My Top 5 Beauty Tips!

1) Blend, blend, blend! 
Apply foundation with a foundation brush, all over the face, neck and ears (You don't want to be 3 different colours now, do you?) Then once you've applied the foundation all over - or just on problem areas if you prefer less coverage - use a kabuki buffing brush to blend the foundation extremely well into your skin. This will look for much more natural and will help get rid of those lines you may get around your mouth, eyes and nose.

2) Do your concealer and powder after you've finished your eye make-up! 
It's fine to apply your foundation before you do your eyes because then it will be easy to just wipe over any fall out from your eye shadow with the foundation brush to get the fall out off your skin. But make sure you do you concealer after you've done your eyes. If you put the concealer before you do your eyes, fallout will completely ruin your make-up and you will have to start again as most concealer are quite dewy.

3) Push powder onto your face, don't wipe it on. Especially if you're prone to spots.
Wiping the powder onto your face may disturb concealer and foundation - This means your face make-up won't last as long. Pushing powder onto your face doesn't disturb any make-up underneath and it helps settle the make-up too! Alternatively, lightly sweep the powder over your face for a 'not so full' coverage.

4) Use a yellow based concealer. 
Yellow based products help cover red and purple tones in the skin. This means they will cover both blemishes, spots, redness and under eye circles! This will also help you save money as you will only need 1 concealer for you whole face, instead of 1 for dark circles and another for spots, redness and blemishes.

5) Groom your brows regularly. 
Brows are the major frame of your face, other than your hair. Pluck from underneath your brows, not above (I will even admit that I sometimes do forget to do this!) also remember to brush your brows upward to cut off any over-grown hairs with scissors. If you have a very thin brow, before you apply either a powder or pen to fill in your brows, remember to brush them up before you do so to give them a fuller look.

Hope this was helpful!

Michelle xo

Beauty Haul!

It would be a larger haul than just the items I am about to show you, but then I realised I am giving the rest of what I bought out as Christmas presents, so obviously, I couldn't post them on here!

So, let's just get straight into it! :-)

1) The first item I bought was a new foundation. I'm usually terrified to purchase new foundation as I always end up picking the wrong colour by complete accident, or I just end up hating the foundation. As you can see from the picture below, I purchased Rimmel's Match Perfection Foundation.

Boots/Superdrug - £6.99

I heard so many other beauty guru's and make-up artists rave about how much they loved this foundation - and I 100% agree with them. It suits my skin colour perfectly (This is the lightest one - 010) I was so incredibly happy when I first applied this as it suits my skin, it's cheap and the coverage isn't too heavy but it hides dark circles and blemishes like a dream. This is definitely going to be my new foundation. 

Also, as you can see from the picture below, it has a long stick attached to the pump which is easy to get out. This makes to so easy to pick foundation off the sides when it starts to go empty!

2) The second thing I bought was Bobbi Browns Gel Eyeliner in Serpia Ink. With this I also purchased the Bobbi Brown Ultra Fine Eyeliner Brush. 

Luckily for me, I managed to buy these really cheap from where I work, but they are usually not the cheapest of things to purchase.

Click here to see more Bobbi Brown eyeliners and to check out his website!

Now, it's probably just me not using the product correctly, but I'm not following the hype of this gel eyeliner, and the brush for that matter.  Maybe it's because I'm so use to applying other types of eyeliners that I just messed it up when trying it. I must admit though, the colour when it is applied to the lid is gorgeous, I just don't find it the easiest product to apply. I'm going to stick       with it though until I get more use to the product and the brush, because I think that's what my problem is. Or maybe I'm just being stupid?! Haha :-) Remember this is just my own opinion though and you might absolutely love it, so always go out and try make-up out for yourself because your opinion is always going to be different to everyone else's. :)

3) Next is the new MUA Eye shadow pallet. 

Superdrug - £4

Most of the colours in this pallet are shimmery, but there are a few matte colours. The matte colours are the more neutral, natural colour as you can see from the picture above. I really love this pallet as the colours get onto any brush amazingly and they are very pigmented - This is always the first thing I hope for when I buy eye shadow, followed very close by how long it lasts. 

I always have to tap my brush off when I use any of the eye shadows in this pallet. 

Another thing which I like about this pallet is the applicator it comes with. I always hate the sponge applicators, as does anyone, but I like this purely for it's size! It's perfect for someone just starting out with make-up!

I bought this from Superdrug for only £4 which is awesome! but there was one nearly double the size for only £8, which I am definitely going to purchase very soon! 100% recommend these :-)

4) I've definitely left my most exciting purchased until last. Again, I found this gem where I work so I snapped it up straight away! As I am training to be a Make-Up artist at the end of March/June, there is nothing better for me to purchase than Jemma Kidd's book "Make-Up Masterclass". She is one of my inspirations and it is amazing to read a whole book she has wrote on how to be the best make-up artists by knowing and understanding all the tricks and tools of the trade. 

But not only was it just a book, it also came with one of her amazing lip glosses! The lip gloss that I got with mine smelt amazing and lasted a long time as well. It is such a nice pink, yet natural colour that it could easily be worn with any look. The colour is "05 - Conch".

Thank you for reading! Catch you next time. :-)

Michelle xo

How To Properly Clean Your Make-Up Brushes.

For all those people who have always wanted to know how to clean their make-up brushes, without buying all those fancy products you see make-up artists use - This is the right thing for you to be reading.

Make-up artists use a cleanser on their tools that clean and dry instantly as they constantly have clients to serve for. So, with the way I'm about to show you, I suggest you do this in the evening and leave them to dry overnight.
I also suggest that if you use brushes pretty much everyday, that you should clean them at least once a week - but if you only have 1 eye shadow brush and use eye shadow daily, I would suggest cleaning it every other day as you don't want all the colours mixing!

Step 1) Layout all your brushes ready for cleaning

Step 2) Get any hand wash or unscented shampoo

Step 3) Wet your brush in mild water and apply your soap/shampoo

Step 4) Place under mild water so the cleanser of you choice can froth up. *Make sure water doesn't go into the start of the bristles (The black are on my brush, starting at the handle) as a brush with natural bristles can rot and fall out if it gets wet!!*

Step 5) Either in your sink or on the back of your hand, 'swish' the brush around to froth up all the make-up that's still on the brush. Warning: It will turn the water a horrible colour - but that's good, at least you know you're doing it right haha!

Step 6) Now the water is running clear and you've given a final rinse off of your brush, just pat off the brushes with standard tissue paper and leave to dry overnight.

Thank you so much for reading!

Michelle Xox

The Beauty Blogger's Tag

I thought today was my day to do my first Blog tag - So here it is!

(For more tags check out my YouTube Channel here.)

Why did you start blogging and how long have you been blogging for?

I began blogging near the start of October this year - so not for very long. I started my YouTube Vlogs in August though and was planning to start up both my Blog and YouTube channel for over a year! I started blogging because I loved watching and reading beauty blogs; as I am training to become a Make-up Artist in March, why not start now? Then I have the before and after effect of the training and it will be awesome to see how much I grow and develop knowledge wise within these short few months.

Whose blog did you fall in love with first?

Anna Saccone-Joly's. Definitely. She was the person who I first ran into over a year ago. I started watching her own YouTube channel and then I began watching her daily Vlogs that her and husband do. A year later I still watch them every single day and I love them. They even make me happier when I've been having a down day - so you can image how excited I was when I saw this on Twitter...

I'm also a huge fan of Zoella. Seeing how fast she has grown has really inspired me to do my best to achieve what I want in life.

What was the first blogosphere hyped about product you bought and was it worth the hype?

Rimmel Clear Complexion Powder (Translucent). To this day this is the only setting powder I use. It's super cheap, can be found in pretty much any drug store shop and it also lasts ages! Also it doesn't give that 'cakey' look that some powders can give you if you start to build them up too much. I live by it.

What are your favourite five things about blogging and being a beauty blogger?

1) I love that I can give my own opinion without people being overly judgmental about it. 

2) I love that I can help people out in making their own beauty decisions and help people out with things such as make-up tutorials  and products to buy too.

3) I love how I can speak up. In person I am very shy and get anxious when around people. Writing a blog helps me express me self on how I really feel and finally gets my voice heard. 

4) I love the interaction with other people. The support I get from people is amazing (There are still a few that ruin it though, unfortunately.) I love interacting with people I've never met before in my life through YouTube and Twitter and I love hearing their feedback.

5) As a beauty vlogger as well as a blogger, I love that I get to do different things with my make-up pretty much everyday of the week. As I film 1 - 2 tutorials a week on YouTube I always get to try new things with make-up and be as creative as I can be.

What have you learnt from being a beauty blogger?

I have learnt that there's so much more beauty products out there in the world than you may first think. I love how I get to always buy and test new make-up products, skin care products and my personal favourite thing to try out are brushes.  From being a blogger in general I have learnt that there's a lot in the world in think about but to never get too serious about. Never let the horrible people who try and put you down, get you down! They are most definitely not worth any of the hassle.

Have you changed anything since being a beauty blogger?

I now interact with people a lot more and have started to come out of my shell a bit more in person. I still get anxious around people but I have started to become less shy around people and have started to create conversation which I would have never have done before I started writing a blog.

I said started a lot...

What advice would you give to a beauty blogger just starting out?

Be yourself and be cool! Haha :-)  Don't bother doing an introduction post at the start of your blog and just jump straight into it! :-) 

Name your top five brands!

Mac, Rimmel, L'Oreal, Collection, Bobbi Brown 

A mix of cheap and expensive, but all very good!

Recommend your top five favourite beauty products!

1) Rimmel clear complexion powder

2) Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation

3) Concealer - just any concealer. I love them all! haha :) (That's definitely my beauty must have!!)

4) Make-up remover - I recommend Garnier as they help my skin a lot. I know longer get bad break outs!

5) Cotton pads.

Tag other beauty bloggers to do this tag!

Anyone who wants to do it! Make sure you comment if you decide to do the tag so I can check it out!

Thank you so much for reading and following me!

Michelle Xox

Bloggers & Christmas Giveaways

Hey, everybody! 

I was going to share this with my last post but then I thought, why not just do a separate one all together for it!?

Not a lot of people that I know personally actually read blogs and I really believe they should. You can get all different types of bloggers - From Beauty & fashion, to comedy & lifestyle. And they are all usually very informative and can give everyone a helping hand on the areas they are blogging in.

Also another reason to read blogs? Giveaways!

I have been following BeautyBecca now for a few months and she is one of the best fashion & beauty bloggers I have found. She gives great, very detailed blogs and explains everything to a 'T'.
So remember to click here to read her blog!

To make this short and simple:
She is currently doing a Christmas giveaway! If you're a Liz Earle fan like I am and you want to win some of her finest skincare products, just follow the rules and click here!

Hope you're successful and remember to keep looking out for new bloggers and vloggers out there in the world!

Told you I'd keep this sweet and short! :-)

Michelle Xox

Christmas time, mistletoe and wine!

36 DAYS TO GO.
Yes that's right - It's nearly Christmas! (Where did the year go?!)

Everybody loves a bit of Christmas spirit; every year is the same but we all enjoy it in our own way. We have the exact same Christmas ritual in my house ever single year. Open presents, eat, eat some more, watch a movie, eat and get nicely drunk - But we all love it. :-)

This year I may not be getting a lot for Christmas, but that doesn't bother me at all because the 2 things I know I'm getting, I'm super excited for!
I know my boyfriend is getting me a camera so I can take better pictures for my Blog and also film better videos for my YouTube channel. Also, I get given money for Christmas by my family and then I go out and buy my own presents with that money and then I get given a few surprise gifts off them too. This year nearly all that money is going towards a 3-day intense make-up course which I am participating in at the end of March. Once I have finished the 3 day course I will then be a fully trained make-up artist. This means I will be able to work in a beauty salon, on beauty counters in department stores and I will also be able to do bridal make-up.
I know that in itself sounds like a lot (and I am very grateful for it!) but as my course will cost me £600 + Hotel and food money, I will have to save up £500 myself - but it will be so worth it when I get the job of my dreams!

In other news, I have come up with and re-created a few Christmas and High Fashion looks using just the 'Front Cover - Smoulder Eyes' make-up kit. (To check out that review click on this link: http://michellelaa.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/recently-i-purchased-make-up-pallet.html)

These looks are amazing on the models on the Front Cover guide but are actually pretty difficult to recreate as they only give you one, double sided brush to use. This meant that I had to use a number of my own eye shadow and blending brushes to help me with the recreating of these looks.

I personally think that any of these looks would look amazing at a Christmas party as they are very bold and fun. All these looks took between 10 - 20 minutes to create. I also recommend a nude lips for all these looks if you decide to use them as they are so 'In-your-face' already. No need to ruin them with a massive bold red or dark lip.

So here they are!

Recreation of Front Covers 'Burning Down the House'
Just created using a black shimmery eye shadow and a cream matte yellow shadow.
(And Mascara & Black coal pencil eye liner of course!)

My Christmas look. 
Just Shimmer Black eye shadow, red eye shadow and a gold glitter from Collection's old Collection 2000's shadows. (Mouthful!)
Eye liner and Mascara was also used. (Same as above)

Another recreation from Front Cover - On fire.
This is much more of a high fashion look!
I just used a very dark green, purple glittery eye liner and a black coal pencil for the liner on the waterline.
You can use either a dark green, a deep purple or a light purple to recreate this look! And remember to put on a shadow base first for this look to be more bold and last longer. :)

Look out for more Christmas style posts soon and many more Christmas style YouTube make-up tutorials!
Have a great winter-time!

Michelle Xox

Winter Smokey Eye For Smart/Casual Events!

For all those people who don't watch my videos but want to know how I do my make-up, welcome to my new Blog section!
Any make-up tutorials that will be placed on here I also have a full tutorial on my YouTube channel. If you wish to check out my YouTube channel click this link: http://www.youtube.com/user/MichelleLaaTV?feature=mhee

Today, I will be demonstrating a Autumn/Winter smokey eye using just 3 different shades of brown, and a highlight colour for the inner corner of you eye and your brow bone.

Step 1: Apply a foundation that matches your skin tone across your whole face and buff in well to your face, neck and ears so it doesn't leave you with all those nasty tide lines! 

Step 2: I always recommend doing your eyebrows first. This is because I tend to rest my hand across my face to keep my hand steadier and it usually leads in my smudging and eye make-up I have on! Just take and eye shadow of your choice that matches your eyebrows (Or eyebrow pencil, if you find that easier!) and got fill in your eyebrows as usual. Using small stroke to create a more natural finish.

Step 3: The eye shadow base. (Optional)
If you which to apply an eye shadow base it's either because you want it to last longer or you have oily eyelids. This will just just keep the eye shadow on and more prominent for much longer. Just apply onto the eyelid then smudge around your whole eyelid using your ring finger.

Step 4: Applying the eye shadow.
- Take a light brown and using a standard eye shadow brush pat the colour onto your whole lid. Patting the shadow on rather then doing usual strokes will make the eye shadow settle better into your lid and keep eye shadow there for longer. It will also make the colour darker and more noticeable.
- Then taking a clean eye shadow brush, just blend out the lines of the eye shadow you just applied to smudge them out to give you a smoother, winged effect.
- Then taking a very small eye shadow brush and a very dark brown just apply the dark eye shadow to your crease.
- Blend this into the rest of your eye shadow using a fluffy blending brush.
- Take the same colour mixed with a slightly lighter shade of brown (I used a shimmery eye shadow for this but if you want the more professional look - go for a matte colour) and using the eye shadow brush you used to apply the base colour on, just this colour on the outer corner of your eyes and slightly into your crease.
-  Take the first colour you used and apply just under the bottom water line from the inner corner to the center.
- Then take the darkest colour you used and apply under the bottom water line from the center to the outer comer of your eye.
- Blend together using the fluffy blending brush to create the graduated effect that the eye shadow on your lid has.
- Then take your fluffy blending brush again and blend all that in making sure you get a graduate 'Light to dark' effect from the inner corner of your eye to the outer corner.

Step 5: Highlighting.
Take a shimmery (Or matte, again if you want a more smart, professional look) cream eye shadow and apply to the tear duct area of your eye using a small eye shadow brush. This will open up your eyes giving the illusion they are more awake and bigger.
Then, just using a clean finger take the same colour and apply under your brows.

Step 6: Concealing. Always remember to conceal after you've done your eye make-up.
- Take your foundation brush you used just to wipe under the eyes to clean up any fallout that may have happened.
- Then take a concealer that matches your colour and apply under the eye using a brush or your fingers. (Try not to pull on your skin too much) This will cover up any dark circles.

Step 7: Apply a blush or very light bronzer to your cheeks and contour around your face on places that the sunlight would naturally hit.

Step 8: Apply powder to any oily parts of your face just to make it that little bit less shiny!  :-)

and finally...

Step 9: Apply a nude lipstick of your choice.

And that's it! It only took me around 15 minutes to create the whole look so please don't be put off when you've read this! Haha :)

Here's the finished look on myself, happy winter everyone!

It's Your Future

After a long path to find what career I want to pursue in the future, from my dream job as a vet, to a teacher and I even went to university for a few months to study Forensic Science. Finally I have decided that the path I have chosen is to be a make-up artist and non of those 'fancy' jobs that I have been looking into my whole life.

Why shouldn't I have a career in a field which I adore? I guess the only problem now is that I have to start again from the beginning and find a college that allows me to get a certificate to become a professional make-up artist or an apprenticeship with a make-up artist. This leads to another brick wall... my town is pretty rubbish with this area of work. I mean, it provides beauty courses which is good if you want to work in a beauty salon doing peoples hair, nails and waxing them; I don't want to do that. I just want to be a make-up artist.

I guess I have to stand this out, and I know I will because I have my heart set on it. I want to have children in the future and have a well paid job to support them and a career ready so I can be flexible around my future family... and if I ever have a daughter, I guess it will just be cool to have a mum who can do her make-up for her whenever she wants. :-)

What I guess I'm trying to say is - follow your dreams no matter how many brick walls you run in to.  If you want something that bad you can always get it. It's going to take time and patients but anyone can achieve their dreams and build the rest of there life just with a single decision.