Mid Year Thoughts

A lot can happen in a year. This past year has been a whirlwind and a half for me. Thinking back to who I was then and comparing it to who I am now I feel like I have changed and matured a lot. I have experienced things that I would never have even contemplated, but going through the tough times has made me a stronger and happier person.

This time last year I was a month from the start of my first year at university. 4 months later I was unhappy, lonely and confused. I left university on the 18th December 2013 and I can say now that it is one of the best decisions that I ever made. Even though it wasn't the happiest of times for me I am so glad that I spent those few months at university because it really made me think about my future. It made me value my own opinions, goals and life expectations. And when it all came down to it, a university degree just wasn't important to me. The next couple of months were scary for me, it was the first time ever that I was in this world without a plan. Education is so structured there is always something to look towards. I looked towards my future and there was nothing, a hazy mist. That scared the hell out of me.

I have always been a creative person. Whilst I was at school I had looked at a couple of makeup courses but it wasn't the right time and place, they were quickly overlooked. Earlier this year the thought popped back into my head, and this time there was absolutely no reason not to do it. I feel like I have achieved so much in the past 8 months. I have a path in life, it may still be somewhat unknown but it's there. And it's my job to lay down the tracks so I can walk along it.

I have chosen the world of hair and makeup as my path. I have started working towards this destination since the start of this year which I want to note down so I can reflect back on them in a years time, or even at the end of this year.

:: spent 6 months working in a hair and beauty salon
:: assisted on weddings
:: helped out with hair and makeup at local school plays
:: completed the Introducion to Beauty Makeup course at London College of Fashion
:: made contact with multiple people working in the industry
:: shadowed a makeup artist on the set of a BBC tv show for a day

:: signed up to start a course in hair and makeup for film, tv and theatre starting in September

Live and work towards what will make you happy.

Skincare :: AM

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser / Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic Spritzer / La Roche Posay Hydreane Legere / The Body Shop Vitamin E Eye Cream

Goals + Dreams

A list of some of the things that I dream about happening in my lifetime.

:: work as a hair and makeup artist on a music tour
:: have my work featured in an editoral magazine
:: travel the world with my job
:: spend extended periods of time in LA, New York, San Francisco, Paris
:: be able to financially support myself
:: live in brighton
:: be happy

Well Loved

There are some products that are so scraped and bruised from their overuse that I thought they deserved a mention on this little space of mine. They are basic, everyday products. They're messy, the writing has worn off on a lot of them, they're almost empty, they've been repurchased multiple times. But all in all that just shows that a significant amount of love goes towards them. I'm almost at the end of my second bottle of Bioderma and I've just picked up another mascara and eyebrow pencil, hence their squeaky clean appearance. The eye pencil is a cheap one, but it is a good'un. I can't muster up the courage to spend a fortune on a high end brand version when I know this one is just so damn good. Saying that, as you can probably see my MAC paintpot is looking a tad on the dry side. I've been putting up with it, telling myself it still works so what's the point in buying a new one? But I'm thinking an updated version is on the cards very soon. The Rimmel powder has been in my collection for years now, it was the first powder that I ever bought and I am still using it. Now if that's not loyalty then I don't know what is. This was even before the whole craze around it started, I obviously have psychic powers. Lastly the Bobbi Brown corrector which is one of the most recent additions is something I never know I needed in my life until now. Undereye concealing will never be the same without this one now.

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Translucent / MAC Paintpot in Painterly / Bobbi Brown Correcter in Extra Light Bisque / Bioderma / Max Factor Clump Defy Mascara / Barry M Eyeliner in 2 / MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Fling

Daily Makeup :: Summer Edit

Estee Lauder DayWear Tinted Moisturiser / Bobbi Brown Correcter in Extra Light Bisque / Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer in Light / The Body Shop Honey Bronzer in Light Matte / Bobbi Brown Blush in Pretty Pink / Rimmel Stay Matte Powder / MAC Paintpot in Painterly / Max Factor Clump Defy Mascara / Burts Bees Beeswax Lipbalm

It's The Little Things

  

It's late Sunday afternoon. Time to take a breather, read the new Vogue, paint my nails and watch netflix/youtube.

Chanel :: Coco Mademoiselle

When I was 15 (4 years ago now?! Where did that go?) I remember the day where I splashed out the the largest amount of money to that date. I bought my first ever proper perfume on Oxford Street in London and I remember feeling very smug and proud walking down the road knowing I had a Chanel perfume in my bag. 4 years down the line and I noticed that I was beginning to run low on it, so with my 19th birthday coming up I asked for a replacement instead of splashing out with my own hard earned cash which I am desperately trying to save at the moment. To me the scent is classic, girly and easy to wear on a day to day basis. To be honest with you it is a familiar scent to me now and I don't think that I will ever be without it.

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Eau De Toilette

Phyto Hair

It's been a long time coming but I think that I have finally found a shampoo and conditioner that completely suits my hair. The brand Phyto was introduced to me where I work. Phyto was introduced to the salon where I am currently working a couple of months ago now, which was a great oppurtunity for me to get to know the vast range of products and also use them on clients before buying any products myself. Phyto is a 95% natural brand which uses plant extracts in their products to achieve the different properties of each product and ranges within the brand. It was created in France, hence half the writing being in French on the packaging, but is now sold in Britain (namely in Selfridges).

In the past I have been recommended volumising shampoos but I have never found that they actually do anything and instead just make my hair greasier alot quicker. So I decided to get the PhytoProgenium shampoo with the Phytobaume Volume (conditioner). The shampoo doesn't claim to do anything fancy, it just cleans your hair without stripping or adding anything to it. On the packaging the shampoo says it is for daily use, but I find that my hair can last up to 2-3 days. It just means that the product is gentle enough to be able to use everday without completely stripping your hair if needs be.  As for the conditioners, you hardly need to use any of the product. I have found using the conditioner first and then doing two rounds of shampoo works best, as I have fine hair, so the shampoo will rinse off any excess conditioner whilst still leaving your hair moisturised.

Long story short, I can't see myself straying from these products any time soon. My hair has fallen in love with them!

PhytoProgenium Shampoo / Phytobaume Volume

7 Things I Do Everyday

1. Read new blogposts on Bloglovin'

2. Apply makeup (*most days)

3. Drink water

4. Watch youtube videos

5. Shower

6. Eat a cookie (or two)

7. Think about the future

Wedding Guest Makeup

This Saturday just gone I went to the second wedding I've ever been to. My cousin was marrying her partner of 7 years and it had been a date in the diary that I had been looking forward to for over a year! The weather was all anyone could ask for on their wedding day. The sun was shining, there were blue skies all around and there were smiles on everyone's faces. It was such a lovely day and it was great to spend time with family members that I don't get to see that often. There are alot of people in my family so it's rare that alot of us are in the same place at once. It's really interesting to see which directions we are all heading towards now that we are all older, I'm one of the youngest so there are lots of varied career paths to keep up to date with.

That being said one of the best parts of a day out, in my personal opinion, is getting reading in the morning. Being someone who is aiming to pursue a career in makeup I had been thinking of what to wear on my face for a while. When it came to it I had a rough idea of what I wanted to achieve, some eye inspiration came from this Pixiwoo video but on the whole I just made it up as I went along.  It consisted of a light base, natural smokey eye and a natural lip colour. It lasted pretty well thanks to the primer and powder that I used throughout the day, despite the persistent heat.

Benefit Porefessional Primer (not pictured) / MAC Face and Body in C2 / Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer in 01 Light / Bobbi Brown Correcter in Extra Light Bisque / The Body Shop Honey Bronzer in Light Matte / Bobbi Brown Blush in Pretty Pink / MAC Blush in Sincere / NARS Multiple in Copacabana / MAC Paintpot in Painterly / MAC Eyeshadow's in Patina, Satin Taupe & Pink Freeze / MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Fling (not pictured) / MAC Lipstick in Peach Blossom / Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Translucent