Unruly Eyebrows

This post is about an issue that's very close to my heart and just as the title suggests, it's all about crazy eyebrows.

Arghh!

Many a beauty blogger has shared that eyebrows are sisters and not twins, however mine are more like 2nd cousins twice removed and they drive me insane! Part of the reason is because I think that some of the damage was done by myself in my teenage years. Yep, I was a plucker  and I loved it! But I've never been great with symmetry resulting in the mismatched eyebrow issue that I'm still struggling with today. I'm writing this post thinking that many of you will relate to my problem and hopefully share your own pearls of wisdom. 

So, back to present day. I now get my eyebrows threaded about once a month/6 weeks. I love threading, I've had to look around to find the place that works best for me, but now I've found it, I'll be sticking with it and this is because they were honest with me.

 The first few places that I had my eyebrows threaded at we're ok but they just threaded away without ever saying anything about my mismatched brows resulting in more of a mismatch than ever. 

When I first went to my current threader, straight away she told me that my eyebrows didn't match, the reason why and what she was going to do about it. Hurray! And the amazing thing is she only charges £4! 

The issue now is that I need to let my eyebrows grow for as long as they can before I get them preened, giving more of a chance of the sparse bits growing back  and my eyebrows matching up. 

This means that the in between phase is horrendous for me so I do as much as I can to disguise the unruly hairs poking out in all directions and this is how I do it...

Use a good eyebrow pencil 

I've recently picked up my No7 Beautiful Eyebrows pencil again after a stint using my Sleek brow kit. I did enjoy using my brow kit but I started to feel that it didn't provide the definition that I needed and left my eyebrows looking a bit heavy. I love that I can build up my pencil and use the other side to comb my eyebrows into place. I also think that it's the perfect colour for me. I always start with my pencil on the thick part of my brows, closest to my eyes, I move the pencil in one direction -that's what makes you beautiful (see what I did there!- sorry bad joke,couldn't resist!) and  build up the colour in the shape of the brow. I then move along, filling in any gaps and adding extra colour to match up my brows as best as possible.

Use a highlighter on the brow bone

I hate the straggly hairs that grow underneath my eyebrows but as I'm too scared to pluck anymore for fear of butchering my brows, I do tend to leave them. I've found that a good way of disguising these pesky hairs it to use a good highlighter on the brow bone (a usual part of my eye make up routine anyway). I'm currently using Booty Call by Urban Decay. This is a shimmery pink eyeshadow that I sweep all the way up to my eyebrows. I think because it's shimmery, it catches the light which creates an illusion of a hairless brow bone (or just blinds people so they can't look at that area for too long!) 

Something I need to invest in...

Is a good brow gel. My eyebrows aren't particularly bushy but I can find that hairs move out of place during the day. A good gel will help to set them in place without going crispy. I heard that Anastasia and Laura Mercier do good eyebrow gels so I will be investing soon and I'll let you know what I think. 

So that's it. Not the most difficult of routines and I don't even know if I'm doing the best for my eyebrows but I thought I'd share. Please, please let me know of any products/tips that work well for you as I'm always on the look out for ways to improve mine. 

My eyebrow on a good day. The other was having a bad day...

Thanks for reading 

Becky xx

Cleanser, toner, serum, moisturiser... My skincare routine

I've written posts about face creams that I've tried in the past, but I've recently updated my skincare routine to now include a serum and a new face cream that I'm obsessed with so I thought I'd let you know about it! 

Cleanser

I'm still a big fan of a face wash. I find that a good face wash is the only thing that will remove all of my make up and will leave my skin feeling squeaky clean. I've tried a few but my favourite is still La Roche Posay Effaclar foaming face wash.  I use this morning and evening with warm running water and sometimes a flannel to help remove any dead skin. 

Toner

I don't think I've found the perfect toner yet. I recently bought The Sanctuary Pore Refining Toner and it seems to be ok. It smells nice and doesn't leave my skin feeling tight so I guess it's so far so good. I'm also desperate to try Pixi Glow Tonic which I'll be ordering from their website soon as I've heard lots of good things. 

Serum

Serum is a new addition to my skincare routine- I'm still not really sure what it does but as I'm approaching 30, I'm happy to try products that will hopefully keep the wrinkles at bay. I did try a tester of Chanel's Hydra Beauty Serum which of course was lovely but it is quite pricey. I'm a sucker for good advertising so I decided to try No7 Protect and Perfect Advanced serum after hearing all the hype about it. An added bonus was that I had a £5 off skincare voucher and I get 10% off No7 because I'm on the Boots contact lens scheme so it only cost me about £18, bargain! I've been using this serum for about 2 weeks now, morning and evening and I'm not sure that it'll keep me looking 29 forever but it does feel lovely on my skin. It gives a lovely velvety feel and works very well with my moisturiser so I think it was a good buy.

Moisturiser 

I think that this next step in my skincare routine is the most important. I've been using Chanel Hydra Beauty Creme for about a month now and I think it's great. It's quite a light cream but that means it's not greasy, it smells fresh and gives a perfect base for make up. I loved Clarins Multi Active Day moisturiser too but that is slightly heavier than the Chanel cream which resulted in a few breakouts. I paid £55 for the Hydra Beauty Cream but a little goes a very long way and I think it will last a good few months. I think it's a very good investment that I will definitely purchase again. Just remember when you're moisturising to also include your neck and to work in an upward motion to avoid dragging the skin down. 

Eye Cream

I usually just apply eye cream in the evening and I'm still loving Clarins Eye Contour Balm. It's not too heavy and soaks into my skin quickly. A quick tip: use your wedding ring finger to pat in your eye cream as that one gives the lightest touch around the delicate eye area. 

So that's it! It seems like such a lot now I've written it down but I think it is so important to look after your skin and this routine is really working well for me at the moment. If you do have any skincare tips or product recommendations please let me know. I hope you enjoyed this post.

Becky xx

My Updated Evening Make Up

I've recently gone for the chop and because of this and as we are well into Autumn, I've decided to make some changes to my make up. 

This post is about an evening look with dark eyes and berry lips. 

Step 1: After the usual cleanse, tone and moisturise I apply Clarins Beauty Flash Balm as a primer. 

Step 2: Then, using my fingers I blend in Chanel's Aqua Vitalumiere foundation all over my face making sure to blend in at the neck. I'm still loving this foundation, it gives the perfect coverage for me. 

Step 3: I then use No7 Instant Radiance concealer to cover the dark circles under my eyes. I just dab it on and blend in with my fingers. 

Step 4: Next, I use Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer on any lumps, bumps and blemishes again, blending with my fingers. 

Step 4: To set my foundation I apply a thin layer of No7 powder in translucent using a Front Cover Cheek brush. 

Step 5: I then apply the best bronzer in the world ever, Chanel Bronze Universal to the hollows of my cheeks, temples and nose. 

Step 6: I'm still loving the Sleek Brow Kit that I blogged about many moons ago. I fill in any gaps using the wax and set my eyebrows using a small amount of the powder. 

Step 7: I'm still obsessed with my Urban Decay Naked 2 Pallette and I use my Front Cover Fluff and Buff brush to apply Booty Call all over my eye up to my brow bone. I then apply Verve to my lid using the same brush and then using a Front Cover Point + brush I add Pistol to the crease and underneath then eye.

Step 8: My Kiko black eyeliner is the best I've ever used, I never feel like I'm dragging it across my eye as it glides on so easily. I apply this to my upper lids and to the water line.

Step 9: I curl my eyelashes using my No7 curlers then quickly apply a thin layer of Dior Lash Maximizer before applying Dior It- Lash Mascara. 

Step 10: I then apply Mac Powder Blush in Fleur Power using my Real Techniques Blush Brush and Sleek highlighter using a small blusher brush.

Step 11: The final step is the application of No7 High Shine Intense Lip Crayon in Sultry Kiss. It's a lovely berry colour that's perfect for winter and as it's the shape of a crayon is really easy to apply. 

And there you have it, my autumn, smoky evening look. It's not the best photo but let me know what you think! 

Becky xx

My Holiday Make up Staples

Hello! 

So we've all been there, the weather is heating up or we've taken ourselves off abroad and we want to look sunkissed, beautiful and natural within the first 5 minutes of stepping off the plane (or is that just me?)

Well I can't guarantee that, but I can recommend some of the products that I use in the summer and some new purchases that I will be using in the warmer months. 

Foundation: 

When my freckles start to appear (my face doesn't tan) I either like to wear a very light foundation or none at all. The two products I've been enjoying the most are the No7 BB Cream and the Dior Airflash foundation (I know I regularly rave about this but it is a lovely light foundation for the summer) the only downside with this product is that it has no SPF.  I love the No7 BB cream because it looks very natural but leaves a smooth, dewy look to my skin and also has an SPF of 15. Plus it's very reasonable even before the £3 discount vouchers. 

Concealer:

I still get bags and blemishes in the summer so I do need to continue to use a concealer. I'm loving Collection's Lasting Perfection Concealer at the moment as it isn't cakey but offers good coverage. 

Apologies that the photo isn't the best but these are well loved products! 

Eyes:

I don't like to wear too much eyeshadow or eyeliner in the summer. I just don't want to end up with sweaty panda eyes. I do however, like to give my eyes a wash of colour and I think bronze looks beautiful when you want to achieve that sunkissed look. A recent airport purchase was a Clinique Eyeshadow Quad in Morning Java. This is the first time that I've tried Clinique eyeshadows but I really like them. There's a highlighter, bronze, light brown and dark brown shade and they work very well together without looking too over the top. I apply the light brown all over the lid and the bronze in the inner corner of the eye and below the lower lashes. I use the dark brown eyeshadow as a liner on my upper lid, shove a bit of mascara on and hey presto! 

For an even easier eye look, I've just bought Maybelline's Colour Tattoo eyeshadow in On and On Bronze. The colour is a lovely bronze cream. It is quite metallic so I keep the application quite light in the daytime but it has a lovely sheen to it and works well with just a bit of mascara or a small amount of eyeliner on the upper lid.

Bronzer: 

A firm favourite of mine is Chanel's Universal Bronzer (and I'm glad after paying just over £30 for it!) I apply this bronzer to the parts of my face that would naturally catch the sun and I think it's amazing! So natural yet very effective. It makes you look as though you've been sitting in the sun all day. 

Cheeks:

When I'm wearing bronzer I don't always apply blusher. But on days that I do, I sometimes use the Nars blusher in Luster. This is a bronze blusher that helps to further enhance a tan. The other option is No7's Pop and Glow stick in Rose Blossom which is a pastel pink. This is a cream blusher which gives a natural glow to my cheeks that seems to stick around for a good few hours. 

Lips:

In the summer months I tend to favour lip gloss, particularly during the daytime. My favourite is No7 BB Lip Cream in Blush Coral. The cream itself is very nourishing and offers UV protection which is always a bonus. It's easy to apply and is fairly long lasting. The subtle coral colour also works really well with a tan. 

So that's it for my recommendations. Of course I still wear mascara and I have to tame my crazy eyebrows. My favourite mascara is the already blogged about No7 Exceptional Definition mascara in black. To avoid a shiny face I make sure that I apply a powder to set everything in place, I also like to use a highlighter on my cheekbones to enhance the glowy, sheeny look.

I hope that this post has inspired you to change up your summer looks, it would be great to hear of any other summer recommendations that you may have. 

Thanks for reading xx

I went shopping again...

Hello! 

Before I start writing some product reviews I just wanted to let you know that I've recently filmed some videos for my upcoming YouTube channel so please keep a lookout for those, they're just in the process of being edited. 

Right, so yes, I went shopping, I didn't mean to, it just happened but I'm so glad it did! 

The first product that I bought was the Chanel Universal bronzer that I had seen recommended in another blog. This is a light,creamy bronzer that can be applied to the face and body. I have been using this bronzer daily over the top of my foundation and I think it is amazing! I had no idea how I would go about applying this bronzer but the lovely lady in Chanel showed me how to apply it with a kabuki brush wherever I want it. I did find that the kabuki brush was too big for me, especially when contouring, so I use a smaller blusher brush to apply the bronzer. I swirl it in and use it mainly for contouring and a little bit of bronzing on my temples and nose. I love this bronzer because it looks so natural and there are no shimmery bits which Is great for me as I like to use a highlighter instead. The bronzer cost £32 which I actually think is a really great price for a product that I think will last a long time. It also smells amazing! 

The second product that I bought was the Rimmel Lasting Finish colour rush balm in 700 Not an Illusion. Again I've seen this balm on a few blogs and I wanted to try it for myself. It cost just over £5 and I think that this is another great buy. The balm is in the shape of a pencil and it glides on the lips really smoothly. It is quite pigmented so leaves a lovely colour but also some shine (not as much as a gloss though). I find the colour lasts ages and my lips are also left feeling fairly moisturised. There's loads of colours to choose from but I went for this colour as I don't have a similar one and I think it goes great with the bronzed/gold look. A great product overall and a bargain price! 

The final product that I recently bought is the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in Cool Medium. This concealer has been raved about a lot so I thought I should give it a go, especially as it was less than £5. I use this concealer for under my eyes and on blemishes and it's great. I think the colour might be a little bit dark for me but when it's blended in it's fine. It gives a great coverage without being too chalky or cakey and I love that I can use it for eyes and spots. My only issue is that when you close the tube, a bit of product oozes out of the side which is really annoying because it gets everywhere and  looks a mess. But, for the price I think I might be able to overlook that! 

 I also bought some new eyelash curlers on my last shopping trip. I had been eyeing up the Shu Uemura curlers but at £20 thought they were a bit pricey. Instead, I went for the No7 metal curlers that are priced at around £7.25. They look great and come with an extra pad to replace after a year which I thought was a nice touch. An extra bonus was that when I went to the counter, I bought some other products and the sales assistant put those through first so that I could get a £4 No7 voucher to put towards the curlers. In the end they were less than £4! I think the curlers are great too they grip tightly and give a nice curl to my lashes that seems to last. I am very pleased with my bargain buy!

The last product that I want to mention is on my wishlist and it's a Jo Malone cologne. I recently smelt the Vanilla and anise scent and it is beautiful. It costs £40 for 30ml which is why I haven't bought it yet but when I sprayed it on my arm I couldn't stop sniffing it. It smells very unique, like most of the Jo Malone fragrances but also very rich and long lasting, absolutely gorgeous. 

Anyway that's all from me for now. 

Thanks for reading,

Becky xx

Daytime Make-up Routine

Hello! It seems like ages since I wrote my last post so to make up for it I'm writing a super long one today. It's been lovely to hear from people who are enjoying my blog and I've had a few requests to do a post on how I apply my make up. I am in no way an expert but I do really enjoy putting my make up on and using tips that I've seen on other blogs so I thought I would share how I do things. 

Oh and bit of a disclaimer- there are some truly hideous make up free/semi made up pictures of me I am sorry but I thought this needed pictures to stress the point a bit. So here we go... 

Step 1: Here is my totally naked face. I had a wash with Origins checks and balances foaming face wash (a new purchase-totally loving it-it's like washing in shaving foam!) toned with La Roche Posay Effaclar toner and moisturised with Origins GinZing.

Step 2: The first thing I do make up wise is apply a primer. I do this most days because I like the way it smooths out and brightens my skin and helps my make up to last. Today I used the Benefit That Gal brightening face primer.

Step 3: I then apply my foundation. Today I have used my Dior Airflash foundation in 202 with the Dior 12 foundation brush. To apply I spray the brush with foundation, work it over my cheek, then spray and do the other cheek, then a spray for the nose and chin and a final spray for my forehead. I spend quite a long time buffing the foundation into my skin as I like it to look quite natural.

Step 4: Concealer time. I've dotted No7 Instant Radiance concealer in 2 under my  eyes and No7 Stay Perfect blemish cover in Medium over spots and imperfections (I've got quite a few of those!) I then blended these into my skin with a No7 concealer brush which I think works better than using your fingers as you're not adding grease to your face or wiping away the make up. 

Step 5: Eyebrows. The photo is a bit scary for this but it all works out in the end! I used the Sleek Brow kit in 818. Firstly I use the rounded brush to apply the wax - you don't need much of this just a light covering to tame the brows. Then, I use the angled brush with a very light covering of setting powder. I colour in my brows as mine are very patchy and are totally different shapes so it helps to match them up try and make them look related. Kind of. 

Step 6: I'm using my Sleek eyeshadow pallette today so have decided to use my No7 eyeshadow primer first to keep my eye make up in place (I don't need to use a primer with my Dior compact, might be a quality thing?) I just shove my finger in the pot and rub it all over my eyelids not going above the crease. 

Step 7: I like to use a highlighter on my brow bone. Today I've applied a small amount of No7 Instant Radiance highlighter and smoothed it over with my fingers just to give a subtle sheen.

Step 8: Next is eyeshadow. I used my Front Cover fluff and buff brush to apply Sleek's Calm before the storm all over my eyelid. 

Step 9: I then layered Sleek's Thunder Storm (which is a goldy shade) over the top and applied Dust storm (a dark brown) to the outer edge of my eye blending into the crease and also underneath my bottom lashes, from the outer corner to just before the middle of the eye and Thunder Storm from the inner corner to the meet Dust Storm. (Ramble, sorry).

Step 10: I ALWAYS wear eyeliner but for some reason I didn't put it on today... So I went straight to ny Front Cover eyelash curlers to give my lashes a bit of a boost. 

Step 11: Mascara. Today I went for No 7 Exceptional Definition mascara in black. I've had this mascara for a few weeks now and it's starting to thicken a little which I love! It volumises and lengthens my lashes even more than it did originally. Brilliant stuff! 

Step 12: To avoid a big, shiny face I used a little bit of the Clinique Gentle Light powder in 3 over my forehead, nose and chin with a fluffy 17 powder brush.

Step 13: I've started to enjoy contouring my cheeks a little. So I used the bronzer from the Sleek contouring and blush pallette with my new Real Techniques Blush Brush (less than a tenner from Asda and I love it!) I suck my cheeks in and apply the bronzer in the hollows and extend it to my temples and apply a little under my chin(s).

Step 14: After bronzing I used the No7 Mineral Perfection blusher in Soft Damson on the apples of my cheeks with  the same brush. I find smiling helps the apples to stick out a bit so you don't go overboard on the blusher. 

Step 15: It's all about the highlighter on the cheekbones now. I used the Sleek highlighter from the contouring pallette with my Real techniques brush just on the cheekbones extending up the temples. 

Step 16: My final step is my lips. Today I used Tanya Burr's lipgloss in Picnic in the Park. It's a new gloss and I love the colour. It is a very natural peachy pink but unlike a lot of glosses it is quite pigmented so you can actually see the colour. The Brucie Bonus was that it was only £6.99 from Superdrug and it smells lovely. 

And that is it! I unclipped and straightened my fringe for the final photo and here it is...

Thank you for persevering through some truly hideous pictures. This make up routine is a day time routine for me, maybe a little more than I'd wear for work but for a trip to the shops or a day out somewhere (we are really into our National Trust trips at the moment- old I know!) it's a perfect look for me. I hope that I was of some help and please let me know if you have any tips/product recommendations etc.  

Becky xx

My No7 Collection

I've been meaning to post about No7 for a while as although I have developed a love for Dior and Nars, I also have a LOT of No7 make up and I really rate it! I like No7 because it doesn't cost the earth and I do feel like I'm purchasing good quality make up. Also, those lovely little £3 off vouchers are an added bonus. So I thought I'd write a post about my favourite No7 bits.

Number 1: 

I love the Instant Radiance Highlighter. As a fan of Benefit Highbeam I wasn't sure if I'd like the cheaper alternative but this is a great product! It comes in stick form so you can just sweep it across your brow and cheek bones and it creates a really subtle shimmer. Because it's in stick form it also doesn't get messy like the High Beam does (mine has gone all goopy around the lid). A definite favourite in my make up bag.

Number 2:

Perfect Light Pressed Powder in Translucent. I use this powder everyday to help keep my make up in place and I think it's great. It does come with a spongy applicator but I think it can look a little chalky if you apply the powder with it. Instead I use a really chunky powder brush which distributes the powder much more evenly and I think it does a really good job of keeping my foundation in place. I also much prefer the pressed powder to the loose options ( I did have the Clinique gentle light powder) I find loose powders get in such a mess and end up peppering the rest of my make up , very annoying! 

Number 3: 

Firstly, apologies for the state of the packaging but that's a testament to how long this product lasts! It's the Instant Radiance concealer. I have used this under my eyes pretty much everyday since my wedding in August last year and I think it is an amazing dupe for YSL touche éclat. It has light reflecting particles in it and I think it really helps to brighten the dark circles that I regularly have under my eyes! I dab it on and work it in with my No7 foundation brush which works really well for me. Another great No7 product. 

Number 4: 

The photo doesn't do this justice but this product is a fairly new purchase and I really like it. It's the Mineral Perfection blusher in Soft Damson which, as you can see, is a pinky colour. It does look quite scary in the container, but when applied with a good blusher brush, it creates a really nice flush on the cheeks. I wouldn't recommend using the brush it comes with as mine malted all over my face but you don't buy the product for the brush! The blusher is super pigmented and you can build up the colour for the desired effect. I also think that this will last me ages as you don't need much of it.

Number 5:

All I can say is wow! This is a tester of the Exceptional Definition mascara but I loved it so much I bought some today. I honestly think that this is the best mascara I've ever used. It does have a plastic applicator (I think I'm the only person in the world that prefers them!) but it grips really well onto my lashes and adds extra length. I can't wait to try the full sized product! I got it with my £3 off voucher today and because I'm in the Boots contact lens scheme I also got an extra 10% off the price! It was somewhere around the £8 mark in the end, bargain! 

Number 6: 

Again, apologies for the state of the packaging but this is another trusty favourite. It's the stay perfect foundation in Cool Ivory. I first used this for my wedding and I really liked the coverage. It's not too heavy but is nice and even and I think my skin looked pretty darn flawless (even if I do say so myself!) I think it's best used with a foundation brush and when I'm not using the Dior Airflash, I'm using this! 

Number 7: 

Bit of a boring product, that doesn't look great in the photo. It's the Stay Perfect Smoothing and Brightening eye base. I use this most days and I do think it helps my eye shadow to last. I have also used it on its own with a bit of mascara when I can't be bothered with eye make up and I think it looks really fresh. It also helps to smooth out any bumpy bits. Just a good, strong product. 

Number 8: Nearly there!

These are the Stay Perfect eyeshadows in Beach Shine and Wheatsheaf. These are really nice eyeshadows that work well together and last the day. They also have a nice shimmer to them. They create a really nice, natural daytime look. 

Number 9: 

This is the Sheer Temptation lipstick in Romantic. Another wedding day favourite  of mine. These lipsticks are really glossy and I love this colour. It just gives a nice sheer, dewy feel to the lips that also feels very moisturising. It's a bit of a cross between a lipstick and a gloss.

Number 10: we made it! 

Finally, (and this is definitely a last but not least thing) are the BB lips Beauty balms. As you can see I'm a big fan. My favourite is the peach on the left, which the name has rubbed off from... These balms leave my lips feeling really moisturised but also leave a lovely colour. The peach is the most subtle and I use it pretty much everyday. They also have a nice shine to them but aren't as sticky as lip glosses. I really like these and I will keep buying these as you get the colour of a lipstick, the finish of a gloss and the nourishment of a lip balm. Amazing stuff! 

And there ends the very long post! I have many other No7 products that I could have included but I would have been typing for the rest of the month! I hope this post is of some help and if there are any other amazing No7 products I've missed, please let me know.

Thanks for reading

Becky xx