HAUL // AMAZING MAKE-UP HIGH STREET BUYS UNDER £10

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NARS // ALL DAY LUMINOUS FOUNDATION (MACAO)

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CONCEALER // NARS RADIANT CREAMY CONCEALER

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YOUTUBE // Spring/Summer Beauty Loves

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HAUL // Sephora Buys

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YouTube // Snake Eyes Tutorial (Party/Date Night Makeup)

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Favourite Beauty Products Of 2014 Pt 1 || Eyes, Palettes & Face

Although I have loved cosmetics for a while, 2014 seemed to be the year where I REALLY put time and effort into trialing and testing out new products for my makeup regime.

 Last year I published my Favourite Beauty Products of 2013, it'll be interesting to see who made the cut to 2014.

Just a word of warning, this is gonna be a long one (especially when it comes to face/base products) so brace yourself!

Once again I've broken this down into Eyes, Face, Lips with a few new additions to this year which are Palettes, Skin Care and Ones To Watch in 2015.

If you're a makeup lover like myself I'm sure you'll enjoy this post, so without further ado, let's get right to it!

     

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YouTube // Autumn/Winter Beauty Favourites

My studio lights have finally been delivered which means I can film more videos and what better way to test these lights than with a chatty Favourites video!

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Nars Pierre Hardy High Voltage Blush in Rotonde (LE)

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NARS Dolce Vita Blush

   

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IMATS London 2014 Haul

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Barefaced Beauty

Nowadays less is becoming more!

Look at celebs such as Nicki, Beyonce and Angelina.

Most days it's hard to spot if they are wearing makeup, in most cases, these ladies make their eyes the focus and their faces the backdrop.

Barefaced Beauty is the way forward, even Balmain used the 'less is more' makeup ethos using concealer and lip conditioner on the models.

So how do we go about turning ourselves into Barefaced Beauties?

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Summer Lush List

The sun is FINALLY making an appearance and I couldn't be happier!
I love preparing for this season, I change up everything, my clothes, my hair and even my make up!
My latest list contains some of the beauty items I've been luring after for summer.

Melt Cosmetics - The matte lipstick brand created by Instagram star now turned Riri's MUA Lora. Her and her partner in crime Dana have created a small but eye catching range of matte lipstick that I have been lusting over for some time now. 
I have my eye on DGAF, Blow and Shady Lady right now. The only thing putting me off is the shipping, but for these gorgeous lippies I'll just have to bite the bullet!

NARS Contour Blush in Geniah -  This is a product that NARS is due to release very soon! A contour duo with a lighter and darker shade to provide a more natural contour. I think it's a fab idea and Geniah really looks like a great shade for WoC. As it yet to be released feel free to grab some info regarding this duo from Temptalia

A La Carte London  Bespoke Foundation -  There is something about having your own bespoke foundation that fills me with  unexplained glee!

A La Carte offer bespoke make up for products such as lip glosses, lipstick and eye shadows but my eye is on the foundation.

A perfect match?! Yes please! 

Sugarpill Burning Heart Palette - After seeing this post I realised I needed a this palette in my life. I think matte yellows look amazing on darker skin tones and would really love to experiment with all the colours including the ever famous Poison Plum.

MAC Eye Shadow Palette - For the first time, a few weeks ago I went into MAC and swatched some of their eye shadows...this was a bad idea as I fell in love immediately! Initially I wanted to pick up the Warm Neutral palette when it landed but it wouldn't contain all the shades I wanted so I guess this summer I'll start creating my own MAC palette. 

Very excited...bank account is not!

Charlotte Tilbury The Perfect Vamp Kiss -  You guys already know about my lust over Charlotte's make up range. This kit looks perfect for me, the focus is on creating the perfect vamp lip, but wow, is this pricey! 

Alas, the heart wants what it wants!

Make Up Geek Pigments - I already have a few MUG products that I have found outstanding so I know these pigments will fit the bill.

These pigments come in a gorgeous array of shades and are heavenly pigmented. You can tell the MUG team put a lot of work into their products which is something I really love in a brand!

La Femme Blush Palette -  I'm not sure why I do not have a La Femme blush palette in my possession yet! From what I've seen La Femme blushers are pigmented, long wearing and fantastic in price with many shades that suit WoC. This is a must have, that I MUST HAVE!

MAC Lip Mix in Crimson - You can blame NikkieTutorials for this one, check out the AMAZING red lip she created with Crimson and Riri Woo. I've been obsessed with adding Crimson to my collection ever since. A MAC Pro product but worth the extra effort in my opinion!

What's on your summer make up wish list?

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Recommended Blushers For Dark Skin Tones

Hey gorgeous readers!

I'm very excited about this post!

I want DOS to be the place where WoC can go to get an insight into beauty products that they may want to add to their collection.

So I've decided to make a post for my blusher recommendations of WoC or women of deep skin tones. Now this may not appeal to all and these recommendations are certainly not the be all end all of blushers, but they are blushers that I own and love to wear regularly.

I'll be separating this collection of blushers into manageable sections by colour so feel free to scroll to the colour you are most attracted to!

Deep Purples

Inglot Freedom System Face Blush in 63

This blush is so hard to describe colour wise but if I had to put it into words I would say its a rich matte deep magenta with pink undertones.

It is super (and I mean SUPER) pigmented and ultra soft. 63 is particularly amazing for deep, rich chocolate tones to bring a flush of magenta to the cheeks.

A little really does go a long way with this blush but it is definitely a winner.

ELF HD Blush in  Showstopper 

ELF's HD blush in Showstopper is a deep matte aubergine purple once again fabulous for rich, deep skin tones.

This blush is perhaps the most pigmented blush I own, it took me a good few tries to work out how to use this successfully.

A pinpoint amount of product is all you need for both cheeks. 

Amazing value and long lasting, this is a great blush all round!

Bronze

Sleek Blush By 3 Palette -  Muscovado (middle blush)
A deep bronze blush with gold shimmer, this is the perfect blush for a night out, it brings warmth to the cheeks as well as a glow without overpowering with pigment. 
This is also a similar dupe to MAC's Format blush.

MAC Powder Blush in Format
One of the WoC go to MAC blushes, Format is my favourite blush to use on a night out, it has a dark rose undertone bringing warmth to the cheeks without making you look like a clown. 
The bronzey tones really help to give a sun kissed glow to the skin. Format really does compliment deeper skin tones, it's also beautifully pigmented and easy to apply and blend!

Sleek Blush in Honour (LE) Similar to Muscovado and/or Sunrise

Honour is a LE blush from the Sleek 2012 Collection (sorry guys) but wanted to show you guys how it looks, if you do not have Honour, you can find a similar dupe with Sleek's Sunrise and/or Muscovado.
Honour is a deep bronze/rose gold blush which goes on sooo smoothly to create a natural glow for the cheeks. Many say Sunrise is an exact dupe but I find Sunrise slightly more on the pinkish side. 
If this blush is a bit too dark for your skin tone you can use it as a mild bronzer instead.

Oranges

NYX Powder Blush in Cinnamon

One of my most affordable orange blushes. NYX Cinnamon is a matte bright orange blush, perfect for everyday wear.

Some may be afraid when I say orange on the cheeks but this is the PERFECT colour for creating a really subtle, healthy pop of colour to the cheeks for deeper skin tones.

I tend to wear Cinnamon in the day, I layer it over a slightly warmer blush, this way Cinnamon acts like a pop of colour to the center of my cheeks. The instant warmth it brings is fab!

NARS Blush Taj Mahal 

Probably one of my favourite blushes of all time!

Taj Mahal is an investment blush for me. NARS blushes do not come cheap but I knew I had to get Taj Mahal the first day I saw it swatched! 

Taj Mahal is a warm toned shimmery orange which works ever so amazingly well on deep and deep dark skin tones.

I normally use Taj Mahal when I'm going out due to the shimmer, my favourite way to apply it is over MAC's Format to give that pop of colour I was telling you about above, however this is also a fantastic blush to wear on it's own, perfect for that summer glow look!

Taj Mahal is amazingly pigmented and a little goes a long way, I absolutely love it, you can see me wearing Taj Mahal HERE.  

I cannot wait to add more NARS blushes to my collection...I'm already eyeing up Exhibit A

Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Excite

Another matte orange blush, Excite is more cooled toned compared to Taj Mahal but it has red undertones. This adds to it's pigmentation making it super bright which can be a bit frightening in the pan but fear not! Once applied to deeper skin tones, this blush blends out to the warmest of oranges, giving the skin a healthy flush of colour. Excite is soft and buttery on the skin and a little goes a long way, the picture above unfortunately does not do it justice, however for swatches you can see my review HERE.

Pinks, Peaches & Terracotta's

Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blushers in Dare and Glamour
Two very different pink based blushes but both easy to apply and amazingly long lasting. 
Dare is warm and deep on the skin, perfect for deeper skin tones as it eliminates any ashy-ness that cooler toned pink blushes can bring to deeper skin tones. The tiny flecks of shimmer make this a perfect blush to wear everyday for that subtle healthy glow.
If you would like to see how this looks on my skin tone click HERE

Glamour on the other hand looks like a WoC's nightmare and if I'm being honest I was gutted when I saw how pale it was in the bottle but this lil blush deceived me! Glamour is a matte warm terracotta pink (almost apricot) liquid blush perfect for everyday wear. As this is warm, it blends out to lend the perfect flush of pink to the cheeks on deep skin tones, however, if you are of a dark deep skin tone you may want to reach of Dare instead.

Milani Baked Blush in Terra Sole
I'm not sure whether this blush is discontinued, I hope not! I picked Terra Sole up from Beauty Joint last year and have not looked back since then. Not only are Milani blushes fantastic in price they are also really pigmented. Terra Sole is my "bronzing blush" and the blush I reserve for summer.
This matte terracotta blush has a slightly peachy undertone which is great for adding warmth without overdoing colour.
This is another great blush to use as a bronzer if you are of a lighter complexion. If you are a dark deep complexion you may want to avoid this blush, as it is matte, it may not provide any obvious pigmentation to the skin.
You can see how Terra Sole looks on my skin tone HERE

Inglot Face Blush in 41

My favourite everyday blush, this matte warm terracotta blush is perfect for WoC. It gives me a healthy natural looking flush of colour which sits well with my NC50 skin. This blush is very pigmented and soft and easy to blend. I find I do not need a lot of product on the brush when using this.

Sleek Blush in Sahara
The blush that all WoC need in their life! Affordable and super pigmented!
Now, I think the shade of Sahara may have changed over time and unfortunately it's not as orange as it used to be, it's now more of an orange terracotta but nevertheless I still love it!
Perfect for all WoC from olive skinned beauties to the richest cocoa of beauties, Sahara is essentially about layering until you get the effect you desire.
Applied lightly and you get the warmth you're looking for, for deeper skin tones feel free to go in with a heavy hand for a pop of colour on the cheeks, this is demonstrated fantastically by the ever so stunning Erica of Glamorous Gleam HERE.

ELF Mineral Blush in Peachy
One of my more affordable blushes.
When I first viewed it I was scared that it might be too ashy but blushes can be deceiving especially pink blushes. On applying this blush I was very impressed.
This is a warm peach toned pink blush with shimmer, perfect for the healthy glow look. This blush is super easy to blend and goes on smoothly, not as pigmented as some of the other blushes in this post but for £5.00 you can't really complain! 
This would be a fabulous blush for my olive skinned beauties!

NYX HD Studio Photogenic Grinding Blusher in Apricot
Last but not least the NYX HD Studio Blusher in Apricot.
I was initially sent this blush to review by the loves at NYX, this was a new product so I wasn't too sure of what to expect but when I did apply it I fell in love.
Apricot is a heavily pigmented matte peachy pink that creates that signature pink cheek that lighter skin tones ladies may achieve with other pink blushes on the market.
Apricot is also a warm pink meaning it works well as an everyday blush eliminating the frosty cheek look.
You can read my review of the Apricot HERE you can also see it in action via my YouTube tutorial HERE

Further blusher recommendations for deep skin tones:
NYX Cocoa Powder Blush
NYX Copper Powder Blush
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure
Sleek Flushed Blush
Sleek Blush by 3 in Pumpkin
MAC's Sweet As Cocoa Blush
MAC's Raizin Blush
Graftobian HD Blush in Autumn Breeze
Graftobian HD Blush in Cherry Glaze
La Femme Blushes
NARS Exhibit A Blush
NARS Dolce Vita Blush
Jordana Cinnamon Spice Powder Blush
Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blushers in Trip & Acid

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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?

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The Simple Things In Life Pt 2 (Picture Heavy)

My favourite foundations!

Playing around with my camera!

Legend Ring!

My Summer Bromance <3

Playing with eye shadows!

GHD's are the way forward plus check out my shoes from Office! £8! Bargain! :)

The view from my road on the way to work! Had to take a pic!

Amateur photography, Leopard Body = Topshop, Trousers = Vila@ASOS,  Blazer = H&M

Mini buffet I whipped up!

View from Allie Pallie!

Nigerian British Wedding! :)

My dear friends baby shower pressies, had soooo much fun that weekend, great company and food! :)

One of my many ELF hauls!

Pure Sinful Goodness!

My Room! 

Nike Plimsols! <3 My Joe Z!

New Shoes? ASOS!

My mums blazer which now belongs to me!

My first GlossyBox, pleasantly surprised!

What we get up to at work...lol!

A product of my bromance! <3

It's been an eventful summer, bring on the winter! 

:)

x

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