Summer Glow

For the Summer I thought I would change up my make-up look, and the most popular look during this time is that Summer Glow, where you have a very natural dewy look.

As I am from London....we don't always have the best weather and hence can sometimes be hard to get a sun-kissed look. But even if it is dull outside I have changed my look to match the season and here’s how...

So firstly, see below the picture this is the look we are aiming for:

Prepare Face-Base

Ok so for a base, I start off with my everyday moisturiser (Astral) and then I apply my SPF 50 to protect my skin from the sun light. I will then apply a primer (I am currently using the Prep & Prime Rimmel Primer), to obtain a Dewy look its best not to go for a mattifying primer.

Foundation & Concealer

Next I move on to the foundation. As I am using this as an everyday look I don't bother with concealer but if I was to use a concealer I would apply just before my foundation under my eyes, down my nose and a little bit on my chin. (Some may apply it after their foundation - personal preference). Currently I have been using Bobbi Brown Moisture Rich foundation. I got this as a tester as I haven't used Bobbi Brown foundations before and I must say I am enjoying this one. This again is just for my every day look, if I am going out I tend to use NARS Sheer-Glow foundation in the colour/shade Barcelona.

By the way I usually use a beauty blender when I am going out, but for my everyday look I have started using a normal flat foundation brush and this doesn't apply brilliantly unless you take your time and use the brush in a circular motion to really blend out the foundation. So I quickly apply it with the brush and then smooth it all over with my fingers and I would say this is one of the best techniques to create flawless look because you would have smoothed over all the lines and with the products you prepped your face with everything’s very dewy and becomes one.

Sorting The Summer Eye

I am one who wears winged eye-liner on an everyday basis and for this look I decided to ditch the eye-liner and go natural! This was hard for me because I do love my eye-liner; however I have also come to love this summer look. For my eyes I now wear the Benefit “There Real” Mascara, I didn't believe it at first but this is actually a very good mascara. To up the amp on this summer glow you could add a bit of gold eye shadow on the eye lids.

I then go in and fill in my eye-brows to make them more defined and give them a slightly more harsher shape, this makes them stand out and if they are stuck under all the foundation they look too soft and faded.

Blush & Bronze

At this point I just swipe across NARS Orgasm Blush across my cheeks and I’m done this completes my look. However if you are very fair and want to warm up the face you can go in and add bronzer.

With this look I do not recommend going in and contouring heavily as this starts hiding the dewy glowly look you would have just created.

Lips & Bits

With your lips you can add something light and natural, I don't bother I just wipe off the excess foundation that would have gone on to my lips from when I applied it.

And to finalise I keep my hair looking very volumised, if I have just washed my hair and then go to sleep I usually next day don't even put a brush through it. This helps to achieve that beachy look.

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NUDE.PRINT.BLACK&WHITE

**Get the Look Kylie Jenner**

Hi Bloggers! 

So this is a new post called "NUDE.PRINT.BLACK&WHITE." where I will capture the style of a celebrity that falls in to that category. So I will be starting with the Kardashian Sisters and showing you how to get the look. Each post will capture one celebrity, and this post is following Kylie Jenner. 

For me I find that Kylie Jenner falls mainly into the Black and White category. Kylie Jenner only 16 and is a great fashion role model. Her looks are very highly sought-after creating edgy looks integrated with punk. To get the bold looks keep on reading. 

Black & White

A lot of Kylie Jenner's outfits are Black and White. So the first step towards getting Kylie's looks is too keep a selection of black and white pieces this will be the staple to your outfits. The Black and White is not as boring as you think, these items can come across in a variation of materials and this is the main part of Kylie's looks. 

                            

 

Leather Look

The first staple item within this section is to contain something leather. If you have noticed Kylie wears a lot of leather looks. This could be a Leather Skirt, Leather Leggings, Leather Jacket, Leather Shorts or even a Leather Dress. For me I have a pair of Leather Look Leggings; however another item I would go for is the Leather Skirt and maybe even a jacket. 

The Leather look brings out the edge in all outfits, this is a stand out element. So this is great if you are looking to wear this kind of look out to a bar, club or even a concert.  Pairing this Leather look with T-shirt will tone the look down for a day look, this can easily be made sexy with a Shea blouse. 

There are a variation of looks that can be created with Leather so depending on if your going for a more casual look this can be put together with a pair of ankle boots or even some trainers. Wearing this look out into the night you might want to think about wearing the look with some heels. 

T-Shirts 

Keeping a variation of Black and White T-shits with a few words printed on them. Kylie Jenner is always wearing t-shirts and this could be paired up with something really classy to create a going-out outfit or to basic and casual look. 

Aside from T-Shirts you could have a few Jumpers/Sweatshirts with funky designs. You don't have to keep to the colours black and white you can step out into grey's as well. 

Jumper's/Sweatshirts don't have to be worn with jeans. To add to the Kylie Jenner look I would wear a Jumper with a pair of shorts or even over a dress. This will just make the outfit pop a little more and create that Kylie look. My advise with this look is to wear it with a pair of flat shoes. Heel's would make the outfit girly and takes it away from the hipster look Kylie has.

Prints

Don't forget that you can always find black and white prints and these work perfectly for the Kylie Jenner look. Also for spring time this is great especially trousers paired with a plain top will give you the perfect look.

Kylie's outfits when she wears printed garments are mainly when she is going to the more feminine look. So with this look you want to make sure your hair and make up is also done to a very good standard.

Loose Top vs. Fitted Tops

Kylie usually varies the way she wears her tops. If she is going for a more casual look you will notice that her tops are looser and comfy. These Loose tops may be big and baggy and can also be loose and cropped to show off her midriff. This instantly brings out the more edgy punk look that she has going on.  

Kylie is also known to wear blouses and tight fitted tops, this is more for when she is going for the sexy seductive look and this look will obviously be going along with a great pair of heels.

Shorts 

High waisted short shorts darling! For her more edgy casual looks paired with her over-sized baggy Tee's Kylie wears a lot of shorts. Usually consisting of Denim blue's/Denim with prints and or Black shorts. I also wear a lot of short's mainly in the summer however I don't own a denim pair I have mainly cotton ones with a variation of colours. 

A lot of Kylie's shorts will be like the ones in the picture below. Where they have been cut and/or ripped. This brings out a more stylish chilled-out look. 

Leggings

Kylie Jenner generally goes for tight fitted pants and leggings. A lot of the time you will see Kylie wearing a pair of funky leggings. This can be anything from leathers, Glitter or even the torn up type. Occasionally you will see her wearing a comfy pair of plain black leggings.

The ones I like most are the ones when she is wearing the torn up type, this is because it really adds to her hipster look.

A lot of her outfits that are with leggings are put together with a great pair of ankle boots or if she is hitting a club or red carpet you know it will be a pair of heels.

                          

Dresses

When it comes to dresses Kylie keeps these mainly for red carpet events, Magazine Photo-shoots and Family events.

All Kylie’s dresses are amazing, they are all figure hugging and very sexy. Kylie in a dress is when she steps away from her casual edgy look and turns to a more feminine sexy icon. I love the way she does this because it shows the two different sides she has, where one side is very out there and daring and then you have this elegant sexy version of her. The way she brings both of these looks across is seamless which makes her a very good style icon.

Heels Heels Heels!

All of the Kardashians are into their Heels, so it’s only natural they Kylie has a wide range of heels.  Ok so not all of Kylie’s outfits are paired with heels, but a lot of outfits that she puts together for bigger occasions will be paired no doubt with a pair of heels. Kylie is really into her Louboutin’s and she knows how to rock them.

Aside from her heels Kylie does also have a range of ankle boots. So to rock her casual look add a variety of black ankle boots to your wardrobe.

Accessorize Make-Up and Hair!

Out of all the Kardashians Kylie is the one who wears the most rings. So to complete the Kylie Jenner look don’t forget to add a lot of accessorise. This can range from:

Rings & Midi Rings

Beanie Hats

Simple Necklaces

Watches

Bracelets

Headbands

Multiple Earrings

Putting a lot of Accessorize on and minimal make up, Kylie Jenner usually has a very natural look with the make-up therefore it’s best to keep to a little bit of eye-liner and mascara. Adding bold lip can occasionally be added to create differentiation. 

For Hair it looks as though Kylie prefers the wavy beach look. This can easily be created by using a curler and pulling the curls out to roughen up the hair. This look instantly creates volume and texture. Sometimes for a prettier look you may see tighter curls in Kylie’s hair and this is done in the same way without pulling the curls out.

Another look is straight hair and this is easily accomplished by running a straightener through the hair.

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Hair Care Routine + Tips & Tricks

Hi Guys!

You may have recently seen me upload my new video on YouTube about my Hair Care Routine. If you haven't then please do check it out. This Blog Post will relate to a lot of the tips and tricks I have mentioned in my video.

History of my Hair:

So if you don't know already I have very long hair and when you have longer hair it is harder to keep the hair healthy. For me I find that the ends of my hair split quickly and tend to get worse if I don't do anything about them. Due to my hair having this split end damage on the ends I decided its now time to take action and care for the hair a lot more. 

I have dyed my hair about several times, where the last two times I dyed my hair was with Permanent Hair Dye. The last time I Dyed my hair with Permanent Hair Dye made my hair at the ends feel more bitter. Before the Permanent Hair Dye I had used Semi-Permanent Hair Dye which causes less damage. 

Hair Cuts are not something I do regularly and I don't follow the "Get your hair cut every 4-6 weeks" regime. I find that this is just very expensive and if you are planning on growing your hair its not going to happen if what you have grown gets cut off. Last week (22nd February 2014) was when I had my most recent hair trim as the split ends were pretty bad. A Few weeks before I had this cut/trim I decided to take action and caring for my hair and below is the Hair Care Routing I follow.

FYI: Most products I have used in this routine are from the Split end Range by TRESemme. You don't have to use these you can use products that suite you better and/or products by TRESemme from a different range that cater to accomplish different needs.

Hair Care Routine: 

Step 1:- The first thing I do is Shampoo my hair! 

When I wash my hair I Shampoo twice, the reason for this is that the first time is to loosen up the oils in your hair and the second time will give you a deeper clean and cleanse the hair and wash away all the dirt. This leaves your Hair cleaner and you will notice that your hair doesn't get as greasy.

Shampoo I use: Tresemme Keratin Smooth Infusing Shampoo  

Step 2 - Condition

Once the shampooing is complete then I apply conditioner, when applying the conditioner I concentrate on the mid-lengths of the hair and ends of the hair and applying very little on the hair close to my scalp. The less products applied to the scalp the better as it will stop your hair getting greasy.  I leave the conditioner in for 2-3 minutes allowing it to work and really moisturise the ends of your hair which tend to be the most dry. 

I then rinse my hair and give my hair a comb with a wide tooth comb to get it ready for the next step. 

Conditioner I use: Tresemme Keratin Smooth Restoring Conditioner 

Step 3: Hair Masque

To prepare my hair for the Hair Masque I wring out all the water, this will allow for better application and for the product to work better with the hair.

I then apply the Hair masque from my mid-lengths down to the ends of my hair concentrating on the ends. I again leave this masque in my hair for 2-3 minutes before rinsing. After applying the masque you will notice a difference straight away, hair is instantly smoother. 

Also not a lot of this product is needed and is a great investment as it lasts for a long period. 

Hair Masque I use: TRESemme Split Remedy Split Mend Intense Recovery Masque 


Step 4:- Protect

After washing my hair I wrap a towel around my head and leave that on for about 5-10 minutes. I then apply a leave in product for the split ends, this can be found here: "TRESemme Split Remedy Leave-In Treatment". 

An oil is also very good for the ends of the hair to keep them hydrated so I apply this leave in "Oil" I received from Birchbox.

Just before I dry my hair I apply a heat protecting spray to stop damage from the hair dryer and hair straighter's.  Heat Protector I use: Tresemme Keratin Smooth Heat Protection Shine Spray .

Hair Tips & Tricks 

So here are a few tips to keep your hair healthy and in good shape.

First and best tip for your hair is to brush your hair from the "bottom up" and not "top down". Reason for this is because if you are brushing your hair from the top of your scalp down to your roots you are gathering all the tangles at the bottom and this is where you may try and pull the brush/comb through the tangles and tear the hair. Tearing the hair at this point will cause breakage and split ends. Also if you do get tangles in your hair it is advised to use your hands and slowly unravel the knots.


Secondly using Hair Bands without the metal on it is the best for your hair as the metal coiled rubber bands can irritate your hair and in a tight space can easily snap the hair. Best course of action is to replace these types of rubber/hair bands with a scrunchy or rubber bands without the metal (check out my video to see which ones i am talking about). 


Lastly if you are not going out it best to keep your hair up and out of the way. If your hair is continuously out and your hair is lengthy it will brush against your clothes and cause your hair split ends.  So if you don;t need to wear your hair out, tie it up in a top-knot or plat it so that its out of the way of damage.

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Reviewing Jan Birchbox & Unboxing February 2014

Last month you saw me receive my first Birchbox.  Unboxing my first BirchBox was exciting but I had seen a lot of reviews so as I saw the products I wasn't that impressed with what I had got. 
So here's what I thought of the items I received....

PHILIP KINGSLEY moisture Balancing Conditioner - £18.00
Before BirchBox I had never used Philip Kingsley hair Conditioner. My initial thought of this product before using it was that the packaging was created well. As I used the conditioner i found that its consistency was very watery, that put me off slightly. I didn't find the conditioner really made a difference to the way my hair felt afterwards either and at the time of using this hair conditioner the quality of my hair was pretty bad so I thought it would have helped but it didn't make much difference.  The price point of this product i would say is pretty excessive for something that didn't work so well. 

BENEFIT The POREfessional - £24.50
The POREfessional is a primer that everyone knows off and has had good reviews all around. I have had previously a sample of this product from the actual benefit counter and only used it the one time. But this time when I received it I used it more than once and liked it. I found that this primer was good more smoothing out the skin and if you wanted to go for a matt look rather than a dewy look. The price point of this product i would say was good as there are a lot of top-end primer's at a similar price. 

BLANC CACHEMIRE Creme De Jour Protectrice - £54.75
This day cream protector was OK! There was no real hype about it, I used it a couple of times it wasn't very moist I found that I would use a lot more of it than I had too. I like creams that I use in the morning to be refreshing and I didn't find that this product did this.  Price of this product is also very high and i wouldn't be buying it.

LAVERA Basis Sensitive Hand Cream - £4.45
This hand cream is certainly good for on the go, I use it at work and you only have to put it on once and after you have washed your hands you can still feel that the product is there as your hands are still soft. The price of this product is also not bad.

BEEKIND Body Lotion - £12.95
Have't used it sorry! Didn't like the smell of it.

ITSU miso Soup - £2.25
I was really excited to try this soup out. It's a Vegetarian Japanese soup and I do enjoy a lot of Vegetarian food over meat dishes. However when I did have this soup I found it was firstly very watered down and it did not taste great at all. I had to bin it half way through. 

FEB Unboxing!

The February unboxing was pretty good! I have also used a lot more of the products. If you do decide to sign up to BirchBox please use my link to help me gain points: https://birchbox.co.uk/?raf=31747
























The theme this month was London Fashion Week, they also tried to incorporate the Valentine's theme with the hearts and colour red. The products are supposed to fit into your regular routine with fresh trends and new season.

Instead of including the booklet/magazine they did last month they put in cards to show you how to use some of the products and other cards showing more information on the products.

  

Here's what I got:

Urban Veda - Urban Veda Purifying Daily Facial Wash - £7.99

Eyeko - Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner Black - £12

Gilchrist & Soames - Gilchrist & Soames The London Collection Shower Gel - £13.75

Leighton Denny - Leighton Denny Nail polish - £11

Beauty Protector - Beauty Protector Protect & Oil - £16

Green & Black's - Green & Black’s Dark 70% 100g Bar - 2.29

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Unboxing my first Birchbox January 2014

Birchbox founded by Katia Beauchamp, 31, and Hayley Barna, 30, former Harvard Business School classmates. 

Birchbox is a beauty sample subscription box. The cost of this box is £10 a month excluding postage and packaging. This is a fun way for you to receive 4-5 sample lifestyle products picked by the Birchbox team every month. Every month you are able to also survey the products you have received in the box via the Birchbox site you sign up with. Doing this will not only help you to build up point to spend in the Birchbox store but also give the  Birchbox team a better indication of what products you like best. This will then help to put more samples into the box that suit you better.

Signing up with Birchbox is easy, and you can cancel the membership any time which make's it all the more appealing.  

Receiving the box for the first time is very exciting as it is a new experience. It's good as you un-box because you don't know what you are going to receive, this can be good because its a surprise and then again it might not be so good because you might be disappointed in the product's you have received.

The Box comes with a card detailing the products received with the cost of the full size product which can be purchased through the Birchbox site.

Before I subscribed to Birchbox I did look into the Glossy box which is also a similar subscription package. Although the Glossy Box looked more appealing in the way it was packaged I saw that the reviews for the Jan 2014 box were very poor and a lot of customers were disappointed, so this was the reason I went with BirchBox.


If you also want to subscribe to BirchBox visit this site: www.birchbox.co.uk

So Here's What I Got:

PHILIP KINGSLEY moisture Balancing Conditioner - £18.00

BENEFIT The POREfessional - £24.50

BLANC CACHEMIRE Creme De Jour Protectrice - £54.75

LAVERA Basis Sensitive Hand Cream - £4.45

BEEKIND Body Lotion - £12.95

ITSU miso Soup - £2.25

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Love It or Leave It - Product Review Alert!

So over the last week I've been back and forth to Boot's and trying out different make-up products. So here are my thoughts....

1. L'Oreal Paris - New Nude Magique BB Cream - LOVE IT! 

Ok, so I haven't seen any BB creams (Blemish Balms/Beauty Balms) on the market that are to my liking.

Where some of the BB creams Pigment Capsules are to explode and match your skin colour once applied, I’ve noticed a lot of them come out very Orange to give a tan look in which case they don't match your skin colour at all. HOWEVER with this product it does what it supposed to with the "smart pigment capsules" - instantly matches your skin colour!

Gives you flawless Coverage with a fresh Dewey look and comes across as a light-weight foundation, which is what I love so much about this product, because I was looking for a replacement for everyday foundation.

2. Maybelline New York - New Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser - Leave It!

New baby skin instant pore eraser primer is a product I would leave I wouldn't buy it again. 

It doesn’t instantly remove your pores as they are still visible. It's a very creamy product and when you apply something on top of this primer it all mixes together so the primer doesn't really stay in one place and everything just blends into your face like a cream. I would recommend this primer to some who wants more of a Matt look and a very basic transparent look. I prefer a Dewey, flawless, glowing look.

3. Maybelline baby lips - Leave It!

Here's another product by Maybelline that I wouldn't buy again. This new Maybelline range doesn't live up to the hype. 

I found this to be like any other lip balm, very ordinary and was a little babyish something a ten year old would have. I also felt as though it made my lips more bitty. 

4. Rimmel London - Extra Super Lash - Love It!

This is my favourite mascara been using it for couple of years now. Definitely a love it, really does build your lashes up, doesn't clog much either. 

5. Maybelline Forever Strong Super Stay 7 Days gel nail color - Love It!

Mentioned this in my previous post, I love this nail varnish! I usually stick to the nail varnish brand Essie, but it's a little pricey. I thought I’d try out the clear nail colour for top/bottom coat and found that it’s a pretty good nail varnish so went out and brought two more colours.

6. Kate Moss Fragrance - Love It!

I've been trying to look for this fragrance for some time, it’s usually sold out or the store doesn't stock it. I have had this fragrance before and had to get it again, it does have a strong Rose scent to it. I use this as an everyday fragrance; spray it on my clothes throughout the day.

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How to get your nails the Shellac look

Shellac is the new manicure buzz in the manicure industry. Why?

This new manicure treatment promises mirror shine colour that lasts for weeks without chipping. It comes across looking like a gel manicure.

So here's what I recommend to get the Shellac/Gel effect without having to go to the salon.

To Prepare:

Have your Nail Varnish remover, Cotton Wool, Nail File, Nail Cutter, Cotton Buds (Optional) Nail Varnish of your choice and my recommendation "Maybelline New York Forever Strong Super Stay Gel Nail Color 7 Days".

To make this look work well the No.1 product I recommend using is the "Maybelline New York Forever Strong Super Stay Gel Nail Color 7 Days" (Number 25 -Base Transparent Crystal Clear).

After removing your initial nail varnish and filling your nails to your preferred shape, start by applying the a coat of "Maybelline New York Forever Strong Super Stay Gel Nail Color 7 Days" (Number 25 -Base Transparent Crystal Clear).

My preferred Nail Varnish to use is Essie, and for this Winter Season I like to use the colour "She's Pampered" - which I believe may have been discontinued. You may be able to find this colour in the London Harrod's store.

I apply two coats of my nail colour and let it dry between each coat. Then I apply another top coat of "Maybelline New York Forever Strong Super Stay Gel Nail Color 7 Days" (Number 25 -Base Transparent Crystal Clear).

During the drying period of my final coat, I get a cotton bud and dip it into the nail varnish remover and remove any nail varnish that has got onto my skin. This leaves your hands and Nails looking like they have come fresh out of the salon.

Even though this look doesn't last for weeks it still comes across as a mirror shine look, where I have been asked "Have you got Shellac on your nails?".

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