How to: Illamasqua Vamp Red Lips!

Hi everyone!

Hope you are all enjoying your bank holiday weekend in the UK, and having a great Monday elsewhere. I thought I'd share with you a make-up look today, and how to achieve it.

Illamasqua Vamp Red Lips

I have always steered away from red lips as I felt that with my lip shape I'd end up looking like a bit of a duck and too "in yo face" for my liking! I also thought that because I'm on the pale side that I could look a bit "Adam's Family", but I had recently discovered a red lipstick by Illamasqua that I had dared to wear, and kinda loved it! So at a recent photoshoot where I was doing the make-up, the photographer took a few snaps for me at the end, so I thought I'd try out the red.

The red is coming up brighter in the picture due to the lighting etc, but in reality its a bit of a darker deeper red. To achieve this look I used the following products:

                                                                  Illamaqua goodies: Skin Base Foundation, Eyebrow Brush, Lip Liner-torment, Lipstick-encounter, Eyebrow Cake-thunder, Loose Powder LP135

                               Bobbi Brown Hydrating Gel Cream, MAC 107 brush, MAC creamblush Something Special, Guerlain Terracotta-00 Bronzing Powder.

MAC Prep&Prime in Medium, Eylure lashes 100, Bobbi Brown Longwear eyeliner Black Ink, No7 Double Ended Eye Pencil in Dark Brown/Ivory, Bourjois Volumizer Mascara.

I first primed my skin with Bobbi Brown's Hydrating Gel Cream (this is a 2 in 1 product, moisturizes and primes), concealed the under eye area with Bobbi Brown corrector and concealer (sorry I forgot to photograph these, but you can contact me for any details!), and then applied Illamasqua's Skin Base Foundation in colour 11 with my MAC 107 brush, in circular strokes. I find that using this brush works so much better on my skin to apply foundation rather than using conventional foundation brushes. I then lightly dusted Illamasqua's Loose Powder in LP135 over my face to set the base.

I then applied MAC prep&prime in medium over the lid of the eyes- I usually use this as a base for eyeshadow but for this look I actually left the eyes naked without any eyeshadow ontop. You can apply a natural colour ontop if you wish, like a beige or sand. As long as you keep your eyes neutral so that your lips stand out, it will work. If you don't want the focus to be completely on the lips then I think a red lip could also work with light gold eyes for a more daring look. Anyway, back to this look! I then applied Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink to the top of the lids, creating a slight flick on the ends. Taking the No7 Double Ended Eye Pencil in Dark Brown/Ivory, I applied the ivory to the inner lower lids to brighten the eye, and the dark brown to the outer lower lids and lash line. I then coated the lashes with Bourjois Volumizer Mascara, and applied Eylure lashes 100. See below for more product details.

Using Illamasqua's Eyebrow Cake in Thunder, I shaped the eyebrows to creat a fuller brow using the Illamasqua eyebrow brush. I really like this brush as it's hard and keeps its shape without bending or becoming fluffy.

I then lined my lips with Illamasqua Lip Liner in torment - this can be a little tricky with bright colours, just make sure you follow the outer line of your lips, and fill in your top lip with the lip pencil before applying the lipstick. This creates a deeper colour, and unsures your lipstick stays on for longer. It was finally time for the lipstick! I applied a generous amount of Illamasqua's Encounter lipstick, it's actually quite a matt colour so you might want to apply some clear gloss ontop for some shine (I used a l'oreal one).

Your look is now almost complete! I added Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing powder in 00 for contouring on the cheek bones, nose, and temples. Most people do this step earlier, but I prefer to see the almost finished look first so that I don't over do it. I then very lightly applied MAC Creamblush in Something Special to the apples of my cheeks.

Tada! You are now ready to rock the red!!

What are your tips for a perfect red lip? What other looks would you like to see? Do leave your comments below!

Love

Miss Christina C ~

Youtube vlog, hauls, make-up tutorials, and a blog Giveaway coming soon!

Hey all!

I will be starting a youtube channel very shortly. It will involve makeup tutorials, hauls, and much more - tell me what would you like to see? Leave a comment below with any suggestions!

As this is a new blog, I thought I'd celebrate with a giveaway -more info coming soon. You must be a subscriber to my blog to be in with a chance to win, so make sure you are following!

Examples below of makeup I have done either on myself or for photoshoots:

 A shoot I did with singer Kelly Pepper- Green&Aqua colour block (above) and Bronzed natural (right)

Silver shine natural (above left) and leopard pink lips (above right)

Me! :) sporting a 'natural glam' clubbing look.

Let me know what kind of tutorials you would like to see on youtube?

Much love

Miss Christina C ~

End of Summer Sales - be smart with your cash!

Hey guys!

Just my second blog post, but thought I would do an end of summer sales tips to become a money saving savvy diva! There have been some amazing bargains going at high street stores last couple of weeks and if you're anything like me, these sales could turn any shopaholic's brain into absolute overdrive, and make you want to get your hands on eeeeeverything!

The following is obviously just my opinion, but my tip for summer sales is this - a store will have their sale usually at the end of a season, why? Because they want to get rid of that season's stock to make way for the new trends for the new season coming. This means that prices can drop dramatically, but this is where you need to be smart. These are my tips for a happy bank balance, and when sale shopping this week these are the 'rules' I tried to stick to:

• Try and buy clothes that will work for you into the next season - I sought out some quarter length tops that I knew could be layered for autumn, and summer jumper styles that could still be worn into winter. Unless you are buying a going out outfit, this years summer trends usually won't be next years, and you will have wasted your money buying something really summery and on trend for this year that you won't want to wear  the next, resulting in the item just sitting in your wardrobe (or ending up on ebay! Oh the times I have done this...)
• There are of course a few exceptions to this, but you need to pick wisely. Sometimes it can be difficult judging whether a style or item of clothing will still be 'in' the following year, or if you will still be as enthusiastic about it by the time summer comes around again. But there are some trends that stick around for a while, for example the maxi dress has been a staple for a couple of years now, and in my opinion I think they will be for a while so this is a good choice.
• Do check out the jackets and coat sections of any summer sale, even though it can be hard sifting through the summery jackets you can sometimes find a winter gem! There are especially some good deals online at the moment, check out asos as an example, and you can grab a really good bargain on a coat that you would otherwise have paid triple for if you had waited until autumn or winter. P.s its worth checking the outlet sales on asos as they add new stock daily and you can have some amazing deals for designer wear.
• Check high street and designer store websites for their next season previews, as this will be a good indication as to which colours will be floating about in the new season, and whether you can get your hands on anything in the sales that would suit the new trends, or compliment them (even if it's just accessories)
• Try and opt for classic pieces that will stand the test of time if the sale isn't too cheap. We generally like the quirkier looks when they are 'of the moment', but they fade much faster (remember those Spice Girls platform trainer shoe's you once adored? Yeah them...)
• And lastly, if you LOVE it, then you just got to have it!! You above anyone know what you love, what you like, and what you don't within your own individual style.

Some of my summer sale purchases below if anyone is interested in having a peak, let me know what you think?

 Miss Selfridge - Cream Stitch Tape Top £17 (was £35)

Miss Selfridge - Cream Gypsy Blouse £7 (was £35)

 Miss Selfridge - Cream Chiffon Sleeve Dress - £10 (was £49)


Love these Miss Selfridge pieces, they are versatile and can be layered, and the dress is the type of style that can be worn any season and it's just up my street with the draping sleeve and flattering for a curvy figure such as mine - yay! Don't forget to use your student discount for 10% off ontop of the sale items!

Jon Richard - Boutique charm bracelet £6 (was £20) bought from Debenhams online

 Henley - cream floral canvas weekend bag £27.50 (was £55) bought from Debenhams online

 John Richard - Crystal Drop Earrings £7.50 (was £25) bought from Debenhams online

Red Herring - Grey Cameo Ring £6.40 (was £8) bought from Debenhams online

Picked up these bits from Debenhams online, had my eye on the Henley weekend bag for a while but it was always too expensive so I was quite happy to see this in the sale. Loving the jewelery bits, think the John Richard pieces are a great bargain and so beautiful. I also love Victoria looking rings, so just had to pick the Red Herring ring up.

 Forever21 - Chunky Turtleneck Sweater in Jade £7.99 (was £14.75)

Forever 21 - wide patterned bangle £5.65 no sale

Chinese Landry - Nevada panelled over the knee boot £60 (was £95) ASOS online

Loving the Forever21 sweater, this colour will work well into Autumn and I do love my turtle necks as the weather gets colder. The bangle wasn't in the sale but I kinda just had to have it. Now the boots. Love love love. I have been looking for flat stylish boots like this for the whoooole of last winter and just couldn't find a pair that I liked enough, these haven't arrived yet so I am hoping that all will be well when they do!

River Island - Mid Wash Super Skinny jeans £24.99 (was £39.99)

River Island - Chain Sandals £10 (was £29.99)

I love River Island for jeans, for someone with a small waist and big thighs and bum it can be very difficult when it comes to jeans to find a pair that actually fit. I find that River Island jeans somehow seem to fit much better than other makes without giving me a baggy waist line or so tight that I can't get them past my knees. The sandals I just had to grab as I find ones with no "toe" so much more comfortable, and seem to have a thing for RI shoes as it is, so this was a bargain I couldn't miss. They also are quite classical, could be worn with anything, and I know I will still like them next year - horray!

Let me know what tips and tricks you guys use for summer sale savings?

love

Miss Christina C ~

August Essentials!

Welcome to my first BlueButterflyGlamour post!

Today I will be talking about all my favourite products and accessories for the month of August - when we know that life can get a bit sticky depending on where you are in the world, yet the idea of summer ending isn't a great one for me. I'm a summer baby and this is my favourite time of the year! Here is my list of goodies:

Origins 'Never a Dull Moment' exfoliator £23, Estee Lauder 'Idealist' £38, Vaseline Cocoa Butter 99p

I will start with my favourite pre make-up summer products that I use for skin care and as primers. By far the best exfoliator I have come across is Origins 'Never a Dull Moment'. It smells of peaches and not only exfoliates your skin gently while moisturising, but it also doubles up as a face mask. I use this once a week to exfoliate and once as a face mask to hydrate my skin - I find my combination oily/dry skin is left so radiant after this and feels so smooth. Before applying any make-up, one of the products I couldn't live without is Estee Lauder's 'Idealist-pore minimizing skin refinisher'. For someone who has quite a few open pours on my nose, and an oily t-zone, I find this serum really smooths out the skin, and when applied all over gives a silky non-greasy base ready to apply foundation onto, getting rid of any flakiness. Sometimes I will use a moisturizer after, but especially during the summer if I am just applying a light foundation or powder, you can get away with just using the serum which is brilliant. I also sometimes use it at night before bed time, which means I wake up to really smooth to the touch skin! Lastly Vaseline's 'Coco Butter' lip therapy is my favourite as a primer for the lips before adding any gloss, or just by itself for a kissable pout. It's pretty much colourless like the original Vaseline, but I find it more moisturizing for the lips. Tip: apply a generous amount to the lips and leave to sink in while you do the rest of your make-up. Remove any access when you're done, and your lips are ready for some light summery gloss.

                             Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation £25 and Loose Powder £19.50

I have only very recently discovered Illamasqua, and on a recent shopping trip made sure I went to Selfridges to get my hands on some products. I am totally in love with the new 'Skin Base Foundation' - it's really easy to blend (I use a MAC 187 brush to apply it-I personally find this works the best) feels so silky and smooth, and the best bit is that it doesn't cake and doesn't look patchy! I actually find it hard to find foundations to suit my skin, yes I do believe I am an alien, but this foundation really is the best I have ever come across. It's a full coverage foundation, yet doesn't look too much for the daytime, and in sunlight you don't suddenly turn into an umpalumpa like some foundations seem to do. You can also build it up for more coverage at night. For a final touch I use the 'Illamasqua loose powder' over the Skin Base Foundation (and over concealers) which sets the face and helps to stop your make-up sliding all over the place in humid weather. I love this powder because just like the foundation it doesn't feel too heavy, and doesn't cake up the face like some powders can do. Just right for the summer weather!

MAC creamblend 'something special' £17, Too Faced 'Natural Eye Palette' £20, MAC 'prep+prime eye' £12, Maxfactor 'False Lash Effect' £10.99, Eylure 'Naturalites-Lengthening 116' £5.31, STAR Julian Macdonald 'eyelash set' £3.95 (sale price-Debenhams)

I use MAC creamblushers quite a bit, I think the consistency is beautiful and the light reflecting dewy properties they have make a much better blusher, especially for the summer. My favourite for this season is MAC 'something special', the colour is a light almost pinky/orange, and when applied to the apples of the cheek (I use a MAC 187 brush or MAC 130) it gives your face a gorgeous sheen glow! It can be used for a night time look or during the day - I sometimes like to use it by itself (no foundation) with just some mascara and light eyeliner for a youthful appearance. 

The Too Faced 'Natural Eye Palette' has been a summer staple for me, I love the natural colours for the day, and the darker pigmented colours for night. The shimmery colours are truly beautiful and last all day without having to reapply. In my opinion I find that cheaper eye colour products won't last as long, and tend to fade after an hour or so. This box palette also comes with a brush and cards that show you how to create different eye make-up looks from natural to smokey and glamorous! Tip: The colour "fashion" and "classic" in this palette can also double up as a shimmery finish to any blusher-sweep over colours lightly with a soft blusher brush, and gently blend into cheeks over your blusher in areas you want to highlight for a dewy finish.

Now...MAC 'prep+prime eye'...ladies, if you ever wondered why you should use a primer on your eyes I will explain. Using a primer makes the make-up you apply to your eyes not only stay on all day/night, but evens out the eye area so that when you apply your colour it doesn't crease or slide all over the place. I love this product and find it works especially well at making pigments last foreeeeeever!

Maxfactor 'False Lash Effect' is my current favourite mascara. A lot of mascaras claim to make your lashes flutter from here to Mexico, and in my experience they really don't and I get annoyed with all the adverts advertising mascaras with models actually wearing false lashes. However, this mascara really DOES make lashes appear much longer and thicker, and I find that if I wash my lashes with warm water to make sure there is no left over mascara from the day before (I find all cleansers will leave a bit on) curl my lashes before hand (just using a normal eyelash curler), and then use this mascara, I actually do look like I have natural false lashes on!

Eylure 'Naturalites-Lengthening 116' are my favourite natural looking lashes. You can even wear them during the day without looking to over done, or at night to add some volume to your natural lashes. Tip: if you want to wear these during the day, don't apply any mascara to your real lashes so that you don't end up looking too "fake". Also never apply mascara to your false lashes if you want to re-use them. Apply the mascara to your lashes first, and then apply the lashes. I personally don't use the glue provided with fake lashes when you buy them, as I find they don't hold as well as MAC 'Duo Adhesive' glue (£10) which will hold your lashes in place from 8am till 8am the next day! The glue will also last you over a year (and I use it a lot!). I bought the Star Julian Macdonald lashes in a sale at Debenhams a couple of weeks ago, and I really like these ones as the lashes are thicker towards the ends rather than all the way through, which achieves a very glamorous look for night time without looking obvious!

Body Shop 'Strawberry Butter' £12, Chanel 'Chance eau fraiche' £46, Escada 'Taj Sunset' £22 (Debenhams sale) Lee Stafford 'Dehumidifier' 50ml £2.09, James Brown 'Flaunt It Hairspray' £6.12

I have forever been in love with The Body Shop's body butter, its just so luxurious, the tubs last for ages, and they smell divine! The 'Strawberry Butter' is my favourite one for summer time, soaks into sun dried skin effortlessly. My favourite Chanel perfume is No 5 eau Premiere (not the original No5) but for summer time I absolutely adore 'Chance eau fraiche'. I actually don't like the original Chance but love this version, the smell is very light and well...fresh! My other summer scent is Escada's 'Taj Sunset' eau de toilette. It's beautiful summery fragrance just reminds me of being on a beach with cocktails and sunsets.

Lee Stafford 'Dehummidifer' is a great little spray that you can pack into your overnight bag, or take on holiday with you knowing that your hair will stay the way you styled it for your night out. I always have trouble with my hair frizzing up during humid weather, or in hot clubs, so this has been quite a saviour. James Brown 'Flaunt it Hairspray' is brilliant for using with back combing, or to hold your hair in position without a sticky residue. It also makes your hair shine and smells gorgeous. I love using these two products together for the perfect finish!

Lipsy earrings £15, No 7 'Speed Dry-hot pink 40' £7 and 'Stay Perfect - pillar box 98' £7, Barry M 'Base and bottom coat nail hardener' £2.99 and 'Peach Melba' £2.99, Flower bracelet from Camden Market (gift)

I have never bought jewelery from Lipsy before as I usually go in their for their fabulous dresses, but I really like these Lipsy earrings and the detail within the logo inside the heart is really creative, paired with the flower bracelet I was given for my birthday, I think these can jazz up a neutral summer maxi dress with very little effort! The nail varnishes I have mentioned above have been the colours I'm using most this August, and bring colour to any outfit. I especially like the Barry M 'Base and bottom coat nail hardener' as you can apply this over any nail varnish and it tends to seal the nail varnish, give it a shine, and make it less likely to chip! I also use quite a lot of Rimmel nail varnish products, but these have been my favourite this month.

While in Oxford Street I also came across these beauties in Aldo. I love nude colours for the summer, and had been searching high and low for some flats and pumps that I really really reaaaallly liked - the wait was worth it! The flat sandals were just £24 in the sale (reduced from £40 something) and the high pumps were £65 (but sooo worth it!). I am a bit of a shoe addict, and have a slight addiction to high heels, so these will be making their way into my autumn and winter wardrobe.

Hope you enjoyed my first entry, and do leave any comments below!

'Positive Ways Create Positive Ways!~'

Love and Light

Miss Christina C