Valentine's Day Look!

Sooo, as it's fast approaching Valentine's day, I thought I would take inspiration from the pinks and move away from the dark smokey eyes and berry lips of winter.

Love it, or hate it, this look is perfect for the transition into spring!

BASE

I started off with my POREfessional primer. I love this stuff. A little bit goes miles. I concentrated this on my nose, chin and forehead and rubbed any excess into my cheeks. I then took the Collection Conceal and Light like a pro kit, and used the green shades to counter-act the red tones on my chin and forehead. This can be slightly daunting at first, but using bright shades can be really helpful to restore your skin to a neutral shade. I then took the pink tone, and blended that around the blue/purple area's of my eyes, and finally the bright yellow shade on top to brighten these area's up. I find using my finger the easiest for this.

I then took my foundation (L'oreal True Match), concealer (Benefit Boi-ing and Collection lasting perfection) and blended this in using a flat top brush and my beauty blender.

I then set my eyes, chin, nose and forehead using the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit (fair) using the banana shade.

Going back with the Conceal and Light Palette, I took the dark brown shade on my finger, and mapped out my cheek bone, as well as scupting my nose, forehead and jawline. If you are new to contouring, this palette is amazing because with your finger, you can really feel where the pigment needs to go. And it's really affordable.

I blended this out with my BeautyBlender before setting it in place with the fawn shade (ABH) and deepening with Java. I used a flat contour brush from Makeup Forever for this.

I then took Havana on a bigger powder brush and used this to add some colour to my face in a general '3' motion. Forehead, cheeks and chin.

After this, I applied some blush to the apples of my cheeks with Makeup Revolutions 'Treat' before using their highlighter in 'Pink Lights' to excentuate the high-points of my face.

I set all this in place using my MAC fix plus setting spray.

EYES

I quickly filled in my brows using the ABH Dipbrow Pomade in Medium Brown on a Zoeva 317 winged liner brush.

For my eyeshadow, I took the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Pink Gold to act as a base, and then set this in place with Dust from the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette.

Taking Nooner from the Naked 3, I buffed this into my crease to act as a transition shade and deepen my crease. I then went in with Wow (a pressed blush) from Makeup Revolution as the main 'pink' section of my look. I kept going back and forth, adding the product and blending it out to make sure I got the colour pay off I wanted. After it was blended, I went back with Dust to re-define my lid, and added a touch of silver in the inner corner to open this area up.

I took Dust and Wow under my lashes.

I then lined my eyes using the Maybelline master ink eyeliner. I decided against a cat eye for this particular look.

For my eyelashes, I applied a generous coat of Benefit's They're Real before applying two coats of the Younique 3D fibre lashes. These things are AMAZING, and really transform your look. It's like wearing fake eyelashes, but without the tricky application and heavy feeling.

LIPS

Finally, for my lips, I took 'Full Fuchsia' by MAC which is an amplified colour. This really brought out the eye's, and finished the look. I love this lipstick, as it's so bright but it's also really silky and creamy.

Im not usually one for pinks, but I feel like it does compliment my grey eye's and is perfect for a date night on valentine's, or just as a transitional look into spring. :)

Beauty Blender Bluff: An idiot's guide

So there are a million blog posts out there about the infamous Beauty Blender, and I hate to jump on the bandwagon so to speak, but after owning (and loving) one for about 7 months now, I thought I would share my top do's and don'ts!

Since the rise of the makeup sponge, there are countless copies on the market. I've even seen Primark do it's own version, as well as RealTechniques, and I tried a few of these in the past, but they never quite hit the mark.
I purchased my Official Beauty Blender (in the pink-duh), a few months back, and I instantly fell in love.
First off... It's so pink!
It's also incredibly soft, and a lot smaller than you imagine. Seriously, I took it out of the box and couldn't believe I had paid £16 for it.
It's shaped like an egg, so the idea is you can use the pointed end for small corners such as around the nose and mouth, and the larger area for place's like your forehead and cheeks. It is also created with a super secret type of sponge that the high-street one's aren't made with, meaning that rather than sink into the sponge, the make up will stay on top, meaning you are going to get the most out of your favourite products as none of it is lost in transition.

I'd watched so many video's of this being used in different ways, so the best thing I found was to play around with it and see what suits you best.
For me, I found applying foundation with the blender easy, but not my preferred method. I did find, however, that liquid concealer worked the best for me. I also found the buffing in my cream contour worked really well with the sponge, as it kept the product concentrated where I wanted, rather than spreading it around my face.
But this is my personal opinion, and I'm not a lover of cream products. However, this can also be used to blend cream blusher, and even with powder to set your make-up. It really is universal, and if needs must, I would use this and only this on all of my face. (Excluding eyelashes and lids- of course.)

The genius behind the blender, is that you are not pushing products over your face, but into them, and it's shape allows you to get a full 360 application, making your make-up look flawless. This being said, its recommend that you bounce or dab the sponge on your face, and not use it in a spreading motion.

Also, this product works much better when it's wet. You just need to run it under the tap and squeeze it a few time's, and it will almost double in size. This makes it a lot more bouncy and easier to use, creating a truly flawless finish.
The pot it comes in doubles as a holder, meaning once you have finished using it, you can pop it back in there and it will begin to decrease in size as it dries.

Now, this all seems fairly fool-proof, and when I first got the blender, I fell in love straight away. After getting my head around it properly and finding what techniques and products worked the best for me, it soon became a staple in my make-up bag.
And this is when I ran into trouble.
The problem with this, is that after using it, I would put it straight in my make up bag, which of course I would zip up, pop in my bag and go about my day.

Size difference: Left = wet. Right= dry.

I soon discovered little black marks on there, that I assumed were marks from an eyeliner or mascara not taken off properly the night before. These, however, did not go when I cleaned it.
These black marks then began to spread. Now my first thought was 'bugs' (we've all seen the video), but after scaring myself too many times, I dug a hole to reveal that my Beauty Blender had not been infested with unwanted guests.
No matter how much I cleaned it, the marks kept appearing. There was more and more each time I used it, and the original ones were getting bigger.
This is when my research began.

After searching online for a while, I found an article that said to never (NEVER) put a damp beauty blender in a sealed environment as this creates the perfect envionrment to harbour bacteria, and thus grow mould.

Ew.

After a quick examination of my blender, I confirmed the worst. It was mouldy, and no amount of washing it, was going to stop that. After being sick in my mouth at the thought that I had been putting something mouldy on my face for the last few weeks, I immediately ordered myself another two.
So, a top tip.... Always wash your blender after every use. Or at least after every other use. It takes two seconds, and is so easy. I find that baby shampoo or even regular hand soap is all you need, and this will keep the blender clean and fairly germ-free. This means its going to last longer, and for the price you pay, you want these things to last.
I would also say, never put it in somewhere with no air in while it's damp. They need to dry completely in free air, to prevent them from growing mould.
Now i know this probably isn't the best advertising, but the fact that I purchased two more after I mis-treated mine, shows how super they really are. My idea being that I can leave one at home, and one at the boyfriends, as that is usually the reason for my makeup bag to travel with me.
As a final tip, I would also say defiantly buy the pink or coloured one...as with the black one, it may be difficult to see when the colour begins to fade, or if yours begins to grow like mine did!

Dipbrow Disaster

I bought the lovely Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbow Pomade (in medium brown- if you were curious), roughly 6 months ago.
True to form- I love it!
The smooth creamy texture means that shaping and filling in your brow's has never been easier, yet looked so professional.

The secret to the pomade, is to use less than you think. It also takes a tiny dip of your brush into the pot to do one brow, and I find filling in the tail-end first easier, and then using a spoolely to brush and blend the product into the inner portion of the brow.
This helps to avoid the scouse brow.

When you first get the dip brow, it is untouched and perfect. The top layer is so creamy and soft that every brow is perfection. However, I found that after the top layer of creamy-ness had gone, you are left with a slightly harder, rougher product, that does not work so well.
Yes, you can dig your brush into it and find some cream, but it's not as smooth and pigmented.

This upset me, as I knew I had taken care of it. Never left it without it's lid off- yet it seemed to be dried out and sad.
After flicking through the internet and Anastasia's Intagram ( I figured I wasn't the only one who had come across this), she mentioned that often they can dry out, but by applying a small amount of oil product, you can re-deem your pomade.
It was recommended to use oil such as Bio-oil, baby oil or Moroccan oil etc.

So, I tried it! And it worked! Success!!

As you can see, my pot before hand was sad and dried out, however a small (and I mean small- like less than  a drop) amount of oil has worked wonders. I used the end of a bobby pin to mix it together, but you could use anything that you have to hand. The end of a makeup brush, a cocktail stick, a spoon.

You can also see the difference in creamy-ness and pigmentation after doing a swatch on the back of my hand, before and after the oil treatment.

So, this was an all round success. I am so pleased my DipBrow has been restored and is back to brand new!

Top 10 Make-Up Picks

So, the other day someone asked me 'What makeup item could you not live without?' and instantly, my brain went into meltdown.

ONE product?! I just couldn't pick. 

However, when stranded on a desert island, or the makeup industry went under, these are the top 10 products I would buy in bulk, and would say are my top makeup products.

In here are a mixture of more expensive high-end products, along with products available for under £5 in Boots or Superdrug.

So, in no particular order, here are my top 10 makeup items! :)

1. MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation- NW10 -£22

This is probably up there as my number one favourite. It is a high coverage powder foundation, however I generally use this as a powder to set my makeup in place. It comes as a compact powder with a little mirror and compartment under for a powder puff. MAC products are the only brand i've found to perfectly match my pale skin tone, so I have no jibs about spending a little bit more money on something I know isn't going to glow orange. I've repurchased this as soon as it began running out, over fear I would be left without it.

Online, it is described as 'powder and foundation in one that combines good coverage with ease of application. Designed to be used dry, the powder and pigments create a matte velvety texture. It contains Silica, which helps to maintain a matte finish by absorbing oils on the skin, as well as Talc tp provide a smoother, less reflective, matte finish.

Which, yeah, sound's about right.

It goes EVERYWHERE with me. Im not even joking. Ask if you can borrow a mirror, and it'll be there, nestled in my bag.

I love it so much, because of it's small size, and the fact it has a mirror. It's perfect for carrying around with you, and the powder puff section means you can use it to top up coverage on your nose or mouth if you find your base beginning to slip.

On some occasion's I have ran out of foundation and used this instead (as it's intended purpose), and I can say that although I wouldn't choose to use it as a foundation, it can be used and looks fantastic.

It's just foolproof for setting your makeup and popping in your bag; safe in the knowledge that you have a mirror, a product and an applicator with you at all times.

 2. Benefit Bronzer- Hoola- £23

With being particularly pale, comes great difficulty when finding something to warm your skin up and act as a contour shade.

I've gone through many bronzer's before, and have found nearly all of them to make my face resemble an Oompa-Loompa.

The trick is, however, to find a product that is brown based. Not orange. Brown.

This means that when it goes onto your skin and oxides, it's not going to go a 'rust tan' colour, but instead a light brownish shade.

This means it is going to look a lot more natural and suit your skin tone better.

I was recommended this bronzer, but after looking at it in the pan, I thought it would be waaaay to dark, however I swatched on the back of my hand and purchased the smaller test size.

After using it a few times, I fell in love.

It's so odd, but it really does suit most skin tones. I think because of the warmer brown undertones, it's a neutral shade, rather than it being made of varying degree's of orange-ness like most bronzers areMAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation.

I use this after contouring to warm up my pale complexion and to add a bit of colour to my cheeks.

The only issue with this is the container it comes in. Seriously, a cardboard box? Step up your game Benefit.

3. MAC prep and prime- fix + spray- £17

After having my makeup done in MAC a few years ago, the woman finished off my look with a few spray's of this, and my makeup instantly transformed from flat and matte to hydrated and glowy looking. It wasn't essential that day, so I returned a few weeks later to pick one up.

Some people say this is meant to be used before your makeup, to act as a primer and moisturiser, however I have never used it for that.

I spray 2-3 squirts of this over the base of my face (before I move onto my eyes), and it sets my makeup ALL day. And I mean, all day. It dries really quickly too, so you don't have to dance around like a loon waiting for it to set in place before moving onto your next product.

Not only that, but it makes your makeup look nicer on the face. It can really finish a look off, and make it look so much more professional. I love how light-weight it feels on the skin, and you really can notice a difference between how your make will look at the end of the night if you have or haven't used this product.

It is perfect for day long events, such as weddings, because it means you don't have to take your entire makeup bag with you (in a tiny clutch bag) and can just be safe knowing your makeup isn't going to budge.

I recently repurchased mine, and they had unfortunately ran out of the limited edition pink water, which was a shame, however I found that one big bottle lasted me an entire year, so it is well worth the money.

4. Anastasia Beverly Hills; Dip brow Pomade- Medium Brown- £15

This was another product I had seen so many people talk about, but wasn't sure about the hype.

I decided to buy it, to see what all the fuss was about, safe in the knowledge a lot of people had said it lasts you a very long time.

If you don't know what it is, it is a product used on the eyebrows, but it comes in a pot, much like a gel eyeliner, and is applied to the brows using an angled brush.

Most people say 'Oh, you only need a tiny bit on your brush to do an entire brow,' which I have found to be false.

Although you don't need a considerable amount, you do need to use a little more than I think most people have you let on. Then again, it is always better to apply a little bit at a time, rather than all at once. I use this on the lower side of my brow first, then I complete the tail and fill in the bottom half before using excess product on the brush to feather it into the front of my brow.

I've found this to be a fool proof, easy way to get good natural looking brows, that I do get complimented on often.

The only downside to this is that you do need to spend extra money on a brush, and the top layer of my brow gel has dried out slightly.

This however, is out-weighed by the fact that you don't need to buy an extra brow kit to set it in place, as the waxy formula of the product means that this stuff is set already and will not be budging anytime soon.

5. MAC pro-longwear concealer- NW15 - £17.50

I was originally put off this product as the palest it goes too is NW15, and I am NW10 in MAC foundation. I wanted a concealer to act as a base for a highlight, and brighten up the area under my eyes. After a brief sales pitch from a MAC rep, I bought the palest shade they did to satisfy my curiosity.

I was pleasantly surprised. I absolutely LOVE the stuff! I pump a small amount on the back of my hand, and dab it under my eyes, as well as any area's I want to brighten up. I then use my BeautyBlender to buff it all out into place.

For something I thought would be too dark, it does act as a brightening concealer, and because it is so high coverage, it lasts all day long.

My only issue is the size of the bottle. It is MAC, and therefore a little pricey, and the size of the bottle is rather small. I wish they could make it slightly bigger for what you are paying. 

Also, the pump system is good, however it means putting product on your hand, which means you are going to loose a small amount as it soaks into your skin. I would find that an applicator where it can be applied directly too your face would be much more effective, as this means you are going to get the most out of your product.

6.  Maybelline- Lash Sensational- £7.99

After being a firm lover of the Benefit They're Real, I was beginning to feel the sting of £20 a pop, especially when I go through quite a lot of mascara.

Im not usually a fan of mascara from the drugstore though, but picked this up when Boots had a 3 for 2 offer on.

I've tried both the normal and the waterproof mascara, and have the found the waterproof to be the longer lasting of the two (naturally).

However, it is extremely difficult to get off, so I would recommend using a remover specific for waterproof eye-makeup.

Im not normally a fan of synthetic applicators (except They're Real), but the wand for this is almost identical.

It is a curved wand, so I generally use one side to coat each individual lash to end length, and then turn on the thicker size, to add volume and colour.

I've found that is lasts a while and doesn't dry out in the bottle if you look after it well. It's a true black colour, and the shape of the wand means it is curling your lashes as you use the product.

It's an all-round fool proof affordable mascara.

7. MAC lipsticks- £15.50

I have an extensive and growing collection of MAC lipsticks, so I thought I would include this as one favourite, but include my top two from my collection.

Although they look very similar, they are quite different.

The first is Brave. This is a Satin finish, so is almost pearly on the lips, but is quite shiny and hydrating without looking like a gloss. It is a typically everyday pale pink colour, and goes well with any eye-look and any outfit. It is my go-to lip colour when I want something there that isn't going to completely change a look.

The next is Twig. This is a slightly darker version of Brave, so I generally use this more in the colder months. Again, this is a Satin finish so it is very similar.

It has pink undertones, but a slight brown/mauve hue in it, so I find goes really well with a brown smokey eye.

Both are really quick lipsticks to throw on as an everyday lip colour.

8. 2True Effortless Eyeliner- black- £1.99

I have been a lover of the winged liner for about 4 years now, and as a result of that, have tried many different eyeliners.

I was actually thinking about doing an entire blogpost dedicated solely to the eyeliner, as I have that bloody many.

In my experiences, however, I have found that the more you spend does not necessarily mean the better the product. I have tried a few 'high-end' eyeliners, and have found them to be no better than your £1 liquid eyeliner from Primark.

This exclusive to Superdrug eyeliner, is foolproof. The brush nib is fairly big, so your eyeliner is not going to be very subtle, however it is perfect for everyday use. It retains the colour of black and does not fade to grey during the day like some liners can do, and for the price of, you really can't knock it. The handle is fairly long and twists into the pot of product, meaning you can really get a grip on it, making the application a lot easier.

My only issue is if your eye's water, it will run, but if you know you are going to be in an eye-watering situation then you should be using a waterproof eyeliner anyway. Duh.

9. Bodyshop All-In-One InstaBlur primer- £14

If you haven't already guessed, I have a slight problem in keeping makeup on my face. I don't have particularly oily skin, nor am I an excessive sweater, however my makeup tends to slip.

That is why I opt for a primer, a setting powder AND a setting spray to make sure none of my hard work goes to waste.

I rely heavily on a primer, and even if you find you don't have a major makeup slipping problem like I do, I would still suggest investing in a primer.

It will help your makeup glide onto your skin better, as well as making it look more flawless and last a lot longer.

I love the Bodyshop InstaBlur, as it is in between your high street and high end products. It is silicon based, which I have found makes my makeup look the nicest, however it doesn't necessarily fill your pores in.

It does make your face feel silky soft and light-weight though.

The only con of this product is that mine tends to shoot the primer out and go everywhere, rather than glide out onto my fingertips.

10.MUA- Undress Your Skin- Pink Highlighter- £3

Last, but not least, is a highlighter.

Having mentioned a few times in this blog post that I am pale, it is often difficult to find a highlighter pale enough to do it's job. Again, I have gone through a few different shades and formula's of highlight, and found this one to be the best.

It can sometimes be mis-leading when highlighter shopping, as it can look great when you swatch it on your hand, but fail to show up nicely on the skin.

I opted for the pink shade, rather than the white or gold, purely because I find it to compliment my skin and everyday make up better.

For the price, you can literally not fall off. Even if you have a million highlighters, just go out and buy this one and try it anyway. 

I find this to finish off a look perfectly, and it adds a nice subtle shimmer to the tops of my cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose and cupid's bow.

But seriously, £3!! And its a normal size, its not tiny. I've had mine for over a year, and I am no-where near touching pan yet. It is so affordable, and out of all the other highlighters i've bought and tested, this one is the cheapest and the best, just proving that sometimes just because something has a big price tag, does not necessarily mean it's the best product on the market.

Autumn Makeup

Soooo.... it's offically autumn?!

Well, maybe not, but it certainly feels like it, and any excuse to whack out the gold eyes and berry lips.

I love, love love this look and funnily enough, after doing my makeup for the day, I found Zoella had uploaded a look to her YouTube channel that was almost identical! Good minds think alike hey?

Im no makeup artist, but I love playing around with makeup looks, so it's not perfect but I love it. Im also not experienced in the art of taking selfie's, so I apologise for the bad posey photo's, but I TRIED okay?! Okay.

Anyway... for my base, I took the BodyShop all-in-one InstaBlur primer. I love this stuff because it's silicone based and really makes my makeup last longer. I applied this mainly to my nose, chin and forehead and then used any excess to blend onto my cheeks.

Rose Gold Revolution

Hello and welcome to my first blog post, which is, quite scary?
My name is Abi and I'm from the North East of England, and like many 18 year old girls, I live and breathe for the next amazing beauty product to change my life.
Im no make-up guru, but I love playing around with make-up; creating new looks and seeing what all the 'hype' is about surrounding various products.

I've been a loyal lover of RealTechnique brushes for over 3 years now, and although I still stand by them as a holy grail, their is no denying that any beauty-lover will have eyed up the Zoeva Brushes at some point.

With their variation of handle and metal designs, as well as mixture of synthetic and natural fibres, (adding in numerous youtubers raving about them), hundreds of instagram posts in their signature bag and the fact they had a ROSE GOLD collection meant I just had to have them.