Wicked Wednesday: Emily Blunt Inspired Makeup Tutorial

I wasn't aware of Emily Blunt (and her gorgeousness) until recently. I only noticed her after seeing the poster for the movie Five-Year Engagement. At first, I thought "Huh, interesting. Who is this actress?" I only started to get to know her (impersonally, of course) when I came across a small feature of her in an article written on Primped. A couple of weeks back, I was reading the June issue of madison (I take forever to read/finish a magazine) when I found an article on her in it.

The large photo of her (I believe, at the Tribeca Film Festival 2012) really caught my attention.The more I looked at the photo, the more I realise how amazing the makeup look she wore was! It's such a versatile look! It can go with practically any outfit, whether it's casual or formal.

Emily nailed her black eyeliner by having it nice and thick but not too flicked (or at least her makeup artist did). I also liked how the black eyeliner was balanced out with some gold shimmering eyeshadow under her eyes. I think that fuchsia is an all-rounder; you can wear it during both warmer and colder months. I'm currently obssessed with this lip colour so I'm giving Emily two thumbs-up for wearing it! Lastly, to avoid looking like a clown, Emily had her blush applied oh-so-subtly to her cheeks. Kudos to you and your makeup artist, Emily!

I love this look so much that I decided to recreate it. Besides that, I think that this look is universally flattering and I would like to show everyone that it can be easily achieved!

Step 1. I started off by covering my blemishes with concealer. You can put on foundation if you like, I just chose not to. Just remember to powder your face afterwards because for this look, Emily's skin was quite matte.

Step 2. For the eyeshadow, I used Urban Decay's Naked Palette in Half Baked. You don't have to use this particular eyeshadow. Any (lighter) gold shimmering eyeshadow will do.

Step 3. This step is optional. I applied the gold eyeshadow all over my lid and stopped before my crease.

Step 4. I lined my lower lash line with the same gold eyeshadow. Using a pencil brush would be best but since I have yet to own one, I just used the edge of my stiff eyeshadow brush (from Urban Decay).

The last picture is to show you what you'll end up with after you're done with these steps.

Step 5. Line your eyes with either black liquid or gel eyeliner. And do so thickly. Create a tiny flick at the end. Keep in mind that we are not aiming for cat eyes here. I used Bobbi Brown's matte black eyeshadow and a wet angled liner brush.

Step 6. Curl your lashes if necessary.

Step 7. Apply generous coats of mascara to your lashes. Don't forget to apply mascara to your bottom lashes as well. Emily's lashes looked very long but not particularly voluminous, you may want to choose a lengthening mascara if you want to stick as close to the original look as possible (but it really depends on your needs). I used Rimmel's Scandaleyes mascara, which is both lengthening and volumising on my lashes.

At the end of Step 7, my eyes looked like this. You may add false lashes if you wish (for more drama) but Emily kept her lashes looking quite natural.

Step 8. Moving on to the lips, I slicked on Revlon's Colorburst Lip Butter in Lollipop. This is my current favourite lipstick/balm and I will be posting up a review soon!

Step 9. I stopped at Step 8 but you may add a light blush if you wish. So ta-da! This is my finally look!

With more sunlight.

With less sunlight.

With effects.

Do you like this look? What do you think of my tutorial? I'd love some feedback, thanks!

Triple S: Mega Giveaway... Extended!

Oh no, it's 18th of August! Or at least it is, where I live. That means the giveaway is closed now... Well, if you read the title of this post, you'd know that I'm extending the giveaway. Okay, this may not be a good thing for those of you who have already entered (more competition, your chances decreased, etc.) but it's a good thing for those who didn't get in on time.

To make things fair, there is now a slight alteration to one of the rules. If you've submitted an entry previously, you're now allowed to submit a second entry/suggestion. So if you felt that what you previously submitted wasn't a good enough entry, you enter a new one. Essentially, everyone is allowed up to TWO entries. For your second entry you do not need to give me your blog link again, I can work it out from your previous entry.

When does this giveaway actually close? 24th August 2012 at 11.59pm (Sydney, Australian time).

To recap, new rules:
1. This giveaway is open internationally.
2. You must be 18 years or older to enter.
3. You must be a follower of this blog (via Google Friend Connect).
4. You may enter TWICE, each entry being separate and unique from the other. 
5. 1st and 2nd place winners will be chosen by me whilst the 3rd place via random.org.
6. Giveaway closes on 24th August 2012 at 11.59pm (Sydney, Australian time)!

So if you haven't entered my giveaway yet, now is your chance!

Wicked Wednesday: July Haul

Yes, I know what you're going to say, "Ty, you are waaaaay behind on your July Haul post!" I'm really sorry but I felt that it was more important that I published my previous posts first. Anyway, let's jump straight into it. Remember from my May Haul post, I said that I would not buy anything beauty-related in June because I spent too much in May? Well, if you look through this blog, you will find that the June Haul post is missing. So yes, I lasted through that month without purchasing any beauty products. Hooray! So came July, I treated myself to three. I know, it sounds stupid that I saved in June and I ended up spending in July. But who cares? These products are relatively affordable anyway.

After watching so many American Youtubers and hearing (reading) so many Australian bloggers rave about it, I finally jumped on the Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter bandwagon. I have to say that I'm not disapponinted, in fact I am impressed! The best bit is, I bought it when Target had a buy one get one free Sale. So I got one for myself and one for you (my lovely readers). Expect a review from me soon!

The second product that I purchased is Australis 10hr Waterproof Eye Pencil. I bought it because I've been keeping an eye out for a blue coloured eye pencil to do a duo-coloured eyeliner look. And after hearing from Emily how wonderful this product is, I decided to buy it. I plan on doing a review and a tutorial with it in the near future.

Lastly, I got myself another pair of MAC lashes because 1) My #33 are wonky and out of shape from repeated use and abuse. 2) I was in a bad mood that day and need a pick-me-up and 3) I really like the look of this pair! At first, I went up to the MAC counter asking for #7, they said they've been out of stock for quite a while now. My eyes caught this pair #32 and I knew I couldn't go wrong with them. I'll post up a photo when I get around to wearing them (and when actually remember to take a photo). 

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think of it/them?

Triple S: Santorini Sun Nature's Facelift Oil Review

Hello ladies (and perhaps gents?)! Hope everyone is having a good weekend. Today I'll be reviewing a face oil by Santorini Sun. I was sent this product over a month ago and have been trying it out for a few weeks now, so I thought it's about time I wrote a review for it.

If you've never heard of Santorini Sun before, let me give you a quick run down:
- Australian company
- Makes cruelty-free products
- Uses natural ingredients (such as olives and oranges)
- Products are made in Australia

Now, back to their product, Nature's Facelift Oil

Claims: Works on wrinkles and crow's feet; boosts new cell growth; works on eczema, age spots and scars; moisturises and hydrates; fast absorbing

Retail: AUD$29.95 for 100mL 

Packaging: 4 out of 5 

Review: 

 

Firstly, I would like to talk about the packaging. I love how it came with a pump so it's very easy to dispense the amount you want. It's also hygienic because you're not pouring back in product that has been exposed to the air (that's full of dust and microbes). The bottle is made out of plastic. Although I prefer glass, I have to say that this means it's very light to carry around and it won't break easily even if you drop it.

 

 

This product is made out of Pure Olive Squalane Oil, which mimics our skin's sebum. The oil is clear (practically transparent) and absorbs into the skin quite quickly (as promised on the bottle). For the first two weeks of trialling this product, I applied it to my face in the morning and at night before I go to bed as religiously as I could. I found that my normal/combination skin became drier. In terms of moisturizing or hyrdating my skin it didn't work. It makes sense because my skin cells most likely detected an increase in oil, so they decreased their production of sebum to balance it out. Hence, my skin became drier.

 

 

The good news is, this oil has managed to lighten a scar on my thumb, slightly. I think if I keep applying and do so diligently, it will completely erase the scar. It also hasn't induced any breakouts, which is of utmost importance to me. However, I have to admit that I've stopped using it on my face and only use it on my body now. Yes, don't let the name fool you. So it's actually a face and body oil.

Overall, I love the concept of this product. It's functions are similar to Rosehip Oil, except it's much more affordable. Although it didn't work on my face, I have to say that it does not mean that it won't work for you. I'm thinking it might be good for anyone with oily skin to give it a go. It might be a means of keeping your cells from producing excess sebum. For more information on this product, click here. For a list of stockists click here. On a side note, I know the photo on their website of the product looks different, so I don't know which packaging you will be getting if you bought it online. I hope this review has been helpful!

Have you heard of Santorini Sun before? Which one of their products have you tried or would like to try?

Wicked Wednesday: Battle of the Hand Creams

Spring may be only three weeks away but this does not mean that the weather stops being cold and drying. I still find myself reaching for my tube of hand cream as many times as I normally do in a day during mid-winter. If you haven't been using hand cream, it's never too late to invest in one. You will need it a lot if you work in an environment where the air-conditioning/heater is drying or if it involves you washing your hands countless times in a day. I've put together a list of hand creams that I have tried; they are arranged from my least favourite to the most.

Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream

Claims: Soften hands; minimises age spots; and strengthens nails

Retail: AUD$40 for 100mL

Packaging: 4 out of 5

Review: I was given a 50mL tube of this product by a friend. I was really keen to try it out until I opened up the tube. It had a strong fragrance that is typcial of body/hand creams and it made me sneeze. I am not a fan of products with artificial (added) fragrances because they either irritate my nose or gives me headaches. That aside, I think this hand cream keeps my hands from drying up for half the day before I have to reapply. I do have spots/pigments on my hands but I don't think I've used this cream consistently enough to see any improvements. The cream is smooth and easy to spread but it takes a while to absorb into the skin.

Clinique Deep Comfort Hand and Cuticle Cream

Claims: 12-hour hydration; strengthens moisture barrier against environmental stressors; and conditions cuticles and nails.

Retail: AUD$32 for 75mL 

Packaging: 3.5 out of 5 

Review: I got the sample version of this hand cream as a gift from another friend (people seem to love giving me hand creams, don't they?). What I really liked about this hand cream was that it's fragrance-free, plus it's allergy-tested. I found that it makes my hands smooth and soft immediately after application, which I really liked. The downside of this product is that I found myself reapplying it every couple of hours. Perhaps it was because it was a particularly dry and cold winter. So for me, the "staying power" was poor. Other than that, I was happy with it.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Hand Cream SPF 15

Claims: Contains all the goodness of the original cocoa butter formula for your hands with sun protection.

Retail: AUD$4.20 for 60g

Packaging: 4.5 out of 5 

Review: I'm using this hand cream currently. What I really like about it is that it contains SPF. We often neglect our hands when it comes to protecting them from the deadly UV rays of the sun. The hands often age the fastest, apart from our faces and necks because they are exposed most of the time. It has a scent (which I believe originates from the cocoa butter) but it isn't foul, just tolerable. The cream is thick and harder to spread but I think you need no use as much per application compared to other hand creams. Because it is so "solid", it feels like it takes a while to absorb into the skin. I apply this very early in the morning before I head out the door and it lasts me till the evening.

L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream

Claims: Helps heal and protect dry or dehydrated skin; anti-oxidizing vitamin E helps nourish hands.

Retail: AUD$12 / AUD$39  for 30mL / 150mL

Packaging: 4.5 out of 5

Review: I love this little tube of heaven! I've only tried it a few times (whenever my mum lends hers to me) but I just know that it's the perfect hand cream for me. It has a lovely subtle scent and the perfect consistency: not too thick and not too fluid. All you need is a very tiny amount and it moisturizes your hands immediately and effectively. My skin feels smooth and amazing, like it has just returned from a day spa! It also lasts most of the day. I'm hoping to get my hands on one of these once I empty my Palmer's hand cream! 

I hope this post has given you an idea on what to look out for if you're shopping for a hand cream. If you already have/use hand creams, what's your favourite? Do share by commenting below.