bubz von chubsss

Make up is one of those things that is easy to teach yourself. With thousands of beauty blogs, YouTube videos and everything else out there, it's simple enough to find any hints or tips with ease. I'm self-taught, I've never had a make up lesson in my life, so if I can do it myself anyone can! The only thing I wish is that I'd known the following simple tips way earlier than I found them or worked them out. While there's no strict rules to make up, there are a few things you probably should or shouldn't do.

• Invest in a good primer, and choose wisely. First assess your skin type: is it dry, oily, "normal" (I hate that word *shudder*) or combination? Dry skin will need a more moisturising primer, whereas oily skin will need a mattifying primer. Find one that suits your needs and works for you. You may end up trying a few if you're anything like me!
• The same applies to foundation - find one that, again, works for you. This can definitely be easier said than done! Again, it's advisable to take your skin type into consideration as different foundations do different things on different skin. Usually they are quite clear which skin type they are best suited for, although the majority are usually for 'normal to combination' skin, and I can't say I've seen any specifically for dry skin, so you're possibly best off investing in a moisturizer and a good primer if this is the case. There are a few matte foundations out there for oily skin, although they all work in varying degrees.
• On to colour... pick the right one! Too light and you're going to look washed out, and there's going to be an obvious difference between your face and body. Too dark, and you risk looking orange, or just plain weird. If you want a tanned look, use fake tan - don't try to get the look with foundation, I beg you. (For me personally, I have to go for the lightest shade possible, and I aim for one that is ever-so-slightly too light because they seem to oxidise on me and go darker after a short while, although I'm not sure this is the case for everyone.)
• Try to find a foundation with a SPF to provide some protection from the sun, although this can be slightly problematic for oily skin, often making the oil worse, so bare that in mind.
• Don't forget your neck! There's nothing worse than a 'tide mark' - where a person stops their foundation at their jawline, leaving an obvious line. Chances are, your neck and your face are going to be slightly different shades depending on how much sun you get and yadda yadda. It's just one of those things, I think. Your make up will look better overall if you just spend a few extra seconds dabbing some foundation onto your neck and blending for a seamless finish.
• When it comes to concealer, it's not a miracle product. Unless you go for a super heavy duty one, concealer is designed for blemishes. If you have dark circles under your eyes, either through sleep habits, or genetics, a concealer alone can't hide these. Same goes with any redness. You need to invest in some kind of colour corrector. If you're battling dark circles, look for a yellow or orange corrector to counteract the purple or blue tones of your 'bags'. Redness should be counteracted with a green corrector. It's all basic colour theory, apparently.
• Your concealer should be one, possibly two shades, lighter than your foundation, and please always remember to blend it out... Realising you have white panda eyes isn't a nice feeling. 
• Powder should be used to set your foundation, especially if you have oily skin to prevent shine for longer. You can either use a finishing/setting powder, or any kind of pressed/loose powder, that's down to you, although one thing to bear in mind is that it's best to use a transparent/translucent powder on top of your foundation, so as not to alter the colour of the foundation.

Contouring & Highlighting ~

• Don't be afraid to contour. For the longest time I didn't contour at all because I was so scared I'd end up doing it wrong or something, but the difference it makes is amazing. It can take a few attempts to nail, but once your do, you'll notice the change.
• Never do one without the other. I can't stress that enough. Contouring is the idea of emphasizing your features where shadow would naturally fall, and highlighting where natural light hits most, to avoid the face looking flat. You don't find shadows without light, or light without shadows. 
• If you're unsure what you're doing, turn to trusty YouTube. There's a ton of how to videos!
• Blend, blend, blend... No muddy lines, please! Softening the darker contour is a must, otherwise you just end up with dark lines on your cheeks/down the side of your nose/along your jawline, and it's not the best look. 

• Start light, and build up. It's a heck of a lot easier to add more blusher gradually than to try to blend out clown cheeks. 
• Just applying blusher to the apples of your cheeks is not flattering - you end up looking overly flushed, or 'made up'. Good make up should be almost natural, after all. Blend the blusher back towards your ears to give a more rosy-cheeked, natural finish.
• Pick the right colour for you. This is all depends on the kind of finish you want. Peachy and coral tones are more natural, while pinks and reds tend to look more vivid. Which colour you choose is personal choice - try a few and pick which looks better with your skintone. There's no general rule of thumb here. Also, decide whether you want a matte finish or a shimmer finish. There are tonnes of different blushers on the market for you to try.
• Another general rule I found works well for me is to use peach or coral during the summer for a more natural sunkissed blush, whereas in the winter I use more pinky toned blushers to give the idea that the cold air has added colour to my cheeks. That's just me though!

• This one is simple - find which shape suits your face better, what kind of arch and whatnot. You'll soon see the difference having the right eyebrow shape makes to your face.
• If you choose to pencil/powder your eyebrows in, make sure you use the right colour. The general rule I hear most is if you're a blonde, choose a colour two shades darker than your hair, and if you're a brunette, choose a colour two shades lighter. 
• However, you might find this rule doesn't work for you. For example, I have blonde hair, but use a dark brown for my eyebrows, since I'm not a natural blonde, and having light eyebrows just doesn't work for me on a personal level. 
• If you have vibrant coloured hair (such as bright red, pink, purple, blue, whatever) you can either match your eyebrows to your hair which is always funky, or you can go for darker brows which is equally as striking.
• Highlighting your brow bone can make a massive difference. Try it out, and see for yourself.
• And remember; eyebrows are not meant to be twins, they're sisters!

• Never be afraid to blend your eyeshadow. Unless you're doing a cut crease look, eyeshadow should be blended out and softened for a more finished look.
• A dab of white eyeshadow on the inner corner helps open up your eyes, and make them look brighter. White eyeliner along the lower waterline has the same effect.
• Blending some of your chosen eyeshadow colour along your lower lashline can help you look more put-together, depending on the look you're going for.
• Bear in mind that black eyeliner can make small eyes look even smaller, so try to avoid putting it all around the eyes if this is the case. If you have small eyes, using a black pencil eyeliner from the outer corner and smudging it partway along to upper and lower lashline is possibly your best bet. 
• When it comes to applying liquid or gel eyeliner on the upper lashline, use small strokes rather than one long stroke, since it's easier to get a more precise, smooth line this way. Also bear in mind that it's easier to add more than take it away, so start thin or you're liable to end up with a mega thick line.
• If you ask me, you don't have to curl your lashes. It all depends on how they naturally curl or grow. Me personally, I have to curl them the wrong way on my right eye since they get crushed and over-curled while I sleep somehow. Some people won't need to curl, some will. Try both, see how you feel.
• Mascara is another one of those things you need to try and try until you find the right one for you and what you want it to do. For longer lashes, choose a lengthening formula. For fuller lashes, choose a thickening formula. For both, look for a false lash effect mascara as these tend to do the job nicely. One or two coats is usually ample - any more and we start getting fat, clumpy lashes and that's not a good look on anyone!
• If you're prone - like me- to smudging mascara everywhere during application, especially when trying to do those pesky bottom lashes, use a credit card as a barrier between your lashes and skin. Et voila! No more smudgy mess!

• Have several lipstick colours and types. Don't be afraid to change it up and experiment with what looks best on your skintone. Lipstick is available in every colour, every shade imaginable so the possibilities are endless. 
• Investing in a lipliner is a great idea, especially if you use more vivid or darker lip colours. Not only do you save a little lipstick if you fill in your lips with the lipliner first, but lining the lips prevents bleeding at the egdes and keeps them looking crisp.
• Overdrawing your lips (applying lipstick outside of the natural lipline with the goal of making your lips look bigger than they actually are) is something that's quite difficult to master. You run the risk of adding too much and looking rather.. well... daft, sorry to say. 
• There are alternatives to overdrawing, the simplest being to use a small amount of highlighter on your cupids bow, and an equally small amount of contour under your bottom lip. These give the appearance of fuller lips without.having to take your lipstick outside your lipline. 
• It's simple, but check your teeth after application... We don't want any lipstick there! One way of stopping this happening is to make a tight 'o' with your mouth around your index finger, and slowly pulling your finger out, transferring any errant lipstck to your finger as opposed to your pearly whites.
• On the subject of pearly whites, if you have slightly yellowed teeth through smoking or coffee, red lipsticks can emphasize this fact, so be aware of that.

• Bear in mind that what works for others, may not work for you. Your best friend might swear by a foundation, but it might not suit you. Your sister might look amazing with a certain lip colour, but the same might not apply to you. Make up is a very personal thing.
• Find out what does work for you. Not just in colours, but in application. Some people find they achieve a better finish with a beauty blender or a foundation brush, but you might find using your fingers works best for you. This is something you'll only discover with time and experimentation.
• Replace your make up regularly. Whether it's finished or not, abide by the little indicator on the back of the product. If it says it has a life of six months, don't keep it any longer than that. The shelf life is there for a reason, and using a product for longer than recommended can open you to the risk of bacteria. 
• On the subject of bacteria, any brushes you use should be washed regularly. It's advisable to give them a quick wipe with a make up wipe after every use where possible, too. I've used both proper brush cleansers, and plain soap and water, and both work equally well. Shape the brushes when wet to keep their shape, and put them on top of a towel on a radiator or windowsill to dry.
• Never pump wands of any sort - you'll get air in, and the product will dry out faster. You can revive dried out products by popping them in a mug of hot water for a few minutes to warm and melt the product inside a little.

What's your top make up tip?

Recently, my most often purchased makeup item has got to be lipstick. I have so, so many, and wear them all. That's gotta be a good thing, right? At least they're not just lingering, unused. Up until recently, I was all about nudes/light lips, and all I owned was Barry M Lip Paint 101. 

I used to stare longingly at women with bold, statement, colorful lips, and long for the courage to wear something so daring myself. Then, one afternoon last year, I realized the only person stopping me from wearing something brighter was myself, so the next time I was in Superdrug, I picked up three vibrant - by contrast - shades. It was strange at first, seeing the new lipsticks on my face, and I convinced myself they didn't suit me. They were left in the bottom of my makeup bag, until my husband asked why I didn't wear them anymore, because he liked them on me, and I realized I was just being hypercritical of myself (something of which I'm very guilty). 

Since then, my lipstick collection has flourished, and I'm starting to be bolder and braver, and I'm loving it!

Pictured above is MAC Rebel, MAC Nicki Minaj Viva Glam 2, an unbranded lipstick, shade name Sherbet that I recieved as a gift, Barry M Lip Paint 153, Rimmel Moisture Renew Coral Queen, Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss 110, Barry M Lip Paints in 100 and 101, and Maybelline Moisture Extreme Passion Red. 

My newest, most daring (for me) additions is the MUA Luxe Velvet lip lacquers, pictured above (L-R: Atomic, Criminal, Funk, Reckless, and Kooky). A few months ago, I never would have dreamed about purchasing one of these, let alone the whole collection! Now I find myself wearing these bad boys a lot more than I ever thought I would. 

Do you have a favourite lipstick? Do you prefer bold lips, or pale/nude lips? What's your lip style?

One of my biggest problems, which I moan about frequently, is my skin. Some people have dry. Some have combination. Some have oily. Me? I have excessively oily, makeup sliding off by the end of the day, look like I bathe in a deep fat fryer skin. I've always had a slightly slicker face than most, but since having my son it's a thousand times worse. Whether it's hormones or whatever, within a couple of hours, my face is shiny to the point it looks wet, or like I'm sweating. It's so gross, and I've tried multiple products, not to much avail. 

Whenever a new product catches my eye, I have to snap it up, and fresh on my radar is the Neutrogena  Visibly Clear Pore and Shine range, and one of Superdrug's new mud masks. 

Grey chunky hand knitted cardigan - eBay (one of those magical finds; a complete bargain!)

Black strap top - Forever 21

Comic print leggings - Forever 21

Bird print scarf - Peacocks

I wanted something comfy but still stylish, so I went for bold leggings and a plain top. The cardigan was a must have since it's so cold at the moment, and I added my favourite scarf for a pop of colour, since I didn't want my outfit to be completely greyscale.

I left my make up quite plain, opting for nude lips and striking, bold eyeliner. I used my Maybelline Fit Me foundation in 115, and my MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NW10, along with my ELF All Over Cover Stick in Ivory, and my Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in Light - damn spots and under eye bags! For contour and highlight, I used my Soap & Glory Solar Powder and Glow All Out, and MUA's powder blusher in Lolly. My eyeliner was W7's liquid eyeliner, along with my Collection kohl pencil eyeliner. For mascara, I used Soap & Glory's Thick & Fast, and Maybelline's Great Lash, and my lipstick was Barry M Lip Paint in 101, which I think is called Marshmallow.

My earrings are some I made, and the diamante-studded chain headband is one I got from Claire's Accessories in the sale.

On Sunday, me and my poor husband have been married for a year. Well, as an early, extra anniversary present, he bought me Soap & Glory's Girl-O-Whirl cosmetics kit. Originally brought out for Christmas, Boots must have had surplus left, and although this kit retailed at £40 over the festive season, my husband managed to grab it on sale for the amazing price of... wait for it... £10! Now, as much as I'm a fan of Soap & Glory's bath and body products, I'm a make up virgin. I've never tried any of their cosmetics products. In fairness, I guess the Girl-O-Whirl kit is a pretty great way to try their stuff out.

Oh, and by the way, please excuse the photographs.. Trying to get semi-decent pictures during a British Winter is pretty impossible. Sob.

The kit states that it contains: "6 gorgeous shades of our LIDSTUFF Eyeshadow, 6 SUPERCOLOURFABULIPSTICK shades, our bestselling THICK & FAST Super Volume Mascara, SEXY MOTHER PUCKER GLOSS STICK in Nudist, the perfect dust-on Highlighter GLOW ALL OUT Luminizing Face Powder, the gorgeous dust-on SOLAR POWDER Multi Shade Bronzer, a double ended EYESHADOW BRUSH, a double ended LIP BRUSH and a handy half-moon BLUSHER BRUSH". Phew! That's a lot of products in just one kit, right?!

At first impressions, this cosmetics kit is pretty good value for money, even at full price, especially when you check out the Soap & Glory products included at their separate retail prices. For example, their Thick & Fast Super Volume Mascara is £10 alone. The reason I was so excited for this was the Glow All Out highlighter, because I was actually considering purchasing it anyway after seeing good reviews by other bloggers. 

It's pretty cutesy, and very retro with the usual kitsch vibe associated with Soap & Glory's packaging. The case it comes in is pretty sturdy, although the inside does look a little cheap in my opinion. The black plastic that holds everything is a little flimsy, but with the PVC-style case to protect it, that shouldn't be an issue. Another grumble is the lip brush is huge! I definitely won't be using it.. Then again, I probably won't use any of the brushes in the set since I already have a couple of brush sets. 

I have to say, though, I'm pretty impressed. All you need other than this kit is some foundation, powder, a blusher and an eyeliner, and you have a full make up kit. For either a make up newbie, or someone like me who hasn't use Soap & Glory's stuff before, it's definitely a great starting point. I'm really looking forward to using it, not least because the lipsticks are not shades I would usually reach for so I'm excited to try those out!

Have you got the Girl-O-Whirl? What do you like and dislike about it?

My swatch sticks came, so, as promised, here are the swatches I promised you guys of the Models Own Hypergel collection! After all, I always keeps the promises I makes. 

Confession time: I've never really swatched nail polishes (or anything!) before, so I apologise if they aren't the greatest swatches in the Universe. Still, I've done my best to show the colours as true as I can. And the shine too. Oh, the shine... So pretty! Nothing beats a nice shiny, glossy, gorgeous manicure.

All swatches have two coats. The majority could have covered in one coat, but I like to even them out with a second. I don't know, I just have a thing where I don't like having just a single coat of polish. 

I have to admit, I was pretty blown away by the shine. While I was applying the polishes, I couldn't help but think that they didn't really have that gel-like sheen - it seemed to be nothing more than the shine you can achieve with a good topcoat. Once they were dry, however, and in the natural light... WOW! 

I've worn some of the shades on my own natural nails over the past few days, and noticed there are a couple of things to bear in mind about these Hypergels.  One is that drying time is a little slow. They stay in that awful smudge-prone stage for absolutely ages. I have yet to apply one of these to my nails without them smudging at some point. Another thing is they chip terribly. Well, more peel. In great big pieces. I was so disappointed! Personally I change my polish most everyday so it doesn't really effect me, but I was genuinely hoping to get more than 12 hours out of these. 

On the plus side, most of these are one coat polishes. The only exceptions, I found, were Lilac Sheen, Naked Glow, and Pink Veneer, although this is to be expected with pastel shades as they do tend to be more sheer.

Another thing I couldn't help but notice was that a couple of the shades seemed very similar to some of the Hi Shine Gelly shades that Barry M released in 2013, notably Cornflower Gleam, Naked Glow and Lilac Sheen. I don't own Blueberry, so I can't compare, but I'd hesitate a guess that it's pretty close to Cornflower Gleam. As for Naked Glow and Lilac Sheen, I can compare.

Although both comparisons are quite close, I wouldn't go so far as to call them dupes. Both Barry M shades are slightly darker, plus I found the formula to be very slightly thicker on the Barry M Hi Shine Gelly's. Not to mention Prickly Pear needs about twelve coats to be opaque, and Lilac Sheen is opaque in two. 

Overall, I'm excessively impressed with the Hypergels, their shine, and colour range.

What do you guys think of the swatches? Which colour is your favourite? 

*PLEASE BE WARNED - THIS POST IS QUITE PIC HEAVY!*

Gel nails have gained popularity over the past couple of years, due to their longevity, and their glossy shine that cannot be achieved with regular polish. The downside, however, is the time they take to do (Base coat; cure. Colour,;cure. Top coat; cure. Yawn) and they can become expensive, especially if you like to regularly change your manicure. Cue the rise of the gel-like polishes; the same shine, but a lot cheaper, and no UV curing!

Barry M released their Gelly collection last year, and now Models Own have upped their game, and are set to release their Hypergel collection. Retailing at £5 each, the range of ten shades, from pastels to vibrant colours, are set to hit Models Own Bottleshops from mid February, and will be available in Superdrug and Boots from March. Luckily, their Facebook page hit 250,000 likes, so as a mark of gratitude to their fans, they ran a half price sale for 7 days... including presale of the Hypergel collection.. and I was fortunate enough to grab the whole collection before presale stock ran out. One happy Lilyy!

There was a bit of a kerfuffle with problems placing orders when the sale went live, but with the sheer volume of people taking advantage of the 50% off, it's no surprise. It took a good while, but my order went through finally (after a lot of me whinging to my husband that by the time my order was accepted, they'd be sold out), and within a few days, a wonderful package landed on my doorstep. 

So, I've decided to try and give a spotlight post a go, basically focusing on one brand or collection and dedicating a whole post to it. How regularly I do this type of post, I don't know, but it's just something else my blog can hopefully offer my readers. 

Now, I'm well aware that this post is aimed towards British readers, since Wilko (formerly Wilkinsons until recently) is a British store, who don't ship internationally, but hopefully it's still helpful to some people! 

If, like me, you love honey scented products, then this range is heaven in a tube/bottle/tin! Even though I don't own any of LUSH's It's Raining Men, I've sniffed it, and I can honestly say it's pretty close. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's a dupe, but it's definitely a budget friendly alternative. I've used Wilko's Sweet Vanilla and Honey stuff for about two years now, and I am completely in love with it. I got a tonne of it given to me for Christmas since everyone knows it's one of my favourites!

Despite the vanilla being listed first in the name, honey is the predominant scent, with the vanilla giving a sickly sweet hint. 

The shower smoothie is probably my most used product from the range - I use it every time I shower. It has tiny beads of walnut shell suspended in the creamy formula, providing gentle exfoliation, and the smell stays with me most of the day which is awesome. The foam bath is my least favourite from the range. It bubbles up nicely in the bath, but I just wish the scent stuck around longer to keep me company whilst I soak. 

I have a bottle of this handwash at every sink in my house! I'm addicted! It lathers up really nice, and it actually almost looks like I'm rubbing set honey into my hands. The smell stays on my hands for quite some time after using it. Plus, I can use it multiple times a day, and it doesn't leave my hands feeling dry or abused, or crying out for moisturizer which I've found some handwash can do. 

The lip balm is the newest addition to the range, and it's one of those products you immediately fall in love with. It smells amazing, of course, and it definitely leaves my lips feeling pampered. It's not excessively quick to be absorbed, even on super dry lips, but the smell makes that a very bearable fact. The only downside is that it just smells so delicious that I find myself putting it on all the time, so I'm getting through it pretty fast!

One of the major reasons I love this collection, though, is the price. All the products are just £1 each, and a lot of the time, they're on offer at 2 for £1.50, making it very affordable for any budget. Admittedly, the packaging does seem a little cheap, but it's something easily overlooked once you have a good sniff. If you like honey bath products, then I really do recommend giving it a try. It's a little sickly, yes, but absolutely delicious and well worth the money! 

The Wilko Sweet Vanilla and Honey range can be purchased in store, or online at wilko.com. 

TOP: LUSH ANGELS DELIGHT, LUSH SNOWCAKE. 

BOTTOM: NIVEA PASSIONFRUIT & MILK PROTIENS CARE SOAP, LUSH MIRANDA, LUSH HONEY I WASHED THE KIDS, DOVE CREAM BAR

I'm not 100% sure how normal it is to have enough soap to use a different one every day of the week, and still have some left over. I think I have a problem. I just love buying soaps! Even before I discovered LUSH, I've always had more than one soap on-the-go at any one time. I just love having options! The soaps pictured above aren't my entire collection; they're just my favourites. 

I'm a sucker for LUSH soaps. I don't find them particularly moisturizing or anything like that - I just love how yummy they smell. They really do smell good enough to eat! Honey I Washed the Kids and Miranda were my first purchases, and come Christmas I had to get a couple of their seasonal soaps, so Angels Delight and Snowcake were added to my collection. A staple in my soap collection is the Dove Cream Bar, because I use it for shaving since I never get any of those horrible razor bumps when I use it, and it leaves my skin feeling lovely and soft. The newest addition, and a fast, firm favourite, is the Nivea Passionfruit & Milk Proteins Care Bar. It smells divine! 

Is anyone else a soap addict, or is it just me? Let me know!

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