BeDazzled: A Deep Peacock Smokey Eye Tutorial ♥

Oh Hai! Today I'm finally going to do my first make up tutorial kind of post. I have wanted to do one for ages but I never seem to have the time! However, Ed and I went out for a meal on a whim last night, so I only had about 15-20 minutes to get ready, which shows how quickly this look can be done. At the time, because I am a donut, I didn't realise I was going to turn it into a tutorial so I haven't taken step by step photos fail, but, there are only three main colours too it and it isn't too difficult so I Shall explain step by step.

Here is a piccy wiccy of the finished look.

It was inspired by a teal and purple top I wore that night, so I continued the look right up to my eyeballs, 'cuz that's how I roll. So to begin, aside from your usual foundation routine and blush/bronzer/setting routine, I'm only really 'tutorialing' (what a great word I have just made up, somebody call Oxford) the eye look here. Firstly you will need the MUA Palette in Undressed, using the shade 12 (see red arrow). This is a gorgeous grey shimmery colour, with a very slight blue undertone, a great starter for our smokey look!

You will also need the Poptastic Palette by MUA, using shade 1 and shade 7, which will give our Deep Peacock look it's pop of colour.

Other friends we will need in this tutorial are:

Any Eye Primer (I use a plain cheap lipbalm, it's amazeballs!), Nyx chubby eyestick in Cottage Cheese, MAC fluidline in Blacktrack, a couple of shadow/blending brushes (these are rubbishy old ones, but still do the trick), black kohl eyeliner - mine is by Peggy Sage but MUA do a great black for £1.00 which is in waiting for when I have finished this one, No7 Exceptional Definition Mascara, Maybelline Falsies Mascara, Fine Liner Brush, Urban Decay flat shader brush from Naked 1 palette. 

Obviously all the products here are optional, and can be adapted to something you have got at home!

Let's get to it!

Step 1: Prime the lids with your choice of primer, this will make the colour last and pop.

Step 2: Take a shadow brush, and shade 12 from the Undressed palette, and pack it all over the lids. (Don't worry about being too neat here).

Step 3: Take a clean blending shadow brush, and blend out the edges, so there are no harsh lines. Blend it up to just past the crease of your eye, but don't wing this grey shade out to the side very much.

Step 4: Take the turquoise shade 7 from the Poptastic palette, but don't load the brush heavily as this will put too much onto the eye. The key to this look is graduate and blend blend BLEND! Put this colour on the outer corner and above the crease. Keep dipping the brush in the palette and blending it out until there is a bold colour, but a soft gradient outwards. You can also wing this out towards the last point of your brow.

Step 5: Take the purple shade 1 from the Poptastic Palette, and take that over the grey beginning at the inner corner, towards the middle of the eyelid - but leaving a little of the grey colour still showing in the middle. Take a clean blending brush, and continuously blend until you are happy that it's smokiiinnnn'! With the flat shader brush, bring a little of the grey under the eye, the purple on the lower inner corner and the green on the outer, and blend out. This really makes a difference to a smokey eye.

Step 6: For added definition add a light shimmer highlight colour to beneath the brow bone, this also gives the edges of the gradient something to blend into to complete the look. I used a random off white shimmer colour from a palette I had in Cyprus, but any will do! Also, take the Nyx Jumbo stick in Cottage cheese, and pop some in the Inner Corners. Light will hit this and give the illusion of widened eyes.

Step 7: Take some gel liner, or whatever you are comfortable with using, and line close to the lashes with a fine brush. I haven't winged mine out, as it may be too much, but if you want to go on all out there, feel free! Bring what's left on the brush close to the lower lashes for subtle definition. Take a kohl pencil, and line the waterline.

Step 8: Use your favourite mascara to create volume and flare to the lashes. I use the No7 Definition mascara to give me the look of more lashes with no clumps, and then Maybelline Falsies Flared to add length and volume. You can also add false lashes here, I just didn't have time!

Step 9: Finish the rest of your usual make up, adding a subtle lipgloss or nude lipstick. I used MUA love hearts lip balm in 'Sugar Lip's', as with such a heavy eye you don't want a garish colour to clash with it. The lip balm just give's a nice gloss, and a nice finish to the look.

And you are done! A lot of reading I know, but at least it's always here if you fancy having a go. Let me know what you think of the look! What are your favourite eye looks at the moment? Do you love the MUA palettes? I do!

Here are a couple of pictures of the finished look!

 I'm not as moody as I look here, honest! Haha!

Ciao For now! xXx

Make up, nails n stuff! ♥

Hey everyone! So I thought I would just do a little update again with what has been crackalacking! Ed & I are off to the lake district tonight which is a lovely picturesque part of the UK, and covered in lakes! (If you hadn't already guessed...) So we have been before to this particular hotel, but it was only on business last time. We liked it so much we thought it would be nice to spend the weekend there for Eds birthday tomorrow, so we can have a little relax and an explore. Then we go to Cyprus 2 weeks today! Woohoo I'm excited, so much going on! 

So firstly, I have FINALLY bought a 120 palette. Something I am sure you have all seen before, but it has taken me years to get on the bandwagon! I don't know why really just haven't bothered, but I am glad I did now! It did take the mickey to come as it is from China, almost 3 weeks! But it was worth the wait. If you just type into Ebay '120 palette' they all come up. Usually they set you back about £10 - £15, but I quickly jumped in on a bid only one and got it for £7 with postage, so keep your eye open for a bargain! 

Sorry about the shocking picture, it was just a quick one to send to my Mom! The colours are wickedly pigmented, and I think it is going to last me rather a long time!

We went for a curry with Eds Mom and Dad for Eds birthday as we won't be here, so I thought I would try the palette out. Here I am wearing a very light lemony nude shade, applied firstly all over the lid. (After applying primer), then if you can see the blue patches on my top, I matched that to the nearest blue on the palette, and put that on the outer corners and crease. To define it a little more, I went in with a darker turquoise shade (a little like my hair colour), and further defined the crease, and super blended it all. I quite like these colours together, nice and springy! Earrings £2, Necklace £4, Shrug top £8 all from Primark. On the lips, George ASDA nude lip liner £4, and MAC Hue over the top £13.50.

Again sorry for the poor quality of the picture, but we were zooming really quick out to the cinema to see the Hunger Games!! I thought I would do a really quick 5 minute Katniss Everdeen inspired look - not exact, but how I liked it! I did a messy side plait as she has it, thick black winged liner (Blacktrack fluidline from MAC £16.00), mascara (MUA curved mascara £3.00) and Hue from MAC on the lips (£13.50). I thought the film was absolutely amazing and the second one can't come quickly enough!

So for tonights Lake District adventure, I have done my nails ready for the weekend. I decided to do a graduated glitter nail, because they always look pretty cool, especially when I have my fakies on. Fake nails are 200 pack from Boots (£8.00), my holy grail fake nails! Polishes are both from Primark and come in sets of four (not these colours together though), and the sets are £2.00 each. They are great quality varnishes and the blue is a one coat wonder! To graduate glitter, start about a quarter way up from the cuticle to the tip, then let it dry. When dry start a little bit further up, let dry etc etc you get the drift! If its a holographic glitter like this, try and get most of the larger glitter pieces towards the nail tips, it may be fiddly but gets a much better graduated look! Finish up with some Sally Hansen Diamond Shine nail hardener (£10.00) - not really a top coat but works wonders for me! 

So there you have it! Do you have any good nail designs to try? I would love to see!

Thanks for reading and I'll post some piccies when we return! 

Ciao for Now xXx

Poorly and pancakes!

Hi everyone, long time no blog again, I know. I haven't really had anything great to blog about I guess. I am in my new job now, feels all a bit strange but there you go. I have been ill with the flu too, got over that for a couple of days, and now I have the worst cold ever. I don't know what appears to be cracking on with my immune system, it's gone out the window for some reason, and I am generally not someone who ever gets ill. Bad times.

My head feels a bit full of late. I don't know, feeling a bit down and stuff, probably because of all the changes, and illness and things, but just can't seem to bring myself back up. I really miss my friends, and I guess I am feeling a little cut off. I am seeing two of them tonight so I can't wait for that, although I'm sure they can wait, having to spend the evening with a snot-monster. Nice.

I attempted to do a make up tutorial video the other day, with Ed's sister Maria. However, Ed and Maria's boyfriend Jonny were in the room, do you think we could film it? Nope. They were messing about, all the make up wasn't good because I couldn't concentrate, and although the foundation looked really bad on camera, the finish result photos were great, and it looked good in real life. So here is the messed up video, definitely worth a watch if you need a laugh!

Also, yesterday was pancake day! My poppa (or grandad if you prefer) is a mean pancake maker, so we went to Nan and Pops for it. They were really yummy, and took me straight back to when he used to do them for me when I was a little'un. We had lemon and sugar, strawberries and cream, nutella, golden syrup mmmmmm! The best! 

Thats pretty much it. Oo apart from we are going to see Marina and the Diamonds again this weekend! Friday night down to Cambridge, and Saturday carrying on to Brighton. Should be fun with Maria and Jonny. I shall probably blog via my phone while we are away, or do a vlog. 

Thanks for reading if you are still with me.

Ciao for now xXx

Happy valentines day ♥

Hello guys, blimey it has been ages since I have posted. Sorry to those who read, I have just been super busy! One of our friends has just had a baby, so here I am with baby Jak! We are Aunty Tilly and Uncle Ed. Jak is so cute I absolutely adore him! He has the softest skin ever and when Ed held him he opened his little eyes!

Scrunchy up face for Aunty Tilly hehehe :)

Open eyes for Uncle Ed :) xxx

So it's valentines day today! I have been looking forward to it for ages as we are going to a restaurant that we have been to once before that we really liked. It's pretty swanky, and I'm feeling a little like whatever I wear I will be underdressed, but you know what, I just want us to enjoy ourselves so it isn't the biggest deal what I look like I suppose! The restaurant is called Simpsons in Edgbaston, Birmingham. If you want to check out their website click HERE . We are having a ten course taster menu! I am so excited! Posh Nosh! =D

This is what Ed drew in my card <3 aww so cute. We got engaged up the Eiffel tower - if I haven't already mentioned it a million times - so he drew one for me! I got him a card with an Eiffel on the front, but me being an idiot didn't pick an envelope up with it! Nevermind, it's the words that count, can't help being a bit useless!

I have done my nails ready for tonight, here is the finished result!

This is the kit I used to create them. Boot's 200 nails kit and Primark Beauty nail varnish - believe it or not! The Boots nail kit is a definite essential. Rather than paying £25 - £30 a pop to have your nails professionally done with acrylics or gels, for £8.50 these are just as good. They last as long as you are careful with them, and the glue for them is great. I have done two sets out of them so far and both have been a success! I also prefer these because you can change the colours (don't forget to use an acetone free nail varnish remover so the nails don't dissolve!) and they don't damage your real nail underneath. 

I begin by selecting the correct sizes, and  laying them out to make it easier for application. I then file the tips, and all the top surfaces of my own nails, to give a rougher surface so the nail applies with a little more security.  Begin by applying a small amount of nail glue, and spread it around with the tip of the bottle to cover all the surface of the nail. Take the false nail, and starting with the round tipped bottom of it, push onto natural nail, laying flat from the base upwards. To set, hold down the nail very tightly with finger and thumb to compress any air bubbles. Continue for all nails, and let them dry.

Take the nail varnish of your choice. As I said, I have used Primark Beauty's new range of nail paints, which are actually brilliant for £2 for a pack of 4. I think they have 4 sets at the moment, which I have all of them because they are too much of a bargain to miss out on. So, these are the metallic colours. I used the shimmery gold (second from right), and the gold holographic top coat (far left). I used two coats of the gold, although you could probably get away with only one! They dry nice and quickly too, so not much waiting around. The holographic polish spreads the glitter quite well, and I have only used 1 coat, but you can add more if you wish. I haven't put a topcoat over that, because I wanted the textured effect. And there you go! Cheap, but greatly effective nails for valentines!

Thought I would just put on the roses I got sent to work! They are totally gorgeous and covered in glitter! He's an old smoothie hehehe <3

So I hope everyone has a great rest of valentines day, and if it's not your thing, get some choccy down your neck! Have a good'un!

Ciao for now! xXx