Beauty and Bentley

Today's post is super quick, super simple and perfect for anyone who loves a caffeine-infused pick me up. I know we are fast approaching winter and I should be favouring warm drinks like hot chocolate but I love an iced coffee and so I wanted to find a way to create these at home for a fraction of the price of fancy coffee shops. When I looked online for recipes and ideas they mostly seemed to use coffee beans that are brewed overnight but if like me you are a little lazy this seems like quite a bit of effort. I decided to find a way to create an instant iced coffee that's also dairy free.

Click Here to find out why I try to cut out dairy.

Ingredients 

Instant Coffee (my favourite is the Nescafe Gold Crema)

Sugar (optional)

Flavoured Syrup (optional but recommended)

Milk or your favourite dairy-free alternative

Ice

Recipe

Start by adding a heaped teaspoon of your favourite instant coffee to a glass.
The measurements I'm giving are to suit my taste but you can alter all of these to suit your own preferences.
Next, add sugar, I usually have one teaspoon as I also add syrup which helps to sweeten the coffee.
Add just enough boiling water to the bottom of your glass to dissolve the coffee.
Next, you can add flavoured syrups, I have Caramel and Hazelnut and I usually add two teaspoons, these really make your coffee taste more like those fancy overpriced ones.


Fill your glass up with milk or dairy-free alternative leaving enough space for ice, stir everything up and enjoy!

Halloween is fast approaching so if you don't know what you are dressing up as you better get your thinking cap on! Luckily if you have left things till the last minute or get an unexpected invite I have a cute, spooky simple Halloween costume for you.......Wednesday Addams!

This year I wanted a costume that would look good but didn't require a lot of effort and expense and I think this is a perfect idea, all you need is a black dress with a white collar, preferably with long sleeves. Today I decided to sit down and trial my make-up for Saturday (when I'll be celebrating Halloween) this is always a good idea so you can make sure the image you have in your head works in real life and make any necessary adjustments. 

This is the look I came up with, I am pretty happy with the outcome and with a few small changes, I think it'll be exactly how I want on Saturday. This is actually a fairly easy look to complete you really don't need many products.

Products Used 

Illamasqua Skin Base (01 and 04)

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (Fair)

MUA Professional Loose Setting Powder 

Jeffree Star Androgyny Palette (Safe Word, Fetish, Dominatrix)

NYX Matte Liquid Liner (click here for full review)

L'Oreal Lash Paradise Mascara

Ardell Wispies False Lashes 

Illamasqua Eye Brow Cake (Gaze)

MAC Viva Glam Ariana Grande Lipstick

To create this look you want to start by applying your usual skincare/primer before mixing up a very pale foundation shade. I took my usual Illamasqua Skin Base (click here for a full review) shade and added in some white, you could use just a white foundation but I think that would be too stark. Next, you will conceal any imperfections by using your regular concealer with a little more of that white foundation mixed in, you don't need to worry about concealing the eyes too much as your going to blend some shadow underneath and I think Wednesday rocks some undereye bags anyway. Once you have perfected your base set with some powder. You don't want to add blush or bronze to this look...you want to resemble someone who hasn't seen the light of day for many years. I think a nice cool toned contour looks good, I actually used the shade Safe Word from the Androgyny palette but you could use any contour product or eyeshadow that has a more grey undertone to keep everything a little sinister and spooky. 

Next, you want to blend a similar contour shade into the inner corner and crease of the eye. Wednesday has a very moody unamused look so I would take the eyeshadow high up in the inner corner of the eye and almost blend out and down into a nose contour, make sure everything is very blended! You also want to blend the same shade underneath the eye and even blend out to create the look of bags under the eyes. You can also take a slightly darker redder toned eyeshadow like Fetish from the Androgyny palette and deepen everything up. Next, create a small winged eyeliner and apply some mascara and lashes. To finish up fill in the brows, I don't think this look needs to be perfected, Wednesday's brows were not perfectly sculpted so I think it looks good to fill in the brows and brush them up a little. To complete the look finish with a dark black lip and plait the hair. 

On Saturday I will use a spray to make my hair look black and really take the look to the next level.

Costume 

This is a very simple costume that you could probably create with things you have at home but I chose to buy a dress for the occasion. I picked up the Clara Collard Swing Dress from Missy Empire for £18. I like this dress because it's not fitted, a super tight little black dress would look cute but I think this swing style works better for playing the part of Wednesday Addams.

I hope you enjoyed this look, what are you dressing as for Halloween this year?

Today I'm reviewing the Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation which I've had in my collection for some time. I always thought I didn't like this foundation so never really bothered to use it but another month has passed where I haven't had the funds to justify buying my Estee Lauder Double Wear so I figured I would try it out again. Skin Base comes in 26 shades, contains the standard 30ml of product and costs £33. I actually own a few shades as this was the foundation that came in my kit when I studied make-up, the shade I wear is 04.

The packaging is nice, the bottle has an unusual square shape which is typical for Illamasqua. I think it would feel more luxurious if this was a glass bottle but it is a squeeze tube with a thin nozzle so you can control the amount of product you use which I do like.


I must say I am actually pleasantly surprised by this foundation, I don't think this will ever be my favourite but I have been enjoying using it much more than I expected. This is a buildable medium to full coverage foundation with a natural finish that blends easily on the skin. The one thing I was never keen on was the shade selection, I find the shades to be quite yellow/orange toned but I am able to make it work on my complexion they just aren't my favourite for colour selection. I will compliment Illamasqua on the number of shades they have which do range from white to a super dark shade that looks almost black (both pictured above), these two shades are especially good for any make-up artist to have in their kit as a small drop of either can be mixed into foundation and allow you to custom create shades.

Once applied Skin Base looks really good but after around 6 hours it will start to break down slightly, it will start to cling to dry areas of the face and sit in pores. Natural oils in my skin definitely start to show through throughout the day (I have combination skin and get an oily t-zone) but you can keep things looking good if you touch up every few hours and add a little powder. It's also worth mentioning that this foundation isn't transfer proof so if you want to make this last as long as possible avoid touching your face.


I am enjoying this foundation and will continue to use it but I don't think I will repurchase this in the future as I don't love it as much as my Estee Lauder foundation which costs roughly the same amount, I would be tempted to try out this foundation in a different shade if it was a lower price but as it stands I won't be rushing out for a second bottle, if I could change anything I would make this a little more long lasting and slightly less yellow in undertone.

This picture shows you the foundation without any filters or editing.

I recently posted a Primark beauty haul where I picked up the new Just Peachy eyeshadow palette and now that I've had a chance to try it out I thought I would give you my review. This palette costs £4 which is ridiculously inexpensive for a palette containing 9 matte and shimmer eyeshadows. As I mentioned in my haul post this palette is obviously 'inspired' by the Too Faced peach palette which was hugely popular and has evolved into a full collection. This was the first time I had ever tried out any eyeshadows from Primark and I must say my expectations weren't particularly high but I figured it was worth trying as it's not going to break the bank and it did look very cute.

The packaging for this palette is absolutely adorable when you open it up the inside has a little quote saying 'you're a peach' and the centre eyeshadow has a little face etched into the shadow, it's even scented like peaches! I must say I'm not keen on the scent I think it's a very artificial peach scent but I can get over that and I do appreciate these little touches Primark have added to make this palette a little more special. This is made up of cardboard packaging and is very lightweight but does feel a little cheap, the packaging also gets very dirty easily particularly the inside when using the shadows.

These eyeshadows don't have names so I have numbered them instead so I can talk about each shade individually.

1. This is a pretty yellow gold shimmer shadow, it is a bit patchy if applied alone with a brush, I would suggest applying this with your fingertips. If you want even better pigmentation then you can wet your make-up brush first with some sort of setting spray/toner and this will give the biggest impact.

2. This is a medium pink shimmer shade that is very similar in application to the first shade, you need to apply this with your fingers to get any real pigmentation but you can definitely make it work. Personally, this isn't a shade I would reach for regularly especially as many of the other shades in the palette are similar and they merge together too much on the eyes but I will try it again as a lid shade with shades from another palette so I can get more contrast and really darken the crease.

3. This is a medium pinky/peachy shade that looks very much like 5 but more muted. It applies nicely but this isn't my favourite shade, I don't tend to wear pink colours as I don't think they suit me, if I could I would switch this for either a light matte shade for setting the lid or a dark shade so you can create more smokey looks.

4. This is the lightest shade in the palette and has a shimmery finish, this could have been really pretty but it's just too chunky and soft. It can still be used to brighten up the eye but it needs to be more shimmery to create the effect I would like, I tried this as an inner corner highlight but it just fell flat and didn't give any impact.

5. I've already mentioned that this shade is quite similar to 3 but this one is much brighter. It has good pigmentation and would be good for anyone who loves pink looks.

6. This is a light matte brown shade with peach undertones which is ideal for use as a transition shade. This was a nice shade that had good pigmentation, it applied evenly and blended out easily.

7. This is the deepest shade in the palette and the only one that can really be used for darkening the outer V and crease, I wish this was a little darker and more pigmented, it did blend easily but it took a little work and didn't quite have the effect I wanted.

8. This is a pretty shimmery bronze shade, like the other shimmers in this palette you need to build up the pigmentation.  

9. This shade is a bright matte orangey pink that was good for brightening up the crease and adding a pop of colour. This was quite a nice shade that worked well, it probably could have been more pigmented but considering the price of the palette, I'm definitely not complaining.

Overall I think this palette is really nice for the price, obviously, it isn't going to be the highest quality or have the most intense pigmentation but I can definitely see myself creating looks with this palette especially for everyday wear, I do think some of the shades are a little similar and I would have liked to see a pale matte that could be used all over the lid and another dark shade that could really deepen the outer corner of the eye. These eyeshadows do have quite a bit of fallout (particularly the mattes) which does make the packaging look a bit grubby but overall I don't mind, most eyeshadow palettes have some degree of fallout. I think this will be nice to use alongside other eyeshadow palettes and I think Primark have actually done quite a nice job, even though there are things I would like to change I think £4 for this many eyeshadows is very reasonable, even if you only liked half of the shades in the palette I would still say it was worth it.

Today I have another make-up look to share with you, I'm planning on doing more of these MOTD posts so hopefully people enjoy them and find them interesting. Today I was heading out to a local store that sells lots of Halloween costumes and accessories to try and get inspired but I didn't find anything I liked, so instead, I stopped into Tesco and picked up some snacks (food makes everything better). Today I created a really nice warm toned eye with deep berry shades and a little shimmer, I really like this look it's glam but still very wearable for an everyday look.

Products Used

Nivea Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm 

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer (010 Ivory)

Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation (SB 04)

Bourjois Healthy Balance Unifying Powder (52 Vanilla)

The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer

Nars Bronzer (Laguna)

Jeffree Star Androgyny Palette (Safe Word, Androgyny, Fetish, Deja Vu, Frosting)

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner (Trooper)

L'O'real Paradise Mascara

Illamasqua Eye Brow Cake (Gaze)

Urban Decay Lipstick (Backtalk)

Application

Today I started my make-up by applying the Nivea Post Shave Balm as a primer, you have probably seen this all over the internet at some point. This does make my skin feel nice and provides a nice tacky base for my foundation although I don't know if this really prolongs the wear of my foundation it's very inexpensive and as I said it does feel good on the skin. After this was absorbed I applied some concealer to my eyelids and set with powder. If I'm not sure what look I want to create or I know I'm going to be using dark shadows I always do my eyes before foundation.


To begin my eyes I blend some of Safe Word from the Jeffree Star Palette into the crease, next I use Androgyny on a fluffy crease brush to deepen things up. I take Fetish and blend into the outer corner before taking it all over the lid and again blending it into the shades already placed on the crease. To make the look more interesting and add some light I use my finger to pop Deja Vu in the centre of the eyelid and smooth the edges slightly, finally, I place some of the shade Frosting on the inner corner. To complete the eyes I create a fairly thin line across the lid with the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner and apply mascara. To make things a little more glamorous and dramatic I applied some super inexpensive (£1) lashes from Primark which are surprisingly good especially for wearing day to day. Now that the eyes are complete I use the Illamasqua Brow Cake to fill in and shape the brows, this product is best used mixed with a little water and gives a very sharp look.

Next, I move onto the base by using the real techniques sponge to blend the Illamasqua foundation into the skin then I conceal the undereyes with the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer, this is a nice concealer but it doesn't have the best coverage. Once I'm happy with how everything was blended I set the skin with Bourjois Healthy Balance powder, I love this powder! Then it's time to add some colour and definition back into the face by sweeping on some bronzer in a 3 shape down the face and illuminating the tops of the cheekbones with some Mary-Lou Manizer and a pop of MAC blush. I finish everything off by putting applying some Urban Decay Lipstick in the shade Backtalk.

I studied make-up artistry so as you can probably imagine I love Halloween! This is the time of year people can try new things and be really creative with their make-up, I've tried out some different SFX materials so I thought it might be interesting to give you a little rundown/review of these products.

3rd Degree

3rd Degree is a 2 part silicone modelling compound that you mix up and use to create cuts, scars and other lumps and bumps. The most important thing you need to know about 3rd Degree is that you must never cross-contaminate part A and part B, this product come in two jars that are clearly labelled and if any of part A gets mixed into part B (or vice-versa) it will ruin your product. To use, take a clean spatula and scoop a small amount of part A onto a palette, next either take a new spatula or thoroughly clean the original with alcohol before taking the same amount of part B and mixing well on your palette. Once the 3rd Degree is mixed you only have a few minutes before it cures so work fast and blend as you go. If you want to create something quite large then it's best to mix up small batches and work in stages. I like 3rd Degree as it looks more realistic on the skin and lasts longer than wax products. When this product cures it does look quite shiny so you should take a ripped sponge and lightly pat over the 3rd Degree once it's almost set to create some texture and reduce the shine. This can be purchased in clear, light, medium and dark, if you're not sure which to go for or plan on using this on all different skin tones then I would suggest purchasing the clear option. You can add in a very small amount of foundation or powder to create a match to your skin tone but be careful not to add too much or the product may not set, I have tried applying foundations and creams on top of the 3rd Degree but I find it doesn't always stick or it clings and you can't get a seamless blend where the skin and 3rd Degree meet so be careful and build colour slowly. It takes some time and practise to find the best way to use this product and get the most realistic effects but this is great for anyone who has some creativity, intermediate make-up skills or some experience with special effects products.

Ben Nye Stage Blood
Ben Nye have a range of different kinds of artificial blood (you would be surprised by how many different types are available) as well as other SFX products. Stage Blood is in a liquid form and is flavoured so it can be used safely around the mouth. This is the best fake blood I have ever tried, the cheap ones you get at this time of year are always watery, too bright and stain horrendously. Stage Blood has enough depth of colour to look very realistic and a great consistency, it will drip and run without going everywhere and after a few minutes it will stay in place without going dry.


Ben Nye Fresh Scab
This artificial blood is much more gruesome in name and appearance, just the name 'fresh scab' conjures up some repulsive images. This is more of a congealed blood that's very deep in colour and great for filling in wounds, you can also place this anywhere you want blood without it moving around.

Having both kinds of blood will be enough for any make-up artist starter kit or make-up enthusiast to create a number of gruesome looks.


Other Products
There are so many different special effects products on the market and I've only tried a small number of them but I thought I would mention a few others that are useful for a starter kit or Halloween lover. The first being spirit gum, this is essentially a glue that is safe for use on the skin. This could be used to apply prosthetics, gems and other items and is becoming much more widely available, easy to get hold of and inexpensive. Next, is rigid collodion which is used to create scars and indentations on the skin. It's a clear liquid that you paint on which constricts as it dries. This is another great product but do your research online about how to use this safely, you don't want to apply this regularly and not to the same areas of the skin or it can cause permanent damage.

Always remember that you don't need fancy products to create something amazing (although they do help) be creative and try new things. Try something spooky and have an amazing Halloween!

(The image at the top of this post was created last year by myself using 3rd Degree, Stage Blood and Fresh Scab as well as few other items such as grease paint)

On Saturday I was in Glasgow so of course, I had to stop into Primark and pick up a few new items so I thought I would share them with you and give a little bit of a review. This haul is mainly beauty based, the Glasgow store naturally has a much bigger selection of beauty products than my local store.

The first thing I picked up was this adorable peach eyeshadow palette that cost just £4!!! It contains 9 peach-toned matte and shimmer shades at £4 I just had to pick it up. The packaging is very lightweight and super cute but it does feel a little cheap and it gets grubby looking very quickly. The eyeshadows are actually peach scented (obviously this palette is inspired by the hugely popular Too Faced peach collection) I think this is a really nice touch but I'm not actually keen on the scent. Keep an eye out for a full review on this palette. 

Next, I spotted a make-up brush cleaning mat, this cost only £1.50 which is another amazing price! These are shaped like lips and come in a pretty turquoise colour, it has differently shaped ridges across the mat for cleaning different kinds of brushes and is a really good size.

So the next thing I spotted was the false lashes, Primark actually stock a few different brands now but today I picked up the cheapest ones that cost £1. Usually, I don't pay much attention to the Primark lashes as I thought they would be very cheap and poor quality but I recently saw a Youtuber recommend them so I figured I would give them a try. I picked up 2 different styles and on Saturday night I wore one set on a night out.....they are amazing! I'm so surprised at how good these looked and even the glue that I thought would be useless was really good. I will definitely be picking up more of these when I'm next in Primark.

Something that I noticed which is quite exciting is Primark now stock single eyeshadow pans that can be placed in palettes, they also have 4 and 9 pan empty palettes for sale. I decided to pick up the shade Bone to try out before picking up any other shades, this cost 60p which is crazy! The shade is just a simple light shade that I will use for setting the lid before applying the rest of my other eyeshadows. I tried this out today and it's very soft with quite a bit of fallout but it worked well and had good pigmentation.

Next, I picked up some new earrings for £1.50, these are really pretty and something a little different and more interesting than a standard hoop earring. I wore these out and they are quite light and feel comfortable I think these are really pretty, Primark always have some amazing jewellery bits for really great prices, they obviously won't last a lifetime but the quality is decent and they look great. 

I picked up some blotting sheets as I get quite oily in the t-zone throughout the day, they cost £1 and do what they say on the tin I don't think I can say much about blotting sheets that's very exciting.

Before heading to the till I spotted a stand with nail polishes and I've been on the lookout for an olive green shade for autumn so I picked one up for 90p. The shade is called Evergreen and is a very dark green shade, it's actually darker than I was looking for but for 90p I figured I would try it out. I also applied this on Saturday before a night out and it looks pretty good, it does need 2 coats to get the colour looking even and pigmented, the brush is a bit big so you need to be careful with the application but it does look good and I will probably pick up some other shades.

So that is all that I picked up, I'm really happy with these purchases and so far everything has really impressed me! Primark are producing some really amazing stuff right now and I can't wait to go back and pick up some more gems!

Hellooo, today I'm giving my review on the Fudge Clean Blonde Violet Toning Shampoo which claims to remove yellow tones from blonde hair. I will start by giving you a little history on my hair and colouring history. Last year I decided to go blonde, after years of colouring my hair at home and using lots of warm-toned shades I decided to have it done professionally and opted for balayage (this is like ombre but even more natural looking). This process involved me having my roots tinted as close to my natural colour as possible, highlights being placed throughout and then the lengths and ends of my hair being bleached to create a beautiful natural change in colour. I've had this repeated a few times since then and each time I always have an ash toner applied to remove any warmth from my hair. When I first had my hair done I wanted to find a product that I could use at home to keep my blonde looking its best, after some research online I decided to try the Fudge Clean Blonde Shampoo. This can be a little tricky to get hold of for some reason so I ordered mines from Amazon, it costs £22.15 for 1 litre of product. This bottle is huge and will last a very long time especially as this isn't a shampoo that you would use every time you wash your hair.

This shampoo is designed to remove any brassy tones from blonde hair to leave you with bright cool tones. The shampoo itself is a very dark purple colour that is extremely pigmented and can stain your hands and nails (you have been warned), I would suggest wearing gloves if possible and always being very careful when using this product. If you were wondering how exactly this works you need to look at a colour wheel, on the colour wheel purple is opposite yellow which means they counteract each other so putting purple shampoo on hair with yellow undertones neutralises the colour. The directions on the bottle suggest you apply to wet hair, lather evenly and leave for up to 5 minutes before rinsing well and applying conditioner. I would follow these instructions if you want to keep brassy tones at bay and refresh your colour but if like me you're a fan of that almost grey, ashy blonde then you can actually leave this on the hair for up to half an hour, repeated several times temporarily tints the hair. This shampoo does exactly what it claims to do, it colour corrects the hair whilst leaving it feeling clean and fresh, it's not the most nourishing or moisturising shampoo but this is easily fixed with a good conditioner. I only need to use this when I think my hair is looking a little yellow or I will use it throughout the week if I want to build the colour up to create that cool grey tone. This is the best purple shampoo I have personally ever tried and it was recommended so often that my hairdresser now stocks it in her salon.

I absolutely love this shampoo, it's my number one staple for blonde hair and I will definitely be repurchasing this.

Today I'm sharing with you a simple make-up look that I've been wearing quite a bit recently, its easy to apply and perfect for autumn days.  I have listed all the products I used below and given a brief description of how I applied them.


Products Used

The Ordinary High-Adherence Silicone Primer

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation (Siberia)

Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation (SB 04)

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (Fair 1)

Revolution Liquid Highlighter (Luminous Gold)

MUA Loose Setting Powder

Nars Bronzer (Laguna)

MAC Blush (Gingerly)

Zoeva Cocoa Blend Palette (Substitute for Love, Freshly Toasted, Sweeter End, Bitter Start)

NYX Matte Liquid Liner

Rimmel Soft Kohl Pencil (Jet Black)

L'Oreal Paradise Extatic Mascara

Collection Eyebrow Definer (3 Blonde)

MUA Luxe Velvet Matte Lipstick (# one)

Application

Before I start my make-up I wash my face and apply my skincare which today was a combination of the Simple moisturiser with SPF 15 mixed with a few drops of the Nip and Fab Dragons Blood Hyaluronic Shot. After this had absorbed into the skin I applied a small amount of The Ordinary Primer and worked it into the skin concentrating on the centre of the face and areas with enlarged pores. Next, I decided to try out mixing two foundations (I really need to repurchase my Estee Lauder Double Wear), I took some of the Nars foundation which was too light for me and mixed in some of the Illamasqua. I didn't love this combination and initially thought it made my skin look dry but after it had settled on the skin and the rest of my make-up was done it looked fine. I applied the Collection concealer under the eyes and on any of my breakouts, this is a really lovely concealer with good coverage and even better it's very reasonably priced. Next, I used my new favourite the Make Up Revolution Liquid Highlighter, I take a drop of this on the back of my hand and blend it onto the tops of my cheekbones with my fingers as I find this gives the most seamless blend on my skin. Once I was happy with my base I set everything with the MUA Loose Powder which I'm still unsure of, it does work and is a very finely milled powder but I think this will give quite a bit of flashback in photographs. After setting my base I gave more shape to the face by warming up my skin with the Nars Laguna Bronzer and adding a touch of MAC Blush.


Next, I started on my eye make-up, all of this was done using the Zoeva Cocoa Blend Palette, I started by setting my eyelid with the shade Bitter Start before fluffing Substitute for Love gently into the crease and blending out, I then darkened up the outer corner and crease using Freshly Toasted before finishing off with a little bit of Sweeter End on the inner corner and centre of the eyelid. To complete the look I tightlined the eye using the Rimmel Kohl pencil and created a small wing on the eyelid using the NYX Liquid Liner before finishing off with a coat of the L'Oreal mascara. Finally, I defined my brows with the Collection Brow Pencil (which is nice but very soft so not the most precise) and threw on the MUA Matte Lipstick to complete this simple everyday autumnal look.