Cat || HALLOWEEN TUTORIAL SERIES

Hey,

So this is the last of my ‘Halloween Tutorial Series’ and it is one of my favourite Halloween looks- the cat. I was inspired by my look last year, and decided I’d recreate this bold, but pretty cat makeup.

Last year, I wore this look with scruffy back-combed hair, metal cat ears and all black clothes (top, skirt, tights and shoes). I think this look is really effective, you could even add false lashes to make it even more dramatic!

So I began with my simple face makeup done, for me this was just concealer, but you could use foundation and contouring.

1.       To start the cat look you need to use some eyeshadow. I choose to go with a glittery eye so that the dark eyeliner really stands out. I used this beautiful eyeshadow, which is a L’Oreal ‘Colour Infailliable’ in the shade ‘Hourglass’. I put this all over my eyelid and below under my eyes. On top of this I put a dark brown in the crease of my eyelid and blend. To top this of I use a glitter rollable to distribute glitter all over the eye.

2.       Next is the cat eyeliner. To begin, I take my Supercat liner and line my eye from the inner corner of my eye to the end of my eyelid. Then I roughly create a flick line and make it thick and bold. I also make the line, which is close to my lashes, thick. Then I take the eyeliner and draw a line under my eye, keeping close to the lashes. To make the look more cat-like, you want to bring the liner at the inner corner and create a small flick down. Add lots of mascara, for extra drama, make sure you layer it!

3.       I now do the nose. I take any liquid eyeliner and follow the shape of my nose so that it looks more like an animal nose. Be careful not to get it up your nose! Then you must follow the nose to the lips with a thin straight line.

  For the whiskers you can do any amount of whiskers, of any thickness and length. Match these on the other cheek.

4.  To finish the look I moisturise my lips and then I choose a dark lip. I choose this berry/pink shape and roughly added it to my lips. You could change this to a very dark black/purple or keep it lighter, like a pale nude.

So that’s it and this is the last of mu tutorials! I have really enjoyed making these looks, I hope you have enjoyed watching them too! Let me know what you’re being for Halloween too! I hope you all have a haunting-ly good Halloween,

Skeleton || HALLOWEEN TUTORIAL SERIES

Hey,
So this is going to be another make up look of my ‘Halloween tutorials’ series, which I hope you are all enjoying. I’ve seen a lot of looks of Youtube which are for zombies and dead bodies, which I thought were a bit too dramatic, over the top and gruesome. Therefore I decided to do a less intense skeleton look, so then you can choose to make it more or less intense. Again, the look is meant to be based on makeup products that you would already have or that you can buy cheaply at a drugstore;
you can add your own products to this, or if you wanted to use other sources such as face paint.

*** Be warned that some of these products have not been intended to be used on the areas I used them. I take no responsibility for any harm caused***

1. I decided to keep my skin bare, because I wanted to create a dead-looking skin appearance so I kept up natural skin and dark bags.

2. Next I take my eyeshadow palette. This is the Sleek au natural palette, and I used the two darkest shades: noir and regal. If you are using your own shades, dark blacks and browns are best, and a matt appearance is also the most effective look.

3. Take the next-to-darkest shade and put it is all the places that would be hollow on a skeleton, like under your eyes, around your nose and lines along the cheeks.

4. On a smaller brush, take a small amount of black and put it on the hollow parts. This will give
the appearance of deeper parts of the face, like a skeleton. If you are confused about this step, click here to see a googled search of similar Halloween make up looks that make this step look more obvious.

5. Use the concealer, or nude lipstick, on the lips to lighten them to a skin colour.

6. Take any type of black eyeliner, I used a pen and liquid one, and draw teeth like lines over the lips. Make them larger and exaggerated, and bring them a few centimetres onto the cheeks. They should line up with the pre-drawn lines.
Then draw a line to join up the check lines, it should take you across the centre of the lips.

7. To finish, I decided to add some mascara as this look would probably be worn to a Halloween party, and you still want to look alive- ish!

So that’s it! I hope you enjoyed this look, I would love to see yours too! If you link them down below I’m sure to check them out!!! Not long now till Halloween for all those who love it,
I hope you are all having a great time,

Pink Fairy || HALLOWEEN TUTORIAL SERIES

Hey,

So welcome to my first look of my ‘Halloween Tutorial’ series! I’m so excited to announce that I will be doing different make up looks all for Halloween 2014! The whole idea is that these looks are cheap, easy and affordable looks that will be inspired by everyday makeup- with a few optional extras. Stay tuned to my blog this week to see the final looks I’m showing you, but for today, it’s my ‘Pink Fairy’ look.

I themed this look around glitter and pink, and wanted a less ‘scary’ Halloween option. I think this look is so cute, and could be the highlight of your costume.

1.       Take a pink shimmery eye shadow. I used my Seventeen eyeshadow in Funfair over my whole eyelid and bought forward to the corner of my eye and around the bottom. So you will have a ring of pink shadow. Blend with a brush.

Then take a more glittery shadow, I used a pink dazzle dust from Barry M. I would really recommend this product as it is so cheap and really adds to the final appearance.

2.       Next I took a pink thick eyeliner pencil, this was again a Barry M super soft eye crayon. I took this on my waterline and then below my lash line and on my lid.

Then I take a glitter roll on, this really made the look seem more fairy-like, and my face was shimmering like mad! This is a Body Shop Sparkle Roller Ball and again this is one of the products I’d recommend you buy, or buy similar, if you wanted to create this Halloween look.

3.       Thirdly, take a black eyeliner of your choice and draw a thin liner close to the lash line. Then at the end, carefully flick it into a swirl. Take your time at this step, and then repeat on the other eye.

Add a mascara of your choice to finish the eyes.

4.       For lips, you want a pink lip. I mixed a bunch of light pink lipsticks, glosses and crayons. Two examples are this Seventeen lip gloss and lip crayon. Have fun with this, but make sure it’s not uncomfortable.

And that’s it! I love this look and you can change it to suit you. I would have either an over the top pink outfit with wings and a wand, or just an all-black, or all-white simple look.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial, the first of many! Let me know your thoughts on this look in the comments below,

What's in my Carry On Bag?

Hey,

So this post is going to be an updated ‘what's in my carry on bag’ post because I am going on holiday so soon, and this is one of my favourite posts to do. Personally I love ‘what's in my bag’ posts, and thought I would give you an insight to what I’m taking when I travel.

So I am going on a 12 hour journey, which includes a car ride and plane trip, so I’ve put a lot of thought into everything I’m taking. I also got a few new items to put in my carry on, as well as a new bag I am SO excited to use!

So the first item I’m going to show you is the new bag. I am in love with this backpack and think it’s so cute as well as being very stylish. It’s one of the new square backpacks that are in fashion at the moment, and it is from New Look. I am really impressed with the range of bags New Look has in at the moment, and there are so many of these square backpack-type bags. The bag I choose is a black faux leather backpack, with gold hardwear and a statement zip on the front. I was so surprised with all the space in this bag, you could even fit an A4 folder if you wanted!

The second item is a magazine. I like to read when I travel, as it gives you something to do that isn’t evolved around technology but can still keep you focsed. Magazines are great as they can give you a break from reading books, and are more visual. The magazine I have is a Look magazine, which I currently have a subscription to. I like fashion magazines to read but there is such a range, so find one you like! A tip is to either save up on magazines issues or buy lots of different ones so that you have multiple copies to read!

On the subject of reading, my next item is a book. This book is one I'm soooo excited to read! 'One Million Lovely Letters...' by Jodi Ann Bickley. I'll tell you how I get on with this, but it's great for travel because it's not a thick, hard-backed heavy book. 

Following this is a different type of book. I love art and find drawing and doodling so calming and therapeutic, so when I first saw adult colouring books I got so excited! I bought myself this as a treat for my holiday and it is the ‘secret garden’ adult colouring book. I can’t wait to use this on my journey to my holiday, I think it will be great for on the plane and spare time in the airport. These books can really range in price, but I got mine for £6.97 from amazon.

The fifth, and sixth, items are notebooks. I like to write down my thoughts, and am taking my blog notebook and a new one I bought for the holiday. My holiday notebook is this pretty map design (I thought it would be apt for the occasion), and I like to organise everything ‘holiday’ in it, from a daily diary to outfit designs. In my blog book I simply schedule posts and plan everything you see on this page!

So if I’m taking a drawing book and notebooks I am going to need pens and pencils. So my seventh carry on bag item is a pencil case! This pencil case is a blue and floral one pouch case. Inside I keep a range of pens and pencils, as well as some staedtler colouring pencils and my new stabile felt tips! I bought these pens after searching for them for ages. They were on offer in WHSmiths, and thought I’d spurge. The pens are great quality, the colour range is huge and the tip of the pen is just the right thickness.

Another pouch I’m bringing is one I’m using for my beauty items. This adorable floral pig pouch is from Primark and I think it was £3 ish. Inside I am keeping my liquids, that will be in a clear sandwich bag (because I’m going on a plane) and all the bits and bobs I think will be handy on the journey:-

·         So the first thing in my pouch is a mini hairbrush and hairbands. Because I’m traveling for so long, I was really keen to have something to control my hair. I find it most comfty to wear my hair down, but if I want to put it up or brush it, I have these things handy.

·         The next thing is a pack of Simple wipes. As I’ve said I’ll be traveling for quite a while, so I wanted some face wipes for if I want to refresh my skin, take of my makeup or if my makeup smudges. I have the smaller pack that simple do because it is more convenient.

·         I get quite dry hands, and whenever I go anywhere I normally bring a hand cream with me. I decided to treat myself and buy a new hand cream I’ve wanted to try for ages, the Soap&Glory ‘HandFood’. This is 50 ml so is ok on the flight, and I think it will come in useful!

·         Another hand item I am putting in my pouch is a hand sanitizer. I bought this because planes can be quite germ-y and I’ll want to clean my hands before eating. I decided to buy the Carex ‘Moisture PlusHand Gel’, which not only cleans your hands but keeps them moisturised too. This is great because some hand sanitizers can be really drying!

·         I am also taking some makeup. This is just some simple but essential makeup for if I take my makeup off on the plane and want to put some more on! So I'm taking a concealer, eyeliner, mascara, lip gloss stick and lip balm. 

The last few items are my phone and some earphones. I use my phone for music as well, and have updated it recently so I can listen to my favourite music on the plane. To keep my headphones tidy, I also like to keep them in a small change purse, like this pink one. 

And that’s all that’s in my bag! I hoped you enjoyed taking a look into my carry on bag, if you have any other travel tips, please leave them in the comments!

Book Review: Heaven by Christoph Marzi

Hey,

So this post is going to be my monthly book review. Normally I read books that I’ve never read before, but in September, I decided to re-read my favourite book. I have now read this book about three times, and it is still one of my favourites.

‘Heaven’ by Christoph Marzi is an ‘urban fantasy’ and is unlike any other book I’ve read. It isn’t like some cheesy vampire novel, but themed around an alternative world where anything can happen. This novel is where ‘love, death and stars collide’, an unusual mixture of themes that work so well!

The blurb of this book is so intriguing and is what persuaded me to buy the book in the first place.

‘The night that Heaven lost her heart was cold and moonless. But the blade that sliced it out was warm with her dark blood’

The story of this book revolves around two main characters, Heaven and David. When they meet, it is just a coincidence but what enfolds is something neither is prepared for. Together they face fear and challenges that will change them forever, as well as a man who has the power to tear their worlds apart.

Marzi is my favourite writer, and is one of the best I’ve ever read. His writing is compelling and each page is filled with description and plot that blows your mind! Even though I’ve read it before, the plot still surprises me and the ending works so well.

I would recommend this book so much! It would be great for boys or girls, and has an age range of about 10-30+. I can’t explain how much I love this book and this story, it’s a 5/5 novel and hold a world full of action, romance and magic. If you want something to read, please give this book a go and let me know your thoughts!

Thanks so much for reading this, I hope you all have an incredible day,

Blackberry Bath Bomb | Lush Reviews

Hey,

So recently I had my DofE bronze competition and I decided, as a treat, I would have a Lush bath bomb. I spent ages, like I always do, in the Lush shop trying to pick one but in the end I choose the Blackberry bath bomb.

This bath bomb was really great. It smelt fruity and sweet, but also had warm undertones. I choose the bath bomb because I thought it smelt amazing and I was excited for purple bath water! The Blackberry bath bomb did not let me down, as soon as I dropped the bomb in it began to foam pink and purple. Within seconds the bath water turned a deeper darker purple. I like having purple water compared to the other bath bombs I’ve tried- where the water has gone yellow or orange.

In the water the colour pigment stays and also the smell stays throughout the bath.

Another lovely thing about this product is the surprise at the end. When your bath bomb has completely dissolved, a message it left for you. This was so exciting because I didn’t expect it!

I would give this bath bomb 4/5 and would recommend it to people that like fruity sugary scents, or just love Lush! I hope you liked this review, please let me know your thoughts or other Lush recommendations. Have a lovely day,

POST SWAP || Autumn Tag ft The Busy Bee

Hi everyone, I am Bethany and my blog is The Busy Bee. Today it is very exciting as Lydia and I are doing a blog post swap! As you can tell I am posting over here on Lydia's blog and she is posting over on my blog(link here). Anyway lets get in to the tag....

1. OK we’re talking coffees- what’s your favourite seasonal drink from Starbucks/Costa/Café Nero etc.?

I actually can't drink coffee...If you are a follower of my blog you will no that I have lots of allergys including dairy so that means no coffee for me! When I do go out I would normally have a smoothie - not very seasonal though!

2. Accessories- what do you opt for: scarf, boots, gloves etc.?

I actually have several choices for this one... Boots and Scarfs I just think they are so autumnal. I love pairing them with some jeggings and cute top. It's defiantly one of my favourite autumn looks. Boots are just so warm and autumny and I love good scarf all year round!

3. Music- what’s your favourite music to listen to during autumn?

Music... Well I don't really have a certain type of music that I particularly love in autumn.  Currently though I am enjoying some Taylor swift.... Any recommendations?!

4. Perfume- what’s your favourite scent for this time of year?

I am actually looking for a winter perfume at the moment so any suggestions would be great! I do love vanilla at this time of the year although the scent I am currently obsessed with is the body shops raspberry range... 

5. Candles- what scents will you be burning this season?

 If you are a follower if my blog you will know that I recently bought a Yankee candle wax tart burner. So far I have only burnt one tart but I am really looking forward to burning Mandarin cranberry and then hopefully picking up a few more seasonal scents....

6. What do you love most about autumn?

 I love watching the leaves on the trees going orange/red/brown and then the walks through the leaves searching for conkers beech nuts and horse chestnuts.

7. Favourite makeup look?

I love berry lips in autumn. I am yet to actually try this look out on myself but I think it is beautiful if it is done well. I am also a fan of bronze eyes. I think it is so pretty and can really make the eyes stand out. 

8. What are you looking forward to most in autumn?

I am looking forward to my birthday! I will be 15 at the beginning of November.. So that's exciting and then there is obviously Christmas!!!! So looking forward to that...

So there you have it! I would like to say thank you to Lydia for letting me post on her blog and don't forget to go and check out Lydia's post over on my blog... You can visit my blog here, follow me on Pinterest here, Bloglovin here and Google + here! 

Autumn Leaves ~ Make Up Look

Hey,

So autumn is here and this calls for change; clothes become darker, lips become bolder and nails turn to warmer shades. I recently purchased some Real Techniques make up brushes with some birthday vouchers, and when I got them I was so excited that I decided to create this make up look. Full of warm browns and berry reds, this look is perfect for the season change.

Products:

Wake Me Up -Foundations

Wake Me Up , Collection Lasting Perfection -Concealer

Stay Matt -Powder

Au Naturel -Eyeshadow palette, Moss Bark

Supercat -Eyeliner 

They're Real -Mascara

Vanilla lip balm by Body Shop (seasonal range)

Plum Beautiful -Lipstick

Eye Brushes -Real Techniques

Face Brushes -Real Techniques

To achieve this look complete your normal skin routine- i.e concealer/ foundation etc. I used the Wake Me Up concealer on problem areas, foundation on top- blended in with the buffing brush and then Collection concealer over the top on the really bad areas, like under the eyes. 

Then to create the brown eye look, I used the shade Moss, from my Sleek palette, all over my eyelid and then the shade Bark in the crease. I used the Real Techniques brushes to apply and blend the shadows. Then I took my pen eyeliner and drew a thin line close to the lash line. I took the line right into the corner of my eye and to the edge of my eyelid with no flick. I think this technique really opens your eye. Then I used my favourite mascara to coat my lashes, making them look thick and bold.

For lips I used a moisturiser and then put a pink to berry coloured lipstick on top. I like the lipstick I choose because it's not too dark but still gives the look an autumn vibe.

I hope you liked this look, I’m still working on how I show you make up looks. I hope you enjoyed the photography on this post as well, I got really autumnal when I brought the brown leaves inside! I hope you all are ready for autumn 2014,

September Favourites

Hey,

So I now this post is going to be a little late, but as we’re still only in our first week of October, I decided I’d still put up my September favourites. This post will only be a short one because there aren’t that many new favourite things this month- but there are also some products which I’ve been adoring.

First are two necklaces that I received for my birthday, that I forgot to put in My birthday haul, but I have been loving. I’ve been getting into accessories now autumn is coming, and I’ve always wanted some pretty dainty necklaces like these. The silver triangle necklace is quite short, but works well with a simple or complicated outfit, the other is a gorgeous gold wishbone necklace which I think is so cute and effective. They are both really affordable and are from ASOS.

Triangle necklace

Wishbone necklace

The neck item of my September favourites is actually a lip balm. I’ve written about a few different lip balms recently (like my liploving post), but this one is defiantly the best. I bought this for the back to school season, but this balm has been moved between me school bag and make up drawers practically every day. Nivea is a great lip balm brand, and this is just the original ‘essential care’ version. I bought the stick version, and am so glad I did, as I can put it on quickly and anywhere- not having to worry about dirty fingers. My only problem is that recently a snapped the stick… so I guess it’s time to repurchase.

Nivea lip balm

The next product is another birthday present, but this time it’s my mascara from Benefit. The ‘They’re real’ mascara really is the best mascara I’ve ever used. It adds length, volume and definition, coating each lash for a bold look.  Build it up, dress it down, this mascara works for any occasion. My favourite thing about it is the wand though, I love the end of the tip as it is great for separating top and bottom lashes.

They're Real mascara

This product is one I never expected to see in a favourites post. ‘Baby Lips’ had a really hype earlier this year, and when I bought one for myself- I hated it. However, now I have been loving it. I don’t know what has changed, but when I picked it up earlier this month it just worked for me. I love to use this as an everyday lip for school, as it is sheer but adds a tiny tint of colour. I have the shade ‘Peach Kiss’ and would recommend it for a natural look.

Peach Kiss Baby Lips

So the fifth favourite is again a birthday present. This Scottie fog block calendar is literally my favourite room accessory at the moment. I get so excited when I get to change it every morning, and have noticed how I am now aware of the data- which is so useful at school! I think you can get this sort of thing anywhere and in so many different styles, but mine is defiantly the best one I’ve seen.

The penultimate item is one I featured earlier this month in my *bmmdi* post. Ever since I’ve used it, I’ve noticed such a difference in the removing of makeup. The Garnier Micellar cleansing water is amazing for taking off makeup and cleaning my skin. It’s a cheap alternative to some of the top end makeup removers, and is available in so many shops and supermarkets.

Micellar Water

So my last favourite is my Frizz Ease Dream curls shampoo and conditioner. I reviewed these here but they still impress me after every wash. Totally recommend.

Activity of the month: Cooking. I baked some marble cupcakes this month and there were yummy, really reminded me how much I love to bake.

Aim for October: Get back into skincare.

So that’s all for this post, I added a new aim section so you can know what I’m going to try and improve. Next months in skincare because since we went back to school, I’ve become so lazy when it comes to it so that’s my target! I hope you all had an amazing September and that your Octobers are all magical,

 

Birthday Haul | 2014

Hey,

So this post is a little overdue, but earlier this month I had my birthday- 20^th September! I love watching ‘what I got for my birthday’ videos on Youtube, and decided I’d do a similar thing on my blog with a few things I got for my birthday. So today is a birthday presents/ birthday haul post. I would like to say this is most but not all of the things I got from friends and family, but this is in no way bragging.

So I got a real mixture of things this year, the first two items being home related. I love my bedroom and changing the décor of it to suit me. If you were to come into my room I think you would think three things; hearts, photos and Scottie dogs. This gift was a gorgeous Scottie dog calendar- where I change the blocks each day to show the date. I love this so much, as I think Scottie dogs are the cutest, and it also means I always know the date!

The other item is a candle I was given by my sister. The candle is mini sized but has a strong scent, which is the fragrance ‘Amber Noir’. It smells grown up, and is meant to have tuberose, violets and amber in it.

Next, I got another home ware item- a beautiful jewellery chest from Next. I asked for this as I thought it would work so well with my room, and I was not wrong. The chest has eight heart drawers, and I use it to store jewellery, sunglasses and bits and bobs that have no other place.

I also got a eyeshadow palette from sleek. It is made up of twelve beautiful natural shades, a mixture of shimmer and matt shadows. I can’t wait to try these out as I don’t really use eyeshadow very often, so it gives me the opportunity to try new looks.

I was also very lucky to receive a curler. I have naturally curly hair but I do get those days when it goes fluffy or flat so I was really keen to have a curler. I’ve only used it twice so far, but so far I like what I see. The wand comes with three changeable barrels, in different thicknesses, and I am excited about trying different styles with this.

Another beauty item I was lucky to receive was one that I really wanted. If you’ve read my blog recently, you will see I’ve been trying out the ‘They’re real’ mascara by Benefit in a mini size. I love the lengthened, volume-ed lashes I get with this mascara, but it’s just too far out of my price zone. Therefore I was so chuffed to get this gift, and this pack also comes with a free mini of the ‘They’re real push up liner’ eyeliner.

One of the main gifts I received was a yearly subscription to LOOK magazine, a fashion, beauty and lifestyle magazine. This is a weekly magazine and I have had a few copies before, I love to read it to discover new styles and trends.

Some other gifts I received were two movies. The first is Divergent, my favourite movie that I saw twice in the cinema, and the second a movie I’ve seen once before called ‘About time’. Both movies are great for different reasons, and I can’t wait to re-watch these!

The last gift I received was a gift from my best friend Ruth. I got a ticket to go with her to Bristol Fashion week; I got to see a catwalk show and got a goodie bag too. I had a great night, and was so excited to see the autumn/ winter clothes and coats.

And that’s all you’ll see for this year. I had a great birthday and I was so lucky to get all these gifts and more. I hope you enjoyed this post and that you return on Sunday for my September favourites,