Coachella Dreaming

  

       

Not all of us are going to be lucky enough to go to the world famous Coachella festival in the US but at least we can dream. The teepees, the ferris wheel, never mind the beautiful people. It looks like the festival to be at. 

So while I'm stuck here in rainy Ireland, I thought I could at least try and look the part. 

       

With this kind of look, I wanted to keep the complexion soft and dewy. I mixed in a pea sized amount of MAC Strobe cream in with my moisturiser before applying my base. I applied my foundation with a damp Real Techniques beauty blender sponge so the foundation can be absorbed by the skin rather than just sitting on top. This gives a more natural effect yet you can still achieve a full coverage if this is what you like. 

                                   

A small bit of powder highlight on the top of my cheekbones using MAC Soft & Gentle and a mix of Pink Swoon and Peaches Blush also from MAC on the apples of the cheeks. You don't need to use two blushes, mixing the two just got me the colour I wanted to achieve, but any peachy toned colour will be fine.

       

I wanted to keep the eyes simple. If you were at a festival the last thing you need at night in a tent is to remove gel eyeliner, that's just asking for morning panda eyes. 

I used Makeup Geek Creme Puff Matte eyeshadow as a base all over the eye with a big fluffy brush. Using Deep Skin from the same brand, I applied this to the socket of the eye with an Inglot 6SS blending brush. With a Sigma E25 brush, I applied Caramelised to the outer corner of the lid and winged it out slightly. I filled in my brows using MAC Dirty Blond Gel Creme and a 31T angled brush from Inglot.

                                     

Add a coating of Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Mascara to the lashes, any mascara will do but don't apply too much as your false eyelashes won't sit right if there is too much mascara. 

I applied the short individual lashes from the Primark range all along the lash line with one or two of the longer length on the ends. I personally don't apply mascara to false lashes as I think they can clump together very easily and look really unnatural but to each their own. 

        

I used Inglot 57 lip liner to line the lips and fill them in. I then used Kiko lip liner in 309 in the centre of the lip to add brightness giving the illusion of a fuller lip. This changes the tone of colour to a more plum colour.

I have used two lip liners here to achieve this and to give the appearance of fuller lips. This is not necessary, if you just want to use the one colour that is fine. 

 

  

Ruby Who?

Coming home, even after just a month, is definitely a transition. In a place like Central Phuket, you find out a lot about yourself. You find yourself in so many ways, but you can also lose a part of yourself too. It's important to live your life as you. Nobody can write the chapters of your story except for yourself, so get creative.  

I have gotten myself into a bit of a rutt when it comes to makeup. I missed being dramatic and adventurous with my appearance like when working in the industry, so I am starting to put more of an effort into my creativity again and glamming it up!

Growing up, I was always under the impression that a woman with a red lip was the definition of confidence. I have gone through tonnes and tonnes of red lippes but I always go back to my trusty Ruby Woo. I am willing to sacrifice dried out lips for the matte finish that I love. If you're not a fan of your lips feeling like they have graized the deserts of the Middle East for days.... a matte finish may not be for you. However, I love matte because I know it is going to stay on my lips all day without moving. There is nothing worse than catching a glimpse of yourself and seeing your teeth with a beautiful corner colourfully coloured in with your favourite red. Or that perfect defined line you spent ages to achieve for that Angelina Jolie shape has decided to drift off to the side to have a chat with your nostrils. Never a good look. Ever. 

To achieve the perfect lip, follow these top tips:

I always do my lips as the last stage of my face, I feel like it brings everything together and finishes the look perfectly. While doing the rest of my makeup, I always use a good lip conditioning balm to nourish my lips before sucking all moisture out of them for the rest of the day with my matte obsession. By the time you get around to doing your lips, they will feel smooth and soft and perfectly prepped for your choice of colour. I always pat my lips down to get rid of any excess balm before applying my liner or lipstick as this will dilute the colour if not removed.

I always apply my lip liner before lipstick. This will define the shape and size of your lips while also keeping the colour strong , vibrant and will last make your perfect pout last longer.

After applying your lip liner and lipstick, line the edge of your pout with concealer. Make sure your concealer matches your foundation colour, you are not trying to highlight, just make your lines look nice and crisp.

Pop a bit of matte bronzer under your bottom lip creating a shadow which will make your bottom lip look fuller. A tiny dab of highlighter on your cupids bow will also draw the eye to your upper lip making it appear bigger, just make sure your not heavy handed as if you apply too much you're going to look like a Sweaty Betty.....never a good look!

Hope these tips are useful! Love Jen x

Road Trippin'

This weekend me and the boys headed down to Cork for a Muay Thai Boxing event. We thought it would be a good motivation trip before heading to Thailand to do the same ourselves with the natives. Eek. The boys were there to support some of their Thai Club friends and they did really well so it was a good trip all round. 

Here is the makeup I wore. It was a little rushed 'cause I did it at half nine in the morning and it had to last me until midnight. My outfit, I went for Topshop Joni jeans, a Topshop crop top and a flannel shirt I picked up in Singapore. I also had Timerland style boots from Penneys on.

Here Today, Tartan Tomorrow

Today's essentials are a black and gold type of affair, and tartan, tartan is always welcome in my book... and my hair!

Kiss Me Quick

Today, for Valentines Day, I decided to do a smokey eye without being too strong. A cut crease look with a subtle highlight and a thick flick of black gel liner. I customised my own lashes by cutting eyelure 202 lashes in half and layering them at the outer corners of the lash line.

I kept the skin quite simple (still full coverage, obviously) with a well blended contour and a hint of a peachy-pink blush on the apples of the cheek and the lips just HAD to be red with the day that's in it. Product list below.

I also got spoiled by my boyfriend with a bunch of red roses and a steak dinner. (No picture of the dinner because I'm the biggest fatty ever and launched straight into it) hehe. 

Hope everyone has an amazing day, be it celebrating a relationship or celebrating being single, have a good one! 

Face Products

Foundation: Revlon Colourstay Foundation mixture of Buff and Natural Tan

Concealer: MAC Select Cover Up NC20

Powder: MAC Studio Fix Powder NC20

Contour: MAC Sculpting Powder Definitive and KIKO Bronzer 101

Blusher: MAC Peaches and MAC Pink Swoon

Highlight: MAC Whisper of Guilt

Eye Products

Eyebrows: MAC Dipdown Gel Eyeliner and Essence Lash and Brow Gel Mascara

Eyeshadows: Inglot 373, 390, 357, 329, 63

Brow Highlight: Inglot 46

Mascara: Inglot False Lash Mascara

Eyeliner: Inglot Gel Eyeliner 77

Lashes: Eyelure 202

Lip Products

Lipliner: Inglot 59

Lipstick: MAC Ruby Woo

Love Jen xxx

It's a Fine Line to Love

Right now, I'm obsessed with winged eyeliner! Blended into a smokey, dramatic eye or paired with a bare lid and a colour pop on the lip, I'm hooked!

My personal preference would be the INGLOT Gel Eyeliner in the number 77 (jet black). A trusty reliable that lasts all day without smudging and can be used on the top and bottom waterline.

MUA Tip: I find a lot of makeup brushes are too thick to achieve the fine lines I'm looking for, so I often use fine paint brushes to apply the product. Thinner and cheaper! Can't go wrong!

Jx 

Are you Yum Yum for Candy?

Don't get me wrong, I've always been a fan of a bright matte pink lip.....just never on me! I looked at people on the street absolutely rocking the Barbie pout, and I was jealous!

Coming into the summer however, I was getting sick of my signature red lip, so yes people.....I bought MAC's infamous Candy Yum Yum, and I'm in love!!

Are you Yum Yum for Candy??

Jx 

Get the Look!! Channel your inner Monroe!!

Before I began this look, I firstly applied my oilatum moisturiser and let it sink into the skin for the duration of the eye application to allow it to work its magic!

Using an Inglot 4SS brush, I buffed MAC Prolongwear Concealer all over the lid from the lash line to the brow in the colour NW20 to act as an eye primer as this concealer does not crease.
Using an Inglot 17TL brow brush and MAC Fluidline in Dipdown, I carved my brow from the bottom of the arch and then downwards to extend the tail. I then cleaned off that same brush in a tissue and used it with MAC Cork eyeshadow to lightly fill in the inside corner of the brow to achieve an ombré effect. Using a Sigma F70 flat concealer brush, I then carved the underneath of the brow with MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW15 to achieve a clean, sharp look and to act as a highlight to the brow bone.
I applied MAC Painterly Paint Pot to the lid from the lash line up to the crease using the same F70 concealer brush to intensify the colour of the eyeshadows. Then, using an Inglot 9S flat eyeshadow brush, I pressed 373 Inglot matte white eyeshadow all over the lid up to the crease, packing on the colour to intensify the brightness.
Using the same 9S brush, I dipped the tip of the brush into MAC Cork eyeshadow that we used earlier and I pushed this colour into the crease above the white, the whole way across the eye. I then used an Inglot 6SS brush to buff out this colour and extend it upwards. I then used a mixture of 329 Inglot matte chocolate brown and MAC Brun eyeshadow, a dark cool brown, in the crease using an Inglot 10S small blender brush to define the crease. I also brought this combination of colours underneath the bottom lash line the full way across the eye.
I lined the lid using Inglot 77 Gel Liner extending the line outwards from the corner of the eye into a thick flick and along the upper and lower waterline. Again using the 10S blender brush I defined the outside corner and outer corner of the crease with a matte black, Inglot 63 eyeshadow. Don't be afraid to go over the liner a little.
I then applied some false lashes. I used Eyelure 202 lashes for this look and applied them with clear DUO Glue, available worldwide. I then applied Inglot False Lash Mascara to my own natural lashes to weave them through the false ones making it look more natural.

On to the face:
My skin feels nice and hydrated now so I can go straight in with my foundation. I dampened my Beauty Blender first and used this with my MAC W10 full coverage foundation and applied the product to the centre of the nose, the middle of the forehead, under the eyes and onto the cheekbones. I used the Beauty Blender to stipple this product right into the skin so there is no residue of any oils on the surface of the face.
I then used MAC NW35 full coverage foundation and the same sponge and applied it to the rest of the face making sure the two colours are blended seamlessly.
Again , using the Beauty Blender, I stippled Maybelline Fit Me concealer in the colour 15 underneath my eyes to brighten the area.
To set all the liquids on the face, I used Inglot AMC Powder in 55 and used my Sigma F25 to apply this to the whole face.
To contour I used my Sigma F35 and Inglots No.30 Pressed Powder underneath the cheekbones, around the hairline, down the side of the nose and underneath the bottom lip to give the illusion that these areas are more hollow. Use this product sparingly as it is very dark and highly pigmented so only a little is needed.
To add a bit of colour to the cheeks I applied Fleur Power Blusher from MAC using a Sigma F15 duo fibre blush brush. This I applied along the cheekbone to achieve the illusion of a natural lift to the face, especially for mature skins.

I lined the lips with Inglot 58 lip liner, focusing slightly on the outer edge of the natural lip line to achieve a fuller lip. I filled in the lips with MAC RubyWoo matte lipstick.


And there ya have it guys. All the steps you need to channel your inner Monroe! xxx

MOTD Natural Look

Being a rare sunny day in Dublin today, I decided to keep my makeup nice and natural looking.
I prepped the skin using my No.7 Beautifully Matte Makeup Base to keep my skin nice and matte throughout the day.
Revlon ColourStay Foundation is my personal fave at the moment so I applied this all over the face using the colour Natural Tan 330 and my Sigma F50 stippling brush to achieve that flawless finish.
With my fingertips I applied NW30 MAC Prolongwear Concealer under my eyes and onto the tops of my cheekbones to add brightness to these areas. I then went into the inner corner under my eye with Soap&Glory Kickass Concealer in the colour Light(the peach side) to give an extra bright glow!
Using my Sigma F30 powder brush, I pushed INGLOT AMC powder in the number 55 into the skin to set my makeup and make it last longer.
I contoured the face using INGLOT pressed powder in the number 31 and their blusher, number 29 on the apples of my cheeks.
I filled my brows in using an old Sephora angle brush (that I got in a travel set years ago) with a mixture of a matte chocolate brown and a light brown for the inside corners(I don't know the names or brands of the specific ones I used as I got them in my kit when I was back in college!).
Under the brow I highlighted the area using INGLOT eyeshadow in 46 and contoured the eye using my face powder(all over lid) and my contour powder(into the crease). Finish the eye by applying a generous amount of Essence 3in1 mascara to the lashes.
I lined the lips using MAC Boldley Bare lip pencil and filled them in with MAC Honey Love lipstick. Last but not least, a quick coat of Essence Stay With Me lipgloss in 02 My Favourite Milkshake and your good to go!!!

Jx