Playing with Palettes!

Well today has certainly lived up to the Sunday expectation of a 'lazy day'. I have spent the morning watching beauty videos on YouTube and I stumbled across an old video from Pixiwoo doing an Adriana Lima inspired make-up tutorial. Nic used the Sleek Storm palette and it gave me an idea to follow her steps but use the colours from my different palettes.

Top: L-R Urban Decay Naked 2 palette, Sleek Storm palette (or what is left of it ha ha!) Bottom: L-R MUA Undressed palette, MUA Heaven and Earth palette

To create this look I used a light shimmery champagne colour all over my lid, with a dark brown smudged in at the lashes and blended upwards. I then used a black to line my top lashline and underneath the bottom lashes - which I blended out. I used a gold colour just in the centre of my lid. I wanted to keep it quite natural and complementary of the rest of my make-up, so I just used mascara and the new Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof  Kohl liner in 005 Nude on the waterline - no black liquid liner.

I wanted my skin to look fresh and healthy, so I used my Estee Lauder bronzer through the back of my cheeks, a pinky-peachy Max Factor creme blush on the apples of my cheeks and then I used my 17 Shimmer Brick to highlight. I used the Urban Decay lipgloss that comes with the palette on my lips.

Avon Ideal Flawless foundation in Ivory, Lancome Fluide Illuminateur, Bourjois 1001 Lashes, VIVO Brow and Eye Kit, Max Factor Miracle Touch Creamy Blush in Soft Pink, Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof  Kohl liner in 005 Nude, Urban Decay Primer Potion, Collection Illuminating Touch concealer in 2 Natural, Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess, 17 Shimmer Brick, Urban Decay lipgloss in Naked, Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Translucent.

I love this make-up as there are so many neutral palettes and eyeshadows out there - you really can 'take your pick' and create a look with different products but still end up with the same result.

Love, Juliette xo

FOTD & OOTD - family party edition!

So my cousin is over from Australia and I haven't seen him in over 4 years! My auntie organised a big family party as it is also her birthday today and invited everyone around to her house. It has been lovely to not only see my cousin but to see distant relatives and catch up. I thought I would do a quick post showing my FOTD and what I am wearing.

Naked 2 palette eyeshadow colours in Bootycall, Suspect and Pistol, Urban Decay Primer Potion, Avon Ideal Flawless foundation in Ivory, MAC Studio Finish concealer in NW20, MAC Pro Sculpting Cream in Naturally Defined, VIVO Brow and Eye Kit, Bourjois 1001 Lashes mascara in black, Natural Collection Liquid liner in black, MAC Creme Blush in Posey, Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Translucent, Avon Ultra Colour Rich lipstick in Apricot Mystery.

Earrings from Topshop

 



Excuse my darling dog - she wanted to get in on the action! Top from Topshop, Leigh jeans from Topshop, Leopard print shoes from Primark, necklace from Dorothy Perkins.

 

 

I have had such a lovely day and I've been busy organising my trip to Australia next year. Life is on the up! I'm going to another auntie's house tomorrow to see her new little Persian kitten so I'm sure I will have a post dedicated to such a little bundle of joy :D

 

Love, Juliette xo



Back with a bang?... & a FOTD!

Hello my lovelies! So as you have probably guessed from the lack of posts in the last few weeks, that I have had a lot on my plate. I have had a couple of issues recently with my boyfriend. I mean, EX-boyfriend. Yes, we split up and it had come as such a huge shock that I haven't really felt like doing anything. Eating. Having fun. I've just moped and cried. It just feels like a huge part of me is missing (we were together just over 2 years!!). 

But I feel like today has been the first day where I've felt like doing something productive and I think it's the first signs of moving on. I'm not going to go into details of what happened as I will starting blubbering again and then I'll be back to square one, so I think it's best if we crack on about make-up!

The weather has been lovely these past couple of days and my mum had seized the opportunity and organised a BBQ for this afternoon. I felt like I wanted to get ready and make an effort but I wanted my make-up to be quick and simple, and still quite summery considering it's September.

(Excuse my spotty skin and heavy bags - all of the effects of a break up!)

This photo seems pretty product heavy when actually it was simple make-up:

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream in light (it was a sample), Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Light, Natural Collection Blush in Pink Cloud, Urban Decay Primer Potion, MUA Gel Eyeliner in Underground, VIVO Brow and Eye Kit, MUA Mosaic Bronzer in Shade 2, Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Translucent, Bourjois 1001 Lashes mascara in Black, Maybelline Dream Mousse Eyecolor in Caramel Karma, 17 Instant Glow Shimmer Brick, Barry M Lipstick in 147 and MAC MSF in Rose Quartz.

Woaah. It sounds like a lot ha! But after using my Mousse eyeshadow all over the lid, I used my shimmer brick (the 2nd and 4th shades) just on the outside corners and under my lower lashline. I used my beautiful new MSF as a highlight on the tops of my cheekbones and my gel eyeliner just to define and add thickness to my lashes. All of the other products are staples which I use on a day to day basis, and I am so glad I swapped my foundation for a BB cream sample... so far so good! I may just have to pop into town tomorrow to buy the real thing!

Well I'm taking each day as it comes, so God knows what I may be like tomorrow! Hopefully, onwards and upwards.

Love, Juliette xo

FOTD & a cheeky OOTD

I thougth I would do a quick FOTD/OOTD for you all as I'm going to a BBQ later (despite the rain!). I posted a picture on instagram earlier this morning of today's make-up but I've decided to make a slight alteration.

This photo only shows some of the products I used but here is the full list:

MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NW25, Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Light, MUA Mosaic Bronzer in Shade 2, Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Translucent, Natural Collection Blush in Peach Melba, MUA Gel Eyeliner in Underground, VIVO Brow and Eye Kit, Urban Decay Primer Potion and No7 Fanomenal Lashes.

I was opting for a red lip (MUA Lipstick in Shade 13), but I thought that I would go for a coral lip instead as we are off to a BBQ and it's slightly more casual.

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Fashion City and Collection 2000 Cream Puff in Fairy Cake

Top from Topshop, leggings from H&M, shoes from Primark, necklace from Dorothy Perkins, cone shaped bracelet from Topshop, coil ring from Miss Selfridge, green ring from Miss Selfridge and my bag from Zara

I really hope it doesn't rain later! I will go armed with my leather jacket just in case ha. I hope you all enjoy your Saturday nights :)

Love, Juliette xo

VIVO Ultimate Brow and Eye Kit review!

I have heard quite a lot of good things about this product, so the other Friday, me and my mum popped down to our local Tesco to investigate the VIVO stand. For my eyebrows, I usually use a Clinique eyeshadow and a clear MUA mascara as a brow set. Least to say, the clear mascara didn't live up to the expectations of holding them in place all day long, but for only £1, there was nothing to lose. I have quite thick brows, and they only really need filling in towards the ends as they are lighter. 

This kit is classed as a 'Brow and Eye Kit' so is very multi-purpose as it can be used as eyeshadows too - it claims to 'add contour and definition to frame eyes perfectly for a professional look'. It comes with 3 matte shades: a pale sandy shade, a light brown and a dark brown. It also includes a brow gel and a small double-ended brush (which I have thrown away as they are always rubbish ha). 

I use the darkest shade to softly brush through my brows with my angled Sephora Brow Brush, concentrating mainly on the ends. I find that this colour matches my natural brow colour better than the middle colour which has an orange undertone, and left my brows looking slightly ginger at the ends! The brow gel forces all of the hairs into place and they honestly don't move! It leaves quite a hard finish, but I personally don't mind it as it means that they aren't going to move throughout the day, which they don't. 


For £5, you cannot go wrong with this product. I haven't used the shades as eyeshadows yet, as I prefer eyeshadows with a bit of shimmer so they aren't quite up my street!  I haven't felt the need to touch-up my brows or even check that they aren't unruly and wild because the gel sets them like concrete. I advise you to get down to your nearest Tesco's and buy this little secret weapon - you won't regret it!


Love, Juliette xo

What's in my make-up bag??

My make-up bag is always full to the rafters and contains many of my 'staple' products. It always includes a couple of variations (eye products especially) as I'm always on the move whether it be to college or to work and I don't have time to be swapping or changing products. My make-up bag is just a cheapie from Primark and is the perfect size to fit in any of my handbags.

Face:

MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NW25, Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer, VIVO Compact Powder in Soft Vanilla, Real Techniques Stippling Brush, and a MAC 224.

These products are the staples of my everyday make-up. I don't really tend to switch up my foundation as the Studio Fix is my summer go-to as I am more tanned. 

Eyes and eyebrows:

VIVO Ultimate Brow and Eye Kit, Sephora Brow brush, VIVO Eye Liner in black, No7 Fanomenal Lashes 

in black, Natural Collection Liquid Eye Lines in black and MUA Heaven and Earth eyeshadow palette. 

I like to keep my options open when it comes to my eye make-up as I can never make my mind up whether I fancy a winged liner look or just a simple smokey eye. I don't carry my MUA palette around with me, but it always has a place next to my make-up bag so it can be easily grabbed. If I am wearing a neutral/shimmery eyeshadow that day, it will either be one from the palette or MAC All That Glitters which I just pop in. 

Cheeks:

Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer in shade 51, MUA Blusher Shade 1, 17 Instant Glow Shimmer Brick, Marks and Spencer Sculpt & shade brush and a QVS blusher brush.

I usually go between the Chocolate Bronzer or Estée Lauder's Bronze Goddess Soft Matte Bronzer which has a gorgeous shimmer to it. I prefer the Bourjois bronzer for contouring and the other for  warming up my skin and giving it that sun-kissed glow. The MUA blusher was an impulse buy that only cost £1 but I cannot believe the quality of it! Brilliant pigmentation! I tend to use the highlighter on sunnier days (which are a rarity in Britain) as again it give a healthy glow to my cheekbones. 

Lips:

Carmex Cherry lip balm, Estée Lauder Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in Crystal Baby and No7 Perfect Lips Pencil in 20 Nude.

I tend to go through phases of different lipsticks depending on the colour and the rest of my make-up that day, so I just pop my choice in my bag - it differs from day to day. At the minute, I'm loving Crystal Baby which is a subtle, nudey pink. If I want a little more definition around my lips I softly draw around the edges with the No7 lip pencil.

Anyway, these are my favourite products that have the joy to live in my make-up bag. Nothing really drastically changes apart from my lipstick and eye products and maybe my blusher. Also it all depends on the weather! If it's sunny then I love to have a bronze smokey eye and a glowy face, but in the winter I love rosy cheeks and dark lips. 

I hope you all had a lovely weekend.

Love, Juliette xo

Birthday haul!

So let's start it off with a bang! I turned 17 last week so I thought I would do a birthday haul post as I love all of the things that I have purchased! I mainly got money to contribute towards driving lessons but I'm quite glad that I have had quite a limited spending money fund so I could buy things that have been on my 'must have wish-list' for quite a while!

I had several trips to Debenhams and Boots and came away with lots of goodies! The top left box shows the much hyped about Real Techniques Stippling Brush, MUA Blusher in Shade 1, VIVO Ultimate Brow and Eye Kit, MAC Casual Colour in Lazy Sunday, MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NW25 and Estée Lauder Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in Crystal Baby. I cannot begin to tell you how long I have waited to re-purchase Crystal Baby as it has to be one of my favourite lipsticks! I'm still in the process of road-testing the Studio Fix and Stippling Brush together, and so far I am very impressed!

There is quite a story behind the Lazy Sunday Lip & Cheek Colour as I went to MAC hoping to get the So Sweet, So Easy creme blush which they had ran out of. But they lovely lady managed to twist my leg into buying Lazy Sunday - it turns out there is double the product compared to the creme blush but is exactly the same price! I was sold!

I also bought the Umberto Giannini Grunge Glamour Tousled Salt Spray which actually smells beautiful! I've sprayed it into damp hair and then scrunched it, shoved it up in a messy bun and then slept on it - works a treat! 

I then rummaged through the Topshop sale and found these gorgeous wooden cross earrings which with my student discount came to £2.25! Bargain! I literally cannot stop wearing them.

After seeing these shoes all over Instagram and realising how cool they are, I've ended up having my eye on them for ages. They are the comfiest shoes I probably own and I haven't been able to stop wearing them. The only downside is that I have to be careful when I put my feet together otherwise I end up spiking myself!

Last but not least, I bought some cheapie sunglasses from H&M as I fancied a change from my usual aviator style sunnies! They are so comfortable, and really good quality to say they were only £4! 

So that is everything that I bought with my birthday money and my first proper post! I love everything and I'm so glad my money went to items that have took my fancy for a long time as opposed to splurging on pointless things haha! 

Love, Juliette xo