Halloween Look: Vampire Witch...

This post is very exciting because I'm not only working with a website that I've been browsing for years but it is my first halloween post of the year! As you may have figured by now if you follow me on Twitter (@ofbeautyand) or if you have been following my blog since last Halloween then you'll know that I'm a bit obsessed with not just Halloween makeup but Halloween TV, movies, books and general nostalgia.

For my first Halloween look of the year, I have decided to create a more glamorous and less scary look than previous years - my creepy doll and clown looks are a little disturbing and my even my Cheshire Cat Halloween look is a little...scary. So today's look is easy to create and it looks quite glam but obviously because it is a Halloween look, there will be blood. I had no idea what to name this look as I think it is quite a glamorous witchy look but with the blood it's quite vampiric.

I was sent a couple of products from Ere Perez and Pam (Precious About Makeup) to create this look which is super exciting. The look is really easy to create as I first started with my regular foundation, concealer, powder, contour and brow pencil/gel. Here's the full list of the products I used:

- Lancome Cushion Foundation
- Essence Stay All Day Concealer
- Vichy Setting Powder
- Eye of Horus Brow Pencil/Gel
- NYX Blush in Taupe
- Tom Ford Extreme Mascara
- Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette
- Kiko Eyeshadows
- Threads False Lashes
- Essence Silver Eyeliner
- *Ere Perez Black Eyeliner
- *Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick in N43
- *Bloody Marvellous Professional Runny Blood

I used a combination of shadows from the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette and the Kiko Eyeshadow Palette that I made to create a basic black, almost metallic looking, smoky eye. Then I used a silver eyeliner as a highlight and a black liner on the upper and lower waterlines followed by mascara. I don't wear false lashes therefore they are a little tricky for me to apply so I cut up the outer corners of my Threads lashes and just applied them to the outer corners which actually gave a really pretty effect!

Now onto the lips and blood, I applied a nude lipliner all over the lips then I applied the Make Up For Ever Lipstick over the top - this shade is just gorgeous, it's a pretty and unique orange shade (I really want to try more products from Make Up For Ever!). Now the blood, I haven't used fake blood before so I didn't know if it would stain or if it would be really messy to use. The runny fake blood I have is actually really easy to use, it doesn't stain the skin and you don't need a lot of blood to get a great effect! I just used the lid of the blood tube to apply it to my face and it drips down really realistically, in my opinion. As the blood was over my mouth I did unintentionally eat some of the blood but thankfully it is safe to swallow although I obviously wouldn't recommend it - it makes the teeth look orange and gory!

What do you think of my first Halloween look of 2016? Have you tried any of these products? Will you be creating any Halloween looks this year? 

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Halloween Look: Harlequin Joker

Here's my second Halloween look of 2016, I haven't been able to create nearly as many as I wanted to this year as I've have a couple of mini eczema flareups so I haven't wanted to cake my face in lots of makeup. However, they are really fun to create and this look is a bit of a mashup of the original harlequin and the joker (or maybe a clown?!).

This look is so easy to create and I used only products from highstreet/drugstore brands so it's an affordable look using products you probably already have in your makeup collection! I think this look would be perfect with a traditional harlequin jester outfit or a black jumpsuit or playsuit. For my hair I just used my new Anjou hair straightening brush which I love! Here's a list of the products I've used:

- Max Factor Smooth Effect Foundation
- Vichy Setting Powder
- NYX Blush in Taupe
- Makeup Revolution Lipstick
- Stila Liquid Eyeliner
- Makeup Revolution Palette (Fairy Doll)
- Benefit Roller Lash Mascara
- Avon Shock Liner

The look is a bit of a mix of different characters but it was easy to create and I'm really happy with the look on the whole. I first started with my regular foundation, powder and contour which I'm loving! Then I moved onto the brows and I used a red lipstick but you could use a lip pencil for a sharper finish and you could use another shade if you wanted but I think the red brows works well with the red/pink blended through the crease.

Now onto the eyes, I started with a matte black from a Makeup Revolution palette and applied it all over the lid, winging it out at the outer corner slightly. I then blended a pink toned red through the crease as a transition - just blend, blend, blend. Next up the liner, I use a liquid liner to get sharp, intense lines; I drew a harlequin style (or clown?) shape on the cheeks. Finish with black liner on the upper and lower lash lines and mascara.

Last but not least the lips, I used the same black liquid liner to line my lips, fill them in and draw an extended smile which was the hardest part as it was so difficult to get it symmetrical! Keep some micellar water and cotton buds on hand for cleaning up.

You could add some fake blood to the look to make it gory and more scary, I'd definitely recommend the *Bloody Marvellous Runny Blood from PAM London as it's fantastic! It's so quick and easy to use and it actually looks quite realistic! I've used it in a previous Halloween look and it worked so well!

What do you think of this Halloween look? Will you be dressing up for Halloween today? 

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First Halloween Look of 2018: Quick + Easy Gruesome Mermaid

I'm so behind with my halloween content this year! I did hope that my first halloween look would be live on the 1st October but I've had an eczema flareup and I'm being weighed down (almost literally) by all of the christmas products I have for my gift guides! It seems that sadly christmas is taking precedence over halloween this year but today's post is finally my first halloween look of the year and you'll be glad to know that it is incredibly quick and easy!

I love halloween so I've already posted a fair few halloween looks on my blog already but for my first of 2018, I wanted to do something very simple, quick and easy but still fairly dramatic. You will need one or two specifically halloween or SFX makeup products such as a gorgeous wig and the Ben Nye nose and scar wax as well as fake blood; however, you probably already own the other products or they can be bought very cheaply.

*Hot Hair Mint To Be Wig (£88 - sale)

I think there are two striking aspects of this very easy look and the first is the gorgeous turquoise blue wig from Hot Hair. I'm not a very good wig styler or wig wearer...so don't judge me too harshly but I love this one. I have tried a couple of halloween wigs in the past and they've been very cheap so naturally they were all very itchy, uncomfortable and quite thin but this one is much thicker, it's more comfortable and it isn't itchy, thankfully!

My look is a mixture between a simple mermaid inspired makeup look with glitter and a gory caught mermaid with a slash across her face were she's been hooked...it's definitely not the most original but I like combination of pretty glitter and fake blood! The shade of the wig is perfect for any kind of mermaid or fairy look this halloween. It's a great size and length which with a wig cap is fairly easy to put on although I did struggle a little with the styling of it especially as I was trying to not get fake blood in it *obviously I ended up with fake blood all on one side*. Hopefully my skin will turn to normal soon and I'll be able to create more halloween looks soon with this wig. If you're looking for a halloween wig or a new autumn style then definitely check out Hot Hair as they have an amazing range to choose from, some of which are currently 20% off including this one!

I started with my regular makeup routine with the amazing Dear Klairs Illuminating BB Cream from Koja Beauty followed by the NYX contour in Taupe and the Essence Fixing Powder. For the Next onto the brows and I filled them in with a dark blue shadow and added a light blue on top then my trusty Tweezerman brow gel.

For the face all I did was take a selection of pretty blues and purples to create areas of multicoloured and shimmery skin with a little of the Makeup Revolution Skin Kiss highlighter in Dream Kiss over the top for extra shine! I added glitter, gems and dots to those areas but in an ideal world I definitely would have used some fishnet tights stretched over the skin to create a mermaid and scaly texture as I have done previously but I couldn't find any - it would have make the look so much better!

Now for the fun and messy part! I love using the Ben Nye nose and scar wax as it creates the most interesting textures to the skin like torn, mottled and scarred skin so it's great for halloween looks. You should use spirit gum with it beforehand so it sticks well but I use a combination of the tackiness of the wax and lash glue to DIY a solution - just buy spirit gum though.

I started by using the back of my tweezers to push and mould the wax to the skin where I wanted it and carried on until I got the shape that I wanted then aded lots of glue to help it stick more securely but I personally like the torn look the wax gives as it makes the look more 3D and textured. I filled in the wound with red lipstick, black eyeshadows and fake blood then blended reds and purples around the outside of the wound to give a bruised appearance.

It was a very quick and easy look to create but if I recreated it I'd definitely use fishnet tights for the scales, I'd add more to the eyes and use more fake blood, it is halloween after all. I hope you liked this quick and easy halloween look - hopefully there will be many more, if my skin behaves (fingers crossed everyone).

What do you think of this quick and easy look? Do you celebrate halloween? 

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Halloween Cheshire Cat Look ft. Vision Direct

Halloween is almost here *squeals*, it is one of my favourite holidays, closely followed by the mother of all holidays - Christmas. For the past couple of years I have been creating Halloween looks of varying success...and I couldn't wait to create some this year. As Alice in Wonderland was one of my favourite cartoon films as a child, I had to create another Cheshire Cat look but unlike my previous look, this one is based on the Alice in Wonderland film featuring Johnny Depp. 

I received the *Freshlook Colourblends Contacts in Turquoise (found here at £14.48 per lens) which are prescription coloured contact lenses from Vision Direct. I chose the turquoise shade as the Cheshire Cat does have teal/turquoise eyes in the film but if you didn't want this shade then there are a range of others to choose from including amethyst (which would be great for the original purple Cheshire Cat look), Honey and Gemstone Green which looks amazing! 

I've been wearing contacts since I was 17 so these were quick, easy and fuss free to put in, remove and wear for hours and unlike other coloured contacts I have tried, you don't see the colour while you're wearing them which makes them feel like my regular lenses. They look so vivid and bright on my eyes and are perfect for this look. They may be a little expensive but I think they are the most comfortable and bright coloured contacts I've tried. 

Here is my step by step guide to achieve this easy but effective Halloween look:

1. I prepped my skin with my daily moisturiser and applied a mixture of the green, lilac and silver shades from the Makeup Revolution Corrector Palette with a combination of my Real Techniques and Spectrum brushes until the base is even. Stipple the foundation/base you are using to add more coverage. To add extra colour, I used the blue shade from the new Makeup Revolution Unicorns Unite lipstick collection around the perimeters of my face for more depth. I then set the base with the Essence Fixing Powder but you can use any white powder so it won't affect the colour. 

2. Next up, I used a range of black liners from Essence and Makeup Revolution to draw in the nose, mouth and teeth as well as a swirl at the end of each corner which makes it looks a bit like a Tim Burton character to me. It is a little time consuming but it is a Halloween look so it doesn't have to be completely perfect. I filled in the nose with a purple/plum lipstick from Duwop; I also filled in the teeth with the yellow shade from the same Makeup Revolution Corrector Palette but a white face paint would be better. 

3. This step is the one that makes the look, in my opinion, I used so many liners of different shades and textures to add the effect of fur. I used a silver shimmer liner from Rimmel as all as navy and blue liners. 

4. Now onto the eyes and brows. I used the Eye of Horus Teal Malachite Pencil to fill in my brows and the Makeup Revolution Salvation Palette to create a winged out blue smokey eye with most of the deeper blue shades under the eyes and the outer corner - blend, blend, blend. Lastly, I lined my upper lash line with the Colorsport black liquid liner and my upper/lower waterline with a black kohl pencil. Then the best step, add the contacts! Make sure you hands are clean and free of makeup before you add the contacts. 

Overall, I'm so happy with the way this look turned out first time round as it is simple and easy to create but so effective. I have to say, the contacts are comfortable to wear and they really make this look! Vision Direct have a great range of coloured contacts which would be perfect for halloween or fancy dress parties. This is a sponsored post. 

What do you think of my first halloween look of the year? Have you tried any coloured contacts?

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Halloween with Home Bargains

Halloween is my favourite time of the year but this year has just been so busy in terms of Christmas content so halloween posts are few very and far between but I have already posted my first halloween look of the year which you can read and I will have a second halloween look post very soon too! Today's post is featuring some of the spooky halloween goodies from Home Bargains.

Growing up, the only thing I liked about halloween was the candy and the halloween school disco in primary school but over the past four or so years I've come to adore halloween. I don't know why it changed but I'm glad it did and now I love anything halloween themed, whether it's books, TV shows, movies or having an excuse to eat candy!

Halloween decorations aren't really my thing, unless they look quite specifically how I want them to but I do think these cute halloween decorations from Home Bargains are great, especially for the low price point. I love the cute, slightly spooky banner as well as these eyes which would look very creepy in a vase! I don't currently know the prices for everything but when I do, I'll update this post.

However, my favourite halloweens decorations from Home Bargains have to be the huge pumpkin punch balloons which not only look cute but they remind me of the punch balloons we used to have at my primary school for the halloween disco and for the Christmas fare! If you are hosting a children's, or adults halloween party then look not further than Home Bargains for cute, creepy and very inexpensive decorations.

It isn't halloween without these two things: getting dressed up and candy. Getting dressed up is one of my favourite things about this time of the year. You may have already seen some of my halloween looks over the years on my blog, you can check them out if you are in need of makeup inspiration but if you don't have time to get out the brushes, palettes or SFX makeup then face paints might be the way to go and this family set from Home Bargains would be great either for a party or getting ready on the day.

When it comes to treats, I'd much rather indulge in something savoury than sweet as I'm not a huge cake, biscuit or chocolate fan but I do love sweets, especially sour sweets and candy so halloween is the perfect excuse to eat some - the best vegetarian sweets have to be the Colin the Caterpillar or Percy Pig sweets from M&S. However, Home Bargains have so many sweet treat options, you're bound to find something for trick or treaters (or yourself) this year.

Last but not least, my favourite products from Home Bargains have to be the skull glass that I adore! The second favourite item is a plastic skeleton which is perfect for halloween and it is currently sitting on the fireplace with all of the pumpkins I've acquired over the past few weeks! If you're looking for some inexpensive and spooky halloween decorations, candy, costumes accessories or face paints then definitely check out Home Bargains!

What do you think of these halloween items? Do you celebrate halloween? 

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Halloween Look: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Every year I create a few halloween looks within the month of October and I adore creating them as it gives me a chance to experiment with makeup, unleash my creative side and wear colour contact lenses! I haven't been able to create as many as I'd wanted to this year *cries* but I do have a couple more coming very soon!

I've already created one halloween look with the help of Vision Direct and here's the second look which is inspired by one of my favourite films, Beetlejuice. If you haven't seen it then you should on or before halloween as it's perfect for this time of the year. Beetlejuice is one of my favourite characters in the film, as well as Lydia and it was great to create a halloween makeup look inspired by him.

I used the *FreshLook Colourblends Contact Lenses in Gemstone Green (£14.99 per box) for this look as even though he doesn't have green eyes *I don't think...*, it makes the look more interesting and halloweeny. I also used a range of highstreet makeup that is easily substituted as well as a homemade SFX hack! Before we get into the tutorial, here's a list of the products I used:

Bourjois Sleep Effect Foundation in 71
The Body Shop Lightening Drops
Essence Fixing Powder
Eylure Brow Pencil in Dark Brown
Tweezerman Brow Mousse + Eyelash Curler
Eye Of Horus Brow Pencil
Ciate London Wonderwand Mascara in Black
Freedom House Of Glam Dolls Palette
Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Zero
Kiss Lashes Eyelash Glue
Makeup Revolution Lipstick in Make Me Magnificent
Cotton Wool...

This look is so quick and easy to create, it can be created using cheap products and it looks really effective, in my opinion, especially with the textured green areas and the coloured contact lenses from Vision Direct. You can take parts of this look and create something else, for example, the eye look or the textured effect I created.

Step One: 

I started by applying my foundation as I normally would but then I when over it with a little of the lightening drops as Beetlejuice has pale skin on the whole. I also filled in my brows as I normally would but a little bolder and set them with brow gel.

Step Two: 

Beetlejuice has random green mould or texture to his skin in places so I wanted to create that but at the time I didn't have any specific SFX makeup so I created texture with cotton wool, eyelash glue and eyeshadow. I took a small amount of eyelash glue and applied it where I wanted the texture, I then stuck the cotton wool over it with more glue and let it set before applying a range of green shades over the top to hide the white cotton wool. I think the effect turned out so well, it was easy to create and very easy to remove! Hopefully the texture is visible in the photos as in 'real life' it looked 3D and textured.

Step Three:

I used the same palette for the textured areas as I did for the eyes as it contains a range of fantastic purples, blacks and greens that are great for this look. I started with a deep purple cream shadow over the outer half of the lid and blended it into the crease, outer corner and lower lash line with a dark purple/black eyeshadow. I blended further with lighter purples into the inner half of the eyelid and under the eye; finishing off with a red/pink around the blended edges and up to the brow bone.

Step Four: 

To finish the eyes, I applied black liner to the upper and lower waterlines and smudged it into the lower lash line. I used mascara on the upper and lower lashes to finish the eyes and made sure everything was blended but Beetlejuice is a very messy, unkept character so it doesn't really matter if it isn't fully blended as it will just add to the look. Lastly, I put in the green contact lenses which I love! They are very easy to put in and take out, they are just as comfortable as my regular lenses and they look so striking.

Overall, I love the look and I don't know why I haven't tried to create a Beetlejuice look before now as it's so quick and easy to create - the main items you'll need include a palette with purples, blacks and greens in it as well as your usual makeup and cotton wool, eyelash glue and coloured contacts, the latter is optional but it looks amazing with the contact lenses.

What do you think of this halloween look? Have you watched Beetlejuice? 

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Halloween: Mermaid Look + Cloud Nine Review

For my final halloween look, I've teamed up with Cloud Nine to create a more glamourous halloween look and quick hairstyle rather than the more scary looks I've created over the past couple of years. If you do want some more scary and unusual halloween looks, then check out my previous posts, I've created a Cheshire Cat, Pop Art Zombie and Sugar Skull look this year. 

This look is very different to others that I've created although I'm using a lot of the same products that I used in my previous halloween looks this year, here's the list of products but feel free to substitute and use whichever products you have!

- MeMeMe Seventh Heaven Facebase

- Max Factor Smooth Effect Foundation in 40 Porcelain

- Maybelline Fit Me Concealer 

- Essence Fixing Powder

- Makeup Revolution Awesome Eyeshadow Palette 

- Eye of Horus Goddess Liner in Teal Malachite 

- Makeup Revolution Unicorns Unite Lipstick in Horn of Magic 

- Benefit Roller Lash Mascara 

- Primark False Lashes in Sultry 

- Sephora Blue Liquid Liner

- Essence Body Glitter

- Real Techniques and Spectrum Brushes

- Primark Fishnet Tights

- Cloud Nine The Original Curling Wand 

Phew, yes I did use quite a lot of products for this look but most of them are quite inexpensive and easily available. If you are looking for cheap halloween and brighter makeup then definitely check out Makeup Revolution as they have a fantastic range including their new Unicorns Unite lipsticks. 

1. First I started with my regular foundation, concealer and powder, all three of which I have been using for months and I love them! However this time round as I wanted the skin to be more moisturised and luminous so I used the MeMeMe primer before my foundation. 

2. Now, this is where it gets a little weird...put the fishnet tights over your head/face...yes, this is essential to the look as when you apply eyeshadow over the top it will look like scales on the skin! This method is so quick and easy but it can be slightly unconformable and restrictive. I would recommend using eyeshadows wet and with a stiff/dense brush for the pigmentation to be as strong as possible. I used blues, purples and gold in this look but you can use whichever shades you want. 

3. When you have the scales as you want them, you can move onto the brows. I used a gold eyeshadow with a wet brush over the brows because you know, mermaids have gold brows, right? 

4. For the eyes I applied a shimmery light blue shade all over the lid and a gold into the inner corner. Instead of regular black liner, I used a bright blue liquid liner and made a dramatic curved wing. I finished with mascara then Primark false lashes in Sultry which even for a newbie like me, they were SO easy to apply but I did have to trim them. 

5. I kept the lips simple, I applied a bright turquoise eyeliner all over the lips and then the new blue shade from the Unicorns Unite range to make it more metallic/wet looking. 

6. For the final touches I used a body glitter from Essence and lash glue to add some glittery dots to the temples, this is entirely optional. I added more blue to my jaw and hairline. 

When the makeup is done, I moved onto my hair and I was very kindly sent the *Cloud Nine The Original Curling Wand (£99.95) which comes with a heatproof glove, safety mat, protective heat guard and instructions. The wand came very quickly and was packaged well so it would make a great christmas gift. 

The wand is tapered so depending on where you wind your hair around, you can get tighter or loose curls! It is unlike other curlers I've used as it comes with a plastic heat guard/cover over the barrel so you can put the curling wand in it just after you've used it so it protects the surface you leave it on. I used the mid heat setting to create beachy waves as it's the perfect hairstyle for a mermaid! 

The wand was so quick and easy to use and the glove was so useful even though it looks and feels like an exfoliating shower glove...The curling wand gave me smooth, soft and long lasting beachy waves that with a small amount of hairspray lasted all day which is very impressive as my hair is fairly thick so curls usually drop after an hour or two. 

I will have a post on my blog next month with a full review of the wand and a few hairstyles that you can create with this fantastic curling wand so stay tuned! 

What do you think of my final halloween look? Have you tried any products from Cloud Nine? 

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Halloween Makeup Look: Pop Art Zombie

Here's my third halloween look of the year and I had a lot of fun with this one as it is not is typical look - it's a mix between rotting zombie and pop art and I love how it turned out on the whole but there are things I'd like to change as I would have preferred the brows to be thinner. Here are the products I used for this look:

- Makeup Revolution Ultra Base Correct Palette

- Barry M White Creme Foundation

- Colorsport Rapid Lash Gro Eyeliner in Black

- Duwop Plumping Lip Styxx in Chop Styxx and Night Styxx

- Eye of Horus Goddess Liners in Black and Teal

- Rimmel Smoke 'n' Shine Liner in Blue Steel 

- Makeup Revolution Awesome Eyeshadow Collection Palette

- Makeup Revolution Viper Mascara

- Real Techniques Sculpting Brush

- Spectrum Eyeshadow Brushes
- Essence Fixing Powder

- L.A.B2 Brushes

1. I always prep my skin well before halloween looks as white foundation and bases can make my skin look really dry. I applied the green and lilac shades as a base all over the skin making sure to stipple as otherwise it will look streaky. 

2. I used a black pencil liner to map out the shape of the mouth, tear, brows, brain section and teeth. I then filled in the pink flesh/muscle parts of the mouth and the lips with the two Duwop lip crayons - I fill in the brows and brain with the same pencil. I filled in the tear with a blue pencil liner. 

3. I added various lip liners and shading to the brain section to make it looks more textured and 'realistic' in a pop art way. I added detail to the tear with the white foundation. I used the same white foundation to fill in the teeth with a tiny liner brush (don't worry if you go over onto the black outline as you can go over the black at the end). 

4. Now onto the eyes, I used Makeup Revolution shades to create a bright smokey eye with a bright teal shade across the inner third of the lid and a navy on the user two thirds in a winged shape. Finish with winged liquid liner and a black pencil on the upper/lower water line; then mascara and lashes if you want to add them. 

5. Finish by adding expression lines with a black pencil and or liquid liner. Then set the base with a small face brush and a white or transparent powder. 

Overall, I think this simple and easy look is so effective and quite unique! You don't have to use all of the products I did but if you don't have specific face paints or halloween makeup products then this is a great halloween look to create with products you already have in your collection - the Makeup Revolution corrector palette is amazing as face paint! Coloured contacts would be great for this look - check out my Cheshire Cat look to see some in action. Also check out my quick and easy sugar skull look!

What do you think of my pop art zombie look? What are your plans for halloween?

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First Halloween Look Of 2017 ft. Johnny Loves Rosie

Halloween is my favourite season, not just because of all the scary and creepy books, TV shows and films I can watch but because of the time of the year and makeup looks I get to create. Over the past couple of years I've created halloween looks on my blog and this year will be no different although I probably won't create quite as many this time around.

So far I've created a vampire witch, cheshire cat, mermaid, joker, skull, pop art, zombie, doll and corpse bride look so I wanted to create something a little different to those but still keep it easy to create and quick using widely available products.

This is my first halloween look of the year and I wanted to start with an easy but striking look featuring products from Johnny Loves Rosie. It was very easy to create this look as most of it is just my usual makeup routine with some halloween extras. Here's a list of the products that I used:

Too Faced Hangover Primer (review)
Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation (review)
Essence All About Matt Fixing Powder
Eye Of Horus Brow Pencil (review)
Eylure Brow Pencil (review)
TheBalm Schwing Liquid Liner
Glossier Stretch Concealer
NYX Taupe Blush
Crown Brushes Matte Lip Stain (review)
Ciate Wonderwand Mascara (review)
AHB Cosmetics Highlighter Palette (review)
Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette (review)

I also used the *Johnny Loves Rosie Skeleton Face Tattoo (£16) which I was kindly sent a couple of weeks ago - it's part of their halloween collection along with so many other great halloween accessories. The design came pre-laid out as to how you should use the stickers but I changed it up a bit and I'm really happy with the outcome!

Firstly, I started with my primer, foundation, concealer and powder as my base. I added more coverage than normal; I also used my new Glossier stretch concealer (which I'm really liking on my dry skin). Whenever I apply my makeup, I always use my contour products as my face would look like a beach ball without them and when halloween comes around, I can get away with a strong contour.

Next up, highlighter, powder and then the Johnny Loves Rosie skeleton face tattoo. Instead of using the red rhinestones around the eyes, I added most of them to my lips and as they were adhesive already, they didn't need glue. I cut up the mouth section and just added it to the sides of my mouth and I used the chin decoration too; the only items I didn't use were the eyebrow stickers.

After filling in my brows as I normally do, I applied the shades 'YDK', 'Chopper' and 'Foxy' to the lids and blended well as this is quite a neat look. I also added winged liner with TheBalms Schwing liquid liner which is so easy to use and applied my mascara.

I'm really happy with how it turned out, it was very easy to create and the stickers were easy to remove although for the stickers, not the rhinestones, I did have to glue them down with eyelash glue. I think it's a simple but striking halloween look that will go with so many costumes and you can just add the Johnny Loves Rosie skeleton face tattoo over the top of your work/school makeup.

Have you bought anything from Johnny Loves Rosie? What are you going as for halloween this year? Do you celebrate halloween? 

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Halloween Look: Space Girl ft. Vision Direct

For the past few years I have been creating Halloween looks every October and this year is no different, although I am going to be posting less than usual. I've already posted my first Halloween look of 2017 which was a very simple skull look featuring items from Johnny Loves Rosie. Today's post is all about how to create this simple but effective galaxy/space inspired Halloween make up look!

Today's post is in collaboration with Vision Direct who kindly sent me some coloured contact lenses to use for a couple of halloween looks, the second of which will be live next week! I have the *FreshLook Coloured Contact Lenses (£14.99 per box and there are two lenses per pack). I used the shade Amethyst which is a gorgeous purple shade but obviously you don't have to use the shades that I have used as there are 12 to choose from so any will be perfect for Halloween, depending on what look you’re trying to create.

They do look obvious close up but from a distance as they blend/enhance your natural eye colour, they don’t look incredibly visible, especially this purple shade. They are monthly lenses so they can be used for 30 consecutive days but then they have to be thrown away – they are just like my normal contact lenses. You can use them for cosmetic/fancy dress purposes or as prescription, every day lenses. They have a high water content which means that your eyes will stay hydrated and they will be comfortable for as long as you need to wear them but remember you can’t sleep with them in!

I have been wearing contact lenses for the past seven or eight years so they're very easy for me to put in and take out but if it's your first time using contact lenses then you will need time to practice. I don't find these any different to my regular contacts when putting them in, taking them out or the feel of them as they are comfortable and easy to use. I applied the lenses after creating the look but then I wore them all day and they were just as comfortable and clear as my regular contact lenses. Just a quick note, if you are going to be re-using these lenses then make sure you put them in a contact lens case filled with contact lens solution/saline solution – not water! Also don’t wash them in water, always saline solution!

Before we get into the step-by-step tutorial, let's list all of the products are used. Obviously you don’t need to use the exact products I used but anything similar will work fine - also use whatever shades you want!

Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Effect Foundation
Glossier Stretch Concealer
Essence Fixing Powder
TheBalm Schwing Liquid Liner
Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Zero
Eylure Brow Pencil in Dark Brown
Eye Of Horus Brow Pencil
Kiss Lash Couture Lashes (67750)
Ciate London Wonderwand Mascara in Black
Tweezerman Brow Mousse
Makeup Revolution House Of Glam Dolls Palette
Dolly Wink Eyelash Glue
Eye Of Horus Ancient Pewter Liquid Metals Liner
Makeup Revolution Lipstick in Make Me Magnificent
The Body Shop Shade Adjusting Drops - Lightening
AHB Cosmetics Highlighter Palette
Crown Brushes/Tweezerman Tweezers

The first few steps is the easiest part as I just created my base as I normally do with the amazing Bourjois foundation, the new Glossier concealer and the essence fixing powder. I also added a quick coat of the Ciate mascara and I did my brows as I do everyday. I didn't really know what I wanted to do with the eyes, so I just created a simple wing and applied the black pencil eyeliner to the waterline all around my eyes and connected it in the outer corner to the wing which I think tuned out well with the rest of the look as I think a smokey eye wouldn't have looked right.

For the next part it would be best to tie up your hair as we are going to apply the eyeshadows right up to the hairline and into it a little bit. I started with the darkest colours as I wanted them to be around the edges of the face and then for it to gradually become lighter towards the centre of the face. I used blacks and navy shades around the edges of the face and hairline to create depth and shadow. I then blended in slightly lighter shades of blue and purple closer to the centre of the face. I also added in some lighter blues pinks and purples around the blue shade so it didn't look so one-dimensional. I looked on Pinterest for inspiration photos.

When you have a well blended patchwork of shades that you're happy with for your galaxy, take whatever eyeliner you want and start to create dots aka stars over the top of the eyeshadow. As well as the eyeliner I also used The Body Shop shade adjusting drops in the lightning shade to add more brighter white stars to the look which really stood out so I’d definitely recommend using an opaque white foundation or white eyeliner for the stars.

For the lips I just used the same black eyeliner that are used on the waterline all over my lips; I then used the Makeup Revolution purple shimmery lipstick over the top which gave a glittery effect and complimented the shades already used on the rest of the face. Keeping the shimmery lipstick mostly to the centre of the lips gave it an almost ombre look. You could just use a black or purple lipstick for this rather than a combination of the two or an eyeliner.

We are onto the final few steps! I cut up some false lashes and applied a few of them to the middle and outer corners of my own lashes and applied some more mascara over the top. I then put in the amethyst contact lenses from Vision Direct which were so easy to put in, they were just like my normal contact lenses. I think they really add to the look and would be perfect for Halloween! If you're not comfortable with contact lenses then don't worry are these so easy to put in and take out but you will need to practice.

Here's a quick guide on how I put in my contact lenses - I wash my hands then place the contact lens on my middle finger so it looks like a little clear bowl and tilt my head down and place the contact lens on my eye - try not to blink. You really don’t need to pull your eye open to put contact lenses in! Whenever I see someone who doesn’t usually wear contact lenses (aka. halloween looks on Youtube) trying to put them in, they always make it seem so incredibly dramatic and painful but it isn’t at all if you do it correctly!

What do you think of this halloween look? Have you tried coloured contact lenses? 

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*Halloween Party Ideas

Images from Pinterest

Halloween is almost here! I used to go to so many Halloween parties as a child *and Halloween discos were a thing for me as I grew up in the 90's*. I was always a cat for some reason even though I don't really like cats but I did love Halloween discos and dressing up. In England, trick or treating isn't really a thing so watching Halloween films, going to friends Halloween parties and my school Halloween disco were our Halloween activities but as an adult I don't really do anything for Halloween. However, I want to throw a Halloween party this year, even though it's on a Monday, and Festive Lights have a great post full of ideas for an adult Halloween party! This is a collaborative post.

Costumes & Makeup

For the past couple of years I have been creating Halloween makeup looks for my blog which is one of my main Halloween activities around this time of the year and it's SO fun! You can't have a Halloween party without costumes and halloween makeup. I have quite a few ideas on my blog for makeup looks including the Cheshire Cat,  a mermaid, a sugar skull and much more - my most recent Halloween look was a vampire witch look! You could create a costume or makeup competition and whoever has the best or the creepiest makeup or costume would win a prize.

Snacks & Drinks 

Festive Lights and also Pinterest have amazing Halloween food, drink and snack ideas! Festive Lights have some fantastic cocktail ideas such as 'freak show lemonade', 'Witches Coven' and more all of which are inspired by the TV show American Horror Story (I really need to start watching it). I have one Halloween recipe on my food blog for Vegan Coconut and Chocolate Muffins with Vegan Jelly and I also have some more healthy Halloween food ideas on my blog too.

Decor 

Halloween decorations have to be some of the best homeware decorations ever, can you tell that I love Halloween? Wilkinsons and Amazon have some fantastic Halloween decorations at great prices. Also you could go down the DIY route and use the templates on the Festive Lights Halloween party PDF to create a creepy bat silhouette on a lamp shade which would be so easy to do but so effective.

Games & Music

We never did apple bobbing as children at school but you could make a more adult version using punch or cider instead of water. Pumpkin carving competitions, telling scary stories and drinking games would be perfect for a adult Halloween party. Halloween music is an essential; here are some of my Halloween music picks: Monster Mash by Bobby Pickett, Thriller by Michael Jackson, Time Warp from the Rocky Horror Picture Show film and Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr.

Films + TV Shows

Now for more of a hygge inspired Halloween party were it's more intimate with close friends and family. A Halloween TV/film night with candles and spooky snacks would be perfect for me, here are some of my recommendations: Beetlejuice (it's one of my favourite films!), Hocus Pocus, Sleepy Hollow (the Johnny Depp film version) and Pan's Labyrinth. My TV recommendations: The Strain, The Frankenstein Chronicles, The Living and the Dead, Sleepy Hollow and my favourite Halloweenesque TV show which is Penny Dreadful - it's quite distributing at times!

Definitely check out the Festive Lights Halloween Party PDF! 

What do you think of these ideas? What are you doing for Halloween this year? Any Halloween TV show recommendations?

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Halloween Looks: Sugar Skull

I created this look at the end of August, that's how excited I am for Halloween! I created series of halloween looks last year and it was SO fun and I love being able to be more creative and use products/shades that I wouldn't normally. This is the second halloween look I created which is a sugar skull inspired look with a difference, I hope you like this look!

- Barry M White Creme Foundation

- Colorsport Rapid Gro Black Liquid Liner

- Eye of Horus Teal Malachite Goddess Pencil

- Eye of Horus Smokey Black Goddess Pencil 

- Eye of Horus Dynasty Dual Brow Perfect 
- HD Brows Eye and Brow Palette in Vamp

- Too Faced Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette 

- Max Factor Smooth Effect Foundation in 40

- Glo and Ray Velvet Two Way Cake Powder in N00

- Benefit Roller Lash Mascara 

- Essence Fixing Powder

- Brushes from Spectrum and Fancy Witch (at Beauty Crowd)

First up, the base - I used my regular foundation and powder for the top half of my face and the white foundation (mixed with a tiny amount of grey/black eyeshadow) for the lower half of my face to create a half normal, half sugar skull look. I used the amazing Fancy Witch foundation brush to blend the white as it leaves a gorgeous soft focus finish and it blended the edges of the white foundation perfectly so there wasn't a harsh line. I set the white foundation with the Essence fixing powder so it wouldn't effect the colour of the white foundation. This white foundation isn't as pigmented as I would like, it can be very streaky and it does highlight all of my damn peach fuss so maybe face paint or another brand would be better.

Using a liquid liner, I created a 'cavity' on the nose, I filled in my lips (a black lipstick would work so much better) and I used the liquid liner to make a 'smile' extending from the sides of the lips up towards the ears - you can extend the line as far as you want. I also used the liquid liner to create a flower or leaf design on the chin and along the lines of the white foundation on my cheeks for an extra detail. I added dots and colourful accents to these areas with the Eye of Horus liner pencils which came in so handy for this look. 

I filled in my brows as usual with the amazing Eye of Horus pencil and gel as well as the HD Brows Palette in Vamp. I then created a more unusual black smokey eye with the new Too Faced semi sweet chocolate bar palette and created a winged out shape and blended more towards the outer corner of my eye rather than the rounded shape I usually go for. I lined my upper and lower waterline with the same Eye of Horus black pencil and applied mascara. 

That is the finished look, of course you don't have to use the exact products I did and you can switch up the colours to suit your costume. I love the way this halloween look turned out first time round and I can't wait to publish all of my other halloween makeup looks, so stay tuned!

What do you think of my halloween sugar skull inspired makeup look? Have you tried any of the products I've used?

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Halloween Tutorial: Lichtenstein

My second halloween look for 2014, I wanted to create a few less scary looks as not all halloween looks have to be very gory and spooky. This look is inspired by Lictenstein and comic book characters. I love this abstract, comic style halloween look but this makeup is a little time consuming and as it is so simple, there is no where to hide if you make a mistake. 

Products used:

Max Factor Luminizer Foundation (40 Light Ivory)

Barry M White Creme Foundation 

Avon Black Supershock Eyeliner 

Sephora Own Liquid Waterproof Liners (Black and Navy Blue)

Yves Rocher Moisturising Cream Lipstick (101 Framboise)

Benefit Gimme Brow (Medium/Deep)

Starting with the base, I used the Max Factor Luminizer Foundation again with my Real Techniques brushes that I LOVE. I lightly filled in the brows. Then I used the white foundation for the dots on my face, I used a large nail dotting tool to add the dots which was fairly time consuming - a white eyeliner would be better. Next the black pencil liner for the lines on the nose, lips, tears and around the edges of the face which really bring the look together. Then before I fill in the lips and tears I applied a small section of white on the same side of each for a bit of a cartoon effect. I used a red lipstick to fill in the lips being careful not to smudge the white section, do the same on the tear - the tear was easier as I used a bright blue liquid liner. I think this halloween makeup look works well with volumized hair or a big ponytail!

Don't forget to check out my first halloween look post for your chance to win a three month advert space on my blog! 

What do you think of my comic book/Lichtenstein makeup look? 

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