GAGA ABOUT BEAUTY: HOW TO WEAR MAC CRANBERRY

Mac Cranberry is pretty much a cult shade in the beauty blogging world, but not the easiest to wear. Although it is absolutely gorgeous swatched, its reddy tones can wash you out quite easily if you're pale or make your eyes look super tired. After trying out quite a few combinations here are my top tips on how to wear this autumnul shade and look as fabulous as it does!

Firstly, I never wear it alone. This is not a one-sweep shadow. I always use a taupe-y shade in the crease as a transition shade before I apply so that I aren't blending the red up to the high heavens. Here I used Mac Omega. I then apply Cranberry all over the lid and blend slightly with a 217 brush. I then take a smudgey brush to line the bottom lashes with it too. 

At this stage I still look like I've been rubbing my eyes for about an hour, so I line the upper lash line with a very, very, very thin line of liquid eyeliner and also use a brown/black kohl on the lower lashline and blend this into the Cranberry. You can see this on the top picture. I think bringing the colour slightly underneath the eye keeps it really modern and also keeps detracts from eye bags! I also add a little Mac Smut into the outer eye to create a wing and darken up the look, but if you're not used to a dark smokey eye just the Omega would be enough.

Add lots of black mascara to open the eyes. If you need to, a nude liner on the waterline would also stop you from looking tired. 

The complexion is equally important too. I make sure to use lots of bronzer to warm me up and prevent me from looking like a zombie, plus a little of Mac Stereo Rose to add colour without overloading and ending up with a bad case of rainbow face. 

I stay lipstick free on this look and just wear a little balm as the eyes are quite colourful. You could always go for a 'Your Lips But Better' nude too which would look fab, or go all out plum with a berry lip if you have the guts!

I used all Mac products here from my quad but obviously they aren't the cheapest, you could always use other alternatives. I'd love to know a cheap Cranberry dupe if anyone knows of one!

How do you wear colourful shades? What do you think of this look?

Charlotte x

GAGA ABOUT BEAUTY: ANYONE FOR ORANGE-AID?

Orange is definitely the it-colour this summer. Clothes, accessories, lips and blush, tangerine shades are popping left right and centre. But orange is a daunting shade to rock, even for a bright lip lover like me. I've been putting many different offerings to the test over the past couple of months and I've come up with four gorgeous products that can rock that orange trend whether you want to be subtle or bold.

For a barely-there pop of orange, if you don't wear much makeup or just want easing in, Benefit's new Cha Cha Balm is the most subtle orange I've come across, but isn't very buildable, so more pigmented lipped ladies should probably steer clear. Still for the tiniest pop of orange this is a really lovely moisturising balm too that's fool-proof in application too. Next up is another sheer offering but something that packs a little more punch. Topshop's Sheer Lips in Play With Fire is a more muted orange, more like a salmon meets coral, so more wearable than a more true orange shade. However, this will still give a shot of colour. Another good option, and one with a little more orangeness, is Topshop's Infrared, a bright orange with a glossy, wearable finish. Finally, for anyone who fancies going all out on the orange lip trend, Mac's Morange is the most obvious choice. Slightly red toned, this is easier to wear than it looks, plus has a really brightening effect to the face. If you're worried about whether you can pull off an orange, a reddy toned one like this could be your best friend, and with a semi-matte finish it can be blotted to matte for more impact or left slightly glossy for less bang!

 (left to right: benefit chachabalm, topshop play with fire, topshop infrared, mac morange)

What are you're favourite oranges? I would love to try more so let me now what you love...

Charlotte xx

the only reds you could ever need

Lately I've been revamping and de-cluttering my room, and I've been thinking about ways of streamlining my ever-growing collection more and more. One thing I have way way too many of is red lipsticks. Although I will probably never stop buying them, more than ten red lip products is really too many for the average person. In fact, I've shortlisted my favourites to just three key red lip products to help you achieve every look you could want without the heavy price tag.
 

1. The Buildable Balm: A red tinted balm is any red lip virgin's best friend. Plus perfect for daytime. The Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me is the best I've found; one layer is a your lips but better tinge, two or three and you can build up punchy, sheer colour. Summer red, check!

2. The Blue Red Liner: The winter red. These tend to be darker than your orangey reds and super flattering (really eye and teeth whitening too). It layers fine under orange-reds without changing the undertone as well as being gorgeous on its own. Now you could have this as a lipstick, but having it in a liner like Barry M Lip Liner in 03 also gives you the option to create a subtle ombre lip look with darker tones around the outside. Ombre = fuller, sexier lips.

3. The Orange Red Lippy: A failsafe and an all year favourite. Can be layered over the darker liner or worn alone for a bright pop. If you're feeling ill, hungover, or had one too many late nights an orange red lip like Nars Red Square or Mac Lady Danger can perk you up in a jiffy. Here your balm can come in to create another look, layered on top to create a juicy but full pigment look. Gorgeous in photos too. Or you can layer with the blue red liner to create a more true red, if you have some time on your hands.

So there you have it, a balm tint, a stronger sheer gloss, a blue toned red, an orange toned red, an ombre, a true red, a glossy take on both reds, a range of shades and finished for all seasons and all occasions. In just three products. I'm proud even if I do say so myself.

What red's do you rely on? What are your multitasking favourites? Could you stick to just three lipsticks?

 

Charlotte xx

beautiful london

As you'll probably know last week I took a little weekend trip to London to visit my best friend, and we had a perfect few days exploring, drinking Prosecco, eating amazing foods (see this post) and most importantly shopping!

It seems in the last six months I've been turned into the typical blogger, and ended up getting on the train with a shopping list as long as my arm of things you can only get in London, or not many places. Of course I picked up a few more accessible things on my trip too.

My first stop was Selfridges. I managed to make it from Kings Cross to Hammersmith via the Selfridges Beauty Hall in just over an hour, woman on a mission, so much that a lady actually said to me 'You seem to know what you've come for'. I did. I picked up a copy of Allure Magazine, something I've been dying to read for ageeees now. I mean, a magazine only about beauty, hello! I also picked up some Muji drawers, pictured above, which I have been playing with and rearanging ever since.

Next stop was Inglot, a store I've been dreaming about since first hearing about it. I'm a sucker for a pallette, so being able to walk around and put pretty much any combination of products together was like heaven to me. I picked up a gorgeous matte blush and three brown-grey shades of shadow, as well as fluffy applicator brush which reminded me of my beloved Mac 239. At £27.50, the pallette was much cheaper than Mac's similar offering and just as impressive quality, if not more. I can't wait to try more of their products next time I'm down there, I especially liked the look of the eye pigments. 

Then we headed to Kiko, another pro brand that is only available in London, but one I've heard really good things about. Unlike Inglot I had no idea what I wanted in here, but after a long chat with the really helpful assistant and picking up about a hundred different things, I walked away with a really glossy gel-effect top coat, which I really am loving, and a super-long eye pencil in a creamy dark brown which stays put once applied. Love it!

Another trip to Selfridges with more time to browse and I finally managed to get my hands on the Charlotte Tilbury Makeup Bag I've been lusting after for a long time. I've attempted to buy this before, but it always seem out of stock. Well now it's mine. I also like to pretend that the CT actually stands for me instead, ha!

I then headed to the less exclusive Mac, which we all know I buy from regularly, and picked up a blush in Gingerley, a beautiful matte bronzy shade that blends seamlessly with a sculpted look to add a subtle colour pop, and also the cult Soft and Gentle highlighter because I just had to try it. I also rather impulsively purchased Fix+, something I've heard mixed reviews of and just wanted to try. I wish I'd only bought the travel size now though, I'm not all that impressed, mainly because it sprays in random directions, and simply doesn't match up to Urban Decay's All Nighter which I really love. Finally, I picked up a silver palette from the Pro Store for my mum, really quite pointless as you can use the back of your hand but I know she saw them used in store and liked the idea, so I picked it up as part of a belated Mother's Day gift. It's the thought that counts eh?

My Inglot Pallete *heart eyes emoji*

And that completes my London beauty haul. I didn't do too bad I don't think, and managed to restrain myself from buying any lipsticks! Virtual pats on the back welcome. 

Have you had any hauls lately? What do you think of my purchases? Have you tried any of these products or have any recommendations for my next trip?

Love Charlotte

xxx

haulin, haulin : treating myself in mac

I seem to have been shopping like crazy lately! With the passing of some major uni deadlines and trips to both London and Amsterdam in the last week it's been treat-time every day and in too big quantities. Hauls = happy me, but not so happy purse!

My first haul was in MAC, ahh the joys! I've always liked MAC but it is rather expensive and so I don't get to splurge beyond a lipstick very often. However, all my amazing friends bought me a makeover and vouchers to spend at the counter in Harvey Nichols in Leeds, and boy did I enjoy it. 

Firstly I was after a foundation, something I've never tried from Mac but everyone raves about. As their offerings are usually quite heavy, and this was a treat buy, I wanted a base for special occasions and nights out so I went for the full coverage studio fix, in both NC30 and NC15  (the lighter one for during the day). Overall I'm really impressed, it really does cover all but it's actually not as heavy as I expected, and it really stays put too. The colour range is what stands out most, these really match my normal skintone and tanned version perfectly, plus the finish is a really nice matte that lasts as well. A big thumbs up for studio fix!

Next I created myself a new quad. Although Mac shadows don't come close to urban decay offerings for me, I do love the wide range of colours and finishes they offer, plus I was looking for some new matte browns. These three, omega, mystery and charcoal brown (from lightest to darkest), were just what I wanted. The pink shade, yoghurt, was one that I would never usually go for but was used during my makeover as part of a smoky eye and I've been hooked ever since. These quads don't come in cheap at £46, but seen as I had vouchers it didn't hurt so much. Not sure I'd use my own pennies at that price though. 

Finally I picked up the much hyped Mineralise Skinfinish in Stereo Rose, a big blogger favourite. A lot of people have been dissapointed in this latest release of it, and I'm a bit on the fence to be honest. The product in general I absolutely love, and at first gave amazing pigmentation and a shimmery pink/coral colour that would suit most. I find it works best as a blush/higlights used sparingly on the uppermost parts of the cheekbones, rather than the apples. If using a contour and bronzer, it really ties the whole look together and makes it more natural. However, as other have expressed, depending on the amount of gold running through it (the line parts), you can get an amazing or a little dissapointing result. At first I loved it, now I'm a little deflated. I'm hoping with a bit more usage the gold tones will return. Fingers crossed. I think this is a case of luck as each compact is slightly different, I'd advise to check in store before you buy. 

And that was my first Mac haul....

More posts coming very soon on my huge shopping sprees in London and also a little lifestyle on what I got up to.

If you liked my post please let me know by commenting or following on bloglovin, it means the world...

As always, I love to hear from you....

Love Charlotte

xxx

Giving up lipstick for Lent...

Apologies that I've been a little MIA lately but life has gotten super-hectic again, I can't wait for easter to get back to blogging all the time. For anyone who doesn't know, I've giving up lipstick for lent (buying not wearing), and in a mission to keep myself sane and actually get through the whole 40 DAYS ARGH I'm making every effort to use all my different lip products that I love and have forgotten!

Before I gave lipstick up, I had a teeny weeny (read: huge) splurge on lipstick and these are two that I got last week. I've bought a lot of Mac lately, oops!!

Here's a nice nude/pink I've been after for a while, Pink Plaid. It can look really pink or quite nude depending on my other makeup and whether I have a tan, but it's far from bright so it's the perfect everyday shade. Second I got the newly re-released Heroine. If you follow me on instagram (charlgaga) you miiiiight have seen my purple lip craze lately and when I saw this had come back out in store I snapped it up straight away. It looks a lot scarier on the paper and in the bullet than it does on the lips, but have the bronzer ready if you want to avoid a touch of the corpse bride. Again check out my instagram to see it in real life. 

I really love these two, they are pricey at £15 but they are one of the best ranges about, especially as there's so many mattes (my fave) compared to high street brands.

Wish me luck for the rest of NoLipstickLent, and expect lots more lip updates coming soon...

Love Charlotte

xxx