September Favourites – Beauty & Haircare

Hello again,

I hate to see another month end – especially since it’s another 11 months until my birthday – but its slowly getting closer to Christmas which is always an exciting time of year that I cannot wait to celebrate! Well lets start with my favourite topic ever, beauty!

beauty products:

• Tanya Burr Daydream Lipgloss – Tanya Burrs new release of products are absolutely flawless and I especially loved this colour as it reminds me of Summer and is almost the perfect nude for school. I will definitely be purchasing a darker berry colour from this range for Autumn/Winter.
• Tanya Burr Fairytale Eye Palette – Again from her new range, this eyeshadow palette has such natural, everyday eye shadows in it that I especially love wearing for work or school.

• Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade – The packaging, the shade range and the actual product is gorgeous! This definitely does give you the benefit of bolder and thicker brows, which I didn’t think I’d ever like until I purchased this product. ABH got this one perfect!

• Estee Lauder Double Wear – My favourite foundation as it doesn’t make me look caked or oily. A must have in my collection and my most used foundation. It also doesn’t dry out my skin in winter which is usually a major issue I’ve had to deal with in previous years.

• Mac Paint Pot in Painterly – I’ve been loving this product and this specific colour this month because its a light and creamy shade that corrects all the discolouration on my eye, ready for the autumnal shades of eyeshadow that are ready to be applied over it.

haircare products:

I only have two favourites for this month but have been using them literally non-stop. Lee Stafford is one of my all time favourite hair stylists as his products repeatedly amaze me.

• Lee Stafford Flat Iron Protection Hair Mist – This make my hair smell so refreshing and feel light and bouncy with a bonus of protecting it from any heat damage that could occur when using the hair dryer or straighteners.
• Lee Stafford Firm Hold Barnet Hairspray – I have certainly loved having a slight bit of backcomb in my hair this recent month as my hair tends to go flat as the months get colder and/or just after I’ve washed it and this does exactly the job to keep everything in firm position all day long.

products I couldn’t miss out:

• Rimmel London Nail Polish in Caramel Cupcake – As i went back to school in September, this was the ideal colour as we’re not allowed bright nail polish and it’s exactly the classical nude I was looking for when I went to purchase it.

• Urban Decay De-Slick Make-Up Setting Spray – You’ve probably heard me mention this product numerous times before but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT! I wear it every single day as my make-up stays in place and I never appear as oily throughout the day.

Thank you for reading my September favourites and I’ll write again to you all very soon,

Love

Jessica

Urban Decay Naked Palette Tutorial – Weekend Party Eyeshadow

Hello,

I have recently attended a party and was in love with my make-up for the occasion and would love to give you all the details of how I created this look!

I would just like to mention I was really inspired by a make-up tutorial I watched on YouTube by Katerina Beauty Blog stating that the tutorial was using the Naked Palette by Urban Decay (which is what I was opting to use for the party).

I started by applying Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion in Original to help the eyeshadow last all night long. After, I took Sin which is a half white-shimmery eyeshadow all over my lid as my starting base colour. Then using Buck, using windscreen wiper motions, I applied this to the crease as the transition shade constantly blending outwards to make the eyelids appear fuller and larger. My next shade was Hustle, a light wine purple shade, which I again applied into the crease on top of the transition shade using windscreen wiper motions. Using a petite-crease brush or small/fine pencil brush, place a minimal amount of the shade Creep, a sparkly black/grey shade, onto the brush and into the crease repeatedly blending outwards to make sure it’s all well blended together. Once the complexed blending steps are over with, you can then apply more of Sin onto the eyelid to brighten it up again or you can take a small amount of Mac Vanilla Pigment onto the eyelid for an even brighter, sparkly effect without over doing it. For the finishing touch, briefly engage the shade Virgin onto the brow bone to signify a hint of structure and brightness to the face and eyes. A suggestion that Katerina uses in her video is winged eyeliner, you can include or skip this step depending on how you want to interpret the look but I have applied it because I believe it makes me look awake and bolder. Quickly apply your favourite mascara – I used the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara as my lashes look darker and formulate longer. Lastly, I added some of the Mac 10 Lashes because they appear natural and fluttery which I love.

The Finished Result:

TIP: Using a decent fluffy brush is essential when blending eyeshadow, in which I recommend the Mac 217 Blending Brush because the bristles are so soft and gentle, and most importantly don’t shred as easily in comparison to other make-up brush brands I have used in the past. Although this brush retails at £20, it most definitely is worth it for performing perfectly blended eyeshadow.

Thank you for reading this blog!

Jessica

Link to Katerinas YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/KaterinaBeautyBlog

Easy, Natural & Glam Makeover

Hello,

Before I tell you all about this look I created, I want to formally apologise to all my readers for not being updated (at the moment) with blogging. I have school, revising and a part-time job which primarily fills up my time, but I promise to do a lot more blogs for the end of September/start of October.

Anyway, lets begin on how I created this look!

My younger sister – who is only just starting to enjoy the application and process of make-up asked me to do her make-up for her. Obviously, me being me I said yes as it would look exceptional in my portfolio (and to be honest I really enjoyed it).

• Firstly, I applied the Revlon Colorstay Foundation in 180 Sand Beige all over her skin as a base using the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge.
• For concealer, I used the Maybelline Anti-Age Erase Concealer in the shade Light, as her skin is merely Ivory toned.
• As a quick-fix highlighter, I used a Mac Prep+Prime Highlighting Pen in the shade Radiant Rose which is a pastel pink shade (as she doesn’t have yellow undertones) and can also be used as a tint/flush to the skin before bronzer and blusher.
• Major step of the process is Powder as it sets your make-up all day long. My sister tends to have dry skin so I lightly dusted some of my Mac Blot Powder in Light onto the concealed areas and gently on the nose.
• One of favourite parts – THE EYES – she chose the Urban Decay Naked Palette. I applied Naked, a neutral skin toned shade, all over the lid. I then chose the shade I admire the most which is Buck – a mocha cocoa shade – and used this as a transition shade into the crease. Darkhorse, a shimmery dark-brown shade, looked perfect to add more of a cut crease effect in which I applied this to the outer corner of the crease and eyelid. An additive to this look was my holy grail Mac Pigment in the shade Vanilla all over the lid (preferably a thin dusting) for a little bit of sparkle to the eyes!
• For mascara I used the Benefit Roller Lash Mascara to add a curl to the lashes and to emphasise the eyeshadow.
• For a little bit of bronzer I had to use my Hoola Bronzer by Benefit as it’s my favourite bronzer ever at the minute and gives such a natural matte glow. This was applied to the jawline, forehead and cheekbones to add structure to the face. For blusher, the Sugarbomb Blush by Benefit was so useful as the two together pair flawlessly. For highlighter, again my ultimate Mac Pigment in Vanilla was used along the brow bone and on a blusher brush to the apples of her cheeks to add shimmer.
• Finishing touch.. the LIPSTICK! Tanya Burr Daydream Lipgloss was used as it is a reminiscence of Summer for me! It’s a gorgeous creamy nude and smells so summery! 

TIP: Always remember to moisturise before applying make-up and if you want your make-up to last even longer or minimise pores, always opt for a primer before going in with foundation etc. My number one primer at the moment would be Max Factor FaceFinity Primer which is made to make your make up last all day and is a creamy white texture which feels similar to moisturiser.

Thank you for reading once again and I love all my readers!

Jessica

Review: Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation

Hello,

There is nothing else to say other than this product is outstanding! It is my all-time favourite foundation and I’m going to tell everyone why.

Product Details:

The UK’s NO. 1 Foundation.

15-hour staying power. Flawless all day. This worry-free, long-wearing makeup stays fresh and looks natural through heat, humidity, nonstop activity.

Won’t change colour, smudge or come off on clothes. Feels lightweight and comfortable.

Now the flawless look you see in the morning is the look you keep all day.

• Coverage – This foundation is definitely a full-coverage foundation and that’s primarily what I adore about it. I simply apply one layer to my face and I instantly appear looking natural and awake.
• Shade Range – This foundation has so many various shades to choose from, I’m the shade Ivory Nude and it exactly matches my neck and face tone.
• Packaging – The design of the bottle is so gorgeous! The font is bold, and the foundation is in a frosted glass bottle making it look remarkably professional and attactive.
• Skin Type – As you know, I have oily/combination skin and it stays on for the entire day appearing matte and without powdering! My friends, whom have dry/combination skin, have also tried this miracle worker and agree it lasts all day long.
• Doesn’t make you break out – Eventually, a foundation that doesn’t break me out has evolved. Many reviews suggest this foundation covers acne effortlessly. I don’t have acne but it certainly wouldn’t surprise me if these reviews were legitimate.
• Staying Power – I agree with the statement from Estee Lauder declaring “It looks natural through heat, humidity, nonstop activity” as I wear it most days for school or on a weekend when I go out with friends and it lasts all day long without blotching or beginning to go patchy.
• SPF – The SPF of 10 is always a perk as you can wear it in really hot weather and it won’t damage your skin. Remember, SPF is always vital with every make-up product, especially foundation.

Overall, I can’t state to everyone how much I cherish this foundation! I most definitely will not be changing for a long time.

Thank you,

Jessica

My Birthday Beauty Presents

FINALLY, MY BIRTHDAY ACTUALLY CAME! I am now 15 years old, it’s a new (school) year which calls for some new make-up which I absolutely couldn’t resist writing down on my birthday list. My dad was fabulous when it came to buying me all of the products I wanted (obviously make-up is clearly personal to me). Now, lets begin!

• Naked Palette – I couldn’t repel myself from writing yet another Naked Palette on my list because they’re so pretty! This palette contains 12 autumnal neutral shimmers and mattes which are super pigmented! My favourite shade is definitely Buck, which works perfect as a transition shade.
• Mac Pigments – I had never tried these before my birthday but had definitely been eyeing them up for some time. They looked that cute I had to ask for two! The shades I chose were Vanilla which is a pearly-white shade and Tan which is a coppery, brown shade.
• Benefit Sugarbomb Blush – As you probably know (if you’ve read previous posts on my blog) I had my make-up done by Benefit earlier this summer. The makeover looked perfect and the products she used really suited my skin type and tone. The Sugarbomb Blush was one of the many products she used on me and I instantly fell in love with it once it was applied.
• Benefit Hoola Bronzer – Most bloggers praise this product as their holy grail item and I can finally see why! The colour is the perfect matte shade for a soft glow. It comes with a soft-bristled brush and the packaging is impeccable. I simply can not fault this product.

Thank you for reading this post. I will upload/post again to you all soon.

Jessica