Freeebies

I realise I have been posting like crazy the past few days, but I can't help it, I'm hooked!

I've been given another bundle of freebies and testers to try out today. It's another one of those great days where things just fall into place nicely, and people do lovely things for you. Yey!

Thanks to Holly and Helen, and various make-up companies, I am now the proud owner/tester of all these:

Lots of lovely makeup

And that's just about a quarter of it! There is so much, I'm not sure where to put it all. These two are my favorites :)

Estee Lauder signature eyeshadow quad

Body Shop shimmer cubes

So, more make-up means more makeovers, if anyone is interested in getting a new look with the help of lots of lovely make-up, please get in touch either by leaving me comments, or following links on my Contact Me page.

Mineral makeup

My Lily Lolo mineral foundation arrived this morning, a little late after posting it to the wrong address, then having a small feud with Mr. Postman. Still, better late than never!

For the benefit of any mineral makeup novices (like myself), they are different to liquid foundations because they contain naturally occurring minerals Titanium and Zinc Oxide, which are lighter on the pores, and have a sun protection factor of 15. The foundation comes as a powder that you apply to your face with a brush using circular motions, or 'buffing', until the desired amount is applied.

I was advised to try out mineral makeup by a friend, when I told her my skin was often blotchy and quite red. My gorgeous Lily Lolo pot has not let me down so far. I tried it this morning, and although the application was quite tricky to master without a proper buffing brush, the end result was perfect. My blemishes had gone, my whole face felt soft and smooth, and most importantly, I didn't look like I was wearing too much makeup. I bought it in 'Blondie', which is quite pale but can be livened up with a light bronzer, like the Body Shop's all over cheek shimmer.

Here's a picture of the end result:

I used the Lily Lolo foundation all over, followed by Body Shop's all over cheek shimmer, and YSL Touche Eclat under my eyes. For my eyes I used a little L'Oreal colour appeal trio, brown eye brow pencil and eye liner. I finished with Rimmel's lip plumping lipstick in 'Foxy'. I wanted a subtle look as I was only going to the newsroom to do work!

What do you think? Could you be converted to mineral makeup?

Virtual Makeover

Just to prove that my blog offers the best advice and reviews for makeover ideas, (modest, me? No!) I thought it would be fun to look into other makeover sites on offer on the big wide web.

After searching 'virtual makeovers' on Google, I was shocked to see how many hundreds of these sites they are, but they are all almost exactly the same!

So I tried the first one that caught my eye, which was iVillage The site claimed it could show me my 'new look' within five minutes. However, I wasn't even allowed to upload a photo of myself unless I was a member, which would've taken me about 10 minutes. Instead of giving in and signing up to something I really didn't want to start spamming me with junk mail, I chose to just pick one of the existing models to makeover.

This is a pretty pointless tool, as if you want to give yourself a makeover, you generally have to start with your own face, surely?! Still, I gave it a go just for a laugh.

The site let me chose all kinds of details, from the colour of my eyes, to the shade and shape of my lipliner. It's pretty fun to play about with, but it isn't really a makeover, nor does it help you find what looks work best for you.

Anyway, after about 15 iminutes of fiddling about with this strange woman who bared no resemblence to me at all, my makeover was complete! Of course, it wouldn't let me save the picture as I wasn't a member, but here's a sneaky print screen of it.
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So I've not really learned anything from my magical virtual makeover, except the fact that doing anything on line requires you to sign your life (or just your inbox) away to random independent websites.

Not for me, thank you!

However, if you are interested, here are a few similar sites I've tried out :)

Focus on Style: Allows you to try different outfits and celebrity looks

Mary Kay: A more professional looking website, but some seriously dodgy looking faces to choose from

Taaz: The nicest looking, and most realistic, but signing up to be a member is unnecessary hassle.

I hope you find this helpful, let me know if you've tried any virtual makeovers!

Tried and Tested

Here are a few other things I picked up on my quick shop, and my verdict on them so far...

1.) Sally Hansen nail growth activator:

At £7 a bottle it is quite pricey compared to Boots' own brand, and doesn't look or feel like it's going to be any good at first. However, after applying the magical blue liquid to my nails twice a day for two days I am already noticing a difference. My nails are much stronger and they seem healthier already. On the packaging it says I will notice the difference in four days, so I hope it will continue to help me on my mission to finally grow some nails! 4.5/5

2.) Rimmel lip plumping lipstick in 'Foxy':

This product claims to plump up lips and give a bigger, fuller pout. I love the colour, it's quite bright pink so it stands out but doesn't make me look like a Barbie doll. As for plumping, I haven't noticed any change in the size of my lips. I'm not sure what I expected really! It tingles quite a bit once it has been applied, which made me think it could have worked, but alas, it doesn't. The lipstick is on special offer at Boots at around £5, pretty reasonable for a lipstick I think! 3/5

3.) L'Oreal Colour Appeal trio pro for brown eyes:

I never really wear much eyeshadow normally, but now I have my trusty Body Shop brushes, I decided it was time to invest in some. I was initially disappointed when I opened up the compact to see three of the tiniest eyeshadow pallets I'd ever encounter. The compact itself is quite big, but there is simply not enough for your money, and the application brushes are curved in a way which is supposed to make it easy to apply, but instead makes it uncomfortable and pointless.

All in all the colours are good, this compact includes a bronze, a gold, and a lighter gold, and on the back there are instructions on how best to use the different colours, which is a nice touch. I found that in order to get an effective look, you need to apply quite a lot, which is a pain as there isn't much to go round. I don't expect this make-up to last me long! 3/5

Jean shop

I had intended to have a mammoth 'jean shop' yesterday, but due to having no food in the house, and faced with the prospect of living off cuppa soups and potato croquet's for five days, I decided it was time to food shop, not clothes shop.

Sadly this means I don't have much to show, but I'll manage with what I have, until next time!

I did successfully find a pair of jeans that fitted my 'hugh jass', in Topshop. They cost about £36 (£40 without a student card) and are perfect for my pear shape figure. They are flared at the bottom, which is perfect for balancing out my wide thighs.

They are quite out of my comfort zone, as I normally go for straight leg trousers, or skinny jeans, but now I have finally found jeans that suit me.

Today I wore it with a brown belt, as they are a bit baggy, a simple white vest, a bright abstract print scarf, and gold open toe flats (pictures to come soon).

Now I want a pair in a darker colour to wear with wedges for a more evening look.
What do you think?

Best of Both Worlds

Before I post about my new looks and ramblings, I just wanted to point out that there is a better version of Makeover My Mate on Wordpress, so anyone who reads my blog and has a Wordpress account..... go see please! There are Top Tips pages, Music pages, Love and Hates, and MORE!

So, have a look and follow, follow, follow!

www.makeovermymate.wordpress.com

xxx

Makeup mash-up

Today was a good day!
I went into the newsroom expecting to settle into my boring routine of dissertation, stress, eat, dissertation, etc, but instead I had a lovely day of girly gossiping and makeup talks.

Thank you to Holly (aka my makeup master!), I have now updated my terrible makeup collection consiting of 99p scratchy superdrug brushes and some four year old bronzing balls. Oh the shame...

I took her advice and treated myself to a Lily lolo mineral foundation, it cost about £12 for a 10g pot online, and I got a few testers with that too, because I'm so indecisive! I can't wait for it to arrive to give it a go.

I'm going to upload photos tomorrow of my purchases and of some new makeup looks with my lovely new stuff :D
This picture is a bit dark (well, it is like 12am) so apologies for the quality, but here are my lovely new brushes and bronzers.

If I were a rich girl

Na na na na na na na na na na naaaaa,

If I were a rich girl, I'd have all this:

Paul and Joe woven strappy heels


Roberto Cavalli tortoiseshell shades

Manoush jersey minidress with the most gorgeous applique on the back

Joana Louca leather pleated clutch bag

Not all together, of course, but I would just like to own them. That would be nice.

Shame I'm a student with no job and no time to even shop.

Boohoo.

Please excuse my self pity, I will be chirpier next time!

Part 2- Emma's restyle

Part two of Emma's extreme makeover is here!
We didn't have much time on our hands, what with it being Easter, and only having a few days off. So we took a little trip to our favourite cheap but tasteful shop, H&M, as money is lacking for us students!
I wanted to show Emma that she didn't need to fork out for a whole new wardrobe to give herself a new look, instead I just selected a few new key pieces and mixed them all up to give a variety of different looks.
But what does she normally look like?! Here's Emma in her every day wear, which is always jeans, T-shirt, cardigan and (I saved the worst till last) shoes with socks. Tut tut Emma! She always looks lovely, but now it's time to try and dress for spring and make her feel more feminine.

The only place for those shoes and socks is the bin!!

And here are her new clothes....

Outfit 1- Dinner and drinks

This outfit is quite out of Emma's comfort zone as it is a loose smock top and it has a very feminine floral print. It complements her shape and adds some much needed detail to her style. The V neck flatters her slim neck and gives a perfect amount of cleavage. Also, I have put her in some straight leg trousers instead of jeans which Emma loved as they gave her a bum and fit nicely around her legs. She doesn't normally wear heels but heels are a must with these trousers. They make her legs even longer, plus because they are wedges they are more comfortable, and the gorgeous purple matches the print in the top.

Outfit 2- Holiday and night out

Such a simple top but an effective look. We kept the shoes as they are very flattering, and paired them with a light dress and a bright flower corsage. The neckline is perfect for smaller busts, and it skims past the tummy which is again very flattering.

Outfit 3- Daywear

To make this outfit more suitable for day-wear i rolled the dress up to make it a top and tucked it into a pair of reasonably high wasted shorts, which fit Emma's shape perfectly. Of course we had to keep the perfect shoes because they went with everything, and the flower accentuates the spring theme.

4- The shoes!

Perfect shoes! Courts elongate the legs, bright colours and wedges are both key pieces this spring, open toe gives a playful, girlie feel, and, most importantly, they are comfy! Hurrah!

What do you think of Emma's makeover? Are you interested in having one yourself? Get in touch and tell me more!

Part 1- Emma's new face

OK so part one of the the mass makeover of my very best friend, Emma, involved a total makeup refresh.

She is luckily very naturally pretty, but she's not a girly girl and doesn't care much about makeup or trying new looks.

First things first I got her to take off all her makeup and bravely show what she was like before....

I wanted to make her look a bit more fresh faced and girly for the spring. First off all I straightened her hair and smoothed it over with a round brush. Then I gave her a french plait type crown through the top of her hair, to take some weight off as she has very long, thick hair.

Then I started on the makeup. I applied a light foundation to her skin with my fingertips, and concealer on blemishes with a sponge. I went for a really pink blusher as she has quite a pale complexion and I wanted to warm it up a bit without making her look orange.

Emma has lovely blue eyes and I wanted to accentuate them, so I started with a blue/green eye liner and smudged it under her eyes and on her eyelids.

I also used a pale blue eye shadow over the lids and white on the inside corners to really make the eyes stand out. I finished it with lots of mascara to make her eyes as big as possible.

And this is the result! I hope you like, feel free to leave lovely comments :)

Gok is back

I've just been reading about Gok's return. Thank god, that means Mylene can back off for a while (I hope)! Oh, and I also read that Trinny and Susannah's contract has run out, so no more What Not to Wear, or Undress the Nation, for a while. Or even forever. *Sobbs quietly to self*.
Anyway, so with another series of Gok's Fashion Fix on the horizon,
[caption id="attachment_276" align="alignright" width="166" caption="Gok Wan. The only GBF you need!"][/caption]
I thought I'd have a little sneaky peek on the website, see if it offers anything new.
And, yes, Gok (or his team of handy Gokkers) have created a brilliant style consultation tool on their website, for those of us who don't want to go on the show, but still want the same advice.
Yes please :)
I've just done it (only took two minutes) and of course it told me I was a pear, which I already knew. BUT, it also told me all kinds of things, like what colours work best with my skin tone, what hair styles suit my face, and even gave me direct links to lots of options of things I could buy right there and then! Smooth, Wan, very smooth.
Check out Gok's Style Consultation yourself....

Dressing for your shape

Apologies for this mammoth post, but there's a lot to cover!
Hopefully you will have read my previous post, Apples or Pears? before reading this, so you now know your shape and want to find out what suits you best!
Here are the most common shapes (which are also the trickiest to choose clothes for) and some advice on what to look out for, and what to avoid.
Apple shape
Most 'apples' will find that their best feature is their large breasts, so they show them off. Rightly so apples, but don't forget that your legs can be accentuated too. Best things to wear as an apple are wrap around tops and dresses, V necks (with support- you don't want excessive boob display!), simple tank tops paired with open mid length jackets, waist sinching belts and no big bold prints. You want to make the most of your curves by accentuating the best bits, and concealing the rest. Don't think that trousers don't look good on apples because they can! Wide leg trousers and boot cut jeans will give your legs a longer look, and they look great with some sexy wedges. Very spring!


Pear shape
Attention, pears! You should steer clear of drain pipes and slim fit trousers, unless you want to draw attention to your biggest parts. You need to balance out your figure so things are more proportional. This can be achieved by wearing things that accentuate the top half of the body like bright colours, bold prints and wide necklines, but stick to dark simple colours on the bottom half. A common feature of the 'pear' is a generous sized bottom! Great for the men, but not great for high wasted trousers, or detail on pockets, this will only make it appear wider. Ideal outfits include halter neck tops, dark boot-cut trousers and slim heels (chunky shoes only make the calves seem larger).


Hourglass
As an hourglass, you should show off curves without flashing too much flesh. Avoid tight, clingy fabrics as these will over emphasise any lumps and bumps. Instead, stick to items like A -line fitted skirts which are straight enough to show off curvy hips but don't cling too much to the thighs. To accentuate smaller waists wear thick waist belts, and tops with deep V necklines. Avoid Stilettos and opt for open toe court shoes, as these make legs appear longer and slimmer. The secretary look works best on hourglass figures, think low cut blouses and pencil skirts, but be selective when chosing materials so as not to look trashy.

Dressing for any of the other nine body shapes...

Apples and pears

Size is a massive issue when choosing clothes, and many of us never know what size we actually are, let alone what outfits best suit our bodies.

Thanks to Trinny and Susannah, who managed to find a massive 12 different types of body shapes, it is possible to find things that will flatter whatever bit about you that you want to accentuate or hide.
Instead of just apple, pear and hourglass shapes, they added shapes like the brick, vase, cornet, lollipop, goblet, cello, bell, column and skittle.
In their book, 'The Body Shape Bible', which I found myself flicking through for hours earlier, they manage to find a woman for every shape and find her outfits that really worked. I thought I would share a few of them on here, for anyone who is confused about their size and wants to know what they actually are before trying to find the right clothes.
Apples= Wide torsos (full bust, waist and upper back). If an apples put on weight it is likely to stick to their stomach, chest and sometimes on the arms creating bingo wings. Apples are always top-heavy.
Pears= Child bearing hips, and big bums but little boobs and flat stomachs. Sadly for pear shapes like myself, the bottom half is almost always out of proportion to the small top halves.
Hourglass= Womanly. Hourglass women have big boobs and curvy waists and they really should make the most of what they are given because it is arguably the most flattering shape to be.
Bricks= Unfortunately masculine with flat bums, broad shoulders and no waist.
Vases= Basically a stretched out version of the hourglass. These are easier to dress as the body doesn't curve quite so severely.
Skittles= Similar to pears, but instead of suffering from big hips, skittles have more weight slightly lower down on their thighs. The top half is fairly long and lean but the weight is all stuck around the chunky thighs.
Cornets= Athletic frame, slightly tomboyish with broader shoulders but perfect for the catwalk.
Lollipops= Top heavy, big boobs and little everywhere else. The envy of curvy girls who want to keep their boobs but loose the rest of their shape.
Goblets= Big boobs, tummies and broad backs balanced on long, slender legs. Like apples goblets are also top heavy, but it is easier for them to take the focus away from their top halves by showing off sexy slim legs.
Cellos= Exaggerated features so, again, big top halves and bottom halves, but bums and thighs are slightly wider than the chests. Like the hourglass but an exaggerated version.
Bells= Petite women who have expanded throughout the years. Their once big round bottoms have become disproportionally large and their bodies have suffered from the 'middle aged spread'.
Columns= Tall with long limbs and evenly distributed weight. Most column's don't have very big boobs or bottoms and are simply straight up and down.

What size are you?

Tom's transformation

The makeover is complete! Here's Tom's restyle as inspired by American designer Thom Browne! Confused? Check out my previous posts. Just to remind you, here's what he looked like before and below is him now.

Outfit 1: Smart/casual

Oufit 2: Smart (with jacket)

Outfit 3: Smart and simple

4: Shoes

And something for the ladies...

All clothes provided by from River Island, average price of each item of clothing was £35

So, what do you think? An improvement on the scruffy Tom?

My photos

I promised some pictures of my budget makeover so here they are. I hope you like, feel free to leave comments but don't be too harsh! :)

Outfit 1

Blazer with sleeves rolled up from New Look £12, T-shirt, jeans and shoes all pre-owned, bag from Asos £18

Outfit 2

Headband and clutch bag from vintage shop, harem trousers from BikBok £10, shoes from Faith £22, Cardigan £12 from Zara and over sized vest- Topshop £6.

Outfit 3

High wasted smart trousers from Miss Selfridge at £18, white vest (same as in outfit two), clutch purse from Accessorize £12, hair band from Rokit vintage shop.