#Cheeky by Cowshed Nail Polish - Moss-behaving

Newest work freebies included these adorable Cheeky polishes from Cowshed in the cutest names...

I mean, Moss-behaving. How cute is that? :)

xxx

LA DOLCE VITA

#snippetsofgeishalife

Patty & bun to go, Nike rollerskating disco

Veuve Cliquot cellar visit & tasting, La Relais de Entrecote steak

Magazine indulgence, Beef Pho in Paris' Chinatown

Charlie May in the London Metro, Bone Daddies Ramen

Nachos at The Terrace in Wimbledon, personal style icon Margot Tenenbaum

Outfit of the weekend (...every weekend) ft. Dorothy Perkins & Dr Martens

I'm obsessed with this daisy print vintage dress I found in a thrift store down Crouch End way and unconsciously pick it out of my huge stash of clothes to wear every weekend. I'm currently suffering from an attack of shingles (flaring up of childhood chickenpox virus, brought on by too much stress) and this is the snuggly outfit I've been living in on the rare occasions I venture into the outside world.

The aubergine parka is my new favourite thing in life.

Dotty P parka, Vintage dress, Topshop cardigan (old), Dr Martens heeled Darla boots, Dotty P flat ankle boots, Primark black handbag.

Guy Fawkes Bonfire Night - The 40th Oxford Scout Group

#babyyoureafirework

The cutest bonfire night arranged by a group of dedicated scout volunteers, including Mr GR who is a local scout leader. Hot dogs, burgers, toasted marshmallows, hot chocolate and mulled wine helped keep the chills away on a blustery night. I love traditional, locally organised events like this, it means so much more than a huge corporate fireworks event.

PLUS, the fireworks were 100000 x more epic than normal because I was sitting around 30m away.

Happy 5th November!

  

London Fashion Week 2013 (#LFW2013) PART 3: BLOGGER LOVE

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As I tweeted about on the day - I think I was more excited to meet some of my favourite bloggers on a chilly  September evening wandering around Somerset House than I was to actually attend the Mark Fast show!

Star-struck by Scott of The Sartorialist

Mesmerised by Zoe of The London Lipgloss' awesome blue hair

Fangirling Lily of LLYMLRS

It is the best experience ever to meet the creators of the blogs I read in real life - they are always super lovely and humble and willing to take as many bloggery pictures together as you want! Scott was so polite and funny - he joked about my hat blocking my pop up flash when I was snapping away at him. Zoe was so bubbly and friendly and her hair looks even more awesome in real life.

I was SO excited to meet Lily whose blog I take the biggest inspiration from (fashion, beauty, lifestyle)  - I check it every day and had read her latest post the same morning I met her! I absolutely love her style and she was such a sweetheart, asking for my blog card and joking about her amazing braided hairdo (courtsey of Toni & Guy).

It was truly lovely to meet you all!

Bloggers are such a contrast to some of the people I have met at LFW. I remember talking to a peacocking fashion somebody sitting with me on the front row who loudly declared "oh my gawdd don't you just hate how all these BLOGGERS think they can attend shows and sit on the front row when they don't even maaatter!". Little did she know, she was speaking to a blogger sitting on the front row! ;) #irony

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I hope you enjoyed this little peek into my #LFW2013 experience... Roll on February 2014!

Love,

Geisha

xx

London Fashion Week 2013 (#LFW2013) PART 2: Mark Fast S/S14 catwalk show

Mark Fast S/S14, what a cool show - The hair was grungy and punky and the lips were all a glossy petrol black and it all felt very Erin Wasson crossed with a goth Andy Warhol, kicked in the side with a shot of trance, dance, angst and acid.

Mark Fast is well known for making knitwear look totally rad (dude) & modern and he didn't disappoint with his 90s inspired collection for S/S14. Feather accents, intricate woven detail and everything from matching separates to full length showstoppers were all grounded by a grey & fluoro highlighter yellow colour theme throughout.

I'd love to see Kristen Stewart in this whole collection - it is definitely her vibe!

The makeup was created by bareminerals (I know, what?!) whose International Make-up Artist Sarah-Jane Froom said: 'The inspiration was Marilyn Manson, both gothic and punky. 'The skin is dewy and fresh with a light, bright eye.' The lips were created using a greeny purple glossy tint.

The hair was created by TIGI and celebrated the spirit of youth, someone who has been out partying all night and is ready to go all over again. Nick Irwin, TIGI Global Creative Director said that "The Mark Fast look pays homage to true Goths. The girl is strong, powerful, and confident with hair that's effortless and lived. Each jet-black synthetic wig has been razored and shaped uniquely to suit the models face.  The gothic-muse has been partying out all night, everything about her shouts anti-structural and anti-clean!"

Thank you to Richard for the ticket. It was the bomb-diggity.

Any favourite shows from LFW?

Love,

Geisha

London Fashion Week 2013 (#LFW2013) PART 1: Somerset House

A few London Fashion Week snapshots to get this series of 3 posts going, these are from the area around the Somerset House showroom. I felt super lucky to have snagged a ticket to a show (more in the next post) but I actually enjoy just hanging around Somerset House and snapping away whilst the fashion circus goes on all around me. It's always such a buzz and there is ALWAYS someone interesting to look at.

I absolutely love the last picture of the girl with that patterned coat and mini veil - there were plenty of peacocks around but she was very low key and I might have just walked by her if I hadn't noticed the sprinkling of polka dots.

If you're ever in London during LFW, try and get in on the action and hang around Somerset House to get a peek into that hallowed fashion cave.

See ya'll soon - Show update to come!

Love,

Geisha

xoxo

Summer Products Refresh! ft. NARS Laguna, Barry M Gelly Nails & Maybelline Cream Shadows

 

The sunshine seems to finally be peeking out from behind the winter blanket it has been hiding behind and I'm taking the opportunity to shake up my make up bag! I'll do another post on my favourite makeup bases & foundations (they need a whole post to themselves!) so for the moment its other miscellaneous summer themed goodies.

Nars Luster Blush
I ordered this from ASOS and cannot wait for it to arrive! The Nars website describes it as a "Juicy Apricot" and I think it'll be the perfect upgrade to the berry flushes and pinks that I've been sporting through the cold months.

NARS Laguna Bronzer
Took advantage of the ASOS discount to order this cult favourite which I've never tried! I love a bit of bronzer for warming up the face and adding a bit of shape. Hopefully this doesn't disappoint!

Maybelline Color Show Nails in Urban Turquoise
A gorgeous turquoise shade that is bound to get you in the weekend mood. Lasts well on the nails too.

Maybeline Color Tattoo in On and On Bronze
An easy cream eyeshadow seems appropriate for the summer months and this Bronze shade is so easy, either by itself as a lid colour or as a base to build up a gorgeous shimmery smokey eye.

Maybeline Color Tattoo in Eternal Gold
Another cream shadow that's great as a lid colour for everyday use.

Barry M Gelly Nails in Blueberry
These polishes have been all over the blogosphere and I love this pastel blue colour. Use the Maybelline Urban Turquoise on your toes and this colour on your hands?

MUA Kiss Proof Stain in Fabulicious
Super easy, fuss-free and long lasting, adding a pop of colour to the face. What more do you want?

Anatomicals Eye Cream You Scream
Not strictly a make up item but this light gel cream is so soothing for tired peepers both morning and evening. It blends easily with facial moisturiser to ensure that under-eye concealer goes on smoothly.

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What products have been refreshing your make up bag recently?

Love,

Geisha

xoxo

Afternoon Tea at Le Pain Quotidien, Chiswick High Street

 
 
A quick foodie update of scones, hot chocolate and sugar, sugar, sugar!

If you're passing by Le Pain Quotidien, you MUST try their Winter special,  
Sicilian Orange and Dark Chocolate Tart. 

Life-changing.

I Got Them Nails Like Grover ft. MUA Fur Effect & Maybelline Color Show Polish

 

These MUA furry nails are so easy to do - I did half of mine in Wagamama's waiting for my food and the other hand in a pub with a Rum and Coke. Strokeable and a whole lot of fun. Just remember to hold them under the hand dryer for a while after you wash your hands :)

I used Maybelline Color Show Nail 120 Urban Turquoise and MUA Fur Effect Nail Polish BooBoo Fluff.

Love,
Geisha
xoxo

REVIEW: B. Makeup & Skincare (Exclusively at Superdrug) ft. Micellar Water

B. is for Beautiful

B. (B. is for Beautiful) is the newest Make-up and Skincare launch to hit the market and I was super excited to see a whole new range of goodies available for perusal by beauty addicts like myself! There's nothing like the feeling of swatching away happily in store and coming home with a bunch of new goodies to try out :) Wouldn't you agree?

The range is exclusively stocked by Superdrug and features everything from eyeshadow to foundation to gel eyeliner to serums to wrinkle fillers! It seems to be the Superdrug answer to Boots No.7 range but I personally like it even better. The colours seem more wearable, the foundations and formulas are carefully thought out and the packaging is slimline, subtlely branded and neutral.

As much as I would have liked to buy the entire range, just to try it out, I had to limit myself to match my budget! I decided to buy a range of products that came together as a whole "look" and I went for the naked, glowing skin, bronzy eyes, a peachy highlight and a wintry flush to the cheeks.

Scroll down for detailed reviews and images - I chose all the products carefully in store by swatching and testing for textures and payoff and I was really impressed by them all, especially at such an affordable price point - Yay!

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Here's what I decided on:

• B. Pure Micellar Water
• B. Set Sheer Finish Pressed Powder in Light 019
• B. Glowing Shimmer Block in Just Peachy 161 
• B. Cheeky Blusher in Rosy Brown 096
• B. Complete Eyeshadow Palette in Glisten 132
• B. Naked Light Hydrating Foundation in Beige 030
• B. Smokey Soft Blendable Kohl Eyeliners in Emerald 103, Grey 141 & Plum 009

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REVIEWS
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B. Pure Micellar Water

Gentle and quick on the toughest of makeup - I'm so glad to have found an affordable British version of Bioderma! 

MAKE-UP

B. Set Sheer Finish Pressed Powder in Light 019

Light, not too powdery (don't you hate it when you touch powders with your brush and dust flies everywhere!) and leaves a natural finish to the skin. Not much more to say but it's a really decent powder. I'm also finding that the MASSIVE mirror,which fills the whole lid, is perfect for on-the-go touch ups!

B. Glowing Shimmer Block in Just Peachy 161

Quite shimmery and frosty, definitely one to use with a light hand! I can see these shimmer bricks being perfect for both cheekbones or as eyeshadows. They definitely remind me of the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks and I'm loving this one for a winter glow on the cheeks at the moment. Shimmer isn't just for summer! In fact, I prefer it in Winter when you can keep the rest of your makeup matte.

B. Cheeky Blusher in Rosy Brown 096

Love this little pot of joy!!! I chose the darkest colour available out of the collection but it's still super wearable. Unlike the sheer pressed powder (above), this is a smooth, almost creamy, easy to pick up on the brush kinda powder. Fortunately, it's also quite sheerly pigmented (no nasty surprises with stripes of blusher on the cheek) and imparts the skin with the most perfect of winter flushes. The pot is a bit small (I want more!) but I absolutely love this blusher!

B. Complete Eyeshadow Palette in Glisten 132

Smooth and buttery in texture, these shadows are super easy to use - no chalky hard textures here! The pale matte is great for an all-over lid colour and the three shimmery bronze shades are individually gorgeous and great together too.

The bright copper looks almost orange on me and makes a great statement eye with the dark brown smudged along the lashline and finished off with lashings of mascara. The lighter, more neutral brown shade is one of the prettiest shades I've seen in a while and I can't wait to use it for an everyday eye with a slick of liner.

B. Naked Light Hydrating Foundation in Beige 030

The Pièce de résistance - I always judge a cosmetics line by it's foundation. None of this "Don't judge a book by it's cover" rubbish - I reckon that the way to tell the real quality of a cosmetics line is to see how much they've invested into their most basic products - the bases.

Did the B. Naked Light Hydrating Foundation pass my stringent foundation tests? I'm glad to say that it did!

It's a lovely light sheer foundation which applies great over moisturised skin. It has a light-medium coverage and a weird hybrid matte-sheer-natural finish. It's definitely not dewy but the skin still looks plump and fresh after application.

The colour Beige 030 is the 3rd darkest out of the line up and suits my fairly light complexion (somewhere around a MAC NW25/NC25). I'd say that the colours span quite a wide colour range but there aren't that many colours! Does that make sense? In other words, the darkest colour is quite dark (around NC/W40-50) and the lightest is very light (around NC/W5-10) but you don't have a myriad of shades in between - only 5 shades in total.

I'll be using this as my weekend foundation when I don't want the more dewy finish of my MAC Face & Body (still a great sheer foundation, especially for winter).

B. Smokey Soft Blendable Kohl Eyeliners in Emerald 103, Grey 141 and Plum 009

I have a TON of eyeliners so I wasn't expecting to be blown away by B.'s offering, I mean how groundbreaking can eyeliners be? However, I was pleasantly surprised by these B. Smokey liners.

They have lovely, workable soft textures that smudge easily with the built-in smudger (I do love a good built-in smudger) and the most subtley beautiful colours.

The emerald green is a glimmering peacocky showstopper, the plum is a beautiful and interesting accent as a liner and the grey is the most beautiful grey liner I have ever used! 

I know that "beautiful grey" bit sounds ridiculous but there is such a big difference between a BLAH grey eyeliner and a OOOH one (which is this one). It's a really flattering and perfect grey, not too black, not too charcoal, no brown or dirty undertones and just great for a smokey eye look. All you need is one eyeliner! Or add a bit of eyeshadow in for interest - e.g. I've used this with Fig. 1 from MAC, a matte purple and the effect was smokey gorgeousness.

(pictured from top to bottom: Emerald, Grey, Plum)

Last but not least... Animal friendly

A little known fact about all Superdrug own brand products (or at least I didn't know about this!) is that they are 100% BUAV approved. In other words, they are approved by Cruelty Free International as being completely animal friendly. No animal testing for these guys - just look for the bunny symbol on their products for reassurance. This means they are suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

The only other brand who can claim that they are this animal friendly are The Body Shop! Personally, I think it is a lovely little extra bonus that I can buy these products knowing that they are made cruelty free.

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Will you be trying out any B. products? Have you done so already? I've been so impressed by Superdrug's overhaul of their Beauty sections in loads of shops - I could browse in there for hours!

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Love,
Geisha
xoxo