FOTD - Aqua eyes with nude pink lips

Good evening everyone!

I'm finally caught up with FOTD. This is what I wore today:

FACE

Base: Revlon Beyond Natural Skin Matching Makeup in 210 Light Pale

Contour: Prestige Cosmetics Skin Loving sunbaked mineral bronzing powder in 03 Pure Shimmer

Highlight: MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Blonde

Blush: Maybelline Pure Blush Mineral Powder Blush in 40 Quartz Peach

Concealer: MAC Select Cover up in NC20

Tools of the trade for face: MAC 168 blush and contour brush, Clarins buffer brush

EYES

Eyebrows: e.l.f Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara and No7 Precision Brow Pencil

Eyeshadows: Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow in Sea Foam and Cloud Blue from the Bobbi Brights Eye Palette; more info here

Eye liner: No7 Metallic Eye Pencil in Green on top, Clarins Shimmer Eyeliner Pencil in 04 Turquoise on bottom eye lid, No7 Stay Perfect Eyeliner in Sapphire on top of finished look; review/swatches can be found here

Primer: MAC Prep + Prime Lash

Mascara: NYX 1000 Miles Long Mascara in black

Tools of the trade for eyes: Shu Uemura eyelash curler, GOSH smudger brush

LIPS

Lipgloss: Nivea Lip Care Caregloss & Shine

Headband is from Accessorize, cardigan from Zara and vest top from H&M.

Let me know if you would you like any further swatches/reviews.

Hope you've had a great day!

Lottie x

FOTD - Emerald eyes and berry lips

It's not all about coral, another hue I love is emerald. Here's a recent look look I did with green eyes and berry lips. Here's what I used:

FACE

Base: Revlon ColorStay makeup with SoftFlex SPF 6 Combination/Oily Skin 150 Buff

Contour: Prestige Cosmetics Skin Loving sunbaked mineral bronzing powder in 03 Pure Shimmer

Highlight: Prestige Cosmetics Skin Loving sunbaked mineral bronzing powder in 03 Pure Shimmer

Blush: e.l.f All Over Color Stick in Pink Lemonade

Concealer: No7 Instant Radiance Concealer in shade 1 underneath the eyes and Benefit Boing Concealer in light for blemishes

Tools of the trade for face: Body Shop Foundation Brush, MAC 168 blush and contour brush, Clarins buffer brush

EYES

Eye shadow base: e.l.f Duo Eyeshadow Cream in Olive

Eyebrows: e.l.f Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara and No7 Precision Brow Pencil

Eye liner: GOSH Extreme Art Eyeliner 12, No7 Metallic Eye Pencil in Green

Primer: MAC Prep + Prime Lash

Mascara: NYX 1000 Miles Long Mascara in black

Tools of the trade for eyes: Shu Uemura eyelash curler, GOSH smudger brush

LIPS

Lipstick: e.l.f All Over Color Stick in Pink Lemonade

Lipgloss: Lancome Juicy Tubes Fraise 017

Earrings from Next.

Do you like green too?

Thanks for stopping by!

Lottie x x x

FOTD Smokey brown look with defined crease

Good afternoon ladies of the blog,

This afternoon I shall be catching up with posts as I have been disconnected since Friday. I'll be posting some recent looks and here is the first one.

Here's what I used:

FACE

Base: APt Liquid Powder Mineral Foundation in Porcelain

Contour: Prestige Cosmetics Skin Loving sunbaked mineral bronzing powder in 03 Pure Shimmer

Highlight: Prestige Cosmetics Skin Loving sunbaked mineral bronzing powder in 03 Pure Shimmer

Blush: Blush: MAC Love Rock Mineralize Blush

Concealer: No7 Instant Radiance Concealer in shade 1 underneath the eyes and Benefit Boing Concealer in light for blemishes

Tools of the trade for face: Body Shop foundation brush, MAC 168 blush and contour brush, MAC 161 fan brush, Clarins buffer brush

EYES

Eye shadow base: Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Eyebrows: elf Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara and No7 Precision Brow Pencil

Eye shadows: MAC Frost Phloof! NARS shimmer single eyeshadow Cyprus, MAC Frost Bronze

Eye liner: Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Bourbon, Benefit eye bright, Bobbi Brown long wear gel eyeliner in black ink

Primer: MAC Prep + Prime Lash

Mascara: NYX 1000 Miles Long Mascara in black

Tools of the trade for eyes: Shu Uemura eyelash curler, MAC 230 shader brush, MAC 224
blending brush, MAC 209 liner brush, GOSH smudger brush

LIPS

Lipstick: 17 Sheer Moisture Lipstick in Balmy Beige

Lipgloss: Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector 01

The coral ruffle top is from Primark and the butterfly earing from Miss Selfridge.

What kind of look did you wear today?

Thanks for stopping by!

Lottie x x x

Beauty is skin deep?

Hey there fellow bloggers and bloggerettes!

So this is where I'm going to get kind of geeky.

Today on Twitter @thebeautybrains posted a link to costmeticsdesign-europe.com describing how, in an interview with the BBC, prominent Muslim feminist Baroness Haleh Afshar has suggested abolishing cosmetics because they perpetuate a myth of eternal youth.

Okay, this suggestion  is both implausible and impractical but it does beg the question, has the beauty industry gone to far?  This blog post by fellow twitterer @shepower really illustrates the lengths to which the industry will go to get their perfect picture.  How far are we all influenced by these types of images?  I briefly tuned into '10 Years Younger' last night and couldn't get through the program.  A woman is her fifties was getting cut apart on an operating table and it wasn't very pleasant.  Maybe it is easy for me to judge, only 24, no wrinkles (yet!) but I just hope that anyone who goes through with such a procedure has had counselling and support before hand.   Maybe what she really needed was some love and attention.

There is the argument that we are exposed to countless unrealistic ideals of what a women should look like day in, day out.  We can pop into a newsagents to educate ourselves with a newspaper yet we are bombarded with these perfect images on the front covers of magazines.  However, the truth is, no one is forcing us to buy these magazines or to subscribe to these ideals.

I really enjoy experimenting with make up and I don't think there is anything wrong with making the most of yourself.   In fact I think it's great!  I've found the make up blogging community to be really friendly and I love watching YouTube videos by the likes of Julie713 , Panacea81 and Lollipop26 and many more.  I think these videos are fantastic because they show a willingness to share ideas, inspiration and knowledge with others and we get real honest unbiased not to make expensive mistakes!  The reason I've been blogging about beauty is because I enjoy it and it's my view that if we know something which may help someone, why not share it?

However, I also think that as women, it's important to make the most of ourselves in every other aspect too.   I think it's very easy to get carried away and start foccussing on what's outside rather than what's inside our hearts and minds.   Beauty doesn't last forever and our products are just posessions.  We can also encourage and support each other in nuturing our inner gifts and talents.  I'm sure the majority of women out there have a very balanced view and know that what you look like doesn't completely make you who you are.

The irony is, and I'm actually ashamed to admit this: after reading Baroness Haleh Afshar's comments, I immediately and without thinking, did a Google image search to see what she looked like. 

Did you do the same?

As always I'd love to hear your comments.

Have a lovely weekend, I am wishing for snow here on the Isle of Man!

LottieB x