Face Up to Summer!

Summer brings, for me at least, a laissez-faire attitude to make up. Minimal and light always appears to  be more fitting when the sun is out and my wardrobe is comprised of pastels presenting the opportunity to embrace my inner Diaz. I often opt for one of the ever growing options of bb creams from the high-street. As John Geddes says, “…summer softens lines that winter cruelly shows…”. Well with 20 something skin the case is less that summer soften the lines and more of the case of it softening blemishes. Something about that extra does of  vitamin D , seems to agree with most temperamental skin.  That being said on those certain special occasions, which always involve me breaking free of the field and hauling myself away from the real housewives of Beverly Hills, I like to be slightly more polished. Whilst I would never claim to achieve flawless, I can achieve enriched … just not to the same extent as those housewives.

My ‘ever slightly refined face list’ is always comprised of: Foundation, Concealer, Powder, Bronzer, Blush and Highlighter. Whilst this may sound like a product when applied in moderation it can give a light look. All of which featured in my products consistently at my fingertips.

I begin with my favourite summer and spring foundation of the year, Bourjois healthy mix foundation. I prefer the slightly heavier coverage than its sister product the healthy mix gel serum, even if it is summer. I have been crushing on this product for months as it gives a real glow to the skin without being too much. Its light, natural looking and I actually think has improved my skin underneath.  Applied with the much acclaimed real techniques buffing brush, it covers and blends in mere minuets.

Then I follow this up with under eye concealer. There are many things I would love to change about myself and almost at the top of that list is the purple bags under my eyes; built up from far too many all night study sessions. As a result high end heavy duty concealer is always a corner stone in my make up bag! Fake it by Benefit. It slides on effortlessly and can be layered up to give industrial level coverage.

Rather than swiping it under my eyes I place it all along the lower lash line in vertical lines. I find this the best way to get maximum concealment whilst having no obvious dichotomy between my foundation and concealer. To blend it in I use a Beauty Blender, using a patting motion along the lines and then a swishing motion for one final blend. Then I set with whatever powder I have to hand.

My favourite thing to ever discover in terms of make up is contouring and this love story only increased in wonder when I purchased Chanel’s Sol de Tan. A cream-gel bronzer which melts in to the skin, it is bliss. I used to apply it with a M.A.C contouring brush (168) but I now prefer the smaller domed shape of the Real Techniques contour brush, it reaches in to hollows much better and therefore gives a more natural, blended contour. I apply it under my cheekbones, temples and jawline. I take it 3/4 of the way down my cheekbone and keep most of the colour further back. The picture of it below is it pre blending!

To add some colour and balance out the glow and bronze, I apply a blush above the contour line on my cheekbone.  My current go to being peachy keen by M.A.C its bright and playful. Applied with a sigma stippling blush brush. I add a little to the apples of my cheeks but keep colour about 2 fingers width away from from the edge of my nose.

 

To round off the look I add some highlighter on the highest points of my cheekbones and under my brows. I like a cream based highlighter rather than a powder. I find powder highlighters often too glittery and artificial looking. Here I used Watts up.

Thats my summer face routine complete. It takes about 8 minutes but is oh so worth it. So I shall leave you with a picture of me looking slightly like a sloth but a sloth with improved skin!

Love Livs xxx

A picnic with pride and getting over a little prejudice!

Whilst I may has alluded to my slight grievances with moving from the South to the North, I must now admit that ‘whilst in vain I have struggled’ the North (and the felid) has won me, ever so slightly, over.  Transitions and change were never my strong point, and a massive move post a levels did not go down particularly well.  That being said I was jetting off to Uni and doing my own thing within a month, so it made little impact. However before I knew it I had reached summer holidays and not the Cliff Richard kind, a time in most freshers lives where returning home is kind of a must. Dwelling on life in a field, pinning for friends and an overcrowded beach made up the majority of my first 3 weeks ‘home’.  I must admit the slow paced ‘tranquillity’ was a bit of a shock to the system compared to the lively, social and vivacious Uni based lifestyle I had become accustomed to.  Why escape to the country ? Surly the slow paced tranquility of an empty field is a utopia that should remain in the filed (pun intended) of idealism not reality!  Whilst York itself is one of the most vibrant and exciting cities I have found in the Uk, the empty felid was not!  The empty field surrounding me would of been amazing if it contained a petting zoo, a farm or the glasto pyramid stage; unfortunately my field was bleak. Crisis point was reached when ASOS informed me the van could not find my location and my delivery would have to be collected from the depot. I believe this was karma for me investing in 5 inch ankle boots rather than hunters! However a rather special picnic just last week may of been the small push I needed to get over my prejudice of empty fields and wax jackets. Whilst I may not be clicking together a red pair of Hunters claiming there really is no place like home, I am far more comfortable. In the words of Austen in Pride and Prejudice : “Angry people are not always wise.”, and anger I believe was the stem of my persistent refusal to settle, that and probably a bit of pride.

What caused this revelation? Well, as the title may suggest, it has a lot to do with a little book entitled Pride and Prejudice… oh and a picnic; an excellent library may be a fulfilling thing but a girls gotta eat! I shall just mention that I adore Pride and Prejudice, its one of my all time favourite stories and the first Jane Austen I read. Something about the concealed and confusing  admiration of both parties combined with the fine line between hatred and attraction really spoke to me as a 17 year old. It must have been down to some standard  teenage unrequited love and ever changing perceptions of people which allowed me to reduce the deeper themes of the book and make the rather too simple claim that I was Elizabeth Bennett.  I of course also loved a bit of society drama which delights in starring society’s members through their words and actions, another result of me thinking I was far wittier and observant that I really was in lower sixth.  Another reason to love Pride and Prejudice is that it inspired Bridget Jones, who I will claim for forever and a day is really me (But that shall be left for another post on another day)! My love for Darcy and Elizabeth has always grown alongside a displeasure for Heathcliff and Cathy, of Wuthering heights. I once drunkenly slurred to an english major that the restraint of Darcy is so more captivating  and meaningful  then the hyperbole of Heathcliff and Cathy  as its more authentic. Authentic, equal and genuine being my buzzwords for desirable attributes in relationships of 2013, again a subject for another post another time.  That my friends is the background to my interactions with one of the greatest love stories.

With the knowledge of my admiration for the book, my mother pointed out that Castle Howard was hosting a performance of the book with: a picnic, champagne reception and ‘meet ‘n’ greet’ with Mr Darcy on horseback. I think I was sold at champagne reception and the chance to leave the field. I booked my ticket and then hastily forgot about it. 2 weeks later (and a last ditch dash to M and S) I found myself making the drive, mother in tow,  to Castle Howard;  a place that I had not researched or heard of.  It was there that I realised there might just be something to this  tranquility and beauty of dales lark. What can I say, much like Elizabeth the beauty of (the bbc’s) Pemberly set among some empty fields, suddenly become quite enough and I gave up on my prejudices to emptiness and green.

The actual performance was amazing, it was open-air theatre and with the backdrop of a sun setting sky nothing could have been more perfect. Captivated once agin by the world of Lizzie and Darcy, I found my self ‘sigh’ at the climatic outburst: “My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”. Excellent game and form from the regency era.  Despite what I may have slurred to the english major, in my own awful game, it might not be the what is said that I love but in-fact the appearance of a genuine outpouring. The actual words if uttered to me would probably result in me laughing, cruelly,  but the rawness of Darcy’s declaration is something that shall probably be forever relatable and desirable. This performance captured it perfectly and with the setting it was made in to actual romantic magic whilst still being incredibly witty and funny. If you do get a chance to catch the last remaining dates of Charterhouse Theatre’s rendition of Pride andPredudice I would urge you to do so.

Finally,  I thought I might list what was contained in my picnic basket because I might aswell end on a list and its always nice to think about food rather than love. Whilst the basket wasn’t quite regency or cream tea it was pretty amazing!

* Mini French bread stick

* Mini cheese board, made up of three mini cheeses

* A packet of Calamari (roasted with red pepper)

*Olives

*Salad

*Pistachios

*raspberry Jelly

*12 mini Macaroons

*Elderflower fizz.

Oh and this is what I wore (skirt is RIver Island and the basic tee is Topshop), I  curled my hair and clipped it in to a side ponytail  as If your not going to scrub up for Mr Darcy, who are you going to scrub up for?

Love Livs xxxx

A golden ticket to a gloriously understated golden glance!

“The golden age is before us, not behind us.”- William Shakespeare

All that glitters is not gold, however a hit of gold glitter eyeshadow never goes amiss in the summer season. As mentioned in my ‘products consistently at my fingertips’, I just can’t get enough of a glowing golden eye in the summer. A personal go to for any day that involves me breaking out of the field and enter the glimmering city walls of York.   The sheep may not appreciate the soft glow of this look, but the town sure does. Soft and understated but undoubtedly glorious.

With 3 colours, conveniently placed next to each other, in Urban Decay’s Naked 2 pallet, a simple golden eye can be achieved. The subtle gradient of colour (pictured right to left) adds a warmth and depth to the look , which, a simple wash of a gold pigment (half baked) could not achieve alone!

*Firstly, the eyes are primed with Bare Study, a golden and shimmer paint pot by mac. This gives the shadow something to cling to, brining out the gleaming gold.

*Then bootycall is placed with a shadow brush all over the lid and in the crease. I also placed some in the inner eye area (the hollow  between your tear duct and nose) using a pencil brush. Whilst I am normally not a huge fan of inner eye highlighting, it actually really works for this glowing look.

* Half baked is then patted, rather than swiped, over the outer 2/3rds of the lid to intensify the colour . This keeps the inner part of the lid light and bright! Then I blended it in to the crease on a pointed crease brush. I prefer this look to be heavily blended, as I personally feel, the subtle gradient of colour depth is more flattering than a starker contrast.

*Then coppering is added to the outer corner. I do this with a pencil brush (If i wanted a stronger look I would apply it with an angled shader brush to have more product placed on the outer corner.). As the coppering is really only applied to give a warmth to the eye it is not overly dramatic.

*To give the eye a clear shape I use a square flat liner brush to press the coppering shadow in to a < shape on the outer edge of my eye. I line up the brush from the outer corner of my eye up towards where my eye brow ends. The second line is then placed on the bone above the crease (the eye socket) from the edge of the first line, facing towards the inner part of the eye. This technique allows a slightly stronger shape to the eye and even when blended down, as it is in this look, a cat eye is still alluded to.

*Using the same square flat liner brush I placed half baked and coppering under the eye, so that to gleams!

*With the cat shape already suggested by the shadow, liner is used to highlight it even more so. I used the Eyeko pen for the liner on the lid as this product allows a really thin line to be drawn. I then used gel liner on a liner brush for the flick as the consistency of the gel is slightly better to work with because you can control the pressure you place on the brush far more then with the pen. I also find the brush has a more fluid movement, which is better for the flick.

*With a lashing of mascara theses golden glories are finished! Understated but undoubtedly glorious.!

*For me brows are a must! . I brushed the brows upwards using a spoolie, the tip of the spoolie was then used around the edges of the brow to direct the hairs in to a more defined shape. A few short strokes of ‘brows’ by topshop to fill in any small gaps and one final comb through finishes off the ‘arches of the soul’.

*Pared with a rich peachy nude (Posh tone by M.A.C) completes this look!

Look complete I’m able to head off in to the lustrous city to  exchange some golden glances and exchange my golden tickets for some Bucks!

Love Livs xxxxx

Products consistently at my fingertips this season!

“I don’t believe in ‘greatest’. I believe in favourites” -Steve Vai

With that sentiment its time I revel my favourite make-up products for this season. All of the following are always in grasp and a go to on those hectic summer mornings. By hectic summer mornings I mean walking the dog before noon. Okay,  so ‘hectic’ may translate as lazy and routinized! Despite this these are, by no means, lazy products; they work hard and perform time and time again. Which is great as you have to look good for the dog … right?!?! That must be why I find them consistently at my fingertips. They may or may not be the greatest of the greats but they are my current favourites and that my lovelies seems like a good place to start for my first beauty post!

The List!

FACE it , its hot and caked on make up will not work! -

*Bourjois Health Mix Foundation. – Dewy, light and lovely smelling foundation with medium coverage. Gives you that glow that screams ‘I should be an Austen heroine i’m that radiant.’ Gives a lovely gleam without looking ‘moist’, even in this heat!

*Revlon Photo Ready Powder- Sets foundation and keeps moisture at bay. Used with a big powder brush and dusted on lightly. In this heat I dust a couple of light layers just to add some extra setting power.  As for the ‘photo ready’ element, thats debatable. I personally never notice a difference when wearing this powder. I just like it as its light on the skin, doesn’t leave a vail of powder resting on top of your make-up, and at the end of the day is cheaper then putting a msfn on everyday!

*Soleil Tan Chanel- a bronzer that works perfectly for some natural contouring, even on my fairly pale skin. It blends in and has a smooth texture on the skin. On hot days where I’m going fairly bare this and some waterproof mascara do fairly nicely. An utter love!

*Peachy Keen blush M.A.C- A delicious warm colour with a sprinkling of shimmer. This never fails to put me in the summer mood. It brightens the skin and adds a pop of colour to the cheeks. Just peachy.

*Watts Up or Sun Beam- If you haven’t gathered I like to ‘Gleam’ in summer. For me nothing screams ‘I love summer!’, than a look that has as much luminosity as the season. Equally if your summer is lacking that good old sun (which is regrettably likely being in the UK) then your face can be a nice replacement for all. Sun beam for when i’m that tad more tanned, offers a bronzy based shine whilst whats up’s champagne glow never fails to give a natural looking luster .

* Finally for my face it has to be Fake Up. Quick to apply and as creamy as melting ice cream, this concealer is perfect for covering up those dark circles. What can I say, I haven’t recovered from term time and watching SATC till 3am always seems like a good idea.

Summer eyes sparkle - 

 A look for when those eyes need to shine and a look for when focus is on those summer lips. 

*Look 1 the golden, bronzy tan for those lids. Hey if your skin isn’t going to bronze up like Adriana Lima your eyes might aswell.  Combining these 3 beauties from the Naked 2 Pallet makes the eyes really glow.

Bootycall on the inner part of the lid and tear-duct, Half baked in the inner half of the crease and Chopper blended on the outer half of the crease creates a glorious golden look!

*Look 2 Pure with pink. This is my go to when I know my lips are going to be stealing the summer show! Its simple and pretty. Its touch of pink, for me at least, evokes the playfulness of the summer season.  This winning combination is built around the star of my summer eye shadows, Girlie by M.A.C! Image

Brule on the lid and brow bone, Naked lunch on the lid, Girlie in the crease and outer part of the lid. Woodwinked in the outer corner and blended in if this eye needs to work in the summer dusks, as it adds a bit more warmth and drama to a light and playful summer day eye!

*Thin winged eyeliner. A thin winged eyeliner adds a flirty shape for a summer look, all credit to Californian LC. My favourite product of the moment is Eyeko’s Skinny Mini eyeliner pen. Easy to use and stays put without smudging or running in the heat! I tend to keep my waterline pretty bare in summer, keeping things light and preventing the 4 o’clock smudge marks however occasionally I add a coffee colour to the outer edges of my waterline.

*brows! Topshop’s Brows pencil gets my eyebrows tamed and well shaped. A must for me if i’m going with a very make up light look. (brows, bronzer, lips and mascara). Aka Cindy Crawford minus the supermodel legs, body or looks. I like to keep my brows rounded and polished but not overly heavy as I fear the scouse brow.

Layer it on those Lips! 

I love lips in summer! Its the time of the year when bright corals, berry pinks and sweet peaches are always perfect. I tend to keep my sunglasses firmly on so my lips are more in focus! The 3 currently at my fingertips are Posh Tone, Please me and Lady danger all by M.A.C


- Lady danger – a bright orange red, can be applied lightly and blotted down to give a hint of red or layered to give a bright summer pop. Pared with a dress and my hair up it can leave me feeling vintage inspired, or blotted down for a typical english rose mouth.

Please me -a delightful soft pink. Pretty and bright. Simplicity at its best!

-Posh Tone -a peachy nude tone. A warm natural colour that is just easy to wear! Its a mineralised so its super moisturising and rich, wonderful for summer!

So thats my summer seasons go tos, which i’m hearting! Even if 70% of the time they are only worn for the pleasure of my dog, Lola!  Speaking of I shall leave you with this …

love livs xxxx