laptop mishap.

Helloooo
unfortunately my laptop has rather unconviently decided to completely break. I apologise for the lack of posts and I PROMISE to try and get back on my game for you guys as soon as possible.
much love to you all xx

The best of the best.

I decided it'd be a nice idea to share with you all my favourite online beauty gurus. These are the people that gave me the beauty bug and inspired my beauty blog. In a nutshell they are the ones I love to watch the most! I highly recommend you check these guys out if you haven't already.
I find beauty videos totally addictive and so relaxing to watch. I may include some great blogs in here too, it seems only fitting.

In no particular order...


Tanya Burr! 

Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/pixi2woo
Blog: http://www.tanyaburr.co.uk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tanyaburr
Tumblr: http://thetanyaburr.tumblr.com/



Samantha (Sammi) Maria! 

Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/beautycrush
Blog: http://www.beautycrush.co.uk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MISZMARIA
Lookbook: http://lookbook.nu/SamanthaM
Tumblr: http://lookbook.nu/SamanthaM


The Pixiwoo sisters! (Sam & Nic) 

Youtube channel:http://www.youtube.com/user/pixiwoo
No Blog.. sorry folks
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialPixiwoo
Twitters: https://twitter.com/pixiwoos
              https://twitter.com/nixiepixi


 Ingrid - Miss Glamorazzi!

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/missglamorazzi
No blog again, sorry guys!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/missglamorazzi
Twitter: https://twitter.com/missglamorazzi


Estee! (Essie Button)

Youtube channel:  http://www.youtube.com/user/essiebutton
Blog: www.essiebutton.com
Twitter: @essiebutton
Facebook: www.facebook.com/essiebutton
Email: essiebutton@gmail.com


Fleur de Force!

Youtube channel:http://www.youtube.com/user/FleurDeForce?feature=g-high-lik
Online shop: http://www.fleurdeforce.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/fleurdeforce
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fleurdeforce


Wayne Goss! (Gossmakeupartist) 

 

 Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/gossmakeupartist



Ruth Crilly! (amodelrecommends)

Youtube channel:http://www.youtube.com/user/amodelrecommends

Twitter: https://twitter.com/modelrecommends
Website: http://www.amodelrecommends.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Model-Recommends/100473373335527

 Judy! (Itsjudytime)

Youtube channel:http://www.youtube.com/user/itsjudytime
Twitter: https://twitter.com/itsjudytime
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsjudytime
Blog:http://itsjudytime.blogspot.co.uk/


That's just about it! I hope you enjoy watching these guys as much as I do :)

Who are your favourite beauty gurus?

Much love, 
                 Natalie xxx

Mineralized perfection!

As I informed you all in my last post, I did make a rather naughty purchase recently.. The christmas cash was on hand and well I figured it was quite the investment.

As a pale lady finding the perfect foundation is no easy feat. The foundation market is MASSIVE and to be honest about 90% of it completely useless to someone with a pale complexion. The masses of orange-toned and yellow foundations out there can sometimes make it seem near impossible to find something that suits. I had to bite the bullet and go higher end to get a foundation that wasn't gonna make me look like I'd dived head first into orange paint - very unflattering orange paint. My combination skin type never really helped matters, some were too dry and others too greasy. I found myself fleeting to MAC only to be matched incorrectly 3 times and then ultimately told 'they didn't make my foundation shade in a non-drying foundation'. Nightmare. I really had thought MAC was the place to go, clearly I was wrong. It was from that day that my mission began.. I watched and read countless reviews on foundations to try and find something I would be happy with, it was tedious to say the least. If you're someone who always managed to find their foundation shade quite easily, god how I envy you.

My ultimate saviour came in the form of one brand... a brand i'd never considered before. It floated amongst the make-up counters in Debenhams but i'd never quite ventured over, but having exhausted all other measures I decided I had nothing to lose and went over to talk to the lady at the Bare Minerals counter (sometimes named Bare Escentuals, just depends). When she first described the concept of the mineralized foundation alarm bells were ringing in my head 'DRY SKIN. POWDER AND DRY SKIN DISASTER'. But when she offered to test run the foundation on me, I couldn't say no. She was so pleasant and helpful, listening to my foundation woes and giving me general advice. I applied moisturizer, Prime Time primer by the brand and then she proceeded to match my foundation shade. When she handed me a mirror I had to supress a squeal of delight - I had found a foundation that a actually matched my face! The foundation feels weightless and smooth on the skin, not greasy or heavy or cakey. It is quite simply, just perfect. I have truely become a Bare Minerals convert and I don't think I'll ever quite go back.

The coverage is buildable depending on the brush and amount of product used, but I'll go into greater detail on that later. I decided to go for the best value for money and get their new 'Get Started 8 piece kit' which allows you add your matched foundation in an 8g pot. The foundation also has an SPF of 15 - always handy.


Here's what the kit looks like: 

The Bare Minerals website describes it like this:
"Our ORIGINAL SPF 15 Foundation gives you all the flawless coverage you want with a naturally luminous finish that won't clump or cake. It's proven to improve the appearance of your skin over time. The creamy minerals diminish the look of fine lines and wrinkles without drying out your skin. Its silky, soft texture looks like a powder, but feels like a cream and buffs on beautifully. Made with only the purest, highest quality ingredients. It's makeup so pure you can sleep in it.®"

The foundation comes in about 20 shades, very impressive. I am the shade Fairly Light  Which is their 2nd palest shade, the palest being Fair but they cover the entire spectrum of skin tones to be honest.

The Kit costs about £49. Which seems very steep i'll admit, but it is such good value for money when you consider what you're getting. The brushes in the kit alone would cost you £57!! Never mind the fact the foundation seperately is £24, the All over face colour (warmth) £19 and the Mineral veil £20.. that's not including the sample size primer and instructional DVD. No matter how much it might hurt handing over the £50..This kit is amazingg value.

Here are the brushes you get in the kit:

From the top down: Full flawless Application Face Brush, Flawless Application Face Brush and the Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush 

The brushes are crazy soft and work so well for buffing the makeup seemlessly onto the skin, I just love them. I will note however that I had a bit of fallout from the brush in my first use, this could however of been a first application problem though. They still work beautifully. I used the top brush for buffing in the foundation, the second for applying the Mineral Veil (to seal my makeup and hide pores even more) and then to add some of the bronzer. I used the last brush for some precise foundation application in areas where I needed a bit more converage, blemishes and things. Overall, they're a winner. I agree that it really does create a luminous 'soft focus finish' you have to try it out to see for yourself.

You get this instructional DVD and manual with the kit. They inform you how to best apply the products and really help you get familiar with the brand. It explains their 'swirl, tap, buff' method of application which really is quite idiot-proof :)

This is the sample size primer that comes with the kit. It acts as a pretty sufficient barrier between the make-up and your skin. It is silky smooth and does make your skin feel amazing. But I must admit I haven't had much experience with primers in the past, so i'll let you know how I get on with this one. In combination with some good moisturiser it does create a great base for your foundation, stopping the foundation settling in lines or creases etc.







Here's the three mineral products:

The top is the original foundation, the second is the mineral veil and the third is the all over colour in warmth.


The lighting here is pretty pathetic I'll admit, the foundation is much paler  in true lighting. As a pale kid my inital feelings towards the bronzer were sheer horror as the woman came at my face with the product. I have NEVER gone near bronzer never mind one that daunting a colour. But the colour payoff is surprisingly natural with a light hand and minimal product, I have just about got the hang of it! Don't be as afraid as I was all you people with pale complexions, it's workable I promise. In my opinion the products in combination work beautifully together! I couldn't be more happy with my purchase.


So here's an overall view of everything you get:

If you're struggling to find the perfect foundation, give Bare Minerals a go.. I don't think you'll be dissapointed. I'm happy my foundation hunt is finally over :D

You can find the kit in a number of places in the UK, here's a few:

The Bare Minerals website

Debenhams

House of Fraser

Thanks guys Much Love,
                                      Natalie xxx


Have you had your own foundation woes? - comment :)

Bring on another year! 2013

And so we welcome another year.. It will be a couple of months yet before I get used to writing '2012' on anything but hey ho.
 I have to say some part of me is glad to see the back of 2012, but I'm optimistic about new beginnings. I for one spent New years eve sick with a flu watching TV. We can't all be wild party animals I suppose. I have to say having seen the majority of relatives for New years day lunch I certainly looked a lot fresher than the pained hungover faces around the table.
Lets hope 2013 brings beautiful and amazing things - not to be cliche but time really does fly by doesn't it? I'm not going to get overly sentimental on you all, it's a bit early for that. Hope you all had a wonderful New years wherever you are and whatever you got up to.. don't worry, I won't tell ;) 
I  should have another review coming up for yous very soon on a recent sneaky purchase.. shhh. Christmas money well spent I can tell you that much. Happy with this nifty little product!
All being well I can review a book sometime soon also, gotta have some variety.

What did yous get up to on New Years? let me know!

Much Love,
                     Natalie xx

Introducing me

Hi there! 


Having only made two posts I recently realised I never really took a chance to introduce myself. My name is Natalie Clarke and I'm a self confessed food, beauty, book and music addict. I intend for this blog just to be a big mish-mash of all my interests and general rants. Some times it may be a book or product review (please bear in mind i'm by no means a professional - just a girl with views) and other times it may just be a large rant about something in the hope that I'll find out I'm not alone. My thoughts may occasionally be a bit disjointed and I'm aware I come across a bit crazy. But it'd be absolutely amazing if I were to establish a blog for myself and meet some fellow similar-minded people along the way.

I spent so much time reading other peoples blogs and getting involved that way before I thought to myself one day "Hey, why can't I do that?" I am by every sense a amateur blogger, so bear with me guys. If you find what I say at all interesting then that'd be just wonderful. I'm starting out not quite knowing i'm doing so my bog-standard blog design and features are just something we're all going to have to cope with for now. I'm no HTML whizz kid. The chances are my laptop will crash a few hundred times during just one post - not the most reliable piece of technology. But this is a learning curve, a very steep one.

So that's just a general introduction to myself and my intentions for the blog. I do hope to pick up a few followers along the way :) If you're just starting out like me then let me know, we can be confused together! On the opposite side of the spectrum; if you're well established then your help is much appreciated also!
Thanks for taking the time to read this brief intro.


Much love, Natalie xx

NAKED, and loving it.

I have sucumbed to the stereotypical beauty-blogger-wannabe review. But I couldn't resist. How could
you not love these two amazing palettes by Urban Decay? They are a must have in every makeup kit. The neutral tones make both palettes insanely wearable. The matte shades also make it possible to create everyday looks, with the dark smoky shadows offering a more sultry look. I am truly in love with these palettes. Whilst the original was a triumph, the second was no disapointment!

Here's the two palettes side-by-side, just to give you an impression of the difference:

The above palette is the original and comes in brown suede packaging. The palette shuts via magnet. The Naked 2 palette comes in a metal tin, admitedly, a bit more robust. However, so far I've had no problems with the original in terms of packaging. Both very different, but equally wonderful.


Here's the original Naked palette open:

Colours from left to right: Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep and Gunmetal.






And here's the second version:

Colours from left to right: Foxy, Half Baked, Bootycall, Chopper, Tease, Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol, Verve, YDK, Busted and Blackout. 

You may have noticed that one of the colours appears in both palettes, namely, Half Baked. Whilst some might feel cheated by the overlap, I have no problem with this gorgeous colour being in both. The matte shades in the first palette are Naked and Buck, and in the second; Foxy, Tease and Blackout. They are extremely useful as a transition colour - for blending your colour out in the crease.


There is no reason to really say you should buy one palette over the other, although I would say that the shades in the second version tend to be a bit lighter includes more taupe and beige. Nevertheless the shimmer shades in both are beautiful. The shadows themselves are creamy, smooth and blend like a dream. Not to mention highly highly pigmented! Their weartime and vibrancy is improved by a primer like Two Faced Shadow Insurance or the Urban Decay Primer Potion. Just choose the primer that best works for you. I have swatched both palettes for you (take note I didn't use a primer underneath!).


Here's the original Naked palette:

 

Colours from left to right: Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep and Gunmetal. (the first colour doesn't show up too well against my skin colour - sorry i'm pretty pale..)


And Naked 2:

Colours from left to right: Foxy, Half Baked, Bootycall, Chopper, Tease, Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol,Verve, YDK, Busted and Blackout. (Once again sorry the first colour Foxy is basically invisible on my arm.. it's kind of a yellow-white.)

If you're thinking of purchasing one of these palettes I really can't recomend them enough. I would like to make clear I am certainly no beauty professional or make-up artist, just a girl highly enthusiastic about beauty. If you're torn between one or the other I really couldn't pick - that's why I got both. Swatch both in your nearest Urban Decay and see which work best for you. But I promise that you won't be dissapointed!
In the UK the palettes retail at about £36 each. When you work it out it's actually great value for money,
given you generally get a full size eyeshadow brush with the palette too. The add ons vary from store to store!



Here's a few links to stores where you can purchase these amazing palettes!

Debenhams

House of Fraser

Urban Decay website

Feel free to leave comments down below about how you got on with this palette or any questions you might have, thanks! :) xx

It's official, it's love.

French Maid Dress | Coco Fennell

http://www.cocofennell.com/collections/frontpage/products/french-maid-dress

As soon as I saw this dress on 'Beauty Crush' Sammi's channel I thought I must.have.this.

Only to have my heart broken when I discovered it was £75.. I can dream I guess. Nevertheless it's utterly gorgeous! Classic, sheek and sophisticated. A beautiful piece, if a little bit on the pricey side. Teamed up with a classic chain chanel-style bag it'd be perfect for pretty much any occasion.

Follow the site's blog! www.cocofennell.com/collections/frontpage/products/french-maid-dress