Do More Of What Makes You Happy

Today I want to share a little part of me with you. I found out some very exciting news that is going to take place throughout the month of June and I want to document this moment because it has made me so damn happy! In case you didn't know I want to be a makeup artist, and for the past few months I've been working in a hair salon. My boss is a hair stylist and makeup artist who used to work in Soho in London and still has some contacts in the industry. I was at work today and she told me that she'd got me the oppurtunity to assist a leading makeup artist in the industry throughout June.  I was speechless and I still can't believe it! 

I think about how my life was going less than 6 months ago and it seriously leaves me speechless.  I know this is only the start but this is such a big oppurtunity for me and my career. I am so excited! Can't you tell? I've gone from writing essays to pursuing what I want to do in life, and I can't stress how important that is to anyone reading this! I want to be able to remember this feeling so I thought I would share it on this little blog of mine. 

These two quotes, the bottom on in particular, really helped me in the first few months of this year. And I have to say they are absolutely right. 

'Do what makes you happy and you will never have to work a day in your life'

Images (quotes) - Tumblr 

Travel Makeup Bag

One of my favourite things to read about on blogs are the contents of other peoples makeup bags. I find it really interesting to see what people are using out of the vast choice of beauty items out there. A lot of the time it will also remind me of a long forgotten product or a hidden gem that I haven't heard about before. It's not all about the hype after all. So I'm going to assume that there are other people out there who are just as nosey as I am and show you the contents of my travel makeup bag. In retrospect I didn't need all of these products. 6 lipsticks for a week is a bit drastic don't you think? In particular when I spent the majority of my time lying by the pool sans makeup. C'est la vie! In my defence one of the highlights of this holiday was being able to spend a significant amount of time in the evenings putting on my makeup. It really is one of the most relaxing things for me to do. Something which can become a chore when trying to rush out the door. 

Enough rambling, let me introduce you to the contents of my travel makeup bag. It was all housed in this Cath Kidston makeup case which I've had for a while now. It's spacey enough to fit everything in, palettes included and it didn't take up too much room in my suitcase. 

BASE: NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser (Terre-Neuve), Estée Lauder Daywear Tinted Moisturiser, NARS Creamy Concealer, MAC MSF Natural in Light Plus and Medium/Dark

CHEEKS: MAC Blush in Sincere, NARS Blush in Deep Throat

EYES: Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette, MAC Quad (L-R Pink Freeze, Naked Lunch, Satin Taupe, Silver Ring), MAC All That Glitters, MAC Patina, MAC Paint pot in Bare Study

LIPS: MAC 'Peach Blossom', MAC 'Costa Chic', Estée Lauder Pure Colour Lipstick in Crystal Pink, Revlon Super Lustrous 'Kissable Pink, Maybelline Colour Sensational Shine Gloss in Glorious Grapefruit, Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya

The Playlist

A list of songs that I currently have on repeat. I give them a week before I can never listen to them ever again with the same amount of love. The cons of being a fickle and repetitive music lover, there's always another song or artist to listen to

1. I Choose You - Sara Barailles 

2. Love Is Easy - Mcfly 

3. Nobody To Love - Sigma 

4. Wish U Were Here - Cody Simpson (guilty pleasure anyone?)
5. Oh Cecilia  - The Vamps (I heard this one live before Taylor Swift, surprisingly good and upbeat)
6. Waves - Mr Probz
7. In Love With A Girl - Gavin DeGraw
8. Give Me Love - Ed Sheeran (a classic)

Tenerife

Freshly made strawberry and watermelon smoothie. De-licious!

Some photos from my recent trip to Tenerife with my family. It was a week filled with reading, eating, music listening, sleeping and relaxing!



Can I go back please?

The Weekend Post: Chocolate Overload

It's Easter Sunday! (These posts are a week behind if that confuses you at all) So I have completely scoffed my face with lots and lots of chocolate because in all honesty that is one of the best parts of Easter, right? We had people over for lunch so it's safe to say there is alot of spare food in the house right now, in particular lots of easter eggs of all shapes and sizes. I'm not complaining. Apart from that though it's been very relaxed, just getting back into the routine of being at home again after a week away which you will be reading about very soon!

I hope everyone had a lovely bank holiday weekend! P.S. The cake in the photo above was made by my lovely mother, and it was so yummy! Decorated accordingly for easter, however soon after taking this photo the ribbon was soon removed and the cake viciously cut into. There's about a quarter of it left now so it's fair to say it was pretty popular!

Wheat Free Ideas For Breakfast

The Weekday Option
During the week everyone wants to savour those precious few moments that you can stay wrapped up in your warm duvet cocoon. So I keep my breakfast quick and easy. But I also need to it fill me up for the next few hours because you do not need nor want to know me when I'm hungry.

Plain Yoghurt with Granola, Your Fruit of Choice and Honey

In this photo I had some pomegranate lying around, but you can use anything that you have. Grapes, apples, bananas are some of my other favourite options.

Rye Toast and Peanut Butter

Quick, easy, filling and yummy. This is my go to breakfast for those mornings when I can't decide what to wear, my makeup goes wrong and I have five minutes to get out the door.


The Weekend Option
On the weekend I like to have more of a substantial breakfast as I have more time to prepare something. And why not?

Rye Toast with Mushrooms, Scrambled Eggs and Raspberries

The alternative to a greasy Sunday fry up. And only takes 10 minutes to cook and serve.

Banana and Egg Pancakes

This recipe has been taking the blogosphere by storm recently so of course I had to try it out. And I can confirm they are delicious and don't taste like bananas or scrambled egg. I like to have mine with maple syrup and raspberries.  The recipe I used was from this blog.


There is one thing that I keep the same each day and that is my drink. I like to start the day with hot water and lemon. It's really refreshing and has lots of benefits!

NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien

Everyone's always on the search for the lip shade that suits them, they feel comfortable wearing and looks great with any look. In other words te perfect neutral shade.  Well ladies and gentlemen I think I've found mine. The NARS Satin Lip Pencil in 'Rikugien'. In the bullet it looks like a dark rosy shade but on my lips it is the ideal 'your lips but better shade'. It gives a satin finish, which is inbetween a matte and a shine. I would happily wear this everyday as a slick on and go because it's easy enough to apply without needing a mirror.

Lusting: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushers

Individual images from Pinterest

Some of you might remember that at the beginning of this month I pledged that I was not going to spend any money on any beauty related items. For a self confessed shopaholic I feel like I have done pretty well so far. I have been restrained, apart from that one time at duty free which was nigh on impossible to avoid. Howeve recently I have found my self-constraint slipping. I am currently lusting for one of the most exciting launches this year, in my humble opinion, an Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush. They are just so pretty and have been raved about so much, I feel like it would be rude not to. The shades above are 3 of my favourite at the moment (L-R Dim Infusion, Mood Exposure, Luminous Flush), of course I only want to purchase one, let's not get ahead of ourselves. If I had all the money in the world I would buy all 6 shades, but priced at £28 a blush I'm not quite at the point where I can afford to do that. A girl can dream.

I could lie to you, but I won't. I've already caved, in my mind, and decided that I am going to make a visit to my local Space NK as soon as we enter the month of May and purchase one of these beauties. I've just looked at my calendar and the 1st May is a week today! Hourglass blushers, I am coming for you.

Transitional Pieces

It may be Spring time here in England but that doesn't necessarily mean that the weather is warming up day by day. The sun is still making us wait unfortunately so what I wear day to day has needed to be adapted to fit the needs of these cool days. They're not freezing, I haven't worn my winter coat in a month or so now, but it's also not yet time to bring out the short shorts just yet. Instead there are a couple do pieces that have come to my rescue in this transitional period. 

1. Midi Skirts- worn with tights and a 3/4 length top

2. Lightweight Jacket

3. Blue Pumps - to brighten up an outfit, it is Spring after all 

Shoes - New Look Basic Ballet Pumps £7.99
Skirt - Topshop (not on website, bought in February)
Jacket - Boden Cotton Biker Jacket £79

Holy Grail: Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish

It may surprise you that I have only ever used 2 cleansers since I started the whole 'Cleanse, Tone, Moisturise' cycle. The first being The Body Shop Vitamin E Cleanser, before I moved onto the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish when I was about 14.  It has been with me and my skin through its rough periods, and by that I mean the dreaded teenage hormonal skin and I am still using it now. Although I would say that my skin has changed over the past year or so I still feel like this cleanser is doing it's job. Once upon a time I had quite oily skin and now it's more normal/combination. My mum also uses this cleansee and she has normal/dry skin.   So I would recommend this to anyone out there.

I use it morning and evening with a muslin cloth that comes with the cleanser. In the evenings though I prefer to do a double cleanse. Using it first to remove majority of the makeup I'm wearing and then the second time it can properly cleanse the skin. I've definitely noticed a difference in my skin since I've been doing this. I can't see myself straying from this holy grail product any time soon!

The Weekend Post: Vogue In The Sunshine

I am currently lying in the sun, Vogue is open on my lap, my book is to the left of me and my iPod is playing. I am well and truly relaxed. Before those in the UK get excited don't get your hopes up, there's no heat wave yet. I am actually in Tenerife! The grey skies and endless days of wearing jeans were taking its toll and it is so nice to escape the dull weather for a  while. This trip has been getting me through the past few months. Ever since January when it was booked I have been counting down the days when I can lounge around by the pool and wear shorts and skirts without the risk of freezing. I wore shorts for the first time yesterday since, I'd say they were last worn in September. That was a whopping 8 months ago!

I started the day off how it should start, with fruit, frozen yoghurt and pancakes (drenched in chocolate sauce, bien sur). And I've been lazing on this sun lounger for the past few hours now. Lunch is the next stop. For now though I'm going to get back to reading Vogue (read: skimming the articles and studying the makeup on each model, as you do). Buenos Dias! 

Why I Want To Be A Makeup Artist

1. To be creative in my job means everything to me

2. There's no day that's the same 

3. You are constantly learning new skills

4. It's not a regular office 9-5 job

5. The oppurtunity to travel 

6. To work with other creative people 

7. I love makeup and creating different looks 

8. There are so many directions to go in: tv, film, fashion, prosthetics... 

9. Did I mention that I love being able to be creative? 

Using Blush To Contour

A tip that I picked up recently was to use your blush to subtlety contour. Obviously not the bright pinks, corals or reds that you have in your collection but a muted brown. Instead of using a bronzing or sculpting powder this works just as well and is one less product to pack if you are going away or just trying to save time on your makeup in the morning. The shade that I have is 'Sincere' by MAC, but I know that 'Buff' and 'Tenderling' by MAC also work well.

Start by using an angled powder brush and taking the blush from along and slightly under the cheekbone from where the cheekbone meets the top of the ear to where it stops at the apples if the cheeks in a forward motion. You can then place some of the product in the usual contour places, in the hairline and under the jaw. I like to then use a pink blush just on the apples of the cheeks to add a pop of colour. In this case I've used 'Apricot' by Bobbi Brown. 

The Holiday Reading List

One of the best thing for me about going away is being able to get through a good few books. At home sometimes life can get in the way and reading can take a backseat, something which I aim to change as I find it to be one of the most relaxing things to do out there. I love getting lost in another world.

First: Magazines. One of the main reasons why I love the start of a new month is the release of all the new magazines. I get ELLE and Vogue to catch up on all the latest trends, read the articles and let's be honest I spend most of the time studying the makeup and hair looks on the models on the advertising pages. Alot of my inspiration comes from those pages. I've been buying Company for a while now, I love that they include alot of blogger and social media aspects into their articles. It's always very up to date and there are always interesting and relatable features 

Second: Books. Yes I do do some proper reading as well. I've got the Bridget Jones Omnibus (both books in one, er yes!) because no holiday is complete without a trashy, girly book. Plus my mum virtually forced these books on me when she found out I hadn't read them. Then I've also got the first two books in the Divergent series, because I'm interested to see what the fuss is about and they look like an easy read. Finally I've got what some may call a 'proper' read, The Girl At The Lion D'Or. I found this on one of the book cases at home and thought I would give it a try.

I won't lie, alot of my suitcase is taken up by reading materials. But seeing as I am going to be spending the majority of the week lying in the sun reading it kind of makes sense. Now just to find the extra space for makeup, skincare and clothes. Pray for me.

Cleanse, Tone, Moisturise

I was first introduced to this mantra, routine, law, whatever you want to call it at the tender age of about 13. My mum emphasised to me the importance of this routine and I have stuck to it morning and evening for the past 6 years. It's a part of my day now, like clockwork. I don't even have to think about it. When I wake up the first thing I do, once I'm up and out of bed, is go to the bathroom and wash my face, the same thing goes for the evening time. No matter how tired I am I always do this  because it takes absolutely no time at all. You might be surprised to hear that I have never gone to bed with my makeup on, even after a night out. I just can't do it when this routine takes so little time in the first place.

Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser 

Liz Earle Toner

Choice of moisturisers: La Roche-Posay Hydreana Legere (am)/ Riche (pm) or The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisturiser 

The Weekend Post: Birthdays and Burgers

This past Sunday was spent celebrating my mums birthday. It's actually on Tuesday but we decided to celebrate on the weekend when everyone was around. We all went out to a local restaurant and were absolutely spoiled by the delicious food! I went for the Lamb and Feta burger, which I actually ended up eating without the bread, and some super amazing chips. I mean seriously look at them! I'm normally a skinny fries girl, but these won me over fair and square.  And then I couldn't quite handle a full on dessert after the almighty burger. So instead I went for sorbet, one raspberry and one blackcurrant scoop. The raspberry was definitely my favourite, it was so creamy you would have thought it was actually ice cream.  A very much appreciated and lovely lunch with the family! 

Pretty Things

It was my mums birthday recently and these were the cards that I got her from me and my brothers. I thought that they were far too pretty not too share. They are from a local store and all handmade, you can see how much effort has gone into each one. Pretty birthday cards always make a good start to your special day. 

MAC Mineralize Skinfinishes

I bought two of these the other week and I can't believe that it's taken me this long to purchase these. There's so much hype around these products but I could never bring myself to purchase them until now. I got them in two colours: Light Plus as my natural colour and Medium/Dark to use to contour/add some colour.  The light shade is great to use as a powder on top of a base to add a bit more coverage (I like to use it over the NARS tinted moisturizer) or you can use it on its own for one of those sheer coverage days. For the darker shade it is great to use on the temples, jawline and under the cheekbone. And best of all there's no cakey finish to it! It's not a product that's going to run out quickly so it is definitely an investment purchase.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish - Link

My First MAC Quad

A very exciting thing happened recently! I bought my first MAC quad of eyeshadows. And when I saw I'm excited, I really mean it. For someone who has been interested in makeup for a while I'm surprised that this hasn't happened sooner but I've always found the amount of colours quite daunting.  But I bit the bullet and I really do love all 4 of the colours in this palette.

From left to right they are Pink Freeze, Naked Lunch, Satin Taupe and Silver Ring.  Pink Freeze is such a pretty colour to use as an inner corner highlight and under the brow bone. Id also like to try it out over the lid as I think that with either Satin Taupe or a light matte brown it would look really pretty. Naked Lunch is a shade known by many beauty bloggers. It is a nude-champagne shimmer shade, great for use as an all over wash over the lid or as a base with other colours. I love to wear this with either of the other two darker shades in the palette. Firstly Satin Taupe is a brown shade with a slight purple/mauve hint running through it. Either using in the crease or on it's own for a darker look. And then Silver Ring is a shade which I haven't heard a lot about but I absolutely love it. It is a slate grey colour which has some deep blue tones which I find is flattering and easy to wear. 

This would definitely be a palette that I could pick up if I was going away for the night as I know that I can create a few different sorts of looks with it. 

Weekly Makeup #4

Back to what I've been wearing on my face after a week off last week. There are a couple of old favourites in there, cue Max Factor Clump Defy Mascara and the MAC Paintpot in Bare Study. I've also been using a couple of new additions, namely the MAC Mineralze Skinfinish which I can't believe I've been living without. It completely stops the oily t-zone from occurring throughout the middle of the day and adds a bit more coverage in places that I need it. I've also been using my MAC quad all week, there's a post coming up about that so I won't go into too much detail but it's mostly Naked Lunch with either Satin Taupe or Silver Ring in the crease. Then to finish everything off I've found my new favourite bold lipstick, Costa Chic by MAC. It's a pink-coral shade which is so easy to wear and I feel very comfortable wearing it which I think is always very important. 

BASE: NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer (Terre-Neuve), NARS Creamy Concealer (Chantilly), MAC Mineralize Skinfinish (Light Plus), NARS Multiple (Copacabana), MAC Blush (Sincere), Bobbi Brown Blush (Apricot)

EYES: MAC Paintpot (Bare Study), MAC e/s Quad (L-R Pink Freeze, Naked Lunch, Satin Taupe, Silver Ring), Max Factor Clump Defy Mascara

LIPS: MAC Lipstick (Costa Chic) 

The Weekend Post: Pancakes, Pancakes, Pancakes

I am absolutely exhausted. This past week has been one of the best, and most tiring weeks that I've had for a while. I have spent the week commuting up to London to go to a makeup course (more on that in another post). So that's meant leaving the house at ten past seven in the morning(!) and getting back about seven in the evening. A solid 12 hour day which was well and truly worth it. I then went straight into work on Saturday and absolutely collapsed when I got home. Spent the afternoon and evening curled up watching many, many youtube videos. Perfection in my eyes. I feel like I haven't stopped for the past 2 weeks and I can't wait to just spend a whole day doing absolutely nothing. 

I started off the weekend just the way every weekend should, with pancakes! (It was my brothers 14th birthday so it was a bit of a special occasion). I like to eat my pancakes in a pool of maple syrup. None of this small amount as you need it business. And that's it.  I'm off to do absolutely nothing which I feel I have earnt after the last couple of weeks. Bliss! 

FIVE: Commuting Essentials

Last week I spent the week travelling up to London. That meant early mornings, time spent travelling and late-ish nights. So I thought I would put together a list of some of the things I carried with me throughout the week which I realised were absolute essentials.

1. LEMON WATER - I put a slice of lemon in my water bottle this week. It just made the water a slight taste which made me want to drink it, therefore keeping hydrated throughout the day! 

2. SCARF - this one is obviously more for the winter months. Since I was getting a very early train a little sleep on the train wouldn't go a miss so the scarf would double as a pillow. Just makes it that bit more comfortable. 

3. HEALTHY SNACKS - let's be honest, picking up a chocolate bar/cake is so easy on your commute and you just want a quick fix. But if you already have some snacks in your bag then there's no need! Also saves you some money which is always a bonus. 

4. TRAVEL PURSE - I don't want to carry round my regular purse with me when I'm travelling on the tube, so I keep my ticket in a small folding purse which is easy to carry on the go. 

5. MAGAZINES - I haven't found a book for a while that I want to read, but I know that reading on the train can make the journey go by a lot quicker so I picked up i-D and LOVE to browse on the train. Voila! Speedy train journey! 

The Trend: Blue

Found on Pinterest - Marc Jacobs Spring 2014

If you were following the trends at Fashion Week over a month ago now you will have seen that using the colour blue as an eyeshadow/eyeliner is the trend to go for at the moment. Of course alot of the trend that you see on the catwalk are hard to follow exactly, except if you are extremely confident. However if you are more like me and prefer your look to be more muted I have discovered a way to subtely incorporate this look into your everyday makeup.

Instead of going for a full on blue eyeshadow on you eyelid I prefer to take a more muted grey toned blue and use it subtly line the lower lashes. It's natural, easy to wear and not too in your face 'look I'm wearing blue eyeshadow'. I have recently learnt that eyeshadow colours of your eye colour are in fact very well suited to each other. As someone with blue eyes it is therefore something which I have been avoiding since a rather bad experience at the ripe old age of 12 when I bought my first ever blue eyeshadow, which let me tell you did not go down well regardless of what I thought back then.

Back to the original topic. The two colours that I have found so far which I am loving using at the moment along my bottom lash line are MAC's 'Silver Grey' and two shades in the original Urban Decay Naked Palette called 'Gunmetal' and 'Creep'.  Of the Urban Decay Shades 'Gunmetal' is the slightler lighter, navy option of the two, whereas 'Creep' is a very dark almost black shade with a hint of navy. As for the MAC option this is a very recent purchase. Don't be fooled by the name as although it does look like a silvery-grey in the palette, it has a gorgeous blue undertone. Of all three shades this is definitely my favourite.  

Let me know if you give this a try!  This is a great option for the colour phobes out there who like to stick to the uniform blacks and browns on their eyes.

Magazines Of The Moment

One of my favourite things parts of reading magazines is to look at the makeup looks and styles that are being worn in the adverts.  So when I discovered these magazines they exactly fit the bill. i-D and LOVE are seasonal

magazines which are based around a significant mix of fashion photography and articles including interviews and features. I was particularly interested in an article in i-D about whether degrees are essential for jobs in the creative industries.

These magazines are larger then the average monthly so I like to read them over the course of a week or so. And at £6 each I'd say that they are definitely worth it seeing as they're only release a few times a year. I picked mine up from a WHSmith in London.