28/08/2015

Ombre Lips


Hola! After my previous post on Barcelona and what it's like to spend a lot of time there I thought i'd post how it's changed my Fashion sense. When I first arrived in February my friend and I were very influenced by London styles, dark hues, skinny jeans and long sweeping coats. For the first few months this was fine, in my opinion it was still quite chilly (but i think i just feel the cold a bit more than most) But as it gradually started to get warmer, we were reluctantly stripping back the layers as summer blasted in almost over night.
  Waterproof makeup is a must, purely because being out in the mid day sun is going to make you sweat it off, i don't often wear much due to this reason, it's really cleared my skin up wearing less and favouring the natural look. Although going out at night is when you'll appreciate the waterproof makeup, Going to clubs and bars i rarely re-apply, i've found a great Italian shop called Flormar, which i've found is slowly accumulating in my make-up bag. I use their concealer, foundation and lipliners, but not necessarily in the usual way.
I bought a very very dark foundation for the purposes of contouring, it stays very well and adds a warmth, i was struggling to find a bronzer which was dark enough for my skin so It's the first time i've used a foundation instead, it works really well and i've fallen in love with using a beauty blender sponge, those little things are magical. Used with the concealer (which doesn't go dusty or highlight under eye creases)  they create a great combination of shadows and highlights.

I accidentally bought the lipliners thinking they were more nude, but having caught the sun a lot the colours look different on my skin tone, Not like thats an excuse, I picked up purple and a lighter shade. I seem to prefer using them as all over lip sticks/stains now instead of just liners,  Using the darker shade I've lined my lips, with a lip brush i've swept it in for full coverage just leaving a little on the insides to create a gradient, with the lighter shade i dabbed a little in the centre of my lips and used my fingers to pat and smudge it out slightly, if it isn't as light as you want I have added a dab of concealer, although be careful as it can be very bright.
I really have to recommend their false eye lashes, I bought the "Magnificent Eyelash extensions" they are so natural and not too long, I really hate false lashes which look fake, I wanted something that i could get away with wearing in the day if i was attending a meeting, etc, and these are perfect, i trimmed them a little on the edges and the glue holds really well. I've had a lot of compliments about them. 

I think my style has changed here, i wear brighter and lighter colours, I wear more skirts and dresses, I'm glad the weather has pushed me out of my comfort zone.

And thats it! Have you been makeup shopping in Spain? Are there any Brands you'd recommend?






19/08/2015

What is it like to live in Barcelona


Wow, it's been TOO Long, and i've abandoned my poor little blog, i've wanted to update for a while now but i've always been stuck for what to say,  because so much has happened. I moved to Barcelona which is incredible, it's been a great opportunity to meet new people and teach myself that it's not actually that scary of difficult to move away. Of course it's been challenging at times but overall it's been one of the best decisions i've ever made and the opportunities i've had since taking a risk like that outweighs some of the stresses. Barcelona is stunning, if you haven't visited i'd say it's one of the friendliest, and happiest places i've been. A lot of people say it's the best city in Europe.

What is so good about Barcelona?


1. STUNNING
There is so much to see in Barcelona, Park Guell is very pretty, I stayed in the Gothic quarter, my friend and I decided to take a walk there, (if you know BCN you know how stupid that idea was) An hour later in the heat, uphill, we arrived, but it was well worth it. I preferred the gardens to the architecture, but it's still something you have to see. 
recommendations: Parc Guell/ parc ciutadella / Barcelona Zoo/ Arc de triomf

2. SOCIAL
There's always something going on. I love rooftop bars, seeing the city from up high when the sun is setting is just amazing, Barcelona is beautiful all day long but I think it's particularly special at night. Everyone is really friendly, I've always felt safe in the evenings, having said that, always watch out for pick pockets.
recommendations: 1881(rooftop) / Creps / W Hotel (wet deck party on sundays) 

3. FOOD
It's just really good, theres a massive variety of restaurants, more tapas than you can shake a stick at, I've never been disappointed by a meal (mainly the service, just be patient and let them do their thing)
recommendations: Jai-ca / MakaMaka / Haciendas

4. DISTANCE
Apart from walking to Park Guel, everything is really close in Barcelona, Living in El Born the beach is around 15 minutes and shopping on Ramblas is even closer, when staying in Barcelona i'd definitely chose to be in Barceloneta, Gotico or El Born. There are great bars to go to, and if you want a livelier night i'd chose to go to Port Olympic where the big beach clubs are, just be wary as they can be pretty pricey, and people selling you wrist bands are making a huge profit on your naivety, queue up instead.



You're also have a great opportunity to take advantage of the coast, around an hour north is Palamos and Begur which i visited, we went on a trek and found stunning secluded beaches, we took food and sat on the sand and swam, it's so beautiful. I'd definitely recommend it as a day out, it's completely knackering but well worth discovering things for yourself, watch out for the sea urchins (took my weeks to remove all the spines from my feet) oh, and the nudists. haha. 


Thanks so much for having a read, i'm off to Lake Como next week so i'll be sure to update the blog on the visit, also my next post will be illustration so keep checking back for that tomorrow with updated work. You can also follow me on

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