A Makeup Inspiration

Hi Darlings,

How has your Sunday been? I've had the ultimate lazy day, watching TV programmes that I've not had chance to this week, whilst snacking on White Cadbury Fingers. 

Last night my family came up to Leeds for a pre-Christmas meal, and we had a wonderful evening; Alex cooked some beautiful food, and everyone had a great time - it's made me all the more excited for Christmas Day!

I've been using the same makeup every day in the last week almost, with perhaps a different lip depending on what I was wearing. It's just been so much quicker to grab my makeup bag and throw my face on with all the products that are to hand - which is exactly what I've needed to do. While I love them and they undoubtedly work for me, it's time to shake things up a bit this week, and this is what I came up with: 

 You might recognise this from the Dream Matte Mousse advert, and while I'm of the opinion that it's potentially one of the worst foundations on the high street, what I do particularly like is the softness of the lips, and the highlighting of the cupids bow. I also like how the blush is very subtle and matches the lips very closely.  

 This is my absolute favourite look. I really go on for the light eyes and the red lips. I may be re-creating this in the next couple of days.

I love the heavy crease contouring and soft fluttery eyelashes. I also particularly like the high gloss black nails. 

Let me know if you have any other inspiration for me, I love to try new looks!

Lea

x

Don't forget to check out my Christmas Yankee Candle giveaway HERE. 

(Images used are not my own and are Via Google Images)

Red lips and easy basics

Hi Lovelies,

As I'm doing such a lot of running around today, I kept things simple and comfortable. Go to basics are fantastic when paired with a bright lip, it gives a laid back and very 'lived in' vibe.

• I have used the MUA Heaven and Earth Palette, with Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner on my eyes.
• I have used Chanel Fantasia Blush and the Sleek Contour Kit on my cheeks.
• On my lips is Illamasqua's Drench.

I hope you've had a good day,  I know it's Monday so that's generally hard, but here's hoping!

Lea

x

Don't forget to check out my Christmas Yankee Candle HERE.

FOTD - Glamour Style

Good afternoon lovelies!

It's been a fair while since I did a FOTD so I thought it was high time I got on with it!

I was having a little play around this morning and this is what I came up with, I hope you like it :)

Eyes:

I used Soap and Glory's 'It's About Prime' as a base.

I then used Sweet Lust by MAC all over my lid.

I added Expensive Pink by MAC into my crease.

I then added more definition to the crease with Bobbi Brown's Black Plum eyeshadow, as well as taking it under my lower lash line. 

I then blended any harsh lines with more Expensive Pink.

I used white shade from the MUA Heaven and Earth pallet to add light to my inner corners.

To finish off I used Black Gel Eyeliner by Bobbi Brown, and a generous coating of Bobbi Brown's Extreme Party Mascara.

I finished up by applying some false lashes. These are by Eyelure and are their 'natural ones'.

Lips:

I used Vaseline's Pink Bubbly limited edition to condition them before applying colour.

I then used Estee Lauder's, Double Wear, Stay in Place Lip Duo in the shade 19 Forever Fuschia.

Rather than use the attached gloss, I finished up by applying some of the Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip perfecter in pink, concentrating on the centre portion of the lips.

Cheeks:

I contoured using the Sleek Contour Kit.

I then applied Chanel's Fantasia blush and blended it out.

I used the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Rose Quartz to Highlight. 

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For the rest of the day I've been working on some Jurisprudence prep that I had to do, and generally jamming around the flat to Northern Soul, all in all it's been a pretty good and productive day!

(Note to self, the mirror is streaky - I can never seem to get it perfect!)

What have you been up to? Anything exciting?

Abiento <3

Lea

x

Autumn Hair and Beauty Inspiration

Hi Darlings,

I've been having a scout out for some Autumn/Winter beauty inspiration this afternoon and I'm super pleased with what I found!

I love the whole transition between Summer and Autumn/Winter, it's so exciting to try out all the new textures that appear!

 Add a pearl to your ponytail at the nape of your neck, it's an instant way to make your everyday style classic and chic. 

Try a texturising spray to achieve the matte effect. This is fantastic for the winter months as it will hide a multitude of hair sins. 

 For a night out why not try the graphic eyeshadow look? Add false eyelashes in a feathery texture to add drama.

Try out some new colours. Shimmery shades in a bold colour offer a change from the Autumnal burgundy lip.

 Opt for minimal eye makeup and a flawless complexion. Pair it with a red lipstick in a shade that suits your skin tone, and use it as a light stain on your cheeks to achieve a matchy matchy look.

For a twist on the dark shades that dominate our nails during the colder months, apply a nude shade and paint the tips in your favourite wintery colour. 

I love finding new inspiration, so please link me back to your blog in the comment section if you have any for me!

Have a fantastic autumnal day lovelies,

Lea

x

Photos via Vogue.com

Why Do You Wear Makeup TAG?

Hi Beautiful,

I thought I'd do a tag for you today, I haven't done one in forever so I thought why not?

I expect the title of this blog is relatively self explanatory so I'm going to jump right on in and start!

Where Did You Begin?

I started wearing makeup when I was around 13. I have to say it wasn't a particularly good beginning; I kept pinching my mum's foundation and it was obviously far too dark and far too heavy for me, but at the time it always seemed like a good idea. I also had a slight penchant for lining just my lower waterline with black eyeliner. Very goth darling.

My mother, having seen the state that I looked, decided that something had to be done about it, and took me to Bobbi Brown. From there on in I started to wear minimal makeup but it looked far better than my previous heavy handed approach. Think tinted moisturiser, concealer, pink blusher, mascara and lipgloss. What doesn't make sense to me about this though, is the fact that my Mum doesn't wear makeup very often. It's mostly foundation and mascara and lipstick. Whenever I visit she asks me to put makeup on her! Nobody else in my family had this sort of interest either so I don't know where I got it from.

As time went by my interest grew and so did my collection. I learned different techniques on how to apply makeup until I found the ones that suited me - nobody every taught me, I just sort of experimented until I found a way that was right for me personally.

Now almost a decade later, I am completely in love with the world of beauty, and thoroughly enjoy being a part of it!

How Do You Feel Without Makeup?

I'm really not a fan. Although I very rarely get blemishes or imperfections, I have suffered with a condition that has left me with a lot of dark hyper-pigmentation and as a result have turned to makeup to get my confidence back. Luckily now, it has become far more under control and the worst are fading nicely, so maybe in the future I will change my mind on this! When people see me in real life, my 'thing' is often said to be my skin, I work hard to get it that way and I know the products that will give me an even and perfected complexion. People are often surprised to find out what my makeup is hiding! 

What Do You Like About Makeup?

I like the confidence that it brings me. I think that is the most important thing to me personally.

Other than that however I get genuinely excited to have a play around with makeup and see the different looks that I can create. The market is constantly saturated with new products to try and that in itself is very exciting. I would probably rather spend my money on a new lipstick than anything else!

3 Holy Grail Items:

Vichy Dermablend (I wear the shade Opal)

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (I wear shade 1)

Collection Pressed Powder (In the lightest shade - it's the only one I've found that's light enough for me, even throughout high end brands!) 

(Cheeky Uni Library shot while attempting to look like I'm not taking a photo of my makeup! As I type this I am getting an incredibly odd look from the girl to my right!)

I absolutely love reading this TAG so please let me know if you do it then I can go and have a good nosy!

Have a lovely day everyone,

Lea

x

Last Night at The Trafford Centre

I met Megan at the Trafford Centre last night (after 3 hours of being stuck in the Leeds traffic) and we had a lovely time. My mum met us and we had some dinner together, then she left and we hit the shops before finishing up by having a drink in Las Iguanas.

I was really impressed by the Trafford Centre, since moving to Leeds I don't go half as much as I used to (which was a lot, trust me hehe) the changes in it were amazing! I mean, they have a Forever 21!!! SO impressed haha :)

I bought a couple of cheeky things, here they are:

Dress, H&M, £5 in the sale (!!!)

Beanie, H&M, (mens) £3.99. Brushes, Forever 21, £3.99. Earrings, Forever 21, £3.95.

7 Day Trail of the YSL Foundation, Clarins Instant Light NAtural Lip Perfecter, £16.

Lea

x

Gucci's Autumn 2012 Makeup

I find these images really powerful, normally women who have the appearance of no eyebrows are not considered to be beautiful, but Gucci seems to have come together with a group of the most interestingly beautiful women I have seen in such a long time. Whether it's a beautiful hair colour, stand out eyes, or flawless porcelain skin, these women really have it.

What do you think?

Lea

x

Images taken from Google Images.

A Makeup Inspiration [3]

Soft Messy Hair with plenty of volume.

Flashes of white around the eye.

Soft fluffy lashes for a girlish look.

Peacock smoky eyes.

Bright orange-red lips.

Soft natural lips, for a soft kissable look.

Deep burgundy with highlighting work and a high shine.

Chanel's crescent silver-pink nails.

Lea

x

Images via Vogue.com

MUA Pastels Pallet Swatches and Review

Swatches are taken in natural light and correlate to the first image. No primer has been used and they were swatched 2-3 times each.

I haven't done a review in a little while so I thought it was about time. This is one of the first things I have bought in quite a while that I really enjoy using, so I thought why not, and at £4 it's a complete bargain!

Most of you will be familiar with MUA, it's a range stocked in Superdrug where the majority of makeup retails at £1, with the odd 'larger' product being slightly higher. The pallets are £4, and are fantastic for the money. I use the Heaven and Earth Pallet from MUA very frequently and am actually on my second one!

This particular pallet is their new addition, filled with pastel shades. I had been on the hunt for something like this for quite a while but to my surprise there really wasn't any kind of answer to a true pastels pallet available in my Boots or Superdrug. I knew MUA did one but it was never in stock so in the end I went ahead and ordered it online and I'm so pleased I did.

As you can see by the swatches, they give a lovely sheen of colour, and I have to say that when applied to the eye they stand out even more. The exception to the good pigmentation however is the first shade, so the top left. It has very poor pigmentation, but it's not something I'm worried about for the price and the fact that I don't like the colour all that much personally. Having said that, it could be used as a base to other eyeshadows, so not all is lost!

I'm not afraid of wearing colour on my eyes, so I'll be rocking these all over my lid, but if you're more of a neutral fan, I'd say that since they're shimmery and pastel, they're much easier to wear than a bright matte shade, so maybe a good place to start if you'd like to wear more colour on your eyes :). Another way to wear would be to use them under your lower lash line for a flash of colour, that would look beautiful too!

What do you think? Is this your cup of tea? I'll definitely be sneaking this away with me on holiday for a few quick and easy looks, with a fun edge!

Lea

x

Olympic Makeup

No, this isn't a tutorial on Union Jack Eyeshadow, sorry hehe :)

This is the look I'm going to be going for while I'm away. I'm going to want to be out early to enjoy the day so I don't want to faff about with doing lots of intricate makeup things.

I'll start off and do my base as usual, I wish I was someone who could just throw on some BB cream and look fabulous, but it takes me some work to make my skin look good. That in itself will take me about 5 minutes, so not too long. It includes foundation, concealer, and powder to set. Then a quick contour of my cheekbones, fill in my brows and highlight whatever needs it.

Once that's out the way, these are my steps to look fabulous quickly!

• Sweep some shimmer eyeshadow across the lids and under the tear ducts, this one is Champagne by Bobbi Brown. It's easy, simple and feminine.
• Line my top lid with black liner (I'm not a fan of brown on myself) and depending on my mood, either smudge it out, or add some to my waterline if it's night time. This is the Bobbi Brown pencil eyeliner.
• A couple of coats of dramatic mascara and my eyes are good to go! This one is Bobbi Brown's Extreme Party Mascara.

• Sweep a little bronzer across the high points of my face, add a pop of pretty pink blush (This duo is great as it includes a bronzer and a blush, perfect for on the go!)
• Swipe a coat of red lipstick across my lips. I'm not someone who worries about red lipstick, I think if you do it right, it wears nicely and I've never really had that whole lipstick teeth problem. This one is Red by Bobbi Brown.

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This will take me probably around 15 minutes. I can normally get ready in full in 35 minutes including a shower, so I don't think that's too bad!

As for the nail polish, I mentioned in my last post that I'm going to paint my nails in either red or blue with an accent nail in the opposite colour. I'm not sure which way around yet though!

I'm going to invest in Racing Green for either a change or for my toes, it's completely British and has an amazing shine! As always you can get Mavala Nail Varnishes online from The Beauty Bay for £3.50.

Lea

x

Seriously Wishing!

I spotted this over at Lippy in London and was instantly sucked in!

I'm seriously wishing I could justify the almost £40 price tag for this product, it sounds amazing! For someone who hates false tan, this sounds like the perfect compromise! Something to give me a hint of colour and hide imperfections (goodbye cellulite!), literally sounds like heaven!

You can find PrttyPeaushun (pretty potion) here for £39. What do you think?!

Lea

x

Summer Inspiration

Hey Gorgeous!

How lovely is this weather?! I'm so upset I've missed most of it with having to work, I haven't managed even so much as some sunburn, never mind a tan!
I've now lost a stone since I started my weight loss journey and I'm really enjoying wearing summer clothes that previously didn't fit me or just didn't look right. Legs out anyone? :D
It's really got me thinking about some inspiration that I'll be rocking this summer, let me know what you think!

I need this skirt in my life for my Holiday in September! Love it!

I love everything about this, especially the pastel tee tied to the side <3


I'm looking forward to being able to show my back off, I've never been able to as I carry weight there, but it looks like I'll soon be able to wear something like this! I'm loving the red <3



Bright glitter lips, if you've read my blog for a while you'll know I'm a fan of this for a night out, if you're doing it, make sure you drink from a straw though!

The perfect shade of blue, I'm not a fan of blue nails but this would definitely float my boat!

These have been on my wishlist for such a long time, I think they're so fun! I also love the anklet, it adds such a girly touch <3

I would happily buy all of these <3 I'd wear them layered with a couple of gold bangles thrown in there for a contrast in texture.

And who wouldn't want a bag this bright and colourful, this is something I'm looking to invest in this summer.


I'm sorry I've been away for a little while and it's gone quiet on the blog, I pulled 2 all-nighters in 3 days within the last week, had 3, 3 hour exams which went terribly, and I'm now half way thorough my final stint of a 3,000 word essay. It's in tomorrow at 12 though so as soon as it's out of the way I'll be back to normal.

I might put up a few photos of what I've got up to in my snatched few hours off from work, (which were mostly filled with sleeping may I add ha) but I did manage to fit in a BBQ with my girlfriends, one with Alex and an afternoon in the park after our last exam. So I suppose technically I did have time to blog... Sorry guys :( I have some reviews of some Salon Confidential Makeup coming up soon though!

See you on the other side of this 3,000 words!

Lea

x

p.s. Luce would like to say hello. She is spying on me from the computer next to me. I'm sure she is finding this all quite hilarious!

(Images via weheartit.com)