be the antidote to wintry skin. Foundation buying is always a traumatic experience for me - I'm super duper pale, as in NC10, with odd yellow undertones and auburn hair. Drugstore foundations are a complete no-no, except for Max Factor's Second Skin in Creamy Ivory (which is just a little too pink), Revlon CS in Ivory, and in the past MAC, Clinique and Clarins have all turned me away from their counters - apparently I'm too pale for them to even consider trying to colour-match me with their ranges.

I must say, £32 later, Nars Sheer Matte in Siberia is a revelation. The Sales Assistant gasped aloud when she applied it, as it was an absolutely perfect match (and I daresay very few people in the world have fair enough skin for Siberia). I'm in love...
Another purchase at the same time was a concealer to match, and the SA was really pushing Laura Mercier's Secret Camouflage. It's a funny compact - with a very light yellow toned concealer on the right, and a beigey orange toned concealer on the left. Even though she was pushy about it, she was right - I'm able to blend the perfect shade of pale, with a good orange based concealer for the undereyes. Very pleased...

I'd also decided to make another big investment, makeup-wise. I've been collecting MAC pro pan refills for over a year, and have been keeping them in the smaller 4-pan palettes, but I'm getting a bit narked off with having to swap and switch all of my eyeshadows around depending on what I'm wearing. So, feeling naughty, I ventured onto MAC's website to purchase the empty palette, and 8 more pan shadows to fill it - wheeeee! I've still got 2 slots empty though and was hoping to fill them with a dark matte brown for lining and crease-defining and possibly a teal green, but I just can't decide which to plump for. I'll write a post dedicated to my new palette soon, I think, and I'll show you some photos and see if anybody can make some good suggestions based on what I have already :)

As usual though, purchases always lead to more purchases - I've been in the market for a new concealer brush and face brush since my most recent Space NK. purchases, and finally today I took the plunge on E(vil)bay and bought myself a 12 piece professional brush kit. I'm not expecting the quality to be particularly amazing, but all I need is a medium synthetic brush for concealer, a taklon eyeliner brush and a big buffer brush for translucent powder. Will update with another post if I happen to like these brushes - fingers crossed.

Coming up after my hiatus:
*Review of Nars Sheer Matte in Siberia
*Review of Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage in SC1
*Mac 15 Pro Palette - thoughts
*Thoughts on cheapy cheapy Evilbay brushes

Take care
Mimi
X

This week's Ups and Downs

2009-11-01T17:50:00.004Z

Ups:
*Having the brother come to visit this weekend :) This meant plenty of lovely meals, long walks and pub visits - yay!
* Finally finding the perfect application technique for my new Holy Grail foundation, Max Factor's Second Skin. I'm shade 40, Creamy Ivory, and it's a perfect colour match for my ridiculously pale alabaster skin, amazingly with literally undetectable coverage. Seriously - it doesn't cake, ever, no matter what you do to it. Works beautifully with Lanacane underneath as a primer...
* Plucking up the courage to wear coloured eyeliner, the last time being in the late 90s. See pic for evidence!

* Feeling better for the first time in ages, after struggling with Chronic Sinusitis for weeks and weeks. No amount of antibiotics or steroids were able to shift it...
* The roads around my flat being covered with crunchy red and yellow leaves - once armed with wellies and a warm coat, there's much jumping and crunching fun to be had!
* Selling a pile of my lovely but unworn clothes (so unworn they still have tags on) successfully on Ebay. More space in my wardrobe for shoooooz!
*Using my £5 off No.7 Boots voucher for a really purdy new silver grey nailpolish. Makes a lovely pedicure and has lasted really well so far!

Downs:
* Being so busy, allll the time! (Hence the shameful absence of late)Blame Final Year exam prep...
* Still not being happy with my haircut - there's nothing wrong with it per se, and the girl did a nice job of cutting it accurately, but I wish I'd opted for more layers. An all-round straight cut is definitely not flattering for round faces... :(
* Legging it for 10pm on Friday, turning on the TV to Channel 4 ridiculously excited, only to find that the new series of Peep Show finished LAST week. Bill Bailey isn't the same!
* Missing my dog :( Boooooo!
* Flatmates who eat ALL the food I bought for my brother's stay this weekend

Blast from the past: Holiday palette fun!

2009-10-20T20:22:00.006+01:00

I was enjoying reading KarlaSugar's post earlier today on MAC's new holiday collection, Magic, Mirth and Mischief! Apart from the utterly adorable name, I fell in love with her Mineralize Eyeshadow swatches. Check out her incredible (and very aptly named!) blog below for swatchy fun:
http://karlasugar.blogspot.com/

The sheer beauty of the MES swatches makes me really excited to see the new holiday eyeshadow palettes. Last year's Passions of Red palette in Smokey Eyes is still one of my favourite everyday products, which means it's nearly all gone (boooo!). Fabuless's blog has particularly nice swatches of the palette :)
http://www.fabulessbeauty.com/2008/12/15/mac-holiday-2008-smokey-eye-palette/

Divided into two sides (left brown, and right grey), the palette has the following colours, going clockwise from the top left:
Scant - a sheer, frosty pinky beige
Gorgeous - a pearlescent silver shimmer
Ambiance - a mid grey but with large chunks of silver glitter (not my fave, it has to be said)
Carbon - a matte, perfect black... Not much more to be said!
Dark Devotion - a matte dark brown, which I find particularly useful for eyebrows
Satin Taupe - yes, that shimmery red-toned taupe colour that everybody knows and loves

No longer available, but still hugely covetable, this palette occasionally pops up on Ebay and Blogsales and is a worthwhile purchase, particularly for those new to Mac who want to try some of their 'cult' colours (namely Satin Taupe and Carbon).

So, in honour of the Smokey Eyes palette, here are some past pics from FOTD's where I used the brown, left hand side of the palette (with a little carbon for good measure).

Chanel Jade nailpolish dupe - for 50p!

2009-10-19T12:11:00.007+01:00

Despite having less-than-lovely nails, I'm a devoted reader of the website alllacqueredup.com. As pale mint green and duck egg blue are my favourite colours, I nearly died when I saw how gorgeous the new Chanel Jade nailpolish colour is. Have a look at the minty green gorgeousness on All Lacquered Up below

http://www.alllacqueredup.com/2009/09/chanel-jade-nail-collection-swatches.html

Unfortunately, as Jade is only being sold in Selfridges and online, I resigned myself to the fact that I'd never have such a beautiful colour adorning my nails. I've looked at dupes at Barry M and MAC, but neither were quite right...

So yesterday, I was wandering round Primark with my best friend and in the beauty section I spotted this:

Oh yes, in a double pack of green varnishes - one matte, one sparkly - I found this little beauty. The pack cost £1, which means that this lovely polish is only 50p. Bit of a bargain! So I hurried home to swatch it, and here are the results.

In comparison to Collection 2000's "Green with Envy" and Eyeko's "Pastel Polish":

Very hastily and badly applied, taken with flash:

And finally, taken without flash:

In terms of application, yes, you can tell this polish is cheap. It goes on very thinly but on the upside, does dry quickly if you apply several thin layers. I intially attempted applying it in thick gloopy layers to get the opacity I wanted, but it works far better if you apply little and often :) It's not a Chanel polish, but hey, for 50p, who's complaining?

Mimi
X

Welcome!

2009-10-19T11:18:00.000+01:00

First post - scary!

I've finally got round to something I've been hoping to do for a long time. I know the web is already very well served in terms of beauty bloggers and YT Gurus, and there is no way I could possibly reach their heady heights. However, I'm a sucker for anything beauty or make-up related, and love stumbling across new blogs with reviews, swatches, dupes and special offers... I'm not a fussy customer and have a ridiculosly huge make up collection, which has MAC sitting next to Collection 2000, next to Nars, next to Eyeko, next to No. 7. Anything purdy, sparkly or fluffy and I'm there!

By way of introduction, I've filled in a "What I'm using at the moment" quiz - let me know if you are loving or hating any of the products listed below in the comments!

Shampoo: Trésemme for hair that gets dirty quickly
Conditioner: None (and my hairdresser officially hates me...)
Styling products: Again, I'm a bad hair fairy and use nothing.
Shower Gel: Ikea Berry - bizarre I know. Ikea really do sell shower gel...
Body moisturiser: Body Shop Shea Body Butter - this came free with Marie Claire the other month, but I really do prefer the Body Shop's fruity butters. Like the mango, mmmmmm!
Deodorant: Mitchum Powder Fresh
Fake Tan: Not a fan - I'm proud to be pale and porcelain :)
Cleanser: Sephora own-brand cleansing water for oily skin
Exfoliator: St. Ives Apricot Exfoliator
Primer: Lanacane anti-chafe gel - this is the UK equivalent of Monistat in the US. See Makeupalley.com for extensive reviews...
Foundation brush: A 187 lookalike by Gosh Cosmetics
Concealer: Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection in Fair
Powder: No. 7 Creme Touch in Translucent
Blusher: Nars Orgasm
Bronzer: As before, I'm super pale so don't use bronzing products
Highlighter: MAC MSF in Soft & Gentle
Eyeshadow base: Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Eyeshadows: Really like the Stila Talking Gift Palette in "The Complete Classic Look" for everyday
Eyeliner: The dark brown shade from the Stila palette above, on an angled brush mixed with eyedrops
Curler: A cheapy cheapy job from ELF Cosmetics
Mascara: Max Factor Masterpiece Max
Lipstick: L'Oreal Color Riche in Organza
Lipgloss: L'Oreal Juicy Shine in Moonlight
Nail Colour: A Chanel Jade dupe from Primark (yes, PRIMARK!) which cost 50p - happy times!