BIRTHDAY BITS

Here's a few snappity snaps from Saturday night - turns out turning 25 IS pretty awesome after all!

Taxi bants

Prosecco'd oot wur nuts

More bants 

Jenna and Nads subtly leaning out the way... NAHT!

Jimmy Choo! Fave perfume EVER!

I found a Spoon!

And a MINDTWIN!

Someone asked me on Facebook about my makeup and in particular the highlighter I was using, and actually, looking back at these pics I AM looking very GLOWY aren't I? I have to say, I do love me a bit of shimmer, although maybe I did go a tad overboard... Anyway, here's what I used in case anyone gives a tiny rats ass...

FACE

Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation - I've mentioned this before and it has now firmly become my new favourite 'going out' base. Blends like a dream with a medium to full coverage and hint of shimmer. Once set it stays put anaw. I opted for this instead of anything too mattifying since I'd decided that glowy and dewy was my makeup THEME for Sat night. Did I really just say that?

Accessorize blush in Sensation - A very pretty coral pink with a considerable amount of finely-milled shimmer. I often use this alone as a highlighter as you really have to sweep on a few layers to build up the colour, but on Saturday I used this primarily as a blush. FYI, these are widely considered dupes for the MAC mineralized blushers, and I've had this for months and months and barely made a dent. Worth the money. 

MAC Mineralized Skin Finish in Soft & Gentle - I'd neglected this baby for a while in favour of a more subtle highlight effect from the Accessorize blush alone, but on Saturday I really wanted to go all out. This gives a gorgeous flesh-toned highlight to the tops of cheekbones and brow bone, but it is definirely not subtle. I think I've said before it can verge on being slightly GLITTERY which isn't a look I'd like to channel since I stopped going to underage discos at my local rugby club THANK YOU VERY MUCH... But on a night out, if shimmer/glow is your thing you can't beat this for impact. A little goes a long way.

EYES

 MAC Woodwinked and Sable eyeshadows - Ahhh, now we come to my makeup Achillies Heel. To be honest I have no idea if these two eyeshadows are even "supposed" to be paired together given that tonally they are quite different (Sable - brown - left, Woodwinked - gold - right) but whatevs, I love them both so slapped em both on, somewhat haphazardly it has to be said. Woodwinked all over and into the inner corner and sable on the outside and in the crease. Again, these are both Frost finishes which means they are uber shimmery and I think it just about worked... Once I applied ten coats of liquid eyeliner and mascara that is.

LIPS

MAC Cut a Caper lipstick - my favourite lipstick, MAYBE EVER! A warm-toned coral, lustre finish which feels smooth and moisturising, that can be worn both sheer or more intense. I believe this was released as a limited edition shade in 2010 but has been released again with MAC's new Heavenly Creatures collection, which btw, is pretty freaking fantastic! It doesn't wear all that long but I kinda love applying and reapplying lipstick (weird) so it doesn't bother me, though it does mean I'm going through it at some rate. Must pick up another ASAP.

Topshop Lip Glaze in Laid Back - on the fence about this to be honest. It's very thick and gloopy, and the wand hardly takes out any product meaning you have to keep poking it back in again and again which makes this really gross THWACKING, sucking sound which kinda bokes me out. Also, it smells strongly like caramel which is more than a little overpowering, but I do like the colour and it stays on a long time. Hmm...

BODY



St Tropez self tan bronzing mousse - that's right peeps, I fake-tanned for the first time THIS WHOLE YEAR! The dress I was wearing was strappy and had a low back, plus I wore it without tights so quite honestly there was no way I was getting that much flesh out without some kind of tan to help mask my wobbly bits (ooh err!). The St Tropez mousse has never once let me down - the tan is green-based instead of orange-based so the result is a brown, olive tan and not that horrible shade of Oompa Loompa you see kicking about. It's easy to use for even a novice like me, develops over night and doesn't stink the house out. I know there are cheaper alternatives to this, but frankly I've had my fair share of tan disasters and just wanted something I could trust.

MAC Strobe Cream - While I don't like putting creams and lotions on my face after I've set my makeup, I still find Strobe Cream the best cream-based highlighter out there and I often use it on my chest and shoulders if I'm getting them out (fur the ladz). The effect is subtle in real life but it gets picked up particularly nicely in photos. I slapped this all over my chest, boobage, shoulders, collarbones and a wee bit on my back too and it just kind of blurred my skin a little and made me look like I was a pillar of glowing health instead of just recovering from a monster cold.

Soap and Glory glow lotion - I've never used this before but on Saturday my pal Marie came to mine first to get ready and I noticed her slathering this stuff all over her legs. It was promptly bumped and I'm definitely heading out to get my own bottle as soon as possible. Just a really lovely shimmering body lotion that smells of that delicious S&G scent and leaves a gorgeous shiny glow to yer pins.

So, aye, thats how I looked all sparkly and that on my birthday. Thanks to y'all who came out, bought me drinks, presents, onion rings, put up with my extreme drunkenness, and made me a mixtape and a collage of lusty lotharios entitled "Kirsty's Dirty Dreamboats." Hilare! Brillo night troops.