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

Catch Up

Hi guys and dolls,

I'm so sorry about the lack of blogs and reviews. I've been up the walls with college, societies, dance class & catching up with friends but I've been sick for a few days and now on antibiotics so that kinda set me back with doing make up looks and bits etc.

But I promise starting Monday the blogs will be flowing. I have lots to review from 'My Haul', my 'Go To Products' and lots of make up looks to show everyone. I've been updating my Instagram daily: wonderstruckbeauty8 and my Facebook page : Wonderstruck-Beauty - links are at the right hand side of the blog :)

But I will show you a few bits I bought today  - I picked up some clothes which I will eventually do a blog on (college style, autumn wear etc). I'll focus on my beauty bits today.

• I got my reliable "Wake Me Up" Rimmel concealer/highlighter in Ivory 010 and the new Rimmel Mascara with Argan Oil. I got a great deal - the concealer was E6.99 and the E9.99 on their own but there was an offer for 2 for E12, sure I couldnt say no to that in Boots.

• I saw a All-Purpose Brush for the Beter cosmetic range. I'm building up my brush collection slowly but surely and this was a must.

•  Anytime I see an Essence stand I am always drawn to picking up one item or looking for new ones. I need a new eyeliner so I spotted the 2 in 1 eyeliner pen - a thick and thin side. I've tried it out and it is absolutely fab - great to have an option of a thin or thick line.

• I always find a heat protection spray essential - my own one has run out recently so I had to pick up a new one and I find the V05 range brilliant and the smell is amazing.

• The next item I saw was tea tree deep cleansing nose pore strips. I love pore strips when I'm having a pamper night and at E1.99 I couldn't turn them down

• I picked up a gorgoues Sleek Make Up Lipstick in the colour "Baby Doll" 771, a baby pink colour. It may be Autumn - even though the weather has been roasting the last while, it doesn't seem to know its the Autumn season yet - I love a pop of pink in my wardrobe

• The next item I got were Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes. I like to use these wipes on my face before doing my cleansing routine in the morning and night as I feel it softens the make up a lot and I will have no residue after cleansing my face.

• Last little bits are very random - a Lily O' Brien chocolate and jelly beans - something for my sweet tooth.

Well thats it for now - but look out next week for my posts and getting back into my blogging routine. I hope everyone has had a great september and has settled back into school or college or teaching whatever it may be.

Until next time beauties,

A x

Go To Products

Hi guys and dolls,

So over the next few blogs I will be reviewing a fast range of products. I want to show you some more of my go to products that I've been using over the last few months.

In the photo, you can see; 

• W7 In the Buff and In the Nude Eyeshadow Palettes
• W7 Souffle Mascara
• Naked 3 Palette
• Vaseline - Spray and Go
• Cocoa Brown 1hour Tan
• Cocoa Brown Gentle Bronze
• Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs Lotion
• Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs Spray
• Sleek MakeUp Contour and Blush Palette
• Vita Liberata Tan Mousse
• Shiseido Refining Moisturiser

All these products have been tried and tested for months. I can't wait to tell you about each one and show you make up looks that go along with some of the products.

Until next time beauties,

A x