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

September Favourites | 2015

September, the start of a new season, the month of New York, London and Milan fashion weeks, as well as my birthday! In my opinion this is one of the most exciting times of the year.

Most of my favourites this month were gifts from my fab friends for my birthday!

L'OREAL Miss Manga Mega Volume Mascara -  I was on the hunt for a new mascara, so when I opened this for my birthday I was super happy. This is by far the best mascara I have EVER used. 1000% recommend. It gives lashes volume and length, and holds all day with no smudge or fall down.

L'OREAL Super Liner Perfect Slim - I have loved using this, it is super easy to apply and lasts all day without 'cracking'. I've found applying liner so much quicker using this pen.

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge - LOVE this. I have dry skin and find this perfect for applying foundation when the sponge is damp. It also gives an airbrushed look when blending out concealer on top of foundation. *My sponge looks gross, needs a wash asap, ha.

MAC Blusher in 'Harmony' - I've been loving wearing this on my eyes, I love the orange undertone, it's perfect to wear as a base for a brown smokey eye.

MAC Lipstick in 'Captive' - This is a great season transition colour, the berry tone is not too dark, a perfect early autumnal shade.

Hair Elastics - Since having my hair cut reasonably shorter recently, I have found using my regular bobbles a bit big, so I've been using elastics. These are great for putting short hair up, they are practically invisible in the hair!

Colouring Book For Adults - This was a gift for my birthday, I have been getting this out before I go to bed, and colouring in whilst watching tv. I find it so calming! I just need to get myself some good pens.

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES!!!! - I cannot rave more about this show, I LOVE it so much. This month I watched the whole of season 6 back to back in anticipation for season 7 which starts soon! EXCITED.

What have you been loving this month? Is there anything you would recommend me trying out? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading :)

Shannon x

Bedroom Inspiration

I have been using Polyvore recently, putting together ideas to decorate my bedroom. I am especially loving the combination of greys, mauve, dusky pink and copper, which, inevitably  have been the colour palette that I have been working with.

BEDROOM 1 - The marble canvas with the copper swirled into it matches perfectly with the grey marble print cushion, giving a contemporary feel to a soft girly styled room. I love the 'More Issues Than Vogue' print, I think it adds a nice touch and would bring personality to the room.

BEDROOM 2 - Taking on more of a grey and lilac influence, this idea evokes luxury and warmth. It almost makes you want to jump into the screen and snuggle up in fur throws and light up the candles, perfect for this time of year, as the nights grow in quicker.

BEDROOM 3 - The copper light fixings are my favourite items in this room, I think they add a great touch to the perfect mixture of pale pinks and greys.

You can find these sets over on my Polyvore here.

Do you have a Polyvore page? Comment below with a link to your page! Which bedroom collage is your favourite? Let me know in the comments!!

Thanks for reading :)

Shannon x