I've been to London (and absent again!)

Mmmm look at that pizza. I stayed with my friend Mandi from Thursday to Sunday in her flat in Hackney. It was my first time going down to London on my very own so I was quite excited. I must've visited London about 15 times but never ever alone. Inititally I met her at her day job (Pizza Express) and had free pizza and drinks until she finished her shift (bonus). She is studying Art Writing MA at Goldsmiths. I am jealous.

More make-up stuff follows.

I may have done a little bit of practice on Mandi for fun times (light smokey eyes and puuuuurple eyes).

The main reason I was there was to see Amanda Palmer... again. It was good. Tim Minchin was a surprise guest, and I love him nearly as much as AFP so it was pretty sweet. Also, she made her husband (the author Neil Gaiman) sing his song The Problem With Saints. Look! It was so cute. There was a dance party with a glittery-shiny theme. Super Kate is my new idol.

We went shopping the morning before the concert on and around Carnaby Street (so I could visit MAC Pro and the Illamasqua Beak St. store) and I saw Lady Sovereign pottering about. Sooooo funny. I also spent a fuckton on make-up... I wanted to - had planned to - get a couple of MAC brushes (I ended up with 224 and 217), and I also got brush cleanser, water based mixing medium and a chromaline in Marine Ultra. These things I had planned for. I avoided the new collections, so I'm a little bit proud.... but I had NOT planned to buy any Illamasqua stuff. When told they were doing make-overs at the Selfridges counter on Oxford Street the next day I knew I needed to go. (I also bought a couple of the leftover £5 sale items because I am a sucker for a man in drag. Oops).

The result of my make-over at the hands of Cardiff-based Illamasqua artist Charlotte Gabriella Savoury. The eyebrows! I love! I liked her so much I bought stuff I didn't intend to (two pencils, Atomic lipstick and Skin Base foundation).
One of the pencils, a bright blue named Debonair, I am regretting because I have Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Electric and a Kryolan gel liner that are really similar colours. I suppose Electric is shimmery and the gel liner is a bit of an inconvenience for brows as I have to use two brushes (to apply and to set with powder). But still. Ack. The other pencil is called Bait and is a bright matte pink. I love it because you can make an incredible purple when you mix them (as I did on Mandi above) and I can use them as lipliners. So maybe I just talked myself into it all over again!
 For the foundation I initially thought she had matched me too darkly, and also that shade 07 is a pink-toned when I am pretty sure I'm yellow toned. However, having tried it out at home, I think she was right. I would've bought shade 03 left to my own devices. You live and learn.

Sorry I didn't take any 'haul' photos but A) I am rubbish at them and B) All of it is tucked away in my Alex Ikea drawers so I can feel less guilty about it. To make matters worse I came home to a 50% off E.L.F box of goodies, and currently feel like an addict or possibly a hoarder and not in a good way. Anyway...

I plan on posting a very weird Adventure Time look later on today so please stay tuned.

Ruth x