March 2014 Favourites

So I thought I would end the month with a ‘Favourites’ blog. I love reading these kind of blogs and watching the videos on YouTube. I like the idea of having a quick overview of products, and I spend the next day deciding on which ones to buy myself. I also think they are a fantastic way of getting to know beauty bloggers a bit more, as they often include items that may not be beauty related. It’s also just pure luck they all publish around payday ;).

My first March favourite will be the Sleek Blush in ‘Rose Gold’. I bought this blush having seen all the hype around the internet about it. I must admit, I was unsure of what to expect, but I thought for the price I would give it a go. I was not disappointed. This blush is a beautiful pink shade, which can be sheer when first applied. However, the colour is really buildable, so if you want more of an impact this blush can satisfy. Mixed into the shade, are flecks of gold shimmer. They look quite daunting in the pan, but blend out nicely on the skin. However, if you do not like shimmery blushes, this may not be the one for you, as it does make quite an impact. The packaging is also simple and inoffensive – a black case which is very NARS-esque. I also read that this blush is a dupe for NARS ‘Orgasm’ blush, but I cannot confirm this. I have been wearing this blush with statement eyes and nude lips.

I also want to take a little bit of time to divert your attention to the No7 Extreme Volume mascara. I am not going to talk to you too much about this, and leave you on a cliff-hanger. I will be doing a full review on this product on my blog next week, so make sure you come back to read that. All I will tell you today is that it is AMAZING. I have never had so many compliments about my eyelashes than I have, since wearing this mascara.

Now for my non-beauty related favourites. This month I have been reading ‘Labyrinth’ by Kate Mosse. This book is set both in the Middle Ages and in 2005, where the stories of Alaïs and Alice are told in parallel. What unites these two ladie’s stories is their families – the protectors of the Holy Grail. As a reader, you follow Alaïs’ struggle to complete her father’s task of protecting the secrets of the Grail, as she is betrayed by her sister, husband and closest servant. You are then taken to the future to meet up with their direct descendents (of which Alice is one of Alaïs’) to continue the duty. I love books about people, and I am also partial to a little history, so I have been completely gripped by this book. There is a little bit for everyone, action, thrills, sadness and even a hint of romance. Definitely worth a read.

Finally, I would like to take some time to confess to you all a guilty pleasure. I love Taylor Swift. There, I said it. I am partial to a little country music (I am obsessed with the show ‘Nashville’), and Taylor satisfies this. I currently love her latest album, ‘Red’, which I listen to in the car, on the way home from work. She just has this ‘feel good’ factor, which is exactly what I need after a long day! My favourite tracks are ‘Red’ and ‘Holy Ground’. So, wind up the windows, crank up the volume and sing all your cares away - loudly!

Have you tried any of my March favourites? What do you think? What is your guilty music pleasure?

Leiber Award Post!

Wow! I have been nominated for a Liebster Award by the lovely Hayley over at http://hayleyjachz.blogspot.co.uk/.

I am new to blogging so I had no idea what it was, but I have since found out that it is an award given from blogger to blogger, helping those who are starting out to get some recognition.

 

I think this is a brilliant idea, and a fantastic way to spread the news about all the fantastic bloggers there are out there.

The rules for this are as follows:

1.You must link back to the person who awarded you.

2.You must answer the 11 questions given by the nominee before you.

3.You pick 11 nominees with under 200 followers to answer your questions.

4.You cannot nominate the person who nominated you.

5.You must tell your nominees that they have been nominated by you.

So here are my questions, given to me by Hayley – you may find something new out about me ;)

1.    What made you decide to start a blog?

Well, I had been reading beauty blogs, and watching YouTube videos for a few months – slowly becoming obsessed with all aspects. I love make-up and I also love writing so I thought I would give it a go!

 

2.    Have you stuck to your New Years resolutions? What were they?

I had those standard ones, eat healthily, go to the gym etc, which I have kept up pretty well. Obviously I have some days which are better than others but I am not going to punish myself for eating chocolate!

 

3.    What do you hope to be doing in 5 years time?

I hope that I am still writing my blog and to be in a job which makes me happy J

 

4.    What are five beauty products you could not live without?

 

No7 Extreme Lash Mascara, Urban Decay Naked palette, MAC ‘Hot Gossip’ Lipstick, Nars Sheer Glow Foundation and MAC ‘Stay Pretty’ Blush.

 

5.    MIC or TOWIE?

TOWIE hands down, I love how OTT everything is.

6.    Favourite LUSH product?

 

The Mask of Magnaminty is incredible! A lovely face mask which exfoliates the skin leaving it soft and clear!

 

7.    What's your favourite quote?

 

‘Never compare your beginning to somebody else’s end.’

 

8.    Favourite time of the year?

 

Now this is a difficult one. I think that summer definitely wins – holidays, warmth, ice cream, cider in beer gardens. Although, my favourite holiday is Christmas – I am like a 5 year old at Christmas.

 

9.    What’s your favourite brand and why?

 

I’m assuming this is beauty brands? It will be a closely fought battle between NARS and MAC. I love the NARS base products – foundation, concealer, blushes. They are all stunning. But MAC definitely wins for eye shadow and lipstick. They are so pigmented and can versatile!

 

10. Would you rather only have a wardrobe full of winter or summer clothes?

 

Hmmm summer clothes I think! At least it is easier to layer summer clothes if it is a bit colder!

 

11. If you could only wear one lipstick for the rest of your life what would it be?

 I’m going to have to back up my old favourite – MAC ‘Hot Gossip’. It is the most beautiful pink shade – giving a ‘Your Lips But Better’ effect.

 

I nominate the following people, who have less than 200 followers on Twitter or Instagram.

Harry http://themintapple.blogspot.co.uk/

Sophia http://www.shoppingweekly.blogspot.co.uk/

Miss Writer www.misswriter.co.uk

Millie http://www.millieroseallmadeup.co.vu/

Anna http://www.styleskittle.blogspot.co.uk/

Rachel  http://heartoceansecrets.blogspot.co.uk/

Stefanie www.ispysj.com

Imogen – www.imogen-fleur.blogspot.co.uk

Jessica http://poppingpout.blogspot.co.uk/

Emily http://emiloue.blogspot.co.uk/

Amy http://allaboutalt.blogspot.co.uk/

Now here are my questions to you:

1.    What is your favourite thing about blogging?

2.    What type of blogs do you enjoy reading yourself?

3.    What is the best thing about blogging?

4.    Is there a beauty product that you think is just over rated?

5.    What would be your idea of the perfect day/night out?

6.    Which is more important: love, money or happiness?

7.    Do you have a favourite food?

8.    Coke or Pepsi?

9.    Favourite YouTuber?

10. What would be your dream holiday destination?

11. If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you did with your money?

Thank you again to Hayley for your nominations! I can’t wait to learn more about my nominees answering my questions J Keep up the love!

A Product Review - Avon Glimmerstick Eyeliners

Out of all the make-up brands, I really think that Avon is one which is really under rated. I must admit, I do not currently own many Avon products, but I have used different ones in the past and liked them. At the minute, I own and love these two Avon Glimmerstick eyeliners.

The first one I want to talk about is the Glimmerstick Cosmic in the shade ‘Blackened Night’. This is a black eyeliner, with specks of blue and silver glitter running through. Although it sounds pretty garish, when placed on the eye the glitter blends in and becomes a gorgeous shimmer. Unfortunately, I have had this one for quite a while, and it is now discontinued. But never fear – I had a look at the Avon website, and it looks like you can buy a similar colour called ‘Black Ice’ from the Glimmerstick Diamonds collection – here.

 

The second Glimmerstick I own, is one from the Diamonds range I mentioned above. This is the most gorgeous bronze shade called ‘Brown Glow’. As soon as I swatched this product, I was amazed by the metallic effect that this eyeliner pencil offers. Unlike ‘Blackened Night’, there are no glitter specks – yet it still gives a multi-dimensional shimmer effect. However, do not be put off by the brightness of the shade. It looks beautiful when used on its own with a little mascara (more of a daytime look for me), as it gives a little colour and creativity than just plain black. When used over top of eyeshadow, the colour is muted slightly without looking too dark and almost black. I particularly enjoy using it with my Naked 3 palette.

These eyeliners come in a twist up pencil, and have a creamy consistency which is very easy to blend. They are such a versatile product, they can be smudged with eyeshadows, q-tips or even fingers for a great smoky eye, or used with a steady hand to create a sharp line or even a wing. At £6.00 each, these really are bargains. In fact these eyeliners are currently part of the Avon ‘2 for £8.00’ deal which you can get on their website – here.

Have you tried the Avon Glimmersticks? What did you think?

Urban Decay Naked Palette – Looks for the Lazy Lady!

Ever since the Urban Decay Naked palette launched way back in 2010, the blogging and YouTube world has been overwhelmed with reviews, tutorials and general ‘high fives’. And rightly so. This palette, in my opinion, deserves all the praise it gets. The colours are so buttery, highly pigmented and super, super, blendable. The colour ranges are so versatile, you can create a look for any occasion; whether it be for daytime or evening, lunch or clubbing. This is a must-have in any make-up lover’s collection (or anyone else’s for that matter).

Now, as much as I love make-up, I hardly ever wear a full face during the week for work. As you probably gathered from the title of this blog, I am lazy when it comes to getting ready in the morning. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to be one of those enigmatic woman who jump up as soon as their alarms go off, style their hair, put on a flawless make up look, eat a bowl of ‘delicious’ (yucky) muesli and make it into work, all before the rest of us have had time to hit ‘snooze’, but this, I am not. To be honest, I’m not sure they exist. It wouldn’t surprise me if this was just an urban myth, made up by four men in the pub. However, I digress.

During the week, I tend not to wear any base products, no, not even concealer. So in the 5 minutes that I have scheduled into my morning routine for make up, I normally concentrate on my eyes. This week, I thought I would share with you a few of my favourite looks (each using a similar technique) which I wear to work, created solely with the Naked palette – creepy eye photos included!

Look 1:

 

For this look, I only used 2 colours from the palette, Naked and Buck. These are the two flesh toned shades. I began by sweeping Naked across the outer and middle third of my eye. Then, using a MAC 217 blending brush, I patted Buck onto the outer third and swept it through the crease.

Look 2 –

 

In this look, I used 3 of the shades. This time I used the shade Sin across the inner and mid third. Again using my blending brush, I then used the colour Toasted on the outer third and brought into the crease. This time I added a bit of Hustle on a pencil brush to line the lashes.

Look 3 –

 

Again, I started this look with the shade Sin (this is my favourite shade in the palette for a daytime look), but this time added a bit of Virgin into the inner corner. I then took the colour Gunmetal, and pressed it lightly into the outer corner. This is quite a dark shade, so I tend to gradually build the colour up. When I was happy with the darkness, I blended it into the crease.

I finished all these looks off with a coat of my Maybelline The Falsies mascara, and lightly lined my waterline with Rimmel Kohl Eyeliner in White.

I would love to hear your opinions, what do you think of the Urban Decay Naked palette? Do you have a signature, yet speedy, look you tend to reach for?

P.S. If you are one of those enigmatic woman, please make yourself known and share your secrets!

Cleanse. Tone. Moisturise. Repeat - My Daily Skincare Routine.

Now, I am slightly ashamed to admit that up until about a year ago, I didn’t really have a cleansing routine. I remember reading blogs and thinking to myself ‘Hmmm... so Clearasil and water don’t count huh?’.  Yes, that’s right. My cleansing routine echoed that of a 12 year old.

Ever since then, I have been trying to find the perfect combination of potions to fit my skin. I have combination skin (that rubbish one where your T-zone is oily, yet there are dry patches on the cheeks), and I am also quite spot prone. I thought that I would share the products I am using currently.

 

 

Asda Skin System Eye Make-up Remover £2.00– I use this magic product of an evening, to remove my eye make-up (obviously). I have tried many a eye makeup remover, and I still come back to this one! Even in my Emo/Grunge phase I found that this was the best for removing that trade-mark eyeliner.  At £2 a bottle, you can’t complain really.

Clarins Cleansing Milk with Alpine Herbs £19.00 – I received this set from my Boyf’s very lovely sisters at Christmas. I squeeze a little out in my hands and press into the skin. I use the ‘press and lift’ Clarins technique (I had no idea what this was I had to ‘Google’ it when I first started using the cleanser), and it does the job perfectly.

Clarins Toning Lotion with Camomile £19.00 – If I am perfectly honest, I still don’t really understand toners. Do I need one? What do they actually do? I pour a little onto a cotton pad and wipe all over my face. I’m not sure what it does exactly, but I do know that my skin feels softer once it has been applied. It also gives me a slight cold/tingly feeling which I strangely like!

Johnson’s Facecare Hydrating 24 Hour Day Cream RRP £4.07– This is my favourite moisturiser of all time! I have tried lots of different types, by loads of different brands - Simple, Nivea and even Benefit, but none match up to this in my opinion. It leaves my skin feeling beautifully soft and really does last all day! There is no greasy residue either, which I have found in moisturisers in the past. Previous experiences have also led to my skin having massive break outs; however, I don’t think I have ever had one from using this product. It also comes in a glass pot, which I feel adds a certain Je ne sais quoi! The only downside is that Boots seem to have stopped stocking it in store (Why is that Boots??!) – But after a few weeks of frantic searching, I managed to find it in Wilkinson’s, so now I just stock up J

Soap and Glory ‘Puffy Eye Attack’ £12.50  – If you have read my other blogs, you may recognise this product from a haul post. You can read about my initial thoughts on this product – here. Since then, I have been using this cream for about a month. Unfortunately, I found that it played absolute havoc with my contact lenses. It just irritated them and thus my eyes. I now only use it in the evening, which is slightly annoying because I did think my bags were starting to look better!

You may notice that I still don’t really have a separate night and day routine. Shock horror! To be honest, I just can’t be faffed with it, so I tend to use the same products morning and evening.

Have you tried any of these products? What did you think? Which are your favourite cleansing products?

 

Golden Eyes, Golden Ticket, Golden Weekend!

This weekend, I was lucky enough to take a trip to the theatre. I love the theatre. The lights, the singing, the dancing and the amazing scenery and effects. I love hearing the desperate chatter of theatre goers at the end of the show, debating the question – ‘How did they do it?’

The show of choice yesterday, was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I had heard many great things about the performance, and I was not disappointed! All of Roald Dahl’s eccentric (bordering on sinister) characters were portrayed immaculately, and the musical numbers were flawless. I would highly recommend a trip to see this show to everyone!

I had the idea for this week’s blog from a work colleague of mine, Rachel (thank you!), who suggested I share the make-up look which I chose for the occasion. These are a selection of the products I used – mainly MAC (obviously – they are my favourite brand after all).

 

 

This is the look which I created:

 

Here is how I did it. Right, lets start with the base.

 

 

I needed this look to last all day, so I began with my Benefit ‘Porefessional’ Primer. I then chose NARS Sheer Glow Foundation (shown here in miniture), I wear the shade ‘Deauville’. I dabbed it over my face and then blended out with my Beauty Blender. I tend to use two concealers. My MAC Studio Fix (NW20) is used for extra coverage on spots and blemishes, while my NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (Vanilla) is used to cover those dark circles. I set this all using MAC Mineralise Skinfinish (Light Plus), before applying Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion.

My eye look was copied from my favourite YouTuber – Jaclyn Hill, who recently did a make up tutorial where she demonstrated the on-trend copper eye look. It took me less than a week to get myself down to MAC to purchase the right shades I needed to replicate the look. You can watch the video here.  It involves taking the shades ‘Amber Lights’ and ‘Coppering’ (the bottom two shades in my pallette) mixed together and placed on the eye lid. This is then blended up into the crease and voilá – your eyeshadow is done! I just finished with a couple of layers of my Maybelline The Falsies mascara and I lined the waterline with my The Body Shop, black Eyeliner Pencil.

Next, I attempted some hightlighting and contouring (which I am yet to master). For contouring, I used my Benefit Hoola bronzer, and applied MAC Mineralise Blush in the shade ‘Dainty’ above. I then used my MAC Mineralise Skinfinish in the shade ‘Lightscapade’ to highlight above the cheekbone.

Finally, I applied my MAC Lip Primer and then lipstick in the shade ‘Hot Gossip’. This is a gorgeous pink colour which has that ‘your lips but better’ look.

 

I was really pleased with my finished look, and it lasted thoughout the 12 hour day (with a make up setting spray). I do, however, think this would look better with a coral blush, which I sadly do not own L.

Do you have any coral blushers you would recommend? How did you wear your makeup this weekend?