Last Minute Halloween Nails!

Here are some of my simple, easy and quick nail ideas for halloween! They are so simple, anyone can do them - I was inspired some the amazing nail art for halloween on Pinterest so if you want some more ideas or more advanced designs head over there (then you will probably become addicted to Pinterest, you're welcome). 

1. Frankenstein: I saw this design on Miss Budget Beauty's youtube channel and she used other polishes and products but I used Stiletto by Ciate and a black marker to draw on hair, eyes, a mono brow (sexy) and a mouth. Using a marker or nail art pen just makes everything so much easier!

2. Black & White Designs: Here is a few designs that can be done with a white/cream polish and a black marker or a black nail polish and cocktail stick. I used the Color Club polish in the shade Mod in Manhattan. I used one thick coat of this polish and while it is a great shade, I am not that keen on the formula. Here I drew a ghost (but it looks more like a face with a beard!), stitches, jack skeleton from the Nightmare Before Christmas and a bat in the night - yes it is a bit of an...unusual bat shape!

3. Eyes in the night: I love this one, it is probably my favourite and it is so simple. I use a black polish - Rimmel Black Cab and a white polish from a Revlon nail polish duo (miss perfect shade duo) to create little eyes. So simple and so cute in a halloweenish way. I added a matte topcoat at the end, love matte nails recently. I used the Asda George matte topcoat which is super cheap and it is good, although not very long lasting. 

4. Blood dripping: Another simple design, blood dripping down from the tips of the nails. I use a natural base colour - beige distinction from Bourjois and Red Hot Chili from Ciate and I just drew blood drips onto the nail. I think this design would be great for a vampire costume. 

5. Aztec Jack O Lantern: This is actually one of my designs for the Bourjois Facebook Nail Battle competition. It is a halloween/fall aztec nail design with Revlons Fall Mood as the base (love this shade) and again a black marker - I used a CD marker for these designs. 

6. Snow Queen: Great for a snow/ice queen costume. I love the contrast with the white polish and gold glitter, so cute and girly. The white polish is Mod in Manhattan from Color Club and the glitter gold polish/topcoat is from Topshop - I think it is called stardust. 

7. Little Monsters: This is one of my first designs, I think they are cute and really simple. I used the same green Ciate shade I mentioned before for the face/body and the red shade again by Ciate that I mentioned before for the mouth. Then I used a deep purple colour from Jessica for the hair. And Mod in Manhattan for the eyes. 

8. Toxic Spill: I took the same design I used for the blood/vampire nail and I just used the green Ciate polish to make a kind of zombie/toxic spill design. I love this design, it would be great for a zombie costume or a witch costume! 

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Review: Casio Silver Ladies Watch

I am signed up to the Etail PR blogger network and I applied for their campaign involving a store called The Watch Hut. The Watch Hut is the UK's largest watch website and they have have a few stores around the UK. I was sent the Casio Silver Ladies Watch to review, however even though I was sent this product to review, the photographs and opinions are honest and my own (see the PR sub heading for some more information). 

Before I received the watch I was a bit concerned about the size as my wrists are quite tiny but the watch itself is fairly small so it is perfect for me. The watch is a great size, I love the silver and burgundy colours - they look great and the watch goes with a lot of casual outfits. I have been wearing this watch mostly with skinny jeans, chunky jumpers and boots, for example, my nordic style H&M jumper and more recently a chunky black jumper that I bought in the Ark sale. It is a nice versatile watch in my opinion. 

The closure on the watch strap is easy to use, I had to get my dad to slide the closure further down the metal strap as it was too big on my small wrists but it was easy to alter using a small jewellers screwdriver. The watch set up was also easy and it has a timer and alarm on it too. The watch is also water resistant and it is lightweight and flexible so it is fairly comfortable to wear. However I do find the metal links that make up the watch strap can pull on the small hairs around the arm which isn't great - but overall, it is a nice watch that looks quite retro! It would make a great Christmas present. It is currently priced at £24.75 on The Watch Hut which I think is a great price as in my opinion it looks a lot more expensive. 

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Outfit and face of the evening: Wicked & Don Giovannis

Yesterday myself, my sister, mum and a couple of friends went to Don Giovannis on Oxford street in Manchester and then we went to Wicked the musical which is currently playing at the Manchester Palace Theatre. Here is a quick fote (face of the evening), oote (outfit of the evening) and a mini review of the restaurant and Wicked. Firstly here is my makeup and outfit of the evening!

Firstly, my makeup - I used my new favourite foundation, the Max Factor Smooth Effect foundation in the shade 40 Porcelain and I freakin' love it! I am definitely writing a review of this foundation soon. I then used another new buy, the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in the shade Ivory which I like but I don't think it is amazing. I applied the Nars Pro Prime then a couple of the nude shades from the S&G Whats Nude Quad. For eyeliner, I used the Clinique Brush on Liner in Black which I have had for years and it is just as good as the day I bought it. To set the liner, I use a black shade. I filled in my brows with the matte brown and black from the Sleek Oh So Special Palette. The mascara I used is the Bare Minerals Flawless Definition Waterproof. For lips I use the Kiko lip liner in the shade 404 and the Revlon Balm Stain in Honey over the top which gives a gorgeous peachy pink lip. 

For my outfit - tank top: Forever 21, Cardigan: H&M, Jacket: Promod, Jeans: Asos and Boots: Newlook. I also used the Bumble and Bumble thickening creme contour in my hair and I wore the gorgeous Molecule one perfume - I can still smell it! Oh and I had on my Kurt Geiger bella ring (I think it is called the bella ring but it is gunmetal and I love it!). I also used the babylis big hair to shape the ends of my hair.

We have never been to Don Giovannis before, it is an Italian restaurant and bar on Oxford street, Manchester. The decor from the outside is gorgeous, lit up with fairy lights and inside is just as nice. I had a mushroom risotto which was nice but we did have to hurry as we were running a bit late for Wicked. Overall, the restaurant was nice although it was very busy and a bit loud. 

Now, Wicked! The story line is about the good witch Glinda and and wicked witch of the west, Elphaba. It is about their friendship and how they became who they are in the Wizard of Oz. I loved the stage set up, the set was amazing. The singing, costumes and story was fantastic. In my opinion, there were a couple of boring bits but they didn't last long such as practically most scenes with the wonderful wizard of Oz in. Overall, it is a great story and definitely worth seeing - although I probably wouldn't take children to see it. 

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Easy Halloween Makeup: Skull

This is the third post in my halloween/fancy dress makeup series, I think there might be one or two more, if I have the time and the ideas! The other two looks were: Clowns and vampires - well the previous look could be adapted for a lot of outfits. The look today is a skull/sugar skull which is a mexican thing I think about the day of the dead.  As I have said before I am obviously not a makeup artist and these are just for fun. The makeup is also quite similar to jack skeleton from the nightmare before christmas film. 

Here is my skull/sugar skull inspired makeup, it is quite simple but you can add detail around the eyes if you want and with a costume it would look great I think. As with the other two looks I started this one with the trusty Barry M Foundation in the shade 'white' and I contoured my face with a matte black shadow as before from the Sleek Oh So Special Palette. I then added some black shadow to my brows to make them a bit thicker and longer. I also added matte browns and blacks around the eyes to add depth and shadow. 

I drew a small black scar on the cheek and I drew straight black lines down the lips and cheeks to form a smile - well the lines of a smile - a bit like the joker from batman. I made the smile/lines a different lengths and a bit crooked so it wasn't so perfect as halloween makeup shouldn't be. I use a small amount of the elf liquid liner in black before applying a matte black shadow over the top. You can add detailing around the eyes if you want like sugar skulls and you can make it quite colourful, although I love dark, monotone, macabre halloween makeup. Messy, shiny hair is also great, I used the Bumble and Bumble thickening creme contour which I love. 

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Astley Clarke London

Here is a quick blog post on behalf of the jewellery shop Atsley Clarke - I did not write this blog post and all of the images are from Astley Clarke. For more information about the Astley Clarke, click here. This post is not sponsored in any way.

Autumn / Winter Jewellery Trends 2013

It has gotten to that time of year again when we need to have a bit of a style revamp. The cold weather is upon us and we have to get our wardrobes winter ready. However, a lot of us are so concerned with buying our woollen jumpers and big thick coats that we forget about updating our jewellery box! Nonetheless, jewellery plays a key role in glamorising your outfits over the dull autumn / winter period. Thus, bearing this mind, let’s take a look at the key AW jewellery trends for the upcoming months…

Cuff bracelets

This is a striking trend which is set to make a massive impression over the months ahead. If you want to go for glamour and extravagance opt for two matching gold cuff bracelets – one on each wrist. This looks extremely lavish and can turn the dullest of outfits into a show stopping ensemble. Nevertheless, this is not the only way to emulate the fantastic cuff trend. The gothic approach is going to be extremely popular as well. Think of lots of black leather and PVC with the focus being on the adornment of an array of jewels. 

Chunky chains

This is a trend with a lot of attitude. A thick chain necklace or bracelet can add an edgy effect to any outfit. This is great for any urban chic ensemble. Long necklaces, short necklaces, one bracelet, several bracelets, even earrings; there are so many different ways you can rock this trend. Nevertheless, it is best to stick to one of the following colours; yellow gold, silver, rose gold and black. If you go for anything else you can run the risk of looking tacky, thus you need to be extremely careful. This is not a trend that tends to lend itself well to bright colours for example. 

Chandelier earrings

Chandelier earrings provide you with an excellent way of bringing the glamour, sophistication and luxury to autumn and winter. Have you got an important formal occasion to attend to yet want to dress to the weather at the same time? Not a problem. Why not opt for a fitted midi bodycon jumper dress and finish off the look with a pair of oversized lavish diamante chandelier earrings? This simple addition will completely transform your outfit. There are lots of fantastic chandelier earrings to choose from at Astley Clarke if you are looking for somewhere to start your search. 

Statement necklaces and chokers

Last but not least we have statement necklaces and chokers. This is a bold trend and one we have seen frequently on the runway as of late. The great thing about a statement necklace is that it can jazz up any outfit; from casual attire to formal wear. Popping to the shops? Team your jumper and jeans with a colourful necklace! Going to an important event? Team your sexy dress with a striking gold or silver chocker. The options are endless. This is a jewellery box must-have!

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Easy Halloween Makeup Looks x4

Here are four final Halloween makeup looks that are super easy to copy and alter to suit your style and costume to wrap up my Halloween makeup series, I hope you liked the series - it was so fun to make, I love experimenting with makeup and this was a great excuse! If you have recreated any of the looks from my series, leave your link in the comments below!

1. Patchwork Doll: This is really quite Tim Burton inspired (he is definitely my favourite director). I have been watching Corpse Bride and Nightmare Before Christmas over the past week and I decided to create a look inspired by those films but an easy version! Firstly, I didn't use white makeup I used my new favourite foundation - Max Factor Smooth Effect Foundation in the shade 45 Creamy Ivory. I then just took a matte black shadow from the Sleek oh so special palette and drew lines and crosses over the face and filled them in with different coloured shadows from the MUA Undressed palette and the Sleek palette. Filled in my brows with a matte black shadows and I applied a small amount of the Revlon Balm Stain in the shade Crush to the lips - and that is it, so easy!

2. Vampire Queen: This is my favourite makeup out of these four looks, love it! I used the Barry M Creme Foundation in White and I contoured my cheeks with a matte black eyeshadow and I used the same black shadow on my brows to thicken, darken and lengthen them. I applied the illamasqua cream pigment in the shade 'hollow' as a base - love this product it is great as an eyeshadow and or contouring. For the eyes, I use a couple of matte browns from Sleek and MUA palettes and applied them all over the lids and along the lower lash line. I just applied and blended until it looked smokey and a bit sultry. I use a black shadow along the upper/lower lashline and in the outer corner for more depth. I use a little of the sexy plump mascara by Yves Rocher on the upper lashes only. On the lips I have Yves Rocher Framboise. 

3. Undead Zombie: This look is really quite messy and it is supposed to be - I started with the Barry M white foundation, then I buffed in a small amount of the matte purple/brown/black shadows from the Sleek oh so special palette over the skin to make it look bruised and undead...I took the matte brown and purple over and around the eyes too to make them look sunken. I then applied some lip balm and wiped of the excess and applied ELF lipstick in the shade Fantasy. I the patted the matte purple and black shadows over the lips and smudged it. I also lightly filled in the brows and contoured. 

4. Evil Witch: This was a complete impulse, look I wasn't even going to make a witch look as it is so overdone but this look just happened while playing with makeup! A lot of Barry M white foundation, fairly heavy contouring with a matte black shadow and strong dark brows. I applied the same matte black from the sleek palette onto and around the eyes then I use a shimmery gold from the MUA undressed palette over the lids. I used a ELF liquid liner as a base for the eyes so the black shadow would be more intense. I took the gold under the eyes too and the black lines around the eyes are optional. For the lips, I use some lip balm again and I wiped off the excess - I applied some of the gold, tan and pinky shades from numerous palettes to the lips to create a gold/burnt orange shimmery lip - smudging is optional. 

I hope you liked the looks in this series! Happy almost Halloween x

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Easy Halloween Makeup: The clown

This is the first time I have ever done any kind of halloween clown makeup tutorial/idea and I did scare myself a little while taking these photographs but it was a lot of fun - I LOVE experimenting with makeup and this was a great excuse! 

No photograph effects, natural lighting

Well here are my attempts at a halloween clown makeup - I am not a makeup artist a fact that is obvious but this is just a bit of fun and I love makeup and the past couple of years I have loved halloween and the build up to it. 

The first look (far left) is a toned down makeup, I wanted to show the stages of how you can make a simple clown makeup more dramatic and dark/bruised. I started everything off with my Barry M Creme Foundation in the shade 'white' which has medium coverage and I makes my pale skin even paler. I used black and brown matte shades to contour my nose, cheekbones and jaw. I added some black and brown shadows over the lid and all around the eye for depth and shadow - I use the Sleek Oh So Special Palette and the MUA Undressed Palette. I filled in my brown with a black shadow and made then darker and a bit more thick and angled but in a kind of messy way. 

I drew black lines in a cross over the lids and quite far down for the traditional clown eye look, the pink scar is just a extra for another makeup but added extras like that can make the generic clown makeup look more unique and quirky. I use my Yves Rocher lipstick in the shade '101 framboise' on and around the lips - for a batman/joker look I extended the lipstick to the side of the face - like the jokers smile (aka. heath ledger). 

To darken the makeup I just added more browny shadows around the eyes, along with some dark pinks to make the skin look a bit bruised and worn - all shades from the Sleek Oh So Special Palette. Black liner is from Pixi. I added some black shadow to the lips again to make the lips look bruised and kind of dead in a way. I also added a circle of red lipstick on the nose for a more clown look as it was starting to look a bit zombie like. All shades were matte as I glittery clown or zombie wouldn't be right!

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It's the 90's tag!

I saw this tag a while ago on someones blog, I can't remember, oops and I looked like fun and as I am a 90's baby - I was born in 1992, I thought I would give it a go and run down nostalgia lane with my furby and fun snaps while eating some gorgeous BN biscuits!

1. Favourite Disney Film?

Probably the little mermaid, I was obsessed wit Ariel - she was my favourite character and when I went to Disneyland Paris at the age of around 6, I got an Ariel money box. I love the film and the songs. I also liked Anastasia (not a very well know Disney film but it is great). 

2. Favourite Music Artist?

The spice girls....I know, the shame! I loved the spice girls, I had a spice girls keyring on my bag for ballet! Geri was my favourite - again I had a thing for red hair! I also liked the backstreet boys and a lot of other cheesy crap like that! I played the songs on my Hit Clip - just google what a Hit Clip is!

3. Favourite Candy/Sweeties?

I don't know if you would class this as sweets but I loved Fab ice lollies - they were amazing and I need some now! The ice cream van used to come to our school at the end of the day and once a week we could have a ice lolly or ice cream on the walk home with everyone and one of my favourites was Fab. I also loved volcanoes (ice cream with sherbet on top and in the cone). Wonka candy was also amazing and popping candy chocolate bars!

4. Favourite Game (Board Game, School Game etc)

My favourites games to play in school was just things like red rover, hide and seek etc and my favourite board games...I didn't really have favourites at the time but I like twister and cludo. I liked playing with my tamagotchi pet although that always became a life and death struggle! 

5. Favourite McDonalds Happy Meal Toy?

I had a few Macdonalds toys as a child but Macdonalds was a treat and we didn't go that much. I don't remember the toys really but I did like them at the time. We had a dinosaur toy from the land that time forgot film, we loved them - oh and I am sure there were my little pony toys that I had. 

6. Favourite Book?

I LOVED the Horrible History books but that was probably a bit after the 90's or right at the end - they were amazing! And we had to read biff, chip and kipper books in school but I didn't like them.

7. Favourite Clothing Store?

Children in the 90's (ages 10 at the most) didn't have favourite clothing stores unlike now - we wore what our parents bought and I have some pretty cringing and embarrassing clothing moments thanks to my mum! Lets just say that harlequin print leggings, frilly socks, polkadot Minnie mouse sunglasses and a pink top do not look right together!

8. Favourite NickJnr Show?

If you were a true 90's child then Nick Jr wasn't even a channel in England at least - the only channels were BBC channels with childrens programs on such as blue peter and art attack and there was cartoon network and nickelodeon - no nick jr. Just did some research and the channel called nick jr only started in 2009!

9. What would you watch when you got home from school?

Myself and my younger sister always watched art attack without fail - we didn't watch blue peter really, it was very boring! I also loved Sabrina the teenage! And Round the twist, kenan and kel, the simpsons (obviously) and we watched a lot of disney movies - must have bored my parents so much! Sabrina was probably my favourite tv show in the late 90's, I bought the magazine that came out each week with some sabrina the teenage witch makeup - my first makeup buys and the start of the obsession! 

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Easy Halloween Makeup: just add fangs!

This is the second part of my makeup halloween series, the first was a scary joker makeup and this time it is a lot less scary with a kind of sexy vampire makeup. This makeup would be great for a range of outfits. You could add a couple of beauty marks and some lashes and it would be a great pin up look - with out the 'blood' though! 

Here is a quite generic look - it would make a great vampire look firstly, in my opinion - just add fangs! I started with my Barry M Creme Foundation in the shade 'white' which I never thought I would use for a halloween makeup look but here it is. I use my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush to blend - it looks a bit caky on the skin in real life so if you have dry skin like me then you will have to use a good exfoliator and moisturiser before use. 

I contoured my face with a black eyeshadow from the Sleek Oh So Special Palette. I then moved onto the eyes and I use the MUA Undressed palette (the first one) and I used the matte brown and applied/blended it all over and around the eyes as a base. I then used a shimmery brown all over the lid, and you can make it as strong or as subtle as you like - I took it quite lower under the eyes as I wanted to make them look a bit sunken and anaemic to an extent. I also used a nude pencil by rimmel along the lower waterline. I made my brows a bit more dramatic than normal with a black shadow. I am using the Yves Rocher lipstick in the shade '101 framboise' all over the lips, then I added a matte black everyshadow over the lips to make a black/deep burgundy lip colour - I then added quite a lot of the Giorgio Armani Lip Gloss in the shade 404 over the lips and at the corners of the mouth to look a bit like blood. 

To make this look more dramatic you could add lashes, liner, beauty marks and of course fangs and fake blood! It is a great generic look that can be adapted to many outfits - such as pinup/retro, vampire, dolls, fairy/nymph and so on.

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Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Through out the month of October it is breast cancer awareness month and there are events around the country and also limited edition beauty products online from numerous brands which donate some or all of their profits from those products to breast cancer charities - some of the products are shown below, from brands such as Elemis, Clinique, Bobbi Brown and more. For information on breast cancer care, events, products and ways to donate, click here. The Breast Cancer Care website also has a shop, click here to see more. 

Breast cancer is quite a personal topic for me as my great grand mother died of breast cancer, my mums friend has just gone through breast cancer treatment and my cousins wife is currently going through treatment so it is a personal topic/cause for me so I am more than happy to promote breast cancer awareness and some of the beauty products created to fund breast cancer research. 

Breast cancer support products: Elemis think pink heroes kit (£36.50), Bobbi Brown French Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Collection (£35), Nails Inc Pinky Pink Polish - as seen on Beyonce (£11), OPI Pink of Hearts 2013 (£10), Origins Pink Ribbon Lip Balm (£16) and more!

There is advise and tips on the Breast Cancer Care website on how to look for changes, what changes could occur including diagrams and easy to follow information. You can donate on the website, read stories, get advise, get a press pack and the website also has a lot of useful information on services and events. 

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Mini Primark Haul

I went to primark at the weekend (Bury, The Rock) and I bought a few basics and some home ware - I love Primark's autumn/winter clothing and homeware, I need to go back to primark soon for a couple more candles and a tartan scarf!

1. Dark Green Jumper (£7): I saw a stand of jumpers and this shade just stood out to me - I love dark green clothing, especially during this time of the year and this jumper is super soft and cosy - it is fairly thin but still warm and quite high quality! I am definitely going back to get a black one and the dark beige one.

2. Primark Black 60d tights (£3): Primark tights are getting a little bit more expensive, I remember not too long ago when tights were £1.50 and £2 anyway, they are great staples and go with most dresses. The super cosy ones are gorgeous too - they have a fleece/soft lining. 

3. Black Skater Dress (£5): A skater dress for £5! Thank you Primark! I saw a couple of these in spotted prints and some that were plain, I bought the black one as 99% of the time I wear dark clothing and this dress is fantastic. The length is great on me and I am just under 5ft but the dress did have a tiny rip in the shoulder which I am going to sew - check before you buy these dresses. 

4. Grey Christmas Pj Bottoms (£5): There is nothing nicer, especially at this time of year when the leaves are falling off the trees, the dark hours are getting longer and it is getting chilly, than a pair of fleecy, warm, cosy pyjama trousers/bottoms/pants - what ever you want to call them! These are super soft, warm and I love the pattern. 

5. Sleep in rollers (£2): I read a blog post about £1 sleep in roller in the poundshop or poundland and I was going to get them but I saw these in primark so I picked them up. They are kind of dupes for the sleep in rollers that are about £20 - I haven't tried them yet but they look great. 

6. Primark Grey/Black Camis (£2.50): Another great basic from primark - cami's. I bought a dark grey one and also a black one - they are staples in my wardrobe as they are great under sheer tops, for layering or for under dresses. I also love the adjustable straps. 

7. Firewood fig candle (£1.50): I had to buy a primark Christmas/autumn candle - I bought the firewood fig scent and I have been burning it the past couple of days and I love it - the scent is really nice and autumnal and the scent is pretty strong too, usually cheap candles only have really subtle scent but this one is really impressive! 

I also bought a tin candle (£1.50) in the scent 'cinnamon clove' which has a cute glittery snowflake on the candle and it smells amazing! I bought a cute 'keep calm man at work' oven mitt for my dad which was reduced to £1 and I also bought a couple of basic t-shirt bras in white and nude for only....£2.50! 

Just a video to show the items I bought from my recent trip to primark! x

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easy halloween Makeup: The Joker

Here is the first of my halloween/fancy dress makeup look series and this first look is my female version of the joker from Batman - I love the batman films and cartoon, even as a child! I did show a preview photo of this makeup on my instagram (heathernixon4) and Twitter (ofbeautyand). I love makeup and this series was so fun to make but I am not a makeup artist obviously. 

This makeup is inspired by the joker from batman but it has a kind of frankensteins monster vibe too with the 'stiches' around the mouth - out of the makeup looks I have done for this halloween series, this is definitely my favourite - I love the smokey eyes, very strong brows and cartoon like lips. 

Firstly, I started with the Barry M Creme Foundation in 'white'. I layered it up a bit more with this look to make my skin look even whiter and a bit more perfect as a base to contrast with the dark makeup. I then filled in my brows with a matte black shadow from the Sleek Oh So Special Palette and I did fill them in quite a lot here and I thickened them and made the arch more promanent. Then onto the eyes, take a matte black and matte brown and just apply, blend, apply, blend, apply and so on until you get the colour intensity and smokiness you want. It is so easy, just blend well. I took  a matte brown quite far under my eyes. To finish the eyes, some black liner from Pixi.  

Now the fun part, the lips. I messily apply a red lipstick (101 framboise by Yves Rocher) then I smudged it at the edges onto the skin with my fingers as the joker always has messy bloody lips/makeup in the dark knight films - If I remember correctly, the cartoon joker and the older films have quite perfect red comical lips. Then I started just lining my lips lightly with a matte black eyeshadow and my Ecotools eyeshadows brush then extending the line outwards at the corners of the lips to make a smile of sorts. Then with the same matte black shadows make small crosses along the line, like stiches or barbed wire which give a new twist on the joker/batman look. To create a slightly bruised/purple lip, I patted some of the excess black eyeshadow on top of the red lipstick focusing at the edges and sides of the mouth. 

To finish the look I use the excess black shadow on the same eyeshadow brush in the hollows of my cheeks to create a contour and I blended it out well with the real techniques expert face brush which is the brush I used for the white foundation. I also use the Elf 'cool' bronzer which has a white shade in it to set the makeup. 

I hope you like this look! Stay tuned over the next week or two for the other halloween makeup looks in this series x

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week in photographs #40/41

Yet another two weeks has gone by and it is time for my week in photographs post - my fortnightly life update. The main things that happened over the past two weeks: Shopping (surprise, surprise), dying my hair, autumn has arrived, halloween makeup and nails, writing blog posts/reviews, writing my CV, blog milestones, facetime with my sister, being a bit ill still and eczema flare ups! 

Firstly, shopping! There have been quite a few new releases recently from makeup brands such as the new Vaseline limited edition lip balm which I love! Revlon have also released their chalkboard nails which I am interested to try out and their have been a few exciting makeup releases that I am super excited about - the Chanel winter collection (I am getting that gorgeous palette) and I saw that Hourglass are bringing out a ambient lighting powder trio set - I haven't tried any of those infamous powders but the set would be a great way to try them out - I need! 

Also this week, I dyed my hair as you will have seen in my Autumn lookbook post, click here to see the post. I used the Schwarzkopf colour mask dye in dark brown and I love the colour but I don't think I would buy this dye again which is a shame because I love the other Schwarzkopf dyes I have used in the past. As it is getting closer to halloween I have been experimenting with some halloween makeup looks such as clowns, dolls, vampires, and the joker from batman which is the look above - it has been so so fun, I love experimenting with makeup and I hope you like the halloween makeup series I will be posting over the next two weeks! 

Favourite TV shows: 2 Broke Girls - I cannot express how much I love this series, I have series 1 on dvd from amazon, love it!I have also been loving the BBC series Peaky Blinders. 

Favourite skincare items: Ren hydracalm cleanser (a recent repurchase and I am so glad I have it again), the Organic Surge super intensive moisturiser and the Avene water spray. I have had a horrible eczema flare up the past week or so and these products have been helping.

Favourite makeup items: Vaseline paint the town lip balm (a gorgeous shade!), Dr Jart Platinum BB cream and the Sleek oh so special palette.

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Back to School Beauty Picks

Here are my back to school, university, work beauty products that I love and they are also purse friendly too! From makeup and skincare, here are handbag essentials that I love!

All images from Google

1. Soap & Glory Lid Stuff Quad, whats nude (£10): I have been using this quad since maybe November last year and I have loved it since I first used it! The pink shade (top right) is my favourite as it is great as a skin tone base and all but one of the shades are matte so they would be great for a natural, school day look. The shades do not crease at all with a primer and without a primer they do not crease easily - which is impressive because pretty much every thing creases on me.

2. ELF (eyes, lips, face) Bronzer, Cool (£3.75): For contouring, pale skins can struggle because bronzers and contouring products can look muddy or orange on pale skin tones but this bronzer quad is fantastic. All of bronzer shades are matte, they do not look muddy or orange on my skin and the white shade is great for sharpening up the contour. 

3. Simple Rich Moisturiser (£3.89): This facial moisturiser is just a staple product for me, it is hydrating (although because I have super dry skin I need a couple of layers) and it is really cheap too. It is a basic but effective moisturiser that I cannot rave about enough!

4. ELF Tone Correcting Concealer(£1.50): Another great product from ELF (eyes, lips, face) and it is their tone correcting concealer. This is the first concealer that I have used that is dewy and that does not crease - I love it! Also it is so so cheap, whats not to love. Although it doesn't offer than much coverage but it is great for under the eyes and to cover pores/slight redness. 

5. MUA Clear Mascara (£1): I have used this product as a clear mascara and it is good but it doesn't hold a curl that well. It is also good as a brow gel and I have been using it to tame flyaways - I just lightly brush through the wispy hair that doesn't behave when my hair is tied up. Overall, it is average but it has a lot of uses and it is very cheap. 

6. Maybelline Baby Lips 'Cherry me' (£2.99): These little tinted lip balms have been the talk of the beauty community for ages! I have the cherry and pink shades, I hate the pink one because it is too much of a light baby pink for me but the cherry one is really nice. Also they are handy, cheap and give a slight wash of colour, perfect for school/college/work. 

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Autumn Lookbook #1

I haven't really created a post like this before, it is a lookbook style post where I show you the outfits that I will be wearing through out autumn. My makeup for all of these outfits is the same - Dr Jart Platinum BB cream which I love, S&G whats nude eyeshadow quad, new Vaseline paint the town lip balm and I have the amazing Bumble and Bumble thickening creme contour in my hair. 

Outfit One: I have shown before on my blog but I just love it! The jumper is from Monki (I shop that I LOVE) and it is a gorgeous chunky and quite heavy sweater. The sweater goes really well with my Dorothy Perkins petite skinny jeans and La Redoute brown leather boots.

Outfit two: My forever 21 striped knitted dress - I love the style of this dress, I think it is really cute and great as a transitional dress - as it is knitted and kind of warm but it is not too much. I have added a pair of the Primark 60d tights and my Newlook tan ankle boots.

Outfit Three: Black top from H&M, my coat is from Newlook and I love it, especially the colour but it is a UK 6 so it is a bit tight (I bought it in the sale last year for about £6). Again I have my trusty Dorothy Perkins petite skinny jeans and another pair of La Redoute boots - this time they are calf boots, they are black and really good quality.

Outfit Four: A bit more casual outfit, my cami is from Primark (I bought it yesterday for £2.50) and my cardigan is from Zara and I love it so much, it is really cute and soft. My jeans are from Dorothy Perkins (surprise, surprise) and my boots are from La Redoute.

Just a little video featuring some of the outfits above 

Oh and don't forget to enter my blog giveaway (ciate nail polishes and topshop makeup) - it ends very soon! x

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Dixi Jewellery Wish List

I was looking through blogs I came across a post about Dixi - a jewellery/accessory shop and I immediately fell in love with their rings and necklaces! This is not a sponsored post and if you want more information about Dixi, click here. I can't remember the blog where I saw this post but they had a code for free delivery if you spend £20 - code: BLOGGERDISC. 

All images from shopdixi.com

1. Azura Silver Crystal Bullet Necklace £26.00: I saw this necklace and the first thing that struck me was the colour of the stone - how freakin gorgeous is that colour and against the silver, love it! The necklace would look great with a white dress or a plain top and skinny jeans. 

2. Spirit Child Necklace Rose Gold £20.00 - £22.00: The price difference for this necklace is due to the chain metal/finishes. I think the rose gold or gunmetal chain would look amazing. The necklace looks really chic and simple and it would be great with so many outfits. I think all f these stone necklaces would be great for autumn and winter. 

3. Ghost Smokey Quartz Necklace £18.00: As with the first necklace the colour of the stone in this item is just gorgeous - I tend not to wear a lot of colour at all so this is perfect - it looks so chic, simple and quite interesting too. The necklaces (the stone necklaces) all look so simple but amazing - it reminds me of that simple but gorgeous Scandinavian style I saw when I went on holiday this august!

4. Protector Arrow Head Necklace £20.00: Surprise, surprise, another necklace. I love the arrow head shape of the stone on this piece it looks quite old, rustic and it has a real heritage look to it. I also love the way the stone is held on the chain, it is really unique. 

5. Apogee Ring Silver £26.00: A ring this time, I love the design of this ring it is really gorgeous. The thin silver against the gunmetal jet glass stone is so pretty and different. Simple jewellery is gorgeous and in my opinion it is quite hard to find chic, simple but gorgeous pieces. 

6. Feeling Fine Stacking Ring Set £1.00: 

Here is an item from the summer sale - their sale is amazing - a lot of items are £1 or £2 which is fantastic! These cute gold thin rings are only £1! They look so dainty and cute and for that price you cannot complain. They have a few gorgeous cheap rings/necklaces in their sale. 

7. I Love You To The Moon & Back Ring £16.00: Another ring, these are not in the sale. They are cute metal rings with 'I love you to the moon and back' written around them which I think is so cute and it is a nice saying too. They would be great as a present and they would look nice stacked together. 

Just a little note - I am selling a full size Glamglow face mask (50g, new) on ebay now 

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