Stocking Fillers: Maybelline Pure Enhancement Set!

Hey Beauty Lovers! Maybelline Pure Enhancement set would be a great gift idea for a teenage girl who loves makeup, or it could be just separated into cute little stocking fillers. This box is filled with five products worth £25 and you get it for only £19.99, so that would save you a few quid. In this set you get Baby Lips Lip Balm in Hydrate [a clear]; Brow Drama Sculpting Brow Mascara in Dark Brown; Mega Plush Mascara in Very Black; Color Show Nail Lacquer in 77 Nebline [cream pink]; and Dream Touch Blush in 06 Berry [pretty shimmery berry shade].

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Inspired by Lisa Eldridge's Modern 'Baby Bardot' Makeup Look!

Hey beauties, I hope you had a lovely Bank Holiday Weekend and enjoyed the springy weather we finally had in London, although I am not sure what you are supposed to call the season we are in, as it is the end of spring and we only had a handful of lovely springy days yet it is too cold to start calling it the summer, hey hoe! I just came across these images, and realised I totally forgot to do a blogpost on this look! This look was inspired by the Modern 'Baby Bardot' Makeup look Lisa Eldridge has done a tutorial on, if you want to see how she created the original look click here! I instagrammed a pic of this look and it was super exciting when Lisa Eldridge herself liked it!! I love Brigitte Bardot and her iconic make-up so of course I adore this look, it's perfect for the Spring and Summer!

So the products I have used on the Eyes: MAC Paint Pot in Nubile as a base, the lightest eyeshadow shade from the Chanel Les 4 Ombres palette in 42 Seduction all over the lid, MAC Wedge and Cork mixed just in the crease-line, Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Liner in 01 Black, and Ardell Individual Lashes in medium length just in the middle and outside-corner. On the Lips: I have firstly lined Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Lip Pencil in 08 Spice making sure to draw the line thickly and then blending the edges with a lip brush filling in the rest of the lips to get that gradual faded effect, and on top I applied my all time favourite matte nude lipstick, which is Revlon Super Lustrous Matte Lipstick in 001 Nude Attitude. This lipstick is super flattering, although it's nude it has that mildly detectable pearlescence to it which gives you that seductive Brigitte Bardot lip!

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A Quick & Chic Matte Bright Lip Look with Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet!

This is one of my quick looks, when I don't have much time to spear but would like to look nonetheless well put together I slap on a bright lip and keep the eye basic. For the eye make-up I used the MAC Paint Pot in Nubile as a base, and then all over the lid I applied a touch of the lightest eyeshadow shade from the Chanel Les 4 Ombres palette in 42 Seduction [from the Spring 2013 Collection]. And for a sharp classic winged eyeliner I love the Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in 01 Black. This eye look is very quick and easy to create! 

As for the lipstick I went for the chic matte pop of pink colour, which is a more fresh alternative to the classic read and perfect for spring/summer. Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in 42 L'Eclatante is also from the Spring 2013 Collection, so snap it up before it goes. It's one of those click and pop lipsticks, beautiful packaging as always and the shade is utterly pretty!

LOVE

SS13 Beauty Trend: Über Bright Lip - MAC Candy Yum Yum!

I don't know what took me so long to get MAC Candy Yum Yum, but I finally did! It's the fun-est lipstick shade I have added to my MAC lipstick collection, it is also the brightest. Candy Yum Yum is a matte hot pink, almost as bright as a glow-stick! And yes it is a very daring hot pink, I slowly worked myself up the brightness ladder with Maybelline ColorSensational lipstick in 902 Fuchsia Flash, which is also a hot pink but more toned down. To be honest I didn't wear pink lipsticks until very recently, but I wore plenty bright shades [reds and oranges], and now I adore a nice hot pink lip!

Although hot pink lipsticks are really daring, some shades can be very trendy and fresh looking, Candy Yum Yum is a great example - it really brightens up my eyes and makes them pop, which I adore! I love wearing it with the Dior Rosy Glow blush in Petals, which is also a fantastic fresh pink shade that really lifts the face and makes you look super rested and youthful! I have done a full review on Dior Rosy Glow blush, so click here to read it.

LOVE

SS13 Beauty Trend: Flawless Skin and Bright Lip!

Maybeline ColorSensational Lipstick in 912 Electric Orange

As you have noticed last month was mainly about skincare, but this month there will be a lot more beauty looks, starting with... It's not very often that I enjoy wearing a bare eye make-up look, but in this case it's with the bright lip so I can manage! This type of look would be great for a beach or on a very hot and sunny summer day with a bit of tan... It was inspired by one of the SS13 beauty trends... The flawless skin with a bright lip trend encapsulates a bare and natural looking face mostly highlighted, keeping everything else pretty pale making the bright lip pop... 

This trend is not for everyone, as are most of the beauty trends! You have to remember that a teenage girl's [the model] skin is already pretty flawless to start of with... Most of us do not look like runway models - so the beauty trends have to be personalised to your own skin type and complexion... On me bare eyes don't look great, my eyes look small when undefined, equally pale skin with no bronzer or blush looks absolutely awful on me... So just have a good look at your face and try to bring out your best qualities and don't do something just because it's on trend!

On my eyes I used MAC Paint Pot in Nubile and MAC Eyeshadow in Naked Lunch over it... In my waterline I applied The Body Shop Eye Definer in Moonstone to brighten up the eyes even more... The face I kept quite highlighted but definitely adding warmth with the bronzer... I used Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc in Golden Mosaic, blending the darkest and the golden shade for contouring, then the darkest with the bronze as a blush, and the golden with the lightest as a highlighter - I mentioned this quite a few times before but I absolutely love this bronzer - you can blend different shades to create whatever you want or feel like! 

And on the lips of course I used my beloved Maybelline ColorSensational lipstick in 912 Electric Orange! They are a must-have this Spring\Summer!! I just adore the super bright pigmentation, the beautiful colour selection and how moisturising they feel! For more shades and my full review click here! 

LOVE

SS13 Hair Trend: Braided Knot!

On the lips: wearing the Maybelline ColorSensational lipstick in 902 Fuchsia Flash
Absolutely in love with these babies! To read my full review and swatches click here!

This is really two hairstyle trends combined - braids and knots as seen on the runway... Knots were tied at Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Givenchy and Paul Smith, creating a sleek and chic look... At Balmain, Marchesa, and Jason Wu models rocked a variety of braids, from sophisticated to more structured and elaborate hairdos... It's the new fresh way to wear a basic bun, which I absolutely adore... Braids are such a walk down the memory lane, right back to your childhood, no girl managed to avoid a cute braid.. Back then it was hard to sit still while your mom was trying to create the most pristine and perfect braid in existence... I wonder if there was some sort of braid-making contest between mothers in the 80s?

But what I love about modern hairdos is that they can be as messy as you like, I never was a huge fan of perfect sleek hair... I prefer texture and character... And these trends give you the freedom to go creative... I've seen some pretty complicated braided hairstyles which I attempted to replicate, no chance... So this is a very simple and quick way to freshen up your old bun and inject some chicness! Firstly I made a raised ponytail securing it with an elastic band, then loosely braided the hair, securing it again on the end this time with one of those super fine tiny rubber bands you can get at Boots... And finally all I did was simply tying the knot, securing the end bit with bobby pins so that it's hidden... And that is literally it!

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New Obsession: Maybelline ColorSensational Lipsticks!

These are absolutely fantastic! The popping bright almost neon colours are perfect for the SS13 lip-trend... I love the texture as well, a creamy balm like lipstick with a strong pay-off and long lasting too... Maybelline ColorSensational lipsticks are super pigmented and bursting with colour... Although so bright they are however pretty wearable! So far I wore two of them, the first [902 Fuchsia Flash] and the last [916 Neon Red] from the swatches, and I absolutely adore them!!  Both colours seems to make the white in my eyes whiter and it also makes my eyes pop, I have never seen them glowing so intensely, there must be something super brightening in the pigments... These lipsticks come in a range of beautiful shades, they are great for daytime, night-out, summer, winter you name it, absolutely versatile... I'm obsessed!

LOVE

On Trend: Metallic Khaki with Gold Glitter Nail Look!

Maybelline Express Finish 40 in Khaki Green...

Deborah Lippmann in Boom Boom Pow...

[exclusively available at House of Fraser]

Last night I was going through my nailpolish collection and stumbled across Maybelline  Express Finish 40 in 850 Khaki Green, it perfectly fits the metallic on-trend bill... This nail look is a little different to what I usually wear, but sometimes it's nice to just pick a colour you haven't worn in a while... First I applied two coats of Khaki Green and then on top as an accent I applied also two coats of Deborah Lippmann in Boom Boom Pow on the ring finger and thumb nail... There is something about the khaki + gold glitter combo!

LOVE

Gift Guide: A Highstreet Glam Smoky Eye Look with a Matte Red Lip!

I've been really loving these black Baroque pants lately, although you can't really see the beautiful baroque print on this pic... Usually in fashion pieces that are on trend are pretty useless in life, but these don't only look beautiful they are also super comfortable and the fabric is thicker than regular pants, so they keep you warm as well! 

I find any colourful baroque pants are pretty damn unflattering, although the fabric is stunning on most of them, the cut is horrendous they just make your legs look short and wide! But these black ones are super cool, they have a skinny jeans shape with gold zippers at the back!! Just thought to throw this in... Oh and they are from Zara...

MAC Matte Ruby Woo; RealTechniques Shading Brush; Maybelline Silk Glampalette in 20 Coral Drama; Maybelline Master Smoky Shadow-pencil in Smoky Chocolate; Maybelline Color Tattoo in 65 Pink Gold...

A classic:  MAC Matte lipstick in Ruby Woo...

Being a lover of luxurious and expensive make-up I still keep an eye on Highstreet brands, as they do come out with some pretty amazing things with a small price tag... MAC isn't really Highstreet but it is still pretty affordable especially is you buy one thing at a time, filling up your MAC Pro Palette with 15 eyeshadows is of course a different matter... Ruby Woo is a classic amongst red lipsticks... It has a touch of blue in it, but it's a neutral red and therefore flattering on most complexions... It's a matte that feels comfortable on and is very long lasting... I have been eyeing Ruby Woo for a while, and finally got it along with Morange, another lipstick I wanted [an orange-red lip look coming soon!]... 

For eyes I wanted something warm and smokey, but clashing a little with the lipstick... I applied Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Pink Gold all over the eyelid, which I believe is a new shade... The RealTechniques Shading Brush is great for applying cream eyeshadows, it makes it go on smoothly and blends fantastically... Although I'm not a pink eye girl, I love Pink Gold as a base, it slightly cooled down the beautiful warm chocolate eyeshadow shade I applied on top... The colour payoff of the Maybelline Silk Glam eyeshadows is amazing! The colour next to it is also very pretty on blue eyes... 

To create drama I used the new Maybelline Master Smoky eye pencil in Smoky Chocolate, which is meant to be really smudged with the sponge applicator on the other end... I do like it but I wish the pencil would be more smooth and more saturated with colour... But it is great for a quick smoky eye, fantastic for when you are in a rush! So here you go, that's my affordable glam smokey eye look with a red matte lip!

LOVE

A Non Scary Red Lip Look...

from Left to Right: e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow in Celebrity; Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti; bareMinerals Ready blush in The Aphrodisiac, Maybelline Gel Liner in Black

Revlon Lip Butter (L) Tutti Frutti; (R) Candy Apple...

Revlon Lip Butter swatches top: 015 Tutti Frutti and bottom: 035 Candy Apple...

First of all, I do apologise for my skin not looking its best, these pictures were taken before I tried out some pretty good exfoliators... If you want to find out what exfoliant helped to get rid of those blemishes and get an all over clear complexion please read yesterday's blog post on Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask, which I highly recommend for oily/combo skin... 

Without a further ado let's get to the non scary red lip look... This blog post is for those of you who love a nice red lip on other girls but somehow you feel like it's not looking great on you... I used to be scared of red lips and slowly encouraged myself wearing them and now I do love a full-on red lip... But even with the most beautiful red lip I sometimes find it challenging to leave it on for more than a few hours... Red lipsticks need a lot of attention like touching up and making sure not to smudge the perfect edge... I have blonde hair and grey/blue eyes and red lip can sometimes look a little harsh on me if I don't choose the right shade... Also depending on your complexion some reds can be ageing... There are so many shades to chose from, the raspberry reds, the burgundy reds, the orange reds and the blue reds... Where do you start... Going to counters and trying different shades is your best bet... But there is a shade I found that tends to be flattering on most complexions, and that is an orange red...

I would also recommend going for sheer lipsticks, like Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in 447 En Vogue, which literally has hardly any colour and is incredibly moisturising... But for a touch more colour there is one product that I swear by and never feel like taking it off even after a few hours... It's Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti, they are really pigmented lip butters but of course still on the sheer side compared to a full coverage lipstick... They are so easy to wear, no need for any lip lining although you could do that to make it last longer... But for a super easy and effortless red lip just glide it over your lips and you are done! I also went out and bought the Lip Butter in a Candy Apple, which is their true red shade... It's again a blue-tone red and doesn't suit me as well as the orange red Tutti Frutti... I'll make sure to have back-ups... Absolutely love it! 

Also make sure the rest of your make up doesn't clash with the red lip... During a/w I find gold shades look very pretty with red... This e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow in Celebrity is a beautiful shimmery sandy gold, I'd say it's a warmer and more sparkly version of bareMinerals Nude Beach... To add a little dimension I used MAC Cork in the crease and under lower lash line... A minimal look on the eyes can always be glammed up by a black winged eyeliner, I used Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Liner in Black... I also find blushes to be pivotal in the red lip look, as they can either kill the look or adhere to it... I love bareMinerals Ready blush in The Aphrodisiac, it gives you that kind of natural peachy red flush that brings out the orangey red lip colour...

LOVE

Brigitte Bardot 60s Inspired Look...

Brigitte Bardot encapsulates femininity... To me she is the beauty icon of the 60s... I absolutely adore her... And of course her makeup was always so strong and sexy... She never wore too many colours, generally things were kept pretty neutral... The black eyeliner in a nice straight thick line and her beautiful nude full lips - that was her signature look... It's timeless... It's classic...

As we are hitting the metallic craze, I decided to use a beautiful antique gold as the only colour on the eyes... I choose bareMinerals High Shine Eye Colour in Bronzed, it's an intense pigment, that feels like velvet and is incredibly pigmented... For the eyeliner I used Maybelline EyeStudio Lasting Drama Gel Liner in Black, and on waterline Soap&Glory Smoulder Kohl in Superblack - both are very long lasting... And on the lips I used my all-time beloved nude lipstick, which is Clarins Rouge Prodige in Nude...

LOVE