Love is like a butterfly

I have had today and yesterday off work so this is my weekend as my weekend was spent working.  As a result, I haven't been blogging quite as much as I would like to but in another few weeks, I'll be much more free!

I feel like I'm missing out on all the Autumn posts I've been reading on everyone's blogs so I thought I would post these photographs I took two days ago. 
A rare burst of sunshine in this September week, I saw butterflies everywhere! The orange colour is just the colour I hope to see more leaves turn in the next few weeks.
Do they come out of their cocoons this time of year?  When I got home, the plants outside my house were filled with these butterflies, I've only seen so many butterflies together on holiday where lots of little white butterflies would congregate by the lavender bushes for the day.

Fly butterfly fly!

Cameo Apperance

Tiffany's new collection Cameo Rings

It would appear that cameos are something of a growing trend at the minute (not that they ever left my heart!)

I spotted them adorning bags and headbands in A-Wear, on the wallpaper of a new bar and then I heard Tiffanys were doing a collection of cameo rings that are just beautiful.

A 'cameo' really refers to any engraving or carving, usually in a piece of jewellery. They have been around in many forms forever becoming popular in the Victorian era.  However, they were popluar in jewellery during the 70s as well.. a claim supported by my Mum!
 For my sister's wedding last year, we found a vintage cameo brooch to add to her bouquet of lace and roses and I also have a lovely ring which is a vintage cameo in a new silver setting, a Christmas present last year.

My Mum then found an old cameo necklace for me (also a brooch) that someone had bought her in Rome in the early 70s.  It is sadly broken but still feels very stable and I tried it on for size the other day.. what do you think?

I also found this new, handmade brooch in a charity shop last week for £3.  Not really a cameo but I love it, I'm thinking of styling it right at the top of a white collared shirt perhaps? And it looks great on cardigans..

If you can't find anything around your house, though I think you would be surprised, I suggest the Frock Around the Clock Vintage Fair on 26th of this month in Belfast.  I have picked up affordable bits of vintage costume jewellery here and then you too can pin to sweaters and headbands to your heart's content! I keep spotting little cameo trinkets everywhere I look now.

Illamasqua Precision Ink in Alchemy

I've really wanted a look at MAC's Fabulous Felines collection and decided that I would be happy to part with my pennies for the Superslick Liquid Eyeliner in Pure Show (opaque sparkly gold!)

It has gotten great reviews online and I don't own anything like it so off to the town I went to find that my MAC counter (Debenhams, Belfast) had not received all of the collection and would not be!  Of course, Pure Show happened to be one of the products missing but on my way out, I visited the Illamasqua stand and found out about their new Precision Ink in Alchemy .... parfait!

Having read a bit online,this is basically the same product as the MAC and I'm loving it.  I kept drawing  it on the back of my hand to admire the shimmer!  It's waterproof and even though very glittery/shimmery, it is opaque and the brush is good and stiff so easy enought to apply.  Not cheap at £16.50, but I think it's great quality and will be fun for Autumn/Winter.  

Perhaps I could be uber dramatic and do black shadow all over the lid and then a flick of this..inverting my usual eye look if you will!

Here is a picture of me wearing it last night on my lower lash line, it was kinda difficult to not get it all in my lashes..how do you put liquid liner down there?! But I liked the effect..the rest of the eye makeup was roughly inspired by MakeupGeeks tutorial of the fabulous felines collection..basically a silvery grey eye with a tiny bit of a bronze colour blended in the crease.  I really loved it for Alchemy's first outing!

NYX products! First makeup swap

I just did my first ever makeup swap on MUA with user 'jaquiqui' and had such a positive experience.  We basically went shopping for each other!  She lives in San Fransisco and was able to get me all the NYX products I have wanted to try and I was able to pick up Barry M and Sleek Cosmetics for her.

Look, even the box had pink tape on!  It was like Christmas when it arrived.  She included this handwritten thank you note which I just adore.. Barbie gone all french-chic and grown up!

I received a mountain of extras such as Covergirl lash blast mascara, burts bees lipbalm, hardcandy twice baked eyeshadow and an Annabelle smudge liner...Reviews and FOTD to follow but I can already tell you I'm loving Maybelline Full n' Soft mascara and NYX blusher in peach.  I've been using them non-stop.  Can't wait to play with all my shadows and the six...SIX...NYX round lipsticks I got!

Thank you so much Jacqui, your generosity blew me away!

Welcome to the world!

Sorry for the unplanned blogging hiatus. I have lots of pretty posts to share with you this week, so bear with me.

I have been busy welcoming my new nephew to the world, he is a week old tomorrow and the new man in my life!  It is for him that nappy cakes were made on this blog a few months back!