10 Reasons why the LimeCrime Velvetines might just be the best Lipstick Ever

In my humble opinion...

1) It comes in a cute shiny box with a Unicorn for a mascot, enough said.
2) It suits literally everybody, whether it's their Suedeberry shade or my personal fave Red Velvet, it's a winner for all!
3) Come rain or shine, it stays put all day long.
4) You can eat a huge burger without getting it on your cheek, chin, nose and/or eye.
5) It's wine friendly, that is you can drink to your hearts content without that awkward moment when you realise you've had lipstick on the bridge of your nose for the whole night and can't figure out how it got there. (This happens ALOT)
6) It's sweat proof, smudge proof, shower proof and last but not least kiss proof.
7)You could, if you chose to, run a marathon with it on. You wouldn't feel too great afterwards but your lips would look amazing!
8) It has a sexy name which has its own title, that's right (puts on sexy voice)...tonight I'm wearing 'the Velvetine'
9) You wake up with a hangover, lipstick still in place, suddenly life's not so bad after all
10) It's revolutionary, and it's not a MAC lipstick. Watch out guys LimeCrime are coming, Vegan and Cruelty free... Hope to see new shades very soon!

Love

Ruby Who

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Body Painting Project; A Living Canvas

I was a little skeptical about this project, body art isn't something I've done a lot at and it's not something I would confess to being good at! But I like a challenge so I was quite excited to see how it would turn out. I chose to base my work on a painting by Alina Grinpauka, who works predominantly with digital art and illustration. Though, I was absolutely inspired by her painting work and so I just went with it...

The idea of the project was to create a piece of body art that resembled a painting, in effect 'A Living Canvas.' And so with this in mind, I painted a back drop that would help to blend my model in. Every part of the model had to be painted; nostrils, ears, hair, everything! I do remember feeling quite disappointed that it wasn't possible to paint over someones eyeballs...but hey you have to draw a line at some point! And so here's the finished image.

 I regret not having had a professional image taken of a higher resolution (this was taken on my iPhone) but unfortunately the resources were not available at the time! Still, I do feel it works quite well on camera. My model was totally freaked out as she thought she looked like a cartoon character, though I do agree, it was rather freaky!

Oh and this image won me some lovely new Crown Brushes from their Make Up Monday competition so I can't not love it now!!

Love

Ruby Who

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Marilyn Monroe 1950's Hair and Make-Up Tutorial

When I think of 1950's hair and make-up and what defines that era, I am predominantly thinking of Marilyn Monroe's iconic look.  Yes, she was definitely a natural beauty, but her look was defined by more than that. It was the make-up trickery and techniques that her make-up artist, Allan 'Whitey' Snyder spent an age refining. In a sense, it wasn't accidental beauty, every element of her face was worked on and enhanced in some shape or form. I was so excited to re-create this Marilyn look, using her own reported techniques for a look that appears so simple at first glance but actually it's like a complex science, where everything must be in perfect balance. So here's a few tips and guidelines on creating this iconic look...

Firstly, the shape of the eye that Marilyn liked to create was a very elongated almond shaped eye which looked almost sleepy, so make sure you drag the shadow and the liner further than the corner of the eye to create that illusion. In terms of shadow, run a natural brown colour through the socket to add definition and an off white base on the lid. The eyeliner flick was not overly thick like Audrey Hepburn's, just a small flick to enhance the illusion of that sleepy eye.Make sure your brows are well groomed and angular is the key here!

A really cool trick I learned about Marilyn's eye makeup, was that she used to run a brown shadow or pencil underneath her bottom lashes which extended out diagonally to create a fake shadow. You may be able to recognise this on photos, it appears that her lashes are so full and long that they cast a shadow underneath. This did look a bit strange when I first applied, but once you apply a set of false lashes, and snap a photo you will be surprised how effective this is! 

For the lips I went ombre with a dark cherry lip liner and then taking a brighter red (Ruby Woo or Russian Red from MAC will do the trick) and applying that all over, blending in to the liner. Then pat some white shadow powder right in the centre of the lips, this might also seem a bit odd but once you take a photo it will be become clear. This illuminates the fullest part of lips, giving them a more full, plumped up appearance. 

Marilyn was quite a fan of the contour and highlight- define the cheekbones, the jawline and also shade the sides of the nose. Marilyn was reportedly quite conscious of her nose and actually had a nose job but Whitey made sure to contour and slim it down all the same. 

Don't forget to add the iconic beauty spot and heated rollers are definitely your best friend here!

I took most of these photos on my iPhone which I wouldn't usually recommend but I really love that soft focus kind of effect that you can get with it and I think it just adds to the authenticity of this iconic 50's look.

Photography by Kirsty Brown http://www.facebook.com/kirstybphotography

 Love 

Ruby Who

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Avante Garde Hair and Make-Up Shoot, The Secret Garden

So as much as I love that feeling of completion when a project comes together exactly how you had been imagining,  I can't help but feel slightly at a loss when faced with the void that it leaves. So precisely after finishing my Sea Shell hat, I got that feeling that I can only imagine is like the feeling a parent has when their child flies the nest. So I'd say that's a mixture of joy... 'YES!! they're finally gone my work is done here, I'm off down the pub to consume my body weight in wine!!' (my nearest and dearest can verify this behaviour no doubt)... coupled with a hint of dismay, what should I do now to occupy my time productively??

The only answer to this predicament is to channel your creative energy into a new project, and for me that was a new Avante Garde Hair project; an opportunity to creative something wildly over the top and unnecessary- yippee!

So I took my inspiration for this project from The Secret Garden; a fantastical, enchanted woodland with a mystical and eerie charm which has a dreamlike state. I really wanted to show the paradox between a bleak and somewhat spooky landscape with the beauty of life and nature that my model and the birds brought to the picture.

As my first hair piece, I am really pleased with the outcome. There isn't a lot of guidance out there on how to create Avante Garde Hair, you pretty much just have to just let yourself go wild and see what happens. Incorporate absolutely anything into the design and take your inspiration from anywhere! That was precisely my problem with this project; the scope of what you can do left me feeling somewhat overwhelmed and wanting to implement every idea I had into one design. I had to remind myself of the theme and the look that I could visualize in my mind. Though, in true Becky Hanks style, I once again went over the top on the photographic styling and brought a birdcage along...as you do! Not everything on the shoot worked so you might need some vision for the bird cage photos which are to follow!! All in all though, I'm really happy with the photos (besides a couple of drunk birds looking like they might fall from their perch!) A big thank you to my Photographer George Burgess who captured the images, as well as this rather fetching one of me looking like a boy! Please remind me to make more of an effort on my personal appearance for future photo shoots :)

Love Ruby Who

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MAC Archie's Girls Collection Launch

 

I love this idea for MAC's newest collection which launched in stores yesterday, its got a really kitsch 50's feel to it and the packaging is just so charming- little red hearts and comic illustrations of either Betty or Veronica printed on each box. So naturally I took a wander down to the nearest MAC counter to see what it was all about. The eye pencils really caught my eye, available in 4 colours; Petrol Blue, Black Swan, Designer Purple and Lord it Up (Bronze/Brown) They are really creamy and all contain particles of glitter, everybody knows a girl loves glitter right! So these were a winner with me, I would say though that at £15.50 they are probably more of a collectable item and they won't last as long as standard MAC pencils; but what the hell we single girls should treat ourselves this Valentines to a gift from Archie! The blue smokey eye will be making its West End debut this weekend, perfect for a matinee showing of Thriller...

Love 

Ruby Who

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A Vow to perfect Brows- Illamasqua style!

Troubled with thin, sparse brows?? hmm me too. I look on in envy of those bushy browed beauties; Cara Delevingne and Megan Fox to name a few who are blessed with the beauty and the brows! Whilst miracle brow grow is still under development (fingers crossed!!) there are a few tricks which you can try to boost those brows...

Now, I've tried many different products in my quest for fuller looking brows from pencils to shadows and gels and it turns out there is a very thin line (excuse the pun) between looking natural and realistic, and to looking like you've accidentally fallen asleep and your friend has kindly taken a sharpie to your forehead. Thankfully this hasn't happened to me, though I am guilty of occasionally 'over pencil-ing' shall we say, only to notice my scary reflection from a shop window. Thankfully, Illamasqua came to my rescue last year with their revolutionary brow cakes and sealing gels. Their brow cakes come in a small compact which are great for keeping in your handbag, and are in a pressed powder form. You can use them as they are, applying as a powder with an angled brush, OR, and here's the best bit, mix a couple of drops of sealing gel to the cake and Voila, you have yourself some waterproof, smudge-proof, long lasting, HD brows! I absolutely love this product, its like none other I've tried and it's great that you can vary the intensity of the look with the sealing gel without it looking like you got over excited with the brow pencil. 

A great finishing touch, is to take Illamasqua's pencil in 'Vow,' a creamy off white colour and draw in a line underneath your brow, smudging out the edges. This really defines the line of your brows and also adds highlight to the brow bone.

3 cheers for Illamasqua's vow to perfect brows, yippee!!

Love

Ruby Who

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Modtastic! Peggy Moffitt at 72

With my own 60's hair and make-up shoot on the horizon, what better inspiration could one have than the series of photos featured in the new issue of Love magazine, its the iconic 60's model Peggy Moffitt at the ripe old age of 72! Photographed by Tim Walker, Peggy showcases her trademark mod style and dolly eyed make-up and proves that you dont have to have youth to have style. Infact, her pride in individuality is somewhat inspiring. Now some of you may be wondering "has Dot Cotton (aka June Brown) taken up a new role in the circus?" Well not exactly, but I do think the striking resemblance can only be a compliment, afterall June Brown knows how to rock a mod bowl hair cut!

This look might not be to everyone's taste but I do love to see this 60's look is still rocking today and I think it's great that Dot, ahem Peggy has stayed true to her style roots. You go girl!

Love

Ruby Who

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Sea Girl Body Art, Make-up and that Seashell Hat!

#bodyart #shells #sea #makeup

I finally did it, that Seashell hat that's been occupying my dreams and most of reality has just materialized before my eyes!...or I wish it was as easy as that, in fact it was many sleepy nights cooped up in my flat with paper mache on my face and glitter in my hair, oh the glamorous life I lead! Having to leave social happenings and passing on drinks with friends in order to tend to 'the hat'- yes I really was becoming concerned for my social dignity! But this was to be the focal point of my 'Under the Sea' body art, and so the headpiece was just the beginning...

200+ shells, 10 starfish, hundreds of beads, lashings of glitter and 3 pairs of handmade glitter eyelashes later, the sea girl is born! Complete with very own afro, as I can imagine a girl of the sea would not be complete without a huge mane of frizzy hair!

Modelled by Esther Luff and photographer George Burgess did a great job! Now I've completed this project I'm not sure where I should focus my creative energy... candy cane dress? Bird nest hat perhaps?! and my friends think I'm crazy pah! In the wise words of Miss Monroe that are scrawled on my bedroom wall, 

"It is better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring!" 

Love Ruby Who

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Easy 1950's Hair, Victory Rolls and all!



#50shair #victoryrolls #hairstyles #1950s #pompadour



These 1950's hairstyles are really easy to create and are great for you vintage lovelies who are looking for a style to complement your best floral frocks! I absolutely love the timeless nature of these styles and they are so effortlessy glamorous. The victory rolls and pompadour look both require you to curl the whole head of hair- I like to use a barrel tong and then secure into a pincurl with a clip as this allows the hair to cool and set into a more defined and longer lasting curl. After the curls have set you can brush through with a dressing out brush forming a lovel vintage wave. 

For the victory rolls, just separate a section of hair from either side of the parting (diagonal section from the back of the parting down to the ear.) Now, as the hair is already curled, it will be really easy to roll up in your fingers into a victory roll. They can sit lower down near the ear or right on top of the head it's up to you and then secure with a couple of grips, spritz of hair spray to smooth the fly-aways and you're done!

For the pompadour roll, you just need a hair sausage (available from Superdrug, Primark etc) Section of the front of the hair from ear to ear and roll the sausage from the ends of the hair, keeping it as tight as you can up to the scalp. Don't worry about getting the hair to cover the sausage completely when rolling as you can separate this more evenly once its secured in place with some grips. Try adding some hair ornamentation such as clipping in a large flower or tying a head scarf in a bow on the top of the head. Easy 50's fabulous hairstyles at your fingertips!

Love

Ruby Who

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MUA's Nail Constellations £3!! Snowy themed nails

Totally love MUA's nail constellations collection! Stuck inside with a crabby cold, sipping a hot soup...that's me! Was in dire need of a pick me up so what better way to cheer yourself up than with lashings of your fave nail polish, a winter themed nail art and a cuppa waiting for you once your work is complete!

For a change, I tried putting the nail beads on the tips only to look as though your nails have just been dipped in a pot sparkles! I used MUA's Pisces pot (only £3 from superdrug argh I know right!!) over the top of 2 coats of Rimmel's 60 second polish in 730 Silver Bullet. I sealed the ends with a clear topcoat.

Lovely wintery themed nails are definitely the best way to enjoy this snow!

Love

Ruby Who

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Easy 60's Beehive Hair Tutorial

For those of you who witnessed the ITV drama Mrs Biggs with Sheridan Smith, you may also be experiencing some serious decade envy...how rocking was the hair/make-up/fashion in the 60's?! Not only was I gripped with the story but also with the evolving fashions which go on the journey with it. So here's my take on the classic beehive 60's hairstyle and a step by step tutorial on how you can acheive this look.

So firstly, you need to set the whole of the front section of the head in heated rollers (rolling them on base and from ear to ear as opposed to front to back.) While the rollers are cooling, french twist the back section of the hair and pin it in place.

Once the rollers have cooled completely, remove and take the centre section of hair and depending on the thickness, either roll into a cone shape at the base, or for finer hair add a doughnut for volume as this will form the beginning of your beehive.

Then, taking small sections from each side carefully wrap around the cone shape that you formed (clockwise or anti-clockwise depending on where you need the volume) and securing each in place with a grip. Continue doing this until you have just the front sections remaining.

You can then either pin these in place or just put them behind the ears and tie a ribbon around the front (try and hide any grips of messy bits with this!)

And that's it, a very simple 60's updo!

Love

Ruby Who

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Creative Eye Make-Up- Animal Instincts

With the Lion King showing in Manchester at the moment and with such fabulous animalistic make up designs, I decided to experiment with some creative eye make-up. Using Illamasqua's eye liner cake, Mac shadows and a pair of falsies I set about creating a strong eye look. I love incorporating eyebrows into my make-up designs and think this look worked really well with a distinctive styled eyebrow. To obtain this feathered appearance I applied Mehron's Syn wax with a mascara wand, brushing the hairs upwards and fixing them in position. I then applied black mascara to add definition to the brow and finishing with a soft white pencil outline to add that contrasting element. Don't be afraid to go a bit wild with your animal instincts!

Love

Ruby Who

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Body Art with Fuller's Earth, Mud and Leaves!

I wanted to write a post about some body art I did a few months ago during the peak of Autumn, that beautiful time of year when the leaves and the trees are most enchanting. I really wanted to incorporate nature and embrace Autumn as my theme for a body art especially since I could get all the materials I needed for free! So when the leaves started to fall in golds, reds and yellows, I was out there with my black bin bag like a crazy lady, scouring the parks and communal gardens of Manchester city centre and battling with numerous hedges on my quest for the best leaves and branches...  

This project was a great opportunity to get a bit messy and also to incorporate a new medium that I hadn't worked with before; Fuller's Earth. This looks like wet mud when you apply it on the skin but as it dries it cracks and leaves a really interesting texture. To make the paste you just need to mix 1 part of the earth (in powder form) with 1 part flour and then add water to the desired consistency. I experimented with adding colours to the mud (golds and bronzes) and also underneath the mud so that the colours show through when it begins to crack. And then the most fun part; applying powder pigments and glitter to the design. Make sure you cover the surrounding walls and floor as this can get messy!

This was a really nice change to make-up as you can incorporate literally anything into the design that inspires you, be it flowers, fruit or nature and the best part is that everthing you need is available for practically nothing!

Love

Ruby Who

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Creative Lips; Experimenting with Sugar and Spice and all things nice!

A great rainy day activity (or snowy in this case!) Im secretly enjoying the sub zero temperatures and snowy weather we're having at the moment as it gives me an excuse to get creative with a new project. So I was flicking through the pages of 'The Great British Bake Off' book that I received for Christmas and felt the urge to bake something spectacular. An opportunity to use that edible glitter and those pink sugar crystals, brilliant! Though as I rummaged through the cake cupboard, I remembered that post christmas bulge that I've yet to shift. Feeling disappointed and slightly guilty about the lack of exercise I've been doing this month, I decided my creative juices were best used elsewhere. And then I remembered the beautiful photos from Karla Powell's Snow Queen of Sweets shoot. A brainwave- hallelujah! I can use that edible glitter after all. So I set about creating a series of lip art photos with anything and everthing that I could find in the cupboards; sugar, haribo sweets, food colouring paste and icing sugar! 

A great bit of fun for a Saturday afternoon and the best part is you can lick it off your lips when you're done without the guilt of devouring an entire cake!

(You can also get creative with your nails!!)

Love

Ruby Who

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The Velvetine Vs Ruby Woo...

Cue girly screams...the Limecrime Velvetine lipstick in Red Velvet arrived today! A great challenger to the all time favourite- Mac's Ruby Woo so let the battle of the matte red lipstick commence!

The velvetine is liquid on application which dries to this lovely matte, velvety texture and it's really easy to apply (alot like a lip gloss) unlike the Ruby Woo which is very much like drawing on your face with a crayon! Despite this, it has serious staying power and it is definately one of my make-up staple products, that is until something knocks it off the top spot, could it be the Limecrime Velvetine in Red Velvet?? I'm taking it out for a spin tonight to see how it fares...watch this space!

Love

RubyWho

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Mid Week Treat - Illamasqua Sale £5 Goodies!

Looking for a little mid week perk? This little goody bag arrived on my doorstep this evening full of Illamasqua treats and what's more... they were all a fiver each! That's right, for the same price as your Starbucks skinny latte and blueberry muffin you can indulge yourself with any of these little lovelies instead! Top of my shopping list were the Powder Eye Shadows which are so highly pigmented I couldn't pass up the chance to purchase 'Hype' a brilliant matte yellow which I've been eyeing for ages as well as matte colours 'Angst,' 'Burst' and 'Savage.' There are also lots of Pigments, Liners and even Lashes on sale for just £5, you gotta love a mid week bargain!

What's even more inviting is that there's an element of luxury to Illamasqua products which is carried throughout their branding and packaging. I absolutely love the fact that each item is individually named, bringing each product to life and it also rings true with their alter-ego ethos. I mean, where else can you buy Maneater, Sex and Scandal over the counter right?!

Shop the sale here> http://www.illamasqua.com/shop/products/sale/sale-5-00/

Love

Ruby Who

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Under the Sea Make-up Inspirations

I'm feeling very inspired for a new project today following a long awaited visit to Hobby Craft- my preferred residence! I'm thinking seashells, iridescent swirls of blue and ivory, shimmering pearls, pink powder pigments and not forgetting a touch of sparkle! Managed to pick up some lovely things today, can't wait to get creating! Particularly excited about the seashell head ware I'm currently designing... (too much?!)

Love

Ruby Who

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Glossy Box - Hello Detox!

I couldn't have been more grateful to receive this special delivery from Glossy Box this evening! Feeling a little sorry for myself after a night on the town and so this beautifully wrapped box cheered me up a treat. I've been avoiding the obligatory January detox so far, but with the snow and freezing temperatures this week i'm delighted to receive this Detox skin package.

I got straight in there with the products (currently writing this post with the Monu warming face mask on!) There's a brilliant lip balm from Jason called Lips Bee Healthier which smells amazing (like peppermint!) and contains Beeswax and Aloe Vera to prevent us getting dry and cracked lips and there's also a Facial Exfoliator from Elemis which is perfect for people with oily skin like myself or for those teens to mid 20's who experience breakouts and blocked pores. I will definately be trying out this product, if it promises to improve areas of congestion and refine pores then its a winner in my beauty book!

Love

Ruby Who

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Who's Ruby Who?

Let me introduce myself; I'm a 24 year old fashion graduate turned Make Up Artist with an unhealthy obsession for make-up and all things beauty related who goes by the name of Becky Hanks (not Ruby in case you're wondering, this blog is actually inspired by a certain fave shade of lipstick with a bit of a twist!) 
So my journey prior to starting this blog and the path that lead me to make-up has taken a fair few detours along the way! Graduating with a first class honours in Fashion Buying, i progressed naturally into Buying and Merchandising roles and found myself on the first rung of that illustrious career ladder. Though, after a tedious relationship with my office desk and having discovered that the Devil does indeed wear Prada, i decided that the 9-5 really wasn't for me. And so taking my big toe of that ladder, i took that tentative leap into the unknown!

So there i was at the crossroads, deciding which path to take next... My friends and family kept telling me,

"Do something that you really LOVE!"

The thing is, it was staring me in the face the whole time, literally! My creativity, imagination and my love for expressing myself through make-up had always played an important part in my life, i think it just got lost for while (most likely it was hiding under my desk or was just squashed by the weight of corporate responsibility!)But now it's back, and with every day its growing as i rediscover make-up as a means for self expression. It allows you to create your alter ego, your split personality, the eccentric you, the flirtatious you or even the coy. That's the beauty of make-up to me, it reflects your mood, your personality and it can even speak where words can't.

And so now we're up to speed. Here in the present, i'm a training Make Up artist whose learning and experiencing more every day and with this blog i'd like to share with you my progress, my latest projects, application tips and reviews and just generally my continuing love affair with make-up with all you like minded people (I know there are lots of you out there!) Finally i would like to take the opportunity to document my journey along this new pathway in life, hopefully i can inspire some of you to pursue your dreams as well!

Love

Ruby Who

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