The Carrie Diaries

               Hiya!

So this is a little bit of a random post but one I have been planning on doing for a while. The Carrie Diaries. If you’re anything like me, a lover of big hair, bright makeup and New York then this is a must see show. If you didn’t already know The Carrie Diaries is a prequel to the beloved Sex and the City series and follows Carrie Bradshaw during her teenage years. The show deals with things from boys and sex to troubled home life and relationships.

 When Sex and the City was first released I was of course too young to watch but since then I have watched (and loved) the movies and caught a few episodes. Never the less Carrie Bradshaw, and SJP, are huge inspirations in style but also life in general. Anna Sophia Robb, a young 19 young old had massive shoes to fill (Manolo Blahniks if you will) and personally I think she did a fabulous job. Although there is only one season released (the second is being filmed, ah!) throughout the show you already see Carrie grow as a person, learning from her mistakes and trying to continue with her life after losing her mother. Also you can’t really complain about Austin Butler playing Carries’ love interest Sebastian Kidd, a bad boy expelled from his previous school. (Kiddshaw 4ever)

You can’t help but notice the wardrobe on this show, based in the 80s you know there are going to be some amazingly daring outfits. The incredible Eric Daman is stylist on the show not only did he work on Gossip Girl but also worked on some later seasons on SATC so you know the show and Carrie are in safe hands. The show incorporates all types of clothing from the 80s, the punk trend, bad boy biker type look, preppy, and just the crazy full skirts and mismatched colours and prints. And lets not forget Carries perm like hair, just incredible.

 If you haven’t seen the show already I urge you to check it out, also keep a look out for any similar tastes little Carrie may have to her older self in the SATC show. Check out the trailer for the first season HERE.

 

What did you think of The Carrie Diaries?

Also were you a Sex and the City fan?

Hope you guys enjoyed this post!

Love, Julie xx

My Go-To Smokey Eye

               Hiya!

After posting my 'Everyday Summer Makeup Routine' and getting such a good response I though I would follow with my ‘go to smokey eye’. When I go out with my friends I tend to always end up doing this look as it never fails me, always looks pretty damn good and doesn’t fade or smudge throughout the night.

 The first thing I use to ensure all my shadow stays in the right place is a cream shadow, this is the Rimmel London Stir It Up shadow in ‘800 No Way!’. I apply this light grey shimmery colour all over my lid. It’s a great base to apply all my other colours on top of.

Next I take this Colortrend duo in ‘Snow Storm’ and apply the grey colour on the outer 2/3’s of my lid. I keep the inner corner and part of the lid free of dark colours as I want my eyes to still look open and bright.

 Now to add some definition to my eye I take my MUA individual shadow in 'Shade 15', which is a matte black and apply it to my crease and blend it over the outer 1/3 of my lid. This also darkens the whole outer half of my eyes. I personally like having a matte black shadow in individual form so its easy to travel with to add definition to any look or to use in place of liner. I highly recommend this MUA one as its only £1 and it extremely pigmented.

 To add that brightness to the inner part of my eyes I take this MeMeMe metallic duo in ‘2 Champagne Rose’, I apply the shimmery/frosty light champagne colour to the inner part of the eye and blend it with the grey colour. Also to highlight under my brow I take the white colour from the Colortrend duo, since it’s matte and I personally don’t like a shimmery brow highlight.

Now for liner. Since the shadows are all very blended and smudgey I like to use my L'oreal Super Liner Black Lacquer in ‘Black Vinyl’ to do a thin line just along my lash line to add fullness to my lashes. I love this liner, its super black and easy to use! Definitely check it out if you haven’t or are looking for a new inexpensive liquid liner. For my lower lashes I take the Rimmel London Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kayal Liner in 001 Black and just line the outer 1/3 of my lash line with it for some definition again but still keeping the inner half free of dark colours.

If I really want my eyes to still look bright even while wearing a dark smokey eye I sometimes take the Rimmel London Scandaleyes Shadow Stick in ‘002 Bulletproof Beige’ and apply this to my inner corner to really brighten it.

I then simply curl my lashes and apply my favourite waterproof mascara at that moment.. it’s Maybelline The Falsies atm.

 

So that's pretty much it!

What are your go-to products for a smokey eye?

Or products that have a great lasting power for a night out?

Hope you guys enkoyed this post!

Love, Julie xx

How I Store My Makeup Brushes

                Hiya! 



There are many different ways people store their makeup/hair products and all the tools. This is just a quick post to show how I like to store my makeup brushes, which is super easy but I personally really like how it looks sitting on my desk.

Many websites and stores sell containers specifically marketed for brush storage but I just used 2 different mugs that I owned but didn’t like to drink from. The first I use is a Kate and William wedding mug I got from Jack Wills back during the royal wedding. I keep all my face brushes here since it's the tallest and holds them all perfectly.

The second is a small Hello Kitty mug I received for Christmas last year from Urban Outfitters. I keep all my other brushes here like for eyeshadow. I love this mug it’s so cute but too small for my to use for tea :(

The final little pot I use isn’t for brushes but where I keep all my lip products/chapsticks, I like to always have them on hand since I use them every morning and night. I honestly can’t remember where I got this from but it’s just a little pink pot with a black ribbon tied around it. Nothing special, similar things can be found in places like Poundland.

 

Neither mugs are still available but similar things can be found on the websites.

How do you store your brushes?

Hope you guys enjoyed this post!

Love, Julie xx

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer

               Hiya!

Like just about every other girl here in the UK I use the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, as I mentioned in my previous post HERE. However recently I decided to venture out and pick up a concealer I had never tried. I chose the Maybelline Fit Me concealer in shade 15, it was £5.99 from Boots.

My initial thought was shade 15 was a perfect match for my skin, there are 6 colours to choose from which I thought was a pretty good range for a drugstore concealer. During the summer I just use concealer alone so I use it both under my eyes and on any blemishes and redness. After a few uses I’ve came to the conclusion that this is a really great light/medium coverage water based concealer that’s super moisturising. I love using it on my blemishes for a completely natural look but its definitely not thick or full coverage enough for my under eye circles. That’s just me personally as I have quite bad darkness under my eyes so if you don’t have such a problem this would be great as it’s not drying whatsoever.

  It definitely lives up to its claims.. ‘It conceals without feeling heavy or looking cakey.. Coverage the way it was meant to be… even, natural and breathable.’

If you can’t get your hands on the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer or just want to try something new I definitely suggest the Maybelline Fit Me.

Have any of you guys tried this concealer, what did you think?

Hope you guys enjoyed this post!

Love, Julie xx

My Everyday Summer Makeup Routine

               Hiya!

So, during the summer months I like to give my skin a break and wear less makeup. These products are my everyday essentials if I’m hanging out with friends or going shopping, they’re also great in super hot weather (which surprising we have been blessed with here in the UK, woo!) and don’t melt off your face.

This first product is The Soltan Ultra Resistance Sunstick for Lips and Face. This has been such an essential because I burn easily in the sun and don’t want to experience burnt lips again.. I apply a thin layer after my moisturiser and blend it in with my hands. It doesn’t dry my skin out or affect any of the products I apply afterwards.

 The next product is one I can’t live without, so many people rave about it and it definitely deserves all the great reviews. This is the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Shade 2, its great for both undereye darkness and for blemishes on the face. I use this concealer in place of a foundation, it has the perfect amount of coverage while still looking natural. Pairing it with a mineral powder for more coverage or if you have oily skin would be great for the summer too.

Probably the most important part of doing my makeup is filling in my eyebrows. My face never looks quite complete until I’ve done this step, makes such a huge difference in my opinion. I use an inglot eyeshadow in 327 matte just to fill in any sparse areas and set it in place with clear mascara from miss sporty. The best brush I’ve found to do this is a dense angled eyebrow brush, gives you control by placing the colour exactly where you want it.

I honestly can’t be bothered using eyeshadow on an everyday basis but since I wear such little face makeup I like to make sure my eyes are nicely framed and stand out, that’s where my Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in 001 Black comes in. I simply line the outer half of my top lash line with this (like liquidliner) then use this little dense brush I got with an Urban Decay palette to smudge it out to make it look more effortless and less precise.

Next I curl my eyelashes with a cheap £2 curler from Superdrug, still makes a huge difference by making my eyes look super awake and open. I apply a coat or 2 of the Maybelline The Falsies Volum’ Express Waterproof to my top and bottom eyelashes. This mascara is really great at adding both volume and length but its not great on my bottom eyelashes, I definitely prefer Maybelline The Rocket Volum’ Express Waterproof but this is still a really great mascara and only around £6 from Boots.

To add some shape and colour back into my face I use the NYC Colour Wheel Mosaic Face Powder in 724C. Since this bronzer is matte I use it the contour my cheeks, temples, jawline and bring it down my neck. It’s the perfect colour without it being muddy or orange and again is super inexpensive.

Finally I add some of my Benefit Hervana blush to my cheeks to brighten up my face. This is the perfect natural colour for me and just has a nice sheen to it without there being chunky glitter or shimmer.

 I use various brushes but my 2 favourites is my foundation and bronzer brushes. To blend in my concealer and foundation when I wear it I use the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. Then to contour my face a use a ranodm brush from Boots that is perfectly shaped to fit in the hollows of my cheeks and tapered to apply colour but also blend out the edges.

 

 

What products are your must haves during the summer?

I hope you guys enjoyed this!

Love, Julie xx