Backstage at LFW - Rachel Freire "Future Noir"

Just a pre warning, this is a long blog post, packed full of images and videos but i hope you find it as interesting as i did being there.
On Tuesday, i was invited by Jack Saundercock (head of makeup) to go backstage at one of the shows for London Fashion Week. The designer was Rachel Freire and her collection was called "Future Noir".
I'm no fashion expert, although i am extremely interested in art, textiles & trends, i can't say i'm much of a fashion journalist (in fact, i'm not one at all), so don't expect a huge in depth spectacle, merely just my personal thoughts, opinions and observations.

The collection involved a lot of reflective strips , black latex leggings/body suits, mirrors, geometric shoes, cassette tape, a mixture of nude & brown & some truly amazing headpieces. The reflective strips are not something i can say i've ever seen incorporated within a piece of clothing..besides the fluorescent jackets we use for safety reasons, and they certainly aren't the most flattering thing to wear i think you'll agree.
I also love the variety of textures Rachel used in her collection..from floating, draping & inter-twining to very tight latex, body suits & very structured pieces.
There really was an outfit to please every fashionista.






The above image was one of my favourite outfits of hers. Her inspiration came from a soccer players uniform & the very structured, protective shoulder gear they wear. I love the mirrors & the reflective strips teamed with the simplicity of the nude body suit & pvc holdups.
I think she has created a fantastic range, there were simpler designs and a lot more outrageous ones. The shoes were incredible, how they walked i have no idea. It was fascinating to see how much detail had gone into every garment & how well the models exhibited them.

The makeup was also amazing. Jack had really thought of everything. With the title of the collection being "Future Noir" he wanted to portray this in the makeup. Using dark edgy colours along with the contrasting white's and greys made the makeup futuristic & geometric. I also think the striking white worked very well with the reflective strips used in some of the models outfits. Jack described it as a "Cybotic Army".








What makeup was used?



What skincare did they use on the models?

How was the look created?







It was amazing being able to see all the products & effort which went into making the models look so amazing. Not only that, but all the thought that Jack had clearly put into his makeup to fullfill the title of Rachel's collection. Makeup is an art, and that really does come across when you see all the imagination & inspiration which is put into it.
After spending time backstage with Jack and the rest of the team and seeing first hand the products used, i definitely wanted to get my hands on the Jemma Kidd palettes & the lipstick in "Peggy", as you all know, i'm a total sucker for nudes & this one is perfect & highly pigmented & at such a good price. Jemma Kidd is sold in most Space NK stores if anyone else in interested. I also really want to try out the Dermalogica dry skin lotions & potions that Jack mentions in the video above. My skin becomes dry very easily during winter, and the things he spoke about sounded like something i definitely want to try out.

Overall it was an amazing experience being at the show & thank you Jack for giving me the oppertunity to see how things work at LFW, on the catwalk but also backstage.
♥

Out of Brush Cleaner?

My brushes we're in desperate need of a good clean, and low & behold, i was totally out of brush cleaner & no baby shampoo.
So, the only thing i could find, which i didn't think would be too harsh on the brushes, was this Dove hand wash.
I dampened each brush under luke-warm water, added a pea sized amount to the bristles, and lathered it up in my hand. I then rinsed & repeated if it was needed.
The first thing i noticed, was how amazingly well it took out any staining, this hand wash went beyond any other brush cleaner i've used & removed EVERYTHING.
It's been a long time since my brushes have looked new & white.



After leaving them to dry, i noticed how incredibly soft they were. I even think they were softer than when i first bought them. I spent ages brushing them over my face in amazement.
Then came the time i had to use them and dirty them up, it was very hard, but i managed okay with the reasurrance this hand wash will still be by my sink for when the day comes to re-wash. :)

I'm not sure of the price, nor where you can purchase this. I'm going to point out the obvious places like Boots & Superdrug & say it's probabaly the price of a standard hand wash, but in all seriousness, this worked like a dream.

Thank you Dove, you marvellous bird you.
♥

My Most Asked Question...

I absolutely LOVE receiving emails from you all, from simple things like "What font is that you use?" to "I just wanted to say i absolutely love reading your blog & you have inspired me to start my own so thank you" and then there's the "I'm an NW20, which nude lipstick would you recommend? Or even your favourite?"

I enjoy answering these, as i feel i can really help & it makes me happy to think I've given any advice i may have, whether it's all that useful or not.

However, there is one question which is really starting to grind on me.



"How did you get so many followers?"

I know that some of you reading this may have asked this question, and it's not like i will instantly hate you if you have, I just really don't like answering this question.
Firstly because it makes me sad that some girls might think that blogging is only fun if you have lots of followers. This really isn't the case. Blogging, for me anyway, is a hobby. It's just something i like to write about, a way to wind down & to give some advice to those who may want some.
Everyone starts a blog with no followers, i did also.
I didn't ever post a link to my blog in a comment on someone else's blog post, i never emailed people in their hundreds.
I just wrote.
I wasn't all that familiar with followers when i first started my blog, peoples little faces kept appearing at the side, it took me a while to realise these were the people who wanted to see when I'd posted something new.
If you want to gain more followers through self promotion, that's great, there is absolutely nothing stopping you, but are you really going to feel as much pride & satisfaction as you would if you didn't, and these people found your blog on their own, loved it & chose to follow you?

I honestly do not know how i have so many amazing followers, but i value and appreciate every single one. I love all the feedback & i'm blown away with the generosity of some of you.
I totally understand that some of you don't like writing with the feeling nobody is listening to you or reading what you have to say, but is that why you started your blog? I would rather have a handful of loyal followers than 500 people i asked to check out my blog or who followed me because of a giveaway.

Hopefully, every single one of you like to read what i have to say. Obviously, i never get 2700 comments on every post, but i certainly wouldn't expect that. Some people might be following purely for the Lush reviews, some for the FOTD's, some just for lipstick help...there will loads of different reasons, but that's just the fun of it. We're all very different, and people will your follow your blog for different reasons. Hey, i might even have some pervy middle aged man called Baldwin following my blog who likes my ears & i would never know haha (kinda creepy...)

If you ask this question in the form of some advice, just be yourself, enjoy what you're writing & appreciate every follower you have..even if you only have 3, this doesnt mean you are a failure. Blogging is not about failing and winning & it's not a popularity contest. These 3 people like to see what you write, even if they don't comment, so don't make them feel worthless by complaining of only having 3 followers. *sob* That is honestly, the only advice i can give you.

I hope nobody takes offense to this blogpost, i just felt i needed to address the issue as my inbox is brimming with unanswered emails all asking the same question. So i'm resolving this in one foul swoop.
Like i said, if you think more followers would make you happy, and you're quite happy asking people to give you shoutouts, then do that. There's no right or wrong way, and people gain happiness through different things. I'm just happy i have a place to express a passion in my life & i find it really enjoyable :)

♥

FOTD

Here is what i wore yesterday..It's nothing too "out there" in fact it's rather casual.
I curled my hair with the Cloud Nine straighteners & kept the makeup fairly neutral.



Face:
♥ Mineralize Satin Finish foundation from Mac NW20
♥ Benefit Erase Paste
♥ Mac Mineralize Skinfinish natural
♥ Benefit Coralista blush
♥ Benefit Hoola to contour

Eyes:
♥ White Frost E/S in inner corner
♥ Star Violet E/S in crease/outer V
♥ Showstopper E/S in crease/outer V

Lips:
♥ Mac Snob L/S

♥

Review: Lush - Valentine Items

I'm anti-valentines this year.
Well, every year it's just commercialised crap, why should there be a special day where your partner has to spend money on you & make you realise how much you love them. It should be like that everyday to be honest.
Lush brought out some Limited Edition items this year, both of which i knew i would love.



The first is the
Magic Mushroom Bubble Bar

This smells amazing. The red is yummy yummy yummy scented (strawberries & cream) & the white is vanillary scented. Peeerfect combination in my opinion.
It's also super cute & made my bath water a pretty pale pink, the bubbles were also really creamy.
Why do lush do this to me? seriously? Why do they bring out the most amazing products for a limited amount of time. *sulk*

RRP: £2.25

Next is the
Ex Factor Bath Ballistic

Essentially, this is Mr Butterball & the Butterball bath ballistic in the form of a blue gingerbread man with a little pink heart & my preferred choice over the others. He's the cutest & my bath water has never looked so pretty. I noticed when he was fizzing away there was colouring in his little legs, once they had dissolved the water was a gorgeous deep blue.
Add in the moisturising properties of the butterball & the gorgeous vanillary scent & you're garanteed an amazing bath.
PLEASE STOP DOING THIS TO ME LUSH. Make this little blue fella permanent & at such a cheap price for so many green ticks it's an absolute must have.

RRP: £1.95

♥

FOTN

A collage of a few snaps of a night out last week.
I thought you might want to see what i wore/how i did my hair & makeup.
I also did my friends' hair and makeup, they looked b-e-a-uutiful.



Outfit:
Top: New Look,
Skirt: Primark,
Belt: Vintage,
Tights: New Look,
Shoe Boots: New Look
Bracelet: Watlings
Ring: Karen Millen
Earrings: Fake Chanel

Makeup:
Maybelline Mineral concealer
Studio Sculpt foundation
Benefit erase paste
Mineralise SkinFinsh Natural in medium
Benefit Hoola bronze/contour
Benefit Coralista blush
Benefit Highbeam to highlight
Sunday Best Mac E/S all over
Starviolet & Carbon Mac E/S in crease
L'oreal Superliner Carbon Gloss eyeliner
Maybelline Pule Perfection Mascara
Chanel eye pencil along lower lashline
Revlon corner lashes with Mac Duo glue
Creme D'nude Lipstick
Bourjois Lipgloss nude 33

♥

Review: Cloud Nine Straightners

I've seen a few reviews on this product, and it has been compared to the almighty GHD.
Now personally, i have NEVER owned a GHD Straightener..i have however, used one numerous amounts of times, and every time, i felt like my hair was being frazzled to pieces. They get so incredibly hot, sure, they do the job, and for those with thick unruly hair, they probably do a good job..my hair isn't that thick..i just have lots of it, so using this straightener still felt damaging to my hair. This is the reason i never forked out for one. No matter how many times people told me to invest in a GHD, i never liked using it & i could hear my hair screaming in pain...
I like to have a straightener where you can adjust the temperature, i know a lot of people don't appreciate this & will automatically whack it right up to the max temp but your hair will soon start to break, and frazzle if you keep doing this..it's not rocket science. Some people don't even use heat protectant..good luck with that. haha
I always advise people not to use too much heat on their hair. I used to, and my hair would never be in great condition, now i'll only straighten to style, or if i have a funny kink etc. & look how long my hair is? The ends of my hair aren't in immaculate condition i will admit, but my hair has NEVER been this long & i think one of the reasons is less heat.





I was very kindly sent these Straightening Irons a few weeks ago by Samara at Cloud Nine to trial & review.
I have been thoroughly impressed them. They are, by far, the best straighteners i have ever used.
They have been developed by the new company of the original founders of GHD, so both straighteners have similar properties, but in my opinion, these win hands down for the temperature control.
The theory behind the straighteners is less heat, more style. There is even a booklet containing information, the guarantee & ways of creating different styles with a range of different heats suited to your hair. I also want to add that the actual packaging the iron came in, was sophisticated & well thought out..i can't bring myself to get rid of it.
The Straightener itself is black, sleek and rounded (perfect shape for creating waves & curls) & comes with a blue plastic heat guard for when you're done with straightening to allow it to cool down safely. (This is one of my favourite features..i normally hate leaving straighteners to cool down, as they are still capable of burning things) One little thing i will mention, is that when the straighteners are in the heat guard, there will be a small gap at the rear of the straighter (see picture of swivel cord) which when taking off the guard, can trap your skin. I have done this A LOT. I don't really see how they can get round that though, as it needs to open and close. You just have to be careful.
The ceramic plates are black & contain a "secret ingredient" to inject your hair with shine..i have to admit, my hair looks so much more shiny & healthy after using them. I'd love to know what the secret ingredient is! They also slide effortlessly through my hair, making straightening so easy.
One other thing i LOVE about this straightener, is the hibernation mode. Please tell me I'm not the only one who will be half way down the road & think "Oh no..did i turn my straighteners off". We all do it, & now there's not that absolute need to go back & check when they can safely cool down after 30 minutes with no use, so you know you're house is less likely to be in flames when you get home. Please don't use this as an excuse to not care whether you've turned them off though...Still double check before you leave :)
As always, it's vital to have a swivel cord, and thank goodness this has one. No more tangles & knots in the cable!
The controls are extremely easy to use & it reaches maximum temp in approx 20 seconds, that is amazing. :)

Overall i'm very impressed with these straighteners, and i would happily reccommend them to anyone who asked which to buy. The best i've ever used, and great for styling. Well done Cloud Nine :)

To find out more or purchase the straightener yourself click HERE

♥

Packages in the Post

This isn't a blogpost about things i have ordered.
These are things which have been sent to me by girls who follow my blog.
I absolutely adore being sent cards/gifts. Being sent from companies it's not exactly that personal, but from someone who has made something themselves, it has so much more meaning :)

The first package is from the gorgeous Sammie,
You can view her Youtube Channel HERE, and her Blog HERE



She sent me a brushroll which she had custom made. Now, personally, something like this which has been made by someone, is a lot more satisfying to own. I have always wanted a brush roll, it makes transporting your brushes SO much easier. Yes, you can shove them into a large makeup bag, but it will just ruin the shape of the brushes, and lets face it, this is just so cute. I have spent a fair bit of money on my mac brushes, they deserve the best treatment possible..that & i don't want to be forking out for new ones.
It's pretty, it's pink, it has flowers & ribbon..it is the ultimate girly brush storage. I love it. I have all my brushes slotted neatly into each compartment. I also found it was great for allowing brushes to dry, usually i will just put them on a towel and leave them that way, but you can just pop them in here also. :)
Sammie is actually selling these brush rolls, and i would strongly urge you to go & have a look on her blog. They are a fabulous price also at £13.95. I will probabaly buy one for a friend or my mum. I haven't ever seen a brush roll SO cute.

Thankyou so much Sammie, I LOVE it :)

The next package i recieved was from Louise who is a follower of my blog.
I found Louise on Youtube & instantly LOVED her videos & bubbly personality. See her video's HERE. She does fab reviews. You can also find her Blog HERE



She just sent these gifts without agenda as she loved my blog, how sweet!
She actually makes & sells Jewellery in craft shops around where she lives. Very creative missy!
The card was also so so lovely of her & i will keep it forever :)

I love my followers i really do!
♥

Review: Sleek Face Contour Kit

I don't live near a Sleek counter, so when my shopping trip takes me a bit further (to where they do stock it) i usually like to buy something to try out.
I had seen a few reviews & hauls of this particular item & I really wanted to try it out for myself as it would be a nifty little item for your makeup bag.



Sleek Face Contour Kit comes in three different shades. Light, Medium & Dark. I bought the light one obviously. Now, the first thing that i noticed was the awfully tacky packaging..not the actual box, or the information on the box or the way it's set out..the awful model. Correct me if i'm wrong, but she looks like something you'd see on the front of a trashy porn dvd or the front page of Nuts (a trashy gentlemans magazine full of boobies) White shirt open, tie..moody weird vampy face. It's awful. Please Sleek, try and be a bit more creative with your models. It also looks like it was taken with a digital camera and just placed on there. I think it would have looked better with no model on there. I apologise if you happen to be the model on the front of this box..i'm sure this was not your choice. :)

When i got home and opened the box to try it out, i notice 2 lovely nail marks through the bronzer..someone had either opened this in the shop and just dug their nails in because that's what they like to do..or this happened when it was packaged. Obviously this doesnt change the way the product works, it was just not what i wanted to open up a new item to find. If this was a Mac Blusher, i would have taken it back.

The actual product packaging & product itself is FAB! The bronzer is matte, which often people find difficult to find. The colour is perfect & it's pigmented & easily blendable as well as the highlighter.

Besides the little things like the trashy porn woman on the box & the nail marks, this is a brilliant contour kit. It's easy to use and even comes with a little booklet explaining how and where to contour and highlight. Excellent for those of you who have always wanted to try it but never knew what to buy or from where.

RRP: The kit was around £4-5. I can't remember off the top of my head & actually when searching for it on the sleek website, it redirected me to a china sex musuem site..i'm thinking they have been hacked! eek.

♥

Review: Lush - Bubblegum Lip Scrub

As many of you will be aware, & if you aren't you will be now, Lush have repromoted (from their sister company Be Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful) the ever so popular lip scrubs.
I had never tried these, but they obviously thought that they were worth keeping in the family, so passed them on into the Lush store when they decided to close down (sad times)

I first tried to get my hands on these last week but was informed they had all sold out in 2 days..sheesh, that is ALOT of dry chapped lips amongst the Lush fans in my City.
Yesterday however, they were fully stocked, so i went and had a nosey at all three scrubs.
In all honesty, i did just want to pick up all three, pay & go, because i had a train to catch & they are right on the till, so i was being put off by the girl standing behind the counter.



Her favourite was the mint one, but i wasn't instantly drawn to that one, and the chocolate one wasn't so appealing once i'd smelt it.. (i had obviously been imagining them totally different & was a bit dissapointed - I will most probabaly end up getting them anyway though) but the bubblegum one smelt amazing. It's a mixture of Creamy Candy scent and Snow Fairy (that's my rather awful attempt at describing it)
It taste's just as delicious.

So what do i think? Overpriced? Probabaly, it is, after all, some oil & sugar & a bit of colouring & flavouring, but it's not something i would have the patience to make and how many of us ever just dip our fingers into the sugar bowl and rub it over our lips?
The one thing i find a bit..annoying about these is the fact that you can't do this on the go..you can't be out shopping, think your lips are feeling a bit dry and start rubbing this all over the place..and i say this because i did this with no mirror..looked in the mirror a few minutes later and looked as though i'd tried to eat a donut without licking my lips...and that was after i thought i had removed anything that may have still been there.
One other thing i thought i would mention was that my little glass pot, as cute as it is, had the most skewiff label ever..i took the whole thing off and put it on neatly..the person who made mine was obviously in a hurry to get these shipped out for all the chapped lipped ladies, it's not a massive deal, but it's the small things eh? a few more seconds spent on it, and it would have been fine. It was also extremely messy & a bit sticky around the lid but i cleaned that up.
One thing i can totally say is worth the money, is the fact it works, it does leave your lips feeling and looking one hundred times better, mine even seemed a little more plump from all the lip-rubbing. haha. I'd say it gives you the perfect base for a lipbalm or before lipstick. I also found it rather addictive..i was applying this almost every hour. The taste and smell is amazing, and because it's mainly sugar, you can just lick it off :P

RRP: £4.50

What do you think of the lip scrubs?

♥

New Lipstick Obsession - Bourjois Docteur Glamour

I was perusing the isles in Superdrug last week, and i came across this lipstick by Bourjois called "Docteur Glamour".

These lipsticks are promoted as an "Intensive Moisturising Treatment".

If like me, your lips suffer a lot during the colder months, and you find it harder to wear lipstick without your lips looking all flaky and dry, then something like this is an absolute dream. Not a lot of lipsticks I own are that moisturising so when I saw this, I immediately starting swatching the small collection of colours to find one I liked. Surprisingly, they had a gorgeous nude-pink (colour 11 - rose retabli) which had been tested right down to a little nub, unlike the other colours which remained almost untouched. This was obviously a popular colour.

The lipsticks contain mango & Shea butter so glide on so easily & really do look & feel moisturising.

I also picked up colour 13 which is an orangey toned pink..it was a mistake, I'll be honest haha, but i have grown to love it just as much.

The packaging is..well, it's okay. I wouldn't say it's all that special or "glamourous" but it does the job nicely. The lipstick also lasts a sufficient amount of time. Perfect for winter lips & I love the colour. It's a "my lips but better & slightly more nude & hydrated looking" shade.

RRP: £7.49

♥