Lipstick Renaissance

If there is one colour combination that you're hard pressed to find me wearing is black and red.  I can't go past the Dennis the Menace / Milan / Hamrun Spartans connotations in my mind.

And yet, you wouldn't say that from the updated look of this blog (do you like it, btw?) Nor from one of my latest purchases - a maroon and black striped dress as seen here.  But maroon is not red in my books. So all's fine where maroon comes to play.

My mind is boggled by red. A few weeks before I returned to Malta I bought this Monnari bag in red and cow-print.  Anyone who knows my aversion to red and animal prints would certainly be thrown off by this purchase of mine.  I was actually thrown off as well ... but I found the combination so appealing together that I just couldn't leave the bag in the shop.

Together with the red bag, I decided to give my lips a tinge of red as well.  Who says you can't wear red lips (a) for the office and (b) at 6 in the morning? My go-to lip-colour when opting for a glossy look are:

• Chanel Le Crayon Lèvres in 57
• Chanel Rouge Coco in 25 Vendôme
• Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in 60 Excès

And this, is what the final look came to: an LBD with a simple back pinned hairstyle; black flicked eye-liner, and a pair of back-seam black tights (yes, I've already started wearing tights.  It is October after all!).  The only statement pieces: the Monnari red bag and the Chanel red lips.  Simple, classic, and pretty much effortless. 

Would you wear red lipstick for work / university? Why or why not?! Let me know x

make me up at NYX

Oh the shame, the shame! I haven't written anything in a week! I should be flogged in the blogosphere!

I always blame my lack of blogging on my work commitments, which, hand on heart, is pretty much the case most of the time ... my fingers would be too tired to type after 9 hours of doing so!

But enough of that.

As you may recall, especially from my Facebook page, a few weeks ago I mentioned I had something which for my little blog was quite huge.  I mean, me, this blog, being called up by Style on Sunday magazine?! Seriously?! I still can't reveal much, but what I can do is take you through the preparations I felt I just had to undergo for it.  Fret not, you'll know all by the weekend *wink*

This huge thing I had called for some good old fashioned pampering so after I got my hair styled by the awesome Chris at Michael & Guy, I felt I needed to match that with some professionally applied make-up.  NYX in Sliema came to the rescue with their HD collection ... perfect for my uneven skin tone, open pores and acne scars: the price you pay for not taking care of your skin at a young age! Oh well ...
So here go some before and after photos with the gorgeous Kida patiently applying all the different products (I wish I had taken notes! sorry!) ... and even giving me amazingly long lashes which I would kill for to have naturally!

new to me: eye make-up before everything else! 

the all-important laying of the foundation

made-up 'bare face' sans lashes ...

kaboom! lashes that are a dream!

almost there ...

trying my Lana pout for size ... still, a few collagen injections would have helped!

the finished look: worthy of a selfie with my gorgeous mom, photographer of the day!

The overall look was somewhat retro-glamorous, inspired by Lana del Rey's look in Young and Beautiful, with tousled hair (courtesy of a lot of styling and sleeping in foam curlers as you can see here!), a hint of smokey eyes and flicked liner and a luscious plum colour for the lips.

New Look #ootd

All yours ... Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka-ya-ya!

This morning I woke up humming Kate Bush's Babooshka which I actually haven't heard in ages.  I don't know how this came about, but what is for sure is that it resonates with the newly acquired Eastern European aesthetic I seem to be harbouring. 

It's been noted by others and I've even realised it myself, that since I returned from Poland, my overall look and style have somewhat changed.  As my mom put it this evening, "with those braids and that lick of red lipstick, you look like a Polish girl." Well, minus the narrow hips, tight abs and legs that go on for ever.  But I suppose she is somewhat right.  

Unwittingly, I'm gravitating more and more towards florals, bold colours, somewhat folk inspired shapes and patterns, as well as outfit combinations which I used to notice around me back in Krakow. Sometimes, it's good to get away.  It gives you a new perspective. 

Today's outfit fitted in with this new perspective in the most perfect of ways.  I love the colour combination on this floral dress by New Look - the various shades of reds complement the green shades over a black background.  I paired the dress with brown brogues, also from New Look to keep it more contemporary ... and because I just don't like wearing black shoes with a black based outfit!  I also fished out an enamel statement necklace (you know by now how I just can't live without my statement necklaces!) which I had got during my first trip to Berlin.  I love the intricate design on it and it blended so well with the dress that it could almost have been part of it!

If you like the look, click on the HYPE button at the bottom of the post xx

#ootd

 dress: New Look

cardigan: Peacocks

brogues: New Look

necklace: independent store

#fotd

foundation: Chanel

translucent powder, blush, eye-shadow, mascara: Benefit

bronzer: Dior

eye-liner, lip colour: NYX

#ootn : pattern clash

What a week! So, so, so, so very sorry I haven't really blogged during the week except for the odd post on my Facebook page ... but yes, it's been one of those weeks at work!

Yesterday, I had a full day conference which my team and I had long been organising which took every shred of my energy in the last days - continuous running around from one place to another, back-to-back meetings, last minute changes, nights spent working from home after hours ... I'm not complaining: this is the adrenaline rush I enjoy at my workplace, but it does take its toll, for sure.  

Anyway, once the conference was done and dusted, I was pretty intent on heading to The Point for the Fashion Party organised by local fashion guru Marisa Grima and Daniel from Devil wears Pra-duh, in aid of the Action for Breast Cancer Foundation.  Apart from the fact that it was a great opportunity to catch up a bit with both Marisa and Daniel as well as all the others in the Maltese fashion industry, late night shopping, the model walkabouts, photo opportunities and the fact that this was all for a cause which is very much at heart, provided the perfect reason for me to forget my tiredness and head over there to chill and celebrate the day's successful event. 

Unfortunately, the two hours I spent there were too little to party, shop and enjoy the music and shows all at one go, but it certainly goes down as a good night out.  

Having had only 45 minutes at home to get ready, I decided to opt for one of my lesser worn dresses: my Marni for H&M mix print dress which I usually find a bit too bold for most occasions - but not this one!  I wore my oversized black bow waist belt, also from H&M to give the dress a bit more definition. I had to go for flats as my feet were in agony from a day running around in heels.  I also wore my Zara black and burgundy box clutch, which doesn't show in these pictures, which were actually taken just before bedtime!

literally before bedtime! here's me curling my hair for something big happening today ... keep your eyes firmly locked on this place! 

crazy on colour ❤ nyx haul & goodie bag ❤

I'm not one for colours, at least when it comes to make-up, as you may have noticed from all the photos I've posted on this blog.

But it's all likely to change, very soon. All it will take, I suspect, is another trip to NYX Cosmetics which has just opened in Sliema, Malta.

soft matte lip creams

 I had heard of the brand from other bloggers' posts and I've been meaning to getting my paws on some products to test them out myself.  I can now safely say that all those bloggers raving about NYX were very right indeed!

great range of anything you may wish to make you picture perfect

Having missed the bloggers event last week, I made it a point to pop over some time this week and have a little look myself.  Kida at NYX greeted me warmly and showed me round the shop.  She even gave me a little one-to-one consultation on the various products available, what's best for my skin in terms of substance, texture and colour.  After a few moments of guarded observation of the various shimmery and glittery powders and creams, I must admit that I started melting in front of glossy shades of pinks and metallic liquid eyeliners.  By the end of my visit, I was walking around in luscious plum coloured lips ... while mentally taking note of the various palettes I should get on my next trip.

lovely nail polishes which just need one coat to apply!

on my 'to buy list' ... the spring palette!

If you haven't been to NYX as yet, I truly recommend it.  The street level is immaculately laid out and packed with all sorts of lip colours, glosses, butters and balms which also smell absolutely edible! There's tonnes of powders, blushes, eye shadows, liners, mascaras ... you name it, it's there!  There's also a good range of brushes and other make-up accessories which are always needed, whether you already have them or not.

one of the make-up stations

On the lower level, a number of make-up stations are set up for make-up sessions as well as other beauty treatments like brow threading and tinting to make you picture perfect.

the haul!

swatched with love

While I was there, I made sure to buy The Curve felt tip eye-liner which I had read so much about. The felt-tip liner is shaped in an ergonomic curve which fits the arch your hand makes when applying liquid eyeliner.  Being a huge fan of the flicked-lined-eyelid, this will definitely come in handy in giving me a sturdier hand when applying my cats' eye look.  I also bought La Amoureux individual curl mascara from the Boudoir collection to complement the liner, and the plum coloured lip colour I got to try.  The lip colour is from the Black Label Lipstick range and the shade is called Midnight Dinner. I paired this with No. 16 Plum retractable lip liner which is also waterproof and will therefore make the lippy go further.

and here i am in my plum-lipped glory!

I was very gladly surprised when the lovely people at NYX gave me the goodie bag I missed out on last week.  I was chuffed to find the amount of items I got for free and the shades they came in - all golden and bronzy tones which I'm sure to wear over and over again! I promise to shoot a video with the haul and goodie bag to show you the products better once worn, promise! 

my goodie bag contents ... perfect for that 'golden goddess' look

If you want to find out more on the local NYX store, I suggest you log onto their Facebook page and keep an eye out for in-store promotions and loyalty programmes in the pipeline!

N.B. all opinions expressed in this review are the my genuine thoughts and have not been motivated by sponsors, affiliations or payment of any kind. 

confession #000063

... or, the heat is on

it bloody well is.  i've heard that in malta temperatures are already hitting the 30+ mark on the celsius gauge and unexpectedly enough, the heat is not shying away here in krakow either.

while i am, well used to be, a sun workshipper, the sun - and the heat - just don't like me that much.  as i mentioned in an earlier post, my skin is rather oily and despite being close to the mid-30s *shock shock horror horror*, i have still not started using any anti-ageing creams because i've still got adolescents' problems to deal with: open pores, acne scars, break outs, the more the merrier on some days.  finding the right products to handle my skin issues and the excess heat is a feat.

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