Makeup Mistakes

I admit to making these mistakes, but eventually I did learn that I looked a bit silly. I think it can be easy to over do things, or think it looks good at home but when the flash camera comes out - uh oh. I think it's something to do with over exaggerating the current trends, or copying high fashion trends which just don't look good on us ordinary people (ahem Cara's brows.) When I was 13 I used to think powder foundation is what everyone used to use to cover their imperfections, I used to apply layers and layers of it all over my face - silly me. Luckily now, I'm all clued up with make up and although I still have a lot to learn, I'm not making these mistakes anymore.

Brows - The Bad

Eyebrows are so important, if you have good brows the rest of your face is 'going to look a lot better. But nowadays with Cara inspiration, everyone wasn't fuller and thicker brows. I love thick brows, but they've also got to look natural (unless you're going for the fake/drag look!) Here I used a pencil for my entire brow and literally went to town thickening them up. For me, this really doesn't look good. The main problem is the inner part of my eyebrows, filling them in with a pencil really doesn't look good. You can't see the individual eyebrow hairs, and they just tend to look like big caterpillars on your face

Brows - The Good

I think this looks a lot more natural and my subtle (somone might even think they're o natural!) For my eyebrows, I use Anastasia's tinted brow gel to keep the hairs in place and darken them a little, I then go in with Benefit's Brow Zings (just the powder) to fill in the outer part of my eyebrows, and then I use Rimmel's brow pencil to make them a little longer. I don't even touch the inner part of my eyebrows, I think it looks a lot better that way. If you have light eyebrows and want them darker, instead of filling them in maybe try a tinted brow gel - it will make all your eyebrow hairs individually darker (or just actually tint them with eyebrow dye - but that's effort.)

Cheek Contour - The Bad

Looking at this just makes me cringe, WHY! I actually used to do this, but didn't even realize. The problem with contouring is, when you're facing the mirror it looks great - but half the time you forget to look to the side and there's some big ass orange/brown line on your cheek. Over application, the wrong brush, the wrong bronzer. A lot of bronzers tend to be very orange, that works for some people but if you have pale/olive skin it's best to get one that's a darker version of your skin tone (just get your face powder but in a shade or two darker.) Most people like to use smaller brushes for their contour, to really get the angle. But I think that makes it far too defined. Of course, you can blend it out afterwards but I much prefer using a big fluffy brush as that makes it look a lot natural. Only use a little product, and take a flash photograph to see the damage - then add more if you need it.

Cheek Contour - The Good

Here I used Body Shop's Honey Bronzer with a big fluffy brush and just applied a little. It makes your cheek bones stand out, but doesn't actually look like you've put bronzer on. After all, the reason most people use bronzer is to make certain features seem less obvious. With the cheek contour, it's so under neath your cheek bone will "sink" and the cheek bone will stand out more. Applying it subtly actually makes that happen, but applying a lot or the wrong shade won't make your cheek bones look HUGE, it will just make a big brown/orange line on your face. Be careful ladies!

Mascara

Left - The Bad: I used Maybelline's Volume Express Rocket Mascara on both eyes, but here I applied literally TONS of it, and didn't bother moving the wand side to side to remove any clumps. The amount of lashes you see is literlly half the amount compared to the right because they've all clumped together. Doing this makes your make up look messy.

Right - The Good: Here I only used two coats of mascara, and everytime I moved my wand side to side to make sure each individual lash wasn't clinging to another. I find it's best to apply one coat, let it dry for 2 minutes and then apply another. For the bottom lashes, I only ever apply one coat of mascara (using a smaller wand is easier - try getting your hands on a Benefit They're Real tester.)

Eyeliner Flick - The Bad

This doesn't look terrible, but there's a big reason why I don't like it. I used to do my eyeliner like this all the time, until I realized what I was doing wrong. When it comes down to it, the reason everyone loves eyeliner is because it extends your eye and makes them look wider. Here, I've drawn my flick quite low, and so instead of making my eyes look wider and lifting them, it's making my eyes look droopy and small. 

Eyeliner Flick - The Good

sorry for the blurry picture

Here I've made my eyeliner aim toward the end of my eyebrow instead, and by doing this it widens my eyes and makes them look lifted. Here I used Loreal's Ultra Precision SuperLiner, it works wonders. 

Do you have any make up regrets that you wish you didn't do?

Review: Stila Artful Eye Collector's Edition Vol. II Palette

For Christmas, my mum simply told me to link her to the things I want. I'm pretty picky, so picky that it took me hours to even pick something myself. Of course, I was troubled with many options of eye shadow palettes: Urban Decay Naked 3, Lorac Pro, Naked Basics, Pixi Palettes...the list goes on. I then stumbled across this little collector's edition palette by Stila, five eye shadows and all beautiful colours. And at £15, I simply couldn't resist. If you're from the UK like me, I'm afraid the only place I've been able to find that sells them is Selfridges, of course people in the US can probably just walk in and buy it from anyway (ahem Lorac Pro Palette.) 

From left to right: Patchhouli, Ember, Sandalwood, Rosewood, Eclipse

For me, the shades are to die for. 3 copper and gold shimmer shades (which are great for a smokey eye) and a light beige and black. Usually I stay away from many palettes, because I know I won't use half the colours, but I use all of these equally. I use the Patchouli all over my lid, Ember as a crease, Rosewood in the outer corner, Ember in the middle of my lid, and Eclipse along the lash line. If you're a fan of copper and gold shades, this is a must. 

The colours are very vibrant and blendable, a few swishes on your eyelids and you're done. I think the black could be a little darker but it is buildable. They are shimmery, which could put some people off, and perhaps these were meant for the party season. But I say hell no to all that rubbish, I want to be shimmery 24/7! 

If you're a neutral palette freak like me, I think this palette would be great for you. I've been using it non stop and copper/gold lids is my new make up look. 

Have you discovered an eye shadow palette?  Let me know, I need some more lid love in my life!

Review: L'ORÉAL Nude Magique Eau De Tent Foundation

Today I went on a make up spree and got tons of stuff. One of the things I was excited to get was the new L'oreal Nude Magique Eau De Tent Foundation (why do they make such long names?) It's a new formula that's supposed to be weightless and feels like water. It also has an SPF of 18, and claims not to clog your pores. On first impressions, I really love the packaging. It's in a thick glass bottle with a shinny purple cap - however I much prefer a pump rather than pouring it onto my hand/brush. 

When I first dabbed a little on my arm, I was slightly confused/amazed. It's very water based, more than any foundation I've used. But not as thin as water, like they claim - water wouldn't stay on my arm, it would drip right off! The smell isn't great, to me it smells like alcohol or disinfectant, so that's a definite down side. 

I was expecting the coverage to be minimal, and it to feel like a BB/CC Cream rather than a foundation. I was pleasantly surprised because actually, it has more of a medium coverage. When I was putting it on, I couldn't even feel it - it's like I was brushing nothing into my skin - for a very watery foundation the coverage is really good. It also made my skin feel really silky and soft.

I have dry skin, and I feel like this foundation works well with my complexion and skin type. I don't think it would be great for very oily skin, but other than that I think it would work well with most skin types. The colour range isn't great (mine is soft beige) but I think that's probably because it's a new product and they're testing the waters first. It's priced at £9.99 at Boots, and has 20ml. I would prefer a little more product for my money considering it is a drug store foundation, but we'll see how long it lasts. 

Overall this product is really good, in my opinion. It has good coverage, a "no make up feel", and looks vibrant and glowing on the skin. Make sure you give it a sniff first though, because the smell really is off putting. 

Have you tried any new foundations recently? Let me know, I'm on the hunt for new products! 

White And Gold - Summer Make Up

Out with the old and in with the new! Literally 99.9% of the time I wear black eye liner, so I decided to swap it for something a bit more fresh and summery. White eye liner is becoming so popular recently I think, along with coloured mascaras (I need to get a blue mascara, oooh.) I applied BarryM's White Kohl Pencil to the bottom water line and smudged it down, and with an eye liner brush I used MUA's Immaculate Collection Palette Shade 14 near my tear duct, along the top like an eye liner and winged it out in a cat like shape. If I was feeling a bit more daring I would have added the same golden shade to my crease, but I'll leave that for another day. 

Here's a list of products I used to make this look:

Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB Cream

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer 

Bourjois' Delice De Poudre Bronzing Powder

Mac's Blush In Buff

Revlon's ColorStay Eyeshadow In Addictive (dark brown shade for brows) 

MUA's Immaculate Collection Shade 14 

BarryM's White Kohl Pencil 

Benefit's They're Real Mascara 

Topshop Lipstick In Maccaron 

Also I got this floral crown in Primark for £3! Bargain, right!? What are your Summer make up looks?

Beauty Purchases

I went sort of crazy recently and wanted to buy everything on the make up counter. Fortunately my boyfriend managed to calm me down and I only bought a few things. Sadly, I couldn't get the Stella palette In The Light as it's been sold out for months! But I did get some lovely things instead. 

1. Sleek i-Divine Au Naturel Eye Shadow Palette, £7.99

2. Sleek Face Form Contouring and Blush Palette In Light, £9.99

3.  Bourjois Delice De Poudre Bronzing Powder, £6.99

4. Topshop Cheek Duo In Desert Sun, £12.50

5. Katy Perry Cool Kitty Lashes, £5.95

6. Topshop Lipstick In Macaroon, £.8.00

7. Topshop Lipstick In Infrared, £8.00

8. Real Techniques Core Collection, £21.99

 I bought these Sleek palettes because I watched Zoella's video about her drug store favourites, and I'm definitely not disappointed. This is the first contouring palette I've bought, and I'm definitely a fan of the bronzer and highlighter. Unfortunately I really don't like the blusher, It's an orange pink with a lot of shimmer - no thanks! The eye shadow palette is brilliant with matte and shimmer shades ranging from white to black. 12 shades for £7.99 seems like a good deal to me. There's not much fall out and they stay put all day, too. I really love the Sleek packaging (probably because it reminds me of Nars), and I love the huge mirror on these compacts too. 

I've gone a bit contouring mad lately! I saw this in Topshop and had to get it. I haven't really tried this out much and I'm slightly hesitant, but I'm sure I'll get into it. This looks like it will be really good for when I'm in a rush. Unfortunately every eye-shadow/powder product I have bought from Topshop has broken and it has gotten everywhere, and I'm really not a fan of the cheap plastic packaging. We shall see! 

Another face product, tut tut. I also can't believe I've only just bought this, and I am officially in LOVE!!! Every bronzer I have bought previously has been a little too orange and hasn't blended well, but this is literally perfect. I recommend this to everyone - I think they do a lighter shade too. 

Here's a swatch of the two lipsticks I bought from Topshop - macaroon and Infrared. Infrared is the bright ass orange, and I am so proud of myself for being brave enough to wear it - I have too many red lipsticks and need to start being experimental. Macaroon is a lovely bright baby pink and will be great for Summer. I don't know why but when I apply Topshop lipsticks they really do set into the creases in my lips and make them look so dry. Maybe I need to ex-foliate more, who knows. They stay on like a dream and are very pigmented, though. 

I don't think Real Techniques brushes and Katy Perry lashes need any comment, we all know they're amazing. What are your recent beauty purchases?

Beware Of Fake Products!

So I've always wanted one of these palettes, but I don't really have enough money to spend £36 on one make up product. A few days ago I saw an Urban Decay Naked2 palette on ebay for £18, and I didn't hesitate to buy it. I didn't know there was such a thing as faking these products, so even though this is such a bad experience I'm glad I've learnt something from it. As soon as I opened it I noticed a few little things that were suspicious, and when I googled it I realised how common it is. Here are some of the things I noticed: 

It's such a shame people feel the need to do this, and I hope the fact that I've been through this means you don't have to. Here's some tips about buying a product from anywhere that is not a reputable website/shop:

• Ask if they have proof that the product is genuine. Anyone who decides to sell these off has bought them in bulk, usually online. They will have an online receipt if they are genuine. 
• Compare the product they are selling to people's pictures of the genuine product. 
• Does it come in the exact packaging that Urban Decay sells it in? 
• Does it come with other products that are sold with it? (e.g. lipgloss, primer etc.) 
• Usually if it is fake they will only show one bad quality photo so you cannot see the difference, ask for high resolution photos zoomed in. 
• Read the reviews for this product - has anyone complained about it being fake?
• Look at the details - is it the exact same font/image/colour?

Hopefully I can get my money back for this, and I will definitely let Urban Decay know about him as it's not fair that he is making money off of their success and reputation. 

Please make sure to be careful when buying beauty products off of these websites. 

Recent Favourites

I've picked up a few things recently that I've sort of fallen in love with. I think we can all agree that getting lovely little bits n' bobs brightens up the dull days. Here's a list of what I got from right to left: 

• Whittard's Luxury White Hot Chocolate - I know right. White hot chocolate. It's blooming amazing! £5.50
• Williamson Tea's Earl Grey - I got this on my weekly shop and it's amazing, it has a touch of orange in it which tastes great. £2.05
• Anatomicals You Need a Blooming Shower! Rose Body Cleanser - A little of this goes a long way and it's so foamy, and the smell is to DIE for. £2.79
• BarryM White Kohl Pencil - White eye liner is becoming really popular I think, so I had to pick some up. This one is pretty soft and the line comes out very defined so I recommend it. £2.99
• Model Co Shine Ultra Lip Gloss Berry Pink - This was a free gift from Glamour Magazine this month and it's worth £12, is super shiny and literally tastes like berries. You should go grab it!
• Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - My friend raved about this so much, and now I've got it I'm super impressed. My dark circles have literally vanished! £4.19
• Smoothed, Sealed & Sensational Volumising No Oil Oil - My friend gave me this because she doesn't use it, but if you have oily hair it is a must have. It nourishes and gives your dead hair volume without adding any unnecessary oil! £7.00
• Topshop Lipstick In Whimsical - I swatched about 12 lipsticks in Topshop and I was drawn to this one. It's a coral baby pink and stays on like a treat. £8.00

I thought I would add that this free lip gloss has a mirror on the side! Why doesn't every cosmetic company do this!?

Model Co Shine Ultra Lip Gloss In Berry Pink.

Topshop Lipstick In Whimsical.

Topshop Eye Palette In Game On

So Topshop have new make up products out for Spring/Summer 2013. This eye palette is one of them, and as soon as I saw it I had to get it. Topshop used to do really lovely cream eye shadows a while back, so I'm so glad it's back. They also have a new lipstick shade (bombshell), a "face sculpting palette", some brush sets and blush sticks. I think they've hit it right on the head, I think this year it's all going to be about the neon lip and dewy skin. 

There's four shades in this cream eye shadow palette and they're all metallic. There's a medium blue, a brassy pink, a silver, and a gold. In the palette the colours look quite scary (I've never worn pink on my eyes before) but when you actually put them on, they blend so well and look lovely. It will set you back £12.50 for one of these which I think is reasonable as you get 4 and the product is so good. It sets well and lasts a while too. 

Putting this silver cream eye shadow on literally took me a minute and it looks lovely on it's own. You could use it as an eye liner, too (or if you're feeling super daring some as a highlight.) I think this is so perfect for the fun events to come this year including festivals and days out in the sun. I highly recommend this. 

What new products have you fallen in love with?

Electra Heart

Here goes another copy cat make up look! I love love love Marina & The Diamonds and her Electra Heart look is amazing. She has dewy skin, rosy cheeks, thick eyebrows and HUGE false lashes (with individual lashes on the bottom.) And not to forget the heart on her cheek, I love how she's turned the classic drawn on beauty mole into something modern. Unfortunately I don't own a pair of false lashes - yes I know, it's terrible. I just have never wanted to wear them, so why waste the money? 

Here's a list of the products I used to recreate her look: 

Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB Cream

Rimmel's Hide the Blemish Concealer 

17's Instant Glow Bronzer 

Natural Collection's Blushed Cheeks 

Revlon's ColorStay 16-Hour Eyeshadow In Addictive 

MUA's Immaculate Collection Pallete Shade 18 (as a highlight) 

Rimmel's Exaggerate Eye Liner 

Rimmel's Scandal Eyes Flex Mascara 

Benefit's They're Real Mascara (for bottom lashes) 

Do you like Marina Diamondis make up look? Who's you make up inspiration?

Rimmel Kate Moss Coral Lipstick 110

I usually stay away from wearing pink lipsticks and I'm not sure why. This lipstick has been sitting in my make up bag untouched for months, but I finally decided to start wearing it. 

I think this is such a pretty colour and is apparently a matte finish, but it doesn't feel that matte. I would honestly describe it as a gloss finish, but there you go. 

It currently retails at £5.49 and I really recommend this Kate Moss line. All the colours are super pretty, cheap and they last well. 

Hair Oil: Almond vs. Argan

Hair oil is incredible as it benefits your hair in so many ways. It repairs and strengthens your hair, as well as making it silky and smooth. There are many types of hair oil but I have chosen to try out argan oil and almond oil. 

This is Phil Smith's Total Treat Argan Oil "Hair Transforming Cream." It currently retails at £10.99 per 100ml. The texture is creamy, and the smell is a pretty ordinary hair product smell (I'm rubbish at describing things.) I think this product is pretty good at getting rid of frizz and fly aways and has transformed my hair in the blink of an eye. However I don't feel like it actually repairs or strengthens my hair, but is more of just a product that is good for quickly fixing some hair troubles. Also, the price is a bit daunting. I do recommend this for anyone who wants a quick fix. 

This is Dabur Vatika Almond Enriched Hair Oil. It sells at around £1.50 per 200ml. This is an Indian product, and now I understand why Indian women have such beautiful hair. It smells very sweet and obviously like almonds, I think the smell is to die for. Over all I really love this product, I think it really does well to repair and permanently change your hair. It's recommended that you apply this through your ends and massage into the scalp and leave it over night which is a bit of a hassle. I use this once a week and my hair is so smooth and bouncy when before it was frizzy and dull. The price is a plus too! 

Double Winged Eyeliner

Recently I've seen quite a few daring eye liner looks, including the triple winged eye liner look. As flattering and creative as they are, I'm not really comfortable leaving the house like that. So I thought I'd try doing a double winged eye liner look instead, making the look far less extravagant and beautiful - but hey ho! I think it turned out really well. It makes my eyes look a lot bigger and jazzes up my boring make up routine. Here's how I did it: 

Using my Rimmel Exaggerate Eye Liner I drew a basic line slightly on the thick side. When doing this it's best to put your handheld mirror below your chin and look down. That way you can really see if it's straight or not. 

I then added a flick. I made sure it wasn't too thick because obviously I need to fit another flick in there. 

I added another flick underneath, I tried to make it as identical to the other one as I could. 

Here's a view from the front, with a dash of Rimmel's Scandal Eyes mascara. I thought it looked pretty nice! Definitely going to start doing this more often, and maybe I'll get a little daring and add another flick. 

Have you tried out any funky eye liner looks? And if you tried this let me know how it went! 

Mwah! x