MAKE ME UP! KAT: TALL WITH FAIR SKIN

The first instalment of my collaboration series with Sunna from 'The New Noir' is finally here! After a gruelling day of outfit changes and makeup application, we can reveal our first model (victim). Meet Kat, an Oriental Studies graduate from London. She is tall with a fair skin tone.

Style-wise, Sunna expertly put together some outfits from Kat's wardrobe which suited her height (my 5ft1 self isn't jealous at all...). We may have made her bedroom look like the aftermath of a particularly vicious day at Primark (hands up if you've ever been to Primark after 4.30pm, looked at the mountains of disordered clothing, and turned straight back around again with a "nope"), but I think you'll agree that Kat looks absolutely stunning in Sunna's style choices! If you'd like to have a look at the final outfits, please head on over to Sunna's blog post.

Now, onto the beauty! Since Kat has just returned from a few months in Beijing, where she left all her makeup, it actually gave us the perfect excuse to go and buy a basic makeup kit. As Kat is a self-confessed beauty beginner, I tried to go for products I knew were both high quality and relatively cheap in price (basically I bought her a lot of the items I own myself). The total value of this kit came to around £50, which may not sound that cheap, but, believe me, it is crazily hard to produce an all-round, practical makeup bag for much less. It does make me seriously worry about the amount of money I've "invested" in my makeup kit over the years. Never try and work out how much cash you've accumulated in Boots and Superdrug points, ladies.

The Products

The items we settled on, and those essentials which I think would work well for a beginner with fair skin, are:

Rimmel Match Perfection foundation in 101 Classic Ivory- especially great for fair skin because the shade range is slightly broader than other drugstore foundations.

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in 001 Transparent- A great all-round powder. I used it to reduce shine as well as set the concealer where it has a tendency to crease (under the eyes, especially).

Rimmel Lip Crayon in 120 All You Need Is Pink- Brilliant alternative to a bright lipstick because it is much easier to apply and you can build up the coverage from fairly sheer to full-on glamour.

Maybelline The Falsies mascara in Black Drama- One of those mascaras that every beauty blogger knows and swears by. It's also cheap, which is a real find because highstreet mascaras are usually quite expensive.

Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner in 01 Black- Just as good as any top-range gel liner and you get a brush included!

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair 1- I won't bore you with more praise for this product. If you'd like to see a full review, have a look at this post.

MUA Eyeshadow Palette in Undressed- A £4 dupe for the Urban Decay naked palette with all the neutrals you could possible desire. Especially good for Kat's blue eyes with the pink/gold undertone shades. If you'd like to see a full review of this product, click here, or, alternatively, if you'd like to see what sort of other look you can create with it, check out this tutorial.

Sleek Face Form Kit in Fair- Especially good value for money because you get a great contour, highlight, and blush. The contour is light enough to look subtle and natural on fair skin (as you can probably assume from the colour name; way to state the obvious, Lydia).

Ecotools Bamboo 6 Piece Brush Set- The first brush set I ever owned was actually from Ecotools. I honestly believe that, as an introduction to the (pretty intimidating) world of brushes, you can't get much better for about £16. That's only just over £3 a brush (wow, accurate mental maths and its not even lunchtime yet) and you get a free case included. If you'd like to read some more about Ecotools brushes and see what my first ever set looked like, then here's a post for you.

Eyelash curler (Kat's own)

Flowers (courtesy of Kat's mum)

The Look

A cheeky before for you.

And the after. 

Here's a stock looking-down-so-you-can-see-the-shadow photo.

The look I settled on (or rather the look I ended up with after getting too carried away) is this smokey eye and bold lip combo. I always think a slightly smokey eye is a great going-out idea for beginners because it involves more smudging and less precision. I used the taupey-brown shade (bottom row, third from the right) all over the lid, lined the upper lashline roughly with the gel liner and smudged this in with a bit more of the taupe shade. I ran what was left on the brush of the shadow and gel liner through the crease to add a little extra definition and blended the liner up to meet it. Then, I smudged some more gel liner and the same shadow into the bottom lashline. For a highlight, I used the lightest shade sparingly in the inner corner and on the brow bone. 

I know, I know, a bright lip can wash out pale skin even more, but, I think if it is applied properly and if you don't mind celebrating the fact that your skin might well be so pale that you glow in flash photos (speaking from experience, here) then it can help to create a really stand-out look. Kat likes to wear a red lip, but I thought a pink would be perfect for the spring and summer months. It's also a great way to modernise a really classic look. Plus, I've been loving a bright pink lip at the moment, so I'm a bit biased really. Keep the skin simple with a subtle contour and blush.

5 Tips for Beginners (with a fair skin spin)

1. Ask questions! If you're completely bewildered by the thought of facing those makeup counters, then chat with friends about their favourite products/what they use. Or, if you're going for some high-end makeup ask one of the assistants at the counter. They're there to help. If you have pale skin, it is especially important to get advice about foundation. Certain foundations will look too dark or (god forbid) orange on your skin. 
2. A smudged gel liner or eyeliner pencil is a great introduction to lining your upper lashline. It's more subtle and definitely more foolproof. 
3. Contour should be applied under the cheekbone, on the sides of the forehead, and on the jawline. For the cheekbone contour (which, I admit, is slightly tricky), suck in your cheeks and apply lightly to the hollows you create, or, start at the same height as the middle of your ear and sweep down towards the corner of your lip. 
4. A bright lip is a great way to switch from day to evening. Swipe a lip crayon all over your pout for instant glamour. 
5. Blend any foundation or bronzer down the neck too. Nobody wants to be left with a face three shades darker than the rest of their body (plus, always count Mississippilessly in tanning situations to avoid similar embarrassment- pat yourself on the back smugly if you understand this reference). 

I think Kat looks gorgeous and I hope you all agree! Obviously, this look is more suited for an evening. Please, if you are a beginner, don't start aimlessly wandering the streets with full-on bold eyes and lips. If you'd like a more natural look for pale skin, then please check out my recent spring makeup look. I really enjoyed the challenge of applying makeup to someone else and hope you've found this interesting and useful. Check back in a couple of weeks for a new Make Me Up! I'll start sharpening my eyeliner pencils for the next "participant". 

A GIRL AND HER MAKEUP BAG #3

Today, I delve into the makeup bag of Chloe, a 22 year old medical student from London.

Do you wear makeup on a day-to-day basis?
Yes but not very much.

At what age did you start wearing makeup properly?
I think I was around 17/18 when I started wearing makeup.

How long does it take you to apply your makeup?
My everyday makeup takes me about 5-10mins to complete. If I'm going out, I'd say it takes me no more than 20.

Where is your makeup bag from?
I have more than one makeup bag! They're from Paperchase, Clinique and Clarins.

What product could you not live without?
I couldn't live without my eyebrow pencil. I think that eyebrows are the most important part of a look because they frame your whole face. Mine are very sparse so I'll fill them in to give them more shape and structure.

What is your go-to makeup look?
To be honest, I just try and look presentable! I'm usually pretty conservative with my makeup application. The less I can get away with, the better.

What products did you use to create the makeup look you are wearing now?
Rimmel eyebrows, Clinique primer, Naked Palette, black eyeliner, Estee Lauder liquid eyeliner, Benefit Sugarbomb blusher, MAC Creme Sheen Fanfare lipstick, Clinique mascara and Lancome powder.

Are there any products in your makeup bag you are disappointed with?
Not really but I did have to repurchase the Rimmel eyebrow pencil because the first one I tried wasn't a great match.

Do you prefer your makeup bag to be full of new products or tried and tested ones?
My makeup bag is usually full of new makeup products because I tend to get a lot of it from my sister. I've only really repurchased the Lancome powder.

Which celebrity has your favourite makeup style?
(After much deliberation and Pinterest stalking) Natalie Portman (in the Dior adverts).

1. Lancome blush, 2. Benefit 'Sugarbomb' blush, 3. Stila blush, 4. Vaseline 'Rosy Lips', 5. Clinique mascara, 6. Shu Uemura false lashes, 7. MAC lipsticks in 'Fanfare' and 'Plumful', 8. Lancome powder, 9. nail buffer, 10. Clinique eye primer, 11. Rimmel eyebrow pencil in 'black brown', 12. eyeliner pencil, 13. Estee Lauder liquid eyeliner, 14. Ecotools angled brush, 15. Vaseline lip balm.

SPOTLIGHT PRODUCT: A MODERN TAKE ON 'VINTAGE ROMANCE'

This is the third look in my tutorial series on Sleek's 'Vintage Romance' Palette. For a full review and information on the product itself, please see my original post, here.

I have to say, I did set out with a Valentine's day look in mind when I began to create this makeup tutorial. The end result, however, is slightly more dramatic than I had originally intended. The moral of this story: don't listen to Deadmau5 whilst you're trying to embrace your inner-romantic. Sometimes, though, spontaneity gives you the best possible results. So, if you're attending a party this Valentine's Day, or you just prefer to be considerably more extrovert with your makeup choices, this look may be exactly what you're looking for.

And here's a before and after for you:

Anyway, on with the tutorial!

Top row (from left): step 1, step 2; bottom row (from left): step 3, step 4

Step 1: Prime your eyelid with a base. I used my Collection 'Perfection Concealer'. I then decided to go all out with the sparkle and added an extra base of my Topshop 'Glow' highlight all over the lid.

Step 2: Pack 'Meet in Madrid' onto the eyelid using a shader brush. We want the gold to remain as intense as possible so try and keep it very vivid.

Step 3: Blend 'Marry in Monte Carlo' into your crease using your favourite blending brush (yes, this is a rather sparkly shadow to be putting in your crease, but what's Valentine's Day without a bit of unnecessary glitter?)

Step 4: Using a gel eyeliner, draw a line along the upper lashes and add a cat flick that comes out to the crease. My favourite gel eyeliner is the Maybelline 'Eyestudio' which is very good quality for such a value product. You get a brush included as well!

Top row (from left): step 5, step 6; bottom row (from left): step 7, step 8

Step 5: Apologies, this isn't actually a step. I just wanted to make a quick note that this look would be a perfect softer option for Valentine's Day. If you prefer, you can stop here and just add a bit of mascara.

Step 6: Using an angled liner brush (mine was an ecotools one), begin to draw a line with 'Honeymoon in Hollywood' which begins from the point of the cat flick and continues across into your crease. Also, add a some of this shade beneath the cat flick and under your lower lash line. I did also push some of this shadow over the gel liner itself to give it a softer appearance. Blend the shadow out so that it does not look too harsh and add some more 'Marry in Monte Carlo' to the crease if you feel the pink has lost its potency.

Step 7: I added a little 'Love in London' to the lower lash line to help blend the black liner into the rest of the look.

Step 8: Apply a generous amount of mascara to really thicken those lashes and line your lower waterline with some nude pencil. By this point, I felt I might as well go for it and added some gold glitter over the top of the 'Meet in Madrid'. The glitter I used was actually a glitter gel liner from Collection called 'Glam Crystals' in the shade 'Funk 3'. Collection products do tend to be very good value for money and I believe this was no exception. Come to think of it, I may have got it free with another purchase.

This marks the end of my tutorial series on this palette. Nevertheless, there are many, many more looks I could happily create using the beautiful range of shades Sleek has provided. X

INVESTMENT BUYS: ECOTOOLS BAMBO SIX PIECE EYE BRUSH SET

Price: £14.99
Included: Travel carry case with mirror and 5 brushes (blend, crease, highlight, shade, smudge)

I have to admit, before a few years ago, the only brushes I owned were the ones you find in eyeshadow palettes. You know the type, sponge applicators that are too small for any human hand to hold. Once I was introduced to the cyber makeup community, I realised that I could create very few makeup looks without proper tools. Besides, I was losing hope for my latest sponge applicator (there are only so many times you can hold that tiny handle without getting cramp in your hand). I took myself down to Boots and these were the brushes I came back with and, my, aren’t I glad I chose them.

My overall verdict? I LOVE these brushes. They have lasted me so well. I must’ve had them for three or four years now and they still work perfectly well and, believe me, I was not always the best when it came to taking care of them. They are also such good value for money. Five brushes for just under fifteen pounds. Only three pounds a brush, and that’s not even including the handy, little case with mirror. If you need another pro to get you out that front door and running towards your local high street, they are made of sustainable bamboo and the bristles are 100% cruelty free.

The brushes are perfect for anyone but I found them especially useful as a beginner. It can be quite frightening when you’re faced with a battle line of different brushes, each with seemingly mysterious purposes (217 or 239? Can these all seriously be for my eyes?!) Each of the brushes in the set are labelled with their individual uses and the five together make up a good, all-round starter pack.

In this next section, I thought I’d describe my impressions of each individual brush, just because I’m cool like that.

BLEND- relatively big, fluffy brush. It’s stiff enough to give you good control, but still soft. I find it blends really well and fits perfectly in the crease. However, for those with less lid space it may be a little too large. It does also make a really good highlighter brush. For more precision blending I use the ‘smudge’ brush.

CREASE- brilliant shape, really designed to fit into the contour of the crease with minimum effort. However, if you don’t want too dramatic a look, be sure to use a light hand because it’s fairly large surface area means it picks up a lot of product.

HIGHLIGHT- tapered so it can fit well into small areas and gives a very light dusting of product. I also find this shape lends it to blending out any excess dark shadow when I’m applying a brow highlight. This could definitely double as a softer blending brush if you find the ‘blend’ too harsh/too large.

SHADOW- perhaps the most versatile brush in the collection. I use it for everything from eyebrows to shadow on the lids. Quite small, so if you’re looking for quicker application to a large area this is not ideal. I prefer that it’s small because I feel that it allows me to be more precise.

SMUDGE- pretty much just a pencil brush. Great for blending along the lash line. Used with a dark shadow it can give the eye a smokey and sultry look.

I hope this review has been useful and I hope that any of you with these brushes have got as much use out of them as I have!

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