How to make your lips bigger.

I know that every girl wants bigger lips, but the thought of getting surgery is terrifying. So here's a quick and easy way to get plumper, fuller lips. And all you need is:

Toothpaste
Bicarbonate Soda
A toothbrush.

I use an electric toothbrush because I find that it works quicker. But you can use a normal toothbrush also.

Before

So as you can see, before i ex foliated my lips they are dry and quite thin. But we can fix that.
Put your toothpaste on your brush just like you would if you were going to brush your teeth, then sprinkle a small amount of Bicarbonate soda onto your brush. (Best to do it over a sink, it can get quite messy)

Brush in small round motions, if you just go back and forth you will make your lips bleed. Don't press too hard either because this could cause bruising, remember your lips are very sensitive.
Do this for about 1 minute, you'll feel a slight tingle and your lips should feel numb.
Don't worry this is just the mint in the toothpaste bringing the blood to the surface.

After

Now you can see my lips are quite a lot bigger, they feel smooth and the numbness goes pretty quickly.
Add a bit of lip balm to keep your lips hydrated and this will make them plumper for longer.

After doing this you'll feel like Lana Del Rey and still have your money in your pockets. Refrain from doing this too often because you could damage your lips, i tend to do it when i'm wearing fancy lip sticks.

Nadia xxx

La Palmyre - France

If you watched my last video you'll know that i went to La Palmyre for a week. 

It's a beautiful place south of Royan. From where i live it took us around 3 hours and 30 minutes in the car.

We went to the beach (see image) which was amazing. 

There was a really awesome zoo you can find it here if you're interested. It's the most popular zoo in Europe. We took some beautiful pictures of the animals. They also have a seal show, which is really funny. It is in French but you get the gist of what's going on.

                         

This guys was dancing with the seals. Don't worry, the seals love being played with, in the wild they're extremely playful creatures so this was really fun for them to do.

I also met a very nice and friendly giraffe, i called him Alfred.

It was really fun to feed the animals and just hang out with them. Yes, yes i know that's weird but it's true!! They were well looked after and they enjoyed the attention.

Definitely worth the money as we spent 5 hours in there!!

If you're ever in France. GO! YOU HAVE TO!! Sorry i got excited. It's brilliant for children and adults, ok it's a bit pricey to get in but like i said, totes worth it.

Nadia xxx

40's Style Pin Up.

This is the 40's style, I am OBSESSED with this look. It's my all time favourite style. It's so flawless and timeless and you just can't go wrong with it. Now, i have a pixie cut so a bandanna/head scarf works really well with this look (for me personally because of my short hair) this may be harder to portray with longer hair, you would have to do the victory rolls,which aren't the easiest things to do. This look is very easy to achieve i'll explain how i did it and show you the pictures from different angles.

Ok so sideways on, you can see that the bandanna covers the tops of my ears, i prefer it this way because if i left my ears on show it would make them look big and make them stick out. I applied the right foundation for my skin tone (i'm ivory) and then patted it in place with a damp sponge, afterwards i powder my face with translucent powder to set it. The contouring is minimal i've only applied a small amount to my cheek bones to give the effect that i have a nice face shape and also pale blusher to the apples of my cheeks and then highlighter to my cheekbones and the length of my nose, as you can see it catches the light nicely. 

Moving onto the eyes and eyebrows, you'll notice that my eyebrows are quite dark. This is totally normal because back in the 40's they had very outlined harsh eyebrows. I made mine slightly less harsh because it doesn't suit my face shape. On my eyelids i used the Maybelline Tattoo 24HR in grey and then applied a heavy coat of white eye shadow followed by different shades of brown, making sure it's all blended in together, we don't want any harsh lines because it'll take the effect of the cat eye away. Using an angled brush and gel eye liner i did thin lines on the tops of my lids then creating a medium length line and then lashings of mascara (you could also use falsies if you wanted to) then i used white eye liner for my water line to make my eyes appear wider and more awake.

Last but not least the lips. Now this is the biggest part of this look, red lips were all the rage back in the 40's so you have to make sure your lipstick is matte and smooth around the edges. To start off i added foundation to my lips so that they were the same colour as my face, eliminating any pink tones from them. Then (and this may sound very strange) i added a thin layer of fake blood, yep you heard me, fake blood. This will give the matte effect that we're looking for. If it looks slightly orange don't panic, you're going to add lipstick afterwards. With the fake blood you're going to outline your lips then colouring in your lips completely leaving no space untouched. Leave the blood to dry, once dry get a very bright lipstick (it doesn't have to be expensive, mine was a drug store one i picked up for less than £1) apply a nice coat of it on top of the fake blood. Go around your lips covering all the blood. Then placing a tissue over your lips (don't press down too hard or you'll take the lipstick off) you're going to get the translucent powder and brush all over the tissue. This will ensure your lipstick stays on all day. Last thing put your finger in your mouth, close your lips around it then pull it out, all excess lipstick will go onto your finger and not on your teeth.

You're ready to go. Easy.

Nadia xxx 

I made Short Bread biscuits! YUMMY!

These have to be the most delicious biscuits ever created. I thank the Scottish (I think that's where they come from...), they're so simple yet so yummy. So easy to make, i used to BBC's version which is so easy to read and understand. Like it's literally:

125g Butter
55g Caster Sugar
and 180g Plain Flour.

THAT'S IT!!!! How simpler can it get? You just bung them in the oven on 190C/375F/Gas 5 for 15-25 mins.And Bob's your uncle, or maybe his names Jerry. Who knows.
Anyway get cooking, they're so scrumptious and easy peasy lemon squeesy!

Nadia xxx

Perfect in Pink - Make up.

I call this Perfect in Pink. In the summer you really need to add colour to your make up, the best place to start is your eyes and lips. (Where else are you going to add colour DUH) This is like a tutorial but without me showing you how i did it. Sorry. It'll just be pictures of the brushes i used and supplies. I'll explain as best as i can as to how i achieved this look. Lets get to it.

The eyes are different shades of pink, they have come out to the sides almost up to the eyebrows. I then made the pink come further out to the sides as if doing a cat eye. Then doing a cat eye to join the pink. (I do hope this is making sense.) The lips are a bronze/pink colour.

 Ok so now i've explained how it was done (kind of), we can get started with cover ups and foundation.

The heart is showing you which colour i used, i used the green cover up to eliminate redness from my nostrils, my chin and a little on my cheeks. 

Then i applied BB cream, i use Maybelline Dream Fresh BB cream. I applied it with a damp sponge, dabbing not wiping, if you wipe then you're most likely to rub off the green cover up you used before hand. So dab lightly and gently, especially under the eyes.

I then used this brown colour as contour. I applied it in a long stroke where my cheek bones are, you can see where they are by sucking in your cheeks. You should have a hollow incline and this is where you should apply the line. After that i applied a little on my chin and a little either side of my nose to make it appear thinner. 

This pale colour i used as highlighter. I applied it on my forehead, above the apples of my cheeks, my eyebrow bone and down my nose and also on my cupids bow. This will give the effect of light hitting the face. You should look very streaky and like you have war paint on. But don't worry, again blend all that in with a damp sponge, remember dab don't wipe.

Then using blush (this one is N°7 in toasty) and a big fluffy brush i apply it to the apples of my cheeks. It's easier to apply if you smile, also little and often, it's easier to add on than it is to take off.

This clear, shiny colour will be used under the eyebrow bone and also just above the apples of your cheeks. This give the impression of shine. 

To fill in my eyebrows i use a dark brown eyeliner. I find it goes on easier and it's easier to take off.

To start off with i comb my eyebrows so they are neat then just follow the natural shape of them, small wispy lines to imitate hairs. That's it. Literally. Easy peasy.

I used the Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24HR in pink as a base for my eye shadow. I apply a nice thick coat with my cream brush.

Taking a shiny pink and a crease brush i brush this all over my lid but not too far up.

Then with the same brush i take white and brush it in my crease line and also up to my brow.

Again using the same brush i take a vibrant pink and brush it gently from my lash line all the way to the edge of my eye, creating a cat eye style almost up to my brow.

Taking a smudgy brush i take a small amount of vibrant pink and a little bit of white and smudge under my waterline.

I put white eyeliner on my waterline to make my eyes appear larger.

Using gel liner, mine is maybelline, and two angled brushes. I use two because one is bigger and harder and the other is softer and smaller which is easier for cat eyes. Go slow and steady drawing the line on your lid. Go in and create a diagonal line on the outer corner of your eye and then join it up to the line on your lid you just made.

It should look something like this.

Onto the mascara, i use Scandaleyes Flex Lycra on my top lashes. Make sure to not pump the brush into the tube, instead you should turn it. This stops it from getting clumped. Then you should wiggle (yes that's the technical term for it) the brush from the root of your lashes upwards. Now if you have trouble putting mascara on, say you blink too much when the brush is near, a good trick is to look as far away from the brush as possible, yes this can cause you to stab yourself in the eye so please be careful.

Then i use Illegal Extension by Maybelline on my lower lashes. The brush is perfect for them because it's quite small and thin. In order to not get mascara on your cheek and ruin what you've just done is to get a tissue or piece of card and place it under your lashes.

This is what your eyes should look like when done.

Onto the lips.

I used a base coat of Maybelline Baby Lips. This helps for the shadow i apply later to stick. It also gives a very nice pink shine which is very pretty.

Using two lip brushes one thick and one thin, i apply a small amount of bronze (Yes i know in the photo it doesn't look very bronzey, but trust me, it is meant to be bronze!) eye shadow to the centre of my lips and also a little in the corners.

This is what your lips should look like.

And there you have it. A simple pretty pink make up idea for you to try.

I hope this made sense, if not i apologise.

Nadia xxx

HAIR,GIRAFFES AND WHATS GOING ON?

So this is my new video. Enjoy it, subscribe if you want to and give me ideas for future videos. I'd really like some input on what your thoughts are. Anyway, this is pretty much it for this post. I know it's short but there's more to come, just go watch the video. You won't be disappointed!

Nadia xxx

Sometimes You Just Want To Be Someone Else.

Edward Scissor Hands.

When i was younger i was bullied, a lot. Because of the way i looked.
I was skinny, boyish, I had bones protruding and i didn't have boobs. I was so different from the other girls. And it made me so angry, it made me want to do something about it. But of course i couldn't, i could eat anything i wanted. Burgers, chips, sweets, cake, you name it i ate it, and yet not a single ounce was put on my body in the places i wanted curves. So instead i decided to hide myself with make up. I would make myself into someone completely different, granted it wasn't very good back then. But now i feel like i've succeeded more than i ever could have imagined. I'd shock people into thinking "wait is that actually you?" And it was, i'd learnt how to disguise myself.
But not i realise i just had to be patient, but at 13 years old patience doesn't come easily and i've never been one to be patient. My curves came eventually, as did my confidence. When my confidence had reached it's peak i realised my potential in the make up industry. And it's because of the bullies that i am where i am today. Ok i may not be a world famous make up artist, but there's still time and when that time comes i'm going to thank those bullies for calling me names and pushing me in glass (yup i now have a nice big scar on my right knee, but never mind it makes me who i am) and of course pushing me to the limit! Never in a million years could i have thought that i would do make up the way i do it today. I used to watch the make up tutorials on youtube when i was younger and be so envious of how perfect these girls looked and how talented they were, with their contouring and highlighting, these were all new terms to me until i was about 15 and then i figured hey i could do that too, they had these perfect noses all sculpted and pretty, amazing cat eyes and pouted lips. I was so jealous that they could do all that with their make up. Back then my make up collection was pretty bare. I think i owned one little palette, y'know the ones with everything in, it was a little flip case. The first layer was eye shadows in garish colours, the second layer was blushes in bright pinks and the last layer was lip sticks, they were horrible and sticky and i used to apply them with a cotton bud, gross i know. But back then i was so happy with my little palette, i'd use it consistently even if the colours were completely wrong for my face. Now my make up cases are bursting at the rim. Which reminds me, i think i'm going to have to buy more boxes and drawers. Oh dear.
I never thought i would own so much make up!! It's a great feeling knowing that i can change myself with a bit of foundation and contouring and then making people have to look twice to see if it's really me or not. And it usually always is.

Anyway the moral of this story is, love yourself no matter what people say about you. Take it on the chin, let the bullies say what they will. They're most probably jealous of you and your talent. Whatever your talent is, having bullies will make you strive in wanting to do better. Making them regret what they ever said about you. Don't worry, things are always going to get better. Especially if you want them to.

Nadia xxx

My Videos on Youtube

I've been a fan of Youtube ever since it was made. I used to watch everything I could find, with parental lock on it obviously. I've made many a channel before, trying my hand at different things but they never really set off how I would have liked them. Until  a few months ago I created an all new channel and it went better then I ever could have expected. I love uploading new videos every Wednesday it makes me so happy to see people watching them and commenting. I started off doing sketches, trying to be funny all the time. It was difficult to move the camera by my self so I could act as different people. I had no body to help me so it was tricky. Until recently. I had loved watching people do makeup tutorials and hair tutorials, hauls and reviews. I decided I was going to do something like that, so far I've done my May favourites which is something I never would have thought to do before having watched it on other peoples channels I'll link it here and you can tell me what you think. In my video which will be posted tomorrow I'll be letting my subscribers know what to expect in my future videos. I hope it goes down well. I'm actually quite nervous to see how it all pans out, if it goes well or not. I know you're supposed to do them for yourself, so that they make you happy and they do but I'd want to know that people watching them will also be happy. Anyway enough of that. I'll write some more later in a new post or wait until tomorrow.

Nadia xxx

My life around makeup, animals and other things.

So as you may know (if you've read the 'About Me' bit) I am in love with makeup. I've loved it ever since my mum told me I was grown up enough to wear it, with moderation, of course. I remember being 11-12 years old, she had come home from the shops and like a good daughter I helped her unpack the shopping. My eyes came across a blue pencil thing (eyeliner, but at the time I wasn't to know that) I was curious but didn't persist with it for too long. I waited for a while until my mum pulled the eyeliner from the bag an gave it to me. She put it on for me just under the waterline, I was intrigued by the blue line under my eyes. Ever since that moment I knew what I wanted to do. Of course I flitted on and off with different career choices or the 'when I grow up I want to be....'
To start off with, I was determined to be a vet.
I loved animals dearly, I grew up having a cat. His names was Musily, like the cereal. He was a poorly cat, they said he couldn't live past 5 years old (don't be sad, he lived to be 25).
I'd always wanted a dog. I would harass my parents 24/7 "Mum, dad I'd love a dog, I promise I'll look after him, I'd pick up his poop and feed him and groom him and love him forever and ever!!" They never batted an eyelid. My dad would tease me and tell me I had to count at least 20 dogs on the street before he'd get me my own, each time I'd achieved the goal he'd move it higher and higher and each time I'd count the amount he asked for. Then one day I'd signed up for ice-skating lessons. We were in the car on the way to the ice rink in Nottingham, when we passed it. I looked up and saw my parents smiling, I was thoroughly confused. Y'know being 10 years old I wasn't the smartest kid in the world, nor was I very observant. Which didn't help much. But then it clicked. We were going to get a dog. I think I cried, or passed out. I can't quite remember. I think that means it was the latter.
Anyway I'm rambling. We drove all the way to Derby to get my little puppy, there was 12 of them all together in this horse box. I saw this tiny pup in the back corner shaking, instantly I fell in love and knew he'd be my best friend. I named him Mukka. 

He's a Border Collie cross Dalmatian and 9 years on we're still the best of friends. And I know that might sound weird, the fact that my best friend is my dog. But the truth is, he knows all my secrets and has been there when I cried buckets and buckets of water from my eyes. Good god I'm coming off as a crazy person. Great!

Anyway back to the whole vet thing, so after I got Mukka I was determined to be a vet. I wanted to save animals lives. This dream lasted for at least 3 years. But after that the idea dimmed, I thought I wasn't smart enough for the job, and all the money you needed to get where I wanted. So I gave up.
After that I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. And I know you will be saying "but you were only 13, that's totally normal" I know it's true but I'm someone who likes to know what the future holds, I have to plan ahead like weeks in the future sometimes months. OK! I know I'm weird, stop judging me!
I went to school, failed. Went to college, failed. I started to give up completely thinking I was never going to find what I wanted to do with my life. But d'you know what? After all these years of playing with makeup and not even realising I was good at it, my opportunity finally arrived when I found a course I could do from home, I knew it was a trusting website because my friend had done one previous. I was so excited. It didn't even cost as much as I thought it would. So I set my heart and soul into becoming even better, I've learnt so much and I still keep learning. So that's how I came to love makeup. I know, i know, long story could have been make shorter but hey I like writing! I hope you enjoyed reading it.

Nadia xxx