I feel pretty, and witty, and gay!

That's gay as in 'joy', folks. I'm not making any declarations here regarding closets and coming out of them....

What's been making me feel gay? Nars Gaiety, that's what.

I decided last week when I was back in old Londinium that I was in the market for a new Nars blush. Don't ask me why.... I just love the quality of Orgasm (mega lolz) and I wanted to shake things up a bit with a slightly fresher, less shimmery shade but of the same quality.

I was looking in particular at Torrid and Deep Throat (again, mega lolz), but this little number from the latest Spring 2012 collection caught my eye.

It's just so pink and pretty. Almost scarily pink, and scarily cool-toned candy coloured, but I was drawn to it all the same and so I tried it on.

I was with GG at the time and there was a collective gasp when I saw my reflection and my previously tired yellow face looked back at me with a freshness and prettiness I didn't think was possible from such a garish, almost gimmicky colour.

Nars Gaiety blush

My photos can't quite capture the vividness of this shade but this one below is the closest in that it captures more of the cool tones.

Nars Gaiety, swatched (L) Blended out swatch (R)

I'm sure this is not supposed to work on warmer skin tones such as my own, but somehow it does. It just 'lifts' the complexion, instantly making me look less tired and more youthful. Not that I'm that old! It really is 'instant pretty' and that's exactly what I wanted.

The texture is soft and matte, but not flat matte, almost satin. There is no shimmer but it still somehow manages to impart a gorgeous glow to the skin. Pigmentation is good but not as strong as some of the other Nars blushes, but I think this is a good thing in this case as the colour is quite bright. I personally find strongly pigmented blushes a bit hard to handle and have had a few 'Aunt Sally' days to prove it...

(For those of you who don't know who, or what, Aunt Sally is:)

But back to this gorgeous blush....

Heavy swatch (L), blended out (R)

I've been wearing this every day since I bought it and I love it. It's very easy to use and I can build it up nicely to the intensity I like (I have no natural cheek colour so I like a bit more blush than some people). It also looks stunning with a touch of highlighter on top, like my MAC Soft and Gentle.

If you're looking for a new Spring blush then this one is absolutely one to check out.

In the UK it's £21 and available in various department stores, Space NK (where I bought mine) and online.

I've yet to find a place in Brussels that sells NARS, although there is always mail order via HQHair.com.

Travel Make-Up Bag - London weekend

Mr P and I are off to London for the weekend, not just for the usual slob around at my parents' house, but also for a swanky night on the town on Saturday night. Finally get the chance to glitz it up a bit so this is a more upgraded version of my usual travel staples.

The bag is an old orange mesh Body Shop one that I've had for yonks but somehow it's always been my bag of choice. The mesh makes it practical and pretty and the size is just about right.

 My Effaclar K and Cicaplast are still my skin carers of choice. The Cicaplast is a must these days as I have a particularly nasty mark on my cheek which needs healing pronto and this accelerates the healing like nothing else. Also included are my Clinique All About Eyes which I've been using for the last 5-6 months or so and my new love, Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm. Can't. Live. Without.

I picked up this little brush travel case in Muji and it's fab for carting about make-up brushes and keeping them separate from the rest of my make-up bag. Inside are my Real Techniques Detailer brush (for concealer), my MAC 224 brush (for 'airbrushing' concealer), Ecotools blush brush, and an old Body Shop foundation brush.

Eye stuff includes my Shu Uemura lash curlers, Laura Mercier Eye Basics primer, Hypnose Doll Eyes mascara (review to come soon), Kiko Long Lasting Stick shadow, Le Metier de Beaute eye pencil in Sequoia Brown, Benefit Speed Brow, and last (and perhaps least), some individual false lashes by Sephora which I may or may not use. 

Base stuff: Erborian BB cream, still going strong after almost 7 months of constant use, Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage, Garnier Tinted Roll-On for eyes, Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer, and samples of Armani foundation.

Other: Nars Orgasm blush, Armani 400 lipstick (just in case I'm feeling brave and because GG wants me to ;)), and Viva La Juicy mini perfume (because Mr P likes it).

The look I'm going for on Saturday is a simple bronze-y smokey eye (with the Kiko shadow stick), and hot red lips. I have a plethora of lipsticks in my handbag so if the red lips don't work it's not the end of the world.

What are your weekend must-haves?

Green eyed monster

After a brief spell of good health, the plague returned in full force this week. Both Mr Pandora and I have been feeling pretty rank again, and my initial optimism that spring was just around the corner had died a brutal death. Typical. I'd just gotten used to braving the cold with a smile (courtesy of MAC Plumful) knowing in my heart that keeping up in the glamour stakes would make the remaining winter days just that bit more bearable. But no. From Glamourpuss to Bagpuss.... how the mighty have fallen.

From this...

...to this

And so it was, tucked up in my dressing gown and track pants that I decided to take action, albeit before the virus hit at full tilt. A glance at my pallid and exhausted face in the mirror convinced me that I at least had to pretend to be well, that way maybe I could trick the germs into thinking I was an impenetrable barrier of health and strength. Out came the make-up box, and the battle began. Earlier in the day when I had bravely tried to venture outside I had applied very little make-up, just enough to give a bit of definition, with a very light neutral brown in the crease of my eye and a slick of mascara. On a well woman this would be fine, but a well woman I was not, and neutrals were certainly not enough to fight the germs. There would have to be brights. And bronzer. And a lot more concealer. Delving into my eye palettes I found my secret weapon. The greens! I needed colour and green is my absolute number one choice for perking up my eyes. Ever since my first, albeit misguided, foray into green eyeshadow with Charles of the Ritz  I have forever been in love with the way green makes me feel. It sounds weird to say that a colour can alter the way you feel, but I really do believe to a certain extent in colour therapy. In the periods of my life when I used to wear head-to-toe black every day (a brief mid-90's goth faze, best forgotten) I was at my most miserable. Now I have an aversion to buying clothes in black unless it's really necessary. Slimming it may be, cheering it is not.
So anyway, I dug out a gorgeous YSL palette which was bought for me by my beloved godmother (my first ever make-up guru, about whom more will certainly be written).

YSL Ombres 5 Lumieres (Garden of Eden)

I'd used the palette before on occasion, but only wearing one, or maximum two, shades at a time. This time, my mission was to use all five...why not live dangerously?  I began with the brightest green shade (bottom left) all over the eyelid, just going above the crease line. Then I took the bronze-green shade (bottom right) onto the outer corners and slightly into the crease, blending it well into the bright green. I took the forest green shade (top left) onto the lower lashline and over the bronze-green to create more depth. The pale lime green shade (top right) I used in the inner corners of the eye, top and bottom, and the highlight shade in the middle I placed on the centre of the eyelid just to add a little sparkle. I then lined my waterline top and bottom with a black kohl pencil and applied lashings of mascara.
I was so pleased with the way it turned out. The colours blended together beautifully and the texture of the shadows was soft and satin, not too shimmery, which kept the look really chic and not garish at all. I completed the look with a generous swipe of pink coral blush (NARS Orgasm) on the cheekbones and a soft nude toned lipstick (Jemma Kidd "Bridgetown"). My beloved MAC Plumful lipstick also worked really well, as pink lips look fabulous with green eyeshadow in my opinion. 
Underneath all this cosmetic armour I was ready to do battle against the virus. I felt monstrously bad, but I was HOT. I would not be taken down, I would stare into the face of sickness with beautifully blended green eyes, and laugh those germs away.

Suffice to say, the germs had the last laugh...