La Rich'e Directions Rubine Review

Hey Dolls,
I promise I will return to makeup reviews soon but as I mentioned in my review of Manic Panic's Vampire Red, I'm a huge hair dye fan. So today I'm reviewing my favourite hair dye which I picked up from Blue Banana. It is called Rubine and is by Directions. I can't understand why there are no reviews for this amazing dye online but hopefully I can rectify that.

The dye is packaged in an amazingly convenient 88ml tub that you can literally just dip a brush in and apply it to your hair. No bowl mixing or hassle with this dye. You can mix Directions dyes together to create your own colours too ( Rubine and Midnight Blue is a favorite of mine ;) ). Like all semi permanent dyes it is best applied to bleached hair unless your hair is naturally pale blonde. However I lighten my dark hair with a light 6% Peroxide spray and it works amazingly.

I promise this dye turns out red not purple!

I was mildly concerned when the dye arrived that it would turn my hair purple...not that I'd have minded that but I did want red hair dye. Then when I applied the actual dye to my hair it looked like a plummy redy/purple, and finally, three hours later (I really let the dye soak into my hair) when I washed the dye out I was left with gorgeous, glossy ruby RED hair. 

I will admit this dye doesn't last as long in my hair as the Manic Panic Vampire Red (that almost lasts TOO long!) but I do prefer the colour. Vampire Red has a tendancy to turn orangy red in the sunlight. This looks a gorgeous plummy/rich red in the sunlight and a lovely red wine shad indoors. It also has a lovely creamy texture and is very moisturizing. The packaging is so easy and I love how concentrated the dye is. The colour can bleed a little, not too badly, but enough that it can stain between your fingers if you run your hands through your hair (whoops). 

As with any hair dye, WEAR GLOVES WHEN YOU APPLY IT!! I forgot once and had bright red hands for a week and hot pink nails for a month. Sadly that is not an exaggeration. It was slightly (completely) hard to explain. 

Despite it not lasting as long as the Manic Panic dyes I am so in love with the colour of this ruby red, I wouldn't care if i had to dye my hair every day! The colour is so gorgeous and I still get well over a weeks wear on my unbleached dark hair! 

The dye in the pot.

If the dye starts to fade mixing a little with your conditioner is amazing for keeping the colour vibrant and your hair in amazing condition.

I hope you have found this review helpful. I'm away for a week from Saturday so it may be automatic posts for a week. Until next time Dolls, xoxo.

Spring/Summer 2014 Make-Up Trends!

Hey Dolls, 

So I am getting hugely excited for spring (not that my wardrobe of leather, feathers and jumpers changes much through the seasons) and I am excited for the direction make-up is heading for this season. 

Whilst I am not an avid follower of fashion, as a make-up artist it is my job and responcibility to stay up to date on each seasons must have products and styles and so I decided to share with my lovely readers some of spring/summer 2014's biggest make-up trends! 

1: Gold Eye Shadow!

One of THE biggest make-up trends this coming season is gold. Metallic colours were seen all over the catwalks during the buzz of Fashion Week and countless models were seen sporting vivid gold eye shadow, either as a highlight or as a bold pop of colour. 

My all time favourite gold is the shade Goldilux by Sugarpill, a richly pigmented gold pigment that is a true gold shimmer. 

Make-up by me. Goldilux used under the eyebrows.

Sugarpill Goldilux.

Blue Eyeliner!

Blue is this seasons must have colour either as an eyeshadow or as the runway saw, as an eyeliner! Blue eyeliner is very flattering on brown eyes and can really make them POP. From dark blues, sapphire blues or bright sky blues there are a rainbow of shades of blue eyeliners to choose from from nearly every brand! 

My personal favourite is Illamasqua's Medium Pencil in shade Debonair.

It is a very pigmented sky blue pencil that lasts amazingly. Even on my waterline (I can get 6 hours wear from it on my waterline). 

Dusky Pink Lips. 

After the reds/purples of A/W13 pink lips are back, bright and fresh although this time with a chalky tone to them. There is plenty of choice here, every brand has a chalky toned pink, from Kryolan to Revlon, to Illamasqua to Maybelline. 

My personal fvourite is Saint Germain by M.A.C, it is such a lovely pastel colour.

So this is a little teaser of the S/S14 make-up trends as teased by Fashion Week and brand release events. I hope you are all as excited for the spring as I am!

Lush Let The Good Times Roll Cleanser Review

Hey Dolls,
Today I am reviewing another Lush product, this time their cleanser Let The Good Times Roll.

Illamasqua Skin Base Lift Review!

Hey Dolls,
So I promised my beautiful readers a new Illamasqua review and I am going to be reviewing the latest product I picked up from my favourite brand. Their newest concealer Skin Base Lift in shade Light 2.

Lush Love Lettuce Review!

 Hey Dolls,

Today I am reviewing my first product from Lush Cosmetics, their Love Lettuce Fresh Face Mask.

My Personal Heroes

Hey Dolls,
As I am in a reflective mood and as I am going through all my work that I created last year I decided to do a post about the people that have/do inspire me and WHY they do so and why I think it is important to have personal heroes. I personally don't feel they need to be a good role model, they just need to inspire you...perhaps they very reason they inspire you is because they are a bad role model. This is my list of my own personal heroes.

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My Current Favourite Products

Hey Dolls,
So as it is the new year I thought it would be a good idea to share with you some of my current favourite products! Things I use on either a daily bases or only on special occasions.

I Love... Strawberries & Cream Hand Lotion. This is a product I can't rave about enough, especially since I started hairdressing since every scrap of moisture has been sucked from my hands. It smells AMAZING and really moisturises the skin amazingly. It also smells quite strong which I love. It smells kind of like strawberry ice cream and it really is a gorgeous scent. It is also super cheap at £2.99 from superdrug!

Black XS For Her. I love, love, LOVE this scent, it is spicy fruity and not over strong, it is kinda dark, rockstar sexy and lasts quite a long time on the skin. It is one of my favourite scents. 

Illamasqua Fragile Nail Polish. This is my absolute favourite nail colour, it is stunning! A gorgeous duck egg blue colour with black speckles....coincidentally like a duck egg... It is so unique and so pretty and it is very long wearing. I can't recommend it enough, even though it takes some effort to remove. 

Fudge Urban Iced Raspberry & Vanilla Styling Mousse. I adore this hair product, it smells amazing, you evenly rub it through wet hair and blow dry it and it not only helps style your hair BUT protects it from heat and adds an amazing shine and gorgeous scent. 

Illamasqua Gleam Supernatural. I have wanted to try Illamasqua's Gleam for a long old time and just when I could afford it...aurora sold out and instead of waiting I got the gorgeous golden copper shade Supernatural. Which is a stunning highlighter which is a gorgeous shade of coppery gold which adds a lovely warmth to my pale skin. It is a lovely creamy texture that is a dream to blend. 

So these are some of my favourite products, what are yours? Let me know in the comments bellow. 

New Year, New Me: (YOU WISH!)

Hey Dolls,
So I have finally made a New Years Blog post....on the 4th of January...oops. Anyway I have seen a lot of "new year, NEW ME!" posts online and it got me thinking, how do I wish to change myself over the course of this new year? Well without sounding cliched, I am already seeing changes and whilst I don't have any set "resolutions" there are a number of things I really wish to do this year.

The first change which I have already made (yay me!) and it is the inclusion of fish into my diet, I have been veggie for about 8 years now and have all but forgotten what things taste like. I made the decision because as I was advising friends, family, clients and models on how to look after their skin (eat a balanced diet, eat white meat and lots of fish, don't drink coffee, cut down on alcohol etc.) I realised I was completely ignoring what I was telling people to do! And I could certainly see the effects on my skin and in my physical stamina. I am already seeing a HUGE improvement in the condition of my skin and body so I am very happy.

The next thing I wish to change in 2014 is my gloomy state of singledom (WARNING: This Blog may turn into a gay version of Bridget Jones). The issue being however, few things enrage me more than a lot of gay men....I have no idea how to express this without a lot of swearing (something I am loath to do on this blog lest my mother read it) but they are either overly feminine, over dramatic divas which annoys me or over masculine, over compensating hulks of muscle which frankly terrifies me...and even worse is the fact that it is near impossible to find an attractive, gay male with the capacity not to turn into a lying, cheating  bastard! (sorry mum).

I have high ambitions this year for my website and for this blog as well as for the college course I am currently situated on...Whilst it may not be what I wished to get from a college course (learning being the key factor) I shall certainly get the very BEST from it and more importantly get a qualification out of it AND more importantly to my creative nature, 4 KILLER portfolio pieces.

I do not wish to change myself this year, for the first time I am 100% confident in who I am, how I look, where I wish to go and how I want to do it. To me this year isn't about change, it is more proving to everyone that I can do what a lot said I never could. Proving myself to my family who sneers at my style and my views and how I wish to perceive the world around us and most importantly have FUN.
And if anything focus on myself more than ever, I have never much cared for the views others have on me, but now, more than ever before I am confident in my own skin, what do I care if some people don't like me? Or if people don't get what I do or what I choose to wear?

This year, more than any other I shall live for ME. To me 2014 is about abandon and loosing myself in the physical and creative moment and creating something beautiful.

Do any of you guys have any new years resolutions or plans? Let me know in the comments section!

xoxo

The "Alternative" Beauty Blogger

Hey Dolls,
I hope you had a very merry Christmas and a brilliant new year and today I am going to answer a question I have been asked a lot, why do I brand myself an "alternative" beauty blogger. Well the simple answer is, because I am not a fan of the pre conceived idea of what is beautiful as a Make-up artist.

I love using make-up as a tool to create characters and unique visuals, this is the same philosophy I apply to my branding and my artwork. For example my painting, such as the piece below which is currently a part of my website.

I love the decadence of vintage Gothic fashion and then merging it with surrealist ideas..I identify as an "alternative" beauty blogger because of my stance and ideas as a Make-Up artist...not because I adhere to a particular scene or culture.

Of course the fact I have studied the art of blood and gore application since I was 8 years old has obviously shaped my direction as a make-up designer. 

Some of my prosthetic designs.

As I was never formally schooled as a make-up artist (before I started the confusing, frustrating and tedious journey I now know as college) I think it became VERY important to create my own style and unique branding to stand out in the vastly over populated beauty world. I chose to reject the idea of a basic pink and white logo and dusky blue eyeshadow and nude pink lip applications of make-up and make a stand of my vision.

And so far it seems to be paying off well, I now have my Blog which I adore, a website I constructed of my own design and a large online following. I can't wait to see what 2014 brings and am excited for all the challenges it throws at my door. 

My logo. Created by me.



Until next time.
xoxo

Sugarpill Cold Chemistry Palette Review.

Hey Dolls,
Today I am reviewing Sugarpills latest palette called Cold Chemistry, which unlike most of Sugarpill's colour collections is very dark and Gothic *swoon*

Sugarpill Burning Heart Palette Review

Hey Dolls,

Today I am reviewing the VERY popular Burning Heart palette by the amazing Sugarpill. This is certainly one for the colour lovers among the beauty world. 

Click the link below to read the review.