IMATS London this weekend

The date is fast approaching for one of the most anticipated makeup shows of the year! IMATS is coming to London this weekend 30th and 31st of January at Alexandra Palace. I am so excited to be attending this year as the line up looks absolutely amazing.

I am especially looking forward to:

Crown brushes- Amazing range of high quality brushes at reasonable prices.
Eve Pearl- Emmy award winning celebrity makeup artist who is as lovely as she is talented.
Guru Makeup Emporium and PAM- simply because they stock Make Up For Ever.
Illamasqua- Innovative brand which is definitely worth trying! Love their intense lipglosses.
OCC- One word- lip tars. So excited to see these in real life and see if they are worthy of the hype.
Temptu- Love their small and portable compressor and airbrush system.
Yaby- Can't wait to try their huge range of super pigmented and affordable shadows.


As well as a great selection of exhibitors there is also a great opportunity to learn from the keynote speakers. I will definitely be fighting my way through the crowds to listen to Alex Box (co founder of Illamasqua), Eve Pearl and the lovely Koren of EnKore makeup.

I will be at IMATS this Saturday the 30th of January so please do come and say hi!!

Natalya xxx

Max Factor Second Skin Foundation

Recently I have been trying to decrease my makeup collection and use up many of the products I have purchased, yet I am always keen to try new things and experiment. So instead of buying a whole bottle of a new foundation that I really didn't need I collected a couple of samples of MaxFactor's Second Skin foundation to test out. Blogging on a budget ;).

After going through 5 satches (for me it's about 2 applications per sample) I have to say I am impressed, which is not often the case with drugstore foundations. This foundation is lovely for every day wear. It gives a medium coverage, but is buildable without getting cakey. It has quite a light consistency and blends into the skin beautifully with minimal effort. In some ways it reminds me of Make Up Forever HD foundation, which you all know is my favourite, as it looks very natural on the skin and almost undetectable if you apply a thin layer. The MUFE HD has a better coverage, but SS is a fraction of the price with an RRP of £13.99. It lasts a decent amount of time too, though I always set my foundation with powder as I develop a very oily T-zone throughout the day.  The only problem I have is that it comes in such a limited range of shades. Only 5 are listed on the website, which I think is very poor, even by drugstore standards.

Unfortunately as my beloved Canon SLR died a mysterious, and hideously expensive to fix, death I was unable to take pictures. However, having now bought a little samsung to tide me over while I diligently save for a new one I decided to try out my last sachet to show you a photo. The only issue was that my last sample was in the colour golden. Yes, the second darkest colour! As you all know I am super pale and to be honest even the creamy ivory was a touch too tan for my ghostly self ;). With a lot of blending, and given that when I brave the freezing outdoors the only part of me visible is the eye to chin area, I was able to get away with it... just.

Yes, yes I too also think of that time when ANTM decided to change their model's ethinicities by painting them different colours. How I wish I was  born with a beautiful olive complexion! Honestly, it is a testament to how good this foundation is that such a vast colour change doesn't look  like a blotchy fake tan.

Have you guys tried this foundation and did you like it?

P.S. I'm sorry I just noticed that the first photo looks strangely airbrushed, even when setting my camera on macro it seems to have blended out my pores (this foundation is good, but not that good). If anyone knows how I can get rid of this it would be of great help. Of course it's nice to look perfectly airbrushed in photos, but for blog purposes it defeats the point a little? What do you guys think?

New Layout

New year, new flat, new blog layout!! I just wanted to say a massive thank you to the lovely Aubrey who kindly designed my new background. I absolutely adore it and think it really expresses the themes of this blog and my personal love for all things girlie and glamorous. What do you guys think of the new layout?

P.S. If you want Aubrey's details please e-mail me :), there is now even a handy tab for that on the side! xxx

Quick EOTD

I haven't been wearing much makeup recently, but this weekend I decided to spice up my standard eyeliner with one of my favourite eyeshadows- Make Up For Ever no. 92.

I love this technique to add a splash (I hate saying 'pop') of colour to my makeup as it's very quick, while still looking polished. I think it is also great for those who are afraid of wearing bright coloured eyeshadows or liners as it creates a statement, without being too bold.

Do you have a way of making bright colours wearable for the daytime?

Back to regular broadcasting :)

Hello my lovelies,

I hope that the horrible January weather is not getting you down and you are enjoying the beginning of a wonderful New Year!! It's already the 20th and time has flown by! I have been so busy packing, moving, unpacking, negotiating with movers, and spending days in waiting for deliveries that never come, all the while being without my beloved essentials!

Although I am still living out of boxes, and have been told that the dining table and chairs that I paid for at the beginning of December won't be getting here till March, the flat is what I would call 'livable' ie. there's a sofa, beds and an internet connection. I will therefore now be trying to make more time for my recently neglected blog and YouTube and resume regular broadcasting :).

At least someone is making themselves comfortable though ;)

Maxie is always the King of the castle.. hehe xxx

Better Late than Never?

Hello lovelies,

I hope you have all had a very enjoyable Christmas and New Year! I have been utterly rubbish at updating my blog/YouTube recently and I must apologise. I am currently moving house and it has all been quite hectic, but once I am settled (the big move is on the 13th) I promise I will get back to regular broadcasting :).

Since I have decided to take a little break from packing and trying to slimline my wardrobe (Oxfam won't know what's hit it) I though I would post my makeup and outfit from NYE.

I know you all love the roller photos ;)

Makeup is nothing too flashy-

Maybelline superstay silky foundation is my absolute favourite for going out. Yes, it is pretty heavy in coverage, but it is a breeze to apply, you don't need any concealer when using it, and it really lasts, even through some heavy beats ;)! As awful as it is, sometimes after a long night I do flop into bed without taking my makeup off *holds wrists out for immediate arrest by the skin police*. This is the only foundation that is still there in the morning and that doesn't clog my pores. However, I wouldn't recommend it for every day use, unless you need a lot of coverage.

Face: MAC msf natural to set
NARS laguna to contour
NARS Angelika blush

Eyes: UDPP
Chanel quatre ombres (silver), MAC dark night, carbon, vapour e/s
Bourjois silver pencil on lower lashline
L'oreal Liquid liner
L'oreal Voluminous mascara
MAC lashes

Lips: MAC creme cup, which I lost that night :(

The bf kindly cooked me dinner (thank goodness he is good at/ enjoys cooking as I don't) and after too many yummy salmon fishcakes I had to scrap my initial choice of outfit for the party we were heading to and go for something with a little more space in the..umm.. stomach region ;). I'm sure I have posted this one before, it's a super glitzy sequin dress from Karen Millen from a couple of seasons ago. I just love the fact it has long sweeping sleeves and a drape at the back as usually sequin dresses leave very little to the imagination in terms of their cut, this one, even though it is very short, is a little more interesting.

I hope you all had a fantastic NYE!! In Russia we celebrate New Year much more so than Christmas and it was strange for me to be away from my family for the first time. However, I received a fantastic present from all of you when I logged in on the 1st of January 2010 to see that I had 20(0)10 subscribers on YouTube!!! Thank you so much!! I am so so thankful to each an every one of you who watch and read all my little rambles. I shall be having a contest very soon to celebrate so please keep an eye out.

Love lots xxx