June Favourites

In this video I talk about all the items that have held a place in my heart during the past month. My favourite scent, my favourite nibbles and a few beauty bits get a special mention as I give you the low down on why these items have made the cut to be top of the pile of things I’m currently reaching for on a very regular basis.

Enjoy!

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My Week In Pictures #11

During the past week I have been enjoying using some new cosmetics bits and bobs, this Essie nail polish is my favourite and I have just discovered the L’Oreal True Match Foundation which I have instantly fallen in love with, I feel a review might well be in order! I also discovered that two years of growing out a bob has led to my hair being so long that rollers no longer make my hair curly, they do still add volume though so that’s just fine by me. Other than experimenting with all things beauty I have carried on enjoying relaxing walks complimented by beautiful scenery. Ahh the joys of British summer time!

Ditched my high end foundation for L’Oreal True Match and I don’t think I’ll be going back, I LOVE it!  //  Essie Limo-Scene is my fave manicure of the moment  //  I took my rollers out and my hair was still straight! #longhairproblems

 Roses just make everything pretty  //  When I make the effort to make my bed I think it looks quite pretty!  //  Petals galore!

Instagram @katesbeautystation

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My Everyday Makeup Routine

Today on my Youtube Channel I bare my naked little face (scary) and show you how I am currently doing my makeup on an everyday basis. I love watching how other people achieve their daily makeup looks and so I thought I would share mine with you! I hope you like this video and please do let me know if you’d like to see more makeup looks on my channel in the future.

Enjoy!

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How To Achieve The Perfect Red Lip

I recently filmed this tutorial for my Youtube Channel 

on how to achieve the perfect red lip. I love the look of classic red lips, they just scream out ‘glamour’ to me and so I thought I’d share my tips and tricks on how to perfect your pout for a smudge free, flawless finish!

This is the first makeup tutorial that I’ve filmed and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I do hope you like it too, please let me know your thoughts and whether you’d like to see more tutorials on my channel!

As always, be sure to give the video a big old thumbs up if like it!

My Week In Pictures #10

The past week has seen the official beginning of summer and fortunately the weather has been just lovely! I’ve been pottering around, enjoying being home and going for lots of nice long walks to enjoy the sunshine, as you can probably gather from my running outdoorsy theme in these snaps!

To see more of what I’ve been up to, you can take a look at my profile here!

 I love Peonies  //  Today’s face  //  Is it weird that I love going for walks in this old cemetery? I find it so peaceful

 I found a secret doorway!  //  The first official day of summer always warrents a 99! All that’s needed now is a glass of Pimms!  //  Bloggy photo



Instagram @katesbeautystation

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Outfit Of The Day: Walk Along The Beach With Me

When having a ‘relaxy day’ as I like to call them, I enjoy being comfortable in what I’m wearing. For me ‘comfortable’ consists of some type of flat shoe and an oversized top with my leather jacket thrown over the top. My comfort shoe of choice lately has been my Nike Free Tri 5.0’s, I find the colour adds an interesting element to any outfit, I pair them with monochrome to brighten up my look, or if I’m feeling adventurous, I’ll pair them with colour and print for a funky, slightly more eclectic look. I love this baggy t-shirt, I find that this type of slouchy clothing just looks better the older it gets which is a bonus as it means I can wear pieces like this for years. The same goes for a leather jacket, a great investment in my eyes, I wear mine all the time. As it was a warm day, I simply threw a body con skirt on underneath, added a chunky necklace and I was good to go. This is a go – to look for me, it’s easy to put together, very comfortable yet still looks like an element of thought has gone into it.

I also filmed a video of this outfit on my Youtube Channel which you can watch below! Be sure to give it a thumbs up to let me know if you enjoy it! Also, do let me know if you'd like to see more posts like this from me in future. Enjoy!

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Highlighter Heaven



Ah, that ever sought after ‘healthy glow’. You know the one that makes you look all luminescent and naturally angelic, well if you’re on the hunt for products to give you that look, you’ve come to the right place!

Highlighters are one of my favourite parts of my makeup collection, whether I’m wearing a full face or playing it down, highlighting is a step I never miss out. It just adds such a lovely radiance to your face and can also be used to provide structure if used in conjunction with a contour to the hollows of the cheeks as well as the temples. A simple way of getting it right when using a highlight to provide dimension to the face is to remember that wherever you apply it to, will be made to stand out. Much in the same way that a matte bronzer used to contour will draw in areas of the face to create shadows. Using these products together can provide a lovely rounded and high appearance to your cheeks, giving the illusion that you have amazing cheekbones. Just make sure you have a gentle hand when doing this – otherwise it can have a tendency to look like you’ve been rolling around in mud and shimmer, never a good look! For those of you who aren’t bothered about emphasising structure, highlighters are a fabulous way of making you look like you’ve been drinking your eight glasses of water a day and had your precious beauty sleep, what more could you want from your makeup, eh?!

So on to my favourite products that I use every day to create that gorgeous glow.  I have included two eye shadows as well as two products aimed for anywhere on the face, although all of these can be used as multifunctional products. While some people do prefer to have separate brow and cheek highlighters, it isn’t a necessity. My favourite product for day or night time use is my Mineralize Skinfinish by MAC in the shade Soft and Gentle. It's a gorgeous peachy colour with a slight gold shimmer, it's extremely natural looking yet very easily buildable, a little goes a long way with this one. On an every day basis I use this both on my cheeks and on my brow bone, when going for a full face I will use this on my cheeks with a little dust onto my forehead and down my nose and chin, with Urban Decay's Sin eyeshadow as my brow highlight. Sin is another beautiful colour, it has a slightly pinky hue and is great for brightening up a yellow skin tone. Benefit's Girl Meets Pearl is another awesome product that is aimed for use anywhere you like, it has a luxurious creamy liquid pearl formula with a pinky gold hue that provides a natural dewy glow and is perfect for any occasion. Finally we have MAC's Phloof! eyeshadow, this has more of a white base but still has a pink tinge, it's perfect for more of a natural look. I also like to use this as a brow highlight when I'm opting for a more intense smoky eye, as when I'm going for this look I like to keep the rest of the eye simple. This is a great one for lighter skin tones, although in my opinion, all of these products would be great for any skin tone.

Well that was a long one! Are highlighters one of your beauty must haves too? Which ones are your fave's? I love discovering new ones to add to my ever growing collection.

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Matchy Matchy: Perfect Nail & Lip Colour Combo's

I’m not entirely sure if it’s just me, but does anybody else just love to match their nail and lip colours? No matter what outfit I’m opting for or whether I’ve spent quality time getting ready or not, I find that matching my lip colour to my nails instantly makes me look like I’ve made an effort – it’s the perfect con! In my humble opinion, it makes me look like an element of thought has gone into my look, even when all I’ve done is whacked a quick face on before rushing out of the door!

My current favourite colour combinations for Summer include my favourite lip shade ever, that is MAC's Candy Yum Yum paired with Revlon's Fuchsia Fever for a full on flourescent pink punch. My coral combo is MAC's Vegas Volt Lipstick with Essie's Tart Deco on the nails, I love coral shades during Summer and the colour of these two products match perfectly. Lastly, I love a matching red nail and lip for any time of year, I just think it's such an easy way to add a touch of sophistication to any look. My red lip of choice is YSL Rouge Pur Couture 1 and I like to wear this with Topshop Nails Pillar Box.

All three of these lipsticks feature in previous posts that I have written, so if you'd like more info on them you're in the right place! You can read my review on YSL's Rouge Pur Couture 1 here, while you can find my thoughts on Mac's Candy Yum Yum and Vegas Volt in my Top 5 MAC Lipsticks for Summer post.

Well there we have it, do let me know if you enjoy being all matchy matchy too or whether this post has given you a bit of inspiration to give it a try!

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Get To Know Me A Little Better! - The Too Much Information 'TMI' Tag (Video)

On my YoutubeYoutube Channel and indeed here on my blog, I quite often feel like I’m always talking about, well...beauty products! Now I’m sure you’re thinking ‘hey Kate, the clue is in the name right’?! Well yes you’d be correct, however I thought it was about time I shared more about myself with you guys and what better way than through a Tag video!

So here it is, me answering 50 random questions about myself, grab a cuppa and make yourself comfy – it’s a whole 17 minutes of chatter! I think you will know me quite well by the end of this one! 

If you like this video, give it a thumbs up to let me know and to see more from me, be sure to subscribe!

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My Week In Pictures #9

This week, although I’ve been on a healthy eating buzz I must admit that I may have had a few too many treats over the weekend (a ‘few too many’ did include half a birthday cake even though it was nobody’s birthday), but hey – what’s the fun in being an adult if you can’t eat birthday cake at any time of year, right?! Everyone has their own vice, cake is mine unfortunately. Just for the record, I do feel the need to add that eating nearly an entire cake by myself is not something I do regularly...and it’s just as well, haha! Other than my little binge, I’ve been enjoying other things such as a spot of shopping with my mum and chilling out. I’ve had quite a bit of work to do this week...yawn, but I’ve been enjoying reading Binky Felstead’s ‘Being Binky, My Life in Chelsea’ to wind down on an evening.

Well, this little lady looks a bit relaxed!  //  Came across this little beaut whilst shopping with my mum  //  Oh god yes!

Percy pigs, mmm  //  Reading Binky Felstead’s ‘Being Binky’ before bed  //  True dat

Instagram @katesbeautystation

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DIY Shabby Chic Faded Roses

This post has a slightly different theme than my usual beauty related ramblings, I just so happened to notice these pretty dried roses in my mum’s living room today. She’s always doing lovely creative things like this and I thought it’s such a nice thing to do with old cut roses when they are a bit past it, rather than simply throwing them away.

She says it’s really easy to do, all it takes is to simply let the roses dry out in their vase before removing them. She then ties them into pretty little bunches using garden twine (although any old bits of string or ribbon will also do nicely). They are then left to completely dry out at room temperature. If you’re using dark coloured roses, be sure to place them on newspaper or some kitchen roll so their colour doesn’t mark the surface they’re lying on. When you’ve done this, you can place them anywhere you like and enjoy them. These roses above are displayed on a shabby chic cake stand which I think looks lovely, this is definitely something I will be trying out myself.

I think it’s nice to see and appreciate the beauty of things at all their various stages of life. I didn’t think it when I started writing, but maybe this is one of my beauty ramblings after all. What are your thoughts?

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Primark Haul!

Today on my Youtube Channel I share with you the contents of my shopping bags from a recent cheeky trip to Primark. A word of warning – if you grew up in the 90’s like I did, you may well love some of the items in this haul! Hint, it features glitter jelly shoes, as well as Barbie and My Little Pony clothing (among other age appropriate items!).

If you enjoy this video and would like to see more, be sure to hit the ‘like’ button to let me know!

Enjoy

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My 'Week' In Pictures #8

So I’m a tad late in posting my weekly pictures, again...groan! But as of now it will be a weekly staple on my blog, you can hold me to it! I have a planned schedule for blogging and youtubing so I’m all organised and have absolutely no excuse not to keep on top of it – that means I will be blogging a lot and uploading youtube videos at least once weekly (hopefully more) but there will definitely be at least one new video a week for you to have a little look at! These pictures are from the past month and it’s been a busy one, I have arrived home from Dubai and have been absolutely loving the British summertime, you just can’t beat it in my opinion! So without further ado, here are the pictures from my past month in Instaworld. If you’d like to see more, you can view my profile here!

It was a mint green skinnies with Nike Free Tri’s kinda day  //  Healthy eating is going well  //  Morning sunshine in the garden - no filter!

                                Love being back home  //  I actually look my age in this picture!  //  Cooking buddies

Nina ultra pro in fuchsia rage is ah-mazing!  //  MAC All Fired Up  //  Pink glitter nails make me happy

Instagram @katesbeautystation

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Fitness Friday

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Its Friday and I’m feeling inspired today, so in light of my previous series of ‘Feel Good Friday’ posts, I thought I would share with you what has led to my spark of inspiration. This week I’ve been on a total health buzz, I’ve joined a gym (for the first time without stopping by a Chinese takeaway, KFC or some other fat laden food joint on the way home and then being filled with food guilt as well as fried loveliness – oh dear). I’ve also started eating healthily, I’m not on a weight loss diet, I just want to fill my body with actual fuel rather than empty calories, which means a lot of fruit, veg, fish and basically any food that comes without a label – my logic is that if it has an ingredients list, it most likely isn’t natural and therefore my body has no need for it. Whole foods are the way forward for me now.

My main motivation for starting the gym is to get fit, at the tender age of twenty five I find that years of not being into my fitness are starting to take their toll, I get breathless easily and find that my body just isn’t responding quite as quickly as it used to when put under pressure (eg. running to catch a cab or hurrying up a flight of stairs, that’s right – pressure! Haha). My thoughts are, if I feel like this at twenty five, what on earth will I feel like at fifty five?! That was motivation enough to get my act together and to get my heart healthy.

So far this week I’ve been to the gym three times, I’ve run and done a few weights etc, of course with a proper warm up and cool down. My boyfriend is a qualified sports scientist with lots of experience under his belt so he fills me in on what I need to be doing and helps to motivate me. My other source of motivation has been my best friend Kate who is also on a fitness kick at the moment, so we’ve been going to the gym together and helping each other along too. My main aim is to be able to run for longer than 5 minutes without feeling like I’m going to pass out or have a heart attack, of course it will be nice if I see myself toning up along the way (which I better, the amount of pain I’m currently in! Haha). But in all seriousness, my heart health is what matters most to me and to raise my level of overall fitness is what I’m aiming for, a lifestyle change if you will, as opposed to a phase that will pass after the Summer when I no longer have any need to get my pins out, as has been my experience in previous years.

Wow, that was more than I ever thought I would have to say on the topic of exercise! Are any of you watching your health and fitness at the moment too? Any tips would be appreciated, as you’ve most likely gathered I’m a total fitness newby! Do let me know if you’d like me to make this into a weekly feature, I’d be more than happy to share my progress with you, as long as you want to hear it!

Hope you’re enjoying your week and have a lovely weekend!

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May Favourites!

Today on my Youtube Channel I chat about all the things that I have loved during the past month! If you like the video, be sure to let me know by giving it a thumbs up!

Enjoy!

Subscribe to see new videos!

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MAC Paint Pots - Soft Ochre vs Painterly

MAC’s Paint Pots are fab, they can be used as a primer before applying your eyeshadow, or as a shadow in themselves. Unless you like a skin coloured eyeshadow though, Soft Ochre and Painterly are best used as a base. Both apply easily with fingers or a brush, both will go a whole day without creasing and both will make your shadow last all day (or night) – everything you want from a primer, right?!

So what’s the difference between the two and how do you choose one over the other? Well it really is very simple, basically the only difference is that they’re aimed at different skin tones. As you can see, while they are both skin coloured, Soft Ochre is yellow toned which will balance pink tones in the skin and counteract any redness around the eyes, while Painterly is much more pink, which is great for sallow toned skin as the contrast really brightens up the eye area. Wearing pink on the eyes if you have a pink skin tone is a recipe for disaster as it will give a look of being flushed and a bit piggy (for want of a better word), while if your skin is yellow toned, wearing yellow on the eyes can make you look, in all honesty, quite unwell. Counteracting these undertones is what Soft Ochre and Painterly are great for.

 I have an olive skin tone and I love using Painterly as a base for shadow as well as by itself if I just want to look like I’m not wearing anything – like the way you’d use a natural lipstick for a ‘my lips but better’ look, this is a ‘my lids but better’ if you will. My mum uses and loves Soft Ochre as she finds that by balancing out the pink in her skin, it really brightens her eyes.

If you’re unsure of what your skin tone is and would like to find out, staff at any makeup counter will be able to fill you in!

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