Rachel Green: Friends makeup! Classic 90's look!

Hi there makeup lovers,

For the past few days, me and my boyfriend have been doing NOTHING but watching the greatest show on earth... Friends! After watching episode after episode after episode, the beauty that is Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston) and her makeup captured my imagination. My favourite character from the series is Chandler (hands down, I literally am in love with him), but since he doesn't wear makeup, it'd be pretty difficult to recreate his look! Jennifer Aniston never fails to look absolutely drop dead gorgeous in the show. It really is no wonder that she enthralled every guy to ever tune in to this 90's classic. So, I picked up my makeup brushes and set out to look like her. Hopefully my attempt was a lot better than Ross' in 'The One with a Chick and a Duck' (Season 3 Episode 21).

Ok, so let's talk you through how I created this look.

Once you've got your base on as normal, it's time to focus on the brows. Rachel obviously has very thin, circular shaped brows, so when shaping them, smooth over the arch to try to make the shape more circular. No harsh brows today ladies! And to make my brows look a bit thinner, I filled in the centre first and flicked the powder outwards. This means the brows are darkest in the middle, and from a distance, the perimeter of the brow is not very noticeable, thus creating the illusion of thinner brows!

For the eyes, you want to go really smokey in the crease but leave the lid blank (or use a natural colour). One of the key points that I love about Rachel's look is that she is able to pull off a subtle smokey eye as an every day look! For this look, I used my Too Faced Natural Matte Palette- this palette was perfect as all of the cooler colours were grey toned browns, so it isn't as harsh as using straight up grey!
- 'Heaven' as a brow bone highlight and on the lid
- 'Cashmere bunny' as a transition shade- you do want to bring this up a little higher than you usually would
- 'Sexpresso' to deepen up the crease and the outer v
- Pop some Ardell 'Demi wispies' on top and your eyes are good to go!

For the lips, you want to go with the classic 90's colour. To define the lips, I used Mac's 'Soar' lip liner. Then I went over top with No 7 lipstick in 'Bare'- the perfect 90's shade!

Just pair this with a subtle, matte bronzer (no harsh contouring here!) and a brown toned mauve shade and your Rachel look is ready to go! 

Don't forget to check out my latest review here! Use the code SZH10 at www.bornprettystore.com to get 10% off and free shipping!

Love you guys,
Starrzbeauty xoxo

Born Pretty Store Lipstick review: Purple and Blue lipstick! Plus 10% off code and giveaway opportunity!

Hi there makeup lovers,

So today is a very exciting day for me! This is my very first post collaborating with a company!

A few weeks ago, the lovely people at the Born Pretty Store reached out to me and asked if I would like to post a review on a few of their products. And after having tested their products out for a few weeks, I'm here writing this first review for you guys!

The Born Pretty Store sells all kinds of goodies for those who are beauty obsessed! From nail art and makeup to jewellery and stationary, this store has it all. Plus, all of their products are super affordable! When I first had a look round their site, I couldn't believe the prices. And the products I received were all of great quality, which makes it doubly awesome! So the first thing I was sent was two lipsticks! Below is a picture of me wearing both lipsticks. Fun colours, huh?

To be specific, these are the 1Pc Eye-catching Lubric Lip Gloss Waterproof Long Lasting Lip Sticks (what a mouthful!). I got them in the colours 10 (blue) and 11 (lilac). They retail for $5.89. And, well... I couldn't be happier with my new little additions to my makeup collection! I did get these in fairly unwearable colours for my kit to create more out there looks, but these are available in some lovely, wearable shades: pinks, nudes, corals, orange, reds and blackberry shades are all available! There's also a mint green which I have my eye on! Here are all of the shades available: 

First off, the packaging is fairly good. It's a black, plastic rectangular tube. Now, don't get me wrong, it's not Mac quality packaging, and certainly doesn't have the beauty of YSL packaging. But, for the price, it doesn't feel cheap at all! The plastic is fairly thick and doesn't feel fragile, so it is definitely sturdy enough to keep in a purse. It also clicks shut very securely, which is a huge concern me as I hate it when makeup products pop open in my handbag. Shoddy packaging can really ruin a product, but this packaging does the job perfectly! It also comes in a box in the mail. This may not seem like a big deal to some, but I always feel that when products come in their own box, it feels more luxurious.

Now let's talk about the actual lippies! Firstly, the pigmentation is absolutely great! In the lip swatches below, I first outlined the lips with a lip brush then I applied a couple of swipes back and forth from the bullet. So you can see it doesn't take much product at all to get great colour payoff! If you compare the pictures of the lipsticks with the swatches, both on and off the lips, you can see that the colour once applied matches the colour in the tube. In my opinion, they are just as pigmented as the Mac lipsticks that I own, so thumbs up for the colour payoff. 

Now let's talk about the formula... Now they're name on the site claims they are long lasting, waterproof and glossy. Let's take a look at the evidence...

Are they longlasting? They are on the side of being a more longer wearing lipstick, but they definitely aren't liquid lipstick status in the longevity department. They don't really stay on after eating. A little bit of colour remains, but it definitely does not have it's full opacity after food. Personally, I prefer wearing fairly long lasting lipsticks like this and topping up in the day than wearing a liquid lipstick. I really hate that bone dry, velvet like feeling on the lips that liquid lipsticks give. The thought of it makes me cringe! So I do like these lipsticks for their fairly good longevity.

Are they waterproof? Well to test this out, I just went to the sink and splashed my lips with water and smacked my lips together a few times and the lipstick held up surprisingly well! Now, again, I wouldn't say that it has the lasting and waterproof staying power that a liquid lipstick has but, for a lipstick, it is fairly waterproof. I can take a drink with only a tiny bit of a lipstick rim remaining on the glass. I can also kiss my hand with next to no lipstick transferring! What? For a lipstick of these colours, I think that's incredible!

Are they glossy? The short answer: not really. But to be honest, if a lipstick is fairly long wearing, I don't really think you can expect it to be uber glossy. At least not for this price range. But just because they aren't glossy, it doesn't mean that they feel uncomfortable on the lips. Their formula is actually very creamy, which makes them very easy to apply and very comfortable to wear. They aren't dry at all so they don't accentuate any lines on the lips. I would say that they have a demi matte finish. If you do want that glossy look, just pop a clear gloss on top!

Overall, I love these lipsticks! Their best qualities would definitely be their pigmentation, their fun colour range and how comfortable they are to wear them. For the price, I can't recommend these enough. You can purchase yours here!

And don't forget guys, if you like the look of these products, I have my very own coupon code for you! Just enter the code SZH10 at the checkout to get 10% off and free shipping! So you can get these lipsticks for an even more affordable price! How great is that?

And the good news doesn't just end there... If 10 of you guys purchase products using the code SZH10 at the checkout, then the Born Pretty Store will be running a giveaway with me that is open to all of you guys. How incredible is that?

Honestly guys, this is such a great and affordable company, so make sure you go check them out here!

Love you guys,
Starrzbeauty xoxo

Disclaimer: These products were sent to me but all opinions I have written about are entirely my own. I tested these products out for a few weeks before posting this review to check I was entirely happy with them, as I would never endorse a product I didn't love.

Beauy Hacks: Custom made foiled shadow!

Hi there makeup lovers,

Today I'm bringing you the latest instalment of my Beauty Hacks series!

So my last post in this series was about making custom eyeliners out of pigments and eye drops (which you can check out here). Today, I'm going to teach you how to make your own custom foiled shadow! Get eyeshadow looks like the one I created here!

Here, I have custom made foil eyeshadow on my lids! 

Foiled eyeshadows are slowly making their way onto the market, with brands such as Stila, Makeup Revolution and Australis all having their own versions. As there are both high end and drugstore alternatives, you might just want to go out and buy a proper foiled eyeshadow. But, in case you don't, I am here to help!

What is a foiled eyeshadow? An eyeshadow that is foiled has more of a metallic finish than other shimmery eyeshadows. As the name may suggest, they kind of look like tin foil! They also have a high impact shine, more noticeable than other shadows. Personally, I absolutely love the look that foiled shadows create! I'm one for very dramatic looks (in case you didn't notice), so they really are perfect for me. If, however, you are a fan of lighter makeup though, you can sweep them lightly across the lid to achieve your desired look. I love the Makeup Revolution version and should be doing a review very soon!

So all you have to do to create your very own foiled shadow is, much like creating your own liner, just mix a pigment with some eye drops or another kind of mixing medium (something like Mac Fix Plus). You want to mix the two together until you obtain a thickish paste, which you can pack all over the lid. This will apply best with a synthetic flat brush, to give an opaque layer of a gorgeous foil shine!

The best part of this trick is that you can use any kind of pigment you want to create this look! Any colour will do! So dig out all those old, unused pigments for a fresh new look!

Let me know what you guys think! If you try this yourself, don't forget to send me a picture (starrz3beauty@gmail.com) to put on the Makeup Looks page here at Starrzbeauty!



I also have an exciting opportunity for you guys! I have joined up with Born Pretty Store to bring you guys some reviews on some of their products within the next week! They have a wide range of brilliant makeup, nail art, accessories and more, all at a very, very affordable price! They also ship worldwide for free! So keep an eye out for my reviews and check out their site here!
www.bornprettystore.com

I also have a special coupon for you guys to get you 10% off their already amazingly affordable prices! Just enter the code SZH10 at the checkout for 10% off!

And more exciting news! If 10 of you guys purchase off their website using this code, they will organize a GIVEAWAY with me for you guys! How cool is that?! They truly are such a great company!

Love you guys,
Starrzbeauty xoxo

SAVING MONEY on MAKEUP: Part 2- Discount Codes!

Hi there makeup lovers,

This is the next instalment in my SAVING MONEY on MAKEUP series! You can catch the first part here! So I'm here today to bring you some more tips that will hopefully save you a few more bucks when purchasing your next lot of makeup to feed that addiction!  So, get a snack and a cup of tea and prepare to do some online shopping after reading these tips!

Today we're talking about DISCOUNT CODES! Ok, you may be sitting here thinking well thatS obvious, but if you want to save all the money you can, then it is really important to take full advantages of offers like this! It'll save you bundles! 

Now, there are several different ways in which you can go about getting yourself some discount codes. Of course, these discount codes will only be applicable online, I would therefore advise you to go into stores and check out the product before buying it (especially if it's a product that needs colour matching, such as foundation or concealer), or at least look up some reviews online to see if the product is worth the money! So here are my tips:

1- Firstly, beauty gurus are a great source of discount codes! A great deal of their job is to advertise products for different companies. Companies often send products to makeup gurus to advertise on their channel if they so wish, and give the gurus coupon codes for their viewers to get money off of products! Now, I'm not one to begrudge beauty gurus opportunitues such as them getting sent products or getting sponsored to make videos- this is their job, why shouldn't they get paid? Plus most of the money goes back into makeup for their channel anyway, but that's a whole different post. If you don't support beauty gurus getting sent products or getting commission, just don't use this tip. Scroll down for others!

So the key is to hit Youtube, then in many of the description bars of the videos of many famous Youtubers, there will be discount codes for companies such as Sigma, Morphe Brushes, Gerard Cosmetics, Velour Lashes and many more! 

Plus, while you're there, check out some of the awesome talent on Youtube! Some of the girls and guys on there are amazing, their videos helped me get through some tough times. I have learned so much from Youtube videos, it's amazing! It's a makeup course in the comfort of your own home! Their makeup talent coupled with the awesome personalities make for some great entertainment! My favourite gurus include: Young Wild and Polished, Kathleen Lights, Jaclyn Hill, Thebeautyvaultxo, XxSarahNicolexx, Shaanxo, NikkieTutorials, Mannymua and more!

I have my own discount code with the Born Pretty Store! 

2- Often, registering with different companies will earn you some money off! When you go onto a website, often, a pop up will ask you to enter your email address, which will mean you'll receive the latest updates from the company. Sometimes, this also means a welcome discount! For example, I recently signed up with Too Faced and got 20% off my next order for the next week! It's always worth doing some research on the company that you are looking to buy from before making your order- if they give you a time limit, then you want to make sure you make your order during this time. You can always unsubsribe from most emails afterwards if you don't like them spamming your inbox. I, however, love updates on the latest products and promotions! Some of these emails might notify you of sales, which means money off of your next order as well! 

3- Google it! It's always worth googling the brand followed by the words 'discount code' before placing your order. Various sites have catalogues of discount codes that you can access for free! Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't. But it's always worth the check! 

So there you have it! Discount codes can be your best friend! Always look out for them! Stay tuned for more money saving tips with the next instalment in the series. I will also have some reviews of products from www.bornprettystore.com for your guys! If you purchase anything, don't forget to use my coupon code SZH10 for 10% off their already amazingly affordable prices! 

Happy money saving!!

Love you guys,
Starrzbeauty xoxo

Feeling beautiful in your own skin

Hi there makeup lovers!

Me with no makeup!
Show who you are and be proud of it

So today's post is a more personal blog. @green_eyesapphire (who I recently did a collab with , which you can check out here) tagged me to do the bare face challenge. This is basically where you post a picture of yourself on Instagram with no makeup.

Now this really was a challenge for me. I have struggled with self confidence issues for years because I have had acne for as long as I can remember, since I was 3 (I'm now 18). It has been a contributing factor in the depression and anxiety that I now suffer with, so to post a selfie with no makeup on took a lot of courage. I can't even go to the supermarket without a full face of makeup on, which I know a lot of people would find silly. I have a lot of respect for the girls on YouTube that show their bare face to the world on a weekly basis!

Some people may think this is stupid, but imagine taking yourself outside your comfort zone doing something you really hate which makes you really nervous. This is probably one of the scariest things I've ever done. I even started wearing makeup when I was in year 5 (age 9), that's how much acne has affected me. Luckily, getting into makeup brought me a new love. It is my hobby and I have been practising it for years. My love of makeup brings this blog to you guys! But I'm trying to improve my confidence, and what better way than to throw yourself in at the deep end and post a photo of it online!

Anyway, the point of this post is to help you guys see that you are all beautiful. If I can help someone with their self confidence today, then this will be worth it. Be proud to show your bare face, be proud to show who you really are. And most importantly, don't let anyone tell you that you're ugly or not good enough. I was told this for years throughout school, and I wasted so much energy caring about what people thought and shed so many tears that, looking back now, were so unnecessary. If someone tells you that you aren't good enough the way you are, then frankly they aren't worth your time. Surround yourself with those who love you for who you are! Life will be so much more pleasant, trust me on that!

 A couple of years later and I only really speak to two people from my high school, so what was the point on worrying what others thought about me? There wasn't!

 Be yourself, do what you want and be who you want to be. The only people's opinions on me that I care about are my dad, my brother, my best friend and my boyfriend. As long as you love who you are, that's all that matters. You live your life for you, nobody else!

I really appreciate you guys taking the time out of your day to read this. I feel very strongly that this was an important message to convey to all you guys out there. I hope this helps even just one person out there!

Love you guys,
Starrzbeauty xoxo

Beauty Hacks: Liners of the rainbow!

Hi there makeup lovers,

So I am starting ANOTHER series here at Starrzbeauty all about BEAUTY HACKS! This series will be all about beauty tips and tricks that I absolutely love! I'm here to share!

So today I wanted to share my first beauty hack, a beauty tip that saved my life. Well, my beauty life at least. It also saved my wallet, and who doesn't like to save a bit of money? Anyway, I'm going to teach you how to get any colour liner you want, without having to go out and buy so many different coloured liners that you'll probably use only once!

Create looks like these with whatever colour you want:

All you need is a pigment/ glitter of your choice and some eye drops (any brand will do)!

In the lid of the pigment, put a small amount of product. You then squeeze one drop of the eye drops into the lid.

Now mix in the product with the eye drops! Keep adding more pigment or eye drops until you get a consistency that you find easy to work with. I find that a thicker consistency gives a better colour payoff so I mix pigment into one drop of the eye drop solution until just before the solution becomes saturated. You can mix using any tool you want, I usually just use the eyeliner brush I will use to create the look. The eyeliner brush in the picture is by Morphe Brushes!

And that's it! Your custom eyeliner is ready to go!

I love this trick and use it on almost a daily basis! I find that this is a great way to spice up any kind of natural makeup look! My boyfriend especially loves it when I create a gold eyeliner using the gold pigment in the pictures above, by Collection. Hopefully you guys will love this little trick too!

Let me know what you guys think! If you try this yourself, don't forget to send me a picture (starrz3beauty@gmail.com) to put on the Makeup Looks page here at Starrzbeauty!

I also have an exciting opportunity for you guys! I have joined up with Born Pretty Store to bring you guys some reviews on some of their products within the next week! They have a wide range of brilliant makeup, nail art, accessories and more, all at a very, very affordable price! They also ship worldwide for free! So keep an eye out for my reviews and check out their site here!
www.bornprettystore.com

I also have a special coupon for you guys to get you 10% off their already amazingly affordable prices! Just enter the code SZH10 at the checkout for 10% off!

And more exciting news! If 10 of you guys purchase off their website using this code, they will organize a GIVEAWAY with me for you guys! How cool is that?! They truly are such a great company!

Love you guys,
Starrzbeauty xoxo

Makeup experience and freelancing!

Hi there makeup lovers!

So today I did my best friend's makeup for a girl's night out and wanted to share it with you! This is a gorgeous purple and pink makeup look with a darker purple, smokey outer corner, perfect for going out and even prom!
Check out Jorja's blog here!
Here are the before and afters! Doesn't she look beautiful?! (in both pictures of course)

After 

Before

If you live in the Gloucestershire area of the UK and would like me to do your makeup for any occasion for a very affordable price, please email me at starrz3beauty@gmail.com.

What's a photo shoot with your best friend without some funny faces? 

My point here is to practise on yourself and on anybody that will let you as much as you can if you want to be truly successful with makeup! Practise really does make perfect! And it is good to practise on other people with different skin types, face shapes, personal preferences etc.

Jorja asked me for a pink/ purple look that would be great for going out, so this was the look I came up with!
Here is the full list of products that I used on her:

Face:
- Maybelline Baby Skin primer
- Nivea men Post Shave balm for sensitive skin for a hydrating primer
- Estee Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover as a spot concealer
- Maxfactor FaceFinity All Day Flawless 3 in 1 Foundation 
- Bourjois 123 Perfect CC eye cream under the eyes and as a highlight
- Collection Sheer Loose Powder
- Maybelline Fit Me Powder in 'Classic Ivory' to set the under eye concealer and any other areas highlighted
- Coastal Scents Hotpot in 'Light Taupe' as a contour shade
- Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer
- Morphe Brushes eyeshadow in 'Magical Magenta' as a blush
- TheBalm Mary-Lou Manizer as a highlight

Eyes:
- Makeup Geek eyeshadow in 'Peach Smoothie' and Morphe Brushes eyeshadow in 'Pretty in Pink' as a transition shade
- Morphe Brushes eyeshadow in 'Magical Magenta' through the crease
- Coastal Scents Hotpot in 'Maroon Berry' to deepen the crease and the outer corner
- Coastal Scents Hotpot in 'Raspberry Tart' used wet on the eyelid
- L'Oreal Colour Infallible eyeshadow in 'Purple Obsession' on the outer part of the lid
- Makeup Geek eyeshadow in 'White Lies' under the brow bone
- 1Pc Eyeliner Pen 2in1 on the inner corner (I will be reviewing this product very soon! Check it out here and use my code SZH10)

I used my Sigma, Morphe Brushes and Coastal Scents eyebrushes. All of the brushes were in my 'Step up your eyeshadow game! My holy grail makeup brushes!' post.

Lips:
- I don't know the name or brand of the lip liner as it has rubbed off! Very similar to MAC Soar though!
- Makeup Revolution lipstick in 'Depraved'
- Sunkissed lipgloss (Dark tan, golden colour, very shimmery)

I also have an exciting opportunity for you guys! I have joined up with Born Pretty Store to bring you guys some reviews on some of their products within the next week! They have a wide range of brilliant makeup, nail art, accessories and more, all at a very, very affordable price! They also ship worldwide for free! So keep an eye out for my reviews and check out their site here!
www.bornprettystore.com

I also have a special coupon for you guys to get you 10% off their already amazingly affordable prices! Just enter the code SZH10 at the checkout for 10% off!

And more exciting news! If 10 of you guys purchase off their website using this code, they will organize a GIVEAWAY with me for you guys! How cool is that?! They truly are such a great company!

Keep an eye out for all my future posts and thank you so much for all of your support guys! It means the world to me.

Love you guys,
Starrzbeauty xoxo

SAVING MONEY on MAKEUP: Part 1- Company reward systems

Hi there makeup lovers!

So today's post will hopefully be useful to a lot of you. Collecting makeup is an expensive hobby and along the way I have learnt a few tips and tricks that will help you save your wallet whilst feeding your addiction,

This will be a new series with each post in the series containing a new tip to save you some money whilst buying makeup! So keep your eyes peeled for my series that will be gold to you (literally!).


So my first tip is the most simple! Make sure you take full advantage of company reward systems! Companies often love to reward loyal customers that continue to shop with their company, and therefore help their business to expand.

Here are my Boots and Superdrug (two drugstores within the UK) advantage cards. Every time I buy in store or online I use my cards. Many companies offer this kind of reward scheme, where you earn a certain amount of points for each pound you spend- you can then spend these points on products. Sephora, for example, runs a similar system where you earn a point with every dollar to eventually earn benefits. I'm sure plenty of other companies run schemes like this too!

If you are shopping with a company, check if they do any reward schemes similar BEFORE making your purchase. And if you are offered a card in store... TAKE IT!!! Not to do so would be sheer stupidty. I have only recently got my cards after many, many, many years of shopping at these stores, and it brings a tear to my eye (being the makeup junkie that I am) when I think of all the products that I could have earned for free!

This tip may seem very simple and obvious, but often you don't want to be pestered at the till to get into reward systems. But honestly, it is worth taking the time to fill out the application form (even if it annoys the person behind you in the queue), it could end up saving you stacks. Even if it's a shop you never think you'll shop at again, you never know! And if you're worried about being badgered with emails, just make sure you tick the opt out box or unsubscribe after the first email you receive by clicking the link at the bottom of the email.

Remember to stay tuned for more money saving tips! I've started with the most basic and will soon get onto tips you may not have thought of! 

Love you guys,
Starrzbeauty xoxo