VLOG - City Day

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August Favourites

Products:
- Blue Crop Top
http://www.supre.com.au/

- Tight Black Skirt
http://www.factorie.com.au/shop/product/u-tube-skirt-black/

- White Bralet
https://www.victoriassecret.com//pink/panties-basics-shop/rose-lace-plunge-bra-pink?ProductID=203065&CatalogueType=OLS

-Victoria's Secret Coconut Perfume
https://www.victoriassecret.com/pagenolongeravailable

- CoverGirl Clump Crusher Mascara
https://www.priceline.com.au/cosmetics/eyes/mascara/clump-crusher-by-lashblast-13.1-ml

- Napolean Electra Lipstick
http://napoleonperdis.com/usa/makeup/lips/lipstick/devine-goddess-lipstick-2111.html

- BYS white eyeliner
http://www.fashionaddict.com.au/bys-eyeliner-pencil-soft-white.html

- Leo Bancroft Simply Tousled Beach Wave Spray
http://www.tesco.com/direct/leo-bancroft-simply-tousled-beach-wave-spray/622-4223.prd

- Combat Boots
http://www.payless.com/womens-terrence-lug-bottom-boot/75158.html?dwvar_75158_color=black#start=2

Contouring and Highlighting Makeup Tutorial

Hey Guys,

So my second video went up today and I decided to do a contouring and highlighting makeup tutorial. I hope you guys find this helpful and enjoy watching the video.

Let me know what you think :)

Ella xxx

Back to school: Makeup & Hair

Hey Guys,

My first youtube video went up today and I just wanted to share it with you. Let me know what you think :)

Ella x

Makeup, Skin care & Clothing Haul

Hey guys,

On Monday I had the best day shopping in the city with my friends. I came away with quite a few purchases which I am so happy with :) Let me know if you would like me to do a review on any of these products!

Rimmel London Genuine Plum Blush - $4.95

https://www.priceline.com.au/cosmetics/cheeks/blush/mono-blush-1.0-ea1

Revlon Balm Stain Just Bitten Kissable - $15

https://www.priceline.com.au/cosmetics/lips/lip-glossstain/just-bitten-kissable-balm-stain-2.7-g

Gloss Eyelash Adhesive - $4

C-2 lipstick Satin Rebel S-01 - $6

C-2 lipstick Candy Yum-Yum M-05 - $6

BYS Eyeline 09 Soft White - $4

BYS Eyeliner 107 Hot Pink & Silver Glitter - $4

 BYS Lip liner 04 First Kiss - $4

BYS Lip Liner 09 Red - $4

Avene Eau Thermale Water - $10

https://www.priceline.com.au/skincare/face-care/serum-and-treatments/thermal-spring-water-50.0-ml

Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturiser Combination Skin - $14

https://www.priceline.com.au/skincare/face-care/facial-moisturisers/combination-skin-moisturiser-118.0-ml

Dress - Cotton on - $29.95

http://shop.cottonon.com/shop/product/sabrina-jersey-maxi-black/

Top - Dotti - $29.95 

http://www.dotti.com.au/shop/en/dotti/crochet-crop-tee

*Jeans aren't new but are from Ice

Have a lovely day

Ella x

What I got for my 16th birthday!

Hey guys, 

Sorry I haven't wrote a post in a while, I've been so busy with my cousin arriving from England that it has been hard to find time to sit down and blog. Anyway a couple of weeks ago on the 21st of June I had my 16th birthday. It was a great day which I spent with my friends and it was even better because I passed my driving test and got my licence. That weekend wasn't the end of the birthday celebrations though because the next weekend when my cousin Theo arrived my parents through us both another gathering but this time it was a complete surprise. It was a great way for Theo to meet all my friends and celebrate his birthday/arrival in Australia. 

My friends and family went well out of their way with presents and surprises for me this year and I'm so grateful for it. I wanted to write this blog post about what I got for my birthday not to brag but to document it for myself to read in the future and to help you guys out with gift ideas for girls.

So from my parents I got a beautiful dressing table which has a mirror which folds down so you can use the dressing table as a desk. I love that I can store my makeup under the mirror so its easily accessible and looks organised. I believe my parents bought it at big W for around $120. The next present I got from my parents was a Canon EOS 600D and I had wanted this for so long! I finally have it now so I can post good quality photos in my blog posts woo! This was about $600 from dick smith, I did pay for most of the camera myself but it was so good to receive it on my birthday and with my parents helping out with the cost. 

They were my two main presents which were on the pricier side but now I will talk about what I got from my friends and family which were more affordable and great gifts for a girl. These presents were all so creative and well thought out, they did a really good job!

The presents I got were:

• The book Paper Towns by John Green 
• Ecoya and regallo candles
• Cupcakes
• Jewellery
• A camera case
• Sports girl gift voucher
• Itunes gift voucher
• Flowers
• Mason jars
• Victoria's Secret Bralet
• Tea from T2
• Lollies and Chocolate 
• A 16 which all my friends signed
• Nomination bracelet charm 

If any of my friends or family read this thank you so much for making my birthday so special! I hope this helped someone out with present ideas because I know sometimes it can be really hard to think of something. 

Ella x  

How I clean my makeup brushes

Hey guys,
Today I decided to share with you how I clean my makeup brushes and give you some tips that will help you out and will benefit your brushes.
Before you wash your brushes you need to decide what you are going to wash them with. You can either use a product which has been made specifically for brush washing or you could use soap/shampoo which is very gentle and has ingredients which won't irritate your skin. This is very important because you don't want to aggravate your skin which may cause you to breakout. Some examples of products you can use to wash your brushes are extra virgin olive oil (will soften brushes but all remainders of oil must be rinsed out), dove soap, johnsons baby shampoo, palmolive and mac brush cleaner. I used tresemme today which isn't the most natural product but it was what I had and did the job just as well.
Now that you have everything ready you should fill your sink or bowl with warm water then squeeze a pea size of brush cleaner onto your hand and gently swirl your brush around in your palm. You will notice that lots of product is coming out of the brush onto your hand. When your hand gets too dirty rinse it and brush then proceed until your brush is clean.
Once each brush has been cleaned squeeze the water out with your towel and then either lie them down or lean them up against something with the brush hairs facing downwards. It is important to do this otherwise the water will seep down into the brushes which will affect the glue. If you are going to lay your brushes down horizontally it is a good idea to have the head of the brushes hanging over the edge so the air can dry all the way through quicker.

Tips:

• Buy a spot cleaner if you aren't going to be cleaning your brushes weekly. This will prevent bacteria from growing in your brushes which protects your skin from breakouts. 
• Always rinse your brushes with the head pointing down because if you wash them the other way water will get into the glue which will ruin your brushes.
• Don't rinse the whole brush just the head because again it will affect the glue. 
• Brushes made out of Synthetic hair hold its shape better eg. Real techniques brushes.
• Using Olive oil will make your brushes feel softer.
• A good way to keep your brushes shape is to use brush guards. They are like mesh which fit around your brushes.
• Don't blow dry your brushes just let them air dry.

I hope this helped someone out :) Let me know if you guys have any other tips for when washing makeup brushes because I would love to know.

Ella x

Contouring and Highlighting for beginners

Hey guys,

Have you ever wanted to learn how to enhance your features and create your desired face shape but not known how? Well today I thought I would share with you how I contour and highlight my face to give the illusion of a perfect shape and give me a healthy glow. Since I am naturally quite fair contouring is a perfect way to give my face that bit more colour and still have my natural skin tone showing though in some places.

So the first thing you should know before contouring is what your face shape is. There are seven different kinds of shapes which are oval, round, square, rectangular/oblong, heart, diamond and pear. The "ideal" face shape is oval so therefore when we are contouring the face we shade specific areas around the face to create an illusion of an oval shape. Each face shape has to shade and highlight different areas. I will explain in the following where you should shade and highlight on each shaped face.

Oval Face:

They have dominant cheekbones and has a narrow oval chin and forehead. They should apply bronzer on the hollows of their cheekbone and apply highlighter above it directly on the bone. 

Round Face:

They are almost as wide as they are long and their cheeks are the widest part of their face. To slim the face and make the features stand out more apply bronzer in a sideways V in the hollows of the cheekbone. As for highlighter you should apply this to your cheeks, on the chin and on the centre of the forehead.

Square Face:

They have a squared forehead which is about the same width as cheekbones and jawline. The square jaw is the most dominant feature. Apply bronzer below cheekbones from the centre of the eye towards the temple. Then apply a small amount on the forehead and chin the soften the look. With the highlighter just apply directly to cheekbones.

Rectangular/Oblong Face:

They are a rectangular shape and the forehead, cheekbones and jawline all have the same width. Apply bronzer to temple, under the cheekbone and on the chin. Then apply highlighter to the cheekbones and about a centimeter away from the outer corner of the eye.

Heart Face:

They have a wide forehead, high cheekbones and a narrow chin. Apply bronzer in a sideways V on cheekbones. To minimise the pointed chin, apply a small amount of bronzer.

Diamond Face:

They have a narrow forehead, are wider at the cheekbones and the narrow back down at the chin. Bronzer should be applied on the cheekbone in a sideways V. You can also apply some shading above the temples.

Pear Face:

They have a narrow forehead, move slightly in at temples and then goes outwards. Its widest point is at the jawline. Bronzer should be applied under the cheekbones and blended towards the jawline. Highlighter should then the applied to the cheekbones. 

Bronzer and highlighter can be used for other features on your face to make them your ideal preference. Some examples of ways this is used is:

- Broad forehead - Too much width (shade the temples) or too much height (shade hairline or middle of forehead)

- Small forehead - Use one shade lighter of foundation for your forehead

- Broad nose - Shade sides of nose

- Short nose - Highlight centre on nose down the bone

- Long nose - Apply bronzer to tip of the nose and add parallel lines of bronzer on each side 

- Bulbous- ended nose - Apply bronzer around base of nose

- Double chin - Shade underneath chin or use darker foundation

- Long thin neck - Use lighter foundation on neck

*One tip would be is to use a matte bronzer because this will made it look a lot more natural and more like a shadow.
* Products I used for contouring and highlighting in the pictures below. Benefit High Beam and Rimmel Natural Bronzer.

Hope you enjoyed this and it helped out someone :) What face shape are you? Let me know how you go.
Ella x

What skin care products are ideal for you!

Hey everyone,

So something you don't know about me is that I am very interested in skin care. I have done lots of research and in the past I have spent a lot of my time with trying to find answers to my skin problems. This has helped me gain a lot of knowledge and through trial and error and I have now come to know the products that work for me and the ones that don't. Some other facts about me are that I got to tafe (which is like college) and study beauty, skincare and makeup retail which has broadened my understanding of skin care so much more. The other bit of information about me that relates to the topic is that I recently got a job at my local pharmacy and I spent a good amount of time talking to one of the cosmeticians about skincare which was so informative. I could make a whole other post about the history of my skin and what I am currently using but this post is about finding your skin type and what products are best for you. So here it goes :)

First of all something everyone one should know and keep in mind is that there are more than one skin type. Everyones skin is different and that means their skin will each react differently. Just because one person you know has had success with a certain product doesn't mean you necessarily will. The trick to overcoming this is to first find out what skin type you have and then start looking for products which have good reviews from people with your skin type. You might be wondering how do I find out what skin type? The following I have put together to help you discover your skin type and what products are best suited for you. 

Oily Skin: People with oily skin have enlarged pores, have a shine to their skin, are prone to breakouts, blackheads and feel greasy. 

Types of products: 

• Cleanser - Foaming or milk ~ eg. Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser 
• Toner - With astringent (not if sensitive) ~ eg. Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Toner
• Moisturiser - Mattifying and oil free ~ eg. Neutrogena Oil Free Moisturiser

Dry Skin: People with dry skin tend to have tight and flaky skin especially after washing their face and they don't tend to develop much oil at all. 

Types of products:

• Cleanser - cream ~ eg. QV Intensive Moisturising Cleanser 
• Toner - No astringent (rosewater) ~ eg. Sukin Hydrating Mist Toner 
• Moisturiser - cream ~ eg. Natio Evening Primrose Moisturising Face Lotion

Normal Skin: People whose skin isn't dry, oily or have any obvious pores. They have rare breakouts and their skin is easy to handle.

Types of products:

• Cleanser - Anything really (milk, cream or foam) ~ eg. Natio Gentle Foaming Facial Cleanser
• Toner - No astringent (rosewater) ~ eg. Nivea Visage Pure & Natural Cleansing Toner
• Moisturiser - Lotion or cream ~ eg. Cetaphil DailyAdvance Ultra Hydrating Lotion

Sensitive Skin: Easily irritated, goes red, gives you a rash, is itchy and skin reacts badly easily.

Types of products:

• Cleanser - Depends on skin type but gentle, natural and with no harsh products ~ eg. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
• Toner - Depends on skin type (preferably without astringent) ~ eg. Natio Rosewater and Chamomile Gentle Skin Toner
• Moisturiser - Depends on skin type but for sensitive skin and is gentle ~ eg. Sukin Sensitive Face Moisturiser 

Combination Skin: People whose skin are more than two skin types. For example oily in your T-zone and normal to dry on your cheeks. 

Types of products: (I didn't recommend any products because it varies on the combination of skin)

• Cleanser - Milk and/or foam on T-zone (depending on what type of combination skin)
• Toner - With or without astringent 
• Moisturiser - Oily free on T-zone and cream or lotion of cheeks (depending on what type of combination skin)

Natural Makeup :)

Hey girls,
Do you ever have those days when you really can't be bothered to wear makeup and there isn't really any need for you to be wearing it? I have those days quite frequently and it doesn't seem necessary for me to do my normal makeup routine. However I still like to feel confident and comfortable in myself so I decided to come up with a makeup look which only consists of a few products which are lightweight and very natural.

Products

• Rimmel Stay Matte Powder
• Nivea Lip Butter
• Maybelline Cover Stick
• Maybelline Mega Plush Volum Express
• Benefit porefessional 
• Eyebrow brush
• Eyelash curler 

So since I was doing a natural look I decided that there was no need to do a full coverage foundation routine so instead I primed my face with the porefessional which gave my skin a smooth, matte complexion and filled in my pores.

I then went in with my concealer and dotted this under my eyes and blended it in with my ring finger.

To finish off my skin I used my stay matte powder and lightly brushed it over my face. If you are wanting more coverage but don't want to use foundation at tip would be to press the powder into your skin evenly using more product. 

For my eyebrows I just combed through them with a brush to make them look more groomed. If your eyebrows tend to go wild during the day a tip would be to put some hairspray on your brush before combing them through. 

I decided to curl my lashes before I applied my mascara because since we aren't using any other eye makeup I wanted them to still stand out and appear wide. Once I curled my lashes I applied a couple of coats of mascara to my top and bottom lashes. 

My last step is to apply some sort of lip balm, I used nivea lip butter because they're so moisturising and I love them but anything will work the same. 

I hope you enjoyed this makeup look and I will be sure to post more soon :)

Ella x  

Beach Day!

The beach is such a beautiful place which is so breath taking and rejuvenating. It so still and calm, yet the waves are constantly breaking and making the loud swishing and crashing sound which somehow relaxes us and distracts us from reality. That is one of the things I love about the beach. All of its natural features like the sounds, views, colours, textures, smells is what makes it so special. It gives you so many different things to focus on and each time you are there it is never the same. You will always get that fresh and alive feeling when you are at the beach because in that moment you are free and it is just you and the natural world. Even if you do get salty hair, sand between your toes, stinging eyes and dry lips you will still feel amazing because you have connected with a natural creation which no man could ever create. It is something that will always be there and should never change. Everyone takes away a different experience from the beach but something I'm sure everyone can agree on is that it is so beautiful and should be embraced.

The pictures below are from the weekend when my friend Bre and I went for a walk along the beach. It was really a great day and inspired me to write this post :)

Hope you enjoyed this

Ella x