NEW Video // 1# Empties!

Hey Everyone,

I have another video for you today! I have been keeping this bag of empty bottles and packaging so I could film my first empties video! Yay! 

Now, I love watching other people do these sorts of videos, so I wanted to get in on the fun! When I filmed this it appeared that something at leaked into the bag so the products were all nice and oily (lovely!) I still have no idea where it came from :/ 

Anyway...I hope you enjoy this video! 

I hope you've been enjoying my videos recently and I hope you have a lovely day!

x

Make up Organisation // New storage items

Hey Everyone,

So, I don't think I have ever met a beauty enthusiast/vlogger/blogger not get excited by the prospect of NEW storage items! It is a serious subject, and needs to be just right - in terms of presentation and usefulness. 

I am currently living at home for the summer, so my storage system is not ideal; as my collection has grown substantially since I was in Sixth form. So, while in HomeBase and BHS, I found two new items which have helped me organise my stash. They were both inexpensive and have other potential uses.

Cutlery Tray

My first item is this Chrome wire Cutlery Tray - which I picked up from HomeBase for about £3. I have seen this technique of organisation used many times in the blogger world. Why? Because it just works! Instead of my previous technique of throwing them all in - this works much better. I am able to separate the lipsticks form the lip glosses, and the mascaras from the eyeliners. 

As I said this is my old storage unit from when I was still permanently living at home. So, this draw is too small for my collection, but this tray is still useful (I have even been able to colour organise my lipsticks and lip glosses!) 100% recommend something like this to organise inside draws.

BHS Vintage Tooth brush holder (sorry - no link was available)

Now this was a steal! I managed to find this for £2.99 (originally £6.99), and I just love the fact it says "Brush" (even if it really means tooth brush). It is the perfect size for smaller brushes, such as eye and lip brushes etc. 

As you can see from this set up on the top of my cabinet, I like to keep my brushes in mugs. More specifically, Starbucks mugs which I have been collecting since I went to a Starbuck's in the Bahamas when I was about 12! My most recent addition to my collection is my Amsterdam mug - the bike just makes it :P 

To me this is the most effective method of storage for brushes; as they are easily accessible and they are kept (relatively) clean. Logically, my larger brushes are in the larger mug. At the start of the summer, I had all my brushes in the SAME mug - which meant that I kept losing smaller ones (namely eyeliner).

I am now happier with the addition of my new storage. I'd love to know how you store your make up - let me know in the comments below.

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

x

Review Beauty Blender // Worth the hype?

Hey Everyone,

So, this has been on my radar for a long time. This is a much loved beauty applicator by beauty bloggers everywhere and is continuously hyped up. My interest was increased after a number of new posts on it, after it was included in a recent Birch Box. Unfortunately, I am not subscribed to this service - yet ;)! So, I made it my business to find the cheapest seller :P! 

Original beautyblender

It is still expensive for a make up sponge at £14.95 - though it can be as expensive as £16! This is pretty pricey - the question is..is it worth it?

 From the the left beautyblender dry and damp

So, you probably all know the drill by now with this sponge. It is a lovely hot pink sponge, shaped like an egg. The rounder side is for blending on larger areas of the face (such as cheeks, forehead etc.) and the pointy end is for getting in all those nooks and crannies (such as around the nose and under the eyes etc.)

From the left beautyblender, MAC Pro Longwear Foundation in NC15 and Real Techniques Buffing brush

 For this little test, I decided to use one pumps worth of foundation for each side of the face. On the left side I used the beautyblender, and on the right I used my usual brush (RT Buffing brush).

For the left side, the best way to apply the product is to dot it onto the face and then go in with the beautyblender. You use the damp beautyblender in a "bouncing" motion to blend out the foundation. The one thing I will say about application is you do need good lighting when applying; so you don't miss out any lines that need to be blended.

Only right side of photo (left side of face) foundation with beautyblender

As you can see, it gives a gorgeous airbrush look to the skin. This is a medium, build-able coverage foundation; this applicator works best with slightly thicker consistency products. I have used no concealer at this point - so you can still see a couple of my active breakouts showing through (which I would normally cover with concealer). 

On the left beautyblender used. On the right Buffing brush used.

Please excuse my awful skin at the moment (hormonal breakouts suck!). I know this isn't probably the best representation of the applicators; as my skin is pretty bad on the one side. However, there doesn't really seem to be much difference between the two - except the beautyblender may have reduced the appearance of redness (ever-so-slightly more!) 

Both sides foundation.

I don't know if it's just me that sees this - but it appears that my skin on the beautyblender side (right side of the photo) appears less flat. I feels like it gives a more skin like appearance, even when using a medium to full coverage foundation. 

I definitely like the beautyblender, but my only two cons are that it is a bit of a effort. You have to dampen the sponge and tissue it off. Also, this type of blending technique takes slightly longer than your normal buffing brush. Furthermore, I feel you use more product this way than with a brush.

I will continue to use this sponge, and use it when I have a bit more time in the morning to get ready. However, will I repurchase this? Probably - if it slightly cheaper (maybe I'll stock up when I'm next in the US) 

What are your thoughts on the beautyblender?

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

x

First glance at Charlotte Tilbury // K.I.S.S.I.N.G. Fallen From the Lipstick Tree

Hey Everyone,

I finally caved! I resisted the first time I saw the new glorious, glistening counter in Selfridges - that is home to a new-ish brand of Charlotte Tilbury's. It just had to be done - eventually. I had some time to kill after my work experience in Birmingham, and the swatches got to me...and then I tried it! There is no going back after that point!

I'll start with my only negative comment of the post. I have spoken to Charlotte Tilbury assistants before and they have always been lovely and polite. Except for the one that served me on this occasion. He seemed extremely disinterested in my request to try the lipsticks - as if it was an inconvenience to him; as it interrupted his conversion with a co-worker.  He was very cold, and didn't seem to want to help me make a decision on what shade to go with. I was overall unimpressed - and it is a shame; as I shall now think twice about shopping at the Birmingham counter.

First of all, can we just admire this packaging? 

There is no detail spared - even on the box! 

This is what the lipstick case looks like, it has the signature rose-gold packaging. I love the CT logo on the top; lovely touch :P! I feel very fancy when I pull out this lipstick: it feels and looks good quality.

Shade Nude Kate

It is a light nudey-pink shade - definitely more on the nude side than pink. It is sheerer than some of the other shades I tried, which means it is pretty much fool proof. I was able to put this on on the train with no mirror, and as far as I'm aware I didn't look a mess afterwards! Also, on a side note, love the name - makes me feel extra trendy!  

 This is it on my lips (natural light).

This is now my favourite nude - it is much more wearable than my Tom Ford lipstick in Blush nude, which is much more opaque. The formula is extremely comfortable to wear; it is made from special plant extracts that not only make it a joy to apply, but also protect the lip.

Whole face shot.

As you can see this works really well with my skin tone and I don't feel like it washes me out. Lovely finish - with enough colour pay-off without it being over powering!

So, if you haven't had chance to try these lipsticks out - I'd definitely recommend trying these. I will certainly be looking to add more Charlotte Tilbury to my collection. 

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

x

Inglot Freedom Palette // A Review

Hey Everyone,

If you didn't already know, I went to IMATS this year! (This is like my fifth time mentioning it - feeling a bit like a parrot!) So, of course, I had to hit up the Inglot stand which had up to 50% off! Amazeballs! 

I have tried Inglot products in the past, mainly lipgloss and cream foundation. Although, I had never tried their eyeshadows, which have been compared to the likes of Urban decay and MAC eyeshadows. So, they must be good! 

 From the left: 353, 344, 342, 405, 452

Here are the swatches.

So, I think the first thing to say is that these shadows are so soft and buttery. They are highly pigmented and last incredibly well. I think 405 (the bronzy-orange shade) is my favourite, as it is beautifully metallic and has gorgeous colour pay off.

I've been wearing the first three shadows as an everyday neutral combo and they have lasted so well, with minimal creasing. Overall, I've been pretty happy with them!

I think the only downside to this freedom palette is that once the shadows are in the palette it is incredibly difficult to remove them! You have to use a sharp knife or some small nail scissors. But apart from that I am pleased :D!

They are normally £4.50 each, which I think is a steal for the quality of the product! Then the palette is £7.00. Therefore, it is fair to say I shall be definitely getting some more of these.

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

x

NEW Video // IMATS haul 2014

Hey Everyone,

If you haven't already seen from my various social media outlets, I went to IMATS in London this year! I had the most amazing time - I was like a kid in a sweet shop! I went with my baby sister, Amy, and my good friend, Allie (Living life in docs). 

I bullied my sister into joining me in the haul video. I had such fun making this video, and I hope you enjoy it!

WARNING! Makeup overload! WARNING! 

I also vlogged the whole day - this was my first vlog on my Youtube channel. So, if you didn't get chance to go to IMATS this year, this is what happened...

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

x

NEW Video // Wavy hair and Purple makeup tutorial

Hey Everyone,

I hope you are all well! I know my scheduling has been all over the place! :/ I swear I take on too much - so unfortunately my blogging and videos have to be put on the back-burner atm! :( 

On a side note, Cheekysmiles101 is also going through some serious re-styling plans which I am soooo excited about! So look out for the new changes - they are going to be awesome! 

So, here is my new video! :D I hope you enjoy it and have fun playing with colour!

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

x

NEW video!

Hey Everyone!

I know my blogs have been seriously lacking as of recent because I just haven't been in the mood to blog/video :( However, the other day I just felt like filming my Everyday Makeup - it has been slightly updated since my last blog post on it (which I wrote last year!) And I have finally sussed (I think) how to edit videos - except that YouTube doesn't like long videos so cut mine! So expect more videos soon!

I hope you enjoy this video and have a lovely day!

x

eBay beauty shopping!

Hey Everyone,

Ever missed that limited edition palette you just have to have? or you really want to try this one product but it's slightly out of your price range?

If the answer is yes to the above questions, then I shall ask you one more question - Have you tried on eBay?

I've got a slightly different post for you today - it's all about eBay! I LOVE eBay! This is no secret amongst my friends and family - I blame my dad entirely! You just become addicted to the excitement of bidding against other people, and that absolute joy when you win!! (It's a problem!)

So - there are a two things I just wanted to share with you about eBay beauty buys...

1) Check the seller - This is obviously true for all eBay purchases and you can find this information on Seller information. When you have clicked on something you want to buy, you will see on the right hand side a small box with two important pieces of info. Firstly, how many sales they've had and secondly their feedback score. These are both pretty self-explanatory so I won't go into details!

2) Be prepared that it may not be the legitimate product - Even though a seller may say that it is the real deal doesn't mean that it is! And in some cases this is fine, if the product works fine (in my opinion!) But there will be some fakes that are really rubbish!

To round off this post, I'll just share a few eBay purchases that I have made - some were successful and others were not…

Laura Mercier Celebration Face Palette - I can not take the credit for this awesome find, it was in fact my dad! So unfortunately I can't give you any details such as the price or seller :( However, it is one of my examples of an excellent eBay buy!

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk - £3.99 (free shipping), I had really wanted to try this product; as it seems to be a must in all beauty bloggers collections. Unfortunately, living in the UK, means that I have to get all NYX products online! So, this cheeky purchase on eBay saved me £4.50 on shipping alone!

MAC 219 - Sorry to end on a bad note, this is an example of a bad purchase. I've been really wanting to get the MAC pencil brush for ages but at the time I couldn't afford to get one from MAC. Naturally, I turned to eBay - however, (as you can see from the picture) this is clearly not a pencil brush! Though I wouldn't have been too bothered if the quality of the brush had been better! The bristles are falling out and its super uncomfortable to use on the eye.

So, in short, eBay is good for those occasional beauty finds but just be careful! Enjoy shopping!

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

Emma
x

Eyeliner Queen - Stila "Stay all day waterproof liquid eye liner"

Hey Everyone,

This is my first official blog! Yay! My name is Emma and I am just obsessed about make up and all things beauty related. 

                                                   ^This is me by the way :)^

I hope to post once a week minimum at the beginning, I need to work it around uni work. I will be writing reviews, face of the day, outfit of day etc. You know the drill :P! 

So, I hope who ever is reading this is ready to jump in!

....Eyeliner Queen? I thought my first few blogs should be about my favourite beauty item...Eyeliner!

I seriously never leave the house without it, whether it be on my waterline or top lash line. I am known by my friends to be always wearing a "cat-eye flick", it is my ultimate beauty staple!

I am always trying out new and exciting products to make eyeliner application easy and quick (as it can be quite time consuming!) And I recently have been getting into the "pen-style" eyeliners. 

Here is the one I've been trying for the past few days.....

I bought this four days ago and already can't get enough of it! I am all about quick and simple application of eyeliner at the moment. This is great for working girls who only have 15 minutes to "get your face on" in the morning.

 As you can see (sorry about the quality of photos, I currently using my iPhone camera :( ) the packaging is sleek and simple. And another thing I love about these eyeliner pens is that they are so portable and travel friendly.

 The other thing I particularly like about this pen is that the nib is so fine and makes it so easy to get that nice sharp, crisp line that is so important for the perfect cat-eye look. It is very reminiscent of the Japanese calligraphy pens which makes it so effortless.

   Again, sorry for the bad picture quality, but this is just a close-up of my eyeliner. As far as the longevity is concerned, I have had no problems with smudging or fading through out the day. Also when they mean water-proof, they mean water-proof. To remove this you need a good oil make up remover. The colour is called Intense Black and I would totally agree, the colour pay off is excellent.

I bought this at boots, but you can get it online at stila.co.uk. It comes in 9 shades (I can't wait to try more colours - the moss green colour looks to die for! ) Price is £13, which in my book is totally worth it! 

So I hope you reached the end of this blog post and enjoyed it. I promise the next one won't be so rambly :P

I hope you have a lovely day!

Emma 

x