Getting Organised

Hi fab things,

Writing is a fantastic way of expressing yourself, I've loved writing since I was young. I love to blog, trying to find the time can be hard but I told myself February is the month I get myself organised as I received a lot of beauty related gifts for Christmas and I've tried a lot of new products in January. There is so much I want to share beauty wise, and everyday I learn more about all things to do beauty wise. Once I'm finished my degree, I plan to do a beauty course as I've always loved everything to do makeup and skincare, I would love to learn more and more.

My mam is a big influence when it comes to skincare. She has fabulous skin, and she's always looked after so I'm lucky that she's taught me to look after it from my teens. My main rule is I always have to look after my skin or my makeup won't compliment my skin at all or as the saying goes: "Beauty is skin deep". Starting next week, I'm going to blog to my hearts content and work hard on my posts. Its going to contain: favourites, a review or two, likes and dislikes, skincare, lifestyle and overall tips I find effective and that may help you.

Looking forward to posting and keeping up to date about things.

Until next time beauties,

A x

Contour and Highlight

Hey lovelies,

I hope everyone's January isn't going too bad. It really is one of those months that drags on isn't it? All the major festivities and partying has died down and its back to 'reality' with work, college or school. But its not all bad as new spring fashion comes out and there is always new makeup to be found and in my case reviewed!

Anyway today I'm going to talk about one of my favourite makeup steps: Contour and Highlight. This make up step really took off not so long ago and there has been a lot of enthusiasm about it. It is a case of hollowing out your cheekbones (while sucking your cheeks in making a duck face) and building on your own cheek bones, around the top of the forehead, down the nose (makes it look more narrow) and down along the jaw line for a more subtle defined look along with highlighting your features such as the top of the browbone, top of cheekbones, forehead, chin,nose, above the centre of the lip lip all to make your face look more oval and longer. It is a case of enhancing your own features but definition and brightness. 

I'm very excited to write this blog. I remember it was sometime in 2013 and the gorgeous beauty blogger Suzanne Jackson aka SoSueMe had a blog post about the sleek contour palette Here and then she brought out this Youtube video all about contouring. I was so excited to try it immediately and I wanted to find products similar to the ones she used.

So back in September 2013 I purchased the seventeen instant glow contour cream and the Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer as I thought they were a good combination to try out.

I remember googling what products to use to get some ideas and at the time American brands came up that I didn't have easy access to so these two products were perfect for me.
I used it the whole time. I love the colour of the seventeen cream bronzer as you can make it subtle or build it up for a night out. It completely changed the way my makeup looked. I also love the Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer and find that the two of the them compliment each other perfectly. I have only good things to say about this Rimmel product, it is the most amazing concealer/hightlighter. 

After I would set my whole face with translucent powder to keep it in place. Sometimes I would you C&H powders over my creams for a more defined contour look. 

A little tip, you can achieve Contour and Hightlight easily by either getting a powder two tones darker than your own one, like this MAC mineralize powder.

Or you can even a foundation that is two tones darker for the contour and two tones lighter for highlight.

FAVOURITE CONTOUR AND HIGHLIGHT PRODUCTS

The Laura Geller Highlighter & Blush - Spice Chai/Fr.Vanilla. This is absolutely beautiful combination and it has amazing pigmentation. This Laura Geller brush is one of my favourite brushes to use for contouring, it is fab and you can easily hollow out the cheek bones. 

  

The MAC pro longwear concealer - though it is quite a heavy concealer so I would only use this if I was going to an event early in the day and needed all day coverage like a Wedding or a Ball. It has quite a heavy texture to it so I wouldn't use it as an everyday concealer - but other than that it is perfect for highlighting if you need something to last. 

I use this sleek palette everyday. Its gorgeous for a subtle warmth and brightness to the face. It can be used as an everyday C&H but you can also build it up at night for a deeper look.

In this picture, I was at a Wedding during the summer

and I used a mixture of the Seventeen cream bronzer and Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer/highlighter, but I also put the Sleek palette on over everything at the end

This is a little blurry but I used the Laura Geller highlighter, the sleek bronzer and blush. I love mixing things up and using different C&H

BRUSHES

Personally the brushes I would use mostly commonly for contouring and highlighting would be the Laura Geller angled brush 

and the Real Techniques Expert Face brush. I found the Real Techniques blush brush fab for highlighting and blush

as the tip is flexible so it can narrowly put product on or spread it out.

I would also like to say that any of these brushes here would be absolutely perfect for C&H :

Any Angled, Tapered or Flat top brush that can easily hollow out the cheek bones.

Here are some extra brushes as a guide:

I hope my Contour and Highlighting guide has helped with tips and you can take away something from it. I remember one of my friends asking me to contour her face and she said "the contouring trend came out of nowhere and it's something I'm terrified to even try it". It is something different that has only become very well known and big the last few years but there are so many brushes and products out there these days which is very handy as you're always bound to find it someway and on any budget.

I really enjoyed writing this blog post as its my absolutely favourite step in makeup.

All the products mentioned in this blog post can be purchased from:

http://www.cloud10beauty.com/

http://www.feelunique.com/

http://www.qvcuk.com/

http://www.laurageller.com/

http://www.crownbrush.ie/

http://www.boots.ie/

http://www.sleekmakeup.com/

Until next time beauties,

A x

Current Beauty Favourites

Hey fab things,

 

Happy New Year everyone! I hope everyone had a relaxing and fun Christmas. I'm back and ready for a 2015 full of new adventures. 

I'll kick off my first post of 2015 with my current beauty favourites. 

 

I use Shiesedo softener (forgot to include in the picture) and Lancome hydra zen neurocalm moisturiser both products absolutely brilliant for putting any missing moisture back into the skin especially in dry coarse weather. 

Next I use, Too Faced "Primed & Poreless" Primer. It glides onto my face and it maintains moisturer. I then spray my face with the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting spray. I find putting it on before my makeup helps the staying power even more and it's good because where I work im always on my feet, running here and there. 

My next step is my new favourite foundation - Lancome Teint Miracle. I absolutely love this (my review will be up this week). You can build up the coverage bit by bit. I let this set, and start on my eyes. I use the Laura Geller Baked Eye Stripes Cinnamon Strudel. There's three purple shades and you can have a subtle look or build it up for a dark smokey look.

My next step is concealer/highlighter I use Rimmel Wake Me Up. It really does what it says. 

I start on my eyebrows. I have three favourites - an essence one, Eylure, and a MAC one. At the moment I'm trying out an Eylure pencil which I'm liking so far and for under €10 why not try it out? 

I use an Essence thin and thick eyeliner for my eyes and a mixture of a No7 Intense Volume and L'Oreal Volume Million lashes mascara. 

With my foundation you don't really need a powder but I love using one. I use MAC Mineralise Skinfinish powder. It leaves your face looking absolutely flawless. They've repackaged the powder and I'm liking it. My next step, and my absolutely favourite step is contour and highlighting with my Sleek palette. I love this step. It really adds something to your make up. 

For the lips, for an everyday look - firstly I use Vaseline and then pop on 07 Nude Love Essence lipstick - it is an absolutely perfect nude - recommended by one of my besties and blogger Linda - her fab blog http://beauty-la-linda.blogspot.ie/?m=1 

I added in my new hair favourite - I use Keratase beautifying oil. It smells amazing and it's actually the first hair oil to keep moisturer in my hair especially because of dry weather or after the straightener. Leaves it silky smooth. 

These are my current beauty favourites! I hope you enjoyed my first blog post of 2015. 

Until next time beauties,

A x

Foundation - "Lancome Teint Miracle" Review

Love: Dewy finish, buildable coverage, great colour match, medium-full coverage, lovely smell

Negative: None 

Hey Fab Things,

At this time of year, my skin dries out slightly and it can get frustrating when you want your make up to go on flawless and it can sit on your dry areas. Just like changing up hair care routines, I think a change in your skin care routine or foundation is just as essential. 

I actually initially went in search of new skincare products but a new foundation would be a bonus. I looked everywhere and went to the Lancome counter, and mentioned that I wanted Teint Idole you can see my review here: http://wonderstruck-beauty.blogspot.ie/2014/08/lancome-teint-idole-ultra-24hr-review_31.html?m=1

The Lancome consultant asked if I had any dry areas and I told her I did and my skin had dried out slightly due to the weather. She explained Teint Idole might be a bit harsh at this time of year and suggested Teint Miracle as it suits normal to dry skin much better. She cleansed, put on a bit of primer and matched my colour up and my skin looked less dry and so dewy straight away. 

Looking back, I had prepared my skin a lot to use the Teint Idole foundation but it still dried out my skin the smallest bit. It did make me look dewy but it stuck to my cheeks, which foundation never really does. I still really like that foundation as the colour matched up perfect and it gave a dewy finish but I'd 100% recommend it for combination skin and it would balance it out. 

I love the dewy finish to this foundation. You can build up this foundation to a full coverage but one layer is enough for the day even without powder but I always like to use a bit of powder or extra staying power. The colour is a great match up to my skin tone. I just love how my skin looks so flawless with this foundation it really shows in pictures too. You have no fear of white flash back either which is always a bonus. 

I have the shade 01 but with Lancome this isn't the lightest shade. 

The colour guide for Lancome is different to other foundations with its colour guide.  But there is a huge variety of shades that you are bound to be matched up. 

I've been using this foundation since the end of November and mixed with a good skincare routine my skin has had no dryness. I would recommend exfoliating even once a week if you have any bits of dryness - I use an Elemis one but any exfoliator would do, a good softener or toner - I use a shiseido ibuki one and a moisturer preferably one without an SPF as this can make your moisturer very heavy - current using a Lancome one I mentioned in yesterday's blog.

I would honestly recommend this foundation 110% for anyone with any type of dryness on their skin. You can find the Lancome Teint Miracle foundation in any Boots or Brown Thomas Lancome counters or online at boots.ie or brownthomas.com. Happy shopping! 

Until next time beauties,

A x