favourites: lipstick;

A little known fact about me is that I am an avid lipstick collector.  I have dozens of lipsticks in my collection of all colours and brands.  I can't so much as walk past a make-up stand without picking up a tube or two... or four.  However, this does not mean that I am much of a lipstick wearer.  I rarely wear lipstick, or anything on my lips at all!  In fact, there's several lipsticks in my collection that have never even been used!  I do almost always carry one around with me though, just in case, and when I do wear lipstick I tend to stick to the same few every time.  In no particular order, here are my favourite and most worn lipsticks:

(1)  Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush:  These chubby-stick lip stains have become infamous in the blogging community since their release, this colour in particular.  Crush is a deep plum colour that is quite sheer and glossy.  Perfect vampy lip colour for beginners.  

(2)  MAC lipstick in Up The Amp:  As I mentioned in my December haul post, I had been lusting after this shade for months before I finally picked it up, and I was not disappointed.  It's an Amplified Creme finish, meaning it's really creamy and moisturising, and this blue-toned lilac is the prettiest, most wearable purple I've ever seen.

(3)  MAC lipstick in Please Me:  This is the first MAC lipstick I ever bought, and it is still a firm favourite of mine.  It's one of the lesser-known "your lips but better" shades, it seems, but the matte finish and slight coral tone really won me over!

(4)  Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate in 107:  I feel that everyone and their mother owns this lipstick, and rightly so.  The Kate Moss matte collection has one of the nicest matte formulas I've ever used (I'm a matte finish junkie), and this berry red shade is perfect for spicing up these cold Irish "summer" days.

(5)  Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate in 16:  Can you tell I adore the Kate Moss lipsticks?  This summery colour is more on the pink side of coral, and I've been reaching for this one quite a lot in the last week.  It's a bit creamier and glossier than a matte finish, meaning it doesn't dry your lips out so much, and the packaging is just gorgeous!

(6)  Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Cotton Candy:  The Revlon Lip Butters, much like the lip stains, have been hugely hyped, and I completely agree.  Cotton Candy is a sheer, glossy, barbie-pink with a gold sparkle and sheen.  It's really moisturising, and is great for giving a quick wash of colour.

Have you tried any of these lipsticks?  What are your favourites?  Thanks for reading!

facebook: like like like;

SHONA LOU XO is now on Facebook!  I'll be using the Facebook page to update with news, new blog posts, and any other bits and pieces you might need to know.  This is a big step in my journey as a blogger, and I would really appreciate if you all could take a second to like and share and tell all your friends!

You can find the page here: https://www.facebook.com/shonalouxo

Thank you so much, and I hope to see you all there!

tag: versatile blogger award;

I've been nominated by Vicky @ Perfect, I'm Yours and Jess @ JustSayJess for the Versatile Blogger Award!  The Versatile Blogger Award originated, and continues, as a way for members of the diverse blogging community to support each other.  Needless to say, I'm delighted to be nominated at all, let alone twice!

Rules;
(1)  Firstly, thank and include link back to the person who  nominated you.
(2)  Post 7 facts about yourself.
(3)  Nominate 15 of your favourite blogs for the award.
(4)  Be sure to let them know they've been nominated, and link them back to the rules.




7 facts;
(1)  Apple Macintosh Programming at 9am on April 26th 2013 was my last ever lecture as a college student.  Although I still have some assignments and exams to finish, I am finished classes forever.  During the break I took from this blog, I had seriously considering dropping out due to the stress I was under, but I'm glad I stuck it out now that the end (and my honours degree) are in sight!
(2)  Twinning's Earl Grey.  One sugar.  Drop of milk.  Thanks.
(3)  I love anything and everything peach.  The smell, the flavour, the colour... Mmm.
(4)  I'm not able to curl my hair with a curling tongs, only with a straightener.  I really don't understand it!
(5)  My favourite Pokémon of all time is Raichu.
(6)  I love taking really long showers.  It takes me twenty minutes just to wash my hair!
(7)  I am embarrassingly addicted to Candy Crush Saga.  I know.

Tagged bloggers;
appletoothpaste
loraloves
therawrdrobe
kimberley-xxx
samanthadewinter
charlotte-lauren
perfectimyours
melissagallagher91
oliviaroses
justdoingkatie
lifeinlipstick
josielcross
catherinemurphy2808
coleoftheballl33
daydreamkatie

Thank you for nominating me, and hopefully that helped you all to learn a bit more about me!  Thanks for reading!

review: nyx jumbo eye pencils;

(left to right)

Rocky Mountain Green:  Emerald green with a silver shimmer.

Peacock:  Blue/green with a silver shimmer.

Oyster:  Pink/lilac iridescent.

Sparkle Nude:  Light gold with silver shimmer.

Yogurt:  Champagne pink.

Rust: Reddish shimmery cranberry.

French Fries:  Medium golden brown.

Black Bean:  Matte black.

Milk:  Matte white.

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils are oversized pencils that can be used as eyeshadow crayons, eyeshadow bases, or as eyeliner.  They are a must-have in the beauty world, and I have finally invested in some of my own. I bought them online from Cherry Culture (psst, they're currently on sale at less than €3 each!), initially only intending to buy Milk, and for once I am delighted with the result of my impulsive spending.

With the exception of Oyster, which has more of a sheer/duochrome finish, they are all intensely pigmented with great colour payoff.  Although NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils don't have a great reputation when it comes to their staying power, I was really pleasantly surprised with how long the swatches lasted on my arm, even with my sleeves rubbing on them.  However, if you are wearing them alone, I would recommend setting them with a powder to stop them from creasing, particularly if you have oily skin.  They're available in a range of 32(!!) gorgeous colours and they have a shade to suit every look and occasion. 

As for downsides, I have heard that these can be a nightmare to sharpen without NYX's own sharpener, so it's best to depot them, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it!

Overall:  For that price, these are an absolute steal, and I have every intention of purchasing more.  They're versatile, and so so pretty!
Rating: 8/10

Have you tried any of the Jumbo Eye Pencils?  What colours are your favourites?  Thanks for reading!

photos by shona #2;

As some of you may know from this post, I'm currently studying a digital photography module at college.  In my first photography post, the module has just begun and I was only getting the hang of actually using my camera.  Since then, I feel like my skills as a photographer (albeit still an amateur at this point) have greatly improved, which is really exciting to me.  I've had an interest in photography with so long, so simply understanding what settings to use to get a photo to look the way I want feels like a huge achievement!  Like I've finally accomplished something I've always wanted to do. It really is a good feeling.

Over the past few weeks in classes, we've covered a number of topics/themes including college architecture (I chose parallel lines as my topic, if you hadn't guessed), parkour and free running (which was really cool and lots of fun), and working with flash and studio lighting (I'm sorry, Kate!), and my photography portfolio is coming along quite nicely!

As I mentioned in the last post, if any of you have any tips or ideas on how I could improve my photo-taking, be sure to leave a comment!  I just wanted to give you all a quick update on my progress, so thanks for reading!

introducing: clothingloves.net;

Hello, lovelies!

I'm excited to introduce you to my newest affiliate, ClothingLoves.net.  I was contacted by the ClothingLoves team to take part in their collaboration program, which I was delighted to accept!  ClothingLoves is an online clothing and accessory store, with the difference of offering the option to order wholesale.  They have a huge selection of clothes and accessories to chose from, from wholesale dresses and wholesale necklaces, to the oh-so popular galaxy leggings, and even bridal gowns!  (Personally, I have my eye on a few of these white shirts for summer)  ClothingLoves ship worldwide with no minimum purchase, and you get a 15% off coupon code just for signing up!  You can't go wrong!




The lovely people at ClothingLoves have been kind enough to offer me some pieces of jewellery, and I can't wait to receive my first package from them and to write a proper review.

Please make sure to check them out, and thanks for reading!

march in photos & update/apology;

lots of lashes // winged liner all day erryday // blue & brown smokey eye // snow & sun in the same photo?

bought the Glinda palette!! // mmm peach ice tea // sleepy bailey // raichu wallpaper

panda eyes // lost a ball from my septum // amber's half/half hairdo // sleepy max

purple and gold fotd // me and kate in Shortt's // demon cat alarm clock // shameless selfie

Hi everyone!  I realise that today marks one month since I last posted.  I've been up to my eyeballs in college assignments and work (fourth year is proving more difficult than I bargained for), so unfortunately this blog has had to take the proverbial backseat.  And I'm sorry to say that this will most likely remain the case for the next couple of weeks, until my exams and presentations are over.  I'm sorry!  I hope you all understand, and I promise that everything will be back to normal before June begins.  Thank you so much for staying with me!