Mad on This Month; October

This October has really flown by!  I have been so busy buying a house and dealing with all the paperwork that comes with it.  What I have been loving are a couple of items really.

Firstly I am in love with any Benefit mascaras but I have "They're Real" and "Bad Girl Lash" ones which I sometimes use together.  I find that bad girl lash thickens and they're real, lengthens and separates.

I am also using this everyday, the maybelline master camo concealer with colour correcting pigments.  I use the green first on any red spots, yellow under the eyes and other colours on top of my foundation.  The best part is the creme highlighter which is so sparkly!  I set every part with powder and use them on my lids as eye shadow primer.

Halloween Look; Creepy Doll

I went to a Halloween house party this Saturday just gone and wanted to share my easy costume and makeup for a creepy doll.  Scary films like Annabelle really are making dolls popular and even more creepy so I tried a girly creepy doll and not too scary.  The best thing was that I didn't have to buy a thing!

Firstly I did a simple make up look, with pale base, defined eyebrows, highlighter and a higher rounded eye crease.  This was mainly so I could pop to the shop without scarring anyone but this pic is a little strange, I know.

I then added thick white eyeliner (NYX jumbo liner in milk) to my lower lashline and down onto my  "eye bags" to make the whites of my eyes appear bigger and more rounded.  Then I lined that new eye outline with black (Any felt black liner and boots natural collection liquid liner for the finer parts)  most of the way and drew on small curved eye lashes as you can see below.

I used a brown eyeliner to add freckles randomly across my cheeks and nose.  Then drew cracks on my face with black eye liner.  It's easier to create a centre for the crack with a filled in triangle then draw in jagged lines outwards.  I added a smudge of the white eyeliner to some sides of the cracks to make it seem more 3D.  To enhance those doll like eyes, I elongated my signature black flick and added false eye lashes (I completely forgot how fiddly these are).

This was fun to create and easy to wear as I just picked a doll like dress, pigtails and done knee high socks.  I find "normal" clothes much more comfortable than shiny, itchy costumes.

And here I am with some Snapchat filters!

P.S. I completely forgot to contour my face with matte grey eye shadow but it doesn't make that much difference.

Short Trip Packing; The Only Way is Marbs

At the beginning of last month I went to Marbella with my Fiance and 5 others friends for a short break.  We booked this quite last minute and had hand luggage only.  However the 1 other girl that went had a checked in suitcase.  This all seems like ages ago now but I thought I would share how I prepared for a weekend in the sun with limited luggage space.

First, I purchased a small flexible cabin sized suitcase with 4 wheels which I think is important as its easier to pack and also quicker to move without getting in people's way in the airport.  I got it in the Summer sale at Matalan for £23 which isn't too bad but you can also get them from Primark for about the same price.  I can also use this case for just short trips in the UK instead of several heavy bags.

I took the following with me;

Shoes

• Skechers Trainers
• Flip Flops
• Strappy Wedges

Clothes

• 2 pairs of shorts
• 1 nightdress
• 5 pairs of knickers
• 2 bras
• 4 pairs of socks
• 3 dresses
• 1 skirt
• 4 tops
• 1 pair of jeans
• 1 hoodie
• 2 Bikinnis
• 1 Swimsuit

Liquids (you`re allowed up to 10 items 100ml or under each, in 1 clear bag)

• Shampoo
• Bodywash
• Deoderant
• Hairspray
• 2 Suntan Lotions
• After sun aloe vera gel

Unfortunately I had to put my make up bag and perfume in my friend's checked in suitcase as I had too many liquids including creams in there.

Stuff

• 1 Small Handbag
• 1 Shopping Bag
• Chargers
• European Adapter Plug
• Phone
• Passport
• Purse
• 6 Hair Grips
• 3 Hair Bands
• Small Hairbrush
• Toothbrush
• Wash Puff
• Make Up Wipes
• Tissues
• Painkillers
• Breakfast Bars
• Plasters
• Purse
• Sunglasses
• 3 Necklaces
• 1 Bracelet
• 2 Earrings
• 1 Watch
• and probably some other bits I've forgotten

It all worked out great and I had a blast.

p.s Spanish supermarkets have great temporary tattoos and bracelets

Mini Make Up Tip Monday; Felt Eyeliners

I read a tip somewhere that really intrugued me to try it.

Apperently you can turn the tip of a felt liner the other way around when it starts drying out and you get a new nib.  Naturally I couldn't quite believe this so I tried it on both my felt liners.  One is a cheap one from Superdrug's MUA collection and the other is from Eyeko London which is about £12.99 but I got it in a magazine.

Please be warned that this can be messy so you will need some kitchen roll or lint free Cotten pads to grip the tip.  The black can stain as it is still in my make up towel.

Mini Make Up Tip Monday; Powder

We all hate it when we hit the pan on our favourite powder make up but it is especially annoying when this happens on your setting powder as you use this every day.

The worst part of running out of powder is when it breaks off into useless small pieces of powder that get stuck in your brush and end up everywhere.

I have found a new trip that works especially well if you have just a lid to your powder but you could try it with a compact with a mirror.  I do the following to get the most product out;

1. Shake the product upside down so the powder separates in the lid
2. Turn to the product the right way up
3. Carefully open the lid so the powder stick to the lid but any bits are in the pan side
4. Place you brush in the loose powder that should now be sitting in the lid
5. Apple to your face a normal

Cheap Beauty Organisers

I love having all my beauty and cosmetic products organised so I can see them all and utilise the space I have.

I do like the clear acrylic organisers like the Kardashians have, and you can find them in T K Max, muji and now primark have made some but there are cheaper alternatives.  I keep my fancy make up in my muji, two draw set and a few bits of jewellery as I purchased the velvet insert with ring cushions on one side.

People have made some pretty organisers out of cardboard and toilet roll insides that you can find all over YouTube and Pinterest.  I don't always like the DIY look but you can get pretty creative with patterned paper or a mirror finish.

My great idea is to use square, cotton ear bud holders/contains for storing nail varnishes neatly and circular ones to store lip glosses as they tend to be taller or at least more sturdy.

I have also used plastic tubs such as ice cream tubs or butter ones to separate hair accessories.  This isn't as glamorous as some options but is fine if just buried in a draw like mine.

The best containers are from ferrero rocher as they are acrylic and clear, often with lids!

This is also great recycling!

Online Shopping

Online shopping can be a minefield especially when it comes to 'cheap' clothes.  You might think you are getting a great deal for something a celebrity wore but really it's just a cheap imitation.  They also make those clothes look damn good in the photos.  Sizing is also a huge issue as you can't try clothes on before you buy them.

I tend to stick to high street shops that have online shops as I am familiar with the sizing and can take the back to the shop.

However my favourite thing about online shopping is cash back.  This is where you do your normal shop but go through a cash back website first in order for them to request a percentage of the purchase value from the retailer to be paid back to you.  I don't know how it works but it does and I have rant about £10 back over the past couple of years.

It can take a couple a weeks or a couple of months but it's better than nothing.

My favourite websites are;
TopCashBack
Quidco

Also you get free money if you successfully refer other people to sign up.

P.s I have yet to try online supermarket shopping for food but it sounds convenient so I will up date you if I do