Upping the Amp.

Hello all! Despite my ferocious hangover, I am in a very happily dandy mood this sunday morning! For two reasons: Bank holiday weekend means halloween and a three day weekend, and I also graduated from college yesterday and got my degree! Woo :)

Alot of my posts lately have been rambles about my life and such, so here is an actual makeup related post for a change!

Here's the deal: I am terrible with statement lip colours. No matter what it is, I never seem to choose a shade that suits me. I am so much more comfortable doing a crazy eye and muted lip. Outrageous lip shades scare me. But I actually want to love statement lips. I just needed a teeny bit of persuading.

I ventured into MAC a total of 4 times this week, and two different MACs at that. I wanted one of the makeup artists to tell me exactly what would suit me, what would complement my skin tone and all that. I think a colour looks amazing in the tube and I buy it, and low and behold I go to wear it and I look like I painted my face in the dark. With my graduation this week I wanted a lip colour that was a little bit out there (for me!) but sophisticated enough for a formal do. MAC do amazing lip colours. I think we all know that. But for some reason all the lipsticks from MAC that I own are nearly identical in colour, just different finishes. Soft pinks are like my safety blanket. Step out of the box I told myself. And so I introduce you to Up the Amp.

I am aware I look ghostly in this picture, it's the flash, I swears.
Lashes ahoy!

I used this lipstick with Magenta lip pencil from MAC, which really gave it a richer, darker finish. I kept the eyes really neutral just using MAC's Lighscapade MSF as a shadow and Harmony blush as a contour in the eye socket.

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Me and the sis.

FACE
Smashbox Studio Skin 15 Hour Wear Foundation in 2.1
Bare Minerals Powder
MAC Blush in Dainty
MAC MSF Lightscapade to highlight
MAC Blush in Harmony to contour

EYES
Eylure Falsies
Catrice Gel Liner


Check out the gown :)




I really like this lipstick, and it has made me realise that lip colours are fun, not scary at all! Brave it!

Hope you all have a great weekend and happy halloween :)

x

Midweek Ramble

Things I have learned this week:

• Being too ashamed to bring your shopping bags into the house because you already know your mom will go mental at you for spending your weeks wages on payday is a very bad sign.
  



• As is trawling through products and clothes in shops that you don't even like just because you have money to spend.
  



• Passing your theory test does not mean you are going to soon fulfil that aspiration of owning a mini. Especially since I have been trawling through products and clothes in shops that I don't even like just because I have money to spend.
  



• Working in a job where you cook things that you don't necessarily agree with or believe in will (ever so slightly) quash your passion for food and make you rethink your career path.
  



• Appreciate your siblings, they may just come home with a gorgeous new nail polish for you. (Catrice, Blues Brothers Vol. II, royal blue and sparkly, that'll do me fine sis!)
  



• Feeling obliged to buy a product a makeup artist tries out on you does not mean that you have to part with your money if you're not 100% sure about the product. (Damn you Smashbox.)
  



• Buying 3 for 2 on vitamins in Boots is mature and economical as well as beneficial for your general health. (Multivitamin x2 + Skin, hair & nails supplements = looking and feeling bright eyed and bushy tailed in winter = win win.)
  



• Trawling through food blogs and writing down recipes doesn't necessarily mean you will ever cook them.
  



• Eating junk when you're usually a health conscious freak means youre hormonal, down in the dumps, or just being a typical girl.
  



• Seeing a presidential candidate in the flesh will not make you re-think the importance of the presidential election to your future. No, Im still not voting for you. Hey ho.
  



• Rude sales assistants will always be rude.
  



• Ireland experiences one months worth of rain in 24 hours and it is declared a national epidemic.
  



• Irish people make light of absolutely every situation. Which is ironic in this case as we are an island and flooding could literally kill us all.
  



• Being happy and ploughing on with things will produce positive results in the long term.
  
  
  
  :) x
  

Oot and Aboot.

This is a kind of filler-inner post. I haven't posted in a few weeks as I've been adjusting to working life, accmulating funds, drinking, dancing, dining, and just being a general procrastinator. Here's what's been going on with me. Bullet point styley.

• If you've read my last post, you will know I started a proper full time job. This is like a big deal for me. Totes! After searching for months for the perfect job, I finally found one that I like the sound of, and it's going quite well.. I mean every job has its ups and downs, and I always find problems with everything, but sure it's grand. It's in a Catering Company, and my job title is Trainee Catering Manager. While this may not be everyone's cup of tea, I'm happy with it. I have this sort of ambition where I won't settle for anything, I get impatient and I want an amazing job that pays exceptionally well. Two problems with this. We're in a recession and everyone has to start at the bottom. I mostly run the kitchen, and i've suffered a mass amount of cuts and burns already, (because im impatient and I rush everything!), but i'm adjusting :)



• Then there is the subject of the weekly full time paycheck. I mean I don't know what to be doing with myself it's been so long since i've been paid such a nice lump every week, that I don't know what to do with it. I'm bad with money see, bad at saving. I like to splurge. I think we all do! I've been fairly good so far though, only splurging on some well needed hair products, and a lovely meal out for mine and my boyfriends 4 year anniversary. We went to Ananda Indian restaurant in Dundrum, as seen on MasterChef :) It was truly delicious, and I'm very critical of my food coming from a foodie background and all that! We got a table d'hote menu for €65 which came with an amuse bouche and champagne, choice of meat or seafood starter, lamb, seabass, chicken or pork mains which were all served with naan and pilau, and an amazing 'Bibinca' dessert which was like compressed sweet crepes served with raisin and cinnamon icecream and bitter caramel popcorn! All dishes came with a matched wine, and it was really really amazing.

Mixed Meat Platter: Lamb, Guinea Fowl, Chicken

Lamb Rack with Sweet Potato, Chickpeas, Chard, Mint and Pomegranate

Bibinca baked Goan pudding, sugar cane, raisin compote, tamarind reduction

• Now that I actually have money to do stuff regular people my age do I've been going out quite a bit, and getting sloshed. And it's been great. I went to a comedy gig last week (first time ever!) in the Laughter Lounge in Dublin, and saw some really really good comedians do their thang. It was really nice to be able to sit back and just have a good laugh with the girls. The same night evolved into a crazy amalgamation of messiness, and I ended up in Doyles and then Copan, and the night unfortunately ended on a bad note, with some of my friends getting into a fight with some randomer scummers, all over a gherkin. Long story. They're fine now though!
  On a lighter note, here's a token poser photo of my makeup for the night.
  
  
  
  
  
  

I really really need to venture away from my 'safe' smoky eye, I do the same thing nearly every time I go out, but I really just love the way the colours look together.

FACE
MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NW15 mixed with
Clinique Repair Wear Foundation in Vanilla
Bare Escentuals Powder Foundation in Light
ELF Pink Passion Blush
Natural Collection Sunkissed Cheeks Bronzer

EYES
Estée Lauder Stay in Place Eyeshadow Base
Catrice Gel Liner
Essence Lash Mania Ultra Volume Mascara in Hypnotic Black
Clinique Kohl Pencil in Black Noir
Barry M Dazzle Dust in Tan
MAC e/s in Sketch
Urban Decay Naked Palette Sin and Virgin


LIPS
Essence Lipliner in Soft Rose
Barry M Lip Paint in 101
Barry M Lipgloss Wand in Bubblegum

• That's most of my random babble for now, my next post will be about something I have experienced quite a bit of recently, customer dissatisfaction, what happened to me, and how I dealt with it. Anyways, I hope you are all having a lovely weekend! I think Im coming down with a cold. Boo! Talk soon :)