January Favourites | 2016 ❤

Hi guys, So I've been really rubbish with my posting lately - It's been a month and so now February has arrived and my lack of posting this month has been horrendous! So what did I think was a good idea to try and redeem myself? Oh and does it continue on from my last post? Hell yeah it does. So what does it include? To update you with my beauty habits and what I was really pleased with this past month! ❤ 

1. L'oreal Paris Infallible Matte Foundation:

Before using this, I was originally wearing 'Rimmel True Match Foundation' which is great for a sort of base but it didn't really give me that great of coverage and considering it was January and exams were popping up everywhere well so was my spots which actually made me stress then created more spots! So, I asked a really good friend of mine what foundation she started using or any recommendation, so she recommended me this and I can honestly say, Hand on Heart this has been the best foundation (for me personally) to get an almost identical match to my skin colour (I use Number 120) and to actually cover my spots and the best part about it, it's that it spreads so easily - you can buy this product for roughly seven to eight pounds! 

2. MUA Elysium Elements: 

Considering this is a product which I bought on a whim (not something I do majority of the time) but in the January Sale it went from £8 to £4 and I cannot resist a bargain, I was so attracted to the colours that I just could not say no and I'm so pleased that I didn't. I absolutely adore the colour of the shades - so neutral and down to earth colours. However, when I bought the product I had no prior knowledge about it, So when I went home I tried to find Youtube videos on eye-make up using this Palette, Sadly I didn't find much, Although I did find a video saying how this can be sort of used as a dupe for the 'Naked Eye Palette 3'. Also, I love the pencil Eyeliners which came with it - they actually stay on my waterline, so that's a plus! 

3. I Heart Makeup Blushing Hearts, Blusher:

 Now, before this I have never been one to wear Blusher - I usually have enough colour in my cheeks to last me and admittedly, I was originally attracted to it's packaging, look how small and cute it is, I adore it! But since it's been January, my skin has been looking a lot less lively and the colours of my face has been well sort of disappearing up until I started using this product! I love the colours it brings to my cheeks and it's just a nice subtle colouring in my opinion, also did I mention it cost under 5 pounds? Oh and that I think the packaging is awesome? 

4. Sleek Eyebrow Pencil:

Up until a month ago, I had no idea how to even shape and draw my eyebrows on properly (even now I'm not 100% sure I know to now) but after talking to my housemate about how I wanted to start filling in my eyebrows more and adding shape to them, She recommended this, So I went to Superdrug the next day and purchased this item. At first I was umming and arring about what shade to get, so in the end I ended up getting a medium - This turned out to be one of the best decisions I've made or maybe you could argue the worst because now I cannot go a day without drawing my eyebrows on - it has a brush and you can shape your eyebrows this way - depending on where you can usually buy this for roughly £3 and it's totally worth the investment! 

Today, I listened To The Internet…

If any of you know me or follow me on Twitter then you are well aware that I hate being girly and one thing which I am incredibly bad at doing is putting on make-up and being in fashion. It’s not that I find anything wrong with being all girly is just that I majorly suck at it. You see, my mum was not particularly interested in make-up or clothes and I guess that rubbed on to me. However, since coming to uni and constantly being around pretty girls and having best friends which are MUA artist and I can barely just put eyeshadow on, it got me thinking how would I fit in according to the internet?

My Face Shape:

The first thing I needed to do was find out my face shape. Now I personally found it difficult to just look at a picture and think ‘oo that’s my face shape’ (even though I tried). In the end I googled ‘How to find out your face shape’ So I clicked on videos and I found out using this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MOSyD1iHz4 ) That I was a heart shape face... So what did that exactly mean? Well it turns out finding out your face shape helps determine which hairstyle suits you, how to contour your face (where to highlight and darken) and also what shape eyebrows are meant to go with your face.. What a delight.

Hairstyles included:-

o   Long Bangs to draw focus away from the chin

o   ‘The Lob’ – which should help soften the jawline

o   Deep Side Part – I’m not 100% sure why but google told me so..  And there were so many many more!

Contouring Chart:-

So as you can see for me, I would have to put the shadow around the edges of my face and highlight my chin and forehead and then blend it for the best result for my face shape.

Eyebrow Chart:

Looking at this particular chart for my eyebrows, they look like semi circles to me! So I’ll be drawing my semi circles on my heart shaped face! Jeez and to think I found all this out just by finding out my face shape! Now let’s take a look on what I have to learn and do for my eyes!

My Eye Shape:

According to vogue magazine, the way in which your eye is shaped should control the way you do your eye makeup. Now when I googled images on eye shapes I literally could not tell the difference between them all.

So youtube, (you little star) was my next bet and there were tons of videos on how to find out your eye shape but even then I got confused – so in the end I asked a friend too look and tell me what shape eye was I? Turns out I have a ‘deep set’ eyes

...

GREAT... UH SO What does that mean precisely? So after watching loads of videos (and I mean loads) I basically learnt a couple of eye makeup tips:-

1)      I need to conceal those dark circles under my eyes!

2)      Then I need to apply the lightest shade all over my eyelids – it makes my eyes look brighter and also covers the ‘deepness’ of my eyes!

3)    This one is apparently the most important – put the medium shade colour inside the corner of the eye – this draws attention to my eye colour and not how deep they are!

4)      And then on the outside corners apply a dark colour.

5)      Oh if my eyebrows aren’t on my ‘A’ game then doing my eye makeup is pointless- thank god I found out how to do this along with my face shape – crisis averted

6)      Eyeliner – apparently overloading my eyes with it will make them look small, so the best thing to do is apply a thin amount and then slightly thicken on the outer corner and to also apply it on the waterline to make it really pop!

7)      Never ever ever ever darken the crease

8)      Draw attention somewhere else – such as your lips!

9)      False eyelashes are basically essential to carrying on with the day – unless if you’re unlike me and have naturally long eyelashes which putting mascara on them makes them look amazing!

10)   Lastly, apply light bright colours.

So here’s a picture of my face with my fatal attempt of styling my hair, eyebrows and contouring for a heart shaped face and also an attemption of the right makeup according to the ‘experts’:

Contour: Collection 

Hair: flicking in towards my hair 'not to emphasis my jawline'

Eyes: Thin Eyeliner, Mascara and Light Eyeshadow - Red lips to draw attention away from eyes

My Body Shape:

So the next and last thing I could be bothered to learn was about my body shape. So using the body shape calculator, I learned that I was a ‘pear’ shaped girl which means that my hips are bigger than my bust.

 So, being the amazing researcher I am..Once again I found out how I am supposed to dress according to my shape. According to ‘Shopyoutshape’ I should try and create the illusion that I have a bigger (upper waist) and to make it look like I have a smaller..bottom half shall I say? That way I can balance my body out to fit the ‘perfect body’ stereotype.

Top tips for how Pear shaped women should dress include:-

•   Wear tops with fitted wasted
•   Bright colours and Bold Pattern tops
•   Dark colours on bottoms
•   Avoid bold trousers or skirts – stick to plane
•   V or U neck tops
•   Straight Jeans or A-Line Skirts
•   Off the shoulder tops

And then here is my attemption of me conforming to the internet’s advice: 

So here:bright colour top which is tight in waist and off the shoulder and a dark skirt. 

I really hope this has helped any girl to find the best way for you..

My Pay Day Wish List:

As many of you may know by now I’m a student and even though I have a job which I do love doing, sadly, just as the case of many other students... My student loan just about pay my rent and doesn't pay for my food or my 'party' lifestyle. So my earnings have to go on practical things (*cry cry*) such as food and toilet paper. So what would I buy if I could just spend them on what I want?

Reading festival ticket: (£210) Have you seen how insane this year’s line-up is? And that's only a small fraction of it! Plus, I have actually never been to a festival and I feel like I need to go to one soon, so I mean do you really blame me for wanting to go? Sadly.. I will never be able to afford it on my wages.

Naked 2 Palette: (£38) Just look how beautiful the colours are and I have been itching to buy one of these for over a year. I always think ‘Maybe one day I’ll pluck up the courage and buy one’ but I never do. Maybe one day eh?

Mac Lipstick – Ruby Woo : (£15.50) In all honesty I was never originally a fan off Mac Lipstick, I thought it was over-hyped until about August when one of my work colleagues was obsessed with Mac Lipsticks. It made me second guess them and seeing how gorgeous the colour was and how it lasted her the whole shift, well fair to say it made me a teeny wee bit jealous and who doesn’t love wearing bright red lipstick on a night out?

Spa Day- (£70): Which includes a choice of any one hour spa treatment – a heated outdoor pool! A sauna. A steam room, Hot tub and two course meals (however is a set menu.. but you do get a glass of Prosecco… interesting). I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s still feeling the stress of Christmas time and plus for any students with exams around the corner, this just seems like a perfect way to relax but instead I’ll probably spend about £20 on a night out in Bristol getting way too drunk trying to forget about the worries of being a student.

Green Harrington Jacket (£40): It’s a bit of an odd one, most people tend to go for the black or the navy one but I absolutely adore this green jacket and and and and and… IT’S VINTAGE!

And Lastly, Pandora Ring (£70): It’s a bit of a soppy reason why I want this particular ring but my nan had this weird strange obsession with butterflies, literally everything she owned followed that pattern (butterfly towels, broaches etc.) And just look how beautiful and how delicate the ring actually is. It’s so petite and maybe one day I will buy it, but who knows?

So if anyone has an extra £443.50 and were willing to share, that would be great! Unfortunately I guess for now, I will have to keep on wishing :( .