face of the day: natalie from made in chelsea

Haha can I point out that I don't have a wrinkly forehead or one eyebrow higher than the other...  I just seem to have  to raise one eyebrow when I smile for a picture and this is usually hidden by my fringe - nice!

When I was watching Made in Chelsea on Monday night (oh the drama!) I was thinking to myself how lovely some of the girls' make up looked. Millie, Louise and Natalie especially always manage to look so natural and pretty and, like me, they're a lover of all things neutral when it comes to eye make up. In particular, I really liked Natalie's make up on Monday night's programme. Natural glowy skin with very slightly defined upper lashes - beautiful! Obviously this is just an inspired look so I'm never going to look quite as flawless or have locks that bouncy and flowing (sigh) but I'd thought I'd give it a shot.

As I said all the girls in Made in Chelsea have such glowing and healthy looking skin so after applying the Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer I used a combination of the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in 51 and the No7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream for Normal/Dry Skin in Fair. Now normally I would perhaps just use the No7 BB Cream but over the past few days my skin has gone crazy (I think due to the stress of exams and eating naughty things) so I just wanted a little extra coverage but still with the finish of a BB cream. Also as I wanted a little more coverage I used a traditional flat foundation brush which I very rarely do. Usually I always use a buffing brush or stippling brush for my foundation but I find a traditional foundation brush really allows you to lay more product on to the skin and hide any unwanted areas more effectively.

To conceal my gazillion spots and in particular the really nice volcano right in the centre of my forehead I used my Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair. Then for under my eyes and around my nose I chose the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in Ivory. I find that this is great for the under eye area as it really brightens any darkness. Finally to finish off my foundation and concealer I took a very small brush and only powdered the areas that need to stay in place such as around my nose, under my eyes and any spots. For this I used the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Translucent.

Step two in getting the perfect Made in Chelsea skin definitely requires some bronzer. When don't you see the girls with a healthy looking tan? As I haven't jetted off to Dubai any time recently (or ever for that matter) I made do with using some Soleil Tan de Chanel. Natalie doesn't have much contouring so I simply used a stippling brush to apply the bronzer all over my cheeks and up to my temples rather than creating any more of a defined structure. To carry on the bronzey cheek theme I used a little bit of tangerine coloured blusher. The one I actually used is a very old one I found in my blusher collection by L'Oreal Paris but after a little look on the internet I don't actually think it's available any more and all the information has rubbed off the back... Anything tangerine or peachy coloured will do on the cheeks but don't use too much as Natalie doesn't seem to be wearing much blusher at all (I had to restrain myself as if you've read my blog before you may have realised that I can be quite heavy handed on the cheeks!) To be honest you could probably leave out any blusher but this is something I'd definitely struggle to do haha.

I kept my brows very simple and natural looking by using my trusty Clinique Superfine Liner for Brows in Soft Blonde to just fill in any gaps and extend them a bit. I didn't really change my natural brow shape as I didn't want them to look unnatural or drawn on. I then slicked a little ELF Wet Gloss Lash and Brow Clear Mascara on to keep any unruly hairs in place.

On to the eyes! This was actually what I liked most about her make up. It doesn't look like much but that's the genius of it - it's so simple it's perfect haha! I also love how round Natalie's eyes are and I really think she knows how to work with her eye shape, she makes them look even wider and prettier. First I swept a little of the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Ivory all across my lids just to even the colour of them out. I then put some of Urban Decay's Naked Eyeshadow in to the outer part of my crease and blended thoroughly as I only wanted the tiniest amount of definition here. Along my upper lash line I then used an Avon Colour Trend Kajal Stick in Brown. To make my eyes appear rounder I only took the eye liner about two thirds of the way along my lash line and made sure that it was thickest in the middle of the line as this can make your eyes appear wider. I chose brown instead of black as I didn't want a harsh black line and I also used my ring finger to smudge the liner in to my lashes a little. I then used some of the UNE Skin-Glow Pencil in G01 along my lower water line to open my eyes as much as possible! After curling my lashes I chose to use the Clinique High Impact Mascara in Black. I only applied this to my upper lashes as Natalie doesn't seem to have any on her lower ones.

Finally to finish the look off, on my lips I first applied a little lip balm then took some of the MUA Lipstick in Shade 16 on my finger and rubbed it across my lips so the colour was nice and sheer.

Are you a fan of the girls' make up on Made in Chelsea? I'm not obsessed with the programme but I'm definitely obsessed with their make up!

xx

current favourite lip products

Now beauty-wise I'm guessing that we all have certain items that we get more excited about than others. For me it's usually blushers and eyeshadows but at the moment I can't stop dreaming about different lip products! I think this might be because during revision period I tend just to wear a little mascara and a lipstick to get ready quickly, so I've been playing around more with lip products. Anyway, I thought I'd show you what I've been enjoying using at the moment!

MUA Sugar Lips Lip Balm, Revlon Black Cherry, Clinique Watermelon, Collection 2000 Break Dance Lip Gloss, 17 Belle, YSL Rose Stiletto, Topshop Ooh La La

MUA Love Hearts Lip Balm in Sugar Lips

This is so moisturising but has a gorgeous shine at the same time. I love to put a little on when I'm wearing no make up at all just to moisturise my lips or over lipsticks if I want a bit of a glossy look without it feeling sticky. Mm, it smells great too!

MUA Love Hearts Lip Balms are £2 from Superdrug or online here.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Black Cherry

I know I should probably be thinking about more spring appropriate colours now but I can't say the weather is really convincing me... What I love about this lipstick is how versatile it is. The colour is so beautiful and can be built up from a very subtle stain to a really dramatic vampy lip. It doesn't dry your lips at all but due to this if you're going full on then I would recommend using a lip liner.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks are £7.49 from Boots and online here.

Clinique Long Last Lipstick in Watermelon

Now this is probably a better colour for this time of year! It's such a fun bright shade that I've especially enjoyed recently while I've had a bit of a tan. As I've said before, when I'm at work staying power is really important to me when it comes to lip products and as the name claims this lipstick really does last well and needs minimum touch ups throughout the day - fab!

Clinique Long Last Lipsticks are £16 from Clinique counters and online here. 

Collection 2000 Lock N Hold Lip Gloss in Break Dance

I won't go on about this too much as I've done a full review of this gloss which you can read here. What I really love about this product, as with the Clinique lipstick, is that it lasts really well on the lips without feeling sticky and the colour is such a gorgeous coral which again looks brilliant with a bit of a tan.

Collection 2000 Lock N Hold Lip Glosses are £2.99 from Boots and online here.

17 Mirror Shine Lipstick in Belle

I love the Mirror Shine range of lipsticks! They are such a great affordable product which leave your lips super moisturised with a reasonable colour pay off - to be honest they're everything I wanted the Revlon Lip Butters to be! I actually did a post where I sort of compare the two which you can read here. I have quite a few colours now but I can't get enough of Belle especially at the moment. It's my perfect 'my lips but better' shade.

17 Mirror Shine Lipsticks are £4.59 from Boots and online here.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick in 9, Rose Stiletto

(Now let's all admit that the packaging is half the beauty of this product...) I wanted a great everyday lipstick that I would get a lot of wear out of, so I thought I'd splash out and get something nice as I knew it would be worth it as I'd use it quite a bit. When I saw Rose Stiletto in Selfridges I knew I'd found the right one - not too much of a nude and not too dark to not be perfect for everyday. Yes, it was pricey but the quality is incredible. It lasts on the lips so well without drying them out and when it does fade, it fades evenly without looking horrible and patchy. I can't wait until next payday to pick up another!

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipsticks are £23.50 from YSL counters and online here.

Topshop Lipstick in Ooh La La

Again here's another lipstick that I've been loving while I've had a bit of a tan! Ooh La La (I love the name) is such a lovely bright coral, which looks great with a little pink blusher and a tiny bit of mascara. It's such a great colour for the spring and summer and is also brilliant quality - I love Topshop lipsticks! The only thing is that I'm not sure if it's available any more but if not they do have some other great colours. It's not online but I've seen it recently instore so do have a look!

Topshop Lipsticks are £8 from Topshop and online here.

What lip products are you loving at the moment? Tempt me!

Can I also just say a huge thank you once again to all of you lovely people who read my little blog as I now have 200 followers! I love writing it so it feels even better to know that people actually read my silly ramblings! ♥

xx

face of the day: back to the liner

As I've mentioned before, and you've probably noticed from my recent posts, I haven't been wearing liquid eye liner much lately. I used to think my face looked odd without it but I'm beginning to feel that I look so much fresher and less over done in the day time when I'm liner-free. However, last week I put some on and loved how it looked! Paired with a neutral coloured lip and eyeshadow I didn't feel like I was wearing too much make up at all.

On my face I used Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer which I'm really starting to like, I think I'll do a review on it soon! I then used Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in Light Vanilla and put a little Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in Ivory under my eyes. I set my foundation on my nose and chin with Natural Collection Loose Powder in Neutral Translucent - I'd forgotten how good this was! I finished my skin off with some MAC Breath of Plum Blush and ELF Blush Highlighter in Gotta Glow.

I tidied my brows up with my Clinique Superfine Liner for Brows in Soft Blonde (I can't stop using this at the moment!) and set any naughty hairs in place with my trusty ELF Wet Gloss Lash and Brow Clear Mascara.

On to the eyes! As I said, I only wanted a really neutral eyeshadow with minimal shimmer so I chose my Revlon Colourstay Eyeshadow Palette in Addictive as it's perfect for that. The four colours are so great for everyday use. All over my lid I used the top right eyeshadow, which is a very slightly shimmery light grey. I then defined my crease with the bottom right shadow which is a mid-toned matte brown. For the all important liquid eye liner I used the Maybelline Gel Eyeliner in Black. This is such a great high street gel eye liner which is really pigmented and doesn't budge all day but the little brush that it comes with is so horrid and scratchy! I also added a bit of the Avon Colour Trend Kajal Stick in Black to tightline my upper waterline and make my lashes and eye liner look nice and dark. Similarly, on my lower waterline I used ELF's Eye Widener Pencil in Pearl White to open my eyes up a bit. I finished my eye make up off with the Rimmel Scandal Eyes Mascara in Black. I recently got this free as part of an offer Rimmel have on at the moment but I'm still undecided as to whether I like it or not... It hasn't blown me away!

To finish it all off I kept my lips nice and simple and used a Jack Wills Gloss Lipstick in Rosewood which is a lovely browny rose colour.

So there we go! Do you love the look of liquid eye liner? Do you wear it everyday?

xx

face of the day: glow!

As my day yesterday simply consisted of getting my shoes reheeled, buying some new Biros and revision (wild), I wanted really neutral and natural looking make up - nothing over the top or too heavy. For me, this means getting my skin looking as glowing and flawless as possible because I think radiant cheeks and just mascara on the eyes is such a great combination.

After moisturising I applied some of the Rimmel Fix and Protect Pro Primer on and around my nose and on my chin. I don't know what's happened but recently my pores around my nose have been looking HUGE and so I picked this up yesterday in a bid to shrink those horrid craters in my face a little bit. So far so good but I'll test it out a bit more thoroughly before giving a full review. In the bid for glowing skin I also applied some L'Oreal Lumi Magique Base Concentre de Lumiere (the French name sounds so much more glamorous haha) to my cheeks and then after letting it sink it added another layer to my temples and cheekbones. While this definitely does not perfect your skin or give any coverage, the healthy glow that it gives when worn under foundation is just fab!

On to the foundation! Last Monday I picked up a sample of the Nars Sheer Glow from Selfridges and I am absolutely loving it. I only have about one application left in my little sample pot eek! I'm definitely going to go and repurchase it as I love the way it makes my skin look and feel. It makes my skin looking totally even and flawless but not flat and overly matte - I hate it when foundation takes away any natural glow. When I first applied this foundation I thought it looked really obvious, but after a couple of minutes and it's settled on to my skin it looks almost undetectable. I can't wait to get the full size! I also used a little of the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair under my eyes and anywhere where I needed any extra coverage (always the chin!), as well as using my UNE Skin Glow Pencil in G01 to take away any redness from my lower water line.

Next I applied some Soleil Tan de Chanel to the hollows of my cheeks and to the sides of my forehead with a stippling brush. Being quite pale I love the dimension this adds to my face and the sunkissed look it gives. I know that people say it can look orange and I do agree, which is why you have to be very careful to apply a little at a time to get the colour you're after. For blush I chose a 17 Blusher in First Kiss. Again this is a really glowy product and the pretty pink colour is so girly and gives a great flush to the cheeks. I think this blush and the Chanel bronzer are a fab team! I've also read that some people have said that First Kiss gives a similar effect to Nars Orgasm but obviously at a fraction of the price. After finishing my cheeks I put on a very small amount of Collection 2000 Pressed Powder in Candlelight just to my nose and chin to set my foundation. I never apply powder to anywhere else on my face as I want to keep my skin looking glowing.

I then pencilled in my eyebrows with Clinique Superfine Liner for Brows in Soft Blonde which is my go-to eyebrow pencil at the moment. I included it in my recent Current Favourites post so if you want to know more of my thoughts on it then click here! On my eyes I simply curled my lashes and then used the Clinique High Impact Mascara. I just have a little sample size of this from a magazine and while there's nothing fundamentally wrong with the product, I don't think I'd purchase it again as it far from blew me away and there are definitely cheaper mascaras that perform better. To highlight the inner corners of my eye and brow bone I then used an MUA Eyeshadow in Shade 1. I thought this was such a pretty highlight colour that I actually also dabbed a little on to my cheekbones.

Lastly I kept my lips very simple and used a Kate Moss for Rimmel Lipstick in Shade 3. Although I do like the colour of this lipstick it's perhaps a little light for me as I have quite naturally pigmented lips so I warmed it up a little with an MUA Love Hearts Lip Balm in Sugar Lips which is a really pretty pink and smells incredible!

So that was my make up for the day! I'd love to know any products you use to make your skin look dewy and glowy!

xx

current favourites

I didn't want to call this my April Favourites as that sort of implies that I'll do this every month, which I can't promise I necessarily will. However, regardless of the title, here are some things which I've really enjoyed using over the past month or so.

• For a true neutral lover (and lover of shimmer!) the Naked Palette is a must. It has the perfect range of shades to take you from a pretty subtle day time look to a full on smoky eye. It's quite pricey at £36 but for the quality and the number of eyeshadows you get (12), I think it's worth every penny.
• I've already done a full review of Lancome Hypnose Drama (which you can read here), but let me just reiterate - this is the best mascara I've ever used. It's just a shame that I didn't fall for a high street one!
• While I do love my Rimmel Brow Pencil for more defined brows, when I'm after more natural looking eyebrows for everyday (which are also quicker to do) then Clinique Instant Lift for Brows is a must for me. It has a screw up brow pencil on one end and a brow bone highlight on the other. However, my brow pencil end has run out and this time I've just purchased Clinique's Superfine Liner for Brows as I wasn't so bothered about the highlight side as it seemed a little too gold toned. It's a bit more expensive than a high street brow pencil at £12 but it's the perfect colour for my very fair eyebrows!
• Again, I've done a full review on the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze which you can read here. This is just such a fab multi-use product - I love to use it on its own, as a base for eyeshadow and as a liner - just brilliant!
• Three nail polish colours which I've really enjoyed wearing recently are Models Own 'Blooboo', Barry M 'Peach Melba' and Maybelline Express Finish in 'Turquoise Lagoon'. They're all just such fun colours for spring. Have a look at them on my nails here, here and here!

• I've definitely rekindled my love for Soap and Glory's Pulp Friction Body Scrub. Not only does this stuff smell brilliant (I have to restrain myself from eating it), but it leaves my skin silky smooth! You can pick this up from Boots for £8, which I thing is a fab price considering how long it's lasting me.
• This may seem a bit of an odd choice, but I've really enjoyed using the Dr. Bronner's Magic Lavender Hand Sanitizing Spray which I got in my February Glossybox. Living in London and working in a job where I have to handle money, my hands continuously feel dirty and I find myself using a lot of hand sanitizer. I not only love the smell of this as it's less chemically smelling than others I've tried but I love that it's in a spray bottle. I also find that it doesn't leave my hands feeling as dry as others have done. I'll definitely pick up another one of these when it runs out.
• Ever since I smelled Valentina by Valentino in last month's Glossybox, I've wanted a bottle. My boyfriend treated me to some for my birthday and I can't stop using it! I'm awful at describing scents, but it's floral and girly but not too sweet. Definitely give it a smell if you get a chance as it's such a beautiful perfume.

• These jeans were really difficult to photograph so I don't think I've done them much justice, but I absolutely love them. I can't get enough of Zara at the moment and I think these leather look jeans have to be my favourite recent purchase. I can't find them online any more but they're basically identical to these. They're great to wear both in the day and for a night out and make basic outfits look so much more interesting.
• This necklace from River Island has been practically glued to my neck all month! I know everyone has these cuff style necklaces at the moment but for me this is the perfect thickness. I just love how plain it is and it looks fab especially with basic tees. It cost me £7 and it's also available in silver (umm, may have to get that...)
• Last but by no means least is my Babyliss Big Hair. This makes my hair look salon fresh and feel so healthy and bouncy - Kate Middleton would be jealous! I love how it gives my naturally very flat hair a bit of life and volume. It's perhaps a bit pricey at £45 ish (here on Amazon) but it does make the fiddly task of blow drying your hair so much easier.

Have you tried any of these bits? What did you think?

xx

an every day make up look #2

First of all, I have to say thank you so much to all of you because I've reached 100 followers! This makes me feel so happy, as it's fab to know that people actually read my silly ramblings and it just makes it all feel a bit more worth while! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Anyway, to today's post!

You know when you do your make up and then feel really happy with it all day? Well that was me on Thursday. I don't know what it exactly was about my make up, because as you can see it was very plain and neutral, but it just made me feel really feminine and pretty. (Most of you will probably be wondering what all the fuss is about haha.) In fact, I liked Thursday's make up so much that even though I wasn't going anywhere, I recreated the same look again on Friday just so I could take a picture. I'm definitely losing it.

Anyway, we'll forget about my insanity. Here's what I used:

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation - 51

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer (under my eyes) - Ivory

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer (on any blemishes) - Fair

NYC Smooth Skin Loose Face Powder (on my t-zone) - Translucent

Clinique Instant Lift for Brows - Soft Blonde

17 Blusher - Damson Wine

E.L.F. Shimmering Facial Whip (on my non-existent cheekbones) - Lilac Petal

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Urban Decay Naked Palette - Sin (all over my eye lid), Hustle (in my crease and outer corner)

No 7 Smoky Rose Quad - Shimmery cream colour in bottom left (to highlight my inner corner and brow bone)

Maybelline 24 Hour Colour Tattoo - On and On Bronze (to line my upper lash line and smudged a little under my eye)

Rimmel Glam'Eyes Mascara - Black 

Rimmel Lasting Finish 1000 Kisses Lip Tint - Nothing but Nude

I absolutely love liquid eye liner, and up until about a year ago I would wear it with a little flick every day without fail. However, I also love shimmery neutral eyeshadows and I began to feel that the two together looked a bit over the top for the day time. Especially for the spring, I'm now really enjoying simply wearing pretty shimmery neutral shadows, which has also given me a bit more freedom to wear a darker or brighter coloured lip - win win!

What kind of make up are you enjoying wearing at the moment? And if any of you want reviews of any of these products then let me know!

xx

sunday outfit, sunday face

Hello!

Just a super quick post as I'm working on an essay today (if anyone wants to tell me about the integration of Nazis in the Federal Republic then please do go ahead...)

Here's my comfy outfit for my hot date with the library:

A very uncomfortable looking me haha!

Denim jacket - Charity shop
T shirt - River Island
Belt - Vintage
Jeans - Primark
Pumps - Primark
Stone ring - Jewellery stall in Norwich
Thin silver ring - Found it in my kitchen of my old flat... if anyone wants to reclaim it please do!
Necklace - Vintage
Earrings - Gift

I also took a little picture of my make up for you. As with my outfit it's really simple and natural apart from the lipstick. I'm wearing my glasses today too as my eyes get sore when I stare at the computer for too long! (If anyone wants to know they're from Specsavers - cheap and cheerful!)

No7 BB Cream - Normal/Dry - Fair
Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer - Fair 1
NYC Smooth Skin Loose Face Powder - Translucent
Rimmel London Eyebrow Pencil - Hazel 002
ELF Wet Gloss Lash and Brow Clear Mascara
Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara - Excessive Black
Sleek Blush - Flamingo
ELF Highlighter - Gotta Glow
Boots Essentials Lipsalve - Spearmint
Clinique Long Last Lipstick - Watermelon (Soft Shine)

Sorry for the quick and probably not very interesting post! I promise to have a more thrilling one for you very soon! I hope you're all having a lovely Mothers Day - I'd love to see my Mummy today :(

xxx