paperself lashes

PAPERSELF false lashes are the ultimate accessory for the eyes. As the current beauty trends push the limits of what was once considered day to day make-up more & more (we've gone from 'must look natural' to 'I need my black lipstick for class!') these faux lashes made from a paper-cut patterns are the next step for anyone daring enough to kick it up a notch.

Inspired by the art of Chinese paper cutting, each stunning, contempary design comes with it's own unique meaning, for example the 'Horses' lash set mean 'success', whereas 'Peonies' stand for 'bring the whole hapiness' - who thought they could make even more of a statement!

// L - R: LACE GARDEN (V&A EXCLUSIVE - £14.00), CLOWN, PEACOCK, DEER & BUTTERFLY, HORSES, PEACH BLOSSOM, PEONIES - £12.00 WWW.PAPERSELFSTORE.COM //

If the idea of such a bold statement is a little intimidating, don't worry, the brand also offer smaller, individual lash sets which are just as beautiful.

These lashes are perfect for an elegant, minimal fancy dress effect, for example; team the 'Peacock' lashes with peacock themed eye make-up & nobody will notice that you've chosen an elegant, simple idea rather than a full on costume! As for myself, I really hope the company bring out some more wearable, yet still fancy lashes for daytime wear because so far they have caused me to (and I never imagined myself saying this sentance in my entire life) strike up a love affair with false eyelashes!

make up look 02 - leopard eyes

A very rushed leopard print eyes look - I plan to do this again as I feel the 'spots' need to be bigger, the brows more defined & the lashes more dramatic. Of course, this isn't the kind of look you could pop into town wearing (unless your feeling very confident that day!) but it is an option for subtle Halloween make-up if you don't feel like going all out this year. I'll be posting an updated version as well as some simple yet effective Halloween ideas in time for the weekend, so keep a look out :)! x

If the catwalks of Marc Jacobs, Gucci, Vera Wang, Louis Vuitton &... well, just about every designer at the recent fashion weeks are anything to go by there is one trend set to be bigger than any other this A/W. Who'd have guessed it would be the simple, humble ponytail? Yes, the time has come for us to be able to be as lazy as possible with our hair & be praised for it!

In a rush with unstyled hair? No problem, low & textured ponies are all the rage over at Burberry. If you prefer to make a statement, take a leaf out of Kinder Aggugini's book this Autumn & hoist yourself a sky high pony. & if you find the ponytail to be a little too plain why not add an Alice band for a girly touch, if it's good enough for Valentino it's certainly good enough for me!

make up look 01 - pin up inspired

FACE ♥

Base - Clinique Up-lighting liquid illuminator

Concealer - Benefit Erase Paste

Foundation - L'Oreal Ideal Balance

Contour - Clinique Chocolate Chip

Blush - MAC Belightful

Highlight - Urban Decay Skimp

EYES ♥

Primer - Benefit Stay Don't Stray

Base - Urban Decay Skimp

Crease - Urban Decay Lost

Lashes - Benefit #09

Brow bone highlight - Urban Decay Skimp

Liquid liner - Urban Decay 24/7 Black

Eyeliner waterline - Natural Collection Eye Lines white

Mascara - MAC Zoom Lash Zoom Black

LIPS ♥

Lipstick - Rimmel London Diva Red

My take on the traditional pin up style make-up & the products I used to achieve the finished look. I'll be posting more work as & when it is completed & if you have any suggestions or tutorial requests please feel free to let me know :). x

american apparel nail lacquer

By now, I'm sure everyone is aware of the Nail Lacquers produced by American Apparel. Whether you love or loathe the brand itself & it's controversial clothing campaigns, the Nail Lacquers, for me are a complete hit. When I first saw some of the lighter shades such as Summer Peach I thought 'ugh, it'll take ten coats for that to show up!', I was wrong, you can get away with one coat of this shade due to the consistency of the polish being so thick & packed with colour - in fact, I found this with every shade I've tried! So far I only have my mitts on Summer Peach, Malibu Green & Dynasty -

& now with Christmas unbelievably just around the corner (64 days to be exact, don't worry, I'm not prepared either!) American Apparel have released three brand new metallic shades perfect for the festive party season or just to make you feel that little bit extra christmassy -

// SILVER JAZZ, GOLD FLASH & BRONZE DASH - £9.00 //

// A FUN CHRISTMAS COMBO - GOLD FLASH, DOWNTOWN LA & HUNTER //

Personally, I really, really like this product.

When it comes to buying a nail polish I look for three factors; do I love the shade, is it worth the price & does it last without chipping? AA Nail Lacquers ticked all three boxes for me - a complete thumbs up!

introduction

01: My name is Hayley, this blog is purely to document the progress & work I create as a MUA & hair stylist in training along with recommendations & reviews. I'll post the odd personal ramble here & there but in order not to bore the socks off you, I shall try & stick purely to beauty posts. So far my training is purely self taught until I begin a course in 2012.

02: I'm a very smitten kitten, my partner & I have our own place in Essex & are very much in love.

03: As well as make-up/beauty I'm also a keen baker/foodie - I like to think of Nigella Lawson as my queen, put it that way. I'm a Harry Potter enthusiast, Mexican food lover & Disney movie addict also. I firmly believe in finding the bright side & putting a smile on people's faces.

04: My better half & I are expecting a little princess; Daisy-Rose on 06/02/2012.