Gateway Trends | Red Lips

 

If you're like me, when a trend comes a knocking you like to dip a toe as opposed to dive right in. Not entirely sure how many metaphors I used in the sentence but hey. So I've decided to do a little series showing how to "gateway" into these trends... Basically, how to ease yourself in. 

For the first go I thought I'd go for my first experience of doing a gateway trend... Red Lips! A classic, yet incredibly scary, trend. If you haven't done a red lip before it can be terrifying... So ease yourself in with my top gateway reds!

Clinique Chubby Stick in Two Ton Tomato
Let's go with the higher end version first. This is a beautiful toned down red. More of a tinted balm than anything it's moisturising but toned enough that you get a distinct colour. I wear this quite a lot for day time wear. It's incredibly buildable so the braver you get the more "red" you can go.

L'Oreal Caresse in Rebel Red

Now the drug store version. Another tinted balm classification, it's a bit more pigmented than the Clinique version and a lot sheerer as well so not quite as long lasting or buildable. I do love the colour though and it's perfect for a quick slick of red tone across the lips.

Once you're a bit braver you can get yourself a proper red, like Mac Ruby Woo or Rimmel's Kate Moss lipsticks (in either 01 or 107). All are fab options for when you get the courage to try them. Even when you do get them, a top tip for me would be if you're not 100% confident still, use a brush to apply them and the colour won't seem quite as intense.

What's your current gateway trends? Are there any trends you'd like me to feature in the gateway series?

Wishlist | Beauty Birthday Wishlist

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

So it's a week today until my birthday eek! As promised in last weeks non beauty wishlist here is my beauty birthday wishlist! There are hundreds of things I want from the beauty world... Seriously I could probably write a novel. But I've popped my top five for the moment on here first! One thing you may notice is the absense of lipsticks... I'm a lipstick addict but I'm trying to branch out into other make up areas. So, here we go! If any of you fancy sending me a birthday presents please feel free (wink wink).

1 | Nars Ride Up The Moon Eyeshadow Palette

After seeing this on Lily's blog I fell in love with this palette, just not the £32 price tag, eek! For an eyeshadow palette it's a bit steep for me but I love the neautral colours with the gorgeous green thrown in. It's the perfect everyday palette for me and if I got this I would be over the moon

2 | Essie After School Boy Blazer Nail Lacquer

I'm a lover of all Essie nail colours, so really any colour would make me a happy gal. However lately I am lusting after this GORGEOUS navy from their winter collection. It would match about 95% of my wardrobe and would be well worn! Get in my nail varnish box...!

3 | Benefit Luv It Up Make Up Kit

A make up kit full of neautrals and nudes from Benefit's range of make up, again the perfect kind of collection for me. I love the Benefit pieces I've tried, but again the price tag is usually too much for me. However this is a gorgeous little kit that's perfect for birthday or crimbo!

4 | Marc Jacobs Honey

I love all of Marc Jacob's perfumes, for the bottles or the scents who knows, but having had a whiff of this I am hooked. It's been on my list since it came out. It needs to sit up with the rest of my Marc Jacobs collection - one day I will have the set!

5 | Estee Lauder Pure Colour Eyeshadow Duo in Raisins

I've seen this on Zoella a lot and LOVE the colours in this. More purpley than neutral I think it would be an irrestiable twist to my current eyeshadow collection on one which will get used a lot. Gorgeous, luxury packaging as well.

We'll see if I actually get any of this... and of course reviews will be following very quickly! There are so many others things I'd like, but I can't have it all!

What's on your Christmas Beauty Wishlist?

Make Up | Eau De Teint Foundation

L'OREAL NUDEMAGIQUE EAU DE TEINT FOUNDATION IN WARM IVORY £9.99

I always feel like I should be reviewing L'Oreal products in French. If only I could remember much of my high school GCSE... Let's try this...

J'ADORE EAU DE TEINT!!!! 

Honestly, this is such a lovely foundation. It's incredibly lightweight, you don't even know you're wearing it and you only need a small bit. Basically shake (with the lid on) then tip onto your index finger and apply. I find I only need about three goes to cover my whole face. Although it is very lightweight it gives really good, natural coverage. I'd say around medium which is what I like. It has a very matte finish which I wasn't expecting at all. It's all very very natural which I love. It's very long wearing as well and doesn't upset my oily skin.

Overall I cannot rate this little drug store beauty enough. You do only get 20ml in a bottle, which is about 10ml less than the usual foundation. However you only have to use so little that I think it will last as long as any others. I've seen many reviews comparing it to Nars Sheer Glow, I've never tried this but always wanted to, now I don't really feel the need to as this is such a little gem.

The packaging is so nice as well, I am a bit scared it will break as it is glass, and where it's a shake and tip one it's already so grubby but I don't really mind at all.

Have you tried this foundation? What do you think?

Make Up | ELF Jumbo Eyeshadow Stick

ELF JUMBO EYESHADOW STICK IN LITTLE MISS THING AND BALI BOUND £2.50 EACH

I'm a bit curious about this new wave of make up products that centre around crayons. First lips and now eyeshadow. I've used the Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Crayons so was curious when I saw these on the ELF website. I've had a bit of a haul of ELF products so be prepared for many reviews to come!

Little Miss Thing is a pale champagne that is the perfect eyeshadow base and highlighter. I've been using this on the inner corner of my eyes and a base as I said above. Bali Bound is a gorgeous sage green. Both have a shimmer finish to them. I've found these really easy to use and blend. At £2.50 each I wasn't expecting them to be fabulous quality but was pleasantly surprised. They didn't last all day but they did last a good few hours without really creasing. They are a creamy formula so I was expecting some creasing but these are really good.

I would definitely recommend these, especially the gorgeous green. I love the colour and for a night out to dinner or something similar it's the perfect colour boost.

What's your favourite item from the ELF website?

Wishlist | My 24th Birthday

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

So it's the first of November... which means it's my birthday very soon! Well, on the 13th. I will be the ripe old age of 24 (gulp) but hey, hopefully at 24 I will have moved out and in with the boy so I'm focusing on that! For my birthday what I really want is a new laptop so money has been requested.. However for those who don't want to give me money I popped a little list together of other things I want (all non beauty weirdly).

1 | Topshop Animal Tile Mix Tunic Dress

I tried this on a couple of weeks ago and fell in love. The mix pattern is so unique and just really cute. It fits perfectly and would go really well with my new boots and bowler hat. I can see this fitting into my wardrobe perfectly. The boy may hate it but hey - he doesn't have to wear it!

2 | Schuh Expose Boot in Tan

I have these in black now and I love them in tan as well. To be honest, my Mum has already bought me these for my birthday so i already know they are in the pot but I wanted to show them as they are the perfect cut out autumn boot!

3 | Babyliss Glamour Waves Tong

My hair is a bit longer now, which means I can get back to curling it. I prefer more of a wave to a curl and am still on the hunt for the perfect tool to create the perfect wave. I'm back on the GHD's for now but this Babyliss tool has been on my mind for a while.

4 | Vampire Diaries Series 1 - 4

I blame my bestie Amber for this. She gave me series 1 & 2 to borrow and I am now hooked. The full set is so cheap for what it is on Amazon and I'm desperate to watch series 3... What happened next!? Also, who can resist a Salvatore brother? I'm currently loving Stefan but that may change...

I am going to do a beauty wishilist next week - don't worry I am still a beauty blogger so it would be bizarre to not have a beauty wishlist! But these are those etc things I've been lusting after for my bday!

What's on your current non beauty wishlist?