How to... Choose Foundation

Hello Fellow Blogees,

So quite often we are faced with the dilemma of knowing what foundation to buy, what shade of differing brands will suit our specialist demands etc. And at all costs, trying to avoid what we affectionately call: the Doritos effect. So hopefully by end of this post, we'll all be a little clearer on how to pick the best piece of kit none to man (or woman, in this case).

First of all, it's best to work out what kind of skin you have, so you can establish which foundation to by to compliment your specific type. This can be split fairly easily into 4 categories :

1. Normal (aka brilliant skin and you've been blessed)
There is no need for you to worry. If you're skin isn't flakey or oily, and feels soft to touch, you're basically winning at life and have no problems. Happy days for you!

2. Oily
Unfortunately, all that OMEGA 3 has paid off, and resulted in an oily complexion. Generally, if your skin is shiny before 12pm most days then, unfortunately, you have oily skin. Another way to tell is if your foundation tends to slip off during the day and a lot of re-powdering is required.

3. Dry
Again, unfortunately you have not been blessed with beautifully moisturised skin. If your skin feels uncomfortable or tight, or has darker patches, you probably have dry skin and need to moisturise a lot more than usual.

4. Combination
This is actually the most common skin type. T-Zone is normally oily and outer areas are usually drier.

Ok, so after you establish what skin type you are (deep breath), you then to colour match the foundation to your skin. It sounds a bit confusing, but it's ok, we'll go through it together!

So, first of all you need to work out what undertones you have. There are several inventive ways you can do this, which will give you a whole evening's entertainment. Believe me.

Numero Uno: If your veins appear more green, you have warmer undertones. If they appear more blue, you have cooler undertones.

Number 2: With a make up free face, place an ivory white towel around your shoulders. Tie your hair back, and with natural lighting, the towel should reflect what colour your undertones are. If the light reflected is yellow, you have warmer undertones. If pink, you have cooler undertones.

Number 3: This one is kinda open to interpretation, or which jewellery you prefer. However, if you feel Gold jewellery suits you best, you probably have warmer undertones. If you feel Silver jewellery suits you best, you probably have cooler undertones. If you're lucky and both suits you, you might have neutral undertones.

After you've worked that out, you can finally get onto the fun bit. Getting the foundation! If you have cooler undertones, go for a foundation with pinker tones in it. If you have warmer undertones, go for a foundation with yellower tones to it. If you're a lucky neutral person, you can go for either, or both and mix them.

If you're going for MAC foundation then there is a code you should be aware of. NW means Neutral Warm, but are actually for the pink undertones/cool people. NC meaning Neutral cool, are for the warmer tones/ yellow peeps. Confusing I know, but we didn't design it, so just work around it yeah!

So hopefully, following these steps, foundation shopping should no longer be a trial. If any of you buy any foundation using these tips, let us know how it works out!

Until next time...

LLB X

October Faves

Hello Hello HELLO! (Sorry, I'm extra excited to see you today!)

So, here we are with our October favourites. But of course, they'll see you right through the winter, and probably the whole year to be fair. So, let's get on with it.

First up is this BaByliss Volume Waves Curling Iron. This is great for creating loose natural waves, instead of those hideous tight ringlets. With this iron you can achieve the look of everyone's new found idol and fashion icon, Elsa from FROZEN. At only 20 quid, these are an absolute GIVEAWAY. Seriously peeps, you need these. And no, we're not on commission, they're just that good.

Moving swiftly onto our second October love, Vaseline Spray and Go Body Moisturiser. It sinks into the skin as effortlessly as the Titanic into the ocean (probably not the best analogy... sorry guys!). It smells divine, and is ease of use as you just spray and carry on getting ready. Very worthy of it's October Favourite status.

Third up is this Hydrating Gel-Cream moisturiser from Resultime. We love this baby due to it's extreme hydrating qualities and sensitive to begrudging skin. It also sits nicely as a primer or base under foundation without distorting the make up look. The science of it is what makes it so good for your skin, containing essential properties that firm and hydrate your skin.

Our fourth fave product is Tea Tree Oil. It's a bit of a classic I grant you, the kinda thing your Gran always keeps in the medicine cabinet. However, don't let it's unfair dismissal put you off. It's pure oil, and it's great for sensitive skin. Pesky or belligerent spots will be a thing of the past once Tea Tree oil works it's magic. Deffo worth an investment. It's just a little bottle, but will last ages, and works WONDERS.

Shalala... Final product is the infamous MAC 217 brush which also makes the line up in our October favourites. It's great for blending and general eye maintenance. It also fits nicely for working with the eye crease, who'd have guessed it? It's a good size aswell, perfect for eye shaping. Deffo a good one to have in your tool kit.


So, hope you can take some inspiration from our October loves. If you purchase any, do let us know :)

Until next time,

LLB X

Sleek iDivine Storm Palette Tutorial

Hello Fellow Blogees,

We hadn't done any tutorial posts, and then two come along at once, aren't we spoiling you this weekend?! This one involves a delectable smoky eye, which is a go to make up look for all girls across the world and beyond. So come forth, and witness the fitness of this look. To find out how we did it, take a moment to glance at how you can achieve it.

First up, you need to go out to any kinda make up or department store and purchase a Sleek iDivine Storm Palette. After you've got your mitts on one of these bad boys, you can set to work of your princess dough eyes.

Working outwards, you need to apply 'snow storm' on the inner section of the lid. After that, blend in 'sand storm' to the mid breadth of the eye. The outer eye is where it gets interesting, blend 'dust storm' on the outer part mixed with 'eye of the storm' through the crease, to give a chiseled look.

To get a defined line at the lash, use 'Blackout' and blend slightly towards the outer eye, to bring the whole make up look together. This simple but chic look is perfect for so many occasions, 

So try and recreate this or something similar, and let us know how you get on.

Until next time friends,

LLB x

How to... Ombré Lip

Dearest Fellow Blogees,

This weekend we thought we'd do something a little different, and kick the Saturday off in style with  a tutorial post. At the moment, Ombre is a big big deal. Whether it's for hair, nails or lips, this new trend has smashed onto the scene, and we think it's here to stay. So we thought we'd show you to to be bang on trend with a super trendy,ombre lip. The celebs are all over this look, from Blake Lively to Jessica Alba sporting eye popping lips to make your mouth water. To gain inspiration, see how we did it:

Firstly you need to outline your lips with the darkest shade of whatever colour you want to ombre with. We used a black soft kohl pencil, but any lip or eye pencil will suffice. Follow the line all the way around the lips, creating an even and smooth line as you go.

Next we applied the red lipstick (if you're trying to replicate this exact look, we used Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick in 022) to the main part of the lips. After that take a small lip brush and blend thoroughly the lip stick and pencil, until you begin to see the gradual blend.

And so there you have it! Easy to follow and cheap to do,what more could you want? Also a good, dramatic look for Halloween, if you're going for that kinda vibe. Mix it up with other colours and see what cool effects you can create.

Until next time,

LLB x

Runaway with the Runway - D&G A/W 2011-12 Ready to Wear

Fellow Blogees,
Hope you're all well? This week we have decided to do something a little different, in a feature I like to call 'Runaway with the Runway'. We all lust after that glamour and edge of the designer look, without the hefty pricetag. We know how it feels to turn every page of Vogue and feel your heart sink when you clock the price; realising you'd have to remortgage just to afford one thing they feature. So we decided to take some of the best known and loved collections from across the world and show you how you can get the same look, for a fraction of the cost. So turn that frown upside down, Cinderella shall go to the ball, yeeehahh!

We've taken our inspiration from the Dolce and Gabanna Autumn/Winter 2011-12 collection. The collection demonstrated a group of eye-popping skirts, in bright and majestic colours. Made from marabou feathers,the tutus created a captivating explosion of feathers, each unique and mesmerising.

All photos from Vogue

The models also sported a range of printed tees, ranging from bold checkered prints, to monochrome slogan ensembles. The tops normally clashed with the skirt, probably in effect to try and create more of a fun impact, which it certainly does!

All photos from Vogue

The make up on this look was beautifully understated and elegant. It was kept simple on purpose, to keep all the attention on the outfit, and the contrast works amazingly. The whole face was kept to look as natural as possible. The skin was kept fresh looking and dewy, finished with an amazing glow. There is a very slight hint of blush, with contouring produced by subtle highlighter. In this look, it was all about the eyes. There is heavy liner to add intensity and drama, created by using eye Kohl as the base for a creamy and soft look. Over the top was a more heavy duty gel or liquid liner. There was a classic flick at the end of the eye to elongate the natural eye shape. There was then a nude or white liner used on the inner bottom waterline to enhance the size of the eye and accentuate the eye. The eyebrows were kept natural and slightly bushy looking, which we particularly love, who wants
no eyebrows?? The lips were also kept plain, maybe with  a very small touch of clear/light pink gloss.

The whole look is lots of fun, and probably great if you're Cara Delevingne. However, not all of us get to strut up and down the runway wearing jazzy clothes all day. Neither do we get afforded the luxury of wearing these amazing creations to work or school and get away with it. Instead we get sniggers and funny remarks as we try and imitate Cara down the corridor. So hopefully with our reincarnation, you won't feel silly sitting in the office or hiding at the back of the lecture hall. Ok, so our look isn't an exact replica, but it's a wearable nod to this trend, here's how we did it...

The make up look can easily be recreated. For the eyeliner we used MAC Kohl in the shade Smoulder, with Maybelline Eye Stiletto Liquid Liner over the top. For the lashes we used L'Oreal Volume Millions Mascara, with the shade Faint, from Urban Decay Basics Palette for the eyebrows.

Our answer to the incredible fluffy tutu can be found at either ASOS or Topshop :

The first skirt from ASOS is the most like the skirts featured in D&G's collection, so if you're trying to copy the look exactly, head for this option.This is a slightly more A line shape, meaning it's more 
flattering. Obviously this one is not made from fancy feathers. but simple mesh layers of netting. 
However it does the trick just the same, and at £60 it's a steal!

The middle skirt is £42 from Topshop. Although it looses some of the body and flamboyance of the original skirt, it gains on the fringing front, and who doesn't love fringing? Another point in it's favour is it's colour. Black goes with everything and makes it more wearable with different looks. Definitely a good alternative.

The final skirt is also a Topshop number. This holographic sequined pelmet skirt is just, BRILLIANT. Although it doesn't have a set colour, it encompasses many colours which is a great version on a theme. It's still fun, and still different.

Our alternative to the printed tees can be found at River Island or New Look:

First option from River Island is £25, practically day light robbery! This T Shirt has added texture with  faux fur check print. This is nearly identical to the D&G ones, nobody would ever know! 

Second Option from New Look is an even better option at just £22.99! This combines the boxy shape with the monochrome print brilliantly, again, nobody would ever know! 

Third is another boxy top from New Look. The checks are very D&G, so you can feel super chic wearing this! £15, buy two! 

Last but not least is this laser cut ,pink,boxy tee from New Look for £15. If you're trying to inject colour, this top is the one for you! 

Follow these steps and you should be on your way to recreating this fabulous look! Be creative and have fun! If you try to attempt it, do send us in your recreations, we'd love to see them!

Until next time, 

LLB x 

The Perfect Duo - YSL Touche Éclat

Fellow Blogees,

There's nothing better than a good concealer and foundation is there? Something that will attempt to make you look airbrushed on a cold Monday morning, conceal the spots and hide away the dark circles. And all for a reasonable price of course, we don't want a lot do we?!So you can imagine our delight when we discovered YSL Touché Éclat foundation and concealer. Sported by the likes of Jourdan Dunn and Eva Longoria, it's a heavily endorsed product; and rightly so. Some might say its worth it's weight in gold... Like what I did there?

So the first thing to know is whatever your skin tone, there's a wide range of times suitable for every colour on the spectrum. So black, white, pink or polka dotted, you'll be able to get your hands on it. The foundation is heavily moisturising, so great if (like me) you have dry and problematic skin as we talked about in an earlier blog post. It's a great product to blend into the skin, rather than to sit on the surface. It gives great all over coverage, with a creamy almost gel like texture, but malleable enough to blend and manipulate. Also for all the people out there with sensitive skin, fear not. Don't be under the illusion that because this is a little pricey it will be harsh with your face, in fact it's the opposite. You'll be pleased to know that provided you've cleansed, this foundation won't bring about a break out, which I'm sure is as much of a relief to you as it is to me.

Moving onto the concealer, also by YSL. These two are the perfect partnership,they do work in sync. The concealer is great for highlighting to create perfect definition on your face. It also does a good job of covering dark under eye circles, although if they're like panda eyes (again, like mine), you might need a second product as a base.

Both products have a great natural finish, so no worries about a fake bake disaster or a Doritos stained face. It feels expensive, leaving your face with a nice dewy completion. As you go to buy these products, you might want to shop around a little- as they're both a little pricey. However, believe us when we say, they're 100% worth it. They both last forever, so it's an investment purchase. You won't be disappointed either.

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat Concealer - £25
Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Éclat Foundation - £30.50

So over to you once again people, try and let us know what you think!
Until next time,
LLB x

Top 5 Lipbalms

Dearest Fellow Blogees,

We've all made it through another working week, congratulations one and all! And if you have been struck down by the cold, as we have, you have my sympathies. However, if it was one good thing to come out of the ill spell, it was rediscovering all the good lip products that had been neglected. So then it got us thinking, and we've devised this top 5 list of amazing lip balms below, to see you through the cold winter months. Hopefully these will keep your lips beautifully moisturised and germ free!

5. Carmex- Kicking off our power house team of lip products is the good ol' Carmex. Coming in a range of flavours including Mint and Cherry, Carmex is a good standby should an illness strike, or your lips are just feeling a bit unloved. Apply gently and generously across the lips for a long lasting effect. Honestly, the best thing about it is probably the smell, and the tingly sensation across the lips! But if that's not a good enough reason to buy it, I don't know what is!

Carmex - £2.69 - £3.25

4. Vaseline- Come on, it was the one we all wanted to see! Nothing fancy, but strangely the packaging is enough to make you feel better, with the choice of the colourful tins. From your Grandma to your Parrot, everyone loves Vaseline. Deeply nourishing and multi purpose in a cold/flu situation (gently rub under nostrils and chest for extra relief), Vaseline is heavy duty stuff. It also reminds you of home and being little, which is always a good thing if you ask me. Particularly a favourite of ours in the Cocoa Butter flavour, extra smell of chocolate never does go a miss.

Vaseline - £2.18

3. Baby Lips by Maybelline- this classic stick design comes in a range of flavours and shades. Very moisturising, and fun to change up the shade every now and then! The tint isn't too strong , just a hint to try and disguise the illness in your face! Perfect to use a base or primer before applying other gloss/stick over the top.For a relatively new product, it's a product that's caught the attention of lips globally. So go grab one!

Baby Lips - £2.99

2. Santa's Lip Scrub by Lush- *FAVOURITE KLAXON* we LOVE this! This product is like a jelly like formula, made of all fresh ingredients, the main ones being sugar, cherries and dates, also containing little heart shapes. The lip scrub is what can only be described as an exfoliator for your lips. The result is smooth and silky lips and all day moisturisation. A top tip is to put it on at night before you go to bed, and in the morning, as if by magic, your luscious lips will be restored the following day! This particular one smells and tastes like cola, so you lick away the excess if you get a little peckish! Also available in bubblegum and popcorn flavour which I imagine are as divine, but as we all know, I start thinking about Christmas is about August, so it's always good to be prepared! So in short, this one is an all round delight.

Santas Lip Scrub - £5.50

1. And in first place, FIRST PLACE *fist pump*, is none other than the gloriously modest Chapstick. God love it, it's just pretty darn perfect. Instant all day moisture lock in, creamy texture and multiple flavours, what more could you want? It's not as all-singing-all-dancing as the Lip Scrub by Lush, but some times, less is more people. However, let's not be under illusion it's boring, it's far from it. It has a matte finish, so it's not too over the top for daily use, and creates an understated velvet sheen. This means it's also perfect as a base for other lippy to be applied over the top too. But best of all, it blows all the others out of the water when it comes to moisturisation. It's simply the best. And after all, that is the job of the humble lip balm. Moisture should always be its main priority, and Chapstick delivers a godsend.

Chapstick - £0.99

So whether you're feeling extremely under the weather and are in desperate need of a lip life saver, or your just on the hunt for some protection for your lips as the weather turns colder, we hope we have shed some light on which avenues to explore.Have fun experimenting, and try to stay germ free!

Love always,

Love Like Blog X

Favourite MAC Autumn Lipsticks

Dear Fellow Make Up Enthusiasts,

As Autumn approaches, we look for the comfort of our big woolly jumpers and gigantic slipper socks,  and naturally our make up look will begin to change too. One thing that I think can update any look for Autumn is a faithful lippy. For deeper, richer colours, I have particularly loved using the ever growing, super chic franchise MAC: in the shades 'Rebel' and 'Diva'.

MAC Diva (L), MAC Rebel (R)

When it comes to being Rebellious, I don't claim to know much. However the lipstick is a totally different ball game. MAC Rebel is a satin finish, meaning it gives a glossier, all over great coverage. It's the lighter of the two shades aforementioned, but to still creates great impact on any lips. If you're going for a punk edge, Rebel will do the job nicely. It's perfect for a day to night, work to Christmas do (sorry to mention the C word in September, but you know it's coming!), Autumn staple. Just throw in some tartan and tinsel, and you're onto a winner.

MAC Rebel with 1 coat (L), MAC Rebel with 2 coats (R)

Moving swiftly into Diva. Wearing this lipstick, you are a diva who will be creating some fever. My personal favourite out of the two shades, it's again another high quality product from MAC. Both will see a good 3-4 hour wear without reapplying. What I particularly enjoy about Diva is it is a matte finish, so you get a bold, sharper, fuller look to your already luscious lips. However just because it's matte, don't expect anything less in the moisturising department, oh no. Diva will leave your lips blissfully conditioned and chap free.

MAC Diva (L), MAC Diva (L) MAC Rebel (R)

So the sheer gloss of Rebel's punky vibe, or the pungent cling of Diva's red wine shade? It's a tough one, but the choice is yours. I certainly love them both, and know they will undoubtedly see me (and hopefully you!) through all the exciting festivities that Autumn brings.

MAC Rebel - £15.50       MAC Diva - £15.50

Until next time my friends...
The Love Like Buy Team x

PS- we're always happy to talk anything Fashion, Make Up and Hair - so leave us a comment or two below and we can have a gossip :)