easy peasy scary mary make-up

If you are struggling for Halloween costumes, don't want to get all dressed up with the gear horns and fangs and all - last minute costumes don't need to be bought! Make up is an easy way of creating a great costume without all the jazz, sequins, hassle and money. So put away your wings and turn off your sewing machine - I have 2 fab looks that you can achieve with just your make-up bag

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The first look is POP ART - inspired by this image in particular:

 

 

I used GOSH Cosmetics 002 Mineral Powder and 17 Stay Time 18 Hour Concealer to form an even base. I then used a standard purple shadow to create my black eye, I applied Maybelline Super Stay 24 Hour Colour in 510 Red Passion to my lips. To then create all the outlines I used my favourite liquid eyeliner, Avon Extra Lasting Black Eyeliner.

The second look is VAMPIRE.. very easy and typical look.

I used the same base foundation and concealer.. I contoured with a standard black eyeshadow instead of bronzer, GOSH Cosmetics Forever Eye Shadow in 05 Grey, Avon True Colour Eye Shadow in Black Pearl and a standard deep pink eyeshadow as well as Barry M Special Edition Double Ended Shadow Pen in Black/Silver to create a super dark smokey eye. I used the same Avon eyeliner and used my Max Factor Clump Defy Mascara. For my lips I applied B. Brilliant Rich Colour Lip Gloss in Morello, the blood is the same Maybelline Super Stay 24 Hour Colour Lippie in Red Passion, it stays really well so no sticky mess like real blood or pigs blood or fake blood (more likely you will use that!).

What will you be this Halloween??

the nail art update: gel polish & birthday nail art

It has been a while hasn't it? I want to say over a week but it kills me that I have neglected my little blog! 

So here is a nail art update for you all featuring the nails I did for my 21st birthday and my new favourite ail polish find!

Red swirls with negative space

This isnt't the best picture, but to get this effect I used one of my favourite techniques. Use two polishes one a the top, one at the bottom and use a small dotting tool to swirl the colours into each other.

I did these nails for my birthday party back home which was amazing! For the first time I used a clear polish to creative a negative space in this design, and I loved it! I used GOSH Cosmetics nail polish in Lambada (a stunning harsh red)

New glittery polish!

I own a lot of glittery polishes and for my birthday my best friend got me some more! (cause she knows me so well) and so I did a lovely but simple design with the red one (evidently I love red).

I love this colour polish, it's so much fun. It went perfectly with my new Maybelline Super Stay Gel Polish in Berry Stain which brings me onto my next polishes..

Maybelline Super Stay Gel Polishes

I LOVE THESE POLISHES! I have tried a couple of random Gel polishes from other brands and liked the results, I much prefer them obviously as they last longer. But these ones are the best I have tried, the clear I can use over any design so make it stay more than two days and the Berry Stain is one of my favourite shades. It's quite dark and rich, which I love in a polish. (you can see a swatch in the image above)

I highly recommend them to people who have chipped nails quicker than they like, or those of you who get a shellac manicure as they stay just as long. I applied mine on Monday night and they were still perfect by Sunday - this never happens to me!

June Nail Art Challenge

I always take up the nail art challenges by Californails and promise myself and my followers I will do them but NEVER do. This month I am really inspired by some of the challenges and I am actually setting alarms on my phone so I don't forget to do as many as possible! I must say.. Challenge Accepted.

See you soon for my next round of summer essentials :)

500 products of summer (almost!) part 1: colours

Summer is here. I have officially decided.. The sun is out and so is the fake tan, as are the guns ;)

So I have cracked out a whole load of goodies and started using them regularly in my summer routine. This first part of a cracking summer two parter is filled with my picks for summer make up and colours including tan and my new favourite thing... scrunchies!

Let's start with the scrunchies as I know you are all dying to know...

Originally discovered my floral pink scrunchie is so pretty I fell in love, having wanted a velvet black one for so long you can imagine my excitement when I found the beautiful scrunchie range in Topshop. Like a child in a sweet shop. (or just me in a sweet shop) I have a scrunchie for every outfit now, black, red, pink, green you name it. But these two are my favourite for the summer - the green velvet one is to match up with my purple eye shimmer that is featured below and is from Boots.

Eyes are the window the soul...

...or so they say. I have a adapted a couple of new favourites recently for my eyes that are perfect for summer. They are the GOSH Forever Eyeshadow's in Beige & Grey they last all day and are waterproof so perfect for looking glittery by the pool! They have a gorgeous sheen that glows in the sun, and I have to say they bring the glittery girly girl out in me. I love the beige for day to day and the grey for evening with precise eyeliner for a perfect long lasting smoky eye.

The other product I am loving for my eyes at the minute is the B. Stunning Eye Shimmer in Royal - having raved about it previously you may recognise it - it is so soft and light you can apply as little or as much as you want. Purple eyeshadow was seen on catwalks by Holly Fulton and PPQ  for Spring/Summer 2014 - it is one of the top make-up trends for the summer. Up against the green shadows of Giorgio Armani (I need to invest in) and bright blues of Marc by Marc Jacobs.

Getting lippie...

Now red lipstick.. I won't get into it because I could go on for hours and I had to pick one red for this post and honestly I use more than that but this one is kind of perfect for summer. The new GOSH Lip Lacquers are lovely and girls with more tanned skin can go for the pinker shades however for us pale gingers, the best bet is the red shades, my personal favourite being the Dangerous Lips shade. They are pretty good for during the day when lipstick upkeep becomes a little boring - this is sleek and easy to apply, instant colour.

When I'm not feeling the red lippy which is rare to be honest but it does happen - during the day when work stops me re-applying (how dare it!) - I need something lighter and moisturising. Lanolips Lip Ointment with Colour is PERFECT for that. The lanolin (which most people have pre-conceived ideas about) is the purest of pure so it nourishes the lips and keeps them lovely and smooth for when the red lipstick does come out. The ointments with colour are so pretty and available in a range of shades, Rose being my current favourite and it is soft and summery - I dab a tad of red lipstick in so the pinkness doesn't drown out my pale skin. And it has SPF 15 in - holiday must have I think!

Nailed it...

As an admirer of all things glitter I have quite a few GOSH Glitter Matt Finish Polishes as they are so cool! I couldn't get my head around them when I first discovered them, I had a new matt glitter feature nail every week. My new discovery and one I find completely perfect for summer (not just because it matches my pools of blue eyes) is the Frosted Blue shade. They are really good to do gradient glitter with, just apply to a sponge and dab at the bottom or top of your nail.

My two most featured nail brands seem to be Maybelline and GOSH so it is only natural that my summer picks fall into those brands. I have discovered the Super Stay Gel Nail Colour polishes, on my quest to find an amazing clear top coat I picked up Crystal Clear which so far is my favourite ever! I also got myself a colour with Berry Stain which is a rich purple that I adore! (It even matches my handbag). The polishes really do stay for much longer than your everyday polish and the shine on them is lovely - so far so great!

Matching my skin to my wardrobe..

Is hard for me sometimes. I like wearing black now and again as it falls nicely with my hair, but I can end up looking gothic, then pale colours and whites tend to be a no go for me - and that is where I am struggling so far this summer. I haven't even been summer shopping yet (due to a lack of funds) and I am panicking about how much white and pastels are out there and look gorgeous yet I fear I can't wear them. HOWEVER.. I have my bottle of St Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse (where one shade fits all - I love the way they show it on the site, click the link to see!) to hand now and have really gotten into the routine of application. I am feeling a lot more confident in my skin and may even venture into wearing something white soon! It goes on so evenly and perfectly (moisturising and exfoliation help here) with a mitt, and builds up over 4 hours so do not apply too much thinking it isn't dark enough (a mistake I have made before).

So there we have part one of the summer episodes on curiosity.. think before you colour ladies x

Oh and remember to click the names of the products to buy them or see more online info from stockists :) 

jew's make-up stash

As you may have already seen below I have recorded the wonderful beauty favourites of my best friend Chloe whilst on my holiday back home in Manchester. And seeing as I have another amazing best friend that I was visiting this week who has the best stash of make-up I've ever seen (in real life) it was just seemed fair that she get a dedicated post too. She is my go to when it comes to make-up, if I want to play with her make-up or want some tips or want to know the best brushes to get I would turn to Juliette. (aka Jewstone, Jewvenile Convict, Jew bird, Jules, Jew)

Juliette's eye make-up picks...

Something I would say Juliette is a bit of an expert, if not just a girl obsessed by, is eyeshadow and  make-up for the eyes. She has sooooo many shadows.. These are just her favourites.

Urban Decay's Naked Palettes: Everyone, everywhere loves naked eye palettes. And you can see why, the neutral to dark colours allow you to create the perfect look whether it be all natural or smoky. I love going to Juliette's house and using her Naked palettes, I still haven't invested in my own because I always keep my shadow quite basic and natural and focus on eyeliner and lashes but they are lovely, I do want one!

NYX Loose Pearl Shadows in Copper, Bronze, Purple and Gold: These tiny pots of sparkly loveliness are so lovely. Juliette uses a little empty palette or empty eyeshadow tub to put in a little bit of the loose pearl with some water to create a lovely cream shadow. I love the Lilacy purple shade, there are loads more available on the website. If I invest I might go for the Turqouise one, it looks very mermaid-esque. That mermaid-aqua look with the pearlescent or metallic sheen is a great trend this season with coloured make up. Especially for your eyes and nails. 

The last top shadow Juliette picked out was the Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24HR Eye Shadow in Metallic Pomegrenate: Says it all in the name really, a shadow that won't clump in your creases but will last all day and night so you have an easy transaction from your work to party looks without any fuss about shadow! Juliette uses the Metallic Pomegrenate shade because she loves the contrast is has next to her pale skin, dark reddish hair and dark eyes.

Juliette, like myself, is a lover of Sleek Make-Up. Her new favourite product is the Sleek Brow Kit:  Now I have a really good new brow kit, I have tried two now (I used to be naughty and just use a brown eyeshadow) one by GOSH with powder brow shadow and my new one is by Shavata with a lovely cream shadow and they are both really good. This kit combines both a cream and a shadow, available in various shades - such a great idea because i found with my other kits that I use only one shadow and it's a total waste! So I am thinking this is my next brow kit..

Juliette's facial make-up favourites..

Super+ Beblesh Balm BB Cream with SPF 25: A Korean BB cream available on amazon, is one of Juliette's favourite facial makeup products because it is apparently the best. According to Jew, Korean BB Creams are the best kind, I'm not an expert on the matter so I wouldn't know, but Jew does her research and what she says goes. So get yourself on amazon, because the little swatch i did was really nice, and looked like it does the job really well.

BH Cosmetics Glamourous Blush Palette: Juliette isn't blessed with my naturally rosy cheeks, so one of her key items is a varied blush palette with blush for every season. So that whatever the weather you look fresh and glowing.

Another blusher Juliette loves is NYX Powder Blush in Taupe. It's a lovely natural colour and is perfect for contouring her pale skin. It makes a lovely difference to the darker bronzers you get in contouring palettes.

Juliette adores coconut oil..

I have mentioned Coconut Oil before in my eyelashes tips & mascara's blog post. Where I explained that coconut oil is often used on eyelashes to stimulate growth, according to Juliette it is also a wonderful moisturiser. Juliette has very sensitive skin with patches of occasional eczma so a good moisturiser is essential. Coconut Oil has al sorts of amazing qualities like natural UV protection and natural source of vitamin E (which I love and you all know it, as it is a natural healing and reparing vitamin for skin).

Juliette's new nail polishes..

I have seen these gorgeous Aquarium nail polishes by Barry M all over the blogging world and given Juliette's on going obsession with Barry M polishes, I should have known she would have some. She has the Mediterranean and Pacific and they are amazing. The Mediterranean shade is a pink/orange colour, on certain lights its a vibrant orange and in others a glimmering pink. The Pacific shade, Juliette was actually wearing the other day, and it is a lovely shimmering green/blue colour. I really really want some of these polishes I could do some lovely mermaid nail art with them.

Juliette's best lipsticks..

Avon Lipstick in Berry Berry is a lush colour! I (as an admirer of red lipstick) adore the shade, it's bright and so perfect for day or night this summer - good choice Juliette :)
Juliette is also loving purple lipsticks at the moment and her favourite is the Revlon ColourBurst Matte Balm in Shameless, I have never tried out purple lipstick but Juliette wore it while I was home and it really suited her to a T, it really complimented her brown eyes and pale skin. I love wearing the colour purple so I might give it ago, seeing as you know orange and purple are such good suitors and all!
Her favourite pink lipstick is a Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipstick in 18, a lovely pink shade (again perfect for summer). This lipstick would be a great option for a daytime summer look, I think it would suit most complexions.

So there they are, all the best bits of Juliette's make-up, and here are some lovely pics of her face painting skills! See you next time for my mum's classic products :) x

what's black and white and not so red all over?

The answer to that would be my Louis Vuitton nails - inspired by the S/S 14 showstopper that Edie Campbell strutted along the catwalks inspiring every designer possible to tear fashion limb from limb, scribble all over it, stick some feathers on it and create themselves a masterpiece -

As print is going to be a huge trend, more specifically lettering/typography, this Spring/Summer season this stunt of body graffiti done by Stephen Sprouse is well in fitting with what we will be wearing in a couple of months time - some already. 

And as the whole show set to inspire thousands based on LV's past 16 years of fashion experience and artistry in turn it inspired me and my next set of nail art. I am entering a little instagram competition by @Glittr and the theme is black and white. So, instantly I was going to enter a totally 'Black and White Ball' design with elements of my Wolf on Wall Street design (see it here, it's a massive favourite of mine!).. But for some reason I just couldn't nail it. (excuse the pun)

And as my nails got weary of the reapplication of white polish I remembered how much I loved the design that I transferred onto my nails a little white ago (here is the post) and bada bing bada boom - hey presto - voila.. this is the result...

Hope you love! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

sex and the citygal

I accidentally posted this the other day and hadn't even uploaded the pictures! typical me.. didn't notice till two whole days later. If I had a brain I'd be bloody dangerous!

Moving on from my tendency to be a numpty.. I was offered an amazing position at the PR agency I work for, Imagination, last week and it means I can stay in London until July like I originally planned before my previous employer had to let me go. No hard feelings.. not know I'm working for brands I actually like! So I concluded after much turmoil and struggle over the past few months I am officially a citygal again - and in celebration of this wonderful fact I did some sex and the city inspired nail art.. Hope you like :)

I used my new Andrea Fulerton Glitter Kit, Color Show in Blackout and Winter Baby and Models Own in Hot Pink as my bases. I also popped some little glitzy gems on for extra girly factor.. even if they did fall off after a day of running my hands through my super smooth hair. I also used my GOSH silver glitter nail polish for added glitter on the Big Ben I included in my city landscape. I loved drawing my little comso glasses.. now if only I had a full sized one in my hand as well...

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx :)

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valentines kiss

2 days to go until you will be giving your Valentine a great big kiss - best done with bright red lippy - whether it be your best friend, husband, boyfriend, grandaddy or dad (like me). Whether you want to be sexy or subtle, red lipstick on Valentines is the way to go.

So you can give them the perfect red lip print on the cheek or lips [ wink ] I have gone through my hoard of red lipsticks to see which is suitable for each Valentine possibility and which will leave the best print (I've done the leg work as far as wearing it goes, however, the kissing is your bit) - thats right it is totally up to you to pick a lippy and give your Valentine a massive kiss!

Day Date

Lush, It Started with a Kiss Lip Tint

This lip tint from Lush is so perfect for a day date - When you don't want to go for risky red because as they say 'A woman in red, is ready for bed'... You want a light lip print to keep a reminder in the air of what they are missing - subtle but still obvious.

Bright & Bubbly

B. by Superdrug, Pizzazz 155

Want to maintain your innocence? Don't wear red lipstick..

No but seriously, this lipstick is such a lovely bright and pretty shade of red that it gives off a vibe that is more 'cute' than 'come at me'. I tend to wear this one during in the day because the light reflects off it really nicely too.

Bring me a Rose

Collection 2000, Volume Sensation in Cherry Pop 8

In all honesty this is the lipstick that gets a guys respect.. Okay yes I am joking again. This one is still subtle and nice enough to be sweet, but it also has an edge to it that is sexy and fashionable - Best of both worlds, why wouldn't a guy give you a rose? (Probably because it isn't 1950)

Bite it

Maybelline, Colour Sensational Fatal Red 530

This one has a funny story behind it actually - I found it in my bag when I moved to London last June and have no idea where it came from. I keep tabs on my red lipsticks because I love them so much, so I know I didn't buy it - One of my friends is definitely down a lippy, oops. But it was worth it, it is a sexier shade and I imagine it as the kind you see on the model biting her lip on the advert - you know the one...

The Mistress or the Wife?

B. by Superdrug, Carmen 038 

You can be either in this shade I recon, the sexy mistress who steals the married man from his frigid wife in the middle of the night, or the demanding wife with an attitude problem and a rich man on her arm who gives her whatever she wants. I don't know which I would rather be!

Let's Talk About Sex Baby

Collection 2000, Volume Sensation in Ruby Red 3

Pure sex on a stick, I LOVE this lipstick. It is my favourite I have at the minute (I used to have an amazing Kate Moss shade that I always get mixed up with this one - but hey ho this one is probably cheaper). It's dark, broody, full of attitude and has a slight matted effect - which is gorgeous. If you are up for the seduction, pick this up.

All Nighter

Maybelline, Super Stay 24 Hour Colour in Red Passion

I wore this lipstick for my first big night out in Manchester city centre, when I found out I passed my A Levels and at 7 o'clock in the morning in the taxi with my best friend Chlo in her smeared lippy, it was still perfect - even after all the shots. It's tough to apply to be honest but worth the effort. If the walk of shame is something you like to do with your lipstick still in tact. This is the one you want. 

I also highly recommend this GOSH lip liner to neaten up the edges of your lipstick - I've never been that bothered about lip liner till I used this one to be honest - but it is really good. GOSH, Velvet Touch Lip Liner, Simple Red.

My next post is to celebrate the fact I am still a citygal after much stress and struggle - yay me!

Sex and the citygal nail art. See you tomorrow! MWAH xxx

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PS I wasn't able to pop in pics of all the lippies on my gorge lips because my lips weren't agreeing with the constant cleaning and re-applying! - the pains of a beauty blogger.