Friday 8 July 2016

Has contouring just been executed by the Queen?




By Queen, I mean Queen of contouring, Kim Kardashian West.

For those of you who may not know, contouring is used to sculpt the face, if done correctly, you are able to reshape your face entirely. Sharpen cheekbones, minimise the size of your forehead and nose, all using products that are a few shades darker than your skin tone to create a natural looking shadow. Clever huh? Team this with a bright, light catching highlighter to the high points of your face, such as bridge of your nose and cheeks bones and there you have a perfect, contoured face. Certainly a look the Kardashian clan have become famous for.

Contouring burst onto the scene thanks to various pictures of Mrs W covered in yellow highlight. Safe to say it's been ruler of the beauty trends ever since.... until now...

During an interview with makeup artist, Charlotte Tilbury, Kim confessed to easing up on the contouring and instead opting on mainly highlighting her face. Strobing, as it's been called, is a bit of a controversial trend. Die hard contouring fans claim it to be a fade and contouring will regain it's throne, were others are adoring this look! Honestly, I have't heard of such devision since the black/blue, white/gold dress debate... 

So, is strobing going to be the next big trend around? I'll admit it does take half the time to get ready and gives you the most beautiful, glowing look, perfect for the summer months. Unlike contouring, strobing calls for a collection of highlights and many have taken to layering powders over liquids to really make the look pop and dazzle.... sometimes potentially blinding the public, at least that's what I go for.

Hold your horses though, don't go throwing away your treasured contour palettes as Queen K still uses a light contour every now and then... let's face it, once you discover contouring, you can never go cold turkey completely. So why not give strobing a go, you may even love the look yourself, if not, well, you tried! Let me know what you think cake lovers xo 


Oh, and I always saw the dress as black and blue... 



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Is shaving my face, the best thing I've ever done?



Marilyn Monroe did it, Elizabeth Taylor did it, and the beauty god Huda Beauty even posted a video about it on her YouTube. Yep, face shaving has become the next big thing! 

Now, I am not suggesting you grab your razor and pinch the boyfriend's shaving foam... Instead, go online and get yourself a pack of eyebrow razors (I got mine here) For as little as 60p, you can change your skin forever. 

I'll admit it all sounds very dramatic, and a little odd. Face shaving hasn't really been on the top of my beauty regime. Let me explain what it is I actually mean...

Our faces are covered in tiny, fine hairs, sort of like the fuzz you find on a peach. Now, it absolutely fine to have these hairs of course, but if you are like me and find this fuzz gets in the way of your makeup looking 100% flawless then maybe this is the thing for you too. I have been on the quest to reduce this hair for a while now. I've tried waxing and threading, both of which made it feel as though I'd just been slapped round the chops! These treatments would also leave me with a awful bumpy, red rash, which usually hung around for a day or two. 
For someone of a Mediterranean background usually means one thing, hair, dark hair, and lots of it. I have tried to rid myself of my "wolverine" (as I've nicknamed them) sideburns but never got the results I had in mind. 

It wasn't until I saw the likes of CarliBel and Huda Beauty that I even considered shaving it all myself. When I first did my own little hair removal DIY, I was nervous, but loved with the results! I had managed to reshape my hairline, vanish those sideburns and was totally fuzz free! Amazing. 

This is how you do it. When you use the razor, be sure to use a light hand and hold it at an angle so it glides downwards over the skin, rather than dig in. It is very comfortable to use, you'll only feel a slight tingle of the hairs being shaved, compared to threading pain, it's bliss! 

When it comes to your hairline, lift your hair up and away revealing the baby hairs that grow underneath, with the skin pulled taut trim away any unwanted hair. Be careful not to go too crazy or it will result in your hair looking a bit like a wig. If you decide to do your eyebrows, I recommend only using the razor to neaten the tops of your brows and tweezing the bottoms. Now, as for the peach fuzz, you will be stunned to see how much of it comes away. For my Cypriot, hairy self it literally snowed peach fuzz! I was left feeling super smooth with a fresh, Kardashian-esque  hairline. 

Shaving away the peach fuzz is also a great exfoliate for the skin as the razor removes the build up of dead skin cells we have on our face. Don't panic if you find yourself breaking out slightly the following days after you've given this a go. I've found that after my initial breakout I've been clear ever since. My skin has never looked so healthy, with my skincare routine remaining the same, I am convinced it's because of shaving. 

I have been using the eyebrow razors for a few months now and am still so impressed with the results. My skin is still clear, my makeup applies perfectly and it hasn't grown back even more thick, which I'll admit, was my main concern. These fashionable pastel coloured, bargain beauties have given me the results I have been searching for, for many years. Now I can be fuzz free without the painful, expensive treatments. 



Just a little disclaimer, if you aren't feeling confident you can do any of this, then don't! Seek advice from a professional and watch a few Youtube videos until you are 100% certain you can achieve the results you want. I also would not advice using a normal razor, eyebrow razors are designed to use on the contours of your face in a safe and comfortable way. The unique blade also helps with exfoliation, were as a regular razor will result in your hair growing back a lot quicker, and thicker! Just remember, research is key! 

Have any of you tried face shaving? Let me know what you think xo 



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Huda Beauty Youtube Video
CarliBel Youtube Video 

Wednesday 6 July 2016

Is this the highlight we've been waiting for?




It was back when I was sixteen, I'd take myself off to Superdrug and spend a good few hours looking at everything Barry M had to offer. So many products and so many colours of nail varnish, a young teens dream. I grew and with that, my knowledge (and money) increased too. With this I forgot all about Barry M, until recently when I saw their new product popping up everywhere. Rave reviews of a new super highlight... The temptation was too much! With that, I dashed to grab myself both shades, Frosty Pink and Iced Bronze.

Both the shades look beautiful on, melt into the skin and give a natural, glow from within look. Lovely creamy consistency that lasts for the whole day and perfect for that wet, glossy look. I absolutely love the glow they give you with just a little bit of shimmer. 

Most of the time I find that cream highlights usually have huge lumps of glitter in them. Something I am not a fan of, luckily no sight of a lump anywhere! They have a similar feel as Benefit's Watt's Up but nowhere near as expensive. The whole product has a much more luxurious feel and look to it, once it is on the skin you would think it was a insanely expensive branded product. 

These little gems will become a staple in my makeup bag, and with such an amazing price of £4.49 I can't go wrong! I can see myself spending hours at the Barry M counter all over again....

Have any of you tried the new Barry M highlight? Or do you have another Barry M fave? I'd love to know in the comments below xo 


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nails Barry M Coconut Infused in Sunkissed

Monday 4 July 2016

Summer Bronze Favourites








There's nothing better than having that fresh off holiday look. With that in mind, I grabbed a few of my favourites I like to use during these Summer months. Once I get a bit of a tan I find that all these products really help give everything a little boost. One other thing I love to do is use Pinterest for inspiration on bronzed makeup looks. What are your little summery favourites, I'd love to know xo 

    


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Friday 1 July 2016

How to survive a flight with a baby








There's nothing like the thought of a long flight with a baby to really bring a dark cloud over your fast approaching holiday... Keeping a baby entertained, especially once they have found their feet and seem to be allergic to sitting still can be stressful and exhausting. Not to mention you are trapped on a plane with no fresh air and surrounded by people.

I recently went on a trip with my daughter. The little jet setter has been on a total of three flights over to Cyprus. The first being when she was a mere three months old, now that flight was glorious, she snoozed her way all the way there and all the way back, without so much as a whimper. The passenger in front of us actually gasped with surprise when she discovered she had travelled, unknowingly with a child behind her. Needless to say I left the flight calm and ready for some sunshine.


The second time Zara was around six months old. Now, those flights were pure hell! It was entirely my fault, for some reason I thought that she would have slept the whole way, just like before. Goodness no! She screamed the entire way, from being sleepy, to hungry, to bored, to having painful, popping ears... It just wouldn't stop. I vowed to be a lot more prepared for the next flight.


Now this most recent flight was such a success, I felt so proud of my little one, and of myself, I just had to share it with you all. So here are my tips on how to survive a flight with a baby! I now doubt will update it the older Z gets, so for now, consider this useful for the ages 6 months
onwards.

1. Get an extra seat on the plane

First off, if it is in your budget, I recommend getting yourself a seat for your child. Now some of you may think this is ridiculous, but for me, it was a god send. My daughter gets irrated if she gets the impression she is restricted to my lap. Instead, she loves to sit next to me playing quietly with her toys and occasional looking up to give me a smile. I also found that having an extra seat meant she was able to snooze whilst I could have some time to relax without being weighted down.

2. Get a cushion

By cushion, I mean one of those V shaped ones, a bit like this. I almost didn't take this with me, as the thought of adding to my carry ons felt like the wrong idea! Luckily, I grabbed it as we left the house. Thank the Lord I did. It not only made the flight super comfy for Zara to sleep on, but also during take off and landing for me whilst I had her on my lap.

3. Snacks

I am a huge fan of the Ella's Kitchen range. Organic with no nasty chemicals, and Z adores them! I obviously don't recommend stuffing treats into the poor things constantly throughout the flight. Whip one out when every other option isn't doing the trick, I took a selection of absolute favourites as well as some new ones to try. If your child is a little older and is able to eat whole fruit give that a go to. One Apple can keep Zara quiet for a good while, the chewing will help with any ear popping too if you don't use a dummy.

4. New toys

Now don't feel the need to spend a fortune. I managed to get a few bits in Wilko, such as a little  toy mobile. Cheap, cheerful and won't be a total disaster if you loose or break them. One other idea is to hide away some old favourites a few weeks prior to the holiday and reintroduce them on the flight. I decided to wrap the new goodies in tissue paper, anything extend the excitement and kill more time.

5. Dummy clips

My daughter loves to rip these off as soon as I pop them on her clothes. So instead, I attach it to
myself with a spare dummy. Each time there's a dummy emergency you are well equipped, don't forget to swap the dummies over to the clip.

6. Baby Sling

These are perfect for travelling with tiny tots. I am obsessed with the Solly Baby wrap, perfect for being hands free throughout the journey. I've found it was an added layer once it got chilly on the flight! 

7. I Pad

Don't get me wrong, I am not the biggest fan of sticking kids in front of a screen, but just a quick episode of one of their favourite shows is another weapon of killing time and keeping everyone happy! If you little one is a bit older, try downloading some fun, new games to try out too. 

There you have it, a few tips I found to work a treat! Hope they are of some use to some of you out there. Have you got any tips to share? I'd love to know in the comments below xo 




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