Thursday, January 31

Fantastically Wonderful Advertisers

As you may, or may not be aware as of the beginning of January I started offering advertising on Wonderful You. It wasn’t something I had really thought about to be honest until a few fellow bloggers contacted me asking when I was going to start!
This little blog, albeit small compared to some of the big bloggers out there is my little hub of happiness and it is such a wonderful feeling that other individuals in the beauty & fashion-sphere appreciate it and want to be a part of it too :D honestly it makes me so happy.
Image courtesy of weheartit.com
So without further ado, let me introduce to you the absolutely fantastic bloggers that have chosen to steal a spot on my sidebar..

This girl, is frickin’ fantastic and her blog follows suit. Not only does she bring fresh new content to her blog every week, she’s also a makeup artist and graphic designer to boot. From Kim Kardashian tutorials, to blog buttons this girl offers it all. You can expect to be captured for an evening (or three) by her informative how-to guides on the best smoky-eye, how to achieve a messy bun or how to combat spots. Not only is her blog one of go-to beauty favourite’s she is also the loveliest lady and someone I would now consider a friend. It’s amazing how this blogging world brings people together, and I promise if you hop on over with your evening cuppa, you won’t be disappointed. She’s a star in the making.

Charlotte has the most heart-warming blog. That may sound odd but whenever I’m over there I just feel all lovely reading her posts - right at home. It’s predominately based around her latest fashion picks, expect absolutely gorgeous vintage finds (this girl has an eye), and her favourite way to style them – but you can also stumble across the odd beauty haul, discovering her love for new products and her latest lifestyle spills :). Not only does her blog fill me with happiness, she’s one of my favourite people to have a good twitter-thon with. If you don’t know this girl – you should.


Okay – I have a serious envy of this girls make-up collection. She’s constantly reviewing the most amazing blushers, foundations and lipsticks – so if you want to know about a beauty product in detail, this is the place to be. Not only is she representing the best of the beauty bloggers, she’s also started her own youtube channelfeaturing new buys and reviews, you must go and take a peek. Not only am I the green eyed monster when it comes to her beauty knowledge, her OOTD’s that pop up here and there are just TOO cute, and she is a beauty to be hold. Most amazing skin ever? Check. What are you waiting for?

I hope you've enjoyed getting to know these ladies a bit better. I just want to say a massive thank you to them all for having their lovely buttons on my blog, it's been such a pleasure having them here :D 

If you're interested in advertising with Wonderful You, you can find more details here or get in contact via email: wonderful.you@hotmail.co.uk 
Spots are currently £5 for the month! 

Tuesday, January 29

50 Random Facts About Me TAG! | Video

I’ve loved catching up on YouTube videos since I’ve been home, and my absolute favourite had to be the ’50 Random Facts About Me TAG’ that’s been floating around. As always, Esteé from EssieButton had me in stitches watching hers and I just couldn’t not give it a whirl.

I tend to be a bit more reserved regarding bits and bobs about me personally, but I thought it might be quite nice to share some of my oddities with you lovely lot. I know I love these sort of things, just because you feel like you get to know the person behind the beauty talk & posey fashion shots a little bit more :). I feel like I’ve made some really lovely friends through this whole blogging world, and I would love some of you to take part so I can get to know you all better too! I've tagged two fellow bloggers I know have YouTube channels :) Zoe of Zoenewlove and Charlotte from Lilmisschickas


It was quite tricky thinking of 50 facts though, I think I went a bit too far with the whole boxer shorts thing….no? ;) 

Sunday, January 27

Comfort is Key | Outfit Post

If you’ve been reading this little slice of online fashion junk for a while, you may have picked up on the fact that I don’t do tighty mc tighterson dresses very often. I’m just not really all that comfortable in them and spend the majority of my time pulling them down until they’re stretched out of shape! I am far happier to prance around in a loosely fitted number that doesn’t ‘hug’ me too tightly. I think classy casual has pretty much been my dress sense since I left my teens.
Lashes of London is one of my favourite stores and this dress felt like it was made for me. It’s neutral in colour (I don’t really do bold) so is perfect in my eyes. for any time of year. It has sequins, which helps to dress up any outfit and it’s wearable. By that I mean I could throw this on for near enough any occasion – a wedding, a night out, shopping. And that’s why I love it, because it’s totally versatile.
As always, I opted for the more casual approach. Teamed with this rather spiffing Zara hat (£12 in the sale, HOLLA), and my new Urban Outffiters boots it was perfect attire  yesterday for a spot of lunch with Daniel and his Nan :)

P.S it’s totally in the sale for £24, grab it whilst it’s hotttt & I'm pretty sure you can get 25% off items with the code: LASHES25 (you're welcome ;))

Saturday, January 26

My Australia Haul | Zara, Topshop, The Body Shop & more!


I thought you lovely lot might want to see the bits I picked up :) the majority of it is clothes, but there are a few beauty products thrown in there too. Whilst I was in Australia I thought it was appropriate to spend all my spending money on clothes. Apparently, when you're abroad it doesn't matter how much you spend. (Please Note: I am now on a spending ban for the rest of life).
I really enjoyed filming again - it felt like forever! As always - if you have any particular requests for video's please do let me know :)

I'm currently still in bed - and not really sure I'm going to do much else than that today. I'm being a proper lazy bum. Fantastic Mr. Fox and a cup of tea, thank you very much.

Friday, January 25

When in Australia, Shop | Outfit Post

When I was in Australia I discovered a little shop called General Pants – to be honest when I walked past it that’s exactly what I did, walk past. I mean, the name doesn’t exactly entice you does it? But On the way back home I had a peek through the door and saw this dress. Waaaaaaaaaaaa! I just fell in love. 

Dress: General Pants Australia. Belt: H&M. Boots: Urban Outfitters. Glasses: Primark. Bracelet: Jacey Withers. Rings: Australia & Alex Monroe
1 it is floaty and swishy (already bagged and tagged)
2 it has cheetah’s all over it – could it be any better?
3 YES, yes it could – it’s all silky and lovely.

It was pricey at around $70 but I don’t mind paying around £40-£50 for a good quality dress that I absolutely LOVE. And anyway, I was on holiday so money isn’t real then is it? Heheheh. If you want to buy it, they do actually ship to the UK for $25 which is about £10 (ish) and you can grab it here

I shopped rather a lot in Australia, and have just filmed a haul of everything I bought for my YouTube channel – unfortunately, these were the only ‘outfit’ snaps I managed to do whilst I was away, but no doubt I will take a few now I’m home!!

This weekend I will spend with Daniel, mainly relaxing and seeing family. I've not quite caught up with my sleep yet and am still a rather tired bear! Hope you all have a good one, whatever you do :)

Thursday, January 24

My Dark Under Eye Circles Miracle | Bobbi Brown

  I don’t know how many times I’ve whimpered to my friends and family about the dark circles under my eyes. I’ve had them since I was a baby and it’s taken me a long time to come to terms with the fact that it’s just a genetic thing and they’re not going anywhere without some kind of cosmetic procedure which I’m far too petrified to even investigate. (Before you say it – yes I get plenty of sleep, usually over 8 hours a night and drink over 2 litres of water a day).
  All the girls on my mum’s side of the family have them and since I can remember we’ve all been searching for the ‘bestest’ way to conceal them. For a long time I’ve used YSL’s touché éclat highlighter (which is amazing) – but I have discovered a combination that literally blows that baby out of the park…
Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream & Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Bisque
  Let me introduce to you the Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream and Corrector. Firstly, how frickin' gorgeous is the packaging?!
  You’ve probably seen the Corrector floating around the blogosphere for ages now – it is used for the under eye area and it’s salmony pink tones are perfect for evening out the black and blue shadows that haunt my eyes. If your circles aren’t too bad, I suppose you could use it instead of your concealer however for me, I use it as a base and put my concealer over the top. I’ve heard mixed reviews about it being cakey – nonetheless I was so super excited when I got to the Bobbi Brown counter in Selfridge’s and the assistant was applying it but when I looked in the mirror it literally looked like I’d wiped creamy cake under my eyes, I almost walked off pretty disgusted as I’d heard such great things, but I thought I’d let the assistant offer an explanation. She advised that my under eye area was so de-hydrated that there wasn’t a smooth service for the corrector to sit on, hence the cakey look. I was pretty bummed.
  Then she went and made my LIFE and whipped out their hydrating under eye cream to see if that made any difference to the finish. She removed all my makeup and applied the cream directly under the eye. I almost slapped her hand away when she started – as you’ll probably know it’s a big no-no in the beauty world to apply eye cream directly under the eyes. I was quickly corrected and advised that this particular cream was specifically made for application under the eye to hydrate and revitalise. After application (used with a cotton bud, as not to spread germs within the cream) she left it for a few moments to sink in before applying the corrector over the top.
  OH EM GEE - literally I nearly cried. I’ve never seen my eyes look like that before, and perhaps it’s more of a personal thing more than something you can see in real life, I don’t know. But what I do know is that I felt amazing for the first time ever. That probably sounds so dramatic, but when you suffer with circles like I do you’ll know where I’m coming from. 

  So this little combination is now a staple in my daily makeup routine - thank you Bobbi Brown!! I apply the cream, followed by the corrector and then follow on with my foundation etc. etc. (Note: I'm not wearing foundation in the above photograph, just the Bobbi Brown products and my concealer). Thought you might like to see how it shows up on natural skin :)
  I’d be really keen to hear if anyone else has tried these two together, and what they thought. It’s quite a pricey daily luxury, but I’m so glad that I’ve found it. If you want to pick some up, you can do so here and here.

Wednesday, January 23

Rimmel Wake Me Up Instant Radiance Shimmer Touch

Oooh I just couldn't wait to share this little beauty with you! I've always been a powder blush kinda gal - and I haven't really experimented too much with highlighters. If you're like me, or if you simply can't be bothered with applying both - this product is 100% for you. The Rimmel Wake Me Up Radiance Shimmer Touch (mouthful!!) in Radiant Rose. It's pretty much a mix of cream blush and highlighter rolled into one and is so quick and easy.
It's in a dinky little squeezy bottle, which means it's perfect for using on the go or when you're travelling (hello Australia makeup bag). 
c/o Semichem
It gives a really subtle warm glow and I'm pretty damn impressed. The colour is quite rich but not at all harsh. I tried taking a few photo's with it on, but I wear it so lightly that the camera couldn't really pick it up. Keep an eye out for my Australia post and you'll be able to see me sporting it in a few of the pictures! 

What do you think? Have you tried this out yet? For £4.99 you can't really go wrong eh? :)

Tuesday, January 22

My Happy New Year | What does 2013 mean to you?

  Firstly, I'M HOME!!!! Hope you haven't missed me too much ;) and a huuuuuge thank you to all the gorgeous bloggers who guest posted for me whilst I was away. Hope you all enjoyed reading them as much as I did. I have SO much I want to write about over the next few weeks, and don't fret - I will be providing you with a post dedicated to my trip to Australia! :D
  Anyway - I’m aware that I’m perhaps a teensy bit late for the ‘New Year’ blog post. But I’m writing it anyway ;) c’mon I have been away in Australia for the month, so this essentially is my New Year.
  So everyone, every year starts their January with New Year’s resolutions. You know the ones…lose the stone put on over Christmas, eat healthy, go to the gym etc. etc. And that’s all well and good – I mean don’t stop, especially if you actually stick to them for the whole year. However, I think the only person I’ve ever met that has stuck to and achieved their New Years resolutions is my boyfriend. I’d be very keen to hear of anyone else that has! I guess I'm just not very good at sticking to things when my hearts not in it. But don't get me wrong, I totally commend the people who can and do - do it.
  This year, I’m going to change my tune a little and take a leaf out of his book. I’m not going to set resolutions that I clearly won’t keep or that to be honest I really don’t want to. Yes I have personal objectives that I would like to accomplish this year, like buying my first home amongst a few others. But they aren't New Year’s resolutions, they are simply life.

  2013 for me will purely be about being more positive. 
  Being in Australia (albeit for only 3 weeks) has genuinely made me feel a bit gutted about my country and our culture. Don’t get me wrong, I love my home and all the beautiful places that are under our little European roof – but honestly, we are the most grumpy, negative bunch of people pretty much ever. 
  Perhaps the sunshine over the other side of the world makes everyone a little bit merrier but really, it’s so shockingly different. I am determined going forward that every morning I will wake up and remind myself that life is not so bad. Yes we have deadlines, yes we are stressed, yes money may be tight, yes we’ve had an argument with our partner over who left the fridge door open but life is GOOD! 
  If you’ve met me you’d know that sometimes (more often than not) I can be a bit of a negative ninny. And I’m fully aware that sometimes I am not going to be able to be a positive penny, but I am definitely 100% going to make myself look for the positives before I go to whinge and whine.
  The past month of my life has been pretty much the happiest I’ve been in a long while. I was surrounded by positivity and happiness and it’s just infectious. If everyone here was just a tad jollier I can pretty much guarantee we’d all be smiling a hell of a lot more. 
all images courtesy of weheartit.com

  So if like me you’re a bit ‘done’ with setting yourself unrealistic and unachievable goals, I’d love it if you joined in and jumped on the happiness bandwagon! (Enough cheese, or?) 
  This year will be the best yet – I know it.


  What about you lovely lot? What does 2013 mean to you? :)

Friday, January 18

NOTD | It's Simply Beauty Guest Post


I love nail polish! It's one of my favourite things in my beauty collection (apart from lipsticks) I'm always looking to find the next best shade of pink or reds, and i'm always looking for a great consistancy and a fab brush applicator!

So for my quest post I am going to be talking to you all about Nails Inc Motcomb Street.
This little beauty I picked up as a freebie in a magazine just over a month ago and it sure has become my newest favourite nail polish. Now there was 4 colours to choose from and you may be wondering why I chose the dark colour - why not go for gold glitter? Well For a while now I have been hunting high and low for that perfect black/blue tone polish that shows both in different lighting and no matter what I could never find it. So I picked Motcomb Street up on a whim thinking this wont be my dream shade of black/blue but oh well its £2 for a magazine and polish when the nail polish alone costs £11 so I thought why the hell not.
I got home painted my nails and I squeaked like a little girl. I found that perfect shade.

Its the perfect contrast colour that in different lights you seen black and blue. Even people have come up to me and asked is that blue or is that black?
Why I never tried Nails Inc before just rattles my mind.
The wond is amazing. it's small but allows enough polish on the nails to coat it evenly. Don't you hate that when polish just goes on the nail all gloopy/runny and gets everywhere!?
They staying power is just incrediable too. It lasts on my nails up for 3 days with out chipping! Now that is amazing..
Everything about this nail polish is perfect. Its a to dye for colour which every girl/woman should have in their nail collection.
Since I have got this as a freebie I have used half the bottle already so this is a definitely a one to go on the beauty list when it runs out!

Have you ever tried Nails Inc Motcombe Street?

instagram @itssimplybeauty

Tuesday, January 15

Home Baking: Pumpkin Bread Recipe | Beauty & Truth Guest Post

I'm Aubry, blogger of beauty & truth and lover of all baked goods--especially when I can make them myself. 

There's nothing better than the smell of deliciousness coming from the kitchen and knowing that it all came from scratch. 

When I have a bit of extra time, I love to whip up my favorite pumpkin bread recipe.  It is the perfect combination of savory and sweet, and it never fails to leave my apartment smelling festively spiced.  This go-around, I topped each loaf with a simple oat streusel topping and served it with honey & spiced butter.

It is definitely a crowd pleaser, and everyone will be asking for another slice.  


Oat Streusel Topping
makes enough to top 2 loaves

2 packets of plain, instant oatmeal
1 tbs. ground cinnamon
1 tbs. brown sugar
1/4 a stick of butter, cubed in small pieces

Combine ingredients in a medium bowl, making sure all the oats get their fair share of sugar and spice. The butter will remain in cubes (and that is perfectly ok).  During the baking process, it will help to create the golden brown oats.

Divide the streusel evenly between two unbaked loaves.  Pour mixture on top of each before baking.

Bake pumpkin bread according to recipe instructions.


Honey & Spiced Butter

1 stick of salted butter, at room temperature

2 tbs. honey
2 tbs. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. all spice

When butter becomes softened at room temperature, combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl.

Lightly mix the butter, making sure all the ingredients come together to form a smooth mixture.

Once incorporated, transfer butter to a serving dish and place in the refrigerator to let it set and harden.  This will take about 5-10 minutes.

Remove from refrigerator and serve along side warm pumpkin bread.


For more tasty treats, 
make a stop over at beauty & truth

Happy baking!

Sunday, January 13

Top Wintery Foundations | Makeup-Pixi3 Guest Post

Hello everyone!  Meg has very kindly let me take over her cute little corner of the web for today and do a little guest post for you :)  Just a little bit about me, my name is Georgina, I've been blogging for about a year now over at Makeup-Pixi3 and I've been doing YouTube video's for just over a year (you can find links to those at the bottom of this post).  I've always been beauty focused but I like throwing in the odd lifestyle post in the mix too :)  I love cats, polka dots and coffee, I dislike spiders, rude people and the rain.  Well, that's enough about me, lets get on with the show!


L-R YSL Touche Eclat Teint (shade BR30), Revlon Colourstay (shade 110 Ivory) and Dr Jart+ Regenerating BB Cream.



YSL Touche Eclat Teint Foundation
This is probably my favourite foundation right now, I've been using it for about... 3 months and it's my go-to foundation, I pretty much use it every day.  The reason why I feel this one is perfect for the wintery season, is because it feels quite hydrating on the skin, not drying at all (unlike my experience of Double Wear!).  It lasts really well, especially if you use a setting powder over the top of it and keeps your skin looking radiant even during these months where skin tends to look tired and a bit battered by the wind.
Essentials: Light coverage, £27 a bottle, only need 1 pump to do your makeup.  *****

Revlon Colourstay Foundation
I haven't had this one that long, perhaps... a month at most.  But, I've really grown to like it.  It'll give you medium coverage, which is buildable to heavy if you so wish.  It will hide a multitude of sins that lurk too and comes in at less than half the price of the YSL foundation.  It'll last you well throughout the day and shouldn't need any touching up.  I'd held back from buying this as I think it's quite expensive for a high street/drugstore foundation, it's around £12, but I got it on a 3 for 2 offer so it really wasn't that bad, and I'm really glad I did purchase it.  It's a great product and perfect for the winter, especially for every day wear.
Essentials: Medium (buildable to heavy) coverage, £12, no pump action ****

Dr Jart+ Regenerating BB Cream
If you read my blog at all, you'll have probably seen me rave about this quite a bit, and it appear in some favourites videos.  Lots of people tend to favour BB creams for summer months due to their SPF addition, but you can get as much harm from the sun in the winter, even though you won't necessary get a tan etc, the harmful rays are still there, so it's still important to protect your skin.  For me, this is also great for the winter as it's super hydrating, offers really good coverage, I'd go so far as to say, medium coverage.
Essentials: Medium coverage, £21, great SPF coverage ****

Well they're my picks, I hope you enjoyed my little post :)  If you'd like to check out my blog and YouTube etc, you can find me here:
YouTube: Makeup-Pixi3
Twitter: @twinklinpixi3

Thanks again to Meg for having me over too :)

Georgina / Pixi3

Friday, January 11

Blogging Essentials: 3 Things To Make Your Blog More User-Friendly & Accessible | Guest Post Miss Drifted Snow White

The first few #bblogger chat topics on Twitter were always along similar lines – how to improve your blog to get more readers, etc. As a former web designer, developer and consultant, I thought I put a little guide together of what I think bloggers should do to make their website better accessible and more user-friendly.
image source: weheartit.com
1. Mobile Template – faster loading times, less data.
Whether you're on Blogger or Wordpress, you can see from your stats that a large proportion of visitors views your blog on their mobile devices, so on 3G. Which means blogs take ages to load. If you then don't enable mobile templates so that instead of loading a 'lite' version the entire blog is being loaded, it eats your reader's data as well as their time. Which is counterproductive, since people who access websites on their mobile devices are CLEARLY on the go. Yes, there is of course the issue of look & feel of the blog in mobile view, BUT firstly, if you enable mobile view and your readers don't like it, they can always manually themselves change it to the full view, and secondly, people who access your blog on the go surely don't wanna see the advertisement – they come for the content, your articles, and they are displayed perfectly fine.

2. Resizing Images – faster loading times, more storage.
We all know that good photography has a great impact – readers want to see fresh and pretty pictures. But what most people forget is that their cameras take pictures that are individually 3MB big (sometimes more, sometimes less). They edit the pictures and upload them straight away. So each visitor has to download those 3MB per picture. Imagine you include 5 images, that's 15MB to download which even on broadband takes time, and on mobile devices even more! So make sure to resize your images – I resize my images to about 700px wide. That's more than enough! Unless you want someone else to be able to PRINT your images onto an A4 format, you don't need to upload it bigger than your text-area is. Plus, this saves you A LOT of storage on Blogger. 1 picture of 3MB or 15 pictures of 200KB. Makes a difference, doesn't it? Loads a lot faster too if your 5 images are suddenly only 200KB rather than 3MB. I use Photoscape (which is free) that allows batch-resizing.

3. Font Style & Contrast – easier readable
There are a lot of blogs that require me to squint my eyes or zoom into their text to be able to read what they've written. Make your font size a good size, the font itself not too fancy (ask yourself whether you'd enjoy reading a book in the font that you want to choose) and most importantly in the right colour. If you have a light background, you want a dark font colour, if you have a dark background you want a light colour. There's a great tool online where you can enter the colours you want to pick and see whether they will work or not.

I hope you found this guide helpful. There are a few more blog posts on my blog about how to improve your blog photography, etc.

Maria Herchenbach // Miss drifted Snow White

Wednesday, January 9

Bourjois Queen Attitude Volume Mascara | Eat Play Shop Love Guest Post

As a self-confessed mascara junkie I'm always on the lookout for a new product to give my lashes that flirty Lash Fluttering look. I find that with mascara's there are some real gems on the high street so when I heard Bourjois had released a new mascara I was very excited to try. 

I've dabbled with Bourjois mascaras before with the Volumizer and had great results but found that the volume was just a bit too dramatic for daytime, I purchased the Bourjois Queen Attitude Volume Mascara in the hope that results would be a bit more subtle. 

The first thing that impressed me was the brush, the bristles are quite small but that really helps grab and define each lash. The instructions on the packaging state ‘Volume and length in a sideways sweep’ and that really is the best way to use it, however, if like me you are going for subtle volume I would apply it very light handed and build it up as you need to as the colour is a very intense black and you want to avoid getting those horrible spider lashes.


The formula is, suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers but to be honest as a contact lens wearer I have never really had a problem with any mascara. It's also very easy to remove and I don't wake up with the dreaded panda eyes in the morning. 
Bourjois Queen Attitude Mascara is available from Boots and Superdrug and it retails at £9.48 which definitely doesn't break the bank. If you’re looking for luscious lashes at a high street price then this is the one for you.

 If you read my blog regularly you will know that have recently been having a love affair with the Max Factor Eye Brightening mascara, Bourjois Queen Attitude may be a contender to knock it off the top spot!
What do you think? Have you tried any Bourjois mascaras?

Monday, January 7

FOTD: The Classic Smokey Eye. A Step by Step Tutorial! | Zoe Newlove Guest Post

Hello Guys! Before I begin this tutorial I would just like to say a massive thank you to Megan for inviting me to do this guest post.

THAAAAAAAAAAANKYOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU MEGAN!! So thrilled to be here :)

Being a make-up artist, I regularly get asked the question: “How do you do a smokey eye?”

There are numerous ways to create this look, and I have found that some girls panic as to whether they are doing it the “right” way. I am here to tell you there is no “right” way. No rules. No make-up bible that you have to swear by. Make-up is about having fun and experimenting. There are only guidelines, and then the rest is down to you. On that note, I thought I would take this opportunity to talk you through this timeless look, by showing you a step by step tutorial. Simple guidelines – no rules allowed ;)
Caption (Shu Uemura Shader, M.A.C 217 Blending, Nars Smudge Brush, Illamasqua Eyeliner)

OK, you will need a few things for this.

First up, brushes! Good brushes definitely help, they will become your new best friends. In this tutorial you will need a brush to apply the shadow, one for blending, an eyeliner brush and a “smudge” brush for more accurate application. If you cannot get your hands on all of these, do not worry – most eyeshadow brushes are really versatile so just find what works best for you. I even used my finger tips for part of this tutorial!
Onto make-up. Think of a smokey eye as three colours. Dark, medium light. There are many palettes now on the highstreet or in beauty halls to choose from that have ready made “smokey eye” palettes containing these three shades. If you have one of these feel free to use it. In this tutorial, I am using a selection that I just love to work with. I decided to grab from my kit:

Jemma Kidd Make-up School – Essential Smokey eye kit - “Light”
Maybelline Colour 24hr Tattoo in Immortal Charcoal – “Medium”
Urban Decay Alice and Wonderland Ltd Palette - Jabberwocky – “Dark”

I could have just gone ahead and use the Smokey Eye Kit, but instead decided just to use the lighter shades in the palette for this guide. You can use whatever you like, just remember the guidelines for a Classic Smokey Eye are greys and blacks, and select three colours in a range of dark to light. You also need mascara, a selection of dark eyeliners and you may like me choose to use an eye primer.

I used:

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Original
Laura Mercier Onyx Brilliant Gel Liner
Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner
A Clinique Mascara
Step One:

Apologies for the naked face, but you need a blank canvas. Yes, that is right we are doing the eyes first. Why? If you make a mistake, or eye shadow powder falls onto your base it will look messy and be difficult to fix, so start your eyes first and then do your base. Apply eye primer and here I also like to fill in my brows.
Next, take your black liner (pencil or gel – personal preference) and then line the inside of your eyes, both the top and bottom water line. This will really make your eyes pop.

Step Two

Apply your medium shade to your lid. I used the Maybelline Colour Tattoo here, applying it all over the lid with the flat shader brush. Build up the colour to create depth. Take your blending brush, and going backwards and forwards along the crease really buff the colour into your socket line. If you are using this cream eyeshadow, I suggest you work with the product quickly as I find it sets really fast. Keep blending and blending along the crease, into your socket and slightly below your brow bone.
Do this until you are happy and there is no “line”. A soft finish is much better than having a harsh line.
Take this colour under your water line, use a cotton bud to neaten up any edges when you do this, as you may find the line you create is too thick.
Step Three

Time for some definition. Take your dark shade, preferably a black, or like mine one with a little bit of glitter in. Apply with a smaller brush, as suggested a “smudge” brush and tap off excess powder or apply to your hand first. This is important as you do not want to make a black mess.
Use the dark shade to create this V shape. On the top of your lid start from the outer corner of the crease and sweep towards the centre then stop. Then, still on top of your lid go from the outer corner of the lash line and line the top of your lashes, stopping just before the centre. Blend the dark and the medium together here slightly. You will also need to line underneath the lower lash line with this dark shade – use the picture above as your guide.

Hopefully, you can now see your Classic Smokey Eye coming together.
Use the above picture here for a guideline, this is how your eyes should be looking. We all have
different shaped eyes so do not panic if the shape is not the same, but you get the idea.
Nearly there ;)

Step Four

Highlighting is next. Take your light shade and using a finger or a clean brush dab the lighter shade into the inner corner of your eye and sweep along the brow bone. I like to blend the edges together too.
Ok, we are at the final stage now guys! Using the same liner as before, or like me, choose a slightly different shade – I chose one with more shimmer – line the top lash line. Give yourself a flick or just keep it simple, all we are doing is adding that tiny bit more definition. Give your lashes a good curl and wack on lots of your favourite black mascara.
Are you happy? If so clean up any mess with a cotton bud and then apply the rest of your base, contour and lip as normal.

That is it! Follow these guidelines, practice and do not be afraid to blend!

I truly hoped this post has helped you guys. If you have any questions, or would like to see more posts like this then please get in touch.

Zoe xx
http://www.zoenewlove.com/