Elegant Touch Nails

It was my graduation a couple of weeks ago, and I really had no idea what nail colour I was going to wear. I wanted something special, yet also something that would fit in with my outfit. Whilst in Superdrug these nails - The Elegant Touch Metallic Nails in Molten Gold - just happened to catch my eye. I had some gold detailing on my shoes so gold was my chosen colour accessories wise. 

I had never tried "fake" nails before. I have never liked the fake nail look, especially when the nails are about an inch long, for me it just screams tacky. However, what really intrigued me about these nails is they are cut to fit your own natural nail length. In other words, they are your nails exactly, no length added but with a covering over the top. This definitely appealed to me as this seemed so much classier.

The length I bought was "short" as this was the only size available in my local Superdrug. I was worried that this wouldn't fit my naturally long, slim nails but I was pleasantly surprised. Each pack comes with 2 different sized pairs, therefore you can really tailor the size to the best fit of your nail. What is great, is that each nail comes with a detachable tab with a number on it, which not only catagorised the size of the nail, but also makes it incredibly each when it comes to applying each nail with the glue provided. When I selected and applied each nail, I then snapped the tabs off last, which was very easy and gentle to do.

The only problem I found with these nails, is for me I am not used to wearing any kind of nail "coating" other than polish, and it can feel a little unnatural at first. Also, trying to change for bed was an issue as one of my nails pinged off! But never fear, it was ridiculously simple to glue it back on, and it didn't come off again.

On the day of my graduation (I had stuck my nails on the night before, after my bath incase the warm water detached the glue)... everyone who saw my nails commented on them and asked how I did them/what they were. For me this is always a sign you have great nails when people who don't know you come and ask what you've done! 

All in all, the nails lasted me pretty much a week before they had all gone. A couple had pinged off whilst using a chip and pin machine, therefore couldn't be glued back on. They are also a little difficult to photograph as they are so incredibly reflective! 

If you have a special event coming up, and you want the nails perfect for that one day then these are something I would definitely recommend trying. Afterall, you cannot get the same result with polish alone. 

The Elegant Touch nails are available in a multitude of different designs. I bought mine from Superdrug for around £5.25, however it's worth checking on Amazon as you can find more designs, and for a lower price too.

Sleek Blusher in Rose Gold

I have to admit, although I own a gazillion foundations and lipglosses and all sorts... surprisingly I only own 3 blushers - two of which are Dior and super long lasting, the other is a highly pigmented I bought from Boots from the 17 range.  It can be incredibly difficult buying a blusher when you have pale skin. It is so easy to get it wrong... too pink and you look like a childhood doll. Too brown and it looks muddy. Too orange and it looks like you've been experimenting with creosote.
 
When in London recently, I made it my mission to track down a Superdrug that sold sleek so I could buy my cousin the face contour kit for her birthday. My hometown of Grimsby, doesn't have a Debenhams, Lush, Zara, H&M and as for the Superdrug and Boots... the make-up is fairly limited. There's not a hope in hell of ever getting a Dainty Doll stand. Infact, I asked a sales assistant if they every planned to stock DD, and she hadn't even heard of the brand!

It sounds so insignificant, but in terms of make-up, my hometown is actually quite limited, when you compare it to larger Superdrugs in other towns and cities. It is this which made me jump at the chance of being in such a well varied Superdrug, to buy myself a new blusher. In case you were wondering, I went to the Marble Arch store close to the tube station.

I had a good look at all the shades of blusher Sleek sold, and there seemed to be something for every skin tone. However, there was something about the shade Rose Gold which screamed "I will sit on your pale skin beautifully and won't make you look like a clown!". It's a hard feeling to describe, but it doesn't come around often so I was hardly going to leave it sitting on the shelf, was I?!

The actual colour of Rose Gold differs heavily from the website image of it... it is actually much more subtle and in my opinion wearable than it comes across on the website. It's not just one colour though, it's about 3 - Pink, Peach and Gold... depending upon what light you view it in. It has a slight shimmer to it, but is acceptable and wearable for everyday. Don't worry, you won't look like a discoball... I wouldn't want to either!

As for application, you can be fairly generous without it being too much. I use my Real Techniques Buffing Brush to apply it to the apples of my cheeks, and it seems to go on quite smoothly. I use the brush to real buff it out a little, as I don't like my blusher to be too concentrated on a tiny area.

The packaging is also super impressive given the price tag is £4.49, as it contains a really lovely and clear mirror when you open it. Possibly the only thing I would note on the downside is that it appears slightly smaller in real life than you would expect. Nevertheless given that's my only gripe I really can't fault it as a product. Definately a blusher for all you fellow palies' to try out.

*I realise the lighting makes me look tanned in the pic, but I promise I am not!

Make-up Worn in pic:

Mac Studio Sculpt Foundation - NC15
Sleek Blusher - Rose Gold
Collection 2000 pressed powder - 18 Ivory
Collection 2000 Glam Crystals eye liner - Hustle
Collection 2000 Concealer - 1 Fair
Boots 17 Lip Liner - Valentine
Estee Lauder lip Gloss - 06 Magnificent Mauve
MUA Liquid Eye Liner - Black
Avon supershock mascara
Glitter Lashes

Crime to be pale?

Just two of the articles I have found today which are anti-pale skin. One suggesting you can't dance without a spray tan, the other saying you can't get a job without one, well more or less. Having pale skin is becoming increasingly a taboo subject amongst what is considered beautiful within society and the media. 

Nicky happens to have the same heritage of me - our skin comes from our Irish/Celtic backgrounds. I would be so appalled if someone ordered me or even suggested that I needed a spray tan to cover up my Irish skin. Ok so it's strictly come dancing - the home of sequins and glamour... and maybe he would look a little odd if he was the only person not a deep shade of creosote. Honestly though, what does that say to young kids watching who have pale skin, that's it's not attractive or beautiful?

Please, can someone also fill me in on why I might not be considered for a job, despite my qualifications or skills, simply because I am pale and not bronzed? Surely the fact I am more interested in turning up for the interview rather than lathering myself in tanning agent means I would be better for the job anyway? 

How about putting the money into boosting people's numeracy and literacy skills, and teaching them the vital skills many lack rather than critiquing the shade of their skin? Again, and I've said it before... you wouldn't dream of saying someone is too dark would you? This would undoubtedly lead to dismissals and even court proceedings (and rightly so, racism should never be tolerated). Why is it you're seemingly allowed to say someone is too pale then? 
  

The Perils Of Being Pale

Just googling "Pale Skin Make Up" shows just how misunderstood pale skin actually is. The top results give me everything from a super bronzed Katy Perry, to an Indian lady... and well you can see the rest for yourself. Bar a couple of the images, none of the results actually depict pale skin. Just why is it so difficult to find images of make up for pale skin on the worlds biggest search engine? 

          

As a Graphic Designer (who did her dissertation on Colour no less!) it really bothers me when make-up companies describe their products as "Porcelain" "Ivory" "Fair" etc, when they are miles away from actually being those shades. When I think of Ivory, it reminds me of my piano keys which are just off white/black. Porcelain reminds me of the blinding veneers celebs have on their teeth, and so on.

I have tested the following 5 foundations on my arm to explain my point further (from left to right)

1. Boots 17 Skin Perfecting Foundation - Soft Ivory
2. Collection 2000 Sheer Moist Foundation - 1 Sheer Porcelain
3. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer - Porcelain
4. Gosh X-Ceptional Wear Foundation - 11 Porcelain
5. Avon Smooth Minerals Foundation - Ivory


 Compare this with actual Dulux colour chart comparisons with "Ivory" "Porcelain" and so on...

Buying make up, particularly foundation when you have pale skin can be a real nightmare. This is made 10 times worse by haphazard labeling when it comes to the shade. It's a massive ask, but if I could change anything about the beauty industry at this moment, it would be to make the labeling and naming of shades more accurate and appropriate to the actual colour of the product. Anything whatsoever with an orange or deep brown tone is NOT porcelain, OR ivory... so why does nearly every counter stock a shade claiming to be just that... when it definitely isn't!?

In the end, all this ends up doing is alienating people with pale skin even further. Very few companies stock shades pale enough for us in the first place, so to be misinformed by nearly every company is really frustrating. This is one of the reasons I also try and stay away from buying foundations online, unless I have tried them for myself in real life. The shade depictions are always very inacurate, to the point whereby I wonder if the person who created the shade chart for the website has actually looked at the colour of the product...

Fair enough, call me picky on this one, but I believe consumers deserve clarity... especially when it is very difficult to return foundation once it has been tested and found to be the wrong colour. I'm not singling Debehams/Estee Lauder out alone here, but just to give an example of what it's like shopping for pretty much any foundation online...

How is anyone supposed to really know which shade to pick from such a tiny diagram? Get it even slightly wrong with ultra fair skin and it looks way out and ends up not being wearable. There is some light at the end of the foundation brush though, in the form of the Bobbi Brown foundation match service which you can access online here if like me, you don't live near a Bobbi Brown counter or store.

You chat with a consultant who then diagnoses your shade, by asking you to compare yourself with similar skinned celebrities. Amazingly, when I was able to go to a real life Bobbi Brown counter, the shade matched with what the lady had told me. The shade both assistants said I was, is Porcelain (their lightest shade of course!)I'm hoping to really cover this subject in depth within future videos/blog posts, because I feel it's important to understand that when buying foundation, it's a minefield and sometimes you don't know which brand or assistant to trust. I've lost count at the amount of times an assistant has applied foundation on me, told me it looks "fabulous" and "perfect", and when I walk out the store and look properly it's deep orange or just completely off. Sometimes this is after spending alot of money on the the product (I was once sold Estee Lauder Doublewear in Desert Beige)... need I say more?!

Hair & Beauty Wishlist for A/W 2012

I am a girl who is always on the lookout for new products, and especially love looking at the new hair and beauty products that come out each season. From the cool pastels in spring, to the bright neon nail varnishes in summer, to the sophisticated berry tones in Autumn. Just like with fashion, trends come and go with beauty and change from season to season. There are so many products that have caught my eye this season... these are the ones that I would love to try. Some have just been released, and some are already staples within the hair and beauty industry. Allow me to take you through my wish list!

In no particular order...


Illamasaqua Skin Based Foundation in 02 - £27





I have always wanted to try some Illamasqua make-up as I find the dramatic looks they create so fascinating, it is almost like a work of art than simply just make-up. I also have gained interest in this particular foundation because the Pixiwoo sisters seem to feature it alot in their videos, and if make-up artists rate a product highly then you know it has to be good. I am incredibly wary of foundation shades - anything even a slight bit too dark then it will look plain WRONG on me... however this foundation looks just perfect for me, and incredibly pale which is why I am keen to try it. Hopefully I will get this foundation in time to feature it on my channel when I get it going!



Tom Ford Eye Color Quad in Emerald Lust - £62


Ok ok ok ok OK... I have to admit this is a bit of a dreamy indulgent addition to my wishlist, but can you blame me?! The colours in this Tom Ford Palette look so divine in the picture... I can't imagine how vivid and beautiful they would look on an actual eye! I think these colours would really suit my blue eyes.


Babyliss Pro Volare V2 Compact Dryer - £84.95





My hair is incredibly thick, anyone who touches my hair in a salon always says so! I would love to achieve a professional blow dry at home, and although I have pretty much mastered the technique and own more barrel brushes than can ever be normal.... I feel as if my dryer lets me down. Generally, on the UK high street there isn't a great deal of choice of hairdryers available, and they all tend to cost under £30. Although this is fantastic for my pocket... my hair is yet to thank me in terms of showing my vitality and bounce. I believe what I am lacking is a powerful dryer, and this is one of the dryers I have been considering. It is available in either red or black, is made in Italy and has a FERRARI engine! Now that's what I call power!



Redken Smooth Down Masque - £17.25 (price varies dramatically depending on retailer!)



Again with my thick unruly hair! Nothing I have ever done technique wise or any product I have ever used has totally conquered the frizz/flyaways my hair inevitably gets, no matter what I do. I have heard so many amazing things about the Smooth Down range curing frizz like no other product, which is why I really want to try it. I have tried the Redken colour extend masque, as well as various Redken treatments at my hairdressers, and really love the range. However at anywhere up to £22 for 250ml... this product is staying on my wishlist and not my immediate list for now!



Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Cuticle Oil - £7.09




Lately I've noticed my nails seem so beat up for some reason! When I recently applied my Bobbi Brown Desert Twilight polish (see previous post for review!)... the application wasn't as smooth as I would have liked, due to my nail bed being chipped and uneven. I have heard great things about nail oils, and would love to try this one by Sally Hansen, to give my nails extra strength and shine.



Bobbi Brown Desert Twilight Eye Palette - £48



Yes, more of the BBDT luvin. If money was no object for me, I would buy this palette right now!! I love ladylike make-up... you know ultra sophisticated, glamorous colours... dusty pinks with that hint of sparkle. Grown up glitter glamour... not cheap and tacky or too in your face, just the right balance. Everything about this palette I am in love with, even though I will probably never be lucky enough to own it! The case is metallic and looks almost like it's made of precious metal, with gorgeous colours inside ranging from your bases, to your daytime shimmery tones... right up to evening glamour. I'm afraid I will have to make do with the Desert Twilight nail polish at a more pleasing £6 off ebay for now (not that I mind!)



The Body Shop Satsuma Body Polish - £9






If you haven't tried The Body Shop's ultimately AMAZING showergels, you are missing one hell of a treat. The smells are so rich and divine, they truely lift my spirits and sometimes make the whole house smell nice. I am also a massive fan of body scrubs... they are brilliant for exfoliating the skin, and have a multitude of benefits and uses. As the Satsuma showergel is one of my favourite varieties, I have always wanted to try the body scrub too.




Expect a longer list sometime in the near future.... I just can't help myself!

Pale and Proud

Before I start my Pale Skin Make-Up channel properly, I thought I would discuss pale skin in terms of it's history and perception throughout time. In terms of my own history, I am of Irish Decent, therefore have natural very pale skin. Throughout school and my life, I have never been satisfied with the range of pale make-up that is available for fairer tones which is one of the reasons I decided to start this project. As I have delved deeper into products for pale skin, I have also discovered a rather disconcerting undertone to my research.

It really saddened me recently, when I typed in hashtags related to fair/pale skin into twitter, to research potential followers who may be interested in my project. The language and overall tone of 95% of the tweets were to put it simply, vile and offensive. The tweets contained everything from suggesting pale skin was "creepy not sexy" (written by a make-up artist I might add!), to pale skin being "disgusting". One user even wrote "Pale Skin" after a  "ThingsIhate" trending tag.

We are all entitled to our own opinions of course, but it really does make me question why pale skin has gained such apparent distaste, at least in the world of social media. Controversially, why is it seemingly acceptable to say such abhorrent things about pale skin tones, when it is most definitely not and could even lead to prosecution, if you were to comment similar things on darker skin tones?

The to and fro from pale skin loving and hating, has been going on throughout time, as howtogetpaleskin.com writes:

"Pale skin has been seen as desirable for centuries now. Historically it was perceived as a sign of prestige and evidence of a luxurious lifestyle.

Historically, pale skin became a trend as it was a symbol of status. Only workers or laborers spent long hours outdoors in the sun, therefore if you had the privilege of an indoor lifestyle you often had a paler complexion than your working counterparts."

Basically what this excerpt is saying, is that in past era's, it was actually seen as upper class to be pale, because it meant you did not work outside in a hard labourous occupation. My how times have changed!

I have experimented with fake tan about 3 times in my life. There was a time at university when being located in the North East of England, I began to feel self conscious when surrounded by so many fake tanned people (if you don't know what I am on about, go watch Geordie Shore!). Not only did it leave me with streaky arms, but it really made me think. Why am I doing this to myself? To feel better about wearing my shorts? To fit in with everyone else?

You can judge the result for yourself here:

 

Here I am at an end of year event stood next to a friend of mine from college. Some of you may argue I look so much better with a bit of colour in me. Maybe I do.... but it's just not me, I didn't feel like me and I certainly didn't look like me. I felt exactly what I was... someone trying to blend in with what everyone else was doing. This may sound a little over dramatic, but it felt almost like I was betraying my own skin tone and heritage for that matter.

The argument I am trying to raise is not that I believe fake tan is betraying your own skin tone, before you ask. I realise life is too short to make those sorts of generalisations about everyone. I also understand that a tan makes people feel confident, happier and like they have just been on holiday which is perhaps why it is so popular, aside from shows like TOWIE and Geordie shore.
My point, is simply this; I am pale, of Irish decent. I am happy with my natural skin tone and know there are also millions others like me. I don't understand why I have to spend hours trawling the internet for specialist companies and brands that do foundations pale enough for me, because make-up companies (high street ones especially) feel there isn't the need to stock my kind of shade in their stores.

There is some light at the end of the tunnel, in the form of Dainty Doll Cosmetics, which was set up by Girls Aloud member Nicola Roberts. In the following video, which is worth a watch, as she describes the range and why she decided to bring out a line specifically for the fairer skinned.

However as much as I applaud Nicola (and I really do) , I see Dainty Doll as a starting block rather than a solution to the whole problem. I do not think it is acceptable that just one person has come forward to bring out an exclusively pale range of foundations.... when there are endless cosmetics companies out there already, that should be investing more into catering for all spectrums of their consumers skin tones.

We have become a world whereby fake tan, hair, teeth, eyelashes, boobs etc, is seen as beautiful and desirable, over being totally natural and true to "how God made you". As much as I also believe in "Each to their own", and seriously don't wish to judge the choices of others (yes really), I just wish the same could be given back to me, and to others who want to embrace their pale skin, not cover it.

It makes me sad that young teenagers, are becoming increasingly self conscious about being pale, especially when it comes to going back to school and college after the holidays, whereby most students have probably been on holiday and have caught a tan. I myself had all sorts of weird comments directed at me in school, such as "Errrrrr. *long stare* What race are you?!" Daft really, but I know for sure I got off lightly as the fake tan phenomenon was yet to explode when I was at school, as it was long before the days of TOWIE. 

As well as making cosmetics companies wake up and smell the... non-tinted-without-a-hint-of-self-tan-moisturiser, and start stocking paler shades... I just want to make pale skin acceptable again. Yes, it's an almighty big dream... but me writing this blog and filming my channel has to be a step in the right direction, right?!

I am going to conclude this blog with images of high profile people who I think represent pale skin just brilliantly in the following shots:

Dita Von Teese

Adele

         Daniel Radcliffe

Nicola Roberts (founder of Dainty Doll)

Keira Knightly

Anette Olzen

Tom Sturridge

 

Jacqueline Jossa

Bobbi Brown Desert Twilight

I often keep a keen eye on the beauty section on the Selfridges website. Of course, it's more of a dream like shop for me as there's no way I'd be able to afford half the stuff on there... but well, a girl can dream. A couple of weeks back I came across the limited edition "Desert Twilight" collection from Bobbi Brown. The eye palettes looked absolutely sumptuous, but so did the nail polishes too. The shade I really took a liking too, was the one named "Twilight" which is a rich browny/purpley/metallic/shimmery kind of tone.

I noticed that this shade quickly vanished from the online store in Selfridges, and although it can still be purchased from other selected retailers... if it's run out in Selfridges then it isn't going to be around for long! So, imagine my delight when I found one bottle of this on ebay, and ended up winning it for £6! At £11 plus p&p anywhere else, it had at first seemed a little steep... so I was amazed to get it so cheap, brand new and still boxed.

I tried this polish on last night, with a collection 2000 base coat as the previous polish I had on my nails had made them a little dry and beat up. This was the first time I have tried a high-end polish and I really did notice a difference in application.. it went on really thick and distributed well, needing just one coat.

The interesting thing about this polish, is it can seem a different colour and finish, depending on what light you are in. In the picture, the colour seems a little flat and more muted than it does in the bottle. But, put it under any light and you get a much more chocolately shade come through, with a subtle hint of sophisticated glitter.

All in all, I really am glad I bought this nail polish as I don't have any colours similar to this in the 20 odd polishes I own. It would be a total 5 stars if it shined a little more in normal light, but you can't have everything! I definitely recommend looking up the Desert Twilight Collection... before it all sells out!