M and Yes!

I'm sure most of you, like me, have long been on the quest for that perfect liquid eyeliner, one that will achieve a Chungian/Conradian flick with the greatest of ease and last all day and night. My personal stipulations are that it has to have a strong pigment and it HAS to be a felt tip type, I am rubbish with a brush which I find difficult to control. I think I've found the holy grail, in Nana's favourite M&S, of all places. M&S have steadily been gathering respect in the style stakes for a while, and their make-up range is no slouch either. This product is from the slightly more expensive Perfection range, but comes in at a pretty reasonable £7.50. It has all the characteristics I've been searching for, its ridiculously easy to apply, black as night and stays put for hours. Go forth and catify!

Code red

Last night I swooped by Topshop for one thing, and came out with three. Thankfully they were all make-up, otherwise I would have seriously destroyed my July clothing embargo.

Regular readers will remember my quest for a red lipstick, and I thought, before diving headfirst into an expensive Mac purchase, I'd try something more thrifty and see if I wear it often enough to warrant the big investment.
So I picked up Topshop Lip Stick in Flame.

Here's the rather embarassing picture of me wearing it...

(pic by David Cotter)
You see, whenever I've tried to take lippy pictures myself in the past they are blurry, or washed out, or a totally different colour to real life, so I asked my photographer colleague to lend a hand. I asked him to just crop the lips but he wouldn't play ball.
No, I haven't had a stroke, I just appear to have a rather droopy eye... who knew! Anyway, the stick is very pigmented, to the point that it's actually quite nervewracking to apply without a brush. It's quite versatile; nice and shiny, matte if you blot. I did somewhere in between here.
It lasted around two hours before I needed to reapply, and surprisingly for a pencil it isn't drying - it's more of a regular lipstick in pencil form. Altogether, this product is really impressive for £7.
The only problem is, I just realised I now also need a big fat pencil sharpener.

PS I didn't take a 'swatch' hand photo, because I'm never sure how useful it is to know what a lipstick looks like on your hand, unless you are comparing a few? Please do let me know though if you find these helpful though!

UPDATE: This lasted about 5 hours, including a strenuous aerobics class! It's amazing! 

Excuse me Miss

So my twitter is all, well, atwitter with the Miss Selfridge A/W collection... and it's not good. Someone even mentioned doing a mouthsick... a visceral reaction so strong it should be reserved for furry crocs, surely?

Anyway, I've had a little shufty, and I have to say, I've seen some gems! Now, this being a blog and all, I must be true to myself and say I probably won't buy any of these items. They fit firmly into the looks-awesome-on-someone-else-who-is-thinner-and-goes-to-more-interesting-places-than-me camp... but it's fun to play around outside out usual style boundaries, right?

1 - Can't you just see yourself swanning around an illicit party in the seventies, cigarette in one hand, martini in another, draped in this baby? It's fabulous!
2 - A lined cardie/coat seems so warm right now while I'm trapped in my over-air-conditioned office. It's only 25 outside people, just crack a window!
3 - I would definitely wear this if I were Florence. With number 6. But more about them later.
4 - Do I love 'em? Do I hate 'em? There's definitely something I love about the heel... it reminds me of my forever style-icon Angela Chase. They would look amazing with woolly tights. (Yep, I'm still cold).
5 - A duo I would wear if I were off out on a fabulous night anytime soon. There's something really interesting about how eclectic this whole collection is... seventies, sixties, witchies...
6 - These are the only thing I'm really coveting. I can see these teamed with a million mini shifts I've seen recently, or my skinnies, or even some J Brand Houlihans (and I don't even like 'em much!). Alas, I can't walk around London all day in a heel. Oh God. I just used the fashion singular. Now that deserves a mouthsick!

A nail in the coffin?

So, sometimes in this consumerist game, something arrives that makes you happy for the rest of the day. That was my ebay OPI haul from the states. enchantedbeautyspot on ebay is such a bargain compared to UK Essie, OPI and China Glaze prices, but you do have to wait a while for them to arrive. In this instance, it just made me more excited when they dropped through the letterbox.

The bulk buy that included the hallowed Seche Vite was supplemented with 3 OPI shades, and I couldn't wait to try them...

From left to right: I'm His Coral-friend, Coney Island Cotton Candy, Alpine Snow.

Now, I chose the first as I wanted a classic coral for summer, the second as I'd heard it was 'like Louboutin nude' (amazing, I thought) and the third because... ok so I got carried away. But franky, two our of three seriously let me down.

I'm His Coral-friend is more or a pinky-red than a true coral. None of that slightly neon zing I'd hoped for.
Coney Island Cotton Candy was the most subtle shade I've ever bought. I think it's safe to say I prefer what Cheryl Cole calls 'happy nails' - something bright and eyecatching that makes you feel done. It was more pink than I'd expected, and took a whopping FOUR COATS for an opaque look... and even then, look how similar it is to my bare pinkie!

And finally, Alpine Snow - bizarrely this was my fave of the three, and the one I've been sporting all week. It goes with everything, and although it's a bit like Tipp-Ex, three people have complimented me on it this week - makes it a winner in my eyes!

Ended up slapping Coral-friend on the toes too because, well, I'd paid for it, then I realised something magical - it's an EXACT MATCH to the M&S geranium lipstick I bought recently, also expecting an amazing coral. Spooky.

Quick dry or die

Today is hectic. Between my own work, my colleague-who-is-on-holiday's work, and nipping off slightly early to watch Shooting Stars being filmed at the BBC (I know!!!), I'm up against it, so just time to tell you about my new best friend... let me spin you a yarn...

There was once a time when my nails were forever smudged. It became a joke that no matter how long I left them to dry I would at some point, somehow, forget I'd applied three coats and load the washing machine, fall over, run my hands through my hair or need a pee and destroy that perfect shiny glaze.

Until I met Seche Vite. This fast-drying top coat is outstanding. After your final coat -- even before it's slightly dry -- pop a slick of this live-saver on and your nails are rock hard in about a minute. It's saved my life! (OK, not my life, but my manicures certainly).

I picked mine up at enchantedbeautyspot on ebay - a bargain basement for polish addicts, thanks for the tip-off lollipop26!