Next Route Style Eye Makeup Competition

I was approached by the lovely Roch and Tash from Next Route Style blog to enter an eye makeup competition they were running. I immediately jumped at the chance! What a great way to get involved and of course do what we all love, get creative with make up. And with a £20 Feel Unique voucher and post on their blog up for grabs, it was added incentive!

I didn't really plan my look, but I knew I wanted to go wth a smoky cat eye effect and got more ideas as I went along. Here's what I created.

And here's a little snippet of some of the products I used for this look.

How to get this look... 

1. I always prime my eyelids before using any shadow, my choice was the NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base. 

2. I then went in with a NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in the colour Horseradish. I applied it straight from the stick, all over the lid and blended the edges with my finger. 

3. Using a Mac 239 brush I applied Macs gorgeous green colour called Humid all over the lid and blended with a clean Mac 217 brush until neat. 

4. Then I added some of Macs Black Tied to the outer edges of my eye and winged it out slightly following the shape of my eye. I also took some Black Tied under the lower lash line. I then used another 217 to blend that all together.

5. I then used YSL's Shocking Eyeliner on my top lash line, winging it out and joining to the bottom lashes.

6. For my water line, I wanted to keep with the green smokey theme, so used Urban Decay's 24/7 Eye Pencil in the colour Mainline.

7. I applied Bourjois Volumizer mascara in Ultra Black to my top lashes. This mascara is great for building volume as it has two steps which adds different amounts of mascara to the wand.

8. For my bottom lashes I applied Clinique's Bottom Lash Mascara.

9. Lastly I added some Eyelure lashes in number 101 using the Duo lash glue. 

If you like my look, then please please vote for me on Next Route Style's blog post by leaving my name Kayleigh Goddard as a comment.  Click HERE... It's that simple. 

I appreciate all votes, and good luck to all the girls in the competition, there's some really great make up skills that have been showcased during this comp.

And thats to Roch and Tash for running this comp, i've really enjoyed doing it! 

May Favourites

It’s the beginning of June and time to reflect on products I've been loving for the last month. This month has been super busy for me, and I’ve found myself using the same products, so picking my favourites this month has been quite easy.

Moroccanoil Light

I have been loving using this oil recently. I used to swear by my Damage Reverse Ojon oil, but after trying this I’m torn between the two! I use this on dry hair daily to finish off the styling. It smells amazing and has really made a difference to my hair. I’ve wrote a full review on this product which you can read here.

Yves Saint Laurent Shocking Eyeliner

I couldn't resist picking up this eyeliner recently in duty free, due to the fact I love YSL’s Shocking mascara so much. I absolutely love this eyeliner, the precision and definition it gives on the upper lash line is immaculate. It’s so easy to use and although it doesn’t say it’s waterproof, it doesn’t budge all night. I wrote a full review on this product, which you can read here.

 

Estee Lauder Pure Colour Eye Shadow Duo in Raisins

Again, I picked this duo up in the airport on a recent trip and literally haven’t stopped wearing it since. It’s perfect for daytime or just a subtle look for night. It has a light pearl shade which I use all over the lid, then a dark brown colour which I use through the crease for definition. I was pleasantly surprised with the darker colour as it looks more like a dark plum on me and is a really pretty colour. As always with Estee Lauder, the packing is beautiful and comes complete with a mirror and little two ended applicator.

Revlon’s Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Lovesick

I’d not used this product for such a long time until I picked it up again earlier this month, and I’d forgotten just how much I love these stains, and especially this colour. It’s a lovely vibrant fuchsia colour, but is really wearable at the same time. I love how you only have to apply this product once, and it gives you colour all night. I do reapply to get the balmy effect, but you really don’t need to. Great product with fab wearability.

L-R - Revlon Lip Stain in Lovesick and Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple

Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple

Red lipsticks scare me… and I think I’m not alone in the world when I say that. However I’ve found the perfect one for me in the shape of this lip butter from Revlon. I love the lip butters anyway as they’re so moisturising, and give great colour. I usually only wear this particular colour whilst I have a bit of a tan, so have been loving wearing it this month. It’s not a really vibrant red, so I think it’s quite wearable, and if you’re looking for a subtle, slightly glossy red, this is definitely for you.

Topshop Cream Blush in Flush

I only recently starting wearing cream blushers, again whilst I have a bit of a tan. I absolutely love this range from Topshop, they have the prettiest colours and the formula is perfect for easy application. They seem to have got it just right with the amount of pigmentation. I’ve been loving this particular colour this month as it gives a lovely pink flush across the cheek. I definitely want to try other cream blushers, any suggestions?

Real Techniques Stippling Brush

This is something else that I haven’t used in a long time which I’ve rediscovered. I used to apply my foundation with this brush and absolutely loved it, but recently I’ve been favouring the Real Techniques buffing and expert face brushes for this task. I also have a couple of Sephora brushes I enjoy using for foundation application. I picked up the stippling brush again to apply cream blusher, and it works so well. It blends the colour perfectly, and picks up just the right amount of product. Who else loves Real Techniques brushes?

Benefits Total Moisture Facial Cream

I can’t speak highly enough about this cream, it has been an absolute god send this month while my skin has felt dried out from the sun. I’m looking forward to trying other products from the range to see if they’re as good. I wrote a full review on this moisturiser here.

Soap and Glory's The Righteous Butter

Again this product has been great this month while I’ve been more tanned than usual. We all know when our skins tanned, it’s effectively damaged, and that’s why we have to work so hard at keeping it hydrated when we get home from hols. This body butter does just the job with minimal effect. It feels really thick and luxurious, smells absolutely amazing and sinks in to my skin beautifully.

Daisy by Marc Jacobs

I have been wearing this fragrance for years, and seem to pick it up again every spring. It’s such a pretty floral smell and is perfect for the summer months. I always think it smells so fresh on my skin, and I have received lots of compliments on the scent since wearing it again. The bottle is gorgeous and I love the flower bottle top, it looks lovely on my dressing table. If you like pretty, girly, floral scents, then I would definitely recommend this perfume.

Have you tried any of these products? What have your monthly favourites been?

Yves Saint Laurent Supershock Eyeliner

I went on holiday recently and picked up this little beauty in duty free. I've wanted to try it for a while now, as the Shocking mascara is one of my all times faves. As it turns out they make a great combo!

The packaging is gorgeous as always with YSL products (and to be honest it should be for the price tag!). This ink liner glides on and gives a really precise finish, especially when using to flick out the liner on your upper lash line. It's so wearable, even with a natural eyeshadow look, and didn't smudge or move on me all day. I seriously had to double check it wasn't waterproof!

At £24 it is extremely pricey for an eyeliner, but it definitely does the job, and the tip seems to stay in pristine condition after many applications.

I'm not gonna lie, it's very similar to the Loreal Superliner, which is obviously a hell of a lot cheaper. But overall, I'm really enjoying wearing this liner at the moment. You can pick it up from Boots here if your interested in trying it out. 

Anyone given this a go? What's your verdict? 

Birthday Fun!

Sooo, it was my birthday a couple of weeks ago and I had an amazing weekend with family and friends. My birthday fell on a Saturday this year which makes it even better (no work! Yay!). So I thought I'd quickly share with you some of the lovely presents I got from my nearest and dearest.

Here's the first few items; a water bottle off my mum for my gym/zumba sessions. You can put the middle part in the freezer so it keeps your drinks cool while working out (it's currently freezing away at home ready for tonight's aerobics session!). Perfect! Then off a couple of friends I got some sweets, a little cute purse and off my friend who I was recently a bridesmaid for, she got my favourite picture of her wedding day professionally printed and framed. Such a lovely idea! The book is off my mums partners mum (if that makes sense, ha). I have really been enjoying reading this series of books at the moment, so that was a thoughtful gift.

The biggest surprise gift was off my mum, she got me a Kindle Touch! Yay! I've wanted one for such a long time now as I read a lot, especially on my way to work and on long journeys. I hurriedly finished the book I was reading so I could get reading the next one on this! I also got a pink cover for it (pictured later).
My best friend spoilt me with a few of my beauty faves including the YSL Shocking mascara (LOVE this, better than the original YSL Effet Faux Cils by miles in my opinion) and MAC's All That Glitters eyeshadow for my palette (I've been wearing this nearly every day since she bought it me, such a cute colour). The clutch bag is from River Island and was a gift from another good friend. I love the style and colour. River Island bags are such good quality and always lovely designs. The After Eights were a yummy addition from my mum! :)

Also off my bestie (who knows how beauty/makeup mad I am), I got Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish starter kit complete with two muslin cloths. I love this cleanser, it's amazing. I've tried a lot of cleansers but this definitely wins the prize. It's definitely going to be a staple fixture in my skincare routine. She also bought me one of the Korres lip butters which I absolutely love. She bought me the Mandarin Lip Butter Stick in the shade Peach. It's such a pretty colour and perfect for day to day wear. They are so moisturising and really last on the lips.

I also got lots of other lovely presents from friends and family, including a boots giftcard (to feed my beauty addiction!), a ticket to watch my favourite football team Manchester City win the Charity Shield (c'mon city), a bottle of Martini Asti, accessories, lots of lovely cards and some money.

So all in all, got some lovely things, and had a great birthday celebrating in Manchester with cocktails, lovely food, a night in a gorgeous hotel and even better, spent it with some amazing people! :)