Friday 31 January 2014

Urban Decay Naked 3 palette




I'm sure you have all heard and seen lots of the Naked 3 palette recently. It's the newest Naked palette release by Urban Decay and it's beautiful!
 
I own the first two palettes and wouldn't have thought I'd need a third one, however this one is so pretty! The eye-shadow colours are all pinky tones and the packaging itself is a gorgeous rose gold colour. I much prefer the metal packaging compared to the velvet packaging of the first palette. I love these palettes as they are so clean, simple and the mirror is lovely and big.
 



I love the colours in this palette. I don't wear eye-shadow every day so when I do, I like the colours to be easy to wear and all work well together.
 
The paler colours in this palette, on the left, would be beautiful to use as inner corner and lid colours. The darker colours, on the right, would be lovely in the outer corner and crease. I think I would use the middle colours either for the outer corner if I'm doing a subtle look and don't want to go too dark, or as an all over colour if I want something a little more dramatic!
 
I'd love to know your favourite colours to wear from this palette! I am planning on filming a video soon, showing you my favourites shades and looks to create using this.
 

Wednesday 29 January 2014

Dirty Looks hair extensions




My hair is shoulder length and I love having shorter hair, however sometimes it's nice to have long hair that I can style more. When I was younger I owned some hair extensions but I got rid of them when I had ombre hair, as they didn't match anymore!

A couple of weeks ago Dirty Looks sent me some extensions to review and I was so excited to try them. I chose the HK full head hair extensions* in 16"-18". My hair is extremely thick and in the past I have struggled to find extensions that are thick enough to blend in. These ones are lovely and thick though, plus they come with a quad weft which is amazing. Without the quad weft, they definitely would not be thick enough for my hair!

They are made with Remy human hair, so can be styled just as you would style your normal hair. I like making them wavy as I find they blend in slightly better.






 








Dirty Looks were great at choosing the right colour for me. I sent a couple of photos of myself in natural daylight and they quickly responded matching me to the shade Espresso.

Once you break the seal on the packaging of hair extensions, you cannot return them. I think it is brilliant that these ones come with a separate little pouch with one extension in, which you can take out and check the colour/length, without having to break the seal. I took this into my dad to check the colour matched my hair and he couldn't believe how perfect the match was!

The hair extensions come in two little nets to keep them all together and protected. They also come with three spare clips which I am very impressed with!

I am extremely pleased with these hair extensions as they are lovely and thick, the colour is perfect and they blend in nicely.



Sunday 26 January 2014

Products for your skintone

I have very pale skin and I often find it difficult to find foundations to match me. Alot of brands don't seem to go pale enough for me and if they do, it's usually the wrong tone! I thought this would be a great post to help you find out your skintone and there is some brilliant advice.

House of Fraser have collaborated with me on this post and have put together some top tips for identifying your skintone and what shades will help to bring out your features.

First of all, Betzy Carmona from Betzy’s Makeup top tip on identifying your skintone.


‘I think in order to pick the right foundation knowing your skintone is a must. The easiest way to determine your skin undertone is to do the "vein test". Stand by natural day light and see if your wrist veins are blue or green. If they are blue you are cool toned, and if they happen to be green you are warm toned.’ 
 
Warm

Apparently, anyone with warm undertones tends to have red or brown hair with brown, hazel or green eyes. Although, blondes can still be warm toned! The recommended shades are warm, earthly shades with a yellow based foundation and a peachy blush. 

Elle Woo from Lipstick and Lace has warm undertones and says why she thinks it is important to get your pallet right:


‘Your skintone is possibly one of the most important things to know when it comes to purchasing makeup. The easiest way to determine your skin’s undertones is to ask a representative at the counter to assess your tone for you. My favourite product for my type of skintone is the Urban Decay Naked Palette because it has all the warm toned shadows I could ever need on a daily basis. I love putting on eye makeup; my eyes are one of my favourite features of my face to highlight so I always enjoy applying eyeshadow, liner and mascara.’


Cool
 
People with a cool undertone can have blonde, dark brown or black hair. They can be pale skinned and have blue, grey, green or black eyes. I am cool toned as I have brown hair, am very pale and have green/blue eyes. Cool skintones suit jewel tones with a pinkish blush. Again, this can vary between the individual so don’t worry if you don’t fit into this description!

Hannah Sayers from Love Life and Makeup gave us her thoughts:


‘It is so important to know your skintone, as not only will you be able to pick better hair, clothing, and makeup colours to suit you, but you will also be able to look after your skin better. There are a few different ways of finding your skintone and a few simple rules can help to determine it, but there are of course always exceptions to any rule. If you tan easily and don’t burn your skintone is more likely to have a yellow undertone. Whereas, if you do burn easily and don’t tan you are more likely to have a pink undertone. I am cooled toned. I’m very pale, I burn easily, and I have pink undertones to my skin. However don’t be mistaken if you suffer with rosacea or red flushes, that does not mean you have a pink tone that’s a separate skin concern. Benefit Highbeam is a beautiful highlight for cool tones; it’s a pink toned liquid highlight which is amazing. I use a small amount on my cheek and brow bone, cupids bow and close to the inner eye to make my eyes appear bigger.’


I like using Benefit Highbeam. I haven't used it in a while, so Hannah has just reminded me I may want to find it and start using it again! The shade of it really suits my skin-tone and it is generally a lovely product to use.




Neutral

If your vein test showed you have a mixture between blue and green undertones, this can mean that you have a neutral skintone. Having a neutral skin tone means that you suit both warm and cool shades, giving you the best of both! You could have mixture between any hair and eye colour, although, matching your foundation may be a little trickier!

Therefore, Zoe from Zoe New Love has given her advice for matching foundations for neutral skintones:

 
‘It’s important to know your skin tone otherwise you will end up buying the wrong foundation for your skin. If you choose the wrong foundation, your skin will end up looking ashy and dull. Yes, it may match your skin, but if it doesn’t match your undertone you will end up looking like you are wearing a mud mask. I have a neutral skintone, but I sway to wearing warmer tones. When trying on a new foundation, always remove any make-up you may already be wearing first, and test it not just on your jawline, but on your neck and by the side of your nose too. The jawline will match the foundation to your skin, but you want to make sure it will blend well into your neck too!’



I hope you have found this post useful. I find when my foundation matches me not only in shade, but in tone, my skin looks a lot healthier and more natural.




- Collaboration with House of Fraser -


Friday 24 January 2014

LVNDR jewellery

I was reading Kayleigh's blog the other day and she was showing some gorgeous jewellery from LVNDR. Bracelets are the only jewellery item that I wear on a regular basis, so I went straight to the LVNDR website and looked at the bracelets.

The charm bracelet was my favourite as it looks so dainty, feminine and cute. It either comes in hearts or stars. I was considering buying the stars at first, however I decided on the hearts as they are so adorable!
 





 
This was wrapped so carefully and I adore the packaging it came in. It had a luxurious, sweet and pretty feel to it. The bracelet itself is lovely. It feels and looks very good quality and I am excited to get a lot of wear from it! The colour is brilliant as I don't like yellowy gold, but this is a subtle and beautiful shade of gold.

I already have the love ring on my wish-list which I will probably buy soon! All of her items are so affordable and wearable.


Wednesday 22 January 2014

Tag: The blogger made me buy it

I love seeing various tags on blogs, so when Georgina tagged me to do this one, I started typing straight away!

1. Who are your most influential bloggers? Who are the ones that you really rely on for reviews and swatches?

Vivianna and Lily Pebbles are two of my favourite bloggers. They blog about amazing products and most of them are added to my wishlist! Alix is also another influential blogger as her reviews are amazing.


2. Do you buy a product solely as a result from one review from your favourite bloggers, or do you look for more reviews from others?

If one of my favourite bloggers writes a brilliant review about something, that product will usually be added to my wishlist. I will then google more reviews to check it's something I would like.


3. What is your favourite item that you have ever bought as a consequence of blogs?

Probably my Nars blush in Deep Throat. It is fairly expensive for a blush, so I probably wouldn't have bought it if it wasn't for other bloggers saying how nice it is. I absolutely love this and it is definitely my favourite blush I own.

4. What is your least favourite item that you have ever bought as a consequence of blogs?

There are not many products I own that I dislike, thankfully! I don't like the Revlon Just Bitten stain and balm. I have one which I never wear, the texture isn't nice and it fades in patches. I like the balms that look like Chubby Sticks though!
 

5. Name 5 products you have bought recently as a result of blog. 

Urban Decay Naked 3 palette, Clarins Exfoliator Brightening toner, Rimmel Match Perfection foundation, L'Oreal Eau De Teint foundation and Mac Patisserie lipstick.

6. Have you ever given in to blogger hype? If so, which hype?


Definitely the Naked 3 palette. I absolutely love it and the eye-shadows are gorgeous, however I don't wear eye-shadows on a regular basis, so I didn't really need a third palette! It was just popping up everywhere and I couldn't resist the rose gold.
 
7. Have you ever avoided blogger hype? If so, which hype?


There seems to be a big hype around Oribe, especially their dry texturizing spray. I feel one day I may not be able to resist anymore, however for now, I have been good and haven't given in!


8. Is everything you buy based on blogger reviews or are there some items you buy without checking out a review?

Most things I find out about through blogs. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't know half of the products I own even existed! I do buy things without reviews though. The other week I was in Boots and I saw the L'Oreal Miss Manga mascara. I had never even heard of it but it looked nice, so I bought it.

If you do this tag, please link it below so I can read it.



Sunday 19 January 2014

Products: Daily essentials

I regularly tell you my favourite products each month and I also post reviews on products, however I thought it would be nice to tell you my daily essentials. These will be the products that I go to on a regular basis and rely on but don't tend to mention on my blog.

Starting from when I wake up, first of all I wash my face and I always use some kind of cloth for this. I like using muslin cloths and I have them stacked high in my bathroom! I soak these in water and then use them to remove the cleanser from my face. They are great to use as they remove cleanser and makeup very well, whilst also giving your skin a gentle exfoliation.



In the shower I use various shower gels. My mum and I just use the same one and are constantly trying out new ones. Currently, I am using a Dove shower gel which is really nice and creamy. Recently I have also used Radox Berry Burst, Soap and Glory and Original Source. Soap and Glory Clean on Me is my favourite shower gel and I always receive one for my Birthday or Christmas!

Before I get dressed, I spray myself with deodorant. I have been using the Sure Bright one, which is great as they also sell a compressed one which is a lot smaller!




I have spoken about my Tangle Teezer before and this is something I rely on everyday. I cannot brush through my knotty hair with anything else! This works well on wet and dry hair, so I use this every single day. I am currently giving one away in my beauty giveaway. Also, Lookfantastic have an offer here of 2 for £15 on Tangle Teezers, which is incredible! The offer ends tomorrow.

When I apply my makeup, I always have cotton pads to hand and my favourite are the Boots Baby extra large ones. I pop foundation onto the back of my hand and apply concealer with my fingers, so cotton pads are great for removing this. If I use a water cleanser then I apply it with these cotton pads and I also use them for applying toner. They are so soft and the perfect size!

 


Friday 17 January 2014

New makeup editions: Face




I posted my Everyday Makeup routine last week and thought I would go into more detail on some of the new editions to my makeup collection.

The Rimmel Match Perfection foundation is a new foundation to me and I love it. The colour, Light Porcelain, is a perfect match for my skin. It feels very lightweight and provides slightly buildable coverage. Once applied, this just leaves my skin looking natural and even, with a slight glow.

I posted a comparison of the Seventeen Phwoarr Paint concealer and my Bobbi Brown Corrector last week which you may be interested in. I really like using creamy concealers under my eyes and this one from Seventeen is amazing. It covers any discolouration perfectly, whilst not being too thick, heavy or creasing. I find it blends very well and stays put all day! Someone told me they use this on blemishes, so I may give that a go. I don't know if anything could beat my beloved Collection Lasting Perfection concealer though!


The Max Factor Crème Puff powder has a lovely scent to it. If you don't like scented products then you may not like this, as I find it is quite powerful. The shade I have is translucent, however I find it does have a bit of colour to it and if I put a lot on, it looks too dark. This controls my oily nose well without leaving my skin looking matte and dull. I don't like using a powder that's going to make my skin look dull, as I love the radiant finish my foundation provides.

My final new edition is the Clarins Face and Blush powder. The colours in this are gorgeous and together create a natural glow to the skin. There is a gold strip of glitter on this, however after a couple of uses it completely goes. I love focusing this on my cheeks and then bringing it onto my forehead and nose with a big fluffy brush.


Wednesday 15 January 2014

My dressing table

I love seeing how other people set up their dressing table and store their makeup, so today I'm going to show you my dressing table!

I may do a more in-depth video soon where I go through my makeup collection and show you where I store different products, however today is just an overview of my dressing table.
 
My dressing table and stool are from Next and I have the complete Hove bedroom furniture set to match.
 
 
 
 
 
If you watch my videos, you may remember seeing the little heart shaped bowls in my bedroom haul. I keep all of my most-used skincare products in the biggest one and the smaller one holds perfumes I am currently using. I think these look adorable and I love having them on display.
 
I recently bought 2 sets of the Muji drawers to store my everyday makeup and any new makeup products I have bought and need to review. Muji drawers had been on my wish list for a very long time and I am glad I finally bought some as they are so convenient for storing makeup!

I have three pots for my makeup brushes. One holds all my everyday face brushes, the other holds face brushes I don't use as often and the third is all of my eye brushes. In the photos, two of the pots are empty as my brushes were having a much-deserved clean!
 
My mirror was a present last Christmas and it's from Revlon. I really enjoy using this as it lights up, making it so much easier to do my makeup in the early mornings when it's dark!
 
On my dressing table I also keep my Tangle Teezer which I love and any hair products that I use on a regular basis, so they are easy to grab.

This dressing table has two drawers which is where I store the rest of my makeup. One holds all my face products and the other, all my eye and lip products.
 
Let me know if you would like to see a makeup collection video!



Sunday 12 January 2014

Comparison: Under-eye concealers


You may know that the Bobbi Brown Corrector has been a favourite of mine for a while now. I used to use it everyday and I found it covered any under-eye discolouration perfectly. I hardly have any left though, so instead of splashing out on a new one for £18.50, I thought I would try and find a slightly cheaper alternative!

I read a blog post mentioning the Seventeen Phwoarr Paint concealer and decided to give it a go. I really like creamy concealers like this that are in a pot, so this seemed a great option.


The main difference between these is the colour. The top swatch is the Seventeen concealer in fair, and the bottom is the Bobbi Brown Corrector in Porcelain Peach. The Seventeen one is obviously a bit darker, however I didn't notice that until I swatched them for this photo. Once blended under my eyes, both are a perfect colour match for me!

The texture of both products is creamy and neither are too heavy or thick, despite the Seventeen one being called 'paint' and 'heavy duty'! The Bobbi Brown one is a corrector rather than a concealer, however I find they both provide enough coverage to be used on their own. The Seventeen one does provide a little bit more coverage, but not a lot more.

I think from now on I wont be repurchasing the Bobbi Brown Corrector because the Seventeen concealer is only £5.49 and in my opinion, just as good!