RMK Autumn Mystique A/W 09

RMK has been a favourite makeup brand of mine for quite a while now, so I was very sad to see the counter close at House of Fraser in Dundrum last year. However (it must have been fate), as I wistfully read about the latest colour collection on their website recently, an email popped into my inbox informing me that UK-based hair and beauty retailers lookfantastic are now stocking the brand. Caught up in the moment of excitement, I immediately ordered a few products from the new Autumn Mystique collection (at present lookfantastic are stocking only a limited amount of products from the brand - I'm not sure if this will be expanded).

Here's what I got (you can click on the pictures to see larger versions):

Mystique Cheeks in 01 Pink Beige and Mystique Eyes in 02 Brown Beige:



Mystique Cheeks includes 5 shades, of which three are blush shades with good pigment and two are shimmery highlight shades. Blend all colours together to apply, or select individual shades (for which you'll need a precise brush, as this palette is fairly small). I generally wear this by blending all shades and adding some of the highlight shades separately as required. The shimmer, as is usually the case with RMK, is very fine and gives a lovely glowy effect. I like this a lot.

Mystique Eyes also includes 5 shades. The darkest shade at the top is a matte deep brown and the other 4 shades are all more sheer with shimmer. There is a useful mix of warmer and cooler shades in the shimmer finishes, which all combine well with the dark shade either as a base shade or to line.

Ingenious Gel Eyeliner in 02 Deep Blue and Ingenious Pencil Eyeliner in 02 Deep Grey:



I love, love, love the Gel Eyeliner. It is smooth, very pigmented and a gorgeous shade of very deep blue with a shimmery finish. The pot it comes in is plastic, making it easier to travel with than gel liners (such as Bobbi Brown's) which are packaged in glass jars. I also love that it comes with a very useful double-ended retractable applicator with a brush on one end and a sponge tip blender on the other. Perfect for application on the go.

I don't love the Pencil Eyeliner quite as much. Although the packaging is nice (this is an automatic pencil), with a sharpener at one end, the pencil itself is hard and doesn't blend easily on the eyelid. The shade is lovely when I test it on the back of my hand, but because I can't press as heavily when applying it to the eyelid, I don't get the same colour payoff. On the plus side, it does seem to last well.

I want this (pt. 1)

If the rather damp August didn't set me off early, then the very chilly mornings this week have definitely started me thinking of Autumn/Winter dressing. Just how cute would this French Connection Kitty Coat be with some dark skinnies and riding boots? I know this gorgeous cherry red shade would definitely cheer me up on an otherwise dark and dreary morning.

Normal service will resume shortly

My apologies for the lack of updates as my moments of inspiration seemed few and far between recently. Stay tuned for updates on NARS Sheer Glow and Sheer Matte foundations (courtesy of the wonder that was the 1st anniversary Fashion Bloggers' Brunch goodie bag), Armani's Manta Ray collection (or the best parts of it) and RMK's Autumn Mystique look.

The September Issue - 1 month, 1 day and counting

You know The Devil Wears Prada is going to pale into insignificance when this comes out... I AM SO EXCITED!!!

Camper A/W 09/10

I have become slightly obsessed with these lovely boots from Camper's new Autumn/Winter collection. In reality I'm not sure how well they'd suit all but the most gazelle-legged among us, but until I try them on and rule them out, I'll continue to dream.

Duvet days

On a day like today, when I look out the window and see rain, rain and more rain, there is nothing I'd like more than spending the day on the couch watching Gossip Girl DVDs, snuggled under my Blankie. The cosiest, comfiest and cutest mini-duvet you've ever seen, the Blankie comes in a variety of colour combos, though the Hot Chocolate number pictured above is my favourite.

Measuring 105x152cms, the Blankie is filled with a mix of down and feathers and comes packed in its own drawstring bag for convenience. Check the website above for a list of stockists, both online and offline.

Shades of grey: Burberry Prorsum A/W 09

As the concept of Summer seems somewhat faded and distant at present, my mind has turned to Autumn/Winter fashion. I have a shameful backlog of fashion magazines waiting on my coffee table to be read, but the catwalk supplements delivered with this month's new issues have jumped to the head of the queue. And so I have decided that in fantasy land I will be dressing exclusively in Burberry Prorsum this Autumn/Winter. Imagine how easy it would be to get dressed in the morning with these hanging in your wardrobe?















Images thanks to style.com