Purple & Bronze Halo Smokey Eye | Make-Up Tutorial

Hello again! A slightly different post from me today- a video! I know I haven't created any content for my YouTube channel for many months but recently I've really missed the process of filming and editing. I've also had quite a few ideas for videos popping into my head and in particular make-up tutorials. These aren't the type of videos I have usually filmed for my channel before and I'm not really too sure why as I love watching them and I love doing my make-up off camera in my day-to-day life. I'm also constantly pinning different looks on Pinterest to try out to break me away from my beloved neutral tones both on the eyes and lips. 

For this look that is now on my YouTube channel for you to watch here, I wanted to create a really warm toned smokey eye with my Zoeva Cocoa Blend eyeshadow palette that I've been playing with off camera for about 6 months. It was a gift from my brother and sister-in-law for Christmas and I truly love it so much. It's my go-to palette when I want to warm up my eyeshadow and add a bit of glamour with the seriously creamy and pigmented metallic shades. If you haven't already tried out this palette (which is also great value for money at £18!) I highly recommend you pop it in your basket or on your birthday or Christmas list. 

I'd love it if you gave my video a watch and left a comment (say that you've come from my blog!) and if you are a YouTube fan like myself, subscribe to my channel so you know when I next upload. Spoiler alert: It's next week!

P x

My Make-Up Bag MVP's

We all have our staple products that absolutely, 100%, no questions asked have to be in our make-up bag on a day to day basis and when you don’t have them, things can feel a little less streamlined. When I was doing my make-up the other day, I noticed that I really only gravitate to particular items in my collection, despite having many other options available. These are the products that make my favourite looks effortless, quick and most importantly, thebomb.com. So here is a little insider into my make-up bag MVP’s…

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

I’ll get the obvious out of the way as I know everyone loves this product. When I first started using this a few years ago, I didn't fall in love with it as an all-round concealer so I set it aside for just covering up any spots or pigmentation left behind from spots. I also felt that the finish of it was a tiny bit too cakey for my liking. However, fast forward those few years and here I am, loving this product and not wanting to be without it. There are several reasons behind my change of heart. Firstly, I think my skin has changed over the years and it know seems to respond well to the formula. I used to use quite harsh products on my skin that stripped it of the natural oils and made parts of it very dry. Secondly, how I apply and blend the product into my skin has changed. I use this product very sparingly on spots as a little does really go a long way with this and for my eyes I focus more of the product on the very inner corners, and then apply a lighter swipe underneath towards the outer. Since discovering the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge (maybe I should’ve feature this in this post as well…), this is the only tool I will use to blend in my concealer. I dampen it under the tap and then bounce it on my face and it takes away any excess and creates a beautiful finish to the skin. 

Boots: http://www.boots.com/en/Collection-Lasting-Perfection-Concealer_1693350/

Superdrug: http://www.superdrug.com/Make-Up/Face/Concealer/Collection-Lasting-Perfection-Concealer-Fair-1/p/439400

Maybelline Master Ink Matte Liquid Liner

This is hands down the best product I have ever used to create winged eyeliner. I discovered this product whilst I was on the look-out in Superdrug for a matte formula because I don’t like a glossy finish to my liner and don’t want to have to always apply a matte black eyeshadow over the top every time. The applicator of this liner is great too, with a fibre tip that tapers into a perfect thin point that allows you to get a nice thin line on the inner corner. The staying power for this is great too. I’ve already converted my friend to it who says she loves it so if you are looking for a new liner to try, I would highly recommend checking out this one. 

(Note: When finding the links, these websites weren't very clear about the finishes... It's the matte one I am talking about in this post!)

Boots: http://www.boots.com/en/Maybelline-Master-Ink-Satin_1727560/ 

Superdrug: http://www.superdrug.com/Make-Up/Eyes/Eyeliner/Maybelline-Master-Ink-Matte/p/528001

Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara

I’ve talked about this mascara before on my blog so I won’t harp on too much… Although didn’t I just say that about the Collection concealer? This is a wonderful mascara and I am always recommending it to my friends and family who are looking for a new mascara. I particularly love this mascara when it has had some time to dry out a little bit. Too wet of a mascara formula can sometimes make my lashes stick together and not look very defined at all. If you want volume, length and curl, give this a go. 

Boots: http://www.boots.com/en/Maybelline-Lash-Sensational-Lash-Multiplying-Mascara-9-5ml_1655586/

Superdrug: http://www.superdrug.com/Make-Up/Eyes/Mascara/Maybelline-Lash-Sensational-Mascara-Very-Black-1/p/348705

Maybelline Brow Satin in Mahogany Red

The last Maybelline product that I will harp on about in this post… but seriously, they kill it with eye and brow products! This dual ended brow product is my holy grail for doing my brows. It has a wax tip for creating and defining the shape of your brow and the powder for sets the wax into place and intensifies the colour. As a redhead, I have always found it a bit difficult to find the best brow colour that isn’t too ashy but the shade ‘Mahogany Red’ complements my hair colour and complexion perfectly!

Boots: http://www.boots.com/en/Maybelline-Brow-Satin-Eyebrow-Pencil_1505328/

Superdrug: http://www.superdrug.com/Maybelline/Maybelline-Eyebrow-Satin-3-Mahogany-Red/p/250500

L’Oreal Collection Privée Lipstick in Cheryl’s Nude

Sadly discontinued from the L’Oreal shelves, I am now rationing the last few wears and looking for a dupe of this lipstick. It’s a great nude option and it isn’t too nude that it sucks the life out of my skin. The formula is very creamy and has a satin finish with a hint of a sheen. Maybe one day L’Oreal will bring this one back…

Real Techniques Multi-Task Brush

I have several foundation brushes in my collection yet, I always come back to this one. I believe it was created for applying powder products such as blush, bronzer or powder but I think it is great for getting an effortless and quick application of cream foundations. The fluffy and slightly tapered brush hairs make it buffing motion very mobile, unlike very densely packed brushes. If you have this brush but have never used it to apply your foundation, I’d definitely recommend you try it out!

Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Real-Techniques-Travel-Essentials-Kit/dp/B004TSFEBY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458070941&sr=8-1&keywords=multi+task+brush

(Only available as part of the Travel Essentials Kit)

Zoeva Luxe Soft Definer Brush

Zoeva absolutely kill it with their make-up brushes. They are so affordable yet great quality and there is such a variety to choose from! This brush is great for applying a wash of colour on the lids or blending out a shadow in the crease. They wash wonderfully (as does Real Techniques) and perform just as well as they do when you first use them. The only downside to these is that the metal case around them (I have the Rose Gold set) has scratched quite a bit so they don’t look as perfect up close anymore, but they do a great job so I don’t mind one bit! I’m definitely going to be making an order on beautybay.com for a few more of these to have in my collection. 

Beauty Bay: http://www.beautybay.com/accessories/zoeva/227softdefinerbrush/

I hope you have enjoyed reading this post and maybe found some new things to try out! Let me know what your make-up MVP's are :)

P x

Topshop Lip Perfectors | Review

Topshop beauty launched 5 years ago and I was always a bit hesitant to dip my toe in as I often don't like it when fashion brands dip their toe into beauty. It's just a beauty snob thing I have going on, many people are like it too. In addition to this, any of my local topshops over the last 5 years have not had a fantastic selection of the range making purchasing a little less appealing. However, I have noticed more and more beauty bloggers and YouTubers raving about the range so I decided to try the Topshop Lip Perfectors. I also think its worth mentioning that lip products are the one product I really don't enjoy trying out because I struggle to find colours that look really nice on me. So if this review is positive, you can know that these products did really well...

The Lip Perfectors come in 4 different shades; 'Flattery', 'Fancy', 'Maraschino' and 'Ambition' and all retail for £6. They are obviously available from Topshop stores and online, but I also found them on feelunique.com which is great if you want to make a bulk order of many different brands. I picked up the shades 'Fancy' and 'Ambition'. 'Fancy' is a light pink shade with a touch of peach. What I really like about this shade is that it is not baby pink (ugh, how I loathe baby pink shades on me) but instead it is a nice grown-up pink. However, 'Ambition' is definitely my favourite. It's a really flattering nude with a hint of brown to it and I am making it my mission to get thoroughly stuck into nude shades for my lips and I use this product almost daily. Now I have introduced the shades I bought, let's get into the nitty gritty of the review...


Packaging: I absolutely love the packaging. The plastic squeeze tubes feel nice and good quality, the silver lids feel very strong and sturdy and do not scratch easily. Overall, very chic and sophisticated packaging and bloody good for £6.

Colour pay-off: Though these products are sheer, they do still add a nice colour to my lips and they are a great natural addition to a more intense eye or even to finish off a more natural look. I do also think they would work nicely over the top of a lipstick (possibly one with a matte finish) to add some gloss and light to the lips, particularly in the centre.

Bare lips

'Ambition'

'Fancy'

Formula: Really comfortable. Sometimes lip glosses can be super sticky and I hate that feeling on my lips day to day. They blend nicely onto the lips without the colour settling into any fine lines or looking patchy. They do hydrate and nourish my lips but I wouldn't use them as a sole aid to dry lips. You will however need to reapply after eating though but thats about as far as the negatives go... and is it really that much of a negative comment? I don't think so.

So I think we can all agree that I am a huge fan of the Lip Perfectors from Topshop. I'm not usually a red lip wearer but I may give 'Maraschino' a whirl this Christmas season to add a hint of red to my lips.

Let me know what you think of these products, or any other products you have tried from the Topshop beauty range!

I hope you enjoyed this review and found it useful!

P x

Beauty Favourites | January 2015

The start of 2015 has been promising! I was gifted some gorgeous products at Christmas by my very generous family and boyfriend. I've been given them a full road test along with some other products that I purchased with my own money so let's go...

Urban Decay Naked Palette. The OG and the forerunner of the Naked palettes. It took me several attempts at my birthday and Christmas lists to finally get this baby and my oh my was it worth the wait. I'm a neutral eye kinda gal and this palette, as the name would suggest, just does the job right. I am a particular fan of the shades 'Naked' and 'Buck' for all over the lid and in the crease. I've also been using 'Half Baked' to push on some sparkle into the centre of my lid to open up the eye and 'Smog' for something a little smokier.

Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Nude Foundation in 100 Ivory. I bought this a few days before Christmas as my teeny tiny sample of a Benefit foundation (the name escapes me...) was running low and I needed something new. Drugstore foundations are probably my most sought after products to try. I'm all about the base (no treble) when it comes to make-up as I like to even out my skin tone and reduce any redness going on. I didn't love this at first, I found it didn't give as much cover as I'd like but since persisting with it and changing the tool I use (more on that further down), I can whole heartedly say that I love it! When it's buffed into the skin properly, it really does a good job at evening out and giving a natural finish to the skin.

Clinique High Impact Mascara in 01 Black. This was another gift from a family member this Christmas that I find myself reaching for on an everyday basis. It was on my list as I had tried a sample out from a magazine many months ago and held onto it because I loved it that much! It makes my lashes so effortlessly long and thick at the same time but not too much that they look spidery or clumpy. I love the wand as its a soft fibre one; I don't get on well with plastic ones at all.

Maybelline Brow Satin Eyebrow Pencil in Mahogany Red. For a long while now I have been searching for a eyebrow pencil that somewhat matches with my hair colour. I'm a full on natural ginger/redhead/strawberry blonde whatever you want to call it with extremely fair blonde eyebrows. However, brow products that I try out are always too cool toned and grey. It comes with a thin wax pencil on one end and a setting powder on the other and the colour just works really well at making my brows look a little thicker and more suited to my hair colour.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick SPF 15. I'd say its pretty common knowledge that the Eight Hour Cream is somewhat of an icon in the beauty world. It's extremely moisturising and can be used on many parts of the body where dry skin can occur. I've had this lip balm for a very long time and its pretty much attached to me all throughout the winter months. You can actually tell how long I've had this as it know comes in much more swish packaging.

Zoeva 106 Powder Brush. My lovely boyfriend very kindly got me the Zoeva Rose Gold Brush Set that I had been lusting after for months for Christmas and it has not failed me. I absolutely love this powder brush for setting powder and bronzer. It's ridiculously soft and washes really well.

Zoeva 102 Silk Finish Brush. This is very similar to the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush but has slightly longer bristles and has a rounder shape. I love this for the Rimmel Foundation I just mentioned. It applies the product really well, is extremely soft and isn't so dense that I feel like I am tugging at my skin, especially my eyes.

Zoeva 227 Luxe Soft Definer. A blatant dupe for the MAC 217 for much less money and from what I have heard, much better. As you can see from the photos, this brush has been very well loved and I often partner it with the Naked palette. It applies and blend eyeshadows so incredibly well that it makes blending so seamless and easy. I could honestly just sit and blend for a considerable amount of time. I think I may find myself on love-makeup.com stocking up on these as I use them so much!

I hope you found this post useful and has maybe swayed you into trying one or some of these products for yourself. Let me know what you have been loving this month in the comments below!

Make-Up Haul - MaxFactor, Soap & Glory & KIKO!

A shopping trip to Westfield's without browsing at the make-up aisles of Boots and KIKO? No, it doesn't make sense to me either which is why I obviously partook in such an activity. My list of products to try had been growing alarmingly over the last month or so; thanks to the beaut ViviannaDoesMakeup in particular.

MaxFactor Face Finity All Day Primer. I have been neglecting the primer department of my make-up routine for quite a while now. I really didn't get on with the Maybelline Baby Skin primer, the texture above all just made me squirm a little bit when I applied it. However, I have heard some good things about the fairly new-ish primer from MaxFactor and the assistant there told me it was oil free which is a great feature for me. I'm excited to try this out and really see if it keeps my make-up from slipping away; the bane of my make-up routine.

Soap & Glory Kick Ass Instant Retouch Pressed Powder. I love the powder that is in the Kick Ass Concealer and have been on the look out for a good translucent powder so didn't think twice when picking up the similarly named pressed powder compact. What I am thinking twice about it picking it up from the Boots in Westfields Shepherds Bush. The Soap & Glory stand was a mess to say the least and even though I reached to the back to get my powder, it was still partially smashed *angry face*. Let's hope it redeems itself...

L'Oreal Infallible Stay Fresh Foundation in 120 Vanilla. Another VDM recommendation! I love trying out different foundations. It's the one part of my routine that I really rely on as I have a whole lot of redness, uneven skin tone and hyper pigmentation going on. Reportedly lasts for 24 hours but honestly, who wears their foundation for an entire day?! Not me but I like the potential. 

Soap & Glory Supercat Carbon Black Extreme Eyeliner Pen. My beloved L'Oreal Super Liner ran dry and I had heard a lot about this little number. I'm really hoping this is super black and doesn't drag on the eye which is a pet peeve I have with eyeliner pens.

Soap & Glory Archery Brown Tint & Precision Shaping Pencil. Now one thing I have been focussing on is my brows. I recently had them waxed (thank god!) and whilst I love them, they are a tad thin for me. However, this is nothing a little filling in cannot remedy. This is a product I have heard a lot about and thought it was time overdue to give it a whirl.

KIKO Color-Up Long Lasting Eyeshadow. Please note: I know I spell it 'colour' but it says 'color' on the packaging, to avoid any confusion. Back to the product. My oh my are these long lasting! Just upon swatching and a train journey home, these definitely need a little more elbow grease to take off. I picked '10', '20' '24'; a taupe, light brown and a purple. These were also in the sale at £3 a piece so I just had to pick up several shades! Very impressed so far and will definitely be creating looks with them soon!

L'Oreal Color Riche Lipstick in 'Julianne's Nude'. The main reason why I bought this is because Julianne Moore is a pale skinned redhead like me and logic said 'if it's her perfect nude, then surely it'll be mine too, right?' I popped it on whilst I was shopping as my lips were a little dry and I must say, I really do like it. I can definitely see this being my go-to everyday lipstick. 

Whilst my make-up collection is looking rather replenished, my bank account is feeling rather less so... 

60's Inspired Make-up Look (New Video!)

Over on my YouTube channel, I thought I'd experiment with a more dramatic make-up look to what I usually do. I found a look on Pinterest and thought I'd give it a try. I did change the look somewhat and went for monochrome colours instead of blacks and golds.

Here are some photos of the final look:

This make-up look is by no means simple and I think in years to come of more make-up playing, I'll be able to achieve much more intense colours and lines. Having said that, make-up is about having fun and I had fun creating this look.

Here is the link to the video if you want to see what products I used and how I did it:

Thank you for reading (and watching the video!)

Paris x

New Youtube Video! Audrey Hepburn Inspired Make-Up!

Over on my YouTube channel, I uploaded a make-up video where I attempt to recreate an Audrey Hepburn inspired make-up look. I went for winged eyeliner, doll-like eyes and a pale pink lip.

Here is the video for you to go and have a look. Please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE if you like it.

Thank you to Ben Harvey, who allowed me to use his music on this video. He's a great singer/songwriter and I have been listening to his music for the last 6 months or so.

You can go and listen to his

July Favourites! New YouTube Video!

Helloooo :D

So with August upon us, it's time for my July Favourites! I just uploaded the video to my beauty channel where I chat about my favourite make-up, skincare, fashion and music picks from July.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8WB8U3ApbY

I hope you enjoy it and like the video, subscribe to see more of my ramblings :)

Paris x

New YouTube Video! Everyday Make-Up Tutorial

Hello lovelies! (Is that how you spell it? I'm not entirely sure)

I have just finished editing a BRAND SPANKING NEW video for my YouTube video for my beauty channel. I wanted to start doing more make-up tutorials so I thought I'd start off easy and make a video of me doing my everyday make-up. This make-up is not ground-breaking, it's just very simple :) But give me time, I will soon create some more colourful, more exciting looks.

Here is the link to the video on my channel where you'll see the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2OXu95JF18

Please subscribe to my channel and 'LIKE' the video and comment on them saying 'Hi!' and that my blog sent you ;)

This week there are a lot of reviews coming up so stay tuned!

Thank you for reading :)

Paris x

Face of the Day: Summer Cat Eye!

For today's 'Face of the Day' I am venturing into the great outdoors! Well, the back garden! British weather as many people know is incredibly temperamental and a summer here is a little lack lustre. However, I noticed a little bit of sun and dashed out to the garden to photograph this make-up look. I haven't done a cat eye for a while so I thought I'd channel my inner Lana Del Rey and create a vintage inspired winged look.

Products used:

Face:

Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation in Ivory

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 2 Light

Colour Unlimited Bronzer and Blusher palette

Stay Matte powder in 001 Transparent

Eyes:

Clinique Colour Surge Eye Shadow Duo in 10 Deco Dence

Bourjois Liner Clubbing Ultra Black Ultra Resistance eyeliner

Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Black Drama in Black

Lips:

L'Oreal Glam Shine 6 Hour Gloss Brilliance lipgloss in 105 Hold On Rose

And there you have it! What do you think of this look?

Thank you for reading this post!

Paris x

Face of the Day (Celebrity Edition): Scarlett Johansson

                         

Hello there! I'm back today with another Face of the Day post for you all. Now instead of making my own make-up look, I've chosen one of my favourite make-up looks on one of my favourite celebrities. I've loved Scarlett Johansson over the years. She just oozes femininity and sex-appeal but can still pull off the cute girl-next-door look. I watched Avengers Assemble the other week with my friends and oh my good god! Isn't she just amazing? Honestly, her and Robert Downey Jr. are like my ultimate dream team. My OTP for all you Tumblr fiends out there ;)

I love the make-up that she wore with the dress, it really brings vibrance to the whole look. Here is Scarlett's make-up and my attempt to achieve it:

(Note: The image of Scarlett Johansson was found on Google images.)

                                                   




I kept the face very simple with a foundation that matched my skin tone and a light dab of bronzer around my face and to contour. I used a little bit of a darker blush (as opposed to my usual bright pink) to keep it natural. The eyes are the main focus in this look, so I kept the face and lips as natural as possible.

Close up of the lips... Not great quality :(

My little work station... please excuse the washing in the background!

Here is the list of the products that I used to create this look:

Face:
Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation in 200 Soft Beige
Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer in 020 True Ivory
Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in 2 Light
Benefit Hoola Bronzer
Benefit 10 Highlighter
The Body Shop blush in Nutmeg
Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder in 001 Transparent

Eyes:
Even Smoother eye base by Barbara Daly for Tesco
Sleek palette in The Original 594 (I used the shimmery brown shade as a base, with the coppery shade all over the eyelid and blended around the edges. The black shade along the lash line VERY lightly and the gold shimmery shade in the inner corner of the eye.)
Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Black Drama in Black

Lips:
Avon lipstick in 'Pout' (a light dabbing over the lips)
L'Oreal Glam Shine 6 Hour Gloss Brilliance lipgloss in 105 Hold On Rose

What do you think of this make-up look?

Thank you for reading this post!

Paris x

Review: Shocking Coral Lipstick

I bought this lipstick from the Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids range quite a few weeks ago as I really loved the colour. I'm trying to branch out into coloured lips rather than sticking to pale pinks and nudes. I was never sure if this shade would suit me, so I swatched it A LOT before I bought it to make sure it was for me. I've worn it out a lot and I love it so much! It's just a gorgeous colour for spring/summer and can liven up any natural make-up look.

Here are some photos of the packaging and the product itself:

I really love the packaging of this product. It feels very sturdy and compact. I love the bright transparent lid. It definitely looks like it's worth more than the price.

 

This lipstick is very moisturising on the lips which is a plus for me as I tend to suffer from dry, chapped lips. The colour pay-off is incredible and is also very buildable. You could whack it all over your lips to achieve the look in the picture or simply dab and smooth on your lips for a lighter tint to the lips. It has a satin finish which I really love because it's not too matte that it drys your lips but not too shiny that it doesn't, for me anyway, make my lips look smaller than they are. It also smells incredible! I'm a total sucker for great smelling lip products.

Overall, I absolutely adore this lipstick and will be wearing it a lot throughout the summer. You can buy this lipstick in this colour and a variety of other colours from Boots or Superdrug for £7.19

Here is the link: http://www.boots.com/en/Maybelline-Color-Sensational-Vivids-Lipstick_1297577/

Have you tried this lipstick or any others from the Color Sensational Vivids range?

Thank you for reading this post!

Paris xxx

Face of the Day: Viva La Amethyst

I was rummaging through my make-up collection looking for some inspiration for a make-up look to share with you all. I came across a No. 7 palette which is all so glittery and sparkly and just down right gorgeous! I've had this for a while and I guess I just forgot about it, but I used it for this look and I love it!

So, here is the finished look and some close-ups:

Close-up of the eyes

Close-up of the lips

Close-up of the palette

Face:

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Oil-Free Moisturiser

Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation in '100 Ivory'

Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer in  '020 True Ivory'

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in '2 Light'

MUA Bronzed Perfection Bronzer (missing from the image- silly Paris!)

MUA Blusher in 'Shade 2'

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in '001 Transparent'

Eyes:

No. 7 Sultry Eyes Palette

Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Black Drama mascara in Black

Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil in Light Brown

Lips:

MAC Lipglass in Viva La Glam VI

MUA Lipgloss in Nude

What do you think of this make-up look? Have you tried any of the other No. 7 eye-shadow palettes?

Thank you for reading this post!

Paris xxx

Halloween Make-Up Look #1: Classic Cat!

Halloween is right around the corner and I thought I'd play around with my make-up and create a few looks. I put the pictures up on my Tumblr as well :)

This look is so easy to do; all you need is a black matte eyeshadow, liquid/gel eyeliner and black lipstick.
 (I used black eyeliner for my lips but it's probably better to use a lipstick!)

So for the eyes, I used my Sleek i Divine palette in Original. I used the black eye shadow to do a smoky eye and used a fluffy brush to blend it.

Sleek Make Up - i Divine Original Palette - image from website

I then took my liquid eyeliner; I use the Bourjois Clubbing Liner in Ultra Black, and carefully drew a line from my inner eye down the edge of my nose. This makes the eye look more cat like. If you want to, take a thin eye shadow brush and put some of the black eye shadow over it to make it more smokey and more similar to the rest of the eye. I also used this eye liner to draw on my whiskers.

Bourjois Clubbing Liner - Ultra Black

For the lips, I used Loreal's Contour-Khol eye liner in the colour 131 Jet Black. I made sure my foundation covered my lips and then I lined my top lip with the liner. To make it look more cat like, take the eyeliner and flick it from the corner of your mouth, so it looks a little like a smile. Colour in your top lip and add a few dots on your cheek by the whiskers.

For the nose, using the same eyeliner, colour in the bottom of the nose and make a liner along the top of your nostrils and draw a straight line down to connect your nose to your mouth.

And you should have something like this...

I love the classic cat look for Halloween (mainly because I'm a cat lady haha!) 

What do you think? What are you going as for Halloween this year?

XO

Lana Del Rey Inspired Make-Up Look

This is probably common knowledge but I am OBSESSED with Lana Del Rey! I love her music, her style and her make-up. Seeing as I love her make-up so much, and make-up in general, I decided to do a make up look inspired by her winged eye liner and matte pale eye-shadow with a strong brow.

Lana Del Rey for H&M

The most difficult part of this probably is to get the flick of the eyeliner JUST right. I've learned that after many attempts, you do get the hang of It and now it's much easier for me to do than it was when I was a bit younger.

For this look, I used Bourjois Liner Clubbing Ultra Black Ultra Resistance eyeliner which I have been using for so long! I really like it as its easy to use with enough practice and the brush is thin enough to get a really defined flick.

For the shadow, I used Clinique's Colour Surge Eye Shadow Duo in the colour '10 - Deco Dence'. I used the lighter colour for all over the lid and the darker colour for the crease.

What do you think of this look? Are you a fan of Lana Del Rey?

XO

September favourites! ❤

Hey everyone! Firstly, I want to apologize for my absence of late; I've been very busy with holidays and enrolling into University and subsequently moving away from home! But I'm back and hoping to get back into the swing of things!

As I've been preparing for University, I have bulk bought a lot of health/beauty/make-up products so that I am not spending all of my money re-buying stuff throughout my years here. Places like Costco do really good deals on bulk (I got 12 packets of Simple make-up remover wipes for like £10- BARGAIN!) So for any prospective students out there, I would definitely recommend bulk buying a lot of products so you have a plentiful supply and don't waste your money re-stocking!

Anyway, let's get into my favourite's for this month! :D

Skincare

This is not so much a monthly favourite but a lifetime favourite! I use these Simple Kind To Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes every single day to remove my make-up! They are so gentle on the skin and they're not over perfumed so it doesn't feel like you're putting a load of chemicals on your skin!

Next up is this little tester kit from Body Shop of the Seaweed Cleanser Polish, Toner, Day and Night cream. I used this for the first time about a year ago and I fell in love with it. Unfortunately and for some unknown reason, I didn't re-purchase (maybe I couldn't afford it at the time or something) but I recently re-bought the tester kit to try out again to make sure that it was best suited for my skin still because I know that skin types can change and you sometimes have to re-think the products you use. Thankfully, this product is still ideal for me and I love using it. It smells so fresh and it just makes my skin feel so clean which is great after a long day of wearing make-up! I think this retails at £12 for the tester kit, but the individual products in the bigger size are obviously a bit more expensive. Also, in Body Shop, they usually have little freebies to give to you like sachets of a new body butter, so could be worth checking out!

Another little product I've been loving for my skin is this hand-wash. It's from Wilkinson's and I think I bought two for £1.50 (BARGAIN). I bought this 'Fruity Berry' one and also a 'Honey and Vanilla' one to replace it once it's finished. I find this is essential in University simply because you kind of forget that you need hand wash in your bathroom because it's always there at home and you take it for advantage. It smells amazing and the scent does linger for a little while on your hands which is a plus for me!

Make-up 

I recently bought this blush because my Body Shop one that I've had for ages just didn't seem to be doing anything anymore. I hadn't hit the pan or anything but the colour just didn't show up anymore. So I had heard some good things from Tanya Burr (pixi2woo on YouTube) and I decided to purchase the Make Up Academy (MUA) blush in Shade 2. I was going to buy the more pinker shade which I think was Shade 1 but it was just far too pink for me and it wouldn't have suited me either. Also, really pink blushes remind me of when I was younger and there were these group of girls who were obsessed with make-up; they would wear orange, cakey foundation and powder with bright barbie pink blusher. So I went for the more natural colour and I love it! It's really pigmented so you don't need to load up your brush with it otherwise you'll have too much on your cheeks and still some product left over on the brush. This is a great feature because it means it will last for a long time! It was also a bargain at £1!

Next up is this product from Max Factor. It's the Smoky Eye Effect eye shadow with two different colours at each end. My Mum actually gave this to me in a big bag of make-up that she didn't want anymore. This is in the colour 'Bronze Haze' and it's actually a really great product! The colours are really nice; a shimmery beige and a shimmery brown/bronze. They blend together really well and they are very buildable which is good if you're hesitant about putting too much on.

Next up is a Revlon Lip Butter in the colour 'Strawberry Shortcake'. These have been raved about by most beauty bloggers and I think Revlon have really got it right with this one! This particular colour is gorgeous, a very girly pink with some shimmer. I also got one in the colour 'Cotton Candy' which is more of a blue-toned pink which I wear on a night out. They are really creamy so they feel really good on your lips. 

This next product; which is a mascara, is quite frankly a god send. I love the original Faux Cils mascara from Yves Saint Laurent but would never be able to afford it so my Dad would get it for me from duty free whenever he went away on business trips because it is cheaper in the airports. They recently came out with the same mascara but in a shocking version. This is simply amazing. It definitely lives up to it's name and it makes your lashes so thick and long that it definitely looks like you have false lashes on! I love the packaging also!

I recently tried this Super Plumping Lip Gloss from Champneys (it was another goody that my Mum had put in the make-up bag) and I've always liked the idea of them because my lips are fairly plump but I like it when they look a little bigger. I also love the tingling sensation you get when you apply it; which I know is an acquired taste. 

I have always loved Barry M nail polishes but had in a way, abandoned it and looked elsewhere and when I picked up these two, I fell in love with the whole line again! I got (left to right) 'Cappuchino' and 'Berry Ice Cream' and I think they were on a deal in Superdrug which was 2 for £5. However, I don't think the deal is still on :( The 'Cappuchino' colour is definitely more of a night-time, sophisticated polish and the 'Berry Ice Cream' is more of a summery day time polish but I love them both equally and I will definitely be visiting the Barry M stand again!

So there were my favourites for September! I know I have been absent for a while, but I've been so busy what with moving into University and starting studying again after about 3 months off. I'm hoping to get back into a routine of things and I'm also planning some new blog posts.

What are your September favourites? Have you tried any of the products I've mentioned and what did you think?

XO