The Glam Girls Guide to Everyday Makeup

If you're a die-hard makeup lover you might find you seem to only have two makeup looks, full insta-glam or completely homeless, with absolutely no in-between. This tends to be because even when we tell ourselves we are doing a 'natural' look, we continue to add more and more until we are wearing more contour than the Kardashian family combined. I get it, makeup is fun and it's hard to resist the urge to keep putting on more of the good stuff, purple highlighter for a Sainsbury's shop? Why not! But recently starting my first office job I've found myself wearing a much more toned down look.

Working in beauty based jobs since I was 16 means I've always known the mantra 'Makeup is your uniform' and trust me I'm not going to miss having to do a full smoky eye at 7 in the morning. So now I'm really enjoying a new natural makeup routine. But don't get me wrong I don't think I'll ever lose my love for highlighter! 

So keep reading if you'd like to see my natural everyday work/school makeup look for the girls who are obsessed with being glam.

Base

The trick to keep the face looking more natural is to only add coverage where you really need it. Under eyes, blemishes and discoloration tend to be the biggest worries so cover them with concealer and keep the rest really lightweight. Another tip is if you absolutely have to wear powder to keep the oil away, spritz a hydration spray over the top, it'll break up the 'cakey-ness' of the powder and keep skin looking real and fresh again.

Primer: Freedom Strobe Cream

Foundation: Too Faced Born This Way

Concealer: Maybelline Under Eye eraser 

Powder: Smashbox Photo Filter

Fixing Spray: Smashbox Primer Water

Cheeks

Even the most natural looks need something on the cheeks! A light bronzer under cheekbones and on the forehead will add tan and dimension to the face whilst a pop of rose blush on the cheeks gives a youthful appearance. Now, this wouldn't be the glam girls guide if I didn't add a little highlighter to this look. Find a neutral color which compliments your skin tone, I chose this champagne one as it replicates the look of skin, meaning it'll give a subtle lit-from-within glow. This is also perfect if someone is getting on your nerves as hopefully, their negativity will deflect and bounce off your highlight, its a win-win!

Bronzer: Mac Dark

Blush: Mac warm soul

Highlight: Smashbox Hollywood n highlight

Eyes

It's a fact, that the less eye makeup you have on the more natural your whole face will look. Years ago the thought of leaving the house without my signature eyeliner wing would've scared me to death! But now I think there is something so pretty about minimal eye makeup. Obviously, I always have to be a little bit extra so I use an eyelash primer to thicken, lengthen and strengthen my lashes first then mascara to ensure they're extra huge! If you really hate the thought of leaving the house with only mascara then add a little bit of bronzer to the crease of your eyes, it'll give them some dimension without looking over the top.

Lash primer: Smashbox Photo Finish Lash Primer

Mascara: Maybelline Big Shot 

Brows: Anastasia Beverly  Hills Diprbrow in Chocolate

Brow Setting: NYX Tinted Brow Mascara

Lips

Does anyone else feel completely bare without something on their lips? Even if it's just a colored lip balm, I always wear something. I tend to switch between a coral nude and a pink nude (I know it's boring) depending on how I feel. Just find a natural color that's flattering for you and you're good to go! Lip liner is, of course, optional but for me a necessity.

Lipliner: NYX Mauve

Lipstick: Smashbox Audition

So whether you're a self-confessed glam girl who needs help trying to tone it down for those everyday situations or just looking for some makeup inspiration. Here is the final look!

Thank you so so much for reading, I hope you liked the look or found it helpful! Please comment and let me know what you do to tone down your glam makeup looks.

Sadie xoxo

Step by Step; Big Sexy Curls for Thin Lifeless Hair!

The grass has always been greener when it comes to hair. Girls with big curly hair dream of sleek and smooth, whilst girls like me with poker straight want huge, voluminous waves! I'm definitely all about learning to love what you have and am completely appreciative of the fact my hair looks fine without even brushing it for a few days. But of course, I can't help but lust after a bigger more glorious mane (Cheryl Cole vibes please). In my many attempts to achieve sky high volume, I've picked up a few tips & tricks which I will be sharing with you in this post! This tutorial works for bob to long lengths and particularly well for the thinner to medium hair.

If you'd like to learn how to get Instagram worthy, traffic stopping, big bouncy curls which last all day (sometimes two) then please keep scrolling gals.

Big Curls

Before Picture

Here is my hair naturally without any products, heat or styling. It is fairly thin and lackluster but takes to products well.

Step 1: Wash Well

Hair is always easier to manipulate once it's wet, so start by giving it a good wash. Your shampoo and conditioner should always compliment the look you're trying to achieve. Use a thickening or volumising one to boost bounciness at the beginning. I adore Bumble and Bumble Thickening Shampoo £20 and Thickening Conditioner £20, my hair definitely feels plumper after using these.

EXTRA AF TIP: Use a scalp exfoliator and do a mini head massage to get circulation flowing and get rid of all those nasty dead hair cells. Not only will your scalp thank you but it will make all your other products work so much better! 

Step 2: It's all in the prep

Just like anything, preparation is key when it comes to achieving the perfect style. Not only will it help heat tools work better and your hair thicker but it will also make your style last a lot longer. I use what can only be described as a 'Miracle in a bottle' the Carb Cocktail £22 from Color Wow. It works by bonding a fiber mesh around thin strands to instantly fatten them up, it also restores lost proteins which are a result of color damage. I literally feel like I have new hair after I blow dry with this, I look in the mirror-like damn who is this new Felicia with thick hair ;)

EXTRA AF TIP: Add a thickening mousse into the roots to ensure ultimate anti-gravity height!

Step 3: Blow it all out

This is probably the most technical step but also the most crucial! How you blow-dry your hair is the way it is going to stay until you next wash it, it's also the perfect opportunity to get big, BIG hair! Spritz a little heat protect all over to prevent damage, I use the Vo5 Protect £4.40 to ensure my style stays in place whilst protecting. I then use a round brush on small sections, making sure I dry underneath to boost volume at the base.

EXTRA AF TIP: Hold your head upside down and blow dry the underneath for extra va-va voom!

Step 4: Curls for the Girls 

Now your hair is dry you should start to see a dramatic difference in the volume you've already created, some days I'm happy with just blow drying but when I want a more glam look I'll curl my hair. I'm using the Babyliss Pro Curling Tong £20, I've had it for over 4 years and it's incredible, especially for the price! I do prefer wands usually but tongs are great for a bigger more relaxed curl.

- Start by clipping the top portion of your hair and curling the underneath first, working your way up.

-Grab a small section of hair and curl away from the face, I always curl the sections nearer to my face away and then randomly mix up a few near the back. This will add more volume and texture, stopping the curls forming together in one clump!

- Repeat until you have curled all your hair.

EXTRA AF TIP: After each curl, hold the curl up in your hand and let it cool in place, this will help to 'set' the curl as it forms its shape whilst it's cooling. This ensures a bouncier curl which will last longer.

Step 5: Finishing Touches

Last but definitely not least is those extra steps to finish the look which gives it the WOW factor. I like to run my hands through my curls to give them a softer look. Then spritz some texturizing spray to give hair a sexy, messy look. I am in love with the Color Wow Style on Steroids spray £20 it stops the curls forming together and gives them an undone tousled look, it's also the only texturizing spray for colored hair, keeping it moisturized and bouncy. Add hairspray if you must but I tend to avoid it when I can as it weighs hair down and can be too sticky!

EXTRA AF TIP: Lightly backcomb the roots of your hair with a small bristle brush to give it volume which lasts. I also like to do this to the ends of my hair for a messy sexy look.

Finished Look

And there you have it, big sexy curls! I definitely don't do all these steps when I curl my hair, sometimes I literally just use a wand. These steps might seem OTT (that's just me guys) but I promise you when I do this my hair will literally stay perfect for a few days. Definitely worth it for a special event or night out.

Thanks so much for reading, I hope you liked my first hair tutorial. I enjoyed doing this so much as I especially love sharing tips and tricks with you guys! Let me know if you found it helpful or tried any of my tips out.

Thanks,

Sadie xoxo