How to go from Tomboy to Girly - Makeup!

The reasons I struggled with makeup as a teenager are 1. I bought cheap stuff (not always a problem - I love a good bargain but you have to know what to buy), which led to 2. I hated it looking as if I was wearing makeup, because for some weird reason I thought people would find it funny that I was wearing it or that it would draw more attention to my flaws.

The key, as always with makeup but especially as a tomboy, is subtly enhancing your natural beauty.

1. Key subtle products. Always wear mascara. Use as much or as little as you want, I like to use quite a lot of mascara, but you may want to just simply colour your lashes and add a bit of definition. I've never found that it makes a huge difference which mascara I use (though I have used some bad ones), so something from the drugstore (Boots, Superdrug etc for those of us in the UK) is fine.

Lips - always use a good lip balm. Not only does this keep your lips healthy and looking good, but also adds a bit of shine without being 'too much'. Some good standards are Carmex, Blistex have some nice new flavoured ones out (I just got the Raspberry Lemonade Blast free from their Facebook page and like it), EOS for those in the states (or in the UK you can get it from Amazon). I am an avid lover of the green Vaseline tin that has added aloe vera, and although I've heard that Vaseline is just a shield (still important) and not an actual treatment for your lips, the aloe vera has always helped the condition of my lips. I kept Vaseline in my pocket at school and reapplied frequently. Also experiment with some lipsticks (the Natural Collection ones in Boots are only £1.99 each and shades like Coral Shimmer, Honeysuckle and Sand Castle add a nice subtle 'your lips but better' effect), and lipgloss is always a nice touch as well without looking 'overdone'.

Blusher - now. I've only started wearing blusher in the last week. I kid you not! On Barbara(ThePersianBabe)'s recommendation, I picked up the Natural Collection Blushed Cheeks in Peach Melba, and using a Bourjois Powder Brush I just put swirl a bit on the apples of my cheeks. It's great, because it gives you a nice glow but doesn't look unnatural at all. This is the beauty of blusher - applied correctly in the right shade of course!

2. Hiding flaws - I searched for years for a good concealer when I was a teenager, as I've had lifelong dark circles under my eyes, but didn't find one that worked for me until I was 20 (I gave up on my search and embraced my tired/dead (lol) looking face while I was in school). I found Maybelline's Dream Matte Mouse, and I would highly recommend this as a starting point for someone looking to subtly conceal dark circles and blemishes. The formula's so light that you don't have to worry about putting too much on, and it looks really natural. 

I went for a more heavy duty concealer a few months ago, the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer as recommended by many many YouTube beauty gurus, which is cheap (big thumbs up - I think it costs about £4.19) and really does work. Spend time getting the right shade. Try it on the back of your hand, and even go to Boots/Superdrug armed with cleansing wipes so you can try the products on your face and remove as needed. Picking the right product is key, so always take the time to choose it.

3. Eyebrows - not technically makeup, but still. Tweeze the strays. DON'T GO OVERBOARD, you will regret it. Just keep your brows neat and it won't be obvious that you've tried to do anything overboard. The general concensus is that it's best to get your brows done professionally the first time so you get a good shape you can work with. This sounds like a very good plan to me as so many young clueless teens overtweeze and are dismayed when the hairs don't all grow back, but if you're sensible you can get away with doing it yourself.

4. A bit more daring - try out some nude/neutral/natural hued eyeshadows to add a bit more definition. The Makeup Academy Professional Eyeshadow Palette in Heaven and Earth, available from Superdrug, is only £4, has 12 great natural, neutral brown-hued eyeshadows, most with a little bit of shimmer, and is a good alternative to the much loved but much more expensive Urban Decay Naked Palette. You can apply these with your finger if you like, just to add some colour and bring out your eyes.

As time goes on you can be more adventurous adding in eyeliner, highlighting, contouring, and more dramatic shades. But start at the basics and enhance what you already have.

Let me know in the comments if you want more detail on any of what I've said.

:)

Nail of the Day

Inspired by the lovely Zoey at Daisy Gin. I used all Barry M for this -

Barry M Nail Paint in Turquoise

Barry M Nail Paint in Lemon Ice Cream

Barry M Instant Nail Effects in Black Magic

And then I whacked on loads of Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat...which I've reapplied now (two days later) to keep it pretty cuz it took a while :)

I'm not particularly adventurous with colours when doing my makeup, because I don't feel it suits my personality. But with nails, I can be as adventurous as I want cuz they're just nails! A really good little pick-me-up to make you feel girly and pretty :) And as you can see, I like to keep my nails short cuz they wind me up and I like the way short nails look... maybe that's weird, ha, I don't know but whatevss.

Happy painting :)

PS. Barry M Nail Paints are 2 for £4.99 at the moment - snap some up!

How to go from Tomboy to Girly - Hair

Ok. As someone who has gradually transitioned from a tomboy to (more of) a girly girl, I'm going to do a little post series on how to make the change, starting with hair!

1. Hair length
Obviously, your hair could be of all different lengths. The overgeneralised standard stereotype is that long hair = girly, short hair = boyish. What you need to remember is that this is not true! You can still be girly with short hair. If you want to grow it out because it makes you feel more feminine, go for it. Remember to trim it regularly, use heat protectant (Tresemme do a good line of heat protecting sprays and products) and use deep conditioning products to keep it healthy and help it to grow faster.

However, short hair can be girly too. It's about softness. A very blunt short cut can be seen as more boyish, but what you want to do is have the edges softened, have layers added, maybe consider a side fringe/bangs (depending how short your hair is, this may or may not be possible), and shape the cut around your face. Study magazines to see what cut suits the shape of your face and brings out your best features.

2. Hair colour

I, personally, don't like the natural colour of my hair. It's bland, a sort of mousey medium brown colour. I dye my hair fairly regularly (L'Oreal's Casting Creme Gloss in Chocolate Brownie - a great, rich red-tinted brown) to flatter my skin tone and bring out my eye and eyebrow colour.

Time for another overgeneralised standard stereotype - blondes have more fun.

I don't believe that hair colour matters. If you have mousey hair, or like me don't like your colour, maybe consider dyeing it at home or getting it dyed professionally. In my opinion, there's nothing wrong with dyeing it at home as long as you study the box and follow the directions exactly.

Something that I believe can help you look girly is highlights. This way, not all of your hair needs to be dyed, but the entire colour is lifted. I have never highlighted my own hair, or had it done at a salon, but I would personally be more inclined to have it done at a salon the first time.

Embrace your skin tone and your natural colour. A deep brown, a light brown, a dark blonde, a light blonde... all of these can be very girly and very sexy hair colours.

3. Hair styles

This will be fairly irrelevant if you have very short hair, but some you can still try I'm sure.

Try to wear your hair down (ie. not tied up) as much as possible. You may have frizzy, curly hair you're insecure about, but I'll get to that. Even if you do, that can be beautiful too, you don't need to hide it with a ponytail.

Ponytail's are fine too, of course, we all rock them out on bad hair days at the very least. The trick to making a ponytail look girly is having piece that shape around your face, ie. a side fringe/bangs or normal block fringe/bangs, shorter pieces around your ears to shape down your neck etc. And an instant girlier way to wear a ponytail is by adding plaits/braids, whether normal or French. (I can add photo examples if you wish).

Plaits/braids in general are a great way to make your hair look girlier, but don't look overdone or try-hard. They work with all different hair styles, depending on where they're positioned. Again, I can add more detail to this in a separate post if people wish!

Experiment with straighteners, curling tongs etc until you find a style that suits. If you have naturally curly hair, don't be afraid to try it straight (but with heat protectant, always), or if it's straight don't be afraid to try curly. If it looks nice, people won't judge you for trying to look girly, they'll just think you look nice.

4. Hair condition

This is, without a doubt, the most important thing for more girly hair. Yet another overgeneralised stereotype is a woman with beautifully shiny, flowing, glossy hair. The 'Greek goddess' sort of look.

In reality, not all girls have a head covered in long, silky hair. If you have naturally frizzy or curly hair, it's all about moisture and taming products. Use frizz taming products, like the John Frieda Frizz Ease series and 3 Day Straight, or try out my favourite hair miracle. Curls are beautiful, just treat them kindly and keep them moisturised.

Don't wash your hair every day. On the second or third day when it looks a bit greasy, try plaiting/braiding parts of it away from your face. Try to get used to it because the natural oils your hair secretes are so important and so good for your hair.

Always use conditioner, and use a hair mask once a week (when first starting out, try out a Herbal Essences or Tresemme one, as they're affordable and easily say which hair types they suit), but don't put conditioner on your roots. Go for about ear height downwards.

Don't brush your hair when it's wet, use a wide-toothed or afro comb to prevent split ends.

Get your hair trimmed regularly. It keeps it in good condition, and looks neater.

I hope you've found some of these types useful, please comment below with any more detail you'd like or expansion on any of the tips mentioned.

Good luck tomboys :)

Must not end all titles with an exclamation mark!

So to follow up my introductory post, here's a little more about me.

As I said in the introduction, I've always gotten on really well with boys. I also get on really well with girls - I'm one of those 'good listener' types, plus I'm quite dry witted and always cracking silly self-deprecating jokes so I think people find it easy to be themselves around me. Part of this, obviously, is the fact that I'm somewhat tomboy-ish, which I think stops me being intimidating to other girls. But alas, I digress. Yes, I've always gotten on really well with boys. One of my best friends in the world, and one of the best people I've ever met, is male. There's absolutely no hint of romance, just completely relaxed friendship.

I've often felt embarrassed or self-conscious when dressing feminine because I felt that it didn't suit my personality and people would judge me, wondering why I was wearing these things and that I looked silly. I'm still getting over that, but I am of the attitude (or at least, repeatedly tell myself to be of the attitude) now that, who cares what other people think? You're only young once. I'm a size 12-14, I have decent breasts, an alright arse in some clothes, and decent legs. If I don't get them out now, before gravity, cellulite and varicose veins attack, I'll only regret it when I'm older.

Hair has always been important to me, as I hated my hair when I was younger (it was awful to be fair), and have always looked to serums, masques and deep conditioners to tame it and keep it in good condition. When I was 18, I finally got a decent haircut. This sounds ridiculous, but I'd been getting cheap rubbish haircuts for years which I think was the problem. I can't recommend going to an expensive salon - I usually go to Toni & Guy - any more. It's worth it.

I experimented with eyeshadows, lipsticks, lip glosses etc when I was around sort of 10-14 years old. At this age, however, I didn't know what I was doing. Also, I bought the cheapest stuff I could find (I often still do to be honest, but not for important things) so didn't have a lot of success. I was embarrassed for it to be noticeable that I was wearing makeup. I've had dark circles my entire life and didn't find a concealer I was happy with until I was TWENTY YEARS OLD. Twenty! Ridonkulous.

I didn't wear makeup between the ages of about 15-18 (also ridonkulous). I remember buying mascara for my Year 11 Ball (16 years old), and next picking it up about a year later. I think it was Year 13 (17-18 years old) that I started using mascara again. In my gap year, I extended this to mascara and dark grey eyeshadow.

In my first year of university, aged 19, I started using black pencil eyeliner in my water line on nights out again, having disliked the look before.

So yes, when I was 20 I discovered Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse. Not even actually a concealer, the foundation, and because it was so light I loved it. I also started using fake tan on my legs.

Now here I am at 22, a few months ago I became obsessed with prominent brows and purchased Rimmel's Professional Eyebrow Pencil in 004 Black/Brown, which I still love though I may soon experiment with powder and a brush to fill in my brows.

I started using Rimmel's Sun Shimmer Bronzing Compact Powder in Light Matte that I'd bought a long time ago but not had a brush for, with a cheap kabouki brush I bought in Savers.

I purchased Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer in 02 Light on the recommendation of many of my favourite YouTubers, and of course because it was cheap. I bought No7's Eye Colour and Eye Blend and Contour brushes to help me do the smoky eye I'd been trying for years, but not known how to achieve until watching videos (I still haven't mastered it).

Most recently, I've started on liquid eyeliner, and I'm enjoying it. I only have a Miss Sporty one but it gets the job done.

Next on my list are blushers, lipsticks, highlighters, and a new bronzer. I would not recommend Models Own's bronzing powder, I should do a review on that actually.

So that's pretty much how I've come to this point. Miles to go! Oh gosh, this is long, I do apologise.

Godsend - VO5 Miracle Concentrate! (Review)

Alright, sooo, there's a lot of talk around lately about this fantastic oil for your hair called Argan oil. Argan oil comes from the argan trees in Mexico (or so Wikipedia tells me) and is being described as a 'miracle' for your hair by several different companies.

I had seen a couple of videos where Sara (http://www.youtube.com/SWalkerMakeup) had used the VO5 Miracle Concentrate and said it was amazing, so went along to Superdrug (I could not find it in Boots) and picked it up.

First and foremost, the 50ml bottle only cost £2.99. As well as this, you only need a small amount (it says a few drops on the bottle, but I use more like a little pool - see the photo below) so for that price it'll go a long way.

VO5 claim that this 'miracle' ingredient is high in vitamin E (which is good for your hair, skin, nails etc), as well as other anti-oxidants which all fight free radicals (weak split cells that bond to things and can cause the breakdown of other cells - read about it here), and that it is hydrating and deeply conditioning.

VO5 promise that this product will intensively condition and help repair dry, damaged or frizzy hair, leave hair unbelievably smooth and silky soft, add radiant shine, reduce drying time, and reduce damage caused by blow-drying.

(Sorry for the gross photo of my hand, lol, I tried to unscrunch it as much as possible without spilling the oil!)

Stats: This contains the famous argan oil, which is on the ingredients list as Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil and is paraben free. The bottle contains 50ml of the product.

Review: I bought this only five days ago, have used it every day, and love it. Just so you know a bit about my hair - I don't wash my hair every day, I wash it every 2-3 days as it's healthier and my hair doesn't get greasy after one normal day. My hair is fine in consistency but I have a lot of it (feels like too much sometimes!! But I know deep down that it's a blessing!) and I would describe it as dry. It also can fall quite flat because of the weight of it, as it's fairly long as well.

I love the smell of this oil for starters. (It smells like a particular perfume whose name I can't remember, but it'll come to me at some random inconvenient moment I'm sure!) As far as what VO5 promise for this product, it certainly feels like it's repairing the dry parts of my hair (particularly the underneath of the longest layers) and feels very hydrating and moisturising. My hair feels a lot softer as soon as the oil goes in. I can't say I've noticed a huge difference in shine, but I only use the product from about ear length downwards. Drying time feels reduced which is a big plus for someone with as much hair as I do.

It's low maintenance, doesn't make your hair feel greasy (though I would not recommend applying this or any oil near your roots), and can be carried easily in your bag to be applied when you need a refreshing shot of silkiness.

Rebuy?: An unequivocal yes.

Recommend?: Yes, I would. There are lots of higher priced Argan oil hair products around and I can't speak for their effectiveness (though one of my friends has just purchased the Lee Stafford version, which I may ask to try to sample the difference), but at this price, the name 'miracle' may be a little strong, but this product is certainly a godsend.

Taking the plunge - Night cream! (Review)

It's recommended by beauty experts that women start using anti-ageing and anti-wrinkle products at the age of 24 to try and prevent skin ageing and wrinkling as much as possible.

I'm 22, but let's be honest, when I go out clubbing I tend to drink too much and get wayyyy too little sleep (I would like to add that this is not a huge amount, I'm not an alcoholic or a huge party girl!), so I've probably accelerated my skin's ageing during my three years at university. So as I'm starting a bit early, and as usual am very lacking in money, I didn't go for Olay or No7 etc, I went for Botanics.

This is their Mature Nourishing Night Cream, which I bought from Boots.com for £7.14. I probably should have gone for the Night Shift Moisture Cream as it's cheaper at £5.10 and I don't actually have mature skin at the moment, but I figured that it would be a thicker consistency and more nourishing if it were for mature skin.

Stats: This contains Murumuru butter, which they describe as a rich emollient which moisturises, nourishes and softens the skin. The jar/tub holds 50ml (1.69 US fluid ounces), and the product unfortunately does contain parabens.

Review: I've been using this now for about a month. I wake up in the morning with a dewy glow to my skin, though possibly a little too glowy to the point of shiny, as this product is somewhat greasy. However, I don't mind this as I like knowing that I have a rich, thick moisturiser on when I go to bed and that it will work its wonders while I sleep. Before I started using night cream (or, in fact, moisturising at night at all a lot of the time) I would wake up with dry skin on my nose and patches of it on my face as my skin is naturally dry, but since using this I wake up with my skin feeling fully moisturised and not in desperate need of immediate cleansing and moisturising.

Rebuy?: I'm not sure if I'll repurchase this product, as I bought it to trial night cream in general. Now that I know the benefits, I may try a more expensive product. However,  the product works well enough for me and is affordable, so I suppose if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Recommend: If you have very dry skin, this product would be good for you as it is very moisturising. I don't think it would work for oily skin types as it is a somewhat oily consistency, but has not caused me any break outs. In fact, if anything, I have had less spots since using this moisturiser. So at this price, it's definitely worth trying.

Tomboy Beauty - Introduction!

Hello world! My name's Joanna, I'm a 22 year old graduate and a lifelong tomboy.

I will never be a girly girl. I prefer the look of short nails, I like to buy boy's clothes from Primark, I get lazy with my skincare and haircare, and I get on best with boys. However, I recently developed somewhat of an obsession with beauty, partly due to a bit of heartbreak and mostly because of beauty channels I've been watching on YouTube (I'll list my favourites at the bottom). I've been gradually expanding my knowledge, discovering tricks and methods I never knew, products I'd never even heard of, and sneaky little secrets for making myself look better.

The only problem with this new obsession is that I am very poor at the moment. As I said above, I'm a graduate, but I'm also going to be a student again in September, starting an MA. I haven't managed to get a job this summer so I'm sinking further and further into my overdraft... and yet keep buying cosmetics and toiletries. So as well as talking about my transition from tomboy to girly, I will also be talking about the bargains I find, and discussing which cheaper products are worth buying and which are not.

It's early days yet so bear with me! :)

I apologise for the differing name of the URL to the title by the way, someone had already taken the title and not used it - boo! 

My favourite YouTube beauty girls:


Gemma - Gem's Maquillage
Ingrid - Miss Glamorazzi
Fleur - FleurDeForce
The HILARIOUS Nikki :) - NikkiPhillippi
Sara - SWalkerMakeup
Tanya - Pixi2Woo/Tanya Burr
Barbara - The Persian Babe
Lou - Sprinkle of Glitter
Zoe - Zoella
Allison - Amarixe


And of course YouTube's wonderful beauty man - Jim - j1mmyb0bba :)