Detox, VIcky Vox and Willam!: LOTD with OCC Black Metal Dahlia

What does one wear on one’s face when they’re off to see their favourite drag queens? The same shit that they hawk themselves, naturally – a little OCC!

 

 

My hair was setting, I didn’t go out like this!

Eyes: Illamasqua Neutrals Palette and Scribe Liner, MAC Reflects Gold Glitter, Kiko Precision Brow Pencil in Shade 03
Lips: MAC Vino lipliner, OCC Black Metal Dahlia
Cheeks: Sleek Contour Kit in Light, Sleek Suede blush

Black Metal Dahlia is super gorgeous, but it takes a little work so putting it over a deep lip liner is my favourite way to wear it. This is easily one of my favourite looks I’ve done all year.

 

And here are the lovely ladies we spent all our rent money on going to see!



DUCK FACE WITH DETOX. It was so hot in the little venue we were in my hair dropped right out, boo! I am 100% ridiculously in love with her. I was always rooting for Detox on RDPR but having met her and seen her perform I can’t even. She is just a perfect being and I want to be her slave or some shit. Absolutely beautiful.

 

SO QUICHE. I’m sad that this is the photo we got because I am standing at a way dodgy angle which makes me look like a brick. I mean, bricks are fine and all, but I don’t want to look like a brick next to Willam. The boy people in the photo are my cousin and his boyf. Anyway, they were flawless, it was flawless, too fucking flawless. If you get the chance to see them, go. They got it down pat, and they sing and rap pretty damn well!

#byefelicia

Lip Tar Love: Nylon and Black Metal Dahlia

Let’s face it , OCC Lip Tars can be a bit of a bugger. I’ve always said if you’re not in love with the shade, they’re sometimes not worth the learning curve. Recently my friend Rachael sent me a decant of two shades which I think really are worth the fuss!

 

 

Nylon

If you like pink, this is pretty fucking pink. I have nothing bad to say about it – the opacity, the blue-based but notmilky colour…. it’s just darling! For a comparison, here’s Candy Yum Yum by MAC:

Yeah. I’ve seen comparison shots where the two look very similar, but in my opinion CYY is a little bluer, a little cooler than Nylon. In the same family, but at the moment, the shade of Nylon is edging it for me.

Black Metal Dahlia

Hnnnngggg! Unfffffff! Raaaaawr! Other noises! Praise the baby J, this is a gorgeous, gorgeous, sexy vampy colour! This was a bit of a bugger to get on – unlike Nylon it’s got lots of glitter in it which I didn’t want to all pool in one place, and if you’re used to Lip Tars you know you want to avoid over-applying, yet this one didn’t seem to go as far as other shades I have, meaning I used a little more and it took a long time to apply. However… it’s just totally lust-worthy and well worth the faff.


Do you use OCC Lip Tars? What are your favourite shades?

LOTD: Knickers In A Twist

I tidied all my pigments the other day and was instantly sad that I neglect them so much as I have some beautiful, beautiful colours! I threw on a couple for a warm, autumnal kind of look.

Eyes: Lid, OCC Loose Color Concentrate in Triptych. Crease and lower lashline, Fyrinnae Knickers In A Twist. Liner, Maybelline gel liner in brown (waterline), Collection2000 24/7 pen liner in Black. Lashes, Eyelure Naturalites.
Cheeks: Sleek Suede, Boots No 7 Vital Enlightening Highlighter, with Soap and Glory Bright Here Bright Now as a base.
Lips: NYX Round Lipstick in Saturn, blotted (thanks Kathy!)

I’ve waxed lyrical about OCC Triptych before. Go and get it.

And just for fun, here’s the outfit that I wore that day too. I was on a lovely shoot and wanted to look cute. The t shirt is from Hot Topic and is a present from my lovely friend Rachael who knows me all to well. The shoes are Topshop, cardigan/jacket is really old H&M and the leather swing skirt is from a random little ‘market’ shop.

 

I love this outfit and makeup and having worn literally nothing all week on my face and nothing exciting clothes wise, it felt good to throw on some lashes and some sparkly shoes!

LOTD with Barry M and OCC

I’ve not really used any loose pigments for quite a while, so I pulled out a couple of my favourite Barry M shades this weekend and had a play. I wanted something neutral with a little pop of interest, so I used my favourite gold pigment by OCC.

 

Eyes: Barry M Dazzle Dusts in 39 Tan (all over) and 102 Burgundy Noir (to define.) OCC Color Concentrate pigment in
Lips: Revlon Red Lacquer, blotted
Cheeks: Inglot AMC Cream Blush in 91, Boots No 7 Vital Enlightening Highlighter

Simple, neutral and yet I like the fun eyeliner. Barry M is another of those brands that people think only carry mad colours – not true! They have some lovely neutrals and work-safe colours as well. Similarly, with OCC people are all about the lip tars, lip tars, lip tars when they have some really fantastic loose pigments that I think get overlooked. Triptych looks MUCH brighter in real life than it does in this LOTD – check it out if you can!

How Not To Take Photos For Your Blog (Or: FUUUUUUUUU…)

Last week I did what I thought was a really pretty look for a night out so naturally, I went to snap a few photos. Of course, in blogging land, “a few photos” is at least fifty. Loading up my memory card today, I was expected to be greeted with a couple of decent pictures at least to share with you all! Er, no:

I can’t be the ONLY one that this happens to. Please tell me I’m not the only one!

Anyway, this is the ONE even half decent picture I managed to take, and I don’t know what’s going on with my massive hair, and my lipstick looks all skewwhiff.  I even edited out my spot in rage, which I don’t normally bother to do. Ah, well. *I* know it was a pretty look!

Eyes: Maybelline Color Tattoos in Pomegranate Punk and Pink Gold, OCC Loose Colour Concentrate in Triptych, Inglot neutral shadows  (can’t remember which, but matte chocolate browns), Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Perversion.
Cheeks: Beauty UK Peaches and Cream, Illamasqua Emerge
Lips: Silk Naturals Nectar

Quickie Review: OCC Loose Color Concentrate in Slag

On a recent trip to Selfridges, we discovered an OCC stand! In in the back of my mind, I knew that Sellies stocked OCC, but I hardly ever venture down Oxford Street as I am not mad, so I’d forgotten all about it. The Lip Tar section was demolished and they only had very odd colours left, so I happily amused myself with the pigments and glitters.



Left, alone. Right, over Pixie Epoxy.

I won’t like to you, I thought this was a pretty colour but I mainly bought it for the name! (“You SLAAAAAG!”) A very pretty antiqued gold with a green shift, it’s a lovely finely milled colour and exactly the sort of thing I love about indie cosmetics! I felt a little odd buying it for that reason, but I knew it had to come home with me.

Slightly blurry, but you can really see the pretty green shift well if you click to embiggen. I’m wearing it here just over primer!

Coming in at £8 for 2.5g at Selfridges, you can also pick these up on 3-for-2 at Cocktail Cosmetics.  I’d certainly try some of thier other colours, and I love it so much that I wore it on Christmas Day!

Ravishing: My Red Lip Product Collection

I used to think that, being a red head, I couldn't wear red lipstick as it "wouldn't go with my hair." Once I came to the realisation that nothing goes with my hair, my red lipstick collection expanded somewhat! I love a good red lip - especially as my go-to lazy look when I still want to look awesome is very much in the pin-up camp - but I still am too scared to wear them on a normal day, which is silly when I'll wear something crazy bright like Milani Rose Hip to work, no?

Right. Enough jabbering, more swatching.




-Nyx Round Lipstick in Fire


Gorgeous, creamy, pink-leaning red. I like wearing it with bright blue liner!

-Make Up Academy Lipstick Shade 8


Brickish-red shot through with gold sparkles. Really beautiful with a golden smokey eye.

-Barry M Lip Lacquer Crayon in no 3 Mandarin




-Coral red with orangey sparkles. I heard these were sheerer than their lipsticks, but I find this baby pretty pigmented. Certainly going to pick up the Cherry Red shade.


-Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in NSFW

-Bright red, leaning blue based. The OCC website annoys me because it calls this a 'Primary blue-based red.' Errrr, what? Anyway, I love this colour but I have trouble applying it neatly, as you can see!

- Barry M Lip Gloss Wand in no 9 Cherry Glitter





Light red-pink witth red glitter. Alone, it looks like my lips have measles or something. On top of another red (shown here over Sleek True Colour in Vixen) or even a pink, it looks gorgeous! Nasty artifical cherry smell, but it does fade.

-Sleek True Colour Lipstick in Vixen


-Fire engine time! An amazingly pigmented lipstick for less than £4! Sleek wins cool points.

-Barry M Lip Paint no 141 Royal Raspberry



Deep, plummy raspberry colour with slightly metallic finish. Dead sexy!

-Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipcolor E190 Royal Red


I think this is a pretty true red. I've had this for a good couple of years now - it was my first ever red lipstick! D'aaaaw! - so I'm not sure if it's still available. Edit: I have found it a few places, but it's not on the Maybelline stands anymore

-Make Up Academy Lipstick Shade 1

-Deep, glossy, blood red. A little darker in real life. Has a lot of slip to it.

-Nyx Round Lipstick in Hebe

Berry undertones, slightly metallic.

-MAC Viva Glam Cyndi


Perhaps it's not really a red, butas it doesn't look pink to my eyes, here it is. I guess it's a coralish red. Good for days when red is too scary but you need some colour, anyway.

-Make Up Academy Lipstick Shade 13


Perfect pin-up red for just £1. Again, a fair bit of slip but not you cannot argue with the colour for £1.

-Fyrinnae Lip Lustre in Reincarnation



'Sheer' brickish red with blue sparkles. Ok, Fyrinnae says this is sheer, and I presume they mean the colour, rather than the opacity as I get quite good coverage. I think this is lovely and understated, but the blue sparkles really give it some pizazz!

-Evil Shades Deviant Lipstick in Devilista

Long-lasting cherry red. A really popular ES lipstick and I can see why!

-Nyx Mega Shine Lipgloss in Burdungy



Amazingly pigmented jewel-like burgundy gloss. On top, applied sheerly, below, applied thickly - the lighting is awful in both but you get an idea of texture and that it looks more jewel-like if you apply it thickly. I need to get round to trying this with a taupe smokey eye.

-Evil Shades Deviant Lipstick in Corset

Alright, so it's not a 'red' red, it's a blackened red, but here it is. I find it super flattering and long-wearing, as well as cheap as chips!

BeautyUK lipstick in Naughty

Glossy, minty, slightly orange leaning. No arguments at £3.49

Wet N Wild Shine On Lipstick in 514A Cherry Frost

Berry-leaning with tiny gold shimmers. A freaking steal at 99c. Love it.

Wet N Wild Mega Last Lipstick in '909D Coraline'

I think this is more orange than coral-based, but whatevs.

Cover Girl Lasting Perfection lipstick in 'Flame.'

Possibly similar to MAC Lady Danger? The blogosphere has been going nuts for this line of lipsticks and I can see why. I adore the formula.

MAC Matte Lipstick in 'Russian Red.'


Mother kisser don't budge.

Well, that's all. A humble collection compared to some, I'm sure, but I'm pretty happy with it! My faves of the bunch are Sleek Vixen, Evil Shades Devilista and MUA Shade 13. My wishlist is as follows - feel free to recommend more!

-Mac Lady Danger
-Revlon Cherries in the Snow, Fire and Ice (can't believe I didn't bloody buy it!)
-Illamasqua Sangers
-Evil Shades Diabolical Deviant Lipstick and Push gloss
-Fyrinnae Type A
-Boots No 17 Hot Chili
-Rimmel Lasting Finish in Retro
-Clinique Vintage Red, Red-y to Wear
-Kryolan LC010 and LC009

For more red swatchin' goodness, check out these awesome posts on Red Lipstick Black Liner and Beauty's Bad Habit!