Glo for Colour this Easter

When it comes to colour cosmetics, I tend to favour Mac and Nars, but there is always space for cool new contenders. Well, there’s always space in my heart, if not on my shelves!

If I’m looking to diversify my beauty collection and decrease my wallet size, cult beauty shop BeautyMART is usually my first port of call – they’re so ahead of the curve.  It makes sense, then, that BeautyMART introduced me to Glo & Ray. These guys take ‘the chemistry of colour as constant inspiration’ for their range of highly pigmented products.

I tried a couple of their products and was impressed with their eyeliner. Glo & Ray eyeliners have ‘Ultra-Adhesion Technology’. I tried the ‘Houston’ Eternity eyeliner which is a deep, shimmery grey. It performed incredibly well, staying put from (very early) morning until I got home that evening. I loved switching up my usual black. I paired my smoky grey eye with La Amo Creamy Lip Colour in Love&Hate. The formula is great, really moisturising and comfortable to wear. Everything’s very reasonably priced (Eternity Long-lasting eyeliners are £9.00 and LaAmo lipsticks are £12.00).

If you’re getting a bit too comfortable with your make-up basics, I’d recommend shaking things up with Glo & Ray – it’s always good to inject a bit of colour into these rainy March days! We've got time to experiment with Easter fast approaching...Happy Easter Fashion Slanters.

Glo & Ray is available to buy here and at BeautyMART in Topshop Oxford Circus. 

The full look - I used Mac's Dirty Blond on my brows and their Mineralise Skinfinish in 'Soft and Gentle' for overall skin glow. I've got Glo & Ray Houston eyeliner on, with my semi-perm individual lashes and a taupe Nars eyeshadow. 

Houston Eternity Eyeliner

La Amo Love&Hate Lipstick

Five Surprising Things About a Cunard Cruise

1.   It’s actually really glam. And it’s fun getting dolled up. I mostly went for cocktail dresses and jewels.

2.   It’s isn’t just for oldies. Of course, there are quite a few elderly passengers, but there were lots of younger pups too, especially in Hemispheres nightclub.

3.  You sort of forget you’re on a boat. Except when it’s choppy. Then you remember fairly quickly.

4.  You meet interesting people. At every turn, you’ll meet someone friendly to talk to. Or talk at, if you’ve been sampling the cocktails. Nobody seems to mind.

5.  The food is incredible. Breakfast is glorious, lunch is an event and then there’s the world-famous Cunard Afternoon Tea to contend with. At dinner, portion sizes are quite manageable, so you won’t feel over-stuffed for the evening ahead. (If you want to visit the buffet on the way back to your room, that, my friend, is your prerogative.)

I think the best antidote to 'Blue Monday' is plotting something fun. If you have never cruised before, I’d definitely recommend adding this to your 2016 plan. I went on the Southampton to Zeebrugge one with my mum before Christmas and we had such an amazing time.

Bon Voyage

Packing! Glam frocks, passport and train wine are all essentials for a cruise, in my opinion

Enjoying a drink from the comfort of our balcony room (wearing the Kate from Little Black Dress)

I finally had an occasion to wear my Jenny Packham frock 

With Mum - Christmas card ready

Shameless selfie #1,000 (probably)

It's so fun making somewhere new your home - my jewellery and hair pieces were from places like Butler & Wilson (star burst), Johnny Loves Rosie (red feather clip), H&M (hair bow) and Topshop (sparkly earrings)

Some essential bedtime reading

Mum's evening 'do'

It was so beautiful on the Queen Victoria

We wrapped up warm for our day in Bruges

An 'informal' evening outfit for our final night with Clarks shoes (sooo comfy and neutral - I'll be wearing these all summer too)  

Think Pinker - Monday Deskspiration

When it comes to workspace style, my attitude is ‘high tech, colourful, inspiring and fun.’ I could never do an Anna Wintour and have SWEET FA on my desk. In my opinion, when it comes to stationery, hot pink is the only way to go. I got the gold earrings at the top from the Zara sale last week. They’re pictured with Mac Lipglass in Candy Yum Yum and the pink stationery is from my top drawer in the Tea Building – hands off! 

January Beauty Buys

Mariah’s always warbling about how little she cares about the presents under the Christmas tree and usually, I tend to agree with her.

This year, however, the evergreen delivered such a tasty beauty bounty that I felt I had to share – I hope it inspires some of your January shopping or gift buying.

1. Leopard print purse from Monki

2. Mac Studio Waterweight SPF30 Foundation

3. Nice make-up bag (don’t know where it’s from)

4. Facepaint The Story of Makeup by Lisa Eldridge

5. Black Orchid EDT by Tom Ford

6. Mac Palm eyeliner pot

7. Chanel Rouge Allure lipstick in Rouge Noir

8. Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation

9. Charlotte Tilbury and Norman Parkinson Dreamy Glow Highlighter

10. Mac lipstick in Matte Royale

11. Tom Ford nail varnish in Smoke Red

12. Mac lipstick in Fashion Trip

Other faves included an awesome toothbrush, a Clarisonic and a L’Occitane beauty set with minis that make me look forward to the gym.