Theatre - Wicked at London's Apollo Victoria Theatre

Hello everyone!

Back in December, me and 2 of my best girl friends decided to do something special together before Christmas. We've all known each other for 10 years but now they both live in London so I don't get to see them as often as I'd like to because of work and social schedules not fitting together. 

Last year, 2 of us went to see The Nutcracker and we had such a great time! You might remember my blog post from back then - you can see it here. I was so excited when the idea to do it again came about and started searching for the perfect thing we could go and see. Unfortunately.... I didn't actually find anything that looked good - there's a lot of weird shows in London!

But as soon as my friend suggested Wicked, I knew we had to go see it! I've always seen the posters and adverts, but have never actually got my act together to see it (act...theatre...see what I did there?) but I'm really happy that we did!

I didn't actually get to take any photos outside - too much chatting and catching up! And obviously I didn't take any inside either, it's not exactly the done thing to start snapping whilst the performance is on! I'll insert some that I found on the official website so you can get some idea of what it looks like and what it's about.

The show takes The Wizard of Oz and turns it on it's head, telling the stories of the good and bad witches from the classic story. It's the tale of an unlikely friendship between two witches with polar opposite personalities. 

This is taken from the synopsis from the Wicked London website - 

"Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths.Glinda's unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power while Elphaba's determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences for her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfil their destinies as Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West." 

As you can imagine, I was blown away! It was one of the best London shows I've ever seen. The costume and set design were incredible. It was like an industrial themed Wonka factory which to me is what dreams are made of! The plot and script were so clever - and SO funny! I would highly recommend this muscial to every single person I know, even people that wouldn't normally enjoy a typical West End show. There's something for everybody in it and it truly is fantastic.

Here's a video of the trailer so you can get a further little taste of the musical -

Please, please, please go and see Wicked - you won't regret it!

http://www.wickedthemusical.co.uk/wicked-london.asp

SOTD - Defying Gravity by the cast of Wicked

IOTD - Jennifer DiNoia, the actress playing Elpheba

Benefit Easiest Nudes Ever Review and Mini Tutorial

Hello everyone!

Here's a little review and mini tutorial of a Benefit kit I got from my sister for Christmas. Everyone that knows me knows that I'm a huge Benefit junkie! I'm slowly building up to owning EVERYTHING they make! I love the make-up, it's great quality in my opinion and the packaging is always so cute! I put a few things of theirs on my Christmas list but obviously didn't know if I'd get any, and if I did, I didn't know what it would be so I was really excited to get this kit! I already had the Most Glamourous kit and really, really like it (blog post to follow!) so I knew I'd like this one too!

Disclaimer #1: I'm not sponsored by any of the brands or companies that produce the products that I've used. I wish I was, but no, sadly not!

Disclaimer #2: You might notice that eyeliner wings are slightly uneven. I experimented with Scotch tape and positioned one of them slightly different than the other. If any of you have used the gel liner that I used, you'll know that it's one of the most stubborn liners to remove, so to be honest, once it's on me, it's on. I ain't going back in there to correct that! Also, my eyes are actually quiet uneven anyway, so they're never going to look 100% symmetrical.

Disclaimer #3: My roots are disgusting. I know that too ;)

This is the make-up with the flash on.

So, inside the kit you get 2 cream shadows and 4 powder shadows. It also comes with a mirror in the box and a few little hints and tips, which is something Benefit include in pretty much all their products. I think that's a really nice touch because if you're experienced with make-up or just starting to use it, there might be something there that you pick up.

The cream shadows are in the shades RSVP and No Pressure. RSVP is a soft pink-ish copper colour and No Pressure is almost a shimmery cocoa kind of colour, although it's not super dark as you can see from the photo below. The cream shade is Call My Bluff and is great as a base or subtle and matte highlight. Then there's a very light pink called Pinky Swear, a shimmery brown called Thanks a Latte and a dark brown called Quick, Look Busy.

Sorry that RSVP (pictured left) is used. I was so excited to try these out on Christmas day that I didn't think about taking blog photos, I'm afraid. But never mind, you still get the idea of what they look like!

Here are the swatches that I took. I am so in love with Thanks a Latte and Call My Bluff! They are a great combination to wear for daytime and create a really quick eyeshadow look! 

No flash.

So here's my little tutorial. Hope you like it!

Start by applying moisturiser to your entire face and neck, concentrating on any patches of skin that might be dry. For me, it's the space between my brows and nose that can get quite peely.

Next, I like to apply colour correcting creams so that my foundation goes on in a more flawless way. To do this, I apply the green cream concealer from the Coastal Scents Eclipse concealing palette -  which I got from amazon - to any redness on my skin, which could be on blemishes or areas that get over stimulated through washing my face, cleansing and moisturising. I then take Benefit Lemonaid which is a yellow toned concealer cream perfect for neutralising areas of skin that are purple toned - 2 words people: DARK CIRCLES! This is a great product, but I'm not 100% sure if you can still easily buy it. I got mine from Debenhams, anyway, so you'll probably be able to.

You'll end up looking a bit crazy after the colour correction, so that's where foundation will come in. I apply Benefit Big Easy in 01 Fair to my entire face, making sure I cover the colour correction, using the Real Techniques foundation brush which is the thin slanted brush. I then use the expert face brush to buff it into my skin.

I follow this with concealer, I'm using Rimmel Wake Me Up and then I contour using the Illamasqua sculpting duo. After this, I apply blush which at the moment is Dandelion by Benefit.

I then took the Easiest Nudes kit and started on my eyes. First, I apply RSVP to my lid and crease of my eyelid. I then applied a little Call My Bluff on my lid, brow bone and inner corner of my eye. After this, applied Thanks a Latte to the crease, outer third and just on my lower lid close to my lashes. I used a slanted fluffy brush from Real Techniques which is great as it helps create more of a slanted, cat eye effect with your eyeshadow, blending it towards the end of the eyebrow. I applied Pinky Swear to the inner third of the lid.

I then lined my tightline using Urban Decay 24/7 liner in black and applied winged Maybelline Lasting Drama gel liner on my lid. I experimented with Scotch Tape to create a nice, sharp, straight line. It worked so well on my left eye because I took my time! I rushed the right eye a bit and it was at slightly the wrong angle. Oh well, no harm, no foul!

I finished with a few coats of Max Factor Clump Defy False Lash Effect mascara, a generous application of EOS pomegranate lip balm and then Go Guava lipstick by MAC, which is part of the Trend Forecast Spring 15/Lip and Cheek palette.

All done!

SOTD - Flawless by Beyonce

IOTD - Caroline Flack

Update!

Hello everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas if you celebrate and that you're looking forward to the start of a new year!

Once again, it's been a really long time since I blogged, but I have just been so busy! The combination of work and completing the make-up course was quite a lot for me. I'm a bit of a perfectionist so I put my heart and soul into everything I do and it all just ended up taking up all my time. I've just ended up making myself unnecessarily stressed out which has ultimately caused me to get nice and poorly - I currently have shingles which is so horrible! I'm hoping that I'll have some free time soon to start writing on here more often because I really do love it! I have so many posts planned out that I want to share with you, so fingers crossed it starts to happen soon!

So, what's been happening?

Well, I'm still working in retail which is fine for now. It's been very busy due to it being Christmas and then going into the sales. My illness could not have come at a worse time, but never mind, I'm trying to power through as much as possible!

My biggest news is that I finished the make-up course and......

Drum roll please.....

I PASSED!

I am so beyond happy! I can confidently start to market myself as a make-up artist knowing that my work is of a good standard and that I am practicing hygienically and maintaining good client care. I really enjoyed taking the course - the tutors were amazing and so knowledgeable, I learnt such a lot from them! And all the other girls that I took the course with were so lovely! I'm hoping that we stay in touch and cross paths again in the future.

I studied Level 2 make-up at the Jackie Hamilton School of Beauty which is in Norwich. I don't actually live in Norwich, or Norfolk for that matter so I had to travel from Suffolk every other Sunday to get there for 10am. Leaving the house at 8:20am on a Sunday morning is not the one - but I'm SO glad I did it! We learnt all about hygiene, client care, colour theory, face shapes/tones/types etc, cosmetic science - and so much more! We also (obviously!) learnt how to apply make-up correctly for 4 different types of make-up - daytime, bridal, evening and special occasion. We were also given the opportunity to unleash our creativity a bit and do an "Other" make-up, for which I re-created a historically accurate 1920's look. We then took a theory exam which was multiple choice and the following week we took our practical exam for which we showed an examiner that we could perform a full cleansing routine and daytime make-up in 30 minutes following high standards of hygiene and client care.

Now that I've passed the level 2 course, I have applied to do the level 3 course which starts in February and focuses more on fashion and photographic make-up. I'm so excited to start!

In the meantime, I'll be starting to launch my business and build myself up as make-up artist whilst I'm still at work.

Thank you all so much for reading and I'll hopefully be updating this blog really soon!

SOTD - Blue by Beyonce

IOTD - Zoe Sugg

The Start of Something New - UPDATE!!!

Hello kind readers!

I hope you are all doing wonderfully and have had a fab month while I haven't posted (that's my covert way of saying sorry for being lazy...).

I've been really busy! Working, socializing and getting ready to start my new training course. You may be thinking, "Training course?! What training course?!", wellllllllllllllll... I'm about to start training to become a qualified make up artist!!!!!! HOW EXCITING!

I've actually known about this since June, but I didn't want to write about it until the time came for the course to start. My track record of dropping out or chickening out of things is pretty darn high, so I wanted to make sure I didn't write a massive post about it, only to write another one telling you how much of an epic fail I am! But I start on Sunday and I'm really hopeful that this will turn out well.

I'll be studying at a small - but perfectly formed! - beauty school in Norwich, The Jackie Hamilton School of Beauty and the course will take place over the next 12 weeks. I go in for a day a fortnight and then complete case studies during the periods I'm not there. In December I'll take an exam and then if all goes to plan, I'll be able to start working as a pro MUA.

Over all the years I've spent trying to decide what I should do with myself, beauty therapy and specifically make up is something I've always come back to, and also something that my friends and family have always said I'd be good at. I'm not sure about that, but I do know that it's something I'll enjoy. I'm so interested in make up and it's honestly my dream to make a career out of it. In years previous, I thought it would be best to get a degree and then do something more "sensible", but that's so not for me. I tried it and it was a disaster. It's so much better to do something that you know you'll enjoy. So if that's going to university and getting a degree and then a job through that, then you should definitely do it. But if it's going to beauty school, or something else that's more vocational, then do it!

SOTD - Waterfalls by TLC

IOTD - Samantha Chapman

My faaaaaaaaavourite make up artist. Sam is someone I look up to so much, and if I can be even half as successful as she is, I will be over the moon!

Glossy Box Review - Luxury Freebie

*DISCLAIMER - I am NOT in any way affiliated with Glossy Box and this review is in no way sponsored by them. The subscriptions have always been paid for by me and I am not receiving any freebies or payment from the company*

Hello lovely readers!

Back in 2011, I started a subscription to Glossy Box - a monthly beauty box containing 5 luxury samples of new and popular products available on the market. Anything from lip gloss to perfume to fake tan. I enjoyed them for a while, but started to tire of what I was being sent.

However, I recently received an email from Glossy Box about an offer for a box worth £75 if you subscribe for 3, 6 or 12 months. Being a sucker for a deal, I decided to sign up for 3 boxes and see if there were any improvements. 

When I initially opened the parcel box, I was surprised to find a black and gold box inside. Normally the boxes are light pink unless there's a theme, which as far as I was aware, wasn't the case for this month.

Inside was the leaflet that describes all the products for you. This said "Razzle & dazzle this festive season", which, again, I thought was a bit odd. I've tweeted Glossy Box, but I imagine this is my £75 box with full size products. I'm happy with the products, but they're completely wrong for this time of year. Obviously this is the Christmas box from last year, which doesn't quite work for August.

As usual, the box was beautifully packaged. The box was slightly scuffed up, but I guess that's because it was from 8 months ago and in a black box, so the marks will show more. Doesn't matter though, I just keep the boxes for storage inside drawers/cupboards/etc.

So, let's get to the products! I'll quote what is said in the leaflet and then let you know what I think of them on first viewing. I haven't had chance to use any of them properly yet, but any I think are worth reviewing, I'll do so in separate posts.

So I'll start with the Butter London 3 Free Nail Lacquer. The leaflet says:

"Searching for a festive-inspired manicure? This fabulous Butter London nail lacquer is all you need! Long-lasting and rich in colour, this high-performing nail polish leaves a smooth and glossy finish". 

This nail polish retails at £12. It's a lovely chocolate brown shade and will be perfect for the Autumn and Winter months. It's a shame I won't want to try it quite yet, but as soon as I do, I'll try to remember to review it for you all. I've never used any Butter London products, but I know they're very popular, so hopefully I'll enjoy using this one!

In the little pink tube is a Absolute! Perfume Stick. The leaflet says:

"This unique Absolute! perfume stick is a seductive scent, instantly conjuring up images of a winter wonderland. Packaged in a beautiful and elegantly designed bottle, it's the perfect Christmas gift".

This retails at £9.50. It smells very floral, and actually does work really well in August. I like the idea of a solid perfume, no more lugging around full size, glass perfume bottles in my handbag - much less risky (perfume bottles can smash phone screens - believe, I know this from experience!) and it's a real space saver. I have quite sensitive skin too, so was wary that this kind of perfume stick might bring me out in a rash, but it didn't, so I'm happy about that. Overall, it smells great and is a really good idea for a product.

The white tube is a So Susan Cosmetics Water-based Pure Luminizer. The leaflet says:

"Want the perfect red carpet glow for Christmas? Simply apply So Susan's lightweight Water-Based Luminizer to highlight your cheekbones, brow bones and eyes for a sparkling luminosity that will last all night long."

This retails at £25. This was one of the most disappointing products for me. This box was supposed to contain full sized products, which I suppose it technically did, however I was expecting full sized products that were actually full of the product. This could easily only have been half full - I had to really squeeze the tube to get any of the luminizer out, which is a real shame because I actually quite like it. I tried it out on my hand and it's very dewey and glowy. It could actually work well as a moisturizer on the legs if you fancied going tights-less for an evening out, though you'd want to mix it with a regular body lotion so you don't end up really sparkly! I'm intrigued to try it on my face over foundation as it does look kind of pigmented. I currently use Soap 'n' Glory's Hocus Focus illuminating cream mixed in with my foundation which just gives me a pearly glow. However, Hocus Focus is a white cream, so blends in completely transparently to the skin. I don't think this So Susan product will do that, and in turn might be too dark for my complexion. But considering I want to become a make-up artist (post on that to come!), I need to start building a kit that contains products for all skin types and tones, so this could prove very useful!

Next is a tube of EuPhidra Pearly Lip Gloss. The leaflet says: 

"This lip gloss should be on everyone's wish list! Why? Simply because the perfume and Paraben-free Pearly Lip Gloss by EuPhidra not only gives you a perfect finish, it also protects and treats your lips with Vitamin E and Oryza Sativa Oil, ensuring they're in top condition throughout the year."

This retails at £11.90. My first impression of this was "Holy sparkles, Batman". It is SO glittery. Reminds me of the Bourjois 3D Effet Lipgloss that I got free from Boots when I was about 12 or 13. It was BRIGHT pink with a tonne of gold flecks in it. Not a good look for me! This is more subtle. It's a softer pink and the glitter is surprisingly subtle. I think it work best for a party, but I do quite like it. I wouldn't pay £11.90 for something like this, but as it was free, I'm pretty happy with it.

The bottle is a Philip B African Shea Butter Gently & Conditioning Shampoo. The leaflet says:

"Let your hair steal the show this season! Give yourself a glossy Christmas treat with Philip B's African Shea Butter Conditioning Shampoo. The gentle cleansing properties protect and strengthen your strands, leaving your locks full of body and shine."

This retails at £9.50. This one scares me a little. I'm wary of 2 in 1 shampoo/conditioners, and although it doesn't explicitly say it's 2 in 1, it does say it's a conditioning shampoo, sooo.... I'll try it if I'm ever desperate, but I can't say I'm that eager to. I love the smell of Shea Butter though, so mayyyyyyyybe....

And finally, there is a Be A Bombshell Cosmetics "Blush" - which was actually a bronzer. The leaflet says:

"This highly-pigmented formula is a must-have for all make-up kits, leaving you with a long lasting rosy glow that's flattering for all skin tones."

This retails at £9.95. Obviously this description isn't quite correct... Shame really, I would have much preferred a blush as I don't really use bronzer. I would have really enjoyed this "must-have" blush. It's waaaaaaaaaay too dark for my skin. The FCUK bronzer that I do seldom use, is a much lighter shade, so this is completely wrong for me. I did choose the light skin option on the form that is supposed to tailor your boxes to your specific needs, but I guess it didn't quite translate in this first box. Never mind, like the the luminizer, it'll be added to my ever growing kit to use on potential future clients. Not a total loss!

Adding up all the retail prices, this box actually comes to nearly £78, which although is only £3 more than advertised....is STILL £3 more than advertised! Which I think is pretty generous. I was expecting it to be slightly (or perhaps quite a lot) less than £75, so I'm pleasantly surprised that it wasn't.

All in all, I didn't love this box, but I didn't hate it either. It was alright. Hopefully the 3 monthly boxes I've ordered will suit me better, but I'm looking forward to using the lip gloss, perfume stick and nail polish.

SOTD - Wonder Woman by Frankmusik

IOTD - Dawn O'Porter

I think I might actually be in love with this woman. Genuinely. She's so cool! I just finished watching her series "This Old Thing" where she gave tips for vintage shopping and revamping old clothes in your wardrobe and I really enjoyed it! I picked up lots of advice, but the one that I thought was best for me personally was to try things on when shopping. I hate trying clothes on whilst shopping with a passion. It really depresses me if things are too small and ruins my shopping day. BUT Dawn is changing my ways. It's worth trying clothes on because they will look different on you than they do on the hanger - obviously! And yeah, it might look terrible, but something else might look AMAZING on you!

On Wednesdays (and Fridays...) We Wear Pink - Regina George's Make-Up From Mean Girls

"In Girl World, Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it"

*Creeps in looking a good mix of embarrassed, awkward and apologetic for not posting in a really long time*

.....I'm sorry.....

Hello everyone! I knowwwwwwwwwww, it's been aaaaaages. My life suddenly got really busy. I turned 21 (Woo!), found myself a job (Woo woo!) and applied for a make-up course that starts in Setember (Woo woo woo!), so I've just been figuring all that out, as well as seeing my friends now they're all coming home after graduating from university.

I've finally got the end of my Mean Girls posts, which shouuuuuuuuuld have only taken 4 weeks, but I'm a terrible blogger and it obviously wouldn't run like that, now, would it?!

The final look is Regina and I chose to recreate her make-up from the Halloween party scenes.

It's a pretty easy look, and gives you chance to practise your gel liner skills - who doesn't need practise? It's also got some glitzy little gems and my photos vaguely feature bunny ears (classy lady!). Here's what I came up with, hope you like it!

Yes, I did only apply mascara, eyeliner and gems two 1 eye - I only ever show you my left eye anyway!

So, moisturise and apply your normal foundation and concealer, if you wear them. I used my usual Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow liquid foundation with Fake Up concealer around the eye area and on any blemishes.

Next, apply an eye primer if you want to, I didn't but would if I was wearing this make-up out. I then applied a pearly white cream eyeshadow to my entire eyelid, from lash line to brow bone. Make sure this is blended really well and not caked on. You want it nice and smooth. Apply a white eyeshadow over the top to set.

I then applied a very pale but slightly metallic eyeshadow just above the crease, but just below the brow bone. Blend this in well.

Apply a muted light brown in the crease and then using a clean blending brush, blend everything well. You don't want any harsh lines or blocks of colour. That's it for eyeshadow.

Apply a black pencil liner in the water and tight lines and then using a gel liner and brush, line the upper lash line. You want this line to be of thin to medium thickness, with a winged out edge. The easiest way to use a gel liner with a brush is to make short brush strokes, so you're remain in control at all times. Plot your winged edge using the end of the liner brush - hold it along the corner of your eye and match it to the end of your eyebrow. Brush a short line here, and then join it to rest of your eyeliner.

Using small body gems, stick one to the outer corner of your eye, and one to the inner corner - if you're going with gems. Leave them if you want a more wearable look.

Apply a highlight - something like Benefit High Beam, or Illamasqua Lumos highlighting powder - above the brow bone, along the centre of the nose and on the top of the cheekbones. Then generously apply a rosy pink blush to the apples of the cheeks. Blend this back towards the hairline.

And finally slick on a light pink lipstick and lip gloss (ugh, lip gloss!) (and bunny ears if you want them) - and you're done!

I hope you liked this! I do have lots of tutorials, reviews and hauls to share with you, and now I'm settled into my job I hope to update this blog more often. It's nearly a year since I started properly and I definitely haven't written enough posts yet! But I will try my hardest as I would love to boost my views and followers.

IOTD - Rachel McAdams

SOTD - Built This Way by Samantha Ronson

On Wednesdays We Wear Pink - Karen Smith's Make Up From Mean Girls

Hello! Long time, no blog. You know how it is though, life got busy, the usual story.

Here's the third post in my Mean Girls themed blogs, this time it's Karen Smith. This one was the easiest make-up to recreate, but the hardest to find in terms of photo references. She's kind of an underrated member of the primary cast in the film, but actually has some of the funniest lines.

 Do you know who's looking fine tonight?

Seth Mosakowski.

I ended up using a combination of her more natural looks (so, everything aside from the Halloween scene) to create a more general "Karen" look. Here are some that I used as references:

Bit of a tricky one, as in some photos, her make-up looks more brown, in others it's more grey. I've gone for brown so it's more natural, and because the Gretchen look I did was a grey smokey eye. Made sense to me ;)

 I hope you like it!

This is a REALLY simple tutorial. I'm almost hesitant to call it a tutorial, it's THAT easy. If you have the right colours, you can do it.

I started with a nude shimmery shadow which I applied to the entire lid, up to the brow bone. This will act as a base and subtle highlight under the brow.

Next, I applied a muted, matte brown to the outer third of the lid and into the crease. I used a medium brown that would blend nicely in the crease and with the first shadow. You don't this look to be too "blocky" if that makes sense - everything wants to be softened, delicate and natural.

I applied a very subtle gold/beige shadow to the inner third of the lid to create more depth and shape to the eye. I'm not entirely how to describe what I mean actually... Hmm... Without this added shadow, it can end up looking slightly flat. You're basically fading the colours from the inner corner of the eye to the outer corner to shape the eye and create dimension. (Word vomit).

Add mascara to your top and bottom lashes and use a black liner in the tightline.

For the waterline, I lined the outer third with the same black liner as the tightline, and then blended a brown liner into this slightly, and continuing to line the rest of the waterline. This stops the liner potentially closing up the eye (not literally, but it can make your eyes look much smaller) and softens the look. Using only black liner could look far too heavy on an eye like this.

I swept a muted, rosey/brown blush across the apples of the cheeks and used an almost clear, but slightly pinkish/brown lipgloss. I used Sugarbomb by Benefit if you're looking to see what the shade actually looks like in the tube.

C'est Fini! Hope you liked this look! Next week will be the last of these blogs, and it will be Regina's Halloween look - complete with some delightful bunny ears (they're actually hideous!).

IOTD - Amanda Seyfried

SOTD - Milkshake by Kelis