Halloween Makeup

Halloween isn’t a big deal in New Zealand which I think is due to us being in spring when it falls as opposed to autumn for the other side of the world. I’ve been trick or treating once and personally I don’t go to parties or dress up. Not wanting to be a complete spoilsport I thought it would be fun to create a makeup look inspired by dark, bold colours. I was very much inspired by Rebecca’s makeup in this post.

  Products listed in order of application:

1. Olay Complete UV Lotion Sensitive – Since using this moisturiser I have noticed clearer skin, I don’t get a lot of blemishes anyway but even less now. I really like how this works.

2. Makeup Revolution Ultra Face Base Primer – The last use of this primer was for this look! It’s finally finished! It’s a good primer.

3. Rimmel Professional Brow Pencil in 002 Hazel – In all the time I’ve had this brow pencil the colour has always remained the same and the pencil has never dried out or turned crumbly.

4. Max Factor CC Cream – 40 Fair – I have been loving this the past week or so on my sick skin. It applies so smoothly over my moisturiser and primer and doesn’t accentuate dry skin or redness. One layer is enough and the product blends/buffs really easily.

5. Urban Decay Primer Potion – I am a total convert to eye primers but only if they’re as good as this one! It has become a staple in my everyday makeup routine.

6. MAC StudioFinish Concealer in NW10 – This concealer blends effortlessly on top of the Max Factor CC cream.

7. The Body Shop Honey Bronzer in 01 Light Matte – A light dusting of this over my cheeks to add a light wash of colour and make the look slightly more matte.

8. Makeup Revolution Iconic 1 Palette – The two dark greyish-blue shades at the end of the palette stood out to me and are a key element to this look. I used the first shade in the palette all over the lid, the second to last shade in the crease and the last shade on the right on top of the base shade.

9. MAC Silver Pigment – Silver eyeshadow has always been my jam, I find it easier to work with than gold as some golds are patchy. I applied the pigment to the inner half of the eyes to make them pop.

10. Rimmel Scandaleyes Lycra Flex Mascara – Further adding to the dramatic, dark overall look. I use this mascara in the Extreme Black shade as I love super dark lashes.

11. Chi Chi Unicorns & Mermaids Cream Highlighter Palette – I purchased this palette earlier in the year and while my mum uses it most of the time I knew the blue shade ‘Rainbow’ would look lovely with the silver-gunmetal eye. The cream formula is easy to work with and you can build it up or keep it more subtle.

12. MAC Matte Royal – The blue lipstick came out! I don’t wear this shade often but it’s good to have on hand for looks like this. I instantly knew I wanted to create a cool toned, blue look and this was one of the key products – it’s perfect!

The Finished Look:

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Do you celebrate Halloween? What do you think of this makeup look?

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Halloween Makeup Tutorial

I’m not really one to celebrate Halloween but this year I wanted to create a cat inspired makeup look! I didn’t want the look to be difficult to achieve and I had a couple of ideas in mind to get the look I wanted: smokey eyes and a berry lip. Let’s jump right in!

Products Used:

Face

1. Max Factor Lasting Performance Foundation in 101 Ivory Beige – This foundation is my favourite when I want more of a matte finish. It doesn’t have SPF so I also knew it would look nice in pictures. This foundation has good coverage, for this look I applied two light layers and blended them out using my Expert Face Brush from Real Techniques.

2. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer – 1 Fair – This is my holy grail concealer and it blends so nicely with the Max Factor foundation.

3. MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW10 – I applied a smidge of this on top of the Collection to further eliminate redness and to even out my skin tone.

4. Rimmel Match Perfection Loose Powder – I wanted my skin to look more on the matte side so I applied this to the tops of my cheeks, my forehead and my nose and chin, basically any area that gets shiny.

Eyes

5. Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil in 002 Hazel – I am still using this to fill in my brows. Enough said.

6. Maybelline ‘The Nudes’ Palette & Makeup Revolution Iconic 2 – I used a combination of shadows from both of these palettes. I started with two matte base shades from The Nudes before using a dark, plum shade through the crease from the Iconic 2. I then applied a darker shimmery brown from The Nudes on the centre of the eyelid and finished with a dab of shimmer from two shades in the Makeup Revolution palette. I also applied a little bit of the brown shade from The Nudes under my lower eyelashes to complete the look.

I have included a diagram and marked which shades I used on both palettes with a diamond.

7. Rimmel Scandaleyes Lycra Flex Mascara – Another of my holy grail products! This mascara lengthens and adds volume to my lashes which I love. The lashes look beautiful and fluttery and compliments the eyeshadow shades well.

Lips

8. Rimmel 107 – This is one of my favourite lip colours and I instantly knew it would be perfect for this look! The berry shade looks stunning with smokey eyes.

The Finished Look:

(I know the whiskers aren’t straight and nose shape isn’t perfect but I still had fun creating this look!)

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Are you dressing up for Halloween this year? What do you think of my cat makeup?

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Una Healy Inspired Makeup

I have done a couple of celebrity inspired makeup looks on the blog and today I’m back with another! Una Healy is one fifth of one of my favourite bands; The Saturdays and as it’s Una’s birthday on Monday I wanted to come up with a look inspired by her. Our hair and eye colours are similar and Una has the most beautiful green eyes – what suits her should suit me. I have gone for a simple and straightforward base with emphasis on a bold red lip!

1. Simple Kind To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser – I have three open Simple moisturisers on the go at the moment and I’m closest to finishing this one so I try to reach for it as often as I can lately. I applied two layers of this moisturiser before going in with foundation to keep my skin super soft.

2. Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil in 002 Hazel – I have been using this to fill in my brows since March and I’m still a fan!

3. Max Factor Lasting Performance Foundation in 101 Ivory Biege – Una’s skin always looks so natural and flawless and this foundation is perfect when I want more coverage to achieve that flawless look.

4. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 1 Fair – I dot this onto the areas where I get some redness (my chin and around my nose) and pat it in with my finger.

5. Qianyu Eyeshadow Palette – I don’t think this palette has an official name but I picked it up for $2.50 because of how pretty and shimmery the shades look. Using my ring finger I applied the white shade as a base before applying the green shade over top. Una’s Irish roots and green eyes inspired this choice.

6. Rimmel Exaggerate Eyeliner in Rich Brown – I haven’t worn this eyeliner in forever and I don’t have black eyeliner so this had to do. I wanted to add slightly more depth to the eyes so I applied a thin line of this to my upper lash line.

7. Rimmel Day 2 Night Mascara – I applied two coats of lengthening mascara to give my lashes a subtle flutter.

8. Revlon Fire & Ice Lipstick – I know Lady Danger from MAC is a firm favourite of all The Saturdays and this is the red closest to Lady Danger that I own. Fire & Ice is both a warm and cool red making it suitable for a range of skintones.

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What do you think of my take on Una’s look? Is there a celebrity whose makeup has inspired you lately?

Gigi Hadid Inspired Makeup

Ever since sharing my Vanessa White Inspired Makeup look in March I have been on the hunt for another look I really admire and wanted to recreate. Gigi Hadid is everywhere lately and I can see why because she is gorgeous! When I picture Gigi, I think of a natural look, glowy, bronzed skin and either a bright red lip or a glossy nude lip – I will be focusing on the latter. I hope you enjoy this post!

1. Simple Radiance Brightening Moisturiser SPF 10 – I spotted this for $3 last week and I actually used it for the first time in this look. With words like radiance and brightening in the name it sounded perfect. This moisturiser contains an SPF which is good if your foundation doesn’t and also contains mango extract which is supposed to help make the skin look even more glowing and bright.

2. Makeup Revolution Ultra Face Base Primer – This primer helps make my skin feel smoother before applying foundation. As this is clear I like to apply this and let it sit on my skin for a few minutes while I fill in my eyebrows so I can make sure it’s soaked in properly.

3. Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil in 002 Hazel – I have been using this eyebrow pencil since I bought it in March and it makes filling in my eyebrows so quick and simple. I like a natural look so they don’t need much filling in.

4. Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation – 010 Light Porcelain – I want a flawless, glowy base and this foundation is the best to achieve that. It adds a lovely dewiness to the skin, particularly the cheeks which will accentuate my highlighter and make that stand out even more.

5. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer – 1 Fair – I LOVE this concealer! This doesn’t crease or make my skin look cakey and I’m going to go as far to say I prefer this to Maybelline’s Fit Me. The coverage is fuller than Maybelline’s which adds to the flawlessness and means you don’t have to use a lot to achieve decent coverage.

6. The Body Shop Honey Bronzer in 01 Light Matte – Gigi’s skin always looks beautifully bronzed so I couldn’t skip this step. I applied bronzer in a ‘3’ motion to my forehead, cheeks and jawline.

7. I ♡ Makeup Goddess of Love Highlighter – I wanted to keep this look as naturally glowy as possible so I decided not to use a blush and just apply this highlighter. I dusted the highlight on the tops of my cheekbones and applied a small amount down the centre of my nose and to my chin.

1. Maybelline ‘The Nudes’ Eyeshadow Palette – I took the cream shade (top row, third from the left) and applied it as a base shadow all over my lids.

2. Max Factor Excess Shimmer – 20 Copper – I use this little eyeshadow pot all the time and one of my favourite ways to wear it is layered over top of other eyeshadows. I applied it over the cream shade to really make the eyes and shimmer stand out.

3. Rimmel Glam’Eyes Day 2 Night Mascara – I recently cracked open this mascara and I must say, so far so good! I’ve never used a two step mascara system before and I’m still in the process of figuring out how this mascara wears best on me but I like it. The lengthening mascara wand is small and short, perfect for bottom lashes.

1. Tanya Burr Lipgloss in Afternoon Tea – This shade is a lovely, sweet pink and is my favourite of the Tanya Burr glosses I picked up because of it’s versatility. The light pink helps bring everything together and tie it all in.

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Are you a fan of Gigi Hadid? What do you think of my take on her look? Also, leave a comment if there’s anyone else’s look you’d like me to recreate!

Vanessa White Inspired Makeup

Happy Monday lovelies! Recently I’ve found myself becoming a fan of nude-brown lips. Normally I don’t like brown at all but I have always thought a nude lip looks beautiful paired with a smoky eye or a bright shimmery eye look. Today’s post features a makeup look inspired by Vanessa White. Vanessa is a British singer and member of one of my favourite bands The Saturdays. Vanessa’s makeup is always immaculate and there are a few key points to achieving her look; a matte (or nude) lip, dark smoky eyes and a flawless base.

I don’t wear a lot of smoky browns so it was fun to create this look and experiment a bit with darker colours. Obviously my skin is paler than Vanessa’s but I knew the look I was going for and adapted her signature style to suit me and my skin tone.

Products listed in order of application:

1. Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturiser – I squeeze a small amount into the palm of my hand and apply it using my middle finger. Thin, frequent layers soak into the skin more easily and are less likely to clog pores.

2. The Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist – I spritzed this onto my face after applying moisturiser to give an extra bit of hydration.

3. Brown Eyebrow Pencil – I hardly ever fill in my eyebrows but I know Vanessa is a fan of a bold brow. Mine are naturally quite thick (lucky me) so I filled them in slightly to give a hint of definition. I did this first so any harsh lines would be covered by foundation/concealer.

4. Max Factor Lasting Performance Foundation in 101 Ivory Beige – I opted for this foundation over my Rimmel Match Perfection as this gives a more matte coverage and more coverage in general; adding to that flawless look.

5.  Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 15 Fair – As usual this was applied on my chin and around my nose where I have some redness. I also applied a small amount to the outer corners of my eyes to brighten things up a little so they wouldn’t look too dark with all the eye makeup.

 6. Australis Concealer Stick in Light – I don’t use concealer stick a lot anymore since I purchased Maybelline’s Fit Me but I decided to change things up a bit and try and use this for some contouring. I applied this on my chin, my forehead, down the centre of my nose and on my cheeks in a triangle shape.

 7. The Body Shop Honey Bronzer in 01 Light Matte – I lightly dusted this bronzer into the hollows of my cheeks and up onto my forehead and jawline using a ‘3’ motion.

8. Maybelline ‘The Nudes’ Eyeshadow Palette – This palette had to be it with the gorgeous browns and taupes. Shade 3 was applied as a base all over the lid followed by shade 7 which was used in the crease as a transition shade. Shade 6 was then applied over shade 3 and blended with shade 8 to create the dark smoky look.

9.  Rimmel Supercurler Mascara – This mascara adds a lovely curl to my lashes and the curved brush really allows you to get into each individual eyelash and wiggle the brush to distribute product.

10.  Dainty Doll Cream Blusher 003 Billion Dollar Babies – This blush is literally the perfect everyday, barely there shade. I wanted to use this nude shade to add a little something to my cheeks without going over the top with colour.

11. Rimmel Apocolips Lip Lacquer in 200 Comet – Vanessa prefers a matte lip to a gloss but this is the closest lip product I own colour wise to her style. What I love about these lip lacquers is that the finish is somewhere between glossy and matte. The formula is not sticky and packs a punch on the pigment front. Comet also inspired this post and this look!

I haven’t done a post like this before and I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know if you’d like to see more along the same lines.

Ten Looks, One Palette

Hi everyone! If you saw my First Impressions of Maybelline’s ‘The Nudes’ you’ll remember I asked if anyone would like to see me create a few different looks with this palette. I decided to not just come up with one or two looks but ten. I’ve used this palette for my eye makeup every day I’ve been to work over the last two weeks. (I work five days a week, hence the ten). I’ve used every shade at least once and have included pictures of my daily eye makeup as well as showing you which shades I used to create each look.

As the shades in this palette aren’t named, for the purposes of this post I’ve numbered the top row 1-6 and the bottom row 7-12. Let’s get started!

#1: Monday, 7th December

This is the slightly more smoky equivalent to Tuesday’s look just below. 11 and 5 were applied across the entire lid and 6 was used in the crease to blend the whole look together.

#2: Tuesday, 8th December

These shades are some of my favourites to use in the whole palette. This side is especially lovely to create daytime looks. I applied 1 all over the lid before blending 2 in. To finish off I swept 8 into the crease and across the lid.

#3: Wednesday, 9th December

3 was used as the base for this copper inspired look. 4 was then applied over top to make the eyes more shimmery.

#4: Thursday, 10th December

11 was applied as a base over the entire lid. 6 was used from the middle of the eyelid to the outer corner as a transition from light to dark. A simple but effective daytime look.

#5: Friday, 11th December

I applied 7 all over the lid then applied 8 over the top to darken up the look.

#6: Monday, 14th December

I applied 3 as a base all over my lid. I took 9 from the inner corner of my eye to the middle and used 10 to go from the middle of my eye to the outer corner.

#7 Tuesday, 15th December

I applied 6 and 8 all over the lid then went in with a light dusting of 1 in the inner corner and also used it to blend out my crease. I then took 12 and used it to darken up the crease.

#8: Wednesday, 16th December

The aim for this look was shimmery smoke. 7 was applied over the entire lid before going in with 12 to darken up the outer corner and crease.

#9: Thursday, 17th December

11 and 5 are a dream combination to apply across the entire eyelid and blend together so nicely. 4 gives a hint of sparkle and a depth of colour.

#10: Friday, 18th December

1 and 3 were applied as bases all over the lid. 2 adds a hint of colour and 10 adds depth to the eye while being blended out alongside 2 in the crease.

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A few of the looks I created are similar but I wanted to show the versatility of the palette and how all the shades can be used and compliment one another.

Comment your favourite look below!