NOTD: Bourjois Rouge Diva (or the best red ever)

The pictures of this didn't come out very well, but I adore this red. It's the perfect cherry red creme - and so very glossy that even Seche Vite almost dulls it. I get comments on it whenever I wear it, it's classic but striking and it's an amazing red for darker skins.

 

It looks a bit dull and dusty here but in real life it's amazing!

FOTD: Red lips!

I don't do red lips very often, but I do love the look when I do. But it's odd, I get stared at so much when I wear red lipstick. Very weird!

I'm wearing a New Look dress here that I got for £8 in the sale, and which has satisfied my hankering for a peter pan collar. I wasn't sure the taupe would work on me but it's just different enough from my skintone to look ok. I'll try to get an OOTD featuring it soon, because it's quite lovely. But here are two of my favourite bloggers wearing it in the meantime: Afeitar  and Dani Don't they both wear it beautifully? The hairband is from Primark, and is intricately beaded with pearls and grey stones. It's as close as I'll get to one of these babies, alas!

What I'm wearing:

Base:
MAC Moisturecover Select concealer

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion on upper lids
MAC Woodwinked and Urban Decay YDK mixed on lids and a shadow I can't recall in the crease
Avon Supershock Gel liner in black
Maybelline Colossal mascara in 100% Black

Face:
Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation
Sleek Scandalous blush with NARS Albatross buffed over the top
MAC Brow in Spiked

Lips:
Rimmel Rouge Diva lipliner (a really fantastic red lipliner which is so pigmented and smooth it could also be used as a lipcolour)
MAC So Scarlet lipstick (LE from my beloved Cult of Cherry collection)

High End to Low End Beauty Switches

Of late I have seriously curbed my high-end makeup compulsion. Partly due to necessity, but partly also due to the fact that the UK high street is offering up some fantastic alternatives to high-end products, with amazing amounts of pigment, interesting shades, and great quality.

So here are the things I've switched budget-wise (with little or no compromise on quality):

YSL Faux Cils £21 >>>> Maybelline Colossal Mascara £6.99
saving £14.00

MAC eyeshadows £12.50 >>>> Sleek Palettes £5.99
saving more than £6.50 (because you have 12 for the price of half of one MAC shadow!)

MAC blushes £17.00 >>>> Sleek Blushes £4.99
saving £12

Chanel Liquid Liner with Brush £21.45 >>> 17 Liquid Liner £3.99
saving £17.55 (I did this switch a long time ago, but still!)

MAC Eye Kohls £13.00 >>> GOSH/Avon Supershock Gel Liners £6
Saving £7.00

I'd say switching mascara has saved me the most money as it's the thing I go through quickest, but even with the shadows and blushes I don't feel I've sacrificed at all in terms of quality with these switches, which as a woman of colour I could not have said even a couple of years ago with high street colour cosmetics.

Of course, when I'm after a very specific colour sometimes only high-end brands will do: a couple of years ago I went on the most epic hunt for a shimmery spring green shadow, that didn't lean too yellow (MAC Juxt) or too blue. The hunt took me to pretty much every counter I can think of, with only Shu Uemura coming up trumps. P  Green 450 cost me £15, but for that price I got one of the prettiest butteriest shadows in my collection, one that I cannot think of another dupe for, high or low-end. Though I won't give up high-end makeup altogether (and cannot seem to get on with high street lip colours at all!) there are definite savings to be made if one keeps an open mind and shops around! (I heart blog sales and Cheapsmells.com!)

It's the little things

I love woolly tights. I love woolly tights in an array of patterns and colours. And I love Primark for supplying me with these.

Sparkly bow cotton tights, light grey/black polka dot cotton tights, black/grey heart print tights, £3 each, all Primark

NOTD: OPI Houston We Have A Purple

I was really not sure of this once I'd got out of the murky dark Sally's Express I bought it in. It was a lot warmer toned than I'd hoped, and warm pinks don't work as well on me as plummy purply pinks do. I was considering adding a bit of navy polish to it to make it cooler but sensible Twitter friends cautioned me against.

I thought I'd give it a go as it was, and I love it. It's partly the jelly finish (which OPI calls "sorbet", they have to posh it up!) which makes the warm pink look so juicy, like raspberry juice on your nails. The glossiness, squishiness, the shade, it's just a lovely, uplifting shade.

Check out the glossy jelly finish. Delicious: