Over to the Dark Side.

Even though I said I wouldn't be doing a blog post until I'd finished all my uni work, I decided to give myself a break, cover my face in my new make up purchases and give you a sneaky peak of a new look I'm so in LOVE with.

Earrings; Primark £2 Necklace; H&M £3.99

So this week I've had a bit of a beauty splurge. I decided I needed to save my MAC studio fix foundation so I went to Boots and Superdrug just looking for a cheap everyday foundation. Superdrug are currently offering 3 for 2 on all their cosmetics so I HAD to buy my favourite Maybelline Matte Mousse Foundation so I also Rimmel Match Perfection to get Maybelline's Great Lash Mascara free. I then went on to get 3 for 2 on the MUA products and got a Blusher, Bronzer and a Concealer. I really recommend the concealer its BRILLIANT and only a quid! I also bought an MUA eyebrow pencil as my current one had been sharpened down to the end of its life. Whilst I was also in Superdrug I thought I'd treat myself to a new foundation brush, I've used a Superdrug one before my last brush and honestly I don't know why I ever changed brands, its super soft, smoothes the foundation and gives your skin a really even tone. Its easy to clean and dry and it lasts for ages!
I then decided to go into Boots and as I had a £3 off No.7 I decided to take a look at their mascaras (you can never have too many!!) I have used quite a few of their mascaras and really like them, but I've only ever bought them with a voucher as I do think they are quite pricey and they're not any better than other high street brands! The last product I bought was a shade I have never tried before but I have seen many people try it and I really liked the look. I have been looking everywhere for a really good dark dark purpley/red lipstick. When I saw the name New Black written on 17's Lipstick I assumed it was actually black so never paid much attention to it. But actually it is just the colour I'd been looking for! It's really dark but you can decide how dark you want it by using a piece of tissue and dabbing your lips to take some of the colour out. It is really pigmented and is really moisturizing on your lips!

So for this new look, I used all of the products shown in the above picture.

Maybelline Matte Mousse - Nude - £7.99

Rimmel Match Perfection Pressed Powder - Classic Beige - £5.99

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara - Blackest Black - £4.99

MUA Bronzer - Shade 1 - £1

MUA Blusher - Shade 5 - £1

MUA Concealer - Natural - £1

MUA Liquid Eyeliner - Black - £1

MUA Eyebrow Pencil - Brunette - £1

17 - New Black - £4.49 

Superdrug Foundation Brush - £3.99 

No. 7 Intense Volume Mascara - Black - £9.50

With the lips being so dark and prominent in this look, you need to be careful to not cape the eyes in make up and keep them quite simple. You can do a slight smokey look but just be careful to to make it too top heavy. I just stuck to a gentle line of eyeliner across the top lid and kept the rest of the lid bare and nothing on the bottom lid. But I guess it's completely up to you, and what suits you best!

To finish the look I just added my Gold Cross earrings from Primark and my favourite necklace at the moment from H&M.

These are all products I will continue to buy time and time again. They are great for quick application but create a lovely night out look as well. I think I'll have to be quite daring to wear the lipstick for an everyday look but it is definitely my new night out look! 

What do you think of the look? Let me know with your comments below, I love all the feedback from you lovely readers!

xo

Smokey Eyes.

I pretty much wear smokey eyes everyday. Rather than just using black and grey's, I tend to use brown's and beige's which look great. In this post I am going to try (emphasis on the 'try') and show you how I do my smokey eye look.

These are products I have used in this post:

Clinique Duo Eyeshadow P48,  Bourjois Black Jack Mascara, MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation NW25,
Clinique High Impact Mascara, !7 High Drama Intense Liquid Eyeliner, Maybelline 630, Barry M Dazzle Dust Black, MUA Brunette Eyebrow Pencil

I start with applying foundation evenly on my face making sure my eyelids are covered as well. I find the foundation helps to keep the eye shadow stay on better when it has a liquid foundation base.

 Once you have an even skin tone, choose the two colours you wish to use as the base of your smokey eye. In today's post I have decided to use a beige and dark brown.

Apply the beige across the whole of the eyelid and make sure you cover the crease of your lid and sightly above. Then take the darker colour (in this case brown) and open your eye in order to use the eye shadow brush to put the brown in the crease of your eye. Only put the brown on the middle of your eye lid to the outer side of your eye. Leaving it to go from beige to brown. Once the brown has been applied use your finger to blend the two colours where they meet.

Once the two colours have been blended, you could apply eye liner and mascara to complete the look but today I want to make the eye look a little darker. In order to do this I am going to use some of the Barry M dazzle dust just above the crease and use my finger to blend it with the brown and beige down towards my lashes. Depending on how dark you want your eye to look you can use less or more of the dazzle dust.

Once you are happy with the colour of your eyes you can apply eyeliner on the top of the eye and mascara. I tend not to wear eyeliner on the bottoms of my eyes as I don't like it when it smudges. But if you prefer eyeliner on the bottom, it does look great too!

This look is such an easy look to do when you know how. The key to this look is the ability to blend and the easiest way to do it is with the tip of your finger. So if you like this look, give it a go yourself and I'd love to know how you get on so leave your comments below!
xo

Summer Wish List

I think we can all agree that this years Spring in the UK has been appalling. The sun seems to be trying it's hardest to push through but every time I go to pull out my sunglasses it appears to be raining (or snowing!) yet again.  I have had enough. This time last year I was enjoying the sun on the south east coast at Uni catching some rays to start off my summer tan! To lift my spirits I've collected together an outfit I WILL be purchasing whether we get sun or not because I am THAT in love with it.

Over the past few Summers I have purchased a few playsuits from Miss Selfridge and they have been brilliant, I still wear them on nights out today (I'm a student, let me off!) when I saw this gorgeous Aztec print one online I fell in love at first sight. Playsuits are great at complimenting peoples figures with the elastic waists so playsuits are a must buy for you all!

I don't usually go for shoes with colour but when I saw these beauties in New Look I've decided they will be mine when that Student Loan makes it to my bank account! I like the vintage-ness they give to the look and they are clumpy but almost dainty at the same time. The only thing I will be cautious of is the cork heel as I have had heels of this material in the past and they have a tendency of easily getting scuffed. 

I have chosen a range of different accessories to go with this outfit and even though the playsuit has a lot of eye-catching detail, there's nothing wrong with adding a FEW bits to it. Firstly I have fancied buying a gold chain necklace for a while but I have never found the right one. I still don't know whether this one would be the exact one I'd buy but it goes nicely with the outfit! Gold chains seem to be really in this season and I think they look great when dressing up an outfit. Cateye sunglasses also seem to be popular for this summer with almost every shop selling a pair. I have actually found a Prada pair in matte tortoise shell colour but due to being a student I guess I'll have to settle for a Topshop pair! Sticking with a gold theme I found this ring on the Topshop website and thought it was subtle enough for the outfit but still makes a statement (and I LOVE statement rings). The watch by Michael Kors is a little bit out of my price range and seeing as my birthday is not until December I guess I may have to wait until then for this one! I'm not really a small bag person, unless I'm using my clutch bag on a night out, as I like to fit everything and anything in my handbag but for some reason I was drawn to this bag when I was browsing online at ASOS.com. I think the gold chain on the strap and the little gold bow on the front go perfectly with the jewelry but this is one of those outfits that would go with a big or small bag, its all down to personal preference. I know some people aren't keen on bowler hats but I love them. I think with the shoes having giving the outfit that vintage look the bowler had joins in and gives the outfit a bit of edge. 

For the make up, those of you who know me know I am a MASSIVE fan of Barry M. So whenever it comes to matching my make up and nails to my outfit I will straight away head to the Barry M section of Boots or Super Drug. I currently own the nail varnish shade, Peach Melba NP318, and it was one of the very first shades I bought. My bottle, however, seems to be running low so I must purchase a new one. When on your nails it is a light pink/peachy colour, looks lovely and only needs to coats to be applied. I've only had one Barry M Lip Paint in Coral. It has lasted forever and has great pigmentation. The shade I have chosen for this outfit is Peachy Pink LB147 to match the peachy colour in both the playsuit and the shoes.

And then last but not least, the false eyelashes. I am a huge fan of Eylure false lashes. They are just as great on the second, third and even fourth wear as they were on the first. The glue that comes with them is see through when dry so you don't have to worry about being messy with it and it also lasts and leaves the lashes on your eyes from when you applied the lashes to when you decide to take them off. They are a must have!

So there you have it, my number 1 Summer outfiit. Let me know what you think, and if you can add other suggestions to this outfit I'd love to hear! Finger's crossed the Sun will be shining VERY VERY soon.

xo

Luscious Lips.

Everyone has their favourite shade of lipstick but for me I have FIVE favourites. The shade I decide to wear completely depends on what I'm wearing or what mood I'm in and where I am going. When I was younger I wouldn't dare wear anything but a clear lip gloss, well how times have changed, now I absolutely LOVE wearing bold and obvious colours, especially red. My five faves consist of:

Clinque's 12 RED-Y TO WEAR - The thing I love most about this lip stick is it's not your average matte Red, it has a very high shine to it and makes your lips look so perfect and the shade goes with both subtle eyes or if you like the smokey look like I do. It's a great colour for a night out or an every day wear, depending on your style. I also try and keep the slanted shape in my lipsticks as it is helpful when putting on your top lip and allows you to be able to follow your lip line accurately.

Rimmel's LASTING FINISH 1000 KISSES 600 CARRY ON CHERRY - This is Rimmel's Transferproof Lip Tint and Balm. I love the colour as its bright but subtle enough for people to believe you're only wearing a lip gloss. The Lip tint is a pen at one end and the balm is to put over the top of your lips once you have applied the tint in order to lock in the colour. It is not completely non-transferable but then again I don't think any of the lipsticks that state they are, ever really are.

Maybelline's COLOUR SENSATIONAL 630 VELVET BEIGE - This shade is my favourite everyday colour. It's a brown-y shade and looks perfect with my brown smokey eyes. I wear this shade to work, uni and just out and about. It's a great colour as it is not as in-your-face as a bright red but its bold enough to make a statement. It's got a great shine to it but I do find I have to keep topping it up. People always ask what brand and shade it is and tell me how much they like it! I'd definitely recommend this shade to anyone looking to add to their everyday look.

Jemma Kidd Make Up School's HIGH SHINE SILK TOUCH LIPGLOSS 17 PETAL - These days I find it hard to find a lip gloss that I like. I find a lot of them are too sticky and you end up opening your mouth and having strings between your upper and lower lip (which is NOT a good look). However, this lip gloss is fantastic. It's not sticky and it appears on your lips the same colour as the tube shows (I find most don't come out the same colour, and sometimes not even a similar colour!). It's such a pretty shade and is great for those who like the lighter shades on their lips (hopefully more people will purchase this and we'll abolish this 'fashion' of wearing foundation for lipstick! YUCK). 

MUA Shade 11 - I was a bit sceptical about buying a MUA lipstick at first as I thought the brand MUA was just Superdrug's version of Natural Collection at Boots and didn't think it would be very good. But after seeing raving reviews of their products by my fellow blogger and friend I decided I'd give the brand a go and now I am absolutely in love with it. This lipstick is a subtle red with a lot of shine. It's no where near as bold or bright as the Red by Clinique but its perfect for the minimal make up look. I like to wear this lipstick when I want my eyes to be the defining feature of my make up but I hate going without something on my lips so this helps to give them a bit of colour. 

If you like any of these shades, or want to try out these brands yourselves, go ahead and let me know what you think of them. Or if you've got a favourite shade that you think I should try, don't hesitate to tell me as I would love to try some new shades.You can purchase these at your local Superdrug or Boots Stores, and you can purchase Jemma Kidd's range on line. xo

Left to Right: Rimmel, MUA, Maybelline, Jemma Kidd, Clinique.

Perfect Brows.

Some may call me a perfectionist when it comes to drawing on my eyebrows. I can however, be extremely lazy when it comes to plucking them and will just let them grow for ages until they desperately need doing and I'll then eventually get them threaded. I am quite lucky in the fact I have light hairs and can, most of the time, get away with it and drawing them on helps to disguise the stray hairs. It has taken me a few years to be able to draw them exactly how I want them and I think it has paid off. I was in a club the other week and these too girls stopped to tell me how perfect and lovely my eye brows were, I loved the compliment (or at least I did until I started wondering if they being honest or if it was just the drink talking?)!! It is a pet hate of mine when people have eyebrows like hockey sticks, slugs, are fair too thin or completely the wrong colour to their hair, it isn't hard to have them professionally done (either plucked, threaded, or waxed), I have mine done at Super drug for £5 which isn't exactly a bank breaker!

At the moment I use MUA's Brunette Eyebrow Pencil which you can easily get from Super drug or online for £1. It is the best one I have used so far because if you go wrong it is easily wiped away without taking off the rest of your make up. The only thing I don't like about it is it doesn't fully dry so smudges quite easily so I have to make sure I don't rest my head in my hands or it prints the shape of my eyebrow into my palm. So if you're like me and take pride in your eyebrows then grab a pencil from MUA and see what you think?!