MiaouMiaou

2012-01-26T07:04:00.000-08:00

Be part of it! | we need YOU to reVIEW!

Bee part of it! Is a blogger which allows you to become a contributor and to become part of the bigger picture. If you want to get your reviews out there with everybody else, if you want people to read your opinion on why they SHOULD or SHOULDN'T buy something, then send an email to beepartofit@gmail.com NOW!!

It has only just begun, but it needs your help. When you send the email, you'll be added onto the contributor list, for the duration which you want, and you can post reviews when you want. You'll recieve a 'how to' word document, which details on how to make it appear in the labels and you can put as much pictures of the item your reviewing in the post too.

Review anything!!

Tevevisions,
Make up,
Computers,
Software,
Companies,
AND MORE!! :)

2011-09-12T13:09:00.000-07:00

BEAUTY | Topshop Makeup A/W 11 Collection: Smoke and Mirrors

'Get set to channel the high glamour of the 1970's'

Topshop's A/W 11 Collection is here! Titled 'Smoke and Mirrors' It's clearly embracing the colder, darker side of autumn and winter, with Smokey browns and greys, and kohl rimmed eyes, this collection epitomises everything there is traditional about winter make up.

Two key parts of this make up collection are strangely missing of parts of either the promo's or the main selection are the nail varnishes - one in baby pink (prim and proper) and the other in a dark brown (bourbon) and also both lipsticks in a neutral pink, and darker brown, which can be seen in the larger picture above.

Just from these four pieces, you can see it's going for a very neutral theme, and polished look this autumn and winter, especially with the duo bronzer, so you can still keep some of that summer glow, but with a healthy, English rose flush. (Not forgetting the glow from the shimmery highlighter).

2 other highlights of this collection are the duo liners, one kohl and one lip liner, both in standard traditional shades of dark eyes and nude lips, and the other a four eye shadow quad with two mattes, black and a highlighting shimmery shade. Packaging is in a very reminisce of Bobbi Brown's Tortoiseshell collection recently with its polished brown look.

Overall, this collection looks fab if you want to venture into Smokey eye, new to make up, or want to stock up on some old favourites, but not so great if you’re looking for a different take on A/W.

2011-09-06T07:11:00.000-07:00

DIY | Rose Quartz

Did I say back to beading? Yes! Of course I did. A few weeks ago I was explaining how hobbies can sometimes get lost in the course of everyday life, and one of mine which did was beading. A few days ago I ordered a small supply of beads, and some which caught my eye were these beautiful Rose Quartz Semi-Precious beads, which are said to promote love and happiness. Well, what perfect beads to make a bracelet adorned with the Trinity Brass 'Love' Affirmation charm, it's simple, and beautiful.

The High-res shots show the detail on the rose quartz, each one differs from the next but still retains the clowdy, misty pink which makes them unique.

Among other beads, I ordered some natural brown/yellow agate semi-precious beads, and not only are these also stunning, but have natural incursions and colours, whilst happening to be by own birthstone.

In the previous DIY post, the last photo was a Japanese seed bead bracelet with fimo flowers, these are a joy to work with, so I ordered some natural brown rose beads in the same design, as well as some glass beads and some crimps. This small order is enough to make plenty!!

What do you think of the Rose Quartz Bracelet? Have you re-started a hobby recentley? (or wish you did)

2011-08-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

BEAUTY | Coral Love

Corals aren’t just for summer. They’re no denying that coral looks fab with a tan, but coral looks beautiful against all skin tones however light or dark you are. It is one of the few versitile colours which can be worn all year round, and by anybody.

There are a few shades of coral to take note of. The best type of coral for a low key, or if your shy of wearing bright colours to start with, is a creamy light coral, such as MAC Ever hip or Jazzed, or if you didn’t get your hands on them, MAC Ravishing or MAC Sheen Supreme in Gotta Dash! Is a good enough dupe.

The brighter shades just pack a bit more punch, and look fab with black winged out liner or even just a few coats of mascara. Try MAC Virgin Isle cream colour base, (fab for adding a cute coral pinch to your cheeks as well!), MAC Vegas Volt or Rimmel Coral in Gold.

Cream colour bases such as virgin isle (top right) are great, however cream products tend to collect hair, which you can see well enough in my picture. So powders are a good alternative choice if creams arn't for you due to sanatary reasons, or they can break some people out because of their emolient bases. MAC Ripe peach, is a great gradient blush, with lovely peach on side and soft coral another. Estee Lauder and some other brands do great dupes of this if you didn't manage to pick this up.

Do you wear corals? If not, is this a colour you'd consider trying?

[credits: myself for all above photos. Top left: Rimmel lipstick in Coral in Gold Top right: MAC Cream Colour Base in Virgin Isle Bottom: MAC Ripe Peach Blush Ombre]

2011-08-17T11:03:00.001-07:00

DIY | Back to Beading

This is what I've missed, designing and putting it all together. I don't really design to be honest; I just look to see what I've got, buy a few pieces of beading websites and get stuck in. It’s much easier when you see the beads in person, as the sizes can be very deceiving on the internet in white back-dropped photos, what may look huge actually is tiny and would look ridiculous for the piece you had in mind.

What started to inspire me was the steampunk trend. It’s more of a micro-trend which has been quite constant and never gone out of fashion, well perhaps in mainstream fashion and highstreet, but always there in accessories. The old feel, the mechanical feel, but with a bit of a fairyland twist, and some sparkling swarovski beads would look fantastic.

Steampunk is very economical as well; a major part is using old things in your house or your jewellery box, even broken pieces such as taking jump rings or pendants off otherwise unusable designs. Thus economical for the planet but also your pocket!. I really like that about this trend, and it looks quite cool. The picture with the dragonfly coming out the remnants of an old watch just looks great and so unique. Its quite rare to find handmade steampunk items exactly the same, which could be why it never really lasted in the mainstream trend, as to do so would be quite costly, with the whole point is using bits and bobs, new and old.

A task of mine in this month is so start again and make some gifts.

What have you missed lately?

[credits: Topleft: etsy Topright: Google search and Bottom Myself]

2011-08-08T13:02:00.002-07:00

BEAUTY | Dermalogica Medi-bac Oil Control Lotion review

The second in the dermalogica series of reviews is the Medi-bac Oil Control Lotion. Medi-bac is a specialist skincare route in dermalogica, designed for adult-acne prone skin, it aims to reduce the blemishes and helps to prevent them from coming back.

The Oil Control lotion is a moisturiser which is designed to not only combat adult acne, but to help mattify the skin, so this would be a great moisturiser if you’re prone to oily skin. In my kit, I received the Active Moist moisturiser, and whilst I could have got the kit for just Oily skin, I was worried as I have very dry cheeks this wouldn't provide enough moisture for my skin, so I opted for the Normal/Oily.

I got approx 4-5 samples of Oil Control lotion, as Beauty Flash was having a promotion to choose which samples you get to try at the time of purchase. I was right, this moisturiser for me, would not be enough moisture if I wanted to put on any foundation or make up afterwards. I do notice however that my skin is matte afterwards and my breakouts have reduced. I'll have to say overall, my breakouts have reduced by using the overall routine from Dermalogica, and cannot pinpoint one specific product; however I would purchase them all!

In the swatch above, you can clearly see the lotion isn't thick, it's really runny, but you only need a tiny bit to help mattify my skin. I feel you can't really layer this moisturiser to obtain more moisture, or you may run the risk of clogging pores.

This product gets 4 stars, ****
My decision was that this was not enough moisture for my own skin, but it did a brilliant job of moisturising when I didn't want to put anything on top, but also mattified my skin very well, whilst contributing to clearing my skin of breakouts.

I can imagine this would be great for oily skin, or those prone to breakouts.

59ml for £23.99 or buy it in the skincare pack where you get 22ml and cleanser/toner/exfoilator/lip balm for £19.99 from beautyflash.co.uk.

Do you have problem skin? What do you use to help?

2011-08-08T12:57:00.000-07:00

BEAUTY | An introduction to dermalogica

Introducing....
Dermalogica are a worldwide skincare brand which is most associated with beauty therapists and specialists in beauty salons. This was indeed where I first came across them, and naturally think they are over budget, expensive and way out of my league in skincare which I can use at home. not true. Dermalogica are a mid-priced brand, with some products, namely specialist products reaching a little higher, however having spent £40+ on a Chanel moisturiser which did nothing for my skin, this brand is well on budget.

The main aim of Dermalogica is to address skin concerns through educating users, which is why they do take such a presence in beauty salons, because trained beauty therapists use skin mapping to see how each area of your skin behaves and to prescribe the necessary treatment. See below at the excerpt which was taken from their website;

When Dermalogica meets skin, skin health is redefined. Dermalogica is the number one choice of skin care professionals and consumers worldwide. Why? Because for over 25 years, we’ve been dedicated to delivering skin health results through education, innovation, and professional recommendation, not through advertising, frilly packaging, promises of miracle cures, or overblown hype.

I hope that has given you a brief insight into Dermalogica, and what they aim to do through skincare. In the UK I found it very hard to find a trusting site where I can buy Dermalogica products, however Beauty Flash are a registered Dermalogica supplier and this is where I bought my Normal/Oily skincare kit for £18.45 including delivery, as well as having lots of promotions on popular products, such as Active Moist 100ml moisturiser this week.

I received many products from this range, in the Kit which I bought there was;

• Special Cleansing Gel
• Skin Prep Scrub
• Active Moist
• Multi-active toner
• Climate control lip treatment
• Precleanse [sample]
• Skin clearing masque [sample]

and then Beauty Flash had a promotion of being able to choose 2 samples of the whole range to try, which I chose

• Medi-bac Oil control lotion
• Medi-bac Overnight clearing gel

That’s a total of nine products I get to try, NINE for under £20. Yes the kit which I got contained smaller sizes, but quite frankly are going to last me well over a month, possibly two, which is a total bargain, especially seeing as I get to see how this brand and their products react to my skin, as all skin is different. (Including yours and mine).

Because there are so many products, I've split up the range and included 2-3 products in each review, so it’s a bit like a Dermalogica special. There is a very small amount of reviews of these products online, so I hope they prove helpful.

This review is consisting of Special Cleansing Gel and Multi-Active Toner.

The Cleanser....
The special cleansing gel which I received in my pack was a 50ml sized with a push top lid and a very small opening, which is good as I can control how much I need to use, which isn't a lot at all.

It has a semi-thick consistency, but can still quite fluid, in regards to it has some slip. Wet your face slightly, rub the gel between your hands to create a semi-later and then wash your face and rinse. It feels like it really gets dirt off and isn't dry or tight after.

Above is the kit I recieved, with the special cleansing gel on the far left, and the Multi-Active toner on the right.

The Toner...
The Multi-active toner smells nice, doesn't irritate my eyes, and helps the lay down of my moisturiser. I got a 50ml bottle which is a handy travel size for purses and can be used as a refreshing spritz on a hot day or when your skin needs some moisture. I generally use this in the routine after my cleanser, before my moisturiser, it really helps my moisturiser sink in and absorb. Its a spray bottle with a small clear plastic lid, and the liquid is clear.

Overall....
Overall, these two products are great and score an A as having not broken me out at all and in fact, I'm getting hardly any blemishes or spots, and my skin is less dry and oily. Would repurchase the skincare kit and/or these full size bottles. On Beauty Flash, Special Cleansing Gel 50ml retails at £8.45, and £18.90 for a 250ml bottle and £33.55 for a 500ml bottle. The Multi-active toner retails (also on beauty flash) at £8.99 for 50ml, and £19.99 for 250ml. I think it's great they are available in the mini sizes which should least at least a month using them daily, to give them a go and see how they react to your skin.

[note;The offical images 1-4 and 7 are shots from Dermalogica's Source; [offical website]

2011-08-07T13:36:00.000-07:00

BEAUTY | 4 Steps to Faux Sun-Kissed Skin

In the middle of summer, not really wanting to full on fake tan, (too much effort), but still wanting to have a little more sunlight on your face, well this tutorial will do just that with products you are likely to have in your beauty-box anyway.

Number one.
Don't use a heavy base. Use a comfortable foundation or tinted moisturiser, perhaps one with is semi-matte if your prone to shine, non at all, or even just concealer, it's what your comfortable with, but let your skin still show. Good examples are Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundations or Chanel's Vitalumere Aqua.

Number two
Do your eye make up. Again not too heavy. If you like it smokey, maybe a nice smokey brown with black liner, or the signature black flick.

Number three
Have something natural on the lips, a nice baby pink hue such as MAC's hue or angel or YSL Rouge Volmpt No1, or a nice nude which isn't too foundation like such as GOSH Velvet touch Darling lipstick.

Number four
This is the important and final step. You need a peach blush. It needs to be fairly pigmented, and you need, ideally, a contour brush, or any other brush will do. ELF do a cheap contour brush which won't break the bank. [they do lots of offers and codes too so check their facebook]

You need to pack a little on your brush at first, and sweet from point A to point B on the diagram below. Your essentially contouring, but with a peach blush rather than a brown, so your creating a beautiful flushed summer glow, and defining your cheekbones. You can build it up as you like it, but not too much to look un-natural. (and depending on the pigmentation of your blush)

Good examples of beautiful peach blushes are, MAC's Ripe Peach Ombre, MAC's Tenderling or Peaches blushes, and Illamasqua's Lover powder blush.

The final result is a beautiful summer look, which won't break the bank and doesn't have essential maintenance every other day.

2011-07-31T12:26:00.000-07:00

BEAUTY | MAC Prime Focus Collection for Fall 2011

Available August/September 2011. (or normally whenever MAC UK feel like it, give or take a month)

From MAC;

The latest addition to our successful Prep + Prime family is a new patented formula that promotes natural lash growth for longer, thicker, stronger looking lashes, with dramatic results visible in eight weeks when used twice daily. Designed to enhance over time, this breakthrough patent-pending treatment delivers a measurable, visible difference. Apply a thin line of serum on clean, dry skin to the base of the upper and lower lashes, morning and evening, and watch what happens. From this day forward, there’s no looking back!

We’ve become THE high-performance Prep + Prime player backstage at Fashion Week. To keep up with the demand to achieve an even more awe-inspiring level of Artistry, M·A·C puts the latest must-haves right in the Pros’ hands again this season by taking Prep + Prime Fortified Skin Enhancer SPF 35 global. This major multi-tasker functions as colour-corrector, face primer, and UV protector with light hydrating properties all-in-one. Day or night, runway or real time, these Primers are the start-to-finish every girl needs to get where she’s going in record time, ultimate chic! These are fast times. But innovation never idles; so we’re introducing NEW Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder/Pressed, to glide on skin after for an undetectable and smooth, silky-soft, colourless aura, in the form of a compact cache to freshen up on-the-go. We’re running with it. Day or night, runway or real time, these Primers are the start-to-finish every girl needs to get where she’s going in record time, ultimate chic! These are fast times. We’re running with it.

Behold, a MAC collection the end of summer, dedicated to primers. Critcally, I'm not too sure why primers are at the end of the UK summer, as surely it would make more sense for this to be a spring collection, to help hold make up in place through the heat, humidity, and sweaty-ness of the summer holidays?

On a more positive note, this collection sees the realise and expansion of some more prep and prime products from MAC Cosmetics. The high light is the pressed transparant prep and prime powder, which I think will be quite popular, as you don't often see transparant power pressed, and normally loose, like ELF's HD powder (obvious considerable price difference though...) The loose version is being re-promoted too even though it's permanant.

Secondly, a set of skin enhancers which come in the colours, Peach, Lavender, Yellow and Orange, each designed to combat a certain skin-tone-problem, such as Lavender can help with dullness/fatigue etc. Would have loved a light green colour, which would help with conditions such as acne, rosacea and hyperpigmentation.

Thirdly, from the write up by MAC, they too seem to be jumping on the lash enhasing bandwagon with a new formula of mascara which promotes lash growth for thicker, longer lashes with results visble within eight weeks. Definately big claims from MAC here so i'm hoping there is some truth to their wonder-mascara. If it's this good, are we looking at a price similar to the other wonder-lash serum on the market by Rapidlash? (£41)

---->What do you think of this new prep and prime collection from MAC?

2011-07-19T06:08:00.000-07:00

BEAUTY | Benefit Posie Tint Review

Benefit Benetint is a popular make up staple for a lot of people, with it's royal red colour, it can clearly be described as some individual's ideal 'blush' or 'lip tint' colour, which is why it's been one of Benefits most iconic products over the years.

However sometimes red can be too much, maybe a little too vibrant and striking, some some people may want to soften it up. That's were Posie Tint comes in. Posie tint is best described as a poppy pink, a little deeper than baby pink. Just like Benetint, it can be used as a lip and cheek stain.

Insert the mini-version of Posietint, at 4.0ml, this was a free gift in Glamour UK magazine a few months ago, where Benetint and Highbeam was on offer. These Benefit products general retail over £20 in the UK, and whilst not products I would be paying that price for just to try it was well worth the £2 spent to give them a whirl. (Glamour Magazine run Benefit promotions not-quite-s-often-but-often-enough, so keep an eye out for these.)

The casing is shiney with a white twist lid. You open the lid to find the beautiful pink tint over the brush and in the pot. The colour wasn't what I was expecting for some reason, it really is a pretty colour.

As a lip stain It gives a great flush of colour on to my lips without being too dramatic and feels as though it will just fade away with time.

As a cheek stain It generally lasts a long time but like when used on the lips, fades away. It does give an innocent looking blush when used lightly on my pale skin.

Benefit Posie Tint Swatch (above)

The consistency is very strange, a slight watery gel formula, you rub it and it leaves a stain on your hand for the rest of the day.

Overall, a great niche product, since I've had the sample I havn't been reaching for it in the slightest, but it may be because I've got seperate lip and cheek products which I use. It would be a great addition to a light traveling bag or handbag if want a quick touch up, but for the large version RRP at £24.50 at ASOS.com, it's an expensive luxury which comes in the price range of more high end products such as Chanel Rouge Coco lipsticks and YSL rouge volupt, and for that reason, won't be purchasing the large version.

Thank you Glamour Magazine.

2011-07-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

BEAUTY | Maybelline 'the Falsies' versus 'One by One' Mascaras

There has been a recent mass market shove on mascaras at the moment, with lash enhancing attributes which promise to promote lash growth and condition from brands such as Rimmel (Lash Accelerator) and Revlon (Grow Luscious). However there has also been plenty of volume and length promisers as well, with Max Factor creating a mascara which claims to add length to it's already pretigious False Lash Effect mascara, the original is amazing btw in the form of Falsh Lash Effect Fusion mascara. The two which I have picked up however are Maybelines varities, with the already well-known Falsies mascara, and the more recentley launched One by One mascara, both of the Volum' Express line. Lets compare!

Both have the signature oval curve of the mascaras, however that seems to be the only similarity, as the brushes are completely different. One by One has a plastic brush applicator, and the Falsies has a curved 'spoon' effect brush which is brush the type of brush like.

They are both sturdy, which is due to the same oval shape of the wands and the whole mascara, the consistency however I find to be different, with One by One being more gloopy and going off a lot quicker than Falsies. I also find that One by One misses the whole concept entirely, as which I'm assuming (!) is to catch each lash, which with the plastic oval brush fails to do (well, it does some), and this is where the Falsies exceeds for me. The spoon type applicator catches the , majority of my lashes, and gives me great volume and some length also. See below.

One by One (above)

The Falsies (above)

I find the Falsies the better mascara, with it giving a lot more volume and some length, which is what I look for in a mascara, as well as lasting a lot longer, for example it starts going gloopy in about three months, where as One by One was going stiff by one and a half. Both mascaras didn't flake and didn't feel like I wanted to scrape either off my eyes at the end of the day.

The Falsies RRP £8.19
One by One RRP £8.49

Both can be bought at Boots or Superdrug in the UK, where they often both have promotions on cosmetics, I picked these up at seperate occasions and bought them for approx £6.

Overall

The Falsies

Sturdiness: 9/10
Considency: 9/10
Volume: 9/10
Length: 6/10

One by One

Sturdiness: 9/10
Considency: 7/10
Volume: 6/10
Length: 7/10

Overall, I perfer The Falsies to the One by One, and would always re-purchase that one. One by One isn't a terrible mascara, but I look for Volume in a mascara compared to length.

2011-06-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

BEAUTY | Origins GinZing eye cream review

This is a review of Origins Ginzing eye cream product, which claims;

'Refreshing eye cream to brighten and depuff'

'Late night? Long flight? Look tired all the time? Prepare to become one of the perky people!

Nature's clinically-proven morning-after eye cream helps to reduce the look of dark circles. Unsightly bags and puffiness seem less visible. And Origins proprietary complex of Caffeine from Coffee bean, Panax Ginseng, Magnolia Extract and natural optic brighteners rapidly wakes up, refreshes and restores radiance to tired eyes.

Opthalmologist tested. Good for all skin types and all ages.'

Source; [Link]

First off, this product does have sparkles/glitter in it. This normally would bother me, especially in a cream I use on an area of my face. But because it's an eye cream I've never really noticed them ON me, unless I've piled on the cream tbh. You might notice a slight gleam but it's not often enough for me to discontinue use. Of course small glitter particles can affect people differentley, and some people hate this, so it's just to let you know.

It's a pinkish/slight orange coloured cream, which is quite thick. You can see in my photos that the pot is TINY, however you need like what I've picked up for both eyes. Its opaque, and a slight scent, not sure what of.

I've been using this since Christmas, and feel this is a product which I use before putting on make up, its a skincare product whose effect lasts for the day. I can't really comment on it reducing my undereye darkness/bags as I don't really have any, but I can definatley say that it makes my eyes look much more wide awake in that day, and can notice when I don't use it that my eyes don't look as 'bright'.

The RRP is £20, however can be bought in a set on boots at the moment in the UK in the 'Good to Glow' set which is the set which I bought it in at Christmas time. Link]

I don't think I'll buy for £20, but would for £12 and think it's a bargain! Espcially with a lot of drugstore eye creams (for example the Garnier gel roll on) retail for approx £9+ Obviousley as far as skincare goes, always remember that your skin can act differentley to my own.

Miaoumiaou rates this product; B

My decision was based on that I'm happy with this product, and believe it delivers on it's main 'brightening' function, however the main thing which lets this down it it's price.

2011-06-16T06:25:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW | The London Lipgloss

As a blogger, we all have our favourites and other bloggers whom we admire. One of mine has to be Zoe, from thelondonlipgloss. Her approach to blogging is so refreshing, and nice. I absolutely adore bloggers who reply to your tweets, or the comments you put on their blog, because it actually shows you how they got where they are, which is by respecting their readers whether they are big or small. Zoe lives in London, and she is a freelance photographer, and a blogger in her spare time, and very enthusiastic. This interview gives you an amazing insight into her life and what drives her.

P.S All images are courtesy of Zoe.

Hi Zoe! How are you today?
Hey Sarah! Thanks for letting me participate in this lovely interview of yours, I am most thrilled! I am feeling good today actually, had a little 'exhaustion' spout but today went out and wandered the streets of London Town and now feel much better about life!

How would you describe yourself and your blog?
I am Zozo, I am one of the busiest creatures you might ever meet in your life, and my blog is a mish mash of my outfit creations and my serious addiction - skincare and cosmetics. It's not even narrowed down to skincare and cosmetics, I love nail polish, foot creams, shaving products, oh god anything! I want to try the latest product and I am always talking, reviewing, writing. My blog is alternative to normal beauty blogs in that I pride myself in cutting out the 'fluff' you get from most beauty blogs. It's not dainty, it's not rosy, it's not floral, sweet, chic (whatever) it's just a relatively poor girl (rent in London is just a killer) spending her hard-earned money on the things she loves and as a result always being forthcoming and honest with all reviews. I write things as I say them and I hope people enjoy them and most of all encourages them to create their own opinion about something rather than being fed it from a magazine.

When did you start blogging and what got you motivated to start?
I started a year and a half ago, shamlessly because I loved other beauty blogs, Zoella, Gemsmaquillage, Kelanjp19, Lollipop26 and had just got into watching videos by AllThatGlitters21 and wanted to share my own opinions. It really started about 3 years ago when I was googling MAC swatches and found Temptalia. I was hooked on Temptalia and read it at least once a week. When I found that normal girls like you and me had just cute little blogs and youtubes I suddenly felt like I had a place and that I too could share my love with everyone.

Did your blog instantly take off or did you need to put lots of time into it for it to gain interest? [or both even]
Um it took off at the start as I think people were drawn to my alternative style and how my blog is a bit different to look at to most others. The layout you see now is basically what i've had all along, it's clean, simple and really easy to navigate and read. I also spent a lot of my time once i'd registered with blogger telling all the girls i'd been reading for ages how much I loved them and a fair bit of interest took off from there. I was thrilled that people wanted to read my rambles - I never thought i'd get as many followers as I do now, my little blog is just a tiny drop in a big ocean really!

What gave you, and still continues to give you, inspiration?
Oh gosh so much. People I see on the street, things I watch on tv, artists and the places I go. I'm very much into life, without sounding like i'm high or a bit weird. Things excite me, everything about life excites me. I take the same train every single day twice but every day I look out the window and find something new i've not seen before and it's like "oh man that house has a trampoline, wicked!" and it'll make me enthusiastic. I love being in shops, I love nosying at what other people are buying (always in Primark, check what other people are buying and ask where they picked it up) and events give me inspiration. Getting to meet new and exciting people always inspires me to be who I am, and this only ferverently fuels how much I love blogging.

Your bio tells me you’re a freelance photographer, shooting live bands, gigs and one-off events. This sounds fantastic, is it a day job and do you enjoy it?
I am I am I am! I love it so much. This ties in with how much I love getting enthusiastic about life - music gives me the world's biggest buzz out of anything. The warmth, the lights, the stinky crowd - some crying, some hugging, some alone but all singing the same damn lyrics as you, as the band. I love being there, sharing that moment and if my little camera can capture something people can treasure and smile from ear to ear looking back on in years to come - that is my fuel. I have been touring the UK with punk folk ex Million Dead singer Frank Turner, who is a great friend of mine and one of my biggest inspirations - for over three years now. I have also photographed the likes of Biffy Clyro, Babyshambles, 65daysofstatic, Annie Lennox, loads. I have been fortunate to work at great establishments from Brixton Academy to Reading Festival. I like to shoot things that don't happen again in that same spot, like weddings, peoples gatherings and parties. It's not my day job unfortunately, but I would love it to be. I am very blind in my eyes and I see things through a weird perspective where I can only see things close to me, and even with glasses this affects the way I shoot my photographs, and I like to think I can capture beauty that other photographers might miss, but you can all judge that for yourself ha!

Does your blog, or have you ever wanted it to, have a message to other bloggers?
Not really a message as such, I place myself in the same category as Ayden (Little Blog of Horrors) Caroline (Caroline xo) and Cat (Reaching For The Stars) plus loads others in that we're all alternative girls from a predominently punk/rock/indie background. I certainly don't dress like your average beauty blogger, but I do think my style and make up advice is just as important, and if I can encourage more alternative girls to start blogging in a world predominently ruled by girls not into alternative music, that is my only wish and message really. I think we're all beautiful, doesn't matter what music/lifestyle you're into!

What’s your favourite animal?
Little baby brown bears from the forests of the USA.

You've got the day off work...what would you love to do?
Oh don't. I'd love to be at a festival, i'd love to be on the Eurostar...basically anywhere other than in my room. I am all about exploring and spend every minute I have free away from my confinements anywhere new. I say yes to basically everything and it's lead me anywhere from X Factor auditions to music video extras to on a tour bus to well, anywhere!

What do you think is important to an individual's health? Do you have a regime or motto which you abide by?
Oh man drink water. So much water. I've learnt the hard way about what happens when you're mad dehydrated and it's not fun. That is kinda the only rule, I try to eat healthily but the truth is I love food, and therefore want to eat anything, so I mainly do, haha.

What are your five 'must' have cosmetic/skincare products and why? (could be five of both, or five of each)
Okay definitely MAC Lipstick in Pink Nouveau, it's easily the most gorgeous lipstick and just seems to suit my skintone well. Lush Angels on Bare Skin cleanser is the only cleanser that you can pop on in the shower, wash off and feel like you don't need to wear foundation upon leaving the house, it's amazing. Decleor Aromawhite Moisturiser has changed my life, and has really regulated my skin out, it's pricey but it's worth every single penny. Every girl needs a huge stash of Barry M polishes, totally goes without saying aaaand I don't leave the house without ensuring my YSL Touche Eclat is in my bag. Somewhat of a hype product but it works as a great concealer on me as i'm so damn pale, I know it's an illuminator, and it does work on everyone elses skin as that but it really is the absolute perfect under eye cover up for me! I can wear nothing else on my skin as long as my bags are hidden with a little Touche Eclat!

From a recent shout out on twitter, you were looking for some indie make up brands, do you generally prefer these smaller niche brands or was you looking specifically to find something one off and unique? Also tell me about some indie cosmetic brands which you've used and love.
I love indie brands because I can not only help promote a company who's products are great but 9 times out of 10 their packaging, general pricing and product is better than high street brands. It's the same as clothes isn't it. You walk along the street and every girl has the same primark tees on, fine, they serve a purpose (like drugstore makeup) but you turn down a new road and spot the most beautiful girl who's dress sense is so unique. You need to have it! No primark in sight. I love indie brands because i'm addicted to makeup and get a crazy silly little buzz from finding something new and exciting that not that many people know about. Since launching the series on my blog i've featured Armour Beauty - run by an actual rockstar woman - who's lipglosses are incredibly pigmented and much better than MAC! I will also be featuring b-koi cosmetics, Sugarpill Cosmetics and Rockalily Lipsticks - all independant brands who's products are fabulous. This is all part of my continuing effort to try and bring new and exciting content to make up lovers everywhere who may turn around and go - "wow, I want to support them" and we can all help support girls we love starting businesses thriving.

You did a fantastic blog post on Kat's Beauty Reviews (the one where you did the pledge that you’re a positive blogger.) which I loved and really helped me to get to know you, it was really raw and felt very honest, what inspired you to get quite personal in this post?

I love Kat's blog. It makes me so damn happy every time I read it and I wanted to try and show some of her regular readers aswell as mine that we are all human, we all have flaws we hate and bits about us we love. I felt the need to tell people how I really feel, so my blog becomes more than just a face with a product, but a story behind the face. I have been a lot of places, seen a lot of things, delved into industries that most people haven't seen. I've had the chance to sit one to one with rockstars that people adore and admire. It's a great feeling to be able to connect with people no matter who you are - and to do it spreading some positivity. I think it's a lovely thing, being able to blog, and I don't think girls should be afraid to express who they really are to the world. Thankyou for supporting the pledge, it's a really great thing to have in this community and I was thrilled Kat let me be a part of it!

2011-06-01T12:03:00.000-07:00

LIFE | Our first graze box has finally arrived!!

Long awaited - our Graze box has finally arrived! Graze is a website who provides you the service of sending you fresh fruit, nuts and well, massively healthy things to graze on, in a handy letter-box sized cardboard box.

The idea is you create an account, and whilst logged on, pick which day of the week you would like your graze box delivered, and how often, and rate the food which is on offer as a 'bin' (never send this to me), 'try' (happy to try) 'like'(send occasionally) and 'love' which is send regularly. This way you won't get sent something you absolutely hate, as long as you mark it as 'bin', but still keeps the excitement there as you don't know what they are sending until you receive it! (You can read the sneaky little peak email they send you the day before though ;)...

Joe and I received, Mayan mocha which consisted of dark chocolate coated coffee beans (LOVE.), raisins, almonds, and physalis (which I haven’t got clue what is, but are reddish in colour and taste AMAZING. plus lots of healthy vitamins.) Pina colada which had coconut and dried mango and pineapple. (mmm.) Fruit and seed flapjack and Italian stallion which had more raisins, blueberries, cranberries and physalis. Couldn't have gotten a better selection on our first box. Perfect.

Finishing touches was a cute little booklet which included all the nutritional information of the food they sent, complete with vouchers and another booklet explaining all the healthy goodness.

If you want to try your first box free for a limited time only, use our code: V62K8XP7

Loved Graze and will continue on with our subscription, normal retain price is £3.49 a box including postage.

2011-05-22T13:24:00.001-07:00

INTERVIEW | Alex Cummins of Illamasqua

Alex Cummins, Junior Brand Manager for Illamasqua is a well known figure in the beauty blogging world as their communication with one of the biggest cosmetic brands in the UK. In this feature, Alex talks about what she did before Illamasqua, what she thinks of their new skin sketching tutorial, and... After a massively successful launch of Toxic Nature for S/S ’10, we get a sneak peek into what Illamsqua’s bringing to us for Autumn/Winter ’10. (And a few random facts..)

What did you do before you worked for Illamasqua?
I was at Nottingham Trent University studying Fashion Marketing and Communications. A great course that gave me an insight in to various elements of the fashion and beauty marketing mix. I also worked for Origins as a skin care consultant - I still absolutely worship their Ginger body range. It's delicious!

What made you interested in working in the beauty industry to begin with?

I have always been obsessed with make-up and cosmetics. I used to get in trouble for stealing all my mother’s make-up and beauty products when I was younger. I once used an entire tub of her Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair in one go; all over my face and body when I was about 10. Needless to say, I wasn't popular - that shizzle is pretty darn expensive!

Was it anything in particular which attracted you to Illamasqua?

Everything about it spoke to me on a physical and emotional level: the cosmetics themselves, all intense, bright, unusual colours, the advertising campaigns were wickedly bold and the textures of some of the products were like nothing that I had seen before. In my opinion, the industry had become flat and unpredictable and Illamasqua celebrated the fun of making up. The Sophie Lancaster Foundation is a very important charity and I was thrilled that a new make-up brand would whole heartedly support a charity from the off set, not just jump on the "we need to support a charity" band wagon. It's integral to the very DNA of the brand. I also loved the artistic direction of Alex Box - I had been a big fan of hers over the years, having loved her work for Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, Gareth Pugh...

Do you think blogs have helped with Illamasqua’s success?

Absolutely - we are a young independent, privately owned beauty brand without the marketing budget of the bigger companies and we knew we had a product that spoke for itself, so we didn't need to create self important advertising campaigns that promise the world and don't necessarily deliver. I was a blogger at Uni and the amount of times I emailed the press office just wanting some official word from the brand, just a press release or something and I either got no response, or a "go to store and speak to a sales assistant" type answer that it became quite infuriating. I wanted to change that treatment of bloggers for myself as soon as I got my job at Illamasqua. I think that bloggers have appreciated my dedication to the cause and that I have a never ending passion for the brand I work for!

Tell me something completely random about yourself.

I'm obsessed with old Hollywood stars and reading their biographies. I've already read Marlon Brando and Clark Gable this year - Errol Flynn is next!

What’s your favourite colour?

Depends. First thing in the morning, I like yellow, last thing at night, black!

Do you have a beauty routine?

Absolutely, Skin Ceuticals is my favourite skin care brand - I use their face wash and moisturiser every day and I love Elemis bath oils and Origins Ginger body gloss and body cream. Every week I take the time out for a face mask. My flatmates and I are always getting new face masks, this week we have Chantecaille mud mask that I'm looking forward to! I also have a massage every couple of months at the Neals Yard in Islington. I'm a natural stress ball, so I need to have that time to chill the hell out!

What kind of makeup do you wear on a day-to-day basis?

It varies every day, I go through phases and inspirations like most people go through underwear! A few months ago I had bright fire engine red hair and bleached eye brows, but I'm back tanning now [the new Xen Tan is amazing] with lighter reddish hair and I'm going for bigger bolder brows - think 90s Ralph Lauren models!

I have been road testing Illamasqua's new Skin Base foundation for about 6 weeks and I'm astonished by the result it gives. I've friends queueing round the block to buy it, but it's not available until end of June. I love mixing up textures on my face so I'll wear it with a glossy lip and a matt eye - or vice versa! Every morning I give myself 20 minutes to get make-up ready - it's my experimental time :-)

What do you wear at night-time?

Make-up wise? I just smoke up what I've had on all day and add a pair of lashes. I'm lucky, working in a make-up environment that it's all here to work with! I love being able to try out new things that have arrived on the New Product Development desk - if a new product lasts through the night with my dancing then thats always good feedback for the NPD team!

What’s your best beauty tip to readers?

Don't under estimate brows. As I've mentioned, I used to bleach mine out so that I could draw them back in where I wanted them - you can re structure your entire face, it's amazing. Or add colour in - I love to colour mine bright red, purple, blue... it's a quick and easy way to completely change your look and yet still look feminine. Our Brow and Lash Gel will hold anything you do in place all day and night, too so I am never without that.

What are your three staple beauty items from the illamasqua range?

I get asked this a lot, and it constantly changes, but at the moment I love Cream Pigment in Emerge for the cheeks and as an eye base - it's a peachy shade that is instantly brightening and flattering. It asks an intensfier for anything put on top and as an adhesive for loose pigments, so I would suggest layering on Pure Pigment in Furore - a shimmering champagne - perfect for a beautiful day look. Furore is also lovely on the cheeks and lips, too.

I would also suggest that everyone in the entire world gets Nail Varnish in 'Baptiste' which is a beautiful royal purple shimmer. I stopped biting my nails just so I could wear this!

With Toxic Nature just launched for Spring/Summer '10, can you give us a sneak peak on what illamsqua's showcasing for Autumn/Winter '10?

Whereby Toxic Nature was a prediction of a future world, the new collection harks back to a bygone era: Glamorous, dark, sexy and theatrical ...

We've recently seen the launch of the cream pigments, what do you think about them and can we expect to see a more diverse colour range in the future?

I've already professed my love for Emerge! We have always said that if these were embraced by our customers we would develop more shades. Mould is fantastic as a base for a smoky eye and I am loving Bedaub as a flash of bright mint across eyes. Hollow is fantastic as a contour on paler skins and as a toffee lip and eye base. Delirium is a flattering blush shade on olive and darker skin tones and a lovely lip shade, too.

Are there any new exciting products which Illamasqua’s got in the pipeline?

Always: We never stop developing, sourcing, looking for inspiration in every day and every where!

Illamasqua has recently published their 'skin sketching' tutorial using their medium pencils ((which can be found here)) have you tried this? And what would you say the advantages of using this method to define and contour the eyes are? (As opposed to other products)

We have our new video that uses this technique as a foundation and builds into something more colourful and bold, our night-time version! I personally love the Skin Sketching technique, it is an old technique that we have modernised at the Illamasqua School of Make-up Art in London. We wanted to show how something could be created with minimal products - this is a solution for those with only a small amount of time and limited space in their hand bags - who wants to drag around palettes and full size lipsticks all the time for basic touch ups?

Illamsqua's most recent collection, Toxic Nature, can be found on their website www.illamasqua.com or by clicking this link)

I hope this interview gave you an insight into Illamsqua as a brand, as a product, and as people. Have you ever tried Illamasqua, if so what do you think of it?

2011-05-09T09:10:00.000-07:00

BEAUTY | Monthly Favourites

The UK has had quite a lot of hot weather lately, so it's been quite a summery feeling already this month, whilst there are lots of maxi dresses and shorts out, on the beauty front I've been reaching for some beautiful coral colours in my makeup, especially MAC Virgin Isle cream blend blush which I picked up from the Stylishly Yours collection after Christmas a while ago. It's a beautiful coral, with a tint of red in the pan, but depending if you use it on-top of a nude lip base, comes out similar to MAC Jazzed lipstick, perhaps a little bit more coral, but since I have pigmented lips, it's very very coral if I don't nude them out a bit first. Great beauty staple in the summer, but also can be used for a classic look in the winter. It can also be used on the cheeks, but I haven’t tried that yet ;)

Clockwise from left (Chanel Hydramax+ moisturising fluid, Chanel Vitaluminere foundation, MAC Ripe Peach blush ombre, MAC Virgin isle cream colour base, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish By Candlelight)

My other staples at the moment are:

Chanel Moisturiser and Foundation; Pricey, but very well worth it. The moisturiser quenches my skin's thirst without making it a grease ball. No dry patches all day either.

MAC Skinfinish in By Candlelight I haven’t used this in about 5 months because I got so annoyed of being a glitter-ball every time, but since, I've been using it on the high point of my cheekbone and it gives a beautiful shimmer to my skin. Loving this method, and would recommend it if you find the Skinfinish's to be a little too glittery.

MAC Ripe Peach blush ombre This is such a beautiful blush to look at. Weighing in at 9g, this is much bigger than a standard MAC Blush, and it's the perfect amount of peach (which I do use more often) and a cheeky hint of coral on one side. This was LE, and would have loved to pick up two, however I've seen there are quite a few dupes out there for the peach shade, as well an Estee Lauder similar type ombre blush.

what products have you been loving this month and why?

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua VS Max Factor Xperience foundation

2011-05-01T12:26:00.001-07:00

Xperience foundation (left) Vitalumiere foundation (right)

This review will be a review of both Max Factors latest foundation, Xperience weightless foundation in Light Ivory 40, and Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation in their lightest shade. I have, on the largest part, dry skin, which can get a little combination in the T-zone throughout the day, which has acne scars and prone to breakouts. Even if you have similar skin to this description, please always be aware your skin might still act differently.

Just a a little pre-lude, I have always opted for expensive bases, because every time I buy some, my skin is perfect, no breakouts, no nothing, just beautiful skin every time, unlike my disaster with MAC pro-long wear foundation (which has only been used once, if anyone wants to swap?) where I was breakout central for about 3 months straight. In those 3 months however, it really made me re-think my makeup and especially, skincare. Bourjois Healthy Mix was a lovely foundation, but broke me out in the last 3rd of the bottle (>?) and found their 10hr sleep effect foundation lovely, but just on that very slight sheer side for me, and not the lasting power of a normal work day.

Just as a side note; I don't touch up, my skin is dry, and I also rarely set it with powder, sometimes mix foundations, but for the purpose of this review I have not done either when commenting on the two products. Both foundations a reviews without a primer, and with MAC Prep and Prime Skin primer.

Max Factor Xperience Weightless foundation

Price: 4 (RRP £9.99) You can get this on promotion like I did at approx £6
Longitivity: 3 without primer, 4 with.
Wear: This wore very well, not sinking in or emphasing dry patchs in the slightest for the whole 9hour day. 5
Skin compatibility: Very well for my dry skin - 5.
Would purchase again: Maybe, if I was looking for a drugstore foundation, this would be one of my first choices if it was on promotion.

Overall; 4.

Comments: I hated this foundation when I tried it without primer. So much so I chucked it in the bottom of my make up box and forgot about it until I felt like trying it out again. The second time was with my primer, and I felt the lay down of the foundation was much, much better, and not sticky at all. The texture is very strange, it’s a little bit like a gel, it’s not runny in the slightest, but it covers really good, a little goes a long way. The tube it comes in is very nice, I can tell how much product is left. The colour is actually very good, especially for Max Factor. It does have a slight pink/grey cast to it, but I found this fine, especially since I default to peach blush anyway, so be careful this may wash you out a little bit if you don't wear blush or bronzer. Great foundation, will use it some days, especially when I want to save some of the more expensive foundations for special nights/days, but don't wear without primer.. Also plus point of SPF10.

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation

Price: 2 (RRP £32.99)
Longitivity: 4 without primer, 5 with.
Wear: 4. Sank into dry patches a tiny bit. Could just be the terrible yellow lighting, as it looks fine in daylight all day.
Skin compatibility: Perfect - 5
Would purchase again: Yes, definately.

Overall; 4.5

Comments: Vitalumiere is like foundation heaven. The texture is so soft, quite thick, but not too thick. It spreads evenly onto the skin, and the colour is great for my NC15 skin. It covers my old acne scars fine with maybe 1.5 layers. I don't know how it does this, as it's not thick in the slightest, I would say it’s a medium coverage but super pigmentation. If you have a breakout, it will diminish redness but nothing will hide that fully without looking like a cake, or spending some proper time on it with a concealer brush as a concealer foundation like Vichy/Derma blend foundation. It lasts and lasts, and without primer, feels great, and lasts my working day fine, maybe just getting little dry patches in that horrid yellow lighting a little bit, but with a primer this does increase the time it lasts. This is a foundation which doesn't need work you just put it on with your fingers, blend, and done. Great for summer, great for on holiday. It does have an SPF15 which is great, still looks fab in photos, but in the sun always use sun lotion of a moisturiser with spf. The only downside is the major price tag.

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So...which one is best?!
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Both foundations are really really nice, it’s easy to tell Xperience is of the higher end of the drugstore family, especially in terms of colour and texture. What I love about drugstore foundations is they are so easy to replace, and don't have to skimp on product or worry when it's going to run out because I can't afford it. That is really the only downside to Vitaluminere Aqua, which I would say it the perfects of foundations ever, in terms of colour, pigmentation, longitivity and benefits of my skin, because it feels fab when I take it off, rather than just a bit ikky. If I can afford it, I would repurchase the Chanel foundation, but would like to have a drugstore foundation like Xperience always on the go.

Have you used either one of these foundations? Which one do you prefer? If not, which foundation do you use currently?

2011-04-26T08:27:00.000-07:00

LIFE | 101 things to do in 1001 days UPDATE!

we ♥ it

Before this post, I had completed 2 goals in my 101 things to do in 1001 days challenge. You can see the original post here

They were;

39. Finish Prison Break [season 4] [completed 05/11/2010]
48. Inspire somebody [completed 10/11/2010] see interview

This is an update to catch up on a few more that has been completed.

1. Get a Job I like/love.
7. Do exercise regularly.
9. Get a house with Joe.
37. Catch up on animes inc bleach and naruto.
70. Wear something out of my comfort zone
71. Wear bright lipstick for a day.

I like my job, working as a Travel Agent, as I get fantastic deals on holidays but also enjoy talking to people. I do 40minutes of exercise a day and also walk to work and back which takes 25minutes each way. I have moved in with Joe to our house on 10th Feb 2011, and its fantastic!! I caught up on anime's bleach and naruto, which were amazing and now watch them weekly. I bought and now wear hareem trousers on a regular basis, (they are SO comfy!) which were previously way out my comfort zone of leggings. And last but not least, I wore coral lipstick (MAC Virgin Isle CCB) to work one day.

It feels amazing to have this list, as I feel that all the time I'm acomplishing something that I want to do.

There are some minor updates to my list which I'm making you aware of;

38. Platinum a game on PS3
91. Buy Playstation move

Are now obselete as I have traded in my PS3 and now own an XBOX 360, for which I have not platinumed (completed) a game, however have been replaced with the x-box as I have bought the PS3 Move equilivent which is the XBOX Kinect! So this has been achieved!!

2011-04-26T06:11:00.000-07:00

FASHION | Pepperberry; Clothes designed with your boobs in mind

Pepperberry Maxi Dress, £69

So, long time no post. Sometimes real life issues just take over, but in a positive way. I've moved house and finally got everything sorted, didn't have the internet for a while, and had so much work to do. So i'm hoping for a new start, and to properly get the transition from greystrawberrys --> miaoumiaou going. I have noticed I already have followers, and for that, thank you SO much.

Having bought a magazine, one of those usual leaflets fell out onto the floor upon opening, picked it up and put it on the top of my computer for a later date. I saw it yesterday, and was very interested from the point of the line;

"Clothes designed with your boobs in mind"

I leafed through the trial size brochure, and was very, very, interested to see that all the clothes fit the models, (all of which had large boobs) extremely well. Now, i'm not a massive fan of my boobs, and the main reason for that is because a lot of clothes in mainstream highstreet outlets such as topshop, riverisland etc don't take into account boobs, and I have to go up like 2-3 sizes just to allow for no pulling/tugging. This isn't some kind of feminist rant, I completely understand that boobs come in all shapes and sizes, but thats exactly the point - ALL shapes.

Having looked into the brand further, they are owned by bravissimo, and so are really a sub/specialist brand, so have the backup of a larger brand. The prices are relatively high, but normal in a brand like this, which is the only downside. I doubt i'll be paying £69 for a dress anytime soon, but it's nice just to be available.

I hope you like my illustration at the top of the page, which is of my favourite piece in their mini-catalogue, the maxi dress which looks fantastic and has since changed my mind about maxi's. There are some fantastic evening attire in their as well, from the elegant Rose tie satin dress, £65 to the Sensational Puffball Dress, £69.. In the back of my mini brochure, there is a size guide telling you which size to order depending on which size you order in normal highstreet clothes, which seems quite handy. I can imagine this would be in the larger catalogue too.

To have a look at Pepperberry's website, and/or to order yourself a full spring catalogue clickhere

Are you happy with the selection of clothing companies in the market today? Or would you perfer more specialist brands, like Pepperberry, which caters for a specific consumer?

hello.

2011-03-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

Update coming soon

http://img850.imageshack.us/i/newblog.jpg/

happy new year!

2011-01-03T08:03:00.000-08:00

link

Happy new year everybody! :) I hope everybody had a fantastic Christmas also and look forward to seeing all your posts!

I have a few posts lined up for the next few days, and some new illustrations. I hope you like! <3

2011-01-01T10:48:00.000-08:00

Portfolio | Portfolio

Amelia's Magazine..
Is the beauty industry moving towards a more earth friendly narrative

Interview with Willow Organics

Six Magazine..
Beauty Assistant

Contributed to articles for the website, which are being published in the upcoming months.

Moda De La Mode...
New and upcoming fashion magazine, first issue on New Beginnings here

2010-12-07T05:28:00.000-08:00

FASHION | Whats in my bag?

Okay, thats not my bag. I made the illustration based on a nice star bag by fashion brand, Jigsaw. I took the stars out, and wanted it to have a dark twist. Hopefully this kind of inspiration and illustrations are going to keep coming.

I would have taken a picture from my actual bag, however it's a mess, and i'm constantley changing bags at the moment. Once I'm bag-happy, I'll update a new post with a picture ;)

My [normal] bag contents include at the moment;

Impulse - Romantic Spark - I've bought this recentley, and thought it remineded me of parma voilet sweets, [which I love].

Revlon super lusterous lipgloss - coral reef - I've become really into coral lips at the moment. I spent a good few years trying to reduce my natural pigmentation through nudes and pinks, but found corals really suit my skintone. This gloss is beautiful and none sticky.

Palmers coco butter lip balm - I love this. Maybe not as much as Burt's Bees, but it is a good stopgap. Really moisturising.

Whsmith notepad -I normally keep a notepad of some sort to jot down any notes, or for work purposes.

An assortment of pens - Taking notes, however when they leak it's not good.

Some sort of magazine or book - I love having a quick read of my current book or magazine, which are the latest issue of Dazed and Confused and The Girl who kicked the Hornets nest.

Iphone - For phone purposes, games and notepad if I don't fancy handwriting anything, and the net.

Mini Hairbrush - My hair gets messy, and like to keep it looking good, and also to try and be more thoughtful with my hair.

Soap and Glory - Mist you Madly - Love all Soap and Glory smells. Just a quick boost of some nice scent.

L'occataine cherry blossom hand cream -My hand's get terribley dry, especially in cold weather, and so this freebe from an InStyle [I think] magazine comes in handy.

What do you keep in your bag? What couldn't you leave the house without?

2010-11-24T13:17:00.000-08:00

INTERVIEW | Interview with illustrator Sandra Contreras

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The second interview in the series of 4, this post is an interview with Sandra Contreras whom not only is a great illustrator and also a lovely person to talk to, having created a lovely illustration for my article on Amelia's Magazine website. She is the illustrator who has made miaou miaou, well, meow! [xD] As you can see, she made the four lovely cats in my layout design, and they are so cute and adorable! Sandra makes really cool, quirky images, and her talent spans far, illustrating animals to fashion. I hope you enjoy the interview below with Sandra, which will help you get to know a little bit more about her, what inspires her to create beautiful illustrations, and also about her personality.

[Miaou Miaou:]What got you started in illustration? Tell me a brief of your background and experience.

[Sandra]I've always loved paper, when I was small I could get excited at the sight of a pile of white paper and a pencil. And colors always attracted my attention. But all I did were random mess. When I was in high school I had a friend who liked to draw. And influenced by that I started to copy a lot. From that, I realized I had the ability to draw (which surprised me since I didn't think I could draw) and kept going from there. At high school, I chose art studies.

What mediums do you use in your illustrations?

It really depends on what you want to tell with your illustration, I don't like to restrain myself by using only one medium or two. There are illustrators that get excellent at one medium an always use that technique. I'd like to be able to use any technique I feel suits the illustration better. That said, my favorite medium are aniline, pencil and ink.

Is there any different types of art/mediums your looking to progress into?

Everything! As I said, I like to work with all mediums, I use computer, I use watercolors, I use pencil and ink, I use photoshop and illustrator... and I'm nothing near to excellent on any of these, so I'm looking forward to get better at all of them.
But what I'd really like to get better at is collage and including photography to my work. I'm always taking pictures of everything (I prefer to work from my own pictures as much as I can rather than using other's) but I find it hard to include them in my illustrations. And collage is a very powerful medium, very creative and beautiful, but I haven't paid it all the attention it deserves, yet.

What other illustrators do you admire and why?

I specially admire illustrators who have no fear of experimenting, both with concept and technique. There are too many excellent illustrators out there that I love (and I find about new great illustrators everyday) to not mention here, so I'm not going to say any name at all. But the ones that catch my attention above all are those who use the same techniques as me.

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What advice would you give to somebody starting out illustration?

Draw, draw, draw, draw, draw, draw, draw, and then draw some more. And when you're done with that, look back at what you've done and draw some more. I know a lot of people that complain, after doing a couple of drawings, that they can't or won't ever never be able to draw. And that's not true. Getting better at drawing is like going to the gym, you won't get muscles because you went there for a couple of weeks.

Do you have a routine when you start a project or does it differ?

I always start by reading the brief two, three or four times. Then I draw/write the first impressions I get from that and a few ideas that come to mind. Then I go take a long break. I try to totally disconnect from the project, since I know ideas an related thoughts to the project will come by themselves while I'm doing something else.
When I already have the idea, I try to start by thinking how the final thing should look like. I say should because things usually end up very different from what you thought at first. But sometimes I just start drawing to have fun. I usually get a lot of spontaneous results from that, which I think is the best in an illustration: spontaneity and try to make a final piece out of that.

What gives you inspiration?

When I'm not working on anything, just looking at pictures, books, photographies, getting lost in Barcelona and looking at random shops and galleries inspire me.
When I'm working on something and I can't carry on, I'm doomed, because I tend to focus too much and then loose the point, then I get depressed and can't keep on working. When that happens, I just stop and go watch TV (what else is better than having someone else think for you?) then I try to look for inspiration as if I wasn't working on anything. Most of the time, inspiration and solutions for stuff I'm working on comes while I'm in the bed trying to sleep though. I suppose being relaxed helps the mind.

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Have you ever had a period where you have found it hard to be inspired?

That time comes when I'm lazy. When I put excuses for not drawing and spend a long period without doing so. I really think inspiration isn't something that comes suddenly, inspiration is the result of research and doing some thinking. Don't ever stop and you'll never run out of inspiration. Don't sit in front of a paper and wait for it, do something while you wait.

What other activities do you enjoy doing besides art?

I very much love reading. I've been surrounded by books since forever (my parents own a pretty large collection of books) so I'm always reading. I also like to travel (who doesn't?) so whenever I have some money and a bit of time, even if it's for a couple of days, I take the first plane I can.

Tell me something about yourself [random, not mentioned before]

I can't focus, and I really can't follow people instructions word by word. That caused me trouble when I was in school, since I'd always make my teacher mad because she'd try to give me tips or advice for my illustration, but then I'd end up doing whatever I thought was best (even if I wasn't right at all).

What are your favourite beauty products?

I'm not much into beauty products, but I do love l'occitane. All their products smell so good, I own a perfume and a couple more of products from them. And well, even if I like make up, I try not to put on too much. At least not on a daily basis. I prefer to focus my attention on moisturizers and everything skin-care related.

What are your hopes and dreams of the future?

I really hope to become a great ilustrator! ha ha
And I also want to become a globetrotter illustrator. Maybe helping a guide writer to illustrate their new guide, or illustrating cities of the world for a book... Something like that. I'd like to live/visit as many places as possible.

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I really hoped you enjoyed the interview with Sandra, if you would like to see more of her works, and also comment on them, please visit her website.

2010-11-21T08:37:00.000-08:00

LIFE | 101 things to do update and a sneak peak of whats to come..

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So I've been AWOL for a few days, >.< I do apoligise for not posting on a regular basis, it is one of my things to do, perhaps I should update every 3 days, or Tuesday and Friday? That sounds quite nice actually.

I've been ajusting to a new job, learning all the ropes, and its just getting used to something huge in life like an career, it's just getting over the transition period. Similar to how I'm still learning how to write articles, hoping to get more published in Amelia's Magazine and maybe even similar styles of magazine, so i'm learning how to edit my own work, which is the hard part for me - The research and getting my ideas down are not a problem, it's putting it into fantastic sentences and structures in a professional manner which is the hardest part. This would definatley be contributing to '14. Brush up on my writing skills and leading on to 15. Get writing experience'

More brief updates on 101 things to do, would be I'm drinking a lot more water, which my skin in loving me for! contributing to 6. Make more healthy choices.

This week I plan to;

1. Make a few designs of jewellery for Christmas presents
2. Catch up on magazines, like last months issue of Dazed and Conused, Instyle and Vogue [sometimes I'm a bit of a magazine horder.]
3. Make a 15min yoga routine to do in the mornings
3. Write this months posting plan. [trying to be more organised]

I'm hoping your looking forward to the other three interviews of the fantastic illustrators, Dee Andrews, Sandra Contreras and Anelia Murphy which will be up in the next two weeks.

An in-depth review of french skincare brand, Vichy, is also coming soon, showcasing their normaderm range and their collaberation with leading skincare and cosmetic brand, dermablend. So if you have 'problematic' skin, and suffer from acne, blemishes, greasy skin, this is something which may help you.

Please tell me what you've been up to recently, and what you plan to do in the next few weeks?

2010-11-10T07:03:00.000-08:00

INTERVIEW | Interview with illustrator Jennifer Costello

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Forming a series of 4, this post is an interview with the lovely Jennifer Costello, whom worked with me for my article in Amelia's Magazine,which can be found here. Jennifer is a polite and interesting person, which can be clearly seen not only when we were discussing the illustration for the article, but from her website where she showcases her beautiful illustrations. Below is a short interview, which can help you get to know Jennifer more as a person, and also see what inspires her to create such beautiful illustrations.

[Miaou Miaou;] What got you started in illustration? Tell me a brief of your background and experience.

[Jennifer;] Oh wow, well it was always my passion; I suppose I decided to commit long term when I started sixth form. I more or less abandoned the rest of my a-levels for fine art and product design. Then once id finished the first year, I went straight to college to do a BTEC in art and design. Then from there it was visual communication at uni. And here I am now :)

What mediums do you use in your illustrations?

I really love simple pencil studies, but I’m also a big fan of painting, usually watercolours or acrylics. I’m quite flexible with materials as long as they leave a mark. I love painting on plywood and cardboard, that’s always a nice treat. And then for certain projects, I’ll use oils, which are malleable and luxurious.

Is there any different types of art/mediums your looking to progress into?

I think I’d like to develop my digital skills, to broaden my horizons slightly. I adore fashion illustration so I will always continue to develop that area. Other than that, I’m mad on textiles and interior design. I’d love to get into surface pattern design, and create a really beautiful range of rugs and quilts. Maybe something geometric or inspired by the east.
My next project is going to be a magazine about ethical beauty, as inspired by you! I thought it would be a good way to start mixing my illustrative preferences with a more formal graphics context. Very excited to do that!
And then once that’s done, I’m going to design some packaging for ethical beauty products.

What other illustratiors do you admire and why?

So many, I love love love Olaf Hajek. His work is just so stunning and accomplished. I also really love the work of Lesley Barnes, Cecilia Carlstedt and Rob Ryan. A great collective to look up is ‘Container’ their work is amazing. I interviewed them once for my dissertation and they were so nice, really full of enthusiasm and good energy.

What advice would you give to somebody starting out illustration?

Be as committed as possible, always be prepared to spend hours developing concepts and ideas. Go back to the basics to try and explore styles and working methods. And use twitter. Twitter has been amazingly useful for me. Other than that, try and avoid the internet. It’s a fantastic source of inspiration and information, but it’s also a massive time waster, and can be a bit overwhelming.

Do you have a routine when you start a project or does it differ?

Sometimes it’s impulsive, but usually I just brainstorm loads of ideas and concepts, and then work with whatever has the most potential.

What gives you inspiration?

I think I’m inspired mostly by natural materials and textures. Also anything organic like floras and foliage. I love Middle Eastern textiles; they are always a great source of inspiration. Music and film is also good to get the ideas going and establish a tone of voice.

Have you ever had a period where you have found it hard to be inspired?

Not really. At uni you have to explore different ideas, and at times it was hard to communicate my ideas visually, but I think that was more down to lack of confidence than lack of inspiration.

What other activities do you enjoy doing besides art?

Hmm, well I do love good food and drink. I’d love to be a fantastic chef but I never will be! I love interior design and will spend a LOT of money on books.

Tell me something about yourself [random, not mentioned before]

There is a selection of words that I can’t bring myself to say:
Moist, cream, chocolate, cookie, milky.
It means I will never order anything with those words in the title if I’m eating out. Even if I really, really want it.

What are your favourite beauty products?

I love glitter nail varnish. It’s so unsophisticated but I love it. I was also really keen on the pastel colours from S/S, especially lilac and light blue. Bit chilly for these colours now though. Other than that, just good mascara, and a bit of blusher because I’m so deathly pale.

What are your hopes and dreams of the future?
In the short term, to make more time for my work, to explore all the ideas I have, to slowly phase out part time work for a full time design career. Also, I’d like to one day build a self sufficient grand design with an amazing garden. Not much to ask!

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Thank you Jennifer for participating in the interview :) , and if you would like to know more about Jennifer, see much more of her works, and see what up coming projects shes been working on, check out her website.

What did you think of the interview? Are there any illustrators you admire at the moment? Feel free to answer any of the questions asked in the interview yourself.

2010-11-03T13:58:00.001-07:00

LIFE | 101 things to do in 1001 days

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The lovely mookxi commented on my blog one day, and having checked her site out [which you all should it's really cool] and noticed her '101 things in 1001 days'. Having read her post about it, I was really inspired and wanted to do my own, as its such a positive and interesting thing. I checked with her, [as I didn't want to steal her idea] and she said its perfectly fine, as she got the idea from day zero project.. So here is some info on the 101 things in 1001 days.

What do to: I'm going to complete 101 of my set tasks below in the period of 1001 days, with the idea of giving me plenty of time to do my set tasks, as some do need a certain longer timescale than others. The ones I have completed I will add [completed] to and a date.

Start Date: Friday, November 5th 2010
End Date: Thursday, August 1st 2013
Number of Items Completed: 8/101

1. Get a job i like/love [completed 01/03/2011]
2. learn to use Adobe Photoshop CS5
3. learn to use Adobe Illustrator CS5
4. Obtain more patience
5. Worry less
6. Make more healthy choices
7. Do exercise regularly [completed 10/02/2011]
8. Go on holiday with Joe ♥
9. Get a house with Joe ♥ [completed 10/02/2010]
10. Be more organised by making regular posts and regular types of posts e.g. Turorial 001, and Friday Favourites etc.
11.Work on my masters research [even though I havn't enrolled yet]
12. Bia a Diana F+ with instant back
13. Get a nice hair cut
14. Brush up my writing skills
15. Gain writing experience
16. Read book list [min 20]
17. Go to the cinema every month
18. Illustrate a photo and publish it
19. Host a swap
20. Learn yoga
21. Learn french
22. Learn something [apart from french]
23. Write more letters and send more packages to Lynn
24. Write to more penpals
25. Learn A-Level and Degree Level Mathematics and Algebra

we ♥ it

26. Learn to cook like Jamie Oliver
27. Learn to read and write Kanji
28. Make a Time Capsule with Joe ♥
29. Keep in regular contact with my parents
30. Read inspirational material inc. Blogs and Books
31. Make more jewellery
32. Host a giveaway
33. Start an etsy shop
34. See a movie in 3D
35. Read National Geographic at least once a month
36. Give old possessions away
37. Catch up on anime's inc Bleach and Naruto [completed 01/05/2011]
38. Platinum a game on playstation 3
39. Finish Prison Break [season 4] [completed 05/11/2010]
40. Make a mix CD
41. Make a mix CD and send to people
42. Start Joe's&Mine scrapbook
43. Buy a stash of 35mm film off amazon
44. Buy a USB to SD Card reader
45. Make a seasonal lookbook
46. Clean my room regularly
47. Do organised beauty reviews with a set layout
48. Inspire somebody [completed 10/11/2010] see interview
49. Eat 5 fruit/veg a day
50. Make a cookbook with Joe's&Mine recipies

we ♥ it

51. Make wedding plans
52. Get a manicure
53. Give to charity
54. Every now and again update on progress of this list
55. Get hair coloured professionally
56. Pay overdraft off
57. Organise a budget
58. Go house hunting
59. Save for a deposit
60. Buy and organise a photo album 4 times a year
61. Learn to sew
62. Learn to crotchet wire
63. Design steampunk jewellery
64. Make steampunk jewellery
65. Alter own clothes
66. Buy a magazine subscription to I.D.Magazine
67. Buy Amelia's compendium of fashion illustration
68. At Christmas, make handmade tags
69. Be creative with my outfits
70. Wear something out of my comfort zone [completed 25/04/2011]
71. Wear bright lipstick for a day [completed 01/02/2011]
72. Listen to 20 albums all the way through
73. Participate in project 365
74. Have a packed lunch 2x a week
74. Try new eaterys with Joe ♥
75. Make bread from scratch

we ♥ it

76. Go see a comedian live
77. Try waxing
78. Tell Joe I love him everyday
79. Write love letters to Joe
80. Get a haircut every 2-3 months
81. 14 day cruise
82. Get drunk on whisky
83. Obtain my 'happy weight'
84. Stay in my pyjamas for a whole day x7
85. Get Joe a cheap holiday from thomson
86. Facetime Joe
87. Go on holiday for Joe's birthday
88. Get a new car
89. Visit a Fyord
90. Wear my kigu outside
91. Buy playstation move
92. Buy a domain
93. Make udon noodles
94. Buy armband for iphone
95. Buy case for iphone
96. Get a small tattoo
97. Drink 8 glasses/ 4L water a day
98. Pass driving test
99. Watch Lord of the rings back to back
100. Use twitter more
101. Go vegan for a week

we ♥ it

So those are my 101 things! Like the idea? You should do it too! [link me to yours!]

Amelia's Magazine: Is the beauty industry moving towards an earth friendly narrative?

2010-10-28T05:25:00.001-07:00

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Amelia's Magazine has been in my life for over a year now. I can't remember how I came to find it, it just appeared on my long-haul search for a cool indie style magazine, and it sure did have a lot of popularity. I immediately bought issue 8 and 9 and loved it. Featuring new and upcoming bands and illustrators, I was hooked. But unfortunately soon after issue 10 was published, there was to be no more magazines, and instead Amelia focused on one-off books, such as Amelia's Anthology of Illustration which is definitely on my wish list. It features illustrations of new inventions to combat climate change. There is also a new book to be released soon detailing works of fashion illustration from illustrators from all over the world.

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Soon after Issue 10 was published, and no more magazines to be made, Amelia wanted to focus on the website, and to blog about subjects concerning art, music, fashion and earth. Having got in touch with Amelia, and after a few edits of my work [I’m still a bit of a n00b at writing atm, getting better ;)] she published my work, which can be found here;

Is the beauty industry moving towards an earth friendly narrative?

I had an excellent experience writing for Amelia's Magazine, and I’m hoping to do some Q & A's with organic and natural beauty brands soon, and hopefully my writing can change into more professional pieces!

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The illustrators I worked with on the article were amazing. They were so polite and friendly, and produced the most beautiful illustrations ever. In the next week, there will also be mini-interviews with all the illustrators, but in the meantime, you can check them out by clicking on the links below.

Sandra Contreras,Dee Andrews,Jennifer Costello,Aniela Murphy.

[please] Check out the article above and leave comments! <3 [thankyou]

What do you aspire to be?

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2010-09-18T13:36:00.000-07:00

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