OFRA x NIKKIETUTORIALS – Review & Swatches

I looove Nikkie Tutorials, she is my favourite youtuber so this post may be a tad bias because I was probably going to love whatever she came out with anyway. However this collection is so versatile and gorgeous, there really is something for everyone!

Highlighter – Everglow

Everglow is officially my ride or die highlighter, not only is every shade completely blinding the wheel includes 3 shades for fair, medium or dark skin tones. As a makeup artist it is important that I have a shade for any skin tone without having to stock up on loads of different pans. They also make for perfect lid colours so you can get the full use out of the product!

Liquid Lips – Long Lasting Liquid Lips

The three shades again mean there is something for every skin tone. There are two metallics – Coven and Spell. Then a matte nude – Nude Potion. I haven’t really tried metallic lips before but with a simple eye they really steal the show.

I am obsessed with Spell but that’s because I am a red girl through and through. Nude Potion is a perfect pink toned light nude for all my pale girls and Coven is beautiful for any skin tone but I personally prefer it for darker skin tones. They are all massively pigmented and have amazing staying power. They blend well when topping up and I don’t personally find them overly drying. I am so glad I got all 3 but be sure to pick up at least one if you love your lippies!

Swatches: Everglow Highlighters, Coven, Spell, Nude Potion.

The products are of such good quality, 100% worth the money! The packing when you buy the full collection is so beautiful I cannot bring myself to throw it away. All items are available separately and as a collection on BeautyBay.

Have you tried anything from this collection? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Kisses

LeaLou xoxo

TO HELL WITH IT

Sometime’s it feels like every blogger has a slump every now and then, and a lot of the time it isn’t necessarily because we don’t know what to write, it’s everything that comes along with it. Having blogging as a hobby can sometimes feel like a losing battle. I love writing posts and even lately when I haven’t been blog focused at all I have constant ideas. The thing is, how on earth do you maintain a full-time job or education, your personal life, relationships, family time and posting frequently throughout the week, and not let your mental health suffer?

I think sometimes we need to just give ourselves A BREAK. Not necessarily a break from blogging or social media but a mental break. To stop being so hard on ourselves for not being able to put our all into absolutely everything. Writing a post is more than just typing up a few descriptive words on a makeup palette or where you have travelled or an outfit. You make notes, draft, write-up, check, edit, and do not even get me started on PHOTOS. It takes real work, not even to mention how it takes confidence to put your thought’s on the internet.

But I am calling bullshit on it all.

I WANT to write, but I don’t want to consistently schedule a truck load of tweets and take photo after photo after photo and I don’t want to feel like I have failed if there is 2 months between my posts or 2 days. I don’t want to feel like I have got to stick to “rules” on my own corner of the internet, you know?

I personally work full-time, have been growing my business as a makeup artist, working on myself, dieting and working out, keeping my relationship healthy, having therapy for my anxiety and trying to have a social life. For the whole of 2017 I have been doing all of this and trying to write a blog, so I just thought, to hell with it all.

I am no longer going to be hard on myself. I am going to post when I want and what I want. I love the blogging community but I just cannot keep up with what is “expected” for posts.

I have noticed, there are bloggers whose content I love and appreciate, but if they don’t have a perfect flat-lay, or they haven’t posted in weeks I still like the post. I like the fact that someone has a voice, I want to hear their opinion. No matter how often they post or tweet etc.

Yes, you need to advertise to grow. If you want to put your all into your blog and make it your career then yes you are going to put in the hours to get there. But if life get’s hectic or you’re mental health requires more attention, don’t give yourself a hard time.

You. Are. Still. Doing. Amazingly.

Work your ass off, focus on your goals, love yourself for who you are and most importantly, cut yourself some slack. Who else is going to?

March + April Favourites!

Since I’ve had a bit of a break from the blogging I’ve merged my March and April favourites. Doing this means it’s going to be a bit of a long one so be prepared. As I get closer to my goal of being a makeup artist I’ve really tried to branch out and try a few different things but I’ve also had to keep my personal purchases on a budget because let me tell you, building a MUA kit is by no means cheap! So although there’s a high end product or two included if you’re looking for some tried and tested cheap alternatives, you’re reading the right post!

Tips for the best winged liner!

So lately I’ve been on a mission to get my winged liner skills the best I possibly can. I’ve been playing around with different products and watching loads of YouTube videos for some tips. I thought I would do a post to share the best ones I have found with you.

Gel, liquid or pen?

Mostly, it’s your own preference. However if you want a clean sharp edge you should avoid gel liners unless you want to invest in an expensive one. I like pens to fill a gap when I’ve got falsies on but for a sharp wing I’ve found liquid definitely comes up trumps for me.

The Brush

For the most accurate liner it’s best to Use a thin short brush or an angled brush NOT the product brush  that comes with liquid liner. For a liner brush I love the real techniques one but my favourite is the A17 Spectrum Angled liner brush.

Hand Position

You need to have a steady hand and unless you are perfect at keeping still my tip is to have your elbow resting on flat surface and/or the bottom of your hand resting on your cheek. How still your hand is will determine the precision of your line.

Lash Line or Wing first?

Again, it’s a preference. I prefer to outline my wing and bring it in towards the lash line. Depending on which style suits your eye is where you should start. Something you really need to play around with and see what works. I like to join the wing with the lash line a considerable bit lower than the end of the wing so the end is a really thin and sharp point.

How much is too much?

You should make sure your brush has a lot of product so it doesn’t pull your eye, which it will if it’s dry. This will leave wrinkle-like lines on your liner which is a no go. Doing it a little at a time with a decent amount on your brush will make sure you can be accurate without too much product drowning your brush so it’s not hard to work with.

Find the shape for your eye!

Everyone’s eye shape is different. If you have hooded eyes then the thickness and wing of your eyeliner will be a different style than somebody who has wide eyes and large eyelids. Again, PLAY AROUND see what works for you.

Thin, short strokes STAY IN CONTROL

Even if you’re aiming for a “big thick kill em bitch” line you need to start small and build it up. Nobody needs 2008 panda eyes to make a comeback, thank you very much.
So that’s my tips and tricks to get your winged liner perfected. If you have anymore drop me a comment I’d love to know!

Kisses

LeaLou xo

Simple Everyday Work Makeup

Happy Tuesday lovelies! I hope your week is going well. I didn’t blog last week, I had a busy week and life has to be proritised sometimes! I’m currently working towards becoming a makeup artist so I think my blog is going to be more focused around make up looks and tips in the future but give me some feedback if there’s anything you would like to see! 

This post is a simple every day look for work. I took my photos on a lunchtime because I wanted to give you a realistic look. I feel as if your makeup never looks as good as when it is first done, I wanted this to be a true post of what my makeup looks like all day, not just freshly put on first thing in the morning. 

For my base I use NYX primer spray, I find a spray is the quickest way to prime when rushing in the morning and this saves me when I’ve woken up a little late (everyday). I used my new absolute favourite foundation, the Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless foundation in 105. It’s a full coverage foundation without being too thick and unnatural for work. For concealer I use LA Girl Pro HD Concealer and set that all with NYX HD powder (which I HATE but more on that another time) under the eyes* and Rimmel Stay Matte in translucent for the rest of my face.

*The reason for my dark circles showing

For my brows I lightly fill them in with the Makeup Revolution Brow Pomade in Dark Brown, for work I don’t put too much effort into shaping and filling my brows I prefer to just fill them in, sort of, naturally. 

Instead of going for full contour, I bronze up with the lightest shade from my Makeup Revolution All About Bronze Palette I put some of this on lightly to slightly define my features without looking too made up. I also apply a little to my crease just to warm my eyes up slightly.

I highlight using Makeup Revolution highlighter in Golden Lights which I’m finding is a slightly lighter dupe of the MAC beaming blush which I am OBSESSED with lately. 

For a little blush I am trying W7 Candy Blush in Scandal/Explosion I’m trialling this at the moment as I’ve never tried W7 products before. It’s really pigmented and lovely when first applying but fades quite quickly which is disappointing. 

For my eyelashes I use Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara.

For lips I use the Rimmel transparent lip liner and Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipstick in Checkmate or MAC Velvet Teddy depending on if I’m feeling nude or red.

To finish I use Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray.

As you can tell I tend to stick to high street products on a daily basis, purely because I love my high end products but can’t afford to repurchase them as often as my high street products. 

The result I think is a simple look and although it can start to fade as the day wears on there’s enough for me to feel comfortable and made up without being natural. 

What are your favourite products for daily wear? 

Thanks for reading.

Kisses

LeaLou xo

Wishlist

There is sooooo much makeup out there and there are so many products and brands I want to try but unfortunately I haven’t got thousands to spend. ah, first world problems. Once out of interest I went through BeautyBay and added what I really wanted to my basket. Just to see what I would actually spend if I could. Turns out it was at least £1000, oops. So I thought I would put a few items together that I really want. I would love if you guy’s have any experience with these products/brands and want to let me know what you think!

Zoeva Cocoa Blend Palette

I really like the look of this palette I just think it’s really me I’ve had my eye on it for such a long time now that I feel as if I may never take the plunge to order it. I just love the warm shades and I feel like I would get use out of every colour.

Jeffree Star EVERYTHING

I have recently got one of his velour liquid lipsticks, I was so stuck between three of the shades and ended up with Checkmate which I am so happy is more scarlet than it looks on the website. There’s at least three more that I want Unicorn Blood, Watermelon Soda and Androgyny, as well of one of his highlighters (I love the look of King Tut and So F***ing Gold and Siberian Gold AH HOW DO YOU CHOOSE) and the Beauty Killer Palette. From reviews and my recent purchase I feel like his products are such high quality and definitely worth the money. Originally I thought his highlighters was a bit over priced until I seen the pigment and the size of them! I NEED to get my hands on more of his products ASAP.

Colour Pop

I have wanted some of their ultra matte lipsticks for soooo long and some of their eyeshadows but I get put off by the shipping charges. It’s so frustrating when there is a brand that you hear about so much and desperately want to try but it’s so hard to get hold of!

Too Faced Power of Makeup with Nikkie Tutorials

I discovered Nikkie on YouTube at the start of this year and she is officially my favourite Youtuber. My next palette purchase has GOT to be this one. Not just to support her but also because it looks soo beautiful. I feel as if you could play around with the colours for days and not get bored. I love that it isn’t just a eyeshadow palette and that there is some blush and contour powders too, it makes it perfect for travelling. I honestly have got to invest in this yesterday, I cant wait any longer!!

So these are some of the things that I really want to get, if I do get any of these in the future I’ll be sure to tell you allll about them. Is there anything you think I would like? Let me know!

Kisses

LeaLou xo

 

Disclaimer: All photos on my blog are my own originals unless stated otherwise. Pictures used for this post are downloaded from the websites linked in the titles.

 

 

Beauty Bay Haul + Review!

So I’m trying to save for the exciting things I have planned this year but I didn’t manage to talk myself out of a little order from Beauty Bay. I picked up a couple things that I have been itching to get my hands on!

Jeffree Star Cosmetics Velour Liquid Lipstick – Checkmate £16.00

I am not exaggerating when I say I have worn this everyday since it arrived, I am living for the colour. It stays perfectly and doesn’t wear off too much after eating/drinking. The pigment on this is just unreal, its a scarlet red and a definite staple to my lipstick collection. I am definitely getting my hands on some more shades soon!

Zoeva Rose Golden Volume 2 105 Luxe Highlight Brush -£13.00

Honestly, my highlight has never been so perfectly blended. I think it is safe to say I wont be going back to a fan brush any time soon! The brush being pointed makes it so precise but it’s big enough to blend out so you don’t end up with a weird line of highlight. The overall look of the brush is gorgeous as well. A brilliant investment purchase!

L.A Girl PRO Conceal HD High Definition Concealer – Porcelain – £5.00

I have wanted to try out the L.A Girl cosmetics for a while now and this concealer hasn’t disappointed! It’s just light enough for me and I am loving it under the eye. The only thing I don’t really like is that it has the brush attached to it which I don’t think is very sanitary and I don’t like that I can’t see how much I am applying with it. If anyone knows how to get this off without ruining the product please let me know!

L.A Girl PRO Prep HD High Definition Smoothing Face Primer – £6.00

When this comes out of the tube I think it feels slightly gritty which I found odd but as soon as you begin applying it the face you can actually feel it smoothing out your skin. I am beyond impressed with how smooth and light it feels and it does actually feel like its working which I don’t find with a lot of high street primers. There doesn’t seem to be loads of product in the tube so I will definitely be getting a back up soon!

Morphe Brushes R14 Round Contour Brush – £10.00

HOW have I never tried a round contour brush before?! This brush has changed me. It blends out product so well and I’ve never used something so precise before. The bristles are soft but firm enough to have a lot of control over where they go. I haven’t picked up another brush for contour since I started using this and I don’t think I will for a while!

Morphe Brushes M510 Pro Round Blender Brush – £8.00

I’ve got to be honest, I was expecting this to be a lot smaller because the description said precise so I was a bit alarmed when I seen how big it is. That being said it surprised me again when I first used it and with the shape of the brush coming to a point, although it is big for an eye brush it honestly is so precise! It definitely was the most effortless blending for eyeshadow ever I’m really chuffed with it.

Morphe Brushes Concealer – Khaki – £5.00

This is a product that I haven’t seen a lot of talk about, so I was sceptical to try it. The name of the shade has also confused me because it is a light shade? In all I really liked it for blemishes but it is quite a thick consistency for a concealer and I absolutely hated it under my eyes.The amount it creased up I looked like I had more bags than a shopaholic in New York.. I will definitely be continuing to use it on blemishes but a word of advice for anyone wanting to check it out, AVOID THE EYES!

Anastasia Beverley Hills Powder Contour Refill – Mink – £14.00  £4.20!

I mean.. ! What a bargain! I have a sneaky feeling that due to ABH having a UK website now the BB are not going to be stockists anymore.. I was ecstatic when I saw the discount on this. I adore my ABH contour palette and have lately been wishing there was something slightly more chocolatey in it. The highlight shade Sand had hit pan so I popped that out and replaced it with this shade. As it is such a dark colour you need to use a light hand and should only really use it  for a deep contour, definitely not a every day minimal look. It’s definitely come through for me and I now love this teamed with a bronzer for statement cut cheeks.

So that’s everything I ordered, not much but a nice mid month treat. Let me know if you have any of these and what you think!

Happy Hump Day!

Kisses

LeaLou xo

 

 

 

 

February Favourites

February for me was a good month, as part of getting over a bad bout of anxiety I am making a big effort to be more positive and to stop talking about negative things if I don’t need to. I’ve got some great stuff to look forward to this year and I’m very happy on a whole. How have you been feeling this month?

5 Favourite Lipsticks

My 5 Favourite Eyeshadow Palettes got a lot of love! So I thought I would do the same for lipsticks. These are some of my absolute favourites..

NYX Liquid Suede – Sandstorm and  Tea & Cookies

I can’t pick between these two they’re both such beautiful colours! Sandstorm is a brown shade which is perfect when you want a slight step up from a nude. Tea & Cookies Is the best shade of pink I’ve ever had. It’s not too bright but it’s a full pink. I love this through the summer.

MAC – Russian Red Matte

My ultimate favourite lipstick ever I spoke about this in my Obssesed Vs Detest LINK I’ve brought so many and I really don’t think I’ll ever get bored of it!

Collection Velvet Lip – Mango

These are complete dupes for the NYX lip creams. They’re semi matte and really pigmented. They don’t have a brilliant staying power but the price of them means you don’t mind topping up a few times!

Rimmel Kate Matte – 107

This is such a creamy lipstick (I wouldnt really say it’s matte) and it’s a deep berry tone which is just right for winter. I live for pairing this with a gold eye it’s a favourite go to look of mine.

BD Trade Secrets – Graceful

This was actually given to me by a friend and it leaves such a clean finish. There’s no need for liner and the staying power is immense. I really wanted to pick up more of these but the brand has been discontinued. I will make this last as long as I can.

I’d love if you want to comment your favourite lipstick! 

Kisses

LeaLou xo

Valentines Look

So, the soppy day is coming up real soon and I wanted to do a look for you guys. I didn’t want to just do my makeup how I want to and call it valentines look so I asked my boyfriend what his favourite type of makeup is. Let’s be honest, getting ready for any date we like to think we’re making ourselves look good so they can look at us and think “wow”. It’s human to want someone that we are attracted to, to think we look good. I was fully expecting his response to be no makeup but he knows me well enough to know that it isn’t an option! So his response being a glittery eye thats not too dark and a red lip, so that’s what I tried to incorporate into this look. I ended up with a pink and gold cut crease with natural lashes and a soft bronze up. I’m going to give you a quick run through of the products I used and you can take a look at the end product. Let me know what you think?

Primer – Collection Primed & Ready + NYX primer spray

Foundation – Urban Decay All Nighter

Concealer – Lasting Perfection Concealer

To Set – Collection Primed&Ready Setting Powder

Eyebrows – Makeup Revolution Brow Pomade in Dark Brown

Eyeshadow– Modern Ressinance Palette Shades Venetian Red & Red Ochre in the crease and Primavera on the lid.

Eye Liners – Glam Crystals Gold + Collection Gel Liner

Lashes – Superdrug Natural 203 Lashes

Mascara – Maybelline Lash Sensational

Bronzer – Rimmel 022 Sun Bronze

Highlight – Makeup Revolution Peach Lights

Lip Liner – Rimmel 021 Red Dynamite 

Lipstick – MAC Russian Red

 

 

Skin Care Routine

One of my new years resolutions was to take better care of my skin. Now we are in February I realised that I am actually doing quite well and I thought it would be nice to share what I have been using and loving..

Obsessed vs Detest

This is something I wanted to bring on to my blog and maybe make into a series. There are sooo many beauty brands that I really love but recently I keep picking up the odd product that I am so excited to try but compared to the other purchases’ I made from that brand I’ve been really disappointed. So below are some products from various brands, one (sometimes more, shoot me) that I am obsessed with and one that I really didn’t like and won’t continue to use. I’m not going to include photo’s of every product as a few I have thrown away but I will link what I can!

MUA

I have picked up various bits from MUA over the years and I think because it’s such a low cost brand it’s a bit hit and miss. I know they have certain collections that are different price ranges which I think is a good idea because it means people can shop on their budget.

Obsessed- I have the Undress Your Skin Shimmer Highlighter in Iridescent Gold which is gorgeous from the packaging to the pay off. The highlighter itself is in a beautiful swirly pattern which can  be hard to pick product up from a small fan brush but a medium size brush means there is no issue. It gives off a really healthy golden sheer glow.

Detest – I brought the MUA Luxe Highlight Shimmer Stick which you are meant to apply directly onto the areas you want to highlight under or over your foundation (dependent how bold you want your highlight) and blend out. Superdrug describe this as easily blendable which I really don’t agree with. I think it stays pretty much where you put it and within an hour or so of application it dries up and goes extremely patchy. I’ve actually thrown this away now as I got so frustrated with it every time I tried to use it.

MAC

Now I really do still love MAC, I know it’s a dying fad as everyone used to go crazy for the brand but I really do still love the stuff, I recently got one of their x9 palettes in Burgundy and I love it.

Obsessed – Now this is my definition of obsessed! The Russian Red Matte lipstick is literally my all time favourite makeup product. If I had to bin my entire collection tomorrow and could only keep one product it would be this lipstick, I think I’m on my 6th one? and it’s nearly gone. The formula is lovely not too drying but completely matte with such an even finish. The colour is to die for and it lasts so well.

Detest – The MAC mascaras are so good I love how long and fluttery they make my lashes, however, the first one I ever brought left horrible stringy bits of mascara in my eye. I thought it could just be a faulty one or the type so I tried another which did the same thing so I stopped using them all together. When I got a palette from them they sent a tester of a mascara that I hadn’t tried, this also did the same thing. I’ve spent a while thinking it was just me but I have tried so many mascaras and never had this problem. Has anyone else found this with MAC mascara?

Collection

I have some staples in my makeup collection from this brand and I do think it is one of the best high street brands there is.

Obsessed – The Lasting Perfection Concealer is my favourite concealer ever I haven’t found anything better but I am up for recommendations high end or high street! I just think it blends so well, has full coverage and really brightens which is everything I want in a concealer.

Detest – Now, I do really like some of the Velvet Kiss Lip Creams from Collection but the shade Mulberry which is a really dark plum colour dries patchy and is, quite frankly, an absoloute pain in the arse to re-apply throughout the day. I have completely given up on this as a lip product however it has found a new use as a eyeliner which I love. I’ve included a picture but please excuse my unruly eyebrows!

New Look

I’ve never really tried clothing store make-up as it just seemed odd to me that it could be any good. However I had heard some good things about New Looks new collection. My boyfriend brought me a voucher for Christmas and since I already have more clothes than I think I could ever wear I decided to try it out.

Obsessed – Matte Liquid Lipstick in the shade Stone. This is a beautiful grey shade with a slight brown tinge to it in some lights. The staying power is amazing and I really like the gold lid packaging. I honestly will be getting more colours from this collection because I am in love with this formula. I can’t link it as it is the only colour not coming up on the website!

Detest – I picked up a Erase Eye Makeup Remover. It’s one of those where there are two liquids that don’t mix. Now, when I say this burned my skin, I don’t mean that it stung me I mean it BURNED my skin and made it really puffy after. I could possibly have had a reaction to it but this has happened every time I tried it and I haven’t been allergic to a facial product before so be careful if you try this!

So.. Let me know if you loved or hated any of these products and if you would like to see more of this type of post in future!

Kisses

LeaLou xo