Here it is

So, this is it. My blog. All rights reserved (except for the background and service provider), read at your own will and risk, accept no substitutes etc.

Perhaps this is not the perfect moment to make a first entry as I'm coming down with a stomach bug and had to take the rest of the day off from work but I'm not known from my patience.
To make things easier for my readers, I have anticipated some of your questions :)

Why are you starting a (makeup) blog?

Well, because the idea sort of popped into my head and when I mentioned it to my friends, they thought that I should go for it. Also, Finland is not known for its abundance of different makeup lines so I'm always constantly buying and trying stuff that can't be found here. And I'm always giving tips to my friends on what to try out and which products are worth ordering and which are complete rubbish (in my opinion).

I'm not a makeup artist or an expert of any kind but I have done a lot of things with makeup and learned that there are things worth trying and things that should never be attempted.
Also, I'm in the process of writing my Master's Thesis (the horror, the horror and the hours of sheer desperation) and I need an outlet. This is it.

Why the name 'The Adventurous Purple Koala' ?

Why not?

I love koalas. I feel close to them as I need at least 8 hours of sleep to be able to operate a ballpoint pen. And I'm known to be able to sleep over 12 hours with no great difficulty (the reason why my gorgeous and hunky boyfriend calls me a koala). I actually made my parents pay for a language course in Sydney, Australia, just because I wanted to see koalas. Of course, I told them that I needed the course to brush up my English (partly true) but for that I could have saved a truck load of money by going to England. I study English as my major subject at the University of Helsinki (and at the university of life, apparently) so I even could have stayed here and improved my skills and pronunciation with very dull courses. I mean, come on, if you had the opportunity to use your educational orientation as a reason to see [insert your favourite animal here], wouldn't you pack your bags and just go?

Purple is my favourite colour. Of course, there are shades of purples, lilacs, mauves that do not appeal to me. But oh, the right shades of purple... Purple eyeshadow makes my eyes more green and purple tops/knits/shirts make my red hair even more fiery. That's reason enough for me.

As for adventurous, I enjoy travelling and seeing new places. I want to learn about different cultures and I love to learn new languages. Finnish is my first language but I can speak English, Swedish, French, Japanese, Italian and know a few words of Russian, Swahili, German and Spanish. When I travel, I want to be able to say a few basic things in the local language. So last autumn I learned a few words of Czech because we were going to visit Prague and now I'm trying to learn Dutch because I'm going to Amsterdam with a friend of mine.

Why makeup is so important to you?

Because it's about the only thing in my appearance that is girly. I like to dress comfortably even if it means doing it in the expense of fashionability or femininity. So I usually wear jeans, a sleeveless top, a cardigan and trainers. I used to wear heels when I was about 13 years old. I was then about 150 centimetres tall (that's about 5ft if I'm correct) and felt horrible short in addition of being skinny. Now after 13 years I'm 176,5 centimetres tall (about 5,8ft) and still quite slim. Also, my boyfriend is noticeably shorter than I am so trainers are an all-around sensible footwear for me. So makeup is my way to feel more feminine.

I first started wearing makeup to feel and look prettier. I was on 5th grade when I more or less started wearing makeup daily. I had always been bullied because of my looks and I hated sticking out like a sore thumb with my pale skin and red hair. So it started with a hint of black mascara and a dab of tinted lipbalm. Soon I was doing my friends' makeup and giving hints and advice. Now makeup is a way of expressing myself. Sometimes I match my makeup according to what I'm wearing and sometimes I reflect my current mood. Sometimes I pick a theme and sometimes I pick a certain product or colour as my starting point.

Cut the crap already and show us your face with makeup on it!

Fine. This look I copied from Doe Deere's excellent makeup tutorials. She calls the look Barbarella and I decided to try it out on New Year's Eve. I left out false eyelashes as I wasn't sure what kind of party I would end up in. Well, we ended up in our usual haunt, Bar Om'pu in Kallio.
First, the list of products I used:
Meow Cosmetics Pampered Puss foundation in Inquisitive Sphynx
Meow Cosmetics Top Cat finishing powder (on top of the foundation)
Meow Cosmetics Firefly Blush in Illuminate (on cheekbones)
Urban Decay Primer Potion (as a primer on eyelids)Lime Crime Magic Dust in Duchess (inner corners on upper and lower lid)
Lime Crime Magic Dust in Empress (outer corners and crease, lower lid on outer corners)
Lime Crime Magic Dust in Fairy Wings (as a highlighter below brow)
MAC Technakohl liner in Graphblack (upper lid)
Dior Diorshow Waterproof mascara in Black (upper lashes)
Orion Pharma BevitaR lip balm (my lips are so chapped)
MAC lipstick in Plink!
Lime Crime Magic Dust in Cleopatra (patted on lower lip)


Here's a close-up of the eyes. Also, this photo made me realise that my foundation is a bit too dark for me so I'm probably changing it into Inquisitive Himalayan. Other than that, Meow's foundations are first class. I ALWAYS curl my eyelashes. My lashes are long but they are poker straight. That's why I use waterproof mascara after I have curled them with an eyelash curler (MAC's curler is fine).

Okay, I can't pose for the camera. The camera in fact hates me. Also, I'm a bit drunk. It's hard to take a decent picture in December in Finland because there is no light. And this is taken at 11PM on our dim flat. Okay, enough excuses.

Argh, I need to get my eyebrows in shape. I have now an appointment on Thursday. But I think this look works. Check out http://www.doedeereblogazine.com/ for wonderful makeup tutorials.

This was my first post. A rather lengthy one. How did I do?

Love,

Saila, the Adventurous Purple Koala