The Red Lippy Project

If you have enjoyed reading my past blog posts then you'll be well aware of the following two facts-

1. I love wearing every shade of Red Lipstick (not that this page title gives that away...)

2. I am a great supporter of raising awareness of cancer and finally finding a cure.

So, when I heard about the Eve Appeal joining forces with The Red Lippy Project during Cervical Screening Awareness Week, I knew getting involved would be right up my street. 

From the 9th, until the 15th June, I'll be rocking a new shade of red every day, in the hope it will spark conversations leading to the topic of cervical screening. Which, lets be honest girls, is a topic we all shy away from more often than we should. If Movember has worked in getting our guys checking themselves, then a girly gossip over a MAC lipstick should surely be easy?!

Cervical screening, or smear tests as we most commonly refer to the process as, is a topic my close friends and I have discussed at length, especially since the sad passing of Jade Goody back in 2009 and the introduction of the HPV vaccine in schools.

Until we reached the screening age of 25 last year, we often left in limbo- too old for the vaccine and too young for screening. What about us? What if our health is already in danger?

That said,  when my 25th birthday arrived, along with the clearly marked NHS letter, I honestly couldn't of been more scared. So scared, that I was nearly in the 32% of 25-29 year olds who missed their first screening.  Thankfully, during a routine doctors appointment 9 months later, my GP put her foot down. I wasn't leaving until it was done. 

And, honestly? It was nowhere near as bad as I imagined and thankfully I was one of the lucky ones, my results came back clear.

So ladies, lets get involved and encourage all of our female friends to attend screening!

 'Be bold, be glamorous, and join the Red Lippy Project'

You can follow the fun by visiting their Twitter, Instagram and Facebook

To finacially support the Eve Appeal's important research, you can also donate here

My love for Gatsby.

Since I first sat cross legged in front of the television, watching the antics occurring at Fat Sam's Speakeasy and admiring Tallulah's fur stole, I have been smitten with the 1920's.

 My love grew further when, aged 16, my GCSE Drama and Dance projects focused on the era, and as the only lessons I took a real interest in, I reveled in the topic. 

Fur coats, cloche hats, red lips and secluded jazz bars still remain a few of my favourite things, and if I could hop in a time machine and experience it all for real, even just for 24 hours,  I would be the first in line to do so.

So when I heard one of my favourite stories- The Great Gatsby- was to be re-created for the big screen by the genius Baz Lurman, my love for the era and excitement grew and grew. So much so, that my friends, family and twitter followers must be rather sick of me going on about it!

I even held my very own Gatsby birthday party earlier this year, in a bar hidden behind a bookcase,  just to grab my own slice of the prohibition pie!

Birthday Celebrations!

After years of waiting, and week of listening to the soundtrack 24/7,  it's now less than a week until the UK film release.  Not that I have had a countdown or anything.....

 Long loved Gatsby fans like moi and new ones, intrigued by the media attention, will no doubt flock to their nearest cinema, where the Daisy and Gatsby of our generation will be portrayed by Carey Mulligan and every 90's girl's Romeo- Leonardo Dicaprio. 
Carey Mulligan has been one of favourite actress's and elfin hair icon since I first watched her in An Education back in 2009, and I couldn't think of a better casting for Gatsby's leading lady.  And if you have any doubt she wasn't born for the role, then you should turn your attention to the May issue of American Vogue.  To me, she truly encompasses the essence of Daisy Buchanan. 

These stunning images were shot by Mario Testino and styled by the legendary Grace Coddington. 

Being a typical make-up junkie, my eyes were instantly drawn to Carey's vintage inspired make-up, which was created by cosmetic genius Mark Carrasquillo, whose work often graces the pages of Vogue. Although this bold look appears tricky, its simple to recreate when you have the right tools- and this is how I plan to turn myself in a modern day Daisy!

  Daisy’s soft, smoky eye-
In the 20's they favoured a more rounded shape, but for a modern take, Mark has slightly winged out Carey's shadow to suit her natural eye shape.

1. Apply a small amount of a light shimmer cream shadow, such as MAC Cream Colour Base in Shell from lash line to the brow bone, using your fingers. 

2. Using a soft black eyeliner pencil, I like MAC Smoulder, apply short strokes into the lash line working from the outer corner towards to  inner, stopping two thirds of the way in. Repeat, moving up the eye lid until you have reached halfway between the lashline and socket line. 

3. Take a flat brush, by favourite is MAC 239 , and pat a dark brown/charcoal shadow on top of your eyeliner. For added warmth I like to use Illamasqua Shadow in Wolf.

4. Time to blend! Using a clean fluffy brush, blend the shadow on the lid up into the socket line. Use both back and forth and circular movements to blend seamlessly. Be careful to only use this brush in the upper parts of the dark eyeshadow, we want the area closest to the lashline to stay nice and dark! Try Crown Brush C139

5. For the metallic finish to Carey's eye make-up, apply Illamasqua Liquid Metal in Surge to the inner third of the eye and tear duct, using a synthetic brush from Crown. Use your fluffy brush to blend the edges of the two colours together.

6. Apply your kohl pencil to the water line and under the lower lash line until you meet the shadow in the outer corner of the eye. Blend the darker shadow over the pencil line under the lower lashes using a pointed brush, such as Crown C321, until you reach the metallic shade in the tear duct. 

7. Finish with two coats of a lash building mascara, such as Lancome Hypnose.

The iconic 20's red lip:

1. Line your lips using a rich red lip liner such as MAC Redd. Start at the cupids bow, before moving to the outer edge and work up into the bow. Repeat to the lower lip, again starting in the centre. Fill in your lips using the liner, this will help your lip colour to stay in place all night. 

3. Apply a matte red, I like Art Deco, Dita Von Teese, using a lip brush. No7 Lip Brush is one of my faves. 

4. Finish by applying MAC Pigment in Naked to the area immediately above the cupids bow using a cotton bud.

Voila! Daisy is reborn!

I hope you all enjoy The Great Gatsby, as much I hope I will!

In the meantime, take a look at this fabulous behind the scenes video Vogue created, I particularly enjoyed hearing Carey read an extract from the novel.

You can't repeat the past? Well, of course you can!

http://www.vogue.com/videos/behind-the-scenes-of-carey-mulligans-great-gatsby-themed-cover-shoot/