Lipstick Collection: part III, lipcare and gloss

This is the cutest practical pot of rosy lips vaseline which my best friend brought me back from America.

I sort of hoped that this would be a miracle answer to lipstick staying power, however, it can just dry your lips out and make them stick together, which isn't entirely ideal. 

Comes with an initial tingly sensation which can be unpleasant if unexpected.

This does work, although the colour itself is not particularly flattering. I would buy this in a different shade.

1st Attempt at lingerie

This images are from my first attempt at making lingerie. I used patterns from the book 'The Secrets of Sewing Lingerie' which I would highly recommend. This project was quite simple due to the use of tulle which doesn't fray. Then again, I do think this makes the garments look delicate and pretty, it probably does not lend particularly to the practical element of underwear.

 In order to improve the appearance of the garments I would use a black elastic in future. I would also like to try using pastel blue for the straps and roses. Potentially a light blue trimming lace also.

Lipstick Collection: part II, pinks and purples

Welcome to the Second Part of my Lipstick Collection which consists of pinks and purple lip colours.

This is a nice pastel pink, however, my Secret Admirer lipstick from Topshop managed to snap in the tube, and had to be rescued in the fridge and is now a little messy. Also, I still like the barbie -esque nature of the colour, it is indeed quite highly pigmented. I might purchase a brush for applying lipstick.

This is a berry colour, and I think of it as my Pre-Raphaelite coloured lipstick. It reminds me of the jewel like autumnal hues in their paintings.

This purple lipstick is nearly black. Its pretty striking, but perhaps a little safer than a completely jet black. It's also got a dry quality to it, so I would suggest moisturising before applying.

This is quite a subtle matt pink.

Revlon is my current favourite brand. I have a lipstick that I shall write a short post about called Copper Frost which is the easiest, slightly shimmery, metallic shade, which in turn goes perfectly with my copper JuJu Jelly Shoes that I bought for £13 on the recent office sale.

I prefer my lipstick that is a darker shade of purple. Furthermore, this is more purple than a berry tone that the name suggests.

Lipstick Collection: part I, reds and oranges

I would say that Lipstick is one of my main make-up essentials. I wear it most days, and I often wear it on days when I don't have any specific plans or people to see. In the morning I organise which lipstick I need to stick in my handbag for that day.

This is Part 1 of my collection. Reds & Oranges.

919 Electric Orange by Maybelline New York is a part of the Colour Sensational Vivids Lip Color. This was one of the first more daring lipsticks I bought, when I was about 17 and managed to get away with at College. This is one I have re-bought a couple times. I have found its surprisingly easy to wear. Although, because it has quite a creamy texture, it has a tendency to melt and can become quite messy in the tube.

More recently I started trying out the Lip Bullets from Topshop. I quite like the twist up function. When I bought this lip colour I thought it would be more highly pigmented. This lipstick isn't as coral as I thought it would be. However, I do like the bronze like shimmer it has to this pinky colour. Then again, another issue with this type of lip colour is that they do dry out

This Revlon Colourburst is another bold shade, also slightly more muted than the Maybelline Electric Orange. It is also a Matte Balm which is quite nice, slightly more pastel. The downside of this is the tendency to show up creases in your lips. So it's not good to wear in winter, with dried out lips. I would recommend to moisturise before you apply this.

I am a fan of 'Pin Up' style, extremely vivid reds. This is a lip lacquer gloss that boasts long lasting results. It is extremely highly pigmented and keeps a shine. The consistency of this lacquer is quite runny, particularly when kept in your pocket, which can make it difficult to apply. Pre-applying a lip liner first can be effective in avoiding this issue.

This is my current Favourite lipstick. It is a part of the Colour Crush range. I didn't realise that The Body Shop had a great make up collection until I was bought this lipstick as a Christmas present. It is really moisturising and manages to stay put for a very long time. It also has a subtle Rose Scent. This colour is called 'Red Siren' which potentially hints toward the Hollywood Screen Sirens, it's what I generally pair with cateye eyeliner.

This is actually a cream blush by Maxfactor. For me, the colour was far too red to use as a blush, it was also difficult to apply using a brush. Around the 1930s it was quite common to have a cheek and lip colour in one. So I decided to use this as a lip colour, which I found to be quite successful. It gives a light sheen of rosy colour.

This is quite an orangey red. Once you get the messy ness of sharpening this Gelly Hi Shine out of the way, it's super easy to apply. Although, Barry M doesn't really offer this range of Hi Shine Lip colours in many varieties.

Here are the colour swatches. Stay Tunes for the Next Two Parts of my Lipstick Collection.

My Tattoos.

I currently possess two tattoos.
Originally, tattoos were the hallmark of Sailors or the highly eccentric. Tattoos are becoming more common place,
Tattoos are something I have always been intrigued by the act of permanent decorative scaring
I had them done by two different artists (Carly & Jory) at the Thirteenth Gate Studio in Boscombe, Bournemouth whilst away at Uni.

The Process:

I had been hinting to my Mother that I desperately wanted to get a tattoo for several months, and eventually at the end of a phone call I eventually got up the courage and managed to tell her I had booked to get one.

There are a huge amount of tattoo studios in Bournemouth so it was essential to find a good one. I did this by reading copious reviews, and looking at online portfolios. I then found the Thirteenth Gate and in particular thought that Carly Pickard's work was great. I then sent her some questions via her Facebook page and sent my design to her. She seemed pretty keen to do it and I booked to have it done.

Before being finally happy with my own design it went through several phases. I etched out the design in pencil, using a ruler and compass. Later I went over with a fine liner pen.
If you are considering getting a tattoo I would recommend drawing upon yourself with an eye liner pen or pencil first to examine the exact size and placement you are looking for. I also experimented with Henna a lot. This is how I worked out that a tattoo of 10cm in height would work well on the Left Side of my rib cage, giving enough space above and finishing where the smallest part of my waist sits. In terms of colour I decided that I wanted it to have clean lines, with a small amount of red in the leaves. I realise that vivid colour in tattoos have a tendency to fade quite drastically, and I want my tattoos to look as fresh as possible for as long as possible.

Designed on the 3rd of January 2014.

This was the exact design that I sent to the artist. It is comprised of: an old fashion compass (the kind that you find on the corner of old maps), black feather and a piece of floral design inspired by Pre Raphaelite Artists that I adore. The reason that I decided to have a compass is primarily as a throwback to the original culture of sailor tattoos which I find particularly interesting. Moreover, not only was the act of getting the tattoo something psychological, you're taking control of your body in a a way. For me compasses symbolise the act of decision making, and with this I am making a statement to myself that I am taking control, which is quite empowering. The feather is mainly because I like their texture and think that they are pretty.

Tattooed on the 17th January 2014.

(The N&S are reflected in this image).

When I told my Mother that I was getting the tattoo she asked me about the placement, and I said that I was going to get it on the Left side of my ribcage. She advised me to think about getting it on my back. When the first line was done I realised why. The ribcage is a particularly sensitive area. It is near lots of nerve endings and bone. Before you have a tattoo you should have made sure that you have eaten. You will also find that once you get past the initial pain your body creates its own type of painkillers. About an hour in my fingertips become numb, (I'm not sure if that's normal). The tattoo took roughly 2 hours to do. (It cost £100 to do, usually the Artist charges £60/hour.) Afterwards, cling film was applied, and then I was advised to have a hot bath to take the sting out of it. I bought bepanthen on the way home, after I had the bath I applied a decent layer. (I went through many tubes).To look after your tattoo you should not immerse it in water until it is fully healed, (about a month). You should also avoiding touching it unless your hands are spotlessly clean.

As you might imagine, having tattoos done is slightly addictive. You go home with a bit of decoration on your body and an adrenaline rush.

This is my second tattoo:

Designed on the 14th April 2014.

I had played around with several ideas before setting my heart on this one. I got it as a birthday treat to myself. I like stick and poke tattoos in particular, with its doodle like style. I don't necessarily think that you need to have a meaning for a tattoo, if you like the look of it enough to have it permanently on your body, that's a good enough reason.

There are indeed lots of little symbols in this one. The tea cup represents a delft tea cup that my Mother collected. (My Family on my Mother's side The 'Popham's or 'De Popham's originally came to England from Holland in the 1700s and I have a strong interest in Vermeer and Delft in general. One day I would like a skirting board of delft tiles.)

The 28 is my favourite number, mainly because this was my Grandmother's birthday and her door number. The ribbon is because I enjoy sewing.

The arrows are simply because I like the look of them, and have lots of them pinned on pinterest. The pencil is loosely to do with Art and drawing.

This tattoo is about 12cm in height. It sits parallel to my spine on the right side of my back. In a kind of asymmetry to my first tattoo.

In comparison to my first tattoo the pain was negligible. It only took 35/40 minutes to do and cost £40.

Tattooed on the 18th April 2014.

In the future I will most likely be getting another tattoo. Despite the fact that I have been advised by my Mother to stop, she doesn't like the idea of me being covered, and I don't either particularly. I think, as long as you can easily cover your tattoos up for a professional scenario there is little issue with having them.

I also want to have a go at stick n poke tattoos.

This is my idea of a stick n poke on the inside of my right ankle. (I like Michael Craig Martin and Punk).