DIY Fashion: Studs!

Hey everyone! As we all know, studs have been a massive trend recently, and one that I adoree! I love how studs can make the most simple of outfits more edgy and also, is a super simple look to achieve. So simple in fact that I picked up some studs on Ebay to do a bit of wardrobe diy-ing and stud some items myself. I ordered a few different sizes from different sellers for not more than £2.99 for a small bag. The studs were shipped from China and did take a a couple of weeks to reach me, but I was willing to wait as they were so cheap and I was in no rush! I chose a few pieces from my collection which I felt could do with some sprucing up and became a little stud crazy!

The black heels I picked up from Primark a while ago but havn't really worn them with them being quite plain. I am unsure whether I want to take the silver studs all the way down the heel, or just scatter them around the back of the heel and mix in some smaller, gold studs!? What do you think?

The white clutch I actually got in a charity shop for around £1! When I saw it I knew it would be fab with studs, so I added some along the opening and also glued on a strip of lace for some extra detail // I love the look of studded collars, so I put some smaller ones of the collar of a denim jacket, I love how this works against the denim // I am experimenting taking some studs down the grey crop top from Topshop, I think it will add a little some extra for a night out! // On a side note, will searching Ebay for studs I also picked up this collar cuff which I love! It attaches like an earring so I can wear it on any top. I am definitely going to pick up some more of these, they looks great with a plain white shirt!

What do you think of the stud craze? Have you had a go at DIY studding? If you have, link your post below, I would love to see!

Bronze Smokey Eye

The classic bronze smokey eye is my 'go to' night makeup look. I have fairly small eyes so I try and stay away from lots of black as it can make them look even smaller, so I try and use a mixture of golds and browns to compliment my blue eyes and really make the colour pop. So, here's how I do it! Prepare for a lot of photo's!

To start, I use Elf's cream eyeshadow in 'Bronze' as a base all over my eye lid, this will give the colours applied on top a real pop.

I then apply a skin tones colour from a No.7 palette all over the eye lid up to the brow bone.

I take a shimmering nude, champagne colour and place it on the inner third of my eye. 

I then apply 'Woodwinked' by Mac from the mid to outer eye lid, from lash line and up into the crease and blend it out with a fluffy brush to get rid of any harsh lines. I also take 'Woodwinked' mixed with a bit of 'Cork' under the eye using a small pointed brush.

I take a white pencil from Elf and put it under my brow bone to highlight, smudging it out with a Frontcover pointer brush. I also highlight the tear duct and inner corners of my eye using this liner. This will make my small eyes appear bigger.

I then use a matte dark brown colour from my Blush Cosmetics 88 palette and apply it to the outer corner of my eye to deepen the colour and add to the smokey effect.

Using a small angled brush and a black eyeshadow, I line two thirds of my upper lash line, blending the product up as I reach the outer corner. 

I then take my Mac 239 and blend to make sure all the shadows blend into one another.

 Using a brown eyeliner, I fill in the outer corner of my water line, going down into the lash line and making sure it blends into one another and up into the flick.

I then add some mascara. I'm using Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Waterproof, as this doesn't smudge and will last all night.

 I warm up my cheek bones and temples using Bourjois Chocolate Powder Bronzer and Real Techniques Blush Brush.

 On the lips I use No.7 Lip Liner In 'Nude' and L'oreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick in 'Lovely Rose'. As the eyes are quite bold, I want to keep the lips fairly nude.

 And here's the finished look! I hope you like it! It's perfect for summer nights or even day time, as using brown instead of black makes it a lot less harsh!

 Let me know what you think of this type of tutorial! 

What do you think of the bronze smokey eye? Do you wear it often or go for more of a black smokey eye?

x

The 'Barely There'

During the summer (not that we are having much one in the UK!) in the day time I like to keep my makeup very simple and focus on a very natural look, as I find that as it starts to get a bit hotter, I like to let my skin breath and prefer to not have a full face of makeup melting in the heat, especially when at the beach.

Although I wish I was, I am not the type of person that is confident enough to not wear any makeup at all, so over the years I have come up with a 'barely there' look, using enough makeup to conceal any skin concerns, but still keeping it very natural.

Here's the look I go for



Ignore the wonky side of my face, I took this photo with my iphone and I am not the steadiest of people, giving me a blurred side to my face ha!

I concentrate on making my skin look healthy and cover any blemishes or redness using;

Foundation- Clinique Super Balanced Makeup 'Beige Chiffon'

Concealer- Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection 'Medium' & MAC Studio Finish NC20

Powder- Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder 'Transparent'

Applied using;

Real Techniques Stippling Brush

ELF Powder Brush

I then fill in any sparse areas of my eyebrows, which I find really helps to frame my face using;

HD Brows Palette 'BombShell' using 'Medium Blonde & Ash Blonde' (I find these colours mixed are a perfect colour for my brows, even being a brunette!)

Applied Using;

Royal and Langnickel Eyebrow Brush C490

I then curl my eye lashes, and add the slightest coat of mascara just to darken my lashes;

Eyelash Curlers- Primark

Mascara- Maybelline The Falsies Waterproof 'Black'

I then usually put on a lipbalm, in this case, Creme Brule Vaseline, and I am good to go!

Do you have a 'barely there' go to look for summer? Or do you prefer to wear lots of colour?

x



NOTD: Mint Green

I have been loving all things pastel recently, from clothes, to makeup and my nails. Today I painted my nails with a mint green shade from ELF (eyeslipsface) called 'Mint Cream' and I absolutely love it!

Admittedly, these ELF nail polishes are not the longest lasting, but at £1.50 and with a gorgeous range of colours, that can be forgiven. With a descent top coat, this usually lasts me around three days.

This polish can be purchased from the eyeslipsface website. Have you been loving the pastel trend? 

Clinique Superbalanced Makeup

Just over a month ago, I decided it was time to switch up my foundations. I had been using Revlon Colourstay for a while and had been slowly falling out of love with it. I felt the coverage was too heavy and it didn't last on my skin as well as it had in previous months. I tried out a few samples of foundations and came across Clinique Superbalanced Makeup which I instantly fell in love with and ended up purchasing. I have been using it for a few weeks now and I still really love it. 

I have combination skin, my T zone tends to get quite oily while my eye lids and cheeks get quite dry which can cause problems when looking for a foundation. This foundation combats both those problems, it absorbs oil where needed whilst also providing moisture. 


What I love most about this foundation is the coverage. It provides medium coverage and covers any blemishes or redness, whilst leaving the skin looking flawlessly natural. WIN! I apply this foundation with my Real Techniques Stippling Brush and love the finish it gives.

I am in the colour 36 Beige Chiffon (which looks a little orangey in the photos, but I promise that is just my lighting!) This foundation is also water resistant, which makes it perfect if you are somebody who still likes to wear a bit of makeup when exercising or at the pool. 

                                                        Swatched Straight from bottle

                                                                        Blended


This will definitely be one of my staple items in my makeup bag this summer. What foundations do you love for summer? x

Product Rave: L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipsticks

I have heard a lot about the L'Oreal Rouge Caresse lipsticks, so when I was in boots the other day I decided to pick up a couple as they were having a 2 for £14 offer. (rrp. £7.99 each) The colours I picked up are 01 Fashionista Pink and 03 Lovely Rose.

                                             Left- 03 Lovely Rose  Right- 01 Fashionista Pink

Firstly, I love the packaging of these lipsticks. They have a high end look and feel for an affordable price! The lipsticks themselves are lovely too, quite sheer but buildable and definitely add a nice colour to the lips. Fashionista Pink is a pale Barbie pink, that come out very sheer on the lips, which would be nice if you are looking for a quick sweep of glossy colour. Lovely Rose is in the same colour family but darker, again fairly sheer, but provides more colour than Fashionista Pink. The formula is nice, they feel very moisturising and I think would be great for both day time and a night out (unless you want a bold lip, in which case I wouldn;t go for these). Overall I am very impressed, I think these are perfect for summer and I have my eye on a few of the other colours!

                       
                                               Left- 03 Lovely Rose  Right- 01 Fashionista Pink

Summer Blush

Summer is fast approaching and we who love makeup have to work around this! Over winter, I was a real fan of the whole vamp look, with a dark rose cheek, but now Summer is almost here, I wanted to switch up for something a big more natural. After having a route through my collection, I picked up my Nars Deep Throat blush (which I had worn for months and absolutely loved last year) which had got pushed to the back of the pile. Now I have found it, I remember why I loved it so much!

It may have a bit of a rude name, but it really is the sweetest blush. It is a coral pinky shade with shimmer, and leaves a soft, natural glow to the cheek. I have been using it for both day and night time and think it works nicely both ways. In the day, a natural flush of colour on a nude face and at night compliments a brown smokey eye well. I have been applying it with both the Real Techniques Blush Brush to bring it from the cheek back towards the ear or the Smashbox Baby Buki to keep it on the apples of the cheek.

                                                            Nars 'Deep Throat'


Nars products can be expensive, so if you are looking for a more affordable dupe, Elf do a blush in the colour 'Tickled Pink' which is pretty similar in colour, though has a lot less shimmer.

                                                     
                                                              Elf 'Tickled Pink'

Left- Nars Deep Throat   Right- Elf Tickled Pink

I love this blush and it will definitely be my go to blush for the Summer! What Nars blushes do you love? x