#1 What's on my feet?

Hey Everyone,

I hope you are all well and all had a lovely weekend! Today's (late post - sorry!) is going to be a similar concept to my "What's on my nails?" series, just this is what is on my toes nails! :) So if you don't like feet then you may wish to turn away from this lovely photo below!

Sorry for the state of my feet - I have had this nail polish on for a bit now :/ I am wearing Clinique's red red red (07). This is one of my fave reds of the moment and it shall be used greatly over the Christmas season! It is extremely pigmented, one coat will do you but I always do two just for longevity purposes! Then as always I used my Sally Hansen Double Duty as a base and top coat :)

I hope you enjoyed this post and have a lovely evening!

Emma
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Tricks to brighten your face!

Hey Everyone,

Today's post is going to be some tips and tricks to get that fresh faced look (which we all crave on those early mornings!) 

Okay, when I said brightening I didn't mean that bright! Photo on the right seems more realistic :) A bright and fresh looking face can make all the difference to how you feel and how you appear to others. We all have those days when your face needs a good pick me up! 

The most important aspects of the face to get right are the skin and the eyes! Start with your regular foundation and don't skip out on concealer. This will make tired eyes look not so tired. 

Now the fun bit - I started by priming my eyes with MAC's paint pot in soft ochre. Then to set that, I would recommend using a matte neutral shade all over the lid (Walk of shame - third along from the left in the Urban decay Naked basics palette). Remember nothing too strong in the crease as we want to open the eyes - I used a bit of Naked 2 (same palette fourth along from the left) for a bit of definition. Then, to highlight the inner corner, I used a bit of Virgin (first shade in the palette). 

Now for eyeliner - you don't have to do this step, but a bit of black liner on the top lash line really helps to make your eyes look bigger! I flicked mine but that's just me (I used Stila's stay all day waterproof liquid eyeliner in intense black). For the final touch, I took my NYX Jumbo eye pencil in Milk to use in the waterline, if you find that white is too harsh for you, swap it for a fleshy tone pencil instead. 

Finally, we have to show the skin some love! I would suggest using a nice pretty pink blush - I used the Daniel Sandler Watercolour fluid blusher in the shade Cherub. This leaves the skin with a very natural flush and then to finish off, I used some highlighter! What better way to brighten the face than with some the Balm Cosmetics Mary-Lou Manizer. Just make sure to blend with your fingers or used foundation brush to make every thing seamless!

I hope you enjoyed this post and have a lovely day,

Emma
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Brushes that do the work for you!

Hey Everyone,

This post is going to be all about make up brushes! So day to day, I see people who have put too much blush on or their eye shadow isn't blended properly etc. This can be easily fixed with the tools you use! I know there is a saying, "A good artist doesn't blame his/her tools!" But in terms of make up - I don't think this is the case. The brushes I am going to mention today, literally changed my life!  

From the top - down

*Louise Young LY34* *Real techniques contour brush* *MAC 217*

I honestly believe if you invest in any one of these brushes - it will will make application of products so much easier! You really can be your own make up artist!

Louise Young LY34 - this isn't called the "Super foundation" for nothing! It makes foundation application so quick and easy. Does all the blending and placement for you! As far as price goes, £24.00,  it is worth every penny and will last you a very long time!

Real techniques contour brush - This brush is sold as part of the core collection, which also includes the buffing brush, foundation brush, detailer brush (£21.99). All these brushes are also amazing but the contour brush really stands out for me! I think this is the best brush for newbies to contouring; as it is a nice rounded shape which means it will blend the contour in seamlessly. No awkward lines here! And it can be used for application of blush! 

MAC 217 - I felt that this brush deserved to go last....this brush makes blending eye shadows a joy! It seriously does all the work for you! I love it so much I have two! For £18.00, yes some may think that is pricey for an eye shadow brush but trust me it is worth it! Blending becomes effortless and makes any eye look instantly more professional.  

I hope you enjoyed this post and have a lovely day!

Emma

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Review: L'Oreal Paris New Nude Magique Eau Teint

Hey Everyone,

I hope you are all well! I'm super sorry for my absence the past week and a half...I have been up to my eye balls with uni work and general life. Too busy to blog (for shame!) Hopefully I'm back now for a while and I will try and give you regular posts! But first a quick update - I now have a JOB!!! Yay! I had been looking for work for almost 3 months! And finally the lovely people at Primark Brighton decided to give me a break! Just feel like such a weight has been lifted :P That's enough about me....

It universally known that I am a self-proclaimed beauty snob! It's true! I didn't used to be - until I began to try more expensive products. So, I am hoping that with this blog, that it will encourage me to branch out and try (and review) more affordable products.

So, as shown in the title, I will be reviewing L'Oreal Paris New Nude Magique Eau Teint. This product has already been talked about a lot in the beauty community. It appears to be loved by many! I am still on the fence. I seem to have a love hate relationship with this foundation. N.B. I have combination skin, prone to break outs in my chin and nose area.

I've been wearing it on and off now for 2 weeks. I wear the shade 100 Porcelain - the colour match is pretty good for my extremely light skin (as you can see from the photos below), however, the colour range is limited. My first impressions were it has a very light weight feel on the skin and has a very runny (watery) consistency. This is why it recommends to shake the bottle before use. It then dries to a powder-like finish and the coverage is light. I found that the best way to apply this was with my hefty LY34 foundation brush from Louise Young. I did not like using my fingers as it felt greasy and did not blend well. The only issue with application I really have is the bottle design - if you aren't careful when pouring there is the potential for a lot of wasted product.

The finish is very natural, semi-matte. This is what first encouraged me to try this foundation, as I love foundations that can control the oil on my face. Overall, it does do this - for the first 5-6 hours of wear time. If I didn't powder, then I could definitely see it wearing away around my nose.

This is one of the issues I have with high street foundations - there staying power never seems as good as higher end brands. This is why I disagree with this idea that this foundation is a dupe for the Giorgio Armani maestro foundation. I have only tried GA once, but it's staying power was a lot better and felt more matte on the skin, so did not end up looking greasy. To the right, is a picture after 6 hours wear time, with a powder touch up. Another note, this foundation did not break me out (which was nice) and is removed easily with a regular cleanser.  

  

Obviously, I don't know how it would be on dryer skin types but I would recommend trying it out in the shops. In conclusion, I'm not totally disappointed with this £6.99 (normal price £9.99) foundation and I'm sure I will continue using it. 

I hope you enjoyed this post and have a lovely day! 

Emma

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#3 Is it worth the investment?

Hey Everyone,

So, it's time for another installment of "Is it worth the investment?" I'll link the first one that explains the series. Today's post is going to be on watches! So a nice short one...

So this is my baby - my Micheal Kors! It is the MK-576; it has rose gold and silver detailing. As you can tell (by me calling it "my baby") I definitely think this is an item worth investing in! And just watches in general. I think once you get into the habit of wearing one it becomes a must :P They also make an awesome accessory to any outfit!

I would say a definite "YES" to investing in a nice watch which can be worn day or night.

I hope you enjoyed this post and have a lovely day!

Emma

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Autumn Look!

Hey Everyone,

So, I got a make up look for you today! I love the warm and redy brown tones that are always big this time of year. I made this look wearable for the day as it puts some excitement into a standard everyday look! Doing your make up in the morning shouldn't be a chore - it should be a pleasure!

You'll have to excuse my eyebrows - they are becoming a tiny bit crazy (may be due a tidy up soon!) As you can see it is pretty simple and clean. But I'm still rocking my feline flick, which you all know I love! But instead of the liner being black, I actually used my Bobbi Brown Long-wear Gel Eyeliner in Caviar Ink (27) which is a blackened brown shade. This I think makes a nice change and it ties in all those lovely warm browns I use as shadow.

I used pretty much all MAC eye shadows from my palette - I used Brule all over the lid, Mulch all through the crease and over the top of Mulch I used a bit of Cranberry (just to give it a wash off that gorgeous redy shade). Then, finally popped a bit of Espresso right in the outer corner and some of Urban decays Virgin (from the Naked Palette) in the inner corner. I made sure this was all blended nicely using my MAC 217.

The lips are very simple - lined with MAC's lip liner in Subculture, Tom Ford lip stick Blush Nude (which I mentioned in my Autumn Lipsticks), with Buxom Cream Gloss in White Russian over the top.

I better mention the skin - I used L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau De Teint (a review will be coming soon!) and for the rest see my everyday make up routine.

I hope you enjoyed this post and have a lovely day!
Emma
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#2 What's on my nails?

Hey Everyone,

I hope you are all well and happy! Here is another "What's on my nails?" for you! Since starting this series of posts I think I may become better at painting them - we shall see though! 

You'll have to excuse the state of my nails; when I am anxious or stressed about anything I take it out on my nails! So they are pretty short at the moment and they weren't too happy about me using false nails on them (for Halloween). 

This is another Chanel Nail Colour in 505 Particuliere. This is a lot more opaque than the last one, though this kinda colour is an acquired taste. For instance, my mum really doesn't like it - but I do! I think it is a good one for Autumn/Winter because it is dark without being too intense. Depending on your wardrobe, this colour should go with most things (if it is mostly dark colours; like my mine!) 

The wear is pretty good - doesn't seem to chip until day 3, but that's standard for my nails. Again, I used my Sally Hansen Double Duty Strengthening Base & Top Coat as a Base and Top Coat (as the name suggests!)

I hope you enjoyed this post and have a lovely day!

Emma 

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October Favourites!

Hey Everyone,

So, I am sorry this is late! I totally forgot to do this post! Bad blogger!
Every month I shall try to do a monthly favourites post - but I shall warn you; as I'm a poor student don't be surprised if I repeat products that I have already mentioned in other posts!
To save these posts from being too long, I'm only going to mention 5 favourites. They will be from the following categories:-
1) Make up 2) Skincare 3) Hair care 4) Random 5) An extra item from one of the 4 categories!

Let's jump into it!

1) Make Up - NARS Ita brush #21

Okay, so you might not call this a make up item - but it is a make up accessory...so I say it counts!
I've been watching beauty gurus such as Shaaanxo and Claire Marshall use this brush for so long now. I really really wanted to try it; but it's a pricey brush! So I turned to eBay - and there it was for £10.99! Honestly, it looks real and feels real - but even if it's not, I don't care it does the job! I love this brush and if you can afford to buy it from NARS than go for it! Highly recommend this brush for a sharp, clean contour!

2) Skincare - Vaseline Spray & Go body moisturizer in cocoa radiant

Now, I mentioned this in my Beauty Blogger Tag...I am useless when it comes to body moisturizer. I just hate the whole process of having to rub it in for 10 minutes and having to let it dry! So I never did it - until now!
This stuff is amazing; it smells like the regular formula moisturizer and it literally drys in seconds! It leaves my skin feeling soft and smelling great.

3) Hair care - Paul Mitchell Extra-body Sculpting Foam

Again, I have talked about this in more depth in my After Shower Hair Products post. So I won't say too much about it, only that it is awesome and that you need to try it!

On a side note - don't expect much variation in this category; as I rarely change what I use in my hair. This is just because I'm quite happy with what I use at the moment :)

4) Random Favourite - IKEA's Tindra scented candle in Tropical Fruit

Normally, this time of year, I love a warmer scented candle or a cake-inspired scent. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I started loving this fragrance - the orange colour was just perfect coming up to Halloween. Though the scent is not strong with this candle - I still love burning it for a hint of sweetness in my room.

5) Extra Make up - Stila stay all day waterproof liquid eye liner in Intense Black

This had to be mentioned; as I've been using this almost everyday this month and I LOVE IT! I have tried a lot of liquid liners and this is my fave so far! To see a more in depth review please refer to my first blog.

I hope you enjoyed this monthly favourites, sorry again that it was late. I will be staying on top of it for November!

I hope you have a lovely day!

Emma
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It's BONFIRE NIGHT!

Hey Everyone,

"Remember, remember, the fifth of November, The Gunpowder treason and plot; I know of no reason Why the Gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot!" 

You all know the words! It is fireworks night, yay! This is one of the best nights of the year (in my opinion) I just love fireworks, sparklers and the bonfire! Also, wrapping up warm and getting a cheeky hot dog at the end of the night! 

These are a few pictures from the Lewes fireworks display last year. Lewes Bonfire Celebration is the biggest in the UK - it's incredible! It does get extremely busy, but it is one of those things that's worth doing once! I, however, really enjoyed myself; the atmosphere was immense and I can't wait to go this year!

Remember to wrap up warm - particularly your hands! I hope you all have an awesome night! What are your plans for Bonfire night?

Emma
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Autumn/Winter Lipsticks!

Hey Everyone,

It is that time of year, when everyone is wearing darker clothes (which I do all year round anyway!), woolly knits and scarves, and hats etc. All those good things about colder months! So, I thought I'd do my first seasonal post - Autumn/ Winter Lipsticks! Yay! :D

 WARNING! This post contains a lot of photos of my face! (Sorry in advance about the quality - I'm doing my best with the camera I have!) So there are 5 lipsticks that I'd like to talk about.

Firstly, there are my 2 favourite nudes :) I love nude lipsticks in general, so technically isn't really seasonal. But I'm including them anyway, you can never have too many nudey/pink lipsticks!

Let's jump in with the lipstick on the right - this is the most expensive lipstick I own (which I got as a present); Tom Ford Blush Nude. This is a seriously creamy lipstick, makes it very comfortable to wear. However, it can sit in lines on the lips; so you have to make sure your lips are hydrated. It also helps to rub it into the lips, which also makes it last longer.

Here is a close up with it on the lips and then on the right, the lipstick incorporated with the whole face. As you can see it is a slightly pink nude.

Second Nude is Giorgio Armani in 103 - I used this in my everyday make up routine. I love this nude; it is not as thick as the Tom Ford so it's staying power is not as good. However, it is still very comfortable to wear and is that lipstick you can put on without a mirror. This is a more peachy nude.

Here is what Autumn/Winter make up is all about! Winter is definitely the time to get out your dark, bold lipsticks out! These are but a few of my favourites.

I'll start with the most wearable - middle - Chanel Rouge Allure 116 Envoutante. This is my favourite one for an everyday autumn look, where you want to play up the lips but at the same time want it subtle. It is so soft on the lips and you can build it up if you want something more. It also has a faint raspberry scent (which I really like!)

So it is no secret to anyone that I love MAC lipsticks! I love the smell, the range of formulas are great and they tend to have good staying power (especially the stronger colours!)

This first one is MAC's rebel lipstick (one on the right) - which has been talked about a lot on the internet. When I went into MAC and said I was looking for a nice Plumy lipstick, this is the first one that was shown to me. As soon as I tried it I was sold! As you can see from the images, it is slightly pinky - which I quite like and makes a change from the more traditional plums like the Chanel one.






Finally, MAC's hang up lipstick (one on the left). This is not so talked about on the internet, which surprises me as it is such a lovely deep, plumy red. It is another one I like to wear as a stain; it is a very thick consistency.


I hope you enjoyed this post and have a lovely day!

Emma
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Day/Night in!

Hey Everyone,

I hope everyone is well! So, this post is not going to be necessarily beauty orientated but I felt like making a rambly post. This weekend has been pretty rubbish so far; I'm very sad/angry/hormonal/tired. I won't go into too much about the sad/angry bit - just going to say it involved a friend who has let me down and we aren't talking (which is killing me!) 

Due to this I tried to have a relaxing Saturday to take my mind off things - because when something is annoying me it eats away at my brain! So, I had a bit of a "sort out your life" day where I did my laundry (finally) and tidied my room. My room was like a bomb site so this was well worth doing. I always find when you are upset - distracting myself with chores really helps. Also, cleaned my brushes!! Good Emma!

Also, I find that having a long, hot shower/bath helps so much! So, I had a good clean which instantly made me feel better and having clean hair is never a bad thing! 

Then, I decided to have a late night mask! This is my Lush Fresh Face Mask in Love Lettuce, which I have talked about in my Skincare Routine. On days when you feel rubbish it's nice to show your skin some love and it makes you feel fresher! 

And yes - I did just put a picture of myself in a face mask on the internet! 

Also, had a nice hot cup of coffee. Makes you feel warm inside :) This can be any drink as long as it's hot!

Though, I know sometimes you need something a little stronger! 

I hope you enjoyed this post and have a lovely day!

I'd love for you to tell me what kinda stuff you do when you are sad/ill/generally feeling rubbish.

Emma

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After shower Hair Products!

Hey Everyone,

Today's post is all about Hair Products! So, after doing my What's in my shower post, it only seems fitting we continue onto hair products! And similarly to that post, I honestly don't use that many products in my hair *whispers* It's because I'm lazy! *whispers*

Immediately after showering - I brush my hair, my hair gets soooooo tangled its unreal. I didn't take a picture of my brush; as it is your standard paddle brush but I'll link mine here.
Then I move onto volumizing and heat protection. I blow-dry my hair pretty much every other day (with the occasionally day I let it air-dry when I'm using rollers etc.) So these products to me are essential!
Firstly, I use my Paul Mitchel Extra-Body Sculpting Foam - I LOVE this stuff! I've been using it since I was 13 years old, I purchased it after I had my first lot of layers put into my hair! I never looked back!
I rate products when I really miss them when they aren't in my routine. This is one of those products. I really notice the difference with the body of my hair when I don't use it!
This next product is new addition to my routine; when my Argon Oil Cream ran out in late September - I really needed new heat protection and something that would give my hair some extra shine. A year ago I was using the famous Moroccan oil (which I really loved!) but it is just sooo expensive! I really couldn't afford it at the time so I had to go with something from boots. I decided to try L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil - they have a few different formulas - I picked the one for coloured hair. Now, this is a thin oil, not like Moroccan oil; which is a lot thicker. You can use before showering, before blow-drying and after styling. So many uses! I use it before blow-drying, which gives me some protection and some added glossy-ness.

After blow-drying, I usually stick my hair in a bun and let it form some natural looking waves or I use my curling tongs (if I'm feeling bothered :P) But I always use Hair Spray - no matter what the style! This one is another old-faithful for me; which I have been using since I was 13! It is the Bed Head Hard Hold Hairspray. This stuff is truly awesome and it gives great hold to any style, while being still a bit flexible! Highly recommend.
The last product I'm going to mention is something I use on my more lazy days...Batiste Dry Shampoo, big & bouncy XXL volume. As you can tell, I like volume in my hair as it is naturally very straight and quite flat! So I give my hair as much as it can get! I only use this if I haven't had chance to shower or my hair looks like it needs a pick me up. It really works and I love the smell!

I hope you enjoyed this post and are having a lovely day!

Emma
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Happy Halloween!!

Hey Everyone,

Happy Halloween to you all!! (Sorry this is late!) I hope you all had wonderful spooky nights! Mine didn't go quite as planned, but what night really does? I never have much luck with Halloween; I think next year I might just curl up in bed and watch the Nightmare before Christmas! 

 Spot the character in the pumpkin? (I'm so proud of this!)

So, I bet you are all wondering what my costume is, without further ado...

"I am turning into a werewolf!" Run....

So as I said in my FX make up for amateurs post it is all in the little details....

So I used red coloured contact lenses and I practically destroyed my false nails :P

I feel these little things just bring the whole concept together, even if the actual costume was pretty rubbish!

I hope you enjoyed this post and had a wonderful evening!

Emma 

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Skincare Routine

Hey Everyone,

I hope you guys had a wonderful Halloween and are sufficiently tired this morning! I know I will be (this was written on the Wednesday, in anticipation of this!) So, I have gone through my everyday make up and what I use in the shower....now it's time for SKINCARE! Yay! And I'm sure a lot you will have gone to bed with your make up on or taken it off with a make up wipe! (skincare sin!) But we all do it sometimes - so the day after a big night is definitely a time to treat your skin!

So, lets start with items I keep in the bathroom...

I have my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser (what a mouth full!) I've been using this stuff for over a year now and I just can't get enough of it! I switched to a "polish" as I was finding soap cleansers were dehydrating my skin; making it feel all tight :( This does not break me out and keeps my skin super soft! And when used with the Muslin cloth (seen behind) helps remove my make up nicely. Then, on the right, is my Clinique anti-blemish solutions oil-control cleansing mask (another mouth full :P) I don't use this daily; but sometimes I wake up in the morning and my skin feels super oily. So, if I have time, I'll quickly use this mask in my oily areas - chin and around my nose. This just takes away that bit of excess oil and also helps reduce the size of blemishes.

 Finally, I have my MAC Cleanse Off Oil which I use if I'm wearing water-proof mascara or a heavy face of make up! This stuff really works! It is amazing - girls with oily skin - don't be put off by the word "oil". It does not break me out!

 Yes, I'm sorry this is going to be one of those really long posts :P So, moving on to my toner and moisturizer. I use the Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic; I know I could probably skip this step but I like it as it removes that last bit of "dirt and grime" off my face! Then, I use my Clinique dramatically different moisturizing gel - this is my Holy Grail Moisturizer! It is honestly, the best I've tried, it leaves the skin feeling hydrated and it doesn't sit on top of my oily skin. This leaves my skin super soft and ready for make up.

 Stay with me...almost there :) I call these my little extras. They really do make a difference to my skin though. On the left, Clinique superdefense age defense moisturizer (combination oily to oily) I was recommended this about 3 years ago, when I noticed I had flaky skin on my nose. I didn't know what was going wrong as I regularly exfoliated etc. So this lady at Clinique, suggested that I try this moisturizer. At first, I was a bit offended she was suggesting that I used an anti-ageing cream at the age of 16! Though, it is never too early to start anti-ageing products I have learnt and this cream really did help my flaky skin! I haven't had a problem with it since! Then, in the middle, Grease Lightning Spot Treatment from Lush. This is a relatively new purchase for me and it is awesome for my blemish prone skin. It dries out active spots and reduces their size massively! I use this before I go to bed. Then, finally, I have my Origins GinZing eye cream. This I use every morning, this brightens my eyes and gives me a more awake feeling.

Never forget to show your lips some love! I use Popcorn Lip scrub from Lush; this just gets rid of dry skin on the lips - makes them nice and smooth. Then, I apply Carmex original which hydrates and tastes amazing!

 This final product is like a "treat" product for myself. I don't always have it as it only lasts a few weeks (being a fresh face mask). It slightly exfoliates and smells nice, and leaves my skin feeling fresh!

I hope you enjoyed this post and have a lovely day!

If you want a more in depth review of individual products let me know!

Emma
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