Perfect Smokey Eye | Frosted Rose Eye Shadow

Perfect Smokey Eye | Frosted Rose Eye Shadow

Hey,

Hope all is well,

I previously posted this on my other blog, Caris' Blog, and thought why not post it here for a makeup idea for dance shows, such as ballet shows for a perfect dance show makeup look. Enjoy :) 

Final look of 'Frosted Rose' eye shadow look using 

'Technic Bronzing Eyeshadows Baked

Eyeshadow ' palette and Rimmel Long Lasting

Lipstick in 'Rock 'n' Roll Nude' by Kate Moss.

I love eye shadow, especially baked eye shadow, and I love the smokey eye look. My every day look always involves a smokey eye. Ever since discovering makeup when I was around 13/14, I have forever loved the look of a smokey eye. I just love how pretty the colours look, blending into other complimentary colours, and that you can wear it for any occasion and it just looks great. 

   So I have decided to share my new favourite eye shadow palette that I recently purchased, my Technic Bronzing Eyeshadows Baked Eyeshadow palette in what I call 'Frosted Rose', and my Frosted Rose Smokey Eye look I created using this palette.

Now before I start, I just want to tell you all about this palette, because its my new love. Some of you may be thinking 'Technic? That's not a big brand is it?' and that's a common thought with makeup brands that aren't as popular as the makeup giants like Rimmel or Max-Factor, Mac or Maybelline.

My 'Frosted Rose' eye shadow look using my
'Technic Bronzing Eyeshadows Baked
Eyeshadow ' palette.

   I purchased this palette for £2,99 and I love it; it has all the pigmentation I have been searching for and is so cost effective. Not only is it gorgeous with it's pinkish hue, but a great price. To add, Technic are also against animal testing unlike other brands such as Maybelline and Rimmel, which may come as an unexpected shock to some, due to the ideology that 'cheap', cost-effective makeup is of low quality and therefore of bad morals, but in this case that belief is banished. This puts this palette in my good books, because this palette even more worth it's cost, as the majority of non-animal testing brands can be fairly expensive to purchase and don't last very long when I use them as frequently as I do.

So let me tell you about the Frosted Rose Smokey Eye look I created one day using my new 'Technic Bronzing Eyeshadows Baked Eyeshadow' palette.


1) To start with, I firstly applied my every day makeup: foundation, concealer and press powder. I then took my trusty eye shadow brush and applied the base shadow to my eyelid, the lightest colour in 'Frosted Snow', dabbing it lightly on to my eyelid, building up the intensity of the pigment due to it's very light pale white-pinkish hue.

Makeup for this look:'Technic Bronzing Eyeshadows Baked
Eyeshadow' palette in 'Frosted Gold, and Rimmel Long Lasting
Lipstick in 'Rock 'n' Roll Nude' by Kate Moss.

In order of left to right: Top: 'Truffle', 'Frost', 'Rusted Gold'
Bottom left to right: 'Ice', 'Berry', 'Copper Bronze'.

2) I then placed a darker shade of shadow in  'Rusted Gold' onto the tip of the brush, and started to blend it into the crease of my eyelid to create the smokey look and highlight my eyes. I worked along starting at the lash line, and then along the crease on top of my eyelid, and repeat. I continue to add and blend small amounts, slowly building up the intensity of the eye shadow and creating the slightly pinkish tone of the eyeshadows. After adding enough shadow, I then used the brush without any eye shadow on it, to blend the shadow into the base shadow to stop a harsh clash of unblended eye shadow. I will admit that for some like myself when first starting smokey eye looks, it takes practice to learn blending and what way to blend the shadow into the crease of the eye depending on your eye shape. When blending the shadow, I do mine in an almost 'V' on it's side like this: ' < ' shape, with the point being the outer corner of my eyelid, instead of a 'C' shape, as my eyelids are too big for the 'C' shape route to take as you blend.

3) Lastly, to achieve the shadowed effect the smokey eye creates and add depth to the eye, I applied 'Truffle' a tiny bit onto the brush and gently dabbed it above the lash line and then along the outer corner's crease of my eye; the areas of the eyelid that my 'V' shaped route to blend the shadow would take. I always prefer to apply the darkest colour such as 'Truffle' lightly at first, as if it's too dark it can be difficult to blend without looking like a panda. Finally to finish off, I very very lightly moved the brush back and forth in the 'V' route to lightly blend the darkest shadow, with strokes literally of about 2mm or approximately 1cm. As always, I get my un powdered powder brush and gently flicked the brush outward along my skin under my eyes, to rid of excess powder that falls onto the eye lashes and under eyes when it's applied. Just staring from the outer corner and flicking it outwards flicks the shadow off your face.

The final look for my Smokey eye 'Frosted Rose' look.
Because I am looking down, you can see the blending of
eye shadow to create the smokey eye look.

   A trick I use when applying eye shadow, is to gently tap the eye shadow brush on the edge of the palette case to remove excess, loose shadow that will fall under my eyes when being applied.

4) To complete the look, I apply my mascara. Working my way from outer lashes and underneath the lashes, I firstly apply it gently to the top of the lashes, and then the bottom, to fully coat the eyelashes by hiding any loose eye shadow residue which will be settled on my eye lashes, and to help them keep their shape. I do this as my eyelashes are quite long and taper downwards in a curve leaving lashes that flick outwards like a cat eye liner would.

To add, another useful tip I have for eye shadow application when you've applied shadow for the smokey eye look, is how to deal with bits of mascara ending up on your eyelids which are covered in layers of perfected eye shadow. What I do is get my eye shadow brush and make it clean of any residue by rubbing it on my hand so that the residue won't transfer, and then lightly move the brush back and forth on the eye lid in small strokes to gently blend and remove the black mascara, yet without removing any of the shadow or disturbing the balance of pigmentation of eye shadow.

5) To compliment my pinkish 'Frosted Rose' smokey eye look, I pair this look with my favourite lipstick: Rimmel's Lasting Finish Lipstick in 'Rock 'n' Roll Nude' by Kate Moss in her nudes lipstick collection. I feel this

lipstick compliments the pigmentation of the eye shadow and the 'Frosted Rose' smoky eye look with it's nude pink pigments.

The final look complete with 'Technic Bronzing
EyeshadowsBaked Eyeshadow' palette and
 Rimmel Long Lasting Lipstick
in 'Rock 'n' Roll Nude' by
Kate Moss; to create a pinkish
nude, frosted rose look.

Close up of the look. This 'Frosted
Rose' look is subtly but an effective
smokey eye look. 

I hope my quick tutorial was interesting, helpful, and maybe even inspiring to read for new makeup looks, and I hope you enjoyed the post. This smokey-eye eye shadow look was just created one morning when I was getting ready for college and decided to use my new 'Techic Bronzing Eyeshadows Baked Eyeshadow' palette, and I really liked the results I achieved just by experimenting with makeup.

Thank you for reading,

Yours truly,
Caris

Elegant Festive Makeup | Frosted Snow Smokey Eye

Elegant Festive Makeup | Frosted Snow Smokey Eye

My Frosted Snow Smokey

 Eye look

Hey,

Hope all is well and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year :) 

Speaking of Christmas and New Year, this gave me the ideal to post a simple but elegant makeup look of mine that I believe ideal for any Christmas or New Years party or occasion; the Frosted Snow Smokey Eye.

Now I love the smokey eye look, and it is true that I wear it everyday, but I also wear it for special occasions as well. For these occasions, I amplifying the smokey eye a bit either by adding a little more shadow to the crease of the eye, or replacing lighter shadows with darker ones, making the shadow contour the eye even more; especially when out and in darker restaurants or bars. 

Base shadow in 'Silver Nude'
from 'Body Collection Eye
 Shadow Palette'

So without further ado, I'll give you my quick and easy step-by-step guide to achieving my Frosted Snow Smokey Eye look. These images were just taken in my room after completing the look so I'm afraid no nice fancy background for this post.

1) Firstly, like always, I wash my face in the morning to remove any oil or dirt to avoid blocked pores caused by wearing makeup on blocked skin. After every face wash, I then moisturise with my 'Simple Kind To Skin Light Moisturiser' which is the only moisturiser that soaks into my skin and doesn't leave an oily, greasy residue on my skin's surface, which in turn blocks pores and causes blemishes. I apply this moisturiser twice and massage it into my face gently in circular motions until it's absorbed.

'Golden Bronze Baked Eye Shadow'
with 'Golden Bronze' used for the crease
of the smokey eye look.

2) I then start with my everyday makeup: foundation, concealer, press powder. After I take my trusty 'Body Collection Eye Shadow Palette', and select 'Silver Nude', which will be the base for this look and gently apply it, dabbing it onto the eyelid to reduce buildup and to create an even application. 

3) After building the colour by applying the eye shadow, I move to my 'Golden Bronze Baked Eye Shadow' in 'Golden Bronze', and start to apply it to the crease of my eye, starting from the end of the lash line across to the corner of my eye. For the crease of the eye, I apply the shadow in a back and forth motion to blend the shadow. Each time I gently add intensity to the crease to develop the smokey eye look. To avoid excess shadow falling underneath my eye, I very gently tap the eye shadow brush on the edge of the eye shadow palette to remove excess shadow. 

The complete Frosted Snow
 Smokey Eye look

When I apply eye shadow to the crease, I do it in a ' V' shape due to my eyelids tapering down, which leaves my eye lashes tapering down and flicking out a bit like a cat eye. In theory on my left eye the 'v' shape will be like this: < and on my right like this: > but obviously in a more curved shape, as eyelids curve and the eye socket is also curved slightly.

4) After blending the shadow into the base eye shadow, I then take my powder brush (with no powder on it) and gently flick the brush from under my eye outward to remove excess shadow. Finally I apply my mascara. Because the eye shadow will have fallen onto my eyelashes, I firstly apply the shadow on the top of my lashes starting from the outside to the inner lashes. Straight away I then apply another coat to the lashes underneath where you would normally apply mascara. Again I start from outside of the lashes inwards, going over the outer lashes once more to develop curl. 

5) Last of all, I apply moisturiser to my lips to create a moisturise

The complete Frosted Snow
 Smokey Eye look

d, smooth base to put lipstick onto, and apply my lipstick. You can choose which colour you want.

For instance, with this eye shadow look, it's best to pick a subtle pinkish tone like my Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate Moss in 'Rock 'n' Roll Nude'. This is because a light tone compliments the look, but does not distract the eye from the eye shadow look. However, if you were to use a darker lipstick, like my Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in 'Drop of Sherry' in a dark burberry, reddish tone, this would draw the eye away from the smokey eye look, and distract from the main makeup feature that was intended to build definition to the face. Once applying lipstick, the look is complete.

 I hope this was helpful and a great idea for anyone struggling to think of make up looks for the festive season, or even enabled others to create an idea that has influenced by this look.  

To the left 'Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick' by Kate
Moss in 'Rock 'n' Roll Nude', to right 'Rimmel Lasting
Finish Lipstick' in 'Drop of Sherry'

Thank you for reading,

Yours truly,

Caris :)

Ballet Pointe Shoe Review | Grishko Pointe Shoes

Ballet Pointe Shoe Review | Grishko Pointe Shoes 

Hey,

Hope all is well,

Today I am sharing with all you lovelies my review on my current ballet pointe shoes, Grishko Triumph.

I have had these shoes for about a year now, due to my class only do Pointe work in lesson every now and then, as we are learning our floor and barre work for our grade; and the fact that we're always choreographing new flat ballet dances as well.

My Pointe shoes are also looking a bit battered now due to them being used on and off for a year. This is also because they were used frequently leading up to and during the summer dance performances I took part in with my dance school in July 2016. So of course after all the pirouettes, couru's and finishing positions on the floor in the dance, my shoes have scrapes, a bulged 'v' shape where the vamp is now visible as they've properly broken in, and black marks and scuffs from the stage floor. But despite all of that, they are still going and I still think they look as pretty as ever.

My Grishko Pointe shoes which are now very
loved and battered.

There are many good things about these shoes, so let me explain them in more detail all below.

Structure:
This is a very important point here. The reason why I only use Grishko Ballet Pointe shoes is due to their structure in regard for the shape of my feet. Being someone who has size 6 feet, with one foot half a size smaller, it can be tricky to find the right pointe shoe, as the shoe may fit my left, smaller foot, but squash my right foot. Another issue about my feet is that they are long and narrow, with long, tapered toes, and the second toe being the longest. To add I've a pretty high arch. This means that shoes such as Bloch would not fit me, as they cater to square feet and provide a more square, 'U' shaped vamp; suitable for toes that are the same length, unlike my feet which taper from biggest at my big toe, to smallest to my small toe, and who has a second longer toe. To sum it all up, this means that because my feet are tapered, with toes of different lengths, a longer second toe, pretty high arch and the ball of my foot being pretty wide; I have to have a 'V shaped vamp to stop my toes from being squashed and support my foot. And Grishko pointe shoes supply the 'V' vamp that I need.

I kid you not, when I had my feet fitted, the shoe fitter at the dance shop brought out so many brands, Bloch, Capezio, Sansha, Wear Moi and Gayner Minden, all which catered for different foot shapes and toe lengths. And yet every brand was either too tight, left my toes feeling numb because the tightness was cutting off my blood circulation, or stopped me from even getting my foot into them because they were so tight. No matter how many shoes I tried, which I believe were approximately 15, and which all were different widths and sizes, there was always something wrong. I really mean it, these brands were all ridiculously too small and the wrong shape. The the only brand that fit me, without being extremely tight, were Grishkos. Thank goodness Grishko Pointe shoes exist, because there are no other brands that fit me; none at all that can be purchased in the UK anyway.

So it may seem bias, but this is a good reason as to why I love Grishkos. They cater for the less common foot shapes and widths, such as myself who is a UK Size 6, has long, tapered toes with a longer second toe, has narrow feet but the ball of my foot is a lot wider and who has a pretty high arch; a lot of criteria to cater for.

Comfort:

The shank of the shoe when the shoes were brand
new. Today around a year after use they are still
wearable and provide support.

Now comfort is almost a exaggeration with Pointe shoes or something of a myth, because let me tell you, they will never be what we would imagine the every day, usual 'comfortable' to be like, with no pain, no pressure and no rubbing against the toes. For Pointe shoes, 'comfort' is different to the everyday word 'comfort', because I am referring to shoes that will hurt slightly- as they're pointe shoes and let's face it your feet aren't naturally meant to be in that situation- but you can dance easily in them, move freely without any struggle to stay standing with ability to stay on the platform (the base that your stand on on-pointe). To add, the best shoes have got to allow you to 'feel the floor', a Ballet term referring to being able to control your movement and feel the shoe against the floor, evidence that your feet are in the right type of Pointe shoe for you.


Colour:
I love the colour of these Grishko Triumph Ballet Pointe shoes. Some of you may be thinking 'But all Ballet shoes are pink, right?' well yes, but no. You can get some in different colours and some brands have a slight variety in the shade of their 'pink' pointe shoes. For example, I found during my fitting for my current pointe shoes in the Dance shop, that some brands such as Bloch appear to me to be of different hues to other brands. Block appear more brighter pink, however Grishko appear a more paler hue, similar to my natural skin tone. Others were very harsh pink or a so pale they appear close to white in the extremely bright shop. However my Grishko's appear to be a pale peachy-pink hue, which I find rather pretty as it shines in the light and the shoes appear cleaner than they actually are because of the colour.

Versatile and long-lasting:
Now this is the second mainly important point about my shoes. Due to Pointe shoes being required for very strenuous movement, and to support your weight, they have to be very tough and versatile when dancing in them. Grishko definitely are this: versatile. I am on my second pair of Grishko's and they are still going. After the dance show in the summer, I noticed that my pointe shoes broke in a lot when rehearsing in the weeks leading up to the show and during the show. After all the pirouettes, the many, many courus, running-and I mean lots of running, obviously in the delicate-ballerina style- and finishing positions, my shoes started to get pretty broken in, making them a lot easier to dance in and in turn a lot more comfortable; as the heat from my feet softens the glue in the shoe making, in turn them softer.
However the next day they were back to their normal, brick-like selves.

My shoes when first purchased and after I
had sewn the ribbons on. Here you can see that
their colour is a peach-pink hue,

   Because the best thing about these Grishko Ballet Pointe shoes, is that after they have been taken off and left for a while, they maintain their strength, and are as tough as bricks the next day all thanks to their strong structure and glue. I can honestly say from experience with just two pairs of Grishkos, that these shoes really are versatile and long lasting, because no matter how much dancing I do, they take lots and lots and lots of movement and use to really- and I do mean really- break in. I often wonder if these Russian shoes are indestructible sometimes, because they make me adopt tricks of my own to break them in as they are just so tough.

To add, I have heard that these shoes are more versatile or 'better' than other brands, such as Bloch, as from what others have told me and the shoe fitter in the ballet shop said, Bloch are a lot softer and so easier to break in, meaning they don't last as long and that results in having to buy another pair for an average of £40. When first starting point, my curiosity to learn about them drew me to read articles about these shoes and their versatility and long-lasting state.

Cost:
Cost is something that can vary with Pointe shoes. For example, some brands can be pretty affordable, at prices as low as as £20.00. This cost I am wary of, because to me, that's a little too low for a shoe that's hand made out of multiple layers of material, with lots of strong glue specialised specifically for the pointe shoe to keep it strong and lasting, a shoe that uses satin on the outside of the shoe, and that has a shank, which is extremely strong to hold you up on your toes and support your arch when dancing.
   However, prices can also be what appears to me personally, as too high, costing £80 or over. This is because as good a quality as you want for the shoes because of their use, you don't need to rear towards £80 to find the best quality shoe. And at the same time, you also do not need to spend so much, (unless you want to of course which is an individual choice) because depending on the amount of times these shoes are used, they could for instance break in and be unusable after just a few months of use.
So, regarding cost, from personal choice, I believe you want to go for mid way, paying approximately £40-£50 as a range on the shoes. My Grishko Ballet shoes I believe were £45.50 from looking at my receipt I somehow still have, which is actually quite a good price, likely because I purchased them from an independent store and not from a website for example. However, the price is also pretty good, as Pointe shoes will not be cheap, and will be costly to some extent, obviously depending on how much you're willing to pay, due to all the time and materials used to make them, and the skills to shape them into their idea structure so they work perfectly for the dancer.

And this is another good point about Grishkos, because they're not too low or 'cheap' as some say in cost, which many people and myself are wary of, due cheap items not always being the best choice when regarding a shoe that cannot just be made in seconds. But, at the same time, these shoes are also not so expensive as other brands may be, as they will do the same overall as a lower priced shoe will do an therefore there isn't really any need to double the cost of the shoe that will soon have to be replaced within 6 months to a year; depending on how frequently they are used.


There you go, my review on my current Grishko Ballet Pointe shoes. Hope this was useful for any of your interested in learning about types of pointe shoes and brands. This was just my own personal opinion to my Pointe shoes I currently have but hope it was useful to read.

Thank you for reading,

Yours truly,
Caris  

Ultimate Make Up Crush | Baked Eye Shadow

Ultimate Make Up Crush | Baked Eye Shadow 

Technic 'Bronzing Eyeshadows Baked Eyeshadow ' in
 'Frosted Rose' and 'Golden Bronze Baked Eye shadow'.
The image is taken in artificial lighting to show the shimmer and
satin effect they create even in a dark, night time environment. 

Hey,

For this post, I thought I would share with all of you my one makeup product that I just can't not get enough of right now: baked eye shadow and the smokey eye look. When it comes to my favourite make up, I don't just mean big brands, oh no, I mean all the brands I have.

Eye shadow is also a great product to use to do your makeup for dance, such as for a dance show using the smokey eye look, as it contours your eyes making them easily visible on stage whilst looking great for a show. I used my 'Golden Bronze Baked Eyeshadow' for the dance show I took part in in June 2016, and the results are great. In the photos taken of me you can see the smokey eye look and my face easily on stage, and the look appears professional too.

Technic 'Bronzing Eyeshadows Baked Eyeshadow 'in
 'Frosted Rose' and 'Golden Bronze Baked Eye shadow'.
The image is taken in natural lighting to show
the shimmer and satin effect they create.

 
So for my baked eye shadow, this collection consists of many different brands that I discovered and now adore. If I love a make up product, I don't mind what brand it is, be it cheap or averagely priced, I'm willing to try it out and adopt it as my own; because I love to save money via the best deals and money saving includes trying new brands at more affordable prices.

To  me, baked eye shadow is amazing. I love the look you can achieve with it and the consistency this eye shadow has with its satin-like effect when it catches in the light. Because it's baked, I find it tends to last longer, yet still looks fabulous on your eyes, meaning you can save on topping up your stash. Another great thing I find about baked eye shadow, is that due to this eye shadow being baked, it has more shimmer to it, making the coverage fuller on your eyelids. This in turn allows you to develop your look from pretty to glam, just by adding more baked shadow with the best results via dabbing and pressing the shadow gently onto the lids for a chick look. So let me introduce my most used baked shadows and their looks. I have incorporated images to show their consistency, some taken in the day with natural lighting to highlight the intensity of the pigment and satin-like shimmer, and images taken in artificial lighting to represent their satin effect and pigment in darker environments at night. 

Day: 'Golden Bronze Baked Eye shadow'.
Upper left: 'Copper Gold', upper right: 'Golden
Bronze', lower left: 'Frosted ivory', lower Right:
'Chocolate'.

Baked eye shadow is my ultimate make up crush right now. When I'm getting ready for a night out, such as to a restaurant or occasion, I always turn to is my smokey eye silver look (yes I created the name myself because I think a commonly used look has to have an official name).

 
For the day, my first look I turn to is my most faithful 'Dark Bronze Baked Eye Shadow' set which I adore. This shadow is versatile (like other baked eye shadows) and can be paired with any normal pressed eye shadow, such as when I use my 'Golden Bronze Baked Eye Shadow' with my 'Silver Nude Pressed Shadow' from a long lasting palette of mine. This duo go hand-in-hand to achieve a subtly smokey look for the day, using 'Silver Nude' for the base and 'Golden Bronze' for the crease of the eye. 

Night: 'Golden Bronze Baked Eye shadow'.
Upper left: 'Copper Gold', upper right: 'Golden 
Bronze', lower left: 'Frosted ivory', lower Right: 
'Chocolate'.

   At the night to achieve my second favourite look with these baked shadows, I use the dark smokey look, by adding 'Chocolate' to the look on my outer corner of the eyelid to create depth and make my eyes pop; highlighting my eyes with the 'Silver Nude' whilst giving off a dark smokey look with 'Golden Bronze' and 'Chocolate'. In my post, 🎃 🎀 Halloween Look | Broken Porcelain Doll 🎀 🎃 I used these shadows to create my look and illuminate my eyes, which you can see by clicking the link.  

My third favourite look, is a simple coat of my 'Golden Bronze Baked Eye Shadow'. I start on the outside of my eye lid and work my way in, building on the intensity of the shadow, adding more pigment to the crease of the eye and blending the shadow. My favourite part about this look is the way the shimmer in the eye shadow catches the light, highlighting your eyes and giving a soft glow along side the warm pigmentation which compliments my skin tone. An even better fact is that this eye shadow look takes minutes to perfect and just adds a little extra to your make up look. 

Day: Technic 'Bronzing Eyeshadows Baked Eyeshadow'
 palette in 'Frosted Rose' 

Finally, the last baked eye shadow that I will rant about, is my newly discovered 'Bronzing Eyeshadows Baked Eye Shadow' Palette from Technic. This palette was around £2.99 I believe and I came across it when Christmas shopping one day. Being the baked eye shadow addict that I am, especially a bronze coloured eye shadow lover, I snatched it up. I had been looking for a pinkish bronze baked shadow for a long time, so when I came across this palette I couldn't believe my luck. There were so many palettes to choose from, all with lush colours, but in the end I turned to this 'Bronzing Eyeshadows Baked Eye Shadow' palette in what I like to call 'Frosted Rose' because of the shimmer and pinkish undertones which I adore 

 Night: Technic 'Bronzing Eyeshadows
Baked Eyeshadow' palette in 'Frosted Rose'

   The palette consists of six shadows, all as individually gorgeous as one other, and all with a pinkish pigmented undertone to them. A great part is that not only was this brand cost effective, costing just £2.99 for baked bronze eye shadows, but it's against animal testing, unlike top brands such as 'Rimmel' and 'Maybelline'. This may come as an unexpected fact for some, as many people believe 'cheap' or cost- effective make up is of low quality and therefore bad morals; but in this case that stigma is wrong.

I am  ultimately in love with this 'Bronzing Eye Shadows Baked Eye Shadow' palette, even the way it looks is amazing, with the rose-silver pigmentation and effect it presents. When I got this palette home I loved it so much, I even said to myself "Ohh this palette is so bea" when testing a few shadows on my hand 😄  I am so excited to try this new palette, and see what new smokey eye looks I can concoct, and which of these are best suited to specific occasions. It's decided: this palette is a keeper. 

The back of the Technic 'Bronzing Eyeshadows Baked
Eyeshadow' palette. The small heart says 'Against Animal Testing'

So there are a few of my looks along side the baked shadows I use to create my most used looks; including the introduction to my newest ultimate makeup crush, the 'Bronzing Baked Eye Shadow' palette.  

 
   A thing I cannot get over about baked eye shadow, is that it has such an intense shimmer and allows you to create more depth than pressed shadows allow you to. This makes your look appear even more glamorous then it would be if using pressed eye shadow alone, and more chick than usual; a perfect way to make your look unique. 

Thank you for reading,

Yours truly,

Caris 

This Season's Statement Item | Chenille Roll Neck Jumper

This Season's Statement Item | Chenille Roll Neck Jumper

Hey,


With the clocks set back and the day light fading, Winter has set in. And with this change of weather, there's nothing I like more than a new, warm item to add to my Winter wardrobe collection.

This Chenille Roll Neck Jumper is my newest addition to my Winter wardrobe, and being a massive jumper addict- especially for the thick, roll neck types- I am in love with this new jumper already.
Costing me just £16, it's affordable and a great fashion statement item that will keep you warm in the cold Winter months.

The Chenille Roll Neck Jumper achieves a casual, effortless look for the Winter season. Paired with Black Skinny jeans and Black Chelsea Boots, I feel this outfit is elegantly congruous for any Winter occasion.

This jumper is a definite favourite of mine. It's affordable, simple and elegant. It is extremely warm with a soft texture to it, making it very comfortable to wear; something I believe is highly important for any item included in my Winter wardrobe this year.

Thank you for reading,

Yours truly,
Caris

Photography | Catching the Last of Autumn

Photography | Catching the Last of Autumn

Hey,

hope all is well,

I thought that with Autumn nearly gone for the year, I would catalogue just a few images taken on my phone the past few days to share with you all. 

I love Autumn with it's gorgeous contrast of colours and can never resist to take a few pictures when ever possible. I love the way the trees look and the way the birds sing when it starts to get darker, the cosy nights snuggled up warm at home watching your favourite films, and the way the leaves float to the ground, spiralling and spinning like a dancer (which could be an possible influence for a dance piece: Autumn). 

   

Autumn also reminds me of new begins before the new year starts in January, with the trees letting their leaves go as if they're memories from this year being placed out of the present and into the past; a catalogue of memories. This may attach to me as one of my favourite seasons, because of this, I am an Autumn baby, but also find beauty in nature and the trees letting their leaves free. It's just magical. It has also been a changed year for me, with things happening that have transition me out of the same routines and into a less predicted world with new beginnings in itself.

So without further ado, here are the pictures I captured on my phone the past few days before we see the last of Autumn and it's gone for the year. Enjoy 😃 🌌

Hope you enjoyed these photos as much as I love them and their beauty.

Thank you for reading,

Caris 

🎃 🎀 Halloween Look | Broken Porcelain Doll 🎀 🎃

🎃 🎀 Halloween Look | Broken Porcelain Doll 🎀 🎃

The final look: Broken Porcelain Doll

Hey,

During the Halloween period, I can't help but take part in the fun and get creative with Halloween looks. Every year I enjoy the fact that no matter how unusual you look, it's acceptable because it's Halloween and everyone looks extremely different to their normal, human selves. And so I thought I'd share my Halloween look with you. 

This year, I dressed up at work to raise money for the children's charity the NSPCC, which my employer frequently supports all year round, and with the chance to show my creativity, I couldn't help but take part and become a broken Porcelain doll. 

   I just love the idea of a broken Porcelain doll and all its hidden meanings for Halloween. Think of the symbolic representation that's associated with dolls: the notion that they resemble childhood and joy, yet when broken, a doll can convey sense of a loss of freedom and hope a child may feel when their toy is broken. This is the basis for all films with creepy, haunted dolls; they symbolise a loss of childhood, broken dreams and lost joy. An example, Annabelle the possessed doll.... 

Make up used for the look

So with my love for horror films, and my interest in the hidden meanings and symbolic representations, I decided to get creative and become a broken Porcelain Doll for Halloween. The idea sprang to me when I was thinking of a Halloween look, and my idea for the broken Porcelain doll popped into my head. My design is my original idea and was created using just my ordinary things: make-up and my every day clothes. I personally prefer not to use expensive make-up for Halloween looks, as you cannot tell the difference and at Halloween the aim is to look as creepy as possible, even if your lipstick is cheap as you'll only be wearing it for a short period. Plus drawing on myself is a bit of a waste of make-up, so I tend leave big brands out of the picture, except for my everyday makeup which consists of brands such as Maybelline, Rimmel and Soap & Glory because I have no other make-up brands to use.

Silver Nude eye-shadow

     The images are from two occasions, my first practice so I could have time to take the images for you lovely people, and the others are from after I got back from work; as I had to set off at 9 for work so wouldn't of had enough time to take images of my look.

Firstly, for the look, I wore my White Long Sleeved Turtle Neck- my essential top for everything - my Black Dungaree Pinafore Dress and white shoes. I paired myself with an old teddy, that is conveniently broken at the back, to mimic the toys that dolls would come with, and give off a creepier vibe. 

Golden Bronze baked eye shadow

For my makeup, I put on my every day look: foundation, concealer, press powder and mascara. I then used a lot of pink blush for my cheeks to mimic the rosy cheeks dolls have, and smokey eye look to make my eyes pop using my frosted Silver Nude eye shadow, and Golden Bronze and Chocolate baked eye shadow. I followed this with my Avon Matte Lipstick in 'Peach Flatters' (which I have previously blogged about alongside other lipsticks: Favourite Lipstick Picks | Lipsticks I Couldn't Live Without) to achieve the heavy and bright lipstick dolls would have.

Chocolate baked eye shadow

I tied my hair into two messy pig tails, then left my fringe out at the front, to present the often childlike hairstyles that dolls would have. This look can also be with your hair down which I wore for work when I decided to leave my hair down for the day after it fell out. 

The finished look close up: Broken Porcelain Doll

To achieve the cracks on my hand and face, I used my Soap & Glory felt tip eyeliner pen and drew the cracks lightly onto my skin, filling in some parts to make it seem as though I was missing pieces. Soap & Glory is the only brand I own for eye liner, as I find it to be amazing because it doesn't smudge, lasts all day, and the felt tip is perfect for precision of make up. The trick with drawing the cracks is to make them as thin as possible and imagine your drawing what cracks on a delicate window would look like. I drew cracks on my right side of my face reaching from my jaw line to my temple, and a smaller one on my left side of my face by my jawline and cheek bone. I then dusted press powder lightly over the cracks on my face to help set the eye liner, and to gain depth of the cracks on my hand, I used ordinary eye shadows in jet black, grey and then white to go over the harsh black lines to give a blended effect, and complete my look. 🎃 🎀


Thank you for reading and happy Halloween,

Yours truly,
Caris  

       

Autumnal Look | My Autumn Wardrobe Favourite

Autumnal Look | My Autumn Wardrobe Favourite

Hey, hope all is well,

With the leaves turning brown and the temperature dropping, Autumn has arrived. in response to the change of season, it only seems appropriate to grab anything warm we can find and throw it on. And with this norm, I felt it was time to update my Autumnal wardrobe for the chilling season ahead. 

In this cold weather, there's nothing I love more than big coat to keep me warm; and I think I've found my love. A few days ago, I brought this Faux Fur Collar Burgundy Duster Coat for £35.00, and have decided it is one of my favourite items 😃

I love the colour burgundy, especially in the Autumn when the leaves turn yellow, to gold, to burgundy, to brown. Walking around buttoned up in this coat, I've never felt more congruous for the season. Paired with skinny black jeans and a jumper and black Chelsea boots, I feel set for the cold weather. 

I adore this coat and it's growing on me by the day. The best part is that it's a statement piece that changes your look from cozy to glamorous and makes you look felicitous for the Autumnal days ahead.

The Faux Fur collar keeps you warm and the best part is that it can be unbuttoned and taken off, transforming your coat into a Boyfriend Coat; meaning you can change your look and add to it to suit any occasion. 

Thank you for reading,

Yours truly,

Caris 

Day Out | Trip to The Victoria & Albert Museum, London

Day Out | Trip to The Victoria & Albert Museum, London

Hey hope all is well,

A few weeks ago (possibly two if I can separate that memory from the memory of the stress A-Levels have given me these past few weeks) I went to The Victoria & Albert Museum in London, to see a recorded screening of the play Jerusalem for my A2 English Language exam. 

     Now you may be asking 'why did you go to see a play that is the recording of one instead of a live performance' and my class and I asked the same question. I guess our teacher felt it would be easier to understand and refer to the play for the exam if we watched it, which is true. But I also found that trips to London with my A2 English class are very amusing and eventful, such as our breakfast at Weatherspoons before we left Oxford for London; and the lady serving hated me with a passion because I paid 39p on my debit card 😂 ....

 However that's not the basis for this blog post, although it's a pretty funny story that I may talk about another time, but the story behind this post is that before I watched the play, I managed to take some pictures of the artifacts, and I've decided to post some of them here for you all to see; because believe me some of them are amazing!      Unfortunately when I tried to get these images onto my laptop, they deleted themselves off my phone, and some artifacts I was not allowed to photograph, but the ones I still have and was allowed to take pictures of are below; so just have a scroll down and take a look. I believe I was in the 'Religion' section -although I cannot recall the exact name- so I believe most of these images are of religious items and just to say I didn't manage to write down what each item was, but it's amazing how beautiful these artifacts are. Here are just a few of the pictures. 

Hope these were interesting, and apologies that there aren't many here, as thanks to my phone they are now deleted 😡 But these are the surviving images and I still think they're just as amazing 😄

Thank you for reading,

Yours truly,
Caris

Best Ballet Buys | Clothing Goals For Ballet

Best Ballet Buys | Clothing Goals For Dancing 

Hey, hope all's well,

I am one for the sales: like the sales that give you 70% or more off items for great prices. And so it should be too with Ballet clothing and accessories.

My cross over cardigan
before it's tied.

My cross-over cardigan
connected on one side
through the loop.

    Ballet clothing and accessories can be expensive. A skirt can cost over thirty pounds, or a branded bag can cost up to fourty pounds. So I've decided to give a bit of inspiration on my recent purchase, especially when you're like me, where being a full-time student means you can't work that many hour to earn enough to spend on ballet expenses or on other fashionable dance items as well.

I recently purchased a short wrap cardigan, perfect for Ballet with it's light weight material that's short in length, and its cross over effect that can be tied into a bow to the front or side of your body for a casual look. When it comes to Ballet items, as long as they're suitable for their purpose, such as size or length, then whatever you find that doesn't have to be specifically from a big Ballet brand, like Pointe shoes, can be used for your usual dance lessons.

Cross-over cardigan
connected from behind which
is done through connecting ties
through the
loops on either side.  

The cross over cardigan
completely tied with the cardigan
crossed over and tied to the side
for a nice elegant finish.

This cardigan was £7.00 from H&M and I have been looking for a short, wrap cardigan that's perfect for my usual Ballet lessons, and at a good price. In the past, my only other cardigans I have to wear for ballet is a bat-wing, over-sized effect cardigan, which persistently kept falling off my shoulders when I went to do an arabesque or a jump; so I think I can say that this cardigan definitely wasn't ideal for my usual Ballet lessons and was extremely annoying to have to constantly adjust.   

Hope this was useful and proved just how much easier it can be to find the perfect dance wear, such as for Ballet that's cost effective and looks great too. 

Thank you for reading,

Yours truly,

Caris

Summer Rush | Catch up

Summer Rush | Catch up

Hey, hope all is well,

Now it's been a while, well a very long while, since I've posted anything; and I'll explain why to you all following both, or one of my blogs. It appears that over the past few mall why. It appears that over the past few months, since my mock A-Level exams around April time, I've been extremely busy with revision for my first year of A-Level exams, my AS exams, which if I don't pass successfully, my chances of continuing A-Levels can be reduced because of these results that my A-Level exams will display. I've also been busy revising for my GCSE Maths re-take which is still the one exam that stresses me out the most, as unfortunately I don't find maths easy apart from the simple things.

Maths revision sat in the sun
for my GCSE Maths
re-take.

   
After I had my mock A-Level exams at college, a few weeks later I had my real AS exams, which again have the ability to affect my progression onto my second year of A-Levels, and so I've beenglued to revision, bit of Drama and Theatre-Doll's House is one I am glad to put away-English Language and Literature, and oh what fun I've had with good old pal William Blake and his in-depth poems, and of Fitzgerald's novel 'The Great Gatsby', which I must admit is a well structured and detailed read. 

     Alongside the majority of my revision being that of Sociology, which strikes as the most demanding subject I've ever done in my whole life and as the most horrible exam that I unluckily experienced because of my nerves getting the better of me with six questions to answer :/ And as expected, my Sociology revision sessions at home and at college ended up lasting for two straight hours of social science theory, facts, research methods and terminology, and of course social statistics; be warned, if any of you want to do A-Level Sociology this September, it's very demanding with over 30 modules to study for just one exam, so it can be easily composed the idea of me sitting on my bedroom floor complaining that my brain hurts and that I need a break but have to keep on going xD So as you can read, see, well you know what I mean, things have become kind of hectic for me; until now.

My Sociology revision cards for my AS
Sociology exam, which are about 1/3 the total number of
revision cards I have now I've finished my revision.

Because now, I am glad to say that I will now be literally "free"-meaning not attending college for over a month, yet alas I've still another year to do-and will be posting again, including any holiday posts with a multitude of images once again with the next eight and a half weeks of summer holiday I have been given (beginning today Friday! :) ) 

       Also, I am glad to say, that after a year of A-Level English Language and Literature, I am finally starting work on creative writing and ways in which different interpretations and versions of, say 'Fairy tales' -which I've been doing in lesson during these past few bridging weeks at college- can be produced and will start on my course work this summer, and no worries, I'll still be here sat in my room, with my trusty old pal 'Lenovo' laptop and lazy-day clothes typing away for hours on end.

My dance shoes for all three seperate
dance performances ready and waiting
to be worn.

To add to my massive catch-up for you, look out for possible Ballet fashion and best-buys posts, as I have come to the conclusion that it would be interesting to add to my blog's Ballet page, and that I will be posting about my dance school's dance show where I performed four times, performing twice a day from Friday to Saturday, and where I took part in three separate dances and the finale, and not forgetting all the technical issues we faced, which has some humor to it I think :),

Have a great few weeks, if you're on holiday already, say just finished your exams, then well done and enjoy, and if you're still at school or college; then hang in there like I did, it'll all be worth it! :)

Thankyou for reading,

Yours truly,
Caris