Bella Cullen Transformation

If you haven't already seen my 'Bella Cullen Transformation Tutorial', then check it out below.  This post is just going to go over what products and clothes I used.

Skin:
L'oreal Infallible Foundation in 'Porcelain'
17 Shine Control Pressed Powder
MUA Undressed Palette in 'Shade 3' or 'Naked' from Urban Decay's Naked Palette
17 Limited Edition Bronzing Powder

Eyes:
Mac Paint Pot in 'Painterly'
MUA Undressed Palette in 'Shade 3' and 'Shade 5' or 'Naked' and 'Buck' from Urban Decay's Naked Palette
Estee Lauder Signature Eyeshadow Quad in '01 Sand'
Maybelline Eyestudio Geyliner in Charcoal
Barry M Shimmering Lip and Eye Crayon
Maybelline 'The Falsies' Mascara
17 Electronica Lashes

Lips:
Neutrogena Norwegian Lip Balm
No.7 Perfect Lips Pencil in 'Nude'
Barry M Shimmering Lip and Eye Crayon

Hair:
Vo5 Ultimate Hold Hairspray

Outfit:
Grey Cableknit Sweater from Old Navy (bought a few years ago but they are many similar ones available)
Dark wash jeggings or skinny jeans from Aeropostale
Black converses

If you try out this look, then tweet me a picture @JennyWelsh28

MUA Undressed Palette vs. Urban Decay Naked Palette

I've mentioned several times before how much I love my Urban Decay Naked Palette.  I got it last Christmas and it's been used pretty much everyday since.  However, I spotted MUA's Undressed Palette in Superdrug and thought it looked pretty similar....

After comparing them, the colours and almost identical and it's ideal dupe.  It's also just £4 whilst the Naked Palette retails for £36!

The Naked Palette has a velvet cover which everything sticks to!  The MUA palette is more practical but does feel cheaper and quite 'plasticy'.  However, the MUA palette does fit much better in my makeup bag so is a great size for travelling.

The colours are even in the same order in both palettes.

The Naked Palette comes with a really nice brush whilst MUA's has the typical sponge applicator.  However, with all the money you save you could buy several excellent brushes.

The following images are close-ups of the shades.  The Naked Palette is the top image and the corresponding dupe MUA shade beneath.

In the pan these are all pretty much identical.  Urban Decay are renowned for their quality of eyeshadows and this is normally where cheaper palettes fall down.  I swatched all the colours on my arm for you to see and I tried to use an equal amount of each shadow.

As you can see the colours come out very similar.  The only bigger difference I noticed was that 'Smog' is darker than MUA's dupe.  Also, 'Sidecar' has a difference finish.  In the Naked Palette, it has quite chunky glitter than often falls out whilst MUA's version has a much more similar consistency to the other shadows in the palette which I actually prefer.

I tried these eyeshadows out with a MAC paintpot underneath and they were pretty vibrant, I did have to apply a little more than I would with Urban Decay.  Also, they are little harder to work with and a bit trickier to blend as they aren't as creamy as the Naked Palette shades.

The MUA shades fade quicker than the Urban Decay counterparts but with a good primer or base underneath they should get you through a whole day.  

Overall, the Urban Decay Naked Palette is still my favourite but that is expected as it carries the higher price tag (£36).  However, I don't think you can go wrong with purchasing MUA's Undressed Palette as at just £4 it is an absolute steal that you won't be disappointed with.  I'm actually going to use mine for travelling as it's more convenient to take and I won't be worried about any of the eyeshadows breaking.

So if you're looking for a bargain then definitely get down to a Superdrug store and pick one of these up!

Makeup Organisation: DIY Brush Holders

Makeup brushes can easily be left all over the place, especially if you're in a rush to get ready.  However, I've come up with a little DIY project to keep them all neat and tidy!

All you need is a jar (I used a jam one), superglue and some decorating materials!

The first one I use to keep all my face brushes together.  All I did was collect some shells whilst I was at the beach and stuck them on with superglue.  As an extra touch, I applied some glittery nail polish over the top to make it sparkle!

The other jar has eye shadow brushes in as well as my tweezers.  For this one, I stuck on silver and blue gemstones in rows around the jar.  This was a little fiddly, so I picked up the gems using tweezers before sticking them on.  I also added some sparkly nail varnish to complete this brush holder.

As an extra, you can add some beads to your brush holder for your brushes to stand in.  I don't have these though as all my brushes wouldn't fit otherwise!

I'm not an arts and crafts type person but even I managed to make these brush holders in no time at all!  Let me know in the comments if you have any decorating suggestions or ideas for future DIY projects!

Barry M Nail Varnish in 'Strawberry Ice Cream'

Since I love my Barry M nail varnish in 'Mint Green', I went and bought another from the collection.  'Strawberry Ice Cream' is more of a summer colour but I'm a sucker for pink so got it anyway!

The polish applies really well and is a lovely, classic pink shade - I'd almost call it 'Barbie-pink!'.  I applied three coats but you could get away with just two.  The polish also lasted really well on my nails and looks really smooth and shiny!

I've also now bought 'Raspberry' by Barry M which was sold out almost everywhere!  It's a more suitable colour for Autumn so I'll upload some pictures once I've applied it.

Barry M Nail Paints retail for £2.99 and are available online as well as in Boots or Superdrug.

Makeup Organisation: Eyeshadow Quads/Mini Palettes

There came a time where I just had  to sort out my eyeshadow palettes.  I had lots of quads and mini palettes that came as part of a big set or just lots that had similar packaging.  As a result, I couldn't quickly work out which colours were in each so I ended up not reaching for them at all.

So, I decided to paint the top edge of each quad/palette with a corresponding nail varnish.  This way, it means I can tell which colours are where when they are all stacked up.

Purple nail varnish for these pretty lilac and mauve eyeshadows.

Gold nail varnish for my neutrals or metallics.

Here's the completed look!  It's much easier to find colours now and I'm reaching for these quads a lot more now!

Let me know if you have any good makeup organisation tips!

Maybelline Colour Show Nail Lacquer

Whilst I was in Canada I picked up a Maybelline Colour Show Nail Lacquer in 'Fierce n Tangy'.  I don't normally choose bright nail varnish (especially in yellow!) but this one was super cheap so I had to try it.

I applied two coats of the lacquer before finishing with my Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Topcoat.  I was really impressed with the opacity of this polish and the colour was really fun.  Yellow polishes are often never as they appear in the bottle so I was pleased that it was easy to achieve the same brightness as in the bottle.

The lacquer lasted really well on my nails for about a week before chipping.  I bought mine from Walmart for $2.97 so went I go back I will definitely pick up a few more colours!

Let me know if you've tried any polishes from this range :)

MUA Nail Constellations

I was really intrigued by Ciate's Caviar beads that came out a while back.  However, I could not justify spending £18 on a pack!  So, when MUA advertised their Nail Constellations at just £3 a bottle, I had to give them a go.

There are five shades in the range and I picked up 'Pisces' which is a mix of light gold and green beads.  All you do is paint your nail and whilst it is still wet, sprinkle the beads on top before pressing them down.

I found that some of the beads got stuck in the funnel and required some vigorous salt and pepper style shaking for them to come out.  Also, I would recommend using the bottom of a nail varnish bottle to press them down as some of mine got stuck to my finger and came off.

I did mine over a tray and then poured them back in my flipping the funnel top over.

I used my sister's nails to do this on and we decided to alternate between normal polish and the beads so as not to use the whole bottle in one go!

The overall look is really unique but won't last for very long.  Despite applying a topcoat, most of the beads came off whilst showering.  

They'd be great for a special night out or if you want to try something different and at just £3 they're worth a go!

You can find MUA Nail Constellations at Superdrug and I think they're currently selling for £2.50 so get in there quick!

LUSH Liquid Lipstick in Passionate

LUSH's Liquid Lipsticks are part of their new 'Emotional Brilliance' range.  The idea is that you go in store, spin a colour wheel and pick out the colours that catch your attention.  These then correspond to different products in store.  I think the idea is a bit gimmicky but I loved the colour of this so had to try it out!

The doe-foot applicator makes it really easy to line the lips before filling them in.  I like the packaging of this product as it stands out from my other lipsticks.

This is 'Passionate' applied to the lips.  It is really pigmented but also moisturising as it contains organic jojoba oil, candelilla wax and rose wax.  The pink is super bright and it also has a blue/purple undertone to it.

You can also wear this colour slightly muted.  I would recommend applying some lip balm first and then wiping most of the colour off the applicator before lightly buffing it onto the lips.

'Passionate' is a super fun colour that is perfect for a girly night out or just when you want to feel a bit special.  It also slightly stains your lips so even once the glossiness has disappeared, the colour remains.

'Passionate' is available in LUSH stores and retails for £14.50/$22.95

Hidden Treasure by Topshop

'Hidden Treasure' is a multi-tonal, metallic nail polish from Topshop.  It's a very beautiful and interesting colour in the bottle with hints of green, blue and gold.  On the nails, it also looks stunning but I would describe it as more green-gold as the blue doesn't really come through.

The polish applies really well and is completely opaque with two coats.  I added Sally Hansen's Quick Dry topcoat and I've had very minimal chipping - the photo was taken after three days wear!

'Hidden Treasure' is also a dupe for Chanel's 'Peridot' and I think I would much rather pay £6 for this Topshop one that Chanel's £17.50 polish!

Have you seen these videos?!

I've just got back from holiday so I'm starting to film the next few videos.  However, before going on holiday I filmed and uploaded three videos and set them to 'private'.  I have limited internet access when I'm away so each week I set one to 'public'.  I'm not sure if this meant they turned up in everyone's subscription boxes though.  Here's what you might have missed...

1.       1.  Olympic Torch Inspired Makeup Tutorial

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2BjxWJ0Cng

2.     2.   Emily Blunt Inspired Hair and Makeup Tutorial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iC547jnX_8&feature=channel&list=UL

3.       3.  What’s in My Travel Makeup Bag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDcLXirpzTo&feature=channel&list=UL

I have a Cheryl Cole makeup tutorial uploading and then there'll be some back to school type videos coming up.

Olympic Madness!

So with the Olympics coming to London this year we're actually getting into some festivities!

There was a free event on locally to coincide with the torch relay so my friends and I got a photo with the torch...

Twist and Pulse performed...

I became an Olympic cyclist...

Wretch 32 even graced us with his presence...

And finally the torch arrived!

In typical British fashion it rained but everyone still enjoyed the evening!  We even got lots of freebies from the sponsors :)

Book Review: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again..."

Don't be put off by the old-fashioned front cover or the fact that it was published in 1938.  'Rebecca' is a fantastic novel that is very easy to read and understand.

'Rebecca' is the tale of an unnamed narrator who meets and quickly marries the mysterious Mr de Winter in Monte Carlo.  They go to live in Manderley, Mr de Winter's country mansion in England.  However, the couple barely know each other and Mrs de Winter discovers that her husband is still mourning the death of late wife, Rebecca.  Mrs de Winter cannot escape the constant comparisons to the seemingly perfect Rebecca and has to cope with the housekeeper, Mrs Danvers, who appears to loathe her taking Rebecca's place in the house.  Not all is as it seems at Manderley, though, as Mrs de Winter learns more about it.

This book is romantic, suspenseful and eerie in all the right places.  It is also beautifully written with some very intriguing characters, the housekeeper, Mrs Danvers, in particular.  The narrator is much younger than Mr de Winter and her innocence is charming.  She is also very easy to relate to and holds many of the same insecurities that a modern female reader has.   The plot is well developed and keeps you guessing with some subtle hints crafted throughout.

I would really recommend this book, especially if you are studying gothic literature at school/college/university as it includes many traditional conventions of this genre.  Also, you might want to check it out if you enjoyed 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte or Charlotte Bronte's 'Jane Eyre'.

Let me know if you've read 'Rebecca' and of any other books you recommend.

June Favourites!

Welcome to July everyone!  We haven't exactly had summery weather here in England yet but we can hope :)

You can check out the full June Favourites video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TmeAePGr5Q

Products/ things mentioned:

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation 
Rimmel Natural Bronzer in 022, Sun Bronze
17 Blush and Glow in Peaches and Cream
Barry M's Nail Paint in Mint Green
Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti Chip Top Coat

Girl Missing and Blood Ties by Sophie McKenzie
Fleur DeForce http://www.youtube.com/user/FleurDeForce
Fleur DeVlog http://www.youtube.com/user/FleurDeVlog 
Congratulations of your engagement, Fleur!


Let me know if you'd like a full review of anything mentioned above.


I hope you all have a lovely July and let me know what your favourite products of June were.


Love Jenny :) xxx

REVIEW: Maybelline's Colossal Mascara

I've had this mascara for a little while now and I'm really quite impressed with it.  I have it in the waterproof formula which helps to keep my lashes curled and smudge-proof all day.  However, it can be quite difficult to remove at the end of the day!

The formula is a little sticky so don't fiddle with your lashes after applying it.  I've found though that this slight stickiness makes this mascara blend your lashes really well with false ones!

 My natural lashes

 After curling my lashes.  I only used a lash curler from the dollar store but I find this makes the mascara apply so much better.

After one coat of Maybelline's Colossal Waterproof Mascara

I really do like this mascara and you can build it up to create some really dramatic lashes.  Let me know what you think of this mascara if you've tried it, or what your favourite one is!

REVIEW: Barry M's Nail Paint in Mint Green

I already have lots of nail polishes, probably an embarrassing amount.  However, I realised I didn't have a mint green colour for summer.  I then dragged my friend, Rebecca, around to find the exact colour I wanted!  I ended up buying Barry M's Nail Paint in Mint Green.  I haven't tried any of Barry M's nail polishes but I have to say I'm really impressed with this one.

I apply two coats but you could probably get away with just one.  This polish leaves a really nice shine - almost as though you've applied a top coat over it which I really like.  It also lasts really well, I found it lasted a week on my nails without a top coat which is much longer than most polishes.

I hope the rest of Barry M's Nail Paints are as good as this one as I'll be picking up some more!

Barry M's Nail Paints retail for £2.99 and you can buy them directly from www.barrym.com or from your local Boots/Superdrug.

Do any of you have any Barry M Nail Paints, if so which colours would you recommend I try?

REVIEW: Urban Decay Primer Potion

Original Packaging

New packaging

I always used to complain that my eyeshadow never lasted.  It would look great when I first put it on but just a few hours later the colour would have faded, disappeared or creased.  I then discovered Urban Decay's Primer Potion and can honestly say that I couldn't live without it now!

Urban Decay states that you should apply the Primer Potion for "more vibrant crease-free colour that lasts for 24 hours".  I have quite oily eyelids so my shadow doesn't last for 24 hours but it certainly comes close to that.  Colours do also appear a bit more vibrant on top of the Primer Potion.  I use this product almost everyday all over my eyelids and also sometime apply a little under my lower lashline to keep my eyeliner from smudging.  I also find that my eyeshadow lasts longer with Primer Potion that with Mac's Paint Pots.

I have it in sin which is a champagne colour as well as a mini version of the original.  I don't really find using the coloured primer any different from the original one but the sin primer also looks nice by itself.  The only downside I've found to this product is the packaging, which although lovely to look at, isn't very functional.  There is a doe-foot applicator which could become slightly unhygienic if you're using this product on people other than yourself and once you reach the end of the product, it's difficult to get the last bits out without resulting to cutting the bottle open!  Urban Decay have since redesigned their packaging, however, to include a squeezy tube which is much more practical.

Urban Decay's Primer Potion is quite pricey at £14.50 ($20) but it lasts a long time as you only need a small amount and I believe it's worth it.

Intro...

Hey everyone, I'll be using my blog to post reviews and mini updates in addition to my youtube videos at: www.youtube.com/DearGeekChic

You can also find me on:
twitter.com/JennyWelsh28
deargeekchic.tumlr.com

I hope you're all having a good day! :D