Blue Waves Nails of the day

    3 coats of No7 Minty Fresh and 1 coat of H&M in Blue Wave nail polishes

 Blue nails are fun in summer :)

Style Crush # 3 Gillian Zinser

And sometimes I wish I could just dress like that.
It's the long lost hippie in me, talking :)
I present to you Gillian Zinser of  90210, she dresses the same way on the show if you want more.

Tips and Tricks from Professionals: Make Up

Some tips and tricks from the Elle magazine website that I thought I'd share with you. All of them are really useful if you want to look flawless.

Too much moisturiser will make your foundation slip; our skin will only absorb what product it needs, so blot the skin before applying foundation for a long lasting finish.'
Jamie Coombes, Dior's UK National Make-up Artist

Product primers ensure a long lasting hold to foundations, keeping skin smooth, fresh and radiant all day long - they are a must, especially before a special occasion.'
Marie McKeever, Clarins UK Head of Treatment Development 

When working with dark eyeshadows apply these before your foundation so any fallen pigment won't ruin the base. Also, apply your mascara before your base as this can also knock excess pigments onto your base. Remove all fallen pigments with a cotton bud dipped in a cleansing water, and then apply your base.'
Make-up Artist, Florrie White

'When choosing the right shade of foundation, it is important to match your chest to your face.  You should aim to match the two otherwise your face will be one shade and chest another. If your chest has caught the sun and has more colour then warm the skin on your face with a little bronzer applied to where the sun naturally hits to give a natural glow.'
Cassie Lomas, Make-up Artist and Bourjois Spokesperson

Concealer used for the eye area should have more of a creamy texture with enough slip to make it blend effectively and be sure to use an eye cream in conjunction with the application of your concealer so that it does not look dry or cakey. Concealer used to cover scars or blemishes should be a little heavier and have a slightly drier feel to them. This will ensure longevity on the skin and provide the right texture for that specific area.'
Laura Mercier

To get started you need just three make-up brushes – a smallish rounded dense eyeshadow brush that you can use to apply and blend your eye shadow. A medium sized flat blusher brush to apply your blusher and bronzer. And a larger fluffier brush to apply or remove excess powder.'
David Scheffen at NARS

The right blush is the colour that your cheeks naturally turn when you exercise or blush. It’s important to find a colour that makes you look instantly healthy. The right blush should practically blend itself- otherwise you’ve chosen a colour that’s too dark or too bright.'
Bobbi Brown

With highlighter the key is to go two shades lighter than your skin tone. Look for one with a hint of gold or pale pink if you have olive skin. If you are pale go for pearly white or white gold for maximum allure. Apply under your eyebrows, across the top of your cheekbones, on your cupid’s bow and a touch at the very inner corner of your eyes to brighten.'
Petra Strand, founder of Pixi

To stop bronzing powders from appearing muddy or streaky on the face, first lightly dust a sheer translucent loose powder all over, this will ensure a smooth, even, longer lasting golden glow.'
Chase Aston, International Make Up artist & Spokesperson The Body Shop

'If you have time, define your lips with a bit of concealer first to highlight your lips, it will make the colour you choose pop more and enhance your lip shape.'
David Scheffen at NARS

To find the perfect pink lipstick to suit you, apply three vertical stripes of pinks on the lips, the one that is the closest match to your gums is the shade for you. For red lipstick do the same - three stripes - then smile the shade that makes your teeth appear whiter, is the red for you.'
Chase Aston, International Make Up artist & Spokesperson The Body Shop


Original Article at:
http://www.elleuk.com/beauty/expert-tips/back-to-basics-make-up

5 Fashion Blogs I love

As the sun is shining brighter than ever these days in the UK, every one shops for lighter clothes and shoes for the summer. If you are seeking for inspiration or do not know what exactly is 'in' this summer,I made a list of five fashion blogs to look through. In this era of 'everything internet'- fashion bloggers, in my opinion, are the ones who set most of the trends.

These are the links:
http://www.cheyennemeetschanel.com/

http://www.brooklynblonde.com/

http://atlantic-pacific.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.fashiontoast.com/

http://www.thegoldendiamonds.com/

I hope you enjoy the looks.
Every time I look through these blogs, I find that I want everything the girls wear :)
Focus on the Quiet,
xx

Style Crush #2 Alexa Chung

Alexa Chung settles for the second place in my Style Crush series. She always looks effortlessly dressed and that's what I love about her style. And then there is also that britishness in the shape of jeans shorts with blouses and jumpers with skirts. However, there is something I'm not keen on in almost every outfit of hers and those have to be the shoes. I love a chunky heel, but I do not like those that have a 'granny' feel to them, if that makes sense.

So, there you go, Alexa Chung:

When I went to the hairdresser's to cut my hair short some months ago, I took this picture of Alexa to show him exactly what I want my hair to look like. Whether it did in the end, I can't be the judge :)

Pictures: Pinterest and Google

Sunday Instagramming #7

Nandos Salad | Michael Fassbender-really love this picture of him

I'm up! | The Prestige movie

At Uni - reading the last chapters of this beautiful book| Asos fail

Jaffa Cakes| A detail of the Burt's Bees bag

J Saunders dress I love| Cutting inspiration from the magazines I've gathered this year

Some flowers for you, guys :) | Zara Aztec Print Scarf

Burt's Bees Mystery Bag

Guuuyss, I'm so exciteeed :) One thing you have to know about me to understand why I feel like this right now, is that I adore surprises. So, when I read blog posts on Burt's Bees Mystery Bag I plunged into buying it immediately. Basically, you pay £20 for a £55 value product bag but you don't know what you get and how many products they put in there. On Friday, I made the order and yesterday I got it at my door.

Burt's Bees is a brand that I always wanted to try, but somehow didn't ever get anything. Mainly, because of the price, I thought why buy a £10 body wash when I have the loved Body Shop ones at £4 or less(on offer).
But I thought this Mystery Bag was a good deal and an opportunity to try some new products.


Let's see what I got?
It first came into a regular cardboard box and inside, everything was put in this cute paper bag.

 That's everything I got for £20 (except the lemon round pot-that was an additional product I got for £5.99 to get a free delivery).

 I got 2 full sized (on the website each is £9.99) and 2 mini exfoliating body washes. I know 4 of the same product isn't that exciting but hey, I can use some radiance for summer.
What Burt's Bees say about the product: Bring your radiance to the surface. This creamy body wash infuses Royal Jelly, one of nature's most nutritious substances, with jojoba beads and a fruit acid complex to gently exfoliate, smooth and help even skin tone. Safflower seed olesomes intensely moisturise and condition, leaving skin with a naturally healthy, radiant glow. Go ahead, reveal your radiance.

I also got 2 full sized Body Lotions(each £9.99)
What Burt's Bees say: Bring your radiance to the surface. This natural body lotion is specially created to enhance your skin's natural glow. It's formulated with Royal Jelly, one of nature’s most nourishing substances, packed with 134 nutrients, including 17 amino acids, and vitamins A, C, D and K, as well as multiple B-vitamins. Sunflower oil moisturises and mica, a light reflecting mineral, enhances your skin's natural glow. The result is soft, shimmering skin you'll love.

 2 testers-eye cream and day cream for the face

 3 lip shimmers-1 in watermelon and 2 in rhubarb(each £5.99) A kiss of colour and pearlised shine add a hint of glamour to our world famous lip balm. Condition, smooth & highlight your lips with our wonderful selection of twelve shimmering shades. Luminescent earth pigments add a hint of colour to our natural beeswax lip balm to give your lips the lift they need. Nourish and moisturise your lips with natural ingredients like vitamin E and coconut and sunflower oils. It's time to pucker up with shimmery colour.

 2 Lifeguard's Choice Lip Balms. These should be great for when on the beach or skiing as they are weatherproof(each £3.69).They say: This natural lip balm is similar to our Beeswax Lip Balm, but provides extra relief from the drying effects of sun, wind and sea.

 I also got this cute tin to put all the lip balms in.

 And last I got this Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream(£5.99), as I said before I ordered it myself.
Burt's Bees say: Give your needy nails a helping hand. Nourish and moisturise nails and cuticles with this intensive, natural treatment. A touch of lemon oil makes your nails smell incredibly clean, healthy and beautiful, naturally.

So, if I have done my maths right, the actual value of my Mystery Bag(without minis and testers) is approximately £65, even more than they said it should be. In spite of receiving a lot of duplicates, I am really pleased with the bag, and now I need some time to actually see how these work. Let's hope I find some new favourites.

Thanks for stopping by,
                  Focus on the Quiet
                                     xx

Style Crush #1 Olivia Palermo

I'll be writing in the future a series of blog posts on the celebrities' styles that I love. First off,without a single doubt, is Olivia Palermo.

When looking at her, I don't even know what I like best - the way she looks or the way she dresses.

I would describe Olivia's clothing style as classy but with seasonal twists. It is not eccentric or something you've never seen before, but for me it represents good taste, the ability to combine colours and textures for them to be in a balance.

 Her style describes best the way I would like to develop mine in the future. I'm now in a slow, but strategic transition to do that. Hopefully.

Pictures:

                            Her boyfriend is always gorgeously dressed too.

Pictures from Pinterest

Her website: http://www.oliviapalermo.com/

For her beauty favourites see: http://www.oliviapalermo.com/my-beauty-gems/