The War of the Matte Lipsticks

Hello hello hello,
So now that I am back to writing, I wanted to do an old school makeup post. Considering the obsession with matte liquid lipsticks (which I am openly part of) , I thought it might be a good idea to compare some of the 'drugstores' offerings. Although I could've included  a couple of high end ones, the price difference makes it hard to compare, but quite honestly I would always reach for high street versions every time. I have always written on a student's budget and although it's nice to spend £20 on a lipstick, it's not always practical, so give it a chance yeah? Let's get into it!

Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lip Colour

Price- £8.99

Colour Range- 12 

I found, when using the two shades that I had purchased, that the darker shade lasted a lot longer and had a better colour pay off. Although they are advertised as matte, they are probably the wettest of the lipsticks I have today, meaning they are not quite as drying but don't have the same staying power. There is a fairly small colour range and they are mostly pinks, not much in the way of browns and the collection is definitely missing a nice red shade. Although this all sounds fairly negative, the fact that they're not drying makes them easy and practical to apply as opposed to drying formulas which you have to be super careful with. I took most of these on holiday with me and hand on heart, the only matte lipstick I trusted to wear on a night out without drying or fading was the fuscia Revlon one, so that must count for something.

NYX Lip Lingerie 

Price- £7.00

Colour Range- 24

Amazing colour range, as with most NYX lip products, and a very good amount of product for the price. After using both the NYX matte lip creams and these, I much prefer these because I think they have a much better application, you get more product on the wand so it transfers nicely. However, compared to the Revlon products, these dry a lot quicker and can look pretty nasty if you don't properly exfoliate and moisturise before. Probably not a good choice if you're somewhere where you can't easily top up or reapply as you might end up with very cracked (although admittedly still coloured) lips. 

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream

Price- £6.00

Colour Range- 32

Amazing colour selection again and although the colour does not come out as intense as the others (which you can see in the swatch), they are a lot easier to apply. Like most NYX lip products, they smell really nice, quite a sweet smell but not overwhelming. These do dry matte but not as matte as the lingerie which means they are slightly less drying but no where near as long lasting. 

Sleek Matte Me

Price- £4.99

Colour Range- 17

These are absolutely amazing for the darker colours and staying power. Although they're quite liquidy when they're first applied, they dry the quickest and most out of all the lipsticks I've mentioned today. I'm sat typing this the day after I took the photos and the swatch I took of this one is still dark on my hand (and I used makeup remover and showered... I promise.) This does mean that, like the Lingerie, your lips need to be fully moisturised and exfoliated before applying but, especially considering the price, I really recommend these if you are looking for a deep colour. As I said though, preparation is key. I wore these on a night out once and had to reapply in the centre of my lips which were dryer so a lovely dark outer line was emerging... not a great look. These are great for darker colours but so drying that they might be a hassle on a night out, an annoying combination.

Maybelline Colour Sensation Vivid Matte Liquid Lipstick 

(... blimey that's a mouthful)

Price- £7.99

Colour Range- 18

A good colour range but a lot of them have got very pink undertones, with only a couple of cooler shades. These are the wettest of the lipsticks, which you can probably see in the swatches compared to the incredibly drying Sleek lipstick above it. A really nice colour pay off and less maintenance so perhaps a little more practical. But personally I find the brush a bit too chunky and the formula a bit too wet so haven't repurchased more of this range. 

So after I finished taking photos, about 10 minutes after maybe, I scrubbed quite hard with a makeup wipe and thought the results were pretty cool and useful to share. Almost instantly the NYX soft creme and the Maybelline Vivid Matte came straight of. The Revlon left a faint stain and the NYX lingerie are still quite clearly in place. But the winner has to be the Sleek Matte Me which is still on my blooming hand now! If you want to judge on staying power, it's hard to argue with this kind of evidence.

I hope this was helpful for some of you, so many brands are doing these now that it's hard to know the difference or which ones are best for you. If I end up trying a couple of more versions, there may be a part 2... I'm kind of liking 'The War of the...', maybe I'll make it into a bit of a series? Let me know what you think! 

Thanks for reading, if you've got any comments or recommendations leave them in the comments below or come say hi on Twitter. 

Bye for now, 

Laura x

Affordable Makeup Brushes 101

 

Makeup brushes ey.

 

They're probably my biggest addiction. There's something so satisfying and cute about a neat and expanding collection of makeup brushes.

But golly aren't they expensive. I don't like to complain but £20 for a teeny tiny eyebrow brush seems a bit extortionate. (I don't really know why I said I don't like to complain... I love to complain. I fact, it's one of my favourite past time.)

 

So today I thought I'd run through some of the brushes I've got. The most expensive brand I've got it Real Techniques (which I adore) so I'm not exactly breaking the bank. But sometimes you can tell it would be worth it to pay just a lil bit more. More about that later though, lets get straight into the brushes.

 

 

My first reaction when I see this picture is to say yummmm. (Don't ask.) So these are my Real Techniques face brushes, don't they look adorable.

 

(From left to right)

 

Real Techniques Blush Brush

£9.99

 

I think this was the first brush I ever bought and it was a pretty good choice. (A rather odd one as I don't actually wear blush but oh well..) It's very soft and doesn't malt at all. I apply my powder with this brush as the soft bristles gives my face a lighter look rather than a powdery look which you normally get from using a kabuki.

 

Real Techniques Sculpting Brush

£9.99

 

On the other end of the spectrum, this is one of my newest brushes in my ever growing brush collection. I never knew how to apply bronzer until I got this brush. It's a bit too big and dense to contour with- you'll end up looking like you just fell face first into a muddy puddle. However for larger areas of face that need powdering or blending, this is great. It is dense enough to use with both powder and liquid but works great with cream products.

 

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

£9.99

 

I feel like everyone has this brush, and for good reason. If you're out to get just one brush, this is the brush for you. It can be used for almost anything- foundation, powder, bronzer, highlight, concealer. It's just really great at blending as it's sooo dense and small enough to do things that take a bit more precision.

However. And this is a big however... this brush kind of becomes redundant when you start buying specific brushes for different roles. So now I have a foundation brush AND a bronzer brush AND a highlight brush AND a concealer brush, I use the Expert Face Brush less and less. So if you've already got a big collection, it's a nice brush but not vital. If you haven't got any/many brushes, this is the brush I recommend you go out and buy right now.

 

Real Techniques Setting Brush

£8.99

 

I guess this is meant to be for setting powder on more delicate places like under your eyes. I have used it for that a couple of times but even better, try contouring with it. It literally fits into the hollow of my cheeks perfectly. So that's mainly what I use it for. It's also pretty great at highlighting your cheek bones and bridge of your nose as its fairly small and pretty delicate.

 

 

£11.99 (mini size)

 

This is a mini brush set by Eco Tools. The problemo: they no longer sell it. Don't panic though, if you like the idea of this set, they do a newer version that's pretty much the same idea but with slightly different brushes. Have a look at that one here...

 

This is a really cute set a great value for the price. I absolutely love the flat concealer brush (far right) and is one that has made it's way into my everyday brush routine. The second right brush with the blue handle is fab at blending eye shadows as well.

 

In general, Eco Tools brushes are sweet and work well but you can kind of tell they're slightly cheaper. Especially with face and powder brushes. They're generally not dense enough and a bit more scratchy than Real Techniques.

 

If you do a lot of travelling or staying away for the night, a set like this may be a good purchase. It covers the basics and is a  great size for carrying around. However if you're looking for a brush set that's just as good quality as individual brushes, this isn't something I'd recommend for you.

 

I thought I'd do a quick one on one comparison between these 2 brushes (Real Techniques vs Eco Tools.) Eco Tools is considerably cheaper but it is clear in this picture as to why. It is less dense which makes it hard to work with liquids and the bristles aren't soft enough to provide a flawless powder cover. Even the aesthetic of the Real Techniques brush is superior to the Eco Tools brush. It is glossy and professional rather than wood and young looking.

 

By the way, this isn't an Eco Tools bashing session- some of their brushes are great (which you're about to see.) However as they are the main 2 affordable yet good quality brush brands available at Boots and Superdrug, it seemed right to compare them.

 

 

Eco Tools Bamboo Foundation Brush

 

Now this is more like it. In contrast to their sets, Eco Tools' individual brushes are a lot better quality and still great value. This is my current go to foundation brush and works perfectly adequately for me. Generally, I prefer using a beauty blender to apply foundation but when I use my Clinique foundation and concealer 2 in 1, it works a lot better with a brush so I whip this one out.

 

Obviously you could probably get a better foundation brush that's a little softer (you can kind of see one of the bristles malting out in this picture,) But you'd pay a lot for it. This brush is £7.99 and I don't see any reason to spend £40 on a brush when this one is just fine. (Don't kill me if I buy a new foundation brush in the future once I've got the money!!) If you're looking for a basic, possibly your first, foundation brush, this is a good one at a great price. What else could you need?

 

 

Real Techniques Special Edition Eye Set

Normal edition alternative

£21.99

 

Look how beaut these brushes look.

 

They're small, precise, neat and glossy... what more could you ask for? A smaller price tag possibly?

 

So this is a limited edition eye liner set I got around July time, I'm sure you could still find it in some stores but I couldn't see it online so I linked the normal Real Techniques Eye Set.

 

Again, these brushes are great quality. I guess they're all supposed to be used to do eyeliner but I kind of adapt them to my own makeup routine.

 

Sorry about the red, I did my sisters demon makeup!

 

The middle right is obviously a great eyebrow brush. It's small and light which gives the eyebrow powder a more natural finish. I use the middle left one for smudging eye shadow and eyeliner. I've got medium/small eyelids so it's a great size and not too bulky to try and blend quite precisely.

 

Overall, the Real Techniques eye brushes are faultless. I kind really see any flaws on them. I know I complained about the price tag but actually £21.99 for a 5 brush set (not the limited edition) makes it only £4.40 ish per brush which is hard to argue with.

 

 

Again, I thought I'd do a quick brush comparison.

 

This is the Superdrug Smokey Eye Brush for £2.99

vs

A Real Techniques angled eyeliner brush 

 

So the immediate thing is the tape. I'm not sure whether it's the quality of the product or the one I picked up, but the top of the brush kept falling off the middle. I could easily glue it but I'm much too lazy for that.

 

The second thing to notice is the fact that the Superdrug brush is a duo (with a small blending brush on the other end.) I love both of the brushes on the one brush so it's very useful when trying to minimise the amount you buy/pack.

 

As someone that appreciates a good looking brush, you would think I'd chose the Real Techniques brush over the Superdrug one every day of the week and twice on Sunday. But no. I use both of these to do my eyebrows and do not see a big enough difference in results to justify dismissing the cheap brush in favour of the Real Techniques one. Both do the job very well, both are easy to use. I guess it's different when it's on eyebrows because it doesn't really matter how soft they are. But density definitely does matter and they are equally matched on that front.

 

It's a shame about the tape but honestly, if I was going to recommend either of these brushes, it would be the Superdrug one. Spend more money on face brushes. But for £2.99 you get two great brushes that work just as well as any more expensive brushes. Fab!

 

Lastly, here is a paint brush. (Drops mic.)

 

Okay, hear me out here. You can get paint brushes for 100% cheaper than most makeup brushes and some can work great in your makeup routine. I'm not saying go out and buy a 100 pack of paint brushes rather than any makeup brushes because you will regret it. But next time you're somewhere that tells paint brushes, take a lil look and just see if you can imagine using any of them in your makeup routine.

 

I use this makeup brush as a lip brush. It's small, soft, smooth and flexible which makes it fantastic for applying lipsticks precisely and quickly. Just saying.

 

As I've been talking about brushes for so long I thought I'd do a quick list of affordable brushes I want to buy. Partly for my benefit so if you've tried any of these, leave a comment letting me know how they are!

 

• Any of the Real Techniques metal brushes purely for the look!!
• Tweezerman flat top foundation brush
• Smashbox Fan Brush
• Mur Ultra Flat Contour F304

*Hint hint if any friends or family are reading and starting to think about Christmas ay ay*

-

 

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed today's blog post. I guess there are a couple of things to bare in mind when it comes to makeup brushes. Firstly, sometimes money really does buy better quality. Sometimes, it really doesn't. (I'm helpful, I know.) Secondly, don't be restricted by the labels, names and price tags. If there's a brush that says blending brush, don't be afraid to try it with different products to see how you like it best. And finally, don't forget to use your fingers!!

 

Thanks for reading, I hope this helped some of you out there looking to buy makeup brushes.

See you next time,

 

Laura Stone x

 



 

Keep reading...

Budget Makeup Haul

October Catch Up

Let's talk about... makeup

 

 

Halloween!!

Hiya lovelies!

 

*Quick note: Sorry for my short leave of absence, I have been very busy. I can't really make up an excuse so I'm just gonna be honest and admit some of my school work is a bit overwhelming so I just had to get myself organised and on top of things before continuing blogging. I'm writing a catch up with me blog post today which should be up shortly. Thank for sticking with me!*

It's that time of year again. Every supermarket is strung with paper bats and pumpkins, film channels start to show Hocus Pocus on repeat and everyone starts fighting about whether or not we're too old to go trick or treat'in. (Yes. You probably are.) Halloween.

So what does Halloween mean for those of us that can't go trick or treat'in and still maintain their self respect? It probably still means pumpkin carving and eating lots of sweets, but primarily it means dressing up and partying. (Or not partying, up to you!!) And every year there's the age old question of 'how slutty is too slutty??' That's the question I'm hoping to tackle today, how to dress up for Halloween as a teenager.

 

The event

 

What kind of event you're actually attending on Halloween is the most important thing to start with.

 

 If you are going to a party it's a very different costume to if you're trick or treatin' with your young sibling which is again very different to a scary movie night in. I'm going to be talking about Halloween parties today. Generally, if you're going trick or treatin' with a younger sibling, you need to put in a bit more effort so your neighbours don't just think you're using it as an opportunity to get free sweets (which, let's be honest, you are...) If you're doing a movie night in, the dress code should be specified but pyjamas is widely accepted.

 

What to go as?

 

So you've been invited to a Halloween party and everyone has to dress up (groans). This may seem exciting at first but actually it just means coordinating with friends, deciding on your costume then quickly rushing around the shops on Halloween morning with money you shouldn't really be spending.

 

I must say though, as girls, we drew the lucky straw when it comes to Halloween. I was speaking to a guy friend who is completely stuck on what to go as without being labelled a 'nerd' or 'dick who didn't try.' In my opinion, if you're a guy, just go for it! Everyone appreciates the effort. If not, a mask always goes a long way. Or try covering an old white shirt in fake blood, wear a suit and bam, you've got yourself a suave looking Halloween costume.

 

Some go to costume ideas for girls include:

 

cat, zombie, demon, angel, witch, creepy doll, wolf...

 

Last year I went as a demon which included a red dress, black thigh high tights, black stilettos, little red horns and a lot of black/red makeup. It was quite fun and simple to do. But be careful with these kind of outfits, you don't want to look like the girl that's gone a bit too slutty and forgot that it's Halloween. To avoid this, I recommending steering clear of animals. Not that they're bad costume ideas, but they've been made into iconic slutty Halloween costumes by the go to girl movie itself, Mean Girls. (See gif above for reference!) Make sure you accessorize properly so you're not just in a nice dress with no reference to Halloween whatsoever. It doesn't have to be anything big. A witch's hat or clip on tail will do.

 

 

I recommend wearing a dark (or light if you're an angel) dress then accessorising with things related to your costume. You can find so much makeup/costume inspiration on Pinterest, there's loads you could do. Use makeup to your advantage, you could wear the most boring outfit but do awesome makeup and you're totally forgiven. Buy cheap eye shadow/lipsticks/eyeliners in different colours from brands like Collection, Natural Collection, MUA.

 

 (On a side note, if you buy a red lipstick, get it from Natural Collection in Boots. It's £2 and is one of the best lipsticks I've ever used.)

 

 

If you want to go a bit more out there, try going down the more 'scary' or halloweeny outfit. Going as a pumpkin is always quite funny and you can find some great pumpkin costumes online. If you really wanted, I guess you could probably find a 'sexy pumpkin costumes' but come on, that kind of defeats the purpose of going a pumpkin.

Vampires are also great and show that you've put a bit more effort in to your costume. Try finding a cape and pair of fake teeth and you are sorted. (Just put it over black clothing if you're not that keen on shedding out all your money on Halloween.)

 

 You could buy coloured contacts for any costume which looks AWESOME and actually scary. But be careful, if you're going to buy contacts, get good quality ones else you are in real risk of an eye infection. (Sorry to ruin the fun, but seriously it's not worth it.)

 

Clowns are also some of the best costumes I've seen and are truly scary. Seriously, I have had nightmares over some of the Halloween costumes I've seen in my time.

  

 

If you are more of a quirky person, definitely go for a funny costume. I think they are always the best costumes, they're clever, funny and show you've thought about it. Also great conversation starters. Make sure the costume is actually clever/funny rather than a lame pun that you'll spend the whole night explaining though. Some ideas could be from movies, TV shows, games, memes, anything to do with social media. Think about big thinks everyone would recognise. For example,  recreating the blue/gold dress would be quite fun and sure to spark up the debate yet again. If you can't think of anything, there are thousands of ideas on the good ol' internet so take a look around.

 

I hope this helped some of you who are stuck with your Halloween costume! Remember that you don't need to spend loads to have an awesome costume. Just have a look online and I'm sure you'll find something you could do. Have fun and drink responsibly guys. (Joking, go wild!!) Let me know what you decide to do in the comments below or tweet me a picture, I'd love to see!

 

Thanks for reading and see you all next time!

 

Laura Stone x

 

Let's talk about... Makeup

Hello everyone,

When I started my blog, I wanted it as a space to talk about anything lifestyle/beauty/fashion related in the context of students. As I know first hand that trying to keep up with all the fashion trends and newest products is hard when you are also writing essays every other day. But I also wanted it as a space where I could talk about other topics that might help some people out. So I've decided to start this series:

"Let's talk about..."

I want to cover a lot of subjects from money to friends to periods, all in the hope that I can help someone who may be struggling. Calling it 'let's talk about...' was on purpose because I want anyone reading my blog to feel comfortable talking to me about any of these subjects if they wish. Whether that's a comment on the post or a private email, I'm always here to talk.

Today is the first in the series and I'm going to be talking about makeup. Not as in the best products or how to put it on, more different misconceptions about makeup and what it's like wearing it as a teen. As a teenage beauty blogger who has a desire to be a professional makeup artist, I feel like my views  may be a little bias. If you disagree or want to add to something I say, please comment! I love to hear other opinions.

First, a little background on my discovery of makeup.

The start of my addiction.

When I was 11 years old, I was on YouTube and stumbled across a makeup channel called SWalkerMakeup. And that was it. I loved both Sarah and her makeup videos and as an 11 year old I would steal my mum's makeup and try and recreate her looks. I was cool, I know. But that got me hooked at a young age. By the time I was 12, I watched A LOT of YouTube. Like a lot. I don't want to sound hipster but I was watching 'Zoella' and 'Sprinkle of Glitter' before they were even friends on YouTube. I loved it all. I would often plan to buy loads of the products they were recommending (despite hardly wearing any makeup) and end up buying one random bronzer or palette. I thought myself a makeup expert, going on and on at my friends about my favourite brands that (at the time) I hadn't even tried.

 I started properly wearing makeup when I was 13 I guess? I went through stages of cakey orange foundation to watery thin foundation, depending on what I could afford or what was on sale. Over time I started watching less and less 'vloggers' and more and more makeup artists on YouTube. I did consider doing makeup and beauty at college but decided against it as I thought pursuing A levels and University was more important at the time; makeup artistry could wait. And that's where I am now, going into my second year of Sixth Form. But always on the look out for opportunities to improve my makeup skills or work somewhere that utilises my 'beauty knowledge.'

I guess it was getting into makeup so early that created a negative stigma around it for my parents, that hadn't actually faded until recently. I was a young girl trying (and failing) to recreate makeup looks that 20 year olds were posting, it was always going to look bad. I watched these videos as a lifestyle so I knew so much about makeup that I found it weird that my parents thought it was bad,  not the 'norm.' These videos were positive, almost magical to me but when I tried it, I'd get shouted at. Called a 'stupid little girl' for trying something that I adored.

As a teenage girl, it seems as if you can never get it right when it comes to makeup. Wear too much and you're a 'whore', 'attention seeker' or 'self conscious'. Wear too little and you're 'weird', 'young looking' or 'over confident.' Are you kidding society?!

I guess I see makeup a different way to my parents. They see it as a mask, something I use to look like someone I'm not as I'm not 'confident enough in my own skin.' Actually, like most other teenage girls, I'm not 100% confident in my own skin but I don't hate myself. I struggle from incredibly dark under eye circles and I am certain that if I didn't, I would not wear half as much makeup. But as long as I've got enough concealer on to cover my under eye circles, I can go out no problem.

Foundation bro. Not a mask.

I do not use makeup as a mask.

Firstly, I find applying makeup and trying new looks or products fun. Makeup can be an art form and a beautiful one at that.

Secondly, I do have some imperfections and feel a lot more confident in myself when they are covered. This is not meant in a big headed way at all and if you wear makeup then you will know what I mean... But there is no greater feeling than walking through a crowded space and feeling confident in yourself because you know you look great. Some people use shoes to achieve this feeling. Some people use clothes. I use makeup. As I said, as long as I have concealer on, I would not feel embarrassed of myself in public. But there's a big difference between 'not feeling embarrassed' and feeling 'confident'; I would pick confidence every time.

I was talking to my friends about this as we did out makeup before a party and we all agreed on something that kind of scared me. I feel more like myself when I have makeup on than when I don't. Okay don't start ranting about how that's so awful, I know that it's bad. But in the end I prefer myself when I'm confident and feel like a mother f*kin boss. Simples. Also, we all know there's a gradient to makeup. I feel most myself when I have natural makeup on. This is concealer, maybe a BB or foundation, eyebrows, mascara and a thin line of eyeliner. But sometimes I add full coverage foundation, eye shadow, winged liner, contouring and lipstick. This is when I feel my makeup looks the best, most badass, but I also know I don't look exactly 'natural' when I do this. Do you know what though... I still love it.



Demi. Beautiful & confident with or without makeup

Another subject I'm going to touch on is makeup shaming, or shaming of any kind really. This whole thing where people are shaming girls for looking different when she has not got makeup on. Do you know what, people like that are gross. (Sorry for the harsh words.) If a girl looks good with makeup on then the internet should support her. Omg makeup is hard to master and some of these girls being shamed are amazing at makeup and shouldn't be shamed for how skilled they are.

Secondly, do we think all celebrities and models look the same with and without makeup? True, everyone is beautiful both ways but celebrities who we idolise have there makeup done for about 2 hours before appearing at an event.

Thirdly, if this girl is confident enough without makeup to show her 'naked' face online then it's disgusting she is being shamed for it. Not many people have that confidence and by shaming her online, as a society we are literally tearing down any confidence she has.

It also makes other girls that wear a lot of makeup feel worse about how they look without makeup. Cos do you know what, sometimes it's really depressing knowing that you look better with products on your face rather than naturally.

Okay that's my rant over but I hope it kinda got you thinking about your own view on makeup and makeup shaming. I kind of wanted some different perspectives so thought I'd speak to someone else about it.

 I spoke to Sade Reyes; Youtube vlogger and author of Pumps of the Playground about her views on makeup.

1. What got you into makeup?

I love make-up because of the process. It's therapeutic and a great opportunity to be creative. I can be as dramatic or natural as I want. To me it's simply a form of expression and an unappreciated art.

2. How did you get into makeup?

I started wearing makeup at a very young age. I started dancing ballet at the age of 4 and really got serious with dance at the age of 8, which means I was performing a lot so to keep from looking so washed out on stage, my mother would apply blush, eye shadow and bright red lipstick on me. I fell in love with it! It wasn't too out of the norm for me to be seen in makeup because I basically lived on stage!

3. Why do you like makeup?

Now that i'm older, it's all about the process. I love the preparation of getting my skin prepped and primed and then going to work on my face! I ALWAYS listen to the rapper Drake while I do my makeup because I love his music and he just has a way of making a woman feel beautiful! I never rush my makeup even now that I have two children. They know that's mommy's time!

4. What would you say to someone who thinks makeup is 'cheating' or 'fake'?

I've always thought it was funny when people say wearing makeup is faking your beauty or lying to people about how you really look. To me its fashion and a fun way to ENHANCE the beauty you already have. And if you actually think I was ruby red lips naturally then that's on you! I feel beautiful with or without makeup but I prefer to dress up my face just like people dress up their body in nice clothes. Nothing wrong with that!

5. Have you seen the newest 'makeup shaming' trend online? If you have, what are your thoughts?

I think makeup shaming people is the worst because you never know why someone is wearing makeup. Some people wear it as a fashion statement, some people wear it to cover scars that will never go away, and some people wear it because of acne. Being someone who use to wear tons of makeup to cover my acne when I was in high school and then still getting made fun of, it really killed my self esteem. I felt as though no matter what I did, I wasn't pretty enough. I think it's just another way for people to bully other people. If makeup isn't your thing that's fine but don't try to bring down people who do wear it.

6. What misconceptions are you most annoyed about when it comes to makeup?

The misconception that I hate the most is that women who wear makeup have low self esteem so they need makeup to feel better about themselves. I have tons of self esteem and now that i'm older and have really grown into the woman I am and know myself and who I am in this world, I use makeup to enhance my beauty, to express myself, and it's just super fun!

7. Would you encourage family to wear makeup?

I'm 25 now and have a daughter who is almost 9 months old. She's absolutely gorgeous and we tell her that every day. I can speak on this subject not only as a young woman but also as a mother to a daughter. When my daughter Tiana gets older and wants to wear makeup I will let her. I don't see anything wrong with it. Of course, it will be age appropriate so she wont be in middle school with a full face beat the the makeup gods but if she wants to experiment or play dress up with me just for fun I will allow it. I feel if you forbid your daughter from wearing it, she will sneak it, but if you are open and upfront about it they are more likely to wait it out until they are a bit older. In my opinion, i think at the age of 15 is totally fine to start wearing makeup every day. Maybe not heavy foundation but some eye shadow, pretty lipsticks and glosses, and blush are fine. Of course, i want my daughter to follow in my footsteps and dance so she will most likely fall in love with makeup at an early age like I did!

Thank you so much for the help Sade, check her out here!

 

I'd love to hear and discuss this topic so leave a comment below. I know this whole post felt kind of ranty, I guess I'm pretty passionate about this topic. I also wanted to explain how I got into makeup as it's a big topic on my blog. Hope you enjoyed and see you next time,

 

Laura Stone x

Keep reading...

Best Budget Concealers

Hair Dying Virgin 101

The Love/Hate Tag

 

Best Budget Concealers

For me, concealing is the most important step (face wise). It's not for everyone, but if any of you suffer from break outs, discoloration or under eye circles then you will understand me.

 

I'm happy to pay good money but sometimes when I'm short on cash, I prefer to spend it elsewhere. That's why today I'm doing best concealers under £5 because there are definitely some fab ones out there if you know where to look. (And trust me, I've looked!)

Lets get right into it :)

 

1. Collection 2000 lasting perfection 

 

This might be the obvious & cliché but seriously 'Collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer' is the bomb. You would laugh if you saw how many empty tubes of this I have in my draw.

 

It's an incredibly thick concealer for it's small price of £4.19 which is why I like it so much. Personally, I struggle with under eye circles badly so I use it under my eyes- for most people it might be a bit thick on such sensitive skin though. It works great on any real problem areas, spots and all.

If you don't have that bad 'imperfections', it might be a bit thick for you. But if you're looking for an affordable concealer that covers just about everything- this is the one for you.

(I'm in shade 1 or 2.)

 

 

2. MUA Hide and Conceal

 

I really like this concealer. It's soft and creamy which is perfect for a stick concealer. It has regular coverage: not too light or too thick. Sometimes I like to buy the lighter one and use it as a brightener as well. Can I just mention that it is £1. Convinced yet?

 

Generally, I use my finger to pat this in because else it's a bit dry. It sounds weird but the heat helps blend it in smoothly.

 

 

 

 3. Rimmel Wake me up

So far, the 2 I've talked about have been very thick and high coverage. I thought I'd include a good lighter coverage so here you go! Although I don't really use light coverage, I've tried this one and its really nice. It's creamy and brightening; perfect for under eyes that aren't verging on purple.

Talking about brightening....

Collection Illuminating touch

 



If foundation or BB cream is enough coverage for you, try the collection illuminating concealer. It's like a highlighter/concealer mixed into one. Great for brightening under your eyes but also illuminating the bridge of your nose and cheek bones.

It's very blendable but I do feel sometimes it can vanish into your skin without making enough of a difference. To avoid this, try using a dense stippling brush instead of rubbing it with your finger.

Only just under £5, at £4.99- it's still an affordable price.

Thanks for reading and I hope this helped some of you out there. Remember, high end expensive makeup is great but if you're on a budget then there are always alternatives!

 

See you next time,

 

Laura Stone xx



Eyebrows 101

2014/15 has been a big year for eyebrows.

From small and delicate to bold and bushy, no matter what style brow you go for, they have to be maintained! But to be honest, brows have become so big recently that it's hard to know what to do most of the time. It's not helped by the new group of brow fanatics that seemed to have emerged. We all know that girl (or group of girls) that worship brows and judge everyone on the state of their brows.


How many times have you heard:



How could I write about eyebrows without including Cara?!

"Brows are the most important feature of your face"

"Your eyebrows define you"

 

"Well maintained eyebrows improves a face by 100%"

It's a bit overwhelming seeing as most off us barely have enough time to have a big breakfast in the morning, let alone shape, define and fill our eyebrows.

That's where I am going to try and help. By no means am I an expert but I have got fairly naff eyebrows and I manage to basically transform them every morning in about 5 minutes.

For those of you with naturally dark eyebrows, please take a moment to appreciate your life. As for the rest of us (from medium brown to ashy white)... follow me!

So, I have natural dark blonde hair but quite light sparse eyebrows. I don't want you to judge me, but I fill my eyebrows are seriously dark. I often buy the dark brown pencil/ powder. Not everyone likes the super dark look, understandably, so to give you an idea of colours to go for, follow my lil guide...

*this is just my advice, not eyebrow law*

• White: Go for the lighter shades, you can still shape and define them nicely but dark eyebrows may look a slightly odd. Not always though?

• Light blonde: I would go for light brown if I were you. You can always go for your own colour but to have eye brows that don't just blend into your skin colour, 2-3 shades above hair colour is advised.

Dark blonde (mousey): A blonde eyebrow pencil might not be dark enough for you, even if you are a proud blonde. A light brown would look very natural but for a more defined, bold eyebrow, dark brown will still work.

Light brown: Pretty similar to light blonde. But you can get away with darker still (if you really need to fill your eyebrows in.). You are pretty lucky and should go with either your colour or a little darker.



Dark brown: Ugh, no need to rub it in. We're all very jealous. You may not need to fill in your eyebrows, but if you do, go for your colour (but please don't touch black.)

What about shape?!!

 

There are 5 main eyebrows shapes that you could aim to achieve. (see above.) The best thing to do is just to realise what your natural shape is then try to define and enhance it.
 

For example, my eyebrows are very thick on the inside then arc and get slowly thinner. (okay I know my description wasn't great but bare with.) They most closely match the 'soft angled' eyebrow on the chart above.


So instead of trying to reshape mine to fit a different eyebrow shape that might be "popular" and "on trend", I just shape mine how they naturally grow.

Once you've got your shape, its just about keeping an eye out for stray hairs or a forming monobrow.

Personally, I recommend getting your eyebrows waxed/plucked professionally rather than doing it yourself. You can then do some plucking yourself to keep them looking neat until your next shaping.

But how do I actually fill them in!??

Easy. It's actually a lot simpler than you first think. Okay, first buy yourself a cheap eyebrow pencil (I use Rimmel in the shade dark brown-here-) and a singular eye shadow powder. (I use a natural collection duo eye shadow in mocha brown -here-). Get the colour of your choice, try and get the pencil and powder as close as possible but you should be able to blend them.

1. Sharpen your pencil. This is so important and can make such a big difference. Keep your pencil sharp and it keeps the definition of your eyebrows amazing- trust me on this one.

2. Draw a sharp line on the bottom edge of your eyebrow. There shouldn't be any hair under this line, it will outline your eyebrows and make a clear shape.

3. Also use the pencil to outline any shape that you've create on the outer edge. For example, if it gets thinner then create a thinner edge with the pencil. If you're eyebrows are just straight are cross then outline about 3/4 of the way across then get slightly lighter to give a bit of variation.

4. Now fill inside the outline with the powder. Work it in evenly and blend it well with the pencil outline. The powder creates a lot more natural look as opposed to completely filling it in with pencil (which creates a very bold fake look.)

5. Finally, use any kind of tool to blend it all together naturally. What I really recommend is to get yourself one of those plastic mascara applicators that doesn't have any product on it. You can normally find them on makeup counters in department stores like John Lewis or Mac. Use this to brush through your eyebrows so they're all growing in one direction, then use a blending tool.

6* Not everyone does this but you can use an eyebrow setter to keep your eyebrows neat and in place. Lots of brands now sell these but I don't actually use one. Benefit does a good one but its a bit more expensive. Alternatively, buy a cheap clear mascara (lots of lower end brands sell them as well) and use that to set your eyebrows because it works just the same.

And there you have it! Perfect brows so you can tell those eyebrow fanatics where to go...

 

I hope this helped some of you, but please remember that although having nice eyebrows is great, its not everything. Don't stress too much about it, just have fun with it and you'll be fine.

 

Thanks for reading and please share if you think this would be helpful for other people,

Laura Stone x