Monday Inspiration

I thought I'd write about some inspiration on a Monday to start off my week!

This week it's Paloma Faith. I love the fact that she's so unique & has a vintage flair to her style and her work. 

This was a photo from her interview with the telegraph on Sunday (11.10.15).

Her brows are amazing in my opinion. I love how bold they are and they really suit her style. 

This dress is beautiful! I tweeted about this dress a few weeks ago and Paloma is wearing it in this photo shoot, it's no surprise I liked it since I like her individual style. 

The hair is a classic retro style. I never do this style as high as it is with my own hair because I don't like to backbomb my hair too much and back combing would definitely be necessary for this look! (And lots of hairspray)

Overall I think this is my favourite look from the shoot and I'm definitely going to recreate it in the future! 

Clinique Pops Lipsticks

Today I was lucky enough to be sent some of Cliniques' new lipstick range to try, the "clinique Pops" from Dave Lackie.

 'Cherry Pop'

This is a vibrant red, perfect for a vintage style look or to brighten up a little black dress look. It has a creamy consistency  but is very pigmented. 

'Punch Pop'

This is a fuschia pink. Again the same consistency. The lipsticks are packaged very nearly so they are easy to fit in any tiny handbag but there is still a normal amount of product to use.

'Nude Pop'

This is a perfect nude lipstick, not too dark & not too light. I've yet to try it with a lipliner. I think a lipliner would make the colour look more defined which I think is really important with a nude lip.

Here are some swatches on my hand:

(With flash)

(Without flash)

All 3 colours were very easy to remove from my hand so they are not staining on the lips due to the cream consistency. I would recommend definitely using them with a lipliner to prevent the colour smudging or bleeding out with the lip line :) 

You can purchase these lipsticks at www.clinique.co.uk for £16.50 each :)

Mac Velvet Teddy

My new favourite lipstick!

I'm a huge fan of a nude lip and this lipstick is perfect to create that nude but not too nude lip :)

I use it with Mac lipliner Whirl. I also have Soar so I'm going to try that out with Velvet teddy to see what it's like.

Here are some of my looks where I've incorporated Velvet Teddy:

 

PROS: 

It is a matte lipstick which I prefer but doesn't dry out my lips which is great.

Can be worn with different makeup looks.

CONS:

It's so popular it's always sold out! So if you see it, get it! I got mine online at www.maccosmetics.com

Vintage makeup with a modern spin

My ultimate beauty icon would be Audrey Hepburn. From the bold brows, the cat flick liner, contour & pointed lips. These are all beauty styles that I have adapted into my makeup regime for daily and more dramatic looks. 

How to achieve this look:

BIG BROWS:

I would recommend - 

High end: Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade or Brow Wiz. Roughly £28 in the UK but a little goes a long way so the product will last so long. The dipbrow is also waterproof which is perfect for going on holiday.

High street: BarryM brow palette. It has a gel/cream at one side then powder. It also comes with a small set of tweezers & a double ended brush to use - since it's an angled brush it is perfect for filling in the brows. I love it! 

CAT FLICK LINER:

I would recommend -

High End: Urban Decay 24/7 Liquid Liner. It's waterproof and really does stay on all night! The brush is the perfect shape to create that cat flick.

High Street: 2True at Superdrugs liquid pen liner. It is a bold black and very handy for beginners as it's just like using a pen! Not as watery as liquid too so not as difficult to apply. 

CONTOUR:

I would recommend - 

High End: Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour palettes in cream & powder. The cream is thick but very blend-able and gives a more natural contour. The powder can be used to set the cream contour and further define it. It comes in a variety of shades and gives 6 colour options in each palette. 

High Street: Sleek contour/blush/highlight palette. £10 and totally worth it. Having the 3 in one palette is perfect if you carry makeup in your handbag (the mirror is a decent size too) and it really is pigmented. The bronzer is matte which is perfect for contouring. 

POINTED LIPS:

I would recommend - 

High End: Mac Cosmetics Whirl lipliner & 'Flair for finery' lipstick. At £12.50 the liner is perfect for defining the cupids bow and giving the lips that noticeable point. I use it all over my lips and it is my go to nude lip. The lipstick is £16.00 but perfect with any nude liner and has a slight shimmer and creamy texture to create the perfect nude lip. It also has that lovely vanilla smell that is specific to Mac.

High Street: L'Oréal Color Riche 'Eva's Nude'. The pointed shape is great for defining the lips and creating that sharp pointy lip like Audrey's. It's also creamy so it glides on the lips easily and keeps them hydrated. 

I love creating looks influenced by Audrey's vintage style but adding a modern spin. My modern spin would usually be adding some false lashes to define the eyes or use a glittery lipstick which turns the vintage inspired look into a more modern creation. 

House of Frasers have the majority of these products, you can find them by clicking the link below:

http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Makeup+Make+Up/100,default,sc.html

This is the link for the House Of Fraser Beauty Ambassador competition :)

http://blog.houseoffraser.co.uk/beauty/want-to-be-our-beauty-ambassado

Half face makeup - 3 'Must Haves'

My 3rd most important makeup item would be concealer. 

I have quite purple user eyes so concealer is a must for me when I'm not wearing any fake tan. I usually just wear a little tan sometimes but it seems to do a good job in neutralising the colour under my eyes quite a bit.

If I'm being lazy (which if I'm honest is mostly all the time) I just wear concealer. I apply it under my eyes then on my nose as it's usually a bit red and that's me. I usually have quite clear skin but if not I just cover up any spots or blemishes too.

My favourite concealers right now:

Anastasia Beverly Hills cream contour palette in light. I use the palest shade as a concealer. 

L'Oréal Paris Touche Magique in the lightest shade. This is L'Oréals take on the YSL Touche Éclat and it is good but wouldn't recommend for under eyes if you're going to be taking lots of photos because it will have a white flashback with flash photography.

Fake tan post coming soon xx

L'Oréal Infallable 24HR Foundation

I have been trying this out for a few weeks now and I must say I do really like it. 

Pros: It smells good!!! This is a pro for me because I have a really good sense of smell so things need smell good for me to like them :D 

It has a medium/full coverage. This is important to me when I have blemishes I like to just have a foundation that does all of the work instead of having to use alot of concealer, and I like full coverage sometimes. 

It does actually last! I refuse to buy a foundation that I have to top up during the day, it should last all day if you use a good primer & setting powder. I'm going to wear it to the gym soon and we'll see how it lasts then!!!

It looks good on the skin - it does'nt look too thick or heavy on the skin, it has a soft finish. It's not too dewy so if you like that look it may not be for you.

Also the main pro is that I didn't have to wear concealer... At all!!!!! This is a big YES for me because I'm paranoid about my purple under eye area. 

Cons: May be too thick and full coverage for some people. It does cover freckles etc. so if you have some lovely freckles it may hide them! But I'm sure if you mixed it with a moisturiser it won't be as heavy.

Also, if you're pale like me I think even the palest shade I had to blend it with some bronzer on my neck, so that's something to remember. 

Hope you found this review helpful! If you have any more questions, my email is:

Muartistrybyjen@gmail.com 

Half face makeup - 3 'Must haves' pt.2

The 2nd most important makeup item I need on a daily basis is liquid liner.

EYELINER:

I love liquid liner especially with the pen style brushes. I think it makes it so easy to apply to yourself and gives the best cat like flick at the corner of the eye. It gives the line a bold look and it has great staying power. If you can keep your eyes open whilst you apply it you will definitely get a better line.

The only bad things I can say about liquid liner is if you have shaky hands (like me) then it makes things a little difficult! Also, if you're a cryer (not like me lol) then it will run/smudge much worse than a gel or pencil liner.

I have an eyeliner post a couple of posts back on my favourite liners :)