Another Ruby Tuesday: November 2016

Saturday 26 November 2016

Budget Brow Saviour: Maybelline Brow Drama

I don't know if anyone else has been suffering in the wake of Storm Angus with sudden and vicious gusts of wind threatening dignity and composure all in the same breath..? Brighton has been particularly windy in the past week, which has had me reaching for everything I can to preserve my makeup. And while there is very little that can prevent my watery eyes, I've rekindled my love for Maybelline's Brow Drama Sculpting Mascara as a fail-safe way to keep those caterpillars in place all day long.

My first steps involve giving my brows a little brush through using a spoolie brush, then using Mac's 253 to apply my well-loved ABH Dipbrow Pomade, to give them some initial shape and colour (admittedly they could've done with a pluck too - apologies, the approaching uni deadline stress is real)...

And once that's done, it's time for Brow Drama.

Having tried a few slightly more expensive brow gels by the likes of MAC and Laura Mercier, I have to say, this is equally as good, if not better - I really don't think there could ever be a huge difference between high street and high end brands with regards to this type of product. It's the perfect brow finisher - sets them in place, adds a tiny tint of colour, and keeps them put all day. Marvellous!

Ruby x

Thursday 17 November 2016

Coveting the Cape

Every time I wear this cape I have this hilarious mental image of an even more miniature Edna Mode from The Incredibles shouting 'no capes!!!' frantically at me. But for me, a cape is just about the best thing since hot tea and carrot cake in terms of seeing me through Autumn. Wearing one is a little bit like wearing a big woolly picnic blanket over your shoulders, except you feel ten times classier and look far less ridiculous.

Cape - TK Maxx / Top - Zara / Pinafore - New Look / Boots - TK Maxx

Bag - Urban Outfitters (similar)

I've found this one to be so versatile, too. It's the perfect accompaniment to jeans, skirts and pinafores alike, trousers or leggings and looks equally good with smarter boots or an old pair of favourite trainers. Capes are great for layering in colder weather, particularly over things like denim or leather jackets for that extra layer of comfort and warmth.

For a great selection of capes, I cannot recommend TK Maxx enough. I got mine last year for around £20 and have managed to get so much wear out of it already. As long as you're determined, that place can be a goldmine!

Ruby x

Sunday 13 November 2016

Lips of the Month: Morange

There's nothing quite like the feeling of getting a new lipstick, and last month my parents (although I suspect it was my mother doing the buying) gave me this gorgeous new shade 'Morange' as part of my birthday gifts.

The shade is a beautiful orangey-red, and gives an 'amplified' finish - it's a buttery, subtly glossy formula with a hint of moisture. Before applying I prep my lips with my long time favourite lip balm brand, EOS. There are a few things I specifically love about EOS: one HAS to be the packaging, which looks like a dinky, brightly coloured dinosaur egg. The second has to be the formula which provides instant hydration and smells amazing, and the third has to be they taste great on your lips - it's like having a spoonful of dessert every time you apply it.

Once the balm has had a few minutes to sink in I'll dab off any excess then apply the lipstick...

Ta-dah! I love a bright, fiery red and this one's playful enough to wear during the day as well as the night. Especially as we're coming into Winter, I think this will be the perfect colour to brighten up all the inevitable greyscale outfits that will shortly follow...

Can anyone recommend some other bright shades?

Ruby x

Tuesday 8 November 2016

Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate - Review

Recently I've been branching out from my usual choice of moisturiser (La Roche Posay's Effaclar Duo), and trying some different types of product and brands on my skin. I find particularly between seasons that my skin can become a bit of a challenge to manage - I'll be dry in the afternoon, oily in the evening, and suffering breakouts the rest of the time. For a long time I would shy away from using moisturisers, thinking it would exacerbate my oily areas, but I now really enjoy using either a lightweight moisturiser or a serum like this one to keep my skin hydrated without clogging my pores or looking overly shiny.

This is not the kind of product I would ever have decided to try of my own accord as it is completely out of my price range at a whopping £59 for 30ml. I came across it totally by chance - I lie, it was through some clever PR work - as it came as part of a 'free gift' with the purchase of two other Lancome products (or some similarly tempting proposal). My original 'free gift' bottle was a sample sized 5ml, which I took on holiday with me to Greece and could not get enough of. Upon returning, I trawled Depop for a couple of days until I saw someone was selling a bottle of the stuff for a fraction of the price as it was an unwanted gift. Needless to say, I snapped it up - parting with just £20 in the end.

The serum is a lightweight, silky texture and comes in a luxurious glass bottle with a pipette dispenser. Despite actually being marketed on account of its of anti-ageing properties, the main reason I love this product is because it makes my skin look and feel so hydrated and healthy, like I've been drinking matcha smoothies and doing yoga daily for the last 5 years. It makes the perfect base for days where I do want to wear makeup, and for days when I don't, gives me a little bit of extra confidence.

For me, this is my new favourite luxury to see me through Autumn.

Ruby x

Tuesday 1 November 2016

Pizza date @ Franco Manca Brighton

October, where did you go?! Apologies for my lack of... well, anything. To be frank, third year is actually quite hard, and blogging has had to take a little bit of a back seat. But I'm hoping now I'm settled back into the routine I can manage to keep up with at least a couple of posts a month. You might just have to be a little patient with me.

I turned 21 on the weekend, and to kick things off my wonderful mother came to visit me in Brighton for the day on Friday. We had tickets to the TEDx Brighton conference (if you haven't heard of the TED talks go and have a little search on YouTube, they're great) which was, in a nutshell, amazing. However it was a considerably long day - we met at the train station at 7.30am before grabbing a coffee and heading into the Dome for the day to begin. By the lunch break at midday we were both starving, and headed out on the hunt for something cheesy and delicious.

And Franco Manca was where we ended up! I had wanted to go here for ages, having heard from everyone that it was one of the best places in Brighton for pizza. Italian wouldn't usually be my first choice, however, anything with sourdough in the name and I'm there. All of the pizzas at Franco Manca are made on a stonebaked sourdough base. There are 7 to choose from, and every day there are two specials (one meat, one veggie) as well as special additional toppings, starters and a dessert. The service was efficient and the staff chirpy, the food speedy, delicious and really reasonably priced - you're looking at around £6/£7 for a generously proportioned wheel of goodness.