I'll Be Your Clown?

Halloween, one of my favourite seasons, purely because I love dressing up! 
I spend ages thinking up elaborate ideas for amazing costumes, but on the day end up coming up with last minute ideas. Non the less it always comes out looking good - perhaps my talented mother has a lot to do with that? Haha

I'm lucky enough to be able to dress up twice, for trick or treating and then a halloween party the next day!

For the first night I went as Medusa - not my best outfit I admit, but I tried. 
The second night was a much bigger success. My scary clown costume was a big hit and scared my clown-phobic friend to pieces!


What have you gone for on Halloween? Let me know in the comments.

Hair Envy!

I don't know about you but I am always searching for a new haircut. I want something that doesn't take much off the length but is still different. I also don't want to colour.....that doesn't leave a lot of options though does it? Sometimes I wish I had BIG afro curls like Kelly Rowland, sometimes I just was fine straight hair like Mila Kunis, and other times I just want to chop it all off like Carey Muligan. I think I may just need to live with the fact that my hair will be forever boring.

However I was on Facebook when I stumbled across a prank that was advertising a new horror movie coming out called "Carrie". I believe it is a remake of a Stephen King book. Anyway, after watching the trailer I am absolutely in love with Chloe Grace Mortez's hair in it!

She has the most gorgeous voluminous, textured beach waves that I instantly fell in love with.

I will now be scouring through Youtube looking for tutorials

I think.

What do you do when you see a hairstyle you love? Instantly get it cut or wait around weighing the pros and cons?

Formal

                         

Last night I had my school formal, it was a pretty amazing night. Granted, I'm almost certain I spent almost the whole night getting photos with friends, but with a cute wee Photo Booth...who could resist!

Getting ready - wow, a lengthy process. 

No, this was not just a couple of hours slapping on some makeup and curling my hair. This was a day long process. I'm pretty sure not everyone took as long - but I do love getting dressed up! In the morning I got a spray tan and then later that day I had my makeup done. After, I went to Hanna's house and her Aunt did out hair. 

By the end of the night my feet were so sore I could barley walk.

Such a fun night!

Sick Days

Being sick is no fun.

Feeling too hot, too cold, headaches, sore stomaches. So many things stacked against you, determined that you have a rubbish time. Along with all of this, you find that your skin starts to dry out, you're eyes start to puff out and you lack that natural healthy glow. The past few days I have been stuck at home with the flu and I wanted to share my beauty tips for sick days with you.

After constantly blowing your nose and the various medicines you take to tackle the sickness, your nose will start to get red and your skin may dry out. Keep your skin well hydrated with plenty of water and moisturiser. Try to avoid moisturisers with any fruit acids, retinol or alpha hydroxyl acids as I've heard they tend to further irritate the skin. The moisturiser I use is the "Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion". If you're skin is already dry and flakey it helps to very gently clean with a warm flannel before you moisturise.  Also I would recommend buying some good quality, soft tissues as they will greatly reduce the amount of redness and irritation around your nose.

If you're forced to leave the house then apply a coat of lipgloss or tinted lipbalm. The pop of colour will not only add a bit of moisture to your lips but brighten your appearance. I like to use the "Maybeline, Baby Lips Moisturising Lip Balm" in shade cherry me. 

To reduce eye puffiness lay down with your head propped slightly upward. Place cold, moist teabags on your eyes and lie there for roughly 15 minutes. This will reduce the puffiness around your eyes and sooth the irritated skin.

Now lie down with a warm blanket, a good book and a cup of tea. The only thing you can do is rest it out. 

What are your beauty tips for sick days? Have you tried any of mine?

May Wishlist

1. Lime Crime Velvetine - Red Velvet

My friend very recently introduced this to me. I immediately fell in love! This matte red lipgloss is meant to be really long lasting and I really want to try it out.

2. Real Techniques - Expert Face Brush

I have recently purchased the Real Techniques Buffing Brush which I use to buff in my foundation. I heard beauty guru 'Tanya Burr' suggest this one instead of the buffing one for foundation and I am really curious to try it out.

3. Borghese - Mud Mask

I read a stella review of this mud mask from beauty guru 'Fleur De Force' and really want to give it a go. As I have mentioned before, I get quite a lot of dirt in my pores around my nose and this is meant to help. I did try and purchase it off Amazon but unfortunately it didn't ship to New Zealand :(

4. Nars - Albatross Highlighter

I have heard great things about the Nars highlighters and have been waiting to give it a try for a while now. What is taking me so long?

5. Mac - Brush Cleanser

I have recently just become really into using brushed for foundation applying. So I really want a cleanser for my brushes to keep them nice. This one is meant to be top notch.

Lady in Red vs Dot

Diamond Collection 'Lady in Red' vs Marc Jacobs 'Dot'

The other day I was browsing through the beauty products isle at Postie when I came across a range of imitation perfumes of more high end products. Of course they were a considerable amount cheaper so I was curious to see how they compared.

I went for the 'Lady in Red' which is described as being "our version of DOT, Marc Jacobs eau de parfum" I don't personally own the Dot perfume but my friend Hanna does and I absolutely love it! It has just been the price tag that has been making me hesitate on the purchase.

Obviously the price of the Lady in Red is a lot friendlier. At $10NZD it is a good deal cheaper than the Dot's price of $134NZD. This is for a 100ml bottle. 

As far as packaging goes, they are very similar. The Marc Jacobs box is definitely more fancy and posh looking but not by much. Both boxes have polka dots, butterflies, matching colour schemes and general layout. The Dot bottle is way nicer in my opinion. Both bottles are made of glass, however the Lady in Red lid is made of plastic and just a very basic butterfly, and the Dot lid is an elaborate glass design.

So overall the packaging for the Dot, Marc Jacobs is nicer than the Lady in Red, but they are still very similar.

Now the most important factor, smell!

The two smells are quite different, and I can only rate them based on my preference.

Dot, by Marc Jacobs, has a very fruity smell. It's fresh, summery and young.

Lady in Red, by Diamond Collection, is a more mature smell. It's quite a subtle, and elegant.

Both are really nice, however I do prefer the Dot here too. Saying this I don't think I would pay the extra money for it. At the end of the day I would but Lady in Red over Dot because the price is more attractive and it does still smell really nice.

Beauty Formulas Apricot Peel Off Facial Mask Review

My younger sister originally bought the cucumber face mask by Beauty Formulas for my mum for mothers day. I was drawn to the Apricot one simply because it is a peel off one and is meant to clear pores. That and the cheap price!

At $6NZD [100ml], it is meant to clear clogged pores of dirt and impurities for a deep down cleansing, and restore the skins radiance and glow. I have a problems with getting blackheads around my nose so I have been tempted for a while now to try out a face mask, in the hopes that it will help clear out the pores in my nose. It is meant for all skin types, I 

have combination skin myself.

The tube was very easy to use and the product smells reasonably strong of artificial apricots, but when on my face I think the smell wasn't noticeable at all. I applied a reasonably thick layer all over my face. It is clear and quite sticky when you apply it but does spread easily. I found that when it starts to dry my face felt quite pinched and wasn't too comfortable, you do kind of get used to it though. 

Here is a photo of the face mask on. Not much to see, just a shiny face.

The bottle suggested leaving it on my 20-30 minutes, I left it on for about 40. It was a bit hard grasping the edges of the mask to peel it off, that could be because I have quite short nail, but once you has the edge it peeled off reasonably easily. It was a little sore to peel off round the sides of my face but apart from that painless. 

Once it was off I rinsed my face with cold water to close the open pores on my face and my skin was left feeling really soft. The blackheads on my nose were not completely gone but definitely reduced.

Overall I am pretty happy with this product. For a product of this price it has worked really well. The only major down fall for me would be the slight pain peeling it off around the sides of my face, but that was very minimal.

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

With mothers day fast approaching I'm sure you're all desperately raking your brains for gift ideas. I know I'm always in a mad rampage through the shops if I don't plan early.

To help you out I have come up with a list of possible gift ideas. 

The first three ideas are homemade gifts that cost little to nothing.

1. Homemade Face Mask

Everyone loves a face mask and making your own is a more affordable way of spoiling your mother. 

Below is a recipe for a face mask that hydrates your skin and evens skin tones. It has been generously donated to me by my friend Hanna; and has been tried and tested by her as well.

Just mix together roughly 1Tbs of yogurt or sour cream, a spoonful of honey and juice from about a 1/4 of a lemon in a bowl. 

It's a bit of a guessing process so you can just add extra quantities of the ingredients until it is your desired consistency. Then put it in a pretty pot and tie it up with a ribbon.

2. Cleaning Tokens

This one is for the younger audience and does sound a little silly, but I remember when I was younger and had no money asking my mum what she wanted for mothers day. She would always say for me that I could do cleaning for her. So one year I made her a card with with five tokens on it entitling her to an hour worth of cleaning each. She seemed to like it! This can also be changed to cooking or other household chores.

3. Photo/Drawing

This is another one my mother asked me for when I was younger. However it is also good for older audiences as well as younger ones. If you are a bit of an arty person then make your mum a drawing, painting or photograph. Frame it nicely and there you have another affordable gift.

The next three ideas are gifts that you can purchase for an affordable price.

1. Scented Candle

A scented candle is a really cute gift that anyone can appreciate. You could buy any brand you like but here is one that I have and really love: 

Mor Little Luxuries, Lychee Flower Petit Candle.

This is one of the cheaper candles of the brand and comes in four other scents: Marshmallow, Belladonna, Snow Gardenia and Blood Orange.

It smells absolutely delicious! You can buy it online for $14.95AUD. They come in really cute little coloured porcelain cups with a gold trim and would be a perfect gift for your mother.

2. Moisturizer

There are plenty of lower end body lotions that are affordable but are still really nice.

Once of my preferences is the 

St Ives Naturally Soothing Oatmeal and Shear Butter Body Lotion

I use it on my legs after I shower and it is really moisturizing and smell delicious! It comes in a massive bottle [621ml] for only $13.49NZD. 

3. Chocolates

This is one you can use either to bulk up a present or as a gift in itself. You could buy some just plain Cadburys favourites or go for something slightly more expensive. Maybe if she's from overseas you could get some yummy treats that she enjoyed from home, online.

The final three gift ideas are more pricey ideas for those of you who have a little more cash to spend.





1. Perfume
Perfumes are not cheap, but every mum loves them! My mum's favourite it "Cinema by YSL". This can be a tricky one because you never know what your mums preference is, I suggest finding a way to subtly ask.









2. Cleanse, Tone, Moisturize
A face washing set is something every girl loves. I suggest the Clinique 3-step set. I have this one myself and I love it. I also happen to know that it is a favourite of my mums. 





3. Spa
Finally, there  is always the classic. Treat your mum to a day out at a beauty spa. Massage, facial, pedicure, manicure, the whole deal!


So that is my advice, I hope it helps you out and you end up finding the perfect gift you your mum xx

Day Out with Cinnamon

Cinnamon pulling a face for the camera at the cafe

The past two weeks I have been fully packed with work, so to treat myself I decided to go shopping with Cinnamon.

When I left for the bus stop it was only gently spitting, didn't think I would need to many layers to keep me warm. Boy was I wrong. Shortly into my walk it starts pouring down. I don't mean just rain, I mean strong winds, thunder, hail. The streets were flooding!

By the time I got on the bus I was literally dripping, my mascara was running down my face and I did not look too flash. 

I was planning on doing a post on what I wore, but needless to say I was not feeling to pretty for photos.

We sat down at the cafe and I got a lovely warm Chai Latte and then I bought couple of things.

The first thing I bought was this really cute, white peplum top from Dotti for $39.99NZD. I think peplum tops really suit curvier women because they accentuate the waist. 

I really like this top, it is quite thick and can get quite hot so would be good to wear in colder weather.

The last two things I got were from equip. 

Some really cute mini bow hair clips in silver, gold and white, on sale for $9.74NZD

And a pack of nine hypoallergenic earrings, also on sale for $9.74NZD.

My Celebrity Inspirations

Hey Guys,

There are a lot of celebrities whose looks I love and take inspiration from. Since I have never talked about who inspires me I thought I would do a quick blog post of who and why!

Emma Watson

Considering she has been well known for a long time now, she has just recently come to my attention. I have always liked her, but after appearance in 'The Perks of being a Wallflower' (my now all time favourite movie) I love her! I She has such a natural beauty that I absolutely love. She doesn't wear tones of brightly coloured makeup and I think it looks very natural and refreshing.

Miley Cyrus

I don't necessarily love her as an singer but I do love her style. Makeup wise, I always love her eye makeup. Her bold lashes are definitely something I love. I also really like the peachy coral shades of blush she tends to use. Another thing I loved about her was her hair! I do think her new haircut suits her, but I'm not going to lie, I miss her old hair! I love her fashion sense as well, she has quite a punk/hipster look that I really like.

Emma Stone

She is my favourite actress. She has the most amazing shaped eyes and I love the way she accentuates them with dark liner. She often has a pink or nude lipstick on and a smokey eye.

Cara Delevinge

She has definitely been the all the rage on Tumblr recently and her pictures are constantly popping up, so it is hard not to fall in love with her. Bold eyebrows, killer cheekbones and earthy toned makeup. She is another natural beauty. Her clothing, although quite casual, always looks super nice!

And finally here are a few pictures of YouTube gurus who are probably the most inspiring to me.

So those are some of my favourite makeup photos of my celebrity inspirations. I tag everyone to let me know who your celebrity inspirations are!

April Wishlist

1. Mac - 187 Stippling Brush
I've wanted this brush for a wee while now. I think I first saw it on a Youtube tutorial an age ago and immediately fell in love. It wasn't until recently when I stayed at my friends house and tried her one that I knew I had to have it. It blends really well and evenly and I love it.

2. Mac - Land Danger (Matte)
I was window shopping at the Mac counter with my friend Hanna when I came across this baby. I was seriously deliberating between this one and the Coral Bliss. I did end up going for Coral Bliss - did I make the right choice? I don't know. It was really opaque and creamy and I love the matte finish. 

3. Napoleon Pedris - Advanced Mineral Foundation
I also tried this one when I was staying at my friends house. It has really nice coverage. It wasn't matte which is what I am usually drawn to but it has a really natural subtly dewy finish. Instantly I added it to my want list.

4. Nars - Light Reflecting Finishing Powder
I haven't tested this one but I have heard some stella reviews about it. I have been looking for a good finishing powder for a while now and everywhere I looked this one was getting brilliant reviews. Say no more, it is definitely up there with things I want.

5. Real Techniques - Buffing Brush
This brush was made by makeup guru Pixiewoo. I have seen it used by so many makeup gurus and it looks amazing. I know this is similar to the mac 187 in terms of thing to want but I just couldn't decide which one I wanted most. So I decided you can never want to many makeup brushes.

Rimmel Makeup Haul and Review

I won a $250 Rimmel Prize pack from a "Rimmel London Model Search" that a participated in so I thought I would share with you the goods :)

It arrived in the super cute makeup bag. Since I am a bit of a Union Jack addict at the moment this was a big win in my books.

Lasting Finnish lipstick by Kate Moss [4g]

Shade #10 Rossetto

It is a pinky red shade and very pigmented. I found that applying two coats gave a very strong colour. I personally am not a big fan of the colour because the red is too pink, I prefer a deeper red. I have only worn this once when i was testing it but as far as I could tell it was reasonably long lasting and had only come of a little on the inside of my mouth after dinner.

Stay Glossy lipgloss [5.5ml]

Shade #640 All Day Seduction

It is quite a natural colour with a coral pink pigmentation. I really like this gloss and colour, for me it lasted roughly 4 hours before it came off after eating. It is really pigmented. I really like the applicator, it is easy to use and good for getting into small areas. It is not tacky at all.

Vinyl Max lipgloss [8ml]

Shade #301 Addictive

This is a magenta sort of pink. It is very glossy and pigmented. Again, I am not a big fan of this colour, but that is just me. For me I find that the applicator is too large so it makes it a tad messier to apply, however some people may like this since it is faster. It is not tacky at all.

Match Perfection Concealer [7ml]

Shade #010 Ivory

Very good under-eye concealer and highlighter. True to its word, I found that it does adapt to my skin tone. I'm not a fan of the applicator. I find that the brush wastes product and I prefer blending with my finger. I apply four generous blobs under my eye and dab it in with my finger. Although I do not have very dark circles under my eyes, this did effectively remove them. I also liked how it did not over highlight my eyes and looked really natural. Hide The Blemish Concealer [4.5g]

Shade #001 Ivory

This is a fairly average product in my opinion. I bought it in shade ivory and I found that it was too pale for my skin. I haven't tried it as an under eye concealer but when I try applying it under my foundation it just rubs off and doesn't conceal my blemishes. Luckily I have fairly good skin so when I do apply it lightly over my foundation it does an okay job. On the plus side I love the easy application. It comes in lipstick like packaging and it nice and easy to apply.

Match Perfection Foundation [30ml]

Shade #100 Ivory

Unfortunately I didn't get the right shade for my skin. In the bottle it has too much of a yellow undertone for me as I have more of a pink undertone. However I apply it lightly over cleansed and moisturized skin and it blends in really well. I would not suggest it for people who have a lot of acne because it's got a light to medium coverage. It makes your face look really fresh and is only slightly dewy. I prefer this because I don't like really dewy skin as I think it makes you look oily.It feels really light on your skin and is an overall good product.BB Cream [30ml]

Shade Light

I have tried this shade in both medium and light and I do find that these shades are quite dark, so I wouldn't imagine it suiting someone with incredibly pale skin. However for me the shade 'light' matches my skin perfectly. I really like this product. I apply it to clean and unmoisturized skin and it spreads nice and evenly. I do not have oily or dry skin and I find that this motorizes it nicely without making my skin look oily. It lasted all day and I think it made my skin look very flawless. I still use concealer over any major blemishes.

Match Perfection Blush [15g]

Shade #001 Light

This blusher has three shades in the one pallet. A really pale corral salmon pink, a brown pink and a red corral pink. I found that this was not very pigmented. For me I liked that as I can apply a few layers and get a very subtle natural flush, however it got annoying when I wanted a stronger colour and this just wasn't pigmented enough. I found that it was really annoying, if you wanted to use just one of the colours, to get only that on your brush as each colour is fairly small. However it is good if you want to blend all the colours onto the one brush. I also found that the packaging is quite flimsy.

Glam'Eye Quad Eyeshadow [4.2g]

Shade #001 Smokey Noir

To be honest I don't really wear eyeshadow so I don't have a lot to compare this to. It has four colours a pale silvery grey, dark silvery grey, dark grey and black. All four colours are very shimmery and blend well. It's quite pigmented but I would give it a couple of coats to get a really strong colour. I don't like the applicator sponge at all so I would recommend using your own brush. I used the Mac 224.Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliner [1.2g]

Shade #001 Black

I love, love, love this product. This surprised me a lot as I am not a fan of pencil eyeliners. I found this really creamy, smooth and easy to apply. It looks neat even if you do a rubbish job and is super pigmented. It doesn't smudge, is waterproof, and although I don't usually wear black in my waterline I did test it and it stayed in the waterline for quite a long time. Will definitely get this again.

I Love Long Lasting Finish Nail Polish [8ml]

Shade #170 Lively Lilac

This nails polish is really opaque and fast drying. It is a very pretty lilac colour, very similar to the picture. It has a slight grey undertone and I think it compliments my skin tone nicely. I applied two coats and it looked nice, smooth and was easy to apply. It lasted me 3-4 days without any major chipping.