BLUSH // Everyday WoC Friendly Blushes

Blush is by far one of my favourite parts of makeup. 

The way it brings warmth to the face has always astounded me, I don't know what is it about them but I do love me some blush!

8

Inglot // Lip Palette and AMC Lipgloss in 541

2

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!

     

0

Contour // My Go To Contour Powders

I use quite a few contour powders and over time I've grown to create a collection that works well for me and my skin tone and by request I'd be happy to share them with you guys!

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Inglot HD Illuminizing Loose Powder in 45

4

Vamp It Up

  I'm back with another sped up makeup look! For this look I just winged it (no pun intended) and this was the look I came up with. I love how the liner brings the full look together.

2

IMATS London 2014 Haul

6

Inglot AMC Pressed Face Powders

6

Inglot Freedom System || Eyeshadows

Hello lovelies!

This post is LOOONG overdue but better late than never!

Today I'll be talking about my Inglot eyeshadow palettes.

The first palette I've had in my possession for over a year whilst my newest palette is around 3 weeks old.

6

Everyday Makeup - Natural Glow Tutorial

Hi loves!

I am now back on my YouTube game and I've filmed some videos for my YouTube channel!

The first video is a essentially my everyday make up look with added luminosity and 3 lipstick options, 2 for my loud lipstick lovers and one for my nude lip lovers!

See below for the video and full product list

FACE:

Steam Cream

Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in SX13

ELF High Definition Powder in Colour Corrective Yellow

BECCA Luminous Skin Colour in Nuba

MAC Studio Fix Powder in NC50

Inglot AMC Pressed Powder in #60

Ben Nye MediaPRO Poudre Refill in Mojave Americano

ELF Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder in Turks and Caicos

Inglot Powder Blush in #41

MAC Mineralise Skin Finish in Gold Deposit

EYES:

Makeup Geek Gel Liner in Immortal

Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara

LIPS:

Option 1

MAC Cosmetics Flat Out Fabulous Lipstick

Option 2

MAC Cosmetics Heroine Lipstick

Option 3

LA Colors Lip Pencil in Dark Brown

KIKO Cosmetics Pencil Lip Gloss in 11

NYX Lipgloss in Miami Babe

8

Petrol Black

My experimenting bug is back in full force meaning I'll be bringing more looks to the blog, I'm so excited to be sharing these with you guys! These looks will serve as good practice for me in the long run as I'm not so great with eye shadows.

Last night I decided to Shop My Stash once again and see what I could come up with.

I came across my Barry M Dazzle Dust in Petrol Black that I had fallen in love with on first sight but had failed to use.

It is such a gorgeous shade I had to create a look with it!

Petrol Black is a stunning duo-chrome black pigment with green iridescence; similar to the effect of spilt petrol I guess!

It's so hard to describe as a colour so feel free to check out some swatches HERE

For a full list of product be see below:

Face

Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in SX12 (to mute out discolouration) 

Illamasqua Skin Base in SB15

LA Girl Pro Conceal Concealer in Fawn (under eye/t-zone highlight)

MAC Studio Fix Powder in NC50 (to set concealer)

Inglot AMC Pressed Powder in #60 (to set remainder of face)

Sleek Contour Kit in Dark (for highlight and contour)

ELF Bronzer in Turks and Caicos 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure (applied lightly)

Urban Decay Ultra Definition Loose Finishing Powder in Naked Dark (applied to perimeter of face)

Eyes

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

UD Naked Palette - Virgin (brow bone highlight)

UD Naked Palette - Buck (transitional colour)

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Black Bean

Barry M Dazzle Dust in Petrol Black

Wet N Wild Comfort Zone Palette - Silver (inner eye highlight)

Maybelline Master Drama Khol Liner in Ultra Black (lower lash line and tight line)

MUA Smokin' Palette Chaos (lower lash line)

MUA Waterproof Every Lash Mascara

Lips

Generic Brown Pencil 

Sleek Pout Paint in Mink

MAC Cosmetics Freckletone lipstick

NYX Megashine Lipgloss in Miami Babe

I also tried out a new hairstyle with my twists, not sure I love it just yet but it's cool to be trying out new styles with braids!

If you want to try it out yourself click HERE for the tut!

Hope you enjoyed this look and stay tuned for much more!

:)

5

My Bronzer Collection

The search for bronzers for Women of Colour can be a REAL LIFE STRUGGLE.

Bronzers were practically non existent to us (must be that WoC are so dark they must not need it...KMT) a few years ago. 

Ridiculous I know!

Thankfully with time and more awareness, a few brands (very few) have really stepped up and are starting to realise that even WoC need bronzer from time to time.

I've been on a search for bronzers suitable for WoC like myself for a long time, I've purchased more than a few duds (NYX, Seventeen, B. is for Beautiful) which are now collecting dust but I've also come across a few gems which I'm going to share with you today.

6

Valentines Day Look: Subtle Smoke

I'm back with another "easy to achieve" Valentine's Day look, if you have missed my other two you can find them HERE and HERE.

This time I guess you can say I've combined my previous two looks to get this subtle brown smokey eye with a ruby red lip.

Out of all the looks, I must admit, this may be my favourite, I love the combination of the subtle smokey eye with the bold red lip, but enough of me talking/typing, let's get onto how I created the look below!

Click To Enlarge

Brows

Same as always. 

I filled my brows in with a generic soft brown pencil, I then cleaned up the top of my brow with MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC50 and the bottom with MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC45 (the LA Girl Concealer's are also really great for this and a fraction of the price of the MAC concealers.)

Face

Here I used one of my absolute favourite foundations for natural flawless skin, the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation in 6.5 Warm Almond. I really love this foundation, it is light but it manages to conceal my pores to give the appearance of natural flawless skin (if you have oily skin you may want to avoid this base, it's a dewy finish, or at least prime beforehand.)

I buffed this well into the skin and then moved onto concealer, I didn't want anything too drastic concealer wise but I did want to conceal the dark marks under my eyes that make me look tired so I applied (with my finger) the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in SX13, this is more of a nude toned brown which helped to cancel out my discolouration fabulously. 
I also applied SX13 to my usual highlighting areas, this includes the bridge of my nose, philtrum and my chin. To set I used the brown beige eyeshadow from my JC Nadia 28 Neutral Palette. 

Blending is also very important when highlighting, this allows your highlight to look more natural as you are removing any harsh lines of demarkation. I use my Inglot AMC Pressed Powder in 60 to do this. This is a new buy that I am absolutely loving right now!
For blush I used my Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Glamour, I really love how warming this is as a blush.
For highlight I used my MUA Eyeshadow in 28 which is a cool toned bronze eyeshadow, I applied this to the tops of my cheek bones and bridge of my nose as well as my philtrum. This brings attention of the right parts of your face.
I contoured using my favourite contour powder the Ben Nye MediaPRO Poudre Refill in Mojave Americano, which is an uber dark matte powder, perfect contour colour for ladies similar to my skin tone.
I then bronzed using my Inglot AMC Pressed Powder in 68, another new buy that I am absolutely loving! 

Eyes

Once again super simple.

Firstly I applied a shade similar to my skin tone to my eyelid, I used my Inglot AMC Pressed Powder in 60 to do this. If you have oily lids remember to prime with something like Too Faced Eye Shadow Insurance.

I then added some of my Inglot AMC Pressed Powder in 68 to my crease and the outer corners of my eyes. This powder is a rich reddish brown which is perfect for warming up the crease. I also added this just below my waterline and blended out for further definition.

I wanted more smoke so I went in with my Ben Nye MediaPRO Poudre Refill in Mojave Americano and applied this with a fluffy brush to the outer corners of my eye for more depth. All you need is a deep matte dark brown eyeshadow for this. MAC's Embark or the brown eyeshadow from the Wet N Wild Vanity Palette would work perfectly as well.

I then went in with a clean fluffy brush around the edges of the eyeshadow to get rid of any harsh lines, using some of your face powder will also help with this.

If you need to, at this point, go in a reapply more of your face powder to your lid.

I didn't use any eyeliner with this look but feel free to add some if this is what works for you!

Once I was happy I applied my trusty Maybelline The Falsies mascara to my top and bottom lashes. 

Feel free to add several coatings for amazing lashes or falsies!

Lips

I really wanted a different kind of red for this look, a deeper red so I applied one of my favourite alternative reds, MAC's Diva lipstick.

I love the look and longevity of this lipstick but for this look it was missing a little something, that something turned out to be NYX's Xtreme Lip Cream in Absolute Red, a gorgeous glossy deep red with fabulous colour pay off. 

I applied a thin layer and achieved the most gorgeous ruby red lip!

To finish off the look, I applied my MAC Blot Powder in Dark to take away some of the shine from my base and voila!

I hope you've enjoyed my ever so humble Valentine's Day looks and I hope you all have a fab Valentine's Day, single or not!

MWAH!

8

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

30

Valentines Day Look: Bronzed Glow

With Valentine's Day almost upon us I thought it would be good to create a few looks that you could wear on a date or a night out with your girls for all the single ladies up in hurr!

This is the second look I came up with (you can see the first HERE) this is a really subtle but effective look, here, instead of a bold red lip we're making the focus your natural glow.

Now, a natural glow can be hard to create especially if you're not an angel but fear not! 

With the right products it can be achieved!

Click To Enlarge

Brows 

I started off by filling in my brows with a generic soft dark brown pencil, I then set my brows with Maybelline's Brow Drama in Dark Brown. To clean up my brows I applied MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC50 at the top, NC45 at the bottom for a natural highlight.

Face

Start off with your favourite flawless finish foundation, mine is MAC's Studio Fix Fluid in NC50.  
Once buffed into the skin well, start highlighting. 
We want our highlight to be noticeable but in a good way, I would recommend going in with a full coverage concealer no more than 3 shades lighter than your skin tone. Here I am using the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in SX11, this concealer is great and really effective in creating a glow/highlight to the desired areas. I applied the SSE to my t-zone including my philtrum and my chin. I blended this in with a fluffly brush and then set it all with a light beige eyeshadow from my JC Paris 28 Neutral Palette.
I've found the key to a natural highlight in blending out harsh lines, I used my 

Inglot AMC Pressed Powder in 60 to blend out concealer as well as to set my face.

I also used my Ben Nye MediaPRO Poudre Refill in Mojave Americano to contour (my new favourite contour powder!)

I then went in with my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure, this a great neutral plum toned blush with not too much shimmer, really subtle but gorgeous.

Afterwards for warmth and more of a glow I used my Inglot AMC Pressed Powder in 68 for bronzing around the perimeter of my face and my neck. For more highlighting I used Illamasqua's Powdered Metal in Ether along the same areas in which I used SSE.

Eyes

I started with MAC's Studio Finish Concealer in NC45 for a base. I then applied La Femme's Sparkle Dust in Antique Gold all over the lid (applied with a damp brush)

I used fluffy brushes to apply the Dark Brown and Black e/s from the JC Paris 28 Neutral Palette to smoke out the edges.

I always use Inglot 335 e/s  as a transitional shade, it's the perfect warm terracotta colour for my skin tone.

For a bit more shimmer I placed Inglot 406 e/s on the exact center of my eyelid lid using my finger for precision. This gives a 3-Dimensional effect when your eyes close, a little something extra that can help a lot with simple eyeshadow looks.

I wanted to keep this look soft so instead of a black liner I used a soft brown pencil in my waterline, I smudged this out with the brown e/s from the JC Paris 28 Neutral Palette paying more attention to the outer third of my eye for definition.

Next I applied several coats of my favourite mascara Maybelline The Falsies Waterproof Mascara in Black.

Lips

Lips are very simple!

I firstly started out with NYX Lip Pencil in Brown to outline my lips.

I then went in with the beautiful nude Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Dulce Caramelo, however this didn't really provide enough coverage for me so I went in on top of that with my Kiko Lip Gloss Pencil in 11.

I then applied my favourite lipgloss NYX's Miami Babe to warm up my nude lip.

Last but not least, I finished with my setting spray, the NYX Makeup Setting Spray in the matte finish.

And viola!

Done!

A wearable and relatively easy glowing skin look for Val's Day!

Your date is sure to be impressed!

MWAH...don't forget to send me one back, I don't have the lurgies...I promise!

6

Valentines Day Look: Ravishing Red

For my red lip ladies, I've created a simple and easy to wear red lip look for your Valentines date.

This look is perfect if you're not an eyeshadow wearer or a lashes wearer, all you need is your favourite red and a good liner.

For a full product list please look below!!

Click To Enlarge

Face

Start off with your favourite primer for makeup longevity and to banish those pores, I used the Tony Moly Egg Pore Silky Smooth Balm Primer. I then went in with my L'Oreal True Match Foundation in N8 Cappuccino which I buffed in well with a stippling brush, if you have dry skin feel free to use a foundation such as MAC's Face and Body or Make Up For Ever's Face and Body.

For subtle highlighting use a full coverage concealer one to two shades lighter than your skin tone. I firstly went in with my MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC45 to highlight the arch of my brow as well as underneath my eyes, I found that this was still a bit too understated so I then went in with Kevyn Aucoin's Sensual Skin Enhancer in SX12 which is about two shades lighter, just to perk up the colour. I set my concealer with a light beige eyeshadow from my 28 Neutral Eyeshadow palette.

I then buffed out the edges of my concealer to get rid of any harsh lines and went in with my Inglot AMC Pressed Powder in 60 to blend out any further harsh lines, I also used this to set my foundation as I like the matte look.

My contour which you cannot see (sorry guys, I'll work on that for next time) was a mixture of the Ben Nye HD Matte Foundation in Espresso Bean and the Ben Nye MediaPRO Poudre Refill in Mojave Americano to set(both amazing products!)

For my cheeks I didn't want a shimmery blush, just a natural flush so I used a  bit of the Graftobian HD Blush in Autumn Breeze and set that with NYX's Powder Blush in Cocoa.

For bronzer I used the Inglot AMC Pressed Powder in 68 (a fab rich reddish brown, PERFECT for bronzing)

Then to add a lil something extra I went in with my favourite highlighter on all of my key areas. I used MAC Gold Deposit on the area right above my brows, down the bridge of my nose, on my cupids bow, my philtrum and the tops of my cheek bones. 
Feel free to go liberal with this, obviously you don't want to look like a disco ball but a good quality highlighter will stop this from happening anyway.

Eyes

Very simple!

Simply prime your eye, I used a bit of my Inglot Pressed Powder in 60 for this and then go in with your favourite/most pigmented eye liner. Normally I love using my Make Up Geek Gel Liner in Immortal (all time fav) but for this look I wanted to switch it up. 
I used my L'Oreal Superliner Perfect Slim in Black Intense. I first drew my line across my lid, I then tipped my head back to find where I wanted my flick to go (dunno why, but this method just works for me) I drew in my flick and attached it to the line on my lid, if you make any mistakes (which I always do) go in with a cotton bud dipped in make up remover, this will give you the sharp edge you need as well as fix the angle of your flick if you plotted it out wrong.

Next go in with your favourite mascara, I started with Benefit's They're Real for drama and then went in with the Maybelline The Falsies for volume and more drama.

You can add lashes to this look if you wish but this look works well without lashes too boo boo! 

Lips

Then add your favourite red lipstick. 
I decided to change it up and use a lippie I don't wear very often, if at all. 

Here I'm wearing Rimmel's Kate lipstick in 107, however, I swiftly realised why I never reach for this colour, I'm not a big fan of this lipstick on it's own, it's shade isn't dramatic enough for me (I find it quite flat against my skin tone) so I oomphed it up with Illamasqua's Intense Lipgloss in Succubbus you can also use NYX's Xtreme Lip Cream in Absolute Red, a fabulous alternative and deeper in colour...

anddddd we are all done!

A simple statement eye and lip without going OTT for Val's Day, a look perfect for beginners that doesn't break the bank!

10

Confession Of A Makeup Addict

If you're a fellow makeup lover, you know what it's like when you see a product you MUST have!

Apparently, lately, I've been seeing A LOT of products that I have to add to my collection.

I've really been trying to test new products lately so most of the above I have never used before but have heard great things about! This includes the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer (not pictured) and the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush.

I am aiming to do a haul video as well as posts on these products, so stay tuned for more in-depth posts and initial reviews!

To see how I use some of these lovely products you can check out my FOTD's on Instagram HERE.

I'm excited to use them all!

Ah the life of makeup lover!

16

Red She Said Challenge

Whilst having my daily Tumblr browse I came across the most stunning picture of the model Eugena Washington looking absolutely breathtaking.

Now, Eugena is gorgeous regardless but what made her stand out more was her make up.

Just took my breathe away!

The make up in my opinion is just gorgeous.

The highlighting and contouring is evident but not stark which is something that really helps to accentuate Eugena's gorgeous facial features.

I also love how natural this looks, with a gorgeous berry red lip. There's nothing I do not like about this look. 

The MUA Eloy Guerra did a fantastic job here!

After posting this picture literally everywhere Jessica of Look What I Got suggested that we do our own version of this look, so away I went to see if I could recreate this gorgeous work of art.

Now, unsurprisingly, this task was harder than I thought it would be, highlighting and contouring is something that takes a lot practice, especially when you need to make it look natural.

At first I tried to recreate the exact same thing in the picture above but this didn't work out too well, my highlighting looked BEYOND ashy and I just couldn't get my contour to work, so I removed most of the under eye highlight and opted for something a bit more subtle.

In the end it came out ok, I was a bit bummed that I couldn't incorporate the highlighting more but practice makes perfect!

The thing I loved most about this look was the eyes, subtle and shimmery with soft brown liner to create a subtle cat eye.

The lip was also super fun to recreate, it took a lot of different reds to come up with this look as I didn't have a colour deep enough to match the original.

All in all this was a fun challenge and may be one I'll bring to the blog more often!

You wanna know what I used?

Look below! ;)

FACE

Graftobian Hi-Def Colour Palette in Warm 3 (Ginger for Base, Femme Fatale for highlight, Sienna for Contour)

MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC45
MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation in NC50

MAC Prep + Prime Highlighter in Peach Lustre 

Wet N Wild Vanity Palette (Matte Brown for contour)

ELF High Definition Powder in Corrective Yellow

Daniel Sandler On The Loose Powder in 15

EYES

Inglot Eyeshadow in 406

Generic Brown Pencil

Wet N Wild Vanity Palette (Matte Brown)

Maybelline The Falsies Mascara

LIPS

Barry M Lip Liner in Plum No.11

All the reds lipsticks I own basically (I used several including MAC R.E.D, Wet N Wild's Spotlight Red and Paris from the Sleek Lip 4 Tease palette)

NYX Xtreme Lip Cream in Absolute Red

Sleek Pout Paint in Mink

Bellepierre Shimmer Powder in Celebration

Hard Candy Plexi Gloss

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Favourite Beauty Products Of 2014 Pt 2 || Lips, Skin Care & Ones To Watch

Let's get into Part 2 of my Favourite Beauty Products of 2014 which includes Lips, Skin Care and Ones To Watch in 2015.

If you missed Part 1 you can find it by clicking HERE.

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Favourite Beauty Products of 2013

Happy New Year Lovelies!

I can't believe 2013 is over already, it went by in such a flash but I loved every single minute of it!

I'm not going to make a post about new beginnings because I'm pretty sure you're a bit tired of reading those so I'm just going to say thank you so much for sticking with, reading and supporting DOS. It means so much to me and I am so grateful for each and every reader, subscriber and commenter. 

The love is immense!

Back to the main event!

As you guys know, I am all about my beauty and today's post is going to be about my 2013 beauty favs.

Now, I'm gonna warn you before we start, this is gonna be a long one, however I've separated this post into three sections: Eyes, Lips and Face for easy reading, so get your cuppas ready, put your feet up and enjoy! 

Eyes

Inglot Freedom System Eyeshadow Palette - 430, 335, 406, 446 

I had never tried any of Inglot's products prior to IMATS so took a bit of a gamble picking up an entire palette but I have not been disappointed.  Inglot eyeshadows have a creamy texture with fabulous colour pay off, I'm honestly surprised why more people don't rave about this brand, I definitely think they are overlooked and underrated in regards to quality and price. If you're an Inglot virgin I would encourage you to change this as soon as possible!

Makeup Geek Ultimate Eyeshadow Palette

As you can see I went a little bit eyeshadow mad in 2013, mostly because I was determined to improve my makeup skills. I had been lusting over Makeup Geek shadows for a while so I decided to save up and buy the Ultimate Palette as I had heard nothing but good things about these shadows. 

This palette comes with 27 shadows and a Z palette equating to around £97 which isn't too bad however this doesn't include shipping as well as customs charges which bumped my purchase right up...grrr! 

These eyeshadows are fantastic, amazingly pigmented, soft and easy to blend. Corrupt (the black eyeshadow) is the most pigmented black shadow I have ever come across! This palette is up there with some of my fav purchases of 2013. 

You can see me wearing Envy eye shadow HERE.

MUA Smokin Palette

I still cannot get over the fact that this palette is only £6! A great dupe to the UD Smoked Palette. This lil palette packs an almighty punch with pigmentation (alliteration hi-5!) giving you the options of soft jewelled toned shades as well as mattes! The only thing I would comment on is the creasing but this can be remedied with a good primer. 

You can see my review of the palette HERE.

Makeup Geek Gel Liner in Immortal

Ok...I'm just going to say it...this is my FAVOURITE product...EVER.

Waterproof and heavily pigmented, this liner is a must have for you cat eye lovers. IT DOES NOT BUDGE! This liner is creamy, easy to apply and a little goes a very long way, I always wear this on make up days and I am yet to make a dent in this little pot. Absolutely unbelievable! I think this is true love guys!

You can see me rocking Immortal HERE.

Benefit's They're Real Mascara - Dinky Size

I know, I know...another beauty blogger hype product but I wouldn't add this to my list just for the hype. This is a GREAT product for lengthening and defining lashes but if I am being honest I believe this is more to do with the  spiky wand than the product itself. 

Would I repurchase? I'm not too sure. I may just purchase the bigger size for the wand and use that once the tube is empty.

You can see me applying They're Real HERE.

Maybelline The Falsies Mascara

They're Real is great but it doesn't give you volume so here is where The Falsies come in! This mascara lengthens and provides volume so I find myself using this after They're Real to really give my lashes a boost! 

My only complaint...the amount of product that comes out, bloody nightmare but besides that this may be my new favourite 'drugstore' mascara!

Lips

Lanolips 101 Ointment

This is a fairly new purchase of mine so I'm being a little cheeky adding it but I really do love this! I need moisturised lips, it's essential, so I bought myself the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour lip balm, turns out it should have been called the 2 minute lip balm so I shelved it. 

Then I heard about Lanolips, I picked it up and I've been pleased every since. This should be a staple for every lipstick lover. I place it on my lips before getting ready and wipe it off when I'm done. It moisturises instantly and leaves my lips feeling so soft! This is a multi-faceted product that can be used   for all parts of the body as well! Score!

Hard Candy Plexi Gloss

I was sent this lip gloss by the lovely Jenn when we participated in a beauty swap. At first I didn't use it as I wasn't much of a lip gloss girl but I've started using it on top of my NYX glosses and it seems to give my lips the smoothest appearance, it blurs out the lines giving  a seamless looking glossy lip without any added tint. I like to use this particular gloss on top of my nude lipsticks for a flawless lip, see HERE for an example of when I used it.

Limecrime Velvetines in Red Velvet

My favourite red lipstick spanning 2012 to now!

It's matte, soft and it's red, it was always going to be a winner!

Like Ruby Woo on crack, this liquid lipstick is an absolute best!

Easy to apply, pigmented, kiss proof (wink, wink) and great value (when compared to Ruby Woo.) 
You can see my review of this lippie HERE

MAC Matte Lipsticks - Riri Woo, Smoked Purple, Diva

One of the best things about MAC has to be their matte lipsticks. I know a lot of people find them drying but I really like them, they apply well and last a relatively long time. In 2013 I picked up Riri Woo, Smoked Purple and Diva. Delicious and creamy mattes in amazing shades. 

ELF Mineral Lipstick in Rosy Tan

I finally found my perfect nude lipstick in 2013. 
Funnily enough I had had this lippie sitting in my collection for a while but figured it was too light, then I learnt the secret to nude lips (lip liner) and so decided to give it another chance and I was not disappointed.

A creamy and easy to apply warm toned pink, this works amazingly with NYX's Lipgloss in Miami Babe. 

Want to see how I apply this? Click HERE

MAC Cosmetics Lip Liner in Nightmoth

I had been fiening over this lip liner for a while especially after seeing Riri's MUA pair it with Smoked Purple so when I went to pick up that lippie I had to pick this up too. 

Nightmoth is the perfect lip liner for those of us who love a vampy lip, it's a dark wine purple with red undertones that works beautifully with various other lipsticks. 

You can use this to fill in your lips and go about your day or you can use it underneath another lipstick. I find this works well with Ruby Woo for definition to the corners of the mouth or underneath another shade for depth. 

Click HERE to see how I pair Nightmoth with one of my lipsticks.

Coloured Raine Lipsticks

LOVE! 
Everything from the texture and pigmentation to their colour range.

I picked up several of these lipsticks after seeing them on IG and I have been really impressed! My favourites constantly change but right now I'm favouring Plum Fairy and Boudoir. For swatches of the lipsticks I bought from Coloured Raine, click HERE

Ellis Faas Lip Products - Milky Lips, Creamy Lips, Hot Lips

I'n not going to lie, I was sold on Ellis Faas from the day I saw the packaging, thank God the products lived up to the high standards I expected from them.

These products are so comfortable to wear yet they feel decadent on the lips, creamy and nourishing but lightweight and in an array of textures to suit your needs for that day, fantastic for every lipstick lover.

For an in-depth review of these products, click HERE

NYX Mega Shine Lipgloss in Miami Babe

NYX have changed my mind  on lip glosses! 
I was never a fan then I decided to give NYX's lip glosses a try after seeing so many Youtubers reach for it.

Miami Babe is one of my favourite shades, not only do I use it to make my lips look lush I also have a premeditated use for it. 

Miami Babe is a warm brown toned pink which makes it ideal to use to warm up a nude lip as many nude lip colours are quite cool which can look ashy against my skin tone. 

This product is one of the reasons why I can now wear a nude lip with confidence!

Face

ELF Personal Blend Foundation in Dark

My new HG foundation. 

It only took me 25 years to find! 

This lil tub is my new friend. A mineral foundation that leaves me with flawless looking skin with 0 oiliness! 

Yes, that's right! No need for primer or even constant blotting throughout the day with this foundation, you just blend your shades together, set with a finishing spray and go!

The shade Dark has 4 separate shades of which I use the two lightest, Almond and Dark as the two deepest shades are too grey for my skin tone. I then add a generous amount of Ben Nye's Topaz for the yellow undertone I need and voila! Foundation applied. It is a bit time consuming and it can get a bit messy but I feel that it's worth it for the look it gives. You can see me wearing this amazingly priced product HERE and HERE.

MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC50

Can you believe I only purchased this thing in 2013?! Madness!

This foundation is my go to for nights out or for photos for the blog. A great foundation for flawless looking skin. This shade matches my skin tone to a T and dries to a matte finish which is my favourite type of finish. I also love the coverage this gives, it covers my scars and blemishes so well, I never feel the need for concealer with this. For some, this is their HG foundation, I personally think this is far too heavy for me to wear everyday but for nights out, this is a winner. 

You can see me wearing this foundation HERE and HERE.

Covergirl Queen Collection Bronzer in Q120 Ebony Bronze

I love this bronzer! 
Namely because it was the first bronzer I had ever used that had shown up on my skin tone. This bronzer has saved me many a time on my pale days, (yes WoC have pale days...surprise!) by providing me with a gorgeous red toned burnt sugar shade of bronze for my pale winter skin. I also use this to contour from time to time as well as a transitional shade for eye shadows, an all round winner for me! 
I picked up my bronzer from Amazon.com HERE, shipping was super affordable and you get two in a pack! #Winning!

You can see me apply my bronzer HERE. 

Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Dare
Ingenious! 
A silicone based liquid waterproof blush. 
Dare applies seamlessly and gives my skin the most natural flush of colour. Daniel's liquid blushes come in an array of shades to suit every skin tone and the shade line is expanding (hot pink and hot orange anyone?! Yes please!) Some may see these as a lil pricey but I definitely recommend them, Daniel Sandler Cosmetics offer up samples for £2.00 each that you can use to test out, I have two samples and I'm yet to finish them!
You can see Dare in action HERE

Inglot Face Blush in 41
Another Inglot rave! 
I picked this gorgeous blush up at IMATS and I've been in love with it ever since. 
A matte terracotta shade perfect for everyday wear. 
This is my "go to" blush. 
I used to be all about Sahara from Sleek but 41 (such a modest name) has trumped it. Soft, easy to apply and surprisingly pigmented.
 I AM TELLING YOU PEOPLE, DON'T SLEEP ON INGLOT!
You can see me wearing this beaut HERE.

Guerlain Terracotta Moisturizing Bronzing Powder in Ebony 08
Another bronzer but it had to be done people!!!
This differs to the CG bronzer as it isn't so obvious on the skin, instead of bronzing I guess this product provides luminosity, giving the skin a healthy glow. Not on the cheap side but as it is one of the few bronzers for WoC I had to purchase it. 
You can see my review of this baby HERE.


Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Excite
I have a thing for orange blushes. 
They work so well on my skin tone I may never go back to pinks again!
I am especially attracted to matte oranges so I knew I had to have Excite in my life as soon as I saw it. This blush is soft, easy to blend, pigmented and warm on my skin.
One of my latest purchases and fast becoming one of my favourites. I mostly use Excite on the apples of my cheeks to really add a pop of warm to existing blush I've laid down (I like to layer products) but this also works fabulously as an all round blush and a transitional colour for the eyes.
You can see my review of Excite blush HERE.

And that's it!!

Apologies for the read but I wanted to have this all in one post.

Hope you guys enjoyed this and found it useful!


Don't forget to let me know in the comment section below what were your favourite beauty products of 2013 and if you've made a post leave the link below! 
I might add some of them onto my Products To Buy in 2014!

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