Hairstyle Hacks: 5 Step Easy French Plait

I've been trying to nail the French plait for literally years and years and I finally think I've got to grips with the technique so I thought I'd do a post where I can explain it as simply as possible for anybody else who finds most online tutorials hard to follow...

>> Firstly you need to make sure your hair is well brushed so you can run your fingers through it without tangling. Then take a section at the top of the back of your head. This can be as thick as you like- the thicker it is the thicker your overall plait will turn out.

>> Next you just simply part this hair into three equal strands and bring the left piece over into the middle. Then bring the right side piece over into the middle- just as you would if you were beginning a normal plait.

>> Then take the piece on the left side and go to bring it to the middle again, but before you do this be sure to grab a section of hair from the front of your head on that same side (again, the thicker the section the thicker the braid will be). Merge the piece of hair from the front with your left strand and then bring it into the middle. Then repeat this exact same step with the piece of hair on the right side- merge it with a section of hair from the front and then bring it into the centre. 

>> Continue repeating step 3 over and over until all of your hair is woven into the plait. By the time you get near the end of the plait you may naturally end up going into a regular braid, this is completely fine and helps to tie up the plait neatly.

>> Finally, tie your hair at the end with an elastic and pull out any loose pieces at the front for a pretty, wispy look.

Hopefully these steps were easy to follow...the satisfaction of finally mastering a braid is always a great feeling!

MAC 'Mehr' Lipstick Review

After eyeing it up for several months, I finally decided to tick 'Mehr' off of the list of MAC lipsticks I want whilst in Brighton recently. As a big fan of the Revlon Matte Balm in 'Elusive' (which I reviewed here) I hoped Mehr would be a similar rosy pink wearable shade.

On comparing the two, Mehr is a little more reddy-brown toned but the classic matte formula from MAC makes the lips look really full whilst being impressively long wearing. It tends to fade to more of a subtle lip stain after you've eaten/drank. I also find MAC's matte formulas to be surprisingly non-drying...when your lips are feeling a little chapped, a matte lipstick usually sounds like a bad idea, but the MAC formula manages to have a creaminess to them which prevents the product from clinging to dry patches.

I've been wearing Mehr alongside a gold/bronze shimmery eye (usually made up of All That Glitters eyeshadow!) and I think it's so perfect for this Summer into Autumn transition because its bright enough to be noticed but still neutral enough to pair with virtually any eye look. You could also most likely get away with it for school if you didn't build it up too much- Mehr looks just as great when lightly dabbed on the lips.

This is my sixth MAC lipstick and I can definitely see it becoming one of my most worn!

Available from MAC here  and priced at £15.50!

Celeb Style for Less: Rihanna's Pastel Pinks

Following on from her Grammy's dress, Rihanna seems to be all about the pink tones recently and what better example than this entirely pink combo she wore for a recent television appearance on March 13th. Whilst Rihanna was sporting an entire outfit from French fashion house Pascal Millet's Fall 2015 collection its just as easy to replicate her look on the high street.

TROUSERS//ASOS:  Initially I wanted to use these similar trousers from ASOS as the base for this look, but because they've been reduced to less than 2/3 of their original price they are completely sold out, so i've had to go for slightly more dusty pink shades than Rihanna herself, but the concept remains the same. The trousers I have selected are £28 from ASOS and have a chic, tailored look which makes them an ideal Spring alternative to jeans.

COAT //RIVER ISLAND Because wearing all baby pink and a fur shawl is quite a big statement (unless you're Rihanna) I chose this coat because it incorporates the jacket and the fur in a more wearable way. This coat is currently half price on River Island, although there are limited sizes available so ASOS also stock it here . The length of this jacket is really nice because it finishes mid thigh- not too long and not too short.

CAMI//ASOS  Another ASOS pick...but it really does have amazing choice and this cami is only £12 and matches the trousers well, so it will avoid any colour clashing. Regardless of this outfit, this cami can also act as the ideal basic for Spring and its feminine V neck makes for an elegant touch.

HEELS//TOPSHOP I think the pointed heels really top off Rihanna's look, giving more of a defined edge to the soft colour palette. Like the cami, these shoes would undoubtedly get a lot of wear in  wardrobe and could take you from day to night seamlessly.

EARRINGS//RIVER ISLAND Rihanna's earrings seemed to be like 3D pink spheres, but these River Island hearts tie in the colour scheme really well and also compliment the gold rings thanks to their gold outline enamel. At £4 they're also a huge bargain.

RINGS//H&M Rihanna has a tonne of stacked rings on with her outfit and the easiest way to recreate that is by purchasing one of these packs, this one from H&M contains 7 rings and the pink and gold tie in really well with the completed look. Like the earrings, they are also really affordable, setting you back only £3.99

LIPSTICK//NARS ROMAN HOLIDAY This lipstick provides the perfect amount of mauve pink, without going over the top- like a sheer and glossy version of MAC St Germain, but much more wearable.


Thanks for reading! Any suggestions on other outfits to recreate for less are always welcomed :)

Max Factor Excess Shimmer Eyeshadow Review (Pink Opal)

In my Face of The Day post here I mentioned the Max Factor Excess Shimmer Eyeshadow and promised a full review soon, so here it is.

I've been using the Max Factor Excess Shimmer Eyeshadow for just over a week now and during that time i've used it every single day! It is one of the most interesting eyeshadows i've ever tried due to its mousse consistency. I'd heard of these shadows before but never realised they were a mousse until I swatched them in Boots. The colour range of these is so nice, I also wanted to get 'Pearl' a pale shimmery white with a hint of green, but there's also a copper, bronze for those who prefer the neutrals.

The colour I chose, Pink Opal is a pale lilac-y pink which adds a subtle wash of colour so its perfect for those of us who don't get too experimental with bright eyeshadows because its a great way of easing yourself into colour. Pink Opal is also one of those shades that has an iridescence to it when it catches the light, this is definitely why I chose this colour as it really brightens the eyes and is massively Spring-appropriate.

As you may expect from a mousse formulation, the Max Factor Excess Shimmer Eyeshadows can crease because the texture of them is so light and whipped, although what I like to do to combat that is to apply my  L'Oreal Color Riche Mono eyeshadow in 'Opalescent' lightly over the top to set it, as the L'Oreal shadow is an iridescent white with lilac tones, so the two compliment eachother perfectly.

Overall I've really been loving my Max Factor Excess Shimmer Eyeshadow and think the innovative formula and lightweight texture makes them both fun and fast to apply and the perfect quick fix product for switching up your make up bag for Spring.


Max Factor Excess Shimmer Eyeshadows are available now at Boots and Superdrug, priced at £7.99

Maybelline Baby Lips Dr Rescue Review- Just Peachy

Today I thought i'd do a review of a lip product i've been trying out over the last month. The Maybelline Baby Lips have been around for a while, but the medicated Dr Rescue line is a more recent release which are meant to be even more hydrating than the originals.

The shade I picked up is 'Just Peachy' which is a muted pinky coral. I ordered this online so I was googling swatches and to be honest all of the colours in the range looked pretty similar to one another, but there is a clear option as well. They're all quite muted shades, as you would probably expect from a balm formula.

After using this for a few weeks i've come to the conclusion that i'm not a big fan of it. It has a very strong menthol scent (probably to tie in with the "medicated balm" concept) but I found it actually too medicinal and not very pleasant on the lips. I also wasn't keen on the way this applies and ultimately looks on the lips. It has quite a plastic-y look when its applied and reminded me of  the sort of make up you'd get free in a magazine when you're young. 

As you can probably tell from this picture, the Maybelline Baby Lips Dr Rescue balm seems to really sit on the lips and look streaky, which is a shame considering its a tinted balm, so a quick and even application is fundamental.

Whilst I was disappointed with the Maybelline Baby Lips Dr Rescue, I'm still a fan of the original baby lips line and the Electro range, so if you're considering trying out the Dr Rescues, then maybe go for one of those instead, as the formulation and the scent is much better!

As always, thanks for reading x

FOTD: Spring Pastels 23|03|2015

I've wanted to do a Face of the Day post for a while so today I thought i'd share what i've decided is going to be my go-to makeup look for Spring. It's basically centred around a shimmery lilac eye and rosy pink lips and cheeks.

- Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer  I use 'Vanilla' the second lightest shade. This has been my ultimate favourite foundation for years. If you want decent medium coverage that still feels light on your skin then you can't beat it.

- MUA Pro Base Prime and Conceal Palette  I did a review of this here and I find myself using it most days prior to concealer, using the peach shade under my eyes, the green to combat redness around my nose and the highlighting shade down the bridge of my nose.

- Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer Again something that I've used countless tubes of and don't see myself straying from for a long time. I use this solely on blemishes as whilst it is a great concealer, it doesn't give the radiant look I like for under the eyes.

- Rimmel Stay Matte Powder This seems to do the job well enough for me, although I have to be honest and say I find powders pretty boring so I don't tend to try a tonne of them out.

- NYX Mosaic Powder in Rosey My mum bought me this for Christmas without knowing too much about it, but its actually so great! It offers the perfect amount of vibrancy, so you can see a nice pink flush but its not too unnaturally bright.

-  NARS Laguna Bronzer At £27 this is eye wateringly expensive for a singular product, but I'm pretty sure its worth it. It can be difficult to find a bronzer that isn't too muddy or too orange, shows up enough but isn't too heavy..this seems to strike the balance and tick all the boxes.

- MUA Pro Brow Kit Another great MUA product. If you want an affordable brow palette that still does a good job then this is a great choice. I mix the two brown shades together and apply lightly with a Real Techniques Brow Brush.

- Max Factor Excess Shimmer Eyeshadow in Pink Opal This is what the whole look is centred around. I bought this on Friday and I'm really loving it. I won't say much more than that for now as a proper review is coming soon.

- L'Oreal Color Riche Mono Eyeshadow in Opalescent  This is a seriously amazing eyeshadow. It's a perfect iridescent white colour that shows shimmery lilac when it catches the light. I used this to set the Max Factor shadow as it has a mousse consistency.

- Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer I've tried a lot of affordable concealers to find the one which is best at targeting dark circles. So far this takes the crown. Just enough coverage and the foam applicator makes application fast and distributes just the right amount.

- L'Oreal Super Liner  This is my current eyeliner which i'm actually thinking about switching it up as it's not as intense black as i'd like, but I'm just used to how it applies, so it'll do for now.

- Benefit They're Real! Mascara  I've used multiple tubes of this and i'm still amazed at just how good it is. Its just so quick to get seriously long lashes with a few fast strokes.

- theBalm Mary Lou Manizer Luminizer  This is another slightly unnecessary product for everyday use, but once you see what an amazing job it does its hard not to use it! Seriously the best highlighter ever- its a powder but with the butteryness and blendability of a cream.

- Revlon Matte Balm in Elusive   Sometimes i'm really in the mood for a matte lip and this one is great for spring, I reviewed it here  and I think the blue tones in it make it tie in well with the lilac in the eyes.

 So that's it, seems a ridiculous amount of make up when you list it out but some days I feel like spending time on my make up when I have the time, so i'll definitely be wearing this look again soon!x

Rimmel Eastend Snob Lip Liner Review

Lip liner seems to have grown massively in popularity over the last year or so and one that seems to have received a lot of interest is the Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner in Eastend Snob. I've been using this for quite a long time now and probably gone through about 2 or 3 of them, so needless to say I really like it.

The main thing that made me pick this lip liner in the first place was the fact its a wind up crayon-style pencil rather than one which has to be sharpened. I find this so much more convenient and easy to use, although the downside is that you get less of a sharp, precise point compared to a sharpened one.

Colour wise, I think of it as a muted rose colour. It has too much pink in it to be called a nude, but as far as pinks go its quite a neutral one which compliments a huge range of lip colours. I also sometimes wear this as a lipstick, applying it all over the lips (as pictured) as well as lining. Like every lip liner, this can be quite drying on the lips, but it creates a nice even and matte coverage.

If you've always been interested in trying lip liner, but aren't sure where to start then Rimmel Eastend Snob is a great choice. It's an extremely wearable and flattering shade, with a really easy wind up packaging design that makes it great for keeping in your hand bag. 

Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner in Eastend Snob is available now at Boots & Superdrug and costs only £3.99

Thanks for reading!x