NOT NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS.

Every year when avoiding being that annoying person everyone blocks/mutes on Twitter around New Year's Eve, I find myself making a mental list of expectations/things I plan to do in the approaching new year. I never really communicate the list in full to anyone when New Year's Resolutions conversations arise and this is mainly because I am 100% aware that whatever happens in a given year and whatever lessons I learn will not be discovered intentionally.

 But as everyone knows, the number one rule of life is that if you post something you need to do on the Internet, you have no choice but to get that shit done. So here's my 2015 to do list that I would like to have done by this time next year:

• Get my Skin Care game on point and have a solid regime in the bag.
• Get better at eye makeup.
• Go on Holiday. (I cheated here as I already have one booked for next year but it's always nice to know at least one will be getting done)
• Get my first tattoo.
• Find a comfortable balance between A-Levels, working and blogging.
• Make more blogging friends and put myself out there more with regards to my blog.
• LFW.
• Get skinny or learn to love myself trying. [Sidenote: I am tumblr.]
• Have more pride in my achievements.
• Say yes more but also say no more. Fuck sitting on the fence.

(There's no going back now, it's on the Internet so it's set in stone, wish me luck!)

Happy New Year to anyone who reads my blog and if you don't, I'm sure you're not that bad either so have a good one!

Olivia xo

My Drugstore Monday Morning Face

One of my favourite things about being a girl is that you can wake up and literally decide whether or not you want to be pretty that day. Whenever I wake up hating life (a feeling usually exclusive to Monday mornings) and want to avoid looking like an extra from The Walking Dead here's what I reach for and a brief summary of why...

The bases of choice

All of these provide a nice light-medium coverage that evens everything out without being heavy in the slightest. The Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation does this in a thicker way but is still by no stretch of the imagination thick; it just feels a bit like you have something on. However, the Garnier BB cream which I have in the lighter of the two shades and the Max Factor CC cream, which I surprisingly got in the darkest of the three shades in the range, are weightless on the skin. For this particular Monday Morning I went for the Garnier BB cream because my skin was feeling pretty shitty and I didn't want to slap on foundation. Let's ignore that it's probably an equally counter productive choice...

Eye Bags and Lips

Featuring my brand-less looking Collection concealers...

All of these concealers are incredible but I've admittedly been off the Collection Lasting Perfection one that everyone and their Aunt May rave about in the blogosphere for quite a while because it dries out my under eye area when set. However, for old times sake I gave the shade 2 a go today and was pleasantly surprised. I simply cannot go on without mentioning the LA girl Pro Conceal which managed reached Holy Grail status in like a week. I use the shade Creamy Beige and though it isn't Nars Creamy Radiant, it sure is the better version of MAC Prolongwear for me.

Bold lips on Mondays are hit and miss with me. Sometimes I like one as a distraction from my not so Chanel eye-bags but most of the time I cannot be bothered (today being the latter). Therefore, I used my Helen E Lip crayon in Beauty Queen which is a creamy and pigmented nude dream, with my NYX butter gloss in Praline which I want my entire life to smell like.

Blot, Bronze, Blush and...Glow?

Alliteration fails suck. 

My drugstore choice of Bronzer is the Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer which I really like because it doesn't turn into loose powder when you put a brush to it so you get quite an even coverage that steers clear of being muddy. 

Rimmel Transparent powder is also a drugstore go-to but for blotting away the disco ball nature of my face. 

I feel like I'm on an eternal quest for the right blusher brush and so because I didn't want to be reminded of said quest I applied my NYX cream blush in Natural and blended it out with my fingers.

Keeping on the creamy track I used the L'Oreal lumi magique base as a highlighter which wasn't as intense as I'm used to but was a nice natural touch.

Lashes

I always feel like I'm not maximising my mascara's full potential by having two on the go at once so now my fave mascara (Maybelline the Falsies) has dried up and I've cracked open it's back up, the Collection Does it all Mascara. Both are waterproof because I have seriously watery eyes and though the Collection isn't a show-stopper that gives any sort of False Lash effect, it is excellent for day to day wear and super affordable!

And here's my drugstore picks on my face. It is not a revolutionary make up look but it does the trick and that's all I'm looking for on a Monday morning.

*** May we also note that I made it this far without doing the whole beauty products on a fashion book blogger thing? It was always going to happen though so whatever, it's cool.

What product do you reach for to make you look more awake?

You can check out part two of my Monday Morning series here!

Olivia xo

THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS/NYE PARTY DRESS FOR UNDER £30

Having an event springing up out of nowhere and hitting you in the gut when you realise that you have nothing to wear is a problem that I feel content avoiding. What with Christmas presents to buy, having to budget in a brand new £100 outfit is something no one needs in their life...

So I teamed up with House of Fraser to galavant about in the perfect LBD for the Party season that won't break the bank!

Naturally I paired it with my New Look heels (only size 8's left on asos but similar ones here and here) which have recently become my HG heeled footwear choice. I've wanted a pair of Saint Laurent Jane dupes for ages now but I stray too far away from dainty elegance and sophistication to feel comfortable in them. These however, are the perfect androgynous option because of the chunky jagged platform and for £24.99 it was a bargain that I could not miss out on.

Because the dress is black you can really play up your makeup (which I jumped at the chance to do) or add in a statement pop of colour through your accessories or shoes. I concocted an impromptu smokey eye with my trusted Urban Decay Naked Palette and on the lips used MAC's Brave Red which I think is the perfect Christmas sheeny but not glossy red lip.

The arms of the dress add just the right amount of drama to the look to make it appropriate for the Festive season. The flower-like (not floral) pattern is also ties in well with the Christmassy vibes. It think it's a great length on me but I'm 5ft4 so if you're a taller lady I would take that into consideration here.

That being said, my favourite thing about this dress is that it isn't exclusively Christmas appropriate like some of the sequin numbers that emerge in the shops at this time of year. It's versatile enough to wear all year round, especially in Autumn/Winter with some tights, Dr Martens and a nice warm coat.

OUTFIT TIME!

Mela Loves London Flower Lace dress in a Size 10

Would it really be a Christmas blog post
without an obligatory tree-side picture?

Now for the bit that matters most, the price. At £26 you are getting a well made, true to size, understated yet fancy wardrobe essential! If you want to check it out on the website the link is here.

A massive thank you goes to House of Fraser and the lovely team I was in contact with, for sending me this dress and I hope you guys enjoyed this post! 

Thanks for reading!

Feel free to leave a comment of what you think of this outfit below and follow me on bloglovin'!

Olivia xo

THE UNDETECTABLE OUTFIT REPEAT.

It's been a while so hello all!

As we all know, Autumn/Winter is all about outerwear...(biggest understatement of my life).

So naturally, a couple of months ago when I was nonchalantly packing to go to Manchester and discovered a dress in my wardrobe which doubled up as a blazery/kimino-y yet-to-be-named jacket thang I was so chuffed I had to share it. I always have an irrational panic whenever I think I'm outfit repeating and worry that people will remember so always save my outfits for rainy days that never happen- I know it's silly to care about outfit repeating and I should listen to Lizzie McGuire's wise words and shun outfit rememberers but hey ho. I wore this as a dress and as a blazer around the same people and received compliments both times and no one thus far has recognised that it's the same item so it's becoming an A/W 2014 fave! It also helps if you're going away for the weekend or something and cannot be bothered to pack loads- I personally wear this undone with a tee and jeans or as a dress with tights and whatever I'm in the mood for on my feet, foolproof! Now it's creeping into the winter months here in the UK, I plan to layer it up as a blazer with a scarf and hoody so I don't freeze to death. I normally get really annoyed when dresses have visible painfully obvious zips all the way down but this has improved the piece massively so praise the Lord for whoever decided to put one on this! 

In short, who doesn't love a two in one item? Here's it in action!

Dress- H&M

Lipstick- Diva by MAC

Boots- Truffle

Overcoat- As before

Tee- Primark

Jeans- ASOS Whitby Ankle Grazer's

Trainers- Adida's Superstar 80's

What do you think, can you tell it's a dress when worn as a blazer? Let me know in the comments!

Olivia xo

The MAC Lipstick Collection Anniversary Post!

Note: For some reason this post (the one that has taken the longest to write out of all my posts thus far) deleted from my blog and I am absolutely raging about it. If you’ve read this before I apologise but I wanted to repost it as a sort of milestone or whatever because it’s kind of an important generic beauty blog post to do. Thankfully, I wrote half of it on Word so here goes…(if this has ever happened to you feel free to rage with me in the comments)

Ladies, Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, NOVEMBER IS UPON US!

For me, this means that it’s been a year since I started collecting MAC lipsticks which inspired this post and it’s date of publishing. Lipsticks of the MAC variety were the gateway drug that led to my current status of makeup addict so they will always be important to me. Irrespective of finish, they have consistent high quality and I feel like every woman should have one! After education, equal rights and black skinny jeans, of course…

As someone who strongly believes that celebrating half-birthdays should totally be a socially acceptable thing, it was inevitable that I would celebrate this little ‘anniversary’.  So here’s my collection, in order of purchase, for you to have a nose of!

1. Velvet Teddy- Matte finish

That’s right kids, way before Kylie Jenner had even considered creating her own variety of lip I had this bad boy in my midst. A very random colour to start with but when I was in Cardiff last November, for some reason I decided that I needed this in my life. I never understood why it didn’t have much hype around it as even once I’d acquired more MAC Lipsticks, this combined with Whirl lip liner remained my favourite. It’s matte but creamy and if you don’t like matte lipsticks it also looks good with clear gloss over top!

2. Please Me- Matte finish

I picked this up in the airport on the way to Holland for my school’s Dutch exchange programme and in retrospect I wish I’d picked up more as I think it would have softened the blow of the tragic 10 day experience. It’s my go-to everyday matte-soft pink shade and is my most well-loved lipstick. It also suits all skin tones so is an all-round winner.

3. Private Party- Satin finish

I also got this at the airport before The Netherlands too and it’s a stunning dark purple that I love because on the lips it doesn’t look like as much of a bold dark lip that it is in theory. It actually makes me very nervous that this is limited edition (I cannot for the life of me remember what collection it’s from) because I have no idea how I will replace it when it finishes. Dupe suggestions are heartily welcomed!!!!!

4. Pink Nouveau- Satin finish

This is the bluest pink I have- it’s so blue that I’d say it leans towards a lilacy pink. The blue undertones mean whiter teeth for everyone and I’ve seen a lot of people describe this as a statement Barbie pink but on me it’s a bit more muted than that. I like it very much but for some reason I find myself reaching for Please Me more…

5. Girl About Town- Amplified finish

Welcome: the winner of the Longest lasting lipstick ever. Honestly, if you swipe this on really quickly just to see if it goes with your outfit it will make the decision for you because it will stick around all day! It’s both a blessing and a curse. I’d definitely describe it as stain-like. It is a hella creamy statement deep pink that can be glossy or satin, if blotted.

6. Up the Amp- Amplified finish

Though bold in nature, this is faint-hearted friendly if patted into the lips but my preferred method is to slather it on and create a deep lilac situation as seen above.

7. Vegas Volt- Amplified finish

To sum it up in a sentence: this is summer in a shade. This is one I always forget to reach for but I love, again, how creamy it is. It’s a bold, coral orange that doesn’t look clowny in the slightest and I hardly ever see similar ones to it on other makeup counters.

8. Patisserie- Lustre finish

Oh how I love thee. This is a your-lips-but-pinker nude that I recommend to every fair-medium skin tone to try! It’s so easy to put on with pretty much any outfit or makeup look. It’s the only Lustre finish I have and I expected it to be pointlessly sheer but it’s definitely buildable. I wouldn’t recommend giving this Handbag Lipstick status in summer as it will melt but for Autumn/Winter it’s great to have on you for those days where nothing is going right and you feel like you need some lipstick on to cheer you up. P.S. Don’t let the glitters in the bullet put you off, this lipstick is no shimmer fest.

9. Cosmo- Amplified finish

This suits every skin tone under the sun and in every season on the calendar. It’s a nude that is your-lips-but-better with a slight raspberry tone to it. This and Russian Red are great choices for a first MAC lipstick and I highly recommend it. This is another one that hardly has any buzz around it in the beauty blogosphere and I have no idea why as I think it's amazing!

10. Diva- Matte finish

This is the most confidence enhancing and appropriately named lipstick I own. I literally feel like Beyoncé/ Regina George wearing it. It’s sexy, cute, dark and badass all at once. Let’s just say, bold statement though it might be, that if Grease was remade nowadays, this is what Sandy would be wearing in that scene.

11. Blankety- Amplified finish

I bought this on a whim as I didn’t own any straight up more-than-a-concealer-lip nudes and as you can see, this all over the lip does absolutely nothing for my face. However, there is a silver lining to this tragic tale as when paired with my trusted Whirl lipliner, a stunning 90’s lip is created that I wear all the time. In fact, I think I would choose this if I had to pick one lip look to wear for the rest of my life. Wow.

12. Angel- Frost finish

I got this because of Kimmy K which I mentioned in my Birthday Makeup Haul post and I’m not going to lie, I don’t reach for it much. I find myself automatically grabbing Please Me when I want to wear a pink and so this tends to slip under the radar. However, since I began writing this post I’ve made the effort to wear it more and now it’s becoming my go-to lip colour for natural no makeup makeup days. I always get compliments when I wear it so I totally understand why it is renowned as Ms. Kardashian West’s fave.

13. Russian red- Matte finish

My best friend got me this for my birthday and I am eternally grateful. It’s a straight up telephone/post box red and is matte but incredibly comfortable on the lips. I would describe it as Ruby Woo’s friendlier cousin as most people I know buy Ruby Woo and hate how drying it is but this is not drying in the slightest. It's also blue toned so makes my teeth look pearly white which is why it has replaced my Tom Ford Wild Ginger lipstick I raved about here as my favourite red to wear!

14. Viva Glam Rihanna 2- Frost finish

I love this one so much that I wrote an entire blog post about it. Check that out here.

I had so much fun making and writing this post so thank you for reading it! Crazy as it may seem, I actually have a kind-of-sort-of  Part Two coming up in the next few weeks so stay tuned for that!

Let me know your favourite MAC lipsticks in the comments!

Olivia xo

Coming Soon #1

Hey guys I hope you are all good and having a wonderful day so far!

This is just a quick post I'm writing to give you a bit of an insight on what's to come on my blog. 

Due to my blogging schedule and generally busy life at the moment, it is quite a while after I initially think of a blog post idea that it actually comes to life on my blog. I find that future posts that I'm really excited to write sit in my drafts for ages and as I'm quite an open person I want to let you know what I've got planned! I want this post and others I do like it to be a sort of bookmark for people who are reading my blog so you are always kept up to date with what is to come. I will come back and update this post with links to the actual posts mentioned once they have been published so it will still be relevant to those of you reading this ages after it's been published.

So in no particular order, here is what is coming soon on oliviamakesupstyle.blogspot.co.uk ...

• Part Two of my MAC Lipstick Collection
• Clueless Inspired Outfits
• How to Outfit Repeat Without Anyone Noticing
• The Liebester Award
• My Monday Morning Drugstore Face
• How To Get Out of a Style Slump

I look forward to writing and shooting for these posts and I hope you enjoy them!

Thanks for reading feel free to check out and follow me on my social media-y things here.

Olivia xo