Daily Make Up/How Much Is My Face Worth?

For the longest time my daily make up was literally just a flick of liquid liner and some mascara but frankly, that wasn't cutting it. I've since upgraded into a full face of make up and love the freedom I have over my look. These are the products that I use pretty much every day for work etc. I don't bother with make up if I'm just nipping out shopping or slumming it around the house so I can give my skin a break.

My base hasn't changed in quite a while. I currently use The Body Shop Moisture Foundation in 03, Lightening Touch Concealer in 01 and All-in-One Face Base in 03. The colour match is essentially perfect for me and I love the included SPF. Check out this post for extra details! Sleek's Face Form (Light) is the most recent addition to my daily make up bag and it's revolutionised my base. I love how transformative it is! I have so much more warmth and definition to my face now and feel much more confident. I tend to always use the contouring powder and highlighter but swap up my blush depending on my mood. For blushes I switch between the blush included (Rose Gold,) TBS Macaroon Blush and Maybelline's Cream Blush in 06 Berry.

I always use some combination of my MUA Undressed Palette, Rimmel Liquid Liner and Illamasqua Sophie pencil for my eyes. As you can see I use every colour in the palette and never wear the same look twice in a row just to make myself experiment more. It's so easy to get stuck in a rut (coming from liner flick and mascara girl, so trust me!) so I love my new philosophy. I don't always wear liner but when I do these are my go to products. The Rimmel liquid is so easy to use and this is my second bottle already, forever repurchase! The Sophie pencil is the blackest of blacks and is really soft and blendable but doesn't smudge when it sets. Pretty much perfection in a pencil. Deborah Milano Mascara is an essential for me; I originally got it  for reviewing purposes but I adore it so it became my daily mascara. I get a ton of volume and length with a couple of coats and it's the perfect finishing touch to every look for me.

For day to day, I just wear a clear balm or lip butter to keep my lips in good condition. That way they're looking gorgeous and smooth for when I go all out with a fabulous bright lip in the evenings. I swear by Nivea Lip Butter for the most kissable lips going!

So how much is my face worth?

Base:

The Body Shop Moisture Foundation SPF 15

£13

The Body Shop Lightening Touch Concealer Pen

£14
The Body Shop All-in-One Face Base

£14

Sleek Face Form in Light

£10

Eyes:

Mua Undressed Palette
£4
Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid Liner in Black
£4.29

Illamasqua S.O.P.H.I.E Pencil
£13
Deborah Milano 24 Ore Absolute Volume Mascara
£9.50

Lips:
Nivea Lip Butter (Not Pictured)
£1.99

Total: £83.78

I so was not expecting it to be that high! I didn't include any of my brushes or moisturiser so that's pretty shocking. I don't even use any high end products aside from the Illamasqua pencil. I guess my only defence is that I've seen worse...? Not very good defence!

Do you use any of the same products as me? What do you think of my philosophy of never wearing the same eye make up twice in a row? And how much is your face worth?! Add it up and let me know!

Lauren

A Big Fun Mish-Mash of Tags, Questions and Facts!

Over the last couple of months I've been enormously grateful to have received a large amount of nominations and tags. I've waited until I was close to 400 followers so that I could try and get them all sort of done at once... but they've rather mounted up!

I've done a few tags before which you can read here:
Holly Jolly Christmas Tag
Liebster Award
Versatile Blogger Award
Tag, You're It!
Get To Know Me Tag - This is a great one for those of you who like to read the most miserable tags ever. Clearly feeling sad when I self-nominated myself for this! Some good background stuff though. Sorry.

I'm also about to use my first ever jump break because this is an enormous post! Here we go!

Tag, You're It!

I've received a crazy amount of tags in the past couple of days so I'm gonna try and get them posted soon so they don't mount up too much! I hadn't seen this tag until recently and I've been lucky enough to get tagged by two blogging beauties! Laura from Pale Girl Reviews and Erin from The 411 of Fashion, go click the links as soon as you've finished reading my utterly fascinating answers. I promise you won't regret it. (Follow them as well. They're total babes.) I've done a couple of these sort of tags before so I won't bore you with any more personal facts. I detest trying to think of interesting things about myself. I know that sounds so bizarre but it's just the most stressful thing! You can find my previous Liebster and Versatile Blogger Tags here and here respectively where I do have some fun facts! I'm spent, I'm sorry.

The rules are:

Answer the 11 set questions

Set 11 questions for 11 people you tag

Mention the blog who tagged you

Laura's Questions:

1. What are you hoping will happen in 2013?

The big dream is to finally get to university and for it to not be awful. I'm genuinely worried about not fitting in because I don't have the usual student habits of binge drinking and avoiding morning lectures. I don't want to end up a social outcast but I don't want to change just to fit in. Maybe it'll be full of sober beauty bloggers? Who knows. Wish me luck!

2. Would you change anything from 2012?
Yes. I wouldn't be friggin' jobless. I was mad as hell that they "let me go."  I hate that wording. I'm not a wild animal, I didn't want to be free. Let me be a mindless sheep with a pay cheque!

3. If you went into a shop and could buy one chocolate bar, what would you buy?
Oh girl you know me so well. Bueno probably. Gotta love it! After that maybe a peanut butter KitKat. I'm not a massive fan of peanut butter on it's on but those KitKats are amazing. 

4. What was one of your resolutions for this year?

To actually make my blog look nice. It's functional but boring. I need pages and buttons and a banner that isn't a badly edited (in MS Paint I might add) photo of lace. My posting has improved so my blog should too. I think I'm gonna crack and pay some genius to do it for me. It's almost as stressful as being interesting. 

5. What's your ideal Saturday night?
I'm not a party animal any more but god I miss being one sometimes. I'd love to be at a house party filled with all the friends that I used to have loving me the way they used to. Everything changed so quickly after my mother died. I stopped coming out and time wasn't ready to freeze with me. Eventually the sympathy stopped and people stopped calling.  I miss them almost as much as I miss her, but it's too late now. (WHY ARE MY TAGS ALWAYS SO DEPRESSING?!) Nowadays I'd most like to go to a fancy restaurant and drink virgin cocktails with my boyfriend. He's a total rock and I love him to bits.

6. What are two of your favourite books?

Ooh! This is a toughy for me. I'd have to say... 1. The Beach by Alex Garland, I've read it maybe 15 times and I still think about reaching for it. I don't know what it is that I love so much about it. It's just so visceral and intense and I love the way he writes. I can feel the heat on my skin and smell the ocean when I read this book. Nothing can transport me like The Beach does. I think 2 is gonna have to be a tie between Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell and Life of Pi by Yann Martel. I swear to God I don't purposely go out and buy books that I know are gonna be films! I read them and then a year later they get announced and it's like oh okay. It's hard when you love something so much and it gets made into someone else's vision. Cloud Atlas was hard to get into. It opens up with a voice that's a few hundred years old and the writing style takes a little while to acclimatise to. Once I finally sat down and forced my way through the first 20 or so pages I couldn't put it down. I laughed and I even cried, which I never do for a book, but this deserved it. I fell in love with Frobisher and he broke my heart (you'll know if you've read it.) What a rollercoaster. If you appreciate any genre of book, you'll appreciate Cloud Atlas. Life of Pi was an amazing reflection on life, religion and the utterly unbelievable. It was smart and magical and it was like nothing I'd ever read before. Essentially a book about surviving the absolute worst that God can throw at you, and coming out of it still believing. I'm not a religious person at all but I still connected with the messages. Couldn't recommend it enough. 

7. Are you a Winter, Spring, Autumn or Summer person?

Probably Autumn. I like the feeling of letting the past go when the leaves go. It makes me feel optimistic for the future and the colours are my favourite. Dark greens, golds and reds.

8. What is your favourite TV show?Without a doubt, Dexter! I love a dark, sexy, anti-hero. What a babe.

9. Favourite movie?

The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Sex, murder and spontaneous song. What more could you want?

10. What are your favourite make-up products to use?

Mascara, liquid liner and concealer. I feel "done" wearing just those. I also love the transformative power of eye shadow but if I had to choose it'd be the first thing to go. And I love a tinted lip balm for some subtle lip colour.

11. How long do you take to do your face in the morning?

I don't wear make up every day but if I'm just going for my basic day look it'll be max ten minutes. Anything up to an hour when I'm experimenting for a night out though!

Erin's Questions:

1. If you had to give up any beauty item what would it be?

Hmm. Maybe hair masks? I really like them but my hair tends to be in fairly good condition anyway so I don't find them essential. Regular conditioner tends to do the trick.

2. What would you of said to yourself five years ago?

"Okay Lauren. I get it, things are real shit at home right now. And they're about to get a whole lot worse. You're gonna move away in a couple of months and you're gonna be lonely and miserable and then it's going to get even worse than that. You're gonna lose everything that you thought would never change. I don't really have much advice. Take comfort in the friends that you have whilst they're there. Don't be afraid to be the one that needs someone to speak to. You don't have to be the strong one any more. People aren't going to understand, but when they tell you they do, try and believe them. It'll make it easier to talk about. Don't lose faith in humanity, you're gonna meet the love of your life this year. No it's not the boy you kissed behind the recycling bins in Sainsbury's car park. It's the other one. Good luck sweetheart."

Very grainy me aged 14/15. With my friend's stellar editing skills. Oh dear.

3. What is your career aspiration?

I'd love to be working in beauty at a magazine like Company. Obviously that's a big goal but who knows? I just want to do something that doesn't make me feel sick with dread every morning and pays enough so that I don't have to worry where my next mortgage payment is coming from.

4. If you could only wear one fashion item for the next 10 years what would it be?

I'm guessing you mean accessory rather than an item of clothing?! For accessories probably a nice statement necklace or a timeless satchel.

5. Best holiday ?

I haven't been on holidays in years. But Turkey was good when I was 7! From what I remember anyway haha.

6. If you could look like anyone who would it be?

Emily Browning, I think she's so beautiful. I'd be a few inches taller though.

7. Best fashion store?

I'm a bit limited because I'm plus-sized but I love ASOS Curve!

8. Your worst habit?

My inexplicable belief that every bad thing that gets said is about me. I saw a tweet the other day along the lines of "Some people are so full of themselves" and there was absolutely no reason at all that this would about me, it wasn't from a girl I talk to a lot or had had an argument with or anything, I was just so paranoid. I hate it but I can't stop myself. I hope it's not just me.

9.What is your favourite food?

Old el Paso Enchiladas. Specifically Old el Paso. MMM. Last meal ever would be enchiladas.

10. Your style crush?

Hmm toughy. I'm not a big follower of celebrity fashion so I'm not sure really. There are a lot of fashion bloggers that are really inspirational with their style but I can't think of anyone specific right now! Sorry.

11. The best thing you like about yourself?

I asked my boyfriend for the best thing about me and he said, "I dunno. Nothing really. You're alright to talk to." I said, "What, so I'm the equivalent of leaving the tv on at night so you don't feel lonely?" Him, "Yes! That's it. I know the worst thing about you if that's a question?" Needless to say I didn't bother getting the answer. Following that conversation, I'm gonna say my patience. He's actually lovely, he's just awkward and thinks he's funny.

Wow what a marathon! I feel so drained. I hope you liked my answers!

I'm definitely gonna steal a few of my favourite questions, sorry for poaching!

1. Describe your perfect home.

2. Favourite accessory?

3. If someone anonymously gave you £1 million, what would you do with it?

4. If you had three wishes what would you wish for?

5. Biggest celebrity crush?

6. Bold lips or bold eyes?

7. What are your top two books or films? (Or both!)

8. Which personal achievement are you most proud of?
9. Describe your perfect first date.

10. If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

11. What would you say to yourself five years ago?

I tag:

Jasmine at Oh So Flawless

Lauren at Material Matchbox

Chloe at It's Always Darkest Before the Dawn

Julie at A Girl Called Julie

Tori at Aztec Mess

Ashleigh at Beauty Obsessive

Holly at Summer Holly Day

and anyone else that fancies answering my questions!

Lauren

The Versatile Blogger Award

I was actually nominated for this almost a full week ago but have only now had the time to sit down and do it! I was nominated by the beautiful Hannagrace from The Beauty Diary. Thank you! She's a lovely girl studying to be a make up artist, go check out her blog!

Here are the rules that I swiped from Hannagrace:

There's a few rules to this award, but what are they?
1) Add the Versatile Blogger Award picture to your post
2) Post 7 random facts about yourself
3) Nominate up to 15 bloggers who are relatively new to blogging
4) Let the bloggers know they're nominated for the award
5) Be kind - Thank the blogger that nominated you!

Okay here we go, 7 more totally interesting facts.

1. I counted my nails varnishes last night, 44! Pretty impressive since I only bought my first one a few months ago. 

2. I don't like kids. They scream, they poop, they ask inane questions. I'm sure I'll love my own in ten years or whatever when I have one, but for now, do not show me your baby pictures. No, it does not have your nose, they all look exactly the same.

3. I struggle to pick a favourite colour. I think it's green. But some days it raspberry or gold or cobalt or blahblahblah. I'm so indecisive. 

4. I find choosing what to eat really stressful. I get upset when people rush me for a decision so I tend to have the same thing over and over again. It's a source of much irritation to my boyfriend who firmly believes that variety is the spice of life.

5. I hate crackle top coats! I think they look so messy and rough.

6. If I could change one thing about myself (after my weight) it would be the size of my feet. I'm a wide size 8 and it is a friggin' nightmare going shoe shopping! I literally hate it. I have one pair of trainers, one pair of plain black flats and one pair of suedette pixie boots and thats it. When they fall apart I'll grudgingly start hunting for a replacement.

7. I don't hate what I see in the mirror and sometimes I wonder if it that's normal. It's strange to say it, but I don't think I'm ugly. Yes, I'm overweight, but I don't hate my body. It gets me from A to B and it's not broken in any way. I have stretch marks and freckles but I don't hate my skin. I have frizzy hair that is neither straight nor curly. There are things I would change about myself if I had a magic pen, but I don't stand in the mirror and wish I was someone different. I'm happy that I feel that way, but it makes me sad and confused that so many other people don't. In fact, some people hate themselves so much that it confuses them when I say I don't hate myself. They wonder why someone who looks like me can possibly be happy, and yet there they are, thin and perfectly groomed and still miserable because they spend so much time comparing themselves to everyone else. I also don't understand why so many people dislike the colour of their skin. It makes me so sad hearing about beautiful dark skinned girls bleaching themselves with chemicals and gorgeous pale girls roasting in sunbeds to get tans - I just don't get it. I didn't intend to turn this into a speech about body acceptance but it kind of did and I don't feel too bad about it.  Anyone reading this that has ever felt bad because of the way they look, particularly if it's something impossible to change, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. You are alive and breathing and wonderful, and you do not have to change for anyone but yourself. 

Stay safe and stay beautiful. :)

I nominate:
Holly at Summer Holly Day
Ellie at Misellyre
Safira at Miss Stylicious
The Little Things
Becca at The English Rose
Louise at Swirlicious Beauty
Laura at Pale Girl Reviews

I'm not sure if any of you have done it before, if so, I'm sorry!

Lauren

Liebster Award

The lovely Wanischa from Wanischa S has yet again been showing me some love and has nominated me for a Liebster Award! 

"The Liebster Award is for bloggers with under 300 followers and the rules of the award is that the nominee must link back to whoever awarded them, write 11 random facts about themselves, answer the 11 questions from the award giver, and then nominate another 11 bloggers and make up 11 questions for them to answer. It's a great way for new and undiscovered bloggers to meet new people, get more followers and find some blogs that they want to follow."

I am actually a horrifically boring human being so this is an absolutely terrifying thing that I'm doing. What if you all suddenly realise that I am horrifically boring and stop caring about my drivel?! It'd break my heart it really would. Well, here goes nothin'.

11 Totally Interesting Facts About Lauren

1. My flatmate has a bearded dragon named Wrex. It lives with us in it's light-up hot-house (vivarium for all you nerds) and spends it's time being painfully shit and exhausting to look at. It also falls off of the shelves of the vivarium all the time and scratches at the glass while staring into your soul. I used to think lizards were cool. THEN I MET ONE.

2. I cannot cook to save my life. If it doesn't come in a box with strict oven instructions, it will end up as ash/gloop/meat paste. I'm infamous for burning pasta and one rather ill thought out lamb roast. I can however, make a cracking batch of muffins.

3. I have never been out drinking. I had a cocktail in a restaurant for my birthday and that's about it. I literally just hate the whole culture of going out to just to get drunk... I live in the town centre and have to put up with the music and screaming 3 nights a week. As a fun example, there were two men having a fight last week outside my flat, one of them left with one ear less than he came in with. Would it have happened if they weren't ridiculously drunk? Probably not. 

4. I'm applying for University! I'm currently 75% through my application for a journalism course. I'm hoping it'll put me on the way to being the beauty editor at Company magazine. SHUT UP, I CAN DREAM.

5. A couple of months ago my boyfriend asked me to buy some faux fur throws for the bed. I bought them in some seriously obnoxious shades of bright pink and  a lurid teal. He still hasn't forgiven me.

6. My favourite dinner in the world is Old El Paso Enchiladas. Mmph. It comes in a box with strict instructions and it's lurvley. If I'm ever on death row, it'll be my last meal.

7. The Quality Street boxes from my Holly Jolly Christmas Tag are the second lot that we had to buy. We ate the first two.

8. This is one for all the gamer chicks: I have maxed out level characters on both Borderlands games. Muffin is my gorgeous emotionally disturbed Berserker and Cupcake is my kickass Siren. I love them very much and I haven't been excited about a game as much in a long time.

9. I do all my editing on  MS Paint because I'm a pro.

10. I've seen every single episode of the following shows: Dexter, American Horror Story, Malcolm in the Middle, Scrubs, The Big Bang Theory, Chuck, New Girl, The B*tch in Apartment 23, Americas Next Top Model (I'm so sorry, no regrets,) Elfen Lied, Glee, Mad Men, Stargate Universe (for shame,) Cake Boss, Barbecue Pit Masters, Modern Family, No Ordinary Family, Sex and the City (most recent addition,) Black Books, IT Crowd, Garth Marenghi's Dark Place, Frasier, Man V Food, Firefly, Misfits, Fresh Meat, Friends, The Cleveland Show, Futurama.

I can't think of any more but you can guarantee there'll be something I've missed.

Since you'll inevitably try and count them to get the full, shocking number, it's 29. Yeah I know. Bad.

11. I don't have a mobile phone. 

Wanischa's Questions: 

1. What do you like best about blogging?

I love love love the fantastic community. Everyone is so welcoming and kind and full of useful information! I've learnt so much from the other blogging girls already.

2. What is your one holy grail item?

I haven't been collecting for long at all so I can't really give a favourite item with any certainty. However, I've not been able to put down my Body Shop Dragon Fruit Lip Butter. I use it all the time and it makes my lips feel so soft. I think a perfect lip balm is one thing that every one needs.

3. If you have 3 wishes what would you wish for?

I would of course wish that my Mum was still with me, I would wish that my stepfather had never come into our lives and I would wish for unlimited monies! As a bonus, maybe a fabulously sexy body? Although I feel that wishes should be kept for impossible things. A fabulous body is technically possible. Though highly unlikely. 

4. Tea or coffee?

Neither! I don't really do hot drinks. Plus tea and coffee taste vile. If I ever a hot drink it's a flavoured hot chocolate and that comes maybe once or twice a year. Cranberry juice anyone?

5. Who is your ultimate girl crush?

Maybe Emily Browning? I've thought she was beautiful even since I saw her in Ghost Ship. She was very young then but you could see she was going to be stunning. Prophecy: fulfilled.

Also, any woman that has reached seriously high levels of power in any business. You go girl!

6. If you could live in one of the fictional world, what would it be?

I'd live in Erin Morgenstern's Night Circus. Real magic is exciting.

7. Are you guilty of buying things you don't need because there's some offers on?

I personally think of all make up as something that I don't need. I don't need it to survive, it's not a basic necessity. So all of my lovely bits and pieces are gloriously frivolous and I don't feel an ounce of guilt for wanting to feel beautiful. 

8. If you could go travelling anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I'd probably do America. Great land of excess it is. I want to see all there is to see.

9. What is your favourite movie?

Erh god who knows. I've tried to answer this before. Probably The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It always cheers me up.

10. What is your favourite season?

Autumn. I love the colours.

11. Do you speak any foreign language? If so, what and how many?

I can give you some basic conversational French, Qu'est-ce tu va faire? Je voudrais un stylo noir. etc. Haha. I could blag my way through ordering food and a spot of shopping, but don't expect any speeches.

So here are my questions:

1. How old were you when you first wore foundation?

2. What is your natural hair colour?

3. What is the most embarrassing moment of your life? (Try and keep it light hearted, I don't want to upset anyone if it's something really awful!)

4. Just out of interest, which television shows have you seen every episode of?

5. How far could you get through DJ Casper's Cha-Cha Slide without the song in the background?! Admit it, you danced it back in good ol' 2004.

6. If you could only pick one accessory for the rest of your life, what would it be? e.g. scarf/hat/chunky rings

7. How many lipsticks do you own?

8. Do you have any phobias? / if so, what are they and do you know why you have them?

9. What is your dream career?

10. If you could only shop in once clothing store for the rest of your life, where would it be?

11. If you could only buy from one beauty brand for the rest of your life, which would it be?

I tag:

Louise at Swirlicious Beauty

Laura at Pale Girl Reviews

Nokhuthula at Crystal Cosmic Chic

Lucy at Louminous

Naomi at naomijadex5

Kirsty-Anne at 5FEET10

Sarah at Sarah's Secrets

Kat at Tales of a Pale Face

Ceri-Louise at Wardrobe Misfit

Safira at Miss Stylicious

Shannyn at I Heart Makeup

Well I hope everyone sees this! God this took me ages! I hope you all appreciate it ;) haha. It was an honour to be nominated :) Thank you again Wanischa.

P.S. I know I'm behind on my December Challenge, I've been so busy and I just haven't had the chance to sit down with my kit and have a play! I haven't abandoned it, just postponed :)

Versatile Blogger Award

I was nominated today by Gillian at Glam Up Everyday to take part in the Versatile Blogger Tag! If you're not already a fan of Gillian get over there now because you should be. She is so lovely, has a great blog and was actually my first ever follower! Thank you Gillian.

So here are 7 things you probably don't know about me:

1. I've actually been in a relationship with my boyfriend since I was 15. Our 4 year anniversary is coming up on December 4th.

2. I lived in Africa for 6 months when I was 11.

3. I love sweet food. So bad but so good.

4. I sleep for around 9 hours every night which is way too much.

5. I'm a natural blonde.

6. I'm currently cold-turkey growing my hair out so I can get back to blonde.

7. I still don't know what I want to be when I "grow up"!

Illustration of Fact No. 2

The mermaid statue that fronted the Café where I spent a lot of my afternoons.

Tunisia, Hammamet

I actually only have 6 followers at the moment and I think they've all done this...  and I'm not sure who would even see it so I will nominate some lovely people when I have some more followers. :)

Lauren