Community

Unpopular Opinions Makeup Tag

/ Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 2 Comments

My lovely friend Heather from Just Geeking By tagged me in this a while ago but because my iPad has decided to put the keypad right in the middle of the screen so I can’t see what I’m typing!? So I have to use my laptop for blogging, (which I keep at home) on days I don’t have brain fog.

Popular Makeup Product You Don’t Like

Brow kits. Unlike Heather, I have found shades which work for me (usually more ashy tones, oddly) but the wax just isn’t strong enough. My brows grow along and downward. I had to brush them through with hairspray on a spooly to stop them looking like Hagrid’s! I’m so glad I wear glasses now which cover them, and eye bags too.

Popular Makeup Product/Brand That Everyone Else Seems To Hate But You Love

The Body Shop. I’ve used their products since I was 12 in the 90’s and still rely on the Lipbalm from their Hemp range, everyday. I didn’t buy from the brand during the time they were owned by L’Oreal.

Yes, it can be annoying having their reps creep into your DM’s but I don’t consider them to be one of the aggressive and greedy MLM’s that screw over their reps (which is bigger concern for me).

I’m staying out of the whole JK Rowling debacle on both sides.

Makeup Collab You Didn’t Like or Weren’t Interested In

I have to agree with Heather on this one, I’m not that interested in who has designed the product as long as what it does, works for me. I really like Soph from Soph Does Life but I didn’t rush to buy her makeup because I have far too much makeup already.

Popular Makeup Step That You Never Do

Primer as it clogs my pores terribly. Stupidly I don’t use eyeshadow primer either, even though I have very oily lids, then wonder why my perfectly blended makeup looks muddy after half an hour. Yup, I need to buy some!

Popular Beauty Influencer You Don’t Subscribe To/Watch

People like James Charles as I think their unnatural look and the amount of layers they use is more along the drag side of makeup. I prefer to still look like myself, even with a full face of makeup on. No shade thrown to anyone.

Popular Makeup Product/Brand That You Dont Use/Support Anymore

Max Factor, L’Oreal because they STILL disgustingly test on animals (and sell in China). They also buy up cruelty free brands (simply to get the competition off the market), with no intention of becoming cf companies themselves but they still profit from well-intentioned shoppers who don’t want to support cruel companies.

Makeup Trend That You Have No Interest In Trying

Cut-creases. I know they are more of a wildly used technique than a trend these days. My skin is so soft (because of Hypermobilty Syndrome) and I have such little space between my eyes and brows that’s it’s almost impossible, unless I used a dark, narrow, almost graphic line. I tend to graduate colour sideways along my eyes and then go upward at the edges.

Makeup Product That Worked Better In Theory. Either Swatched Better or Worked Better On Others Than You

All over illuminator under/over foundation, specifically Charlotte Tilbury, Hollywood Flawless Filter. It showed up ALL of my flaws! If you already have very even, smooth skin with tiny pores then it will make you look even better. If you are like me, it will throw the textures and different depths on the surface of your skin into stark contrast with each other, oh and settle into your pores too. Gold pores – awesome.

So let me know what you think of this post and if you want to join in then please do!

🖤✨Chrissie✨🖤

Life Lately – June

/ Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 3 Comments

June has flown by, which is weird considering I’ve been out of the house a whole…one time! I’ve been very grateful for the, frankly shite, weather Manchester has had this month, as it’s been a well needed break from the crazy heatwave of May.

Pride Month

My love and respect goes out to the LGBTQ community as always, whatever your sexuality and however you identify. I’ve always been proud that I live in a city with year-round acceptance (in a general sense) and awareness. I think this is thanks to the The Gay Village, plus a great Pride Parade and festival.

Food

Been switching all month between having cups of tea with sausage and mash to having a cold beers and mezze.

Independent Artist or Business

GDBEE Art is by Geneva who makes the most gorgeous graphic art of women of colour. She’s also created the webtoon Hovergirls, about two alien fighting cousins who work in a coffee shop by day. The entire Hovergirls series is available to read on phone/device or PC.

Lifestyle

I’ve changed my bedroom from being the place where stuff gets dumped, into a place where I actually want to spend time. a) I’ve had a big clean and tidy b) I’ve brought in more storage c) Updated a dark toned LOTR poster to a lighter toned and very neat dragon canvas d) I’ve reduced the amount of Funko Pops and books/papers piled everywhere.

Reading

The Getaway Girls by Dee McDonald is roadtrip comedy about three rather different friends, all past middle age, who decide they are unhappy with their lot and want to start a new adventure through France and Italy. I’ll review it once I’ve finished reading. I’m a third of the way in and enjoying it!

New Fringe

I was sick of my giant wavy fringe which needed cutting constantly and was way too hot and wide. I watched Birds of Prey (which I loved, but thought the bad guy was just plain annoying) and cut myself a new punky, shorter fringe. Freshly cut it looks a little too perfect but it does naturally have a lot of movement and looks spikey if I apply styling putty.

Here is me as a kid in the 80’s with a very different kind of fringe lol

I hope you’ve all been finding things to make you happy, in these turbulent times!

🖤✨Chrissie✨🖤

Your Fave FOOD Photo’s From The Last 6 Months

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(Clockwise)

Veggie black pudding with beetroot sauce and salad from Vertigo, Mcr.

Gf Seeded Nairn’s crackers with vegan Flora, Violife original ‘cheese’ and green olives and capers.

Veggie stew of everything from the back of the cupboard, the fridge and the freezer.

Mashed spud made with vegan Flora, Linda McCarneys gf Red onion and Rosemary sausages, green beans and peas with Bisto (happens to be gf) caramelised onion gravy.

Salad with Original Tofoo and tamari (gf soy sauce).

Salad with Smoked Tofoo, Gosh! falafel and Siriacha sauce.

Oomph! Kebab Strips, rice, pea and sweetcorn with chilli oil.

Smoked Tofoo covered in toasted sesame oil and grilled, with Helmans mayo and 1/3 tin of Co-op mixed bean spicy salad.

(Centre)

Gosh! Falafel and Violife White Block (taste and consistency of goats cheese not feta) salad with home made hummus (lots of tahini and olive oil).

I hope this has given you some ideas for simple and tasty veggie and gluten/dairy free food. 😋

🖤✨Chrissie✨🖤

Black Owned Brands & Bands inc. Rock, Hip-hop, Alternative Apparel & Cruelty-free beauty

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🖤 Black Rock/Metal Playlist by Nova Twins

🖤 I personally recommend the whole back-catalogue of Skunk Anansie

🖤 2020 – 2021 Black Rap and Hiphop Playlist by Red Music

🖤 General Black Owned Business Directory

🖤 Cruelty-free, Vegan Beauty and Lifestyle List by Vegan Beauty

🖤 Cruelty-free Beauty and Lifestyle List by Logical Harmony

🖤 Hair and wellness family owned brand. Cruelty-free and vegan,

🖤 Alternative Style and Makeup

  • Glam Goth Beauty
  • We Are Unapologetic
  • Gothic Lamb
  • Coloured Raine Cosmetics
  • Jada Le Bour
  • Pocky’s Shoppe
  • Hooked On Ariel
  • Via Shea
  • A Whole New Witch
  • 6t9
  • Candles With Purpose

🖤 Kawaii and Alternative Styles

(compiled by @foxxtailz on Instagram)

  • Otaq Apparel
  • Polka dot Cute Shop
  • Magical Boys Club
  • Dragon Dandy
  • Teal Teacup
  • Moshi Melon
  • Plushii Kawaii
  • Hard Decora
  • I Puke Kawaii

(compiled by @yasminesumman on Instagram)

  • That’s So Kitschy
  • Default Club
  • Charmin Darlin
  • Hissyfit Clothing
  • Maurio Kart (death metal shirts especially)
  • House Of Bats

Happy shopping and listening!

🖤✨Chrissie✨🖤

Your Fave LIFESTYLE Photo’s from the Last 6 Months

/ Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 1 Comment

I post a selection of photo’s from this blog onto my Instagram and share a few general images everyday. Come follow me if you don’t already @vamp_it_up_mcr

I’ve gone through which photos got the most likes (on Insta) and divided them up into four categories, Lifestyle, Style, Food and er, Me!

Lifestyle

(Clockwise)

Gap Between Buildings When you walk down Whitworth Street heading to Oxford Road, you cross over a tiny bridge without realising and that’s the view of the canal and swanky apartments to your left.

Baby Jay I’ve only ever seen a Jay twice before so this little’un sitting right outside the window was lovely surprise.

Sorting my makeup and storage I chucked out anything old or crap and arranged everything here into one bag and base coverage and tools/brushes into a wicker basic. I indulged my left over OCD traits and lined up everything colourful for this photo; so satisfying!

Pins I have so many pins I have to rotate them on bags and coats. I need to make space on my pin board to display them all properly.

Skincare Routine After setting myself he challenge to get healthier skin in one month, I narrowed down my products to these and found a consistent routine and it worked!

Street Art This is a very old photo of the side of a block at the start of The Northern Quarter. The beautiful art (subject now replaces by Mcr bees) is by Faunagraphic who’s responsible for all of the nature inspired, pastel or brushstroke effect street-art in town. Check out that pretty fire-escape too.

Narwhals Narwhals Swimming In The Ocean (the pre-curser to the baby shark song) My Bloke got me these slippers last Xmas.

Bench In Our Tiny Backyard All my Dads work. I offer to help with our yard but he always refuses as he loves doing it so much. He’s like me, if he gets an idea in his mind, he knows exactly how he wants it. I’m not arguing as it comes out looking lovely every time ^_^

(Centre)

Sustainable (what used to be referred to as Eco) Purchases I got everything here from an online shop called Ecologue. Metal flask, really light but efficient; Bamboo toothbrush, the most comfortable one I’ve ever used and biodegradable; Cleansing pads, also made from bamboo and machine washable!

As always I’d love to hear your thoughts…

🖤✨Chrissie✨🖤

The Stuck at Home Blog Tag

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The Rules

• Thank the person that nominated you (I found this tag on Cranky Autistic and decided to join in!)

• Answer all the questions below

• Pingback to the creator: Ellyn at Allonsythornraxxbooks

• Nominate five other book bloggers to do this tag (or just leave it as a free-for-all)

What Are You Currently Reading? 

Tina Turner’s autobiography My Love Story. She writes like she’s having a chat with a friend, with all of her personality coming through.

What’s Your Favourite Can’t Leave The House Activity?

Connecting with people through blogging and social media. I don’t have a smart phone, so can’t do this out of the house, unless I’m in a free wi-fi area. I want to be fully engaged in the moment outside the house anyway.

A Book You’ve Been Meaning to Read?

The Velveteen Rabbit. I watched a cartoon film of it as a little kid and it was the first story that made me feel a crazy amount of emotions. “Whaaaaaaah!” “Yaaaaaaaaay!”

An Intimidating Book on Your TBR?

The last two books in the Otherworld series by Tad Williams. It’s very thick and pretty trippy and also disturbing in places so it was giving me vivid, hyper-real dreams of that nature. So literally and literary intimidating!

Top Three Books on Your TBR?

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman (prequel to film Practical Magic)

On The Come Up by Angie Thomas (an urban drama about an up and coming female rapper)

Astragal by Albertine Sarrazin (Patti Smith loves this book)

Recommend a Short Book

Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley. A gritty neo-noir detective novel, covering race, the American dream, status, trust and self respect.

Recommend a Long Book

His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. An amazing multi-layered story. The film and TV adaptation missed out entire plot lines which were vital to understanding the thing as a whole. Please just read the book instead.

Something You’d Love to Do While Stuck at Home? 

Get into baking but have someone else shop for ingredients, take it out of the hot oven and then tidy up and wash up afterward. So I’d be chucking stuff into a bowl, mixing and awkwardly rolling/folding and messily filling/icing, all the fun stuff basically! I’m heavily playing the Dyspraxia and chronic fatigue card here aren’t I, hehee!

What Book Do You Plan on Reading Next?

A comedy-drama about three more-mature women going on a road trip together through Italy, having fun and discovering lots of surprises about themselves and each other. Can’t for the life of me remember who it’s by or what it’s called! It’s my light summer read for when I’m brain fogged in the heat (appropriate vague answer then I guess).

Hope you found my (slightly random) answers interesting. I’m not tagging anyone as I don’t want them to feel pressured in this weirdest of times, so if you want to join in, then just join in!

Tag me in your post so I can have a read of your answers and please make sure you mention the original creator Ellyn (link above).

🖤✨Chrissie✨🖤

Featuring – Callybo Creations

/ Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 2 Comments

Abi at Callybo Creations creates cute key rings and bracelets, with uplifting and loving messages. Just the thing that someone might really appreciate right now. All profits are donated to Mind UK the charity which supports mental health.

Here are two I got sent for review and then later purchased/donated because most of us need a helping hand with our mental health at some point in our lives so it’s a vital charity to support. I gave the key ring to my Dad and the bracelet to my Bloke, both of whom thought it was a lovely surprise.

“

Hop on over to Facebook to request and buy your perfect Callybo Creations.

🖤✨Chrissie✨🖤

Simple Selfcare List for Brain, Body and Soul

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Everyone needs a bit of motivation and simple reminders sometimes, especially when you’re in the house most of the time and loose track of time easily. That’s just me normally btw!

    Get the feck up (Maybe use needing the loo as an excuse to stay up)
    Brush teeth
    Wash (preferably with something that smells uplifting)
    Apply deodorant
    Skincare/bodycare routine (or at least some of it)
    Get dressed (oversized cardigans/hoodies totally count)
    Comb hair
    Coffee or protein smoothie
    Catch up with friends on social media or message them
    Do something a little creative
    Have something to eat
    Order or buy some fresh fruit or veg
    Wash clothes/Vac up?
    Read a book/Watch telly/Gaming/Exercise
    Make a nice meal, maybe enough to freeze a portion as a ready-meal
    Bath/Shower?
    Hug or FaceTime your family/pet/loved one
    Cleanse face
    Brush teeth
    Take a cup of water to bed

  • 🖤✨Chrissie✨🖤

    ‘This & That’ Indian Cafe have started delivering!

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    We ordered a delicious Vegetarian Curry Hamper £50 quid from This & That (rice and three type place). 2 chickpea curry, 2 Kidney bean and potato curry, 2 spinach curry, 2 mixed veg curry, 4 rice, 4 naan/chapatti (we replaced the bread with an extra bag of bahji’s), 4 onion bahji, 4 samosa. Amazing authentic curry! 😋

    Phone to arrange delivery of a hamper (within around 3 miles) 0161 832 4971

    Positive Quarantine Effects

    / Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 5 Comments

    6 bonus things that have happened during quarantine:

    1. I’ve not washed my hair for two weeks (there’s only a bath where I am) and it feels and looks so naturally healthy, in shiny defined waves.
    2. I’ve not impulse bought food with wheat or dairy in so my nose, chin and tummy aren’t puffy/bloated. I have more energy and feel more upbeat and I love my features now!
    3. My skin is so healthy because I’ve been sticking to my skincare regimen.
    4. Me and the bloke have not killed each other.
    5. Meal planning doesn’t suck. It takes the stress of decision making away (a supermarket full of food yet you still come home with random shit that doesn’t make any recognisable dishes, sound familiar?) and isn’t boring or restrictive. As long as you plan enough meals to give you a choice and don’t have specific days where you have to eat them, it’s just like choosing from a menu.
    6. If you make a curry too hot and don’t have any yoghurt or cream (or dairy free versions) to swirl in it, you can add mayonnaise, so creamy!

    What have been your positive quarantine effects?

    🖤✨Chrissie✨🖤