Beauty Blog #14 - Halloween Makeup Cleanse!

For halloween we love to put all kinds of outrageous products on our face! We overload with makeup, FX latex, face paint and fake blood! But how many of you properly cleanse your face when removing all this? 

It is zoo important that after putting on so many different products that our ski is not used to on a daily basis that you cleanse, tone and moisturise your skin after! These products can be very thick and cakey and easily clog up your pores, they are also very drying. 

I would recommend using a good cleansing face wash and a thick high moisturising cream to keep your skin healthy and glowing! 

Have fun with your makeup and get creative, but don't forget to look after your skin! 

xoxo 

Lottie 

Beauty Blog #13 - My current Skin Care Favourites

So recently I have been quite ill with a virus, which coincidentally has really affected the condition of my skin! I have had a mixture of oily skin, dry skin and major outbreaks! 
My normal 'blemish banishing' routine would be to wash my face with any skin friendly soap and then smoother my face in Sudocrem! This is still a favourite trick of mine for the odd blemish, however this cream can really dry your face out, so I wouldnt recommend it for long term use. So I went out and brought myself some cost-effective skincare ranges to try and tackle my skin! I have tried quite a few products and these are by far my favourite!! 

Boots own brand exfoliating sponge 
Witch naturally clear blemish gel with witch hazel extract (my favourite blemish gel) 
Simple Kind to Skin natural vital vitamin foaming cleanser 
Boots own brand Tea Tree and Witch Hazel night treatment gel 
T-Zone nose pore strips 
Montagne Jeunesse Cucumber Peel Off Masque 

All these products I brought from my local Boots and are currently on offer as a 3 for 2, so was super affordable. If you want to get this promotion it wont last long so definately go check that out! I spent around £20 and also brought a few more of the face masks, which I was pleasantly suprised by at the checkout! 

I also invested in a few bits from the L'Oreal Skin Perfection Range, these are aimed at people between 20-30, which I use with my makeup routine, so I will do a seperate post on them. 

Definately check these products out, please remember that not everyones skin reacts the same to products so some of the things I have mentioned may not necessarily work for you.   

Look out for my L'Oreal Skin Perfection post if you are interested in that! 

Ooo... Also... Happy Halloween! 


Xoxo Lottie 

Beauty Blog #12 - Why do we get blackheads & what is the best way to get rid of them?

So I was asked to answer this question for a Blog Post and I thought it would only make sense to post it on here for all you beauties to read! 

Having blackheads does not mean you are dirty or do not wash enough! 

Blackheads are formed by the clogging of natural skin oil and dead skin cells in our pores and opening of hair follicles. They form a bump in the skin which is open allowing air to get to it, causing the blackness on top. 

Blackheads can be treated in many ways, you can buy over the counter treatments and gels, my favourites are the nose strips with witch hazel which dry over the skin surface and extract the blackheads. You can also have black heads manually extracted by a dermatologist. It advised that you don’t try to extract them from home, as if you apply too much pressure to the skin you can burst blood vessels under the skin and push the sebum (clogged oil and skins cells) further into the derma-layers of your skin, causing infection and an outbreak. 

You can also get medication from your doctor to help reduce the oil and collection in your skin caused by hormones. 

A cost-effective and easy treatment from home would be to buy an exfoliating sponge, a good facial scrub for your skin type, a peeling face mask and a witch hazel and tea tree gel. Exfoliate your face with the scrub and sponge, using warm water then rinse throughly with clean warm water and pat dry. You can then use your peeling face mask to help extract any impurities from the skin and, finish with apply the treatment gel before bed. 

Beauty Blog #11 - Halloween Makeup Pop Art

Tutorial Link http://youtu.be/hoO3nJgFKCc

Hi Everyone, 

I have just posted a tutorial on youtube for a PopArt Halloween look so here is a quick step-by-step guide to what I done to achieve this look! 

Products I used: 
UNE foundation in Colour M02 - Matte 
MUA Concealer in colour Natural
Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge 
Mua Lip Liner in Colour Red 
Mua Eye Liner in White and 2 shades of Blue 
Mua Liquid Liner in Metallic Blue 
Mua Gel Liner in Black
Jazooli Palette for the Solid Black Shadow 
Unbranded ebay Palette for Yellow Shadow 
MUA Lipstick in Red 
Collection Pressed Powder 
MUA Shimmery highlight powder 
eBay Contour Palette 

Make sure you prep and prime your face in your usual way! 

1- Foundation
So Using your choice of application, mine being the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, blend in your foundation to your face. Don't forget you want to be using quite a pale foundation or something that matches or is slightly lighter than your natural skin tone. 

2 - Concealer 
Apply concealer generously and cover any blemishes and blend into your foundation. Again you can use what is best for you, however I have used my Real Techniques Sponge, to blend this in with my foundation. In the video you will see that I apply concealer to my lips. This is not recommended, I done this as a trial for a lip application, however it didn't work so I left that part out of the video and just used a lipstick. 

3 - Setting Powder & Highlighter 
So I used my normal Collection Pressed Powder and just lightly brushed it over my face to set my concealer and foundation. Then from my eBay contour kit I used the lightest shade to highlight all your usual areas (nose, top of cheek and under eyes and forehead). Then use a shimmery highlighting powder to set these areas.

4 - Red/White Dots
Okay so as I explain in my video, I initially didn't want to use a Red for the dots, however my white liner was not thick and pigmented enough so I had to settle for the Red, though it actually looked quite good! Using any style you want to apply the dots, map them onto your face. I thought it would be easier to start out and work my way in. Remember this does not have to be totally even! If your dots are all over the place so what! But if you can try and get them as neat as possible it will create an overall flawless finished look. (Mine is no where near flawless though!) 

5 - Contour Lines
Firstly you want to take a small bit of solid black eyeshadow and map out your lines for your pop art effect outlines and contour lines. When you know and are happy with where you have placed them, then go over in a solid black liquid/gel liner. For your eyebrows create quite a sharp bold shape, remember you want them to be as dramatic as possible! Make sure you do not take them any lower than your natural brow line. Starting there is a good place. 

6 - Eyes 
So for your eyes you want to make two very bold solid black lines, one along your crease and one on your lash line. Drag these out as far as your brow (if you wish). Then fill in-between these lines with a Bright Bold Colour shadow. I chose yellow as it goes with the Pop Art theme of Red, Yellow and Blue. To make this more bold, simply fill the area first with a white eyeliner to set a base. Use the same white liner in your water line and a black liner in your bottom lash line. Choose a side that you want to create your tear mark. I chose my left, but there was no reason for it. Start with a light blue liner and just create the shape you want, then fill with a blue liquid liner of the same colour. When this is dry outline your tear with a darker blue colour. You can then add some lighting lines with a white liner for extra effect. Then either use mascara or add on some flash lashes. Lashes irritate me because of my contact lenses, and they always seem to fall off my eyes so I stick to my mascara, however I am quite lucky to have naturally very long eyelashes already! 

7 - Lips 
So in the video you will see my lips change all the time. Here is what I settled for. 
Plain and simple, a nice bold Red Lipstick. Any one will do. Preferably something durable and long lasting, you could even use a lip stain. Be sure to line your lips as normal and them around that use your black liner of choice, to complete the look. 

... Then... You are all done!! It's pretty simple to do and you can create all kinds of looks with this and really play around with it! So have fun and don't forget to tag me in your photos! 

TIP: If you want this look to last all night, use a good setting spray to keep this all in place as all this makeup is sure to get messy! 

xoxo 
Lottie 

DISCLAIMER 
This is just my video of trial and error for creating this look. You do not have to follow this step-by-step, though you can if you like. This has been created purely for your inspiration! 

Beauty Blog #10 - Halloween Nails

Hi Everyone! 

I haven't posted in a while because I have been quite ill :( As some of you may know if you have read my first blog I have a rare chronic illness called EDS and it has really been playing up and effecting me this week :( So sorry it has taken a while for me to get this up, Halloween is only 9 days away!! 

So for halloween, some of you may want to do some cool nail art but don't want to do anything too complicated. Well I have done a load of designs that are super easy to do! As long as you have a steady hand and a medium-thin brush (short bristles), these won't take you no time! 

You don't have to use exact colours or set up, you can choose any style you like, these are just for your inspiration! :) 

How I done all these designs is, I chose my background colour, and then went over the top with any detail. I marked out all central and big detail first, then done all the smaller tricker bits next. 

TIP: Try not to get too much paint on your brush, just enough so you can glide over the nail and still leave a nice opaque, dominant line!

:) Good Luck with these guys, and please tag me on Instagram/Twitter if you re-create any of these looks! :) 

xoxo Lottie <3 

Twitter - @LushNails_101
Instagram - @LushLottieNailsBeauty

Beauty Blog #9 - Disney Nail Art

Hi Again! 

So I am super excited with this one... Tonight I got to do Natasha Bakers nails for her trip to America with Dreamflight! How great is that! 

We both liked the look of some nail art we saw on Google and this is what we decided to go with. It was a pretty, Mickey Mouse design, elegant and fun at the same time! Perfect to go to Disney World with! 

I created the look by painting my background colours first, then I used Dotting Pens for the mini Mickey heads and a Small thick nail paint brush to create the larger areas of design. It was a simple set to do yet required a very still hand and patience. The finished look looked great! (Picture below). 

I used W7 nail paint for the Red and silver glitter, Barry M for the silver background and black paint and Max Factor Glossy Paint for the White. For the Clear topcoat I used Capital Hair and Beauty brand. My files dotting tools and orange sticks were also from there. The paint brushes were purchased cheaply online from an E-Bay seller at no more than £5 for a set. 

Natasha Baker is Team GB's Paralympic Double Gold Medalist for dressage (equestrian sport discipline) and, Five time European Para-Dressage Champion. If you would like to find out more about her then please follow this link to her Site where you can find out all about her, her horses and her amazing achievement! Definitely worth a look! www.natasha-baker.com

Dreamflight is a registered UK charity that changes young lives through taking children with a serious illness or disability on the holiday of a lifetime to Orlando, Florida.   www.dreamflight.org/PRD/

Lots Of Love 
Lottie xoxo 

Beauty Blog #8 - MUA Makeup Haul/Review

Okay, So I have been meaning to write this for a few days now but I have been super busy and haven't had the chance too! 

I order a shed load of makeup from MUA (Makeup Academy) last week and I could not wait to get it all. I was super excited as I have never used this brand before and it was super affordable! 

It all arrived in a small box and was bundled in bubble wrap with a few items in each bundle. Vey eco-friendly and easy to un-package! Everything was intact when I got it and everything what I ordered came exactly! 5 Stars There! 

So after I had is all unpacked I thought I would start by organising it all and putting it away. But instead I had to have a play and test out the products I had!!

Eye-Liners:

The Eye-Liners are incredible! Super Pigmented and the liquid ones could not be easier to apply! My favourite was the Gel! Super sleek and it looked amazing on! was so easy to apply!

Lip-Liners, Lipsticks & Lipgloss:

So all the lip liners and eye-liner pencils come with a small pencil sharpener in the lid. I personally thought this was a great touch! Especially being a makeup artist as you can sharpen quickly whilst you go! Great! The liners were very easy to apply and were really pigmented when on!! The lipsticks were lovely and creamy and the packaging was beautiful! I love the elegant look of the lipsticks. Certainly looks more expensive than what I paid for! The Lipgloss was tested quickly, However, it was to die for! It was so soft and creamy to put on! A lot of lip glosses I have tried have been very grainy and rough but these were so soft and smooth! I loved them! They Smelt great, they even tasted it to! (note - Try not to eat them!) They wasn't at all sticky and were surprisingly very durable! 2 thumbs up there! 

BB Cream & Foundation: 

The BB cream was quite thick. I was expecting this to be thinner as more of a moisturiser, however it actually felt thicker than one of my foundations. However don't let that put you off as the coverage was amazing! I did not even need to apply any concealer or foundation after applying the BB cream. I was so shocked to see such a flawless look! So I left the foundation for the day and applied it for a different makeup look. The foundation was soft and silky on my skin. Not too thick and spreader evenly and well. Its consistency was nice and breathable for my skin. It was a good coverage and a nice glowy finish. Looked amazing!! It lasted a long time, however not as long as a few of my more expensive brands. However the value for money is certainly there!! 

Blushes & Finishing Powders: 

The blushes I ordered were £1 each and you certainly got £1 worth! I was shocked to see how tiny they were, however when you compare how much you get for that £1 to your more expensive brands and the quantity they supply, you've got a lot for your money!.. However is it good? .. Yes! A little tip, normal blusher you have to wipe your brush over more than once to pick up a quantitive amount, however, do not do that with these! 1 very very light stroke will be more than enough! The powder is very fine and loose and came away from the box very easily! I had a lot of powder on my brush and far too much of it left over in my blush. It went on nicely however I had to layer it a few times to make it highly pigmented, but if you are going for a very natural look then once is more than enough. The Finishing powders came in great shades and I was very happy with them! good coverage and not too thick or powdery and they didn't dry out my face! They kept my makeup looking fresh and just set my foundation. 

Mascara: 

Okay so this I haven't tried yet, however I had a look at all the brushes and they seemed very good! I think they will be just as good as a more expensive high street brand. I shall let you know what they are like when I test them out. I got them in all types and lots of different colours! 

Brows: 

The brow pencils were great, they even have a little brush on the end, however if you don't go over with a brow gel or setting spray they do smudge quite easily, however once my setting spray was applied and a small amount of brow gel they was perfect! I was very happy with their brow palette! Great shades and you also get some mini tweezers, a mini brush and a brow gel. Great stuff and nice to use!! 

Primer and Highlighter: 

So the primer comes in 1 colour, which is a yellow shade. It goes on well with great coverage, however does show through quite yellow pigmented. This was fine for me, however maybe for different skin tones this won't work so well and could create a different look. I used their powdered highlighter, personally this was far to shimmery and fake looking for me. Although it highlighted well, I was left with big shimmery patches on my face and my beauty blending had been ruined. 

I still have a few of their products to try and in various shades, however from what has been tested by them so far I would give them 2 thumbs up, a high recommendation and  definite suggestion to try some of their products!

My favourite has been their BB Cream, Eye Liner and Brow Palette!!

So go ahead to the following link www.muastore.co.uk and check them out!!

Lots of Love

Lottie xoxo

Beauty Blog #7 - My Links :)

Twitter  - @LushNails_101

Instagram - @lushlottienailsbeauty 

Blogspot - lushlottiebeauty.blogspot.com 

Tumblr - lushlottienailsandbeauty.tumblr.com

Facebook - Facebook.com/lushlottienailsbeauty 

Beauty Blog #6 - Youtube Tutorial for everyday makeup

Hi Beautys, 

My Youtube Channel is done and the first video is up!!! Finally!! 

Here is my channel link, don't forget to subscribe for lots more videos to come! :) - youtube.com/lushlottiebeauty 

Here is the link to my first Tutorial on youtube - http://youtu.be/VUrWIGQw3CM  

Have fun watching and I hope you enjoy!! Don't forget to like and share my video!! 

I will be creating another video tomorrow for you guys, haven't decided if it will be a nail or makeup look yet but, I already have ideas for a cool Halloween look which will be coming shortly!! 

Thanks Everyone

Blog Soon!! 

xoxo Lottie 

Beauty Blog #5 - Essence Makeup Review and First Impressions

Essence Lip Liners and Lipstick

So I recently purchased Essence Lip Liners and Lipsticks in a few shades. They were extremely affordable so I thought I would give them a go as this isn’t a brand I had heard of in the U.K before. I brought them in my local Wilkinsons, though I do believe they are available in Superdrug. I think I roughly Paid £1-£2 for each item.

So, I applied the matt nude shade in one of my tutorials and it was amazing!! very pigmented I loved it. I have just tried and tested the other shades and they were also amazing!

The lipstick is soo creamy and it is actually the first lipstick that has not dried out my lips after wearing it all day. My matt lipstick I had on for 5 hours, it stayed thick and well pigmented the whole time. I was down the stables and doing all sorts of stuff outdoors and it lasted well!! I was very happy!!

I have 4 liners and 3 lipsticks so I have only tried the three liners that match my shade lipsticks. However I am sure that they are all fabulous!! 

I will definitely be buying the whole collection when I can. I love these! … I also purchased and tried their cream mousse foundation, which was also super affordable at £3-£4, and I was very very happy!! It was great coverage and has lasted me until this evening, when I applied it at 12pm. 

I will definitely be investing in their range and I can’t wait to try out more of their products to use in my tutorials. The foundation is also in my tutorial!! 

Here is a link to their site http://www.essence.eu 

This is the colours I have and used and what liner I matched with the lipstick: 

Lipliners                                  Lipstick

11 - In The Nude                   15 - Oh So Matt!

08 - Red Blush                      14 - Adorable Matt!

12 - Wish Me A Rose              13 - Love Me 

I also have 06 - Satin Mauve which is a Redish Brown Colour but I don’t have a lipstick for that yet.

 

You can follow me on twitter @LushNails_101 and on Instagram @lushlottienailsbeauty - Lush Lottie. I have also just posted my tutorial to youtube, so as soon as it is ready I will post the link for you guys!! 

Have a good evening!! 

Love Lottie 

xoxo

Beauty Blog #4 - How I Keep Fit!

How I Keep Fit

Okay, so a lot of people ask me how do I keep fit now I have a mobility problem! The normal gym workout would cause lots of pain and dislocations for me, so I do the one thing I love the most and that’s ride my beautiful horse!! Horse riding really helps with your posture and core stability. It works the muscle in your arms and legs whilst really working and toning that core muscle!! There is a lot more to it than just sitting there!! Sometimes I feel like I have done a full work out after a half an hour ride!! Surprisingly it really helps with my illness, which is great because I could never give my baby! The equestrian life is my lifestyle and I am so grateful that even with my illness I can still keep that up! 

xoxo Lottie 

Beauty Blog #3 - Gel Nail Mani for Broken Nails

Check out my gel nail forming mani. I broke off my acrylics whilst down the stables and in turn i snapped all my real nails. I used liquid gel to recreate my nail shape, then used a gel polish and finished with another gel coat. I used a soft grit file to shape the hardened gel. Moisturised and oiled my cuticles to finish. 😘 xoxo Lottie

Beauty Blog #2 - Skin Care

Skin Care

Okay, so I have been really ill lately, and I have bad damp growing in my room, which has led to me having reallllly bad skin! I don’t think my skin has ever been this bad!! Soo, what have I been doing about it??

1- drink plenty of water (add a slice of fresh lemon for extra goodness) 
2- I cleanse my skin using an everyday skin cleanser and then put toothpaste on my spots to mask them. I leave the paste to dry or until I’m ready for bed then wash it off with warm water 
3- on a dry clean face I apply sudocrem all on my spots and red areas and sleep with it on. 
4- in the morning I wash it all off with cold water or in the shower. Tip- after your shower close your pores with cold water! 
5- use breathable makeup! There is nothing worse than caking your face in pore blocking makeup. When you sweat it’s just going to clog up your pores, make your spots worse and possibly make new ones!

TIP! - only pop whitehead spots if ness scary!! Try to leave them to dry out naturally! That was you are not bursting the cells underneath your skin and allowing the infection to get deeper and spread!!

So that’s how I tackle my stubborn spots !! Give the techniques a go and see how you get on!!

Xoxo Lottie

Beauty Blog #1

This is my first Blogspot Blog so please bare with me!! I have been blogging on Tumblr so I will have to get this account up to date asap!! please check it out in the mean time... lushlottienailsandbeauty.tumblr.com 


So, while your waiting... A little bit about me :) 

My name is Charlotte, but most people call me Lottie ( & I prefer it! )

I am Currently 20 Years old, 21 in November! 

I am a professional nail technician and beauty therapist doing freelance work, blogging, tutorials and more… 

My passion was inspired by my debilitating illness called Elhers Danlos Syndrome. It is a genetic gene disorder which affects your genes and collagen in your body, in turn causing chronic pain, dislocating joints and lots lots more!! This is something I was born with, however, did not develop to the debilitating stage it has until 8 months ago. Within the space of a week I had quit my job, been in hospital numerous times and permanently in a wheelchair. Having a completely normal lifestyle, being turned upside down in days! Nails and Beauty is something I can do in the comfort of my own home and do as and when I feel I can. I have grown a real passion for it, it is something I always wanted to do, however, I needed a steady income and at the time this career path would not have provided this for me. I could say my illness has allowed me to do a lot of things I have always wanted but was unable to! A blessing in disguise! I now use elbow crutches to walk and need my wheelchair when going out. A lot of people can’t understand my condition as it is invisible to the naked eye, so alongside this being my nails and beauty blog I would like to take this as an opportunity to educate everyone on my condition and help raise awareness for EDS! 

check out my tutorials on youtube.com/lushlottiebeauty I only have 1 which I done 2 days ago, but please subscribe to see the many more to come!! Follow me on twitter @LushNails_101 and like my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/LushLottieNailsBeauty

You can also check me out on Instagram @lushlottienailsbeauty 

Blog Soon  

xoxo Lottie