Lips of the Month: Chili

This month I've been a girl of simple appearance.  In between studying, working, eating, studying, sleeping and studying makeup has been the last thing on my mind.  However I recently went for a coffee with a friend who was back in Brighton for a couple of weeks from a year abroad in Alicante, which of course warranted lipstick.  And rediscovered my pure, unadulterated love for Mac's Chili.

 This is a fiery, terracotta-toned red shade that is still beautifully wearable during the day.  In spite of being a matte formula (which I traditionally haven't got on with), this one is not nearly as drying as my ultimate love-hate Mac lipstick, Velvet Teddy.  I didn't really believe the Sales Advisor when she told me the lipsticks vary slightly in mattifiying effect from shade to shade - but she was right!

The colour is rich and long lasting, and perfect for any other green-eyed girls (monsters?) out there.  Maybe I'll finally become a red lipstick girl - can anyone recommend any other shades?

Ruby x 

 

Follow

Nars Eye Paint in Black Valley: Review

And so, my quest for an above average eyeliner continues.  Since the birth of this blog I've grappled with the likes of Smashbox and Stila's offerings, but to little avail.  Smashbox didn't have quite the right amount of pigment, and Stila was not enough bang for your buck (I was going through one every couple of months!), so I decided it was time to try something new...and that something is Nars' Eye Paint in the shade Black Valley.

 



This is a gel formula liner, which I have tended to have the most luck with over the years - I'm certainly better with a brush than with a pen.  I also think gel liners work out much better value in the end.  This was £19 from Space NK, and by the looks of it will probably last me 2-3 years, as a little goes a long way! 

The colour is pretty much as black as you can go, and dries to a gorgeous deep matte.  The formula is creamy and very movable, making it fairly easy to apply as long as you've got a trusty liner brush to hand.  I haven't yet tried it, but the sales assistant I spoke to about it in the shop also mentioned you can use these paint pots as all over creamy shadows as the colour is quite buildable - however I'm not too sure I'd be using it all over my lid in this shade (unless I was dressing up as a panda, maybe).

My only qualm with this would be the staying power, as always.  I think they need to invent an eyeliner that includes some kind of safe adhesive in its ingredients.  I'm fine for the first few hours, but once those facial oils start to creep through I'm in smudge city.  I've found using an eyelid primer or applying over the top of a powdered lid definitely helps - it's still not fail safe, but it'll do for now. 

 

Will my quest for eyeliner ever end?  I'll keep you posted...

Ruby x



Follow

Denim Denim

Pretty much anyone who knows me will also probably know I have a massive thing for denim.  And when I saw this jacket at a vintage stall in Berlin back in February (for more on that trip click here and here) it was love at first sight, despite it being grossly out of season and really, really cold.

  

Although it was a little steep at around €45 from what I can remember, I think denim jackets are always an excellent investment - not saying you can't get good 'uns cheaply - but that when the right one does come along, buy it and cherish it, because they last forever.  Similarly, these jeans have seen me through the past 3 years (minimum), all year.  And I think paired with the jacket, despite being slightly different shades, it's a match made in quirky heaven. 

Shoes - TK Maxx (similar) / Jeans - Urban Outfitters Urban Renewal (similar) / Top - Zara (similar)

Jacket - Vintage (United Colours of Benetton) / Bag - BrandAlley

The other thing I couldn't not talk about is this bag, another love affair story.  With student loan having just dropped, and a couple of my favourite cross body bags having just bitten the dust, I thought I'd treat myself to something a little better made that will hopefully last me longer.  

I got this from a website called BrandAlley which is a 'non-stop designer sale', aka Aladdin's cave for bargain hunters like me.  I paid £45 for this in the end as I got a £10 first purchase discount, but that's with a 74% discount on the initial cost.  Yeah, I know.  It's also super reminiscent of the Chloé Faye bag too, but at a fraction of the cost.

And finally, I introduce my latest TK Maxx find - these very Celine-esque sunglasses from a brand called Derek Lam.  I can't fault TK Maxx for their range of sunnies - you can find so many brands at so many different price points, but all really good bang for your buck. 

So, that concludes the whistle stop tour of where the first 20% of my student loan has gone.  Enjoy the sunshine my loves,

Ruby x

Follow

The Military Jacket

 

Now that the weather is getting a little warmer, a whole new range of wardrobe options have become available to me and that is something I am so happy about.  I'm a really cold person (inside as well as out) so it's not really until this time of year that I feel like I can start to really get my style on.  There's only so much you can do when you have to wear a jumper and coat over the top of everything...

And one of my new found loves has to be this jacket - which is actually relatively old.  I got this late November last year when Missguided had one of those extra special 50% off everything for students events.  I'd never actually ordered anything from the site before and so thought it would be a good opportunity to try...  although this was not the most practical purchase for the time of year, as it really is quite lightweight and not very warm!  But luckily I'm getting some wear out of it now.  It's not on the site anymore now but I did find this other military style jacket which is just to die for.

Follow

Another thing I've got really into recently is culottes (again!). 

 

 Top - Urban Outfitters (old) / Culottes - Zara (similar) / Shoes - Adidas Stan Smiths (v similar)

Bag - Fiorelli @ TK Maxx / Zip up hoodie - Primark / Jacket - Missguided

These ones are from Zara, and they're probably one of the comfiest items of clothing to ever have graced my wardrobe.  They've also got a rather sexual split down the side of each leg, which I haven't managed to get in these pics - but probably best left to the imagination anyway.  

Finally I have to give some air time to the latest addition to my wardrobe, which are this beautiful pair of trainers.  I picked these up on a whim in the Adidas outlet store in Gunwharf Quays - and weirdly enough, I can't find them online but these are very similar.  I was so unsure when I first saw these, but a couple of weeks in and I'm bloody loving them.  They're so versatile as trainers go, and I'm obsessed with the textured look of the shoe. 

Hope you've all had a fabulous weekend.  Love,

Ruby x