Finding my inner self | New makeup photos

Hi everyone, so this year has been an absolute roller-coast for me. Having only begun my Blog this year and everything going on I have been left to feel somewhat lost in what I want within life and what I actually want to pursue.
For three years now I have self taught myself makeup, having begun a career in TV & Film Production Things lead into me wanting to pursue a career in something a little more practical, something that I have a passion for & something that I will never get bored of. Being the shy girl I am, working in TV Production was just not for me. Although I love that field of work and every aspect of it, I felt I needed to have a lot more confidence If I wanted to go far. That lead me onto teaching myself makeup. I practice every single day and 3 years down the line I can now tell my skills have massively improved. The whole passion for makeup is the reason I begun this blog, Not knowing what direction the blog was going I begun writing away about various subjects, mostly beauty and I begun feeling slightly disappointed with myself, It was not how I imagined my blog to be, My passion was makeup and I wanted to show what I could actually do rather than writing reviews on products I used. Again, I feel my confidence is the reason that's pulling me back from achieving my dream. All women suffer from bad insecurities, even if its something small. Having suffered from severe depression this year It has completely kicked me off track, I am trying to rediscover myself and my life and I feel like I am finally beginning to get somewhere, That is why I feel I should begin a new blog, something fresh and something that actually means good to me, something I can blab away on for hours sharing my passion and showing what I can do. This blog will show more makeup posts and the odd few lifestyle and I am finally ready to begin from scratch.

Thank you anyone who is following me & reads my blog  and If any of you have a real interest for makeup like me then I'm sure you will enjoy this new revamp!

Here are a few makeup looks I have been creating to get myself on track...

If you have enjoyed this photos then I'm sure you will enjoy what's to come! :)

Purple Cut Crease Eye Makeup

Hey everyone, thought I would play a 15 second makeup tutorial that I filmed using Instagram. Hope you enjoy :)

Maybelline colour tattoo pomegranate review

I am a huge fan of the Maybelline colour tattoo eyeshadow's, and have worn the colour bronze near everyday since purchasing. Whilst I was in Superdrug I fancied trying another shade to add to my collection, I was stuck between the beautiful blue shade or the pomegranate. Having blue eyes I went with the most practical colour for my eye shade and chose pomegranate.
Pomegranate punk is a shimmery metallic purple shade, It is probably one of my favourite colours. I found this needed around 2 coats to have the perfect coverage so really good considering the price. This shade is slightly more sheerer than the bronze which I previously purchased.

When I got home I was very excited to try this colour but was slightly disappointed with the outcome, on my eyes I felt it  gave me the 'I haven't washed my makeup off' Look, like slightly dirty, but maybe that is against my skin tone. I was really hoping this would be amazing like my first purchase but that didn't seem to be the case.

Performance wise, These are amazing. They last at least 10 hours on my lids which is great for when I'm feeling lazy! Another thing I love about this product is the packaging. It is very handy to have, for travelling, nights out and days where you simply can't be bothered to give yourself a makeover. I usually just use this with my fingers and it is very practical. I would probably use this eyeshadow as a base colour underneath a purple rather than on its own so I will still get my wear out of it.

Price: £4.99
Availability: Superdrug, Boots & most online makeup stores.

Have you tried this product? what did you think?

Lacura Beauty Concealer Pen Review

I love testing out new concealers all the time, Having used my Collection 2000 lasting perfection for ages, I decided to be more open minded and tried a even cheaper brand. I remember people comparing the Aldi Concealer pen to the Touché Éclat, I was easily please, especially knowing what a bargain this product was. 

Since I was near a Aldi this week, I decided to pop in and see what they had to offer. I seen that this concealer was around £3.59, absolute bargain for what I heard. Since they only had 3 shades I decided to get the lightest as I was mostly using this for highlight.

Another little bonus about this product is that it has not been tested on animals!

Firstly the packaging, it is basically the same as the YSL Touché Éclat but probably more cheap looking. At first it took a few attempts to actually get the product out as it's a clicky pen but once you get the hang of using the product, It only takes at least one click for you to get the amount of product you need to conceal.

I found the texture to be quite light when applied, you only need the slightest bit too so it saves! 

My only disappointment about this is that it dries too quickly before you get the chance to blend it in. A few times I have applied this as a highlight and it has dried before I had the chance to blend the product in, which is so annoying since the actual conceal itself lovely.

This concealer is not the best for coverage but its lovely if you are in need for a quick fix! I usually use this for a contour so under the eyes, chin, nose and forehead and it works great. This also lasts all day for me which comes in handy if your travelling or out and about all day.

I wouldn't say this is my ultimate favourite concealer but its something I will always have in my makeup collection. I would say this is on par with the Touché Éclat, if not better as your only paying a cheeky £3.59 woohoo!

Top 5 drugstore lipsticks under £5!

Left/Right

Revlon 'Volcanic Red'
This lipstick was around £3.50, cheap for nice red lipstick. I bought this over a year ago and I still use it all the time, not only is it long lasting but it comes in beautiful sturdy packaging!

17 Supreme shine 'Bella'
This is probably the second time I have purchased this lipstick, mainly because its a pretty shiny nude that's perfect to throw on when your in need of a pick me up! I usually use this when I'm in a rush because its pretty and long lasting. I payed around £3 from boots and will probably keep repurchasing until I find something similar.

Rimmel 'Notting Hill Nude'
Out of all the lipsticks this is probably my favourite. I am probably quite fussy when it comes to nude lipsticks, some shades suit my skin tone others don't but I'd say this is the perfect colour for me & I hope to see this again. The best thing about this product has to be the price, cannot complain for £1! Goood eh?

Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick '107'
I just love this brand, especially because of the matte lipsticks. I do love a good gloss but a beautiful matte red is just perfect for all occasions. I loved this in winter and over used it! I has some purple tones in too and looks perfect with winged liner. At around £4 this is the most expensive lipstick out the bunch but defiantly worth to have in your collection.

Miss Sporty Perfect colour lipstick '054'
I really hate lipsticks that are named with numbers, although they are easier to find, I feel the brand could have been a little more creative. I bought this a few years ago as I was looking for an affordable coral lipstick. I absolutely love this brand, my favourite thing is that is smells of watermelons! I have reused this many times and always get compliments when wearing it.

Products I would never purchase again

Here are few beauty products that I have found highly disappointing and would never purchase again. These might work for some people but for me It was a complete waste of money.

Firstly, good old nail polish remover. I bought this when I was away for a week and was in desperate need in taking my chipped nail polish off. As this was the cheapest one I could find where I was, I thought it would just be as good as my 80p one at home. I hate this and so did my nails! Not only did it make them dry, but took at least half of the bottle to remove it.

Now this Instant shine dry conditioner looks like something good, I use this brand for my silver shampoo and realised after I picked this product up that it was a conditioner. This made my hair oily and greasy when I have naturally dry hair. I still have a full bottle of this and would probably never use it again. It did give my hair a boost of shine but not in a good way!

I purchased Clinique Clarifying lotion when I was suffering with a little acne on my chin. I wanted a skin care regime that would reduce the redness and oiliness on my skin. As advertised by the lady on the counter I thought I would give the 3 step plan a go. Since I received a sample as well as this, I used that up first to see whether I liked it. If anything I found this regime to break me out more than I did and again was a complete waste of money. However this does work for my mother so not always a waste.

Having going through a rough time, all I had done was cry. Not looking like I wanted to be makeup free all the time, I was in need of some waterproof mascara and something that wasn't too pricey. I came across this in Asda for around £2 and I think its the worst mascara I have ever used in my life, too make matters worse I picked up the colour brown which also looks silly on me, I can never seem to find a good drugstore waterproof mascara that gives great results. Any recommendations? :)

I wear lipstick everyday, so when I seen this product I could not resist buying. Long lasting wearable lipcote I thought was right up my street. I actually can't stand wearing this product, I have used this 3 times and the times I have used this I have experienced burning lips and then I usually get some sort of pimple, I wish I could love this product but it just aint for me.

Lastly the ever most popular stay matte powder by Rimmel. Anybody else hate this product? I have a very shiny forehead and chin and no matter how many times I have attempted to love this product, It never works. I am not the biggest fan with powder anyway but this made me look like I had a thick layer of makeup on.

Makeup brushes on a budget!

Having not had the best of everything and having to live on a tight budget, I have always looked out for the cheapest and best quality makeup products I could find, Here are a few I have picked up over the last year and I thought I would share.

Left to right.

Fraulein 3.8 Eyebrow brush
I received a set of makeup brushes from my boyfriend as a gift, this brush is from eBay in a set of 20 and cost around £9! I use this brush on a daily basis for my brows and it is my ultimate go to eye brush.

Fraulein 3.8 Flat brush 
I use this usually for my lid or under my brow, this is also from the set from eBay and it basically came with around 6 of these flat brushes in various sizes.

Megaga Professional blending brush 
If you are looking for a super cheap blending brush then this one is for you. This cost me around £3 again from eBay (yes you can tell I love eBay!) This is such a bargain brush, The wooden texture gives it a sturdy feel and the brush itself works a treat! Just as effective as a MAC or Crown brush.

Elf Blending Brush
Now I would not call this brush a blending brush, it feels more of a pencil brush. I adore this brush, Whilst not having a wide variety in brushes over the years, this has been useful for many things. Priced around £0.99 I would say this is the cheapest brush you can possible buy with the best quality.

M.Y.B Pencil Brush
Now can you guess where I purchased this brush from? ;) Yesss its eBay but I adore this brush! I payed around £3.99 so more expensive than the others but totally worth it. The quality is amazing and these brushes are long lasting so you get your moneys worth.

Fraunlein 3.8 Flat Brush
I use this everyday for my brows, this gives you the perfect shape brow and is super soft! Again from the set above.

My week in makeup

I recently began ' My week in nails' but as I'm very lazy with them lately I thought I would switch it up and do My week in Makeup. Here are a few makeup looks I have been wearing this week, hope you like!

Oral Hygiene | Teeth Whitening

I am forever changing the way I care for my teeth and gums, usually around every three months. 
Now I have found a stable routine which provides me great results, I thought I would share my thoughts on these products.

Aqua Fresh Extra Care
I have always been a Listerine gal, I never usually experimented with different mouthwashes, but having used it for a long time I was really not satisfied with the results I was getting, Not only did it literally BURN my mouth, I just preferred not to use anything. I picked up this Aqua Fresh Extra care mouthwash, As it was family friendly I knew that the product would not burn my mouth as it's for children and adults. Up to now I love this mouthwash, It gives me that fresh minty breath and I love how my teeth feel after using it. I use this twice a day after brushing and flossing.

Oral B 3D White Brilliance 
Although I should probably use a better toothpaste than just a whitening one, I find this gave me super white teeth within a week, without giving me that sensitivity. I love this product, This has to be the best whitening toothpaste I have purchased and I can see myself using this for a long time. 

Oral B Essential Floss
This is probably just your bog standard floss, it does the job by removing all food and dental plaque from your teeth, I love the size of this product as you can just throw it in your handbag big or small. I use this twice a day after brushing my teeth. 

Colgate toothbrush
Last but not least my trusty toothbrush, I have always used Colgate, not sure why but I have always found them to provide the best toothbrushes for a good price. This is medium density which I prefer. I also use a soft brush just in case my gums feel slightly sensitive. 

Barry M Haul

Hands down, Barry M has to be my favourite and most trusted brand ever. Having used these for years I have built up a little collection thanks to the 3 for 2 offers!
I recently picked up these colours which I thought would be perfect for summer but with this weather being as moody as it is I don't think there actually is a summer! 

Blueberry 

Considering this was a Gelly nail paint, It had the exact same texture and consistency as all of the other polishes. Without flash the colour looks more of a lilac than blue, I found this to take the longest to dry out the lot but It's worth waiting for pretty summery nails and I can see myself wearing this a lot.

Mint Green 

I'm never brave enough to wear super light colours on my nails but this is such a fun bright colour for any occasion. This colour would look great with a tan an some glitter to add that extra touch.

Strawberry 

This is probably my least favourite out the bunch, the colour is really pretty but I found it to take hours to dry and even when I thought it was dry it was tacky. The colour is quite subtle and would look beautiful for holidays.

Pink Flamingo

My ultimate favourite colour ever, this has to be my most favourite in my whole nail polish collection. I have purchased this plenty of times over the years and its so lovely for all year round! defiantly worth a purchase 

Simple gold eye makeup tutorial

Hope you enjoy!

My week in nails

So I haven't been bothered to do my nails this week as I had these little pretty things on! I purchased these from savers costing around £1.99! I don't want to take these off so I'm defiantly going back to purchase more :)

What are your nails like this week?

Sally Hansen | DRY KWIK | Nail colour dryer

I paint my nails at least 3 times a week & being the most impatient person ever, this is a daunting thing for me to do as its very time consuming. I have eyed this nail polish up a few times now but only just decided to give it a go. Priced around £1.99 in B&M Stores it was pretty much a bargain.

I used this over a pink polish and set a timer, under a minute I had perfectly dry nails! How amazing!
The only disappointment I had with this product is that it left my fingers feeling greasy & oily but I don't mind as long as my nails are dry in no time.

I seriously recommend this product to anyone who hates waiting for their nails to dry or to anyone who doesn't have this in their nail polish collection

Have you tried this product? what do you think?

Photo a day | Day 1 | Self portrait

Having had the most stressful 3 months of my life, I can now finally get back into routine and everyday life. I decided to do a photo a day challenge but randomly picking a topic for each day!

I have begun with  self portrait & get the embarrassing posing photos out the way ;)
I'm Laura, 21 years old & have an obsession with makeup, nice to meet you!

Bronzed Godess | Summer Tans

One thing I absolutely love about summer is the fact I can bronze away without looking like a idiot! Here are a few of my favourite tans that I have religiously used over the last year. After trying a bazillion ones I have settled on these. 

Garnier Body Summer body Tan - I got this in superdrug on sale for around £2, brilliant for the size of the bottle but since then I see it has gone up to around £7 :( I love this, it smells like fresh fruit & leaves my skin feeling lovely and soft. As this is a build up tan I use this everyday after my showers & baths, very hydrating!

ST. Moriz tanning mousse - Good old ST. Moriz eh! Trusty cheap tan which I have sworn by for years. I love this tan, I use it mostly the night before and leave it to develop overnight. The next day after a shower I have the most prettiest glow! I just keep topping it up every 3 days for a darker tan.

XEN - Tan - I first bought this tan around 4 years ago, after hearing the amazing reviews I had a cheeky go myself. I have used this make the longest and I think I will use it for many more years, it's fabulous!

Rimmel Sun Shimmer - I used to use this when I was 14, probably abused it the amount of bottles I went through. I did have my moments with this tan (pouring down rain and a streaky tan is not a good look) But this is great for a quick tan on a night out if I'm feeling very lazy!

What Tan's do you use? Any of the above?