The Multi-Tasking Make Up Tutorial

I have found, over my many years of wearing make up, that when I need to look put together or glam I tend to stick with one look. It's a relatively simple look and it's certainly one that you can tone down or intensify depending on your own personal taste.

I wanted to do a photo tutorial as something different, so with this look I am going to take it from the bare basics right the way through to the final product. I really think it's important to see every element of a look to be able to understand it. Like I say you can totally improvise this to fit your own needs, so just have fun with it!

I'm starting off with a fresh base and in the picture on the left all I have done is apply my daily skincare. I cleanse using Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish the use a Liz Earle Toner and moisturise with Embryolisse Lait Cream Concentre. After I have done my skincare routine I wait around 5-10 minutes to let my moisturiser sink in, you could go make a cuppa in this time if you fancy. Before I start any sort of make up I use a primer my favourite has been the bareMinerals Neutralising Prime Time, this has a yellow pigment that will help counteract any redness and it also has an SPF30 which means that you're getting sun protection without adding any unnecessary products into your routine. I also apply my Urban Decay Primer Potion to my eyelids at this time so that all of my priming is done and dusted.

I had to tie my hair back because it started to get a bit wild. In the left picture I have applied my foundation, I use Chanel Perfection Lumiere in 12 Beige Rose, for a while now I have been using a beautyblender to apply my base products because honestly I think it gives the best finish for my skin, it stops the product from clinging to dry patches and generally helps blend to foundation into your skin. In the picture on the right I have put some concealer in the areas where I need it most, I use MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NC15. I haven't applied any concealer under my eyes because I have been super into the YSL Touche Eclat which you will see next. 

In the left picture I used the YSL Touche Eclat under my eyes, down my nose, on my chin and on my forehead. I really think that this helps lift my complexion and stops me from looking quite so work out. I will say that you really need to powder straight after applying this because it does have a tendancy to crease but it will stay put if you apply a powder.

In the right I applied Hourglass Incandescent Light on the high points of my cheeks, down my nose, on my chin and forhead. This is such a natural looking highlight and I think that it really just adds a super nice glow to the skin without looking chunky and glittery. I also applied Hourglass Mood Exposure as my blush. This is quite a brown/rose colour so it really works well on cooler skin tones.I hasn't massively picked up on my camera, I'm still working out my lighting.

I always like to do my brows before my eyeshadow, you can always do it after, It just depends on what you prefer to do. I used the Kevyn Aucoin Precsion Brow in Warm Blonde. This comes with a spoolie so it makes it really easy to comb through your brows and blend the colour with your hairs. Warm blonde I think is especially good for red hair as it has warm reddish tones to it.

Close up time! My brows do need a bit of grooming haha. I have applied M1 from the Smashbox Full Exposure palette all over my lids, this sort of blots the natural oils on my eyelid and helps other shadows blend easily with out catching and becoming patchy.









Here I have applied a mixture of M3 and M5 from the same palette an used this as a transition shade in the crease. M3 is a very warm medium brown and M5 is an ashy medium brown. I like to mix the two so that I get a little warmth without it looking out of place on my cool skintone.








Essentially I am only using the Smashbox Full Exposure palette for my shadows. I have deepened the crease with M2 and M6, again a combination of a warm and a cool tone deep brown.

 On the lid I applied MAC Paint in Bare Canvas. It does have quite a bit of shimmer but it makes an excellent base for shimmer shadows and it really helps amp up the pigment.

 Over the top of the MAC Paint I pressed S1, which is a champagne colour with an intense shimmer, onto my lid. Adding a shimmer onto the centre of the lid really adds a lot of dimension and makes the lids look larger.









Here comes the hard part. This is totally optional, I do love a bit of winged liner but you could easily replace it with something a bit less stress inducing and time consuming.

I used the Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Perversion. This is a super black liner with a high pigment. It does require a little shake before use but it creates some of the cleanest and sharpest lines ever.




























Here's an open and closed eye picture of the finished eye look, I applied a combination of Lancome Hypnose and Grandiose mascaras to finish it off. You could add false lashes to make this more glam or leave them without like I have.

Onto the lips, I have used a GOSH lip liner in Antique Rose, I've outlines the shape and also feathered the colour inwards so the line isn't as harsh. This is going to create a lot of depth as I am choosing a lighter lipstick it will create an ombre effect which will make the lips look fuller.

Here I have applied MAC Angel lipstick over the top of the lipliner, it's important to blend out harsh edges so that you get the true full lip effect.

If you really want to amp up the plump effect the you can take a little bit of clear or shimmery gloss, here I'm using Lancome Colour Fever Gloss in Sparkling Light. It will just help to add a bit more shine.

And ta-dah! This is the complete look. This is my absolute favourite go to make up look, it's simple and it's so versatile. I really hope you like this look, let me know if you would like to see more tutorials. Also I was thinking about getting back into doing tutorial videos so definitely let me know if this is something you would be interested in seeing.

Speak soon
Roo xx

YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch Review

I've been testing out the YSL Touche Eclat for a few weeks now and I honestly feel like the last person alive to try this. I was really hesitant to buy this down to the fact that it's really no the cheapest item out there and there are a load of drug store alternatives currently available. But I have taken the plunge and here are my thoughts...

Obviously I'm going to start with the packaging because, after all, it is the first thing you see. We're all pretty familiar with the gold pen/brush for the YSL Touche Eclat but I ended up getting one of the limited design packs, not sure if it makes a difference in the price but this was what they were offering. I really like how sturdy this feels, it really doesn't feel cheap by any means. The clicker at the bottom is also quite secure and certainly doesn't feel like it will break any time soon.

I get a sort of (loosely linked) art deco vibe from the packaging, like it should be refillable or something but that could just be me.

For some reason the flash on my camera has made my body look tan, but let's ignore that. 

On the left is without the Touche Eclat, Just foundation and concealer and on the right is the the Touche Eclat applied under just the left eye. I felt really stupid buying this because when I first swatched it out of the shop it looked like it would do nothing for me. Whilst it definitely brightens my under eye area, it doesn't provide the whole Kim K highlight that seems to be advertised with this. Of course I'm not expecting that because as an exceptionally pale person I find it hard enough to find foundations in my shade let alone anything else. I would suggest that if you are maybe a couple of shade darker than me (I'm NC15 for ref, would be NC10 if they made such a shade) then you could use 1, 1.5 or 2 to get a really highlighter look. I do find that you have to powder almost immediately after application to prevent creasing but this is no big deal for me considering I set my under eyes anyway.

  

Here I am with both sides done. I honestly love this, It looks so natural on my skin (I apply using a BeautyBlender) and it really helps me to not look so tired. I don't dispute for one second that there are great alternatives on the more inexpensive side but if you are looking to treat yourself or if you want to get to know YSL as a brand the I think it is something to consider.


Have you tried this? What do you think?

Speak soon
Roo xx

April 2015 Favourites

It's been a slow month for me, you may have noticed, but suffice to say my favourites are a little small. I am really excited about these products that I have been trying this month, they have been serious game changers to my make up routine. 

YSL TOUCHE ECLAT RADIANT TOUCH - £25

I actually have a review about this coming up tomorrow so you will have to keep an eye out for my more in depth review of this. I have been absolutely loving this product though, it looks so natural on my skin and really brightens my under eye and helps to make me look more awake. It is a little bit of a splurge item but I believe in treating myself every so often. 

BARE MINERALS NEUTRALISING PRIME TIME - £22

I actually nicked this one from my mum (sorry, you're not getting it back!), reason being is that I needed a primer with an SPF, something I didn't own. This bad boy has a whopping SPF of 30 and also helps to neutralise redness and I'm in plenty supply of redness. It is quite a runny product so you'll have to excuse the messy bottle but it does smooth over really nicely. I would suggest that this would be good for dry skin but exfoliating before would be advised as the yellow pigment might cling to flaky skin. I do couple this with my Embryolisse moisturiser and I just find that my make up sticks around for a lot longer. Thankfully bareMinerals do have a nice offering of primers including an oil controlling one and also a BB primer for those who want to go super minimalist. 

MAC PAINT IN BARE CANVAS - £15.50

I went into MAC the other day with the intention of buying a Paint Pot but somehow left with one of their Paints. I went for a Paint instead because I wanted something close to my skin tone so that I could cover imperfections without the use of concealer which, for me, can sometimes feel a little too heavy. This has got a slight pearl finish to it so it works really well as a brow bone highlight but it also works as a shadow base and really helps colours to look more intense. 

So that was my short but sweet April favourites. I do have a few product posts coming up so keep an eye out for that and I will speak to you all soon.

Roo xx