Beauty Beginner series: What is Concealer?

This week, I thought I'd look at the question 'what is concealer?' We touched on this slightly in the 'what is foundation?' post, but I thought I would go into a bit more detail.

Concealer is more concentrated form of foundation. It has a lot more coverage than your typical foundation, and is used to cover any blemishes, dark circles, hyperpigmentation or any else you may want covering (although, if you have serious skin problems, such as birthmarks, scars and vitiligo, a heavy camouflage makeup may be required). The difference between foundation and concealer is, foundation is mainly used all over the face and neck, to create a even skin tone, whereas concealer is used only on small areas where extra coverage is needed (e.g acne and dark circles).

Although a lot of people do use it with foundation, concealer can be worn by itself if that is all that is needed.

Generally, concealers do not come in as great a colour range as foundation, usually having only 3-4 shades (light to darkest). It is best that you choose the shade that is 1-2 shades lighter than your skin tone, but don't go too light, as you'll look like a raccoon! The general rule for choosing colours, is to pick a yellow based concealer, as this will counteract any dark marks, and redness.

Just like foundations, concealers come in 3 main forms. The most well known is the liquid concealer and the stick concealer.

• A stick concealer looks very similar to a lipstick. This type of concealer is good for covering scars and blemishes, but they tend not to blend very well. This is not recommended for under the eye and sensitive skin, due to the blending restrictions.
• A liquid foundation is good for covering large areas of the skin. It works well for covering acne, dark circles and blemishes. They cover well, but not as well as a stick concealer, but blend a lot easier.
• The last form of concealer is a powder concealer. This is probably the easiest to blend, using a brush, but offers the least amount of coverage. This is best used for small blemishes and under eye circles.

Another way of using concealer is using colour corrective concealer. This takes the idea of a colour wheel, using opposite colours to counteract any skin problems. For example, if have any redness in your skin, you would use a green colour corrector, to neutralise the redness, making it less noticeable.

A basic guideline to follow is:

• Beige - this will conceal flaws and shadows, while also brightening the under eye area
• Green - neutralises any redness caused by acne, rosacea, or just red skin tones. If you have a significant problem with this, it may be worth investing in a green based primer, that is designed to go all over the face, rather than pinpoint application
• Yellow - conceals bluish bruises, under eye circles and dark spots
• Purple - neutralises yellow coloured imperfections such as sallow complexions and yellow bruises. It can also help to conceal very dark under eye circles on darker skin tones.

When applying colour corrector, you should first apply the colour corrector that you need where you need it, and then apply a concealer the same shade as your skin over the top of it. You should then apply your foundation as normal.

I hope that this helps, and has answered some questions you might have had. Feel free to leave me a question you have that you want me to answer at beautybeginner13@gmail.com

Makeup Storage: Before

For some time now, I have really wanted to get my makeup storage into some sort of organisation. I am one of those people who loves to organise and just needs to do it, as I feel much more on top of things. Well, this has been driving me mad! As you can see, my makeup at the moment is just stored in a drawer, in no particular order.

Well, I am now on a mission to get this drawer organised. This means I have a genuine reason to watch all of them makeup storage/collection type of videos on YouTube (yay, I love them!), and for a shopping trip to IKEA (love that place!). I'll let you know when I've found something that works.

Beauty Beginner Series: What is Foundation?

To start off this new series, I thought I would answer a question that I know a lot of beginner's struggle with; what is foundation?

I will split this up into several mini-quesitons such as:
What is it?
What does it do?
Types of Foundation
How to find my shade?
How to apply it.

First off, What is Foundation?

Foundation can come in many forms, i.e. liquid, powder, mousse, loose powder etc, but they all do the same thing. Foundation is basically flesh coloured, and is applied to the face. It is used to even out your complexion and to cover flaws. It gives you the look of flawless skin. There are mainly four types of coverage you can get in a foundation:

• Sheer - this is the lightest foundation you can get. It contains the least amount of pigment, so it is very transparent. It wont hide discolourations, but can minimise the contrast between the discolouration and the skin tone.
• Light - this contains slightly more pigment than sheer, so it covers unevenness and slight blotchiness, but wont cover freckles.
• Medium - this is usually the coverage that most people who have problem-skin go for. It covers freckles, discolourations, blotchiness and red marks left by blemishes and acne.
• Full - this type of foundation is very opaque, and is used to cover birthmarks, vitiligo, hyperpigmentation and scars. It also known as corrective or camouflage makeup.

Types of Foundation:

Nowadays, there are so many types of foundations, from thick, heavy, full coverage creams, to light and moisturising tinted moisturisers.

• Tinted Moisturiser - this is a great product to use if you just want to even out your skin tone and relieve dry skin. They contain a hint of colour, just enough to even out the skin tone. Concealer may be needed to cover problem-areas.
• Mousse or Whipped Foundation - this is easier to apply in thin layers than liquid foundation, meaning you have more control. Mousse foundation is liquid foundation with air whipped in, making it lighter and smoother, so it wont feel as heavy on the skin as a medium to full coverage liquid foundation. It is designed for all skin types, but can be especially nice to dry or ageing skin, as it goes on smoothly, and doesn't look cakey in fine lines, and dry patches.
• Liquid Foundation - this is probably the most used and most popular foundation out there. It is readily available in all high street stores, and applies so smoothly. It is also good for around the eyes, where you may want a bit more coverage, using a small lip brush for best control. People with sensitive skin should be careful when using waterproof or 24 hour versions of liquid foundation, as these contain oils and waxy ingredients, so may create a slight skin irritation. If any problems do occur, then switch to a non-waterprrof type and see if that helps, or try using a natural one, made with organic ingredients and essential oils.
• Cream-to-Powder Foundation - this foundation is also quite popular. It goes on as a liquid,but dries to a powder finish that minimises oil and lasts all day. These can be quite confusing, as they are not packaged like a traditional liquid foundation, rather in a compact that looks like powder. The main advantage of this foundation is its easy application, and you don't have to apply a powder for full coverage.
• Minerals - these are the latest thing in the makeup world. They are very popular at the moment, due to the foundations having very few ingredients, and the ingredients they do contain, tend to be mainly minerals, making it perfect for people with allergies or sensitive skin. 

How to Find Your Shade:

Instead of writing a short essay on this, I will link you to a great article HERE, which explains all that you need to know about finding your shade of foundation.

How to Apply Foundation:

Foundation can be applied in many ways. It can be applied using a foundation brush, using a cosmetic sponge, and the good old favourite, your fingers.

Start in the centre of your face, and work outwards, and downwards. Make sure you blend it in really well, as you don't want any obvious orange lines, especially around your chin and hairline, as this looks really bad, and you can really tell you've got make-up on. You don't need to use foundation all over the face if you don't need it. After you have applied foundation, if you need to, you may want to apply concealer (a corrective cosmetic, used to cover up dark circles and blemishes), to achieve a flawless appearance, and a full coverage.

THIS video explains how to apply foundation in a bit more detail.

Well, that is the first of my new series completed! I hope this has helped at least one person, and you have enjoyed. I also hope it hasn't been too lengthy or boring.

As I am nowhere near an expert, I would strongly advise anyone who is really struggling to visit a makeup stand, either in a department store or a high street store, such as Boots, and ask them for a skin-consultation, as they really know what they're talking about, and will be able to suggest things that are perfect for your skin and needs. The No7 brand at Boots, have recently brought out a brand new invention which tells you your perfect shade of foundation. So, no more guessing in the bad artificial light of the stores. After it has chosen your shade, you then have a skin consultation with a member of the No7 team, deciding which is the right foundation for your skin and the coverage you are after. Although I haven't actually got round to trying this service out yet, I think that this is a must for everyone, especially you Beauty Beginners, even if it's just to get your right shade.

A New Series?!

The other day I was thinking, as this blog is called 'Beauty Beginnner', I haven't really been explaining things from a complete beginner's point of view. So I thought that I would start a new series of posts, where I try to answer the basics, for example, 'what is foundation?' 'what is concealer?' 'where do you put blusher?' 'where do you put eyeshadow?' and so on.

So I'll try to make this a weekly thing, answering a new question every week. I'll also try to make it as simple, but interesting and knowledgable as possible, and if you have any questions you want answering, then feel free to email me at beautybeginner13@gmail.com

The first of this series will be up in the next couple of days.

NOTD: Cupcake Time!

Just a quick nail of the day. This design was based on a video by missglamorazzi (a YouTube beauty guru) where she did a tutorial on Cupcake Nails. I love the videos by missglamorazzi, as she is so beautiful, and she also makes her videos interesting. I really recommend that you check her out if you haven't already.

Colours used:
Bases:
Miss Sporty Clubbing Colours Nail Polish in Grape Fit
E.L.F. Nail Polish in Fair Pink
Barry M Nail Paint in Lemon Ice Cream
Barry M Nail Paint in Mint Green
Miss Sporty Clubbing Colours in Blue Bath
Cupcake details:
White - Sally Hansen French Manicure set in Fair Nude
Red - Max Factor Max Colour Effects Mini Nail Polish in Ruby Tuesday
(Sprinkles are the same colours used as base)

October Wish List

1. Sigma Mrs Bunny Brush Set

2. Lioele Double the Solution BB Cream

3. Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder

4. Good Things Miracle Mattifier Moisturiser

5. Barry M Waterproof Eye Liner

6. Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation

September Favourites

Not much this month, sorry.

1. Clinique 3 Step System for skin type 3 (oily combination) - this has really got rid of my oiliness, skin feels so much cleaner and nicer.

2. Batiste Dry Shampoo Original - a really really good dry shampoo, great to use on second or third day hair.

3. Urban Decay Naked palette - great for everyday makeup.

4. VO5 Gloss Me Smoothly Shampoo and Conditioner for Frizzy Hair - been after a decent shampoo and conditioner for a while after using John Freida's Frizz Ease, which left my hair really greasy (horrible!), this combo really works with my hair, and leaves the curls really nice, and hardly any frizz.

5. Warner Bros. Studio Tour - The Making of Harry Potter - I was lucky enough to visit this attraction at the beginning of the month, and fell in love with the sets and magic behind the scenes. I would recommend this to any Harry Potter or movie fanatic, it is a really good day out.

6.  The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector - with the transition into Autumn, my hands have been really dry, and this works wonders on really dry skin.

Fall Hall!

So, I've been having a bit of a shopping spree just lately, trying to get some new stuff in for autumn/fall. Autumn is my favourite time of the year, as I love the clothes, and the colours. I love being warm (but not hot!), and snuggling with a blanket and hot chocolate. Anyway, I've been doing a bit of shopping, and so I thought I would do a bit of a collective haul. Most of this was done on the internet, as there is no decent shops around me, so some of the bits have not yet arrived, so I'll just post the pictures that are on the website, rather than my own (hope that made sense).

Warning: This post will be picture-heavy

First off is Next:

Above: (l-r) Navy heart jumper (now sold out), Slubby Top in (Black, Pink and White), and Grey Notch Neck Top


Next up is H&M. I have never shopped with H&M before, but I was really pleased with their clothes and the quality of them.

Above: (Top, l-r) Coral and Grey Top, (Bottom, l-r) Powder Biege Cardigan, Grey Cable Knit Jumper

I also got a couple of tops from Simply Be:

Above: (l-r) pack of 2 Button Placket Tops, Lace Detail Long Sleeve T-Shirt, Turn Back Cuff Pocket Detail Top in Teal

Lastly for clothes, I picked up a lightweight coat, perfect for these autumn days from Yours Clothing:

Above: Black Lightweight Jacket

Beauty and skincare wise, I picked up a couple of things:

Debenhams:

Above: Clinique 3 Step System, Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Clear Blemish Gel, Urban Decay Naked Palette

Last up was from the ASOS sale:

Above: PIXI PixiGlow Tinker Bell Fairytale Palette

Well, that was my Fall Haul! (No, I'm not American, I'm just geeky, and like the way it rhyme's!) If you haven't guessed, I am a more curvy lady, so some of this clothes mentioned may only be available in plus sizes. I'll have swatches up soon from the palettes in this post. I really can't wait to start layering up clothes with warm cardigans and jumpers and BOOTS! I LOVE BOOTS! (But, I need to find a new pair as mine have had it). I just hope the weather picks up a bit, as I really don't like rain!

DISCLAIMER: All of these products were purchased with my own money.