Pastel vibes with a little bit of wild...

Today is a very rainy day in Edinburgh so I wanted to channel some pastel vibes to brighten up the day and of course add my little obsession at the moment which is an accent of leopard print.

I love this Johnstons of Elgin cashmere jumper, the pastel hue and cosy fit is perfect for a day like today. This and my pukka three ginger tea was just the combination I needed this morning, in my favourite Marks and Spencer 'S' mug.

A little highlight of pink goes perfectly with my pastel blue jumper, I got this Bourjois Paris Colour Boost in Proudly naked yesterday. It has a great glossy finish, glides on and feels very nourishing on my lips. I even may be able to wear it sans Burts Bees - very bold for me. With a little spritz of my favourite Victoria's Secret 'Sexy little things' I felt a lovely pink glow.

My whole make-up look today is very natural with a little highlight of pink cream blush. I curled my hair for yesterdays blog post but I then got very rained on and it lost a little bit of its magic so I pulled it up into a high ponytail.

I love a statement necklace, this is one from Zara a few seasons a go and I find that it goes so well with a lot of outfits and the position is great for a high neckline.

This is my little hint of wild. I have been trying to break these in for a very long time and I think that today is the first time that they haven't hurt - it was so worth it though!! I've teamed these with my distressed jeans to add a little edge to my pastels.

I will be working away today on lots of new fun blog ideas! If you have anything that you would like me to cover, let me know! I will be cosying up with my ginger tea and doing lots of fashion, style and beauty research and maybe obsessing over Chanel's runway (airport lounge) show.

Happy Tuesday!

Styling Happiness xoxo

Natural Make-Up Tutorial

I thought a Sunday was the perfect day to post a blog on how to get the perfect natural make-up look. Sunday's are casual, so to complement your relaxed, dressed-down Sunday style here is how to keep your make-up low key and simple while still highlighting your best features.

I'll take you through step by step. All the products that I use are available at boots (apart from a couple of Mac items) and are great for beauty on a budget.

Here is my no make-up selfie - it is never flattering taking a picture naked (make-up naked). Start off with a freshly washed face and moisturise lightly - a heavy moisturiser can give you an oily glow so don't use too much.

To start off with I use Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser, I have large pores so this is perfect to use as a primer - I focus on either side of my nose and my eyes so that there is a base to apply Bourjois Paris Happy Light concealer in Ivoire. 

Using my Real Techniques concealer brush I apply the concealer around the dark circles in the inner corners of my eyes, in a triangular shape on either side of my nose for subtle contouring and down the centre of my nose to thin it - I have a large nose so this is quite vital.

I have used Mac Studio Fix Fluid for years, the colour changes throughout the year depending on the weather and where I have travelled but it provides the perfect coverage. I use NC35, the NC range has yellow undertones which compliment my skintone as it is quite olive. If you have a paler skin I would go for the NW range with its pink undertones. 

Using a Benefit foundation brush I apply it lightly all over my face, blending in with the concealer for an all over coverage. Make sure that you blend your foundation into your neck and choose a colour that is the same as your neck so that you don't have the dreaded tidal mark! After that I use the below Hello Flawless powder and apply evenly all over to give a matte finish and seal in my foundation. I use a Real Techniques brush for this.

Benefit Hello Flawless Powder in Honey.

Now it is time for subtle contouring, I have put a little more on than usual so that you can see where to apply it. I find Maybelline Master Sculpt is perfect for contouring, it is not too heavy and you can build it up to get the effect that you are looking for. I use a Real Techniques sculpting brush as it angles well when contouring.

I want to subtly accentuate my cheekbones so it is time to pout, follow the the natural line that forms, angle your brush length ways and apply the contouring powder. I also put this around my hairline, my jawline, the bottom of my chin and down the sides of my nose to thin it!

Now I blend in the contouring using Benefit Hoola, Bourjois Paris blusher in 16 Rose Coup de Foudre and Benefit sun beam.

I apply bronzer to my forehead to give a sun kissed glow and to my cheeks to blend in with the contouring using the brush that comes with the Hoola. I then use the blusher on the apples of my cheeks to give a little colour. I then want to highlight to contrast the contouring, I use sun beam under my eyebrows, at the top of my cheeks just below my eyes and on my cupid's bow (the dent above your lip).

I have very dark eyebrows naturally, so defining them is something that I have just got into. I think it really adds shape to your face, so it is a beauty tip I would highly suggest. However, make it subtle and follow your natural brow, I have seen some bad eyebrows in my time - don't be one of them. I use Benefit Browzings in dark.

Fill in the gaps and give a subtle defining look.

It is now time for eyes and for a natural look I am going to keep it very subtle and fresh. I use Mac Pro Longer Paint Pot in Bare Study - it gives a lovely glow and is very crease resistant. I love a winged eyeliner look, alongside a defined brow it gives a great shape to your face, I use Collection Extreme 24 hour felt tip liner which I have used for years as it really stays in place.

I keep the winged eyeliner to a minimum and follow the natural line of my eye with a small tail on the outer part of my eye.

Now to bring it all together with mascara. I have used Bourjois Paris mascara for years, I have tried a lot of other brands in between but keep coming back as it is by far the best. I have recently moved on to Twist up the Volume and I love it for its two brushes in one.

Mascara really opens up your eyes, make sure you apply it to the bottom lashes too to give a natural, wide eyed fresh look.

To complete the look I want to keep the lips subtle so have decided to use a light pink - Estee Lauder Lasting Creme in Vanilla Truffle. I have very dry lips so am never very far away from my Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm. I always put this under my lipstick so that it blends in subtly and doesn't give a too harsh look.

Here is the finished look. Natural, fresh and perfectly contoured.

I've decided to go for my hair down to keep it natural, now to decide what to wear!

I hope you all have lovely, relaxed Sunday's!

Styling Happiness xoxo

A step by step of how to Shellac

I am no nail technician, I will admit that. However, I am very good at Shellacking. The thought of a chipped nail repulses me - I have my priorities straight in life. So, I taught myself from scratch and through trial and error I think I have worked out the perfect techniques for the perfect nail. Now all you need to do is read and follow these simple steps and you can have very happy and pretty nails too! I re-do my nails every 2 weeks and they stay on without chipping for all this time. It is very low maintenance and you can easily sit and do them in front of Keeping Up with the Kardashians (again, clear priorities in life). I am also no hand model, so apologies for the pictures and my white is very well loved (grubby) - I wouldn't recommend getting yours into this state! It isn't good for them!

I order a lot of my Shellacking kit from Amazon, it is cheap and always turns up very promptly! I use Bluesky and Gellux, which I have used it for years and always find it has the best results and great colours. Here are the links for you to purchase the above (I find they last for 6+ months so the cost is very low). For the purposes of this blog I am going to do a French manicure, I think it is understated and chic - so me (maybe not). 

Nail Primer

Base and Top coat

Soft pink

White tip

1. To start off with make sure that your nails are completely polish free, cut to the length that you want, filed into the shape that you want, your cuticles are pushed back and cut if straggly! Finally here is the difference with Shellac, you need to roughen up the nail surface so that the Shellac bonds with your nail. I use number 2 on this 4 way block. 

2. Once your nails are prepped and the surface is clean, apply the nail primer as a bonding agent. This also makes sure that any loose nail filings on your nails are removed.

3. You are now ready to start applying the base coat, you should coat the whole surface of your nail so that it is fully protected and make sure to seal the end of your nail with the base coat too.

The next most important part of your Shellac kit is your UV light, these are very cheap but make sure to change the bulbs every 6 months. Here is a link to one that I would recommend: UV Shellac lamp. Again this is available from Amazon and is a really great price.

4. Your base coat now needs to be set, so set the Shellac lamp to the timer settings and pop your hand in for the allotted 2 minutes. If you are doing this on your own nails I tend to paint one hand, pop it into the Shellac lamp straight after and then move onto the next hand, alternating for each layer. 

5. Now you are ready for your colour, as I am doing a French manicure I am applying the soft pink as a base before the white. If you are doing a colour this would be your main coat. I always apply 2 coats, each coat needs to be set under the lamp after it is applied so don't be tempted to miss this step out!

6. My soft pink base coat has set and enough coats have been applied so it is now time to paint on the white tips. After years of doing this, I now have a very steady hand for this but trust me, this takes time! Shellac is different to normal nail varnish and is a lot more "mouldable" for touch ups. If you are going for a French Manicure, I would recommend that you use a cuticle pusher to touch up the lines and make them even, you can wipe over the top of Shellac and not ruin the base coat so don't worry about mistakes! I find with the white tips that it will get on your skin around the nails, don't worry about this, as soon as you wash your hands with warm water it will start to come away.

7. After you have set the white tips you are now ready for your top coat, pop this on and wait for it to set under the lamp. I like to be extra sure that it has set properly and once I have done both hands I put them both under the light and set the timer just one more time!

8. You will probably find that your hands now feel rather sticky. I use Gellux prep and wipe: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Salon-System-Gellux-Profile-Systems/dp/B003EGXHMK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1443537135&sr=8-2&keywords=gellux+prep+and+wipe which you will find on Amazon and a lindt wipe, I go over with this a few times and then wash my hands to make sure that stickiness has completely gone! 

Now your nails will look amazing for the next 2 weeks, alleviating you of all nail anxiety.

If you have any questions on Shellacking, ask away!

Styling Happiness xoxo

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