EOTD: Strange Brew

It's been the hottest day of the year so far (except for maybe that odd period in February), there has been sun, real sun, and a great day for ice cream. I didn't have ice cream, so had to rely on the fruity chocolate shades of eyeshadows instead.

Today's pigments come from Madd Style Cosmetics and are: 

• Strange Potion - Duochrome orange and pink 
• Dirty Beatz - Warm brown with subtle sparkles

Usual base of Two Faced Shadow Insurance and Pixie Epoxy, then Strange Potion all over up to brow bone, Dirty Beatz on outer lid and crease and some random pinkish highlighter to finish it off. 

Eyepost photo doesn't bring out the colours all that well, so there's a swatch picture up right. Top swatch shows off the duochrome in natural light, blurry one was done with the flash on and shows off the sparklyness. 

Really have got a crush on the Strange Potion, very strange as it's not a colour that I would have worn in a million years.

A Strange Potion indeed.

Quite like it with the Dirty Beatz as well, but reckon there's something out there that would go with it perfectly. Suppose I'll have to test more eye shadows out to find the perfect match #ohwhatashame.

If You Like It Then You Shoulda Put a Fish On It

Not sure if I like it all that much but I put a fish on it anyway.

Was shattered, tired and knackered all at the same time, yet unable to sleep and thought that layering various bluey polishes at two in the morning might produce something nice and soothing. 

First coat was La Femme Blue Cream (swatched here) which is a nice enough pale blue. Good pigmentation, shame about the formula but it is dirt cheap.

Second coat was Laura Paige 64 Limited Edition, a shimmering blue with iridescent sparkles. Looks lovely in the bottle but is impossibly sheer when worn on it's own. It would be badass over black. Not so good over the Blue Cream, though, the iridescent sparkle didn't show up :(

Third coat was Sinful Colors Pearl Habour, a glittery polish with blue interference glitter that I'm a bit loved up with. Shows up well IRL but didn't want to co-operate for the camera.

Then I put a fish on it. Not sure why.

It's OK and all that, but there's something about it that I'm just not sure about. Did mattify it to see if there was any improvement but it just ended up looking like that old lino you get in 80s hospitals, all pale blue with little twinkles that seem out of place.

Plugs of the day were glittery blue thingies, very cheap but very cheerful. Prefer these to the polish job.

EOTD: O Green World

Was going to do a green and plum thing today but didn't have a good enough plum :( Must sort that out. Went for a green and black glittery thang instead and used:

• Fyrinnae's BoyToy - Gorgeous. And green. Oh, and glittery, it is many things that begin with the letter 'G'. Groovy. 
• Hifi Cosmetics Damned Soul - Black base with green and holographic glitter, oh my. 
• ELF - A light green from the 100 Colour Palette (marked as C2 on this pic) 

Two-faced Shadow Insurance and Pixie Epoxy went on, Boytoy on the lid, Damned Soul on outer lid and crease and ELF C2 up to browbone, bit of white highlighter, that'll do.

Apologies for the aargh Zoolander eyepose there, was amusing myself doing the Blue Steel thing, and the silly photos came out much better than the other ones (it wasn't a good photo day). However, there are some nice sparkly swatches of all three up on the right there for your perusal; from left to right: Boytoy, Damned Soul and the ELF C2.

Do like the green and the black together, will have to do it again some day.

Instagram: Week In Four Pictures

Another week, another round of boring photos.

Been trying to track down my dad's old Dodge van to use as a new studio. Found out that it got scrapped in 1999 :( Have noticed that when I don't watch England play they win. Spent the England game photoshopping plugs onto various celebrities to see who looked the best. Gregg Wallace won, as did England.

There was sun, real sun, this week, it was amazing. The dog was most pleased. Alan Johnson's stripey patterned shirt literally broke the laptop, permanently rendering the screen all blotchy and green. Knew there was a reason why I shouldn't watch This Week.

Might get a pizza, you know.

NOTD: Dragonforce

Today we shall continue yesterday's adventures in colour clashing and untrieds, where the China Glaze Watermelon Rind has been Konaded and then ruined to bits by silly hands and a Sony Ericsson mobile phone ... 

That there on the right is yesterdays wonderful tealy-green covered in another untried, a Konading and some other stuff. The untried here is Urban Decay Bruise - a shimmering green on a reddish plum base. I don't like this polish at all, it's gone on a test nail and I've looked at it and gone D: but it does work nicely over a lighter green base. It goes into an almost duochrome of green and purple, it's pretty meow.

I wanted more.

The nails were Konaded using a scaley pattern from Magnonails Big Plate D and topcoated with a franken that, if memory serves, contained a Pearl-Ex colour and Chromaflair or a Konfusion pigment -- it was made ages ago and I'm a bit gutted that I can't remember exactly what went in it :(

Came out nicely and am a bit loved-up with the whole look. It varies from a deep emerald-green to teal to blue to purple and it's like a an awesome dragon of colour. The whole look was accompanied by a biomechanical dragon-claw ring and I went off on a new adventure of not trashing my nails.

NOTD: Quickest Trash-job EVAH

Thought I'd go through an adventure of clashing colours and untrieds today, an adventure of China Glaze Watermelon Rind. 

Watermelon Rind is a gorgeous glass-flecked tealy-green and it went on like a dream. Three coats did the job nicely and it was deemed as, "ooh, nice". It does look like the type to stain though, and I put two coats of base coat on, because it's taken me yonks to get  the nails unstained again.

I can't go on about the longetivity of the polish as it got all ruined and divoty about five minutes after I'd finished top-coating the resplendent Konad-job. By picking up a phone. Didn't even get photos of it, this must be my record time for nail trashing ever and it kinda put a dampner on the whole clashing colour and untrieds adventure thing.

For a while, anyway, have since done a triumphant fix that's gone on the Instagram (with some mental filtering & contrasting). Shall do a post about it tomorrow because most of this post was written before the triumphant fix and I can't be arsed to rewrite it all right now :)

Plugs of the Day weren't plugs at all, they were rather hawt spirals worn though the horrible eBay silicone tunnels, and the hair wasn't quite as HELLO I AM PINK today, so it wasn't all bad.

EOTD: Up the Pinks

Had a hair incident today with the hair dye and my pastel pink hair is now considerably brighter than it should be at the ends. I feel too old for bright hair and want my pastel old lady hair back. Wearing a hat. 

Thought that I'd make the best of a bad situation and did my eyes to match using a combo of shadows from Fyrinnae and the ELF 100 colour palette:

• Fyrinnae - Chaotic Evil - a shimmery pink with silver flecks of sparkle
• ELF Palette - A dark plum, shimmery pink and matt white.

Chaotic Evil was applied all over the lid and lower lashline over a base of Two-Faced Shadow Insurance and Pixie Epoxy. The dark plum went on corner, crease and outer lashline, shimmery pink went up to the brow bone and the matt white was used in the corner of the inner lid and around the duct and as a highlighter.

Found some unopened MUA Liquid Eyeliner, gave that a go and found it smooth to apply and well-pigmented, good show MUA. Not sure which mascara was worn but it probably came from Boots or Superdrug.

Don't know why the plum comes out a bit orange in the photos -- it's a bit darker and richer than it looks. The Chaotic Evil doesn't look as sparkly either, so I've done a swatch on the left there - Chaotic Evil on the left, dark plum middle, shimmery pink right.

Prefer the eyes over the hair right now TBH, at least it washes off easily.

NOTD: Mock Croc

Picked up some of this Barry M Mock Croc stuff over the weekend and thought that it might look nice. With something. Fancied some glitter but didn't because I'm already perma-covered with it, and couldn't be arsed with the removal.

Plan B was pink, and it's one from the chemist - Laura Paige 26 Limited Edition (orginally swatched here). Put two coats of this on, horribly application, then slapped some of the Barry M Mock Croc stuff over it to hide the rubbishness. It came out ... interestingly with the little finger looking the best out of the lot.

Wasn't too keen on this combo at all, but it did have promise. Attempted a fix with some fine silver glitter and that looked a bit nicer, then chucked some ELF matte top coat over it. Much better. Quite like it now, but won't be mega-disappointed when it chips.

Plugs of the Day were abstract orchid ones because I seem to lack a good amount of pink things to stick in my ears. Remedying this.

The Return of the ELF Palette Challenge

And the last of the blurple as well; this boring old top coat from the pound shop is really doing the job with the nubbins and it's still going. It will die tomorrow, but for now I'm going to carry on with the ELF Palette Challenge (that you can't buy at the moment, but have started the challenge so will finish).

Today I have mostly been wearing:

• J2 - Silver
• F3 - Mid Blurple
• D8 - Dark Purple
• J1 - Light Silver

Started off with the Two-Faced Shadow Insurance, then some Pixie Epoxy on the lid to really bring the shimmery colours out.

J2 - Silver went on the inside of the lid, round the duct and the inner lower lashline.  

The Mid Blurple - F3 - was applied to the middle of both the lid and the centre of the lower lashline, then some D8 Dark Purple was slapped onto the outer lid, outer lower lashline and crease.

Some more Mid Blurple was blended in with the crease up to the brow then some J1 Light Silver was used as a highlighter.

Lashings of mascara went on after that, and lots of black eyeliner because these purpley blues and silvers seriously gave me some zombie eyes. Scary.

Colours I Don't Like But Like At The Same Time

The blurple nails are still going, and I didn't want to be sporting blurple eyes three days on the trot so went for some brown.

Yes brown. I really, really like brown eyeshadow. And gold, for that matter. Can't stand either of them on my nails but I'm quite happy to get the old brown and gold eyeshadows and slap them on like a bastard.

Selected brown and gold eyeshadows were both from Fyrinnae and were:

• Steampunk - an absolutely gorgeous chocolate brown with a coppery-pink flash and lots of rainbow glitter.
• Newcastle - a shimmertastic gold that looks almost olive at some angles.

Usual base (Two Faced Shadow Insurance and Pixie Epoxy) with lots of Steampunk being applied over the entire lid, crease and outer lower lashline, with the Newcastle blending things up to the brow bone and inner lower lashline. 

Both of them are fantastic colours but I'm not really sure about the Newcastle with the Steampunk, should have gone for a warmer, pinkier gold really but I don't seem to have one.

Plugs of the day were my 8mm lucky plugs worn through those cheap silicone tunnels off eBay to give them an extra lease of life as they're way too small. Would normally wear these Stevenage FC are playing but it's off season and luck is always nice. Plus I haven't got anything that matches ...

Would like to finish off by saying, if someone said to me tomorrow, "oi, you've got to marry an eyeshadow" I would pick Steampunk, it's fucking amazing <3

Radiohead at Glastonbury '97 on BBC Four NOW

Tis an awesome set, you should watch it.

I quite possibly have the most boring Instagram in the world, but I'm posting stuff as it will break up the content a bit, I've done a stylesheet for it and I fancy a ride on a bandwagon :)

This is what England vs Sweden looked like on BBC Player. Naturally, it was once of those rare and interesting England games with goals and an English win. That we missed. Sigh. Should really get round to sorting out an aerial. It's been raining pretty solidly this week, even the dog's fed up with it. He just sits about these days, looking wistfully at the window but he's SOL.

Our studio developed a leak and flooded this week which was a pain in the arse, but at least this little pond skater fella got a new home. New business cards turned up this week, did my nails to match :3

Would have been maybe a tiny bit more interesting if Prince Phillip hadn't blown us all out on Thursday, wanted a picture of him THROWING THE HORNS \m/

Madd Eyed Screamer

Two posts in two days, WTF is all that about?

Was very careful with the nubbins today and, despite a rigorous sanding and polishing session, completely managed to avoid ruining last night's Konad-job, which was unexpected. So pleased with this, I was, that the eyes were done to match the nails :3 

Exclusively using Madd Style's glittery gorgeousness today.

• Glitter and Doom (mid-purple with rainbow sparklies) - inner lid up to brow bone
• Taransula (black with green and pink glitter) - outer lid and crease.
• Xray Spex (whitey purpley pink shimmery ooh) - highlighter and under lash line.

Didn't go with anything on the water-line because it puts about 10 years on me as well which isn't a good thing. But it looks better in the photos -- do I go for better looking photos or squinty eyes like Chris Skudder (sports reporter on Sky News. Awful squinter.)?

Did put some Xray Spex on the lashline as it makes my eyes look a bit more awake (hahahaha), and maybe even distracts a wee bit from the dark shadows under the eyes. I hope.

And Now A Lack of Sleep

Can't sleep at all at the mo, so thought that I'd play around with the design of the blog and do my nails at the same time. Quite surprised the nails didn't get wrecked, what with the frustration of dealing with the possessed trackpad on the laptop and mindlessly grabbing cups of tea.

Wearing OPI Ink Suede today because it goes with me new plugs. Came out a bit blue in the pics because my newer, lovely camera that I deeply love and adore doesn't like purple all that much. There's a more accurate swatch here if that tickles yer fancy.

The Ink didn't go on terribly well because it's been sitting around for a year and was a bit goopy so the Konad stuff got dusted off and I made a mess.

Went over the nails with black special polish and plate BM201, decided it was a bit boring and wanted flowers as well, and went for the dangly flowery things on GCOCL plate K03. Boring old top coat that came from the pound shop finished it off nicely.

Be a shame to ruin it tomorrow.

A Lack of Time

So I got some time today to do a quick pink and red EOTD that made me happy face, so I'm posting it.

Inner lid and lower lashline: Madd Style Strange Potion - a blooming gorgeous shimmergasm of peach pink.
Crease, outer lid: Hi-Fi Cosmetics A Vampire Scorned - shiny spectacular brick red.
Brow Bone: pale pink highlighter from that massive ELF pallette.

Usual base of Two Faced Shadow Insurance and Pixie Epoxy. Did chuck some glitter on there as well but it looked rubbish TBH. Now it just looks scary, but a nice scary.

Have to say that I really miss blogging but I'm not getting any time at all since proper starting up Lovely Plugly (we're a business now, got a company cheque book and everyfink), no time for nails (but they're knackered at the moment anyway), no time for blog stuff, certainly no time for Assassin's Creed: Revelations which has been in my 360 since March or thereabouts.

I will be posting pretty pictures of nails and EOTDs on the Lovely Plugly Instagram (not really a pimpage thing, well, maybe, it does have some pics of plugs on it, but mainly its glitter and cats and macro shots of flowers). Would do a seperate account but I can't be arsed with faffing about with multiple accounts anymore and, as I am no longer in the fabulous world of computery disaster management, I don't really have to have multiple accounts anymore. Result :)

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