The Toughest Makeup Lessons I've Learned

It's been a while since I listed some things for you... It's time to right that wrong! Today it's all about them makeup lessons that I just didn't want to learn!

1. Perfumes I love on other people will usually smell awful on me.
2. Wonky eyebrows are the brow norm.
3. Cleaning your brushes will age them.
4. ...but it's a necessary evil as you will break out like a mo fo if not!
5. When it comes to grooming your eyebrows, just stop. Sooner rather than later.
6. Lighting is everything.
7. A good skincare routine is more important than your foundation applying skills!
8. Good brushes make your life so much easier.
9. You need far less makeup than you think you do
10. It really is better to give away things you don't love to your friends
11. Oily eyelids = nothing but trouble
12. Huge winged liner will become harder to pull off with age
13. Be as gentle as you can when applying makeup!
14. Red lippy = high maintenance, always, and lots of concealer
15. Less is more (if you're as cack-handed as I am)

That's me done crew - I would love to hear all about the lessons you had to learn too! Let's have ourselves a chatter in the comments ;)

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The Paris Vlogs

I'm taking a trek down memory lane today, back to my Year Abroad and our lovely trips to Paris. I vlogged three of these trips to that beautiful city, and today I thought it would be nice to share them with you... Here they are!

Have you guys been to the City of Lurve? As am I desperate to go back, where would you recommend me visiting?

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Tieran's 7 Holy Grails

Today it is the glorious return of the 7 Holy Grails series, a feature where I chat to one of my favourite people about their seven signature products of the moment.

With me today on my metaphorical makeup sofa is Tieran, who is my bae and my housemate. We met in our first year of uni and my earliest memory of us is going round to get ready in her flat before the Languages Ball at the end of that same year (2012 if you're interested). She's gorgeous, has her sh*t together and knows her way round a winged eye so well. I'm so excited to be sharing her faves with you today!

Viktor & Rolf Flower Bomb Eau de Parfum

I like it because I'm picky with perfumes - a lot of them give me headaches. It's a sweet flowery scent that's not too overpowering, but it is still being nice and grown up too.  I got this bottle as a 21st birthday present but I have loved this scent for years and used to always spray it on my close in Debenhams! It feels like such a lovely luxury perfume.

Bio Oil

This is really good for my skin as my skin isn't very oily. When I've broken out my skin gets a bit dried out and this helps it to heal quicker. If I've worn makeup every day during the week, I know this will rehydrate things, especially in the winter... Plus it is quite good on scars too, helping to get rid of them quicker!

Barry M High Shine Jelly Nail Paint in Watermelon

I really like taking time to paint my nails as I find it so therapeutic. This colour is my go-to autumn shade (though I wear it in summer too). It goes on really easily, only needs two coats and comes off really easily too which is great. I think it's a nice colour that goes with lots of my outfits as well!

Clinique Even Better Makeup Foundation in 06

It's really hard to find a foundation that matches my skin -  I think that's an issue for everyone but for me I reckon it's because I have a yellow undertone. This foundation doesn't make me break out or dry out my skin, which is great! I usually use it mixed with a bit of moisturiser so it's not as heavy coverage (I use Olay Daily Moisturiser), and it has SPF15 in it too. I find that buying a more expensive foundation really is worth it.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara (or the Scandaleyes range as a whole)

I like this because if you haven't got a load of money, it's not too expensive, is it? I'm not sure if it's because of the shape of my eyes or length of my lashes, but I get on really well with a fatter brush and I find that this one curls my eyelashes pretty well. It always builds up nicely on the lash without clumping too. It's my go-to as I'm so not one for high end mascaras at all!

Maybelline Masterprecise Liquid Eyeliner

I am still on the search for my perfect liquid liner but had to include this as a winged eye is like my signature look! This liner one has a decent length tip, good for applying horizontally, and it's easy to create different types of flick and thickness. The only issue I have with this is that after a long day I find that it tends to smudge. An honorable mention is Umberto Gianini's Painted Lady Feliner Eyeliner in Dark Blue, which was part of a Christmas set, but it's surprisingly good. It always gives a good shape and lasts all day with a cool colour too.

Maybelline Mystic Mauve

I found this on a market in town  - I was actually looking for my concealer and picked up this instead as I'd been after a lilacy shade. It really suits my skin tone and I can wear it for  both casual and dressy days. I can also apply this without a mirror and know that it won't go everywhere. Plus I like purple, if you wanna add that in? (Me: I do, I definitely do!)

And there we have it crew! Thank you Tieran for your lush picks - there are a lot of things I am definitely going to steal and try out for myself ;)

I hope you guys enjoyed - please let me know if you too have tried any of these too!

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An Autumnal Liner Love

There is only one star in this post because frankly, I love it so much it deserves to shine solo.

If you're after a buttery gel liner that is the perfect shade for this season, this post is for you!

Clinique Black Honey... man Clinique were having a good day when that name was invented. I'm a fan of the eyeshadow, but I think my affection of this liner has actually surpassed that of the shadow... Bold claim right there!

It's a super soft, gorgeous formula that is just as smooth now as when I bought it in May, more than can be said for many other gel liners I've tried.

The shade is beautiful, a warm russet flecked with a fine gold glitter that is so on point this season I can't even. This also gets added bonus points for making green and blue eyes pop that lil bit more.

Okay. Rant over. It's beauts, I love it, and it's worth every penny.

 

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Why You Should Try New Things

I’m warning you now, this is a late night ramble to myself. Hopefully this will prove more fruitful than my other late night hits of inspiration; a quick browse on my phone reveals the last one was “What would happen to the English language if the Nazis had won?” Okay Anna.

Anywho, to the “point” of this one.

I’m a creature of habit. I like sticking to what I know – in fact I’ve got more habits than your average nun.

Usually, being a bit habit-prone ain’t no bad thing. It’s part of our characters – I like to think my loopy running style, love of making messes and tendency to play the same songs over and over are qualities that my loved ones enjoy about me. Not all habits are bad habits, after all.

My problem for the last few years has been that I nearly always assume I will suck at a new venture before I’ve even tried it – and trust me, it makes looking at job applications a far more depressing experience than is strictly healthy. I’m either a pessimist (to some, the highest form of optimism) or a pragmatist, depending on your particular stance.

I am however realising that this immediate fear of trying new things is incredibly stupid, and I’d like to give you an example.

I do pole fitness – now getting back into it after 15 months off – and it’s something I really enjoy. Prior to starting, the only exercises I was interested in doing were grammar ones for my course, and “interested in” is a bit of a strong way to describe my feelings on that subject.

But I went to my first pole class, after about a year or so of thinking, man, I would love to do that. My gorgeous bud Jess took me along and to start off with, I was sh*te. Like so bad. Imagine the worst thing you’ve ever done and multiply that by about three thousand.

But I stuck with it.

Turns out I’m not too shabby at pole fitness – I’m not the strongest girl in our squad, nor am I the skinniest (though now I say that, your weight really doesn’t make much difference as to how good you are) but what I discovered a few months in is that I have a surprisingly bendy back.

A very happy discovery it was too.

If you’re not au fait with pole, having a bendy back is actually incredibly useful – I feel like a bit of a fraud if I’m honest with you, as many moves tend to look far more impressive and even painful than they are as a result.

The crux of what I’m trying to get at with this is that if I had never taken that step, trying a sport when I was so convinced I sucked at anything sport related, I would not only have never experienced the joy of pole fitness, but my bendy back would have gone completely ignored; that thought makes me very sad indeed.

I have also got really into photography this year. I don’t think my skills in that department are anything to write home about (I’m learning, folks, I am learning) but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying the sh*t out of snapping away, stumbling my way around Manual mode with all the skills of a drunken bear writing an opera.

Please don’t get any bears drunk now I’ve written that. Or make them write operas.

The fact is I’m enjoying learning, and finding teaching myself things far more enjoyable than having the education system try to teach things against my will.

What I’d like you to get from this ramble is that it ain’t too late, babe. That hobby you’re thinking of trying but just have yet to get round to? Go Google it this evening and let me know if you get started. That route you walk home? Mix it up a bit. Eating soup every night? (GUILTY) For God’s sake branch out a bit.

You might find a bendy back. Even if you don’t, you will love it... or else find that next step to the thing you do love.

Glow For It

A shamelessly puntastic title? How very not like me-- oh wait, no. How exactly like me.

In these chillier months, my obsession for highlighter increases, in a fashion directly in proportion to the decreasing temperature. I'm not sure why... perhaps as my skin gets duller, and the amount of festive glitter in my life spikes to its annual high, my need to just glow for it becomes ever stronger.

There are three beauts that I am sharing with you today as they are simply the finest highlighters I have in my stash, and you need to know about them. If you are blessed (!) with a pastel complexion such as myself, this is a double whammy as these are all light enough to show up on porcelain skin.

Let's get down to it...

First and foremost, one for those beloved No7 vouchers, it is the wonderful Instant Radiance Highlighter, aka the most convenient highlighter I've ever used. Simply swipe this über convenient little stick on, blend, and get your glowing beauty out the door. I am a big time fan of this creamy pale pink perfection.

Next up, a serious stunner, it's MAC Vanilla Pigment. Girls. Girls. GIRLS (and guys, let's not discriminate up in hurr.) Ya need it. So purdy, it's chocker with icy pink and gold shimmer and looks beautiful as a brow highlighter, but also frankly magical on the cheeks too. Do I have heart palpitations using it as my fear of knocking it over is intense, but it is worth it crew. Totes worth it.

Finally and fabulously, my beloved little pot of Topshop Glow Highlighter in Polish. This is basically Vanilla Pigment in a creamy formula, so beautiful it is ridiculous and amazing all over yo face. Literally, I am obsessed: inner eye, cheekbones, brow bone - they all need it, f'real.

These are my picks - I urge you to look into them, espesh if you are a paler person such as myself! And if you do have any recommendations, leave them down below!

 

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VIDEO: Birthday Get Ready With Us

Hey there beauts, here is a funky Get Ready With Us from my birthday night out last month... I hope you enjoy!!

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Instagram Of The Month: MarionHoney

I am super excited to be sharing another Instagram Spotlight with you this month - putting together the last one was hugely enjoyable, and I was very excited when Marion of MarionHoney said yes to being featured as November's Spotlight.

Marion is originally from the US but now lives in the UK and her photos make me feel all kinds of pride about good old Blighty. She's a lady that shares my love of architecture and she has a knack for making England look like a bloody amazing place to live, quite frankly.

I have also loved following her blog and Youtube channel... The lady is a babe, gang.

Now let's enjoy the beauty together:

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Food For Thought

Today's post is a rundown of content that I think you should get in on, because it had my little thunkin' cogs all a-whir... Here we go!

The Inescapable Mourning of Days of Past by Scarphelia
Not sure how I've managed to miss out on the gripping coolness of Katie's blog Scarphelia, but better late than never is what the wise woman said. This piece got me thinking back to the first six months or so of first year, which at the time felt like the best six months of my life. Katie really envoked that joy and pain of cherished memories and my goodness, can that girl tell a good yarn.

I Left Social Media for a Week. This is What Happened. from Wit and Delight
Over the past few months I finally realised how reliant I was becoming on social media, and how much I struggled without it. Every moment must be Insta-ed; every Insta must be edited to cr*p. Kate seemed to share my comparing problems with Instagram and I really enjoyed her experimental findings; now to try and do the same myself...

Life's Too Short To Not Just Go For It by Zoe London
I always love reading Zoe's personal pieces; she has a gift for speaking concisely and with clarity, and her words always seem to come from the heart. This piece was beautifully inspiring, a real gift to find in my feed, and I hope it is just as uplifting for you too.

Having Healthy Relationships by Bloomin' Rouge
This post is from August but the message is still one that I come back to regularly. It's safe to say I have been seduced, just as Holly was, into thinking that our friendships and relationships are what defines us, and must be protected and maintained at all costs... I'll let Holly say the rest as she does a far better and more eloquent job than I.

The Lively Show by Jess Lively
I am steadily working my way though the archives of Jess' wonderful podcast and I always feel so uplifted with every listen. The show focuses on personal and occasionally professional development... which sounds dry, but it's essentially interesting and successful people sharing their thoughts and lessons on thriving in the modern world. Kate Arends of Wit and Delight's episode is a lovely, honest listen, while Kris Carter's episode really spreads his optimism and energy... It's wonderful stuff.

I hope you guys check these lovely pieces out, and if you do, feel free to let me know your thoughts, and share with your friends! I think these are some really great brain stimulators.

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Mascaras That Are Bringing It

If I had to choose a favourite makeup item, mascara would win every time. As I wear nothing but mascara almost every day now, I thought I'd share my favourites!

First off, one that I have spoken of a good few times since its purchase back in August, is Guerlain's Maxi Lash (hear more here). This product is more than just a pretty face (but seriously, that packaging is insane) as it builds beautiful, curled lashes with more panache than any mascara out there... Oh it is good. The only downside is that I get a bit panda eyed by the end of the day, but I have to say I really don't care!

Next up is the newbie to this crewbie, Charlotte Tilbury's shamazin' Full Fat Lashes Mascara. It was a lovely birthday pressie from Lizzie and I've yet to find fault with it. You can really go to town layering this up as its formula is super clump resistant; it's not as quick to bulk up as the other two picks in this post, but scores points for giving fanned out, lovely lashes that last all day.

If the last two lash-builders were out of your price range, hopefully this one is for you! Revlon's Bold Lacquer by Grow Luscious Mascara is quite beautiful and outperforms many a high end competitor. Though its brush is a little larger than I feel is strictly necessary, it majorly gets the job done by plumping and curlin' my lashes like a little trouper. What a bae.

Have you guys tried any of these babies yet? Or are there any that you would recommend? I'm a girl in need of volume and curl so I am open to suggestions!

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A Good Morning Playlist

Mornings and me go together about as well as soy sauce and your keyboard - I am and always shall be a night owl. I do however a number of methods to push me into a day welcoming kind of mood, one of them being putting on a good playlist and faking my way to waking for the day. I thought I'd share this little compilation to help make your morns more manageable too!

I've give you the option of either listening to the Spotify playlist or the YouTube one (please note that the Spotify version is missing Stardust Music Sounds Better With You!)

I hope you enjoy - please let me know what you think down below!

My Favourite MAC Products

I'm glad we're all going Back To MAC - if there's one brand every makeup lover should own, it is the wonderful MAC. Today's post is all about the MAC marvels that I love the most, and why I recommend them!

First up, it wouldn't be a MAC faves post without some lippy action now would it? I've mentioned the loveliness that is MAC Craving in my autumn lippies post so I won't bang on about it too much other than to say this shade suits everyone. You'd be amazed at the range of skin tones that can rock this colour!

Then we have a liner and lipstick combo that I always think makes me feel my most gorgeous... We're talking Ruby Woo and my Pro Longwear Lip Pencil in Kiss Me Quick. Both were purchased in Germany last summer and have seen me through my most glamorous days during my Year Abroad. The two are a super long lasting combo that are guaranteed to turn heads yo.

I'm jumping to eyeshadow next, and while my MAC palette is a long way from being full, my favourite MAC shadow is already decided... Perhaps an odd choice (you tell me) I have long been obsessed with MAC's Copperplate Eyeshadow. This is a taupey matte shadow that I adore rocking in my crease; it's such a lovely alternative to brown or tan, really helping to give a look that wintery feel.

Then we're talking the highlighting perfection that is Vanilla Pigment. It has cult status for a reason, crew. With fab gold and pink shimmer running through it, this is one of those products that I personally bust out on every special occasion - just be careful not to knock her over!

My next pick is my favourite MAC brush and it is their incredible 210. If you are into gel liner, you need this brush. I'm serious, gang; so small and perfect for building up from a little to a lot of liner, plus it is great quality too. I've yet to find any cheap alternatives to this cracker!

Last of all is my beloved Lip Prep & Prime, which is great for making your lipstick last that bit longer. This has even helped me to conceal flaky lip situations... So worth a look my babes!

So that's me done... my question to you gorgeous creatures is what am I missing? And have you tried any of my picks?