7 Beauty Hacks You Need To Know

1) To condense your make up bag for travel, try out some of these hacks:

• Use bronzer/blusher as eye shadow
• Try eye shadow as eye liner on the waterline - I love this hack!! Just be careful when applying the powder, the first couple of times I tried this it ended up in my eye which wasn't good. Just practice and you will soon get the hang of it. 
• Use your lipstick as a cream blusher - Any pink/red tone lipstick will work, even the really dark plum colours! Lightly rub your ring finger on the lipstick to pick up some colour, then dab on the apples of your cheeks.

2) Creating a lighter foundation

Ever bought a foundation when you had a tan, then once your bronzed skin faded, was left with a near enough full bottle? I have - and it's the worst. Mix a small amount of your moisturiser with some foundation on the back of your hand and apply as normal. This works great for me!

3) For dry skin use a damp sponge applicator to apply foundation

Only recently have I tried this and it works a dream. I use the Miracle Complexion Sponge by Real Techniques, which I received as a gift for my birthday. The damp sponge hydrates the face and creates a flawless look.

4) Outline lips with concealer

When wearing a dark or red lip, sharpen the look by using a small lip or angled brush to outline the lips. And behold, a nice neat lip full of colour!

5) Use talc/baby powder as dry shampoo

We all have them days when we wake up with 10 minutes to get ready and be out of the door, with no time to wash our hair! Talc is something which most households have hidden away in cupboard, and it is the perfect substitute for dry shampoo. I sprinkle some onto a hair brush and brush it through my hair. This is probably not as effective for darker hair.

6) Use hairspray to set make up

Hold the can a good distance away from face and do a quick spray, then walk into the spray mist. This is probably not the most ethical of hacks but it works a treat for a night out.

7) Don't have any nail varnish remover?

A way to freshen up any mani is to apply a glitter coat over the top of chipped polish. (TIP - Use a glitter polish that has fine or mixture of glitter bits as opposed to just large chunks, they will spread more evenly to cover any chips.)

Do you use any of these hacks? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading

- Shannon x

Top 5 Styling Tips for Petites

Life can be be a struggle when it comes to dressing for your body shape and size, so I thought I would try to help all those petite framed women out there with some tips I swear by!

A high waist is your best friend. Should you opt for a skirt or trouser, the waistline will create the illusion of longer legs which can add height and be very flattering on short people. 

Vertical stripes will elongate the whole body, making you appear taller! The pattern of vertical lines are a popular trend for s/s 15 so why not give it a go, introducing a striped tee with some plain coloured jeans could be a simple way to work it into your wardrobe.

Matching the colour of your shoes to your trousers or tights will give the illusion of longer legs, wearing a nude shoe that matches your skin tone when your legs are on show is also another good tip. Wearing brightly coloured shoes can attract peoples eyes to your feet which in turn will get them to notice more rapidly the length of your legs, breaking the illusion.

Creating the right silhouette is essential for any body shape or size, this can easily be achieved by using a belt to draw in the waist adding curves to slender frame.

Yes, as simple as it sounds, styling your hair high up in a sleek bun or ponytail can transform the overall look of an outfit and give you a little extra height.

This post is to give you some tips and ideas on how to style up if you are like me and living the petite life. It is also important to remember to embrace your body shape and size and dress how you feel comfortable!

Thanks for reading!

-SJA xo