Review (SFX): Sculpt Gel

Hello All,

I hope you had a great Christmas and New Years!

As my first post of 2015, I'm going to talk about my favourite special effects product which is Sculpt Gel.

Sculpt Gel is a silicone make-up product that can be used to create almost anything from lacerations to burns and scars. Its a great alternative to wax and much easier to use. There are colourless versions of sculpt gel or there are flesh coloured ones. I prefer the clear ones as it is easier to match with the skin of the person to whom you are applying it to, but its down to personal preference.

It comes in 3 parts, A and B are the main components and C is a softener. Mix parts A and B equally in weight or volume and they will react and start to slowly harden. Add part C if you are applying make-up to an area which needs more flexibility such as the neck. Only mix small batches at a time because if it hardens on your palette while you are still working then it can no longer be used.

Using a blunt tool such as a metal or plastic spatula, apply to the skin sparingly and build up by adding more until you have achieved the shape of the laceration. Adding too much at first will cause it to be too heavy if you are using it on the face and it will droop.

It takes a little time to harden completely so you can speed the process up by using a hair dryer.

Once it is dry you can start colouring it using grease paints or whatever you like to use. It stays flexible and is resistant to water and sweat so is really durable.

I use it for just about anything but using it to make deep looking cuts is my favourite use for it. It creates a really realistic looking wound and it blends in to the skin easily.

To remove it, I use my spatula to get underneath the gel and gently peel it away from the skin, it can sting a bit if used on areas of the body with hair so be very gentle and use a make-up wipe on the skin as you peel it away to cool down the skin. To remove any left on the skin a make-up wipe can be used or a stronger remover.

You can buy sculpt gel from most special effects make-up providers such as Mouldlife and PS Composites.

Thanks for reading!
Here are two very different examples of what can be created with sculpt gel (both by myself, please have a look at my facebook page for more goriness and blood: facebook.com/bethhaggarmakeup)

Review/Tutorial: Get a sparkly make-up look with Kryolan's Glitter Gels

I bought a few glitter gels from Kryolan a little while ago and have only just had a chance to try them out. They are great for creating dramatic fashion looks or for a sparkly party look, so they are really versatile. The particles of glitter are really small and the gel is clear so they are easy to use, they do dry quite fast however!

I had a play around with them and created two looks, one subtle, and one very dramatic.



Subtle:

 

 

To create this look, I used a plum red three quarters of the way across my eye lid. Then I used a dark navy blue and started where the red finishes and blended out towards the outer corner and blended the line between the red and blue, lined the crease and blended. I took the blue under my eye and brought the red down too just from the inner corner. I then applied a dark blue eye pencil in my waterline.



To apply the gold glitter, I squeezed a blob on my hand and used the end of a brush to dab it over my eye lid, and in the inner corner. Be very careful when using it close to the eye! I then applied mascara and its as easy as that!


Dramatic:

 

 

 

To create this look, I used a dark, steel grey and applied it over my eyelid but not taking it past the crease, then with the excess eye shadow on my brush, made the winged shaped, not taking it past where my eye brow finishes. Then I took a fluffy blending brush and blended the lines until there was a graduation of shadow and not a solid line, I then applied the grey under my eye as well. I finished off by using a white pencil in my water line and applied mascara.

I applied the glitter in the same way as before, using the end of a brush to apply it, but this time I graduated the amount. I started from the inner corner of my eye, applying quite a lot and then applied less and less across the eyelid.

 

I think both these looks are ideal for Christmas and New Years Eve parties and the glitter is very effective contrasted with the eye shadow.

 

 

 

For more pictures, visit my facebook page at www.facebook.com/bethhaggarmakeup

 

BethFX

 

 

 

 

 

 



Review: Lord & Berry Bronzer

Hello all,

Can you believe its December?? I can't, I should really get started on my Christmas shopping I think! Now I know that Lord & Berry isn't exactly a budget brand, but I just needed to say something about their bronzer! I got a free sample of it in 'Sienna' in my November Birchbox and it has now become something I use daily.

I have a very pale complexion and my cheekbones may as well not exist and I was struggling to find something that would allow me to add structure to my face, dark blushers just look like a dirty mark on my face even when I've sat there blending it for 5 minutes.

I was very cautious of using a bronzer as they don't often bode well for pale skinned people, but I was pleasantly surprised when I dusted this on my cheekbones. It is a very subtle colour but easily buildable, it blends flawlessly and it has a matte finish- so no tell tale shimmery cheeks! It is just right for me as it allows me to subtly accentuate my cheekbones and I use it to add more shape to my forehead as well by brushing it up from my temples and onto my forehead.

I will be using it through winter as it has a matt finish and can be used subtly enough to create a soft, healthy glow that won't leave people thinking that you still think its summertime..

 

 

Anyway I hope you enjoyed reading this, please follow my blog if you haven't already! And if you could give my facebook page a like I would really appreciate it ---> facebook.com/bethhaggarmakeup

 

BethFX

x

 

 



My first Glossybox (review)

Hello all,

Sorry its been a while, had a bit of writers block, and that paired with an uneventful life leaves you feeling a bit stuck on what to write about.
However, my boyfriend surprised me with a 3 month subscription to Glossybox, a box you receive every month full of lovely beauty treats, I got my first box through the post today and I love it! I'm looking forward to the next two! 

Before I talk about the contents, I just wanted to talk about the packaging as it was just so nice! A pale pink, glossy box (obviously) and then inside was black tissue paper with a ribbon tied around. I really do like nice packaging so I had a bit of a nerd-out about it haha. They don't have to make such an effort as it'll probably end up getting thrown away but it gives a more glamorous feel and for someone with no glamour in their life its quite a nice experience! I'm definitely keeping the box though, its big enough to put bits and bobs in, even somewhere to keep make-up or nail varnish! 

You receive 5 items, and they said 3 of which would be actual size but in fact all but one were actual size so you get really good value for money. 

Item 1
'Rituals...' Qi Gong deodorant spray
This smells really great, a perfect summer scent. I'd love to get a body spray or perfume version to use throughout the day!

Item 2
'L'Oreal Paris' Volume million lashes in Black
This is a really great mascara, it has a plastic brush with loads and loads (you could say millions) of bristles and it fans out your lashes and lengthens them, it also has a 'de-clump' wiper in the bottle which is handy and actually works.

Item 3
'So Susan Cosmetics' Concealer Quad
This concealer is really creamy and really blendable. I like that it has a white so you can use it to highlight as well. However I like my concealers to have quite a lot of pigment and this one is very light in its coverage, but it is so lightweight that it makes it perfect for summer when you don't want to wear too much make-up.

Item 4
'Nailgirls' 3-in-1 base coat, top coat and nail strengthener 
Very handy! Now you can be confident that your nails will be protected and strengthened and also have a great shine!

Item 5
'Teeez Trend Cosmetics' Beautiful Flat Stiff Brush
I've never heard of this brand but this is a really good little eye shadow brush, its really soft and you could easily use it to blend your eye shadow too.

So that's it! These are some really nice products which will also last a long time, I'm looking forward to getting even more great products and trying some that I wouldn't have normally tried. It also came with a little magazine which I shall look forward to reading later :)





Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!
See you soon
Beth x

An Announcement!

Hi all,

Haven't posted in a long time and I can only apologise for that, but, I have an announcement to make!

I have started making YouTube videos! I know I'm a make-up artist but I just find make-up tutorials so boring, so my videos are just of me creating various looks sped up, so you can see the process of how I create various make-up (plus, if you asked me to talk to camera, it would be the most awkward thing you would ever see). I have done two so far and I plan to carry on. 

I've put the link to my latest one below, I really hope you like them and please do subscribe! 

See you soon,
Beth x


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzbujub0llQ 

How to: Katniss Everdeen Make-up from Catching Fire

The Hunger Games is one of my favourite film series, and when Catching Fire came out I was really looking forward to seeing what make-up I would see as the make-up in the first film was so colourful and very random! And I was not let down. The make-up looks they created for Katniss were really beautiful and played a big part of her costume. I think Katniss would be a great character to cosplay as so if you are looking for inspiration then I hope this helps! 



The Tribute Parade

In this part of the film, Katniss has very dramatic make-up. She has jet black eyes with an intricate gold pattern underneath and around it, very long eyelashes and defined brows. Her lips are a natural coral colour while her foundation is her natural skin tone with some shading and blush. 



Eyes:

Use a normal eye shadow brush, and a highly pigmented black eye shadow and create the shape. Start from the inner corner of your eye and curve it up towards the arch of your eyebrow and out towards the end of your eyebrow. Then curve it down to the outer corner of your eye. Next, fill it in, making sure it isn't patchy, use a fluffy blending brush to achieve this. I also blended the line so it looked more 'smoky'. Then, use the edge of your eye shadow brush to create two flicks on the outer corner. Next, bring the black down underneath your eye, right to the inner corner and then extend it out onto your nose. 

Then use a black kohl pencil in the water line. 

Next, dot a gel or liquid liner on the top line of the eye shadow to create a dappled effect. 

Now for the gold. I used a gold liquid liner but I think a gel liner would have been better. I used the liner's own brush but you can use your own if you prefer or if you're using a gel, start from the inner corner of your eye and follow the eye shadow all the way up to the flick, then branch off with one flicking up, and then two flicking down. Then use a small liner brush and shade in between the gold and underneath so it makes it stand out. 

Next, apply some false lashes. Apply an eyelash glue along the lashes, wait for it to dry a little bit and using your fingers or tweezers carefully place them as close to your lash line as you can, holding them in place until they are dry. Then apply a little mascara to join your lashes with the false ones, and apply some mascara on your bottom lashes. 

To finish off the eyes, fill in your eye brows, keeping a natural shape.

Face:


Use your normal foundation and apply it as you usually would, being careful around the eyes. I do eye make-up first before foundation as I can rid of any fall out without having to remove the foundation. 

Then apply a powder to get rid of any shine.

Then use an angled blusher brush and a dark blusher and shade underneath your cheekbones and jaw line.

Then apply an orange/pink blush on your cheeks.

Lips:

Use a lip brush to apply a neutral colour such as a natural pink or coral with some clear gloss over the top. 

Capitol Party at the president's mansion 

In this part of the film Katniss has dramatic eyes again. She wears bold orange eye shadow with an elegant flick of eyeliner top and bottom with white separating them and long eye lashes. Again, she has a natural skin tone with shading and blusher. Her lips are a pale pink.

Eyes:

Using an eye shadow brush, apply a pale yellow eye shadow all over your eyelid up to your eye brow. Then use an orange eye shadow and apply this over your eye lid 3 quarters of the way in and not past the crease. Then take a fluffy blending brush and blend this upwards and out towards the outer corner, curving it down from the end of your eye brow to the outer corner of your eye. Then with the blending blush take a small amount of a red eye shadow and blend it into the outer corner and in the crease.

Then use a liquid or gel liner and very thin brush and line along the lash line and flick upwards and out, in line with the eye shadow. Do this for the lower lash line as well. Apply a bright white pencil or eye shadow between the flicks. Then line the water line with a black kohl pencil. 

You could use false lashes again, however I just curled mine and applied mascara.

Then fill in your eye brows, keeping a natural shape.

Face:


Use your normal foundation and apply it how you would normally. Then apply a powder to get rid of any shine.

Then using an angled blush brush and a dark blush, shade under your cheekbones and jaw line. Then apply a pink blush on the cheeks and dust lightly over your forehead, nose and chin.

Lips:


Use a lip brush and a apply a natural pink or light pink colour on your lips.

Wedding make-up 


Katniss is forced to wear her wedding dress on TV and this is make-up she wears with it. It is very pretty
and elegant but also carries powerful imagery as have the others. She has a silver smoky eye with winged eye liner and long, feathery lashes, her foundation is natural with shading and blusher and pale pink lips. In the scene, she spins and her wedding dress is transformed into a 'Mockingjay' outfit which sends a very controversial message. Her make-up is also made to reflect that of a mockingjay with the feathery lashes.





Eyes:

This a design that you can very much make your own. If you don't have the right accessories (like me) such as the lashes and/or the gems then you can find other ways to achieve this look. 

First, take an eye shadow brush and apply a black shadow along the lid, not all the way up to the crease.

 
Then apply a shimmery silver above the black, and then a very light silver above that. Then take a blending brush and blend these together taking it out towards the outer corner of the eye making a curve. Then apply a white, pearly shimmer underneath the eyebrow and blend this down to the inner corner of the eye. 

Next, using a black gel or liquid liner, apply along the lash line, quite thinly, and wing it out and up towards the end of your eye brow. As I didn't have gems, I then dotted four dots of liner on my lower lash line. You could also use a silver for this.

Then, apply some false lashes or lots of mascara and fill in your eye brows, keeping a natural shape.


Face:

Use your normal foundation and apply as you would normally. Apply a powder to get rid of any shine. Then use an angled blush brush and a dark blusher and shade under your cheekbones and jawline. Then apply a pink blush to your cheeks and lightly over your forehead, nose and chin. 


Lips:

Using a lip brush, apply a baby/pale pink and then apply a pearly white shimmer to the middle of your lips and blend this out.

How to: The basics of highlighting and shading

It is very useful to know how to highlight and shade a face correctly. You can enhance certain facial features and hide others, you can also change the look of a person's entire facial structure. 
Now, I have a round shaped face so I like to shade under my cheekbones to give the appearance that I do actually have them and under my jaw. 

• The key is to shade where shadows naturally fall and highlight where light naturally hits the face.

Here is a picture of where to highlight and shade on the face:

These are the areas that I like to shade and highlight on my face, I hollow out my cheekbones using a dark blush and then use a light pink on the apples of my cheeks. Or if you prefer, you can use a foundation that is two tones darker than your natural shade and use that to shade. Apply it with a foundation brush or your fingers and then blend. To highlight I use a foundation that is two tones lighter. 

Depending on your face shape you may not want to highlight certain areas, for example if you have a prominent chin you may want to shade it instead to make it look less prominent. If you want to make your nose look narrower then you can highlight down the middle and then shade on the sides and vice versa if you want to make your nose look wider. 

I also like to highlight under my eyebrows because I think it really helps to make your eyes stand out and it also helps to define your brow shape. Highlighting your cupid's bow also really helps to define your lip shape. Shading your temples and jaw line can also help to make a round face more structured by making it look more square, however if you have a square face and want to soften it then highlighting your temples and jawline can achieve this.

So you can achieve just about anything with this technique!

Hope this helps you and hoped you enjoyed reading.

Bye for now,

Beth x

facebook.com/bethhaggarmakeup

A Triumph Stag, a fake arm and lots of blood!

I recently did the make-up for a trailer for a book with a small start up production company called Donroy Films. They make short films and other things and I really love working with them. I've worked with them once before on a project that is still ongoing.

This trailer was for a book called 'Dangerous' and the author wanted a short film-like trailer to go with it. We filmed in various local locations, the production company is self funded so they couldn't travel far to more extravagant locations but the places we did film were just as good. I was the only make-up artist so I was emailed the storyboard and had to work out what make-up people needed for each scene. It involved quite a lot of blood and injuries which is always fun!

Whatever you do as a make-up artist whether it be film, stage etc, you will wait around for long periods of time. There is the initial rush before the scene where you are doing your work and then as soon as its done you'll have to wait for the rest of the team to film the scene which could take hours so I always make sure I bring a book with me (and lots of food!).

In one scene there needed to be a fake hand hanging out of a car boot, the car was a beautiful Triumph Stag, the hand itself looked pretty rubbish, the skin colour was a bit odd and this made it look really fake. So I used supracolour to darken the skin a bit and shade in the creases on the fingers so the camera would pick it up, I also made the sleeves dirty and added lots of blood. This gave it a more realistic look, we couldn't use a real person's arm as the car's boot was far too small for a person to fit in.

In another scene I had to make someone look dead as they were to be in a morgue and give them a bullet wound on the side of the head. Its hard to make a bullet wound look old as 'fresh' running blood is what makes a bullet wound look good so to a achieve an older look I put the blood on and dabbed it so it looked more like a stain. I think this worked quite well. To make the actor look dead I made his skin pale and shaded under his cheekbones and jaw line, I also gave him dark circles under his eyes and a blue tinge to his lips.

On the last day was the most difficult scene. They wanted to 'shoot' someone and have blood splatter on a wall behind them in one take. I had no idea how to achieve this, but the only way it would've been possible would be to have someone off camera sitting behind the person holding something that could splatter the blood. We came up with different contraptions that could splatter the blood- drain pumps, hoses, hand pumps but none were working the way we wanted. So in the end all we did was use a water bottle! Someone sat behind the actor and as his neck was in shadow I did a quick bullet wound and some running blood so when he was shot and flung his head back into the light you could see it, and the person 'shooting' counted down so they could time it right with the blood splatter. In the end it looked really good and I can't wait to see the final thing! Normal artificial blood is usually thick and gloopy and not very good for squirting as such, so I made my own using corn syrup, water and red food colouring and made it runnier than blood should be so we could squirt it easily. 

These people don't have the highest quality equipment or the easiest locations but they still manage to make amazing, quality stuff and I cannot wait to see the finished trailer. I took a few photos but I'll be sure to get some more stills when the trailer is released. 

Setting up the camera and positioning the fake arm

Testing the camera angle

Old looking bullet wound make-up

Anyway, thank you for reading!

Beth x

Review: Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation

Rimmel have recently launched a new foundation range called 'Stay Matte'. They describe it as a 'lightweight liquid mousse' and they claim it leaves skin 'shineless' and 'cakeless'. And let me tell you they are not lying! I was really excited to try it as I have been searching for a mattifying foundation for what seems like forever and none of them have lived up to their word. But my search is over! My skin turned instantly matte when I applied it and felt silky smooth.

I was a bit sceptical of the bottle as it is a tube and not a glass bottle with a pump like their other foundations were so I thought it wouldn't last half as long as a glass bottle would. However, there is the same amount in these tubes and a little blob covered half of my face so you really don't have to use much at all.

It is thick in texture but blends flawlessly and doesn't feel heavy at all. You don't have to apply a powder over it however I still do just to set it. It also doesn't feel dry so people with dry skin would be able to use this and also wouldn't have to use powder. For people with oily skin like me it is a dream come true as it just instantly left my skin shine free. 

To apply it I put a small blob on my finger and start on one side of my face and blend it out across my cheek and nose and up to my temple and down to my jawline and chin and then do the same on the other side. I then use a tiny amount for my forehead and nose. A little goes a long way with this foundation so I'm hoping it will last as long as the bottles as they last me a long while. 

I am really happy with this foundation and would recommend it to everyone, I never stay with the same foundation but I think I will stick with this one!

Before and After make-up and how to hide redness

Hi all,

I wanted to do a before and after make-up post to show how make-up can be used to enhance a person's features and also make their skin look healthier. I used my sister, Ellen for this, she doesn't wear any make-up at all except when she goes out and for special occasions. She has great skin, it isn't oily or has any spots (I'm not so lucky!), however she has a lot of redness. 

Here are the before and after shots...

So to start off, I used MAC's Studio Fix Fluid in NC15 and using a foundation brush (all my brushes I use are Crownbrush) I started on the jawline and worked my up and around her face and adding a bit more to the more red patches. 
Then I used Kryolan's camouflage palette and using a concealer brush applied it under and around the eyes.
Then to contour I used MAC's powder blush in Taupe and using an angled blusher brush, applied this under the cheekbones just to give a bit of structure. You can also apply it under the jawline as well to create more shadow to give the appearance of a stronger jawline.
Then I applied MAC's translucent face powder using a large, soft powder brush.

I then defined her eyebrows using MAC's refill eyeshadow pans in Coquette and Handwritten using an eyeshadow brush.

Then for her eyes I wanted just to define them to make the colour stand out as she has really lovely blue eyes, and to make them appear bigger. For this I used a cake eyeliner by Kryolan and a small liner brush and lined the upper lash line with a small flick. I then used a MAC eye pencil in black to line her water line. I then applied MAC's Zoomlash mascara in black.
Then to finish off I applied a clear gloss to her lips. 

I think this look really suits Ellen as it is not a heavy look, it is simple and pretty. If a person doesn't wear make-up everyday I don't like applying foundation too heavy as it can make them feel uncomfortable. I applied just enough here to give her an even skin tone and just a little contour to give a bit of structure. I love MAC's studio fix fluid as it has a medium coverage and you can build it if you want more. Kryolan's camouflage palette is highly pigmented so this is great at covering imperfections.

I hope you enjoyed reading this and found it helpful!
See you soon,
Beth x

Liquid Latex: how to use and what to use it for

Liquid latex is a great, versatile product. You can create really cool effects with it and make just about anything out of it. However, if you're new to using it, it can be a bit tricky to use. It is available to buy from almost any special effects make up shops, I get mine from Charles Fox. Make sure that it is suitable to be used on the body.

Safety first! 

It contains ammonia so it is very fume-y and smelly, so try not to use it in small, confined areas. 
This is a bit of a given, but do not get it in your eyes!
When applying on the skin, always, always use vaseline underneath it, this provides a barrier between the latex and the skin - more importantly, the hairs on your skin because believe me when I say it will hurt like hell if you try and pull it off and its sticking to your hair. 
When using on the face, be careful when using it around the eyes as your skin is more delicate, so be extra careful when removing it.

How to apply

I like to use wedge make up sponges, they're soft and easy to use and you can cover large areas quickly with them. Liquid latex will ruin anything you apply it with so I just throw the sponge away after I've used it, you don't want to be using your make-up brushes to apply it with as it will just stick to the hairs. If you prefer using brushes you can always buy cheap ones and throw them away afterwards.

I pour how ever much I need in a small bowl and then just use the sponge and start dabbing onto the skin where desired. Make sure to cover the area of skin in vaseline first, not a thick layer as the latex will never dry, just a thin layer is needed. To speed up the drying process you can use a hair dryer. Once it has dried it will go clear, then, if you want it thicker, apply more layers of latex. It will start to dry as a yellow colour the thicker it is.

You can then colour it using supracolour. I find this is the best thing to use as it covers well and is highly pigmented. I use my fingers, brushes and sponges to apply it, depending on what the look is.

Uses

Liquid latex is a great way to create blisters, burns, scars, wrinkles and gashes. Essentially it is like having a second skin. It is also used to create prosthetic appliances such as ears and noses. As I said it is very versatile. It is a lot of fun to play around with and experiment with to see what you can come up with.

Here are some looks I have created with it..

This is a 2nd degree burn effect. Here I have applied a thin layer of liquid latex, used my fingers to pull up parts to create blisters, used my fingers to colour it using a 'burns wheel' which is a set of colours used to create burns, available from Charles Fox and lastly applied some artificial blood. 
(*tip* using a cocktail stick is a great way to pull up parts and create holes.)

 This is a 3rd degree burn look. I used the same techniques as above but more extreme. 

This was inspired by a character from a television show. I used liquid latex to make it look like my skin was splitting. I used the same technique to create blisters but ripped them a bit more so that some bits were hanging off my face. I then used a dark artificial blood to cover them as well as supracolour from the 'burns wheel'.

Removing

If you're using it on more 'hardy' parts of the body such as hands and arms then you can usually peel it straight off. If you're using on the face or if you have more sensitive skin, it is better to use a cloth soaked in warm soapy water, apply this to your skin and gently pull of the latex. I have also found that using facial wipes are quite effective. 
(*tip* if I have any left over in the bowl and it hasn't dried, I pour it back into the bottle. Do not pour it down a sink because it may block it. Wait until it dries and then just peel it out of the bowl and throw it in the bin.)


I hope you enjoyed this and that it is useful to you!
See you soon
Beth x

Links:
Charles Fox: http://www.charlesfox.co.uk/

My website: http://bhaggar94.wix.com/bethfx

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bethhaggarmakeup

Finishing college and my new website

Hi all,

So I have finished college forever! These past two years have been the best of my life, I've learnt a new skill that I hope to have a career in, I've met amazing people and had so much fun. It was quite sad walking out of the college gates for the last time and very sad saying goodbye to my tutor, but I am looking forward to starting my career.

And this is where my website comes in. Its very basic at the moment and quite empty in content but I hope to be adding more and more to it as time goes on. Its a very small step but everything starts with the first step! So it would mean a lot to me if you would go and check it out, I'll also be making a professional Facebook page and Twitter account which you'll be able to find on there soon.

I'd also like to quickly add that my friend Kirsty has also just made a website and it would be great if you could check her's out too! We hope to work together in the future, and at the moment we will be helping eachother out and trying get work.

Thank you for reading!
~Beth x

Websites:
Mine: http://bhaggar94.wix.com/bethfx
Kirsty's:http://w4lker12.wix.com/makeupcreations

Match your lipstick with your nails!

I've noticed a trend recently where you match your lipstick to your nail polish, matching colours had gone a bit out of fashion but now its returning and I think this is a really nice subtle way of matching if you don't want to be too obvious about it.

I wanted an excuse to feature my new Miss Sporty nail polish I bought recently and this seemed like a good way! I realised I didn't have a really nice red in my nail polish collection and so I bought a 'lasting colour' Miss Sporty nail polish in the colour 'deep wine' which is a beautiful deep red. It has a shiny finish and is slightly glittery. Its not the in-your-face postbox red, its an elegant, pretty red and goes with any outfit. I love Miss Sporty nail polishes, they are such a bargain but they are such good quality as well. They also have what they call their 'maxi brush' which is an extra large brush so you can cover your nails quickly and easily which I think is a great idea!


This is a really nice colour to match with your lipstick, so I have used a MAC red lipstick in the colour 'Ruby Woo', this leaves a very matt finish so I also used a BYS wet look clear lipgloss over the top to give it a shine. I also used a MAC red lipliner to get a clean line. I prefer using a small lip brush or an eyeliner brush to apply lipstick because I find it is easier to apply and helps achieve a clean, neat line to your lipstick.

Obviously they are not an exact match, it would be very difficult to get an exact match in colour! But I'm very pleased with this look because both the reds compliment each other and I believe this could be worn with any outfit for any occasion. If you're not a fan of bright, bold red lips, you could  try a lip tint with a gloss over the top which give  a more subtle look.










Hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading!
~Beth x

A bit about me

Hi all,

I've realised that I haven't really put a lot about myself on here, I did a little intro post but I didn't put anything personal. Some people don't like to put too much about themselves on here which is fair enough but I think its nice to know a bit about the person who's blog you're reading, so here goes..

My name is Bethany Haggar and I'm 18 years old. I live in Essex. I support Chelsea. My favourite colour is blue. I have an older sister who also has a blog, I'll link it below. 
I am currently in my last year of college studying to become a make-up artist, I'll finish in June and am waiting for the day where I have a breakdown about what I'm doing with my life, I'm pretty sure it'll happen soon. I met two of my best friends during college and I know that they will be people I will know for the rest of my 
life.

My dream would be to work in the tv/film industry, my goal in life is to touch Benedict Cumberbatch's face. Tv shows and films are a big part of my life and I would love to be part of a team in making one. A few of my favourite shows are: Friends, Supernatural, Sherlock, Doctor Who, Merlin and The Big Bang Theory. I have way too many films that I love to list because I like any genre of film really!

I also love music, its gotten me through some hard moments in my life, especially throughout school. Some of my favourite bands/artists are: Michael Jackson, Muse, Maroon 5, Mumford & Sons, The Hoosiers, FUN., Coldplay, Bastille, The Script, Alanis Morissette, James Morrison, Panic! At the Disco and John Mayer. I'm always finding more and more that I love!

I never thought I would choose to become a make-up artist. I enjoy writing and photography and always thought I'd end up doing something in the journalism area, but I saw my course in my college's book and something just caught my interest. I had no clue about anything to do with make-up, I didn't even wear a lot, so I went along to the open day and I knew this was what I wanted to do. Ever since then I've had a passion for it and I intend to follow it! 

I don't really have any particular hobbies.. I like to draw and paint and take photos. I live right next to a nature reserve and I love taking walks round it, there are some pretty amazing views if you know where to look. I lived in the same house for my whole life so I know the reserve like the back of my hand. A lot of my inspiration comes from the natural landscape, its just so interesting to capture, whether its through photography, drawing or make-up!

My general outlook on life is to live in the moment (however cheesy that may sound) and that everything happens for a reason and everything is connected. I've met two of my best friends from my particular course in my particular college, they've introduced me to people and things that I now love. What if I hadn't chosen to look at any other course other than photography or media? Would I still be the same person I am now? Probably not. And I wouldn't know the people I know now. 
Anyway, getting in a bit deep here, turning into a bit of a spiritual journey of life. So that pretty much sums me up. Hope you enjoyed reading and that you feel you know me a little better :)

~Beth x

My sister's blog: http://www.frecklyfiction.blogspot.co.uk/ - she is an aspiring writer and posts short stories and lifestyle posts, give it a read :D

How to: Two tone eyeshadow

I love creating two toned eyeshadow looks. You can have a lot of fun experimenting with different colours, from nude tones to bright and bold tones. Here is my 'how to' on how to create a two tone eyeshadow look. I hope you enjoy :)


To begin, I selected the colours I wanted to use. I love nude shades of pinks and browns so from my MAC palette I chose: 'Naked Lunch' which is a beautiful nude tone, 'Sweet Lust' which is pretty pink shimmery shadow and 'Satin Taupe' which is a shimmery dark brown. And instead of using an eyeliner on the upper lid, I have used MAC's 'Carbon' eyeshadow which is a smokey, matte black.

 I used three brushes for this look. A small eyeshadow brush, an angled eyeliner brush - both by Crownbrush, and a MAC 286 (duo blending brush) I love the 286 because as it is duo fibre, it doesn't pick up a lot of product when you are blending shadows on the eyes so is great for blending colours together, I love using it to create really subtle looks and also glamorous smokey eyes.I love Crownbrush as well because they are such good value for money and they're brushes are excellent quality.

Crownbrush small eyeshadow brush (left) and MAC 286 (right)

Crownbrush angled eyeliner brush

So, first of all I covered the lid with the two pink tones mixed together. Use the eyeshadow brush to get an even coverage and take it up to the crease and the outer corner of the eye.

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Then, using the eyeshadow brush again, apply the brown halfway across the lid and take it out to the outer corner of the eye. Make its as strong or as heavy as you prefer. You can wing it out slightly as well like I have done here. Don't take it past the crease at this point.

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Once you are happy with the brown, take the blending brush and blend the brown into the crease of the eye and out towards the outer corner of the eye as well. Be sure the blend the brown and pink to get rid of the line separating them but not so much that you completely blend the two colours together- you still want to be able to see both colours. I find using circular motions with the blending brush to be a good technique to blend and to avoid patchy-ness. 

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Then bring the brown down underneath the eye using the eyeshadow brush and blend along the lower lashline. This helps to define the eye shape more.

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With the angled eyeliner brush, apply the black eyeshadow along the upper lashline. This creates more definition and using eyeshadow as a liner is great for daytime looks. If you like heavier liner, use a gel/liquid eyeliner and apply it along the upper lashline and wing it out past the outer corner of the eye. This will also be perfect if you want to make this look more glam for a night out.

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For more definition, use a black kohl eyeliner along the waterline. I have used Maybelline's 'Master Drama' in 'Ultra black'. I am in love with this eye pencil because it is so versatile in its uses and I love an intense black.

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To finish off, generously apply some mascara to the upper and lower lashes to really make your eyes pop. I've used MAC's 'zoom lash' in black. I really like this mascara, it works really well for me as my lashes are short as well as straight (worst combo!) and it adds volume as well as length. 

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The finished look!

Thank you so much for reading and hope you enjoyed it! 

~Beth x