June Favourites

Well here we are again, another month gone and another favourites post. We’re finally into summer and I’m off college until September meaning I have a lot of free time to write blog post. I’ve discovered a lot of new beauty and non beauty products this month that I’ve really liked so this favourites may be longer than usual.

Beauty Favourites

Red Lipstick
I’ve never really gotten on with red lipstick until this month, I just didn’t think it suited me and was a lot of hassle to keep it looking good throughout the day. Lately however I’ve been loving pairing a red lip with a subtle smokey eye and winged liner and I actually did a blog post on it here. The red lipstick I’ve been using is red by Avon, it’s really creamy, pigmented and lasts for a good 6 hours without needing to reapply.

Elf Beauty Book in Natural
I picked up this little beauty whilst at the Elf blogger fair which you can see my blog post on here. I swatched the shadows in store and thought they were amazing but I really did not expect such high quality seeing as I only paid £6 for it. The beauty book contains 6 eyeshadows, a primer and am eyeliner. The eyeshadows are the reason this product has made it into my favourites though as they really do compare to the quality of the naked palettes and can be used to make a beautiful natural smokey eye.

Estée Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Mascara
I’ve had a sample size of this mascara for a while now but I’ve only recently started using it and it’s safe to say I’ve been amazed by how good it is! This mascara adds so much volume and length and since using it I’ve had so many compliments on my lashes and people even asking if they were fake. I’m definitely going to pick up a full size one when this runs out.

St Moritz Fake Tan Mousse
I’m not a huge fake tanner as I just find it so much hard work and it tends to look fake and patchy on me. At the start of the month when we were getting nice weather however I decided to apply some of the St Moritz tanner as I didn’t want my legs looking like milk bottles. Not expecting much I left it on over night and showered it off the next morning. To my amazement I came out of the shower with a beautiful, natural glow to my skin and I’ve been hooked ever since! I apply it every Sunday night and wash it off the next morning, you really can’t go wrong for £3!

L’Oreal Eye Make Up Remover
I’ve never really seen the point of eye make up removers as I’ve always used cleansers that are suitable to use on your eyes, a couple of weeks ago though I picked up the loreal eye make up remover as it was on offer. The smallest drop of this on a cotton pad removes all of your eye make up in two swipes! This means that you’re not only not using as much cleanser but is also softer on your eyes as you don’t have to tug at them to remove the make up. I am sold!

Collection Lipstick In Tallulah
Yes another lipstick.. I picked this up in my local asda as it was only around £2 and wasn’t really expecting much. I should have had higher hopes though as this lipstick is the most beautiful every day pink colour, applies like a dream and is so moisturising. If you’re looking for a natural everyday lipstick you need to pick this one up!

Non Beauty Favourites

The World Cup
Never ever in a million years did I think I would be saying that I enjoy football but ever since the World Cup has started I can’t get enough! Maybe it’s the whole hype around it or just because it’s always on tv, but I am really getting into football. I’ve watched at least one game every day since it’s been on and I find myself oooing and ahhhing at the TV (My ex boyfriend would be so proud of me!)

The Fault in Our Stars
I’ve featured the fault in our stars book in my favourites before so of course I had to go see the movie the first day it was out. Without spoiling anything all I’m going to say is that I have never cried so much at a film in my life! I laughed, cried, laughed and cried again. It’s one of the most heartwarming films I’ve ever seen and I recommend you all go and see it.

Beyond Beauty Star
I’ve decided I’m going to feature my favourite Youtuber every month and this month I’ve really been loving Claudia from Beyond Beauty Star. I am obsessed with her style and I’ve been really tempted to cut my hair shorter ever since I’ve started watching her. Claudia does beauty videos on her main channel which you can see she puts so much effort in to and vlogs on her second channel. You can check out her main channel here and vlog channel here

What were your favourite products this month?

My Mac Lipstick Wishlist

Mac Lipstick Wishlist by xcourtneypaige 

I’m sort of a newbie to Mac lipsticks and currently own two but my wishlist is endless and I even have a list of ones I want to get on the notes on my phone. So today I thought I’d show you the top 8 in my to buy list. At £15 a pop though it’ll sure take a while for me to get them all! I’ve always been a dark lip kinda gal but lately I’ve been getting more into pinks and nudes so the majority of my wishlist will be made up of these, with the occasional dark lip of course. So in no particular order, here we go!

• Russian Red – An intense blueish red. I’ve been getting into red lipsticks lately and I only own one so of course I need to add to the collection, Russian Red is a classic Mac lipstick that needs to be added to my make up collection.
• Diva – A reddish burgundy shade that I just need. I’m a huge lover of vampy lips in the winter and I believe this is the perfect vampy winter colour.
• Candy Yum Yum – A bright pink. As I’m trying to get into pink lips I thought this shade would be a good one to try out.
• Please Me – A matte rosy tinted pink, I’m dying to get my hands on this shade. It’s not an in your face bright pink but a more subtle pink that would be much easier to pull off.
• Dreaming Dahlia – A sheer coral/red that will look beautiful during summer.
• Rebel – A mix between plum and red, this has been on my lipstick for over a year now and as soon as I see the first sign of autumn I will be getting it!
• Pink Plaid – A matte cool toned medium pink that would go with any make up look.
• Mehr – A dirty blue pink with a matte formula, another nudey pink that I think I could easily pull off.

That’s just a small fraction of the lipsticks that I’m lusting over from Mac, have you tried any of these lipsticks, what are your opinions on them?
Also what mac lipsticks are you wanting to try?

How To: Contour & Highlight

I think contouring and highlighting a face can make a huge difference and I for one feel like it completes my make up look. Contouring is the art of enhancing your cheekbones with a matte taupe/brown powder or cream. This can make your cheekbones stand out more and make your face appear slimmer. Highlighting is done by applying a lighter product under your eyes and above the cheekbone to highlight the areas. In this post I’m going to show you how I achieve a natural contour and highlight using powder and a more dramatic contour using cream products.

Natural Contour & Highlight
1. Apply base make up such as foundation, powder etc. Some people prefer to apply their contour and highlight under their foundation but I feel like it looks better on top and stands out more.
2. Apply a concealer 1/2 shades lighter than your natural skin tone under your eyes in a triangle shape.
3. Take a matte bronzer/contour powder and apply it lightly underneath your cheekbones (you can make a fish face to find them). Then bring the powder up onto your temples and along your jawline.
4. Apply a warmer bronzer (one with a more orange tone) to warm your face up. (This step is optional)

Dramatic Contour & Highlight
1. Apply your foundation but don’t powder your face yet.
2. Using a concealer that is 1/2 shades lighter than your skintone highlight under your eyes in a triangle shape, along the bridge of your nose, your chin and on your forehead.
3. Using a cream bronzer, darker foundation or concealer place this under your cheekbones, on your temples, jaw line and either side of your nose.
4. After this is all buffed into the skin, set your highlight with a light powder and your contour with a matte bronzer to make sure it stays in place all day.
5. Apply a powder highlighter to the tops of your cheekbones using a fan brush.

Those are my steps to achieving either a natural or dramatic contoured and highlighted look. Do you do anything different?

Face Of The Day – Winged Eyeliner & Red Lip

Today I opted for a smokey eye, winged liner and a bold rep lip. I used the Elf beauty book to achieve my eye look and Im so impressed with it, I’ll be doing a review on it soon so stay tuned!

Face
• Elf Mineral Infused face primer
• Mac Pro Longwear foundation in NW15
• Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in 01 fair
• eBay concealer palette used for contouring link here
• NYC Smooth Skin Sunny Bronzer
• Sleek Rose Gold Blush
• Highlighter from the Sleek Contour Kit
• Maybeline Fit Me Powder

Eyes
• Elf Eyelid Primer
• Elf Beauty Book in Natural – Lightest highlight shade, daytime contour and nighttime contour shade
• Asda Liquid Eyeliner
• Estée Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Mascara

Lips
• Avon Red Lipstick

How To: Rock A Bold Lip

To some wearing a bold lip colour such as red or a deep pink or purple can be very scary and tend to stay on safe ground and go with a light pink or nude. There’s no need to be afraid of wearing a bold lip, and I think if you apply it in the correct way it can look great on everyone! These are my top tips on how to apply a brighter lip colour correctly and make it last as long as it can.

Prepping The Lips
1. Apply a lip scrub to your lips and leave it for a minute or two. When wearing a bolder lip colour you need to make sure there’s no dry skin on the lips as the colour will tend to cling to the dry patches and start to look patchy throughout the day.
2. After you have removed the lip scrub ( I usually lick mine off as it tastes yummy) apply a deep conditioning lip balm so your lips are moisturised ready for the lipstick application.
3. Line the lips. When wearing a bolder lip you can see where the colour is bleeding a lot more so a lip liner is essential. Although an exact colour match to the lipstick isn’t necessary, try to find one in the correct colour range so that it’s not noticeable when you apply the lipstick.

Application
1. As the lips should be fully lined, now is the time to apply the lipstick. When using a bolder colour I find it easier to use a lip brush so that I have more control of where I’m applying it.
2. Now it’s time to blot. This will ensure that your lipstick won’t transfer and will keep the colour on your lips for longer.
3. Use a concealer that is an exact match to your skin tone to clean up around the lips and any bleeding you may have.
4. This step is optional but I like to highlight my Cupid’s bow so that my lips stand out more. To do this I take a shimmery shadow or highlighter and lightly pat it directly on to my Cupid’s bow.

Throughout The Day
1. Make sure you take your lipstick with you in your bag for any touch ups throughout the day, especially after eating or drinking as the lipstick will fade and start to look patchy.
2. Blot every time you re apply.

Those are my top tips for rocking a bold lip, do you have any?

Mac Creme Cup

I’ve owned Mac’s lipstick in Creme Cup for a while now but I realised yesterday I’ve never actually written a review on it and I have no idea why because it’s probably one of my all time favourite lipsticks! I find this lipstick to be so versatile, I can wear it alone for a natural every day look, paired with a darker nude which looks amazing with a smokey eye and even on my cheeks as a blush. What an amazing little product!

Finish: Cremesheen
Price: £15
Colour: A blue toned pink
Texture: moisturising and creamy but does tend to settle into some fine lines so a good lip balm is required before application
Lasting Power: 3/5. As this is a light lipstick it tends to only last around 3 hours before needing to be reapplied again
Pigmentation: Not completely opaque but not sheer, I’d say two coats will give you a nice opaque finish.
Looks best with: a smokey eye look in the night or a natural everyday look.
Overall Rating: 4/5 one of my favourite lipsticks purely for the fact it’s so versatile and can also double up as a blush.

My Skin Care Routine / How I Remove My Make Up

My skin care routine is something that doesn’t change very much, once I like a product I will stick with it until I’m really bored of it or it doesn’t work do skin anymore which doesn’t happen very often. This is what I am currently doing to remove my make up, cleanse and moisturise my face every night before I go to sleep. I have dry combination skin and I find this is what works for my skin type.

The first thing is do is remove the base layer of my make up with a wet wipe, I know most people will say that wet wipes are bad for your skin but I honestly don’t see anything wrong with them. I’ve been using the Huggies Baby Wipes for over two years now and I’ve never had any problems with them. I prefer to use baby wipes as I know they are gentle enough to use on my skin and won’t irritate it.

I like to take my eye make up off with a gentle eye make up remover instead of tugging at it with my cleanser. I use the No7 Cleanse & Care Eye Make Up Remover to go this.

After this I take my Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water on a cotton pad and thoroughly take the rest of my make up off and cleanse my face with this. This product completely dissolves your make up and makes your face feel squeaky clean.

I will then apply a toner, this one the one part of my skin care routine that I do tend to switch up a bit as I haven’t found a toner that I have fallen in love with yet. I’m currently using the L’Oreal Age Perfect Refreshing Toner. Although this is for mature skin (which I don’t have yet) I find that it really refreshes my skin and brightens it up. Toning not only refreshes and smooths your skin after cleansing, it also makes sure that every trace of make up and dirt has gone.

Then once a week after I have done all this I will use the Soap & Glory Scrub Your Nose In It scrub and mask. I will leave this on for around ten minutes whilst I shower or brush my teeth and then wash It off. Using a facial scrub removes any dead skin cells which can cause dry skin and dirt stuck in your pores leaving it revitalised and fresh.

After either toning or using a scrub I will then moisturise my skin so that I am bringing any moisture back into my face that I may have lost using cleansing and scrubbing. My favourite moisturiser of all time is the Garnier Moisture Match Moisturiser for dull skin. I use this morning and night and I’ve seen a huge difference in my skin since using it.
I like to then apply a moisturising lip balm like Vaseline or Elizabeth Arden’s 8 Hour Cream.

Up until a few weeks ago this would have been the end of my skin care routine but I’m now using the Nars Eye Cream which I apply under my eyes in a triangle shape. I suffer with quite dry under eyes and since using this eye cream it has really improved and I feel as though my foundation and concealer apply much more smoothly now.

Elf Blogger Festival

Around a month ago I was invited to attend a blogger event at the Elf store in Cardiff focused around festival make up. The event took place on Thursday (12th of June 2014) and when I arrived it was like walking backstage into the make up room in a festival. Amazing!

I invited my friend to come along with me and as soon as we arrived we were offered free punch with the option to have an alcoholic or non alcoholic one with endless refills. There was also an amazing singer who sung a few songs at the beginning of the event which made me feel like I was in an actual festival. We then had an hour to walk around all the pop up festival stands to get our nails, lips, eyes and cool flowers on our face using their little book of shadows.

This was my first time visiting the Elf store so of course I was taken back by all the beautiful make up and spent around half an hour looking and searching it all. I ended up picking up one of their beauty books in the natural look as the pigmentation on the shadows for £6 is insane! I’ll hopefully be doing a blog post on an eye look using the beauty book.

After an hour of drooling over make up, getting my nails done and getting a cute little heart painted on my face it was time to go upstairs for the main event. The lovely girls at elf (which I must say a huge thank you to for being so welcoming and friendly) were going to create a festival make up look using 5 products. I found this tutorial amazing and the end result of the model was stunning, they used the Elf eyeliner and shadow stick in midnight blue to line the eyes and in the outer v. All I’m saying is I now need this product in my life!

Finally before we left, the girls handed out goodie bags to us which I was totally not expecting. Inside was a little black beauty book of shadows which I can not wait to try, I think this is going to great for fun summer looks. As well as this there was a card for a free make over at the Elf store worth £20 which I’m going to use when I go to a festival in Cardiff during August.

I’d like to say a huge thank you to Elf for inviting me the event and the fabulous staff for being so kind and helpful! Elf are currently having a huge clearance sale on their website and are offering free delivery on any orders over £10, go check it out! http://eyeslipsface.co.uk. Higher quality images we’re taken from the Elf store cardiff’s Facebook https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.

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How To: Get Flawless Long Lasting Foundation

For years I’ve been searching for the perfect foundation that will give me a flawless base and last all day and I finally think I’ve found that. I now believe that it’s not all down to the foundation and that preparation and a good primer plays a big part in getting your base to look flawless and last all day.

Step 1- Cleanse and moisturise face
A key to getting your foundation to apply smoothly and evenly is to make sure you apply a good hydrating moisturiser to a clean face before hand. My favourite moisturiser that I like to apply before I put on any make up is the Garnier Moisture Math moisturiser for dull skin.

Step 2 – Apply a primer
Before I had used a primer I was skeptical about them and thought there was no way they could ever make your foundation last any longer. But gosh how wrong I was! Applying a primer before your foundation not only makes it last a lot longer but also makes your pores appear smaller which leaves your skin looking flawless. The primer I use which gives me at least an extra three hours wear is the Elf Face Primer.

Step 3 – Apply a long lasting foundation
My absolute favourite foundation which delivers outstanding, long lasting results is Mac’s Pro Longwear foundation. As the name suggests this stuff does not budge all day and along with the two other steps can leave your skin looking flawless for up to 16 hours! My tip to achieve a flawless coverage is to apply the foundation directly to your face and then buff it in in downward motions.

Step 4 – Set everything
You may think you don’t need to powder your face if you don’t suffer with oily skim but powder doesn’t just control oil it also sets everything on your face making it last a lot longer. If you do suffer with dryer skin just powder through your t zone and where you’ve put concealer. If you’re on the oiler side lightly powder your whole face.

There we have it, this is the final look using 4 steps to achieve long lasting flawless looking foundation.

Do you have any tips to make your foundation last longer?

 

June wishlist

June wishlist by xcourtneypaige

This wishlist has been one of the hardest to make as I haven’t really been dying to try anything but after sitting down to write this post I came up with a few things I need more than want really.

1. Origins Ginzing Eye Cream – I recently got the Nars eye cream as a gift and I’m loving it but I’ve heard great things from this eye cream and I really want to try it out. I have really dry skin under my eyes and I feel as though this would do a better job at helping that than the Nars one.

2. Michael Kors bag – I’m in desperate need of a new bag! This time last year I was a bag hoarder and it was all I seemed to buy, but fast forward a year I seem to use the same boring one day in day out! Even though I’ll probably never be able to afford this one it’s okay to lust after it right?

3. River Island Purse – I’ve had the same purse for nearly a year now and it’s so so dirty! I love River Island purses and I think I may have to get my hands on this one soon.

4. Beauty Blender – I’ve seen beauty blenders everywhere but have never picked myself one up as I just think it’s a lot to pay for what is basically a sponge. I’ve got to the stage where I want to know what the big deal is though and am thinking of buying a cheaper version to try it out.

5. Benefit Hoola Bronzer – I’ve known about this product for a while but I’ve always lusted after Nars Laguna bronzer and not this until recently. I went to my local Debenhamms last week and swatched this on the back of my hand and WOW! It’s completely matte and the most perfect shade to contour with, there’s no orange in there it’s perfect!

6. Benefit Rockateur Blusher – I’ve never tried a blusher from Benefit, in fact I haven’t tried many blushers at all being that I’m not a blush fan. Lately though I have been wearing blusher a lot more than I used to and this Benefit one looks so beautiful and not too harsh which is just what I look for in a blusher.

What’s on your wishlist this month?