Ruby Slippers

A couple of weekends ago I went to my dad's family work Christmas party with my niece and I figured it was as good a time as any to break out the red glitter. I wanted to keep the look fairly simple (for one that involved red glitter) so I just applied some of the shade Venetian Red from the ABH Modern Renaissance palette and blended it out and up into a winged out shape. I then used a flat shader brush to apply the glitter from the Pixi Glitter-y Eye Quad in RoseBronze concentrating the majority of the glitter close to the lash line with less on the brush as I moved it up towards the socket line. I finished the eyes with mascara and didn't add any liner or anything under the eyes as I thought the red glitter was enough. I wore nude lips during the day and then later tried it with red lipstick and I think it looked great both ways. I used three Lisa Eldridge lipsticks, Muse and Fawn for the nude, with Muse at the edges and Fawn in the centre and Velvet Ribbon as the red. This is such an easy way to create a festive eye look as these glitters don't need any glitter glue, you could actually just pat them on with your fingers if you wanted. There is very little fall down because they're suspended in a cream formula which makes them quick and easy to apply if you don't have much time to get ready.

As you can see it looks quite different depending on the lip shade you pair it with. You could wear this look with any shade of glitter (there's a pink, purple and bronze in this palette) and even pair it with glossy lips. I think it would look great with a clear gloss. What do you think? Would you wear this look?

*Glossier Futuredew Oil Serum Hybrid
*Erborian CC Crème (Clair)
*Clarins Skin Illusion Foundation (101 Linen)
Soapbrows
Glossier Brow Flick (Brown)
*Clarins Glow 2 Go Blush and Highlighter Duo
Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skinstick (Amber)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (Anti-Aging)
Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette (Venetian Red)
Pixi Glitter-y Eye Quad (RoseBronze)
*Urban Decay Perversion Mascara
*bareMinerals bareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer (Fair)
**Glossier Cloud Paint (Storm and Dusk)
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter (1 Fair)
*L'Oréal Infallible Magic Loose Powder
Lisa Eldridge True Velvet Lip Colour (Velvet Fawn, Velvet Muse and Velvet Ribbon)


What's your go-to festive makeup look?


Emma x


*PR Sample
**Storm is a PR Sample, I bought Dusk myself
***Glossier products are affiliate links, if you choose to shop via those links I will receive a small percentage of the sale but it won't cost you anything extra.

Get Down Tonight

Last month I ordered a couple more Bodyography Glitter Pigments, Prism (a duo chrome green/brown) and Get Down (a rosy purple). One of my favourite makeup colour combinations is purple and red and you may have seen me wearing these shades together before so I knew when they arrived I wanted to wear Get Down with a red lipstick. I thought it was fitting to wear it in a look that had a slight nod to the seventies as Get Down was part of the Disco collection that Bodyography released last year. 

I used the purple eyeshadow Backfire from Urban Decay as a base in a winged out shape and then applied Get Down all over on top and Eclipse Glitter Pigment just in the centre of my lid. I used the Glossier Colorslide in Disaster Class along my water line as I thought the deep wine shade went well with the warm purple eyeshadow. 

As usual with any look I do, but in particular something this full on, I tried to keep my skin fresh and glowing. I started off using Glossier Futuredew which has become one of my favourite ways to prep my skin for makeup. I don't tend to use primers as I don't find I need them but if I ever do use one it's usually something hydrating, especially at this time of year. This is where I find Futuredew excels. Like a lot of people my skin leans on the more dry side during the Winter and I love that this instantly makes it look and feel radiant and hydrated. Makeup goes on no problem over it and it doesn't make my t-zone any more oily than usual. Any time I wear this I get complimented on how glowy my skin looks so I know it's working. 

I used the Erborian CC Crème again in a light layer and then No7 HydraLuminous on top as it's not too heavy but just gave me extra coverage as my skin has been acting up recently and I have some marks from blemishes left on my skin. These two products applied in light layers over Futuredew gave me the most radiant looking skin but it didn't look or feel heavy and it lasted all day. 

On my lips I used the No7 Precision Lips liner in Red and one of my favourite lipsticks released this year, the Clarins Joli Rouge Lip Lacquer in Joli Rouge which is a classic cool toned red with beautifully flattering lacquered finish. I absolutely adore this lipstick formula and Clarins have nailed the shades, I can't recommend them enough! I actually wore this look to see Frozen 2 in the cinema which is quite fitting as it's very similar to Elsa's eye makeup, total coincidence!

*Glossier Futuredew Oil Serum Hybrid
*Erborian CC Crème (Clair)
No7 HydraLuminous Moisturising Foundation (Porcelain)
*Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear Camouflage Concealer (010 Beige Porcelaine)
*bareMinerals bareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer (Fair)
YSL Beauty Touche Éclat (1 Luminous Radiance)
Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skinstick (Amber)
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz (Medium Brown)
Glossier Boy Brow (Brown)
*Urban Decay Eyeshadow (Backfire)
Bodyography Glitter Pigment (Get Down and Eclipse)
Glossier Play Colorslide Technogel Eye Pencil (Disaster Class)
*Urban Decay Perversion Mascara (not pictured)
**Glossier Cloud Paint (Dusk and Storm)
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter (1 Fair)
*Glossier Play Niteshine Highlighter Concentrate (Platinum Rose)
*L'Oréal Paris Infallible Magic Loose Powder
Pixi Glow Mist
No7 Precision Lips Pencil (Red)
*Clarins Joli Rouge Lip Lacquer (742L Joli Rouge)


What do you think of purple and red together? Have you tried any of these products?

Emma x


*PR Sample
**I bought Dusk, Storm is a PR Sample
***Glossier products are affiliate links, if you choose to shop via those links I will receive a small percentage of the sale but it won't cost you anything extra.

Mint Midnight

Last week I was scrolling through Instagram as you do and I came across this look that makeup artist Erin Parsons created for British Vogue on the gorgeous Lily Aldridge. I loved the colour combination of metallic mint green on the eyes and glossy deep burgundy on the lips. I saved it straight away so I could recreate it at the weekend.

I recently received the Erborian CC Crème SPF 25 as a press sample and I wanted to use it with this look as it has light coverage that I thought would balance out the strong eyes and lips. I have included before and after photos of me wearing it so you can see the kind of coverage it gives. It's a product I've wanted to try for a long time as I'm a big fan of Asian skincare and makeup and anytime I saw anything written about this CC Crème I thought it sounded like exactly my kind of base product. Inevitably it draws comparisons with the IT Cosmetics CC Cream (which I have reviewed here). However the two products are quite different despite offering colour correction and skincare properties. The Erborian one is for anyone who wants some kind of colour correction but likes lighter coverage and wants their makeup to actually benefit their skin too.

I found the best way to apply this is with my fingers although a brush does a good job too. The product is white when it comes out of the tube but once you blend it in the pigments adapt to your skin tone. It is descried as a High Definition Illuminator with pigments that enhance your skins appearance while enriching and improving the texture and quality of your skin. It's meant to even out your complexion and reduce the appearance of blemishes leaving your skin luminous.

It contains an ingredient called Centella Asiatica which is a popular ingredient in South Korean skincare. It is known for having antioxidant properties and is a source of amino acids (a skincare essential) and it hydrates and soothes the skin. It also contains Vitamin E, Honey Extract and Tiger Grass which is an anti-inflammatory that promotes healing.

It's skincare and makeup in one which, as I've mentioned before in previous posts, is what I'm looking for more and more in base products as I'm getting older and is a big reason why I love the IT Cosmetics CC Cream. I love that this comes in both a 15ml (£17/€18) and 45ml tube so you could buy the small size to try out and see if you like it because at £38/€45 it isn't cheap. The only negative I've come across so far and it seems to be the biggest reason people have said they didn't get on with it and that's the shade range. It only comes in three shades, Clair, Doré and Caramel. I found the shade Clair was more cool/neutral on my skin tone. The pigments are supposed to adapt to your skin tone but if you're thinking of investing you might want to try a sample first as I'm not sure how it would be on skin darker than mine. This is for the person who likes light coverage and a radiant finish with sun protection and colour correction (ie. if you have pigmentation, rosacea or blemishes).

I obviously haven't been using it for long but so far I find it easy to use as I just apply it like a moisturiser with my hands. I've tried it alone and it's exactly the kind of light coverage I like but it's definitely helped to cover any red marks left over from my recent breakouts. I've also tried it under foundation and with this technique is serves as sun protection and almost like a brightening and correcting primer and obviously gives you more coverage if that's your preference. I just love how radiant it makes my skin look.

For the rest of my makeup I used the beautiful green shades Big Sky and Radio and a little of the green glitter from the Pixi quad on my lower lash line. I paired it with Lisa Eldridge Midnight all over the lips and then I applied some of Myth just in the centre to add dimension. I went with matte finish lips instead of the editorial glossy finish from the original image. I absolutely adore these two shades from the Born to Run palette and they work so well together. Let me know what you think!

Bare faced

Just wearing the Erborian CC Crème in Clair

*Glossier Futuredew Oil Serum Hybrid
*Erborian CC Crème (Clair)
*bareMinerals bareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer (Fair)
YSL Beauty Touche Eclat
Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skinstick (Amber)
Soapbrows Kit
Glossier Brow Flick (Brown)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging
Urban Decay Born to Run Palette (Big Sky and Radio)
Pixi Glitter-y Eye Quad (BluePearl)
Revlon So Fierce! Vinyl Eyeliner (Force of Steel)
*Urban Decay Perversion Mascara
Glossier Cloud Paint (Dusk)
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter (1 Fair)
Glossier Haloscope (Moonstone)
*L'Oréal Paris Infaillible Magic Loose Powder
Pixi Glow Mist
Lisa Eldridge Velvet Lipstick (Midnight and Myth)

What's your favourite makeup colour combination?
Emma x




*Press Sample
**Glossier products are affiliate links, if you choose to shop via those links I will receive a small percentage of the sale but it won't cost you anything extra.

Lisa Eldridge Lipsticks- The Blue Velvet Collection

Today's post is the second of two featuring the beautiful New Velvet Lipsticks from Lisa Eldridge. The Blue Velvet Collection consists of Velvet Beauty, Velvet Myth and Velvet Midnight. Velvet Beauty is described as a beautiful and vibrant light pink berry inspired by the rosy lips of pre-Raphaelite paintings. Velvet Myth is described as a wildly vivid Mulberry inpired by a vintage kimono Lisa bought on her first trip to Japan and Velvet Midnight is described as a dramatic blackberry.

When I saw the first images of the lipsticks I knew straight away I wanted all three of these shades. I especially loved that they came in a set called the Blue Velvet Collection as Blue Velvet one of my favourite films. The shades of these lipsticks really remind me of the colours in the film and it inspired me to take some photos on the backdrop of my blue velvet jacket. This isn't really a review of the lipsticks but more of an appreciation post. I wrote a little bit more about them in my previous post. Having worn these three over the past week I'm so happy that I got this set. They're just all so beautiful on and the perfect berry shades for this time of year in particular. I wore the same makeup as I had on in the last post I just added a little more of Cloud Paint in Haze. 

Velvet Midnight, Velvet Myth, Velvet Beauty

In direct sunlight

Velvet Beauty

Velvet Myth

Velvet Midnight

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm
*Clarins Skin Illusion Foundation (101 Linen)
*bareMinerals bareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer (Fair)
*Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear Camouflage Concealer (010 Beige Porcelaine)
Fenty Beauty Match Stick Matte Skinstick (Amber)
*Clarins Glow 2 Go Blush and Highlighter Duo (02 Golden Peach)
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz (Medium Brown)
Glossier Boy Brow (Brown)
Revlon So Fierce! Vinyl Eyeliner (Force of Steel)
*Glossier Pro Tip
*Urban Decay Perversion Mascara
**Glossier Cloud Paint (Dusk and Haze)
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter (1 Fair)
Glossier Haloscope (Moonstone)
*L'Oréal Paris Infallible Magic Loose Powder
Ardell Individuals Duralash Naturals Knot-Free Flares Short and Medium
Duo Eyelash Glue (Black)

Sadly the only lipstick of these three that's still available to order is Velvet Midnight.
See my posts on the New Velvet Collection, Velvet Ribbon and the Summer Pinks Collection. You can see me wearing Velvet Jazz here and Velvet Morning here.

Did you get your hands on any of the lipsticks? Which one is your favourite?

Emma x


*Press Sample
**Haze is a press sample, I bought Dusk myself
***Glossier products are affiliate links, if you choose to shop via those links I will receive a small percentage of the sale but it won't cost you anything extra.

Lisa Eldridge Lipsticks- The New Velvet Collection

Earlier this month, Lisa Eldridge launched six new shades in her velvet lipstick range. She also brought back the much loved trio of shades from last year as well as some of the Summer Collection. On the launch day I had my alarm set, ready to go with four shades in mind to buy, The Blue Velvet Set which includes Velvet Beauty, Velvet Myth and Velvet Midnight and also Velvet Muse. However about ten minutes before the launch Lisa posted a video in which she applied all of the lipsticks and I was sold on Fawn after seeing it in the video. The only one I wasn't sure would suit me was Velvet Decade as it's a chocolate brown shade so I didn't include it. I placed my order and I was so happy that I was going to have more of her beautiful lipsticks in my collection. However I couldn't stop thinking about Velvet Decade and after seeing some more photos of it I decided to add that to my order a few days later. 

It's obviously a lot of money to spend in one go on six lipsticks but I have no problem doing it as I absolutely love the lipsticks of hers that I have and I wear them all the time. I also think you're getting such beautiful shades and quality for your money. I received my order earlier this week and I managed to hold out trying them until Friday when I had some time (and most importantly daylight) to take some photos. It's been so dull all week that it was hard to take any photos but I finally got some and I'm so excited to share them in today's post. I'm splitting it into two posts, one with the Blue Velvet Collection and this one, the New Velvet Set featuring Velvet Decade, Velvet Muse and Velvet Fawn. There are a lot of photos as I want to be thorough just in case anyone hasn't placed an order yet and is looking for more photos and swatches before they decide, also they're so gorgeous I kind of got carried away taking photos of them!

So let's get into the three shades from the New Velvet Collection- Velvet Decade, Velvet Muse and Velvet Fawn. On her website, Decade is described as a chic deep cocoa brown with both warm and cool undertones inspired by hand tinted sepia fashion portraits. Muse is described as a sensual, smoky rosewood shade with pinky brown and dirty rose undertones and Fawn is described as a pretty and delicate fawn shade inspired by the 90s shades in Lisa's vintage makeup collection. The lipsticks are a matte formula but creamy and hydrating matte with a slight sheen so they're not flat looking on the lips. They don't feel dry at all but light and comfortable. I used a muslin cloth and some cleansing balm to exfoliate my lips first and then applied some Glossier Bubblewrap which sinks in quickly so that my lips were hydrated but not too shiny so I could apply the lipstick straight away rather than waiting for a balm to sink in.

So what do I think? I was probably the least certain of how Decade and Fawn would suit me but I needn't have worried. In her video about the collection, Lisa describes the undertones of each shade and how they make them more wearable for every skin tone. I know not every shade will appeal to everyone but I genuinely think there's something for everyone. Like all lipsticks and makeup in general, products will look different on everyone depending on their natural skin tone and lip colour. But I think the shades have been expertly developed to suit so many different skin tones. Who would have thought I'd love a chocolate brown shade so much on me. Muse is such a great "my lips but better" shade on me and I can see it being one of those shades that goes with so many looks. Fawn is such a pretty Bardot-esque shade that I can see myself wearing with more intense eye looks and sixties style looks too. 

I've included a photo with swatches of all three lipsticks beside three Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks just for colour reference. I thought they would be much more similar to the CT shades I chose but as you can see they're actually so different. I swiped each one twice so they're all the same amount of intensity. Hopefully if you have yet to order a lipstick it will give you an idea of what the shades looks like.

Velvet Decade, Velvet Muse and Velvet Fawn

Velvet Decade

Velvet Muse

Velvet Fawn

L-R Velvet Fawn Charlotte Tilbury Bitch Perfect, Velvet Muse, Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk, Velvet Decade, Charlotte Tilbury Birkin Brown

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm
*Clarins Skin Illusion Foundation (101 Linen)
*bareMinerals bareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer (Fair)
*Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear Camouflage Concealer (010 Beige Porcelaine)
Fenty Beauty Match Stick Matte Skinstick (Amber)
*Clarins Glow 2 Go Blush and Highlighter Duo (02 Golden Peach)
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz (Medium Brown)
Glossier Boy Brow (Brown)
Revlon So Fierce! Vinyl Eyeliner (Force of Steel)
*Glossier Pro Tip
*Urban Decay Perversion Mascara
**Glossier Cloud Paint (Dusk and Haze)
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter (1 Fair)
Glossier Haloscope (Moonstone)
*L'Oréal Paris Infallible Magic Loose Powder
Ardell Individuals Duralash Naturals Knot-Free Flares Short and Medium
Duo Eyelash Glue (Black)


I'm so in love with these lipsticks, they have completely surpassed my expectations and I'm so excited to keep wearing them in different ways. Muse is currently sold out in the single form but is still available in the Ultimate Velvet Mix Collection alongside Decade and Ribbon. See my posts on Velvet Ribbon and the Summer Pinks Collection. You can see me wearing Velvet Jazz here and Velvet Morning here.

Did you get your hands on any of the lipsticks? Which one is your favourite? Keep an eye out for my post on the Blue Velvet Collection coming very soon!

Emma x


*Press Sample
**Haze is a press sample, I bought Dusk myself
***Glossier products are affiliate links, if you choose to shop via those links I will receive a small percentage of the sale but it won't cost you anything extra.