That’s great! White chocolate and craisin sounds amazing - I’ll have to make those! Thanks! X

NOSE: Fame by Lady Gaga

I think I’ve been anticipating this perfume for about two years now, and have been putting off buying new perfume in the run-up to its release because I knew I’d have to have it. I didn’t even know it was out in the UK until it was given to me as a gift, so the surprise was even greater when I received it. The bottle is very Mugler in appearance and the tactile quality of the egg-shaped bottle is so satisfying. So smooth and cold and weighty; it fits perfectly in the hand and I am strangely compelled to put it in my mouth.

That’s kind of where my enthusiasm runs dry, I’m afraid to say. When Lady Gaga initially said she was designing a fragrance that smelled of “blood and semen”, I knew not to expect anything half as outré. But I did expect animalic musk, masculine notes such as leather and tobacco, maybe something metallic or acrid. I expected something like La Roue De La Fortune by D&G with its stubborn benzoin and slightly rancid patchouli, or something sharp and spiky like BANG! by Marc Jacobs, with a more feminine edge. Unfortunately, it’s the blandest, most generic perfume I have smelled in ages, and I would have dismissed it immediately if I’d sampled it blind. Honestly, if someone told me it was the new Juicy perfume, or released under the name of a reality-tv contestant, I’d have believed them.

As a synesthete, I find it easier to describe the perfume as pink and doughy, the complete opposite to the dark, angular advertising campaign. The notes I can detect are apricot, honey and incense. The Belladonna and tiger orchid are completely lost on me. As far as I can tell, it’s a fruity-floral with a sweet and powdery drydown. It is pleasant, but such a disappointment when a polarising love-it-or-hate-it Marmite was promised. 

A couple of dismayed reviewers have pointed out that expectations should never have been so high, as, after all, it is a celebrity perfume. I disagree: celebrity perfumes can and have been done very well. Kate Moss’ first perfume is one I have bought every October since 2007 as it’s a warm rosy scent that’s perfect for winter. Reb’l Fleur by Rihanna is another excellent perfume; a creamy, coconutty chypre. 

I don’t want to be down on Gaga, as she is pretty curvy right now and Mary Jane Holland is her worst creation (after this perfume), but I am so frustrated. “Sexy, slutty and dangerous” is how she described Fame in a televised interview last week. If only!

Born to be wild,

Hetty

MOUTH: Roast Beetroot Soup.

I’m utterly in love with beetroot right now. It’s just so refreshing and flavourful however it’s prepared. It’s pretty filling too, so in a bid to conquer the dangerous curves I have developed over the past five months of summer holiday, I made some satisfying roast beetroot soup. 

I roasted 500g of beetroot with a red onion, some balsamic vinegar and olive oil, sea salt and thyme. Once tender (about 40 minutes in a low oven), I simmered everything in 700ml of vegetable stock for 20 minutes or so before blending into a fortifying, jewel-coloured soup.

Born to be wild,

Hetty

FACE: Favourite blushers.

(L-R)

LOOK Beauty Make Me Blush Shade 1 “Flirt” I was initially attracted to the packaging of this blusher; it’s sturdy and has a good-sized mirror. It’s the colour that has elevated it to favourite status though. It’s the closest I’ve found to my all-time favourite and now-discontinued MyFace Holiday. It’s a very bold reddish coral with just a hint of sparkle and doesn’t require much building to get a nice flush. I apply this with a large Estée Lauder blusher brush, with long soft bristles. I think you need quite a fluffy brush when using such a pigmented blusher so there are no hard edges when you apply it. 

GOSH Natural Touch Cream Blusher in 001 Peachy Rush This is a true coral crème and produces a dewy, natural glow if your skin is well-moisturised. I tend not to wear a primer on my cheeks before applying my foundation if I’m going to be wearing this, as it tends to sink into any areas of dryness making me look a little bit uneven and chalky. When my skin is right for it though, it’s such a lovely, comfortable product to wear. 

Sleek Blush in Rose Gold 926 This is the flatter-all holy grail of affordable blushers. I was put off buying this (or its more famous, more expensive twin) for ages because I hate that glittery-faced look. When I finally swatched it on my arm I couldn’t believe how finely-milled and blendable the shimmer particles are. It’s an automatic bringer of light and vitality. I wear it alone, on the apples of my cheeks, on my forehead, on my nose and temples, or layer it over another blusher to contour.

(not) Born this way,

Hetty

Oui. Merci!

EYES: Daily pixel candy.

Bombshells, neon signs, trees, Gaga-Lana-Amy-Marina, handsome young men,  ♡ m i n n i e ♡ m o u s e ♡, horses, maquillage, maps.

Born to be wild,

Hetty

NOTD: Barbie neon.

I’ve lately been favouring more muted nail colours that tie in with the burgundy jeans and lace-y cream blouse I have been wearing to death, but the last-gasp Indian summer called for something more frivolous and joyful.

The Look Beauty range is one of the reasons I have been frequenting Superdrug a lot more of late (along with the Gosh counter and Sleek range). This pink is from Look’s “Nail Pop” range and is the most saturated neon pink I’ve come across since Bloom’s Molly. It has an almost jelly-like consistency and dries semi-matte, which is unavoidable with a neon. I used a Sally Hansen Hard As Nails top coat as I think they dry glassy and stay that way for a good couple of days. I think the colour deserves to stand alone and unadulterated, but I added some ring-finger sparkles with No7’s Ltd Ed Glitter Top Coat in Silver.

No7 Ltd Ed Glitter top coat in Silver and Look Beauty Nail Pop in NEON Shade 19:

Born to be wild,

Hetty

INSPIRATION: Hair ennui and “SUN”

The last time I went to the hairdresser, I ended up in tears. It was undignified and childish, but despite their eye-rolling and tutting, the girls re-did my colour and promised my next visit would be free. I’ve been too scared to go back; after years of subtle ombré highlights and tumbling princess locks, they gave me bleached yellow fluff. How could they get it so wrong? The trust is gone. So, when I awoke this morning sick to death of my hair, I took matters (and the kitchen scissors) into my own hands. I stood in front of the mirror for an age, contemplating the pros and cons of a thick, eyelash-skimming fringe. Eventually, I went for it, and twelve hours later, I have no regrets. 

I haven’t listened to the new Cat Power album yet and its been out for almost 48 hours. I wanted to wait until I had time to dedicate to the experience, with no demanding toddlers distractions. Apparently it’s ridiculously good, and her GQ headline is such a treat: No One Cat Should Have All That Power. How good is that? I’m off to spend a little time with a cup of tea, Sun, and my original fringe-idol.

Sources: 1, 2, 3

Born to be wild,

Hetty

HOME: Bringing the cold in.

INSPIRATION: A desk of one’s own.

My desk is tiny and lives in the darkest corner of my flat, under the sloping ceiling - the joys of living in a Victorian terrace. It’s jammed into the only corner it would fit, which has its advantages: there is no view to be distracted by, and being physically confined makes me feel strangely centred. Conveniently, its glass top doubles as a lightbox for those occasions I’m forced to draw because my degree depends on it or whatever. Sometimes, I fantasise about what it would be like to not have to keep my printer in a cupboard. What if one day I want to buy a Newton’s Cradle?!

My dream desk would have a built in lightbox, a view, and room for both my elbows.

Sources: 1, 2, 3

Born to be wild,

Hetty