New makeup bag and a few beauty items

The weather here at the moment is very sunny and warm (by England's standards) so I've been trying to make the most of it by walking as much as possible. I have mentioned before that I am fortunate enough to live within walking distance of the shops in my town, which can be deadly if you're a shopaholic like me! I needed a new bronzer so I took a trip to my local Boots and picked up my usual one- Bourjois Bronzing Powder in shade 52. This is the one that opens like a book to reveal what looks like a bar of chocolate. I really like this bronzer as it isn't very shimmery, although it does contain some flecks of glitter but these aren't visible on my skin. The packaging is also very appealing for me as I'm forever dropping and cracking my makeup but this is impossible (so far) to damage as it's enveloped completely in rigid cardboard with a magnetic lid that stays shut very well. 

Also on my list was a new body scrub as I had nearly finished my old one. I go through scrubs and body products fairly quickly as I constantly wear fake tan so I'm either trying to scrub it off or prolong it with body moisturiser! I usually get the Soap And Glory Scrub Of Your Life, which I was intending on getting until I saw this Sugar Crush Body Scrub. My sister bought me the body cream version for Christmas and I really like the scent. It's very sweet smelling but also refreshing due to the lime in it, so only buy this if you really like quite strong fragrances. I also have the shower cream of this too, yes I'm obsessed, which I mix with the body scrub so make it a thinner consistency otherwise it drags a bit on my skin. 

I had been meaning to get a new makeup bag for a while as mine was stained inside and out with foundation and various things that had leaked. I had tried washing it a few times but the stains wouldn't budge so I resigned myself to the fact I needed a new one and also needed to look after it better than my previous bags! The last few makeup bags I have bought have been by Ted Baker as they're a great size and always have a gorgeous design on the front. This flowery one caught my eye as it is made of clear plastic, genius! Why I didn't think of getting a plastic one before, I don't know but it's such a great idea. Now I won't stain it with makeup from my brushes etc as i can just wipe it clean! 

Xx

Mac upcoming Collections

I'm a little slow on the uptake for mac collections, I'm still trying to get my hands on the cool and warm neutral 15 palettes! The only ones I have been prepared for are the Rihanna collaborations and now own a few lipsticks from her collection. So I have looked ahead and seen on Instagram and twitter that on June 14, Kelly and Sharon Osbourne are releasing their own makeup together with Mac! 

Sharon's will be more for darker haired women and Kelly's is for lighter haired/complexions. I'm really intrigued to see what they come up with, I'm assuming there will be a bright red somewhere maybe and a bright pink probably in Kelly's collection. I'm guessing from these ads released that Kelly's will include a peach nude lipstick and possibly some sort of kohl. Sharon's won't be as bold, instead being more muted and classic. They're my guesses anyway, we will have to wait until June to find out how right or wrong I am! 

The Simpsons collaboration will be a bright affair judging by this picture posted on Instagram by Mac a few hours ago. I am looking forward to seeing what this collection entails, bright makeup isn't really my thing but I might be pleasantly surprised by it. At least it won't be boring! Just when I wondered what Mac would come up with next- they never fail to surprise me. It makes a welcome change from samey Rihanna collections, while being popular and wearable, it's nice to see something more out there. I don't think there is a release date for The Simpsons yet but I'm assuming it will follow after Sharon and Kelly's. Can't wait!!

Xx

Real Techniques Makeup Palettes

I have just discovered these makeup palettes from Real Techniques, the makeup brush brand from Sam and Nicola Chapman. I'm glad they have branched out to makeup as they have a full set of makeup brushes out and then released travel brushes so I wasn't sure what else they could bring out. I have quite a collection of their brushes already so I may buy these palettes to increase my collection! 

Each palette contains four eyeshadows, a gel liner, a highlighter, a blush and two lipglosses. I don't usually like palettes with glosses/shadows etc in but they have made the glosses in their own mini tubes instead of being with the eyeshadows, thank god! The palettes are called 'modern natural' and 'night owl' and are available on the Real Techniques website for $25 each with shipping to other countries. They are limited edition though so hurry!!

A few beauty bits..

Hi guys hope you have been enjoying the sun (if you're in the UK). I have been trying to be out in it as much as possible and spent the weekend at a farm watching the lambs and piglets being born, then went for a 7k run which definitely blew away the cobwebs! Today I popped into my town to do a few jobs and ended up picking up a few things that I shouldn't have, as usual! I had seen a pair of flip flops in New Look a few weeks ago and really wanted them but thought I would wait and see if they got more stock in as I'm really picky with shoes. When I went in today, I saw the same pair and still loved them more than the others so I ended up buying them. They were £24.99 but I will wear them to death as I needed to throw out my 2 year old pair of flip flops that had definitely seen better days. The old ones are similar to these ones but when I sit them side by side, I can see how worn and old they now look compared to the brightly coloured new ones. 

I popped into a shop called Savers which is a cheaper version of Boots or Lloyd's Pharmacy. Here I picked up a new Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Transparent- I have this in my personal and professional makeup kit. I find it makes my makeup stay put longer and is easy to use for touch ups through the day without adding any colour or dislodging the makeup. 

I needed a new mascara so thought I may as well buy a Rimmel one while I was there. I'm a bit clueless when it comes to mascaras, having had eyelash extensions on for years and so I get easily overwhelmed with all the different ones. I settled on the Scandaleyes Retro Glam in extreme black on the recommendation of my sister so I will be interested to see how good it is when I put my makeup on tomorrow morning. 

The most exciting purchase I made was the Schwarzkopf got2be Volumising Styling Powder which I had been wanting to try since seeing Pixiwoo use this or a similar one in one of their YouTube videos. It's a little pot with holes in the top, a bit like a salt shaker. You can either dust this at the roots of your hair and rub in to create volume or shake some into your hands and dust through. I'm really looking forward to trying this for my next evening out! 

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think? 

Xx

My Christmas list for Father Christmas!!

It's nearly Christmas whooooo! That time again already and this year I actually have a list of things i would like, mainly because it was my birthday in November and I didn't get everything I wanted so I changed it to my Christmas list! 

• Issy Miyake Pleats Please 

This perfume is gorgeous! I'm quite fussy when it comes to fragrance and it takes me ages to make a decision on whether I like one or not. I received this as a sample size in one of my Glossyboxes so I had plenty of chances to try it out. 

• Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

Need I say any more?! It has been released today (as I write this post it is the 16th December) and my boyfriend has already ordered it for me, spoilt I know! 

• Mac eyeshadows for my palette

There's a list including sketch, sable, concrete, green smoke, club, brule and many more! I know my sister is getting a couple for me

• Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick

I always have a few shimmer bricks floating around in my makeup bag, this time I would like the lilac rose shade. I have nearly tried all of the shades with my favourites being rose and nectar. 

• Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm

I've been eager to jump on the bandwagon for quite a while now but haven't actually got round to it. I kept putting it off as I have a lot of cleansers to use before I think about getting another! 

• Voucher for a facial

I haven't specified a particular salon for this so I think I will put any money I get for Christmas towards it. I really want a Guinot Hydradermie. I used to work in a salon with Guinot and always had a facial once a month but now I'm self employed I miss out on this luxury :(. Obviously I can give myself a facial but it's not the same. 

• Skipping Rope

You may laugh but it's been proven to do wonders for your body. I was always really good with a skipping rope at school  so I'm hoping I'll pick up where I left off! (The same cannot be said for hoola hooping!) 

Now I'm hoping Santa (or Father Christmas as you may call him) is reading this and will buy me all these things as I've been a very good girl this year, honest! 

What's on your Christmas List? 

Xx

October Glossy Box

After much waiting and checking of my emails to see if it had been dispatched, I finally received my October Glossybox. If I know something is due to arrive, I get very impatient waiting it! As I never seem to be home when the Glossybox gets delivered, our kind delivery lady always hides it in the same place  so I don't miss out on it and have to trek it to the post office to pick it up. I wasn't as excited about the goodies in the box this month ...

Another perfume sample this month in the form of Katy Perry 'Killer Queen'. Not my favourite of scents I have to admit although it smells nice, just not my type of perfume. It has top notes of dark plum, wild berry and bergamot which to me is like a headache in a bottle but some may like it! 

Me Me Me Cherub's Blush- fits the theme of the month which is 'Dark Romance', I kind of hoped I would receive a plum/red lipstick but this is the next best thing. It is a cheek and lip tint but I will probably just use it on my lips and then put a clear gloss over the top. It stains a nice pinky colour and doesn't rub off easily (from my hand anyway!).

Premae Multi-Vit Smoothie Serum- I was excited to see this in my box as I love anything lemongrass scented and on closer reading of the accompanying card, I saw it is for combination skin. It claims to 'hydrate the skin whilst keeping it matte free' so I can't wait to try it out and see if it does the trick. 

One thing I love about the Glossyboxes is that they include some lesser known brands. The Gamila Secret Cleansing Bar really intrigued me as I had never heard of it before. I'll admit that as soon as I got it out of the box and realised it looked like a bar of soap, I was immediately put off (the similarities to soap stop there, it doesn't work like a soap does). I really hate soaps and how they then sit by your sink collecting germs and hair but I'm willing to give this one a go. It doesn't actually strip your skin like a soap does, it contains more than 80% pure virgin olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil, Shea butter oil, grape seed oil, sweet almond oil and lavender oil. Phew that's a lot of oils! Suitable for sensitive skins, it heals any problems within 28 days. 

Last but not least I received Monu Illuminating Primer SPF 15. Being a Make Up Artist I have come across loads of primers, admittedly most of these are specifically for particular skin types so I look forward to trying this one. It smells clean and fresh and absorbs into the skin quickly leaving it feeling soft  it I'm doubtful as to whether it actually illuminates. I shall investigate further! 

Xx

Rae Morris Makeup The Ultimate Guide

I treated myself to this book as it had been on my Amazon wish list for months! I have quite a few makeup books now and I did think about doing a post about them all but they are packed away in boxes ready to be moved to our new house when we get it. They are mostly Bobbi Brown books and a few others but my friend lent me a Kevyn Aucoin book- Making Faces, which is one of my favourites! 

The reviews on Amazon for Makeup: The Ultimate Guide are full of positive comments so I couldn't wait to get it and have a read! Rae Morris is a very successful Makeup Artist and author and knows all there is to know about makeup. In this book she goes through techniques, brushes and tricks of the trade with amazing photos and step-by-step guides to make the looks easy to follow. Now I have read a lot of makeup books and picked up things along the way whilst I'm working on brides etc but this book has tips that I have never even thought to do, I find myself reading it and thinking 'oh yeah, what a great idea' and wondering why i didn't think of that before! 

The layout of this book is different to most makeup books which is refreshing and makes me want to read it more. Instead of the usual prep, foundation and concealing, powders/bronzers/blush, eyes and lips etc routine, this book starts with brushes and skin prepping, moving onto eyebrows, eyelashes and eyeshadows. This is because its better to do the eyes before doing foundation as its easier to wipe away fall down from shadows and the eyes are one of the main features of the face so why not spend more time doing them. The looks created in this book are incredible! The photos haven't been touched up, which goes to show how good Rae is at makeup. 

Comparing this book to other makeup books, I like how this one is set up as it is easy to read and follow. When reading the step by step guides, I can imagine actually putting them into practice and creating the looks. I also like that there is a tip accompanying the guides, as if someone is there teaching you in person and prompting you. I have so far read this book twice and keep going back to it again and again. I will definitely be keeping hold of it for years to come and re-creating the looks, in particular the over 40s section as I sometimes get stuck with this age group. Definitely get this book! 

Xx

New Makeup Brushes

I've been meaning to get some more makeup brushes for a while now as I dirty so many while I'm working on bridal parties/ clients. I have a mixture of Mac and Real Techniques brushes in my pro kit so i went to Boots and bought 4 more. 

I bought the Real Techniques Shading Brush and the limited edition Duo Fiber Collection. I like these brushes as they don't lose bristles and they wash up quickly and easily. 

The Shading Brush was £7.99 and came in a plastic box with a clear front so you can see inside. The brush itself is firm enough to hold its shape, yet soft enough to apply eyeshadow comfortably and effectively. 

The Duo Fiber Collection was £23.99 which is a fantastic price for three good size brushes. Again, these come in a plastic see-through box with a brief description of each brush on the reverse. In the kit comes a face brush which I will use for powder, a contour brush and an eye brush. I love the look of these brushes, the handles are white with the 'Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman' logo on one side and the name of the brush on the other side. These brushes are designed for lighter application of product, therefore enabling you to build up colour gradually. A few of my clients don't wear any makeup at all so only want a barely there natural look when I do their makeup so these brushes will do the trick nicely. They're also perfect sizes, the face brush fits well on the contours of the face so will be great for applying powder. Some brushes I own are either too big or too stiff to work product in properly so I'm really excited to add these to my collection and begin using them. 

I will  eventually do a post on all of my makeup brushes and my pro kit so you can see what I carry around with me when I do a bridal party and what the essential products are. 

Xx

Evening Out makeup(races)

Hi guys! So I mentioned in a previous post that I was going horse racing in Newmarket and said I might post a few photos of my makeup/outfit, so here they are... :)

Sorry for the awful photos, I am in no way photogenic! 

Makeup- I wore Smashbox Photo Finish Light Primer, Mac Studio Sculpt Foundation NW25, Mac NW20 Studio Finish Concealer, Rimmel Stay Matte Powder on my t-zone, Mac Mineralize Skinfinish Powder on the rest of my face, Bourjois Poudre Bronzante to contour slightly, Nars Orgasm Blush. 

Eyes- Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer, Vanilla and Shroom under brows as a highlight and inner corner of my eyes, Omega across my eyelids and into crease, Woodwinked on outer corners and blended into crease, Charcoal Brown smudged from lash line and winged out into crease, Carbon along lash line as a liner, Charcoal Brown used to fill in my eyebrows. I then curled my lashes and applied L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara. (All eyeshadows are Mac). 

I then applied Mac Riri Woo lipstick all over my lips. This is a gorgeous matte red that suits most skintones. 

Brushes used- 

Real Techniques- Buffing Brush, Deluxe Crease Brush, Powder Brush, Contour Brush, Pointed Foundation Brush, Base Shadow Brush. 

Mac- 266 angled brush for brows and lash line, 316 lip brush. 

Daniel Sandler Blending Brush. 

Outfit- My dress is from Missguided and so is the belt, my bag is from Dorothy Perkins years ago and my sunglasses are £3 from Tesco! 

If any of you are thinking of going racing, it's such a good day/night out! We usually go when there is a band playing in the evening but they do all sorts of different entertainment. 

My Everyday Makeup

I've just finished putting my makeup on and thought why not make a post out of it! I try to change my makeup and use different eyeshadows for the weekends and nights out but my day to day makeup for work is always the same. I tend to wear: 

Mac Studio Sculpt Foundation or Mac Face and Body Foundation on a Real Techniques Buffing Brush

Mac Studio Finish Concealer under my eyes and on a few blemishes using a Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush

Mac Mineralise Powder and Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

Bourjois Poudre Bronzante and Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush or Nars Orgasm Blush

Mac Charcoal Brown eyeshadow on a Mac 266 brush to fill in my eyebrows

Smashbox eyelid primer

Mac Naked Lunch all over my eyelids, Wedge in the crease, Mystery as an eyeliner, Vanilla under my brows as a highlight. I use a Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush

L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes mascara 

Mac Lovelorn Lipstick. 

Phew that's a lot of Mac! 

Here's a photo so you get the idea of what it looks like, pretty boring and basic though! 

Excuse my awful hair, I had it curly the night before this photo was taken and I hadn't yet done anything to make it look half decent! 

Xx

Mac- new foundation and blush

This is becoming a running theme on my blog but...... I went to Mac again! We popped into town to get some clothes for my boyfriend and I thought I might as well pick up a few bits in Mac. The girls in the shop are always very helpful and find me everything I need quickly, which means my boyfriend doesn't have to wait around too long! ( he hates shopping, especially makeup shopping!). I only picked up two things this time- Studio Sculpt Foundation and Harmony Blush.

When I first got into wearing Mac about 5 years ago, this foundation was my first ever purchase and I loved it. It makes my skin look flawless and even which is great because I have quite a few marks on my chin and forehead from spots/blemishes (I wear NW25) . My skin is also very oily, more so in this warm weather, and I find that this stays on well and still has good coverage after a full days wear. I would describe it as medium to full coverage although I sometimes mix it with a little of Mac Face And Body Foundation for a thinner consistency and lighter coverage. You could also set it with Studio Fix Powder Foundation for a very full look that will last and won't budge all night.

I probably won't wear the Studio Sculpt Foundation in the daytime for work as I quite like my skin to show through in summer, instead I will use it for a night out. It also has an SPF of 15 which is great, although some foundations containing a sun factor can cause flashback in photos so this is always worth bearing in mind. However I have never had a problem with this particular foundation. Now onto the blush! I have been meaning to get Harmony Blush for months as its great for contouring because it contains no shimmer.

I tend to contour my face lightly with my Bourjois bronzer but I find it a bit too warm sometimes and maybe a bit noticeable on my skin. For those of you that aren't familiar with contouring, check out Pixiwoo on YouTube. They have hundreds of really good tutorials that get a bit addictive after watching the first few! Another reason for buying the foundation and blush is that I am going to the horse racing in Newmarket in a few days so if you're lucky I might post a few photos of the evening and of my makeup :) so you can see how it turned out!

Cheeky trip to Mac!

So I accidentally bought 4 new eyeshadows and a quad palette from Mac... We only went in there to buy a gift card for my boyfriend's sister, when I remembered I had a £20 gift card kindly given to me by a client a few months ago. I have filled my palette of 15 eyeshadows which goes in my professional makeup kit so I decided to buy a few shadows just for me to use. I mainly do bridal makeup so I have the key colours from Mac in my main palette. There were a few shadows I have wanted for a while so I finally bought them and can't wait to use them! The palette that I bought was £6.50 and each shadow refill is £10 each. I get 25% off at Mac as I have a pro card, then I had my £20 gift card, so I didn't feel too guilty about spending money I shouldn't! ( we are saving money for a house). 

Clockwise from top left- All That Glitters, Paradisco, Cranberry, Satin Taupe. 

All That Glitters- This is a beige/ champagne colour. It looks great all over the lid with something like wedge in the crease, or smoked out with a darker colour along the lash line. 

Paradisco- A colour I had never looked at before until I watched a Pixiwoo tutorial! I'm very much into coral/ peachy colours at the moment and this one is perfect. It has a slight gold sheen to it, so looks perfect with with any of the colours in the quad palette( complete coincidence). 

Cranberry- One of those colours that will look nice applied properly, or can make you look like you have bloodshot eyes or an eye infection! Best used sparingly smudged along the lash line or blended in the outer corners. All year round colour. 

Satin Taupe- I have wanted this colour for ages! It's a brown/ taupe colour so goes with a lot of shades in the mac range. I can't wait to use this and will probably wear it most days. 

Mac 'Lovelorn' Lipstick

I am a massive Mac makeup fan, I think it's either a love it or a 'not bothered' makeup brand... I love it! I know their items are a lot more expensive than drugstore brands but I am a sucker for good advertising and packaging. I don't use everything in their range ( I use Rimmel powder, Bourjois bronzer and a mixture of everything else) but I stick to their eyeshadows, foundations and lipsticks. This lipstick is my current favourite, it's described as a lustre lipstick which suits me very well as I suffer with dry lips so I can't really get away with matte lipsticks. The packaging is, as you probably know, black with the mac logo around the lid. The colour is a gorgeous pink, quite warm as opposed to a blue-pink, and goes on lovely and creamy. Lipsticks in general don't last very long on me as I'm constantly touching my lips or chewing them etc so I'm forever buying new ones! Mac lipsticks cost £14 each, which I suppose isn't very good value for money and I could probably find an identical cheaper one in a drugstore but its hard to break the mac habit!