Monday 15 July 2013

How To: Plum Smokey Eye

I hope everyone's been enjoying this beautiful weather we've been having! I for one have been baking myself in the sun at every opportunity. Us Brits know we need to make the most of it while it lasts :)

Anyway on to the beauty stuff! I'm going to be starting a new series of posts which focus on my real passion, make up. I'm not a qualified makeup artist or by any means a professional, but I love experimenting with makeup, particularly creating different eye looks and this How To series will be showing you different looks and a step by step guide showing how to achieve them.

So lets jump right into today's look! A dark plum smokey eye, not exactly the first thing you think of for the summer, but I love this look all year round for it's glam factor. It also suits all eye colours.

First, apply a base. I used a Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Metallic Pomegranate. Apply using a stiff, flat shader brush and don't worry about being neat, it will all be blended out anyway.



Then apply a dark plum eyeshadow using a flat shader brush, I used the plum shade in the Estee Lauder 'Raisins' eyeshadow duo. Apply it all over the lid (on top of your base colour) and on your lower lash line to add to the smokey look.



Then it's all about the blending! Take a large fluffy blending brush and using a soft brown eyeshadow, gently blend through the crease.



Once you've thoroughly blended and there's no harsh lines, take a pencil brush and slightly blend the plum colour on your lower lash line to help smoke it out. Next, apply a highlight colour to your inner corner and under your brow. I love MAC's Vanilla pigment for highlighting.



You can then apply your favourite eye liner to the upper lash line, I love Maybelline's gel liner in black. I applied it with a thin eyeliner brush, keeping the line thin and creating a very slight wing. Then apply mascara to upper and lower lashes and finally add some false lashes.





And that's it! Super simple and something a bit differnet to the usual black or brown smokey eye.

Wednesday 10 July 2013

Beauty Works 22" Big Tousled Hair Piece

Seeing as I'm quite a girly girl, there's nothing I love more than big, voluminous hair! My hair's pretty thick but try as I might it will not grow past my shoulders. Although I'm happy to rock the 'short hair, don't care' look I also love to experiment with extensions and hair pieces, so when Beauty Works kindly sent me this gorgeous 22" Big Tousled Hair Piece, I was excited to try it!


 

It almost looks like a wig and if you're thinking that then you're kind of on the right track. Because all of the hair is wefted into one cap, it instantly looks fuller and thicker. It's really easy to apply and is much less time consuming than regular extensions and the fact that it costs 34.99 is such a bonus. This particular hair piece is already curled or 'tousled' which I love because it means I don't have to curl it myself! But Beauty Works do offer a Straight Instant Hair Weave if that's more your style. Another great point to mention is that it's layered, something else that instantly creates volume and the illusion of 'big hair'.




As you can see in the photos, the hair piece has 2 clips (the same as those used on clip in extensions) which attach it to your head and 2 combs for extra support. It's so simple to apply, I normally like to curl my natural hair first, to ensure it'll blend well with the hair piece.

Here's some step by step photos and the finished look. Bear in mind I haven't curled my hair in this instance as I just wanted to show you the basics of applying it.



1 - My natural hair
2 - Take a small section of hair towards the back of your head and clip out of the way
3 - Take your hair piece and open the two clips at the top
4 - Attach towards the back of your head and blend with your natural hair



This is such a versatile piece, you could wear it in a ponytail or a bun and it would still have the wow factor. If, like me, you want something that's low maintenance, affordable and simple to apply but still gives you glamorous results then I'd recommend treating yourself to one of these :) Have a look at the Beauty Works website for their shade range and follow them on twitter @beauty_works where they'll help you with any queries, they're extremely friendly and their customer service is spot on.

Have you tried a hair piece before? Let me know your thoughts!
 
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