Bronzed make-up routine and review of products

BE AWARE! VERY LONG POST HAHA!
So, I have asked a lot of you on Instagram what posts you wanted to see me do on my blog and the majority of answers were make-up related. I uploaded the photo of myself to Instagram and quite a lot of people asked to see what products I used to create it. So below i'll just be explaining what products I used, How i applied them and the prices.

For my make-up, I decided to have a bronzed look. I wanted  to use darker colors such as browns and golds. I'm going to be talking about what products I used and how I used them below. Below is the photo of the finished make-up look. Excuse the slap back hair and bra straps haha!

Here's how I now done my make-up look-

 Step 1: Moisturizer

'OLAY Beauty Fluid'

£4.69

Available in Boots, or other large cosmetic retailers

So each time I do my make-up and I know I will need it to be long-lasting I always use a primer or moisturizer on my face. I find that using moisturizers or prinmers helps to appy make-up more easily and your make-up will last much longer. Normally I use the 'Nivea Primer' but I had run out so ended up using this which works just as fine. It's not greasy on your skin which is a must! I used a little drop on my hands and then rubbed it all over my face and neck!

Step 2: Foundation

No 7 Stay Perfect Foundation & Small Elf Stipple Brush

Foundation: £14.50 a bottle or two for £21.75 & Stipple Brush: £3.95

Foundation available in Boots & Stipple Brush available online or in shop 

This foundation is one of my favourites! For years I struggled with finding a suitable foundation colour to match my skin tone and normally if I got a perfect colour match the foundation itself would be thick and greasy. I went into my local Boots store for a hunt of a good foundation once again and seen that No7 had a new scheme in Boots where you'd find the suitable foundation match for your skin. I thought i'd give it a go and the process was actualy really easy. The lady removed the foundation I was already wearing off a small part of my jawline and then scanned my face with a small machine. The machine then detected what foundation would match my skin tone. Once detected the lady then tried the colour match foundation on me and asked if it was okay! It was amazing and was so light so then bought it.

The foundation is really easy to glide over your skin and has a nice texture. I have my own way of applying foundation with a stipple brush so you may be thinking 'What is she talking about?' , but it works amazing for me! Firstly I squirt foundation onto the back of my hand and dab over my face. I then smooth the foundation all over my face, like you'd do if you had no brushes to apply. Once I have smoothed the foundation all over my face I then just stipple my face with the brush (dabbing your face with it all over). I find this makes sure that every area on your face is evenly covered.

Step 3: Concealing

Elf Flawless Finish Foundation & Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

Foundation: £7.50 & Brush: £9.99

Foundation: Available online or in shops & Brush: Boots

You may be wondering why I have two foundations featured in this make-up look but it is completely optional if you want to chose both or just one foundation to use. I use this foundation as  a concealer. the coverage is AMAZING but I find it too greasy to use as a full face foundation. So I apply a few squirts onto the back of my hand of the foundation again and dab under my eyes and around the edges of my nose (any area where there is redness). If I have any spots I also dab this on them too. Once I have dabbed this on my target areas I then take my brush and finely blend the foundation in. I dont blend too softly otherwise you'll see the two different foundations but I don't blend too roughly so that you end up un-covering the target areas again.

Step 4: Powder

Colortrend Final Touch Powder & Powder Brush

Powder: £2.50 & Brush: £1.00

Powder: Avon Cosmetics & Brush: Poundland

In my opinion, every make-up look should include a translucent powder as it helps your foundation stay on for so much later and makes your skin look much less greasy!I love this make of powder as the powder is really thin and you can't tell that you have just put it on your skin. I take my powder brush and swirl around about 3 times around the powder then brush it over my face luightly. I make sure that I apply the powder all over my face!

Step 5: Bronzer and Blusher

SUNKISSED bronzing pearls, Loreal Paris Lumi Magique Pearl Powder, Foundation and Bronzer Brush
Pearls: £1.99, Powder: £8.99 & Brush: £2.99
Pearls: B&M's , Powder: Boots & Brush: H&M

When I need to contour my face I have to admit i'm not the best. I like to use both a bronzer and a blusher. Firstly I use my bronzing pearls and gently dab my brush in the pearls (I have to be careful because sometimes it can be really dark!). I then do a pout face and brush it along the edges of my cheekbones and then I brush gently up between my eyebrows and side of my head. I then take my powder and do my best smile and dab it lightly on the apples on my cheeks. The powder is great because it gives an amazing glow!!!

Step 6: Eyebrows

Vital Radiance Eyebrow Kit
£3.49
Available brand new on shop on Ebay

So,I have a scarcity of eyebrows and without any color they look very odd. I've tried pencils in the past but they tend to be too dark for me so I used a powder instead and it is much better! This set already comes with a miniature angled brush which is really good and handy. There's two different shades of powder but I use the darkest. I tap the angle of the brush into the powder then apply to my eyebrow shape.

Step 7: Eyeliner

Mac Fluidline Eye Pencil in "Black Brilliance"

£15.50

Available in Mac Shops or online

I've tried sooo many eyeliners since I have started using make-up and found myself not being able to use liquid eyeliner so settled with this pencil eyeliner. This pencil is brilliant and is so easy to apply and it can be twisted up to reveal more eyeliner. I used to apply flicks on my eyeliner to have the "cat eye" effect but now I just stick to just drawing around the edges of my eyes. I then lightly rub my finger  over the eyeliner to blend it in so it doesn't look so harsh. 

Step 8: Highlighting

Benefit High Brow Glow Pencil

£15.50

Available online or in leading cosmetic stores such as Debenhams

When it comes to "highlighting" and "contouring" my face I am yet to have learnt that skill but I do use this product which I class as kinda highlighting. It is basically like an eye shadow pencil but it is a kind of white/silver colour. I draw a line right under my eyebrows following the shape of them, I then blend it in. I find this makes a big difference in your eye-makeup because it makes your eyes look much bigger!

Step 9: Mascara

Avon Super Shock Mascara in shade "Black"

£8.00

Available to buy online or from an Avon representative

I don't really like wearing fake eyelashed that are appied in beauty salons because they always seem way too long and I'm not the best at applying eyelashes myself, so when I use a mascara I have to make sure it is really good. I found this mascara in an Avon catalogue and it's much better than other ones I have used before! It makes your eyelashes super long without getting them clumpy as you can see in the photo of myself. 

Step 10: Lipstick

Ultra Colour Rich Lipstick in "Sparkling Nude"

£4.99

Available on Amazon as Avon does not stock this any more

I have tried so many shades of lip-stick to see what shade matches my skin tone and found that when I do my bronzed make-up look this looks the best. It has a shiny finish and is a brown/pink colour which is really nice! One disadvantage is that it doesn't stay on your lips for long. 

This post was much longer than I expected it to be, but I didn't want to miss any important information about the products or how to apply them. I skipped the eyeshadow section as it is relatively simple anyway and i'm thinking of doing different eye makeup look post in the future. I hope you all enjoyed,maybe leave some comments below

Thanks Guys,

Natasha Louise

(@tashalouiseox)

Little Kitty Designs Review

Little Kitty Designs (@littlekittydesigns on Instagram)
www.littlekittydesigns.bigcartel.com
Email at:littlekittydeisngs@hotmail.com
Handmade Jewellery
Prices Can vary depending on item:Fox Mask  Bracelet: £3 , Wooden Cat Pendant Necklace: £5 , Earrings: £4 a pair

I received these gorgeous gifts a few days ago from a brill company called 'Little Kitty Designs'. I love the uniqueness of the items and I love how neatly they are handmade. In the envelope I found a grey and white candy stripe paper bag which looked really presentable. I looked inside the bag to find organza bags with my items inside so it was a really nice touch to add to the items.

The Items

Fox Mask Bracelet:

I love this style of bracelet for some reason, the pull cord bracelets are much easier to wear. You don't have to untie anything or do up a clasp, just slip it on your wrist and pull tight. The design of this is so pretty, I love the daintiness of it and the colours in it. The charm is super cute and I love wearing this already with daily outfits.

Wooden Cat Pendant Necklace:

My nickname is probably the 'Crazy Cat Lady' so as you can guess I'm a big lover of cats. I was super excited when I seen this because I have two cats myself and this necklace is really quirky and cute. The necklace is really vintage looking too and I'm just obsessed, it's Purr-fect (did I really just add a cat pun ha ha)

Tie-Dye Effect Earrings:

I really love the style of these earrings. I love the way they are decorated with the varying colours going through them. I love heart shape earrings anyway because normal studs looks weird on me so these were perfect. The color scheme on the earrings is brill also because it can match with near enough any outfit.

Glitter Heart Earrings:

These earrings are so,so pretty. They are so nice to wear to jazz up a nice plain dress and would look fab worn casually or dressed up. The glitter adds an extra touch to the earrings and makes them look extra nicer.

Overall, I have to say this was probably one of my favorite jewellery companies I worked for. All the products I received were really amazing and I loved the aspect of them all being handmade because it added a special touch. 

Rate out of ten: 10

Junk Love Jewellery and Accesories and Beading Buttercup Jewellery Review

Junk Love

Junk Love (@_junk_love_ on Instagram)

Email at: junk_love@outlook.com

Jewellery and handmade scrunchies

Scrunchies £3 each, choker prices vary

I was really excited to have a delivery off this company because I normally just recieve jewellery through the post, so it was nice to get soemthing different for a change. I love thick scrunchies, escpecially when it comes to winter time and I have a messy bun and complete it with a scrunchie so these items were fab. I also never had a tattoo choker before, so I was so happy when I got one delivered.

The parcel was delivered in a bubble wrap envelope, which if you have read my previous blogs you know I love the good packaging haha! The first thing I seen was the scrunchies. They were big and thick like I expected and really elasticated. The elasticity of a srunchie really matters when I use one because I have thick hair and sometimes a scrunchie cannot wrap around my hair tidy. But these two scrunchies were amazing. I had a black scrunchie that was spotty and a mesh kind of material scrunchie. Then the choker I recieved was a really light pink colour. It didn't have no clasps at the back because it stretched enough to fit over your head. I loved the pastel colour of the choker and it wasn't to bright and it looks super pretty!!!

Rate out of ten: 9.5

Beading Buttercup

Beading Buttercup (@beadingbuttercup on Instagram)

beadingbuttercup.bigcartel.com

Handmade Jewellery

Bracelet: £4

The 

Nell's Chokers Review

Nell's Chokers (@nells.chokers on Instagram)

nellschokers.bigcartel.com

Choker Necklace Maker

Prices: £5 each choker

I had to admit at first I wasn't too keen on buying a choker because I thought they wouldn't suit me. Then I had got asked by this amazing company to promote so I thought this would be a good opportunity for me to also see what chokers looked like on me. The owner (Beth) was soo lovely and helpful too.

I received these quickly and inside the envelope was an organza bag with my chokers inside. I thought the organza bag was professional and it was a nice way to package the items. Inside the bag was three mixed chokers. The cord was a kind of leather style choker so it would be durable! The chokers also had an adjustable cord on the end so they could be tightened or loosened for the right fit. I tried them on and to my surprise they actually suited me and I loved how cute and pretty they looked on. The three different chokers included: a pineapple choker, a moon choker and a 'Karma' choker. I loved the different styles and they could all be used for different outfits!

Karma Choker

Moon Choker 

Pineapple Choker

Overall, I was really impressed with these, I loved the quality of them and you can tell they were well made. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase of this company again if I was looking for more chokers.

Rate out of 10:10

Izzy's Clay World Review

Izzy's Clay World (@izzysclayworld on Instagram)
Handmade jewellery,charms, and more
Prices varies depending on what items you want
www.etsy.com/shop/IzzysClay

I was so excited when I was asked by this company to promote their business. For some reason I appreciate handmade items more than readily bought items as it adds a more personal touch. The owner 'Izzy' was so lovely, she asked me what I would like and what my favourite colours were and much more. I wanted it to be a surprise so I let her chose for me.

I received my parcel in a padded envelope so the items stayed safe. My products were also in little organza bags so they were presented nicely. Inside I received a hand painted card with my name on the front and inside was a message off the company which was lovely. 

The first item I opened was my little chibi version of myself. This item is so quirky and probably my favourite item I received that was handmade from polymer clay. It was so personal and I respected the work put into it. I love to keep it on my dressing table because it just looks so cute!

The next item was my macaroon necklace. This again was handmade by Izzy and it was in amazing quality. It looked like the creamy texture inside the macaroon and had multicolour on top of it and looked so realistic. I also liked the way this was presented too because the chain was in closed in a piece of card that was decorated. The chain is also an ideal length too.

The last item I saw was the cookie phone charm. Unfortunately I couldn't use this charm because I have an Iphone so it doesn't have anywhere to add a phone charm onto but I have used it to put onto my keys. I love adding key rings to my keys anyway so the charm added a sense of uniqueness to my keys. The charm was handmade as well and again looked so realistic. The texture on the cookie looked exact like a real cookie and I loved the way Izzy added the 'smarties' looking decals too the top.

Overall, I would definitely purchase of Izzy. She could probably hand make any charm or decal which is amazing. If I ever wanted something handmade for me, Izzy is definitely the first person I'd ask. 

Rate out of ten:100

Your Tea Detox Review

Your Tea (@yourtea or @tinyteatox  on Instagram)
Tiny Tea Teatox (14 Days)
Price Varies depending on the length of time you want to use the tea (14 Days: £20.00)
www.yourtea.com

A few weeks ago I was confirmed to be a promoter for 'Your Tea'. This tea is to help you lose weight naturally without using dodgy ingredients that could potientally harm you or make you ill. This tea uses herbal ingredients to reduce bloating and make you feel healthier.

Extract from the website about the tea I recieved:

My intricately balanced herbal blend will nourish and cleanse your digestive system, providing it the support it needs to replenish and restore back to its natural state. This cleanse will assist with reducing weight, easing bloating, increasing digestion functionality, improving skin clarity, increasing energy levels and alleviate issues associated with food intolerances. Formulated with Chinese medicine herbs and based upon Chinese medicinal principles, TinyTea is the only herbal cleanse on the market that does not produce a laxative effect

When I recieved my parcel it was packaged amazingly. It was wrapped in a bubble wrap packaging to prevent postal damage. Inside the package was a pretty brown boxwhich contained my tea. It contained a small booklet telling you information about the tea you recieved. Inside was 42 sachets of the special teabags. The teabags were attached to a string to you can hang out of your water when making the tea to make the teabag easier to remove.

I was so excited to try out this tea because I suffer with bad bloating and cramps so I was looking forward to see if it would help. I took one teabag out of the sachet and left it in the boiling water for 5 minutes as instructed. I tried the tea but unfortunately hated the taste. It's hard to explain the taste but you could tell it was herbal and tasted a bit like normal black tea. So I couldn't use this tea on myself because I couldn't bring myself to use it. I gave it to a family member who likes black tea and herbal tea to try this out. He had a try and loved the taste so I gave him the box. When he was mid-way into the tea detox I asked him how he felt and he said it made him feel a lot more healthier and he lost weight in result because his bloating went down dramatically.

Overall, I would have loved to have tried this because I have seen a lot of reviews of people's results after drinking and experienced a family members results but the taste just isnt for me.

Rate out of ten: 8

Even Star Handmade Review

Even Star Handmade (@evenstarhandmade on instagram)
Jewellery Company
Price for choker in picture is £2.50 (plus £1 postage)
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Evenstarhandmade/

Once I was confirmed as a sponsor to this company we started chatting over email. A lot of businesses chat over instagram or other ways so I found it professional how we chatted over email. The owner Beth was so lovely, she was easy to talk to and kind hearted. 

My item was sent 'First Class' so it arrived really quickly which I was happy about. It was packaged safely with a padded envelope to ensure there wouldn't be no breakages in the post. Inside the choker was enclosed in a purple organza bag and had a little note along side it.

The choker is so pretty! It has a plaited cord with an adjustable loop at the end to clip around your neck. The charm is so pretty and unique and it would look great with any outfit. This choker would look great worn casually with a plain coloured t-shirt or vest and a pair of jeans! 

Overall, I was very satisfied with my products I recieved from @evenstarhandmade and I would not hesitate to purchase an item off them in the future!

Rate out of 10: 10