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

My Halloween Look : Beetlejuice!

Yes BEETLEJUICE! Not Cruella DeVille, not Micheal Jackson (don't understand where that suggestion even came from!), Beetlejuice! Anyways, I loved the look and I love doing something a bit different on halloween, going out as a zombie last year with a million other zombies inspired me go a bit more out there this year, and seen as I had these stripey dress already I though it would be perrrrfecto!

Heres how I got the look- I applied a powder highlighter (any white one will be fine, or very white face powder) all over my face first to make myself pale. Also note, don't do a stupid me and fake tan the morning before creating a look like this, you'll just make things a lot harder!

Then I took my Real Techniques Stippling Brush and contoured face extremely with Bourjois Black Eyeshadow, blending it out with a big powder brush.

I also rubbed a bit of eyeshadow into my forehead wrinkles to create that Beetlejuicy face. 

For the eyes I smudged a lorra lorra black eyeliner (I used Urban Decay but it's not essential) right around the eyes and onto both waterline, and then applied a lot of Purple Eyeshadow in a big circle around the eyes, right up to the eyebrow and blended out in the whole eye-circle/bag area. After this I applied the black eyeshadow closer to the eye to darken it up even more.

Finally I used a Bourjois White Eyeshadow along the top of my cheekbones, a little on the forehead and down the nose to make myself very sparkly, shimmery and white, and also to create those killer cheekbones which I must admit are not my own, I wish!

Although I went for Beetlejuice I think this look could work for a lot of different fancy dress ideas, especially if you try it with different colours! I loveeeee fancy dress, bring on the next one!....

Lot of love,