How to properly clean your face!

(Disclaimer - Please everyone remember this is mainly for students and teens as it is cheap and also using as little products as possible. If I wasn't doing this about high street brands and keeping it cheap then I would add a lot more products into this daily routine.
Please also remember this is just how to CLEAN your skin - not how to look after it. If it was a whole face routine I would include a lot more items in this blog. This would include toners, face masks, day + night repair serums/creams and more.)


Now, I know a lot of people out there just use the standard wipe to take all their make-up off at the end of the day. And how do I know this? Because I use to do that. Recently, after watching many-a-video on it, I soon changed that habit.
My skin is combination to oily and so as you may imagine, spots appeared quit frequently. After changing this bad habit of just using a wipe, those spots soon disappeared and none have appeared since!

I recommend first using a wipe, and if you're like me, use wipes that are specifically for spot-prone skin/sensitive skin. The wipes I use are from Boots and they cost me around £2 but were on offer so they will be slightly more expensive when taken off the offer. (Pack of 25). I know a lot of people will be thinking that's a lot for wipes, but its really worth it. I use to use wipes from Asda that cost just £1, but they broke me out in spots quite a lot. Also, the average person uses 1 wipes a day (Possibly 2 if wearing a lot of make-up) so it will last you a majority of the month!
 These new wipes I use are called "Skin Clear, Deep Cleansing Wipes". On the packet it says: "Helps to prevent spots and breakouts, helps to clear spot causing bacteria and helps to cleans away impurities and oils." I 100% agree with this. I have been using these wipes for a while now and no new spots have  appeared and my skin have been perfect as less oil has been appearing on my skin.

Rating: 4/5

Boots - £3.05 (Pack of 25)

After taking off all my face-make-up with a wipe, I then recommend using an eye-make-up remover (If you're wearing eye make-up that is!)

The one I recommend is - L'Oreal Paris Dermo-Expertise Gentle Eye Make-up Remover, 125ml. (Only £1.99 - £3.00 depending on where you shop... I recommend Asda as it's the cheapest I found!) 

I definitely think it is worth the price as it lasts a good month or so (If you use it everyday like I do) All you do if dab a few drops onto a circular cotton sheet and then press onto the eye for a few seconds and wipe away your eyeliner/mascara and eye shadow. What I love about this ever so cheap product is that it even gets rid of waterproof mascara! 

The packaging also looks pretty professional as you will see in the picture below.

Rating: 4/5 

I then use a cleansing lotion. The cleansing lotion which I recommend (especially for you students!) is "Garnier Skin Naturals - Simply Essentials". This cleansing lotion has no perfume, no alcohol and no colourants. With this cleansing lotion all you have to do is squirt a bit onto a cotton pad with it's easy application and then spread it all across your face. It's leaves your face refreshed and smooth and doesn't add any oil onto your skin at all. And I promise you all, I have had NO breakouts at all with this cleansing lotion! It also even perfectly removes the excess eye make-up you may have left on after using the L'Oreal eye make-up remover. (Including water-proof mascara! Always a plus!)
This is the perfect cleansing lotion for people with sensitive skin and combination skin. I would recommend doing this at night when you take you're make-up off and just before you apply your make-up in the morning as it will remove excess oils that are on your skin and make your make-up apply much easier onto your skin.

Rating: 4/5

Boots - £2.99 (200ml)

You'd be horrified how much make-up you still have hiding on your face if you still just use wipes. 

If you have dry skin, I would also recommend using a moisturiser after you've taken all your make-up off  and also before you apply your make-up in the morning to get that natural glow back into your skin. Unfortunately as I have combination to oily skin I can't use moisturiser, so I can't recommend one to you as I have ever had to use it. If you have a moisturiser please leave a comment down below so all my readers can find the right moisturiser for them!


Thank you so much for reading and I will catch you next time, bye! :) X

'Front Cover' Review

Recently I purchased a make-up pallet with a twist.
The pallet has 4 different sections to it and each section contains different types of styles and even a style guide to how to create a look with each section!

Here's a sneak peak of it!

For any of you who have never seen this before - It's by 'Front Cover'. I will leave a link here if you wish to go and check out their website: http://www.frontcovercosmetics.com/?gclid=CKed-pi_l7MCFaTMtAodZhUA4g

There are some things in this pallet which I have never used before in my whole life. One of these things was an 'eye shadow liner'. Basically, it's just a clear liquid in a liquid eye liner type packaging. All you do is get the brush applicator it comes with, put it in ANY eye shadow of your choice and it turns into liquid eyeliner! I have used it a few times now and I absolutely love it as it gives you the opportunity to have any colour eyeliner rather than just the usual black and white! I found that a deep red looks fantastic with a silver and gold smokey eye.

1 of the looks in the pallet is a very sparkly but natural look. It comes with a silver and gold eye shadow 'pen', a pencil sharpener and a coal pencil eyeliner which is doubled up with a smudging brush. I have never found an pencil eyeliner which stays on my eye before which smudging everywhere and this really did stay on for hours. 

The rest of the looks are very much for a night out as they are all bright, yet dark smokey eye looks. They are all great and one of the colours in particular (Fudge) makes a great highlight for under your brow and for the inner corner of your eye. 

It also comes with a duo-mascara which has two different applicators with it (For your top lashes, and bottom lashes) This mascara is great and makes your eyes stand out a lot as if definitely lengthens them and separates them to give a much more natural and subtle look.

Furthermore, you will find an eye shadow primer. I have never used one before because I have never really seen the point in them, and still I don't. I did like it as it made the colours stand out a bit more and made the colours last longer on the lid - but I wouldn't wear a dark smokey eye all day anyway so I just see no need for a primer. 

The colours in this pallet are amazing. They have dark blue, black, creams, purples and the deepest of reds. The only down side I have experienced with the eye shadow is that they don't apply well with the eye shadow brush you are given. I then tried them with my own brushes (Royal and Langnickel are the brushed of my choice. Website here for anyone looking for new brushes: http://www.royalbrush.com/beauty/retailer/makeup_brushes-sets.php) and they went on the lid much stronger, but it still took quite a long time to build up the colours. 

I got this from my place of work for £10.11, but as it's a discount store this isn't there usual price and I managed to snap up the only one we had in! On the 'Front Cover' website (Listed further above) most of their pallets come between £16 - £25, which I think if amazing for the amount you get in them!

Overall rating: 4/5 :-D

My new 'series' sneak peak!

On my YouTube I am starting a new mini series, mainly because Halloween is very near!

For the first look I am uploading later today, I was inspired by a picture I saw of an model in the 80's.
She had fantastic bright colours going all the way up to her brow, the main colour being yellow.
   
I recently purchased the 'Poptastic' pallet from collection 2000. (It was only around £3.99 and has 9 amazing, bright colours in it!) I used 3 colours off this pallet (Purple, black and a matte yellow) and another 2  lighter purples from my Colour workshop purple pallet.
      With just these 5, incredibly cheap eye shadows I managed to pull off a re-creation of what I saw on this model - but I put a twist on it. I used different, slightly deeper colours then the model had on and made it much more dramatic and turned it into a fancy dress inspired look.

The look? 80's inspired superhero! 

Here's a sneak peak, and if you like what you see then be sure to check it out on my YouTube channel!
Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjjcvGHMqIU

High Street Eye Liner Review!

Hey everybody!
As I'm still pretty ill, I thought today I would carry on with Blogging. (Even though I said this would be a once or twice a week thing!) After lying in bed for 3 days and thinking about what I could review from whats just lying around in my bed room, I discovered that I have a wide range of drug store/high street eye liners sitting around my room - All of which I have used many, many times.
So here you have it, my high street/drug store eye liner review!

Firstly, I'm going to start off with my favourite and most reliable eye liner, which I will definitely be re-purchasing.

Name:   Super Liner Perfect Slim.

Brand:   L'Oreal Paris 

Price:     Around £6 (I think I got it for £6.99, so I'd grab it now from Boots as there's a 2 for 1 offer on!)

Colour:  Intense Black

I absolutely love this eyeliner. I have tried so many liquid eyeliners before and they always just smudge off or blot onto the tops of your eye lids as you are applying them - but not this one!

It is so easy to apply this eye liner with as it has a very small, precise applicator which never seems to fray. Also it is just like a pen! There is a small, finger sized area just above the applicator for you to hold on to, so it feels just like holding a pen. 

The applicator is so small and precise that you can create the perfect flick with this "Slim Felt Tip Eyeliner" as it says on the rear side of the pen.

Please remember this is the one I had already used :-)

The only disappointing thing I can express about this eye liner is that is doesn't last for very long. That may be because I used it everyday, but for me it only lasted a few weeks before it started to run out and dry up. (Which, really, isn't that bad at all!) Also, as the eyeliner starts to run out, you have to apply to or 3 layers of the eyeliner to get that 'Intense Black' look to show.

Name: Lasting Colour Gel Eyeliner 

Brand: Collection 2000

Price:   £4.99 (Boots)

Colour: Black

This comes in many different colours including, black, brown, purple, blue and more! Personally as this is the first gel eyeliner I have really used on a regular basis, I can confirm that I would definitely purchase it again. It applies very easily onto the lid and you can create a fantastic intense dark line using just 1 or 2 layers - Which for the price, is great! Flicks for the 'cat-eye' lovers such as myself, are also very easy to achieve with the eye liner. Furthermore, it lasts for absolutely ages! I've even fallen asleep with this one after a few too many (No judging now!) and it was still pretty much perfect the next day. 

The only thing that really bothers me about this product is the applicator that comes with it. After just one try with this applicator the bristles started going all over the place meaning there was no chance of getting a nice smooth line. So, I would 100% recommend using an actual eye liner brush with this great product. 

*MONEY SAVING TIP!* Get a pen eye liner (Like the one shown previously) and once it has ran out use that brush to apply gel eye liners with! Just dip the tip into the gel eyeliner and use it that way - I do it and it works a treat!

Name:  Fast Stroke Eyeliner

Brand:  Collection 2000

Price:    £2.99 (Superdrug)

Colour: 'Black' & 'Brown'.

I used this liquid eyeliner for a good number of years, and as more have come out recently, I stopped using it - but that doesn't mean I don't like this product, because I do very much so. It's applicator brush makes it very easy to apply flicks and for all the ones I've ever purchased the bristles on the applicator don't fray easily.
I agree with the name of eye liner 'Fast Stroke'. The only problem I really have with it, is that it doesn't last all day and every few hours you have to re-apply or touch up. Also, it takes a few strokes to get that really deep colour you always look for in eye liners.
I must say though, I absolutely love the brown version of this product. It gives a super natural look and looks so good with whatever you wear. Its that kind of colour that suits whatever you wear and suits both evening and day time looks.
For £2.99, I 100% recommend this product to students and teens first starting out with make-up as it is easy to apply.

I hope you all enjoyed this review and found it helpful! I'm now off to drink some lemon tea to get rid of my cold.
Catch you next time, love! X

Hair - Why does this always happen?

I could be here for a very long time showing all the pictures of all the hair styles and colour I've had in my life time, but that would just take far too long.
I'm sure everyone (Especially you girls!) have been in a position when they just don't know what to do with their hair anymore. I mean at the moment my hair is pretty dull. It's just plain brown with horrible colours coming through where the brown hair dye has faded and the blonde that I use to have there is now showing through again. Oh, and it's got more dead ends then anything!

My current, very boring hair. And I'm ill, which somehow makes it look worse!

Anyway, I have had more hair colours then should be allowed. The very first time I dyed my hair was when I was in year 7 (English school system...) I think that would junior high for all you Americans out there reading my blog! (I think....!) I dyed my hair red. It was nice, but then it faded, as always, and turned to a dull brown colour. Then I did highlights, then low lights, then dyed it all blonde which was a very bad choice as it turned massively ginger(!!!!) I've also had purple hair, black hair with a red fringe and most recently I dyed my hair black and pink, which I loved, until the pink faded out.

Before...

After...

After getting highly fed up of hair dye that doesn't stay in my hair for a matter of washes,I just dyed my hair back to my natural colour (Chocolate brown) which what it is currently like now. BUT, not only the colour is bothering me, but I realised that cutting my hair short really wasn't what I wanted. When I first got my hair cut short (Compared the length it was before!) I really loved it, but now it's just at the awkward stage where it's neither long nor short.

Before I had it cut.

After it was cut.

Now I just realise that I miss my long hair, and I miss it all being one colour without any weird colours starting to appear thanks to a previous colour you may have dyed your hair. Why does it have to cost so much money to have it done nicely? Why can't your hair ever stay the way you want it? It's my hair and I don't want to spend £100 - £150 to have a cut and colour at some fancy hairdressers.

I guess I'm just going to have to stick with dead ends and a mixture of weird and wonderful colours in there!

High Street Foundation Review

Hello everyone!

Thank you all for reading this and giving me 100 views in 3 hours, I thought it was great and really shocked me as I didn't think that many people would read it in such a short amount of time! You're all great!

As you may have been aware, in my latest blog post I gave you all a clue to what I was going to write about next, and as I couldn't sleep because I'm all full of cold I thought I would do it now. :-)

My first blog review - Drugstore/ High Street Foundations!

After a good few years of trying different foundations which include a range of moose, powder and liquid foundations, I've narrowed it down to 4, very very cheap foundations to talk about; Some good, some not so good. 3  liquid, and 1 powder.

I find liquid the easiest to apply and the most natural looking once it has been applied, but this is because I have combination skin so moose foundations usually turns flaky on the more oily area's of my face, such as my nose, forehead and chin. Also, as I suit a matte face rather then the 'Natural Glow' look, I always have to apply powder on top of the liquid foundation to set it.

Below if just a swatch of each of the liquid foundations I am going to discuss. :)

Each has a number next to it, so all I'm going to do is explain each - Good points and bad points & price.

1. Name: Natural Collection, Colour Foundation. 

    Colour: Porcelain (40 ml bottle)

    Price: £1.99 (Boots price)

Obviously, this is incredibly cheap for a foundation and it definitely shows. On the back of the container it comes in, the description says "Medium coverage foundation. Suitable for normal/combination skin." Personally, I have tried putting this foundation with both a brush and my fingers and both time it does nothing for my skin. The consistency of it while it was on my skin felt thick and heavy - so not medium coverage. It was definitely more of a full coverage but it did nothing for my skin. 

Also, this is the lightest colour I could find (This was a while ago so I could be completely wrong now and they may have released a lighter one) but, it came up a lot darker on my skin then if should have done.

As I am more combination/Oily skin the foundation probably didn't have the best results on my skin, so I would really love if anyone with normal skin has tried this product before as I really want to love this product just because of how cheap it is - Who wouldn't want to buy a foundation for £1.99?!

Rating: 1/5 :(

2. Name: Maybelline New York 'Dream fresh' BB cream

    Colour: Light (30 ml bottle)

    Price: £7.99 (Boots price)

The description for this might be pretty lengthy just because of how much this foundation is suppose to do, so I'll try and keep it as swift as possible! First of all, I just want to say that I had to try this foundation numerous times because when I had a bad skin day (Oily skin, bleugh!) It didn't work for my skin, at all really. But when I'm have a good skin day, then this works a treat! So if you have oily skin, just stop reading now and don't use this product and most definitely go to the next review below!

It has an SPF of 30, which for a foundation, I think is great because on a hot day you don't really need to think about smothering your face in sun cream which is great!

The description on the back of the bottle says "Instant fresh-faced glow without looking all made up." This I definitely agree with, with just a touch of the powder of your choice on top of it, I really think this gives a very natural and radiant look. 

But then we come onto the next bit... "Enhances skin with 8 benefits in 1." First of all, I just want to say that I doubt any foundation can manage to do 8 things for your skin all at once, but I do agree with some of them. 

1. Creates a natural glow - Yes, I agree.

2. Compliment skin-tone - Yep, agree again.

3. SPF 30 UV Protection - Okay, awesome, that's a benefit.

4. Hydrates all day - Umm, no. Hydrates your skin for a bit, just like all other foundations.

5. Blurs imperfections - Yep, will agree with this too!

6. Oil free, non-greasy - This, I don't agree with again. I can't use it when I have oily skin because it just turns horrible and if quite oily itself.

7. Looks visibly smooth - Yeah, I would agree with this too!

8. Feels fresh - I don't think any foundation really feels fresh, well, I haven't found one yet that does!

Rating: 3/5 :)

3. Name: Rimmel London 'Wake Me Up' Foundation

    Colour: 103 True Ivory (30 ml bottle)

    Price: £8.99 (Boots Price)

First of all, I'm going to go ahead and say that I did get the wrong colour for my skin. I purchased 'True Ivory' when I should have got the shade lighter than that - 'Ivory'. But that doesn't stop me from using this foundation everyday! I absolutely love this foundation. On the back of the professional looking bottle the description claims "Our first foundation that visibly reawakens and illuminates skin with a radiant glow and a flawless natural-looking finish. Instant anti-fatigue effect." -   Oh, and it has an SPF of 15 :-)

 Now, I nearly 100% agree with this, but I do think that it will only really work for people with combination skin - but you could prove me wrong and comment down below if you use this and have normal skin, as I don't know anyone else personally who uses this foundation that has normal skin! I really believes it makes you look more awake and is great when it comes to hiding those blemishes and under eye dark circles (But I do still need a bit of help with concealer, but definitely not as much as I do with any other foundation!) 

This foundation does leave a very natural-looking finish to your skin and also leaves a radiant glow, which as you read before, doesn't suit my face. Also as the foundation if a tiny bit darker than my actual skin colour, I need to apply 'Rimmel Mineral Powder' in translucent to lighten the foundation a tiny bit and to get rid of the glow! This is the best powder I have ever come across, it lasts absolutely ages and only costs £5.99.

I use 'Wake Me Up' every single day whether I'm going to work, university or just to go and hang out with my boyfriend or friends. It stays on all day and this one bottle has lasted me around 3 months now and still there's no sign of it becoming empty! It also lasts all day, which is amazing. 

I find it's best to apply the foundation with a foundation brush but using your fingers will work just as well too.

Rating: 4/5 :D

Thank you all for taking your time to read and I'll catch you next time! Love X

Welcome, everyone!

Welcome!

Hello everyone and welcome to my new blog site! Some of you may know me, some of you wont.
My name's Michelle Parker, I'm 18 years old, from Shropshire, England and study Forensic Science at university.  Oh, and I also have a part-time job!

Why am I here?

For the past 2 months I have been creating YouTube videos about my life and more importantly, been doing Make-up reviews and tutorials for you all to watch.
If you wish to check out my YouTube channel then I will leave a link here: http://www.youtube.com/user/MichelleLaaTV?feature=mhee ... Or just type in MichelleLaaTV on YouTube, either will do!
(I also have Twitter if you wish to follow me @MichelleLaa my account is on private but I will accept anyone) Stupid to have it on private if I accept anyone... I know!

Anyway, for the past few years I have been watching and enjoying YouTube videos, especially Make-up tutorials and reviews. As a student I really appreciate to get to know other peoples opinions on products (especially expensive products!) before I go out and buy the product. Reviews definitely help me to decide whether I should go out an splash the cash on products which I have never used before!
What I'm really trying to say here is, I want to be one of those people that help other people (Especially teens and students) in their decision to go out and buy something they aren't too sure about and want to research about before going and buying the product themselves. I really understand how difficult it is to be a teenager and a student in times like this (When you have little money!)

I really hope you all enjoy reading my Blogs which I will try and post regularly (I need to fit it in around making videos, my job, university and my social life so don't expect one everyday!)

To finish off here's a sneak preview of what to come and some pictures from my tutorials that I have done on YouTube! :-) Thanks for taking your time to read guys, and I will catch you soon! Love X

Smokey Eye Look - Coming soon!

Adele Inspired Make-up Tutorial - Check it out!

 What's to come on my first Blog review!