Blogmas Day 17: Natural Christmas Look

My Christmas Day Make-up varies from year to year. I don't tend to plan my Make-up beforehand however seeing as last year I went for glitter galore this year I may tone it down and do my current Natural Make-up look...

Eyes:

I started by using a Maybelline 24 hour Colour Tattoo in the shade Crème de Nude to cover any veins and lighten the area. On top of this I added some translucent powder (similar to Rimmel Stay Matte) so set this and prevent creasing. In the inner corner I put on a bit of a light white shade called 'Latte' from a 'Natural Collection Duo' to open up the eyes. For the crease I added a slightly darker brown from the Make-up Revolution Flawless Palette in the shade 'Almost There' just to deepen up the socket. Next I used a thin eyeliner brush to press on a very thin line of black shadow above my eyelashes. I didn't add a flick at the end so as to keep it quite natural. I then used the shade latte on my brow bone to highlight. Finally I curled and lashes and applied the Rimmel Rockin' Curves Mascara.

Base:

I kept the base very minimal using only 3 products. For foundation I used the Rimmel Match Perfection in True Ivory for a medium coverage finish. Next I used the Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer also in True Ivory under my eyes to hide any darkness and down the bridge of my nose as a subtly highlight.

Lips:
Since any Christmas Day lip has to last all day I went for a long lasting lip. I chose the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Nude-ist. The formula is matte, so looks quite natural and is the most comfortable matte lip I've ever used (read more about the formula here). The colour is very pink for a nude, but with no blush on it's not too overwhelming!

I won't know how I'm going to do my make-up until the big day, but this is look would be a good choice as it lasts all day with out touch ups! (Photo to the left was taken 11 hours after application and all the make-up was intact)

Thanks for Reading! :)

P.s Check back for a more Glitzy and Glam Christmas look soon!

Blogmas Day 7: 5 Under £5 - One for the Make-Up Newbie...

Good Make-up Brushes are hard to find and good, affordable brushes are even rarer to stumble across!

However to my surprise I found a set of 4 brushes from Superdrug all for £5. The set includes a powder, blusher, eyeshadow and foundation brushes. They look sleek and the differing colours make for a pretty brush collection.

They're soft but firm and are comparable to the Real Techniques brushes. They apply their various mediums perfectly although I wish the eyeshadow brush was fluffier so could be used to smoke out shadows rather than just pack colour on the lid!

All in all this set is perfect for someone who needs to fill a few gaps in their collection or as a starter set for someone just starting out!

Thanks for Reading! :)

Milani Lipstick Review

I first heard of Milani about a year ago and I was instantly intrigued by such an affordable yet highly regarded make-up brand. Disappointingly I realised that they do not stock Milani in the UK. However I was a pleasant surprise to find that good old amazon sold some of their products!
It was a challenge trying to decide which items I wanted to try first, especially since I had never seen the products or swatched anything! However being a lipstick lover I decided to go for 3 very different lipsticks...

L-R 25 Naturally Chic, 17 Plumrose, 22 Chilled Brandy

The first one is a pinky nude shade called Naturally Chic (Buy Here). For the last year this has been my go to nude. It is a perfect nude for a yellowy or slightly darker skin tone as it doesn't wash you out yet looks very natural. The application is a easy and it doesn't feel sticky or cling to dry patches and the formula is quite moisturising. The colour payoff is great however as it is not matte I did find that it wore off slightly throughout the day!


The second lipstick; Plumrose is a bright fuchsia shade (Buy Here). It has the same consistency and colour pay off however it lasts longer on the lips than the previous shade. The colour is quite a bold one that can definitely be worn during the day as well as at night adding quite an eye-catching pop of colour to your make-up look!


The final shade is called Chilled Brandy (Buy Here) and unlike the other two lipsticks it is VERY glittery. This makes application less smooth and can be a bit drying. It's matte and also quite a dark shade making it quite a good nighttime/going out colour.


All three lipsticks are definitely worth buying (I purchased them for £3.51 each). In fact Naturally Chic and Plumrose tick all the boxes of a perfect lipstick and I would pay three times the price! All in all I'm impressed with the quality of these lipsticks and am looking forward to trying more Milani products!

Which Lipstick Shade is your favourite? Have you got any Milani recommendations?

Thanks for reading :)

Winter is coming...

Although Winter doesn't actually begin until the 21st of December this year, as soon as bonfire night has passed I can't help thinking that winter has begun!

Maybe it's the events of bonfire night; wrapping up in coats and scarves to evade the chilly evening air, huddling round a warm beacon of light and heat, playing with sparklers with gloved hands that send the signal to my brain: WINTER IS HERE!

Regardless of why, the "winter feels" immediately alter my behaviour slightly, and make me reach for different things to wear and use, to suit the winter life a bit more...

Ankle Boots: For when you still want your tootsies to be warm as can be but would rather a touch more sophistication (and height!) than Uggs, pop on some thick socks and slip these on! - New Look

Trenchcoat: An elegant layer to make any outfit warmer and smarter. (Also great if you like pretending to be Misha Collins as Castiel :P) - H&M

Moisturiser: Winter has that unfortunate effect of drying things out, so a good moisturiser will help to relieve chapped lips and dry skin. - Lancome

Tumbler/Thermos: For those frosty mornings where just holding a warm beverage is a welcome treat. - Costa

Uggs: they're a love it or loathe it item for sure. I used to be a loather as I thought they looked chunky and were the opposite of winter elegance. However when I popped into Bicester Village and tried some on... bliss! They felt so warm and cosy that you forget any preconceived notions and HAVE to own some! - Ugg

Touch-screen gloves: In a world of constantly requiring phone usage, these are essential. This pair is one of the very few pairs I've managed to find that aren't too obvious in their function and look semi nice. - Jack Wills

Jumpers: Not much to say other than: they keep you warm and are great for layering! - Next

Lipstick: Nothing screams winter more than Dark Berry Shade or a Red lip to get you excited for Christmas! - Boots; Elizabeth Arden in 02 Red Door Red (Top LHS swatch), Maybelline Super Stay 14 hour lipstick in Always Plum (Top RHS swatch), Bourgeois Rouge Edition in 18 Violine Strass (Bottom RHS swatch)

Candles: Placing a burning candle or two around the house can brighten the place up and make your house smell divine! -  The Candle Factory, Herbal Lavender

What's the one thing that you can't live without when Winter comes around?

Thanks for reading! :)