Yesterday I met up with a couple of my uni friends in London, and being students, we did cheap touristy things! We rode Borris bikes around Hyde Park (SO much fun!) and saw Buckingham Palace and Candem Market and ate A LOT of food! Here's what I chose make-up wise and a few pictures from the day!
Base:
Revlon Photo Ready Foundation in 004
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 2
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Transparent
Contouring is a word thats thrown about a lot; and for a long time I thought it was a complicated concept that was better off left to the professionals! However, it's simply not the case. And if your like me and have practically non-existent natural cheekbones, this one is for you! Obviously what I have to show you is a very simple version of contouring and there are other areas you could contour, your nose for example, which I just don't even bother trying! This is just how I fake much better cheekbones on a day to day basis!
 |
| The 'Before Shot' |
You can use any make of bronzer you like, you need to make sure that it is matte. You don't want glitter all over your face for one, and it will also help to create a shadow. I love my Naked Flushed pallet from Urban Decay, the bronzer, highlight and blush are all really gorgeous colours and so easy to use!
Swish your brush around in the product, and tap the excess off on the back of your hand. The brush I'm using here is the Urban Beauty United Berry Blush brush, but I think it works great for this. I also often use a Kabuki brush to contour, I think they work really well too!
Tip 1: Now, you need to do you best fish face, with a good pout and sucking your cheeks in as much as you can. This gives you a natural crease that tells you where to apply the product.
Tip 2: Use the left over product on the brush to blend into your temples and around the edge of your face just below the hairline where your skin would get a natural glow from the sun.
Tip 3: Imagine a vertical line from the end of your eyebrow down to the natural carve of your cheekbone and don't contour past this line towards your mouth! (if that makes any sense)
Tip 4: Makes sure you don't apply product too low; between the natural carve and your jaw. Otherwise you may end up with jowls - which is like a beard made of bronzer!
Tip 5: I've often heard that using a light dusting of bronzer along your jaw line can make your face look thinner - I always do this although I don't think it makes a lot of difference on me!
I hope this helps - Enjoy your fake cheek bones!
Caitlin A
x
Hey guys! Thought I'd show you a fresh and pretty summer look with a pop of red that I tried out today. I kept my base nice and simple with light coverage foundation using my Clinque Super Moisture Make-up and then used my favourites Nars Laguna bronzer and Orgasm blush from my gorgeous happening pallet. For the eyes I kept it light and champagney, using Burnout and Dust from Naked 3 and a dark matte brown from Sleek's Storm pallet (not pictured) for the corners and the crease. For eyeliner, I used a bronze/brown pencil that's pretty much identifiable as it has all rubbed off (but I think it's from No7!) just on my bottom lash line. Finished with lashings of Maybelline's The falsies mascara. For a highlighter I went for the So Susan water based Pure Luminizer, its a liquid highlighter with a nice formula to brighten up the tops of your cheek bones. Now, I love Revlon's Lip Butters, but Wild Watermelon has got to be my favourite. It's a sheer gloss with plenty of colour but its still not a scary bold lip so it's a perfectly wearable shade!
Let me know your favourite lip colours to brighten up a neutral look,
Caitlin A
x
Who would have known such an every day house hold item could come in so handy when it comes to the make up department? Ive tried this technique on so many occasions when I want quite dramatic and striking eye make up, for nights out and special occasions, and I think its a more edge, cool take on a classic smokey eye. Today I went with a golden theme especially for summer as its a look I think I will recreate lots the summer, as it will look so lovely with a tan! So if you want to know how I created this look then read on...
Products used: Urban Decay- Naked 1 Pallet, Nars- Laguna Bronzer, Benefit - Watts Up, Rimmel - Wake me up foundation, Collection 2000 - Concealer, Benefit- Sugar Bomb Blush, Rimmel - The falsies Mascara, Maybeline - Gel Liner, Revlon- Afternoon Tea Lipstick.
Base: I started by applying Watts up, underneath my foundation in the areas I wanted to highlight, so on the tops of my cheekbones, under my brow bone and down the centre of my nose. I then went in with my Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation on a Real Techniques Expert Face brush, and buffed it all over my face to create a nice dewy glowing skin.
Eyes: I then took two pieces of Sellotape about 4 inches long and placed it under my lash line in an angle that would meet my brow if it were extended. I then took the colour 'Buck' on an angled brush and drew in a line just above my natural crease and winging out to meet the tape. I used this colour first to create the fake cut crease shape without going in to harsh straight away! Then take a flat shader brush and fill in the corner (between the drawn line and the tape) with the same colour. Once your happy with the shape you can then go in with the colour 'Dark Horse' and add that on top into the corner to create intensity. To intensify further I then went in with 'Creep' the darkest shade in the pallet, and added this right to the corner and outer part of the crease to create and ombre/ darker intense look. Once the colour is in place I then took a clean blending brush (or if you don't have one a cotton bud will do) and blend from the original line you created to create a softer and more smokey effect. Once your happy with the outer colour, I then went in with 'Half Baked' the golden colour and and swept this all over the inner and centre of the eye lid. Also carefully blending the colour to merge with the darker colours in the outer corner. I took the gold right into the inner corners and tear duct area to brighten the eyes. I then took off the Sellotape to to check that the shapes I had created were even. To intensify the line further I took my Maybeline Gel liner and traced the first part of the line from the lash line, making the outer eye lashes look thicker. I made my line quite nice and smudgy rather than super precise, to make it look less like dramatic liner.
I then finished the eyes with my Maybeline The falsies mascara to give my lashes length and volume!
Finishing touches: I look my Collection 2000 concealer on my Ecotool Buffing Concealer brush to clean up any fall down under my eyes. As I was going for a golden summery look, I then took Nars Laguna Bronzer on my big power brush, and buffed it onto my cheeks, temples, down my nose and under my jaw, and then popped Benefit Sugar Bomb on the apples of my cheeks, concentrating the brush onto the peachy colour of the 4 in the box. To finished I went for my perfect nude in Afternoon Tea from Revlon, to compliment the really heavy and dramatic eyes.
I really hope you like this look, let me know if you create a look with sellotape and what you use!
Caitlin B x
So this week I've had a massive girl crush on Amanda Seyfried after reading this months Elle magazine, the interview for this by the way was so honest and eye opening so definitely worth a read! I also loved her shoot for this, it was a kind of pretty grunge look which I lovedddd, with a really soft brown smokey eye, which I attempted to re create this week. I slightly adapted the look to make it a bit softer and more day time appropriate but if you want to see how I create the look then read on!
So for my base I started with the Benefit Porefessional, one of my staple products when I want my make up to look extra flawless and want it to last! I've also heard that the Garnier Miracle Skin Cream is a great dupe for this, although I've not tried it yet myself but thats a cheaper alternative! I then go on with my new fav foundation the Nars Compact Foundation, to get a glowy, skin perfecting base. For my brows I stuck to my usual routine, using the Mac eyeshadow in Charcoal Brown just to fill in any parts that are sparse and to give more definition. I also used the Collection 2000 concealer to hide any blemishes.
For the eyes I used my staple Urban Decay Naked pallet (so worth the investment, I use it every day and have created so many looks with it!) along with the Mac Charcoal brown eyeshadow (multi use product alert!) I started by blending Toasted all over the lid, as a base colour which is slightly purpley in tone on a fluffy brush, similar to what Amanda is wearing, I also blended this all the way along my bottom lash line with a compact rounded brush, keeping it quite messy and low. To give definition I then began to blend Charcoal Brown into the outer corner and into the crease line to create definition. I slowly kept building and blending, building and blending until I got the darkness I wanted. I also blended with a clean brush into a winged shape, using the end of my eye brow as a vanishing point. I again ran the Charcoal brown under the eye, to create more intensity. One thing I would suggest it not to be afraid to go to low with the eye shadow underneath, as it create a really nice intense and smokey grungy effect. To create even more drama in the outer corners I then went in with Dark horse from the Naked Decay Pallet, and really just blended directly into the outer corners and crease to add intensity.
As I adapted this to a day look, I added Sin into the tear duct area just to brighten the eyes, making them look brighter and wider!
To thicken my lash line I used Dark Horse again on an angled brush, and just worked it into my lash line, to make them appear thicker and add to the smokey look.
Amanda went for quite a contoured look in this editorial, so I decided to use the Bourjois chocolate bronzer, as it gives a slightly more matte finish. I then sucked my cheeks in an buffed it into the hollow of my cheeks, working in a gigantic 3 shape starting at my temple round and through the hollow of my cheeks and and then along my jaw. I then opted for a browny toned blush- Clinique's Plum, and lightly added this to the tops of my cheeks rather then the apples of compliment the contouring.
To finish off I went for a peachy coral nude toned lip- Loreal's Dating Coral, I think Amanda went for a slightly lighter tone, however this didn't suit me so I slightly adapted, but any sheer, muted nude will work amazingly to compliment the soft smokey brown eye.
I'd love to recreate this as a going out evening look, opting for smog as a base colour and Dark horse used more intensely!
I hope you enjoyed this look and found it helpful, and hope your all having a lovely bank holiday weekend!
Caitlin B x
Being a uni student, I go out a fair bit, and that may include a few drinks along the way... We've all been there, you can't resist the night out but you've got a lecture or a presentation the next day. Well have no fear, I have a quick and easy routine to make it look like you had your full beauty sleep on the outside (even though you may feel like hell on the inside!)
1. Try not to lay in bed too long after you wake up, I always feel worse if I roll around in bed feeling sorry for myself. So get in the shower, or the tub if you prefer, and get yourself clean. Use a really nice fresh smelling body wash that will give you a pick me up, at the moment I'm using the Body Shop's Passion fruit shower gel, or another favourite of mine is Soap and Glory's Sugar Crush body wash! It smells like heaven in a bottle! Make sure you wash your face to get rid of any left over grime from make-up or from when that drink got thrown over you last night. I'm using the Simple Kind to Skin moisturising facial wash at the moment, but there are loads of good ones out there.
2. Whilst you're in there, wash your hair. You need to get out all of the hairspray from the night before to hold your curls! I'm loving using the new Garnier Ultimate Blends shampoo and conditioner in Cocoa butter and Coconut oil, leaves you're feeling ridiculously smooth! If you're really in a rush, you can skip this step, with a good brush through and lashings of dry shampoo, no one will notice!
3. DRINK WATER! This is the most important step and always makes me feel ten times better. Make sure its icy cold, this will wake you up even more.
4. Use a good hydrating moisturiser for your face, this Clinique Superdefense SPF 20 does the job pretty well. If you have the time also use an eye cream at this stage, those eyes will need brightening!
5. Now for make up, you wanna keep things nice and simple whilst still looking fresh and pretty. This Garnier Miracle Skin Cream is a total game changer. It's a self adjusting moisturiser that turns into a tinted moisturiser when it touches skin. Its gives such nice finish and a light coverage, you can probably skip foundation! Just use some concealer to cover up any redness and any circles under the eyes, I'm loving Soap and Glory's Kick Ass Concealer, it's such good all rounder.
6. Fill in your eyebrows however you usually would and move onto eyes. You can skip eyeshadow if you like or if you want something easy just give your lids a quick wash over with a light champagne colour like Sin from Urban Decay. Using a colour like Virgin (also from UD) in the inner corners of your eye as a highlight will work wonders for looking more awake. Finish your eyes with a coating of your mascara of choice. Finish off with a pretty and subtle lip, like the Revlon Colour burst in Honey and you're done!
7. Drink more water!
And Voilà ! Your hang over will be our little secret! Hope this is helpful to those of you old enough to drink, but you can also use it on extra tired days!
Caitlin A
x
Hey guys! Sorry about the lack of post on Saturday, exam stress is taking over my life at the moment! I thought I would show you today how to create my favourite 'Day Date' make-up look, or you could wear it just when you have somewhere nice to be during the day! Before we start, I do not claim to have any professional make-up knowledge or even be very good at it! But, enjoy!
I began by using Rimmels Wake Me Up foundation in the colour Ivory, to give you a nice and dewy spring look. Applied with my fave foundation brush, the Real Techniques Expert Face brush. Just keep blending until you have a nice coverage all over. I follow this up by using the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer under my eyes and over any redness and blemishes.
A new discovery for me, Soap and Glory's Archery Brow Tint and Precision Pencil in the colour Love is Blonde. Using the pencil at one end and the felt tip at the other, you can fill in your brows easily and to your own individual taste. I tend to stay away from the strong brow, I like to keep it as natural as possible.
So next up is the eyes. Step 1: Using my Urban Decay Naked 3 Pallet I pack Burnout all of the lid and then sweep Dust across the top for a light, shimmery finish. Step2: Using my Naked 1 Pallet, I used Buck (any matte brown will do) in the corners and the crease and used Virgin as a highlight in the inner corners of my eyes. Step 3: I'm a big fan of winged eyeliner, my usual go to product is the the Rimmel Glam Eyes Professional Liquid Liner. Last up, step 4: mascara, for my top lashes I use my fave mascara Maybellines The Falsies, and on the bottom Benefit's They're Real! Which I think has the perfect wand for applying bottom lash mascara!
After this I contoured my face using the bronzing powder in the Urban Decay Naked Flushed Pallet, dusted my cheeks with Nars' Orgasm blush and went back to the Naked Flushed to use the gorgeous highlight in there. I swept this underneath my eye and down the centre of my nose.
I finished the look off with my current favourite lipstick from Mac - Lustering, I think it's such a pretty pink!
Let me know if you try any of this out to impressed your day dates, or even just your friends!
Caitlin A
x
I thought I'd share with you some of my make-up bag essentials that I just couldn't do with out! Some of these look very well loved I know, and they definitely are!
Urban Decay's Naked 3 Pallet as I'm sure most of you will l know is full of the prettiest neutral shades, both matte and shimmery. This pallet makes it easy to create a range of wearable, everyday looks looks even for those of us no professional make-up know how!
Another cult item that I use every day with out fail is Collection's Lasting Perfection concealer. You've probably heard about it's amazing coverage and staying power so I don't need to go into much detail. But it's very good and very affordable! My make-up is almost never with out one!
Maybelline's the Falsies Mascara in Black Drama is another product that is never missing from my make-up bag, as soon as it's run out I'm straight to Boots to buy another! It has a really nicely shaped wand and leaves your lashes looking volumised and never clumpy! Highly recommend trying this one out!
Molton Brown's Vitamin Lip Saver, although may not be the cheapest lip balm available, is definitely my lip saviour! I use this everyday with out fail, especially whenever my lips are feeling dry and it sorts them right out in no time at all!
The Real Techniques Expert Face brush is yet another item that gets a lot of love in the blogasphere, but for good reason! Foundation or tinted moisturiser glides on smoothly and blends into your face brilliantly, leaving hardly streaks.
Benefit's Rockateur is a blush that I always go back to again and again, it gives a lovely finish to the skin and the colour is a darker shade than most blushes, almost a bronzer. Although I'm not in love with the packaging of this product, I've still got a lot of love for it!
And last but not least, my favourite make-up item I own. You know the question about your house burning down and you can save one piece of make-up? Well this is mine. The Nars Happening palette is a compilation of their Laguna bronzer, Orgasm blush and a quad of eyeshadows. Although the palette was limited edition I'm pretty sure all these products are still sold as individuals - and as you can probably tell, I'm gonna need a new Laguna pretty soon!
Let me know what make-up products you cannot live with out!
Caitlin A
x
So lately I've been making a conscious effort to change up the lipstick department of my makeup bag. Ie. swapping all the staple deep reds for more spring like brights. The idea of orange lipstick really put me out of me comfort zone at first, but after lusting over pictures of Jessica Alba pulling it off, we can all attempt to right? (or at least a girl can dream).
So for this look I used the Topshop lipstick in Infrared, which looks like a terrifyingly bright orange, but it can be toned down promise! What I do is go straight on with the lipstick from the bullet, then blot it in with my finger, this makes it work more as a stain (therefore lasting longer!) and also tones down the colour slightly making more wearable for day time. I actually really love the colour as it gives my make up a really bright and querky pop of colour. Additionally if you have blue eyes like me its a double bonus, because it makes them look brighter as orange and blue are opposites on the colour spectrum, therefore clashing against each other to make them appear brighter.
I then paired the look with Sin from the Urban Decay Naked Pallet all over my lid with Virgin in the inner corners, but any light champagne colours will do. I then finished it off with a double flick cat liner, giving it a feline flirty feel. I really like the double flick as it enhances the outer lashes making them appear thicker and longer. I then swept a coral tone blush Sugarbomb by Benefit across my cheeks to finish the look.
Let me know how you like to wear the orange lips trend in the comments!
Caitlin B
x
