Everyday Makeup | Festive Twist

               Hiya!

I thought I'd share a super simple makeup look with you guys that's perfect to pair with any dark or bold lip colour for this time of year. I personally like to wear this during the day since it's light eye makeup and I usually wear a smokey eye at night timeout you do you! You could also wear this for a festive party maybe with some winged liner!

I started by doing just my standard face makeup and filling in my eyebrows which I don't change on a daily basis. Next I took my Urban Decay Naked palette which I use most days to do my eyes. From the palette I mixed the 2 lightest colours 'virgin' and 'sin' and applied that all over my lids. This just really brightens up my eyes. Next I took 'buck' and blended that through my crease to add some shape and depth. 'Buck' is such a perfect crease shade, I tend to use it in almost all my looks as it just blends everything together so so well. 

Finally instead of using an eyeliner I decided to take the darkest colour 'creep' on an angled brush and run it along my lash line then blend over it with a fluffy brush. This is a lot quicker than using a liquid liner but still add some definition and makes your lashes look fuller. With that same fluffy brush I just go over the whole eye and make sure everything's blended together. 

Then I curled my lashes and applied some of my absolute favourite masacra, the Maybelline Big Eyes Volum'Express in waterproof. This holds a curl perfectly and stays on all day long. For everyday I don't normally wear bottom mascara just because I like to keep it very minimal and keep my under eyes very clean and awake looking. 

Then for my lips I used a favourite amoung all beauty euthanuas', it's MAC's 'Diva' lipstick. This is a beautiful deep matte red shade which is quite vampy. It stays on really well for being such a dark colour and considering it's a matte formula it isn't overly drying on the lips. I mentioned before on another post but I good dupe for this lipstick is Rimmel London's lip liner in 063 'Black Tulip', it's a much cheaper alternative! 

What is your go to lip colour for this time of year?

Hope you guys enioyed!

Love, Julie xx

(Ps, sorry for the crappy photos, my laptops been broke for a while so unable to use my camera for pictures and having to use my phone camera.. Hopefully it'll be sorted soon..)

TAG | You're It

               Hiya!

Can you really believe it's December, Christmas is now just round the corner! *internal screaming*

I really wanted to post something today but not have it relate to Christmas so I found a tag that I saw  TooClothesForComfort write not too long ago and really liked, so here's mine! (Ps you should definitely check out her blog she does fantastic posts!)

1. What is the product you've wanted for the longest time? 

Hm probably Nars Laguna bronzer or a Nars duo eyeshadow. Nars is so difficult to get hold of near me and I hate ordering makeup online! 

2. If you had to wear only one foundation for the rest of your life, which would it be?

Definitely Revlon Colourstay for normal/dry skin. It sits perfect on my skin, gives amazing coverage and is such a great price!

3. Your house is burning down, which product do you grab first?

Of couse if my house was burning down I probably wouldn't be thinking about my makeup but in the back of my mind I would definitely be wanting to save my Urban Decay original Naked palette. If I ever lost it I would repurchase it instantly.

4. What is your lastest 'empty' product?

Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser, it's been my staple moisturiser for a while now.

5. What quote(s) do you live by?

'A tiger doesn't lose sleep over the opinion of sheep' came to mind but there's probably another.

6. If you could only buy makeup from one brand, which brand would it be?

Oooh I feel like recently for drugstore makeup Maybelline has really been on top for me. Overall though no one brand comes to mind, still have a lot of makeup and brands to try out!

7. Which type of beauty products do you buy the most of? 

Without a doubt lip products! Brands are always coming out wih new lip crayons and stains etc that I want to see how they work! 

8. How long have you been wearing makeup for?

Hm probably around 5 years, since I was about 13 which looking back was pretty young.. 

9. If you could be any mythical creature, what would you be?

100% a unicorn, no doubt about it. They're just fabulous.

I'm not gonna tag anyone specific but feel free to do these questions! Let me know if you do decide to do this tag I'd love to read it!

Hope you guys enjoyed!

Love, Julie xx 

Soap&Glory Makeup | First Impressions

               Hiya!

So I'm sure you guys all know that quite a while ago Soap&Glory released a makeup line that's pretty popular. 

I finally got round to picking up a few bits the other day and thought I'd share my first impressions. 

First up is the Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in Bashful. These have been raved about by youtubers such as FleurdeForce and Gabby from Velvetghost. My first thought was that it's quite similar to the Revlon Lip Butters in colour pay off and feeling on the lips, great for people who love the look of a slight glossy lip without the sticky feeling. I chose the colour Bashful which is the pale pink of the range, great for every day wear and perfect to throw on throughout the day to add a little bit of colour to your face and make yourself look more refreshed. Can't wait to see how the lasting power is and how it wears throughout the day.

The second thing I picked up was the Solar Powder Bronzer. Again many people have been talking about this bronzer saying how great it is for contouring and adding some natural colour to your face. I tried it out when I first got it and the colour is perfect, not too orange or muddy on my face, definitely doesn't make you look like an Oompa Loompa! Also has great pigmentation, don't have to be overly cautious when applying.

Overall I have some pretty high hopes for these products and will definitely be putting them to the test over the next few weeks. Maybe you'll see them in a future blog post if they become a staple of mine! Will be checking out more of the Soap&Glory range soon. 

Have you tried any of the S&G makeup? 

What are your fav S&G products?

Hope you guys enjoyed!

Love, Julie xx

Everyday Summer Makeup Routine | 2014

               Hiya!

I thought I'd do an updated everyday summer makeup routine since I did one about this time last year HERE, but I've since discovered quite a few new products.

Ok, so heads up but I do my makeup in a really weird order and I'm going to go through the products in that order so, sorry guys...

First up I do eyeshadow and for that I use my Urban Decay Naked palette. (Before I apply some Urban Decay Primer Potion to help the shadows to last all day but it's just a little sample I got.) Basically I mix 'virgin' and 'sin' and apply that all over my lids. Next I again mix 'naked' and 'buck' and put that through my crease. Finally I take 'darkhorse' and apply it to the outer third of my lid and my crease to help darker everything up, I also drag a small amount under my eye instead of using eyeliner.

After I apply my actually face makeup. I use the Rimmel London Hide the Blemish concealer on any spots or particularly bad redness. Next I use the Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream which is very new after MarissaLace raved about it. It contains salicylic acid which basically helps prevent acne. It's a super lovely lightweight cream with a great amount of coverage and I can't even feel it on my skin, perf! Finally I pop a little bit of the Maybelline Fit Me concealer under my eyes for a little bit more coverage there.

^that's the little UD primer

I'm all about improving my eyebrow game and the Benefit Browzings brow shaping kit is amazing. It's such a fool proof, easy way of getting pretty good looking brows. Before putting on mascara I always curl my lashes (which I forgot to photograph..) but it seriously makes such a difference in my opinion. I've recently been loving the Maybelline waterproof Big Eyes mascara which is amazing! I mention both these products in a previous post HERE, talking about my current beauty favs.

As you can see sadly my NYC Mosaic Bronzer smashed but I'm still using it until I find another one I love. So I just use my bronzer to contour my cheeks, temples and jaw. I use my Hervana Benefit Box Powder to just add a little bit of colour back into my face as it's a really natural, light pink colour. For lip colour I like to keep things super simple by using the Maybelline Baby Lips in 'Cherry Me', it's a shear red colour which adds the perfect amount of colour for everyday. It's also really moisturising and is super easy to apply on the go.

The 2nd photo here are just the brushes I use everyday, mainly Real Technique brushes as they're amazing quality but are such great prices. My favourite atm is the buffing brush which I use to apply my BB cream all over my face.

(cringey selfie)

 

Ps. Didn't realise just how many Maybelline products I've been using, not intentional, sorry!

What are your essential summer makeup items?

Hope you guys enjoyed!

Love, Julie xx 

What's In My Bag?

               Hiya!

I thought today I'd be so very typical and do a what's in my bag post! I featured this bag in my AHS Inspired Outfit post a few weeks ago, I picked it up not too long ago but since then I've been in love with it.

The bag itself is from Urban Outfitters and was exactly what I was looking for in a great everyday bag! It's entirely black with gold hardware, also has short handles and an attachable longer strap to wear cross body.

The first thing I keep in my bag is of course my purse. This one was just a cheap one I picked up from Internacionale a few years back and I actually really love it, I love big, wallet style purses.

This is just a small makeup bag from Primark I use to carry a few items in case of touch ups, it has an oil like coating which is great in case something were to leak it won't stain my bag! If you would like to see the products I carry in this makeup bag and my bigger full face one, let me know below!

I like to have a small pouch of some sort to put all the little random things you might need into instead of having them floating around the bottom of my bag. Here I have a nail file, plasters, paracetamol, perfume samples, a mini hair brush, mirror, a hair band and hair slides! Wow.

 An impulse body spray is a handbag necessity! I also like to have Soap and Glory's handfood in my bag to use after work since my hands have been sooooo dry recently especially as my hands are always in and out of water from washing peoples hair and what not.

Finally some random crap lying at the bottom of my bag; a lollipop I stole from work, a clif bar (which I love!), a penny and a pen.

What are your handbag must haves?
Hop you guys enjoyed!
Love, Julie xx

Charity Fashion Show + What I Got In My Gift Bag

               Hiya!

So last night I attended CT Funding Fashion Show. CT funding puts on events to help a local family pay for cancer treatments that are unfortunately not free on the NHS here in Northern Ireland. So many shops lent out clothing and many others gave prizes to be won at the end of the night which was so great to see! My mum was actually in the show and did such a great job haha! The whole night had such an incredible atmosphere and it was so great doing something worthwhile but still having an amazing time!

Here are some photos of my mum working it on the runway!

 

 Here are some photos of what I wore too.

We also got given a gift bag when we went in and my mum also gave me hers and there were some great stuff in them! There were a few perfume samples which are always handy, a tonne of cards from local businesses (but not all of them are here), body wash, Clarins cleanser, Benefit eye cream and No7 eyeliner! The organisers put so much thought and effort into every aspect, was seriously such a great night.

 

Have you guys ever attended a fashion show and what did you think of it?

Hope you guys enjoyed!

Love, Julie xx

Real Techniques' Brushes

              Hiya!

Today I thought I would do another review for you guys on much loved products, the Real Techniques brushes. The starer set to be exact.

Apologies for having to use pictures of the brushes from online since I have already used mine as I got too excited and couldn’t wait until I had photographed them.. sorry..

Buying makeup brushes can get pretty damn expensive especially when you’re younger and don’t have a lot of disposable income but Real Techniques brushes are definitely on the cheaper end but are still incredible quality. I’ve had my eye on the starter set for a long time and finally asked for it for Christmas, I was especially excited to try the deluxe crease brush for concealer as so many youtubers rave about that brush in particular and it was a lot smaller than me using my expert face brush to try and blend my concealer on an everyday basis. The set in general definitely did not disappoint.

The set includes: deluxe crease brush, base shadow brush, accent brush, pixel-pint eyeliner brush and the eyebrow brush.

It also comes in a super handy carry case that folds into a stand with extra room for some other brushes.

 My 2 definite favourites so far are the deluxe crease brush and the eyebrow brush. Like I imagined the crease brush is perfect for blending out concealer anywhere on the face but is still really great and placing colour in the crease and applying a highlight colour to my brow bone I found. My previous eyebrow brush I thought I really liked, I didn't really think a different brush would make that much difference but oh baby was I wrong. This eyebrow brush is incredible, you have so much control and can place the colour exactly where you want it to go but doesn't make your eyebrows look stupid or too drawn on.

If you're starting out with makeup or just want to build your collection of brushes seriously check out Real Techniques, this set was £21.99 which for 5 brushes compared to places like MAC is amazing!

I also got the sponge from the collection which I may do a post on once I've really used it to see just how I like it to apply foundation.

 

What brush brand is your favourite?

Hope you guys enjoyed!

Love, Julie xx

 

Ps. If you'd like to see how I store my makeup brushes I did a post HERE.

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

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