I Love You, I Love You Not.......

Today? A moan.

I don't like to do it, I prefer to use sarcasm really. But I, unfortunately, can not muster enough sarcasm to joke about a subject so close to my heart.

That's right. Nail polish.

As you know, I took full advantage of the No7 £5 vouchers on offer recently *shakes fists at their irresistible marketing strategy*. I've been impressed by the lipsticks, and it's a shame I've overlooked this brand in the past because Wild Volume in Forever Cherry is definitely worth a repurchase.

HOWEVER.

When you go to the No7 counter, you can't help but marvel at the nail polish display. There's a rainbow of colours and for me, it was like, totes hard to decide which one i wanted.

Which is why I've ended up with 6. Ooooops. Colour-wise, it's a LOVE FEST between them and I.

I've got Devil's Delight (great autumn red), Temptress (the perfect winter colour to complement pale skin), Foxglove, Totally Teal (I was totally lusting after this for like, a year), Cheeky Chops (very Betty Draper) and MY FAVOURITE colour- Poolside Blue (look at me nails, hello).

Quality-wise....I ain't happy. If you pay full price for these, it's a spend of 7 quid. At full price, my collection would have set me back £42. Fair enough, you might think, for quality polish and great colours.

Personally, I don't think it's fair enough for polish that has more chips than a chocolate cookie.

Yesterday, I slicked on my Poolside Blue, started preparing dinner (after a good wait, obvs). I had to touch it up after 15 minutes!!!!

I know it's the highstreet and I'm not paying premium money so I can't expect premium results blah blah blah. But Barry M is £2.99 and I am so much more impressed with the quality.

You shouldn't be expected to pay £7 for a polish that chips like this does. I would pay £7 so that I don't have to worry. So that I can slick it on and know it's one less thing I have to worry about. This stuff is like a child, it needs constant attention.

As it is, I paid £2 a pop for these, and for that, I'm happy. But in all honesty, I wouldn't say it was a bargain because these are just not worth what No7 are asking for them. Generally, other products I've tried from this brand are worthy of their price tags and (if only I had the cash) I'd be happy to fork out for them.

But something's got to give here; better quality or lower price........or just keep giving me £5 vouchers. And then, like an honest, moral human being, I will shut my trap and just keep buying....

Poolside Blue on my digits last night. Touch ups x 3.

The Closest I'll Ever Come to Being Kelly Rowland

The X Factor. Girlllll put it dowwwwwn.

*tumbleweed...awkward cough* ...excuse me. I am not cool enough to pull of the Kelly Rowland. But what i HAVE been lusting over is her ability to pull off a colour pop lip. Did anyone see the matt red on Saturday night? I went out to dinner after the show but my mind kept wandering....how, HOW would I ever be able to do 'The Kelly'??? All my reds have too much of a sheen....sure there's the Sleek Pout, but even that looks too heavy duty.

Turns out I had the anwer RIGHT THERE in my over-flowing  make up box and I didn't even realise!

To achieve this look,  don't use a lipstick.....just go in your underwear (not literally your underwear, I mean your lipstick underwear)....use your lip liner.

I've had this for a while now, so I'm cursing myself for not using it sooner. Fool, normalface, fool!

Barry M Lip Liner in Red....

At first when I put it on I thought...this might be a mistake. You have to be really careful with a strong colour like this, it has to be applied pretty evenly and precisely or you look like a bit of a fool (been there, done that. *Said in Kelly voice* Heyll, girlfriend ain't goin' back THERE again.)

So anywat, lip liner applied and looking matt just the way I wanted. Bravo to me. Then I take a casual trip to Tesco, and I get stopped by a glamourous older lady in the car park. Conversation as follows:

Her: Excuse me, can you help me?

Me: *Thinking if her cat is stuck up a tree I am NOT climbing* Errr....yes?

Her: *Sighing* I have been everywhere today- Debenhams, John Lewis, looking for a matt red lip that doesn't get on your teeth, that stays on, that's old fashioned....I just want what I used to have when I was in my twenties, you know?

Me: Yes. I totally know.

Her: I can not find it anywhere. None of the expensive brands. Nothing. But You....You my dear, are wearing the exact thing I want. Where did you get it from?

Me: *Pointing to lips which are still looking good despite a Costa medium skinny latte* This?! It's Barry M Lip Liner.

Her: *Looking confused- this is clearly a woman of PREMIUM glamour* Barry M?! I've never heard of it!

Me: It's in Boots or Superdrug. It's like £4.

Her: *Looking gobsmacked* £4?! Is that it?

Me: *Wishing I had the kind of money where £4 could just be pissed on, too* Yes, £4.

Her: Thank you my dear! *Starts off with trolley somewhere...I assume Tesco.*

I didn't ask- but I bet she too, had been inspired to do 'The Kelly'.

So me and my mouth are pretty proud of ourselves today. Which is odd because usually we're runnin' ourselves in to trouble.

I have this in Pink too and I'l definitely be investing in some other colours from the range. Generally Barry M lipstick can be a little too matt to work with, but these liners are great and an absolute STEAL! (Not literally steal....it's not cool to be chased by an ageing security guard who is probably a mate of your dad's, kid...)

I know, this is an awful picture, so go and buy the product and see it on a face that isn't currently a dot-to-dot of acne.

ON THE NEWS FRONT- AND REASONS TO BE PROUD OF OURSELVES- Me and my mouth have a new job! We're proper journalists now :) That's right, I'm working on a great daily paper and I can not WAIT to get to work. I'll be moving as well *excited/ very nervous quiver* so I shall be posting you updates on how the style of my new town fares....I hope there are Kelly lovers there, too.

Still My Favourite Number

Okay so I have totally been sucked in to the demon cycle that is the Boots No 7 £5 vouchers. You get one, you think 'oooh, just a lipstick...'.

You take said lipstick to the till.

Congrats, your purchase qualifies you for ANOTHER voucher.

You put voucher in your bag. Before walking past the No 7 counter on your way out...

except you never make it.

Because you end up buying the other shade you wanted but couldn't get because you only had one voucher and you had to make a choice.

So you take THAT to the till. Congrats, your purchase qualifies you for another voucher.

Hands up if you've recently found yourself spending the day in your local store?!

ANYWAY, this is not to moan, because I just wanted to say if you DO get yourself a voucher (and all make up is 3 for 2 in there right now....damn them. DAMN THEM.) then the lipsticks really are worth some consideration.

At first, I was a bit 'meh.' But then, a while back, I got the Wild Volume lipstick in Forever Cherry. I hadn't really worn it until today when I thought I'd give it a proper whirl. I applied it once. ONCE, gals.

And then I went about my day. I was chatting, working, having a trip to Costa (which obviously involved drinking AND eating).

And so it was with massive surprise when I looked in the mirror literally almost four hours later to find it was still intact!

Without the voucher, I do consider £10 to be quite a big purchase when you can get a MAC for only a few squid more. This is also my thought on the fact these babies only contain 3g of product.
But then I guess with hold like this, it's going to last for ages. Probably longer than my love for lipstick. JOKES. They can never break this bond! We're the modern day Romeo and Juilet.

I also have Sheer Temptation in Showy. Very sheer bright pink. Love it.

And Stay Perfect in Tangerine Dream. I WAS tempted by the bright coral of Gay Geranium, but then I worried I might look a little, well...Gay Geranium.

At least this one has the word 'dream' in it, so I can at least pretend to myself I look lovely and not like some washed out old prune.

The three together. 'The Triplets', if you will.