Face of the Day #19 // Birthday Face

At last, I'm 18! It feels like I've been waiting for this forever so when it finally came to going out I made the most of it. I went for my normal night-out base of Max Factor's Miracle Touch foundation and to the really pretty highlighter I'm wearing is the No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter which has quickly become a new favourite of mine. On my eyes I just did a simple shimmery taupe eye using a combination of my Sleek palettes (Storm and Au Natural) and finished off the look using the MAC Lip Pencil in Soar, which I'll be reviewing next week for you. I'm really pleased with how the look came out and it lasted the 9 hours that I needed it to (gulp). I had such a fantastic night with my favourite people, chatting, dancing and drinking a little too much probably! It feels strange being 18 and being able to do pretty much everything- although I'm planning to get a tattoo I nowhere near feel adult enough to be classed as one! If you want to see the outfit I wore on my night out check back on Sunday as it'll be going up then. Also just a note to say I am cutting down my blog posts to just twice a week as it's nearing exam season and need to concentrate on that a bit more, but should go back to 3 times a week in a couple of months!

Olivia Ellen XXX

Face of the Day #18 // Crushed Plum

I've got a lovely little wintery make-up look for you today. I wore this on a trip to London recently and every time I caught my reflection I was just so pleased with how the look had turned out. It was inspired by a recent purchase in the form of Bobbi Brown's Creamy Matte lipstick in Crushed Plum. It's a lovely berry-toned purple, so I carried that through into my eyes using a matte grey on the lid and a matte berry lightly through my crease. I then thinly lined my upper lash line, but I kept the eyes pretty simple as the lips were really the focus of the look.

I'm so thrilled to have this Max Factor foundation back in my life. Not long after I bought my first bottle, I dropped it on a wooden floor and it smashed- foundation = everywhere. I was devastated and have only been able to bring myself to shell out £12 for a brand new bottle, because the original had hardly been used. Even so, I'm happy to have it back because I adore how it looks and have been applying it lately with my Spectrum buffing brush and together they just create such a flawless but natural base.

My make-up routine has become pretty boring lately due to this because I use pretty much the same products every day, but you know what they say- if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Olivia Ellen XXX

Face of the Day #17 // Christmas Party

Merry Christmas Eve! I thought I'd give you a quick look at one of my Christmas party looks for this year that I wore recently. I went for the holy trinity of Crimbo colours- shimmery gold and green on my eyes with a classic red lip (Ruby Woo if you're interested). I then went for glowing skin using (shock horror, not my Max Factor Miracle Touch?!) Bare Minerals powder foundation, then my L'Oreal Magic Lumi Concealer and my Revlon Skinlights. I used a new hair tool from Carmen to crimp my hair- I'm working on a full review of this at the moment so keep your eyes peeled for this soon. The dress that I'm wearing will also be making it's way onto your screens on boxing day so be sure to check back for that.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and that you spend your day doing all that you desire.

Olivia Ellen XXX

Face of the Day #16 // Copper Eyes with L'Oreal

I never thought a copper eye would suit me but here I am! Today I just wanted natural skin but with a hint of colour on the eyes so I used my new L'Oreal quad. I used all four shades- the copper on the lid, both darker shades through the crease and the white as a highlight then blended them together thoroughly. The result is a warm shimmery eye which is perfect for winter and I just know this is a look I'll be wearing a lot through the next few months.

Olivia Ellen XXX

Face of the Day #15 // Gradient Eyes

Another night out, another face. I was going out for a meal with some friends to celebrate their birthday last week but I only had about 15 minutes to get ready. I already had a bit of face on- CC cream, eyebrows and some mascara- so that saved me some time. I went for a look on my eyes that I've done countless times. I used three matte shades from my Sleek Au Natural palette- a light grey, black through the crease and under the eye, and a cream for the inner corners- which I blended together to create a gentle gradient. I then used a bit of my Bare Minerals powder foundation to give me a bit more coverage, then I contoured and blushed using my Sleek Face Form. Done!

People are often asking me how I get my bun to look messy and casual and really there's no secret to it- if you see me with my hair up like this, it's normally because I've slept in it the night before which I how I get that perfect messy look. I'm really no hair expert!

Olivia Ellen XXX

Face of the Day #14 // Jenna Coleman Inspired

I'm a big  Jenna Coleman fan- when I watch Doctor Who I find myself getting distracted by her clothes and her make-up, rather than focusing on what she's saying. Whether as Clara or as herself, her make-up always looks great so I thought I'd have a go at recreating her signature look of flawless skin and winged eyeliner. I did a little plan first of what products to use and this is the look I came up with!

Obviously I don't look like Jenna Coleman (boo hoo) but I think that in terms of the products she uses this is quite accurate. The camera didn't fully capture the look- I would have liked a little more bronze on my face and the glowing skin isn't really showing through on camera- but the winged eyeliner went perfectly for once in my life! I used the old post-it note trick and really took my time. To finish the look I did a subtle pink lip with a bit of a sheen to it, although equally a matte red would have looked fab too.

Olivia Ellen XXX

Face of the Day #13 // Juxtaposition

Last week was my mother's birthday, so as is tradition, we headed out for a meal in the evening. I always like to make an effort with my make-up for an occasion (and pretty much anything is considered an occasion in my book when it comes to make-up) so I went for a full coverage, glowing look.

For my base I used the Bare Minerals powder foundation to give my skin that glow, along with a little of the L'Oreal Magic Lumi highlighter. I'm super happy with how my brows came out- I used my Anastasia Brow Wiz (which I am officially hooked on by the way) with a little bit of brow gel to set them in place. I used my mini Wet and Wild palette combined with a bit of a Maybelline Colour Tattoo as a base, then loaded on the mascara. I finished the look with my NYX Butter Gloss in Apple Strudel which I cannot stop wearing at the moment.

I didn't have time to snap some outfit photos to go with this look unfortunately so tried to capture a little of it in these photos. I wore black skinny jeans with a simple black top, then finished it off with these super cute earrings from Topshop. I also threw on my denim jacket, as I love the way really polished make-up looks with something casual and edgy like light denim.

Olivia Ellen XXX

Face of the Day #12 // The Daily Face

For those days when I want to make a bit of an effort but still want to look natural, this is the look I've been going for. The Bourjois CC cream is the perfect base and with a bit of highlighter and concealer it gives a fairly flawless, glowing complexion. I keep my brows big and defined and do very simple eyes with a nude eyeliner in the waterline and lashings of mascara. To finish the look I bronze up with my relatively new Milani Bronzer with a light contour and then add a bit of colour with my favourite blush of the moment- NYX's Glow.

It's so quick to do and always makes me feel really comfortable. Do you have a quick go-to face?

Olivia Ellen XXX

Face of the Day #11 // Leather Eyes

The other day I headed off to London for a day out. The weather was amazing so luckily I'd done myself a long lasting make-up look with a glowing base and natural smokey eye. To achieve this eye look I used the new Maybelline Colour Tattoo Leather. These are only avaliable in  America at the moment but hopefully these will come to the UK soon as they are fab! I took the lightest shade over my lid and then blended the black through the crease with a fluffy brush until it looked natural. It was so quick and easy to do but stayed on for over 12 hours. For my base I used my L'Oreal True Match Foundation and to add a bit of glow and highlight I used their Magic Lumi Highlighter. If you want to know anymore about these products you can read about them in my USA Beauty Haul which went up last week!

Olivia Ellen XXX

Face of the Day #10 (+ Nails) // Goodbye Mattes

Recently, I'd been feeling a little stuck with my make-up- I was rarely completely happy with how it looked which resulted in a lot of days through June and July with me going bare faced because I just didn't know what to do. However, I think I've found the solution- glowing skin. I've been a matte kinda girl for as long as I can remember but I'm actually preferring a glowing look at the moment. This means not using a matte primer and applying much less powder (now to just hold make-up in place rather than to mattify). Today I'm wearing the L'Oreal True Match foundation which has a natural finish, with a dewy cream blush from Topshop (Head Over Heels) and my MAC Mineralize Skin Finish.

I thought I'd also show you my nails today- I've been growing them since pretty much the start of the year on and off but I'm finally content that they're going to stay long. I've painted them with Barry M's Pink Flamingo, a bright summery pink and then added a candy stripe accent nail by just using a white striping tool.

Olivia Ellen XXX

Face of the Day #9 // Glow Glow Glow

Last week I put up a post with some make-up inspiration and ideas which was the basis for this look. As I said, I had a big concert/event on which required me to dress up a bit and so I used my Max Factor Miracle Touch foundation to create the base for this gorgeous glowing look. I literally cannot stress enough how impressed I was with the staying power of this look- I used my No7 Stay Matte Primer along with my Evian Facial Spray to hold everything in place and it did not budge.  After 6 hours of performing and dancing (a hell of a lot of dancing might I add- I led a five minute conga) I came home to find it still looking great. For the full details of what's on my face, view this post! Do you have any fail-safe going-out products?

Olivia Ellen XXX

Face of the Day #8 // 60s Flicks

I thought it was necessary to document my make-up today because I managed to do my winged eyeliner correctly first time and it is looking so sharp (if I do say so myself!). This is a very 60s look for me inspired by the likes of Bridget Bardot and Lana Del Rey with flawless skin and winged out eyeliner. To create these flicks I used my favourite felt tip eyeliner which is the Eyeko Skinny Liner in black. I also used all three products from the Sleek Face Form (I own the shade 'Light') to contour, highlight and add the gorgeous 'Rose Gold' blush. MAC 'Please Me' is my favourite lipstick as I love the pale pink colour and the matte finish, however today I applied it with some Vaseline to give my lips that extra shine. This may well be the first lipstick that I finish- what you see in the picture is literally how much is left, eek! This begs the question: do I repurchase or try something new? Recommendations please!

Olivia Ellen XXX

Face of the Day #7 // Forgotten Products

Do you ever find products in your collection that you haven't used in ages? That's what happened to me today as I decided to use some products that I hadn't used in a while- the verdict? I still love them. I put on my Bare Minerals foundation (I wear the shade N10 'Fairly Light') and buffed it into my skin with a bare Minerals Flawless Face brush. I also used the Bare Minerals Maximum Coverage Concealer brush with the foundation to conceal blemishes and under my eyes- it does wonders for the under eye area because it it so brightening. I also used the Bare Minerals Mineral Veil on my t-zone to keep my skin matte and also the shade 'Warmth' of the Bare Minerals Face Colour to lightly contour my face.

On my lips I used 'So Chaud' by MAC, a colour which I don't think I've worn since the summer but I'm just loving how it looks here teamed with winged eyeliner. I've been practising my feline flicks a lot lately and feel like I'm starting to master in and can often do it right first time now.

Olivia Ellen XXX

Face of the Day #6 // Easiest Smokey Eye

 

Today's face features a very simple smokey eye that I created using only two products and a couple of brushes. I drew on a cat eye with the Rimmel Scandaleyes eyeliner, used it to line my lower lashes and blended it out with my Elf Smudge brush. To intensify the look I lightly applied a black eyeshadow to the lid and used a fluffy brush to blend everything out. On my lips I lightly applied a Revlon Balm Stain and then used a Hawaiian Tropics Gloss to add extra shine.

Olivia Ellen XXX

Face of the Day #5 // New Years Eve

Today I'm kind of following on from the outfit I posted on Friday, and I'm showing you the make-up look that I wore to go with that. My new years eve was a long one- I left the house at half 4 and needed my make-up to last until about 1am so the products that I used and am showing you today are ones that are long lasting.

The Max Factor Miracle Touch foundation is my favourite going out foundation because it's got a semi-matte finish, full coverage but still leaves my skin with a natural glow. I don't know how I survived without my Evian Facial Spray- it seals in my make-up but also refreshes it which stops it looking cakey or heavy. Of course, waterproof mascara is a must and although Maybelline's 'The Falsies' isn't the most waterproof formula, it gives my lashes loads of length and volume. I'm also loving this eyeliner I got for Christmas. It's from Avon and is a shimmery grey colour. It goes on super smooth and is also extremely long wearing. Finally, who knew MUA cream blushes could be so good? This on in the shade 'Lush' gives a lovely flush of colour but does not feel sticky and it stayed put all night.

Olivia Ellen XXX

Face of the Day #4 // Christmas Day Shimmer

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to New Year. Today I'm sharing with you the make-up look that I wore on Christmas day and it's one that I just love, I felt so happy with how it turned out and it lasted all day- luckily, I managed to repurchase my Evian Facial Spray that I love so much for holding my make-up in place the previous day. I wanted an all round glowing look and I achieved this by doing a gold shimmery eye using my Sleek Storm Palette and my Topshop Eye Crayon in 'Golddigger'. To get a glow on my cheeks I used all the shades from my Sleek Face Form and on my lips I used my Revlon Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake.

Also as a side note, I'd just like to say how happy I am with the way my brows look at the moment. If anyone would be interested in seeing a post about my 'brow routine' I'd be happy to do it, so let me know.

Face of the Day #3 // Limited Edition Barry M Palette

Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream // Bourjois 123 Perfect Foundation // Maybelline Superstay Concealer // Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer // Rimmel Stay Matte Powder // Sleek Au Natural Palette // Maybelline Falsies Mascara // Sleek Face Form in Light

Went off to have a Christmas afternoon tea today dressed as an elf which is what I'm wearing in the photo. I thought that since my outfit was a little silly I would up the glamour with my make-up which is when I reached for the Barry M Glamour Puss Palette which is limited edition. I used three shades, a shimmery green on the lid, a dark shimmery grey through the crease and a cream highlight shade. These eyeshadows are quite pigmented and buttery and there wasn't too much fall out either which is always a worry I have with shimmery shades.

A couple of other items I wanted to point out- on my lips is 'Please Me' by MAC which is my favourite lipstick and is a creamy matte pink shade. Also I bought a beauty blender this week- I didn't want to spalsh out on a branded one in case I didn't like it so I picked this up on eBay for around £2.50 and I love it. It's so easy to create a flawless, high coverage look, and although it takes a little longer to blend than with a brush, you don't get left with any awful brush strokes. The pointed end is great for getting into every area of the face too.

Olivia Ellen XXX

Face of the Day #2 // Everyday Make-up + Bourjois 123 Perfect

Today's face is a very simple, very natural look; something which I wear on a regular basis. Plus I'm going to do a small review/share my first impressions of the Bourjois 123 Perfect foundation which I picked up recently.

I wear the shade number 52 'Vanilla' in this foundation which is a perfect match for my skintone and I apply it with a Real Techniques Buffing Brush. I really do like this foundation- it has a semi-matte finish which I really like, good medium coverage and I think that the three'colour-correcting pigments' do work to give me an even finish. It's quite a large bottle and I only need 2-3 pumps to do my whole face (of course the pump is another advantage, it makes it very easy and hygienic to apply).

I've kept the rest of the make-up very simple with defined brows, just a thin sweep of eyeliner on my lids and a slight tint to my lips with my Maybelline Baby Lips in 'Cherry Me'. This is just one variation on my everyday make-up, as I do change it up very regularly but what I love about it is that I can put it on in only about 10 minutes.

Olivia Ellen XXX