My Top 3 High Street Concealers

Aloha!

Let's just cut to the chase.. Concealer is probably more important to me than foundation and was the very first make-up product I bought as a teenager, so I guess in some ways, it was my gateway product which lead me into this vast cosmetic world. I have spent numerous hours reading reviews, testing products and watching videos in search for the best concealers that will leave my skin looking flawless; without spending a fortune! So, as I was carefully analysing each concealer I own, I realised that these chosen three are the only concealers that I have re-purchased and therefore deserve a shout out! 

Max Factor Mastertouch Concealer £7.99
I actually bought this on a whim with a promotional offer but I was pleasantly surprised. This concealer has been specifically tailored for under eye coverage however, I've felt it's versatile formula works really well when covering blemishes. It's light-defusing creamy formula is perfect for a smooth application and the soft applicator makes touching up on the go simple and effective. You can use the applicator to blend the concealer but I prefer to use an actual brush as I don't feel the applicator provided is sufficient enough. It's the type of concealer you twist at the bottom and the liquid comes out through the applicator, meaning it's cost effective as you're not wasting any product. Overall it's a great concealer and has excellent coverage, the only downfall is unfortunately it doesn't last very long in comparison with other concealers I've tried. 

7/10

Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer £7.99

This is probably my favorite out of the three and, due to it's concentrated formula, has lasted me longer than the other two combined! Now I am a BIG fan of Bourjois' 'healthy mix' range and this oil-free concealer is no exception. Infused with 'fruit therapy', the apricot provides radiance, the melon leaves skin moisturised and the raspberry acts as a 'micro-circulation activator' (I don't know what that means either) BUT after using the product for a few days the puffy-ness under my eyes was noticeably reduced and, due to it's subtle light reflecting pigment, I did feel my skin looked more radiant and glowey.  This concealer is yellow based so perfect for covering dark circles and acne scars, It also did a good job in covering my spots. One thing I would suggest is to blend with a stippling or fluffy concealer brush as fingers can make it look a bit smeary. Also, it's although it's quite thick in consistency, it's very 'wet' so I tend to let it set for about 30 seconds before I blend it in.  

8/10

Bourjois Happy Light Concealer £8.99
Another Bourjois concealer that I'm a big fan of and would recommend to anyone. It's a soft cream concealer that comes in a cute little pot with a mirror for perfect on the go touch ups! It's thick in consistency but doesn't feel heavy on the skin (if used sparingly!) it's pretty heavy duty so conceals dark circles and blemishes well. I also think it's great for subtle highlighting an contouring plus it's very similar to 'Benefit's Erase Paste' (except it's over half the price). This is is one of the very few products I actually prefer to blend with my fingers and this is because the warmth from my finger tips melts the product slightly, making it a lot easier to blend. The only thing I would say is it's very easy to get carried away and use too much! So, begin by dabbing this in light layers, where you wish to conceal, and then build it up so you get to grips with how much to use. Apparently this can also be used as an eye shadow primer but I must admit I haven't tried it SO if you have, please comment below with some feedback!

7/10

So there you have it, my top three high street concealers. If any of you have tried these or know of any other brands which worked better for you then please lemme know as I'd love to hear all about them! 

Neeks x

My Go To Everyday Make-Up With Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

Aloha!

So I'm sure I'm not the only one that has a go-to make-up look? Those of you that don't have one you're missing out! And those of you that do have one know that a go-to make-up look has to be versatile, easy and quick! (V. important) So what exactly is this used for? Well for me I use it when I've overslept, have no idea what day it is and in all the confusion realise I only have 20 minutes to get out the door. This has been my go-to for about a month now and has never let me down, the great thing about it is I know exactly what I need so there is no faffing around with different shades of lippy and what not. Plus it looks as though I've made an acceptable amount of effort for the work place. (It actually it took me 10 minutes as I was gulping down a cuppa tea, shh!)  

Face: I started off with my Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser (very similar to the POREfessional for those who want to read my comparison click here). I then used a large stippling brush to buff in my Bourjois Radiance Reveal Foundation (for my review click here). I do have an on going battle with under eye circles and blemishes so covering these with my Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer gives me an extra confidence boost. I then dab on some Top Shop Afternoon Tea Cream Blush and set with Kryolan Translucent Powder. Dab some Benefit High Beam on the cheek bones and you have an even complexion with a healthy glow (all in under 5 minutes!) 

Eyes/ Lips: I always start by filling in my brows with the Rimmel Eye Brow Pencil (Hazel) first as it gives me a frame to work with. I then prime my eye lids with the Original Urban Decay Primer Potion and begin to apply my eye make-up. I used Limit on the lids, Nooner in the crease and Mugshot in the outter corner. I then used Strange to highlight under my brows, in the inner corner and a dash on the centre of the eye lids for bigger, brighter eyes (All these shades are from Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette). Next a lick of Rimmel's Glam Eye's Liquid Eyeliner and a coat of Max Factor's False Lash Effect Mascara to complete the eye look. All that's left to do now is apply a bit of lippy! (I used Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipstick (Rose Millesime)

What I really like about this make-up look is that it's easy to wear and quite fresh faced. The Top Shop blush and Bourjois lippy compliment the Naked 3 palette really nicely for a summery trio. The lipstick is quite light and glossy yet gives you a sweet splash of colour. And there you have it an easy go-to make-up look that only takes 10 minutes! 

What's your go-to make-up look?

Neeks x

NYE Make-Up Look & Tips

Aloha!

New years eve is right round the corner so I thought I'd do a nice and easy make-up look for the occasion. First of all please excuse the bad lighting! The sun is still setting early and I didn't have a chance to do it this morning. This post will mainly be focusing on the eye make-up but feel free to ask anything about the rest of the look. You can easily make this look your own  by adding extra eye liner, changing the lipstick or adding a glam pair of falsies!

 First of all remember to prime prime prime! For me NYE is one of the biggest nights of the year so keeping my eye make-up from smudging and creasing is essential. I used Urban Decay's Primer Potion (Original) and the eye shadow is from Urban Decay's Naked Palette 3. I used 'Darkside' on the lid, 'Blackheart' on the outer corners and 'strange' to highlight under the brows, with a dash on the inner corners and center to brighten those eyes. A lick my trusty Maxfactor False Lash Effect Mascara and you're good to go!

Smudge some black eye liner for a deeper, smokier look. I personally recommend Maybelline's 24h Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Liner because it glides on like a dream, easy to smudge and lasts forever (just make sure you have a good eye make-up remover). And on the night I'll probs wack on a good pair of falsies for that extra glam factor. 

I find it's best to keep the skin quite glowy, trying to force the matte effect can result in patchy-ness throughout the night. I always use a high-coverage foundation when going out, with some powder and a light bronzer. Urban Decay's All Nighter setting spray is also good for keeping your foundation from melting in the humidity of the party air. If in doubt pop a compact powder in your clutch bag.

I love this eye shadow combo, I think the colours really compliment each other and would go with pretty much any party outfit or complexion. I used one of my favorite lipsticks L'Oreal Color Riche (240 Plum Passion) with a pinky blusher to balance it out and of course, the famous Benefit High Beam on the cheek bones and under the brows to add that extra bit of zing in photos! It catches the light to give a subtle shimmer but won't make you look like an extra disco ball!

Hope you like this look and have a very happy new year! 

What look are you going for NYE?

Neeks x

2013 Beauty Favs

Aloha!

Well 2013 is coming to an end so I thought I'd reflect on all of my beauty life savers! There have been many ups and downs, highs and lows, bad times and good times (you get the idea) but these top beauty pics have never failed to support me so I thought I would give them the recognition they deserve and share them with all you beauty fanatics out there!

1) Nivea Daily Essentials Double Effect Eye Make-Up Remover- £2.99 Boots

I must confess I am a bit of an eye make-up junkie and this is the only product that will gently remove my primed eye shadow/ 24 hour gel liner and 3 coats of mascara mix. It gets absolutely everything off in seconds without having to rub my eyes and doesn't leave them red and puffy. 

2) Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor- £4.99 Boots

My hair is very long and fine so prone to combing damage and dry ends. Even after neglecting it with crimping, backcoming, curling, straightening (and the rest) this magic Australian potion brings my long locks back to life, leaving it soft, moisturised and doesn't weigh it down. Seriously I really don't know what I would do without this. 

3) Rimmel London Professional Eyebrow Pencil (Hazel)- £2.99 Boots

Naturally I have practically invisible blonde eyebrows that do no favours in shaping my face. I have had them tinted but it's hard to keep up regular salon trips so I usually only do that in the summer time. However, this eyebrow pencil has been my absolute brow savior and being a light redhead it's hard to find a shade that matches but this brow pencil in 'hazel' is a perfect match and cheap as chips. 

4) Nivea Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer- £2.99 Savers

I did a review on this primer not long ago click here to have a peak. Thanks to this little pot of wonders my make-up stays put all day long and my skin stays heavenly hydrated . 

5) Salonservices Stippling Brush (403)- £8 ish Sally's Beauty Supplies

This was supposed to be for my uni make-up kit but after trying it out it made it's way into my personal brush wallet. Forget foundation brushes, sponges and fingers THIS is the brush to use to apply your foundation. It buffs the foundation right into the skin and gets in all the nooks and cranny's that an ordinary brush wouldn't reach, leaving you with a light and even complexion.  

6) L'Oreal Paris Elnett Satin Diamond Hold Hairspray- £6.60 (400ml) Boots

You know how it is, you spend hours in hot rollers and styling your hair for a big night out with the girls. You spray your hair with a generous amount of so called 'strong hold' hair spray and BOOM after an hour in the club the humidity and dancing makes it look like you've just rolled out of bed and pulled on a party dress. Well not with this, this hairspray has got me through hours (and I mean hours) of dancing and getting merry on the dance floor with my friends. Now you can use this and go out knowing that even if you have one too many (we've all been there ladies!) at least your hair will still look fab! 

7) MaxFactor False Lash Effect Mascara- £10.99 Boots

This mascara and I are in a committed 5 year relationship. In those 5 years I have tried to find other mascaras that could be (dare I say it) better but I always come crawling back to my trusty False Lash Effect Mascara. I wouldn't say it actually makes your eyelashes look fake but it naturally lengthens, volumises, curls and fans out all the corners. Plus it has a big fat brush (which I love) and gets right to the roots. 

8) Urban Decay Naked Palette Original- £37 Debenhams  

I'm sure this is on a lot of people's top favs, this palette has got me through every occasion that could have possibly popped up (I'm sure you guys can relate) including a wideee range of.. 

work looks

everyday looks

dinner party looks

hot dates

birthdays

big nights out

trying not to look hungover

trying not to look ill

trying not to look tired

'i'm not wearing any eye make-up' 

day trips

photo shoots

fancy dress

it's raining outside..

breakup make-up

i'm a new woman make-up! 

work do's

gatherings

cinema looks

summertime looks

baby showers

holidays 

christmas

And probably new years eve aswell! Although I am debating on whether or not to use the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette click here for swatches, but I'll save that for another post! 

These are my 2013 beauty favs, what's yours?

Neeks x

Redheads & Royalty

Aloha!

It's that time of the year again where I'm impatiently waiting for the arrival of Christmas festivities but I've promised myself I won't talk or blog about it until December! However, I have been throwing myself into my uni project 'Redheads & Royalty'.

Without beating around the bush we had to create 2 contemporary Elizabethan images. The first image needed to be a design that I created for myself and another student applied it on me. The second design will be designed by someone else for me to create on them. So this is my design, enjoy! 

The Elizabethan elements are my red hair and fair skin, with pink blush Sleek 3 Blush Palette- Pumpkin (squash). I also embraced my fair brows and put a contemporary spin on Elizabethan red lipstick by adding plum shades from Kate Moss Lasting Finish(004) and L-Oreal Color Riche (240). The large hair rolls were inspired by the shapes of Elizabethan wigs and the crimped bottom layers were my interpretation of an old technique known as 'frizzing'. The modernised eye make-up was applied with 'sidecar' and 'toasted' from the Urban Decay Naked Palette 1 Other key products include Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation (shell) Benefit Highbeam Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Liner (black) and MaxFactor False Lash Effect Mascara (black).

 So there you have it! My contemporary version of Queen Elizabeth 1st. I really hope you like this post and find it useful, I will be uploading my next image next week when I've completed it.

What are your favorite elements of Elizabethan hair & make-up? Let me know!  

Neeks x