Monday 29 April 2013

FAKE THAT TAN

Seeing as the sun is starting to show its face, its time for me to top up that tan. Yes, I know, there's no way near enough sun for our skins to tan, well look no further, I am going to tell you the best products you can use this summer for a great, non-streaky, FAKE tan.
I have spent years trying different products and brands, I've had many days of having to walk around with streaky skin and many people looking at how awfully orange my feet are. I just couldn't find the right one that did what it said on the bottle. I've tried instant tans, gradual tans and wash off tans but it wasn't until I tried St. Moriz I was finally happy with the outcome.
To be honest, I probably thought the products I was using at the time looked great, but sadly looking back I can see that just wasn't the case.
I've used three different products of St. Moriz and I love each of them:
Firstly, I used the INSTANT SELF TANNING MOUSSE which is very easily to apply. You can either put the mousse straight onto your skin or squeeze it into the tanning mitt and rub it evenly across your body. It dries within seconds and doesn't leave your skin feeling sticky and it most certainly doesn't leave behind an AWFUL smell. I used the mousse in Medium, but the Dark isn't much darker so depending on the colour you want your skin you can decide on that yourself. This is a wear off tan, so it's better to go for the lighter colour and apply more and then next time buy the darker version.
The next one I tried was the INSTANT SELF TANNING MIST. At first I was a little bit cautious about using a mist/spray opposed to a cream or mousse. But I'd heard raving reviews on it so I thought I'd give it a go, whats the worst that could happen?! I've almost finished my bottle of this and I will definitely be buying another bottle. It doesn't leave streaks and is incredibly easy to apply. The way I do it is, spray it straight onto my body in a small spot and then rub it in across a larger area. Like the mousse the mist doesn't leave your skin all sticky and dries so quickly. 

The last one I have tried is the SHIMMERING BRONZING BODY SOUFFLE. This is good for after you've applied the instant wear off tans. If you've applied the instant ones previously and you just want to top it up quickly for a night out it is great. However, it has a glittery look to it when on the skin and I do prefer matte tans. I like it for a night out to define your legs but I wouldn't use it as an everyday look. Another good thing about it is that its a wash off so if you prefer a wash off tan then you have this option from their range. 

St. Moriz have more than just these three products and hopefully I'll get the chance to try some more in the near future and I'll add my thoughts on them too. For best results use a fake tan mitt (St. Moriz have their own available) this will stop you getting orange/dirty palms. Some fake tans will instantly wash off your hands but from first hand experience I really do think mitts are a fake tans best friend. Another great thing about all three of these products, even when they start to wear off they don't leave you're skin looking patchy and dry. When you've been wearing the tan for about a week, you will need to exfoliate your skin and clean the pores of all the tan, and then you can reapply the tan again.

The cheapest I have found St. Moriz is in Savers where the products are priced between £2.99 and £5.99. Leave a comment and I'd love to know what you think of the St. Moriz range, and any particular products you think I should give a go. 
xo

Thursday 18 April 2013

Smokey Eyes.



I pretty much wear smokey eyes everyday. Rather than just using black and grey's, I tend to use brown's and beige's which look great. In this post I am going to try (emphasis on the 'try') and show you how I do my smokey eye look.

These are products I have used in this post:
Clinique Duo Eyeshadow P48,  Bourjois Black Jack Mascara, MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation NW25,
Clinique High Impact Mascara, !7 High Drama Intense Liquid Eyeliner, Maybelline 630, Barry M Dazzle Dust Black, MUA Brunette Eyebrow Pencil
I start with applying foundation evenly on my face making sure my eyelids are covered as well. I find the foundation helps to keep the eye shadow stay on better when it has a liquid foundation base.


 Once you have an even skin tone, choose the two colours you wish to use as the base of your smokey eye. In today's post I have decided to use a beige and dark brown.

Apply the beige across the whole of the eyelid and make sure you cover the crease of your lid and sightly above. Then take the darker colour (in this case brown) and open your eye in order to use the eye shadow brush to put the brown in the crease of your eye. Only put the brown on the middle of your eye lid to the outer side of your eye. Leaving it to go from beige to brown. Once the brown has been applied use your finger to blend the two colours where they meet.


Once the two colours have been blended, you could apply eye liner and mascara to complete the look but today I want to make the eye look a little darker. In order to do this I am going to use some of the Barry M dazzle dust just above the crease and use my finger to blend it with the brown and beige down towards my lashes. Depending on how dark you want your eye to look you can use less or more of the dazzle dust.


Once you are happy with the colour of your eyes you can apply eyeliner on the top of the eye and mascara. I tend not to wear eyeliner on the bottoms of my eyes as I don't like it when it smudges. But if you prefer eyeliner on the bottom, it does look great too!


This look is such an easy look to do when you know how. The key to this look is the ability to blend and the easiest way to do it is with the tip of your finger. So if you like this look, give it a go yourself and I'd love to know how you get on so leave your comments below!
xo










Monday 15 April 2013

Outfit of the day!

Today I thought I'd do a post on my outfit of the day because I haven't done one yet and I love reading other blogs which feature this kind of post! It always gives me outfit ideas for myself and almost every time I read one it makes me want to purchase at least one part of the outfit.

At the moment I am currently travelling back to uni (which is a huge bore) and I cannot be bothered to go back. But hey ho only 3 weeks until I return and 6 weeks until I'm home for summer! I'm quite enjoying this warm(er) whether with a bit of sun peeping through which makes me a little bit happier and I've even got my sunnies on!

Today's outfit features a some new purchases and some of my favourite bits I've had for a while! I recently bought a gold necklace from H&M, it's a bit different to the gold chains around at the moment, and I like different! My top is also from H&M and since I've been wearing so many tight peplum tops pretty much all the time I, again, wanted something a little bit different. It's a floaty top with mech flower prints and the thing I most like about this top is it covers my bum when I where leggings! I loved this top so much I have now bought it in a black and white stripy version and a black version! With this white one though it is a little bit on the see through side so I have to wear a white strappy top underneath, which actually adds quite nicely to the outfit!

As the weather isn't quite warm enough to wear just a strappy top I have added my beloved studded leather jacket which I've had for quite a while now from Primark! I loved my sisters leather jacket from miss Selfridge and constantly wore it throughout last summer so when I saw this one in Primark for £25 I had to get it and I can proudly say its definitely had my money's worth! I barely take it off!

On the bottom half I am wearing my black leggings and for those of you who know me well that won't come as a surprise! I don't think I've worn a pair of trousers in years! And on my feet I am wearing my black suede creepers which I find very comfortable and perfect for travelling.

I have to admit this is probably turning into one of my favourite outfits and its great cause it isn't a pricey one either!
So let me know what you think of this outfit, I love to hear and read your comments!

Xo

Gold Necklace £3.99 H&M, White Floral Top £7.99 H&M, White Cami Top £2 Primark, Black Full Length Leggings £8 Next, Studed Leather Jacket £25 Primark.





Wednesday 10 April 2013

Summer Wish List

I think we can all agree that this years Spring in the UK has been appalling. The sun seems to be trying it's hardest to push through but every time I go to pull out my sunglasses it appears to be raining (or snowing!) yet again.  I have had enough. This time last year I was enjoying the sun on the south east coast at Uni catching some rays to start off my summer tan! To lift my spirits I've collected together an outfit I WILL be purchasing whether we get sun or not because I am THAT in love with it.



Over the past few Summers I have purchased a few playsuits from Miss Selfridge and they have been brilliant, I still wear them on nights out today (I'm a student, let me off!) when I saw this gorgeous Aztec print one online I fell in love at first sight. Playsuits are great at complimenting peoples figures with the elastic waists so playsuits are a must buy for you all!

I don't usually go for shoes with colour but when I saw these beauties in New Look I've decided they will be mine when that Student Loan makes it to my bank account! I like the vintage-ness they give to the look and they are clumpy but almost dainty at the same time. The only thing I will be cautious of is the cork heel as I have had heels of this material in the past and they have a tendency of easily getting scuffed. 

I have chosen a range of different accessories to go with this outfit and even though the playsuit has a lot of eye-catching detail, there's nothing wrong with adding a FEW bits to it. Firstly I have fancied buying a gold chain necklace for a while but I have never found the right one. I still don't know whether this one would be the exact one I'd buy but it goes nicely with the outfit! Gold chains seem to be really in this season and I think they look great when dressing up an outfit. Cateye sunglasses also seem to be popular for this summer with almost every shop selling a pair. I have actually found a Prada pair in matte tortoise shell colour but due to being a student I guess I'll have to settle for a Topshop pair! Sticking with a gold theme I found this ring on the Topshop website and thought it was subtle enough for the outfit but still makes a statement (and I LOVE statement rings). The watch by Michael Kors is a little bit out of my price range and seeing as my birthday is not until December I guess I may have to wait until then for this one! I'm not really a small bag person, unless I'm using my clutch bag on a night out, as I like to fit everything and anything in my handbag but for some reason I was drawn to this bag when I was browsing online at ASOS.com. I think the gold chain on the strap and the little gold bow on the front go perfectly with the jewelry but this is one of those outfits that would go with a big or small bag, its all down to personal preference. I know some people aren't keen on bowler hats but I love them. I think with the shoes having giving the outfit that vintage look the bowler had joins in and gives the outfit a bit of edge. 

For the make up, those of you who know me know I am a MASSIVE fan of Barry M. So whenever it comes to matching my make up and nails to my outfit I will straight away head to the Barry M section of Boots or Super Drug. I currently own the nail varnish shade, Peach Melba NP318, and it was one of the very first shades I bought. My bottle, however, seems to be running low so I must purchase a new one. When on your nails it is a light pink/peachy colour, looks lovely and only needs to coats to be applied. I've only had one Barry M Lip Paint in Coral. It has lasted forever and has great pigmentation. The shade I have chosen for this outfit is Peachy Pink LB147 to match the peachy colour in both the playsuit and the shoes.

And then last but not least, the false eyelashes. I am a huge fan of Eylure false lashes. They are just as great on the second, third and even fourth wear as they were on the first. The glue that comes with them is see through when dry so you don't have to worry about being messy with it and it also lasts and leaves the lashes on your eyes from when you applied the lashes to when you decide to take them off. They are a must have!

So there you have it, my number 1 Summer outfiit. Let me know what you think, and if you can add other suggestions to this outfit I'd love to hear! Finger's crossed the Sun will be shining VERY VERY soon.
xo

Thursday 4 April 2013