World Aids Day

Tomorrow is World Aids Day, a day to raise awareness, respect & don a red ribbon. It's something over the past year that I've come feel strongly about. So tomorrow, my colleagues & I will be donning perfect red lips & the words 'World Aids Day' stenciled on to our bodies in gold paint, & of course spreading the word to raise money & a huge amount of awareness.

Are you doing anything to raise awareness? Whether it be to donate & pin a ribbon to your winter coat, tweet your little hearts out or buy a Viva Glam lipstick/lipglass? Do your bit and make a pledge on www.worldaidsday.org. Every little action whether it be supporting a red ribbon or your Viva Glam lipstick will make a difference to some one somewhere living with & suffering from HIV & AIDS.

Not sure what your Viva Glam Gaga lipstick did for someone? Have a look on www.macaidsfund.org to see all the amazing things that 1 lipstick costing you £12.50 did for someone else. It's an amazing christmas present.

Fresh skin FOTD

I recently posted on twitter that I was able to just get away with MAC Face and body & a bit of powder. Coming from having to cover my skin with layers of fuller coverage foundations a few months ago to being able to just use Face and Body, a really light foundation is something that's made me really happy & relieved. I will soon be doing a skincare post as it's been requested quite a lot & I'd like to share my finds. Anyway, on to the FOTD!

Face

MAC Prep + Prime SPF50
MAC Face and Body C2 mixed with C5
MAC Mineralize skin finish - medium


Eyes

MAC Tisueweight e/s
MAC Bamboo e/s
YABY es035 - rose wood (M) e/s
YABY brow shadow
Diorshow blackout mascara


Lips

MAC Lazy day l/s

tissueweight, bamboo, rose wood & lazy day underneath.

Last time hauling

Until I got my parcel & opened it I didn't realise the sheer massiveness of it. Slightly scared me & felt sorry for my bank balance for a moment. So I think I'm going to chill it for now, do a few posts on a the 300 things I've already bought & enjoy them. I still have one excitement to come, a parcel from BeautyBay.com, that will be my last... for now anyway!

I'm currently telling myself a lot of this will go into my kit. Ahem. A little Jo Malone eye cream in there for good measure too.

While in Boots I walked past the Sexy & the City stand & took a double step back. I picked up Samantha's, I think they're probably the best. I'm not a fan of gems on lashes & love a bit of flirty thickness.

Nothing excited here, but after the recommendation from Nicolavc86 I hope this will aid me in my project to get my nails beautiful.

What are your most recent haulings?

Favourite thing right now

Currently I'm loving mixing my blushers. I've been doing it for a while now & can't just be happy with the one! My new favourite is mixing MAC Melba with Illamasqua...erm unrequited? I'm not too sure exactly as the sticker has come off (fab!) but it's a very light, cool bluey pink. Love it. Mixed together these give a gorgeous coral. Missed out on Ripe Peach? Try these two or very similar blushes, seems like an exact dupe.

also wearing:

Face:
a mix of MAC studio tech & fix fluid.... I'm a foundation mixer too!
MAC fix powder
Golden Refined bronzer
Melba & Illamasqua love mix
Soft & Gentle MSF

eyes:
Soft & Gentle MSF
Kid e/s
Diorshow blackout mascara
#7 lashes

lips:
Ravishing l/s
Fold & Tuck l/g

Amazingly soft skin

For the past few days I've changed my skin regime. I was using the Creme de la Mere range, this for me being the cleansing gel, mattifying toner & the gel moisturiser. Now I love the moisturiser & the products are doing a great job, but I left all these at home & had to use what I had up at my university house. After a few days I can't say I'm complaining because I think I've found a great mix of products!

Cleanser

MAC Cleanse Off Oil. It's a really gentle oil that you add a small amount of water to or put onto a damp face, rub it all over your face & it melts your makeup. So when it comes to rinsing it off, your skin will be left lovely & clean but not stripped of it's natural oils. I use a muslin cloth to remove this from my face, I find it helps to get every little bit of makeup off & gives a gentle exfoliation at the same time. Result on it's own is clean, glowing skin.

Moisturiser

MAC Mineralize All-over Lotion. As I said I'd left my skincare at home, so at uni I was left only with a L'Occtaine moisturiser which I find is too heavy for my skin, so I thought to sample the new moisturiser on counter. It's a lightweight moisturiser that's quick to hydrate & sink into your skin. It's formulated with charged water which is great for hydrating & is really gentle as well as being great for your skin due to being packed with minerals.

Care Blends Essensial Oils, Sweet Orange & Lavender. Like the all-over lotion, these have come out with the Warm & Cozy collection, at first the oils weren't going to come to counters but I'm really glad they did! Lavender is great for healing & soothing, blended with the orange it's great for calming as well as energizing. I put a couple of drops of this into the moisturiser and really work it into my skin. After using cleanse off oil & the combination of the moisturiser & the oil my skin looked really radiant. I've got oily skin & probably would never have thought of this if I hadn't had horrid dry spots (which have now completely gone), but it hasn't made my skin any oilier, if anything it's tamed any oiliness! I was sat watching tv & realised how much my skin has really smoothed out & feels so much softer, so I thought to inform you all of my recent findings!! I'm actually gutted now that I've come home & left my cleanse off oil at uni!

note: not advisable to use if pregnant due to the essential oils.

Giveaway update

I'm afraid you're all too kind & I'm now changing the prizes. I'm now giving one main prize & a runner up. So here's what you could be getting in the post!

First

Wishbone necklace for all the best luck in 2010 (from This Charming Girl).

Your choice between:

Under your spell mineralize duo, or

Devil-may-care mineralize duo

AND

Your choice of a MAC eyeshadow or lipstick. This can be a pro product or from the permanent line. Eye shadows can be pan or pot form.


Runner up will get the remaining mineralize duo
AND
Your choice of a MAC eyeshadow or lipstick. This can be a pro product or from the permanent line. Eye shadows can be pan or pot form.

Contest ends THIS Sunday (10/01/2010)

(note: credit for images unknown, found through google images.)