Makeup Tips for the Ordinary Girl! Part 1

We've all made fashion faux pas over the years, and it's usually something we can learn from, look back and laugh (and cringe) at! But makeup and style and fashion are very personal things and we all have different tastes, so one person's golden rule will be another person's worst nightmare. When it comes to makeup there are a few basic things we can all do that will make subtle differences to our look, without doing anything drastic. Some of these things have been mentioned over and over again, so why are we still getting it wrong? Here are a few makeup mistakes I've heard of (or made myself!) and ways to correct them! I've divided this post into several parts as there are too many to go into in one go and I want to go into a little bit of detail about each one.

• Wrong shade/tone of foundation - This can be anything from too dark to too light, too pink, too yellow...

How to correct 

Foundation is the one area I'd recommend to spend money on if you can, and one great aspect of buying an expensive foundation from a luxury brand is that there is usually a girl on a makeup counter who is trained and experienced and can advise you on which foundation type and colour will suit you best. Take advantage of this, she's there to help and should be happy to talk you through your options and give you a sample if you require it. If your budget doesn't stretch that far, there are some brilliant drugstore foundations out there - I've written a blog post about how to pick the right drugstore foundation and which brands I like.

• Pale/Blank/Non-existent Lips - This usually occurs when the face is quite dark (sometimes from fake tan or foundation - or both) and the lips are made paler.

How to correct

Just don't apply lipstick that is lighter than your skin! Very few of us can get away with it, it generally doesn't suit anyone and only when it's done very well by a makeup artist will anyone manage to pull it off. Lots of women (and men!) have quite a lot of pigment in their lips, as in their lips can be quite pink or even red - this is usually an indication that this look will not suit you, it just doesn't look natural (I know lots of lip colours don't look natural but a bright colour that suits you can look really nice). My best advice is to go nude rather than pale. Pick a colour that suits the undertone of your skin - pinks and peaches will usually suit pale girls, darker girls can wear caramel or golden tones. Or pick a colour that is close to your natural lip colour - test lipsticks on your fingertips as this is slightly redder than other parts of your body and therefore will be closer to your natural lip colour. Trust me on this one, your photos will turn out a lot better!

• No eyebrows  - Usually occurs when the hair is dyed darker than the natural colour and the eyebrows are not filled in/coloured to match. Some people may have naturally dark hair and light eyebrows.

How to correct

The best thing I find for adding just a bit of definition to the eyebrows is to apply a little eyeshadow through the hairs of the eyebrows with a stiff angled brush (a good example is a MAC 266 brush). In most cases a cool colour should be used, such as light greyish brown for blondes and a dark brown with no red or chocolate undertones for brunettes and black hair (never use black eyeshadow even if you have black hair - it's too harsh). The only time I'd advise using a warm colour is if you have red hair, whether natural or coloured. Always use a matte shadow, never shimmery. The eyebrows don't have to be the centre of attention but adding a tiny bit of definition will frame your face, look polished and again, will make a huge difference to your photos!

• Too much eyebrow! - When the eyebrows are too dark/heavy,overdrawn, usually doesn't look right if the eyebrows aren't naturally that way.

How to correct

As with most things, just don't draw them on so heavy! Natural thick eyebrows can look really nice and youthful, and don't need a lot of attention, but we're not all lucky enough to have them so we have to make the most with what we've got. Of course you can make your eyebrows look a little bit fuller than they naturally are, just don't overdo it! Don't draw the eyebrows on with a dark pencil and don't use a heavy hand to do it. By all means use a pencil if you like, but use short, light strokes that replicate the hairs of your eyebrows. There are so many products out there aimed specifically at eyebrows, and if you're struggling to keep your eyebrows in shape, maybe think about getting them shaped or threaded at a salon or brow bar. Otherwise, this is a good example to follow 

So these are just a few of the most common makeup mistakes, I'll be back with more soon!

Thanks for reading!

Suzie!

xx

Babyliss Big Hair - My thoughts!

Just before I moved to the UK, I decided to get a haircut. I had always had quite long hair but after years of heat-styling and not getting regular haircuts, my hair was in really bad condition so I had to face reality and get quite a lot chopped off. So my hair went from being halfways down my back to being shoulder length. This was fine and I was happy with it, until I had to wash and style it myself for the first time - my hair is thick and coarse and fairly unmanageable at the best of times, so I found that, with it being so much shorter than I was used to, I couldn't do anything with it!

Now I will point out, I am not good with hair! So I ended up always pulling it back into a bun-type thing and I only had to style my side-swept fringe; this was no bad thing because I wasn't using straighteners on it so it got the chance to grow and stay healthy.

So because I was so frustrated with it, I asked for the Babyliss Big Hair for Christmas, and OMG, what a godsend!

What I found with it was, it put a really nice shape in my hair, gave it volume and added shine - basically it does everything I always wished I could do myself and couldn't! It works by applying heat hairdryer-style from the vents between the bristles. The brush part then rotates at different speeds (medium and high) and basically does the job of a hair-stylist in one product! The bristles are soft enough to add a shine as it works, but strong enough to keep grip of the hair if you want to bring it close to the head to add volume. Also, I have found that it doesn't tangle my hair, even in the early days of using it when I had to try and get the hang of it. There are lots of tutorials on how to use it on Youtube, Tanya Burr has made a really good one with Babyliss on their channel. So here's what I do:

• After washing my hair I apply Tresemme Thermal Creations Style Creator Spray all over my hair but mostly focusing on the ends and midlengths (I have naturally greasy hair so I don't apply a lot of product to the roots) and comb it through.

• If I want extra volume for a night out or some other occasion, I'll apply a volumizing mousse - I'm currently using L'Oreal Studio Silk & Gloss Volume mousse.

• Then I blowdry my hair on a medium heat setting to leave it slightly damp - I don't use a brush or anything for this, I just use my hands/fingers if necessary.
• Sometimes I separate my hair into an upper and lower section and begin to use the Big Hair on the lower section and finish on the upper section; other times I'll just use the Big Hair on the ends of my hair to put a bit of shape into it and I always use it on my fringe because I love how it makes it big and bouncy!
• For a touch more volume, I'll use the Big Hair on the upper layers and hold the brush and hair close to the scalp for a few seconds. This saves on back-combing too!
• I may use my GHD straightener to run through my hair very quickly just to make sure I've no kinks and the finished result is the one I want.
• I'll finish off with a decent layer of hairspray, not too much though, I don't want to make the hole in the ozone layer any bigger! I love the classic L'Oreal Elnett, and I love how you can get small bottles to fit in your handbag ;)

                        

So all in all, I think the Babyliss Big Hair is a brilliant product, it's made a huge difference to the way I style my hair and the results I get, and after hating my haircut for months, I'm starting to love it again! I reckon it's suitable for all hair typed and lengths - as I said I've got very thick, coarse hair so if it works on my it'll work on most people's hair. It's not too expensive either, so I think it's a great investment and most people could benefit from owning one.

Thanks for reading!

Suzie

xxx

My Work

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi everyone, I thought I'd just show you a few photos of work I have done in the past - these photos are not professional and are taken with a digital camera but they also haven't been enhanced or photoshopped, so the makeup appears exactly as it was applied! Hope you like them!

Suzie!

Onto bigger and better things!

I know I said I'd talk about how I got on with the work experience but to cut a long story short, it was a non-start! The lady who I spoke to got her wires crossed and thought I was a trained beauty therapist, which I'm not, so we weren't really able to come up with something that would work for both of us. They were very nice and helpful, don't get me wrong, but I'm trying to get a makeup career going here and they weren't really the right ones to help me. Oh well, I lost nothing by going to speak to them! So now I'm moving on.

I've been very busy lately, which is why I haven't updated my blog in a while. Unfortunately, what's been keeping me busy isn't makeup related, but it is still good things! When we first moved to the Uk, myself and my partner didn't know anything about anything - we thought that it was going to be very similar to Ireland, and in some ways it is, but in other ways, it's so different! And when you're used to doing things one way, it's a pain in the bum trying to get your head around things being done in a different way! Without boring you with all the details, we're moving soon, and I cannot wait! Where we live now has absolutely nothing going on, and we're moving to somewhere bigger, better, busier... So it's been all systems go looking for somewhere to live, starting to pack, all the usual stress that comes along with moving. And before we move, we're going home to Ireland for a few days (YAY!). We cannot wait! We found Christmas quite difficult as it was just the two of us and it really does emphasise how much you need your family (to us it did anyway). So the next few weeks are busy busy busy!

Getting back to makeup, I'm a bit fed up all the heavy, glittery, dark, perfect makeup of Christmas and New Year's - I want fresh, natural, pretty, things that are not always easily achievable when one suffers from mild acne! I have been trying something which I'll blog about soon, I'm still testing it out but I think it's helping. In the meantime, I'll be depending on a good foundation and concealer to help me get the look I want, and everything else will fall into place after that! I do really love the "no makeup" makeup look, I'm quite envious of people who look like they've got no makeup on but they're still looking amaze-balls, but now I know that they're using lots of little tricks to achieve that look. Hmmm, that's getting me thinking, maybe I should focus on that and write up a blog of my experiences. I've heard lots and lots of the same tips again and again but to be honest, I'm still trying to find what works best for me. We're not all the same, thank fook, life would be so boring if we were! And I find that a lot of this advice is directed towards people who don't have any issues with their skin, but the truth is, most of us do have issues.

If I ever find the charger for my camera, maybe I'll take a photo of before and after and see if the changes are obvious! Until then, I'll practice perfecting it! Let me know if you have any tips I may not have heard for the "no makeup" look!

Thanks for reading,

Suzie!

Work Experience

I have to admit, I was under false illusions when I first came to the Uk about how easily I would get a job in the beauty business. Not only can I not get one, even though there seems to be few jobs going, I can't even get a standard retail job! I've worked in retail since I was 16, and I've come to have knowledge of many different aspects of it - I've run a small department, worked on a customer service desk/reception, been trained in a large department store's cash office, trained staff, had some management experience (not on an official scale), and I also have experience in working in a high end shop, making huge sales. I could list everything I've done but I'd be here all day! I've only had 2 jobs, one I was in for 5 years and the other 3 years. To top that off, I now have a diploma in Fashion Media and Photography makeup. Not trying to blow my own trumpet but based on all that, there's no reason why I shouldn't get a job! But for some reason, it's just not happening, and I can't understand why. I know there's a recession and the economy in the Uk isn't fantastic, but if you want to see how bad things can get, go to Ireland! In Ireland I couldn't even get a sniff of a job because there simply aren't any jobs going. But in the Uk I've been able to apply for tons of jobs and I've had 5 interviews, which seemed to bode well for me. But I haven't been able to land any of these jobs, much to my frustration. (Someone please tell me what I'm doing wrong, ha ha!)

So, in the midst of my frustration, before Christmas I decided to randomly email a few companies in Bath (which is near where I live) asking if they needed anyone, for anything! I didn't expect to hear anything back but I was pleasantly surprised to find I did get one reply. It was from a lady who owns a beauty salon in Bath, and she told me they weren't looking to take anyone on as they were a relatively new business but I was more than welcome to come and spend time in the salon and observe things, basically gaining some work experience. She said it'd be unlikely that I'd be working on clients which is unfortunate but understandable (insurance and all that), and it's unpaid. So after discussing it with my partner I decided I had nothing to lose by doing it. She said I could come as much or as little as I wanted and see how things pan out. I also realised that I need to spend time with people who are on my wavelength in terms of what we do for a living. My partner is the best in the world and I can talk to him about anything but he just doesn't know anything or have any interest in the world of beauty, and I can't subject him to it anymore! Once I had the ok from him I was happy.

So, I start tomorrow. I'm going in on a casual basis, I don't know what to expect but I'm fairly confident that I can only stand to benefit from it. I've been so disappointed by my bad experiences that I can't help thinking that things can only go forward from here, and I'm really hoping that it's the start of good things to come for me and I finally get the chance to kickstart my career. So on that note, fingers crossed! I'll keep you updated about how it goes!

Thanks for reading!

Suzie

Gurus on Youtube

I just wanted to say a few things about something that I've noticed on youtube lately, in regards to "gurus". I am subscribed to several different beauty channels and I am very picky about what I watch. I watch some of the big ones such as Kandee Johnson, Pixiwoo (the first ones I ever watched and still my favourite, if I could only watch one it would be those girls without question), Pixi2woo (Tanya is a close second), and I also watch some not so big ones such as Petjachannel (she's one of my favourites too, I don't nderstand how she's not more popular) and of course I support the Irish gurus like LittleKiva and Siobhan of Letzmakeup (not just cos they're Irish, those girls are brilliant, professional makeup artists). I'm very much attracted to the skills of the artist making the video, and personality helps because I can't stand to watch a video made by someone who doesn't seem to care enough to put an effort in, and equally I don't like OTT bullshit!

One guru who I've started to watch recently, and what came with it is what's prompting me to write this now, is Samantha Schuerman. I, like many others, started off watching her beauty channel. For someone who is not a trained makeup artist I felt she had an amazing knack for makeup, and the more I watched, the more I started to like her as a person. She seems to be such a nice girl, she's quirky in a nice way and can have a laugh about herself. I can't even put my finger on it, I just liked the girl. I learned more about her as I watched her videos too, and this led me to start watching her daily vlogs on her other channel Schuermanshow. I haven't been watching for very long, maybe a couple of months, and to be fair, I liked the little family, I enjoyed watching their videos, but my life wasn't over if I missed one.

When I started watching was around the time of Sam and Jay's (her husband) 2 year wedding anniversary, and they were receiving lots of gifts in the post. I personally found this a bit strange, not so much that Sam and Jay were receiving presents, but more because people actually spent money on this family that were practically strangers to them. Anyway, as time went on, I started to notice a recurring trend in the comments section of their videos - lovers and haters. There are literally fights happening all the time between the 2 groups, it's so extreme that it is actually beyond a joke now. At first I thought it was mental that people seemed to be so offended by the Schuermans (for an array of different reasons, some valid, some ridiculous), but then I was gobsmacked by the people who were jumping to their defense. Nobody could say one remotely negative thing about the Schuermans, no matter how small (sometimes it wasn't even intended to be negative) without getting a torrent of abuse by their "supporters". To be honest, I'm not even going to go into the details of it, too much has been said and done and it's very tiring and time-consuming, not least for the Schuermans themselves.

I understand that when someone puts themselves out there on the internet for people to watch, they're going to face some scrutiny and criticism as well as receiving support and encouragement. And of course everyone is entitled to an opinion, that's what the comments section is for. However, the extremity of the views in regards to the Schuermans has effectively ruined the whole thing. It got so bad that, the other day, Sam herself had enough and decided to shut their channels down, without warning. I personally think that this was the right thing for them to do, but after a couple of days they decided to start a new channel (due to their fans begging and pleading with them to do so). Now I completely get it that they felt they had the support of their fans and were going to start clamping down on internet bullying, because that is what they were dealing with. However, now they are receiving a backlash of a different kind, and Jay in particular seems to be unable to do anything right in their fans eyes. Everything he says is taken the wrong way (God forbid the man wants to defend his family), and he has now said that they will take a break until the new year. Of course he got a backlash for that too.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not the Schuermans #1 fan by any means, and some of the points people made against them I would agree with to an extent. What I don't agree with is attacking a young family from behind a computer screen, for what appears to me to be no good reason. The hatred towards them, and also the adoration people have for them has ruined the whole thing for me, and I bet lots of other people too. The fights, the nastiness, the personal insults - there's just no call for it. I know I've given detail about the Schuermans but in reality, most gurus experience it.

I was recently led to a website called gurugossip.com, which is exactly what it says it is. They have a "Trash a Guru" section, with sections for most of the big names in youtube, and the users literally do just that, trash gurus. Most of the gurus on youtube seem to be aware of it, with Sam of Pixiwoo even commenting once to defend herself and Nic (her sister) against stupid accusations. While I reiterate again that everyone is entitled to their opinion, this website is the most disgusting, nasty place on the internet as far as I'm concerned. The claims made against some of the gurus are horrible, spiteful, exaggerated and while some have truth to them, most absolutely do not, and the people who are involved in some of the debates should be ashamed of themselves. Why do people think it's ok to act so disgracefully towards another human being just because it's on the internet? They wouldn't behave like that to someone's face. And I bet the people involved are normal, everyday people who go about their daily business without calling anyone any names or any drama, they probably have friends and family who think they're brilliant. They should stop and ask themselves how they'd feel if the show was on the other foot.

I think the Schuermans should be left to have their Christmas in peace and that goes for anyone who is brave enough to put themselves out there for people to rip apart. I just don't condone bullying behaviour in any form, no matter who it's against - nobody deserves it. Make your point constructively and respectfully and then move on. It's been turned into a whole fiasco and it didn't need to go down that road at all. So what I say is, think about what you say, if there's a need to say it, how you say it, and the age-old saying "Treat people how you like to be treated", then hopefully we can all make the internet and youtube a nicer place to be!

Thanks for reading,

Suzie

Christmas Skincare

This is a post about skincare over the Christmas period. At this time of year, it's easy to forget about looking after your body but it can be done with a little bit of extra effort! Many of us are going to spend time drinking lots of alcohol, eating too much and not getting enough fresh air, so let's just think for a minute about the little things we can do to stop ourselves getting too run down when all the festivities are over. These are just my own personal tips, and even I will have to pull myself together and make some sort of effort to follow them (I hate when people pretend to practice what they preach!):

1. I can't stress how important it is to at least try to drink some water every day at any time of year (I know I know, heard it all before!), but it's especially important at this time of year because we're drinking a lot more alcohol than usual, and alcohol just really dehydrates your body. It will start to show in your skin, it will appear dull and not so plump (if you gently pinch your cheek between your fingers and it appears dimply, it is probably dehydrated!). Not just your skin though, your body just needs it to keep it going as regular. It's not always recommended to drink fluids with your meals, so I recommended sipping a glass about half an hour before you eat your big Christmas lunch (this has another benefit which I'll mention later!). I usually feel very thirsty if I haven't drank enough water in a couple of days and take this opportunity to knock a pint of water back  - I instantly feel better afterwards. So if the only way you're going to drink it is knocking back a glass when you think of it, go for it! Try to alternate your alcoholic beverages with glasses of water too, even if you only manage a glass or 2 more than usual, it's better than nothing!

2. One thing that's very easy to forget and is very common is taking off your makeup before you go to bed! I can honestly say I DO do this, no matter how many drinks or how tired I am. Because my skin is very blemish/spot-prone and oily, it does me no good at all to sleep in my makeup. Even if you don't have this sort of skin type, it will benefit you so much to take off your makeup. Your skin is at work when you are asleep, it's why we have different products specifically designed for use at night-time, so by sleeping in your makeup you're not giving your skin the best chance to breathe, rest, recuperate. Even from a cosmetic point of view, makeup can sit in your fine lines and wrinkles and exaggerate them, effectively aging you prematurely. So if nothing else, think about that when you come in from a night out and head straight to bed! Even using a makeup wipe to take the bulk of it off will help a bit but I'm usually against them because they just don't work well enough - if you're going to cleanse with a lotion, soap, whatever you use, make sure you do it twice (once removes the day, twice removes the makeup!).

3.In regards to what I was saying about drinking water before your Christmas lunch, or any meal for that matter, a non-skin related benefit it has is to stop you eating so much! It's a well known trick that dieters use to help them lose weight, drinking water fills up your stomach and you won't feel up to eating quite so much! The best thing about it is, the bloating effect is only temporary and surprisingly, drinking water can actually help keep your stomach flatter!

4. Do make sure you get a decent night's sleep, we all have time off over Christmas and use it to your advantage! In saying that, try to have a good balance - if you go to bed late, by all means get your 8 hours, but don't lie in bed all morning and waste your day moping around the house! It's not good for your mind, skin and body to stay indoors all the time (and I know, I spend more time that I'd like to at home on my own :( ). Fresh air does your body so much good, whether it's after the big dinner or you're feeling a bit hungover, maybe go for a little walk. It doesn't have to be a power walk, a little stroll will clear your head, help your food digest and get your lungs breathing fresh air rather than the stale air circulating in many houses (it's too cold to keep the windows open for very long!). You'll find you get a great night's sleep afterwards too, WINNING!

So to wrap up, I know it's easy to get lazy and forget to look after ourselves but even just doing these few things will help and they don't require a lot of time or effort. The tips I've given are very general because it's hard to tailor them to everyone, but you can vary them to suit yourself. Your body and skin will thank you for it in the long run! Hope you all have a lovely Christmas and come out the other side in one piece ;)

Thanks for reading!

Suzie