MW's Contouring Ways

Hello Whirlers,

Today I`m going to do something different - with a completely different approach, too.

I got asked a while back on how I contour, so I thought I`d show you:

(click on photos to enlarge)

Products used:

Sleek Faceform in Dark

NARS Bronzer Blush Trio

Blush Brush - natural bristles

Kabuki Brush

Small Brush

On with the photo tutorial:

1.  In order to create the depth in your cheeks, you will need to find the darkest matte brown powder you have and with the handle of the brush, you will need to place this on your cheek to see where you want to apply the powder (photo 2).

Once you have determined this, start applying the powder. Ensure you apply it in a 'C' motion like the photo below. These are the darkest parts of your face, so you want to emphasise these.

2. It may look daunting at the moment, having two dark streaks on your face, but using the same brush apply lighter bronzer to the area marked in the photo below. I used NARS Laguna for this. I usually suck in my cheeks at this point to see that I`m applying it to the right area - apply it to the part that catches the most light when you suck in your cheeks.  Once you have done this, blend the two products together so it looks seamless. 

3. At the point, you would apply blusher to the apple of your cheeks as the photo below. I like to then blend the blusher in with the lighter bronzer to make sure there are no harsh lines. I applied NARS Orgasm for the blush - a favourite of mine.

4. This is where you highlight. As you can see from the photos above, it is all of the photos on the bottom row. You would do the upper cheek (which is just below the eyes), the T-Zone and your brow bone - the photo below shows where you should apply the highlighter. It is preferable to use a small headed brush at this point as you only want to apply a small amount. Also, as I was using NARS Albatross - you only need a little bit to go a long way, so had to be able to control it. For the T-Zone, I like to use a fatter headed brush, and I seek my kabuki brush for this part, where I lightly brush it over my forehead and down the bridge of my nose. A point to remember, never do the tip of your nose. Its also nice to apply a little bit of highlighter to the cupid bow on your lip - this is great to make your upper lip look larger! 

5. After all that is done, I like to swirl the kabuki brush all over the face to ensure it is all blended well and there are no harsh lines.

Final result:

(don`t ask what I`m doing with the brush - I can`t pose without doing something with my hands :/ )  

For the rest of my face, I used:

Foundation - Christian Dior Forever Skin in 030 Honey Beige

Concealer - MAC Studio Fix in NC42

Mascara - L`Oreal Volume Million Lashes in Extra-Black

Eyebrows - HD Brows in Dark Brown

Eyeshadow (lightly applied to lower lashline) - Urban Decay Toasted

Lips - Rimmel in 136 Ballistic

So, what do you think? Easy to follow? Should I do more of these? If you like, and have a specific request - do let me know, will try my best!

xo

P.S. Make sure to follow me on twitter, instagram, bloglovin` and facebook! I`m easy to find, just type in 'mangowhirl'!

MW's Stoptober

Yes, I`m doing Stoptober - but, not how you think! Instead of Stop Smoking October...I have decided to do:

STOP SHOPPING OCTOBER

Rules:

1. No CLOTHES shopping

2. No SHOE shopping

3. No ACCESSORIES shopping

4. £50 expenses per week for food/petrol/cosmetics

5. Definition: Cosmetics - Does NOT mean make up - its basic toiletry needs - stuff you`d buy from Savers - not Selfridges make up counters.

(Seriously?)

6. Shop within your wardrobes - dig out old items that you haven`t worn in a long time and make it new

7. DIY old items to change them

8. Don`t complain

9. Jot down all your expenses everyday - see how much you`re spending on what. You will be able to get a general idea of your daily expenses.

10. Did I mention - don`t complain?

Exciting rules, eh?

As you can see, this is a good exercise for me as I`ll be learning to stop myself from shopping, save money and re-use my clothes that I already have.

I`m writing this on Day 5, and I can tell you so far its been good. Struggled at first when on Monday morning (Day 1), I got this posted through the door:

I couldn`t believe it!! ESPECIALLY, when the small booklet was about workwear!!! It was almost as if they were taunting me!

Day 2 - was better though - I did check out fashion blogs/sites etc, but it didn`t make me want to buy anything! 

Day 3 - I did buy some equipment for my camera - but, that doesn`t count!

Day 4 - Didn`t shop!

I will update this post throughout the month. 

Anybody else doing anything like me at the moment? Please say yes!

xo

Update - 12 October 2012

Hey Whirlers! How are you all? Can you believe its been 12 days and I`ve actually survived almost two weeks without going into a retail store?! I`m seriously amazed! I think it helps I`ve kept myself busy with other things...and, I`ve avoided going into town during my lunch hour at work. That most definitely helps, hah. 

Another two more weeks!!

Hope you`re all behaving, too...only fair! 

xo

Update - 18 October 2012

Another week has passed and I haven`t been in a retail store - how amazing is that? Not long left!! I do have  a small list of things to buy, but I`m learning not to be extravagant and spend all my money on clothes. I have made so many new outfits with my current wardrobe! Love it!

Hope everyone is well and not shopping, a lot either!!

xo

MW's Fall/Winter Footwear

Hello Whirlers,

To ensure I get maximum use of my shoes/clothes, every season I choose what are the likely items I`m going to wear. I put them out, so I know what my options are every morning when I get dressed.

I have a theory that if I do this, every season, then I know I am making use of my clothes and not gathering dust in the closet. What I like to tell Mama Mango, is that I`m being economic with my clothes. Plus, its always nice to have you clothes out, so when you`re creating an outfit, its easy to see the options.

This evening I sorted out my fall/winter footwear, and I thought I would share with you:

(click photo to enlarge)

BOOTIES

Booties are PERFECT for the fall/winter where your toes will stay nice and warm! They are also all over the catwalk, so they are big this season! I have kept my open-toed booties out for a short period because I think open-toes are perfect for the transition into winter, so I think I will RINSE these booties until its too cold to wear them.

RIDING BOOTS

I adore riding boots, they are ideal for fall/winter! They go with jeans, even coloured jeans, which is ideal if you want to carry your coloured jeans over into the fall/winter. They go fabulously with midi skirts, which is perfect for a modest dresser, especially as midi skirts are all over the shop floors, so its a perfect excuse to buy midi length skirts.

OXBLOOD

Any footwear that is oxblood/maroon/burgundy - then you are SERIOUSLY on trend this fall/winter. I am absolutely obsessed with this colour and I am buying EVERYTHING that my eyes fall on in these shades - its getting ridiculous now though!

LOAFERS

These are the new ballet pumps, just much more trendy! I love them. Round up outfits so nicely and goes with EVERYTHING - I kid you not! If you prefer to wear flats to heels, then I think tan, black and oxblood hues would be ideal for this season. At least one pair would go with your outfit, you will be comfortable, and more importantly, on trend!

NEUTRALS

These types of footwear NEVER go out of fashion, simply because it is a safe option. I tend to sway to neutral footwear, when I am unsure about which shoes to wear with an outfit. I know I will feel confident in neutral because attention won`t be drawn to the shoes, so it won`t be an issue - does that make sense?

MILITARY BOOTS

I don`t really have military boots simply because its not my style and I`m 5ft, so they don`t really suit me. However, I do have these trendy/edgy/studded boots, which I feel work as a substitute and I would use these to attempt the military trend this fall/winter.

What are you wearing this fall/winter?

xo

MW's Neutrogena Visibly Clear Moisturiser

Whirlers,

Everyone knows my obsession with Neutrogena's Visibly Clear Face Scrub, where I did a review here and here, so when I discovered the matching moisturising cream, I bought it, and shared my excitement with you here. 

Due to the excitement, I purchased this in bulk, thinking it would be just as amazing as the face scrub, however, much to my dismay, it was a disappointment.

But, I`m Asian, and I have to use my money's worth, so I stuck it out, and have been using it ruthlessly! 

(I have one in my handbag - ideal for when I do wudhu outside of home, I have given one to mum - she doesn`t like it either and FINALLY nearly finished this one)

The texture was exceedingly light, much lighter than my usual Olay Daily Moisturising Fluid, but because of this, I had to use a lot per application to cover my entire face (I don`t think my face is that big!), which is bad  because you shouldn`t have to use a lot of product to cover your entire face, BUT, its good - because the product is pretty rubbish and I didn`t want to use it for very long - so the quicker I can finish, the better! 

The packaging states the cream is a 'daily facial moisturiser with a fresh fragrance that hydrates, clears and refreshes for a beautifully clear and healthy looking skin everyday'.

Fresh fragrance - It has the same smell as the facial scrub, which initially smells fantastic first thing in the morning and very refreshing, but after a while, it gets boring and doesn`t smell exciting. It also made my skin sting a little bit - I don`t know what that was about?

Hydrates, clears and refreshes - I`m not entirely sure if it hydrated my skin as it didn`t really make much of a difference - and surely drinking plenty of water is what keeps the skin hydrated?! 

The cream has salicylic acid, which is great for reducing marks, which was the determining factor for me to purchase the cream - I thought it would aid the reduction of marks faster(!). But, it really didn`t! It made no added difference to my skin. And, this is why I`m disappointed with the product.

It was refreshing though, but after a while, you do get used to it. 

Beautifully clear and healthy looking skin everyday - As previously stated above, it didn`t really help clear my skin, but as the product is 'oil-free' it did keep the skin from clogging up further - in that respect the product was good. It was also pretty good as a base for make up as the product absorbed pretty quickly into the skin.

Another thing I didn`t like about this product is that there is no SPF included, which I find annoying. I`m a massive fan of SPF and the benefits it entails, so when my basic face cream is missing this? It is instantly not a great product for me. I try not to wear foundation as I like to keep my pores clog free, so I actively seek SPF in my face creams, to protect my skin from the harsh sun rays. But, as this product misses the SPF, I`ve had to be extra cautious and consciously ensure I wear foundation or sun protection on top of my face cream! So, that`s a MAJOR negative for me, in respect of this face cream.

Would I purchase this product again? No, the face scrub is amazing, but the moisturising cream is a let down in comparison, and my skin didn`t change dramatically, which sucks. Once I have finished this cream, I will go back to purchasing my Olay moisturising lotion, which I feel my skin is better suited to.

How about you? Have you tried this cream? I know, chocoholic-hijabi's sister tried it out and didn`t seem fond of it, either! Check out her funny review here. 

Can you recommend YOUR face cream to me?

xo

MW's DIY: Cute Cushion Covers

Whirlers,

Sunday. Sitting at home. Raining. Mama Mango watching Star Plus - what should I do?! I decided it was about time I learnt how to sew, so I rummaged in the cupboard underneath the stairs and dug out Mama Mango's old school sewing machine...and, begged her to deter her attention away from Arnav and Kushi to teach me!

And, this is how it all went down:

(click on photo to enlarge)

What I needed: 

- Material

- Cushion 

[I purchased mine when it was on sale on the H&M website - 99p! But, this was a while ago - but I`d keep an eye out all the time - H&M have amazing sales all the time]

- Black cotton thread

- Scissors

- Measuring Tape

-Sewing Machine

Measuring and cutting the material:

Mama Mango obviously didn`t want me to cut and mess it up, so she laid the material down on a flat surface, placed the cushion on top and measured the material.

She cut three pieces:

1 x large piece, which would cover one side of the cushion

2 x smaller pieces, the height would be the same as the larger pieces, but the width would be half of the cushion size's width, plus an inch or so over  - this is so you can fold a little over and create a nice edge (as you can see in the image below on the two smaller pieces), as well as the "fold over" (to insert the cushion)

[e.g. if your cushion, width wise is 30cm, then half would be 15cm, but adding an inch or so = 18/19cm]

To create the neater edge: 

Fold the edge over a little bit (little over 1cm) and pin it in place, this will create a neat edge. Sew this all the way down. 

Once you have done this to one side to each of the smaller pieces, lay the cushion back ontop of the pieces put together, so you can get an idea of how much you would need to sew around the outer edges. Mama Mango measured it where I would have an inch space to sew:

Again, using sewing pins, along the edges so the material wouldn`t move, put through the sewing machine. 

Make sure one of the smaller pieces overlaps the other small piece, as this is how the cushion will stay in its cushion cover, like this photo:

Ensure you do the sewing inside out.

And, once you`re done, turn it back around and put the cushion inside, and you should end up with something like this:

So, that was my first ever sewing project - I hope it was easy to understand! If not, please do email/comment/tweet me! 

What shall I do for my next project? Although, it was scary and a pain - I did feel the final outcome was rewarding (lol!)

Do let me know if you also make a cushion cover!

xo

MW's New Obsession: Rose Gold

Hellllloooo Whirlers!!

Safiyah over on Frootibeauty, recommended a Sleek Blusher for me, Rose Gold. So, I`ve been on the hunt for it and could NEVER find it in any of the Superdrugs for a good month or so. Until a month ago I found it in town! I was totally happy and put it into my basket without a second thought!

(with flash)

(without flash)

After using it for a month, I can tell you I am IN love with it. The colour is amazing! I always put it on my cheeks and still use the Sleek Contour Kit for the hollows of my cheeks.

What do you guys think? Isn`t it just a beautiful colour? Especially on brown/tanned skin? 

Do you have this? Would you buy it? 

xo

MW's Bright Lights and City Lights OOTN

Whirlers, 

If you follow my blog, then you will know I went out for dinner with Lilmissrosh earlier this week, where Rosh was kind enough to take photos of my outfit to share with you:

(click photos to enlarge)

I wore black chinos, black shirt and an oversized tailored blazer in hot pink. By keeping the accessories muted, I was able to ensure the hot pink blazer stood out!

OVERSIZED BLAZERS

I am kind of in love with oversized blazers at the moment - I think that`s because its so simple to throw on over an outfit and it will just round it up - and still be on trend! Especially, as I went to dinner straight after work, so needed something office friendly, yet could pass as 'going out' afterwards. To keep it casual, I rolled up the sleeves and ensured my black shirt sleeves were poking out.

Shirt - H&M

Chinos - Zara

Blazer - Forever 21

Clutch - New Look

Shoes - New Look

Belt - Zara

Hijab - eBay

What do you think? Yay or nay for oversized blazers? 

xo