Halloween Horrors!

Happy Halloween Darlings! 

I think it's time to share with you some of the all hallows eve horrors that I have been loving this year. I wanted to truely pay homage to some of my favourite bloggers with this post as their work this year has not failed to inspire me. I also want to share some trends that I've seen going around his year coming up to Halloween that are, in my opinion, creative and really making Halloween as wacky as it ought to be.

My first shout out has to go to MissJen FABULOUS (Click, click, click!). Our Jen has been doing some fantastic nail tutorials with autumn from halloween candy inspires trick or treat, to blood stained vampire fangs. Personally though I can't wait to try out her spooky pumpkin nails! 

After seeing the lengths that many YouTubers were going to this season I couldn't help but have a scout around for my favourite Halloween make up and it doesn't get much better than these two offerings from Pixi2woo, A.K.A Tanya Burr, and dope2111. For me these are the all out real deal as far as crazy make up goes. Want to know how to create gruesome cuts, why not try out Tanya's Zombie tutorial. If you want something a little more pretty but horrific then I think dope2111's incredible Corpse Bride look is pretty inspiring.

 

 

 

  It's time to get creative in the home and if you're like me and pumpkin carving isn't exactly you're forte, then perhaps a change of tactic is in order. I recently discovered these 'lantern pumpkins'. They're as easy as drawing your lantern in permanent marker and cutting out the windows. Artistic talent needed is minimal and the only skill you need is cutting in a straight line. If we can master liquid eyeliner I think we can handle this. 

Last but not least, grab you scissors and glue lovelies. It's time for a bit of cutting and sticking. Simply lay a piece of cardboard inside the shirt so that you're only cutting the one side and snip away. If you're worried about mistakes just sketch out your design lightly with a pencil before hand.  

This next one can be as simple as you like. If you're a bit more domestically inclined then you can stitch your shapes, as shown on the green and black design to the left, to create a neat effect, or simply glue them for a more rugged look. Use the fabric you cut from your other T-shirt to mak eyes, a nose, whatever you like. Go wild and add that cute collar if you really feel like it :) 

 Happy Halloween Addicts. 

Trick or Treat!

I ♥ Fall Tag!

Hello Beauty Addicts!

As you can see in my Seven Shades of Autumn post I'm feeling very Autumnal and let's face it, it's been a while since I did a tag. A quick reminder that Fall is just Autumn in America although, quick fact, 'Fall' was originally English and taken over to America during the colonisation. As the English language evolved Fall became Autumn but was kept in it's original form in the US to keep American English 'pure'. Geek moment for you there.

Anyway, the 'I ♥ Fall Tag' has become almost an obligation for any beauty addict this year so therefore, here it is.


Okay, so here we go:

1. Favourite Fall lip product?

    My favourite fall lip product was a chance find in my local Sainsbury's in the sale. It's a typical autumn shade, a deep purple and smells like palma violets. Again this is another discontinued shade so I can only get it on Amazon now, which is a shame, but I love it. The Loreal Paris Color Riche in shade 712.


2. Favourite Fall Nail Polish?
    During fall I actually tend to rock some summer nail polishes. Some corals and mint greens all year round for me usually. However, I do love a good deep blue and Wet n Wild Wild Shine nail polish has that sheen that makes it look so deep and pool-like it's just beautiful. intense colour in one coat, especially with my favourite blue - shade Denim Chrome. 
   

3. Favourite Starbucks Fall Drink?
    My Starbucks coffee doesn't really change throughout the year, I'm actually more of a Costa girl anyway. Although, I am more likely to order an ice tea in summer I guess but my coffee of choice is always a Mocha whether I'm at Starbucks or not.


4. Favourite Fall Candle?

    Surprisingly my favourite fall candle is actually a summer scent. I brought it during the summer clear out and I talked about this in my Fallen of the Waggon post. It's the Yankee Candle Bahama Breeze scent. The smell of this candle makes me reminiscent of summer as it's so refreshing but always makes me pleased for the change in scenery. Even in the rain and mist I can come home and go back to my summer scents for a little while to recover.

5. Favourite Fall Scarf or Accessory?
    My scarf! Definitely, it's just a plain cream wool from Republic but I really really want a deep purple one from Monsoon :)


6. Haunted house, haunted hay ride, or haunted corn maze?

    Well here in England we only really have haunted houses and those are at theme parks, but I'm a pretty easy scare so I would say I'm not a massive fan of those either. The Blackpool Pleasure Beach  I think I'd like a hay ride if I'd ever been on one.

7. Favourite Halloween movie?

    I'm always up for a good scary movie on Halloween but I do prefer the classics. The original Halloween is good for me!


8. Favourite candy to eat on Halloween?

    Toffee Apples! Okay, so it's not something you get when trick or treating but it's the bit that I love about Halloween.


9. What are you dressing up as for Halloween?
    Whilst I'm not dressing up this year I got a bit creative last year and went as a walking version of the cult classic A Clockwork Orange. When I was little I was always a witch, however I think I was Death for a few years... 

10. What is your Favourite thing about Fall?
       Fallen leaves and bonfires. Can anyone say smores? 


 What are your Fall Favourites? I tag everyone.

Bye Addicts.

Banishing Blackheads

Hello beauty addicts!


Disclaimers: All opinions are my own, I have no agreements with any of the brands mentioned below.


So let's start with the science bit:

Blackheads, known medically as a 'open comedo' is a plug within the pores that can appear black on the surface of the skin. Contrary to popular belief blackheads are not caused by the build up of dirt but of oil buildup within the pores. Over time this excess oil oxidises which causes it to darken due to it's melanin content. Whilst a blackhead's content may be of a dark yellow or brown colour the substance reflects light in a way that causes then to appear black.

For these reasons all of that constant scrubbing we do only encourages the skin to produce more oil as it becomes aggravated. A good large grained scrub should be used no more that three times a week to clear away dead skin. I like any of the scrubs by St Ives.

So what can we do to 'fight' blackheads? I want to say that if you are a fan of nose strips etc then don't worry, you can still use them but be aware that they maybe pull away excess dirt, but they cannot get to the root cause of blackheads.

Every skin care routine for banishing blackheads should include, on a basic level that is, a cleanser, a small grained scrub, a toner, a moisturiser and a face mask.Think of it as a five step routine.





Cleansers: Cleansers can be bought as a cream wash or lotion however as oily to combination skin is more blackhead prone that's what I'll be working with. Cleansers are designed specifically to clear the skin of excess oil, make up, dirt and anything else that makes it's way onto our skin during to day. I use the Neutrogena Visibly Clear Oil-Free Cleansing Facewash to combat oil and leave my skin visibly clean.




Scrub: Micro bead scrubs are basically scrubs that have really small grains. Whilst you may not feel like they're really scrubbing the skin you have to remember that you're targeting the pores not the skin surface! Pores are small, therefore by logic, the grains need to be small too. The smaller grains also will encourage blood circulation without causing redness on the skin. Cream scrubs are great for balancing out the moisture loss due to the facewash used before and this combined with the gentleness of the micro beads won't encourage the skin to produce excess oil. For the beginning of the process I prefer to use compatible products, meaning products within the same range which are formulated to work together. It's not all a con when shampoo's tell you to follow up with their conditioner! For which reason I'm in love with the Neutrogena Visibly Clear Blackhead Eliminating Daily Scrub.

Toner: Now that the pores or are clean they need to be tightened so that moisturisers, make up and the like don't just go ahead and clog them up again. This step will also make the pores practically  invisible to the naked eye. Toner's are great for giving the skin a wake me up too but choosing a toner formulated for your skin type is important. For big blackhead sufferers anything with tea tree oil will soon clear up excess oils and bacteria that can turn blackheads into breakouts. I cannot stress how important it is to invest in toners regardless of price as they do really tend to be 'get what you pay for' products. For oily or combination skin I recommend the Lush Tea Tree Water. This spritz spray can be applied strait to the skin as a reviving mist or applied with a cotton bad for deep cleaning.


 Moisturiser: Moisturiser is a vital step in protecting your skin for the future. Personally I would always recommend a water based moisturiser as this will absorb into the skin better but it is, of course, personal choice. Any water based moisturiser will have 'aqua' within the first three ingredients on the list as ingredients are listed in order of the ratio within the product. I use Re-gen Cream which you can buy for just £3.99 at any Home Bargains store. This stuff is a facial miracle, containing active ingredients found in scarring lotions to aid skin regeneration. The cream is gentle and gets rid of those pesky spot scars faster that you can say... well, Re-gen!

Face Mask: The final step for an intense skin treatment should be done once a week. Face masks again are skin type specific. For dry skin a moisturising or exfoliating mask is in order. Oily skin will benefit from a peel mask or mud mask. Or, if you're combating blackhead, you could go for a mask that does all of those things. Now this is the only product that I will actively say go and buy as it's perfect for all skin types, affordable and doesn't half do the job. Miracle in a tub, the Soap & Glory Fab Pore Facial Peel. This product doesn't actually peel so I don't really get the name but either way, it's amazing.


So there you go, five steps to perfect skin.

Bye Addicts!

Thank you!

Hello Beauty Addicts!

As premature as this may sound I want to say an enormous thank you to everyone who's viewed so far, and all of your lovely support. Closing in on 200 view now! Shout outs go to our international viewers in South America, Alaska, Russia, France and Germany! 

Thank you!

Bye Addicts. xoxo

Kiss proof colour? The lip stains that did NOT rock my world.

 

 

Hola Amigos!

Now lip tints, stains, whatever you want to call them aren't exactly new but what little sunshine we have had over the last few summers has brought with it an influx of stains onto the market. Frankly, the Autumn and Winter seasons are all about lipstick for me. With the fruity, flirty attitudes of the summer months slowly dwindling I can't help but reflecting on the lip colours that just haven't brightened up my year.


My first and should have been final tint came from the ultimate vintage lovers supplier - Benefit. However, as far as I'm concerned the Benefit Benetint just ain't fooling me. This thinner than water product is an ultimate lip bleeder that offers uneven coverage and leaves you thinking 'I could have swore my lips were red five minutes ago...'

So when MaxFactor released their Lipfinity Pin Tint Pen I thought my prayers had been ended. I think it became pretty clear to most people that these pens haven't quite been tried and tested as the pens dry out very quickly. Also, what is this colour selection? According to MaxFactor's website the Lipfinity pens are available in ten shades but from experience I've only ever seen them available in four shades including a highly unwearable purple and a muddy pinkish-brown colour that I can't imagine a skin tone in the world that it would look good with.

Enter in Revlon's Just Bitten Lipstain and Balm. This full colour lip stain is none drying, durable and most importantly, staying put! Eat, drink, kiss as you will, this stuff will not budge. A bright summer collection of shades from fire engine reds to precious pinks, subtle nudes, you name it adds a splash of colour to any look. The innovation of this product was the nourishing lip balm that came as part of the package. I agree with all of it, the balm is great.... oh, wait... the balm is great if you can get it to stay on! We've all done, wound our lipstick up to far and felt that horrifying break, well with this that break is inevitable. Even so, without the balm, (which doesn't bother me too much as I'm picky about my balms to begin with) I think this product is well worth the money, even if you can only use half of it.

Finally Rimmel's One Thousand Kisses copy cat lip stain fixes the balm problem. No, it's not retractable but it hasn't broken on me yet, however it is very sticky and doesn't possess a single hydrating ingredient as far as I can determine from use and is therefore just as useless as the Revlon one. For me the actually pen tip offers all the problems of the former two: colour longevity and pigment is none existent and the tip dries out in seconds! No. No. No.

Now, of to swoon over this seasons must have lipsticks.

Bye!

Seven Shades of Autumn

Welcome to Autumn ;)

Hello Beauty Addicts, time to hunker down with some hot chocolate because Autumn has officially arrived :)

I'm starting to feel a bit festive and although the cold weather may be a killer there are some beautiful and inspiring colours around at this time of year. So here are my autumn makeup must haves... by shade... and some autumnal images to get guide you into the festive season :)

Pumpkin - Orange. 

We've all seen the advert and yes, we've also all skipped it on YouTube after the first go, but if you have any bag to brighten up you look this autumn make it a stunner by The Cambridge Satchel Company. Grab it here: Batchel Please!




Mulled Wine - Deep Red.

Autumn just wouldn't be autumn without a deep red lip. It's time to get vampy for the Halloween season and I don't think there's a better way of doing that than with the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Rich Raisin Frost.




Icicles - Transparent Shine.

So this may not be a shade, but a good clear can protect and hydrate you're lips whilst still allowing you to rock the dark smoky eyes for a frosty evening. The No.7 High Shine Lip Gloss in shade Ice is perfect for a winter wet look without that sticky gloss getting into windswept hair. (Whilst discontinued from No.7 relaunch products, Ice is still available from Amazon retailers, for a much cheaper price.)




Holly Bush - Green.

Go green with the L'oreal Paris Star Secrets Quad Pro in Evangeline Lilly. These shimmering beauties will add subtle colour to any look.





Cinnamon - Brown.

Nothing makes me feel more festive than a trip to my local Christmas shop which always smells so strongly of cinnamon and oranges. Who doesn't love a good warm brown eyeshadow to subtly smoke up any day time eye. You can get Urban Decay Eyeshadow Pots in Busted in the Naked2 palette or separately from Debenhams or House of Fraser.





 Wind bitten - Pink. 

The cold winds are rising! (Geek moment, over it) Pink lips and rosy cheeks are the key to covering up the cold, frostbitten face and getting that post snowball fight, wind bitten flush that only ever appears in the movies. Duel use products are always a big yes for the budget and the make up bag and this autumn I'm loving the Soap & Glory Cheekmate. It's a rosy cheek and lip tint that just keeps on giving, super staying power.

Snowman - White.

Last but not least a shimmery white eye can keep a winter look clean and icy plus it makes a good red lip pop. Bobbi Brown Metallic Long Wear Cream Shadow in Opal is the perfect mix of pigment and sparkle. This product is the most buildable and versatile cream shadow I've used and sits tight so a perfect winter eye.





And there we have it. Autumn has made it's entry and it's already time to go and grab the big scarfs and ditch those new sunnies.


Cheerio!

Five Brushes I Cannot Live Without

Hello Beauty Addicts!

  My brush obsession has taken me to a place over the years where I have now collected a mixed up collection of brushes from all over the place. One day a few years ago I decided to throw everything out and buy myself a 21 piece brushes wrap from the German company, Fraulein 3.8 . Since then I've thrown out any of the ones I don't use and replaced them with a few staple brushes that I couldn't believe were not included to begin with. After all that though, I have just five brushes that I cannot travel, live, or generally do without. So here they are, the staples of my collection:


1. This first brush frankly is the brush that if it's missing from your collection, I ask you, how do you keep your makeup on? It's the Faulein 3.8 Powder Brush (Third from the right.) The Fraulein brushes come in a variety of sets, I got these with the red bristles and they're surprisingly soft for the low price. Most importantly for me when talking about face makeup brushes is after the first wash these brushes are definitely minimal fall out and therefore an investment of under £15 pounds goes a very long way.

2.  These next two are both Fraulein's again - can you tell I'm a fan? The Fraulein 3.8 Blush Brush (Fourth from the right.) is the perfect domed shape brush to get the wind bitten blush and for any other powdering needs as it's basically a smaller version of the powder brush. 

3. My third staple as I said is another Fraulein but this time it's the Fraulein 3.8 Concealer Brush (First one.) Actually when I saw this brush I wasn't sure what it was. Personally I think it's too big for anything in the eyeshadow field and does indeed look like a mini foundation brush for which reason I've took to using this to blend my concealer and now I couldn't do it with my finders knowing that this brush gives flawless application.

 

4. Finally we move onto a different brand! I don't like heavy foundations as I'm not much for coverage, just an evening out of skin tone and for which reason I've been struggling to find a brush that gives even and light layers of foundation. The RealTechniques Stippling Brush when used in circular motions effectively eliminates pores as the duel-fiber brush really works foundation into the skin for a flawless skin feel coverage. 

 

5. My fifth and final brush is one of the best blending brushes I've ever used. The No.7 Blend and Contour Eyeshadow Brush is a few years old now just like my well worn one but it's still as soft and amazing as the day I bought it. This brush has stark white bristles and is therefore very easy to tell when it needs washing and I love the size. It's big enough for smudgy blends but small enough for accuracy if you've got awkward creases like me. 

So there you have it, my staple kit brushes that I need in my life. Care to share, what are your brush must haves? 

Bye addicts!

Hiatus Over!

Hello Beauty Addicts! 

Have you enjoyed my little hiatus? No, me niether... 

I just wanted to say hi, I'm back! do not be afeared (insert scottish accent here). 

So whilst I'm here, why don't I drop you a few cheeky links for some new posts:

Products I regret buying.

Opps, I've fallen of the waggon!

Booyah!

Bye addicts. xoxo

I've fallen of the waggon!

^^Click me!^^

Hello Beauty Addicts!

Remember this? Yeah, that's over.

 "So I know that there is a bit of a challenge going around about spending bans well I'm doing it! EEEEKKK!"

    I am there bearer of bad news. I have fallen of the mythical, magical, deeply satisfying saving band waggon. It is true, I know, I couldn't believe it myself. It started with a half price Yankee Candle (I the scent Bahama Breeze, I mean, what was a poor girl to do?) but it escalated to the replacement of a concealer and bang! before I knew what was happening, wages were in the bank and burning a serious hole in the hypothetical pocket.

   What can I say? I may not have completed this challenge but I certainly have learnt from it. Lesson number one: I simple do not have the will power to quell such an obsession as mine. Two: I should listen to my friends more often, especially the ones who thought I was crazy for doing this. 

    So that's it, failure. I'm going to go and lick my wounds now.

Bye Addicts.

Products I regret buying.

Hola Beauty Addicts! (You see what I did there, yup, cultural)

Buying a bad product, especially when it's expensive, hyped up, or whatever led you to believe it would be amazing to begin with can sting.Some of the products I'm going to share with you now that I look back are obvious 'what were you thinking?' moments, but alas, I did part with the money.