What Makeup Means to me!!

This is going to be kind of a strange post, I always like reading these kind of posts and watching videos on YT about this topic. WHAT DOES MAKEUP MEAN TO ME!!

Well personally for me it goes way back. Since I was a child my favourite part of the year was my summer dance show. This was not just because I absolutely loved attention and being on stage gave me that, it was because an hour before the show my mother would put makeup on me!! Bare in mind my mother wasn't much of an "Artist" so the makeup she used on me was about 25 shades darker than what I needed, but hey I felt FABULOUS! Still to this day the smell of Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Foundation brings me back. I just loved the way it transformed me. I felt like I could take on the world with my war paint on. 

Bobbi Brown said that women are either intrigued or Mystified by Makeup I was definitely intrigued!As you can see from the picture above my makeup game was ON POINT from a young age. My mother bought me a teachers board and chalk for my 7th birthday but I wasn't too crazy about the whole idea of being a teacher so instead I crushed up the chalks and made brightly coloured eyeshadows. I now know that probably wasn't the best thing to do from a health and Safety P.O.V, but hey who knows how the greats get started ;)! I ended up with an unblended block colour usually of the pastel blue hue...ahead of my time I would believe!!

I just loved the way that makeup made me feel. Even though it didn't look it I felt sophisticated and Older. As I got into my teens I started to experiment more with colours and and even bought a few brushes!! I slowly started to improve my skills it was a slow process and through the majority of my teens I was still a one colour all over the lid kind of girl. 

I still remember the first mac product I bought it was such a luxury and it really made me feel like a million bucks. It was copper sparkle pigment which is still pretty much full as you get a ridiculous amount of product...well....not any more....but that's beside the point. Again I will say it but I loved the way having that little Brown Thomas Bag made me feel even though it was superficial it was like a little slice of heaven.

Then when I was 16 something horrible happened, my brother passed away suddenly leaving us all in shock. I was still in school but it was like I had nothing, like my whole life was crumbling. I don't know what I would have done without my friends and family to support me. 

One thing I always knew I could turn to was makeup. It was almost like if my skin was flawless so was everything else. I could get lost for hours playing with what little makeup I had....it was happiness sold in a mascara tube!!

Not too long after this I discovered Youtube  The first video I ever watched was by Lauren Luke. I loved how she was so normal and explained everything so simply.

This is the first video I ever watched!!

 It was because of her I bought the 120 colour palette on ebay. I honestly thought I was a MUA extraordinaire .. I was definitely no Charlotte Tillbury. I finally had lots of colours to play with this was true start into my makeup development!! 

Basically I finished school yada yada yada....and then I went to college, because thats what everyone does, isn't it? I ended up doing three years in a course that I hated to please other people. I always knew that makeup was my calling and eventually I decided to do something for myself and drop out to pursue my dreams. 

So that brings me to writing this post...

I have been working so hard in a string of horrible jobs saving for my new life as a Makeup artist. I will hopefully attend makeup school in London. They say if you love your job you will never work a day in your life, I am a firm believer in that. I have put my dreams on hold for a long time and I can't wait for my new life to begin. 

At the end of it all makeup has become so much more than a mask to me. I think the makeup world and its ever changing nature represents me. I have had to adapt to a lot of things in my life and I have become a stronger person for it. Kevin Aucoin said that "no amount of makeup can mask an ugly heart" you need to learn to let makeup fuel your confidence not be your confidence. Let it be a springboard not a crutch. Make Up has been the Best Part of my life for a long time and it means alot to me!

Makeup is beauty, it is strength and most importantly it is self expression....

AND THATS WHAT MAKEUP MEANS TO ME.

xoxo

Matte Is the New Black....

A big trend for S/S is a matte lip with a pop of bright colour. I am not gonna lie I am really feeling this trend :) I recently naught some fun matte colours from mac cosmetics and here are my thoughts on them.

First of all I really like matte lip products as they are really long lasting so you don't have to keep applying. Matte lipsticks are generally extremely pigmented and vibrant.A tip when using matte lip products is to make sure that your lips are well exfoliated because nothing is worse than matte lips over dry lips.... GROSS! To exfoliate your lips use a damp soft toothbrush, you can splash out on an expensive lip exfoliant but why bother when you can do it so cheaply and effectively.

Now to the reviews,

Candy Yum Yum

This is a highly elusive product that has just recently become part of the MAC permanent line due to popular demand. It is a neon, blue based pink so it makes your teeth look lovely and white. It is a really show stopping colour and is very wearable. Even though it dries completely matte it doesn't feel drying on the lips.

Silly 

This is part if the fashion set collection. It is a bright pink cream. This is extremely bright but is not as neon as Candy Yum Yum, not as cool tones as MAC Pink Nouveau. I think this pink is perfect for the person who wants to experiment with colour but doesn't want to go FULL NEON. It is literally barbie pink!

Ablaze 

This is also from the fashion set collection (guess who was recently on a shopping spree :D ) this is a bright coral red. Also not neon but really bright. This dries matte but with a slight sheen. I am absolutely in love with this colour. I wore it to the recent Beyoncé gig in Dublin and from 8pm to 3am I only felt I needed to reapply once and it looked amazing!!!

So these are my favourite mac mattes that I have recently obtained. For all my recessionistas out there I cant speak highly enough of the Kate Moss Velvet Touch Lippies, I have a full review here HERE. You can also mattify most lippies with a colourless face powder which is good for a quick fix!!

Thanks for reading don't forget to like me on Facebook and sub on bloglovin' if you enjoyed it!! :) 

Jen xoxo

Long Wear Satin Lip Cream.

These lipsticks have been my saviour since I got them. They are enriched with Shea Butter and Vitamin E so they are so moisturising. I hate wearing lipstick when my lips are chapped, well this kills 2 birds with one stone beautiful colour and soft lips.

The packaging is really nice and fits right into my collection. The Scent is really inoffensive almost floral and I really like it. 

I purchased 3 colours and I must say I really liked two of them but the nude was a bit too orangey for my skin tone. They aren't the longest lasting of lipsticks but they don't last and less than most lipsticks! I must say I really liked these  and I will definitely be buying more of these.

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xoxo 

Blush Me

This is a box blush not too dissimilar to the Benefit Box Blushes. The Packaging is lovely albeit a bit bulky, but inside lies a beautiful Blush.

The blush is a brick red with orange undertones. It is really pigmented so a light hand is a must. It comes with a brush but I didn't use it, I applied with my Mac 109. This blush gives the most beautiful flush to the cheek it would really entice me to buy some more!

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xoxo

Dew Pots

These are extremely like the Benefit Creaseless eye shadows . These definitely aren't my favourite products from this brand. The Colours are a bit Wishy Washy. The Dew Pots crease like CRAZY the lighter colour literally wears away to nothing and leaves you with just big chunks of glitter on your eyes!!!

These looked really cheap when applied I really did not like these and I won't be using them again.

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xoxo

Shimmer Stack

This was probably my favourite product from the range, I really liked the packaging even though it was a bit bulky like the blush. It has a really nice mirror too.

This highlighter is based on the concept of the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks. The Shimmer Stack is a really nice sheer gold highlight it has a really good lasting power. I like this as much as my Dior Amber Diamonds Highlighter even though that is more bronze toned. 

The powder is very finely milled and blends beautifully into the skin.

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xoxo

Eye Inspire Baked Eye Shadow

I got this in quad 2 it is quite compact, to have 4 shadows in one is handy. 

In this quad there is a gold,brown,bronze and Beige. I liked these colours but it could do with a matte shade as they are all metallic. The shadows are Really pigmented and I would Definitely try more of them.

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xoxo