The film may have come out a very long time ago but ever since seeing it in the cinema I cannot stop thinking about the makeup. I had to at least try and replicate it.

 

This is how it ended up, personally I think I could have done better but I'm quite pleased. First thing's first was an extremely pale, matte base. With no flaws showing at all. As for the eyebrows mine are far thicker than Angelina Jolie's so there wasn't much I could do about that. I did however add in a high point like hers.

The contouring was the most time consuming.

I found starting gradually with a brown easiest then going back in with a smaller brush to add in the black making the contour far deeper and much more dramatic. The trick for getting the harsh line to it was to blend at the bottom but leave the top as sharp a line as you could. I found with the entire look actually that it was made up of harsh lines and contrasts. The pale skin compared to the lip, the sharp line of black on the tear duct with no blending, thin harsh brows e.t.c. I also contoured the nose with a black thin line.

The eyes were fairly easy in terms of shadow, I simply applied a nude colour to the lid then blended a darker brown through the crease. Make sure you don't blend down! Everything about this look appears to be pointed upwards, enhancing the lift to the face that the intense contour gives. The liner was simple too, a thin black line along the lashes then filling in the dear duct area and bringing it to a point, none of this you should find too difficult if you've got a well sharpened pencil.

Last of all the lips, a bright shiny red, but not too glossy was the key. You could go a little over your natural lip line if you wanted an Angelina style pout but I do have naturally quite big lips so I just filled mine in as they were.

That's all for this look. I feel like I haven't done a dramatic look in ages, so let me know if you like them and I'll be sure to do more! 

xxx

Space.NK Haul 2!:

When an email popped into my inbox telling me I could get £10 off at Space.NK it was what tipped me over the edge after (no joke) months of scrolling through their website only to convince myself I didn't need anything and give in.  Well an hour or so after the email the damage had been done...

I completely blame Anna from ViviannaDoesMakeup for this one! After hearing her rave one too many times about how amazing the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel was and with my Emma Hardie cleansing balm on it's last legs I took the plunge. According to the packaging it's packed full of lovely vitamins and minerals which should help my skin since it's been so troublesome lately.

The Sarah Chapman Overnight Facial is another one I have Anna to thank for. Again she had me desperate to try this out after hearing her talk about it. I really trust her opinion since not only is her skin amazing but she's always honest about the pros and cons of products. I'll have to see how this one goes once my current serum runs out.

The Keihl's creamy eye treatment is something I ummed and ahhed about for a while. After all it is very expensive for such a tiny product, but then I thought I've got such sore eyes lately I should give it a go it may be what fixes them. I'll definitely let you guys know how this one works out because if it doesn't it'll be money down the drain!

I also was sent some freebies to try out. I can't really talk to much about these since I don't really know much about them and I didn't choose to buy them. I was sent the Radical Bee Venom Moisturiser, Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser and Revive Glycolic Peel. Who know's maybe the full sizes will be in my next haul!

xxx

The Phase: Naked Nails:

I have to say I was so happily surprised with how well my last "The Phase" post has gone down. To this day it remains one of my most popular posts and I received some lovely comments on it.

My next Phase is about wearing nothing on my nails. I have to say this Phase didn't come about by choice. I've recently started a job in a supermarket which means that I'm not allowed to wear nail varnish. Since I work alternate days there's been no point in painting them for my days off.

Despite the fact I used to adore painting my nails in all different colours  I hated the fact that whenever I took my nail varnish off to change colours they felt were very thin, dry and yellow looking no matter what kind of base coat I used. However, since I've stopped wearing nail varnish and used a lot more hand cream since touching change and handling newspapers and products for hours on end can dry out your hands my nails look in far better condition and feel much better too.  I can't remember the last time I've had a nail break and my nail feels very smooth. It's also given the yellow colour a chance to fully grow out. Now I even when I have a few days off in a row I don't really want to paint my nails. I'm sure this truly is just a phase though since I used to absolutely adore painting my nails, although at the moment I don't think they'll be painted again for a long time.

xxx

Empties #6

I've been saving up my empties again! 

First up is the Radox muscle soak bubble bath. As it's been getting more and more cold lately I've been having a lot more baths that showers also as I'm quite a stressy person and have been doing a lot more excersize lately  anything that's going to ease my muscles is fine by me. I'd really recommend this if you fancy a pamper evening but don't want to fork out crazy money. The smell is so calming too with clary sage and sea minerals.

This St. Ives Fresh Skin Invigorating scrub was part of last years skincare routine (which shows just how long it takes me to collect up empties). I did like it but I probably wouldn't buy it again because I really want to try out a chemical scrub as opposed to one that doesn't literally scrub off your skin. However, it's a nice cheap highstreet brand if you're looking for something to start off your first proper skincare routine with.

The Emma Hardie Amazing Face Cleansing balm has to be one of the most raved about products ever amongst bloggers. I caved into the hype and before long I'd completely used it up. It's very moisturising and calming, does an amazing job at clearing up makeup. My skin didn't have a bad reaction to it and felt very well treated after each cleanse. What can I say it was an amazing product. I probably wouldn't buy it again any time soon however since I'm trying out some new cleansers. Also I wasn't pleased with how fast it got used up considering the high price tag I felt they could have given you more product.  Read more about the product here.

Now here's a product you've all heard me talk about a million times before. For that reason I won't go into any more detail about this but I'll leave you a link here. I probably wouldn't buy this product again either because as much as I love it I feel the winds of change calling me and want to try out something new.

Not many bloggers include deodorant in their empties but it's a beauty product in a way and it's something I've used up.  Right Guard Women Xtreme Dry in Fresh Control is quite possibly the best deodorant I've ever used. I know that sounds strange but I never sweat or feel unclean when I'm wearing it. For that reason I would 100% buy this again.

Pantene ProV shampoo and conditioner in Smooth & Sleek are the products I go to whenever I want to give my hair a treat. Since I don't really was my hair very often (which if you think sounds disgusting there's an explanation here) I don't really want to be spending lots of money on highend shampoos and conditioners. So this is a nice high quality product at a low end price tag. It's super softening and will leave your hair looking nice and shiny. 

That's all for my empties I can now throw away all the rubbish collecting in the corner of my room!

xxx 

Student Loan Made Me Do It! My New Best Friend:

I seem to be developing quite a thing for handbags don't I? Considering I never used to be interested I feel like I'm becoming a proper woman now!

This Topshop beauty (which I'm sorry but I can't find online anywhere) is my new favourite handbag. I still really like the River Island one I bought not long ago but this one is the style I needed at this moment in time. I've been taking it to University with me which is why I like the size and fairly firm structure of it because I can keep all my notebooks and folders in there. (That's how I'm justifying it ok?!) It's a black textured leather style material with some subtle gold detailing. It looks like it should last a long time too as I would expect with Topshop prices. This was supposed to be around £36 pounds I believe but thanks to my new best friend student discount it was just over £20!

xxx

Charity Shop Book Haul:

If you don't know that I love both shopping and books by now then you never will. So when I wandered into a charity shop with my dad and found out the the books were just 50p each I went a little crazy and bought many books!

The first is The Beach House by Jane Green, from what I've read on the blurb it's about a widowed woman who begins renting out rooms of her beach house and both her and those she rents to's stories. It fittingly enough sounds like it would be a good beach read.

This was the first one I picked up and after laughing out loud simply by reading the blurb I just had to pick it up. This one is about a man who bumps into a woman on Charlotte Street who thinks she was the most amazing woman he's ever seen but she leaves behind her camera by accident. Should he develop the photos in hope of finding her or just throw it away?

My Sister's Keeper is supposed to be one of those classic books that everyone has read. So I thought I'd better keep up and give it a read too. I haven't seen the film but I'm not too worried about that since I'm a big believer in reading the books first.

Now the Bridget Jones films I have seen and LOVE! These are books I've wanted to read in so long so when I saw them both right into my bag they went. I've heard that these are just as funny as the films so I can't wait to give them a read.

A little bit of cheesy chick-lit never hurt anyone so when I read the blurb of To Marry a Prince and found it was about a woman who meets a man not knowing he's a Prince and they fall in love, well I was sold. I love this kind of thing as a break from heavier books and work and University life every now and again.

Another seemingly similar book  is How it all Began. Now I know you're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover but that's what made me pick this one up, the pretty flowers and tea cups (I know, I know I'm and 80 year old woman in an 18 year old's body). This book follows one event and how it leads on to others in other people's lives. For example it starts with someone asking a friend to fill in for them at an even, which leads the friend to have to cancel a meet up with her lover, which leads to the lover's wife finding out and so on. I thought it would make quite an interesting read.

I've read and couldn't put down One Day so I thought I'd give Starter For Ten a go since they're both by David Nicholls. I've read some good reviews about this one but that's really all I know about it. I don't think that's too bad a thing though it'll be nice going into it and just seeing where the story goes with no previous expectations.

Two Caravans by Maria Lewycka is about a group of people from many different countries who come to England to pick strawberries, some of them however are kidnapped so the others go off to find and save them. This isn't my usual kind of read I'll be honest but I liked the sound of this and I also thought it was time I branched out a little.

Those are all the books I picked up and I think it's safe to say I wont be short of beach reads come Summer! Do you have any recommendations for me? 

xxx

Park Life:

Bradgate Park has always been one of my complete and utter favourite places to go. I love the fact you can be walking around and all of a sudden you're surrounded by deer or rabbits. I love the fact you can go off and get lost with someone you love because the park is so big that even if you've gone there since childhood like I have there's always a new place to discover because it's just that big. Or you can just stick to the big path and walk from one side of the park to the other. Want to climb to the top of the huge hill and fly your kites (or if you're my family get them stuck up the trees) or climb trees or wander through the thick trees or just find a quiet little place to have a picnic. It's got it all. I know it sounds like I'm an advert for the park but I really just love it that much. It's the perfect place for both family time or walking alone with your headphones in. I honestly don't think my family has ever had an argument in this park it seems to just bring s together. I think what I love the most about the place is that apart from the castle ruins which you can wander around, it's completely untouched. No huge buildings or concrete. There's no litter either since it's so looked after. 

xxx

Review: Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick:

This was one of my first ever high end lipsticks, in fact I'm fairly sure it was my first. It was an anniversary present, which if you want to you can read more about here. As you can tell by the date of that post this review has been a long time coming.

I have the colour Native, although I've had my eye on some of the others for quite a while now I have to say. The colour is very similar to a baby pink but it has a warmer undertone to it so I don't look to washed out when I wear it. I like that I can wear this whenever I want to as it goes with almost all makeup looks both natural and fairly done up. The packaging is beautiful too. I like the metal look and the fact the logo is fairly small and minimalist. I also really like the colour that the purple of the inner packaging.

As for the formula, it's fairly creamy with a subtle shine to it. It does move around a little however this isn't too much of an issue I feel as I've never had it smudge onto my face. In terms of longevity I find that it can last a fair few hours, you may have to bring along with you in yor handbag if yo want to be on the safe side.

xxx

Skincare Routine 2014:

My Skincare routine last year fast became one of my most popular posts and since everything in there has now changed I thought it was time to update. I'll put a link to the last one here, just in case you wanted to compare.

My skin type is very temperamental, skipping from sensitive to oily to dry to spotty to perfectly clear all the time so there should be something in here perfect for everyone.

I'll start with my morning routine and then move on to the night time.

In terms of facewash I used to use this one all the time when I was younger so when the time came to purchase a new one I wanted to give this another go. The Soap & Glory Face Soap & Clarity 3 in 1 Daily Detox facial wash, may be a mouthful but it's packed full of vitamins and detoxifying properties that always help clear up any troublesome areas and leave my skin feeling squeaky clean and fresh.

After facewash I use a toner, the one I'm loving at the moment it the Botanics Rosewater Toning Spritz. Not only is the smell of this amazing and relaxing but it feels great on the skin too. I find it not only soothes your skin with the organic properties in it but also helps wake you up in the morning as it's a cool spritz. If you find your skin needs something to calm it down after a wash in the morning then I would really recommend this.

In terms of day moisturisers I've been using the seaweed mattifying day cream. This is an absolute Godsend when my skin becomes oily it helps matte out the skin perfectly and dry out the spots that need it but without completely dehydrating your skin.

After face cream I follow up with an eye cream (morning and night). I always felt that I was too young for eye creams even though eyes have always been a problem area for me in terms of dryness which leaves concealer looking awful under my eyes. This has made a world of difference it's a gel like formula and so soaks in really fast and soothes the sore and dry skin under my eyes instantly, I've also I people commenting on the fact the bags under my eyes have really faded since I started using this.

I'll also apply my Nuxe Reve de Miel morning and night too as a finishing touch to my skincare. I try not to apply lip balm too much because your lips can become reliant on them but I find that this is thick and conditioning enough that it lasts all day and so you know your lips are moisturised and taken care of all day so you don't need to keep topping up.

Moving on to night time routine. If I haven't been wearing any make up that day then I'll go in with the Garnier Micellar Water on a cotton pas to help take the day off. It's very fresh, soothing and quick to use and makes my skin feel nice and clear at the end of the day. You can  pick this up really cheap in supermarkets if it's something you're looking to try out.

When I am wearing make up then I will give my skin a proper cleanse. The Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm is a blogger favourite that I refused to buy for a long time due to the price tag but sometimes you just have to cave in and treat yourself (something I perhaps do a little too often). I've done a first impressions on this before where I went into much more detail about the ingredients and experience of using it. What I will say here though is that if you want your skin to feel both clean and well moisturised then definitely think of giving this a go next time you fancy a splurge. It's very luxurious feeling.

Serum is what I apply after cleansing, this is another thing I felt I was too young for but believe me you're never too young to start taking some serious care of your skin. This Vitamin E Moisture Serum from The Body Shop I actually really didn't like when I first got it, but it turns out I was just using far too much of it. I've now cut down to just half a pump and I think that's perfect it sinks in fast and makes my skin feel well nourished but not oily.

On top of that I'll use the corresponding night cream from the range. I really like to amp up the moisture at night and this does just that. It's very thick and moisturising and lasts overnight. My skin always feels lovely in the morning and I go to bed feeling very pampered.

Once a week (unless I feel like I need more) I'll use a scrub instead of a facewash. I do this on a Wednesday. The scrub I'm using at the moment is the Botanics Purifying Face Scrub All Bright. This has really fine particles and not only helps remove dead skin cells but really makes you feel as though your skin is ten times better and has some blood flow to it. It truly does brighten the face too making you feel fresh and clean. I like to do it in the middle of the week because it gives you a nice boost midweek when you can be feeling a bit run down. As well as this I use the Lush Mint Julips lip scrub which is a sugar scrub. Not only does it taste amazing (think after eight mints) but it really gets any dry skin off your lips so well. 

Also once a week but this time over the weekend  I like to do a face mask. Lately I'm really into purifying masks like this No Clogs Allowed one by Soap & Glory. This is a really interesting mask. You rub it over your face then wet your hands and rub that into your face which makes the mask turn blue and heat up. It goes really hot and you can feel the warm doing good, spreading through your face and opening up your pores. After five minutes you wash your face which afterwards feels super soft and cool. You can see almost instantly how much cleaner your face looks. If you're having a bad skin phase then I would definitely recommend giving this a go.

I hope you enjoyed this post and it helped you out a little. As I'm now a working woman I'm thinking of trying out some more high end skin care as the things I'm using at the moment run out. Not that these products aren't good but its always nice to try more things when you can afford to. So please do let me know in the comments if you've any recommendations.

xxx