Skincare & Make-Up Routine

Living Mindfully

I've had a shift with my thoughts around consumerism and material possessions; a combination of Covid-19 and personal development has really opened my eyes to the world that we live in. I'm mindful now when I make a purchase, and typically what I do is I will write the item that I think I need onto a shopping list and if I still feel like it's needed a few weeks or a month down the line, then I will make a purchase. 

I'm trying hard to live with less; I'm by no means perfect, but the intention is there and I am doing my best (I feel I've been saying 'I'm doing my best' to my kids a lot lately, it's hard being a single mum with a pre-teen and a teenager under the one roof!). I do wonder what the planet is going to be like in the future if we continue on our current path, and so I try and do my bit (I don't always get it right mind you, and I know I could do better/more).

Skincare & Make-Up Routine

Historically I had an all singing, all dancing skincare routine with various cleansers, moisturisers and a host of different types of serum. More recently, I have a cleanser and a moisturiser, and I will occasionally use a facemask. That's it. And my skin is still in good, some might even say great, condition. (I was actually complimented on my glowing skin the other week!).

A few other things that contribute to my skin - I don't drink alcohol and I also use a collagen builder supplement daily.

In terms of make-up, I've really pared things back in this department too. Partly for time reasons; I don't want to spend an hour getting ready in the morning - my priorities lie elsewhere and there's also the fact that when I'm travelling in my campervan (@veritythevw), I want to be able to travel light. 

I had also been working with a nutritionist on what I consume (not only in the food, but everything else too) as I was trying to do my best to ensure my Crohn's Disease didn't flare up again. Part of this had been giving thought to the toxins that I allow into my body... this includes the products that I put on my face/body.

My current go to products are:

• Tinted moisturiser (which has an SPF)
• Under-eye concealer
• Lipstick
• Eyebrow cream
• Mascara
• Eyeshadow (which I don't typically always wear) 

The products that I do use are vegan and I buy when I can from certified B Corporations. 

B Corps are companies, verified by B Lab, to  meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. There are 800 B Corps in the UK currently, and you can search the directory here. 

I get my pet food from a B Corp (Lily's Kitchen), toilet paper (Who Gives a Crap), clothing (Baukjen) and so on. 

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Current Skincare, Hair & Make-Up Favourites

Firstly, can you actually believe we're nearly at the middle of August?? The summer is practically over (what summer!?!) and the schools go back this week.

I had vowed to do monthly hair & beauty favs, but life is kinda busy and I've not managed to write these posts as frequently as I'd like. That said, I thought I'd share with you now my current favourite hair & beauty products. Maybe I should aim for these to be quarterly for the seasons, so this would be my "summer" edition!

First up is Origins Clean Energy. I've been really enjoying this oil cleanser. I use it in the evenings to remove my make-up ahead and surface dirt ahead of a second cleanse with Elizabeth Arden PRO Gentle Facial Cleanser. It's fantastic at dissolving eye make-up and I then use a warm flannel to remove it. For a while I was using baby oil over my eyes to get rid of stubborn eye make-up,  but this is a step up and it's just lovely and feels great on my skin.

Origins Clean Energy Gentle Cleansing Oil, £23.50

For hair care, it's got to be Ojon's Rare Blend Moisture Therapy Conditioner (turns out Ojon is now part of Origins!). This thick, luxurious conditioner is more like a hair mask than a conditioner and it's fantastic at injecting some moisture back into my hair. My hair feels immediately softer and sleeker after just one use. It smells slightly bizarre - it's hard to describe - but I actually quite like it.

Ojon Rare Blend Moisture Therapy Conditioner, £23 *

 
Finally for make-up my go-to product at the moment is the Smashbox L.A. Lights Blendable Lip & Cheek Colour in Malibu Berry. It's a great colour that works well on both my lips and cheeks. The stick is really easy to use and at the other end there is a little sponge for blending (I'm finding it super useful for when I'm on the go or travelling). It's all very casual and you don't need to be precise in your application. In less than a minute and a few swipes, I've got my lipstick on and a bit of colour to my face. The colour is probably more one that I would use in Autumn... it has a lovely warm plum tones... but to be honest, the weather has been so mixed here in Glasgow that it actually feels like autumn right now. I've been wearing my North Face parka throughout the holidays!!

Smashbox Blendable Lip & Cheek Colours, £25 *

 

* I received a selection of Ojon and Smashbox products to try, however opinions are honest and my own

 

 

Giveaway Two - bareMinerals Palette

Following on from the success of my St Enoch Centre £50 voucher giveaway, I have another fantastic prize to celebrate my 4th blog birthday.

Next up is this fantastic palette from one of my favourite brands, bareMinerals:

bareMinerals READY To Go Complexion Perfection Palette (RRP £35)

The palette features bareMinerals innovative solid mineral technology and includes the following mini products in a stylish bag:

• READY SPF 20 Foundation in R250 (for medium neutral skin tones)
• READY Touch Up Veil in Medium
• READY Bronzer in The High Dive
• READY Luminizer in The Love Affair
• Correcting Concealer in Medium 2
• Precision Kabuki brush
• Tapered Face brush

It's an ideal travel set for your summer holiday, don't you think?

All you need to do to win is enter the Rafflecopter below...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

There is only one prize.

No cash alternative available.

UK entrants only please.

Competition ends on 31st May 2015.

Thank you bareMinerals for providing this prize.

Beauty - April Favourites

Last month I shared my March favourites, and I'm back this time with my April favs! I'm a bit disorganised, so apologies that we're now halfway through May already!! I will attempt to get these posts out at the start of each month in the future!

I'm going to pick 5 products that I've been loving and give you a bit of a blurb on each of them...

1. Urban Decay NAKED 2 Palette, £38

I am really slow to join the NAKED palette bandwagon. For some unknown reason, eyeshadow is not something I've really bought lately. For the past couple of years I've been wearing the same three MAC shades. So with my MAC shades nearly empty (they lasted well!!), I decided it was time to invest in something new and I chose this NAKED 2 palette. I love it. The shades I've used so far are very pigmented so it doesn't take long to build up a good colour.

2. bareMinerals Stroke of Light, £22*

 

I'm still loving this Stroke of Light wand from bareMinerals and have been wearing it daily. It's definitely worthy of a place in my monthly favourites.

3. Origins Original Skin Serum, £32

 

Now that I'm nearing my mid-thirties I'm happy to invest in my skincare products; and I'm hoping that it shows as my skin is in pretty good condition now. I had been using Merumaya Iconic Youth Serum but given my new love for Origins I thought I would try their serum. The Origins serum has a thinner consistency compared with Merumaya and if I'm honest I'm not sure that I notice much of a difference between the two in terms of how my skin looks and feels. Both products are priced similarly too. From the marketing, the Origins is probably targeted at a younger market whereas the Merumaya is perhaps aimed more at anti-aging. Anyway, I've heard that using a serum is better than no serum, and that in fact the serum you use doesn't really matter so much; whether this is true or not I'm not sure. 

4. Dior Diorskin Star Foundation, £32.50

You may remember from my March favourites that I've been wearing the bareMinerals Complexion Rescue, but I was seeking a foundation for my make-up bag and decided to try this Dior one.

It goes on really easily (I have a little sponge that I use which I picked up in Kiko whilst I was in London) and I like that the foundation feels lightweight on the skin and yet gives good coverage.

5. Jo Malone, Dark Amber & Ginger Lily Cologne Intense, £100

This perfume has been on my wish list for a while now and I caved and bought myself a bottle. It's gorgeous. Perhaps more of a Winter fragrance or for night-time as it's a heavier scent but regardless of this I've been wearing it every other day or so.

* I received the bareMinerals Stroke of Light as a PR sample. All other products I have purchased myself. Opinions as always are my own and are honest.

Beauty - My Current Products for Dark Under eye Circles

Dark under eye circles have always been a bugbear of mine. I dislike them, a lot. As a super busy working, single parent I'm exhausted pretty much most of the time. I've not been sleeping well lately either and I'm a bit self conscious of my under eye bags (although to be fair, I bet a lot of it is in my head and they're probably not as bad as I think). I've got into a great routine for my skincare but I hadn't been using any eye creams so I thought I would see what was on the market to prevent and cover up my dark circles.

As an aside, I have read that your sleeping position can help prevent under eye bags, and that instead of sleeping on my tummy I should be sleeping on my back. Also, Victoria on Twitter (@Butterfly_Craft) has rightly pointed out that drinking lots of water will help. Another reason why I need to up my daily water intake!

Here's what I have in my bathroom right now, a mix of concealers, brighteners and skincare products...

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer, £5.49

This is my budget favourite and I've purchased this a few times from the high street chemists. At £5.49 I think it's great value for money.

Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener, £20

This creamy product doesn't feel too heavy under the eyes and it gives some coverage. It's available in a variety of shades, so it was easy to get a good colour match for my skin tone.

bareMinerals Stroke of Light, £22 *

This product immediately brightens up my under eye area and I've been using it daily since receiving it! Really easy to apply and blend in. Depending on how bad I feel my under eyes are, I'll either use this alone or on top of a concealer.

Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Dark Circle Perfector, £29

I haven't used Kiehl's before but I spotted a review of this product in Psychologies magazine and decided it was worth trying. Out of all of my recent purchases, this is the one that is most expensive and it's the one that I'm torn over. The formula is tinted so it immediately brightens dark circles but it feels a little chalky/powdery and I think this product can make my under eyes look worse, especially if I'm having a dry skin day. It's more of a skincare/make-up hybrid product so perhaps with prolonged use it will help with the root cause rather than just act as a concealer. I doubt I'll buy this again, sorry Kiehl's. I was given a tester of the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye cream which has a lovely thick consistency for applying before bed and if anything I'd rather buy this than the Dark Circle Perfector.

Origins GinZing eye cream, £23

This wonder cream helps perk up my eyes and the natural ingredients help to de-puff the under eye area. It looks pearlescent in the pot, and when applied to your under eyes it helps brighten up dark circles. A little goes a long way, so I can see this little pot lasting me a while. I use this every morning when I apply my moisturiser and once it's absorbed (which doesn't take long) I apply a concealer or brightening product.

* I received the bareMinerals Stroke of Light as a PR sample. All other products I have purchased myself. Opinions as always are my own and are honest.

Beauty - New Complexion Rescue from bareMinerals

I was invited along to bareMinerals boutique at Buchanan Galleries today to try the new Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream ahead of its nationwide launch next month.

Prior to trying the product, I had spotted it was listed in Marie Claire's '2015's Beauty Game-Changers' (April edition). I was even more excited to try after this accolade! According to Anna & Ally, the tinted moisturiser has been very well received by the press. And now I understand why.

For me, the bareSkin serum foundation which I previously reviewed is just too difficult to get right in the 2 minutes I have to put my make-up on in - it takes time to blend in using the special brush. It's a great product and is a fantastic colour match but for a busy working mum, it's not for everyday use. Definitely more for when I'm going on a (rare) night out and can spend time getting my make-up just right.

However, the Complexion Rescue ticks all the boxes. Great colour match, quick to go on (you can even use your fingers with this one), a natural finish that doesn't leave your skin feeling caked, and despite it being a tinted moisturiser, it does provide a little coverage. I didn't even need any concealer on my problem chin! I was suitably impressed, as was the littlest who came along with me!!

Now for the science! 

Regular readers will know that I have a PhD, but you may not know that the topic of my PhD was emulsions!

A traditional emulsion has water on the inside and oil on the outside. Whereas Complexion Rescue is the opposite. It has mineral-infused water on the outside encapsulating hydrating humectants and pigment which helps lock in moisture when it contacts the skin giving instant hydration and quick absorption. (Hopefully that makes sense to you!)

The product is cooling on the skin when you apply it and it blends really easily, absorbing quickly to give an even skin-tone. So much easier than the bareSkin and ideal for those busy mornings when I've got the kids, or when I'd just rather have an extra 5 minutes under the duvet!! Complexion Rescue also has an SPF 30 so it will save you having to apply a separate sunscreen. 

This is me after my mini makeover. I'm wearing the Complexion Rescue, but no primer, concealer etc was used.

The girls sent me a colour-matched Complexion Rescue to try at home (I'm shade vanilla) as well as a few other products. Watch this space for a post on products for dark undereye circles...this is a big problem of mine and I'm always on the lookout for make-up that will help minimise their appearance.

Complexion Rescue will retail at £26 for a 35 mL tube and will be available from April 2015. You can sign up on the bareMinerals website to be notified when it is available to purchase.

I received a tube of Complexion Rescue and a few other products from bareMinerals to try. As always, opinions are my own and are honest.

{No7 colour matching lipstick service}

 I was invited along to Boots at Glasgow Fort to try their new No7 Match Made Lipstick Service.

Pamela talked me through the process of finding your perfect lipstick colour, and I was loving that the whole thing was rather scientific...

The No7 Match Made device (or "doofer"as Pamela referred to it!) was used to read my skin colour and matched it to a shade of foundation. Readings are taken from both sides of your face near the jawline, because if you drive like me, then one side of your face will get the sun more than the other. Something I hadn't even considered.

I was found to be Cool Ivory.

Armed with this knowledge, I was then able to grab the card for my skin colour which detailed all the lipsticks that would suit my skin tone.

Pamela tried out two different lipsticks on me - a neutral colour to start with, and then a bright pink. Both of the lipsticks really suited my colouring and I would have happily worn both. But I was drawn more to the brighter of the two. From the comments on Instagram, it would appear that my friends & followers think the colour suits me too.

{image source}

The Stay Perfect lipstick goes on really easily, it's sort of got a creamy texture compared to some lipsticks I have which are more matte and as such it feels quite moisturising. I wore it to a wedding at the weekend and it didn't last as long as I thought it would as it wore off in the centre of my lips, but it looked good nonetheless and I was able to top up my lippy after the dinner.

I just love the colour!! Apparently people would pay for lips like mine and I'm very lucky ;-)

For each skin tone, there are a selection of shades that are recommended. For Cool Ivory for example, there are 12 Moisture Drench lipsticks and 6 Stay Perfect lipsticks in a range of colours.

Whilst I was there, I may have also bought two new No7 nail polishes... which I of course needed to match my dress for the wedding I was at!

Thank you Pamela at No7 at Boots Glasgow Fort.

I was given a complimentary lipstick for the purpose of this review. Opinions as always honest and are my own. 

{BareMinerals Boutique Glasgow}

Last week I had an appointment at the bareMinerals boutique at Buchanan Galleries for a make under and an opportunity to trial their new Serum Foundation, bareSkin.

The boutique itself is lovely and spacious. They are lucky to have a glass wall overlooking Buchanan Street that lets in lots of natural light, ideal for applying make-up. I've been in some department stores before, and you think you have a good colour match, but then you get out into daylight and it's a different story!

I was met by my Beauty Ambassador, Sarah - great name! ;-)  - and she talked me through the products. I've used BareMinerals before but as my skin deteriorated I felt that I needed more coverage than the loose powders and looked elsewhere for a liquid foundation. So I was keen to try out the new bareSkin serum foundation.

bareSkin has launched in the Glasgow boutique a month ahead of the rest of the country. It's available here until 4th September which is when the foundation will be available from bareMinerals stockists nationwide.

Sarah cleansed and moisturised my face before selecting three colours of bareSkin to try on me. We chose the most appropriate shade by doing a patch test on my jaw. My spotty chin was then covered up with concealer, my skin was primed and Sarah taught me the application technique of bareSkin as she applied the serum to half my face...shake, drop, buff:

• Shake the bottle.
• Squeeze 1-2 drops into the well of the Perfecting Face Brush.
• Brush onto the skin in circular motions - do this lightly.
• Add more drops to build up coverage.

Sarah made it look easy, and in theory it should be straightforward, but it's taking a wee bit of getting used to. I'm finding that I'm too heavy handed - I'm not used to applying foundation with a brush. Anyway, practice makes perfect as they say. I plan to do a YouTube video to show you all the look that was created for me, so watch this space. 

The new Bare Skin serum foundation has improved coverage than the loose powder foundations and yet the product genuinely feels so light on the skin - big thumbs up from me. The product has a coconut-derived base and it just feels lovely. I would say I have dry skin, and I'm not sure how people with oily skin would get on as it is oil-based; but it's advertised as being created for all skin types.

I was also super impressed with the colour match. Never before have I had such a good match with a foundation. There are 20 shades available and there should be a perfect match for everyone.

sans make-up

BareSkin applied to the left side of my face - you may not be able to see it from this small photo but there is a difference. My left cheek is less rosy, my skin tone is more even and the blemishes are covered. 

Tools of the trade

After the foundation was applied, the rest of my make-up was added. A powder to seal the foundation, then bronzer followed by blush. Mascara and brow pencil, lip pencil and lipgloss and I was all set and ready to go! I just love the lip colour.

The end result. I love it!

For your information, all the make-up that Sarah used is listed here:

BB Primer-Cream in Light (£23)

bareSkin Pure Brightening Serum foundation in 04 Bare Ivory (£26)

Perfecting Face Brush (£24) 

Correcting Concealer in Light 2 (£21)

Mineral Veil, Light (£22)

Flawless Definition mascara, black (£16)

Frame & Define Brow Styler in Universal Light (£13)

Bronzer in The Skinny Dip (£24)

Blusher in Beauty (£22)

Lipliner, Thrilled (£13)

Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Miss Popular (£16)

Prior to my make-under I was unaware that BareMinerals had a skincare range. I had assumed it was only make-up. As you can see in the photo above, the skincare and the make-up are 'made for each other'. 

I've been using the Purifying Facial Cleanser (£15), Active Cell Renewal Night Serum (£39) and Purely Nourishing Normal to Dry Skin Moisturiser (£27) for nearly a week and already notice a difference in my skin.

That evening I went out for a run, and this was me when I got back in. The lighting isn't great, but I can assure you the make-up was still intact. Result! 

My goody bag! I was genuinely shocked to receive all this make-up in the post a few days after my visit to the boutique and I didn't for a moment think that I would be given all these products. I'm thrilled as I loved them all. Thank you so much BareMinerals.

I received a goody bag in exchange for an honest review. Opinions as always are my own.

{#JanuaryJoy - try a new trend}

Florence Finds #JanuaryJoy prompt for today is 'try a new trend'.

I'm not really one for trends, preferring to stick to classic pieces or looks.

However, in the hamper I received for winning the People Loves Glasgow Instagram competition, I found an orangey-red lipstick.

It might not be a new trend, as I'm sure neon orange lips have been on the fashion scene for a while now, but I thought I'd give it a whirl.

Neon! {image source}

Here's the lipstick I got, from Cargo Cosmetics in the colour Sedona:

Sedona is a bright coral colour, but unfortunately I'm not sure this photo represents the colour all that well!

And here I am wearing it, again it looks more red in the photo when in actual fact it's more orange. 

I have to say I'm not convinced... but that's possibly because I never wear bright lipstick. I would either have neutral lips or possibly at a push a plum colour.

I think my pout is sizeable enough without drawing attention to it with a bright orange colour!

I'm not ruling it out completely, but I'm just not sure of it... yet.

What are your thoughts, orange lips - yay or nay?

{Smitten Saturday}

This week I am smitten with my Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation.

{image source}

I used to buy MAC foundation, but in an effort to cut my expenditure I decided to try a cheaper product. In steps Tanya Burr who has raved about this foundation for a wee while now. I put it to the top of my make-up wish list and I have to say I really like it. My dad's wife had asked what foundation I've been wearing as my skin was looking lovely and had a glow, so it's been noticed by others too. It's really easy to apply and I just use my fingers (I know, I really should invest in a brush). It lasts rather well and for the price I think it's good value.

I bought the foundation from Tesco and I managed to get it when there was a 3 for 2 offer running, so I bought the Rimmel Wake Me Up Under Eye Concealer and a Rimmel Bronzer too. Not as impressed with the under eye concealer, but I think I need something industrial to cover up all my sleepless nights!!

What are you smitten with right now?

Do link up and join in :-)

{January Joy - 7th Jan}

Today's task for #JanuaryJoy is to 'overhaul your skin care'.

My skin has been in a terrible state lately. I remember as a teenager having a spotty chin but for the most part as an adult my skin has been really good... that is until now. Urgh, I just hate it - it's starting to get me down.

I spent some time (and money!) at the Lancôme counter recently as part of Glasgow Loves Christmas, and after a month of using the Lancôme Vissionaire Recovery Serum I am starting to see some improvements, but I'm still not feeling confident. 

{image source}

I'm a subscriber to Psychologies Magazine (thanks to my Tesco clubcard vouchers!) and in this month's issue I came across an article called 'Simple matters - what does your skin need?'. Perfect timing for this post, I thought. According to the writer, Eminé Ali Rushton, there are only 4 things you need for healthy, happy skin: daily cleanser, serum, cream and SPF. 

My current skin care routine is as follows, and as it turns out I'm not far off the recommended 4 steps above:

| Cleanse |
Dermalogica special cleansing gel - morning and night 
(if I'm struggling to remove my eye make-up at night, I will use a bit of Garnier Clean Sensitive 2 in 1 Waterproof Make-Up Dissolver or baby oil)

| Serum |
Lancôme Vissionaire Recovery Serum

| Moisturiser |
Using either day or night cream depending on the time of day (funny that!). I've got a few different Lanôme tester pots that I'm using right now as well as the Hydra Zen Neutrocalm moisturiser, I also have some Dermalogica skin smoothing cream left.

I've been advised by Laura over at Life as an Hourglass to try Clinique, which she swears by. This is next on my list as I also can't afford to continue to buy Lancôme unfortunately!

| Exfoliate |
For a short while I was using St Ives Apricot Scrub, but for the moment I've not been exfoliating as I thought this is possibly what's been making my skin worse. I did have a small tester pot of Dermalogica daily microfoliant but it's now finished.

| Make-Up |
I used to be able to pop out without make-up on (maybe just a bit of mascara and a smear of lipgloss) but I'm now so paranoid that I've been applying full make-up each day. Perhaps this is where I'm going wrong? So yesterday I reverted back to Bare Minerals instead of MAC liquid foundation for my everyday wear. 

{image source}

I still need to do something to improve the situation though... any suggestions? What is your skin care routine?? 

P.S. I've become addicted to Tanya Burr's vlogs. She's recommended La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo in her November Beauty Favourites - so I think I might give this a go if I can find it in the shops.

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{Look Good, Feel Good}

At the weekend I asked my Twitter followers for some advice on under eye concealers. The lack of sleep is starting to take it's toll, and the current product I use just isn't good enough (Lancome Teint Miracle)! The consensus seemed to be Bobbi Brown, so I hit the shops, but unfortunately there wasn't a Bobbie Brown concession at the department store so I ended up getting a MAC concealer instead (Pro Longwear Concealer). So far so good and I'm impressed with my choice. Coverage is good, it doesn't feel too thick on my skin and it lasts the day too.

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer

I thought I'd share a few of my other make-up essentials. I've mentioned before my mum's mantra of 'look good, feel good' and I do believe that a bit of make up can do wonders for my mood & confidence level! A year ago I had a make-up lesson with a friend who is a MAC make-up artist, and I'm still using a number of the products that she recommended.

My current foundation of choice is MAC Studio Fix Fluid. For a while I was using Bare Minerals but my skin has become a bit spotty of late (stress I think!) and so I needed better coverage. When I have a night out I team this with a primer so it lasts longer.

Here are my fav eyeshadow colours that I layer up for a smokey-ish neutral eye:

MAC Shroom

MAC Satin Taupe

MAC Black Tied (black w/ silver sparkle)

My last essential product is mascara. I currently use Estee Lauder Double Wear, on the basis of my friend's recommendation. I'm less convinced with this product now than a year ago when I first tried it. I may revert back to the mascara I used to use - Chanel Inimitable. For night's out I've been applying strip false eyelashes from Sally Salon Services and I love the effect it has. I wish I could achieve a more dramatic look for day-to-day with mascara - suggestions anyone?

BTW, for those of you in Glasgow - there is a new MAC counter at Debenhams in Silverburn!

{Things I'm Loving Right Now}

Smokey eye make-up. Following on from my make-up lesson I've been trying to practice my make-up techniques! In fact, I'm loving all things grey particularly for interiors. {image source}

Baking, and in particular, baking cupcakes. If I could bake all day long I would... but then there is also the slight problem that I love cakes, so it wouldn't be good for the waistline! {image source}

Painting. Well, I'm not so much loving the actual painting but more the outcome of my painting! I'm getting there but it's been a long slog! {image source}

Christmas. I am super excited about Christmas this year. I love decorating the house, choosing gifts to give to friends & family, eating lots of nice food and spending quality time with our family. We are hosting this year so I'm busy painting my dining room in the hope that I'll have it finished in time! {image source}

Sewing. I have been sewing cafe curtains for my dining room and back porch... they're all done now and I really did enjoy making them myself... rather satisfying! I've now got a pattern for a little girl's dress and I'm going to attempt to make my daughter a dress! Watch this space! {image source}

{A Productive Week}

Yep, it's that time of the week again already and I'm linking up with Kate for her Grooving Mums blog hop.

One of the challenges from last week was to Embrace the Spirit...

"This will mean different things to different people so respond in a way that makes sense to you. It might involve revisiting a place of worship, taking part in a religious festival, meditating, looking at which goddess you most identify why or whatever makes sense to you."

I'm ashamed to admit that I've not done anything towards this challenge... Will perhaps try and incorporate this into a post somehow over the coming week.

The next challenge was Body Fun...

"Do something to your body that you would not normally do. Paint your toe-nails, wear lipstick, colour your hair, wear make-up to take it off for a day if you usually wear it, play around and experiment."

I had booked myself in for a make-up lesson which I thoroughly enjoyed. I picked up a lot of new techniques and for someone who very rarely wears eyeliner I am now feeling more confident at applying it. What a difference it made to my overall look by having some nice eye make-up done! My mum always swore by the mantra 'look good, feel good' and I do believe in this too. I always feel much better when I've had my hair done or my nails painted. I rarely paint my fingernails (I've had them done at salons a couple of times, but I'm rubbish at applying nail polish myself!). I'm going to make the effort to paint my nails this week as I've got another 'Keeping in Touch' Day at my work this week.

I've had a very busy week... I've been continuing with the decorating at my house (in my painting gear just now actually!) and I'm making good progress. I've done a little bit more Christmas shopping and I think I only have hubby to buy for now. My sister came to visit and we had our make-up lesson and personal shopping trip (more on this in a separate post - it was brilliant!). I've been a bit better with the healthy eating (except for the massive sticky toffee pudding my sister and I consumed!!) and I even went on a run on Sunday morning by myself (5 miles!) as running club was too late for us to make our shopping appointment. I got my wedding & engagement rings cleaned at a local jeweller and I put in some of my mum's jewellery to be cleaned also. I'm going to make more of an effort to accessorise my outfits. My sister and I also did a photo session with my kiddies in the park for this year's Christmas card and I was designing it last night on the computer... I've been very productive!! I can't help but think though that this is a case of 'fake it til you make it' as described by Katie over at Dazed, But Enthused.

Unfortunately, part of my tooth has come out... I had root canal treatment on it a few years ago and I think I might need to get a crown which I'm not looking forward to. Ever since the root canal treatment I've been having sort of panic attacks in the dentist's chair. I've never had an issue with the dentist until now. I have to keep reminding myself to breath and try to focus on other things whilst I'm getting my teeth checked. I've got the dentist tomorrow and I'm already not looking forward to it.

Here are the challenges for this week:

"1. Set your own challenge, something that is meaningful to you. Or even better, include a challenge in your blog post that all grooving mums might want to have a go at.
2. Investigate poetry and share a favourite with us whether poetry is something you indulge in often, sometimes or never.
3. Dance whether at an event, in the privacy of your own home or out on a walk with the children.
4. Take part in the Listography blog hop over at Kate Takes 5. It will help us all get to know each other that little bit better."

I'm going to put my thinking cap on regarding setting my own challenge... it might be something like a new personal best for my running, or to attempt something different with my hair style... not sure yet. Poetry is not my thing, but I will do my best to see what I can come up with. Dancing I love...might need to be in the privacy of my own house but watch this space and see what I get up to! I'm also going to take part in the listography... keep a look out for my post.

Hope you've all had good weeks #groovingmums!

{Make-Up Tutorial}

A friend of mine, Shannon O'Neill, is a make-up artist for MAC and she popped over to mine last night to give my sister, Ali and The Grey House, Becky from The Olive Dragonfly and myself a make-up lesson. We were keen to find out how to do smokey eyeshadow, eyeliner and attach false eyelashes properly.

Here's the how-to for smokey eyes and I'll possibly have to come back and add some more photographs showing the different steps when I get a chance... (I should have taken more pics during the lesson, but I was too busy concentrating & taking notes!).

1. Moisturise as per your normal routine.

2. Apply primer to eyelid

I just want to add a little quote here from Shannon.... in her opinion eye primer is "definitely a must-have". It's something that I do have in my make-up bag (an Elizabeth Arden one) but I must admit that I have only used it once. I'll be using it more often now though! Shannon's recommendation is Laura Mercier.

3. Apply a nude eyeshadow all over eyelid and up to brow to set the primer. One recommendation from Shannon is MAC Shroom - a soft beige with a little shimmer.

4. Using a brush, pat on a mid-tone colour across the eyelid from the last to the crease. For brown smokey eyes, Shannon's recommendation is MAC Satin Taupe.

5. Using a blending brush, such as MAC 217, blend the line at the crease to make it less obvious.

6. Add more layers and blend until you have desired colour.

7. Using a brush, pat on the dark colour to the outer corner of the eye and pat into the eye crease. This darker shade can also be applied under the lower lashes for a more dramatic look. For black/grey smokey eyes Shannon recommends MAC Carbon for the dark colour; for brown smokey eyes her suggestion would be MAC Mystery.

8. Again, using the blending brush, blend this darker shade into the lighter one.

9. To apply eyeliner, Shannon recommends the MAC 208 Angled Brow Brush. It's meant for eyebrows but is really good for eyeliner (I can vouch for this as I borrowed Shannon's one to practice, and I'm about to buy my own one!). The eyeliner Shannon suggests (which I've also purchased today!) is Bobbie Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink. You want to apply this to the edge of the upper lashes and then you can do a flick at the side if you would like a more dramatic look.

10. Add a touch of light eyeshadow to the inner corner of your eyes and you can also apply a little under the brow bone.

11. For a dramatic look you can also apply eyeliner or pencil to the waterline.

12. Use a cotton bud with eye make-up remover or a baby wipe to touch up any areas

13. Then you can go ahead and apply your base (foundation, tinted moisturiser or whatever!) as normal.

14. Add some concealer under your eyes if needed (and I definitely need it!!)

15. Add a few coats of mascara (Shannon's recommendation is Estee Lauder Double Wear Mascara, which I'm also currently using!)

Here I am after doing my own make-up... unfortunately due to glasses you can't really see the eyeshadow... oops! Becky has some better photos so I'll post these soon.

This morning I've done a day-to-day brown smokey eye... Here are a few pics (taken with my phone so apologies for the photo quality).

After primer, nude colour (slight shimmer) and mid-tone applied.

I've applied the darkest shade to my left eye and the right eye hasn't been done yet.

As above but with eyes open so you can see the effect. (BTW I've not added under eye concealer at this point!!).

The finished look - this is me right now.

I placed an order with MAC online last night for the angled brow brush and two eyeshadow colours, so  once I receive these I'll do another post with some better photos and step-by-step guide. 

Let me know what you think... (I must add that I'm no make-up artist and the make-up in these photos has been done by myself, but hopefully with a bit of practice I'll get better at this...especially the eye liner!).