The 'No Make Up' Make Up Look

Hey guys!

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I am going to be doing a post today that I have seen a lot of since people have been starting to wear less make up as spring/summer start to roll in. I personally have been trying to wear less make up, and today I even went to school without foundation! My skin has been a lot better recently and when I was taking it off last night I just thought what's the point in clogging my pores with a product that I may not even need? So today I ventured out in public wearing just concealer, powder, bronzer, brow pencil and mascara - this might sound like a lot for some people because I know that a lot of you wear absolutely no make up to school, but I actually usually wear a lot of make up for school but today I did tone it down a bit and I actually felt a lot better. I didn't have to constantly think about when's the right time to re-do my eye shadow, should I re-do my foundation, are my dark circles showing - I could just chill out which was great. However I am not quite so confident that I can leave the house wearing literally no make up, so here are some products that I use to create a 'no make up' make up look. I will include steps below on how I achieve this look as well as list the products.

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1. Buff Clinique Moisture Surge Tinted Moisturiser into the skin, I used the Real Techniques Stippling Brush.

2. Blend MAC Moisture Surge Concealer under the eyes and on any imperfections. I used the Forever 21 Foundation Brush.

3. Using a large powder brush, apply MAC Studio Fix powder on the T-Zone and any other oily areas.

4. Brush MAC Stay Pretty Blush onto the apples of your cheeks using a big fluffy brush.

5. Apply MAC Naked Lunch all over the lid with a large fluffy brush, I used my MAC 217 brush. Then blend satin taupe through the crease and then brush Phloof! on the brow bone and in the inner corners of the eyes.

6. Apply Benefit They're Real mascara to the top and bottom lashes.

7. Apply YSL Rouge Volupte Shine lipstick in shade 15 to the lips then apply Benefit Dandelion lip gloss over the top.

8. Apply a spring/summer perfume such as Marc Jacobs Daisy or Prada Candy Floralie. 

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I hope you guys liked this short kind of tutorial on this simple pretty spring look. Obviously you can switch up any or all of the products and brushes. I am of course not an actual make up artist so don't follow these directions too carefully haha! Thanks for reading guys and I think I am going to be doing some product reviews soon!

Love Claudia

xx

May Favourites!

Hi guys!

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It feels so good to type that again. I have missed talking to you guys so much when I went away! I've put some holiday pictures on Instagram (@xoclau_diaxo) if you guys want to check those out. I am doing mainly a beauty favourites post today but I will be throwing in some other things that I have been loving!

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First is the Benefit Posie Tint and High Beam. I got these two sample sized products in a set called Feeling Dandy. It cost me £21.45 from the Duty Free in Birmingham Airport. I was going to buy a MAC foundation but they didn't have NC13 in any of them so I headed for the Benefit counter and picked up this box of beauties. I got a Dandelion lip gloss, blush tester, and these two. Posie Tint is the perfect pop of colour for spring which adds a natural flush of pink. High Beam is a liquid highlighter which I actually prefer to the Topshop Glow highlighter. It is a very different product in texture, size and finish. I would prefer the Topshop highlighter in summer and High Beam in spring because of the intensity of colour. 

Next is the Rimmel Match Perfection foundation in shade 100 Ivory. I think I might have included this product in a favourites post before because it has been a constant favourite of mine so far this year. It's a really good dupe for the Nars Sheer Glow foundation, it's just a little easier to blend. It gives a really dewy finish which I love for spring, I don't really know why I love dewy looks in spring I guess it just looks more natural. 

Then I have a product that I really wasn't a fan of until I decided to give it another try and it's the MAC Select Moisture Cover Concealer. I am using it under my eyes and on any imperfections and I really love it. It's not as thick as the Collection concealer which I love for spring/summer because I like my make up to look a little less 'done up'.

Then I have my Baby Lips in Cherry Me. This was a life saver on the plane because I always get really cold on planes and my lips always get super dry, so I popped this baby in my carry on. However I forgot to put it in on the flight home so my lips were hell, but a little Blistex lovin' and they sorted themselves out literally overnight. I have also been using this for school because it's not a solid red colour, it's like an opaque red which means it looks a lot more natural than a bold red lip for school.

Next is the Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub. This is a new product that I got about 2 weeks ago (I was a little late on this one) and I love it already. I have to admit I don't use it super regularly because my lips don't need that much scrubbing but I do like to use it to give my lips a little pick me up and to prepare them for any lipstick or lip gloss that I would apply. 

Then I have my Barry M Strawberry Ice Cream Nail Varnish which I think I wore my whole holiday. It's such a pretty, girly, spring varnish which is perfect for me.

Finally I have my MAC eye shadow in Phloof! This was a toss up between Shroom and Phloof!, but I thought that Shroom was a little too similar to Naked Lunch which is a colour I already had, so I chose Phloof!, and boy am I glad I did. This colour has been all over my eyes, from my lid, to my brow bone and my inner corners. It's such a multi-purpose shadow which I love. It's like a frosted off-white colour and it's so pretty.

A few non beauty favourites - I am loving my New Look kimono (picture on my Instagram), I am becoming more and more obsessed with Bethany Mota, I also have gotten really into Forever 21 clothes, I love chokers so much right now (thanks Beth), I love Imagine Dragons It's Time, and finally even though it has finished now, I loved America's Next Top Model College Edition.

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 This has seemed like a really long post but I wanted to do a long post to update you guys on some stuff! Thanks for all the lovely comments and questions! I love you guys!

Love Claudia

xx

MAC Spring Kit Dupes

Hey guys!

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Today I am doing a dupe post for my latest post which was my MAC spring go-to kit, and I had loads of ideas for dupes when I was writing it so I thought that I would do this post today to show you guys that MAC is not the only brand to sell spring products!

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Maybelline Color Tattoo in Eternal Gold is a great dupe for MAC Bare Study paintpot. I do prefer MAC's consistency but this is an amazing product for just £5.

Prestige eyeshadow in Love is a great dupe for MAC Sushi Flower because it's the same kind of bright popping pink. Prestige is a new brand and I only have one product from this brand which is an eye liner.

Next is an eye shadow from Maybelline which is called Naked Beige and I actually already own this colour. I think it's a really good dupe for Shroom because it's a really pretty shimmery gold colour.

I also own this Collection Deluxe lipstick in the colour 02 and I don't know if I have mentioned it before but it is amazing. It's a pretty pink colour which is the perfect pop of subtle colour for spring.

Finally a good dupe for the MAC Saint Germain nail varnish is this Barry M Strawberry Ice Cream nail varnish which is only like £2.99. I love Barry M and I hve this colour myself and even thought it requires a few coats to get going it's a really pretty pastel pink.

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So there are just a couple of dupes for my personal MAC Spring Kit. I know that some people will prefer the MAC post and some will prefer this post but honestly I believe that both collections of products are gorgeous for spring time!

Love Claudia

xx

Haul Plus OOTD

Hi everyone!

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Today as promised I am doing a little haul as today I went on my weekly shopping trip and headed to MAC, Topshop and Lush - my usual 3 stops. I again bought another eye shadow from MAC, a top from Topshop which is actually a present and a lip scrub.

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 This is the kimono I was walking about in my last post - New Look £19.99

 This lip scrub was my final pink item to add to the top of my make up storage along with my Hand Maid antibacterial and MAC brush cleanser. Lush - £5.50

 This is Phoof! from MAC which is my new favourite shadow. I did compare it to shroom and I just preferred it for some reason. I used it in my inner corners today and I loved it so I might be trying it on my brow bone tomorrow and start using it as a lid colour as well. MAC - £10 in the pan, £12.50 for the regular.

This top is a present for a friend that she specifically asked for. It's not my colour but they do have a nice khaki one that I prefer. Topshop - £8.

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So there's my tiny haul guys, I won't be posting from next Saturday onwards for a week because I'm heading off again so expect a couple of holiday snaps on my Instagram which I also posted a lot on today (@xoclau_diaxo).

Love Claudia

xx

My Spring Summer Go-To MAC Kit

Hiya everyone!

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I'm doing my spring summer go to MAC kit today because I am starting to get really into seasonal make up for example I was wearing some blue jeans, a white shell top and a cream floral kimono the other day (see picture on my Instagram @xoclau_diaxo) which had pops of pink, blue and purple in so I opted for MAC Cranberry eye shadow on my outer corner and outer half of my lash line, and the Bare Study paintpot all over my lid. I then applied a lot of MAC Stay Pretty blush and a highlight. Then I slapped on some MAC Ravishing lipstick and a pink nail varnish. I am really loving the whole spring summer seasonal make up and particularly pops of colour.

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The first is MAC Bare Study which is a product I already own and I love it - I actually persuaded my mum to buy this product the other day. The texture of the paintpots are perfect and this colour is like Naked Lunch in cream form. 

The next product is something new that I would love to try! It's Sushi Flower eye shadow from MAC which is a bright, matte (I think) eye shadow which I love. I think if I wore this eye shadow in just the inner corners and lower lash line with a light golden shimmery colour over the lid.

Next is Shroom from MAC which is a colour that I saw Tanya Burr used and loved the look of. I think this could double up as a lid colour and inner corner highlight which will save me buying two different colours. 

Creme Cup is a lipstick that I also already own and wear everyday. Out of all my lipsticks this one is my absolute favourite. It's easy to wear for different occasions and looks so pretty and pink.

Finally this nail varnish from MAC called Saint Germain is a pretty pink just like the matching lipstick and I think wearing both with an eye shadow like Expensive Pink would look gorgeous.

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So of course MAC isn't the only brand that sells MAC products and some great dupes for the above products will be my next post featuring Maybelline, Collection and Barry M! Have a lovely day tomorrow and I might be doing a teeny tiny haul tomorrow with just two products.

Love Claudia

xx

Products I'm Interested In

Hey guys!

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Today I am doing a products that I'm interested in at the minute and I am really interested in a lot of items at the minute, so here are just a few!

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So I smelt the Lush 'Let The Good Times Roll' in the store the other day and it's one of the most amazing smells ever. It smells like buttery popcorn and it's actually got little pieces of popcorn in it! I think it's £6.40 which is really cheap but it is a little more money that the regular face masks, either because it's relatively new (I think), or it's in high demand.

The Marc Jacobs Daisy fragrance is so spring/summer and I think the bottle is so pretty. I know that Tanya Burr has this perfume and it's got really popular this Spring. I think it would look so nice on my dressing table but I actually haven't smelt it yet! But of course I am nipping into a Boots next weekend so I will have to seek it out and have a sniff.

The MAC 187 brush is the brush at the top of my list foundation wise because it's duo fibre which means I can use this one brush for a range of textures of foundations from mousse to liquid. However I hope it's really dense because I think big foundation brushes can be too light and not blend well.

I had no idea that NARS was sold in Space NK so when I found it I couldn't believe it and I fell in love with the lip glosses! I also discovered that Space NK sold Kevyn Aucoin, Laura Mercier and Lipstick Queen.

The Kevyn Aucoin bronzer is such a pretty product and looks like such a natural bronzer which I am all about for spring. I'm not a fan of dark bronzer especially for summer when it should be all about getting a natural tan and just complementing it with a light bronze sheen.

The MAC mineralize lipsticks are gorgeous. I love how the packaging is different to the average MAC lipstick packaging. I also love how rich the colour is, as I would of course expect from MAC. I don't actually have any idea about the price of this product, I'm pretty sure it's under £20 though.

I nipped into The Body Shop a few weeks ago and I'm never really interested in their make up when I go into the shop, but I did take a closer look this time because they had no offers on their body butters. I don't really like the colours of eye shadow, and the foundation doesn't look too interesting, I don't like the finish on the lipsticks and I haven't really looked at the other products, but the brushes really caught my eye. I think the brushes were ranging from £8 to £20, and the eye shadow brushes really interested me the most because they looked really useful as they is a small but workable collection of brushes that are mostly real hair.

The Revlon scented nail varnishes are really interesting product and the main question I'm asking is do they really work? I think they could improve the collection of colours available for the different seasons, but I do love the bottles and hopefully they will smell good and I'm up for trying any nail varnishes that smell like strong paint and old alcohol. 

Finally the product that I am super interested in is the Chanel perfume which I also haven't smelt yet but I really want to because the bottle looks so luxurious and the whole brand is just perfect.

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Just my opinion on the MAC Maleficent collection - they just bought out a red lipstick and some grey/black vampy eye shadows which I could have bet all the money in the world on them bringing out. Just like Lorde and her heroine replica lipstick (not a fan). And I am really sorry for not uploading this post for ages, I actually started this post on Friday last week and it's now Monday when I'm uploading it which is crazy, but I do have a good reason - I have been revising for my RS GCSE exam which was today and I think I did okay if you guys were wondering haha!

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Have a lovely day guys, listen to Echosmith (my new favourite band), drink peppermint tea (my new favourite drink) and use primer (my favourite new belated beauty discovery)

Love Claudia

xx

Lush Cupcake Face Mask

Hey guys

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So I am doing another review today this time of the Lush face mask 'Cupcake'. I reckon that they slightly changed the recipe for this face mask, I mean I'm not sure but I think it used to smell nicer or maybe it's just me. Anyway it basically smells like mint chocolate as it's mainly flavoured with cocoa butter and spearmint and it's meant for oily teenage skin which is obviously perfect for me as I do have oily an teenage skin. I personally prefer the smell of 'Oatifix' which is another Lush face mask. However I do want to try their amazing 'Let The Good Times Roll' cleanser and the 'Catastrophe Cosmetic' face mask. The face mask made my skin really smooth and soft and I will tweet tomorrow if anything happens with my skin ie breakouts, excess oil.

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Have a lovely day guys and I hope if you have this face mask you love it as much as I do! A tip - pop on a lot of moisturiser after use as it can be quite drying and make your skin feel tight. Just a few things - MAC are collaborating with The Simpsons (hold me tight), Space NK sell Kevyn Aucoin, I love NARS lip glosses, MACs new Alluring Aquatic collection packaging is perfect, and the MACs Lorde collaboration is coming out in June!

Love Claudia

xx