M.A.C. Master-class at London Fashion Week 2012

Back in February I was very lucky to get invited by M·A·C to attend a special make up master-class at London Fashion week! I've never been to a fashion week before so even just walking around the fashion week grounds at Somerset House in London felt really cool. 

As the official makeup sponsor of London Fashion week 2012 M·A·C had their own suite set up for us to enjoy breakfast, browse around their new collections and get to see Pablo Rodriguez, MAC's senior makeup artist, recreate a catwalk look from start to finish.

Me with my exhibition pass, feeling pretty 'cool' ;)

Self portrait and goody bags!

The look that Pablo was going to show us was designed especially for Stephanie Rolland Spring 2012 show as seen on the runway at the Haute Couture Paris Fashion week.

This is definitely not your every-day kind of makeup! It's a very dramatic winged smokey eye but I think the look really suited the collection which contained a colour palette of black, white, red and lime green and where silhouettes were kept simple with highly sculptural and exaggerated flounces.

This is model Yasmin Le Bon closing the show wearing a blood-red gown that weighed over 45kg!

OK now to the look.... Pablo started using M·A·C Studio Sculpt foundation which he stippled on with a M·A·C 188 brush, then he dabbed Select Cover-Up Concealer under the eyes to conceal dark circles and then he set the base with Blot Powder using the M·A·C 168 brush.

The model looking very fresh faced ;)

For the eyes he lined both the waterline and upper inner lashline with Feline eyeliner. He then pressed M·A·C Fluidline Eyeliner in Blacktrack (one my favourite products) all over the eyelids and blended it out with the 224 brush.

To achieve the dramatic look as seen on the runway he applied M·A·C Pro Acrylic Paint in black with a mascara brush to create a feathered, paint 'splattered' effect and the lashes got a layer of MAC False Lashes mascara. To finish off the face he applied a new contouring creme with his fingers under the cheekbones and the cheeks received a lovely gentle flush of colour with M·A·C Pink Swoon blush. The final touch was a nude pink gloss on the lips in the form of MAC Lipglass in Underage. As you can see it was all really about the eyes with this look by keeping the rest of the makeup very simple! 

TADA the finished look. I love this edgy winged smokey eye!

It was really cool to see such a special look created up close and Pablo was truly amazing and answered all our questions :) Sometimes catwalk makeup can look very complicated but when you get taken through the steps you can realise it is not actually always that hard! I left feeling the master class feeling super inspired and passionate about makeup. 

Thank you very much M·A·C for my lovely London Fashion Week experience ♥ xoxo

How to create a messy bun with Goody spin pins!

A few month's ago I saw this advert on TV for the product 'Goody Spin Pins' and I was instantly intrigued and knew I just HAD to get myself some of these pins. They said 'now available at Boots' so the next day I rushed myself to my local Boots store, but no luck :( Over the next few weeks, every time I was near a Boots store I would go in full with excitement only to be disappointed....I couldn't find them anywhere! Turns out I wasn't the only girl who had been intrigued by this advert because the Goody Spin Pins were pretty much sold out everywhere in the UK. So yes after a few weeks of searching the excitement eventually wore off and I'd pretty much forgot all about them until I actually spotted some in Boots accidentally few months later! There they were the Spin Pins right in front of me for only £4.99.....and so the love affair with these pins began ;)

Now some of you might be thinking, what on earth is she going on about?! Well let me tell you about these brilliant pins. Would you like to create simple messy bun's like this but have always found it too tricky to do?
Well than the Goody Pin Spins are the answers to your prayers!! It's super easy to twist and style with the Simple Styles Spin Pins. They come in a pack of two (available in shades blonde and brunette) and each pin has the equivalent hold of 20 bobby pins!

These are the Blonde ones!

"All you need to do is wrap hair around itself into a top knot, bun or romantic side bun. Then simply twist the Spin Pin through the bun to insert, and untwist to remove. It glides smoothly in and out of hair, without snagging or tangling thanks to the double dipped ends. A compact six-layer coil design with the hold of 20 bobby pins, smaller than a lipstick it fits perfectly into make up bags.

The flexible tension spiral moves smoothly through all hair types. The Spin Pin adjusts in size for optimum hold in fine to super-thick, straight or curly hair to create free-floating suspension."

Here are the instructions provided on the back of the packet!


I am seriously in love with these pins and have been telling all my friends about them. It's such a brilliant concept and it works with thin or thick hair and you'll be amazed how only two pins can hold the bun so tightly all day long! Here is another look I created using the pins....

And to show you how SUPER SIMPLE it is to create this look I have filmed it for you!

Here's my little turorial video :)
UPDATE: If the below video is blocked in your country, here is the link for a version without sound so hopefully you can view that one! Let me know if any problems....

I honestly think these pins are such a FAB invention and would recommend them to any girl that wants to create fun and simple up-dos :) You can purchase them at Boots online here now!

Have you heard of these Spin Pins before? Hope you enjoyed my little video xoxo

NARS - Makeup Your Mind: Express Yourself

The other night I was invited to Harvey Nichols in Knightbridge to check out the new NARS makeup book, plus to experience one of their amazing 'MakeUp Your Mind' masterclasses for myself!

In 2001, François Nars published Makeup Your Mind, a best selling beauty manual featuring glossy photographs uniquely overlaid with clear instructional guides. The first in a series of three books, featured professional models photographed 'before' (without makeup) and 'after' (with makeup), demonstrating the transformative effect of makeup effect plus instructions on how to achieve the looks at home! 

In his new book, Makeup Your Mind: Express Yourself he takes the before-and-after concept to the next level by transforming 56 real women and men scouted on the streets of New York City. The people vary in age from 16 to 64, and represent a wide range of countries including Russia, South Afrika, Guatemala and Sweden. I love the fact that in François books, he doesn't just write about the makeup application, but shows readers how it’s applied by including “before” and “after” pictures overlaid with clear paged diagrams, it gives you a great instant visual of the transformation!

"My hope for this book, and for my makeup, is to give you the information and tools with which to express yourself in as many different ways as you can dream up" - François Nars

At the event I got to have a good look through the book and check out all the amazing transformations!
Then I got told to pick a look that I liked, for one of their talented makeup artists to transform moi :)
I chose a look called 'the Ballerina' because I really liked the soft eye matched with a bright pink lip!This is me at the end of my Makeup Your Mind Masterclass showcasing the finished look! I really loved the result, because it's quite different to my usual makeup looks! On my lips he used the new 'Carthage' Pure Matte Lipstick, which has just launched as part of their Summer 2011 Collection. I want.... ;)

Also check out this cool website they created for the the Makeup Your Mind book! Here you can select some of the looks from the book and 'try it for yourself' - it will provide you step by step instructions how to recreate the look!

Inspiring customers to have fun with different makeup looks, you can now experience one of these great Makeup Your Mind Masterclasses for yourself at Harvey Nichols at only £35 for a 2 hour class, which is redeemable on product! Plus you will leave with a personalised face chart & complimentary travel size 'Orgasm Illuminator'.

If you are looking for a beauty manual book then I think Makeup Your Mind; Express yourself is fantastic because it provides very detailed instructions to create so many different looks ranging from natural and demure to dazzling and outrageous. It's also lovely to see the looks on real men and woman with different skin tones, face shapes, ages and ethnicities. I also really like that on the clear overlay it will say 'champagne eyeshadow' for example so if you don't have the particular NARS product used, you can still recreate the look with a similar product that you do own.  The book provides insider knowledge from François but also encourages people to be who they are and express their individuality through makeup. In a recent interview with François he talked about how he came up with the looks for each subject:
"Instead of crafting each look based on what suited the individual's personality, I focused on bringing out her or his natural beauty, rather than concealing it. Ideally you want someone to say to you, "you look great!" rather than, "your makeup looks great". You should always see the person first and the makeup second" I think this is SO true!

Makeup Your Mind: Express Yourself (£29.99) is available now at Harvey Nicols and narscosmetics.co.uk 

Plus check out this amazing video tutorial by Sam of Pixiwoo, where she recreates an emerald green eyes look from the book! xoxo

M.A.C BAFTA Runway to Red Carpet Event‏

Last week I was so lucky to be invited to a M·A·C BAFTA Runway to Red Carpet Master-class event! Because M·A·C is the official beauty partner to the Phillis British Academy Film Television awards taking place on Sunday 22 May at Grosvenor House in London, M·A·C Make-Up Artists from the M·A·C Pro Team will be on hand to provide make-up services to VIP's in town for the awards at the M·A·C Beauty Style Suite at Pelham Hotel in South Kensington.  

A group of us bloggers got an amazing look around the Beauty Suites and got to experience a style suite red carpet masterclass hosted by M·A·C senior artists, Lynsey Alexander & Neil Young. They demonstrated two contemporary yet iconic looks and shared many fantastic tips!

Lynsey & Neil in action on the stunning models!

On the night I took some little video's while they were doing the make up and caught some great tips on camera which I wanted to share with you all: 

The finished looks; a modern bright pink lip called 'Show Orchid' & a bronze 'Antiqued' smokey eye!

Don't you think the model on the left looks a bit like Rihanna??? On the right: me with the lovely and talented M·A·C Make-Up Artists Neil & Lynsey!

Here even more top tips on creating stunning red carpet makeup and keeping it camera flawless all evening long! And even though you or I probably won't be attending a red carpet event any time soon haha, I think these tips are perfect for any girl that wants to create beautiful long lasting evening makeup looks:

♥ Lynsey Alexander on skin:

'For camera ready skin it's important to spend a bit of time prepping before you apply foundation. If you have time, exfoliating will ensure your skin is at its smoothest, allowing further products to glide on easily. Add a brightening serum before you apply moisturiser or alternatively a luminising cream such as M·A·C Strobe Liquid. Apply foundation to create a dewy glowing skin, my favourite is 'Studio Sculpt' foundation because it is gel based and acts like a second skin leaving a creamy satin finish on the face.  Set your base with a light sweep of M·A·C Mineralize SPF15 Loose Finishing Powder and make sure you have a blotting compact for touch ups (this will remove shine, without adding more coverage).' Lynsey Alexander

♥ M·A·C Senior Artist Caroline Donnely on highlighting:

'With intense flashes from the cameras on the red carpet the face can sometimes become 'bleached' out, flattening the features. Adding highlights to the cheekbones, cupids bow and brow bones works beautifully. Cult M·A·C product Strobe Cream when applied to the bridge of the nose adds a gorgeous glow as well as to the already mentioned areas'

♥ M·A·C Senior Artist Pablo Rodriguez on eyes:

'Eye makeup for red carpet is generally very neutral. Neutral meaning more brown and greys used rather than any other colour. This however does not mean natural. There is ALWAYS a glamour element to it, Sculpt the eye shape with long socket lines, and shading under the eyes too, M·A·C shadow in Wedge is a great shade to do this with.  Eyebrows must be groomed and defined, but still kept soft. M·A·C brow set in clear is a perfect tool to achieve this!' 

♥ M·A·C Senior Neil Young on Styling your makeup to your outfit:

'There are many ways to approach your makeup styling once you know what you are wearing. If the dress and hair reflects an iconic era then it makes a great statement to continue your makeup along the same theme. We see it often with regards to the classic red lip/brow and a chignon hair style. However try to keep the feel modern by considering texture as much as colour, to bring the makeup up to date and on trend. Be very cautious about matching makeup to the colour of the dress, more often than not a monochromatic makeup works best, so select tones that work with your dress rather than it match it exactly. Also remember, less is more! When the dress is already making a big statement, you can never go wrong with a classic contemporary makeup.'

I truly loved this event! It was fabulous to get one-on-one time with such talented senior makeup artists to be able to ask them questions and I ended up leaving feeling very inspired! :) Now I can't wait to see what looks M·A·C will be creating on the celeb's on May 22 at the BAFTA Awards. Watch this space.... :) xoxo

You spin me right round, baby, right round!

Don’t us girls always want, what we don’t have? Well, being a naturally straight haired girl, I am always on a mission to find great products that give me that perfect sexy wavy beach hair look that I adore so much! I usually curl my hair with my GHD’s (my straightening iron of choice!) and I have to say I have become pretty quick and good at creating curls this way but I still find the curls a little too ‘perfect’. Sometimes I just crave to have perfectly messy boho hair; like the Olsen twins!

You see what I mean??? ;) Love it ♥

So when over a year ago I kept reading reviews about this blow-dryer that could dry your hair and create a curls at the same time I was intrigued. What were they talking about? Well it’s the Remington Spin Curl Dryer. I read raving reviews and loved the results people were showing in pictures so from then on I was dying to get my little paws on one! But I was out of luck, I couldn’t get it anywhere in NZ or online! Then time passed, and I had kind of forgotten about this product until I stumbled across it at Sainsbury’s (my local supermarket) just before Christmas offered at ½ price! The normal price is £39.99 and I got it for £19.99! Because I needed a UK plugged dryer anyway this was ideal because the Remington Spin Curl is basically a normal blow dryer that comes with a wind tunnel attachment.

Instructions on how to use the Remington Spin Curl Dryer:
♥ Wash your hair the normal way and detangle it, so it’s nice and smooth
♥ Apply some curl enhancing mousse/spray to help create better and longer lasting curls. (I normally use my Aveda's Phomollient Styling Foam) 
♥ Use the nozzle and blow dry your roots & fringe first!
♥ Then attach the spin curl (wind tunnel) attachment..
♥ Section your hair, starting at the bottom and feed small sections of your hair into the cylinder (one at a time) and turn the dryer on its most powerful setting and highest speed. You can use small or chunkier sections, depending on how ‘tight’ you want the curls to be.
♥ Let each section of hair get twirled around for about 20 seconds while you slowly move the dryer up and down.
♥ Don’t be scared (I was initially too) but there’s nothing that your hair can get stuck in. It’s just a tube and the air will spin your hair and twist the sections so they come out looking like dreadlocks!
♥ Continue doing all your hair until you pretty much look like a rastafari! See below :)

Now all you have to do is just let the dreadlocks cool down. When cool gently separate them (with your hands) to create that soft natural wave! So this is me with my Olsen Twin hair!

Makeup I am wearing in these photos is: Bourjois Little Round Pots in #90 (white) #93 (gold) & #74 (dark brown). Blush is Well Dressed by MAC and on my lips is Sephora Super Shimmer Lipgloss in "Apricot Soufflé

So what do you think of my wavy hair?? I LOVE it! With my hair like this I feel so different and almost a bit like Shakira, haha! Definitely would recommend this product if you are after boho beachy hair – it's super easy to use and creates long lasting wavy hair. xoxo

Smokey Eye Tutorial using Club eyeshadow =

Hi darlings, 

Guess what? I filmed another video tutorial! 

I know, I know....it's been a while since my last one..... (sorry!) In today's video I'm showing you how to create a Smokey Eye using just ONE brilliant MAC eyeshadow called Club. This is the finished look: 

Products used in the tutorial:
♥ Face:
Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer
Revlon ColourStay Foundation in Sand Beige (#180)
MaxFactor Creme Puff in Translucent (#5)
Rimmer Natural Bronzer in Sunlight
MAC Well Dressed Blush

♥ Eyes:
MAC Club eyeshadow
MAC Brule eyeshadow
MAC Smolder eyeliner
MAC Fluidline gel liner
L'Oreal Voluminous mascara

♥ Lips:
Sephora Lipgloss in Apricot Souffle

I really enjoyed filming this video and have made a promise to myself to do LOTS more!

Therefore I'd love to know if you have any specific tutorial requests; perhaps a look I have done in one of my past FOTD's? Please put your request in the comment section below or feel free to email me directly!
Thank you :) xoxo

Summer Eye Tutorial#

Hey everyone!
I have uploaded a new video tutorial on my YouTube Channel :)
It's a Peachy Gold eye with a "pop" of blue on the waterline (semi inspired by Stephanie Pratt)

Check out the video below:

Products used in this video:
MAC paint pot in Rubenesque
MAC All that Glitters eyeshadow
MAC Wedge eyeshadow
MAC Nylon eyeshadow
MAC Fluidline in blacktrack
MaxFactor 2000Calorie Mascara
NARS Orgasm Blush
MAC Creme Cup lipstick
Sephora Plumping lipgloss, clear

Before filming this tutorial I had already applied:
MAC Studio Fix Fluid & Powder in NC20
Revlon Concealer & Revlon Bronzer

Song: Inna with Amazing (such a great Summer song ♥)

I hope you enjoy this tutorial xoxo

Who says DIY is not for girls? :p

Hi my lovelies,
So the other day I accidentally (duh) dropped my MAC Springsheen blush compact on the floor..and **SMASH** all the powder was broken and spread across the wooden floor :( There wasn't that much left in the compact but I still didn't want to just throw it away. So I picked up the broken pieces and decided to DYI fix it! This is how I did it:

The main subject - the broken blush :(

1) Move the broken product into a paper towel & with a spoon (or other object) gently crush it down to a powdery consistency. 

2) Place the powder into a little bowl and add some drops of rubbing alcohol (not the kind of alcohol you can drink girls!) haha

3) Mix the powder & alcohol until it becomes like a paste.

4) Spoon the paste back into the compact & smooth out with cling-film.

Remove the cling film and leave the compact open to dry. This could take anywhere from 1 to 4 hours. For best results, let the make up to dry overnight to allow the alcohol to evaporate and for the powder to become stiff and ready to use!

Tada, my DIY fixed blush. Such a proud moment!

Who say's DYI is not for girls right? ;)

Pink & Purple EOTD Tutorial

Hey my lovelies,
Bleh it's been SUCH a rainy weekend here in Wellington which is just sooo drab. But then again it's been good in a way to kick myself into gear to start packing for my big adventure. I can't believe I leave in about 3 weeks!

I filmed another tutorial this weekend for a Pink & Purple EOTD:

Products used in this video:

On my face I was already wearing my foundation (MAC Studio Fix Fluid & Powder in NC20) concealer and some bronzer (revlon)

♥Eyes:
MAC Paint Pot in Rubenesque (base)
MAC Pink Venus e/s (inner to middle of lid)
MAC Trax e/s (lid & crease)
MAC Grain (inner corner of eye & brow bone)

MAC Smut e/s (crease)

MAC Smolder eyeliner (waterline)
CS Gel Liner - True Black (upper lash line)
Maybelline Collosal Volume Express Mascara

♥Lips:

Lancome - Juicy Tube in "Lychee" (I think....)

I hope you enjoy this video! xoxo

Not sure why it's showing up with the weird big black borders. Check it out in full on my You Tube Channel

Brown Smokey Eye Tutorial

Hi lovelies,

I have recorded another tutorial using two of my favourite MAC eyeshadows; Satin Taupe & All that glitters. The result is a lovely brown smokey eye. I'm not 100% happy with the video myself because I had to cut bits and speed a few things up to get it under the 10 minute YouTube allowance. I need to be faster and more efficient obviously :p (all a learning experience right?)

See below outline of all the products used in this look:

♥ Face:

MAC Studio Fix Fluid & Powder in NC20

Revlon Concealer

Revlon Bronzer

NARS Orgasm Blush Powder

♥ Eyes:

NYX Jumbo Pencil in French Fries (base)

MAC All That Glitters e/s

MAC Satin Taupe e/s

MAC Carbon e/s

MAC Smolder eyeliner

CS Gel liner - true black

MAC Zoom Lash Mascara

♥ Lips:

MAC Tricolour Lipglass in Consume Me

Hope you enjoy this video:

Let me know if you have any Tutorial requests :)

Hair Curling Tutorial

Whenever I wear my hair curled I usually get compliments & questions from people asking me how I do it so well on myself. I love my hair curly and being able to do it myself (in about 5-10 min) allows me to change my look & hairstyle regularly! Want to learn how?

Well...I finally got round to filming this hair tutorial so... TADA here it is! I really hope it helps the people that are looking to learn how to do this themselves. Please note that there are many different ways to use your straightening iron to curl hair, so I am not saying this is the best or only way...it's just the way I do it. In the end the best tip I can give you = practice! I didn't learn this 'skill' overnight myself, it took me lots of practice to perfect the art of curling haha. 

Good luck! Feel free to ask me any questions :)

Gold & Brown Tutorial

Hey girlies,

I have done it, another tutorial! 
This time a Gold/Brown Eye look using MAC eyeshadows.

Please see the list of products I used below & watch the video if you want see how I created this look.  Every time I see myself on camera I still cringe (from embarrassment).....but anyways at least I hope you all enjoy it :)

Why does YouTube always choose the most random shot for your "thumbnail picture"? Really charming....not! :p
List of products used:
♥Face:

MAC Studio Fix Fluid & Powder in NC20

Revlon Concealer

MAC Bronzer - Refined Golden

NARS Orgasm Blush

♥Eyes:

MAC Paint Pot in Rubenesque (base)

MAC Woodwinked e/s (all over lid)

MAC Mulch (crease)

MAC Carbon (outer crease)

MAC Dazzelight (brow highlight & tearduct)

CoastalScents Gel Liner - True Black

MAC Smolder (waterline)

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara

♥Lips:

NYX Round Lipgloss in Whipped

My very first....

Hi ladies,

I finally decided to do it; my very first....VIDEO TUTORIAL!

The look I created for my tutorial was a simple natural smokey eye using my Sleek Storm Palette.  This is the finished look:

Before the start of the video I had already applied the following products:

MAC Studio Fix Fluid & Powder in NC20

NARS Orgasm Blush

MAC MSF Sunny by Nature Bronzer

Bobby Brown - Natural Brow shaper

So you would like to see how I created this look, please watch the tutorial below :)

I finished off the look with Australis (colour inject, mineral) lip-gloss in "Contemporary". This lip-gloss was a recent drug store purchase (at only NZ$11!) and love it.  Very gorgeous pink beige nude crème shade, plus it has the most delicious lychee/peaches fragrance! I love it when a lip-gloss has a yummy taste :)

Hope you all liked the video tutorial? If yes; I will plan to do more!