Weightloss your way

Starting Off: Tools



Hello beauties :) I hope your all well and having an amazing week so far.

Welcome to the final edition of the starting off project, I cannot believe it’s the 10th week already. I would like to thank you all for sticking with me over the past 10 weeks, I have thoroughly enjoyed chatting with you all about the subjects and exchanging some tips and tricks. So thanks again to Steph for creating the Starting off Project.

This week’s post is all about Tools, so I thought I could use this post as a kind of a refresh and show you the tools I recommend you use for each of the products. I don't actually apply my makeup in the order of the posts, so I'm going to change it up a little. Id also like to apologise for the poor pictures. Due to my manic but amazing weekend in London, I took these on the train home in a mad rush *slaps wrist* I promise ill get more organised.

Back in week one I showed you the products I like to use in my skincare routine. I don’t use any flashy tools, but I do think there is one thing that is super important for making sure you treat your skin with the care it deserves and that’s good quality cotton pads. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t go out and spend a fortune on cotton pads because they just go in the bin, but from experience you need to ensure they are soft and have the ability to absorb some product.
I like to use these from boots, they are cushioned, soft and sweep across the skin like a dream. You don’t want to be scoring your face as you try to remove makeup, which believe me can happen. I once bought a pack of pads and they were literally like kitchen scourers haha. Needless to say, they went in the nail varnish draw J

I actually start my routine with foundation, then whatever isn't covered, correct with concealer. The brush I use for foundation is the Real Techniques buffing brush. I think it’s amazing. It leaves my foundation looking flawless and I also think it makes the foundation go further.


Sometimes, depending on the foundation I’m using, I will also use my Beauty Blender. This product is just brilliant, it works the foundation into the skin perfectly and leaves you with a beautiful natural look.


Next up was concealer. As you probably know, a lot of concealers come with an applicator, however for me, I like to use a brush for concealing under my eyes. I think you can be a lot gentler with that delicate skin when using a brush. I like to use the Real Techniques Contour Brush it’s perfect for that small area and really buffs the concealer into the skin.

Now let’s brighten up the complexion with some Bronzer. I don’t think you can really go wrong with a large fluffy brush. I like to use this one, I have no idea where it was from but was probably really cheap. But hey.. It does the trick J

Were now ready for blusher. I think this is again down to personal preference. I use a mac 150 but to be honest, that’s only because I bought it before I really got into makeup. It’s a really great brush but I think you could get away with one a lot less pricey.


Next I apply my eyeshadow. I have a lot of brushes which are all shapes and sizes which I think is useful, you could probably pick up a set for no more than a tenner and they will be perfect for practicing. The one brush I would highly recommend though is the MAC 217 brush. It is honestly a must. You can use it for so many looks and I don’t know another brush that blends like it. I love this brush so much, I’m considering buying a second so that I always have a clean one J

Now for some eyeliner, when using a pen or pencil eyeliner I don’t use an applicator, for obvious reasons, and I’m not the biggest fan of gel liner so unfortunately I didn't have one with me on my trip to snap a picture, when I do use gel liner I use a standard firm angled brush that came in a set I brought yonks’ ago.

Then were onto mascara, which of course I don’t use an applicator for. However, the one tool that can drastically make a difference, especially if you have quite straight lashes is an eyelash curler. I have this one which I got in a Birch box a few months back, its really great.


To finish of my look I then pick the perfect lipstick/gloss. However I only ever use the applicator or my finger for this. And that’s it for the tools I use, here is the finished look J


I really hope you've all enjoyed my posts over the past 10 weeks as much as I've enjoyed making them. 

Join in the conversation on twitter using the hashtag #theSOproject.

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Fashion Haul - New Look, F&F & TK Maxx

Hello again beauties,

Today I've got my first haul for you, this is some of the things I've picked up over the past month or so. I though I'd share with you so you can get some ideas and grab a bargain too :)

Clothing




So as you have all probably seen, tartan has fast become one of the biggest trends this season. I'm a little reserved when it comes to my style, but I do like to incorporate the trends where possible. I got this scarf from New Look I think this is just perfect for anyone, like me that wants to incorporate the tartan trend, but isn't daring enough to go with a bold print dress or leggings :)

I'm also wearing this pleather jacket which I recently bought from TK Maxx I love the biker feel to this as well as the shape and length.




I also got this gorgeous jacket from New Look. it was one of those HAVE TO HAVE purchases. I just fell in love. i think its a really gorgeous jacket and can really spruce up a plain outfit.



I got this cardigan form Tesco F&F for an absolute bargain of £7. I love the slouched look of this, that gives it that laid back casual vibe. I'ts super soft too :)


Its so easy to just throw on a cardigan on those slouchy days but they can also really add to an outfit. I really like this grey one as, even though its quite casual, its also structured and has some shape to it.

 

Its so difficult when you work in an office to find clothes to wear all the time, so when I see an offer at places like Tesco's I'm like a mad one on the prowl for some cheap and cheerful work dresses. This one was great for me as its long, and on a normal person would probably be a midi dress, but on me its just the appropriate length for the office :) I love the pattern too!!


Finally for clothing I got this shirt, also from F&F. I love the shape of this and will definitely be looking out for more tops with this neckline. I love that this is longer at the front. It makes me feel super comfortable. I love the gold button detailing and the whole fit in general.

That's all the sophisticated photos for one day haha ... we were messing around with my dads camera and these were the best shots I got of the last clothing item in this haul!! I can only offer my apologies for the no make-up and the crazy faces, but I had to include them as I just loved this top. Again, from New Look. I thought this was a lovely and casual and I love wearing it with a nice long necklace on those days I cant really be bothered :) its my safe option ...













Shoes/Boots

Something you will come to learn about me as you read my blog more and more is that I have a really unhealthy obsession with shoes. I am one to really appreciate a good shoe *face palm* sad I know. as I'm getting older I'm starting to embrace my tall frame and have started to venture more into heels as you will see ...


These boots, were a recent MUST from TK Maxx. as you probably know, it can be little hit and miss in there, sometimes you could buy the whole shop and other times its just ... mehh. on this occasion it was like the angles started to sing and the lights were sparkling around these, there was nothing going to get in the way of me and them. I literally charged towards them like Homer to a doughnut :) these were a bargain at £19.98 and I understand they might not be everyone's cup of tea but they are just sooo me. I couldn't find them on there website but I did find them on eBay here

like I've said above, I really love to follow the trends but sometimes no matter how hard you try something's just wont suit you, I have this with the oh so trendy chelsea boot. They just look odd on me. So these being a heeled chelsea boot, they are on trend but also look 'normal' on me, if you get my jist!! 


 Next up and also from F&F are these lovely shoes. I think they are super pretty and are a colour that you don't see often but surprisingly goes with a lot.




These black wedge court shoes were a replacement to a New Look pair I had worn to death. I'm a bit weird when it comes to heels as I wont wear massive 6 inchers because of my height but find too low heels look funny on me, so these were a must have when I saw them. All be it I wore my first pair once and the puppy chewed them up. but hey, you win some you lose some. fortunately my lovely mom treated me to a new pair as I was so distraught :)

These patent black flats were from a recent TK Maxx online order. I didn't even know they had the facility to order online, so I was sooooo happy when I discovered it. I got these as an add on to get free delivery haha but I really like them and they are perfect for lazy days at the office where I'm not feeling a heel.

 


I love these tan cut out boots, again from TK Maxx. at £24.99 I thought they were a bargain, as well as being really 'in' this autumn with the cut out and gold plate detailing.


These are my FAVORITE purchase this year. These babies were such a bargain from TK Maxx they are Kurt Geiger and were down from £130 to £60. I think they are gorgeous and they are so comfortable.


I got these black court shoes from New Look. these are perfect go to shoes if your working in an office. They go with pretty much anything and the platform makes then really comfy.


Finally these shoes were also from New Look, I think they are a gorgeous style and I love the tan with navy as I'm always adding brown accessories with my navy dresses ahhh I just love them :)

So there we have my recent fashion purchases :) I hope you have liked this post and found some inspiration from the things I've got for AW13.

Let me know in the comments below which trend your loving this season?

chow for now :)

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Starting off: Lipstick/gloss




So it’s the penultimate post for the starting off project, the past 8 weeks have been so much fun, I've really enjoyed talking about all the subjects and discussing it with all the other bloggers that have been involved. I hope we have helped some of you in some way, I know I've got some great tips.

This week’s post subject is lipstick/gloss. Since applying lipstick is pretty self-explanatory I thought I'd run through some of the things I've learnt about choosing the right lip product for you. As well as sharing some of my favorites.

As always if you've missed any of my previous starting off posts, you can check them out here:










So lets get into all things lip related...

There are so many different lip products on the market these days, it can sometimes be a little daunting. I think for anyone starting out there are few things that can help narrow down your choices.

Type
 
Lipstick - usually of a creme consistency, you can get very glossy, sheer or matte finish. I would also put crayon style lip products in this category.

Lip Gloss - I'm not a massive fan of lip gloss as I find the wet like texture uncomfortable, but the types I know of are pretty much sparkly and shiny.

Lip Stain - I love a good lip stain. Great for a lip that will last and also great as a base on a night out. I like pen forms, as I find the liquid style can sometimes leak and stain the skin. Some can be a little drying but I have one which ill talk about which is amazing :)

Lip Liner - I rarely use lip liner, but its great when your going for a bold lip to make sure it doesn't leak. You can also make the lips appear fuller using a lip liner.
 
Finish
 
Dependant on the look you are going for, could dictate which lip product will be best for you.
 
Do you want you lipstick to last a while without the need to re apply? If so your probably best with a matte lipstick and liner or a stain.
 
Maybe you want a high shine look, then you'll be best with a gloss or sheer lipstick which will need to be re-applied more often.
 
Colour
 
Or you could be like me, don't care about all of that you just like a colour and get it :)
 
I do this... to a certain extent. however, I know there are certain colours that I just cant pull off like very cool nudes.
 
Like I've mentioned in other posts, all things make-up, are really all about experimenting. especially when it comes to colours and the style you go for.

Find which tones suit you best and go wild with them :)
 
Favorites
 
So lets talk about some of my favourite products
 
Lipstick
 
 
Lancôme Rouge In Love  |  Rimmel 880 Rose Passion |  L'occitaine Pivoine Flora  |  Mac 'Relentlessly red'
 
Above are my go to lipsticks. If I wear anything else, I'm feeling adventurous :) lets talk about my top 2 in more detail...
 
Lancôme Rouge in Love - This was the first high end lipstick I ever purchased. I was so happy with myself haha. But honestly its been so worth it, you can see its well loved. I tend to wear this as an everyday lipstick. It goes greats with all sorts of looks and is the perfect nude for anyone, like me, that doesn't suit the really pale nudes.
 
 
L'occitaine Pivoine Flora - This lipstick is just beautiful. I picked this up on a trip to Bicester Village. If you've never been, its an amazing outlet of high end stores at discounted rates. I got this on a whim and wish I'd bought more because I love it so much. Red is a really hard colour to pull off, but I think anyone could pull this off. The quality of it is also amazing. If you ever see a L'occitaine lipstick in a colour you like, I'd definitely recommend. Unfortunately I cant find this colour anywhere, so I cant share a link :(


 
Lip Liner
 
I don't really use liner much, I've just never loved how it looked on me, however this one is really great. Its an Avon Glimmer stick liner in pink bouquet and when I'm going for a fuller look, or just want my lippy to last all night, this is great. Its in a screw stick so you have to be careful to use at an angle so not to make it blunt, but apart from that I think its a really well made product. The texture is matte and really lasts.
 

 
Lip Stain
 
Lip stain is great for days you need your lipstick to last as long as possible. This Maybelline Colour Sensational stain in 480 shy red is so good. I love that its in the pen form as I'm not really a fan of the liquid style stains. I can apply this in the morning, and it will last to about 3pm it seems to stay around the line of the lip more but I don't mind that too much. And the best thing.. it doesn't dry out your lips :) Overall I love this and the colours are a really nice selection.
 
 
Below is the colour of this stain when applied...
 
 
This is after a good few wipes with a face wipe just to show you its staying power.
 
 
Lip Gloss
 
Finally its lip gloss, which again I'm not a huge fan off except for this one... Vinyl Gloss by Rimmel in 550 love sick. I wear this quite a lot when I'm going for a natural look, its not at all sticky and also isn't to wet (we all know that feeling). Its just right and actually leaves your lips feeling very soft :)
 


And that's it :) we've covered the basics of make-up... next weeks post will be all about the tools you can use to apply make-up so be sure to follow me on Bloglovin or GFC to be notified when that post goes up.
 
I really have enjoyed the past 9 weeks and I hope you have found the tips I've shared useful.
 
Whats your favourite lip product? let me know in the comments below as well as your links is your also part of The Starting Off Project.
 
On twitter? join in the conversation using the hashtag #theSOproject
 
Until next time... have an awesome rest of your day/evening :)
 
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HOTD: Bubble braid tutorial with plaits

Hello beauts :)

Today I thought I’d share with you a hair style I've been loving recently. When my hairs not doing what I want it to, it’s a little greasy or my outfit looks better with an up do, this quick and easy style is great. If, like me your layers are to short for a side plait this is brilliant.



So here's how I did it:
  • As you can see I've added a little plait at the front of this look, I literately plaited my front section of hair and pined this back
  • Next I french plaited my hair on the other side, as my layers would fall out if I didn't

  • With the French plait held in your hand, grab the rest of your hair, bring it round to the side and secure with an elastic band *don't pull this tight*
  • push your index finger behind the elastic to separate into 2, now flip your pony up and through that hole you've created. pull all the hair through and pull tight. it should look something like the below...

  • Now using some clear elastic bands, secure one around every 3 inches down the ponytail. I've used coloured bands in the below, just to show you :)



  • Using the same method as when we secured the pony, we are going to separate the section into two.


  • Then were going to loop the pony up and through this hole and pull to secure. you'll end up with this ...

  • Continue this down the ponytail until you cannot fit anymore... and your done
  • you can also pull on the sections to make them a little fuller or messier if like me, you prefer that look.


I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial, its really difficult to explain with out telling you so I apologise if you found it very confusing :)

Do you like hair tutorials? want to see more?

Let me know in the comments below

Thanks for reading lovelies


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Starting Off: Eyeshadow



Hello Beauties :)

Welcome back to week 8 of The Starting Off Project, which is all about eyeshadow :) 

This is probably going to be my favourite of all posts, because I lurrve me some eyeshadow. I think it’s the product that you can really be creative with when doing make-up and I’m really excited to share with you some of my favourite eyeshadows and some of different looks I like to create.

As always, if you've missed any of my previous posts you can check them out through the below links:









For the format of this post I thought id firstly talk about my favourite eyeshadows, before showing you a few of the things you can do to create looks. each step for the first will be a separate look in itself followed by the typical smokey eye :)

Eyeshadows

Of all the eyeshadows I own, my favorite is hands down the Urban Decay Naked palette. The colours in it are great for any neutral lovers like me. This is the palette I take away with me or grab when I have little inspiration. I have set looks that I go to like using Hustle and Toasted or Buck and Virgin.

Sleek palettes are also amazingly pigmented and last forever, I especially love the Storm palette, its got some amazing neutral shades as well as some glitzy colours too.

Pretty much all the shadows I use are powder formula as I find then the easiest to work with.

Block Lid



As you can see from the above picture, this is what it says on the tin, a block colour across the lid.

I used Hustle from the Naked Palette, this is really lovely as a day time look, add a little eyeliner and maybe some glitter and it would look gorgeous on a night out.

I'm definitely more of neutral kind of girl but I sometimes love a pop of colour.

The below pic shows how you can add some colour to a bold lid and make the eyes stand out even more. I used this lovely blue from the Sleek Sunset palette.


To make this look more dramatic I then added some creep from the Naked palette to the entire crease and blended this out.


To add some dimension to the look, you can also add a lighter colour to the middle of the lid. I used Sin (Naked again :) told you I loved it haha)


I think eyeshadow is really down to personal preference, so experiment with it :) here's the final look



Smokey eye

Then there's of course the smokey eye, who doesn't love a good smokey eye :) again experiment with the colours to find what suits you best, for me browns and creams suit me better than black and whites.

I like to start off with the lightest colour, for this look I used The naked pallet.

The first colour is Virgin. I apply this to the inner corner of my eye on both the top and bottom.

*Quick tip* - do this when your feeling super tired. it will really brighten your eyes and make you look like you've had your 8 hours :)


Next I'm using Buck, and blending this from where I applied Virgin to the outer corner.

For a more dramatic look you can blend this up towards the eyebrow.

Remember though - less is more. You can always add to it so don't apply to much. I also like to run this along the lower lash line.


Finally I'm using Darkhorse in the outer corner to really deepen the look.

Keep adding to this until your happy, again add this across the lower lash line.



That's it, were done :) The biggest thing to remember with a smokey eye is blending.

You can't go wrong as long as there is no harsh lines.

Add some mascara and maybe liner if your going for a deep look and your good to go.


Practice makes perfect with eyeshadow; it’s a form of art I think. When you find the right colours for you and become comfortable in your abilities you will rock :)

I hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of the starting off project, please leave me a comment if you did and let me know your favourite shadow at the minute.

Are you part of the starting off project? If so, leave your link below for me to check out and don’t forget to join in the conversation on twitter using the hashtag #theSOproject :)

Thanks for reading beauts...xxx

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