PLEASE READ!

I've changed my blog for a fresh change as I would like to take it in a new direction. My new URL is:
iaminthemode.blogspot.com

Please go and check it girls, would mean a lot!

I'm changing my URL! HELP!

Hi everyone, I do apologise for being so MIA for ages, but now that my exams are over, I am prepared to fully commit myself to blogging again.

Here's a little background information: I started my blog with the name 'Makeshake' over 2 years ago (although I didn;t post anything for an age...) However, I since have grown in my appreciation for fashion and I would love to change my blog to a much trendier, fashionable version of itself- starting with the name.

I would really love it if you guys could help me find a new name, I have a few ideas but please feel free to contribute your own:


1) 'Le Freak'
This idea came from my favourite 70s song 'Le Freak'. I love the fact that it has become a common fashion catchphrase and I am already envisioning how I am going to place the 'C'est chic' in the header.

2) 'Impure Couture'
I was playing around with a few words and it just sprang to mind and although it seems a bit bizarre, for some reason I really love this name.

3) 'Vogue Calling...'
Somehow seems very mysterious and vague....



Those are just random ideas I came up with but please help me out girls :)

Coup de Foudre

This vintage dresser and stool has been passed down the female generations for years and last week my mum finally gave me her blessing and decided it was time for me to have it. As well as being gorgeous, it is surprisingly practical, a huge improvement from my old Ikea-drawer-set getup. Plus, it has replaced my disgusting Muji acrylic drawers that once stood in its place, giving the room a much more homely feel.

The first drawer holds my everyday essentials. On the left we have my very concise eye-makeup area consisting of a few mascaras and eyeliners ( I generally don't tend to bother beyond curling my eyelashes on a daily basis).

This area is my absolute holy-grail collection that makes up my foundation routine. The elite consists of: Vichy Dermablend Foundation

bareMinerals Foundation

MAC Brow Set

Eyelash Curlers

Cosmopolitan (BeautyBlender ripoff) sponge

Carmex

This side of my dresser seems to change everyday as my blusher collection is much larger than this. (I don't know what it is but blush is the only makeup item that truly excites me) I just keep rotating my favourite blushes of the moment however, there is one blush that forever keeps pride of place in this area and that would be Illamasqua's Cream Blusher in Rude. OMFG - You can't clearly see it here as its under the MAC blusher  but this blush is the best thing that has ever happened to me in my entire makeup life.

The bottom drawer consists of my 'everyday' (I know) skincare and haircare.

Essentials in Skincare:

Bioderma

Paula's Choice AHA exfoliating Gel

Avene Gel-Cream

Clean & Clear Dual Action Moisturiser

The remainder of my makeup collection is housed in my -in comparison- horribly revoltion Ikea drawer set.

I hope you guys enjoyed a peak into my dresser.

E xxx

IPAD!

Hi everyone, now that my exams are officially over I assure you that I will be back to full scale blogging.
So this Saturday is my birthday and I used the event as an excuse to treat myself with the iPad 2 as a birthday gift to myself (as you do) and here is my first official post from my iPad!

Hopefully soon enough I will get the hang of it and resume my usual photo heavy blogposts but this is just a little update to let you guys know I am still alive :)

Love you all

Happy Blogging!

Xxxx

Shake up a Capsule Wardrobe Part 1- Blazers

Start of my new series of essential things in a capsule wardrobe. Now, this is not going to be a 'how to style these items' series, it is simply showing you what you need and my favourite pieces.

Starting off with: The Blazer

The Blazer is a key piece in every woman's wardrobe simply because of its sheer capability to transform an entire outfit. You can wear them to immediately smarten up and polish an outfit or also to grunge them down. Truly a versatile piece.

I have probably over a dozen different blazers however the majority of them are simple black, navy and tan- pretty basic colours. I wanted to show you my collection of 'go-to' blazers, the ones I just throw on and I know will look good:

Top to Bottom:

New Look

Vintage

Grey Blazer: Vintage

Rose Blazer: H & M

Hopefully I will come up with a couple of OOTDs styling these but for now, I bid adieu

D.I.Y Fringe Jeans

Bought 4m of gold fringing at a charity shop for £1, bargain!

Decided to be creative.

Stitched onto pocket.

Folded it over and glued the bottom under the stitching to create a double layer.

Enjoy!

D.I.Y Keyring Ring

Made a ring today from an old keyring.

Used pliers and sorta messed around a bit till I got what I liked.

Rings Left to Right:

Turkish Market

Etsy

Etsy

Regal Rose

DIY

Slight Obsession...

Totally got a thing for ankle boots... can't help it

Top to Bottom:

Vintage Carvela Silver Boots

Primark Biker Boots

Carvela 'Scarp Black Patent Boots'

Standard Brown Booties (can't remember where I got these)

Victorian Style Black Grunge Boots (ebay)

Heeled Boots - Portobello

Primark Blue Boots

Random Black Boots that I DIYed with green and gold glitter

What are your obsessions?



Skincare Routine

MORNING:

1. Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Facial Wash with Scrub Brush

Seriously this stuff makes my skin squeky clean

2) Tone skin with Witch Hazel

Just put some on a cotton pad with and swipe all over the face

Witch Hazel is great for toning because it is full of antioxidants, a natural antibacterial so great for acne users and also great for lightening acne scars

3) Dominance Hydro Active Fluid

(pretty self explanitory)

4) Sunsense Tinted SPF50 Suncream

 No matter the weather I always wear a sunscreen of SPF30 or above without fail. It is the best antiager and especially is you use acid-based products like me it is essential.

This suncream is formulated in Australia which for me is a lot more appealing since Australia's suncream regulations are a lot stricter due to the stronger sun

NIGHT:

1) Cleanse and Tone the same as in the morning

2) Exfoliate with Paula's Choice Alpha-Hydroxy Acid Gel

Personally I prefer chemical exfoliants to physical exfoliants (scrubs) simply because they are much more effective. AHAs are good for hyperpigmented, sundamaged, normal to dry skins

BHAs (beta hydroxy acids) are good for acne prone, combo to oily skins.

SUNCREAM IS ESSENTIAL WHEN USING ACIDS

3)MUAC's Skin Bleaching Gel

This is a great lightener for hyperpigmentation/acne scars as it does not contain hydroquinone and instead has Alpha-Arbutin which is a very effective natural lightener

4) Moisturize with E45 cream

This is a very thick cream so I wouldnt recommend for daytime use but if you have relatively dry skin like myself I recommend!

TREATMENTS:

1) MUAC's 55% Lactic Acid Peel

I use this once a week. It is a fantastic deep exfoliant that chemically dissolves all dead skin right into the pores. Great the day before a party or for acne-sufferers as it really brightens the skin without any down-time

see: Makeup Artist's Choice for directions on how to use

2) 12.5% TCA Peel

I use this once a month mainly for my hyperpigmentation but it is also great for acne-sufferers, early wrinkles and brightening the skin

However, make sure you are not doing something very important for a week after the peel because obviously it will make your skin peel for about 4 days after but don't worry, once the skin has peeled, brighter younger looking skin is underneath :)

I do recommend that if you are just starting with peels to go for the 8% rather than 12.5%

see: MUAC for directions (and follow them)

What is your skincare routine?

OOTD- Sunny Weather and Denim Shorts :)

Jacket: Vintage with DIY studs

Top: Pringle

Shorts: Cut off Jeans

Shoes: Primark

Bag: Balenciaga

Sunglasses: Primark

Revlon Colourstay

Estee Lauder Sumptuous Mascara

Illamasqua Lover Blusher

Mac Freckletone Lipstick

Sleek Avoir la Peche Tinted Lip Conditioner: Sugar May

Have a great day in the sun Londoners!

Outfit of the Day - Leather Shorts

Top: Uniqlo

Leather Shorts: Primark

Victorian Boots: Ebay

Camel Coat: Laura Ashley (Vintage)

Earrings: Vintage

♥

 

Hyperpigmentation Post 1

During my early-mid teens I suffered pretty severe acne, thankfully I have cleared that all up but now I am left with horrible hyper pigmentation scarring. I am now hoping to take you on my journey to getting rid of it :)

What is hyperpigmentation?

One thing to remember is that hyperpigmentation is not the same as acne scarring. Hyperpigmetation is essentially excess melanin in the skin caused by either sun damage, age or scarring

What are my options?

Most dermatologists will tell you one of two things:

Either just wait for it 'fade' ie wait around 20 years

OR

Undergo very tedious and expensive laser/chemical/microdermabrasion sessions

However, in my opinion using the right products at the right times in the right amounts can make the biggest difference.

My plan:

• Recently I have been doing SO much research into what really is the best and most cost effective way to get rid of hyperpigmentation.

• Firstly and most importantly is to use a daily sunscreen to prevent any spots getting darker and any new ones from forming.
• I am still searching for the perfect under-makeup suncream and have been looking at brands like: La Roche Posay and Peter Thomas Roth

• Secondly, exfoliation is key. Physical exfoliants such as scrubs are not particularly effective when dealing with hyperpigmentation and I strongly recommend a chemical exfoliant such as Glycolic acid (AHA) or BHAs.
• Currently I am using Paula's Choice Exfoliating 8% Alpha Hydroxy Acid Gel

• Next and this is optional, but if you have slightly darker skin like my Meditteranean skin, you will want to use a skin lightener cream just on those stubborn spots
• Ingredients to look for in a skin lightener cream are: Alpha Arbutin- a natural and proven skin lightener, Kojic Acid- careful if you have sensitive skin though and several antioxidants
• Another ingredient that I recomment would be Hydroquinone. Now I know that Hydroquinone has been linked to cancer howver, all researched and reputable dermatologists will tell you that that is completely unjust. There is no medical evidence to say that Hydroquinone leads to cancer. But of course, if you are wary, do not use it.

• Finally, the golden product that I hope will help me is TCA acid peels. I use a home kit that i purchased of MakeupArtistsChoice.com which is a well known brand for home peels. This peel in a salon can go up to £500 a pop but they are very well known to get rid of hyperpigmentation.

I will keep you all updated on how this new skincare regime is working for me. What are your holy grail products for clear, bright skin?

Another look on Life...

I have been ridiculously stressed out recently, with major exams coming up and no time to study as well as some family drama that's going down...

But after watching 3 hours of Comic Relief on Friday night and watching all the events going down in Japan at the moment, it has put my stressers into perspective.

 So next time, you think your life is over, think about those who are in a far worse situation than yourself and you will realise just how little your problems are compared to those of others :)



Body Art

I have been building up an entire folder on my computer to potential tattoos I might get.

I highly doubt that I will get one any time soon, considering that I still live my parents and they would go absolutely mental.....

Dream on :)

Source:Tattoologist

How to Make Your Foundation Last All Day

Okay, so busy London Life means, at least for me, little to no time for touch ups and mega long lasting foundation:

Now, your foundation doesn't actually have to be labelled 'long-lasting' for you to be able to make it so, its just a few simple steps that will make your make up last so much longer :)

MOST IMPORTANTLY:

♥ One of the biggest mistakes women make when applying foundation is mixing the wrong type of bases, for example using an 'oil free moisturiser' and a 'water resistant foundation'

♥ OBVIOUSLY if you use a water-based moisturiser and a water resistant foundation, it's not gonna stay on your skin and just slide around all day!

♥ SO....if you're gonna use an oil-free moisturiser, use an oil-free foundation and vice-versa, you will see a huge difference in longevity :)

SECONDLY:

♥  Don't overload your face with product

♥ I see some gals on Youtube applying a toner, serum,moisturiser,suncream,primer, luminiser etc all before they apply their foundation

♥ Again, OBVIOUSLY when you load your face with that much product, especially with oily skin, your foundation will again slide around on your face

AND...

♥ When applying foundation, try to avoid using a stippling/buffer brush

♥ When you use the 'stipple and swirl' or 'buffing' method, it causes micro-exfoliation on the skin, essentially it just lifts up the dry skin

♥ Now, it may look 'air-brushed' at first, but you'll notice, especially with dry skin, that throughout the day, it will begin to look cakey and that is just annoying ....

FINALLY.....

♥  Again this is VERY IMPORTANT, when setting your makeup with powder, DON'T JUST DUST IT ON

♥ Instead, use a powder puff and with two fingers just 'roll' the powder on top of the foundation, pressing and condensing it into the skin

♥ This way, it avoids cake and also properly adheres to the foundation locking it to your skin :)

Hope this has helped and what are your tips on making foundation last ?

Update

Really Really Really sorry I've been MIA for a while but I've just been bogged down by exams and life just keeps getting in the way :(

2011 is going pretty good so far, I've kept the majority of my resolutions (guilty face) and I really do hope that it will be a lot better than 2010..

My New Years Resolutions:

• Commit to every project I take on (including blogging)
• Don't do things at last minute
• Help my parents out ALOT more
• Believe in myself and my ambitions (crucial time for such)
• Cut back on shopping
• And the most important  is to fulfil this quote: 'Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes' by one wise man named Gandhi

♥