Favourite blog reads from January

I love nothing more than finding a new blog that is so beautiful that I have to instantly devour the entire thing. When you find something and you read all of the posts in one go... that's a new favourite. I'm always up for for getting new blogs to read (and there are just so many), so I thought I'd quickly share 5 blogs that I've really enjoyed this month. 

Bed In The Kitchen

Jaye's blog is just the nicest. It has such a clean layout and really amazing photos, with well-written posts. We even share the same taste in ikea plates, which is obviously a plus. Her posts are always so well done, and I especially love her tip style posts. 

Thunderlove

I love how Natalie's blog has such a clean and simple layout, it means that her posts stand out so nicely. Another one with excellent photography, everything just looks so pretty. Thunderlove has a great mix of beauty, fashion and lifestyle as well, which means there's always something interesting to read. 

Beauty With Charm

I found Alina's blog because she left me a lovely comment, and once I clicked I was hooked. Her pictorial posts are just so helpful, and so well edited. Her photography is clear and bright, and her product reviews are pleasingly detailed. Also, let's talk about how gorgeous she is? I know.

Expat Makeup Addict

Stacey is one of my blogging pals, so I am biased but her blog is amazing. She reviews all the makeup that I either have and love or love and want. We have quite similar tastes, and her reviews will make you spend money... you have been warned. She sometimes writes about Dubai, which makes me jealous and feel cold. She posts really regularly, and I actually have her blog in my toolbar so I check it everyday. 

Zoe Newlove

Zoe makes me just give up, because she has the makeup skills of a greek god. She's a makeup artist, and often posts really useful visuals on her different looks. I found her blog from searching for MAC interviews, and her post on that is so so useful. 

What are some of your favourite blogs at the moment? I would love to know :) 

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Pictorial: Contouring your eyes

Contouring. The beauty buzzword of the moment. Contour kits are everywhere I look and everyone is after those chiseled cheeks. I am a big fan of contouring (anything to try and fake some definition, am I right?) my face, but what about contouring your eyes? I know.

When I was in the hairdressers last week - I know, I finally got my hair cut! - I was flicking though Grazia and saw an interesting snippet on eye contouring. How to make your eyes look more defined, bigger and just generally better. Basically the article suggested running a darker colour through your crease and smudging the same under your lower lashline. I was intrigued, and mentally made a note to try it out as soon as possible. After trying it out I also attempted my first 'pictorial' - lovely Alina does posts like these which are so helpful and so pretty - so I thought I'd give it a go.

The products you need:

• A neutral creamy eyeshadow base, preferably one that is close to your natural skin tone. The goal is to smooth things out and even everything out.  I used my ol' faithful, Painterly from MAC, which is so creamy and just brilliant as a base. 

• Two brushes - one for the crease and a smaller one for smudging colour under the lash line. I have a MAC 217 and an old Crown one.

• A shade to contour with - you can use any natural taupe sort of shade. I used MAC Harmony, because I'm enjoying that at the moment. You could use an eyeshadow, or a cool-bronzer or the Kevyn Aucoin sculpting powder. Pretty much anything, as long as it's matte and something that can create a shadow. 

• Prep your eyes - put the base all over your eyes. Next, grab some product on your fluffy blending/crease brush. I find it easiest to look down when applying shadow in this way, little tip for you there. Using a windscreen wiper motion, sweep the product back and forth until you have the right amount of depth.

• Keep blending, and adding until you get the look you're after. This style looks best when it follows the shape of your eyes & doesn't wing out too much, I think

• Using the smaller smudge brush, run the colour under your lashes. It depends how low you want to go (hehe), but basically you're creating a shadow, which gives the illusion of your eyes looking bigger. 

... and that's it. It's so so easy, but contouring your eyes gives such a defined look. I love it with a bold lip, because it doesn't look like too much. What do you think? Is contouring your eyes for you?

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Best of Beauty: January

Yuh, I've rounded up the best of beauty for January. It's a hard job, but someone has to do it. All lovely picks... I just love slapping things all over my face and then reporting back. 

Lipsticks. Um, do these count as one? Thought not. Some favourites from this month include MAC Faux: lovely mauve-y nude that polishes off any look and makes lips look bigger and nicer. Lushness. Twig (mentioned here) is another nude, but a darker one. Both lovely, both essential I'm afraid. Tom Ford Black Dahlia is at the other end of the spectrum, and is a matte wine-berry sort of shade. Amazing formula, amazing colour. Mr Ford can do no wrong. 

I switch up my foundations a lot a lot, but I have been repeatedly going back to the MAC Prep + Prime highlighter in Light Boost. It's a light sheer yellow that comes in a highlight pen so it's easy to just sweep where you want it. I've been applying it on any areas where I want more light, and also in a kind of kitten whisker sort of effect. Let me know if you want a full post on this - will get on it. It basically adds light and helps to diffuse any redness.

MAC Quite Natural Paint Pot is my new smoky eye essential. I picked it up in a CCO, and am so glad. It's more flattering than black but smokier than groundwork (my paintpot staple) and just acts as such a nice base for any darker shadow. It also works well under the Burberry palette picture above and mentioned here. 

Tom Ford Love Lust is kind of similar to NARS Orgasm, but x100 nicer and more flattering. It adds definition, colour and a glow to your cheeks. It blends easily, lasts for ages and is basically a perfect blusher. 

Lastly, to keep dry winter skin at bay I have been slathering on the Caudalie moisturising cream mask a couple of times a week. My skin drinks it up, and leaves everything looking healthier and feeling more hydrated. A must have for dry skin.

What have you been enjoying in January?

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