Step By Step Autumn Make-up Look

Hi Everyone, 

I hope that you enjoy the step by step of my favourite Autumnal look. 

Step 1: Prep & Prime

Always remember to prep your skin. I always make sure to cleanse my skin first,

before moisturising. The moisturise I have been using at the moment due to season change is, Benefit's, TOTAL MOISTURE.

I also then apply a primer. My ultimate favourite primer that I have kept going back to is L'OREAL Paris LUMI MAGIQUE. 

Step 2: Foundation

I have 2 go to foundations, today I used Rimmel London, Lasting Finish in shade 103.

I applied the foundation with the Real Techniques buffing brush, Using circular motions, Really working it into the skin. I also sometimes pat the product on to the skin. 

When using these methods I have always found to get a fuller but natural coverage that lasts all day and all night. 

Step 3: Conceal

Concealer. My go to concealer is Rimmel London, Match Perfection. I apply this just under the eye area. I don't blend it in right away I let it go tacky.

While it goes tacky I go on to 

Step 4: Contour

If I am honest I only really contour my cheek bones ever so slightly. I apply a slight amount around my hair line just for a healthy glow look. 

I use Benefit's Hoola. I absolutely love this bronzer. I will never be able to live without it.

To contour I use Real Techniques Contour Brush. 

I also apply a small amount of loose powder underneath the cheek bone to bake.

Making my cheek bones look slightly sharper, but not too much.

I then blend out the concealer that was under my eyes, sing the Real Techniques Beauty Blender. Then I apply some loose powder and the eyes using my Real Techniques setting brush.

Step 5: Eyes

I put some loose powder under the eye to catch any shadow down fall.

Looking crazy I know.

Next the shadow is applied.

 I used the MUA Spring Break palette from Superdrug.

Placing the purple socket bone and blending it inwards and making sure that it well blended on the outer edges so it isn't so harsh.

I then apply the 3rd colour from the left on the top row from the palette, which is called Amber, applying it on the inner half of the eye. 

I used Real Techniques base shadow brush when applying Damson (Puple).

The Real Techniques Brush shading brush to push on Amber.

Step 6: Brows

When doing your brows you must make sure they are the correct shape for your face. 

The Purple line shows where your brow should start. 

So upwards from the dip of your nose, passing the inner corner of your eye.

The Red line shows where the arch of your brow should be.

Looking straight ahead of you, from the dip of your nose through the pupil of your eye.

The Pink line shows where the brow is to end,

Dip of the nose and passing the outer corner of your eye.

To fill in my brows I used Benefit's KA BROW! which is a gel.

I do a line along the bottom of my brow and along the top, downwards to the end of my brow. Then with what is left on the brush, i brush against my hairs to get the colour of product behind them. I then get a grooming brush and brush the hairs back into place.

Looking better with both brows done.

Step 7: Mascara

I rarely ever use false lashes, as I also have to wear glasses sometimes, so they get caught every time I blink.

Therefore, I use Benefit's They're Real Mascara first and then I sometimes apply Urban Decay's PERVERSION mascara. Especially if I want my eyes to really stand out. 

Step 8: Finishing Touches

For my finishing touches, I will apply highlighter, of which I am in love with the MUA undress your skin shimmer highlighter in Iridescent Gold. Its GORGEOUS!! Appling that to the bridge of my nose, brow bone and top of my cheek bones. I use the Real Techniques duo-fibre face brush to apply the highlighter, as it picks up just the right amount of product. 

I will then apply some ROCKATEUR blusher by Benefit, just to the apples of my cheeks and i sometimes flick the brush out towards my ear to make sure it is well blended. I use the Real Techniques blusher brush. 

I then just finished off the look by using Rimmel London PROVOCALIPS 16HR lip colour in shade 410 NOT GUILTY.

I generally cannot recoommend these lipsticks enough. I have every single colour of the collection and I can promise you that they can last longer than 16 hours. 

Step 9: The Finished Look!

    

Thank you so very much for reading this step-by-step.

I hope that you enjoyed it.

Please comment if there are any makeup looks you would like me to try and do for you.

Sending Love xx

A letter to you my readers.

Hello Everyone, 

Sorry that I haven't published any new blogs in the last few months. Quite a few things have been going on. 

But onward and upwards is going to be my new moto. 

I promise to you that over the next couple of days I shall be publishing a step by step guide of an autumnal make-up look. 

I want this current post to be about encouragement. 

But I want you guys that are reading this to comment some encouragement. 
What would your advice be if you or a friend or even a stranger was feeling a bit low and not themselves. How would you brighten up their day? Would you give a kind gesture or say some kind words?

Please comment to help those that may need some...words of wisdom shall we say? 

Go on, brighten up someones day!!!

You readers, you've brightened up my day, but I ask for you to brighten a strangers day in a comment. 

Thank you everyone.
Lots of Love to you all,
Megs x

Skincare Advice

The Ideal Skincare Advice 

Ideally you should have a morning and evening skincare routine. 

You must know that not everyone has the same skin type.

There are those of you that may have oily, some may have dry, maybe some normal or combination.

Please note that if you suffer from acne or any other skin condition, you do need to ask advice when you go to buy products.

The first this you must do is wet your face and neck, with warm water and double cleanse.

Yes, DOUBLE cleanse. 

Rinse the first application of cleanser off then apply the second.

First lot of cleanser just removes any dirt that is on the skins surface.

Whereas the second cleanse will clean deeper in the skin. 

Always apply cleanser with your hands and in circular motion.

Next, apply a toner to some cotton wool pads and apply to the cleansed areas.

Make sure to do this as upward motions, 

so you prevent pulling your skin downwards.

Obviously we don't want to drag our skin, we want to tighten it.

I only do this stage, once or twice a week, depending on how my skin is.

I also do this in the evening.

Exfoliating and a face mask.

This is vital that you make sure to have the right product that will benefit your skin type.

Exfoliate in small circular motions and rinse.

Apply the mask, in a even coverage and leave for the advised length of time.

Finally,

Moisturise.

This also needs to be the correct beneficial moisturiser.

After all, it is no good having a oily, heavy moisturiser if you have super oily skin.

If you suffer from the odd breakout,

the best thing, I have found to work for me is a tea tree spot stick.

My skincare products
(I am not advertising any of these products)

I hope that this helps you to keep your skin in tip top condition for you.

My Dancing Life Achievements

In my opinion, I have surprised myself in dance life achievements. 

Baring in mind I am 20, but all of these happened by the time I was 18.

When I was 7 years old I got into Irish dancing. And no, I don't have any Irish family background that I know of. 

I went to a dance school quite local to me and had some pretty incredible experiences there. I traveled to Belfast in 2006 with our Ceili group (8 hand (8 people) and we competed in the World Championships. I was 10. The following year the same team traveled to the 2007 World Championships in Glasgow. 

These were no leisurely trips, no matter where we stayed we just kept dancing. There was no time for rest, it was always about putting your best foot forward. 

We also competed in the Great British Championships, which were held in Brighton. This was the closest competition to home for us. 

With this dance school we practiced for about and hour or 2, once a week. We were a commission school so it was hard work. No slacking basically.

Later that year, 9th November I had a operation on my foot. I was 11 and had only been dancing for 4 years, I was told that I may never be able to dance again. 

I was devastated by this, but also very determined to show the doctors that they were being stupid. 

I wasn't allowed to put any weight on my foot for 4 weeks and had to be on crutches for a total of 6 weeks. 

Lets just say week 8, I was back to a new dance school and dancing. Just in time for Christmas. Nothing was going to stop me from doing something I love, DANCE!

In 2009, it was time to go solo with a big competition. WIDA (World Irish Dance Association) European and World Irish dancing Championships.

Solo dances I can still remember getting four:2nd places

                                                                      two: 3rd places

                                                                      one:4th and 5th places

Group dances: we may have kicked some butt. With the 4 hand (4 people) we can 1st. Beating a very good dance school from Ireland, with a dance we learnt a week and a half prior to the competition and we also came 2nd (I think it was) in a 8 person figure dance. Which may I say was and still is one of my favorite dances.  

Germany was a great experience there is no doubt about that and it was with some incredible people.

That same year we decided to compete in a dance competition against other styles of dance in London. We won the finals, with one crazy dance. 

We couldn't quite stop there.

2010 We competed in Britain's Got Talent as The Celtic Colleens. A glow in the dark Irish dance group of 30 girls. We made it through to the semi-finals and came 4th on our night, leaving us in the top 20 out of millions that first auditioned. When we did Britain's Got Talent we trained every day. But we also did our 4 hours a week on competition dances and still all did solo competitions. We were crazy that's for sure. Social Life went out the window. Plus I was also studying for my first year of GCSEs when this was happening. And we still did the yearly dance show. It was great fun being with all the girls, although we did hate it if one another did something wrong as that meant 50 sit ups for everyone. I remember one nights practice we did 200 sit ups in a hour as well as dance. 

The week leading up to our semi-final night was half term, we danced all day every day. We calculated dancing 40 hours in 4 and a half days, as well as travelling up to London twice that week for studio rehearsals. 

It was an amazing experience and the closest I am ever going to be to seeing outlines of a 6 pack. Ahaha. 

I can also officially say that I was signed to Simon Cowell's record Label for 6 months. 

David Hasselhoff : One of our BGT judges

The troupe unmasked

Show Time

Finally at the end of 2011, I competed at the Celtic Association Nationals, Finishing in 2nd place on my solo dance entry (beating a 30 year old,and I was the youngest competitor in the age group), 1st places in my group dance entries. 

They are my key memories and achievements for dancing. 

Me, Myself and the 'C' word!

This is my first blog entry, and I am about to tell you the biggest thing about me.

My Cancer Story.

I am going to try and remember as much as I can for you, but I was only 3 when I had to fight the battle. 
Yep, I was a 3 year old girl fighting a battle my parents didn't know if I could fight.  I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL). Which is a cancer of the white blood cells. These white blood cells are meant to work together to fight infection. Normally, white blood cells develop, repair and reproduce themselves in an orderly and controlled way. 
In Leukaemia, however, the process gets out of control and the cells continue to divide in the bone marrow, but do not mature. 
These immature dividing cells fill up the bone marrow and stop it from making healthy blood cells. As the leukaemia cells are not mature, they are not work properly. This leads to a higher risk of infection. This is because, the bone marrow isn't able to make enough healthy red blood cells and platelets.
There is no know cause for this disease. 
I underwent chemotherapy for 2-3 years (can't exactly remember). 

Although there are quite a few things I can remember. 

My dad is a fire fighter and I remember the fire fighters from Haywards Heath station and other surrounding stations that knew my family, they tied 2 ropes to the front of one of the trucks and pulled it up the hill and around the town. Stopping at each pub for a rest so they could have a pint or so. I remember this happening clearly. My Granddad was also a fire fighter so he even helped pulling the truck.  
They did a lot to help raise money for treatment, not just for me, but also for other children. Four other fire fighters took their bikes over to Australia and cycled around Australia to raise money. 
The photo below shows my dad with the 4 crazy men who cycled Australia.

 

I don't just remember the good memorabilia though, I also remember the bad. Like the day I had all my hair shaved off.
 I can still close my eyes today and be able to walk the corridors to my room of the main hospital I was treated at. Remembering nurses names. Days I actually made it into school and not having a lot of hair. The amount of times I suffered from nose bleeds. Not being able to run through muddy puddles just in case I got an infection. 

About a year and a half ago I started to get really vivid flash backs, as if myself today was stood in the room with the young me watching each of these things happening. 
Obviously because I had no hair and being so young I wanted one of those pink tinsel wigs. Of which I had. 
My most not so bad flash back, was I was standing a meter behind and looking at the 4 year old me, looking out of my bedroom window, the pink tinsel wig was perched on the small windowsill. (Of course the pink wig had to be in it).

Please don't get me started with food. Even when I was on treatment anyone was to be stupid if they thought they could get between me and food.

I finished my treatment in 2001. I have yearly check ups now, the best part about those check ups,  they are still with the doctor of whom diagnosed me 17 years ago. I think of her as a family member. 

I hope that you have enjoyed reading my story. And I hope that it helps anyone who may be going through treatment. Just remember you are not alone, and you can kick cancer's arse!!

Sending Love xx

 P.S. Thank you to those who gave me a helping hand.