Vamptress

Hi guys!

I wanted to share with you this quick FOTD that I posted on my Instagram the other night.

I love experimenting with make up and this is what I was doing when I came out with this look.

Below is the product list:

Face: 

ELF Eyebrow Lifter and Filler in Ivory/Dark
Maybelline Brow Drama in Dark Brown
MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC50
NYX Concealer Jar in Orange
ELF Mineral Personal Blend Foundation in Dark (mixed with Ben Nye Topaz Powder) 
LA Girl Pro Concealer in Fawn
ELF High Definition in Yellow
MAC Studio Fix Powder in NC50
ELF Mineral Blush in Peachy
MAC Blush in Format
Guerlain Terracotta Bronzer in Ebony 08

Eyes:

MAC Studio Fix Powder in NC50
Makeup Geek Gel Eyeliner in Immortal
Benefit's They're Real Mascara
Maybelline The Falsies Mascara

Lips:

MAC Nightmoth Lip Liner
Coloured Raine Lipstick in Plum Fairy

Contacts:

Freshlook Colourblends in Grey


I really love everything about this look especially the lips, Nightmoth and Plum Fairy are near identical in colour giving you the perfect vampy lip!

I also used a few new products which have swiftly become some of my favouties including the ELF Mineral Personal Blend Foundation which is FANTASTIC and the gorgeous Guerlain bronzer that I have been lusting over for months now!

Reviews will be up shortly for both!

23

Grown Woman

Beyonce fever has gripped me!

I like to play like she is just ordinary to me but I always seem to break.

I went to her London concert and had such a good time I'm sure I blacked out for a while.

Her song Grown Woman has had me up and shaking a leg.

The modern Timbaland sound mixed with the essence of an African beat...PERFECT.

Grown Woman has also inspired this look I threw together.

I love the bold lips paired with a smokey eye. 

I used the Wet N Wild Comfort Zone Palette (which I lurrve) for this look which I received from the lovely Jenn from Spiced Beauty in a make up swap!

I know there's the rule of either a bold eye or bold lip not both but you know what?

I'm a grown woman and I can do whatever I want ;)

Face

Hard Candy Sheer Envy Face Primer

Daniel Sandler Perfect Canvas Foundation in Shade 12 and 14

L.A. Girl Pro Concealer in Fawn

Ben Nye Translucent Face Powder in Topaz

Coastal Scents Eclipse Concealer Palette

Hard Candy So Baked Bronzer in Tropics

Covergirl Bronzer in Q120 Ebony Bronze

Wet N Wild Vanity Palette (dark brown used as contour)

W7 Cream De La Creme Blush in Heavenly

Milani Baked Blush in Terra Sole

Eyes

ELF Mineral Eyelid Primer in Sheer

Wet N Wild Comfort Zone Palette (the browns)

Sleek Blush by 3 in Turbinado (transitional colour)

Makeup Geek Eyeshadow in Corrupt (eyeliner)

YSL Babydoll Mascara

Rimmel Scandaleyes Pencil in Nude 

Lips

MAC Nightmoth Lip Liner

Limecrime CandyFuture Lipstick in Poisonberry

What do you think?

Do you think the rule of either bold lip or eye should be revised?

15

Base Face

If you have watched my Great Expectations video you'll see that one of my main goals was to create the perfect 'base face.'

I've been on this mission since seeing how incredible Destiny Godley's foundation routine left her looking! Absolutely flawless but natural looking.

I think this is a very hard thing to accomplish nowadays, especially if you want to cover up blemishes however I set myself the challenge and I think I have finally found a routine that works for me.

I use this look whenever I am going out to a bar, club etc and I find it works great for me!

Obviously this wont work for everyone but I hope you can take bits from it that may help you achieve your perfect 'base face' too.

Firstly I moisturise.

After moisturising I apply a primer. The quality of primer really makes a difference and helps your make up to stay flawless all night. I use Tony Moly's Egg Pore Silky Smooth Balm and I apply this all over my face.

I then move onto my brows, I fill them in with my ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit in Dark and then clean around them using my Coastal Scents Eclipse Palette. For a natural looking highlight, I use a lighter concealer on the bottom outer half of my brow and blend out, I then clean up the rest with a shade that matches my skin tone. 

Now I move onto my favourite part, the foundation. 

I have recently starting using MAC's Studio Fix Fluid in NC50 for my full coverage foundation (no need for me to use concealer to hide blemishes when using this) and I LOVE IT! It's a perfect colour match and very long lasting.

I apply this by tapping out a bit on my hand, (I am sans pump) around a 10p size.

I then apply using my Real Technique's Stippling Brush. I buff the foundation into my skin using circular motions, insuring all product is blended in evenly.

Next step, the one made famous by Kim K. 

Highlighting!

I always opt for subtle highlighting due to flash from cameras.

I find the LA Girl Pro Conceal in Fawn is PERFECT for my skin tone. 

It blends in amazingly, allowing for the most natural highlight. 

I apply the concealer underneath my eyes in a triangular shape, down my nose, cupids bow as well as chin. I then blend it all in with a damp beauty blender until I am happy with the result.

I set with Ben Nye's Banana powder. 

I make sure I blend this in too. 

If I find I still have harsh lines with the concealer I go over lightly with my MSF face powder to blend the concealer even more.

Once this is done, I move onto bronzer.

I use Covergirl Queen Bronzer in Ebony Bronze Q120 in places that I would normally contour.

I would normally then go back in with my Sleek Contour Kit in Dark and apply the matte brown powder to the hollows of my cheeks making sure to blend out all the harsh lines.

Next onto blush!

I use two just because I love the look.

I first start off with NARS Blush in Taj Mahal (LURVVE) which I apply to the apples of my cheeks and with the remainder I apply this to the tops of my temples. I do the same with MAC's Blush in Format for a bit more warmth.

For a bit more glam, I apply a shimmer highlighter to the tops of my cheek bones, underneath my brow, down my nose and cupids bow.

Lately I have been reaching for ELF's Blush in Gotta Glow but from time to time I also use MAC's Cream Colour Base in Improper Copper or Accessorize Baked Bronzer in Bermuda Shade 4.

I skip powdering my entire face as I feel my face is quite matte after all of the above so I set with 

ELF's Makeup Mist & Set

(AMAZING PRODUCT, I love this much more than MAC's Fix +) to get rid of the powdery look and then...viola!

 I'm done!!! 

(wipes brow)

The rest (eyes and lips) are down to how I'm feeling at the time!

In the picture above I kept the eyes simple, just a coat of good ol' Maybelline's Great Lash mascara in Blackest Black.

My lips are lined with a generic brown lip liner, coupled with NYX's Round Lipstick in Minimalism and NYX's Mega Shine Lipgloss in Miami Babe over the top.

This all seems like a lot but it really becomes simple (and fast) after you get it down and the results are pretty thumbs up (if I do say so myself!)

I think it's just a case of working with products that you like and you are familiar with!

Do you have any tips to share that you use for creating a flawless base?

15

Shocking Pink

I can't lie!

I have been caught up in the hype over the return of MAC's Candy Yum Yum however I still could not bring myself to drop £14 on a lipstick, so I went on a mission which just consisted of watching Candy Yum Yum dupe videos on Youtube. 

It was a long and exhausting road (exaggerating much?) but at last I found a dupe!

NYX's Matte Lipstick in Shocking Pink.

I had previously picked up this shade when I shopped at Beauty Joint as I wanted to broaden my lipstick colour collection, however being such a bold bright pink I was too scared to wear it out...until now.

I also knew I needed a good deep purple/plum liner to make this colour wearable on my skin tone. I had also been craving MAC's Night Moth lip liner but I set myself the task of finding a cheaper alternative.

Say hello to Barry M's lip liner in Number 11 Plum.

Combine the two together and viola!

A gorgeous statement neon pink lip for less than a tenner!!!

Perfect for dress down days to add something special to your outfit!

Hoorah for dupes!!

23

Fierce

Which is EXACTLY how I felt when I had this picture taken!
New year means new look so I had my AMAZING hairdresser hook me up with my new install and make up to match.
I went longer with my hair opting for 24" (I may cut it back down to 22" however, we'll see how well I adjust) with a closure piece as my hair needed it!
This is my first time wearing a closure and I have to say I am pleasantly surprised.
The hair I purchased was from Ali Express - Queen Hair, I have purchased from them before (you can see the hair in my previous posts since July) and I can safely say that I like this hair, yeah its not 100% tangle free but it's affordable and long lasting.
The closure I also purchased from Ali Express, as this is my first time wearing a closure I can't give an honest review but will do an initial one in a few weeks or so.
So far really liking this hair, will probably trim a little off the ends and dye it burgundy or honey blonde (Beyonce style) dependant on how I feel so stay tuned!

Please see below for all details:

Hair:

 24, 24, 20, 18
Click HERE to get to the store.

Closure:

16" free parting closure
Click HERE to get to the store

My Fabulous Hairdresser:

Le Dutches Blogspot

F.a.B by Le Dutches Facebook

Le Dutches does everything from installing to professional colouring and cutting on Afro and European hair, she is my go to gal!!!

 I have been using her and no one else for my weave for 4 years!

She also did the make up for my look which I LURVEE!

Now to make a decision on my new hair colour. 

What do you guys think subtle and sassy burgundy, Beyonce blonde or a bold and in ya face colour ?

Any suggestions?

11

The Festive Look

At Christmas you have to go a lil bit 'all out' and get your 'fabulous' on!

You should also have a make up look to accompany those glad rags and this is mine.

The classic siren look with a twist.

The focus being the eyes and the lips without one overpowering the other.

How To Achieve This Look

For a flawless base make sure you apply primer, as the siren look is more about the eyes and lips we want to keep the face flawless and away from shine! 

 Use a mattifying primer such as Laura Mercier's Oil Free Foundation Primer.

Then move onto foundation, once again we want to reinforce the matte appearance so use a foundation such as MAC Matchmaster which is matte and adapts to the skin's natural tone. In this look I used shade 7.5. Conceal any imperfections with your favourite concealer.

I used MAC Studio Finish Concealer in shade NC50.

Next, I applied a base colour on my lid. 

This colour should be the same colour as your skin tone, we do not want an overpowering colour, just something to create a more flawless base. 

In this case I used my MAC Mineralise Skin Finish in Deep Dark as this is a perfect colour to mimic my skin tone.

To create some definition to the eye and to create an uber subtle smokey eye I applied a dark brown eyeshadow to the outer corner of my crease and blended well.

Once I was happy with that I went in my a black gel eyeliner and lined my top lid. 

You can use Bobbi Brown's Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink. 

A stiff eyeliner brush will aid greatly in creating the PERFECT flick, however if you are not too great at this have some cotton buds and make up remover near by to clear up any mistakes!

Line the outer corner of your bottom lid with a brown eyeliner pencil to enhance the subtle smokey look. MAC Kohl Eyeliner in Teddy is perfect for this! 

Use a pencil brush to smoke it out a little bit. 

Add mascara, my current FAAAVVV is Lancome's Hynose Doll Eyes and then add your favourite flirty lashes and viola! 

Eyes complete! 

Simple right?!?

Now lips! 

You can go with a classic red lip but yawn!! 

Where's the fun in that?!

Let's go ombre!

Take a dark plum lip liner such as MAC's Night Moth or Vino and line your lips, focussing mostly on the outer corners of your mouth.

Then apply your lipstick and blend

I used MAC's Lipstick in Runaway Red but you can use Diva or M.A.C Red.
For an added pop, dab pink lipstick onto the center of your lips!

Once satisfied, tidy up neatly with your concealer and set your make up with your favourite finishing powder.

And there you have it! 

A simple but effective festive look perfect for all skin tones!

What do you think? 

Will you be trying this out for your xmas parties?

What would you substitute?

15

LimeCrime Red Velvet

Ladies and gentlefolk welcome to my blog post about my new favourite red lippie.

It is no secret that I am a big fan of all things lipstick, especially red lipstick so when I came across a picture of Lime Crime's Velvetines in Red Velvet on Instagram I fell in love INSTANTLY.

Lime Crime itself is a unique American based vegan and cruelty free brand, founded by Doe Deere, the brand creates...

' a unique blend of innovative beauty products and fantasy presentation. Ranging from opaque lipsticks to eyeliners and eyeshadows, Lime Crime is a known trend-setter of the makeup world."

Lime Crime is a brand that isn't afraid to be different and their new Velvetines prove this.

Their Velvetines come in two colours: 

Red Velvet

and 

Suedeberry 

and are described as the following:

'Long-lasting waterproof liquid lipstick that goes on with the ease of gloss and dries completely matte.'

The description sums up the product perfectly really!

Application

Application was a bit messy, this was due to the fact that the product is a liquid which comes with a doe foot applicator. 

I think maybe a brush would have been more ideal but it wasn't too much of a big deal breaker...nothing that concealer couldn't fix.

I didn't apply any lipliner, instead I went straight in with the product, applying a first layer and letting that dry.

Coverage was superb with one coat however I went in with another, well...just because!

Drying is a bit odd, maybe because I'm used to matte products drying super fast, however with the Velvetines expect to wait a little bit longer than usual. Around maybe half a minute to a minute.

Once it dried I tidied up the edges with some concealer. 

Simples.

My Thoughts

I LOVE THIS!!!!!!

Why?

For various reasons, but mostly because of the colour pay off.

I liken it to Ruby Woo on crack!

Very bright and vivid but long lasting and the soft non-drying matte finish just makes this product a winner.

Perfect for the classic red lip for a vintage, siren look.

It works perfect on my skin tone and I am more than sure that it would also look amazing on paler skin tones but if you are unsure and you own

 Ruby Woo then this will work for you!

I definitely recommend this product!

I think I will be purchasing more products from Lime Crime from now on, I love the idea of their daring lip colours and eyeliners.

Where To Buy

If you live in the US you can purchase Lime Crime products directly for their site HERE. 

The Velvetines retail for $16.99

I purchased my Lime Crime Velvetines from Love Makeup.com HERE.

 At current they only stock the Red Velvet Velvetine which retails for £11.50.

I also received a free sample pot of Lime Crime's Eyeshadow Helper too!

Result!

What do you think about the Velvetines?

Have you tried any Lime Crime products?

Would you recommend? 

Let me know!

20

Nineties

As I sit here shouting at Nicole "I've been hiding my stupidity away for years until now" Scherzinger on X Factor I thought now would be a perfect time to share one of my new purchases.

I've wanted vintage high waisted Levi's for the longest and I managed to snag two on eBay both for less than £25, can someone say BARGAIN!?!

I teamed this one with my ASOS crop top and will probably team with my black Timbs or black heeled sandals.

I haven't had the courage to wear this out, when I drop another dress size then hells yeah!

In case your wondering on my lips I am wearing

Wet N Wild's Vamp It Up & 908C, loving this combo!

14

Berrylicious

This week has been fulla ups and downs...I am back on the job hunt as my temp job is coming to an end, I was feeling sorry for myself because I did enjoy working there and my contract was not extended but after some time I realised God must have other plans for me so I shouldn't be too sad about the situation...it's just the thought of being unemployed that scares the hell outta me! That added to the arrival of winter and the days getting shorter I've been feeling a bit MEH about everything this week but I'm trying to remain positive! Pay day is on it's way! ;)

This is today's face which I also posted up on my Instagram (@NatalieKayo.)

This face was inspired by a mish mash of YT vids that I had seen by the following talented ladies:

BeautybyJJ

Lil Pumpkin Pie 05

Charlotte Tilbury c/o Lisa Eldridge 

I took the subtle smokey eye from the Charlotte Tilbury and Jackie-O tutorial and the berry lip from Jennie.

I really like this look and I'm loving the brown smokey eye, I will definitely use this again but I'll probably use a lighter base such as a BB cream (all about the Sleek one right now as well as the Skin 79 and Skin Base combo! Two thumbs up baby!)

Face

Body Shop "Matte It" Primer

Illamasqua Skin Base in SB15

L.A Girl Pro Conceal in Fawn

Covergirl Queen Ebony Bronze Bronzer
MAC MSF Gold Deposit

Sleek Blush in Flushed

NYX Blush in Terracota 

Eyes

ELF Eyelid Primer in Sheer

ELF Cream Eyeliner in Copper (Base)

MUA Heaven and Earth Palette Shimmery Brown (Lid)

28 Neutral Eyeshadow Palette Black (Outer V)

Covergirl Queen Ebony Bronze Bronzer (Crease)

L'Oreal Super Liner Perfect Slim Intense Black (Love This!)
Avon Supershock Liner Black

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara Blackest Black

Lips

Wet N Wild Lipsticks in Vamp It Up and Sugar Plum Fairy

Sleek Pout Paint Port

What do you think of this look, would you rock it?

Change the lip colour maybe?

Let me know!

In other news I have been completely OBSSESSED with Frank Ocean's Pyramids, the song and the video...amazing!

Stay blessed lovelies!

14

Soo...I Did It

Yeahhh so I had a vain moment, there really is NO NEED for all the photos but I had to show off my NEW DO!

Yeah I went and got it chopped off and I LOVE IT!

It's very choppy and sort of punk rockish which I love!

I have a shape up and all sorts!

I guess the hard part comes with maintaining it now but we all learn as we go along.

The first pic is salon fresh and you can see my dogs cheeky face in the background too!

Was not sure how everyone would take the drastic change but I have had an awesome response from my FB family! :) 

Got my hair cut at Radiant Salon in Bermondsey if anyone is interested.

While I'm here thought I'd do a quick outfit post too!

Went to meet a friend today for a spot of shopping!

Wanted to keep it quite casual!

Jacket: Primari, Top: Topshop, Riding Pants: H&M, Snood: H&M, Heels: Ebay

Apologies for the state of these photos and my militant stance...I have no excuse!

I also want to bring attention to my new shoes!

JC knock off's! Yeah I'm NOT ashamed! Not for the price I bagged them at! £30!!! BARGAAAIN! They are ridiculously comfortable!

I've seen another pair that look exactly like Lita's, may treat myself to those in another colour!

Hmm...

Anyway guys, I'm off to decorate the Christmas tree...BADLY.

Stay tuned to DOS will be making some well needed changes in the new year!

Also a big mahussive THANKS TO ALL READERS AND SUBBIES!

You make blogging worthwhile! 

:)   

xxx

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