HOW TO FIX BACKLASH

I think we all know the struggle. Every so often our perfectly blended eye shadow is ruined by the mascara wand and we have to start all over again. Well, actually we don't! (also, this wasn't a reconstruction photo, I got distracted and the mascara exploded on me, *cringes*)
I call this backlash, the pun was too good to pass up:

You've got mascara on your eyelid. Dang.

1. Let it Dry. If the mascara is still wet and you start removing it, it will smudge and make it worse.

2. Brush Over it with your Eye Shadow Brush. Sometimes mascara will just flake off, and all you
have to do is dust a little bit of shadow over it and you can keep going!

3. If it's Stubborn: Take a cotton swab dipped in eye makeup remover and start taking off the mascara. It should come away pretty easily.

4. Re-Apply. The makeup remover will take away a bit of the shadow underneath, don't worry! Take the shade that was there before, I had on Sin by Urban Decay, and add a little bit more to finish up.

5. Done!

You can use any products you like, of course, but in-case you were curious, I used:

Eye Shadow: Sin from the Urban Decay Naked Palette
Mascara: Bare Minerals Lash Domination (This is really good, I've gotta get better at putting it on!)
Remover: Garnier Micellar Water
Cotton Swabs: I don't know, any brand will work

So that's all for today! Phew, six posts in a month, challenging to think of content, but I'm loving it so far. Let me know if you get backlash too, and how you fix it. Or share a quick fix of your own,

xx

SNAP HAPPY

As you might have noticed, the images on Em Charlie have become a lot better in quality. I've ditched my iPhone 4s for the Canon 600D with a 18-55mm lens. This baby, took about a year of saving up and I'm so glad to finally have it, and to use it! I've been taking a lot of test shots and working on my technique, so hopefully its onward and upward!

Now, just to clarify, I didn't buy this camera for blogging, nor do I think a DSLR is necessary for blogging (I took the picture of my camera on my iphone). I bought this so that I can start making films, good ones, because that side of creativity has really interested me, and I think I'd like to make some really quality content. I might share a few of my projects on here, would that be something you'd be interested in? Anyway, let me know, and I'll be back on Friday for a beauty post, (finally!).

xx

A TOAST TO ORIGINS DRINK UP

Okay, let me tell you about my skin. It's combination, and it's extremely sensitive. From October to December, I was getting dry patches around my face even though the rest of it was quite alright. But I read (I think it was on That Grace Girl) that your skin can still be dehydrated even if its oily. So, I picked up the Origins Drink Up Intensive Mask and thank goodness I did.

First off the texture is like that of a thick moisturizer. I put a pea-sized amount on right before bed, and it doesn't feel like a clay mask, and there's no film when you wake up in the morning. You're meant to use it twice a week, but I slap it on whenever my skin is feeling a bit sad. Also, it smells like apricot, which I love!

Packaging wise, Drink Up is really, really nice. The tube stand up on its own and it a lovely green colour, a bit lighter that what is pictured. It packs 100ml and considering you only need a tiny bit per application, this should last me for months.

After using it about three times, I noticed a real difference in my skin. It was brighter, I was getting less blemishes and the dry patches were getting a lot smaller. After using it for a month, I have no spots, only some quickly healing scars where they used to be. Personally I think the the mask was the tipping point for better skin, because I have been eating healthier and following my skincare routine better too.

Overall, I love Origins Drink Up. It's done wonders for my skin, and I would say one of my top skincare products. Everyone raise your glasses to nice skin, and let me know what your top skincare tips are!

xx

THE READING LIST #1

Throughout 2014 I only read about ten books, which to me is quite sad as I love reading. So, to fix this I made a resolution to read at least twenty five books this year which I'm hoping I can achieve. These are some of the books I've read so far and some books I'm waiting to read, with mini reviews to boot.

Books I've Read:

The Perks Of Being a Wallflower by Steven Chbosky - 4.5/5
This is the best book I've read in a long time. The writing style is amazing, and I love the way it doesn't fabricate what being a teenager is like. The story sticks with you long after you've closed the book and it's not one I'll forget soon.

Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham - 2.75/5
Autobiographies always captivate me, there's something about hearing someone's life story that just takes the cake. However I felt this was a bit too all over the place, which bothered me a bit.  I also felt there are parts that are very confronting, but each to their own.

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray - 3.5/5
Sci-fi books have never really been my thing, so I was really surprised when this turned out to be a love story. Well it's still a story about space and dimension travel, which is cool, but I was glad there was a bit of romance.

Books To Read:

Tape by Steven Camden
I'm reading this now, and the set up of the book is really interesting. It flips between the two characters but I'm still waiting for the plot to speed up a bit.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
This looks really good and I can't wait to start this book. The plot sounds amazing, and it should be a good read.

The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan
The author of this book is a Yale student who was hit by a car days after graduating. This book is a collection of her essays and stories, and I think this may be the best book of all of the ones in this post.

Books I Want To Read
Emma by Jane Austen
Norwegian by Haruki Murakami
Nobody is Ever Missing by Catherine Lacey
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
More Than This by Patrick Ness
The Program by Suzanne Young
Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson 
The Tourists by Julianne Pachico

So there's my current reading list, comment what book you're reading or want to read and I'll see you soon.

xx

CHATTING TO MADIE GRACE

Hello All!
Today I have something new to share with you. This is an interview series by bloggers for bloggers about blogging! I know a lot of you have your own blogs, so if you'd like to be involved, comment down below or shoot me an email.

My first blogger is the amazing Madie Grace. Madie was the one who inspired me to start blogging so it was only right to start with her. Let's get started!

E: Who are you and what is your blog?
M: I'm Madie and I'm from Madie Grace.

E: Tell us a bit about your blog and what kind of content you create.
M: My blog is basically a representation of me - it's all things beauty, fashion and a sneaky bit of food.

E: How long have you been blogging and what are your goals for the future?
M: I've been blogging for thirteen months now, and my goals are to create better content and just be myself in blog posts and do different ideas instead of trying to fit in with all the other beauty bloggers.

E: What bloggers inspired you to start blogging?
M: Definitely Zoella and PersonallyPaige.

E: What is your advice for new bloggers?
M: Just to start a blog for yourself and put up content you'd want to read instead of doing it because it's in or because everyone else is doing it.

E: So just be you?
M: Yes exactly!

E: If you could pick your favourite thing about running Madie Grace, what would it be?
M: Being able to express my interests and personality into my blog and having people read it and be interested in it is really cool.

E: That's so lovely! Next one, how do you stop yourself falling for blogger's hype?
M: Before buying anything I always read reviews and I always wait a couple of weeks to months and if people are still raving about it I will check it out. If not then I don't bother.

E: What products have you found through blogging that you absolutely love?
M: M.A.C. Lipsticks, The Balm Mary Lou-manizer and Bondi Sands Tanner.

E: And finally, Where do you see yourself in a few years? Are you still blogging?
M: A lot can happen in one year, so in a few years I don't know what will be happening but I certainly hope so!

Find Madie:
Twitter @madieeegraceee
Instagram @madie.grace
Tumblr www.madieeegraceee.tumblr.com
Youtube www.youtube.com/madieeegraceee
Blog www.madieeegraceee.blogspot.com

THE FIRST M.A.C. BULLET

Twelve months of blogging and it's finally happened. Over the Christmas holidays, I was given a gift card and MAC's Syrup was added to the collection.

The lipstick is a lustre finish, so its slightly matte but there's that slight sheen, which I think is really pretty. It feels a lot like a lip balm with one coat, but it can be built up to an opaque finish with three layers. Syrup is really easy to wear, it doesn't look flaky and it stays away from the cracks in your lips.

The colour is described as a 'cloudy pink', which is awesome for me. I like my nude pinks because it stays so natural, its not quite my lip colour but I like it more than my natural one. Like I said, pigmentation is fabulous and its like two lippies in one.

In terms of what eye look I wear with this, usually I'll stick to matte browns to accentuate the lips or a mauve-y smokey eye with liner to bring it back to the eyes.

MAC lipsticks are pricey, especially in Australia ($36!!) so I either want to find some dupes in the drugstore or find someone going overseas to buy them for me.

Have you tried MAC? What are your favourite lipsticks?