Sliced Finger SFX

Halloween may be over, but my interest in gore-y makeup is definitely not. To create this look I started off by using some clear DUO eyelash adhesive on the areas that I'd be applying 'extra skin' to, preparing it for the wax. Spirit gum or Pros-aide would work well here, but eyelash adhesive is all I had.

Next, I went in with some Ben Nye nose & scar wax on a metal spatula dipped in petroleum jelly to prevent it from sticking to the tool. To create the 'sliced' effect, you need to apply wax to below the bottom crease and above the top on one side of the finger, and to between the two creases on the opposite side. Place a somewhat flat disc of wax onto the corner you're working on, and then use the tool to smooth out and take away the wax on the centre of the finger, trying to create a seamless edge. 

I then used a sharper metal tool on its side, dipped again in petroleum jelly, and 'cut off'/ neatened up the sliced edges, following my natural crease lines in the finger. 

After that, I dabbed a dry makeup sponge over the wax to remove the shine from the petroleum jelly, then I used a stipple sponge to try and recreate the skin's porous texture onto the wax. 

Here, I used some of the Benefit Benetint applied with my fingers to try and colour match the wax to the redness of my skin. Alcohol activated paints would work much better here, but this is all I had. 

To finish, I used some of the Ben Nye thick blood along the insides of the wax and then the Ben Nye stage blood along the crease lines of my finger to create the 'cut' effect. Less is definitely more in this area. 

Final notes: If I were to recreate this look I'd hopefully have something like the Skin Illustrator flesh tone palette to hand to enable a better colour match from the wax, and I'd definitely use some Ben Nye neutral set powder to mattify the whole look a bit more. For a first attempt at 'real' SFX, I'm quite pleased!

Would you ever try SFX makeup?

Alice.

The Holiday Post 2015

Between lounging around the pool, eating my weight in crepes from the nearby ice-cream shop and reading The Book Thief, I've been itching to blog about my time in Portugal so far. At a grand 7th visit, I'm still only aware of about three words of Portuguese (one of them being the translation for ice-cream), but for a second trip to this town - Carvoeiro - I'm a bit more aware of the surroundings and everything's therefore less of a challenge. A lot of pros have come from the trip so far:

I tried tapas. Less of a discovery if you're aware what tapas is (and it isn't, to my surprise, a Spanish rice dish). Our fourth night involved a meal at a tapas bar - the view displayed bottom centre - overlooking the sea and all of the chaos that is the town centre at night. A good experience, not only because the restaurant offered blankets to keep you cosy as you ate, but I actually found out that I quite like squid, and a few other odd-bits that I tried, which is a surprise from such a fussy eater.

I've seen the sky change about 6,000 times. Slight exaggeration, but it's been a roller coaster of colours up there. This may be The Book Thief talking, but I've seen some extremely beautiful sights whilst being here that I can't imagine you'd see too often at home. The skies at night are so much clearer, enabling a view of stars and deep blues to win you over. I'll probably return with some form of neck injury from looking up so much.

And the last one I'll mention, I've got a really good tan. Less sentimental than the others, but coming home will sure be easier with this long-lasting reminder of how good the weather's been painted on my skin. Or maybe it'll be harder. 

Because life isn't all sunshine and roses, two cons to even things out:

The villa is on such a hill - correction - mountain, that it almost isn't worth walking down to get crepes and such. 

I've had my first two encounters with cockroaches on this trip and I hope to God that they're my last. One more and I'll be on an early flight back.

How's your summer going? 

Alice.

What's In My Prom Clutch?

Clutch - Whistles at Asos

With my prom coming right around the corner, I decided it was time to finally put my Pinterest boards to use and organise what's going inside of my bag. Some are obvious, but there's a few which I consider to be handy tricks...

• Safety pins: For, god forbid, if you or one of your friends' dress/suit were to break. They don't take up room, so it's worth taking some just incase.
• Oil absorbing sheets: Since I'm using a loose powder for my prom makeup, the container was far too big to bring along with me for touch-ups. The solution? Oil absorbing sheets. They don't ruin your makeup, clear your skin of oil, and they're in a tiny compact ideal for a clutch.
• Lipstick: Fairly obvious. For touch-ups throughout the night.
• Mirror: To aid these touch-ups. Even if you're planning on doing so in the bathroom, it's easier to have a little mirror that you can use up-close. Mine's tiny and thin.
• Eyelash glue: No matter how sure I am that my falsies are glued down, nothing will stop me from taking along the glue- just incase.
• Phone: It's obvious, but it's always good to check that it fits in your clutch along with everything else. Prom pictures with your phone in your hand just aren't as nice.
• Tissues: For spills and tears, always needed.
• Comb: Since I'm going for a 'brushed out curls' hairstyle, this will be handy for when my curls spring up and no longer look 'brushed out'. 
• Blister plasters: These things can save the night if your heels begin to cause blisters.
• Socks: ...and if the plasters don't cut it, by the end of the night you may be feeling ready to take the heels off all-together. 

Summer Skin Essentials

There's no doubt that whilst we're still receiving the expected rainfall every few days in England, Summer is definitely here and our skin routines are definitely in need of a re-vamp. With a mix of skincare and makeup suggestions, I've got you covered with five of my summer skin essentials;

Benefit POREfessional Primer - £24.50 at Boots

My holy grail primer. Not only does it minimise the size of your pores, it's also great for keeping your base glued to your skin throughout the day. I find that even when the heat melts away the powder from my face, my skin continues to give that holiday-esque finish due to the smooth, pore-free base that this stuff gives me. And if you buy it in store at Boots, there's usually smaller sizes (I get 7.5ml) for a much cheaper price! Even the smaller versions of this primer manage to last me months. 

Piz Buin Allergy Sun Sensitive Face Cream SPF30 - Currently £6.00 at Boots

Everyone often forgets to protect their face from the sun during the hotter months. I always find it's best to buy a cream specifically for your face, which tends to be most sensitive on the skin and slightly less shiny-looking. This one's the perfect factor to protect your skin completely and gives a healthy-looking glow, over the 'disco ball' effect that I've received from other facial suncreams.

Laura Mercier Invisible Loose Setting Powder - £29.00 at House Of Fraser

Pricey? Yes. Worth it? Completely. I tend not to go for high-end nor loose powders, always content with my Rimmel Stay Matte. This, however, changes everything. It's far more luxurious, easy to apply, and doesn't highlight any pores or dryness. It eliminates greasy-looking shine and encourages your makeup to last for around 4-6 hours without a touch-up, and doesn't give a chalky wash of colour like other translucent powders do. A must-have to keep your makeup sweat-proof this summer.

Topshop Glow Pot in Polished - Currently £9.00 at Topshop

A more glow-y makeup look is definitely 'in' this summer- and this little pot of magic helps to achieve exactly that. It's a cream, which I find is easier for the summertime, and enables you to blend it out nicely - especially helpful if, like me, you're more likely to mess up your highlighter than any other makeup product. Great for a gorgeous glow, and generally making your makeup look more summer-ready. Plus, with their '5 Years of Beauty', rose gold anniversary packaging, how can you resist? 

Bourjois Paris Bronzing Primer - £9.99 at Superdrug

Whether you're using it for a primer or as an above-foundation cream contour, this stuff wins. It's a holiday-bronze in a tub. The actual packaging of the product is quite luxurious and it'll last forever. It's got a pleasant smell and blends effortlessly underneath foundation. Above foundation, you've got to be a little more careful, but it's still fairly easy to get the hang of. Perfect for bronzing up your complexion this summer.

What are your summer skin essentials?

Alice.

Tips For Drinking More Water

If you read my 2015 post you'll know that it was a goal of mine to drink more water this year. Three months in, I'm still keeping it up. I've noticed a few things that helped me to remember to drink more water and mixed them with Pinterest ideas to form a few tips.

Buy cute bottles.

As odd as it may sound, a pretty bottle to drink from is the easiest way to get motivated to drink. I got two VOSS bottles from Amazon that are just slightly nicer than your average supermarket bottle or a glass. You can also take them around with you everywhere you go and count your intake in 500ml portions.

Count days.

I saw on Pinterest the idea of creating habits through counting. It can take 30 days to form a habit, so drink water for those 30 days and count them as you go. Simple sticky notes on your wall numbered with a marker can be an easy way to keep track. After those days are up, it should be more of a habit to drink lots of water every day.

Use your phone.

I'm sure there are many apps of the sort, but iDrated is a free and useful app to track your water intake. You set your own target and put your measurements in as you go, with reminders popping up if you go too long without a drink. If you reach your target or get close in the day, you get medals that show on the page. There's a graph to show your average intakes for the week and you can look back at the months to see your progress. If you're not sure on your target, you can simply put in your weight etc and have it calculate for you. 

Do you have any tips for drinking more water?

Alice.