MUA: Me, Lynsey Mckenzie
Photo: Piera Catalano Photography
Model: Natalie Lines
More pics to come soon hopefully!
xxx
Monday, 30 July 2012
Photoshoot preview!
It's been a busy old week for me this week, I passed my driving test on thursday and had a photoshoot yesterday (my second ever, argh!), so apologies for lack of postings! So here's a little preview of one of the looks from the shoot yesterday :)
More pics to come soon hopefully!
More pics to come soon hopefully!
Thursday, 26 July 2012
Barry M 333
My nails for today-
Barry M 333 - Black with multicoloured glitter :) Definitely needs to have a top coat, it dries quite matte and dull looking without one. Hope everyone in the UK is enjoying the sunshine we're having!!
Barry M 333 - Black with multicoloured glitter :) Definitely needs to have a top coat, it dries quite matte and dull looking without one. Hope everyone in the UK is enjoying the sunshine we're having!!
xxx
Saturday, 21 July 2012
Galaxy Lips
I got bored today and since I'm currently obsessed with galaxy pictures/print, I created some galaxy inspired lips!
It's a mix of tonnes of eyeshadows and some glittery gloss! Fun fun fun :)
xxx
Friday, 20 July 2012
My Must Have Brushes
So these are my MUST HAVE make up brushes, the brushes I use every single day and probably couldn't live without.
So working from left to right, first off is Crown Brush's BK31 Mini Flat Bronzer. I used this for a long time as a bronzer brush, and it is amazing for contouring and buffing colour in, but I've recently started using it to apply my foundation, and I absolutely LOVE it. You can properly buff in your foundation and get a flaw free finish. I am going to look for a synthetic flat topped brush to replace this though, as synthetic bristles are better to use with cream products as they are much easier to clean and don't soak up the product like natural bristles do.
Next up is another Crown Brush- IB126 Chisel Powder/Blush. I use this for powder, blush, bronzer and squished flat for contouring. The bristles are amazingly soft and pick up plenty of product and distribute it nice and evenly. I'm totally in love with their badger brushes I must admit, I've never felt softer bristles!
Now for my eyeshadows I couldn't do without a good fluffy blending brush, my choice being the BK38 Deluxe Crease from (surprise surprise!) Crown Brush. I LOVE this thing. It is perfect for blending and since I have quite high brows, so lots of eyelid space it is the perfect size for doing big washes of colour and blending all those harsh edges. This is a definite must have for anyone's make up bag.
So, everyone needs an angle brush, EVERYONE. I don't know where I got this one from but I go through a lot of these things so that they're always nice and precise. I use these for my brows and for eyeliner, they're awesome for creating precise lines, detail in your brows and lovely winged eyeliner.
Next is a lip liner brush. I use this for concealing tiny imperfections, spots etc, I feel like i can be super precise with this after I've applied my concealer with my finger, just going over any little bits that need that extra bit of coverage.
And finally I use a basic foam tipped applicator. I use this for packing on eyeshadow before blending it out, it can deposit much more colour than a brush can and it can be placed exactly where I want it before blending.
So there you go, every brush I use on a daily basis, I have many more for other uses but these are my faves, and I really can't speak more highly of Crown Brush, incredibly high quality brushes for non extortionate prices! Love them <3
So working from left to right, first off is Crown Brush's BK31 Mini Flat Bronzer. I used this for a long time as a bronzer brush, and it is amazing for contouring and buffing colour in, but I've recently started using it to apply my foundation, and I absolutely LOVE it. You can properly buff in your foundation and get a flaw free finish. I am going to look for a synthetic flat topped brush to replace this though, as synthetic bristles are better to use with cream products as they are much easier to clean and don't soak up the product like natural bristles do.
Next up is another Crown Brush- IB126 Chisel Powder/Blush. I use this for powder, blush, bronzer and squished flat for contouring. The bristles are amazingly soft and pick up plenty of product and distribute it nice and evenly. I'm totally in love with their badger brushes I must admit, I've never felt softer bristles!
Now for my eyeshadows I couldn't do without a good fluffy blending brush, my choice being the BK38 Deluxe Crease from (surprise surprise!) Crown Brush. I LOVE this thing. It is perfect for blending and since I have quite high brows, so lots of eyelid space it is the perfect size for doing big washes of colour and blending all those harsh edges. This is a definite must have for anyone's make up bag.
So, everyone needs an angle brush, EVERYONE. I don't know where I got this one from but I go through a lot of these things so that they're always nice and precise. I use these for my brows and for eyeliner, they're awesome for creating precise lines, detail in your brows and lovely winged eyeliner.
Next is a lip liner brush. I use this for concealing tiny imperfections, spots etc, I feel like i can be super precise with this after I've applied my concealer with my finger, just going over any little bits that need that extra bit of coverage.
And finally I use a basic foam tipped applicator. I use this for packing on eyeshadow before blending it out, it can deposit much more colour than a brush can and it can be placed exactly where I want it before blending.
So there you go, every brush I use on a daily basis, I have many more for other uses but these are my faves, and I really can't speak more highly of Crown Brush, incredibly high quality brushes for non extortionate prices! Love them <3
xxx
Wednesday, 18 July 2012
My Everyday Look
So this is my everyday look, I know I wear a lot of makeup! But I love it :) So it's basically a smokey cat eye, some contouring and strong brows (still haven't found my perfect brow product :( )
Skin:
Sometimes I'll use different products; shadows from my naked palette, MAC myth or Creme D'Nude on the lips and different pink blushes but generally these are the products I use daily, just goes to show you don't always have to spend loads on products!
Skin:
- Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Sand Beige
- MAC Studio Fix Concealer in NC20
- Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in 03 Golden Beige
- NYC Cheek Glow in Sutton Peach Place (for contouring)
- A pink blush from the Crown Brush blush palette
- MUA Shade 1 - Pearl eyeshadow used as highlighter on cheekbones and cupid's bow
- MUA Shade 1 - Pearl eyeshadow in inner corners
- Natural Collection shadow in Milk Chocolate
- Natural Collection shadow in Crushed Walnut and Black blended in outer corners
- Collection 2000 Black Liquid Eyeliner
- ELF Black Cream Eyeliner
- Katy Perry "Oh Honey" Falsh Eyelashes
- Miss Sporty Studio Lash Black Mascara
- ELF Eyebrow Kit - Dark
- Black Eyeshadow as above for depth
- MUA Lipstick - Bare
Sometimes I'll use different products; shadows from my naked palette, MAC myth or Creme D'Nude on the lips and different pink blushes but generally these are the products I use daily, just goes to show you don't always have to spend loads on products!
xxx
Sunday, 8 July 2012
Brand Focus: MUA
Today I thought I'd do a review on some products I have by MUA, a very cheap make up brand available in Superdrug and online at www.muastore.co.uk
First up are the single eyeshadows, which at only being £1 each offer a great range of colours, matte and shimmer, with some being incredibly highly pigmented.
I LOVE the first colour, Shade 01, it's a slightly yellow white colour that's awesome for highlighting, not only on the eyes but on the face as well. I use this every day on the inner corners of my eyes to brighten them up, and use the white (middle swatch, Shade 2) in the same way when I want a slightly more dramatic look. The bronze colour (Shade 30) is lovely and highly pigmented, and the dark colour (Shade 10) is a lovely black colour with a purple shimmer, great for smokey eyes. The colour on the far right (if you can even see it!) is shade 16, the only matte colour I have and it's a very pale pink colour, but as you can see isn't very pigmented but it's nice as a light wash over the eyelids.
Next up is their 12 Shade Heaven and Earth palette. I bought this when I couldn't afford Urban Decay's Naked palette, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at the quality I got for £4! All the colours are highly pigmented, slight fallout but nothing major and a really nice selection of colours. All shimmer though, would have been nice to have a couple of matte colours but from what I've seen their matte eyesahdows aren't quite on par with their shimmers.
Now since I had tried the eyeshadows and been happy with them, I bought two lip products.
Firstly a red lipstick, shade 1, it has a really good creamy consistency and is a really lovely punchy blue toned red, once again highly pigmented, but because of the consistency it can get quite messy. It also has quite a strong smell which isn't overly pleasant. Overall though for £1, pretty good quality.
Secondly and most recently I bought this Lip Boom.
The Lip Boom is a collaboration with Alexandra Burke, MUA's first celeb collaboration I believe, which should bring a good amount of attention to the brand. So, the Lip Boom (£3) has a lipstick on one end, and a highlighting gloss on the other and is branded as a 4 in 1 lipstick and gloss. I bought shade OMG which is a bright coral colour. The lipstick is matte and very bright, but you have to layer it up to get a good even colour (swatch second from left). I find this colour a bit bright for me so I've been wearing it mixed with either MAC's Myth or Creme D'Nude (far right swatch), which creates a very wearable pale coral colour. Now the highlighter (middle swatch), I've used it a couple of times and the colour does compliment the lipstick, but it doesn't have a very smooth consistency, probably due to the glitter being quite chunky, if it had been a shimmery gloss it would have worked a lot better (swatch second from right showing highlighter over the lipstick).
So all round, MUA is a bit hit and miss, the eyeshadows coming out on top with their highly pigmented colours. I would definitely recommend picking up a few eye colours when you're next in Superdrug :) Excellent for those on a budget!
Also, check out Karla Powell's facebook page, she is the head of make up artistry for MUA and has created some amazing looks using their products.
First up are the single eyeshadows, which at only being £1 each offer a great range of colours, matte and shimmer, with some being incredibly highly pigmented.
I LOVE the first colour, Shade 01, it's a slightly yellow white colour that's awesome for highlighting, not only on the eyes but on the face as well. I use this every day on the inner corners of my eyes to brighten them up, and use the white (middle swatch, Shade 2) in the same way when I want a slightly more dramatic look. The bronze colour (Shade 30) is lovely and highly pigmented, and the dark colour (Shade 10) is a lovely black colour with a purple shimmer, great for smokey eyes. The colour on the far right (if you can even see it!) is shade 16, the only matte colour I have and it's a very pale pink colour, but as you can see isn't very pigmented but it's nice as a light wash over the eyelids.
Next up is their 12 Shade Heaven and Earth palette. I bought this when I couldn't afford Urban Decay's Naked palette, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at the quality I got for £4! All the colours are highly pigmented, slight fallout but nothing major and a really nice selection of colours. All shimmer though, would have been nice to have a couple of matte colours but from what I've seen their matte eyesahdows aren't quite on par with their shimmers.
Now since I had tried the eyeshadows and been happy with them, I bought two lip products.
Secondly and most recently I bought this Lip Boom.
The Lip Boom is a collaboration with Alexandra Burke, MUA's first celeb collaboration I believe, which should bring a good amount of attention to the brand. So, the Lip Boom (£3) has a lipstick on one end, and a highlighting gloss on the other and is branded as a 4 in 1 lipstick and gloss. I bought shade OMG which is a bright coral colour. The lipstick is matte and very bright, but you have to layer it up to get a good even colour (swatch second from left). I find this colour a bit bright for me so I've been wearing it mixed with either MAC's Myth or Creme D'Nude (far right swatch), which creates a very wearable pale coral colour. Now the highlighter (middle swatch), I've used it a couple of times and the colour does compliment the lipstick, but it doesn't have a very smooth consistency, probably due to the glitter being quite chunky, if it had been a shimmery gloss it would have worked a lot better (swatch second from right showing highlighter over the lipstick).
So all round, MUA is a bit hit and miss, the eyeshadows coming out on top with their highly pigmented colours. I would definitely recommend picking up a few eye colours when you're next in Superdrug :) Excellent for those on a budget!
Also, check out Karla Powell's facebook page, she is the head of make up artistry for MUA and has created some amazing looks using their products.
xxx
Friday, 6 July 2012
Argh!
I've had an allergic reaction in my eyes so I can't do any makeup posts at the moment :( so I just thought I'd show my nails today :) Inspired by a recent manicure by Killer Colours
I used:
- No7 stay perfect in So Simple
- Barry M in 334 Teal
I still need so much more practice on my nails!
xxx
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
Gradient Nails
Today I had my first crack at doing gradient nails. Had a few smudges and don't have a top coat so they don't look as smooth as they could, but they'll do for a first try!
I used:
- Collection 2000 Hot Looks Button Moon
- Collection 2000 Hot Looks Candy Floss
Someone lend me some top coat??
xxx
Monday, 2 July 2012
Photoshoot: Broken Doll
I did a photoshoot a couple of months ago with fashion blogger Kat, who is also my dear friend, and as she loves Japanese fashion and is as cute as a button, we went with a "Broken Doll" theme. We wanted very dark eyes with doll like false eyelashes, a tiny lip design and a very matte, pale look for the skin to make Kat look as doll-like as possible.
How cute is she?!
Products used:
Face:
Eyes:
Lip:
Go check out Kat's blog over on Buzznet!
Photos Copyright Jas Stephenson Photography.
xxx
How cute is she?!
Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Buff MAC Studio Finish concealer in NC15 MAC Prep + Prime Powder Light pink blusher from Crown Brush palette
MAC Eye Kohl in Smolder Natural Collection matte black eyeshadow Urban Decay Creep from the Naked palette Eyelashes provided by Kat
Concealer as above ELF lip liner in Bitter Touch of gloss on top for depth
Go check out Kat's blog over on Buzznet!
An Introduction!
Hi! Just thought I'd write a little intro to my blog before I jump in! I'm a twenty-something british girl slogging away in the world of retail, trying to find the courage to move into the makeup industry. This blog is basically going to be filled with product reviews, make up looks I create, anything that inspires me and any shoots that I do! Hopefully it will be of interest to someone :) Anyway, let's get going...
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