MAC Collection: Venomous Vilians

Time for another MAC collection and collaboration, this time with Disney. In stores around Halloween time in the UK (and right now in the US I believe), the Venomous Vilians collection celebrates some of the most notorious and iconic baddies from Disney films. Vilians who now can boast their own make up range include Sleeping Beauty's arch nemisis Maleficent, the stylin' Evil Queen from Snow White, Cruella De Vil and the most recent vilian, Dr Facilier (some dude from The Princess and the Frog).

Now, whilst all these are fabulous vilians (I can't comment on Dr Facilier as I haven't seen the film yet), my first hope when I heard of the collection was that there would be an Ursula range! For some reason she is my favourite Disney vilian and although she's not such a looker as, say, the Evil Queen, the scene where she pops open a little fish thing and uses it as a lipstick always bounces round my head whenever I apply a femme fatal shade of red. MAC, you missed a trick! 

(I mean, come on - look at her bitchin' 80s make up!)

Anyway, I look forward to the collection hitting the shops and will be sure to pop by a MAC store for a peek at the products and their ~wicked~ packaging. It's great to see the bad guys getting some limelight instead of those pesky Disney Princesses! I always get excited for MAC collections and this one is certainly no exception! 

PS. Kudos to MAC for embracing Halloween! So few companies bother in the UK...

EDIT: The collection is now LIVE on the MAC site! I have purchased some items and can't wait for them to arrive!

Nailed it!

Show your true colours! Are you a fan of coloured nail varnish? Do you favour the nude-look nail? Or do you wear 'em bare?
I have to admit that I'm a fan of the nude-look. I keep my nails short and neat, perhaps use a little whitening pencil on the tips and then gloss the nails over with a clear or 'natural manicure' shade. I think this looks chic, clean and professional - and it lasts a damn site longer than colour because you can't notice the little chips and scrapes! (WIN!)
Personally, if I'm going to paint my nails a colour, I want my nails to be short and cute. I can't stand long talons! But that's just me. I don't like brights on my nails and tend to stick to vampy dark colours such as Chanel's Vendetta or Rimmel's Black Cherries.
Speaking of Black Cherries, this nail varnish is my all time favourite for my toes! I am rarely without it (obviously I give my nails breathing space between wears to avoid unsightly staining or the development of brittle nails).

So, which way do your nails claw towards? Brights? Long? Nude? Whichever way, I'm sure they suit you fabulously!
x

Pic from ASOS

September Favourites

Products I love, September 2010:

Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanse and Polish
You can hardly move on the internet for glowing reviews and endorsements of this product from Isle of Wight based Liz Earle. I've always found it hard to keep up skin care regimes but Liz Earle has got me hooked! To use, you pump some of the cleanser onto dry hands and massage on to the face (it's safe to use on eyes and even open your eyes when they are covered in product!), then rinse the muslin cloth under hand-hot water, ring it out and buff off the product. When you have finished, splash the face with cold water to close the pores and voila! You are done!
The Hot Cloth regime leaves skin feeling very soft and smooth as the cloth works as a gentle exfoliator. Natural ingredients leave the skin clean and smelling fresh. I love it! And at approx £13 for a starter kit, it's affordable luxury. If you think £13 is pricey, bare in mind that the lovely team at Liz Earle often pop in a free gift with each online order ;)

Liz Earle Instant Boost skin tonic
This goes hand in hand with the above product. To use, put a splash of the product on a cotton pad and gently wipe it over the face. Any remaining make up and impurities will be swept away and your skin will be left feeling fresh and devine.

Benefit Coralista blusher
You can guess from the name that Benefit's Coralista is a coral-toned blusher, but it's not an in-your-face orangey coral, more a soft pinky coral. I love the dewy sheen it gives to the face and the colour warms me up beautifully. Approx £23, so quite pricey but the product lasts well.

Estee Lauder Crystal Baby lipstick
I've never been into lipsticks - I always think they are "too much" for my face. As such, if I wear anything on my lips it's a very natural, lip-toned gloss etc (such as MAC's Frankly Fresh). But after hearing how wonderful Estee Lauder's Crystal Baby lipstick was on various sites, I couldn't help but splash out. £17 seems extortionate for a lipstick, but the product is so perfect for me that I am glad I got it. The colour is a natural soft pink which I call "my lip colour but better". It lasts well on the lip and is the first lipstick I've ever felt comfortable wearing day or night. I would definately re-buy this.  

Chanel Chance eau Fraiche perfume
Oh my goodness. I LOVE this perfume. It makes me feel sophisticated, elegant, fresh - it's perfect for the day time. Chanel is such an unattainable brand for me (price-wise), so weaing this is a daily treat. I really love it. Favourite perfume EVER? Probably. Definately the most wearable I've ever had.
N.B: All views are my own and all products have been bought by myself with my own hard earned cash.

Introduction

Thanks for visiting the Shoegazer : SkinDeep blog. You may have found it through my main blog Shoegazer Creative? If not, please feel free to visit and have a browse through posts about jewellery, homeware, fashion and other creative things! As for this brand new blog, I want posts to focus on make-up/beauty products and inspirations.
I have long been incredibly interested in make up artistry and plan to do an evening course in SFX Make Up and Media Make Up very soon. At present I work for a magazine but if I were ever able to concentrate full time on make up as a career I think I'd die happy. For now, I just want to indulge my interest and share what I pick up along the way with anyone who stumbles across this blog!
I hope you find something to enjoy in these posts. I will try and be as honest and straight-forward as I can about products. I am not a "brand snob" and don't have an endless budget so hopefully there will be products featured from all price ranges.
Claire x