A Winter Warmth

Here in Ireland, we've gone from a really nice summer into a bitter cold September like the click of a finger, so we never really got a chance to say goodbye to our rare hot summer. With fashion, beauty and makeup we're not fully ready to jump into our big cozy winter coats just yet.

Today on the eyes, I decided to blend out a classic smokey eye with a fun pop of bright colours to bring a bit of life and that last bit of summer into your makeup without being too much.

       

I personally love playing around with colours to change up a neutral eye. On today's eye I blended out a brown and black smokey eye with pink, orange, red and purple to achieve a warm effect to the overall look. I used the same fluffy blending brush with all of the colours as it doesn't matter if the colours mix.

I used a pink toned highlight under the brow to tie in with the colours blended and to add a bit of depth to the look. I also kept the rest of the face quite simple so it is all about the eyes! These colours can look great on all skin tones, just add a little at a time to achieve the effect your comfortable wearing.

Love Jx

Autumnal Shades of Berry

Hi guys!!

Definitely embracing coming into the Autumn/Winter (for the couple of weeks I'll be here anyway) and jumping straight on the bandwagon of the infamous berry lip. These Autumnal shades are an almost garaunteed trend every year. Definitely worth investing in a the perfect lippie for you and your wardrobe, after all, you'll be seeing it next year and for years to come!

I however won't be embracing for too long as me and my other half are heading on an adventure of a lifetime. We have packed in our jobs and are heading to south-east Asia for 4-5 months and then hopefully settling down in Spain. Lots of updates and blogposts from all around the world to be made!

Love J xx

See Stars in Her Eyes

In the summer months, our makeup doesn't tend to stay on our face as well as other months of the year, so we need a little helping hand when it comes to staying put all day long. I've put together some of my favourite eye products I've been using the past couple of months to keep those eyes looking fresh till dawn.

An eyeshadow primer is vital in these summer months to keep your eyemakeup lasting all day. The lids of the eyes can get naturally oily,  no matter what skin type you have, so to control these oils a primer must be used. I love MAC Paint Pot in the shade Painterly for my skin, however this is a very light shade so it won't suit all skin tones. There are primers specifically made for the eyes which are good such as the Urban Decay Primer Potion or Inglot Eye Primer amongst others but I find the Paint Pots work wonders with soaking up any excess oils. Concealers can be used also but I would avoid using them if you have very oily lids.

If you know me at all, you know that eyebrows are, in my opinion, the most important part of your makeup. They lift the eyes, frame the face and really finish a look, if done right. I love using MAC Gel Eyeliner in the shade Dipdown to give my brows a defined, sharp look without being too much. I firstly define the arch and extend it into the tail. I then fill in the top of the brow, lifting it at the arch slightly to brighten the eye area. Using the excess on the brush I lightly fill in the outer half of the brow. Next, i use a spoolie brush to even out the colour and disperse some of that product into the inner part of the brow giving you a beautiful, natural ombré brow.

Using a gel liner through the brows in the heat is best as it is generally more water resistant than your average brow pencil or eyeshadow. This is perfect for if your out in the sun, in the pool on your holliers or just want your makeup to last that extra stretch.

Lastly for the brows, I am addicted to Catrice Eyebrow Filler. Like a mascara for your brows, this product has a small amount of pigment in it so when brushed through the brow hairs it adds a bit of colour as well as a beautiful texture. It also helps the brow hairs to stay in place keeping them perfect and sharp all day long.

These days I am loving a simple eye with a colour pop on the lip, but we all need a little bit of colour on those lids, just to keep it interesting. Under the brows I love using MAC Pigment in Pink Opal, a soft pearlescent shade that can be applied sheer or packed on for a more intense colour! 

On the lid, to add an extra bit of glow and sparkle, I love the MAC Pressed Pigments. My favourite shade is Warming Heart, a perfect soft gold shade with an infusion of fine glitter. I bring this colour up to the crease of the eye with a dense synthetic brush to get the best colour payoff. A little bit of a matte brown, around two shades darker than your skin tone, into the crease with a fluffy brush works wonders. It will break up the sheen of your lid and highlight colour aswel as giving definition to the shape of your eye.

Most days I like to wear my eyes quite bare, but if I'm looking to put in a little extra effort I love to add a classic 50's flick to give extra definition and to shspe the eyes. To do this, I use Inglot Gel Liner in the shade 77. This is by far my favourite eyeliner to use as it is jet black and it is 100% waterproof so it can be used on the lid or waterline and it will last all night long! 

This product has one downfall. It does tend to dry out quite quickly in the pot. When this happens I use a droplet of Inglot Duraline and mix it in with a small section of the liner to cream everything back up again. Good as new!! 

Duraline can also be used as a primer, to pack on pigment or glitters and to add moisture into dried out products such as gel liners, matte lipsticks, mascaras ect.

And last but not least is my all time favourite mascara, the Inglot False Lash Effect Mascara. The brush in this mascara is probably the best I've come across. I'm not a fan of Inglot mascaras in general, but this one really lengthens your lashes, adds volume and is jet black. I also found this mascara to last very well. I have gas mine around four months and it has only dried out now. Usually, I find myself changing mine every few weeks but this one lasts amazingly!!

Any questions just ask

Jx

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 

Beautiful Brows

Nothing completes your makeup look like finishing touches such as filling in your eyebrows. Not only do they frame the face, but if done correctly, they can open the eye more, lift the lid and give you a finished and more professional look.
When I was younger, I unfortunately got extremely tweezer happy and decided to butcher my poor eyebrows within an inch of their lives! It's safe to say they haven't grown back! Because of this, I will rarely leave the house without filling in my brows!
This is how I achieve my eyebrow look:

1. I first brush through the natural hairs in my brow, making sure all the hairs are going in the same direction, I do this using a spoolie brush.

2. Due to all the hairs sitting in the direction of growth, I can then see any stray hairs that need to be plucked. I usually pluck stray hairs everyday, I'm a bit OCD when it comes to my brows!
If your trying to grow out your eyebrows, it's best to draw the eyebrow on first and then to pluck around it as you then aren't tempted to pluck any strays that are growing into your natural shape that you want due to them being covered with shadow.

3. Now the brow is nice and neat, I use my Sigma F70 concealer brush and I can now map out where I want my brow to be starting at the arch. The arch is the highest area of the brow before it curves downwards. I love elongated brows, so I like my arch to be right above the outside corner of my eye.
I use MAC NC20 to do this as it is much lighter in colour to my foundation, so it acts as a highlight to the brow bone.
I then use my Sigma P80 flat precision kabuki eye brush to blend the concealer into the foundation flawlessly.

4. Next step is the colour in the brow. I use Inglot 329 chocolate matte eyeshadow as it suits my hair colour. The colour of your brows should always match the root of your natural hair colour.
I personally use a brow brush from an old Sephora travel brush set, but any angled brow brush will do. I find real hair brushes hold the product a lot better and prevents too much downfall from the shadow onto the face.
I start the shadow at the arch and I carve out the tail of the brow by extending the tail out more than my natural hair, both top and bottom so the shadow meets at the tip.I then fill in between these lines.
Then, not leaning as much on the brush so the intensity of the shadow is softer, I define the bottom of the brow inwards towards the nose. This should be in line with your nostrils (you can use your makeup brush along the nose to measure where this is to suit your own personal eye shape). Again leaning lightly, I do the same at the top so I am left with a defined shape.
Using the excess product on my brush, I fill in the inner part of the brow nice and lighltly.

5. With the brow drawn on, I then take my spoolie brush again and I brush through the inner part of my brow. To soften and disperse the colour through the natural hairs.

6. I carve under the brow again with my concealer and brush to achieve a clean carving.

7. I then highlight the brow bone using a MAC 239 flat eyeshadow brush and a mixture of Inglot 46 (all under the brow) and 393 (focused under the arch) to reflect the light giving the illusion that the brow is more prominent.

8. I give a light coating is Essence clear mascara brow gel to set and keep my natural hairs in place.

And that's it guys! I know it seems like a lot but it'll make a huge difference to your makeup!
I'd love to see how you get on! If on Instagram tag me your brows under @missjenifat and #religionrising.
See how you get on!!

Jx