I heart Glitterworld

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

I have just spent over an hour writing a post and uploading a zillion pictures of a a few bits I picked up last week but as I was writing it, I was finding it more and more laborious. I promised myself when I started this blog that I would only ever write for the joy of it, and so that post was quickly sent to drafts and I decided to talk about something much more fun.

This week has been another good one and I couldn't be more grateful- mostly to you fabulous Sprinklerinos!

♥ My lovely chum Zoe came to stay. We laughed our socks off, mooched round cute shops in a local village, ate our weight in pizza hut and put the world to rights. Once she was home, she wrote a really unexpected and beautiful post and I felt really rather emotional. I shan't go on because I don't want to sound like Mrs Feelings, but it really did mean a lot.

♥ Baby Glitter has been an absolute joy this week. She's always my little treasure, but this week she seems to have been more brilliant than usual. My friend Charly and I had some retail therapy today and Baby Glitter was sooo well behaved. She cooed and giggled and clapped like a pro. OOhhhhh I could just squish her to bits...but I won't...that would be frowned upon somewhat.

♥ Whilst shopping today I picked up 2 more Topshop lipsticks- yay! More on those to come.

♥ It's the IMATS tomorrow!! I cannae wait!! Matt is dropping me off and collecting me so I'll enjoy chitchatting to him in the car and then he and Baby Glitter will be spending the day together with a friend in London. I absolutely loved the IMATS last year and this year will be even better because I won't be 8 months pregnant and waddling- hooray. If you see me, come over and say, 'Howdy Doody' please :)

♥ Best, best, best thing about this week- I won 'Highly Commended' in the Marie Claire Beauty Blog of the Year Awards. I literally could not believe it. Really, I couldn't. It has just been a huge boost to me to know that so many of you voted and makes me love GlitterWorld a trillion times more that I already did, which was A LOT! I could gabble on and on about how grateful I am but you're eyes would get very tired indeed. Just, thank you. I heart you. Yes, you.

What good things have happened for you this week?

Toodlepip!

xx

spring/spring/spring

One: Dress: Joie. Jacket: Gap (old). Shoes: Pour La Victorie (old). Belt: Jcrew. Hat: H&M. Sunglasses: Karen Walker. Bag: Celine. Flower Pins: Ban.do c/o, H&M. Necklace: Max&Chloe. Jewelry: David Yurman, Michael Kors, Jcrew, Gap, BR.

Two: Skirt: ASOS. Shoes: Pour La Victorie. Top: Old Navy. Purse: Coach Willis c/o. Sunglasses: Karen Walker. Necklace: Moon & Lola c/o (buy here & here). Jewelry: David Yurman, Michael Kors, Jcrew, Gap, BR.

Three: Shoes: Vera Wang. Playsuit: ASOS. Purse: Celine. Sunglasses: Karen Walker. Jewelry: David Yurman, Michael Kors, Jcrew, Gap, BR, The Ropes.

All photography by the talented Bess Friday. Visit her site here and blog here.

red pop

Skirt: Zara (old). Sequin sweater: Jcrew. Jacket: Gap (old). Pumps: Zara (old). Turtleneck: Unknown. Bag: Celine. Sunglasses: Karen Walker. Gloves: Jcrew. Jewelry: David Yurman, Jcrew, BR, GAP, Michele, YSL. Nails: Essie 'Lollipop'.

sweet & simple

Dress: ASOS (similar here). Jacket: Zara (old). Shoes: Jcrew. Sunglasses: Karen Walker. Pin: Vintage. Purse: Celine. Jewelry: David Yurman, Michael Kors, Coach, Gap, BR, Jcrew.

Mrs MakeOver

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

My Auntie Jackie is a gem. She does about sixty million jobs, as well as being a wife, mother, stepmother and all round good egg.

Her latest project has been setting up a teashop and it has been a lot more successful than she had thought it would be. Obviously this is a brilliant problem to have, but it's led to a lot of hard work, time away from life's little luxuries and a lorra lorra scone baking.

Last week, whilst she had a window of free time, Baby Glitter and I went over with a humungous box of beauty products and restored her former glamour.

Naturally, I took my camera and snapped away and thought I would share the fun with you lovely Sprinklerinos. Mwahaha, Jackie will be just thrilled at the thought of her 'before' pictures being out there- tehe.

Oh me oh my, just looking at all that makeup gives me palpitations. Nice and normal then.

Isn't she a beaut?

Of course beauty is only skin deep, but when you are run ragged and have a much desired makeover, it really can make you feel great on the inside too.

I've actually been toying for a long while with the idea of taking a course in makeup artistry or something of that nature, do you think I should go for it? Eep!

Toodlepip!

xx

Quick News

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

Just a quickie to let you know that I am now taking bookings for February advertising slots.

If you have a blog or handmade business (it must be handmade) and would like to showcase it (with a 200px wide ad and a linked feature in my monthly Amazing Advertisers post) on Sprinkle of Glitter, please do drop me an email at louise.pentland@hotmail.co.uk. Please ensure you include a link to your blog/site as I like to ensure I advertise things of a suitable genre.

I have had fantastic response from the January ladies and lots of repeat booking so slots are filling up fast.

I usually just tweet to let you know but I struggle to get anything into a 140 character phrase, let alone all this! Haha!

Please email before midnight tomorrow to ensure a 1st of February start.

Toodlepip!

xx

Lou's Reviews :: Illasmasqua Beguile Pure Pigment

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

It's not often that I will review something both on my YouTube Channel and on my Blog, but once in a while, a product so fantasmic comes along and I feel compelled to share it from ever available platform.

If you watched this video (embedded below) then you will know how beautiful Illamasqua's pure pigment in 'Beguile' is.

At first glance, this little wonder looks like a nice whitey highlighter. However, after swatching or holding it up to different lights, you will see flecks of finely milled mint green and babydoll pink lightly dotted around. Seeing as my favourite colours are mint and pink, this is a HUGE thumbs up on my behalf.

At £15.50 for 1.3g of product Beguile is certainly a luxury item for your makeup bag, but definitely worth it. I've worn it a lot over the last fortnight and can say hand on heart that it's perfect. It blends marvellously, is incredibly versatile and has a long durability time.

Here's how I have been wearing it:

♥ Applied over the black of a smokey eye using a damp small eyeshadow brush.

♥ Over my bare eyelid, patted on with my ring finger and then smudging black kohl eyeliner up into it a little. This is by far my favourite look because it looks a little bit like sparkly water and a little bit smokey/mysterious. Oooohh. Also, you can really go wild on the eyeliner smudgery and make your eyes the feature, or you can just do a little liner and a little Beguile and then make your lips the feature.

♥ Applied with a wet eyeliner brush as, you guessed it, an eyeliner. I like this but I prefer it as a shadow because you can see the sparkles more easily.

♥ Dotted onto clear lipgloss with my finger. I like this look but am wary that I may look a little '12-year-old-at-the-disco' with it. I'll get back to you on that one.

Basically, it has become my go-to special product. You know how you have your regular go-to items (foundation, mascara etc) and also your special go-to items (that you know will give you that bit of edge)? Well this is my special one. I loves it.

As you can image with glitter, it was a tricky little so and so to photograph but here are some snaps, taken in different lights, that will hopefully give you a glimpse of it's loveliness (if not, I apologise, my photography skills are fairly rudimentary):

I must say, I'm not massively proud of these pictures. I think I need to invest in a desk/little table by a window and a tripod, because I really want to be able to give you excellent quality. I think that'll be my next big splurge...after the IMATS....and a Baby Glitter's Birthday Party....and having my hall decorated...the list goes on.

In summary, I heart beguile a crazy lot. I suggest you pop yourself on the waiting list and get some in your life. Also, whilst you're perusing, check out Static pure pigment too. Milly from Pearls and Poodles did a fantastic review of it with far superior photos than mine and if her descriptions ("If you could capture fairy dust...") don't make you dash out to your nearest store, I don't know what will.

Are you as in love as I am? Would you part with £15.50 for glitter?

Toodlepip!

xx