Soft Winged Liner

beauty
I’m a big lover of winged liner, I think I’ve donned a defined sweep of black liner nearly everyday since I was around fourteen years old. There’s something very put together and feminine about it which I love and it’s a trend that will never cease to exist. However, it takes some practise to get right - I still don’t get it right every time - and sometimes you need something a little softer than the graphic black line will provide. Recently I’ve been liking creating my feline flick with a dark brown shadow and an angled brush. I still achieve that feline flick which I much prefer to a straight across line but it’s a less bold version - which is great if you’re a beginner or aren’t confident with wearing bold liner. All you have to do is load the brush up with shadow and create a line following your bottom lash line upwards, bring the end down to your top lash line to create a triangle and then fill it in, just like you would with gel or liquid liner. Shadow is also great for this as it’s a lot more forgiving than liquid and you can blend it out to create a smoky effect or keep it subtle for daytime.

What makeup trick are you loving at the moment?

~ Jade xx

Charlotte Tilbury's Matte Revolution

beauty
I love matte lipstick, I think by now you’ll all know this. It lasts a long time and is a lot less fuss to apply than other formulas. Recently, I got my hands on two of the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution lipsticks in the shades Glastonberry* & Bond Girl* and let me just say, these lipsticks are game changers.

Glastonberry is a beautiful blackcurrant hue which I adore. It’s great for the colder months but also by anyone who wants to pack a punch. It’s eye grabbing, one of my favourite shades to wear - I also love the play on words of Glastonbury. Bond Girl is a dark neutral tone, very Kylie Jenner-esque. This is a very sophisticated shade and if you’re just popping out but have minimal makeup on a swipe of this instantly creates a pulled together look.

The pigmentation of these lipsticks is amazing. One swipe is enough to create a bold lip without having to layer the product - although you can dab the colour for a lighter effect. The packing is divine - I don’t think we need to delve into it too much, it’s rose gold after all. The best thing about these lipsticks though is the formulation. Yes they are matte, but they aren’t the kind of matte that drys out your lips or makes them look dull and flat. These are enriched with Orchid extract to hydrate and protect the lips, 3D pigments which prevent your lips looking flat but rather more full and triglycerides to create a long lasting colour. The shape of the bullet is also very helpful, at first I was put off as I thought it would make application hard but intact it makes it a lot easier. The straight edges make it easy to trace around the edges of the lips before filling it in with colour rather than having to use a lip pencil or a lip brush. They are slightly pricey at £23 a piece but I would say they’re worth every penny.

Have you joined the Matte Revolution?

~ Jade xx

A Lazy Sunday | The Saatchi Gallery with Afternoon Tea

afternoon tea
Lucy & I took a trip down to London this past Sunday, partly to visit Lucy’s sister who moved to London last year but also so I could take Lucy for afternoon tea as part of her Christmas present, and to have a look around the Saatchi Gallery as neither of us had been before. 

The Saatchi Gallery is a contemporary art gallery situated in Chelsea - although it has also been located in North London and on South Bank previously. It houses many artists which are unknown to both the general public but also commercially so its a great place to check out if you want to see something new and interesting. The exhibitions change frequently too so its a place you can visit again and again without seeing the same thing a hundred times over. If you happen to be near the Sloane Square area its a great place to wonder round for an hour if you have some time to kill as well as it doesn’t cost anything to get in.

Before we went into the Saatchi Gallery we stopped for afternoon tea at the Gallery Mess restaurant which is attached to the gallery. Lucy & I both love afternoon tea so we were more than excited to try out a new spot. We both opted for traditional English breakfast tea and our cake stand arrived with a selection of sandwiches, a scone each and a selection of cakes - the dark chocolate torte was mouth wateringly good. The setting of the restaurant is really nice too with exposed brick work and antique look mirrors - I didn’t get a picture though as the restaurant was busy. The staff were welcoming and it was very reasonably priced considering the area of London it’s situated. I would highly recommend reserving a table though to avoid a long wait.

How did you spend your Sunday?

~ Jade xx

Current favourites | #7

alexa chung
I realised the other day that I hadn’t done a current favourites post in over four months and as these are one of my favourite posts to write I thought I’d better rectify the situation.

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick - Bond Girl* | I’m going to write a full review of this beauty soon but it’s become my go-to lipstick in recent weeks. A matte formula that doesn’t dry out your lips or feel uncomfortable but still lasts? & don't even get me started on the packaging. It’s a winner in my book.

Barry M Eyeshadow Pencil - Brown Black | Perfect for the days when you can’t be fussed with eyeshadow but you want something. Just smudge it on the lid and blend out with either your finger or a brush for a fuss free, five minute makeup job. It doesn’t crease either.

Alexa Chung - It | Alexa Chung is one of my favourite humans in the public eye. Her style and makeup is something I strive to replicate and her brazen faced attitude is to be admired. Her book ‘It’ is a quick read - it took me about three hours with tea breaks in-between - and is filled with talk about her style inspiration, fashion mishaps, boys and breakups with photos and sketches breaking up the pages.

Jo Malone - Peony & Blush Suede* | Peony & Blush Suede is the newest edition to my collection  of Jo Malone colognes which I’ve previously written about my love for. Peony & Blush Suede isn’t a scent I would usually go for but I love it. It’s a floral scent - which usually I favour the spicy and woody scents - with a fruity top note of apple and heart notes of honey and rose to add to the Peony. It lasts all day on the skin and smells even better the longer you wear it.

What are your current favourites?

~ Jade xx

Rose Golden Luxury | Zoeva

beauty
Zoeva brushes have been mentioned left, right and centre recently. A German brand which offers professional synthetic and real hair brushes at an affordable price, sounds a little to good to be true right? I recently got my hands on the Rose Golden Luxury Brush Set*, an eight piece set containing five face brushes and three eye brushes.

Firstly the appearance of these brushes is gorgeous. The rose gold ferrule with the dark contrast of the handle, every about these brushes feels luxury. The brushes also come in a brush case which makes travelling with these super easy and you don’t have to fear that the bristles will get squished and bent. The synthetic bristles are so soft that they feel like real hair and they apply makeup so smoothly with minimal effort. My favourite brushes from this set are the Luxe Sheer Cheek brush which is perfect size for contouring the cheekbones, the Silk Finish brush which has become my new favourite brush to apply foundation with and the Luxe Soft Definer which applies and blends shadow so effortlessly that even someone foreign to makeup couldn’t mess up a smoky eye. Shedding hasn't been an issue for me either which is a big win as having to pick brush hairs off your face after applying your makeup is never fun and something very common with brushes at a cheaper price point. The price of these brushes is amazing too. The set costs £55 GBP which leads each brush costing around £6.90, which is amazing as finding decent makeup brushes for under £15 a piece is incredibly rare.

Zoeva as a company also has amazing customer service which is something I always love about a brand and makes me even more inclined to purchase form them again.

Have you tried the Zoeva brushes?

~ Jade xx

Photography information

Canon 600D with 18-55mm lens, Canon 24mm lens or Sigma 70-300mm lens. Canon EOS M with 18-55mm lens or Canon 24mm lens. Any edited photos are edited using Photoshop CS6. Picture source is given for any photo used that is not directly ours.