MY MAKEUP BAG ESSENTIALS

So sorry for the lack of blog posts at the moment, I'm right in the middle of my A2 final exams and I'm literally counting down the days until they're over and I will be on a three and a half month ling summer (only 21 days away now!).

I'm off to London this afternoon to ELLE Magazine HQ for an event and I thought I would do a quick post with my makeup bag essentials- you know the products that you just can't leave the house without, I always have them in my bag and they seem to be able to fix whatever happens to my face during the day.

Denman Teasing Comb

My hair tends to get a little flat during the day so this comb is perfect to inject a little bit of volume back into my roots again. The end of it is perfect for sorting out my parting and I can also use it to sort out any knotts in my actual hair

Mini foundation

I refilled this mini foundation pot which I got with a sample with my everyday foundation. It is a lot more convenient to carry around with you and it won't break or spill. It's also really easy to refill with more foundation once it gets empty, and because it was a sample it was free! 

MAC Studio Fix powder

This is my absolute favourite powder, it's actually a powder foundation and therefore has really good coverage to it. I have quite oily skin so I use this for touch ups throughout the day to stop me from looking shiny at all and to add any extra coverage

The Balm Frat Boy blush

This colour is one which just seems to go with any makeup look, meaning I don't have to constantly switch up which blush I carry with me. The packaging is very slim and is very lightweight so is perfect for carrying with you

Too Faced Melted Lipstick in 'Melted Peony'

This is one of my favourite nude coloured lipsticks, it's still quite pink and therefor is very easy to wear on an everyday basis. My natural lips are such a light shade that I don't like to not wear a lipstick so this is perfect. As it has the doefoot applicator it is very easy to apply on the go and doesn't need a lip liner with it

Shu Uemura eyelash curlers

These are one of my holy grail tools, I have fairly short and straight natural lashes and therefore I need these to give them a bit of a perk up half way through the day. I find curled lashes make your eyes look instantly bigger and you look more awake, perfect!

Mac Studio Finish concealer 

This is another holy grail product, as you can see from how much I have used it! It is very high coverage and although the packaging isn't very idea for on the go- it is my favourite for touch ups! Make sure you take hand sanitiser with you too to avoid any bacteria transfers

Chanel lipstick in 'La Deseree'

This is my absolute favourite red lipstick, it is perfect for making you look like you have put a lot more effort in to your makeup than you actually have and it lasts really well without a lip liner so you don't need to carry one too!

L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes mascara

This is a re-purchase of mine, as I mentioned with the eyelash curlers- I feel that good eyelashes make your eyes look much bigger and more awake and this is one of my favourite mascaras to help achieve this!

What are your makeup bag essentials? Let me know in a comment!

I was sent the Too Faced Melted Lipstick, however this does not influence my opinion on it and it is 100% honest as always. You can read more of my thoughts on it here in my 'My Too Faced Face' post

HOW TO PRESS A LOOSE MAC PIGMENT USING VODKA NOT RUBBING ALCOHOL

I bought the loose pigment 'Tan' from MAC quite a while ago after falling in love with the sold out limited edition shade 'Sweet Heat' from a recent collection and realising that this was the closest dupe. I wanted it in pan form so that I could use it in a palette as it is much less messy than having it loose as it literally goes everywhere (I ended up with a gold glittery camera after photographing and filming this tutorial!). I hadn't previously pressed an eyeshadow before and was unsure what liquid to use for it as any tutorial I had came across said to use rubbing alcohol which as far as I know isn't avaliable in the UK. I asked in many different pharmacies and most people thought I was meaning white spirit (which definitely isn't suitable for the eye area). After extensive research I decided on using vodka as it is a pure and once most of it evaporates, hardly any residue is left and any that does is safe for the eye area. If you decide to use a different fluid, please make sure it is safe for the eye area before using it!

How to press a loose eyeshadow steps (I have done a video tutorial too which you can watch below)

Put some loose eyeshadow into an egg cup- if you are using a MAC loose pigment, about a third of the pot will do, meaning you will get three eyeshadows from just one pot

Add a very small amount of vodka and mix until there are no lumps and it is a smooth, thick paste

Scoop this mixture into your empty metal pan and spread out to all of the edges

Place a muslin cloth or piece of kitchen roll over the eyeshadow and use a 2p coin to press down on it to make sure it is compacted

Leave this to dry overnight and then pop into your eyeshadow palette

For my metal pan, I used a Natural Collection eyeshadow from Boots and removed the eyeshadow from inside it before lifting out the pan. Depending on how much glue is used to stick it to the pot, you may need to use a candle to melt the glue before lifting it out. The Natural Collection empty pans are the perfect size to fit in a MAC palette (I had to use a bit of force to push it into my palette- simply replace the cloth and 2p coin and push down to get it into the palette. If you want to keep the crushed up Natural Collection eyeshadow, this can be reused by putting it into a clear nail polish to turn it into a personalised DIY coloured nail polish!

I filmed this DIY tutorial as a video too which you can watch below if the step by step photos aren't clear enough for you. It is very easy to do but make sure you don't use too much liquid and ensure you leave it to dry for long enough to get the best results!

COLLECTIVE BEAUTY AND FASHION HAUL

I decided to create this as a two part series as I know some of you are only interested in beauty, and others in fashion (also it would of been so long if I squeezed it into one video!) There are direct links to both the videos here (beauty haul and fashion haul) if you would rather watch them on YouTube as opposed to the embedded ones below. I've picked up some bits from Primark, Topshop, MAC, NARS, H&M and Boots so if you're interested then please give the videos a watch and let me know what you think!

You can subscribe to my YouTube channel here if you aren't already

 

Have you bought anything exciting recently? What is your favourite MAC eyeshadows and do you have a preference for the the Garnier or L'Oreal micellar solutions?

CHICHESTER'S GOT STYLE FASHION SHOW WITH RUSSELL AND BROMLEY

Last Saturday I was invited by Russell and Bromley to photograph their new SS14 collection which was being featured in the Chichester's Got Style fashion show. The fashion show was in aid of breast and testicular cancer charities and you can read more about it on the Chichester Bid website. Russell and Bromely collaborated with the local prom and occasion dress shop Mousetrap to create the looks for the catwalk, featuring pieces from both of their new collections. Many of the local shops such as Creations Hair, Toucan Beauty, House of Fraser, Dartagnan Menswear and Lisa Edwards Hair were involved- each one showing off some of their favourite key pieces for the coming fashion season. The whole town was full of activity with live bands, the catwalk, local radio station Spirit FM providing coverage and a raffle prize draw worth over £2000 (including a beautiful pink Russell and Bromley bag!). I have included some of my favourite photos and outfits from the day- all the ones I have featured are from the Russell and Bromley and Mousetrap show so if there is anything that you like the look of then it will be available on their websites and in store.

Which is your favourite outfit from the fashion show? Don't forget to check out the Russell and Bromley website!

*I am not being paid for this blog post and all opinions are my own