Acne Coverage, Date Night Make Up Tutorial!

As many of you know, I'm suffering with 'adult acne' at the moment. It's one of those dreaded things that makes you feel so bad every time you look in the mirror, and It's safe to say that I've had my fair share of sleepless nights over it. 

I'm the first to admit that I have personal confidence issues, and when your appearance can affect how you intrinsically feel on a day to day basis, acne can take a huge chunk of what confidence and self esteem you have away. 

When It comes to dating, I'm in a long term relationship (3yrs+) and although we live together, M  works super long hours, meaning he sees me more bare faced than with make up on. When we try to make an evening a little bit special, I try and make more of an effort with my make up and hair, whilst still remaining natural at the same time. I think of it more like enhancements, rather than an all out club night look - if you get what I mean. 

I wanted to share a Date Night make up look that I wore on a recent date night to the Hakkasan which is a Michelin starred restaurant here in London. The food was fantastic, and we thoroughly enjoyed it as we hadn't been there in a few months.

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this look! Let me know in the comments, and of course, don't forget to subscribe to my channel so you never miss a video!

Em xxx

Pale Test #11 - L'oreal Paris ~True Match La Touch Magique Concealer

I get asked on an almost daily basis which foundations and concealers are the best for pale skin tones, and this series is going to explore all different types of  products from varying brands and at all price levels which will hopefully help you to make a decision on which foundation and concealer is right for you! 

In universal skin tone terms.. I struggle to find a product that suits me. I'm on the hunt for a product that will be the perfect fit for My Pale Skin. 

Product: L'oreal Paris True Match Touch Magique Concealer - Ivory Beige

Price: £8.19

Packaging:  The Concealer has a built in brush applicator, with a twist bottom that brings the product up through the brush. It has a pretty secure lid that clicks shut.

Coverage: I'd say that the product gives a medium coverage which is build-able.

Colour:  There are six shades in the range with Ivory Beige being the lightest cool toned product. It applies fairly yellow on the skin as it's designed to be used as a 'brightening' concealer which can mask and brighten up dark circles.

Finish:  I found the finish to be dewy. It applies evenly, without looking 'cakey'.

Final Verdict:  I wasn't expecting a whole lot with this L'oreal concealer as i'm so used to being disappointed by drugstore offerings shade wise. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by this offering. I mea like i'm really loving this concealer at the moment. I'm wearing it every day!  It applies extremely easily, blends seamlessly and masks dark circles. The ivory beige is a light yellow shade that is perfect for cooler toned skin tones. I'm super happy to say that the L'oreal Paris True Match Touch Magique Concealer has PASSED the pale test (on my skin) and has well and truly made it's way into my make up bag.

As Always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this concealer or what you'd like me to try next, let me know in the comments.
Em xxx

Real Techniques Bold Metals Contour Brush Review

I'm never usually one for buying products on their launch day, but late last year on New Years Eve I headed to my local boots in the hope of having a glimpse at the brand new Real Techniques Bold Metals Collection. However, one thing led to another and I walked out of the store with four of the brushes... as well as a whole heap of other products. 

The Bold Metals flat contour brush retails at £22.00 which is a little eye watering for a single off the shelf brush that you purchase on a whim at boots. 

I understand that Real Techniques are going for a more high end, professional market with these brushes and the new design truly does reflect that. 

It's obvious to look at the design of the brushes that a lot of time, care and attention to detail has going into the new range, They have a gorgeous metallic finish, with soft white bristles and a weighted handle which is designed to help you use the brush to it's full advantage. 

Sadly, there's on thing for me that's letting this brush down, and that's the bristles.When I first saw the shape of the brush, I knew it had the perfect shape for carving out cheekbones and would certainly be useful for recreating that Kimmy K look... But here's the thing - the bristles are just too packed. I find that I have to use an awful lot more product to get it to take on the brush evenly, then on application, I find that the product applies, but in a harsh way.What I mean by that is, it's fairly static. You don't get any natural feathering with the brush and when I used it on a day to day basis, I actually found I needed to swap to a different brush to blend it out.  I also sort of forgot this brush existed after a while. I forgot I bought it, and went back to using a small blush brush to apply my contour and actually got a better result.

If I knew before purchasing it how difficult the bristles would be to work with - I likely would have picked up the Nars Ita Kabuki Brush which is a similar shape but it just has that bit of give to it which naturally feathers out your make up.

I love Sam & Nic and think fantastic at what they do. I just wanted a little more than this brush could give. 

Have you tried any of the Real Techniques Bold Metal Collection? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Let me know in the comments.

Em xxx

Base Product Haul!

I've been wanting to switch up my base product routine for quite a while now and this week It would appear that I was on a bit of an accidental haul mission!

It all started on Monday, when I had an important client meeting at work. I rushed to the other side of London in a cab with my boss, only to get there super early - which was super frustrating, especially as I left my phone in the office. Whilst walking to the meeting, and realizing how early we were - I noticed a Space NK, so popped in to get a new Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer.That counts as work right?

Next up was Mac. On Tuesday whilst waiting for a colleague to arrive at Kings Cross Station, I popped into Mac. I honestly wish every train station had a Mac store... like can you imagine?? From Mac I bought the Mineralize Moisture Foundation in shade NC15 and also a Studio Finish Concealer in NC15. 

Finally, on Valentines Day, I headed over to Kensington High Street to do a weekly food shop in Wholefoods. On the way I passed the Guru Make Up Emporium which I'd heard so so much about online! I popped in and picked up the Ben Nye Neutral Face Set Powder. I really wanted the banana powder, but they only had it in pressed and I just wasn't feeling it, so I thought i'd start my Ben Nye collection off with a translucent powder. I also picked up the Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Concealer in Y0 because I'd been dying to try something from the brand for what seems like forever and thought a concealer would be a good place to start before I jump in to the lip tar world.

So those are the base products I've bought this week. Have you tried any of them before? Would love to hear your thoughts! And if you wanted to check out a sneaky peek of the swatches - head on over to my Instagram! 

Em xxx

An Evening Of Pampering At The #LFWRetreat

Earlier this week I headed to the Red Bull Studios in London for a little bit of Pre-Fashion Week pampering. After a mad dash and some awful traffic, I finally made it and indulged in a few treatments designed to relax and get me feeling in tip top condition for London Fashion Week.

First up I headed to the Pixi by Petra Make Up Stations where I had some a gorgeous make over by the lovely Amanda. Who is one of the most sweetest people I think I've met at an event. Amanda has this way that just makes you feel at ease and is such a great listener.

It was my first time using the Pixi products, and as I'd heard so much about them online, I was pleased to see that they lived up to the hype. My skin was left looking dewy and glowy all whilst still looking incredibly natural - which is hard to do when I'm suffering with Acne. 

I will say that the concealers did take a fair amount of layers to cover up some of the redness, and break out areas, but with a bit of patience, it worked.  If you have great skin, I would recommend checking out their base products as they're just so flawless and incredibly easy to wear.

After my make up session and more naterring with the Pixi girls, I headed  over to the Spa and Massage corner for a quick 'Stress Busting' massage. I'd never had a chair massage before, and y'know I can't say it was the most relaxing experience because I spent most of it thinking I was going to fall off the chair and I didn't really have a chance to 'let go'. I think the main reason, is that having never been to spa for treatments before... *gulp* I just didn't really know how to relax and get into it. 

I had so much fun at the Red Bull Studios and even picked up a few new products to try! 

I'd love to hear your top tips on how you relax and get ready for a big event! Let me know in the comments.

Em xxx

Acne Coverage, Valentines Day Make Up Tutorial!

If you're an avid reader of 'My Pale Skin' then you'll know that I'm suffering from a dreaded case of  'Adult Acne' - part sef inflicted by trying skin care products which clearly did not work for me, and also due to my skin rejecting most things I put on it at the moment. It goes without saying that it's having a sensitive ol' time - but I'm powering through it as best as I can.

This Valentines will be the 4th I get to spend with my partner, and this will be my go to look for that 'effortless' glam feel.

Here's the Video in Action...

And here's what I used:

Foundation: NYX HD Studio Photographic Foundation

Concealer: Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - Fair / Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer- Chantilly

Contour: NYX Taupe Blusher

Highlight: The Balm - Mary Lou Manizer

Blusher: Make Up Revolution - Sugar & Spice Blush Palette

Eyebrows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade - Medium Brown

Eyeshadow: Illamasqua -Justify, MUA Undress me too palette, Kiko Long lasting eyeshadow- #07

Eyeliner: Maybeline Big Eyes Eyeliner - Beige & Black

Eyelashes: Kiss I Envy Lashes - Beyond Natural

Mascara: Benefit -Roller Lash Mascara

Lipliner: Mac Hip n Happy

Lipstick:Mac Pink Plaid

Lipgloss: Sexy Mother Pucker - Bashful Gloss Stick

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this look & video!

 Let me know in the comments, and of course - don't forget to subscribe!

Em xxx

Beauty Bargain of the week #1

I, like any other shopping loving woman - love a bargain. On a recent lunch break at work, the stars must have aligned as I seemingly walked past Accessorize at the perfect moment - just as the 70% off banners were being placed in the window, and the stock was being brought out. In this situation, I did what any self respecting bargain hunter did... I rushed straight in, didn't stop to collect a basket and pegged it straight to the sale rack, almost sending my lunch flying out of my arms and down my crisp white top. 

I love quirky make up bags, and as I store many of my beauty products that don't fit in my Muji Acrylic drawers, in large plastic storage drawers at home - make up bags come in handy. Sadly I don't have room for any Ikea Alex drawers, as much as I would love to have some to call my own. Instead, I find organising by product and popping the bag into a drawer works well for me!

This cheeky little make up bag was a steal at only £3.00! Great value and awesome savings at 70% off. Which does slightly make me feel bad though, as I seem to only buy products at Accessorize during a sale.... 

Have you nabbed a bargain recently? Let me know in the comments! 

Em xxx

I've dyed my hair blue!

You may have read about the time I accidentally dyed my hair purple after an incident with a bottle of purple shampoo. What you may not have read, is that in the few days that the colour lasted in my hair,I began to love having it. Then after listening to all the tweets, comments and emails I received about it - I came to only one conclusion, It was time to mix things up a little bit and delve into the world of pastel hair.  To get this colour hair, I used a mix of semi permanent dyes from La Riche - Directions in Silver, Lilac and Lagoon Blue. 

I'm in my twenties, and I've been bleach blonde for so long, it has kind of become boring. Although I experimented with crazy hair colours in my teens, I haven't really changed up my hair in a long time. One thing I wanted to do in 2015, was get my hair into a style I'm happy with, and keep it that way. Although having blue hair isn't what I had in mind for my new do - I'm going with it and having fun with it until I settle on a new style. 

In terms of a permanent style, all I know is that I want to have a 'root stretch' and incorporate more of my natural dark brown hair colour into whichever look I decide to keep, purely out of laziness so it means I can put less bleach on my hair and keep it in better condition. 

So things are about to get a little more blue around here, and I hope that's okay with you guys too!

Em xxx

Why you should get involved with #FrugalFebruary

February is here, and with it being the shortest month of the year... it's the perfect time to try something new, or even take up a challenge. So here's where Frugal February comes in...

Being a 'millennial' (ugh did I seriously just use that word?) comes at a price. There's always a new bit of technology released that you just damn well need, or a new restaurant that's opened up to incredible reviews. There are Instagram accounts dedicated to making us feel envious of other people's lives and no matter what time of day or night I check my social media feeds, there is always something that catches my eye and makes me want to spend money.

So lets' put a stop to it and go back to basics - for an entire month. Grated, unless you're a child, it's likely you'll need to spend some money this month - those bills sadly aren't going to pay themselves, and you'll need somewhere to live, so don't forget about your mortgage or rent... but everything else? Now that - we can work on!

So how do you get involved, I hear you ask? Well let me give you a couple of examples to get you in the mood and think about how you can live frugally this month.

Beauty

First things first, aside from absolute essential purchases (e.g running out of something completely), it's time to cut back on beauty this month. If you're usually familiar with the layout of the high end beauty hall, why not try a month with only budget buys? Instead of a Space NK haul, try and just buy drugstore instead. If you already do buy drugstore, take it on step further and maybe try a pound shop beauty hall, or even a no buy!

Fashion

So you're a die hard Fshionista, who just loves keeping up with the trends... welcome to your challenge month. Instead of shopping in Topshop, try the charity shop! Instead of ASOS, head straight to ebay and set yourself a limit of £5-6.00 per item (inc. Postage)! I once managed to buy a perfect Topshop coat for £0.99 on ebay and years later, it's possibly the best online purchase i've ever made! If you really want a challenge this month, why not set yourself a challenge of selling X amount of clothes on ebay or Depop and using the funds you make to buy new clothes. 

Food

I don't know about you, but I have a particular bad habit of buying overpriced food. Wholefoods is one of my favourite places to shop, and it's a place where a half full basket can set you back over £100 a week! It's by no means cheap, so this month i'm setting myself a challenge to spend less on food, and become more creative, resourceful and inventive. Instead of going out for dinner at my favourite raw food restaurant, I'm going to challenge myself in the kitchen, and come up with a few recipes to use at home. Instead of grocery shopping, I'm going to try and use up as much as I can from the pantry, and bulk make meals to live frugally. 

Life

The best things in life are apparently free....so why not see what those things actually are this month. Grab your comfy shoes, and let's get exploring. If you live in London, then this will be a piece of cake! There are so many places to see and things to do without spending a penny! Why not plan a walking tour, or research online and set out on an adventure. Don't forget your packed lunch! 

So those are just a few examples on how you can save money and live frugally this month. To me, being frugal doesn't mean constantly living on a no buy, but instead really thinking about your spending decisions, and working out if there's a more economical alternative. It's not about buying the cheapest option, but the best option.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, will you be getting involved? Let me know in the comments!

Em xxx