Big kiss from Greece.

Hello my lovelies, hope you are all well!

I just wanted to write a quick post to say that I have not forgotten about you all and am sending you lots of love from Greece. Sorry I have not been in touch for a while, but the internet here is shockingly slow and I only have 2 euros in change top keep topping up the machine.. I miss my macbook :(.

Luke and I are having a fantastic time in Kos. The hotel is absolutely amazing and has the biggest pool I have ever seen! All the facilities and entertainment are fantastic and we even have a sea view from our balcony :). (Some photos can be seen here if you are interested).

Ater a day at the waterpark yesterday I am burnt, and am not so pleased to report that I have a 'mummy' tan line as I decided to wear an all in one swimming costume to prevent any horrific scenes on the waterslides. Wish me luck in my endeavours to try and even my back out!!

I promise to post lots of pictures when I am back, though be prepared as with the all you can eat ice-cream buffet available all day long they may not be particularly attractive ;). You all know what I am like with ice-cream.. ;)

Love lots,
Natalya
xxx

11 things that make me happy

Inspired by one of my favourite blogs- Fashion Titbits, please do check her out as she never fails to brighten up my day with some beautiful images and positive thoughts.

1. Beauty sleep2. Cuddles (and kisses)

3. Sunny days (and holidays)
4. When Maxie decides to be nice to me. "Those paw prints are not mine! I am innooooceeeeent!!"

5. Beautiful designs6. Good hair and makeup days7. Shopping!!8. Dessert

9. Presents and surprises10. Supportive comments on youtube/ blog/ twitter11. Summer dresses and pretty shoes


If you have made it this far then you are tagged :).
Hope you enjoyed this post my lovelies!
xxx

How very naughty MAC!!

Those of you who read temptalia may know that the recent MAC Colour Craft collection promotional image was done using Ben Nye eyeshadows (full post can be found here).

However, I just stumbled upon this face chart
Apparently to achieve this look:

EYES
Use 222 Blending Brush to highlight under the left brow with Passionate Eye Shadow. Blend Fresh Green Mix Mineralize Eye Shadow (solid shade) through the inner and centre of eyelid with 252 Large Shader Brush. Use Smolder Eye Kohl to intensify the waterline, and follow with Rapidblack Penultimate Eye Liner on both upper and lower lashline. Use 219 Pencil Brush to blend Passionate Eye Shadow under lower lashline, diffusing the line outward for an airbrushed effect. Begin design on the left eye by using 242 Shader Brush to shade a circle of Natural Flare Mineralize Eye Shadow at the browbone. Switch to 219 Pencil Brush to shade a circle of Fashion Patch Mineralize Eye Shadow at the temple... and so on.

Hmmm... there is no way that fresh green mix will ever give you a vibrant green, and I can certainly say the same for fashion patch, which I have been desperately trying wet to get more pigmentation.

I fully understand that an artist hired for a shoot can use whatever products they wish, but why then do MAC publish this face chart on the website and so blatantly lie? For such a well known brand, with a massive following, this seams rather a cheap trick to use to promote new eyeshadows that thruthfully are poorly pigmented and certainly nothing to write home about ;).

What do you guys think? Is MAC just doing what all other companies do or have they really missed the plot this time?

Konad demonstration

**Contest Update and Prizes!!!!**

Paradise Lost

Last month some of you may have seen the photo I posted on TwitPic looking like a smurf/ troll with crazy backcombed hair courtesy of Seanhanna salons and not my usual style of makeup. Since I have got a few messages asking to see the photos from that shoot, perhaps the craziest I have ever done, I thought I would share some of these images for a giggle.
This dress is from the ANON Autumn/Winter 2009 collection by the fabulous Andrew Martin. Andrew's collection is based on insects and includes dark, heavily structured pieces which accentuate the female form, linking to the identity of Eve within Paradise Lost.
This was definitely a lot of fun, but also quite hard work since I had to climb a tree in a dress that didn't quite cover my bottom and unsteady stilettos (pictured above), all the while 'acting like an insect', though I have pretty much no clue how an insect would act ;p.
Now to the part you are all interested in- the makeup. I have one word.. eeeek!! This monstrosity was done by Benefit, who I have never been a great fan of. They had a lovely team, with so much fun banter, but nevertheless when catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror I did just want to jump off the chair and run to wash it all off! The designer wanted us to look pale and stark, but I think the caked on foundation and dry concealer lips were going too far into the realm of the undead.

Straight after this shoot I had my hair re-styled by Seanhanna into a bigger quiff (yes it is possible) and my makeup re-done into something even more scary (and once again, please be prepared).The brief for this was basically the devil and yup.. I think I pretty much look like I am crawling out of hell with that snarl.. hehe.

Here is the dress on the catwalk. The first two shows were in the formal venue and had the makeup done by MAC (unfortunately I can't show you any photos even though the makeup, venue and presentation were beautiful). The second set of shows were more informal as they were set up for charity so my bf was able to sneak in to take some snaps.
For a close up of the makeup I am including a pic (which I know I will get into trouble for.. hehe) of us messing around at the after party. Someone hasn't quite got their pout down yet have they darling ;)?


Hope you guys enjoyed this post :).
xxx

Saturday's OOTD

I am so sorry my lovelies that I have been slacking on the blogging front lately!! I have just been so busy sorting out prizes and watching all your fabulous contest entries for my 10,000 sub competition on YouTube. You have all amazed me and I am so happy so many of you have entered, but there is still plenty of time to make your entries if you are interested :) it ends on Wednesday 22nd July at 12 midnight GMT.

Now back to our regular broadcasting ;). On Saturday night my darling boyfriend took me out for a fantastic dinner at one of my favourite London restaurants- L'etranger. Normally this would be saved for a very very special occasion as it is pricey, but luckily Toptable have an offer at the moment for 50% off food, so we were able to indulge without breaking the piggy bank :).

As you all know I take any chance I am given to dress up!! So I put my hair up in rollers to give it volume and bounce (the bigger the hair, the smaller the waist) and wore a standard silver and black smokey eye.

Products used:

Face: MUFE HD, MAC MSF natural, NARS laguna bronzer, elf mineral blush, auburn brow powder.

Eyes: UDPP, silver from chanel quad, MAC carbon e/s, blacktrack fluidline, covergirl lashblast, Ardell demi lashes.

Lips: GOSH darling l/s.

I then let my bf chose my dress, and like a little magpie he decided on my most sparkly number from Karen Millen. I paired it with my new Carvella shoes, which I absolutely adore.
I would never normally wear such a short and sparkly dress as I feel it looks somewhat 'overdone', even for me. However, I love the long sweeping sleeves, the drape in the back (just seen) and the fact that my decolletage is not exposed, so I don't feel too uncomfortable showing some leg as the rest of me is covered up.


Do you guys ever let the magpie in you out?
xxx

E.L.F. Complexion Perfection

Summer Smoke

Easy Summer Smokey eye inspired by my white and black maxi dress :).



Products used:

UDPP
MAC MSF soft and gentle
MAC feline khol power
MAC e/s carbon
MAC sculpt and shape- bone beige as highlight
Covergirl lashblast mascara
MUFE pencil 100
Ardell demi lashes

NARS Angelica blush,
MAC MSF perfect topping

MAC Saint Germain l/s + trifle lipglass

Wonderlast

Despite being a perfectionist, when I leave the house and am ready for the day touching up is the last thing I worry about. Once my makeup is done I very rarely do anything else to it, unless I am going somewhere special for the evening.

To tell you the truth I am not a fan of long-lasting lipsticks or glosses as the ones I have tried (mainly Maybelline and MAC) have been so drying. Since my lips get chapped very easily, I would rather just wear lip balm all day, or re-apply lippie, than walk around with flakey lips.. yuck!

Therefore, I was very pleasantly surprised by Sleek's new Wonderlast lipglosses as after 3 days of continuous wear my lips did not feel dry or sensitive. I would not say it is moisturising, or nourishing for the lips, but it certainly was not as harsh as other long-lasting lipsticks I have used! I chose the shade Purity - a nude milky rose pink that would be a flattering colour on most skin tones.
This is what the wonderlast step 1 colour side looks like when applied with the sponge doe foot applicator provided.
It is a matte finish lipstick and is well pigmented. One thin coat managed to considerably tone down my naturally very red lips. Before applying step 2, the gloss, it is recommended you should wait 45 seconds for the lipstick to dry, but I had to wait a little longer as after a minute it was still a little tacky.

This is how the finished product looks with the clear gloss applied on top. This side has a brush similar to MAC's lustreglass/ dazzleglass, which I prefer as I feel it gives you more control. The gloss smells really yummy, like coconut, and has a wonderful smooth finish with zero stickiness!
After 2-3 hours of wear, including a meal and a drink, the colour held up well, though it is definitely less glossy.Overall I was honestly impressed with Wonderlast, and even more impressed by the price being £3.91 in Superdrug. There are 8 shades available and I shall definitely be going to check out more! I think they are even doing a deal now where you can buy two for £6.99.

Do you guys like long-lasting glosses? Do you have any favourites?

10,000 Subscriber Competition!!

Thank you my lovelies for all your support both on Youtube and here on my blog. I am so greatful and happy that so many of you have taken the time to watch my videos, rate, comment and such. I just wanted to give something back, so please watch this video for info about my first contest :).

Curly Wurly

Jane of the Jungle

As much as I love and lust after high end brands, I often browse my local Superdrug, Boots, and even Sainsbury's (mine sells Cargo!) to find some good deals and special offers. Therefore, I was not surprised to find that the affordable company Sleek has come out with some great new products for the summer.

Recently, with this unbearable heat, I have been wearing minimal makeup and keeping everything pretty neutral with 'earthy' colours. I have therefore reached for Sleek's new Safari palette a number of times.

This palette contains 12 mineral based eyeshadows (both matte and shimmer) for just £4.88.These shadows are quite pigmented and true to colour in the pan, and I really like that they are not all shimmery (my favourite is the matte green in the bottom row). For such a low price this is definitely a great deal as the colours are pretty and very wearable.

The texture of the shadows is similar to any other pressed mineral make up and behaves in the same way as a pressed pigment so you have to be careful with fallout, or use them wet to give a more dramatic effect. I often find that mineral shadows such as these work better applied with your fingers.

Here is a simple daytime look I did using this palette.
I used the shimmery beige all over the lid (L to R 5th on bottom row), the matte light brown in the crease (1st on the bottom row), the shimmery brown (last on bottom row and dupe for MAC twinks) on the lower lashline with a thin line of the matte black (1st on top row) as a liner along my upper lashline.
Now I am lusting after the acid palette!! I can't wait to try it, but can never seem to find it :(.
Do you guys own any Sleek palettes?

Summer Dress Inspired 3

Another video for a light summery look inspired by my dress :).
Products used:
UDPP
MAC painterly paint pot
MAC vellum, felt blue, scene, print, crystal avalanche and gesso e/s
Barry M dazzledust 20
NYX jumbo pencil
Maybelline unstoppable mascara
Maybelline blush 001

MAC saint germain and bubbles l/s

Over sharing?

I hope that lingerie posts are not too much over sharing for you all, but to be perfectly honest I think underwear is very important! It can definitely make or break any outfit and influence the way you feel, whether it be sexy, confident, or ready for the challenge of the treadmill.

When I was little I was told that it was important to wear matching underwear just in case I was in an accident. Now I do not remember who said this, or why, or whether they were joking, but from then on I became convinced that if ever I was knocked over by a bus I would definitely not want a washed too many times bra and granny pants exposed (as if this would be my main worry.. hmm). Perhaps it was one of those phrases that has somehow stuck in my subconscious as I always feel somehow incomplete if I do not match, or at least make an effort to do so...

No matter what anyone says, I think lingerie should be designed for women, not for men (though I have nothing against Ann Summers, it definitely fits a gap in the market). Any woman will appreciate a beautiful, well designed and structured bra far more than a man who just wants to know what is underneath it. Therefore, lingerie is something I always buy and wear for myself. I really don't care if that includes Bridgette Jones style control pants, because at the end of the day, if they make me feel better about my body, and make a knockout dress look the way I want it to, then tough luck to all those who may snigger. On the other end of the spectrum, even if I am wearing the plainest clothes, or a stuffy business suit, knowing that underneath it all I am still my girlie self in pretty, feminine lingerie certainly gives me more confidence.

So with this in mind I wanted to share my recent purchases.

When I saw this bra sitting all lonely in the Oasis sale rack I had to have it, despite the lack of matching panties :*( and a smaller size, it was too cute to pass up! I really love the pattern and the lace detail in the centre. I wore it the other day with a plain red dress and the straps, with the blue and pop of red flowers, looked fantastic and really added to the outfit, without giving it a tacky "my bra is showing and it does not match" look.

Today I went to check out the Harrods sale and after hours of drooling over shoes I wandered into the lingerie department. Agent Provocateur immediately caught my eye as they have such beautiful, unique pieces, as well as some scary looking PVC that I will not elaborate on.. eeek!! I have never bought anything from them before, although I have been lusting after their £200 corsets for some time (pictured at top)! Unfortunately none of these or their gorgeous silk dressing gowns were on sale, however they did have some huge reductions. I am talking about bras for £25 here ladies, and a swimsuit for £30... that is Topshop prices!!

Straight away I spotted this Monika set because it was wearable, yet had the cutest detailing on the shoulders. I have never seen a bra with little cap sleeves before. Plus they had it in a D-cup.. hurray!!

If you have a chance then do check the sale out and in the meantime here are a few photos from their website (note how the models are not over inflated for once!) that I have added to my wishlist for when I win the lottery...
This is the most indulgent beauty cabinet, at a staggering £2500 *gasp*!!Do you like high-end lingerie? Is it something you would spend money on? What do you ladies think?