i'm currently lusting over a number of items, none of which are in the realms of possibility. which is mostly due to the fact that i spent an obscene amount of money on monday, all of which went on american apparel and (more) makeup.
i think i have a problem?

ah well. c'est la vie!

dior addict ultra gloss reflect #757, Red Stockings (i actually have this, rediscovered it today, and need to get a new one asap!) - christian dior
flower clip - accessorize
bear ring - ASOS
maxi dress - accessorize
studded toe ankle boots - ASOS
mulch eyeshadow- MAC
la viva glam cyndi - MAC
tortiseshell raybans - Rayban (i'm assuming?)

if someone were to get these for me, i'd die happy.
well, until next week anyway.

oh & HOWDY to all my new followers! i did a little squeal when i saw the number creep past 60! i think once i reach triple figures (ie. 100), i shall have a giveaway! and don't be shy, drop me a line (or a few letters!

stop what you're doing. CALL THE PRESS! my skin no longer looks so hideously repulsive that i burrow in my bed and refuse to resurface. all thanks to some products in pretty blue glass bottles. after reading Tali's post on her rejuvinated love for Neal's Yard, i made a descision to treat myself 1nce i had handed in my coursework (which, incidentally, for those interested, i finished and handed in a day late. :'(, goodbye five marks).

i went to the original shop, at Neal's Yard in covent garden, and armed with my 20% coupon (thank you Marie Claire), i bought the Rose Facial Wash, Rose Water and Rose & Mallow moisturiser. the fact that this range is organic and has all-natural ingredients is definiately a drawing point, as i think slathering on chemical-rich products onto skin isn't the best idea!


Rose Facial Wash: i use this after i've removed my makeup with a facial wipe (thought this does remove makeup, i just prefer using a wipe first) and it removes any traces of makeup leftover. its extremley gentle, doesn't agravate my extremley sensitive skin or give that horrible "tight" feeling that some facewashes do! it's a gel cleanser that foams up slightly, and it also smells ever so slightly of roses, which i really like!

Rose Water: i LOVE this stuff. i apply this to a cleansed face by dabbing some onto a cotton pad and wiping over my face. it balances my skin (goodbye shiny shiny!) and closes up my pores, so that my foundation doesn't accentuate them.

Rose & Mallow Moisturiser: this is also another extremly wonderful find! i was stuck between this and the Yarrrow and Comfrey, but the latter smelled very strange, so i plumped for the first! this is perfect for combination skin; it moisturises my dry flaky bits without making the rest of my skin a greaseball. it soaks into the skin really quickly, and like the Rose Water, just leaves your skin feeling really...balanced.

i've been using them for the last four days and my skin has been thanking me for it! my skin is calm, balanced and i've seen a marked improvment in the size and frequency of blemishes. currently, i have none!! i even braved the webcam makeup free (tho, everyone looks better in webcam pictures admittedly!)

on a similar note, i had bought Olay's Complete Care Senstive Beauty Fluid, SPF 15 after reading Bubblegarm's post on it, and it was HORRIBLE to my skin :(
it made me break out and all these little white bumps appeared on my skin (that Neal's Yard has managed to rectify)!

what products work for you? and what ones JUST DON'T??

i want summer already! i want to go on holiday with my boi and, then with my girl to France! i want to be GOLDEN like i was here, last year! t-minus 3 months!


in the meanwhile...
to-do list:
- lose ten pounds (and not of the monetry variety)
- write my bloody essay (due in thursday, hello 2500 to write and 5 books to read...)
- aquire some summer, HECK, new clothing
- see all ma buds over easter that i havent seen in ashamedly too long

oh HAI midnight spending spree! i've missed you!

ooh, it's been a wee while! i've been weighed down with worries, with studies and with LIFE. still horrendously crippled with my workload ; remember that essay i said i had to begin reading for amonth ago? yeah? STILL HAVEN'T FINISHED THE READING AND ITS DUE THURSDAY. however, i am almost done meaning that rather than writing 8pm - 8am then handing it in for the 10am deadline, i may actually have a little more time!

ive been procrastinating, tho, as every student does reading SO MANY BLOGS, including Marcia's blog, Let there be shopping: she is having THE MOST AMAZING GIVEAWAY!
i have also cleaned all my makeup brushes - i flushed so red when i saw how yucky they were! they will be getting a bath every week now, if not more! my liquid foundation brushes (the E.L.F flat top stuudio powder brush) were especially icky, but as i have three i shall rotate them according, as they take about two days to dry!

moving on to my favourite things this month! we have; Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque, Rouge Bunny Rouge foundation, Revlon PhotoReady foundation and Sleek pallette in Storm.


Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque: if you have oily, combination acne prone skin, GET YOUR HANDS ON THIS. its only avaliable in the US, for a measly $3 i believe but luckily, we have a family friend out there who kindly sent it to me after i wouldn't stop going on about it to my mother (otherwise, Ebay is your answer, tho theyve upped the price to £8ish on there!!). anyway, this is bright green, smells exactly like toothpaste and is quite thick in consistency. ive been slathering this over my face almost everyday for the past two weeks and my breakouts have calmed down significantly (they were getting better cause i'm on antibiotics, but i still had a few pesky blemishes). it really calms down red, irritated skin and leaves the face matte and slightly tight. it can be a teeny bit drying, so always follow up with a moisturiser. but I'S LOVES THIS.

Rogue Bunny Rouge & Revlon PhotoReady: i'm gonna review these bad bois together as i've been mixing them up to make a lovely, matte yet slightly radiant foundation. the rogue bunny rogue was the most expensive foundation ive EVER bought (i can thank the gorgeous Tali for that!) and on it's own, provides quite sheer coverage that isn't really buildable and leaves your skin looking quite matte (i have this in 025, almond i think!). the revlon photoready, which i managed to get my hands on from my local Boots when i was home last weekend, was in comparison much more reasonable priced, and i have 002 Vanilla. it's a tiny bit too light but the next shade down, 003 Shell, seemed alot more orange and oxidised on my hand as i walked around the store trying to not buy ANOTHER foundation. clearly i failed. i won't go on about it because its received millions of reviews already; ill say that it gives medium-full coverage, the sparkles really aren't THAT noticeable and simply look pretty and it just gives a flawless look.
however, mixing the two together give me the exact right colour, a matte yet slightly glowy complexion that lasts pretty much all day, with no nasty oxidisation or settling oil on top of my skin (Estee Lauder DoubleWear, i'm looking at you!). i am so happy with this hybrid of foundation!

Sleek Palette in Storm: ive had this baby for ages and love it to pieces; i sing all the usual Sleek praises - highly pigmented eyeshadows, longlasting and gorgeous colours for teeny tiny prices! but particularly ive been loving two shades that i hadnt even touched before a month ago (and ive had this six months?). this is the nude along the top row, third from the left and the dark brown on the bottom row, second from the right.


ive been pairing the nude all over my eyelid with just a brown liquid kitten flick (no mascara) foundation and blusher, and it gives a really pretty, natural and subtle look. ive been using the brown to define my eyebrows - something which i had NEVER done before but was a result from a particularly snoozful evening. i use a slanted brush and very carefully just swipe some on in featherlike, soft movements.

i'll be back soon; i have to tackle this gross essay and get it DONE AND DUSTED. wish me luck!