Seven Eleven

The chaos that is my everyday makeup bag!

 

Everyone that knows me, knows that Revlon Colorstay Foundation is my holy grail of all foundations. If you love a full coverage that doesn't budge throughout the day, then give this a shot. I have quite oily skin and not many foundations stay that well for a full day around my nose area, however, this foundation doesn't move whatsoever and I don't have to worry about powdering on the hour every hour. I mix Natural Tan and Buff to achieve the colour I like. I would say that the combination to oily version is the one that I use, I have tried the dry to normal however I found it was like water. 

I love this Mac Pro Sculpting Powder in Definitive for contouring. It's the perfect cool tone to achieve that sculpted shadow under the cheekbone. A shadow on the contours of the face would naturally have a cool undertone. Many people make the mistake of using colours that are too warm however by mixing in a cooler shade you will see an instant difference in your sculpting technique.

As I don't have much tan on today, I mixed Inglot 502 and 505 HD sculpting Powder to warm up my face and blend out my contour. 

Mac Blush in Melba is the perfect peachy tone for nearly all skin tones. My kit is never without this little gem. I also love to use this to warm up colours and blend out eyeshadows.

So when doing brows we clearly need some Queen B on in the background. I am obsessed with this song at the moment. I use Mac Dipdown Eyeliner in my brows and set it in place with Essence Clear Brow Gel which is less than €3. 

I store all of my lipsticks in my Muji Acrylic Drawers facing bottoms out so I can see what colour I am selecting.

Finally a bit of sun here in Dublin even though it is still cold out. The finished look including my essential aviators.

Love Jen xx

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

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!

Colour Pop Candy

Lately I've been feeling pretty strongly about the 'bare look' eye and a statement lip. Be it a strong pop of colour or a daringly dark nude, it should always make a statement.

Today's details are some of my favourite products. I decided to go with a slightly lighter eyebrow shade as I have a bit of false tan on today. My weapon of choice is MAC Dirty Blonde. Alongside a perfectly carved brow goes a daringly perfect pout. Candy Yum Yum always steps up to the plate and no matter what skin tone you have, she never fails! 

The Cameo Collector

I know I am a little late, but what's a girl to do? Here is my New Years Outfit from the other day. I hope everyone had a great night and have big plans for 2014!! 

I didn't want anything too dressy so I went for a loose fitting boyfriend jean from River Island paired with a sheer striped shirt from Primark. To accessorise, I went with my favourite belt (that came with the jeans) ,a splash of neon in my Forever21 neon yellow courts and of course my MAC CandyYumYum lipstick.

To finish this look I added a little family heirloom that was passed down to me by my grandmother when she passed. I thought it added a bit of character and a little Cameo is always a timeless additive to any look!

Hope you like it! Love Jen xxx