Spring Makeup Trends 2017.

Hello! 

Firstly, Happy New Year (I Know, it's been a while!)

Secondly, you are probably wondering where I went as I haven't blogged a long time. 

Well, I didn't go anywhere. I just felt I no longer wanted to blog. It was taking up time that I didn't have and I didn't feel people were engaging with me as much as I'd hoped.

Anyway, I am blogging again (as a hobby for the time being) but if I could make a career out of it, that would be perfect, but for now I shall be writing whenever I possibly can.

On with the blog post!

Now Christmas is out of the way, it's totally normal for me to start thinking about spring. Yes already. I do like to plan and think ahead (I'm not impatient at all!) 

As you all probably know, one of my main passions in life is make-up. So of course, I am super excited to see what trends are out there for spring 2017.

When it comes to Spring make-up there are usually two things that are a given; flushed cheeks and bright lips. However, this year I was surprised to see a couple of not so obvious trends in there!

Predominant trends being seen at many fashion and make-up shows are;

• Overly flushed cheeks and draping (we'll get into that later)
• Bold lips
• Dewy skin and intense highlighting of cheeks and the nose
• Pops of eye colour on the eyelids
• Smudged eyeliner
• Glitter applied in a ''different'' manner!

Did you spot the two I didn't expect!? Smudged liner and glitter in ''different'' places are something I associate with the aftermath of a good night out. They don't scream SPRING to me but I'm up for trying anything once (well not anything...)

Anyway, let's go into more detail of each of these trends. First up, cheeks!

FEELING FLUSH.

Rosy cheeks and pretty blushers have always been popular at spring time but this year, blush is meant to be seen! It's bold, it's bright, it's not just pink and it's being draped. Okay, I said I'd go into 'draping' later so draping is basically where the blush is applied to the cheeks and also taken up onto the temples. This was a popular technique in the 1970's and 1980's (Think Debbie Harry and Madonna).

BOLD LIPS

It's no surprise that bold lips are back. Nearly every spring we see the return of bright lip shades in colours like; pink, coral, fuchsia and orange. In addition to these beautiful shades, red is making a big impact at shows showcasing spring make-up trends. Most of the lips are focusing on a matte finish but of course, you can wear what you want! 
A very big and bold colour seen a lot at fashion shows is red. Red is a classic lip colour that is just timeless but it doesn't have to just be a colour associated with glamour, winter and Christmas etc. It looks so beautiful during spring/summer with minimal make-up, pale skin and also with sun kissed skin.
Think less is more when it comes to the rest of your face, let the lips do the talking - so to speak!

Me wearing Topshop lipsticks (great shades for SS17)

DEWY SKIN

Ahhhh dewy skin and highlight - my favourite! 

Nothing says spring like fresh faced dewy skin and this year, prepare to glow!

The shinier and the glowier the better. Right from your base to your highlight.
Skin looks moisturised, fresh and dewy. The highlight is applied on to the cheekbones, the bridge of the nose, the inner corner of the eyes, the brow bones and pretty much where you would highlight normally but more intensely!
Just glow for it!

Me wearing 'Smokin' Whistles' highlight by Colourpop

A POP OF COLOUR

Now, eyes. Bright colours are seen on the lids, in the crease and as eyeliners. Blue seems to the predominant colour while brights such as yellow, green, purple, orange, pink and red are proving popular too.

The lips and rest of the face are kept simple while the eyes are the focus.

There are no rules here, apply whatever colour you like wherever you like, just keep it simple and to one shade.

My favourite products for bright eyes have got to be my Morphe Brushes Palettes and my NYX Vivid Brights eyeliners.

You could create any look imaginable with these and they're both so affordable.

Get popping!

My Morphe 35C (matte) palette - also check out the 35U (shimmer) palette.

NYX Vivid Brights Eyeliner from Boots

SMUDGED EYELINER

I have to confess, the only time I've had smudged liner is after rubbing my eyes and forgetting I have make-up on. But it all seriousness, the smudged effect seen for spring '17 is more subtle. Think imperfect and undone rather than full on panda eyes (never a good look!)

Black, grey, navy and brown are the shades used and with regards to the ''rules'' there doesn't seem to be any. Eyeliner is applied to the waterline, the lower lash line, as winged liner and across the whole eyelid in an undone way.

Get smudging!!

GLITTER

I am pretty much like a magpie when it comes to glitter. I love it. In fact, I love anything sparkly or holographic.

However, the glitter trend for spring '17 is probably one I'll be skipping. Glitter is seen on the lips, eyebrows, the head and as facial tattoos. 

I'm all for new and different ways to wear make-up and for being open minded, but this just isn't a very wearable trend. I think I'll leave this trend to the catwalk models!

So there you have it. A round up of the Spring '17 trends.

Which ones will you be trying?

Leave a comment below and let me know.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!

See you soon.

Much love.

Beauty: A D.I.Y London Fashion Week Inspired Highlight...

Hello and welcome back to my blog. I hope you are all well? 

Unless you have been hiding under a rock, you'll know that London Fashion Week SS15 has just ended. I saw so many photos of stunning outfits and the events that took place. But it was the make-up that really caught my attention. In fact it was the beautiful glossy looking highlighting that was used on the models by the likes of Lisa Eldridge for Temperley.

Unfortunately, I cannot use any images from London Fashion Week as they are not allowed to be reused. You can however see them if you use good ole Google!

The focus was on creating a glossy glowing effect to the skin with minimal make-up elsewhere. This was not achieved with one product and definitely not with a powdered product. I doubt very much if the products used were affordable either.

So, I had a brainwave of how to recreate this on a budget but giving very similar results. I have to say, I am loving the results! Here's what I used...

Original Vaseline and MAC pigment in White.

Here are my reasons for choosing these two products; Vaseline on it's own may work for those of you that like a very subtle highlight to your face and the MAC pigment will give a well pigmented highlight but it won't be glossy. So, I decided to mix the two thus giving a pigmented, long lasting glossy effect to wherever a highlight is required.

 The products mixed together.

To get this look, firstly apply the Vaseline to the back of your hand and rub it in slightly in circular motions. Then take a tiny bit of the pigment onto your finger tip and rub that in with the Vaseline, again in circular motions.

When you achieve your desired consistency, take a flat make-up brush (like the one pictured) and pick up some of the product. Simply apply to your face wherever you'd like the highlight. For me it's above the cheekbones and on the temples. Also a tiny bit on the Cupid's bow and onto the nose.

And that's it! Affordable and simple. Of course, if you don't own M.A.C pigment in white you can use any light pigment or even a light eyeshadow or powdered highlight. Mixing it with the Vaseline will give you a more natural and dewy highlight and it will last all day, unlike a powder alone. Also, Vaseline is non-comedogenic so it will not clog pores and it traps in moisture, so besides looking dewy, your skin should become more dewy too!

I really hope you like my D.I.Y London Fashion Week inspired look. I am always happy to pass on tips to you guys and especially affordable ones because there are so many products out there and they can cost a heck of a lot. The products I used here are multi-purpose also. Vaseline has so many uses as do M.A.C pigments. I will definitely be using this method when I highlight from now on.

You can get Vaseline from all good chemists but I got mine from poundland! ;-)
M.A.C pigments are available from M.A.C Cosmetics

Are you going to try this?

Please let me know if you do and send me your pics!

 Let me know what products you will be using.

Please leave me a comment down below and let me know. I love hearing from you.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

I Heart Slogan Explicit Content Palette Review...

I Heart Slogan Explicit Content Palette - I Heart Makeup 

Hello and welcome back to my blog. I have been shopping again (oops!) You see, those guys at Makeup Revolution keep releasing awesome products at really affordable prices and I just can't resist!

My latest purchase is this 36 piece eyeshadow palette from their sister line 'I Heart Makeup'. Entitled 'Explicit Content'. It is one of four slogan palettes they have available. 

The theme to the palette is the top row - Get Naked are the nude/wearable shades. Then the next rows down - Use Me Up have a mixture of neutral shades and darker shades. Then the bottom row - Be Explicit has the darker and smokier shades for your naughty side or night time. 

There are 30 shimmery/satin shades and six matte shades and they are ALL super pigmented. 

Here's a closer look...

There are a great mix of neutrals, brights, shimmers, mattes and dark shades in this palette. You could create so many looks with this. This is the reason I bought it. It's compact enough to take on a weekend away for example and create a subtle day look and then vamp it up at night!

I didn't expect these eyeshadows to be as pigmented and soft as they are. They are really smooth to the touch and have amazing colour payoff.

That is all four rows swatched DRY on DRY skin and NO primer (in natural light). Pretty amazing, huh?

And here's a close up of a few I will be wearing for Autumn...Just look at that pigmentation! :-0

I should also mention the packaging. As always with Makeup Revolution you get very sturdy packaging and a huge, high quality mirror - which is always appreciated!

The casing on this one is super cool. As you tilt it back and forth the holographic logo on the front changes colour and pattern. :-)

So, if you like the look the look of this palette (who wouldn't?) you can buy it from Makeup Revolution online or from Superdrug (many Superdrug stores now carry Makeup Revolution) and it costs just £7.99!! 

Will you be trying this?

Which I Heart Make-up products are you loving?

Please leave a comment down below and let me know.

As always, thanks for stopping by.

Three Series : Barry M Autumn Nail Paints...

Ok, so it's not officially Autumn yet but that doesn't stop me anticipating it's welcome arrival.  We had a really good and hot Summer, but I'm ready to revel in all that Autumn has to offer, for it is without a doubt my favourite season.

 These new Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paints from Barry M were released just last week and  scream Autumn, that's why I chose these three...

L-R Cocoa, Mustard and Paprika

Just look at those colours! They're are just Autumn in a bottle. They remind me of Autumnal leaves, bonfires, hot chocolate, spices and the sky at dusk. *sighs*

There are six shades to chose from altogether which include a grey, a green and a red but I have lots of nail paints in those shades already so I was good and just chose three.

First up we have Cocoa...

Cocoa is a super opaque rich chocolate brown. I cannot get over how thick this is. I applied two coats but you could probably get away with one! This would be great for those who don't fancy a shade as daring or dark as black. I love this one!

Next up is Mustard...

Mustard is just that. A beautiful mustard shade. Definitely one of my favourites if not thee favourite. Again it is super opaque and easy to apply. Two coats were applied but you could get away with one. I highly recommend this one.

Last but not least, it's Paprika...

Paprika is for you spicier gals out there ;-) A fiery browny orangey-red which is perfect not just for Autumn but for winter too.  This shade is showing a tad more red in the photo than it actually is. It didn't want to reveal it's true colours for some reason, despite me taking many, many photos (God knows I tried)! As with the other two, this is super opaque and two coats were applied. This one is potentially a favourite.

I am really impressed with all three shades that I picked. The formulation of this Autumn range seems much more opaque than previous Spring/Summer colours (and I was impressed with those!) 

The choice of colours is bang on and Barry M have totally captured the essence of Autumn. I just can't decide on my favourite but it's between Mustard and Paprika!

Barry M are my absolute favourite brand of nail polishes. They're so affordable, there are so many to choose from and they constantly bring out new and exciting ranges and products.

I got mine from Superdrug in Brighton retailing at £3.99 each and they were on a 3 for 2 offer so I got all three for £7.98! :-)

These are available from Barry M , superdrug and Boots but I am sure only Barry M online and Superdrug stores are carrying this new range at the moment.

What do you think of these?

Will you be picking up any of them?

Please leave a comment below and let me know.

Thanks as always for stopping by.

Makeup Geek Haul And Review

L-R Clockwise : Mango Tango, Peach Smoothie, Chickadee, Cocoa Bear and Creme Brulee.

 I Did it, I caved. After months of deliberating, I placed an order with Makeup Geek. 

If you are a make-up enthusiast, youtuber or blogger etc you will have undoubtedly heard of 'Makeup Geek' If not, let me give you a brief introduction. Makeup Geek is an American brand founded by Marlena who is a well known for her YouTube Channel. The brand offers a huge array of cosmetics such as; eyeshadows, pigments, blushes, palettes as well as lip products, face products and much more.

Onto my order, I Primarily chose five eyeshadows and a Z-palette to give them a try before I bought anymore. Also I have a shameful amount of shimmery eyeshadows but not many mattes at all, hence this order.

Mango Tango Eyeshadow 1.8g

Starting with one of my favourites, I present to you...Mango Tango. Described as 'peachy pink with flecks of gold' This eyeshadow packs a colourful punch. This looks gorgeous in the crease to warm up a cool look and it also looks fab all over the lid. It has a satin finish, it's smooth, pigmented and lasts all day. Love this one!

Peach Smoothie Eyeshadow 1.8g

Peach Smoothie is one I have seen used the most in online videos. It is super versatile, creamy, easy to work with and pigmented. Described as a 'light peach beige with a soft matte finish'. I really like to use this one as a transition shade and to blend out harsher eyeshadows. Gorgeous, gorgeous colour.

Chickadee Eyeshadow 1.8g

This is another of my absolute favourites. Described as a 'matte yellow orange' which just screams Autumn! I am a huge fan of orange and warm toned eyeshadows in the crease paired with a cool toned eyeshadow on the lid. The contrast is stunning. This one will get a lot of use, I find myself reaching for this much more than my newly purchased 'Rule' by M.A.C. This one is a staple in my bag!

Cocoa Bear Eyeshadow 1.8g

No make-up kit should be complete without a good matte brown. Here to save the day is 'Cocoa Bear'. Described as 'matte reddish brown' aka my favourite kind of brown. I much prefer warm toned browns to flat or cool toned browns, so I am really glad I picked this one up. Like all the others, it delivers superb pigmentation and has a soft, creamy texture. This is great for the crease or for the outer lid to deepen up a look.

Creme Brulee Eyeshadow 1.8g

Last but not least, another versatile neutral shade. Creme Brulee is described as 'a medium sand colour with a soft matte finish'. That's exactly what it is. Although, it reminds me a bit of Peach Smoothie, but it's less peachy! A great velvety neutral shade that is great for blending out harsh lines or for softening a brown smokey eye, this one should probably be in your kit too!

Z-Palette Small Leopard

Now, as the Makeup Geek eyeshadows come in a pan form, I bought one of the small Z-Palettes too. The actual palette is magnetic so the eyeshadows just pop straight in and don't budge! What I love about the Z-palettes is the fact they have a magnetic free space. Therefore you can place any number of eyeshadows or even blushes in them and arrange them however you like!

As I bought five eyeshadows, I ordered the Z-palette in small leopard print and it cost $14.99 (£9.41). Z-palettes are available from here

Makeup Geek also offer affordable worldwide shipping. I paid just $12.41 (£7.49) for everything and received my order approximately 10 days later.

I was also fortunate to not incur any customs charges, but bear this in mind when placing an order if you're ordering from the UK. You may have to pay customs fees on large orders.

So, that's all my order. Yes I love everything, yes I want more and yes I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Makeup Geek to everyone. It's clear to see why there is such a buzz surrounding this brand now. These eyeshadows are some of the best I have ever used and at $5.99 (£3.61) each, you are essentially getting a professional quality product for a drugstore price. What's not to like?!

The eyeshadows are available from Makeup Geek Store 

I am so impressed with the Makeup Geek brand. Everything from start to finish. Placing the order was simple, I was kept in the know every step of the way, it arrived quickly and was well packaged. The packaging is also well worth a mention, it's not bulky, there is minimal waste and it's looks divine! 

There is so much consistency across the brand, all of the products are equal in quality (no duds here!) and the choice of products on the website is phenomenal. The website itself is well worth a look too. Aside from the online store, there are tutorials, reviews, idea galleries, advice and education. 

I will definitely be placing another order in the foreseeable future but for now, I will enjoy using these gorgeous colours to create different looks (and secretly pray for Makeup Geek to be sold in the UK)!

Have you tried any Makeup Geek eyeshadows?

Which Makeup Geek products have you got your eye on?

Please leave a comment below and let me know.

As always, thanks for stopping by.